by TJ Klune
“No,” Nick snapped, trying to get free. “Dad, you don’t understand, he’s—”
Seth Gray landed between Nick and Owen.
His cape hung in tatters over his shoulders. His costume was shredded on his back, revealing bloodied skin. Somehow, he’d lost one of his boots, and his foot was bare. That hit Nick hard—for reasons he didn’t understand.
Seth took a limping step toward Owen. “You won’t hurt them. I won’t let you, Shadow Star.”
The shadows swirled around Owen. “You think you can stop me? There will always be darkness, no matter what you do. You can’t stop it. Not now. It’s too late. I’m going to show you what I’m truly capable of.”
Seth took another step forward as the shadows grabbed support beams and lifted them off the ground, wielding them like oversized weapons. Cap was barking into the megaphone, telling both Extraordinaries to stand down, and the cops were getting restless, barrels tracking every movement Owen and Seth made.
This wasn’t going to end well for anyone.
There will always be darkness.
This is how we burn the world.
You need to burn away the shadows.
Nick’s eyes widened. “That’s it.”
He looked up at the helicopter. The spotlight still shone.
He looked over his shoulder. The cruisers were all pointed toward them.
Same on the other side.
He spun on his heels. “Dad, you have to get all the lights on. Spotlights. Headlights. All of them.”
Dad’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about? We’re getting you out of here now.”
Nick shook his head. “I know what I’m doing. I need you to trust me. Please. Tell Cap. All the lights. Everything you’ve got.”
Dad looked like he was going to argue, but instead, shook his head. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Nick grinned at him. “Come on. Who do you think you’re talking to?”
Dad gave him one last look before turning back toward Cap, hospital gown billowing around him. Nick was going to give him so much crap for not putting on pants if they survived this somehow.
Owen and Seth were advancing on each other. The shadows moved like some Lovecraftian nightmare. Nick almost froze at the sight of them, but there was no time to be afraid. It was time to be extraordinary. He had a city to save.
He ran to Seth’s side. Seth opened his mouth, undoubtedly to tell Nick to get back, but Nick cut him off. “I know what to do. We stick to the plan. We burn away the shadows until there’s nothing left.”
“You’re too late!” Owen shouted at them. “There’s nothing you can do to stop me!”
“Holy hell,” Nick muttered. “How on earth did you not punch him in the throat on a daily basis?”
“Restraint,” Seth said with a scowl. “Anytime now, Nicky.”
“You got enough juice left?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re Pyro Storm,” Nick said. “It’s time for you to live up to your name. We’re going to burn away the shadows. I need you to become the freaking sun. The cops are going to do the rest.”
Seth nodded. “Stand back. It’s time to finish this.”
“Whoa,” Nick breathed. “That gave me chills, dude. I’m going to climb you like a tree later—”
“Nick.”
“Right. Standing back.”
He moved behind Seth. He lay his forehead on the back of Seth’s neck, warmed by the unnatural heat emanating from him. Seth raised his arms.
“Do it,” Nick whispered.
The air around them lit up brightly. Fire blossomed from his hands, growing exponentially until it was a tsunami on either side of the bridge. Seth grunted as he pushed his hands forward, wave rushing along the guardrails, the top of which almost scraped the struts above.
Nick had never seen anything so beautiful before.
The sides of the bridge were blocked off by a wall of flames.
The shadows grew larger. Owen laughed. “It won’t be enough! It’s over. You’ve lost.”
“Oh my god,” Nick muttered. “He never shuts up.” Then, turning his head back toward his father, he shouted, “Now!”
Cap barked an order.
Headlights and spotlights burst into life on either side of the bridge.
They hit the shadows, destroying them instantly.
Owen cried out as the debris rained down around him.
Seth barreled forward, moving quicker than Nick could follow. He managed to avoid the metal beams falling around him as he pulled his fist back. Fire swirled around it.
