by Simon Archer
I should have been happy, and I was. I was ecstatic. After all, we’d lived up to Triton and Judgment’s expectations in a real way, and even if we didn’t win the whole thing, Valcav Academy had made its mark here… but still, I had to wonder about Oliver, about Carter’s whole plan here. He had seemed so certain that they were going to win in some way here when they didn’t even try with all of their team.
Something was still afoot… but I’d worry about that later. Right now, we had a celebration to enjoy, and I knew who all I wanted to do it with.
16
Mother
Though it would no doubt be considered gauche by the hero community and the international press, I declined to view the medal ceremony being held in the center of the cleaned-off Orion Arena. Though I was the mentor of the silver medal team, I had more critical matters to attend to, things that would do far more for Carter’s best interests than smiling and waving beneficently to the crowds. Instead, I watched it from the small office each of us coaches had attached to our team’s locker rooms.
Besides, the people here had shown their allegiance for what it was. The citizens of Alexandria naturally favored their hometown heroes, that insufferable Gateon boy and his Valcav associates. Of more interest was the fact that his ‘redemption’ story, coming from being the son of the world’s greatest tyrant to become a hero worthy of the Delgado medal, seemed to have caught the hearts of many others among the remaining free cities of Terra.
And then there was the Brand of course. As I sipped at my cup of green tea, I arched an eyebrow as I observed how rabidly they cheered for their ‘young Lord,’ almost as fervently as they cheered for their bronze-medal-winning team. I kept that monitor on as I turned to the work at hand, fishing the make-up compact out of my purse to hold up in front of me.
I pressed the concealed button on the top with a slender finger, an act that would only look like a move to wipe away a bit of dust, then opened it. That activated the telepathic pulse transmitter and receiver concealed in the otherwise innocent object, and as I adjusted by make-up, I opened myself to its psychic output.
“This is Mother,” I sent to the device, and its reply from my superiors at my own academy was near instant.
“Receiving you clearly, Mother,” Reroute, our dispatcher, whispered in my mind. The old psychic was always a comfort in these undercover missions, as his presence meant that back-up and extraction was only a thought away. “Things seem to be going well at the World’s Finest. What do you have to report?”
I leaned in towards the compact as if I were using the mirror to examine a blemish on my ghost-white skin, but the real purpose was to hide the subtle movement I used to insert the data chip from my team’s suit-based sensors into the compact.
“As expected, our young Oliver’s deception properly incensed and focused Valcav’s attention,” I reported mentally. I even managed to hide the satisfied smile that threatened to creep onto my lips. One didn’t achieve the position I did in my work if I couldn’t keep up a simple con. “Though the recording instruments in his suit were destroyed beyond salvaging, the rest of the team recorded a vast trove of data on our targets, as well as Inferno’s patsies and the other nine academies.”
“The data is coming in clearly,” Reroute acknowledged. “How much do you think Valcav and the Brand suspect? And what about Triton and Inferno?”
“I wouldn’t worry about the old guard,” I reassured him. “With all this diplomatic nonsense, Inferno, Triton, and Judgment are forced to spend as much time posing for the press and gladhanding the politicians of the free cities than paying attention to our activities.”
I allowed the frown coming on to grace my face as I glanced sidelong at the celebration ceremony. Amazoness was being featured, taking her place among her students to be celebrated as the coach of the winning team. What I forced myself to not do was clench my free hand into a fist that longed to strike down that self-righteous bitch.
“If there’s anyone who could be a problem, it’s Amazoness,” I added, trying to keep the pure venom out of my thoughts. “I know you and the council scoff at this, but I swear, her instincts may as well be a superpower, and even with my… alterations, she may recognize me.”
“Nonsense, Mother,” the old man chided. “Every part of your physical make-up save for your gender has been altered by Shaper. Simply keep your distance and stick to the plan. You can settle your score with the heroine later… after the World’s Finest.”
