HEROES II

THE SECRET ROOM

The Tribrid quarters were unusually quiet.

Most students had gathered outside discussing the destruction from the training field while directors and division heads searched desperately for T. L.

James, Ava, Louise and Derek moved quickly through a hidden hallway beneath the Tribrid building.

The lights flickered softly above them.

At the very end of the corridor stood a giant metallic door.

Clarence was already there.

Typing rapidly across holographic screens.

Blue codes flashed across her face while sparks of data moved around the system.

BEEP.

BEEP.

ACCESS GRANTED.

The massive door unlocked slowly.

WHOOOOOSHHH.

The door slid open.

Everyone paused.

The room inside was gigantic.

Rows of advanced systems lined the walls.

Huge glowing screens blinked everywhere.

Weapons.

Gadgets.

Machines.

Different beds arranged around the room.

It looked like a secret operations center.

James stared around in amazement.

“Yo… this place is huge.”

Clarence smirked proudly.

“I hacked the access months ago.”

Ava slowly walked further inside while looking around.

“Wow…”

She exhaled softly.

“I think this is where we’ll stay for now.”

Louise immediately jumped dramatically onto one of the beds.

“Yesss.”

She stretched comfortably.

“Now THIS is luxury.”

Derek rolled his eyes.

“You’re acting like you’ve never seen a bed before.”

Clarence ignored them and sat before the largest screen.

Different systems immediately powered on around the room.

Typing sounds echoed rapidly.

“So…” Clarence muttered seriously. “What exactly are we looking for first?”

Ava stepped closer immediately.

“T. L’s phone.”

Clarence nodded.

“If the call connects, I can generate a circumference of where she is.”

James snapped his fingers.

“Perfect.”

Clarence stretched out her hand.

“Give me your phone.”

Ava handed it over quickly.

Clarence connected the device into the system with glowing wires.

Several maps appeared instantly.

“Alright…” Clarence said quietly.

“Call her.”

Ava hesitated slightly.

Then pressed CALL.

Everyone watched the screen silently.

Ringing…

One second.

Two seconds.

Then—

“The number you are trying to reach is switched off.”

Ava cursed under her breath.

“Damn it.”

“She turned off her phone?” Louise asked.

Clarence leaned back slowly in her chair.

“No.”

Everyone looked toward her.

“She blocked tracking access completely.”

James frowned.

“What does that mean?”

Clarence smirked slightly despite the situation.

“It means T. L planned this.”

Silence filled the room.

“She knows people would try tracking her.”

Clarence sighed softly.

“That girl was one of the best students in Technical.”

Then she pointed proudly at herself.

“She learned from the best.”

Derek folded his arms.

“So basically we can’t find her?”

Clarence shook her head slowly.

“It’s going to be very hard.”

Ava folded her arms anxiously.

“So how exactly are we supposed to—”

KNOCK.

KNOCK.

KNOCK.

Everyone froze instantly.

The room became silent.

Louise slowly sat upright from the bed.

“I thought you said nobody knew about this place.”

Ava stared toward the door nervously.

“They’re not supposed to…”

James frowned.

“Then who’s knocking?”

KNOCK.

KNOCK.

KNOCK.

The sound echoed again.

Carefully, Ava walked toward the giant metal door.

She slowly opened it—

“AVA!”

Shine immediately rushed forward excitedly.

“Girl I’ve literally been searching everywhere for you!”

Behind her stood Lena.

And beside Lena were Kennedy and Jersey—James’ roommates.

Kennedy folded his arms proudly.

“Told you guys they were hiding somewhere.”

Ava panicked slightly.

“Uh… now’s not exactly the best time—”

She tried closing the door.

But suddenly—

The door stopped moving.

Floating.

Held open by telekinesis.

Ava slowly looked up.

Lena stood there calmly with glowing eyes.

“Anything you guys are doing…”

Her eyes shifted toward James.

“…if James is here, I’m here too.”

James immediately looked up.

The moment he saw Lena, his serious expression softened instantly.

He stood up quickly.

“Lena…”

Lena smiled warmly the moment she saw him and immediately walked into his arms, hugging him tightly.

Louise slowly leaned closer to Clarence while watching them suspiciously.

“Uh…” she whispered quietly. “Are they…?”

Clarence smirked instantly.

“Yep.”

She nodded proudly.

“Officially boyfriend and girlfriend.”

Derek let out a low whistle.

