“The Infinites made a big return today, last seen all together six months ago. It seemed fitting that today, Zero Day, they came together to put a stop to the nuisance that was the Zero Year Soldiers. Some may recall my own tussle with them about 15 or so years back, me and Captain Steel worked together to take them down. It’s one of my fondest memories of my old friend. Honestly, that’s what’s missing from the world today. No one works together, really; everyone is the enemy. Sad.”
Justice Jones
Corina Kyle turned 37 years old today. She couldn’t believe it. Crazier than that for her is that she’s been Lady Steel for the past 17 years. Her brother, the immutable Captain Steel, died when she was 20, practically a baby. Gresh, that’s how old Roxanne was, or just about, Corina mused. What a pair the two would have made back then.
Not that she’d change anything at all; they shared a bond at this point beyond friendship. They were sisters. Corina, the big sister who often egged on the rambunctious little sister in Roxanne, sometimes had to pull rank and the reins a bit. Not that it always worked; Roxanne was headstrong, and she loved her for that.
Downstairs in her high-rise penthouse, she knew her closest friends were waiting for her, along with 30 other celebrities and influencers. Roxanne was down there, of course; she was excited to see her. But she was incredibly excited to see Roxanne’s grandmother, Millie, who Corina also adored. Sam Preston, the boy Corina had met nearly two years ago and traveled a couple of lightyears together on a crazy adventure, would also be there. She had also taken on a mentor relationship with him, showing him that there was a better purpose beyond just hustling out in space. They still occasionally made each other mad, but they trusted each other.
Alex, her agent—and sounding board whenever she had something to complain about—would also be there. He was responsible for the other guest list this evening. Nothing wrong with a big celebration, he’d say. And then there would be her sister-in-law, Danielle. She looked forward to seeing her the most, along with her niece and nephew, Athena and MJ, so much so that she felt goosebumps. Danielle was one of her favorite people, and it always felt that she had brought her brother up a couple of notches rather than the other way around. The kids she loved to death, naturally. Athena was a firecracker, and MJ was the spitting image of his dad with behavior to match.
She finished getting dressed and studied herself in the mirror. She loved her new haircut but winced at the memory of her crying a little when the stylist sheered the first few layers off. It was 20 years' worth of hair growth; she didn’t even have bank accounts that old. Hell, her niece and nephew weren’t even that old. Still, it looked good. She felt good. More at peace, feeling less isolated than ever, and no longer feeling stuck on an Ivy tower alone.
Corina threw on a gray jacket as it completed the outfit: black pants with a red crop top. She looked forward to tonight’s entertainment, an up-and-coming OverHuman DJ named Doctor Sound Z. Their paranormal ability to manipulate soundwaves allowed her to act as a sound system and one-person band. The Doctor was all the rage underground; Corina heard about her from Sam, so she made a big point to request the artist. Corina just wanted to move, be loud, and get away from the stuffy events she was usually privy to.
Satisfied with her final look, she posed in front of a mirror, tugged at the jacket, and smirked. Still a badass. She left the room and made her way downstairs to her lounge. She passed through glass doors and met a crowd, most of which she didn’t recognize. Still, she smiled all the same and accepted all the birthday wishes that flew at her face like a rainstorm. She pushed past several of them and finally came upon Roxanne, her grandmother, and someone else all talking amongst each other.
“Rox!” Corina beamed, and the two hugged. Roxanne looked breathtaking; she wore a black dress with bell sleeves and knee-high boots. Her skin glowed under the hue of the party lights that alternated from green to blue to purple to yellow and then green again. Grandmother Millie also got a hug, and they exchanged pleasantries. Grandmother felt she was overdressed, wearing a simple shiny long dress and cape sleeves with her gray yarn-like hair done immaculately. Corina told her she looked spotless, and Millie blushed.
“Corina,” Roxanne said while she sidled up next to the stranger. This person wore a leather jacket almost a size too big, but they pulled off the look nicely. They wore a black tee, red ultraslim skinny jeans, and lime-green high-top sneakers.
“This is Chris, my boss I told you about?” Corina registered the reference quickly; Roxanne had gushed about them many times.
“Ah, yes,” Corina replied. “Nice to finally meet you!”
