by TJ Klune
Nick fell irrevocably in love. “I can wear this in public?” he demanded. “And you won’t give me shit over it?”
“Maybe a little,” Jazz said. “But I’ve already spoken with Gibby to make sure Seth has some similar colors so you two match.”
“Give it,” Nick said, snatching the suit from the clerk. “I’ve never wanted to wear anything so badly. My entire life has been building to this moment.”
The clerk grimaced. “Really? I don’t know what that says about you that—ahem, of course, sir. Please try it on, and let’s see how it—sir, sir. Please get changed in the dressing room and stop throwing pants.”
“I like your underwear!” Jazz called after him as he slammed the dressing room door behind him.
When he reappeared a few minutes later, he was transformed.
“Yesssss,” he hissed as he looked at himself in the mirror, arms outstretched as he spun around slowly. “Look at that ass. That’s an ass that says open for business. This—this is what we came for. I look like a dollar-store disco ball.”
“Is that … a good thing?” the clerk asked.
“It is,” Nick said.
He hadn’t wanted to take it off, but the clerk had been starting to give him the evil eye, so he’d changed back into his street clothes and turned his attention to Jazz. He was impressed with how quickly she could change, disappearing into the changing room and reappearing only moments later in something new. She took his breath away every time she came back out, but Jazz frowned at herself in the mirror, muttering under her breath before heading back into the dressing room in a swirl of lace, her long hair trailing after her.
He never hurried her, knowing Jazz would finish on her own time. He was messing around on his phone when he heard Jazz say, “I think—I think this is it.”
He looked up at the closed door. “Really? Oh man, let me see.”
“Hold on a second. I need to … there. Okay. Close your eyes.”
He shoved his phone back in his pocket and did as she asked. A moment later, the door opened, the sound of her footsteps soft on the carpeted floor. Fabric rustled, and then Jazz said, “Okay. You can look now.”
He opened his eyes.
Jasmine Kensington stood before him, a vision he wasn’t prepared for. The dress she wore was red, long, and flowing, chest covered in patterned lace, a red sash cinched around her waist. The dress extended down to the tops of her bare feet, surrounded by an exterior layer of white lace with red trim that billowed as she spun in a slow circle, eyes sparkling. Her shoulders were exposed, pale and lovely, and she smiled at him as she stopped spinning. “Well, what do you think?”
Nick swallowed thickly. “I think you’re amazing. And the dress is pretty killer too.”
She laughed as she turned back to the mirror. “Thanks, Nicky. I like it too.” She turned back and forth in front of the mirror, looking at herself from all angles. “I think this is the right one. I hope Gibby likes it.”
“Yeah,” Nick said dryly. “I don’t think you’ll need to worry about that. She’s not gonna know what hit her when she sees you. You want to show her now, or do you want to wait, like me and Seth?” Clichéd, perhaps, but he and Seth had decided to wait until prom night to see each other in their suits for the first time. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Seth’s face when he saw Nick’s dead magician tux.
Jazz gnawed on her bottom lip as she pulled at the sash around her waist. “I think I want to see her now. She was nervous too. I want to show her she doesn’t have to be.”
Nick stood from his chair and bowed comically, one hand behind his back, the other extended toward her, fingers beckoning. “Then, if you would, please allow me the honor of escorting you out of the dressing room.”
She smiled at him as she took his hand in hers. “Don’t mind if I do, good sir.”
* * *
Later, when all was said and done, Nick would think back to this moment, the one where Jazz and Gibby saw each other in their fancy dress clothes for the first time. This, he would tell himself, was worth fighting for. Moments like this where nothing else mattered but the happiness of the strong, beautiful women in his life.
“Close your eyes,” Nick told her, pulling her down the hall. He nodded at the clerk who disappeared into the back storage room. “Let it be a surprise.”
She played along, closing her eyes. “I can’t wait to see her.”
