Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Seven: A New Year (Patreon)

New Year’s Eve, 2081. Wednesday night. 11:59: 59 pm.

One second later….

“Happy New Year!” Anne shouted, excited.

“Happy New Year!” Agni and I chorused.

“Happy New Year,” Paul finished, wearily. “Now that we’re done, it’s time for old folks like me to go to bed.” He nodded at Agni. “Nina. It was a pleasure to have you over tonight.”

“Pleasure’s mine, Mr. Drake. Thanks for having me over.”

“You’re welcome. Good night, kids.” Paul headed for his room.

Anne settled down on the sofa. “Wanna see the fireworks display in Times Square? They’re streaming.”

Agni shook her head. “I think I should be heading back.”

I walked Agni out to the gate. Midway, she paused. “Andrew. Are you sure you want me as Anne’s minder?”

“Why not? She gets along well with you. And … well … it’ll give you another reason to stay.”

Agni snorted. “Never been invited to stick around, you know. Is Paul really okay with it?”

“As far as he’s concerned, you’re almost like family.”

A shadow crossed her face. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to press.”

“It’s not you. Seeing you all like this… it brings back memories. Back in Mumbai, my parents and sisters used to celebrate New Year’s Eve like this. All together, you know? One time we stayed over at the Oberoi on the night of the 31st. At midnight they had fireworks all over the bay, and the Queen’s Necklace shone in every colour of the rainbow.”

“What’s the Queen’s Necklace?”

“There’s a road along the bay that curves. A string of streetlamps on it. When they light up at night, it looks like pearls on a necklace. The lights are white every night - except New Year’s, when they light up in green, orange, red, blue, white… everything.”

“I’d like to see that someday.”

“I wish I could show you.”

We stood there silent for a few moments.

“Do you think there’s a way you could see them again?”

“As much as I’d love to… no. It’s too dangerous. Not to mention that I’m still listed as a wanted terrorist in India.”

“I never understood that. You didn’t do anything to hurt your country, so why’d they expel you?”

“Because, Andrew, actions have consequences. This wasn’t the first time Indians have been caught up in a Pakistani civil war. The last time was 1971, during the liberation of Bangladesh.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“The pro-Duraid media went berserk suggesting that I’d been an Indian intelligence agent sent to break up their country.”

“... You were fifteen.”

“They didn’t know that, did they? All they knew was, suddenly their general and his army were gone. Just… broken, like a rotten twig, at the hands of four ultrahumans, two of whom were foreigners. They started screaming that it was some big conspiracy by Indian intelligence to break up the country. The Indian government had to react fast, and they threw me under the bus.”

“That was wrong of them.”

“Public opinion matters, Andrew. During the Battle of Delhi King Shah saved my life, and probably the city as well. I stood on stage with him, with Waqtwazir, and thanked them for helping us. I wasn’t too popular back home after that.”

“So because you were honest you got banished? That hardly seems fair.”

“Life’s not fair. I didn’t know about PR back then. You’ve been lucky, you know? You got the press on your side, more or less, from your first major outing. Your first public appearance was rescuing people from slavery, your next few features were for saving lives and protecting cities against aliens.”

“Caroline Thorn seems unimpressed,” I said bitterly.

“You read that article, huh? Don’t bother with it.”

“Didn’t you say public opinion mattered?”

“So get a PR consultant. You can afford one. Lord knows, considering who you’re supposed to be dating, you definitely need one.”

I grinned. “So it’s official then? What we’re doing, it’s dating?”

“Don’t get cocky,” Agni smirked. “You’re only eighteen. Plenty of time for you to outgrow me.”

“I like you, Agni. This isn’t some infatuation.”

“And I might like you too, Andrew, but there’s a ton you don’t know about me. For that matter, there’s a ton you don’t know about you. And that’s not considering that we might not have a lot of time.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m number four on the leaderboards, Andrew. How long before Skyguard calls me up?”

Ten to twenty dead heroes per year.

The number hung unspoken between us.

“If you’re called up,” I said softly, “will you go?”

“It’s not like the Sled will leave me alone if I refuse. Besides, it’ll be the right thing for me.” She leaned on the gate. “The service of Skyguard wipes all debts. A clean slate. It’s been that way since the days of Nachtsturm.”

“It’s a high price to pay.”

“And maybe I need to pay it, Andrew. Whatever my reasons, I killed over two hundred thousand people. That makes me what? The most prolific mass-murderer since Hitler? I would like my legacy to be more than that.”

“You shouldn’t have to die for legacy.”

“There’s a place in the Himalayas called the Siachen glacier. It’s the most inhospitable battleground on Earth, and it’s manned year-round by thousands of troops. Enemy fire, frostbite, coronavirus … they’ve held that position for nearly a century. Nobody names schools after them, and yet they serve.” She turned to me. “That’s my country, Andrew. Not all are called; but those who are called, serve.”

Somehow, I understood.

“You have to make me a promise, Agni.” I stared into her eyes. “You have to promise me that when you go to Skyguard, you’ll hold on. I’m only ten places behind you; we’ll be together soon enough.”

Agni smiled. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, kid. I’m not going to rush in and get myself shot by a passing strikefighter. I’ll make my place, and then you can follow me.” Her eyes twinkled. “The day you walk through that entrance bay, I’ll be right there. Ogling at the fresh meat.”

I chuckled. “I’ll be appropriately bashful.”