Chike was as observant as Bayo. Since they would now be sharing a room, he started observing everything about Bayo. From the side of the bed he chose to lie on, to which shoe he usually wore first. For a long time (2 months), they'd not had any missions. It was probably because it was election time and politicians and corrupt government bodies were on their best behaviour. The Eko Sentinels used this time to prepare and train for any tricks these individuals had up their sleeves. It was also a time they used to get to know each other better, especially Bayo. He had now been living with them for a relatively long time. Bayo had noticed that Chike was mostly glum! Even though none of the Eko Sentinels had any friends, Chike's loneliness was exceptional! Whether they were watching movies or cooking together, Chike would exclude himself, and Bayo would always find him either reading a book or journaling. 'Hey!' Bayo said as he entered their room with a plate of food in his hands. Chike was seated on his bed with his back against the wall and a book in his hands. 'Hi!' Chike said, making a brief, fake smile. Bayo pointed the plate of fried yams towards Chike as he sat on his own bed, which was across from Chike's. 'No thanks!' Chike said, looking back at his book. 'Why are you always angry?' Bayo finally gained the courage to ask. 'I'm not!' Chike answered, not looking away from his book that was titled 'How To Escape Reality.' 'Well, you never do any fun activities, you always avoid conversations with people, and you never smile, so...' Bayo said, beginning to get serious.
'Those aren't exactly scenarios associated with anger!' Chike answered, still staring at his book.
'You know what I think?' Bayo asked, pausing for a second. 'I think you've just gone through some shit that you can't get over. And so, you blame everyone for every bad thing that has ever happened to you!'
'OMG! How did you know?' Chike asked sarcastically, flipping the page of his book.
'Well, the only thing I can tell you is that sometimes, shit happens. It hurts more to stay in the same position than to move on!'
Chike felt tears start to gather in his eyes. What Bayo said actually penetrated his cold heart. He closed his book, got up, and left the room without saying a word. Bayo stared at the door as Chike slammed it behind him.
* * *
Chike grew up in a small town in Anambra. He was an only child, and so his parents treated him like an egg. He was everyone's favourite, from the neighbour down the street to the retailer across the road. He was deeply loved, and people held him in high hopes. His uncle, Uncle Obinna, was his biggest supporter. Chike told him everything, and Uncle Obinna was supportive. Since he could remember, Chike always wanted to be a singer. He had the voice and charm to win anybody's heart. But you can only go so far with a dream like that in Nigeria. Only the strong and daring make something for themselves at the end of the day. His family moved to Lagos after his father found a more favourable job opportunity there. It was mostly hard for Chike. He had to make new friends, get acquainted with his new school, and generally fit in in a new environment. But as hard as it was, he pulled through. He graduated from secondary school, and while many would count that as a reason to celebrate, Chike dreaded his life thereafter. He wanted to study music, but his parents wanted him to go for a more corporate course. He argued so many nights with his father! Tension filled their home, and hatred started to grow. His mother, of course, was more passionate about her child's happiness than what outsiders and the extended family would think. Chike failed many exams on purpose that were intended to give him admission to study law at the university. All his father's attempts to secure higher education for him were frustrated by his noncompliance. He was determined to do music, and nothing was going to stop him. He ran away from home several times to music studios and events. His mother, despite not being comfortable with her son's defiance of his father's instructions, remained loving and supportive. Then came the sad news of Uncle Obinna's death. This weighed Chike down more than ever! He lost his spark. He stopped playing instruments because anytime he touched one, he was reminded of his dead uncle, who taught him how everything he knew about music. He got rusty vocally. He became like old wine on a shelf. Tragedy struck twice when his mother died. It happened right in front of his eyes. He had left home that day to find solitude at the bank of a river near his home. His father had told him to look after his mother, who was sick. He forgot to give her her medications, and by the time his instinct told him to go home, she was half dead on the floor. She was rushed to the hospital, but by the time they had gotten there, she had died with her head on his lap. His father later found out that he had not given his mother her drugs, and it was hell from there on. His father beat him up on several occasions. On good nights, he would stop only when Chike was bleeding and losing consciousness. On bad nights when he was drunk, Chike would have to run to their neighbour's house for help. One day, when his father was on the farm, he took his chance and ran far away. He stopped when he got to a bridge! He slept under it for a really long time, and during the day, he would go to the houses of some people he knew to beg for food. His father did not bother looking for him, and Chike liked it that way. One night, while he was sleeping, cult members attacked the bridge area. Other people who slept under the bridge got robbed if they had anything. But when the robbers got to him, he attempted to fight back, and in the process, his eyes glowed green, and he began to fly. Both the people who were being robbed and the robbers ran away. He was scared and decided to take his life by jumping off the bridge. When he jumped, he felt a resistance holding him from falling into the water. That was where he met Sade, and they eventually found an abandoned building where they started putting together their HQ. Chike hadn't heard from his father since then, and the scars from traumas in his life just didn't heal.
