by Kate O'Hearn
Jake set his shoulders and started to move with determination. He walked along the empty street until he left Westward Junction behind and was moving into a more populated area. Each time he passed someone, he instinctively reached up to his neck to make sure Nesso was still there.
“I’m fine, Jake, don’t worry about me. Jussst call your mother.”
“I will. When we go into the bar, don’t move or let anyone know that you’re alive, okay?”
“I won’t,” Nesso promised.
Before long they reached the street with the bar that he’d seen from the window. As evening set in, it was becoming more and more busy. Jake pushed open the door and entered the dark bar, and he was immediately struck by the smell of stale beer.
Men of all ages were seated on high stools before the long oak bar, while a few couples sat at the small round tables and booths.
“Hey, kid, you’re too young to come in here,” called a man from behind the bar.
Jake looked over and saw hundreds of glasses hanging from a rack above the bar and tall beer taps poking up from beneath it. He nodded and walked over to the bartender. “I’m sorry, but my cell died and I really need to find a phone to call my mom.”
The bartender was pulling one of the taps and filling a pint glass with beer. He looked at Jake. “You lost?”
“Sort of,” Jake said. “I really need to reach her, but there aren’t any phones on the street.” He looked around and saw a public phone on the wall at the back near a sign leading to the toilets. “Can I use that one? I promise to leave when I’m done.”
The bartender shook his head. “Sorry, that one hasn’t worked in ages. With everyone using a cell these days, there’s no point. Let me see your phone.”
Jake reached into his bag, pulled out his cell phone, and handed it over. When the bartender checked and found it had no charge, he nodded and handed it back. “Sorry, kid. I can’t be too careful around here.” He called over to another man taking glasses out of the dishwasher. “Hey, Jimmy, take over for a minute. I’m taking this lost lamb to the office to use the phone. I’ll be right back.”
“Sure, boss,” Jimmy said as he closed the dishwasher and moved to take a drink order.
“Follow me,” the boss said. He looked at Jake and frowned. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
“I was born in Detroit, but my mom moved us out to LA a few years ago.”
The man looked like he was barely listening as he led Jake to the back of the bar. He pushed open a door that had the sign PRIVATE posted on it. “Forget the mess. The phone is on my desk. Try not to move things, I got a system.”
Jake stood staring at the disaster of an office. There were stacks of papers on the desk that looked ready to topple over. He couldn’t see a phone at first and had to follow the telephone cable to find it.
When Jake picked up the receiver, he looked at the man. “I won’t be long. But to be honest, my mom is going to go nuclear when she hears me. Can I have a bit of privacy?”
The bartender studied Jake for a moment. “Sure. But I’ll be right out here and will hear if you start going through my stuff.”
“I won’t, I promise,” Jake said. “And I can pay for the call.”
“Forget it, kid. Just help an old lady across the street or something to pay me back.”
“How about I help save Titus from a bunch of Mimics?”
“Sure, whatever,” the bartender said as he closed the door.
Jake dialed the number, not sure what he was going to tell his mom. What could he say? That he’d been kidnapped by a monster and taken to another planet? That would go down really well. He had no idea what to say and had to hope something would come to him.
By the third ring, he heard the receiver being picked up. “Hello?”
Jake gasped and could barely speak. “M-Moles, is that you?”
“Jake!” Molly cried. “Where are you?”
Jake could hardly believe that she was safe. “What happened to you? How did you get away from the Shadow Titan?”
“The what?” Molly said. “Jake, are you crazy? Have you hit your head again?”
“Yeah, I did hit my head,” he said quickly. “When I saw that thing grab you. Don’t you remember? I fell off my skateboard and hit the curb. We were on our way to the pier to see Dad.”
“Yes, we were, and you just left me there. Mom went nuts when you didn’t come home! She called the police and everything. They said you probably ran away.”
Jake suddenly realized that like everyone else who encountered the Mimics, Molly couldn’t remember a thing. He barely could, but he had no idea how Molly had gotten away from them. Had she fought? Screamed? Run away? He didn’t know and wondered if he ever would.
