Pro-now waited in an open van at five.

“Get in,” he said, the instant I entered the basement car park. “Your punctuality is appreciated, Volley.”

I climbed into the van, noting how it had actual rows of seats. “Good morning.”

Kabash grunted from behind the wheel. “Morning. You look like you slept well.”

“Not really. No.”

“You can rest later,” Pro-now said, punching a button on the door. It slid shut, and the van purred to life.

I yawned into the dark, thankful for the neck gaiter. “So, where are we going?”

“Out,” Pro-now said, somewhat amused. “We are meeting the SRA.”

I sat up a little straighter. “Why are we going with only three people?”

“Because this is a covert operation. Kabash and I would have been fine on our own. But I am interested in showing you the ropes. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled.”

Yeah. Eyes, peeled. Got it.

The van slowed as it approached the northern gates. The Combat suits waved us through after a brief confirmation.

“You should probably let the Colonel know we are close,” Kabash said. “I can get us there in ten.”

“She will be there,” Pro-now replied. He didn't say anything more.

Domo slumbered at this hour. The streets beyond the Council’s grounds lay empty, save for the odd speeding car. Streetlights bathed the roads, though large swathes of terrain sat unused.

Kabash fiddled with some buttons on the dashboard. “No sign we are being tailed,” he said. “Not picking any suspicious transmissions either.”

Pro-now hummed. His protected chin rested against his chest, giving off the appearance of slumber. He wasn't asleep though, which made this my best chance to broach the topics of Toye and Ava.

“Pro-now, sir,” I said.

A phone beeped.

Pro-now raised a hand to the side of his visor. “They’ve arrived, Kabash.”

“Almost there,” Kabash said, stepping down on the gas.

We rolled into an open field. Three shadowy SUVs waited in a semi-circle, barely visible to my enhanced sight. Kabash exchanged a code with them on the radio. He killed the engine.

“Follow behind me, Volley,” Pro-now said. “Maintain a distance of three meters and keep your weapons at the ready.”

I nodded.

A door slammed in the opposite direction. Pro-now waited five heartbeats, then signaled we alight. The wind blew warm and humid in our faces; a promise of rain to come.

“Pro-now,” Colonel Tijani greeted. “I admire your cautiousness, but was all of this necessary?”

“Just following Council procedure, Colonel,” Pro-now said.

“I am all for procedure when it doesn’t retard progress.”

“And I won’t say I care. Let’s get this done with.”

Colonel Tijani whistled. Two soldiers approached from behind her, lugging a bundle between them. They dumped it in the space between our groups and retreated. Muffled sounds rose from the dense wrappings of cloth.

“I expect word of this to never get out in public,” Colonel Tijani warned. “I stuck my neck out for this one. Ensure you deliver.”

“We will,” Pro-now said, inspecting the bundle. Satisfied, he called me forward.

Colonel Tijani gave me a once-over, then turned back to Pro-now. “I have done my part. I leave the rest to you. My men are ready to move whenever.”

“Three days,” Pro-now said. “If I take longer than that to contact you, consider our mission a failure.”

“We don't have three days. Once his people realize he is missing—”

“I will contact you when I am ready, Colonel.”

Colonel Tijani turned away. Her men followed after her.

“Grab the other end,” Pro-now said to me.

I did as commanded and helped him haul the feverish bundle to our van. The trunk sprung open as we approached, and Pro-now tossed the captive in, a little rougher than necessary.

On the other side of the field, the SUVs drove away.

“I take it we just did something illegal,” I said, climbing back into the car.

“We didn't,” Kabash said.

“Did we?” Pro-now mused. “I wanted you to see this, Volley. To see how we sometimes sully ourselves when fighting pigs in pens of their own making.”

Pro-now differed from Dia Mater by a massive amount. She probably had no idea of the stunt we'd just pulled.

“Who was that?” I asked instead, though I suspected I knew the answer.

“Crime lord Evans,” Pro-now said. “You can say we've abducted him. Or to be more accurate, the SRA has abducted him for us.”

