Super: Underground: Book 2 in the Super: Series

by Palladian

  When they made their way into the club, Lex felt pleased to find it large enough to hold about 150 people and comfortable, built in the basement of a medium-sized office building. Casey ordered a beer and started talking to the bartender about the best place to set up to sell CDs and download cards, Victor wandered the room to look at speaker placement, while the other four stared up at the stage.

  “How many people do you think will be here?” Kate asked, looking dubiously at the few people sitting at tables, having a drink and chatting.

  Riss shrugged. “I made sure to publicize where we are on our site for each show. Hopefully that brings out some people, because a good number of people in Europe have bought our music.”

  Lou had gone to speak with Casey and now rejoined the rest of the band. “The bartender said we can bring our gear in and store it behind the stage until we go on.”

  Lex nodded and followed her friends as they all brought their things inside. She and the other band members began to notice people arriving for the show in the half-hour that followed, but when they started to set up their instruments shortly thereafter, Lex glanced out at the big room to see that it had almost filled up. She noted that all of the tables had been taken and some people had begun standing in groups in any open spot. Some of them applauded as the sound check began, and Lex felt her cheeks flame in response.

  Lex smiled and thanked them, then sang some new lyrics for her vocal sound check.

  Counting the days to come ahead are nothing to those remaining behind

  Wild silences envelop all of the time around

  And yet all of us come to the ground unheard, changing silences into words

  She ducked her head as people clapped again when she finished her sound check, but smiled anyway and bowed to the crowd. Not long afterwards, they began the show. By the time they played the first few bars of the first song, the room had filled to the point that those standing had little room to maneuver and those sitting couldn’t easily stand. Lex took a few deep breaths, playing the long introduction to the first song, and smiled just before she started to sing. She’d decided that she would give these people the kind of show that they’d put on just before they’d left Phoenix and not try to rein her singing in at all.

  The silence that greeted the end of the first song caused Lex to open her eyes to look at the crowd, almost at the same time the thunderous applause started. The crowd continued to become more enthusiastic as the band played, eventually requesting multiple encores. Finally, they wrapped up the show and moved their gear offstage. Afterwards, they chatted with fans as the second band set up, discussing the performance and signing CDs or posters offered to them. Once the next band started to play, however, the four members of Alexander’s Army excused themselves and began moving their gear outside. As they went into the long hallway that led to the street level, however, they stopped due to the man standing in front of them, blocking their way.

  Lex had been leading the group and now stood face-to-face with him. He stood only a few inches taller than her, but as Lex studied his broad shoulders and solid look, she decided he must be a weightlifter. The dark business suit and silk tie made him stand out, in Lex’s opinion, since most of the other people who’d attended the show had seemed to have dressed fairly casually, but she felt something else emanating from him that sent a chill down her spine. A feeling of power came from him and it made Lex’s companions also stop in place and pay attention.

  “Hello, Lex,” he said as he brought his eyes to meet hers. Suddenly, she shivered as she met his gaze, noticing his eyes—a dark, rich gold, like an old piece of brass that had come to life—and that the way he stood, preternaturally still, unnerved her. “I’d like to talk to you. To all of you, really.”

  A moment later, Lex looked up as Lou stepped in front of her, half blocking her from the man in front of them. “What is it that you want?” Lou asked, his voice as calm and sonorous as always.

  Then Kate flanked Lex’s other side, leaving her plenty of room to see, but making it clear to the man in front of them that their group had been prepared for a confrontation. “Yeah, what do you want?” she echoed, her hands by her sides but not relaxed.

  The man held his hands out in front of him in a friendly way, and Lex could feel everyone around her relax, just a little. “Please, I am not here to harm anyone. I am here to convey an offer to your group, so I was hoping that I could treat you to something to eat and that we could discuss it over a meal.”

  The four of them exchanged looks then, with Lou shrugging very slightly, seeming to mean that he didn’t mind hearing the man out, Kate raising an eyebrow as if she didn’t know what to think yet, and Riss nodding slightly, obviously willing to listen.

  “All right,” Lex said, looking cautiously at the man in the suit. “We’ll need to consult with the rest of our friends and see what they think, but I think we’ll be able to hear what you have to say.”

  “Excellent,” he said with a small, reassuring smile. “I don’t think you’ll regret it.”

  They went back into the club and Kate went to round up and talk to Casey and Victor. A few minutes later, all three had joined the rest of the group.

  “All right,” Casey said, looking a little suspiciously at the man in the suit. “Let’s get the gear and pack it up, and then we can listen to what this guy has to say.”

  Once they’d stowed the gear in the van, the man mentioned that the cafe he’d been thinking of taking them to was around the corner, so they walked over. The stars shone brightly overhead with the crispness of early fall, and Lex glanced up at them once or twice, wanting to appreciate them but still worried about the newcomer.

  It wasn’t until everyone had a warm drink and had ordered something to eat that the stranger started talking. Lex noted his excellent English and that she also heard a slight German accent as he spoke.

