Bubble Boy

The steady beep of the heart monitor was the first thing Troy registered when he woke up. His head felt heavy, his body sore. A dull pain throbbed through his arm, wrapped tightly in a cast, and the faint scent of antiseptic filled the hospital room.

His vision cleared, and the first thing he saw was Jackson and Emily sitting beside his bed.

They weren't in their hero costumes, just regular clothes. Jackson wore a dark hoodie, his hair slightly messy, and Emily had her arms crossed, looking like she was debating something serious.

But what caught Troy's attention the most was their hands.

Intertwined.

Holding each other.

Troy blinked. His voice came out hoarse. "Wait… what?"

Jackson and Emily glanced at each other before Jackson gave a small chuckle. "You really just woke up and immediately noticed that?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "He's not that dense."

Troy raised an eyebrow, shifting slightly in the bed. "I feel like I missed something important."

Jackson smirked. "We started dating last Saturday. The day we went out."

Troy's lips twitched into a smirk despite the pain. "No way."

Emily sighed. "Yes way."

Troy shook his head slightly, then smiled. "You two actually look good together."

Jackson grinned. "Obviously."

Emily's expression softened slightly, and she gave Troy a long look. "More importantly, how are you feeling?"

Troy exhaled, looking down at the cast on his arm. The events of the battle rushed back into his mind the rage, the explosion, Starman. Elemental's death.

His throat tightened.

"I..." he hesitated, then clenched his jaw. "I'm sorry. For what I did. For almost…" He swallowed, forcing himself to meet their eyes. "I won't let it happen again."

Jackson leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Good."

Emily nodded. "We understand, Troy. Really. But you're not alone in this, alright?"

Troy let the words settle. It was hard to believe, but he nodded. "Yeah. Alright."

The moment was cut short by the sudden sound of rushed footsteps.

Carter burst into the room, practically skidding to a stop. His eyes were wide, filled with excitement.

"Troy, get up," he panted. "I've got news."

Troy frowned. "Dude, I just woke up from almost dying."

Carter grabbed the side of his bed. "Annie's awake."

Troy's mind blanked.

The machines beeped in protest as he ripped off the IV lines, ignoring Jackson and Emily's protests. His body screamed in pain, but he didn't care. He shoved past Carter, bolting through the hospital hallway.

He knew exactly where to go.

He saw them before he reached the door.

Annie's parents stood outside her hospital room, their expressions unreadable. Sam stood beside them, clinging to her mother's side.

Troy stopped, breathing heavily. Annie's father looked at him first. Their eyes met, and for the first time since the accident, there was no anger.

There was regret.

"We blamed you," her father said quietly. "We were wrong."

Troy swallowed hard.

"We're sorry," Annie's mother added, her voice tight with emotion.

Troy nodded, unable to form words.

Then he stepped past them and opened the door.

The room was dimly lit, and in the hospital bed, sitting up, was Annie.

Her green hair was a tangled mess, her glasses slightly crooked on her nose. Bandages wrapped around her arms, and her face, her beautiful face, was marked with scars.

But she was awake.

She turned when she heard him enter. Her lips trembled.

"I..." Annie's voice cracked. "I tried to be a hero. I thought… if I could do something amazing, you'd notice me."

Troy's breath caught.

"I was so scared," she whispered. "I thought I was going to die, and all I could think about was… you."

She sniffed, her hands trembling as she touched the bandages on her face.

"I was already ugly before," she said, voice breaking. "And now I'm even worse."

Troy didn't say a word.

He couldn't.

His vision blurred, and suddenly, his legs gave out.

He dropped to his knees beside her bed, fists clenched, shoulders shaking.

Tears slipped down his face, silent but uncontrollable.

"You were never ugly," he whispered. "Not before. Not now. Never."

Annie's breath hitched.

Troy lifted his head, looking at her through the haze of tears. "You are beautiful. You have always been beautiful."

She let out a soft sob, covering her mouth.

"And I love you," he said, voice raw. "I love you, Annie."

Then he reached forward and pulled her into a tight hug.

She froze for a moment. Then, with a choked cry, she clung to him.

Her sobs wracked her body, and Troy held her, feeling every shudder, every ounce of pain she had carried.

She buried her face into his shoulder. "I love you too."

Troy held her tighter.

For the first time in a long time, despite everything, despite Starman, despite the war ahead...

For a moment...

He felt at peace.

Later that night he was back in his hospital room alone.

The steady hum of the hospital machines filled the room as Troy lay back in his bed, his body aching from his reckless sprint to Annie's room. He barely had the energy to keep his eyes open, but the sound of approaching footsteps made him glance at the doorway.

A nurse entered, holding a clipboard, her expression unreadable. She glanced at him, then sighed. "You really don't make my job easy, you know that?"

Troy tried to smirk, but it came out weak. "Wouldn't be fun if I did."

She shook her head, setting the clipboard down. "I called your mother."

Troy's heart stopped.

His mother.

She was coming.

And when she arrived and saw the state he was in…

His stomach twisted with worry. He could already hear the scolding in his head, her telling him to stop, that it was too dangerous, that she couldn't bear to lose him like she lost his father.

Would she tell him to give up?

Would she tell him he wasn't meant to be a hero?

The door burst open before he could think any further.

His mother rushed inside, her breath shaky, eyes scanning every inch of him. Troy braced himself, expecting anger, but instead...

She cried.

Tears streamed down her face as she ran to him, wrapping her arms around him in a warm, trembling embrace. She didn't yell. She didn't scold. She just held him.

Troy stiffened at first, then slowly, his arms moved, hugging her back. He felt her shaking. He felt her relief.

"I thought I lost you," she whispered, her voice raw with emotion.

Troy swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm okay, Mom."

She continued to hug him in silence , happy he is still alive.

After a long day of almost killing someone , almost dying and confronting Starman. Troy finally felt relaxed while being held by his mother.

He knows the legion is still out there.

He knows Starman is still out there.

He knows he didn't change the world, he didn't change anything yet.

He knows that he will have to overcome even harder challenges.

He knows how dangerous it will be.

But right now he is at peace, under the protection of his mother.