Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Columbia Pictures and to the writers and producers and whoever else I may have forgotten to mention. The only things I claim to own are my own characters and the plot of this story.
By the time Connor stepped through the main doors of Hoover Central High School, he was already done with the day. He'd laid awake all night with thoughts of the thieves and Allie bouncing around inside his head. When he'd finally fallen asleep, he'd accidentally overslept his alarm and missed the bus. The milk in the fridge was spoiled, so he'd eaten dry cereal for breakfast while Jack threw on enough clothes to drive him to school. And finally, as he was rushing to put his shoes on, he'd slammed his toe into the corner of the couch.
It was still throbbing as he made his way to his locker and retrieved his books for first and second period. At least he wasn't late to school. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the figure slipping up behind his open locker door.
"Boo!" Allie said as he slammed the door shut. Connor jumped, dropping his books in surprise. When he realized who it was, he gave her a scowl.
She smiled apologetically and immediately knelt down to pick up his books. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" she blurted as she stood back up. "I thought you saw me coming!"
Connor didn't say a word as he jerked his books from her hand and walked past her. She fell in line beside him as he made his way to first period, occasionally casting worried glances in his direction. When they'd finally sat down in their desks, she turned to look at him. "Hey, are you okay? You haven't said a word this morning," she asked. Again, he ignored her.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her eyebrows raise questioningly but she took the hint and didn't try to talk to him again. The tardy bell rang a moment later, and a substitute teacher stepped up to the front to announce that it would be a workday on their projects. The rest of the class began moving their desks into groups of two. Allie stood up like she was going to move her desk too, but one look at Connor and she hesitated.
"Um, well, I guess we've got most of the project finished, right?" she asked softly. She waited for a reply, but when he didn't respond, she sighed and slipped back into her chair. "I guess I'll just do some more research."
He could hear the hurt in her quiet voice. It almost felt good, even though something in the back of his mind was trying to convince him she wasn't Charm. He watched, feigning disinterest, as she pulled her notebook and phone from her backpack. She glanced at Connor one more time before turning away slightly to read her notes and searching the internet for interesting facts about rockets. Once he was satisfied she would leave him alone, he retrieved his own notebook and flipped through the pages until the bell signaling the end of class rang.
As he stood, he noticed a good half page of notes Allie had written. When she saw him looking, she slammed the notebook shut and crammed it in her bag. She was one of the first ones out of the classroom and he didn't see her again until sixth period.
The day had crawled by after first period. As Connor walked through the door into Pre-Calculus, he was glad that there were only two more classes left in the day. To him, it felt like his teachers had all gotten together and chosen the most boring and difficult lessons to teach that day. The only bright spot he'd had so far was Dahlia telling him that Allie hadn't noticed her computer had been messed with. She'd also agreed to pass any intel she discovered to him to help Allie and her band of thieves.
Speaking of Allie, he saw her sitting in her usual seat, chatting with another guy who was in their ag class. As he took his seat nearby, she cast him a quick glance and then continued her conversation. But he could tell she was flustered by his appearance. She stumbled over a couple of words, causing her friend to ask if she was okay. She nodded her head just as the classroom intercom buzzed.
"Mr. Bryant?" the secretary's voice crackled through the speaker. "Is Allie Ellis in the room yet? She needs to report to the office as soon as possible to go home."
Mr. Bryant nodded to her as she stood up and started to gather her things. "Have a good afternoon, Miss Ellis. And don't forget, we have a test coming up on Friday and page two fifty-three in the textbook is due as homework tomorrow."
"Thanks, Mr. Bryant!" she said as she opened the door to leave.
And then she was gone. Connor sighed in relief, hoping that the rest of the day would be relatively peaceful with only Pre-Calculus test prep to worry about. Forty minutes later, though, he felt his backpack start shaking against his calf. It was his pager going off. Immediately, he raised his hand.
"I need to go to the office," he said quickly as soon as Mr. Bryant acknowledged him.
"Of course, Connor. Don't forget the homework is due tomorrow," the older man said as Connor grabbed his notebook and backpack and headed for the door.
Dylan and Summer met him in the hallway. In silence, the trio walked to the front door, where they were greeted by the sight of the now familiar black van. Marsha opened the door. The first thing Connor noticed was her frown. The usually cheery woman met them with a grim hello as they settled into their seats. As soon as the van started moving, she turned to the teens.
"Due to the nature of this mission, it will just be you three. Dr. Grant, Jack and I have made the decision to leave Cindy and Tucker behind," she said before glancing at Connor. "And honestly, Jack highly objected to having you on this mission as well, Connor. This is perhaps the most dangerous mission we've sent you all on so far."
