Mod Superhero

Chapter 7.52 - Clara 8

Clara woke up from her nap. She rolled over in bed, stretching and nearly losing the rest of the covers. Over the last two weeks, the team had fallen into a steady rhythm. Clara had gotten used to napping between training and hanging out with the others.

As awesome as naps were, a part of Clara always felt guilty about taking one. Even hanging out and binge-watching anime felt like team-building. She was working hard. She'd made more progress than ever in controlling her powers. There was even a chance that napping had helped.

Still, taking naps just felt like a bad habit. Part of the reason they'd had so much downtime was because things had been relatively calm. Just because that was the pattern for the last few weeks didn't mean it would last.

Without thinking, Clara started walking toward the Sim Room.

She could have checked the logs to see if anyone was using it currently, but she didn't. It felt more spontaneous that way. Maybe it was the fact that they'd been stuck underground for so long or the fact that they were so close to the end, but Clara had learned to appreciate spontaneity. Someone might already be using the Sim Room, but there was little chance of walking in on someone awkwardly—

Ever since she'd walked in on Athena and Lock making out, TINA had reiterated that the Sim Room and training rooms were common ground. That had been the end of awkward moments, which was good, because Clara had come to enjoy spending time with everyone, and most people didn't mind sharing the space.

And if the Sim Room was empty, she would just bring up another view of Terradun.

The door hissed open, and swirling snow lay beyond. Clara took a step and then grabbed for the doorway. She'd nearly stepped through—

Out of the underground base and onto the top of a mountain.

Her eyes were immediately drawn downward. There was snow beneath her feet, but it was only a few steps in either direction to a sheer drop. She knew it wasn't real. And she'd been in the room enough to know its rough size, even with the simulations running. The summit of this particular mountain seemed to stretch to the very edge of the Sim Room. But that didn't override the primitive part of her brain that was screaming at her to get away from the edge.

After a long moment, Clara chuckled to herself. She could fly without a suit now—she didn't need to be afraid.

Finally, Clara took a step out onto the summit. Thankfully, it wasn't nearly as cold as it looked.

Emmett was sitting on an outcropping, talking with TINA, who'd taken the form of a bright blue phoenix. Clara only recognized it because it looked almost exactly like Phoebe the Phoenix from Full Throttle Heart. On the other side of the summit, Icarus buzzed around in the form of a small cartoon pixie. He was talking to a knight who had their back to Clara. Long curly red hair flowed over a thick fur cloak.

As Clara stepped onto the mountain, all four figures turned to greet her. Emmett smiled, while TINA ruffled her feathers and Icarus swooped through the air. The knight turned, and McGuire peered back from under a thick helmet.

When McGuire saw her, he rolled his eyes and said in an over-the-top voice. "Great. Now we've got a girl here."

Clara snorted. "Your hair's longer than mine. I thought you were Cherry."

Icarus said, "I think the term is cosplaying."

Meanwhile, TINA's head cocked to the side. "I am also here."

McGuire feigned offense and ran a hand through his hair. "This is my hair, just a lot longer. I think I finally see what all the fuss is about."

Emmett cleared his throat. "You know, if you want extensions or a wig, you should be nicer to TINA."