should feel a little better after this. Twice each day.”
“Forever? Or just until I feel right or whatever again?” I asked him.
He sighed. “This will be a part of your life from now on. I hope you’re not afraid of needles.”
I shook my head. He nodded, turned my arm over, and disinfected a spot on my upper arm. I looked away as he poked the needle in, and a moment later, I felt the pressure release.
“Okay, all set,” he said.
“Thanks.”
Lorne nodded and went about undoing the clamps and clasps holding my body still. Then he held my hand as I stood up. I felt shaky, and I was grateful for the bit of support he leant me.
“How long have I been in that bed?”
“About a week. But like he undoubtedly told you, your body’s taken a hit. And with the new powers… ”
I nodded. Every word still sounded like a scream, every footstep like thunder, every creak of the building like the crack of a rifle.
“So I’ll just get used to this?” I asked through gritted teeth as I took one slow, unsteady step at a time toward the door.
“Yeah. It will take a little time. Undoubtedly, it’s already a tiny bit better than it was when you first came to.”
I gave a small nod and kept putting one foot in front of the other.
We went down a short corridor. There were a few doorways here and there. Everything was white. White walls, white ceiling, white floor, white doors. It hurt my eyes, the way the bright lights above glared off of all of the white surfaces.
“Where are we, anyway?”
Lorne didn’t answer for a moment, and I glanced up at him.
“Eyes forward. You’re wobbly. Looking up at me is only going to make your balance worse,” he said quietly.
“Okay. But where—”
“We’re at Mayhem’s headquarters.”
“Are we in Detroit?”
“No. Too much heat in Detroit, especially now.”
“Are we in Michigan?”
“No.”
“So where, then?”
“Look, that’s something for him to tell you if he wants you to know, okay?”
I stopped, forcing him to stop as well. “Why the big secret? Why can’t I know where we are?”
“I don’t know if it’s a secret. I just don’t know how much he wants to tell you right away, considering everything you just went through, okay? The best advice I can give you is to go to him if you have questions. He’s the one with all the damn answers,” he muttered under his breath, and I wondered at the bitterness in his tone. “Come on,” he said, holding his arm out, and I took it again. We passed three more doors, and came to one at the very end of the hallway. “This is your apartment. He’ll call when he wants to see you. I do know that he wants you to stay on this floor, at least for now.”
“What’s on the other floors?”
He sighed. “Jesus, do you ever stop asking questions?”
“Probably not.”
“Ask him next time you see him. Not me. I’m just here to give you your meds and monitor your condition.”
“And walk me to my room and make sure I know the rules,” I added. “What’s up with that, anyway? Rules. We’re supposed to be super villains, right? Why do we have rules?”
Lorne stopped and stared at me. “Who says we’re super villains?”
I tilted my head. “Well, we are, right? StrikeForce is the superhero team, and we’re the villains.”
“Yeah, but I never said that. And neither did he, when he was talking to you.”
“Well I haven’t lost everything I used to know, right?” I said with a laugh, even though my stomach twisted. There was definitely something weird going on here. “I mean, I was a thief. StrikeForce had me locked up. They’re the heroes, we’re the villains,” I repeated with a shrug.
“He doesn’t see it that way.”
I smiled. “Of course not. Every villain is the hero of his own story.”
He continued to stare at me, then shook his head. “Um. Okay. Your room’s there. I need to get back to work. Do you need anything else?”
“I guess not.”
“Okay. He’ll let you know
“Forever? Or just until I feel right or whatever again?” I asked him.
He sighed. “This will be a part of your life from now on. I hope you’re not afraid of needles.”
I shook my head. He nodded, turned my arm over, and disinfected a spot on my upper arm. I looked away as he poked the needle in, and a moment later, I felt the pressure release.
“Okay, all set,” he said.
“Thanks.”
Lorne nodded and went about undoing the clamps and clasps holding my body still. Then he held my hand as I stood up. I felt shaky, and I was grateful for the bit of support he leant me.
“How long have I been in that bed?”
“About a week. But like he undoubtedly told you, your body’s taken a hit. And with the new powers… ”
I nodded. Every word still sounded like a scream, every footstep like thunder, every creak of the building like the crack of a rifle.
“So I’ll just get used to this?” I asked through gritted teeth as I took one slow, unsteady step at a time toward the door.
“Yeah. It will take a little time. Undoubtedly, it’s already a tiny bit better than it was when you first came to.”
I gave a small nod and kept putting one foot in front of the other.
We went down a short corridor. There were a few doorways here and there. Everything was white. White walls, white ceiling, white floor, white doors. It hurt my eyes, the way the bright lights above glared off of all of the white surfaces.
“Where are we, anyway?”
Lorne didn’t answer for a moment, and I glanced up at him.
“Eyes forward. You’re wobbly. Looking up at me is only going to make your balance worse,” he said quietly.
“Okay. But where—”
“We’re at Mayhem’s headquarters.”
“Are we in Detroit?”
“No. Too much heat in Detroit, especially now.”
“Are we in Michigan?”
“No.”
“So where, then?”
“Look, that’s something for him to tell you if he wants you to know, okay?”
I stopped, forcing him to stop as well. “Why the big secret? Why can’t I know where we are?”
“I don’t know if it’s a secret. I just don’t know how much he wants to tell you right away, considering everything you just went through, okay? The best advice I can give you is to go to him if you have questions. He’s the one with all the damn answers,” he muttered under his breath, and I wondered at the bitterness in his tone. “Come on,” he said, holding his arm out, and I took it again. We passed three more doors, and came to one at the very end of the hallway. “This is your apartment. He’ll call when he wants to see you. I do know that he wants you to stay on this floor, at least for now.”
“What’s on the other floors?”
He sighed. “Jesus, do you ever stop asking questions?”
“Probably not.”
“Ask him next time you see him. Not me. I’m just here to give you your meds and monitor your condition.”
“And walk me to my room and make sure I know the rules,” I added. “What’s up with that, anyway? Rules. We’re supposed to be super villains, right? Why do we have rules?”
Lorne stopped and stared at me. “Who says we’re super villains?”
I tilted my head. “Well, we are, right? StrikeForce is the superhero team, and we’re the villains.”
“Yeah, but I never said that. And neither did he, when he was talking to you.”
“Well I haven’t lost everything I used to know, right?” I said with a laugh, even though my stomach twisted. There was definitely something weird going on here. “I mean, I was a thief. StrikeForce had me locked up. They’re the heroes, we’re the villains,” I repeated with a shrug.
“He doesn’t see it that way.”
I smiled. “Of course not. Every villain is the hero of his own story.”
He continued to stare at me, then shook his head. “Um. Okay. Your room’s there. I need to get back to work. Do you need anything else?”
“I guess not.”
“Okay. He’ll let you know
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