Chapter 1: A New Day
(1st Person: Zavier)
Hmm..I feel the nice and warm rays of the sun on my skin. Another beautiful morning to wake up to. I just wish I could enjoy it more but I can't cuz my arm is numb. Sometimes I hate my body. It prefers to sleep on my arms for whatever reason. Sleeping any other way just isn't as comfortable even though waking up to a dead arm is also annoying and a pain. I'm finally sitting up, trying to get some feeling back into my arm. I notice it's just me & my grey & white Maine coon cat Joy in my bedroom. Aiden must already be up now. Knowing him, he already got breakfast cooked up. God I love his cooking. The perfect fusion of American Soul & Filipino food. God I can't wait to chow down on whatever he got whipped up…after I finish brushing my teeth. That comes first. Oh wait, I haven't introduced myself yet. My bad. The name is Zavier Freeman.
🎶 I'm a Memphis blerd, born & raised. In my room gaming is where I spent most of my days.
Chillin out, maxin', relaxing all coo- 🎶
Hol up, let me stop. I say that but it's been years since I lived in Memphis. About 10 years actually. I left to go to college in Salt Lake City, UT (far, I know), got a bachelor's degree in computer science, and started working at a software company for cars. In that time, I found love in a cute Filipino femboy, Aiden, and we made a life with each other here in Mormon country. You'd be surprised how diverse and queer these red states can be. Still predominantly white and conservative, but it got some liberal flavor here.
Beyond that, I thought life was gonna be normal & relaxing, but man was I wrong. A few years after graduating, I was riding around on bikes with Aiden & our dog, a blue & white pittie named Luna, I up and passed out for a few days. When I woke up, I had powers. I was stronger & faster than normal and apparently I also became the black Invisible Woman…well..excluding the "invisible" and "woman" part. Force Fields. I got that part. Also, I started being able to use chi (basically I can make my hands or feet glow and now I can punch or kick harder), though I'm still learning how to use that. How this all happened, I'm still sort of lost on that. All I know is that somebody's behind it all and is getting their rocks off from it. As much as I love being a Variant, how we got there and what came with it was a lot to deal with and that's putting it lightly. Being among the 1st few to have these powers before V-Day and it thrusted a lot of new challenges and responsibilities. Having to help the whole damn world adjust to the changes was unbelievably stressful. Man, I swear I used to dream of being in a superhero team like the Justice League or Avengers when I was kid, thinking how awesome it would've been….well…it came true now. I'm a founding member of the Apostles. I'm among the 1st ones they call when some shit goes down and I gotta be there for meetings and hearings as well. UGGGHHH. I miss being a young, dumb kid and not having a worry in the world. Hell, I'll even take just being a regular adult paying bills and student loans being my norm. That being said, the joy I feel helping others and saving lives in the way I do, it's something indescribable and uplifting. It's complicated, but it's my life and I'm determined to live it how I see fit.
After I finished taking care of my teeth, it's time to head into the kitchen and start the day. May I say, Aiden got my day starting off…very…nicely. Alongside the delicious set of silog, pandesal, & waffles, he was wearing nothing but one of my Naruto shirts and cute underwear. Hmm…time to be sneaky. I put a small force field platform under my feet, lifting me up while making no noise for him to hear me. The closer I get, the more ready my hand is to give his nice bubble of a booty a smack. Would love for that to be the official start of my day…but Luna saw me and started happy barking and panting towards me, completely outing me to Aiden.
"Damn it, Luna! You exposed me?"
Aiden turns to me, just laughing at it all.
"Boy, I heard you when you came down the stairs. I was just waiting for you to do something."
"Damn! Stealth mode failed."
"No need to be stealthy with me, babe."
Oh. Before I could say anything, he pulled me into him, putting my hands on his butt. This morning keeps getting better and better. He presses his soft, juicy lips onto mine. I'm damn near giddy as a kid during recess now. Ok, I have to pull away now before I lose all my oxygen.
"Damn, you know how to make me feel special. You need to calm down, sir."
As I expected, he started looking at me like I said something crazy.
"Boy, excuse me?"
"Aye, you heard me. You need to start acting like a gentleman around here. I'm trying to live with what little innocence I have left."
He just laughs off my comments.
"Innocences? Not after what we did last night."
Damn, he got me stuttering and blushing now.
"Come back from work tonight and I'll snatch up the rest of your 'innocence'."
Wuh..he has the nerve to say that with a spoon in his mouth and winks at me. I'm usually the one that gets him flustered and blushing but instead it's me today. I'll let him have it for now.
"Ok you got it. Pause on the freakiness for now. I'm ready for breakfast."
" Ok, eat up, babe. How much time do I get to keep you for today?"
