Countdown Part IV

Post date: Dec 5, 2018 12:56:43 PM

By: Katherine Alder, Staff Writer

Posted December 5th, 2018

We were all assigned rooms in the Task Force Headquarters, my door was of course guarded and the interior was absent of windows. Only one way out. I still couldn’t use my powers unless they allowed it. I am not sure why they still felt the need to do that, because they had made it impossible for me to escape by telling the media who I was, and with their surveillance network, I would be caught within days. I searched the room for cameras or bugs. I checked under everything. I didn’t find any cameras –though they were easy to disguise as innocuous objects so I may have missed one– which was unfortunate, because it would have been fun to mess with them. I flopped down on my bed, disappointed after my fruitless search, when I remembered the one place I hadn’t checked. I quickly jumped up, pulled the mattress off the frame, and looked around the edge until I saw the small device attached to the corner of the frame. There, it would fit between the wood and the mattress. I picked it up and set it on the desk before moving the mattress back in place.

I turned to the bug picking it and said, “Do you really think I wouldn’t notice this? Honestly. It wasn’t even hidden that well. Were you even trying? Axel? Jordan? You could have at least made it a challenge. Though, I am not sure what you expected to gain out of this. It’s not like I would just discuss my supper secret escape plan with myself. Even I am not that arrogant or stupid. I am not going to have a stereotypical villain monologue with no one to monologue to. Also I thought you were supposed to be training us for this mission, the whole team thing -did I mention, I don’t don’t do teams- anyway, I. Am. Bored. I know you’re listening to this, so can you just, I don’t know, respond maybe, or at least do something.”

I sighed, and threw the bug down on my desk, deciding not to dismantle it for now, it might be fun to mess with them later. I resumed my pacing crossing the small space in a few steps, back and forth across the carpet. The room was simple: a bed, desk, dresser, and not much else. I had my laptop and phone, but I couldn’t contact anyone. They didn’t want anyone to know we were here. I heard a knock at the door and muttered, “Finally,” before saying, “Yes, what is it?”

“You are to report to the training floor Miss Morozov,” a guard replied.

I opened the door and asked, “Why?”

“I am not privy to that information Miss Morozov, you will likely be briefed when you arrive. You must come with me,” he said.

“And if I don’t want to?” I said.

“Then I have been authorized to quote ‘drag her kicking and screaming to get her there on time’ unquote,” he replied.

“Excuse me. I would never be dragged anywhere kicking or screaming. I have more dignity than that, and I am shocked they would think so low of me.” I snapped.

“I am just the messenger, and I have to ask you to stop wasting time,” he replied.

“Where is the other one? You’re new,” I asked.

“Captain Evans has more important things to attend to then babysitting a criminal,” he said.

“Okay first of all, they were already being robbed, I actually stopped a robbery, and the bank’s security was deplorable. And second are you saying I am unimportant, because I thought I had a rather significant role to play in this mission. If I didn’t they would have arrested me,” I ranted.

“Whatever you say ma’am, you still broke the law, and you are still going to have to work with me not Captain Evans.”

“If I am going to have to work with you I would like to know your name then,” I said.

“Ensign Solis,” he answered.

“Have a good day Ensign Solis,” I said and shut the door in his face. I quickly shoved the chair from my desk under the door knob and laughed.

“Victoria Morozov, you will open this door immediately and come with me or I will remove the door from the wall,” he replied irritated.

“Hmmm no I don’t think I will,” I replied.

“You will come with me whether you like it or not,” he said. After a few minutes he had unscrewed the hinges and removed the door, leaning it up against the wall next to me room. He shoved the chair out of the way and grabbed my arm dragging me out of the room.

I let him drag me down the hall for a moment before yanking my arm back and saying, “I think that is quite enough.”

“If you will stop acting like a child and report to the training area you won’t have to be led around like one. Now will you walk with me or do you need me to hold your hand Miss Morozov,” he replied.

“I’ll walk.” I said, “And just for the record, that is not how you led a child around.” He sighed in response and picked up the pace. I followed behind him slightly slower. We went down a staircase and around a corner before he stopped at a door and waved his ID card in front of a scanner. I expected it to be more secure than that. It would be easy to pickpocket him and open the door, though there was not much of importance in a training room, the lock was likely a formality as even Solis had access. I bumped into him as I walked in the door, taking his ID at the same time. The training room was massive; it had holo projectors along the walls for mission simulations. There was gym equipment and mats in the last third of the room, kept away from the sim so that people couldn’t trip over them. I sauntered across the floor to where the rest of the group stood. Jordan sighed at my entrance.

Axel glared at me and said, “You’re late Morozov.”

“Really? Well no one told me what time I was supposed to be here just that I was supposed to be here so it’s really not my fault,” I replied.

“We sent Solis to get you way before the others so that you would get here on time and you are still late. How?” he said exasperated.

“Fashionably late?” I said.

“Stop acting so immature, and do you job,” Jackson snapped.

“Ooo immature, that is three syllables that must be a big word for you,” I mocked.

“Enough Morozov! We have work to do,” Jordan commanded. “Now, Jackson, Victoria, you have to be able to work together so stop insulting each other every time you speak. Ash, Quinn thank you for not getting involved.”

“What about every other time we speak?” I asked.

“Victoria, do you want to spend the rest of your life in a jail cell?” she threatened.

“Not particularly,” I replied nonchalantly.

“Then shut up.”

“And if-” I started, before she silenced me with a glare.

“Now, if we could continue without any further interruptions, that would make this go much faster,” she said.

I opened my mouth to say something, when Jackson yelled, “Morozov, don’t even think about it. I would like to get through this without you wasting more of my time.”

“Now who is interrupting who, Jordan?”

The girl with the purple hair looked up and said, “Can you two just shut up, Victoria you aren’t half as funny as you think you are. And Jackson, she is clearly baiting you, and you continue to fall for it every time.”

“Thank you Ash, now we are going to start off running simulations, then work on your individual power,” Jordan said. The lights dimmed and the holograms came up, suddenly we were in a factory. An image materialized in front of us accompanied by Jordan’s voice, “This is the weapon you are looking for now bring it back.”