by TJ Klune
Pyro Storm stopped, shoulders slumping. “I’m not trying to hurt anyone.”
Lies, nothing but lies, and that pissed Nick off. “Uh, yeah. You are. You always do! You always try and enact some reprehensible scheme in order to create chaos and unrest, and every time, you’re stopped by the hero of Nova City. Just because you’re his archnemesis, doesn’t mean you get to hurt him all the time. Why can’t you be good? Wouldn’t it be so much easier if you guys were friends? That way, you both could be heroes and go after people like bank robbers or pimps or drug dealers or stockbrokers who commit fraud.”
Pyro Storm looked over his shoulder back at Nick. “You’ve got me all figured out, haven’t you? I’m the bad guy, and only Shadow Star is good.”
Nick blinked. “Um. Yes?”
“What if you’re wrong?”
And in a burst of fire, Pyro Storm flew up and out of the alley.
Nick stared after him until the trail of smoke disappeared.
For a moment, he thought he saw something moving in the shadows.
But when he looked closer, he didn’t see a thing.
* * *
“What took you so long?” Nick asked when Officer Rookie got back into the cruiser. “I’ve been sitting here just like you said. For hours. I didn’t even consider leaving out the window at any point at all.”
Officer Rookie shook his head. “It was forty-five minutes at most. And thank you for not— How in god’s name did you get dirtier?”
Nick shrugged. “Some guy ran by and threw something grimy through the open window. It was very traumatic. I’d like to go home, where I will stay and not get into any trouble ever again. You’ve really opened my eyes, Officer Rookie, in ways that even my father couldn’t do. You should be proud for helping me avoid a life of crime.”
Officer Rookie frowned. “Really?”
Oh, poor Rook. He’d never survive in this line of work. “Oh yes. Consider me your first success story.”
Officer Rookie rubbed his jaw. “Wow. I feel good now. Thank you. I needed to hear that. Shadow Star and Pyro Storm got away, and I was feeling pretty down.”
“Great!” Nick said brightly. “It’s what I’m here for.”
Officer Rookie whistled the rest of the way to Nick’s house.
13
He was surprised the next morning when he opened the door to find Owen Burke standing on his front steps.
Owen grinned at him. “Hey, Nicky.”
“Hi?” He looked behind Owen, but he seemed to be alone. “What are you doing here?”
Owen shrugged and pushed his way past Nick into the house. “Do I need a reason to come visit a very dear friend of mine?”
Nick closed the door slowly. “That’s … not how I would describe our relationship.”
Owen shrugged off his jacket, hanging it on a hook near the door. He wore a green V-neck shirt that showed off his chest. Nick refused to look at it. “And how would you describe our relationship?”
It was too early for deep questions. “Begrudging,” Nick said. “What do you want?”
“Oh, Nicky. I came to apologize for missing out on yesterday.” He walked farther into the house, hand trailing along the wall. “Jazz told me what happened.”
Of course she did. “Traitor,” Nick muttered as he followed Owen. “That still doesn’t explain why you need to be here on a Sunday morning. You could have waited until school tomorrow.”
“It felt important,” Owen told him. “I forgot how … quaint your house is. It’s charming.”
“Wow. That wasn’t condescending at all.”
Owen flashed another smile at Nick as they went into the kitchen. “It wasn’t meant to be. I like it here. I always have. Remember that one time we made out against the refrigerator? That was fun.” He picked up a piece of bacon leftover from breakfast and bit into it.
“Yay,” Nick said flatly. “I love it when we reminisce.”
“You do?”
“No. You can’t be here. You’re going to get me in more trouble than I’m already in. My dad’s asleep upstairs, and I’m not allowed to have anyone over. Or text on my phone. Or do much of anything, aside from sitting on my bed and contemplating how miserable my life is.”
Owen clicked his tongue. “Grounded?”
Bingo. “Indefinitely.”
“Sucks. But I suppose that’s what happens when you jump into a river while trying to become an Extraordinary.”
“Don’t remind me,” Nick mumbled as he started clearing the dishes from the table. “In hindsight, it wasn’t one of my better ideas.”
