by R. J. Ross
"That isn't how Banshee described it. She said you came up with an effective way to keep them from using their powers on one another, without hurting anyone." He grins slightly. "Have you met Mastermental?" he asks. He's changing the subject?
"Um, for a bit."
"He's not very big at all. If it was a physical competition I could possibly beat him," he says. "But he's, without a doubt, the perfect leader for the Hall at this point. He's intelligent, a great strategist, and extremely good with dealing with people. A leader doesn't have to be the toughest of the group, not in capes or humans. You realize that, though."
Did I? "Ward is stronger than I am," I have to point out. "He's only fourteen, but he's a lot stronger. I mean, most of them could kick my butt if they really wanted to. All they'd have to do is avoid being touched--"
"True," he says. "But have any of them challenged you for your job?"
"Why would they want it?" I ask. "I mean, my job consists of making sure Carla doesn't burst out in tears, or that the television doesn't get fought over, or that everyone brushes their teeth--they call me a leader, right? What I really am is a glorified mom, or something. It's hard," I admit, finally letting it out. "I spend all my time making sure that everyone's happy, healthy, and then Justin gets in my face about how Ward isn't stable--NONE of us are stable! We're all just trying to live our lives and get used to our powers. It's hard enough being teenage supers, you know? Well add in the whole ordeal with the Collector and being stuck in that place, not knowing if you'd ever get out, or if you'd even WANT out--" I take a deep, ragged breath, trying to calm myself down. "It's... hard," I finish lamely.
He nods, looking thoughtful for a moment before saying, "so what would you like to know about me?"
Wow. That totally caught me off guard. I know he said I would be doing the asking, but I didn't think he really meant it once he started asking questions! I thought it was one of those stupid ploys to get me to talk--even if it did work. "Um..." I say, trying to come up with something. Wait, I know. "Why did you adopt Jack? He's obviously a bad guy!"
"Well, he's going to be a super villain, sure, but I wouldn't call him a bad guy," he says thoughtfully. "It's more of an occupational choice than a lifestyle, you know? But as for adopting him..." He leans back in the chair, looking as if he's taking cares in picking his words. "I know that your group has gone through a lot. For a long time you were pulled away from your families and stuck in that place, but for Jack... well, he never had a family to begin with. Everyone needs that support, especially the would-be super villains."
I stare at him blankly until he lets out a laugh. "Oh, that look," he says with a grin. "Let me put it like this," he goes on, leaning forward. "In our world there are two types of super villains. There's the ones like Max, who put on a show for the norms to follow, lose gracefully at the end and come back later with an even more entertaining show. They follow the set rules of our society, the ones you're taught about in school. Then there's the ones like Star Born--or Shadowman. They don't care who gets hurt in the process, they don't follow the rules, and they wind up where Star Born is now."
"Where is she?" I ask.
"The Cape Cells," he says. "But you realize the difference between the two types, don't you?"
I feel like the blood has left my face. I shake my head because he clearly expects some sort of response, but can't come up with words.
"Those like Max have support and checks to keep them from taking their job too seriously. Those like Star Born don't. They honestly put themselves and their goals above others at all costs. That's pretty hard to do when your adopted family loves you enough to try and keep you from going down that road. That, Morgan, is why we adopted Jack."
"It doesn't work," I hear myself whisper. "If that worked then--then Dad would--" I barely stop myself.
"Your dad?" he asks. "Morgan--"
"Even if you think you can save him, you can't," I burst out. "You just stand there and watch, and Mom leaves and--"
He reaches out and touches my hand but I stand abruptly, sending the big chair I've been sitting in clattering backwards. "You're stupid! Your entire family is stupid! You're just going to wind up with a family member in the cape cells like me!" I bellow. "And it's your own stupid fault!" I race out of the room, not bothering to open the door before going through it, then out of the building, barely stopping as I reach the canyon wall.
