nebulas rise (jay)

After the outburst, I thought taking sometime to cool down in the lounge would probably be best. After less than a minute there, Noaba asked if it had made me feel better.

I sighed "A little." Letting off some steam did kinda make me feel a bit lighter but it didn't stop the problem.

"You, my boy" James pointed at me "Have a severe case of PDA."

Of what? "What's that?"

"It basically means you don't like being told what to do."

"Well, yeah." That just made me laugh. "I thought everyone was like that."

"Most children aren't." Noaba reminded me. "And look at everyone here, they all get told what to do."

"Well yeah but…they choose this." I looked at James. "Right?"

He inclined his head. "In a way, I suppose. When Crugger came here it did open up some new opportunities for this place. I mean, he built this base up from nothing."

I did not know that. "He built this place."

He looked at me in a sort of sarcastically sympathetic way. "Oh, you've never heard the full story, have you? Very well then.

Crugger wasn't the first from another planet to come here but he was the first from space patrol. Some humans had gone to work there but we'd never had an out-world visitor from there come here. There was no S.P base here before that; and I don't just mean in this city, I mean on this whole planet. Nabula was still somewhat young at the time, petty criminals were everywhere, me and Zee included. Without a proper police force, no one could really do much to stop us but when he showed up, he came with a new way of thinking and new methods to track down and capture thieves. When he found us though, he saw we were just a couple of street kids, around fourteen at the time. Instead of locking us up he decided to give us a choice: youth detention centre, or join him and be part of something bigger.

We were there from the beginning, even before this place was built. And we helped him build it."

Listening to this story made me realise something. "You really look up to him, don't you?"

He closed his eyes. "I owe that man everything. He gave us a life we never could've hoped for before, saw promise in a young autistic boy who's been looked down on his whole life, took in the son of an S.P soldier whose father had died in action."

Sky cleared his throat.

"Sorry, am I revealing too much?"

He raised a hand, putting his thumb and forefinger almost together "Maybe just a little."

I chuckled a little. "You think he came here on purpose, or just coincidently?"

"Oh, who knows. But I wouldn't be surprised. A nebula is a newborn star after all."

"But it's not even called nebula." Sid pointed out but I wasn't really listening anymore, since something had just clicked in my mind. " It's Na-boo-la."

"Oh wait, that's it!" I exclaimed, making everyone jump slightly.

"Nebula's rise. That's what we're gonna call it." I said, confidently.

Slowly, a few people around started to smile and James nodded. "I kinda like it."

But our moment of victory for finally coming up with a name for the base was cut short by a call they got from the Falcon.

"Are you kidding me?" This guy doesn't know when to quit.

"Gotta run."

"Give him my regards." I said it in a way that actually meant "give him hell if you can." And James grinned in understanding.

It was only then that I realised Thia wasn't here. Eh, she just needs space I thought. I should probably let her have some time with her dad to figure things out. I stretched my arms up and my head back, wandering what was going on this time. I didn't mind waiting so much but not knowing was worse. I guess I just liked being in on the action.

I didn't have to wait too long to find out.

"Troom is here."

"What?"

"There was an energy surge, that was what the call was about. When we went to investigate…" he didn't have to explain the rest.

"He had a message…for Crugger."

Up till then I'd been looking at the floor, thinking about what I'd just heard but at that moment, my eyes darted back up.

"Have you told him?"

"Not yet. Can't even find him."

"I'll go with you." Noaba piped in. "I wanna make sure Thia's ok. I know she'll be with him and I've a pretty good idea where."

James agreed but before they could go off, I went up and took his arm. "Wait…What was he like?"

His eyes widened slightly and he looked away. "I don't think you wanna know?"

"I think I do."

"Well picture this…five against one; the biggest bad you can think of in the universe against all of us and we only got away because he wanted us to deliver that message."

"I'm not scared!" I thought I'd made that clear already.

"I know. Which is why I don't think you should know." And he walked away, leaving me unsure of what to think or say.

I don't know how long I was standing there, trying to contemplate this, but before I knew it, I was alone in the corridor. It was well past dark but I was neither hungry nor tired. Finally making up my mind, I ran towards the apartment. I was going to prove myself, one way or another, whether they wanted me too or not.