SuperNova: Heroes of Arcania

by Liz Long

“You’re not going to change your mind on this, are you?” Resignation was all over him.

  “No, I’m not. I have to do this. We can pretend you don’t know anything about it or ground me or whatever you want, but I’m still going to go after Fortune. And I’ll tear down every locked door in this house to get him.” I tried to inflect humor in my last sentence, but Dad didn’t find it funny. Probably because we both knew I was serious.

  A long time passed before he spoke again. His grim face made me expect another argument, but when leaned his head back against the cushion, I could see I’d won. He closed his eyes in defeat.

  “I can’t tell your mother.”

  I couldn’t contain my snort of laughter. Despite the obvious disapproval, his acceptance of my decision made me feel lighter than I had in months. I needed him on my side and the relief eased my stress. Then Dad shocked me.

  “I can help you.”

  My jaw dropped. I’d hoped yet doubted he would do such a thing. “What?”

  “We need to figure out everything about him: who he is, where he hides, what his plans are. If you can get me that information — safely, I might add — I can use that to our advantage.”

  He got up and I stood with him, waving and criss-crossing my hands as if to stop him.

  “Dad, you can’t do that. You’d lose your job if anyone found out you were working with your teenager on official information about a dangerous criminal.”

  “I don’t expect anyone to question me on catching Fortune, actually. We won’t do anything illegal, but Arcania PD can have an anonymous source. With my testimony, we can put him away for life.”

  I bit my tongue, looked down at the floor. I couldn’t guarantee I wouldn’t kill Fortune given the opportunity. I supposed I could try to keep him alive, but I mostly wanted him to suffer, cause him the same pain and grief he’d so willingly given me. Besides, he’d only kill every human in his path. Jail wouldn’t keep him for long and he knew it.

  “Are you really going to do this?” I asked in disbelief. “What does Mom know?”

  “We had our suspicions. She’ll never speak of it, she’ll never ask you, and she’ll pretend it’s not happening. You’re our daughter and it’s not what we want for you. But if we can’t stop you, we should help you. Trying to stop you will only hurt you. She wants Starling’s death to be avenged as much as we do.”

  Dad’s hands went firmly to my shoulders, shook me to catch my attention. His blue eyes blazed with intensity behind the wire-rimmed glasses.

  “Fortune broke this family, Nova,” he said. “He broke us and enjoyed it as he’s done with so many other people. What he doesn’t realize is that we are stronger. Not only you with your power, but your mother and I as well. Fortune may have hurt us—”

  “Gutted us with a knife,” I muttered, but he continued over me.

  “But he made a mistake in choosing to take our Star, because now we’re going to go after him. We’re going to make sure he knows he picked the wrong family. We will not curl up and cry in the corner; that time has passed. Now we bring him to justice.”

  His strong, smooth voice, the warm grip on my shoulders, his sheer determination, made me feel better. He’s right. A small blossom of hope erupted in my chest and I prayed I could hold on to it.

  I nodded at him and he yanked me into a giant hug that I gladly returned. Burying my face in the crook of his neck, smelling that familiar odor of books and aftershave, took me back to my childhood. For a moment, I could simply be here, in my daddy’s arms.

  Dad pulled away, planted a kiss on my forehead. His hand went to my cheek as I looked at him again.

  “We’re going to end him.” His calmness washed over me and I knew he was right. It would take time, but together we would end Fortune.

  We gave each other a long, hard look before he went to bed without another word. I slept like a rock that night.

  I slept late the next morning, nearly around noon. My parents were both at work and I had the day to myself. I grumbled out of bed and dragged myself into my bathroom. Star’s and my rooms were the only two on the upper floor. We’d shared the hallway and bathroom.

  On my few steps down the hall, I spared a glance at Starling’s closed bedroom door, almost hoped she was in there playing with a doll. I knew that it could never be true again, but my heart still cracked a little at the idea each day. I kept my pace and went into the bathroom. As I’d done the last several nights, I checked my back and arms, my knees…no bruises, no soreness.

