by Simon Archer
As always, I was taken back by her beauty for a moment. It nearly consumed my thoughts, and I shook my head to clear it.
“Sorry,” I apologized, realizing I’d been staring at her.
“For what?”
“I… nevermind. Um… are you ready for the tournament?”
Aylin nodded and gestured towards my father. My heart skipped a beat when I realized he was walking right towards me.
A hush fell over the area as several other groups took notice, including the one led by the white-haired woman. It seemed that everyone understood our history, even if few had mentioned it in recent days. Gemma frowned and clearly considered joining my side, but I shook my head at her. I didn’t want her to interfere, I had to handle this myself.
Despite that, the twins ignored my obvious request and joined Aylin and me before my father could reach us. They glared at him, crossed their arms, and took positions at either side of me like bodyguards.
“Guys, please, he’s not gonna--” I protested.
“Shut up, Nick,” Matt hissed. “I’m making a fucking point. He tried to kill us last semester, and I’ll die before I let him forget it.”
“Yeah, but--” I cut myself off and sighed. I was a bit irritated, but I also understood where he was coming from. I was mad too. Was, being the operative word.
As my father drew close, his steps thumping heavily in his power suit, my heart skipped a beat. My hand found Aylin’s, and I held it for strength. She tightened the grip as her eyes darted to me with a look of concern.
Aside from some letters and a video now and then, I hadn’t seen him in over a decade. Emotion surged up my spine and down again, to the deepest, worst parts of me. I trembled slightly in the wake of it.
The last time we spoke, he’d nearly killed me. Did, in fact, kill me. It was accidental, but so was his madness and the scores of others that he’d slaughtered in the name of it. Everything was different now.
I had nightmares all the time, and though they were confusing and hard to discern, they were always in correlation with him. Him and my inheritance. Andie kept asking what was wrong, and I was never quite sure how to explain this newfound fear inside of me. Why the thought of him made it suddenly difficult to breathe, and why those letters were still buried in a secret place just so that I wouldn’t have to acknowledge him.
I had never been afraid of my father before. Not once. Even after his spiral, when he burned people alive for the slightest provocation and tore down cities in the name of some warped view of justice, even then, I saw only an injured man. I once listened to the agonized screams of one of his victims for hours, and I only felt pity. Fear of my father was meant for other people. He’d never struck me, never raised his voice, never ridiculed, belittled, or abused me in any form. He hurt other people. Never me. Never, ever me.
“Hey, son!” My father grinned, oblivious my current crisis. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“I suppose it has,” I replied.
The last time we’d been within spitting distance, I told him that I hated him and never wanted to speak to him ever again. I didn’t really mean it, of course. It was the sort of teenage thing to say in response to childish ambitions. I wish I could say that it was about all the people he’d murdered or the torture he’d perfected when gaining power over others. It wasn’t.
In another life, if Gemma and Triton hadn’t come for me, I would have eventually embraced his madness for my own. As it was, I had come close. I didn’t quite understand that he was doing was wrong until they came for me, and showed me a different path. I used to think that I was entitled to the world and that everything my father had built would gladly be mine. People called me lord, and I accepted the duty like a crown prince. I wanted everything immediately, and never struggled for lack of having it.
Affectionate as always, my father tried to clap me on the shoulder with his massive armored hand, but before he could, Matt interposed himself between us with a low, bestial growl.
My father’s resulting glare held murderous intent because he knew exactly who the twins were. Ice Bringer’s legacy drifted between us for a moment. I wasn’t sure if I should waste a power-up before our match just to stop this in its tracks.
Fortunately, Aylin was the angel I never knew I needed. She bowed low, then smiled beautifully at everyone’s favorite emperor.
“My lord,” she said quietly. “I am an exchange student from New Sahana, but I have heard your tale since coming here. It is an honor to finally meet you.”
My father, always one to enjoy a bit of attention, immediately grinned and bowed to her in turn, all thoughts of murder forgotten. When Aylin offered her hand, my father kissed it gently, ignoring the growl that Matt sent him.
