Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

"Zana, we did it!" Agnes says as everyone starts climbing into their cots after dinner.

"I knew we could do it," I say trying to hide my exhaustion.

I've never been thrown around like that and my body is finally recovering, the way my skin crystalized in odd patches made it difficult for me to properly release the energy, but I am still thankful for the incident because every new twist and turn is a way for me to grow to become a stronger hero.

"I'm sure T will be ecstatic to see how smoothly everything went," Agnes says smiling at me, she looks pale.

"Agnes, are you feeling alright?"

"A weekend like this is just hard on an old woman like me," Agnes says, and I chuckle.

"You are so full of it, go home and get some rest," I say, and I can tell she is thankful for my order.

I finish cleaning everything up and the night shift comes in and I let them know how everything went before dragging my exhausted body home. I really should go out and do rounds tonight but I really can't get up from the couch. Every bone in my body is achy and sleep quickly consumes me until the front door opens.

"T?" I ask confused and I hear a chuckle.

"Go back to sleep Zana," T's soothing voice says, and I lay back down. For a moment I almost feel as if there is a third person in the room, but when my eyes adjust, I don't see anyone around.

Getting up early the next morning I make morning rounds instead and find police scattered along the main road. I can see a few dead bodies on the ground and a sick feeling quickly consumes me. Watching from the shadows I watch as they work until a tap on my shoulder knocks me out of my stupor.

"Aegis?" The cop asks me, and I stand there silently.

"Did you see what happened last night?" He asks me softly and I look to the ground.

"I didn't make my rounds last night, I was exhausted from a fight with Viro," I respond quietly.

"Have you had any luck tracking him?" He asks me, glancing over at the crime scene. They wouldn't be asking me if they weren't struggling to find him themselves.

"No, I can't get a hit on him, and when I do, I'm hitting a wall. I can't track him, he always gets the best of me, but his weapons are equipped with abnormal bullets, that's why I stepped in that day. I didn't know it at the time, but when I was pulling the bullets from my bra later on; I could tell they were special. I have nothing on that man except that he is hell-bent on hurting that one scientist," I say frustrated and the officer jots some of that down.

"How many times would you say you've encountered him?"

"Four or five? They're all starting to blur together... If I get anything on him, I'll call it in to you guys. I know when I'm out of my league," I admit as the last fight crosses across my mind. The aches in my body remind me of how far out of my league I really am.

"We did run some tests of the stray bullets and they were covered in Pheasium, the metal he stole months ago," the officer says quietly.

"He's playing games with all of us," I grumble, and the officer nods.

"Thank you, Aegis, for everything. I know the police force is split on having a hero running around but we are severely understaffed and incredibly overworked, I am thankful for any help we can get," the officer says.

"I'll protect this city until the day I die, it's my home," I say with conviction and my attention is drawn to another officer walking over.

My blood freezes as I stare at the officer approaching. Why do I know that face? Where have I seen this man before? He barely acknowledges me as he asks the other officer questions and then it hits me. A flash from the hospital room. The man sat down on my bed and told me there was nothing he could do to help me; the man didn't exist legally, and they had no leads on him. They told me I would be put into foster care, but that they couldn't and wouldn't pursue my case. Fire burns through my veins and I step away from the man and turn on my heel and run.

I run harder and faster than before and I barely see the turns I am making as I navigate the back alleys of my city. White-hot rage pushes through my veins as I sprint as hard as possible, trying to make that feeling go away. The feeling of being helpless tries to swallow me whole and I lash out and smash my fist into a wall as I slow to a stop.

"I am not helpless!" I scream out loud in rage.

"Never again," I hiss through tears as I drop to my knees.

The words keep rolling through my head over and over again. Foster care will help you, at least your safe now. My throat feels raw from the memory of completely losing it and screaming at the police officer until they sedated me. Why can't I remember his name anymore? Where did all of my blasted memories go? Why can't I even remember as something as simple as the face of the person who took care of me for the first twelve years of my life?

