“Hey! Slow down!”

  Hogan pushed his way through the back of the crowd, Lauren doing her best to follow his dark-suited back. The density of people finally began to thin once they were several blocks away from city hall. Hogan continued walking away from the gathering and towards a café on the street corner.

  Lauren sped walk to keep up with his stride.

  “I’ve been trying to reach you for weeks!” Lauren said. “One of the powered girls who attacked me when I ran away is somewhere in that crowd back there. Are you even listening to me?”

  “What does she look like?” Hogan asked without stopping. Lauren described her, and Hogan relayed it into a communicator.

  “I doubt they’ll find her, but they’ll look,” Hogan said. “This thing’s almost over anyway.”

  The café they reached had small outdoor tables sectioned off from the sidewalk. The place was empty, as was the rest of the block. Sounds from the event echoed down the street.

  Hogan took a seat at a table in the corner. Lauren sat across from him.

  “You better have an update,” Lauren demanded. She was still incensed at being ignored for weeks.

  “Don’t start with an attitude,” Hogan said, shaking his head. “Now’s not the day for it.”

  His acidic tone caught Lauren off-guard. She was used to her attitude bouncing off his calm professionalism. She took a moment to look at him and saw a man who already looked older than when they had first met; his stress lines were deeper, eyes darker, and his demeanor all around worn out.

  Lauren breathed and calmed herself, remembering he was doing everything he could.

  “I’m sorry,” she tried, “have you found anything on Rachel?”

  Hogan’s watery eyes regarded her for a moment. The look in them was different than before. The same as his tone. It was like he was reweighing if he could trust Lauren. Another thing she had taken for granted so far.

  No wait staff came out to greet them. All for the best, as Lauren didn’t think they were out here to eat.

  “What are you not telling me about Rachel?” Hogan finally asked.

  Lauren had to process that.

  “Not… telling you?” she checked.

  “What was she sick with?” he pressed.

  Lauren scrambled to remember.

  “Um… uh… some genetic… degenerative…”

  “You don’t know?” he cut through her floundering.

  Lauren couldn’t believe she was suddenly being interrogated.

  “I was a kid the last time she even got tested! You think they explained anything to me? You think I was in the room with every doctor for every test?!”

  Hogan put his face into his hands and exhaled. He rubbed his eyes. When he spoke, his words were heavy.

  “I can’t find her, Lauren.”

  Lauren’s stomach clenched into a tight ball. She tried to keep her breathing steady. She blinked, slowly, trying not to explode.

  “You said you would. You said you wouldn’t give up.”

  Instead of looking at her, Hogan looked out onto the street. His jaw worked back and forth, a vein in his neck visible.

  “I’m not giving up. But we need to change strategy. There’s too much noise in this city. Too many tracks to follow one. I don’t have the resources to be direct.”

  “I’ll be direct,” Lauren said immediately. “I’ll break through all of it. We’re starting patrols, right? I’ll do it. I’ll wear the costume. I’ll help. Just let me look for her. You said she has patrons, right? People hiding Dr. Smythe? I’ll bring them all down.”

  Hogan was silent. He propped his elbows on the table and thought.

  “I’m built for this,” Lauren pressed.

  “I know you are. That’s what scares me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They want you to be here, Lauren,” Hogan explained. “I don’t know how, but this has all been planned from the start. If you look for them, you’ll find them when they’re ready. And when they’re ready, this isn’t going to end the way you want it to.”

  “It won’t end the way they want it to,” Lauren promised. “I’ll make sure of it. And my friends will too. What choice do we have?”

  “None,” Hogan admitted, much to Lauren’s surprise. “Not a damn choice in the world, at least that can be made by us. Sometimes we just have to play our roles.”

  “…Good,” Lauren said. He was agreeing with her, which was theoretically a good thing. “What’s my role now?”

  “Find the ones hiding her,” Hogan said simply. “Chipping away at crime in this city should get you closer. Make connections. Find where criminals congregate. Get names. Someone knows something. I bet you Dr. Smythe is connected to this new faction moving in the darkness.”

  “What faction?” Lauren asked.

  “One we don’t know nearly enough about. Just between you and me, we’re worried a bunch of old pros are pooling their resources. It could spell trouble. They seem to be interested in this city for whatever reason. Start cracking them open, and they won’t be able to hide forever.”

