by R. J. Ross
“I don’t dislike you,” he says abruptly.
“I realize that,” I say, a bit thrown off.
“I don’t think it’s a rebound thing, anymore, either,” he says. “The way I said that… came off extremely awkward, and I’m sorry I even mentioned it, now.”
“Mmhmm,” I say, starting to eat again. This is actually more like dinner and a show, isn’t it? “And?” I prompt between bites.
“You showed up at a really… awkward time for me,” he says, standing. “And we both have to admit that your situation was just as awkward, no, more awkward than mine was.”
“The crush on the little girl from the future?” I ask, an evil smile pulling at my lips. After all those months of throwing myself at him, this is just… it’s just beautiful. “I think that’s got to be more awkward, if you ask me.”
“Yes, the crush on the girl from the future,” he mutters, the faintest trace of red on his face. “She was really cute, okay?”
“She was an old guy in disguise,” I say, just pouring salt on the wound. He groans, running a hand through his hair.
“I’m never going to live that down, am I?” he mutters.
“Oh, heck no,” I agree.
“I wasn’t going to do anything about it,” he says.
“Because it was safe, is that what you’re trying to say?” I ask. “It was safe to crush on her, because you knew she would go to the future and you didn’t have to do anything about it. You try not to hope for anything, because you might actually have to work for it.”
“I work,” he says.
“At cooking,” I say, but I know that’s not fair. “You work at taking care of the zoo kids,” I go on, finishing my food and standing. “At the time you had to pour all of your love and patience into keeping them together. I realize that, Vinny, and it’s actually a big part of the reason I liked you.”
“I didn’t see it that way,” he says.
I’m going to assume he’s talking about the zoo kids. “I did. I still do,” I say. “Morgan might be the leader, but you’re the one that keeps them moving forward to follow. You’re an excellent second-in-command. If I… if I do wind up being the Hall Leader, I would want you as my lieutenant. You’re intelligent, good at organizing, and you know how to deal with large groups of supers, already.”
“That job is the very definition of troublesome,” he says.
“LIFE is troublesome,” I point out, “That’s why we find other people to help carry the load. That’s what friends are for, Vinny.”
“I like you… more than just as a friend,” he says, almost forcing the words out. “I know I’m a jerk, and I don’t have a clue what I’m doing, but… the biggest problem I had with you when we met was that you could have saved yourself. Coming down here was a pain, and it drew attention that I never wanted. I was mad at you for that, especially when I got stuck with Flint, who didn’t like me at all when he first met me.” I’m hearing things that I don’t think he admitted to himself, at first. It’s stunning.
“And?” I prompt, again.
“And I found a branch that…” he looks around, even though we’re still in a bunker room, “that I figure I can handle being in. I found someone that, when she finally clued in on who she really was, became someone that I’d be comfortable… keeping people moving for. I found villains that have me kidnapped just to barbecue for them, and then hug me for it before sending me home. I like your villains. I like your dad, too. Your dad is awesome. You… you are awesome, too. I might never say it, but I… like the changes you’ve been making.” He looks down, and I realize his hands are reaching out for mine. “All I’m saying is… I don’t want you to… stop.”
“Don’t stop what?” I ask.
“Don’t stop liking me,” he says, looking me in the eye and taking my hands. “Don’t stop being… open about it. I can’t read minds, and I’m honestly grateful for that most of the time, but it saves me a lot of trouble when I know where you stand.”
“It would save ME a lot of trouble to know where you stood, as well,” I say. He leans down, pressing his forehead to mine.
“I’m standing right here,” he says. I feel my face turn so hot that it would probably burn him if he wasn’t a fire mimic. I ignore that fact, pulling my hands from his and placing them on his face. He blinks.
“Does that mean you want to go out with me?” I ask him.
“That… yeah, that means I want to go out with you,” he says, leaning forward. I let him, until he’s almost a breath away from kissing me.
