Chapter 1.1.52 — Normal-ish

Monday morning classes went alright enough, in that Emmett managed to stay awake for them. Dr. Venture’s reassurance about success at being a super only lasted so long, and multiple times Emmett wished that someone had invented sleep in a bottle.

Lock texted while he was in his first class, and Emmett replied between classes.

Lock 10:04 AM: Hey you good?

Emmett 10:43 AM: Yeah. Stayed at Marianne’s place.

Lock 10:46 AM: Ha. Look at you

Emmett pocketed his phone as he walked to class, knowing that Lock would probably grill him when he got back to the apartment.

It was a shame he couldn’t just tell Lock. It would make things infinitely easier if he didn’t need to keep half of his life secret from his roommate. And Lock wasn’t just his roommate—he was one of Emmett’s best friends.

Life had gotten in the way of that.

Emmett pulled his phone back out and texted Lock.

Emmett 10:52 AM: We should watch a movie or something.

Lock 10:58 AM: No work tonight. I’m game

Emmett winced at the thought of staying up. Hopefully, they could start the movie early or he could take a nap at some point today. He doubted he’d make it very late tonight.

~

By the time Emmett made it to the lab, he was doubting his choices. Physically, he felt great. Almost all his aches and cuts from Porcelain’s shards were healed, but he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. He was so damn tired.

Training in the Gray Room helped a little.

Emmett and Clara’s robot stood atop a five story building in faux Belport, trading punches. Clara’s robot gradually increased its strength and speed as it fought. Emmett pushed himself, increasing his ferocity and testing his limits.

Even after all this time, he was still getting used to his new body. Every time Emmett felt like he found a limit or found something he couldn’t quite do, he was able to push his abilities a little bit further.

He’d never felt so alive. Even down here, buried beneath Belport, looking at simulated skyline and fighting a robot, Emmett felt alive.

“What are you smiling at?” Clara said through the robot. She clearly thought Emmett was taunting her.

“Just having fun.”

~

Emmett bid Clara and Venture goodbye and went home early on Monday. He resolved to take a nap, partly because of his plans with Lock, but also on the off chance he got called into another late night mission.

Lock was waiting for Emmett when he got back to the apartment. He was lounging on the couch and playing a game on his phone.

“There he is!” Lock said without looking up. His eyes were half-hidden by his hoodie. “Glad you could pull yourself away from Marianne.”

Emmett made a point of laughing while he put his backpack in his room. “Well, you know, I watch a movie with her, then watch a movie with you.”

“So long as you don’t put the moves on me. I’ve seen your game.”

At that, Emmett laughed in earnest, then came over and sat across from Lock on the couch. His roommate shifted his feet and sat up.

“I’d have better taste than you,” Emmett countered.

“Once again, I’ve seen your game. Besides, you’re already juggling two women as it is.”

Emmett tossed a pillow, which bounced off of Lock’s face.

Lock looked up and replied, “They hated him because he spoke the truth.”

Emmett rolled his eyes and grabbed the remote.

“Have you told her?” Lock asked.

“Huh?”

“Man, have you told Clara about Marianne, or vice versa?”

“No,” Emmett muttered, focusing on the TV.

“That’s probably for the best.”

Thankfully, Lock dropped it after that and didn’t grill Emmett about spending the night at his fake girlfriend’s place.

On the way home, Emmett had thought up a story about it in case Lock asked. Well, enough of a story that he would feel comfortable sharing anyway—it wasn’t like Lock would ask for intimate details. The part that surprised Emmett was how easily he’d come up with a story and that he’d been prepared to share it.

Had lying really gotten so easy?

The important part was that Lock bought the story.

To take his mind off it, Emmett asked what Lock had gotten up to.

“The usual. Bounced at the club. Roughed up some punks that didn’t know any better. Tossed them out. It was a pretty standard night for me.”

Lock trailed off, and the pair looked through the newest movies for almost twenty minutes before finally settling on a road trip comedy they’d seen a hundred times—Chasing Daisies, Losing Sheep 2. It was one of the rare cases where the sequel was even better than the original. Both roommates agreed that it helped that the writers and director let the actors ad lib most of their lines for the sequel.

Emmett and Lock went back and forth quoting lines just before the characters said them, knowing almost the whole thing by heart.

For the first time since his accident, Emmett forgot about being a super. While the movie was playing, it was just Emmett and Lock going back-and-forth laughing at it. Just two college roommates killing an evening.

For an hour and forty-three minutes, it felt like nothing had changed.

~

The next few days were slow as far as heroics went. Emmett spent his time buried in school work and training in the lab. He spent his evenings patrolling the rooftops.

Twice he saw other supers running across the roofs and even another flying overhead, leaving a trail of icy mist in the air. None of them paid him any mind.

Now, it was Wednesday night, and Emmett was on the outskirts of downtown when a familiar face landed next to him on the roof.

“Been a while,” Athena said, brushing a strand of long white hair out of her face. “I was worried you were taking a different route.” The sunset shone red and orange in the glass embedded in her jacket.

“I’ve been keeping busy,” Emmett replied.

“Good. There’s only so many villains and henchmen to go around.”

Emmett eyed her. “Is that what you’re up to? Tracking another shipment?”

“Perhaps,” she replied with a smirk. “I have a feeling it’s going to be a good night.”

“Mind if I tag along?”

“That depends. Did you think of a name yet?”

Emmett sighed. “Not yet.” To be honest, he hadn’t really thought anymore about it since the last time she asked.

“It will come to you,” Athena replied, putting a hand on his shoulder. “So, what’s with the arm… and the whip?”

Emmett felt the wrist of his right hand. “My arm’s prosthetic. It’s got compartments in it. It’s where I keep the whip, and smoke bombs and caltrops. For now, anyway. The idea is that I’ll be able to change mods out when I need to for different villains.”

“Mods?”

“Modifications.”

Athena raised an eyebrow. “So you’re a nerd.”

Emmett chuckled. “Pretty much.”

Slowly, his jaw dropped as realization dawned on him.

“What?” Athena asked. “What’s that face for?”

Emmett pulled out his phone to text Clara.

Emmett 9:02 PM: I think I just figured it out…

Clara 9:02 PM: Figured what out?

Athena scoffed. “You kids and your phones.”

“Sorry,” Emmett muttered. His face had widened into a cheesy grin as he met Athena’s eyes. “I think I just found my name.”

~ ~ ~