Kabash gripped the wheel. “It's nothing illegal. We are one-half of superhuman enforcement with special dispensation to arrest and detain. In this case, we are merely questioning a suspect arrested by allied forces.”

“Yes,” Pro-now said. “The powers of the CAH and the SRA are broad in scope. So long as it falls within our purview, we enjoy a considerable degree of autonomy.”

“I'm cool with it,” I said.

“No, Volley”—Kabash shook his head—“you shouldn't simply be cool with it.”

“What I mean is, I understand why you do what you do,” I clarified. “Things are different now, yeah? Supers were considered less than human before you won the war. And I doubt there is any military force in existence that treats known terrorists with kiddie gloves.”

Pro-now kept his gaze on me.

“This goes without saying,” I said. “I know Evans is a terrible person, but we don't intend to kill him, do we?”

“We don't,” Kabash said. “Don't even think about it.”

“We don't,” Pro-now confirmed. “When we are done with him, he would be returned to the SRA in one piece for proper prosecution.”

“One piece fully intact?” I asked. “Or one piece with stitches at the seams?”

Pro-now's visor gleamed.

We cruised into the base, stopping this time in a corner of the parking lot. Kabash made for the trunk and lifted Evans into an over-the-shoulder carry.

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

“What next?” I asked.

“We go down,” Pro-now said, joining us. He retrieved a remote from one of his numerous pouches and clicked a button.

The parking lot thrummed. A section of asphalt parted, revealing a ramp. The ramp led down to a chamber, large enough to fit two vans of its own. Navigational lights lit the path, beckoning us into the ground.

“Huh,” I said.

We descended into the chamber, footsteps echoing in the quiet. Pro-now clicked his remote again and the ceiling whirred shut above us. A heavy tremor took the walls. An elevator?

Pro-now stepped beside me. “You can relax, Volley. You have too much tension in your shoulders.”

“I am relaxed,” I said. “This superhero business takes some getting used to, is all. Just a month ago, my biggest worry each morning was showing up late for work. Now . . . well, look at me. I’m detaining terrorists.”

Pro-now patted my shoulder. “I won’t say you’ll get completely used to the lifestyle. But it does get easier with time.”

“This elevator leads down to the holding cells?”

“It does. But only one of those cells is occupied at the moment. You have nothing to fear.”

The chamber opened up to a wide passage. Sterile walls framed a high ceiling dotted with LED lamps. Pro-now entered first. He led the way down the corridor, passing rows of doors built into the stone.

One door had the number eleven engraved on it. Pro-now stopped beside it, clicking another button on his remote. The room beyond held no furniture or windows, save for a lone mattress. A toilet and showerhead stood off to one corner, with the latter positioned above a raised platform. Kabash dumped Evans on the mattress, then moved to stand guard at the door.

Pro-now unwrapped the mob boss. Evans lay half-naked within the bundle, bound hand and foot. A blindfold obstructed his sight, and a matching gag ran over his mouth. Large headphones covered his ears, framing a balding grey head. The mob boss shivered on contact with the air. Sweat glistened on his skin.

Kabash whistled from his spot at the door. “Scythe sure is thorough. Is that a suppression collar on him?”

“A necessary precaution,” Pro-now said, tapping the collar on Evans’ neck. “You don’t want a high-profile captive like this to Emerge at the wrong time.”

Kabash grunted. “I take it you're starting the interrogation now?”

Pro-now rose to his feet. “No. We should leave him to stew. He'd regain a spine if he discovers his captors are the supposed good guys. We need to keep him off-balance as long as possible.”

“You’re the boss.”

I looked around the cell. Soft music filtered out of Evan’s headphones, bouncing off the walls. “No Light's somewhere here, right?” I asked. “How's he doing?”

Kabash sighed. “Worse. We are helping however we can, but his mental health is deteriorating. We plan on sending him to a hospital, but the types designed to house dangerous Supers are no different from prisons.”

