Caden dialed a number as he retraced the familiar streets of his hometown. Emotion burned under his skin from his encounter with the healer. He wanted to hear a grounding voice. He listened to it ring for what felt like ages. If Tess was at work, the chances of her answering were a coin flip. Just as he was beginning to think she was too busy, he heard the familiar voice slide into his ear piece.
"Hey." His sister sounded slightly out of breath, her voice just barely audible over the background noise. "You better not be bleeding out somewhere."
He smiled faintly, feeling some tension ease. "No, nothing that dramatic today. Just thinking about that staff you sketched a while back."
"Oh?" A soft rustle came through the phone, as though she'd just sat up straighter. "You've had a change of heart?”
"Well… I kinda landed an interview for a 'government job' tonight. If I get it, I'll be in, uh, unfamiliar places a lot more often. Maybe even moving out. I'll need the support.”
He heard a slight clatter, as if something was dropped. An exhale, and then: "Don’t worry, I won’t say a word to Mom and Dad about the 'government job'. But you better promise me you’ll be careful. Mom would kill me if something happened to you."
"Of course I'll be careful. The better part of valour is discretion, dear sister,” he recited easily, though there was a flicker of something more serious in his voice. "Anyway, thanks, I owe you one."
"You owe me way more than one. But I’ll let it slide for now. Especially if you get your mug out of the kitchen sink before it grows legs."
"Will do. How's work?" Caden asked, "Will you actually be able to talk to me about it if I get this job?"
"Work’s good. Same old. And come back with the proper clearances and we'll see," Tess replied. "Who recruited you anyway?"
"I think his name was Gabriel? Never met him. I was talking to his niece, a healer."
"Gabriel. Wow. How rare and specific. I wonder if I'd recognize the healer's name."
"I forgot to ask, for I was too lost in her voice. If music be the food of love, then she's a whole feast… And honestly, Tess, she was even sweeter than her voice. At least 70% of my brain power was dedicated to not tripping over my own feet."
Tess groaned. "Caden, did you waste another healer's time just to flirt? What makes you think she'd be able to do something that the other healer couldn't?"
"How dare you!" he gasped dramatically. "Hope is eternal. And I'll have you know I genuinely thought my wrist was broken."
Tess barely waited for him to finish before jumping in. "What did you do this time?"
"I tripped. Didn't notice a pothole. In my defense, it was filled with water. And betrayal."
“Hmm,” she paused. “So how do I know you’ll actually use this thing when I haven't even seen you touch the white cane you already have in ages?”
Caden winced at the maternal tone. “Okay, full disclosure... I kinda broke the old one.”
“Took you long enough to admit it.” Caden could almost hear her smirk through the phone.
“What?! How’d you know?”
“Let's see. For one, you've barely left the house outside of the grocery store or that one cafe down the block.”
“I just like their muffins,” Caden said defensively.
“Sure. And you also like wandering. But that stopped a few weeks ago. And finally… I found it in two pieces shoved under your bed.”
He cringed harder. “That…might've happened about a month ago.”
Tess sighed. “So you should’ve told me then. I would've sorted something out. Maybe even something that can survive your negligence.”
“Hey, I'm asking for help now, aren't I? What's done cannot be undone,” he retorted defensively. “Speaking of which, I'm sorry, I know it’s short notice, but any chance you could finish by the time I start the job?”
Tess sighed. “You always want things yesterday, don’t you? Fine, I’ll move some things around, but don’t expect miracles. It’ll still take me a week at the very least. You're lucky I love you.”
“Great! I can bring it on my first day.”
"Well, aren't you confident?" she teased.
“Yep. I mean, I’ll nail this interview. I’m practically a shoo-in."
“Of course you are,” Tess replied dryly. "Just remember, confidence alone won't get you hired. Show them your strengths.”
****
A few hours later, Caden paused in the doorway of the healer's office. The room was hazy, overlapping heat signatures blending into one another. The smell of smoke wafted into his nose. It took him a few seconds longer than usual to sort through the noise and locate Sadie.
"Did the power go out, or are we holding a seance?” Caden joked.
"I thought you wanted something romantic?" Sadie teased back.
"Aren't candles a bit too romantic, though?”
"Fine," Sadie acquiesced, flipping the overhead lights on. She didn't move to extinguish the candles though.
"Thank you,” he said genuinely as he moved to take a seat. “So when's the interview start?”
"Now," came a deep voice from the other side of the room.
Caden stiffened, his eyes blinking sharply. He should've clocked the presence earlier- the heat signature, the smell of ozone, the gravitas. The voice was serious. Authoritative, like a stern schoolteacher or…no, no, not going there. Focus.
Most importantly, the voice was familiar.