"About another hour. After that, I got to get the crew together for a training session & a briefing. From what I hear, we're close to cracking down on somebody, just waiting for some confirmation. How's everything down at the salon, you beautiful salon manager?"
"Stooop!"
A-HAH! Got his ass! Now he's blushing now.
"It's been going good. The girlies love me. Well except Tara, but that heifer never liked me, but she ain't stopping me and my bag."
"Damn Skippy."
"Ok. How should we fill the hour?"
As soon as he said that, it came to me while slurping down some syrup covered eggs. I shoot him a real sensual look and shoot a look back at me, knowing what's going through my mind. Like we've married for years, we shout out the same thing.
"DRAGON BALL Z ABRIDGED!"
Ahh, I love my life. After enjoying my morning with Aiden and our pets, I got my gear ready for training. Ain't nothing left but to start flying away.
"I'm heading out, babe. Don't wait up for me."
"Uh, no. Not without my kiss."
Damn, he always wanna be cute when it's inconvenient. I'm not gonna stop him, but come on now. He gives me a sweet kiss and tight hug. His adorable ass always loves to be extra.
"Ok, you gotta let me now."
"Ugggh. I know."
He finally loosens his grip on me. Alright it's time to
*SMACK*
... Oh no he didn't. He just slapped my ass. I turned my head and just gave him the meanest " Really?" look. He just giggles in my face like it didn't matter to him.
"Hey, look. Bottoms like cake too and uh..you packing."
Oh God. Now both my cheeks are red.
"Aight, but you gon pay for that."
"Oh punish me, Zaddy."
Now I'm just blushing tomato red all over. Taking back my focus, I turn away and coat myself in a force field that will carry & protect me during flight. After I waved bye to Aiden, I took off, heading to my 1st stop, Renee & Nate's condo. These 2 are my longtime Apostle partners in this area. Hell, me & Renee were among the 1st group of Variants in the world. Nate came later after the V-Day incident. After tham, we'll get Darius, my most recent recruit. Joined us last year and he's been impressing me. I'm getting him ready for bigger missions that'll come in his future. This training session today should help me get a good feel of where his skills are now and at the same time sharpen my own skills, both as a fighter & as a leader.
For all the stress that comes with being a Variant, I must say I don't necessarily miss driving as my main mode of transportation. A drive from the SugarHouse neighborhood to Draper would be a 20-ish minute drive. Now, it's under 5. Probably be faster than that if my force fields could protect me from the g-force and allow me to go higher than 300 ft, but beggars can't be choosers. Who knows, I'm still getting stronger and better every year. Before I arrived at their condo, I sent a text to both of them to see if they're ready and to meet me in the courtyard. After a quick check in at the front office, I headed straight to the courtyard area. I forget how beautiful this place is. All the multi-colored flowers all over the place, a nice little dog park in the center, plus a nice little water fountain in the center.
Few moments later I can see Renee & Nate coming out the hallway together. Hmm, you know I've noticed how much they like to hang around each. They swear they're not together, but their type of companionship feels very flirty. Either way, I like it. Those 2 have been through enough in their own individual lives, especially considering all the pain their own family members put them through, it's nice to see them bond with each other the way they do….time to troll. mWahahaha, mUahahaha.
"Sup, guys. That slumber party was lit last night, wasn't it?"
They both just light up with embarrassment with that line. God, I love doing this. Especially to Nate. When he gets flustered, he starts smoking a lil bit. Must still be hard to control the flames when he blushes.
"Da hell, Z!?"
I love it when Nate gets like this.
"We're in public. Don't do that to us."
Renee just shakes her head and pats Nate's back.
"Nate, At this point, saying that to him is a lost cause. He gets off on this type shit."
Oh I do. Very maliciously to anyone I care about and doesn't mind going with it. That being said, I gotta gaslight them (in a very obvious manner mind you) to throw them off my trail.
"Whaaat? Renee. I can't believe you would think that off me. I'm a hero to the public. I wouldn't dare besmirch my image with such foolishness.You should be ashamed of yourself for making such allegations."
"Keep this bit up and my claw is going right up your ass."
"Fair enough."
Game over, I guess. I see Nate enjoyed that one cuz giggling his flaming ass off.
"Alright, alright. Y'all ready for our next stop?"
"Yup. Let's get Darius. You got me, Z?"
"Yup. Let's head out."
Just like before, I coated myself and Renee in my force field to take flight while Nate 'flamed on' and took off like a jet.
We're flying back into the Downtown Salt Lake City area, past the Guadalupe Bridge, to pick up Darius at his house. Once we made it to his house, there were 2 cars parked in his driveway. Seeing that, I know he's still home and his baby mama, Shondra, is there as well. Hopefully everything is peaceful. There was some contention between them, but they've been working on their co-parenting relationship. They got a beautiful little girl named Janiyah. No kids should have to deal with fighting & arguing parents. Regardless of their issues, that's what matters the most here. Right as we land, Darius is coming outside with Shondra & Janiyah.
