Chapter 10

We don't have enough room in the main buildings for the Volunteers to sleep and live. What we do have is a large amount of land around the complex. We were lucky enough that several businesses that manufacture so-called 'tiny homes' decided to donate a number of buildings. Unfortunately they left them in the parking area for now. The announcements that we're doing the study started running earlier this week so I wasn't expecting much of a response right away. I certainly was not planning on a potential test subject to show up this morning, a full month before we hope to begin the study, but one did. I'm not sure how they made it here with a bag of clothing and a cardboard box of journals. They have no vehicle and I would have noticed if one had driven up. They've offered to help with moving the tiny houses. I will see how that goes.

- Personal Journal of Doctor Rose Hailu, September 2, 2029

I made it into Stick Shifter's at about nine thirty and I don't let the building fall until almost two in the morning. I shift my clothing back into a business style suit with a long jacket as I return to my masculine form.

I'm not sure why I don't decide to change to Basic, but I don't. Maybe it's because I assume the cops will respond better to me if I'm male based on how they've been treating the nightclub patrons and staff.

Neoni, the bartender, is still in the area recounting to the police what happened. I heard her explaining what she saw several times already. She had to work out less complicated ways to explain what I was doing because none of the cops at the scene are CoLs and their CoL related training seems to be rather minimal. I'd be surprised if any of them have read a single book about CoL powers.

Neoni spots me as I emerge from the rubble. She squints then tilts her head, her silver cat ears wiggling like she's listening for something. Several police officers see me and approach, weapons ready. I hold up my hands. They aim at my head.

Of course.

"I was the one keeping the building up. Your boss, Captain Watkins, just gave me the green light to drop it," I say. "He was using the megaphone a minute ago."

"Any weapons on you?" one of the cops barks.

I don't know how to answer that. I am basically a walking weapon. Do I count myself? What I can turn into? The horrible ways misusing my powers could go? At least I manage not to laugh at the question.

"He's the one who saved me," Neoni says loudly. "I remember him from the bar, he just looked different then."

"But not like the horrible fleshbeast I've been while holding the building together," I add. "I did, however, have a pretty punchable face at the bar."

"The look you gave me when you tried that stout," Neoni laughs, "was absolutely priceless. Had to use your powers, right?"

"Yeah. So, you agree that beer was awful?"

She laughs which does nothing to break the tension created by the four police officers still pointing their firearms at my face.

Captain Watkins races around a firetruck and manages to convince the other cops to stand down. Something about 'wasting bullets and time.'

There's a marked change in his tone versus how he spoke to me inside the club. Less respect, more contempt. This may be due to the fact that I can no longer drop a building on him if he upsets me.

I shrug it off and give my statements about who I am and what I was doing at Stick Shifter's. They only ask me to tell my story twice to two different officers. I keep it the same both times: I'm a private investigator who was following a lead on a case. The man I was looking for was attacked by the guy in the white suit. At one point I offer to show the cops my I.D. and get brushed off. That seems pretty fucking weird.

A CoL could, presumably, look like anyone, which makes our I.D.s pretty important. Not to mention using my powers to investigate something requires an additional license, which I have, that they're supposed to check for.

I wonder if I should tell Doctor Hailu or someone else about this. It's apparent that these cops don't want to have to deal with CoLs at all. That's a bad sign considering the relatively large population of us in Austin. I decide to just give them my name and address when they ask. At least they can find me at home if they need to.

When they finally release me it's a little after four in the morning and I am exhausted. I text Eugene and ask if he's okay. I apologize for losing the earpiece and for being out of touch. I explain that I was a little held up because the building was going to collapse. I ask him to text back if he's okay, or call if he needs.

I also try calling and it goes straight to voicemail. I don't leave a message. I really hope he's gone home to sleep or something. I open the ride share app I signed up for before moving to Austin. I should look into getting a motorcycle or car.

"Do you need a ride?" Neoni asks from behind me as I walk down the sidewalk. I want to put as much space between me and the cops before they decide they do actually want to ask me more questions.

"Not really," I hold my phone up. "Was gonna get a lift."

"I can't believe your phone survived that," she says in awe.

"I've had some practice."

"Doing that?"

She catches up to my side. Her ears have changed to look human and her hair is now straight and black. I assume she's reverted to Basic. She's very exhausted as well.

"Not exactly," I say.

"Forget it, I don't wanna know," she shakes her head with a smile. "Please, let me give you a ride home. I mean, you saved my life tonight. It's the least I can do."

I stop walking and look over at her. Her work uniform is still covered in dust, dirt, and spilled drinks. She holds one arm close to her side at the elbow and she's doing her best not to bite her lip. I'm sure she doesn't want to be alone after what happened.

"Okay," I say. "You have a vehicle?"

"Yeah, I parked in the garage a couple blocks away, thank gods," Neoni explains. "We still have a ways to walk."

"Can you make it?" I ask.

"Me?" She replies with a little shock. "I'm fine, you're the- never mind. This way."

We reach Neoni's car in relative silence. I'm mostly following her on autopilot while my thoughts are on the identity of the person in the white suit. They were a powerful CoL, for sure. At least a Class A, at the upper limit of what someone of that class can do. Neoni stops at the driver's side door of her car and rests her elbows on the roof watching me for a moment. It's a little blue sports car.

"Where am I driving you?" She asks.

I don't think and say, "Your place."

She narrows her eyes at me.

I put my hands up. "No, wait. I mean, I will ride with you there to make sure you're safe. Then, I will go home. Nothing else."

