Perfection

by Melissa Koberlein

  “You sure about her?”

  She nodded. “If anyone can help you, it’s her.”

  “What if I hurt someone?”

  “You won’t.” She stretched her arms out on the back of the park bench and lifted her head to the sky as she closed her eyes, allowing the waning afternoon sun to warm her face. “You’re no match for me.”

  He fought the smile creeping up on his lips and put the earbuds in.

  22

  Training Camp

  Gage

  Gage stood in front of an old hardware store on the outskirts of Limbo. There were a few pickup trucks parked out front. Iris was at his side, and Dr. G. chimed instructions in his ear.

  “Concentrate on my voice,” she said through his ear buds. “I want you to close your eyes and focus on your breathing. That is the most important part. Remember to breathe.”

  Gage did as she instructed, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. When his breathing was rhythmic, he opened his eyes. “Now what?”

  “Now, I want you to go into the hardware store.”

  He nodded at Iris, who replied, “Heard.”

  Dr. G. had a line to both of them, except Iris didn’t need the earbuds.

  Iris opened the door to the store and entered. Gage followed as a chime sounded, announcing their presence. The store was set up like most hardware stores, aisles divided up by project areas. One associate stood behind a cash register, helping a man wearing a John Deere hat. Two other employees stood around, waiting to help customers. The two middle-aged men wore red vests with pockets and worn jeans. One had glasses.

  The men glanced at each other and leapt into action, each striding as casually and fast as they could to get to the fresh meat.

  Glasses got to them first. His nametag said Ron. “Hello, what can we do for you? Looking for something in particular?”

  The other associate shoved his hands in his pockets and sulked off down the plumbing aisle.

  Dr. G.’s voice sounded in Gage’s earpiece. “Tell him you’re looking for some gardening supplies.”

  Gage didn’t know where this was going, but he didn’t see the harm in looking at mulch. “Gardening supplies?”

  “Sure, sure. Follow me.” Ron smiled. “Working on a new project? Trying to get a jump on the season?” Gage nodded and followed. When Ron turned away, Gage shrugged at Iris, who stared straight ahead. Once they reached the right aisle, which happened to be the furthest aisle from the front of the store, Ron turned to him again. “So, what do you need?”

  Iris answered, “We need some tomato stakes.”

  “Oh, well, they’re over here.” Ron walked further down the aisle.

  “Try to speak to him through thoughts. See if he can hear you,” Dr. G. said.

  “How?” Gage whispered.

  “Concentrate on the voice in your head. Then project it outward.”

  Concentrate on the voice in my head? Sure. Easy enough. He didn’t have the slightest idea how this worked. The only time he’d felt anything extraordinary was when he was super pissed off. He stared at Ron’s back as he sauntered over to a display of tomato stakes. This was never going to work. He put his hands on his hips and sighed.

  Ron had a pack of stakes in his hand. “We got a few sizes—”

  The last thing I want right now are tomato stakes.

  Ron turned and stared at Gage. “Did you say something?”

  “What?” Gage’s heart skipped a few beats.

  Ron pursed his lips. “I could of swore you just said you didn’t need tomato stakes.”

  The hair on the back of Gage’s neck prickled. He looked at Iris and then back at Ron as sweat beaded his forehead.

  “Remember to breathe. You’re in control,” Dr. G. said.

  Gage took a few deep breaths. He felt warm and tipsy, like he’d been drinking. Stay calm. You can do this.

  “What next?” he whispered.

  “Think something else to him,” Dr. G. replied.

  Like what? He looked around, panic welling up in his belly. He wiped his damp forehead with his sleeve. Stay focused. He stared at the package of stakes in Ron’s hand, and his head warmed even more.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Ron took a few steps toward him.

  He focused his thoughts and projected a message, Drop the stakes.

  Ron’s grip slackened on the bag in his hand, and it slipped to the floor.

