by Drew Hayes
All that aside, there was still one part of his job Balaam had no idea how he was going to pull off. Pseudonym as he was now posed very little threat to the plan. However, should the man be sufficiently motivated, there was always the chance that Fornax might once again raise his ferocious head and emerge from the weak shell of his current self. Should that occur, the entire plan could be thrown off course.
Balaam needed to find a way to deal with Ivan Gerhardt, and he needed to find it soon.
Chapter 51
The jingling of the bell overhead as Tori shoved the door open was both familiar and depressing. On one hand, it was nice to be back at Ridge City Grinders, and she was looking forward to checking in on Chloe. On the other hand, she was only here because Ivan had dropped her off while he parked the car, meaning she still had a full day of office work in front of her, followed by more guild training that night, and a few hours working on her meta-suit before she grabbed a quick nap to do the whole thing over again. The vacation was over, and now she had to go back to living her double life. At least field training would only last another week. And there was coffee, which was something to be grateful for.
Thankfully, the line was light for once, and Tori quickly made her way to the counter. To her surprise, Chloe’s cheerful face wasn’t there to greet her; Tori had been certain she’d seen the other woman’s shock of white-blonde hair when she stepped through the door. Seconds later, a soft tap fell on her shoulder, and she turned to find her favorite barista standing behind her with a pair of extra-large cups in hand.
“Morning!” Chloe said cheerfully. “If you’ve got the time, I took my break and thought we might catch up a little.”
“Of course.” Tori wasn’t actually all that sure she did have the time, but there was bound to be a little residual sympathy in the office she could milk if the talk made her late. Besides, she’d accidentally drawn Chloe into a dangerous situation with robbers and a crazy meta. The very least she owed the woman was a morning chat.
Chloe led her through the store, past the clustered tables and toward a pair of soft purple chairs set up by a window. Tori couldn’t be certain, but she felt pretty sure they hadn’t been positioned so out of the way last time she’d been in the store. It had been a week, though; some other customers had probably screwed with the layout. As they arrived, Chloe passed Tori the cups and grabbed a small table barely wide enough to hold a laptop. She placed it between the chairs; Tori set both coffees down on top of it.
“Let’s start with the most important part,” Chloe said as she and Tori settled into their seats. “Are you okay? Doctors gave you a clean bill of health and everything?”
“Fit as a fiddle.” Tori raised her left arm and stretched it, flexing her fingers and making a fist. “No long-term damage; they even patched me up so well that I won’t have scars from the bullet wounds. What about you?”
“I didn’t need much treatment,” Chloe replied. “Though I’m glad that someone sprang for a meta with healing powers, otherwise the jaw stuff might have taken a while.”
“Yeah, in all the confusion, I didn’t get to ask what happened there. How did your face get so hurt in the fight?” Tori could vividly recall the bruised, disjointed angle of Chloe’s jawbone, almost impossible to picture now against her perfectly uninjured face.
“Oh, that. I sort of... I did that to myself.” Chloe broke eye contact as she quickly glanced around, making sure no one else was near enough to overhear them. “You guys needed a distraction, so I... well, I punched myself in the face a few times with a stapler until I felt my jaw break, then said my bark was worse than my bite. With a broken jaw, you have a really crappy bite, which was why my bark was so loud and scary.”
“Huh. Sort of seems like if you took that statement literally, it should have given you a shitty bark,” Tori pointed out.
“That occurred to me later on, but I guess my power works more on what’s meant than what’s said. After all, the sayings aren’t always literal. Or maybe my own intent matters. I’m still sort of figuring it all out.” Chloe paused to take a sip of her coffee, wincing slightly from the heat of the liquid. “That’s part of why I wanted to talk with you this morning.”
Tori felt a prickle of worry dance down her vertebrae. “Did you want me to give you Donald’s number or something? I’m sure you want to talk to another meta now that you know one.”
Chloe stared at her friend for a long moment, then sighed and set her cup back down on the table. “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but I had a feeling it might. Liar, liar, pants on fire.”
Her words echoed through their small space, and Tori immediately glanced down to see if her khakis were combusting. Mercifully, they were still fully intact. Then again, all her clothes were built to be able to shift forms with her, so there was no guarantee fire would harm her outfit. It would make a hell of a scene, though, and Ivan had a tendency to frown on those.
“When we were trapped in the break room, you threw coffee on one of the robbers to give Donald a distraction. The thing is, the pot you used was full of cold coffee left over from the night before. We both know it shouldn’t have hurt him, but he screamed like he was burning. Steam even came off it. Donald’s power wouldn’t have let him do that, and neither would mine. That only leaves you, Tori. You were the meta who heated up the coffee.”
Tori considered her words carefully. Chloe’s power was hard to predict and seemed to obey a set of laws unlike anything she’d encountered. Still, the effects always held true to the saying that Chloe used, so assuming she didn’t tell a direct lie, there was a good chance her pants wouldn’t suddenly ignite.
“That’s a pretty big assumption to make just from me throwing a pot of coffee at someone.”
