Draco was the first to look at me, giving me a nod in acknowledgment for comforting him earlier. As I went back to my favorite chair, there was a little chocolate square sitting next to my warmed-up cup of tea. A brownie. I leaned over to give my brother a kiss on the cheek before sitting down, and reaching for that sweet treat.
“All right, let’s continue our little meeting.” Phillip grabbed the files that he set on the table and split them up, handing two to me, two to Draco, and then keeping one for himself. I opened the first one and inside there was a police file.
One was a missing persons report, and in the other was a detailed investigation of the Gaston apartment building fire from a week ago.
“You’re probably wondering why I gave you these reports. Well, they are all related. The missing people are those that have powers. The crimes have been committed with those powers, but not by their host—by someone else.” He opened his folder and pulled out several pictures of a tall, very brawny figure, with dark skin and no hair. I think. His face was too blurry in all the pictures, but you could tell it was the same guy.
“You can’t see him?” I asked Phillip, figuring this was something he would see in the future, but he shook his head. That was strange. If this guy was a big deal, then Phillip should see him.
“It’s possible he could have the power to borrow others’ gifts for a short time. But the power wouldn’t live inside him for long. It’s only meant to work with their chosen host.” Draco’s brown eyebrows were pinched with obvious confusion.
“So we’re supposed to take down this guy?” I asked, not knowing how we would accomplish that.
Phillip shook his head, which brought a pout on my lips.
I was about to ask him why, but Draco decided to comment instead.
“Neither of you are ready for that yet. You need to train, and work on controlling your powers more. We also need to search for our team, while finding out as much as we can about this guy in the photo.” Draco stood and set the folders down on the table.
Train? Did he mean workout type of train?
“I started designing our base a little while ago, when the path of this future became a little clearer. It’s pretty much finished. Ready to be used.” Phillip smiled, and my eyes flew to his. Seriously? We had a base now? I was beginning to feel overwhelmed, which was sort of dumb, considering I knew that we were going to be heroes and all, but the concept was still strange. We were going to help people and hopefully save the day. Of course it made sense that we would have a base.
Shortly after that conversation, we all packed into Phillip’s SUV and headed toward our new mystery hero base.
It was a relatively short drive right into the heart of Seahill.
“Seriously?” I got excited when we parked in the lot next to one of my favorite new restaurants. The building as a whole held three stories of apartments above, and a fitness store next to it.
“I had a feeling you would like it.” Phillip chuckled, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hug him or punch his arm for keeping this from me. I briefly wondered if he owned the shops and restaurants too; he certainly had the money to do it.
“An Italian restaurant?” Draco asked as he stepped out of the SUV.
Instead of elaborating, Phillip led us inside the door that said Drivers Only, and then down the hall to a door that said Janitor’s Closet. I didn’t even look at my brother to give him a face that said he was dumb.
He opened the door, and—surprise—it was a janitor’s closet.
Just as I was about to make a comment, he lifted a light switch panel up and pressed a five-digit code. Instantly the wall moved to the side, opening up into what looked like an elevator.
“Going down.” He stepped in the small cube and looked at us with a grin on his face. He was really eating this whole thing up.
“Pass codes will be different for each person. There is a camera in front of you, so if the computer does not match your code with your face then the elevator will stop and the impersonator will be caught. So once given a code, don’t forget it,” he said as he pushed a button for B2.
Neither Draco nor I said anything as the elevator moved down, then came to a stop. The door opened quietly, and before us was a large training facility.
“Wow.” I was actually stunned. The room was at least fifteen meters long. There were soft wrestling mats covering a large square section in the middle. A variety of gym equipment was set up to my right, and large boxing bags hung from the ceiling.
To my left was an assortment of weapons and a row of fake upper torso men, to practice using said weapons on, I guessed.
It was a beautiful sight to see, but it also scared me. I had no clue on earth how to use any of this stuff, besides the treadmill, which I hated.
“Obviously this is the training hall, it has everything we need, and anything that isn’t here I can get in twenty-four hours.”
Draco walked around, looking at everything as if he was a gym inspector, making sure everything he needed was there. I wondered if he knew how to use all those weapons and could fight. He said he was a general back in ancient Greece, but times had changed. People didn’t fight with swords like that anymore. They had guns, or powers.
As Phillip showed us around, I kept thinking about how Draco would do in a fight. There were two rooms attached to the main space: a medical room, with all sorts of equipment, and a really nice set of men’s and women’s bathrooms with showers and saunas.
Honestly, I was expecting our hero base was going to be in some warehouse, but my brother couldn’t do anything without doing it with flare. Always had to have the best, no matter what. Not that I was complaining, it was just one small difference between us.
We walked back into the elevator and Phillip pressed B1. I noticed there were buttons for B2, B1, P, AG1, AG2, and T. that was strange.
“What do the buttons stand for?” I asked as the elevator came to a stop and the door opened.
