Forgre

Chapter 25:

– Sophia –

Sophia clung tightly to Silas, her arms wrapped fiercely around his rock-solid torso as the flying motorcycle soared effortlessly above the rooftops of Brockton Bay. The bike was pure badass, slick and powerful, its engine impossibly silent yet vibrating with a delicious, tantalizing rhythm beneath her. The sensation traveled up her thighs, dancing along her spine, sending hot tingles deep inside her, nearly edging her toward orgasm just from the goddamn ride!

Between the engine's silent rumble and Silas's body pressed against hers, this was basically the most orgasmic mode of transportation she'd ever been on.

Fuck, whose dick did she have to suck to get her hands on one of these beasts? It was awesome!

'Probably Silas's,' she thought, a wicked grin curving her lips as warmth blossomed in her cheeks, despite the cold wind hitting her face and whipping her hair behind her.

Hell, she'd likely do it even if there was no bike involved. Silas was just that fucking hot. Maybe all that stupid practice with bananas back in Emma's room might actually pay off...

She squeezed her arms around him a little tighter, her fingers flexing slightly over the contours of his abs. They'd already blitzed across the city, kicked the ever-loving shit out of some Nazi scum—fuck those Empire pricks—and now they were almost at school, all in twenty minutes flat. 

Silas and his powers weren't just cool, they were fucking unfair.

Sophia had never found herself caught up in a guy like this before. Most dudes bored her senseless, predictable losers with nothing special to offer. 

But Silas? He was different. Strong, capable, and not afraid to throw down. 

The only shitty thing was all the other thirsty bitches constantly circling him like vultures, desperate for his attention. 

It was annoying and it was bullshit!

Especially considering she'd been the one to meet him first, the one who'd actually saved his life. They could all fuck right off... 

But she doubted it was going to happen unfortunately. She knew well—bitches could be persistent! 

The ghost bike landed down in front of Winslow High. Sophia begrudgingly let go of Silas. She swung her leg off and stood tall. And then her irritation instantly flared as she scanned the gathered crowd in front of the school. Why the fuck was every student loitering outside, staring and taking pictures of them?

Oh right...

Because thanks to those Nazi shitheads Hookwolf and Cricket trying to murder her and Silas at school, she'd been outed as a cape. 

Fuck those assholes! 

Hookwolf especially! She hoped he was enjoying whatever current assfucking he was getting by the even more terrifying villains in the birdcage! He deserved all of it for all the pain he brought minorities in this city over the years.

A wall of sound hit her the second her boots touched the pavement.

"We love you, Dragonborn!" 

"Shadow Stalker, you're a fucking legend!" 

"Go wreck more Nazi shitbags!"

Dozens of students were crowded around the school entrance, phones raised, snapping pictures and filming video like they were paparazzi. Sophia's head snapped toward them, stunned. The hell?

That reaction— to her —wasn't what she'd expected. Not in a million fucking years.

She stood there for a second, blinking at the cheers and whistles. People were calling out her cape name like she was some kind of rockstar instead of the school's worst nightmare.

Like they didn't remember how many people she'd shoved into lockers or cornered in empty hallways.

It was... jarring.

She, Emma, and Madison had always been the apex predators of Winslow. The trio everyone whispered about, feared, tiptoed around. But that power had always felt... fake. Hollow.

And yet now? Now she was being cheered for being herself . Was this what being a real accepted hero felt like? She wasn't sure whether to be smug, weirded out, or a little guilty.

Probably all three. Not that it excused the mountains of bullshit she'd dished out to half the kids cheering her now, but... maybe it meant something.

Her gaze flicked to the side—and locked on Taylor Hebert.

Of fucking course.

Marching straight toward Silas, with that self-righteous do-gooder smile plastered on her face like she hadn't spent most of the last few years getting shoved around like a doormat. Now suddenly she had power, confidence, a little edge, and she thought that gave her an open pass to Sophia's territory?

Bug Girl might've earned some grudging respect— what she did to Victor was downright savage —but that didn't mean Sophia was just going to roll over and let her get close to Silas.

Fuck no!

Sophia gave her a grin, all teeth and challenge, then pivoted smoothly back to Silas. "Thanks for the ride, Silas. That was badass," she said, voice sultry and proud.

Then she rose onto her toes and kissed him—hard, hot, and right in front of everyone.

Gasps burst from the crowd like fireworks. A wave of oohs, shocked laughter, and jealous groans rippled outward like a shockwave. Phones caught every second. She pulled away slowly, lips tingling, eyes locked on Silas for a beat before turning with a self-satisfied smirk.

