Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Nick was so focused on his thoughts, he didn’t even notice the plane descending until it touched down with the runway. They exited quickly, Nick making sure he kept his distance from Tom. Nick followed them as they left the hanger and entered the control room Minus had shown him earlier. Minus was standing at a desk in the center, a frown etched on his face, engaged in heavy conversation with a woman dressed in a short cut dress.

Tom approached and stood by, waiting for them to finish. Upon seeing him, Minus’ face relaxed and he shooed the woman away. “Tom! I trust everything went well.”

“As well as it could,” Tom replied, sneaking a sideways glance at Nick. “But I was hoping I could talk to you alone for a moment.”

“Whatever you need!” Minus cried, clapping him on the back and leading him away from the rest of the team.

The woman Minus had been talking to stood a few feet away from them, frowning. She clutched a stack of papers in her hand, which Nick stole a look at while she was busy glaring after Minus. The title of the top paper instantly caught his full attention: Pentagon Incident Report.

Nick was growing steadily excited, but he urged himself to remain calm. A plan slowly began to take root in his mind and he smiled.

He walked up to the woman, plastering his most charming smile to his face. If there was one thing Nick was good at, it was being smooth when it mattered most. “What’s your name?” he asked casually.

“Sarah,” the woman replied, smiling slightly.

“Well Sarah,” Nick began. “I couldn’t help but see Minus completely blew you off back there. Are you okay?”

A surprised look appeared on her face, but it was immediately replaced by a smile. “Yeah, I’m okay. Thanks for asking.”

“No problem at all. You just looked a little upset and I was a bit worried. I just couldn’t imagine Minus blowing off an attractive woman such as yourself.”

Sarah giggled with glee. “Thanks,” she finally managed to stammer. “What’s your name?”

Nick slammed his hand into his head, feigning surprise. “How rude of me! I didn’t even tell you my name.” He extended a hand towards Sarah. “Nick Bennet, at your service.”

Sarah took his hand and broke into giggles once more. Nick seized the opportunity and concentrated on the files, briefly causing them to shift in her hands. With one hand firmly held in Nick’s, the pile didn’t stand a chance. It fell from her grip and crashed to the ground, scattering everywhere.

“Oh I’m so sorry!” Nick cried out, falling to the ground with Sarah to begin picking up the fallen documents. “You wouldn’t have dropped them if it wasn’t for me.”

He searched desperately on the ground for the page that had caught his eye. “Where are you?!” Nick cried in his mind. Finally, he found it. Waiting until Sarah’s back was turned, he looked around and shoved it in his pocket. He continued to pick up the fallen papers, but now with a broad grin on his face.

“I’m so sorry Sarah,” he said a minute later, handing the stack over to her.

“It’s okay,” she said, smiling. “Everyone makes mistakes. It was nice to meet you.” She took one last look at Minus, who was still talking with Tom, and walked away.

As she strode out of sight, Nick couldn’t help feeling a little guilty. “Stop it!” he chided himself. “You are a pickpocket. It’s what you do for a living.”

“Used to do,” said a voice in the back of his head. “You don’t have to be that man anymore.”

Nick frowned as the two voices argued back and forth. Suddenly, a third joined them, saying something that made Nick freeze in place.

“After everything you’ve done, you used your powers to steal.”

If Nick could feel any lower, he did. Terrible memories washed over him as the one comment ate away at his mind. He had promised himself he would try his best never to use his powers, but here he was, using them for his own personal gain. He probably would have dragged himself down even lower if Minus’ raised voice didn’t snap him out of his thoughts.

“No Tom! My decision is final! End of discussion.”

Minus turned back towards the team, quickly quieting his anger and replacing it by his usual happy self. Nick, however, wouldn’t soon forget the anger that boiled behind his eyes a moment before. There was obviously more to Minus than met the eye.

Tom stalked back over to them. “Come on,” he said, in a cold voice. They walked out of the room together and proceeded back to their room. They entered and collapsed on the couches, finally relaxing after the battle.