“Then you can show the world,” I say. “I expect you to work for it, Vinny. Take me to the movie debuts, and on dates, and this time YOU can do the chasing, because I have a lot of work to do, already. I know you might have problems with showing affection, but if you really like me, and want me to like you, you need to step up your game, boy! I might have messed up in the past, but I want a boyfriend that treats me like the princesa that I am!”
“I, ah, yeah…” he says, looking stunned.
“So you’ll…?” I prompt him.
“Take you on dates?” he offers.
“That’s a start,” I say, nodding. “And if you be a good boyfriend, THEN we might have makeout sessions in hidden rooms,” I add wickedly.
The wall lights up. “Ahem,” Nico says, as we jump away from each other guiltily. “You two do realize I have the hidden bunkers on the security system, right? Either way, Shadowman is heading for the meeting point now. Jimmi, do you want to watch?”
I look at Vinny, still blushing slightly. “Um, yeah, I should,” I say. “Can you give us… say… twenty seconds of privacy, first?” The wall goes black, except for a timer with twenty seconds counting down. “He is so literal, sometimes,” I complain.
“About the movie debuts…” he starts out, only to stop as I glare at him.
“Are you ashamed to be seen with me?” I demand. “If that’s the problem, this conversation is over.”
“It isn’t that! I just really hate those things. The popcorn is terrible and somehow I always get stuck behind Century. His hat blocks the entire screen.”
“Oh, that’s just him being ornery,” I say. “He’ll take it off for me, I’m his favorite niece. And we can sneak something in, if the popcorn bothers you that much!”
“Yeah? Well, what about the silent food fight between the villains?” he goes on, complaining. “You haven’t been hit until you’re hit upside the head by a piece of popcorn tossed by Max.”
“So… that was your REAL problem?” I ask, stunned. “Oh, for crying out loud, do you want me to smack them on the hand for you?”
He opens his mouth, and then closes it, the faintest hints of a smirk crossing his face. “I would LOVE to see you do that,” he says.
“You are terrible, Pelican,” I say, patting him on the cheek before heading for the door, since the countdown is over.
“And it’s not just the popcorn that’s bad,” he says, even though he’s close to laughing. “All of that food is completely empty calories!”
“We’re supers. We use a LOT of calories, empty or not,” I say, heading up the stairs and back into the science room. “I think I know why they don’t tell us about the secret bunkers, as well.”
“Good to see you understand,” Nico says as a section of the wall lights up. It’s the Shadowlands, I can tell because it’s dark and I see a few eyes watching from the shadows. I watch as the camera heads for a dark spot, and then out into the light. A woman is standing there, and the camera moves, looking around.
“Wait,” the woman says as the camera turns to the shadows. “I’m here as a representative.”
“This is hardly a face-to-face meeting,” Shadowman says.
“The Professor says hello,” she says, “and offers a good-will gift as thanks for your assistance.” She pulls a folder out of her bag, handing it over. “He believed you might want to know about this.”
Shadowman takes the folder, flipping it open and sta
ring at the picture and single sheet of paper. The picture is of a little girl sitting in the shadows, her eyes glowing in a very familiar manner. The paper has an address of a children’s home on it. “I see,” Shadowman says, bringing the page up closer, probably to make sure the camera sees it clearly.
“And your half of the deal?” the woman prompts.
A small case is handed over. She opens it and we see a glow come from inside. “I can get more, but it’s difficult. Your boss should understand exactly why that is.”
“We expect to see more by the end of the week,” she says, closing the case and putting it in her bag. “It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Shadowman.”
“Wait,” Shadowman says. “Your boss knows more about me than I do. I dislike that in my business partners. Tell him that if he wants to continue receiving the goods, I want to meet him face to face.”
“I will pass your request on to him,” she says, turning and walking away. Shadowman looks down at the picture again, and then turns, stepping back into the Shadowlands. Once the light is gone, he lets out a searing curse. “Technico, are you seeing this?” he asks, tapping on the camera.
