by Lucas Flint
“Huh?” I said. “What ban list?”
“The NHA maintains a list of neoheroes who are not allowed to join the organization under any circumstances,” said Incantation. “And since I am Thaumaturge's apprentice, I have direct access to it. If you refuse to apologize to Sarah, I could have your name on that list and the NHA will never let you join. Ever.”
I gulped. “Ever?”
“Ever,” Incantation confirmed. She smiled. “You do want to join the NHA at some point, yes? Most young neoheroes do. But if you're on that list, not even Omega Man will contest it, because he will know that you are not allowed to be on it.”
“This is crazy,” I said.
Ghost snorted. “Crazy? Hardly. We're just trying to be inclusive here. You're the crazy one, denying Sarah the right to identify however she wishes. Typical oppressor talk.”
I was tempted to just get up and walk away right this instant. I didn't sign up for this. I didn't sign up for any of this. I would rather face my parents' anger at lying to them than apologize to these guys for something I didn't do wrong.
But … I didn't want to be put on the NHA's ban list, either. After all, while my parents might have forbid me from superheroics for the moment, I was going to be an adult and in college next year, which meant I'd have the freedom to what I wanted. And I really wanted to join the NHA, because they were the biggest and best superhero organization in America and in the world. Being put on their ban list would mess up those plans.
Besides, maybe I was being too harsh toward Sarah. It seemed ridiculous to me that just 'identifying' as a neohero was enough to be considered one (and it made me wonder whether the rest of the NHA was aware of this), but maybe arguing about it was useless. Would it really hurt me if I just went along with Sarah's, uh, 'identity,' as long as it gave me access to the NHA at some point?
So I made my decision. Although every fiber of my body told me not to, I looked at Sarah and said, “Sarah … I apologize for being mean to you. Can you forgive me?”
Sarah actually looked at me this time. Her tears had vanished, but she still seemed like an emotional time bomb about to go off any moment.
“Why?” said Sarah harshly. “Why should I forgive you for doing the bare minimum? Typical privileged talk. Acting like I owe you forgiveness for doing what you're supposed to do.”
I was about to ask her what the hell she was talking about, but I held my tongue when I saw Incantation shake her head.
So I said, “All right. You are … right. I guess I don't deserve forgiveness for what I did.”
“You're damn right,” said Sarah. “And I want you to never question my identity ever again. Got it?”
I bit my lower lip, but I nodded slowly and said, “Okay.”
Suddenly, Sarah smiled, but it wasn't a kind, friendly smile like we had put all our conflicts behind us. Maybe I was over-thinking things, but she looked just like Robert whenever he successfully bullied someone, like she had just succeeded in dominating me and was pleased with herself for it.
And in a way, I think that she did.
Chapter Six
After that, Incantation gave me a tour of the House, with Ghost tagging along, floating creepily behind us. Sarah, thankfully, did not go with us. She just stayed in the meeting room, where she sat down to watch something on TV. She seemed content now, almost normal; in fact, so normal that I almost wondered if that entire discussion had been a weird hallucination on my part. Both Incantation and Ghost said nothing more about it, further solidifying the strangeness of the situation.
Incantation told me about the House as we walked, but I hardly paid attention. I was so distracted and puzzled about that entire conversation. It felt like I had been hit with an emotional—and mental—pile driver. The shouting and the attacks and the strange emotional outbursts over what seemed to me like minor issues … I just didn't understand it. I had never experienced anything quite like it before. Even Master Chaos hadn't been that crazy.
But I pushed it out of my mind for now. I wanted to focus on the House, so I pulled my mind down to earth and listened to Incantation speaking.
“...So our first stop will be the Training Room,” said Incantation. “That's where we train, obviously.”
“Huh?” I said, looking at Incantation. “What did you say?”
Incantation looked at me with an irritated expression. “I said, we're going to the Training Room..”
“Oh,” I said. “Right. Of course.”