“Could have used a little work,” Owen agreed. “But your heart is in the right place.” He paused in front of the counter, looking down at a sheet of paper Dad had left there. “What’s this?”
Nick groaned. “Would you stop being nosy? In fact, you should probably leave. I still have a headache from all the fumes from yesterday. I’m tired and cranky. I want to go back to bed and feel sorry for myself.”
“The Punishment of Nicholas Bell,” Owen read from the paper. “Yikes. This doesn’t sound good.”
It wasn’t. Dad still thought he was funny, even when he was doling out a life sentence. “Let’s just say that breakfast this morning was not one of the better meals I’ve had. It didn’t help that I failed a history quiz. Did you know that teachers respond to emails over the weekend? I didn’t know that. Don’t they have lives outside of school? They really need to stop caring so much about the futures of their students.”
“This is pretty extensive,” Owen murmured. “No TV, no internet. Phone for emergencies only. Two hours of homework every night. A list of chores. Paint the baseboards. What the hell is a baseboard?”
“The bane of my existence,” Nick said, grabbing The Punishment of Nicholas Bell away from Owen. “It’s busywork to keep me out of trouble.”
“That’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
Nick scowled at him as he folded the paper and shoved it in his pocket. “Oh, gee. Thanks. I’m so glad you’re in agreement with my father. Maybe you should consider working on your relationship with your own before you—ugh. I’m sorry. That was a messed-up thing to say.”
Owen shrugged, though Nick didn’t miss the way the skin tightened around his eyes. “You’re not wrong. At least your dad cares.”
Nick didn’t like the fact that he was feeling sorry for Owen Burke so early on a Sunday morning. Not after the day he’d had yesterday. “I guess. Though I think he cares a little too much.”
“He’s your dad. He’s supposed to.”
Nick rolled his eyes as he went to grab the last of the dishes. “I’ll keep that in mind. Look, this has been—”
Owen tapped his fingers on the counter. “Heard from Seth?”
That made Nick pause. “What? Why?”
“Gibby said Seth didn’t show up yesterday either.”
Another traitor. “Yeah.” He dumped the bowls into the sink. “I need new friends.”
“Aw, Nicky. Don’t make that face at me. I feel real bad about it. Honest.”
“No, you don’t. He texted me last night. Said something came up, and he’d explain later.”
“Wow,” Owen said, sounding rather gleeful. “That seems to be happening a lot lately. I wonder why that is?”
“I don’t know,” Nick admitted, as he flipped on the faucet and picked up a bowl. “It’s … complicated, I guess. Or so he says.”
“Are you two still ridiculously in love?”
Nick dropped the bowl into the sink. It clattered loudly. He froze, waiting to hear movement from upstairs. Nothing came. He turned off the faucet before whirling around, glaring at Owen. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Owen snorted. “Like I need to tell you.”
“Try.”
“Seth’s always had a crush on you,” Owen said, hoisting himself up onto the counter like he belonged there. “Everyone can see it.”
Self-awareness, or the complete lack thereof, was
a bitch of a thing. “They can? I didn’t see anything!”
“That’s because you’re adorably clueless about most things.” Owen grinned at him. “I think it’s cute.”
“How long has he had a crush on me?” Nick demanded. “And why didn’t you tell me?”
Owen laughed, flashing those perfect teeth. “Because I had a crush on you too. Why would I tell you about it, when I wanted you for myself?”
Nick grimaced. “Dude, that’s gross. You’re gross.”
“Eh. I never claimed to be a saint. And it’s been going on forever. Maybe you don’t see the way he looks at you, but the rest of us do. And it’s not exactly one way, you know. When we were dating, it was always Seth did this or Seth said that. Honestly, it got really annoying after the first few days.”
“We were together for three months.” Sort of. Together was a bit of a misnomer.
“I know,” Owen said. “Imagine how I felt by the end.” He batted his eyes. “Why, I even began to doubt my worth.”
“Oh, that’s crap. You’re the most conceited person I know.”