"Sup, everyone"
"Hi, y'all. Y'all good?"
"We good, Shondra. We just got a zthing we need to get to."
"I know. I won't hold y'all up. I was just picking up my baby girl."
" Hi, Renee."
" Hey, Janiyah. How's my little angel?"
Janiyah runs up to Renee to give her a hug as I walk up to Darius to dap him up.
"How you doing, D?"
" I'm good, Z. I'm about ready to head out with y'all. I just need to get my backpack and say bye to my lil girl."
" All good. No rush."
I can hear Shondra's car turning on. As we both turn, my force fields came up to protect me from a soccer ball. I was confused at first til I realized that Renee told Janiyah to practice her kicks at me.
"Really, Renee?"
"Wait, how you think it was me?"
"Nate's snitching on you right now."
Renee turns her head to see Nate pointing at her while trying to look innocent.
"Damn. Can't believe you would just put me like that."
Janiyah's lil cute self is just laughing while both her parents look at her with disbelief.
"Sorry, but that's so cool."
"JANIYAH! That's not ok!"
Renee steps in to take the heat.
"Wait, that's on me. I'm the bad influence here."
"Gurl, don't make me rethink about having her around y'all."
While Shondra is chewing her out, I slickly step to Janiyah's side to help ease her anxiety.
"Aye, don't worry about it. I can't tell you how many times Aiden kept doing that till he finally got bored of it."
Her eyes perk up and she lifts her eyebrow up with child-like wonder.
"For real?"
"Yup…I'm still waiting for him to get bored tho."
Janiyah starts to giggle, her frown from getting in trouble finally leaving her face.
"Alright, alright. You good, baby girl. Daddy just wants to say bye before you leave."
"Ok, Daddy."
They're embrace of each other just warms my heart. Stuff like this makes me consider being a parent someday, tho the day I do that, I can't be in the field anymore. Well, I wouldn't want to. Hol up, let me focus on my priorities cuz I'll be thinking about this all day.
"Let's go, Janiyah."
"Ok. I love you, daddy."
"I love you to baby girl"
Janiyah runs off to her moms car while Darius goes up to the driver's side window to speak (and if you ask me, to low-key flirt) with Shondra.
"Aight, Shon. Take care of my lil girl, now"
"D, you know I got her. Don't trip."
"Hey, don't blame me for caring about one of my 2 important girls in the world."
Shondra gives him a side eye and chuckles. She knows he was talking about her too. I admire his persistence and him wanting to have his family while, but I wish he stopped trying. She got a whole man at home. I love Darius, but he needs to respect that and move on.
"Aight' now. Ease up, D. I'm proud of where you're at right now, but remember we are just co-parents. Nothing more."
"I know. Can't blame me for trying."
"You know Devin will."
Oooh. Darius doesn't like that. I can see his face tightening, his smile weakening.
"Yeah, you right. As long as he making y'all happy, we good."
"Thank you. Will you make it to her soccer game later on this week?"
He finally snaps out his little funk for Janiyah.
"Oh most definitely. You know I got a support my baby."
"Yay! I promise, Daddy, every goal I get, I'll do that emote dance you taught me"
"Oh, God. Promise me, y'all won't embarrass me at this game too."
"Embarrass you? Me?"
"Yes, you and yo team over there."
She turns to the rest of us like it's our fault that Janiyah deserves the loudest praise when she kills it on the field. I got half mind to tell Shondra off. Matter a fact I-
"I promise to keep them in check, Shondra."
"Thank you, Nate. Glad somebody sensible is in y'all click."
Nate sure is lucky none of us got heat vision cuz all 'tree' of us (if you don't get the reference, look up 'Birdman Breakfast Club' on YouTube) is glaring at him hard right now.
"Aye, y'all ease up on Nate, please."
The way we all look at each other in reluctance of it all and just begrudgingly agree to her demand like she was directing a choir.
"Fine."
I got a say, despite all the craziness we deal with in this life, moments like this are what I appreciate the most. I never would've known Nate & Darius if it wasn't for our powers and I don't know if Renee would've made it out from her situation either. These are the things we can't take for granted.
"Alright, y'all. We gotta get going."
"Bye, Daddy."
"Bye, baby girl. Take care of mommy."
"See you later, D. The rest of y'all, take care."
We all raise & wave our hands at them. Janiyah waves back with such giddy, it's hard to be upset at her smile. As her car fades into the distance, I got behind Darius and gave him a pat on the back.
"You ok?"
"Yea, I'm good. Let me grab my bag and we can go."
