Chapter 2

Annette flung herself onto her bed with a heavy sigh. “Newbie training,” she moaned. She stuffed her head in between her pillows, and tried to go back to sleep. She literally felt her gag reflex twitch when she heard Amber in the other room giggling like a school girl. She uncovered her face and turned her head to look out her open door, and sure enough she could see glimpses of Amber running through the house in her bath robe-if you could even call it that, it was more of a pole dancer outfit, the w***e-being chased by a shirtless Jett.

“Jesus,” Annette’s expression twisted into a look of disgust, “All hours of the day, you’d think they’d ever leave each other alone.” When Jett stopped about 10 feet away from Annette’s door, and gave her that stupid smirk she hated so much she flung her arm at the door, and it slammed itself immediately. Oh, how she loved having the ability to move things with her mind, it was just the absolute perfect ability for someone like her; lazy all the time-except for when it really counted of course. Annette laid her head back down, “Sleeeeep…”

Suddenly, Amber came bustling into Annette’s room from the opposite door. Annette sighed again, “I just slammed the other door on Jett, and you’re going to get the same if you don’t leave Amber.” Annette really had nothing against Amber, she just didn’t trust her. From the first time they met, Annette had always had this nagging feeling that Amber was not to be trusted, and Annette’s feelings were usually right.

Amber shot Annette a toothy grin, “Oh dear Annette, don’t be angry at me. We both know that I’m cursed with being a magnet to the opposite sex.” Annette rolled her eyes, “And gifted with being the most conceited person, now leave, please.” Amber’s cocky expression turned into anger, and she stamped her foot accordingly, “Now listen you,” she started, but Annette glared at her as she mentally picked up a pillow and held it in the air threateningly. Amber yelped slightly, and ran out the door, but quickly stuck half her body back in to flip Annette off. Annette’s brow furrowed and in response, the pillow floating next to her shot at the door, slamming it shut. Annette smiled triumphantly when she heard Amber, “OW!”

Annette lifted up her fluffy comforter and crawled underneath it, “Now, I’m not getting out of here until 7,” she said to herself with a content smile. She nearly screamed bloody murder when she heard the door closest to her open again, but she thought it’d be best to stay still, maybe whoever it was wouldn’t notice her. She sighed lightly when she heard the door close again.

Her whole body stiffened when she heard the comforter at the end of her bed rustle, and she quickly poked her head out from under the blanket and looked at the feet protruding from the edge of her bed, then her gaze moved towards the lump under the covers. Someone had crawled in under the covers. Annette shrieked a little when she felt two arms wrap around her waist.  She hastily threw the comforter back to find Jett smiling, “Whoops,” he started, “Thought you were Amber.” Annette scowled at him, “How did it make sense to you that Amber would be in my room when you just saw me in here a minute ago??” Jett shrugged, but flashed his half smile at her.

Annette glared at him for a couple seconds before saying, “Shouldn’t you be leaving for work?” Jett nodded his head slightly, but gave no sign of an intention to leave.  Annette impatiently looked down at Jett’s arms still wrapped around her waist, “Jett,” she started with annoyance, “Off.”

“Oh,” Jett started, tightening his grip a little, “you’re so obstinate. You’ve got to loosen up more, like Amber.”

“No,” Annette replied, “I’m not as easy as Amber, that in no way qualifies as being obstinate.”

“Ah,” Jett pressed himself fully against her, “Either way, you’re a challenge, and I always did like a good challenge.”

Annette’s patience gone, she mentally pushed Jett off, and-maybe with a little too much force- threw him at the wall, pinning him on his back.

Annette rose from her bed, and stood in front of him, “I don’t know what’s making you so brave this morning, but whatever it is, it’s going to be the death of you if you try anything like that again.”

