Chapter 25- Counterpart
"Thought you'd prefer calling him Frosty." Les said matter-of-factly, still trying hard to keep a straight face while watching my reaction.
My hands flew to cover my mouth as a combination of a laugh and a sob threatened to escape from it.
However, the former won so I laughed lightly with tear welled eyes as I attacked Les with a bear hug.
Not a bear hug, actually. More like a squirrel hug. A laughing squirrel who's on the verge of crying.
"I'd rather call him Les." I said, my voice muffling into his sweatshirt. Les stiffened for a second but let his arms wrapped around me after a few seconds. His chin rested on top of my head. Even though his touch was cold, it left hot trails on my skin as if liquid fire had been poured into my veins.
If Les wasn't Cryonics who had abnormally low body temperature to begin with, I may have roasted someone alive.
"Cryonics sounds cooler though." Les's typical playful laugh rumbled low in his chest. I could hear his heartbeat distinctly quickened, betraying his mean to keep cool.
"Say something, Devlin." I was still speechless so Les placed the back of his hand on my forehead which was, no doubt, feverishly hot. "This house is not fireproof so please don't burst into flame."
I couldn't articulate my feelings.
Actually, forget about trying to explain them.
I didn't even know how to express them since I didn't know how I really felt or wanted to feel at that time.
It's said human has 6 basic emotions; happiness, anger, sadness,--. However, for the combinations of the 6 emotions that each situation we face mix up for us, I believe the possibility of the outcomes from each branches are endless. I had wondered how many emotions human can possibly feel at once when with too little, you'd feel empty and with too many, you'd feel numb.
At that moment, it was the latter.
I was shocked by the sudden revelation. I wanted to yell at him for not telling me after all these time and made me lower my guard down, confusing me countless times. Also, I was still flustered and all warm inside from what just happened. Then, there's this overwhelming urge to either break down or laugh with relief. I was relieved my Frosty is Les but the thought of losing them both at once to Les's sickness was unbearable.
It was almost like I hoped Les to by Cryonics but not really.
That was paradoxical but ,hey, since when did our feelings ever align?
I thought back to when Cicatrix tried to trick me into joining the villains and eliminating Cryonics to save Les. If I had believed her and not my instinct, I could only imagine what would happen. She couldn't even cure supers so my efforts would all be wasted in trying to kill the very person I'm determined to save.
His arms were still around me when I flicked his forehead quite hard. "That's for lying to me, frost boy."
"Then what was that kiss for, fire girl?" He raised his brow casually but I could see his pale cheeks were tinted with red.
Glad to know I wasn't the only flustered one.
"Shut up, Les. I still hate liars." Heat flooded my face and I turned sideway as he bursted out laughing at my reaction.
"The only lie I had ever told you was I'm not Cryonics." Les said slowly, that teasing grin still played on his lips.
"You said I don't know you!" I protested.
"Well,you didn't really know me." He breathed out, shaking his head slightly. "Not until Gale's birthday, anyway. Now, you do."
I paused momentarily, taking in what he just said. Shoot. Who would've known Les could be so enigmatic and eloquent when being the mysterious vigilante. I guessed it was because I saw him as ignorant jerk.
That must be what Les was referring to when he said I didn't know him.
"Do I now?" I sighed at his cryptic words. I couldn't really count that as a lie. I misinterpreted his answers by underestimating Les's ability to manage to sound like a freaking philosopher behind a cold ice mask and an intolerable arch enemy behind a warm confident smile at the same time. "Every other things you ever said to me was true?"
"Especially what I said to you this morning after the martial art practice." He replied, smiling sheepishly.
I recalled my conversation with Cryonics and quickly made a mental note to punch Les later for making me obliviously spilled my confession directly to him.
If Les was Cryonics, the girl Frosty mentioned earlier was me.
She's more than worth it. That's all you need to know.
I balled my fists behind Les's neck, putting out the warm fire tingling at my fingers before his shirt could catch fire. I tried (and failed) to suppress my goofy smile against his sweatshirt. "Since when?"
"I don't even know when or how." He shook his head. "I just...do."
"Well, why?"
"Well." Les tilted his head to one side. "Why not?"
"Mom's back and soup's ready!" Gale shouted from downstairs before appearing right in front of the door frame. "What are you guys doing?" She asked us inquisitively, poking her head inside. Her mouth formed an O as she spotted us. She gave Les an amused/apologetic look, retreating with an adorable smile on her face. "Whoopsie. Sorry I interrupted. No glitching when guest's around."
