Published at 29th of November 2025 6:57 pm

Chapter TWO HUNDRED FORTY TWO: Hopping III

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

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Voices whispering about me. Voices not bothering to whisper.

<<Thats him. Thats the one from the news.>>

He knows a lot of wizards.

<<Do you think he flew here on that green thing? Whats it called?>>

<<at one of the Apex hero programs. Probably because his whole family was killed by a supervillain.>>

Alton?

<<A commendation? I didnt hear that part.>>

That guy is Aiden. Go talk to him.

<<You go talk to him.>>

<<I wonder where he keeps his tattoos.>>

Hi, Alden!

Long time no see, Alden!

<<Remember me from intake?>>

I played pinball with him.

Alden Thorn.

Voices telling me what they think about my status here.

<< For you and your friends the first time would be free.>>

Free.

Of course it would be free.

<<Dont take that one. Take this! Its usually for high ranks.>>

This is the sample I give to S-ranks.

<<Someone in your position might have heard something about Rabbit evacuation priority?>>

Would you be interested in posting a video...

<<...a review...>>

...just one photograph for our Trime?

Voices trying to make connections.

Id love to meet you again and talk to you about an opportunity that...

I saw online that youre still traveling back and forth to Matadero?

<<Got a job there?>>

<<Do the wizards there need any more food?>>

Do you think they might like my companys services?

A commended Rabbit! Let me shake your hand.

Ive always wanted to see if my skill could make the cube even shinier.

This is a lot, thought Alden as he moved through the conference space, and its so unreal after the last few days.

When he finally saw a nearly empty place, he rushed for it without considering that his actions might look like a retreat to his opponent. Natalie was eight displays back, at a huge booth that belonged to the Rabbit cleaning service Li Jean had hired for their Elites. They were discussing the possibility of her baking something that would be delivered in the new year to the companys biggest clients, for their annual gift. Hadiza and Emilija were back there with her.

The oasis Alden had found was a space that had been reserved for an organization that was a no-show. A girl in pink ears with a pink fluffy tail pinned to the back of her jeans had stopped there, too. She was digging through some of the swag shed picked up from the booths. Alden went a few steps past her, faced away from the crowded aisle so that he wouldnt be quite as recognizable, and took up the same task.

If he was visibly busy, maybe nobody would run up to him, and this could be his breather before he headed upstairs to The Verne.

He was just saving his energy. Natalie was going to get stuck down here chatting with people forever, and then he would be laughing over his magic cinnamon rolls.

Wanting a breather isnt a sign that Im unfit for the real battle.

The paper bag crinkled as he rummaged through it. Most of the things hed collected so far were advertising baubles and brochures. Very little of it was useful to him at the moment, but there were a couple of things that he could see the value of. Hed met a consultant here who specialized in wizard culture and the Contract. She took calls from Avowed having trouble during a summons and offered them a calm perspective and advice.

Alden had others he could call on now, but at LeafSong, he would have loved to know someone who provided that service.

There was also a Wright showing off supplies for interplanetary travelers. He had given Alden a soft, wedge-shaped object twice the size of his fist. It was a portable air conditioner that would chill the air around it for two days after it was activated.

Only S-ranks were getting the free air conditioner. And Alden.

The Wright must have thought I was likely to need portable air conditioners and be able to afford them. So its just advertising, too. But I do like it. He pulled it out of the paper bag. It was gray and squishy. At first glance, hed thought it was some kind of pillow or stress ball. You will help me out in a terrible climate eventually.

Must be nice.

Alden stopped squeezing the air conditioner. When he looked around to see whod said that, he didnt expect the speaker to be addressing him, but they were. The girl with the pink tail had been joined by a tall guy in a black jacket with light-up zippers. Hed been at the Wrights booth. Alden had found him somewhat annoying because hed been talking too much and too loudly for anyone else around him to get in more than a word or two. In the past fifteen minutes, though, Alden had forgotten he existed, as one did with strangers one never intended to see again.

No offense. The annoying one held up both hands, like he was warding off a protest Alden hadnt even made. Im just saying it must be nice to get all these opportunities other people would kill for.

