Flash Fire

by TJ Klune

  “What if it’s not?” Nick asked.

  To that, she had no answer.

  * * *

  Martha was in the kitchen, phone in her hand. She brought a finger to her lips as they peered in from the entryway. “I understand that, Aaron,” she said into the phone, and Nick closed his eyes. “But you have to see where he’s coming from. It’s just for a day or two, okay? I’ll make sure he gets to school on Monday if he’s still here.” She paused, brow furrowing. “Well, sure, if you want to drop them by, I’ll make sure he gets his medicine.” Nick’s eyes popped open, but Martha continued. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll force him to take it, especially if he’s right about where the Concentra came from and what it does. Seems to me as if you have some explaining to do. To all of us.” Dad said something else. Martha shook her head. “Regardless, if he doesn’t trust what you’re giving him—and, potentially, rightly so—why would he take it?” She flapped a dish towel at them, mouthing the word Seth.

  They left the kitchen behind, heading for the basement.

  Bob stood at the top of the stairs, leaning against the wall. He turned his head as they approached, nodding toward the basement. From below came the sounds of dull thuds as Seth worked out whatever was going on in his head.

  “Tread lightly,” Bob said. “I’ve never seen him this keyed up. He’s angry, but I don’t think he knows at who. When we’re that upset, we lash out at whoever’s closest, even if they don’t deserve it.”

  “We can handle it,” Gibby told him. “Trust me, we’re experts in the minds of idiots.”

  “It comes with the territory,” Jazz agreed, and Nick couldn’t even find a reason to complain. “We won’t be weird, promise.”

  “It’s only weird if you make it weird,” Nick reminded her.

  “Yeah, no,” Gibby said. “It’s weird. What are the chances that three people we know personally ended up being Extraordinaries?”

  “And they’re all gay,” Jazz said with a frown.

  “Seth’s bisexual,” Nick said, because he’d be damned if he’d allow bi erasure, even in the face of all the ridiculousness.

  “Yeah,” Bob said, patting him on the arm. “You’ll be all right. Gibby, Jazz—your parents know where you’re at?”

  “They do,” Jazz said, already pulling Gibby down the stairs. “We called them on our way over. We’ll let them know if it’s going to take longer than we think.”

  “Make sure you do,” Bob called after them, shaking his head. He looked at Nick. “You doing all right?”

  No. Not at all. “I don’t know.”

  Bob huffed, as if that was the answer he expected. “Can I give you some advice?”

  “About how to not make Seth mad at me anymore? Yes, please.”

  Bob chuckled. “He’ll come around. This has to do with you, Nick.”

  Nick blinked. “What about me?”

  “You serious about the whole being-an-Extraordinary thing?”

  Nick raised his hands, wiggling his fingers. Nothing happened, but he didn’t expect it to. “I think so. I don’t know how to turn it on. Or off, when it gets going.”

  Bob shrugged. “That’s how it was with Seth, at least at first. It took time for him to learn control. It takes patience and hard work. You’ll make mistakes, some bigger than others. If you’re able to forgive yourself, then you’ll be on the right path. Know your limitations, Nick. And never, ever use them against someone who doesn’t deserve it. I’ll help as best I can—as will Martha—but there’s someone more important than the two of us who needs to see and hear it from you.”

  “Dad,” Nick said dully. “How can I trust him again?”

  “Patience,” Bob said again. “And talking it through. If there’s two people who can do it, it’s the pair of you. You’re allowed to be furious. I’m a little pissed myself, and I can’t promise your dad and I won’t have words. But I don’t think for a minute that your dad was working for Simon Burke. He may have been allowing Burke to think so, but if Aaron told him who Pyro Storm really was, we would’ve known by now. Remember that, okay? It’ll all work out.”

  Nick hoped so, but he couldn’t see how it was possible. Too many secrets, too many lies. Bob hugged him roughly before letting him go. Nick watched as he ambled toward the kitchen, where Martha was still having her say to Dad.

  Taking a deep breath, he descended the stairs.

