Finally, Trinity chimed in, speaking into her mic. “Sir, her shield can sense people’s intentions. Incubus can’t harm her, at least not intentionally.” I knew she was using my codename to make it sound like she wasn’t being bias. That she was making a calculated observation.
It was still quiet for another few seconds, before the General finally responded. “Very well. Jacob Knight, cease fire. We will determine another way to dispose of the Shield Maiden.” I immediately retracted my blood.
“Sir,” Trinity spoke again. “While I understand this mission was a drill, the Shield Maiden could still be useful. She could protect an entire squad of soldiers who would be shielded from fire while still being able to discharge their own weapons at the enemy. She’s small now, but she will grow larger. She’ll get stronger.”
“What are you implying Ms. Graham?”
“That she would, in fact, be a valuable asset to our team. I would be willing to make it my personal responsibility to train her.”
“Because of Knight?” He demanded. I was shocked he really spoke his suspicion out loud for everyone to hear.
“No sir, because she is an asset. Or do you truly disagree that a nearly invincible shield is worthless?” Trinity glanced up at me as she spoke, concern in her eyes. She was trying. She was trying really hard to save Liz, but if the General said he disagreed, then that would be the end of the discussion. There wouldn’t be anything else for her to say.
It was quiet again for a few seconds. A painfully long few seconds. “Very well. Alpha and Incubus will be debriefed and then all of you will be sent back to base. Ms. Graham, you are responsible for the girl.”
“Yes, sir.” She kept her voice even, her tone flat, careful not to let her relief show.
I quickly closed the gap between Trinity, so I could speak to her without anyone hearing. “Tell Liz to act like she’s afraid of me. Make sure she doesn’t overdo it though, it needs to be convincing.”
Trinity quickly nodded and took off to collect Liz. Then, Zane and I glanced at each other, testing each other’s resolve, before heading towards the line of soldiers for further instructions. We were told to get into a vehicle, along with Ava and Zayden, and taken back to the building where they had established their base of operations. It really did appear that no one else was going to be debriefed other than the two of us. After all, the whole mission had been a game. And while Ava and Zayden may not of known it was a drill, they also weren’t really a part of the central piece.
We were both brought to separate rooms where we had to recount the events of the entire operation from start to finish. I made sure to seem very apologetic about killing the metahuman, emphasizing the fact that I didn’t know it was a drill. Of course, that was the point. I wasn’t supposed to know. It was a test of my priorities. They just had no idea that I could overcome the fear, nor did they know my blood was that fast.
At least now I understood why the timer on the bomb had been exactly two minutes when I had entered the room. That should have been my first clue that it wasn’t real. Granted, I still wouldn’t have wanted to risk finding out if the bomb was going to explode when it hit zero.
After thinking more about it, I realized the whole situation really was their fault, no matter how I looked at it. Even if the truth was that I had consciously chosen to kill the guy after knowing he wasn’t really an enemy, they were still to blame. For one, they should have run tests on my capabilities before toying with me like that. It appeared they had relied too heavily on the theoretical predictions of their computer than on hard facts and data – even if those predictions were based on a database of facts and data. A fatal mistake, because I wasn’t fully measuring up to their predictions – I was exceeding them by a large margin. And second, the man became my enemy the moment he made Trinity scream. Another fatal mistake. No one hurts my girl and gets to tell the tale about it. No one.
Once it was all over, I was given new clothes and we were all put on a plane and sent back to the base. We were fairly quiet on the way back, knowing that they might have planted bugs to record our conversations. No one found anything, but there were a lot of places to hide them. Hopefully, everyone would be smart enough to never speak again about what had really happened. I figured they all knew better though. Neither Ava nor Zayden asked about it. They seemed to have figured it out on their own. I could see it in their eyes.
