He went to the only place he felt safe.
He kept out of sight, taking the stairs rather than the elevator. He wasn’t supposed to be at the hospital, and if he got caught, he’d probably be in more trouble than he already was. He was still wearing all black (except, of course, for his purple Chucks—Gibby was useless), but that wouldn’t help him. Not here. It’d probably bring more attention to him than anything else.
He’d made it up three floors when he heard a door open somewhere above him. He panicked, looking for somewhere to hide in the stairwell. There was nowhere for him to go. He held his breath, the footsteps echoing on the stairs as whoever it was came down.
Another door opened, and the footsteps disappeared.
He sighed in relief.
The fifth floor was mostly silent. There was a man sitting at the nurse’s station, but he had his back to Nick. A woman moved down the hall, staring at a clipboard, but she turned and went in the opposite direction.
Nick crouched as low as he could as he passed by the nurse’s station. If someone saw him now, they’d probably call the police before anything else. He looked absurd, back pressed against the desk, inching forward as quietly as he could, hood pulled up over his head.
Somehow, by the grace of a god that smiled down at the idiocy of teenage boys, he made it past the nurse’s station undetected. He hurried down the hall toward—
“Nick?”
Crap. He’d been so close.
He turned around.
Becky stood behind him, head tilted to the side.
He waved. “Hey. How are you? You look … nice.”
The man from the nurse’s station stuck his head over the desk and looked at them. “Everything all right?”
Becky waved him away. “Yeah, this is Mr. Bell’s son, Nick. Apparently, he doesn’t understand the concept of visiting hours. It’s okay.”
“I understand visiting hours,” Nick said, scowling. “I chose to ignore them. And what’re you doing here so late? I thought you worked during the day.”
“Working a double to cover for someone else. Nice shoes.”
“Oh. Thanks. The color’s called eggplant. They seemed like a good idea when I bought them, but now I’m not so sure.”
The nurse at the station sat back down in his chair.
Nick gave very serious consideration to whirling around and running as fast as he could when Becky approached, but it’d been a long night, and he was resigned to his fate. “Please don’t send me away. I just…” He couldn’t finish, the words drying on his tongue.
She reached up and pulled his hood back, letting it fall. She frowned. “You look exhausted.”
Understatement, that, if he looked anything like he felt. “It’s been a very weird night. I couldn’t sleep. And I needed to see him.” He tried not to be embarrassed as his voice wavered.
Becky sighed. “Tell you what. Why don’t you go on in. Make yourself feel better.”
Nick nodded, not trusting himself to speak. That sounded good.
She put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “Go. I was in there a few minutes ago. I need to make a phone call.”
His eyes snapped up to hers.
She smiled at him as she dropped her hand. “You know someone has to be missing you. Or they will be when they wake up and you’re not there. It’s only fair, Nick.”
Yeah. It was. Mary Caplan would probably panic in the morning. And then she’d call Cap, and it’d turn into this whole thing where Nick would probably be fitted with an ankle bracelet that would track him wherever he went. Cap wouldn’t be happy, especially since he was probably dealing with the fallout at Burke Tower right at that very moment.
“Okay,” he said. “Since I’m magnanimous, I will agree to this condition.”
“How nice of you. Thank you for your generosity.”
He narrowed his eyes. “We’re in a hospital, Nurse Becky. This is no place for sarcasm.”
She rolled her eyes. “Kid, trust me when I say a hospital is the perfect place for sarcasm. And I’d consider moving my butt if I were you, before I change my mind.”
Nick moved his butt.
Everything was the same. The machines still beeped and hissed. His father’s eyes were still taped shut, the tube still down his throat.
Nick closed the door behind him. He was going to pull a chair next to the bed, but he was tired and heartsore. His eyes felt like they were filled with sand, and there were shards in his chest that poked him as he breathed.
He moved to the other side of the bed.
Carefully, he climbed onto it, not wanting to jostle his dad. He toed off his Chucks as he sat, letting them fall to the floor. He turned around, stretching his legs out. His knees bumped into his dad’s thigh, and he apologized even though his dad couldn’t hear him. As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished he could take them back.
He realized, then, how stupid he must look. It was the middle of the night, and here he was, climbing into bed with his dad like he was little and had just woken up from a scary dream. His eyes started to burn as he lifted his dad’s arm and lay near his shoulder. He brought the arm down across him, holding on to his hand tightly.
Dad didn’t wake up.
“Please don’t leave me,” Nick whispered. He closed his eyes.
He woke to the sound of voices.
A weak, gray light filtered through the window as he cracked open his eyes.
“—and he hasn’t moved at all, even when I put a blanket on him. I think he needed some reassurance. It’s tough having a parent in the hospital.”
Someone sighed. “I know. I really should have seen this coming. I appreciate you calling me.”
“I tried Mr. Caplan first, but got a voicemail. I didn’t leave a message in case I got ahold of you. Didn’t want to worry anyone unnecessarily.”
“Probably for the best. I don’t know when Rodney will have a chance to check his phone, given what’s going on with the Extraordinaries.”
“I saw the alerts on my phone, but it’s been a busy night and I haven’t had a chance to follow up. Is it bad?”
“I don’t know. They’re at it again. A nuisance, if you ask me.”
“I can’t imagine what it takes to— Looks like someone’s awake.”
He turned his head.
Becky stood in the doorway, Mary Caplan next to her, hand clutching the strap of her purse tightly.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
Mary shook her head. “I’ll let it slide this time, Nick. Just keep me in the loop, okay? I would have come with you myself if this is what you needed.”
Properly chastened, he mumbled, “Okay.”
“Why don’t you take Mrs. Caplan to get a cup of coffee,” Becky said cheerfully. “I need to empty your dad’s catheter bag, and I’m pretty sure you don’t need to be here for that.”
“Why would you say that? There are things I don’t need to know. What the hell, Becky.” Then, because he couldn’t not, he added, “Is there a lot?”
She laughed at him.
So weird.
There were a few people blinking sleepily in the hospital cafeteria. Mary made Nick sit at a table in the corner, before saying she’d be right back.
Nick pulled his phone from his pocket.
He had missed calls and texts.
Gibby had tried to call him three times. Martha twice. Bob once.
There were voicemails, but he ignored those for the moment.
Gibby had texted him, demanding he pick up the phone or she was going to kick his ass.
Martha’s said she wanted to talk to him.
Bob wrote that he’d be there when Nick was ready.
There was one from Jazz, wondering why Gibby wanted to know if Nick was with her, and since he wasn’t, where Nick could possibly be?
Nothing from Seth or Owen.
