A Second Generation Whateley Academy Adventure

New Year's Escapade

by

MaLAguA

Part One

Monday, December 26th - 11:24am
Caroline Kythe’s consulting and therapeutics clinic

Vic awaited nervously for Caroline to deliver the results of his condition. The only indicators of how things were going were the movements of the mouse and the furrow on her brow whenever she gave out a ‘hm’ or an ‘I see’. But, he could get a feel about what the results were telling her. The injuries his body sustained had already been healed by her, but even so, the color change was starting to spread, matching the green and white pattern he’d seen on his hands and arm.

At least, expecting the worst lessened the hit when Caroline looked up from the computer and sighed. Before she even said a word, Vic’s heart sank… though not as low as it was the first time he got the news, for whatever good that might do.

“According to the scans, it seems the changes are spreading at a relatively slow speed. However, when comparing them to Doctor Gutierrez’ readings, it is apparent that things are picking up.”

“I haven’t heard a peep out of the spirit since the day before. Do you think that might halt the progress?” Vic said.

“Well, the consciousness might be knocked out, but the processes are still ongoing. Whatever emergency healing and power boost you’ve been using were still there, weren’t they?”

“Yeah…” Vic admitted. Not only because it was the healing that mended his insides after the stab wound but also because he’d had that extra power still at his disposal when he was facing up against the power mimic. In the moment, he’d hoped to win the fight without making use of it, having gotten more deft and identifying the threshold, but in the end, he couldn’t do without. “And there’s nothing that can be done to stop it… right?”

“Sadly no…” Caroline elaborated as he sighed: “The damage you received has been healed, and everything is working as it should, but that leaves you with the parts of the original tissue that are right next to the modified new tissue. And that discrepancy is something that’s probably being considered as damage, so that magical healing you have is now fixing it. Eventually, this will cause the condition to spread. I think I’ve read studies on people that received organ transplants from people with a healing factor that might apply to the case.”

“I should’ve clobbered that man harder.” Vic frowned, the frustration was still recent. Just a couple of days ago, he and other syndicate candidates were sent to the Silent Mountain villain base for what was supposed to be a training exercise. Little did they know that a group of disgruntled henchmen had decided to assault the base as they were on their way. It was a fight for their lives as they tried to take the intruders down and prevent the base from blowing up. In the end, Vic and his friends prevailed… but not without hardship. Early on in the incident, one of the men tried to dispose of him by stabbing him in the stomach.

That would’ve been the end of him, if the spirit within hadn’t offered to help. He survived the ordeal but now was paying the cost as his body appeared to now be en route towards further changes.

“He barely survived that beatdown you gave him,” Caroline noted, not exactly trying to dissuade him. “And even if that was the case, this sort of thing would’ve still gone on, regardless.”

“So, there’s really nothing that can be done?” Vic asked.

“Well… In theory, the changes can be staved off by doing constant treatments that make the healing magic believe the body is in its optimal state. Either magical or technological methods might help. But it would be a temporary fix as the discrepancy between two forms would still be there, leaving you stuck in an in-between form.”

“I figured,” Vic grumbled. Admittedly, he was tired of dealing with this and not getting an answer, but he had no real answer against an expert like Caroline.

“The recommended course of action is to ease your transition from one stable life form to another, while monitoring anything in between.”

“How do you know when it’s a stable life form?”

“We don’t. So we’ll keep on monitoring how it goes. If the spirit does show up again, do let me or the school staff know,” Caroline said.

With that, she moved back to typing notes on the matter and sending them to Doctor Gutierrez at Whateley to keep the school medical department informed. Once done, she saved and transferred her files before turning off the computer. She got up and paced around her desk before looking down at Vic who had remained quiet all this time. “What are you thinking now?” she asked empathically.

“Just… I dunno. Wondering what I can do? How to fix this?” Vic muttered to himself.

“It appears that you’re still at the bargaining stage.”

“Bargaining?”

“Yeah, the five stages of grief. The process everyone goes through when faced with a sort of change, most commonly a nearby death: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The names are self explanatory, for the most part. Asking what you could do or what you could give up to avoid this spells out what stage you’re in.” Caroline sat in the other chair next to him.

He didn’t notice her hand hesitating as to whether it should rest on his shoulder.

“Denial…” Vic echoed. No doubt he lived that in spades when he first received the news… He wanted to act like it was a dream at first, or that it would happen to be a mistake or some sort of error in the readings, even after they repeated the tests multiple times. “Feels like it.”

“You’re not alone. Just don’t let it get to you.” Her hand had moved over to fidget with the strap on her bag. “Perhaps knowing will help you reach a point where you can accept it.”

“Accept it?” Vic shook his head. “I can try, but it won’t be easy.”

“Understandable.”

“I just thought… I just thought I would be able to have a normal life.”

“I believe you said that before… but what does that mean? I just wonder. Anything that’s happening to you doesn’t mean you have to give it up.”

“I…” Vic trailed off. Truth be told, he knew what he meant and he knew what he wanted to say but it sounded so unflattering in his mind. “I thought of going to college, getting a job that pays well. Normal stuff to maintain myself.”

“That sounds awfully vague, to be honest,” Caroline noted.

“I never told anyone about it because it really sounds dumb when you say it out loud.” Vic sighed. “I just… after my mom passed I moved in with my father and stepmom. Things were fine at the start. I got along with Ronnie and Ollie, later befriended Josh. Things were fine for a while.”

“But then, Ronnie left for college, and later Ollie manifested and became Gwen. Once they left, it was just me and them. And things felt strained and awkward. The troubles and bullies at school were still there, but now it was just Josh and me.”

He shook his head. “And then he manifested as a gadgeteer and wanted to get back at the bullies. I tried to convince him to keep things discreet, given that mutant haters were among our classmates and in parts of town. But while he was low on resources, the inventions he made did get us in a lot of trouble.”

“So that’s when you decided to run?”

Vic nodded. “I noticed how my dad and stepmom didn’t feel comfortable with just me around.”

“Were they really?” Caroline asked, bearing no judgment in her voice.

“I think they were…” Vic said, fearing to admit he was uncertain. “When Josh told me he was running away and asked me to come… I agreed to go as well. I thought my dad would be better off without the trouble.”

Caroline held her silence for a moment. There was a bit of judgment about her. “I don’t think your dad would’ve wanted that.”

“I don’t know. I thought a lot on the matter… once we were in Massachusetts. But what sealed the moment back then was when I happened to hear my dad talk with Meredith, my stepmom. She mentioned the troubles that I’d been getting in as of late, almost asking if he should try to reach out back in Maryland for any relatives or friends of my mom they could send me to. My dad didn’t reject the notion–”

“But did he do it?”

“I didn’t want him to make the choice, so I left soon after.” Vic shook his head. “Sorry I went off on a tangent. The thing is, as I left home, I resolved myself to be independent and self-sufficient. I set myself goals, like getting up early to workout or apply myself in my studies. I hoped to land a good job that would pay well… but for that I needed studies, which would need money. It wasn’t until we were on our own that the problems began to mount up. But going back wasn’t an option.”

“I think I understand,” Caroline said. “And… have you thought of contacting him? Your dad?”

“I thought of it. But… I don’t know. Plenty of time has passed and definitely a lot of things have happened. Not even sure if it’s worth seeing him back like this, or whatever I end up as. Not to mention the organizational stuff.”

