The First: EVO Uprising (11 page)

“
Yeah, you will,” she ordered.

Shareef spied the warden on top of one of the watchtowers. He nervously pointed to his watch letting her know time was up. She nodded in agreement.

“
Well as much as I adore our weekly visits and chats, time for me to mosey on in.” Shareef began to rise to her feet.

Sophia groaned as she got to her feet as well; once again, she was looking up at Sister Shareef who now towered over her a powerful four inches. Much of the signs of age and prison hardening no longer ravaged her face, the only thing revealing her true age was her longer silver dreads.

“
You know this is bull,” Sophia informed her.

“
I have to set a good example for the girls,” Shareef shrugged.

“
But you don’t have to stay here,” Sophia went on. “It’s not like anyone can stop you if you decided to leave, especially considering what you did was justified.”

“
No it wasn’t,” Shareef sternly returned. “I don’t regret what I did, but it was not justified, and I am guilty. And the ones who paid the biggest price for my actions were my own children. I murdered their father in front of them and left them without a mother. Don’t ever tell me what I did was justified, ever.”

Another uneasy silence came over the two as Sophia apologetically lowered her head in regret.

“
I’ve been a real buzz kill this last visit,” a sheepish Sophia admitted.

“
Hell yeah,” Shareef snapped back, “but it’s still great to see you.”

Shareef pulled her in for a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead.

“
You are not alone,” Sister Shareef whispered to her, “you are never alone. How much worse would those girls be if you did not save them? And, yes, there maybe people out there doing bad things with the abilities they were given, but what about those who are out there doing good?”

“
It just doesn’t feel like the scale is balanced in our favor.” She lowered her head again. “And I didn’t sign up for the neverending battle against good and evil.”

“
Then you should ask yourself why you became a surgeon in the first place.” Sister Shareef placed her hands on her hips. “Dr. Dennison.”

“
To help people…” Sophia muttered.

“
You may think your yoke is a heavy one.” She moved some strands of dreads from Sophia’s face. “But you were given the strength to carry it. And you got to believe there was a reason you did not die on that table that day. No matter how bad things get, you got to believe you are here to make a difference. No amount of pep talk from me is going to open your eyes to that. You have to see and believe it for yourself.”

She appreciated the pep talk even though it did very little to help how she felt.

“
Our next visit will be more pleasant,” Sophia smiled.

“
I hope so,” she huffed, “now go on. Get.”

“
You might want to stand back…” Sophia began to warn.

Sister Shareef stopped her with the “You forget who you’re talking to” look.

“
Right,” Sophia smiled. “Next week then.”

With a powerful leap, she exploded into the air kicking up dirt and small rocks leaving another sizable carter underneath her. After clearing a good thirty feet, Sophia ignited the near invisible propulsion at the soles of her feet rocketing off into the skies.

CHAPTER 7

The next morning, Rogers was up early at five in the morning. Erica, not a morning person, slept in until 9 A.M going for ten until Rogers pounded on her door repeatedly until she got up. He could hear the slew of profanity she muttered under her breath behind the closed steel sliding door of her room; some of it was in Spanish. It went on until the door slid open and she shot him a dirty look.

“
Good Morning,” he smirked.

She rolled her eyes walking past him heading to the mess hall to get some much needed breakfast and distance from the Sergeant.

She found one, but not the other, as Rogers sat across from her sipping his extra black Columbia brewed coffee as she dined on a helping of pancakes, eggs, with turkey bacon, and a side of orange juice.

“
I hope you enjoyed your long beauty rest,” he said between sips, “because that’s the last one you will be taking as of today.”

“
Excuse you?” she asked leaning back while munching on a piece of bacon.

“
The second the new recruits land.” Rogers took another sip. “Everyone will get up by five and down by nine for the next six months, no exceptions.”

“
But I’m a growing child,” Erica shot back. “I need my beauty sleep.”

“
That’s why I’m allowing you to get up at seven,” said Rogers. “You want to be a part of my outfit, those are the rules.”

“
Miss, Sergeant Rogers,” interrupted Maxine, “the new recruits will be landing in ten minutes.”

“
Thank you, Maxine,” Erica said before giving Rogers a sardonic smile. “Guess we better get ready to meet the new fresh meat.”

Rogers sat there deflecting her smile with a dull look as he calmly sipped on his coffee.

˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜ ˜

Six minutes later, they road to the surface in silence, this time with Maxine’s cybernetic form next to them; Erica glanced at the old soldier’s stone demeanor and could see the wheels turning. Although she would never attempt it, she wanted to know what he was thinking.  For her own personal moral reason, and his warning about staying out of his head she decided to remain in the dark. As the doors to the hanger opened once more, they stepped out into the light as a similar CH-46 Sea Knight descended from the sky landing on one of the designated helicopter pads. As it touched down the door opened, allowing the new recruits to step out one by one. As they lined up next to one another taking casual stances, Erica’s expression revealed she was none too impressed with what she saw, even though she and Dr. Alexander personally handpicked them.

“
Oh joy,” her sarcastic smile returned as she whispered, “our new team members are Will Smith pre Fresh Prince, Pauly D, and JWoww.”

“
I seem to remember you being a part of the selection process,” Rogers reminded her.

“
Based on abilities, physical health, mental state,” she said, “and stable personalities meaning the ability to work and play well with others. Not attitudes.”

“
Attitudes are easily broken,” Rogers answered while walking toward the new recruits. “That’s why I’m here.”