“Delightful,” he said. “The honor is mine, of course. I have met only one other Sahanan. He serves in the Brand, point of fact. He’s a very kind man who had once traveled with Doctor Delacruz.”
“Oh!” Aylin lurched upright and smiled. The last one had been fake, but this one was genuine. “You must mean Kyp Soval! He is a hero to our people. I had wondered to his whereabouts, but…”
“Oh, yes!” My father nodded. With his charismatic smile, you’d never know that he was a mass murderer. “He’s quite alive and well. When the tournament moves on to the Brand, I could arrange an appointment for you. He’d be delighted to meet another of his species.”
“I would love that--”
“Much as I’m pleased to hear Aylin happy,” Matt interrupted, “what the fuck do you want?”
Once again, my father’s glare returned. I expected them to burst into an argument, or at the very least, flames, but he didn’t speak a word to Matt. Instead, after a moment of hesitation, my father turned to me again. His expression softened immediately when he combed his eyes over me.
“Nick… would you have time to speak… alone?”
“Uh. I’m busy.” I held tight to Aylin’s hand as I glanced from him to her, and even though it was a lie and a weak one at that, he nodded knowingly as his gaze flicked between the two of us.
“Oh, okay,” my father said as rubbed the back of his neck and let out a sigh of relief. “I was worried you might have been mad at me. Because, you know…” He gestured aimlessly before focusing on Aylin. “But if you duty is to escort the Sahanan, I completely understand.”
Aylin perked up at his words and squeezed my hand a bit tighter. “And he has been a most gracious escort. You should be most proud. ”
“I am quite proud.” My father stood there, a little awkward, and gave me a thumbs up. “Okay. I’ll be cheering for you, son. I’m really proud of you.”
“Uh, thanks… Dad. I, um… I’ve gotta go,” I repeated.
As we turned away, I glanced back over my shoulder at him and plowed right into the black-dressed group from earlier.
The man with teal ends in his hair shoved me back roughly and scowled. “The fuck, man?”
I balled up my fists as fear and panic morphed into raw anger, and I bit back the urge to shove the man in turn. My father was one thing, but I didn’t even know this guy. He had an average build and wore dark clothes like the rest of his group. His intense eyes matched the color of his chosen hair dye. None of the group had any obvious abilities which meant they were an unknown I would have to contend with once the match started.
“Sorry.” I backed off and attempted to move towards my own group, who were waiting with Gemma by the entrance into the field. The teal man darted in front of me, however, and blocked my path.
He stuck his hand out and smiled in a way that made me want to take a shower. I didn’t know his intentions, but it was hard to read whether or not he hated me or was simply aggressive towards the competition. Either way, the smile wasn’t friendly whatsoever. I didn’t shake his hand, and his eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.
“I’m Oliver,” he said as he put his hand back down. “You’re Nick Gateon.”
I nodded and crossed my arms. Beside me, Ayli
n sighed and said, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Oliver. Now please let us pass.”
“Of course.” His bow to her was a bit exaggerated and somehow obnoxious rather than respectful. He waved towards our group, indicating that we could pass. “I wouldn’t be one to deny a woman.”
“If you did, we would have a problem,” I said. Oliver glared at that, but I didn’t care enough to acknowledge it. I had enough problems. “Pardon, but I missed the name of your academy. We represent Valcav--”
“We’re from Carter,” Oliver cut me off.
That wasn’t the name of his academy but a city deep in the mountains a good two or three day’s flight from Alexandria. I didn’t know much about it except that it was very cold and on the opposite side of the world. They’d never won a tournament before, but the city was well-known for bringing in very high-quality players nonetheless.
“Carter,” I muttered. “Interesting. Good luck on the field.”
Aylin and I brushed by Oliver, and I took the opportunity to shove him a little with my shoulder when he tried to block me again. Feeling their eyes on our backs, I whispered to Aylin, “They’re going to be a problem.”
