Not Your Villain (Sidekick Squad #2)(10)

Hushed whispers break out as the students wait. Bells glances at Dylan but they are silent. The wind picks up, rushing through the trees.

Bells is dizzy. He thought they’d be closer to New Vancouver, or somewhere in the forest, and that they’d be inside, in buildings or tents or something! But he can’t freak out now in front of everyone.

He holds on to the shift, trying his best to stay in control. Another lift floats up along the track and pauses at the platform. The officer gestures and the students file in. No one else seems disturbed by how high up they are, or how close they were to falling. Bells exhales as he steps into the lift. It’s something solid to stand on, not quite safe, as it’s still moving, but at least he’s not exposed to the long drop below.

The lift ascends, whirring softly. The other students are already babbling away as they drift into the canopy. The trees whisper softly; their branches rustle. Bells can appreciate how beautiful it is here—as long as he doesn’t think about how high up he is.

“Welcome to the Meta-Human Training Center,” a computer voice says, and the doors open.

The main building is large, filled with windows and light, despite labyrinthine hallways. Pathways lead out into the trees, where Bells sees smaller rooms—dorms ensconced in the trees. At first it seems as if it will be cool to live in the trees, and then the rooms shake in the wind.

“Dorm assignments and maps have been sent to you. Classes begin tomorrow promptly at eight a.m. Please report to your respective rooms and be on time. Evening meal is at six sharp.” Dylan about-faces and disappears in the network of hallways.

The other students pull up projections on their DEDs and wander off. Bells is still trying to figure out his map when Christine nudges him. “Hey, I’m gonna take a nap, but see you at dinner?”

Bells nods blankly, and one by one the students leave. He looks at his map. He has to go east, out this door, and then down that walkway…

He opens the door and is met with open air and a narrow bridge. Bells takes a deep breath and sprints to the safety of the next building. He does the same for the next three walkways.

Finally, he finds his dorm module and scans his DED. The door opens with a smooth, “Welcome, Barry Carmichael,” from the computer.

Bells drops his bags on the floor, and the entire module shakes. It’s made out of solar-cell material, designed to maximize the amount of energy a building can generate. The room is curved. It’s as if he’s inside a giant, smooth egg. He has a bed, a dresser for his clothes, a desk with desktop projector and charging dock for his DED, and nothing more.

Bells flops face first onto the bed. Out one window, the view is nothing but green, shifting trees as far as the eye can see. Out the other window, the gray ocean storms.

He lets go of the shift and sighs in relief. The effort required to stay shifted and the fact that the entire training center is hundreds of feet in the air have taken a toll, and he’s exhausted.

His room shakes again. Bells shuts his eyes, but that makes it worse. He can still sense how high they are and imagines the entire structure falling out of the tree. He groans into the pillow.

*

Emma: what do you mean its too high up

Bells: [img0022.ppg]

Jess: !!!!

Emma: oooh pretty

Bells: IT IS BUT ITS ALSO TERRIFYING. CAN’T BELIEVE ALL OF AERIAL CITY IS LIKE THIS

Jess: well, it is in the sky.

Bells: SHUT UP

[Group chat “WE MISS YOU BELLS” has been renamed to “HOLD ONTO ALL THE RAILINGS BELLS” by Emma Robledo.]

A message springs up outside the chat, and Bells grabs and enlarges the window, then smiles.

Emma: but really, are you ok?

Bells: I’LL JUST HAVE TO GET USED TO IT. IT’S THE WHOLE SUMMER

Emma: you can do it. i believe in you

Bells: AND THERE ARE LOTS OF RAILINGS AND THINGS EVERYWHERE. I JUST HAVE TO NOT THINK ABOUT IT

He can’t tell them just how terrifying the center is, but he does send them all the photos of Aerial City. The city itself seemed very navigable with buildings, covered walkways with railings, and lifts going in every direction, making it easy for anyone to get around, even if they were scared of heights.

But the center—with its shaking rooms and open-air paths—is a different story entirely. Bells should find out if there’s another way to get to the main annex without taking the terrifying open pathways. He glances at his DED; there’s still plenty of time before dinner to look for an alternative route.

Bells looks in the mirror. His usual form isn’t imposing. It could be, but it’s not. Still, he likes what he sees: the strong jaw and the long, elegant nose of his mother and the stocky build of his father. He can look like anyone; he can change his hair and clothing and face on a whim. And he does; he’s always loved bright colors and standing out, and it doesn’t take much energy to shift his hair into whatever color he wants for the week. Using his powers to style it in the morning is a great time-saver.

The first time Bells shifted himself was out of panic at the way his body was changing. Breasts were never part of his plan. Neither were superpowers, but here he is.

Bells glances at the holostill on his desk of Emma, Jess, and himself grinning at each other. He misses them already. He takes another look at the group chat text still projected in the air. He traces the rounded emojis from Jess and the hearts from Emma, smiles at the teasing and the support, and wishes he could tell them the whole story.