“Where is Mom? I need to speak with her.”
“She’s not here. She and Richard are taking Billy to the doctor for his checkup.”
“Who’s Billy?”
“He’s our baby brother.”
“Brother? Mom’s had the baby already?”
“Yeah, like two months ago. He’s so cute. When are you coming home to see him?”
His mother had the baby? She still had two weeks to go before he was due. Now his baby brother was two months old? “Moles, answer me: How long have I been gone? What’s the date?”
“That’s a stupid question.”
“Tell me!” Jake shouted.
“Jeez, Jake, you don’t need to bite my ear off. You ran away on July thirteenth, and now it’s September twenty-ninth and school has started again.”
“What?” Jake cried. “That can’t be right. I’ve only been gone a few days.” He looked around the small office and saw a newspaper lying on a mountain of files. He pulled it closer and read the date on the top. SEPTEMBER 29 . . .
“Jake, where are you?” Molly demanded. “What happened to you?”
“I—I’m safe,” he promised. “I was taken, but now I’m safe.”
“When are you coming home?”
When was he coming home? Speaking to Molly, he felt such a huge sense of relief that she was safe. But the Titans weren’t. It would be so easy to tell Molly where he was. Then his father would come to get him. But then what? What about Astraea, Tryn, and Zephyr, and all the others? What would happen to them if he and Nesso stayed?
Jake knew he couldn’t stay. His sister was safe, that was the main thing. But there were others who needed him. “Molly,” he finally said. “Listen to me very carefully. I have to go somewhere far away. But I’m not running away, I promise. Do you hear me? Tell Mom I’m not running away. I will be back. I just need to help some very special people.”
“What are you talking about?” Molly demanded. “Jake, come home. Mom has been crying ever since you left.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry. But I’m needed here. I hope you can understand. I am helping some very special people. Please tell Mom and Dad that I love them and I’ll be back. Just not for a while. Would you do that for me, please?”
“Jake, I don’t understand. Where are you?”
“I wish I could explain, but I can’t, at least not now. There isn’t time. Just tell Mom and Dad and even Richard that I will be back.”
He could hear Molly’s voice catch. “But—I miss you.”
“I miss you, too,” Jake said softly. “Moles, listen, when I come back, I promise to tell you everything. I might even be able to show you some amazing things. But you have to trust me. I’m doing this to help others.”
The bartender opened the door and nodded to Jake. “Almost finished?”
“Yes, sir,” Jake said. He focused on the call again. “Molly, I have to go. Whatever happens, please remember that I love you—you big slob.”
“Jake, no, please tell me where you are.”
“I can’t. But I promise to be back as soon as possible. Give a big kiss to Billy for me and tell him his big brother loves him.”
“But you haven’t even met him,” Molly said in a whisper.
“I will, soon.” Jake felt his throat tightening. “Molly, please tell Mom I’m sorry I’ve hurt her. But I will be back.”
He pulled the phone from his ear and heard his sister’s voice calling his name as he hung it up.
“You okay, kid?” the bartender asked.
Jake sniffed. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Look, I heard part of what you said. Are you in some kind of trouble? Can I help?”
Jake smiled. “No, it’s all right. My family thinks I ran away, but I didn’t. Now I have to do something before I go home—but I don’t think they’ll understand.”
“You sure you’re not in trouble?”
“Me? No, but some good friends are, so I’m staying to help.”
The bartender looked doubtful but nodded. “Okay, but if things get bad, you come back here. I got a boy a bit older than you, and I’d like to think someone else would help him if he got into trouble.”
Jake smiled again and walked toward the office door. “Thanks, that’s real nice of you.”
“Anytime,” the bartender said as he stood back and Jake walked out.
41
TRYN WAS STANDING AT THE window, gazing out. “I hope he comes back.”
Astraea nodded. “He will.”
Zephyr nodded. “Only because Vulcan has his board thing.”