"Dad wanted to follow, heck, so did most of the room, but Banshee stopped them," I hear from behind me. I turn, looking at Jack. "Dad... still not used to that one," he adds, looking back at the dorms for a second before turning to me again. "Look, I don't have the same great hearing as some of the others, but it was pretty hard to miss that last part. I think we need to talk."
Where does he get off? I stare at him, my hands fisting at my sides. He's the last guy I want lectured by--
"I don't plan on landing in the cape cells," he says. "I thought there for a while, before Star Born screwed me up royal, that I'd wind up in jail sooner or later, but I... look, I know you hate me, and I can get why, and I HATE to admit that Aubrey might be right--"
"Shut up," I say. "Just shut up. You have no idea where I'm coming from, you think you've got such a sob story behind you, since you're an orphan, so you use that as an excuse to--to be whatever it is you're going to be, but you have NO IDEA."
"Cuz you got someone in the cells?" he asks way too casually. "It's like having a dad in prison, right? I was in a house for a week or two that had their oldest kid in prison, not that they mentioned it. I think they had some stupid idea of trying to fix me when they couldn't even fix their own kid," he says. "It didn't work."
"Which is why America's Son is stupid!" I snap. He's just proving that I was right! "You're going to wind up in the cells and Aubrey will be heartbroken and everyone that actually likes you will be left behind! It's not like prison, Jack, it's not like you can go in and visit them or even get letters from them, or--or anything! I haven't seen or heard from my dad in six years, Jack. I can't visit him, and now everyone knows that I'm related to a--an out of control cape! They'll start watching me, they'll start wondering if I'm going to turn out like him, and if I am, they'll take me away."
"Zoe and Sunny are kids of a guy that was in the cells," he says.
"What?" I ask.
"Nico," he says, "he was in the cells for, what... some fifteen years? They told you that, didn't they?"
It's supposed to reassure me, right? But it's Nico we're talking about. I snort, shaking my head. "Nico... Nico isn't my dad," I say, turning away from him.
"Then who is your dad?" he asks.
"Mimic," I tell him. "My dad is Mimic."
I hear him take a step back, hear him suck in a short breath. "Oh," he says.
Yeah. Oh.
***
This is a world with supers. You've figured that out by now, of course. But there's certain supers that never make it into their own comic books. They're the guys (and girls) that do things people just can't wrap their heads around. Things that are twisted and wrong, or even just completely insane. Mimic is one of those supers.
His abilities are mine, but stronger. Dad can take everything from a person, their abilities, their personalities, their memories, even their appearances. He can ruin people's lives as easily as he can breathe. A touch here, a bump on a crowded street, and he's taking over someone else's life. The target faints, and either recovers slowly or never recovers at all. They're just stuck in a comatose state for the rest of their lives. If it's a man, one that's the same basic size as he is? He can take their lives over completely. Worst of all, he can touch other people without losing the abilities he stole before them.
Mom didn't even realize he wasn't her husband until I was starting to walk. He slipped up, got caught in his real form. She grabbed me and ran, but it was too hard to raise me, who was already starting to look like Dad's real form. That's when she realized who's daughter I was. She told me later, when I was five, maybe
six, that she tried. She tried bringing me back, tried to make things work for my sake. She didn't know how to raise a cape, not on her own. It's just, she said, she couldn't keep pretending. She couldn't live a lie.
It's amazing how that conversation still lingers with me even though I was so young. At the time I couldn't understand, now I understand too well. Even if Dad kept pretending to be the man she loved, he wasn't him. He was the man that had as good as killed him. The funny thing is, I swear he actually loved her.
The story got out. Well, actually, another story got out. Dad accidentally (I like to tell myself that, at least,) bumped into one of the famous heroes of the day six years ago. You can't cover up something like that, not when the world is watching every move a cape wearing super makes on television. It was caught on video, Dad bumping into Detriment, Detriment falling, Dad suddenly turning into a black man--well, you can guess what happened then.