  “I can do that,” Lauren confirmed.

  Hogan nodded. “Then I pass the boots-on-the-ground portion of this investigation on to you. I’ll help whenever and however I can. Keep me informed. I’ll share whatever intel I have.”

  Hogan sighed again as he stood. “You’re jumping into the deep end, Lauren. And you can’t fathom how deep it is. This school is using you. This country is gonna use you. No matter if you find what you’re looking for or not, you’re part of this world now. You’re in a unique position to grow stronger from it instead of weaker. Don’t lose that. And don’t lose your friends.”

  He prepared to leave. The world outside the café was returning to life. Small clusters of people streamed down the street away from city hall.

  Someone, maybe Vivian or Grace, flew overhead. Heads turned to watch them. Hogan looked skyward, his face a shadow in the sun.

  “You believe me that she’s out there, right?” Lauren asked. “You think I’m gonna find my sister?”

  “You’ll find what you’re looking for,” Hogan said. “And when that day comes, I hope we’re all ready…”

  Lauren was left to ponder his cryptic phrasing as he became an anonymous body in the flow of people moving down the street.

  Lauren took the next week of school more seriously than she ever had before. It was the week before patrols began, when all the students would be unleashed into the city. The tension built in the class like an invisible wave. In the halls, in the dorms, at meals and around the bonfire all anyone could talk about was getting out for the first time. How their costumes would hold up. What villains they had heard about. Who wanted to be patrolling with who. All Lauren could think about was getting out on her own.

  In the classroom, Ms. Almstead covered the basics of investigation, intervention, and rescue. She seemed perpetually annoyed at the pace the class was expected to move at, and she wasn’t shy about expressing it in front of her students.

  “Remember, the point of being a superhero isn’t seeing who can cause the most property damage. And it certainly isn’t apprehending the villain at all costs.”

  Ms. Almstead looked across the room.

  “What are we here to do above all else?”

  “Protect the public,” several students repeated.

  It was something drilled into them over and over again. Fighting was only for the purposes of protecting people and minimizing future harm. Ms. Almstead made them do homework writing about the most effective ways their powers could be used to protect people. Lauren struggled not just with the writing part, but thinking of ways her claws could save anyone.

  In gym, Lauren’s class finally began to start practicing against one another. Lauren had to learn how to temper her powers. It wouldn’t do to tear her classmates to shreds. She practiced extending her knuckles with rounded bone protrusions.

  She sparred with Ike first. He wore a stripped-down black version of his armored costume without the mask.

  “Normally I’d have my concussion pistols, but we can skip that and go straight to hand-to-hand,” he said. He did some warm-up stretches. “Don’t worry, I won’t go full strength on you.”

  “You can go full strength,” Lauren offered. She wanted real practice. She wanted to really see what her body could handle now. What she was ready for.

  “Alright…” Ike said, sounding unconvinced. “Just tell me if it’s overwhelming.”

  They met at the center of the mat. Ike pulled his fists up and tight. The knuckles of his practice costume were padded. Lauren was still in her gym outfit.

  They hovered around each other for a moment. Ike broke the tension with a quick jab. It wasn’t meant to really hit Lauren, just force her to flinch. It did.

  Ike’s right shin came around and connected with Lauren’s side. She stumbled, grunting. He was much stronger than Reagan had been.

  Ike didn’t press for now.

  It awoke in her. The sense. The reaction-increasing, feral-minded thing inside her wanted to come to the forefront. Now that Lauren was looking for it, she knew what it felt like. It pulsed through her muscles. It buzzed at the edge of her vision, inviting Lauren to let it take over. It was stronger now, less subtle than in her bout with Reagan. It was like being beaten thoroughly cracked the seal on it.

  Lauren grabbed the feeling, not letting it flee or take over. It wanted to be all or nothing. It seemed to hiss in Lauren’s mental grip.

  Only a second had passed. Ike was at the ready, watching for her reaction.

  “Hit me,” Lauren said.

  Ike stepped forward and sent a fist that was meant to connect with Lauren’s center chest. He was still holding back in strength and speed. With her sharpened reaction, it wasn’t hard for Lauren to catch the fist in her open hand.