Finally looking around at my surroundings I realize I am over by the gym. Walking inside the lady at the front desk smiles at me and asks if she can help me. I hesitate for a moment before speaking up.

"I was wondering if Mason was here?" I ask her and she smiles. Would she even know who I am referring to?

"He's over to the back left of the gym, I don't think he's sparing today though," the woman says. He is a very frequent regular here, I am not surprised she knew who he was.

"Oh," I say disappointed after processing what she said.

"But I certainly won't stop you from going past this reception area to see if he'd be willing to spar," the woman says with a twinkle in her brown eyes. I smile at her.

Following the woman's instructions, I find Mason squatting some weights with his music in. I watch him for a moment, and I can't help but to marvel at how strong he is, he must easily be squatting one hundred and fifty plus pounds. I really shouldn't bother him; I didn't schedule anything with him. Turning on my heel I start to walk away.

"Zana?" A familiar voice calls out and I spin back around to see Mason walking over towards me.

"Hey, did we have a meeting today?" He asks slightly out of breath.

"No, I just, I went for a run and it led me here," I say softly.

"Do you want to spar? Or practice some more?" He asks me.

"I don't want to interrupt your workout, I'm sorry I even pulled you away, to begin with," I say. I should have known he was going to busy.

"Nonsense, if one of my students wants to learn I am always available," he says with a smile, "give me five minutes and we'll get started," he says wandering away.

Mason and I start meeting early Monday through Friday to spar and train. The thought of Viro is what pushes me there every morning. I need to get stronger; I need to work harder if I am ever going to make a dent in him. I need to be a better hero to protect these people, my city, my home. Every morning we meet for the rest of the summer and slowly but surely, the kid gloves come off.

Very quickly, Mason starts hitting me harder, his hits are more careful, and we really begin to fight. I learn to block more, to try and avoid the crystallization of my skin. Eventually, I admit that I have a weird reaction to getting hit, but he doesn't even question it. On the last day before school starts, Mason and I bow to each other and start a real fight. As I weave a dodge, parry blows, and deliver my own, I realize that not only am I holding my own, but I am on the offense for once.

Dancing around the ring, he tries to get up in my face, but he's taught me well and I don't retreat but rather take the hits and keep the fight close quarters until he finally calls the match. We both bend over sweating profusely and the sweat burns my eyes. Remembering my last fight with Viro, I know that I might stand a sliver of a chance if he were to come after me right now.

"Zana I am proud of you; you just nearly handed my ass to me. If you keep practicing like this, I know you are going to do an even better job protecting this city," Mason says quietly to me and I whip up surprised.

"Let's head out back," he says tossing me my water and I follow him outside.

"How did you figure it out?" I ask him, tugging at my sweatshirt nervously.

"I've become very familiar with your movements and patterns and I've always been a fan of Aegis from the beginning and that brawl you had with that mammoth of a man last week, I saw a lot of the skills I had been teaching you. Also, you need to pull that right elbow in more because I could feel the rock on your side," he says amused.

"Mason-"

"I'm not going to tell anyone Zana, I gain nothing in that. I would lose a good sparring partner and a friend," he says honestly.

"I don't know what to say," I say frustrated.

"I'm sorry but I had a hunch for a while and I just needed to know the truth," he says honestly, and I sigh.

"Curiosity killed the cat," I grumble.

"But satisfaction brought it back," he says with a smile and I can't help but chuckle.

"I'm your friend Zana, I won't tell anyone," he says, and the word friend bounces around in my mind.

"I have a very hard time trusting people," I say, and he smiles.

"You know where my mom lives, I would never dare cross you," he says with a cheeky grin and I can't help but smile. He is always the optimist.

"I'm trying to be mad at you! And I would never hurt your mother, it goes against my ethics," I say sticking my tongue out.

