Rise

by Sarah Bale

  He wants to call his mom and tell her he loves her.

  He wants things to be different.

  So do I.

  We reach his house and he says, “Thank you, Hero Alpha. You saved my ass tonight.”

  “No need to thank me. Just doing my job.”

  I wait on the sidewalk until he’s safely inside, before I take off into the air. As I fly, I hit the finish button on my watch, letting headquarters know my task is completed.

  Well done, Alpha. You completed this assignment in 15 minutes, total. Your next goal is to finish in under 10 minutes.

  I glare at the message on my watch and hit accept.

  The Uppers always want us to do better. Go faster. Be stronger. But, I guess it’s easy to want all those things when you sit behind a desk.

  I walk the streets, waiting for the next message. Since the government’s gotten involved, we are basically on call 24/7. I didn’t even have it this bad when I worked a normal job. As if to prove my point, my watch buzzes again.

  Hostage situation. Hero assistance needed.

  “Looks like tonight is going to be busy,” I mutter, as I shoot into the air.

  By the time I get home, I’m exhausted. While we’re on call 24/7, there’s also a limit on how many assignments we can take on in one night. I met my limit at sixty in my area alone. It’s sad that Basics aren’t really that much safer, even with Heroes working around the clock to protect them. There’s always more violence somewhere and the occasional Villain causing trouble.

  I reach the door just as I feel someone touch my shoulder. When I glance around, I don’t see anyone, but I catch a whiff of clean linen.

  “Very funny, Trace.”

  There’s a deep laugh next to me. “Couldn’t help it.”

  I unlock the door and walk inside. A moment later the door closes.

  “Dang, Alpha. How long have you lived here?” The couch dips as Trace sits.

  I look around. “What’s wrong with my house?”

  “Nothing’s wrong with it. Just doesn’t look like anyone lives here.”

  I sit next to him on the couch, feeling the heat from his body.

  “I don’t want to decorate. Nothing to it.”

  But, that’s a lie, because there’s always more than meets the eye.

  Reader, please don’t think I’m one of those girls who likes to bitch about the good ole days, because I’m not. But – my apartment before the Changing was everything. It was small, but had personal touches that made it mine. Bookshelves full of romance novels. Knickknacks passed down from generation to generation in my family. Walls that I painted myself in colors that I loved.

  It’s all gone now, in case you’re wondering. The government tested every item in my apartment to see if some contaminant is what made me Change. When they didn’t find any answers, they burned it all, while I watched. Said the public would be at ease knowing nothing in my apartment caused the Changing. They didn’t let me take anything with me. Not even my clothes. So, I had to walk away from everything I loved naked. Yeah… not cool. There’s even a video of it on the net somewhere, thanks to some idiot.

  Want to know a secret? I’m glad I didn’t have a pet. I shudder to think what would have happened to it if I had.

  Trace touches my arm. “Sorry, Alpha. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

  “What? You a psychic now?” I let out a small laugh to lighten the mood.

  “Or, I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re down.”

  “You know how Halloween is, Trace. Something always gets me down on this day.”

  “I almost forgot.” He sighs. “And technically it’s November first now.”

  “You used to love messing with people on Halloween. Remember the first one, after the Changing?”

  He smiles. “Yeah. Those were the good old days, when we could joke around without being punished.”

  He freaked out Basics and Heroes alike, touching their arms, or turning appliances on and off. He even had Marble convinced that the headquarters was haunted. Took a team with special laser lights to prove to Marble that it was just Trace. Doc laughed the hardest at that prank, I think.

  “Were you at the meeting tonight?”

  “Yes, I was in the back so no one tried to sit on me.” The again is unspoken.

  I sigh. “The rogue Hero is Doc.”

  “No way!”

  “I saw the proof myself.”

  “Shit.” The couch moves as he leans back. “I wonder what made him flip?”

  “That’s the real question, now isn’t it?”

