Replication

by Kevin Hardman

  “Um, sure,” I said, uncertain of what I was getting myself into. “Just let me tell my mom and–”

  “No, no, no,” Rune insisted with a shake of his head. “It’s not anything that needs to happen right now, and I might not need you at all. Even if I do, it probably won’t be for a couple of days. I simply wanted to put it on your radar – just in case.”

  I nodded. “That’s fine. Just let me know.”

  “Will do,” Rune stated with a grin. He then turned to Myshtal. “And if I didn’t say so before, Princess, please accept my apologies for startling you with my appearance. I sincerely hope it won’t prevent you from enjoying the rest of the party.”

  “It won’t,” Myshtal assured him, smiling. “And please accept my apologies as well. My reaction was more juvenile than I would ever have expected.”

  Rune laughed. “No worries. It’s not the first time someone has responded in that fashion, and probably won’t be last.”

  “That may happen sooner than you expect,” Myshtal stated. “I’m not the only Caelesian here.”

  Rune seemed to ponder that for a moment before responding. “Well, I wouldn’t want my appearance to shock anyone else tonight, so I suppose I could make myself less conspicuous.”

  “That would be great,” Myshtal said.

  “Done,” Rune declared a moment later. As he spoke, his entire body seemed to go fuzzy for a second, as if I was seeing him through the lens of a camera that was out of focus. The effect only lasted for the blink of an eye, but when he came back into focus (for lack of a better term), he was no longer wearing the outlandish pink-and-purple outfit. Instead, he was dressed in the time-honored, traditional tuxedo colors of black and white.

  “Better?” Rune asked, holding his arms out and turning in a slow circle.

  “Uh…” I droned. “I think the princess was referring more to your symbols.” I made a twirling motion in front of my face.

  “Oh, that,” Rune said in a casual tone. “How about now?”

  I blinked. I hadn’t noticed anything happen, but all of the mobile characters previously on Rune’s face (and presumably the rest of him) had vanished. They had disappeared, literally, before my eyes.

  “That’s excellent,” Myshtal replied, while I merely mumbled something.

  In truth, it could probably be said that the cat had my tongue. I had never seen Rune without his namesake symbols on his body. Seeing him without them came as a bit of a shock, because I suddenly realized that I hadn’t really known what he looked like. The characters covering his skin had always been so visually distracting that I’d never taken note of his actual features until now.

  He had what would probably be described as roguish good looks, which went well with the devil-may-care attitude he often seemed to exhibit. Coupled with the cocksure grin he was now giving us, the overall effect was the addition of a rakish quality to his appearance.

  “You two should probably get back to the ballroom,” Rune said, interrupting my thoughts. “I’d hate for you to miss anything.”

  There was a percipient tone to his voice, as if he knew something we didn’t – which, with respect to Rune, could very well be the case.

  “Come on,” I said to Myshtal. “Let’s head back.”

  With that, we said goodbye to Rune and began making our way to the ballroom.

  Chapter 20

  When we returned to the ballroom, I was almost disappointed to find that nothing of particular note seemed to be happening. The place was full of people and the air was alive with chatter, but I didn’t notice anything that had been worth hustling back for. Glancing around, I saw my mother and grandparents still greeting guests, with Mom currently in the process of hugging a couple of dark-haired young women who had come through the receiving line – and then I almost did a double-take when I realized who the two women were. Smiling, I shot a quick telepathic message to one of them.

  I said casually.

  The woman in question quickly jerked her head around, scanning the crowd as she excitedly responded,

  I sent her a mental ping to indicate where I was in the ballroom, then gave a quick wave as her gaze turned in my direction. A broad grin broke out on her face, indicating that she’d spotted me. Then she grabbed her companion by the hand and began dragging her towards me. A moment later, they were both in front of us.

  “Jim!” Avis exclaimed as she gave me a fierce hug (albeit with only one arm, since I now noticed she had a drink in her other hand). “It’s so good to see you again!”

