Starlight (Book 1)

3: Nobody Knows

It couldn't be denied.

The girl was me. I was her.

"Are you okay?" asked Jax. He was waving his hand in front of my face, trying to get my attention. "Earth to Kacie?"

I snapped back to reality. "I'm here," I said. There was no telling that the picture was of me, but there was no proof of anything. I paused, twisting my face into a forced smile. I reminded myself to breathe. The media had thrown the claim around a hundred times before, towards practically anyone Orion saved, or anyone that resembled him. Surely, this was no different. "So weird."

Jax nodded and read the article aloud for me. "Today's Orion vs. Phantom fight was a lot like previous fights, but there was someone in the midst who didn't quite fit. A good deal of news stations have often tried to propel the myth of Almighty Orion, the worldwide famous superhero from Astral City, possibly having a child." He looked at me. I wondered if he could see the panic on my face. I tried to force myself to laugh, but my throat was stuck.

"Of course, the rumour is just that. A rumour," Jax continued. "But a prevalent one. For years, the news has pointed the finger at everyone who happens to be in Almighty Orion's general vicinity, but today's case is of a different kind. Here's why—" Jax shoved another fry into his mouth.

In the silence, my worries gnawed at my subconscious. What if a reporter heard Orion say my name? What if they'd figured it out somehow? What if?

"The rumour over Orion's child began about ten years ago. During a signature battle between Orion and Onyx Spark, one of Astral City's evil henchmen, Orion had made a comment which made headlines for weeks: 'We all have something worth protecting, Sparky. A wife, a husband, kids... even me.' At the time, it wasn't too special. After all, the generic comment could have come from anyone." He dipped another fry into his ice cream and chewed before speaking again.

"But sure enough, it sparked discussion. And so I bring you to today, January 2nd, on Nymphéa street." He nudged my leg underneath the table. "For Orion and his sidekick, Diamond Prism, the protection of civilian casualties has always been a priority. So the entrapment of a teenage girl by Diamond in order to keep her from danger is a procedure the public has seen many times before. But—" Jax slammed his hands down on the table, nearly knocking over his ice cream cone. "Never before have we seen someone treated with such care. The girl, whose name remains unknown, was carried all the way off the platform, where she and Orion parted goodbyes—but whether they truly do know each other, and the answer to the long-debated question, will continue to remain a mystery."

I had no idea what to think. "Is that the only one?"

Jax nodded. "Looks like all the rest are about Diamond, the destruction, and blah blah..."

He didn't care that there was a picture of me online. I guessed because he knew my dads—or, at least, he thought he knew them.

I finished my sundae long after he was done, but Jax didn't seem to mind much. He hadn't noticed that we were going to be deathly late to French class either, but right now I didn't want to show up early. Perhaps it would be better to slink in after the bell, in order to avoid the questions...

"Vivian's going to kill us," he muttered. "Maybe I can soften the blow by telling her you're famous now..."

Famous. That was a far cry from what I was. I wasn't a superhero. I was a superhero's kid, and I wasn't even related to him by blood. I didn't know much about my birth parents, but I knew that I was powerless. The truth about the myth was that it made no sense—if Orion had a kid, she wouldn't be me. She'd have a superhero outfit, a badass name, and she'd be able to fight instead of standing around watching.