—Nova
Bart opens in mouth in faux shock, "You think I can't handle spicy food?"
I giggle at his expression. "I don't know yet, but I'd love to find out."
"I'll show you sometime," He promises me.
I smile at that, but movement catches my eye, and I look past Bart to see him. He's leaning against the ice cream shop casually. He wears dark sunglasses that conceals his red eyes. With a jerk of his head, he motions for me to follow him, and quietly opens the door to the shop and disappears inside.
Maska is here. My eyes flicker over to Bart in fear, but he seems to be lost in thought.
I can't let Maska hurt Bart.
"I need to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back." I saw quickly, standing up and heading into the ice cream shop.
"Oh, okay. I'll be here." He calls after me, trying to hide his surprise and slight dejection. I want to turn around and reassure him everything's find, but I don't. I can't. Not with Maska just beyond this door.
Enter the shop, I see Maska slip out of the back door, and I quickly follow. I avoid the gaze of the female employee behind the counter.
Enter the back alleyway, Maska back faces me.
"You like that little human pet, don't you?" He voice trembles.
My heart rate accelerates at that. I know that tone. That tone is connected with pain and fear.
"Maska," I try to found firm and angry, not scared like I actually am. "You need to leave, now. I told you I am done with you."
"What does he have that I don't, Nova?" He whirls around, taking off his sunglasses and revealing his red eyes. His dark hair shines in the light, and he towers over me. "He's just a human! He can't handle your heat, not like me!"
"This is not about Bart, this is about you leaving me alone." I say, but my voice betrays my fear. I watch his hands, which are bunched up in fists.
"I can't leave you alone, Nova! You are coming with me right now." He reaches for me but I step away from his touch.
"I am never going with you again. You are a horrible person, Maska." I tell him, feeling my body heat up.
"Can that human hold you like this?" He demands, lunging forward and scooping me up in his arms as my skin tuns yellow. "He can't handle your heat, your love. I can Nova. I love you." He practically begs, looking into my eyes.
In response, I cock my arm back and hit him square in the jaw. He drops me in surprise and I scramble to my feet, my skin heating up to an orange.
He puts a hand to his jaw, and looks at me. My heart stops as I see the familiar deadly expression on his face.
I hear the faint sound of a door opening, but an explosion of pain enters my face as I reel backwards. I see stars for a moment, before I fall to the ground. My left eye pulsing with agony.
"NOVA!" I hear someone scream, and then I feel the wind rushing. I look up with double vision and see a whirlwind surrounding Maska. Glimpses appear of Maska, and he brings his hands up to make his fire. Through the sheer force of the wind, it snuffs the fire before he can even make it appear. The Torran then begins trying to hit into the speedster surrounding him, but he staggers. Then, his hands reach up to his throat as he falls to his knees. I can see him gasping for air that won't go into his lungs.
Bart's going to kill him.
"Bart!" I shout, standing up as the double vision ebbs, but the left side of my face still pulses in pain. I reach a hand out, and see its glowing bright red.
No. No. I can't lose control.
Bart.
"Stop! Bart, you're going to kill him!" I stagger towards the cyclone, but the energy is building up inside of me. It wants to come out, and my skin glows even brighter.
Bart isn't a killer. He couldn't live with that.
"BART I NEED YOU!" I cry out, and just like that, I feel the wind stop suffocating Maska. The next moment, I feel familiar arms scoop me up, and carry me away.
"WATER!" I shout, knowing I'm burning him with my skin. We blur through the city in a few seconds and hit the beach next to Mt. Justice.
I practically fling myself from Bart and dive into the waste deep water. Steam is produce as I am emerged.
The water fights me, trying to consume my heat. I don't let it take it all, just most of it. Leaving my heat inside of my chest instead of trying to come out. The energy is contained, and my skin turns back to its tanned color. I feel hands grab my arm, and haul me up. Reflexively I jerk away and stagger deeper into the water, holding my hands up defensively.
Bart and I stare at each other, both waist deep in the water. His green eyes wide in fear and concern and... anger. But it's not directed towards me, I feel it. He breathes heavily, and though his shoulders are tensed up, his hands reach out to me gently.
I feel my own lungs moving quickly, pain pulsing softly around my left eye. I now notice the burn marks on Bart's shirt. The red shininess to his hands.
"Bart, put your hands in the water. They're burn," I tell him softly. He looks up at me with a startled expression.
"You're worried about me? Nova, I just watched that monster hit you and you started over heating and I just kept running and I just kept seeing in my head him hitting you and I wanted to stop him and—"
"Bart!" I nearly shout. Slowly, gently, I walk towards him. Gingerly taking the back of his hands, I lower them into the water. The cool liquid surrounds his hands, touching the already puffed up skin.
"I'm so sorry I burned you. I'm so sorry I lost control. I'm so sorry Bart," I whisper, not looking up at him. I focus on his hands, in the water.
"Hey, Nova. Look at me." He says gently. I reluctantly follow his command.
"You have nothing to apologize for. I'll be okay. I heal really fast." He gives me a grin, its strained.
I shake my head. "No, you don't understand. I could have killed you. I could have lost control completely and overheated. You don't understand everything I'm capable of..."
We're quiet for a moment, and he looks at me kindly. Something Maska has never done.
"Tell me, Nova. Please, I want to help you." He says.
I take a deep breath, calming my heartbeat down. I will trust Bart. I will. I want to.
"When I become too emotionally unstable, I heat up. If I don't calm down, I keep heating up. Energy builds up inside of me, and if I don't control it, calm down, it will come out. The effects of unleashing that much energy would be catastrophic." I whisper the words now, hating myself for what I am. Different. Powerful. Unstable.
"You'll exploded?" He asks.
"Basically." I say. "Releasing all that energy from my body would destroy so much..."
When I look down at his hands in the water, I see the skin has stopped swelling, and is actually losing its red color. How fast does Bart heal again?
"I want to help you, Nova. We'll find a way to make sure you never lose control, I promise." He says, smiling up at me.
When he says that, I actually believe this promise. I look down at the water, his hands seemingly okay now.
"Bart, I have to tell you something about Maska." I say quietly.
"What is it?" I hear his tone sour at his name.
I look into his green eyes, and I know I can tell him the truth.
"Maska was my boyfriend."