I shoved Les away as fast as I could after my brain registered what just happened.
I was relieved she just got here and didn't witness what just happened. But there's one thing bothering me though.
The way she made her entrance, that is.
She appeared out of thin air.
"Gale? What—I mean—how did you--?" I breathed out. I guessed I was out for quite long considering my power was starting to come back. Or it could be because Les was laughing at me in the background.
"Les hasn't told you yet?" Gale beamed, flashing me that elementary kid's missing front tooth smile. "I can teleport."
I let out a gasp and stumbled backward as I watched her disappeared again.
"Why people around me seem to be trying to break as many physic laws as possible?" I muttered, bewildered, awestruck by the showcase of what I had always deemed to be impossible.
Add speech bubbles and we could have existed in a comic book.
My speech bubble would have been filled with a dozen of exclamation marks and question marks.
Or dot--dot--dot---
- - - -
"So, that's how you managed to pull off the illusion of appearing in 2 places at once." I said. "Contractible super suit with ice power to transform your outfit and hairstyle? That kind of reminds me of someone from Disney."
"I know where are you going at, Jamie." Les groaned. "Stop comparing me to that Elsa princess. Gale does that everyday already."
"Should I be mad that you intentionally made the ice propel me to the barricade 2 seconds before 3 minutes to get free food?" I said flatly, rolling the long sleeves of Les's blue sweatshirt up.
My t-shirt was a mess after the fight at the City Hall. And oversized sweatshirts are so comfy.
He paused momentarily, rubbing his nape awkwardly. "Geez, Jamie. That bet was a subtle invitation to dinner, okay?" He pointed out. "Either outcomes, it's a win-win for me. Doesn't matter if I had to pay."
"But you didn't though."
"I tended to let you win actually. I mean you wouldn't last a minute without my help." He said matter of factly. "But I'd rather have you run into the barricade than the Isaac guy. My hand slipped. Couldn't help it."
"Cheater."
"Well, someone already punched me for that that day. Yes, those idiots were after me. Sorry." He laughed, walking over to the kitchen table. "You need me to get another shirt? Perhaps the one from when I was younger? You're drowning in it, Devlin."
I crossed my arms. "What? At least I wear it better than you."
He raised his brow, staring at me for a few seconds before replying. "Yeah. You're right." Les uttered, grabbing a bottled water from the table. "On that we can agree."
I sat examining Gale's proudly presented masterpiece called tomato soup. (But I thought the name poison would do it more justice though.)
"Is it good?" Gale asked as I took a small sip from the side of the spoon.
"It's...great." I lied for the sake of her feelings, trying to swallow the too sour soup down.
Les, who had been drinking only water suppressed his laugh at my expression.
But both of us choked on the drink when the next question came from his little sister's mouth. For him, it was because of laughter but, for me, pure embarrassment.
"Have you guys kissed?" She smiled wanly.
"Gale, I think--" I began but her brother cut me up.
"Why are you asking? Seems like you saw the whole thing." Les wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'm telling mom about your bad glitching manner, young lady."
"And I'm telling mom you kissed Jamie in front of me." She said back, giggling.
"So? She'd say get used to it, Gale." Les said back, walking over, giving me an opportunity to stomp on his foot for that answer. "Sorry, Jay. Where were we at?" He chuckled at his little sister's manner.
"Nowhere." I said. "About time we start."
"Maybe we should get back to your Aunt first without getting noticed by them villains." He tapped his finger in the table. "It couldn't be more complicated than me planning to constantly switch between two identities around you without getting caught."
"He can't pull the illusion off on his own. He needs my help!" Gale protested as she braided my hair. "You also need my teleportation skill therefore you must take me with you to fight the bad guys."
"You are still a trainee, Gale." Les said simply. "I want you to teleport me and Jamie to this location." He held out a piece of paper for Gale to read from.
The brunette girl frowned at him. "You know I cannot teleport you to places I cannot see in front of me or the places I had never been before. This is breaking both rules at once. Do you remember what happened the last time I did that?"
"You saved Jamie when you were watching the news inside the house." Les knelt down to meet her level.
"Well, I saw her falling in the news so I could guess where she was." Gale blushed and looked down to her fluffy slippers. "And still it was a failure. I landed her in our blueberry bush instead of on the sofa. Sorry, Jamie."
That explained the questionable and washable blue spots littering my arms.
"It's fine, Gale." I said quickly. "Thank you for doing that." I'd rather have blue spots on my arms instead of red spot behind my head on the pavement any day.