Incantation looked at me with annoyance, as if she was wondering why I seemed so out of it. I didn't want to talk to her about Sarah, which I had a feeling would just devolve into another shouting match, so I changed the subject to something else.
“So, uh, your magic,” I said as Incantation, Ghost, and I turned a corner, heading toward a large set of doors on the right side of the hall. “How does it work, exactly? I thought neoheroes' powers were … scientific.”
I almost said 'biological,' but I worried that Incantation and Ghost might shout at me for daring to push the apparently 'outdated' theory that superpowers had a biological origin. I made a mental note to ask Dad about that later when I went home, because Dad was always on top of the newest developments in science.
“Actually, not all neoheroes receive their powers the same way,” said Incantation. She pulled out her wand and twirled it in her hands. “You see, Bolt, my master and I are followers of an ancient magical path that goes back centuries, one known to very few people. It is called the Old Way.”
“How did Thaumaturge learn it?” I said. “What is the Old Way, anyway?”
“Like I said, it is an ancient path to learning magic,” said Incantation. “Real magic, by the way, not the silly magic tricks you see on TV or on stage. It was founded by an order of ancient magicians in Britain, but went underground after Britain was Christianized. My master learned it from one of its last practitioners, who died ten years ago.”
“Can anyone learn the Old Way?” I said. “Or just neoheroes?”
“Pretty much anyone can, but neoheroes have it easier because our bodies are more suited to using it for some reason,” said Incantation as the three of them stopped in front of the door to the Training Room. “As far as I know, my master and I are the only two people in the world who practice the Old Way.”
“What are the Old Way's limits?” I asked. “Like, can you cast spells Harry Potter style or what?”
Incantation just smiled a mysterious smile at me, which—despite how tense I felt around her and the others—made me wish she hadn't flat out rejected me before. “A magician never reveals her secrets, Bolt.”
Before I could ask about that, the Training Room slid open and Incantation and Ghost stepped in, forcing me to follow before the doors closed.
The Training Room was huge. It seemed as wide as a football field, except indoors. The floor, walls, and ceiling were covered in scorch marks, scratches, dents, and other things that showed that the Young Neos must have had some really intense training sessions here. But it was strangely barren, which made me wonder what they were supposed to train against in here.
“This is our Training Room,” said Incantation, gesturing at the massive room. “It's open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. You can train as much as you like for as long as you like.”
“It seems kind of empty, though,” I said. “I was expecting some obstacles or training equipment or something.”
“Oh, we put it away when we're not training,” said Incantation. “You can train against holograms, robots, automated weapons, and pretty much anything else, all controlled by an AI designed by Genius himself.”
“An AI?” I said. “What's it called?”
“Reeve,” said Incantation. She looked up at the ceiling. “Reeve? Are you there?”
Suddenly, a voice that sounded like an older British gentleman spoke. “Yes, Ms. Incantation, I am here. Would you like to begin your training for the day?”
“No,” said Incantation
, shaking her head. She gestured at me. “I am just showing Bolt around. He is the son of your creator, Genius.”
“He is?” said Reeve. “It is good to meet you, Bolt. Have you joined the Young Neos yet?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I'm just here to look around and learn for now.”
“Ah,” said Reeve. “Of course. Should you need anything, feel free to let me know and I shall do my best to give it to you.”
“Thanks, Reeve,” said Incantation.
With that, Reeve went silent, but I couldn't help but be reminded of Valerie. I guess Dad must have designed Reeve for the Young Neos or something. It made me wonder just how many AI assistants Dad had made.
Then Incantation looked at me. “Would you like to see the Training Room in action? That's the best way to learn about it.”
I nodded. “Sure. I've got the time for—”
All of a sudden, a loud, screeching noise echoed through the room, making all three of us cringe. At first, I thought that maybe it was some kind of super sonic attack from some villain who had somehow broken into the House, but then I noticed a speaker in the upper right corner of the room from which the noise was blaring.