“Fair enough.”

“I’ve told Gwen to relay the messages that I’m alright and even sent him a message on Christmas to let him know that I’m doing okay. I hope that gives him peace of mind.”

“I hope so too,” Caroline said, there were some words that appeared stuck in the tip of her tongue. “Well, as long as he knows you’re safe and sound. I’m just trying to put myself in his place, that’s all. I guess if I knew that Dereck was in good hands and happy, I think I would endure the separation for a time. At least for a time.”

She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts and refocus. “Well, if you want money you can find it anywhere working hard. Don’t know about ‘normal’, but if that’s what you want, there’s plenty of ways around what’s happening to you,” Caroline said in an understanding tone. “Opportunities are everywhere, and there’s always different things that could be done. But, it all depends on where do you lean towards? Do you want to be an engineer? A doctor? Run your own business?”

“I…” Vic said, only to realize he didn’t really have an actual answer. So far, his goal had been nebulous just to keep him going without needing to delve into it. But as the question was poised, the only thing he wanted was for something that made money and would, preferably, be legal and ‘normal’. That didn’t say much.

“Hadn’t thought about it?” Caroline asked. “Anything you like or want? Something you’d be willing to do or work towards?”

He just couldn’t find the words to answer. He liked many things. Most of them felt really childish like games, movies, shows and so on, but he couldn’t really figure out many that would fit his idea of ‘normal’.

“Think about it. Follow your heart and find what you think will make you happy, no matter what. A job doesn’t need to be something that you won’t take enjoyment out of.”

“Well.” Vic thought for a moment. “What did you want?”

“Me?” Caroline smiled. “Well, I always wanted to be a doctor, since I was a kid. I was lucky to manifest as a mage with an affinity for healing and protective spells, so that’s where I focused during my studies. Then, at Whateley, I met Gigaton and got pulled into the world of super heroes. And while, eventually, I did end up switching to the Syndicate, I always take time off my days and activities to help others as a doctor and healer.” She pointed to the sign in her office.

“And is that allowed?” Vic asked. “Even if I have a debt to the organization, can I still think about a normal job?”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Caroline asked. “The scholarship you and Josh have was contractually modified by me. While the organization does have the expectation that you will pay for it with interest, be it with actual money or by performing jobs for them, since the higher-ups of the organization in this area care more about the more ‘serious’ operations than managing people who are still in school, I have free reign of influence on deciding what tasks are given. Things like administrative work, operation support or intelligence gathering do sound like lesser evils, don’t they?”

“I suppose they do.” Vic took a deep breath. Caroline’s assurance did lift a weight off his shoulders.

“Yeah. Silent Mountain was an outlier. An incident that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Hopefully, that’s the toughest thing you’ll have to deal with.”

“So, once I’m done, I would be able to leave? Just like that?” Vic wondered. “Would you be able to? If the moment came where you want to fully dedicate yourself to the hospital or clinic, would you?”

“Hm… My contract is a bit different. Not made by me, but tailor-made for former heroes.” Caroline assured, although there was a bit of doubt in her voice. Either a lingering doubt, the realization that she hadn’t considered it before or just the hint of a lie in the making. Vic couldn’t even be sure if he was reading too much into it. “I do have an escape clause, a ‘polite’ escape clause. And if it’s denied, I’ll still find a way. No one can tether me down.”

Those words did carry a reassuring resolve, letting Vic not dwell on them. “So, I have to repay my debt, do some work and get to do stuff on the side?”

“You’re as free as any other teenager.” Caroline smiled before opening her mouth at the realization. “Oh, I almost forgot these,” she said, reaching over the table to grab two vials of Vic’s blood samples, stashing them in a special case that soon went into her bag. “Shall we get going?”

Vic nodded, getting up. Checking the bandage on his cheek that covered the healing cut he got a couple of days ago. “So, is it okay if I use the TV or the computer?”

“As long as Sophie isn’t using it, it’s fine,” Caroline said as she led Vic out of her business office. Once locked, they moved down the stairs. Either the offices and businesses were closed because of the holidays or the place wasn’t used to seeing that much transit, either way, they luckily didn’t happen to run into anyone. So she resumed the conversation. “After lunch, I’ll be in my room, I have to work on the report for the Christmas Eve incident. That’ll probably take most of my free time in the near future.”

“Is it a lot?” Vic wondered.

“Hope not. Normally, I try to divvy the work so I still get time with Sophie. However, we’re close to the end of the year and there’s a meeting of the heads of department coming up soon. I need to have this ready by then, just to be sure you get to stay in Whateley.”

“Right…” There were some words that were stuck in Vic’s mouth. A question that he wondered if it was a possibility. When he met with Josh, he got a good insight of how his friend’s deal was working out. He got to go to a cheaper normal high school while living in and working as an apprentice for a craftsman that happened to work with the Syndicate. It felt like a tempting deal especially if it would lower his cost and debt.

But as soon as the contemplation reached his mind, so did the objections. The first and most obvious one was leaving behind the friends he’d made in Whateley which, while it wasn’t something he hadn’t had to deal with before, it certainly felt harder to do by choice. And even more so now that things had taken off with Tanya.

Then there was the fact that his changes would probably make any sort of social environment an awkward situation from the get-go, especially now that he knew that they would keep trucking along. There were other, minor things, such as Whateley being the one with the better quality of teaching and more than enough equipment to help him in any aspect… at least that much he wanted to believe.

“So, what are you going to do?” Caroline asked.

“Ah?” Oh, yeah. homework. “The school left some assignments. The classics such as math, history, science and literature. Although I tried to get them done before the break, I still have a few things to go.” Vic thought for a moment. “I also thought about going out for a jog or a walk.”

“Ah, Doctor Gutierrez mentioned that you exercise regularly, right?”

“I do.” Vic nodded.

“Well, why don’t you use the basement? Have you been there?”

“Not yet,” he answered.

“The home’s architect designed the basement with a lot of space, so I turned one of the rooms into a personal gym. There’s plenty of space there, plus some cardio machines you can use.”

“Hm… Okay, I can give it a try,” Vic said as he climbed into the car.

“Good,” Caroline said as she looked down at her wrist watch and sighed. “It’s past noon. Mind tagging along as I buy some takeout?”

“No problem.” Vic sighed. Truth be told, after all the things he’d been through–being a runaway, the stressful and weird times at Whateley, plus the incident from Saturday–this felt like a vacation already, and he was hoping to enjoy it to the fullest. Winter break better be good.

Monday, December 26th - 5:23pm
Kythe’s residence

Lunch was, surprisingly, not the standard fast food Vic imagined a busy single parent would resort to in a pinch. It instead came from a cozy little restaurant that was near home. They knew her name, and the owner was quick to greet her and get the people behind the kitchen to work on her order.

“Nah, I just know the owner. He came to my clinic so I could treat his bad leg,” Caroline explained back then as she picked up the orders in their bags. The things smelled quite healthy and delicious.

After lunch, Caroline was true to her word and excused herself to work on the report in her office. Although she did highlight that this didn’t mean that they should shy away from reaching out to her in case something were to happen.

Vic offered to do the dishes for the first time since he manifested. And as he imagined, an open faucet plus his powers meant that he was done with cleaning the plates in record time.

