They both headed back to the inevitable bed waiting for them. The inevitable tomorrow no longer being able to be put off.
10:18...
“Seraphina babe!”
Reeves opened his eye. Who was calling Seraphina, Babe?
“Sorry,” Seraphina apologized. “I know that voice. Remember that whole hit thing?”
“Seraphina, Yo Seraphina Medina, Seraphina Baby, come on girl, Seraphina!”
“Great,” she muttered and got up. Reeves followed suit.
“Seraphina,” A man, the one she remembered as a Rick, waved with a bullhorn as they peered down at him. “Why’d it take so long for you to answer? It’s not even Eleven o’ clock.”
“Go away,” Seraphina shouted back. “I’m sleeping.”
“Sleeping at this time?” Rick scoffed. “Nobody sleeps at this time. It’s early.”
“Rick!” Tracy’s voice boomed through the night. “I fucking told you, you fucking cocksucker that if you didn’t leave this god damn sector, I would get your mother to-!”
Reeves covered his ears as he saw all of Hidden Secret waking up to words that even Seraphina had never used.
“Sorry?” Seraphina said. “I’m sorry, Reeves. They found me. Hidden Secret is exposed.”
“Those two are expanding everyone’s vocabulary in the wrong direction.” Reeves’ narrowed his eyes at everyone below. He watched as Tracy made Rick leave, mumbling his own number of profanities.
Tracy looked up at both Reeves and Seraphina and shouted through the bullhorn she took away. “Remember, Seraphina! You pass that test tomorrow, Rick is only the beginning, and I’m not staying around Hidden Secret to keep them off your fucking ass!”
“Profanity has no place in Hidden Secret,” Reeves insisted.
“Yeah, I know.” Seraphina confessed. “It just comes with the territory of me.”
“Why does it have to?” Reeves sat up. “Are you a magnet for trouble?” Reeves stared at her. “You know, you should be wearing a big sign.” Reeves spread out his hands in front of him. “Warning: Helping me may destroy everything you hold dear.” He shrugged. “I still wouldn’t have listened. You glowed too much in the darkness.” He pulled her over closer. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. Tomorrow.”
“How?” Seraphina had to ask. He was there to take care of the kids and adult lifers, he never really fought anyone. When he didn’t answer, she tucked herself against him. Tomorrow. It would all be decided tomorrow.
Chapter 31
The supervisor Murphy Day made contact via walkie talkie. To watch the test accurately, he had three more supervisors helping. Two were on the ground while he was on the airship with Reeves. “You ready?”
Seraphina stretched one final time. “Yes, I am.” She stared below her. She had done it a hundred times over, she could not let her nerves get to her.
“First, you are going to catch the board, then come back up.” Murphy explained. “Next, the airship will be lowered, and you will use the ladder to get down to the ground. You’ll do fifty-six back flips, and then run as fast as you can for five minutes. After that, you’ll stay on the ground and do some jumping jacks, pushups, sit-ups, or whatever you can, to showcase your physical talent for five minutes. If you have any superpowers I.E. freezing water coming from your hands, fireballs coming from your mouth, etc., it will make a difference in your overall score. Afterwards, you will climb the ladder back up, and we will finish with the oven fire rings, and then you will be told to fly somewhere and back again. Ready?”
Reeves patted Seraphina’s back. “You can do this. Stay positive."
“I can and I will.” Seraphina smiled back at him. She took a deep breath and waited for the signal.
“10 more seconds...” Murphy watched his watch. “5...4...3...2...1...go!”
Seraphina hit the blue button before jumping through the exit hole. She sailed down to the ground quickly but easily caught the board. She came back up with little difficulty and waited for the rewot to be lowered. She climbed the ladder back down and mere feet above ground, she jumped off and started to do back flips along the streets of Hidden Secret. There was no need to worry about traffic with so many flips since cars were prohibited during the test. Once she counted fifty-six flips, she changed and ran. Although dangerous, the exercise afterwards should be enough to help her control herself.
“Wow, she is doing terrific. You really trained in five days?” Murphy asked Reeves from inside the airship.
