Page 86 of No Capes
See you soon then,
- Dark Static
I sink to the floor. The room spins and I can’t take a full breath or form a coherent thought.
How?
I had considered the possibility—theslimpossibility—that Dark Static could be Fox, but still have so many questions. Like, what in the world is going on with Aaron, what’s the deal with Fox’s feelings for me, and what about all the differences between Fox and D.S.? Fox’s D.S. persona seems so different from his regular personality, from helping me as Dark Static but being a jerk at swim practice, to trying to stop me from saving Arielle, but then going along as himself when he realized I’d do it anyway.
I press my hands against my flaming cheeks and am glad Fox isn’t here to witness my reaction. I can’t decide whether to scream or to cry or to feel relieved. It’s obvious why he hadn’t told me from the beginning—I never would have agreed to work with him.
Aces, though.Fox had the perfect opportunity to tell me about Dark Static a few hours ago, and instead he asked if I loved him? This entire time,thatis what mattered to him? I can forgive him for lying to me, but it breaks my heart that he felt Dark Static was the only answer.
Who are you, Fox?He’s raised the stakes against Phil Bridges. All of Fox’s scheming and triple plays have come down to tonight. But he’ll help to save my dad and Capital City. We’ll avenge his parents and my mom by bringing Phil to justice. Yet, the apprehension about saving my dad is quickly joined by a different nervousness.
Soon, that boy will come back into the room, and I’ll have to say something to him.
Twenty Eight
Dark Static never returns from checking the security camera footage. Instead, he calls over the speaker system with an order to get to the roof, pronto. By the time I ride the elevator to the top floor and finish the climb to the roof, D.S. is ready to take off.
“Bridges’ men found the food supply,” he explains. “I’ll drop you at the Levines’ house and deal with this.”
It strikes me that he referred to it as “the Levines’ house,” until I realize he doesn’t know that I read his letter. Dark Static, who has always known everything about me, can’t decipher that everything has changed.
“Can’t we find a place inside to use your shadow-portal trick?” I ask. “Do wehaveto fly?”
“I can only portal to places I can visualize. I don’t know the Levines’ place well enough.”
“Uh-huh. Right…” I nod.
With a resigning sigh, I hold onto his waist, ready for takeoff.
“Can I fight the bad guys too?” I ask. “I could use the practice.”
“You need to rest. There’s a bigger battle coming, I can feel it.”
He leaps off the building, and I squeeze my eyes shut. Hopefully, he won’t need to fire lasers during this ride. I don’t think I can handle free-falling for even a fraction of a second. After the feeling of my insides moving at sixty miles an hoursettles, I take in our surroundings.Wait.I grip him tightly as I scrutinize the streets I’d walked on just a few days ago. They’re familiar, and I now see that Golden Ace’s headquarters is hidden in plain sight in one of the largest attractions in Capital City.
League of Comics.
“League of Comics!” I yell into Dark Static’s ear. “That’s incredible.” The owner must sponsor Golden Ace.
When we reach Fox’s house, D.S. flies straight through Jamie’s bedroom window. I fall back onto Jamie’s bed, about to ask how many times he’d practiced that landing, or if he needs to swing by his room before defeating the bad guys, but the tightness in his posture stops me.
D.S.’s watch beeps. “I need to go. Before they…”
He needs to surprise Bridges’ bad guys. He jogs to Jamie’s window and crouches, ready to fly off into the late afternoon sky.
A whisper burns on my tongue. “Don’t forget to come back, Fox,” I say, because I have to.
Dark Static goes still. Without turning around, he lifts off from his brother’s windowsill. I settle into my pillow and listen to what he left hanging in the air.
“I won’t.”
~
“Madeline.” Someone shakes me awake. Arielle stands beside the bed, tapping my face with zero patience. “Good, you’re up. We need to discuss saving Dad. Now. Brynn has been nice enough to make an early dinner. Come down as soon as you’re ready.”
