CHAPTER 25

  "And I don't want the world to see me

  'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

  When everything's made to be broken

  I just want you to know who I am."

  -Goo goo dolls

  ...

  "Ok, out with it."

  Carl looked confused.

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Whats on your mind Carl? You're fidgeting and acting nervous. Are you worried about starting at the academy?"

  "Uh...sure...I mean, no. I've been wanting to do something. I just dont know if its the right thing to do."

  Penny set the file she was reviewing down on the desk and swiveled her chair to face Carl.

  "Well this sounds interesting."

  Her blue eyes on his made his mouth lock up for a moment. He was a grown man...stop being an idiot Carl.

  He took a breath and smiled at her.

  "If its not too forward, I'd like to ask you to dinner."

  "Oh."

  His heart caught in his chest.

  She was trying to suppress it, but he could see her smile at the corners of her mouth. A good sign.

  "I would like that very much."

  He exhaled and grinned at her. She said yes. Hallelujah.

  "Andy told me about a pasta place called "Big Tony's". Is that ok?"

  "I love that place. I look forward to it."

  Carl grinned and said "Yay."

  Penny giggled.

  "You're cute Carl. I guess I'm finally allowed to say that?"

  "Yeah...and thanks, you're not so bad yourself."

  "Ok lover boy, lets get back to work."

  "Ok."

  They turned back to their files, each grinning like fools.

  "So the tracking device led us to this warehouse. It was empty when we got there, but I've found the name of the company that rented the property..."

  "I see it here, Blue Rock Storage. Do we know who owns the company?"

  "Not yet. I have Steve following the address to their offices, I couldnt find anything online."

  "Did you investigate the warehouse? Even empty, there may be something there."

  "Are you sure you never trained to be an investigator? You ask a lot of good questions."

  Carl grinned.

  "I watched a lot of police procedurals over the years."

  "I think you're gonna do well at the academy."

  "I hope so...I am a little nervous about that."

  "Dont be. Your smart, and anything you have trouble with, the team is here. I'm here."

  "I know. Thanks."

  Penny stood and stretched, her shoulders popping and cracking.

  "Ugh...I need coffee. Lets take a break."

  Carl watched her walk to the break room.

  He was still smiling.

  Four days till his first class.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  He'd bought himself a laptop and some other "school supplies".

  He was nervous.

  He had, up to this point, kind of drifted through life. This was the first steps to a focused career of sorts. A job that asked a lot of him. He wouldn't just be the crazy guy in armor anymore, he would be a federal agent. He would have to be invested in this world and its people.

  He could do that.

  For his own personal growth, he had to do that.

  This was his future.

  No longer mired in uncertainty.

  Matt had dropped off some of the textbooks he would need. He had kept his from his time in the academy.

  Carl picked one up and read the cover.

  "Handbook of crime scene forensics"

  He opened it and started reading.

  It wasnt required.

  He just knew that if he was going to do this, he was going to do it right.

  He wanted to prove to Matt, Andy, Steve, Royles, and of course Penny that he could be more than just a blunt instrument. That there was more going on in his head than pop culture references and dick jokes.

  He turned the page and settled in.

  The first three weeks of classes required Carl to stay at the training facility. He was allowed to leave on the weekends, but must return to campus by midnight on Sunday.

  They had started with courses in law, ethics, behavioral science, and intelligence.

  It was fascinating to Carl. He found himself replaying past events in his head and realizing things he could have done better...especially when they started discussing ethics.

  That was the point though. After the "incident", Royles had been adamant that he had to be better. Now Carl was feeling the same way.

  He had to be better.

  That was much more important now that he had all this power. His strength was an asset, but it was also a threat.

  One wrong move could kill someone. As he studied, he continued to do small activities with his hands. He started with the bottle cap thing on his water bottle, but was now rolling an egg around in his hand. He would grip it between two fingers and pass it to his other hand. He hadn't broken or dented anything in a while, this was progress.

  Now if he could just maintain that focus and control through moments of anger. It still scared him...loss of control.

  He sighed and leaned back on the couch.

  "The four things to do with a piece of evidence. Collecting, handling, packaging, and...shit."

  He stared at the ceiling for a moment. This would be on the test.

  "Transportation."

  He looked back at the book.

  "Ok, next..."

  He smiled.

  His confidence was growing.

  He had survived the first three weeks.

  He stood in the doorway of the D7 facility. It was good to be back, this was his home. Well, not the place...the people he cared for, they made it home. He spotted Matt flipping through a stapled memo and humming to himself as he walked by.

  "Hey Matt."

  He looked up and grinned at Carl.

  "Hey man, how's training?"

  "Good. I'm learning a lot."

  "Yeah? You were already doing a lot of this stuff. You should breeze through most of it."

  "Well...sort of. Crime scene forensics is something I never dealt with before, but its absolutely fascinating."

  "Oh yeah! I love that stuff. Hey, you ever need help, I'm here."

  "I know. Thanks Matt."

  Matt nodded and wandered off toward his lab. Carl swiped his badge on the security door and started down the hallway to his apartment. It was Saturday, everyone should be around here somewhere. He wanted to see Steve he'd been working on a self-portrait with him in the armor. Carl was eager to see how Steve saw himself. He wanted yo spend more time with Penny too. Their date had been good, uneventful, but good.

  Carl was determined to take it slow. They both had a lot going on right now, he didnt want to get sidetracked, or sidetrack her from her investigations. Now that he was back, they could help each other. Lord knows he needs someone to go over the laws with him. So far, that had been the most difficult part. He turned his doorknob, no longer worried about accidentally crushing it.

  He dropped his books on the kitchen table and fell onto his couch.

  Three weeks had felt like a long time. He looked down at the silver bracelet he wore.

