Page 103 of Heat Wave (The Extraordinaries 3)

“Extraordinaries,” Simon Burke said, leaning toward the microphone. “Those who think they’re better than us simply because of genetic aberrations. I’m here to tell you enough is enough. We willnotbe silenced. We willnotcower in fear.”

Nick looked to the stage and saw Rebecca Firestone staring directly at him from where she sat behind Burke, off to his left. When she saw she’d gotten Nick’s attention, she put her hand on her thigh, fingers spread wide.

Five.

“We will meet the Extraordinary menace head-on.”

Rebecca Firestone folded her thumb against her palm. Four.

“We will never falter.”

Three.

“We will stand tall and brave in the face of those who would try and take away our lives and liberties.”

Two.

“You deserve to know who hides behind the masks of those who call themselves heroes.”

One.

“On today of all days, one where we celebrate our God-given rights as a free people, it is my pleasure to announce the Extraordinaires Registration Act, a comprehensive piece of legislation that will—”

Rebecca Firestone—face splotchy, eyes wide—closed her fist.

Zero.

Nick turned his head upward to see a figure skating down the side of Burke Tower, hurtling toward the stage, the glass of the windows cracking under their feet. It was one thing to be told what was coming, but it was something else entirely to see it for himself.

Guardian. His same costume, down to the smallest of details. Anger burst in Nick’s chest, a sense of violation coursing through him. It was his mother’s. It washis.How dare they.

Burke said, “And I promise you. This actwillpass. We will know every single Extraordinary, no matter where they go, no matter where they try to hide, we’ll find them and—”

A woman off to Nick’s left screamed. The people around her lifted their heads and began to shout along with her.

Burke faltered, whirling around, looking up to where people were pointing. Still ten stories up, the figure leapt off the side of the building, flipping forward, arms spread wide. Anthony barked an order as he hoisted himself up onto the stage, going for Burke, who stumbled backward, but not before Nick saw the quick flash of a triumphant smile.

The false Guardian hit the stage, causing it to creak and groan as they rose slowly to their feet.

Burke grabbed a microphone from the podium, jerking it free from its stand, feedback squealing as Anthony tried to pull him back. “See?” Burke hissed into the microphone. “See?Even now, they won’t let us be. Do not be frightened. You want to know the truth? Let me be the one to tell it to you. This? This isnothingbecause this is achild.Show yourself, you coward. Tell everyone who you really are before I do it for you.”

The crowd stopped moving, stopped shoving, stopped screaming.

The figure on the stage cocked their head.

“Fine,” Burke snarled into the microphone. “It’s time to end this charade. The world is watching, and you will not intimidate me,Nicholas Bell.”

The figure lowered their head, hands coming up to the sides of their helmet. They lifted it off, and there, standing on the stage, teeth bared, was Nick. The hair. The face. All of it. It was like looking in a fractured mirror.

And he wassmiling.

“Holy shit,” Trey breathed.

“That’s right,” Burke said. “Just as Pyro Storm was revealed to be a mere boy, the same is true about the one who calls himself Guardian. This is who they lift up? This is who they expect to save them?”

“Getdown,” Nick snarled, and without hesitating, Trey, Bob, and Miles dropped to their knees. Fake Nick raised his hand toward Burke, and cops drew their weapons, shouting, Anthony thrown to the side, Burke raising his hands as if in fear, but the real Nick was already moving. He crouched low, and with all his might, shot up, feet leaving the ground, the air underneath him pushing him up and up and up until he was above the crowd. Picturing large, flat stones in his head, Nick leapt forward, the bottoms of his boots finding solid air, jumping from one to the next to the next. The people on the stage scattered as he landed right behind his doppelganger. Simon Burke’s eyes bulged from his head, and Fake Nick whirled around.

“Hey,” Nick said. “Got something for ya.” The doppelgänger had no time to react when Nick swung his helmet out in flat arc, smashing it into the side of the liar’s head. Fake Nick stumbled, almost falling to his knees as a dazed expression settled on his face. “Andthat’scalled kicking your own ass!”

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