Mary returned, placing a banana, a muffin, and a bottle of juice in front of him. “You’ll eat all of it. And drink all of the juice.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I received a phone call three hours ago. The only time a phone rings in the middle of the night is to deliver bad news. For all I knew, something had happened to Rodney while he was on duty. So, imagine my surprise when the hospital told me the boy I was responsible for had shown up on his own. You will do as I say, and you will like it.”
“But I—”
“Less talking, more banana.”
Nick picked up the banana. “You’re very good at the guilt-trip thing.”
She sniffed. “I prefer to think of it as knowing what’s best.”
“Oh. Well. You’re very good at that, then.”
“Thank you.” She sipped her coffee, watching him peel the banana. He made a show of taking a big bite and chewing obnoxiously. She wasn’t impressed. “This is hurting you more than me, just so you know.”
He slumped in his seat. “Sorry.”
“So you’ve already said. I appreciate it, but we’re going to move on from it now.”
“Okay.”
“I’m not mad.”
“Okay.”
“Eat the muffin.”
He did.
She waited until he was halfway through it when she said, “Rodney was shot once.”
Nick looked up at her. He tried to swallow without chewing and ended up choking. He coughed, spraying crumbs on the table.
Mary cocked her head. “Delightful.”
He glared at her, opening the juice bottle and taking a drink to help clear his throat. “You did that on purpose.”
“And you’ll never prove it. Though, I suppose if you’re going to choke on food, at least you’re in a good place to do it.”
“I didn’t know that about Cap.”
She shrugged, taking another drink of coffee. “It was a long time ago. Back when he was a beat cop. Two years on the job, and he got a call for a domestic disturbance. Scary thing, those, though I suppose all calls that come in have a chance of being dangerous. He arrived, and the man didn’t want to leave. The woman had a restraining order against him, and there were warrants out for his arrest. He also had a gun and shot Rodney in the arm.” She set the cup on the table, holding it between her hands. “In the grand scheme of things, it was nothing life-threatening. But imagine getting a call saying that someone you love has been hurt in the line of duty.”
“I don’t have to imagine that.”
She shook her head. “Of course you don’t. I panicked, only hearing the words Rodney’s been shot over and over again in my head. By the time I got to the hospital, I created this entire world in my head, one where Rodney was dying, or already dead. I was going to have to put on a brave face when I arrived, I knew, but I cried almost the whole way on the train. So even though I knew he was gone, I dried my eyes and strode in, ready to face what was to come. But instead of losing him, I was brought to one of the rooms. Rodney was spouting off at the doctor, saying it was just a flesh wound, and he would absolutely not be admitted, that it was wrapped, and he was ready to go. He looked relieved when he saw me, saying I would vouch for him.”
Nick winced. “Not the best move.”
Mary laughed. “No. Not the best move. There was an officer waiting in the hall, and I told him he’d probably need to arrest me right then and there, because I was about to commit assault. I was … so angry. It wasn’t rational. Or fair, really. But that’s the price, I think, for loving a hero. We’re a lighthouse, Nick. A beacon to help them find their way home.”
Nick could barely breathe.
“They’re brave,” Mary said. “But we are too. Because while they’re out there, saving the world, we’re the ones they come home to. And it may not always be fair, and there are times when you know they’re in harm’s way, but they’ll always fight like the dickens to get back where they belong.” She reached over and put her hand on top of Nick’s. “Rodney does that for me. And I know your dad does the same for you. After everything you’ve both been through, he’s going to do everything he can to see your face.”
Nick believed her.
And he wondered if there was someone else fighting for him too.
Mary’s phone rang a little later. “That’ll be Rodney,” she said, looking at the screen. “What do you say we keep your adventure last night between us?”
If she only knew the half of it. “That sounds all right with me.”
“I thought as much. Give me a moment, okay? I expect the juice to be gone by the time I get back. Mind me now, Nick.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Hello, love,” she said as she answered the phone. “Busy night?” She stood from the table and walked away to an empty corner of the cafeteria. Nick heard her laugh at something Cap must have said in response.
Nick wanted to lay his head on the table and shut his eyes for a little bit, but he didn’t know if that was the best idea. He needed to make it through the day, and he’d sleep easier tonight. He didn’t know what day it was. Thursday? Friday? Regardless, he wasn’t going to school. They’d see how things went over the weekend, but it wasn’t the most important thing. Sure, Dad would probably have a fit when he woke up and found out that Nick had skipped more than a few days, but Nick would deal with it then. Gladly, even. Hell, if Dad wanted to ground him for longer, that was fine.
He rubbed a hand over his face. He had to get his priorities in order.
His dad was a few floors above him, resting as comfortably as he could.
That was number one.
After that was Seth. And Owen.
It was disturbing, all that he hadn’t noticed. The way they sniped at each other, veiled threats that made little sense at the time without context. Now, though? Now he could see them for what they were.
He was troubled by just how much had been said right in front of him. What had Seth told him?
It’s lonely. That’s the one thing you don’t expect. How lonely it is. Because you can’t tell anyone about it. You can’t tell your family because they wouldn’t understand. You can’t tell your friends because they could become targets, and you don’t want them to get hurt. So you keep on going by yourself, hoping one day it will get better, and the only thing that’s in your head is why you started to begin with. Why you put on that stupid costume in the first place. The promise you made to yourself. And some days, that’s almost not enough.
It had been a confession, and Nick had brushed it away. He’d been so focused on his own desire to be something more that he hadn’t heard what Seth was trying to tell him. Maybe he wouldn’t have been able to understand exactly what Seth was saying, but he hadn’t even tried.
His response had been to tell Seth they needed to write fanfiction together.
“Crap,” Nick muttered. “Crap, crap, crap. I’m a terrible best friend. And apparently the comedic relief and/or young adult love interest, but I’ll have to deal with that part later.”
“What was that?” Mary asked, coming back to the table.
Nick groaned. “I hate dawning realizations. They’re so…”
“Accurate?”
“Yes,” he said fiercely. “And it’s so blatantly obvious what I should’ve—”
The doors to the cafeteria slammed open. A harried nurse burst in, turning her head wildly from side to side. Nick recognized her. She’d been with Becky when he’d arrived at the hospital. Renee.
Her gaze fixed on Nick.
She started jogging toward them.
No. No, no, nonono—
“Hey,” she said, sounding breathless. “Nick. I’m so glad I found you. Becky told me you’d be here.”
Nick stood, skin thrumming. “Is it my dad?” he choked out. “Is he okay?”
She smiled. “He’s awake.”
Nick wasn’t allowed in the room for a long time. He paced back and forth in the waiting area, ranting and raving about his rights, telling Mary he was going to call the police and have everyone in the hospital arrested for barring him from his father. Mary smiled sagely and reminded him that the last time he’d interacted with the police, he’d been nearly naked and handcuffed.
