It was still early morning and we were eager to go out guns blazing, but Francis brought us back down to earth. He said we should set up a location for an ambush to give ourselves the best chance of success, and that we should wait until after school to execute the plan. Sam – being the most eager – was quick to contend his point. However, when she found herself with no backup from the rest of us, she relented.
“I feel like I’m in way over my head.”
I understood where Liam was coming from. Watching one of Ajax’s Walkers stalk through the street next to our school whilst flanked by a dozen Sweepers was an intimidating sight. Everyone stopped to watch the display. Despite how close the metallic legs got to passing pedestrians, no one was in danger of being crushed. Ajax’s tech was far too sophisticated to lack perfect dynamic obstacle pathing.
“I know what you mean, but I can’t help but feel a little excited. I wonder what makes those machines tick,” I mused with an ever-present grin. “Solar Fusion is an incredibly efficient energy source. I cross-referenced it with my Jericho Cores and found they output three hundred times more energy. If I could get my hands on just one of them, I could overhaul my workshop. I could reconfigure my suit and make the modules in my suit more effective. The Jericho Cores are incredible for what I have now, but Ajax’s stuff is next level. I…”
I turned to face Liam. He wasn’t looking at the colossal Walker passing through the street. Instead, he was glancing down at the half-opened book in his hands filled with complex algebraic math equations.
“Uh, I meant this,” he flipped a few pages. “I just hate math, man. Who the fuck decided to add letters, some of them aren’t even English. Guess I’m just not wired that way,” Liam looked up at me before turning his head to look at the Walker. “Oh, that? Uh, yeah, sorta. I mean, I’m not really worried too much. Sure, it might be packed with all kinds of weird weapons, but we busted Grim, so… kinda hard to beat that. I’m sure we’ll be fine. I’m more worried about the homework I haven’t finished.”
“...Homework?”
“Dude, my uncle— err, Francis, said this was my last shot at school. If I can’t get this shit down, I’m done for,” he snapped the textbook shut and shoved it back into his bag with a sigh. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through it all. I barely cared before and now I’m really behind on everything.”
“I thought you didn’t care.”
“I don’t. Not really, but Mia actually wants me to try,” Liam awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “So I figured I might as well put in some effort. I’ve never liked just giving up and I can’t exactly fake trying. I wouldn’t even know where to start with that. Plus, Mia’s good when it comes to spotting my bullshit. She and Natasha always knew when I stole lollies from them.”
“She seems like the type.”
“The type?”
“To spot that stuff,” I shrugged. “Alex is like that. I can’t really think of a time where I’ve been able to keep things from her. Half a world away and whenever we talk it's like she knows what’s going on just by looking at me. It's freaky. There were times when I was younger where me and Mom would call her, and she’d just pick up on things. I don’t know how she does it. Maybe I just looked really guilty?”
Liam hummed in thought, seemingly sympathizing with my experiences.
“She lives in France, right?”
“Studying abroad, yeah. Art, kinda like what Mia’s doing – well, different kind. Painting and all that, not Art History,” I rolled my eyes. “It’s taking her a lifetime to finish up her study, and then she’s going to come home.”
“Oh, cool,” Liam’s expression twisted a little. “I bet you’re uh… excited for that.”
“Well yeah, I’ve never had the chance to meet her in person,” I said with a frown forming on my lips. “I dunno if I want her to come back any time soon though. With all this going on, it’ll be hard to try and unplug from all the Super stuff. I have no idea if Cyberspace will even give me the leave to actually spend time with Alex. A couple of months back I thought a trip south to Zachery Port would be fun for us. Mom even agreed, but with those sinkholes opening up and all the chaos here… I don’t think it's really a good time for her to come back.”
Liam blinked, looking stunned.
“You… haven’t met her?”
“Well, I technically have, I was just really young. I must’ve been three or four when she left,” I scratched my chin, trying to recall the exact dates. Nothing came to mind, leaving me at a loss. “I can’t recall spending time with her, but I’m sure I did. Mom has a bunch of pictures, so yeah.”
“She’s been studying abroad for twelve years?” Liam looked astonished. “Dude, that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty ridiculous. Twelve years for some art degree is pretty outlandish, but she’s done that on purpose with all the breaks and traveling she’s been doing. Last year she sent us pictures of her trip to Marseille,” I emphasized my dismay with a deep sigh. “I told her to just get on with it, study full time and stop switching degrees so she can finish sooner. Then she can do all the traveling she wants. Though, everytime I try to say it, I just get hit with the ‘don’t tell me what to do lil bro’ card. It’s her life anyway, so I guess she can live it how she wants.”
