by Lucas Flint
So I entered the house and said, “Mom, Dad? Whose car is parked out in our driveway?”
“Kevin, you're back already,” said Dad, his voice coming from the living room. He didn't sound pleased, which I took as a bad sign. “Why don't you come into the living room and meet our guest?”
Guest? I wondered who it could be. I walked into the living room, albeit somewhat hesitantly, because I worried that Dad's displeased tone wasn't a good sign.
When I entered the living room, I saw two people were in there. One of them was Dad, sitting on the couch, who wore his usual blue button down shirt and black slacks. His arms weren't in casts anymore, having healed up from when Master Chaos broke them last month, but he still moved them slowly and gingerly, likely because they still hurt.
The other guy, however, I didn't recognize at all. He appeared to be Asian and wore a large overcoat that reminded me of a detective. He was very thin, even skinny, but when he looked at me, I could tell he was no pushover. He was reclining in one of the recliners, but he didn't look relaxed. With his shifty, questioning eyes, he seemed to think we were about to be attacked at any moment.
Dad waved at me. “Hi, Kevin. How was Fallsville?”
I was about to answer, but then I noticed Dad's tone. He sounded like he knew exactly what happened there, which confirmed my worst fears.
So I said, “Uh, I'll tell you about it later.” I looked at the man sitting in the recliner, who had not uttered a word since I entered. “Um, who's this?”
“An old friend of mine from my superhero days,” said Dad lightly. “His name is Mieko Hiro, but you might know him better as the superhero Triplet.”
I blinked. “Triplet? I don't think I've heard that name before.”
“Few have,” said Triplet in a soft and clear voice. “And I intend to keep it that way.”
It didn't sound like a threat, but the way Triplet said it made me wonder if he was going to pull out a knife and threaten to slit my throat if I told anyone who he was. I stepped away from him, which he seemed to notice immediately, because his eyes followed my feet, though he didn't say anything about it.
“Wait, does he know your secret identity?” I said to Dad.
Dad nodded. “Yes. We used to work together in the Neohero Alliance before I retired.”
“I figured it out on my own,” said Triplet, causing me to look at him again. “Most neoheroes don't hide their secret identities nearly as well as they think. Just use some basic logic and deduction skills and you can figure out practically any mask's real identity in a few days or even hours if they are particularly careless.”
“Does that mean you know who I am?” I said.
“Knew it before I even spoke with Ted,” said Triplet, gesturing at Dad. “As I said, most neoheroes are bad at hiding their identities. Especially younger ones like yourself, who tend to overestimate their own cleverness.”
Triplet spoke as casually about learning my secret identity as if it was something he did every day. It made me wonder what else he knew about me. I suddenly felt like I had my privacy violated.
“Where's Mom?” I said.
“In the kitchen,” said Triplet. He gestured at the kitchen. “I'm in there with her getting some tea.”
“Huh?” I said. “No, you're here, sitting on one of our chairs and talking with us.”
“Yes, but I am also in the kitchen,” Triplet insisted. “I should be coming out with my tea any second now.”
Before I could ask Dad if Triplet was a 'special' person (and not in the superhero way), I heard movement from the kitchen and a second later Triplet stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room. It was literally Triplet, down to the same amused facial expression and same old overcoat. The only difference was that he held a steaming teacup in his hand.
The teacup-holding Triplet walked across the living room to the Triplet sitting on the recliner, ignoring my startled looks. The Triplet with the tea placed the teacup on the coffee table and then stood in front of the Triplet sitting on the recliner.
Before my startled eyes, the standing Triplet turned into a glowing blue light before being sucked into the sitting Triplet. The sitting Triplet glowed blue briefly before returning to normal, thus leaving him the sole Triplet in the room.
Then the remaining Triplet leaned forward, picked up the teacup, and started sipping his tea. He took one sip and sighed. “I missed your wife's tea, Ted. It was always better than mine.”
I looked at Dad. Like Triplet, Dad didn't even look fazed by what happened. He almost looked bored, even a little annoyed, like he thought Triplet was showing off.
“Um …” I looked from Dad to Triplet and back again. “Huh?”
“Triplet's power,” said Dad. “He can split into three clones that can act independently of each other, but share a same mind and must eventually return to the original after five hours or cease existing.”
“Ah, not 'clones,' Ted,” said Triplet, shaking his head. “I call them 'Thirds.' How many times do I have to correct you on that?”
Dad looked like he wanted to roll his eyes, but didn't because Triplet was a friend. “Right, right, how could I forget your preferred terminology?”
“That's a seriously cool power,” I said, looking at Triplet again. “Really freaky and mind-blowing, but cool nonetheless.”
“It is helpful in my line of work,” said Triplet, taking another sip of his tea. “Sometimes I need to be in three places at once. And unlike most people, I am perfectly capable of doing that.”
“What kind of work do you do?” I said.
“Detective work,” said Triplet. “I am the owner of Triple Eye Investigation.”
“You mean you're a real life private eye?” I said. “Like Sherlock Holmes?”
“In a way, yes,” said Triplet. “But I don't have a Watson, nor do I need one. I have everyone I need right here.”