  Gage exhaled loudly. He’d done it. Sweat blurred his vision, and his body shook. God, it felt like he was on fire.

  “Steady…” Iris grabbed Gage’s arm.

  Her touch slammed into him like a ton of bricks. Flashes of her with Steel passed before his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut as violent thoughts fueled by disgust and anger took over his mind. He fought against the images, but they replayed over and over in his mind. Relentless. He couldn’t catch his breath.

  From a distance, he heard Dr. G. say, “Get control of it.”

  I can’t!

  “Jesus Christ, son, you’re glowing,” Ron said.

  Gage looked up, his vision fuzzy. Heat rolled off him in waves.

  Ron doubled over, grabbing his head. He fell to the floor, convulsing.

  “Enough,” Dr. G. said. “Iris?”

  Before he could turn toward her, he felt pressure on the sides on his face and head. Then, all went dark.

  Iris

  Iris hoisted a sweaty Gage over her shoulder and headed out the back entrance located at the other end of the gardening aisle. She propped the door open. Once outside, Dr. G. and Garcia pulled up in a car. She laid Gage in the backseat and headed back into the store. She leaned down next to Ron and scanned his vitals. He was alive. Then she scanned the rest of the store. All the other employees appeared to be going about their duties unaware. Good. It was smart of Dr. G. to send them to this part of the store. She shook Ron gently.

  Slowly, he stirred. “What in the world…”

  “You fainted,” Iris said, helping him sit up.

  “I did?”

  “Yes. It was the oddest thing. We were talking about planting in early spring, and then you fell. Luckily, I was next to you and caught you.”

  “You did?” Ron looked around and hiked his glasses back up his nose. “I don’t think I’ve ever fainted before.”

  “Maybe you haven’t eaten enough today?” Iris offered. Lying to people was easy for her. She’d trained for it since she came into existence.

  “No. Well, I thought I had.” His cheeks grew rosy. “This is embarrassing.”

  “Not at all.” Iris got up and helped him to his feet. “Sounds like a visit to your doctor for a checkup would be a good idea.”

  “Well, I thank you for assisting me. You’re quite a strong girl.” Ron smiled and looked back down the aisle. “Say, where’d your friend go?”

  “Oh, he has a phobia about illness. Once you went down, he was out. Good thing too. I could have had two of you on the floor.”

  “Oh, okay. Well, did you still want those tomato stakes?”

  “I think we’ll pass. It’s much too early to plant yet anyway. Thanks for your help.” Iris turned and left out of the front of the store.

  They’d made progress, but it was going to take quite some time for Gage to get control. She didn’t like putting him down like that. It didn’t feel right. And why did his powers magnify as soon as she touched him?

  Dr. G.’s black sedan pulled up in front of the store, and Iris got in the backseat where Gage was still unconscious.

  Dr. G. turned around from the passenger seat. “Replay the encounter.”

  Iris leaned back against the seat and used her ocular projector to play out the incident she’d recorded. Ron reacted to Gage, and then Ron dropped the package he’d been holding. She asked Iris to play it again a few times. The recording showed Gage’s temperature rising, and he radiated like before.

  “Something happened when you touched him,” Dr. G. said.

  Gage stirred, his eyes still closed. “When
you touched me, I saw you with him.”

  Iris shuddered, and she scooted away from him. He saw them? How?

  Dr. G. closed her eyes and sighed. “That cunning little mental manipulator—”

  “Who? What are you talking about?” asked Garcia.

  “Steel. He implanted his memories into Gage’s mind. They were triggered when Iris touched him.”

  Iris leaned forward and put her head in her hands, her heart pounding in her ears. “What are you saying? That if I touch Gage, he sees—”

  She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

  Dr. G. frowned at Iris. “I don’t know. For now, keep your hands to yourself unless necessary. On the upside, I’m fairly certain Gage is more than a telepath.”

  “Are you saying…” Garcia asked, his eyes practically dancing with excitement.

