Finding NASEB's headquarters was hard, no argument, but to get in was going to be Mission Impossible.
The whole journey there I had the idea of perching on a building and watching it from afar, then sneaking in and setting up a few sound recorders. But it wasn't going to go down that way.
My first problem was that the entire building was located in a wide, open field, with no buildings or trees anywhere nearby. The second was that there were trigger alarms, cameras and security guards located everywhere. I couldn't get within a mile of the place.
Realising that my ticket inside wasn't going to be entirely ethical, I clocked into my villainous mindset, something I had learnt how to do from TerraStorm.
A jet black Cadillac purred down the long road, where I hid behind the closest shrub. I eyed it with caution as it approached the first set of gates and a man leaned out of the open window, displaying an ID badge and stepping outside while the security guard prepared to do a full sweep of the car.
I readied myself for a sly, swift ambush, waiting for both of them to turn way from me.
I sprinted out from behind the shrub.
But I skidded to stop when the guard himself was given a swift blow across the head with a crowbar by none other than the man navigating the vehicle.
It was too late to run back and hide and it was also too dangerous to approach.
Who was I kidding? I was a Super. I didn't need to be scared.
The man spotted me and gave me a curious smirk. He couldn't have been a day over 25 and he wore a crisp, sand-coloured suit. Without a second to stop and evaluate the situation, he gave me a childish wave.
He turned back to face the car and unlocked the trunk, the limp body of the guard still sprawled out at his feet. As soon as he opened it, two other figures jumped out.
They both had masks disguising half their faces.
I pursed my lips with immense confusion.
Were they Supers too?
I decided to jog over, no matter the danger.
"I swear, next time, I'm driving." A girl groaned as she struggled to balance herself on her feet, craning her back as it cracked.
"Stop complaining, we haven't got time for that." The guy in the suit moaned, holding the door of the trunk up. "Get out, Philip."
The moment they turned to the man, I could see their faces.
Well, half of them. They were wearing masks. Super masks.
"You're Supers?" I asked, unintentionally gaining their attention. I really was only questioning it for the purpose of defining it myself.
The second figure that climbed out of the trunk was a guy who had fiery, crimson hair and a strongly contrasting, mundane scowl on his face.
Before I even knew what side they were on, I was happy to see them. It gave me a stronger sense of belonging in a world full of people who didn't want someone like me amongst them. Well, not all of them.
Every new Super reminded me I was not alone.
"Well, we're not cosplayers." Shot back the ginger-haired boy, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Look, we don't have much time." The strong British accent of the man in the sand-colored suit spat desperately. "We really can't have any chit-chat right now."
It seemed strange how easy they managed to brush off the appearance of a fellow Super.
"It was nice meeting a fan, but we really have to go."
"A fan?"
But before I could question them further, the two disguised Supers slid into the back seat while the British man took to the wheel.
They didn't believe I was a Super, despite the elaborately constructed outfit. In all fairness, the disguise was worn with incessant use and felt restricted around the bottom of my legs. The end of the sleeve was too short and I tugged insecurely at it, pulling it down. I had to make a trip to Sebastian's storage unit and see exactly what he had in store for me. I could only hope that included a new pair of boots.
I desperately needed answers, from both them and NASEB. So, as the car roared to life once again and began to purr forwards, I dived into the forgotten open trunk and pulled the door shut, the pitch black engulfing me whole.
<><><><><><>
After a painfully long time, the engines vibrations came to an end and the stomach-churning wait for something that I had no way of expecting continued to prey on my mind.
Voices melted into ear-shot, muffled through the walls of the trunk. It was suit guy and his accomplices making suspiciously quick exchanges before a door either side opened and shut.
It was eating away at me; were they good guys? First impressions had been deceiving recently and my gut had lead me down some dangerous and disappointing paths. With the recent events, I couldn't be too careful. I was risking everything every time I met someone new and I had let my trust be handed out like free pretzel samples. If only it hadn't taken me this long to figure it out.
As the voices swam away and the eery solitude of the trunk I was trapped in took over my senses, I felt for the gap between the door and the rest of the car. As my fingers traced the edge where I could use Telk to unlatch it, I focused in on my only way out. With my vision clearly obstructed, I had to be careful where I was aiming my Telk.
My heart backflipped in my chest at the sound of an earth-shattering ringtone, coming directly from my FlexiJean back pocket.
It took me twice as long to get my phone out, swearing to myself while my hands shook worriedly. I pulled the culprit out, the harsh brightness of it making me squint in agony. Jazmine and I's ecstatic faces pooled the screen and I slid the green button without hesitation.
"Yes?" I hissed, my eyes wondering across the top of the trunk, praying that no one heard it.
"Where are you? The new principal is here and he's flipping out!"
"I'm in the middle of something." I shot back, remembering my promise to keep her informed, no matter what. No more secrets. "I'm at the NASEB headquarters."
Her unsubtle gasp vibrated through the phone.
"You are going to get yourself killed!" She screeched.
I nodded my head. Probably.
"And, if you do survive, Principal Williams is going to have your head on a stick the moment you step back into his school. He has some weird obsession with attendance and you have one of the worst in the year."
I groaned.
"Look, just get back as soon as you can... and don't die. That's priority of course."
I mumbled an 'okay' and hung up, desperate to focus on what I was about to do; break into the NASEB headquarters.
<><><><><><>
A/N:
Wassup guys?!!
I am very sorry for be so absent lately, I went to Spain and now I've started college! So it's been pretty hectic...
Anyway, once I'm back into the roll of things, updates will be more frequent again. :)
I hope you guys liked this chapter and if you have any thoughts or suspicions, you know how much I love to read them!
Until next time,
~SkyHunterXoX