By Gianna Liantonio

The sound of the heels of my boot’s echoes in the silent hallway. It’s barely lit, with only a few windows and the moonlight seeping through. There are a few lights inside, but they flicker barely working. I take a deep breath as I approach the brown wooden door at the end of the hall. It’s like I stepped into a time machine. Nothing has changed. The walls haven’t been painted; the floor is the same. The only thing that has changed is of course me and the people I’m about to see.

We haven’t seen each other in four years. It doesn’t feel like a long time, but we spent every waking moment together. Our boss or I guess ex-boss called us in for the first time since our last mission. He needs all of us. For what, I don’t know. But one rule that got embedded into us from a young age is to always answer the call no matter what. I feel my fingers ignite with a power I haven’t tapped into in so long. It’s like it knows where I am. I make it to the door and hesitate, trying to hear for any voices on the other side. It’s silent. That doesn’t mean there’s no one there, but it’s a good sign. That also means I’m early.

I exhale and put my hand on the knob, turning it slowly and opening the door. The sound of the door screeching against the floor is heard as I walk in. There are two people in the room. Chadwick, my ex-boss and Lucas. Oh boy.

He turns and once his eyes land on mine, his expression changes instantly into an anger I have only seen once before.
The last time we saw each other. “Welcome Maia, you and Lucas are the first ones.” Chadwick says and he gives.
a slight smile. I nod smiling back. Lucas doesn’t say anything. “Hey Lucas,” I say and he just scoffs, turning to a nearby window. “Alright look, I know something happened between you two, but we got bigger things to worry about. So play nice or I’ll make your lives more difficult than they have to be,” Chadwick says sternly. “Yes sir,” Lucas and I say in unison. As I said, it’s embedded into us at this point. No matter how much time has passed. “I’m surprised you’re here,” Lucas says and I can tell he’s trying to suppress his anger. “You know I always show,” I reply and I sit down across from him. He just nods and looks at the table. It used to be so easy to talk to him. We were so close. We always got partnered up on missions and when nothing was happening, we’d just sit and talk about anything. His hair is still the same dark brown, but it’s shorter than the last time. His eyes are a mixture of brown and green, but they’ve always looked greener. They used to be filled with warmth and respect when he looked at me. Now, they are filled with anger and sadness. I don’t blame him. Our last mission is the reason we all split up. We were five people in total. Each with special abilities. Chadwick recruited us when crime started to rise up in the city and thought we’d be able to help. We were a team.

We won almost every time. It felt good, saving the city every night, knowing we made a difference. We knew we couldn’t save everyone, but if we at least saved as much as we could, it was enough. It was this one mission that changed everything. I made a bad call and we lost one of our own. We’re only four now and I know that’s why Lucas is upset at me. I’ve been upset at myself for the last four years. Something has to be really wrong for Chadwick to call us in after all this time. We may be our city’s only hope. I feel someone watching me and I look up. Lucas quickly turns away and I just watch him. I know a part of him still cares about me like he used to. Too much has happened to just go back to the status quo. “Where have you been?”
I look up and see Lucas looking at me. He still has the same look in his eyes, but it’s less hostile now. “Just been around…did small saves. What about you?” I ask. “I traveled for a bit, but I ended up coming back a week ago. I guess something told me I needed to,” he says and I nod, knowing the feeling. I hear the door open and we both look up, seeing our two former teammates, Cara and Jay. “Great, everyone’s here. No time for catching up.” Chadwick walks over to the wall and gestures for everyone to be seated. Cara and Jay nod cordially at us as they sit down. “I know none of you expected to be back here. But, as they say, history always repeats itself.” He taps a few buttons on the table and a hologram pops up.

We all stiffen at the projection. It’s a face that has haunted me for years. It’s one none of us thought we’d ever see again.
“He escaped, and you four are the only ones who can stop him,” he says and our fear is palpable in the room. However, we know we can’t let him roam free if we’re able to do something. We look at each other and nod, knowing we have to put the past aside for now and learn to work as a team again. We look back at Chadwick for instructions. “So, what’s the plan?”