While I did not let myself sigh out loud, I did nothing to hide my feelings from Reroute. “As the council wishes.” To prevent further distractions, I clicked off the monitor, then acted as if I was touching up my make-up for the benefit of the security monitors. “I did take the liberty of making some initial analysis of the data, and you may wish to tell the council that we may wish to step up our overall plans. We expected Nicholas to measure up as immensely powerful, but I was surprised by the readings on the alien and the girl Barbur.”
“Oh?” was Reroute’s simple reply, so I took it as a call to explain further.
“Aylin Ajlal’s power ratings are far exceeding anything we have recorded for Sahanans,” I sent back, “and there are some rather striking similarities between the wavelength of her energy signature and Gateon’s. As for Kristen Barbur, while there is nothing unexpected as to her powers, both native and shared with her brother, she produces an output that exceeds that of Matthew by an order of magnitude.”
“That is indeed curious,” the old man agreed. “Let me consult with the council.”
There were a few moments of dead air, no more than thirty seconds, which I filled by actually fixing the small smudge in my ruby lipstick from drinking my tea. I’d have to be more careful. I wouldn’t want to look unfashionable, after all, especially in this new, restored form that Carter had provided me. Then, with a crackle of psychic static, Reroute was back in my head.
“Include those two in the plan, Mother,” he reported. “The council is already making adjustments to Oliver’s next battlesuit. It will be waiting for you in Phoenix, delivered by our usual contact.”
“Understood.” Satisfied that everything was now on point, I smiled into the compact’s mirror, a true, genuine smile. “This will be quite the final exam for everyone. Mother, signing off.”
With that, I snapped the compact closed and cut off the telepathic transmission. As I swiveled my chair back to the monitor on the office desk, I snapped it back on as I picked up my tea. The cameras were still focused on Nicholas Gateon and his Valcav cronies, smug and content in their victory… except I could detect the faintest of lines on the son of Inferno’s face, the smallest trace of concern.
He was a cagey one. It wasn’t just Amazoness I’d have to watch off the field… but our plan was perfect and our cover flawless. I already had a spin ready if the Valcav officials asked about Oliver’s records, and before anything else suspicious came to the fore, our plan would be nearing its completion.
I leaned back in my chair, smiling once again as I sipped at my tea, content in a job well done as I looked forward to Carter’s ultimate victory.
17
After the medal ceremony, after my team had gotten back together in our locker rooms, I found myself looking down at the gold medal still hanging around my neck with a smile. It felt a little odd still, being cheered and applauded by the masses, but I was getting used to accepting it. Fortunately, I wasn’t getting used to it, an important distinction really. I hoped that the feeling of elation from having people celebrate something I did, something good that I did, would never get old.
Gemma’s voice broke me out of my thoughts, and I looked up to see her smiling at all of us, hands on her hips. “You did great out there, truly. I wanted you to take it to those Carter assholes, and you went above and beyond.”
She nodded curtly. “Enjoy the evening, but don’t forget. We’re packing up and heading by hover jet to the Brand in the morning. There, we’ll have a couple of days of rest
before the defense event starts, but…” Her eyes drifted over us all as her voice trailed off. “I honestly don’t know if any of us will rest well in Phoenix.”
Both Triton and Judgment flanked her from a few steps back, and it was Efraim who cleared his throat to draw our attention. “While I might argue to use more… judicious words in describing our fellow competitors, Carter Academy’s snubbing of protocols does not sit well with me. Still, students, do not do as your coach has done, and keep a sense of decorum about you, please.”
Gemma rolled her eyes, but she didn’t press the issue. “Of course, Efraim, but for now, ladies and gentlemen, enjoy your rest. You’ve earned it.” She waved her hand as if to dismiss us, but before we began to break up, I raised my hand.
“I’m all for that, but aren’t we going to discuss this whole deal with Carter?” I asked. “I told you all what Oliver said and how their team treated this whole thing.” I focused on Gemma. “You yourself have been worried about them this whole time.”
