Luminary

Chapter 3

I leave the house early, not that it's uncommon for me. However instead of heading to school I walk in the opposite direction of the bus stop, towards the library. I open the secret doorway and slip through. Although the wonder of it all still astonishes me this morning I am on a tight schedule so I try to keep the ogling to a minimum. I say try because as much as I try I can't help myself. I don't think I will ever get used to the shadowy corridor, the spiral staircase and the large interior of the base, let alone the fact that it is hidden in plain sight at a place I frequent very often. I probably saw all of the previous heroes at one time or another but didn't think anything of it. I guess because people aren't looking for heroes they don't see anything.

I race up the staircase and into the base where I left my note. It looks undisturbed. I guess nobody's been here since I was, which is a shame because as much as I don't want to admit it, I really can't do this alone. Not that anything's happened yet, heck I haven't even activated the pendant. For all I know any soon to be villains can detect it and start trying to get me out of action. Although I found nothing I won't lose hope yet. I'm just going to have to keep my eyes peeled for any suspicious behaviour. I plug my USB into one of the computers and download some previous mission files, I need to know as much as possible about what is going on and it's too much bother to keep coming back to the library. I check my watch. Oh crap. If I don't leave now I'm going to miss my bus. I hurry down the stairs and out the secret door.

I walk quickly out of the library and see a bus pulling out of the street on my left. It's mine. I sprint across the pavement, my school bag pounding into my back with every step. The bus stop grows closer. The bus sounds closer too but I don't dare to turn my head and check. Just ten meters more, five, two. I skid to a stop and thrust out my arm. The bus driver give me a wry smile and opens the doors for me to board the bus. I made it. My legs are burning and I'm breathing hard, but I made it. I guess I'll have to do some training to get in shape for when I'm fighting crime. I take a seat on the bus and continue to ponder the logistics of superhero training. I'll have to learn to control the powers some time, but to be honest I've been too scared to try. What if I can't master them? It seems safer to start with general fitness training. My current fitness level is debatable. I mean I am fit, I can run and all that. I don't have problems doing PE at school and I eat healthy most of the time. However I have never been dedicated enough to bother going to the gym every day and getting in super good shape. In a way it sounds nice to be dedicated enough to get in good shape, but it also sounds like too much effort.

The bus pulls up in front of my school and I disembark only to enter the writhing mass of uniform clad bodies that move around the school grounds. The bell rings and a herd mentality takes over. Every student is moving in a slightly different direction and yet we are all moving together. I enter my homeroom, a bunch of familiar faces. Everything about this experience seems so surreal when compared to the wonder of the secret floor of the library, the note from Nadia, the memories of previous attacks. I run my hand along my neck grasping for the leather cord, checking that the pendant is still safe. For all I know any one of the people surrounding me could be a previous hero or one of my new team members. I just want to find out who they are, I hate to admit it but I need them.

I scan the room, looking for anyone acting suspiciously in case it's a hint to their new found abilities. Nothing seems to have changed. I scan their heads, Sally, Lucinda, Jack, David, Mark, Amy... There's almost no point in me bothering to look for suspicious behaviour. It's a one in a million chance that someone else from my school is a new hero, the Sydney area is huge and even though Luminary seems to be based in my suburb there are still many other schools near here. Plus, even if someone is a part of Luminary, and I notice something, what am I planning on doing? I can't exactly march up to them and risk triggering their memories of the past attacks if I'm wrong. I guess I'll just put my head down and get through school as quickly as possible so I can go back to the library base and make some form of progress with my powers.