Let them think they were an item. Technically they weren't.

But nobody needed to know that.

Taylor's expression twisted like she'd just taken a slap to the face—eyes narrowed, jaw clenched, lips pressed into a thin, pissed-off line. Her foot slammed down on the pavement. Bug Girl was seething, and Sophia smirked again .

'You aren't moving in on Silas that easy!' Sophia thought.

She turned away and strutted off toward Emma and Madison, her hips swinging with deliberate, calculated confidence. She could feel the heat of dozens of eyes trailing after her, and fuck, did it feel good. 

Emma, to her credit, tried to act composed. But Sophia knew her too well. That little twitch at the corner of her eye, the tightness in her crossed arms, the fake calm in her voice as she said nothing—all of it screamed one thing. She was pissed .

Of course she was. Emma had been going on all week about her big 'mall date' with Silas—she'd practically written the whole romantic script in her head. Too bad Silas's powers had yanked him halfway across the universe in a blur before the weekend, dragging him off with Vista.

Fucking Vista. 

Pint-sized cape with a squeaky voice and—somehow now—a goddamn lightsaber. A real one. Sophia hated how jealous that made her. Lightsabers were cool as hell and she didn't have one but the pipsqueak did!

Still, Sophia wasn't about to let envy distract her from the more important thing.

Even if she and Emma were technically friends, and even if Sophia might be willing to share on the right day under the right circumstances, today was not that day.

She didn't need to say it out loud. Her kiss had done that already.

She walked past Emma and Madison with the kind of confidence that didn't ask for permission, her expression smug and unapologetic.

Sophia wasn't paying attention. She was still riding the high from her little public display of dominance when her shoulder slammed into something—or rather, someone —solid. There was no time to brace. The impact knocked her off balance and sent her tumbling straight onto her ass in front of half the damn school.

The crowd's excited chatter shifted. Cheers turned to stifled laughter. A few snickers broke loose, followed by the unmistakable sound of someone snapping another photo.

Her cheeks went hot with embarrassment. The hell just happened?

She looked up—and locked eyes with Rebecca Brown.

Of course it was her. The new girl. The same one who'd practically glued herself to Silas the first day she showed up like some wide-eyed cape groupie. Somehow this chick had the nerve to knock her flat like it was nothing.

Rebecca raised an eyebrow and said, coolly, "Maybe try watching where you're going next time. Being popular doesn't mean you're hot shit as a hero yet."

Sophia's jaw clenched. Her fists did too. Her entire body screamed to lunge at the girl, but she held herself back.

Oh, this bitch was asking for it.

Before Sophia could say something cutting and vicious, Emma—still clearly annoyed with her—stepped in and offered a hand. Sophia took it, letting herself be pulled back to her feet with a sharp glare still locked on Rebecca.

Neither of them said a word as they turned. They just fixed Rebecca with a pair of cold stares that promised this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

– Silas –

I took a breath to calm myself after what just happened.

Sophia had kissed me— again. This time not in a rush of post-battle adrenaline. No. This time it was in front of the entire goddamn school.

And everyone had seen it.

Even for someone with a dragon soul, my face was burning.

I tried to shake it off. I was supposed to be the badass hero with a System. But when it came to girls? I still felt like I was fumbling around in the dark. Aside from that moment with Amy a few days back—on the bike, under the stars—my track record with women was pretty much non-existent.

Now Sophia was kissing me like we were a thing. And the whole school was reacting like we were.

Popularity didn't mean shit to me. I didn't care about hallway whispers or trending posts. I'd rather take the GED and throw myself into full-time hero work. But apparently, according to the PRT, that was "bad optics." 

Staying in school was part of the package.

I sighed, raised a hand, and dismissed the ghost bike, sparking a few more "oohs and ahhs" from nearby students.

Whatever.

I turned—and saw Taylor Hebert walking toward me. Her cheeks were pink, her steps unsure. She looked like she wanted to turn and bolt, but she kept coming.

"Hi," she said softly. "Welcome back, Silas. I... missed you."

I blinked. Missed me? We'd only talked once—maybe twice—and only briefly at that. Right before the Empire shitstorm hit. Then I'd been pulled into a completely different dimension full of lightsabers and starships, and now here she was, blushing and acting like we were old friends or something.

I must've looked as confused as I felt because Taylor fidgeted immediately. She tugged at her shirt sleeve, then adjusted her glasses even though they were already perfectly straight. Her face was getting redder by the second.