“Indeed.” She nodded. “This Oliver is strange to look at. He glows brightly, almost as much as you do, but I cannot detect the source.”
“Source?”
“His…” She gestured vaguely with a hand as she struggled to describe it in human terms. “The thing that makes him… him. I can see it in most people, though admittedly not all. It could be nothing.”
I couldn’t say myself. Her vision sounded beautiful and strange, and far beyond human understanding.
“Maybe,” I admitted with a shrug.
When we rejoined the group, Gemma immediately snatched my shoulders and guided me to a quiet corner. She looked me up and down for injury, even though nothing had happened.
“Nick, I’m sorry,” she began. “I didn’t know he would be mentoring his own group, I should have--”
I gently placed a finger on her lips to quiet her and smiled a little. “You really need to get some sleep. Everything’s fine. He just… he just wanted to… talk.”
Gemma’s lips twisted into a worried frown, but whatever she was going to say was cut off by a horn’s blast. The first two groups were called out onto the field: the Carter group, and another largely comprised of some very nervous looking teenagers dressed in blue.
“Shit,” Gemma muttered. “It’s starting. We still have time to talk, but… look, if he’s a problem, you tell me, okay? We’ll… find a way to keep him at a distance.”
I swallowed down my nerves and gave her a confident smile. Gemma was like the mother I’d lost, always there for me in the background, quietly ensuring that I had whatever I needed.
“Thanks,” I said, suddenly overcome with emotion again. I breathed a little harshly as I stared into her kind, worried face. Too much, too fast. Overwhelmed, I glared up at the ceiling to resist blubbering like a fool.
A gentle hand found my chin, and I was looking at her with a lost expression. Her smile was the sweetest, kindest thing I’d seen in a long time.
“You’re going to be okay, Nick. Just breathe for a minute.” I must have looked on the verge of an intense breakdown because it certainly felt that way. Gemma carefully placed a hand on my shoulder and kept smiling. “Now, are you ready to go out there and show them everything you’ve learned?”
“Yeah.” I breathed in deep, held it, then released. I tried to imagine all that anxiety floating away along with it. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“Alright,” she smiled. I don’t think she really believed me, but she was willing to give me space for now. “And if you need anything…”
“I’ll ask,” I confirmed. “Promise. And, uh… thank you. For… for caring.”
Suddenly, I was wrapped up in a warm hug, and the world was just a little bit better. I sank into it for a moment… Gemma hadn’t hugged me in years, not since I was younger. It brought me back to an era of quiet nights after leaving my father when I celebrated my birthdays in Gemma’s warm household instead. She’d bake me a cake and give me presents like the mother I’d lost. She’d put band-aids on wounds and remind me that everything was going to be alright.
“I love you, Nick,” she whispered in my ear. “No matter what.”
“I know.”
10
The seven of us huddled around a large monitor in one of the back rooms as the first match of the competition unfolded. The Carter school, who had turned out to be surprisingly vicious, were currently wrecking their way through some poor blue-clad teenagers who found themselves fighting an enemy way out of their league. The blue team was from Osata, a small city-state across the ocean that was relatively isolated and indifferent to most world politics.
The rescue matches for the World’s Finest were much simpler compared to Valcav’s version the previous semester. A very business-like brunette dressed in a simple, reflective white jumpsuit marked with large, black block print that said ‘HOSTAGE’ on the front and back was trapped in a small translucent blue force field bubble in the middle of the large, flat, concrete-covered arena, easy for all to see. She patiently waited in a chair and didn’t seem to have any sort of innate power of her own. The huge holographic feed that circled the arena took turns showing her calm face and then snippets of the action going on.
The task was simple: The ‘hero’ team had to take her to a safety line at the north end of the field, and the ‘villain’ team had to defend her, stopping that rescue at all costs.
