Bit of a recap guys XX
I wondered what happened with Crew's parents. If he knew them, if they saw one another a lot, if he liked them, etc.. With the bond between Crew and Gloria, it seemed that his parents weren't around a lot if they were at all. Maybe they dumped him here and left. I felt for the guy, if that was the case.
I then wondered how many more superheroes were actually here at this facility. Crew said there were more, but just how many? Are they permanent residents, like Crew? Do they come and go as they please? How old are they?
Too many questions that I couldn't find the answer to. Asking wouldn't necessarily be a problem I don't think, but I'm sure Crew doesn't want to be bombarded with questions. That, and there was still one question that I don't think he would be able to answer, one that was dawning my mind for longer than any of these questions were.
How do my parents - my biological parents - play a role in where I am today? And now that I know more about the history of the facility - where do they stand? Why am I with my adoptive parents instead of here, with Crew?
I knew this question would be harder to get an answer to. For this, I'd have to cooperate with the scientists and whatever they have planned.
Hardest of all, I have to confront Gloria.
...
The boy across from me looked at me with total admiration. While laying in the grass together, we relaxed and enjoyed what seemed to be a perfect spring day. The sun hit him perfectly, which I somehow just knew, because his features were changing it seemed right before my eyes. One moment I thought his hair to be pale blonde, but the next it was brown. His skin was dark and then pale as can be.
His hand grabbed mine and they lay intertwined in the grass. The moment felt as intimate as a kiss.
Then, the scene of the endless field, bright sun, and beautiful boy transfiguration to something darker. A storm was violently whipping me in every direction as I stood at what seemed to be the top of a city skyscraper. It was nighttime and nobody else could be seen.
That is, until the screams came. To my left, I heard the screams of my family - Mom, Dad, and Valentina. They were barely hanging on at the edge of the building, linked together like chains; my dad at the top, my mom next, and finally Valentina.
I rushed to their aid, or at least tried. I heard another scream that I knew was familiar too, coming from the other direction. I turned to rush over and help the other person as well, but I heard my mom scream, "Collin! Don't leave us!"
"Collin!" called the other person, who I then recognized as field boy somehow in the dark and thickness of the storm. I looked between those who I knew I loved dearly. It was evident that everyone was just barely hanging on the edge, seconds away from slipping.
"You can only pick one."
...
I bolted up from my bed. Beads of sweat dripped down my spine. The ominous voice echoed in my head.
I've never had a dream that felt like an omen, grim, or some sort of premonition of the future, yet here I sit, still shaken from the dream.
While I needed the sleep (the day had been more draining that even the toughest of soccer matches), the dream left me flustered and worse off. My mood began to decline as I got up and felt my body groan in protest. Ignoring it, I grabbed some clothes and walked out, looking for the bathroom. Did Crew show me?
"No, they're down the hall past the kitchen," he answered from the couch, making me jump.
"You know, it's a real invasion of privacy when you do that," I grumbled.
He shrugged, throwing popcorn in his mouth and failing to catch a single piece. "Not my fault, you seem to be easily read when you're agitated."
I immediately tensed and ignored any thought of the dream. It seemed to be that he noticed what I was doing.
"Don't worry, whatever caused your negative mood is positively blocked. You have some mental walls that I don't bother to penetrate," he assured me, but it didn't do the job. Ignoring him, I turned to the hallway I hadn't noticed before and went past the kitchen and to the end.
The door led me to what looked like a community college bathroom. I suppose not everything in here can be top of the line, and that gave me some sense of comfort. Inside the shower, there were assortments of scented shampoos and soaps. I grabbed one at random and found that it was a nice woodsy smell. Perfect for being in the middle of them.
As I lather and rinsed, I went through my cycle of thoughts that have been occurring for the past 24 hours and couldn't find any new answers. It was extremely unsettling, but I had to deal. Firing questions right away to Gloria just didn't seem like a good idea.
