I land on the stairwell where the floor of my apartment is without anyone seeing me. Eddie’s contractors are hard at work fixing the wall. There are begs and piles of rubble in the hallway. The workers already have the hole squared off. At this rate, they can finish before night.
“Sam!” I say.
“You’re back!” Sam says, walking out of the bedroom. She runs into me for a tight hug. “Thank god! How did your thing go?”
“Not good,” I say, whispering. “Shar’I is unhinged. She offed another of those green things.”
“Walk with me.” She and I talk in private on the stairwell. “Can you check if there’s people around us?” She says, touching her right ear.
“It’s just us.”
“This is getting out of hand, Nikki,” She says, shouting softly. “If Shar’I and the people after her don’t settle something, things will get crazy.”
“I have a feeling I’ll be stuck in their shit.” I slam my head on the guard rail. The rail bends on impact. Some of the crappy black paint cracks and pieces stick on my forehead. “When I got my powers, I thought I would see what it would be like playing hero,” I say as I try to straighten the guardrail. “All it has given me is pain, stress, and getting into someone’s political shit.”
“Yeah... You could be an awesome heroine.” I shake my head to disagree.
“What have I done that was heroic?”
“For starters,” she says before interlocking her hand around mine. “You’ve done a lot.” She reminds me of my first time using my powers. Then, the rest of my adventures come to mind when I see them through a heroic mindset. They are nothing to brag about, but she thinks otherwise.
“No one will know what I’ve done.”
“You don’t need the admiration of people to do what’s good, babe.”
“What should I look for?”
“Nothing,” she says, smiling. “Do good for no reason.” Doing good for no reason sounds stupid. Yet, she has a better understanding of people than I do.
“Yeah, okay,” I say almost letting out a chuckle. “That isn’t me. I’m more of the type to help when someone is asking for it.”
“That’s a good start. Baby steps.” I scoff yet smile once I realize there might be something good at the end of the tunnel for what I can do.
“Hey,” I say after kissing the hand of the arm around me. “What would my name be?” She hums, tapping her finger on her mouth while looking at me up and down with her eyes.
“Elemental Pop,” she says, popping the letter P.
“Sounds cool but I can only create fire and ice.” I look around and check the steps before showing her a teensy display of what I can do. “Got any other names?”
“Skyfall. Because a meteor hit you from the sky.” We point at each other almost simultaneously.
“Sounds good!”
“I still have more.”
Sam lists more names that relate to something above or things coming down. I can be Heavensent, Bright Star, Shower Glaze, or Spirit,
“Gosh, now I really got to think,” I say.
“Take your time. Your name can wait. You gotta see if this is the life for you, first.”
Sam’s words make me feel like how I was when I got my suit for the first time. I’m optimistic about the future yet not readily seeking after it. If my day comes. Being a hero is a stressful job that can have its benefits. Before I can be a beacon of aspiration, I have to acquire a selflessness mindset like Eddie’s. Money can’t be the only reason I want to help people. Even though it is great money and pays more than my regular job, I have to get away from that mindset. I’m better off striving for good than half-assing my way to glory.
“Nikki,” Sam says, tapping my arm and then pointing at the sky. Nemetoria descends from the sky like a heavenly angel. She’s wearing a Roman white toga with a low-hanging skirt. All she is missing is a floating halo and sandals.
“Where’s your sandals?” I say. “You don’t look Roman without them.”
“I’m not here to entertain your jokes,” Nemetoria says and lands behind me. “Shendour and Tinara visited my home.”
“That’s not good,” Sam mumbles under her breath.
“I assume they didn’t come there to fight,” I say.
“They wanted me to hand Shar’I over to them,” Nemtoria says, looking up with her eyes closed. “They threatened to level this city within the hour.” She turns around and points her hand up the steps. “Is Shar’I up there?”
“No. The last time I saw her was with Eddie.”
“Ah,” she says and shoves her hand down her toga. I hear a button dial on a phone before she takes her hand out with it. “Code steel. Commando. Nikki’s apartment.” She hangs up the phone. Ten seconds later, Eddie shows up. “The fiasco with Shar’I, Shendour, and Tinra is about to go nuclear.”
“How?” Eddie says.
“There won’t be a city unless we turn Shar’I into them.”
“Are you serious?” She presses her lips into her mouth and shakes her head. “I gotta tell Christabell.”