With everyone ready, we all headed to the Hill Air Force Base to wait for our ride that'll take us to an Apostle base in Maryland. Usually a flight like that would be about 3 hours, however the jets they fly us on can turn hours into minutes. That being said, we still have to find something to do with that time. We had to talk about what we got in-store for us at the base. Renee actually asked me a fundamental question that I don't have an answer for.
"So, Zavier….what training exercise are we doing?"
"Yea, I don't know. All I know is that it's a team exercise, so you know, 'teamwork is the key' I guess."
"Figures. any guesses on what it'll be?"
"Hmmm, my guess would be team vs team. If it is that, I'm not sure who we would go against."
Darius gives one big exhale before he admits which one of our teammates he would be scared to fight. "Mane, I hope not against SunBeam, cuz ain't no point fighting against a SuperWoman."
He's not wrong. Toma is a S Rank Variant , meaning she's among the strongest Variants, if not the strongest Variant on the planet, and she has Kryptonian-like powers except her kryptonite affects all Variants. Not to mention, while she wasn't among the first group of Variants, she was one of the first agents to work with us. She actually was the handler to the first SunBeam ….. until a crazy situation happened and she ended up with his powers and he ended up in jail. That's a story for another day.
Thinking about it, I know a good matchup for us. "I think it'll be the Phantom Wolves. At least, I would love for it to be them."
Renee just laughs at my suggestion. "Please. You want to be them cuz you want to fight your bestie, Adam."
"What? Is that a problem?"
"I swear if Aiden has anything to worry about, it's you & Adam."
"Please, it ain't like that. Besides, Aiden & Teresa would kick our asses. Hell, Teresa would kick our ass in her power suit. I don't want those problems. Matter a fact, she's the scariest one of their 4 person squad. As powerful as Minerva is and how beastly Shaw is, I would rather fight the other 3 together than Teresa."
Nate just shudders, knowing the terror Teresa can put into us.
"Yea, I don't want to fight her, Toma, or Amaia. If Toma is SuperWoman, Amaia is Goku." Never had Nate said something so wild, but accurate. Girl is a black belt in karate and one of the best A-Type Variants around and an OG Apostle member…but not unbeatable though. I gotta ease their fear.
"Hey, hey. We can handle Amaia. I've beaten her before in a sparring session."
As soon as I said that, the room got quiet. The disrespect these people are showing me. Renee just gives me a look like I said something stupid
"Zavier…that was years ago. You have never beaten her again after that"
... She loves to kill my vibe.
"Zay, she was 2 chi levels weaker when that happened. She's at level 3 now, 1 level away from mastering her chi, and you just barely got a handle level 1. She would waste you."
"Your lack of faith in me is disturbing."
"But it's based on facts, tho."
The room just fills with ooos' from Nate & Darius. They sound like wounded cows on a prairie to me.
"While y'all ooo-ing over there, imma campaign for y'all to go up against Anika & Alexio if you keep it up."
They immediately go silent.
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
Nate just shakes his head at me. "No fair. You're just gonna sick the Avatar and a speedster on us."
Darius nods his head in agreement. "Yea, we'll need all the v-cores in the world to put up a fight. Hell, a V-Diamond or 2 might even it up."
All I could do was chuckle when he said that. I know he's joking…but the power from those gems are nothing to scoff at.
"For your sake, I hope you never use those things. Trust me, that type of power comes at a cost."
The room fell to silence. Hmm. I didn't mean to make things serious, but if you felt the power that comes from just one of those diamonds, you would understand what effect they have. I turn my head to see Renee's face. The look of concern she has for me is intense.
"Sorry, y'all. It's been a couple of years since that battle. Having & using all 7 of the Primary V-Diamonds for that fight left a mark on me that'll… never go away. I have never been & felt so powerful in my life. It was like anything I wanted to do, I could do it and in no way could anyone else stop me from doing it. No one in the universe…and it scared the hell out of me. All that power at once and in a short period of time…my body didn't want it to end. I don't drink and I've never done drugs…well except poppers a time or 2, but I didn't really feel anything. The closest to addiction I had was to soda. If that's what that 'high' is like and to just stop it after you got a taste of it, I get why it would be hard to quit. Especially for how…unpleasant it was for that power to leave me. To this day, I get nervous just using regular v-cores to recharge when I need to. I'm scared it'll trigger something inside me."
Before I got lost in those thoughts, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I look and see that it's Renee.
"Zay, that won't happen. I know you. You're way too strong to fall into that. Even if you do, you have us, Aiden, & the rest of the Apostles to support you. You won't let us or yourself down."
I couldn't do anything else but smile. I'm lucky to have these people in my life. I took Renee's hand in comfort. "Thanks."
Darius & Nate sat up straight in their chairs. "Bro, we got you. You stood by us despite our baggage. Thanks to you, we were able to get opportunities we never got due to our pasts."