Henry sighed. “Nothing like relaxing after a successful day of catching criminals.”

“There’s no time to relax,” Tom said, who had refused to sit down and instead was standing against the wall. “Dark Angel here needs to be trained. Who volunteers first?”

No one spoke up, which made Nick’s ego fall even more. Thankfully, Lizzie, being the ever caring person she was, saved him from even more humiliation.

“I’ll do it. Come on Nick. We’ll train in the gym.” Nick silently thanked her with his gaze and followed her out of the room.

 

Erica watched them leave and was wondering slightly how Nick would do. If him first mission was anything to go on, it would be a disaster.

Tom seemed to share the same thought. “I have to see this train wreck.” He smiled an evil grin and left the room.

“So,” Henry said, speaking up. “What do you guys think about him?”

“I like him,” Josh said. “He’s nice. Unlike some people on this team…”

“Hey!” Henry said, causing Josh to laugh. “What about you Erica. Do you like him?”

“I don’t know,” she responded hesitantly. “He certainly has a…unique personality, doesn’t he?”

Henry chuckled. “I love that about him. This team needed some good quality humor. You guys are just sticks in the mud.”

“I’m funny!” Josh said. “Lizzie always laughs at my jokes.”

“Two words Joshua,” Henry said, holding up two fingers. “Pity laugh.”

Erica tried desperately to tune the pair out as they went back to bickering. Anyone who knew them would tell you they really are the best of friends, but on the outside, it looked like they hated each other’s guts.

The conversation was still fresh in her mind. Henry and Josh seemed to like Nick, so why was she so unsure. She had defended him, didn’t she? So why was she so unsure if she liked him?

Erica sighed. She needed a professional opinion. And for that, there was only one person she could turn too.

 

A minute later, Nick and Lizzie entered a large gym. Nick looked around, taking in every inch. What he had pictured when Lizzie said “gym” couldn’t have been further off from the truth. 

The gym looked like it could entertain Nick for days. There was the standard basketball court in the center, but it was lined with exercise equipment and training implements that Nick was sure were specially designed for Enhanced use. In addition to that, there was a second set of basketball hoops about forty feet above the ones on the ground. Nick could only imagine what those were for. This was only the stuff Nick could process. He was pretty sure it would take him much longer to discover all the gym had to offer.

“Okay Nick,” she said, clapping her hands together. “Are you ready for your first day of training?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Nick replied in a small voice. He had just enough time walking over here to start freaking out on the inside. He had always tried his best to suppress his powers. Now that he was expected to make them stronger, he didn’t know if he was up for it.

“Don’t worry!” she said, grinning. “I’ve seen what you can do. You already have the power in you. All you need to do now is learn how to bring it out.”

“Okay…How?”

Lizzie smiled. “I’ll show you.” She walked over to a room a short distance away and emerged with a large crate of baseballs.

“Okay,” she began. “This is a basic exercise we like to do to help our reflexes. I’m going to throw the baseballs at you and you’re going to stop them before they hit you. Got it?”

“Wait…Stop them?” Nick said, growing more apprehensive by the minute. “Can’t I just send them swerving around me?”

“That’s not the point of the exercise,” Lizzie responded. “The point is to react in enough time to bring the ball to a full stop before it hits you. Ready?”

Nick’s heart was beginning to beat faster, but he nodded. Lizzie raised her hand above the crate of baseballs and one rose from the pile and hovered in front of her. Suddenly, it shot off at incredible speed, flying straight towards Nick.

Nick didn’t have time to think, let alone concentrate enough to stop the baseball. He squeezed his eyes tight, waiting for the inevitable pain to follow, but it never came. He slowly opened his eyes to see the baseball had stopped just before his chest. Joy started coursing through him, but once again, it was short lived.

“That was me,” Lizzie said, a sheepish grin on her face. “I didn’t want to hurt you. Do you want to try again?”

Nick frowned. First, he had to be saved from falling out of the plane. Now, Lizzie had to stop a baseball for him. Was there anything he would be able to do himself without help?