“Me too,” Nick said, knowing Seth would’ve done his best for Gibby, like Nick had done for Jazz. Granted, neither of them probably needed the boys’ help, but the fact that they got to be involved made Nick ridiculously happy.
“I’m a little nervous,” Jazz admitted as they reached the door that led out to the front of the shop.
“Why?” Nick asked, looking back at her, hand on the doorknob.
Jazz laughed quietly. “I don’t know. Isn’t that funny?”
“You don’t have anything to be nervous about,” Nick promised her. “Trust me.”
She cracked open one eye. “I do, Nicky.”
He squeezed her hand. “I know. Close your eyes.”
She did, and he pushed open the door.
Seth had his back to them, standing in front of Gibby, blocking him from seeing her as his boyfriend fiddled with something on Gibby’s clothes. “Man,” Seth said, not yet aware they were being watched. “You make this look good. Puts the rest of us to shame.”
Nick heard her snort. “Damn right I do. Pants are a little tight, but I’m sure they can tailor them to make them—Nick, what are you—”
“Nope,” Seth said, putting his hand over her eyes. “We’re going to do this right.” He glanced back over his shoulder, jaw dropping as he saw Jazz standing next to Nick. Then a slow smile bloomed on his face. “Whoa.”
“Right?” Nick said. “That’s what I said. And whoa, Gibby. You look fantastic.”
“Keep your eyes closed,” Seth told her, moving to her side and dropping his hand to hers. Gibby did as asked, and Nick took her in. She wore the hell out of an old-fashioned black tuxedo, the coat tails hanging down the back of her legs, her top hat sitting at a jaunty angle on her head. Her bow tie was red, as were her boots, which matched Jazz’s dress perfectly. Separately, they looked amazing. But Nick couldn’t wait to see them side by side. The world wasn’t prepared for them.
Nick led Jazz to the center of the shop. Seth did the same with Gibby, stopping in front of them. “Okay,” Nick said, letting Jazz’s hand go. “Don’t open your eyes yet. I want to record this for reasons that’ll become immediately clear in just a moment. Hold on a second, and I’ll count you down.”
Jazz and Gibby nodded in unison as Seth moved behind Nick, wrapping his arms around Nick’s waist as he looked over his shoulder. Nick held up his phone, hitting the record button. “You did good, Nicky,” Seth whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down Nick’s spine.
“I’m flattered you think I had anything to do with this,” he whispered back. “Trust me, I didn’t. This is all Jazz.” He raised his voice. “Okay, you guys ready? I’m going to count to three, and then you can open your eyes, all right?”
“Get on with it,” Gibby muttered. “These pants are going into places they shouldn’t be.”
“You’re ruining the moment,” Nick said. “Anticipation is the better part of—”
“Nick,” Jazz and Gibby said at the same time.
Nick rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. All right. Here we go. Ready? One. Two. Three.”
He saw it the moment it happened, lifting his gaze from the screen to his friends. Jazz opened her eyes, and Gibby did too, and then it was as if they were the only two people in the entire world. Gibby’s mouth dropped open, her eyes wide as she took in the sight of her girlfriend. She recovered quickly, shaking her head and holding out a trembling hand. Jazz took it in her own, smiling as wide as Nick had ever seen her.
“Jazz,” Gibby said in a hushed voice, and Nick felt warm at the reverence in that one word. “You…�
� She glanced away, blinking rapidly. When she looked back, her eyes were wet, but her own smile rivaled Jazz’s. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Jazz said with a sniffle. “You do too. That tux suits you.” She eyed Gibby up and down. “Really suits you. Wow. Look at you.” She let go of Gibby’s hand and walked around her. Gibby winked at Nick and Seth before she turned her attention back to Jazz, who stopped in front of her once more. “I love it. All of it.”
Gibby blew on her knuckles and rubbed them against her shoulder. “Oh, this old thing? It’s nothing.”
“Bullshit,” Jazz said. “It’s the exact opposite of nothing. It’s everything.”
Gibby leaned forward and kissed her sweetly. “You always know what to say.”