“Well damn.”

James rolled his eyes while still holding Lena.

“Can you people relax?”

Lena laughed softly before looking up at him affectionately.

“Where were you?” she asked quietly. “I’ve been searching everywhere for you.”

James sighed tiredly.

“Ava and I got caught up in something serious.”

Lena frowned slightly.

“Serious how?”

Ava slowly gestured toward the room.

“Just come inside first.”

Everyone entered carefully.

The giant metal door shut behind them.

WHOOOOOSHHH.

The atmosphere immediately became heavier.

James sat down slowly and rubbed his forehead stressfully.

“It’s… a lot.”

He exhaled deeply.

“I only heard everything today and honestly my brain still wants to explode.”

He sighed again.

“I don’t even know where to start.”

Louise suddenly interrupted.

“Maybe start from the part where T. L—the girl everyone thought was powerless—is actually some dangerous superhuman who almost killed me and Derek in front of international spectators.”

Dead silence.

Derek blinked slowly.

“Wow.”

He looked toward Louise.

“That’s one way to say it.”

“You really got straight to the point.”

Louise shrugged.

“What? They need to know.”

Lena, Shine, Kennedy and Jersey stared in complete shock.

Ava immediately raised both hands.

“EXACTLY!”

“That was literally my reaction too!”

Lena frowned deeply.

“Wait…”

She looked confused.

“You weren’t there?”

Ava shook her head.

“No. Only Clarence, Derek and Louise saw everything.”

Kennedy lifted his hand dramatically.

“Wait wait wait…”

He looked overwhelmed.

“Back up.”

Then he pointed carefully.

“You people are saying…”

His eyes widened.

“T. L has powers?”

Louise answered immediately.

“Yes.”

Then her expression darkened.

“And not normal powers either.”

Jersey frowned.

“What kind of powers?”

Nobody answered immediately.

Because honestly—

None of them fully understood it.

Derek finally spoke quietly.

“She stopped our abilities.”

“Our powers were still there,” Louise explained slowly, “but it felt like… someone else controlled them.”

Kennedy looked confused.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Exactly,” Derek replied immediately. “That’s why it’s terrifying.”

The room became quieter.

Then Louise spoke again.

“She didn’t even look human anymore.”

Everyone stared at her.

“Her hair turned white.”

“Her eyes glowed completely white.”

“The entire training field started shaking.”

Kennedy laughed nervously.

“Okay now you people are exaggerating.”

“They’re not.”

Everyone turned.

Clarence’s face had become serious.

“When I climbed out of the crater…”

She swallowed slowly from the memory.

“I saw T. L floating in the air.”

Silence.

“The whole building was shaking.”

“Storm winds everywhere.”

“Thunder.”

“Fire.”

“She was surrounded by whirlwinds.”

Ava slowly sat down.

Unable to process it.

Louise folded her arms tightly.

“She pinned me against a wall without even touching me.”

Jersey frowned.

“How?”

Louise’s expression became disturbed.

“Sharp objects.”

“Razors.”

“Metal rods.”

“Broken blades.”

“They all came flying toward me.”

Kennedy’s smile disappeared slowly.

“I honestly thought she was going to kill me.”

James slowly lowered his eyes.

The image of powerless T. L inside his head was breaking apart completely.

Then Ava whispered softly,

“My T. L can’t do all this…”

Derek looked at her carefully.

“She already did.”

Heavy silence filled the room.

Then Lena suddenly muttered quietly,

“No wonder Merson suddenly wants her back.”

Ava nodded sadly.

“Yeah…”

“But she already left.”

“Left?” Shine asked softly.

“Why would she leave?”

Ava looked emotional.

“She always felt different here.”

“Nobody really accepted her.”

Jersey sighed quietly.

“I honestly don’t blame her.”

Kennedy suddenly realized something.

“Wait…”

He looked around carefully.

“So THAT’S why all the directors disappeared?”

Clarence nodded slowly.

“They’re all searching for her right now.”

Lena crossed her arms thoughtfully.

“So we’re trying to find her too?”

“Yes,” Ava answered immediately.

Determination slowly filled her face.

“We need to know the truth about our friend.”

Her voice softened.

“Because right now…”

“…it feels like we never really knew T. L at all.”

The room became silent once again.

Outside—

Thunder rumbled faintly over Heroes Academy.

And somewhere far away…

The girl everyone feared…

Was still missing.