We spent three days at the hotel. We didn't do a lot in our time. We lounged around in our room in the mornings, and Alex was always watching whatever action movie was playing on the tv. In the evenings we would go out into the town to do whatever was around. We played putt putt one night, walked around a beautiful lake another, and stopped at the fanciest restraunt in town the last night.
We had a good time together as it felt like a mini vacation for us. There was no talk of supers and superpowers, instead we just hung out like old friends. Alex seemed so happy, his smile never faded as we went out into the town. He talked to me about his childhood and times he got in trouble with his sister. He made me laugh so hard at the restraunt I was afraid he was going to get us kicked out.
I felt light and free being out in the world again, and I was happy by Alex's side. He always was making sure I was happy. He carried me the rest of the way when my feet got tired by the lake, he got down on his knees and pretended to worship me when I beat him by four strokes on putt putt, and he ordered me the dessert on the menu I was eyeing but would never admit I wanted.
I had forgotten all of my problems existed. For once I was not worrying about my family or Sam's, I was just living. I hadn't remembered a time even before Alex took me when I felt so carefree. It was a break from the super world and a break from my own mind.
This perfect little bubble was popped though when on the morning of what would've been our fourth day Alex's phone rang. It woke me up and I sat up in bed to look at him. He grabbed his phone and looked at the screen which illuminated his face in the early morning. He sighed running a hand down his face then cleared his throat before answering.
"Hello." Alex said. There was a muffled reply on the other end I couldn't hear.
"I told you that it would." Alex replied to the person on the other end.
"You're right." Alex said after a few seconds then moved into the bathroom closing the door. I strained my ears but all I could hear was Alex's muffled voice.
I was now wide awake with no chance of going back to sleep, so I pulled back the covers and stood to my feet. While I was stretching Alex came out from the bathroom and was off his phone.
"Good morning." I said smiling at him. He smiled in return and flipped on the lights. I bit my lip to keep from asking about the phone call hoping he would bring it up.
"So this gig is up." Alex said abruptly bending over by his suitcase.
"What?" My heart pounded. There was so many different things that could mean.
"We've got to go back. There's no need for us to stay here any longer." He replied.
"Oh." I said and my heart stopped racing. I went over to my bag and slowly started packing away my clothes which were mostly laying about. I didn't want to leave quite yet. It was weird, I knew I should be wanting to go back, but I just didn't.
I walked past Alex to the bathroom and gathered my toiletries in there stuffing them in my bag. I went back into the room to see Alex zipping up his suitcase.
"Ready?" He asked turning to face me. I nodded my head not wanting to speak. He glanced over the room once more to make sure we didn't leave anything then we headed out the door. It was 6:45 in the morning and when we got downstairs they were still laying breakfast out.
"C'mon let's put our bags in the car first." Alex said looking back at me. I nodded my head and followed him outside.
The sun had just risen and it was slightly foggy. It was too early to be hot yet and the cool morning air felt good waking me up. We walked to his car, a black sedan, and he popped open the trunk. He placed his bag inside then took mine from me and put it in.
I stared at the sun, not bright enough to hurt my eyes yet, and surrounded by pinks and oranges. It looked beautiful peeping through the fog and my heart once again felt heavy at the thought of going back to reality. I didn't even want to think about all my problems I needed to think about. I didn't want to be a girl who was kidnapped, presumed to be dead, and the girlfriend, or former girlfriend I wasn't quite sure because of the dead thing, of the city's favorite superhero. I didn't feel that way on this trip. I just felt like a girl.
I followed Alex back inside and we went to get breakfast. I got less than usual as I normally took full advantage of the free buffet. I just got a yogurt in a cup and when we sat down we ate in silence.
"What's wrong Adriana?" Alex asked noticing my glum mood. I shrugged my shoulders not knowing how to answer.
"Adriana, tell me." He spoke softly. I swirled my spoon around in my yogurt cup looking at the pink semi liquid. I picked up a spoonful then dropped back in playing with my food. Alex had stopped eating and I could feel his eyes on me waiting for an answer.
"I just wanted to say thank you for taking me." I said then clarified, "On this trip I mean. " Alex didn't say anything so I continued.
"I mean I know it might of had to been for work or whatever, or because of that person you talk to on the phone, I don't know. It was just nice to not think and like get away and stuff..." I rambled on.
Alex smiled and let out one of his little laughs.
"You're welcome Adriana." He stood up. "Wait here I need to check us out."
I watched him retreat to the counter handing in our cards. He glanced back to look at me and I gave him a closed lip smile.
When we got back into his car I turned and looked at him.
"You didn't drug my yogurt did you?"
"No, I didn't drug your yogurt."
"Then how is this going to work?" I questioned.
"It's six hours. You only need to be blindfolded for the last one."
