Unity by Carl Stubblefield (epub read online books TXT) 📕

surpass the frenemies he works so hard to impress. While they work just as hard to show some ridiculous superiority through their own business successes. My brothers all fell into line, and rebellious little Yuki is destined to bring shame to the family playing with supers.”

“Yikes. That sounds like a direct quote.” Aurora winced in distaste.

“It is,” Yuki spat, “the kind said intentionally loud enough to be heard by the intended target, complete with the accompanying mock embarrassment. I’m not saying that I have everything figured out, but I know I want more than the limited things others have planned for me. I’m almost to the point that I enjoy their shocked and offended looks.” She shifted on the rock she was using for a seat and wrapped the space blanket around her tighter, gripping it with clenched fists before going on.

“Well, it’s probably more accurate to say that I’m getting numb to their disdain.” She turned back to the fire, coughing and clearing her throat. “I think I need to prove to myself that I can make it in the field. But so far I think I’m doing pretty damn good.”

Aurora turned and looked at the fire as well. “You’ve been doing awesome so far. And thanks.”

“For what?”

“For sharing that. I have been so driven to progress that I haven’t really worked that hard at creating any relationships within the Faction. Either that, or I’ve been promoted into departments where I haven’t known anyone. I guess after a while I just focused on the job at hand. I doubt many people know about my past either.”

“So tell me,” Yuki remarked simply.

And so Aurora did. It was easier to tell the story while looking at the fire. Relating her past as if it had happened to someone else. It felt like it had happened to a different person. Yuki didn’t interrupt, and encouraged her with occasional acknowledgements. Soon she had summarized her time with Purple Faction, and how she had ended up on the station, and how proud she felt to have progressed to the command of such a prestigious position.

Then she related the attack on the space station and her time in Manticorps’ dungeon. She decided to edit out discovering her Nth and when going on to discuss the events that happened on the island, giving a truncated version of what had happened there. She had no real reason to do so, but she felt that if Gus wanted to fill in the gaps about everything then she would let him do that. Aurora could tell by her occasional glances at Yuki that she could tell there was more to the story, but Yuki didn’t press.

A loud rustling sound distracted her as she was nearing the end of her story where the Crew arrived on the island. She stopped and looked over at Yuki, who was unfurling and opening a zipper on her belt. Yuki reached inside and came out with a handful of oblong packages.

“Sorry, my stomach is starting to grumble. What sounds good to you? Let’s see… I’ve got: birthday cake, red velvet, peanut butter fudge, chocolate chip.” She held up the packages to the firelight to read the writing on the covers.

“Let me try the red velvet.”

Yuki tossed the package over to Aurora and she unwrapped the meal bar. The difference between the protein bars at the manor was evident as she bit into the flavored wafer that was as good as any candy bar. She hadn’t realized she was hungry until she started eating and Yuki threw another bar over, seeing Aurora scarf the first one as quickly as she did.

While the cafeteria had done a good job at making meals, desserts weren’t really an offering, and sometimes she just had a craving for something decadent. The second bar turned out to be peanut butter and Aurora took more time to savor the chocolate coated treat. She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

“Yuki, you are a lifesaver.” Aurora sighed.

“I love these things. The owner of the company is a super who has specialized in molecular gastronomy and I don’t know how he gets these to taste so good with what’s in them and how good they are supposed to be for you. Better living through superpowers.” Yuki licked her fingers, removing some of the white cream-cheese frosting from the cake bar.

“What else you got in there?” Aurora scooted over closer to Yuki and they checked out what else was in the stash. From there, the conversation drifted into less intense subjects and the two laughed and bonded under the bright starlight far into the night.

Chapter Fourteen

Connection

Sitting in the small room, BoJack had to admit he was impressed. Unlike most airline lavatories, the ones on the transports were of a decent size, most likely to accommodate larger supers. The ample sink space and large mirror could be an influence of female supers as well. Plus a little privacy was nice after being around people for weeks.

He liked the brief solitude a bathroom break offered. He’d have to look into a suit redesign as well. He didn’t know what was more of a hassle, the suit getting untucked and exposing his midriff to attack or when he had to take care of business and practically undress to answer the call of nature.

The transport rocked violently with some turbulence, and he bounced in the air off the toilet. He hit with a loud *clack* as the rim was slammed down when he fell back upon it. His face contorted in revulsion at the sensations that he had felt with the brief bounce.

“Should have done that courtesy flush,” he muttered regretfully.

Then the room dipped and he was free falling.

After healing, BoJack’s second most evolved ability was the manipulation of light into solid constructs. He usually fashioned them into different thin appendages and had worked his way up to controlling six independent constructs. Forming a sheet next to his exposed posterior he pushed away the offensive material and