Andem and Chima spent eight days at Director Eteli's apartment before they were finally able to return to their dorm. It was a testament that the world didn't stand still in their absence when they entered the dorm during dinner to find another new face at the table.
While they washed plates that night, Andem was grateful that Steven was always so forthcoming with information, because even though he was incredibly curious about the new guy, he didn't know how to broach the subject.
"His name is Rotimi and that's as much as we know about him."
"Yoruba boy?" Andem asked.
"Lagos boy, to be exact."
"Really?" Andem asked, leaning backward to sneak a peek at the other guy who was currently watching TV in the gym because that was where the TV was in the house. That was the only other space apart from the rooms and the kitchen. "He left Lagos to come and find a firm in Uyo? Odd."
"Very odd." He grabbed a towel to wipe down the table where they'd all eaten. "I can't imagine anyone who would give up big opportunities in Lagos to come down here and work in a tiny firm like Riddim."
"Maybe he wants to be a big fish in a small pond?" Andem asked.
"There are smaller ponds in Lagos. Ibadan is right there."
"What are his powers like?"
Steven shrugged.
"How does he fight?"
Steven shrugged again.
"Do we know anything about this guy?" he asked in surprise. "Anything at all?"
"He's not an alpha, that's for sure."
"Maybe he's on suppressants."
"He doesn't have any in his bags."
"How would you know?" Andem asked. When Steven didn't reply, Andem stopped washing the plates and turned to find his friend studiously wiping an already clean table. "Did you go through his b-"
"Sssshshshhhhhhhhh," Steven said, rushing to cover Andem's mouth as Andem turned away, spitting because he'd put his towel hand in Andem's mouth.
"What the fuck, Steven?"
"We don't know if he has super hearing," Steven whispered.
"So you really went through his bags?"
"I was stuck here in dorm alone when this stranger showed up and no one would tell me anything about him. What the fuck was I supposed to do?"
"Talk to him like a normal person."
"You think I didn't try that?" Steven scoffed and walked away. "He smiles and laughs at everything like a fake, fucking nutjob. And when I try to ask about things, he deflects like he's afraid I'll steal his secrets."
"Oh my god."
"I had to do something."
"You could have minded your business. What if he knows what you did? What if he reports you to Eteli?"
"What if nothing happens? I checked days ago and he's done nothing about it since. I'll be fine if you stop talking about it within hearing distance of a potential super-hearing person."
Andem sighed and shook his head, but as he went to turn around, a thought occurred to him.
"Wait," he said. "When I got here, did you go through my stuff?"
"Of course not."
He would have turned around, but there was a glint in Steven's eye that Andem wasn't comfortable with.
"Steven?"
"Why are you asking questions you already know the answer to?"
"Jesus fucking Christ."
He didn't know what to say beyond that. His mother's letter was in his box. Even without context of the shit that his life had recently become, that letter alone was enough to explain what he was doing in Riddim, after being recruited by the government.
Andem could feel the pressure of shame rising within him, at the thought of Steven reading the letter and knowing that Andem was broke and alone and abandoned. Even though he'd done it a long time ago, Andem never knew. Because Steven didn't treat him differently.
As he thought about it, it occurred to him that Steven almost always paid for things when they went out. He never made a big deal about it. The only time Andem spent his own money was when he was going to roadside kiosks that sold cheap snacks.
Steven had known. He must have. And yet, he'd never said anything about it. Never made Andem feel… less than anyone.
While the shame lingered, Andem couldn't help the cushioning softness of something happy blossoming inside of him as he watched the naughty Steven hang up his table rag.
-*-
Andem never got the chance to see Rotimi in action till he was at the compound late again. Agent Jimmy made arrangements for Andem to train with him because he'd noticed Andem struggling on his own. Even Steven picked up tech-management but Andem found himself lagging behind for some reason. Using regular computers and phones was hard for him already. Asking Andem to fix engines or Android hardware was just asking for trouble.