“It is,” Chloe agreed. “But after I made it, everything else that happened began to make a lot more sense. The way you charged into the fight despite being a paper-pusher, how quickly you figured out ways to use my and Donald’s powers, even the determination you showed when you shot yourself in the arm. At the time, I took it as you being you, and while that’s probably still true, I think there’s more to it. Part of the reason you were able to do all those things is that you have a power of your own, and you’re accustomed to using it.”
“Well, it’s an interesting theory,” Tori said. “Let me ask you, though, if I say something is hypothetical, and it’s not true, does that count as a lie?”
“Not sure, but I doubt it,” Chloe told her. “Like I said before, intent seems to count. If you’re trying to tell a lie, that’s what will set it off.”
That made things even murkier, which was precisely what Tori had been trying to avoid. There was no way out of this without some sort of risk, though. Even if she got up and left, she’d more or less confirm Chloe’s suspicions. Plus, there was no telling how long her weird curse would last. Better to see things through for now and find out where that led.
“Let’s say, hypothetically, that your theory was right. That I was a meta with a power of my own. Why call me out like this? What are you hoping to get from me? If it’s money, you’re out of luck. The office job pays decent, but not enough to be worth blackmailing.”
“Huh?” Chloe tilted her head in surprise then gave it a hearty shake. “Whoa, no, no, no. I don’t want to blackmail you or anything. I want help. I want to stop guessing at how this power works and actually figure the damn thing out. I keep setting it off by accident if I don’t watch what I say. If you’re a meta, you’re obviously not a new one like me and Donald. I just need someone to help get me through this until I’ve got a handle on this stupid ability.”
“Oh.” It occurred to Tori that perhaps she’d been spending a bit too much time around supervillains. While the morally corrupt might want to profit from Tori’s secret, it made sense that Chloe would desire help above all else. She hadn’t been taken in by the guild or the capes; she was just stuck with a power that didn’t come with instructions, trying to muddle through her life wh
ile keeping that strange ability a secret. Tori had been lucky; she’d understood what happened to her and had the skills to control it. Heck, even Donald had it better; at least his power could only be activated under certain conditions. Chloe’s could turn on at any time just by accidently picking a poor turn of phrase.
“Okay, Chloe, let’s assume I am a meta for a moment. What if my power is nothing like yours? I mean, yours is clearly rooted in magic. Maybe my hypothetical power came from a science mishap. Even if I wanted to help you—which I do—I’m probably one of the worst metas out there to do it.”
“I’ll take the worst over no one.” Chloe fidgeted with the coffee cup clutched in her hands, staring down into its half-drunk contents. “I need to get this under control. It’s fun, and it could be a really neat power in its own right, but I have to figure out how to use it properly. Otherwise, it’s just going to keep causing me trouble.”
“Have...” Tori hesitated, unable to believe the words that were about to leave her mouth. “Have you considered going to the AHC? I’m pretty sure they have classes and training specifically for new metas. They’re bound to have someone there who can help you.” Much as it galled Tori to put another friend on the path to being a cape, Chloe needed help, and better she get it from the good guys than entangle herself with the guild.
“I thought about it, but I don’t want to be a superhero. Honestly, I don’t think I even can; my power just isn’t that offensive,” Chloe admitted. Tori was inclined to disagree, seeing as it had let her punch out a strength-based meta, but she said nothing as Chloe continued.
“Going to the AHC, it feels... dangerous. Like I’m putting myself in a world that I might not want to be in. Once I do that, there’s no going back. They’ll know who I am and what I can do, and if for some reason they ever decide I might be necessary as a tool, I might not have a choice. Meta drafts have happened before. That’s why I don’t want to get involved with some mysterious organization. I’m just asking someone I consider a friend if they’ll lend me whatever help they can.”
“Forcing me to tell the truth or burn was a bit heavy-handed,” Tori pointed out.
“True, but my break is only so long, so this saved us both fifteen minutes of you trying to lie your way out of admitting what you are—what we both are. But you’re right, I’m asking a lot. It’s time I showed you some trust. A penny saved is a penny earned.”
“How does that one work, exactly?” Tori didn’t feel any different physically, though her mind was far more relaxed knowing that she wouldn’t be in danger of having her trousers set aflame for one little fib.
“Every time I resist the urge to spend money, whatever I would have spent doubles,” Chloe explained. “It only works with cash, though, and I have to be both genuinely tempted and able to buy it. No pretending I want a house, resisting, and watching my bank account swell. It just earns me a little extra grocery money here and there.”
“Pretty useful,” Tori said. “So, look. I meant what I said about being the worst person to help you, but that doesn’t mean I won’t still try. That said, I do know a few other people who might be better suited to figure out how this ability of yours works. Are you okay with me sharing your secret? It would only be with people that I trust, I promise.”
Slowly, tentatively, Chloe nodded her head. “If you trust them and really think they can help, then I trust you. Let’s just not broadcast it all over town though, okay?”
“Don’t worry; I’ve only got one or two in mind. The first would be the best, but unfortunately, that one is also a super long shot. The second is like us: still inexperienced, but I have a feeling she’d definitely help out. One more thing, though. We won’t be able to start until next week. I’m sort of swamped every day and night until then.”