Owen was distracted, bracelets lighting up, but the light mixed with the fire and the lights from the patrol cars. He shouted in frustration when he couldn’t find any shadows.
He didn’t see Seth coming.
Seth grabbed him by the wrists, fire leaking from his palms. The bracelets glowed, molten hot as Owen screamed in pain. The bracelets broke, falling to the ground where they hissed against the pavement.
“You shouldn’t have touched Nicky,” Seth growled. He punched Owen in the jaw, fire exploding in bright arcs. Owen’s mask burned away as he flew back. He smashed into a support beam embedded in the roadway, striking it headfirst.
He slid down the beam, landing on the pavement. He didn’t move.
The walls of fire died down around them, leaving the guardrails a fiery red.
Seth moved slowly until he stood in front of Owen. He crouched down in front of him. He paused for a moment, before he stood again, looking at Nick over his shoulder. “It’s done.”
Nick swallowed thickly. “Is he dead?”
Seth shook his head.
Nick ignored his dad’s shouts coming from behind him. He walked until he stood beside Seth, looking down at Owen Burke. Shadow Star’s mask was gone. He had scorch marks on his cheek. Part of his hair had been burned away. Owen took a shallow breath. And then another. And then another.
“You gotta get out of here,” Nick muttered. “Before they try and arrest you.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
Nick absolutely did not swoon. “We can’t let them know who you are. Nova City needs you to be its hero. And you can’t do that if your secret identity is revealed. That’s how it works. Go.”
“Nicky, you can’t—”
Nick kissed him.
It was brief, but he poured everything he could into it.
Seth looked slightly dazed as Nick pulled away. “I’m going to do that to you a lot, just so you know.”
Seth reached up and touched his lips. “I’m okay with that.”
“Go. I’ll call you later.”
Seth nodded as he stepped back. He didn’t take his eyes off Nick as he rose slowly into the sky. Then, there was a great burst of fire and he rocketed off into the night.
Cops suddenly surrounded Nick, shouting things he couldn’t quite make out. He felt a hand on his good shoulder. He turned to see his dad at his side, watching the fire Pyro Storm left behind. “Did you know I can tell the future?”
“I wasn’t aware that was part of your dad powers, no.”
“Well, I can. You want me to tell you what your future entails?”
Nick sighed.
Dad ignored him. “I’m seeing a very long, very involved conversation about many, many things. The least of which is why my son kissed an Extraordinary who saved us, even though he’s supposed to be the bad guy.”
Nick groaned. “Wow. That unfortunately sounds scarily accurate.”
“And should we even mention how a certain best friend would feel about all of this?”
Nick needed to protect Seth’s secret. He could do this. He could do this. “Um, well. You see. It’s. Uh. Not. Like that?”
Dad shook his head. “You tell Seth that even though he can light things on fire, I’m still going to threaten the hell out of him with my gun when he comes over for dinner.”
Nick gaped up at him. “That’s not—I don’t—what are
you—”
“Secret’s safe with me,” Dad said. A strange look crossed over his face, but it was gone before Nick could figure out what it meant. “And now for a new prediction.” He saw someone and said, “There you are. Take Nick to the ambulance. Shoulder looks like it’s dislocated. Don’t make me tell you twice. You can mace him if he resists.”
Officer Rookie appeared out of nowhere. “Got it.”
“What?” Nick said, outraged. “You can’t—Officer Rookie, let me go! Dad! How dare you! I just saved the entire city and—Officer Rookie, how do you feel about bribes? Good, I hope. I have seven dollars with your name on it. Sidebar—you know how in movies when someone has to have their shoulder shoved back in place, they scream because it’s supposed to hurt? That’s not real, right? It’s not going to hurt when it happens to me, right? Why are you laughing? Officer Rookie? Officer Rookie!”
