“Well done up there, Brad. Good job talking her down. She was close to being Jackson Pollock’ed all over the sidewalk,” Dylan said patting Brad on the back. Brad and Lucas both cringed at what he said.

Lucas and Brad had just followed Madeline down the stairwell of the building she had earlier threatened to jump from. They opted to leave through a side exit that dodged the crowds still milling around at the front.

Dylan caught Lucas doing an awkward look around the street, acting like he hadn’t noticed the lack of praise he felt he ought to have had. What do I need to say well done for? Dylan thought, wondering if there was something Lucas had done to help.

Brad noticed too and sarcastically explained, “Don’t forget Lucas, he turned the internet off for a bit.” Lucas shot him a confused look that showed anxiety at the sudden hostility.

“I just made sure that all the phones in the area were digitally wiped of any files and shares related to Madeline up there,” he explained earnestly.

Sensing the sudden atmosphere, Dylan gave Lucas a pat on the back, which just felt a bit a condescending and didn’t make Lucas feel any better.

I’d hate to be on their flight back, Dylan reckoned. “Well, you two need to get back to Kansas now don’t you? Don’t keep my girl waiting any longer,” he teased, seeking to lighten the mood and get rid of the pair.

“Kimona’s not your girl, Dyl!” Brad laughed. “But yes, I suppose I better make a move.”

‘I’ and not ‘we’, Dylan noticed. He gave them both a side hug and wished them a good onward journey. Lucas was sure going to need it.

***

When Dylan got back home after his jog back from Little Italy, his flatmate Tyler was playing the Xbox from the sofa.

“S’up Ty, how was your day?” Dylan called out from the fridge where he grabbed himself a bottle of Fiji.

Tyler didn’t look up, instead remained focused on the game. “Sucked a bit. Heard back from the insurance company today,” he paused the game and spun round to look at Dylan.

“This about your car?”

“Mhmm. Said it is a complete wreck and it would cost more to fix than the thing is worth.”

“Oh man, that does suck,” Dylan agreed.

“It gets worse. They’re still holding out on whether they’ll cover it because they’re not sure how it got damaged the way it did. I even sent them Oliver Hogon’s Insta as if to say ‘err, this how it got damaged, like I keep saying’!” Tyler waited whilst Dylan took a long quenching gulp from his bottle before continuing. “Did you get your crew to check him out?”

“Yes but they didn’t think it was necessarily conclusive enough that he is enhanced, I’m afraid.” Tyler looked deflated. If he could prove that Hogon was an Enhanced, it might help him get his money. “But I’m not giving up mate. Those two are a bit out of touch in their age, but I’m still keeping my eyes and ears out for ya.”

That seemed to perk Tyler back up. “Thanks Dyl, it means a lot.”

“It’s fine, honestly. But seriously, getting involved with Oliver’s girlfriend is messed up. You’re lucky it’s just the car that was a write off, and not your legs or something!”

“She said she’s actually going to leave him this week. Sometime,” Tyler replied, turning his attention back to the game.

“Sometime,” Dylan repeated. “Because that’s going to improve the situation,” Dylan muttered, plodding off towards his bedroom and stripping off for the shower.

Dylan lived in a privately rented flat just around the corner from the Clestin College campus he attended. Due to his scholarship and the teaching responsibilities that came with it, the dorms weren’t the most appropriate place to live. Madam Secretary insisted the dorms weren’t secure enough for him given his notoriety for being Flip. He was a bit of a target so the flat was the best compromise. Paid for as a gesture to Dylan for his work with the Enhanced Beings Collective, he did insist on a flat mate for company.

After his shower, Dylan got dressed and headed for the main living space to sit with Tyler. He scrolled through his phone and tried to find mention of the events earlier in the Little Italy part of town but Lucas had done a good job of removing any trace. There was going to be some cross and confused people out there unable to share on some stranger’s misery.

Lucas’ strengths were always considered a bit of an intrusion that people weren’t happy with being freely used. Madeline would probably argue otherwise, Dylan assumed. He also thought about the exchange between Brad and Lucas after. He hated the squabbling and perhaps naïvely wanted everyone in The Collective to get along. They were like a family to Dylan. A spread out one to say the least, but a family nevertheless. It was the closest thing he had to anything resembling a functioning family.