From there, he moved up the stairs to his room to sort out his stuff. He had no idea if he would be staying there for a while or not. Caroline had stated her willingness to also host him in the summer break, so he wondered whether he should consider using the closet. An internal debate lasted about fifteen minutes before he conceded he had too few clothes to worry on the matter.

Afterward, he moved to the desk and began work on some of the assignments. The book report for English, a history essay that was half-finished, and the last couple of math exercises. It really paid to be on top of things. In just a couple of days, he imagined that he would have everything done and get to enjoy his vacation until the end of the break.

A couple of hours later, after some work was done, Vic exited his room and moved downstairs in a clean set of workout clothes, just to be comfortable. He passed by the living room, attracted by the noise of the TV.

Caroline’s daughter, Sophie, was occupying the room. She sat on the couch, letting the TV play in the background while she used the coffee table to do her homework. A video game controller rested in the corner as a promise of what would come after.

At least, that’s what Vic intuited as, the moment his foot touched the ground, she stiffened and turned to look his way with mixed emotions that evened out into a blankly neutral look. The way her eyes fixed on him made him uneasy. It wasn’t exactly a frown, or an expression of dislike, but it wasn’t one of happiness or even a hint of a candid greeting, either.

From a certain angle, he could see elements of Dereck on her, which gave him a bad feeling. He’d dreaded the thought that both brother and sister would have the same hostile attitude towards him. And if that were the case, then he feared he might need another place to stay during the summer break.

“Hey,” Vic tried to greet her.

“Um… hi,” Sophie answered in a subdued manner.

“What are you doing?” Vic asked.

“Homework,” Sophie answered.

“Do you need some help?”

“No.” Sophie moved back to her book, playing with her pencil as she had the tip dance above one of the problems. But she didn’t seem to forget that Vic was there as she ‘discreetly’ gave him a side-eyed look.

Well, that could’ve gone better, or at least less awkwardly, Vic thought to himself. And yet, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d done something in what little time he’d been in this house, less than a day, to garner this odd animosity towards him. It certainly reminded him of his first encounter with Dereck, only less confrontational.

Things weren’t exactly making sense. He remembered Caroline mentioning that Sophie was friendly, and was curious about him. Yet, so far, it was almost the opposite. The girl appeared very apathetic, looking at him with an expression of dislike, suspicion or even scorn.

She certainly acted friendly and cheery when she was with her mother during breakfast and lunch. And yet whenever Caroline looked away or didn’t appear to be paying attention, she would fixate upon him, whether inquisitive or protective, for some reason.

Last night, he’d hoped to meet Sophie and get the proper tour around the place, yet the moment his head touched the pillow, he drifted off to sleep without even realizing.

The next morning, when he opened his eyes, he happened to glimpse at the open door. Sophie was standing by the doorway. Her eyes were trained on him like she was looking at a wild animal exhibit in the zoo. She scampered away right after.

From thereon out, he’d seen two Sophies. One that acted friendly and happy with her mother, and one that acted suspicious or hostile towards Vic. It really didn’t make much sense to him.

“What are you watching?” Vic asked, trying again.

“Oh, just some cartoons,” Sophie said, as dryly as ever.

“I can see that.” Vic realized that he hadn’t been keeping up with his modern cartoons, so it roused some curiosity… but he had the feeling she probably would mind if he stayed to catch up.

Maybe it was just something that they both needed to get accustomed to, he finally decided. He turned to make his way towards the basement.

He was about to take the first step down the stairs whenSophie raised her voice: “W-Where are you going?” Her head peeked from around the corner.

“I’m going to exercise. Caroline told me there’s a gym downstairs,” Vic answered.

“Mom says the basement is off-limits.”

“Really? But she told me I could use it.”

“That doesn’t seem right,” Sophie’s words might be ambivalent and hesitant, but her gaze warned him to not go downstairs. Something about her just bothered Vic again. She was too similar to Dereck.

Truth be told, he could challenge her claim and either go downstairs, regardless of her words, or upstairs to ask Caroline to reaffirm her decree. But knowing that Caroline was busy with the report, he decided to let it be.

“Alright, I won’t go downstairs. I’ll just go and use the computer,” he said as he stepped back. He wasn’t really feeling like working out anyway, with the news and the revelations of the past couple of days.

“Use the computer?” Sophie blinked.

“Yeah, I know your mom said I could use it,” Vic said as he moved away.

Sophie didn’t say anything. She just stared at Vic with a little frown as he moved to the study room. That was just as awkward, since whenever he looked around she was staring his way suspiciously. It was like she expected him to do something bad.

“I guess these two are really siblings…” Vic thought to himself.

Wednesday, December 28th - 3:28pm
Syndicate offices

“… and so, we’ll keep an eye on the developing situation in Japan. A commercial agreement with Animan Island can’t be summarily overlooked,” a figure said. His appearance flickered ever so subtly as the figure’s arms collided with the table. “If there is any sort of alliance, we should consider investigating more into the matter.”

“Don’t worry about trifling things,” another man said. Unlike some of the others, he was actually in the room, occupying his seat around the incomplete circle of the table. “We can arrange for some spies to visit the place, but they’re always easily found out. Those animal men have keen noses. So until we can get more information, better we find something we can focus on before wasting resources.”

“Commendable insight, Laureate,” another person, also physically present, noted.

“And what would our rising star suggest we focus on then?” One of the men present as a hologram sneered. His figure was a non-human tangly figure that writhed and squirmed with each of his words and his voice came across as garbled at the best of times.

“Why, of course, search for opportunities to be had,” Laureate answered as he picked up his digital tablet and tapped in to reveal a couple dozens of reports that were projected at the center of the table via hologram. “There are several avenues that can be profitable. For example, there was buzz about this east coast company called Artemis Co. They were said to have been on the cusp of research on the mutant and genetic therapy treatment only for them to suddenly go quiet. I’d suggest considering allocating resources to spy on them, just to make sure their silence isn’t a ruse.”

“Corporate espionage? That’s so boring,” female voice, this one belonged to a hologram of a woman that appeared to be skimpily dressed, just enough so the fur on her shoulders could be spied off her outline.

“Now now. This is the final meeting we’ll have this year so we have to allocate the resources,” the other present figure chided. “This seems like a worthwhile mission to kick off the first month of the year.”

“I’m sure my peer here would probably want a trip into the savage lands,” another woman’s voice came from a hologram that appeared to bear the outline of a woman in a Victorian style dress.

“I do have something for you, BQ,” Laureate said.

“Recent efforts to move into South America for an improved base of operations are well on their way. The groups in the Andes and Amazons align perfectly with our interests, winning them over shouldn’t be difficult. Reports there speak of a strange chemical leak that has caused some interesting mutations on the flora and fauna that has made it… more challenging.”

“I like it,” BQ said with a rough growl. “New trophies for my gallery.”

“So uncouth,” Madama Butterfly scoffed.

Laureate carried on before they would get into an argument.

“There are more proposals for the allocations of funds and plans that can be taken for the organization. Cost saving measures in henchmen training facilities, the distribution of resources to our experts on the field of magic and tech and the acquisition of new bases while salvaging the ones that have been compromised.-”

“All good offers, Laureate,” the other person present said. “However, we can leave those for when we reconvene in the next year. I’ll be sending the report and your proposals to the other divisions. And cite it as the end of this meeting.”