EPILOGUE
“—and for that, Nova City has my most sincere apologies. Being a parent is … difficult. Being a parent of an Extraordinary is uncharted territory. I don’t know what made my son do the things he did. He is loved. He had everything he could ever ask for. My wife and I are shocked that it has come to this. It might sound trite to say we never saw this coming, but it’s the truth. But I still accept full responsibility for Owen Burke, because I am his father. And I know certain allegations have been made about my role in my son’s descent into darkness, but I refute them completely and fully. I want nothing but the best for my child, and others like him. It was for this reason I opened Burke Tower to investigators, who found no evidence of wrongdoing.
“That being said, I am announcing a new initiative from Burke Pharmaceuticals. In addition to pledging funds to cover the costs of the damage my son was responsible for, we will begin a new study into what makes these Extraordinaries the way they are. Shadow Star and Pyro Storm are far from the only Extraordinaries in the world. I vow to help them in any way I can. An advisory board has been put in place to manage the dispersal of the funds with the utmost transparency. And I will gather the greatest team of scientists this world has ever seen in order to study the consequences of the Extraordinaries and help us understand our superpowered brethren. In his first inaugural address, Franklin Roosevelt said that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. People tend to fear what they don’t understand. Which is why we must know everything we can in order to prevent such occurrences from ever happening again.
“My son will be getting the best treatment possible in hopes that he can be rehabilitated. I am asking that Pyro Storm turn himself in to do the same. My wife and I request privacy at this time while we face this brave new world.”
Reporters shouted questions.
Cameras flashed.
Simon Burke smiled and wrapped his arm around his wife, leading her away.
“And that was the scene today in front of Burke Tower,” Rebecca Firestone said, staring into the camera. “A week after the events that saw the deaths of two Action News members and, as of this broadcast, an unknown total amount of damage, we still have more questions than answers. Owen Burke, the son of Simon Burke, has been revealed as the man behind the mask of the Extraordinary known as Shadow Star. Sources tell me he is in protective custody, pending charges to be filed against him. There has never been a situation quite like this before, and the NCPD is working with the attorney general’s office in order to decide how best to proceed.
“In addition, there has been no sighting of Pyro Storm—the vigilante who is reportedly being hailed by some as the hero of Nova City—since the battle at McManus Bridge. His identity, at least for now, remains a secret. However, there is at least one person to whom his identity is potentially known. Nicholas Bell, the son of NCPD officer Aaron Bell, is a central figure to the ongoing mystery. Nicholas, who is a minor, was seen by numerous witnesses kissing Pyro Storm before he disappeared. Our Action News team was in a helicopter above the battle and recorded the footage of when he practically mauled the Extraordinary after Shadow Star had been subdued. We didn’t have a live feed at the time, and our recordings were quickly subpoenaed as part of the ongoing investigation. We have submitted a Freedom of Information Act request in order to have copies of the footage returned to us. Attorneys for Action News tell me that they expect a response within the next few months.
“Our attempts to reach Nicholas Bell through his father have been unsuccessful. It does beg the question of what the NCPD knows about Shadow Star and Pyro Storm and their relationship with Nicholas Bell. Burke was a student at Centennial High School alongside Bell. The Nova City school district put out a statement, saying they are fully cooperating with authorities, but they do not comment on individual students due to privacy laws. However, we have been able to independently verify that Nicholas Bell is also known through his online moniker, ShadowStar744, and has written what can only be described as a lengthy manifesto thinly disguised as fanfiction. What did Bell know about Shadow Star and his plans for the city? We will bring you updates on the matter once further details are revealed.
“Only time will tell if we will discover who Pyro Storm is, and what will become of him, and other Extraordinaries like him. I’m Rebecca Firestone, Action News. Back to you, Steve.”
* * *
Nicholas Bell found out having your shoulder shoved back into place hurt like the burning of a thousand suns filled with molten glass. He absolutely was not a fan.
* * *
He was in the hospital for two days. It would have been longer, except he was fortunate enough to share a room with his father, and if there was one thing the Bell men did not like, it was being cooped up in one place for long.