  * * *

  Jazz sat on the washing machine, Gibby leaning back between her legs. They both watched Seth as he attacked the punching bag, sweat dripping down his face in rivulets. He’d changed out of his Pyro Storm suit, wearing a pair of sweats and a white shirt, the back already soaked through. Seth didn’t look at Nick as he reached the bottom of the stairs, continuing to punch again and again, his fists a blur.

  The room was muggy. Heat poured off Seth, though there was a distinct absence of fire.

  He kept to the edges of the basement, working his way over to Gibby and Jazz. He nodded toward Seth. “He say anything?”

  “Not yet,” Jazz said, snapping her gum. “Seems like he’s more interested in hitting than talking.”

  Nick didn’t blame him. He also wanted to punch things, but figured it was better to keep that to himself. “Great. Super. Just what we need.” He leaned against the dryer. “How did you know to come here?”

  “Got a news alert on my phone,” Gibby said. “Extraordinary activity.”

  “Told her everything after you ditched me,” Jazz said primly.

  Nick winced as he pulled his phone from his pocket. “Yeah, sorry about that. I—” His phone was in one piece, somehow. The screen wasn’t even cracked. He panicked at the number of notifications he had: missed calls from Gibby and Dad, Dad, Dad, and Dad, followed by at least a dozen text messages from him, each sounding more frantic than the last, if the number of exclamation points indicated anything. Nick ignored them with a twinge of guilt, shoving his phone back in his pocket. “I had to get out of there.”

  “What happened?” Gibby asked. “Jazz said you could…” She wiggled her fingers.

  “Yeah,” Nick said, frowning. “Apparently I’m telekinetic. Who would have thought?” As quickly as he could, he filled them in on what he’d overheard, voice hardening. He’d gotten to the part about finding Pyro Storm in the alley with Miss Conduct when Seth stopped attacking the punching bag. He grabbed a towel hanging off the back of the chair and wiped his face. He didn’t look at them as he began to pace back and forth, towel trailing behind him.

  “So, another Extraordinary,” Gibby said, clearing her throat. “Care to fill us in?”

  Seth stopped moving and dropped the towel onto the ground. He rubbed his face with his hands, exhaling sharply. He gnawed his bottom lip—something he did when he was thinking hard. Finally, he said, “Look, I … know I should have told you all. But it wasn’t my place to tell. She found me a few weeks back. She saw what happened on the bridge with Owen. She sought me out because she didn’t want to be alone anymore. It took her a while to work up the courage, and then even longer to track me down.”

  “Does she know who you are?” Jazz asked quietly.

  Seth shook his head. “I don’t know her real name, or even her drag name. I’m sure I could find it, but I’m not going to. I have to respect her privacy, and I need you all to do the same.” His expression hardened. “But I don’t know how much longer that’s going to last after what happened. If the footage hasn’t made its way onto the news yet, it will soon. I’m sure Rebecca Firestone will get her hands on it.”

  Nick sighed. “I’m so disappointed in all of you.”

  “What?” Gibby asked, sounding offended. “What the hell did we do? We’re not the ones who kept this secret. Seth did!”

  “Thanks,” Seth mumbled. “I’ve always wanted to be thrown under a bus.”

  “You didn’t ask the most important questions,” Nick said, letting his displeasure fill his voice. “When one finds out about a new Extraordinary, one must ask two quest
ions that matter above all else.”

  “Are they good or evil?” Jazz asked.

  “Do they want to kill us?” Gibby asked.

  “Is their costume better than mine?” Seth asked, and didn’t even have the gall to look affronted when they all stared at him.

  “Oh my god,” Nick muttered. “I’m constantly surrounded by incompetence. You should all be on your knees, thanking me for holding Team Pyro Storm together.” He paused, considering. “We’ll probably have to come up with a new team name now, seeing as how I can do shit now too.”

  “Only one of us is gonna get on our knees for you,” Gibby said. “And I’ll give you a single guess as to who that’ll be.” She high-fived Jazz over her shoulder without even looking at her. Nick would have been impressed if she wasn’t so annoying.

  He exhaled through his nose. “No. The most important questions are as follows: What is their superhero name, and what is their power? Have some self-respect.”

