Chapter 10 – What’s Going On?

Darrius had always been a bit hesitant when it came to new recruits. He had seen too many people with powers become corrupted by their abilities and the ego that grew from their new power. He didn't want to bring anyone onto the team who would ultimately become a danger to themselves and others. He already had a member of his little squad within DOSA that he wished he could shitcan. Mark was the epitome of what he didn’t like about new heroes. But there was something about Sarah that intrigued him. She seemed different than the others, even his old friends.

Darrius hadn’t seen anything yet, but from the descriptions she gave, and the information from Mia during Sarah’s registration, something seemed unusual. Sarah seemed to have a similar power set to an old friend of his… Man. His old best friend that had turned against them, and ultimately had to be put down. Darrius couldn't help but wonder if Sarah was cut from the same cloth. Maybe somehow winning the genetic lottery and pulling the same rabbit out of the hat that Man did. He knew that her blood tests had come back negative for the superhuman genetic markers, but that didn't necessarily mean anything, yet. Man had never tested positive either though. That’s two similarities.

Darrius decided to bring Sarah in for a talk after she had been living at The Obelisk for about six days. He needed to get a better sense of who she was and what she could do. He had an odd feeling of connection with the young girl. It formed questions in his advanced mind that even he was confused about. How could this strange girl be connected to the most powerful superhuman he had ever known and had been dead for fifteen years?

Darrius found himself inside his office at The Obelisk in Lebanon, Kansas. It was the headquarters of the government agency, DOSA, and all the newest cutting-edge technology and vast resources were at their disposal there. As with any massive building full of people, there were amenities of all varieties within. Like an airport or a mall, The Obelisk was home to a food court with a couple of coffee shops placed throughout.

Darrius waited at the coffee shop after he had sent a digital impulse from his connected mind to the tablet attached to the entry door of Sarah’s room. He sent her a message with an invitation to get something to eat and to talk with her.

It had been almost a week since she arrived at DOSA Lebanon. She hadn’t really done much yet. She just lived out of her room, walked the building from time to time, and was occasionally visited by Art. He took her to an empty white room once where he tried to have her use some kind of ability. She wasn’t able to use her superstrength at will, but she did summon it unwittingly. She didn’t know it, but Art was running an experiment. He was applying pressure on her with his powers. He slowly added more force as the minutes went on while he pretended to have her attack some wooden training dummies in a corner. He was activating her strength subconsciously without her knowing by applying more weight to her steps. She would have been completely crushed if she were a normal human. But she acclimated and then would move and attack with little to no effort. Then he’d add more pressure, then more, and more. Art was astonished, but he never told her what he was doing. He talked about it with Darrius for hours after the fact. Sarah was a little embarrassed and visibly upset with herself as she couldn’t directly replicate what she had done in the woods by her home, but Art said he wasn’t worried about it.

Sarah was just sitting in her room, still unsure about what she was doing. She missed her mom, Jack, and Phoebe. She missed her dad… a lot. As time kept ticking on without him, Sarah felt so much regret about all the things she had thought and the way she acted towards him sometimes. Her harsh words and attitude toward her loving dad were the actions and impulses of an immature child. She felt like shit and was looking at herself differently now because of everything. She wanted to go home, but she knew she couldn’t. She had to trust Mia and stay with Art and Darrius. Whatever abilities she had, whatever her blood told Mia, she couldn’t go home. Not until Darrius and Art could train here, make her part of their squad, and keep the worms inside DOSA away from her identity. She wiped away her tears and gathered herself. She had to be strong.

Just as she wiped away the tears, a white box with words appeared on a tablet that seemed to be mounted on the wall. She got up and read the message, surprised to see an invitation from Darrius. He wanted to talk.

Sarah made her way through the towering corridors of The Obelisk. The building was a marvel of modern architecture, with sleek, metallic walls and glass paneling that rose up into the sky like a metallic spire.