Great, blindfolded. I guess it was better than being drugged, though I did appreciate the rest it provided me last time.
We chatted for a little bit the first hour then listened to some 80s music ocassionly on of us singing or humming along. For the most part I looked put the window watching the scenery float by in comfortable silence with Alex.
We made two stops for the restroom and to grab snacks, and we stopped to grab lunch. When it was about one o'clock I knew we should be about an hour out, and even though I didn't leave the city much, I recognized where we were.
I quickly glanced over at Alex but he was staring straight ahead. I leaned my head against the window and hoped he just wouldn't notice his mistake.
About thirty minutes later we were in the center of the city by the concert hall downtown and Alex still had not said anything to me. I wondered if he just trusted me now, thinking I would not bother trying to escape. Or maybe he knew something I didn't, a reason why he shouldn't be worried about my escape, or anyone trying to find me.
I absorbed every detail, familiar with the city and when we passed by the highway to get to my home I sucked in a little breath. This caught Alex's attention.
"Shit!" Alex cursed, and I looked over at him wide eyed at his outburst. He somehow pulled his shirt off while staying on the road and threw it at me covering my head. I could still see through it completely.
"Damn it. That's going to do no good at this point." Alex groaned loudly and pulled his shirt off my head. I smoothed down my hair and saw Alex was now clenching the steering wheel. He kept driving for about twenty minutes to the outskirts of town. He went north into a part that I was unfamiliar with, but now I had the exact directions of how to get to it, how to get home.
The area was relatively nice and I recognized the buildings I could see out the windows as we pulled into the parking garage of the abandoned apartment building where Alex lived, and me for the past month.
Once parked Alex opened the trunk and grabbed both of our bags before I had a chance to grab mine. I followed him to the stairwell and we started our decent up them. We got to the door and Alex unlocked it and sat our bags down inside. I followed him in and looked around. I was comforted by the familiarity of it as I plopped down on the couch. Alex wandered around checking to make everything was in place. He then took my bag back into my room for me and then disappeared into his office closing the door behind him.
I wasted the afternoon watching tv until the sun set and it became night. I stood up going to grab some fresh clothes from my room, and then I went in the shower. I felt dirty after being in the car so long even if I didn't do anything.
In the shower I thought about what this meant now that I knew where we were. It didn't really change anything. I still couldn't escape the apartment thanks to the lock. And Sam wouldn't be searching for me if he thought I was dead. Maybe he would be searching for the Machiavellian though, and of course that's who I was with. While I was thinking about this I realized that thinking about escaping, leaving, didn't make me as excited as it should now that I had a better shot. I was attached to Alex. I didn't know how I would just leave him, and I didn't know if I could. Some part of me would still want him in my life. If I could just figure out what was going on with him, who was making him do stuff he didn't want to, then maybe I could save him from the dark path, make him a hero.
It was a lot to think about as I washed the shampoo out of my hair. I did need to leave too though. I needed to see my families. I was going to have to start school in a month. My life just couldn't stop here being stuck in this apartment forever.
I changed into my new clothes feeling very refreshed. I ran a brush through my hair, but just let it stay wet dripping down my back. I wandered down the hallway and saw Alex's office door was now open. I peeped my head in wanting to speak to Alex before I headed to bed.
He wasn't in there and I almost left the room when something caught my eye making me step in further.
The only other tv in the house which was in his office was on the news, which was odd since the tv in the living room did not get the news.
On the news they were showing a scene of a super lifting a roof off of a building then slamming it to the ground. The super didn't use flying or super strength to do this.
He used his mind.
There in an all too familiar stormy blue and black suit that I had washed one hundred times over, was The Midnight Hour.
My ears began to ring and I couldn't hear the tv anymore. I could just read the title of the segment across the bottom , Has the city's good boy turned completely bad? And should we be scared?
I stared at the screen not believing what I saw. I almost didn't recognize him as the camera zoomed in closer on him. He looked thin, and I was glad I couldn't see his face for once, scared of what I might would have seen. I watched in shock as Sam, my Sam, the one who trained for years, who gave up all of his time just to help people, to help the greater good, bring damage to the city he loved.
Footage played of him stopping a car and dragging someone out of it. Of him destroying buildings, and even fighting other supers.
It clicked in my head. He was the one who had destroyed that bridge, he was the new bad guy, the new villain.
"Adriana." Alex said his voice sounded dark coming from behind me.
I turned to look at him tears in my eyes. I couldn't comprehend what I saw. This wasn't my Sam, not the shy geeky boy I knew from middle school. He wouldn't do this.
"What... How..." I tried to find the words but failed.
Alex chuckled, and I backed up scared. He sounded emotionless as his eyes were lifeless looking at me. This wasn't the Alex I knew either.
"Don't you see dear, he's susceptible to you."