“Basement two and one. Pizza. Above Ground one and two, and Top. I figured if anyone did happen to trick the computer system they wouldn’t know where to go. Level one and two would be easy to figure out.” I shook my head; I was going to need a hero base manual to keep track of all this stuff.
We stepped out into a hallway, which had four doors, two on each side, and large pictures of Seahill in between the doors.
Door number one on our left held a mess hall, with every sort of kitchen appliance a cook could ask for.
The door next to that one opened up to a larger room that had computers and other surveillance paraphernalia. This was our central intelligence room. It had to be.
“So, obviously this is our eyes in the sky, and everywhere else. Here we can watch the city, and control our security systems.” I looked at all the computers and felt dizzy. Electronics were not my thing. Hopefully Phillip already had someone in place for that job. Draco didn’t look too comfortable being in there, either.
We moved over to the other two rooms quickly after that. The one closest to the elevator was a room to relax in. It had a large TV, all sorts of gaming consoles, sofas and chairs, plus a mini bar. I guess for when we needed down time, we had a nice place to go. I spotted a large chair with a purple blanket over it that had my name on it. All I needed was a bookshelf in the corner, and I would never leave.
Draco huffed and walked out of the room to see what the other one held.
It was something I wasn’t sure I wanted to see.
A containment room.
“Why do we need this?” My voice was soft, because I couldn’t think of a reason for it in this magnificent place. But it wasn’t Phillip who answered—it was Draco.
“Sometimes those with powers, or those without, need a time out. This room neutralizes them so they can’t hurt anyone or themselves.”
He had a look in his eyes as he stared at the room, obviously remembering all of those he tried to lead that had to be neutralized, and most likely not in a safe room.
&nb
sp; Chapter Eleven
Draco
The look in their eyes, as the soul fled their body, haunted me every time I slept.
But here in this room, every single one of the deaths I watched played in my sight like it was on a projector.
I’d tried so hard to keep everyone safe and help them avoid giving into greed and the power of their gifts. Many were seduced like the demigods, and I had no choice. Protect the humans; it was the gods’ ultimate wish.
“Let’s go check out the rest of the place.” Rose placed her hand on my shoulder, and I felt her trying to push calming vibes into my skin. Sweet gesture, but I hadn’t told them that I could not fall prey to physical or mental powers unless I opened myself up to it. The gods made sure that besides immortality, I could shield myself against most other powers so they couldn’t take me down. I could sense theirs, so it made it easy to track, thankfully. And while Phillip could see my futures that didn’t have any true effect on me. Futures changed, none were set in stone. He played with percentages, and that was anything but final. I’d felt her calmness before, but I was completely raw on the inside to them, very vulnerable.
But for a brief moment, as I looked into her alluring eyes, I no longer saw the eyes of the dead before me. Just hers. I wished I could let myself open up to what she was trying to give me; I would hold onto the feeling for as long as I could before one day pushing it back into her when she needed it.
I nodded and she grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the room and toward the elevator.
Phillip didn’t say anything about her touching me, but I saw a very short look in his eyes as they tilted up toward my face, letting me know all I needed with that gaze.
I’d fight it as long as I could, but both he and I knew it was another battle I would lose. Rose was already ensnaring me with every second I was in her presence. The only question that crept into my mind, as the elevator lifted above the restaurant, was how much did he know, and did I want to know all of it too? Possible pain, possible suffering?
The thoughts of Cassandra passed through my mind, and I quickly let go of Rose’s hand. Phillip’s face was unreadable as the doors opened, and he stepped out first.
“These will be the housing quarters, if anyone needs a place to live or stay for a short time. A sanctuary for those in need. From what I’ve seen, many don’t have happy homes, where they are accepted, and are often considered freaks instead. There are fifty-four apartments, all different sizes, ranging from a studio to three bedrooms. Can’t have families being ripped apart on my watch.” Phillip gave a grim smile as he looked down the hall of the many doors that will hopefully house many people in need. This was what the world needed, and I was glad to be a part of this team. Especially now.
The other two levels weren’t necessary to see. Apartments were apartments to me. I’d lived on the dirt for a while, so anything inside, with heat, was great to me.
As we went back to the elevator, he explained there was a main entrance to the apartments between the two stores below. Security was top-notch, and there were actually many other escape routes besides the elevator out of any of the levels. In case we were under attack, we could all get out. That was a relief; I didn’t want to rely solely on an elevator if I needed to escape.
We rode back to his home, and Rose asked him a bunch of questions about what we were going to do next. I’d told them that they needed to train, and that was the truth. If either of them had to fight to survive, they would both lose. Their powers were both mental, and while it could be useful if they learned how to wield them in combat, it otherwise wouldn’t be able to help them. They had to go in with strength and skill. It would take time, and while they worked on themselves, we would search for the others.
We also needed to learn as much about our mystery bad guy as we could. We had lots of work to do, and from the urgency I felt from Phillip when he first propositioned me, I assumed we didn’t have a lot of time to work with.
