We're going down, down in an earlier round
And sugar, we're going down swinging
I'll be your number one with a bullet
A loaded god complex, cock it and—
"Excuse me," I yelled at the jerk who yanked my headphone out of my ear.
"Dude," Luke, my brother, sassed back to me. "Practice is over, and we got people to meet. Places to see."
My brother hoisted me out of his golf cart I had been relaxing in for the past hour. Staying late and catching a ride with him beat walking the two miles home. It didn't sound that long, but after a long day at the zoo, it definitely was.
You see, a few months ago Churchill University campus was hit by a massive storm, still an unknown cause. It wasn't hurricane season. And even if it was a hurricane, it was the strongest hurricane in the history of the country of Candor.
After all the chaos and destruction, my dad decided to pay a visit to the campus and enforced new guidelines to get the school back on its feet, running smoother than it did before the storm. Since then, everyone listened to his direction and the school was pretty much back to running like normal. Well, everyone pretty much had to listen to him. He is the Krino. Or as other country's would say, the King.
"Since when do we have people to meet?" I trailed behind Luke as always. Somehow his legs always were able to keep him two steps ahead of me.
"Since I got this text from dad—" Luke handed me his phone.
Luke, you and Marley need to meet the new defense commander at the auditorium this afternoon. Please be prompt.
"Defense commander?" I raised an eyebrow. "Since when are we dragged into the armed forces?"
"I guess since dad considers us at risk."
"At risk?" I exclaimed, trudging up the Churchill stairs towards the auditorium. "Risk of what? Having a giant storm swoop in and sweep us awaya? I think it already had its chance."
"Unfortunately, they believe someone is behind it."
I cocked an eyebrow at my brother as he held the auditorium door open for me.
"Marley, Luke, welcome."
I nodded at the lady with short brown hair standing near the stage of the auditorium. I don't recall ever seeing her before in my life.
"Helga Ogelbach. She's the head of homeland security." Luke whispered in my ear. I swear we had twin telepathy. Except we weren't twins. And I'm pretty sure him reading the confused look on my face was not telepathy.
Luke and I took a seat in the front row. Several rows behind us were filled with numerous faces I had never seen before.
"Krino Sheppard sent us here on urgent matters. With in-depth analysts researching the origin of Storm OCT that hit last year in October, hence, the name, Storm OCT, more details are being uncovered with evidence leaning towards the idea that the storm was built by external satellites in the atmosphere above Candor. Thankfully, the environmental and technology team here at Candor has created equipment that can radioactively disperse any size of storm, breaking it into less severe, smaller storms. Thank you, team."
The room roared with applause. I glanced over my shoulder, spotting Corey McFadden. I had first met Corey right before the storm grew. Corey had immense talent in the arts, and since Churchill was a talented arts school, I had brought Corey to the director, PJ's, attention. Since I was PJ's prodigy, he always took my recommendations. Since then, Corey had gone from acting in the Churchill auditorium to developing somce of the most complex equipment Candor had invented to date.
We had a rocky relationship. Corey being a few years younger me put a damper in our growing feelings for each other. Since then, we decided to put our feelings on the back burner. He had greater things going for them, and I wanted to be there for him, supporting him as a friend. It made things less complicated anyways, seeing as I was just getting over a major heartbreak.
Long story short, I was in love with this guy who was already engaged. Now he's happily married. End of story. Or that story at least.
"May I divert your attention to Gerard Bentley, the newly appointed defense commander."
I groaned, turning to my brother. "You've got to be kidding me, right?"
"Thank you, thank you." Gerard took to the front of the auditorium. "It is so great that you can be with me here. This amazing place just brings back so many memories. Right, Mars?" He winked at me.
I rolled my eyes. Ever since I met Gerard, he always knew how to make me feel the most uncomfortable. One of my first memories of him were people mistaking us for a couple. We walked in the room together, Gerard holding the door open for me, and the rumors just started. And Gerard would feed right into them— posing with his arm around my waist, telling the reporters he was taking me out for dinner later that night. And all because he knew just how to get under my skin.
