by R. J. Ross
“So… with that sob story, you really expect me to go out and find her?” I say, making him laugh.
“The family I want for you would never miss you in a crowd,” he says. “I think you’ll be an amazing Liberty, Sandra. I would even agree to you being a Superior, but I’ve found that my old man makes a better grandfather than a father. If you want, I could probably talk Summer into taking you in. I wouldn’t mind having another kid. But to be honest, Ken is probably a better dad than I am.”
“I don’t see you throwing out this offer to the other zoo kids,” I have to point out.
“I would, if they needed a family setting. Right now, most of them are okay with all of the adults working how they are. You, on the other hand… you need something more.”
“I’m perfectly fine—”
“You don’t call them your siblings. You don’t turn to Banshee, or Blackjack, or anyone else that would willingly help you. But you let Ken talk with you. It was the first hopeful sign we had.”
I think about it for a moment, before asking, “Hey, if you were over a massive crowd like that, and your kids showed up with hats on… would you have been able to pick them out?”
“Absolutely,” he says.
“You sure?”
“If any of the kids were there, I’d pick them out, even you.”
“Well that’s not THAT big of a deal, you know,” I have to point out. “I don’t exactly blend into a crowd.”
“You could blend into the buildings, though,” he says. “We’ll work on it. Now… one more question. Do you not like Jeanie?”
I go still, thinking of the time I frosted gingerbread men. “I like her,” I admit. “She’s really pretty, though.”
“She’s stronger than you are by… a lot,” he says, making me jerk and look up in shock. “The Liberty boys are tough, sure, but they won’t surpass her until they’re in their forties, if ever—and she’ll always be faster than Jack.”
“Wow,” I say.
“She’s a Liberty girl,” he sums up. “Oh, sure, she’s beautiful, and Emily’s cute, but it isn’t the looks that make a Liberty girl when it comes down to it. You’ll see what I mean when you work with Emily in… oh, about an hour.”
“Wait, what?” I say.
“I’m just keeping you from running off before afternoon training,” he says as kids start coming into the classroom. “Welcome to Science Class, Sandra. And if you’re thinking about going I can arrange for someone to go with you.”
I hesitate, realizing he’s back on the topic of going to see my birth mother. I feel myself nod slightly as Lance drops down in the seat next to mine and grins at me and taps on our table so that it lights up with drawings.
***
I had a machine blow up in my face. The entire class started cheering. It wasn’t until Nico turned on a hologram with “best explosion ranking” that I stopped being so offended. I mean, I’m in the top ten, now. That’s something worth bragging about, right? I’m still wiping the black char marks off of my face with a cloth as we head outside for the second training hour. Nico leads me, Emily, and Ace towards an empty part of the canyon, but then he stops and looks around.
“Fine, come out,” he says. “You can all watch.”
It looks something like cockroaches coming out after the lights go off. One moment they’re not there, the next they are. Part of it is thanks to Brandon, who shimmers into view along with a handful of others. To my surprise, he stays visible. “You can do it, Sandra!” he calls. “Well, you know, of course you can do it; fire probably doesn’t even phase you…”
“Thanks, Brandon,” I say simply, looking at Nico.
“We want a five-story apartment building,” Nico is saying to Ace. “We want people scattered among the floors. We’ll leave out the pets for this first run. The fire should spread with decent speed. If it’s a building you’re familiar with, it’d be good. If not—”
“I could do a hospital,” Ace says.
“Nah, you can base the structure on it, but don’t worry about all the extra stuff for this one,” Nico says. “Girls, have you come up with a plan?”
I look at Emily, who looks back at me, and then shrugs. “We were going to take out the water on the roof?” she offers.
“How do you plan on getting to the roof?” he asks.
“I could teleport—” Emily says, but I hold up a hand before she can finish.
“Teleporting me will be a waste of energy, right? I’ll climb.”
“You’ll climb up a burning building?” she asks.
“Well, it’s not like I can fly,” I say. “Besides, if we screw up nobody dies, so we might as well try it, right?”
“Okay, we’ll try that. I’ll spread out and search for people while you climb the wall and break the water reserve.”
I nod, looking up as a large building appears out of nowhere. For a moment, I swear that it’s semi-transparent. The next, though, it’s as solid as if it’s been there all along. I hear people inside, speaking, or watching TV, and then there’s a sparking sound. The fire starts small, with only a little bit of smoke coming from one window, but then it rapidly spreads throughout the building.
“Now’s about the time they notice something, the fire alarms should go off, sprinklers—” Nico says, dictating what’s happening in the building. “And you’re on, girls. Do us proud. Emily, you’re on rescue duty. Sandra, turn the illusion watch off, you’re on cape duty.”
Emily looks at me and nods before poofing away. I reluctantly turn off my watch and head for the side of the building. I grab the wall, only to have it crumble under my touch. I slam my fingers into it, digging a bit deeper for a good handhold. It’s going to leave holes up the side of the building, but that’s not my fault. They should have paid for more quality siding—
Wait, this is an illusion. I’m climbing up a five-story tall illusion. If I fall… no, seriously, what WOULD happen to me if I fell from that height? Would I shatter? I’d probably have some cracks, or something, at least. I create another handhold, hauling myself up further even as I try not to imagine it. I am climbing up something that doesn’t really exist.
