This was all incredible to Taia. She knew Eli was powerful, but this was a completely different level than anything she had ever heard of.
“Harnessing the heat of the sun,” she said. “That’s amazing. That’s why Blake wants you to fight with him so badly. Because you’re so strong. Are there any other Supes with powers like that?”
Eli shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard of. No one’s abilities connected to something as powerful as the sun itself.”
“Then you really can help Blake!” Taia said quickly. “You can fight against the Regime and the Parliament and the Prime Minister—“
“I can’t,” Eli said sadly. “Don’t you remember what happened when I was fighting the mayor? I can’t control the heat. I can control its gravity, but the heat is too much. It overwhelms me.”
“Well maybe you can try,” Taia said. “Maybe you can learn!”
“I can’t Taia.”
“But why not? You can at least try.”
“I killed my parents Taia,” Eli said, looking away from her.
Taia’s stomach plummeted. “What?” She asked quietly.
“When I was 7 years old,” Eli continued looking distraught. “They came to my Camp, looking for any child that may have been born a Supe. Supes started being born to humans around 20 years ago. I was one of the first ones they had heard of because powers didn’t become evident for a few years into childhood. They were rounding us up and sending us to the Core.”
“My parents,” Eli continued. “Somehow knew I was Transcended. I don’t know how. Maybe I showed some powers when I was younger. But they knew what happened to children who were like me. We were sent to the Core and we became killers.”
“I don’t remember much. I was so young. But I can remember my parents trying to hide me. Telling me not to leave the house. But the Core has devices that alerts them when someone is Transcended or human. And they came to my house.”
Eli was staring straight ahead, a blank expression on his face. “Two Core officers came into my house. And they tried to grab me. My father moved forward against them to try and protect me and my mother. But he didn’t stand a chance. Not against two Supes. The Core officers beat both my parents half to death before they grabbed me. But I didn’t want to leave. And I could just feel myself getting so…getting so angry. I was screaming and crying for my parents to help me. And I just got hotter and hotter until I felt like I was on fire. The fear,” Eli paused. “The fear in my parent’s eyes. My dad kept saying “It’s going to be okay Eli. It’s going to be okay.” But I was a child. I just wanted these guys not to take me. I just wanted to stay with my family. And the next thing I knew almost everything was on fire. Including me. The Core officers were screaming. And then my mother looked at me and she told me “You are good Eli Proof. Never forget that” The next thing I knew I was waking up with Blake’s father at my bedside. And he took me under his wing.”
Eyes wide, Taia was staring at Eli in disbelief.
“I killed those Core officers, yea,” Eli said. “But I killed my parents too. And I still went to the Core anyway. It was all for nothing. And at first, the Core made me try to learn how to control the heat, but I just couldn’t do it. It eventually became too much of a risk. The Prime Minister heard about my abilities and had them stop that part of my training. Said if I couldn’t control my abilities I’d end up scorching the Planet. That I was too strong but that the Regime still needed me. So they just harnessed my gravity abilities. Haven’t tried to harness the Sun’s heat since. Too dangerous.”
“But Blake thinks you can control it,” Taia said.
“Blake is a child Taia,” Eli said looking at her. “He thinks I can be some sort of savior. The World’s first real superhero. He got that ridiculous idea from his father. He believed in me too. But I can’t control it Taia. Come on, I killed my parents.”
“That was a mistake Eli,” Taia said forcefully, grabbing his hand.
“Oh I know,” Eli said sadly, smiling at Taia. “I’ve had 10 years to deal with that guilt and it doesn’t eat me alive anymore. But it reminds me of why I can’t try to use that part of my powers. No matter how strong it would make me. I can’t endanger the lives of innocent people.”
Taia was at a loss for words. This boy was possibly the strongest person on the planet and he wanted nothing to do with the power because he cared too much about other people. She couldn’t help but think that Blake was right in that maybe Eli was the person who could change everything.
