Anarchy | Book Two, The Genesis Series

Eight

Ugh, stupid tie. Who invented these things?

"I can't believe we're stuck going to this thing." Dylo griped, attempting to wrench himself from Eliza's vice-like grip as she finished tying his mustard-yellow necktie for him. The boy could've sworn he was being lynched. Impatiently, he tapped his foot, his clunky, black dress shoes clattering against the tiled floor.

Though they did make him look pretty dapper, they were quite uncomfortable to wear, especially in the wee hours of the morning.

"We've still got a job to do, Dy. And after that slip-up two days ago, we've gotta keep our reputation squeaky clean, so you're gonna have to suck it up." Eliza stated, her calloused fingers fiddling with the last of the golden linen. She shrugged. "Unless you're fine with Creed and his lackeys breathing down our necks."

Dylo frowned inwardly. While it'd been a hot minute since he'd been selected for a task of this magnitude, it was starting to feel more like a punishment than a privilege. Loitering around for hours with a bunch of middle-aged men who did nothing but tinker with machinery all day definitely wasn't the most ideal of scenarios. But, he supposed Eliza was right. They had a job to do.

Furthermore, this was his chance. Hopefully, if everything went smoothly with this security mission today, he'd be right back where he belonged—at the forefront of the activity. He'd once taken center stage along with the rest of the primary team, or the 'original eight' as the public referred to them. The frontrunners. The world's last, best hope. Now, it was beginning to feel as if he'd faded into the background like an unpaid extra.

It was okay, though, because that ended today.

Even if a fight were to break out—which seemed highly unlikely due to the presence of four of the world's most powerful superheroes—he wouldn't let any mistakes slip through the cracks. One win. That's all it would take to get him back on top.

Her pitch-black, cocktail dress accentuating her curves as she moved, Eliza sauntered over to her mirror and began fixing herself up. Her dark, night-colored strands weren't in their usual ponytail. Instead, for the Project Rebirth assembly, she'd decided to straighten it out for once, allowing the strands the cascade freely down her black, flailing like a cape.

Dylo had to admit, the look fit her like a glove.

"What're you looking at?" she asked, her crisp, blue eyes darting over to him. Her tone was sharp as she screwed her face. "Last I checked, this wasn't a staring contest."

Dylo scoffed. "Yeah, well it's not a funeral, either." He gestured to the girl's dress as he posted himself up against the wall. "You ever worn anything that wasn't black?"

"Black is casual. Inconspicuous. Stealthy." Eliza replied, now having moved on to the supplies in her duffel bag. "Don't know if you forgot, but we're still on-duty here. I'm still a Genesis Industries agent."

"Yeah, cause nothing says 'inconspicuous' like a dress with blade compartments." the blond chuckled. "How're you gonna get those things through the metal detector?"

"Stainless steel. Leo realized that most standard metal detectors create an electromagnetic field, which reacts with magnetic metals and sets off an alarm." Eliza explained, tucking each of her prized, edged weapons into their respective pockets. "He figured that since stainless steel has a low magnetic permeability, it shouldn't produce a signal strong enough to be detected."