Flash Fire by T.J. Klune

14

Later, as the sky began to darken, Nick and Seth hurried through the streets of Nova City, keeping their heads down. Nick had just gotten off the phone with Dad, who said he was as caught off guard as the rest of them, not having known about the press conference until it happened. He sounded upset, saying he’d been unable to get ahold of Cap.

“And before you ask,” Dad said, “I haven’t said a word about Seth to him or anyone. I’m not going to out him. I promise.”

Nick believed him. He was still pissed, but Dad seemed to be trying. Perhaps a test was in order. “A million dollars is a lot of money.”

Dad snorted. “Yeah, it is. But no amount of money will ever make me hurt Seth.”

Nick gnawed on the inside of his cheek, thinking hard. “Can I send you something?”

“What?”

“Hold on.” Nick pulled his phone away from his ear, opening the text thread he shared with his dad. He sent an attachment before saying, “Picture on its way to you.”

“Okay. It’s … I see it. Let me figure out how to … open … it …”

“Oh my god, Dad, you’re such a Luddite. You have to click on it and it’ll—”

“Yeah, yeah, I see that. It’s … whoa.”

“Whoa,” Nick agreed. He’d sent a picture he’d taken of Jazz and Gibby in their dress clothes, standing next to each other, hands clasped between them, Jazz’s head resting on Gibby’s shoulder. They had bigger things to focus on, but Seth said they needed to remember the little things, too, pushing Gibby and Jazz together and telling Nick to take their picture.

“That’s real good, Nicky,” Dad said quietly. “They look wonderful. Reminds me of … your mom. Ah, she had this … dress she liked to wear. Made her feel beautiful. She only wore it for special occasions, and she was just—”

Nick’s heart broke a little more at the wistfulness in Dad’s voice, but he knew what his father meant. “She was just.”

Dad hesitated, and Nick listened to him breathing. Then, “I need you to know that—shit. The Rook’s here. Kid, I gotta go. We’re going to hunt down Cap and demand he tell us what the hell the mayor is thinking.”

“And make sure you tell him that I’m not a fan of the people he’s hanging out with,” Nick said.

“Will do. Where are you? I won’t be home until late.”

Nick glanced at Seth, who didn’t seem to be listening as he pulled him through the streets, making sure he didn’t bump into anyone. Seth knew Nick and multitasking were not on the best terms. “Hanging out with friends. Probably not going to do much. Get something to eat, make plans for prom.”

“Text me if you’re going to be late. I’ll call you when I know anything. I can’t—I’m coming, Rook, stop honking the damn horn! Nick, love you, talk soon, don’t do anything stupid.”

The phone beeped as the call disconnected. Nick sighed as he shoved it into his pocket. Seth looked back at him. “All right?”

Nick nodded. “He says he didn’t know this was going to happen. You get ahold of Miss Conduct and TK?”

“Miss Conduct, yeah. She’ll be there. Nothing from TK, but that’s not surprising. He shows up when he wants to.”

“You think he’ll come?”

Seth glanced back at him, narrowly avoiding a group of tourists following a guide as he extolled the virtues of Nova City’s illustrious history. “I don’t know. If he does, he does. Why?”

“He’s the only one we know like me,” Nick said. “Maybe he’ll take pity on me and want to help me out a bit. I can’t keep jumping off buildings to try and get my powers to work. What happens if we get into a fight? I’ll tell the bad guys to hold on a minute so I can climb ten floors and jump down?”

“I don’t know,” Seth said slowly. “He doesn’t seem like the type to want to take on a protégé, even though you’d be the best protégé anyone has ever had.”

Yeah, it was love, all right. Seth could have said sidekick, but he didn’t. If that wasn’t enough to convince Nick, he didn’t know what else he was waiting for. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, someone screamed in front of them.

Seth stopped suddenly, Nick bumping into his back. He recovered, peering over Seth’s shoulder to see what was wrong.

