O R I O N is a natural charmer. He breezes his way past security, inventing a very convincing story allowing us to get through. I am surprised that around me he seems to be more genuine, dropping that mask almost in relief. We don't even know each other that well, but I feel that he sees something in me that I don't.

After all, he knows now from our conversation in the car that I am an innocent, so why would I be valuable to him? He didn't even seem to be fazed by that revelation, didn't even comment on it.

I can't help wondering, in slight trepidation, what his mark is. Although I am almost sure it is hero, what if he is a villain? What if everything he is doing is going to lead up to a climax of brutal betrayal? He must know I am too smart for that, right? I can see right through his façade...

Focus, River, his voice, tinged with amusement says in my head. I don't know what you're thinking about, but you're not paying attention.

Sorry, I reply. Where are we going?

As I told you before, he begins. My mother's office. Gina at the desk said she's in a meeting so we can just wait there until she's done.

"Perfect timing," I mumble out loud."It's almost like...nevermind, I'm just being paranoid."

"Hey," his voice is soft and he stops walking, turning towards me. "This isn't a trap. You don't have to worry about it. Besides...if there was anything going on...I'd keep you safe."

Resisting the urge to blush, I chuckle. "With your amazing telepathy powers? Would you creep them out to death?"

"Maybe," he smiles back. "I can be pretty creepy."

I laugh, reaching for the door handle just as he does, and our fingers brush. I pull back, watching his face, but he continues as if nothing happened and opens the door.

The office is very tidy, and everything is neatly organized and labeled. I can already tell that his mother is meticulously detailed about everything.

"Wow, we'd better make sure to fix everything before she comes back when we're done," I tell Orion.

"Oh yeah, this place is always in top shape. My mom is kind of a perfectionist," he replies, swiftly typing the password on the computer.

"How do you know her password?" I ask out of curiosity. It seems strange to me that her son would know her security password for her company. I watched his hands as he clicks each letter, noting what seems to be traces of scars along his palms and wrists. But not self-harm scars, these are different. Almost like...

"Uh," he looks a bit embarrassed as he unlocks to computer next to it, avoiding my eyes. "I can read minds, remember?"

Duh, River, I mentally facepalm myself. "Right," I reply, wondering why he's suddenly so guarded. Maybe he's just unused to opening up to anybody.

"Here," he moves aside so I can use the computer, and slides me the chair. "Weapons, remember?"

I begin my search by first checking all the files on the computer for anything that looks important. After that, I begin checking even the mundane sounding folders to make sure nothing is hidden. Finally I come across a strange file named 'Project Omnis'. But when I try to investigate, all the files are encrypted.

Bingo. I glance over at Orion, who is standing at the other computer. I know I'm going to need an override password, so I open my mouth to ask Orion if he knows it, when I suddenly have a strange thought. It's clear that Orion is the telepath. But if he can connect to my brain, can't I connect to his? I close my eyes and reach out to his mind, when a familiar feeling drifts into my head, the same as yesterday in class when we connected for the first time.

The fragments of thoughts start floating around in my brain, and I realize I have succeeded. However, I can feel him begin to know I am there, so I decided to experiment a little more. No one is inside your mind. River is busy researching, I say to his mind, and immediately I feel him stop searching.

Next I search for the password. A sort of memory is being channeled to me of him sorting through his mother's thoughts. Two separate words are clear, and I know they must be her passwords. One of them Orion used to open the computer, and I remember which letters he clicked, just not the order they were in. Using this information cross-referenced with what I now know from Orion's brain, I take a breath and type in one of the passwords.

Override successful. Intalizing...

The computer flashes a notice, and I let out my breath, gasping as I try to comprehend what I have just done.

"Hey," Orion's brow furrows as he begins to realize someone was in his head now that I am no longer putting thoughts in his mind. "Did you just-" he stops as he reads the message on my computer and his jaw drops down for a second.

"How did you not feel me until now? I mean you're a telepath, so you should have felt my presence way earlier than that..." I begin, excited at the prospects of this new development.

Orion grips my shoulders, his eyes wide. "What did you just do?"

"I-I just tried connecting to your mind to see if I could find the password to some encrypted files," I reply a bit nervously. His manner was a bit frightening. "Then I knew you'd become aware that I was there so I implanted thoughts into your head and found the password."

Orion steps back, pressing his palms into his temples on shock. "Do you know what this means?"

"What?"

"Mind control is possible," he looks me right in the eye, his gaze full of worry. "People could control other people."

"Calm down," I get up and put my hand on his arm. "If it was possible, why hasn't anyone else found out about it yet? And I think this is different. We have a different kind of connection. I'm still trying to figure it out, but it's not like anything I've ever known about."

"But what if it is possible, and I hurt you?" He is staring at his hands again, and now I can see that the palms of his hands and wrists are laced with scars. The scars suddenly begin to glow, and his whole hand is tinged in blue. " I don't know if I could live with that."

"Orion," I say, panic flaring in my chest. He pants harder, sparks beginning to fly from one hand to the other, until he holds string of electricity in both hands. His eyes are wide, and sweat runs down his temples. "Orion!" I say again, raising my voice, but he just glances at me in fear, the electricity growing.

"Orion! Stop!" I throw myself at him knowing him to the ground. The electricity hits me and then dissipates as we fall to the ground. I land on top of Orion, still grimacing at the lingering pain that seared through my body.

He looks at me, then at his hands which are now just faintly blue, and closes them into fists. "I hurt you...didn't I?"

I wrap my fingers around his fists, and when he tries to pull away I grip them even more firmly. "I hurt myself by doing that; it's my own fault. It's okay to be scared, Orion. You've been bottling that up for too long, and look where it got you!"

His eyes meet mine, and my heart aches at the tortured look he gives me. "I wasn't afraid until I met you."

Resisting the tears that threaten to spill, I help him off the ground. "I found the files, now let's see what's going on here."

He nods and we look at the computer which is now done loading. The file names are all letters, from A to Z. I click on the first one, and a blueprint for a weapon shows up.

Alpha
Superweapon
Class 1
Type 1

Orion and I stare at the screen is shock as we scroll quickly through the rest. They are all superweapons of different kinds and different uses, all very dangerous.

"We need to know who the handler is," I tell him. I have been paying great attention to his expressions, and he seems to have recovered quickly from his ordeal. "Does your mother talk about a big project or a specific person that she's working with?"

"She has mentioned someone before...a brilliant woman with a lot of vision, and that she was excited to be working on a new project with her. Except, I wasn't sure if it was her real job or not," he replies, then he blinks suddenly and turns away as if he has given away too much.

"Real job?" I ask, puzzled. I look back at the computers and realize that there are other encrypted folders, all with names of places and people. "Is your mother a-"

Suddenly we hear footsteps and frantically close tabs and log off of the computers, praying they will finish in time.

"Come on, come on," Orion's foot taps the ground as the door handle begins to turn, and the computer is nearly finished.

"Hello, Orion," a tall, professional woman says, and smiles the same smile as he does. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?"

"Hi, mom," he smiles back. "River and I have a few questions to ask you."

a u t h o r ' s n o t e

two chapters, as promised today! sorry I missed the update last week!
we're already halfway through this book, can you believe that? only five more chapters!
please comment your thoughts! I love to hear from you!

next update:
Monday | June 11

~Joybell ♥