A voice—Hopper's voice—boomed from the speaker, shouting, “Incantation, Ghost! We've just received a report that the villain Firespirit is attacking a Sagan rally in the Red Town Community Center in Red Town, New York! Thaumaturge has told us to head down there and stop Firespirit ASAP! Come to the Portal Room as fast as you can. We need to leave right away.”
The speaker shut off, causing me to look at Incantation and Ghost in confusion. “What? Firespirit? Who's Firespirit?”
“Just another supervillain who we need to be taken down,” said Incantation as she and Ghost turned around and started walking out of the Training Room, with me following behind. “We'll have to postpone your tour. Right now, we need to save Sagan before Firespirit kills him.”
“We?” I said as I followed Incantation and Ghost down the hall. “Am I coming with you?”
“Do you want to?” said Incantation, glancing over her shoulder at me. “If you want to go home or stay here, that's fine, but we really could use your help.”
“Even if I'm not actually a member of the Young Neos?” I said in surprise.
“You don't need to be a Young Neo to help us defeat a villain,” Incantation said. “So are you coming or not?”
I considered just going back home, but something in Incantation's voice made it hard for me to refuse. Besides, I liked fighting and beating supervillains, especially if I saved innocent lives in the process.
So I nodded and said, “Sure, I'll help. I'm always up for a good villain butt-kicking, so just lead the way and I will follow.”
-
The entire team was gathered in the room known as the 'Portal Room,' which was apparently one of the few rooms in the House that was safe for Hopper to use his powers in without risking creating a void that would kill us all. There were no actual Portals here; in fact, it was very empty, but Hopper generated a larger-than-average portal for us that would take us to the Red Town Community Center.
The only Young Neo who stayed back was Sarah, who claimed that she was just too distressed by our earlier conversation in the Meeting Room to go out and fight a supervillain. That seemed ridiculous to me, but I didn't say anything because I knew that if I did, Hopper would probably just open a portal to Antarctica and kick me through it.
Anyway, we ran through the portal and, like before, found ourselves on the other side like we had just walked through a door. We emerged into a large community center, but it was a huge mess. People were running and screaming, chairs and tables were on fire, windows were broken, and more than a few people lay on the floor either dead or injured (it was hard to tell). Barnabas Sagan himself was nowhere to be seen, so I assumed that the Secret Service or his bodyguards had probably already escorted him out.
But that did not mean that Firespirit was no longer a threat. I had never seen Firespirit before, but it was pretty obvious that the mad man standing on the stage laughing like a maniac while throwing fireballs at anything that moved was probably him. He looked like he was in his early thirties and his head was on fire. He wore a yellow jumpsuit that was somehow miraculously not burning to shreds under the intense heat radiating from his body.
“There he is,” said Incantation, pointing at Firespirit as the portal behind us closed. She looked at the rest of us. “You guys know what to do, right?”
Ghost, Technical, and Hopper nodded, but I shook my head and said, “No. I'm not familiar with your plans.”
“To put it simply, you guys will distract Firespirit while I come up with a spell to take him down,” said Incantation. “It's our standard mode of attack.”
“Distract? How?” I said.
“However you can,” said Incantation. She pointed at Ghost, Technical, and Hopper. “But I want you three to help as many people get out of here as possible. Bolt can distract Firespirit by himself.”
The other Young Neos and I nodded. Then we split up, with Ghost, Technical, and Hopper running around trying to help as many people get out of the community center as possible while I ran to meet Firespirit head on.
Firespirit's back was to me because he was lobbing fireballs at the back walls now, which left his back exposed. I grabbed one of the burning chairs as I ran and hurled it at him as hard as I could, watching as it flew through the air toward him.
But then Firespirit suddenly whirled around and unleashed twin fireballs at the chair. The chair exploded, sending burning metal and plastic flying everywhere, while I ducked to avoid getting hit in the face by the debris.
