Sunday, December 20
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Bianca wouldn’t stop giving me a hard time about my lack of preparation for Christmas, especially when I made her go to the food court for giant pretzels while I bought her a cute top at a shop next to the lingerie shop we’d hidden from Haze-Matt in. Their inventory was all new, and I spent a little time there, just in case something caught my eye, but in the end, regular clothes seemed more appropriate for a family holiday. At least for the part our parents were there for.
She showed up just in time for me to hide the two pre-wrapped boxes in one of my many bags, and I grinned. “All done. Anything else?”
“Yeah, actually. My dad,” Bianca said. “He’s a reader, but if he even suspects I’ve ordered a book for him online, he loses his mind. Something something, ‘Those internet corporations are ruining this country.’ So, a bookstore?”
“Sure,” I said. Then I narrowed my eyes theatrically. “Wait a minute! You hadn’t finished your shopping, either?!”
“Oh, no, I have something for him, but the book thing’s a family tradition, and I hadn’t had a chance to get out. Same problem as you, so I don’t want to hear it.”
“Sure. Uh-huh. After all the ribbing you gave me? Not going to happen.”
“Alright, sorry. Let’s get going.”
The Civic was parked in the oversized parking lot, and we managed to find it after almost ten minutes of wandering. The engine started, I loaded my bags into the back, and we started moving.
“So, what’d you get me?” Bianca asked. When I mimed zipping my lips shut, she laughed. “I’ll figure it out, I promise. I always do. Besides, I already know it’s clothes, so the question is whether it’s sexy clothes or normal ones. Do you know my measurements?”
I laughed as we waited at a red light. “Got them from Pataki.”
“That asshole!” Bee mock-gasped.
Traffic finally started moving, and I rattled off my list. “Okay, Mom and Dad covered, Bee covered, something small for Su-Bin and Cam, a package on the way to Grandpa, and…a Super-Watch login for Collidus. Think that’ll work for him?”
“Hopefully. Shop talk.”
“Hey, presents aren’t shop talk!” I whined, wilting under her glare. “That one’s close, though.”
“Yep. Get the address for a bookstore near campus.”
“On it, babe.” She drove, and I navigated through Tokyexico’s canyon-like mid-town. The whole time, I tried to put anything Understudy-related out of my mind. But I couldn’t help thinking about The Agent as we drove past the Council of Heroes building. He was still out there, somewhere, and until we stopped him, he’d be a constant menace. And even though I’d sounded confident with the reporters, I didn’t have the first clue as to his whereabouts. I’d been acting the whole time.
Broken Binding Books was a shop just across the main road from Tokyexico University. It occupied a double spot next to an art gallery and a couple of jewelry shops; I thought about letting Bee browse for a book while I checked out the jewelry, but I’d gotten her a necklace she wore sometimes last year, and repeat gifts felt weird. Besides, I’d already dropped a ton of money on her presents. So, even though I wasn’t much of a reader outside of plays and schoolbooks, I followed her through the double doors.
It took her less than fifteen seconds to get separated and lost.
The shelves inside were a maze of books, with labels like ‘Pre-Launch Front Range History,’ ‘Local Authors,’ and ‘Popular and Academic Fiction.’ Bianca made a bee-line for the back of the shop, where a sign advertised ‘Westerns and Science Fiction Westerns.’ I didn’t see her again until nearly half an hour later, at the cash register, buying a half-dozen books.
I hadn’t found anything, but a high-school boy had attached himself to me, trying desperately to find something I’d want to read. “How about geography? We’ve got a bunch of new and updated travel guides for the post-Launch, post-clean-up world. Or maybe movie history?”
“No, thanks,” I muttered, eyes rolling as Bee grinned sheepishly at me from the door and motioned for me to hurry up and disengage.
“Well, what do you like?” the kid asked.
“Uh, superhero stuff.”
“Oh.” His face fell, then brightened. “Come back in late January. Toll Publishing made deals with every bookstore in the city. Something about a guaranteed best-seller written by a major superhero. They bought out all our most visible displays—Dad says it cost them a fortune, and we’ve already hit our second and third-quarter profit goals from them. But Toll won’t tell him what the book’s about. Such a cool mystery.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
I nodded slowly. “Okay. Late January. Got it.” Then I disengaged, heading for Bee, and slipped my hand theatrically into hers. “Let’s get going.”
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We were halfway up the stairs to 1301 Walnut Tower, looking to burn a few extra calories before the future Christmas dinner I had planned, when we ran into a problem. A desk was making its way down to the first floor, with a familiar man holding it up from below. And high above, with her black hair dripping with sweat and her eyes red, was Su-Bin.
When she saw us, she nodded. “Hey, get off the landing for a minute, Annie. Gotta…keep our momentum up,” she panted, breathing hard as she wrestled the heavy oak desk down the narrow stairs.
“Yep,” her dad agreed. Mr. Pak looked like he hadn’t slept in a couple of days, but at the same time, he was completely relaxed and triumphant. Mrs. Pak came around the corner high above with the computer chair that went with the desk.
The procession passed, Su-Bin mouthed, “My place. I’ll explain,” at us, and I watched them maneuver the bulky desk around the corner and continue the long, long job of moving furniture.
I looked at Bianca, who shrugged casually. “Guess we drop this off and meet Su-Bin?”
