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AXEL ALVARES
When they arrivedat Lazarus House, Daisy acted differently to how she’d been when Axel had picked her up. Then, she’d been reserved and uncomfortable. So upset, in fact, that she’d left her family—in the middle of a citywide catastrophe—to blow off steam with him and Elena. But now, after doing just that, she stood taller. She walked with confidence. With purpose.
Her version of blowing off steam had been to take down a few Faithful. But he liked to think he had a little something to do with it. He hoped.
Elena trailed after Daisy as they entered the lobby, asking questions about the power stats of Daisy’s siblings. She wanted to know who was the strongest in a fight. Axel was happy to see her post-battle shock had worn off. The fact she chatted like this meant she felt safe. Daisy called herself a monster, but she’d protected the innocent.
“So?” Elena asked Daisy, hugging her backpack. “Envy or Greed. I think Greed, right? Or… wait. I just thought of something. What if there was no metal in the area? Oooh. That would be a handicap. Okay, I change my mind. Pride. Nope! Lust. Oh shit… I don’t know. Come on. You have to give me something.”
“I don’t know,” Daisy mumbled as they entered the elevator. She rubbed her forehead with the back of the hand still holding the baseball bat. He offered to hold it for her, but she refused. Axel caught the amusement in her eyes as they faced the closing doors.
“Hello, Daisy Lazarus. You have guests.” The female voice came from a speaker within the elevator car.
Axel put his arm around his sister. She leaned against him. There must be a camera marking their movements. This all felt very high tech.
“They are…” Daisy appeared flummoxed for a moment.
“Axel,” he reminded her with a smirk.
“I know that,” she grumbled back. “That’s not why I… never mind.” Louder she said, “This is Axel and his sister Elena. They’re… friends.”
“Nice to meet you Axel and Elena. I am AIMI.”
“Hi AIMI,” Elena replied.
“Hello, Elena. May I ask your surname?”
“Don’t—” Daisy started saying, but Elena answered.
“Alvares,” she said.
“Aah. Yes. I have you in our database. Elena and Axel Alvares. You are already on the approved list.”
“We are?” Axel asked. He’d hoped, but never expected to be welcomed so soon. “Why?”
“Axel Alvares, as Daisy’s m—”
“That’s enough, AIMI!” Daisy snapped, then shot Axel a nervous smile before explaining. “She’s a computer. You don’t need all that extra information.”
Right. Of course the Deadly Seven would have computer-run security. It was still odd that they had been put on a safe list. Was it simply because he’d helped rescue Daisy, or was she hiding something? He found it odd the entire family had trusted him so swiftly after knowing he’d worked for the enemy.
Elena got a look on her face Axel could only construe as nosy. Her lips parted as she looked up at the speaker but before she could ask AIMI questions about which Deadly Seven heroes were more dangerous, he tightened his grip on her arm and shook his head. Next time, he said with his eyes.
She nodded and looked at her feet.
The elevator doors closed. When they opened again, it was to a long hallway with two doors at the end.
“Parker is out,” AIMI said. “Mary is in Wyatt’s apartment with Misha’s family. The door is unlocked.”
Daisy steeled her spine and beckoned them out.
“I’ll leave you two here with Mary,” she said as she walked. “You’ll be safe until this mayhem ends.”
“Hold up.” Axel stopped Daisy by the shoulder as she arrived at an apartment door. “What do you mean, leave me here?”
Daisy scratched her palm with a thumb. Alarm bells went off when she wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“No,” he said. “Nah-uh.”