"Darius is right. We owe everything to you. You ain't alone in this."
Damn…I could cry. "Thanks guys. I appreciate this."
Renee stands in front of me, but I can tell that she's puzzled by something.
"Renee? What's up?"
"Zay, there's something I need to know. The training….what I wanna know is…how many times are you gonna shout 'focus!' at us during the whole thing?"
….She really asked me that with a smirk on her face. All the silence just turns into giggles.
"So at least 2 right?"
….Oh, so the whole room just starts laughing.
"Nah, 3." Darius said without even thinking about it.
"Nah, 4. He loves that word." Nate loves to speak negativity into the world.
Oh, I can't take any more of this.
"Well maybe if y'all learn how to 'focus', then I wouldn't be repeating it."
Renee just coughs to get my attention and gives me the side eye. "Ay, Zay….that's one."
….Dis bitch. And the rest of these clowns just laugh even harder their asses off like that's the funniest thing they heard.
"Look, look. I really want you guys to know that I love you 3. I love what we got here and I appreciate what you all mean to me. With that being said….Renee, Nate, Darius…y'all ain't shit."
Now they are all on the floor laughing. Hol up, even some of the jet crew members are laughing too… they should mind their own business.
"Giggle, giggle, motherfuckers."
Minutes later after my torture moment, we're touching down into Maryland. Thank God. The jet's engines hummed to a stop as we touched down on the training base. As the ramp lowered, sunlight poured into the cabin, and I caught a glimpse of the sprawling complex. Soldiers marched in formation, cargo vehicles rumbled past, and training drills played out on distant fields. The energy was electric—a perfect blend of chaos and precision.
"Aight, you damn comedians." I said, unbuckling my seatbelt and standing up. "Time for y'all to be on y'all on your best behavior."
One by one, they unbuckle and follow behind me, moving like a unit. This moment would be excellent if Renee didn't have one last stinger in her.
"Yes, sir, dad."
Hmmm…is it too late to turn this jet around? Anyways, as we descended the ramp, a group of soldiers approached, their movements sharp and efficient. The lead soldier saluted. "Z-Force, welcome back. We're here to escort you and your team to the briefing hall. Everyone else has already arrived."
"Thanks, Sergeant," I said, nodding. "Lead the way."
The walk to the briefing hall gave us a front-row view of the base's activity. Drones zipped overhead, and holographic panels flickered to life as technicians ran diagnostics. A squad of variants sparred nearby, their powers sparking in bursts of controlled chaos. It was hard not to feel a surge of pride being part of something so... monumental.
"Man, look at this place," Darius muttered, his eyes scanning everything. "Feels like the set of a sci-fi movie."
"You're not wrong," Nate said, adjusting his gear. "You'll get used to it after a while."
"Just how crazy is this about to be?" Darius muttered with a nervousness that can be heard in his tone & demeanor.
"It always is, my young Padawan," I said. "But that's how we get better. Besides, whoever they got planned for us up, we'll knock 'em dead."
Renee smirks. "You have a lot of faith in us."
I just turn back to her with my goofiest, main-character-in-a-shonen smile and thumbs up. "Damn, Skippy."
The doors to the briefing hall slid open, and I immediately spotted Amaia and Toma waiting inside. Amaia is leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, while chatting with Toma. Near Amaia, 2 teammates of her 4 person team, Veronica & Ali, are conversing with one another.
"Hey! Y'all made it!" Amaia shouted with glee as she ran up to me for a hug. "It took y'all long enough."
"We here, ain't we?" I responded. "You have any idea what they got us doing here?"
"No sé una mierda." She said so quickly with a shoulder shrug. All I had to say was,
"Well damn…nevermind than."
" Hol up Zay. Have you watched any of the new shonen I've been texting you about?" She asked with all the childish seriousness in the world.
"Girl, at my age and how busy I am, I don't have time to watch new stuff. It's all comfort shows & movies at this point." I responded back to her. "If it ain't a new season of a show I'm already watching or pro-wrestling, I'm probably not watching it."
She just rolls her eyes and gives me a look like I'm just making up excuses.
"Eres un perezoso como el infierno."
"I am not lazy!"
"Ok, whatever you say"
Aye, she can keep rolling her eyes all she wants. I don't have time to commit to a new show, God damnit.
Wait a minute, there's a missing member from her team.
" Hey Amaia, where's Christina?"
Yea, that's her best friend and her tech support member of her team. She's usually with them, but she isn't.
"She's with the IT division on the base. She's probably assisting with whatever tech we'll be using today."
Her eyes look towards Renee with glee.
"Oh, excuse. I got say hi to Renee."
While Amaia's busy chatting up with Renee, I had to see what's up with my girl Toma. I see she changed up her look.