  Five

  Trace is gone when I wake up. At least, I think he’s gone. One of the perks of being invisible, I guess. Unfortunately for him, invisibility is his only superpower, though it is one of the cooler powers to have. He can go where he pleases, mostly undetected. He hears and sees things that can help us, especially when we’re on a mission.

  “Trace?” I call out for good measure.

  I don’t feel his presence in the room, so I undress and pad to the bathroom. While I don’t mind if Trace sees me naked, I’d like to know he’s there before I strip.

  I’m almost finished showering when my watch buzzes.

  Greetings, Alpha. The council would like see you in one hour.

  “That’s not good,” I mutter as I turn off the water.

  I never know what to wear when I’m summoned. It’s daytime. Should I wear jeans and a nice top? The thought makes me snort as I grab my “professional” outfit. Each Hero is given two outfits by the government. Two. Not a stitch more. One for everyday use and one for special occasions. This isn’t special in my book, but the Uppers won’t agree.

  I sit on my bed, pulling on the white spandex tights that show off my toned legs. Next is the blue spandex leotard. Then the red cape, which, I’d like to point out, does absolutely nothing to help me fly. Last is my black boots, eye mask, and gloves. An All-American Hero. Yup, that’s me. All that’s missing is a cool title, like Captain. For the record, the government won’t give us titles. They don’t want Basics to think we have more power than they do – even though we technically do.

  My shoulder length blonde hair hangs freely. I went through a phase recently and cut most of it off. It’s just now getting to the point where I can pull it back into a ponytail if needed. The Uppers were outraged that I didn’t ask permission first. Said my hair was what made me relatable to the public. Good thing I didn’t do what I wanted and dye it purple and pink.

  I rush outside and zip into the sky. The morning air is cool on my skin as I fly toward DC. When I land Birdy is pacing, waiting for me. Birdy is literally a bird-woman. Think Big Bird meets a peppy college cheerleader. That’s Birdy in a nutshell - or eggshell.

  “Thank goodness you’re here. They’re waiting.”

  I glance at my watch. “I’m early.”

  “Not according to them.”

  We scan our retinas before entering the building.

  “How are the chicks?”

  She preens, her yellow and green feathers fluffing out. “Wonderful. I never knew I could love another person more than myself, but my babies taught me otherwise.”

  At least she’s honest.

  “Are they still at the facility?”

  That makes her frown. “Yes, but they say I’ll get to bring them home soon.”

  I hope, for her sake, that she’s right. That they’re not lying to her, like they’ve done to others. That those poor chicks aren’t going through the same testing we did. I’m not sure a baby chick could even handle those kinds of tests. The thought is too dark, so I shove it out of my mind.

  “How’s Blake handling everything?”

  Blake is Birdy’s very normal boyfriend.

  “Surprisingly well. He finished the mandatory classes at the facility.” She smiles. “I’m hoping they’ll let us get married by the end of the year. And then we’ll be one happy flock.”

  I don’t want to be the one to burst her bubb
le, so I smile and nod. Heroes and Basics aren’t supposed to interact socially. What it really boils down to is the Uppers and the government don’t want us to go off and have babies, or, in Birdy’s case, a nest full of half-human half-bird chicks that they don’t understand and can’t control. Hell, they barely even let us date now, which might contribute to my sour mood these days. Yeah, I’m saying it – I need to get laid.

  We reach the door and she says, “Find me when you’re done. We should grab lunch.”

  “Sure thing.”

  I go into the conference room. Marble’s at the head of the table, looking at his laptop. He’s scowling, which only makes him look sexier.

  Damn. I’ve got to stop lusting after my boss.

  Besides, been there, done that.

  I go to sit in a chair and Trace says, “This seat's taken.”

  “Sorry, Trace. I didn’t see you.”

  “Har-har. Like I haven’t heard that before.” But I can tell he’s smiling by the tone of his voice.

