by Bryan Cohen
Kable smiled and shook his head. "You've outdone yourself. It's a good thing I married someone who knows her way around a kitchen."
She undid the apron and let it fall to the ground. Her dress was stunning as it hugged every curve on her body.
"And I'm glad I married a man who likes to eat." She patted his stomach.
Before she could pull her hand away, Kable took hold over her wrist. He rubbed his fingers on the top of her hand and felt the thin layer of makeup. She smiled devilishly at him as he scratched through the concealer to reveal one wing of a rainbow-colored butterfly tattoo.
She used her free hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Do you miss the old me?"
Kable took his attention off her hand and brought it back to her eyes. "Nothing in the world will ever change who you are on the inside, Sandra."
14
Agents Vott and Harding took Ted and Erica just outside of town. They drove past Wayne Park, a popular place for the area's teens to park, and came upon what looked like an abandoned power station. The car stopped and the agents ushered the high schoolers out. Ted gripped Erica's hand as they passed through an open gate of a fenced-off area. The warning signs on the outside looked as though they'd been posted at least 50 years ago.
An elevator dropped them down for several minutes until the unassuming location gave way to a secret underground facility. The doors opened to reveal a massive compound. Ted felt like he was in some kind of spy movie. The main area was all shiny metal with touch screens, computers and panels in every direction. It reminded him of the GHA headquarters, though this was much more impressive.
Vott interrupted Ted's self-guided tour with a pat on the back. "We're sorry we interrupted your date."
Erica coughed. "That's okay. It's always been my dream to end a date by going into a creepy unmarked vehicle."
Harding sported a crooked grin. "If it's any consolation, I missed the end of a really great Nats game on TV."
Ted and Erica shared a glance. "It's not," they said in unison.
Vott and Harding led them through the compound. Of the 50 people Ted saw working there, only one or two seemed to notice them.
What are they doing? And why are they doing it here?
Agent Vott opened a door and gestured for them to sit down in a conference room not much larger than Sheriff Norris' detention cell. They took two chairs next to each other and Ted looked up at his former handlers.
"So. What's this about, guys?"
Harding switched off a light and flipped on the controls for a holographic interface. It took Ted's eyes a moment to adjust to the display, but once they did, he could see a green map of the United States. There were red dots in certain parts of the map. Most of them were concentrated in Treasure, but there were others in Colorado, California, Florida and some of the other places Ted had visited during the summer.
Vott paced the length of the room, his loafers tapping with each step. "While we appreciated your service with the government this summer, we must admit, having you save lives wasn't the only reason we brought you to work with us."
Erica let out a huff. "What? The government keeping secrets? I thought you had a 100% transparency policy."
Harding leaned forward. "Actually, the government doesn't have an official position on–"
Vott squeezed his partner's shoulder. "She's kidding, Harding." He focused back on Ted and Erica. "Our scientists have been working overtime to learn more about your powers. In the process, we've developed a system that tracks when you've accessed them."
Ted understood the map even better now. It wasn't just a collection of all the places he'd visited. It was measuring all the otherworldly energy present in the U.S. Ted heard Erica's breath quicken beside him. He placed his hand on her leg and she gripped it.
"We detected several traces of this kind of energy while Ted was out of town." Vott locked eyes with Erica. "And we've traced that power back to you, Ms. LaPlante."
Harding pointed in her direction. "If that's who you really are!"
Vott rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Harding."
Harding pouted. "I thought... I mean, we don't really know who she is."
Ted felt his heartbeat speed up. The world had more or less embraced him, but it was more difficult to explain who Erica was and why she was there. What would the government think if they knew she was part of a war that placed Earth right in the middle?
Vott turned the light back on and sat across from Ted and Erica. He pulled out a notepad and a pencil. "We know you disappeared for about a month and you returned on the day Ted fought Nigel and the other... beings. We also know that Stucky Crane died two days later and seemingly came back from the dead with enhanced abilities." Vott took the pencil in his hands and placed the point on the notebook. "This picture is half-painted, Ms. LaPlante. Paint the rest of it for me."