  It seemed I could be punched and kicked, thrown into walls with no repercussions. No outward battles could hurt but it appeared I could be choked to death. And if Fortune put another gun to my head, would I survive something so direct? Worse yet, were there still more terrible ways I could die?

  After a bowl of cereal, I went downstairs to my basement. I sunk into the couch, skimmed the television channels, and couldn’t decide on a single thing. My mind and body were restless. I couldn’t stop going over the previous night’s events, how my father wanted to help me seek justice. He thought we could stop Fortune together. There were far too many unanswered questions, but for now, I’d just have to live off that exhilaration. It’s a small step, but at least I can try and move my life forward.

  My phone buzzed and I looked down at the screen: Henry. I hadn’t even said hello before he cut me off.

  “You screening your calls? It rang like three times.”

  I glanced at my phone before responding. “Are you calling me?”

  “Yeah, I’m bored. What are you doing today?”

  “I guess playing video games with you.”

  “Sweet, I’ll be over in fifteen.” He hung up without a goodbye and I made sure I looked halfway presentable. I certainly didn’t have to get pretty for Henry, but I at least liked to make sure my shirt wasn’t inside out or anything.

  Half an hour later, Henry walked into the back entrance without knocking. He helped himself to a bottle of water from the small refrigerator by the door, grabbed the game controllers and flopped down next to me.

  Henry Wheeler always had a big smile for everyone, usually because he wanted information. As the school newspaper’s “star journalist,” as he put it, he wanted to lay on the charm. He was cute in sort of a nerdy way, with a consistent uniform of jeans, plaid shirts, and Chucks. I swore there couldn’t be anything else in his closet. He always had a notebook and pen in his back pocket, though I knew he recorded everything with his phone. His coffee brown eyes could read me like a book and I made no attempt at hiding much from him.

  We’d been friends since the second grade when I caught a bully shoving him into the dirt; I chased the kid down until he ran face-first into a steel slide and needed staples in his forehead. While waiting for the principal’s reprimand, his parents were so impressed at my anti-bully statement that they became almost immediate friends with my parents. Turned out they lived in our neighborhood, too. After that, Henry and I became inseparable, as close as any two friends could be; we’d always wanted to be siblings and acted as such. He and Starling had adored each other.

  I knew everything about Henry and vice versa. Except for that one big secret. He had no idea about my “condition” and I had no intention of changing that.

  “What’d you do last night? Another exciting evening with your books?” he teased me.

  I hesitated, unsure if I wanted to tell him the truth. Since he didn’t know about my gift, it seemed obvious not to fill him in. However, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to confess. He was my best friend, knew everything about me, and it never felt right hiding anything. But if anyone like Fortune discovered who I was, they could go after my family. My parents, Henry and his parents, they were family. I couldn’t lose Henry, too. The guilt would kill me.

  I distracted him by changing the subject. We chatted about starting our senior year for a while, thinking about all the things we needed to do before our great escape into the real world.

  “D
idn’t you get promoted at the Gazette?” I asked him. Our eyes never left the television screen as we battled our online opponents.

  Henry nodded enthusiastically. He wanted to be the next Clark Kent, minus the tights and spit curl. “I’m senior writer now; I’ll get lots of front page stories.”

  “That’s great!” I said, trying to keep my voice light. I didn’t think Henry would ever sell me out should he discover my little gift, but now I had yet another reason to keep my mouth shut. He was into “real journalism” and when he thought he had something, he refused to stop until the details were uncovered.

  We spent the rest of the afternoon slaying our opponents, pausing every so often for a snack break. When I returned from the kitchen with a bag of chips, he’d turned off the video game. I plopped down next to him as he searched for something on TV to watch.

  “Why don’t you just live down here?” Henry suggested between handfuls of potato chips.

  The hand bringing chips to my own face paused. My head turned sideways as I considered his idea. “It’s not the worst idea you’ve ever had.”

