Page 28 of No Capes
“Nothing.” I shiver, still cold and drained from my swim session. “He basically dumped on my butterfly for two hours.” Even though I’d specifically tried to avoid a lot of swimming.
D.S. smirks. “You’re that bad?”
I roll my eyes, gesturing toward the trophies stacked on every shelf and the medals that hang from every wall. D.S.’s opinion of my swimming skill weirdly matters.
“Yes, you’re very into swimming,” he teases, “Whyisthat?”
“Why do you care?”
He flicks a crumb off my dresser. “Maybe Aaron swims for the same reason.”
I suppress a scoff. “I doubt that. Aaron swims like he has everything to lose.”
“And you don’t?”
“I don’t need a trophy to swim.” My legs tremble under my blankets. I wish D.S. would close the window before the cold air makes me sick.
D.S. digests this, surveying my carpet while he thinks. “Sounds like Aaron has something serious going on. Any ideas what that could be?”
Things changed. It was my fault,That could mean anything.
“I don’t think he’s a Super,” I say. “If he had powers, he wouldn’t need to spend as much time swimming.”
“Unless he doesn’t know he has them.” D.S. studies me, like he’s deciding whether I’m telling him everything.
“Athletes get tested for powers,” I say.For the thousandth time.
“They do. Only Arielle didn’t administer his test, did she? He’s the only person on your team that she can’t vouch for.”
“How did you learn that?” I sit up. That’s new information. Why is D.S. going through this with me if he already knows everything?
It still bothers me that Aaron and Dark Static arrived in Capital City at the same time. Both arrivals were so unlikely that I can’t dismiss them as unrelated. A few possibilities stick out:
1. Aaron and D.S. are on opposite sides of a conspiracy.
2. Aaron and D.S. are involved in overlapping conspiracies.
3. Aaron and Dark Static are totally unrelated, and this is a huge waste of time.
4. AaronisDark Static and would rather play games with me until I figure it out than tell me the truth.
As much as I wish Dark Static were Damian… I take in his Super costume. Its shade of black is even darker than Aaron’s hair. Its shadows blur his edges, as if he could fade away in a second. His shoulders are broad from the armor.
“What?” he asks as I size him up.
“Nothing,” I lie. “Don’t worry about it.” I can’t tell D.S. I was wondering about his secret identity. That would be like telling a dangerous vigilante you want to blackmail him.
“If I were Aaron,” D.S. says, figuring me out anyway, “there’s no chance in hell I’d tell you.”
“If you were Aaron,” I reply in the same mocking tone he gave me, “I’d wonder why you’re hard to talk to at school, but easy to talk to now.”
Dark Static smirks again. “You think I’m easy to talk to?”
Darn it. I look away and focus on smoothing out my blanket. I can’t believe I told him that.
The windowsill groans as he relaxes against it. He’s claimed it as his own. D.S. holds up his index finger. “Roberts, I wouldn’t be sure that you know my real identity. I can’t say if you’ve ever met him. Second, don’t assume that the way I am with you as Dark Static is how my real identity acts. People change when they put on a mask. Sometimes it’s the only way they can be themselves.”
Right. With the mask, he can be anyone he wants. With his mask, he can be anyoneIwant him to be.