***

Later on that week, Dylan walked through the campus grounds as the unmistakable sight of Oliver Hogon appeared, walking towards him. He hadn’t seen Oliver since the day of the faux ‘journalist’ tour he put on with Brad and Lucas. Oliver was approaching Dylan and there was no way he was able to pretend he hadn’t seen him.

“You lied to me,” he outright accused, taking Dylan aback. Dylan looked up at Oliver. It wasn’t that Dylan was especially short, it was just that Oliver was especially tall.

“Exsqueeze me?” replied Dylan, feigning innocence and mock insult.

“The other day. You were actually with Proten and Network at the gym. Brad and Lucas.” He was right of course, but Dylan wasn’t sure how he was sure, so he kept quiet a bit longer to see if he would offer up how he knew. It came pretty swiftly. “There was a live feed from my friend in Little Italy and I saw your boy Proten extending his arms around the crowd of people.”

Crap, busted. There was no way really that Dylan could convince the man mountain that he must be confused, so he fessed up.

“Ok, you’re right. I was just showing them around because they’ve never been here before and I couldn’t just tell you who they were could I? People get kinda fan-girly around them. You must see it with me every new academic year.”

“Petersly, do I look like someone who gets fan-girly? Next time, just be cool about it, alright?” Dylan nodded and watched as Hogon walked off, feeling very lucky that he had got off lightly. At least, that’s what he had hoped.

“Because Dylan,” Oliver’s voice called out from behind him, “if I find out you lie to me, Clestin College won’t have someone freshers can fan girl over anymore.”

That evening, Dylan was playing on the XBox when Tyler returned from his room, looking ready to go out.

“I’m off out. Don’t wait up!” he announced.

“Someone looks fancy, where are you heading?”

“I’m taking Hazel to the that cheesecake place,” Tyler explained, giving Dylan a twirl.

“Do you think that’s really a good idea, Ty?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve not eaten all day.”

“No, I mean with Hazel, you dimwit. Has she even broke it off with Oliver yet?”

“Not yet, no-”

“Oh maaate!” Dylan interrupted. “Don’t do this to yourself. This smells like a disaster waiting to happen.”

“It’s fine. It's over in the next town. Oliver won’t even know,” assured Tyler.

Dylan wasn’t convinced that Tyler was convinced by what he was saying. “You’re playing with fire Tyler, and someone’s gon get burnt.”

“Yeah, you keep saying. Look I gotta go, I’m meeting her there.” And with that, he was off, closing the door behind him.

An hour later, Dylan felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. It was Hazel.

“Yello,” answered Dylan.

“Dyl, has Tyler left yet?” She sounded a mix of annoyed and concerned.

“Yeah, like an hour ago.” Dylan paused, becoming concerned himself. “Are you at the restuarant?”

“Yes, I am. But he isn’t. I think Oliver must have worked out where I was going.”

“Well that’s a bit of a leap there Haze. Have you tried calling him?”

“Have I tried calling him? Who do you take me for? Of course I have. That’s why I’m calling you. He hasn’t been picking up.”

“And what about Oliver?”

“No answer from him either.”

“Ok leave it with me. Go to a friend’s house and I’ll call you when I know something.” Dylan hung up and started looking through his phone for Lucas.

***

“Yeah, I’m here now Lucas, thanks for your help man.” Lucas was able to find Tyler through his phone location and conveniently, it was in the same place as Oliver's location.

“Are you sure you don’t want anyone else there?” Lucas asked.

“No man, I’ve got this. In and out.”

“Well you have half an hour and then I’m calling the cops, ok?”

“That’s fine, yeah.”

Tracking the phones had taken Dylan to a crusty boxing gym that at this hour was shrouded in darkness. The main access for it was down an alley that also served as the delivery and refuse access for the businesses off the main stretch. It wasn’t unrealistic for someone like Oliver Hogon to be a member of other gyms and have connections across the town within the fighting world.