A woman stood in the middle of the sidewalk, holding a leash attached to a tiny dog that yipped over and over, tail whipping back and forth. With her other hand, the woman pointed at Seth and Nick, finger trembling. “It’s him,” she cried. “That’s the kid they keep showing with Pyro Storm! He knows who Pyro Storm is!”

People around them began to whisper as Seth took a step back, crowding protectively against Nick. “Lady, you’ve got the wrong idea,” Seth said, the warning clear in his voice.

She shook her head furiously. “No, I don’t. He knows who Pyro Storm is.” She raised her voice again. “He was on the bridge with him! They were kissing!”

The whispers became mutters as more and more people stopped to look at them.

“A million dollars,” Nick heard someone say. “That kid has info worth a million dollars.” Hands began to touch Nick’s shoulders, his back. Someone grabbed his arm, fingers digging in, jerking him away from Seth, spinning him around until he collided with a sweaty man who smelled like week-old sushi.

“Tell me who he is,” the man growled, face inches from Nick’s.

“Let me go!” Nick snapped, struggling to pull free. “You’ve got the wrong dude, dude!”

“I saw him first!” the woman shrieked. “He’s mine.” She took a step toward them, dragging her dog behind her.

“Get your hands off of him,” Seth snarled, pushing his way between Nick and the sweaty man. “You try and touch him again, you’ll have to go through me.”

The man laughed. “You? Who the hell are you? I only want to talk to the kid. What’s his name?”

“Nelly!” someone cried. “His name is Nelly Babbish!”

“No it’s not,” another person scoffed. “Who the hell names their kid Nelly Babbish, you moron. His name is Nicodemus Bracewell!”

“Oh, because that’s a better name.”

“It is. Nicodemus! Hey, Nicodemus!”

“What is wrong with you?” Nick demanded as the crowd began to close in around them.

“Yes, hello,” the first woman said, phone pressed against her ear, trying to push her way through the people in front of her. “Did I dial the right number for the hotline? Yes? Good. I’d like to report that I’ve found Nigel Buckendorf. Nigel Buckendorf. The one who is always making out with Pyro Storm. I’d like my million dollars to be dispersed in rolls of quarters, and no, you don’t get to ask why.”

“Run!” Seth cried, grabbing Nick by the hand and shoving his way through the crowd. People tried to stop them, Nick ducking when hands reached for them. Someone grabbed the back of his hoodie and Nick thought it was going to tear, but the hand slipped as Nick stumbled. He looked back over his shoulder to see a few people chasing after them, the sweaty man and the woman with the dog leading the charge.

Seth ducked down an alley, grip tight on Nick’s hand. They jumped over a trash can on its side and burst out the other side of the alley as Nick pulled his hood up over his head. They pushed into the crowd, blending in as best they could. Nick could hear the woman screaming behind them when Seth shoved him into a darkened storefront, pressing the length of his body against Nick’s front. They were both panting as Nick held onto the straps of Seth’s backpack, holding him close. Footsteps slapped against the pavement, coming closer, closer, and Nick held his breath. Seth reached up and cupped the back of his neck, squeezing gently. Their pursuers rushed by them by without so much as a glance in their direction.

“You all right?” Seth asked.

“People are so stupid,” Nick mumbled.

Seth kissed him quickly, lips warm. “Yeah. They are. School is going to be a nightmare on Monday.”

Nick groaned. “I didn’t even think about that. I’m gonna get in trouble, and it’s not even my fault for once.”

“We’ll figure it out.” Seth leaned back out of the storefront, looking down the street. “I think they’re gone. Come on. We’re almost there.”

Ten minutes later, they stood in yet another alley in a neighborhood Nick wasn’t familiar with. Seth was stripping, and if they hadn’t just run for their lives, Nick would be enjoying it a hell of a lot more. He watched as Seth pulled his Pyro Storm suit out of his backpack, grimacing as he toed off his loafers, glasses askew on his face. “Keep an eye out, would you?”