Eddie frantically calls Christabell. He mentions the cryptic code that brought him to us and advises her to notify the state to activate their state of emergency after telling her the threat Shendour and Tinra made.
“I hope they can evacuate the city in time,” Sam says.
“Unfortunately, that will be impossible,” Nemetoria says. “The best they can do is take cover.” I look at Eddie hoping he has more optimism. He sighs and shakes his head when he looks at me.
“All we can do is try our best to minimize damage,” Eddie says.
“This could get ugly,” she says quietly.
“Yeah,” he says, matching her voice.
Eddie’s frown doesn’t sit well with me. I feel physically sick. My stomach turns when my heart rate jumps. Nemetoria doesn’t look hopeful either.
“Do you guys expect to fight them?” I say. They don’t say anything to confirm my question. But, their tense bodies tell me, yes. Nemetoria crosses her arms while Eddie shoves his hands down the pocket of his jacket. “Can’t we just talk to them?”
“And say what?” Nemetoria says. “Did you forget what happened at Bermuda?” I cringe when I remember. “I’ll be right back in a minute.” She bolts to the sky. The sound barrier explodes several times and decreases in sound the further she goes.
“Where is she off to in a hurry?” Sam says.
Thirty seconds later Nemetoria comes back wearing a silver and brown metallic shiny-looking full-body suit. Her chest and stomach are plated with individual pieces. On the side of her waist and parts of her ribcage have a black etched design. Her gauntlets are plated too. The gloves on her hands are fingerless yet the knuckles are layered with extra protection.
“Where’s your crown and cape?” Eddie says.
“That is for formal purposes,” Nemetoria says and looks at me with the side of her eyes. “Nikki,” she says, staring straight at me. “I’d ask you to join us but I don’t think you’re ready for this.” She grabs Sam’s shoulder and my shoulder. “Fly far away from here. Don’t come back until we deal with them.” Her hand moves away from Sam but stays on mine. “Eddie, do you know where Shar’I is?”
“Hopefully with Christabell,” he says.
“Let’s head there now. We need to make some plans.”
As they’re getting ready to take off, something inside me says that I’m willing to lend a hand in their fight. If I’m going to try being a hero, why not participate in this debacle?
“I’m coming with y’all,” I say.
“Are you sure you want to?” Sam says gently holding my waist.
“I have the power to assist.” She smirks when I think she realizes her quote.
“You don’t have to,” she says, whispering.
“I know.” We kiss, hug, and hug each other again tightly.
“Do your best, my Nayantara.”
“What does that mean?”
“Star of the eyes. It has a romantic meaning but I believe it works well with your new beautiful eyes.”
“I think we found my name.”
“Nayantara!” We say together.
I zoom back into the apartment, put on my outfit including the mask at super speed to avoid the workers from seeing me, and return to Sam to show everyone. Each one of them smiles but Sam’s shines the brightest.
“You look good,” Eddie says. “This is a perfect first suit,” he says.
“You’re so gorgeous,” Sam says. She puts the hood of the jacket over my head and pulls some of my hair forward. “You ready?”
“I’m ready,” I say.
“Okay,” Nemetoria says before getting distracted by an explosion within the city. A cloud of smoke plums over a skyscraper. Another explosion goes off. Five seconds later, a third sets off. “We need to go!” Nemetoria takes off but stops to look down at me. “Are you coming?”
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“Yeah,” I say, looking at Sam. “Give me a second. Sam...”
“You’ll come back,” Sam says after kissing my forehead. “I don’t want to hear that if I don’t come back bullshit.”
“You know me so well,” I chuckle. “Pray for me.”
“I will!”
Eddie hands me and Nemetoria an earpiece as we’re flying over towards the city. He radios Polaris for a situation update on the explosions. Pam radios, screaming for help. He disappears in a flash. Nemetoria tells her that he is on his way.
“Get on my back,” Nemetoria says. I hold on like a vice grip. She takes off faster than a rocket taking off. My hood flies off my head. “Christabell, do you read?”
“Plant monsters rampaging through the streets,” Christabell says. Her communication is glitchy but it is good enough to know what she is saying. “I got hit pretty badly. My gear is smashed up a bit.”
“Where are you?”
“Summit Avenue. I’m in an alleyway.”
“I’m heading to you know,” she says on the radio before talking to me. “Hold on again, Nikki.”
