Chapter 15 - Back to Hospital

Jason awoke the following morning with a profound sense of satisfaction enveloping him. He found himself alone in the bed, realising that sometime during the night, Liz must have quietly withdrawn to his head. As he rose from the bed and began to dress, Liz reappeared, lounging on the edge of the bed with a broad smile on her face. 

"Morning, stud. How are you feeling?" she inquired, her voice laced with playful anticipation.

"Great!" Jason replied, a wide smile stretching across his face.

"You exceeded my expectations last night," Liz remarked, her eyes gleaming with admiration. "That's no small feat."

Jason found himself momentarily at a loss for words, his heart pounding in his chest. Glancing at the time, he cursed and felt a surge of panic; he had less than ten minutes to reach the kitchen and meet Amber. He hastened his dressing, meticulously selecting his shirt as his final touch before taming his unruly hair. Thankfully, Amber had allowed them a late start, considering the events of the previous evening.

Jason joined Amber in the kitchen, where she was calmly enjoying her breakfast. He hastily grabbed something to eat and departed with her toward their office. Silence hung in the air during the car ride, the weight of guilt for having heard Amber's activities the previous night was gnawing at Jason's conscience. Luckily for him outside of shouting, their rooms were spaced sufficiently that most sounds didn't travel between them, so hopefully, his escapades had gone unnoticed. Just as Jason had convinced himself of this, Liz materialised in the back seat, visible only to him.

"You know, she was outside your door last night," Liz mentioned casually, her tone teasing.

Jason fought the urge to panic, doing his best to maintain his composure, resisting an overwhelming urge to put his head in his hands in embarrassment. 

"She seemed to enjoy it almost as much as we did," Liz continued nonchalantly. "She used her abilities to discreetly witness the events unfolding with a slight delay."

At this rate, Jason feared that he wouldn't be able to uphold their professional relationship for much longer. He desperately wanted to tell Liz to stop, but was unable to voice his intentions. Fortunately for him, Talon joined the conversation.

"Now, now, Liz, stop teasing the boy. Do you want to push him to a mental breakdown? Remember, it affects us too," Talon remarked, shaking his head.

"Fine," Liz sighed, relenting. "But teasing him is part of my purpose."

Talon let out a resigned sigh, but luckily for Jason, they had arrived at their destination. Unfortunately for him, Liz's teasing was unpredictable and could occur at any time and in any place. 

Inside the office, Pearl and Danika awaited them. Danika, displaying her impatience, sat cross-legged in a chair, her lips pursed in annoyance. 

"Why are you so late?" Danika demanded impatiently.

"We didn't finish until late last night, so I let Jason sleep in," Amber retorted, her tone making it clear she didn't appreciate the questioning of her authority.

"So, you found something then?" Danika inquired, her anticipation growing.

"Yes, we've confirmed that the Upper City Illuminati is responsible, and we have a lead on their hideout," Amber reported, placing her bag down gracefully and settling into her chair.

"Superb!" Danika exclaimed, impressed with their swift progress. "So, what's the next step?"

"Today, you'll take Jason to see the girl, and I'll investigate the two crime scenes," Amber instructed.

"Certainly. Jason, are you ready to leave now?" Danika asked, standing up and pulling out her evidence file.

Jason nodded, and they soon departed, returning to the hospital he had only left a few days ago. This time, instead of entering through the main entrance, they accessed an inconspicuous door around the side, leading to another opulent room with a lift.

"The upper levels of this building are above the clouds and reserved for the mega-rich," Danika explained, addressing Jason's unspoken questions.

She retrieved an identification card and placed it on the scanner, which chimed and opened the elevator doors. The elevator lacked traditional floor numbers, featuring only a scanner. Danika used her card again, prompting the doors to close and the lift to ascend.

The lift journey was lengthy, finally reaching its destination high above the clouds. When the doors opened, they revealed a sight that took Jason by surprise: the dull corridors of a regular hospital. Exiting the elevator, Jason soon realised this was no ordinary hospital. Black-painted hospital doors with gold metal lettering that read 'Bass Ward' stood to the side, marking an extravagant entrance. Did Mr. Bass own an entire hospital level?

Approaching the door, Jason couldn't help but notice that the lettering was real gold, worth more than many houses below the clouds. Such an ostentatious display of wealth was mind-boggling. They entered the ward and walked down the hall, each room they passed, a testament to cutting-edge medical technology or the offices of renowned specialists, leaving Jason in awe.

At the end of the hall, they passed through double doors into a room that looked more like a luxury hotel suite than a hospital. In the centre of the room lay a single bed occupied by a girl with long, flowing black curls that spilled over the bed's edge like a cascading waterfall. Two doctors attended to her, with two supervising guards in black suits nearby. The guards tensed momentarily but relaxed when they recognized Danika.

"This is Laquita," Danika explained, standing back from the bed to allow the doctors to complete their work.

Jason was dumbfounded by the sheer opulence of the room. "What is this room?" he asked, his voice filled with wonder.

"This is the Bass family's private hospital," Danika replied matter-of-factly.

Jason struggled to find words. Having a personal hospital was beyond his comprehension. Eventually, the doctors finished their work and exited the room, acknowledging Danika as they passed. Not wanting to reveal his powers to those not covered by the NDA, Jason quietly requested that the guards leave, which Danika granted.

"Thank you. I'm going to summon a few friends to help me gather information from Laquita," Jason informed Danika.

Alright, do what you need to do," she agreed.

"Professor? Malcolm? Could you please appear and assist me?" Jason called out.

On command, the two appeared next to him. Danika, despite the warning, still jumped and reached for her weapon before calming down as they engaged in conversation with Jason.

"Professor, please analyse the curse, but do not attempt to remove it," Jason instructed.

"Understood," the Professor replied as his hands began to emit a soft, magical glow, scanning Laquita.

"Malcolm, can you find any information that might help us catch the culprit?" Jason asked, turning his attention to the dwarf.

"Give me a few minutes, I'll take a look," Malcolm replied, focusing on examining the girl.

As they began their work, Jason stepped back to address the bewildered Danika. Until now, she had maintained her composure, but the sudden appearance of two strange men had clearly shaken her.

"So, who exactly are these people, and how did they manage to follow us here?" she inquired.

"They didn't follow us; I summoned them. They're my familiars," Jason explained.

Both Malcolm and the Professor shot him disapproving looks at the mention of the forbidden word.

"That's impossible, unheard of," Danika retorted, refusing to believe that someone could have sentient humanoid familiars. "It must be some kind of stealth trick or something."

"Don't believe me?" Jason challenged, a newfound confidence swelling within him.

"No way. I'd know if someone possessed such power. I am the head of security for a reason," Danika asserted confidently.

"What makes you so sure?" Jason probed, intrigued by her unwavering scepticism.

"My ability, 'Maximum Security,' allows me to assess power levels and pinpoint the greatest threat around me," Danika replied with assurance. "Right now, you don't even register as a significant threat. I've been wondering why someone with such a low power score is part of an investigative organisation. It must be due to your connections."

This revelation confirmed that his F-grade power was what others perceived. It was a facade that concealed his incredibly powerful SSS abilities. An idea began to form in Jason's mind—an opportunity to exploit the situation, make a bet with Danika, and capitalise on her unwavering confidence. She would likely accept a preposterous wager, and when she lost, she'd have to concede to his demands. Although perhaps unprofessional, Danika wouldn't reveal her defeat; she'd be too ashamed.

It was a devious plan, and all Jason needed now was to decide what he'd wager for.