Catalyst (Savior Complex #1)

Epilogue

Calista

Approximately six years later…

I stared in my rear-view mirror as I dabbed concealer on the yellow and red remnants of the black eye I’d earned by telling Trenton no . Normally, these types of attitude adjustments were limited to places clothing could hide . Still, he’d been drunk last night, which meant he had been careless.

Luckily, my super DNA meant I wouldn’t have to worry about hiding this by the end of the day. Still… I hated that I needed to do it. And I hated him.

“Princess… don’t tell me my favorite person is ignoring me.” Jace’s pout echoed through the speakers of my car.

“No, I’m not. Sorry, just tired .” I breathed, unsure how else to put it.

Kane had promised that I could move back in with him and Jace once things were settled, but after almost six years of waiting, I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.

The pause in conversation was just long enough for me to picture Jace’s concerned expression.

“You've been tired a lot recently… Is something wrong?”

“No, just–a lot of long nights.”

“Long nights with Trent ?”

Trenton was probably worse than Satan himself, but because we couldn’t stand each other, we’d mutually agreed that we could see other people, just so long as the media never found out. That meant I got to keep my boys… But I also knew that if either of them ever found out Trent laid a hand on me, he’d be dead.

And I didn’t want that for them.

“Don’t.” I breathed, rubbing my temple. “Don’t you have an IV to hang or something?”

“Nah, I’m on my fifteen-minute break. The only thing I have to do is try to force down some of the world’s worst coffee.”

The disgust in his voice made me smile for the first time all day.

“You need to bring a thermos.”

“How about you get a thermos and bring me coffee every morning? Kind of like how you bring me banana bread every time you and Sawyer come spend the night.”

“You know… If you and Kane let us move in again, I could just make it for you instead of bringing it to you.” I said hopefully.

Jace drew in a pained breath. “See, I’ve been saying that for the last year or so… but you know how Kane is.”

He needed everything to be perfect . Between that and the knowledge that all hell was going to break loose when my family realized Sawyer and I were gone, we needed to be prepared. But, I was tired of preparations, and while I knew I kept Sawyer safe, I wanted someone to protect me . Someone to make me feel like no one could ever touch me again. Someone who would see through the concealer and forced smiles and wouldn’t ruin their life by giving Trent exactly what he deserved.

I stared at the looming white facade of the Aegis Center in the distance as I thought about just how much better life would be when I was finally free. I just hoped that would come soon. Five years was a long time to live in fear.

“So, are you excited about your villain… thing?” Jace asked.

I swiped my tongue across my lips as I nodded before realizing he couldn't see me.

“Villain Rehabilitation.” I corrected. “And… yeah. Apparently, someone had turned themselves in last night before specifically requesting to be part of my trial run.”

I was a little shocked when Jack called me last night to tell me. Reception to my program had been lukewarm at best, but some of the kindest people I knew were villains, and everyone deserved a chance to be exactly who they wanted to be, not who the world forced them to be.

“Do you know anything about them?” There was a hint of caution in Jace’s tone.

He’d never say anything, but I knew the idea of me rubbing noses with dangerous people made him a little uncomfortable, to say the least. And paranoid, to say the worst.

“Jack said it’s a Pyromancer, but he wouldn’t tell me who… I’m just going to assume it’s some scared kid who doesn’t want to be bad.” And, honestly, the idea of helping a pyromancer specifically made me smile.

It wasn’t often that I thought of Sulien Seo anymore, but I’d like to think he’d be happy that I was dedicating my life to saving villains.

“Well… I won’t keep you. Just–call me as soon as you're done, okay?” Jace’s request made me smile.

“I will…. I love you.”

“How did you know those were my three favorite words?” He chuckled. “I love you too, Princess.”

And with that, he hung up. I quickly grabbed my bag from the passenger seat before walking toward the Aegis Center. Sunlight beat off of the hundreds of windows covering the tower, causing me to squint before I made my way inside.

It took me a few minutes to get to my wing of the building. Luckily, I knew exactly where I needed to be. By the time I got to the experimental region of the building, Jack was waiting for me, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

“Seriously? You couldn’t have come any earlier.” He scoffed, pushing himself off the wall.

“I’m here exactly when I said I would be.” I shrugged.

Jack let out an aggravated groan as he rolled his eyes before plucking a manilla folder off of a nearby counter and handing it to me.

“What’s this?”

“Villain info. Or anything we could get from him. The guy refused to speak.”

I tried to keep the judgment off my face as my gaze swept over my brother. Honestly, if I had a choice, I’d refuse to talk to him too. But, if I said that, I’d be the asshole.

“Do you have any extra suppressing bands? I want to make sure I’m on a level playing field with whoever’s in that room.” I gestured to the steel door at the end of the hall.

“Why? You’re a mind reader; they’re a pyromancer. Plus–they’re villains.”

“I don’t tell you how to do your job; don’t tell me how to do mine.” I sang, extending an upward palm to Jack. “Now, if you have an extra band, can I please have it?”

Begrudgingly, Jack reached into his tactical belt before producing a silver bracelet and depositing it in my hand. That was another thing I was proud of. I had made the impossible possible, and because of that, arrests were safer for all parties involved.

“Thank you.” I smiled, slipping the silver onto my wrist and adjusting it to fit snugly against my skin.

Jack mumbled something under his breath, but I knew it was best to ignore my brother. With that in mind, I tucked the folder under my arm before walking into the back of the hall. Once I was in front of the heavy steel door, I waved my badge over a nearby sensor and waited for the lock to disengage.

Once I heard that click, the door hissed open, letting me inside.

“Good morning!” I called, making sure the door was sealed behind me before I turned toward the interrogation table.

I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw the man sitting at my table.

He was easily the largest person I’d ever seen, but that wasn’t what scared me. Instead, it was the metal mask adorned with devil horns.

HellPyre .

Jack said I had a pyromancer, not the pyromancer. HellPyre killed heroes just because he thought it was fun. His very name was synonymous with carnage and destruction, and he was here .

Okay, stay calm, Callie. He was just a person, one who wanted to be better. And, if my first rehabilitation was with someone like him , everything after would be a piece of cake.

I forced myself to stay calm as I slid into the steel chair across from the most dangerous man in the world.

“I’m excited to have you here! Is there any chance I can get you to take off your mask?” I asked, forcing myself to sound far more bubbly than I felt. “I can’t help you if I don’t know who you are.”

HellPyre stared at me, his dark eyes flickering away from mine and down to his hands. Slowly, he lifted them, leaving the chains around his wrist to rattle far before he reached his mask.

“Oh, is it alright if I help you?” I stood, reaching across the table, stopping before I got too close.

My goal was to save him, not to force him to do something he wasn’t ready to do.

For a few agonizing seconds, he didn’t acknowledge my gesture. The light in his eyes dimmed slightly as though he were retreating into himself, weighing the risk and possibly regretting agreeing to this. After a few minutes and a heavy exhale, he gave me the slightest nod.

Carefully, I unlatched the mask, doing my best to not hurt or startle the villain in front of me. But, as I stepped back, holding the heavy steel mask to my chest, what I saw caused me to stiffen.

My heart raced uncontrollably as I realized I recognized the man beneath the mask. Though it had been years since I’d seen him, his face was never one I’d be able to forget, especially because our son looked just like him.

“... Sulien ?”

His eyes met mine, a crooked smile twisting at his lips. “ Oh, Sunshine. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you .”

To be continued…?