  They all looked at Seth expectantly, even though Nick knew the answers. It was better if it came from Seth, who hesitated only for a moment. “She can turn her body into electricity. Her entire body. If there’s an electric current around, she can conduct it. But what’s more is that she can ride it. Power lines, subway rails, all of it. She can travel from one side of the city to the other in a matter of seconds.”

  And that was enough of the conversation not having Nick’s input. “And her name is Miss Conduct. Get it? Because of the electricity and the drag queen. It’s genius. God, I love double entendres.”

  “Yeah,” Gibby muttered, “screw whatever Nick said before about only two questions being important. I have at least a dozen more.”

  Seth shook his head. “I haven’t really asked for specifics beyond that. I don’t want specifics beyond that. I still don’t know if I trust her.”

  That stopped Nick cold, all the goodwill he had toward Miss Conduct flying out the window. “You think she could be”—he swallowed thickly—“like Owen? Or Smoke and Ice?”

  Seth sighed. “I don’t think so.” He looked at Nick, and for a brief and shining moment, Nick felt his heart swell uncomfortably. Here was this guy, this awesome dude, obviously scared out of his mind but pushing through it. If Seth could do it, so could Nick. “I should have told you. I’m sorry. I just—I wanted to make sure of what I was dealing with before I said anything.” He took a deep breath and let it out slow. “And she—uh. She might not be the only one? There’s another Extraordinary, too, who we’ve met up with, but only recently.”

  Nick wasn’t quite sure how it happened. One moment, he was leaning against the dryer, Jazz’s hand playing with his hair, and the next, he was flat on his back on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. He blinked slowly as three faces appeared above him: exasperated Gibby, laughing Jazz, and concerned Seth. “What happened?” he asked weakly as Seth pulled him up.

  “Who’s this other Extraordinary?” Jazz asked.

  “I don’t know,” Seth said, sounding frustrated. He hadn’t let go of Nick’s hand, for which Nick was profoundly grateful, not only because it kept him upright but because it meant Seth wasn’t too pissed off at him. “I can’t even tell you their gender, though I think they’re a man because of their lack of … you know.”

  “Because they don’t have boobs?” Jazz asked, amused. “You can say that, Seth. It’s not a dirty word.”

  Seth flushed, and Nick did not find it adorable because the situation was serious, and he didn’t want to derail it by telling Seth he was the most perfect being who had ever existed. “Right, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. You don’t need … boobs to be a woman. Their voice is disguised, and their costume is like mine in that it covers their entire body. I can’t see their face at all because they wear a full mask. They found me and Miss Conduct a week ago. They appeared on a rooftop above us.” He shivered. “I thought they were going to attack us.”

  This morning, Nick had thought Seth was the only Extraordinary left in Nova City. Now, there were at least five more, including himself. He tried to keep his excitement in check, but it was a losing battle, especially when he had the wonderfully terrible (and not at all practical) thought that he could write them into his fanfiction. He really needed to work on his priorities.

  Seth frowned. “I don’t know. They’re intimidating, I guess. They didn’t say much beyond finding me for the same reason Miss Conduct did. I don’t even know how old they are. Miss Conduct is probably mid-to-late twenties, but this other Extraordinary is … I get the feeling they’re older than us.”

  “What can they do?” Gibby asked. Good question. Nick would keep her around.

  Seth stared at Nick unnervingly. “Since they won’t give me a name, I’ve been calling them TK because they’re telekinetic. Like you.” He hesitated. Then, “Nick, that—that wasn’t you, right?”

  Nick burst out laughing. He stopped when no one else joined in. “Oh, crap. You’re serious? Hell no. Do you really think I’d be able to keep that a secret from you? I found you in a dark alley with a stranger, and I immediately blurted that I could move things with my mind! Just because they’re telekinetic, too, doesn’t … mean … oh no.”

  Owen Burke’s voice filled his head. What had he said in Burke Tower in his attempted seduction of Nick? It’d been about the white pill, the one that—

  The white one is off-limits. Even for you, Nicky. It’s the most unstable. It’s telekinesis. The power to move things with your mind. We can’t touch that one. According to my father’s tests, the last person who was given the white pill lost their mind.