Ted's eyes grew wide as he looked at Erica once again. He'd known her long enough to guess the two options she was playing over in her head. One possibility was to fight off Vott and Harding before escaping the facility and living in hiding the rest of her mission. The other would be to share part, but not all, of the story. When she let out a breath of relief, Ted assumed she'd take the later path.
"I was sent here to protect Ted by the same people who gave him his powers."
Vott took down a note or two and leaned forward in his chair. "Are these the same people who gave Nigel his powers? Or Albert Redican?"
Ted knew that Erica was the one on the spot here, but he couldn't help but feel the anxiety coursing through his body as well. The heel of his foot bounced up and down against the floor.
Erica smiled. "No. I'm one of the good guys. We're on the same side, Vott."
Vott took down another note and leaned even closer. "Do the good guys have a command structure?"
Erica nodded. "Yes."
"Are you at the top of that structure?"
"No."
Vott was holding his pencil so tightly, Ted thought he might break it. "Then, we'd like to talk to your superiors."
Erica leaned closer to Vott. "That's not possible."
Vott pushed away from the desk and flipped the light back off. He pointed back to the map.
"Ms. LaPlante, we've detected signatures in multiple locations. Places where you and Ted haven't even been. Something is using these powers, and we need to know if this is part of another attack or if it's your 'friends' in action."
Ted watched as Erica stood up to get a closer look at the map. He followed suit. There were signatures in the Midwest and the Southeast in locations he'd never been.
Is there gonna be another attack?
"I had one way to communicate with my people, but it was destroyed during the attacks in Treasure." Erica's tone progressed from annoyed to angry. "I couldn't reach them if I wanted to."
"That's awfully convenient," Harding said.
Vott's pencil finally did snap as his eyes darted back to his partner. "Shut up, Harding!" He focused on Erica again. "That's awfully convenient, Ms. LaPlante."
Erica rested her hands on the desk. "If your world was ready to know about everything there is out there, we'd gladly share it. But it's not."
Vott brought his hands together over the map to zoom in on the state of North Carolina. "We're sending a team to investigate these signatures in three days. I've been asked to invite both of you to join us, but unless you tell us the truth, Erica, we'll have to protect Ted for you."
Ted could sense that Erica was about to burst. If she threw the table across the room or lashed out at the agents, Ted didn't know what the consequences could be. He stepped in between the staring contest that had begun between Vott and Erica.
"Hey." Ted put his hands on Erica's shoulder. He could feel heat radiating off her, as if Vott had caused Erica to catch on fire. "Hey. He's just trying to rile you up, okay?"
Erica flared her nostrils. "It's working."
Ted tried to calm her with his eyes. She looked through him like he w
as transparent. Ted turned back over his shoulder. "Can we have a minute to discuss this alone?"
Vott blinked before nodding. The agents turned the lights back on as they exited the room. As soon as they left, Erica pushed Ted out of her way, sending him flying against the wall. Ted's shoulder took most of the blow. She flipped the table over with a yell and the loud crash that ensued reverberated throughout the small room. Ted waited a moment for Erica to get some deep breaths in before he walked back over.
"You know, you get this cute little vein over your eye when you get angry."
Erica gave one last exhale before she rested her back against the wall and slid to the ground. "These are things they're not supposed to know, Ted."
Ted crouched down beside her. He watched Erica's arms began to shake.
Ted put an arm around her shoulder. "They already knew about me. It was bound to happen eventually."
Erica relaxed a bit and looked into Ted's eyes. He wished they were still beside the pond. Ted didn't want to be a hero anymore. He just wanted to be a boyfriend.
"I can't give them what they want, Ted."
Ted leaned his face close to hers. "Then I won't go with their team to North Carolina. Besides, I was really looking forward to speech and debate class this semes–"
"It's not that simple." Erica took Ted's hand. "If something's going to happen down there, you need to be ready to stop it."
