The Extraordinaries

by TJ Klune

  “You don’t?”

  “It doesn’t matter, Nicky. Wasn’t important.”

  Nick didn’t believe her.

  * * *

  There was a knock at the door, startling Nick from watching his father’s heartbeat on the monitor.

  “Come in,” Nick said hoarsely. He reached up and wiped his eyes. It was probably Becky coming to tell him who the night nurse would be. She said it’d be someone new, but that she’d introduce them at the shift change. They didn’t care if he was crying. They probably saw it a lot.

  But it wasn’t a nurse. It was Martha Gray.

  Nick stood, suddenly embarrassed. He didn’t know why. “Hi. Um. I didn’t know you were coming.”

  Martha smiled respectfully, purse clutched in front of her. “I hope you don’t mind. Is it okay that I’m here? I can come back later, if you want.”

  Nick shook his head. “No, it’s okay.” Then, with his heart thudding faster, he looked behind her, wondering if Seth had come too. If he had, maybe things would be different. Maybe he wouldn’t have to go through with what he’d planned.

  He wasn’t there.

  Martha’s smile faded. She looked grief-stricken. “Only me, I’m afraid.”

  It hurt. A lot. “Yeah,” Nick said. “Sure. That’s fine. I mean, it’s just my dad, right?”

  Martha took a step forward. “Nick, you have to believe me when I say he wants to be here. Probably more than anything in the world.”

  “Then why isn’t he here?”

  “Sometimes, there are things bigger than our wishes or desires.” She closed the door behind her. Nick looked away as she walked around to the other side of the bed. She blinked rapidly as she set her purse on the windowsill. She turned and stared down at his father before she reached out and took his hand in hers. She reached up and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. “How is he?”

  “The same.”

  “When will he wake up?”

  “No one knows. Tomorrow. The next day. Someday.”

  She hummed a little under her breath. “I wanted you to come stay with us, but I was told you were at the chief’s home.”

  Nick slumped down in his chair. “Yeah.”

  “Safest place you could probably be.”

  “I suppose.”

  She pulled the blanket covering his dad a little higher. “Bob wanted to be here. But there was an emergency at the building he manages. Something having to do with a potential gas leak. He wanted me to tell you he loves you, and he’ll be here as soon as he can get away. Funny thing, gas leaks. Ignite a single spark, and it could lead to disaster. Tell me. Did they find out the cause of the explosion yet?”

  “It was Pyro Storm,” Nick said, voice hard.

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes.”

  “You seem sure.”

  Nick shrugged. “It’s the only explanation.”

  “Can I tell you a story?”

  Nick loved Martha. He did. But he wasn’t in the mood for this. Not now. “Visitor hours are almost—”

  “A boy came to live with us once. We didn’t expect it. We weren’t ready for it. Especially not one who had lost so much. We were grieving ourselves, and then suddenly we had a child with nowhere else to go.”

  Nick closed his eyes.

  “He’d been hurt,” Martha said. “In the accident. His parents had died, and he had lived, but his heart was broken, and he was covered in bandages. They called it a mechanical failure. Something wrong with the train. I don’t remember specifics. Bob’s better at these things. Many people died. But this boy, this sweet, little boy somehow managed to survive. He was found buried under scorched metal, his mother and father lying on top of him. When I saw him for the first time, it was in a room almost like this one. His eyes were closed, and I thought he was having a nightmare. So, I did the only thing I could—I held his hand and told him that everything was going to be all right. That even though his heart was breaking, we would keep him safe.”

  Nick shuddered, trying to keep from curling in on himself.

  “He shouldn’t have survived. He was our little miracle. Stronger than people gave him credit for. And he lived. He was sad, of course. And he had terrible nightmares. He would wake screaming in the dark, calling out for his mother and father, trying to get to them. Trying to save them. He never could before we would wake him, and we had to witness his heart break all over again each time he woke.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” Nick asked through gritted teeth.

  She acted as if he hadn’t spoken at all. “Bob and I didn’t know how to be parents. We did the best we could. I worried it wouldn’t be enough. That we wouldn’t be enough. Oh, we loved him immensely. We gave him everything we thought he could ever want. Love is such a weapon in the face of darkness, if you only know how to wield it.”

  Nick felt a tear track down his cheek.

  “He was always quiet. Always watching. He barely talked. Until one day, he came home from school, babbling a mile a minute about a boy who came onto the swings with him, even though neither of them could actually swing. He said this boy was smart and kind and nice, and that his father was a police officer. He announced quite loudly this boy was named Nicholas Bell, and that they were going to be best friends forever. It was the most I’d ever heard him speak at one time since he’d come to live with us. I didn’t know who this Nicholas Bell was, but I thought it was possible he was the godsend we’d been waiting for.”

  Nick sniffled as he shook his head. “I’m not worth—”

  “You are,” Martha snapped, and Nick opened his eyes. She was staring at him, her own eyes shining. “I know you have trouble believing it, but you are. I know how you see Seth, Nick. I’ve spent years watching you both. You think the sun rises and sets with him. That all the stars in the sky appear because of him. But what you fail to see, always, is that he thinks the same of you.”

