My Life as a Teenage Superhero

Bonus Story: Obsidian Raven

Well hello everyone! Below is the bonus story I promised after my novel reached 100K views. I gave my readers the option of choosing what the bonus story would be about through votes, and the two most popular were "Casey's future now it's all changed" and "what happened to Sapphire after she changed the past and woke up to that nice breakfast". So because I love you all I have decided to release a bonus story which answers BOTH of those questions! Well... sort of. Enjoy ;) and remember... you all asked for this.

** ** **

I am working an early shift when I see her for the first time. Of course I have seen her before, many times, on the television. Even when she was a minor it was impossible for them to keep her face out of the media when it became known an empath walked among us. She has been studying with the Nines since she was a little girl, but going to a regular school too to "normalise" her. How sad it that? Imagine being the most powerful superhuman in existence and still having to go to school? If I was her I would have quit a long time ago. If I was her I would not be working this crappy job as a barista for overpaid assholes who like their skinny maccachino caramel half-shot vanilla whip lattes extra hot, or whatever.

'Hi.' She flashes me a shy smile. 'I'll take a small Americano please.'

'An Americano?' I guess I am surprised because I would have expected someone like her to order something a bit more elaborate. 'No milk or whipped cream or... marshmallows?' I can feel my supervisor give me a nasty look, or rather, I can sense the annoyance behind her stare. The directness of her stare results in a trickle of thoughts along the lines of what the Hell are you doing treating Number 10 like that?

Angrily I ignore my supervisor's thoughts and return my attention to the schoolgirl in front of me. OK, not so much a schoolgirl anymore. I hear she will finish school very soon because there is a lot of speculation about what she will do next.

'Marshmallows?' She pretends to think about it. She smiles at me. It is a smile that has captured the hearts of thousands of people all around the world and I want to not let it effect me but it does and I hate myself. 'I've never heard of a coffee with marshmallows before. Is it good?'

I cannot tell if she is joking or not so I attempt to look into her mind and find there is a vast wall blocking all thoughts. But what did I expect? She has been training with the Nines and they are elite.

'Just a plain Americano please,' she continues pleasantly as though it is a joke we have just shared. I take the payment from her card and hurry to make the coffee. I see my supervisor drift over to where she has moved to wait for her coffee.

'Are you her?' my supervisor asks in a hushed voice, 'are you... Number 10?'

Like she did not know already. I try not to snort with amusement at my supervisor's pitiful attempts to engage Number 10 in conversation. When I turn back with the coffee my supervisor slinks off grumpily, apparently Number 10 was not interested.

I hand over the coffee and our hands touch for the briefest of seconds. She meets my gaze, her eyes widen, but then a second later her perfectly composed expression is back. 'Thank you,' she says.

'Don't mention it,' I mutter, and watch as she leaves the cafe, her two armed guards trailing behind her.

** ** **

Two weeks later she is back. This time I spot her immediately as she hovers nervously at the back of the queue, her blonde hair swept back from her face and a pair of sunglasses over her eyes which do little to hide her identity. Her guards wait outside. I can feel my colleagues, who were not here when she came in previously, buzzing with excitement about Number 10's appearance. As soon as she reaches the till I open my mouth to ask her if it will be another Americano but she gets there first.

'Casey? Do you have a moment to talk. I really need to talk to you.'

My mouth drops open at her words, I barley have time to pull myself together.

'You... what?'

She looks at me, I see the pleading look on her face behind her glasses. 'Please?'

'I... my name is not Casey,' I reply slowly, and clearly, just so she gets it. 'It is Obsidian.' I indicate my name badge.

'Fine. Obsidian. Whatever. Can I talk to you please?'

I want to say "now? I'm working. Leave me alone, brat" but I know my supervisor will be angry if I treat her with disrespect. Anything for Number 10. So instead I sigh and nod, pointing to the other side of the counter close to the toilets where no one is standing.

She moves there on the other side, removing her sunglasses, and I observe her coolly, trying to remain calm. I wonder how she knows my true name. No one knows my true name. It died along with my parents on the day of the incident.

I stare down at her and cross my arms. 'What do you want?'

'I need your help.'

'My help?' Although we are speaking quietly I cannot help but keep the scoff out of my voice. 'I'm sorry but what does the most powerful superhuman in existence want with me?'

'Please, Casey.' She looks so desperate I almost feel sorry for her. Almost. I notice her winning smile is gone. She seems different somehow, but I'm not sure how. 'You and I used to be friends.'

'Me and you? I don't think so.' I wonder what kind of trick this is.

'We were, I promise. And now I need your help. Something is happening....' she trails off. I barely understand what she is saying.

I decide to play along. 'What is happening? Why do you think I can help you?'

'You were one of the most powerful superhumans in the world,' she tells me, 'a powerful telepath with ability to control multiple minds from massive distances, to layer deception and thought like it was nothing.'

I cannot help it, I laugh. 'Me? Powerful? You have to be joking? I can barely read the minds of my brainless work colleagues.'

Her face drops in horror. 'No. No it can't be true? Something terrible is happening.... I made a mistake going back in time and changing the future.'