Things were quiet for a couple of days after Apex turned himself in. The first week with him locked away in The Grid left the entire facility on edge. Security had been amped up ten times and the scouting radius stretched far beyond the mountains. Once the second week passed, everyone's nerves began to settle. It was becoming more apparent that Kismet wasn't planning on attacking any time soon. Still, they kept their guard up.

In the meantime, Chase and the other superpowered teenagers continued their training. They progressed in their combat skills as well as honing their unique abilities. Director Shaw even let them pick out weapons and codenames, effectively making them full-fledged Atlas agents.

Only he, Emily, and Stella picked out weapons. The archer stuck with her bow and arrows while Stella called upon the help of a steel bo staff. As for his own, his decision had been heavily inspired by Apex—though, he'd never admit it. He'd gotten a sword specifically designed just for him. The twenty-seven-inch blade was composed out of black-painted steel with a sturdy hilt wrapped with navy blue tape.

He loved it.

The only issue was that he knew nothing about sword fighting. He'd seen plenty of movies with the art, but he had no practice with it. So, he worked it into his training schedule and vowed to become a formidable swordsman. If he ever had to fight Apex again, brute strength wasn't going to cut it. He would have to defeat the man at his own game.

Along with his sword, he'd been fitted with a holographic—yet tangible—shield which could be summoned out of the device on his wrist. The engineers who made it told him that the device responded to certain movements. Certain actions, like deactivating or conjuring the shield, were all controlled by flicking his wrist in a previously-specified direction.

They called it a holo-shield.

While Chase admitted it was pretty cool, he had no idea how it worked. All the sci-fi stuff that made up most of The Acropolis confused him to no end.

At the moment, he was strolling down the corridor leading to the of Atlas' mini-prison. His new sword was strapped to his back via the magnetic holster that came with it. Minutes later, he arrived at the large, titanium-reinforced doors of The Grid. Two agents stood on either side of the door, their weapons at the ready.

''Just here for my daily appointment,'' Chase joked as he flashed his ID card. The pair nodded and stepped aside so he could scan it.

''Chase Masterson. Designation P1. Welcome, Sentinel,'' P.A.I announced after the scanner turned green.

When Director Shaw first revealed that Atlas agents who were in a squad usually took up codenames, he had no idea what he was going to chose for his own. The others seemed to come up with names almost seamlessly while it took him almost three days to provide the idea for his own. He first thought of going by Soldier or something similar, but Stella quickly told him that was too basic. She suggested picking something close to his heart; something that resonated with him.

The only problem with her advice was that he wasn't sure if he had anything close to his heart. He didn't have many hobbies outside of training and he never had the luxury of stability to develop a clear-cut identity. But after much thought, it hit him in the face.

He decided he'd go by Sentinel, after the mascot of his most recent high school. After all, it was the only thing he liked about the place.

After giving P.A.I a two-finger salute, he passed through the opened doors to The Grid and entered the dimly lit penitentiary.

The place was wide and window-less. The walls curved and created a C-shape, small vents dotting the steel-paneled walls. Light fixtures had been built into the floors and ceilings, but they seemed to be on half-power.

Thick, glass walls served as the barrier between the cells and the hallway that snaked through the middle. A scanner was placed on the outside wall next to every cell— which was about the size of a tiny bedroom—along with a digital label displaying the general information of whoever was in the cell.

Chase walked past the empty holding units. All but one were empty.

He stopped at a cell that was in the dead center of the others. Sitting cross-legged on the floor of the cramped unit was a shirtless, meditating Apex. One of Chase's golden eyebrows arched upwards as he squinted at him.

He'd pulled down the top half of his blue jumpsuit, exposing his pale, muscled physique. Dark tattoos snaked down his chest and arms. Shaggy tendrils of black hair fell into his gaunt face as he hummed lowly, his eyes closed. The handcuffs nullifying his teleporting abilities had been removed he got into The Grid.