“Blake should have known not to bring me here,” Eli said, lifting his arms and examining his chains. “He knew I would heal. Do they know I’m Transcended?”
“No,” Taia said, her eyes widening. “And we need to keep it that way,” she then drew her gun from her holster on her hip.
“Woah!” Eli said putting his hands up. “What’s going on?”
“Oh don’t be so dramatic,” Taia said rolling her eyes. “But if the doctors see you’ve healed from third degree burns, they’ll know that you’re Transcended.”
“But you can’t shoot me,” Eli said desperately. “I’m not charged up. I could die.”
“I don’t have it on the kill setting. Just stun,” Taia said pointing her gun at Eli. She grimaced. “But it’s still really going to hurt.”
She then shot him in his exposed shoulder knocking him out and leaving a hot burn mark. She then shot him in the chest and flinched. Shooting Eli was not something that she particularly enjoyed at all.
A few hours passed without Taia leaving Eli’s side before he woke up again. He sat up groggily in his bed groaning and grabbing his chest. He then removed his bandage and saw a fresh burn mark.
He looked at Taia. “Did--Did you shoot me?!”
Taia looked at him guiltily. “I had to shoot you or they would have killed you.”
“Oh the irony,” Eli groaned shifting in his bed.
“Don’t be such a baby,” Taia muttered. “The doctor had to see that you had burn marks on your chest or they would’ve gotten suspicious.”
“Help me out of these chains Taia,” Eli said. “I have to leave.”
Taia grimaced. “You can’t leave,” she said. “It’s why I had to shoot you.”
“Well why can’t I?” Eli asked.
“The only reason we got in here,” Taia said. “Is because Blake teleported us in. The Sector is a fortress. Weapons on its borders pointed in and out. At the sky and beneath us. No one is coming in or out of here without getting shot down first. If Blake stayed, he could get you out. But he’s not here.”
Eli groaned. “Bartholomew does it to me again,” he closed his eyes and put his face in his hands. “So what am I supposed to do?” he mumbled.
“Well,” Taia began nervously. “Right now, you’re going to have to stay here.”
Opening one of his eyes and peeking out of his hand, Eli looked at Taia. “Stay here?” he asked. “Me? A Supe? The guy everyone in this place hates?”
“But they don’t know you’re a Supe,” Taia said. “So you can stay.”
“Yea, because they clearly trust me so much,” Eli said, lifting his arms showing his chains.
Taia let out a nervous laughter. “That’s just a safety precaution. My father is a very paranoid man.”
“Clearly,” Eli muttered.
Soon the door to the hospital room opened. It was the paranoid man himself.
“Eli Proof,” Morris said walking over to the bed. “General Tony Morris, Taia’s father. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“A pleasure to meet you as well sir,” Eli replied, shaking the General’s hand.
“Taia told me how you saved her. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
“I told my father how you’re part of a separate group fighting against the Regime,” Taia said from behind her father, goading Eli to go along with her story. “That you have some information that can help us fight against them.”
Eli raised his eyebrows at Taia. “Yea I have some i
nformation that can help,” he said to the General.
“Hmm,” The General said, nodding.
“But sir,” Eli said. “I just want to go home. I’ll tell you anything you want to know but I’m only here because I wanted to get your daughter to where she needed to go.”
“And I’m grateful for that son,” The General said. “But I can’t let you leave. You’ve seen my home now. It’s too much of a risk.”
“You can trust me sir,” Eli said desperately. “I saved your daughter. I risked my life.”
“Like I said Mr. Proof, I am grateful. But I can’t risk the life of my people just so you could go home.” He turned away. “I am sorry but my responsibility is greater than a young man that I don’t know.”
The General began walking out of the room. “You will tell me everything you know about the Regime Mr. Proof. Some of my soldiers will escort you to the Stockade.”
“But Dad,” Taia said. “He’s recovering.”
“The doctors said he will live. Be ready to leave in 10 minutes Mr. Proof.”
Morris then left and shut the door.