“Hey, if I fall, you had BETTER catch me!” I shout over my shoulder.
“I think that’d hurt us more than it hurts you,” Elidee says.
“I’ll catch you,” Trent says. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got your back.”
I take a deep breath, feeling all the worry that had just been building up fade. “Good,” I say as I speed up my climb. I mean, who WOULDN’T feel safer? It’s childish, I realize a second later. I should be plenty tough enough to take a fall, but here I am, clinging to the idea that someone’s promised to catch me if I fall. Well, sure, the one that promised CAN catch me if I fall. I haul myself onto the roof of the building, a bit surprised that it had been so easy to get here, and head for the water tower.
“Sandra, are you ready?” Emily asks from my watch.
“Yeah, I’m in position. Have you gotten everyone out?”
“I think so. Let it rain.”
I grab one of the metal poles holding the water tower and jerk, pulling it over. The water starts pouring out, but it’s only on one side of the building. I grunt and lift the water basin, turning it so it pours on the other side as well. “I don’t think it’s going to put out all of the fire,” I admit.
“It won’t, but it’ll give the firefighters a head start,” Nico says. “Good job, ladies. You did well.”
“I’m soaked,” I complain, pulling at my tank top and wringing it dry. “Are we done for the day? I could use some dry clothes.”
“It’s imaginary water,” Ace says. “I’m going to turn the illusion off, now, okay? It was a little more detailed than I’m used to, so I’m getting tired.”
“I’m out,” Emily says.
Before I can reply, the building disappears from under me and I start to fall. I don’t even have time to scream before I land in someone’s arms. “Told you I’d c
atch you,” Trent says.
“What the heck?” I say, losing my temper. “You could have at least given me a warning!”
“I just did,” Ace says. He does look a little pale, but I’m betting he’s ALWAYS pale. “Besides, Trent already said he would catch you, remember?”
Trent lands, letting me drop to the ground, and I glare at Ace, my hands clenching. I still want to punch him, even if Trent HAD caught me. “Whoa, wait, don’t do it,” Trent says, holding me back. “He might have been telling the truth about it being too detailed.”
“I say we let her,” Jack says, walking over with an evil little grin on his face. “He could have held it longer. I’ve seen him do stuff that big, before.”
“That big, sure, but not with as many rooms and living creatures inside,” Ace says, sitting down on the ground. “Not to mention the fire. Sorry, Sandra, I should have warned you earlier. Give me a bit and I’ll make it up to you.”
I stare at him, crossing my arms over my chest. “What, going to make another building to drop me from?” I ask.
“No, I’ll fix your hair.”
“I don’t care about my hair,” I say. Sure, I did once upon a time, but I’d had a huge wakeup call when I went out on the road with Lance. I lost my powers for a moment, and my body had turned normal. It still haunts me, now, because at the time we’d been up against a really dangerous guy, and I’d been completely helpless. I would rather be ugly than helpless. It had been a bit of a stunning realization, one that Ace, apparently, doesn’t agree with. He hops to his feet and walks over to me.
“Come on, it won’t kill you to give it a little shape,” he says.
“You should have let her hit him,” Jack says.
“She’s fine just how she is,” Trent says.
“It’ll be the equivalent of a haircut,” Ace argues. “I gave Freddy a haircut. I don’t see you yelling at me for that!”
“We would, but he apparently LIKES the lizard on his head,” Morgan says, rolling her eyes.
“I want to dye it again,” Freddy says. “I’m thinking blue and purple.”
“Sure, we can do that,” Ace says, not even looking at him. His entire focus is on me. “I can do whatever you want with it. Braids would look good, or even just a bit of curl—”
“I’m going to my room,” I say, walking away from the group. Actually, I realize as my stomach rumbles, I think I’ll go to the cafeteria, and then to my room. I’ve been a lot hungrier, lately, probably because I’ve been running around a lot more. Or maybe I’m going through a growth spurt. Wouldn’t that be great? I’ll become an even larger walking rock. I look around, seeing Vinny standing to the side. “Hey, Vinny? Make me something to eat, would you?”
He looks up, a little grin playing on his lips. “Sure,” he says, joining me. “What would you like?”
“I don’t know, something fast and easy,” I say. “I’ve been a lot hungrier than usual, lately.”
“From what Jimmi said, you need to eat more,” he says as we enter the dormitory.
I don’t know what to say to that, really. I don’t think I even know who Jimmi is, but he seems sad right now. I look at him curiously, trying to read him. I never thought I was good at reading people. It’s not as if being a rock mimic should make you sensitive. I’m definitely not a telepath, or anything, either. So… well, if I pick up on it, it must be pretty obvious, right?
“What?” he asks.
“Who’s Jimmi?” I ask.
“She’s… just a girl that’s moved back to the South Branch,” he says, turning and heading into the kitchen.