The entire place was fitted with prototype technology designed to interfere with a Prime's ability to access their abilities. While it resulted in a slight sickness on whoever was inside, it successfully prevented them from using their powers. He found he couldn't spend more than thirty minutes inside if he wanted to avoid the ensuing stomach ache and migraines. Chase's only worry about the prison was that the tech was still in its early stages. There was no guarantee it would hold up.

Apex hadn't spoken a word since the day he arrived. At least not while Chase was around. That made gleaning info from the man especially difficult. He'd been checking up on the Prime for three weeks now and he knew just as much as he did when he first started coming.

It was beginning to frustrate him. If it weren't for Stella's reassurance, he would've quit days ago. But, as she pointed out, he had to keep at it. Apex didn't give himself up to PRIDE to rot away inside of a high-tech prison cell—as much as he wanted it to be the case. The man was there for something and Chase was determined on getting to the bottom of it.

''What's the snake tattoo mean?'' Chase asked. He'd been standing in front of the cell swinging his sword around, practicing a maneuver he learned earlier in the day. He stopped and gestured at the viper coiling down Apex's left forearm. The dark green and blood red ink, the colors clashing heavily with his chalky complexion.

He figured if he started with a non-hostile question, it'd increase his chances of getting a response. At this point, he was willing to try anything. Unfortunately, he was wrong.

Apex remained motionless on the floor. His eyes were still closed as he continued his meditation. A knot of muscles pulsed in Chase's jaw. Taking a deep breath, he tried expelling the anger from his body.

''How long are you gonna keep up this silent treatment thing?''

The inquiry was met with taunting silence.

Chase's lip twitched. A low rumble rose from his chest as he surged forward. His fist slammed onto the glass barrier. Fortunately, his own strength was dampened. Had it not been, he would've shattered the wall.

Apex's eyes shot open, the now blue irises peering back at Chase. As the blond glared back, he began to see the heavy resemblance between the man, Director Shaw, and Victoria. They all shared their ebony locks, the striking eyes, and pale skin. It was a little disturbing how alike Victor and his father looked. They were father and son after all.

''You sure are persistent,'' Apex mumbled. He rose and stretched his arms, the tight muscles flexing beneath his skin.

Chase's scowl evaporated. He studied him curiously, his eyes squinted. The man strutted over to the barren cot in the corner and sat on the edge. Grinning, he folded his hands over his lap.

''The snake represents cunning, stealth. Danger,'' Apex answered. ''Any more questions, Sentinel?''

Suddenly, Chase wasn't too fond of his codename.

Clearing his throat, he relaxed his shoulder and fought to keep any emotion from his face. ''Actually, I do,'' Chase grumbled while sticking his hands into his pockets. ''What're you doing here?''

He twirled a finger in the air, his smile growing. ''Serving my sentence for the crimes I've committed in this wonderfully constructed cell.''

Chase shook his head and his scowl returned. ''You know, we're going to stop you guys. Kane won't complete his plan.''

''You think so?'' Apex chuckled and stood up from his metal framed bed. He clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing around the cell. ''You and your team couldn't even stop us from getting the final piece to our machine. That whole mission was a bit of disaster, really.''

Chase's cheeks burned as his fingers curled into fists, his nails digging into his damage-resistant skin.

Apex tilted his head like a dog as he peered at Chase. ''Oops. Did I hit a nerve?''

He could practically hear Stella's calming voice urging him to calm down; recently, she'd been accompanying him during his talks—even though he did most of the talking—with the Prime. She helped him keep his anger in check. But now her words in his head were the only things stopping him from unlocking the cell and strangling the guy.

Though, his self-control was fleeting fast.

''I've noticed they've got you babysitting me.'' Apex chuckled again. ''Enjoying the job?''

Now that he'd gotten the man to speak, he wouldn't shut up. Chase grumbled under his breath and looked away from the cell. ''Why are you here?''

''Do you really think I'm going to sit here and tell you my plan or something?'' Apex rolled his eyes. ''I'm not some cliché movie villain who reveals their plan to hero only to lose in the end.''