“That’s because I love you,” Jazz said, cupping her face and kissing her again.
“I love you too,” Gibby murmured against her lips.
“You sure you don’t want to show me your suit now?” Seth asked him quietly, but Nick was lost in his head, watching his friends. It was so easy for them. It always had been. Why was Nick making this so hard for himself?
Especially because he knew what he felt. He loved Seth Gray. He was in love with him, and no matter what happened in the future, no matter where their roads took them, nothing could ever change that. Not now, not ever. Here, today, at this moment, he was in love with his best friend.
But he didn’t want the first time he said these words to Seth to be in the middle of a shop, especially since this was about Gibby and Jazz. So he whispered, “We’re really lucky, aren’t we?”
Seth chuckled in his ear. “We are. And we’re going to—”
Seth’s phone went off, loud in the quiet. Seth frowned as he came to stand next to Nick, pulling his phone from his pocket. He looked down at the screen, brow furrowing as he swiped his thumb against it. Whatever he saw there caused his expression to harden. Nick knew that look. Something was wrong.
He leaned forward, trying to see what Seth saw. Jazz and Gibby came over to them, a question on both their faces. They crowded around them, looking down at Seth’s phone. Gibby took off her hat, holding it at her side.
Simon Burke appeared on the screen, standing in front of a row of microphones. Cameras shuttered and flashed, casting dancing shadows behind him against a familiar glass building. Simon Burke was giving a press conference in front of Burke Tower. On his left stood a white man and to his right a white woman, so eerily similar in appearance that they had to be related. Perhaps they were twins. They both looked severe, wearing black suits and heavy coats, staring straight ahead, hands clasped behind them. The man’s head was shaved. The woman’s dark hair was cut short and slicked back. Nick felt a twinge of recognition, but he couldn’t place when he’d seen them. Had he met them when he was dating Owen?
“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Burke said gravely. “When I announced our new initiative to Save Our Children a few weeks ago, we never anticipated the level of community involvement it would inspire. While many provided information on our website that turned out to be inaccurate, we were able to parse through the bluster and noise, and as of today’s date, we have received at least seven credible reports of Extraordinary activity from concerned citizens. This list will not be disseminated, nor will it be exploited for nefarious purposes.”
“You know,” Gibby muttered, “when someone tells you they’re not going to be nefarious, chances are they’re going to be exactly that.”
“—while it’s a start, and it’s my hope we can help these people, should they ask for it, we need to take care with how we proceed. Nothing is more important to the future of our city—and our country as a whole—than for us to understand what exactly these people are capable of. Which is why it’s my pleasure to announce that we now have the support of the mayor’s office, and that of the Nova City Police Department.”
“What?” Nick growled. “Dad never said anything about—”
“With me now,” Burke continued, “is Nova City Police Chief, Rodney Caplan. Chief Caplan, if you please.”
Cap stepped into view, pushing by the man next to Burke, who didn’t seem inclined to move. Cap was irritated, that much was clear; his mustache was twitching dangerously, a sure sign to anyone that knew him that he wasn’t pleased. The cameras flashed again, Cap holding up his hands to ward off questions being shouted at him. “Quiet!” Cap barked, glaring out at the reporters gathered before him. “I won’t be speaking for long, and I won’t be taking any questions. I have been asked by Mayor Stephanie Carlson to provide resources to the Burke initiative. I have made my objections known, telling her that my officers shouldn’t be at the beck and call of a private business owner to act as his personal guard dogs. Trust is paramount between the police and the communities they patrol. I will remind everyone watching and listening that I have zero tolerance for anything that causes harm to the people of Nova City, which includes Extraordinaries. We live with them. They are our friends. Our loved ones, even if we might not know what they’re capable of. Remember that as you’re anonymously submitting private information about your neighbors to the wealthiest local business owner in Nova City. And an additional reminder to every single officer who makes up the Nova City Police Department: you do not answer to Simon Burke. Any officer acting outside of my orders will immediately be suspended pending an investigation. Good day.”
