Keaton Will

Chapter 8

I have the majority of a plan, but some improvising will need to be done. I don't admit that to anyone though, instead I focus on my training and testing my limits with my powers. Missions come and go, more blood ends up on my hands, the police tie a bunch of different hits on me, even ones that weren't me. I notice certain people that start to hang closer to me and those that seem more nervous and antsy. This tells me who's with who. Miranda, Mark, Michael, Sheldon, Vivian, Delilah, and Grunty are with me. Antonio, Wendy, Lila, and of course, Siphon, are with Black. I stick with the ones who are with Black to find more about his defenses while I can. Of course I've memorized everything I can when exiting and coming, but nothings ever that easy. I learn guard stations and movements, camera placements, and everyone's schedules. There are always people that have unpredictable movements, which is why Black has them set like that. We can't wait for a big event or a mission because that would be too predictable. I unconsciously pace as I plan. I've always found that keeping my body in shape helps me focus my mind, it's why I was in football to begin with. I pushed to be the best in everything to see how far I could take it. It was a lot, but it was easy after a while. I chose a career I knew would be challenging and inconsistant, but also something that was nerdy. Ugh. I'm not even taking into account hidden cameras and motion sensors, I have a decent idea where they are but I can't be sure. My pacing comes to a halt when I hear walking outside my door. I quietly go to my bed and climb under the covers and pretend I'm asleep. I've gotten very good at pretending I'm asleep. When I was younger I got curious and decided to try and make my parents think I was asleep earlier than normal for me. Apparently I fooled them because when they walked into my room they quieted, awed, and walked back out. I noticed a change in breathing when a person was awake versus asleep so I mimicked it. It fooled my parents for years when I didn't want to talk to them. A sharp pain moves through my chest as I realize I was thinking about them. I keep my breathing steady and slow. Whoever's walking by stops by my door and listens in before moving on after deciding I was asleep. I wonder who that was... my mind reading doesn't always tell me who's thinking what. Especially since everyone's thought patterns are different, sometimes even to their speech patterns. Sometimes even voices are different, so it's not that reliable for identification. I decide to sleep anyway, I'll need my strength if I'm going to carry out the plan soon. I drift off, poking holes in my plan so I know what to fix.

The next couple days pass with my dropping hints about my plan to the ones who truly want out. A couple of the others tried to get in on it but I knew their true intentions. I also know they saw me dropping hints with the others. So I dropped fake hints with them. But made them seem just as reliable and real. Everyone continued acting normal, though the entire building knew what was going on. Or at least thought they did. The actual plan took place one day early. Which threw everyone off guard, accept me. I guided the team through their paths with my telepathy. Turns out telepathy comes in handy much better than comms do. I split everyone in groups of twos: Vivian and Miranda, Grunty and Sheldon, Mark and Michael, Delilah, and me.
Delilah and I are on our own to be less suspicious. We walk the balls like we normally would, only this time with a purpose. I pass a guard,
"Give me your code and key card." I say using my powers. Of course he complies, and I pass through the doors. Setting off the first sets of alarms, I walk past. The guards try to stop me, but I stop them instead with a simple command. I walk straight out, drawing the guards attention, and more importantly, Blacks. Of course, when I round the corner I walk straight into Siphon. He grins at me and starts draining me. I glare defiantly at him and let him drain me for a few minutes before I get annoyed enough I fight him out of my head again. I manage to growl out an, "Enough!" and gives me the most stunned look I almost laugh. I shove past him and force out "Stay." And he gets the lovely glazed look. I march through the front door and down the street before stumbling and letting the draining hit me. I catch myself on a tree as the others run up to me.
"Siphon?" Someone asks and I nod. They give me a moment to recover myself. I finish slouching against the tree and start to move before Mark pushes me back against it.
"Nope, not yet. You need another five minutes." I blink at his input. Though I have to admit I would enjoy another five minutes to recover before a mile run, a dive into a lake, swim, then three mile run. I'll take all the time I can get after a round with Siphon.
"How did you get out of it?" Miranda asks. I shrug,
"His powers are both mentally and physically draining, he attacks our minds as well as sucking our powers to make the overall effect worse. So I fought him mentally with the help of my powers then used my mind control to make him stop. His face was so shocked!" I laugh at the memory. Everyone freezes at the sound, I realize I've never showed that much emotion before and dial it back. I wipe my face of emotions again. Their faces are all light, as if... hopeful. But why? Over the course of training they've learned tricks to block me out, and I've learned to control my powers to not be as intrusive. Basically, I have no clue what their thinking and neither do I want to know. Vivian gently touches my arm,
"Why do you always go back to your work face?" I shrug again.
"It helps separate my emotions from my reality." I monotone.
"That's... not healthy. But I'm one to talk," Michael responds.
"We should go," I nod to the surveillance that is searching for us. The others nod and we start the run.

(1121 words)

Kinda short but I make up for it in the next chapter! And finally some action am I right? I kinda feel like I've gotten a bit more passive with Keaton. But don't worry. He's just trying to shove everything down. More will come when the volcano finally erupts.

Anyone besides me wondering why the others are rooting for Keaton? I mean like. Their assassins. They shouldn't care. (Totally not ignoring the fact that they led mostly normal lives until black recruited them and the most anyone has been an assassin is like. Four years. So yeah. It's great.)

Please also ignore the fact that this is a filler chapter. You are free now.