Owen pressed a hand against his chest. “That hurt. Right here. And it did upset me, I think. Everything was Seth, Seth, Seth. Always has been.”
“This is a little life changing for me,” Nick said, feeling numb. “Do I need to apologize? I don’t know if I need to apologize.”
Owen waved him away. “Nah, I got over it a long time ago.”
“Still. I’m sorry.”
“You could make it up to me, you know.”
Nick didn’t like the sound of that. “How?”
Owen waggled his eyebrows. “For old time’s sake?”
Yeah, no. “Never again. Consider it an extended lapse in judgment, and one that won’t happen again.”
“You wound me.”
“I don’t know if that’s possible.” Though Nick didn’t know if he believed that anymore. He hadn’t realized Owen was actually capable of being hurt. Sure, he was human, but he’d always been so cool and aloof and— “You broke up with me.”
“I did,” Owen said, sounding bored. “Thought it was best. Right thing to do, and all that. I’m a nice guy.”
“You’re really not. Mostly.”
“Mostly. I’ll take it. So, you’re in love, or whatever. That’s great, man.”
“I don’t—it’s not—ugh.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know what I’m doing. Everything is so weird right now. I didn’t sleep very good last night. Not after what Pyro Storm told me about—”
“Pyro Storm?” Owen said, and Nick looked up in time to see Owen’s eyes narrow. “You talked with Pyro Storm?”
Nick nodded. “It was … I don’t know what it was. I thought he was supposed to be this bad guy, but he—”
Owen hopped off the counter. He was frowning. “Nick, what the hell are you doing? Pyro Storm is dangerous. You could have been hurt.”
“I know that. But that’s the thing.” Nick began to pace back and forth. “He and Shadow Star were fighting yesterday, right? And it was all ka-bam and ka-pow, and then I was standing in this alleyway in my underwear—”
“Wait, what?”
“—and then Pyro Storm was there, and then I punched him on the side of the head, and he held my hand to make sure I was okay, and it was so strange. Like, if he was supposed to be a villain, why didn’t he toast me right then and there? And then there’s the other thing. He knew my name like Shadow Star did. Why do they both know my name? Am I some kind of Extraordinary catnip and they all want in on my bidness?” Nick stopped pacing, thinking hard. “I shouldn’t be having those images in my head. I mean, how would that even work, all three of us? There’d be so many fingers—”
“I thought you were all about Shadow Star,” Owen said stiffly. “I mean, he was there first and all, right?”
“That’s just it,” Nick said. “I don’t think he was. I need to show you something. Come up to my room.”
“You don’t need to tell me twice. Should I take off my shirt now, or…?”
“Oh my god. Keep all your clothes on, or I’m going to shove you down the stairs.”
Owen held his hands up in defeat. “So violent. Have you always been like this? If so, I’m lucky I escaped with my life.”
Nick ignored him, heading for the stairs, knowing Owen would follow. He reached the top and paused outside his dad’s door, listening. He held a finger to his lips for Owen to keep his mouth shut. There was a moment of silence, then a loud snore came from the other side of the door. Nick sighed in relief before continuing to his room.
He waited until Owen followed him in before closing the door quietly. He went to his bed and lifted the mattress, reaching under to find the sheets of paper he’d shoved underneath the night before.
“We’re going to look at your porn?” Owen asked. “Gotta admit, Nicky, I don’t know if you and I have the same tastes, exactly. Guys in spandex really aren’t my thing.”
Nick groaned as he pulled the papers out and let the mattress fall back down. “It’s not porn. It’s stuff I printed out last night before Dad locked me out of the internet when he got home.”
“He was serious about the no internet thing?” Owen asked, eyes wide. “How are you going to survive?”
“I don’t know. He said when he was a kid, they actually had to go to the library to look things up. I can’t believe a time existed when things were so archaic. Can you imagine actually having to use a physical map for directions? If I had to do that, I’d probably get lost and die. It’s ludicrous. You should see some of the pictures of him from the eighties. I’m shocked humanity survived the decade given its propensity for mullets.” Nick spread the papers on his bed. “Okay, so look. It’s here, right? Two years ago, after … well. After. It’s…” He swallowed thickly, surprised at how hard it hit him.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Nicky. Take your time.”