Chase snorted. ''Well, you've got one thing in common.''

''Oh yeah? And what might that be?''

''You're gonna lose in the end,'' Chase replied, now glaring at the man in the cell. He pressed his finger against the glass. ''We're going to stop you and your psycho master.''

The smile that had been on Apex's angled features disintegrated. ''He's not my master.''

Chase smirked. ''Oops. Did I hit a nerve?''

In an instant, Apex stood right in front of Chase. He hadn't teleported, though. He was just fast enough to trick the blond's eye. Even though the thick glass wall separated them, the quick movement sent the boy's heart into overdrive.

He flinched backward, his eyes flaring. He recollected himself and seethed at the Prime.

''I am going to enjoy killing you,'' Apex growled. For a moment, it seemed like his eyes flashed red. But after Chase blinked, they were back to normal.

Even though fear was beginning to settle into him, he stood firm and glared back at Apex. ''Oh yeah? If you couldn't tell, you're inside of a cell without any of your powers. You're not really in the position to be killing anyone right now.''

Apex huffed and reassumed his cross-legged position on the ground. Closing his eyes, he hummed something under his breath and dropped his palms onto his thighs.

Their conversation was over. That much he knew. He cursed and spun on his heel, heading towards the exit of The Grid. As he walked away, a deep laugh echoed throughout the small prison.

''The strong will survive! You can't stop us!'' Apex yelled after the blond as he stepped through the doors. ''You can't stop us— ''

The closing doors cut his tirade short.

''Any luck with him today?'' one of the guards standing at the entrance asked. Chase shook his head, a scowl now on his face. The guard sighed and nodded. ''Better luck next time, eh, Sentinel?''

''Yeah. Next time.'' Chase gave the guards a two-finger salute and returned his hands to his jean pockets.

#

An annoyed groan left Chase's throat as he turned the television in the common room off. Nothing good was on. He decided he'd just sit in the darkness and wallow in his own boredom. Eventually, his mind wandered to his meeting with Apex earlier in the day. The guy was up to something. He just didn't know what.

And it was beginning to piss him off.

Glancing at his phone, he took note of the time. It was getting late. If he wanted to get up early enough in the morning to train before training actually started, he'd need to get to bed soon. Though, he realized he might've pushed himself too hard in weights today. While he managed to break his record of benching over four thousand pounds, his muscles were paying the price. His entire body was rife with fatigue and pain. And the couches in the common room were beyond comfortable.

Chase's eyes fluttered as a tidal wave of drowsiness crested over him. He was quickly losing his battle against sleep.

''What are you still doing in here?'' a voice in the doorway of the common room asked.

Jolting upright, he turned to the speaker. His slight panic was replaced with joy. Standing in the doorway was a smiling Stella. A faint aura seemed to emanate from her body as she walked towards him. She reminded him of an extremely gorgeous angel without the wings. He wondered if it was a natural glow or an effect from abilities.

''I'm watching TV,'' he replied. ''Er, at least I was.'' His eyes widened as they roamed across Stella's flawless figure. Her golden legs spilled out from her yellow pajama shorts. A river of her dark hair fell down her shoulders.

She gave him a teasing look. ''Is there something on my face?''

He shook his head. A smile crept onto his lips.

''What're you staring at me for then, Goldilocks?''

''Because you're beautiful,'' is what he wanted to say. Instead, he just shrugged his shoulders and averted his gaze. Stella giggled and plopped herself onto the couch. Her bare leg brushed up against his as she did so. He turned to look at her again. This time, he counted the bronze specks in her hazel irises. They looked just like stars.

He watched her cheeks redden while she looked away. ''How'd your babysitting session with Apex go today?'' Whenever she didn't come with him to see Apex, she would for a report of the interaction and he'd usually respond with the same thing each time—considering the guy never talked. Though, he supposed he'd have a little more to tell her today.

