Page 15 of I Dated a Retired Hero

Litha put her hands on the metal and practiced something she rarely had a chance to do. She ate the radiation.

It wasn’t something she mentioned to most folks, but she could pull it in and hold it until she was in a spot that was safe to let it go. Litha smiled. That was just what she needed.

This was the one moment in her life when she didn’t want anyone around her. When she was working, she loved being alone. Less issues with folks getting hurt.

She continued draining the radiation for hours before the metal was inert, and there was no more wavelength coming from what appeared to have been the bomb.

Dmitri’s voice came through her com. “Litha. Please proceed northward and meet your liaison. He is agitated.”

“Fine. I took care of the source. Now, I have to work on cleanup.”

“The source?”

“Giant canister in the middle of the area.”

There was a pause. “I will get back to you.”

She snorted and floated toward the north end of the scorch wave. If it had been ten years, they must have shielding around it, or the entire mess would blow all over the continent.

There was someone waiting for her in the distance, and she moved, standing straight with her feet inches above the ground. It looked creepy as hell, but it got her from place to place.

When she thudded into the barrier, she congratulated herself on being right as she rubbed her nose from the impact.

The person on the other side stood in front of her. “You were supposed to report to me.” He looked similar to Dmitri but with brilliant green eyes and black hair.

“I was agitated and thought to see the detonation site. I have nullified the bomb casing, so that was most of what I needed to do. I can clean up the rest in a few hours. What are your restoration plans for the soil?”

“Biologically active materials and a row of farmers with radiation resistance and plows.”

“Good. So, why did you want to chat?”

“We have been notified that there is a team from the capitol coming for you.”

Litha smirked. “They will have to wait. I am busy.”

“Why are they after you?”

“I am supposed to ask for permission before leaving. I did not. They have panicked.”

The man smiled. “Why?”

“Oh, they consider me dangerous. Silly.” She shrugged. “I am going to get back to work. Now that I took out the centre, I can work from the edges in.”

“Do you need food... or rest?”

“No, I will be fine. When I shoot skyward, I will be done. This is easier than I thought. The radiation is very consumable.”

He smiled. “Good to know it. My name is Petrov.”

“Litha. I would shake your hand, but it might melt skin right now. I will chat more when I am done.”

He nodded. “I will be here when you are finished. Probably holding off a team of agents.”

She smiled and turned her back to him, moving slowly and pulling the contamination from the soil. The marathon had begun.

She worked through the night and into the following day. When she couldn’t detect any more harmful wavelengths, she looked around, nodded, and shot skyward. She passed the team member who had been watching, and he let her go. In her jeans and tee, she didn’t look like she was carrying enough power to melt an active simply by proximity. She climbed higher and higher until she had freed herself from gravity. Since she could survive on sunlight, she didn’t need to breathe, and then, she let the confined power go in a steady wave.

It was warm, it was relaxing, and she fell asleep.

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