  “Thanks to all of you for hearing me out,” he said, glancing around the table. “To begin with, my name is Rolf Kaiser. I should also add that I know it’s probably surprising to get to a foreign country and have a strange person wanting to speak with you like this.”

  “How do you know the name Lex?” Kate asked in a hard voice, and Lex could hear the distrust in it.

  The man sighed almost imperceptibly and then returned Kate’s gaze. “Actually, we’ve had people watching you since you arrived.”

  “Watching us? What is it that we’ve done?” Casey asked, almost standing up in her anger.

  He shook his head in response. “It’s not anything that you’ve done, but what you are capable of doing. We don’t often get visitors from America like yourselves.”

  “Yeah, they like to keep us pretty locked up,” Kate murmured. Lex elbowed her friend, hoping that the man in front of them wouldn’t notice.

  “What is it you’re getting at?” Lex said, meeting the man’s gaze.

  “I mean that it’s very rare for any American who can do the types of things all of you can do to be seen outside America. That being the case, if anyone like you manages to make it here, we usually tail them for a time to find out more about them.” He paused, surveying the faces at the table, and whatever he saw in their eyes seemed to be enough to make him continue.

  “A lot of the time we simply keep an eye on things and just note where people are traveling as a precaution. The normal channels are set up to handle average people, but I think everyone at this table knows that no one sitting here is average.”

  He challenged them with a look to disagree, but no one spoke up. Nodding to himself as if he’d received a confirmation, he continued. “However, it was determined that I should come to speak to you for a couple of reasons. For one, we think that one of you–” here, he broke off and looked directly at Riss, “has been accessing some computer networks here without authorization, and I was asked to request that you stop that.”

  Riss’ eyebrows were both raised as she returned the man’s look, but she said nothing.

  “In the
second place,” he continued, looking at all of them, “due to what we’ve been able to find out about all of you, as a representative of the European Union, I’d like to pass this offer along to you.”

  He took a small briefcase off the floor and opened it, then put a file folder in the middle of the table. “You’ll find a contract in there. Please review it; hire a lawyer to review it as well, if you like.”

  Lex reached forward to take the folder, but looked up at the man, her eyebrows drawn down. “What is this for?” she asked dubiously.

  Rolf answered, “We’d like to offer all of you spots on our Special Forces teams here in Europe. From what we’ve been able to tell, it seems a few of you have skills that we’ve never seen before, and the rest have a level of skill that would be a valuable addition to any team you might be placed on. The contract explains a bit more about what would be expected and the level of pay, but please let me assure you that there is nothing underhanded in it. Everything you would be asked to do is contained there; there are no hidden expectations.”

  “You say that like you’ve had to say it before,” Kate said, and although Lex could hear that her friend had begun to feel more comfortable, it seemed Kate still didn’t fully trust Rolf.

  “Yes. I’ve learned to add that because people that we choose to extend an offer to that have come from America get very nervous once I hand them a contract,” he said, giving all of them a curious glance.

  “There’s good reason for that,” Lex said as she put the folder in front of her. “How long do we have to review this?”

  “Take as long as you like,” Rolf said as he leaned back in his chair. “You’ll find my card inside; you can call me if you have questions. If you want to, I can get you the contact information for some other American expatriates who have accepted our offer, and you can see firsthand what they think.”

  “OK, thanks,” Lex said, wondering if she was missing something. She looked at him hesitantly, suddenly noticing the man’s thick black hair, so dark that his highlights shone blue. The look on his face seemed kind as he met her gaze a moment later, but Lex dragged her eyes away, trying to think of anything that still needed to be asked. As something occurred to her, she spoke up again.

  “So, can we continue our tour?” she asked, meeting Rolf’s eyes once more.

  He looked surprised. “Yes, certainly. I understand you’re all here legally, because otherwise someone else entirely would have been sent to speak to you. No one is trying to impede your movements. The only thing I would ask is that you contact me when you’ve made a decision, one way or the other.”

  “All right,” Lex said quietly, then looked around the table to see if anyone had anything else to add. Riss spoke up after a moment.

  “If we decide to join,” she asked, “do we get citizenship here?”

  Rolf nodded in response. “Yes, that’s part of the offer. Citizenship plus a reasonable salary, and access to, in my opinion, some of the finest training facilities in the world, and resources to help you do your job better.”

  “Which would be what, exactly?” Kate asked, her voice still sounding a bit suspicious.

  Smiling, Rolf responded, “Helping people, usually. What else would a bunch of superheroes want to do?”

  The entire table was silent after he said that, examining each other with raised eyebrows and a few silly smiles. After a few moments, Rolf stood.

  “Ladies, gentlemen, it’s been a pleasure to meet you. Please read through our offer carefully, and, personally, I hope you’ll accept. I think you’ll find the life is something you can enjoy and feel good about.”

  “How do you know?” Lex asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

  Rolf gave a big smile then as he met her gaze. “Because I’m on one of the teams. From what I’ve heard and seen of all of you, it seems like you’d fit right in with the type of people there and the sorts of things we usually end up doing.”

