by Dee J. Stone
It makes sense. I’m like the password.
“This is awesome! Let’s go tell my parents.”
I peer at the clock. “It’s almost four in the morning.”
Kale waves his hand. “Pssh. Trust me. They’d want to be woken up to news like this.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Kale sends his parents the message. Less than five minutes pass before they call us to their office. Kale wastes no time updating them on what we found. When he mentions the president and First Lady being my parents, they look more surprised than the three of us.
“You didn’t know?” I ask.
“No,” Cindy says. “You were dropped off with no note or information.”
It pisses me off a little, but I kind of understand. I know they really loved me and did what they thought was best for me. I wouldn’t trade my life in the Tower for anything.
Kale tells them about our plan to go into the president’s dream with me and all the telepaths and try to remove Vlayne’s hold. Samson says, “We’re not one hundred percent sure this will be a success.”
“We don’t have many options,” X says.
“It worked on you when you were in a coma, Mom.”
Cindy nods. “You’re right. It did.”
“Then let’s do it!
Samson holds up his hand. “We need to think this through carefully. The president may not trust us. We need you, Andrew, to talk to him first and earn his trust.”
“Yeah,” Kale says. “That’s what we were thinking. The president will listen to Stretch because he’s his kid.”
“And after he earns his trust, I as well as the other telepaths will push Vlayne’s hold off and place a new one,” Cindy says. “Through Stretch, the hold may be so strong Vlayne will have a difficult time breaching it.”
“Then what?” I ask.
“Then we meet with the president and give him the antidote. With Vlayne’s hold no longer on him, we hope the humans will accept the cure as well.”
“Cool,” Kale says. “When are we doing this?”
“We’ll need to meet with the others and discuss this further. Dismissed.”
On our way to our room, Kale holds up his hand for a high five. X and I slap it. “This is going to be awesome,” Kale says. “Imagine Vlayne’s shock when she realizes the president is no longer in her control.”
“She’s got to learn that nobody messes with the Keepers,” I say. “Outsmarting her is, like, the best feeling in the world.”
X nods. “She’s done hurting normies.”
***
We’re going into President Ashford’s dream tonight. Samson and Cindy need to gather the telepaths and we have to wait until after midnight. Kale’s parents suggested we take naps, but I can’t sleep. The only thing I manage to do is stuff my face with almost everything in the fridge.
I know I’ll have my friends and leaders with me, but…I’ll be speaking to my dad. My biological dad. What if he wants nothing to do with me? He gave me up. True it was to protect me, but I don’t want to crash into his new life and screw it up.
I go to Furball’s room. “Hi.”
She pats the spot next to her on the bed. “Hi.”
I sit down and take her in my arms.
“You’re shaking,” she says. “Is everything okay?”
I tighten my arms around her. “No. I’m really nervous.”
She pulls off. “To see your dad?”
“I’ve seen him a few times, but he’s never seen me. Am I stupid for being nervous?”
Her eyes soften as she strokes the side of my face. It sends shivers all over my body. “It’s totally normal to be nervous. He’s your biological dad. You share his blood and genes. There’s this whole part of you that you don’t know. I’d be scared, too.”
“Yeah. But there’s more. What if I can’t convince him to take the cure? I mean, Cindy won’t allow us to control him without his permission, would she?”
“I don’t know. It’s not like her to do that, but maybe she’d bend her rules to save the normies.”
I stare at the wall as I think about it. She’s right. Cindy would only force the president to take the cure if it’s a last resort. I don’t want her to have to force him. I want to talk him into it. But what if I can’t?
Furball touches my chin, tilting my head so our eyes meet. “You’ll do great, Stretch. You’re brave and smart.”
That makes me smile. “T-thanks! You’re awesome, Kelly. Really, you are.”
Her face gets deep red. “I like when you call me Kelly.”
“I like when you call me Stretch.”
She gazes at the wall, like she’s deep in thought. “What you’re doing—going into the president’s dream—is it dangerous?”
“Um…it could be. If Vlayne senses us in the president’s head, I guess she could fry our brains or something.”
“No!” She pushes against my chest. “You can’t die again.”
