Why does it hurt to love you?

Chapter 6 - The secret headquarters

Looking up to see a gargantuan basement fit for The Avengers was not what William was expecting to find in his best friend's dad's house.

The group lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, limbs sore, bruised and tangled with one another. Hair was all over the place, sticking out from their heads in odd directions. William found himself with his face squished to the dirt-covered floor. One of his arms was stuck in an awkward position under his body, and the other lay across Charlie's face, poking at his cheek.

When they arrived, he had turned his head to the sound of the quiet 'Ding!' that the lift had sung, waiting curiously for the doors to open and reveal all Mr Kincaid's secrets. William's eyes had widened at the sight before him; a large hollow hallway was slowly being lit up revealing a personalised Bat-Cave.

In a rush to discover more, all but one scrambled themselves upright and made their way further into the basement.

"Yeah ... don't worry guys I'm okay" a sarcastic remark spoken by Berger at being abandoned in the lift. His arm was still bent awkwardly across his back and his legs were kicking wildly as he attempted to stand up properly. He was portraying a toddler learning how to crawl with his ungraceful rolls and turns on the floor.

William sucked in a breath, taking in the exquisite sight.

Each wall was lined with a pattern of hexagons carved delicately in solid rock, matching the hexagons on the entrance to the lift. Boulders caged the stadium-sized room giving an earthy feel to the place. The short, tunnelled hallway which separated the lift and the main area was lit by an overhead white lamp, which continued to the high ceiling after exiting the tunnel. The overhead lamps stretched out like a lightning strike and was the main source of light for the basement. There were several smaller light sources; beams of gold highlighting the detailed and futuristic hexagons which were imbedded into the walls and floors. They shimmered with expense.

There were several levels to the space. They were currently residing on the top floor. Their floor was decorated with stone archways and a glass floor which gave them a clear view to the level below. The floor was a walkway around the perimeter of the space leading to several further rooms, nooks, and crannies hiding away. From where they currently stood, they were presented with the scene of a technological crafting table, and they could just make out lounge areas and a glowing orb tucked under the walkways.

What was most interesting to William though was the robot arms stationed in various areas below them. They were swinging about swiftly and purposefully, carefully levitating large pieces of equipment to the walls. William couldn't quite recall ever seeing something so magnificent and powerful.

There was a strong smell of cinnamon and coffee dominating the room, wafting around in waves. There happened to be a kitchen downstairs with a regularly-used coffee machine sitting idly on the countertop waiting patiently for a mug to fill.

The room was surprisingly not cold, despite expressing that aura. All of them had felt a chill when first entering, but it was not due to the lukewarm environment.

"Whoa ... this place is ... big." Maya observed. Her mouth hung open in bewilderment and awe, eyes dusting over the patterned ceiling.

"That's one way of putting it." William replied, dazed features adorning his face in a similar manner to his conversation partner.

A feminine voice startled them from their trance with an automated message: "Headquarters activating." The overhead lights became brighter, and the intricate hexagons on the wall illuminated a soft golden glow.

"Come on" Charlie ushered them all towards a desk-like space.

"How far down are we?" Berger piped up now having caught up with the rest of the group.