Maybe he could find some stupid infomercial or a DIY channel that could help bore him to sleep.
He hit the power button.
The screen came to life.
A voice filled the room as a graphic flew across the screen. “Local. Breaking. Weather. Sports. This is … Action News with Steve Davis.”
Steve Davis appeared on-screen behind a desk, smiling widely. Nick had never noticed how his teeth were so big. Or so white. “Good evening,” Steve Davis intoned. “We are continuing to follow the story from earlier today where a building collapsed on the 1600 block of Sixth Avenue. In what can only be described as chaos, the skies above Nova City were alight with an ongoing event between the Extraordinaries known as Shadow Star and Pyro Storm. The all-out fight began late last night and went well into the early hours of the morning, during which Shadow Star and Pyro Storm showed each other no mercy. Though no deaths have been reported, the battle between the Extraordinaries did spill into the streets of Nova City, eventually leading to the destruction of a condemned apartment building. As the building collapsed, an officer of the Nova City Police Department was injured.”
Nick’s breath lodged in his throat as his dad’s picture appeared on the screen. He was against a blue background, in uniform. “A police spokesperson has confirmed that Aaron Bell, an officer with NCPD for twenty years, was injured while rescuing a member of the transient population.”
Steven Davis smiled wider. “If that name is familiar, it’s because Officer Bell was involved in an altercation two years ago in which he assaulted a witness in a high-profile case. A detective at the time, Officer Bell did not face charges, but did receive a demotion. The witness filed a lawsuit against Aaron Bell and Nova City, which was settled out of court.”
Nick wanted to punch Steve Davis’s perfect teeth down his throat.
“The spokesperson also said that Officer Bell, while in the intensive care unit, is expected to make a full recovery. Nova City General released a statement, saying Officer Bell is listed in fair condition, though they declined to comment further.”
His dad’s picture disappeared as the camera centered back on Steve Davis. “And now, in an Action News exclusive, we go to Rebecca Firestone.”
The screen switched to a rainswept street corner that Nick vaguely recognized. Rebecca Firestone smiled beatifically. She held an umbrella in one hand and a microphone in the other. “Thank you, Steve. The events of the past twenty-four hours have shown an escalation in the violence between Extraordinaries. In their short yet complex history, Shadow Star and Pyro Storm have been adversarial, but have always managed to keep the ferocity to a minimum. That changed today.”
Rebecca Firestone disappeared when an aerial shot replaced her. It showed a cloud of smoke and dust rising from a collapsed building, debris spilling out onto the street. “This was the scene earlier today when an apartment building collapsed in a fight between Shadow Star and Pyro Storm. Officials say the building was condemned due to structural integrity issues and was scheduled to be demolished last year. However, due to ongoing lawsuits from former tenants and a legal quagmire concerning the replacement of the building, the demolition was postponed indefinitely. In the interim, the Haversford Apartments became a haven for the transient population of Nova City. The city attempted to dissuade people from entering by boarding up the building and placing a fence around it, but Action News has learned that in the last year alone, the fence had to be repaired forty-seven times. A spokesperson for the housing development issued a statement in conjunction with the mayor’s office, stating that while every attempt was made to keep people from entering the building, they, and I quote, ‘can’t be there twenty-four-seven to enforce this.’”
Rebecca Firestone appeared again, eyes sparkling. “And here to explain today’s events is Shadow Star himself.”
Nick almost fell off the bed as the camera shot pulled back.
There, standing in the inky darkness next to Rebecca Firestone, was Shadow Star.
He was in full costume, the lenses over his eyes slightly narrowed. He stood with his arms clasped behind his back. His broad shoulders were squared, and he looked calm and confident. His costume glittered under the lights from the camera. It took a moment for Nick to realize why his stance looked familiar. The cops, in the hallway. They’d stood the same way.
For the first time since he became aware of Shadow Star’s