"Well, you did saved her in time and she's alright. The method doesn't really matter." Les winced at the thought, getting up. "But, well, let's not push our luck too far this time. Just drop us off at the—ice cream place dad took us when we got back from skating."
"Miss Courtney Keynes's ice cream place." Gale swallowed hard at the mention of her dad. "And what do I do next?"
"You have to teleport mom, yourself, and Jamie's parents to Mistwood. It's safer there. Tell her parents to lock the house. Stay inside." Les held her small hands in his.
"What's the threat?" Gale asked.
"People like us." I said, walking over. "The villains let out an army of the citizens who are under control. Look out for my parents for me, Gale?"
She nodded determinedly. "I will. What about you two?"
"We'll be back soon and we all can go get some ice-cream. What's better than getting some ice-cream and laughing in the face of the Grinch's twin named Monday?" Les shrugged even though his voice faltered a little. "You wanna tag along, Devlin?"
"Sure." I replied. "The Keynes make the best Banoffee ice-cream."
"Papa loved that flavor too." Gale smiled dryly and hugged her brother tightly. "Come back for dinner, Les. I made tomato soup. No ice-cream's fine."
"No ice-cream is not fine. It's summer. I bailed on you last time." Les stroked her hair soothingly and patted her back. Even though he was cracking a joke and chuckling, his laugh and his smile were as empty as his voice.
Aunt Amelia entered the kitchen while stuffing something that resembled my Barbie gun into her purse. I guessed Les took it back with him. "Are you ready, Gale?" She asked her daughter who nodded and closed her eyes. She stood as still as a statue.
"Be careful, sweetie." She whispered as she gave me a hug. She went up to her son in dark blue armor and sighed heartily. Les smiled the everything-will-be-okay-smile and his mother gave him a stare that said I'm-not-so-sure-about-that. "I can pick up Gale's homecoming dress on the way back home for you." Les hugged his mother who rolled her eyes and said; "Just come home, Cryonics. And take care of Jamie."
Les nodded, pulling away. "Have I ever failed to do that?" He smiled confidently as usual even though this time, he looked a little scared.
Seeing him being with his family gave me an urge to call my parents just in case something unexpected happen. I had been living separately from them for a few years now. They didn't even know what had been going on with me.
But I I told them, they would refuse to stay waiting at the farm. Oh, they would race over in a heartbeat and here would not be the safest place for them to stay at.
I didn't know how could Les's mother take the news of her son being a vigilante roaming around the city in super suit after school so easily.
But I knew for sure that my parents wouldn't take news like that as calmly.
I was planning to tell them after this whole ordeals had passed unless I wanted another catastrophe before the real one could even happen.
"I'm ready." Gale whispered, extending her hand. "Ice-cream place papa liked." I noticed a faint smile on the girl's lips even though it looked more melancholic than delightful.
As we touched Gale's hand and the picture of the Logan's kitchen faded away into bright light, I could place a single tear dripping from Gale's closed eye and made a wet trail down her freckled cheek.
I glanced at Les in my peripheral vision and noticed the same thing.
- - - -
Mixed fragrance of ice-cream filled my nostrils. I opened my eyes, feeling a little disorientated. It was dark. I stretched my arms and hit something above my head. It was solid. "Where are we?" I whispered, my breathing quickened.
I had always have a mild claustrophobia.
"Smells like an old refrigerator." Les said hoarsely and got up. I heard a loud thud and a curse.
Reaching up to open the lid of an old ice-cream freezer, I just smirked at my best friend wincing after hitting his head on the lid.
Les raised his brow at me. "Laugh on. It's because I'm tall--unlike someone here--"
I punched him in the shoulder lightly for insulting my hobbit height since I was the only one there with him.
We got out of the freezer inside the storage room of the ice-cream parlor.
The place was unnaturally quiet. It was either because people decided it was not the best day for ice-cream or everyone had locked themselves inside for their safety after watching the news.
I guessed it was the latter since everyday is ice-cream day for everyone especially in summer.
We stepped into the abandoned ice-cream bar. The lights were all off. The red plastic sign engraved with white letters saying Closed was on the welcome carpet indicating the owner of the shop was in such a rush when they left. Glass bowls were still left on the wooden table. Colorful, creamy melted ice-cream ran down the table top and made high calories puddles on the floor.
"Where are we heading?" I asked Les as we rushed out of the glass door. He wasn't in his super suit because it would be suicidal attempt to wear it during crisis like this. The bell rang after us. Strong wind whipped into out face as we exited the facility. The sky had turned dark gray speckled with patches of flashing light.