It dawned me that just yesterday I had been having a regular day, flirting with my crush and worrying about school and the play. And now I have a feeling that those things will all be unimportant after these two weeks.
I ran my fingers through my wet hair once more and turned the shower off. Exiting, I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my wet torso, and then draped another one around my shoulders.
There was a long mirror across a wall with several sinks. I stood in front of one and examined my reflection in the mirror.
I felt different. My insides felt wrong, my brain mucky, my body tingly. Yet when I looked in the mirror, nothing was out of the ordinary - except my hair, of course.
Like I normally do at home, I looked across my chin and jawline for any sign of facial hair. Most guys would want it, but the red hue of my hair would not look good on my chin. I guarantee.
"New meat!"
I jumped, my towel nearly falling and exposing myself. I turned with blood in my cheeks and a mortified look on my face. A girl with dark curly hair in a ponytail and wearing a blue tight fitting suit I recognized well. She was tan, and had dark chocolate brown eyes.
"Wh-who are you?" I asked, wrapping the towel tighter against my body.
"Nora," she answered with a smirk. "I take it you are Collin?"
I only nodded, not trusting to open my mouth. I may be as straight as a circle, but this girl was undeniably gorgeous. Her pink lips were full as they stay pulled in her smirk, and her body was entirely fit and sculpted, perfect for the skin suit.
"So, what do you do?"
I furrowed my eyebrows. "Pardon?"
Nora rolled her eyes, and with a snap of her fingers, fire lit her finger tips. I gaped at her hands, impressed. I watched as the fire danced and made its intricate shapes, until she snuffed it out.
"Now show me yours," she ordered. I suppose it was meant to be encouraging.
"I can't do it here," I explained, "not if you don't want to be electrocuted."
"Ah, I see," she said with a grin. "Well, I'll be excited to see that, eventually."
"Eventually," I agreed, though not sure why.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to shower."
With that, she began pulling down the zipper in the front of the suit, and I took that as my cue to bolt. I almost forgot I was pretty much completely naked when I ran into Crew as well, who had been making something in a blender.
"Sorry!" I exclaimed, turning scarlet. He grinned, looking me up head to toe. I ignored him and ran back to my room to find my clothes, when I remembered I brought them into the bathroom. I let out a groan.
"Don't worry, she's in the shower and won't be out for a while. Go get them," Crew said in my doorway. Not being able to say anything from my embarrassment, I did as I was told.
Finally, I was dry and comfortable in a dry fit blue t-shirt and black track pants. I ran my fingers through my hair so it would stand up and figured to hell with it.
Crew was out in the kitchen, holding two cups of the smoothie he made. He held one out to me, which I took happily, and sat down at the dining table that could seat eight.
"So you've met Nora," Crew said with a smirk, making me relive my embarrassment.
"Inconveniently," I confirmed. "Why didn't you tell her I was in there?"
"I was in my room at the time she went in the bathroom. I'm totally innocent," he claimed, though the smirk on his face told me otherwise.
"I don't know how Nora can stand you," I muttered.
"She's not as guarded as you, that's why," Crew stated matter-of-factly. "Not to say that being guarded is a bad thing. I totally understand what you're thinking. You're in a strange place, with really strange people, about to find out pretty strange things."
I ignored this and got up. I was glad to see the television in front of a set of couches. That meant normalcy.
"We only have Netflix, no cable," Crew called across the large room. I supposed that made sense, considering the placement of the headquarters.
Shortly after starting a non-commercialized movie, Nora sat on the couch beside me eating an apple. She paused my movie, setting me into a worse mood.
"Show me," she whined childishly. I eyed the apple, thinking of one thing I could show her, something I've done only once.
"Let me see that," I ordered. She complied, intently watching my every move. Taking a deep breath, I felt the apple in my hand and mentally reached.
The apple shriveled in my hand while I simultaneously gained a bit more energy. I handed the shriveled fruit back to Nora, whose eyes were wide with astonishment. I refrained from grinning.
"Is that it?"
