[ WP ] A super-hero/heroine returns home , having failed to save the world . He/She has but a few minutes with his/her family before the world is destroyed .

Blueheart slumped on the edge of her old twin bed and stared at the floor. Her childhood room was smaller than she remembered, and darker. Her father had never cleared out all of her old toys and clutter. A ragged teddy stared up at her, imploring. She wanted to apologize, but her jaw was clenched too tightly for words. Her hands were balled into fists, even though she was n't angry anymore. She did n't feel anything. Just numb. 
 
 Her dad knocked on the door frame. 
 
 “ Hey, ” he said. “ I'm coming in. ” He shuffled in and sat down next to her with a heavy sigh, clasping his hands together. 
 
 For a moment, they sat in silence. Neither of them were the talking type, but there was n't any more time for silence. Outside, the wind started to kick up. A screen door rattled. 
 
 “ You know, even when you were little you hated asking for help. You wanted to do everything by yourself. ” He bowed his head to look at the same patch of stained carpet her eyes were fixed on. 
 
 “ Is that why I failed? ” she asked. 
 
 “ No. No, that's not what I'm saying at all. I – what I'm trying to say is – do n't blame yourself. You did n't build the damned beacon. You did n't want this to happen. Nobody can blame you, so do n't blame yourself. ” He hooked his arm around her shoulders. “ Heck, I do n't know if that's quite what I wanted to say either. I know you, kid. I know you did your best. And I'm proud of you. I've always been proud, even when you started wearing those damned nylons -- ” 
 
 “ It's nanofiber, Dad. ” 
 
 “ Whatever. I'm still proud. And your mother would've been proud, too. If this is how it ends for humans, forever – then I think I can say that my daughter is the very best that humanity had to offer. You know? ” He ruffled her hair. 
 
 “ I do n't really feel like it. ” 
 
 “ I know. God, I know. ” 
 
 The house groaned around them, threatening to be torn apart. The girl looked up at her dad. His hair was more gray than she remembered, and he'd put on more weight. There was a time when she thought that he was invincible. But then, there was also a time when the world thought the same of Blueheart. 
 
 She hugged her dad tightly, and wondered how long it would take to die.