Laureate held his silence, with the dark twilight of the room hiding how he was biting his lip. “Very well, sir,” he conceded.

“If there isn’t any other relevant matter to discuss, the meeting will be adjourned.”

“If I may,” said a third female voice as she stepped out of the dark that lined the walls, revealing herself as she stepped past the open circle that was the table and into the center.

“Ah, yes. Lifeward. It seems we do have time for you to speak,” the present man said.

The writhing mass spoke up. “I suppose there is a valid reason why you allowed for this outsider to sit by and eavesdrop in our meeting.”

“Lifeward is a member of Recruiting, Operational Support, and Evaluation, ROSE division. Her insight and work is valued,” the man present said while BQ let out a disinterested scoff, and yet that tune changed into a warning growl as Laureate spoke up.

“She was also a former hero who went by Safety,” Laureate noted.

“Ah, Safety,” the most normal looking of the holograms spoke up. “Now I remember you. We fought each other about five years ago. You and your husband foiled my extraction operation.”

“He’s my ex-husband now,” Caroline said, dismissing the attacks. “There is a matter I wanted to bring up.”

“Why is she here?” Laureate asked. “She isn’t even invited to this meeting.”

“I sent a request for an audience yesterday and it was approved.”

Laureate scoffed but it was the other figure present that raised his hand. “I did give her permission, assuming that it would be just a brief summary of the events of the weekend.”

“Interesting…” Madame Butterfly noted. “I for one, have no objections on the matter.”

“I see no problem in it, either,” the writhing mass conceded.

“Just make it fast,” BQ said.

Finding himself outnumbered already, Laureate relented, raising a dismissive hand just to say. “Make it quick.”

“I’ll try to keep this brief,” Lifeward said as she reached over to the empty guest spot at the edge of the table and used it to plug in her tablet and select the files to be opened. “It’s a report over a matter that happened during the weekend.”

“On Christmas?” the well-dressed lady asked.

“Affirmative.” Lifeward cleared her throat as the hologram at the center projected a holographic display of the mountainous landscape, with digital markings pointing at different sections of the structure. “This is the villain base known as Silent Mountain. Located up north, deep within the woods of British Columbia, several hours north of Vancouver. It’s one of the more valued properties, structurally approved by our specialists, large enough to fit a small platoon of henchmen, with a hangar concealed on the face of the terrain, and fitted with state of the art technology that is given regular maintenance. Needless to say, it’s an expensive property which had never before been compromised in its history.”

“Ah, yes,” one of the men in holograms noted. “It’s one of those places I wanted to rent during the winter. Heard it’s rather cozy.”

“It is indeed, especially when a storm is going on outside. But, continuing with the incident,” Lifeward nodded as she swiped on the tablet, getting it to project, in turn, multiple profile, pictures while lines were traced down along the surface of the terrain and the base was enlarged and opened, revealing the rooms and corridors while small screens showed compiled footage playing.

“The week prior to Christmas, the previous tenant was evicted from the premises following a breach of contract. Normally, the base is supposed to be scrubbed, both physically and digitally, a process that takes place within a couple of weeks. However, being this close to the holiday, it would fall out of the normal operation dates of the local support team. So for this, the operatives Lighting and Censer were tasked with base-sitting and starting the first stage of the cleanup. They were also given another activity for their plate.”

Caroline projected the profile pictures and abridged files of the rest of the participants, of both Lightning and Censer as well as the other five candidates.

“At the time, it was decided that a group of five Syndicate candidates that are sponsored by the organization, would be tested to see if the support would be maintained-”

“Wait,” Laureate leaned in forward. “That’s what this is about? You wish to intercede for the kids? This is well beneath the interest of this table!”

“What of the children?” Madame asked, curiously.

“Hm…” uttered the writhing mass. The other people present remained silent.

“As I said before, Lifeward here used to be a hero, which makes for a poor villain.”

“We’re service providers for villains. Doesn’t mean I have to be one,” Lifeward stated with enough confidence in a room filled with people who service the criminal underbelly or are part of them. “Hero or Villain, it’s nothing without the administrative hand.”

“That’s not the mindset we should have,” Laureate argued. “She refuses to use lethal force even when ordered, she’s gone out of her way to turn down clients and even castigate them when they go out of her way. Now, she’s acting as though the Syndicate is a charity organization giving off money for scholarships. This hero should have no bearing in the decisions we take. She should consider herself lucky we haven’t lynched her for information.”

Lifeward didn’t provide an answer, instead maintaining a stoic expression about her with the words to return back to the topic at hand at the tip of her tongue. But it was instead another voice hidden in the room that did. “Lifeward is too polite to give you the answer, Laureate, so I’ll do it for her,” the figure stood next to Caroline revealing himself to the rest of the group.

“What an unexpected surprise,” the director said.

“Ah, the Syndicate’s top fighter and trainer,” the writhing mass said with some respect.

“Oh, this is the man who regularly pits himself against entire henchmen training facilities? Hundred-Man Cole?”

“Cole!” QB said with a dreamy sweet tone before suddenly growling. “Of all the days I decided to not show up!”

“Are you here to give your ‘friend’ a helping hand?” Laureate said in a classy mocking tone. “When did you enter?”

“I offered to come here to provide testimony, since I was the one who arrived after the incident that almost cost us this expensive property. But if you planned to attack Lifeward’s credibility, I must point out how, despite what you’ve said about her being a hero being true, she has a high success rate in her missions and has actually managed to raise the quality standards of the operations she’s taken part of, despite having been working with us for only the past three years.”

“I have no reason to doubt either of these two’s words,” Madame chimed in while QB’s hologram leaned in closer to Cole’s side, like an obstinate cat.

“I agree,” male hologram noted. “Laureate, if you want her to be quick in her report, you should restrain yourself from dragging the conversation into a tangent.”

Laureate’s silent seething could be sensed, even through the darkness as it took him a while before the words “My apologies” came out of his mouth.

“Please, continue,” the director said.

“Thank you, sir,” Lifeward said. She tapped into her tablet and began the videos that matched the list of the events. “So then, these five candidates, four teenagers and one legal adult, were expected in the base on the 24th, just before the evening, to perform tests that would determine their continued support. A cost-saving measure for the holiday. One could say it was a savvy and efficient measure. But, at the same time, it happened to be foolhardy and reckless.”

Laureate appeared close to jumping up for an objection, but abstained to let Lifeward continue. “Prior to their arrival, six figures reached the base’s entrance first: two former henchmen and four enhanced individuals that managed to avoid capture when the lair was previously repossessed. Their plan was rather simple: Take it over, steal as much of the confiscated goods as possible, and then eliminate the evidence by rigging the reactor.”

“They had previously bugged the security room, allowing them to keep an eye on the cameras, and were able to neutralize Lightning and Censer, having brought specialized weapons and tactics to deal with the former, as he was the agent who had been in charge of their eviction. There was nothing the high-level energizer could do when they brought a device that used him as a charging station,” Caroline said, earning a nod from Cole.

“When the candidates arrived, the invaders initially played along, hoping to keep them contained but, eventually, they were found out,” Caroline tapped on the tablet to make the recordings appear within the holographic display, showing critical moments of the incident.