* * *
'Um, can I borrow a phone?' Bayo asked Sade while they were playing pool.
'Yeah, sure! Who do you wanna call?' She replied, hitting a ball into the opposite hole with the cue stick.
'A friend!' Bayo answered, placing his cue stick on the floor vertically.
'Wow!' She exclaimed. 'I didn't know you had friends.' Bayo smiled weirdly as she hit the last ball into a hole! 'I win again!' She said joyfully! 'It's inside the escape pod!' She told him after celebrating for a minute.
Bayo walked towards the escape pod across the room and opened it. He saw a glass box with a wooden handle fixed against the wall. He opened it and found an Android phone lying there. He took the phone out and turned around to make the phone call. He sighted Chike across the room, standing in front of the open freezer. He nodded to him and looked away awkwardly. He then pulled out a piece of paper from the back pocket of his denims. He was calling Ash.
* * *
'And so like, he just totally flipped and walked out of the room.' Bayo said, taking a bite out of the sandwich in his hands after.
'Well, did you try to talk to him after?' Ash asked, tilting her phone in the air to find a good selfie angle.
'Nah! I feel like I need to give him some space.' Bayo replied. He was telling Ash about his altercation with Chike. Since he could not tell her about his abilities, he lied that Sade and Chike were his relatives. 'But it's kinda weird sleeping in the same room with someone you barely talk to.' He added.
Ash brought her arm down after taking some selfies of herself and Bayo and asked, 'Do you wanna see something cool?'
She dragged him along the street, walking speedily in a direction unknown to Bayo. The aesthetic sound of passing cars pleased their ears as they walked a pace apart, holding hands. Bayo, who was behind her, noticed her driver following them slowly.
'Um...Your driver!' He said, feeling awkward.
'He's fine!' She replied in a nagging tone. 'Come on!' She added, slowly picking up the pace.
They turned left at some point and ascended a flight of stairs to reach the top of a flat-roofed building. It was very tall and had decent artworks all over it. At the top of the roof, the space was full of graffiti and mini yellow light bulbs. They stood close to the terraced edge to look at the beautiful city, Lagos. So full of life. Bayo heaved a heavy sigh and looked at Ash, who was standing right next to him. He felt comfort.
'Umm... I want to tell you something.' Bayo made known, losing saliva because he was nervous.
'I'm all ears.' Ash assured, locking eyes with him.
'I..... I have superpowers.' Bayo let out, his heart pounding through his chest.
Sade paused for a second and laughed hard for a minute. 'And who are you supposed to be? Superman?' She said, laughing in between words.
Bayo stood confused at how she found something so serious funny. 'I'm not kidding!' He said, sounding more serious.
'Well, then that makes me Supergirl!' She said, looking back at the scenery with a big smile on her face. She then rested her head on Bayo's shoulder as a cool breeze circulated on the rooftop.
Bayo kept quiet and tried his best to enjoy the moment. Nothing feels like a sunset in Lagos on a rooftop. 'She would understand one day!' He told himself, waving away the thought.
* * *
'Are you sure you don't want him to drop you off?' Sade asked, with one foot in the car.
'I'm good.' Bayo replied with a smile.
Ash stepped into the car and waved him goodbye through the window as the car drove past him. Bayo then turned to face the direction of HQ and started walking towards it.
* * *
Bayo scanned his palm on the door to open it and entered the HQ. He called out, 'Sade?' as he ordinarily would find them in the lounge, which was the first room in HQ. Sade emerged from an elevator door that led to her cabin, dressed in all black. Her braids, as usual, were tied into a high ponytail, and she wore knee-high boots. She also wore a compression top and combat trousers to match the whole fit.
'Where the hell have you been?' Sade yelled at Bayo with an angry expression on her face.
'Out with a friend!' Bayo answered softly, chasing her with his eyes as she paced across the room speedily.
'Out with a friend!' She mimicked him as Chike entered the room from his and Bayo's cabin.
'I don't see what's wrong with that..... I don't understand! What's going on?' Bayo said, staring at Chike, who was tying his boot laces, also dressed in an all-black outfit.
Sade walked towards Bayo after opening a capsule and collecting a black bag from it. She threw the bag at him and said, 'Suit up!'
Bayo caught the bag and watched her walk across the room again. She stepped on a spot on the floor twice and tapped her watch, and in no time, weapons revealed themselves by emerging from the ground in a glass compartment. 'Whoa!' Was that there the whole time?' Bayo asked, still not in the know of what was going on. Chike said 'Heads up!' and threw a watch at him, which he caught despite holding the bag Sade had given him with both hands.
'It contains the controls for this whole building. And a way we can communicate.' Chike said as Bayo examined the watch.
'Cool!' Bayo said with fair amazement. 'I still don't know what's going on, though!' He added.
Sade put down the weapon bag she was now holding and turned around, facing Bayo.
'We're going on a mission, dummy!' She said, raising her voice at him and gesturing with her arms.
'A what?'