Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Nick opened his eyes to find himself standing in a dark corridor.

“I don’t want excuses Mason! I want results!”

Nick spun around to see two men walking towards him. “Excuse me, but where am I?” Nick asked. “I don’t…”

He stopped in mid-sentence. The men, though in a position to clearly see him, had not stopped or even acknowledged he was there. Instead, they continued to bare down on him. Nick closed his eyes and threw his arms up as they were about to run into him, but nothing happened. Nick turned to see them continuing to walk the same way, making no mention of Nick at all.

“What just happened?” Nick thought. “It’s like they just walked right through me.”

The two men continued to walk away, still in intense conversation. Nick decided to follow.

“I want the machine to be done on time. No delays.”

“Yes Professor Blackwell. But you see, it’s impossible without the files. We need that information.”

This exchange peeked Nick’s interest and he sped up to keep pace with them. They stopped at a door and entered, with Nick in hot pursuit.

The room was empty save for one desk in the dead center. It was piled high with files and documents, so much so that they had begun to fall over the sides. There was a computer monitor as well, which was opened to an array of spreadsheets. It was to his great disappointment when, before he could steal a glance at them, Blackwell shut it off. Blackwell proceeded to sit down at the desk with a heavy sigh.

“Is there any other way to complete the machine without the information?”

“No,” replied Mason apprehensively. “The information is too advanced to try to replicate in time.”

Blackwell cursed under his breath. “Fine then. I’ll have the team dispatched to reacquire the necessary files. They are currently out on assignment, but this will be top priority when they return.”

They stood in silence for a brief moment before Blackwell spoke again. “Any additional word as to what happened last night?”

“A bit,” Mason replied. “But we don’t know what to make of it. There was a street near the Pentagon that was practically destroyed during the altercation. The public story is a gas explosion, but we suspect CIA involvement.”

Mason extracted a picture from a leather briefcase he was carrying and handed it to Blackwell. Nick leaned in close to see it was a picture of the street he unwittingly destroyed.

Blackwell’s eyes widened as he examined the photo. “Impossible,” he muttered under his breath. He spoke so softly, Nick was barely able to hear him, even standing so close.

Blackwell set down the photo slowly. “It looks like James has found a new pet.”

Mason’s mouth fell open in shock. “You mean an Enhanced did that?!”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Blackwell responded, then chuckled. “This could make things interesting. The Enhanced that did this could be one of the most powerful in the world.”

“More powerful than you?” Mason asked, his mouth still hanging open.

Blackwell chuckled again. “Doubtful, but only time will tell. Our informant checked in yesterday and did not report any word of a new Enhanced in the program, so it is safe to assume they only discovered him last night. He will have no training, which will make him vulnerable.”

Blackwell stood up and walked to the back of the room, where a large window revealed a snowy environment. Large trees rose from the ground in all directions, dazzlingly encased in ice. Nick would think it was beautiful if Blackwell wasn’t blocking the view.

“Time is now more crucial than ever,” Blackwell said, his back turned to Mason. “The longer we wait, the stronger the Enhanced gets. We need to move…”

Blackwell trailed off. He stumbled to the ground and leaned in against the wall. His eyes were shut tight. 

“What is it sir?” Mason asked, running across the room to him.

Blackwell didn’t respond for a moment, but then his eyes flew open. “He’s here.”

Blackwell stood up and looked directly into Nick’s eyes. He pulled a gun from a holster at his waist and pointed it directly at him. He fired.

 

Nick awoke with a start, jumping up from his bed and falling to the floor. He groaned as he lay on the ground, clutching his bruised head.

“What just happened?!” He thought, what he just witnessed still fresh in his mind. “It had to have been a dream, but it seemed so real.”

He was breathing heavily. It was unlike any dream he had ever had before. Usually, he didn’t dream or didn’t remember them when he woke. But this dream was as fresh in his mind as if he was actually standing right there.

Nick turned his head, giving him a clear view of the area beneath his bed. In the back corner, he noticed a small shoebox covered in thick layers of dust. His curiosity got the better of him and he shimmied under the bed and grabbed the box. He sat himself up on his bed and opened the box.