  Dr. G. leaned back against her seat and stretched her arms. “Mind control.”

  23

  Gaining Control

  Gage

  A few days passed. Sam had notified the school that Gage would be taking a leave of absence which would mean summer school and Evie covered for Iris by saying she was visiting colleges with her parents. They stayed with Garcia and Dr. G. at the only decent hotel between Limbo and the rest of the civilized world. It was a miracle that such a place existed, but the musical talent that played at Purgatory needed somewhere to stay. Gage was finally making progress in getting his abilities under control. He’d spoken to at least ten people with his thoughts, made five more snap their fingers, and Iris only had to knock him out four times. He hoped her sleeper hold wouldn’t have any lasting effects.

  While Dr. G. was impressed with his progress, Gage was impatient. Bio-Core could come after him any time now, and they had android forces he couldn’t control. His granddad was back in Ashwater, trying to persuade the board to reinstate him. Gage doubted Sam would get much support but admired him trying. At the very least, he’d be able to get updates on what the board was up to.

  Things were still tense with Iris. She kept her distance physically except when she had to knock him out. The visions of her with Steel had faded some but not entirely. It was the intimacy that he was forced to see that hurt the most. He could see in her eyes too, the pain of knowing he saw her with Steel.

  He’d given the situation some thought. What she did before they met had nothing to do with him, and technically, she didn’t cheat on him. It was just super weird that the person she was with before him happened to be his twin brother and public enemy number one. He wanted to make things right with her, but the thought of touching her was terrifying. What if he could never touch her again?

  Gage left his room and headed down to the hotel lobby to meet the others. From there, they were going to the diner for breakfast. He ran into Iris waiting for the elevator. She looked beautiful as usual but tired.

  Despite the dark circles under her eyes, she smiled. “Morning.”

  “Good morning.” Gage pressed the lobby button, and the doors closed. He dug his hands into his pockets. “What’s on the schedule for today?”

  “More practice, I guess.”

  “Have you heard from anyone back in Ashwater?”

  “Adam and Evie texted me. They’re doing good. They asked about you.”

  “Oh. What did you tell them?”

  Iris glanced down at the floor and back up at the doors, rubbing her hands together. “I said that you are doing better and that we’re on a break.”

  On instinct, he reached for her.

  She sensed it and jumped away. “Gage, no.”

  “Right. Sorry. It’s just—” He withdrew his hand.

  “Let’s just focus on getting you in control of your abilities.” Iris drew in her bottom lip and rocked on her feet.

  She was hurting. He wanted to make it right, but he didn’t know how.

  The doors opened, and Garcia was waiting for them. He grinned, excitedly. “All right, you two, who wants pancakes?”

  Dr. G. was waiting outside the hotel. After a quick car ride, they entered the diner. It was unusually full with lots of cars in the parking lot. Of course, it was a Saturday morning and prime brunch time, even for a ghost town. There was a sign that said, “A hostess will seat you.” But said hostess was nowhere to be found. Gage spotted her chatting with some guests at a table in the dining room. She didn’t look like she would be doing her job anytime soon.

  He closed his eyes and concentrated his thoughts toward her. He’d gotten used to the process, and it came easier each time he did it.

  Walk back to the hostess station.

  The woman looked over at them and nodded. She said goodbye to the people she was chatting with and headed toward them.

  “Nicely done.” Dr. G. smirked.

  Gage smiled. Maybe these abilities weren’t such a burden after all.

  The hostess took them to a table and laid out menus in front of them. “Your server will be with you shortly.”

  Gage glanced around at the busy dining room. There had to be at least forty people in the restaurant, the most he’d been around since they started.

  Garcia drummed on the table. “Can we please eat before he does his thing? I’m starving.”

  Dr. G. narrowed her eyes at him as if to say, you’re not in charge. She smiled at Gage. “How are you feeling?”

  “I feel good.”

  A waiter came over to the table and poured some water into their glasses. “How are we today, folks?”