"I just meant," she mumbled, barely above a whisper, "we're both in the Wards now, and, you know... maybe we could team up sometime. Like, for patrols or... or something." She looked up at me again, then away just as quickly. "After class?" she added. "If you're not busy."

I had planned to check in with Amy and Vicky after school. I hadn't seen them since coming back from... well, the galaxy far, far away. But Taylor looked so damn nervous, and clearly this was taking every ounce of courage she had.

And let's be honest—Taylor might be a bit awkward, but she was also terrifying when she wanted to be. I'd heard what she did to Victor.

"Sure," I said finally. "Later this evening. That works." I could patrol with her after meeting up with Vicky and Amy at least.

Her eyes brightened, just for a second. "That would be great!" she squeaked—and then she spun on her heel and practically ran across the courtyard.

I watched her head straight toward Rebecca Brown. The two of them exchanged a quick word, then walked off together like it was perfectly normal.

Huh.

Wait—were those two friends now? Good for Taylor. Rebecca was chill—and so hot.

—

…First period started, and I was already regretting every second of it.

I sat at my desk staring blankly at the front of the classroom, where equations were being scribbled on the board like they mattered. They didn't. Yesterday I was flying a goddamn spaceship, slicing through evil aliens, dodging explosions, and nearly getting killed by a Jedi who couldn't decide if I was friend or foe. Today I was back to basic high school math.

Useless.

I slumped back, half-listening, half-asleep, until my phone buzzed.

Finally, a distraction.

I flicked the screen open under the desk. And immediately almost choked. Her timing with these pictures was always so random!

There, displayed full screen, was Vicky Dallon. Topless, fully bare from the waist up, breasts front and center without a hint of shame. They were round, perky, and practically gleaming under the bathroom's harsh fluorescent lights—like she wanted the lighting to catch every inch of her skin. Her nipples were hard, pink, and framed perfectly by the way she held her arms behind her, clearly pushing her chest out with practiced precision. She was smirking at the mirror, knowing exactly what she was doing, one eyebrow arched like she was daring me to react.

"Amy and I are glad you're alright after your second adventure! Here are some welcome back titties! Maybe you'll even see them in person later today…"

My face went red. I barely had time to blink before I felt a shadow at my side.

"Girls today are so shameless..." someone whispered in my ear.

I jumped in my seat. Rebecca Brown was leaning ever so slightly over her desk, her gaze now firmly on me. Or more accurately on my phone. She'd definitely seen it.

I scrambled to turn the screen off and shoved the phone back into my pocket.

"You weren't supposed to see that," I mumbled.

She tilted her head slightly and gave a knowing smirk. "Then maybe don't open it on full brightness next to me. Or does Glory Girl usually send you nudes at random times?"

I coughed. "How was I supposed to know it was nudes?"

Rebecca snorted softly. "So she sends them often?"

I hesitated. "She's sent one or two before. Just... being playful. It's not like a serious thing..."

She gave me a look. The kind of look that made you feel like you'd missed something obvious. "No girl sends nudes to a guy she doesn't want to hook up with," she said flatly.

I had nothing to say to that. Because she was probably right.

– Rebecca –

…Ugh, school was such a drag. Why did Fortuna make her do this!

Rebecca stared at the clock above the whiteboard, resisting the urge to sigh out loud. Second period wasn't even halfway over and already she was mentally filing complaints to Fortuna. The whole idea had seemed simple enough—play the undercover high school girl, infiltrate Winslow, get close to Silas Thorne. Simple. But that was before Silas had taken a spontaneous detour through the goddamn Star Wars universe.

She still couldn't believe the report she'd read last night—him and Missy flipping through realities like they were hopping between bus stops. Jedi, spaceships, other planets full of aliens. ALIENS, for fuck's sake. And here she was, stuck in a math class instead of leading the PRT. A body double was currently taking her place in that department.

She shook off the thought. She'd barely slept last night, mind spinning with possibilities. What even was an Endbringer next to the sheer annihilation potential of alien warships that could bombard planets from orbit!

Focus, she reminded herself. 

Silas Thorn. Priority one. He was the only source of all that future tech anyways.

She turned her head slightly and caught sight of him—blue eyes vacant, clearly zoning out like she was. His blonde hair was messy, jaw set in a natural pout.

She liked that look. Her lips curled slightly. It was cute. She leaned over and poked him in the shoulder.

He blinked and looked at her. God, those eyes. She always had a weakness for blue. She shook her head…

"Today," she said under her breath, keeping her voice low and sweet, "you're sitting with me and Taylor for lunch. Not those three bitches!"