Nick nodded, looking toward either end of the alley, making sure no one was watching. Just as Seth fitted his helmet over his head, lenses flashing as they came online, the air thickened around them, making it hard to breathe. It smelled of ozone, and Nick looked around wildly. Before he could warn Seth, a power line out on the street lit up with familiar, bright-blue electricity. It shot toward the alley, arcing like lightning. Nick jumped back at the sharp crack as Miss Conduct appeared in front of them, electricity crawling along her costume, her blue curls bouncing as she pulled herself up to her full height.

“Honeybunch,” she said in a stern voice. “If you weren’t an adorable little queer, I’d strangle the shit out of you. But family’s family, and we gotta watch out for each other.”

Nick nodded knowingly. “Gay rights.”

Miss Conduct scoffed. “And you—you’re a brave little thing, aren’t you? Figure things out yet?”

Nick sighed. “I jumped off a building and floated and then got scared and fell the rest of the way to the ground earlier today, but that’s about it. I’m a work in progress.”

“Aren’t we all,” Miss Conduct said. “Now. You tell Miss Conduct who she needs to kill, and I’ll do it.”

“Whoa,” Nick breathed. “That was intense.”

“I’m a drag queen who can turn into lightning. Everything I do is intense.”

Nick had no argument there, so he wisely kept his mouth shut. Miss Conduct turned to face Seth, who appeared to be arguing with his helmet. “No, we’re not. It wasn’t our fault! What do you mean it’s already on the news? It just happened! Who even—Rebecca Firestone?” He groaned. “Of course it was.” He looked up at Nick and Miss Conduct. “Jazz says Firestone is already interviewing the woman with the dog.”

“I hate her so damn much,” Nick muttered and looked up at Miss Conduct. “You said you’d kill people for me because I’m an adorable queer and we’re family, right? Can you start with her?”

“On it,” Miss Conduct said, electricity beginning to arc from her fingertips.

“No,” Seth said, stepping forward. “We don’t kill. Ever.”

“I never agreed to that,” Miss Conduct said. “Just because you have a righteous moral compass doesn’t mean the rest of us want one.”

“He’s right,” Nick said as he deflated. “We can’t kill her. Maybe we could only maim her or something instead.”

Seth shook his head. “No maiming.”

Miss Conduct rolled her eyes. “I’m not seriously going to murder anyone. Learn to have a little fun, yeah?” She shook her head. “Not that I don’t appreciate you reaching out, but what’s going on?”

“You saw the interview with Burke?” Seth asked.

Miss Conduct made a face. “That man. Nasty. Too bad he’s an asshole. Otherwise, I’d ride him like a bronco.”

Nick gaped at her.

She laughed at him. “What? It’s not like I’m actually going to. Trust me when I say been there, done that. I have too much respect for myself to ever go through a headache like that again.”

“I want to be you when I grow up,” Nick breathed. “Even if your taste in men is suspect.”

She patted his arm. “Not all of us like twinks. Two sticks banging together, that’s what you are. Give me a roughrider any day.”

Nick began to pull out his phone. “Oh man, you should see this video I found. It’s got an oil worker who—right,” he said quickly as Seth glared at him. “Not the time.”

Seth waited a beat, as if to make sure Nick wasn’t about to share porn with a drag queen before saying, “We need help. I don’t know if we can do this on our own.”

“Ah,” Miss Conduct said. “I see. You want us to work together.”

“Superhero team-up,” Nick whispered to no one in particular, which was good, seeing as how he was ignored.

“I want us to survive this,” Seth said. “Burke is much more dangerous than people think, and we have to do what we can to stop him.”

Miss Conduct snorted. “I sure as shit won’t end up on any list, you can bet on that.”

Nick looked back and forth between them before settling his gaze on Miss Conduct. “You won’t help us?”

“I didn’t say that, twinkie,” Miss Conduct said sharply. “While I don’t like the idea of going up against someone like Burke, I refuse to live in fear forever. Life’s too short to worry about the simpleminded people who hate us for who we are. I went through that the first time I put on makeup. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let people make me feel bad because of who I am. Never again. And if they want to come for me—well, I think they’re in for the shock of their life.” She raised her hand, a little ball of electricity snapping and snarling before it disappeared as she closed her fist.