Astraea laughed and patted Zephyr on the neck. “You’re not very trusting, are you?”
Zephyr snorted and shook her head. “Not when it comes to humans.”
Around them everyone seemed to be busy, but nothing appeared to be getting done. The piles of scrap metal had been moved to one area and the aisles were now clear.
They left the windows and returned to the main floor, where a crowd was gathering at the forge. Vulcan and Juno were standing with Jupiter and Pluto. Pluto put his hand on his brother’s shoulder while Jupiter raised his arms and a large flash of forked lightning shot from his hands and into the old forge.
The long-dead furnace creaked and moaned in protest but finally burst to life as flames shot out of it. Almost immediately the plant seemed to radiate with heat and light.
Vulcan roared with joy upon seeing the flashing flames. He looked at the others. “Do not just stand there—bring me some steel so I can start making the weapons we need to free Titus!”
Everyone cheered. But then Astraea looked at Jupiter and Pluto and saw the toll that sharing their powers and lighting the forge had taken on them. They were both standing back and leaning heavily against the wall.
“Stay here. I’ll be right back,” Astraea said to Zephyr. She dashed away and ran to their supply of nectar. She picked up an old cup, poured it full of the thick, sweet liquid, and brought it back to Jupiter and Pluto.
“Here, I think you both need this.”
Jupiter’s tired eyes sparkled with gratitude. “I have had my ration for the day. I will be fine.”
Pluto waved the cup away. “Save it for the others.”
“But you both used a lot of power to light the forge. Please, take my ration. I don’t really need it yet.”
“You will,” Jupiter said weakly. “We just need to rest a bit and we will be fine.”
The sound of running made Astraea turn. Jake was tearing through the plant at top speed. He had grocery bags in both hands. When he stopped and saw the flames burning in the forge, he couldn’t hide his surprise. “You lit the forge and I missed it. Nuts!”
“Jupiter and Pluto did it,” Astraea said. “But they drained their energy and won’t drink any nectar.”
Jake put down the bags he was carrying. “Didn’t you say that when you guys came to Earth, you ate sugar?”
Tryn nodded and Jake grinned. “Well then, be prepared for a sugar overdose!” He bent down, reached into the first bag, and took out a box. As he opened it, he explained, “These are sugar-glazed doughnuts. Try one.”
Tryn was the first to reach into the box. “My dad told me about doughnuts. . . .” When he took his first bite, he smiled. “This is wonderful.”
Astraea also took a doughnut and tried it. A wide smile crossed her face. “It’s almost as good as ambrosia.”
Jake picked up a doughnut and offered it to Zephyr. “Here, try this.”
“I refuse to be fed by a human!” Zephyr turned away, but then her nostrils started to twitch and she nickered. She turned back and finally took the doughnut. “Don’t think this changes anything,” she said with her mouth full.
“She says thank you,” Astraea said.
Zephyr nearly choked and spit crumbs everywhere. “What?” She gave Astraea a dirty look and then stole a second doughnut from the box.
Astraea led Jake over to Jupiter and Pluto and gave him a nudge. “Give them some. They just used a lot of power to light the forge and need the sugar.”
Jake looked into the flames. “I wish I’d seen it.” He shuffled his feet and held out the box of doughnuts. “Um, Jupiter, Pluto, sirs, would you like a doughnut?”
Jupiter raised his head. “Where did these come from?”
“I had some money with me, and since I went out to call my mother, I bought them on the way back. There’s a grocery store not too far from here. It has a lot of junk food that should be good for you.”
“You went out?” Jupiter asked.
Jake nodded. “Yes, sir. I really needed to call my mother and tell her I was safe.”
Pluto stood upright. His face was calm, but his eyes flashed. “Did you tell anyone about us being here?”
Jake looked fearfully at Pluto. “No, sir, I didn’t say anything, I swear! I didn’t even reach my mother.” His eyes went back to Astraea. “I spoke to Molly. She’s home. She wasn’t taken by the Mimics!”