I pointed at Oliver on the screen, who was clad in some sort of power suit, complete with a menacing black helmet. The various lights on his suit were themed in teal like his hair, and the whole thing was capped off with a teal visor, a clear sign of who was under the armor. The suit was massive and rivaled Inferno’s in firepower potential. Already, the entire arena was given a light show as several massive explosions blew through the Osata team. Oddly enough, the rest of the Carter team knew to bolt milliseconds before every single attack.
I looked over to Kara and asked, “Do we know his actual power set yet?”
“No.” She sighed as she looked up from a laptop and notebook where she and Eric had been trading notes. “His official record states that he’s a tech genius, but I don’t buy it.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged and glanced up at Oliver on the screen. “He’s a good pilot, but he doesn’t wear the suit like he’s made it. He doesn’t repair it on the field, he just runs the thing into the ground. There, look!”
She pointed at the screen with a blue pen just as one of the Osata team, a superstrong brute with four arms, managed to tank through the barrage of micro-missiles Oliver had laid down to throw a huge haymaker at him. While Oliver managed to jet up to keep the blow from hitting his head or chest, the big guy still caught the armor in the right leg. Sparks flew as part of a thruster was knocked clean off, and instead of trying to adjust his flight plan or use any kind of technopathy to repair it as Kara would, Oliver instead clumsily lurched off-balance through the air.
“Yeah, but he could be saving those powers for later,” Andie pointed out. “It’s not like we don’t conserve our own surprises.” She gave me a look from where she and Kristen both had their arms crossed at the back of the room.
Kara shook her head, still unconvinced. “Sure, but there’s also a certain lack of imagination. He doesn’t tinker or alter his approach or the tech he uses. There’s always time for improvement, even on the field. I do that, even Inferno does that.” She winced after using the name and sent me an apologetic look. “Sorry, Nick.”
I pretended that I didn’t understand and asked, “For what?” Admitting to my recent issues wasn’t exactly in the cards for the moment. I had enough problems as it was.
She winced again. “Nevermind…”
I cleared my throat and tried to change the subject. “So… do you think someone made it for him?”
It took Kara a moment to realize I was talking about Oliver and not my father. She shrugged, suddenly losing interest. “I don’t know, maybe. We’ll find out, I guess. Who doesn’t have secrets around here?” She glanced down at her notebook, and Eric pointed at a section underlined heavily in pen.
“Mother?”
Kara lifted a brow at that, not comprehending his meaning until she looked down at the notes herself. “Oh! Yes. Their mentor. She seemed a bit odd, so I did some research. She’s going by Mother. No surname, no real name. Just… Mother. I found that strange.”
“Lots of people have identities and titles.” I shrugged. “They’re mostly honorifics, but sometimes, people get secretive. Part of the hero shtick. We’ll get our own too, someday.”
“Maybe.” Kara shrugged again. “I don’t know. I couldn’t find any real info. Whoever she is, she’s done well to cover her tracks.”
“Do you know her powers, at least?”
“Uh. Well.” Kara hesitated suddenly and twisted her hands.
Eric frowned at that, and read in the notes. “It says ghost. What do you mean, ghost?”
“Well… I mean that she’s… a ghost,” Kara muttered helplessly.
Matt snorted and started to laugh. To his credit, he tried to hide it at first, but the ridiculous notion soon took over. “A what now?”
“Ghosts are quite common on my home planet,” Aylin spoke up with a nostalgic smile. “Are they common here?”
“Uh. Well. They don’t exist,” Matt said.
“They don’t?” Aylin’s lips turned into a frown, and she seemed disappointed. “I thought ghosts were a universal concept.”
“Okay, first off, ghosts are totally real. And what?” Kara put her hand on her hip and waved her hand. “Like being a werewolf isn’t weird? Jesus, Matt.”
Matt, of course, was pretty insulted. “It’s not weird!”
“Yeah,” I backed him up. “Werewolves are cool, not weird.”
She rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Alright, fine. My bad. Anyway. Yeah, she’s, uh, she’s a ghost. That’s what it says on the registry anyway.”