  Without looking up, Marble says, “If you wore the coat that was issued to you, people wouldn’t sit on you.”

  The glass of water on the table in front of Trace lifts into the air. It fogs over and then there’s an imprint of a middle finger on it.

  “Very mature,” Marble says.

  I grin. “I thought it was funny.”

  I take the seat next to Trace. We’re the only ones (I think) in the room. Not an Upper in sight, except for Marble.

  “Where’s the rest of the squad?”

  Marble replies, “We’re going to Skype them.”

  “Fancy.”

  I lean back in my chair, waiting. A hand settles on my thigh and I bite back a smile. When it moves higher, I reach out, stopping it.

  “Behave, Trace.”

  His breath hits my ear. “You’re no fun.”

  Marble clears his throat. “I’m about to join the meeting. Are you two ready?”

  Do I detect a jealous note to his voice?

  “Yes sir,” I say.

  At the same time Trace says, “Yup.”

  Marble joins the meeting and the Uppers stare back at us. Uh oh. They’re all there. All sixteen of them. And a few government representatives.

  Marble says, “Hero Alpha and Hero Trace are here. We may begin.”

  A pretty brunette stands. “My name is Lori Murphy-Powers. I’m representing the Associated Press today and will also be leading this meeting as a neutral third party.”

  Marble nods. “Thank you, Mrs. Murphy-Powers.”

  “Please, call me Lori.” She looks at her notepad. “Each of you have a copy of the briefing given to the President of the United States earlier today. He is worried that this may be a terrorist attack against the US.”

  Marble pushes two folders toward me and Trace.

  Trace’s paper lifts and he asks, “Pardon me, but how is a kidnapped congressman an act of terrorism?”

  Lori replies, “There has been another kidnapping. Senator Haas was reported missing today by his wife.”

  A slideshow starts, reminding me of the one done on Congressman Wrenly.

  Lori goes on as the slides start, “The Senator received numerous threats at his office last week after voting down a bill that would raise the minimum wage across the country.”

  Several photos flash across the screen of the people who sent the threats. They’re all Basics, which isn’t surprising, since the bill affected them and not us. I mean, that would mean we’d have to get paid for it to affect us. What a laughable thought – that we’d get paid to save people.

  “All of the threats have been investigated and we don’t believe they had anything to do with the kidnapping.”

  I ask, “Has a Hero been sent to investigate the household?”

  Mable replies, “Ink was sent. He reported back with similar findings as what you discovered in Oklahoma.” He goes on, “There’s another link to Oklahoma with the Senator. He was supposed to visit Congressman Wrenly this weekend, though no one is sure why. They weren’t friends. But, an email was sent from Senator Haas confirming the meeting.”

  I scroll through the rest of the notes in the folder. There’s not much info here. At all.

  I ask, “Why did you need Trace and me here for this meeting?”

  As far as I can tell, there’s nothing that we can tell them that they don’t already know.

  Marble says, “I’d like you to go to Senator Haas’ home and see if you notice anything.” Like Doc’s scent, he says telepathically.

  Isn’t that something Ink should’ve been able to tell?

  He doesn’t have the same connection to Doc that you do.

  That makes me snort.

  Say it like it is, Marble. I fucked Doc, so I have some magical ability to sense where he’s been.

  You said it, not me.

  I stand. “Where am I going this time?”

  The Uppers frown at my abruptness.

  Marble doesn’t miss a beat. “His address is on your watch.” To Trace he says, “We’d like you to go with Alpha.”

  “Sure thing, boss.”

  I’m walking out of the door before anything else can be said to piss me off. When I get outside, I’m about to take off when a hand touches my arm.

  “Jeez, Alpha. Slow down. You know I can’t fly.”

  “Sorry, Trace. I just needed to get out of there.”

  “Why are you so mad? This is a pretty normal job for us.”

  I sigh. “Marble pissed me off.”

  “Ah.”

  He doesn’t say anything else making me feel like an even bigger idiot.

