by Drew Hayes
This time, the drink nearly drained half of Kyle’s glass. “Maybe it’s just because of where we are, but that almost sounds like something Ike would say.”
“He was a smart guy, when he wanted to be.” Tori checked her own watch, realizing that time was nearly up. Crap. She’d wanted to talk to Donald, too, give him a proper warning. “Listen, I have a meeting to get to. Sorry to duck out early.”
“No, we understand. The perils of holding it on a weekday. Just when we could get the time; things have been crazy since the invasion.” Between rebuilding, missing persons, and general chaotic fallout, Tori could imagine how thin the capes were spread at this point. The world was steadily coming back together, though. That was the silver lining of surviving multiple worldwide catastrophes: humanity was getting adept at bouncing back.
Tempting as it was to bolt on that, Tori had to say something; otherwise, it would go over even worse. “Before I head out, I wanted to let you know... look, Kyle, I think of you guys as friends. Ellie, Austin, Donald, Kyle—those people. Not the masks you wear. Keep that division in mind, and please believe me when I say none of it is personal.”
“What does that mean?” Kyle said, noting the way she was already edging toward the door.
“You’ll see. And this time, for what it’s worth, I’m the one who’s sorry.”
Sitting outside the house, Rick thought the day was too nice. This wasn’t how the world was supposed to feel after horrific revelations. It was expected to be gloomy, drab, morose, tainted by the new perspective he’d obtained. Instead, there was sunshine and mild winds, a perfect final day before fall’s true onslaught. The world didn’t care that everything had changed for him. It just went right on turning how it pleased.
A slam of a car door jolted him into the moment, one brief warning sign before Beth came scampering up the drive, clad in a hat with a stuffed shark on it. Not far behind was Ivan, Rick’s father and a homicidal villain who’d tortured a sentient being on live television, only to eventually crush his head. If only those were separate entities, instead of being crammed all into one body.
“We missed you at the aquarium today. They had some new exhibits, one last big event before school restarts.”
Ivan sat down next to him on the bench, one Janet had picked up years ago and restored to sit outside her home. Or had it been stolen from a dead superhero’s lair? Rick really had no idea how much of what he thought to be true actually was, save for some points he’d have much rather lacked clarity on.
“I wasn’t feeling up to it.”
“That’s what your mother said.” Ivan sat there, listening closely as Beth dashed through the house, on a direct track for the bathroom after getting a whale-sized soda. He waited until he was sure she’d left earshot. “You figured it out.”
“Is it that obvious?” Rick wasn’t sure what words were coming out of his mouth next, nor why he’d waited out here in the first place. Things had spun so far out of control, he barely understood his own thoughts at this point, let alone actions.
Slowly, Ivan nodded. “Frankly, yes, but I knew it was just a matter of time. You’ve got too much of your mother’s wiles to not put the pieces together eventually. There is more to the story than you know, than my old reputation would let on. Though it doesn’t change what I did, nor excuse it. I am a man who has lived a strange, terrible, occasionally wonderful existence, and I own every choice within that life. Including last week’s display.”
“Display?” The word got choked halfway through, like even his own throat couldn’t believe that that’s what Ivan was calling it. “I watched my dad beat someone to the brink of death, make them get down and beg to live, then kill them anyway. I don’t... what the hell am I supposed to do with that? With who you really are?”
“Make peace with it, or reject me from your life entirely. Those are my guesses for how this eventually goes,” Ivan replied. Still calm and steady, same as he’d always been. Except now, Rick knew how deep those still waters ran, and what sorts of terrors were waiting down below.
Could he do that? Kick his dad entirely out of his life? It was entirely viable, given his age and his mother’s awareness of the situation; Rick just wasn’t sure he had it in him. Because on top of the images of Fornax wreaking havoc, he couldn’t stop seeing flashes of Ivan, of his dad. Nights spent on homework, working as a chaperone on school trips, offering support and guidance wherever possible. Rick’s father was a rock in his life, something he’d always counted on, and the idea of losing it scared him nearly as much as knowing about Fornax. “Would you be okay with that, if I did reject you?”