"That voice... is that-”
When Deflector spoke, it was deep, commanding, unmistakable. But something was off. Like listening to a song’s acoustic version instead of the studio recording.
A tall figure moved into his view. Caden blinked a few times like that might help his brain to reboot.
Oh no.
"Yeah, my uncle is Deflector. But relax, it's just an interview." The sound of her laugh was music to Caden's ears, a bit like the tinkling of bells. Just grounding enough to snap him out of the static.
"You couldn't mention that before?!” his voice came out higher than he intended.
"In my defense, I didn't think it was that big of a leap to figure out. You knew I work with Deflector and I did mention that I wanted my uncle to train you.”
Caden chuckled a bit nervously, but kept his posture steady. “Et tu, healer? So... is this where I get grilled on my abilities?”
Caden swallowed hard. He definitely wasn't thinking about how this man was his childhood hero. Nor was he remembering the posters that had, up until a few years ago, dotted his bedroom walls- posters of a man with electricity arcing between his hands. If he had been thinking about that though, he would've considered Deflector always had a mask on in those photos.
So why wasn’t the mask on now?
Caden tilted his head and tuned out the distraction of the candles. If he failed this interview, he sincerely doubted he'd have another chance to experience the Deflector unmasked.
Maybe 6 foot. Dark hair. Dark clothing. Broad shoulders.
“Hello,” the voice interrupted his thoughts.
"H-Hi," Caden's voice stuttered.
“Let's start simple," the man continued. "What can you do?"
What could Caden do? He could... try not to completely embarrass himself. But that wasn't the answer Deflector was looking for.
He took a deep breath and jumped in. “Well, I'm fireproof, and I can sense where things are if they're hot enough. Even through walls and such.”
“What?” Sadie leaned forward in surprise. “But I thought-”
“I haven’t trained,” Caden interjected quickly, cutting her off. “I mean, I don’t need to control fire in my day-to-day life. You know, pottery doesn't really require pyromancy. Making it dry faster wouldn't do anything but make it explode. The most I’ve ever done is stick my hands in the kiln to freak people out. I'm fireproof, and that's been enough for me.”
Sadie sucked in a small breath, as if something had just clicked. “Wait, so... you don’t actually practice pyromancy yet?”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Caden gave a small shrug. “Nope, not yet. But I’m a quick learner. You’ll see.” His voice was steady, but there was a hint of defensiveness in the way he spoke, as though he needed to reassure himself just as much as anyone else.
Deflector went silent for a long moment. Finally, he turned his attention to Sadie and moved closer to her ear.
He whispered so quietly Caden barely caught any of the words. The tone was stern but not scolding. He almost certainly wasn't meant to hear them, but his hearing was sharper than most. "...can't run a team on assumptions, nena."
Deflector paused just long enough for Sadie to interject, but she didn't. He continued. Caden caught something about higher ups, then: "Protocol dictates that teams of four to six are preferred…correct the staffing gap.”
Caden’s stomach fluttered. Not from nerves this time, but something else. A thread of possibility. Caden sat up straighter.
Deflector turned back and raised his voice to a normal speaking volume. “Caden.”
“Yes?”
“I was under the assumption that you already had experience with pyromancy. But powers evolve. I know that well.”
Now that he'd heard Deflector speak a few sentences, he was starting to realize what was nagging him. The voice he'd grown up hearing in mission clips and press conferences wasn't robotic exactly, but it was…flat. Neutral. This voice was human. Melodic. Warmer than the recordings ever were.
"You could still be useful to the team,” Deflector continued. “I can think of a few missions where having someone heat resistant would’ve been useful."
Useful. The word landed like a spark in dry grass. He could be useful to Deflector.
"I have a few questions to ask you," Deflector continued.
"Fire away," Caden smiled. Something inside him clicked back into place, as if a familiar mask had slid back over his face. “Pun completely intended.”
"How long have you had these abilities?"
"Well, I knew I was fireproof since I was, like, 5 I think? Long story short, I grabbed the wrong end of a sparkler with my bare hands but I was fine. My family thought it was just a fluke until the stove incident. Knowing that stuff is hot has been my thing as far back as I can remember, but I didn't really try paying attention to it until I was around 15 or 16."
“Define paying attention.”
Caden perked up. "You know, really honing it as opposed to ignoring it. As long as it's above 20°C- that's roughly room temperature, by the way, call it 68°F- I can peg it down to a degree or two. I can even tell when people I know well are getting sick from the heat rising."
Deflector wrote something down before continuing, his voice intrigued. “How far? Does anything interfere with it?”
“Like… half a mile on the best of days? Closer to a quarter realistically. It's harder to tell the exact temperature the further out it is. And at the edges it's more of a vague sense that something is there. As for interference... um, stress, I guess."
