The Last Hero (Villains & Monsters #2)

Chapter 4

Now that Jamie (and you) know the date, the time stamps are going to be labeled so it'll be easier to keep track of. Remember to pay attention! Love you -Rae

- Late April, 2045 (13 months ago) -

Jamie had fallen asleep in the training room by accident.

He was awoken later by a soft, faint sniffling that echoed through the room. As he opened his eyes and sat up, he unplugged his phone from the charger, stood up and winced at the slight ache that came from sleeping on the floor.

He walked through the small hallway of the quiet facility and towards the staircase leading to the basement where the noise was coming from. When he stepped halfway down the stairs, he stopped and looked towards the locked cell.

The newest addition to the group -- Daija Cross -- was sitting in the corner curled up in a ball, crying as quietly as possible as she rubbed her temples, more than likely trying to alleviate the pain of her burnout. She then rested her head on her knees, sniffling softly as she looked around the cell, tired, stressed and even a little afraid. From the looks of it, she didn't even touch her food.

His heart sank, and he quietly walked back upstairs. When he turned the corner, he halted when he came face-to face with the leader of the group. "What were you doing down there?" Aniya asked.

"Just checking on her," he mumbled quietly. "She's crying from the pain. Maybe we should get her some painkillers. Those help Justin and Fiona when they have a burnout."

"She needs to learn," she said simply. "I tell her that she has powers, and what does she do? She destroys things. That's the absolute last thing we need right now."

"If we want her on our side, shouldn't we make her just a tad bit more comfortable?"

"The sooner she learns that her actions have consequences, then we can talk about comfort. It's her own stubbornness that's keeping her down there."

"She's been here for a whole week. She might have family-"

She cut him off and glared at him. "Trust me, Jamie, she doesn't. We're not talking about this anymore. If you want something to do, there's a list of things you can help Justin with in room A5."

He wasn't in any mood for a wild confrontation, so he just shook his head and kept walking. One day, and hopefully extremely soon, you three will let me lead instead, he thought.

It would take him a while, but he would have to construct a plan. He always found the whole, "Chosen One" thing weird. Regardless, they were all starting with this terribly, and he was more than certain that Daija would hate all of them unless they turn things around. Rapidly.

After some pacing in the facility, he decided that he probably should do something to keep his mind occupied. With the enhanced intelligence, he always felt the need to stay busy so he could combat the racing thoughts. Maybe that's why a tiny fraction of him didn't mind helping out the heroes with their work, even though it was exhausting most days.

He just wished they wouldn't threaten him. He accepted that without a physical ability, he was the weakest in the group, and that made him stay behind the scenes and do the work underneath the surface. He always wondered what life would be like if he was the one who woke up with super strength instead of his brother.

I wouldn't attack him and hate him out of nowhere. That's for sure.

-----

As Jamie was organizing some files on the computers for Aniya later on at around two in the morning, he heard Fiona shout, "Guys, we have a problem!"