Ultra

Written by castor :: [Tuesday, 05 January 2016 01:37] Last updated by :: [Thursday, 28 January 2016 09:37]

She instinctively groaned softly as she suddenly regained consciousness, feeling suddenly energized more than she had ever felt before.

“Are you okay?” said Ultra.

Erin looked up. Ultra was bathed in light. That was the thing. The sun was coming over her shoulders making her long reddish blond hair simply sparkle like a thousand diamonds of light.

“Uhhhh”

“Are you okay?” repeated Ultra with … concern, care in her voice, a note. She looked around.

They looked to be in some kinda park, something like that … trees, grass sunlight … oh so much sunlight … and Ultra, wearing a bathing suit with sleeves, mask and somehow so much confidence and power. It made everything, the sound of the wind, the feel of the grass, everything somehow mute.

And a face that looked worried.

“Yes,” said Erin cowed “yes”.

“We can take you to the hospital …”

“What happened?”

Ultra looked over, “A pyro guy named Romaniov was attaching the building you were in … I pulled you out of the way of some kinda of experimental flamethrower as it was about to burn you. Got knocked out … I fought him – he's in jail now don't worry – but the building caught on fire so I came back and … do you want any water?”

“What?”

“Water” said Ultra “I can get you some from a drinking fountain or like a bottle.”

“What did you do?” said Erin still just looking.

“I brought you here.”

Erin's mind reeled looking around … she had been to this park on her way to work once and never again.

“You saved me.”

“So you're okay?” said Ultra letting her go experimentally to sit down on the grass letting muscles dance that shouldn't be able to dance.

“You saved me.”

“Yes.” said Ultra looking glad “It was no problem.”

And that was the thing. The look, the good emotions – it wasn't ego or vanity or anything like that – she was merely glad that Erin was alive.

“Thank you.” said Erin with more emotion than she had ever felt, even if such emotion could not be described “Thank you so much.”

Ultra looked around “You're welcome.” with a smile.

“What did you … you saved me.”

Ultra nodded “Are you sure you don't want to … you know … a doctor can be a good idea in situations like this. You had a rough fall, your head … an expert on it.”

“Thank you.” said Erin “What do you want?”

“What?” said Ultra as if having to think for a second to the answer “Oh nothing.”

“Nothing?” said Erin.

“Sure.” said Ultra brushing red hair out of her eyes “I mean, I don't do this for like money or anything just – you know – here to help

“Here to help?” said Erin taken aback “Help me and you don't …”

“Your smile.” said Ultra “Your … it's own reward, it's no big deal its just what I do.”

“How?… You're a god.”

“No.” said Ultra frowning. “I mean, I am strong, I can fly, I can do stuff, but I am just … well … a normal woman.”

Erin looked at her, the slightly freckled face the teeth that where white and clean … she was human, maybe A few year older then her, at most even.

“Then how?” asked Erin.

“My powers … well I don't …”

“How do you help? Why?”

“Because it's the right thing to do.” said Ultra “You know, I meet people, who can do similar things – either through mutation or magic or science – and … well they're just evil, selfish, but … I was a good person. I wasn't a girl scout or anything but that's who I was … and I wanted to help.”

“People like this exist here?” said Erin “I just … it's been years … it's …”

“You have had a rough life, haven't you?” observed Ultra

“I work … I come home … no one … no one is kind. No one is friendly. I have lived in this city for 5 years now and its all so empty, cold and harsh. Sometimes a smile from a boy who wants something, maybe a hello from a clerk selling me something.” Erin was crying now.

Ultra looked over, just uncomfortable “Well … I don't think I'm alone.”

“The people you talk about with magic and stuff … they're not just wearing stupid costumes … they're everywhere.”

“No, that s not true.” said Ultra her voice full of compassion “That's not true.”

“And the worst of it is …” said Erin between sobs “The worst of it … I feel myself … I feel myself grow hard. When someone … when someone just helps … I say' I wouldn't do that'. I wouldn't get in the way of the fire even if I was magic or invulnerable or …”

“It's okay.” said Ultra hugging her close. “You're worth saving.”

Erin paused and cried a few minutes, cried as she realize that Ultra was tearing up that, somehow, in that perfectly bodied heroine invulnerable and strong and …

She kept crying harder.

“I don't know what to say.” said Erin “I am just so …”

“Thank you.” said Ultra “Thank you for being alive, for being a person, for being here. Thank you.”

Ultra paused “That's kinda corny even for me.”

“I'm sorry for having an attack here.” said Erin.

“It's just.” said Ultra “This is so much much sometimes and when people shoot flamethrowers or toss buildings or do any of that … that's the easy stuff. That's when you test your muscle and you learn nothing can stop it and it's … weird … but at the same time, expected. You know … it's just.”

Ultra put a hand in her face “I am babbling.”

Erin paused “It's okay. It's so okay … it's me.”

“I mean … are you hungry?” said Ultra “Are you okay to go home?”

“That stuff is fine.” said Erin “It's more than I need.”

Ultra turned and smiled “I'm glad to hear that. Sometimes I worry about that … that I am just this big muscle and …”

“You saved me because you could.” said Erin “You …”

“Again, it was nothing.” said Ultra and she started to hover about the ground and Erin remembered she was impossible.

“Oh.” said Erin.

“Is everything okay?”

“Its just … you're going to go … and everything is going to be …”

“The world is full of good people” said Ultra “maybe you should meet them. Maybe you should be them as you said. I am not here to judge. The world is. And I am glad for you to be in.”

Now, there are many stories one could tell, how they became friends, lovers whatever, arch-enemies. But the truth is: when Ultra disappeared like a blip into heaven, Erin never saw her again (at least in person) throughout her years. There were times, speeches, awards, whatever when she thought about it, but no. They never saw each other again.

But there was rarely a day she didn't think of her.

And the same was true.