Once we were in a van, making the last part of the trip to base, Ava actually found a microphone underneath her seat. She was sitting in between Liz and Zayden, across from Trinity, me, and Zane. Trinity remained fully in her seat this time, since we were still unsure how it might psychologically impact Liz. Ava had turned into a shadow to ‘see’ better without her eyes in order to find the mic. She pointed to it, and then to her microphone connected to her earpiece to let us know. I decided to use the opportunity to mend the broken relationship between me and Liz, even if it was just a farce.
“Liz,” I said at a normal volume. “I’m sorry for trying to kill you. I was just following orders. It wasn’t personal. I would never hurt you just to do it. You’re going to be a part of our team now, so I hope we can work together without any hard feelings.”
Liz watched me with wide eyes as she processed what I was saying. I could tell she was trying to evaluate how she should respond. “Umm, it’s going to be hard for me to trust you. Although, I guess you did save my life yesterday, so…I will try to work with you, but it may take time for me to get over what you tried to do.”
Trinity took over then. “Jake’s really not a bad guy at heart, Liz. But this is our life, and it’s your life now too. You must always obey orders, even if you disagree with them. It’s very important you understand that Liz. If you want to stay on this team, orders must always be obeyed, no matter what.” Trinity then winked at her, causing Liz to grin. It was the last part of our act that we needed in order to solidify the performance. Now, we could hopefully move on with our new lives, leaving this complicated day behind us.
I had considered what would have happened if I had not killed the fear metahuman, and I decided that the General may still have wanted to dispose of the Liz. Technically, she should have died last night, but both Trinity and I had decided to spare her. Thus, the real reason why she may have been used for the drill was to test my priorities and potentially force me to undo my disobedience. Worst case scenario may have been that would be my punishment if I prioritized Trinity – to kill the girl I had let live. And if I wouldn’t kill her, then I would be off the team and imprisoned. Which meant they were probably never really considering her for the team like I had been told. Likely, they only cared about having lethal abilities on the squad – a defense-only ability foundationally wasn’t as useful to them. Which meant that Liz would likely be required to train extensively with guns, knives, and other lethal weapons if she was going to stay.
Still, it was a miracle that Trinity had convinced the General at all, even if it was conditional on Liz’s progress. Likely, it was because he had finally begun to doubt his assumptions about why Trinity had spared her in the first place. From what I could tell, the General wasn’t stupid enough to not be able to acknowledge that Trinity knew what she was doing when it came to strategy. Her being a powerful metahuman wasn’t the only reason she was the leader.
Despite her age, she had a talent for strategy, just like she had talent for killing. Luckily, the General didn’t seem to realize she was using her talent for strategy against him. Nor did he realized that one day she might use her talent for killing against him too. After all, with all the right pieces in place – with the right set of unique talents, it just might be possible to be invincible as a group. Whereas one piece of string might be easily broken, six intertwined pieces just very well might be as hard as steel. Harder even.
But only time would tell.
Chapter 13: Insomnia
When we got back to the base, it was just after dinner time. We had left base roughly around 2 PM and g
otten back around 7 PM – which was 1400 to 1900 military time. It was almost four hours round trip, with the whole operation and debriefing requiring only about an hour of our time. The sun was still up and would be for another hour.
Everyone was hungry and exhausted – except for me. I felt fine. In fact, no matter the time of day I felt exactly the same – wide awake, my mind alert and sharp…Granted, I realized that if my consciousness wasn’t just in my brain anymore, then ‘mind’ might require a loose interpretation. I felt like my thoughts were still in my skull, but that might have been because that’s where my eyes were – they seemed to give the sensation of ‘mental presence.’ I wondered what it would be like to lose my head and survive, but I wasn’t planning on testing that one out anytime soon.
Zayden surprised everyone by going straight to take a shower, even though he was probably the hungriest of us all. Granted, he didn’t have to use his abilities during the drill, so maybe that helped. We decided to wait for him by first giving Liz a tour of where we lived. She seemed happy to be there, especially since the alternatives were much less pleasant. She definitely intended to work hard to stay. I felt bad that she had been thrust into the same situation as the rest of us, especially when she clearly had never harmed a soul in her life.