“Who dare throws a chair at the Spirit of Flame?” said Firespirit. He looked down at me. “What is this, a child in spandex? Are you a neohero?”
“Yeah, and I'm also going to stop you,” I said. “So unless you want to go to jail with a dent in your head, you should give up while you're ahead.”
Firespirit cackled. “How arrogant. Do you not know to whom you are speaking? I am Firespirit, the living embodiment of flame itself! All who stand against me shall be consumed by my hungry flames!”
“No need to ham it up,” I said, shaking my head.
“How dare you mock me!” said Firespirit. “Let my flames consume your soul!”
Firespirit lobbed a fireball at me, which I dodged by flying into the air. I tried to get close enough to Firespirit to punch him, but the heat he generated was too intense for me to get close. I just flew around him, trying to distract him as he followed my every movement. He kept lobbing fireballs at me, but I was too fast and he kept missing with every fireball he threw. Still, I hoped Incantation would finish her spell fast, because if she didn't, I had a feeling Firespirit would eventually hit me.
“You've got a bad throwing arm, Firespirit!” I shouted as I avoided another one of his fireballs. “Maybe you should go to the range and get some target practice in!”
Firespirit shouted incoherently. Then his legs exploded into fire and he flew at me, forcing me to swerve out of the way to avoid getting hit. Firespirit blew a hole open in the ceiling and flew through it, causing me to pause in midair and stare in surprise at the flaming hole he had created.
“Bolt! What are you doing?” said Incantation, flying up to me with an annoyed look on his face. Her wand was glowing purple, which I assumed was her spell charging. “You were supposed to distract him while I prepared my spell, not let him get away!”
I shook my head. “Right. I'll see if I can get him back here or at least make sure that he doesn't take his rampage out onto the streets.”
I shot through the burning hole before Incantation could say anything else. Flying above the roof of the community center, I stopped in midair and looked around for Firespirit, but he seemed to have disappeared, which was strange because he had only left the community center maybe ten seconds ago. He couldn't be that fast, could he?
Then I heard the crackling of
flame above and looked up in time to see Firespirit falling down straight toward me. He collided into me, sending us both crashing down to the roof of the community center. His flames ate at my suit, but it was fireproof, so they did not hurt me.
Still, Firespirit's heat was too intense and uncomfortable. I punched him off me, sending him flying. Firespirit landed on the other side of the roof, rolling briefly before he got back to his feet and summoned two fireballs into his hands as I rose back to my feet. I looked down at my suit, which was smoking slightly, but aside from that my costume seemed to have protected my body from the worst of Firespirit's flames.
“Foolish boy,” said Firespirit in a sneering tone. “I admit that you have so far shown yourself to be a formidable opponent, but that does not mean I am going to give up.”
“It would be a lot easier for both of us if you did,” I said, keeping a careful eye on his burning hands. “Say, why are you attacking this Sagan rally, anyway? If you're angry at him for not following through with his campaign promises when he was elected to the Senate—”
“Politics hardly interests me, boy,” said Firespirit. “I was hired to kill Senator Sagan by someone else.”
“What?” I said. “Who hired you?”
Firespirit's maniacal grin grew even larger. “Now, now, boy, do you honestly believe that I'll give you that information?”
Firespirit jerked his hands forward and sent a blast of flame at me. I rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding it, and then rolled back to my feet. I tore off a chunk of the roof and threw it at him, but Firespirit blasted it out of the air with a gleeful laugh.
“Is that the best you can do?” said Firespirit. “Throw stuff at me? You are truly pathetic.”
“That's not the only trick I have up my sleeve,” I said.
I bent over, scooped up a handful of debris, and then started running around Firespirit in a circle using my super speed. As I ran, I pelted Firespirit with the debris, which, coming at such high speed, hit him much harder than normal. Firespirit raised his arms to defend himself, but I still got in a few good hits and even made a cut across his face.