Which, of course, set Nick off all over again about his rights. He decided loudly that he was going to consider filing a lawsuit, then immediately apologized, saying he would never do that because Cap might be out of a job.
Mary snorted. “I don’t think you’d have to worry about that. In fact, go ahead. I can’t wait to see what comes out during discovery.”
They had to make sure Dad was breathing okay, and if his brains were scrambled or not. Those weren’t the technical terms used, but Nick was pretty sure that was what they’d meant. He wondered if his dad would have amnesia and would even remember having a son. Nick decided that life wasn’t a telenovela, and he should consider being optimistic.
The problem with trying for optimism, especially when one is a teenager, is that it’s rather difficult to do in a hospital when one is not allowed to go into the room. Renee had told him that if Dad was doing well, they’d try to remove the tube from his throat. Nick had asked if it would be like pulling out Excalibur, only with more saliva and a potential for vomit. It was then she’d told him he couldn’t go in right away, and he figured he was being discriminated against.
It took close to two hours before Renee came back for him. By that time, he’d damn near worn a groove in the carpet. His head had started to hurt worse, but Mary had brought his medication with her, and he’d been able to catch it before it went too far. Weirdly, a generic painting had fallen off the wall during hour one, making everyone jump. Five minutes later, the TV hanging in the corner had gone on the fritz, refusing to turn back on to the home renovation show that had been playing.
But Nick forgot about all of it when he saw Renee.
He stopped, hands shaking.
She beckoned him with a finger.
Somehow, he got his legs to work, wobbly though they were.
Mary followed him and took his hand when they approached Renee.
“The doctor will come in and fill in the blanks for you a little later, but it looks all right for now. We need to continue to monitor for potential pneumothorax. And he’s going to be sore for a little while, in his chest and throat. It’s best if you don’t let him talk too much for the next few days, though with the way he was demanding you be let into the room, I don’t know how successful that’ll be. Maybe help him keep it to a minimum?”
Nick blinked, sure he’d misheard. “Me? He wanted me? He remembers who I am? He doesn’t have amnesia?”
“Oh, boy. No, Nick. He doesn’t have amnesia. His memory is a little spotty about what happened, but that’s it.” She shook her head. “He told us if we didn’t let you in the room in the next five minutes, he was calling for his chief to arrest us all.”
Nick gaped at her. “Then why are we standing here? Do you want to go to jail? Because my dad will make you!”
“They’re obviously related,” Renee told Mary.
“You don’t know the half of it. Nick, why don’t you go ahead. I’ll follow in a moment. I should call Rodney back. Let him know the good news.”
Nick barely heard her. He grabbed Renee by the arm and was tugging her toward the elevators, asking her if Dad could go home today (no), if he was allowed to eat a cheeseburger if Nick brought him one (no), and if he still had a catheter bag attached to him (yes—which, so gross).
He held her arm almost the entire way, only letting go as they approached the open door to his dad’s room. Nick heard a hoarse voice rasping something he couldn’t make out. Becky responded. “He’s on his way, Mr. Bell. If you try and get up again, I will restrain you to the bed, so help me god. Stop talking.”
There was a grunted response, but it was all Nick needed to hear. He stumbled into the room right as his dad turned his head toward him.
Nick thought himself a little brave. Sometimes, he could be smart. He didn’t always make the best decisions. He tried to be a good person. He didn’t always succeed, even though he tried his best.
But it had been a strange last few days, and once upon a time, Before had changed to After in the blink of an eye.
He knew how close it had come again.
So when Nicholas Bell burst into tears, there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it.
He was tired and still a little unsure if this wasn’t some dream.
So yes, he cried as his father held out a hand toward him.
Nick went. Of course he did.
And when a strong arm wrapped around his neck, pulling him close, he collapsed.
“It’s okay, Nicky,” his father whispered into his hair. “I’ve got you. It’s okay.”
It lasted far longer than Nick would care to admit. Just when he thought he’d gotten a hold on it, off he’d go all over again, Dad rubbing a hand on his back. He tried to apologize for the tears and snot he’d gotten on Dad’s hospital gown, but the words were incoherent as he sobbed.
Eventually, he subsided into weak hiccups, face hot and swollen as he pulled away to wipe at his eyes.
Dad was pale as he watched Nick reach for a Kleenex next to the bed to blow his nose. At some point, Becky and Renee had left them alone. Nick was relieved they hadn’t witnessed him breaking. He’d have to thank them later.
“Sorry,” Nick muttered, throwing one Kleenex away before grabbing another.
“Don’t worry about it,” Dad said, each word sounding scraped and raw.
“You’re not supposed to talk.”
Dad frowned. “I’ll damn well do as I please, so don’t you—”
“I will call the doctor in here right now, don’t think I won’t—”
“I am the parent here, not you—” But then Dad grimaced like he was in pain, and Nick was sure he was about to relapse into a coma and would forget him right now, the amnesia rolling over him like a gigantic wave, and Nick would be a stranger—
“Breathe, kid,” Dad said. “Chest hurts. Busted ribs. That’s all it is.”
“You can’t forget me!” Nick said wildly. “You have to fight the amnesia.” He reached out and took Dad’s face in his hands, squeezing gingerly. “I’m your son. Nick. Say it. Nnnnnnniiiiick.”
Dad rolled his eyes. “Like I could ever forget you.”
That made Nick’s heart stumble in his chest. He thought he was going to cry again, but since he’d done it twice in as many days, he decided it was probably best if he tried to be a man for a little while. Then he thought that was sexist, so he allowed another tear to spill onto his cheek. Nick was—and always would be—invested in dismantling the patriarchy. Tumblr had taught him that.
“I am pretty hard to forget,” he managed to say.
“How are you?”
“If I tell you, will you stop talking? For all we know, you’re ruining your vocal cords right now and they’ll be damaged beyond repair. You sound like you’ve smoked fifty packs a day for twenty years.”
Dad opened his mouth to argue but sighed instead. He nodded.
And because Nick believed in rewarding good behavior, he said, “Thank you. That’s very good of you. And to answer your question, I’m terrible. My dad decided to let a building fall on top of him, and I might have feelings for my best friend, even though he’s a liar and a fat mouth, and I think I once made out with someone who turned out to be the biggest douche, and it appears that three quarters of my friends have been lying to me about some pretty big things.” He paused, considering. Then, “Also, I haven’t taken a shower since … yesterday morning? Or maybe the day before. I don’t know what day it is. But my pits are pretty rank, and I’ve been wearing the same underwear for a length of time that’s definitely unsanitary.”
Dad stared at him.
Nick said, “So, how are you?”
Dad started to answer.
Nick glared at him.
Dad closed his mouth.
Nick loved him very much.