Jett laughed, “Aw, you know you can’t stay mad at me, you love me too much Anne.” With that, Annette stormed out of the room, shortly after, the mental grip on Jett loosened and he fell to a crouch on the floor. He smirked to himself before exiting the room; he grabbed a white button front shirt and tie from a chair in the kitchen, and left the house while putting it on.

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Annette turned the key and killed the engine, but didn’t get out of the car. She laid her head back fully against the headrest and exhaled, another day at school. School, as boring as it could get, was still more appealing to her than being at headquarters, where she’d have to spend her afternoon training the new members. Sorting between the ones that would be field agents and the ones that would stay at headquarters; and of course, weeding out the ones that were a potential threat or were just plain useless to the Organization.

A light tap on her window made her jump slightly. She looked out, sighed, and then got out of her car.

“Good morning, Dante,” Annette said in a dull tone.  The man in front of her was rather tall, about as tall as Jett. He had hair just as black as Jett’s, but he had much more of it. His hair was tied back into a ponytail that extended a few inches past his shoulders. He had deep blue eyes that were set under two even black brows.

“DeMonte,” Dante replied to her greeting with a nod. Annette rolled her eyes; she hated how he addressed her by her last name.

Annette pressed the button on her key remote and locked her car, then started walking towards the entrance of her school, Raviertriu University. This was both Annette and Dante’s final year before graduating; their final chance to outdo one another. Ever since they first met at the University, they had been competing against the other. Both were science majors, both were competitive, and both wanted to be the best.

Annette smiled to herself slightly, she knew that she’d never be able to fully enjoy the fact that she was something that Dante could never be, but she enjoyed it all the same.  Dante was a good guy, they wanted to beat each other, but underneath all of that they were good friends. Their relationship was sort of like a mutual symbiotic one, they both benefited from having the other around. Annette walked up the steps to the door, Dante breezed past her and opened the door ahead, “After you,” he said with a slight nod.

Annette smirked when she saw Dante trying to hold in his own smirk, “Trying to have more manners now too?” she thought to herself. “Thanks,” she walked into the school, but then started into a run.  She’d just have to beat him to class, again. She felt Dante close behind when she was coming up to her first turn, she quickly grabbed the corner of the wall and held tight as she flew around the corner. She could see the door a few feet away, but Dante was also right next to her with his smirk full across his face. Apparently, trying to fit into the door at the same time wasn’t going to work, Dante and Annette sat in the doorway struggling.

“God Dante! You and your fat a*s!” Annette yelled. “I wouldn’t be talking thunder thighs!” Dante yelled back.

As soon as they got into the room, they started arguing who had gotten there first. The teacher finally spoke up, “You two sure act childish for being my two best students. Act your age already, and sit down!”

Annette and Dante sat at their lab station, and looked around; they were the only ones there.

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Annette sat on the stool, class had flown by again, she quickly finished up the last bit of the lab they had been assigned that day when her phone vibrated. “Hey, Cyrus.” she answered. “Yeah, I’ll be out in a second.” She closed her cell phone with a sigh, “Time to go train the newbies.” She collected her papers, and then walked to the door. She nearly ran into Dante at the doorway, “Where are you off to DeMonte?” Dante asked with a slightly arched brow. “I’ve got to go,” Annette replied with a smirk, “Unless you need help finishing the lab,” she said in a sort of taunt-like tone. Dante just replied with a roll of his eyes, a slight shake of his head, and a half smile. Annette brushed past him out the door and trekked back to her car.

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Dante’s cell phone vibrated just after she left, “Hello?” he answered, “Yeah, I’ll there in a minute.” A very faint blush appeared on Dante’s face as he returned the phone to his pocket, and walked back out to the parking lot.

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Annette leaned against her car impatiently, exhaled upwards to blow her bangs out of her face, then crossed her arms. “Where the hell’s Cyrus?” she whined to herself. She heard footsteps behind her, “Finally-“she started but as she turned and saw Dante, she shut up.

“What are you doing here?” Dante asked with a sort of impatience as well.

