Page 85 of No Capes
D.S. is bored with shocking me out of the pool and instead waits for my next move so he can counterattack. As I concentrate, my skin grows dewy and my limbs tickle with a strange weightlessness. I hold my hand in front of my face and almost yelp.
It worked. My skin is now translucent. My clothes haven’t changed, and I’m not truly invisible—see-throughis more accurate—but in the dark, there’s basically no difference.
I float to the top of the pool and search for D.S., an impossible task because he can become a shadow as much as I can. I risk my invisibility for a fraction of a second and send a jet stream across the room. A spark flies at it, lighting up his hiding spot. I go invisible again.
I climb out of the pool. The dizziness is immediate. Without being in water, I won’t be able to keep my skin from switching back for very long, let alone stay conscious. I have seconds left. With the rest of my energy, I sprint to where Dark Static ishiding, and on the verge of consciousness, I dive headfirst into his stomach.
“OOF.” D.S. and I collapse on the ground. I hit him so hard that neither of us can get up. My skin pulls, as if it’s being stretched through a taffy maker, and my head pounds—instant migraine.
After several minutes, D.S. sits up.
“Well, well, well,” he says. “Who would’ve thought invisibility would be your secret power.”
I groan, but it comes out more like an oink.
D.S. climbs up from the floor and grabs a few waters. “Phil’s going to have his butt handed to him. That’s for sure.”
“I think I am clearly the winner here.”
“Yeah, I’d say so. Congrats, Roberts. Winner winner.” He claps the lights back on and takes his time sauntering to a desk, from which he pulls out a piece of blue construction paper. “This is for you. I wrote this in case this day ever came.”
“What do you mean, this day?”
“The day you found out who Dark Static is.”
Oh yes. That’s right.
I stand and take the note. There’s still a foot separating us, but this feels like the most intimate thing in the world. Our chests heave, and I shiver beneath my jacket. If we aren’t careful, we could start another thunderstorm.
“Alright, Static,” I whisper. I reach for his mask, and he catches my shaking hand, guiding me to a hidden clasp beneath his chin.Chill, Madeline,he’s probably not even someone you’ve met.
The mask feels smooth and impervious, just like polished obsidian. He holds himself like a statue, magnifying my movements as he holds his breath. I start to slide away his mask, but he says, “I wish you’d read the letter first.”
“Not. A. Chance,” I say, like he once told me.
Before we can get there, an earsplitting siren blares.Of course.
I jump back. “What is that? Is it because your mask is coming off? That’s extreme for an alarm.”
Dark Static focuses on his watch, the D.S. 6000. “Someone broke into the warehouse I moved the food to. I have to go check on it. There’s security footage upstairs. If I’m not back in ten minutes, do that thing where you turn invisible and run to the Levines’ house. We’ll do this later, I promise.”
And then Dark Static leaves me, standing in Golden Ace’s secret headquarters, alone.
Holding his note.
Adrenaline pounds in my ears from the siren and almost knowing.
I unfold the blue construction paper.Obviously.
“Alright,” I whisper. “Here goes nothing.”
Dear Madeline,it begins. The pieces of my heart shift, filling one void but cracking open another. Just as I thought it couldn’t be him—that there was no way in the universe it could be him, and so I had dismissed this possibility long ago—here he is.
Dear Madeline,
It’s time to share my secret. It’s probably unfair of me to establish rules for what you can do with this information. The past three years have put me in a position where I should not be asking things of you, but I hope you can understand why I spent all that time ignoring you and acting like my best friend no longer existed. I will not pretend this is excusable, but please believe me when I tell you how terrified I was to learn there is a force out there that can take away the people I love the most.
I stopped spending time with you because I wanted to forget what it felt like to love you, and so I wouldn’t feel so alone again if they took you from me too. But as hard as I try, I can’tforget. It has been amazing to see you handle everything better than I have. Better than I ever thought possible. I have learned so much from you, Roberts, and I’m deeply sorry for my idiot teenage years. I hope my honesty here hasn’t shocked you. If it has, you’re about to get a bigger surprise. Remember that guy you grew up with? The super attractive one who swims with you? The one who has killer hair and a great sense of humor? That’s me. I’m done pretending to be someone else.