“All that traveling and she hasn’t even come home to see you?”
I gave him a conflicted glare.
“Huh? She travels within France dude. Jumping in a van with some friends and sleeping in the back is a hell of a lot cheaper than flying international.”
“Maybe it’s just me but...” he stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked away. “Until Natasha left, she was always checking up on me. A day didn’t go by where she wasn’t up in my space. Sometimes it was cool, I got to play games with her, but other times it was just overbearing. She always wanted to see me, so it’s kinda weird to hear that you and your sister are so… distant?”
I laughed at the absurdity.
“We’re not distant. Mom and I video call her almost every day.”
“That’s not really the same as hanging out in person…”
“It's all we have!” I immediately reined in my temper. “Sorry. I just don’t really like talking about it, okay? Sure it’s weird, but no offense, but it's not really any of your business. What works for us, works. Alex will come and visit when she’s finished doing the things she wants to do. Until then, I’ll wait, and it’s not like Bayside or New Elpis are particularly nice places to come home to right now anyway.”
Liam awkwardly shuffled from side to side.
“My bad, dude. Didn’t mean to piss you off like that.”
“I’m not pissed off,” I snorted, rolling my eyes again. “It’s no big deal anyway, so we’re cool.” I noticed how my words seemed to have little effect on his declining mood, so I decided to employ a different strategy. “I haven’t forgotten, you know. I made you a promise to help you find Natasha. I intend to keep it. It doesn’t matter if she’s dead or alive, I want to help you find closure.”
Liam immediately perked up again.
“Y-Yeah, I know. I’m just struggling to think where we’re even supposed to start. Cyberspace said they’d investigate ‘other avenues’ but that could be anything,” he shouldered his bag and started walking toward the school entrance. I joined him, watching carefully to see if I could spot Lucy, Abby, Chris, or Jackson. “It still freaks me out to know that my sister was a Super – and my parents… I didn’t realize I was a second generation.”
That was something we had in common.
My biological father being a Super was a fact I had filed away in the back of my mind. Mom hadn’t given me much information about him, nothing I could work off, and I didn’t particularly feel comfortable sharing the revelation with Sam either. I wasn’t sure why I felt like that. I knew she’d figure it out if I started focusing on it. There was nothing to focus on anyway. The only thing I had to go on was a legal name – which was a decent starting point assuming I could break into the correct databases, but something told me I wouldn’t find much on the guy. Mom said he had enough connections to help him remain incognito, so I doubted any public information would yield anything substantial.
“Do you know anything about them?”
“My parents? Not really. Natasha pretty much took care of me. She said they died in an accident,” Liam clicked his tongue and huffed. “I’m thinking it was probably a lie though. If she was working with Cyberspace and all their goons, then she had to know something about our parents. Cyberspace didn’t say anything about having them in their ‘employ.’”
“That’s a conversation you should probably have with Cyberspace,” I said evenly. “I promised to help you, but unless you want it, I’m not going to go digging through your personal history. I know how much it upsets you that Sam can do it with her powers – unprompted by the way.”
“I don’t want to hold it against her,” Liam sighed. “I guess she’ll grow on me eventually, it’s just hard to trust Mentalists. I know I’ve said it before, but it creeps me out that she can just look at me and know everything about me. I don’t even have any skeletons in my closet for her to find. I can’t imagine what it must feel like for people who do.”
“I suppose it depends on the skeletons,” I mused. “If they’re bad enough, then I wouldn’t be too upset if Sam pulled them out for all the world to see.”
“I guess.”
We climbed the steps to Minerva’s entrance and merged with the flowing crowd. There was increased security all throughout the school, and the front entrance was now equipped with all sorts of fancy ECU tech. I didn’t feel concerned when I passed through because I knew my tech wouldn’t be detected.
“They’ve really amped up the security,” Liam commented, eyeing up one of the ECU soldiers standing by the entrance. The guard seemed to meet his gaze, giving him a curt nod before going back to observing. “Super serious too. I always used to wonder what it's like to be one of those guys. Must be pretty scary to be the first responder to wild Supers.”
“Abby says they have incredible life and medical insurance, two months annual leave, free tickets to any event they want, and start at a hundred and seventy grand a year,” I said with a chuckle. “For all the risks they take, I think the benefits they receive could be well worth it.”