She was about to respond when Triton put a hand on her shoulder and smiled at me. “I understand your vigilance and concern, Nicholas, but rest assured, Gemma has told me about her worries. Efraim and I already plan to talk to the Carter coach about this situation, as well as bring it up to the rules committee. Rest assured, we will get to the bottom of this.”
“Yes,” Judgment added with a glower focused squarely on me, Kara, Andie, and Eric. “Douglas and I will handle this, and please take note, any maverick investigations will only serve to make the situation more… complicated.” He swiveled his gaze to the Barbur twins. “Though our relationship is… strained at the moment, I trust you two will be the calmer heads in this situation. Please ensure your team does not incite an international incident.”
With that, he stepped into a shadow and out of the room. As he left, Eric turned to me and simply whispered, “Vaaaaaaampire.”
I couldn’t help it, I broke down into a chuckle at that. Fortunately, Judgement was long gone, and even Matt couldn’t be mad at that. He simply rolled his eyes.
“So, are we going to drop this Carter thing for the moment?” he asked as he tried to loosen up. He hugged Kristen around the shoulder and grinned. “We won this thing, so we should enjoy it, right?”
Triton smiled and nodded as he clapped Gemma on the shoulder. “Indeed, young Barbur, you and your teammates should do precisely that.” He looked over at our teacher. “Gemma, I would like to go over your impressions from this first event, if you don’t mind?”
“Of course, Douglas.” She gave him a faint tilt of her head and a raised brow, the universal Gemma look for curiosity as I learned over the years, and he responded with a faint nod. That seemed to put her at ease, and she smiled a bit. “Right, well, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Remember, you are still representing Valcav and Alexandria.”
As Gemma and Triton walked towards the door, she called after them, “Good night. I’ll see you all bright and early tomorrow morning on the Valcav commons.”
As soon as the door closed behind them, Andie and Kara each draped themselves over my shoulders, a conspiratorial grin on their lips.
“So, how are we going to do this?” Andie began as she glanced around at the rest of our team. “There have to be at least a dozen World’s Finest parties across the city. I know of at least three by our apartment.”
Eric bounced on his toes, sparks flying from him as he practically danced across the locker room. “I am so down to party! Uptown, downtown, out of town! I can’t believe we actually won!”
“Or…” Kara tapped her lip as she drew out the word. “We could always do something a bit more, well, private. It was our teamwork that won the day, so we should hang out, right?” She shook her head, looking a bit flustered. “And honestly, I’m a bit done with crowds for today, especially when we’re going to have to put up with this until the World’s Finest is over.”
“Now that is the best idea anyone has had all day,” Kristen added as she hooked her thumbs into her pockets. “Matt feels the same. Too many people, too bright a spotlight. I just want to, well, decompress with friends.”
Andie didn’t seem at all annoyed as the votes seemed to pile up. “Well, who am I to argue against a tidal wave?” She glanced at Aylin. “What about you, blackberry? What do you want to do? You are the exchange student, and it’s not like you’ve gotten to even go to a party on Terra, have you?”
“That’s a good point,” I added as I locked eyes with the alien princess. “Is there something you want to do to celebrate, Aylin? Something you can only do on Terra?”
Aylin’s eyes seemed to glow even brighter as her cheeks blushed a deeper shade of purple. For a moment, it seemed as if she was a deer frozen in the headlights of our stares, but she finally blinked and got out, “I, uh, would wish to, well, celebrate as any Terran native would. To, uh, better understand my new home. So, yes, whatever you all would wish to do will please, uh, no, be sufficient in me, uh, no, for me.”
The room grew silent as we all gave her the hairy eyeball. I didn’t believe it for a moment, and even Eric looked at her with a curious mix of reproachfulness and curiosity.