But I guess she was guilty by association, even if she was brainwashed. At least, that’s what the military’s official report would be if she decided to act up. It was either obey or be imprisoned around here. There was no freedom for any of us.
No out. Unless death counted as an out.
Who knew the military could be such bastards?
I supposed really it was the government controlling the military who were the bastards. Either way, they were heartless – ruthless. Unyielding and unforgiving. Willing to even sacrifice a twelve-year-old innocent girl just to make me prove my loyalty to them.
At least most of the soldiers themselves weren’t so bad. The two teams we worked with appreciated our skills. Granted, even they had to obey orders. That’s just how it was.
When Zayden was done with his shower, he was surprised we had waited. He looked slightly annoyed but didn’t say anything. He was probably just surprised by the kind gesture. We all headed to the mess hall for dinner then. Liz of course sat next to me, while Trinity sat on her other side. Ava, Zane, and Zayden all sat on the other side of the table.
Despite the fact Liz was hungry, she felt bad eating in front of me when I didn’t have any food. I rolled my eyes at her. “Liz, you might as well be eating dirt as far as I’m concerned. In fact, I think dirt would be more appetizing.”
“Really?” She asked with wide eyes. She held up a cupcake towards me, which was supposed to be her dessert. “Even this doesn’t look good?”
I cringed and pulled away. “Nope. Not even a little. Plus, I ended up eating just a little while ago, so I’m good.”
“How much?” Trinity asked unexpectedly. I looked over Liz’s head at her with a raised eyebrow. Trinity clarified. “We need to know what your daily requirements are, so I can tell them. Do you know how much you absorbed?”
“No, not exactly,” I admitted. “But it wasn’t a lot.” I then paused, glancing at the others briefly. “Let’s just say, he didn’t die from me taking his blood.”
It was silent for a second, before Trinity grinned at me. I wondered if she was reminded of how it made her feel that I had killed someone on her behalf. “Warm again?” She wondered.
I smirked back at her. “Yes, very. Both body and soul. And my heart too, if you count what your smile just did to me.”
“Oh please,” she retorted, but the smirk on her face didn’t disappear.
Zayden made a fake gagging noise. We both ignored him.
When everyone was close to being done with dinner, except for Zayden since he ate more than everyone else combined, Liz voiced her nervousness about the sleeping arrangements. She didn’t want to sleep alone. According to her, Weaver had never sexually assaulted her, but she did sleep with him in the same bed. With the exception of the previous night, she hadn’t slept alone in years. It had been horrible for her to suddenly be alone at night. The female scientist she had mentioned had ended up holding her until she fell asleep, but she still woke up frequently throughout the night with nightmares.
After a slightly annoyed sigh, Trinity offered to let Liz sleep in her room for the night, but Liz thought she had a better idea. “That does sound nice, but I would be most comfortable sleeping with Jake.”
Everyone gawked at her, and I finally decided it was time to let everyone know about my other little secret. “Sorry Liz, but I don’t sleep anymore. I can’t sleep really.”
Everyone looked at me in shock. Trinity was baffled. “Jake, are you serious?”
I shrugged. “Seems that way. I don’t fatigue, and I don’t get tired. Not even sleepy. Really, the only sensations I seem to have left are temperature, pressure…and pleasure.” I gave Trinity a meaningful look, before continuing. She smirked at me briefly. “No pain, no taste, even my sense of smell seems muted a little, at least when it comes to food.”
Zayden said, “Creepy,” underneath his breath but otherwise everyone was quiet.
Liz broke the silence. “Well…you can still lay down with me, can’t you? It would mean a lot to me.”
I stared at her for a second, before glancing at Trinity, and then looking away. I really didn’t know how to answer that. Liz was a cute girl – I didn’t feel right about sleeping with her. Really, I wanted to sleep with Trinity if I was being honest. I’d be more than happy to hold her all night.