Liam snorted.
“Any event?”
“Well, she lied about that one,” I laughed. “Forty percent discount.”
“That’s still good,” he shared in my amusement. “Before I got my powers, I thought about enlisting. Basic training and general military experience would suck ass at first, but I thought it would be pretty cool to be one of those super troopers. Just look at that gear!”
I rolled my eyes for the third time today.
“Mine is cooler. I’ve even started on some gear for you guys,” I said, causing his attention to snap to me. “I thought you didn’t like The ECU?”
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Only after I got my powers. It kinda kills the vibe when you’re the one they start aiming their guns at,” Liam shrugged. “I still think their tech is cool, and for the record, I think your stuff is awesome too. If you really are making stuff for us, can I make some requests?”
“I won’t make any promises, but I’ll consider any ideas you have.”
“Sweet, I’ll make sure to write ‘em down for you.”
It wasn’t long before we ended up parting ways for homeroom, which allowed me to keep an eye out for Lucy. Fortunately, someone else found me first.
“Max!” Abby appeared out of a crowd of students and clapped me on the back. “I was just about to text you. I was wondering if we could talk for a bit.”
“You’re looking better,” I said with a smile. Abby smiled back, taking the compliment in stride. The bags under her eyes had receded and she didn’t look so sleep-deprived. “Don’t suppose this has anything to do with the stuff we talked about yesterday?”
“Mom said she talked to you,” Abby said, leaning in. “I don’t wanna sound pushy or anything, but she said you’d go to the counselor with me. Is that true? Did you say yes? ‘Cause if you did, I would appreciate the support. It would be nice to have someone there that went through the same crap I did.”
“Yeah, I said I’d go,” I replied. “I didn’t need much convincing. If I do need it, it’ll be a good venture. If I don’t, then this opportunity will give me the chance to talk about other stuff that’s bothering me. Y’know, school stuff, my relationship with Mom and Alex… there’s plenty of stuff I could dive into,” I said, purposefully leaving out the revelation about my father. I didn’t want to give Abby any cause to suspect anything. “I dunno if any of that could be considered traumatic, but if it helps, it helps.”
“Yeah, they’re professionals,” Abby nodded eagerly. “Thanks, I didn’t think you’d say yes. I kinda just wanted to hear you say it. It was a bit unbelievable hearing it from Mom. Maybe this could be a chance to talk about your grievances with the ECU? It could help you get over the grudge you have.”
“Maybe,” I sighed, hiding my dismissive feelings on the subject. “I did push your mom on that front. She has information about it that she’s not allowed to share. Classified or lawfully withheld for whatever reason. I would like to know why Seismic Shock did what he did. I’ve always wondered.”
Abby frowned and averted her gaze.
“I wish I knew. I’d tell you if I knew, you know that, right?”
“Which is probably why they won’t tell you,” I reasoned evenly. “Other than the fact that you’re a Rookie. I doubt that information is relevant to your work. Maybe when you get older, or ascend the ranks like your mom.”
“Yeah, I don’t get a proper clearance level like the adults. All that stuff came pre-installed in my armor,” she said, holding up her Mechatech bracelet. “It’s how I get in and out of HQ.”
“Really?” I feigned surprise as best as I could. “You have credentials packaged into your armor?”
“Yup, and no one can steal it either because it's tuned to my genetic code. The armor will only activate at my touch so it’s basically foolproof,” Abby explained. “It’s a little bit annoying that I have to be wearing this thing all the time to get anywhere in the building, but as long as it keeps the staff and higher ups happy, then it’s whatever.”
That was an interesting tidbit of information. I hadn’t been aware that the Rookie armor worked like that. I supposed adult heroes’ armor would have the same features. It was the easiest solution, which meant if I could get a hold of one of them, I could potentially integrate the technology and credentials into my suit and just walk in. However, they’d almost certainly figure out I was accessing the building using stolen Mechatech. The ECU wasn’t that stupid.
It was an avenue still worth considering. Integrating Nanoforge’s tech into my suit would be worth the trouble just for the benefits alone. Possibly access to The ECU’s headquarters would just be a bonus.
“Huh, I don’t know if I ever considered that. Well, I’ll take what answers I’ll be able to get. Hopefully, I can end up wrangling some information from them about what was going on, otherwise, I’ll just end up talking to whoever it is that we’re going to be seeing about what happened with Pandora and Lucy. Still not feeling any crushing guilt, by the way.”
