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“A little,” Shadow Star said.

“And I respect your agency,” Nick said.

“Thank… you?”

“You’re welcome,” Nick said, wishing that Pyro Storm would appear right at that very moment and try and destroy Nova City so Nick could perish in a wave of fire. It would be easier than trying to get through the next two minutes. He glanced up quickly. Nothing. Apparently, supervillains only cared about death and destruction when Nick wasn’t making an ass of himself. Goddamn Pyro Storm.

Shadow Star pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “I should probably take these guys down to the nearest precinct.”

To which Nick said, “Yes, I know how the law works. My dad’s a cop. So. Ten-four.”

Gibby sounded like she had somehow transformed into a rather large manatee and was trying to sing the song of her people, a sonorous wheeze that lasted far longer than Nick thought was necessary.

“Is he?” Shadow Star said politely. “That’s great. Nova City’s finest do good work. You must be proud of him.”

“So proud,” Nick said. Then, “I have your poster in my room. Can I have your autograph?”

“You want me to come into your room and sign your poster?” Shadow Star asked, eyes widening behind his mask.

Yes. Absolutely. Nick wanted that more than anything in the world, but he could see why that sounded a little creepy. “Uh. No? No! Those were two independent thoughts that sounded like they were one. Ha ha. That would be weird, right? Inviting you over to my room when you don’t even know me. Did I tell you my name? It’s Nick. Not that that means you know me now. I’m very complex underneath. Like, what you see isn’t what you get. Not that you’re trying to get anything! Ha ha. You can autograph my… something.”

“Like your boobs,” Gibby said.

Nick nodded. “Yes, like my boo—” Pyro Storm could show up anytime now. That’d be just great with Nick. Hopefully, he’d take out Gibby first. “No,” he said forcefully, causing Shadow Star tojump back as if he was startled. “Not my b— That’s… I don’t even have—” The ground didn’t open up and swallow him whole, no matter how hard he wished it. “I havepaper.And a pen. You can use that.”

“It’s raining,” Shadow Star pointed out.

“You’re so smart,” Nick said in awe.

Then Gibby was standing next to him again, a smile on her face that Nick knew he should be terrified of but couldn’t muster the strength since he was still dazed. She put the umbrella over them and said cheerfully, “There. That’s better. Now you can sign Nick’s something without it getting wet. Even though Nick probably already is.”

“So wet,” Nick agreed.

Gibby manateed again. Nick promised silently that he’d have his revenge against her in this life, or the next.

He took his backpack from Gibby, reaching in to find his notebook. He managed to get it out without much struggle. He couldn’t find his Spider-Man pen, but Gibby was there to help him as his hands were shaking. She handed Shadow Star a pen before turning around and motioning that he could use her back as a surface to sign his name. Nick was instantly jealous becausehewanted to feel the pen pressing into his skin when Shadow Star wrote on the paper. But he still had at least a little of his wits about him, so he was able to stop himself from shoving Gibby away and taking her place.

Shadow Star put the paper on her back and signed his name. He looked like he had nice hands under his skintight gloves.

“There we go,” Shadow Star said. “If that’s all—”

“Oh,” Gibby said as she stood upright again. “We can’t let you go without getting a picture. Right, Nicky? Don’t you want a picture with Shadow Star?”

Nick’s brain short-circuited.

He said, “I. Can’t. Think.”

“Yeah,” Gibby said. “He wants a picture.”

“Okay,” Shadow Star said. “But just one. I need to get these guys behind bars before they wake up.” He turned his face toward the sky. “And the city is calling for me. I need to keep her safe. There is a shroud of shadows over her.”

“Oh my god,” Nick whispered. No one could ever tell him again that fanfiction wasn’t a realistic artistic expression, not with Shadow Star spouting off lines from Nick’s imagination.

Gibby rolled her eyes. “Yikes. That was… I don’t know what that was. Nick, you want to use your phone for—”

Nick shoved his phone at her. He hadn’t even realized it’d already been in his hand. He didn’t even care that it was getting wet. Nothing else mattered at this moment.

She stepped back, taking the umbrella with her.