I entered my room. I plopped down on the bed. A bunch of thoughts swirled in my mind as I lay there. I thought about Athena and how she had defended us to the Old Man. Whenever we trainees dealt with her, she seemed like she could just barely stand us. I knew that the Academy was deliberately hard to weed out the trainees who had no business being Heroes, but Athena’s contempt for us had seemed real. She had sounded positively affectionate toward us in the Old Man’s office, though. It seemed like the domino mask she sported was not the only mask she wore.
I thought of both Isaac and Neha. I was so grateful for both of them. Never before had I had friends who had my back the way they did. It made me feel doubly guilty about Isaac. What if he or Neha had been killed? The mere thought made me sick to my stomach, as did the fact eleven people had died in the wildfire because of Iceburn trying to get to me.
I thought of how Neha had been in my bed just a week ago. Nothing had happened between the two of us since then, nor had we spoken of it. At some point I imagined we would. Right now, though, we were both too concerned about graduating the Academy and finding an Apprenticeship with an already licensed Hero.
And, of course, I thought of Iceburn. I still did not know who had hired him to kill me. That was not what I was the most concerned about. I was more concerned about the fact Iceburn had bested me yet again. I seethed at the thought of it. At least this time I had acquitted myself better than I had when I had first encountered him. I had come closer to defeating him this time. But, as Athena was fond of saying, close only counted in horseshoes and hand grenades. It sounded like a Jamesism.
I stared up at the ceiling as those thoughts all swirled in my brain. I resolved to train even harder and to get better at using my powers. To be better. When I encountered Iceburn again, I would be ready to end things once and for all. Next time, only one of us would walk away. I was determined that someone would be me.
I burned with anger and frustration. I repeated the words Iceburn had spoken to me the night he killed my father.
“This is not over,” I said aloud.
23
Four days after being confined to our quarters by the Old Man, Neha and I were back in his office. Isaac was here too, having been discharged from the infirmary early this morning. Other than a scar across his forehead, Isaac was mostly as good as new thanks to the doctor’s Metahuman healing powers. He had been cleared to resume classes and training. Isaac had said earlier he did not mind the scar. He said it made him look dangerous.
“I’m thinking of changing my name to Captain Danger,” Isaac had said. “The ladies love a daredevil.” He had not even cracked a smile. He might have been serious.
The Old Man had summoned us here to his office. Despite the conversation I had overheard between him and Athena, I was still a little worried about how he might decide to punish us, especially Neha and Isaac. I had not shared what I had overheard with Neha and Isaac. It was bad enough that I had eavesdropped.
Unlike last time, Athena was not here. It was the first time I ever wished Athena was around. Before overhearing her conversation with the Old Man, wishing Athena was around would have been like a slave wishing his overseer was around. It was amazing how one overheard conversation could change my perspective on things.
“Are the three of you planning to seek Apprenticeships once you graduate?” the Old Man asked. The question caught me off guard. I thought he was going to tell us how he had decided to punish us. “If you graduate,” the Old Man added wryly. “Maybe you’ll get it into your heads to break into MetaHold to fight the supervillain Chaos before then and you’ll get yourselves killed.”
I nodded in answer to his question, as did Neha and Isaac. Graduation was less than two weeks away. Trainees who managed to graduate from the Academy who wanted to continue on to try to get licensed as Heroes had to find a Hero willing to sponsor them and take them on as Apprentices. The Hero sponsor would continue to train his Apprentices in preparation for the Trials. If you could not find a Hero willing to sponsor you, there was a handful of for-profit superhero schools an Academy graduate could go to instead. I had learned those schools were looked down on in the Hero community. Having a school prepare you for the Trials instead of a Hero sponsor was like getting a degree from a small town community college instead of a degree from an Ivy League university—you still had a degree, but nobody thought it was as good.
“How would you like to become my Apprentices?” the Old Man asked. Neha, Isaac, and I looked at each other in shock. None of us had expected this.
Neha was the first to recover. “After threatening to kick us out, you’re now offering to be our Hero sponsor?” she asked incredulously.
“It was pointed out to me that perhaps I overreacted a bit to you all facing Iceburn alone,” the Old Man said. “Don’t get me wrong—I still think you should have called for help. That’s why I let Smoke and Theo stay confined to quarters as punishment the past few days. With that said, the person who told me I was overreacting was right: we instructors have repeated over and over that you have to rely on yourselves when faced with a tough situation. If you become Heroes, God knows people will rely on you to deal with whatever situation you’re presented with. Once I calmed down, I realized that after hearing our message of self-reliance repeated over and over, if you had then turned around and immediately hollered for help, that would mean either you were too stupid to absorb what we’ve been trying to teach you here, or that we instructors are not good at our jobs.” He smiled wryly. “Whatever else you three might be—the words headstrong and stubborn spring to mind—you’re not stupid. And, we instructors are very good at what we do.
“As for why I’m offering to be your Hero sponsor, the answer is all three of you show a lot of potential. While it’s ultimately up to you as to whether you will live up that that potential, I’d like to help. Plus, Iceburn’s repeated attempts on Theo’s life make it clear he will likely try again. Clearly someone out there is not pleased a new Omega exists.” When I had told the Old Man about our confrontation with Iceburn, I had also told him I had shared with Neha and Isaac the fact I was an Omega-level Meta.