“I see it,” Nico says.
“He’s using a kid I didn’t even know about as leverage. I can barely deal with the older one, what am I supposed to do with a brat?” he demands. “Think we could pass her off as Reaper’s? His eyes glow.”
“I really doubt it,” Nico says. “There are only a handful of women in the world that could have Reaper’s kid, but I could ask.”
“How about that psychometric kid? His eyes glow, too,” Shadowman goes on, a bit desperately.
“They don’t glow like that,” Nico says. “I’ll have someone pick her up.”
“And what am I supposed to do?” Shadowman asks. “Wait, I know! Voltdrain’s eyes glow, right? Say she’s his.”
“If the kid’s eyes only glow in the dark, it’ll blow that theory,” Nico points out.
“We’ll do it,” I say, rashly. “I’ll call Papa, we’ll go pick up the girl and bring her here, claiming that she’s my little sister.” I look at Nico. “Walter Colleck already has one of our super kids, Nico, I am NOT letting him have another.”
“Go do it, I’ll call Rocco,” Nico says. “Wait…” He waves his hand and the sound for Davis’s monitor starts up again. Walter Colleck stops in the middle of his experimenting as the woman I’d just seen with Shadowman steps into the room. “She’s got to be a super to get there so quickly,” Nico says. “I think I know…” he trails off as Walter greets the woman.
“Ah, how convenient, yet another toy, did he come through?”
“Not as well as you had hoped, sir,” the woman admits, opening the case she’s holding. A familiar glow comes from inside. “We have two vials.”
“Dock his pay,” Walter says, picking up one of the glow sticks by the cork. “Davis, my boy, does this look familiar?”
I see the look on Davis’s face, and my heart hurts. He looks stunned. “Where did you get that?”
“You should know now that everyone has a price, even your precious heroes,” Walter says. “It was actually easier to get this than I thought it would be. It turns out that Voltdrain’s daughter has quite a… sordid little past.”
“One bad boyfriend is NOT a sordid past!” I yell at the screen. I feel like throwing something at him, but I don’t think Nico would be happy if I broke his wall. I know he won’t when he places a hand on my shoulder to stop me. “It’s not!” I tell him, defensively. “It’s not something to be proud of, sure, but he’s making me sound like a—like I’m easy!”
“Quiet,” Nico says. I close my mouth, glaring at him before turning back to the screen.
“From how you’ve been reacting, I think you might have a… cute little crush on the girl,” Walter says, walking over, “but I can’t let you throw away your future on a girl like that. You need to know exactly how this world works, Davis. Until you realize that everyone can be bought for a price, you’ll only get hurt by false expectations.”
Davis’s eyes are glued to the glow stick, and I can see his hands clenching and loosening almost rhythmically. “She sold you those?” he asks, finally.
“She sold them to a… broker, I suppose you could call him,” Walter says. “He’s a man that specializes in getting things that are hard to find. There are several such people in the super world.”
“Does she know the man?”
“It’s possible, but don’t convince yourself that it was done out of good faith. If someone knows Shadowman, they know exactly what sort of fiend he is,” Walter says. “You’ve spent time with the girl, so you should know exactly what one of these tubes can do. I was sold one on the basis of it being an escape from the power stripping serum, but that isn’t all it can do, is it?” He stares at the glowing energy inside. “Would you like to try it?” he asks.
Davis looks over at the camera we’re watching him on. For a second I wonder if he realizes that we are, but I can see by the look on his face that he doesn’t. The news that I willingly sold my energy has hit him harder than I thought it would. Davis is usually difficult to read, but it’s nearly obvious at the moment. After a second, though, his expression changes to a slight smile. He walks over, reaching for the glow stick, taking it by the cork, just like his father had held it.
“Not going to try it?”
“Why try it in this form when you can figure out a way to make it a sustainable source?” Davis asks, looking at the vial. “Or are we finished with chemistry class already?” he asks.