“Go!” I say. She flies faster than before. We fly over Summit Avenue within seconds. There are cars overturned, people lying in the streets, and a miniature plant monster terrorizing people in a parking lot. “Nikki,” she says, pointing at the ugly thing. “Destroy it. I’m going to find her.”
“Got it.” I jump off her back and plow into the monster. Parts of it including myself tumble deeper into the parking lot. Someone’s parked lifted truck stop me. The truck folds around me like a banana.
“Oh, my god!” I woman screams from the ramp going up to the last level of the garage.
“I’m good!” I use the truck to spring forward. The monster’s tentacle whips at me. I shield my face but accidentally ignite my arms. I burn through it like a hot knife cutting soft butter. “Holy shit!” I say and laugh.
The adrenaline rush begins to kick in. I feel invincible. No matter what the monster tries to do, it can’t touch me or hurt me. I tear it into pieces, punch holes in it, and set it ablaze in the middle of the street. People from a parking lot across the street come to the protected wall to cheer. A few of them stare. Some keep their distance. When I see a guy take his phone out and point at me, I fly above him to get out of shot.
“Wait!” The man says. “Bro, head up the steps!” A crowd of people make their way up to the top floor.
“Really?” I say. I fly high into the sky. “Guys,” I say over the radio. “How’s everyone doing?”
“We’re good,” Pam says. “Eddie is handling one of those big things.”
“Nem?”
“Nem?” Nemetoria says with a slight chuckle. “What made you wanna say that?”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m taking Mag to a safe place and coming to you. Wait for me.”
There’s a tall building across the street that overlooks the parking lot. I sit on the roof between two air conditioners to wait. After a minute goes by without a word from Nemetoria, I radio her and ask what’s going on. She doesn’t answer. Suddenly, something explodes several blocks to my right. I look over the ledge to find out what’s going on.
“Nikki!” Nemetoria says over the radio, graining and coughing. “I need your help. Shendour and Tinra are on my ass.”
“Was that explosion you?” I say.
“They sent me through a building.”
“Are you okay?” I say halfway leaning off the ledge to see if I can spot her.
“I’m just,” she chuckles. “Catching my breath. Head over here once I give you the signal.” I fly close to get ready for the call. “Get over here!” She says after I see Tinara tumble out of the building and into another one. I jet over there. Tinara heads back as I’m heading inside.
“Hey! Remember me?” I say before throwing her out of the building. “I’m here! Where is Shendour?” Nemetoria comes through the floor a foot from me. We hit the ceiling but I don’t slam into as hard as she does.
“Ouch,” Nememtoria chuckles. Shendour rises out of the hole facing me.
“Oh, it’s you,” Shendour says slowly invading my personal space. He yanks me up to my feet by gripping my jacket where my chest is. “I’d suggest you avoid picking a fight with me. Unless you want to...”
“Want to what?” I say. He laughs and tosses me to the side like dirty laundry and turns his back to me.
“Stay out of the fight, kid. I’ll deal with you after I’m done with her.” I’m offended and speechless. I can’t believe he thinks that I’m not a threat.
“Where were we? Ah, yes. Stop protecting her. Tell me where Shar’I is, Nemetoria.” Tinara flies into the room with her eyes locked on me. A green flame burns inside her sockets. She lunges at me but he stops her with his hand on her chest. “She’s not worth it.” The fire in her eyes slowly burns out. “There, there. Let’s stay focused.”
“You’re next,” Tinara says with her lips.
“I won’t ask again,” he says, deepening his voice.
“Like I said, I do not know,” Nemetoria says after getting up. “She comes to me when she wants things.” She looks at me, glances at them, and looks back at me. “Nayantara.”
“What?” Tinara says.
“Nayantara,” she says and chuckles. When she stops smiling, she tips her head towards Tinara and tackles Shendour through the building.
“That bitch!”
I intercept Tinara the second she takes flight. We tumble through offices. The walls break like a flimsy stick. A support beam in the middle of a room breaks us apart. I nearly sidestep a woman coming out of the bathroom.
“Oh my god!” The woman screams.
Tinara jumps on top of me with both hands gripping my throat. I pry her arms apart before she can get a solid grip. Her arms shake as she tries to squeeze her hands back to my neck. The more she struggles, the harder they shake. Her eyes light up and then engulf into a raging fire. I can’t keep her hands away. They clasp around my neck. I can feel her thumbs gradually press into my Adam’s Apple.