You wanted the air conditioner enough to kill for it? I dont think its necessary to go that far. The Wright sells them for money.

Alden thought it was a lighthearted enough response. The girl giggled at it.

But the boy bristled. I didnt mean the stuff here. I meant everything else. You got a summons that everyone knows must have made you a millionaire, you had your own private apartment in intake

We were in intake together? Alden didnt remember this person at all.

theyre letting you be in an Apex hero program, the wizards invited you to Matadero, they give you gifts, people treat you like an S-rank even though youre a B like me. Youre probably set for life, and you dont even have to do anything. I meangood for you. But Im just saying. He glowered at Alden. Must be nice.

The huge room around them was filled with the noises of excited teenagers and skill demonstrations. The air smelled floral, and like chocolate chip cookies and recess since Alden still had his scented card.

You remind me of someone who recently bothered me on a train.

Confusion made the guys scowl slip. The girl with the tail blinked.

Whats it even like? Alden asked.

Huh?

Whats it like to have so little going on in your life? Right now, I have goals for myself and a lot of stuff Im worried about, and if all of that disappeared tomorrow, it would just mean I had the time to pick up some of the things Ive dropped. Because I cant find any way to do everything I want to do. Even spending a couple of hours hanging out here with friends is precious, and it costs me something.

But youve got enough time to keep track of the last several months of some other dudes life? And youve got so few problems that some other dudes life actually feels like it is a problem that affects you. So youre going to wander over here to the corner where Im minding my own business and try to startwhatever you were trying to start.

Alden dropped his air conditioner back into his bag and straightened. If you cant worry about chaos destroying entire worlds because it seems too distant, couldnt you at least get a hobby?

The saucer-sized eyes, the way both of them had gone slack-jawed

Seems unfair of them to look at me like that.

He was irritated, but there was no snide bite in his own tone to match the final must be nice the other guy had delivered.

He ran through it in his head, looking for any part he didnt really mean, and he came up empty-handed.

Yep. I stand by it. I will not unsay what I have said. You should work on youself and leave others alone. And He nodded at the girl. Sorry if I made you feel stressed or something. I think its fun you brought a tail to match your ears. Have a nice night.

He strode away from them, only a brief hitch in his step when he saw that Emilija had come to find him. She was standing at the corner of the booth next door, looking at him with a tight smile. Her paper bag was held in front of her knees in what seemed to be an unnecessarily tight double-handed grip.

Hi, Emilija.

Hi, Alden.

She followed him as he made his escape. Shed gotten her shoelaces color-changed to a bright blue in the past few minutes. She must have run into someone showing off that particular skill.

I think Ill go upstairs now. Alden said. You want to come?

Mmhmm. She nodded.

Perfect. Theres no way Natalie can resist talking to that kitchen and cauldron skills club, so well get a head start.

You burdered that man.

He did have a burdered look on his face. So I might have.

The two of them stepped into an empty elevator car. Emilija was being unusually quiet

I didnt really say anything out of linedid I? he asked.

<<No. You sounded cool.>>

She turned her gaze from the nautilus design on the door toward him. Shed put two tiny rhinestone stickers at the ends of her winged eyeliner, and Hadiza had most likely skilled them for her, given how much sparkle they had.

<<Do you think about what you just said a lot? About whats going on out there. Chaos destroying worlds?>>

It took him a second to answer. Im supposed to say no, arent I?

She shook her head. <<I only wondered. If its still close for you even now that youre back home. Important to you. Instead of distant. Like you said.>>

I think itll probably always be close for me. He glanced away, but he was sure she was still watching him. Its not something I like. But it might be right to care more about whats going on just a teleport away from here than the average person seems to. Someone has to be out there in it even if were not. So if we refuse to even acknowledge whats happening

He knew how to finish the sentence. It was just that this wasnt the right place for it. And the doors were opening, filling the car with food smells, laughter, and music.

