Games of Chance

Twenty Four- I

I'll make up for the recent lack of chapter polls with an interesting one today: Is the Eagle and Ravenna's relationship... 

Love. He was kind to her even when he didn't have to be, and saw potential in her when no one else did. She stuck with him even after her enhancements made her stronger, faster, and better than him. 

or

Exploitation. The power dynamic is clearly unfair: the Eagle is a genius inventor and Ravenna is little more than another one of his experiments. He repeatedly tests his creations on her without her permission (like when he replaces her claws while she's unconscious). 

I'm interested to see what you guys think, because I waver between both sides myself!

.....................

Chase sat alone on a couch in one of the Royal Academy's spacious common rooms. He looked down at his watch to confirm that his Supplement wasn't scheduled to start for another fifteen minutes before looking down at the heavy history textbook spread out across his bony thighs. Well, they weren't so bony anymore. Ever since he'd made his first breakthrough in telekinesis shortly after Meg's rescue and Project PROB's debut, his appetite had been ravenous. Before he knew it, he had doubled his daily caloric intake and gained a respectable ten pounds of solid muscle. When he voiced his concern at Project PROB practice, Juliana insisted that these changes were perfectly normal, explaining that using the Power was like simultaneously exercising all the muscles in your body. "I hardly eat like a princess myself," she'd laughed as she took out the entire top half of a banana in one bite. 

He appreciated her sense of humor, but it did little to quell the uneasy feeling growing in his gut. It had been almost a month since he'd first arrived in Arcana. Almost a month since Lord and Lady Hewkin had been kidnapped. Every time he looked down at the textbook in front of him, he found himself unable to concentrate on the slew of names and dates, his mind busy inventing worst-case scenarios. What were the Order's leaders waiting for? What was Project PROB waiting for? Every second that went by was an opportunity for the Jackers to kill his parents!

It pained him to think it, but he knew the answers to all of those questions. The young heroes were making swift progress in their after-school training sessions, but they needed time before they would be ready to fight the Jackers on their home turf. But they were just kids, not heroes, and time was the one resource they didn't have...

Chase turned around at the sound of many pairs of feet moving swiftly across the linoleum floor. It was a group of Academy cheerleaders on their way to their dance Supplement, their uniforms and shoes slung across their arms.

"Hey, check this out," one of them paused in front of the door to the common room, holding up her phone for the others to see. A video clip began to play, just loudly enough for Chase to make out the words.

"...so we asked some of our viewers what they think of the still-unidentified heroes who rescued a local girl from the violent criminals holding her hostage in her own house."

"Did you see how powerful they were? They're clearly aliens. We're just lucky they're the helpful kind and not the planet-conquering kind."

And with that, a series of different people began to offer their theories on Project PROB's true identities. Chase guessed that they'd interviewed people from his hometown- he thought he recognized the voice of his old social studies teacher among the many others. 

"Secret military project."

"Damn rich people with too much time on their hands."

Well, that one wasn't entirely false.

"Demigods, duh. Y'all ever read Percy Jackson? There's no way someone made all that stuff up."

"It's obvious- I don't know why no one else sees it. Rescuing a kid? That's exactly the kind of thing superheroes do when they're first getting started. You know, before they work their way up to diverting asteroids and fighting intergalactic villains. And did you hear the way they introduced themselves when they walked the girl out of her house and the reporters asked them what their names were? 'I'm the Crimson Angel.' 'I'm the Obsidian Hunter.' 'I'm Twyst.' And then the girl in red goes: 'and we are Project PROB.' They're people with code names in masks and suits. They're superheroes, and I don't think we've seen the last of them."

That final answer made Chase smile. The voice sounded young and hopeful, its owner revealing his enthusiasm with the elongated analysis he offered in response to a simple question. Whether they realized it or not, Project PROB had made a promise to the world when they chose to show their faces that day. They'd made a promise to always be there for those in need, or at least do what they could to make things better. And Chase could only hope it was a promise they could  keep. 

"What do you guys think?" the cheerleader asked as tucked her phone into the pocket of her shorts.

"Honestly sounds like something the Order would pull. I mean, who else has the tech or the money?" one of her friends replied.

"It's not the Order."

"How do you know that?"

"We are the Order! If it was us, we'd know! Stupid... Besides, we're way better than those supposed 'superheroes'. Princess Juliana would've gotten that kid out of there without even being seen. We're masters of stealth. Our agents would never walk around introducing themselves to reporters like those three idiots did."

"You're right. Princess Juliana would destroy the Crimson Angel."

And with that, the cheerleaders continued to walk toward the gyms, arguing as they went. Chase smiled softly to himself. Princess Juliana would destroy the Crimson Angel, huh? He'd have to tell her about this at PROB practice- she'd surely find it hilarious.

Picturing her reaction to the joke, he could almost hear her contagious, ringing laughter in his ears. Only, it sounded far too real... Looking up, he saw his sister and the rest of Project PROB standing in front of him, all laughing profusely. The pages of his history textbook fluttered in an intangible breeze before the book slammed shut, rising upward to hit him squarely in the face. Chase, groaned, peeling the book off his nose and adjusting his glasses.

"Well, he's certainly got his telekinesis down! Controlling it is a different matter, however," Roy smirked.

"We've been standing here for a solid minute. I was starting to wonder if you'd ever look up," Juliana added.

"Numbers likes to stare off into space. It's one of those things he does," Meg shrugged indifferently as if describing the behavior of a rare species of toad.

"I'm sorry, who?" Roy raised an eyebrow.

"Numbers. That's what everyone calls him. Or has he not told you guys that?" Meg smirked as Chase turned beet-red.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come up," he affirmed through gritted teeth.

"I think it's fitting," Juliana smiled. "Numbers, because you crunch numbers so well. In fact, I even think it should be your Project PROB name. Crimson Angel, Obsidian Hunter, Twyst, and Numbers."

"Yeah!" Hayley grinned. "Go Numbers!"