"Hey, Toma! I see you changed up from yellow & white to orange & red today."
"Hey, Z. Glad you noticed. Just trying to color coordinate with my beads. I wanna look good and represent my culture at the same time I'm kicking ass."
You know what I just now noticed the orange & red Navajo beads on her neck & wrist. Real pretty. Wait…I also noticed she's been glowing lately. Walk & fly with a pep in her step….she got a new man. I wonder how much I can tease her…mWahahaha.
"Gurl….he got you feeling right don't he?"
Her face turned so damn red. She's stuttering all over the place. Oh she got a new new man. Okay.
"No, no, no. What made you say that?!"
"You're happier than usual and that reaction you had just sealed it."
To be fair to her, a divorce can take anyone's smile away for a while. Especially if it's one of those where no one's in the wrong but it couldn't be helped. The fertility issues they faced were already a burden on them and when she became a variant… those dreams of a family kind of died. Us variants unfortunately face a higher risk of difficult pregnancies. Our v-organs, the thing that pumps V-force energy in us, giving us power, is the same organ that makes other things complicated and more dangerous. They tried to make it work, but it just wasn't meant to be.
Despite all that, seeing her now, with that sparkle in her eyes, hit me in the best way. She found someone who made her feel alive again. I didn't need to know his name or what he did for a living. I could see it in her. That lightness in her step, that quiet joy that couldn't be faked. Though for her sake, I should stop the trolling I'm doing for now. Can't be too much of a troll about that just yet.
"Alright, alright. I won't pry too much. As long as you're happy, I'm happy"
"Hm..thanks Zavier." Her overall demeanor has calmed down, though her cheeks are still slightly blushed.
"Morning, everyone!" A sweet, Surat-accented voice enters the room. Nice, Anika is here. Everyone turns to her and greets her.
"Hey, Anika. They called you in from all the way from Delhi?" I asked with curiosity.
"Yeah, but I was heading this way regardless. I had documents and reports I needed to give to the US."
"So they never heard of email?"
"Hah, you're funny. You know they want certain documents fresh & in their hands, and not in their email folders.
"Just saying, it will be easier. Anything we need to know about?"
"From what I gathered and what I can talk about, it's about dark matter."
Everyone in the room's ears perked up when she said that. Darius kinda looked confused and raised his hand.
"Sorry, I'm new here. What is that?"
"Well, before V-force energy became a thing, dark matter was just a natural force we couldn't completely verify if it existed. As we understood it before, it was basically invisible space glue that holds the universe together. Without it, no galaxies. No space. Stars would just scatter in the wind like sand."
Darius tilts his head in confusion. "...Space..Glue?"
"More or less."
Nate also raises his hand in confusion. "If we weren't sure it existed, how do we know about it now and what makes it dangerous now?
"Before now, we thought it existed thanks to the effects it has on gravity and now, thanks to the enhancements in tech & energy from V-force, not only can we see it, we can use it and manipulate it. Obviously, there's a lot of disturbed individuals with no sense of morals or care for other human beings that will find dark applications for it."
All of us take a pause for the moment. All have already had multiple examples of what that looks like.
Taking a breath, Anika continues.
"As we can imagine, some bad things have been happening. From how V-force energy has been affecting it, it's been wild, destructive, & unstable. Spotted some incidents in Africa with some weapons, plants, & some polluted lands & rivers. My guess is we've been trying to lockdown on the ones behind it and their locations."
Hmm…I'll keep that in mind for now. "Thanks, Ani."
A few minutes passed and the doors opened and quite a few people walked into the room. Oh my, and it's my favorite group of people, the Phantom Wolves, plus our superiors, Director Grant, General Brooks, and Officer Garcia. As soon as me & Adam locked eyes, it was on.
"Sup, Adam."
"Sup, Z."
"So, Zay," Adam said, his grin widening, "did you finally take my advice and start working on that aim of yours? Or are you still throwing up those shakey force fields like you're trying to catch butterflies?"
I rolled my eyes, but a small grin tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Funny you say that, Adam. I figured you'd be too busy sensing everyone's emotions to notice what real skill looks like."
Adam's mock offense was immediate. "Real skill? You mean like the time you trapped your own team in a force field?"
Wha ... .how dare he? I just exploded with comedic anger. "THAT'S WAS ONE TIME THAT HAPPENED! STOP USING THAT AGAINST ME!"
"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE FUCKED UP IN THE FIRST PLACE! BLAME YOURSELF, MORON!
"THE ONLY THING FUCKED UP HERE IS IS YOUR HAIRCUT! SERIOUSLY, THAT PARTED CUT FADE IS GIVING EMO TEEN LESBIAN STILL FIGURING HERSELF OUT! OL' 'It's not a phase, mom!' HEAD-ASS!"
