Without a Moment to Lose

Before I even had time to consider what was happening, my feet were already hitting the ground. I could hear my blood pumping as the air filled with the screams of children. As soon as I came to my senses, I was already approaching the site where the bus was. Thankfully, Exploiter must have mis-timed his explosion because the bus hadn’t fully gone over the edge yet. Behind the bus was a pile-up of at least twenty cars with people screaming and struggling to escape.

“H-Hang on!” I shouted at them. I could hear the kids clamoring and beginning to panic. As they shuffled around the bus, it began to teeter back and forth. “Don’t move!” As I got closer, however, I stopped a few feet from the bus.

The ground was weak from the explosions that Exploiter had caused. If I made any wrong steps, I could accidentally cause this whole thing to start crumbling to the waters below. And at this height, it was definitely fatal. I looked around to try and see if there was anything that I could use. Maybe if I stretch my arms out? Ugh, that wouldn’t help because I’d still need a solid footing.

“Fear not citizens! For I have arrived!”

I looked up to see a man, swinging from the top of the bridge and throwing out long tendrils of plants.

“It’s Whipvine!”

“We’re gonna be saved!”

“We’re gonna be alright!”

Immediately, the air was filled with the release of tension as one of the city’s famous superheroes came to the rescue. He shot vines everywhere, and they slowly began to entangle the cars and wrap itself around the bridge.

“Don’t worry, everyone! Just,” I saw his attention turn over to the crowd of people that were following Regina, “Follow that crowd!” He continued swinging around, spreading more vines across the bridge.

“Whipvine!” I called out, trying to get his attention. “There’s a bunch of people trapped down here! We need help!”

He swung down and threw out more vines, starting to ensnare the cars in place. Then, he walked up next to me. “Civilian, we need to get you out of here. Go that way to safety.” He pointed in the direction that Regina walked off in.

“I-I’m not a civilian!” I stammered, feeling more unsure of myself by the moment.

“A hero? Guess you’re new,” Whipvine glared at me, “Hey, I recognize you. You were the hero trying to stop that tiger in the park.”

“Uh, yeah, that was me,” I said, keeping my eye on the cars and the bridge.

“Okay, well, the cars should be secure. Which way did the villain go?” I pointed in the direction and Whipvine looked around rapidly. “Alright. Get to safety. Let the professionals handle this.” With that, he swung away.

I wanted to protest. I wanted to shout and have him give me some credit. But, he was right. I haven’t done anything heroic at all yet, despite all the power in my hand. I began to slowly trodden my way back down the bridge.

*GGRRRZZTT*

A sharp grinding sound pierced the air. I turned around to see the vines had grown even further, reaching into the small crevices into the ground. They had pushed the loose parts even further apart.

“He didn’t think about how fragile the bridge was!”

The bridge gave way and the bus started to fall down towards the water. Children screamed for their lives. There was no time for hesitation, and my body agreed with me. Without thinking at all, I leaped down towards the bus. My one hand grabbed hold of the bus’s back door frame while the other wrapped one of Whipvine’s vines around my hand. I feel for a bit before feeling the vine reach its full length.

“AAAUUUGHH!” I shouted as it felt like my arms were about to pop right out of their sockets. Still, I felt the full weight of the bus in my arms. I looked down to see the kids all against the seats. I could feel myself struggling, but I had to hold on. The kids were panicking still, not sure what to do. There was only one solution I could see.

“It’s going to be okay! I’m a hero!” I looked back and forth, making sure my grips were secure. “Alright, listen up. You kids are gonna have to climb up on me,” I shouted down to them. “One at a time.”

Immediately, the oldest kids began to clamor up. “Oww, easy!” Thank goodness that I managed to give myself super strength. I watched them climb up the vine to safety onto the bridge. “Alright, now start heading over that way to safety.” I gestured in the direction of where Regina was. Hopefully she won’t expose herself to anyone too young. I pray.

Next was the bus driver, who pushed the other kids aside to climb up to freedom. “Ugh, jeez. Way to watch out for the next generation, huh?” I said as he moved past me. “Hey! Watch where you’re grabbing!” The bus driver hurried his way up the vine and scrambled to safety.

I huffed and looked back at the bus. “Alright, come on! One at a time, please!” One by one, the other kids made their way up the makeshift ladder, the load on my arm getting lighter and lighter by the moment, which was good because I could feel my grip loosening. “Okay, is that everyone?” My arms were practically shaking from exhaustion.

“M-Ma’am!”

I turned my head down and looked. There was a young girl, no older than 7, with her left arm in a sling and cast. “I-I can’t climb up.” She was sobbing uncontrollably and was probably scared out of her mind. Then, a voice from long ago came to me.

“Come on, Hera!” It was the voice of Pepper, from when we were kids in school. “A great hero can put people at ease! That’s what the great Pink Rose would say! That’s why heroes smile! So people know that everything…”

“Everything is going to be alright!” I smiled as hard and as wide as I could for the kid. “Hey, come on. Look at me,” I said, coaxing her to look up. “Come on, I believe in you. Look, you don’t have to go all the way. Just climb up the seats gently using your feet and your free hand. Once you get up to me, I’ll just take you by the hand, alright?”

The little girl nodded and wiped away her tears. Slowly, she stepped one foot up on a seat, then the next. “That’s it! You’re doing it!” My arms were screaming out in pain, but I ignored it. I had to push past it. She stepped up to the next set of bus seats, then the next. “You’re almost there. You’re so brave!”

The girl, still sniffling and trying to hold back crying, **** herself up the next row of seats. “Just a few more!” She moved up to the next one.

The bridge creaked a little, jolting us both. The little girl screamed out in terror, gripping onto the bus seat. Thankfully, I still held tight. “Hey hey hey, look at me. Don’t look down. Don’t look around,” I said, still smiling. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You just gotta keep climbing.”

Slowly, the little girl, her arms shaking, pulled herself up to the next row of seats. “That’s it! Just one more!”

The girl stepped up to the next row of seats, her hand now barely reaching out of the open back door. “There we go! Now, you’re going to have to grab my wrist. I’m going to let go of the bus.” Immediately, the girl pulled away and gripped onto the nearest bus seat.

“No no no no no,” I said, trying to reassure her. “I’m going to let go of the bus and then grab your hand once you’re holding my wrist. Okay?” My shoulders were reaching their limit. “I’m a hero. I’m here to save you. You can trust me.”

The little girl turned and looked at me, and I smiled back at her. She nodded her head and began to reach up. “That’s it. Just grab my wrist. I’ll get you.”

*SNAP*

The bus frame gave way and the kid and the bus began to plummet towards the waters below.

“NOOOOOOOOOO!”

I let go of the vine. I didn’t care about how tired my arms were or how sore my shoulders were. All I knew was that this kid trusted me and I needed to save her. Now we were both freefalling down towards the river. As I looked at my hand, outstretched to try and grab her, the Reality Ring glinted in the sunlight. I had just enough time to do something to save her. To save us!