“Oh my god,” Nick whispered. “That was a catchphrase. Why didn’t you tell me you have multiple catchphrases?”

“Because I just met you the once,” Miss Conduct said.

Nick nodded, puffing out his chest. “I’m going to tell you mine, Miss Conduct. Ready? It’s gonna blow your mind.” He cleared his throat, hands on his hips. “It’s time to—”

“—take out the trash,” Miss Conduct said. “Yeah, I heard it the first time.”

“Oh,” Nick said. “Right. Well, I can see you’re impressed, so you’re welcome for—”

Another figure landed in the alley.

Nick stumbled back, raising his hands to ward off whoever was attacking them now. He waited a beat, but nothing struck him. He lowered his hands.

There, standing in the alley in front of them, was another Extraordinary.

They pulled themselves up to their full height, which was still shorter than Nick, though they looked much, much stronger, the muscles in their legs and arms shifting as they prowled back and forth. Their costume was completely black and bulky, made up of what appeared to be thick armor that covered their torso and legs. The front of their helmet was an opaque sheet of what looked like thick plastic, not unlike a futuristic motorcycle helmet. They turned their head side to side, looking at the three of them in the alley. Nick felt a chill run down his spine as their gaze settled on Nick. They took a step toward him, and though Nick couldn’t see their eyes, he knew they were looking directly at him.

“Nick,” Seth said. “This is TK.”

TK. The telekinetic Extraordinary. The hero who’d found Seth and Miss Conduct.

Before Nick could introduce himself (and possibly gush until everyone was supremely uncomfortable), TK held out his hand. “Phone,” he said, voice heavily modulated.

Nick blinked. “Uh—what?”

“Phone,” TK demanded.

“Okay?” Nick said. “But if you’re gonna use the internet, anything you find on there isn’t something you can use against me. I have … unique tastes.”

Nick thought TK chuckled, but he couldn’t be sure. TK snatched the phone out of his hand, and before Nick could stop him, he dropped it onto the ground and stepped on it with his boot, shattering it into pieces.

“Hey!” Nick cried. “Why the hell did you do that? My entire life was on that phone. How dare you!”

TK wasn’t moved by Nick’s protestations. He kicked the remains of the phone, spreading the broken pieces around. “You were being tracked. Burke knew every movement you were making. The alley where you were attacked? He knew where to send Smoke and Ice because he was tracking you.”

Nick stared at him, dumbfounded. “What? No, he wasn’t! I would’ve known if he’d … done … that. Oh, shit.” The limo, when Burke had snatched him off the streets. He’d asked to look at Nick’s phone, saying he’d given Nick his contact info. Nick hadn’t even considered calling him. He’d planned on deleting Burke from his contact list, but he’d forgotten. “That bastard.” Angry, Nick kicked the pieces of his phone, spreading them out further. “Seth, forget what I agreed to earlier. We kill. We kill so hard, and we’re going to start with Burke. And then we can move on to Rebecca Firestone.”

“And I’ve got a list of my own,” Miss Conduct said. “TK, you’re looking as mysterious as ever. How delightfully annoying.”

Nick froze as TK moved forward, slowly circling him. TK didn’t try to touch Nick, but he was far too close for comfort. When he’d finished his inspection, he stopped next to Pyro Storm, shaking his head. “Why is he here?”

Before Nick could snap at him, Pyro Storm said, “Because he’s part of this. And I’m done keeping secrets from him.”

Nick puffed out his chest. “Damn right. And besides, I’m an Extraordinary too. Sometimes. I haven’t quite figured out how to make my powers work when I want them to, but I jumped off a building.” He grinned smugly. “And floated. Can you even do something like that?”

