Catalyst (Savior Complex #1)

9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Callie

M ost of my day passed in a drowsy haze, fluttering in and out of consciousness like a bird dancing through branches. Each time I woke up was less and less pleasant, but every time my eyes begrudgingly opened, Jace was there, holding onto me while he played some card game on my phone. One I hadn’t installed, but I was too out of it to care.

This strange, agonizing sleepiness happened a lot during my first trimester. Something about my body shutting down because I wasn’t a suitable environment for a child with a fire-based ability. I’d learned early on that children often inherit an ability adjacent to their father’s, which was something I didn’t know. How could I when none of my siblings seemed to take after my father in that regard? The closest ability to my Dad’s was Jack’s, but even then, aerokinesis and cryomancy were only vaguely similar.

My OBGYN told me that I would eventually adapt to the excess heat my son was creating, and once it got to the point that my body could no longer stand it, we’d look into upping the dose of my suppressors. That way, they’d work for him too. The only problem with that was if I upped my dosage, I’d lose the small amount of power I could tap into. And, while I wasn’t supposed to be able to read minds as consistently as I do, the thought of being completely without my ability made me feel vulnerable in ways I didn’t like.

Thankfully, after sleeping most of the day, I felt better… well, better-ish. I was still too sluggish to get out of bed, but by the time the sun set, I no longer felt like I was melting. Unfortunately, by that time, I was alone .

The world spun a little as I sat up, forcing myself to look around. My nightstand was littered with popsicle sticks, mostly empty sports drinks, and a low-dose bottle of Tylenol. I stared at them, a little confused by how they got there… until I remembered just how attentive Jace had been.

Every time I’d woken up, he’d force some sort of liquid into me, keeping me upright on his chest until he’d deemed I had enough. The memory caused a strange, tight feeling to take over my chest, one that I’d only ever associated with Sulien .

… Was I allowed to feel like that about someone else?

Rationally, I knew he was dead, which meant he’d never come back. But, the idea of loving someone else, especially if that person ended up being Jace or Kane, felt like I was replacing him. I couldn’t stay single forever, but how was I supposed to move on when my heart would forever be branded with Sulien’s name?

Maybe this was why people entered arranged marriages… And, if I did that, maybe my parents would love me again. Trenton Taylor couldn’t be that bad… right?

Just as the admittedly stupid thought started to marinate, the bedroom door squeaked open. I looked over, expecting to see Jace with another popsicle. Instead, Kane lingered in the doorway, his broad frame nearly filling the space. He clutched a bowl to his chest as he scrutinized me with a tight-lipped look of pity.

“You still not feeling well, sweetheart?” He asked, finally stepping into the room.

The scent of lemon and chicken emanated from whatever he had in the bowl, and instantly, I salivated. It was only then that I realized I was starving —just another thing to add to my list of self-imposed problems.

“I feel better,” I forced a smile. “Just… sad.”

Saying that out loud felt strange. Sulien had been dead for longer than we’d been dating, and that meant my window of mourning was over. At least, that’s what my dad had told me.

Kane’s expression softened as he sat down beside me on the bed, carefully cradling the soup as he did.

“Is it the kind of sadness you want to talk about?” He asked calmly before playing with the spoon. Please don’t let her talk about it .

His thoughts weren’t riddled with Malice, instead it seemed to be a genuine plea. He wasn’t equipped to deal with his own emotions, let alone mine.

“Not really.” I lied.

Even if Kane had wanted to talk about my feelings, he’d grown up with Sulien. That meant he probably missed Sulien more than I did, and I didn’t have a right to whine.

Kane’s shoulders lowered with relief as he dipped the spoon into the bowl before bringing it to my lips. “Open up, sweetheart. I told my mom you were sick, and she had her chef make this just for you.”

I hesitated for a moment. Seeing as I’d all but destroyed Gianna’s Saturday dinner, part of me was afraid this would be poisoned… But I didn’t think Kane would let her do that. So, I allowed him to feed me.

Even with the soup in my mouth, I had no idea what it was. The broth was rich, slightly lemony, and full of chicken and rice. It wasn’t bad, and it also filled the hollowness in my stomach, which was always a plus.

Kane’s eyes stayed trained on mine, a sly grin lifting the left side of his lips as he lifted the spoon to my lips again. “First time trying avgolemono?”

Seeing as I had absolutely no idea what the fuck that was, yes . But I didn’t want to seem uncultured by admitting that. So, I smiled and reached out to take the bowl from him.

“It’s good,” I promised.

Kane’s lips pressed into a thin line as he swatted my hands away.

“I’m taking care of you, don’t do that again.” He warned.

I froze, torn between fighting him and reminding him I could take care of myself. But… as I let his words wash over me for a moment longer, Kane’s insistence on babying me to this degree should have felt smothering, but it didn’t. Instead, he made me feel safe .

