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EPILOGUE
The valedictorian said, “And when we look back on our time spent here, I hope it’s with joy and light, and that we never forget the lessons we learned. Thank you.” He left the stage as the audience cheered.
“It should have been Gibby,” Nick muttered as he clapped.
Seth and Jazz could only nod.
Megan Gardner … Justin Garrett … Lola Gibson—”
Nick flew to his feet, screaming at the top of his lungs. The people around him did the same: Seth and Dad, Jazz and her parents, Bob and Martha. But it was Trey and Aysha who were the loudest of all as their daughter walked across the stage, her graduation gown flowing around her. She rolled her eyes at the ruckus they were making but grinned when her diploma was given to her as she shook the principal’s hand. When she reached the other side of the stage, she flipped her tassel from one side to the other. Before she descended the stairs, she raised her arms above her head, pumping her fists.
Nick and Seth stayed back, while Gibby’s parents and Jazz clung to her with no small amount of tears. Nick sniffled, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. Seth laughed quietly, reaching over and wrapping an arm around Nick’s shoulders. They both ignored those staring at them, whispering behind their hands. They were getting used to it by now.
“Soft,” Seth said. “So soft.”
“I’m just proud of her,” Nick grumbled. “Shut up.”
“I think it’s cute.”
“I should hope so. I’m the cutest.”
“No question.” He looked around. “It’s weird.”
Nick glanced at him. “What is?”
“Being back here. I can’t believe it’s already been two months.”
Nick scowled. This topic wasn’t his favorite. After the attack on the school and Seth’s reveal to the world that he was Pyro Storm, things had changed. The NCPD—in conjunction with the Nova City Department of Education—launched an investigation into what exactly had happened to allow two superpowered villains to enter the school and cause chaos. Seth was at the center of the investigation, and though there were dozens of witnesses (mostly students) who came forward and said Seth—Pyro Storm—was only trying to protect everyone, the school board had decided Seth couldn’t return to Centennial High for the rest of the year. The board said it was not only for the safety of their students, but so they could have time to understand what precautions needed to be taken with an Extraordinary walking the halls.
Nick, Jazz, and Gibby had been outraged. Seth? Not so much. He took it in stride as he always did and told them it would be okay. Nick felt enormously guilty, and there were days he came close to blurting out that he was like Seth, that he, too, was an Extraordinary, just to fling it in their faces rather than have them continue to believe that everything he’d done had been because of TK. The reasons he didn’t were twofold: first, Seth asked him not to, telling Nick that while he appreciated the solidarity, he didn’t want Nick to reveal himself for Seth but rather on Nick’s own terms when he was ready to do so. Nick’s rebuttals were weak and half-hearted. He knew Seth was right.
The second reason? Nick was a coward.
Dad told him he wasn’t; Seth, Jazz, and Gibby too. And while Nick appreciated them saying so, he really was one. He’d seen what had happened to Seth after he’d revealed himself. Martha and Bob had to have their house phone number changed afterthey got repeated death threats telling them that Seth was a freak and deserved to die. It didn’t help that for weeks following the attack on prom, reporters had camped out in front of the Gray brownstone, trying to catch a glimpse of Seth and his aunt and uncle. There were long stretches of days when Seth never left the house, tutors coming to him to help him finish out the school year at home, since he wasn’t allowed back in the school.
And itreallydidn’t help that there was a rising wave of anger against Extraordinaries in Nova City and across the country. People had watched from all over the world in horror at the footage of the aftermath of the Attack at Centennial High (capitalized by the media, just like the Battle at McManus Bridge) and the moment Pyro Storm removed his helmet, revealing himself to be a seventeen-year-old high school student. At a special meeting with the school board, angry parents said that if the board didn’t remove Seth Gray from the school, they would pull their own kids.
Seth went without so much as a fight, much to Nick’s dismay.
There was talk that he’d be allowed to return for his senior year, but Bob and Martha were looking into homeschooling Seth in case that didn’t go through. The upside would be that he could potentially graduate early if they went that direction.
The downside?
He wouldn’t get to spend his senior year with Nick and Jazz. Nick knew it bothered Seth, though he put on a brave face. He’d had to get permission to be allowed to come to Gibby’s graduation.
There had been protests on his behalf, and then counterprotesters againstthoseprotesters, all of them holding signs that said things likeLET THE KID LIVE, DAMN! (Nick agreed wholeheartedly) andGOD CREATED ADAM AND EVE, NOT ADAM AND PYRO STORM(what did that evenmean?) andPYRO STORM IS AMAZING(damn right!).
And then Burke had given his interview with Rebecca Firestone, which made Nick feel even worse. Burke appeared untouchable. They all knew he’d been controlling Smoke and Ice, but they had no proof. Cap and Dad had decided to go after Burke hard, but they’d been shut down by the mayor, who was concerned withpublic perception and how it would look against her own campaign for reelection. What would people think if it seemed as if the mayor had weaponized the police force to investigate a political opponent? Dad had been furious, especially when he was removed from the Extraordinaries Division by the acting chief of police after being accused of covering for Pyro Storm, now revealed to be Seth Gray, the boyfriend of his son.
What Aaron Bell had done next had made Nick prouder of his father than he’d ever been before. They had been sitting in their kitchen, dinner half-eaten between them, talking about nothing and everything. Nick had thought Dad was working up to something, but he didn’t know what.
He’d been proven correct when Dad cleared his throat and said, “Nicky? I need to talk to you about something. It’s important. It affects the both of us, and I want to run it by you before I do anything.”
Nick had set down his fork and looked at his father expectantly. “Yeah, okay. Go for it. I’m listening.”
Dad had looked down at his hands, the circles under his eyes like bruises. Nick hated to see him so beaten down, which was why he was surprised that when Dad lifted his head, all he’d seen was firm resolve. “I want to follow Cap’s lead.”
Nick had nodded slowly. He’d had an inkling this was coming, especially after what Cap had done. It still scared the shit out of him. “You’re resigning.”
