She nodded wearily, and then sat back.

  I said, “I’d be okay with making them for this office, but I fear someone in Washington will try to strong-arm me into a room to make them for every location. I’m not concerned with doing it for you, or the teams here in Silver-City, but the precedent concerns me.”

  She nodded, “I did say unofficially. The scanners will be given to Nate and Carina, and neither of them will be putting that in any reports, and neither shall I.”

  “Alright, mental interface, or something holographic on the device itself?”

  She asked me how mine was set up, and I explained it was a bit of both and how.

  She nodded, “If that’s something they can learn to do, use the dual interface. That way they don’t have to hold it, and no one will even see them using it.”

  That was a good point. A hand device might make someone curious.

  “Alright, I just need something to enchant. Something hard, jewelry of some kind from both of them.”

  She opened up her desk drawer, and she pulled out two sets of dog tags. Military. Obviously, they weren’t in the military anymore, but I supposed they were willing to wear them for the purpose.

  I laughed, “I guess you had no doubts?”

  She smiled thinly, and she handed them to me.

  “Thank you, this should save lives.”

  I nodded, “That’s the main reason I’m doing it.”

  I also stood up, I recognized a dismissal when I saw one, and she looked tired. I slipped them into my pocket on the way out of the office, my mind going a million miles an hour.

  I did have a small concern, my enchantments could be abused, they’d find any super within a several block radius, after all. That wasn’t what my mind was stuck on though, it was stuck on my interview, and I grimaced in realization.

  I suspected Millicent had planned that since Wednesday afternoon, and she’d just waited for an excuse to ask.

  My interview had not been going well at all, Carina had been visually dismissive of my statements, and at the idea of hiring an enchanter. That was, until Alyssa had interrupted us, and Carina had heard our conversation, until she’d heard that I could not only feel meta-energy in others but measure it.

  After that, she’d turned into my best friend. I’d been so happy and relieved not to be passed over at the time, that I hadn’t really registered the cause.

  I started to wonder if that was the only reason that I’d been hired at all, to give them an edge no other office had in the field. Sure, I’d proven myself the last few days, even managed not to get myself killed against twenty A-class attackers, granted I’d only fought about four of them, while Alyssa had ignored the other sixteen.

  Sure, I’d won the mock fight interview, which meant they probably wanted to make sure I was minimally competent out in the field, but so had twenty-six others, they’d only hired three of us. It also explained the partnering, Alyssa was such a badass they probably figured she could pick up my slack, and I wouldn’t be able to put her in danger.

  Sure, it was my power that gave me that edge, but it tweaked my pride a bit because my hiring edge hadn’t been about my fighting ability, or my work ethic and belief in justice and stopping supervillains. I had proved myself, and in the last three months I hadn’t lost a fight, even if I’d come close to it just yesterday afternoon.

  Oh, I’d survive, I wasn’t exactly in a spiral of depression about it. The important thing to my mind was that I was there and Alyssa’s partner, but it was annoying. I felt valued for the wrong thing, and more than just a little manipulated by it all. They could have just been honest about it, if they had been those two men might still be alive.

  I shook my head as I slipped into my apartment. It was almost ten at night, which was a bit shocking, my dinner with Alyssa had gone for three hours, and it’d felt more like a date, but it hadn’t felt like three hours at all. The time had flown.

  “Rose, I’ll set up the two-way enchantment for your data access, and I’ll get that ear piece added. Was there anything else?”

  Rose replied, “No, that is more than sufficient. I can already use your cellphone.”

  I nodded, “Are you hiding from me at all?”

  Rose answered, “No, I told you right off I’m a level four A.I. I’m perhaps displaying more brevity than I need to. I don’t wish to strain your good will.”

  I frowned, “Am I that impatient?”

  There was a long pause.

  Rose replied, “No. But I don’t wish to find where that patience ends. My existence is dependent on you.”

  I grunted, “I’d never destroy you. I might tell you if you get too distracting, but that’s not a big deal is it? It’s like any other friendship or relationship, you have feelings too, and I’m sensitive to that. I don’t want you living in fear for your life. I’m not that petty.”

  Rose said, “I’ll think about it. I don’t feel a lack from our brevity, but perhaps I can be more myself when we do talk.”

  One thing was for sure, I was surrounded by interesting females.

  The next couple of days, Friday and Saturday, not all that much of importance happened.

  There was nothing at all on the ex-hero front, for the moment those bastards were in hiding, nor were Alyssa and I called in for an emergency, and lastly there were no patrols on Friday and Saturday.

  I did manage to get all my enchanting done. Rose had her bandwidth, and a direct connection to Jenna. I suspected those two talked a lot more than Rose and I did, in just the first five minutes.

  I also set up the two detectors for the TAC agents, and last but not least the bug detector. There were bugs in the building, on both the first and second floor. Thankfully, there were none on the third level, where all the apartments were. Outside of Alyssa, Tina, and Carol, we kept it to ourselves. We figured there was no point in arguing about it, we just knew not to talk about anything important, or at least, nothing not related to our jobs when on those floors.