“Yes.” Reeves smiled proudly as he watched Seraphina. They were low enough to be able to see all the action. “I knew she could do it.”
Seraphina checked her stopwatch. Five, four, three, two, one. She stopped and did jumping jacks, one handed sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, and handstands. Deciding she still had more time added in running up the walls and walking across them on her hands.
A supervisor ran over to her. “Great job, now can you concentrate on two things at once?”
“Yes.” Seraphina answered as she stood back up and did jumping jacks. Of course, they wanted to add some kind of twist she was unaware of.
“Great, I want you to talk an extra three minutes.” The supervisor replied. “Any questions or anything, please tell us now. It’ll save time in the end.”
“Okay.” The supervisor spoke on his walkie talkie to someone else. “Can you stand on one hand for awhile? Stand as long as you can on one hand.”
Seraphina got up on one hand and did not move. “There’s no reason for me to be Reeves’ sidekick. I know he is just starting and needs one, so put me down as his for a few minutes only.”
“That would have been nicer to know sooner.” The supervisor complained, but he spoke into his walkie talkie again. “We are putting out the word right now. Are you sure you don’t want to be his? This is a charming little community, I’m telling you from experience, I’ve seen some nasty ones out there.”
“I’m positive,” Seraphina answered as she continued to stay on her hand.
The supervisor stopped his watch. “Okay, head to the ladder for the rings of fire test.”
Seraphina nodded and ran quickly back to the airship's ladder. She climbed up with ease and, as expected, saw the glowing red panels ahead. Reeves and the supervisor were both standing out of the way at the top. Reeves was hanging on an upside-down cupboard handle, while the supervisor seemed to have superhuman sticky powers. Okay, this time she couldn't burn herself.
FLIP, FLIP, FLIP, FLIP, turn, flip, flip, flip, go back, go back, too fast! Reeves watched her carefully. She was almost through the tests. Too fast, adjust, yes, flip, flip, turn back, go, go, go!
Seraphina ended her training with one hand in the last ring. She was relieved when she watched the red going away. “Finally.”
Reeves and the Supervisor both jumped down.
“Great job, only one more test.” Murphy the Supervisor pointed to the navigation already ready for her. “Take us to Ahara, then back.”
Wow, that couldn’t have been easier. Seraphina went over and slowly started to pull out. She watched her speed carefully and in no time at all, was there and back.
“Well, surprising.” Murphy checked out the reports of the others over the walkie talkies, and they all agreed on the same outcome. “After five days, you did it, Seraphina Medina. You are now officially an Adventurer Sidekick. We must get some information and identification typed up and approved. Starting tomorrow you can begin.”
“Great job." Reeves patted Seraphina on the back. “I knew you could do it.”
Chapter 32
“Well, it fits.” Seraphina looked at herself in a mirror. She chose a darker shade of blue.
She laughed as she put her little hat on. Like a beret, only Adventurer Sidekicks wore it. She turned around in it and felt her new clothes. Perfectly fitted jeans, a shirt, and even a jacket. It was designed for moving fast, and she could just imagine how fast she would be without clothes whipping around her. She clicked her tongue as sh
e added her last accessory. Dark blue shades, like Reeves’ new turquoise ones, only smaller.
“It’s a nice fit.”
Seraphina turned around and lowered her shades, seeing Reeves just outside the bathroom door. “All decked out.” She chuckled. “At least for a sidekick.” He was all turquoise, even the belt buckle. That’s how people could see the difference between Adventurers and just a sidekick.
He nodded. “No more medication. You can take care of yourself now.”
Yet, she knew why he looked that way. It was decision time. He didn’t even say anything as he held up two boxes toward her.
“You can be a sidekick to anyone else but me. We’ll have to get permission from the Adventurer you choose to partner with, to see each other. There will be strict rules on what we can and cannot do on a rewot. I’m going to move closer to the sector you’re in too.”
What? “What about Hidden Secret?” she asked.