“Look, Aylin,” Matt said as he ran a hand down his face. “You’re family now, so that means you probably can’t bullshit us. Even if you were a great liar, which you’re not, and even if I didn’t have wolf-like senses, which I do, it’s plain as day you aren’t being straight with us.”
Kara blinked at that, then cast a quick glance past me to Andie before saying, “But, well, we don’t want to make Aylin uncomfortable, do we, Matt?”
“Oh no,” Andie chimed in, almost as if this were rehearsed, “that’d be even worse.” Aylin blinked dumbly around the room, her blush only growing. “Look, Nick here has always done well with our little blackberry here. Why don’t we all go ahead to the Stacks and get the party started while Nick and Aylin sort things out?”
Of course. I was already starting to catch on, but Andie and Kara’s little back and forth cemented what was going on in my mind… and I wasn’t one to argue. I had already promised to make Aylin my Stars, and when would be a better time? Once we were in the Brand, in my dad’s backyard, there wouldn’t be a safe moment.
I wasn’t the only one, either. Kristen seemed to see the cues my loves were sending off, and she nudged Matt with an elbow. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it?” That must have been when the twin voodoo thing kicked in because Matt’s eyes widened a bit.
“Uh, yeah, Aylin, I think Andie and Kara have the right of this.” He shrugged. “We’ll catch up with you guys a little later.” As Matt turned his glance towards me, he gave me a warning glare that would have made his old self proud, but instead of being pure ‘I want to rip out your heart, Gateon,’ this one was ‘You better treat her like a lady, Nick.’
What can I say? The Barburs were protective of their family… but there was no need to be worried. I had grown to cherish and respect Aylin so I would treat her with every care she desired.
Speaking of Aylin, she gazed at me with longing as she clasped her arms in front of her. “Would this be pleasing to you, Starlight? I think, uh, that you may be of assistance in working out my conundrum.”
“Can I help?” Eric chimed in, ever eager to please and just a few steps behind the rest of us. “I mean, aside from some of the staff… and some diplomats… and maybe some scientists… I’m definitely the top expert on Sahanans in the city. I’m certain I could--”
“No, buddy,” I interrupted. “We should be fine. I wouldn’t want to take away from your party time.” That seemed to mollify the hyper electrokinetic, so, with that settled, I gave first Andie then Kara a swift kiss and a smile. “Don’t wait up for me, ladies.”
Andie gave me a quick swat on the ass as Kara caught me with a deeper kiss of her own. “Maybe we won’t…” She winked seductively. “But then again, maybe we will.”
Kara took that as the right point to slowly pull away from our kiss
, and she stared deep into my eyes. “You and Aylin be good and be safe. We’ll see you soon.”
“Again,” I grinned, “I can’t make any promises.”
She giggled at that and grabbed Andie’s hand. “Okay, let’s get out of here before this gets really silly.”
Kristen nodded as she herded Eric and her brother out behind my Sun and Moon. “Yeah, let’s.” As she got them out the door, she turned back to us. “Thanks, Nick. For keeping us safe out there on the field and your smart plan to win.”
“I can’t take all the credit, but thanks, Kristen.”
We exchanged a smile, and she slipped off and closed the door. I turned back towards Aylin, about to offer a suggestion about where we should go, only to find her already having crossed the distance between us and her arms wrapping around my chest. Not one to hesitate in such a situation, I pulled her close to me and into a deep, electrifying kiss. Again, there was that pulse, that inner connection as the powers inside us touched as closely as our lips.
It took all my willpower not to have my way with her right there in the locker room. That and my good sense. The last thing I think that any of us needed was some cheeky security guard leaking that kind of footage to the press.
Still, it was a long few moments before we parted, and I wound up staring into those glowing eyes of hers. “So, I guess that answers the first question, huh?”
“I do not understand, Starlight. From our talk on the rooftop today, I thought the situation was plain.” Aylin thought for a moment before tilting her head in an almost feline fashion. “Did Andrea Baker and Kara Johnson not inform you of our celebration plans?”