"You hurt me all the time! How are you so strong?" He asks me, looking at my arms.

"I think it's a part of my ability," I say rolling my eyes.

"Do you want to go to my house and get a snack?" He asks me and I grin.

"I've tried to make granola like your mom, but I can't even come close, let's go!" I say and we head inside and grab our things.

"So, have you started applying for schools?" Mason asks me as we walk back to his place.

"Yeah, both community colleges and a few other schools," I say.

"What for?"

"Law mostly," I say.

"You sound so enthused by that prospect," he says seriously.

"I would be able to help people the way I've always wanted to, I also applied to one Nursing program," I say quietly.

"Zana, what do you love to do?" Mason asks me seriously and I throw my hands up.

"The only thing I ever do is cook," I say.

"Zana, you are an amazing cook, why don't you go to culinary school? We have two of the best schools in the country within a half an hour radius," Mason says.

"I want to help people," I say softly.

"And you do, all the time, as Aegis. But it's okay to have other passions that don't involve saving people from burning buildings," Mason says.

"I'll think about it... how's school for you? Didn't you take an online course over the summer?"

"Oh, I passed with flying colors so now I am back on track to graduate in five years with my master's in physical therapy," Mason says with a big smile.

"I can't believe you turn twenty-one soon, how does it feel to be an old fart and a junior in college?" I tease and he checks my hip.

"Not that old because I hang out with a seventeen-year-old," he says laughing.

"Oh! Leave me alone," I say as we walk inside. I plop down on the nice stool and pull out my phone and call T as Mason grabs the granola from the fridge.

"Hi Zana, how was your sparing session?" T asks me with a strange tone.

"It was good, I won!" I say giddy and she gives off a weak chuckle.

"I'm so glad you have gotten more proficient in fighting, it makes me feel better when you run off," T says.

"T, what's wrong?" I ask her, quieting my voice.

"I got a call from Greyson today," she says.

"What happened?"

"My dad took a turn for the worse last night. That man can heal anyone in the world but himself," T says, and I can hear her pain.

"Do you need to head back to New York?" I ask her seriously.

"He's already in a coma," she says before bursting into tears.

"T, I can take care of the shelter tomorrow if you need to go," I say, and I notice that Mason left the room.

"You start school tomorrow," T says.

"This is more important," I say stubbornly.

"I will figure it out, okay Zana? I will see you tonight," T says before quickly hanging up.

"I'm sorry, I left to try and give you some privacy," Mason says returning in a change of clothes.

"Thank you," I say.

"Is everything alright?" He asks me, biting into his granola.

"T's father has been sick for a while, but he went into a coma last night and it'll be difficult for her to go and see him with the shelter," I say picking at my food.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, but thank you for listening..."

"Do you want me to walk you to the bus? You are more than welcome to stay but I'm getting the feeling you might want to go home," Mason says.

"I don't want to go home, but I probably should," I say standing up and grabbing my things.

"You better not forget about me now that school has started," he says.

"I won't, we can continue to meet in the mornings if you aren't busy," I say.

"What time do your classes start?"

"Nine, my school is trying that new late start time so I could meet with you around six-thirty?" I say casually.

"Do you even sleep?" He asks me confused.

"I run on four hours of sleep... always. The most I can sleep is six if I am really tired," I admit.

"I wish I could function on four hours, I can meet with you Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and then Sundays at like ten," he says.

"Perfect," I say.

Mason stands with me until the bus comes and keeps me company, which I appreciate immensely. As the bus pulls away, I see him waving and I wave back before sinking into the seat and trying to relax. Keeping my hood on I rest my head against the window and try to not stress out for three seconds.

The bus continues to speed along quickly, and I hear some murmuring among the passengers. Pulling my mask out of my bag slowly, I slide it on my face and look around. The mirror in the front of the bus shows a panicked bus driver and a bad feeling stirs in my stomach. Getting up from my seat, I keep my head down and go to talk to the driver.

