by Jaz Johnson
Back at Maverick’s apartment, Maverick was pacing the floor of his living room while Hydra was trying to better organize her belongings. He had just gotten off the phone with Jared, telling him once again that he was too busy for him to come over and play video games. Finally stopping, her plopped down onto the sofa with a groaning sigh and a shake of his head. Hydra, noticing the stressed actions, turned her attention to him, watching him closely.
“Is everything alright?” she asked.
“Yeah, I just, uh – how long do you plan on staying here?”
“Is there a problem with me staying here?”
“No, it’s just that it’s only a matter of time before my friend starts wondering why he can’t come over.”
“Why can he not come over?” Maverick stared at her blankly.
“Well … Because … You’re here.” Hydra raised a brow, not following.
“And?” Maverick chuckled loosely, running his hand awkwardly through his hair and scratching the back of his head.
“Okay, uhm, I don’t know if you know this, but you’re a super human. Not even human. You’re a super powered alien.”
“Your friend is not going to know that.” Maverick laughed.
“You – okay, you don’t have pupils. People around here? Humans? We have pupils. That might freak some people out.” Hydra fell silent at the observation, staring into Maverick’s eyes. She spread her palm in front of her face, coating it in ice in order to see her reflection. She glanced from his eyes to hers, taking note of the comparison. The small black dot in the center of his light brown eyes, compared to her endless spheres of lavender.
“Oh … I suppose I should conceal my eyes when traveling with you.”
“Yes, you – wait, okay and that’s another thing. You’re going to be following me everywhere I go?” Hydra nodded. “That might not work.”
“What do you mean?”
“I work. You know, I have a job.”
“I just heard you say you would not go in until three days from this one, if my knowledge of your ‘week’ is accurate.”
“Yeah, but … I will be going back. What will you do for the six or eight hours that I will be there? Be a customer?”
“Yes.”
Maverick shook his head.
“That’s not going to work. They’re going to think you’re stalking me.”
“Stalking?” Hydra asked. Maverick sighed, leaning back on the sofa.
“Never mind. You know … You don’t need to follow me. I’m not going to tell anyone about who Saphora is.” Hydra was silent for a moment.
“It is no longer to protect her from you,” Hydra argued, before hearing her communicator start going off. She looked over to the book she had set it on, walking over to it. Maverick watched as she ran her finger along the side of the flat sphere. And within that instant, a hologram of Artemis appeared. Maverick stood in pure shock of the technology before him, as Hydra stared into the image. The distraught Artemis glitched before beginning to speak.
“Hydra?”
“Yes, Artemis. What is it?”
“Where is Saphora?”
“With the humans.”
“You need to go to her! Tebias is on the move,” Artemis urged.
“How long?”
“About forty minutes.” Hydra nodded, ending the transmission. She turned on her heel, heading for the front door.
“Come on,” Hydra ordered, looking back at the stunned Maverick. He was hovering over the communicator in amazement. Looking up at the impatient Hydra, his brows wrinkled.
“Saphora’s in trouble?”
“She will be if we don’t leave. Do you know where the police took her?”
“Uh, yeah, the police station,” Maverick answered, walking up behind Hydra.
“Take us there.”