The Roman Project: The Wronged

Chapter 2

She swallowed nervously as she swiped across the connector's holographic screen to make another call.

"Connect, Michael Roman Starc." She said hastily.

"Please wait a moment please." The voice droned.

A few seconds passed before Roman's face appeared.

"Did you get a call from Mom?" He asked, dark circles under his brown eyes from lack of sleep.

"No. I tried to call her, but - I just heard something." She said as she felt a headache forming from the tense muscles in her face.

"What?" He said, his full attention turned on what she would say next.

"She doesn't have any connection. I tried to call her and a message came up telling me that. It's like her connectors been disabled or broken. I've never heard that before." She said, biting her lip nervously.

"Maybe she got in a transfer accident." Roman suggested.

"Maybe. That would explain no connection, and why she hasn't come home." She said as she glanced up at the sudden hot breeze.

"I'm gonna call Assistance." Jeen said as she looked back down at the connector.

"Okay, I'll call you if I hear anything." Roman said as he was about to end the call.

"Oh, hey, you okay?" Jeen asked before the call was over.

"I don't think you should be asking me that." He shrugged, pausing before he continued. "The masters not gonna report me is he? Mom just said it was a suspension."

Jeen shook her head.

"No, I don't think so. He-he said he wouldn't tell anyone. Let's just hope it stays that way."
"Yeah." Roman said half-heartedly.

"It wasn't your fault. It's not like you can control it." She whispered, glancing around.

"Doesn't matter. I never should've joined the team." He said.

"Yeah, I know, but you needed to make some friends." She said, the anxiety rising in her voice. 

"I'm pretty sure I did the opposite of that." He sighed, "and it doesn't help that Mom never bothers to explain."

"It's not like she can. It's for your own safety that no one knows." Jeen said, frowning.

"Yeah, I know. Doesn't make it any better."

"There are worse things." She tried to reassure.

"Than super strength?" He said sarcastically, like it was great.

Jeen couldn't think of anything else to say. She knew that all Roman was doing right now was reading conspiracy stories and legends. It was all he did most days. Hoping to find a case like his own, he never did though. If Isabella didn't have an explanation - a former scientist herself - Jeen doubted anyone ever would.

As a joke she used to say he was exposed to toxic chemicals when he left the hospital as a baby.

It was funny at first.

"Guess I'll see you later then." She finished, nothing left to say.

"Okay." Roman said before the hologram turned blank with the words 'call ended' across it. She swiped to the left to connect to Assistance, the universal name to call for an emergency of any degree.

When Jeen heard what the Assistance rot's voice said after her request, she was taken back. She didn't answer the assistance rot's voice for a moment, and it repeated the same question as before.