Time Leap: A Teen Superheroes Saga

by Preston Flint

  Descending to sector B-42, I gazed around the all-glass elevator, making its way down a glass tube, through many floors, seeing many people working in many different sectors.

  Damn! This place is really huge!

  I knew for a fact that the X-Agency secret facility was located somewhere north of British Columbia, near the Alaskan border. The bigger part of the facility stretched hundreds of feet below the ground, leaving a small part of the building above the surface, at the heart of a coniferous forest.

  Soon enough, the elevator made its stop, sliding its doors open to an obscure concrete hallway. Stepping out, I heard the elevator doors close behind me as I proceeded further into a long pathway of cells.

  There were numerous prisoners, as many men as women, estimating very few empty cells. They were held into concrete compartments, closed in with a thick sheet of glass with a blue illuminated contour. They all wore orange prison uniforms. Most of them gazed at me while I passed by their cell. A woman directed her eyes to me, while painting her toenails – an attractive-looking brunette, her hair tied into a long ponytail. She suddenly grinned and winked at me.

  I remained placid. Without showing the slightest emotion.

  Arriving at Shelby’s cell, he promptly sprung out of his bed and drew slow steps toward the glass.

  “Look who’s here!” He grinned diabolically.

  I obviously knew that it was a complete waste of time, trying to talk to him, or any of the other prisoners. But I came anyway in the hopes of, perhaps, getting some clues from his intonations or facial expressions. Or even listen to what he had to say, reading between the lines.

  “What do you know about Derek Trevor?” I asked him.

  He pointed a finger at me and started laughing. “Who wants to know?”

  I stood with my arms crossed, already close of losing my patience. But I took a deep breath.

  “Please, answer my question,” I demanded.

  “He’s being held at our secret facility, perhaps still unconscious, being tested for many sorts of experiments.”

  “What kind of experiments?”

  “Most of the time, the experiments are about genetic resequencing,” he said. “Don’t ask me about the scientific methods and procedures and all that miraculous crap.”

  “Now, what does the Elite organization want with me,” I said, pointing myself.

  Shelby took a deep breath. “To them, you’re the fun part. You’re the younger version. Although apparently to have succeeded with the old you, they want the fresh and young version as well.”

  “But why?” I asked.

  “I don’t know why!” he yelled with sudden rage.

  I drew a step back, being startled.

  “Elites just want more and more power,” he explained calmly. “To create the perfect race, to become the pure race, constantly aiming for the finest and very best. Absolute power, my friend. To be the only race roaming the planet with all the rest of you gone to extinction. Nothing more to say.”

  “Derek?” a female voice called from behind me.

  I turned to the cell across from Shelby’s, suddenly startled with what I was seeing.

  Samantha. Dressed in a prison uniform.

  “Thomas brought me here, Derek!” she said gloomily. “He said it’s the only way to keep me safe! Please get me out of here … you can. Can you? Derek, please,” she cried, tears sliding down her cheeks.

  This can’t be real! I tried convincing myself.

  But I couldn’t help from drawing closer, seeing both her hands pressing against the glass.

  “You do love me don’t you?”

  I felt compassion, feeling totally disturbed and upset for seeing her this way.

  This can’t be real, Derek!

  Suddenly hating my brother to have locked her up, without warming me!

  Come on, snap out of it!

  Then Samantha released a hysterical scream of panic, her image suddenly morphing into another woman – an older woman with long gray hair, frightfully thin, her eyes bulging from her skull, and finally laughing diabolically.

  “You see what I mean?” Shelby said as I turned to him. “She’s the best example of the type of experiments performed on humans. She’s able to read into people’s minds and make you believe that you’re seeing someone else than her.” He paused and closed his eyes for a brief moment.

  “Where is the Elite secret facility located?” I asked.

  “Listen kid,” he said. “If you want to risk yourself, rescuing your older self, it would be a lot simpler to let yourself get captured by an Elite. Trust me on that, Derek. It’s the only way. Otherwise, there’s always the high risk of watching your friends and loved ones get seriously hurt, just to get your attention.”

  CHAPTER 38

  Soon after, I transmitted myself to my room, immediately glancing at my alarm clock, showing one twenty-two in the morning. Sitting on my bed, I began thinking … about my family, my friends. My little brother Thomas. Samantha whom I loved with all my heart. It was all too painful to think about. I had to do something to keep them away from such danger.

  Feeling worried, I just had to see Samantha.

  Strapping on my suit, I transmitted myself outside, flying away above the nighttime neighborhood.