“Theo is safe enough here at camp. Not only is he surrounded by several Heroes and other Metas, but there are some security measures in place that you trainees do not even know about. Once he leaves, he will be more vulnerable. Someone needs to keep an eye on him until he can fend for himself. As the head of the Academy, I’m willing to shoulder that responsibility. Also, since he’s an Omega, I want to make sure he gets steered in the right direction. Since the three of you like each other and seem to work well together, it would be a shame to split you all up. Think it over, and give me an answer by tomorrow.”
“I don’t need to think it over. I accept,” I said. The Old Man was one of the world’s most famous Heroes, and he wanted us to be his Apprentices. Wow!
“Me too,” Isaac said.
“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I accept as well,” Neha said.
“Good,” the Old Man said. “Now that that’s settled, I believe I’ve made you three late for World History. You’ve got days of catching up to do. Try not to do something to get yourselves kicked out between now and graduation, like poisoning an instructor or assassinating the President or something.”
The three of us trooped out of the Old Man’s office, closing his door after us. We walked down the hall toward the stairwell.
“We’re going to be Amazing Man’s Apprentices,” I said excitedly. I did not care I was stating the obvious. My mind was blown. Amazing Man was one of the most famous, well-respected Heroes of all time. Him asking us to be his Apprentices was like being accepted into Harvard or being drafted into the National Football League.
“And the best part is, we get to hang out and train together,” Isaac said. He was grinning from ear to ear. He high-fived me. “I was kinda dreading graduation because I knew I was going to miss you Theo. I’d even miss you Neha. You’re like a hemorrhoid—a pain in
the butt sometimes, but I’ve gotten used to you.” Barely breaking stride, Neha’s leg shot out. She swept Isaac’s legs out from under him. He landed on his rear end with a thud. Neha kept walking. I paused to help Isaac up.
“Now you know what a real pain in the ass feels like,” Neha said, smirking over her shoulder at Isaac.
“Hey, what’s the big idea?” Isaac said to Neha’s receding back. “I just got out of the infirmary. I’m a sick man.” Despite his words, he was grinning.
“A shame your illness hasn’t affected your mouth,” Neha shot back before disappearing into the stairwell. The door closed behind her. Isaac turned to me.
“I’m pretty sure she’s in love with me,” he said. His eyes danced. “I sensed it happening before. Now I suspect my new scar pushed her over the top. What do you think?”
“If that’s love, I don’t want to see what hate looks like,” I said. Isaac and Neha bickering like they were brother and sister was now a familiar pattern. It was a pattern I would have missed had we all gone our separate ways upon graduation. Instead, we were all going to be together.
I had a warm feeling in my heart about that as Isaac and I trailed after Neha toward class. Isaac and Neha bickered like brother and sister because that was how they had come to feel about one another. Isaac had said as much once. Neha was far too closed off emotionally to ever say such a thing aloud, but I saw how she looked at Isaac. Sometimes she looked at him with irritation or annoyance when he was trying unsuccessfully to be funny, but even then there was an undercurrent of affection. The rigors of the Academy had forged us into a family. Happiness mingled with sadness as it hit me Isaac and Neha were the only family I had. Sure, technically Uncle Charles was family, but there was more to being a family than sharing some DNA through an accident of fate. Family was about shared history, shared struggle, and being there for each other, in good times and bad. Under that definition of family, Isaac was the brother I never had. And, Neha was my sister. No, scratch that. Brothers and sisters did not do what Neha and I had done together. Unless they were ancient royalty. Cleopatra had been married to her brother, and she herself was the offspring of a brother-sister union. Who would have guessed the incestuous lifestyles of the rich and famous would be something I learned about in Hero Academy? Who would have guessed how much I would learn, period? I had learned so much, and come so far. If Dad was watching, I hoped he was proud of me.
“Hey, are you all right?” Isaac said, shaking me out of my thoughts. He looked at me with concern. I realized I had started to tear up. Feeling like the world’s biggest baby, I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands.
“I’m fine,” I said. “I just got an eyelash in my eye is all.” Isaac looked at me doubtfully. Thankfully, he did not press further. We walked the rest of the way to class in companionable silence.
24
Graduation two weeks later was a simple affair. Even so, it was the best day of my life.
Over a hundred of us Hero trainees had started the Academy. Only twenty-one of us—fifteen males and six females—lined up in the building that used to house the men’s barracks to graduate. From what I had gathered from talking to trainees before the ceremony, each of us intended to continue on to attempt to get our Hero’s license. Brute, Nimbus, Nightshade, and so many others we had started this journey with were gone. The ones who remained I felt as close to as I did anybody else on the planet except for Isaac and Neha. Our shared struggles had made us into comrades. I had started the Academy and the process of becoming a licensed Hero to learn the skills I needed to take on Iceburn. I of course still intended to take on Iceburn, but my ambitions were now bigger than just him. I wanted to become a Hero so I could continue to be a part of this extended family I had formed. I knew that if—no, when—I killed Iceburn I would be shunned from this family. In the meantime, I would savor the feeling of belonging and camaraderie.