A doctor came in later, speaking in medical terms that Nick couldn’t Google because he was technically still grounded and the internet on his phone was blocked. They thought Nick’s dad was going to be fine, but they were still going to run some more tests to make sure. Dad tried to argue, especially when he found out he wasn’t going to be going home for a few days, but eventually, agreed to start with a CT scan and go from there. He only agreed after Nick had threatened to leave him there and make Dad a ward of the state, but still. Nick would take grudging victories any day of the week.
The doctor said the best thing was rest, and that he should sleep. Nick panicked briefly, sure that was a terrible idea, because people with concussions weren’t supposed to sleep. The doctor, oblivious to who Nick actually was, said rather sardonically that maybe Nick should allow him to be a doctor and make decisions when it came to the care of his patient.
Dad whispered hoarsely that it probably wasn’t the best thing to say.
Nick was well aware of his lack of a medical degree. But he had read many, many fics about people getting head injuries and not being allowed to sleep, and he trusted them far more than he did this stranger who seemed to consider Nick a nuisance more than anything else. Becky—who had apparently been on her way home after working nearly twenty-four hours—managed to stop Nick mid-rant (in which he was threatening to have the doctor’s license revoked, the hack) and she reminded him that doctors, while not exactly the most empathetic of individuals, tended to know what they were talking about.
Nick was of the mind that Becky had betrayed the Hippocratic oath.
She told him that was only for doctors, but that she wanted nothing but the best for him and his dad.
Nick got a little weepy again.
Becky hugged him.
Nick told her to go home, and she looked like she’d been hit by a truck.
Dad was asleep by the time he’d turned back around, a small smile on his face.
He was sitting with Mary in the waiting room when Cap arrived, looking a little worse for wear. Dad was getting his scans done. He’d been grumpy about being woken up, and that made Nick feel better. Especially when, with a scowl on his face, he’d reassured Nick he remembered who his son was.
Cap kissed his wife, then said, “Stand up, Nick.”
Nick did. Cap was the chief, after all.
Cap hugged him.
Nick hugged him back.
“Told you, didn’t I?” Cap said quietly. “Hardheaded, your dad. Wouldn’t let this take him away. He’s got too much waiting for him back at home.”
“You better give him desk duty for the foreseeable future,” Nick mumbled as Cap finally let him go.
“You got it, Nicky. Why are you out here?”
“Aaron’s getting scanned,” Mary said as Cap slumped into the chair next to her. He was in uniform, and he pulled his hat off his head, setting it in his lap. His mustache fluttered as he huffed out a breath. “Should be back shortly.”
“Good, good. Going to have some words, he and I.”
“Can I watch?” Nick asked.
“Sure.”
“Rodney.”
“Maybe not, Nick.”
Mary patted Nick on the hand when he muttered threats under his breath.
“The woman?” Cap asked.
“Seems to be okay,” Mary said, taking her husband’s hand in hers. “Baby’s fine too.”
Nick didn’t know what they were talking about. “What woman? Whose baby?”
Cap grunted. “The one your dad rescued before he got himself hurt. She’s here too.”
And Nick … didn’t know what to think about that. He knew she wasn’t to blame for what happened. She’d been looking for a place to stay. She hadn’t asked to be trapped in the middle of a battle between Extraordinaries who—
Extraordinaries who Nick now knew the identities of.
His mouth went dry.
It’d be easy, wouldn’t it? To tell Cap everything he knew. What he’d seen. What he’d done. All it would take would be opening his mouth and spilling everything and letting Cap handle it.
“Long day?” Mary asked, apparently unaware of the existential crisis happening right next to her.
“And night,” Cap muttered. “Those damn Extraordinaries. They’re getting worse. I don’t know what happened, but they caused a lot of damage to Burke Tower. Someone was after something, but I have no idea what. Simon Burke isn’t pleased.”
Nick wondered if it were possible to disappear into the floor. He tapped his foot against it. Solid as always.
Mary scoffed. “Simon Burke will get over it. It’s not as if he doesn’t have more money than god.”
Cap scrubbed a hand over his face. “That’s what I said, but it didn’t go over very well. Apparently, some of the work they do is very hush-hush. I’m convinced he’s creating monsters in a laboratory somewhere for the government. Doesn’t help that his kid is missing and—” Cap sat up abruptly, eyes narrowing as he looked at Nick.
Nick looked for the exits. There were two. He could probably make it before Cap caught up with him. He was wily. Cap liked red meat and cigars. It’d be no contest.
“Don’t you know Owen Burke?”
“Like, biblically?” Nick asked, debating whether or not he would be considered a bad son for abandoning his father.
“What? No. I could have sworn that Aaron said you were friends.” Cap frowned.
Nick’s hands were very clammy. “Did he?”
“Yes,” Cap said slowly. “Apparently, he was in Burke Tower last night. Had a friend with him.”
“Huh,” Nick said. “How strange. Well. I wouldn’t know anything about that. I was at your house, safely tucked in bed like I was supposed to be.”
Mary coughed, the traitor.
“Except for when I snuck out and came to the hospital,” Nick amended. Later, he would have to remind Mary how it had been her idea not to tell Cap about that.
Cap wasn’t pleased. “You snuck out and did what?”
“He was worried about Aaron,” Mary said, and Nick forgave her a little. “Aaron’s nurse called me and told me where Nick was.”
“That right?” Cap said, still staring at Nick. “Is that all that happened, Nick?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And you wouldn’t happen to know where Owen is, would you?”
Probably locked in battle with Pyro Storm, who happened to be the guy that Nick gave Skwinkles Salsagheti to. And since that would probably not go over very well, Nick said, “No, sir.” Because he knew the minds of cops made them suspicious about everything, he added, “I hope he’s okay. You really don’t know where he is?”
Nick was saved from saying anything more by the arrival of a cheerleader and a baby butch. Even though he was furious with one of them, he’d never been happier to see them in his life.
“Hey, Nicky,” Jazz said, smiling sweetly. Nick could have kissed her. But he wouldn’t, given that her girlfriend was standing right next to her, actively avoiding looking at Nick. “We tried to call but got your voicemail. Hope it’s okay we’re here.”
Nick jumped up. “Oh, sure. You have no idea how happy I am to see you. In fact, let’s go somewhere else so I can tell you exactly how happy I am.”
“Don’t go too far,” Mary told him. “We don’t know how long your dad will stay awake by the time he gets back.”
Nick nodded, smiling tightly as he grabbed Jazz and Gibby by the hands, pulling them down the hall. He could feel Cap’s gaze boring into his back, but he couldn’t do anything about that now. If he were lucky, maybe Cap would be gone by the time he got back. Or, at the very least, distracted by Dad.
“Your dad’s awake?” Jazz asked, squeezing his hand. “Nick, that’s so great! Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Phone’s dead,” Nick said through gritted teeth. “It’s been a long day. Hasn’t it, Gibby?”