  The intentionally slow hit still connected with enough force to make her arm buzz. Lauren pushed the fist away and this time made Ike stumble back.

  He stood there for a second, surprised, then nodded. He was ready to take her seriously.

  Ike’s hits came faster and harder. Lauren kept her guard up just as she had been taught, but Ike’s routine was a blitz. He pummeled blows onto her arms and legs. He seemingly wasn’t even concerned about breaking through Lauren’s guard, just wearing it down to where she wouldn’t be strong enough to keep it up.

  That wasn’t a good strategy against Lauren. Especially if he wasn’t hitting hard enough to do real damage. Lauren wasn’t made to be worn down.

  A chop came for her shoulder. Lauren saw it coming and dropped her guard, letting it connect. With the same motion, she grabbed Ike’s arm and pulled him closer. She raised her right foot and kicked him as hard as she could in the chest. She had a feeling he could take it.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Ike actually fell to a knee. By the look on his face, he was surprised Lauren could bring so much force to a hit. He was stunned enough that Lauren could have gotten away with kicking him in the face. But she let him rise again.

  Ike didn’t waste time in charging at her. Probably trying to take her by surprise. Probably wanting to exert a little dominance in the fight. Lauren’s first instinct was to dodge to the side. With her reaction speed, she had the ability to choose. But she chose something else. She wanted to meet force with force.

  She braced for Ike’s charge. He slammed into her with enough momentum to knock the air from her lungs. But she held, gritting as Ike attempted to grapple her. Their limbs flailed awkwardly for a moment as their bodies pressed together. Lauren’s feet slipped as the muscles in her legs burned. Ike was still stronger than her. He pushed her backwards and soon would be able to topple her onto her back.

  Lauren concentrated all her energy on holding ground. Her reaction speed was now useless. She wished she could trade it for raw strength. It was maddening that she only needed a little more to be able to match her opponent. She wanted to prove she was strong enough to handle herself out there.

  Something strange happened internally. The instinct Lauren was holding onto shifted. She panicked briefly as she worried it was sensing her disadvantage in the fight and would try to grow lethal again. But that wasn’t it. No spikes appeared from her skin to pierce Ike.

  Instead, her muscles tingled like that were being stimulated. Then they cramped.

  Then, Lauren wasn’t losing ground anymore.

  Lauren refocused on the grapple, and with a grunt shoved Ike back. He pressed forward again. They locked hands, arms straining against each other.

  Lauren saw on his face just a few inches away that Ike was now the one straining to match her. His face was growing red and the veins on his neck bulged.

  Lauren looked at her own flexing arm muscles. Did they look bigger, or was she just imagining things? She felt stronger.

  “How… are you doing this?” Ike puffed.

  Lauren had no idea. She just wanted to be stronger, and now she seemed to be.

  It was then she realized that the other partner spars had paused, and everyone in gym was watching them. They must have taken notice once Lauren started to match Ike.

  Her muscles were far from giving out, but Lauren ended the stalemate by wrenching Ike to the side and breaking contact. He caught his breath, understanding the bout was over. There wasn't much either could do to each other without trading hits that would start to spill some blood.

  She flexed the odd new strength in her muscles. She wished she got one last hit in just to see what it did. The fight over, she released the instinct and let it slither to the back of her mind.

  Lauren went home that night sore and splotchy. Sola, her second opponent in gym, had no compunctions about fighting fairly. She flew out of Lauren’s reach and bombarded her with blasts of orange energy from her hands. Somehow the energy had physical force and knocked Lauren back down to earth whenever she tried to jump for Sola’s feet.

  Her arms and face were covered in nasty sunburns from the beams. They had faded throughout the day though, being reduced to isolated patches of red by the time dinner was over. She didn’t even go to the nurse for it.

  Lauren tried on her costume in her dorm room for the first time since she had received it. No matter her feelings on costumes, if she was going to be out in the world, she knew they’d make her dress the part. She looked at herself in the full mirror attached to her door.

  The costume was a spandex bodysuit the covered her from toe to neck. The main color was a shiny fiery red with black on the shoulders, neck, forearms and hands, and from the feet to knees. A white double-v pattern pointed downwards from the shoulders to the bottom of the chest.

