Chapter Nineteen

Hero's Call: Chapter Nineteen

Once the sun managed to rise it burned brightly, washing Buckland in a warming light that was just a touch warmer than the town’s residents were used to for that time of year. Milo wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. No one really wanted to be outside in the cold late autumn/early winter air to do anything, let alone train for being a Hero. On the other hand, no one really wanted to be exerting themselves in the warm sun either. Milo supposed they couldn’t ask for better Hero training weather, if there was such a thing as good Hero training weather.

Milo’s mother had taken Milo, Bill, Cali, and Captain Amazing out for an early lunch before they were to meet Acolyte Seven at Wilson’s Meadow on the outskirts of town. Bill was only allowed to join them for lunch and their training session because they all knew they wouldn’t be able to keep him from tagging along. Milo worried that it would only work to make Bill a little jealous, but he was also somewhat glad to have his old friend by his side through everything. Besides, there was always the chance that Bill would activate sometime soon anyway, so him being able to sit in on Seven’s training sessions even when he didn’t have powers was only going to benefit him in the long run.

They had all eaten lunch in relative silence. Milo knew it should have been a happy, even exciting, occasion but there was a foul air between them. He didn’t know what it was, but he could tell they all felt it. Cali had retreated inside herself since the previous night when she had accidentally revealed her powers to Milo and Bill in a fit of annoyance. Her brooding mood had rubbed off on her friends. Captain Amazing didn’t speak much either because he was focusing both on his rather delicious cheeseburger and Milo’s lack of true Power. Milo had no idea of the latter of course. It would have only served to make him more self-conscious. Brooke didn’t speak much, but that was nothing new. She didn’t often contribute to a conversation when in a group.

When they arrived at Wilson’s Meadow after an uncomfortable lunch, Acolyte was standing in the middle of the field completely immobile. There was a large pyramid of hale bales behind him, and several of the bales had been stacked end on end in a row off to one side. The curious group piled out of the silver mini-van, their silence still in effect, but the apprehension was growing. Milo had never seen a hay bale look so menacing.

What’s the worst that could happen? He thought to himself. The image of Devon Macledowny sailing through the front of the Culpepper house swam into mind. Milo shuddered at what he was capable of.

Captain Amazing led the way into the field and up to where Seven was standing. The rest of the group trailed behind him, straggling on purpose.

“Welcome, everyone,” Acolyte Seven said to the group once they had gathered in front of him. He looked to Cali and Bill. “I see we have some additional company that I was not expecting.” He tilted his head curiously at Cali who did not meet his gaze. “And it appears one of them has also activated. Before Milo, too, if I’m not mistaken.”

They all turned to Cali in astonishment. She hadn’t said anything to any of them. She probably wouldn’t have if she hadn’t lost her temper and lifted off the ground. Why would she keep it to herself, Milo wondered. It was amazing, or, at least it was supposed to be. Milo didn’t feel the least bit jealous that he wasn’t the first to activate. He was too consumed with worry for his friend. She was wrestling with something, and he felt helpless. The feeling was awful.

“Your name, ma’am?” asked Seven, stepping over directly in front of Cali.

“Calliope,” she answered him, keeping her eyes averted. “Calliope Bishop.”

“Bishop,” Seven repeated. His voice trailed off into a tense silence. Cali finally looked up and met the jet black eyes of the An’Fari Acolyte in front of her. A long moment passed where no one made a sound. Even the world around them seemed to go silent as the rest of the group watched the silent exchange of a young girl and an extra-terrestrial.

“It will be my honor to train you as well, Ms. Bishop,” Seven said finally. “If, that is, you wish to be trained.”

Cali nodded curtly.

“Very well,” replied Seven with a look of satisfaction on his face. He stepped back toward the row of stacked hay bales and addressed the group. “My aim today is to get a better idea of what powers you possess, both of you. Milo, I have already spoken briefly with your great-grandfather regarding his conclusion of your abilities.” Milo wondered when that exchange took place since Captain Amazing hadn’t left his sight since that morning, but decided not to ask. “I am certain that his diagnosis is apt, but we will perform another set of tests to be certain. As for yourself, Ms. Bishop, I am quite curious to see what you can do.”

“Aren’t we all,” Bill muttered under his breath. Cali shot him an icy glare which shut him up quickly.

Seven ignored the remark. “Shall we begin?”

