It was Samantha's turn to stutter. "Oh, ah, no. I'm just not interested in the hormonal soup at the dance, I just thought I'd see what this is all about. Besides, you can't be any older than me. If I'm a kiddo, so are you."
She caught herself wrapping a strand of hair around her finger and dropped her hand. He's super cute, but Eddie needs me. He's been rotting in prison somewhere all this time, and I have to concentrate on finding a sympathetic Hero to help him.
"Fair enough, I'm a big enough man to admit that I'm still excited to drink legally next year." He shivered and shook his head. "School was a nightmare, but it gets better."
"Meh, life is a nightmare. Anyone who says different is lying." She waved a hand at the room.
He chuckled. "Wow, beautiful, mysterious, and deeply cynical. I like you."
Fighting a smile, and losing, she continued, "Well, it is what it is. So, now that we're best buddies, any idea which of the Heroes knows the most stuff? I need to find out where they put my brother and I think a Hero can help."
"Bro’s a Villain eh? That's rough. Well, Nephlim tends to hear the best rumors because of her power, but she doesn't like politics and probably doesn't care enough to remember. The new guy doesn't know squat, never mind who his Daddy is. Cherrybomb doesn't care about shit, 'cept skateboarding and blowing things up. There's Suckerpunch, smart guy, handsome too, but I heard he's in a bit of trouble right now, so he can't help very much." He scratched his chin, thinking. "It's not going to be an easy sell, but I think you want someone with more official responsibilities, like Scaleface. He's the big boss man and has all the security clearances. He just happens to be a bit of an uptight asshole."
"Uh, fine. New guy is new, everyone else doesn't know or care, boss man is The Man. Got it. Where's Scaleface?" Miss Erase moved inevitably closer to her goal, the release of her villainous brother from his dank prison.
"He's busy in Villains 101. We could sit in on his slide show if you want and I can introduce you during a break."
"Perfect. Lead the way, kind Sir." She grabbed his arm and pulled herself close. Might as well have fun while I wait, besides, I don't remember what the map said before I messed it up.
Each booth stood about 8ft tall and was open on top. Whoever had set it up had tried to compensate for the noise by leaving hallways between rooms, with a gap in one wall serving as a doorway. Every small room was off-set so they did not peer directly into each other. It would have been a nightmare to hear anything if a crowd had actually showed up.
Connor led the way to a corner room, the one closest to the rear exit.
The speaker loomed over the small room. He was wearing black leather armor which had blue scales along the spine and joints. A stylized blue dragon mask covered his face, but his deep baritone came out crystal clear and still somehow didn't carry past the walls."
"...Villains inevitably reveal themselves through clandestine behavior and a special kind of arrogance. Some Heroes, like myself, believe they give off a smell that can be recognized and tracked."
He was speaking to a small audience, though Samantha's eyes were drawn to a guy in the front row wearing the Wellbore High school colors on his body armor; a green top with golden pants, and an egg shaped silver mask.
Samantha and her escort stepped back towards the doorway at the same moment, tangling in the opening meant for just one person.
"I don't—"
"Hey, let’s—"
"Sorry, you first—"
"Oops, go ahead—"
Samantha bit back a laugh and went first, with Connor on her heels.
They stopped in front of the exit, staring at each other.
Connor took a breath. "I don't want to deal with the new guy right now. Battleplan isn't a bad code name, but in less than two days the kid found the rule stick and shoved it so far up his ass he's been spouting regulations while he pisses."
Samantha giggled.
"I'm serious, I can't even take a dump to get away from him. Kid's a nightmare, but like a boring nightmare."
"It's fine, I can totally come back later." At least he didn't pick a stupid name like Football Hero. I just don't think I can handle him again right now, and if he realizes I'm a Prime, I know he'll rat me out.
"Hey, I have to go back to help put everything away, but I have about an hour before then. There's a Suzie's Burgers down the street, we could grab some French fries, maybe a burger, my treat." He ducked his head a little and kicked a loose rock across the sidewalk. "I'm sure Scaleface will have time to talk with you while the rest of us clean up."