  Lauren tried to look at herself from all angles. None of them were flattering. She hated it just as much as she did when she first tried it on in the locker room. Maybe, given enough time, she could conceive of some kind of costume she’d eventually feel comfortable in. This wasn’t it. This was far from it.

  There was a gentle knock on her door before Lucy eased it open.

  “Trying it on again?”

  “Mhm,” Lauren said, her lips pressed firmly together. Lucy knew how she felt about it by now. Her friend had tried to coax her into getting used to it, but she could clearly see Lauren wasn’t having it.

  “You look so uncomfortable,” Lucy said, sitting on Lauren’s bed.

  “I am!” Lauren twisted around. “I feel practically naked in this thing. Did the person who designed it get the memo I’m sixteen?”

  “Yeah,” Lucy sighed. “It’s an unfortunate expectation that superheroes be models of the human form. Especially women. I’m sure you can request a redesign. They want to keep us happy.”

  A redesign might mean a delay in getting to go out. Lauren grabbed her jacket and put it on over the costume. She was now very grateful for it being oversized.

  “I’ll just wear this over it. It’s getting cold out there anyways.”

  On Thursday, students started being called into one-on-one meetings to determine their potential placement on patrol teams, as well as a general check-in. Lauren was called in around lunch.

  “How do you think this semester’s going so far?” Headmaster Knapp asked. She was the one conducting the meetings held in her office. A cozy space of wood and thick books and leafy plants. Whenever Lauren saw shelves filled with hundreds of books she couldn’t help but wonder if the owner ever found time to read even a fraction of those in their life, or if it was just for aesthetics.

  Lauren sat straight in a cozy leather chair across from the prim headmaster.

  “I think it’s going well,” Lauren said. She’d have to say more to get out of here. It was always felt like Knapp was able to get into Lauren's head in a way no one else could. Like she was seeing something in Lauren. “I’m excited to get out. I’ve been getting antsy.”

  “I’m sure you have,” Knapp said amicably. “I think everyone here is itching to get out. I’ve been so impressed with the restraint and focus you’ve been showing, Lauren. I think you’ve shown so much improvement already. This school environment seems good for you.”

  “I agree,” Lauren said. She was glad her efforts at fitting in weren’t going unnoticed. She’d play the role of a good student as long as she’d need to to get Rachel. What came after was still up in the air. Maybe this place really was the best for them. But Hogan’s words about them being used here stuck with her.

  Knapp smiled, eyes crinkling behind thick glasses.

  “We’re cooking up a special team for you. I think you’ll really step up and enjoy the challenge. Hopefully it will further expand who you consider close friends here at Rosewell.”

  “Oookay.” Lauren didn’t know what to make of that. She didn’t think teams were supposed to be challenging. But what did she know.

  Dinner was spent discussing the meetings and speculating on who was going to be paired in teams.

  “I have such a good feeling!” Lucy said, doing a little happy dance in place. “I hope we all get to team up, but I’d be totally fine getting to know some other students better.”

  The mood around the cafeteria table was not reciprocated nearly as fully back to her. Lauren was used to being the quiet one. Tonight, the mood seemed to have infected everyone but Lucy.

  “Adam?” Lucy started leadingly, “are you feeling ready to hit the streets on patrol?”

  Every day since the school’s reveal to the world, Adam came back to campus looking more tired and stressed. Bags started to darken his two-colored eyes.

  Annabelle was now a constant fixture on his arm. She had thoroughly ousted Abigail as his hanger-on, and was doing everything she could to integrate with the friend group. She did so mainly by tacking on a small laugh or a comment to just about anything anyone said, always with a pleasant yet empty expression. Lucy seemed to enjoy her company. Lauren was neutral. Thalia was developing an eye twitch.

  “Me? On the patrol schedule?” Adam laughed bitterly. “That’s funny.”

  Annabelle put an arm around him and nuzzled his shoulder.

  “Adam’s being held in a more advisory position for now,” she said diplomatically. “The school doesn’t want to waste his potential getting hurt out there. They know he should be saved for strategy and planning.”

  “They don’t want me to hold the rest of you back,” Adam rephrased. “I’m the only student here who’s not cut out for the whole superheroing thing. Just like everybody knows.”

