Criminals

Chapter 7 Ian

Somehow I woke up, my head pounding and ears ringing with painful static. I felt immobilized like Ace-Stick had been poured over my body. Although the ads for the stuff were intolerable the glue like substance really did hold just about anything together and right now I felt like I was glued to the bed I was on. 

Painfully I opened my eyes and flinched at the harsh light that glared down on my face, illuminating the room. The ringing that was pinging around my eardrums seemed to have faded but I still felt disorientated. My head ached as I tried to remember why I felt like crap. 

Unfortunately the memory revived itself and sat itself firmly in the forefront of my conscious. Wade beating me up so easily I probably looked like the most pathetic person in this strange place, and his face enlarged as he leaned down in my face basically told what a terrible fighter I was. 

I groaned as the memories bombarded me along with the sounds of the crowd that had watched my embarrassment. Sluggishly I lifted my arm finding the feeling that it had previously been lacking. I sat up, a little too quickly perhaps, and grasped my head as another wave of piercing headaches hit me. 

Blinking I looked around and recognized the room as one of those near the infirmary. Cautiously I swung my legs over the edge of the padded cot and shakily got to my feet. The room was secluded from the rest of the building with a small bathroom off to the side along with the exit door. 

I stared at the door leading back into the Nerve but paused and headed to the bathroom instead. The little fresher contained a toilet, sink, and also a small mirror that hung crookedly on the wall. The mirror was nowhere near as nice as the ones at home but it didn't lie when I looked at my weathered reflection.

My hair was flattened down awkwardly against the right side of my head. As bad as my bed head hair looked my face looked a thousand times worse. My nose was raw and red as was mostly the rest of my face. Near my mouth it looked like someone tried to rub at least some of the blood away from its corners. Bruises lined my neck from the fight with Landon along with a bruise on my jaw and a nice shiner that covered my eye and then some. 

I winced at the sight and sighed as everything in my face hurt at the slight movement. Looking away from the painful symbol of my embarrassment, I turned back to the room and headed for the door. 

As I reached for the old door knob I heard footsteps coming from the other side. I jolted back as Alyssa entered shoving the door against the wall. She looked up at me and the anger on her face died away. 

"You're up!" she said smiling. Her gaze narrowed when she took in the purple bruises that covered me. Her scowl returned. 

"Gah, Wade and his stupid rituals and rites, why can't he just let people join without beating the living daylights out of them first?" she shouted. Heat rose off the back of my neck at her insightful insult. Alyssa looked up realizing what she said. 

"What I meant he can't have these fights and always beat people up, er well... he can't...sorry," she gave up with a shrug and a quick apology. 

"It's ok," I replied, "I haven't seen a lot of fights, it was kind of a first." Alyssa's eyes widened with shock.

"That was your fight? You have never fought anyone before?" she exclaimed. My chest squeezed, had I said the wrong thing, what did she mean. 

"No, not really. I've gotten punched defending a teammate during a baseball game, but I don't think that counts as a real fight," I said the words tumbling from my mouth and arranging themselves into stupid sentences in front of a pretty girl. Alyssa laughed and leaned into the wall crossing her arms. 

"How did that happen, you don't strike me as someone who would place them self in that type of situation." I scratched the back of my head and tried to stare vacantly at the space beside her head while I simultaneously tried to erase the heat from my cheeks. 

"It's a bit of a long story," I started as the door near Alyssa slammed open against the wall. Alyssa didn't even flinch but my muscles contracted as I flinched back from the sound. A tall, lanky guy stood in the door way looking coolly around the room. A mop of unruly coal colored hair covered his head along with a devilish. Alyssa only turned her head to see who it was before she dropped her shoulders in protest.

"Already?" she shouted, "Peter why can't he wait another day! What is wrong with Wade, he's been on a rampage lately! I can't stand it!" The newcomer held his hand up in protest from the onslaught. 

"Sheesh calm down Alyssa, it's not my problem that Wade has been having a bad month. I am just here to do my job so calm down a little," he protested as his gaze turned to me. "Hey newbie, feeling better? Good, get ready, training starts in twenty minutes in the room with windows." Peter turned and left the door shutting the door behind him with a slam. Alyssa huffed in anger as she crossed her arms again staring at the door again. 

"Sorry Ian your story may have to wait a while, If there is one thing Wade will never change is training. I better let you get ready," she said and started for the door. 

"Wait training for what?" I asked thoroughly confused I hadn't even been here for 48 hours and I had been nearly killed by MPs, beaten up by the guy who had directed my rescue, and now I was training for something. 

"For missions and for eventually when we break out the rest of the Supers," Alyssa said giving me a funny look, almost like she expected me to already know that. 

"But what if I don't want to stay, I still need to go back and get Kyrsten. There could be tons of other Supers that need us too," I said, an uneasy knot formed in my stomach. 

"Why would want to leave?" she asked looking confused, "There is nothing on the outside except for MPs and people who want to put us in cages as examples for the rest of the world. They throw us into cells and parade the unlucky ones around until all the normal people get the idea that we are criminals and not even human beings," My throat tightened and I could feel my shoulders drop. Alyssa stared at me in disbelief.

"You didn't know..." she started and the tenseness in my mind blew up.

"Of course I didn't know! I live in Iowa! I don't even know where we are, I have no idea how far away my family is or anyone I know or love is! Yesterday I was almost killed just because I am who I am and I can't change that," I ranted as Alyssa just stared. I went silent and she made her way to the door.

"Your'e right Ian, it's not fair but there is only so much we can do. Right now you are in an abandoned subway station under York. The best advice I can give you for now is to wait and train," she opened the door and looked back at me with somber eyes. 

"And watch out for Peter during training, he is shifter and a strong fighter. If he shifts watch out for any claws or teeth," she said and shut the door quietly.