“Get off of her!” The woman says. “Get off of her!” She kicks her several times. Bystanders within the room come to her aid. They try kicking, punching, and pulling to get Tinara off. Their efforts do nothing. Her hands remain firm around my neck, but their desperate action gives me the strength to pull her hands away.
“Get off,” I say, straining my words. I pull her arms out enough to punch her into oblivion. She flies through the multiple floors and the roof. I scoot away from the hole to avoid getting dust on my clothing. “God,” I say, coughing.
“Damn,” a man says before chuckling like a hillbilly. “Are you okay there?”
“I’ll live.”
“Who was that woman?” The woman says. “Wait... Wasn’t she mentioned on the news?”
“It is,” I say after looking for Tinara through the holes in the ceiling. I don’t see her. I check the windows on the floor I’m on and see nothing. “Everyone get out, now!”
“No need to tell me twice,” a woman says. Everyone rushes into the fire exit moments before Tinara smashes through a window. Her left cheek is bruised and bleeding from a cut.
“I don’t understand why Shendour won’t let me outright kill you,” Tinara says. “You’re just a nuisance against our mission.”
“Your mission?”
“Yes!”
“Your mission,” I say sternly pointing my finger at her, “is a terroristic attack! You could’ve gone straight for her! Instead, you killed people to flush her out.”
“It is a tactic of war.”
“Fucking what?” My voice cracks on every word. “You’re fucking crazy!”
“You should surrender while you still have your life,” she says and points at the ground between us. “Get on your knees.”
“You can’t be serious.” Her finger stays pointing.
“Kneel,” she says and takes a step. “Once Shendour takes Shar’I’s throne, I’ll be his queen. Get down and I’ll consider sparing you.” What have I gotten myself into? The ego of this bitch is unbelievable. I can’t trust her even if she’s being honest. She’s a cold-blooded murderer.
“Kiss my ass.”
“How about I kick it.” She tackles me out of the building and into the air. We punch, kick, and toss each other wildly in the sky. My fire, ice, and telekinetic abilities randomly turn on when I’m not thinking about them. They somewhat aid in hurting her. It takes her longer to recover after I punch her. “Damnit,” she says and shoves me away. Her eyes ignite. I do the same thing with my hands.
“Come at me!” She doesn’t. I use telekinesis to restrain her body and pull her into my fist to punch her several times. On the hit, I punch her to the ground. She crashes through a parked electric car, splitting it in half. I slowly descend over the car and get a good look at her. She’s out cold.
“Guys,” I say after turning on my radio. “Tinra is out for the moment. Nemetoria, where are you?”
“Edge of space,” Nemetoria says.
“What?” I say, checking the skies. “How? Are we talking?”
“Never mind that. I’m coming down to you. Where are you?”
“A few blocks from the building we were in.” Seconds later I hear explosions over my head. I meet her in the sky to get away from Tinra just in case she wakes up. “Hey. What’s up?” Nemetoria’s arms and face are bruised. Her armor is dented in a few areas around her stomach and forearms.
“We need to make a plan,” she says, floating down to Tinra.
“Where’s Shendour?”
“I sent him hurling into space. He’ll be back soon so we need to think fast.” She stands on top of the car with her boots beside Tinara’s head. “I can’t believe I worshiped you,” she says and then splits the car in two by forcing it apart with her feet. Tinra falls to the ground. “I should just stomp her face in.”
“Oh god. Please don’t.”
“Why not?” She says, smirking. “One less worry to deal with.”
“Were you always this violent?”
“I,” she says momentarily glancing down to her right. “Will you believe me if I tell you no?”
“No, but I’m open to having my mind change.”
“Whenever you are free after this, shoot me a text. We’ll talk over a drink or two.”
“Sure,” I say and look down at Tinara. “So, what are we going to do with her?”
“Hmm,” she says and stops to point at Flora. “Leverage.”
Nemetoria carries Tinra on her shoulder as we fly through the city. We’re specifically searching for a warehouse that makes steel beams. I radio everyone to help us. Christabel directs us to a warehouse with people working. I have to turn on my bitchy side to make all of the workers run out of the building. While I’m doing that, Nemetoria takes four steel beams and wraps them around Tinara to restrain her.
“Is that going to hold her?” I say.
“Hopefully,” Nemetoria says and puts her finger against her earpiece. “Man O War,” she says before our radios go static. It lasts three seconds. “The hell?”