As she navigated her way through the labyrinthine halls, Sarah pulled out her tablet, which displayed a detailed map of the building. The map was overlaid with real-time data from the building's vast network of sensors, giving her an unprecedented level of situational awareness.

The interior of The Obelisk was just as impressive as the exterior. The walls were adorned with digital art installations, depicting everything from abstract patterns to breathtaking landscapes. Sarah couldn't help but pause to admire a particularly stunning piece, a holographic projection of a sunset over a mountain range, that seemed to stretch out into infinity.

As she continued on her way, Sarah passed through a massive atrium, a vast open space that spanned multiple floors of the building. The atrium was filled with lush, tropical foliage, and the sound of a babbling brook echoed through the space. All around the outer perimeter of the space were countless food stalls, and restaurants for the multitude of government employees.

Sarah made her way past a series of security checkpoints, each one guarded by heavily armed agents. The agents scrutinized her credential tablet carefully before allowing her to pass, a testament to the security measures in place at The Obelisk. Sarah couldn't help but be awed by the sheer scale and scope of The Obelisk. It was a monument to human ingenuity, a testament to what could be achieved when brilliant minds came together to solve the world's problems. And she was proud to be a part of it.

Sarah made her way through the bustling food court, scanning the various stalls for something to eat. The choices were nearly endless, with cuisine from all over the world represented. She settled on a bowl of spicy noodles from a bustling Asian fusion stand, then made her way to a table near the center of the court. She kept her eyes peeled for Darrius, unsure how to locate him through the hoard of people.

As she sat down to just eat what she ordered, she saw Darrius approaching, a steaming cup of coffee in hand. He took a seat across from her and smiled warmly. His cold-looking silver eyes analyzed her as he sat across the table.

"Hey, Sarah," he said, much kinder than she expected. "How's your first week at 'The Obelisk' been?"

"It's been amazing," Sarah replied, digging into her noodles. "I'm still trying to get my bearings, but everyone has been so helpful. And the technology here is incredible."

Darrius nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "Yeah, we definitely have all the latest toys. But it can be a bit overwhelming, especially at first. Is there anything you're struggling with?" Darrius took a serious look, basically telling her with his eyes that he knew she missed her family.

Sarah shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I'm still getting used to the security protocols and all that, but it is what it is. I miss my mom and my brother and my sister. I want them to know that I’m okay."

Darrius nodded, looking pleased. "That's good to hear. We need people who can hit the ground running. But it’s not a crime to miss your family. Don’t think you have to act tough about that. I know you’re only 16 years old. Being away from home for the first time without your parents is hard. I remember when I went out on my first patrol…” Darrius reminisced about old times. “I was terrified. My mom has no powers, but I wished she was there with me. Don’t worry, I have been working on something for you.” Darrius reached into a pocket on the inside of his black coat. He pulled out a silver device that looked like a cell phone. “This is for you. You can call your mother any time you want, let her know you’re okay. It is completely secure. No one will be able to trace it to your family.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Sarah didn’t know what to say. She gritted her teeth and tried to sit very still as she willed the tears to suck back up into her eyeballs.

“Thank you,” was all she could manage as she clutched the device.

She didn’t need to say a word. Darrius understood the pain she was feeling. Not all of it, but enough to know this was a great gesture to her.

“Even so, it’s best to maybe not call all the time. That phone will call her through my own personal network and then scrub her phone records after the call is over. Completely untraceable. However, if you tell her too much, she might end up causing enough noise on her own that she could draw attention, and that is what we are trying to avoid.”

Sarah nodded, feeling grateful for his words. "Thanks, Darrius. I'll keep that in mind."

As they continued to talk, memories of Man started flooding back to Darrius. Man had been a close friend, but when the government agency DOSA started forcing superheroes to register and bow down to their control, Man refused. He believed that the government was corrupt and that superheroes should be free to do as they pleased, so long as they were trying to help save lives. It ultimately led to his downfall, as the Chicago Knights had been forced to kill him. Darrius gritted his teeth as he remembered his killing blow to the close friend he had once known.