"Figured you didn't mean anything else," she says. "I'm just confused about how that constitutes me giving you a ride at all."

"Right, I mean, I thought you wouldn't want to feel alone, or, shit," I say. "I'm sorry, I was thinking about something else."

Neoni leans onto her car further and raises an eyebrow. With a sly smirk she asks, "Which was?"

"Who the fuck was that guy in the suit," I say waving my hands in the air. "Why would they attack like that?"

She blinks rapidly and stands up away from her car. "How should I know? You seriously weren't thinking of anything else?"

I have no idea what she means.

"I'm also worried about the detective I'm working with," I say. "Couldn't reach him earlier. Maybe he just went home."

"Okay, let's try this again," Neoni says. "Where do you live? So I can give you a ride home, Page."

"Little Asgard Heights," I say.

"Fuck," she says.

"What?"

"You're the new guy, aren't you?"

"Uh..."

Neoni shakes her head. "Get in the car. We live in the same building."

I feel awkward bunched up in the passenger seat. I could return to Basic and take up less room, but instead I just slide the seat back a bit. The car isn't particularly big. It's some older model sporty thing that's close to the ground and lets your spine feel every divot and pothole you come across thanks to the tight suspension.

"I can't stand this silence," Neoni says. "You seriously weren't trying to pick me up back there?"

"What?"

"I thought you were trying to, never mind."

"Oh, shit, no." I sink in my seat as much as I can without shifting. "Gods no. Sorry."

"No need to apologize," she says. "I guess I just got my hopes up there."

"Yeah...I'm ace," I say. "And not really looking for anyone romantically right now," I add.

"Did you seriously break Thunderskull's arm Sunday night?"

"Technically, he hit me and broke his own arm," I reply. "I overestimated how hard he'd punch and didn't leave my body enough give. He's a Class A, right?"

"For what that's worth," Neoni says as she changes lanes. It's early enough that some light traffic has started to develop from morning commuters heading to and from work as the sky brightens with the rising sun. "The class system is all fucked up."

"How so?" I ask, sitting up a little.

"Like me, what class do you think I am?" She asks.

"Your hair was real silver, wasn't it?" I reply. "If so then you're an A."

She looks over at me and points with one finger. "Right there. Sure, officially I am a Class A. But I can't do any of that complicated giant shit. Most of what I can shift is on par with a Class C if that. I can do, like, cat ears and stuff, maybe get a little taller if I'm lucky, but none of that wild-ass shit you did today."

"What class do you think I am?" I ask. "Out of curiosity."

"I don't know, an A at minimum," she says while keeping her eyes on traffic. Then her expression changes. "Shit." She turns to stare at me. "You're not, are you?"

I try not to sink in my seat again. "No, I am not."

"You're a fuckin' S?" Neoni says in disbelief as we approach the Little Asgard Heights building.

"Yeah," I reply weakly.

She turns at one of the corners and takes us to the entrance to the underground parking garage in silence. I don't say anything else as she buzzes us in and finds a space.

I hadn't checked out this area yet so it's good to see. The security to get inside it isn't very tight, which is something I'll keep in mind in the event we have problems in the future.

Neoni cuts the car off after she parks. She keeps her hands on the steering wheel in silence for a few moments. I don't know if she's stunned by the revelation that I'm a Class S or if she's processing that I wasn't trying to sleep with her or if it's just the weight of the rest of the night's events hitting her.

"You going to be okay?" I finally ask.

Neoni hangs her head. "I don't have a job anymore. I...I don't know what to do. What do I do tomorrow?" She looks up at me.

"I am notoriously bad about knowing what I should be doing," I reply. "But for now it might be good to get some rest or at least try to. You've been through a Hel of a lot tonight."

She nods then lets out a laugh. "To think, Thunderskull tried to fight a Class S. That's probably the only thing that's accurate about the class rating system, honestly. Class S's are all fucking nuts."

"I wouldn't say we're all fucking nuts," I say defensively. "But then I've only ever met one other Class S and he decided to wander off into the woods to become a tree."

I definitely need to tell Doctor Hailu about this, I think to myself. Then I have an idea.

"Hey, so, it turns out I may have a suggestion," I say. "How do you feel about helping to fix the rating system?"

"What?"

"I heard they're going to be doing another round of studies at the Institute for CoL Research in a few months," I explain. "If you're interested I could put you in touch with someone there. It pays pretty good and you get room and board for the duration of the study."

Neoni stares at me more intensely than before and a wave of shocking realization washes over her face. "Holy fucking shitballs, you're BOOK?"

"Oh."

Fuck.

"You're the fucking Book, aren't you? Page? Book! I get it! What the absolute fuck?!" Neoni shouts.

"I really should've picked a name for Doctor Hailu to use instead of letting her choose," I curse to myself while I cover my face with one hand. "But, yes, you caught me. That's...uh me," I add with a wincing smile.

Neoni shakes her head. "Nope."

She gets out of her car still shaking her head. I also exit.

"Nope," Neoni says again. "I've had enough of this night. I'm going home. Thank you for saving my life. Goodnight."

I stay in the parking garage awhile as she heads to the elevator. I don't want to take the stairs and wind up outpacing her. I also don't want to share the elevator with her when she's this shaken. I don't need to know what floor she lives on from seeing where the elevator stops. After a couple minutes I head for it myself. I've already freaked her out tonight. It's probably best we just avoid one another.

Gods, I hope she doesn't tell anyone else who I am.