Triplet patted his chest and then resumed sipping his tea.
“Before that, however, Triplet was a superhero and member of the NHA, like me,” said Dad. “We worked alongside each other for a while until he quit the team eleven years ago. That's how we became friends.”
“Why did you quit the NHA?” I said to Triplet. “Did you just want to strike out on your own or something?”
Triplet exchanged a quick but significant look with my Dad before looking at me again. “Let's just say that I had some disagreements with how the organization was run and leave it at that.”
That was hardly a satisfying answer to me, but when I saw Dad give me the 'drop-the-subject' look, I didn't press it anymore. Besides, Dad seemed to be in a bad mood already and I didn't want to make it even worse by poking into a subject that was obviously a hot topic for both of them.
Instead, I said, “Why did you come here all the way from New York? Just to say hi to Dad? That seems like an awful long drive, especially in that old beat-up station wagon.”
I could immediately tell that Triplet was deciding how much information to share with me. I could tell because he had a very similar look on his face to how Dad looked whenever he was deciding the same thing.
Finally, Triplet said, “I am investigating something for a client of mine and the trail of clues has led me all the way out here. I'm supposed to be in Fallsville, really, but I decided to stop by Silvers just to say hi to your father and catch up on old times for a bit before I head there.”
“You can't tell me what you're investigating?” I said.
“I never reveal the identities of my clients or what I am investigating to people who have nothing to do with the case,” said Triplet. “In other words, it's none of your business.”
I couldn't argue with that, so I said, “How long are you going to be in town?”
“Not sure,” said Triplet. “And even if I did know, I wouldn't let you know, because, again, it's none of your business.”
I nodded, but I had to admit I was very curious about what it was. I didn't think there was anything out here i
n Texas that could possibly interest a detective like him, but I guess Triplet knew something I didn't.
Then Triplet finished his tea and said, “All right. Well, it was nice catching up on old times, Ted, and thanks for the teleportation disks. And a pleasure meeting your son, too. But I have to leave for Fallsville before it gets too dark, so if you will excuse me, I have to leave.”
“Sure,” said Dad. “Feel free to drop by whenever you like. Will you be staying for dinner?”
Triplet put his teacup on the coffee table and stood up. “No. Likely I'll be spending the night in my station wagon eating some grub from some fast food joint in Fallsville.”
“Can't you get a hotel room, at least?” said Dad.
Triplet shook his head. “I don't trust hotels.”
I was about to ask him why, but then he walked past me and was out the door in an instant. Then I heard the car rumble to life and leave until soon I could no longer hear it. It all happened so fast that I wasn't sure it even happened at first, despite the teacup on the coffee table.
I looked at Dad. “Um … has Triplet always been that way? And what did he mean about 'teleportation disks'?”
“For as long as I've known him,” said Dad with a shrug. “He's always been strange, even by neohero standards, so I wouldn't worry about it. As for the disks, they're just something I've been toying with and which I gave to him as a gift from an old friend.”
“Uh, right,” I said. I shifted my weight, not meeting Dad's gaze. “Well, I think I'll just go to my room now and—”
“I saw you on TV.”
Oh, boy. I knew that tone. It wasn't exactly angry; more disappointed. I just scratched the back of my neck, still not meeting Dad's gaze. I could feel his eyes on me, though, eyes that seemed to be looking right through me.
“Oh, you did?” I said. “Was I caught on camera or something while I was walking down the street like an innocent bystander?”
“Kevin, stop playing dumb,” said Dad. He gestured at the TV, which was off. “I saw the news report about Steel Skin's attack on the Plutarch rally. I also saw you and Incantation fighting him.”
I bit my lower lip. “Huh, I didn't know we were being filmed. I thought the reporters had run away when Steel Skin attacked.”
“Kevin, what did I say about performing superheroics?” said Dad. “How many times have I told you that you should not be fighting supervillains and criminals until you graduate from high school?”
“I know, I know, but Steel Skin robbed a bank and I—”
“Should have left that to the G-Men or NHA,” Dad finished. “You were only supposed to go to Fallsville to get a car, not get into a fight with a supervillain.”
“But Dad, if I didn't do that, then he would have killed Plutarch,” I said. “And probably other people at the rally, too. It would have been a mess.”
“Plutarch would have had it coming, considering everything he's said and done,” said Dad.
I actually looked at Dad in shock when he said that. “But Plutarch is a civilian! I know he was a supervillain at one point, but he hasn't done anything bad for years, so killing him wouldn't be justified.”
“A leopard never changes its spots,” said Dad, shaking his head. “Regardless, it was still not your responsibility to stop Steel Skin and you knew that.”
“Yeah, I know,” I said. “But I still did the right thing, didn't I? I stopped him. Well, really Incantation did, but—”
“And what was Incantation doing there?” said Dad.
“You know her?” I said in surprise.
“I met her when she was a young girl, before she got her powers,” said Dad. “I know her uncle, Thaumaturge, from the NHA.”
I should have felt surprised, but it seemed like Dad knew everyone in the neohero community, so I just accepted it.