I keep my mouth shut, since being fed is more important than prying, right now. I definitely can’t cook, not with these over-sized hands of mine. I could barely frost gingerbread men, and they were massive. But I have to admit that I’m getting more used to using them, thanks to the game. I don’t screw up on the controls nearly as much as when I started. I almost blink as a tray loaded down with sandwiches, vegetables, and chips is held out to me. I take it, automatically.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” he says. “Does anyone else want a snack?” he calls, and I turn, blinking at the sight of half the school at the tables behind me. When did they get here? Was I so busy trying to figure out what to say that I didn’t even notice? Wow, that’s lame. I head for a table, my tray in my hands. I’m halfway through my food when Malina sits down across from me. I stare at her.
“Um,” she says, “I don’t think it would hurt.”
“What?” I ask.
“Letting him fix your hair.”
I look at her for a few seconds before pointedly taking a large bite of food. “Look, I know how it feels to be… different,” she says quietly, leaning forward slightly. “Neither of us look like the traditional super—”
“You’re short,” I say bluntly, “but that’s not a big deal. You’re still cute.”
She blushes, giving me a shy little smile at the unexpected compliment. “But I’ll never fit society’s standards,” she says. “Society has stupid standards, anyway, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do things to make yourself feel better. I think you’re beautiful.”
“Pull the other leg, it has gems on it,” I say.
“No, you ARE,” she says, reaching out and touching my hand. “If you look at your skin closely, it’s beautiful, like a gemstone. I bet your mom is really beautiful, too.”
I go still. “Is everyone talking about that?” I ask, not bothering to lower my voice. “Everyone’s trying to figure out who my mother is, aren’t you? Well you know what? I don’t CARE who my mother is. It doesn’t matter if she’s a rock mimic or not, understand?”
I get to my feet and walk away from the table, leaving the tray there. I don’t know where to put it, anyway. Instead, I storm off to my room, not slamming the door shut even though I feel like it. I drop down on the floor in front of my wall, pulling my phone out. I’m not sure if Superior is back in the game or not, and if I do talk with him, will I just spill all of it? A part of me really wants to talk to SOMEONE—
A tiny knock comes from the door and I look up as the door opens without my permission. “I—I’m sorry,” Malina says in a tiny voice. “I shouldn’t have said anything about her.”
She starts to close the door, but I jerk, making a small noise. “Wait,” I hear myself say. “I… might have overreacted,” I mutter, feeling stupid.
The door swings open and she comes in, sitting down on the floor next to me and pulling out her phone.
“Want to play together?” she asks. “I know you were playing with Lance, but I beat him here. Plus, I bet we could actually win if we work together.”
“Why’s that?” I ask.
“Because you can deal with land stuff, and I can deal with water,” she explains. “Nico has several bases hidden on islands in the game, did you know that? They all have underwater entries.”
“Really?” I say, surprised.
“Yep, I think he got the idea from Boom’s old islands.”
“So… you would leave the mainland work for me, and take out the water bases?” I ask, my mind swirling with ideas. “A two-front attack might be good. I’m saving for a teleportation watch, though, so I could get there sooner or later, on my own.”
“But can you swim?” she asks logically. “If you take the islands down, you’ll drown.”
“Only until I teleported away,” I say. She gives me a look.
“We could also go faster with two people,” she says, poking my shoulder. I don’t even feel it. “Come on, Carla can never sit still long enough to play, so I never get to team up with anyone. I’m getting cabin fever.”
“You can always go swim in the pool, right?” I say.
“It’s too cold out for most of the others to want to go,” she says, “so I’d be alone out there, too.”
“Huh.”
“I mean, if I had an excuse to go out and explore for a while, I’d like to go,” she says.
“Are you trying to make a point?” I ask as our characters appear on the wall.
“Well, I was just thinking…” she says.
“What?”
“If Superior does come to train you, maybe we could talk him into taking both of us up to the Arctic Circle. It’s amazing up there,” she says. “I want to train with you. And if you ever DO decide to go see your mom, I’d be willing to go with you there, too. I bet Lance offered that already, though, right?”
“Not the training with Superior part,” I admit. “He said he’d go with me if I wanted to meet my birth mother. I just don’t see any reason to.”
“To get past it and decide to become a Liberty?” she offers. “We actually heard you laugh the other day, and it wasn’t just because of Lance. You seemed happier than you have been since… well, since I’ve known you.”
“Because I can hide behind an illusion.”
“You’re not wearing an illusion right now,” she says. “But you didn’t throw things at me when I came in, and you’re actually listening to what I have to say. I shouldn’t have said it in the cafeteria, though, and I really am sorry about that. But… I DO think you’re beautiful.”
“You gonna fall in love with me?” I tease, feeling both amused and awkward. “Lance threatened to, but he’s too pretty for my tastes.”
She starts laughing. “Yes! I will love you until the day that I die!” she declares dramatically, getting to her feet and throwing her arms around my shoulders. She can only do that because I’m sitting down. “I just… didn’t know what to do, before. I mean, you were so full of anger that we couldn’t get near you.” She sits back down, looking at her phone instead of me.
“And I’m not, now?” I ask.
“Nope,” she says, looking up with a little smile. “You’re gruff, but you’re not… you know.”
“Full of violent rage?” I offer.