  “What is it?” Seth asked.

  Nick shook his head. “It’s something Owen said about the pills his dad made. The telekinetic one was bad news.” A thought struck him, terrible and quick. “What if Simon Burke did this to them like he did to Owen? You heard Smoke and Ice. ‘Mr. Burke sends his regards.’”

  “I thought of that too,” Seth said grimly. “But Miss Conduct and TK have never met Burke. Miss Conduct didn’t even know who he was.”

  Nick scoffed. “Of course that’s what they’d say. They wouldn’t just come out and tell you they know each other. They’d be pretty shitty villains if they did.”

  “I’m kind of with Nick on this one,” Gibby said, sounding apologetic. “Where have they been this whole time? Why come around now? You gotta admit, Seth, the timing is a little weird.”

  “It’s not like that,” Seth said, jaw tightening. “We’re not teaming up or anything, and it’s not like I trust them completely.” He looked down at his hands. He had a scratch on the back of his right hand, red and slightly irritated. “They saw what happened on the bridge, like everyone else. Miss Conduct said it gave her the courage to try and find me. Same with TK.”

  “Well, yeah,” Nick said. “They could be telling you what you want to hear.”

  Seth jerked his head up. “Like Owen did to you? Because that sure worked, didn’t it?”

  Nick flinched. He tried to tamp down on the quick flash of anger thrumming through his veins. When he spoke, he kept his words even. “You’re right. It did work, which is why I’m asking you to be careful.”

  “Do they know about us?” Jazz asked. “About Lighthouse?”

  “Well, Miss Conduct does because Nick told her. TK doesn’t. I was trying to keep everything compartmentalized until I could figure out what the plans was. If it wasn’t for tonight, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”

  “You wouldn’t have told us?” Nick asked incredulously.

  “No,” Seth said, the line of his jaw twitching. “I wouldn’t have because they weren’t ready for me to. And I wasn’t either. Again, Nick, not everything is about you. We’re still feeling each other out—”

  “You seemed to be feeling Miss Conduct just fine,” Nick muttered before he could stop himself.

  Seth gaped at him.

  Nick groaned. “Goddammit. That’s not what I meant. I don’t think—ugh, I suck. That was a
stupid thing to say, I’m sorry. Ignore me. I’m being a dick.”

  Seth deflated. “A little, but I can’t blame you for that, especially since I was about to tell you again that you don’t know what it’s like being this—this thing, but that’s not true anymore, is it? Because you’re part of this now, Nicky, more than you were before.” His expression softened. “Your mom, huh?”

  Nick swallowed thickly. “Yeah.” It took him a moment to be able to get the next word out. “Guardian. She was Guardian.”

  “And your dad knew?”

  Nick nodded. “He did. And the Concentra … it was doing something to me.” A thought struck him, terrible and wonderful in equal measure. “What if I don’t have ADHD at all? What if it was only my powers manifesting themselves against the drugs?”

  “Hey, Nicky?” Gibby asked. “Don’t take this the wrong way—”

  “Because that’s not an ominous start or anything,” Nick mumbled.

  “Yeah, well, I know you,” she said dryly. “You need a disclaimer.” She sobered, bumping her shoulder against his. “Even if you can do what you say you can, that doesn’t necessarily explain everything else. No one thinks like you do, and I mean that in the best way possible. You can have both, okay? Superpowers and ADHD.”

  “You’re pretty great,” Jazz whispered into the top of Gibby’s head.

  “She is,” Nick agreed, bumping Gibby’s shoulder back. “Thanks, Gibby. Maybe you’re right, but the only way I’ll know for sure is to—”

  “—is to talk to your dad,” Seth finished for him.

  Nick shook his head. “We need to figure out what Burke thinks he’s doing, sending Extraordinaries after us.” He looked down at the ground. “And if my dad is part of it, we need to be careful with what we say and who we trust.” He grimaced. “He went out with Gibby’s and Jazz’s parents this afternoon. Said it was just a meeting, but I know it’s really a type of support group for parents whose kids get involved in the mess we’re in. Do you think … do you think they’re in on it too?”