<<If you want to go back to Apex early, you should,>> Emilija said quietly. <<I know Natalie asked you to help me get more attention or something like that. She means well, but that was a bit>>

Alden slapped a hand to his chest as he walked out of the elevator. Right in the heart! You overhear me saying my time with you is precious, and then you immediately tell me to get lost.

<<I did hear you say that. And now Im realizing that we arent treating you the same way. We all know you dont enjoy this kind of showing off, but we still decided to make you come.>>

Youre overthinking it. And Im going to need you to focus on what really matters nowtaking as many invitations as we can before Natalie gets here.

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Eliass Saturday Morning Show

Episode #473

Alden Thorn

Clip Starts At: 14m, 32s

Date Recorded: August 25, 2037

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Lets seeweve covered romance, my embarrassing attempt to get a position with the Scorpius constellation, how your mom should stir up a hurricane for the Prime Minister the next time he expresses disappointment in her management of summer heat, what to get Fang for her baby shower, and celery. Celery is weird. Cly Zhao stood on her tiptoes, on one foot, at the very top of the highest balance post in a small park in Apex.

Youre going to fall when that thing rolls, said Hannah Elber, clinging to the pole beside her with one hand.

Im not. Im going to hop on it on one toe when it does the roll. This is my last chance before they tear it down to build those new challenge towers. Ruining our old playground for profit. Whats Anesidora becoming?

Ill catch you before you hit the ground.

You will not need to catch me. Im a superhero.

Hannah grinned at her. Well see.

You dont think theyve already disabled the roll feature, do you? Cly looked at the ball beneath her toes. I know it happens at random, but I feel like Ive been waiting a long time.

Dont get complacent. Thats how the roll sneaks up on you.

And the winds rough today, Cly said. You called your mom to make this harder for me, didnt you?

Of course. This wind is coming in just for you, all the way from Europe.

Youll never take me down.heyhow did the visit with your biggest admirer go? That was last week, wasnt it? Hows your copycat doing?

Hannah swallowed. Alden had fun. I worried we wouldnt get along as smoothly now that hes a teenager.

Thirteen. Cly shuddered. Demons are probably caused by the combined psychic energy of human thirteen-year-olds. Im surprised the chaos sirens didnt go off every other day when I was that age.

We did get along, though. He actually seems younger than he did last year. No. Not youngerthats the wrong way of putting it. Hannah let go of the pole and dropped down onto a patch of air shed stabilized earlier. The spell was fading, but she stood on it anyway, slowly sinking until her face was a meter below her friends balancing foot. I think its just that hes happier. And that makes him seem more like a normal kid.

Good! said Cly. Youve been a positive influence.

I worry Im too much of an influence. Its only the occasional call and a couple of visits, so you wouldnt think that was possible, would you? It shouldnt be. But after we screwed up his life by not stopping that unregisteredhe somehow fell through every crack. Im afraid a few phone calls from me is enough to make me the adult he talks to the most.

He has an aunt.

Sort of, Hannah muttered. He does have a best friend now. And loads of kids dream of being Adjuster superheroes, so its not that unusual that he wants to, but

You wanted to. You turned out all right.

Thanksbut I didnt understand the first few times we talked that he wasI think he was waiting for someone to tell him they believed in him, Cly. Im afraid everybody else in his life just wants him not to be a problem for them. For years, this smart, sweet little boy was starving for someone to expect something good from him. Thats what I think. His parents must have told him he could be goodbut thenthey

Hannah, Hannah, dont! Cly hopped off the balance toy and grabbed her friend in a hug. They both crashed to the ground below, clumsy but unharmed.

Sorry. Really sorry. Im just going to cry all of a sudden, I guess.

I see that! Stop. Or dont stop. Theres a napkin in my bag.

Just let me be a mess. Im fine. But AldenI think his parents must have been good people who told him he should try hard to be a good person, too. His mother went through the training to work in a House of Healing, so she had to be so dedicated. And his father was a man who spent his time writing sermons. And those are the people who shaped him, and then they died, and he was hurt, and the new grown-ups in his life only ever asked him to work on not being hurt anymore, on not needing themlike him functioning was their maximum expectation.