  I considered the prospect: didn’t every teenager dream of this perfect living scenario? With a private entrance, I was able to avoid my parents asking too many questions when I came home late. I could keep my own hours instead of feeling like I was sneaking out every night; even better, I wouldn’t have to pass Starling’s room every time I had to brush my teeth.

  “I wonder if my parents would go for it.”

  “I don’t see why not. They want you to be comfortable, to live again.” He paused, worried he’d gone too far. I held my breath and swallowed the knot in my throat until he continued. “After what happened, it seems obvious they wouldn’t want you to be unhappy. Maybe they’ll figure it’s something they can do for you. And you wouldn’t have to share that upstairs alone.”

  He really does know me too well. Not once had I mentioned my loneliness on a floor meant for sisters and he could zero in on it with no problem. I noticed he was being careful again, so I changed the subject.

  “If they say yes, you get to help me move,” I warned him.

  Henry started talking about his tweaked knee before jumping to some movie he’d watched last week. My mind wandered as I looked around the room. I didn’t mind listening to Henry go on about whatever he liked; being alone wasn’t always the best thing for me. Then again, being alone didn’t bother me so bad, especially the months after Star’s death.

  After Fortune murdered Starling, everyone in the city knew our names. We’d been hounded for the first three months. Everyone wanted to know about Fortune killing the District Attorney’s young daughter. People treated me differently after she died. Lots of soft, reassuring voices dripped with sympathy. Food was brought over, flowers crowded our dining room, phone calls were endless; fast forward months later and the attention was still on us when we went out. We couldn’t escape reporters or sympathizers who recognized my dad and wanted to express their thoughts.

  Along with avoiding the internet or my social media timelines, I’d also fallen off the popularity chain. My friend Amber and I had been on our way up, in clubs and hanging with the right people. I got invited to parties and outings. I’d been thisclose to dating the high school heartthrob, Andy Vicker, but he was obviously the last thing on my mind after Starling’s death. I’d lost interest in everything and everyone.

  Henry was the best one, the one who never wavered to keep me sane. Not once did he lilt his voice or pat me on the hand or shoulder. He came over every single day to bring my schoolwork, or play video or board games with me, just so I would get out of bed. He joked with me, teased me as he always had. While most of our friends left for summer vacations, he didn’t leave my side; while others cared about me, Henry was the one who I depended on most.

  I had floated through the days like a confused bumblebee, lost from the hive and angry with everyone. I’d appear as requested, say my thank yous, and hide when it got overwhelming. Through all the medication, I could still see Henry’s goodness, his loyalty and logic. I wouldn’t respond to his sympathy; he knew my pride wouldn’t want the hit. He would never treat me differently…at least I didn’t think he would. Was there a chance he would think otherwise if I was a vigilante in the night? Or if he knew that my bravery was only because I knew I couldn’t be hurt? He might think I’m a freak of nature. The very thought made my insides cold.

  A chip crumb landed in my hair. I picked it out and shot him a look. “Hey.”

  “You’re awful quiet. What’s up?” he asked.

  I flinched but when I looked up at him, he wasn’t giving me a sad face. Instead, I found his reassuring, practical one. He wanted to talk about it. I didn’t.

  “Tell me the truth, Nova. Are you okay?”

  A week before, this question might have made me break down into tears. But after last night’s talk with Dad, I knew more than ever that I would put my entire being into hunting down Fortune. I couldn’t begin to guess what would happen if I found him, but at least now I had a purpose. It would keep me going, even if I didn’t know what came after a fight. If I made it through, I had no idea where I would go next. I’d cross that bridge when I got to it…if I got to it.

  I nodded at Henry’s question. “I think so. I’m definitely better than I have been the last few weeks.”

  “What changed?”

  My eyes fell to my hands in my lap. “Nothing specific really, I guess I just realize that I have to move on one way or another. Might as well try and look forward to it.”