TK cocked his head. Then, without another word, he raised both his hands and spread his arms like wings, palms toward the ground. Air began to whip around them, biting and cold, numbing the skin of Nick’s face. Before he could ask what TK was doing, the dumpster against the building rose into the air, floating above them, the trash inside shifting as the dumpster started to spin. Metal creaked and groaned as another dumpster further down the alley shot into the air, flipping end over end, the lid clapping furiously. Detritus flew into the air as if caught in a tornado, swirling around them, plastic bags and newspapers and a startled, squeaking rat, tail twitching as its mouth opened and closed.

TK lowered his hands, and everything crashed back down onto the ground. The rat landed on its feet, taking off and disappearing into the shadows.

“Right,” Nick said weakly. “So you can do stuff. That’s … so cool.” He rushed forward, grabbing TK’s gloved hand and pulling it close to his face, as if proximity would explain all that he needed to know. “Teach me everything you know. You can be my mentor, and I’ll be your young and headstrong protégé who’ll one day take up your mantle when you become way too old to continue fighting, and then you’ll look at me and nod wisely and say, ‘The world needs fresh blood to save her. It’s up to you now, Nicholas Bell. I’ve taught you everything I know. Now, go forth and save the planet like the hero I know you are.’ Holy shit, the fic practically writes itself. How do you feel about being memorialized in fanfiction? Good, I hope, because I’m sure as shit going to introduce a new character based on you. Yes, a hundred and thirty thousand–plus words is probably a little late to introduce a new major character, but that’s the best part of writing fiction! I can make it up as I go along. My followers are going to eat it up when I—”

TK jerked his hand back. “Stop. Talking. I don’t need a protégé, especially one like you.”

Nick frowned. “You don’t even know me.”

“I know enough,” TK growled. “You’re a child.” He glanced at Seth. “Both of you are children. This isn’t a game.”

“We know it’s not,” Pyro Storm said, shaking his head at Nick in warning. “We never thought it was. Nick gets excited, but his heart is in the right place and he could use your help. You’re the only other telekinetic we know.”

“I don’t work with others,” TK snapped.

“You’re a loner, the weight of the world on your shoulders,” Nick said. “I get that. You do you, my dude. But if you’d consider changing your mind, I promise I’d be the best protégé the world has ever known. I won’t even betray you at some point in the distant future because being a villain sounds exhausting. Always making plans to ruin my day. God, I hate them so much.”

“Is he always like this?” TK asked Pyro Storm.

“Sometimes,” Pyro Storm said. “But it comes from a good place. You can trust him. I do.”

“Do you trust me?” TK asked. Pyro Storm hesitated, which was all the answer TK needed. “I thought as much. You don’t know me. I don’t know any of you. And it’s better if it stays that way. Knowing people means getting hurt. And I’m not going to put myself into that position. Not again.” He turned as if meaning to leave.

And Nick couldn’t have that. “We have to watch out for each other. We’re all we have.”

TK stopped, shoulders stiff. He didn’t turn around. “What?”

“Something my dad taught me,” Nick said quietly. “And while we’re not … it doesn’t matter what he and I are, at least not right now. We’ll figure it out because he’s my dad, and I’m not going to lose him. He taught me that we can’t always do things alone. We need others to help us, even if it’s scary letting someone in. I know you think it’s better on your own, but you don’t have to be. We’re here. And we can be here for you, if you let us. It’ll mean you never have to be alone again.”

TK turned his head toward the sky, light glinting off his helmet. “Your father sounds like a wise man.”

“He is,” Nick agreed. “Even though he kept things from me, and even though I’m so mad at him I can barely think straight, he’s still my dad. We all make mistakes. Some bigger than others, and while it might not seem forgivable, I’m all he has left. If I don’t watch out for him, no one will.”

TK turned back, looking at Nick once more. “He’s very lucky to have someone like you.”

Nick looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet. “I think so too.”

TK nodded, glancing at Pyro Storm. “Talk. Now. I don’t like being out in the open. Why did you call us?”