  “Yeah,” said the other woman, giving me a quick but forceful embrace as well. “We heard you took a little sabbatical, so it’s wonderful that you’re back.”

  “I’m happy to be back, Vela,” I announced, grateful that she’d been circumspect in her description of my off-planet escapades. I didn’t think anyone was listening to us, but it didn’t hurt to be discreet.

  “Well, the time away obviously didn’t hurt you,” chimed in Avis. “You look great.”

  “As do the two of you,” I replied, “although I have to admit that I almost didn’t recognize you at first.”

  The two of them laughed, with Vela noting, “Yeah, it’s a different look for us.”

  Her comment (as well as my own) alluded to the fact she and Avis were wearing formal dresses rather than superhero costumes. In truth, the two women were actually my cousins – the daughters of my father’s brother, Megaton – and supers in their own right. Avis (who was formally known as Rara Avis) was typically considered to be one of the most powerful supers on the planet, but was known just as much for a social life in which she partied like a rock star. Vela was formidable as well, but as a member of a mid-level superhero team based in the Midwest, she didn’t receive as much press as her sibling.

  “Where’s Monique?” I asked, referring to my other cousin – Avis and Vela’s sister. “Will she be here? And what about your father?”

  “Monique can’t make it,” Vela replied. “But she sends her love.”

  “Little Miss Homemaker has a conflict,” Avis almost sneered. “Some event she needs to attend with her husband.”

  I nodded, but didn’t say anything. The disdain in Avis’ voice was centered around the fact that Monique – who could probably go toe-to-toe with any super on the planet – had eschewed the family business in favor of being a housewife, which she enjoyed immensely.

  “As to Dad…” Avis continued, then merely shrugged her shoulders as she trailed off. The gesture hinted at the fact that our fathers were generally estranged (as brothers sometimes are), so it was unlikely that Megaton would put in an appearance tonight.

  “Anyway,” Vela interjected, gracefully changing the subject, “who’s your friend?” She inclined her head towards Myshtal.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled apologetically. “This is Princess Isteria of Caeles. Princess, please allow me to present Vela and Rara Avis.”

  Mentally, I frowned as I made the introductions, which involved a couple of judicious decisions. First, I had chosen to introduce Myshtal by her formal name. It was what my grandmother had done with Nobaxlin, so I thought it important to follow suit.

  Next, I had sidestepped mentioning that Vela and Avis were my cousins. In truth, almost no one knew that the two women were sisters, and even fewer were aware of the fact that they were related to me. Basically, there was a deliberate practice in my family to avoid disclosing familial relationships, for both privacy concerns and to avoid the inevitable comparisons that would result if the information became known. Of course, that hadn’t stopped Avis from announcing on social media that Kid Sensation was her cousin; the only silver lining at that juncture was the fact that few people knew that Jim Carrow and Kid Sensation were the same person. (On my part, I’d only recently found out that I even had an uncle or cousins, so keeping that info under wraps had never really been an issue for me.)

  Naturally, no one seemed to notice or appreciate t
he shrewdness I’d displayed in acquainting Myshtal with my cousins. My affianced bride greeted Avis and Vela warmly, and it became immediately apparent that she was going to charm them as quickly and completely as she did almost everyone else. However, the three of them had barely exchanged a dozen words before someone else cut in.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

  Recognizing the voice, I groaned inwardly and then glanced around until I laid eyes on the speaker: Vestibule.

  Chapter 21

  She was standing just a few feet behind Avis and Vela, dressed in a simple but elegant teal gown. She also sported a subtle shade of pink lipstick and lightly-applied eye shadow, and had her hair braided into a fishtail. All in all, it was a much more subdued look than most other occasions when I’d seen Vestibule. (Usually, she looked as though she were headed to or coming from a modeling gig, and strutted around like she was the peacock with the largest plume.)