  Henry didn’t sound as though he completely believed my excuse for a new outlook on life, but surprised me with his next question. “Will you ever want to tell me what happened? Obviously you don’t have to, but it beats paying a shrink.”

  “You may have a point,” I admitted, “but I’m not ready. I’m not saying never, but not now. Fortune is…terrifying and I believe his threats.”

  Henry’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Are you worried about the future?”

  I considered the question. “I am, but not for the reasons you might think.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I met his brown eyes, so full of concern and loyalty. I was headed towards that territory again, the one that told Henry my one big secret. The lies will get bigger with nights in the city. I opened my mouth to tell him, the words trying to spill out. Then an image of Fortune standing over my sister’s small body flashed in my mind.

  My breath hitched and instead, I gave him a small smile. “Ya know, all that talk at school whenever my name is mentioned. How am I supposed to make friends or meet dudes when all they do is ask about last spring?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You’re not that superficial, but I’ll play along. I’ll help you meet people. Kevin told me there’s a new family in town. Brother and sister start school with us in a couple days.”

  “How do you already know this stuff?”

  Henry shrugged. “I’m a reporter. It’s my job to know these things. Plus I have great connections in the administration department.”

  I held back a laugh. “So about these new kids?”

  “Guy’s a senior with us. Sister’s a junior. Hope she’s hot.”

  I waggled my eyebrows at him. “Maybe I make friends with the new girl for you.”

  “I don’t need your help,” he said with a grin. He had so much confidence he usually won everyone over. “But maybe I can introduce you to the brother. I know how chicken you are when it comes to guys, I’ll be your wingman.”

  “Only if he’s cute,” I said automatically, but I got that nervous tingle of hope when I considered it. What if the new guy was someone cute? I could convince him that I was fun and witty and…

  Wait. That was how old Nova thought. The Nova who wanted boys and popularity; things that didn’t mean much to me now. I had a purpose and I didn’t want to become distracted by anything or anyone.

  The only guy I’m chasing after is Fortune.

  When
my parents got home and we sat together at dinner, I decided now was as good a time as any to throw my idea out. I cleared my throat. “I have a request to make.”

  Both of them set their silverware down. They looked more serious than I’d anticipated, my dad shooting Mom a look. Maybe they thought I’d announce my new evening activities.

  “I’ve been thinking…well, no one is in that suite downstairs. There’s a bathroom and I could maybe make it like my own space with my desk and bookcase.”

  My mom raised an eyebrow but they looked slightly relieved. I rushed through the next part of my convincing speech. “I stay down there all the time now anyways. Plus that additional entrance would help with my, ah, hours. With evening study groups and stuff.”

  “You want your own apartment without having to move,” my mom suddenly teased me. The light voice startled me, not having it heard it in months.

  “Well, it would be nice if I have to go to the library or stay out late, I wouldn’t have to worry about waking you up.”

  “You could always have study groups here with your friends. There’s plenty of space and they could always stay over if you study too late,” my mom jumped in.

  “No boys overnight,” Dad added quickly.

  “Really? I can do it?”

  They traded another look, but this one was — dare I say it? — happy. Mom nodded. “I think it’s a good idea.”

  I hardly recognized the giddiness that came over me at the thought of my own girl-cave. “Thank you! I’ll move everything tomorrow. I’ll use the bed and dresser in the room since it’s all kinda the same. Obviously I don’t have to do much to the downstairs but get my desk in there.”

  “I’ll help you do that part tonight. Then tomorrow you can arrange everything like you want it,” Dad suggested.

  “Within reason,” my mom warned. “No posters on my new paint.”

  “No, it’s fine the way it is. Thanks! I think it will help me, ya know? To not be upstairs anymore.”

  They gave me a sad look but nodded. I didn’t open up much to them anymore, not since the medication. They didn’t want to push me. Dad gave a small cough. I turned to him and he hesitated. He absentmindedly tapped the table before finally speaking.