  Arriving to Samantha’s house, I hovered close to her window, watching her in the darkness of her room. Sleeping peacefully, like an adorable sleeping beauty.

  I love you, Samantha, I thought, pressing my hand against her window.

  She lay on her side, under her thick covers with her back toward me. I remained by her window for another whole minute, watching her, seeing that she was safe.

  Then she slowly turned to the other side, her eyes already open, gazing out her window. She pushed away her sheets, gently got up from her bed and strolled to her window, staring stunningly.

  She was about to open her window as I shook my head. Then she frowned, gesturing for me to come in.

  I appeared in her room, beside her.

  She smiled.

  “You were glowing with sparks, storming all around you!” she said.

  “It’s the energy, which allows me to fly,” I told her.

  “It’s beautiful!”

  “I hope I didn’t wake you, Samantha.”

  “No, not at all,” she said. “I slept a little, but I’ve been awake in my bed for about an hour.”

  “Hard time sleeping …”

  “Pretty much,” she stated, forcing a laugh. She then surveyed me from head to toe. “Nice outfit!” She smiled. “It must be nice to fly. Isn’t it?”

  “Would you like to?” I offered her.

  “Really?” Her eyes as wide as they could be.

  I nodded. “You can trust me.”

  “I do trust you,” she said.

  Samantha slipped on a pair of socks, then her running shoes. She tiptoed down to the entrance to put on her warm coat and scarf over her pajamas. Finally, she carefully stepped out of her front door, where she met me, waiting for her.

  From her bright smile to her cheerful eyes, she flew toward me, falling into my arms.

  “You’re ready?” I asked her.

  “Yes,” she breathed delicately.

  Surging up my energy, I brought Samantha to place her feet on top of mine. I held an arm around her, while she held me with both of her arms. I threw my arm in the air, to guide us both upwards, leaving the ground, feeling Samantha suddenly tightening her grip around me.

  She was reluctant to look around for the first few seconds, shouting from the sudden thrill. I decreased my pace once we achieved a good altitude – seeing the city lights merely forming a decorative pattern.

  Then she rose her gaze above my shoulder, viewing the area all around us. A few gulls flew close to us, the clear sound of their flapping wings and some of them screaming.

  “This is so beautiful!” she exclaimed.

  I hugged her with both arms, feeling her breath against my neck. Then I gently twirle
d around, holding her hands, now dancing up in the sky.

  The air was mildly frigid, but also very silent. There were faint sounds from down below: roaming vehicles with few car horns.

  “This is the most romantic night of my life, Derek,” she alleged.

  CHAPTER 39

  We made a stop upon the roof of a skyscraper, on Harbour Centre, looking down at the busy nighttime city of Vancouver. Holding each other close, Samantha soon fell silent for a moment, as if falling into her own thoughts. After a brief moment, she lifted her eyes at me, staring into my eyes worryingly, simply without words.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “What are you gonna do? What’s going to happen … to us?”

  “Samantha, everything will be all right. You’re safe.”

  “I’m not worried about me, I’m worried about you.” She sighed. “People are on the run to get you, Derek.”

  “I know …”

  “And what will this mean for us?”

  “That’s why I came to see you, tonight,” I said. “Because I know I’m going to have to lose you. For you to do your own life. Or else, our lives will always be at risk.”

  “So, all of this, tonight, the romance, the flying … it all means goodbye?” she cried.

  “There’s no other choice,” I said, swallowing hard.

  “Derek, look at me,” she demanded. “Just tell me you love me.”

  “I love you with all my heart. And I will always be there for you. That is my greatest promise.”

  “Then let me choose to be with the one I love. And that is no other one than you, Derek. I won’t be happier with anybody else than you,” she said in a shaky voice.

  “I love you so much, Samantha,” I whispered, holding her close to my heart.

  “I love you too, Derek,” she sniffed, then gasping and wiping her tears.

  We kissed, holding each other tight.

  I looked into her eyes, wiping off the rest of her tears. “Let’s get out of here,” I said.

  “Yes!” she said, with a sudden smile.

  We soon left the city of Vancouver and flew back home. Then as we arrived close to her house, we hovered close to her window. I carried her with one arm around her and the other under her knees – like a princess. I transmitted us both into her room where she regained the floor.

  “You think you’ll be able to sleep?”

  She nodded. “Good night.”

  Then I transmitted myself to my room, taking off my suit. It was now three fifty-eight in the morning, and I wasn’t about to go to bed, yet. Not even feeling the slightest somnolence. I was still alert, feeling sick with anxiety and worry.

  If the Elites don’t catch me now, they will eventually, I thought. What kind of future do I have, knowing that I will disappear and never to be found again?