After a brief moment, Nick nodded. Lizzie held out her hand again, sending the baseball zooming from the crate towards Nick.

He was slightly better prepared this time, but not by much. He was able to concentrate on the ball, but it didn’t stop until Lizzie brought it to a halt mere inches from his chest.

“Not bad,” she said, trying to remain positive. “I was pretty sure it was slowing down a bit. Ready for another one?”

Nick was skeptical, but nodded. Before Lizzie had a chance to throw the ball, however, she was stopped by Tom, who had just entered the gym.

“Lizzie, wait.” He walked up to her side and grabbed a ball from the crate. “You can head back to the room. I can train Dark Angel now.”

An uneasy look spread across Lizzie’s face. “It’s alright Tom. I can do this. It really is no…”

“I can handle it,” Tom said, cutting across Lizzie. She frowned, but didn’t speak up. She stalked out of the gym, throwing one more supportive look at Nick before disappearing from sight.

“You needed more help than I thought,” Tom said, tossing the ball to himself. “Lizzie is nice, but she lacks the discipline you need.”

Suddenly, the ball zoomed from Tom’s hand and slammed into Nick’s chest, sending him stumbling backwards in both surprise and pain.

“You have to be prepared,” Tom said, grabbing another ball. “You must always be on your toes. You never know when someone might creep up from behind.”

Nick clambered to his feet, but didn’t stay there long. The first ball that had fallen behind him left the ground and crashed into his back, sending him sprawling forward onto the ground.

Tom smiled, like he was enjoying this. “Come on Dark Angel. It’s like you’re not even trying at all. I thought you were supposed to be powerful.”

Tom threw his hand out towards the crate and baseballs flew into the air, hovering ominously above him. They proceeded to come at Nick, one by one. He was able to dodge the first, and the second, but they soon grew too fast for him to keep up. He fell to the ground in a fetal position as they pelted into him.

“Enough!” Nick roared, causing Tom to stop. He jumped back to his feet, a look of pure rage in his eyes. “This isn’t helping at all!”

Tom smiled again, but there was no humor behind it. “Oh? You think you don’t need training?”

“I don’t need you to be the one doing it!” Nick shot back.

Tom’s face suddenly lost its grin and turned dark. “You think you’re powerful deflecting bullets or moving a stupid chain? That’s nothing. Let me give you a glimpse of what real power is like.”

Tom thrust his hand out towards a water fountain in the far corner. Without warning, it erupted, a column of water shooting upwards into the air. The column turned and sped towards the pair, surrounding them until they were both surrounded in a spinning vortex of water.

“This is real power!” Tom cried above the torrent. Suddenly, he thrust his hand at Nick and the vortex crashed in around him, enveloping him in the raging cyclone.

Fear gripped Nick like a vice and didn’t let go. Tom truly despised Nick and there was no telling how far he would take his hatred. A cold wave of panic descended upon him, coupled with his intense rage. His mind began to grow blank as his rage fueled his power.

“No!” he thought, trying desperately to subdue the power swelling within him. “Control it!”

But Nick was fighting a losing battle. His chest began to ache from lack of oxygen, sending a cold wave of fear down his spine, fueling his strength. The water began to twist and contort around him as power flew through Nick’s body. Any second, it would escape.

Suddenly, the water relaxed and fell to the ground, dissipating on the gym floor. Nick doubled over and gasped for breath as the water receded. His mind strained from concentration as he tried with all his might to quiet the power raging within him. Gradually it began to lessen as his mind calmed.

He looked up to see Tom smiling cruelly at him sputtering on the ground. “Like I said, real power.”

The comment broke Nick’s concentration for a fraction of a second, but it was more than enough. Tom left the ground and went flying across the room and slammed into the wall. The speed of his assent was so great, he had no time to react. He fell from the wall and just had time to cushion his fall and prevent serious injury.

Nick was shocked at first, but it was quickly replaced by anger once again as Tom looked up to glare at him murderously. Nick wasn’t about to wait around for a response. He turned and ran from the gym, not bothering to look back.