  Hurriedly replaying the last few minutes through my mind, I had a vague recollection of seeing her in the receiving line, as well as following in my cousins’ wake as they came over to greet me. Obviously, I had been so focused on Vela and Avis that I hadn’t truly noticed her. And even though I’d known she’d be here, her sudden appearance, having come somewhat out of the blue, caught me a little unprepared.

  “Introduce me?” Vestibule repeated, bringing me back to myself.

  “Oh, um, sure,” I muttered half-heartedly. “I think you already know Avis –”

  “We’ve met,” Vestibule cut in sharply, giving me an odd look. Her expression probably stemmed from the fact that she and Avis were both part of the A-List Supers and traveled in the same social circles, which was something I knew.

  “There’s also Vela,” I continued.

  “We’re acquainted as well,” Vestibule declared.

  “Okay, great,” I said flatly. “Well, this is Princess Isteria.” I gestured towards Myshtal. “Princess, meet Vestibule.”

  It was short and to the point, but apparently represented the intro that Vestibule had been angling for, as, smiling, she immediately moved forward to greet Myshtal. However, they had done little more than say “Hello” to each other before Avis spoke up.

  “Please excuse us for a minute,” she said. “I need to speak to Jim about something.”

  She then placed a firm hand on my elbow and practically marched me a dozen paces away, not releasing me until we were safely out of earshot.

  “Look,” she stated firmly, “I know that you and Vestibule have some kind of thing going, but –”

  “No,” I interrupted, “we have no kind of thing going.”

  “Well, aren’t you supposed to be dating?”

  “No!” I declared emphatically. “Did she tell you that?”

  Avis shrugged. “She mentioned something along those lines.”

  “Well, it’s not true. We’re supposed to go on an outing – a single, solitary outing – but it’s not a date.”

  “Fine – date, outing, whatever. I just need you not to tick her off. She’s my ride home tonight. Vela’s too.”

  “So she teleported you here. Big deal. Vela can run at like a thousand miles per hour, and you can fly at Mach speed. Why does either of you need a ride home?”

  “Well, I can’t speak for my sister, but I’m not sure I’ll be in any condition to fly at the end of the night.” With that, she knocked back her drink, finishing it off. “Plus, I’m not keen on zipping back through the air in this dress, and I’m sure Vela feels the same about running on the road in hers.”

  “Well, in case you’ve forgotten, I’m a teleporter, so I can get you home.”

  “You mean you can get me close, since you don’t know exactly where I live. Same thing for Vela.”

  “Unless you’re passed out or slurring your words so badly that I can’t understand you, I can get you there. But even if I can’t, you’re forgetting something else: this is your uncle’s house. If you don’t think you can make it home, you can always crash here.”

  “Yeah, that’s a great option,” she quipped sarcastically. Noticing the puzzled look on my face, she explained, “Your old man has rules about overnight guests that a young lady with a social life would probably describe as…antiquated.”

  “Oh,” I mumbled softly, now understanding. Then I frowned. “Wait a minute. Why would that rule bother you? Aren’t you dating some tech billionaire?”

  “We broke up,” Avis said casually. “He found board meetings and business trips more interesting than hanging out with me.”

  “In other words, he had a business to run,” I concluded. “Come on, Avis. You can’t expect a guy’s heart to go all aflutter and have him drop everything on his plate every time you call.”

  “I can, and I do,” she retorted. “But speaking of setting hearts aflutter, who is that?”

  There was an extremely attentive look on my cousin’s face, and emotionally I detected a sudden and very focused interest – like a kid who had just seen a toy he simply had to have for Christmas. Following the direction of her gaze, it only took me a second to figure out who she was referring to, and the realization of who it was caught me more than a little by surprise.

  I let out an exasperated sigh and muttered, “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “What?” Avis asked. “You know him?”

  I nodded, frowning. “That’s Prince Nobaxlin.”

  “A prince?” Avis repeated with a smile, sounding immensely pleased. “It’s been awhile since I’ve dated royalty. Can you introduce me?”

