Still, I’d always thought she just needed to grow up, and last week’s horrors had certainly been capable of doing that.
I laughed, “I doubt it. They’re just trying to distract us before they pull out the rug.”
I waved back at a little girl who was wildly waving up at me, and she started to bounce on her toes excitedly and pull her mother’s shirt. It was cute, and totally fake, and would’ve been a distraction if I didn’t keep my awareness on everything else at the same time. Maybe I was just paranoid, but most patrols would be boring, and to lose my focus to a distraction could be a deadly mistake. It wasn’t a bad lesson. It wasn’t easy to maintain vigilance through boredom after all.
But I had those mental exercises to stay sharp. They not only kept me alert, but they relaxed the body. Constantly tensed up muscles while continuously expecting trouble to jump out would degrade readiness and response times when it all did hit the fan. There was a trick to it, sharp mind taking in everything, but a relaxed body. The course had covered that, but only the basics. I knew more advanced techniques because I’d been trained in them as soon as I was old enough to sit still for a minute.
Stacey said, “You’re probably right, we…” she trailed off at the explosion of energy at the top right corner of the room.
We were just past the bottom left corner travelling in the right direction but two tenths of a mile away. The blast itself had happened right behind Thad and Janna. I’d circled the place what felt a like a million times, and predictably enough the mock bank was in that area. Supervillains love to rob banks, jewelry stores, art galleries and stores with other high-end merchandise. I suppose they were a lot like normal professional thieves that way, but they very rarely robbed liqueur stores for instance.
Thad turned around and dove out of sight before I could get a shield around him, and of course Janna was at street level and I couldn’t see her. I didn’t bother shielding Stacey, she had her own energy shields, and they were pretty damned strong.
I’d done that once the end of last week when we first started these simulations, and she argued her shields could handle it, and if she was being hit by a supervillain that was one less hit my shields would need to absorb when protecting bystanders. It’d been a good argument, so I’d never done it again.
We flew forward at about forty miles an hour. It was part of the rules of engagement, to simulate how long it would take to get to another pair of heroes to assist if it’d been a true and large city. It’d take us eleven or twelve seconds to get there.
I started to shield the holographic humans below as we reached the top left corner and made the turn. My power seemed willing to protect people made of light, so I did it. It was just a simulation, but my heartrate picked up a little, and I actually felt a little excitement and anxiety, which was a first from the incident.
Janna and Thad were looking around outside the bank and inside the window, and we flew down to street level but didn’t put down our feet.
“What’s going on?”
Thad shrugged, “Got me. There was a release of energy and panicking, but when we turned around and made it back to the corner there was nothing there.”
Stacey’s eyes went wide, “Distraction, to pull us away.”
Oh, that sucked if she was right, did we just fall for the modern equivalent of throwing a stone on the opposite side of a room? It wasn’t out of the question. A smart supervillain might just create a distraction to pull both superhero teams on patrol to the side of the city furthest from their true target.
Stacey and I took off and headed back the way we came, while Thad and Janna went clockwise. We were halfway there when the buzzer went off, all the people disappeared. We looked to the center of the room which held the instructor and other eight supers in training, and the instructor had a dark look on his face.
Uh oh.
We flew that way.
Carmine said, “Why did you abandon procedures? Janna and Thad did not request assistance, and you two didn’t bother to use comms and ask them what happened. While you were flying off the true supervillain that knows the meaning of subtle made off with a fortune in jewelry. He had an accomplice on the other side of the city to draw off the teams. Not all supervillains go around blowing things up, most don’t in fact.”
Stacey replied, “We screwed up.”
Well, crap, she was right about that. The length of the simulation I’d managed to stay alert, but I’d still been bored, and far too eager to get the action.
Carmine glared at me.
I said, “She’s right. I managed to stay alert enough through that long wait, but when the time came, I screwed up because I was too eager to get there.”
Carmine blew out a breath, “Good. Everyone falls for that the first time, and it’s designed to teach you that lesson. On long waits and boring patrols lack of awareness isn’t the only problem to be aware of. Vigilance isn’t just for your surroundings, it’s in following the rules and set procedures. The only way you could’ve truly failed was by making up excuses. Next time, you’ll wait until your assistance is asked for, or use the comms.”
Well, it could’ve been worse, but I still felt like an idiot for falling for it. There was also the matter of the other eight smirking, but what he said finally sunk in, and I realized they must’ve failed it that morning too. They were just relieved we didn’t make them look bad. That didn’t stop me from feeling embarrassed, however. Carmine was right, I wouldn’t be forgetting that lesson anytime soon.
Carmine said, “Break for lunch. One hour.”
The twelve of us headed for the elevator.
Stacey asked, “How do you feel about Mexican?”
I resisted the urge to look behind me, for the person she must really be talking to, but there was no doubt she was looking right at me. It was a bit surreal to be honest. More than that, she looked a bit nervous and vulnerable about it, like she expected me to throw it back in her face. I have to admit, there was a petty part of me that wanted to just that. Stacey had been a snide bitch to me the last four years, and it’d only gotten worse when she’d gotten powers in tenth grade and I didn’t for another two years. I swallowed that impulse. I didn’t want to be that person. I was also a little curious about my changed nemesis, but that’s all it was at that point. I wasn’t even close to forgiving her then, and there was no trust in this new Stacey either.
