Rise

by Sarah Bale

  Last I heard, he was dating a Hero in Asia, who was beautiful and could shoot fire from her eyes. Lucky gal. I always wished that was one of my gifts, but all I got was laser beams that only sting a little.

  I stand. Being here, this close to him, is bringing up memories I’d rather not relive.

  “I really should be going. Is there anything else I need to know?”

  Regret flashes across his face, but shakes his head. “No. I just wanted to see how you’ve been. We don’t talk much these days.”

  Because he’s dating someone.

  Because he’s too important for someone like me.

  Because he follows every rule to a T.

  Because-

  I plaster a smile on my face. “I’m good, Marble, I promise.”

  “Good.”

  I manage to walk away without letting him see how much I’m hurting. Because, at the end of the day, my feelings don’t matter.

  What matters is saving the world.

  Two

  Knuckles waits for me outside of headquarters. “So…” Did he tell you he misses you?

  “No, he didn’t.” I scoff. “I’m not sure what that was about, but I’ve wasted enough time here. I have work to do.”

  “Girl, you’ve got to be open to love. Otherwise, you’ll end up alone.”

  She’s never said it, but I imagine Knuckles was one of those girls who spouted off girl power quotes before the Changing. Heck, she might even have been a motivational speaker. I should really ask her sometime what she did, just to sate my own curiosity. We usually don’t talk about our pasts, though, because it dredges up too many memories that we’ve all fought so hard to shove aside.

  “A lot of us are alone.”

  “But most of us wish we had someone like Marble.”

  “Then maybe you should ask him out.” At her incredulous look, I say, “I mean it. He’s all yours.”

  I don’t mention that he’s taken. Let her find out on her own.

  With that, I take three steps before rocketing into the sky. The rush I get when I fly never gets old. The air whipping around me. The freedom I feel. The sense of being exactly where I’m meant to be. Closing my eyes, I soar higher and higher.

  Only a few of us can fly, and no one’s exactly sure why. In the treatment facility, they did a lot of testing to see what made the Heroes special. Our DNA makeup is different than Basics, but the same as each other, so there’s no real reason why I can fly and Knuckles can’t. On the other hand, she has super strength and can tear a car in half without breaking a sweat, so I guess we each have our little niches.

  When I get high enough to feel the atmosphere changing, I glance at my watch where Congressman Wrenly’s address is flashing across the screen. Oklahoma City. Really? Why couldn’t he live somewhere cool, like Las Vegas or Miami? Sighing, I head south, toward the Oklahoma countryside.

  It only takes a moment or two before I’m flying lower, getting ready to land. I’ve never been here before, but I’ve heard the weather can be unpredictable.

  I touch down on red dirt. Huh. Guess that’s a thing here. Looking around, I see that Congressman Wrenly lives on a ranch, cows and all. One moos at me, probably wondering what I’m doing in the middle of its pasture. Guess I didn’t estimate the landing very well. Making sure not to step in manure, I make my way from the field. The large ranch house comes into view, surrounded by multiple police vehicles.

  One of the officers sees me, pointing. “She’s here! The Hero is here!”

  The front door opens and a woman runs out. “Are you the Changeling they sent?”

  Changeling. Another term I don’t like. I’d much rather be called a Hero. Changeling sounds… gross.

  I smile, nodding. “I’m Alpha. Are you Mrs. Wrenly?”

  “I am. Please, come. I don’t want anyone to know you’re here.”

  That’s a bit odd. Raising my eyebrows, I follow her inside. It’s pretty much what I’d expect someone like her to live in. Massive. Floral covered furniture. Gold accents on the walls. Expensive. Overdone and tacky.

  I say, “Do you mind if I look around?”

  “Please. His study is just down the hall. That’s where I found the letter.” She shoves a piece of material at me. “That’s his. They said you needed something with his scent.”

  Jeez, lady. I’m not a dog. His scent is everywhere in the house, as is hers and that of three other people. Two kids. And the housekeeper.

  “Will this work?”

  Her chin trembles, so I reach out, taking her hand into mine. I’m here to help, I remind myself.

  “We’re going to find him, Mrs. Wrenly. That’s what we do.”

  She smiles. “Thank you.”

  I give the cloth a whiff, so she thinks she’s done something right, and try not to notice that it’s a gym towel. I guess it works, though, because I now have his scent locked in my head. Probably forever. I resist gagging.

  Closing my eyes as I walk, I let my senses take over. Ironically, my heightened senses were the first thing that let me know something was different inside of me. I can hear, smell, and see better than you’ll ever dream of. For better or worse.

  I catch a whiff of whiskey and cigar as I pass a closet, the same scent that’s on the towel under all the B.O. Opening the door, I find Congressman Wrenly’s coat and briefcase. The only other scent is synthetic lemon, probably from the furniture polish. Nothing in here sets off my internal warning, so I close the door and keep walking.

  A housekeeper stands at the end of the hallway, watching me. She gives me a timid smile, so I walk toward her.

  “Are you the one who noticed someone watching Congressman Wrenly?”

  She nods. “Yes.”

  “Can you tell me about it?”

  “Yes, I was…”

  I look past her voice and touch her mind. She won’t even know it’s happening.