The sound of pen on paper filled the quiet air once again.
“I didn't find 'Caden Reed' in the League's database of known powered civilians. Why not?”
"The 'rents kept me away from those youth programs and anything League-affiliated. It's all optional anyway; it's not like they broke the law. Even after moving out and technically being able to decide for myself, I could still hear my mom's voice in my head telling me to stay away."
"Do you think they'd be okay with it now?"
"Oh, definitely not. They wouldn't even let me near a kiln. As a kid, I mean. As an adult I moved in with my sister so they can't exactly stop me,” he said lightly. “Anyway, I became a master of those air dry kits. Side note- do you know how embarrassing it is to have to ask your pottery teacher to fire everything for you? Nearly gave up on it entirely.”
"Why didn't you?" Deflector asked, tapping his pen twice against the clipboard.
"Because I loved it. I mean, theatre will always be my first love, don't get me wrong…"
"Dios mío," Deflector muttered, filling Caden's dramatic pause.
A muffled laugh from Sadie's direction.
“But there's just something about making things with your own two hands,” Caden continued. “Molding the literal earth into something of your design.”
“Why do you want to join the League now?”
“I want to help.” Caden paused, “And maybe also… because someone believed in me.”
Sadie blushed and hid her face. Deflector seemed unimpressed. Caden could feel the intensity radiating off of him.
“This job is dangerous. If you can't follow orders, I'll pull you out. Do you understand?”
Caden only nodded, resisting the urge to crack a joke. Caden felt Deflector's attention on him for an uncomfortably long time. He didn't move his head from what he hoped was eye contact.
“Alright,” Deflector finally said. “Just a formality, but show me you're fireproof.”
Caden laughed. It was just a little too loud, a little too cocky. The kind of laugh he used when pretending he didn’t care what people thought. He rolled up his sleeves like it was a party trick, not a test.
"So that’s what the candles were for. That’s adorable. Makes for poor lighting though. Shadows everywhere."
"Controlled," Deflector replied dryly. "I imagine the locals wouldn’t be thrilled if you burned down the healer’s office."
“Maybe you could see better without the sunglasses,” Sadie chimed in.
“You might get lost in my eyes,” Caden joked. “Besides, I'm bad at eye contact.”
“Are you sure you're not just trying to look cool?” Sadie replied.
“I'm not testing for eye contact, Sadie,” Deflector interceded. “Let him be.”
Caden felt a flutter in his stomach at the words.
“Yes, Uncle.”
Deflector paused. Caden took that as his cue to start. He grabbed the candle with his bad hand and held his good one over the flame, palm down. He moved slowly, feeling the fire travel from his fingers to his elbow. Caden grinned as he set the candle back down and brushed some of the ash off. His skin felt pleasantly warm as usual.
“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others-” he recited.
Sadie interrupted, her body tilted towards her uncle rather than Caden. “That's enough, Caden.”
He finished anyway. “-have greatness thrust upon them.”
The room fell quiet again as Caden put the candle back down.
Deflector stood up slowly. “You have a spot if you want it. But remember this: if you ignore procedure or fall behind, you won't last long.”
“That’s it? I'm in?”
"Yes, you've passed the preliminary evaluation,” he said, straightening the candle that Caden had just touched slightly. “I'm not in the habit of lying about such matters. You're heat resistant with thermoception and a potential for pyrokinesis. Showmanship aside, you don't strike me as unteachable, arrogant, or dishonest.”
“Thank you,” he said sincerely. Then, as if he couldn't resist, he added dramatically: “There's a million things I haven't done yet, but just you wait.”
Deflector's head turned from Caden to Sadie, then back to Caden. Caden heard the familiar tap-tap of the pen against the clipboard. “You don't need a million. List one to two primary goals to work on at a time. You'll have more success that way.”
“Thanks for the advice, sir.”
Deflector nodded. “I'll send the contract to your email. Read it over and get back to me within 2 weeks to schedule an aptitude test. You're free to move in on base as soon as the contract is signed. I can conduct your physical assessment on site or you can schedule one yourself with an approved provider. The job offer is contingent on your background check coming back clean.”
“Wait, where'd you get my email? What's the test about? I thought I was in.”
“From your form,” Sadie answered. “Don't worry, it's not pass-fail. The test just helps figure out your strength so the League knows how best to use you. Oh! I can already tell you with near certainty that they'll lend you out to fire departments in the same way they lend me out as a healer. They usually borrow hydros, but fireproof would be perfect for that. Sorry, I'm rambling.”
“I think that's all for now,” Deflector interjected as he headed for the door. “Have a good night.”
As he passed by Sadie, he glanced at her, adding, "Next time, get the full picture before you try to recruit someone." There was no overt malice in his tone, just a stern reminder.