  There was also the thought that the bugs might not even be MTF, for all we knew it was the NSA or something. It was just better left alone, and we took a forewarned is forearmed attitude towards it. Nothing good could come out of a confrontation, and the last thing any of us wanted was to be replaced. We were already putting up with tons of government bullshit to be heroes and follow our calling, what was one more thing?

  It’d be a different story if it’d been in our apartments too, but it wasn’t.

  Last, but not least, I spent a whole lot of time with my partner. I knew it was stupid, but I thought about her almost all the time when she wasn’t around, and I greatly enjoyed her company. Not much changed there either really, we still bantered, and shared meals and our morning workout, things like that. At one point, I even thought I might be spending too much time with her, but I decided in the end that was my problem, which stemmed from the idea that any kind of work romance was just a bad idea.

  I just couldn’t help myself, she was intoxicating. Even on the first and second floor, we managed to flirt with our eyes and body language. Still, we didn’t talk about it at all, that things clearly seemed to be developing in a way that wasn’t just a friendship, we just had a good time in each other’s company. I did learn a few things about her, minor things, likes and dislikes, but again, no serious conversations about our pasts, fears, or anything like that.

  It wasn’t out of lack of confidence on my part either. I knew she returned my interest, I just thought things were moving damned fast enough as it was. Too fast, it was too easy how we got along, once she’d opened up to me and showed me who she was. I’d only known her for four days after all.

  I supposed that part was a breakthrough of sorts, what we’d started on that Thursday night dinner didn’t backslide at all. The shy and insecure Alyssa didn’t show herself to me at that point, outside of very brief flashes, she was open to me. Just fun, teasingly mischievous, and she had a beautiful smile. When she wasn’t teasing, she was a sweetly confident young woman.

  In short, she clearly trusted me enough to show me who she was, without worrying about me cutting her down in some petty way.

  Maybe we were both clingy, but it didn’t take a genius to realize neither of us have had a good relationship in a while, both romantic or simple friendship. Neither of us had ever been on a super team before, dating had been hell for me the last year, and was for her as well for two years, since she was sixteen. While I’d had more friendships in the past because of my late quickening, those hadn’t been thick on the ground for me either, not with hero work getting in the way the last year.

  Point being, perhaps that was a part of it too. We recognized a part of our lives that had been missing in each other. I worried about that a little, that it was more a need to connect than her specifically, but I didn’t really believe it. If that was the case, I wouldn’t have been trying so hard not to fall for her, and that I’d been failing so spectacularly at.

  Enough about my feelings and pop psychology.

  It was Sunday morning, and I was putting in five miles on the treadmill. Not a full workout on the weekends, it would give my upper body time to recover, but I did try to jog every day without fail. The morning sun streamed into the room, and it set Alyssa’s light dirty blonde hair glowing as she ran next to me. She of course, was wearing those white Lycra shorts, and a light pink sports bra this time.

  If anything, it was even harder to keep my eyes off of her. As I got to know her, the outward shallow attraction of her tight curvy petite body and angelically beautiful face seemed to if anything, grow more appealing and alluring.

  I was subtle about it of course, and didn’t leer or even stare, but her choice of dress, and the smug look in her eyes and smirk on her lips when she glanced over, told me I probably wasn’t fooling anyone. Not just that, but that she enjoyed my eyes on her too. I started to suspect that very thing had started that first workout together, that first pleased smirk that I hadn’t been able to nail down the reason for. I hadn’t known her nearly as well back then as I did in that moment.

  Or, I was just thinking about it too much.

  She asked, “Want to patrol earlier today?”

  “Sure, nine or so?” I asked, we still needed to get breakfast.

  She smiled and nodded, “Sounds good.”

  “Dinner afterward?”

  She grinned in a way that told me that had been her plan, to free up our night.

  She replied, “Even better.”

  I returned her smile. We couldn’t eat out all the time of course, but we’d been doing it every night the last few days. Partly because of our building relationship, but mostly for privacy to explore that relationship. Meals in the bugged kitchen were hardly private and introduced an awkwardness to it all.

  We finished up our run, got breakfast, and headed out on patrol.

  Chapter Twelve

  The sun was bright in the sky, but there were storm clouds moving in from the west. It didn’t rain very often in Silver City, but it happened on occasion. They were pretty far out on the horizon though, so I wasn’t all that worried about it.

  The first few hours of the patrol had been quiet, outside of the fans on the ground of course. They took pictures and waved. We approached the main strip where most of the famous casinos were, when we noticed the first signs of trouble.

  Which came in the form of a horn honking, and the sound of a car crash. Technically, super work was all about other supers. Specifically supervillains, stopping them I mean. We were not to ever assist in normal crimes, that was a job for the police, but rescue work was an allowed activity for us supers. I’d always thought that was stupid, being restricted from normal crimes, but it was what it was.

  Regardless, we shared a glance, and then headed that way with a purpose, instead of the slow floating speed we’d been employing to give the normal humans a show. It was only a second or two later, after the crash, when we heard some screams.

  White Witch said, “Jenna, we’re responding to a disturbance on the strip. Car crash, and now a few screams.”

  Jenna replied, “Got it, let me know if you need backup.”

