We came back to ourselves but a few moments later. But that single instance seemed to last a lifetime. In a single breath we…went… somewhere. I don’t know whether it was us or our powers. But our minds had touched and mingled for but a brief moment.

I couldn’t quite recollect it, but from the stunned expression on Ophelia’s face she’d felt the same as I.

“Wow,” Natalia murmured softly, staring at us in wonder. Her voice broke the silence and the other two women looked away awkwardly as their faces went pink in a blush.

“I heard you,” Ophelia told me softly, a single tear leaked from her amber eyes.

“I know,” I replied, realising I had known she’d heard me. Just unsure what she’d heard.

“Are you both okay?” Natalia asked.

We nodded hesitantly. I still felt the thumping of my headache, but it was in the distant far reaches of my mind. More like a soft tread than heavy stomping. I looked around as Ophelia shifted in my arms. The whole place was a cracked mess. I shook my head and looked at Natalia.

The journalist’s murky silver eyes swirled as they drifted over me in frank appraisal. I chose to ignore it wanting to leave this place.

“Did you see any other captives down here?” I asked the journalist. She blushed as her eyes snapped up and she bit her bottom lip.

“Uhhh… I think so,” she murmured as light came to her eyes. “Yes. There was screaming a few minutes before you all showed up and recused me. It was coming from my far right. It sounded pretty far off though.”

“Was it a woman’s scream?” I asked her. Then I placed Ophelia gently on her feet when the journalist nodded in return.

“We need to find that other captive,” I told my friends. They all nodded, except for Natalia who pursed her lips in distaste. I couldn’t blame her. I imagine I would want to leave somewhere I’d been held captured as well.

Preferably as soon as possible.

~*~*~*~

We marched through the underground ASP headquarters, each of us calling out when we heard it. It was a howling feral hiss that hauntingly echoed through the hallway we were in.

“HELLO!” I shouted, cupping my hands around my mouth as I did so. I waited as my voice bounced along the hallway’s, drifting off in an echo.

Then the animalistic sound came again.

“I swear if this is some freaky ghost beast or something, I’m so totally leaving all of your ass and booking it.” Karen mumbled as her eyes kept darting towards the ceiling. As if expected something to phase through and jump us.

“I don’t think you’ll have to--” I cut off as the noise came again. Drifting to us from behind a thick iron door. I peeled it open and looked inside. Something gold glinted from within, and it moved.

That’s when I saw that this room was a sort of storage chamber. The door I’d open being a side one. A rather large cage sat forgotten at the other end of the chamber.

A woman crouched on all four’s hissed at me as I entered.

That’s when I noticed that the golden glint I’d spotted was actually on her body.

“Ophelia, a little light please,” I murmured as the storage room was pitch black. The motes of gold power drifted off the angelic woman.

The woman in the cage recoiled from the light. Shoving herself back against the bars of her cage. Only to hiss in pain as she made contact.

I raised my hands and slowly approached the cage.

“We’re not here to hurt you. I swear it,” I said gently. Only then remembering I was in my otherworldly guise. The closer I got, the more I could make out of the woman. Her body was sleek and feline. Her skin light-grey.

Her long hair was wild about her head and shoulders. The colour of mercury, similar to Natalia’s eyes. The caged woman’s own eyes were a crimson red, with vertical black slitted pupils.

She hissed at me as I neared revealing twin fangs instead of canines. Her long feline ears peeked out from the sides of her head. A glowing golden symbol wrapped around both her ears.

Motion behind her caught my eye, and saw I long sinuous tail flicked out in agitation. Then other parts of her body began to glint a glowing gold. A circular golden moon gleamed on her forehead and shoulders. Her small perky breasts that were bare, were covered over by a glowing golden cup that hardened like armour.

Her hands and arms, up to her elbows became covered in hardened gold, as well as her legs up to her tights. Her tail flicked and I noticed that it too was now golden, and glowing.

“I mean you no harm,” I told her gently, trying to convey as much sincerity as I could in my voice. She hissed at me, but must’ve understood as it lacked her previous caution.

I reached the bars of her cage and on a whim reached my hand out through the bars, laying it flat, palm up and open. I starred at the feline woman.

She was far different than Ophelia and I that was certain. More changed by the Super’s genome than any of us. The woman’s eyes narrow at me, and I smiled kindly. She prowled left and right starring at my hand and face. After what seemed like a lengthy minute the woman raced forward, and I steeled myself.

Only to feel a light slap on my palm.

Had she just high-fived me?

“We’re gonna free you,” I told her as she moved quickly to the back of her cage. Patricia came slowly forward to stand beside me.

“Want me to try. I can imagine you’re pretty exhausted,” the Technomancer offered.

I nodded regretfully. “Yeah, I don’t even want to think about using my powers for a little while. Just the thought makes my head spin.”