The front door was obviously locked. It wouldn’t be that easy now would it? he thought, looking around for a different way in.

The building and the others in the alley were three storeys tall and had the odd bin lined up against walls. The fire escapes hung off the buildings and over the alleyway. Dylan spotted these and jumped from a standing position up onto the gangway of one of them. From here, he tried a window to get in. There was one that was stiff and needed a bit of encouragement to slide up, and then he was able to duck into the dark room.

Dylan stealthily made his way downstairs, on the assumption that in these types of places, the action was more likely to take place on the ground floor or in a basement. Although the stairs were wood, he made no noise tip-toeing down them. The basement was a surprisingly large area, spanning further than the width of the building above, and supported with brick columns throughout. In the middle of the space was a boxing ring, and in the ring stood Mount Hogon. Dylan couldn’t see Tyler anywhere.

“Where’s Tyler, big boy?” Oliver slowly turned around to face Dylan, not aware of his arrival.

“Oh he’s not here,” replied Oliver as Dylan continued cautiously towards the ring.

“But his phone is though, right?”

“Well yes, it is. It was the only way I could think to get you here.”

“Who me? Oh Oliver, I’m touched. But you should have just asked. I’m just not really into playing games.”

“That’s odd. All that stuff at the gym the other day with Network and Proten, that wasn’t a game?”

“Um, it was as I told you the-”

“You’re lying to me. Tyler told me so.” Dylan stopped short of the ring and looked up at Oliver. He may have the high ground but Dylan was in the most space, and he was more than able to use it.

“Where is Tyler?” Dylan asked again.

Oliver seemed to ignore the question and began musing aloud. “It’s funny how much someone will say when they want something to stop. He told me how he had asked you and your buds to check me out in the gym. I should be honoured.”

Dylan thought it best not to deny any of this, so remained quiet.

“He believed I did something to his car because he was screwing with my girl.”

“And did you?”

“Of course I did. What else was going to be able to damage a car the way I did to his?” he chuckled with pride.

“Well we had a hunch that you are… enhanced in some way.”

“And you wanted to add me to your gang?”

“Yes!” Dylan cried out in false excitement. “See, it was just a misunderstanding, Oliver. I’m just glad it’s all out in the open now,” Dylan drawled with a pinch of sarcasm.

“And then he told me about how he was seeing Hazel behind my back and how you knew all about it, and I remembered how it was that you had lied to me again and it just makes me hella mad that you can’t help yourself!”

“I can see that, and I’m sure Tyler and myself will reflect on our choices and-”

“Oh just shut up. Shut up. I can’t stand your cocksure attitude. But you’re right. You will be reflecting on your actions. In a full body cast.” Mount Hogon approached the ropes of the ring and held on to them in a threatening way.

Dylan rolled his eyes, further winding up the Mountain. “Oh please, for someone so big and burly, your trash talk sucks. I’m going to leave now and hope you sort out your issues. I’ll have to withdraw your enhanced application in the meantime.” Dylan turned and headed back towards the stairs. He was going to have to rethink his rescuing-Tyler plan on the fly.

A worrying sound caused Dylan to stop and look back. The Mountain had pulled out the ropes from the ring and jumped down, landing loudly on his two feet, before striding towards Dylan. Dylan assessed the space he had around him and decided to advance towards Mount Hogon in the hope to use his momentum against him. He gulped. He loved to fight but he'd never gone against someone so big.

“So this is how it’s got to be?” Dylan leered as he moved.

“You’ll think twice before you cross me!”

Now, if you were a betting person, the huge Mount Hogon who is a whole foot and a half taller than his opponent with a body bursting with muscle would look like he would wipe the floor with the leaner, smaller guy. But Dylan wasn’t afraid and he knew with certainty that he could run rings round the lumbering meat head. Neither slowed down as they came close to clashing. Hogon swung his truck of an arm….

To be continued in Flip #2, ‘A Modern Family’....

We find out the outcome of his fight with Mount Hogon after we go back in time and discover how Dylan came to be part of The Collective.