“Okay with it?” The calm demeanor cracked, and for a flash, Rick could see just how deeply hurt the idea of that left Ivan. “It would break my heart losing even a piece of you. To be cast out entirely would leave a wound no meta-human or monster could ever dream of matching. No, I would never be okay with it, but I would respect your choice. I grew up being forced at every turn, chained to my destiny. Your life is yours, and if I’m no longer welcome in it, then it’s on me to deal with that fact. I did my best as a father, but sometimes, the past refused to stay buried.”
“You’re the one who dug it up. Who went on TV, who wore that mask... Fornax was gone. Supposedly dead long enough that he was more legend than history. You brought him back, Dad.”
Sounds from inside betrayed that Beth was done, and Ivan didn’t want to be lingering on this conversation if she popped back out for a second goodbye hug. Best to be heading out, anyway; his day wasn’t finished yet. “Yes, I did. A choice I made; one I don’t regret. Because even if you never understand why, Ivan had just as much reason to be in that fight as Fornax. They were coming for our planet, threatening my children.”
Another break in the calm; however, this wasn’t a flash of pain. Instead, Rick saw his father’s determination laid bare, and even a glimpse of that was staggering. Staggering, and ferocious. There was no limit in that gaze, only absolute will. Whatever was demanded of him to keep them safe, Ivan would rise to the occasion, even if he had to stand on Fornax’s shoulders to do it.
“Oh yeah, that’s what I feel right now. Overwhelmingly safe.”
Ivan rose to his feet, departure imminent. “When you look at the stars, are you afraid of what might be out there? Given that a previously unknown sentient race tried to invade us barely more than a week ago, it would make perfect sense.”
To that, Rick said nothing. He realized the answer in his heart, as did Ivan, but speaking it was a step further. Instead, he managed to shake his head, just barely.
“No. Because you know the monsters that any aspiring invaders will have to get through first. And now, so does the rest of the galaxy. It will break me to lose you from my life, Rick, but understand that no matter how things go between us, I will never stop keeping you safe, protecting you, and loving you. None of the powers, title, accomplishments—nothing in that world matters more to me than you and Beth.”
“Then why did you choose to resurrect Fornax?” Rick demanded.
“He was necessary, and though it would make my life somewhat easier, I truly hope you never have to understand why.” Ivan started to go in for a hug out of habit, then halted when he caught Rick’s stiffened posture. “If you ever have questions, want to know more, or want to just talk, I’ll answer them honestly. No more secrets worth hiding, not after that one. Until then, I’ll give you space to think.”
Ivan didn’t look back as he walked to his car. It was a silly point of pride, but he loathed to let anyone see him cry.
“Are you sure? The results keep ending up the same.” Beverly stared at her friend, concern evident on her face.
She and Chloe were alone in their apartment, despite the building still undergoing repairs. A huge tarp still clung to the side of the brick complex, even as people came and went through the front door. It was incredible, the speed with which their home was being rebuilt. Only two nights in a hotel were needed, then they’d been able t
o move back in to their miraculously untouched apartment. Several areas were closed off, and obviously, the owner of the room where the New Science Sentries had fought Alfred Settler was going to take a lot longer for repairs, but other than the steadily shrinking hole in the building’s side, Beverly was amazed at the rate of their home’s recovery. Amazed to the point of suspicion, in fact. Since Thuggernaut assured her that the guild wasn’t gassing things along, her current guess was that the AHC was speeding the process through for the sake of the New Science Sentries.
“Only from your side,” Chloe replied. “I can feel myself making progress. Not as much as I might like, but every time we do it, I hold out a little longer.”
“And that’s worth the migraines?” The skepticism on Beverly’s face made it clear how she felt, especially as the one who had to carry Chloe’s unconscious body every time. “You really want access to dragon forms that badly?”