“Wonderful choice,” Walter crows. “I knew you would see the light. Now, let’s go back to work. Time is wasting!”
“He thinks I’ve sold out,” I say in a tiny voice, “he really thinks I sold my ability. How am I going to… to get him on the right side when he thinks I’m like that?” I ask Nico, fighting the urge to cry. “I can’t exactly go ‘we were just trying to lure out the villains,’ can I?”
“Of course you can,” he says. “That’s what we did it for. He’s a smart kid. He’s going to know that we’re keeping too close of an eye on you to let something like that happen.”
“So instead of me, he’s supposed to have faith in the big bad super heroes that are watching me?” I say, dryly.
“Well…” Nico says, letting it drag out a bit too long.
“I do NOT have a sordid past!” I yell, stomping a foot. “I… well…” I sigh, deflating. “You owe me,” I tell him, giving up on trying to defend my less-than-stellar past.
“Jimmi,” he says.
“Going to tell me that I need to get over the past? Maybe convince me that I wasn’t totally to blame?” I ask, turning and staring at the monitors instead of looking at him.
“No,” he says. “We learn from our mistakes. For instance, I know for a fact that I could make Death Canyon in a third of the time it took me in the past.” My jaw drops open and I turn to stare at him in shock. He gives me a wicked grin, looking far too amused by my reaction. “If you want to spend a bit of time acting as a villain, I would honestly support it. Mastermental is right, learning how to deal with failure is a better learning experience than learning how to succeed all the time. That’s part of the reason I have some of my strongest kids wearing black.”
“That’s not failure, exactly,” I point out. “They throw the fights.”
“It’s still losing,” he says. “It takes a lot more fortitude to lose, even if it’s on purpose. They know that people expect them to fail, every time. They get made fun of for losing to capes weaker than they are. In a fair fight, Max would never lose one of those debut fights. Ace wouldn’t, either. Jack, well, he might lose one or two, but not ninety-five percent of them, and he’s honestly getting better at dirty fighting by the day. When he’s full grown, he’ll be hard to beat. The ones that take these fights seriously, how do you think they see the boys?”
“That’s completely different,” I say. “They CHOOSE to fail. I jus
t screwed up.”
“Which means you learn more from it than they do,” he says.
“We never win our fights, though,” I have to point out. “Skye or one of the others gets bored, or distracted, and they run off.”
“Well, kid, that’s because it’s Skye,” he says. “Give it another few years and you’ll have them running off properly.”
“You’re just trying to make me feel better,” I accuse him.
“What part of this conversation made you think that?” he asks. “I’m just calling it how I see it. We all have a few skeletons in our closet, kid. Yours isn’t even one of the more impressive ones, either. But if it still bothers you, think of it this way; if you hadn’t filled those tubes, we would have never found out that Kunnins is alive. Kunnins is the man that tried to have my mother killed. I like my mother. He was also the man experimenting on norms. Your screw up led to us getting Kunnins off the streets. Like you said earlier, I owe you. I dislike owing people, you know.”
“It also got Phoebe her powers back,” I point out, even though my mind is swirling. I never thought of it that way.
“And who knows? Maybe we can use that to our advantage this time,” he says.
“But now Davis thinks I have a sordid past!” I say, not backing down just yet.
“It’s for the best if he gets over his crush now, anyway,” he says. “Or do you want a kid that’s five years younger than you are chasing you around?”
“Marisol has a crush on him,” I say. I don’t see Davis as a prospective boyfriend, at all, even when we get older and the age gap doesn’t matter so much. I JUST got together with Vinny, well, almost! Like I told him, he needs to up his game, first. “He’s too young for me, and I already have a… prospective boyfriend.”
“Then problem solved. He’ll get over his thing for you and go on to join my school. I’ve already got a series of things I want to see his input on. Chemistry isn’t my strongest point.”
I stare at him, and when he doesn’t seem to notice, I go, “You’re as bad as his father is, in some ways, aren’t you?”
