CHAPTER 32: CH 32: V. A. L. O. R.

"Drop her now, Ian."

Collins narrowed his gaze at Nightwalker.

For a heartbeat, time froze.

Alice hung mid-air, boots scraping at nothing, papers fluttering from the sudden burst of air from the door.

Collins didn’t flinch.

He stood in the doorway, trench coat half-open, eyes steady and unreadable.

Nightwalker’s grip around her neck suddenly loosened— dropping Alice in a less than graceful way.

Unlike most she didn’t cower or hide behind Collins, she continued to try to catch her breath but keep her eyes fixed on Nightwalker’s.

But she was less than a roach to him now. He turned to Collins. "What did you just call me?"

"What is with you all’s obsession with hero names, we all went to the same school, remember? And your name is Ian— Ian Anderson."

He placed his hands on his waist, stepped forward, and said, ’I’m so sorry—who the hell are you even supposed to be?’"

"I’m Collins or Mr Fuck Off, if you wanted a superhero name." He said with a straight face. "And you just interrupted my lunch."

The air thickened with tension. Nightwalker’s irritation only growing with every breath— from his twitching face to his tensed muscles under his skintight suit.

He wanted to attack and it’d be bad.

Collins took a step closer— but did Nightwalker. There they stood. Eyes on eyes like Titans about to collide.

Nightwalker’s eyes began to glow— first subtly then with a light that was almost blinding. And so did the sun— perched high out the window intensified.

With a glare that was almost ultraviolet, making Alice take a silent step back into the shade. But Collins?

Collins stood there. Eyes fixed on Nightwalker’s in a death stare— even as the light blinded him and the sun slowly crisped his skin. He wouldn’t move.

"Enough."

Alice wheezed but forced herself upright.

"You." She stepped between them, pointing a finger at Nightwalker, "you barge into my office, assault me and th—"

"Don’t forget the thousands of Royal worth of expenses from the crater he made in the ground."

Collins added.

She whipped her head to him now. "And you. You also barged into my office without permission."

"Your assistant said you’d need help." He glanced over at Nightwalker. "And from the looks of it, she was right."

"Regardless, don’t you ever barge into my office again." Her voice still hoarse but she continued. "Do I make myself clear?"

Collins nodded in understanding. "Yes, ma’am."

"Now back to you." Her accusing finger shifted back to Nightwalker. "I don’t care if you’re a Paragon or God or a fucking ’concerned’ parent.

Unless you make an appointment with me or go through the proper channels, I don’t want to feel the silhouette of your cape here again.

Are you listening?"

Nightwalker stepped forward, leaving little to no space behind them and having her raise her head to see his golden eyes.

"And what if I don’t?"

She somehow took a step forward, closing whatever little space remained. Raised her head to meet his. "Well, then I call V.A.L.O.R and tell them I have a problem with a Paragon who’s not following protocols.

You see, you might be the strongest in this Nation but there are four other Paragons just as strong as you— minus the tiny dick.

Now get the hell out of my office... Ian."

Nightwalker’s face contorted. Taking a step back with his hands in the air, his smile finally returned. "You better hope I don’t come back here."

He turned, the cape cutting the air like a blade.

Then—gone. No flash, no crack, just absence.

Only the gust of wind that blew at them in his wake. The door was left violently swinging— in and out.

"Oh my God." she pushed herself across the table, sat in her chair and pulled out a bottle of bourbon along with two glasses from the drawer.

Collins joined her. Sliding into the seat opposite from her and taking the glass she just poured full.

"How you doing Alice?"

"Haa." An unexpected burst of laughter escaped her. "I was just threatened by a former boyfriend, a ’concerned’ parent and the Paragon of the nation.

So I guess you can say I’m swell."

She chugged down the glass in her hand and poured another.

"Are you really gonna call V.A.L.O.R? Seems a bit extreme don’t you think?"

"Extreme?" She sank into her chair. "How bout the next time you almost get choked to death, I tell you what’s extreme?"

"Veltharion Aether Licensing and Oversight Regime— Still sounds a bit corny to me." Collins said as he swirled the glass. "Do you even think they’ll show?"

"Of course not. V.A.L.O.R won’t do anything unless he goes too far. They can’t risk having one of the five nations without a Paragon.

You remember the surge in awakened and awakened-related crimes when Spectra died. It was almost about to cause an economic implosion.

Truth is, they’d rather have a psychopath playing dress up as a hero as long as people still see him as one. Which always brings us back to two options.

One. We find hard concrete proof that Nightwalker’s a psychopath with a God complex Or

Two. You make me a Paragon that’ll be strong enough to replace him."

"You say it like it’s that easy." Collins dropped the glass back onto the table, "we’re not dealing with warriors or soldiers here. We’re dealing with hormonal teenagers who are immature."

"Come on, Collins. I more than anyone else believes you can make coal into diamonds. It just requires more pressure."

He brought his hand down his greying beard.

"Pressure that can either make them rise to the challenge or destroy them completely. Alice this isn’t a Disney movie—

We can’t just hope and have the answers fall in our laps, we need to push, strategically and logically."

"So who’s at the top of your list?"

She asked.

"The smartest choice— Quinn Orvin, she already knows and hates Nightwalker for her mother’s death. She’s trained and ready for the fight but just needs to keep going to make it there.

There’s the underdog— Mira Stark, her Ice affinity and Aether control could rival that of an Adept... But her shyness doesn’t exactly help issues.

It should be impossible for someone to be that powerful yet that timid, almost as if she’s f—"

"Cut the shit." Alice stopped him. "I didn’t ask you for the PowerPoint presentation, Collins. I asked for your own personal insight.

We’re dealing with someone who can basically control the fucking sun.

You’re the smartest, sneakiest, most conniving man I know You’re the definition of wolf in wolf’s clothing. And I know you have someone in mind, so spill."

"Alright, he’s from Aether Studies. He’s not the conventional pick yet something about him is... Different.

He’s smart yet unbearably dumb, young and naive but with the determination of a starved ant. It’s Aegon Dhalar."