The five of us had escaped an encounter with the Enforcers, the car driving through the countryside now, not going towards any cities I knew of, Spotlight didn’t wake up in the last hours of travel, and even I had fallen asleep in fitful bouts, waking up startled when the car hit a bump in the road, which was becoming more frequent the more time we spend travelling.

Payback also had fallen asleep looking very tired, and then it was just me and Spyglass who didn’t give me much attention even when I tried to make light conversation. By the conversation we had before going out I assumed it was still because of me being a former sleepwalker like her, although I didn’t know anything about her to gather the why of her dislike.

But I had been somewhat antagonistic, in my eagerness to try out my powers I even tried angering her more just so she would hit me, not the best behavior, and if I wanted to turn this people not on only saviors or by chance acquaintances, I had to do better than that.

My attempts of trying to be more amicable were just dryly answered though, seeing as she wasn’t in the mood I decided to apologize at a later date, and I didn’t much want to bother the also quiet LED while he drove, so I had only boredom and brooding to do while settling to wait until we arrived at wherever we were going.

I was woken up an undetermined amount of time later, not even remembering when it was that I had fallen asleep, by the car swerving to the side into a particularly bumpy road, what followed was another long bit of travel, at least an hour, through dirt roads barely covered in stones, zig zagging through fields and pastures in roads that went up and down repeatedly, making it feel like I was in some kind of slow roller coaster.

We spend long enough going into the up and down stretches of road that I was starting to feel dizzy myself, a shame that my powers didn’t cover this part, which was interesting as I hadn't fully discovered the situation and extent my powers would work on and protect me from. I hoped that wherever we were going, it would help with that.

The car slowed down, going into a hidden road that was completely imperceptible in the darkness that was abundant out here in the farmlands, how LED knew how to get here was a complete mystery to me. But I saw the light of the car, the only source of visibility, shining on a little wooden plate by the side of the road that read, Green Water Farm, almost hidden by the overgrown vegetation.

After that it was just a few more minutes for us to enter the actual farm, passing by the classic wooden type of double doors that you see in movies, but they were wide open and LED just drove right through them. The car illuminating our way till we got to a big house made of a mixture of wood and masonry, the house was the only other thing shining light, from a lamp on the outside porch. LED stopped the car in front of it, the sound of the motor becoming recognizable as it faded, the silence taking its place.

LED opened his door, getting out at the same time that an old man exited the house, going down the steps of the little staircase that led to the raised house, they met in the middle and started talking. I just watched, the owner was visibly old, the type that had shrunk with age, he smiled a lot and seemed jovial though, patting LED’s shoulder, the multiple marks on his face defining his features. still sleepy I took my time, not getting out of the car, Payback and Spyglass still sleeping.

They were already stirring awake, the lack of the movement and of the constant rumble of the motor probably cluing their bodies that we had arrived, it was interesting to see these people I barely knew in such a different position, harmless and vulnerable, it was hard to connect them with the image of dangerous terrorist they were known for.

LED came back to the car, hitting the roof. “Wake up everyone, let’s just go to the base and we’ll rest more, and better.”

“Base?" I asked, but remembered Spotlight or LED saying something about going to a more permanent base of operations. I couldn’t help but think that the place didn’t look much like one, besides being in the middle of nowhere, that part was on point.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

He just nodded shaking Spotlight awake, I thought about doing the same to the ones beside me but I didn't feel we were that close yet so just waited for them to wake up, Spyglass did but Payback just woke with LED shaking him awake as well. I finally decided to move and opened the door, stumbling out of the car, my legs feeling numb.

The old man was out here as well and when everyone was out of the car in different states of wakefulness, he went to me himself thrusting his hand in front of me, shocking me slight but I took his offered hand, he shook it firmly.

“So, you're the new of ‘em dawn boys I see.” He said in a typical countryside accent, not sounding even a bit sleepy. “You can call me Old man Dan, everyone does so”

“Yes, I guess that’s me” I awkwardly said, still not used to the label, but they kept their promise, I was powered now. Being capable of going toe to toe with an Enforcer even.

“This one a real gem Dan. You’ve had to be there” Spotlight said to the small old man, they seemed friendly the grin they gave each other was very similar, are they related?

“It's not even just boasting because he was the recruiter, this shy professor type here fucked up Thunder.” Payback continued the story making me feel more self-conscious.

“True, true.” Spotlight continued, nodding. “His face was amazing, came to intercept us alone to get his revenge only for this dude to take it directly from his hands.”

He laughed at that turning to lead the way using a lantern he was holding in his other hand. “You got a cool powerful power then I see, didn’t work for me. He said sighting wistfully. “Even if it did, I'm too old for that, it's on you all the younger generations to fuck up those pigs in power.” he ranted, a surprising amount of fury in his small frame, already curved by age. It was always impressive how these old people from farms just kept going well into their eighties.

We followed him along the plantations, passing by corn and soy, walking quite a while. Old Dan telling me about how he had given some space to the revolutionaries, if he couldn’t help himself, he would help the way he could he said, the old man was very opinionated, completely against the government, it made me wonder how he made it out alive till such an old age.

Payback and Spotlight were the only ones who participated in the conversation, me mostly listening and agreeing to stuff, the walk and the talking had gotten rid of my sleepiness. Which made me think to finally ask something I maybe should've long ago.

“What is it exactly you all do here at his base?”

“A couple things” this time it was LED the one who had answered. “Rest between missions, train new recruits, not always we have either of those here though, the place is a constant research base.”

“Research? I hope it isn't the type the government accuses you all off.” I said, half-jokingly, like with the Sleepwalkers the government accused the Dawnbreakers of also being degenerates who do anything for power including experimenting on humans and stuff. I imagined it also was just propaganda, but who knows.

“Relax man. The only one who actually do that kind of thing is the monsters of the Sulphars, not that we don’t do any kind of experiments, but its everything above board.” Payback explained.

That’s great but I didn't really think they would be up to that, what interest me more was the training, I really wanted to understand and improve my powers. “Got it, what about the training facilities?”

“Heh, eager aren't we” Spotlight came elbowing my side. “it's a reinforced box basically, but its good stuff. I'm sure we can throw some stuff your way.”

“Please don’t actually throw stuff at me, what if my powers don’t work that way.”

“What ‘don’t work that way’?” Payback jumped in “Thunder was frying you with a million volts and you walked out of that good as new.”

“We should be grateful to him, that awful beard is gone, you looked like a caveman dude” Spotlight mocked.

I passed a hand over the now smooth skin on my face, marveling at the lack of even scars, I'm sure my eyes had melted there at one point, is me not having ptsd related to the power, or was my brain fried. Anyway, as much as I liked my beard before I liked my powers much better.

After talking for so long we finally arrived at an old barn, it was in a part of the farm that had no plantations, just grass and weeds, maybe an area for cows to graze or something, the barn itself didn't look to be inhabited at all, the paint flaked and the wood falling apart at spots.

“Is this it?” I asked, unimpressed.

“Use your brain” Spyglass chose that moment to speak up, she was clearly still angry with me.

Spotlight wriggled his eyebrow at me, all proud of something. “Come on let's get inside I Wanna sleep already.” He said urging us to enter.