Laura joined him a moment later, her expression so blank he wondered if he would sense resignation across a Bond if he had formed one with her.

  “Please, sit.” Boyd indicated the curved couches at the back of the cabin.

  Laura crossed her arms over the bulky armor that covered her chest as she sat and stared back at him, holding herself stiff as could be on the edge of the couch.

  “I take it you understand just how badly you fucked up?” the big Hero asked.

  The thin lines that her lips were pressed into curled down at the sides and her pale eyes narrowed. “I understand that you are angry, but I guess I don’t fully understand why. I was only trying to help.”

  “Trying to help gets people killed.” Boyd did his best to keep the lingering anger from his voice. “You disobeyed a direct order and put yourself in unnecessary danger.”

  “I did what I had to do,” Laura said. “Those kids were sitting ducks, paralyzed as they were, and protecting them was endangering Raev and Mindy. As far as I knew, Hope and you were still wrapped up in the big fight with the Powered criminals in the ballroom and Silvie was occupied. I couldn't just stand back and do nothing when I knew I could help."

  Laura’s body language and tone both displayed defensiveness, something typical in people who think that they are being reprimanded for doing something good.

  “It's not about your intentions; it’s about protocol and safety. We have rules for a reason. You are not trained for combat situations like the rest of us—which makes you a vulnerability in the field.” Boyd continued to keep his tone level.

  “Oh, so it's fine for you to rush into danger, but when I do it, it's a problem?” Laura scowled, “I recall several times having to treat your injuries because you did the same. And what about Mindy? She was out there too, and she's just as 'vulnerable' as me!”

  Boyd took a breath before responding, her continued defensiveness rekindling his dying anger. “Mindy, like everyone else in the field, has undergone extensive training. I wouldn’t have in this case, but if I ever do have to ask her to make a run under fire, I can trust her to do it as safely as possible. I’ve watched her make similar runs before.”

  ‘And that was before I got in better shape,’ Mindy tried to help quell his now frustrated anger, ‘It would be much more entertaining to watch now.’ Boyd would debate that, part of him still missed his more plush version of Mindy, but now wasn’t the time. Besides… the new Mindy was really nice to look at.

  “There’s a difference in between being brave and recklessness,” he held Laura’s eyes, “something I never thought I would have to explain to you.”

  The trauma specialist flinched, but remained stubbornly firm, “I wasn’t being reckless. I stopped and analyzed the situation or I would have gone sooner.”

  “Sure,” Boyd nodded, “so that means you thought through what would happen if you took a shot running towards the building.”

  “I imagine I would have died.” Laura rolled her eyes, tugging at the chest of her bulky field scrubs. “This is rated for pulse rifle fire, but a shot would have knocked me over and it can only take so many.”

  “Then what?” Boyd pressed, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his knees.

  “I’d be dead.” Laura raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

  “I doubt that. A bunch of Heroes who are fond of you were nearby.” Boyd sighed.

  Laura looked a little less certain when he continued. “Tinker would have seen it through a drone and reported it. Both Raev and Silvie would have abandoned their posts to get to you under my standing orders of preserving every life. Now, let’s think through what would have happened after that.”

  He paused to frame the hypothetical and almost considered bringing Mindy up front to run one of her Mind Powered scenarios. That would only complicate things, so he let sleeping dogs lie. Instead, he simply laid it all out.

  “Raev and Silvie are out of pocket, exposing both the civilians we were there to rescue or arrest face an additional risk of injury or death, which would result in mission failure. And although those pulse rifles wouldn’t have done a thing to Silvie, they could have hurt Raev, so she would be put at risk as well.”

  Laura’s glare morphed into what Boyd would describe as an angry pout, but he wasn’t done. “And, as far as you knew, Hope and I were still engaged in a fight with high Ranked Powereds. Did you consider that hearing a panicking Tinker report that you had taken a shot and were down might have distracted me in the middle of combat?”

  “You had that fight handled.” Laura rolled her eyes. “From what I could see watching over Tinker’s shoulder, you looked almost bored.”

  Boyd blinked. If he’d given that impression, he needed to review his own actions and decisions—but that could happen after he was back at the base. For now, he needed to impress on Laura how dangerous what she’d done could have been.

  “I was fighting a man with A-Ranked strength, Laura. And to be honest, I was a little bored by the fight, but I wasn’t distracted. One slip up and he could have popped my skull open. If that had happened, nothing Hope could do for me would have brought me back.”

  He paused to let that sink in. “Slip-ups often happen when you hear that someone you care about might just have been killed.”

  Laura blinked her pale eyes as a smirk curled the edges of her lips before they twisted back into an angry pout.

  “You didn’t think of any of that before bolting out of the Osprey, did you?” Boyd pressed.

  “I did not,” Laura admitted.

  “Because you aren’t a Hero,” Boyd said gravely.

  “Well, maybe I want to be a hero,” she declared.

  Laura’s angry pout intensified as she recrossed her arms as snuggly as her bulky field scrubs allowed. Her voice and the gesture bordered on petulant. It was cuter than it should have been on the exceptionally fit slightly older woman—who Boyd forced himself to remember had likely clawed her way up through the ranks to be a respected career professional.