“Sounds good to me, Janna?”
Janna gave me a surprised look, but she nodded easily, “I could go for a burrito, Thad?”
Thad agreed, and just like that I was having lunch with Stacey. The world truly had gone mad.
Mia’s Mexican restaurant had a casual atmosphere with both dark wood tables, and darker wood booths with gray seat cushions and backs. It was close to Liberty in the suburbs, so it didn’t take all that long before we were seated and ordering.
Stacey asked, “You three are all going the superhero route, right?”
At that question, the pessimist in me told me she’d just invited us to lunch to pump for information on the competition, but I tried to keep an open mind. Plus, what competition? There were now thirty-six open slots for heroes in Excelsior, and of the sixteen in class I’d be surprised if even eight of us had that intention. It’d be a few years before the city’s supers would be back up to strength and anyone would have to worry about being turned down, and we’d all be well-established by then.
Of course, we could still be turned down. They wouldn’t accept someone not up for the task, we just wouldn’t be turned down because they weren’t hiring, so to speak.
I nodded, “That’s the plan.”
Janna just nodded, clearly as baffled as I was by our nemesis.
Thad said, “It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. You?”
Stacey nodded, “I was just thinking the first few years would be rough, even with all four of us the city’s superheroes will only be at half the numbers. I don’t think anyone else in the course plans to. We might be going o
n more patrols than usual.”
Janna said, “Maybe. Last week was horrible, but that kind of thing usually pulls people together. I wouldn’t be surprised if Liberty wasn’t swamped with new applications by people inspired to make a difference.”
I hadn’t really considered that, but it was possible. People tended to be galvanized and inspired by horrific things to rise to the challenge. Maybe enough to make a difference that way. Plus, look at Stacey, the change in her was remarkable. I kept waiting for that cynical edge in her voice but so far so good. That day had changed me, maybe it’d changed her too.
Still, inspiration and motivation ran out. They were emotions, it’d only be the ones with discipline, fortitude, and integrity that would stick it out and change for the long term.
“How are things going. They’re rebuilding?”
Stacey nodded, “Harmony is back online. Her systems are deep underground and powered independently, so weren’t harmed, but the explosion took out the building power and net access. The new place will be a fortress, she’s determined to prevent a recurrence. It won’t be ready for months, there’s a temporary headquarters already in the bunker levels which are still intact. My mother’s been working double shifts since that day, I don’t know how she does it.”
The food arrived and we all dug in. The hour would pass quickly, and supers ate a lot, so we didn’t really dally or talk much for the rest of the meal.
Chapter Nine
Life went on, and the week of training flew by with three or four simulations a day. As Carmine told us the simulations were more about basic lessons than fighting, not just teaching us the procedures but stressing why they were important with simple example simulations. The four of us managed to do well with it.
The life went on part, well I was definitely feeling like my normal self again for the most part. There was no more weight in my gut, and I woke up with an optimistic excitement every morning that was only slightly dimmed by the hard lesson I’d learned. I wasn’t the same, a little more serious, but at the same time Janna and I were back to talking about clothes and boys without feeling like they were empty and childish pursuits. I could smile and even laugh without feeling a stab of guilt, though there were still times that thoughts of that dark day sucked the joy out of my chest, but it wasn’t every single time.
Janna and I had also gotten back to our normal schedule of hanging out most evenings after class.
Stacey continued to show up all week with a completely different attitude, but I’d refrained from asking her about her personality transplant or why she’d been such a bitch to me and many others during high school. The cause of the change was obvious enough, but while she’d turned into a colleague that I wouldn’t mind sharing lunch with, Janna and I were still keeping her at arm’s length.
That was okay, she wasn’t exactly exposing her inner self to us either. She’d just grown manners. Still, the longer it went on, the more my cautious optimism grew. I didn’t know if I’d ever forgive her, or if she’d be a good friend someday, but I was fairly confident she’d be okay to work with and I'd trust her at my back. At least, against supervillains.
There was nothing new on the psychopath. He didn’t even try to justify that attack with a video, but we had no doubts we hadn’t seen the last of him. As horrible as that day was, we also knew it hadn’t gone nearly as well as he’d been hoping it would. He’d done a lot of damage, but we’d shut him down fast. It no longer dominated my thoughts, but I thought about it at least several times a day, and I suspected when he showed back up it would be with entirely new tactics and strategies.
The city’s superheroes were as Stacey suggested, extremely busy, and patrolling at least once a day in three groups of two pairs. They sometimes pulled double shift patrols to give each other days off. I knew my mother and her team was out there a lot as well. Regardless, because of all that it wasn’t a huge surprise that right after getting certified and submitting my application, I was accepted. What was surprising was they wanted me to start on Monday, even though my eighteenth birthday was still two weeks away. It was a bit exciting, because I’d been resigned to waiting for two weeks.
