CHAPTER 22
IRIDIUM
Also present at the scene were the suspect’s daughter and wife. After attempting to assault an officer and damaging several police floatcars, VALERIE BRADFORD was taken into custody. The child was remanded to social services and later removed by Corp.
Police report concerning the Corp-sponsored raid of 3445 Marigold Street
History was the one thing that Iridium could immerse herself in, dive deep below the lines of text on her datascreen and forget that she was at the Academy. Which was the only reason why the proctor was able to sneak up on her.
Iridium felt the tap on her shoulder, and she shrugged away, throwing up her hands. “I didn’t do anything!”
Frostbite raised his head from the chapter on the Fourth World War, grinning. The other Light powers like Iridium, who were arrayed across the front of the classroom like bright, mostly blond suns, smirked at her.
“Calm down, Iridium,” said the proctor. Celestina, the only proctor other than Night who still pulled active duty with the Squadron, never raised her voice to the class, which was why Iridium respected her. And she was the only proctor, in their Second Year, to not give Iridium detention—which was why Iridium liked her. Celestina’s purple eyes sparkled with concern as Iridium glanced up at her. “I’ve been instructed to have you report to the Superintendent’s office. You’re excused from classes and training for the rest of the day.”
Iridium felt her glare slip into confusion, so she quickly composed herself. To be summoned for something other than an infraction made a cold feeling start in her stomach. No one got called in to the Superintendent’s office for candy and balloons.
“I don’t know why,” said Celestina, putting her hand on Iridium’s shoulder.
“I wasn’t going to ask,” Iridium said, tossing her head as she shouldered her bag. She noticed that Jet was staring at the datascreen in front of her, but the text had stopped scrolling. She was listening.
“We’ll miss you,” said Celestina, with the smile that graced every Lyman’s Department Store in New Chicago. But their spokesmodel ads did not do justice to Celestina’s violet hair and amethyst eyes, just like her commercials for Whitecap Toothpaste couldn’t capture the mischief behind her smile.
“Whatever,” Iridium said with an affected sigh. She turned and strode out of the classroom, down the white hallways with their embedded screens that flashed the Academy logo along with the short, recorded messages from active heroes.
“Be true to the Academy,” declared Megaplex, a Light power like her, known for his illusions.
“The Academy made me what I am today!” said Fly Boy, the youngest hero on active duty within the Squadron. He was fifteen, and a supergenius—who still didn’t know enough not to strike a ridiculous pose, an artificial wind billowing his yellow cape.
“The Academy stands behind its heroes, and heroes stand behind the law.” Night’s cool voice rolled out at her from a dozen screens as she walked the long hall to the Superintendent’s office. The words twisted, and now she heard an echo from her memory, pronouncing doom.
“Lester Bradford. You are hereby ordered to submit to the authority of Corp and appear before the Executive Committee on charges of robbery, fraud, and murder You are a criminal and are in violation of the law.”
“Move it, Iridium. You’re late.”
She jumped a little bit. Night appearing out of the thinnest slice of shadow was a trick only Jet seemed to find amusing. It still gave Iridium the creeps after a year.
“The Superintendent will explain.”
Iridium blinked. “Explain what?”
After a pause, Night said, “The Superintendent has arranged a special meeting for you. Today. If you choose to accept it, that is. I’m to serve as witness to your decision.”
Some of it made sense then—the withdrawal from class, the quiet, quick appearance of Night, probably the only person in the Academy besides Joan, Derek, and Celestina who, as far as she could tell, gave a crap about her. As for the rest, what this optional meeting could be … Iridium felt a headache worthy of the ones Jet sometimes complained of grow behind her eyes.
They walked in silence, until they reached the Superintendent’s door. Night put a hand on her shoulder. It chilled Iridium’s skin beneath her uniform. “Think long and hard before you agree to the meeting.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, trying to act like she wasn’t burning with curiosity.
The Superintendent gave a resigned sigh when they entered his office. “You’re fourteen,” he said to her.
“Have been for two weeks now,” she replied.
He narrowed his eyes. “Watch your mouth, young lady. You’re eligible for visiting rights at Blackbird Prison.”
She could have sworn her heart stopped beating. “Sir?”
“You can see your father. If you decide to.” The Superintendent leaned forward in his seat and met her gaze. “Or you can decide not to and turn your back on that rabid part of your family. Show the Academy and Corp that you’re looking forward, not holding on to your past or on the path to throw away a brilliant future, like your mother.”
She thought about it for all of a nanosecond. “I want to see my dad.”
The Superintendent deflated. “Of course you do. I didn’t expect anything else from you.”
“So witnessed,” Night said coldly. “I’ve discharged my obligation here. I have to get back to work.”
The Superintendent glanced at Night. “How’s the reclamation coming?”
“Favorably,” Night said, bowing his head slightly. “I thank you for allowing me to turn the meditation room into my training capsule. The room never really served any purpose, even when I was a student.”
“Christo knows the last thing these children need is more time to contemplate their lot in life,” the Superintendent muttered. Then he remembered that Iridium was right there. He visibly shook his head and said to her, “Iridium, a prison transport is waiting for you on my landing pad. You are to be back in two hours.” He jabbed a finger at her. “Don’t cause trouble, or the next time you see your father will be when they carry his body out the prison gates.”
“I understand,” said Iridium. Her stomach flopped. Five years … how much had Lester changed? Would he even remember her?
The ride to the prison was a long blur. Once they arrived, Iridium was scanned and swept and patted down, and led into a plain white room. One chair was normal. One had hookups for stun-cuffs.
“Inmate walking,” said a robotic PA. “Lester Bradford, formerly known as Arclight.”
Her father, when he came in, looked startlingly the same. His hair was even combed back in the old style that had made Underground magazine proclaim him the Sexiest Supervillain Alive just before he was arrested. Then he saw her.
“Callie?” he gasped, nearly falling against the guard holding his elbow.
“Dad!” she cried. For the first time since she’d left Abbie, Iridium felt something close to joy swell in her. She jumped up and ran to him, only to be held back by the guard’s baton.
“No contact with the prisoners.”
“It’s all right, my girl,” her dad said. “Sit down. We have ten whole minutes to talk.”
His sarcasm was not lost on the guard, who snorted and backed out of the room. “Freak.”
“Pay him no mind.” Her father smiled at her, the crow’s-feet around his eyes deep. “They let you come. I feared they wouldn’t.”
“I wanted to, for a long time,” said Iridium. “I miss you, Dad.”
“And I you. My stars, Callie, but you do look like your mother.”
“Don’t say that.” Iridium shifted uncomfortably. “Everyone at school says I look like you.”
He laughed. “And how is life in the world’s most posh concentration camp? Have they indoctrinated you to hate me yet?”
“Never,” Iridium cried. “I wouldn’t.”
“Beware of what you think you would and would not do,” he murmured. “The Academy has a way of twisting that, like looking into a dark mirror.”
“I’ll keep visiting.”
“See how long they let you keep that up, once you’re a star student on the hero track.” He smiled at her. “I know you will be. You’ve got my smarts and your mother’s tenacity.”
“I’ll never stop,” Iridium promised. “It’s been so hard to be away from you, Dad. No one’s going to stop me now.”
Lester reached out to take her hand. “That’s my girl.”