  Then what she’d said registered, and Boyd blinked again, flabbergasted. “You want to be a Hero?”

  The ‘you’ came out with the proper amount of incredulity he thought it deserved.

  “I…” Laura blinked, looking just as surprised by the admission as Boyd.

  He watched her mental gears turn for a moment before her now vaguely confused expression settled into certainty. “Yes, yes I do.”

  “Since when?” he growled.

  Boyd wasn’t a good example, having literally been raised to be a Hero. He now recognized that the ‘calling’ to be a Hero had been instilled into him at an early age—not that it made it any less meaningful. It took a driving force to be a Hero.

  Something behind the role made it more than simply a job or even a responsibility. It was a calling. Something worth dying for. It didn’t matter where it came from or if it was instilled or formed naturally, but it had to be there or you just got false Heroes like the Blonde Buffoon and his sycophants.

  “Since today, I guess.” Laura set her shoulders and stared him down, but her tone was less than certain.

  It didn’t sound like she saw it as a calling, at least not to Boyd.

  “When those kids were in danger, everything…everything just shifted. I’ve worked hard to become a doctor because it’s how I thought I could do the most good. Then Davis brought me in and showed me things that were happening behind the scenes and I found a way to do even more good—to make a difference and save more than just the people who ended up in my trauma center.”

  Boyd narrowed his eyes. As much as he wanted to cut her off, he knew he couldn’t.

  “Then you ended up on my table.” Laura kept staring at him, although her expression softened a touch. “And no matter how many times I told myself I wouldn’t fall for your charms, I developed a girlish crush and chased you out to a secret base. But when I had the chance to watch you, I got to know you. Getting to know you and seeing what you’ve done in such a short time, I thought ‘Now that’s how you make a difference’. I also…”

  She trailed off, that hard stare falling to the floor of the cabin. Laura took in a ragged breath and closed her eyes. Uncrossing her arms, she leaned forward on her elbows and scrubbed her face before continuing.

  Without meeting his eyes, she explained, “I also realized that I’d never met a real hero. I guess I figured if I can do a tenth of what you have already done, then I want to be a Hero, too.”

  Now that sounded like a calling, even if it was born from a crush.

  “Your Power is impressive and more than a little terrifying,” Boyd allowed. “But the short range it has, combined with your lack of physical enhancements would make even a field support role incredibly dangerous for you. I’m not sure you could even qualify as combat capable.”

  For a moment, the stare returned, along with the pout. But then something must have occurred to her because Laura’s lips turned that pout into a smirk, though her pale green eyes remained firm.

  “You could change that,” she said.

  “I’m still not sure I will be Enhancing any more women,” he admitted.

  Boyd shook his head. Hope had been clingy, and what little time he spent away from her was in the company of one of his other loves—though he was not complaining. He didn’t worry that he was spreading himself too thin, he worried that they each received enough of his time and attention.

  When he admitted as much, Laura rolled her eyes.

  “Hope has promised to help get me in once she’s done ‘being greedy and monopolizing your time for a short while,’ so I’m not too worried about it.”

  That was news to Boyd, but it did fit his angel—so he didn’t question it. Unfortunately for Laura, Hope didn’t make his decisions.

  “It’s not her call,” Boyd rumbled, “and one’s Power is only one part of being combat support capable. You lack the years of training it takes to make a Hero.”

  Laura frowned. “I thought the training program was only six months?”

  “The basic training program barely qualifies as a good start.” Boyd rolled his eyes.

  “I’ll grant you that, but years?” Laura’s expression bordered on a pout again. “There has to be a faster way.”

  Boyd felt the urge to give his most devilish grin, but resisted it. “Well… I suppose I could train you. I have the certification, and you’re already in great shape which would save time on conditioning.” He leaned back in his chair, studying the woman in front of him. “I won’t promise a timeframe, but I can probably compress the essential basics—which is a hell of a lot more than they teach you in basic Hero training—into months instead of years.”

  “Alright, let’s do it,” Laura nodded, determination in her eyes.

  The big demon was glad to see it there, because she would need it. He might not have the insight into Laura that he did with his loves, but he had lived with her for some time. One did not climb to her position at her age without enjoying, or at least embracing, challenges.

  Plus, there was the way she’d aggressively pursued a man who caught her interest despite his continued attempts to evade her.

  “When do we start?”

  ‘Oh the poor thing does NOT understand what she is signing up for,’ Mindy sighed into his thoughts.

  ‘No, she doesn’t,’ he replied. ‘We never had a choice… but I wonder how long her conviction will last.’

  ‘Kuh-he,’ Mindy giggled into his mind. ‘I've seen this movie. She's the plucky young trainee and you're the seasoned Hero, and by the end of it all you'll be giving her more than just Hero tips!’

  Boyd resisted the urge to face-palm. Briefly, he considered if everything—including Laura’s ill-advised heroism—had been a setup. They had just watched that movie the other night, and although the ages had been reversed, the roles were spot on.