She took a breath. Then he called me that day. I didnt know what to do other than superhero smile through our first interactions, so of course he thinks Im much cooler than I really am.

I hope so. Cly forced the napkin shed found into Hannahs hand. Itd be sad if he picked a role model he didnt think was cool.

But what happens after the dream falls apart on him?

Both women were quiet for a minute. Cly brushed sand off of her leggings.

HonestlyI think youve handled this right. Theres so much broken with the kids situation that it cant feel good to you. Youre not his family. He lives on the other side of the planet. Theres no way to fix it, and its not your place to do more than you already have.

If youre right about him looking up to Super Hannah because shes the only person telling him she wants greatness from himthen hes just taking something every kid needs from you. Dont cut him off. Who cares if its not realistic, and hes got a little case of hero worship? Childhood dreams usually change with a person, dont they?

Hannah sighed. Yeah.

Youve got this problemI might have mentioned it to you a few million timeswith taking too much responsibility for every single thing you touch. Alden Thorn is not going to base his whole life on the few hours you two spend together. Hes going to hold onto what you give him, maybe for a long time if youre really the only person giving him anything worthwhile, but you wont be the only influence on him forever. Eventually, hes going to meet people he admires who arent you. Things we cant imagine right now are going to happen to him. All of them good because if ever a person was due, he is.

Thats the truth, said Hannah.

What Im telling you is that who he becomes isnt on you or about you. Hes just standing on your shoulders for a while so that you can show him a view better than the one hes getting at home. Hell climb down when hes done looking around. And then, one way or another, hell grow up.

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end clip

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Getting an F-rank invited to all the best hops of the season wasnt as easy as Alden had hoped.

Hinting didnt work because the people asking him to stop by their soirees pretended not to hear the hints. And outright asking if the person handing him an envelope would give his dear, amazing paint-unchipper friend one, too, resulted in some very rabbitish escapes by old Avowed who were used to saying, Not a chance! in ways that almost sounded flattering.

Okay, said Emilija after the last one like that. <<No more. Its too embarrassing for both of us. I dont think most of them would even talk to me if I wasnt standing right next to you.>>

They were sipping apple cider and eating curried carrot tartlets by a window styled to look like a huge porthole. Nautilus Needles famously visible helix shielding didnt obscure the view, but it did give off an ethereal gleam every few seconds.

[Their parties must suck anyway if theyre just picking attendees based on rank,] he texted her.

<<They dont suck,>> she replied. <<The place this one is being held in has a zero gravity room.>>

She reached over to tap the black envelope Alden had just received. <<I wanted to play in a zero gravity room even if I would be the least interesting person there because its a zero gravity room.>>

Fair enough.

<<But I dont want to beg. Thats too much.>>

Fair enough.

Another invitation-bearer was approaching.

<<Give up on me,>> said Emilija. <<Ill go get more cider.>>

She headed toward the cider table, where a man was demonstrating unusual ingredient prep skills.

The woman who caught Alden next had hair the color of milk, arranged to show off a contract tattoo that spilled down one side of her neck. She asked if he spoke Mandarin, and when he said no, they exchanged pleasantries in Artonan before she told him about the party she would be hosting next weekend. She had gotten one of the wizards at Matadero to agree to come and instruct her guests in the playing of an obscure board game.

That sounds like it would be fun, said Alden. But to be honest, Im not sure what my schedule is. You should give your invitation to someone who knows they can attend.

Keep it anyway, she told him, pushing the envelope into his hands. Come if you can. It would delight Poa-loo. And if you cant make it, its only one seat.

An idea flickered then. If I cant make it, can I give my invitation to a friend? he asked. A Rabbit friend. So its not wasted.

Of course!

Half a minute after she left, he ran into a man handing out invitations to a private concert and had a very similar interaction.

All rightthis could work.

Emilija, these two are going to be for you, he said when he rejoined her near the cider table. They said I could give mine to you if I dont have time to attendand I have almost no free time.

<<Really?>> she asked. <<They said it was fine to give your own away?>>

They both did. And it wasnt embarrassing at all. Easy-peasy.

She looked curiously at the envelopes, her lips turning up slowly.