A perfect setting for a melodramatic scene.
"Titan's base. Won't be far." He replied. "I dropped the mayor off there then Gale called me, saying you crash landed in our front yard so I rushed back to check on you."
I went silent for a moment. Did I distract him from the work he should be doing? The city was in danger and Cryonics was rushing back home in the midst of the crisis to check on his best friend because she hit her head on the pavement.
I made a mental note to crash land at my own house next time.
I had a lot of unanswered questions hanging in my mind to ask him but I'd save all those for later.
It definitely included Coldfront's correlation to Cryonics because I was certain Les had been wearing Coldfront's super suit.
- - - -
If there's anything I had learned during the week, it would be the big contrast between the reality of superhero lifestyle and the pictures movie producers painted for us to see in 2 hours film. Titan's base was just a normal looking house with dark gray roof and a Beagle in red cape napping in the front lawn. Not a manor or an ancient palace.
Aunt Casey answered the door and let us in. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. "How's Titan?" Les asked her as soon as he closed the door behind us--I meant behind the Beagle. My aunt didn't even flinch when she heard him asking about the Titan. She mush have known Les's alter ego before. No wonder she would defend him every times I complained to her about Les.
"He'll be fine but he will have to sit this one out—or sleep this one out in this case." She sniffed, leading us toward the basement door.
I'd just say that the basement itself was about 3 times bigger than the living space above it. The wall and the floor were painted in white and there was Aunt Casey's office/laboratory in one corner. It was as if Titan had moved everything in her previous office at the science center over here. Even that dead coral cactus in the ceramic pot.
Now, that's the best gift for your girlfriend—fiance.
"Titan's in the infirmary, Les. Jamie, come with me." She took my hand and walked over to her desk. There were several test tubes containing colorful substances in the racks. She pulled her drawer opened and rummaged through random stuffs resigned inside such as conical flasks, crayons, and something that resembled a gun.
"You and Cryonics worked together and succeeded in bringing the mayor to the safe zone—I mean the restricted zone where everyone else's a little safer with him inside it. Titan and I had a debate about it and we thought--" She sighed, fetching a round emblem the size of her palm up. "--a t-shirt and jeans are not cutting it."
She placed the emblem on my t-shirt. "Touch the fire symbol." She smiled, looking as anticipated as me.
I did as she told me to and I gasped when red fabric spread from the emblem and covered the white t-shirt and leggings I was wearing. "Is this a—super suit?" I looked up at my aunt in surprise.
It was burgundy red with pale yellow colored sleeves. Wide yellow stripes ran up my sides an ended at my jaws. My merlot colored gloves and boots fitted perfectly. There was even a pale yellow hood attached to the back of my suit. Round white emblem with orange fire symbol in the middle decorated the top of my suit.
Bottom line; I looked as if I was ready to march into a comic con.
"Your very own. Seems like it fits!" She replied as she walked me toward the door Les went in earlier. "My niece is a superhero now! Wait until I get a wood burning stove installed. We can definitely cut down the gas bill."
"Thank you, Aunt Casey! You are incredibly awesome." I laughed, touching the leathery material on my arm. My boots made clapping sound every step I took. The heels of the boots made me appear taller than I actually was.
(Which was still quite short. Adding 2 inches to my dwarf height would make me reach the hobbit height.)
"It's heat resistance so don't worry it'll turn into ashes when you use your power." She explained.
I scanned the room for fire extinguisher cautiously before snapping my finger when I could place one in the corner. I contemplated asking Aunt Casey to invent a mini fire extinguisher for me to carry around.
The ball of flame arose on my palm for about 3 seconds, the shape of it resembled tiny hands reaching up from the gloves. I raised my brow, smirking slightly when I noticed the fabric wasn't burned.
Faint white smoke rose from the crimson surface after I put off the fire. The gloves weren't damaged at all. I'd be having a huge wardrobe makeover later since the control I had over my power wasn't yet too consistent and I wasn't too willing to march around school in super suit (even though I had to admit it looked pretty sick).
"This is awesome, aunt Casey." I laughed, snapping my fingers again, letting the fire glided from one hand to another. "Did you design Titan's suit?"
My aunt's eyes behind ginger bangs gained their spark back and the corner of her lips tilted upward. "That's how we met." She said. "A zoologist ran into my office with a Corn snake and said; Hey, Dunne, we have a very specific order from a gentleman...Mr. Kavanagh. He would only speak to you."
"Should have been a chemist." I interrupted. "What happened next?"
