Bose POV:
I woke up with a splitting headache, every muscle in my body aching from the battle the night before. Slowly, I managed to sit up, wincing at the pain. I reached for the glass of water on my nightstand, and that's when I noticed the small pile of medicine next to it. Aspirin and some other painkillersâChapa must have left them for me.
Then I saw a folded piece of paper. My heart sank as I picked it up and unfolded it, recognizing Chapa's handwriting immediately.
---
Bose,
I left these medicines on your nightstand to help with the pain. I'm sorry for everything that happened last night.
I hope you can understand my situation, if not I'll explain again why I've been so distant. The villain we fought last warned me - after finding out my secret identity - that if I ever showed up as Volt again or use my powers to fight crime, they would go after my family, Sage, Miles, Mika and you. They knew you were my friend. If I'm seen with any of the Danger Force members, I'm putting everyone I love at risk.
I can't take those risks anymore. I have to stay away from you and the others. Despite how much I want to fight back, to punish her for what she did to you yesterday, is this the only way to keep everyone safe.
So please don't approach me anymore or be nice to me, it will only make me want to fight back.
Take care of yourself.
âChapa
---
I read the letter twice, feeling a mixture of sadness and frustration. I repeated the words from last night in my head and finally understood the depth of her fear and the reason behind her distance. I hated that I couldn't do anything to help her right now.
A notification from my phone broke my thoughts. It was a text from Mika: 'Hey Bose, can we meet up this afternoon at the Man's Nest? Need to talk.'
Despite the pain, I was stable enough to drive. I freshened up, the hot water doing little to ease the tension in my muscles. As I dressed, Chapa's letter weighed heavily on my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about her and the impossible situation she was in.
I grabbed my keys and headed to the Man's Nest, my thoughts swirling. How could we protect Chapa from this threat? How could I convince her that she didn't have to do this alone?
When I arrived at the Man's Nest, Mika was already there, her expression serious. She looked up as I walked in, concern evident in her eyes.
"Bose, you look terrible," she said, half-jokingly.
I managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Mika. I feel even worse."
Miles walked in and we sat down, and Mika wasted no time getting to the point. "I heard about last night. Are you okay?"
"I'll live," I said, though my thoughts were far from my own wellbeing. "But Chapa... she's in a tough spot."
Mika asked what happened and I explained everything.
"Bose we have a big problem. But we might have a solution." Miles said. I was biting my lips form the nervousness.
"Yesterday we fought the villain and discovered she can do a lot more than we think, she just didn't show it at first so we would underestimate her. She can basically fly too, has super speed, and way more. Mika super screamed and she got into a transmission tower, then she got electrocuted, fell and flew away." Miles warned me.
Mika prepared to say the solution. "But Miles and I couldn't believe she was capable of having so many superpowers. That's impossible for a human body to bear. So later we looked into it and thought it didn't make sense why she fell when she hit the transmission tower, because she has super strength so when you get hit you can easily stand up. Then we came up with a theory that made a lot of sense. The supervillain's powers didn't come from her body. They're from a chip implanted in her neck." Mika explained. I didn't understand it all but I managed to follow.
I frowned. "A chip? Like a tech implant?"
Mika nodded. "Yeah. I've seen it before. And it contains of the exact same powers. You know I work at a secret agency company that's been developing these chips. They can give people superpowers, but they're still in the testing phase. It takes a lot of time and precision to implant them. I don't understand how the supervillain got her hands on one, or how they managed to activate it and put it in her body."
I leaned forward, intrigued. "Could they have stolen it? Or maybe someone in your agency is working with them?"
Mika sighed, rubbing her temples. "It's possible. We've had security breaches before, but nothing this major. And the process to activate and implant the chip is incredibly complex. It's not something just anyone can do."
I pondered this for a moment. "So, they might have an inside connection. Someone with the knowledge and skills to pull this off."
Mika nodded. "That's what I'm thinking. But we need more information. If we can figure out who's behind this, we might be able to stop them and neutralize the supervillain's powers."
The room fell silent as we both absorbed this new information. The stakes were higher than ever, and the danger more imminent. We had to act fast.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked, breaking the silence.
Mika took a deep breath. "First, we need to get close to the supervillain and see if we can disable the chip. But there's no chance of pulling it out of her body directly, unless we have a way to weaken her for a few seconds. So we decided we need Chapa to electrocute her. That will weaken her for a few seconds. Then, Miles can teleport you and me to her neck, then we'll get the chip out. I need your telekineses to get the chip out, after using and removing it, you can't touch it or your hands will burn and fall off."
"That's creepy." Miles responded.
"Yeah I know. But I assume the transmission tower affected damage to the chip. She's probably repairing it and will come back once it's fixed."
"Well how long does it take to repair?" Miles asked.
"About 3 to 4 days I think. So let's assume she can already come back in 3 days. We must be prepared with Chapa on our side." Mika answered. "So for now we need Bose to convince Chapa to come back." Mika said quickly
"Yeah but I just told you about Chapa's situation. She left us." I said, trying to keep my voice stable.
Mika looked at me, a hint of concern in her eyes. "You think she'll come back?"
I hesitated. "I don't know. But we have to try. She's part of this team, whether she left us or not."
"I don't get it. She said ShadowWoman - the last villain we fought together - told her she'd go after her family and us if she showed up again right?" Miles said with confusion.
