Heirs Unapparant | A Miraculous Origin Story

Chapter 15: Birds Of a Feather (الطيور على أشكالها)

Sleep came restlessly for Nicholas that night.

The Dupain-Chengs had dropped Nino off early, having heard what had happened on the news, but the elder brother hadn't been there to meet them. Instead, he'd holed himself up in his room for the rest of the day and nothing anyone, not even Lorr, could say would convince him to come out from underneath his burrow of blankets and misery. The effects of the miraculous had worn off shortly after his transformation and he had been left with nothing but a mountain of despair and anger and grief--some of which was directed at himself for not being able to do anything.

But Lorr had been right, just like he always was. It wasn't like he could have gotten to the airport soon enough to do anything to prevent the crash. Even if he had, no one would have listened to him. He was just a kid and he admittedly knew nothing about planes or mechanics. What could he have said? That somehow, without any hard evidence, he knew the plane was going to crash before it did? Or that his six-year-old brother had somehow predicted the impossible? That would have gotten him sent home or possibly even arrested for trespassing and thrown into an asylum for the rest of his life.

Plus, they all would have thought he was some crazy end-of-the-world fanatic because there was no way a sixteen-year-old kid should know the things he did unless he had somehow been involved in the crash.

No, it was much safer to remain where he lay, petrified and plastered to his pillow with his guilt. He ran no risk of revealing his identity or getting himself captured this way. In the solitude of his own walls, he was safe from the rest of the world. It was just right for him and it was where he should have stayed. Always.

Of course, fate--or rather, the big man upstairs--had other plans and once again hadn't thought it necessary to inform Nicholas of this.

At a quarter-after-six, the doorbell rang.

Nicholas started from his moping, arching up from underneath his mound of blankets and yanking an earbud from his ears as he spun toward the offending sound. Lying against him, awoken from his slumber, Nino's head also popped up at the sound and Nicholas averted his gaze to admire his watch. Their mom had just gone out to pick up a few groceries from the downtown market but it was way too soon for her to be back.

"Mommy?" Nino questioned, rubbing sleep and dried tears from his eyes as Nicholas groaned and heaved himself to his feet, forcing his brother to move off to the side to let him out.

"No, Akhi. I don't think so. Wait here for a second. I'll go see."

Lorr squeaked, diving around him and disappearing into the outer rim of his sweatshirt, but Nicholas ignored him, busy trying to tame his unkempt and wrinkled appearance. Who could be at the door at this time of day? Lorr wondered aloud.

No idea, Nicholas responded, hurrying across the threshold toward the door just as whoever was outside knocked a second time. Stay close.

The kwami instantly pressed himself closer against the teen. I am right here should you require me, Master.

Thanks, bud. Nicholas reached the door and carefully cracked it open. Two people stood on his stoop, a woman with long dark hair and a man who looked as though he could be her grandfather. "Uh...may I help you?" he tried, very aware of how disgruntled he must have appeared.

"Nicholas Lahiffe?" the woman spoke, glancing up from some kind of weird tablet-like device and giving him a frown deep enough to challenge the faults of California.

"Uh, that depends on who is asking."

The stone-face remained. "Are you alone right now?"