Abby just sighed.
“I guess you’re just doing a better job at justifying it than me. We have different perspectives, I’ve grown up around hero stuff and you’re a civilian. I’m expected to be better – to understand restraint and caution. You’re… you’re just expected to protect yourself. Survive,” she gave me a bitter smile. “I’m the one with powers after all. I can hardly blame you for feeling the way you do.”
I suppressed the urge to cringe.
“Powers or no powers, I don’t think I’d feel any different,” I watched Abby’s expression shift to display curious uncertainty. “Like I said, I told your mom I’d go with you, so if I have any deep-seated trauma about the incident, then we’ll probably find out. When is our first appointment, or is it still up in the air?”
“Thursday,” Abby replied. “That’s kinda what I wanted to talk to you about. Just wanted to see if I could pull a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer out of you today so I can let them know you’re coming. We can meet up after school and my mom can take us there. I’d fly you there myself, but I got told off the last time I took you guys for a joy ride.”
I smiled at the memory.
“Eight thousand feet isn’t really that high. I don’t know why Jackson was screaming so much. It’s not like you were going to drop us or anything.”
Abby giggled.
“The intrusive thoughts didn’t quite win out that day.”
“Thursday then,” I nodded. “I can make that work. I don’t think I have any assignments due, so there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.”
“You sure? We don’t want you to miss another assignment. I don’t think I can handle Lucy going missing again, knowing what I know now,” Abby ran a hand through her hair, her face turning somber. “I don’t know what to do about her, Max. We’ve known each other for so long, and now all this has come out… It's hard to look at her the same way. It’s not even like I don’t trust her, I just feel bad that she’s had to deal with all their crap. I have to figure out a way to get her out of that situation. I can’t just leave her there.”
“You mean ‘we’ have to figure something out,” I gave her a knowing look. “I’m not about to let you try and solo this, and you know Lucy is going to insist she doesn’t need any help. She said as much to me, plus you’ve got your Rookie stuff to worry about. If you start going all vigilante, they’ll come down on you hard.”
Abby scoffed.
“Maybe going solo is what I need to do. Can’t stand having to sit around and wait for shit to happen,” she rubbed her arms and rolled her shoulders like she was ready to pick a fight with the next person she saw. “I told Mom we should just take her and let her stay at headquarters. At least there she’s safe from whatever Pandora could do to her – and our Mentalists could prove her innocent.”
I raised a brow at that.
“You still think there's a possibility she’s just playing us?”
“I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt. I want to believe our years of friendship are genuine. If she stabs me in the back…” Abby trailed off, looking unwilling to finish that sentence. “Let’s just say I don’t want it to come to that, for both our sakes.”
“I believe her, wholeheartedly,” I said, without a shred of hesitation. “We should be there for her if she needs us, but we both know what Lucy’s like. She’d rather swim to shore with bricks tied to her feet than reach for a life raft.”
“Mmhm. I’m still thinking about what to do about her Dad. The bastard’s got a rap sheet bigger than my maths textbook,” Abby grumbled. “It’d be so easy too. I could wait for him to drop Lucy off at school, fly over, pick up his car, and spin it around so fast he turns into paste. He’d probably try and escape with his powers and light the whole damn thing on fire… hah! I could throw him and he’d be more of a comet than me.”
“That’s…” I paused, imagining the scene playing out in my head. It was graphic, but I wasn’t about to say that. “Strangely satisfying. Are you sure you don’t wanna change sides and be a villain? You’d definitely have the creativity for it.”
Abby giggled and rolled her eyes.
“Nah, I’m diagnosed with ‘don’t worry ma’am, everything is going to be alright’ syndrome, just like Mom. I don’t think I’d have it in me to rob a bank or push people around,” she crossed her arms over her chest before staring down at the floor. “The freedom would be nice, though. Sometimes the bureaucracy makes me want to turn HQ upside down.”
I felt like an opportunity was opening, so I lunged for it.
“You always say that you like helping people and being a hero, but I think I can count the times on both my hands when I’ve actually seen you happy about it,” I said, frowning. “Do you actually enjoy what you do? Who’s to say you can’t leave The ECU?”
“And go where?” Abby asked with a raised brow. “I don’t have a secret identity, I live exclusively at HQ, and my Mom is Domination. There’s not much else for me to do but keep on going how I am. Doesn’t matter if certain parts fuckin’ suck. I just have to stick it out.”
“It was just a thought.”
