The front door of his apartment bore a large A with a circle around it. Back in the day, it was the symbol of anarchy. Nowadays, it was the symbol for an Arc. Because the Anarchist War was ended by the Arc group the Dragoons, people started attributing the symbol to his kind.
“I am an Arc,” William admitted slowly. It was a fact he had hidden well, but now everyone knew.
He had an idea who had drawn the symbol on his door. A bully from school lived a few doors down. The bully would likely spread rumors among those residing in William's vicinity, implying that he bore similarities to the Goons.
The card Katarina had given him was still in his pocket. Will pulled out the apartment key, making sure not to pull the card out. Unlocking the door, the empty 2-bedroom apartment was as he left it. Will shared the place with his uncle. There was a small living space, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and two bedrooms. There were no pictures on the walls, or coffee table beside the sofa. There was literally just a couch and TV in the living room. Not the kind of place Will grew up in, but enough for him and his roommate.
Walking to the small kitchen, he grabbed a bucket from under the sink and filled it with water. Using a washcloth, he wiped off the A on his front door with great effort. He left the bucket and cloth by the door, fully expecting to have to clean it off a few more times. A pit formed in his stomach. For the first time, he realized he would have to tell his uncle that his only nephew was a living, breathing Arc.
Carl Matthews was in his late forties. He too had been a police officer during the Anarchist War. Unlike Will’s father, Carl made it out. He worked to protect people the entire time. The police, who had survived the early days, established a camp across the city. Will wasn’t reunited with him until Katarina dragged Will to a refugee camp. Carl and Will had lived with one another since. They found some small solace in the fact that they were the sole remaining family members.
He was a tough old man. Always making sure Will stuck to school, he spent most of his time at the police station. They would go to a ball game together now and then, but they were working different schedules. Will went to school during the day, and Carl worked nights since that was usually when crime happened. Carl continued to work nights even after his promotion to Chief of Police.
Will walked to his room as he pushed thoughts of his uncle away. There were bigger issues to think about. His bedroom was simple. There was a small twin bed in the corner, and beside it was a smaller desk with a very large computer. The computer itself was a decent 15 years old. The new computers were way too expensive for him to use. He mainly used the computer for school work anyway. The internet highly regulated and censored by the Goons; there wasn’t much to do on it, but he couldn’t help deciding to check.
Turning the beast of a monitor on it was slow to start. As it did he tidied up his room and made a sandwich to eat. Taking big bites from it Will sat at the computer and hesitated to type. Licking his lips he decided to go for it.
-Dragoon job perks- Will typed in the search bar.
The site slowly populated with options, and the first one that popped up was, of course, the Dragoon website. William clicked on it. The screen turned black, and a video played.
“Are you special?” A deep voice inquired as the screen displayed a man shaping a construction pillar from concrete. The liquid concrete morphed and formed to his whim. The Arc making hand movements to match the ever-changing concrete. “Do you have a power you can’t explain?” A new Arc popped up and burst into flames. Their clothes burning away, and the camera zoomed into a smiling face. “Then join the Dragoons. Show the world the real you.” The picture changed to the Dragoon symbol. The three-pronged, golden trident resembled a horned dragon.
image [https://imgur.com/lH3sFqE]image [https://i.imgur.com/lH3sFqE.png]
Once the ‘Skip Ad’ button appeared, Will clicked it. The Goon website appeared. Finding the Job Opportunities section, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see all the benefits. The benefits included a 6-figure salary, access to cutting-edge technology, and the freedom to work from any location. The opportunities suggested that new Dragoon branches would be opening around the country and potentially the world as the Goons tried to stabilize other countries.
That was a scary thought. Were the Goons really that powerful? Could they take over the world? In less than a year, they had taken over the United States. Maybe they really could do it.
Should I get in on the ground floor? He thought. If Dragoons really were the power in the world, maybe he should push away his misgivings and hatred. Learn to accept the part of him. He was afraid to confront that part of his body. To bring out and show the world.
He felt it then. His Arc ability calling to him to be let out. A deep fire in his gut, always burning, ready to act at a moment’s notice. William didn't possess any extraordinary abilities like those he had witnessed. Unable to call flames to him, control water, or do anything special. Will felt his power was rather mediocre, to say the least. It was-
“Will!” His uncle’s voice yelled from the main room. Will had been too focused on his own thoughts. He hadn’t heard the door open. Jolting upright, he turned off his computer with a push of a button.