Darrius could pick up on a steady underlying energy signature coming from Sarah. The resemblance to Man was uncanny, and as Darrius looked into her eyes, he could almost see Man staring back at him. He knew that he had to be careful with this recruit. He couldn't let history repeat itself. He knew that this young girl was not the person he once knew, but there was just something there…

He decided to schedule full scans of her body and brain to get a better sense of what was going on with her powers. He couldn't take any chances with someone who reminded him so much of his old friend turned bad guy. He explained it as a way to possibly learn more about her powers, but he secretly needed to know what he’d find.

As Sarah left the coffee shop, Darrius couldn't help but feel conflicted. He knew that her powers could be a valuable asset to the team, but he also knew that he couldn't let his emotions cloud his judgment. He would have to wait until the scans came back before he made any final decisions.

After meeting with Sarah in the food court, Darrius made his way to a conference room where Art and the Rivers Twins were waiting for him. As soon as he walked in, Art spoke up.

"Hey, Darrius. How's our new recruit settling in?"

Darrius took a seat at the head of the table, his mind still preoccupied with thoughts of Man. "She seems to be doing well. I think she's eager to learn, but unsure of her powers. She misses her family, but she seems… committed."

The Rivers Twins exchanged a glance, and one of them spoke up. "But you're worried about her, aren't you? Because of the similarities to Man."

Darrius nodded, grateful that they understood. "Yeah, I am. It's not just her powers, though. There's something about her that reminds me of him. The way she moves, the way she talks...it's like he's still here, somehow."

Art leaned forward, his expression serious. "I understand why that would be concerning. But we have to remember that Man was a danger to us and the world. He refused to bow down to the government's demands, and it cost him his life."

The Rivers Twins didn’t nod or agree, only listened.

“That’s what everyone remembers… right?” Darrius’ inner rage boiled up. “Or, that’s what we all just told ourselves so we could live with what we did.”

Art shook his head. “We had to protect ourselves, and our families. They had the power, and he was a threat. He killed three of us…”

“Why did they go at him like that?” Kody flared up in anger at Art.

Art twisted his head around quickly, surprised at the emotional response from Kody.

Kyle butted in, “It never made sense why those three would hit him back to back in different locations like that. It was like they were trying to get themselves killed. If they would have all three teamed up they would have stood a better chance. It always seemed…” Kyle was cut off.

“Please,” Art huffed. “We’ve been over this before. We couldn’t control any of that back then. I had to fight to keep you all safe. Every single one of you. If Man would have continued, if he would have pulled any of you into his rebellion, you’d be dead right now. It wasn’t…”

Darrius cut Art off now, “Staged?” The technomancer nodded, his cool silver eyes piercing through Art’s words.

Art was very passionate about protecting all of his heroic friends. When DOSA took control, all he wanted was to keep them all safe. All of the CKs. He tried, begged, and pleaded with Man to make the smart choice, but he wouldn’t listen to reason. He wanted to protect everyone just as much as Darrius, but he had no real answers as to what happened back in the early days. They were all trying to survive.

“Look, we’re here now. Whatever Sarah has going on, familiar or not, she’s one of us now. Not DOSA, but a CK. If Mia felt something, we need to trust that. We just need to help her,” Darrius said.

Art reached out and clasped Darrius' shoulder. "We'll keep an eye on her, Darrius. And if we see any signs of trouble, we'll deal with it. But for now, we have to trust each other. If there is some kind of strange connection to Man, we’ll make sure DOSA never finds out."

Darrius took a deep breath, feeling slightly more at ease. "You're right, Art. We all just have to learn to let go of the past and focus on the present.”

As Darrius sat in the conference room with Art and the Rivers Twins, he suddenly felt a jolt of energy shoot through his mind. His mind was spurred into immediate action as the information registered. His eyes widened as he received a notification from his low-orbit satellite that had been performing continual scans of the planet. Leviathan energy signatures had appeared off the west coast.

