14 The first was always memorable
Volta stood to the side of the council forecourt, waiting for the reporters breathing to steady.
Ten minutes earlier he had dragged her from the clasp of twenty Neo-Nazi's hellbent on destroying anything that wasn't white Australian.
She was older than Volta, maybe in her 40s but he found it hard to tell. Though she stood up to the protestors, she now quaked in fear at what had just unfolded in a matter of minutes.
She gave her report to the police efficiently, without emotion, while Volta disappeared across the road. He had watched on, curious to see how the police would respond, if they were empathetic. He didn't know who to trust, but sure as hell wasn't going to front up to the police any time soon.
Councillor Smith had just agreed to get Seamus' brother to drop charges against Joey.
Joey had let Seamus break his nose on camera for a reason, the perfect material to negotiate with. He was getting smarter.
But now he has punched someone else, another white guy. Things were going to get messy, and it won't look good for the resistance.
"Thank you," She said, shaking her head as she looked around, "you saved me."
Volta shrugged it off.
"It was nothing," he said, looking at his shoes.
"Sarah," the photographer ambled over, waving his phone out in front of him, "I live-streamed the video and it's getting a lot of heat. We have to head back and prepare the article, it's going to be front page news tomorrow."
Sarah nodded slowly, hoisting her handbag further onto her shoulder. Moving slowly towards the carpark.
Joey moved up behind Volta, clapping him on his shoulder excitedly.
"Ah, my brother," he wrapped his arm around Volta, "I never knew the day would come, but you let me punch a Nazi and I couldn't be happier."
He ruffled Volta's hair.
Volta's nostrils flared in protest, arms crossed over chest.
He tuned Joey out as he stared directly ahead at the large glass windows of the library.
During the protest, the library had gone into lockdown, families hiding under tables as they stared open-mouthed at the forecourt.
Even when Sarah was sticking it to the Nazi, Volta couldn't help but stare at the library. Something in there calling him in, his eyes unable to move.
'Volta... Volta, we have to move!' Joey had dragged him into action.
They moved like they knew what they were doing, and truth be told they had been preparing for this moment for a long time.
Racial tensions were rising, a usually quiet town was now ready to erupt. They could feel it. They had spent many nights at the homestead going over strategies, figuring out the best way to deescalate a violent situation.
But this time they couldn't do it non-violently, Volta had left it too late as he was entranced by the library.
Sometimes the answer was simple; if you see a Nazi you should punch them in the nose. Though they didn't quite know it would go down like that, they moved as a single unit. Volta was pleased that his manic planning was paying off, and he was pleased Joey got to punch his first Nazi.
The first was always memorable.
They would come again, the racists, the Nazi's... and the man from the cave who haunted his dreams. When they come again, when he comes again, Volta would be ready.
He tried not to think about why someone else would want the water from the cave. His stomach churned every time, he became overwhelmed at the mere concept of someone else having the same mission... or counter mission. He knew, deep down, the man wasn't there for the same reasons as Volta. But he would cross that bridge when he came to it.
He wasn't worried.
For as long as he was on Nambour soil, he was invincible, impenetrable.
Joey had stopped talking, the air pressure changed in the forecourt.
Sage stood in front of Volta, waving her hand to get his attention.
Bob stood alert next to her.
"What is it?" Volta tore his eyes away from the library.
"You can feel it, can't you?" Sage said as she pulled her laptop from her bag.
Volta blinked.
"What?" his world slowed to a stop.
"There's someone in there," Sage held her laptop with one arm, tapping on the keys with a single hand, "who has a power."
Joey's eyes nearly bulged from his head.
"What?" He shouted in excitement.
"Where? Who?" he took a step forward.
Volta grabbed onto the back of his shirt, halting his movement.
"Stop," he said firmly, "just wait."
Sage bit down on her lip as she looked at her screen.
"What's wrong?" Volta asked, barely able to contain his emotions.
He was about to find someone with a power, someone new. They could be his kin, his family. They were someone their efforts hadn't found before, they were new to town.
This could be it, this could change everything.
"I can't get a read..." Sage looked up, bewildered.
"What do you mean?" Joey asked.
Volta and Bob exchanged a look.
"Time for us to go," Bob said to Sage, flicking his eyes to Joey.
"Oi, what?" Joey looked around, upset, "I'm not leaving."
Volta looked at Joey through hooded lids.
"Go."
Joey straightened up, sensing the urgency in Volta's tone.
The three moved quickly through the forecourt to the Discovery parked out on the road. They didn't look back, they moved with precision, feeling more scared than when they were faced by Nazis.
Volta put his attention back to the library as he paced back and forth, watching as people slowly trickled out, dodging around police officers interviewing bystanders and writing up tickets for protestors.
There was someone in there with powers, someone Sage couldn't get a read on. That wasn't a good sign, Sage was good at her job. Though her power was weakened, she could enhance it with technology. Just how Volta had no idea, but the only other time she couldn't get a read was at the cave.
And that nearly killed him.
He wasn't going to blindly stumble into the library and fight his way through suited up thugs only to have his brain squashed by some old white guy again.
He had to come up with a plan, there was no time to spare.
His mind went over all the possibilities, adrenaline pumping through his veins, making the vessels on his forearms stand out.
He breathed in and out slowly, he had to focus.
He had no idea what was in there.
He had no idea just how much danger he was in.
All other thoughts were wiped from his mind as he clenched his jaw, ready for battle.
He turned to face the library entrance.
Movement out the corner of his eye caught his attention.
Something was coming at him, and fast.
His reflexes took over as he turned around, throwing his arm out with all the force he could muster, aiming for the throat.
He made contact.
He opened his eyes.
His hand was wrapped around the pale throat of--
"Velvet?" He breathed, eyes wide in shock.
Velvet was suspended an inch from the ground as Volta held her up by the neck.
Her feet kicked out, clawing at his hand as her face became red.
A beat.
A beat.
A beat.
Volta exhaled and let her go, stumbling backward as if bitten.
Velvet collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
"Are you fucking shitting me?" She breathed, voice ragged as she glared up at Volta, "are you trying to fucking kill me? What the fuck?"
She rolled over onto her back, laying spread eagle on the concrete, dress splayed about her long legs.
Volta ran his hand over his head, not knowing what to do next.
Velvet rolled over onto her side, one hand propping up her head and the other on her hip.
She wriggled her eyebrows.
"Does this count as a second date?" she winked.
Volta gulped.
"Geez calm down," she slowly stood up, rearranging her dress, "I've still had worse this week."
Volta blinked, unable to come up with words.
"Ah shit," Velvet said under her breath, "now I'm becoming shy again."
She turned on her heel and marched from the forecourt before Volta could object.
Volta shook himself, trying to push thoughts of Velvet nearly dying at his hands from his mind.
The ominous library still vibrated with power in his periphery.
"Eeee!"
His heart stopped.
Something was running towards him from the library entrance.
This was it.
Time to fight.
Volta turned around, braced for impact.
His eyes grew wide.
He really wasn't expecting this.
"Wait... wha--"