Even I had been able to feel the restlessness in the earth. Like the soft vibration of a volcano before it explodes, covering the earth in imitation night of ash and fire. I’d always come back to Seahill, drawn to the area over the years, and then decided to stay for a while. Maybe this was my answer, deep down I knew this was where I would be needed to fight the great fight.
Phillip handed us our key cards and gave us our pass codes to get into headquarters. We would be able to use it whenever we wanted, and there was a safe parking garage behind the restaurant that would house our vehicles.
Rose offered to drive me back to my home, but her brother stepped in and offered up a driver for me instead, obviously seeing that I needed some space. I wasn’t used to all of these emotions that had filtered through my head.
“Tomorrow, we start training at seven. Dress comfortably,” I told them before following the driver that Phillip had summoned, ignoring the watchful gaze that Rose was throwing my way.
Everything was happening so fast, and I knew it wasn’t going to slow down. Not for a while.
The driver was quiet as he drove me home, which was nice. I was used to silence, and it comforted me.
When we stopped in my driveway, I thanked him for assisting me and then we parted ways. I went to my normal routine of taking care of my animals, and then spent hours in the darkroom working on some shots I had taken during the week.
Knowing that I wouldn’t have as much time for the jobs I had booked, I rescheduled some, and canceled others. It was in my contracts that I might cancel at any time, so while they might not be happy about it, all they could do is try to book me another time. I did not need them—money was not something that drove me, and I had plenty of that anyway.
Time went on, and I knew I needed sleep before training in the morning, so to bed I went.
The nightmares were bad that night, memories that had resurfaced from the day were angry, and I suffered through them until it was time to wake.
Rose and Phillip were both waiting for me in the training room by the time I walked out of the elevator the next morning.
“I was told that this training is a matter of life or death for me. But it still doesn’t mean I’m going to like it,” Rose grumbled as she took a sip of her coffee. My eyes lingered over her tight workout clothes longer than I should have.
Phillip looked wide awake and full of energy. I shook my head when he looked at me with a grin on his face.
“Phillip, hit the treadmill for an hour, and then meet me on the mat. Rose, you’re on the mat first, and then cool down on the treadmill.” I pulled off my sweatshirt, and took off my shoes, which left me in workout pants and a plain black shirt.
Rose grumbled some more but set her coffee on a small table that was by the wall near the weapons.
“Do I get to learn how to use these today?” she asked curiously, reaching for one of the sharp daggers.
“Not for a while. We need to work on the basics of hand-to-hand combat first.” I stood in the middle of the large mat and watched as she turned toward me, then walked over.
“I can fight.” She raised her chin defiantly. My eyebrow arched in question.
“Show me.” I stood there, waiting to see what she thought she knew. It was obvious to me that she was no fighter, but it was cute that she thought so.
She nodded then very quickly tried to throw a punch with her right hand at me. I moved out of the way easily, as she tried to get me again. Just those two attempts had made her winded already. Cardio would help that.
Just as she tried to swing for a third time, I gripped her hand and spun her around so her back was to my chest and my hand was holding her fist across her chest.
“I admire your spirit, Rose. But right now, you would not favor well in combat. That is something I will not allow,” I whispered in her ear, feeling the tiny stray hairs caress my cheek.
I let her go, and she fled from my arms quickly.
“Fine, I get the point.”
Chapter Twelve
Rose
Draco didn’t take it easy on me at all.
Every time I didn’t do the move exactly how I should have, he would show me how a mistake like that could have gotten me killed. I understood that ending up dead was not something we wanted, but unless he was trying to kill me in that moment he didn’t need to be an ass about it.
I huffed as I rode the stationary bike and watched Draco teach Phillip the basic moves, which of course he leeched onto flawlessly. He knew what they were already, but having someone help in real life was all he needed to be an expert, apparently.
My muscles ached from the unfamiliar movements we’d done, and my legs felt on fire from this stupid bike.
I was tired, grumpy, and really wanted to run upstairs to grab a pizza.
But the reasonable side of me kept putting thoughts in my head that this was good for my wellbeing. Not only will I learn to fight off any bad guys that we cross, but it will help me be healthier in general.
“We’re going to be heroes, he said. Gotta train to kick ass, he said. Well, I’ll tell him that I’m gonna kick his ass,” I mumbled to myself just as my timer beeped to let me know I had done my thirty minutes of cardio. My legs felt like they were another two minutes away from cramping up, so I reached down to touch my toes, stretching the muscles out.
“Rose. Come on over,” Draco called out to me, and I reluctantly moved in his direction. I prayed he wouldn’t make me do any more work. This was only day one! I was a beginner with this stuff!
Phillip wiped sweat off his brow and said he was going to the shower.
“Please say we are done,” I lightly begged as I watched Phillip walk away. I really wanted to stand under the hot spray of the shower.
“You need to stretch first. Your muscles aren’t used to training, so we need to lengthen them out. It’ll help with the soreness you’ll have.”
Dawn (Hero Society Book 1) Page 5