“We need to work together,” Seth said. “It may be our only chance to get through this. Burke knows about Miss Conduct. Not who she is in her real life, but that she exists. It’s only a matter of time before the rest of it gets out. And we need to be ready for that.”

“The bounty isn’t on us,” TK snapped. “Burke’s gunning for you.”

“But that doesn’t mean he won’t try and get as many of us as possible,” Seth countered.

TK scoffed in derision. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle Burke. If he tries to come for me, it’ll be the last thing he does.”

“Whoa,” Nick breathed. “That was dark. High five!” TK was apparently not in the mood to high five, so Nick dropped his hand awkwardly. “Or not, which is cool too.”

“TK’s right,” Miss Conduct said, looking down the alley. Nick followed her gaze. Out on the street, people passed them by without looking at them. “We can handle Burke if it comes down to it. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had to deal with a man who didn’t understand what no means, and he won’t be the last. But I’m worried about the two of you. A million-dollar bounty?” She shook her head, curls bouncing. “That kind of money makes people stupid.”

“We know,” Pyro Storm muttered. He filled Miss Conduct and TK in on what had happened on the way to the alley, all the people chasing after them.

“You need to watch out for each other,” Miss Conduct said. “If we’re lucky, maybe this will all blow over.”

“I doubt it,” Pyro Storm said grimly. “Burke has his sights set on us, and now that he knows what Nick can do, we have to—”

Nick didn’t even see TK move. One moment, he was standing next to Pyro Storm, and the next, he had Nick by the hoodie, pulling him down so he had to hunch over until he was face-to-face with TK. “What the hell are you doing?” Nick gasped, struggling to break free. TK’s helmet was inches from Nick’s face, and he could see himself reflected off the opaque plastic.

“He told you he knows?” TK demanded. “What did he say?”

Nick slapped at TK’s hands to no avail. “Let me go!”

“Release him,” Pyro Storm said, taking a step toward them.

TK jostled Nick, causing his head to snap back and forth. “Tell me!”

“He’s known longer than I have! He’s the one who told me that his company manufactures Concentra, the pills I took for ADHD that were also apparently suppressing my powers for years,” Nick said in a strangled voice as TK lifted him even higher. “He knew about my mom—she could do what we do. I guess her telekinesis passed on to me, and my parents decided it was too dangerous. They tried to suppress it, and Burke helped them.” TK shoved him back and began to pace, ignoring Nick glaring at him. “Not cool, dude. You already broke my phone. You don’t have to break me too. Not that I’m fragile or anything,” he added quickly, needing TK to see how awesome he was, in case the Extraordinary might change his mind and allow Nick to be his protégé.

“He’s getting too confident,” TK said. “He’s not trying to do things in secret, not anymore. And he managed to get the mayor in his pocket. And don’t get me started on the police. They’re probably just as involved.”

“Do you know him?” Pyro Storm asked, head tilted to the side. “Because you’re talking like you do.”

“Whatever Burke’s planning, you can bet it’s only getting started,” TK said. “If you’re telling us to lie low, then you both need to do the same. If he knows about Nick, then it’s only a matter of time before he figures out the rest.” He shook his head angrily. “Don’t underestimate Simon Burke.”

“We’ve handled him so far,” Nick retorted. “I know you think we’re just kids, but we’ve already done more than most. We survived Shadow Star. We survived Smoke and Ice. We can deal with someone like Burke.”

“This isn’t one of your fics,” TK growled at him. “This is real life. People could get hurt. You could die. And someone isn’t always going to be there to catch you when you fall.”

Nick stared at him, thinking hard. “What do you mean, catch me?”

“Nick can handle himself,” Pyro Storm said. “And even if he couldn’t, he has me to back him up. He’s not alone in this. He never will be. I’ll make sure of it.”

“You can’t always be there. No one can,” TK said, folding his arms across his chest. “And what happens if they get to you first, and Nick’s the only thing between you and death? Are you really going to tell me that you’d put your life in his hands? He doesn’t even know how to use his powers.”