  “Then why isn’t he here?” Nick growled, standing from the chair. He started to pace back and forth. “If what you’re saying is true, then where the hell is he? This is my d-d-dad.”

  Above the bed, the light sizzled and went out.

  They both looked up. The bulbs were dark.

  “Huh,” Martha said. “Would you look at that?”

  Nick rubbed the side of his head. He was getting another headache. Mary Caplan was supposed to bring him one of his pills. He’d forgotten to take it this afternoon.

  “We were at home when the call came,” Martha said, still staring up at the burned-out light. “It was Gibby’s parents on the other end.”

  Nick was confused. “They called you about my dad? But—”

  “About your mother, Nick.”

  Nick went cold. “What?”

  “They called us. They told us what happened to her. I thought Seth was going to tear the world apart to get to you. Do you remember?”

  Nick hesitated, but then shook his head. “Everything from back then is a fog. I remember being with Dad, and then Seth was there. I don’t remember what time it was. Or where we were.”

  “That’s to be expected. Trauma can alter the mind. Make it … change. It can rob you of your memories. He was there, Nick, as quickly as he could be. And he saw what it did to you. He understood what you were going through, maybe better than anyone else. He didn’t remember his own loss but knew what it had done to him. And he made a promise to you. He told you he would do everything he could to make sure nothing like that ever happened again.”

  “I don’t understand,” Nick said helplessly.

  “He wants to be here,” Martha repeated. “More than anything. But things are different now. And it’s hurting him more than you could ever know. I know that’s a cold comfort, but you need to hear it.”

  Nick hung his head.

  He heard her moving around the side of the bed, and he didn’t try to fight it when she took him in her arms. He sagged against her, laying his head on her shoulder. She rubbed his back, whispering quietly in
his ear. “It was that day on the swings that changed everything for him. Since then, what he’s done has been about you. I know you can’t always see it, Nick. But sometimes, there are things greater than us. Things we must do to keep those we love safe. And he loves you. He loves you.”

  She held him as he broke again.

  * * *

  She left a short time later, after having leaned over the bed and kissed his dad on the forehead. She stood at the door, purse in hand. She squeezed his shoulder and said she would see him soon.

  She was about to leave when she stopped. “Nick?”

  “Yeah?” he asked. He was exhausted.

  “This will get better. All of this. I promise.”

  He didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing at all.

  She smiled tightly. And then she was gone.

  * * *

  It was almost time for him to leave.

  Mary Caplan was waiting for him.

  He held his father’s hand.

  He said, “I’m going to make sure nothing like this ever happens to you again.”

  He heard the beep of his father’s heartbeat as he turned and walked away.

  * * *

  “Not hungry?” Mary asked while he picked at the plate she’d placed in front of him.

  He shrugged. “Just tired, I guess. Probably will make it an early night.”

  “I have an appointment in the morning. It shouldn’t take too long. You can either wait until I get done or take the train to the hospital. Either way is fine.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” he said. “I’ll take the train. Where’s Cap?”

  She sighed. “Where else? Working. Always working. This business with the Extraordinaries, it … changes you.”

  That was the idea, but he didn’t say it aloud. “I’m sure it’ll be over soon.”

  She frowned. “What makes you say that?”

  Nick pushed his plate away. “I think I’m ready for bed.”

  He was almost out of the kitchen when she said his name. “Your pill. You forgot to take your pill.”

  He swallowed it dry.

  It tasted bitter going down.

  But his headache went away almost immediately.

  Funny, that.

  Fic: This Is Where We Scorch the Earth

  Author: ShadowStar744

  Chapter 69 of? (SORRY GUYS)

  268,130 words

  Pairing: Shadow Star/Original Male Character

  Rated: PG-13 (Rating might go up, but I don’t know if I would be good at it, ugh)

  Tags: True Love, Pining, Gentle Shadow Star, Violence, Happy Ending, First Kiss, Maybe Some Smut if I Can Talk Myself into It, But Who Knows

  * * *

  NOT A CHAPTER

  Hey, guys. I know this probably isn’t the update you expected. I’m sorry. Unfortunately, I have bad news. Some big things have changed in my life, things I didn’t expect. It’s put me in a place where I have to make a choice about what kind of future I want to have. What’s expected of me. Who I need to become. How I can help those who need it most.

  I won’t be updating the story for a while. Maybe a long while. I don’t see Extraordinaries the same way. They used to be these mythical beings, capable of feats that boggled the mind. But now I know they’re capable of hurting others. And that’s something I never expected. Something I never thought would be possible.

  I know this doesn’t make much sense, and I apologize for that. This isn’t some kind of code for me saying I’m going to hurt myself, so please don’t think that. Far from it, in fact. I’m going do everything I can to make sure that those I love don’t get hurt ever again.

  I am going to do something extraordinary.

  Thank you for making me feel special.

  I’ll talk to you soon.

  ShadowStar744

  * * *

  He waited until he heard Mary Caplan go to bed. He pressed his ear against the bedroom door. It was quiet. He shouldered his backpack before opening the door slowly, peeking his head out into the darkened hallway. The house settled around him. No light came from underneath Cap and Mary’s bedroom door.