I shook my head. "My power is centered around energy, I think. Specifically static electricity."
Nora smiled. "How shocking."
I rolled my eyes. "It will be for you if you walk in on my half naked again," I warned.
"That totally wasn't my fault," Crew called once more. Nora gave me a look that said, "What are you going to do?".
"By the way Arlo, the Grouch wants you down there with the newbie. I wouldn't wait any longer if I were you."
Crew sighed. "She barely let's the guy have any leisure time. But okay, we're going."
Crew beckoned me with a nod of his head. I followed him down the steps, wondering what Gloria wanted now.
Crew led me to the lab doors. In there, Gloria was found with her hair tight in a bun and a lab coat on her. Two similar ones were in her hands, held out to us.
"Safety first," I muttered. Once we were all matching, Gloria led us towards the back. The other scientists didn't so much as glance at us. They were too focused on their expiraments. I saw that a group of three of them were dissecting a feathered object that looked similar to a hand.
"What are we doing?" I asked eventually.
"You're seeing someone train," she explained. I would have asked more, but we reached a window that viewed into a square room, filled with children's furniture. Sitting on a lime green bed was an eight year old girl, I estimated.
She seemed tense. It made me feel the same as well.
Gloria nodded at Crew. He focused on the girl. In a moment, she closed her eyes. Suddenly her entire body disappeared. There was no sign she was even in the room. In another moment, she reappeared.
"Next," Gloria ordered. Crew nodded.
The girl seemed startled, despite no change in the room that I could see. With a nervous look, she picked up a teddy bear that sat on her bed.
With a concentrated look, she slowly became invisible again. With her, the arms, then the torso of the bear, then the legs and head.
All except for the left ear, however.
Gloria tusked. It was another long minute before the girl reappeared, tears rolling down her cheeks.
So close, I heard a sad voice in my head. I looked at Crew, who was still focused on the girl. I felt as if the message wasn't meant to be heard by me.
The girl began sobbing. My heart broke for the child.
I noticed that she seemed oblivious to the three people watching over her. I realized we were probably looking through one-way glass.
"Again," Gloria said. The process started over again. The bear was once again left to only an ear.
More sobs shook the girl.
Gloria stood her ground. "Again," she said firmly. Once more, the two bodies disappeared, the ear flickering in and out of sight.
"More, Crew," Gloria ordered. Crew closed his eyes. With one final flicker, the ear disappeared for good. I felt a wave of relief flood me as I saw the girl reappear with a weak smile on her face.
Gloria nodded, and Crew turned. He had a blank look on his face.
"What was making the girl cry?" I asked.
Gloria seemed guarded. "She knows that failure is not something we take lightly," she answered cooly. I eyed her suspiciously.
"She's okay though, right?" I asked. Gloria eyed me back.
"Yes, she's not crying anymore, is she?" Gloria asked. I went back and forth between Gloria and the girl, who was playing with the bear she had been disappearing with.
"No," I said in defeat, but still felt uneasy. Something didn't seem right.
Gloria looked at Crew. He didn't look back, but emotion crawled back on his face while he continued to look at me. "Don't worry, Collin, she's perfectly fine. I can read her mind right now, she's happy. Proud of herself. She simply didn't like the stress put on her."
Gloria smiled and turned back toward the doors leading to the lobby. Crew put a hand on the small of my back, urging me to follow. My back tingled at his touch.
I looked back at the girl as we left, noticing the way her smile and eyes cordinated. I knew that she was happy, but I didn't think Crew was right about being proud. She seemed relieved.
I wasn't sure what to make of what I just witnessed. I didn't get the chance to do much. It took me a long time to realize that I had stopped, Crew's hand on my shoulder. It took me less than a second to realize how uncomfortable I now felt.
Every single pair of eyes in the lab was set on me.
...
This is by far not my choice of length (he he) for a chapter, but I really wanted to put something out here for you. So yeah. Hope you guys have a good day/night! It's like 12:30 at night and I'm gonna go straight to bed after this 😪