''He actually talked today,'' Chase replied. Liked him much better when he was giving me the silent treatment, though. He squinted at her, catching onto what she just said. ''And I'm not babysitting him. It's called interrogating. You know, the things detectives do in crime shows?''

''Yeah, yeah,'' she mumbled, waving his rebuttal away. ''What did he say? Did he tell you why he turned himself in?''

Chase blew air out of his nose. ''Not even close. But I did figure out that me and him don't exactly get on too well.''

Stella chuckled. ''I could've told you that. Didn't really expect you to get along with a crazy ninja terrorist anyways.''

''True,'' Chase said, laughing with her. She laid her head on his shoulder. He heard her sigh in content. He tucked a stray piece of hair hanging in front of her lovely eyes behind her ears.

''Do you think we really have a chance at stopping them?'' she asked after a while.

Chase wasn't too sure. They hadn't heard any news about the terrorist organization since the botched mission at the Nexxus Industries factory. And Apex had something up his sleeve. Both of those variables were enough to instill doubt within him. But he was willing to do everything in his power to bring them to justice.

''We're going to stop them, Stella. No matter what,'' Chase answered. We have to. His brow furrowed as he remembered what Kane said when he revealed that he and his friends were Primes back in the quarry.

''The strong will survive....''

His brain began piecing together what Kane meant by that.

The video Director Shaw showed him a couple of days ago that portrayed a young Victor Shaw being exposed to the Primonium replayed in his mind. The vivid image of the boy's body writhing in agony inside of that glass cylinder got Chase thinking. He remembered the own pain when he woke up in The Acropolis after getting infected himself. If the element did that to Primes, he could only imagine what it would do to people who weren't.

People would surely die. That's why they had to stop Kane no matter what.

The sound of Stella's light snore drew him out of his thoughts. He ran a hand through her soft hair, enjoying the pleasant silence filling the room. Within seconds, his eyelids grew heavy and darkness clouded his vision.

#

''Quick!'' someone whispered. Was he dreaming? The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't match it with a face or name. It sounded like they were speaking while he was under water. ''Take a picture before they wake up.''

That was enough to let him know he wasn't dreaming.

He blinked a few times while he waited for his vision to focus. As he sat up, he realized that he was laid out across the couch, with Stella snuggled on top of him. The sofa's pillows laid on the floor, apart from the one supporting his head. He blinked again as he watched Stella's sleeping body on top of him. Then he smiled.

It was short lived, though, as he quickly noticed the people standing in front of the couch. Oscar held up a phone while Theo grinned beside him. Emily and Andre were sitting down on the opposite side of the room, looking on in amusement. Theo held up a peace sign while posing for the picture.

''Uh oh,'' Oscar mumbled. Theo looked over his shoulder and blanched.

''Good morning?'' Theo offered his friend an innocent smile. They boy was met with a palm to the chest that sent him toppling over a nearby coffee table. With his legs in the air, the others laughed at his misfortune.

''What the hell are you guys doing?'' Chase hissed, careful not to wake up Stella.

Emily chuckled from her seat. Theo rubbed his chest as he picked himself off the ground. ''Jeez, dude, you didn't have to punch a hole in me.''

Chase narrowed his eyes at Theo. ''I'll push you through that wall over there if you don't shut up.'' Theo put his hands up innocently and sat down in a chair next to the couch.

''We just came here to let you know that Stephen wants us in his office in ten minutes,'' Emily revealed.

Stella yawned against his chest and lifted her head up. She squinted as she realized she was basically face-to-face with Chase. ''Where am I?''

''The common room,'' Oscar answered with a laugh. Stella climbed off Chase and took up the space at the edge of the sofa. Now that they both were awake, the others moved toward the exit of the room.

''Hurry up you two,'' Emily said, looking over his shoulder at Chase and Stella. ''Director Shaw said it's urgent.''

Chase nodded. Stella got up from the couch and walked over to join the other girl. As she did so, he couldn't help but notice her hips swaying as she coyly glanced at him over her shoulder. ''You coming?'' she asked.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he grinned and followed her out of the room.