Gibby said, “Yeah, that’s putting it mildly.”
Nick led them down the stairs to the second floor and back to the room where he hid when he’d first arrived at the hospital. The table with the penis drawn underneath it was still there, and Nick pulled Gibby and Jazz inside before shutting the door behind them.
“Is this our official hospital hangout spot?” Jazz asked. “I like that we have that.”
“Where’s Seth?” Nick demanded.
Jazz looked confused. “I don’t … know? He wasn’t in school again today.” She looked between Nick and Gibby. “Why? What’s going on?”
Gibby stared down at the floor.
That pissed Nick off. “Well? Care to explain?”
Gibby looked up. Her darkened eyes were bloodshot, like she hadn’t gotten much sleep. Which, given that she’d been in Seth’s ear the night before, made sense. “Look, Nick. If we could … wait. Okay?” She jerked her head toward Jazz. “Now might not be the right time.”
She had a point. Jazz was oblivious to everything, and it was probably best to keep her that way. It didn’t stop him from glaring daggers at Gibby.
“What’s going on?” Jazz asked. “Why are you guys staring at each other like that?”
“It’s nothing,” Nick growled. “Just a frank exchange of ideas and questioning certain choices that were made.”
“Maybe certain choices were made by people other than me,” Gibby snapped. “Choices that I didn’t agree with but had to respect anyway.”
Nick scoffed. “Oh, I’m sure you fought so hard against those choices.”
“I did! I told them you should know!”
“You could have told me!”
“It wasn’t my secret to tell!”
“Maybe if you’d grown some balls, you could have—”
“Oh, you want to talk about balls, Nick? How about actually having some when it comes to Seth and—”
“Are you guys talking about how Seth and Owen are Pyro Storm and Shadow Star?” Jazz asked.
“Yes,” Nick and Gibby snapped at the same time. It took a moment for it to sink in what she’d said. They both turned to gape at her.
Jazz nodded. “It makes sense now. Carry on.”
Nick and Gibby breathed as one as Jazz smoothed out her cheerleader uniform like she hadn’t just stunned them completely.
Nick recovered first. “How the hell did you know?”
Jazz rolled her eyes. “I figured it out a long time ago. I thought it was something we didn’t talk about. I mean, come on. It was obvious.”
Nick was incredulous. “It was?”
Jazz shrugged. “Every time there was a big fight between Shadow Star and Pyro Storm, Owen and Seth would be absent or late the next day. Or they’d show up with weird bruises. And then you dated Owen, who was most likely doing it to get a rise out of Seth, and not just because Seth already had feelings for you. It probably didn’t help that Seth started being Pyro Storm shortly after your mom passed away, and then Owen tried to make it all about him by turning into Shadow Star. I mean, I get it. I would be upset too if I tried to do something to keep my friends and the city safe, and then this other Extraordinary comes out of nowhere and takes all the credit and then manages to infiltrate our friend group.” Jazz’s brow furrowed. “And then Rebecca Firestone gets involved and gives all the press to Owen and makes him look like the hero, even though it was really Seth doing most of the work.”
Nick’s mind was blown. “Holy crap.”
“I want to make out with you so hard right now,” Gibby said rather aggressively.
Jazz looked pleased with herself. “Did I really figure it out before either of you? Wow. I’m wonderful.”
“This is literally the stupidest day of my life,” Nick lamented to no one in particular.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Jazz said. “Remember when you jumped into the river wearing—”
“Yes, Jazz. I remember that because it only happened a few days ago! Can we please get back to the fact that everyone knew Owen and Seth were Extraordinaries before I did? I’m the one who stalked them! And how is it that I—oh my god, would you stop sticking your tongue down her throat! I’m young and queer and in a fragile place right now. I don’t need to see that!”
Gibby pulled off of Jazz’s lips with a wet smack that would most likely haunt Nick’s dreams for the rest of his days. “She’s amazing.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “Yes, fine, Jazz, you’re beautiful and smart, and I’m so annoyed that you figured it out before me.”
“It’s okay, Nicky,” Jazz said, pulling out a compact from her backpack. She puckered her lips in her reflection, fixing her smudged lipstick. “Not all of us are capable of seeing what’s clearly right in front of us.”
“I feel like you’re insulting me.”
She pursed her lips as she folded the compact and stowed it away. “I wouldn’t dream of it. But now that we’re all in the know, what are we going to do about it?”
Gibby nodded. “We should—”
“Do nothing,” Nick said.
Jazz blinked. “What’s that now?”
“We should do nothing,” Nick repeated. “It has nothing to do with us.”
“Seth’s our friend,” Gibby said. “And he’s more than that to you, whether you realize it or not. He needs us, Nick.”
“Oh, does he? Funny. Because if he needed us, he would have told us the truth a long time ago.”
“That’s not fair—”
Nick groaned into his hands. “Fair? You want to talk about fair? My dad—the only parent I have left—was put in the hospital because of what they did. He somehow got in the middle of a fight he wouldn’t have been involved in had they not been trying to kill each other. He got hurt because of them. He could’ve died.”
“That wasn’t Seth’s fault,” Gibby said weakly. “He was trying to do everything he could to stop Owen before people got hurt.”
Nick shook his head as he dropped his hands. “Obviously he didn’t do enough. If—” He swallowed thickly. “If it’d been worse, what then? What if … what if my dad had died? Would you still say he did everything he could? He sat across from Owen. Almost daily. Seth knew who Owen was, and yet he did nothing to stop it. That’s not what heroes do. And Seth is no hero. He’s a coward. And don’t even get me started on Owen. He’s … there’re pills and…”
Gibby took a step toward him, hands balled into fists at her sides. “Seth only did this because of you! Everything he is, an Extraordinary, Pyro Storm, is because of you!”
Nick’s knees felt wobbly. “What the hell are you talking about? He didn’t—”
“Your mom died,” Gibby spat. “And it sucked, Nick. For us because we didn’t know how to help you, but more for you and your dad, okay? Both of you were so lost in your grief, and it tore at all of us. And Seth made a choice. You forget, I think, that the same thing happened to him. Before, he was only Seth Gray, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. But After, he promised himself he would do everything he could to make sure you never had to go through that again. He always … since he was little.” She sighed. “It was the train accident, Nick. It changed him into something else or activated something already in him. But he always felt guilty about it. That he was given a gift at such a high cost. He never wanted anything to do with it. Not until after your mom died. He saw what it did to you. He loved you so much that he put on a mask to keep Nova City safe. To keep your father safe. To keep you safe.”