It also told me how desperate they were to backfill those that had fallen.
At the moment that happened, Janna and I were in my bedroom.
Janna looked at my holo-screen, and said, “I’m starting Monday too. Maybe one of Harmony’s hard drives slipped, and they forgot you’re a minor?”
I giggled, for some reason that struck me as really funny. Part of that no doubt, was the thrill I felt at realizing my dream. Others, the unwashed masses, might describe me as giddy in that moment, but clearly, I was too mature for that.
“Wait, I got a message, maybe that explains it?”
She checked hers and got one too, so we both opened them up.
In a nutshell, we were starting off as interns of sorts. I wouldn’t be able to participate in patrols or takedowns as a city superhero, but those two weeks they’d be training us on city superhero specific procedures, deeper training, getting to know the heroes, support personnel, support equipment, command center functions, and so on. They’d also be making our super suits, of which we’d have design input over. In short, it’d be a two-weeklong onboarding process of training, getting to know people, and getting ready to join the team.
Well, I say we, but Janna, Thad, and Stacey were all eighteen. But they’d all have the same training and onboarding process before they’d be joining patrols as well, so it worked out. We compared notes.
“The only difference I can see is I have to have my mother sign a waiver if I want to move in there before my eighteenth birthday.”
We didn’t have to move into the hero building, but they even had multiple room accommodations if a superhero ever got married or had kids. Or they would once it was rebuilt. But it would save money and counted as part of the salary, and it was encouraged. It helped build team unity, and in the end only other superheroes could fully understand one another.
Janna smirked, “She’s going to love that, unless you don’t plan on moving in Monday?”
I got the impression she was fishing with that smirk, she wanted me there. I was ready to conquer the world on my own. I wanted to, but there was a bittersweet element to the idea as well. My mom and I had always been close, but the excitement won out.
“If I can get her to sign it. I imagine it’ll be a little tight in a bunker type environment.”
I imagined she’d gotten a copy of the form as well already, if not the whole package. I’d find out soon enough.
Janna nodded, “Maybe not, even with us four it’ll be sixteen of us instead of forty-eight.”
Debra called up that dinner was ready, and we headed downstairs and sat at the table.
The look on my mother’s face told me she’d gotten it. She looked even more conflicted than I felt about it.
She said, “It all goes by so fast. It seems like yesterday when you used to fit on my lap.”
I blushed, “Mom!” I protested, totally mortified.
She laughed, then winked at Janna, “I signed it, it’s up to you what you want to do. I’ll have to break in though, if you don’t visit a lot. We’re going to miss you around here. Usually parents get their kids for the summer before college starts.”
Janna laughed at the idea of her breaking in, but then she didn’t know that my mother was Death’s Mistress.
I sighed, “I will visit often, mom. I’m also going.”
She didn’t bat an eye at my decision. She’d obviously been resigned to it, and she said innocently, too innocently, “You need to send me your patrol schedule.”
I narrowed my eyes, and I imagined her following me around invisible and killing anyone that even looked at me sideways. I started to make helicopter noises, which made everyone laugh. Except my brother and sister, who looked confused by the helicopter mom reference. I was going to miss Jace and Sharon too, for all I avoided them as much as possible.
/> Glenn said, “We’re proud of you,” and my mother nodded in agreement but looked a little misty eyed.
“I’ll let you know. It’ll be a couple of weeks for that, not even sure who I’ll be patrolling with.”
Mom said, “Probably one of the physical fighters, the six teams left are pretty well balanced, one energy and physical super.”
That made sense, but still left six choices, assuming we were right about Janna and Thad not being possibilities. They’d pair all four of us with someone that had experience for a while first.
Monday came quickly. I’d gotten a package of devices delivered on Saturday after accepting the position. I had some bags packed, and the devices would have them teleported straight to my assigned room. I’d also learned teleportation was the only way in or out until the builders had completely removed all the rubble and got started on the rebuilding phase. It’d also come with a device for me, a new phone watch that was connected directly with Harmony. I reluctantly left my contacts behind. I’d gotten spoiled with Prisma feeding me all sorts of useful information when flying. My new suit would have a similar HUD function in the mask though, and me letting Prisma have eyes where I was going was probably a security breach anyway.
Not that I didn’t trust Prisma, but I was sure my new employers wouldn’t agree with that assessment.
The teleport took me, and my first view of the city superhero underground base was the secondary command center. Of course, the main one had been destroyed with the building. The secondary command center was far from shabby, however. The floor was a large white tile raised floor like in a data center. There were four large twelve foot monitors, two straight ahead and two to the left, with a large horseshoe style desk facing them covered in smaller flat screen monitors, mice, and keyboards.
The monitors were showing real time data about the city, including the location of all twelve of us and who was on patrol. It also showed the nine one one system as well as silent alarms, and some CCTV cameras that were flashing on the screen as well as mobile views from mini-drones.
Lady Aegis: Origins of Supers: Book Two Page 9