Breathe in the Embers

Part 18

“So, what made you decide to give me this… privilege?”

Kyla raised an eyebrow at her guest, the one who had granted her exclusive access to an interview. It wasn’t every day that a new hero rose mysteriously out of nowhere, not anymore. Once upon a time, when powers were new developments, mysterious vigilantes popped up without warning on a fairly constant basis. Now, now there were programs. Gifted children were diverted to special training, registered, monitored, and often inducted into one of the many government programs that benefited from the powers some citizens developed.

Having an unknown person who possessed such unique powers appear… and also someone who didn’t exist in any known records, this was the story of the decade!

Said guest folded her legs gracefully, the billowing white pants contrasting pleasantly with her midnight blue skin. It was easy enough to ignore the coloration, the hair so dark it appeared to be shadow, and even the horns. What constantly distracted Kyla was the sky blue orbs. They were blank, lacking both iris and pupil, orbs of clear blue and nothing else. It was an unnerving gaze to try to hold.

The other woman smiled, full lips curling in a pleasant but faintly mocking way. She was well aware of the effect her gaze was having on the reporter.

“To be honest, it was pretty arbitrary. Yours is the most popular paper in the Trenton area, and you are the columnist for Crime and Vigilantism. I’m afraid I’m not familiar with many reporters, or news outlets for that matter.”

“I see.” Kyla replied, trying not to let the comment wound her pride. Kyla Demarco wasn’t the most well known journalist in town, but she liked to think she had a good reputation. Being arbitrarily selected wasn’t exactly an ego boost. “Well I’d like to thank both of you for meeting me here. I know the news station isn’t exactly the definition of luxury.”

Her other guest smiled and nodded, though her eyes were perpetually locked on the heroine in the room. Maria Giuseppe was one of several firefighters present at both high profile events involving this new hero, and the only female. Ratings went up automatically when you added a little representation to a story. “Happy to be here for many reasons, not the least of which is it gives me the opportunity to do this.” the muscular woman turned to her fellow guest, extending a hand. “Thank you so much. Just driving up to Camp Coriolis, I knew there was going to be a body count. And the factory, it’s amazing only one person died! I can’t thank you enough.”

Clearly surprised by the course of conversation, the hero took the proffered hand. “Of course. I don’t see how someone in my position could do anything else.”

“Quite.” Kyla commented with a nod, pen already busily at work on her notepad. “Well, since I was just the most obvious choice, what made you decide to be interviewed at all? All attempts by law enforcement to identify or locate you have failed so far. It seems like you could continue to remain anonymous with ease.”

“I could. However, I want to do everything I can to help people. Every effort spent on evading identification is effort better spent on that.”

“I see. And you Miss Giuseppe? What do you think of a new hero coming in who is so specifically tailored to assisting you and your fellow firefighters?”

“Honestly, it’s wonderful! Every extra hand on deck is more lives saved at the end of the day.” she smiled. “And if, as it appears, our friend here is immune to fire and smoke both, it can save a lot of my colleagues too. We’d be more than happy to work with her whenever possible.”

“Speaking of which, what precisely are your powers?” Kyla asked casually, trying not to seem overeager. It was the question of the day after all. What could this new hero actually do? It wasn’t the most harmless of questions either. Strengths and limitations weren’t always something that superheroes were eager to advertise.

The woman laughed, a mellifluous chuckle. “I have little to fear from fire and a lot to gain from it. Let’s leave it at that.” she replied with a sly grin, those blue eyes boring into Kyla’s own until she had to look away.

No new information then. They’d already gathered that the woman was not susceptible to the various threats that came with fire such as smoke, toxic fumes, and heat, when she walked out of the inferno that melted a whole factory unscathed. Her powers being made stronger by fire was interesting, but had also been theorized before.

“Well I can certainly understand your hesitance to reveal anything else. It’s a dangerous world we live in, sadly, especially for those who put their lives on the line to protect the rest of us.” Never any harm in ingratiating yourself to those you want to keep talking. “If I may ask, where are you from? No one local can identify you, and you stated yourself you aren’t familiar with local news.”

“I think you may be misunderstanding the point of this interview Miss Demarco.” she leaned forward, midnight blue fingers interlacing before those periwinkle eyes. “This is not an all encompassing reveal. I am here to assure you, and through you the rest of the country, that I am here to help, and happy to submit myself to the typical series of regulations and rules for people like me.”

Kyla frowned. She’d wanted the intimate details here. This was less of a private, potentially scandalous interview, and more of a public announcement. Where was the juice? She didn’t even get to know where this mystery woman came from? Why she is impossible to identify? There was so little substance to what she was getting!

“Very well. What is it you are willing to reveal then?”

“So glad you asked. I’d be more than happy to cover my aspirations and intentions in pretty specific detail. Going forward I am expecting to be in the public eye on a pretty constant basis, but let’s keep the focus on that. My past need not detain us now.”

That brought a spark back to Kyla’s eyes. While it might not be laid out before her, clearly there were some secrets behind this hero. Even the intimation that such might be the case would draw readers like bees to honey. “Of course. No worries at all.” she scribbled furiously. “It would be a pleasure to discuss potential ways to utilize you and your abilities, especially with Miss Giuseppe here to provide her own input.” The firefighter nodded. “But before we continue, it occurs to me that we still don’t have a name to address you by. Unless I should use one of those coined by other media sources already?”

The woman winced. Clearly she’d found some of the nicknames for her as unappealing as the public did. “Well that is one question I’m happy to answer. It’s a name I intend to go by for all future work, and one I personally find far more pleasing than those given to me so far.”

“You can call me Nightfire.”