“Explain yourself,” Jupiter said. “Who is Molly?”
Astraea took over for Jake. “His sister was attacked at the same time as Jake. It was a Mimic in armor or a Shadow Titan that got them. We found Jake in the nectar orchard by Arcadia but couldn’t find his sister. Now it seems that they didn’t take her, just Jake.”
“I’m so relieved,” Jake said. “But Moles is just like everyone else—she can’t remember what happened. They think I’ve run away. And guess what, my mom has already had the baby. I’ve been gone over two months! How is that possible? I was only in Titus a few days.”
Jupiter nodded. “Time moves differently between our two worlds. A day on Titus is weeks here. Did you tell your sister about us?”
“No, sir. I just said I’ve been helping friends and will be home once you’re safe.”
Jupiter came forward and put his arm around him. “You have been a great help and I am grateful.” He looked at everyone around him. “So let us get to work so we can reclaim our world and get this boy home to his family as soon as possible.”
42
THE FOOD WAS DISTRIBUTED AMONG the Titans and Olympians, giving them renewed energy and a determination to get to work.
Jupiter and Pluto called Astraea, Zephyr, Tryn, and Jake over. They also asked Astraea’s parents to join them. When they were all together, Jupiter said to Astraea and her team, “You have done so much for us, and we will be eternally grateful. But now I must ask you for more. We realize that you will be integral in freeing Titus from the Mimics. So I must ask you to leave us while you still have the strength to do it.”
“You want us to go back to Titus?” Astraea asked.
Jupiter shook his head. “No, you must go to Nesso’s world and find more snakes like her.” He looked over at Jake. “Implore them to help us. They will be our only salvation against the Mimics.” He paused. “Though I remain uncertain what to do about the Shadow Titans with only one flame-sword here. We can only hope that Vulcan comes up with something.”
Astraea felt her mother’s arm tense around her. She looked up at her and saw the fear in Aurora’s eyes. Astraea knew her mother didn’t want her to go, but said nothing. Finally she smiled weakly and nodded.
“We’ll go,” Astraea said. “And we won’t come
back until we have convinced them to join us.”
Jupiter nodded tiredly. “Thank you.”
“Clear the way—let me though,” Vulcan said gruffly.
The Titans and Olympians parted to allow Vulcan to approach. He walked up to Jake and held out his skateboard. “This one is yours and will serve only you.” Then he handed another to Tryn. “And this one is yours. Try them out and see how they work for you.”
Jake looked at his board and cried, “What have you done to it?”
Vulcan smiled. “I improved it.”
Jake’s eyes were huge. “But—but you cut it in half!” He held it up to Astraea. “Look what he did to my skateboard! He cut right through my Rob Dyrdek autograph and glued a piece of metal to it.”
“Yes,” Vulcan said. “So you have half of the original and Tryn has the other half. The back part now has wings and the power to fly. You simply tell it where you want to go and it will take you there.”
“F-fly?” Jake cried.
Vulcan smiled a big, toothy grin. “Yes, fly. I made Mercury’s sandals fly; this is the same principle. Now your boards fly.”
Astraea could see the pain in Jake’s face. He had loved that strange board, and now it was changed. “Try it,” she suggested.
Tryn put his down on the concrete floor and climbed on. He pushed off and the new skateboard rolled easily down the aisle. “Fly me to the end of the building.” Instantly tiny metal wings appeared out of the back wheels, lifted the board off the ground, and flew down the length of the big plant.
“Jake,” Tryn called, “this is wonderful. Try it!”
Jake was still looking at his damaged board, and his chin started to quiver.
Zephyr nudged Astraea. “Look, look, he’s going to cry!”
“Be nice,” Astraea said to her as she walked over to Jake. “I’m so sorry. I know how much that meant to you.”
“It was the last really big gift my dad gave me before he and my mom got divorced. Now it’s ruined.”
“But it’s for a good cause, and now it flies. Why don’t you try it?”