Cap stalked offstage, ignoring the reporters shouting after him.
Burke stepped forward once more, a hint of a smile on his face. “Thank you, Chief Caplan. Your years of service are appreciated, and we’re lucky we have someone such as yourself on our side. And he’s right: we do live with Extraordinaries, and they could be our friends and loved ones. But until there are protections in place for those of us who don’t have superpowers, we must do what we have to in order to Save Our Children.”
He glanced left, at the man. Right, at the woman. He faced forward once more, leaning down toward the microphones. “And to show you how serious I am, I’d like to introduce you to two associates of mine. They are part of a new outreach program to help Extraordinaries come to terms with who they are. With the cooperation of the Nova City School District, we will be sending them out to all the schools in the city to meet with your children, acting as ambassadors to meet with anyone—with or without powers—who would like to discuss things they’ve seen or what they can do in a safe, nonjudgmental environment. See something, say something, because that is the only way we’ll be able to understand our superpowered brethren. Christina, Christian—a demonstration, if you please.”
The man and woman stepped forward. They raised their hands as one, palms toward the sky. From the hands of the woman rose a thick column of billowing smoke, moving as if it were sentient. From the hands of the man, ice, snapping the air around it until it froze. Frozen particles swirled around as the reporters gasped.
“It’s them,” Seth snarled, hands tightening around his phone so hard, Nick heard the case creak. “They’re the ones who attacked us. Smoke. Ice. What the hell is going on?”
Burke stepped forward to the podium once more as Smoke and Ice dropped their hands, clasping them behind themselves. “Christina and Christian were involved in the recent altercation with the Extraordinary known as Pyro Storm. Before that, they came to me, seeking my help. Given my extensive history of philanthropic endeavors, along with the fact that I was unknowingly raising a son with preternatural abilities, they knew I was and am in a position to offer assistance. At my request, they went to meet with Pyro Storm in the spirit of peace, to extend an invitation to meet and discuss participating in the Save Our Children initiative, only to be viciously attacked. They tried to deescalate the situation, but Pyro Storm would not listen to reason. People were hurt as a direct result of his actions. That cannot be allowed to happen again, which is why I am now offering one million dollars to anyone who can identify the Extraordinary known as Pyro Storm.” His smile widened. “Please don’t misunder
stand me; this is not a call for vigilante justice. If you possess verifiable knowledge as to the identity of Pyro Storm, we’re asking that you call the hotline number we’ve set up. Operators are standing by to take down all tips, which will be vetted until the truth comes out.”
Across the screen, a chyron scrolled with the hotline number.
“Safety first,” Burke said. “Because the emerging generation of extraordinary members of our society deserve to have better role models and options than Pyro Storm.”
Burke pulled back slightly, cameras flashing, reporters once again shouting at him. He looked as if he were basking in the attention.
Burke leaned forward again, raising his voice above those of the reporters. “And finally, a message to Pyro Storm: You think yourself alone, but I can assure you that’s far from the truth. I am here for you. Christina and Christian are here for you. Nova City is here for you, and together, we can make our home the shining jewel of this great country of ours. Make yourself known before someone does it for you. Thank you, and good day.”
The video ended, Burke raising his hands above his head, as if in victory.
Nick looked at Seth. His jaw was twitching as he ground his teeth together. Seth lowered his phone, closing his eyes.
“What do we do now?” Jazz asked in a small voice.
Seth shook his head. “I don’t know. Cap didn’t seem too happy about it, but what can he really do if he’s being ordered into this?”
Nick scowled. “Cap isn’t the biggest fan of the Extraordinaries, but he wouldn’t do anything that put us in jeopardy. Even if he’s being told to do something, he’s not going to make things easy for Burke.” He wished he could believe that more than he did, but he didn’t know what, if anything, they were holding over Cap. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. “It’s not like he knows about Seth.”
Gibby looked perturbed. “Unless you think … Nick, could your dad have told him?”