A weak smile crossed her lips.
“Not everything is sunshine and rainbows,” Abby sighed. “It rarely is, but that’s just what the job is like. Sooner or later, people like me realize the job isn’t as glamorous as it's hyped up to be. If you ask me, the propaganda The ECU put out is gross. The pretty lights on my armor? The cheesy codenames we have? It’s all for show. I can’t believe I once thought it was cool, ugh.”
“You’ve said it before. Soldiers.”
It was a sobering thought. The Rookie program was just a nice little way to hide behind the veil of training child soldiers, but it wasn’t like we weren’t turning ourselves into weapons either. Myself and the rest of Madhouse, Pandora, and The Queen’s Court were no better. We were just another symptom of a global sickness that wasn’t getting any better. With enough time, I could change that, and maybe Abby could help me with it.
“Glorified supersoldiers, police,” Abby clapped her hands together. “It's all the same shit really.”
The bell rang, signaling the start of the homeroom period.
“Better get going. I’ll catch you at lunch.”
“See ya. Oh, and hey! Thanks,” Abby caught me before I turned to leave. “I appreciate you agreeing to come with me to these sessions. It means a lot.”
“No problem.”
The hallways were empty now that homeroom period started, so I was left to my thoughts as I wandered.
If I could somehow lower the animosity between Abby and my super-persona, I could break the ice much better than I did with Lucy. There was every possibility we could develop some kind of working relationship while being on opposing sides of the law. I didn’t want her to be my enemy… in fact, I didn’t want any of the Rookies or the Bayside Heroes as my enemies, but I wasn’t about to submit myself to them. I liked the freedom I had now, and I had every intention to keep it.
It would be tricky, but getting Abby as an ally was something I wanted to try. I just needed to figure out how to even begin to approach it.
“Max—!”
I had been too busy staring at the floor as I ambled through the hallways to spot Lucy walking out of the principal's office. Her eyes widened a little, her head shifting back and forth between the door and me. When I saw who had followed her out, my blood froze.
Wildfire stood in the hallway next to his daughter, looking remarkably mundane. His features were sharp and angular, accentuated only by his short-cut hair. He wore a black suit with a dark red tie that appeared to be in immaculate condition. Lucy’s father was the picture of a traditional businessman that I would’ve easily pegged as some kind of lawyer or CEO.
When his gaze landed on me, I was worried I would’ve spontaneously combusted.
“Ah, hello Maxis,” his piercing glare softened in a blink of an eye, and his demeanor became unnaturally jovial. “It’s been quite some time since I last saw you. You’ve grown!” He moved before Lucy did, walking over and offering a hand. “I cannot believe it’s been so long since we’ve last talked.”
Numbly, I took his hand in mine. His grip was firm, almost crushing.
“My thirteenth birthday, I remember. You brought Lucy over,” I sucked in a breath and met his gaze. “Sorry, sir but I’ve got class and I imagine you’re a very busy man. I won’t keep you.”
“Busy doesn’t even begin to describe my work,” Han said, letting go of my hand. “The destruction Grim has wrought upon this city has left an unprecedented amount of damage that must be dealt with. As much as I would love to indulge in pleasantries, it’s not something I’m able to do,” he paused briefly, shaking his head. “It’s such a shame too. I’ve been meaning to be more active in my daughter’s life.”
“Dad,” Lucy jumped in, looking eager to put a stop to this conversation. “You’ve got a conference to go to, remember?”
“My associates work on my schedule. I will attend when it fits me,” he dismissed her concerns with a scowl. When he turned back to face me, his forced enthusiasm returned tenfold. “You and your mother have been very kind to my daughter. It’s only right that I find a way to repay you.”
“Dad—”
Lucy’s protests fell on deaf ears, and despite her clear concern, I couldn’t ignore the golden opportunity in front of me. A lieutenant of Pandora with his guard down? There was no better way to begin dismantling their operations here.
“You know, a lot has happened recently and it would be nice to have some normality around here. How about you and Lucy come over for dinner sometime?”
Lucy’s jaw almost hit the floor.
Her father stared, puzzled by the request. Then, his smile widened.
“That is a wonderful idea, Maxis,” he let go of my hand. “Unfortunately, I happen to be busy this week. Would next week suffice, Thursday?”
“That works,” I said, confidence dripping from every word. “It would have to be around five because of the mandatory curfew.”
“Spectacular.”
Lucy looked ready to faint.
I smiled.
It was time to start taking the initiative.