Nick ground his teeth together. “Which means he lied. All this time, he lied to me. He kept this from me. Kept all of it—”
Gibby’s head snapped up. Her eyes were blazing. “Maybe if you weren’t so self-centered, you could’ve figured it out on your own. Like I did. Like Jazz did. Jazz finds out, and she protects his secret. I find out and do all I can to help him. And what do you do when you find out? You bitch and moan about what it does to you.”
“That’s not fair! My dad is—”
“Your dad got hurt, and that’s awful. But that wasn’t Seth’s fault. It was Owen’s. It was a trap for Seth. Don’t you get that? Owen was trying to kill Seth, Nick. Your dad was collateral damage.”
“I don’t care. It’s on both of them.”
Gibby looked away. “I can’t believe…” She shook her head. “Whatever. You do what you want, Nick. You always do. I’m going to go help my friend because he needs me.”
She turned and pushed the door open. It fell shut behind her.
“Huh,” Jazz said, staring at the door. “That didn’t go like I thought it would.”
“Of course it didn’t,” Nick groused. “That’s what happens when people lie to each other.”
“Huh,” Jazz said again. Then, “Are you going to yell at me now? If you are, I’d like to know in advance so I can cry to make you feel better.”
Nick deflated. “No. I want to go back to my dad and forget all of this.”
“That’s going to be hard to do. Forgetting. Seems pointless.”
“I can do it.”
Jazz sighed. “I think you believe that. Can I tell you something?”
“Are you going to apologize?”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You … you knew about—ugh.” Damn her for being right.
“That’s what I thought. I worry a lot about what happens when Gibby leaves. You know. Graduates. While we stay here.”
Nick struggled to keep his annoyance down. “I think there’s bigger issues we need to—”
“I thought she’d go to college. Maybe move on to bigger and better things. Leave us all behind. Leave me behind. We’d break up, and maybe we’d stay friends who talked to each other every now and then, or maybe we wouldn’t. I mean, it’s not exactly realistic that you meet the love of your life when you’re sixteen, right? And besides, we’re young. People think we don’t know what we’re talking about. That our feelings aren’t valid. I thought about it a lot. All the time, really. It hurt. But you know what I realized?”
“No, but you’re going to tell me anyway.”
She laughed. “I am. I realized that it’s okay to have doubts. That I’m a person, and I have a right to feel the way I do, and so does she. If something happens down the road, it won’t make anything I’m feeling now any less important. I care about her a great deal. It boils down to trust, I think. And faith. I lost my way a little bit. I forgot to believe in her and myself. So I told her about it. And you know what she said to me?”
Nick shook his head.
“She said that I was stupid. That she loved me, and that even if something happened in the future, it would never change this exact moment.” Jazz smiled. “It’s good to talk about how you’re feeling. But it’s even better to fight for the things you believe in. I’m fighting for her because I know she’s fighting for me. Who’s fighting for you, Nicky?”
Nick couldn’t speak.
Jazz leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Sometimes, the people we want to protect the most might not understand why we do the things we do. But that doesn’t mean they love us any less. Only you can decide where your faith lies. We’re glad your dad’s okay. Call us if you need anything. Day or night. We’ll always come running.”
She left him standing next to the penis table.
Mary and Cap were gone by the time he went back to the fifth floor. A woman at the nurse’s station said they went to grab a bite to eat and would bring him something when they returned.
His dad was back in his room, but he wasn’t alone.
There was a woman sitting in a chair next to the bed, cradling a child in one arm, her other hand grasping one of Dad’s.
Nick hesitated in the doorway. They didn’t know he was there. He thought about speaking up, but then he heard the quiet sob coming from the woman.
“It’s okay,” Dad whispered, squeezing her hand. “It’s okay.”
“You save us,” the woman said, her accent thick. “You save me. Aleksey.” She muttered something in a language Nick didn’t recognize. Then, “Why? Why you help?”
“Because it was the right thing to do,” Dad said gruffly.
“Not everyone helps,” the woman said, pulling her hand away as the baby started to fuss. “You did.”
Dad shook his head. “Lady, it was my job—”
“Guardian,” she insisted. “Guardian angel.”
Dad flinched. Nick didn’t know why, but Dad recovered quickly. “Can you do me a favor?”
She nodded. “Anything. Anything for you.”
“I’m going to ask the hospital to help you. I don’t want to see you back out on the streets, okay? There are shelters that can help women in your position. People who will take care of you and your kid until you can get on your feet. This is a chance for you.”
“They take Aleksey from me?”
“Are you a good mother?”
“I try.”
“Then I don’t think they will. But you have to let them help you. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes. For guardian, I do.”
Nick felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked behind him. A nurse he didn’t recognize smiled at him, motioning that she needed to get by. He stepped aside. “Okay, Edyta. Mr. Bell needs his rest, just like you and Aleksey. Let’s get you back to your room, okay?”
The woman rose slowly, but not before she leaned forward and kissed the back of Dad’s hand. The nurse put an arm on her shoulders and led her from the room. The woman’s face was tear-streaked, but her eyes were bright, and she cooed down at her baby. She didn’t see Nick at all.
He watched as they walked down the hall before they rounded a corner.
He turned back to the room.
His dad was watching him, a small smile on his face. He looked tired.
“Got yourself a fan,” Nick said quietly as he walked into the room, sitting in the chair by the bed. “Seems like she has stars in her eyes.”
Dad snorted. “She’s had it rough. Not used to being treated like a person. Hopefully that changes.”
“How’s your brain?”
“Mostly intact. Maybe only a little scrambled.”
Nick nodded and looked away. He blinked rapidly.
“Hey, hey. Kid, come on. Nicky. Look at me.”
Nick couldn’t. At least not until he heard Dad trying to lift himself up out of the bed. He stood quickly, the chair scraping the floor behind him. Dad was grimacing, a trickle of sweat on his forehead. Nick scowled at him, carefully pressing on his shoulders. “Don’t make me call the nurse in here. And I’ll tell Cap when he gets back.”
Dad glared at him. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
Once he was sure Dad wasn’t going to try and get up again, Nick started to turn back toward the chair. He was stopped by fingers circling his wrist and holding on tightly. His gaze followed the hand to a bandaged arm up to his father’s face. Dad was frowning. “I’m going to be all right, kid.”
Nick gave a little shrug. He didn’t know how to put into words how relieved that made him, or how scared he’d been, and still was.
“We need to talk, Nicky. About some of the stuff you said. About some of the things I said.”
“You’re not supposed to be talking at all,” Nick said hoarsely. “Remember?”
“I know. Just … let me get this out, and then I promise I’ll shut up.”
“Unlikely.”