Looking away, Chloe chewed her lower lip for a few seconds, mulling over the question. “It isn’t about your powers, specifically; they just happened to be the right setup I needed. Something out of reach, but not by an impossible amount. What I’m really trying to figure out is if I’m capable of growth. Can I get better, my power stronger, or is this what I’m working with for the rest of my life?”
“Be certain that’s a rabbit hole you want to go down. The stronger you get, the harder it is to stay on the sidelines,” Beverly cautioned.
This time, Chloe didn’t need consideration time for her response. Instead, she lifted the pink and black umbrella resting at her side. “I accidentally killed someone in my first real fight, when I got this souvenir. Then, it managed to block an attack from the otherwise unstoppable bone-guy, pissing him off in my direction. Whether I like it or not, sometimes this is a dangerous world, and I’m not going to ignore my power when it could help save my life or that of someone I care about. Still no desire to do that professionally, I’m just tired of feeling helpless on the sidelines. If I’m going to use this power, then I have to be able to control it, maybe one day even understand how it works. All which is to say... yes, I think figuring out growth potential is worth the migraines, even if it does cause me more trouble down the line.”
Worried as Beverly was, she couldn’t find much fault in Chloe’s logic. With everything that had happened, it was no wonder she didn’t want to feel helpless, to her power or the strength of others. Besides, the truth of the matter was that this was now the second time having Chloe around might well have saved her life, the first being that same fight where Chloe had distracted the umbrella’s original owner. Without her helping Tori on the gauntlet, drawing Alfred’s fury to Plasmodia and causing Presto to make the ultimate sacrifice, Beverly genuinely wasn’t sure if any of them would still be alive.
More than that, though, she realized Chloe’s sentiment echoed her own. Fighting Alfred had been a stark reminder of how far behind the meta-curve all of them were in the grand scheme of things. Beverly herself had begun experimenting again, attempting to draw out new dragon forms without luck. Knowing her own frustration, she didn’t have it in her to refuse someone else the chance to make progress.
At last, Beverly relented. “Fine, but only just the once. Last time we went for two, your nose started bleeding.” She walked over, sitting down on the couch next to Chloe, who was already propped up carefully with her back braced on cushions.
Taking deep breaths, Chloe centered herself and looked Beverly in the eye. “Anything you can... do...” Her eyes were attempting to take on the sharp green of a dragon’s iris, warping and flexing, shifting in place, yet unable to stabilize. “I... can—” Chloe’s shifting eyes snapped shut as she collapsed backwards into the cushions, passed out on the spot.
It was the result Beverly had been expecting, the same one they’d gotten every time Chloe tried this since the day of the invasion. A phrase that let her copy someone’s capabilities—not just their power, but something like Tori’s talent for mechanics—was incredibly powerful, and Beverley had been as eager as her friend to see someone else take on a dragon form. Unfortunately, it appeared there were some limits in place as to how much Chloe could handle. Someone who could do a single phase-shift was evidently not as draining as turning into a multi-formed magical shifter. Or perhaps it was something to do with their power sources. As Tori had put it, “With only two points of data to consider, any conclusion we draw is basically a glorified guess.”
But the activity hadn’t been entirely a waste. As Chloe’s training partner for this exercise, Beverly had kept careful track of just how far into that saying she could get before losing consciousness. Although Beverly hadn’t been sure at first, today was the first time she found real certainty in her observations. Chloe had been squeaking ahead a syllable at a time, and today, she got out a full word further than she had on their first try.
It might take a tremendous amount of time and effort, but she had a hunch that Chloe was indeed capable of growing stronger. Beverly wasn’t sure if she was more curious or terrified to see what that power could do when fully realized, but she was damn glad it was in the hands of a friend rather than those of an enemy. Fists and fangs, even strength like Alfred’s, she could wrap her head around. The power to do near anything, assuming one could find the right words—that was truly terrifying.