"Yeah." I replied.
"But didn't Chapa defeat ShadowWoman?"
"Uhm yeah." Mika nodded.
"So what is she scared of? She's stuck anyway she won't be noticing Chapa out there, and even if she finds out, what can she do when she's locked in the asylum?" Miles had a point.
"Yeah but she might have told her she had eyes everywhere, which is probably true, many supervillains are ally's." Mika explained.
"Wait, but Chapa told me the villain picked up her ID in the fight. And if we defeated the villain in the fight, how could ShadowWoman be able to tell others, when she went straight to the asylum afterwards?" I figured out.
"Wow Bose you've become smarter." Mika joked.
I rolled with my eyes.
"And people aren't allowed to visit the asylum unless you are family or have a warrant." Mika added.
"We should tell Chapa." Miles said immediately.
"I think I should stay here." I said knowing I didn't want to.
"What? But you've been around with her lately, and you're our best shot to convince her." Miles said.
"I can't. As much as I want to tell her, I know she won't listen and keep her distance. Here." And I showed them the letter she wrote to me.
"Well okay dude if you don't think you can convince her, then I guess one of us has to go."
Mika shook her head already. "Miles you go. I can't go. I'm swamped with work to figure out how we're going to do this."
"Sure." And Miles teleported himself away.
Mika turned to me with a curious look. "So, what's the deal between you and Chapa?"
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "There's no deal, Mika. We're just... friends I guess."
Mika raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Friends, huh? Because from what I saw 2 days ago, it looked like there was more to it than that. You were pretty quick to defend her when your assistance said those things about her."
I felt a surge of irritation. "Yeah, well, Bridget was way out of line. I couldn't just let her talk about Chapa like that."
Mika smirked. "See, that's what I mean. You care about her. It's obvious."
"Of course I care about her," I snapped. "We've been through a lot together. But it's not like that, Mika."
"Not like what?" Mika pressed. "Bose, I've known you long enough to see when something's bothering you. And Chapa clearly means more to you than you're letting on."
I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "It's complicated, okay? She's been distant ever since the last big fight we had against that supervillain. She told me last night that the villain threatened her family and friends if she ever showed up as Volt again. That's why she's been staying away."
Mika nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. But you know, you can't just avoid her now because you're scared of the complications. She needs to know she can trust you."
I sighed, feeling the weight of her words. "I know. It's just hard. Especially now with all of this happening. And Bridget who made Chapa feel unsure and used."
"Bridget? She tried something in Chapa's face? I'm surprised she's still alive." Mika said, her voice tinged with disbelief.
I nodded and smiled. "Yeah, she made things even more complicated. Chapa heard some things from her that weren't true, and now she thinks I'm playing games with both of them."
Mika shook her head. "You need to sort this out, Bose. Chapa's important, not just as a friend but also for our mission. If she doesn't feel like she can trust you, we're all in trouble."
"I know," I said quietly. "I'll figure it out. I have to."
Mika gave me a supportive pat on the shoulder. "Good. Just remember, we're all in this together. And if you need help, I'm here for you."
"Thanks, Mika. That means a lot," I replied, feeling a bit better.
Chapa POV:
It was Friday and I called Ms. Ambrose to say I was sick and would be finishing the presentation at home today. She wasn't happy with it but finally agreed. I wasn't actually sick, but I just couldn't face Bose today, not yet. Besides, I needed time to think about what to do. Later that day, I got a message from a random number.
> Hey, Chapa. A few of us are meeting up for drinks later this evening. Elena will be there too. Would love for you to join us. This is Sam, by the way.
I could use some distraction, but I didn't think it was a good idea to drink with Sam. However, the mention of Elena and some others made me consider it. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Elena was there. So, I agreed to it.
Then I wondered how he even got my number. Probably through Elena, but why wouldn't she text me then? It was weird, but I decided to ignore it. I needed a break, and maybe a night out would help clear my mind.
As evening approached, I got ready to go out. I chose a casual outfit, something comfortable yet stylish. I checked my phone for any updates, but there were none. It seemed like Sam had taken the lead on this gathering.
When I arrived at the bar, I immediately spotted Sam sitting alone at a table. No sign of Elena or anyone else. I walked over, feeling a bit uneasy.
"Hey, Chapa! Glad you could make it," Sam said with a warm smile.
"Hi, Sam. Where's everyone else?" I asked, glancing around.
"They'll be here later," he said casually. "I thought it'd be nice to catch up one-on-one first."
I nodded, still feeling uneasy, but I sat down. We ordered drinks and made small talk. As the minutes ticked by and no one else showed up, my discomfort grew.
"Sam, I should go. This doesn't feel right," I said, starting to get up.
Before I could move, Sam grabbed my arm and pulled me back. "Wait, Chapa," he said softly, leaning in. Before I knew it, he was kissing me. I pushed against him, but he was persistent.
Just then, I heard a familiar voice. "Chapa! What the hell?"
I managed to push Sam away and slapped him hard, nearly knocking him out of his seat. Elena stood there, her eyes wide with shock and anger.
"Elena, it's not what it looks like," I started to explain, my voice trembling.
Elena glared at me. "I saw you kissing him, Chapa! How could you?"
"He started kissing me out of nowhere," I insisted. "I didn't want this!"
Elena shook her head, still furious. "I don't know what's going on with you, but I'm done. I can't believe you."