  Do you know the person who was watching the Congressman?

  No.

  What did he look like?

  He wore a black mask over his face. It was strange, since it’s not even cold out.

  Anything else stand out?

  The man wore a top hat, which is why I noticed him in the first place.

  Anything else?

  No. I just want Mr. Wrenly brought home safe and sound.

  What about Mrs. Wrenly? Could she be involved?

  I don’t think so. She’s cheating on him, but I don’t think she’d do something like this.

  Is he cheating on her?

  Yes. With me.

  I blink at her answer and say out loud, “Thank you. You’ve been very helpful. Please let us know if you remember anything else.”

  She dabs her eye. “I will. And God bless you, miss. I know how worried Mrs. Wrenly is.”

  It’s amazing how a person can lie straight to your face without even blinking. She’s probably more worried about the Congressman than his own wife, and yet she acts like it’s Mrs. Wrenly hoping for his safe return.

  I nod at her and go down the hall, to his office. Inside, I immediately catch a whiff of sweet candy. I’ve smelled this scent before. It hits me and I put my hand over my chest. Doc used to smell like this. I don’t want it to be Doc, but I can’t deny this. Much like our powers, we’re also each blessed with a unique scent that only a few of us can detect. I’ve been told I smell like peaches.

  Lifting my watch, I send Marble an update.

  Me: Found the rogue Hero we’re looking for. It’s Doc.

  Marble: Are you certain?

  Me: Do you really have to ask me that? I’m wrapping things up here and then I’m heading out.

  Marble: Come back to DC when you’re finished.

  Me: Will do.

  I walk around the office one last time. Congressman Wrenly wasn’t in here long before he was taken. At the window, I catch another whiff of Doc. That’s how he was able to get him out without anyone noticing. But why?

  Placing my hands on the desk, I will answers t
o come my way, but they don’t. So, I go find Mrs. Wrenly.

  “Did you find anything?”

  “Nothing concrete. Is there anything else you can think of that might help us?”

  I touch her mind, diving right in.

  Are you cheating on your husband?

  Yes, with one of the cowhands.

  Would he want to hurt your husband? Hire a Hero to do the dirty work?

  No!

  Are you glad your husband is gone?

  No. I love him. I just wish he paid more attention to me. Plus, I’m certain he’s cheating on me with his secretary. And the nanny. And my best friend. And the housekeeper.

  Is there anyone who wants to hurt him? Any of his mistresses?

  If his father were alive, I would say him. But I can’t think of anyone else. Women love him, so I don’t think it’s any of the home-wreckers he’s sleeping with.

  Maybe someone he works with?

  He’s done some things in his past, but nothing that would warrant this.

  Has he made any Heroes mad?

  Not that I know of.

  Mrs. Wrenly finishes talking, “As you can see, I’ve told the officers everything I know.”

  “Thank you for your time. I know this is very hard on you. Please reach out if you can think of anything else.”

  She gives me a weak smile and shows me to the door. Outside, I walk around the house. As I suspected, I catch Doc’s scent everywhere.

  I whisper to the air, “Doc, what have you done?”

  Because there’s no coming back from something like this.

  Three

  Marble is waiting for me at headquarters before I even get into the building. He inhales, closing his eyes.

  “Shit. I can smell him on you.”

  In another lifetime that statement would’ve been sexy. Now, it scares the crap out of me. Because it’s not just my imagination now that Marble’s smelled the scent, too. Doc’s really gone Rogue.

  “I knew he’d gone off the grid, but I never expected something like this.”

  Marble sighs. “I’ll tell the council. They’ll want to act on this quickly.”

  I know I’ve been dismissed, so I say, “Good luck. See ya around.”

  I take off before I have to listen to a lame reply.

  Shooting through the air, I go to my place in Richmond. It’s a cute little house, with a stone pathway that leads to my bright pink front door. The door is to let others know that I’m a Changeling. Just one more way for the government to segregate us from Basics. I think I would’ve picked this color on my own, though, because it makes me happy just looking at it.

  Thankfully, my porch hasn’t been egged tonight, which is kind of surprising since it’s Halloween. There are Basics out there who don’t accept us, even with the US government backing us. They see us as a threat and do whatever they can to make their hatred known. Rallies across the county. Online forums full of hate and lies. Marches in the capitol. And we just have to sit back and take it in, acting thankful that we get to serve them.

  Sighing, I go inside, undressing as I walk. I’m naked by the time I reach my bedroom and fall right on the bed.

  I still can’t believe Doc was involved in the kidnapping of Congressman Wrenly. Thinking back, I try to remember the last time I actually talked to Doc, but can’t come up with a date. It’s been at least six months, though. Since we fought together against some Villains in California. Some friend I am. I should’ve kept in touch with him.

  Grabbing my laptop from the nightstand, I do a quick database search on him. The last time anyone had contact with him was exactly six months ago. What are the chances of that? And the list is very short. Me. Ink. Marble. And Knuckles. What could have happened in that short amount of time? And why didn’t anyone realize he was gone?

