Villains Rise

Chapter 11 -- Don't test me

My eyes flutter open upon smelling burnt bacon. The smell overwhelms me with a strange familiarity. I begin to sit up to observe my surroundings and gasp when I become fully awake.

This isn't my bed, this isn't my couch, this isn't anything I recognize from my house. I'm not at home? Who's couch am I laying on right now? My head starts pouding with questions.

I turn over to see a view of the island counter in the kitchen and realize where I'm at. I'm at Owen's hidden apartment. Confusion overwhelms me. I thought I ran home?

"Good morning. Would you like some burnt bacon?" Owen offers me. I hold back an urge to scream. How am I back here?

"I would like to know why I'm back here, with you." I snap, but I continue to stare around in a daze. Did he manage to kidnap me again?

Owen gives me a peculiar look, raising one eyebrow in confusion. He picks out a plate from the cabinet in the island counter. "What are you talking about?"

I jump off of the couch, but I'm careful not to approach him too closely. He's startled by my sudden action.

"I ran home. I was with my friends and family. You kidnapped me in my sleep again?" I'm almost screaming at him.

He throws his hands up, "I already gave you the option of leaving! If you ran away, I was not aware of it. But I wouldn't have brought you back."

"You're Trident, the one causing all of the fires in the city! You're a villain!"

"Are you calling me a liar?" Owen exclaims.

I ain't calling you a truther. I retort mentally.

"My name is Trident for crying out loud! Why on earth would I have fire powers?" Owen continues to defend himself when I don't verbally respond.

I purse my lips together, "Are you dating Sophia Brown?"

He continues to look duped, "Who the heck is Sophia Brown? Look, it sounds like you had a really bad dream and I can't convince you otherwise, so maybe you actually need to run home. I'm not putting up with your attitude this early in the morning."

"Fine! I need some fresh clothes anyways." I slide on a pair of flip flops closest to the door. That's when I look down at my clothes. I was wearing Owen's t-shirt and gym shorts, last I checked. So why am I wearing the same clothes from when I was kidnapped a few days ago?

"I was planning to take you shopping today but whatever." Owen mumbles, not leaving from his spot in the kitchen.

It was a dream? I didn't go back home? I didn't kiss Jonas? I guess that explains why I don't recall Jonas' facial features very well. Everyone else seemed so real though.

"What kind of mind trick is this?" I turn on my heel to face him.

Once again, he throws his hands up in surrender. "What? Della, you were dreaming. Don't blame this on me."

I bite my tongue and stare him down, "Where's your t.v?"

"What-"

"Don't. Test. Me." I grit through my teeth.

Owen's eyes widen and he points to the back room, "It's back there."

I make a break for the back room to find the black t.v. screen. The remote lies on Owen's bed and I quickly grab it when I hear him walk in behind me.  

"Della, what are you doing?"

I don't respond as I watch the television flicker on and turn to channel eight. If the news tells me there's damage all across the city, I'm blaming Owen.

The news anchors talk about the weather briefly before they start talking about current news. I feel my legs tremble underneath me, waiting to see if the surrounding cities are actually on fire. Owen inches closer to the television. I can see the anxiety written on his face. He probably thinks I'm a lunatic.

They discuss some protests that occurred during the weekend about a government law passed months ago. There was no talk of supers until a new lady popped onto the screen and was standing at the warehouse Red Raven worked out of. Here we go.

"Just days ago this was the warehouse that housed a heinous villain and his deadly machine. Upon the night of the machine's activation, Rapid Glare and her sidekicks were threatened by a looming storm's energy. Now the town is safe from Red Raven, but where is Rapid Glare?"

"See?" Owen speaks up, but I don't pull my eyes away from the screen. "There aren't any fires, you dreamed it all."

But it seemed so real...

"Back to Jed in the studio." The news anchor says after a short discussion I didn't hear. My mind begins to swirl in confusion.

"Owen, what are your superpowers?" I manage to breathe out.

"I only have flying as a power. That's how the super gene works when you only have one super parent."

"No. Earlier you said you were named Trident for a reason. What's that reason?" I wasn't going to let anything go under my radar.

His jaw clenches as I turn around to look at him. Suddenly he tries to make himself look taller and bolder. It's because I'm intimidating him and questioning him too much.

"I have hydrokinesis, the ability to control water." He sighs.

"Did you get that power from an experiment gone wrong with Thomas and Mickey?" I shoot back almost immediately. Owen's mouth drops open.

"How did you know that?" He scratches the top of his head, but his hair was already messy with bed head. His clothes are ruffled too.

"My dream," I look him dead in the eyes, "Was not just a dream."

***

Despite my revelation, Owen was determined for the day to go as planned, but I wasn't having it.

"I'm going to my house for real this time and you'll be lucky if I come back." I slip on a pair of his flip flops, that are like sleds on my feet, and march towards the wall without another word.

You could say I was feeling a bit dramatic.

I wasn't sure how to exit his apartment. We entered through this wall, but how did it open? I sighed and waited for him to catch up to me from the other room. "Stop being so dramatic. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for what you saw. But who told you I had accidentally received hydrokinesis?"

"No one told me, Owen. In my dream, you told me you had pyrokinesis."

His face contorts in bewilderment. "That's odd... But I told you about the experiment?"

I nod my head, becoming more afraid of my dream. Owen looked like he was scared too.

"Della, I know you don't trust me right now, but I think we need to talk about this dream you had."

He's right, I don't trust him. But if I don't explain the dream to someone, how will I know what it meant?

"Okay, I'll tell you, but first I need to go home."

A/N
Okay, so things are finally wrapping up around here and I should have more time to write. I made the crazy decision to start writing another book in addition to this one, and I will be entering it in the Open Novella contest. I'm nervous, but excited for a new realm of characters and plot to be opened up. So if you're interested, I should be posting it soon.

As for this book, let me tell you, things are about to get wild. But I want to see your comments pour in as to what you think Della's dream meant! What is going on with Owen and his many secrets?

As always, thanks for reading!

Always, Sunny