He turned to go, but paused just before reaching the doorway. He was quiet for a moment, then:
"Though this be madness," Deflector said, the words slightly stiff in his mouth, "yet there is method in't."
Caden sat in silence for a moment. Once he heard the door click, he placed a hand over his heart.
"He quoted the Bard. I think I’m in love."
“Wait, he quoted Shakespeare?" Sadie paused, processing. "That is not an excuse to flirt with my uncle. He’s married."
"Tragic," Caden sighed. "But I’ll survive. So… about that dinner?"
His tone was a bit too casual, a little too eager to shift focus. It wasn’t the first time he’d been distracted by the thought of Deflector (that honor belonged to his preteen self), but this was definitely the most awkward time.
She reached over to the counter and uncovered a warm dish, letting the scent of spices fill the air. "I didn’t forget about it. I just didn’t want you to throw up from nerves."
Caden laughed, the tension easing from his shoulders. "Very considerate of you, truly. But I would never."
"You're telling me you weren't scared of Uncle Gabriel at all?" she said skeptically.
"Of course not. I'm fearless in the face of grumpy personified thunderstorms."
“You can admit you're nervous. You know-”’ she leaned in conspiratorially, “-he was too. He was pacing like a caged animal while we waited. Plus he spent ages lining up those candles to get it perfectly symmetrical.”
“He was nervous?"
Sadie nodded. “Yeah. He doesn't do interviews often. It went well though. That Shakespeare quote- he was trying to connect with you, drama king. That's a really good sign. He's not scary, I promise.”
“I didn't say he was scary. It was interesting. Wait, not interesting in a bad way,” he added quickly. “It was a good interesting. Like meeting a myth and realizing he's… I don't know. Human. Sorry, I'm just thinking out loud.”
Sadie smiled at him. “I think that's enough about my uncle. So… how long do you think you need to say your goodbyes before you move into our base?"
"I wanna say a week but no promises. Looking forward to pestering you on a daily basis, healer."
A familiar flicker of heat rose from her direction. "I'm glad you made it on the team too."
"It was a piece of cake, healer. Hey, I don't think I ever got your name.”
“It’s Sadie,” she said easily.
"Sadie," he repeated, as if testing the sound on his lips. "Short and sweet. Kinda like someone I met yesterday. I’m Caden, but then you already knew that.”
The food was good, but the company was better. Eventually, Caden stood, brushing crumbs from his sleeve as he said his goodbyes.
As Caden stepped out of the building, he still felt the fire of excitement under his skin. He had done it; he was in. Not only that, but he had gotten his dinner date. Somehow, that felt like the real win.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, Caden didn’t bother typing, not when the words were already on the tip of his tongue.
He held the phone up to his mouth and whispered, “I got the job.”
He paused, his thumb hovering above the send button before he added, “I'll explain it to Mom and Dad myself.”
He exhaled and scanned the area around him as if the words might slip away into the wrong ears.
A few moments later, his phone buzzed.
Tess:
“Nice work. I'll let you know when it's done then.
Taking the day off tomorrow. I'll be in the workshop most of the day if you have time to help.
Love you.”
Caden couldn’t help but smile. He replied with a quick thumbs-up and stuffed the phone back into his pocket.
****
About a week later, Tess carefully slid the white staff across the table toward Caden. It was heavier than he expected, the weight giving it a certain satisfying solidity in his hands. The texture was smooth, with just enough grip where his fingers naturally landed. He ran his thumb along the shaft. He found a button; he'd have to ask what it was for later.
She’d bought him a couple of white canes over the years, but this staff was different. She had built it.
Tess stood nearby, wrapping up her initial explanations as he tested its heft. “And it's durable enough that you can use it as a weapon if you need to."
Caden nodded as he gave it a small twirl, letting the staff spin in a fluid motion. The movement felt natural, though he was careful not to strain his bad wrist. His mind flashed back to high school and his time twirling and spinning things around in color guard. Muscle memory was guiding him now, though his left hand followed the motions more cautiously. It wasn’t exactly the same, but it was close enough. His hands remembered.
“Not bad,” he murmured, flicking his wrist as he spun it in another circle. “A little rusty, but I’ve still got it.”
Tess snickered. “If I didn't know any better, I'd say you just wanted an excuse to show off your stick-twirling skills.”
Caden paused mid-spin and set the staff back to the ground. "Hey, all the world’s a stage, Tess. And you just handed me a prop.”
“Come on, Caden, it's not just for fun,” Tess protested, suppressing a yawn. “It's got some features I think might help. I built you a weapon. With Bluetooth.”
She stepped closer. “Let me show you.”
Caden nodded, shifting his grip, and took a few testing steps towards Tess before handing it back to her. He could already feel it becoming part of him.
