Two days later, Tyrone stood at the wrought-iron gates of a mansion that looked like it belonged on the cover of a glossy real estate magazine rather than anywhere within walking distance of his old neighborhood.
He tilted his head back slowly, eyes tracing the tall white pillars, the wide glass windows that caught the afternoon sun, the perfectly trimmed hedges lining a curved driveway that could've fit his entire old apartment building twice over.
Palm trees swayed gently along the perimeter wall, their shadows stretching lazily across pristine stone.
Tyrone looked down at his hand, opening the written note Tandy had somehow managed to send him in the mail that just detailed an address,
'Veridian Hills, Crescent Street - National City!, House directly at the end!'
"This seems to be the place," Tyrone muttered. While there were a couple other luxury houses on this street, most seemed to be AirBnB's as well, not currently filled and only maintained by various staff working there.
The house he was looking at was easily the biggest of the lot, surrounded by a huge gate that seemed to of gotten an update within the past few years, and the gate also had a signage or 'title' of the house.
"Casa de las Lúcidas Aguas"
Tyrone adjusted the strap of the backpack slung over his shoulder, the fabric creaking softly as shadows pooled faintly at his feet, reacting more to his unease than any threat.
He pressed the Buzzer of the gate and waited for a bit, until a soft beep sounded as the gate unlocked automatically, swinging inward with a smooth, expensive hum.
"Tyrone!"
The Gate opened wide enough just in time to see Tandy jogging down the driveway toward him, sunlight catching her blonde hair and making it shimmer almost unnaturally bright.
She wore casual clothes, leggings, an oversized hoodie, but even without trying, she looked like she belonged here. Like the house had been built with her in mind. She slowed to a stop in front of him, smiling wide.
"You found it!"
He snorted quietly. "Hard to miss."
She laughed and gestured grandly behind her. "Welcome to our new headquarters."
"Our," he repeated, glancing past her at the mansion again, "This seems a bit...showy," was the only word that came to mind.
"Well we had to think out of the box, who'd expect two random heroes to be working out of here. Plus it's an AirBnB,"
Tyrone shot her a look at that last part and she chuckled, "Okay, luxury Airbnb. This place reportedly has an insane history which bumps up the price. My family owns a bunch of properties out here. This one usually gets rented by executives who want privacy."
She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice like it was a secret, "I told Phillip I wanted a place to hang out with friends. Somewhere safe. He didn't even hesitate."
That made sense, judging from what Tandy had told him about her Step-Father in the past two days they'd been talking.
"And," she added, quieter now, "you can live here. Full-time. No strings. I'll handle some documentation to classify you as a worker at the House, so no-one will suspect anything with you being here all the time, but you'll need to make sure it stays clean and stuff,"
That last time surprised him more than he expected. Live here? Tyrone looked away briefly, jaw tightening as the shadows at his feet rippled, then forced himself to breathe.
"…Thanks," he said finally.
Tandy smiled softer this time,"Come on. I want to show you everything."
The front doors opened into a space so open Tyrone instinctively slowed, like he expected to trip an alarm just by stepping inside.
White marble floors stretched out beneath a vaulted ceiling, sunlight pouring in through massive windows that overlooked the city skyline in the distance. Modern art lined the walls, not cluttered, not gaudy. Intentional.
"Shoes on or off?" he muttered.
Tandy laughed, "Whatever you prefer,"
They moved through the living area first, plush couches, a wall-sized display screen, shelves filled with books no one had probably touched in years.
Tyrone's eyes lingered on the technology more than the decor, already cataloging possibilities.
Fiber lines, Hidden wiring and even reinforcement points. His engineering instincts, long buried by the tragedy, were waking up fast.
That was compared by his enhanced intelligence. Ever since he had gained these powers, his brain had been operating at a much higher level. He was thinking faster, making smarter decisions, his memory had become perfect and his comprehension had also improved.
All of this stacked onto each-other would make him an even better and more innovative over time, and he still felt all of that improving, alongside his physical capabilities that were also enhanced.
"This place is insane," he said under his breath.
"Wait till you see the kitchen," Tandy said brightly.
The kitchen was massive, steel appliances, granite counters, more space than Tyrone knew what to do with. She opened the pipe and in the kitchen sink and began to speak, "This place was built by some famous hydro-engineer before my Dad purchased to be a luxury AirBnB,"
"The house is connected to a private aquifer and has a water purification system. Keeping up to date with it is why the cleaners usually lived in the house full-time instead of just coming over periodically. That's also why it's easy to just have you live here as a 'worker,'
Tyrone nodded, putting the pieces together, "Makes sense, looks like you really thought this true,"
"Of course," Tyrone said and follower her throughout the house.
"Since it's a luxury AirBnB, no-one will suspects a large amount of deliveries in a short time, but I advise you to buy all the tools and materials you need in a short time, so they all get delivered at roughly the same time. I'll place a fake AirBnB reservation during that, so it lines up and no-one'll get suspicious. Needless to say, don't buy stuff from the same business,"
"Yeah, I get it," Tyrone said.
They passed a hallway lined with guest rooms, each one bigger than his old bedroom—before reaching a set of double glass doors.
"And this," Tandy said, pushing them open, "is my favorite part."
The gym.
It wasn't just a treadmill and some weights. It was a full private training facility. Various different weights, resistance machines, climbing grips along one of the walls, cardio machines and other core equipment.
Tyrone stepped inside, boots thudding softly against the padded floor. Looking around and admiring all the facilities,"
Past the gym was an indoor pool, the water reflecting light across the ceiling in gentle waves.
Finally, she led him to a door at the back of the house, which opened leading to a downward staircase.
"The basement." She said as she flipped the switch once they reached the bottom. The lights came on slowly, revealing a massive open space that stretched farther than Tyrone expected. Concrete walls with structural beams already in place.
Tyrone already got to thinking, "This side," he said automatically, pointing, "training area. We reinforce the walls, add impact plating, shock absorbers. I'll need time, but—"
"And the other side," Tandy finished eagerly, "operations."
He nodded, eyes distant now, mind racing.
"Private servers here. Workbenches there. Independent power line. I can build a Faraday cage into the walls to make sure we're alright, but all of this will probably take a month at least,"
Tandy watched him with open amazement, admiring how quickly he operated and got a plan ready for their future Base of Operations.
"You're really back," she said softly.
He hesitated.
"…Yeah," he said after a moment. "I think I am."
Silence settled, not awkward, not heavy. Just full of possibility.
Tandy stepped beside him, light flickering faintly at her fingertips, illuminating the concrete in a warm glow that pushed back the shadows without erasing them.
"This is where it starts," she said. "No more running."
Tyrone looked around one last time, the empty basement, the solid walls, the space waiting to be shaped.
"…Then let's build something they can't take from us," he said.