  He wore only socks as he tiptoed down the hallway, carrying his shoes just to be safe. He managed to avoid the step that Mary said always squeaked. He pulled open the front door as quietly as he could, locking it behind him with the key Cap had given him. He dropped his Chucks to the ground, shoving his feet inside.

  And then he disappeared into the night.

  * * *

  “What are you wearing?” Owen asked as he squinted at Nick when he approached. Owen was leaning against the doorway of a closed cell phone store.

  Nick looked down. He had on black jeans and a black hoodie. The hood was pulled up over his head. “My breaking-and-entering costume.”

  “Your shoes are purple.”

  Nick frowned. “Yeah, Gibby brought these instead of my black ones. I didn’t have time to go back and get them. My bad. Do you think it’s going to give us away? I’m wearing black socks, so I can take them off if I need to.”

  Owen sighed. “You look ridiculous.”

  “Oh yeah? Well, you look … okay. You look like you always do. Why aren’t you wearing a costume?”

  Owen grinned. “Don’t need one. Come on. Let’s get this over with.” He took Nick by the elbow and started tugging him down the block.

  Burke Tower was lit up like a beacon in the night, propelling them forward.

  * * *

  “How’s your dad?” Owen asked as they approached the building.

  “Fine,” Nick muttered, dodging a group of late-night tourists gazing up at the skyscrapers around them. “He’s going to wake up soon, and then he’ll get to go home.”

  “Yeah? That’s good. Sorry I haven’t stopped by.”

  “It doesn’t matter. The room’s not very big. Not anything you could have done.”

  “Still. Hospitals creep me out. I was in them a lot as a kid, and I don’t ever go back to them if I don’t have to.”

  Nick stopped walking.

  Owen glanced back at him. “What?”

  “I didn’t know you’d been in the hospital.”

  Owen rolled his eyes. “Because I never told you. It’s not that big of a deal. You coming or what?”

  Nick followed him. “Why did you have to go to the hospital?”

  “Maybe it was because I was crazy,” Owen said, waggling his eyebrows. “Kept me wrapped up in a straitjacket and everything.”

  Nick shoved him. “The only thing that’s ever been straight about you.”

  Owen laughed. “Funny guy. I forget that sometimes. I don’t know why it surprises me.”

  “Thanks? I think.”

  “It wasn’t anything major,” Owen said, his breath clouding behind him in a warm stream. “Saw things that weren’t there.”

  Nick blinked. “Like hallucinations?”

  “Sort of. They thought there was something wrong with my eyes, at first. And then with my brain.”

  “What was it?”

  Owen looked up, the light from his father’s building covering his skin. “Never figured it out. I got on medication, and it went away.” He turned his head and winked at Nick. “I was one of the lucky ones, I guess.”

  A memory rose through the storm in Nick’s head, bright as a shooting star.

  And my medicine? I need it.

  Not right now. You’ve had enough for the time being. Go. You’ve already made me late enough as it is.

  “That’s…” He didn’t know how to finish. He decided on, “Weird.”

  Owen staggered dramatically. “Ouch, Nicky. And here I thought we were getting closer again. Why would you insult me on a date?”

  Nick was scandalized. “We’re not on a date. Why would you say that?”

  “I asked you out, and you said yes.”

  “You told me we were going to break into your dad’s work and steal pills to make me into an Extraordinary!”

  “Well, yeah. Pre
tty great date idea, right?”

  Nick punched Owen in the arm. “Dude, not cool. You know I’m—you know Seth and me are—we’re something, okay?”

  Owen made a face. “Like I could forget that. How is dear old Seth, anyway?”

  “He’s fine,” Nick muttered. “I think.”

  “You don’t know for sure?”

  “I haven’t talked to him in a little while.”

  “Why?”

  Nick threw up his hands. “I don’t know! He’s busy, or whatever. Can we not talk about that right now? We have other things to focus on. And this is not a date.”

  “He hasn’t even been by to see your father?” Owen sounded offended on Nick’s behalf. “What a dick move.”

  “You haven’t either,” Nick reminded him.

  “I told you I don’t like—”

  “Hospitals, yeah. But when he was a kid, he was in the hospital too. Maybe it’s the same for him.”

  Owen’s eyes narrowed. “Is that right? Why?”

  “He was in—you really don’t know this?”

  “No.”

  “He was on a train with his parents. It crashed. They died. He didn’t.”

  Owen groaned. “Of course that’s what happened. This could absolutely not be any more cliché.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Owen waved his hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter. We’re here. Follow my lead.”

  “What? What do you mean follow your lead? Owen, what are you doing? Owen!”

  * * *

  Apparently, following Owen’s lead meant marching right through the front doors of Burke Tower. It was late, and the doors were locked, but that didn’t stop Owen from pulling out a keycard and pressing it against a black box fixed to the outside of the building. A light flashed green, and there was an audible click before one of the glass doors swung open.

  Owen walked in.

  Nick hesitated.

  Then followed.

  The floor was shiny and looked expensive. Nick was sure that it hadn’t been designed with purple Chucks in mind.