The gamut of tests Seven put them through was quite similar to the one that Captain Amazing had put Milo through on his own. Milo’s results were almost exactly the same as they were the first time around. It was Cali’s results that were shocking. Both Bill and Milo had seen her float the night before without even trying, so it came as no surprise when she lifted several feet into the air during the flight ability test. She beat Milo in a foot race around the meadow by forty-three seconds, so she was incredibly fast, though, as Seven reported, she didn’t not quite have super speed. They were tasked with stacking hay bales on their backs to see how heavy a load they could bear. Milo took on six before collapsing under the weight. Cali’s stack was eighteen high before Seven stopped, determining her to, indeed, have super strength. It didn’t take long for Milo to realize that his friend, his female friend, was vastly more powerful than him. Cali had clearly come to the same realization and it only seemed to trouble her more. Milo thought it was possible that she had already known, and was hoping not to be right.

Maybe that’s why she’s upset, he thought. But why would being the most powerful person on earth upset someone?

“We will explore the extent of Ms. Bishop’s abilities later,” Seven announced after nearly an hour of testing. “For now, Milo, I’d like to focus on your power.” Milo didn’t miss the singular use of the word. Power. “Step over here please.”

Milo stepped to where Seven had indicated, facing one of the end on end hay bale stacks. Seven stepped up next to him.

“You can feel your power, can you not, Milo?” the An’Fari asked him. “Deep down inside you, it’s brewing, waiting to get out, yes?”

Milo nodded. He’d felt it since the first night it manifested himself. He was constantly struggling to keep it in check so he could protect the people around him. It felt like a lump of cement in his stomach. It was a terrible weight on him, one that constantly begged to be free, to come streaming out of his eyes in emerald light. A monstrous, concussive force of destruction.

“I want you to concentrate on the hay bale in front of you,” instructed Seven, “and release it.”

Milo looked at the An’Fari uncertainly.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked nervously.

Acolyte Seven simply nodded.

“Okay,” Milo sighed. He stared head on at the hay bale in front of him. Focusing his mind on the cement feeling in his gut, Milo felt the power bubbling inside him. He felt like a boiling teapot. When the brew was coming to a boil, Milo braced himself for the resulting steam whistle. Brilliant emerald light erupted from his eyes and made solid contact with the hay bale. There was an explosion of dust and loose hay left behind as the bale went sailing across the meadow and into the woods beyond. Behind Milo, Captain Amazing and Bill whooped with glee. Even Milo’s mother clapped in excitement like a soccer mom watching her son score his first goal.

“Very good,” Seven said when the emerald beam had finally disappeared. “Do it again. This time I want you to concentrate harder. Focus on containing the blast, keeping it under your control. It’s your power. You are not under its control. It is under yours. Focus and fire a short burst at another bale. No more than three seconds. Understood?”

Milo nodded. He bent his entire will to the power inside him. The boiling teapot feeling returned in full force, but it was different this time. The force was bubbling wildly, but it was under control. A weak control, yes, but control nonetheless. With a great effort, Milo released the beam on his own will. The emerald blast smashed into the next hale bale and sent it skittering across the field. Milo forced his eyelids closed to stop the blast.

“Five seconds,” announced Seven flatly. “Keep practicing. You will get there.”

Seven left Milo’s side and left him alone in front of the group. It was a clear challenge. It wouldn’t stop until Milo got his power under control. For fifteen minutes, Milo struggled to control his optic blasts. Each time a hale bale went sailing into the distance one of the other members of the group would replace it so he could try again. The effort was exhausting, but exhilarating. Each time Milo fired a blast from his eyes, he felt himself get the tiniest bit more control over the ability. With each blast, the cement in his gut got lighter. Gaining control would relieve Milo of his fears of hurting the one he loved. He had to do everything he could. Once again, Devon Macledowny’s image came to mind. It was all the motivation he needed. A emerald blast shot from his eyes, hit a hale bale, and cut off.

“Three seconds,” reported Seven. “Very good.”

The others cheered again, but Milo suspected it was more in relief that they could stop watching him than for his success.

“There is one last thing before we convene for the day,” Seven said. He stepped out in front of Milo and turned to face him. “To me, please, Ms. Bishop.”

Milo’s heart jumped into his throat as his stomach sank. What was going on?