“Yeah, sounds good to me.” I started hurrying toward my apartment, letting myself get just a little out of breath, and dropped the wrapped gifts under the tree. With Bee and I staying at her place, I didn’t need to worry about her raiding the presents early, and I’d move the lingerie before Christmas so it wouldn’t be an embarrassment for both of us.
“Think she’s moving somewhere else on campus?” Bee asked.
“Probably not.”
Down a floor outside room 1232, I twiddled my thumbs and waited until the elevator opened and Su-Bin stepped out. She was crying again, fists balled, and she practically spit her words at us. I could feel the hostility, and it wasn’t even aimed at Bianca and me—at least, not this time.
Understudy? Fursona? Sure, but not Bianca and me.
“This is bullshit! They want me to move back in with them. They have ever since last year, but last week’s attack was too much for them. I’ve been fighting them all morning, but Dad won’t listen!”
“The supervillain attack?” I asked.
“What else? That bitch Understudy,” Su-Bin said, vitriol dripping from her every word. She took a deep breath, then another. “I made a mistake. I’ve been so focused on campus safety and crime rates when the key to APPEAL was in front of me the whole time. No one cares about the little things. But Power War? That’s a blood sport. And now, I won’t be on campus to organize real protests against it.”
“I…” Bianca trailed off, not sure what to say. Then she started again. “I…your parents have to know how important APPEAL is to you, right? Did you try talking to them about it?”
“Yes, of course I did. They said my club members would understand why I had to be online-only for a while. They said it was only until Power Wars ended, but when will that be, huh? Next year sometime, judging by how things have been going, and whether the ‘heroes’ win or some villain does, it won’t matter. All that Power Wars does is entrench super dominance. “
“What do you mean by blood sport?” I asked. “And do you have anywhere to sit down?”
“No. Mom took my last chair. They’re rearranging the trailer so we can fit the last load in. Look, you two know that supers are just a gimmick for alien TV, right?”
“Yeah,” Bianca said before I could disagree. She shot me a look that said, ‘Don’t get into shop talk.’ I nodded along.
“Great. So, do you really think so-called heroes and villains choose when it’s time to have a Power War? Maybe the first time, but the second happened when Golden Goose was ready to ascend to number one and when superhero ratings were low across Ilneat space.” Su-Bin grinned bitterly. “We’re seeing a new shuffle in the rankings, or will be soon.”
“And you know this how, exactly?” I asked. “Don’t you hate superhero shows?”
“Yes. Passionately,” Su-Bin’s dad said from the stairwell. “Passionately enough to know all the stats behind them, even though she refuses to watch an episode. She’ll be a great general from our apartment, and APPEAL can do everything it’s doing now without her putting herself at risk on campus. Isn’t that right, Su-Bin?”
“Yeah, Dad, that’s right,” Su-Bin said, but her eyes rolled almost to the back of her head, and her tone said she didn’t believe it and that she was pissed.
“Great. I’ll get the last couple of things. Cam’s waiting by the truck, and we need to get moving so we can unload all this this afternoon while it’s warm out.” Mr. Pak nodded. “Anika. Bianca. Good to see you both again. Stay safe on campus, okay?”
“Sure, Mr. Pak,” I said halfheartedly.
He paused at the door and turned around, looking at me solemnly. “I know none of you are happy with our decision, but it’s what we think’s best for Su-Bin, and she’s agreed to it. One of the conditions for her stay at Tokyexico University’s dorms was that supers wouldn’t attack her living space. Since that’s happened, it’s clear she’s not safe here. Even she agrees, and the last thing we want is for her to become a statistic for whoever replaces Golden Goose.”
“I understand,” Bianca said.
“Thank you.” Mr Pak disappeared into the dorm room, which looked shockingly empty.
“I hate this,” Su-Bin said, sniffling.
“Yeah, I bet.” I gave her a side hug, then let Bee get a hug of her own. We’ll see you, okay? It’s not like you’re losing all your friends. You’re just moving away for a little. And you’ll still be on campus for classes, right?”
“Only the ones that won’t let me attend online. It’s a commute, and we’re not about that,” Su-Bin said.
“Oh,” I said.
Su-Bin’s dad cleared his throat from the door. “Su-Bin, can you help out with a little of this? It’s time to go.”
She nodded slowly. One more round of goodbyes followed, and a minute later, Su-Bin vanished into the elevator with a stack of books, followed by her father.
“Well, shit,” Bianca said.
“Yeah,” I agreed, but I had mixed feelings. It’d really suck not to have Su-Bin and Cam at board game nights, and if anything, it felt more isolating to lose her since we didn’t have many unpowered friends. But on the other hand, President Pak had been a thorn in Understudy’s side for a long time. Clearing the board of an annoyance before we resumed our fight against 3V1L and The Agent could only be—
“Shop talk,” Bianca said suddenly.
I did a double-take, flushing red. How had she known? Then I nodded slowly. “Shop thoughts, yeah. Think there’s anything we can do for her?”
“As Annie and Bianca? Not really. Stay in touch with her, maybe? There could be a good virtual board game set-up somewhere that we could play with her. Breaking the shop talk rule for a moment, though, our best bet, if we want her back on campus, is to win Power War Three. And that means being in top shape, which means a nice, relaxing Christmas with no shop talk.”