“Likewise,” Chris said with a smile and raised their bottle. “I can’t believe I’m seriously meeting you; I’m such a huge fan.”
“Of me?” Corina asked mockingly and winked.
She wrapped an arm around Chris and Roxanne, respectively, and shouted: “C’mon! Let’s freakin’ goooooooo!” And she walked them through the crowd and to her private booth. The Dance floor was spacious, almost 140 square feet long, and surrounded by various curved booths for people to hang out and enjoy their drinks. Over near the back wall, perpendicular to where Corina was sitting, was the bar. Most of the patrons were parked there now.
The booth itself was red leather and could comfortably seat about ten people. Still, they all sat bunched in together, and Corina ordered them all drinks, with Roxanne opting for iced tea since she didn’t drink much, if at all. Corina, however, still ordered her at least a single shot since it was her birthday and birthday shots alone weren’t birthday shots at all, as far as she was concerned. The waiter arrived and set down four sealed shot glasses, which were pre-poured and had to be opened by the person who was about to drink them.
“To good friends and good times,” Corina said as she held up her glass. The others soon raised theirs.
“And Happy birthday!” Roxanne shouted, and all glasses clinked together happily. Roxanne downed hers and felt instant regret. Heartburn already, and she was only 20; she just shook her head. Chris slammed their glass down emphatically because that’s just what some people do. Both Corina and Grandmother finished theirs quickly like a couple of old pros.
“You couldn’t even wait ‘til I got here?”
A young woman approached with long and straight dark purple hair that went down as far as the middle of her back. She had a thin face and frame to match; her eyes were large and hooded; this was Danielle Masterson, Corina’s sister-in-law, and Captain Steel’s widow. Corina shrieked, lept from her seat, and nearly toppled Roxanne trying to get out.
“There’s always time for more shots, c’mere!” She said and hugged the two-foot-shorter woman. It was a long embrace; they hadn’t seen each other in a few months. The two broke apart, and Corina asked:
“Where are the brats?”
“Bad grades,” Danielle offered, and Corina couldn’t hide her disappointment.
“But it's my birthday….”
“I know, I know, but I got to put my foot down sometimes, you know?” Danielle replied. “That being said, you should come down to the farm and see them tomorrow; they’ve missed you terribly.”
“Deal. Okay, if I bring my friends?” Corina replied with a smile, indicating the people at the table. Danielle looked over and had a smile of her own.
“Of course, the more, the merrier,” She replied. “Roxanne, you know you’re always welcome there.”
Roxanne shined at this. Having gone to the Masterson farm with Corina multiple times and becoming friends with the twins, it's felt like she’s become part of an extended family. Lost in thought, Roxanne hadn’t noticed that Chris had sidled up closer to her, but when she did…she felt light-headed.
She held her palm down on the seat, and her shoulder hiked up. She did her best at playing cool and glanced over her shoulder at Chris.
“Can I help you?”
“Yeah,” they said. “Wanna dance?” Roxanne looked out at the dance floor and saw a decent chunk of people being sweaty and having the time of their lives. The music beat was steady and hit her right in the heart. Doctor Sound Z was up on a platform above them, vibrating smoothly like ocean water. Roxanne looked back at Chris; she smiled.
“Def,” and the pair took each other’s hand and made their way to the dance floor. Corina watched them go by, and she was tapped on the shoulder by Alex, carrying three shots because he’s damn good at his job.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
“Alex, you read my mind,” Corina told him. He grinned; he appreciated any and all compliments. Danielle thanked him for hers, and they all clinked glasses together.
“I suppose you know what time it is now?” Alex asked Corina and her shoulders visibly sagged.
“…I guess,” she responded. But she knew perfectly well. The music dimmed everyone faced her and sang happy birthday. She smiled, of course. She waved. She cut a comically huge birthday cake, literally 37 feet wide and 37 feet tall. She looked back at Alex, who had such a grin. He’d pay for this later. But why fight it? She was having fun. People she gave a crap about were here. That’s what mattered the most.
The music started back up, and no one was sitting in their booths in the entire house. Roxanne and Chris danced close, on the same wavelength, and moving in rhythm. Roxanne hadn’t felt this close to another human like this since…maybe never if she was honest. Those feelings for Wes were complicated and weird but not genuine, ultimately childish.