  I was silent for a moment, debating on how best to explain the situation. Needless to say, there was nothing really problematic about making an introduction. Moreover, technically, there would be nothing wrong if – after becoming acquainted – Avis and Nobaxlin decided to pursue a romantic relationship. After all, they weren’t related to each other. They were, however, both related to me, which made the situation awkward from my point of view.

  Thankfully, I was saved from having to deal with what would have been a ticklish scenario by the abrupt appearance of a scabrous, crimson line a few feet from us. It parted the air vertically from the floor up to a height of about six feet. A few people nearby quickly stepped back, unsure of what was going on. Personally, I smiled, understanding what was happening. A moment later, three people stepped through the scarlet slit, which quickly closed behind them.

  Grinning broadly, I stepped forward, exclaiming, “You made it!”

  “Of course,” said the first of the new arrivals – a boyish-looking youth with an odd assortment of rings on his fingers. Returning my smile, he reached out and gave me a firm handshake.

  “Yeah, we couldn’t miss this,” said one of his companions, a willowy young blonde with a wicked scar that cut across her right eye. Dressed in a floor-length gown, she gave me a hug and a quick peck on the cheek. “Thanks for inviting us.”

  “And my thanks again for inviting me,” said Li, who was the third member of the newly-arrived trio. “Kane and Gossamer” – he indicated the youth and the blonde, respectively – “were kind enough to allow me to travel here with them.”

  “Actually, we insisted,” said Kane.

  “And it was no problem to swing by Alpha League HQ and scoop him up,” Gossamer added.

  I merely made a grunt of acknowledgment, as I now found myself looking at Gossamer almost in disbelief.

  “What is it?” she asked, noting my attention and giving herself a once-over. “Is there something wrong with my clothes?”

  I shook my head. “No, I–”

  “Is it my weapons?” Gossamer continued, as if she hadn’t heard me. At the same time, she reached towards a couple of ceremonial daggers that she always wore at her waist. “Because I can–”

  “No, no, no,” I insisted, cutting her off.

  “Then what?” she asked imploringly.

  “It’s nothing,” I declared. “It’s just that…I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress before
.”

  Kane burst into laughter. “I know, right? But you have to admit that my girl cleans up rather nice.”

  Blushing slightly, Gossamer’s response was to punch her boyfriend lightly on the arm, causing Kane to mutter an exaggerated, “Ow.” This was typical behavior for them, along with regular squabbling (which had initially begun as a way to mask their growing mutual attraction).

  Gossamer turned back to me. “So it’s not my daggers?”

  I shook my head. “No. To be honest, I barely noticed them.”

  It was a sincere statement on my part. Although Gossamer was indeed wearing them, the daggers subtly and effectively blended in with her ensemble. Also, the fact that she seldom wore dresses was not a reflection on her femininity, but more indicative of the fact that she was always ready to spring into action.

  Plainly speaking, Gossamer was an elf and incredibly beautiful – even with the scar across her eye. (In fact, the scar, which was a souvenir from a run-in with a supervillain, gave her a certain appeal, in my opinion.) As to the daggers, they were not just weapons, but one of the ways in which she wielded magic. This had resulted in a friendly rivalry with Kane – who employed sorcery – as to whose magical abilities were superior.

  “Everything good here?” asked a familiar voice, bringing my attention back to the present. I turned and saw that my father had joined us without me even noticing. (In fact, I hadn’t even realized he was in the room.)

  Of course. The magic that my friends had used to come here had drawn some attention. At this point, it was clear that it had been an innocuous event, as most of the nearby guests were going back to their prior conversations, but my father had come over to investigate anyway.

  “Everything’s fine,” I assured him. “You remember Gossamer and Kane.”

  “Yes, of course I do,” my father said, then greeted the two of them, as well as Li. “I hope you’re all enjoying the party.”

  “We only just arrived,” Gossamer stated, “but this place seems beautiful. Do you know who it belongs to?”