Inside was a mess of papers and other assorted items. Nick began to root through the mess, looking for anything that may be interesting. Finally, he found a small folded up piece of paper buried beneath everything else. The creases were hard, suggesting it had been there for quite some time. Nick opened it up and began to read.

 

I’m sorry about Tom. He can get pretty overprotective of me at times, but I guess that’s why I love him. I had a little talk with him afterwards about letting me decide who I want to date, and I think I finally broke through to him. Of course, it does help that it’s you. If he walked in on me kissing Henry, Tom would have probably killed him on the spot.

I love you Nick. Never forget that.

Erica

 

Nick’s mind was reeling as he gingerly lay the note back in the box. The all too familiar feeling of thousands of unanswered questions flew through his mind. How long had this note been here? Who lived in this room before and why weren’t they there now? And above all, who was this other Nick Erica was professing her love for?

Nick heard voices outside his room and quickly shut the shoebox, shoving it under his bed just as his door opened.

“Oh you’re awake,” Henry said, peering inside. “I was just coming to wake you. It’s time for dinner.”

“Okay,” Nick responded. “Where are we eating?”

“We always eat dinner in the mess hall” Henry responded. “It’s like the facility’s cafeteria. The others already headed down. Come on.”

“One second,” Nick said, jumping to his feet. He quickly pulled out his bag and changed into one of his few fresh sets of clothes. He hesitated as gazed upon his nightstand, but finally decided upon bringing his sunglasses with him.

He exited the room and followed Henry out of their living area and down the hall.

As they walked, Nick’s dream once more worked its way to the front of his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. It had to be just a dream. There wasn’t any other possibility.

 

Erica hoped Tom would have calmed down enough to actually talk to her. What she should have hoped was he calmed down enough to even acknowledge her existence.

She was currently sitting with Tom, Lizzie, and Josh in the base’s cafeteria, enjoying the meal of the day, which just happened to be Mexican, her personal favorite.

Of course enjoying was a relative term. Tom had gotten himself food, but had yet to touch it. Even after her numerous attempts to get him to talk, he still was as cold as ever, not having said a word since leaving the room. All he did was stare off at the far wall bitterly, as if the force of his gaze alone would cause Nick to leave the team.

But it wouldn’t. Nick was officially part of the team. After he had stormed off, Erica had followed him and tried to talk him down, but he was as bitter as ever. She guessed that was understandable giving his history, but what surprised her was how she felt about it.

Sure, Tom had a rocky history with powerful Enhanced, but she did too, maybe even more so than him. So why didn’t she hate Nick? Well, she didn’t hate…him either, so she didn’t really have any reason to hate Nick.

“No!” she thought suddenly in her mind. “Don’t think about him. It will only cause you more pain.”

Suddenly, Erica noticed Tom tense behind her and she looked up. Nick and Henry had just entered the cafeteria and were making their way to pick up their own meals.

Erica could feel Tom’s heart begin to race as he followed Nick with his eyes. She didn’t need her powers to tell just how much he hated him.

Nick and Henry walked over and sat down at the table. Tom scoffed and jumped to his feet, walking a few feet away to another table to eat alone. Erica elected to stay. He needed some alone time.

“He really doesn’t like me, does he?” Nick muttered when Tom was out of earshot.

“Like I said before, trust issues,” Lizzie said, sighing deeply.

Erica remained silent, but she noticed Nick shooting occasional uncertain glances at her. She didn’t blame him. After all, their previous two encounters hadn’t been overly friendly.

“So,” Nick said suddenly, trying to start conversation. “What are your stories? How did you come to the CIA?”

Lizzie laughed. “You don’t want to know my story. It’s not exactly happy.”

“Try me,” Nick responded with a grin.

“Okay,” she said, smiling deviously. “When I was young, I was forced into an organized crime ring by my father, who was the boss. They forced me to use my powers for their own needs. Eventually, the Enhanced Division heard about me and busted the ring. They brought me here and I’ve been part of the program ever since.”

“Really?” Nick asked, trying hard to contain his disbelief. Erica knew how he felt. When she first heard Lizzie’s backstory, she found it hard to believe her too. How could someone so chipper have a past that terrible? Turns out it was all true. Erica still found it hard to believe.  