I didn’t want to go to school. Actually, I didn’t even want to leave the apartment. I wanted to stay home with Jace and Kane. Their thoughts were always kind, but the same couldn’t be said for the rest of the world.

I was safe with them, cared for with them, I was… I wasn’t sure what I was, but I liked it. For the first time since Sulien died, I felt like I was with someone who wanted me for me–scratch that two someones who liked me for me. It was like hitting the freaking lottery. Still, no matter how much they liked me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t good enough for them as is, especially if all I did was relax at home.

I knew they’d be okay with me lounging around the house for an extra day or two… how long would they be like that? How long would I be worthy of their love if I didn’t do something to deserve it? They’d eventually tire of me being a mess, even if their minds said something else.

And, if I didn’t push myself to be better, I’d never be enough for either, let alone both of them.

So, against both their protests, I went to school today. My first two classes went fine, but that was expected. The coursework in my gen-eds was so easy that I could do it in my sleep. Unfortunately, all my anxiety centered on the last class of my day: Wearable Combat Systems.

Not only was it a class with a high failure rate, but I missed getting my hero assignment yesterday. Everyone who got theirs had a full twenty-four-hour head start on working with their partner. That meant I’d officially fallen behind, which was a feeling I didn’t do well with.

To make matters worse, by the time I was actually ready to go to class, I could feel the fever from yesterday creeping back in. I was cold and dizzy, and my eyes burned with the weird, tingly need to close them. If it had been any other class, I would have gone home.

When I rounded the corner, Dr. Langford was waiting for me outside of the room. My heart did a nervous somersault and I not-so-casually checked the time on my phone. I was still about ten minutes early… What was she doing out here?

My steps slowed as I approached her. Lanford was about my height, maybe half an inch taller, but the way she carried herself made her feel larger than life. Just being in her presence reminded me of my childhood, and not in a good way.

“Calista… Feeling better?” Her icy eyes sliced through me as she spoke with the precision of a serial killer.

I swallowed hard and put on a brave face; it was one of the things I did best.

“Much.” I lied. “Sorry, I had uh… a one hundred and six degree fever.”

At least, I think that’s what Jace said.

Her eyes widened for just long enough to make me uncomfortable. But her thoughts said I’d just done the same to her.

“That is a…” Dr. Lanford cleared her throat before crossing her arms behind her back. “If you plan on missing class again, I need a doctor's note.”

“Yes ma’am… Hey, about the hero assignments.”

Dr. Langford’s gaze suddenly fell to the floor. This almost sheepish nature was odd for her, and something about that caused my pulse to skyrocket. The dizzy feeling worsened, and for a moment, I debated texting Jace.

“Your absence actually worked out… There was a scheduling conflict with one of the Aegis heroes.” She spoke slowly, and her mind was loud with how she didn’t want to do this to me.

That was the most comforting bit of information I’d ever gotten from Langford’s mind. Maybe my mom had talked to her about how they kicked me out last week. And, if that was the case, I’d probably be paired with my dad or Jack. Sure, I wasn’t exactly fond of the idea of seeing either of them, nor did I exactly want to hear what they had to say to me… But; they were my family. And, part of me wanted to rub it in their faces that I was okay without them.

I wrapped my hands around the padded straps of my backpack as I shot her the most genuine smile I’d had all day.

“That’s fine… is it someone I know?” I asked hopefully.

Langford stiffened before meeting my gaze. “You know all the Aegis heroes.”

…If I were to point out her gross use of generalization, would it impress her or piss her off? Probably the second. But I knew how to keep my mouth shut when necessary.

“I’m actually glad you showed up a few minutes early.” She continued. “Your hero is waiting at your workstation.”

It had to be Jack. He probably wanted a few extra minutes to argue with me before the room filled up, but I could live with that. So, I pulled my shoulders back and stood a little taller before following Dr. Langford into the lab.

But… seated at my workbench wasn’t Jack. Actually… I wasn’t sure who was at my desk.

The strange man had a headful of perfectly quaffed dark hair and eyes so dark they reminded me of coal. He was handsome, but in a way I didn’t trust. Once again, that nervous, dizzy feeling returned, but I fought it off. At least I didn’t have to worry about a stranger making fun of me, and he still worked for my family’s Hero Center. That meant that whatever we did could be reported back to my family.

I tried to act casual as I tossed my backpack onto the steel workbench. The heavy bag landed harder than expected, and a bang filled the room. I flinched at the sound, but that man seemed unphased.

The man looked up at me, then down to my stomach. I instinctively pulled my shirt away from my skin, hoping to make my bump less noticeable.

Disgusting . His thoughts hit my mind long before his voice hit my ears, and I tried to shrug it off.

“You must be Calista,” he said coolly, his gaze creeping back up to meet my eyes.

“Actually–I prefer Callie,” I explained as I took a seat beside him.

Seriously, what is she, five? The freckles running across his nose creased as he looked at me with complete and utter revulsion. But, apparently, this guy was just as trained to face the public as I was because the look didn’t linger for long.