Annette scowled, “I’m meeting someone, now scurry off please.”

Dante walked up to lean on her car next to her, “Not a chance, I’m supposed to meet someone here as well.”

Annette felt her stomach flip, “No way,” she thought, “He’s meeting someone else, for sure, just a coincidence.” Suddenly, a boy with short, pale blonde hair appeared before them.

“Cyrus!” Annette screamed as she tackled him to the ground, “What do you think you’re doing?!”she whispered at him harshly, “Appearing in front of my classmate like that??”

The boy looked up at her with his powder blue eyes and his sheepish smile, “So you and Dante are classmates, Annette?”

“Da-Da-Dan” Annette stuttered, “How do you know Dante??” She felt an arm wrap around her waist, and she was lifted off of Cyrus. Dante then released her and then picked Cyrus up by the hand. “Cyrus,” he started in a soft tone, “Please tell me that this isn’t what I think it is.”

“Oh, Dante!” Cyrus started, “I swear I was going to tell you, but you and your competitive thoughts! I didn’t want to make you angry,” Cyrus pressed the tips of his pointer fingers together bashfully.

Annette’s brow twitched slightly, “Cyyyyruuss.” Cyrus jumped slightly, then rose up into the air, “You two have fun training the newbies together today!” then he disappeared into the air.

 

Annette turned to Dante, her brow still twitching. “You’re part of the Organization?!” Dante nodded with a slight smile, “Ah, you thought that you were the only one?” he said with a cocky tone, “Like I’ve said many a time before, you can’t beat me.”

Annette exhaled through her nose to calm herself. “So, just what are you?” Annette knew that there was no way he could outrank her, she was practically at the top of the Organization food chain; a smile grew on her face as the thought sank in.

Dante looked forward, then peered at her with a side glance, Annette knew that look, he was feeling very confident with his reply, “Please,” she mentally said, “Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say Sens-“

“Sensor.” Dante said nonchalantly.

Annette felt part of her crumble, out of all the things he could have been, he just had to be a Sensor.

“Wow,” Annette mumbled as she unlocked her car. “Well, I guess I’ll see you at Headquarters.” She shut her car door, and started her car. She watched Dante as he walked off to his car, obviously feeling victorious.

A small smile spread across her face, “This could work to my advantage, “she thought to herself, “He’s up on his high horse now, now I can really push him off.”

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 “Alright” Dante projected his voice out to the room, “Now that we’ve sorted everyone and weeded others out, we can start to explain things a little more.”

Annette sat in a chair a few feet off to the side from Dante, her right leg folded over her left one, and her arms crossed, a smirk on her face as she watched Dante. “He’s gotten so confident; he’s even decided to take the reins. Whatever, less work for me.”

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“Alec,” Jett spoke as he crouched to look the boy in the eye, “Be careful with the paint, we don’t want you to get it onto your clothes, then your mom would be really mad.” The little boy nodded, then continued with his painting.

Jett stood up with a sigh and a smile on his face, when he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. Jett sighed, “Three guesses who that is,” he thought to himself as he answered, “Hello. Yeah Cyrus, I’m at work right now, I ca-“Jett’s eyes widened slightly, “I’ll go get Annette.”

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Jett appeared in front of Annette’s classroom, he peered in, empty.

“Excuse me,” a short bald man appeared from behind his desk, “Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Annette DeMonte,” Jett said impatiently. The bald man pushed his glasses closer to his face with his finger, “Miss. DeMonte left about 30 minutes ago.”

“S**t.” Jett walked off quickly, then his figure dispersed into the air. The bald man stuck his head out of the door, and a brow arched when he saw the hallway empty, “Fast little fellow, he is.”

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“This Organization, Shade, has existed for many millennia, ever since humans came to be on this planet, we’ve been here in the shadows, protecting them and the world from the supernatural realm. You all are here because the Organization has shown interest in you and your talents, and you’ve obviously shown some interest in the Organization by just showing up here. And so….”

