“If anyone is goingto win in a fight against TechTank, it’s gonna be Razor.” Joon waved his hands in the air, letting melted ice cream drops splatter around us.
I jabbed my finger on the magazine, refusing to let up. “Insinuating that another Hero can even comecloseto TechTank is blasphemy. I’m revoking your Variant card; you’re a traitor.”
It was the first day of summer break, and we were already in an all-out Hero war. New Heroes cycled into the public eye every summer, fresh from the academy, and the media always ran to comparisons and predictions on how the rankings would change. Every Hero had a class, and weren’tofficiallyranked, but everyone knew who was top dog. TechTank had reigned supreme for eight years running, and I refused to acknowledge that he was slowing down.
“Listen, I don’t care who’s number one right now.” Joon dropped the rest of his melted mess into the trash beside us, and leaned back on his hands with a satisfied grin. “I’ve got one year left before I can apply for the academy, and after that? I’m going straight to the top.”
He pointed his finger straight to the sky, and the sun shone down on him, like he’d manifested his future right at that moment. The sounds of car horns faded in the background, and the sliding door of the market behind us stalled just for him, just for this moment. I didn’t doubt it one bit—one day, Joon would be in the magazines, too.
“I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines,” I hummed. “Maybe I can be your sidekick or something.”
Joon whipped around, and his dark eyes narrowed in on me. “If you think you’re sidekick material, you’re actually a lunatic. I can’t think of a single Hero right now that can stop a Villain withoutsomeamount of damage.”
I huffed a laugh. “And?”
He put a finger on the attachment on my head, the small horns that kept me in the hospital for a week. Joon hadn’t left my side when I got them put in.
“Imagine what you could do for Variants, Alex. Everyone thinks we’re either badass or evil. No, in between. Picture a Hero that could de-escalate or disengage a Villain without lifting a finger. No injuries, no property damage, no chance of escape. You’re gonna be a Hero that changes the game, little dreamer. Quote me on it when you’re famous.”
“—yet?”
“It can take time to come out of anesthesia; she may need more rest.”
My body was weightless, at peace; like sitting in a bath. Something rested on my shoulder, and it felt like sunlight. Tingling, warm, urging me to curl up and nap.
“Alex?”
I hummed back something incomprehensible and went to turn over.
“No, no, no, don’t do that,” a scratchy voice was beside my ear, and someone laid me back. “You’ll hurt yourself if you lie on them.”
Bright white light made my eyes squint as I blinked, finally settling into reality. I’d been dreaming before, right? What was it about again?
“Did the aliens take me?” I groaned.
A chorus of chuckles filled the air, and my eyes settled on the room. White blankets were stacked on top of me, pulled all the way up to my chin; a horrid attempt at swaddling. Leo leaned over me, his hand on my shoulder, and exhaustion was clear on his face.
“What the hell happened to you?” my voice was scratchy, and fading.
He smirked and shook his head. “Someone asked me for a morphine drip, and apparently, getting doctors to actually follow through with that is more exhausting than fighting Villains. How are you feeling?”
It took a moment to register, and then it all flooded in. I had surgery, and Leo had actually followed through on my ridiculous request. Apparently, he didn’t realize that I was half-joking at the time. He got me the good stuff. There wasn’t a single ache or pain, only endless warmth.
“Fucking awesome,” I drawled with a cheesy smile. “Waayyyy better than last time. I’m chillin’ like a Villain.”
“Don’t get too attached,” a familiar voice called from across the room. “They’ll take you off of it soon. You’re lucky that you have someone like Leo to advocate for you—they were going to give you Gabapentin.”
Doctor B shuffled over, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his scrubs, an ID badge still hanging around his neck. Behindhim, Reed peeked his head out, and sent me a silent wave as he grinned.
“… What hospital are we in, again?” I was almost positive I was at a center specifically made for VIA use.
“Same one you got surgery in, don’t worry, no transfers were made,” he chuckled. “Mr. Theron here had called me as soon as you went under. He was quite concerned with the process and wanted you to have a familiar face around for when you woke up.”
Leo dropped back into the chair beside me, tilting his head to the ceiling, as if he was exiting from the narrative. His jaw worked, chewing his cheek, and he picked at his nails as he remained silent. I couldn’t smell cigarettes; only that musky cologne.
Has he been waiting here this whole time?
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been out, but it was definitely too long for someone who was waiting on a smoke break.