Cali walked to where Seven was standing and allowed the An’Fari to put her in position like she was another hay bale. Seven stepped away from Cali to a safe distance and looked to Milo.

“Three seconds, Milo,” he said evenly.

“What?” Milo roared incredulously. “I’m not going to shoot Cali. What is that going to prove I can do?”

Seven stared at him blankly. “Nothing. This test is not for you, Milo.”

Milo turned his gaze to Cali who looked back at him terrified. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. Cali was stronger than him, sure, but he remember what Captain Amazing had said about Bill breaking logs over him. They both had active Hero Genes. He could put Cali in the hospital right next to Devon. Milo turned back to Seven and opened his mouth to speak, but Cali cut him off.

“Do it, Milo,” she ordered him. Her expression had changed from fear to resolve. She really wanted him to blast her.

“Cali, I can’t �"”

“I said, shoot me, Milo Radcliff,” Calliope reiterated. “Now.”

He’d seen the look on Cali’s face before. It wasn’t a look he ever had the courage to argue with. Milo set his feet and squared off with one of his best friends. Cali pushed back he shoulders to broaden her chest and give Milo a better target. With a concerted effort, Milo released a short burst of emerald light from his eyes and watched in horror as it made solid contact with Cali’s chest. She was lifted off her feet and thrown backwards at an alarming pace. Her weight kept her from flying as far as one of the hay bales, but not by much. Cali came crashing to the ground, dirt and grass flying up in her wake. She skipped three times across the grass and made direct contact with a tree, which broken in half and toppled to the ground.

“No,” Milo gasped and tore across the field after his friend.

He arrived long before the others. Cali pushed the tree off of her like it was a blanket and pulled herself to her feet. She brushed the dirt and grass from her clothes and walked confidently back toward Milo. He hair had loosened from its ponytail and there was a massive tear in the left leg of her jeans, but other than that, she looked completely unharmed.

“I’m fine, Milo,” she told him at seeing the look of horror on Milo’s face.

“Are you sure?” he sputtered. “God, I’m so sorry. You told me to.”

Cali wouldn’t meet his eyes and her mood seemed to darken. “I said forget it,” she snapped. “I said I was �"”

“Fine,” finished Seven. “You are much more than fine, Ms. Bishop.”

“What do you mean?” Bill asked, just catching up.

Acolyte Seven turned to face the group as a whole.

“Ms. Bishop is fine,” he announced, “because she is indestructible.”

 

Later that night, Milo lay in his room taking some time to decompress after a long day that was just as mentally taxing as it was physically. He’d had four helpings at dinner which his mother had made sure to make extra of just for him. After dinner he’d eaten, he took a shower to wash the day’s events away. He hadn’t sweat much, but he felt dirty all the same. Cali had survived unscathed from his blast, but the memory of it still ate at his conscience. He resented Seven for putting him through it, but at the same time, he understood exactly what the An’Fari was trying to do. That didn’t make it all right. There had to have been a different way.

Milo put on some music and flopped onto his bed in his boxers to relax a little before turning out the lights. He put his hands behind his head and looked up at one of the posters of Britney Spears on his wall. Her soft southern smile had always eased his mind somehow, as if she was saying everything is okay when you’re with me, Milo. He couldn’t help but notice how the cement feeling in his stomach had lessened considerably. It now felt like he’d simply gone to an all-you-can-eat buffet and had eaten far, far too much. It was a welcome change. He still feared of hurting someone again like he’d done to Devon, but not as much now that he knew he was getting control of the power.

Milo could feel his eyelids getting heavy, forcing themselves down to induce the sweet blissful peace of sleep. Before he could fall completely asleep, a knock came at his door, and Milo sat bolt upright in surprise. He rolled off his bed and walked to the bedroom door. His sleepy state had made him forget about the fact that he was only in his boxers. He swung open the door to find no one standing in the hallway. Perplexed, Milo stuck his head out the door and looked up and down the hall. The house was quiet other than the faint din of the television downstairs. No one was insight.

Another knock came which nearly made Milo jump out of his skin. He whirled around to see Cali outside his bedroom window. She blushed and waved innocently at him. Milo walked to the window and lifted it open.

“Uh, hey Cali,” he said dumbly. The fact that his room was on the second floor hadn’t occurred to him until he looked down to see Cali standing on thin air. “Didn’t feel like using the front door?”

“I’m not supposed to be out,” she answered in a whisper.