  “That’s not true!” Annabelle squealed. She craned her neck, which became disconcertingly snakelike, to look over at Thalia. “Tals, tell Adam he’s being silly.”

  Thalia paused bringing a bite of roast to her mouth, a disbelieving expression taking shape.

  So far Thalia had simply ignored the presence of Adam’s new girlfriend. Whatever problem Thalia had with her, she let it steam under the surface. This was the first time Annabelle, or anyone else, had used Adam’s nickname for her. Something cracked.

  Lauren tensed, ready to hold back Thalia if need be.

  Thalia put down her fork, swiveled to face Adam, and smiled with an unnaturally calm expression.

  “I think Annabelle’s right, Adam. You’ll get your footing as a superhero. Until then, your planning skills and support will make all the difference for the rest of us.”

  Her voice was thick with cheer. Adam glowered at her. Above her smile, Thalia’s eyes silently invited a fight.

  Lauren and Lucy glanced at each other. They were both thinking the same thing. Something was seriously wrong between the two of them. That was not how they talked to each other. They teased each other constantly. Any genuine moments were held between the two of them in private.

  Annabelle beamed, completely oblivious.

  “I’ve lost my appetite. I think I’ll retire early tonight,” Thalia announced. She picked up her meal and left, dumping it in the trash on her way out.

  Adam watched her go. He sighed. He faced forwards again with a haunted look.

  “We need to get you some more sleep,” Annabelle fussed, rubbing his back. “You’ve been working so hard at the foundation… Like Ms. Almstead says, helping people is the most important thing.”

  That night Lauren and Lucy watched the news. Local and countrywide channels were still talking about Rosewell’s debut. Important-looking people with important-sounding titles got together and speculated on just about everything there was to speculate about the students: how many ultras, how many aliens, how many mages, gender ratio, political leaning. Was it right for California to hoard the country’s next generation of heroes? Was California planning to secede with their new powered army? Lauren didn’t know anything about politics. Maybe they were planning it.

  Lucy was flat and quiet on the couch. Lauren knew by now that meant she was upset.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked her friend.

  Lucy looked at her with sad puppy dog eyes.

  “Was I wrong to suggest Adam should take Annabelle?”

  “Why would that be wrong?”

  “I don’t know,” Lucy moaned. “They seem happy together, but now something’s wrong between Adam and Thalia. Maybe they were courting each other in their own strange, slow way. I think I messed them up.”

  Lauren had no idea what was going on between those two, and she was certainly less invested in it than Lucy. But for Lucy’s sake, she tried to put herself into the mindset of an average teenager so she could say something useful.

  “They seem pretty mature to me. All you did was make a suggestion. Whatever Adam, Thalia, and Annabelle choose to do is on them. It’s not like you manipulated anyone. Just let things run their course. It’ll work out.”

  Lucy smiled a little. “You always know just what to say.”

  Lauren was pretty sure she was just stringing cliches together. But whatever worked.

  Friday came. The school held a special session after morning classes. Everyone was encouraged to show up in costume. Reluctantly, Lauren walked to gym in her ridiculous red outfit with her jacket atop it. Lucy happily put on her forest witch getup.

  Lauren had to admit, thirty-something-odd young heroes in full costume all together was an impressive, perhaps even inspiring sight. She was reminded again that she didn’t have to take on this search alone. All of these powered teens were on the same side as her and also wanted to take on crime in Pacific City.

  The students gathered on the bleachers. The variety of patterns in costumes and colors was dazzling. There were capes, cowls, utility belts, armor, thin fabric, fancy outfits, and more. Seeing it all helped Lauren not feel so ridiculous in her own costume.

  Headmaster Knapp, Agent Dodds, Ms. Almstead, and Coach Dixon were all near the front of the gym. They talked amongst themselves as they looked at the students gathered. Knapp seemed cheerful, while Ms. Almstead looked positive and Dodds and Dixon were as stone-faced as ever. Maybe they should be a couple.

  “Welcome everyone!” Knapp said with a clap as she took the informal stage. “Seeing you all gathered together in costume makes me genuinely emotional. I’m not sure any of you can truly know what a momentous occasion this is. It fills me with hope for our future. Truly, you are all going to make all the difference across the world in ways you can’t even imagine.”