“Oh that’s nothing,” Henry said, piping up. “I ran away from home when I was twelve and became a career criminal. I made it my mission to bust into places with the most security and steal things right from under their noses. They could never figure out how it was done.”

“Well of course they couldn’t,” Josh responded. “Their security systems didn’t stand a chance against an Enhanced.”

“Anyway,” Henry said, continuing like he hadn’t heard Josh. “I was arrested once during a heist and thrown in jail. The Enhanced Division heard about me and offered me a spot on the team. Haven’t looked back at that life since.”

“Wow,” Nick responded. “Is it this common for Enhanced to have such terrible backstories? I mean, everyone has things they’d rather forget, but you guys have been to hell and back.”

Lizzie laughed. “It’s not so weird when you think about it,” She said. “Our brains work on a higher level than most people. We’re stronger, smarter, and overall, just better. It’s hard for us to fit in among normal society.”

“Well, except for Josh,” Henry said, snorting with laughter. “He’s probably the most normal Enhanced you’ll ever meet.”

“What do you mean?” Nick asked.

Josh sighed. “He means that I had a normal childhood and that my family actually knows I’m here. They’re very supportive of it actually. For some reason, Henry thinks this is funny.”

Henry continued to laugh, causing Josh to shoot him a murderous look. Henry responded by flinging a chip in Josh’s direction.

“Anyway,” said Lizzie, trying desperately to change the subject. “What about you? What’s your story? The only thing we know about you is your name. Do you have a tragic past?”

Nick stayed silent for a moment, a moment that no one caught but Erica. She could see the uneasy look on his face. He removed a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and slipped them on, hiding his eyes and the emotions they gave away.

“So you do have a tragic past,” Erica thought, her curiosity growing. She concentrated on his thoughts and her temples instantly began to pound, the beginnings of a brutal headache forming.

“That’s new,” she thought, massaging her prickling forehead.

“I ran away when I was about nineteen,” he began. “I’ve lived on the streets ever since, conning people out of their money. I’m kind of Washington’s best pickpocket.”

Henry let loose a loud laugh and clapped Nick on the back. “I knew I liked you for some reason!”

“What about that costume you were wearing when we first saw you? What was that about?” Lizzie piped in.

“That was my Dark Angel costume,” Nick responded, only hesitating slightly.

“Dark Angel?” Josh said, looking up from his taco, suddenly curious.

“Yeah. I’m kind of known on the streets as a superhero.”

“Really?” Lizzie said. “That’s so cool! The program isn’t much different for you then.”

“Yeah,” Nick responded, but Erica could see the uneasiness behind it. If she had to guess, she would say he was holding something back. She filed the information away for later.

“By the way,” Nick said suddenly. “Did someone live in my room before me?”

Erica stopped eating. Henry, Lizzie, and Josh exchanged nervous glances with each other and stole the occasional look in her direction. The question caught all of them completely off guard, partly because of how sudden it was, but also because of how nonchalantly Nick said it.

Erica stared straight ahead, the color slowly draining from her face. It was one thing for her to almost think of his name. It was a completely different thing for someone else to ask.

“Someone did,” Nick said. It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Erica knew their reaction was as good as a confirmation to him. “Who?”

Josh was the first to speak up, glancing at Erica before he did. “Listen Nick, we’ll tell you about it later. It’s a long story, but for now, who wants to go watch a movie?”

Henry and Lizzie were quick to agree and left the table with Josh in a rush.

Nick took one last look at Erica and stood up to follow the threesome out. Erica sat at the table alone, her mind reeling.

Nick was only curious. It was perfectly natural since this was all new to him, but why was he curious about…him.

“Why can’t you just get over it!” she cried in her mind. “I’m sure he has.”

But she wasn’t over it, and she doubted she ever would.

 

Living on the streets means you have to give up many luxuries most people take for granted. One of those luxuries is staying up on pop culture. As Nick examined the rack of movies present in the common room, he couldn’t help himself from wanting to watch them all. He finally settled on the newest Star Wars film.

“I didn’t even though they made another one,” Nick said, laying down on a couch and getting comfortable.