It wasn’t this.
Nothing had ever been like this.
Ever since she took the mantle, it’s been lonely. But only briefly, in between interstellar distances and insane battles. Roxanne caught them watching her in between moves, and their eyes locked for less than a second. Chris looked away first, blushing. Roxanne’s skin felt flush and on fire. Corina and Danielle bounced in their direction, joining in on their moves. A memorable birthday.
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sPyDaLow has entered the chat!
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Jumanga: You’ve been offline for hours…
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Bigc45 has left the chat!
sPyDaLow: tf is his prob
Jumanga: He said he wasn’t feely good.
sPyDaLow: F
xXLoXx: SHOW THE FOOTAGE.
sPyDaLow: IT’S UPLOADING.
sPyDaLow: But listen
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ALL4URMA: LMAO
Jumanga: Isn’t this a pasta?
sPyDaLow: Just wait for the footage, you’ll see.
HoneyBUNN: JuSt WaIt FoR THe fOOtAgE
ALL4URMA: L M A O
xXLoXx: Spydaaaaaaaa
xXLoXx has been banned from the chat!
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It was very late into The Long Evening, about 0300 LE, to be specific. Most of the party-goers had left. They were likely off to another big gala. Some other opportunity to get their name and face blasted all over the net. Grandmother had laid down in a booth alone and fell asleep. Roxanne softly smiled as she placed a blanket over her body. She touched her shoulder and picked her cup off the table.
She returned to Corina’s table, where Corina, Danielle, and Alex shared memories of the one thing that binds them together: Captain Steel. Chris watched, enraptured by every word they said. Roxanne thought it was adorable. She slid in next to them and close enough so their arms touched. The next thing she knew, her head rested on their shoulder. Completely involuntary, 100 percent.
“…So he looks at me, and he’s like,” Corina was in the middle of telling a story from when they were kids; two brats just shy of the powers of a god. “He’s like, ‘YOU pulled their pants down, not me!’ and I just about lost it!” She laughed, and Danielle and Alex joined her; even Chris laughed though they didn’t get it or find it funny.
“I remember his Dad getting mad at our mom for it once, like on a day when he was picking him up for his visitation or whatever. ‘Core can’t be beating him up,’ he’d say,” Corina stifled a laugh.
“So you used to bully Captain Steel when you were younger?” Chris asked, grinning like they were speaking to an angel or some other deity. Corina waved them off.
“We messed with each other,” she offered. “Like basically all the time.
“Everything you’ve said tonight has reminded me of the twins,” Danielle said. “Now everything makes perfect sense.” She laughed, but the kind of sad, almost maniacal, laugh that spoke to a long 17 years and an eagerness for her kids to grow and leave finally. Of course, she loved them, but imagine spending 17 years raising the two children of one of the most almighty and famous humans who have ever existed alone.
She’d say she would do it all over again, but she missed her husband terribly. Time hasn’t made it easy at all.
Alex glanced at his watch; he could have looked in his peripheral vision for the time, but wearing and using one was more of a status thing anyway. He slapped his hands on his thighs and gave an exaggerated sigh.
“It’s late, and you don’t pay OT,” he said to Corina. She rolled her eyes.
“Get home safe,” she told him. “And thanks for…everything.” He turned back and winked before he headed for the exit. Roxanne straightened up and yawned.
“Should probably head out too,” she said, partially to Corina and partially to Chris, who had been asking many questions that Corina was happy to answer because she was drunk and a happy drunk at that. Roxanne smiled and got up; Chris noticed this and got up after her. They stood together just away from the booth. Roxanne, being so small, had to crane her neck to look up at Chris. Chris had a big grin on, and their eyes squinted underneath that mop of curly hair.
They loosely grabbed her hand.
“Hey, thanks for inviting me,” They said. Roxanne smiled, shrugged, and said:
“Hey, thanks for coming; I had fun.”
“Me too.” The two stood there, straddling that line between awkward and adorable. Roxanne twisted her torso back and forth gently, feeling light in her shoulders and feet. She looked down again to hide the enormous grin exploring her face.