“Nick.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Dad squeezed his wrist. “I said some things I shouldn’t have. Things I can’t take back, but wish I could more than anything. You didn’t deserve that. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I know I’m—”
“No, it’s not okay.” He started coughing. Nick was alarmed until Dad motioned to a cup with a straw sitting on a small table next to the bed. Nick grabbed it, and Dad sucked down the water. He coughed twice more before subsiding. “Shit, that hurt.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t talk—”
“I love you,” Dad said fiercely. “More than anything in this world. And I’m so damn proud of you and the man you’ve become. After everything we’ve been through, you had every right to curl up and let go. But you pushed yourself, and you pushed me. We survived, Nicky. I know some days it doesn’t feel like it, but we have. And we’re getting better. We’re still going to make mistakes. I know I will. But as long as you remember there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, we’re going to be okay.”
Nick could barely breathe. “I thought … when you said that—when you asked me why I had to be this way … that you…”
Dad squeezed his eyes shut. “I know. I never should have said that. It wasn’t fair to you.”
Nick shuddered. “But you were right.”
Dad shook his head. “No. Never. Never that.”
“I was trying to be something I couldn’t, trying to change myself to make—”
Dad opened his eyes. “I don’t want you to change. All I ever want is for you to be healthy and whole and talk a mile a minute because your voice makes me happy—”
“I was trying to make myself an Extraordinary,” Nick blurted before he could stop himself.
An inscrutable look crossed Dad’s face, there and gone before Nick could begin to parse through it. “What?”
“This. All this … stupid crap. I was trying—I don’t know. It started out for all the wrong reasons, and by the time I figured out how to do it for the right reasons, it still didn’t work. And then I—”
“When was the last time you took your pill?”
That stopped Nick cold. “What?”
“Your pill, Nick. When was the last time you took your medication?”
Why the hell did that matter? “Uh. Earlier today. Mary brought it for me. Why?”
Dad relaxed slightly. “Just making sure. You’re talking a little fast. Your head okay?”
“Yeah. It’s fine. I’m not—”
“Why, Nick? Why would you think you needed to be an Extraordinary?”
Nick was getting whiplash at the changes in conversation. “It started out dumb. For reasons that don’t make sense now, when I think about it. But it changed because of you. I wanted to do what I could to keep you safe.” He shook his head. “I was too late. You’re already here.”
“I don’t need you to protect me, Nicky. I’m the parent here. It’s my job to do that for you.”
“Why can’t we do it for each other?”
Dad sighed. “Because you shouldn’t have to worry about things like that. All I wanted you to focus on was growing up and finding your path. I don’t need you to be an Extraordinary, Nicky. Not when you’re already extraordinary to me.”
Nick tried his best to hold back. But it was damn near impossible, and he burst out laughing. “Oh my god. That was terrible. You’re such a dork.”
Dad frowned. “It wasn’t terrible. It was heartfelt. Why are you—would you stop laughing? I’m being serious here!”
“I know. That’s what makes it hysterical. We were having a moment and you had to go and ruin it—”
“You’re grounded for the rest of your natural life.”
“Maybe I would feel more intimidated if you didn’t look like you were going to cry with every breath you took.”
“Broken ribs hurt, you little jerk.”
“Why are you still talking?”
“Because you need to know that I love you just the way you are.”
Nick’s laughter faded. “I know, Dad.”
“Good. Now that’s done, on to the next. Seems like you’ve finally figured out that Seth wants to kiss you.”
“What? Dad, no!”
“Dad, yes. Is it reciprocated?”
Nick thought about pressing the call button and demanding the nurse sedate his dad for the rest of the evening. “Why are we talking about this? Go back to the sappy stuff! I don’t want you to be an Extraordinary, because you’re already ex—”
“You should invite him over for dinner when I get home. It’ll be you, me, Seth, and my gun.”
Everything was terrible. “You can’t threaten him! I’m not some debutante in the 1950s who needs their honor protected.”
“Watch me threaten him. Do you remember what I showed you with the banana? You have to squeeze the base and roll the condom down slowly to make sure—”
“Why are you like this?”
“I’m not going to kill him,” Dad said seriously. “I’m gonna threaten him a little. Make sure he knows that he doesn’t get to stick anything in you without explicit consent.”
Nick gaped at him. “What makes you think I’m going to be the one to have something stuck in me? Maybe I’m going to be the one doing the sticking!” He wished desperately he could take that back as soon as it left his mouth.
Dad looked Nick up and down before snorting. “Yeah, okay, Nicky. Keep telling yourself that.”
“Ack! Nurse! Nurse. My father is losing his mind! Someone help me make him stop—”
They could hear footsteps running down the hall.
“Sorry,” he called out. “I … didn’t mean it?”
“Great,” Dad said with a frown. “Now you’re getting us both in trouble.”
But no one came into the room. A nurse ran by the open door without looking in. And then another nurse ran by. And then another.
Nick didn’t know what was happening. Dad let him go as Nick went to the doorway. A group of people had gathered in the waiting room down the corridor, staring at a TV mounted on the wall.
Another nurse rushed down the hallway, a harried look on her face.
“What’s going on?” Nick asked her.
“Extraordinaries,” she said, sounding breathless as she passed him by. “They’re fighting. Midtown. It sounds bad. People are going to get hurt.”
Nick’s blood turned to ice as he turned quickly back into the room, heading for the TV in the corner.
“What happened?” Dad asked, wincing as he pressed a button on the bed to raise him up to a sitting position.
Nick didn’t answer him. He picked up the remote off the table and turned the TV on. He flipped through the channels until he found what he was looking for.
He took a slow step backward.
“—and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Rebecca Firestone said, and for the first time since Nick had heard her voice, she actually sounded scared. “They are ruthlessly attacking each other. It’s like they’re trying to kill each other. I can’t believe this is— Oh my god!”
It looked like the end of the world.
The camera shot was shaky, Rebecca Firestone’s voice almost drowned out by the winds whipping around the helicopter.
But it was clear enough.
Nick could see Burke Tower far in the background, silhouetted against the setting sun, the cloudy sky streaked pink and orange, the clouds alight. There were blurry movements, almost too fast for the camera to follow, bursts of bright fire and dark shadows. They slowed briefly, Pyro Storm hovering high above the streets of Nova City, cape flapping around him, arms ablaze. Shadow Star was perched high on an antenna tower, hanging off of it with one arm, shadows gathering below him.
The chopper was too far away to pick up any conversation, but it was obvious they were shouting at each other, mouths twisting in fury.
“Our beloved hero, Shadow Star, is doing his best to hold back the villain known as Pyro Storm,” Rebecca Firestone shouted. “Whatever evil scheme he has planned will be thwarted by the bravery of the savior in shadows. We won’t be— What is he doing?”