Ivan and Tori were together backstage, waiting for the call. There was no technical reason for him to be present. The project was publicly between Wade and Tori, secretly between Doctor Mechaniacal and Hephaestus—neither situation called for Ivan’s talents. No, there was no need for him to be here, but after everything they’d gone through, Tori and Ivan no longer felt much requirement to justify their presence around one another. He was her teacher, her friend, and in some ways would always be her mentor. Given how long Tori had been entirely on her own, it was nice to feel like she finally had someone to lean on.
“Nervous?” He knew it was a silly question, one asked purely for the sake of talking. Tori’s pacing through the room made her emotional state plenty clear without any words needing to be spoken.
“Terrified,” she admitted. “The hell was I thinking? I can’t go on camera. On live TV, at that. I come off as surly with just normal socializing—add in nerves and I’ll probably call the host a pig-fucker or something.”
With minor effort, Ivan smothered a chuckle before it could reach his lips. “Give yourself a little credit. You’re not the same thief with an attitude problem Wade put in front of me. Over the months, you’ve grown exceptionally well into your civilian identity, even getting along with our most mundane of coworkers. Besides, the hard part was shot last week, and editing can make anyone charming. All you have to do is go out there with Wade and do the introduction. After that, everyone’s focus will be on the screens.”
“Uh huh. See, I know that rationally, but the twisting nerves in my stomach just refuse to listen to reason.” Tori glared down at her own stomach, as if angry at her body for not being more stalwart. “Let’s talk about something else. Any news on Presto or Alfred?”
Solemnly, Ivan shook his head. Considering that the cape’s death had saved two of the guild’s own members, it was deemed appropriate to use some resources to search for Presto’s remains, as well as the potentially still-living Alfred Settler. Ivan was a man who believed in repaying debts, both the positive and the negative. He owed both of those men proper burials, though one might take more work to prepare for the grave.
“Figured that was a long shot. How about Lodestar? Have you heard anything?”
“Still haven’t been able to get in touch. She’s been busy helping put the world back in order. I imagine whatever fate she has planned for me, or should I say, Fornax, she’ll get to it when time permits.” Ivan resisted touching his phone, checking for a text or phone call that he knew wouldn’t be there. Thus far, he’d only gotten one commination from Helen, a single text reading “We’ll talk later” and nothing more.
Tori’s pacin
g slowed momentarily. “Fornax’s fate? The hell are you talking about? You fought back an alien invasion, put yourself at risk to keep the entire world safe, and covered the AHC’s ass in the process. Hell, you even praised their leader for the world to see. What are they going to charge you with, defending the Earth?”
“In the eyes of the law, I’ve done no wrong,” Ivan agreed. “But Lodestar is not the law. Her power is far beyond such human concepts and limitations. I think now, at last, you all better understand that.”
The flash of terror in Tori’s eyes told him she was remembering the same sight that the rest of the world had seen play out on video screens billions of times since the invasion. Although no one knew where the recording had come from, thanks to Wade’s technological adeptness, a mysteriously high-res video of Lodestar’s triumph over the space monster began circulating before the invasion day was even finished. Ivan had spent too long being the only one who truly understood just how strong Lodestar was; it was nice to have company in that existential dread.
“Yeah, that was... well, impossible seemed to capture it best.” Tori hesitated, her curiosity and fear battling with one another over the prospect of more information. In the end, as it always did, her curiosity took the upper hand. “Can she really do anything?”
“Not anything,” Ivan corrected quickly. “There are a few limits we’ve learned through the years. She’s bad with intangible enemies, can’t travel through the multiverse, and at the end of the day, she’s still only one person, with all the limitations that implies. However, if she truly believes in what she’s doing, that she’s in a fight that must be won, then she will triumph. That’s why I live in fear of the day Helen no longer wears that title.”
Her pacing had come to a total stop as Tori grew more invested in the conversation, her focus helping to settle her nerves quite a bit in the process. “About that. I get that you like Helen, and so do I, but you’ve said the power passes on. We’d still have a Lodestar, right?”