Nobody spoke for the first several minutes.

The driver kept both hands on the wheel and focused on the road without asking about the café, their injuries, or the attack. Whenever Luke caught his reflection in the rearview mirror, the man’s expression gave nothing away.

Lauren sat close enough that their shoulders touched. Her hand rested between them on the seat, and when Luke covered it with his own, she turned her palm over and held on.

Buildings passed outside the window, followed by wider streets and government offices. The farther they traveled, the more Luke wondered whether the Bureau would allow him to continue developing his abilities.

A few days ago, awakening an ability would have sounded incredible. Now the possibility of being forbidden from training felt almost worse than never awakening at all.

Luke had protected Lauren once, but that victory did not make him strong. It only showed him what he might become if he continued growing. If the government decided that he could no longer practice Arcane Thrust or strengthen the power inside him, the next criminal might tear through him before he could do anything.

Lauren eventually broke the silence.

"Excuse me."

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

"Do you know why the Bureau wants us at headquarters?"

"It’s about your abilities," he replied.

Luke rolled his eyes before he could stop himself.

No kidding, Sherlock.

Lauren squeezed his hand sharply, making him straighten and turn toward the window with an innocent expression.

Unfortunately, the driver caught the movement in the mirror.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"No," Luke replied.

The man’s expression remained unchanged.

Lauren gave Luke another warning squeeze before returning her attention to the driver.

"We understand that our abilities are involved," she said patiently. "I meant what they intend to do once we arrive."

"I wasn’t given an agenda."

"Will there be another medical examination?"

"Probably."

"Questioning?"

"Probably."

"Ability testing?"

The driver shrugged with one shoulder.

"Probably."

Luke looked toward the front of the car.

"Do you know anything?"

"I know where I’m taking you."

The blunt answer made Luke’s mouth tighten.

Lauren turned her head slightly, silently warning him not to say whatever had just entered his mind.

Luke leaned back and looked through the window instead.

The driver continued as though nothing had happened.

"The Bureau doesn’t explain every appointment to transportation staff. I collect the people on my list and bring them to headquarters."

"That’s comforting," Luke muttered.

"It wasn’t meant to be."

Lauren pressed her lips together. Luke could not tell whether she was hiding concern or trying not to laugh at him.

After a moment, she tried another question.

"Have you driven other Powerforge users to appointments like this?"

"Yes."

"Did the Bureau tell them more than it told us?"

"No."

Luke leaned forward slightly.

"Then what’s the point of sending a driver who knows nothing?"

"To drive."

Lauren tightened her fingers around his before he could respond.

Luke looked at her.

She gave him the calm, patient expression she usually reserved for customers preparing to complain about something beyond her control.

He leaned back with a quiet huff and turned toward the window.

The driver’s mouth shifted slightly in the mirror, though Luke could not tell whether the man was annoyed or trying not to laugh.

"Some newly awakened people panic," the driver said. "Others think having an ability means no one can tell them what to do. The Bureau wants to know whether you can control yourselves."

Luke looked down at his hand around Lauren’s.

"What happens if they decide we can’t?"

"Expect restrictions."

Luke’s attention returned to the driver.

"Even if the abilities are part of us?"

"It doesn’t matter where dangerous power came from."

"And if we disagree?"

"Save the argument for the officials inside."

Luke opened his mouth, but Lauren tightened her grip again.

He looked at her, and she raised one eyebrow.

Luke closed his mouth and leaned back.

The driver had not explained exactly what those restrictions might involve, but Luke could imagine enough. If the Bureau forbade him from practicing Arcane Thrust or limited him to whatever training it approved, his growth could slow to a crawl.

That possibility frightened him more than the appointment itself.

He had already agreed to become a hero. He wanted the training, the experience, and the chance to use his power for something meaningful. More than any of that, he wanted to become strong enough that Lauren would never have to stand between him and danger again.

Yesterday, he had managed to protect her.

Next time, he might not be enough.

A stronger criminal could ignore Arcane Thrust, move faster than Luke could react, or attack Lauren before he reached her. If Luke stopped growing now, his first victory might become nothing more than a lucky exception.

Lauren seemed to understand where his thoughts had gone.