“Nemetoria, where are you?” Shar’I says.
“Where the hell have you been?” I say, cutting Nemetoria from responding. “Sorry.”
“I was going to say the same thing,” Nemetoria says. “Polaris, bring her to us.” Shar’I arrives a minute later the moment Tinara wakes up. “Watch Tinara. I need to have a word with Shar’I.” I sit on the ground next to Tinara’s head. She’s gawking at me. Her eyelids are low and she’s gnawing.
“What?” I say.
“Where am I?” Tinra says. Before I can answer, she tries to pull apart the steel beams. They bend slightly but remain tight. “Fuck!” I’m shocked that she can’t move them another inch. With all that strength, I expect the beams to bend more. I wonder why she’s all of a sudden weak.
“Look is who restrained now,” I say, tapping her forehead. “Can’t get out?” She tries to wriggle out to no avail. “Where did all that power go, hmm? Aren’t we the same?”
“The same?” She scoffs. “I want what you have. Cada is limited in time.”
“Oh,” I chuckle. “Need another hit?” I say in a high-pitched voice like I’m talking to a puppy. “Oh, how the tables have turned.”
“Gloat all you want. When Shendour frees me, I’ll—”
“You’ll do nothing,” Nemetoria says, walking over to us with Shar’I. “You are as fragile as a stick. Threatened her again and you’ll regret it.” Suddenly the lights in the warehouse flicker. A few bulbs explode as Eddie’s lighting ripples through the building. He appears behind me and falls to one knee.
“I’m here,” Eddie says, panting. The sweat falling from his face arcs electricity.
“What’s wrong with you?” I say.
“Fighting those plants is hard without you three helping,” he says with a smile. “Luckily, they’re all gone.” Tinara lets a subtle exhale. “Not the news you wanted to hear, hmm? What’s the plan guys?” I look at Nemetoria for an answer. Instead of it coming out of her mouth, it comes from a surprise. High in the banisters sits Shendour, clapping slowly. He descends with his hands up.
“How the hell did he find us?” I say.
“You took your time,” Tinra says. “Get me out of here!”
“In a minute,” Shendour says, smirking. He touchdowns right next to me. He’s battered up just like Nemetoria. All of a sudden, he snags my mask before I can pull back and breaks it in half.
“What the fuck?” I say. I go for a punch. My knuckle touches his nose when Nemetoria grabs my arm. Shendour doesn’t move a muscle. He calmly moves my fist away with his index finger.
“Hello, Shar’I,” he says, looking past me to see Shar’I. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Let’s end this chase.”
“I’m not giving up my throne to the likes of you,” Shar’I says.
“You insufferable bitch!” He says with so much force that some spit flies out of his mouth. “If you don’t renounce your authority, I will take it with your life!”
“Let’s get this over with, guys.”
“You keep them out of it! It’s just you and me.”
“Can we not do this?” Nemetoria says after pushing me away to get between them. “Your feuds have killed innocents.”
“More will die if we don’t kill them,” Shar’I says.
“The same can be said for you,” he says. “Either way, it won’t end with shaking hands. Move out of the way, Nemetoria.” Shar’I puts her hand on Nemetoria’s shoulder. I can see her skin buckle towards her neck. The more Shar’I tries to pull her away, the greater the resistance. Suddenly, she grips Nemetoria by the neck and throws her through the wall to my left. “Ah, there she is,” he says, grinning while slowly laughing. “I told you she isn’t who she led you to believe.”
“Nikki,” Shar’I says, stepping closer to me. “Help me or stay out of my way. What’ll be?” I take a step back to get a good look at her and Shendour to help me find an answer. They look like they’re on the verge of flying into one another. Their hands are in a fist. They’re slightly leaning forward and their step-off foot is behind them. I turn around to look at the hole in the wall when I hear a creaking noise of metal bending. Nemetoria stumbles her way through the hole, prying it apart to make a bigger opening.
“Shar’I? Why?” Nemetoria says softly. Shar’I doesn’t answer. She’s focused on Shendour. Her disregard and the intense gaze she has on him are enough to give me an answer.
“I have an answer, Shar’I. If you’re still looking for it,” I say.
“Well?” Shar’I says, glancing at me for a second.
“I can’t do both.”
“So,” she says, slowly looking at me.
“Yeah,” I say, putting my fist up to prepare for a fight. “All three of y’all gotta go.”