  Scrolling, I see pictures of him with other Heroes. In each and every photo, he’s smiling and having a good time. Doc was always one of my favorite people to hang out with. Nothing ever got him down. Well, nothing that any of us knew about, at least. I guess that goes to show that even superheroes have problems.

  I’m still scrolling when I get a direct message from Marble.

  Marble: Shouldn’t you be sleeping?

  I glance at the clock and let out a small laugh.

  Me: What are you? My dad?

  Marble: Haha.

  Marble: We’re going to be calling a few Heroes in over the next few days to see if anyone has any leads on Doc.

  I’m surprised he’s telling me this information. Usually, he’s tightlipped about what goes on behind the scenes. Which is good and bad, depending on how you look at it.

  Me: I’m kind of shocked that you don’t know where he is. You’re usually on top of that.

  Marble: His last known location was in Silver City, Oklahoma.

  My stomach knots up. The Congressman is from Oklahoma...

  Me: Think it’s a coincidence that he was in Oklahoma?

  Marble: No. I don’t.

  Me: I don’t even know where Silver City is.

  I do a quick search after I hit send.

  Silver City, Oklahoma

  Population: 6

  “Six people. Are you serious?”

  Marble: I can tell by your search history that you’re probably in shock right now by the town’s population.

  Me: Stalker much.

  But I’m grinning.

  Marble: Just doing my job.

  Me: The reason our relationship didn’t last in one sentence, ladies and gentlemen.

  Three dots appear and then disappear.

  Me: Before you get your cape in a twist, I’m only kidding.

  Mostly.

  Me: But I am wondering why Doc’s last known location was a town with six people.

  Marble: That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?

  Marble: Hate to cut this short, but I’ve got to run.

  He signs off before I can reply. Another reason our relationship didn’t last. He’s never around to finish anything.

  I do a new search on Silver City. There has to be something we’re missing. Why this town? Heck, why Oklahoma? But my search doesn’t turn up new information, so I close my laptop, tossing it to the side. I’m not going to find any answers tonight, so, for now, I’ll sleep until duty calls.

  Four

  I’m awakened around three in the morning, the watch at my wrist buzzing nonstop. Turning on the light, I read the message.

  Armed burglary. Hero Assistance needed.

  An address pops across the screen, which means I have ten minutes to be there before I’m penalized. I dress quickly and go outside, flying to the location. Burglaries are one of my least favorite jobs to go on. Not because I’m scared, but because there’s usually an underlying reason for the theft. Don’t get me wrong – sometimes, it’s pure greed. This one is at a pharmacy, so it could go either way.

  I land, the tip of my boot just touching the ground, when I hear the police yelling.

  “Put your hands up! Now!”

  Knowing how some officers tend to be trigger happy, I rush forward. There’s a younger male, maybe in his 20s, standing in front of the pharmacy, hands high in the air.

  His body shakes with sobs. “I didn’t do it. I swear. I was just walking by when the alarm went off.”

  One of the cops sneers. “Think that’s the first time we’ve heard that?”

  I move forward and say where everyone can hear me. “I’m Alpha. Sir, I’m going to move closer. Please, don’t make any sudden movements.”

  He nods, eyes still brimming. The same officer who got lippy lets out a sigh. His thought hits me like a brick.

  Fucking aliens. Why do they even bother bringing them in? We know what we’re doing!

  My jaw clenches, and it’s everything I can do not to beam him with my laser vision and sting the shit out of him. Prick.

  I reach the man and say in a low tone, “I’m going to look into your mind. See if what you’re saying is true or not
.”

  He nods. “I’m innocent. I have nothing to hide.”

  Closing my eyes, I touch his mind and see his thoughts.

  He’s walking down the sidewalk, thinking about an upcoming test at school. There’s no one around, at least that he notices. He’s debating stopping by a nearby fast-food joint when he hears the alarm going off. His mom is a nurse and always told him to help wherever he can. He runs, thinking it’s a fire alarm. When he gets to the pharmacy, he finds the glass on the door has been smashed.

  Looking down, he sees a brick, but doesn’t touch it. He’s about to pull out his phone to call the cops, when the first officer arrives.

  Oh, look. It’s the prick.

  He tries to tell the officer that he’s innocent, but the cop won’t listen and calls for backup. The man feels fear. He’s heard stories of his friends dying like this, and, for the first time in his life, he thinks this might be the night he dies.

  I pull back, my hand shaking. This man shouldn’t have to live with this kind of fear. No one should!

  “Thank you for showing me the truth.” I turn to the prick and say, “He’s innocent.”

  “But-”

  “He. Is. Innocent.”

  The cop glares, thinking some more lovely thoughts about me, but I don’t give a shit. I’ve spoken and my word is final on these kinds of matters. If he doesn’t like it, he can take it up with the freaking President. And good luck with that, because he’s too busy tweeting and making more work for us.

  To one of the other officers, I say, “The brick used to break the glass is on the ground. It looks like there’s fingerprints on it.”

  The man asks, “I’m free to go?”

  “You are. I can escort you home, if you’d like?”

  He glances at the officers and nods. It’s sad that he doesn’t feel safe enough to walk away from this scene alone. We walk in silence, but his thoughts scream at me.

  He’s thankful I came along.