  I’m well, thanks, Gage thought to the waiter.

  “Glad to hear it. We’ve got some specials this morning…”

  The waiter didn’t skip a beat. The ritualized greeting was so ingrained in his routine that the thought entered his mind and he interpreted it as out loud.

  Gage surveyed the place, drowning out the waiter. All the other people were eating and talking. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the sounds of everyone around him. One by one, he accessed their minds like selecting files on a computer. His breathing was normal, and he barely heated up now. Once he had them all together, he thought, Stop talking.

  The restaurant fell eerily quiet, save the sound of utensils on china as the people continued to eat. But no one spoke, not their waiter, who had been mid-sentence describing the specials, not even his companions. He opened his eyes and looked at Iris. Did it somehow work on her too?

  “You’re getting the hang of this,” she said, smiling.

  Nope. She was still immune. “I think so.”

  Then he heard Dr. G. in his head, Very good. Now, I’d like my voice back if you don’t mind.

  Gage accessed their minds again and told them they could speak. The buzz of conversation resumed around them as if nothing had happened. Their waiter continued his speech about specials, and Gage leaned back and put his hands behind his head, his confidence rising.

  After the waiter took their orders and left, Gage looked at Dr. G. “What’s next?”

  Iris

  Iris excused herself after breakfast to go back to her room. She needed a break from the training. While she was unaffected by Gage’s mind control, she was still very much under his spell. Touching him and not touching him was killing her. Each time she had to put him to sleep, he grimaced. She imagined the horrible visions of her with Steel were present just below her fingertip as she cradled his unconscious head. She fell back on her bed and covered her face with a pillow, stifling the sob that came so regularly now. Being with him was impossible and for more than one reason. Even if they were somehow able to overcome the past, Sam Strickland would deny them a future.

  She rolled over onto her side and stared out the window. The sky was cloudy, and the air had a chill in it. She had about an hour until she’d have to face him again. A knock on the door caused her to jump. She detected familiar vitals and scents as she walked over to the door and peered through the peephole.

  Adam and Evie!

  Iris wiped at the tears on her cheeks and threw open the door, drawing them in
for a hug. “I missed you guys so much.”

  “It’s only been a week, girl,” Evie said.

  “Please, come in.”

  Evie sat on the bed while Adam took one of the chairs by the window.

  “What are you guys doing here?” Iris asked, leaning against the dresser.

  “We were worried about you and Gage. After you said you were on a break, I thought it might be hard for you to be here,” Evie said.

  “I’m okay. The important thing is that Gage is doing much better.” Iris swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

  “You are unaffected by his abilities?” Adam asked.

  “Yes, only humans,” Iris replied.

  “So, he’s like his brother?” Evie asked.

  “No, he’s different. Steel can manipulate minds, but Gage can control them.”

  “Shut…up.” Evie’s darkened eyes turned to saucers. “That’s wicked.”

  “And dangerous.” Adam got up. “Where is Gage now?”

  Iris shrugged. “Probably downstairs or in his room.”

  “Okay, you two catch up. I’m going to find Gage.” He leaned down and kissed Evie, making Iris’s heart clench. She’d never kiss Gage again. “See you later.”

  After the door shut, Evie narrowed her eyes at Iris. “All right. Tell me what’s really going on with you and Gage. Things are that bad?”

  “Worse, so much worse.” Iris slumped down on the bed next to Evie, her bottom lip quivering as her eyes filled with tears.

  “Tell me.” Evie laid back with her.

  Iris stared at the ceiling. Where to start? “Well, I had sex with Steel when I was at Bio-Core.”

  “Yup. I remember that bit.”

  “It was part of my training.” Iris sniffled, reaching for a tissue from the nightstand.

  “Hey, no judgement.” Evie held up her hands in surrender.

  “Right. Well, apparently when Steel and Gage fought at the fashion show, Steel implanted memories of us being intimate in Gage’s head.”