“Well, well,” said Milo, smiling. “Calliope Bishop breaking the rules. Never thought I’d live to see the day. Everything okay?”

Cali averted her eyes. “I need to talk to you. Do you have a sec?”

“For you, Cali,” Milo told her, “I’ve got two.”

Cali gave him a bemused look. “Put something on, I’m coming inside.”

Milo looked down and suddenly became very aware that he was in nothing but boxer shorts. He stepped away from the window to let Cali inside and found a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt that didn’t smell too bad and slid them both on. He sat down in the computer chair next to his bed and Cali sat down on his bed in front of him. There was a troubled look on her face, enough to let Milo know that she was finally going to spill the beans on what had been bothering her recently. He just hoped that he could handle it properly. He wasn’t the best at saying the right thing at the right time. The words always just seemed to get jammed up in his throat and refuse to come out.

“What’s up, C?” he asked once they were both settled. He tried his best to use a tone that sounded like he was ready to listen but would also remind her that they were friends over anything.

Cali stewed for a moment, clearly trying to find the right words. “I just…” she began, but stopped. Milo’s heart went out to his friend. He’d never seen her trip up so much on what to say or how to say it. She was eloquent at the best of times and succinct at the worst. He’d never known her to fail to find the right thing to say. “I don’t know, Milo.”

Milo smiled in spite of himself. “Cali, it’s me. Just say it.”

There was another long moment of silence.

“I’m scared,” she said finally, and looked very interested in one of her fingernails.

It was so simple. Just fear. That was something Milo could definitely understand. Hadn’t thought much about it, but he knew he was a little scared as well, or a lot of things. It would be foolish not to be scared. They were just teenagers. Now they were going to being fighting criminals, maybe even Villains. Their lives would be on the line. If Cali wasn’t scared, Milo would have thought she was completely insane. Still, it was a problem he could identify with, and that would make it that much easier to help resolve.

“You and me both,” Milo admitted nonchalantly. “Who wouldn’t be?”

Cali shook her head.

“You don’t get it, Milo,” she insisted. “I mean, yeah, I’m scared of all the same stuff you are, I’m sure. But for me, there’s something…else. You wouldn’t understand. I shouldn’t have come here. My parents are going to kill me if the find out.”

She stood up from the bed and walked to the still open window. Milo hopped up and grabbed her arm gently just above the elbow.

“Wait, Cali,” he pleaded. “How can I not understand if you don’t tell me what’s going on? Just try me.”

Cali stayed where she was. Her eyes darted around furtively, a sign of her internal struggle. “Fine,” she conceded. She walked back to the bed and sat down. This time Milo sat next to her. He hoped his proximity would let her know that he was really there for her, that he was ready to listen.

“You and Bill have both asked me about my ancestors,” she began. “You’ve always wanted to know what Heroes were in my family tree.”

Milo nodded. “And you’ve never told us.” The conversation was taking a very unexpected turn.

“That’s because I don’t have any Heroes in my family tree,” she admitted without looking at Milo.

“So you’re the first one in your family with an active Hero Gene,” Milo reasoned. “So what?”

Cali stood up and stepped over to the computer desk. She kept her back to Milo.

“But I’m not the first, Milo,” said Cali sullenly. Milo wasn’t sure if he heard it right, but he could have sworn that her voice broke just a little, a mild little tremor in an otherwise confident façade.

“If you’re not the first, then…” his voice trailed off as the pieces clicked into place. “Villains.” It came out as a whisper.

The admission seemed to break Cali down completely. She turned around to face Milo. Tears were streaming down her face, her eyes bloodshot. “I can’t do it, Milo,” she sobbed. “I can’t be one of them.”

Milo sprung up from the bed. He wrapped her arms around her in an instant, pulling Cali into him. She practically collapsed into him. In a matter of seconds, the friend Milo knew as the rock, the brains, the voice of reason of their close knit group of friends had been reduced to a blubbering wreck. Cali was sobbing uncontrollably into his chest. He could feel his shirt dampening against his skin. His heart broke for Cali. It wasn’t nearly as easy of a problem as the fear of fighting a criminal or Villain. This was something Milo didn’t quite understand. In his family’s entire history there hadn’t a single Villain. He loved his lineage and the pride that came with it.

“What am I going to do?” Cali asked between sobs.