She waited some time, letting the videos of the events play out in the background before she resumed her explanation. “But, the main takeaway on the matter is that these young candidates, with the help of Censer as he was rescued in the process, were able to systematically dismantle the operation, prevent the explosion of the base and stop the infiltrators in their escape attempt. I would go into more detail, but I did promise I would keep things short. Still, the report that I shared carries the curated video feed of the base’s cameras as well as a summarized report and a listed progression of events. It should be like watching a movie.”

To that, each of the attendants of the meeting checked into their own equipment, fishing out the files just to confirm their presence and spy out some of the juicier parts they found interesting.

“Some of these kids are interesting. This one is a telepath,” the writhing mass noted as he spied the dossiers. “But this invader is a power mimic… what a waste.”

“Hm…” the humanoid hologram noted. “This one’s name… Raffina Booker, isn’t her father a major collaborator in this division?”

“I like these two.” QB smirked as she replayed some of the combat encounters.. “One is a nimble yet graceful beast while the boy has grit about him.”

“So, Lifeward,” the director began. “While I’m glad to hear such assets were protected, I do have to agree with Laureate. I can see where you’re going with this. You want the approval for the continuing support of these candidates, don’t you?”

“Of course.” Laureate spoke up. “That’s why she came here, to ask for their approval, or rather to bypass the process and grant them special consideration.”

“It’s the only matter that is left pending.” Lifeward said. “These candidates were meant to be tested to renew or formally confirm their contracts and, as far as I’ve checked, there has been no update on their status.”

“Because they haven’t passed the tests,” Laureate cut in. “I issued specific parameters they needed to achieve and none of them was able to deliver.”

“I don’t appreciate this sort of request to be brought up into meetings of this caliber. While I appreciate the matter was cleared, I don’t appreciate the pleading. Only Laureate and I deal with this sort of decision with no reason to bring up the subject before the others. We don’t deal with the children here,” the Director chastised.

“I’m aware of that,” Lifeward pressed. “However, according to the agenda, this will be the last meeting of the year.”

“And we’ll work on it when we reconvene. An operative, even as high as you, should not try to sway the decision of us in the governing body of the division towards your wants.”

“And there’s the problem, sir. According to the policy, if the approval isn’t granted before the end of the year, no resources will be allotted to them. That means that both education and living arrangements are voided and the potential recruits will be considered failed candidates, even if this is rectified at the start of the year.”

“It’ll be what it’ll be,” Laureate said. “They didn’t pass the tests. Besides, just by reading their data and statistics, one can easily tell some aren’t worth the continued support. They’ll have to go.”

Caroline’s emotionless visage began to veer into a frown as her fist clenched behind her, ready to do something, be it plea or go for a more aggressive argument. By her side, Cole could clearly read his partner’s intention and prepared to jump in.

“Wait… wait… wait,” the holographic man noted. “We’re watching the same footage of the incident, aren’t we? Or do you contest the veracity of these files?”

“Well, no sir,” Laureate forced himself to answer, knowing better than to lie about something easily verifiable.

“The same for the report? Do we doubt its veracity?” This time, he asked the director.

“We have no reason to,” the director noted.

“It looks to me as though these kids have already proved themselves. Being dropped in a hostile environment, facing off against an opposing force within a base, displaying technical know-how, stealth, tactics, combat prowess, improvisation, anything that might be warranted or tested in an actual operative rather than just mere candidates.”

“But-” Laureate tried to speak when Madame chimed in.

“One of these children built a railgun out of mining equipment and a high-powered battery, and you’re not considering him well-versed enough?”

“Of course we do-”

“It would be wasteful to not keep on endorsing them, at least for a year to see how they shape up. And, isn’t this base highly valued? What is a year’s support in comparison?”

“To think that an administrative error in judgment puts everything at risk.” the writhing mass noted. “I’ll agree with the approvals already listed in the file. There is Lifeward, the issuer of the report. Cole, the expert trainer, Lightning, the proctor.”

“Favoritism!” Laureate said, only to be silenced as the director raised his hand.

“I-I agree with the assessment.” The director stammered. “But the timing of the reveal is unfortunate, this sort of error shouldn’t be aired in such a manner.”

“I’d suggest you do not get mad when someone points out your own error because it might’ve just saved your plan. For most of us who happen to be constantly on the wrong side of the law, failure is costly.” the man in the hologram said. “I’m sure this matter can be sorted out quickly, but if you need, we can deliberate on the matter and work through whatever ‘objections’ there may be.”

The others present as holograms nodded.

“We wouldn’t want to keep you,” Laureate said.

“We’ve been here for hours, what’s a couple of minutes?” the hologram said before turning to Lifeward. “But this will be a private deliberation.”

The former heroine let her facade slip for a moment as she took a small sigh of relief before nodding. “Understood.” She did a polite bow and unplugged her tablet from the table’s port. “Then we’ll take our leave. But we shall be waiting outside for the decision. Even though I don’t see a reason as to why they wouldn’t meet up the standards set.”

And with that, she and Cole moved away from the light of the hologram, disappearing into the darkness. Navigating their way out they stepped out into the corridor of the base right after.Once the door closed, a sigh of relief escaped Caroline’s lips as she leaned up against the wall. “To think that I would be intruding into a meeting with the heads of a Syndicate division.”

“I think you did well enough,” Cole noted.

“I thought I told you I could handle them. You didn’t have to skulk into the room while I was waiting,” Caroline said. “For a second, I thought the director was going to take more offense to that breach of protocol. Fortunately, your reputation gave you a pass.”

“Yeah, I have made quite a bit of a name for myself. I do hope that the director won’t take being pressured too personally.”

“I do, too. His rather carefree attitude and relaxed grip on the operations is one of the reasons why I opted for this region. It’s how I’ve been able to take over some of the more humanitarian aspects of the organization.”

“Hm. You’re a member of ROSE, you take some responsibilities from the cell within the city, work part time as a doctor and nurse, and you’re also a mother of a family that just gained a new temporary member. How can you manage it all?”

“Admittedly, I don’t do much… but when I do, I try to make it impactful. So things aren’t as busy as you paint it and when it is… I know I have people I can rely on,” Caroline said, earning a friendly jab from Cole before sighing and looking down at the time on her tablet. “How long do you think it’ll take?”

He thought for a moment. “Probably not long. I heard that Laureate can be obstinate… but he won’t cross the line that would make him look irrational.”

“Good.” Caroline closed the shared files and opened up other documents. These were copies of forms she had already finished and signed.

“Hey. Since the answer is a given, mind if I head off? I have some matters to attend to in the city.”

“No problem. I have to stay here until I get an answer. Afterward, I’m heading to the magical enchanter to put out an order.”

“See you around,” Cole bid farewell as he stepped back and out to walk down the empty corridor. Because of the season and the privileged section of the building she was in, there weren’t many, if anyone else in the space. It felt peaceful and quiet… uneventful. She could only hope that was how the rest of the year, and winter break, would be.

Wednesday, December 28th - 5:39pm
Portland Streets

Vic shuddered as he clenched his gloved hands around a heat pack in his pocket. It was sheer fortune that he’d managed to come out of the entire hiking expedition up in Canada without catching a cold, but that still felt like an ever-present risk he didn’t want to go through. And there was nothing that could sour the winter break after surviving everything (running away, school, near death experience) like falling sick in those last few days.

Still, after a couple of days of being cooped up in the house doing about sixty percent of the homework and catching up on his reading, he really needed to take a break. So he opted to do some sightseeing.