  After a moment’s consideration, he decided it was unlikely. The odds of him finding out were too high and he would be much angrier at any of his loves—who knew better than to expose what was ultimately a civilian to that level of danger—than he had been with Laura right after she’d pulled her stunt. And he’d been furious.

  “I’ll send you some basic reading material when we return to base,” Boyd tilted his head back in his command chair and studied the ceiling as he considered where to start.

  Normally, it would have been the laws and regulations of The Authority. But seeing as he fully intended to change many of those, it seemed less vital. He wasn’t interested in holding any prisoners in what had become his home. Which meant he would have some time figure it out on the flight to Glorith where they would drop off their current cargo.

  “I expect you to have the material memorized by six in the morning when you report to the gym for training.” He arched an eyebrow at her. “You will be quizzed.”

  “Six in the morning?” Laura frowned. “I thought training started after breakfast.”

  “Don’t worry,” Boyd finally let his devilish smile show, “training will continue after breakfast… and after lunch… and after dinner.”

  Laura’s pale green eyes took up his challenge as she gave a firm nod. “Then make me the best Hero I can be.”

  “Alright Laura,” he nodded, keeping his thoughts from his face, “we’ll see if you have what it takes.” Boyd would find out if she had what it took. And, if she lasted long enough, he might just see what his Enhancement could do for her. It’s not like he had to make a lifelong commitment to bring her to the first level.

  Laura visibly swallowed so he added some challenge to his golden eyes as he continued, “Becoming a Hero is a major commitment. If you want me to train you, I will start by testing you. Are you ready to find out what your limits are, Laura?”

  Chapter 25

  The transport and interrogation went without issue. Raev and her illusionary duplicates were able to move the non-Powered prisoners from cell to tiny cell and questioned them while their Mind Powered pulled the information they needed. While they did that, Silvie, Hope, and Laura entertained the Changed they had rescued—mostly by recounting recent events from their perspective.

  Boyd, dividing his attention between both groups, played the dual role of entertainer and warden as he walked between the kids they had rescued and along the rows of temporary cells they’d installed in the Osprey’s cargo bay. The Changed, especially the younger two—who reminded him of Connor—seemed drawn to him. The duck-billed woman was shyly enamored, blushing furiously each time he so much as glanced her way. He complimented her hair on the way out, knowing it would make her month, and figuring she could use a little pick-me-up after all she had been through.

  After safely delivering the civilians to The Tower and the non-powered prisoners to a secure facility in another section of Glorith, the team achieved their covert goal. Unbeknownst to the world, eighty-seven influential figures had vanished, mirroring the disappearances from Kayla's list. This was a strategic hit, a small but significant dent in a larger scheme.

  The information gleaned from the captives thoughts as they refused to answer any questions promised leads to their nefarious 'social group', yet it was far from a knockout blow. Boyd knew their next move needed to be decisive. Mindy's intel pointed them towards a grander target: an intercontinental gathering in a week’s time.

  It would be in a hotbed for the world's elite and their illicit activities. Among the prisoners had been a software mogul whose technology managed high-stakes, anonymous gambling transactions at the event. Accessing this system during the gathering could expose some of the Ascended’s members and their illegal finances.

  All they had to do was infiltrate a highly secure facility during an event attended by a large number of the world’s elite. It would be a high-risk, high-reward mission given how it was expected to be attended by many more Heroes than the little ‘party’ they just broke up. Davis had taken some convincing but had agreed in the end that it was the first and possibly last chance they would have to do so much damage.

  Once word got out that the Ascended Coalition was being targeted, everyone was sure much of the group would go to ground—and they had the resources to disappear.

  Once Davis was onboard, he promised support. They wouldn’t have the forces necessary to arrest everyone who attended the event, but they hoped to at least arrest a number of high-profile individuals. Rescuing the Changed present should be achievable, but the systems they expected to gain access to remained the primary target. If they could access those systems before they were disconnected after shutting down the event, they could identify members of the Ascended, gain actionable evidence of their involvement, and legally seize a ton of credits from their enemy.

  With their next mission approved, Boyd was already focused on the early planning stage. The others were careful not to disturb him as they returned home for a very late dinner. This meant the flight back to the base from Glorith City was oddly quiet. The emotions Boyd got over his Bonds were subdued after what had happened with Laura—and their trauma nurse kept largely to herself.

  Mindy had pulled useful information out of several skulls, enough to select the next target for a mission that would deal a larger blow to the Ascended. So Boyd had focused more on his initial planning than worrying about how he was going to start Laura’s training. He knew he’d have to come up with something—and sooner rather than later—but kept putting it off.

  Things had remained rather subdued until they returned to find Daisy had cooked a large meal to welcome them home from a successful mission. She had really gone all out again and they came home to a feast. Everyone was hungry and they’d tucked right in after changing into their preferred comfortable around-the-base clothes.

  Eventually, the sound of utensils on plates stilled as the team satisfied their hunger. Boyd was the third one to sit back in his chair. Tinker, with her smaller portion—though bigger than it had been before her recent growth spurt—had finished first. She’d been followed by Raev, who managed to edge Boyd out in speed this time. Then came the big demon.

 

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