The three teens looked at each other. This was unprecedented with the team, so whatever was going on was far more serious than anything they'd faced before. They watched as Marsha activated the computers, revealing information about a medical research facility. In one corner, a live feed from a drone showed a heavy police presence.
"This is Jaskier Medical Technologies, an independent research and development firm specializing in new and upcoming medical technology. They research everything from cast design to cancer cures. Approximately 45 minutes ago, a silent alarm was triggered in their radiation research department. Due to the nature of some of their experiments, the facility and entire industrial park have been evacuated," she pointed to a sprawling complex toward the back of the park. "All but five employees have been accounted for, and those that are missing are specialist in the radiation department. We don't have a lot of info on their research yet, but the facility director is waiting to brief us onsite. Then you can make a plan of action."
The rest of the drive was silent. The facility was located in the next town over, but it provided Connor with plenty of time to think. Allie had left around the time the theft would have been reported, but that wouldn't have given her much time to get to the complex. In the van, it was taking more than twenty minutes, and that was with a professional driver and a license to go faster than the speed limit. As he stared past the computer screen and out the window, Connor wondered if the shadowbender's powers could theoretically transport someone from one place to another. But even he realized just how farfetched that theory was. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice how close they were to the facility until the van passed through the police barricade.
He perked up and turned back to the rest of the team. Summer was scrolling through a webpage on her phone, probably looking up more information about Jaskier Medical Technologies. Dylan was examining a map of the facility on one of the computer screens, while Marsha was carefully watching the live feed. Suddenly, the van lurched to a stop. They had arrived.
Marsha knocked on the window between the driver and the team, and slowly the van began to return to normal. Before it had finished its transformation, she reached over and pulled the door back. Standing a few feet away was a group of several official looking people in suits and uniforms.
"Ah, Dr. Holloway, a pleasure to see you again, although I wish it were under better circumstances," one of the suits said as he stepped forward.
Marsha smiled grimly. "Peter, why is it that we always meet over trouble?"
She gave the man a quick hug before motioning toward the team as they climbed out of the van. "Dylan, Summer, Connor, this is Dr. Peter Jaskier, owner and facility director of Jaskier Medical Technologies, and a med school colleague of mine. He's the one who will be briefing you about this mission."
The doctor dipped his head in greeting. "Good afternoon," he said as he looked over the team. "I hate to have to summon you here, but this is a very serious situation. As I'm sure Dr. Holloway has told you, Jaskier Tech is the foremost research firm in medical technology. This afternoon, about an hour and a half ago, one of the scientists in our radiation research department triggered a silent alarm. Security cameras in the area have been either been disabled or looped. Five of my best employees are still somewhere inside the facility, more than likely held hostage to operate any machinery."
He glanced to his left toward what Connor assumed was the facility's complex. "The research was are performing in that department is very sensitive to any changes and is monitored 24/7. Our largest project at this time, and perhaps the most important one we have undertaken so far, is the discovery of a new isotope for the element Cobalt- Co-149. It has the potential to change the way we treat several different types of cancers. In small doses at least. In its current stage of development, it is highly volatile and must be kept in secure lead-lined containment. The reason we are researching this specific isotope is that in test so far, we've found it result in less damage to healthy organic tissues while producing a large enough amount of Gamma radiation to kill any cancerous cell."
Connor froze. He suddenly realized why Marsha said Jack had strongly objected to him coming on this mission. It was well known that he was very sensitive to Gamma radiation, and it often had catastrophic consequences. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Marsha looking at him and biting her lip. The doctor continued his description of the facility, but Connor zoned out as memories of the Gamma experiments at Area 52 came flooding back. The pain and terror of being strapped into the chair, the red rage that he couldn't control, the loneliness of thirty years trapped in a dark dimension trying to claw his way back.
"Connor?" Someone spoke as they laid a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
He glanced up into Summer's pale brown eyes. They shone with concern, and Connor realized he'd been trembling. "I'll be fine," he said, voice low as he stepped back.
"We won't let anything happen to you with the Gamma, you know?" Dylan chimed in.
Connor nodded before turning his attention back to the director. "So, what exactly do we need to do to make sure this isotope stays stable?"
The director's face grew grim again, mouth drawing into a fine line before responding. "Don't break containment."
A few minutes later, the three members of the Zenith Team had changed into their outfits and were being escorted by armed guards to the entrance closest to the radiation department. The industrial park was full of small technology firms, offices, and warehouses. It was taking longer than Connor had thought it would to reach what appeared to be the biggest complex in the entire park. Their small group was about to round the corner of a nearby building when the guards motioned for them to stop.