"A blue eyed model in suit and tie happened." She coughed, her cheeks reddening until they matched the shade of her hair. "And a cup of coffee followed by 3 weeks of mysterious gray construction papers on my desk."
"Did he tell you his secret identity right away?" I asked, strapping on my new and improved mask.
"I suspected him for a month." She pursed her lip and took off her glasses. "We were in those one of photo booths at the fair when a villain's voice rang through every speakers, calling out his arch nemesis, Titan."
"So Collin just dashed off?" I raised my brows. We all had seen how Les dealt with situation like this in the parking lot earlier this week(the scenario where both me and him needed his alter ego's help). He chose to protect his identity instead of himself. However, he healed fast so that shouldn't be a problem.
"No." My aunt laughed. "He stopped time and put on the mask right in front of me. He said he wanted me to know now just in case he wouldn't be able to tell me after that fight with the super villain ended."
I drummed my fingers on the table, the picture of that scenario played in my mind.
"Then, time continued. Camera's flash filled the booth and voila, a photo of me staring wide eyed at Titan in mask fell down simultaneously as buttered popcorn rained down on me." She chuckled. "When did Les tell you he's your superhero by night and frenemy by day?"
And stalker by both day and night.
"He didn't tell me straight away. I found out myself." I answered with voice about an octave higher than usual and looked down at my brand new crimson boots. My cheeks had become the same color as my suit as I recalled what happened at his place earlier.
"I knew it." She sighed, shaking her head. "For some reasons, that boy was so scared about you finding out his identity. He is quite a good actor. How did you catch him?"
"Cryonics and Les have a scar." I pointed at the back of my neck. "Right there."
My aunt winced, looking guilty for some reasons. "I had one job! I thought the stitch marks would be concealed by shirt collar. So if he still has a shirt on, no one would notice it unless they intentionally look for it."
"I'm---observant." I coughed out, deciding to leave out real story to the epiphany.
The last thing I wanted to happen was my dad trying to murder my best friend.
Smell of ethyl alcohol and anti-septic hit my nose when we entered the infirmary. Collin was lying on a bunk in one corner. He looked a tad better since all the blood was cleaned away already but bruises were showing. His right arm was in cast and thick bandaged was wrapped around his head.
Les was in Cryonics's dark blue super suit. The white emblem shined on his chest. He was only missing the mask (and the seemingly never ending string of lame flirtatious puns).
In my head, Les and Cryonics were 2 different people. The boy I was close to and a stranger that I could trust.
A stranger that I was secretly close to.
What a weird feeling.
They turned to look at us when we walked in.
It all looked so unreal, seeing my childhood best friend as a real life superhero (and might I say he pulled off the super suit). I guessed Les was thinking the same thing (maybe except for the looking good in super suit part) because he had been staring at me since I walked into the room.
"Whoa, Flare." The Cryonics attitude was resurfacing. Yes, he had taken liberty in naming my alter ego already. However, i guessed it was quite fair since I was the one who came up with his name too. "You look amazing, partner."
"Counterpart." I corrected him. I didn't want to admit that comment may have made my fire power surged. I was trying to put out the fire that suddenly engulfed my hands as if someone had flipped an on switch to it.
"Opposites attract." Les said simply. He had definitely held back his usual childish demeanor quite a bit since I knew his real identity and his whole "don't get attached" plan was in jeopardy.
I pushed that thought away as soon as it came to my mind.
"New policy, no flirting with my niece during work" Titan spoke up, smiling at me. "How are you doing? I heard you fell from the roof."
That's a unique way to start up a conversation.
"His little sister teleported me out of there in time so I'm still alive." I nodded. "How about you?"
"Barely alive." Aunt Casey hissed, strutting over to the side of the bunk. "Have you any idea how close you were to dying, Collin? I know you're invincible and all but I want you to calculate the risk before going into a battlefield from now on! We are engaged--"
"She's starting to sound like my mom whenever I get back home late." Les noted, suppressing his laugh while watching Titan apologizing to my aunt.
"Seems like that tranquilizer isn't his only kryptonite." I smiled back.
"It's pretty ironic she's the one who invented the tranquilizer too." Les nodded, smirking at me but I could detect something's wrong. He seemed to be somewhere else—in his realm of thoughts or back to Pluto, chasing a comet.
"I have some unfinished business to deal with before we do the whole plan thing." He strengthened up and made his way toward the exit. "I'll be right back, Flare."
- - - -
A/N I didn't put a cast cuz I want you guys to see each characters in your own ways ;) It'll be more fun that way I hope :)
Don't forget to vote and comment if you guys like this book ;)