  “What’s your special talent?” Kate asked excitedly, her suspicion suddenly gone.

  Rolf gave her, then the rest of the table, a considering look. “Ask me that again when you’re ready to share the story of how the entire group of you not only managed to make it out of America at all, but together and in style.”

  He smiled and gave a bow before going to the counter to pay the check. Lex looked blankly down at the folder in her hands for a moment before she gazed back up to watch him walk out the door.

  As they walked back to the van later, Kate moved forward to walk next to Lex, then elbowed her. “Hey, I saw you checking him out.”

  Lex turned to look at her friend with wide eyes. “I was not! Would you stop it!” she hissed, looking around to see if anyone else heard.

  “Yes, you were,” Casey’s voice floated back to the two of them as the taller woman turned her head to smirk. “Why not? He was really cute.”

  “Agreed,” Victor said from behind Kate and Lex.

  Lex just hung her head for a moment, then looked over at Riss, who gave a gentle smile in return. She forced out a sigh as she put her hands in her coat pockets against the night chill, folder tucked underneath her arm.

  “So, I guess this means all of you have made up your minds?” Lex asked as she glanced around at her friends.

  Casey looked backwards before she spoke. “We can talk about it more when we get back home, but yeah, pretty much. I figure that’s what we wanted, anyway—citizenship so that we could be safe here. It even involves a job, which is definitely fine by me.”

  As she looked around, Lex could see most of her friends nodding. She sighed with exasperation in return. “But we haven’t even looked at the contract yet! Maybe there are some terrible things in it,” Lex concluded.

  Casey stopped then, turning to look at Lex with a laugh. “Then you should definitely be the person to take a look at it, because you were the one who looked so closely at the last one. Do you think you can review it and let us know so that we can figure out what we’re going to do by the time we leave this city for the rest of the tour in two and a half weeks?”

  Lex sighed. “That’s part of the problem, Casey. The contract we all signed had some bad stuff in it, well, except for you, Lou,” she said, turning a little to look at the man in question. “Maybe there will be things not in the contract like there were before.”

  Shrugging, Casey continued walking forward. “If that’s the case, I think we can handle it. We did it once before, didn’t we?”

  “I guess,” Lex said with a sigh, feeling uneasy still but somehow comforted by Casey’s words.

  A few days later, Lex found herself feeling even easier in her mind about the offer but still worried. She’d read the contract through a couple of times, carefully. The document had been short enough so that it hadn’t been too difficult, and it also seemed that whoever had written it up had been trying to be clear in what they’d said. From what she could tell, it seemed much more like a normal employment contract than the one she’d read in America, but she wanted to be sure.

  Lex had taken most of a day to find an English-speaking, employment contract lawyer, and Riss had helped her find information about some of the lawyers in town to select one that people seemed to think the most highly of. With the contract folder in hand, Lex set out from the house for her appointment. Since no one else had an interest, Lex ascended the stairs of the old building on her own and came to the fourth-floor offices marked for the lawyer she had an appointment with.

  “Mr. Mathieu,” announced the young woman in the blue business suit who showed Lex into a small office.

  Lex came forward over the well-worn Persian carpet to shake the older man’s hand. He’d dressed in a pressed grey pinstripe suit with a white shirt and striped tie, his grey hair short and combed back, not one strand out of place. He looked at Lex over the top of his black plastic-framed glasses and smiled.

  “Well, young lady,” he said, the smile carrying over to his voice, “what is it that I can help you with?”

&nb
sp; His English had a slight accent that Lex hadn’t heard before but assumed was Flemish. She smiled in return, still feeling somewhat off-balance, but sat in the chair in front of his desk and slid the folder she carried across the desk to him.

  “My friends and I received this employment offer. I was hoping you could take a look at it and let me know if there are any hidden surprises in the contract and whether it looks like it’s on the level or not.”

  She waited while he opened the folder and noted when his eyebrow went up as he saw the first page. He took it and held it up to the light, then nodded.

  “It passes the first test of actually being an official EU contract,” he said, holding the page up for her to see the back of it overhead. “If you take a look here, you can see the watermark. With these types of contracts, they’re supposed to have this mark.”

  Lex eyed the complex of letters on a shield over twined vines and then noted the swords on either side of the shield. She nodded as she looked back at the lawyer.

  “It sounds like you’ve seen these types of contracts before?” she asked, her own eyebrow rising as she let the question settle in the air.

  He nodded at her, his smile broadening a bit. “Oh, yes. It seems that the Special Forces like to catch you Americans as you visit Brussels, so I’ve seen a few of these before.”

  Her eyes widened. “What do you–” she stopped, not certain what she wanted to say. “I guess I figured this sort of thing was secret.” She knew her confusion showed in her face as she looked at the older man, but his smile held steady.

  “Certainly their business isn’t well known to the general public, but I have a young relative who’s in the Special Forces. When I see her at family events, we sometimes get to talking about business, and she’s not shy about telling me things that aren’t supposed to be secret.”