Part One: Jay's Story- Chapter Two: I Meet Darkling

After hours of alternating between walking and gliding, I reach the S.O.S. headquarters. I take a moment to fold away the wing-flaps before striding up to the doors. There are no guards, but a single security camera monitors the entry point. Ignoring it, I push open the doors. Best to just act like I belong. Though the exterior of the building is boxy and nondescript, the inside is wildly decorated, even just in the lobby area. I consult a sign by the elevators.

Basement - Cells

Floor 1 - Lobby, Training Gym 1, Pool

Floor 2 - Training Gyms 2 and 3, Meeting Rooms 1-10

Floor 3 - Cafeteria, Meeting Rooms 11-20

Floor 4 - Weapons Storage, Guest Rooms

Floor 5 - Rooms 500-599

Floor 6 - Rooms 600-699

Floor 7 - Rooms 700-799

Floor 8 - Suites, Darkling’s Office/Quarters

Stepping into the elevator, I press the button for Floor 8. Darkling’s office. I’m going to have to talk to him to get into the organization, after all. I just hope he’s not off on a mission or something.

Jazzy elevator music plays, and I actually recognize the song. By the time I reach the eighth floor, I’m humming along quietly. Exiting the elevator, I note the staircase right next to it, stairs leading down to Floor 7 and up to Roof Access. A possible escape route. The hall ahead is lined with doors, though they’re spaced far enough apart, suggesting spacious rooms. Hence the ‘suites’ on the floor guide. The hall continues until it opens up into what appears to be a waiting area. Two other hallways to the left and right continue the collection of suites. I enter the waiting area. This is where I need to be.

As I look around, I notice a desk just in front of the double doors I assume lead to the actual office. Papers are spread across it, and holding down a stack is what appears to be a brick of gold. When I pick it up, however, it’s lighter than gold. So... is it hollow? I shake it, and something rattles. Shrugging, I step back, still holding the brick.

Click. The double doors swing open, and a young man of about sixteen who could only be Darkling walks out. He doesn’t see me, so I stay silent as he shuffles through the papers on the desk. He notices the brick is missing almost immediately, searching through the desk’s drawers looking for it. When he’s bent over one of the lower drawers, I step up and slam the brick on the desk. He jerks up, tripping over his own feet. Cursing, he steadies himself against the desk. His eyes find the brick, still in my hand. He looks up at me.

Grinning, I wave the brick in front of his nose. When he jerks forwards to snatch it, I dance back, then turn and sprint for the stairs.

“Hey!” He scrambles out from behind the desk, racing to follow. I reach the stairs and leap down, taking them three at a time. Down to Floor 7, 6, 5... I can hear Darkling running behind me, trying to catch up. 4, 3, 2... I reach the first floor, sprinting out into the lobby. When I’m in the middle of the room, I turn around to see Darkling stumble down the last staircase. I wave the brick in the air so he can see me. Something like frustration or exasperation crosses his face. Still grinning wildly, I turn and run for the doors.

“Stop her!” I hear him shout. Villains around the room pause their conversations to join the chase. I’m reaching out to touch the door handle when something tugs at my ankle. I’m jerked off my feet and lifted into the air. When I reach up to grab it, I see that it’s a rope-like tendril of shadows. Of course. Darkling has shadow manipulation - umbrakinesis. The villain stalks up to me, shadows pooling out of his left hand. He grabs the gold brick-box with the other, scowling.

“Aw, c’mon,” I say with a grin. “I thought you villains liked games.” Though I’m scared, I don’t let my mask slip. “Guess I’ll have to step it up if I’m going to hang around.”

“You want to join?” Darkling asks, confused. “Aren’t you with S.W.O.R.D.?”

“S.W.O.R.D.? Ugh, no. Gag me.” I cross my arms. “Why would you think that?”

“Do you even know what this is?” He holds up the brick.

“No. Should I?” I hold his gaze, unflinching. His green eyes bore into mine. Sighing through his teeth, he looks away.

“I’ll tell you when your clearance is high enough.” The shadow-rope deposits me on the ground, and I scramble to my feet.

“Clearance?”

“You want in, right? No villain here, except me, knows all the secrets.”

“So you’re letting me join.”

“Not if you keep mentioning it,” he mutters. I internally flinch. I’m starting to sound like my sister. Darkling starts walking back towards the stairs. “You coming?” He asks. I don’t answer. I glance behind me, at the doors. I can still get out, go home. My parents will ground me for running off, but my life can go back to normal. I’d finish school, go to college, get a job. A life I can control, one that I know. Or... I can follow Darkling, a known villain, into a life I know nothing about, an uncertain future. I pause a moment. Do I want this? But something in me already knows the answer.

Squaring my shoulders, I follow Darkling. Never once looking back.

Reviews

[Jay_Bluefire]

After Serephimbian Spectator, delete the stuff in parenthesis.
Another thing he didn't see was the valuable, [light-weight,] gold brick-thing... add the stuff in the []'s
Delete the second 'down the stairs' in paragraph 9.
At the second paragraph in a row starting with 'I ran', replace the phrase with 'The stairs took me'
Replace 'bad guys' with agents
Replace 'glad to see a' with 'grinning at the'
Capitalize the H in 'he nodded'

[Locke Redwyne (night sys)]

Got it, thanks