“Well… I’m going to call you Calista . It’s a beautiful name.” He flashed me a smile, one that might have been charming if it weren’t for the slight yellowing of his teeth. “And it’s far more fitting for such a beautiful girl.”

The saccharine tone in his voice barely masked his disdain, and the contempt in his gaze was so thinly veiled that I could practically see it flitting through the air between us.

“Thank you.” I kept my tone formal, not wanting to encourage anything he felt he was owed. “Now… has Dr. Langford let you know what we’ll be working on?”

“Yeah, she let me know that you’ll be making custom wearable tech for me… So it’s probably best if you just let me talk about myself for a bit.” He barked out an obnoxious laugh, one that suggested he thought he was the funniest man in the world. “So, for starters, my name is Trenton Taylor, but the world knows me as TitaniumJustice…”

His words turned into a hum in the back of my mind as he droned on about things I didn’t really care about. None of it mattered anyway. I’d already come up with my project. I needed something that would help me stand out, and everyone would be making weapons or something to help enhance their supers’ powers.

I wanted to focus on something that would make arresting villains safer for all parties involved.

“How much do you know about the process of apprehending villains?” I asked, not caring if I cut him off.

Trenton paused, his smug expression faltering. Annoyance was plain on his face, but again, I didn’t care.

“Uh, all of it?” The condescension in his tone made me want to slap him. “Heroes capture the villains, subdue them if necessary, and wait for containment units to handle the aftermath.” He leaned in close enough for me to smell the nicotine on his breath. “And sometimes… well, let’s just say some villains need more neutralization than others.” He whispered. “You know what that means, right?”

It meant they killed the villains and relied on Vitalis to revive them. Heroes weren’t allowed to kill anyone; it was against their creed. That’s why they had to find a loophole, but Vitalis was getting older, and he wasn’t going to live forever.

I nodded.

“And let me guess, you want to fix an already flawless system?” He scoffed.

“I’d hardly call legal murder flawless .” I tried not to sound offended, but recently, all I’d been able to think about was Sulien’s death and how he’d have almost been better off as a villain. At least that way, he would have been revived. That being said, no one deserves to die in the name of justice.

Trenton shot me a skeptical look before motioning for me to talk again. And, while I didn’t want to humor him, we were a team… unfortunately.

I unzipped my backpack; the sound echoing through the still-empty room. After a moment of rooting around, I found my sketchbook and opened it to the page I’d been doodling in on Saturday.

“It’s like a bracelet.” I started, pushing the drawing toward him. “Except this one suppresses abilities… Kind of like the high-tech prison in Germany.”

He raised an eyebrow as he picked up the sketch. “... Like the billion-dollar one with walls that are close to two meters thick?”

I nodded.

Trent hesitated a moment as he rubbed his jaw. Seriously? Isn’t Calista supposed to be a genius or something? This is the best she can do?

The longer I sat with the guy, the more I understood one thing: he was an asshole. But something about that made me want to prove him wrong.

“It’s more adaptive technology rather than an outright blocker,” I explained, lowering the drawing so I could point to different components. “All the bases start the same, solid quardradrainium.” I pointed to the main drawing. “And we then add sensors that pick up on–”

Trenton cut me off with a sigh. “Sensors? You realize they’d need to be hyper-intelligent to work fast enough–right? Any lag in the system and the heroes would get killed.”

I tried to ignore his tone, but hearing that out loud made me feel a little stupid.

“I know–That’s why instead of relying on one or two big sensors, it would use approximately two hundred nano-sensors. They’d be specifically calibrated to detect fluctuations in someone’s–”

Trent’s dark gaze drifted around the room as he pretended to be anywhere other than here. And I realized I’d probably gotten too excited and shared too much with someone who had more in common with a houseplant than most intelligent life forms. So, instead of continuing to waste my time, I took a deep breath and thought about how I’d explain this to a preschooler.

“Think about it like this: the bracelet isn’t a way to stop the villain’s powers completely. That would require tech that we’re not capable of yet.” Yet was the optimal word. But Trent didn’t seem like the kind to care about what may be possible soon. “Instead, it kind of puts a damper on them, just enough to keep their abilities from damaging anything or anyone else.”

My partner still seemed bored, but at least he was looking at me again.

“The bracelet detects energy surges—let’s say someone with pyrokinesis is preparing to throw a fireball. The bracelet would then pick up on the spike in energy before releasing a counter-signal to cancel out just enough of that energy to keep the fireball from forming. Once the pyromancer stops, the bracelet turns off, and everyone is safe.”

I could practically see the rusty gears in Trenton’s very smooth brain spring to life, but I didn’t poke around in his thoughts. I had a feeling I’d lose brain cells if I did that. So, instead, I gave him a second to think about his response, and I braced myself for an all too predictable insult, but no matter how prepared I thought I was—I wasn’t.

“This is some stupid pet project to avenge the terrorist that knocked you up— isn’t it?”