  I zoomed in as we got onto the strip, and four blocks ahead there were two men and a woman in super suits. Cliché or not, I was pretty sure they were supervillains just from their dress, and not the ex-hero threat. Of course, that wasn’t for sure, but the screaming and running really tied that up.

  The man on the left was in all black leather. Pants, and a tight jacket. It wasn’t the color of course, but the sharp looking spikes on the shoulders, forearms, and knuckles on the gloves which screamed supervillain to me. He had his arms around two women, who looked absolutely terrified as they walked down the street.

  “Hostages,” I murmured, that was never good. Most supervillains were in it for the fun, money, and violence, but they weren’t true killers and saw it as a game almost against their heroic opposites. Only the worst of them purposefully put bystanders in danger, although many supervillains didn’t necessarily care about collateral damage, most didn’t go out of their way to cause it either.

  The second man who was slightly in front and in the middle, had spiky brown hair, chains all around his body with spikes and sharp blades, and he wore black leather pants similar to the first guy, but no shirt at all. His chest and arms were covered in tattoos of a dubious nature, depicting both violence and sex.

  The woman was in black leather G-string, halter top, and was also covered in rather lewd tattoos. She also had on thigh high black boots with four-inch heels. She was voluptuously ripe, and she had a sensual walk with a darkly amused look on her face. Her hair was jet black, and up in a tight severe bun.

  “Any clue who these guys are?” I asked as we closed with them.

  White Witch shook her head, “No, the joys of being a hero in a gambling city.”

  I sighed when my scanner picked them up, “Two are S-class of some kind, keep that backup handy.”

  Jenna replied, “Will do. Just give the word.”

  We were silent for the last half block or so, they just stared at us as we came to a stop about twenty feet away, and we hovered about fifteen feet off the ground.

  I glared at the guy on the left, “Let them go.”

  We held off on attacking for the moment, the last thing I wanted to do was get those young ladies killed. They were both dressed up in black miniskirts that sparkled, and a white blouse that was mostly unbuttoned, with a skin tight black sparkly shirt underneath that showed their cleavage and bare belly to great advantage. Identically dressed in sparkling clothes on the strip said uniform to me. I suspected they were both casino workers, maybe waitresses, probably where those jackasses were staying for the weekend, before they decided to put on their super suits and leave Silver City with a bang.

  They all ignored my order, which wasn’t a surprise.

  The one in the middle, and slightly in front was obviously in charge, and he laughed.

  “What a beautiful day and ending to a marvelous weekend here in Silver City. You folks know how to show a man a good time. You also should’ve brought backup. Oh, wait, our wonderful government is a bunch of fucking morons and made it easier for us, more fun for us.”

  White Witch said, “Let them go, and leave the city, or you’ll be having your fun in the supermax. Just don’t drop the soap.”

  He laughed, “Little girl, you have no idea who you’re dealing with,” and he turned to the woman, “I like her sissy, she’s got spunk. Teach her a lesson in respect but leave her alive.”

  Sissy? She was his sister? Now that he mentioned it, I could see the resemblance.

  The command hung there for a moment, then she asked, “What about him?”

  He grinned, “Let Bash have his fun. Bash, take care of tin man.”

  I rolled my eyes, not that they could see it behind the helmet.

  “Never heard that one before, how clever,” I said sarcastically.

  When Bash looked at the ladies under his arms, the leader rolled his eyes, and ordered, “You two ladies stand right there, and don’t move an inch.”

  They both nodded fearfully in agreement, and I narrowed my eyes. Psychic command powers of some kind? I wondered what the limits were, there had to be one, but not all that long. Bash lifted his arms off the women, and he pointed them right at me.

  I tensed up, and my heart raced, I couldn’t exactly strike first, the ladies stood right next to him.

  Bash grinned, then lunged forward and up as he threw a punch.

  I twisted to the side, fast, but not fast enough.

  He hit me at an angle, and I was launched back and to the side and let out a pained gasp as I made an Adamantine sized hole in the cement building. No one had ever hit me that hard before, and I suspected his higher than normal meta-energy was focused into his strength. Clearly, he could also fly and was wickedly fast. Probably a normal A-class in ability type, with his strength and speed beyond the normal, much like White Witch was a typical caster, just with a whole lot more power than most.

  White Witch was in the middle of a spell, I could hear the low mutterings of Latin over the ear piece enchantment. She’d never finish the spell though, as the leader’s sissy raised her hands, and then squeezed them into fists.

  White Witch screamed, as the then glowing woman laughed darkly, and launched a plasma bolt. The only force I knew that could get through Alyssa’s shields was gravity, and given the supervillain also launched plasma I suspected her powerset must be similar to Bright Star’s in Texas. Fortunately, a small mercy perhaps given her scream of agony, the plasma was stopped easily by White Witch’s shield.

  “Backup now!”

  I wanted to help, needed to help her, but I had my own problem. I blasted out and up as my opponent charged me for a second punch, and was just a little too slow, again. He clipped my ankle and sent me into a spin even as I continued up into the sky. My systems helped me recover, and I looked around and didn’t see him anywhere. The bastard wasn’t on my scanners either, so I searched the sky around me.