When I was silent for a long time, Liz quickly shifted gears, looking up at Trinity. “I’m sure Jake will sleep with me if you’re there too. So then, can I sleep with both of you?”
Zayden choked on whatever he was currently inhaling into his stomach, and cursed underneath is breath again. Zane abruptly crossed his arms and looked away. Ava and Trinity both just stared at her dumbfounded.
Unexpectedly, Trinity got a grin on her face as she looked over at me, speaking in a mocking tone. “Oh, I’m sure Jake would love that.”
I glared at her. “Don’t joke about stuff like that Trinity. I’m sure you’re a handful enough in bed as it is.”
Trinity abruptly grabbed her chest with both hands, a shocked expression on her face, although her tone was still insincere. “Wow Jake, you really know how to complement a girl.”
Zayden snapped then, giving Trinity a death glare, although he kept is voice at a normal volume. “You two are annoying the shit out of me.”
Trinity acted completely unbothered by the comment. “Oh? And why is that?”
He raised his voice this time. “Because the rest of us don’t have that luxury! So stop throwing it in our faces!”
Trinity just stared at him, heartless. Her tone was mockingly sweet. “Well, Zayzay, maybe if you weren’t such an asshole all the time then Ava would warm up to you a little.”
Zayden looked like his head was going to explode, but he didn’t respond. Ava didn’t react at all. She just sat with her chin resting on her palm, her elbow on the table. However, Zane interrupted before things could get much uglier.
“Well, I’ll admit it’s kind of hard for me to watch too.” His arms were still crossed, but he was looking at Trinity now.
Her reaction was completely different. She leaned back in her chair and lowered her gaze. “Oh…” She was then quiet for a few seconds before she glanced at me, and then returned her gaze to Zane. “Sorry…”
He just grunted and looked away again.
Tentatively, I decided to see if he would share. “Zane, can I ask why?”
Trinity immediately lowered her head even more, tipping me off that she knew. I started to realize maybe I shouldn’t have asked after all, but Zane decided to answer before I could retract my question. With a sighed, he replied. “Remember the girl who could sense other people’s abilities? It was her call to spare Trinity. That same girl was also
my girlfriend, at least when she was still alive.” No one said anything. Ava looked shocked – clearly, she hadn’t known. And even Zayden abruptly changed his demeanor. He wasn’t all testy anymore.
After a few minutes, Zane sighed again. “Look, you two can do what you want. Even sleep together for all I care. All that really matters is that we get the job done on the field.” He paused. “But, just don’t go waiving it in our faces all the time. We’ve got enough shit to deal with without being reminded of painful memories.” He then quickly clarified, when he saw Trinity’s expression. “Look Trinity, I’m not saying don’t put your legs in Jake’s lap in front of us, or show him affection occasionally. I like seeing you happy. It’s a nice change compared to the last three years I’ve worked with you. But just don’t overdo it. Is that acceptable?”
Trinity immediately nodded. “Yes. And again, I’m sorry.”
Zayden murmured under his breath again. “Aren’t you going to apologize to me?”
Trinity glared at him. “Don’t push your luck Zay. You’re lucky I didn’t snap your head off.”
He scoffed but didn’t say anything. It suddenly made me wonder how his power interacted with Trinity’s, because I had seen him fight – he was a monster in his own right. So why was Trinity so much stronger than him? Was there something I didn’t understand about her power? Or was there something I didn’t understand about his?
I realized her power might be unpleasant enough to stop him from using his. Which was the complete opposite of how my power reacted to her – my blood wanted to take on a life of its own when threatened. Which also made me wonder about my own power compared to Zayden’s. How could his fire, which was so hot it burned almost white, not harm me? How could it not incinerate me? He was like a walking bomb – more powerful even, although with a much smaller area of effect.
I decided I wanted to find out.
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