  "Is Steve out?"

  "I do not detect a signal, he is in a rift Carl."

  "Thanks buddy. I guess I'll go pester Penny!"

  "...flash cards. I thought it would help me remember the laws."

  Penny was flipping through the stack of cards Carl had handed her. She looked up at Carl and stared into his eyes.

  "What? Is there something on my face?"

  She chuckled.

  "No Carl. I'm just...really impressed. You've changed."

  "Noooo. I'm still the same dummy I've always been."

  "Don't be flippant about it Carl. Since your coma, I've seen a big difference in your behavior. You're not the same man."

  "Different in a good way?"

  "Absolutely. You're more controlled. More thoughtful when you speak."

  "Thank you. I...well, I dont want to hurt anyone. That serum Matt mixed up, it didnt just heal me, it increased my strength astronomically. I've had to practice just holding things, so I dont crush everything I touch."

  "That sounds awful."

  "At first, but now that I've learned to control it its fine. Besides, it'll be a huge asset when I'm in the rifts."

  "I suppose. I dont think its just strength though. You were different when you woke up. I knew it right away."

  Carl was fidgeting again.

  "You're not telling me something."

  Carls head snapped up as his eyes met hers.

  "What? No!"

  "You have a tell. You fidget like a little kid when your holding back."

  He looked down at his hands and made them stop moving. He laughed to himself.

  "Ok. Its kind of weird though."

  "Isn't everything with you?"

  "Uh...is it?"

  "Yeah, you're generally weird. Now, tell me."

  "I was, kind of in a relationship with you in my coma. It felt real. I genuinely thought I had moved on and we had built a life together. We had a little house and everything...then I woke up."

  Penny grinned.

  "Aww. Thats sweet."

  Carl grinned sheepishly.

  "Thanks...I guess."

  "Hey, dont be bashful about it. You were thinking about me. Thats sweet Carl."

  "I can't stop thinking about you."

  "Oh?"

  "I shouldn't have said that."

  She set the flash cards she still held down and circled the table.

  Carl still looked at the floor, feeling a bit embarrassed. She lifted his chin till they were looking at each other.

  "You can think of me as much as you want."

  She leaned in and kissed him.

  Her lips were soft.

  His heartbeat sped up.

  The world around him disappeared.

  All that was left was Penny.

  In that moment he didnt think of the past.

  He didnt question his choices.

  No...

  In that moment he saw the future.

  A future with her.

  Carl pulled back just slightly, savoring the kiss for a heartbeat longer than he should have. His hands rested lightly on the table and he realized the world had gone quiet around them.

  “Wow,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “I...didn’t expect that.”

  Penny laughed softly, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

  “Neither did I. But I’m glad it happened.”

  Carl smiled, his chest still hammering. “Me too.”

  They spent a few more moments in quiet conversation, just talking about small things, the weekend, classes, even Steve’s latest rift adventures. Carl found that these small, normal moments grounded him. He had the power to level cities, to obliterate threats without thinking...but here, with Penny and his friends, he remembered why restraint mattered.

  By the time he left, the sun was dipping low, casting long shadows across the D7 facility grounds. He walked back to his apartment, carefully thinking about the law, ethics, and behavioral science he’d been learning. Even in mundane steps, unlocking his door, putting away his books, making a small snack, he felt the quiet focus he’d been practicing in class.

  Later that evening, Carl sat at his kitchen table, flashcards spread in neat piles. He flipped through them automatically, reciting the principles of evidence handling, chain of custody, and behavioral analysis. He smiled at the simplicity of it, the fact that these basics would someday guide life-or-death decisions.

  Nano had been mostly quiet, a small glow indicating attentiveness.

  “You’re unusually quiet tonight, Carl. Reflecting?”

  “Yeah,” Carl said.

  “Just thinking about control. About choices. About, not letting my strength be my only answer.”

  “You’ve made remarkable progress,” Nano replied.

  “I detect a greater awareness of consequence in your thought patterns. This is good.”

  Carl leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.

  “I just want to make sure I don’t screw this up. For me, for them...for her.”

  “You will not, Carl. Your focus is improving daily.”

  He opened his eyes, glancing at the stack of flashcards again. Tomorrow would bring new classes, new challenges. But tonight, he let himself linger in the quiet satisfaction of being more than just a soldier, more than just a powerhouse. He was becoming someone who thought first, and acted responsibly. He was becoming more like 26, just as he had wanted to.

  And for the first time in a long time, Carl felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

  That evening, the rift alarm went off, Steve was back.

  Carl set his ethics textbook down, stood and stretched, then walked down the hall. The rift door was opening as he approached.

  "Steve-o!"

  "Carl! You're back."

  "Yep, survived the first three weeks."

  "Good for you!"

  "How were the rifts this time?"

  "Eh. One world was in their medieval period. They freaked out when they saw me. They're probably gonna worship the armor as some kind of god or something now."

  "Oh. Well, would you like to hang out, your holiness?"

  Steve stuck both middle fingers up at Carl.

  They both laughed.

  "I'll swing by after the debrief."

  "Would you be up for helping me study?"

  "I got you bud."

  "Thanks Steve."

  Steve headed to Royles office. Andy was struggling with the bulky frequency finder device in the rift room.

  "Hey, I can get that for you."

  "Thanks Carl."

  It weighed nothing to Carl as he set it on his shoulder and they walked to Matt's lab.

  "How are things with you?"

  "Good. All my scars disappeared. I'm not sure how to feel about that."

  "You want scars?"

  "Well...yeah, they show the things I've gone through in life."

  Carl didnt know how to respond, so he clapped him on the back.

  "You'll be alright."

  Andy didnt say anything.