“Yeah!?” He yelled back, though they were only a room away. William stood and began to walk to the door.
“Get your ass in here,” Uncle Carl ordered. “We are headed out.”
“What?” Will inquired as he entered the main room. His uncle was still wearing a police uniform. In classic navy blue, he looked like any other cop in a patrol car, but the old man had one of the highest positions in the city.
“Heading out,” Carl said simply. He moved to the kitchen and grabbed a soda.
“Carl, I uh-” Will tried to say it. Gathering the courage to tell his uncle what happened. But Carl cut him off.
“I don’t want to hear it. Let’s go,” the old man said, twisting the bottle cap off and walking out the door. Will hesitated but followed. No one had repainted the red A on the door. Either way, he wasn’t sure how to say the words. It was akin to coming out of the closet, in a way. William was not in the closet, at least not about his sexuality. No, Arc powers were to remain hidden, and broaching the subject was not something he was prepared for.
Carl pushed the button for the elevator, and Will rushed after him. Squeezing between the doors as they shut, nephew and uncle stood side by side as the older man drank his soda. Carl had a pretty severe caffeine addiction. Sodas and coffee were his vices. The older brother of William's father was single and had no children. Being a cop was his life. With a few extra pounds here and there, he was muscular, but not overly so. His frame did not imply the kind of strength he had.
Back when Will was going through puberty. Hormones raging and angry at the world after the Anarchist War, William had tried to challenge the older man. The first time ended with William sporting a black eye; the second time, Will broke a finger. Both times, the old man made sure Will knew who was in charge. Though they weren’t overly affectionate, the two men respected one another. They had their own lives and were merely roommates.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Where William had dark black hair, Carl had graying hair. William was about 6 feet 2 inches tall, and Carl was 6 feet tall. Though he didn’t like to admit it, they had the same smile and stoic look. The older man was a lot like what Will’s dad looked like—just a few extra pounds, more gray, and wrinkles. Both men disliked the constant reminder of this fact.
As the elevator stopped at the lobby, Carl asked. “How was graduation?”
“Uh…okay,” Will said, unwilling to talk about the real issue. “I’m almost a Citizen now.”
“Ha!” Carl said. “Stupid IDs. We just busted another ring of people making fake IDs. Damn Goons said they were unhackable.” Carl hated the Goons more than most. He had fought when they tried to take over, but when no one could stand up to their power, he stepped aside. Finally taking a break as the country was given new management.
“Any other cool cases?” Will asked, just trying to make conversation.
“Yeah, kind of,” the old man said. The ratty old police car of Carl’s was parked out front. The lights were on at the top, so people drove around the vehicle, though it wasn’t a parking zone.
Being the chief had more than a few perks. Carl got in the driver’s seat, and Will the passenger. The interior was all cut up. The vehicle's age and the Anarchist War's impact were evident. The vehicle had been Carl’s back when he was a beat cop, and he decided to keep it as his daily driver to get him to and from work. The car spent more time in the shop than out, and for now, it was out. Will doubted it would take long for something else to break on it.
“Like what?”
“You’ll see,” Carl said. He joined the traffic and headed west, where they sat in silence while an FM radio station played. The voice on the radio was familiar, spouting about hate for Goons, it reminded him he had been considering joining them.
As he gathered the courage to tell his uncle that he was an Arc, Will pictured what it would be like to join the Goons. They would probably ship him off to their headquarters in New York. Trained physically, and whatever you called training your ability. Arcally? There was no real name for powers. They were called just that, powers, abilities, and skills. The only derogatory term he knew of for his kind was Arc. Will didn’t even know where that name came from. A simple title for the freaks of the world.
William turned to look at Carl. It turned out that many of the people around him were Arcs. He couldn't help but wonder if the old man was also an Arc. Was that how he survived the war? Using an ability? If Will had to speculate, the elderly man likely possessed a trait associated with stubbornness. Refusing to die when others did.
"We... uh…had a special guest at graduation,” Will admitted slowly. The thought of his uncle having a power gave him some hope.
“Oh yeah? The Goons?” Carl asked.
“You knew?” Will inquired, his throat tightening slightly. He was eager to provide a detailed account of the day. Lead up to what happened.
“I did. They try to notify us when their reps are in town. I usually get a call, then boom, they’re here,” Carl said. “Unnatural,” he mumbled under his breath.
“Yeah, I guess we were all caught off guard,” Will said.
"So, how did it go?” Carl asked.