The Hall took him in, started digging into his past. They contacted Mom, but Mom claimed she'd never heard of him. She'd left me with Dad when I was little, and never said a word about me to the Hall. I was ten when Dad was caught, forgotten and left living in an apartment alone until child service caught wind of me. Nobody knew that I was a cape brat. I was put in the system.
I still remember the day they caught him, you know? I was watching the television, hoping to see my favorite hero on the news--and saw it all when Dad did what he did. Then, a week later, I sat in another chair and watched as they showed a TV report that went over all the lives that he'd possibly stolen over the years--including at least five different capes. His name became nationally known. Books were written and published about "Mimic Ruined My Life." The whole world became fascinated with what he'd done, trying to figure out WHY he'd done it. The TV psychologists claimed he wasn't all there, that he was probably mentally unstable because of his powers.
I know better. At least, I think I do.
You know, Nico never told me everything he saw on my powers readout. I never asked. I have this sickening feeling that I might get stronger as I get older. I have no idea how old my dad really is. He could be hundreds of years old, since capes tend to live a long time to begin with. Who knows how long it took him to get as strong as he is? And like a leech, he jumped from one interesting life to the next, walking away whenever he got bored. I really wonder sometimes if I don't have half siblings that I've never met.
So yeah, "Oh." That about sums up everything, really.
Back to the present.
***
"Hey!" the call makes me jerk, looking behind Jack. For a second I stare at Noelle blankly, wondering what in the world she's doing. "Get away from my roommate!"
I look at Jack, who's staring at Noelle blankly. "If you tell anyone," I say, making him look at me again, "I will make life unbearable for you, got it? Completely and utterly unbearable."
"I said to get away from Morgan!" Noelle bellows, her hands in fists at her sides. "Don't make me hurt you!"
"I was just leaving," Jack says, shoving his hands into his pockets and walking past Noelle as if she hadn't just threatened him. He didn't say anything about not telling anyone. I bet the moment he gets back he'll tell everyone--
"I really hate that guy," Noelle mutters, standing next to me and glaring at the teen's back. "He shouldn't be allowed to go to this school, he's a super villain!"
I look at her. I can't really argue not liking Jack, because I don't like him, either, but... "They don't have super villains in the school in your time?" I ask curiously. "We've got a couple of them."
"They don't--well--I mean--" she says, looking hesitant all of a sudden. "I don't think they do? I was supposed to be starting now," she admits.
"Wait--so when you suddenly showed up it was because you were going to start going to school?" I say, looking at her more closely. "How OLD are you?" I demand.
"Um... fourteen? Almost," she admits, turning bright red.
"And your powers?" I ask, seeing where this was going.
"I uh... I'm going to get them! I'm already starting!" she says, sticking her chin up stubbornly. "I am!"
"So... the only thing you know about supers in the future is what you see on TV," I sum up.
"My parents tell me things! Sometimes," she admits, looking down. "They're both really busy, okay?"
"Yeah? Who are they?"
"I'm absolutely not telling," she says as she storms off.
Yeah, I still don't like her.
CHAPTER THREE
I hide in my room as soon as I get back to the dorm, thankful that Noelle seems to have found somewhere else to go. I don't start to relax until I hear the door downstairs open and people saying goodbye. They're gone. I let out a sigh of relief, knowing that this isn't the end of it, but still glad that for now they're not pressing the issue. I sit up, tugging my knees to my chest and staring forward blankly.
They know. The Hall will know soon enough, even if Jack doesn't tell who my dad is. It's pretty obvious, since I let it slip that he's in the Cape Cells. I can only figure that Mimic's the only one that has the same type powers as I do.
I wish I didn't know. I wish Mom had managed to raise me after she ran, that she'd never gone back and dumped me on Dad.
"Morgan?"
I keep staring blindly at the wall, hoping that if I don't reply Banshee will give up. I'm not that lucky. The door opens and she steps in, crossing over and holding out a cell phone. "Nico wants to talk to you," she says quietly.