If he were honest with himself, this wouldn’t have been among his first options. But it seemed he was still barred from using the gym and he was a bit self-conscious to use the computer. The reason for it all was Sophie.

He still found the basement thing weird, considering he was sure that Caroline said he could use it. But Sophie had been quite adamant about that, even going as far as to pause whatever she was doing to make sure he hadn’t taken a step downstairs.And it wasn’t just that but basically everything he did fell under the girl’s scrutiny–as though she suspected him of some ill intent and she was going to discover it. The girl tried to act naturally, but Vic happened to pick up on the behavior naturally.

He would enter the living room, and she would pretend to be occupied with something else, only for him to catch her reflection looking his way. He would hear her steps down the hallway while he was at the desk doing his homework, only to notice them stop and immediately resume the moment he was close to turning around. And one time, when took a break from using the computer in the study to get a glass of water, he noticed her walking away from the room upon his return.

It wasn’t anything malicious, yet. But it did beg the question of what he’d done to earn her suspicion, unless she was the same with every new person she met. He tried to imagine it, thinking back of his own experience with a single parent and how he would’ve reacted if his mom had brought an older kid to stay with them while she was away. He supposed that he himself would be suspicious of said person… but eventually, maybe he would see things the other way around.

After all, only two and a half days had passed, so he had to hope that maybe it was some sort of adjustment period for the two of them.

The simpler solution would’ve been to ask Caroline on the matter, but his legal guardian had been too busy writing the report on the events in Silent Mountain–not to the point of forgetting to check on them or prepare their meals, but enough so that Vic would happen to see Sophie alone most of the time.

He knew what that was like…

Hopefully, the whole report matter would be settled soon and she could be home to spend some time with her daughter. He knew how special these sort of family moments were.

Vic shook his head and checked the time on his phone. Today, Caroline hadn’t had lunch with them; she just left the food ready and headed off to the Syndicate offices in the city to plead the candidate’s case in the meeting of the higher-ups. He really had no idea how dangerous that could be, and was quite torn between asking or just imagining it.

And yet, despite all that, he really didn’t have much doubt whether he would be not allowed to go back to the school at the end of the winter break. He trusted both Caroline’s help and the fact that nothing that happened on Christmas Eve was anything that could be easily shrugged off.

“So, for now,” Vic told himself as he took a deep breath and carried on with his steps through the un-snowed parts. “I’ll just take it easy and enjoy my day out.” He mustered his resolve as he continued his trek. It was fortunate that one of Caroline’s assistants, a young man named Parker, had dropped by to look after the house and Sophie, otherwise, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to leave the house with a clear conscience.

He had been out of the house for some time, so his footsteps took him to places.

From the offset, the house’s block appeared like the normal residential area near the fringes of the city. Middle to upper-middle class households that had their own fences and gardens, each still brimming with life for the enjoyment of the holidays.

A little further, he found some other things of note: a bus stop, a grocery store, a park and an indoor pool. Eventually, he found signs that announced the mall he was now wandering around inside. Nothing out of the ordinary, but it was something he thought he probably needed to keep in mind.

Speaking about that, it got Vic wondering about his money situation. He had a card in his name into which Caroline had been depositing some money for him, and he’d been mindful enough to avoid spending much in the past couple of months. The thought crossed his mind that he should probably consider treating himself… but with what? He wasn’t sure.

He passed from store to store, just window browsing for anything that might catch his attention. Games and tech, even if he wasn’t an expert at it, did have their appeal, especially after using Josh’s VR headset, but he suddenly felt mindful of his luggage. Even if Caroline said that he would have the option to stay with them, just treating the guest room as his own didn’t really sit well.

So the second, and safer thought that crossed his mind was clothing. After all, he’d recently had to tear apart his jacket to win a fight, so he needed to get another one to replace it. He was about to go into a sporting goods store when he caught his reflection on the window.

There was nothing off about him… yet. But his eyes went to the white bandage that was stuck against his cheek and reminded him that he was changing, turning into something nonhuman. That cut he got on the side of his face would probably spread and deepen with the change, expanding like Caroline said would happen to the gash over his stomach.

All he knew was that there would be a point where it would be very difficult for him to go out and pass as normal. Heck, today he was sporting a bandage to cover the cut on his cheek and gloves to conceal the odd green coloration. Soon it would become impossible to hide with clothes.

The end result would be to match the spirit’s species, he was told, and yet he still had no idea of what she looked like. Not to mention, he was concerned that it would be a full-body thing. And if that were the case, would he be like Bianca and Laura, needing to coat himself in makeup just to look passable? Could he do that? There was a bit of amusement in the back of his head as he thought about the scenario.

The way Josh made light of the issues a couple of days ago did take some of the edge off the matter. Or maybe it was just everyone around him telling him to accept it that was nudging him to dismiss it. Bitterness, anger and sadness were the emotions in the forefront of his mind… but he was more than ready to ignore it just to get himself moving.

With that, Vic carried on with his walk. Maybe later in the week he would drop by and buy himself a new jacket or something like it.

The mall was quite interesting, with a lot of things to watch and see. There was the classic arcade in the back of the place, the pet store that had kids fawning over the puppies and kittens on the windowsill and a spot for street performers around the plaza. It was as normal as possible, just enough for Vic to forget about his troubles.

He listened to the background music and his eyes strayed around the place as he took a sip of the hot chocolate he bought from the stand nearby. And that’s when he saw something that piqued his curiosity: a standing poster that announced a sort of event.

“Heroes United!” the poster announced, with the word “project” underscoring the text in a type writer font.

“An initiative of the Supreme Alliance bringing teams of heroes together for a tour across the western half of the country, bringing hope to those that live in cities that lack a flagstone team!”

“We’ll be in the convention center near the Blackbell Hotel. Meet up with fellow justice-seekers, participate in various activities and hear from the invited heroes. If you are a young hero or vigilante or an aspiring sidekick, looking to be part of something greater, come by and throw your name into the ring where the panel of pros are always looking for new talent to support, foster or invest in!”

“Sounds like a cool event,” Vic thought out loud. There was once a time where he would’ve been excited to see and read about this sort of event. After all, he, Josh, and Ollie were very into superheroes as they grew up. Now, while he still bore some admiration for them, he knew that he would end up on the other side of the law. Itkinda dampened the spirit of wonder he had.

It did make him wonder on several points, such as how the Syndicate and the hero community operated with or against one another. Was it a sort of indirect truce or an all-out war? He really hoped he wouldn’t have to worry about it that much. Were there many heroes in Portland or Oregon, for that matter? Because the sign seemed to imply that there weren’t, or at least not an organized team. Was that the Syndicate’s doing? Probably.

The event was marked to happen on Saturday, New Year’s Eve, all the way through till Wednesday, which made Vic wonder if he could just drop by to check it out.

“How would Caroline feel on that matter?” he wondered. “Or heroing for that matter?” Vic knew that his legal guardian used to be a hero, but the reason for her departure from the community was still something he needed to ask about.

And while the thought was in the forefront, his eyes moved onto the poster at the side, to the complete list of professional heroes set to make an appearance or sponsoring the event. There were some big names that even Vic, as someone from the east coast, could recognize. But there was a name that jumped up to him: “Gigaton”.

