by Bryan Cohen
Chapter 50
The gum Dhiraj had offered Erica was a major help as she spoke with the two Homeland Security agents. There was something about blowing bubbles and chewing that really sold the dumb teenager act. Agent Harding was wiry and seemed to write down everything Erica said on a notepad. Agent Vott asked most of the questions. He had a deep voice and he filled out his extra large suit with muscles.
"Do you know where Ted got his powers from, Ms. LaPlante?"
She looked off to the side as if she lacked the brainpower to answer a simple question.
"Um, I don't know for sure. It didn't seem like one of those comic book ways. Like radiation or a radioactive spider or a radio."
Harding scribbled on his pad.
"What kind of company does Ted keep?"
"Ted runs a company?" she asked.
Vott and Harding exchanged a look.
"Let me rephrase, what kind of affiliations does he have? Is he a part of any strange clubs or does he have any family friends that come into town from overseas?"
Erica chewed the gum with her mouth open for a few beats. With this line of questioning, she could tell the government was scared of Ted. They didn't understand what he was, and that made him a threat to them.
"I think he tried out for volleyball once, but he got cut."
"Would you say that Ted Finley is dangerous to the people around him?"
After all she'd seen in her multiple lifetimes, Erica knew the real answer to the question. The people around Ted would always be in danger. It was part of the job description.
"Ted is a hero," she said. "They should, like, make a movie about him. Who do you think would play him?"
"Channing Tatum," Harding said, before Vott gave him a wide-eyed glance.
"What my partner means, Ms. LaPlante, is that we're all out of questions. Thank you for your time."
The two of them stood up. She did the same and shook their hands.
"So, do you guys have summer internships or anything? I want to work from home, too."
As Vott explained what Homeland Security really meant, Erica spied Ted walking back down the hallway. She tried to read his look. Natalie had saved her life and she could be a strong ally going forward, but she had also tried to ruin Erica's reputation. Above all of that, Ted still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend, and in the teenage parts of her mind, that made Natalie a threat.
Agents Vott and Harding thanked Erica and walked off before Ted arrived. She watched them as they went, wondering how much the lack of secrecy would hurt their mission. Would she have to reveal all the secrets of her world and the many other worlds connected to this one? She didn't know if mankind was ready for that.
"How is she?" Erica asked.
"Great. Aside from the stab wound. How about the sheriff?"
At Jennifer's request, Erica had removed the bond between her and the sheriff. Sheriff Norris had taken quite a beating in the caves, and he'd need several weeks to fully recover. Jennifer didn't blame Erica, per say, but she asked that her father be able to act under his own impulses. Erica immediately began considering a new brainwash of the two agents.
"He's better," she said. "He had good things to say about Dhiraj. Maybe this him-and-Jennifer thing'll happen after all."
Ted's smile made Erica think about kissing him. She wondered if she went in without explaining herself whether he'd kiss her back.
"I think it'd be good for Dhiraj to take a break from trying to run a business," Ted said.
Despite running around in a cave, Erica could smell the familiar scent of Ted's clothing. She thought of the band room and the woods. Then she tried to push the thoughts away.
"He told me you guys might build a lair from all those donations," she said.
Ted nodded.
"A lair might be in the cards. But we'll have to run things by our new partner. Why didn't you tell me yesterday who you were?"
Ted sat down and Erica did the same. She put her hands over her eyes.
"This is embarrassing," she said.
Ted put her hand on Erica's back.
"What's embarrassing?"
Erica decided to blurt it out.
"I have a crush on you, Ted Finley," she said. "I'm supposed to help you save the world and learn how to control your powers, but part of me is just a teenage girl with a crush on you."
Erica knew it was more complicated than that. There were feelings for William mixed up in her old inhabitant's regret at giving up her friendship with Ted. It would be easier for her to put these in simpler terms.
Ted scratched his head and sat down.
"I look at you and I see Erica, but that's not who you are," he said.
Erica ran both of her hands through her hair.
"I still have all of her memories and all of her emotions," she said. "She'll never be completely gone as long as I'm here."
Ted lifted his chin.
"You lied to me, once," Ted said. "How do I know you're telling me the truth?"
"Close your eyes," she said.
Ted's eyes narrowed before he followed her instructions.
"I want you to remember a little girl with a unicorn shirt trying to open your window in the middle of the night. A girl who would beat you in cartoon racing video games and dare you to climb up trees. This girl wanted to spend every waking moment with you and you wanted to do the same with her."
Erica dropped to her knees and positioned herself right in front of Ted.
"Now open your eyes."
Ted did and pressed his lips together as he looked at Erica's face.
"What do you see?" she asked.
He let out a shallow sigh.
"I see Erica," he said. "Part of her is really in there. And I'm in love with her."
Erica put her hands on both sides of Ted's face.
"I'm here to keep you safe, but I think the main reason I'm here is to give us a second chance."
Erica felt her lips part as she waited for Ted to say something. His eyes started straight into hers without blinking.
"Oh, what the hell," he said.
Erica’s lips tingled as Ted put his arm around her neck and pulled her toward him. A burst of euphoria shot through her body as their lips met. Erica didn't care that Ted didn't truly understand who she was. All she wanted was to be near him. Erica breathed him in and let the time pass by with his lips on hers.
Erica wasn't sure how much time had gone by when she heard the click of a digital camera. When she pulled away from Ted, she saw half a dozen people snapping photos of them. She considered presenting them with one of her fingers, as that was the old Erica's gesture of choice, but she held herself back. Ted opened his eyes and noticed the photographers as well.
"I wonder if we'll make any front pages," he said.