The antenna tower began to list to the right, the shadows crawling along the roof twisting the metal. Struts and supports bent until they broke with an audible screech. Shadow Star backflipped off of the tower, landing in a crouch on the roof. He rose slowly, raising his arms. Lights burst from the bracelets on his wrists, making the shadows multiply. They took shape until they were corporeal, lifting the tower off the roof of the building.
And then Shadow Star hurled it at Pyro Storm.
“No,” Nick whispered.
Instead of trying to get out of the way, Pyro Storm flew toward it. Right before he collided with the tower, he spun quickly, cape swirling around him as he soared through the tower, managing to avoid the metal struts. He’d almost made it to the other side when he was clipped in the shoulder by what looked like the corner of a satellite dish. He was knocked off course, a trail of blood falling behind him.
The antenna tower fell toward the busy streets below.
“I can’t believe I’m seeing this!” Rebecca Firestone said, voice shrill. “Shadow Star just tried to stop Pyro Storm, but the villain managed to dodge his attack! And because of that, it’s falling! Pyro Storm is going to cause so many people to get hurt! You saw it here first! This is all on Pyro Storm!”
Nick really hated Rebecca Firestone.
But before he could curse her name like she so deserved, Pyro Storm righted himself and turned away from Shadow Star. The antenna tower hurtled toward the ground. People below were screaming, running along the sidewalks, pushing each other viciously as they tried to flee. The growing shadow loomed large.
A bright flash of fire burst as Pyro Storm rocketed toward the tower. But instead of trying to knock it out of the way, he flew by it, landing on the street below so hard, the asphalt cracked beneath his feet. People huddled around him, hands over their heads as the tower crashed into the side of a building, causing it to spin wildly, glass shattering, mortar splitting and raining down after it.
The camera managed to focus right on Pyro Storm as he raised his hands over his head.
And then he exploded.
Or, at least that was what it looked like. A wave of fire roared and the screen whited out. Cries of horror came from up and down the halls of the hospital. Nick’s dad grunted behind him.
But Nick stood still.
He waited.
He heard Rebecca Firestone screaming, the blades of the helicopter roaring in the background.
“Come on,” Nick muttered. “Come on. Come on.”
The white light began to fade.
Rebecca Firestone’s voice cut off.
Nick’s blood rushed in his ears.
He wasn’t sure what he was seeing at first. It looked as if the street was ablaze, fire rippling as it licked the sides of the buildings around it. For a moment, Nick thought Pyro Storm—Seth—had exploded, taking everyone with him.
But then he saw it for what it truly was.
The antenna tower hadn’t landed on the street.
It was suspended above the street, having landed on a wave of fire in the shape of a dome. Nick watched as it broke in half, sliding almost lazily down each side of the dome, leaving ripples in the blaze as if it were the surface of a lake. The two halves landed on the street on either side of the dome before they tilted and fell against the sides of buildings. They didn’t move after that.
The dome of fire dissipated.
In its center stood Pyro Storm, hand still raised above his head, chest heaving.
Around him were dozens of people, huddled on the ground. They were clinging to one another, clinging to him, holding on to his legs. Blood trickled down his arm from where he’d been hit by the tower.
Rebecca Firestone sounded strangled. “And Pyro Storm just … saved them. He could have let them die, but instead he … saved them?”
The people on the street rose slowly, looking around. When they saw the towers leaning against the buildings, they cheered, hugging one another and jumping up and down.
“Okay,” Rebecca Firestone said. “It’s not that great. He did one thing. Think about all the other times he tried to—”
Another voice came on-screen. “Uh, Rebecca? It’s Steve Davis here, back at the Action News desk. Can you please tell us what you’re seeing?”
“Yes. What I’m seeing is that Shadow Star tried to save the day, but he instead made an honest mistake, and there are people dancing in the streets because they weren’t crushed. Some woman is trying to get Pyro Storm to hold her baby so she can take a picture! Doesn’t she know that Pyro Storm most likely eats babies and—”
Her voice was cut off.
Steve Davis appeared on screen in a little box in the corner, looking uncomfortable. “It looks as if we’re having technical difficulties with the audio. We still have a live video feed, but Rebecca Firestone won’t be able to report on what she’s—okay. Ah—hold on a moment. It looks like something’s happening.”
The camera panned away from where people were clapping Pyro Storm on the back, a second baby being thrust into his arms. The shot rose up until it focused on Shadow Star who stood at the edge of the roof, staring at the scene below.
He was surrounded by shadows.
It wasn’t like anything Nick had seen before.
The shadows looked alive, like they were roiling. They reached out around him, shaped like tentacles, twisting along the side of the building.
And he looked furious.
Brick cracked. Windows broke. Below, people started screaming as debris rained down around them.
The camera jerked back toward the ground. The citizens of Nova City were running once again.
Pyro Storm was looking up at Shadow Star, a frown on his face.
Then everything went to hell. The screen seemed to shake as the camera spun, and there was a flash of Rebecca Firestone screaming silently, the pilot yelling as he clutched the cyclic-pitch lever, the tail boom and rotor crumpling as a large shadow wrapped around it and yanked and—
The screen went dark.
Steve Davis was pale. “I—we seem to have lost the feed.” He looked beyond the camera into the studio, eyes wide. “I don’t know if we—ah. I don’t know if we’ll get it back. There’s—hold on.” He reached up and touched his earpiece. His hand trembled. “Okay. I’m—ah. I’m being told that it appears the helicopter went down. We’re trying to confirm if—yes. Yes, it appears the Action News Chopper has crashed, and … Shadow Star was the cause.” He swallowed thickly. “I don’t know if—we’re going to take a quick commercial break. When we return, we’ll continue with the live report of the mayhem in midtown today. Stay with us.”
Nick turned off the TV.
He set down the remote.
He turned toward his Dad, who watched him with an unreadable expression. “If someone who loved you lied to you, kept things from you, hurt you, but they needed your help, would you do it?”
Dad’s facade broke, and he looked stricken. “I—” He coughed, clearing his throat. “I would. Because I can never turn my back on someone who needs me. If I was lied to, if I was kept in the dark and my heart was breaking, I would still do everything I could. Sometimes, we lie to the ones we love most to keep them safe.”
Nick nodded tightly. “I don’t have time to explain, but I have to go.”
Dad’s eyes widened. “Wait, no, Nick, what are you talking about? Go where?”
Nick tried to smile. It trembled on his face before it collapsed. “You said that you didn’t need me to be an Extraordinary because I already was extraordinary. There’s someone who needs to hear the same from me. If something happens and I don’t get to say it, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.” He backed toward the doorway.
Dad’s eyes narrowed as he struggled to sit back up. “Nick, don’t. Don’t you do this. You stay right where you are.”
Nick’s eyes were wet, but he couldn’t do anything about that now. “I love you. And I’m so happy you’re my dad.”
He turned and ran, his father shouting after him.