“You should…totally come tomorrow.” She said and looked up, mouth shut tight and biting her lips. “To the farm, with me.”
“Yeah?” They asked. “That’d be cool.”
“Cool.”
“Can I kiss you?”
Roxanne didn’t say anything.
She nodded.
She leaned in.
They kissed.
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Later that evening, Corina sat alone in the ballroom, her feet propped up on the table. 04:00 LE, and everyone had gone. Danielle went to the guest suite, opting to travel with them tomorrow. Roxanne took Grandmother home, and Chris passed out in a different guest bedroom at Corina’s insistence.
“Happy birthday,” The voice had come from the other end of the dance floor. Corina glanced up, catching a youthful silhouette.
“Sam!” She yelled and got up. “I was worried you’d no show.”
He strolled up and handed her a small box tied with a burgundy bow. He was dressed casually in blue-gray jeans and an ill-fitting tee, but at least his messy mop of hair was combed, and she appreciated that.
“Ah, you know my anxiety does the thing when there are too many people.”
“I know,” she nodded and smiled at him before she put a hand on his shoulder and led him back to the booth. “I appreciate you, come sit while I open this.”
He grabbed a piece of cake on his way and sat down. The cake had white icing, red sugar fringe, and a moist-looking yellow center. Sam grabbed the nearest fork and sliced the cake in half; the pastry split smoothly. He took a bite and enjoyed the type of food only money could buy.
Corina slid into the booth and deftly untied the bow. The box had a cover that she gently took off. Inside, sitting on a tiny soft cushion, was a metal replica of her old ship: The Huffman. She grinned, grabbed the tiny silver flattened coin, and held it between two fingertips.
“Momento of where we met,” Sam said, mouth half full of cake.
“I thought we met at a bar,” Corina held the replica away from her face and turned it in the light. She grinned, loving it. Sam finished up the cake and laughed.
“You mean where you beat me up? I like to pretend we started on a better foot.”
“Ah yes, how could I forget?” She said; he nodded his head, half listening. Sam very much believed in throwing the old stuff away, keeping the good, tossing the bad, shed old skin to make way for new skin. It was a principal thought up out in the black by an ancient philosopher named Hen Du. Debatable if they were human, but their writings—or more likely purported to be their writings—could be found all over the outer colonies.
When he decided to stay with Corina, he pulled that aspect of the old life he still remembered, which was a big part of why he could reform entirely. It was made more accessible by his sister already being a devout Duist. After reuniting with her a couple of months ago, they worked to free their father from The Grimm Crime Syndicate via legal means, and they succeeded. They all lived together in Central Saint Century.
“I didn’t get to ask earlier,” Corina started. “How’s your sister? Dad?”
Sam gave a pained grin and tapped the edge of the table. His father had fallen ill recently. A completely treatable autoimmune disease called Lupus Delta developed on the trip to Izanami. But they had no insurance; it was deemed pre-existing, so the payments were astronomical. Literally. Every last dime he earned being a minor celebrity went straight into it. He hated seeing his father in such a light. It broke his heart.
“Everyone’s great,” He finally said. “Sis is going to school soon, and Dad’s…well, he’s Dad!” He gave a soft, pathetic chuckle. Corina watched his face because she wasn’t stupid. But she also knew better than to pry. He’ll tell her what weighs on him when he’s ready and not a moment before.
“Good,” She smiled. “Tell them I said hello.”
“Will do.” Sam took this moment to get up; he yawned. He was constantly tired, thanks to Stoptime. “Speaking of, I should get back. I got a big day tomorrow.”
“Oh? I was just about to invite you to something.” She looked up at him.
“Friend from Millerton is coming up,” He said, placing his hands in his pockets. “Apparently needed to get out of town a bit.”
“Should I be concerned?”
“Nah,” Sam grinned. “Lady Steel doesn’t need to know everything going down in her city, does she?”
Corina eyed him further, then lowered them and smirked. “Suppose not,” She replied. “Tell me this, though: Good friend or bad friend?” Sam hiked up his shoulders and sniffed; he smiled. He started walking away and gave the peace sign behind him.
“Both,” he told her. “Happy birthday, Lady Steel.”