Ted shook his head. "But I just got back. We were going to do this together."
"I know. It sucks. But, we'll help you from this end. At least we'll be working toward the same goal."
Ted scratched the back of his neck. "I guess. What am I going to tell them?"
Erica kissed Ted's forehead and pulled herself back. Even with the tears in her eyes, she was as beautiful as ever.
"Tell them you're in, because you're here to protect the world."
15
Dhiraj awoke to his alarm clock with a smile. He wasn't sure if he'd ever been more fired up for a school year. After years of getting up at the crack of dawn to work harder than anyone else at Treasure High, he had the grades and test scores he needed to get into his top school, as well as the money to pay for it. His business dealings with Ted Finley LLC had earned him more than enough to pay for undergrad and up to two graduate degrees. Now that everything was lined up perfectly, he was prepared to live out his dream senior year.
After a few hours of giving his army of outsourced overseas workers their tasks for the day, he pulled on a white button-down shirt and looked himself in the mirror.
"You've put in all the hard work. Now it's time to reap the rewards, you handsome, wealthy devil."
Dhiraj turned on some classic rock and shook his hips as he donned the rest of his outfit. The music was still playing when the horn honked in his driveway. He looked back in the mirror.
"Sorry, Dhiraj, I've gotta go. My dream girl is driving me to school today."
Dhiraj shut the door to his room and shimmied down the stairs. He tossed his backpack into Jennifer's car and strapped himself into the passenger seat. Jennifer wore a light top and purple jeans. With her hair tied back in a ponytail and sporting a necklace Dhiraj had given her as a birthday gift, she was absolutely beautiful.
And I'm the one who gets to kiss her.
Dhiraj leaned over, and she kissed him. He let himself linger in front of her mouth for a moment.
"Hi." Dhiraj felt the happiness wash over him.
"Hi." Jennifer closed her eyes and moved forward for another kiss.
Dhiraj gladly obliged before leaning back in his seat.
After a few minutes of discussing Ted Finley LLC business, including merchandising rights for Super Ted action figures and a Saturday morning cartoon show, the car pulled into the Treasure High lot. Dhiraj had worked his administrative magic to get them one of the best spots in the entire school. All he'd had to do was balance the district budget, which only took a few hours of his spare time.
Dhiraj was about to open his door when he noticed Jennifer staring straight ahead at the school. The gloss glistened off her lips and a peach aroma wafted over.
"Can you believe it?" Jen's eyes were as wide as silver dollars. "We're seniors. I wasn't even sure we were gonna live through junior year."
Dhiraj took Jennifer's hand and rested it on the gearshift. "It's like a dream, Jen. We get to run this school. A field hockey captain and a current business leader of America."
Jennifer's face twitched. Dhiraj had read countless books on body language, but he wasn't sure what the tick meant.
He put his hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"
She let out a sigh and the look disappeared. "Of course. I'm just nervous, I guess."
Dhiraj grinned. "We got this." He took her hand. "Right, cents?"
Jennifer undid her seatbelt. "Right, dollar." She turned toward him and leaned in for another smooch.
Can it possibly get better than this?
The familiar scent of floor polish struck Dhiraj as he held open the front door of Treasure High for his girlfriend. In past years, he'd associated the smell with bullies and homework and lectures that wouldn't end. Now it was the aroma of superiority.
After bidding adieu to Jennifer at her locker, Dhiraj walked the halls like the top dog in town. He got a few high fives from classmates and several awe-filled stares from lower classmen. He knew the younger kids wished they could rule the school like him and Jennifer, but it was the seniors' time for sure. Dhiraj planted his books at his homeroom desk and walked over to Ted, who appeared to be moping in the direction of a wall.
"Hey, buddy, your face is longer than usual." Ted moved his eyes off the wall and toward Dhiraj's face.
"Hey, man. I can't believe I only get one more day of this before I have to go."
Dhiraj felt for his friend, but he wasn't about to let anything mess with his vibe. He gave Ted a playful tap on the cheek.