The room is just dying laughing from our banter…well everyone but Grant. He still has to act professional around us. Teresa is trying to hold Adam back while trying to stop her own laughing.
"Hold up, Adam. Let him make it this time. We got business to take care of."
"WHAT?! NO WAY! I GOTTA GET BACK AT HIM!"
Shaw placed his clawed hand on Adam's shoulder to calm him, using that smooth Jamaican filled sultriness he possesses. "Fi real, mi nah plan fi be here all day jus' 'cause di two a yuh feel like beefin' whole day."
Minerva interjects her opinion as well, hoping it will stop us. "Yes, Please. I swear if Teresa & Aiden weren't in the picture, you two would be married to each other."
I swear the room would've blown up from the force of how fast me & Adam turned our heads in disgust to Minerva when she said that. Just as we were in sync with our disgust, we were vocal with it at the same time.
"LIKE HELL WE WOULD!"
She just turned her head up and kept the attitude going. "Hmmm, could've fooled me."
Me & Adam just looked at each other in disbelief before we turned our heads towards her and went off on her in unison again.
"AS IF!"
"ALRIGHT! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Director Grant shouted at us. "We're for a purpose today and it isn't for you 2 to squabble in this fashion."
We just looked at each other and decided to "act mature" for the time being.
"*sighs* Yes, sir."
"Alright, everyone. As you know, today will be a special training day for all of you. We'll be conducting different types of training scenarios for everyone. We'll have one team v team capture the flag battle, a power stress test, a 1 v 1 sparring battle, & a crowd control trial."
All of our ears perked up when we heard this. I can definitely tell you that this is a rarity for us to have different types of training regiments at the same time. Stepping up to us, General Brooks hands out the assignments for us.
"Ok everyone. For the Capture The Flag battle, it will Zavier's Team vs The Phantom Wolves. With Darius added to your crew, we want your teamwork to adapt and build by testing you guys with an experienced team."
Well, well, well. All our shit talking is bout to get put to the test. Best believe I'm excited for this.
" For the 1 v 1, it'll be Amaia vs Toma. With a mix of VR & illusion casting from Officer Garcia, you 2 can go all out and put each other to the test."
Amaia & Toma just looked confused when they heard that. In the confusion, Amaia asked a crucial question.
"How can we do that? You know how powerful we are, you think this facility can contain us?"
General Garcia stepped up as Brooks answered them.
"Garcia's illusions will connect to your brains and stimulate your bodies accordingly. Your bodies will react to your battle and your bodies will adapt to it."
Amaia & Toma still looked confused. They just looked at each other with a shoulder shrug.
"Ali and Veronica," Brooks turns to Amaia's teammates. "Your assignment focuses on crowd control. You'll face waves of virtual opponents designed to test your ability to handle multiple threats simultaneously. Your alchemy and water manipulation will be put to the test in battlefield scenarios."
Ali cracked a confident smile, but Veronica seemed less sure, fidgeting with the hem of her jacket.
"And finally, Anika," Brooks concluded. "It'll be you to undergo the stress test to push the limits of your elemental abilities. The goal is fluency and precision under high-pressure conditions."
Anika nodded, her expression serious. She always looked like she was taking notes in her head, even when there was nothing to write down.
"Alright everyone, follow us to your training rooms. "
Wait, already? That's quicker than usual. Ok, I can go with the flow, though I would've loved to see Amaia & Toma go at it, but I got to focus on me & my team. We all get together with our gear, communication radios & specialized smartphones, and etc to head out to our designated rooms. As we turn to head out the room, Grant gives one more order.
"Once you get started, switch to your codenames."
Ok. So that means I go from Zavier to Z-Force, Renee to Ferra, Nate to Ember, and Darius to Osiris. For the Phantom Wolves, Adam & Teresa will be Echo & Blue Siren. No code names for Minerva & Shaw. That's not really their thing.
As we all start approaching our rooms I looked back at my team and I noticed something. Darius looks tense, constantly fidgeting with his hands. We all begin to go out separate ways, us reaching our designated room. The room is well lit with a blue and gray color scheme all over the place with holographic panels. From the looks of it, these panels will be moving and reacting to the motion and action that's about to take place.
As I'm taking this all in, I feel an arm wrapping around my shoulder , tightly squeezing me. Man..I know that's Adam, about to get his last lil 2 cents in.
"You ready for this ass whooping, Zavier?"
" Oh please. Don't you dare think you are about to steamroll over us."
Adam just nods his head and shoots me his betting face look. OK, now this training session just got more interesting to me.
"Ok Zay, you willing to put something on that?"
"Damn skippy. What you got in mind?"
"If my team wins, imma need you dye your hair again."
"Aw, hell naw! You want me to go through that again?"