I looked into the cage at the woman. “This is my friend. She’s going to release you, okay?” I asked, but nodded to Patricia when no reply came.

A few minutes later Patricia waved me over. I stood up from where I’d been sitting by the cage. The rest of the women had been catching up. A lot of quiet discussions, blushes, and glances my way.

I rolled my eyes and walked over to Patricia. The Technomancer had just finished blasting through the lock on the door.

“You want the honours?” she asked and stepped away.

I nodded my thanks, and gripped the Arium laced bars. Then swung the doors outwards. As soon as the door was fully open. The caged woman shot through in a blur of light-grey and gold. She prowled low on all fours walking around guardedly. Hers eyes were fixed on me and my friends.

“You’re free now. You can go,” I told her and nodded my head towards the door we’d come through. Her crimson eyes starred at me, as if they would drill into the depths of my very soul.

She hesitantly took a step towards me and froze as I crouched down to her eyes level. Doing the same as before I opened my hand and reached out.

After a long moment, the woman approached me.

“Elias,” Patricia hissed from somewhere behind me causing the woman lips to ripple back and reveal her fangs.

She came closer and tentatively put her own hand out flat over mine and slapped down on my palm. I burst out in a laugh. She had high-fived my hand. Or was it low-five? Or was this more of a feline’s curiosity? Cats batting a toy on floor.

I held my hand up again smiling at the woman, when she darted in and snapped her mouth down on my hand. Her fangs sinking through the skin.

I jerked my hand back. “What the fuck?”

Her long tongue licked around her lips and I saw her gulped down some droplets of my blood. Her crimson eyes flared for a brief moment and I thought I caught a slight smile crease the uncaged woman’s lips. Before her entire body inverted and blinked out of existence.

“What the fuck!” I parroted myself and shuffled backwards, my eyes going wide as I looked to the others.

“It’s been one… really…fucking strange week,” Karen sighed and shook her head. I had to agree with her. Ophelia walked over to me and caught my hand in hers. Her healing power flaring up. Then she frowned.

“What is it?” I asked her.

I-I can’t get rid of the wound. Something is blocking my powers,” she shook her head in wonder.

“Well,” I began looking at the fresh puncture wounds on my palm and the back of my hand. “You can always practice later. Besides, I need some physicals scars to show I’ve done something meaningful.”

~*~*~*~

We left the underground ASP base and made our way back up to the surface. Early morning light was breaking through the clouds above. In the distances I could make-out the sounds of wailing sirens. A beep erupted from my wrist-phone and jumped at the sound.

I’d completely forgotten I still had it. I Quickly peeling back my jumpsuit sleeve and looked at the phones display… and froze.

“Elias?” Patricia said from behind me. When I didn’t reply the women ahead turned back to face me as well.

“My… my mom’s calling me,” I said dully.

“Then answer it,” Karen exclaimed, and I shot her an annoyed look before removing the ear piece as I answered the call.

“Mom?” I asked hesitantly.

“Eli, honey, where the hell have you been!” my mom gasped down the call and I blinked.

“I’m in the city. Where the hell have you been, mom?” I retorted growing angry and relieved at the same instance.

“The cities a mess. I’m in hiding and the house was broken into. I thought… I thought you’d been kidnapped.

“Hiding? why’re you—the house was broken into. What the hell is going on Elias?” mom said, jumping from one thing to the other.

“No, you don’t get to ask me that,” I snapped. “What the hell is going on with you mom? Where the hell have you been these last couple of days.”

“I’m working. I got called away for a quick business trip. I left you a note in the kitchen at home.” She didn’t even know what had going on. That I had been uncollared, outed, and was now hiding from the SPBI.

“Mom…” I began softly. “So much has happened I don’t even know where to—” I cut myself off as I heard a man’s voice speak up from the background of moms call.

“Teresa, let me speak with him,” the man said.

“David? what’re you—” my mom started before the man’s voice became clear through the phone.

“Elias, I’m Major David Bennet. Head of the Super Power Bureau of Investigations. Your mom,” the man began and my eyes when incredibly wide at his words. I heard my mom curse loudly in the background. “Your mom has been working as a consultant on a case we’re dealing right now.”

“You really think I’d believe that shi—” I started but he cut me off rolling right over me.

“Then how about you put my Niece on the line.”

“Niece?” I jerked my head back and shook it. “I don’t know your—”

“My Niece is Patricia. Patricia Bennet.”

My head snapped towards the Technomancer and I swore she flinched at my look. I disconnected the ear piece held it out to her.

“It's for you,” I said dully. A part of me felt betrayed.

“W-who is it?” she asked me tentatively.

“Your uncle. Major David Bennet of the S.P.B.I.”

End of Part 1

This novel is the work of Rhys Thomas. If you are reading this and it has not been published by Rhys Thomas, then this work has been stolen. Please report this to Amazon and me at email: [email protected]