"Listen, kids," the one Connor assumed was the highest-ranking guard began. "I don't know what all the director told you about this place, but I'm going to give you some advice every single one of us guards here received on our first day: Don't touch anything you don't understand. These projects are delicate, and some are downright deadly. But the most important thing I'll tell you is something you probably heard already. In the radiation lab, don't break containment. For anything. If things go south, get the eggheads and get out. You got me?"
The team nodded. "We understand," Dylan replied. "We'll get everyone out, I promise."
The guard gave a curt nod. "This is where we've been directed to stay behind. You'll be on your own from here out. Good luck."
With that, the guards turned and walked back the way they had just come. Heading back toward the staging point, Connor assumed as he watched them disappear into the maze on industrial buildings. He turned his attention back to Dylan and Summer. "So, what's the plan?"
"We get in and get out," Dylan responded. "You heard the guard, there's too much stuff that can go wrong if we get into a-"
The team leader reached a hand up to touch his temple and zoned out. Summer glanced Connor, but both of them knew it was better to wait it out. Most of the time Dylan could control his mindsight, but every now and then, it would give him a random vision. Around them, the day continued on. Birds chirped in the trees that lined the streets, and backup generators hummed along constantly in the background. The authorities had cut power to the facility when the initial lock down had been initiated, knowing the backup systems would work to keep everything vital running.
"-fight," Dylan said suddenly a couple of minutes later, finishing his previously interrupted sentence. "Okay, well, that provided a little bit of extra information."
"What's new?" Summer and Connor asked at the same time.
Over the next couple of minutes, Dylan explained that he'd seen inside the facility. He'd only seen three of the thieves they'd gone up against previously-Nyx, Flash, and Byte. They were lounging around a room that looked like a laboratory. In his vision, he'd gone down a hallway opposite from where the three thieves were, to a massive room covered in radiation warnings. Inside that room was a lead-lined chamber with a small glass panel.
"The only thing I could see in there was something the glowed a bright blue, so I'm guessing that's the sample of Cobalt the thieves are after. Four of the hostages were there too, tied up to some desks near the door," Dylan told them. "And there was something laying on a table near the containment shield, but I couldn't tell what it was."
"Well, that gives us a better idea of what we're up against. Thanks, hon," Summer said, brow creasing as she mulled over the new information.
Dylan smiled slightly at his girl friend before growing serious again. "It gives us some element of surprise. I'm sure they know we're coming, but they'll have no idea we know who's waiting on us. We've fought all of them before, and even if their leader Charm shows up, we can handle them."
The mention of the thieves' leader brought back Connor's suspicions that Allie was Charm. Dylan hadn't mentioned seeing the thief in his vision, but that didn't mean she wasn't somewhere else in the facility. But what if she hadn't arrived yet? Allie had left only a few minutes before the page had gone out for the team. It wasn't long enough for her to arrive before them, but maybe the rest of the thieves were waiting on her arrival to continue retrieving the sample.
"Earth to Connor?" he suddenly heard Dylan say and realized he himself had zoned out.
"Sorry," he responded, shaking his head to clear his intrusive thoughts. "Just thinking about our last interaction with these guys."
"Okay, now that we're all back here mentally, I think our best plan of action is to try and keep Nyx and Flash contained in the lab. They're the most dangerous of the bunch and we don't want anything getting out of hand," Dylan said. Connor and Summer nodded in agreement.
From there, the team made their plan: keep Nyx and Flash entertained while Dylan snuck into the containment area and freed the hostages. With a plan in mind, the trio made their way to the emergency exit closest to the radiation lab. Once inside, Summer and Connor took the lead, while Dylan hung back ready to turn invisible the moment the thieves showed up.
Author's Note: Hello readers! I am not dead, just very, very busy! I am so happy to finally have gotten this chapter posted (after writing it, rewriting it, and rewriting it again) after a year. A lot has happened in the year since I last posted. I got married, built a house, and am now living happily ever after (joking, but it is pretty happy)!
The good news is that for the next 4 months, I will have a regular posting schedule. Every month on the 6th, I will post a chapter for Hero, as I have the next 4 chapters written out, edited, and ready to post. This chapter, after rewrites, ended up being much longer than I expected it to be. So it changed from one chapter to two, and the next couple after that have been written for about a year now.
Another thing that encourages me so much is when I see notifications that someone has favorited the story or me as an author. It motivates me so much to push through my writer's block for y'all, the readers, without whom, I probably never would have even made it this far. A HUGE thanks for those of y'all who have stuck with me in this so far 7 year journey, and I hope that as we get into the heart of the story that I won't disappoint you.
As always, please leave a review if you enjoyed the story, and feel free to message me if you have any thoughts/ideas/concerns/etc. I love reading comments and they really give me encouragement to continue writing. Thank you! ~NightRider
