Chapter 22: H.o.T Party

"It's nothing. Here, I'll take it," Grandma says, snatching at the letter.

But Travis pull it away from her and rip open the envelope.

"Travis, please don't! You can't…"

But Grandma stops speaking as he pull out a handwritten letter, marked with yesterday's date…

And written by Travis.

"Oh no," Grandma whispers.

Travis hands go numb as he read the first line: "Mom and Dad, quite a bit has happened since last month's letter. I have so much to fill you in on my career. Just last night I…"

Travis stop himself, letting the letter fall to the floor.

"How long?" Travis ask.

"Travis, let me explain, please-"

"Grandma, how long have you been forging letters from me to Mom and Dad?"

Even as the words leave his lips, they don't sound real. How could Grandma do this, how could she…violate him this way?

"Uh, am I interrupting something?" a voice says from the doorway. Travis turn to find Tarana Rain standing there, looking from him to Grandma warily. "The door was open so I just…"

"Oh, dear, it's fine," Grandma starts, "but perhaps it would be better if-"

"No," Travis say, "you want Tarana Rain to be a part of my life so badly, then she can hear this!"

"Travis, please, you have to understand-"

"I…don't want to say anything I'll regret." Travis say, he stand up.

Grandma just hugs herself, unable to look at Travis.

"I should go…" Tarana says, creeping backward.

"I'll walk you home," Grandma whispers, walking toward the door.

Travis know he should say something to make Grandma stay. He know he should talk to her about this, today of all days, but he didn't, he just let Grandma leave.

Grandma has seriously crossed the line here…and Travis just need some time to think.

Travis look out over the Hoshi City skyline racing below him—the gleaming glass and brick, the steam rising from the pavement, the people teeming through the streets, the buildings lining the blocks like puzzle cutouts. A tram pulls across the distance, lighting up the sunset with photographic flashes.

The constant motion of it all, the dizzying energy somehow always manages to calm him down.

After what happened with Grandma, he just needed to clear his head. And there's one thing that always helps him do that, a good fly-ride.

Travis been cruising around for hours and he think he should feel lots of things, but right now all of the emotions competing in his brain threaten to overwhelm him. So he just fly.

Travis hurtle through the sky and take a deep breath of cold air, the wind rushing against his skin. There's nothing like the feeling of soaring through the air, with nothing and no one in his way. He's in absolute control, yet totally wild at the same time.

Even though he'd love to cruise around the city all night, he really need to head home and get ready for the HoT party.

So he fly back toward the Fringes, ignoring the now-doubled number of messages on his H-Chip (and Aphrodite's constant requests for him to reconcile with Black Magic and Grandma both). After her third time chiming in, Travis threatened to turn Aphrodite's conversation function off—shouldn't his H-Chip be on his side.

It doesn't really matter though, since he already decided what to do when he get home. When he see Grandma, he plan to apologize.

No matter what she has done, Grandma only means well….

But when he get back, he find that the apartment is empty.

Grandma hasn't come back all day and the letter still sits on the floor in her bedroom. Travis stare at it for a long time, wondering how many just like it have been read by his parents, how many more line the walls of their cells right now….

Travis force that thought from his mind as he spot the box that Grandma meant to give him earlier, before everything went wrong. Unable to help himself, he walk over to the box and crack it open.

And his stomach tangles into a knot.

Inside is a red-and-silver ring, one that he immediately recognize as his father's wedding band.

The ring has two intertwined strands, one red and one silver…his parents' heroic colors (or "silvered," as they'd fondly call it). Travis tilt the ring up to look inside, knowing there are also lyrics from his parents' wedding song engraved there. "For Once In My Life."

Travis grasp the ring in his hand, squeezing it tightly for a moment. Then he pull off his costume's glove and slide the ring on to his finger.

It fits perfectly.

That's also when he notice there's a slip of paper at the bottom of the box. This is too much…he's not sure if he can handle anything more right now.

But once again, he find he can't help his curiosity. So he pick up the note.

And a lump immediately forms in his throat as he recognize his mother's handwriting.

"For Travis, on the day he becomes a Legend."

Reading these words, he finally break. Crumpling to the floor, he give in to the heaves that roll through his body.

After reading for a while, he decided to dress up for the HoT grant, emotion flows through him as he put on the suit. This is it, he finally did it, this is the day that he will become a legend and will clear his family's name.

Travis leaves the house and starts flying towards the center of the Hoshi City. He land on his feet, there are many people here, there is someone chatting.

"So who do you think it will be this year?"

"No one knows but I'm putting my money on that Tumbleweave character…."

"Really? I was betting on Black Diamond. His knife-skis really are quite fetching…."

"Do you think they have the hero out here with us or hiding away somewhere backstage?"

Travis overhear two women whispering loudly nearby, their diamond earrings jangling as they gab. It still hasn't quite settled in that they're talking about him—that this whole damn party is for him. It all seems to be happening at warp speed….

He really should be ecstatic but one thought dominates the others.

Grandma should be here with him.

Travis scan the crowd to distract himself, taking in the gorgeous gowns and elaborate costumes in the room. It's littered with socialites, politicians, and famous heroes—everyone who's anyone in HC is invited to the HoT party. Of course, the elites of the press world are also all in attendance, along with dozens of aspiring heroes (invited to the party to act as decoys…for him).

He try to see if he can spot Karla but it appears she still hasn't arrived yet. The author of the HoT profile is usually an aspiring writer as well, so their identity is kept just as secret as the inductee's. Perhaps that's why he haven't seen Karla here yet? He can't help but be a little worried, though, considering she hasn't answered any of his calls since he arrived….

Luckily, the organizers of the event and some key members of the HoT Board were here to greet him and fill him in on the evening's proceedings, in private. Right now, he's just supposed to enjoy the party and mingle a bit, so he decide that's what he's going to try to do.

He spot Rexford on the crowd. He been meaning to apologize to Rexford ever since the botched Gravitas case, but him and HC's wealthiest don't necessarily travel in the same social circles.

Once the people currently occupying Rexford move on, Travis quickly approach. But the moment he sees him coming, Rexford stiffens—maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all. Oh well, it's too late to turn back now.

"Rexford, I just wanted to say-"

"We have very little to say to each other," Rexford says, talking out of the side of his mouth as he smiles at someone else across the room. "I haven't even begun to repay you for what you cost me. Now if you'll excuse me, I don't have any more time to waste on you."

Without giving him a chance to respond, Rexford takes off toward his next encounter.

So that went well.

Since he don't spot any other Hoshi Group members, he assume Ellaine must be here representing the entire team. Which is just as well, since he's not sure what he would to say to Black Magic if she were here, anyway.

"Ellaine," Travis say as he approach, tilting to kiss her on both cheeks, "so good to see you."

Ellaine wears another stunning costume, an ivory jumpsuit paired with a puffy shrug made of silver chiffon. A large ruby sits in the center of Ellaine's chest, connecting the shrug to the jumpsuit. The pink soles of Ellaine's high-heeled boots glow on the marble floor, raising her height to a commanding six-and-a-half feet.

"Yes, darling," Ellaine says, "I was terribly sorry to hear you didn't make the Group."

"Someday I will, hopefully," Travis say.

"Well, that's so sweet," Ellaine laughs, leaning in to whisper in Travis ear. "Black Magic sends her regards, by the way."

Ellaine then straightens up, offering Travis a knowing stare.

As his ears turn a bright shade of red, he quickly say his goodbyes—this is not something he want to get into with Ellaine right now.