Erica got up off her knees and sat herself down in Ted's lap. She looked into his eyes once more.
"I suppose you've got to give the people what they want," she said.
She threw her arms around Ted's neck and kissed him again.
It didn't take long for Erica to drive Ted home, though she wished it had lasted longer. The two of them exited the car and Erica stood with her back against the driver's side door. Ted walked around to her side and took her hand.
"You know, one thing's been bugging me," he said. "Nigel told me that the living soul could end the war in an instant. Can I?"
Erica's eyes blinked several times. She wasn't sure if Ted was ready for the honest answer to that question.
"I think the answer will become more clear once we've started training," she said. "There's a lot you can do when you fully tap into your powers."
Ted pulled Erica's hand to his side.
"And when do we start this so-called training?"
Erica smirked.
"I didn't tell you? Five a.m."
Erica noticed Ted's posture stiffen.
"Five a.m.?" he asked. "As in 5 a.m. tomorrow?"
"Wear comfortable clothes," she said.
Erica kissed Ted's lips one last time.
"You know, if I have to get up at five in the morning to save the world, it might not be worth it," he said.
Erica opened the car door.
"I'll see you soon, Super Ted."
As Erica drove back across town, she took a long look at her old bedroom window. As a child, she'd wished a hundred times over that she could fly across the yard and land in Ted's room. Not once in her imagination did she see her best friend, the only boy she'd ever cared about, gaining the ability to soar through the sky to be with her. She felt all her tension release as she made the turn out of Ted's neighborhood.
Epilogue
Stucky felt safe in the police van. When he was cuffed at the school, he felt like a major weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It turns out, he didn't like the idea of being part of this huge mission to save the dark souls, and he had strength and power that would keep him safe no matter what happened. Across from him, he saw Faraday half-asleep and several other passengers about to nod off. Like him, they were handcuffed and had shackles around their legs. Stucky and Faraday were told they'd be given the maximum possible sentence for attempted murder and that the judge would lock them up and throw away the key. Stucky didn't mind.
He could see the next 20 to 30 years unfolding in prison. With their powers, he and Faraday would be top dogs in jail. If anybody tried to mess with him, he'd easily be able to turn the other cheek. After all, what were they going to do to a guy who could punch them clean across the room? Stucky relished the idea of being in charge of something. With his brother and Nigel gone, he could finally come into his own. That's the exact thought he had in mind when one of the guards in the front screamed, "Look out!"
A small explosion outside caused the van to flip several times. Stucky's head smashed against the side of the vehicle, but he remained conscious throughout the impact. The van came to a stop completely upside down. Two of the prisoners who had undone their seat belts to get more comfortable didn't survive. Stucky ripped his handcuffs apart with ease and undid his belt. He landed one on of the dead prisoners and kicked out the backdoor of the van. Faraday followed close behind him.
"What happened?" Faraday asked.
"I have no idea. Deer in the road?"
"Deer don't explode."
Stucky shrugged. He walked around to the front of the van. Neither of the drivers survived the crash, either.
"What do you think we should do?" Stucky asked.
It was dark and cold out. They'd survive out there, but they wouldn't be comfortable. Not like the prison bed Stucky had been dreaming about. He couldn't even tell where they were.
"Hey," Faraday said. "At least we don't have to go to pris–"
A projectile flew through the air, interrupting Faraday and landing at his feet. The former drama teacher looked down curiously at the grenade. Stucky pulled open the passenger door to act as a shield. The explosion nearly blew out Stucky's eardrums. The door had only provided minor protection, sending him flying in the opposite direction. He knew right away that Faraday and the other passengers were long gone. A piece of glass from the van's window had lodged itself in his leg. When he tried to put weight on it, the immense pain sent him to the ground.
"Please! Whoever you are, I'll help you. I'll be on your side. I don't want to die."
There was silence. Stucky closed his eyes, half-expecting another grenade to come shooting over in his direction. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes. A woman stood there holding the grenade launcher. She had a rainbow butterfly tattoo on her hand.
"Sandra? Are you here to rescue me?"
She continued to smile as she looked behind her. There was someone else there. It was a man Stucky recognized as well. He pulled back his hood to reveal half a face.
"Stucky, it's good to see you again, old friend. It's a shame you couldn't come through for the cause."
Stucky looked around. There was nothing but road and forest. With his bad leg and the two-on-one odds, it seemed like his only chance was to try to talk things out.
"We tried to kill Ted. We tried to bring the army over. We can try again."
The half-faced man laughed.
"You failed, Stucky, and there's got to be a penalty for that. How else will I teach my protégé how to behave?"
"Forgive and forget?" Stucky said.
The man walked up to Stucky and placed his boot on Stucky's chest. Stucky thought of his brother for some reason.
"When a plan doesn't work, it never hurts to start fresh."
The last thing Stucky would see was the half-faced man slamming a foot into his throat.
Legal Page & Acknowledgements
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All contents Copyright © 2014 by Bryan Cohen. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Limit of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher has used its best efforts in preparing this book, and the information provided herein is provided "as is." Bryan Cohen makes no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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Acknowledgements
Thank you to everybody who made this book possible. My beta readers Torsten Spooner, Blake Williams, Irene Hamilton, Barbara Pohland, Tim Matson, Julianne Clancy, Lindsey Muscato and Sarah Wynde were invaluable. James Olsen, along with Candice and Logan Conner, Alisa Rosenthal, Michael Silberblatt and Cordelia Dewdney were awesome in their cover contributions. Big thanks to Ashley Gainer for rocking the edits. Lastly, thank you to my wife for putting up with the early exits and the long hours that gave me the time to finish this book.
Thanks from Bryan
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