I look at the phone, wondering if it will bite me. Reluctantly I reach out and take it. "Hello?" I say.
"Hey," he says. "How would you like to get out for a while?"
I speak without thinking. "PLEASE."
"Grab a jacket and a hat, I'll be there in a few minutes."
Wait. "Nico, is this about--"
"Your dad?" he finishes. "Nope, not at all. I figured I'd just spring you from the joint for a little while. Now get ready or I'll take whoever shows up first."
I grab my jacket and toss Banshee the phone, racing out the door. I go up the steps to the exit of the canyon as fast as I can, but he's already waiting there by the time I get to the top. "You're good to exit," he tells me. I nod and press my hand to the screen of the panel that comes up, stepping on the glowing footprints that lead me through the force field and out into the real world. I stop there, taking a deep, deep breath and looking around.
"The air smells different," I announce, looking up at the overcast sky. "Is it going to snow?"
"Probably," Nico says. Here's the thing, in case you're wondering, I don't know Nico all that well. Sure he's the principal of Cape High, and I've heard that he's the one that found out about the zoo and sent the Hall to rescue us, but I've never actually spent time with just him before. It's a little nerve wracking, now that I think about it, but he's already walking away from the canyon, so I give up worrying about it and chase after him.
He stops at the apartment and suddenly I'm worrying that he'll make me go inside, but he turns and heads for a beat up looking car. "Hop in," he says as he heads for the driver side.
"Where are we going?" I ask as I get in, pulling on my seatbelt out of habit. He doesn't bother to put his on.
"The Hall."
I unbuckle my seatbelt, planning on getting out again, but he looks at me. "If you don't go with me, you'll wind up talking with Mastermental on your own," he says plainly. "Do you really want to do that?"
I look at him for a long moment, picturing a meeting with Mastermental without anyone else there. What would the head of the Hall do to the daughter of Mimic? He's a telepath, right? All sorts of freaky mind powers--he could wipe my memories or-- "I don't need to talk to him," I say.
"You do," Nico says. "Because otherwise I won't be able to get you in to see your old man."
I stare at him, shocked at the very idea. "They--I don't--" I stutter.
"I know your father," he says. "I should have noticed it earlier. I might not be able to get permission for
this, but I want to try."
"Did--Did Jack tell you?" I ask a bit numbly.
"No, and Ken didn't either. I just noticed him looking up inmates."
"What, you watched over his shoulder or something?" I demand.
"I don't need to," Nico says, putting the car into reverse and pulling out of the parking spot. "I'm a technopath." He starts driving and I buckle up again, watching out the window as I try not to worry about what's about to happen. A part of me says I should stop him, tell him I want nothing to do with my dad. The other says it's been six very long years since I've seen a family member.
"I don't... know if I want to," I say quietly. "I mean, a part of me does, but he's--he's a--"
"Shawn is--" he interrupts, "well... he's a really powerful cape. And the more powerful a cape is, the less... predictable they are. It doesn't change the fact that he needs to see you're okay." He pulls to a stop next to an old fashioned trashcan, rolling down his window with a crank and digging out his wallet to pull out a card. He flips open a panel and slides the card in, then presses a button. "Technico and guest."
"Declare your guest, please."
"Morgan, a student from Cape High."
A light flashes over the car and I blink, wondering if we were just scanned. The wall of the building next to us slides open like a door and Nico turns into it. It's a parking lot, one full of various models of cars all in the same pristine shape and black color. It really makes this ugly car he's driving stand out, doesn't it?
"Boring, isn't it?" he asks, parking in a spot near the building entrance and getting out. I have to fight with my seatbelt for a bit before I jump out of the car and practically run to catch up with him. "Try and keep up," he adds as the doors slide open. I blink at the sight of Mega standing on the other side, fully dressed in uniform and glowering at Nico with his arms crossed over his chest.