“How did what go?”
“How did being called out as an Arc go?” Carl asked knowingly. Will’s throat constricted further. Eyes stinging with sadness, he couldn’t pull his eyes away from the old man. Carl acted like it was no big deal. Driving on a light turned red and he slammed on the brakes, barely stopping behind the line. That’s when they locked eyes.
There was no hate or animosity in Carl’s stare. Just a simple acceptance. "What, you think I didn’t know?”
“I assumed you didn’t,” Will said.
“I know more than I let on. Rule 34 of being a cop,” Carl said. The old man always had a list of rules for cops. William was fairly certain he made the numbers up. "Sorry, you had to have your whole school learn about it. But you’re done with that place. Doesn’t matter anymore.” Will could only nod. They waited in silence for the light to change. When it did, Carl sped up and continued on. "If I had known this would happen, I would have pulled you out. But something came up. Which is why I’m taking you to your new school.”
“New school?” Will asked, confused, still reeling over the fact that his uncle had known about his deformity for a long time.
“Yep. An old friend of mine came to town today. An old friend of your father’s too,” Carl admitted.
“What? Really?” Will asked. “Who?” He was always excited to learn more about his parents. He lost them at an early age. He still didn't know a great deal about them.
“Doesn’t matter. Doubt you ever met him. But he is a friend. And I think your best bet is to stay out of the Goons,” Carl said.
“You know about their offer, then?” William asked.
“Yep. People have been talking about it. Started last week. They had been approaching schools in New York, prior to graduation. Gathering everyone together for assemblies, then outing you Arcs. I didn’t think they’d ambush you all like that.” Carl grumbled and cursed another driver, honking at him. “You want me to arrest you?!” He yelled at the driver. “I’ll do it!” The other driver appeared to notice that he was feuding with a cop and changed lanes. Carl grumbled and continued on to the less-populated part of town.
During the initial stages of the rebuilding, a significant number of people departed from Chicago. Choosing less populous cities as a safeguard against potential global chaos, Chicago's population dwindled to a mere quarter of its previous size. The large area had witnessed a decline in the downtown area's population, while the suburbs had experienced a rapid increase in growth. Heading out of the main city, Will was still thinking and coming to terms with the fact that maybe being an Arc wasn’t such a scary thing. If his uncle could accept him, what mattered to the rest of the world?
A brighter demeanor coming on him. The sun peeked out from the clouds at him, and he felt a little warmer. Mentally thanking his uncle, they sat in silence. Carl was growling at traffic, William leaning back a little less stiff in his seat.
"So, where are we going?” William asked.
“I’ll explain later. I hate repeating myself. Just shut up and do what I tell you, alright?” Carl asked. Will was used to being told to shut up by the old man. As they came to a halt in front of a school, Will was on the verge of demanding more.
A layer of moss mostly concealed the red brick of the school's exterior. Tall weeds protruded from the cracked concrete sidewalk that once guided people to the school's front. The sight wasn't rare, as a large portion of the city lay abandoned. Will's confusion intensified as they sat outside the school. As they approached the glass doors at the entrance, he noticed several people inside.
“What-”
“Don’t want to hear it,” Carl said. “Get out. Shut your mouth. Do what you’re told. You’ll know soon enough what’s up.”
“But-”
“You deaf now kid? You live under my roof. Do as you’re told,” Carl said, pushing him toward the car door.
“I just-” Will uttered, but opted not to resist. Opening the door he stepped out onto the cracked concrete. “Carl, what-”
“Shut the door. I’ll see you later,” the old man assured. With a frown, Will shut the door, and Carl drove off. Watching him go, William was more than a little confused about the day he was having. He had expected a simple graduation. A handshake and goodbye, maybe hang with Lindsey, then continue to think about his future. The prospect of Arcs and Goons was throwing William more than a little off.
Turning around, he gave the school another look. It didn’t appear too inhabitable, but walking toward the front doors, he noticed about a dozen kids inside. The lights were on inside the school. He hesitated but pushed through the doors anyway. Once inside, he eyed some of the people there. A couple of them were people he had graduated with a few hours ago. Those two had been among those outed as Arcs.
More confused William walked around the group. The interior parts of the school remained dark. Everyone was congregating near the functioning lights. With a frown, he turned back to the group and noticed a pair of siblings he never expected to see again.
"Well, if it isn’t Wimpy Will,” Samson said with a wide grin.Will felt a smile creep up his face as he walked up to the pair.