“Real charmer you have there,” Eli said to Taia.
She glared at him. “He’s just very protective of the Sector. That’s all he knows”
Eli grunted in response.
“Is it really so bad here you’re in such a hurry to leave?” Taia asked Eli angrily. She couldn’t admit to herself why, but him being in such a hurry to leave really hurt her feelings.
“Taia, as long as I’m here, you’re all in danger,” Eli responded. “We just took out only God knows how many Supes. I killed a Mayor. Senator Gates and the entire Core is going to be looking for me. I can’t put you all in danger like that.”
“But that’s why you need to stay. You’re safe here. Out there you’re on your own.”
“They’ll find me here.” Eli said. “It’s the Regime. They’ll find me wherever I go. I just need to run.”
“No they won’t. If they haven’t been able to find us for the past 200 years, they won’t find us now. We’re too far into the Wasteland; the Regime would never venture out here. And we actually have defenses surrounding the Sector. It’s a wall just like Carthage but probably stronger. Blake is the only one that knows where we are and we both know we can trust him. And it’s not just you that they’re looking for, you know?” Taia crossed her arms. “You didn’t take out all of those Supes by yourself. They’ll be looking for me too. And wouldn’t it be better if you were here to help me fight them if they come?”
Realization dawned on Eli. Taia was right. He needed to stay here to protect her. But of course she’d never see it that way.
All he did was grunt again but Taia knew that this meant he was going to stay.
“You can be such a baby when you aren’t getting what you want Eli.”
A half an hour later, Eli was in the stockades of the Sector sitting behind a cell. The cells were sealed air tight, with enough oxygen only for the prisoner to survive. It was made of an extremely strong metallic alloy, meant to contain any Supe if need be. Of course, this meant that the Stockades were empty and hadn’t been used in the past century.
“Is this really necessary?” Taia asked her father. “I told you he saved my life. He killed Supes to help me get home.”
“That could all have been part of a plan to get him to come in here and spy on us Taia,” Morris replied.
“Really dad? The Regime would let him kill half a dozen Supes just to get him to spy on us?”
“Would you put that past the Regime?” Morris asked, looking at Taia. If the past few days had taught her anything, it was that she shouldn’t put anything past the Regime.
So Taia ignored the question. “Dad, instead of questioning the guy who helped me get home, you need to be questioning Connor. He led us into a trap.”
“Taia,” Morris sighed. “I believe that Lieutenant General Connor organized the mission. It wasn’t Davenport’s style. But I can’t prove it. None of the citizens would believe that about a War Hero.”
Taia opened her mouth to speak but Morris beat her to it.
“But I don’t think he led you all into a trap.”
“But—“
Morris interrupted her. “But nothing Taia. Nothing more on the subject. That’s an order.”
“Yes sir,” Taia said dejectedly.
“Now,” The General said sternly. “I’m going to talk to your little hero here and see what he has to say. If he checks out,” he paused. “Well if he checks out I won’t kill him. But until he checks out, you are not allowed to see him”
“Father!” Taia exclaimed.
“That’s an order,” The General said sternly. “Now guards, escort my daughter out of here and do not allow her back in until I say.”
Morris then walked to the back of the Stockades past the guards towards the cells to speak with Eli. Taia really hoped Eli did not say anything that incriminated himself. Even though she was sure if her father tried to kill him, Eli would be able to handle himself, she was still very nervous. The guards escorted out of the prison.
Nearly a week had passed and Taia still had not seen Eli. Every day when her father came home she badgered him with questions “Is he okay? Are you feeding him? When can I see him?” And every day the General refused to tell her anything. But she refused to go back to the dorms or the Academy until Eli was free.
Sector 6 was located in the middle of the Wasteland but was formerly a city 200 years ago. All Taia knew about the city was that it was formerly located in a place that used to be named ‘Michigan’. But the Sector still had some things from the city leftover.
