Chapter 88: News
Callisto landed on the roof of a house with a soft thud, not wanting to alarm the people inside. She looked down at the parking lot to Oner’s apartment to see if there was anyone nearby. Once she was assured there was no one in sight, the girl took off her mask and went down on the parking lot, landing gracefully on two feet.
Callisto started her walk toward the entrance to the apartment, taking her sweet time while hiding her mask inside her hoodie’s pocket. Upon reaching the reception desk, her sky-blue eyes landed immediately on Oner, who noticed her arrival.
"You’re about a minute away from breaking your promise, Calli." Oner’s voice was calm, but there was an underlying current of worry in it as well. "Where did you go?"
Callisto explained herself as her visiting the nature park at night and just taking a walk around the district to get some air. Of course, she left the fact that she didn’t really just take a walk and go to the park but used her ability to jump around houses and trees out of her story.
Oner listened to the story and seemed to take it all in without suspicion, his look of concern melting away after knowing what the girl did while she was out, replaced by understanding and a sense of relief. But there was still one more thing in his mind.
"Have you heard about the fire?"
"Yes," Callisto answered. "I saw two fire trucks while I was on the way home."
"Thank god. At least they’ll be able to stop it now."
The look of concern seemed to return in the apartment owner’s eyes. Not for Callisto, but for the families that fell victim to the fire. But it seemed to mellow down as a thought formed in his mind.
"Well, I’m sure your father will take action once the news reaches him."
"You’re right. Hm?"
A thought crossed Callisto’s mind.
Rather than letting her father find out himself, Callisto should just call Raymond right now and let him know about the ongoing incident. That way, he would be able to take action and help the victims in whatever way he could as soon as possible. But then, in doing so, she was basically bringing her father to the people who were witnesses of what she did.
Callisto was still unsure how her parents would react once they learned about her abilities. However, she was aware that, in this moment, there were people who needed help. Immediately.
With a nervous clench of fists at her sides, Callisto used her other hand to take her smartphone out.
"Actually, I think I’m gonna call Papa and let him know," she told Oner, who didn’t seem to be against the idea and simply watched her make a call.
The phone rang for a beat, and the call immediately connected.
"Papa, can you do something for me?"
Callisto could hear the excitement in Raymond’s voice through the phone. It almost seemed like he had been waiting a long time for his daughter to make such a call that Callisto couldn’t help but chuckle guiltily to herself.
"What is it, Calli? You can always ask me for anything."
Callisto explained the situation in the district, letting her father know what was going on before asking Raymond if he could do something for the victims, especially those who needed medical attention. She could almost see the look of disappointment in Raymond after realizing she wasn’t asking for herself but for others even though he wasn’t there right in front of Callisto.
But...
"So, can you help them?"
She also knew, if there was anyone who would be willing to lend a helping hand to those who really needed it, it would be her father.
"I’m glad you reached out to me, Calli. Don’t worry, I’ll do what I can to help."
Oner, who had been listening the entire time, saw the way Callisto’s face lit up after her question and immediately knew the answer his friend gave to his daughter. Their eyes met for a second, and he gave her a small nod, a knowing smile playing on Oner’s lips as he turned his focus back on his work on his desk, letting the father and daughter continue their conversation.
"Thank you, Papa."
"How are you, girl?"
"I’m doing fine. I went out for a quick stroll, but I’m back now."
"Really? How was it?"
"It was nice. The moon is so beautiful, and the air feels nice here."
"I’m glad you had a good time then."
"Yes!"
* * *
The next day, Friday, Raymond was in the hospital early in the morning. He was making coffee with his coffee maker in his office to wake himself up when Phillip came in.
"How are the patients?" Raymond asked, pouring coffee on his mug.
"Everyone seems to be in stable condition as of now," Phillip answered, sitting down on one of the arm chairs in the office with a tired sigh. "Well, except for the man with severe burns all over his body. It’s a good thing the ambulance got to him when it did. Otherwise, I don’t think he would have gotten here alive."
"He got hurt after trying to save his son when he realized the gas leak in their kitchen." Raymond sat on the arm chair across from Phillip, sipping his coffee. "It’s unfortunate, but his courage is admirable. His bravery saved his wife and kids today. So in return, we will save his life."
Phillip nodded in agreement, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Of course you’d say that."
"Say what?"
"You’re the one saving his life. So the credit’s yours."
Raymond let out a hearty laugh, the sound echoing off the walls of his office. "If I’m the only one doing all the work in the hospital, maybe. But that’s impossible. If everyone contributes, then the credit falls to all of us, don’t you think?"
Phillip shook his head, though the act was more out of amusement rather than being objective of what his friend said.
"All right, you win."
Phillip grabbed the remote control on the small glass table between them and turned the TV on behind Raymond, opening right in a morning news channel.
The news channel was showing a pre-recorded interview that happened on-site, as shown on the dark sky and burnt houses in the background. As soon as he heard the civilian fervently thanking him, Raymond’s face turned sour. His palms on his face, hiding his self-consciousness.
"Hey, uh, could you bring up the sports channel real quick?"
Just as he said that, the segment transitioned to another news report, but from the same incident. Phillip couldn’t bring himself to do what his friend asked. Instead, he started reading exactly what was written on the new headline, making Raymond turn to the TV.
"Real-life superhero: Mysterious masked girl jumps several feet high to save girl from burning house."