“Becky!” Nick whined. “Can we please go home?”
“Becky!” Dad barked. “Get the doctor in here now before I walk out of here again and take my son with me. And this time, I won’t come back!”
Becky sighed and muttered something under her breath about how men were such babies.
They were discharged a couple of hours later.
* * *
Nick switched off the television, not wanting to see Steve Davis and his smug grin. Dad was in the kitchen, fixing dinner. Nick could hear him moving around, pots and pans clanging together. Nick grimaced, fiddling with the sling on his arm. He had to wear it for at least four more weeks, and already he hated everything about it. Sure, it was a badge of honor, a symbol for how he’d pretty much saved the entire city from complete and total annihilation at the hands of his supervillain ex-boyfriend, but he was done with it. It wasn’t even something cool like a cast that could be signed.
His phone buzzed in his lap. Hey.
He grinned. Hey urself.
Saw Firestone’s report. She unmasked u.
I HATE HER SO MUCH. MANIFESTO?!?!
Right???? Wtf
Nick shook his head. WTF indeed. She sucks
It’ll be ok. U ready 2 go back 2 school 2morrow?
Ugh. Don’t remind me.
Homework 2 catch up on. Lots & lots of homework.
I hate u.
No u don’t.
He really, really didn’t. In fact: I miss u.
I know. Me 2. But it’s for the best. Aunt and Uncle want me 2 lay low.
Probably a good idea. I’ll still see u tomorrow, right?
Bright & early.
Kk. Gotta go. Dinner. Text you after?
Yes please. <3
Nick smiled quietly, feeling his face grow hot.
He sent back: <3
* * *
Mashed potatoes. Gravy. Hot, buttery rolls. Pot roast. Not a green vegetable in sight.
Nick was immediately suspicious. “All right. What did you do?”
Dad rolled his eyes, motioning for Nick to sit at the table. “I made dinner.”
“Yeah, except you made all my favorite things. The only time you do that is when you feel guilty about something, or are getting ready to get all up in my business.”
“Can’t I do something nice for my s
on on the night before he goes back to school?”
Nick narrowed his eyes as he sat. “I’m on to you, old man. I see everything. You should—oh my god.” He shoved more mashed potatoes in his mouth. “Dis us so gooood.”
Dad sighed. “I can see that, even though I don’t want to. Close your mouth while you chew, kid.” He pulled out his own chair across from Nick, grimacing slightly as he sat. His ribs were still hurting him, though he’d stopped taking the pain medication days before. He hadn’t let Nick take his after getting released from the hospital, reminding Nick that the opioid crisis was a very real problem and he’d be damned if he was going to let Nick sink into addiction.
Nick hadn’t argued in the face of that logic, even if it was a bit overblown. And besides, he hadn’t liked being high in the hospital, even though it’d numbed the pain. According to Nurse Becky, he’d spent a good three hours describing to anyone who would listen the shape of Seth’s butt, and why it should be considered a national treasure. It wasn’t one of his finest moments, even if it was the truth.
Dad sliced up a piece of pot roast before sliding it onto Nick’s plate. Nick grinned at him through a mouthful of bread and gravy.
Dad didn’t seem very impressed.
Nick swallowed before asking, “You have to go in tonight?”
Dad shook his head. “No. Tomorrow morning.”
Nick blinked. “What? But you work nights.”
Dad set down his fork, fixing his gaze on Nick. “There’s been a change. I’ll be working days from now on.”
Huh. That was unexpected. “Why?”
“Maybe because I’m tired of spending so much time away from my son. Before long, you’re going to be going off to college, and I want as much time with you as I can get. Cap allowed me to switch to days.”
Nick was absurdly touched. But since his dad wasn’t a fan of too much emotion, he only said, “Oh. That’s good.”
“Yeah,” Dad said gruffly.
Screw it. They’d earned this. “I would like that. A lot.”
Dad smiled quietly. “Yeah?”