“Tracy will eventually find a way to hurt this sector more if I stay. She hates me because I kept you off medication. She won’t change, and those thirty-five cases are still going to be out there. I need to be somewhere bigger, where I can’t get pulled into her messes.” He sighed. “I’ve known that, and it’s okay. As long as I can still see you, anything you decide is fine with me.” Still, he had two ring boxes. He put a box in each of her hands. “I know one of the things you really wanted out of this was independence. The ability to live on your own and take care of your own self. No more support from your sister. But?” He pointed to the left box.
Seraphina opened it and looked at it. A blue stone, square cut in the middle of a silver ring. With it, she would be committing herself to let Reeves take care of her. She would have access to a certain amount of his credits each month. She wouldn’t be a wife, but she wouldn’t be just a girlfriend. She’d be a courtezan, a personal girlfriend only for Adventurers. Tagged for him, never to betray him, on the colony ground. Courtezans weren’t allowed on the rewot. The place where heroes slept and let down their guard. They were beautiful, held in respect, but they weren’t even real girlfriends. Oftentimes, Adventurers were weary of women wanting their money or access to their fame, so they chose someone serene and gorgeous to satisfy their desires.
It wasn’t the best choice, but it was a choice.
Then she looked in the right box. Same blue stone, except in the middle of a gold ring. No, a different blue stone. It was a blue diamond ring. She stroked her cheek softly. “Tracy will do everything she can to make your life hell.”
“So do villains in general,” Reeves said. “She’s just another villain. I’m no longer a Champion Paladin, I’m a Champion Adventurer. She’s common. Small time. Legal representatives and computer professionals will be handling everything, so no one pulls me down. But? Even if she did find a way, I don’t care.”
“Reeves.” Seraphina looked at the rings. “What is your last name?” No one ever used last names in Hidden Secret.
“Spade,” he answered. “Why?”
“Because.” She wanted to be by his side, more than anything. Not on the ground, living beneath him. Not as someone just being paid to be with him. She wanted to share every moment with him. “I wanted to know my new last name.” He moved toward her so fast, she was unprepared as he scooped her up into his embrace and twirled her around before kissing her.
Chapter 33
Loose ends to tie up before Reeves headed away. He had already been ready to leave Hidden Secret and had an excellent pair of Guardians coming. He had given up his Guardian medallion to Sharina Little. She would take care to give it to the new person to take over Hidden Secret. He never imagined anything would be able to pull him away from his home.
He never imagined anything that was as powerful as love. He walked now in his new uniform. His chosen color of a bluish turquoise since he didn’t have much power. He still had his shades, but a blue jacket, shirt, pants, shoes, socks, belt, and even a blue belt buckle. All different shades of turquoise blue so he looked fashionable for the press that would want to bother him in the future. He placed his hands in his pockets as he dealt with his first task.
“Reeves!” Simps yelled as he headed over with Jackson. “Are you really going to go? Oh, do we need to still be back fifty feet?”
“Yes, I’m going. No, you don’t have to be back anymore,” he said.
“What about Rebecca?” Jackson asked. “Is she going to stay gone?”
Rebecca and Marcus. This part would be the worse when he saw the pain in their eyes. “It would have taken a couple of weeks to overturn, but Marcus said Lost Secret is quite lovely.”
“You mean, we’ll never see her again?” Jackson asked. He looked back at Simps and their gaze fell to the floor.
“There are more permies there, and he feels like it’s better for Rebecca.” Reeves couldn’t say it so that it didn’t hurt. The main reason was there was also another woman there about Marcus’ age that wasn’t an adult lifer. Just like Reeves, he was probably hoping to find someone special in her. Hopefully he did. “If he changes his mind, you’ll see each other again.”
“He’s leaving. Rebecca’s gone. You’re leaving.” Simps wiped his tears. “Why’s everyone leaving?”
“Even here, in a world where everything should be perfect for children, nothing stays the same,” Reese explained. “One day, I hope you understand that. You guys enjoy Hidden Secret, okay? I’ll come visit sometime in the future, I promise.” He rubbed each of their heads. “I have to go now.”