  Knapp began to pace back and forth in front of them, heels clicking on the wood.

  “What I’m sure you all do know is that we’re starting patrols this weekend. I won’t lie, I’m nervous about it. But we can’t fly if we don’t spread our wings. Literally, in some cases. These first patrols will almost certainly be messy. No matter how we prepare for it, we can’t control all the variables out there. It might be quiet. It might be suddenly explosive. We can’t say. All we can do is have you remember your training so far and rely on us to provide intelligence and support. Your greatest resource will be each other. None of you will be alone during this. If any one group should encounter trouble, we’ll coordinate and face the danger together. Does that sound fair?”

  Lauren nodded along with the other students. She wondered how far her team would go with her in her search. And if they’d be the ones that found trouble first.

  “I’m glad. I’ll pass it over to my colleague, then.”

  Agent Dodds stepped forwards.

  “Hello again everyone. I share the headmaster’s sentiments of it being a wonderful sight, all of you in costume.”

  Leave it to her to get to the point.

  “I’d like to take a moment to speak on the potential threats that you may face in your capacity as the heroes of Pacific City. I’ve prepared a dossier of the so-called “known players” of the city that BASTION is aware of. This city is no stranger to supervillains and criminal groups. However, we’re confident that your teams can handle all but the worst of it. Ms. Almstead has copies for each of you to peruse in your own time.”

  Dodds laced her hands together in front of her. “More troubling are the threats we cannot account for. Such as the rumors of powered youths who are of an opposite ideology to Rosewell. Some of you may have even encountered a few of these youths.”

  Dodds’ penciled eyebrow rose as she located and stared directly at Lauren. Over two dozen pairs of eyes followed to look at her.

  Lauren’s cheeks burned. Everyone of course knew about her solo adventure, but the reminder was embarrassing. She hated when attention was on her.

  “Disturbingly, these rumors appear to have some truth to them. Our intelligence is unfortunately spotty for now, but there does seem to be some sort of organization in Pacific city for powered teenagers who, for lack of a better term, are training to become supervillains.”

  Uncertain chatter immediately began between the students. Dodds interrupted.

  “People, people!” she said, waving her hands. “Please focus. It sounds scarier than I’m sure it is. These teenagers, whoever they are being gathered by, surely do not have a fraction of the resources or care that we are investing in you. They are merely another element to be aware of as you patrol the streets. They will surely fall to pieces when met with the slightest resistance.”

  It was slightly reassuring to hear that these mystery kids hounding Lauren had some provable basis. It wasn’t reassuring to hear that there were apparently enough of them to mention as a concern. They could potentially be a lead. Part of the faction that Hogan had been concerned about. Next time Lauren met them, she’d have backup. She was more ready than ever.

  Dodds went over a few other potential hazards, before Coach Dixon took the floor last. The grizzled mountain of a man was just as intimidating as ever. With so many criminal elements in the city, it was a wonder why a feared ex-assassin was helping the good guys. They must have had a tight leash on him, one way or another.

  “Alright, listen up. I don’t want to have to repeat myself,” the coach said. He flipped a page on his clipboard. “I’m going to be grouping you up into your first patrol teams. I don’t want to hear any whining about how you don’t get along with a teammate or you don’t get to stroll around with your boyfriend.”

  Some snickers at that.

  “When you hear your name and letter, stand in the designated area. These are the areas.” Dixon pointed to different spaces around the gym. “A, B, C, D, E. If you want a more interesting team name than that, I suggest you make one. These BASTION yuppies will probably actually use it.”

  That earned him a glare from Dodds.

  Dixon started calling out names. Students went to stand at their team spots. When Lucy was called, she squeezed Lauren’s arm before going to stand at A.

  Lauren kept waiting to hear her name. It didn’t come. When the calls ceased, there were six students left sitting on the bleachers: Lauren, Adam, Abigail, Billy, Luis, and Lyra.

  The six remaining students looked at each other.

  “Um, are we a team?” Luis asked.

  “Nope,” Coach Dixon said. “With the exception of Adam, you’re all team leaders. Now come down and meet your teams.”