He was at the garage in the main compound, watching Rotimi assemble what looked suspiciously like the thing at the back of the washing machine. It was in pieces of scraps and wires when Rotimi had started just a minute ago, but he quickly built it back up with incredible speed.
"Time," Agent Jimmy said, looking at his stopwatch. "57 seconds."
Director Eteli entered the garage. Andem got to his feet to salute as he noticed that Nsemeke had arrived as well, dressed in civilian clothes, his hands in his pockets as he kept his head down.
"What did you want to show me?" Eteli asked as Agent Jimmy gave him a nod.
"Rotimi?"
"Sir," Rotimi called back to Agent Jimmy.
"Come," he waved him over as Rotimi jogged over to where they all were. "This," he said, pulling out a tray with tiny little devices that were laid out, obvious pieces to an actual piece of machinery. "Is what I want you to work on?"
He placed the tray on a small table as Nsemeke leaned in to get a better view of it.
"Wait," Nsemeke said, frowning. "Is that one of mine?"
"Is it?" Eteli asked Agent Jimmy as Jimmy nodded.
"Rotimi, can you reassemble this in three minutes or less?"
"Yes, Sir," Rotimi said, carefully assessing the pieces before him.
"No, you can't," Nsemeke said, skeptically looking at him. "I built that and I haven't even drawn up any schematics for anyone to follow. You can't possibly know what that's supposed to be unless I tell you."
Rotimi frowned in discomfort, not sure how to respond to Nsemeke's hostility. When he looked to Jimmy for directions, Jimmy raised an eyebrow at him.
"He just called you a liar, Rotimi. Don't you want to prove him wrong?"
Appearing more sure of himself, Rotimi cracked his neck from side to side as he moved closer to the tray, picking and placing the pieces in a different pattern.
Andem, who had no idea what anything was on a regular day, was completely lost. But even he could admit that watching the delicate placement of Rotimi's hands was oddly satisfying. He never second-guessed his decision. He never picked up something and put it back. When he moved any piece, it was to put it somewhere else. By the time the one-minute mark passed, he started fixing bits and pieces together, picking up the pace like it was something he'd done before.
Before long, it started to the shape of a black, cylindrical object. It was shaped like a spyglass but there were too many wires and screws inside of it, for it to be one.
"Done," Rotimi said, placing it on the tray, as Jimmy clicked his watch.
"Two minutes on the dot," he said with pride.
"How did you do that?" Nsemeke asked, looking from Rotimi to his assembled piece of tech on the tray. "No one has ever- what is this?" he asked Eteli.
Eteli clapped. "I knew you were going to make me money, Rotimi," he said.
"Sir, I think you mean, protect the country," Agent Jimmy said.
"Yeah, that too, but money is important, Jimmy. Get with the program," Eteli said. "This is gold. Imagine the optics."
"I already have, sir," Jimmy agreed.
"The press will go crazy for this stuff: a tech duo made up of a beta and an alpha? I'm about to pay off all my debts."
"I'm sorry, what?" Nsemeke asked as everyone turned to look at him. "A d… a duo? I work alone."
"Yes," Eteli said smiling. "Because no one can keep up with you. But now, we have a second you. Imagine how fast things could go, once we tell the world about you two?"
Nsemeke tried to smile, but it came out looking pained and untrue. "I don't understand. How did you do that? Are you an engineer? What are you?"
"Rotimi is a mimic," Jimmy explained. "I had him watch you work, just before you left for lunch."
"So he copied my powers?"
"He's here to help you," Eteli said, as his smile began to wane the more he realized that this wasn't something Nsemeke wanted. "Nsemeke-"
"That's cool," Nsemeke said, nodding as he fiddled in his pocket and his phone suddenly appeared. "I have to take a phone call."
He slid through the door, shutting it almost soundlessly as the place grew quiet. If any of them had said they could see the tension in the air, they would not have been lying.