"Soak it up while it lasts, my man. Whether it's a day or eight months, senior year is a temporary state of mind. Love everything as long as you can."
Ted's glum demeanor brightened slightly. "You're like a cross between a hippie and a self-help guru right now."
Dhiraj turned his open hand into a fist and presented it for Ted. "I can dig it."
Ted looked away before giving into the fist bump.
When the next bell rang, Dhiraj and Ted headed to first period calculus. Ted's mood had perked up slightly, but Dhiraj wanted to take it all the way to joy.
"Do a favor for me, buddy. Close your eyes and breathe in the senior superiority. It'll help you feel better."
"Fine."
Ted closed his eyes and Dhiraj followed suit. He took in a deep breath and thought about how fulfilling this year would be. As they both exhaled, Dhiraj opened his eyes. The image before him didn't seem to make sense. He blinked several times just to make sure.
"No freakin' way." Dhiraj turned to Ted and saw the same shock and awe on his face as well. He turned back ahead to see Natalie and Travis walking toward them, and they were definitely holding hands. Dhiraj's cloud nine had evaporated, and he landed with a thud back on solid ground.
Travis looked smug as he nodded in their direction. "Ted. Moneybags."
"Hey guys." Natalie wore a strained smile. "Travis is my boyfriend now. Deal with it."
16
Sela and Cal Fortbright sat on the top of a church tower overlooking the bustling main street. Behind them lay the fresh green grass and tall brick buildings of the university. In front of them, students and residents moved from shop to shop, unaware of what was coming their way.
They watched a mother and father pass by below. The father pushed a large stroller in front of him, as their infant's legs kicked forward at an odd angle. The mother led a toddler by the hand as they continued at a slow pace toward the busiest part of the strip.
Sela reached behind her to take the metal staff from the holster on her back. "Do you want to help me do this?"
Cal's face
went from quiet grin to goofy chuckle in a hurry. Sela felt like the look gave her a peek into her brother's adolescence, and she was grateful for it. She offered part of the staff to him, and he touched it lightly, as if it were a piece of artwork he was worried would break.
"How do I do it?"
Sela clasped her brother's hands around the very edge of the staff. She gripped just beneath his.
"I'm going to concentrate on the middle of the street there." A thought washed over her of what it would've been like to teach Cal to string his first bow or set his first trap. "Once you're focused on it, we're going to tap the other end of the staff against the building."
Cal looked down at the street so intently, Sela thought he might burn a hole in one of the vehicles passing by. She followed suit and focused in the very middle of the intersection just across from a post office. "Are you ready?"
Cal nodded. "I'm ready, sister."
Sela felt a calmness take her body as they tapped the staff against the building. A stream of energy zipped through Sela's body and out through the weapon. She watched as a portal began to open on the street below. A car making a turn onto the road was almost right above the gateway as it expanded. The vehicle's front wheel dipped immediately. Soon, it tilted deep into the portal. Sela continued to concentrate on growing the gateway, ignoring the screams of the people on the sidewalk. Two students rushed to the car in an effort to save the vehicles' passengers. As the portal grew and grew, the entire car and its rescuers fell inside, disappearing into the blue unknown.
Sela smiled and looked away from the street. "Okay, we did it."
Cal's body vibrated with energy. "That was amazing, Sela!"
He pulled his hands from the staff and wrapped his arms around his sister. She felt lucky to have a second chance with her family. Sharing her power made it feel like an infinitely more impressive accomplishment.
"You did great, brother." Sela looked down to see the street dwellers who hadn't run in terror attempting to look down into the portal. "Now comes the fun part."
A growling noise from the other side of the gateway was loud enough to reach them all the way at the top of the tower. It sent most of the people below running for their lives. When the snarling noise stopped, the car that had gone through the portal shot into the air much higher than the adjacent buildings and came crashing down on the sidewalk. The driver and passenger were gone. In their place was a trail of broken glass and a streak of dark red. The good Samaritans who tried to rescue the car were nowhere to be seen, either.