Certified Superhero (Misfits #2)

8: diana's impressive resume

“You understand that I’m your tech person right? I was hired by the Conspiracy to work in their tech labs, I run comms and surveillance for you every night, and I am enrolled at the University of Nova City for technological engineering and computer science.”

Like I didn’t know what her qualifications were. Not to brag, but I was the one who told the Conspiracy about her. I knew they would be idiots to pass her up. There was the added bonus of not having to worry about her knowing my secret identity if we were working together, but mostly I did it for her future. “I know all of that.”

“I can hack a police database no problem.”

Duh. 

“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me!” I shouted into the sky. Unlike my interruption in the flow of foot traffic, this outburst drew no attention from the crowd. Just another day in the city. “I know you have your laptop on you. Should we just find a bench and look at all their secrets now?”

She kept walking back toward the metro station. “I need the rest of my gear, and we should probably be getting back soon. I need to get to class.”

I followed. “You said it’s not until three and it’s only one. We have plenty of time. I know how much you want to visit the parks in New Star, so what if we head there and you can go straight to class from there. It can be my apology for wasting your day off even though it definitely wasn’t a waste and I was totally justified in bringing you to Stones.”

But when she tapped her card at the metro terminal, I could tell that we weren’t going to New Star. She was heading for a line that would take us right back into the heart of Queen Plaza. “I thought you would be in more of a rush to get this info.” She checked the time on her phone and looked nervously down the tunnel where the train would eventually appear.

“I think it can wait a few hours while you’re in class.” She looked at the time again. “Are you late for something I don’t know about?” Then in a hiss, “Do you have a secret date that you didn’t tell me about?”

She recoiled from the very thought. “No, I tell you literally everything that happens in my life. I just don’t want to be late for the first day of class.”

The White Palace was Queen Plaza's ritziest hotel. Located smack dab in the middle of the city, it was the hub of tourist. The streets circled the building like a giant roundabout before radiating off like spokes on a wheel. Under any other circumstances, Diana and I would never be able to pay for a room even in our dreams. Thanks to one of Rory's old friends who had connections to the hotel, we had one of the cheapest suites set aside for us. It was supposed to be a temporary fix, but no one had told us to move out yet. 

We loaded into the elevator with a couple of the rich guests. Maxwell was inside to push the buttons for the guests. Apparently once you get to a certain level of rich, button pushing isn't worth your time. 

He asked the other guests what floor they were going to, but just nodded formally at Diana and me. "Good afternoon, Anna, Diana. The usual floor?" 

It was a game we liked to play with him. The rich people always looked shocked when us two kids in cheap business casual started acting like regulars with more cash in our bank accounts than Diana has in student loans. Maxwell was always game to play along. 

"You know us so well," Diana said with a clearly fake, posh accent. 

"Anything for our most loyal customers." He winked at us, and Diana was trying not to snort. 

The old women who had loaded into the elevator with us tried to hide their surprise. All three of them were scrutinizing our outfits. One narrowed her eyes at me like I was a trust fund baby who was running amuck and spending all of daddy's money. 

The doors opened on mine and Diana's floor first. "We will see you tomorrow," I said in an equally terrible accent. 

Diana and I were still laughing when she pulled out the keyboard to let us into our suite. 

I put an arm out to stop her before she could swipe the card. Any laughter that had been bubbling on my lips a second earlier was gone. In its place was heavy dread. It weighed in my stomach like ice, almost as bad as the deep ache of my permafrost. 

Before Diana could complain, I put my finger to my lips and silently shushed her. With my free hand I pointed at the door. The gap between door and frame was barely noticeable. Had I not been so worried about what we saw in Stones and subsequently on such high alert, I wouldn't have paid it any attention.

Tonight it sent off all of the blaring alarms in my head. I pulled Diana a few doors down the hall constantly checking over my shoulder to our front door. No one appeared from within. 

“We probably just forgot to close it,” Diana said. I was being pretty obvious in my paranoia, but even if I wasn’t, Diana could have told when my anxiety spiked. That was another thing I was working on with my therapist. 

“I definitely closed it.”

She tried to pull me back toward the room, but my feet stayed planted firm on the carpeted floor. “Then maybe a maid accidentally went in because they didn’t know we were long term residents.”

“The Conspiracy got broken into today,” I blurted. “That’s the reason we didn’t have to go into work. I should have told you and I’m sorry that I lied. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal and I was going to tell you.”

She stopped trying to pull me away. “Anna! We need to have a serious talk about this, but I promise that whatever happened at the Conspiracy today is unrelated to why our door is barely cracked open.” She didn’t break eye contact with me, just forced me to look into her dark eyes and focus on my breathing. “I promise.”

After thirty seconds and a few deep breaths, I nodded. I didn’t believe her at all. There was most definitely something dangerous waiting on the other side of our door, but panicking about it wasn’t going to help anyone. 

“Stay behind me and be ready to run for help.” I walked back down to the door on my tiptoes. Even my breathing was muffled, but the blood rushing through my system roared in my ears. Diana waited on the other side of the doorway. Without making a sound, I mouthed to her, “Three, two, one.”

Alright, place your bets now. Who or what is on the other side of the door?

I'm sure it's going to be totally fine and nothing dangerous at all 😉

m nicole