He was hurting. And yet, he still managed to hold himself back. He let you go, even though everything he’s done has been for you.” Owen sighed. “It was really quite precious. He saw the devastation left behind after your mother died. He told himself he was going to make the world a better place for you. It was … sweet. Misguided, but sweet. Especially when I knew I could do it better. After all, all it takes to become famous is a little flash, some good PR, and voila! Instant love and adoration.” He turned and reached out, patting Rebecca Firestone on the cheek.
“You saved me,” she snarled. “That scaffolding would have crushed me if you hadn’t stopped it.”
“Oh,” Owen said. “You mean the scaffolding that I threw to begin with?”
Rebecca Firestone paled. “You didn’t.”
“I did,” he said gleefully. “And you took the bait. Even I was surprised how easy it was. All I had to do was smile at you, and you did everything I wanted.”
“Wow,” Nick said smugly. “Look how easy you are. You should feel totally embarrassed right now.”
“And you, Nick,” Shadow Star said, whirling back around.
“Nope,” he said. “Nope, nope, nope. We don’t need to talk about me. Let me have that sick burn I got on Rebecca Firestone, and that’ll be that. Also, maybe let me go? And turn yourself in.”
“You are just like her.”
Nick was going to straight up murder him. Screw what the Grays said about no killing. Owen was dead. “You take that back!”
“All I had to do was smile in your direction, and you were mine.” Owen grinned at him. “Our dear, precious Pyro Storm didn’t see me one day when I followed him home. Imagine my surprise when I found out he was a kid like me. A sweet, innocent boy who had such an obvious crush on this loud, annoying guy—it was painful to watch. But then I swooped in and took that from him. You didn’t even notice. So what does that make you, Nick?”
Before Nick could respond, Rebecca Firestone said, “Owen Burke.”
Owen turned again. “What was that?”
“Owen Burke,” she repeated slowly. “That’s … that’s what he said your name was. Owen Burke … as in Simon Burke. You’re … you’re Simon Burke’s son.”
“I am,” Owen said, taking a step toward her. The shadows underneath him shifted with every step he took, keeping him from falling. “You might even say that all of this is because of him.”
“Shit,” Nick moaned. “I hate being right. Also, a villain with daddy issues? Come on, Owen. Try being original for once. First, you steal my fanfiction, and now you’re trying to be like every comic book baddie ever written? And don’t even get me started how you’re essentially ripping off Spider-Man by being a discount Harry Osborn. What the hell. Have some self-respect.”
He barely saw Owen move before a gloved hand was wrapped around his throat, squeezing tightly. Nick choked, trying to kick his legs out against Owen, but the shadows held him down tight. Pain lanced through his head as Owen bared his teeth, snarling. “This isn’t a game, Nicky. You still think we’re playing, but we’re not. You talk and talk and talk and never say anything at all. It’s one of the things that pisses me off the most about you. God, it’s no wonder your mother died. I wouldn’t be surprised if she stepped in front of that bullet to get away from you.”
A red sheen fell over Nick’s eyes. Anger like he’d never felt boiled in his chest. His head was pounding, and all he wanted to do was lash out, to tear and punch and kick until Owen was nothing but a bloody mess of broken teeth and crushed bone.
“Good,” Owen breathed. “Good, Nick. There it is. I could see it, you know. Even though no one else could. You have this darkness in you. Oh, you haven’t had a chance to explore it, you haven’t been able to harness it any way that mattered, but it’s there, waiting to be let out. We’re the same, Nicky. Even if you can’t see it now, we’re the same. The things we’d do to protect those we care about. If you had a chance to go back, to be there in that bank, what would you do?”
“Screw you,” Nick spat.
Owen shook his head. “Such a brave face. You don’t need to do that with me. I know you, Nick. Better than everyone. Because I am you.