  “Put your hand on my arm so I can get a good grasp on you before we go.”

  His hand goes back to my arm, giving it a little squeeze.

  “Just remember he’s not the only Hero out there.”

  That makes me smile. “Thanks, Trace.”

  Grabbing onto his arm, I soar into the sky. Flying with another person took some getting used to, but I’d like to think I’ve got it down now. I mean, I haven’t dropped anyone in a long time, unlike some of the other Heroes. Now that’s a hell of a mess to clean up, literally and figuratively.

  Glancing at my watch, I see that we’re heading to Houston, Texas.

  “It’s strange that both of the kidnapped men have been from connecting states.”

  Trace replies, “Might be something worth looking into.”

  We land and I make sure to take the brunt of hitting the ground. Trace lets go of my hand as we walk toward the house. Just like Congressman Wrenly’s home, Senator Haas’ house is huge. There are no police cars in front, but there are several black SUVs.

  A man in a suit with dark glasses comes out. Secret Service, for sure.

  “Hero Alpha. Thank you for coming.”

  I reply, “Hero Trace is here, too.”

  The agent looks around as if he’ll be able to magically see Trace.

  “Right this way, please.”

  I follow him into the house. Mrs. Haas stands on the stairway, dabbing her eyes with a linen handkerchief.

  “Hello, Mrs. Haas. I’m Alpha.” I point to my side, even though I’m not sure Trace is there. “And this is Trace.”

  She frowns. “I didn’t know they were sending two of your kind.”

  Our kind. How freaking pleasant.

  I force another smile. “We’re doing everything we can to find your husband. Do you mind telling me what happened?”

  She opens her mouth and I dive right into her mind.

  Do you know who took your husband?

  No, but I’m not surprised this happened.

  Why?

  He doesn’t listen. He’s always playing the game in DC, thinking he’s untouchable.

  How so?

  Making deals without considering how it will affect people’s lives. Like the minimum wage bill. What would it have hurt for him to pass it?

  So you wanted the bill to pass?

  Yes. Before I married him,
I was a waitress. I know how it feels to barely get by. He doesn’t. Never had to work a day in his life. That silver spoon is shoved so far up his ass, he doesn’t know what’s real anymore.

  Why was he meeting with Congressman Wrenly this weekend?

  I overheard him on the phone. Something about a new bill involving your kind.

  You keep saying that term. Why?

  Because that’s how it is. There’s my kind. And then there’s your kind.

  I pull back from her mind. “Thank you, Mrs. Haas. You’ve been helpful. Do you mind if I look around?”

  “Of course. But please don’t touch anything.”

  Good lord. She must be one of those Basics who think they can catch what we have. Some even wear face masks around us.

  I nod. “Of course, Mrs. Haas. We will keep our hands to ourselves.”

  Bitch.

  I look around the house, careful not to touch anything. The last thing I want is to get a reprimand from the Uppers for pissing off Mrs. Haas. It’s not unnoticed that one of the special agents follows me around. Probably waiting to see if I do something I’m not supposed to.

  Trace finds me on the second floor, in the master suite.

  He whispers loudly, “Dude, the Haas’ are freaks. There’s a legit sex dungeon in the basement. Whips. Chains. All that kinky stuff.”

  I turn from the window, my hand over my heart.

  “Shit. What is it, Alpha?”

  “Doc was here. In this room.”

  “Fuck. Are you sure?”

  As sure as the heart beating in my chest.

  I reply, “We need to tell Marble.”

  “Let’s go.”

  I fear this find will put a death warrant out on Doc’s head. And there’s not a damn thing I can do to save him.

  Six

  “Are you certain?”

  “For the thousandth time, yes, I’m sure, Marble!”

  He runs his fingers through his dark hair. “Shit.”

  “Have there been any sightings of Doc?”

  His jaw tics. “No.”

  Trace asks, “How is that possible? I thought we were all microchipped.”