"That does sound nice." Did the janitor just ask me on a date? I guess he might know something, and he is cute.
"Awesome!" He led the way out the back door. "Well, do you want to know anything? I've listened to the lectures enough times that I can probably recite them in my sleep."
"Are Primes human? I read that some people think they are aliens."
He laughed. "Not aliens. At least, not that I am aware of. Do you want to compare birth certificates to prove it?"
She flinched. "Ugh, please no. I have another question though. I heard they pay people to admit they are Primes, and I was uh, arguing with a friend about how much it is."
"Oh sure, it's $5,000 tax free. They wanted to make it high enough to be irresistible to most people and give them enough of a leg up. Anything to help fewer people become Villains. If they go bad anyway, we still know their faces and powers."
"Wow. That is a lot. I was sure it couldn't have been more than a few hundred." The cool night air enveloped her as she pushed through the outer door. "What about Military Primes? I've always wondered how that works."
"There was some talk about conscripting Primes at first, but Primes are still human and have human rights, so where does something like that end? The government eventually decided to stay with voluntary recruitment as it makes Primes better trained and higher morale partners. Er, well they decided Heroes are better partners than lab rats."
"Oh. That's good." Point for Heroes, no conscription. Point against Villains, a possible punishment is military service. "Well, how about technology? All the talking heads were convinced we'd have jet packs in the first year after Nevernoon, but my boots are still suspiciously jet-free."
"Everyone wants to fly." Connor laughed. "Early on, we all thought super smart Biokinetics would speed up science by decades, and a few of them did push discoveries in new directions, but mostly science advances in the same incremental way it always has, just a little faster."
"That doesn't make any sense. If a bunch of people are twice as smart and inventing things, wouldn't it all go twice as fast?" Samantha reached out and slipped her arm into his.
Shivers ran down her spine as he lightly ran his fingers across her arm and squeezed her hand. "Not really. Every bit of knowledge or new invention builds on what came before, and it isn't like smart Primes are just suddenly putting together death rays out of paperclips and old circuit boards. We do seem to be learning and building new gadgets faster, but who knows by how much faster?"
"I guess it makes sense that we can't measure it." She lightly ran her fingers through the curly hair covering his arm. "Thank you. It's kinda frustrating looking this stuff up when there is no way to tell who is lying. I mean, I can see we aren't going around in flying cars and shooting laser guns at each other...I just didn't know why not."
Connor chuckled, a low rumble that vibrated across her skin. I will not fall for a Hero; I will not fall for a Hero. Meh, who am I kidding? He'd never go for a girl like me, even if I did fall for him.
He didn’t comment on her shivering. "I'm glad laser guns aren't a thing yet. Well, except for that guy, Doc Laserlock, last month. Hero work would be a lot more dangerous if random thugs had access to that kind of firepower. Most Primes don't scar easily, but chemical and fire burns can interrupt their healing factor."
They walked the rest of the way in companionable silence. Samantha, deep in thought, didn't pull free until the
y arrived at Suzie's Burgers.
They ordered together and took their food to an empty corner. Connor even slipped ahead to pull out her chair, then he took the seat against the wall.
"So, I get that guys like to put their back to the wall, and I've heard theories as to why...but what is your reason?" I hope he isn't one of those macho guys.
He ran his fingers through mid-length brown hair and flicked some out of his eyes. "Oh yeah. I spend a lot of time hanging out with Starstuff, even off duty, so I have to be careful a Villain doesn't recognize me and get the drop on me."
"Right, would probably be embarrassing if your bosses had to rescue you. Manly pride and all that."
His chair creaked dangerously as he shifted his weight uncomfortably.
"Maybe. So, what other questions do you have? Anything on the list of topics pique your curiosity? You seem like an inquisitive lady."
Not bad, at least he wasn't mean or defensive about changing the subject. "Are you sure it's fine to share all these secrets?"