“Were you living under a rock for the past year?” Lizzie asked sarcastically.

About midway through the movie, Tom and Erica entered. Tom took one look at Nick and stormed off to his room, slamming the door behind him. Erica looked at Tom’s door, an annoyed look on her face, but didn’t follow. Instead, she sat down on the couch and began to watch the movie with them.

The movie ended an hour later. Henry jumped up from his seat and yawned loudly.

“Well goodnight everyone. It was nice to meet you Nick.”

“Likewise,” Nick responded, waving goodnight as Henry disappeared into his room.

Josh and Lizzie followed suit. They hugged each other goodnight and entered their respective bedrooms. Now, only Nick and Erica remained. They sat in silence for many awkward moments before Nick spoke.

“So,” Nick said finally, cutting across the awkward silence. “Is everyone in the CIA cute or is it just you?” Nick put on his most charming smile, hoping it would work on Erica. Alas, she seemed to be the one woman he had met who was immune.

Instead of responding, she stared at him, as if she was reading a book. Nick would usually enjoy being examined by a hot girl, but the way Erica was looking at him was different. It was almost as if she was looking at more than just his body.

“Interesting,” she finally said. “I can’t seem to read you.”

“What are you talking about?” Nick asked, genuinely confused.

“I guess you wouldn’t know. I can try to explain it the best I can,” she said, a frustrated look on her face. “An Enhanced doesn’t just move things with their mind. Some Enhanced, in addition to their control over the real world, can have some control over the mind, like reading thoughts and emotions. While Tom and the rest of the team have focused on developing their powers for combat, I alone have focused on my mind powers. I think they’re a little more elegant, don’t you?”

“Wow,” Nick said, shocked. “So you can read minds then?” He smiled slyly. “Like what you see?”

Erica’s frowned and her face fell. “Kind of. I can’t read minds like a book, but I get feelings. I can tell how you’re feeling or if something is really bothering you. It is especially useful in interrogations, since it is pretty easy for me to tell the truth from a lie.”

“So why can’t you read me?” Nick said, suddenly feeling slightly violated for having his emotions read without his consent. Seriously, shouldn’t there be a form he had to sign or something?

“Your emotions are everywhere,” she said. “It’s like you don’t know what to feel about everything that is going on. Past that, I don’t know.” She trailed off, gazing off towards the far wall, appearing in deep thought.

“I guess you would be with the rest of them, huh?” she said finally. “Brute force over the mind. I can’t say I blame you. What I do isn’t for everyone.”

“Look,” Nick said, abandoning his cocky exterior. He had to say what had been nagging on him since he met her. “I’m sorry about what happened.”

Erica snorted. “Sorry for what? Attacking me or attacking my brother?”

Nick sighed. “In my defense, he came closer to killing me than I did to him.” Erica shot him a glaring look, which Nick found both intimidating and alluring. “But I’m sorry anyway.”

Erica sighed also, then turned to look at Nick and their eyes locked. Nick’s blue met Erica’s dazzling green. Erica blushed and turned away.

“He’s scared of you, you know?” Erica said suddenly. “Tom hasn’t had many good experiences with powerful Enhanced.”

“Scared of me?” Nick asked, his throat dry. “I doubt a little kid would be sacred of me, let alone Tom.”

Nick heard what appeared to be a small laugh escape Erica’s mouth, but a second later, her face was back to its stony exterior, making Nick wonder if he had heard it in the first place.

“Erica, I have a question,” Nick said, finally building up the courage to ask what was on his mind. “Who lived in my room before me?”

With that statement, the color drained from Erica’s face. She turned away from Nick, hiding her face from his view. “I should be getting to bed. Goodnight Nick.” She stood and began to walk towards her room, but Nick was through playing games.

“Why can’t anyone just give me a straight answer?!” he cried, jumping to his feet. “Who lived in that room and why does no one want to talk about him? If we’re all going to work together, I think I deserve to know.”

Erica paused with her hand on her door. She turned back to Nick, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

“His name was Nicholas. Nicholas Blackwell.”

With that, she entered her room, leaving Nick standing by himself, his mind reeling.