On one hand, Corey was too young for me, while on the other hand, Gerard was practically ten years older than me, which was pushing it.
"On behalf of the Krino's orders, I have brought the best and the strongest superheroes Candor has yet to know. They have been brought here to not only guard Churchill campus, but also, our very own KKs, the Krino Kids." Gerard waved his hand towards us.
I turned towards my brother and whispered in his ear. "I don't need a bodyguard."
My brother waved me away, telling me to shush.
"Marley," Gerard turned towards me, a suspicious glint in his eyes. "You'll be with Deadpool."
"To hell she's not." My brother stood up. "You better not set my little sister up with the perviest, most inappropriate superhero you have on your so-called team. No, I do not approve."
"Well, then, Sir Luke," Gerard said satirically. "Your body guard will be our very own Black Widow." I glanced behind me towards the grimly dressed red-head, who obviously had my brother enthralled as his mouth gaped open.
"Luke," I stood up, tugging his arm to knock him out of the hypnosis.
"Don't worry, Marley, I got some good eye candy set up for you too."
I rolled my eyes at Gerard's comment.
"Peter Parker, front and center."
I watched a boy slightly taller than me, though roughly the same age, stand from the middle of the group to come forward to where the three of us were standing at the front.
Eye candy or not. "I don't need a bodyguard." I told Gerard, looking him straight in the eyes.
"Oh, sorry, one second. I'm getting a call." Gerard held his hand up towards me. "Hello? Oh, yes, Krino. I'm just here with your daughter. She's telling me that she refuses to take the bodyguard that you assigned her. Oh.. Mmhmm.. Yes.. Okay, I'll let her know."
I rolled my eyes again at his mockery of a conversation.
"That was your father. He said to stop being a bratty little princess and take what is given to you."
Leave it to Gerard to backtalk a Krino's Kid. I stormed out of the auditorium, muttering inaudibly to myself certain words of disgust.
There was no way I was having a bodyguard that followed me around 24/7.
The fact that my father thought we were in that much danger that we needed this type of protection was absurd. Didn't he know I was trained in self-defense? I don't need a boy to watch over my every move.
Speaking of the boy.. I heard footsteps approach me from behind.
I quickened my pace, trying to distance myself from whoever was following me.
Unfortunately, they were able to keep up without any hesitation.
After contemplating my options, which were between darting off hoping that I would lose them or turning around and attacking directly, I decided on a happy medium.
"What are you doing?" I whipped around, nearly making the boy smack directly into me.
The boy answered in a raspy voice that seemed too high-pitched for any manly superhero. "My job."
"No.. No, no, no. There is no job. Go home," I grabbed the boy by his shoulders and turned him around back towards the auditorium.
"You see, I would, but I can't." The boy… Peter, was his name?… turned back around to face me.
"And why not?" I tapped my foot, clearly aggravated.
Peter sighed. "This is my first assignment. Mister Bentley never assigned me to any job before. This may be the only chance I get to prove myself." His eyes met mine, seriousness written all over his face. "Without this job, I'm normal. I have to go back home to north and go to school like any other kid. Do you know how boring the North is? Have you ever been to North Candor?"
"A little," I diverted my gaze away from him, trying not to show too much interest.
"Please, Miss Sheppard, I'll keep my distance. You won't even know I'm here."
"Marley."
The boy raised his eyebrows at me.
"If you're going to blend in, you need to call me Marley."
The boy threw his fists in the air. "You won't regret it. I promise. Whatever you want me to do—"
"Okay, okay. Quiet down. I don't need the whole school to know that I have a bodyguard. Just.. I don't know.. Walk me home?"
"First assignment, you got it." Peter started walking right next to my side, our arms practically touching.
"Peter, you know that thing you said about keeping your distance—"
"Right, right. Distance. Sorry." He slowed his pace, following me a few meters away instead of right by my side.
I smirked with satisfaction. At least he learns quick.