"Sure, Villains tend to release any information they think we are hiding, so we haven't been terribly successful at keeping secrets. That, and the fact that the truly classified stuff doesn't make it down to anyone without Top Secret clearance, which obviously isn't me." He winked. "If I’ve heard about it, it's not a big deal to share."
"That works for me. What's up with the whole panel on spotting a Villain? It isn't like they have a look or a single kind of power that makes it easy."
"You did read the map! That one is Scaleface's baby. He swears on his grand pappy's grave that he can smell Villains a mile away. Says something about their attitude changes their scent." He chuckled. "I think it's just fear. The guy has a nose for pheromones and most Villains are fucking terrified when they see a shimmering blue dragon barreling down the street at them."
Samantha laughed. " I bet. Can I ask how his power works? I've always wondered how he grows so big." She caught herself twirling her hair around her fingers again and quickly reached for the fries instead. Dammit. He isn't THAT cute.
"Oh, he's one of the rare ones. He draws on his environment to build his body. In this case, extremely dense air. He says he can't actually see in there, but he has a sense of stuff that lets him get around. Since just about everything is touching air, he can move around as well as you and I can, maybe better. His biggest problem is he heals too fast." He stared into his cup of ice, stirring it.
Samantha idly crunched through a few more fries. "I might have heard a little bit about that. It seems weird though. I figured Heroes would love getting back into the action faster."
He frowned into his coffee. "A 20-foot dragon is great when it's on your side, but what happens if he goes feral?"
"He's team captain, why would he do that?" She widened her eyes.
"You know all Primes heal fast, right?" He waited until she nodded. "Well, pushing any one Manifestation too hard has an effect on a Prime's powers, and psyche. If someone takes a big enough wound, it can mess them up to heal it. Scaleface is lucky he's low risk because his power keeps him from getting hurt."
"It still feels fishy. I know a few people who say powers are dangerous and scary, but it comes across as kind of unbelievable. The only worrying stuff I found online were a few mentions that powers are divided up by the source of their power. It said Feeders have to eat a lot and Vortexes mess up their environment, but it didn't make a lot of sense."
He stuffed a small handful of fries in his mouth and spoke through them while he chewed. "Close enough, Feeders spend their own calories and Vortexes convert energy from some specific substance they are near or touching. Feeders are interesting because their power stays active if you knock them out...but they aren't nearly as strong as a Vortex and they can't handle the rapid weight loss if you push them too hard." He coughed. "I mean, I've heard that Feeders commonly have thyroid problems, slowed healing, and some will pass right out if you keep them active too long."
Serious loss of points for chewing with your mouth open. Eww. "Nasty. What happens to a Vortex that uses their power too much?" What kind am I?
"I'm not done yet. Every Prime alive, and some of the dead ones, heal better than a Null." He laughed, but his eyes were haunted. "Healing can be a weakness. If you hurt a Feeder enough, their own power will kill them. There usually isn't enough left to cart away, just dust blowing in the wind."
Samantha bit into her cheeseburger. I don't know which one I am, but I think I should eat more often, just to be safe.
He continued, talking to himself more than his audience. "A Vortex is something different, and rare. You have to get them away from whatever they are feeding on. Certain metals, plants, fire, even the air. Hell, there's some lady on the loose out there who feeds on emotions to control her powers. Scary bitch."
The Villain squeezed information out of him subtly. She didn't yet know where her own strength came from, but some day the Heroes would come for her and she would have to fight. "Wow. That's freaky." She paused. "I heard there's some doctors who deal with that kind of stuff. Maybe some guy named Kevin Darkle? I heard he's a big shot with Primes?" She made it a question more than a statement.
"Nah. Never heard of him. Probably some talking head who thinks he has it all figured out. Dime a dozen." He took a massive bite out of his own burger.
Whew. Darkle isn't a bigwig with the Heroes then, and Connor chews with his mouth closed when he isn't talking. I don't think I could keep this up if he was always a lip smacker, even a cute one.