Annette began to zone out as Dante talked about the Organization. Her thoughts drifted to her first time here; the time she was introduced to Shade, its purpose, its mission.  Part of her felt bad for the people, because like her, they had no idea what they were really getting themselves into. She didn’t regret her choice to join the Organization, not one bit; she never really had another purpose in life before Shade, but still. Plenty of these people had a purpose, they had a family-they had so much more than Shade could ever offer them.

Annette came out of her trance when she saw everyone rise from their seats and form a line. Dante was screening them, looking for a Sensor. Annette watched as he took hold of each person’s hand, only a Sensor could truly tell whether another person was a Sensor, and only by physical contact through hands; through the hands, the power of multiple Sensors could flow.

Once a Sensor was found, they were instantaneously linked to all the other living Sensors. One didn’t really feel this happen, but when one Sensor needed the help of another Sensor, a sort of alarm went off in all Sensors. An instinct then guided the Sensor to the location of the Sensor in need of help.

So far, there were only four known Sensors that were alive in the world, including Dante. She sat up and walked over to him when the line had dwindled down to only a dozen or so people.

“You’re not going to find one, Dante.” Annette said, “You know there are only a handful of Sensors ever alive at one time.”

Dante smirked, “That doesn’t mean one in the handful can’t be here.”

Someone bumped into Annette from behind, causing her to fall forward towards Dante.

“Gaah!” Dante caught her, “Jeez Annette!” Annette lifted herself up, shook Dante’s hands off her arms, and turned around to yell at the idiot who’d made her trip.

“Excuse me,” Annette’s mind froze at the soft, almost velvet-like voice. A tall man, about her age, dark brown shaggy hair, and eyes that were a piercing silver color stood before her.

“Cute….” Annette mentally squealed.

“I’m so sorry,” the man had his arms up, palms front in a defensive but also apologetic position.

“It-it’s okay,” Annette stuttered.

“I haven’t even been given a job here and I’ve already started off on the wrong foot,” the man rubbed the back of his head with a grin, and then stuck his hand out. “I’m Vincent.”

Annette smiled contently, “Annette,” she placed her hand in his. A quick spark of dark purple light flashed in the center of their enclosed hands, and sent a small stinging sensation throughout Annette’s whole body. Both Annette and Vincent reflexively pulled their hands back.

“Woah,” started Vincent. Annette cringed a little, “Darn static electricity.” She looked over at Dante, and wrinkled her forehead at his expression of complete shock. She looked at his wide, confused blue orbs, “What?”

Dante recomposed himself and cleared his throat slightly, “You didn’t tell me you were a Sensor too, DeMonte.”

Annette gave a small smile, “Oh no, I guess I didn’t. Must have slipped my mind.” She stuck her tongue out a little at Dante, before turning back to Vincent. “Congratulations, you’ve just secured yourself a very important job here.”

She then turned back to Dante, “Go find one of the elders, tell them we’ve found them another Sensor.”

Dante chuckled, “Right, right, I can see you two are dying to be alone,” and with that he dispersed into the air.

“Woah,” said Vincent with a mixture of shock and awe in his expression and tone.

Annette scoffed, “That’s nothing special. Everyone here can do that, even you.”

“Really?” Vincent asked, “I think I would be the first to know if I had any idea how to disappear.”

Annette slightly rolled her eyes, “He didn’t disappear, he just…it’s like…” Annette wrinkled her forehead, searching for the right word, “It’s like teleportation.” That was the best way she could think to describe it, “It’s something you don’t really know how to explain, but you’ll understand once you do it yourself a couple times.”

Vincent began to look as giddy as a child, “What else can I do?”