“Why can’t you stay though?” Jackson asked. “If you can be around us again, why can’t you stay, Reeves?”
“I have to move on,” Reeves simply said. He whispered over to them. “Don’t tell anyone. Seraphina’s my fiancé now.”
“Whoah!” Of course, Simps was loud.
Reeves held up his finger in a shushing manner. “Be good. You don’t have to hold that secret for too long after I leave. First, I have to take care of some things.” Now, let’s see. He kept walking down the familiar path, hearing the familiar echoes of children running around as he walked up to a house he knew quite well. He knocked on the door.
Timothy appeared at it. “Tell me she failed.”
“No, she aced it,” Reeves said. “She could have been my sidekick, or she could have gone with another Adventurer. She chose neither.” Timothy glanced at him. “She chose me. I’m marrying Seraphina and I’m leaving Hidden Secret. I don’t know what the next guardian will be like, so I suggest you straighten up or get out.”
Timothy’s reaction was hard to read. For one, he enjoyed the part of him leaving Hidden Secret. As for the rest? “You’re . . .” He squeezed his hand in and out. “Did you say?”
“I’m marrying Seraphina Medina.” He’d be honest.
“You never even went on a date with her!” Timothy shouted. “Are you kidding me?! This must be a trick. I just convinced her to go out on a date again!”
“Yeah, no more of that.” Reeves opened the empty wedding ring box. “She took my ring.” He flipped the box at him, and of course Timothy didn’t catch it. “I didn’t ever date her, but we didn’t need to. Eventually we will, but kissing and sex seemed to seal the deal ever since the day we played together.” Oh, yep, yep, he was mad. Reeves didn’t care. “Don’t try to talk her out of it. Don’t come near her for a long time again, and not without me in her presence. You knew that she couldn’t say no, you used that against her, and that isn’t going to stand with me. Do you understand?”
Timothy looked at the box. “Ridiculous. She’s out of her mind right now with her feelings. She won’t stay!”
“Not quite.” Reeves grabbed him by his shirt, lifting him in the air. Something he never did, but the pest would learn it now. “This is your only warning, Timothy Varmen. Don’t mess around. If you want a woman, then hear me. Go search the other secrets. Go back to retraining and find new women who can be with you there. I don’t care, just don’t come after Seraphina Medina Spade.�
� Yeah, adding his last name to her name got the hint across. Reeves put him back down, and then left the front of his house to take care of the last thing he needed to.
The guy Rick. The first guy that found Seraphina. He was selling snow cones, right outside of Seraphina’s house. He was not going to let his soon-to-be-wife get threatened or manhandled ever again. “You aren’t allowed to be over here. Work commuters need to stay on the other side of the sector.” Similar words to what he first said to Seraphina.
“Not hurting anything.” Rick tried to serve him a snow cone. “Seraphina around?”
Reeves grabbed Rick out from behind his snow cone stand and held him up high. “With one crush of my hand I could kill you.” He dropped him to the ground without warning, grabbed him and then injected him with a forget serum. Standard issue for an Adventurer. He banged his head on the snow cone stand. “Get out of here. This sector doesn’t tolerate profanity or anything that you want.”
“Oh, come on, Reeves!” He begged. “Don’t take away my memories, they’ll be gone like a year!”
“Ten. I upped the dosage to the maximum. I am not kidding around, darn it!” he warned him. “You are going to leave my Sweet Flower alone.” No, that didn’t work. Honey? Dear? Pumpkin? Reeves would figure it out later. “I am usually a pleasant person. I am not so reasonable when someone pushes back too hard!” He grabbed him by his ear and dragged him away to Murphy Day, who was now waiting not far away. “Here. Drop him off far away from here.”
As he went back toward the stand, he stole a glance at Timothy. Yeah, he got the point now. Reeves was still a good guy. He would still be a great protector, but he wouldn’t pull punches either. He protected what he loved, always had. Now, he would be protecting it in a different way.
But he’d still protect it.
Chapter 34
The Calibri Colony
Reeves Page 20