“This must be Dereck’s dad,” Vic muttered as he gave the hero’s portrait a second look. The man had the brawly kind of hero look, with his arm flexed to show his ripped physique with a confident smirk that practically challenged criminals to do something. Without a doubt, Vic could see the resemblance to Dereck, from the hair color to the style of the suit he was wearing.

From there, Vic carried on reading some of the other names and heroes listed. There were some he recognized, others not, but it still got him debating on whether to try to check out the event, which would be taking place downtown in the city.

Right after he snapped pictures of the posters, his phone began to buzz as he received a message from Caroline.

“Vic. Good news. I just got the confirmation from the division heads, they’ve agreed to keep on sponsoring you and the other four candidates.”

“That’s great, thank you.” Vic answered. Even though he trusted it would happen, it was a relief to have confirmation.

“Are you at home? Parker tells me you headed off for a walk.”

“Yeah. I’m at the nearby mall,” Vic answered.

“Alright, just wanted to know. We might be done with the scholarship matter, but I still need to tend to some matters before making it back home. Do you think you can make it back and look after the place? Since Parker is being called in for another job.”

“Is he…”

“He’s a regular trooper trained to be a medic,” was Caroline’s answer.

“Ah…” Vic thought to himself. He’d actually wondered if the man was a nurse in training. “Understood, I’ll be on my way back.”

“Thank you,” Caroline answered.

“Well, this was a good time out. Hope it’s not my last,” he said as he turned around and headed back with an optimistic pep on his step.

Thursday, December 29th - 7:32am
Kythe Residence

The incident report was the last Syndicate matter which Caroline needed to take care of for the next couple of weeks. The last few days of the year and the remainder of the winter break would be her unofficial vacation, as no work was expected to arrive. Not as an operative. No more bureaucratic, administrative or assessing job on her table. Just sheer relaxation and freedom to pretend as though she was an upstanding member of society.

So, plans were plenty, but most of them boiled down to being an exemplary mom, like she’d been wanting for quite some time, while also enjoying her down time. She thought of spending time with Sophie to make up for the absences of the past months, calling Dereck to check on him while his father was probably out, do her own cooking, now with some inspiration from Lightning’s own efforts and show Vic around town, for a start.

As Caroline walked up from her from the basement, after kicking off her day with some running on the treadmill, she happened to pick up the sound of the kitchen at work. Someone was using it and she really hoped it probably wasn’t Sophie.

She picked up the scent of pancakes as she opened the door and, just as she expected, there was Vic manning the stove. “Good morning,” she greeted just as he turned around.

“Morning,” he said as she poked the pancake with a fork.

“Were you in the mood for pancakes?” Caroline said as she moved into the kitchen, quickly spying the details with her trained eye. He’d prepared a tray with sliced fruit, maple and strawberry syrup, the latter of which she was sure wasn’t on the shelf at home last time she checked. On the counter was an empty bowl of batter and a stack of finished pancakes that were for more than for one person… well, unless they were an energizer, which she was sure Vic was not–unless his changes were to nudge him in that direction.

“Yeah… Well, I was more in the mood of treating others, just to keep myself busy in the morning,” Vic said as he tended to the pan. “I happened to pass by the grocery store on the way back, so I bought these.

Focusing on him while he was cooking, she picked up on details of his appearance. The wound on his cheek was revealed, showing off the development of scales, as predicted. Either the bandage was starting to bother him or he had peeled it off to look at it. Despite that, he appeared to be carrying a smile about him that made her guess he was being optimistic, which was reassuring.

“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Caroline said with a smile. “Let me help set the table. I’ve missed pancake breakfasts, and I’m sure that Sophie will be over the moon.”

“Yeah…” Vic trailed off before saying. “So, I got the ‘scholarship’ renewed then?”

Caroline nodded. “You don’t have to worry about the tuition, for now… Although there might be some details and arrangements that you should be made aware of.”

“What sort of things?” Vic asked.

“Nothing serious, just some considerations.” Caroline said. “As part of the standard agreement, students are asked to help around the school campus. This can be simple things such as cleaning, helping in the kitchen, working the clinic and so on. These tasks do become available to freshmen more prominently in the winter term, at least from what I heard. Just be sure to think of one you’d want and apply for it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Vic thought, no doubt, to consider what might be his options. “Anything else?”

“There is. The winter term at Whateley is, usually, one focused around more specific topics. Things that you wouldn’t expect to see in a normal school, like special weapons training in martial arts, classes on specific powers and so on.”

“Yeah,” Vic noted, thinking how some of the members in the M3 table mentioned some of the subjects, among which was Team Tactics. “Not sure why I wanted a normal life if I have to take classes like those.” He chuckled.

“I feel your pain,” Caroline echoed with an agreeing laugh. “I was going to mention that, because of recent developments, there are some classes that you’ll be requested to take.”

“OK. I wasn’t sure about my choices anyway.” Vic admitted as he was done with the last pancake, having it slide on the stack and putting it on the small island counter. “So, you happen to know if the second half of the school year is as brutal as the first?”

“Well, things are always different. Just be sure to be careful to avoid any big incidents and you’ll survive.”

“Hm…I’ll try to be wary of everything,” Vic answered before trailing into silence as the door of the kitchen opened, letting Sophie slip in. Her eyes brightened up at the sight of her mom, approaching to give her the mandatory ‘good morning’ hug.

“Good morning, mommy,” Sophie greeted. “Are you done with your work?”

“Yes I am. Means now we can have a proper vacation,” Caroline said as she tuzzled her daughter’s head. “What would you like to do?”

“Can we go to the zoo? Or the aquarium? Or can we play some games?” Sophie blurted out eagerly.

“Hm… as long as you’re done with your homework from school.”

“I’m working on it,” Sophie said,

“Maybe I can help you with it later,” Caroline smiled as she released her daughter before picking up the tray of toppings and syrups. “But, right now we’re going to have breakfast.”

“Pancakes!” Sophie celebrated as she saw the stack on the table.

“Yeah, Vic made them for us.”

“Oh… Thank you.” Sophie’s answer came somewhat more delayed than Caroline expected and carried an uncharacteristic dryness, but she didn’t think much of it. Maybe her daughter was still somewhat drowsy from just waking up, or she was still shy about meeting Vic.

At the table, Sophie scooched close to her mother while Vic sat on the other side. With the stack pancakes in the middle, the joyous breakfast began.

“These are good,” Caroline noted.

“I found the recipe online after the first attempt made me realize I was rusty in my cooking,” Vic answered.

“It’s still good,” Caroline said as she took another bite. Her mind was already making plans as to what kinds of things that they could do. The mall was the obvious choice, eventually, since Sophie needed some new clothes and Vic had sacrificed a sporting jacket to protect himself from Rival’s dagger.

Maybe she could take the kids to the aquarium or the zoo? Maybe go out for lunch… although making too many plans around food might be a bit too excessive. Perhaps a trip to the park or mall would work well enough or they could just spend some time together at home.

And it didn’t have to be the three of them, if Vic wasn’t feeling like it. Maybe she could take Sophie out to the movies or a mother-daughter activity that had been lacking for quite some time.

Vic’s exposed cheek quite clearly showed the changing color. It would eventually start to spread. It was already obvious enough that he wouldn’t be able to be out in public without some kind of disguise, so she needed to take that into consideration, at least for the next couple of days.