"I'm just saying, I thought blue would be a nice look for you. It's not my fault you picked a bad dye to use."
"Boy, whatever!"
"Hey, this time I'll pick the color for you. I know a nice shade of purple that would go great for you."
"HA! Ok. While you're busy picking that out for yourself to use, imma need you to handpick a nice multicolor flower bouquet for me when me and my team beat you."
"Hold up, what? Why a bouquet?"
"Aye my bae, Aiden, needs some new flowers for the house. It would be nice to bring some to her. Oh, don't be mad if I take all the credit for them tho."
"Well I be damned. You're gonna put me to work and take credit for it, bro? For real?" "I'd tell him eventually…if I remember."
"Zay…you ain't shit."
Everyone is just dying laugh at us in the room. After the laughing calms down, I shoot Echo a look for confirmation.
"Deal?"
"Deal."
As we go to separate corners of the room, waiting for the battle to start, I see Darius again, looking kind of dejected. His eyes fixed on the ground like he was trying to crush it with his glare. I'd seen him like this before—tense, distant, and drowning in thoughts he didn't want to share. It wasn't hard to guess what was going on in his head.
I sighed, walking over to him. "Hey, you planning to kill that part of the floor with your mind, or are you saving that intensity for the Wolves?"
He looked up, his lips twitching in the direction of a smirk before falling flat again. "I'm good."
"Sure you are." I leaned against the rail beside him. "That's why you're over here having a staring contest with the ground instead of warming up with the rest of us."
He didn't answer, but his shoulders tensed. I knew that silence. It was the same kind of silence I used to carry when my head was too full of doubts and nerves to speak.
"Darius," I said, keeping my tone light, "you know you're not fooling me, right?"
His jaw tightened. "I'm fine," he repeated, but his voice wavered.
I shook my head. "You don't have to say it, man. I already know. You're worried you're gonna drag us down, that your past is going to define what you can do here."
His gaze snapped to me, surprise flashing across his face.
"Yeah, I get it," I continued, nodding. "But let me tell you something: your past isn't a weight that's holding you back—it's a foundation you can build on. All the things you've been through, the mistakes, the lessons, the survival? That's not weakness. That's strength."
He blinked at me, his face a mix of skepticism and hope. "You really think that?"
"I know that," I said firmly. "Darius, I've been there. Beating yourself up for things you can't change, carrying all that guilt and shame like it's gonna make you stronger? It doesn't. Trust me, I'm still figuring out how to stop doing it myself. But what I've learned is that you can't let it stop you, either. You don't have to forgive yourself right away—I sure haven't—but you can't let it keep you from moving forward."
His eyes softened, and for a moment, the wall he kept around himself cracked.
"You've already made it here," I said. "You've already chosen to be better, to fight for a future that you and Janiyah can be proud of. That's what matters. And yeah, I know you're thinking about her. You should be—she's your light. But don't just fight for her. Fight for yourself. Fight for the man you want to be, not the man you were. And remember: your past didn't just take from you—it gave you something, too. You've been in battles before, and those instincts, that grit? That's what's gonna help us win out there."
He sighs again but takes a deep breath this time, his shoulders easing slightly.
"Hey," I say, extending my hands toward him. He looks at me, confused, but takes my hands anyway. We lean in, touching heads, and I guide us through a deep breathing exercise.
Inhale. Exhale.
Each breath feels like a wave washing away tension. I can feel his pulse calming, matching the rhythm of the moment. As we finish, I pull back slightly and meet his eyes.
Darius exhaled, his shoulders dropping as some of the tension bled out of him. "Man, you make it sound so easy."
I smiled. "It's not. Believe me, I know. But it's worth it. And I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe in you. We all do. Remember, life is gonna throw a lot of things at you to bring you down, it's on you to stand up and face it and to make it how you want to. When it knocks you down, you stand up, grit your teeth, plant your feet, and you fight back. Understand?"
He looked away for a moment, the faintest smile tugging at his lips before he nodded. "Alright, Z. Let's do this."
"That's the spirit." I clapped him on the back, feeling a small spark of pride in how far he'd come.
As we walked back to the group, I couldn't help but think about my own journey. I wasn't where I wanted to be yet—I still had my demons, my guilt, my regrets. But watching Darius start to rise above his doubts reminded me that it was possible, that none of us had to stay stuck in the shadows of our past. And if he could take that step forward, then so could I.
RING! RING!
The training bell is going off. The room is starting to morph. The PA system turns on with Grant's voice coming through.
"Alright. Once the room shifts and the environment is ready, the battle can begin. The goal is to grab 2 flags that will generate themselves on the field and take them back to your home base to win. "
It's almost showtime. I turn to my team as we begin to make our game plan.
"Alright, guys. Let's get into formation."