  CHAPTER 40

  After slipping on my of blue jeans and my dark-gray hoodie, I transmitted myself to the park, in front of my house. Appearing to a somewhat discreet location, between the thick hedge and the slide, there’s always the risk of being seen anyways due to the powerful blue flash of light.

  I knew it was against the law to stroll into parks after hours, but I figured it was the perfect spot – an open space to greet others.

  Sitting at the top of the slide, I waited in silence.

  Come on, guys! I’m here all alone. At least, one of you jerks should magically pop out anytime soon.

  I rubbed my hands together from the cold air, then bringing them close to my mouth to warm them up.

  Then came a sudden bright flash of light from right behind me, seeing its reflection from the few trees ahead of me. No time to turn around as a hand immediately grabbed my shoulder and pulled me backwards into the light, stumbling into … Thomas’s office.

  As I turned to him, he grinned sympathetically.

  “I hate it when you do that,” I said.

  “I know you do. But I have to protect you before any of them can show up.”

  “There isn’t any other way,” I tried to explain.

  “Derek, that’s totally the wrong way of doing it. Trust me. You may be brave, but you’re being quite foolish, especially waiting for them right in front of your house? Putting the entire family at risk? Delivering yourself to the Elites is letting them win as I’ve already told you.” He sighed. “Even old Derek wouldn’t agree with that. We both know it.”

  “So, now what? What will be of me, knowing that my future is to be stuck with Elites?” I asked.

  “There’s good news, Derek. I proceeded further with my research and I’ve recently located him,” Thomas affirmed. “I finally managed to hack deeper into their systems, secretly getting in contact with our top scientist, also held captive. My brother is held in the deep basement of a tall building in Los Angeles. An entire skyscraper owned and operated by Elites.”

  “Finally there’s hope …” I reckoned.

  “Yes, indeed there is,” he assured. “You should get, at least, a few hours of sleep. You’re obviously gonna need it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, you’re about to go on a mission. Your very first mission,” Thomas announced.

  I nodded eagerly.

  “We’ve already set up a plan. We’re going to make this work. We’re going to bring you back.”

  CHAPTER 41

  By ten-thirty in the morning of that same day, Saturday, I had already arrived back at the X-Agency facility, appearing directly in my office.

  I had sprung out of my bed, ate a light-speed breakfast, quickly washed up and slipped into my casual clothes. And not to forget my suit, stuffed into my backpack.

  I entered Thomas’s office, wearing my armored suit.

  Thomas also wore his suit, studying a three-dimensional hologram rotating above his desk – actually a map of the Elite building, in Los Angeles.

  “This is it?” I said, pointing the hologram.

  “Yes,” he said. “Only the two of us will be going, as the rest of us will serve as our backup team. This map was sent to me from our head scientist.”

  “And they’re forcing this person to work for them …”

  “Yup. He finally established a way to secretly communicate back here.”

  I leaned closer scanning the hologram’s large amount of details.

  “Derek, is held a few levels deep in the building’s basement, in that compartment,” Thomas pointed out.

  A blinking red dot showed the pinpointed location on the hologram.

  “The problem is that we cannot transmit directly into the building, but outside near its location. The building seems to be protected with an interference system. But the odd thing, is that once inside the building, we can transmit anywhere within.”

  “Weird!” I frowned.

  “Only Elites themselves are able to transmit in and out of the building without a problem.”

  I dimmed my eyes, suddenly noticing something unusual about the building’s map. “It appears that some compartments are unattainable through walkways, stairs or floors.”

  “You have a good eye, Derek.” Thomas scanned further details. “Although, they’re accessible through ventilation ducts.”

  “Compartments purposely to be kept secret,” I concluded.

  “We’ll begin by transmitting directly in a nearby alley.”

  “All right,” I said.

  “And today’s a rainy day, in Los Angeles. Another good reason for wearing our long dark coats, besides for hiding our suits from public view. The suits are good enough to protect us from, pretty much, anything they might shoot at us. Be sure to put on your helmet once we begin in there.”

  “Understood,” I agreed.

  “It’s time to go,” he said.

  CHAPTER 42

  Within a silent and damped alley, we appeared between a few stinking dumpsters, filled beyond their capacity. Mild rain fell from the heavy gray sky, damping the area and amplifying the rotten odors from the dumpsters and garbage cans.


  “Damn! What a smell!” I blew.

  “It’s not that bad,” Thomas said, shaking some dirt off his coat. “Once we get past security, you’ll be able to view the building’s map from your watch, if you need to … if we ever get past security.”