This one is learning board games with a wizard named Poa-loo, said Alden Do you want to meet a wizard named Poa-loo?

Yes, she said. <<I do.>>

Alden smiled at her. Am I forgiven for stealing your turkey now?

<<Not quite. But I might stop writing crazy bird insults on your Trime.>>

Please dont. Theyre the only thing I actually enjoy seeing there. You should be my social media manager.

<<You post nothing. What would I manage?>>

All the people who comment on the fact that I post nothing. And my emails. Ive got more than a thousand I still havent read.

She laughed.

If you think Im kidding about the number, Im not.

<<Why do you have so many?>>

I became an Avowed after being orphaned by an Avowed, and then I died. People were into it. And then I un-died. They were really into that.

<<I would sort your inbox for you if you wanted me to.>>

You would?

She shrugged. <<It sounds interesting.>>

By the time Natalie arrived half an hour later, Alden had refined his method and found the best possible location for invitation collecting. It was a seat everyone wanted because it was right beside the most important Rabbit in a vast and elegant room full of important Rabbits. Not the High Councilor elected to represent their classalthough shed stopped by to say hellobut Neha, whod left some wizard on Artona I unassisted tonight. She hadnt missed this event once in the thirty-four years it had been running, and she was in the mood to watch tomorrow mornings sunrise on Earth.

She had a fresh undercut and a custom enchanted headband that gave her rabbit ears made of light. They responded to her mood with motion. They were gold to match her wraparound shirt, and theyd twitched forward with interest when shed spotted Alden.

Shed sent the girl beside her scooting away down the low leather built-in sofa that lined one of the walls of The Verne and patted the vacated seat. Alden had taken it, and hed been there with Emilija ever since, growing his stack of envelopes.

The music was swingy. People were having a good time. Whenever a glass broke or a drink spilled, magic swept clean a floor that was mottled with light to make it look like they were all enjoying one anothers company underwater.

At Natalies entrance, Nehas ears twitched forward again, and Natalie rushed over.

Neha! Ive missed you!

Ive missed you, too, said Neha. And Im afraid I have bad news for you.

She swept a hand toward Alden, who lifted his pile of invitations from the space between him and Emilija, pretending to strain under their weight.Soheavycant hold them any longer.

He gasped and dropped them onto his lap, slumping backward.

Emilija picked up a gray one and fanned him with it.

I understand there was a private contest going on, said Neha.

How did you get so many so fast?! Natalie exclaimed.

Superior strategy, said Alden. And whenever I cant attend one, my emailorganizer person shall go in my stead. Which means almost every single one of these is for He patted Emilijas shoulder.

<<I am the email organizer person.>>

Its always satisfying to see young people leaving the Welcome with their first job lined up, said Neha, ears wiggling with what Alden thought must be amusement.

Natalie was beaming like she was excited, but making sounds like she was distressed.

Look at this one, said Alden, holding up a red envelope. This is where Emilija is having breakfast tomorrow.

Natalies eyes latched onto the invitation. The Holly Jolly Bunny Bruncheon! Where is the person with those?

Neha pointed across the room, and Natalie took off. Not a single golden hair was out of place despite her hurry.

<<Ill go get her some cider and carry her bag so she can work faster,>> said Emilija. <<Thanks, Alden.>>

He watched them go. Hadiza arrived a minute later and the trio mingled through the room like theyd been born for it.

You know everyone is saving invites for the S-ranks, dont you? said Neha. Shell get just as many as you.

I know. But the competition was to see who could get the most for Emilija. And after meeting these people, I dont think anyone is going to give her an extra invitation. So I win.

I hope you enjoy your free Cook of the Moment food.

I will.

She studied him for a while. Youre looking good.

Its because Gus took me to Needle & Wheedle, and I gave them so much money.

I did notice that. The clothes are subtly excellent. But I meant you, the person inside them, who has earned those invitations after one hell of a year.

Oh, that guy, said Alden. Im kind of punchy right now because Im tired. ButIm doing better.

Finding friends at hero school? she asked.

Yes, Alden answered. And in other places.

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