He choked on absolutely nothing and sat up straight, glancing over at her with wide eyes.

Rebecca giggled. "...And if you don't, I'll start a lovely little rumor that Glory Girl's been sending you nudes…" she added sweetly.

He coughed hard this time. "You wouldn't!"

She gave him a wink. "Care to test me?"

There was a beat. Then he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay, you win. I'd be more than happy to have lunch with you, Miss Brown."

"Good answer," she murmured, facing forward again, pleased with herself. A couple days of eating with him at lunch and then they would be officially "friends" according to Fortuna's path at least. Silas was a very trusting guy, but Fortuna reminded Rebecca last night that he could not find out her real identity right away or things would not work out easily. 

But at the same time, Silas was also supposed to get closer to Alexandria as well according to the path—Fortuna's path said he needed to be closer to both "Rebecca" and "Alexandria."

Yes, it was a confusing dichotomy. But not impossible for a woman like her. Having two identities was kind of her thing at this point.

Taylor had bragged to her earlier that Silas had agreed to go on patrol with her, maybe Alexandria would also make an appearance for a few minutes there as well?

– Silas –

I landed the ghost bike with a gentle thrum just outside the gates of Arcadia—the polished, too-clean, too-perfect rich kid school on the other side of Brockton Bay. Even before the wheels fully touched down, students were already gawking, whispering, and raising their phones. Same shit as Winslow. I could hear them pointing me out, probably wondering what the hell a Ward was doing landing a shadowy flying motorcycle right in front of their ivy-trimmed gates.

Amy and Vicky were already waiting for me near the steps, just like I'd texted ahead. Vicky, of course, didn't wait a second.

The moment my boots hit the ground, she was on me—arms thrown around my neck in a tight, bone-crushing hug.

"Silas! Oh my God, you're here!" Vicky squealed, voice bright and overflowing with excitement. "You better not vanish into another dimension without ME next time, or I swear I'm dragging you back myself!"

She gave me a squeeze that bordered on rib-cracking, her blonde hair brushing against my cheek.

"Oof... You're lucky I like you," I muttered, half-smiling as I hugged her back. She squeezed even harder. Stronger than me, somehow, even now. My chest ached a little, not that I'd ever say it out loud. And yeah, okay, I couldn't not notice the fact that her tits—the very same ones from the picture earlier—were now very much pressed up against me.

Behind us, some Arcadia kids gasped, a few others whispering in scandalized tones. I caught more than one phone angled right at us.

"Is that Vicky Dallon hugging him like that?"

"Did you see her chest? She's basically grinding on him in public."

"Who is that guy? The flying motorcycle? The hug? What the hell!"

"Wait, isn't he that new Ward? The Dragonborn or whatever?"

"She's definitely into him. Did you see that smile? What about Dean!?"

Vicky finally let go, and Amy stepped forward, slower, more hesitant. Her body language practically screamed, this is weird, but I knew her. She was just shy in public. Especially in front of so many nosy classmates.

"Hey, Amy," I said with a softer smile, and before she could panic her way out of it, I stepped in and gave her a hug. I felt her freeze slightly, then relax just a bit. Just long enough.

There was more whispering now. One of the guys muttered, "Is he dating both of them?" and someone else near the wall let out a shocked laugh.

"Are we just ignoring that Glory Girl basically mounted him in front of everyone?"

"Dude, did you see the way that Amy is hugging him too? Like, that's not just a friend hug."

"God, I wish I were a Ward. Or just him. Or in between them. Honestly, anything works."

Freaking gossipy vultures... 

Amy pulled away quickly, mumbling, "Hi... I'm glad you're okay."

Before I could answer, Vicky was back in full force.

"The PRT wouldn't tell us anything!" she huffed, folding her arms. "We want details , Silas. What crazy adventure did you get thrown into this time? And more importantly—" Her eyes lit up mischievously. "Did you bring us any souvenirs?"

I chuckled. Leave it to Vicky to go from emotional to opportunistic in five seconds.

"Actually... maybe, yeah." I reached into my inventory. There was an audible gasp from a few students nearby as my hand vanished into a blue floating screen. I ignored them and pulled something out I'd picked up.

I handed it straight to Vicky.

Her eyes went wide.

"Oh my GOD—is this a DL-44 !?" she practically shouted, clutching it like a true treasure.

I blinked. "Wait, you know what that is?"

She grinned like she was about to ascend to nerd heaven. "Are you kidding? I've seen the original trilogy like twenty times. This is Han Solo's blaster! It's iconic ."

I looked over at Amy. She just shook her head slowly like she was used to this.