And all at once, the answer was glaringly obvious to Milo. He leaned back a little from Cali and looked her in the bloodshot eyes. He smiled.

“Sit down, C,” he said calmly. She lowered herself into the computer chair with a little help from Milo, and he sat down on the bed across from her. She looked like a scared child. Her posture was slumped. Her cheeks were tear streaked. It was pathetic in a charming kind of way.

“I don’t know a lot about the world or the way things work,” Milo began, “but there’s one thing I have learned from all the stories that the Captain has told me. Our past is exactly that, passed. Our ancestors and their actions have no control over what we say and do. We make our own choices, and those make us who we are. You and me, we’re going to be a kick a*s Hero team. Not even Villains are going to be a match for us. And if…no, when Bill activates, he’ll be right there with us. It’s going to be rad. You are one of the most law-abiding, rule-following human beings I’ve ever met, Cali. The sheer fact that you’re terrified of becoming a Villain means you don’t have what it really takes to be one. Villains are Villains because they choose to be. They adopt the lifestyle; they revel in it. How long did it take you to decide to leave the house tonight knowing what kind of trouble you’d get in if your parents found out?”

“An hour,” Cali admitted. Already Milo could tell her spirits were buoying.

“See?” he laughed. “Do you think Crusher or Sting Ray sat around for an hour debating with themselves over whether or not they should rob a bank or take a senator hostage? Don’t you see, Cali, Villainy may be in your blood, but it’s not who you truly are. You’re one of the good guys.”

Cali sat in silence for a moment while Milo’s words sank in. She wiped the tears away from her eyes and looked at him. “When did you become the voice of reason in this friendship?” she joked morosely.

“I don’t know,” mused Milo. “I’m not sure I like it though.”

Cali laughed. “Welcome to my world.”

The two friends lapsed into a comfortable silence. The tension between them was gone. Cali’s mood was quickly shifting away from the angst-ridden teenager back to her normal stern, but loveable demeanor. Milo felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, so he couldn’t imagine how Cali felt. The problem was clearly overwhelming her. He wasn’t even sure that he’d really solved her problem, but he could at least tell he had given her something to think about, a weapon to use against her inner demons. That was all he could do and he was more than satisfied with the result. It would take some time, but his friend would come back eventually.

“Sorry about your shirt,” Cali said culpably.

Milo waved her off. “Nothing a trip through the wash can’t fix,” he jested. “You okay?”

Cali nodded and stood up. “I should probably get home before they realize I’m gone.” She wrapped her arms around Milo’s neck and squeezed him into her. In their entire lives Milo could count the number of times Cali had hugged him on one hand. It was unusual, but the emotion was genuine. He wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her softly. He didn’t bother to complain about the pain from the super strength Cali had clearly forgotten about. “Thank you, Milo.”

Before Milo could answer, a knock came at the door and his mother’s head poked into the room without waiting for reply.

“Milo, shouldn’t you be in bed…” she started, but stopped when she realized Cali was in the room as well and their arms were wrapped around each other. Cali pushed away from Milo and her face flushed with embarrassment. “Oh, hello, Calliope dear. I didn’t realize you were here.”

“I was just leaving actually,” she said quickly and walked to the window. “Thanks again, Milo.”

“Anytime, C,” Milo replied. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

Cali nodded and slung one leg over the window sill.

“And Calliope?” Brooke said, stopping her from flying away.

“Yes, Mrs. Radcliff?”

“Next time,” Brooke told her, winking, “you can use the front door.”

Cali smiled and pulled her other leg through the window. Moments later she was soaring through the sky toward her own house. Milo walked to the window to watch her go. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to seeing one of his best friends fly.

“She seems to be getting the hang of flying,” Milo’s mother commented, coming to stand next to her son at the window.

“Seems to be,” Milo agreed.

“Everything okay?”

Milo nodded. “She just needed some advice.”

“Milo,” his mother said to him. She gave him a sly look that said she knew something he didn’t. He hated that look. “You should get to bed. You have school in the morning.”

“Yeah, okay,” he admitted, and closed the window. He pulled his shirt off and climbed into bed. His mother turned the light off as she left the room. “Goodnight, mom.”

“Goodnight, Milo,” replied Brooke, closing the door behind her.

Milo lapsed into sleep with the thought of him and his best friends fighting side by side against the forces of Evil. It was one of the last happy thoughts Milo would have for a very long time.