I couldn't imagine No Light in a normal behavioral health hospital. At least, not one without chains, guns, and a dearth of electrical appliances. The intricacies involved in monitoring him had probably forced Pro-now to offer him to the SRA.

“You may leave, Volley,” Pro-now said. “You've been of fine service today.”

“I didn't even do anything.”

He chuckled. “That may be the case. But the decision I took here could be yours to make in the future. Return to your dorm. Rest, refresh, and stand ready to move on short notice. The instant I get the information we need from Evans, we will mobilize our forces.”

“How long are we looking at,” I asked, “at the nearest?”

Pro-now stared at the shivering Evans. “As I said, three days.”

Kabash clapped me on the back. “He's being modest. If Pro-now can't pry Evans apart within three hours of sitting with him, then he isn't Pro-now, and we’d be needing a new leader.”

Pro-now huffed. The sound emerged flanged from his respirator.

I excused myself and trekked back to the elevator. The chamber opened up topside before I realized I hadn't told Pro-now any of the things that bothered me.

Drat.

The morning went by in slow, torturous seconds. I changed out of costume and caught a nap, plagued though it was by fits and stops. The Pacesetters had no activities scheduled for the day, but nervous energy suffused the entirety of the base. It crawled beneath the doors and slithered up my bed, choking me even in my sleep.

I woke for the umpteenth time and abandoned further attempts at relaxation. If the anticipation won’t let me sleep, I might as well grab a late breakfast.

Toye and Obong occupied the tatami mats below, practicing their kata. Alewo and Ava were nowhere in sight, though the odd explosion emanating from the workshop hinted at where the former might be. I sat at the dining table and cradled a bowl of yam porridge that reeked of garlic. My phone beeped beside me, revealing a new message from Eden.

My heart swelled. I was certain she wouldn’t contact me again after her I ignored her messages from that day, and I still didn’t know how to respond. I had to apologize. Dragging this out could permanently hurt our friendship.

“Pacesetters,” AV announced.

My heart deflated.

“You are to gather for a new mission. Please assemble in the garage within twenty minutes.”

I cast one long look at the text messaging icon on my phone, and then, with shaky fingers, I depressed the power button. The rest of breakfast went by in a whir. I jogged across the catwalk to the dorms, wrestling my apprehension.

Toye exited his room about the same time I entered the corridor. We crossed paths without exchanging any words. I hastened into the bathroom and threw myself beneath the scalding water. My growing unease didn’t wash off.

I arrived at the garage, fully geared and ready to defend myself. The newest addition to my arsenal—the kitchen knife from the night before—sat hidden within a sheath on my back.

Kabash inspected our appearance. “Good. Good. Tie your sash properly, Harvest. I don't want you tripping over your feet.” He stopped beside Neviecha. “We won't be needing you: Bazaar, Neviecha. You’re sitting this one out.”

“Why?” Neviecha cried, tottering in his mechanical walker.

“Do you even need to ask?” Kabash gruffed. “Bazaar's still on probation, and you don't have a proper fighting mecha available. That contraption will only get you killed.”

“No, it won't,” Neviecha refuted. He flicked a joystick and extended one mechanical arm. “I can lift thrice my weight with this.”

“Yet only half your folly. If this was mere grunt work, I’d have no problems bringing you along. But we are embarking on a dangerous mission, and you are extremely vulnerable. You are not coming along. Full stop.”

“What exactly will we be doing?” Activity asked.

“Classified,” Kabash said. “You will be debriefed en route.”

Bazaar snorted. “That's just fancy speak for saying we are moving on the Four-oh-Four.” She stretched her arms above her. “Since I am not needed, I’ll head back to bed. Good luck, peeps. I guess.”

“This is so unfair,” Neviecha whined, as Bazaar stalked away.

“It isn't,” Kabash said. “And I will hear no more of your complaints.” He climbed into an SUV. Harvest, Activity, and I followed after him. I rode shotgun by default.

I settled into the leather seat and strapped on the seatbelt. “Can I ask where are we going at least?”

