Chapter 11

Debrief

Decibels shoulders sagged as Hector worked to prop an unconscious TJ and Jack against the compounds hallway. He tried giving them a shake to wake them but they were unresponsive , which drew a grim expression across Hector's face. He turned to see if Decibel needed help who was busy securing Anastasia aka Frostbite with a pair of ankle cuffs to match the ones on her wrist. He looked at the process curiously which caught Decibels eye.

“Power dampeners.” she explained “When she wakes up she’ll be lucky to make a puddle. You okay Cadet?”

Hector nodded “More or less…” he said as he touched at the cut on his cheek again.

“You should get that looked, maybe if-”

Her words were cut short but a sudden thrum of machinery coming from the base, shaking the floor slightly. “-Thats a changeover from the backup generators...maybe..” Decibel rubbed at her chin before calling out. “Artemis?”

The AI’s voice chirped through speakers posted in the hallways [I’m here Decibel, the infiltrators have left the facility and I am proceeding into Lockdown.]

Decibel rose to her feet and touched at her communications device in her ear. “Ruth? Do you read.”

There was a static crackle before Ruths voice sounded in Decibels ear “I’m here, Artemis is back online and I’m getting status reports from Security teams. At least the ones that are able to report in.”

“Casualties?” Decibel said in a lower tone as she turned away from Hector.

“... yes, but you should get down their and check on the candidates. With Artemis back we’ll get Lockdown procedures started proper.”

She closed her eyes. “Understood, I’ll need a medical and Security team on my position we have injured and one...prisoner. Cuffed and neutralized.”

“Understood, I’ll talk to you soon Sara” the line went dead, but Decibel could hear the emotion in Ruths voice.

Turning, she looked at Hector taking in the teen and his teammates. It was damn stupid what they had done, enough for her to want to yell the young Alphas eardrums right out of his head. She could already feel the welling of her voice in her throat, building pressure as she rounded on Hector. Instead, the exhaustion from the fight took its toll on the veteran hero and what came out was decidedly more muted than what she was known for. “What do you expect me to do after the stunt you just pulled? Putting yourself in danger like that?”

“What do you want me to say? We did what we thought was the right thing to do, okay?!” Hector snapped, his face falling as he just realized he sassed Decibel. “What I mean is-”

“-No, it’s okay.” Decibel said holding up a placating hand. “Lets get your friends settled, check on everyone. We’ll discuss this once things have cooled down.”

Hector could only offer a nod as his gaze went to the floor.

===

Two days had passed since the break-in and lockdown, throwing a monkey wrench into the Guardian Trials as they dealt with the PR fallout. Parents of candidates had been notified, many were pulled worrying for their children's safety or at the outrage of such a security breach. What had looked like a strong Cadet course dwindled almost by the hour as Hector and his friends would see more and more leave Facility Epsilon. For the time being the gang had been placed in temporary dorms and given time to treat their injuries.

Decibel had called Hector, Daniela, Jack, TJ and Cait to her private office for what she had called a “debrief”. As the young hero’s arrived and settled into chairs set out for them, Decibel was nowhere to be seen. It didn’t take long for the silence to be broken.

“So like, are we in trouble?” Jack asked, his knee bouncing.

“We’re not in her for nothing.” TJ mumbled as he sank a bit in his chair.

Daniela pushed up a pair of glasses that had slid down her nose a bit. “It’s not like she wouldn’t have a good reason.”

This garnered hurt looks from Hector, TJ and Jack.

“Look I’m on your guy’s side! I’m just saying that maybe...maybe we’re in the wrong.” she finished, straightening the pleats in her pants nervously.

“We should have been with them, at least then I’d feel better about being here.” Cait chimed in. “Why even bringing us here anyway Daniela?”

Daniela shrugged “Succeed as a team, fail as team?”

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“But like, it’s not like we did nothing.” Hector stressed as he gestured with his hands. “We held our own.”

“Hector, me and TJ got knocked out and you were on the ass end of an ass-kicking.” Jack said flatly.

“...Okay but we’re alive!” Hector argued.

A soft chime interrupted the groups conversation. Artemis shimmered into view, the AI’s holographic avatar had her hands folded in front of her.

[Good Morning Candidates. Director Decibel will be along shortly, thank you for your patience.]

She blinks out of existence, leaving the group alone again.

“That's going to take some getting used to.” TJ said from his chair.

Jack raised a pointed finger “Does she...does she watch us while we sleep?”

[I do have access to surveillance, in a manner speaking, yes.] Artemis’ voice replied through the speakers.

Jack put his hands on his chin. “Lovely.”

Decibel walked into her office as the groups five sets of eyes traced her path. She had foregone her super suit in favor of a smart gunmetal pantsuit with her tied into a high bun. Decibel took a seat behind a spartan computer desk and tapped at the surface with a pen as she looked at the Cadets.

“I should, by all bylaws and rules expel you three-” she gestured at Hector, TJ, and Jack “Right out the damn door.”

Jack raised a hand “Right but it’s not like we got hurt.”

Daniela pinched the bridge of her nose.

“What?” Jack said throwing his hands in the air.

“The point Mister Kelly is that what you did was entirely the reason we offer this training. It’s not even an act of insubordination so much as an act of stupidity. You could have died, Mister Kelly.” she loomed at Jack as her stare drilled into him, causing the teen to curl up uncomfortably in his chair.

“You showed no regard for your own safety, or your fellow cadets and disobeyed a direct order from Staff.” she said as she checked a file that was resting on her desk.

She let the silence hang in the air as the cadets stewed on her last comment.

“Having said that...we’ve lost enough candidates as it is with this PR nightmare, and top Brass has made their intentions known that, for now, you will all begin your Guardian training come Monday.”

It took the group a moment to realize the news Decibel had just given them, and a few smiles spread across.

“I will be keeping a close eye on all of you, one more escapade like that and you’re out. Am I clear?”

They all nodded.

“Dr.Belic will run you through the rest. Hector I need you to stay a minute the rest of you are dismissed.”

The others got up and began to shuffle out, Cait mouthing a “sorry” to Hector with a sympathetic look on her face. Soon Hector was alone with the Director of Facility Epsilon.

“Given the situation with Anastasia's capture Hector, we need to have a serious conversation.” she continued as she slid a document across her desk towards Hector. “Right now you are privileged...to a very sensitive piece of information Hector. I’m talking International Crisis level threats are we on the same page?”

“Yes..Director?”

“Director is fine, we need you to sign this non-disclosure. We managed to have it not leak to the public about Anastasia's capture during the raid, and right now we’re trying to contact Winters Realms governments to discuss about what comes next. The way you knocked her out, this could very well make you or your other friends a target Hector. Part of the reason we’re keeping you on is to make sure that you’re safe.” she slid over a pen. “I’m sorry to have to put this on you, but failure to comply will result in incarceration or worse.”

Hector felt numb as he took the pen from it’s place and signed his name on the document that Decibel had given him. This all felt a world beyond what he had expected joining the Guardian program, and the implications that Decibel was bringing on the teen made him extremely anxious.

She retrieved the document and gave it a quicker overview, making sure that everything was in order. She clicked her tongue, satisfied and drew her eyes to stare into Hectors. “I think we’re done here for now. I’m looking forward to see what you and your team can do when classes start monday.”

Hector mumbled a thank you as he avoided her gaze.

“Dismissed, Cadet.”