Not Your Villain (Sidekick Squad #2)(9)
“I know the training center will be heated, but I brought several coats just in case,” Christine says. “I wish they would give us an exact location so I can plan for the right climate, but I made do.”
Bells snorts. “I’m sure you did.” He didn’t put much thought into his own packing other than making sure he had clothes.
“I wish we were in the South again! Seeing the ocean every day; that was great. What are we gonna look at here, trees?” Christine gestures at the lush canopy above them.
“You know they have to move every few years,” Bells says. “It’s not like we’ll have time to explore, anyway. We’re gonna be stuck at the training center the entire ten weeks.”
He’s still sad he didn’t touch the ocean the last three summers in Bahía Tortugas. He enjoyed the warm ocean breeze and the salty tang in the air, but he wished he had time to explore the city and the Baja California region. It’s likely to be the same here. It’s a pity; Aerial City seems amazing.
He marvels at the mechanical lifts that follow metal tracks up into the trees and at the many trackways and connections. He snaps picture after picture on his DED. In addition to people using the lifts to travel, they pass a number of teenagers laughing and chasing one another on metal hoverboards strapped to their feet. A group of teens zoom down a walkway. It looks like fun, practically like flying, but there’s no way Bells would ever want to do it. Just thinking about the height of these buildings makes him nauseous.
Christine follows his gaze. “Oh, yeah, all the rage here—I did some research on regional trends when I was taking a fashion class. You can get a hoverboard in all sorts of colors and patterns.”
“Never been on one,” Bells says. They seemed frivolous in Andover, where buses take people everywhere. He can see they’re useful on the many-tiered walkways of Aerial City. If he ever comes back he’ll stick to the lifts… and the covered walkways.
“They can be fun, if you like going fast! I had some at my party in the beginning of June. You didn’t come!”
Bells shrugs. A lot of the trainees hang out between sessions, but it’s a level of closeness he’s not ready for. Besides, he already has friends. He doesn’t need to be besties with everyone in the program.
“Sorry, was busy. Maybe next time?”
Christine nods as they join the other teenagers waiting in a private hoverlift. Christine waves to them, and Ricky, an extremely tall brunet, waves back. He nods companionably to Bells and then wraps Christine in a hug and pulls her into a kiss. His body flickers and disappears momentarily, like a holo.
“Hey, none of that,” Dylan says, annoyed.
Bells says hello to the others and is introduced to a few new faces as well as familiar ones. The twins, Tanya and Sasha, wave back. Most of these kids have been attending Meta-Human Training ever since they got their powers, and many of them are still perfecting their abilities.
The hoverlift comes to a halt, and they file onto a platform. The air seems fresher here. Fluffy clouds billow above, and the forest rustles peacefully. Aerial City’s buildings rise above them, and the silver-chrome shine surrounds the trees gracefully and disappears into the canopy. Bells admires the beauty of the large, impossible trees, and then steps away from the edge.
The next lift moves forward into the canopy on one of the many interconnecting lines between the trees and it keeps going until they’re far from the main city. Bells can barely hear the hustle and bustle of people; he can’t even see the sparkle of the buildings. They’re on a lone track, moving slowly far out into the mist. The gossip and chatter have diminished, and everyone glances at each other warily.
Time seems to stretch into an eternity; it could be twenty minutes, or an hour, or two hours, as they slowly move deeper into the forest. Bells doesn’t move; he doesn’t check the time on his DED. The trees cast far-reaching shadows and seem to whisper long-forgotten secrets, as if they’ve been here—from the time before the Disasters—and will be here long after these times are gone.
The late afternoon slowly fades, and the shadows deepen to dusk. Bells wraps his coat tighter around himself.
When the lift stops, Dylan holds up their hands for the students to wait, and they step onto the platform, and enter in a code on a lockpad. The lift whirs and starts again, and the officer runs to catch up to it. They don’t close the door, which stays precariously open to the elements.
Out the window, Aerial City has long since disappeared; there’s just forest and the never-ending metal track of this lift heading somewhere into the thick of it.
Officer Dylan stands at attention in their uniform, arms folded, until finally the lift stops. They step onto the platform and silently motion to follow. One by one, the students step out onto the platform, leaving Bells alone. His heart races. He wills his hands to stop shaking and steps out of the lift.
The platform shakes in the wind, but barely disturbs the giant tree it rests upon. Bells falls into step behind Christine. Whatever happens, I hope it happens soon.
“You okay? You look a little green,” Christine whispers to him.
“Not too fond of heights,” Bells says, and if there ever was an understatement, that would be it. He takes a deep breath and tries not to look down. Needing a railing, something, anything, to hold on to, he clutches at the bark of the tree. The platform is large enough for all thirteen of them to stand and… what, wait for the next lift? Bells’ heart beats faster and faster as their lift departs, leaving them there.