“Well, Incantation wanted to talk with me,” I said. “She offered me a position on the Young Neos.”
Dad raised an eyebrow. “The Young Neos?”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “She and the other Young Neos saw the livestream of my fight with Master Chaos last month. She thought I would make a great member of the team.”
“Did you accept her offer?” said Dad.
I shook my head. “Not yet. I told her I wanted to tell you and Mom about this first.”
“Tell us about what now?” said Mom, stepping out of the kitchen wearing her apron.
“About the offer I was given to join the Young Neos,” I said. “They're a superhero team made up of young heroes like myself. They're under the supervision of Thaumaturge, one of the NHA leaders.”
“I've never heard of them before,” said Mom. She squeezed her hands together. “Do they fight crime and villains like adult neoheroes?”
“Pretty much, although not to the same extent, from what I understand,” I said. “But anyway, I really want to join. It's a great opportunity for me to advance in my superhero career.”
“You mean the superhero career that we don't want you to have?” said Dad.
I folded my arms across my chest. “Come on, Dad. This could be a great opportunity for me to learn how to control my powers better. Besides, it isn't like we'll be unsupervised, since Thaumaturge oversees it. Not only that, but I won't have to miss my education, because they have tutors for each member of the team.”
“I am aware of the benefits offered to members of the Young Neos, since I was there when the first version of the team was formed,” said Dad. He adjusted his glasses. “I thought it was a foolish idea for a team back then and I still think it is one now.”
“What?” I said. “Why?”
“Because I don't think teenagers or kids should be encouraged to fight crime and villains like this,” said Dad. “It's dangerous. And most of these teens don't really fully understand how dangerous being a superhero really is. If I had my way, it wouldn't exist at all.”
“But didn't you start your superhero career when you were eleven?” I said. “I think you turned out pretty well for it, didn't you?”
Dad rubbed his forehead and didn't look at me. “Just because I did something does not mean I want you to go through the same thing.”
“I have to agree with your father,” said Mom. “Being a neohero is already dangerous even if you are an adult. Putting kids in the kinds of situations that even most adults can't handle is, in my opinion, extremely irresponsible.”
“Your mother is correct,” said Dad, nodding. “Kevin, I know how exciting the Young Neos seem, but I can't let you join them, not while you still live in my house, anyway.”
I frowned. “So that's a no, then?”
“Exactly,” said Dad. “And there will be no debate on the subject, either. I want you to focus on two things at the moment: Finishing school and getting your car so you can go to college next year.”
I looked to Mom for help, but I could tell that she agreed with Dad on this. I was about to resume arguing with Dad anyway, but then I realized that Dad was not going to budge, nor would Mom. Besides, I was feeling sore after my fight with Steel Skin earlier and just wanted to rest more than anything right now.
So I sighed and said, “All right. I'll let Incantation know that I won't accept her offer, then.”
“Good,” said Dad, his tone becoming a lot more positive now. “You've made a wise decision, Kevin.”
I nodded, though without any enthusiasm. “Yeah, okay. I'm going to my room now to rest a bit before dinner.”
With that, I went to my room, closed the door behind me, and lay down on my bed. But I didn't go to sleep just yet. I pulled out the Star Caller from my pocket, the device Incantation had given me that I could use to contact her with my answer. My thumb hovered over the blue button, the one that would let her know that I wasn't going to join the team, but then I hesitated. If I rejected her offer now, would I ever get a chance like this again?
The answer to that question was obvious. So, instead of pressing the blue button, I got up, pulled open the top drawer of my
desk, and dropped the Star Caller inside it. I stared at the device for a moment, wondering if I should just press the red button anyway, but then closed the drawer.
Before I made any permanent decisions, I needed to talk about this with someone who wasn't my parents. And I knew exactly who.
Chapter Four
“So you were offered a position on the Young Neos by Incantation herself?” said Malcolm, staring at me in shock. “Get out of here.”
“No, I'm telling the truth,” I said. “You saw our fight with Steel Skin on the news yesterday, didn't you?”
Malcolm and I sat on the front steps of John Smith High School, which was the school I attended. It was Monday and we were having lunch together outside today, instead of at our usual spot in the cafeteria. That was because I wanted to avoid being overheard by the other students or faculty, and because most of them ate lunch in the cafeteria, this was the most logical place in the school to talk in private. There were a few other students nearby, sitting underneath the trees or at some of the picnic tables, but they were far enough away that they couldn't hear us. Besides, the other students were too absorbed in their own conversations or smartphones to notice us and we weren't speaking very loudly, so I felt pretty safe.
“Yeah, I saw the fight at the Plutarch rally, but the news didn't show what happened to you after it,” said Malcolm. “So you just went off together and talked?”
“Pretty much,” I said. “She said she came all the way out to Texas just to talk with me.”
“That's pretty amazing,” said Malcolm. “She must really like you or something.”
Malcolm sounded more than a little jealous, prompting me to say, “Oh, I asked her out, but she rejected me, so I doubt she has any, like, real interest in me or anything. She probably just thought I could be a good member of the team. Nothing romantic.”