“To meet with your respective teams,” Kabash said. “I’ll be dropping you off at rendezvous points, and the rest will follow from there.”

“What do you mean ‘teams’?” Harvest squeaked. “We aren't going to be together?”

Kabash nodded. “We are splitting up, together with the SRA. Our collective strength will be divided into three.”

Activity guffawed. “This is it, isn't it? We are doing it today? Stopping the Four-oh-Four?”

The vehicle swerved out of the garage.

We roared onto the city’s carriageway as if the very hounds of hell were right behind us. Wind hissed through cracks in the windows, light and warm beneath the afternoon sun. In contrast, the knife hung behind me, cold and heavy. A dreadful weight loomed on my back.

“You’re up first, Volley,” Kabash said. “Your drop-point is bridge-side at the Industrial Zone. Two members of the adult team will meet up with you. Along with two squads of SRA troops.”

I tightened my bandolier. “Is there anything I need to know?”

“Nothing I can tell you, no. Pro-now’s the only one with details of all three missions. But you will most likely be assigned headgear.” He glanced at my teammates. “You all have studied the intel we sent on the Four-oh-Four, right?”

Harvest butted in before we could answer. “We have. But why are you people being so secretive about this? You said we would be attacking in a month.”

“They are acting this way because of the leak,” Activity said. “Remember the Mutu Minna incident? Someone on our side is leaking information to the enemy.” He narrowed his eyes. “Or am I wrong, sir?”

“You are not,” Kabash said.

“There's a mole in the base?” Harvest shrilled, eyes widening behind her mask. “Doesn't that mean the syndicate knows exactly how to beat us?”

“You're working with Rabidor and me,” Kabash said. “You have no reason to worry.”

She had every reason to do so if the way her eyes darted around were any indication.

We continued until we got to a bridge that had been cordoned off for construction work.

Kabash pulled to a stop. “Good luck, Volley.”

“You too,” I said.

Behind me, Harvest raked at her hair with jittery fingers while Activity endured a wave of diarrhea. Either that or he was trying to glare.

“All the best,” I said to them.

“Thanks,” Harvest said, smiling thinly.

I hopped off the SUV and took the ramp down the bridge. The area below sprawled barren and untarred. A slab of concrete provided a good vantage point, and I sat on it, looking out over the road.

I had been privy to Pro-now’s decision-making process, yet he’d somehow managed to throw me for a loop. I couldn’t imagine the saboteur faring any better. The choice to keep Ava out of the mission meant she would be stuck inactive in her quarters, while we laid the Four-oh-Four matter to rest.

So, why did I feel uneasy?

A trio of rusty trucks purred down the ramp, coming to a stop just beneath the bridge. The driver's window rolled down on the last one. Pro-now waved from out of it.

I leaped off the concrete slab and walked up to him. Large, black eyes met mine, visible behind a transparent visor.

“Kabash made it in time, I see,” Pro-now said. “Get in.”

Someone else occupied the backseat, and they appraised me as I entered.

“What's this?” All Mine said. “Talk about a pleasant surprise. You didn't tell me I was on the same team with angry boy.”

“We aren't here to fraternize,” Odim hissed from the passenger seat. “I still don't understand why you were so adamant about riding with us.”

“I’ve said it already,” All Mine said. “We won't backstab each other this way, and you get to keep me hostage.”

“Settle in for a long ride, Volley,” Pro-now said. “We are hitting a manor owned by the Four-oh-Four. It is situated on the northern outskirts of Newtown. Ogun State, to be precise.”

I winced. “Seeing as we are going with soldiers, I’m guessing there will be a lot of shooting?”

Pro-now rolled his window back up. “There will. And if we are lucky, bullets will be the least of our problems. We’ve sent eyes ahead to conduct preliminary scouting, but the manor's no ordinary manor, Volley. We’re assaulting the hideout of YamaYama.”

I groaned low in my throat. Things never went smoothly where I was concerned, did they?