Annette laughed, “Well, you can shadow sprint; that’s like when you can run so fast that you almost become like a shadow. It’s used more for long distance things since you can only teleport so far.” Her mind squealed with joy, he looked so cute with that anxious look on his face. “Plus, every person has their own ability that’s unique to them exclusively. I don’t know what your ability is though; we’ll probably figure that out for everyone later.”

“What can you do?” Vincent asked with an arched brow.

Annette thought for a moment, yes, this could work out to her advantage; she extended a hand to him. Vincent looked at her hand first, confused. Annette rolled her eyes with a smile, “I won’t bite, jeez.”

Vincent smirked, and took her hand. Annette closed her eyes to focus, and then gently lifted herself and Vincent into the air.

God, just like giving kid a candy, Annette nearly melted when she opened her eyes and saw his expression. “I think it’s safe to say my little trick blows Dante’s out of the water,” she laughed as she thought this.

She was so distracted that she didn’t hear that someone had appeared in the room, Jett stood on the ground with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Ahem.” Jett cleared his throat in annoyance.

Annette’s focus shattered from the surprise, and her mental levitation disappeared; in response, Vincent and her tumbled to the ground. He quickly pulled Annette to his chest, so as to cushion her fall. Vincent fell on his back with a thud, and Annette shrieked at the impact.

“I’m so sorry!!” Annette yelped embarrassed. She lifted her head to look down at him.

Vincent laughed before he lifted his head to look at her, “It’s fine, now we’re even.”

Annette blushed slightly, but then pulled her hand up to his face and brushed some of his brown hair away from his face.

Jett huffed, god was he pissed. He didn’t like the way Vincent was holding Annette and he most especially didn’t like that Annette was blushing, and he nearly exploded when he saw her touching his hair like a little flirt. Jett would be damned before he’d let him hold her for much longer.

Jett used his right arm and slid it between Annette’s and Vincent’s stomach and lifted Annette off of him. He pulled her close to his side, “I’ve been searching all hell for you, and you’re sitting here flirting with a newbie.” Annette could tell that Jett was trying to hide the anger in his voice, but she rolled her eyes nonetheless.

“You and Amber are practically screwing each other 24/7, so don’t you dare chastise me Jett!” Annette tried to push herself away from him, but his grip only tightened. Annette gave an angry sigh, “What do you want anyway?”

“Hey now,” Vincent stood up, “Let her go!”

Jett smirked, “You want to try and take me on newbie?” Jett didn’t wait for a reply, he waved his hand, and Vincent turned to solid stone.

Annette’s eyes widened. “Jesus Jett! Who shoved a stick up your a*s this morning?? That was completely uncalled for!”

Jett just smirked, “Hnf.”

“Undo it, now Jett,” Annette’s tone grew stern.

“What could you possibly see in a loser like him?” Jett asked.

Annette was fed up; she pressed her palm against Jett’s chest, and utilized her draining ability. Jett used his free hand to clasp her wrist and pulled her hand away from his chest, “You must like him a lot,” Jett said solemnly, “Especially since you’re brave enough to try and take my ability.” His lips pulled into a sly grin. Annette only glared at him, but snapped her fingers. Vincent became flesh once more.

Jett noticed this, and said, “You’re getting better at it.” Vincent took deep breaths, like he’d almost suffocated.

“What did you want Jett?” Annette spoke through clenched teeth.

 She didn’t know what had gotten into him lately. For the last couple months Jett had been acting like this, not that he wasn’t always a cocky a*****e, but Annette had been getting another one of her nagging feelings. This one told her that something was different about him; he was more nosey about her social life. He would always follow her when she went out by herself, whether it be to go shopping, or just to get out of the house-he didn’t know that she noticed this. Instead of calling her to ask where she was when he needed her, he’d trek out and find her himself. He was the tracker of their group, so it made sense, but still; whatever it was, it was really wearing Annette’s patience thin.

Jett’s grin left his face, and his expression became grave, “Amber’s been kidnapped.”

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Author's Note

<3 Comments, reviews, etc.