Sector 6 was mostly located all in one area. There were several old skyscrapers from the Pre-Outbreak city. The tallest of these buildings was where the Sector Headquarters were located and where General Morris worked at as the leader of the Sector.
Taia visited this building during her week away from Eli as well as several other key places in her Sector. She went to see an old giant fist that always reminded her of the strength of her people. She went to see the Shelter. It was an old building in the back of the Sector that they called the “Bo” because this was all that could be read on the old building. The Shelter was to be used as a contingency plan for the Sector 6 civilians to go to in case the Sector was attacked while the soldiers went to fight. And she went to see the Power Building. Which was the building that powered the entire Sector.
After the week of not seeing Eli at all had passed, Taia was sitting in one of the Sector parks on the grass with Jesse and Kate. Ever since she had arrived back at Sector 6, Taia tried to spend as much time with her best friends as she could when they were free from their education.
“So when are you going to come back to the Academy?” Jesse asked Taia. He was in the same year as her in the Academy and obviously missed her presence from class.
“I don’t know,” Taia responded sadly. “I just can’t deal with everyone looking at me. Judging me. Not believing me.”
Jesse let out a loud sigh. “Man I wish I could just get out of class. Must be nice.”
Kate groaned. “God Jesse,” she said. “All you do is complain and complain about the Academy. If you hate it so much, why not go to trade school with me?” Kate gasped. “You can learn to be a doctor like I am. And intern at the hospital with me. We’ll be work buddies!”
Jesse stared at Kate for a moment. “I’d rather die,” he said in a serious voice. “Plus, I might hate the Academy but I’m damned good at it.”
This was true. Jesse Bonner was one of the best recruits at the Academy. He was just as good as Taia.
Taia kept staring at the sky. She really hoped Eli was okay. She trusted her father and believed that he wouldn’t do anything to hurt Eli, but she was still worried. But she shouldn’t have been. Eli could clearly handle himself. Even more than what she had seen. Evidently it was possible that he was the most powerful Supe in the world.
“Did you hear me?”
Taia was snapped out of her stupor. Kate had just asked her a question.
“I’m sorry,” Taia said.
Kate rolled her eyes. “God, girl. What are you day dreaming about?”
Jesse chuckled. “Oh you know what she’s daydreaming about. The convict.”
Ignoring the jab, Taia responded to Kate. “What did you say?”
“I asked if you still want to be a soldier,” Kate said. “It’s all you’ve ever talked about. Being a soldier, fighting for the Resistance against the Regime.”
Taia was about to answer but someone else did for her. “Morris is not a soldier.”
It was Aaron Wesley and Davis Pitts. Davis was Jake Pitts’ younger brother and Aaron was Jake’s best friend. But he was also James Connor’s Golden Boy. The fact that he wasn’t sent on the mission only solidified Taia’s belief that Connor was a traitor.
Feelings of pain and guilt came over Taia. This is why she hadn’t been to the Academy. She couldn’t see these people and be overcome with these feelings of survivor’s guilt.
“Get out of here Wesley,” Jesse said, jumping up, able to sense a confrontation.
“Stay out of this Bonner,” Wesley said. “So what’s the deal Morris? Where’s my brothers?” Wesley was in Taia’s face asking about his fallen comrades. “How come you came back and they didn’t? And you brought some stranger with you?” He pushed Taia hard. Taia made a move to reach for Wesley but Jesse grabbed her, holding her back. Davis didn’t say anything but he looked ready to fight in case anything happened.
“Who is that guy Morris?” Wesley asked angrily. “What, you and that guy killed my friends? You killed Jake? Is that why you haven’t been to the Academy?”
“Shut up Aaron!” Taia said furiously. “Shut the hell up!”
“I’ll kill you!” Wesley said drawing back a fist to punch Taia.
“Cadets!” All of the Cadets stood at attention. Kate stayed sitting on the grass looking flabbergasted.
The soldier that had spoken walked up to Taia. “Cadet Morris,” he said. “The General would like to speak with you.”
Becoming Super Page 17