“Sophie, what would you like to do? Anything is on the table… well, most things.” Caroline asked as she turned to look at her daughter, noticing she was curiously poking the pancakes, like a cat taking in a new food, even though it wasn’t new food for her. “Something wrong? You haven’t touched your food.”

“I… don’t know. They look weird,” Sophie said.

“It was the first time I followed the recipe,” Vic noted.

Sophie watched her taking a bite. “Are they okay?”

“Why wouldn’t they? They’re good.” She’s never been this picky when I cook, Caroline thought.

“Hm…” Sophie pouted as she looked at her food warily but, as her mother looked over her, she obliged and took a bite. That was all it took as, after the first bite, she was cutting another piece.

“Take your time and chew,” Caroline laughed.

“Mhmm,” Sophie mumbled as she took a couple of bites, her eyes fixated on Vic, as though she wanted to say something.

“So. How are you finding the house?” Caroline asked.

“It’s great.” Vic said. “It’s big and comfortable, not like I’ve seen before.”

“Like on the streets? With the gangs?” Sophie asked, with some faint disdain in her voice.

“Well, it’s true that I lived in the streets, but it was only for just a couple of months, fortunately. I really have no idea how bad things would’ve been if I’d missed my chance to get into the school that year.”

“It was fortunate. That wasn’t the ideal environment for a youth to grow up in.” Caroline noted. “So, do you have any plans for the day?”

“Not really,” Vic said. “I thought of playing some games, watching TV. Boy, it’s been a while since I thought in that sort of way. I mean, it’s less than a year, but it still feels like more.”

“Well, knock yourself out. You can use the couch, the TV and the computer as much as you want.”

“What if he makes a mess?” Sophie whispered.

“I think I’ll do all those. Maybe go for a walk or something like that so as to not lose the habit,” Vic said, seemingly not hearing Sophie. Judging by the way he trailed off, she assumed there was a thought stuck in the tip of his tongue.

“Fair enough. Did you get to check out the gym in the basement?”

“Not really. I was told that the place was off limits.” Vic said, trying to sound casual.

“What?” Caroline blinked, briefly looking down at Sophie who was still too fixated on Vic to notice. “Well, normally, I tell Sophie not to go downstairs alone because I worry she might get hurt there.” Plus, that was where she normally stashed some of her holdouts and weapons. Granted, it wasn’t like her daughter didn’t know she used to be a hero… but even so, she’d tried to keep her away from that.

“What?” Sophie blinked at hearing her name.

“You can go down, only if Vic or I are present, okay sweetie?” Caroline said. Someone needed to be present just so she wouldn’t stumble into the hidden armory, panic room or the escape tunnel.

“Why?” Sophie asked with a small frown.

“Sorry, but those are the rules for now. Sometime later, I’ll show you.” It was ironic that, after being open to her kids about her heroics, she was now coming up with flimsy excuses so as to keep a secret hidden. “Or did you want to use the basement?”

“No… I didn’t,” Sophie answered.

“Well then we don’t have to worry about it. Glad the matter is settled.” Inwardly, though, Caroline had some concern. Sophie was over a year older than when she moved into the house, so explaining to her about some of the peculiarities of the place might be convenient even if it was something she hoped wouldn’t happen. “You didn’t have to bar Vic from going, though.”

Sophie gave her a frown, something Caroline couldn’t say hadn’t happened before. “I was just making sure.”

“I’m sure you were, now eat up and get dressed. I’m thinking of starting the day with a trip to the park or the mall. I think the Christmas fair is still going until the end of the year.” Caroline said, deciding to try to move matters forward. “What do you think, Vic. Do you want to come?”

“Hm…” Vic hesitated for a moment. “I’d be up for it. Just need to dress up.”

“What’s happening to your face? On your cheek?” Sophie asked. A question that left Vic and Caroline in a stunned silence.

“Sophie, I told you about it,” Caroline said. “Vic is a mutant and he’s undergoing some… changes.”

“He’s turning into a monster, isn’t he?” she asked. “Like what’s going on his arm.”

“Well,” Vic stammered, at a loss for words as his hand idly reached for the altered parts.

“It’s what dad used to say. That people become monsters by doing bad things. That’s what he meant, right?”

“That’s enough, Sophie Seaver!” Caroline frowned, adopting a stern tone that got the girl reeling back from surprise.

Despite the surprise, Sophie exclaimed, “I’m just trying to protect you!”

“Go to the kitchen. I want to talk with you,” Caroline said.

“Fine!” Sophie was defiant, pushing the plate away.

“Sorry about that, Vic,” Caroline said as she got up. “I’ll… I’ll be upstairs making my bed,” Vic sighed as he got up from the table.

‘People become monsters by doing bad things,’ Caroline thought to herself as she moved to the kitchen. That was the same line her husband always tended to use when boiling down things for young fans. It was a simple concept, easy to market and epic-sounding enough to bring in the attention while not coming across as a catchphrase. It painted the lines of good and evil, but did so in such a way that it almost felt absolute and subjective under scrutiny with little room for nuance if it came from the wrong lips. If you were a ‘monster’ were you no longer worth consideration? And who defined what counted as ‘bad things’? A simple concept that happened to have mass appeal.

Even for anti-mutant groups, Gigaton’s words were also quoted in the most literal way, like how Sophie just did. Despite having mutants and enhanced individuals in her life, the girl had surprisingly little exposure to people with altered physiques and as such.

But even if that wasn’t the case, Caroline had thought she’d taught her daughter better.

“What has gotten into my daughter,” Caroline sighed as she closed the kitchen door behind her, watching Sophie standing behind the island as if scared of the reprimand.

“Can you tell me what’s going on? That wasn’t a nice thing to say…” Caroline said.

“But it’s true, right? He’s turning into a monster.” Sophie was about to speak up when Caroline pressed her hand against the wall, activating one of the silence glyphs she'd prepared, in case she were to need to have a private conversation when holding a social meeting.

“He’s not a monster, Sophie. He’s not becoming one.”

“But dad always says-”

“Dad is wrong,” Caroline said. “He doesn’t think about what he says, just what feels right. What you did was awfully rude and unlike you. So why did you say that?”

“Because… because I think he’s trying to hurt you,” Sophie blurted out.

“Why would you think that?” Caroline asked.

“I… well…” Sophie hesitated, and that was all she needed to piece it together. Dereck was the only person that had any sort of beef with Vic, and who Sophie respected enough to believe without talking to her. She would have to talk to Dereck later… but for now, she sighed.

“You’ll have to apologize to Vic.”

“But, he was from the streets. He’s from a gang. He’s training to be a villain!” Sophie blurted out.

That last one gave Caroline some pause, but she quickly reasoned that that might be the impression a hero might have of anyone with a sketchy past… It saddened Caroline to know her son might accuse someone of that. The worry that her son was turning out too much like his father grew a bit more real. “Does he seem like that to you? After he made breakfast and offered to help you? He’s been here for days and not caused any trouble.”

“Well…” Sophie hesitated but refused to admit that she was wrong, instead frowning and crossing her arms.

Caroline sighed. Twisting her daughter’s arm just to get the apology out of her would be counterproductive, and she was clearly in no mood to consider. “We’re not going anywhere today.”

“What? Why?” Sophie whined.

“This is a small punishment. You can call me a monster for that, if you want.” Caroline said.

To Be Continued