could be reading their fics, lest they be used for nefarious purposes.
And it certainly didn’t help that Shadow Star—Owen—was standing on a metal platform in full costume about ten feet below him, smiling wildly. He wiggled his gloved fingers up at Nick as the lenses over his eyes flashed. His other hand was wrapped tightly around a person next to him on the platform.
“Rebecca Firestone,” Nick gasped. “I thought you died in the helicopter crash!”
“That was just my cameraman and the pilot,” she said. “Shadow Star saved me.” She smiled dreamily at Owen. “Like he always does.”
Nick made a face. “Oh my god, ew. Dude, you’re, like, forty. Your lady boner for Shadow Star is both disgusting and problematic. Also, illegal.”
She glared up at him. “I’m thirty-four.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “Shadow Star is a seventeen-year-old high school student named Owen Burke. Also, I’ve made out with him, so suck it.”
Rebecca Firestone snapped her head toward Shadow Star. “You what?”
Shadow Star shrugged. “Yeah. We did make out. It was pretty good.”
“Pretty good,” Nick growled, outraged. “I was awesome—”
“You’re only seventeen?” Rebecca Firestone said, sounding like she was starting to panic. “But … that … I’ve had thoughts about—”
“Gross,” Nick muttered. “Old people are so weird.”
Rebecca Firestone got over her horror rather quickly. She began to try and beat Shadow Star over the head with her hands. Nick never thought he’d be in a position to cheer loudly for Rebecca Firestone about anything, much less punching Shadow Star in the face. But here he was, screaming down at her to scratch his freaking eyes out and kick him in the balls. She looked like she was about to do exactly that, but then the lights on Shadow Star’s wrists lit up, making Nick turn his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw shadows slither around Rebecca Firestone, lifting her off the platform. One of her shoes slipped off and fell toward the ground below. Nick couldn’t see where it landed.
Rebecca Firestone kicked and screamed as she was raised eye-level with Nick, her back pressed against a spire across from him. The shadows tightened around her, holding her in place. She banged her head back against the spire, demanding that Shadow Star let her go this instant, and did he know all the things she’d done for him? She was a celebrated and an award-winning journalist, and she would not be treated this way!
“Yeah!” Nick crowed, getting caught up in the high stakes of televised investigative journalism. “You better let us go, or else!”
Rebecca Firestone glared at him. “I don’t care what he does to you. I’m only talking about myself.”
Nick gaped at her. “And to think I was just stanning you after hating everything about your existence ever since I first saw you! Guess what? I’m once again anti–Rebecca Firestone! You’re the worst.” Nick paused, considering. “Well, almost the worst. Shadow Star is pretty much winning that contest right now. But you’re a close second. Congratulations.”
Shadow Star rose between them, standing on a shifting pedestal of shadows. “Now, now. No need to fight over me. There’s more than enough of me to go around.”
Nick struggled against the shadows, trying to break free, but it was useless. And to top it all off, he was starting to get a headache. He wasn’t having a very good night. Or life. “What do you want with me?”
“Oh, Nick. It’s not you I want.”
“What? Then why am I here?”
Owen laughed. “You know why.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I think you do. Everyone knows to whom your heart belongs. And since I have captured you with my diabolical scheme, we both know who will come to your rescue. He always does.”
Nick blinked. “Leave him alone or I’ll—wait a minute. Are you quoting my fanfiction? Are you serious right now?”
Owen tilted his head back and cackled maniacally. It was a good evil laugh, much to Nick’s dismay.
Rebecca Firestone didn’t seem to find it funny. Neither did Nick, but he wasn’t going to feel any kind of kinship with her again. He’d learned his lesson.
“No,” Owen said. “Oh, no. You’re supposed to say your line, Nicky. He doesn’t care about you, even though we both know it’s a lie. And then I’ll tell you how wrong you are, how wrong you’ve always been. Because I would know. I’ve seen the expression on his face when you weren’t looking, when you were giving me those big ol’ gosh golly gee eyes of yours. Oh, Nicky.