“Being a hero isn’t about powers,” Pyro Storm said, reaching out and taking Nick’s hand in his own. “Nick is braver than anyone else I know, and it’s not because he’s telekinetic. He was already that way. So, yes. If I’m taken out, and Nick is the only thing that stands between me and death, then I know I’ll be okay because he’s relentless. All of our friends are. If we don’t trust each other and work together, then what the hell are we fighting for?”

“You’re children.”

“Who’ve handled themselves remarkably,” Miss Conduct said. “You know that, TK. You saw what they did on the bridge. It’s why you sought Pyro Storm out. You didn’t want to be alone anymore. We have each other now. That means we watch each other’s backs against shitheels like Simon Burke. And if the need should arise, we will do what we have to in order to protect each other.”

TK slumped. “I’m not like you. I’m not like any of you. I’ve been fine on my own. I don’t need a team to—”

“Bullshit,” Nick said, and TK jerked his head up. “Miss Conduct’s right. You found Pyro Storm because you wanted to connect to someone else who has amazing powers and is doing something good with them. And sure, I don’t really know how to make my powers work when I want them to, but I helped to stop Shadow Star before I knew I could do anything like that. You already at least kind of trust Seth, or you wouldn’t have sought him out. We’d be unstoppable if we’re all working together, so why are you fighting this so hard?”

“Twink’s got a point, TK,” Miss Conduct said. “Maybe we don’t trust each other completely yet, but Nick still came here without a disguise because he was willing to take the risk that we all want the same thing. Am I scared of risking increased exposure by teaming up with a public hero? Hell yes. But if we don’t fight for ourselves and our future, then those who can do what we do won’t have anyone to turn to. It’s not just about us. It’s about those who’ll come after us. If I need to pick up a damn brick like our lord and savior Marsha P. Johnson, then that’s what I’ll do.” She smiled sharply. “And if anyone gets in our way, then they’ll have a fight on their hands.”

“You’re all out of your minds,” TK said, though he sounded begrudgingly impressed. “Fine. We work together. For now. Don’t do anything stupid that’ll get yourselves killed.”

Pyro Storm sounded relieved when he said, “Good. I’ll send updates through the app. You can do the same.”

“Is that it?” TK asked. “It’s getting late. You need to get home.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “It’s Saturday night, and you’re not my parent. I’ve already got one of those, and he’s a pain in my ass.”

“Keep telling yourself that, kid,” TK said.

And then TK turned, leaping up to the wall of the building to the right. The brickwork bulged from the wall with a groan, giving TK purchase as he climbed swiftly, almost too fast to follow. The last Nick saw of him was the flash of his helmet catching the lights from the city as he reached the roof and disappeared.

“I do love a dramatic exit,” Miss Conduct said, staring upward. She shook her head as she glanced back at them. “If there’s nothing else, I’m going to get out of here too. Some of us have work in the morning. Pyro Storm, it’s been real. I’ll be in touch if I find out anything. Twinkie, keep on doing what you’re doing. You’ll figure it out.”

And with that, electricity began to arc along her body until she became so bright, Nick had to look away. The electricity snapped and snarled, and when the light faded, she was gone, leaving Nick and Pyro Storm alone in the alley.

“Still think they’re working with Burke?” Seth asked as he removed his helmet. His curls were a mess. He brushed them off his sweaty forehead.

“No,” Nick said quietly, looking up again to where TK had disappeared. “I don’t think they are. But it would really suck if one or both of them ended up betraying us, so I reserve the right to complain dramatically if that happens.”

“I would expect nothing less,” Seth said, stripping quickly out of his costume. Nick didn’t look away this time, watching as gooseflesh prickled along Seth’s arms and bare back, the muscles shifting under his skin.

Seth complained only a little when Nick practically tackled him, kissing every part of him his mouth could reach. As Nick held Seth close, chin hooked over his shoulder, breathing him in, Nick promised himself that nothing would tear them apart. They were in this together, and no one—not Burke, not Dad, not any villains who’d come after them—could take that away from them.