smile in sympathy. Chatting with a retired hero seems like a silly thing to get hung up about, considering the circumstances, but I know this means something different to her than it does to me. “Charles is chill, don’t worry. He’s not all over-the-top like the rest of the Warrior Nation bam-pow machine.” I do some air punches on the “bam-pow” with my good hand for emphasis.
She looks up at the sky, blinking like she’s forcing herself not to cry. “But that’s the thing. He’s not Charles to me. He’s Blue Streak. Longest-running Warrior Nation member. Chicago all-star, defender of all that is good and true.” She anxiously hums a few bars of his theme song. “He is my absolute idol, my greatest hero in every sense of the word. How can I just…meet him? Talk to him? He saved my life, Bridgette…. What can I ever say that won’t sound completely lame?”
Oh. I had no idea he saved her life. This visit really is on a different level for her. “Be honest. Tell him how much his actions that day meant to you,” I suggest. “Or say nothing, if that’s easier. I can handle this; we’re old friends.” Claire nods, but frantically. I can almost feel her vibrating. “It’ll be okay. What does Blue Streak always say?”
She manages a whisper of a smile. “Weakness is strength that’s yet to be tested.”
“That’s right. C’mon. Let’s put you to the test!” We link arms, and I guide the way several more blocks to his estate. Once we get close, we spot a group of WarNats assembled on his sidewalk, some dressed in full super suits, holding signs that say things like “We need you, Blue Streak!” and “Save our city!” They don’t seem angry, just scared, and we have to squeeze past their posters and pleas to get to the front gate. A tall, pointed iron fence surrounds the perimeter of his property, but it’s really just for show. Once the technology emerged, Charles had a force-field dome installed over his property, after countless fans kept trying to hop the gate.
A security guard stands on the other side, ignoring the hubbub. I wave to get his attention, but he’s apparently grown numb to the calls surrounding him.
“Excuse me!” I call, getting directly in his sight line. “We need to talk to Charles.”
Without turning his head, he snorts, “Yeah, you and everyone else.”
“Tell him Bridgette Rey is here to see him,” I demand. “Tell him…” I drop my voice. “…blue is the color of my heart.” This is a code phrase that Warrior Nation uses in emergencies, a secret slogan that’s supposed to specify when shit is going down. I’ve never had to use it before, but the guard immediately takes notice, turning away to make a phone call. Claire stares at me like I’m a wizard once the guard decides to let us through, much to the frustration of the crowd behind us.
“That…was…awesome!” She freaks as we walk up the cobblestone path to his house. “God, I am so nervous, I can’t stop sweating. I think I’m gonna pee myself!”
“Don’t do that,” I say, looking around his estate. The house itself is grand and gothic, dark stonework spiraling toward the sky. Perfectly trimmed hedges dot the front, with hundred-year-old trees stretching toward the force field that hums above. Claire is like a baby deer walking on ice, about to dissolve into a puddle of herself, so I remind her, “He’s only a person, okay? Just like Matt and Joy, you and me. He puts his spandex on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us.”
I can’t read her reaction, as her face is frozen in excitement.
When we reach the front door, the security guard says, “Mr. Williams is out back; I’ll take you there.”
Stepping inside, I feel the air instantly change, cool and quiet compared to the hot, sweaty crowds outside. Despite all the towering windows, a sense of gloom surrounds us as our footsteps echo in the halls. Every room we pass is filled with dark wooden furniture and heavy drapery, yet the place feels empty—almost haunted—like no one actually lives here. I wonder how Charles spends his time now; his retirement came as such a shock to me. Out of all the heroes I’ve met, he was the most impassioned, the most dedicated to the cause, and I honestly thought the only way he’d leave Warrior Nation was if he died in action. What made him