Without warning, a chair slid up to the table, pushed by Battleplan, still dressed in his ridiculous outfit.
"Damn it, Trevor—" She stopped.
Soda blew out of Connor's nose, missing the food only because he covered his face and turned away.
"—fuck! I mean, uh, Battleplan. What are you doing, trying to give me a heart attack?" She whirled back to Connor, accusingly. "You. Why didn't you warn me someone was sneaking up on me?"
He held up his dripping hands, still choking on his drink.
Battleplan spoke up instead, "Gray, do you think you can keep your voice down? I am actually trying to keep my secret identity safe, okay?"
She could only see the lower part of his jaw, but she would recognize the smirk on his face from fifty feet. "You aren't trying very hard, dressing in the school colors and wearing a fricken trophy mask, but if you don't scare me, I won't blurt out any more of your secrets. You got that?"
"Noted." He sighed and glanced over at Connor, who was still coughing through his amusement. "You are late, man, the boss checked your transponder and sent me to find you."
"Right? He would do that," Connor said. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of a date? You guys aren't going to die doing some of the heavy lifting on your own. Heck, you're a big strong kid, why don't you do it?"
Samantha turned her head casually, noting the other customers had left, leaving only a long line of vehicles at the drive through.
"I'm in training, you are in trouble. Huge difference. Regulations clearly state I am not allowed to do any heavy lifting until my powers are fully understood, and the limits of my strength have been determined." He glanced at Samantha, then back to Connor. "Please don't make me get Scaleface on the radio. You know he hates pulling rank on you."
"Fine, fine. I'm finishing my food. I'll be back before you will." He picked up one of his three remaining fries and took a small bite out of it.
Trevor sighed and turned to Samantha. "Well, now you know that I made the cut."
"Looks like—reminds me of the last time you joined a team." She smiled sweetly. "Can I ask though, how many of those BB's you had to pick up?"
He sighed again. "Too many. Besides, you know you didn't get away with that right?"
"Not from where I'm sitting. I think it went perfectly," she said.
"That's because you didn't go to graduation. Mrs. Dawn spoke to the Principle, you won't graduate until you apologize to her."
"On a cold day in h
ell." What would I even do with a diploma? Wave it in some Hero's face and beg for leniency?
He eyed her for a moment. "I'm still in training, so there's time to change your mind before I go full time. I gotta run, but please think about what I said on the bus. Call me?"
He didn't wait for an answer and fast-walked out the door.
"As if I care what a Hero has to say," Samantha said, sighing.
Connor had sat quietly through the exchange, eating his food and watching. "So, you are the infamous Sam eh? I thought the kid was gay when he first told me about his ex, Sam. Not that there's anything wrong with being gay," he hurriedly added. "I just didn't want the wrong guys in the PCA to hear about it and give him trouble. Some of them are pretty juvenile about stuff like that."
Samantha squirmed. Not the conversation I want to have with a cute guy I have to pump. For information. Damn it. I need information.
Connor glanced at her ears and grinned. "Kinda turning red there, you going to be all right?"
"I'm fine. Not a lot to tell. We broke up a year ago. He went straight and narrow. I didn't." She forced a laugh. "I only just found out a few days ago that he still has a thing for me." Please let it go. I still miss him, and I haven't been able to tell him why I had to break up with him, no matter how hard I've tried.
"No worries. I'm not into telling stories about my exes either. How about I meet you back at the school? I gotta run if I'm going to get there first." He winked.
"Wait, you can't go without your last French fry." She kept eye contact while she slowly dipped his remaining fry in the fry sauce, holding it up for him to take with his teeth.
He ate it, his eyes grew wider with each bite, and he retreated out the door as soon as she pushed the last bite into his mouth.
Samantha downed the rest of her own fries, dumped their trash, and hurried to catch up. It's a fantasy, but a nice one.
The sun had long set, but there were still plenty of streetlights and open spaces between Suzie's Burgers and the School. He should have been visible, even if he were running.
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