The oldest of us lined up for graduation was twenty-nine. His name was Dreadnought. Most of us affectionately called him Uncle Dreadnought because he was so much older than the rest of us. The youngest was Sledgehammer, who was only fourteen. We were all dressed in the red and black uniforms we always wore. We were so used to wearing them at this point that they felt like a second skin.
Neha was at the front of the line of graduates. To the surprise of absolutely no one, she was class valedictorian. Isaac was right behind her since he was class salutatorian. There had been a murmur of surprise among the trainees when that had been announced. I, however, had not been surprised. I lived with the guy. Despite his often goofy persona, I saw how hard he worked. He was driven. By what, I still had not figured out and he had not been willing to share. It did not matter. I was proud of both him and Neha.
The rest of us were lined up alphabetically by code name behind Neha and Isaac. Isaac’s and Neha’s standings in the class were the only ones that had been publicly shared. The rest of us had been told privately what our class rank was. I was neither at the top—math had really kicked my butt and had dragged down my overall average—nor at the bottom. It did not matter anyway. The fact I was graduating was the important thing. It was like that old joke: What do you call a guy who graduates last in his medical school class? Doctor.
The Old Man announced Neha’s code name. She stepped forward and mounted short stairs to where the Old Man stood on a dais at the front of the large room. Athena stood next to the Old Man. The other Academy instructors were all arrayed behind them. The Old Man draped a vivid red cape around Neha’s shoulders, securing it around her neck with a thick silver-colored clasp. The cape hung to her ankles. It complemented her red Academy uniform top. By tradition, Academy graduates got a red cape. It was the equivalent of a diploma. Fully licensed Heroes got a white cape after they passed the Trials.
Once Neha’s cape was secure, the Old Man shook her hand and congratulated her. Then Athena handed her a metal cylinder for the purpose of storing her new cape in. Athena then leaned forward and kissed Neha on the cheek. There were audible gasps of shock among the trainees. They would have been less surprised had Athena punched Neha in the throat instead. It would have been more in character. Or, so they thought. The conversation I had overhead between Athena and the Old Man had opened my eyes. There was more to Athena than her being simply a yelling martinet. Not all masks were worn on the face.
Neha walked back off the dais and toward the end of the line of trainees. Isaac’s code name was announced. He went through the same process Neha had gone through. Each trainee’s code name was announced and that person stepped forward until the Old Man’s got to me.
“Kinetic,” he intoned. I stepped forward. There were slight murmurs behind me. I suppressed a smile. Kinetic was the new code name I had chosen after giving it much thought. I had not even told Isaac and Neha about my new name, sharing it only with the Old Man so he would call me by that name at graduation. Today seemed to be the right time to shed the name Carolina. I had thought at first about going by the name Kinetic Kid. The alliteration sounded cool. But then I realized I was no longer a kid. I sure as heck did not feel like one.
The Old Man draped my new cape around me. He secured it around my neck. He shook my hand. He did not say he was proud of me, but looking at his eyes, I felt like he was. When I stepped in front of Athena, she handed me a cape storage cylinder and then kissed me on the cheek as she had with the graduates who had gone before me. The kiss felt like a stamp of approval.
I returned to the line of trainees. Neha smiled at me as I passed by. The grin on Isaac’s face looked like it was going to split his head open. He winked at me. I too was grinning like a drunk clown. I did not care. I knew Isaac did not either.
I got to the back of the line. In my new cape, I felt like an actual superhero. I felt like I was ten feet tall and could single-handedly conquer the world. I could not wait until I got to a mirror so I could check myself out. I was not an actual Hero yet, of course. I first had to complete my Apprenticeship and then stand for the Hero Tri
als. The long disclaimer that was in the cape storage cylinder said as much. I read it carefully later, after the graduation ceremony was over. In essence, the disclaimer said that despite the fact I had earned a red cape as a graduate of the Academy, I was still not a licensed Hero and my powers were only to be used under the supervision and guidance of a duly licensed Hero.
I did not care what the disclaimer said. It did not shrink the significance of what I had accomplished. Nor did it make my cape less beautiful. I loved my new cape.
I had never been so proud of something in all my life.
25
“Do you think the Old Man has a jet? I’ll bet he has a jet,” I said excitedly. “One of those cool futuristic ones that’s black and has missiles and can take off and land vertically and can fly faster than the speed of sound. Riding in one of those babies, we’ll be in D.C. in no time.”
“Maybe it’s an invisible jet,” Isaac said. He was also excited.
“Naw, that’s comic book stuff. There’s no tech that can make something invisible.”
“That you know of. You don’t have a PhD in physics. I’ll bet you invisibility tech does exist. If it can be imagined, some egghead scientist can create it.”
“How about you two Buck Rogers pipe down?” Neha said. “We’ll find out soon enough.” Isaac and I glance at one another.
“If we really are Buck Rogers, I don’t remember the women of the twenty-fifth century being this lippy,” Isaac said in a stage whisper to me. If Neha heard him—I did not know how she could not have—she gave no sign.
Omega Superhero Box Set Page 18