“That’s fine,” Chloe said, a relieved smile cresting her face. “Honestly, I wasn’t even expecting that much. It’ll give me time to try and figure out where we should start.”
Tori glanced at the clock and confirmed that she would indeed be stepping into the office late. So far, it was in the forgivable bounds, but she needed to hurry if she didn’t want to catch hell from Ivan, especially since she was about to try and con a huge favor out of him.
“I’ve got to head in,” Tori said, picking up her cup and rising from the chair. “But you’ve already got my number from when we set up the catering, so text me next week and we can work out the details. Just keep things vague, you know?”
“Nothing to worry about there,” Chloe replied. “I’m a big fan of keeping things private.”
“Figured as much.” Tori began to turn toward the door then stopped, facing Chloe once more. “Just out of curiosity, why go through all this to come to me? I mean, you know Donald too, and wouldn’t have had to strong-arm him into admitting he was a meta. I get not wanting to go to the AHC, but why not ask him for help?”
“I thought about it; I even picked up the phone to call you and get his number a few times. It’s just that... well, he’s a superhero now. He’s out there stopping crime. Just last Friday, he fought this giant monster in the middle of a club. I feel like he’s got better things to do than help out some untrained meta that doesn’t want to sign up with the heroes.”
It made a certain amount of sense; Tori could see where Chloe was coming from. But at the same time, this was Donald they were talking about. He’d have definitely made time for someone he thought needed help. At least, the Donald she’d made friends with would have, but that Donald wouldn’t have tried to take on a giant monster. His new job was clearly changing him.
She just hoped it wasn’t into someone she had to count as an enemy.
Chapter 52
“Are you asking me for help or permission?” Ivan seemed unfazed by Tori’s rundown of her unexpected coffee discussion, taking it all in with a passive, almost bored expression. She’d expected him to at least be annoyed. Instead he kept clicking away on his computer as she spoke, no doubt clearing out the backed up emails from his week away.
“Um, both, I guess?” Tori was still taken aback by his disinterest in the issue at hand, but she steeled herself to press on, apathy be damned. “Let’s start with the help part. Is that something you’re willing to do?”
“Depends,” Ivan replied, eyes still trained on his monitor screen. “By ‘help,’ do you mean train a meta that owes no allegiance to our guild, or do you mean dispose of someone who knows about your secret? If it’s the former, then no. If it’s the latter, then still no, but I have some other people I can recommend for reasonable rates.”
“Oh, pretty please let that just be a terrible joke,” Tori said, unapologetically glaring at her teacher.
Ivan finally turned from his computer and set his hands heavily on the desk. “The guild does offer certain services like that, but no, I wasn’t serious about killing the barista just because she figured out you were a meta. I was, however, serious about not wanting to train her. As you might recall, I’m not big on students, especially ones I wouldn’t be educating in the guild’s code first.”
“Chloe isn’t asking to be turned into the next Lodestar; she just wants to get better control over her power.”
“You would be surprised how quickly ‘better control’ turns into ‘all the power,’” Ivan said. “If Chloe wants help from me, or someone with better qualifications, then she is welcome to enlist in the guild. Of course, as you well know, that is neither an easy nor safe path. However, as I have a vested interest in a meta not accidently causing havoc or chaos in our city, I have no objections to you helping her gain better control and understanding of her power.”
“Really?” Tori backed away slightly from the desk, accidently betraying her shock. “I expected you to fight me a lot more on that.”
“Tori, you have one more week of field training and a single test remaining before you can become a full member of the guild. One of the things that will change at that point is the amount of hand-holding and supervision you receive from
me. Your time is just that: yours. So long as you don’t violate the code, you’re free to spend it however you see fit. If you want to train this woman then I won’t stop you. But if she becomes a problem, then she becomes your problem… yours to fix or to be dragged down by. Understand?”
“Understood,” Tori replied. “But let’s go back to the thing about less hand-holding. Does that mean you’re not going to be my mentor anymore?”
“I will still be around in some capacities,” Ivan told her. “A mentor and student are always bonded, which is why so many guild members avoid taking them. But you will have gotten past the largest of the hurdles and proven yourself to be worthy of membership. From that point on, you alone will determine how you further your education.”
“Guess that means no more nightly quizzes of the code or you drilling me with hypothetical scenarios and seeing how I would deal with them.” She’d meant the words to sound playful, but to her surprise, they came out tinged with sadness. Her time with Ivan hadn’t necessarily been easy, and heaven knew she was tired of his endless emphasis on the code, but at the same time, it had gotten to be a comfortable, familiar routine.
Ivan coughed slightly into his hand, the first time he’d betrayed a sense of discomfort since she’d barged into his office. “To be frank, Tori, after you’ve become a full member of the guild, you won’t be residing with me anymore. This was an arrangement done only for the time in which you needed my guidance and supervision. You’ll be free to move into the guild headquarters or find a spot of your own.”
“I just can’t stay.” She wasn’t surprised, not really. In the back of her mind, Tori had always known that her garage apartment in the heart of suburbia was a temporary arrangement. And at least she had a place to go—even if it was a place stocked full of criminals and weirdoes.