He shrugged the hand away, shaking his head. Focus. Focus. “I’m fine.” He cleared his throat and tried again. “So, two years ago, we get reports of a new Extraordinary in Nova City. There hadn’t been one in years, since Guardian disappeared. There were sightings of moving darkness, and crooks getting held down by their shadows until the police arrived. It’s only a couple of weeks after that when Rebecca Firestone picks up the story and becomes the so-called official voice of the Extraordinary known as Shadow Star.”
“You really don’t like her, do you?”
Nick scoffed. “I’m absolutely convinced she’s got some kind of blackmail on Shadow Star, and he’s forced to cooperate with her, even though he knows she’s evil and will probably try and steal his soul.”
“She’s not that bad. I mean, she’s hot. She’s got that going for her at least.”
Nick ignored him, only because his hand still hurt from punching Pyro Storm yesterday, and he didn’t want to injure himself further. “A few months later, Shadow Star and Pyro Storm have their first skirmish.” Nick shuffled the pages until he found the one he was looking for. “Rebecca Firestone reported on it before anyone else and said there was a new Extraordinary in Nova City. That he was causing destruction and mayhem and impeding Shadow Star’s work.”
Owen sounded like he was choking. “Did you print out a screenshot of a YouTube video of the report?”
Of course that was what he’d zero in on. “I was in a hurry. I wasn’t thinking. It’s—stop laughing, Owen, I swear to god. So after, the Nova City Gazette picks up the story, publishing on the front page that Shadow Star has a new enemy. And everyone runs with it. Later, Shadow Star gives Rebecca Firestone an interview, saying he’s doing everything he can to stop Pyro Storm from taking over the city. He was here first, and he wants to keep us all safe.”
“Okay,” Owen said slowly. “So … what. You think Pyro Storm isn’t actually evil?”
Nick hesitated. “I mean, he has to be, right? He’s done all these illegal things, and Shadow Star has always stopped him. And there�
��s been all those other times that they’ve fought when Pyro Storm tried to take over this city. But it’s not about that. Look.” Nick handed Owen another printout.
“High-Rise Fire Put out by Mysterious Means,” Owen read dutifully. “I remember this. It was a four-alarm fire, right? It spread quicker than anyone expected it to.”
“Right,” Nick said excitedly. “And people were trapped, with no way to get to them on, like, thirty different floors. Except for some reason, the fire went out by itself. No one could explain how it happened. Or why.”
“And you think it was Pyro Storm.”
Damn right. “What else could it be? The one Extraordinary who can manipulate fire and suddenly, a raging inferno goes out by itself? Come on.”
Owen’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know, Nicky, but let’s say you’re right. Let’s say he did put out the fire. On the other hand, what if he started it too?”
Nick shook his head. “That’s the thing. He didn’t. It was faulty wiring on multiple levels. It turns out the electrical contractors cut major corners. An investigation by the city showed it wasn’t the first time either. They found instances of malfeasance in twelve other construction projects. Multiple lawsuits came out of it. The contracting firm closed, and people are in jail because of what they did.”
“That doesn’t mean he didn’t have anything to do with it,” Owen pointed out.
“So, he coincidentally picked a building where obvious blame could be placed on something else?”
“Or he knew that it could be,” Owen said. “Look, Nick. I get what you’re saying. Maybe Pyro Storm did put out that fire. But that doesn’t mean he’s good.”
Nick frowned. “I’m not trying to say he is. I’m trying to show you he was here first. The fire happened three weeks before the first reported sightings of Shadow Star. And there are other fires that go back further, months even, when the fire was put out in a way that can’t be explained.”
Owen shrugged. “Okay. Let’s say you’re right. So what?”
Nick gaped at him. “So what? How can you say—”
“What’s the point?” Owen asked, waving a hand at the papers on Nick’s bed. “What are you trying to prove? So what if Pyro Storm was here first. Why does it matter?”