"Guys, we have a problem," Darrius said emotionless, standing up from his seat.

"What's going on?" Art asked, concern etched on his face.

"Leviathan… west coast," Darrius explained. "We need to act fast."

Kody and Kyle immediately sprang into action, portaling out of the room to start equipping the transport. They couldn’t portal the entire jet, team member load-outs, and anything they might need. So they would focus on readying the long-distance travel while Art and Darrius handled logistics and alerting DOSA.

"We need to come up with a plan," Art said.

"We need to make sure we have all the resources we need," Darrius added. “I’ve retrieved my newest loadout from home. It’s already equipped in the shuttle. This one won’t have a chance. Not like the last one did with that outdated tech.”

“You got specifics on this thing yet? Who do we need to bring?”

Darrius moved quickly through the corridors of The Obelisk, "We can't take any chances with this. The Leviathans are too dangerous. We’ll take everyone!"

As they headed out of the conference room, Darrius couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu. This was exactly the kind of situation that had led to Man's downfall and DOSA taking over. The Leviathan threat had come out of nowhere and all of a sudden, once the dust had settled, the heroes were pariahs, and the government took control. Now the Leviathans were back… what would happen this time, once the dust settled.

But Darrius knew that he couldn't let that fear control him. He had to stay focused on the present and do everything he could to protect the world.

"Let's go," he said, leading the way toward an elevator, towards the top levels of DOSA. "We don't have much time."

As Darrius and the team gathered around the table in the conference room, Lawrence Peterson, the director of DOSA Lebanon, and Secretary Plum, the head of the entire government agency, joined them.

"What's the situation, Darrius?" Plum asked, his voice laced with annoyance.

Darrius didn't let the Secretary's hostility faze him. "We have a new Leviathan threat, Secretary. It's a hybridized wolf, 400 feet tall, and its energy signatures suggest it's highly aggressive."

Plum’s face shifted to pale and out of his depth.

"We need to take it out before it can do any damage," Art added.

Secretary Plum looked at Darrius skeptically. "And how do you propose we do that?" Showing a false sense of macho attitude like he could come up with something better.

Darrius pulled up images on his tablet, showing the creature's scaly, dark blue exterior with slick indigo tentacles that traced down its sides and haunches. "Satellite scans show us that the creature has a weakness in its underbelly. Our team will focus on attacking that area."

Director Peterson looked concerned. "But, Darrius, we can't take a recruit into the field. Sarah hasn't been tested or fully registered yet. I honestly don’t understand why you would request this rookie on such a dangerous mission."

Darrius was firm. "I understand the risks, Director, but the importance of this event cannot be underestimated. We need all hands on deck, and Sarah has shown immense potential. I do not doubt that she will be a valuable asset to the team. If anything her strength can supplement Mark’s to help support the rest of the team."

As the conversation continued, Darrius couldn't help but feel a bit conflicted about Sarah's involvement in the mission. He knew that she hadn't been fully understood yet, but he also believed that this could be a chance to see what her powers were capable of in times of immense stress. He decided to keep his thoughts to himself and instead focus on the task at hand, but he couldn't help but wonder if he was making the right decision. He had lied to his superiors about her, claiming a concrete solid description of her powers under the guise of superhuman strength and durability, but he knew there would be much more. He had a feeling that he couldn’t shake. She was special… just like him.

Plum scowled, clearly unhappy with the decision, but he ultimately relented. "Fine. But if anything goes wrong, it's on your head, Darrius. You’ll be the one calling her family."

Darrius nodded. "Understood. Now, let's get to work. We need to plan and organize a strategy before we head out."

As the team began to discuss their plan of attack, Darrius couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. He may have enemies within DOSA, but he was confident in his ability to lead the team and take down the Leviathan threat. After that, he needed to figure out how they were coming back.