Sequel to Living with a Hero
There were worse things than overprotective sisters. Nick reminded himself while Maggie chewed him out for trying to get out of bed. He could be at his parents’ house, trying to hide the life threatening injury he’d received from the supervillain Dr. Dire. At least Maggie knew he was a superhero. He’d probably be dead or exposed as a hero if she didn’t. Death or exposure were definitely worse than his older sister’s angry coddling.
Nick kicked off the covers. The room was stuffy. He had unbelievable cabin fever from being trapped in his room for the past week. Maggie was finally out. Nick had been telling her to go back to her college classes for days and it seemed like she’d finally listened. Now was his chance to get out of the apartment. Nick grimaced as he got out of bed, feeling his stitches pull but not break. It was a real possibility. Maggie was his only access to medical care. She did the best she could but she was only trained in basic first aid and some impressive sewing skills. He was going to have a scar. He hoped Lila liked scars.
The thought of Lila got him moving again. His girlfriend had no idea that Nick was alright. Nick had met her as his alter ego, Comet. Though she knew his first name and the face under the mask, Lila had no idea how to find him. She didn’t have a cell phone he could call because service was garbage in the sewers. If Lila had seen the news, she would know that the Comet was stabbed, but she’d have no idea if he was alive or dead. It was the same question that the media had been debating every day.
Nick moved to the window and looked down. He frowned. It might be easier to fly down but he shouldn’t risk it. They couldn’t afford the attention. Nick sighed and moved slowly to the door. He felt awful but he needed to see Lila. He had to tell her that he was okay. Nick made it out of the apartment and leaned on the call button for the elevator. How was he going to get down into the sewers like this? Could he even remove the manhole cover? The elevator dinged its arrival. Nick pushed himself off the wall as the door slide open… revealing his older sister. Nick froze.
“Where do you think you’re going, Nicky?” Maggie asked dangerously. She advanced on Nick. He stepped back. Nick opened his mouth to respond, though he had no idea what he was going to say. His mind was completely blank. Then Nick noticed a girl step out of the elevator beside Maggie. Hood up, hands in her pockets, a scarf obscured most of her face: her eyes, with slit-like pupils, flicked from his face to his stomach and back. Nick wordlessly opened his arms and Lila stepped forward. She hugged him gently but as if she would never let go. Nick buried his face into the top of her hoodie, ignoring the lingering scent of the sewer.
He turned his head to Maggie. Nick had never told his sister about Lila. In part because Lila asked him not to tell anyone about her and her friends, and in part because he wasn’t sure how Maggie would react to him dating a mutant. “How did you know?”
Maggie snorted. “You’re joking, right? The hard part was finding her.” She flicked Nick’s ear, hard. “I’m going to assume that you aren’t actually dumb enough to go to the sewers to get an infection; and I’m going to go down to get matzaball soup. You two,” She flicked her finger in a combination of a ‘shoo’ and a point towards the apartment. “Inside now.” Maggie stepped back on the elevator, the doors closed with Maggie pointing threateningly at the apartment door and mouthing the word “Now!”
Nick and Lila separated just enough for him to turn and lean heavily on his girlfriend while they walked back to the apartment. “Your sister rocks.” Lila remarked as they closed the door. Lila removed her hood, revealing large slightly furry ears.
“Yeah,” Nick agreed, lowering himself on the couch and grinning at Lila. “She’s super.”
There were worse things than overprotective sisters. Nick reminded himself while Maggie chewed him out for trying to get out of bed. He could be at his parents’ house, trying to hide the life threatening injury he’d received from the supervillain Dr. Dire. At least Maggie knew he was a superhero. He’d probably be dead or exposed as a hero if she didn’t. Death or exposure were definitely worse than his older sister’s angry coddling.
Nick kicked off the covers. The room was stuffy. He had unbelievable cabin fever from being trapped in his room for the past week. Maggie was finally out. Nick had been telling her to go back to her college classes for days and it seemed like she’d finally listened. Now was his chance to get out of the apartment. Nick grimaced as he got out of bed, feeling his stitches pull but not break. It was a real possibility. Maggie was his only access to medical care. She did the best she could but she was only trained in basic first aid and some impressive sewing skills. He was going to have a scar. He hoped Lila liked scars.
The thought of Lila got him moving again. His girlfriend had no idea that Nick was alright. Nick had met her as his alter ego, Comet. Though she knew his first name and the face under the mask, Lila had no idea how to find him. She didn’t have a cell phone he could call because service was garbage in the sewers. If Lila had seen the news, she would know that the Comet was stabbed, but she’d have no idea if he was alive or dead. It was the same question that the media had been debating every day.
Nick moved to the window and looked down. He frowned. It might be easier to fly down but he shouldn’t risk it. They couldn’t afford the attention. Nick sighed and moved slowly to the door. He felt awful but he needed to see Lila. He had to tell her that he was okay. Nick made it out of the apartment and leaned on the call button for the elevator. How was he going to get down into the sewers like this? Could he even remove the manhole cover? The elevator dinged its arrival. Nick pushed himself off the wall as the door slide open… revealing his older sister. Nick froze.
“Where do you think you’re going, Nicky?” Maggie asked dangerously. She advanced on Nick. He stepped back. Nick opened his mouth to respond, though he had no idea what he was going to say. His mind was completely blank. Then Nick noticed a girl step out of the elevator beside Maggie. Hood up, hands in her pockets, a scarf obscured most of her face: her eyes, with slit-like pupils, flicked from his face to his stomach and back. Nick wordlessly opened his arms and Lila stepped forward. She hugged him gently but as if she would never let go. Nick buried his face into the top of her hoodie, ignoring the lingering scent of the sewer.
He turned his head to Maggie. Nick had never told his sister about Lila. In part because Lila asked him not to tell anyone about her and her friends, and in part because he wasn’t sure how Maggie would react to him dating a mutant. “How did you know?”
Maggie snorted. “You’re joking, right? The hard part was finding her.” She flicked Nick’s ear, hard. “I’m going to assume that you aren’t actually dumb enough to go to the sewers to get an infection; and I’m going to go down to get matzaball soup. You two,” She flicked her finger in a combination of a ‘shoo’ and a point towards the apartment. “Inside now.” Maggie stepped back on the elevator, the doors closed with Maggie pointing threateningly at the apartment door and mouthing the word “Now!”
Nick and Lila separated just enough for him to turn and lean heavily on his girlfriend while they walked back to the apartment. “Your sister rocks.” Lila remarked as they closed the door. Lila removed her hood, revealing large slightly furry ears.
“Yeah,” Nick agreed, lowering himself on the couch and grinning at Lila. “She’s super.”
Many people reacted strongly to the end of Living with a Hero. No matter how much I assured them that Nicky lived, it wasn't enough. So here is Nicky aka the Comet on the road to recovery tended by his irritable (and very worried) older sister. We finally find out why Nicky has suddenly started spending so much time in the sewers and that Maggie is quite a bit more insightful than previously realized.
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