He couldn’t even say the word, but that conversation rings in my head, even as I lie on the mattress hours later and sink into the feeling of completeness in my chest. I’m also feeling more than a little guilty at how much I enjoy it, because even though the other Bonded might feel a different way than me, I'm enjoying the feeling of my Bonded sacrificing something vital and important right now just so that we can feel this, and that will never sit right with me.
Gabe lets slip to North and Gryphon about the boost in my power, and the next morning, I find myself being shaken awake before the sun has even risen to head down to the training center to test out these new limits. I would say that I have fucking amazing restraint, because I stop myself from yanking Gryphon's arm straight out of its socket the moment I'm conscious enough to realize what the asshole is even doing in my room.
“We’re in the middle of a war, Atlas. That is a very handy gift for you to have, especially now that we know the Resistance has an unlimited Trigger, and there's no time like the present, so get your ass moving.”
I throw my pillow at him as he retreats, but he bats it away as if it is nothing, stalking back out the door as he calls out, “Five minutes, that's all you get.”
I'm out in three, dressed in my training gear with my shoes already on and laced up. It's too early to grab breakfast or even a protein shake, but I grab a bottle of water out of the fridge and stretch out. I already know we will be jogging down to the Tac Training Center as a warmup. Gryphon is a sadist, there’s no doubt about it, but there's no denying that his methods work.
I feel the warmth in my chest before Oli walks out of her bedroom, quietly shutting the door behind her as though she's trying not to wake someone up. A ripple of irritation works its way down my spine at the thought of Nox sleeping in there.
Get a hold of yourself. Don't let her know how badly this is killing you. It's not her responsibility to shoulder it. I have to keep that mantra in my head and also make sure that my own mind barriers are up enough that Gryphon won't be able to trip over any of these thoughts.
I have no doubt that he could probably pry his way into my brain and find out anything that he wanted to know but, since I've proved myself, he hasn't shown any interest in doing so, respectful of the boundaries within the Bonded Group. He doesn't have the same respect for Oli though, still not teaching her how to put up barriers herself that could keep him out.
I could teach her.
It’s a skill that was taught to me by my parents when I was barely out of diapers, because there are a lot of Resistance sympathizers who are Neuros, and even the most devout followers don’t want their family secrets to be outed by a child’s errant thoughts.
There were a lot of secrets in my house that would have brought my father to his knees.
“How did Gryphon talk you into volunteering for one of these training sessions?” Oli murmurs as she slides into my open arms without hesitation.
I can't see any injuries on her, and the only emotion I'm getting out of her at the moment is a sort of bone-deep weariness.
“He didn't give me much choice, but it's probably a good thing for us to explore it.”
She nods, her face still pressed against my chest, and Gabe finally comes stumbling out of his room, bleary-eyed and yawning so wide that I can see his tonsils.
“Did you have a power surge too?” Oli says quietly, only shifting away from me far enough so she can get an arm around him as well, bundling herself up in the two of us and making happy sounds under her breath.
He kisses the top of her head and says through another yawn, “No, but Gryphon wants to see if he can force anything out of me as well. Then he figured out that Atlas’ only made an appearance because I was about to be squashed, so you’re probably about to watch Gryphon beat the shit out of me to try and test that working theory.”
Oli frowns and makes a grumbling noise, turning around to send a glare Gryphon's way as he opens the front door, jerking his head at us all.
“We're losing daylight. Let's go.”
“There isn't any fucking daylight. The sun isn’t up yet,” I mutter under my breath, and Oli giggles as she sets off down the front steps at a slow jog.
Her pace picks up quickly, and she breaks into a proper sprint as she catches up to Gryphon and keeps pace with him.
“It’s disgusting that he's turned her into a workout person,” I gripe, and Gabe laughs at me, as if he thought it would go any differently.
“Then you're an idiot. Gryphon was never going to let his Bonded slack on this front. He knows what happens to defenseless Gifted.”
I want to reply, to point out all of the ways that our Bonded will never be defenseless, but the pace is brutal, and cardio has never been my strong point. We make it down to the Tac Training Center in decent time. When we stop in front of the building, I take the time to stretch out my legs a little more, easing the cramp that is trying to take hold in my calf.
Fuck cardio, and fuck Gryphon Shore.
“I can't believe I outpaced you guys! Do either of you ever run, or do you just lift heavy things?” Oli says in the most cheerful and sassy tone.
I flip her the bird, because I know it’ll just make her laugh even harder at my expense, and Gabe grabs his chest like he's hurt by her words, but he's panting as badly as I am.
“I will have you know that I can shift into animals that can run for literally days on end, if I need to,” he says, but his argument is kind of ruined by how much he’s gasping.
She cocks her head at him like she's assessing his words and then snarks back, “Prove it, because from that performance, I highly doubt it.”
Gryphon ducks his head so that she doesn't see him grinning at her sass. He's always pretty careful about trying not to let her see how much he enjoys her inner brat, but I feel no shame in beaming at her. I'm fully aware that encouraging it only makes it worse, but there is nothing about my Bonded that I would change.
Especially not her bratty ways.
“Oh, look. Unser’s here. You might actually get to meet him, Bonded,” Gryphon says in an attempt to divert her attention that actually works.
She stumbles dramatically, as though she is shocked off of her feet, and the other two both get a hold of each of her arms, because there’s every chance she could still end up flat on her face.
“Unser? The Unser is here? The man who has been dangled over my head like a threat the entire time I have been back with you guys? I'm going to get to meet him. How exciting! I wonder if I can convince him to blow something up?”
Gryphon rolls his eyes at her and pushes his way into the building. Even at this early hour, it's bustling with bodies, personnel everywhere, and they all stare at him with hero worship in their eyes, open and plain for all to see. They also all gulp at the mere presence of my Bonded, and I enjoy the feeling of superiority that that gives us.
All these highly trained men who deal with the worst of what our kind have to offer and they stare at my Bonded as though she is a walking nightmare.
That no longer irritates me.
I have fully come to accept that it’s better for her to be a nightmare to these men than to try and make friends with them, to play the docile and neutered monster who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Besides, we’ve got more than enough friends, and those we do have are proving to be a handful.