"We don’t know whether they’ll restrict us," she said quietly.

"Not yet."

"No."

The driver glanced at them through the mirror.

"If you demonstrate control and cooperate, you’ll have fewer problems."

Luke disliked the word cooperate more every time he heard it. It sounded simple, but nobody had explained what the Bureau would expect them to cooperate with.

"And if they ask for something we don’t want to give them?" he asked.

"Ask the officials inside," the driver replied. "I only drive the car."

The hidden headsets immediately entered Luke’s mind.

Beside him, Lauren became very still.

The driver did not seem to notice the change. He turned onto a wider road and continued toward the government district.

Silence settled over the car again.

Luke watched the city pass outside, but little of it registered because his thoughts kept circling back to the abilities inside his body and the systems hidden at Lauren’s home.

Every few minutes, Lauren moved her thumb lightly across his hand. The quiet contact kept his thoughts from spiraling too far, though he noticed her other hand rise toward her temple once before she stopped herself.

"You should tell them as soon as we arrive," Luke murmured.

"I said I would."

"I’m making sure."

Lauren leaned slightly closer.

"Such a strict boyfriend."

The warmth in her voice softened his anxiety despite himself.

"I’m serious."

"I know."

"You keep pretending the headache is nothing."

"It is mild, Luke."

"Mild doesn’t mean you should hide it."

Lauren studied him for a moment before her expression softened.

"I won’t hide it."

Luke nodded, satisfied enough to stop arguing.

Eventually, the sedan turned off the main road and approached a broad security checkpoint.

The Eastern District Hero Bureau headquarters stood beyond it, much larger than it had looked in news reports. The central structure was a tall block of reinforced concrete and dark glass, surrounded by several lower facilities connected through enclosed walkways.

Security cameras covered the entrances, while heavy barriers controlled access to the grounds.

There were no giant statues of famous heroes or colorful banners hanging from the walls. The complex looked practical and heavily secured, designed to handle dangerous people and abilities rather than impress visitors.

Licensed heroes always appeared glamorous and untouchable in the news, but this was the part of their world the public rarely saw.

Several Bureau vehicles stood near one side of the grounds. Uniformed officers moved between buildings, while people in medical clothing entered through a separate doorway.

Luke stared at the complex as the car approached the gate.

The place did not look like somewhere that invited people to discuss their futures. It looked like somewhere decisions had already been made before anyone entered.

The driver presented his credentials at the checkpoint. A security officer looked through the rear window, compared Luke and Lauren’s faces to something on a tablet, and waved them through.

As the sedan continued toward the main entrance, Lauren looked up at the building. Her expression remained composed, but her shoulders were a little too still, and her grip had tightened again.

Luke pressed his hand more firmly against hers.

She turned toward him.

"We’ll be all right," he said.

Luke was not certain he believed it, but he wanted Lauren to hear the words anyway.

She studied his face before giving him a small smile.

"Yes," she replied. "We will."

The car stopped beneath a covered entrance.

Before the driver could unfasten his seat belt and come around, Luke released Lauren’s hand and climbed out. He walked behind the sedan, opened her door, and offered his hand.

Lauren looked at him for a moment before placing her hand in his. Luke helped her out and kept hold of her until both of her feet were steady on the pavement.

A warm smile touched her face, and for a moment, the secured building behind her did not seem quite so intimidating.

"Such a gentleman," she said.

"I’m trying."

"You’re doing very well."

Lauren did not let go. She stepped closer, linked her arm through his, and pressed against his side. Luke could feel the tension she was trying to hide beneath her calm expression.

He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Let’s see what they have in store for us, Lauren."

"Yes, Luke," she replied softly.

They walked toward the entrance together, where security officers waited beyond the glass doors alongside a Bureau employee holding a tablet. Several cameras tracked their approach.

Luke kept his back straight while Lauren remained close to his side. Whatever conditions the Bureau intended to place on them, he had no intention of letting them stop him from becoming strong enough to protect her.

Behind them, the driver watched the pair walk away. His gaze lingered on Lauren before shifting toward Luke.

"So she likes them young," he muttered as he leaned back in his seat and shook his head. "What a damn waste."