"We just went through three red lights," I say quietly to the man.

"The breaks," he says in a frightened huff.

"The emergency brake?"

"It will cause the bus to skid," he says seriously and there is a chance of the bus flipping. Circa city has all the old reject buses from other cities so none of this is a surprise.

"You need to pull that break," I say looking around for the emergency exit.

"The bus might flip!"

"We're all going to die if we don't start decreasing speed, make a left at the next street. It's a wider road and usually doesn't have a ton of traffic," I say, it is the road right by my high school.

"Parents hold your kids close; I want everyone to have a pair. Younger folks grab an older friend, and everyone sits in pairs evenly going back, the bus needs to be as balanced as possible. Please don't panic, I will do everything I can to make sure everyone gets off of this bus safely," I say rolling up sleeves as people murmur and move around me.

"Are you her?" An older woman asks me as she partners up with a younger woman.

"My name is Aegis," I say with a smile they can't see.

"Can someone give me a boost?" I ask as I push the hatch up, on the top of the bus open.

Two men squat down and give me a boost before going and taking a seat next to their children. I hook my feet onto the space in-between the hatch and the roof and get my bearings as the driver starts using the emergency brake and hangs the left. The bus starts skidding before spinning out as he predicted. Why is public transit such garbage sometimes? As the bus starts to tip, I unhook my body and free fall to the ground before jumping to my feet pushing the bus with all my might. My body starts to threaten to crumble under the weight and then I feel everyone moving to the other side of the bus. Sharp black crystals cut through my clothes as I continue to try and hold the entire weight of a city bus. This bus is going to crush me if I don't do anything.

Thinking about Viro, a fire is lit inside of me and a literal growl slips through my lips as I take a step and push the bus further back up. I force another step and the crystals on my calves before even thicker and with one more step I shove the bus with all my strength, and it is upright. Collapsing to the ground, I force oxygen in and out of my body as everything spins. Rolling my sleeves up, I see nearly half an inch of crystallization on my arms and I know what is on my calves is a lot worse.

"Aegis?" Someone asks me as people start to exit the bus from Hell.

"Yes," I say trying to stand back up, a hand guides me.

"Thank you," the man says shaking my hardened hand and I cough.

"All in a day's work," I say, and he shakes his head.

"Nobody would have ever thought you were strong enough to support a bus, you are so tiny!" The man says and I roll my eyes. I am not that small, five-four is a normal height for a woman.

"The best things come in small packages," I say wryly as the police arrive. I am sure our trip had caught their attention a while back.

Thinking back to the last time I went to the doctor; I realize it has been years at this point. I wonder if I have grown at all since then. I honestly don't know what I weigh, but I had put on some weight over the summer from all of the working out I am doing and the sheer muscle I gained. I give the police a quick rundown of what happened.

"So, you just so happened to be on the bus, this bus, when everything went down?" The officer asks me skeptically.

"I take the bus all the time, I don't have a car and my friend lives across town," I say seriously.

"You don't have a car?"

"No, it's not in the budget," I snap before walking away.

I didn't need to be questioned by some cop about why I was on the bus, it is none of his business. I am just glad that I decided to catch an earlier one or this could have resulted in even more causalities. My mind flickers back to all of the dead bodies I saw that one morning and I shake my head, I'm still partly human. My phone starts vibrating, and I see that it is Mason.

"Did you really just stop a bus from tipping over?" He asks me in complete shock.

"I think I did," I say with a laugh.

"Are you alright?"

"I will be," I say.

"Do you want me to go? You sound exhausted,"

"Busses are heavy!" I exclaim laughing and he chuckles.

"Talk to you later," he says, and I smile to myself.

"Bye Mason,"

"Bye Aegis,"

Yey this one normal/ to longer to make up for the short chapter eleven! So the cats out of the bag!! Mason knows her secret... will he be able to keep it?

XX Cc