Erica muttered a curse under her breath as she picked up the pace to catch up with him while Maxine kept in step with her. They both stopped a couple of feet from the new recruits as Rogers wasted no time getting face to face with the lightning charged EVO known as Blitz who had a good four inch height advantage on him. With a smirk on his face, he showed zero signs of intimidation as he locked eyes with the battled hardened Sergeant.

“
Name,” Rogers asked flatly.  

“
Blitz,” he smirked, “I wanted to go with Black Lightning, but it was already taken.”

Snickering came from the direction of the twins, which Rogers pretended to ignore. He mentally marked it down as ammunition to make their lives a living hell later. He leaned in closer to ask him again.

“
Guess I wasn’t speaking English,” his voice boomed full of bass, “
real
name…
now
.”

“
Oliver Brandon.” Blitz coughed as he quickly fell into line.

“
Oliver Brandon.” Rogers looked him up and down. “The next time I ask you something, I expect a straight answer. The next time you give me anything other than that, I will pull your jawbone out by the root, is that clear?”

“
Yes sir.” Brandon straightened up more.

 “
Sir, yes sir” when you address me!” His voice sounded like thunder. “I work for a damn living!”

“
Sir, yes sir!” Brandon yelled back snapping to attention.

He attempted to make his body as straight as a steel pipe.

Rogers nodded with satisfaction, sensing he had broken the will of the lightning wielder; he now towered over Ms. Esposito. Her smirk and gum  chewing vanished the first time Roger’s voice boomed. She shuddered as she looked into the eyes of Abe burning a hole into her very soul.

“
Name,” Rogers asked again with the same flat tone he addressed Brandon.  

“
Ro… Rosann… Esposito…” she stuttered.

“
Why are you stuttering?” Rogers pressed her.

“
Sir?” Rosann began to clam up.

“
At least you know to call me that.” Rogers began the verbal pounding. “You and dumbass over here are snickering like a bunch of pubescent school girls when your mouths should have been zipped shut with eyes forward.”

“
Hey, how about easing up, ‘Cap,’” her brother Adrian returned fire on his sister’s behalf.

Abe made note her brother’s comment, marking it down as strike two. He leaned closer to Rosann as if he was about to kiss her.

“
That’s gum in your mouth, right?” he questioned her.

“
Sir… yes sir,” she stuttered.

“
Swallow it,” he ordered.

“
Screw dat Rosey… hey, yo pops,” Adrian scowled, “raise up out of my sister’s face! We ain’t sign up for dis shit!”

Rogers continued to ignore Mr. Esposito mentally marking his final offense as strike three. He waited for Rosann as she slowly swallowed the gum she had been chewing. The dark-haired hazel-eyed Staten Island resident had stood up to some tough customers in the past, including her own brother and father, but staring back at the battle scars which ravaged the side of his face down to his neck told her this was not the type of man she wanted to mouth off to. In her skull, she cursed her twin, praying for him to shut up. His back talking did nothing but make the situation worse for her.

“
Why are you here?” was Rogers’ next question.

“
Sir, to become a hero, sir,” Rosann stammered.

“
You think this is one of them reality shows?” Abe tilted his head.

“
Sir… no sir,” Rosann answered, fighting the trembling of her body.

“
You see any cameras or film crew around here?” Rogers looked around.

“
Sir, no sir.”

“
No!” he barked in her face, “and last I checked I didn’t come out here wearing my underwear outside my pants sporting a cape and asking you for the secret friggin handshake. I am a
United States Marine
, trained to kill in the service of my country, which means I train
killers
. Are you a killer Rosann Esposito?”
 

“
Sir no sir…” Her stuttering returned, “but I can…”

“
You had me at ‘No sir.’” His roar rattled her spine. “It’s obvious by your answers that you’re in the wrong place. You’re not a killer, you want to be a superhero. So why don’t you take your French manicure gum chewing disrespectful little ass back to that bird over there, go home, and go find one of them leagues. Go avenge something.”

“
Sir,” she fought through her fear of him, “I wanna be here…”

“
Why?” He kept the pressure on her.

“
I got these powers for a reason.” Her eyes became glassy. “To help people, and I want to be taken seriously… not another joke from Staten Island.”

“
My asshole bleeds for you, girlie,” Rogers sneered, “it really does.”

Rosann lowered her head, wiping her eyes as Rogers looked up to the heavens contemplating her fate.

“
Seeing as how you refuse to leave, guess I’ll take you in. See if there is a killer inside of you,” Rogers sighed, easing up for a split second.

 “
But the second I hear a whimper, an ‘I can’t do it,’ he growled, “I will personally drag you by the roots
back
to Staten Island and dump you where that chopper picked you up from… are we
crystal clear?”
 

“
Sir, yes sir!” she answered with conviction.

“
You’re on my shitlist, little girl.” He made sure she smelled the coffee on his breath. “Don’t expect to get clean anytime soon.”

Rogers turned donning a ‘pleasant’ smile on his face as he took one full step and turned again to face Rosann’s twin brother Adrian. He was an inch taller than Abe wearing a blue and white Nike jumpsuit with a white wifebeater underneath two sizes smaller that his tan muscular physique that it hid. With his spiked gelled black hair, all he was missing was a Z-IROC or a tuner vehicle to finish his look. Mr. Esposito took the first offensive leaning forward. Grasping the crucifix around his neck, he transformed into the metal element of Platinum locking eyes with Rogers. Rosann lowered her head wishing at that moment she was not a twin.