“It’s going to be okay, Kelly. Many telepaths are coming along. They’ll protect us.”
“But there’s still a chance something could go wrong.”
“Yeah. There’s always a chance.”
She thrashes against my chest again. “Why do you have to go? Why can’t someone else do it? I don’t want to lose you again.”
I press my nose to her hair and breathe in her sweet Furball scent. “It’s gotta be me because I’m the only one who can bypass Vlayne’s telepathic hold.”
She doesn’t say anything.
“Do you see how important it is?” I ask. “To save all the humans?”
Her eyes fill with tears.
I hug her. “Please don’t cry. I can’t do this if you’re so upset.”
She wipes her eyes. “Can you blame me for being upset?”
I kiss her cheek. “I’m gonna be okay.”
She turns her head and her mouth meets mine. She kisses me hard and long. I’m so thrown off that I pull away immediately. But then I kiss her back, shoving the worry out of my head and burying myself in this kiss. In this awesome, amazing feeling that I never knew existed.
Furball pulls off. Her eyes are red and sad.
“The first thing I’m gonna do when I come back is run to you,” I tell her. “Promise.”
She forces a small smile. “I’ll wait for you.”
I lie down with her in my arms. Snuggle her close. Holding a girl is the best thing in the world. We don’t have to kiss. All we gotta do is be with each other. It’s weird to think that had I not died, we wouldn’t be like this right now. She’d probably be growling her teeth at me and I’d be thumping basketballs on her head and sneezing on her.
It’s also weird to think that had the League not been attacked, we wouldn’t be this close. I’d be dreaming about my first kiss with her instead of experiencing it.
If Lightning wouldn’t have killed me, I wouldn’t have been resurrected and I wouldn’t have this new power.
I guess something good always comes out of something bad.
“I’m really proud of you,” Furball says. “I know I keep saying it, but you’re so brave.”
“No. I’m a wimp.”
She lightly slaps my chest. “Stop calling yourself that. Do you want me to make a list of all the brave things you did?”
“Sure. Boost my ego some more.”
She slaps me again, making me cough. Turning onto her side, she gazes into my eyes. “I really love you, you know.”
My whole body gets so hot. “I love you more.”
“Sure.”
She traces her finger across my shoulder blades, down my chest, to my arms. It tickles and I tremble, trying to hold in my laughter.
“You’re cute when you’re ticklish,” she says.
I move my hand to her stomach and dig my fingers in it. She rolls into a fit of laughter. “Stop. Stop!”
I don’t. I just dig harder, prompting more giggles from her. She pulls my hands off and sits up. “Hey. You haven’t been e
ntering my dreams.”
I grin. “Yeah, I guess it’s ‘cuz I’ve been trying so hard not to think about you before falling asleep. Maybe I’ll have better control one day so I won’t have to keep doing that.”
“Thanks. You also haven’t been sneezing.”
Yeah. And my nose isn’t itchy. I beam at her. “The more time I spend with you, the more my body understands how much I love and need you and can’t bear to be apart from you.”
She snorts, then smiles widely. “You say the goofiest things. But I love them.” She encircles me in her arms. “Don’t die again, okay?”
I rest my head on hers. “I won’t. Promise.”
Chapter Thirty
“Andrew, ready?” Cindy asks.
We’re gathered in an abandoned subway station. It’s dark, dirty, and smelly. Cindy brought blankets and sleeping bags for us to lie down in. She rests her hand on my arm. “Take as long as you need, but remember: each second we waste will only put the humans in greater danger.”
She’s right. I can’t be selfish. “I’m ready. I can do this.”
There are ten of us altogether. Samson, Cindy, Scar, Kale, X, me, and four other telepaths. We settle in our sleeping bags and the telepaths begin connecting everyone. It feels stronger than when Kale did it. It’s like we share one body, their energy flowing through me.
When you’re ready, Cindy says to me. I try to clear my head, thinking about nothing but the president, then I nod to Cindy. She’s going to control us all to fall asleep at once. I feel myself drift off.
We fall to the floor, in the president’s house. Not the White House, but maybe his house before he became president. He and his wife are standing before a TV screen, playing one of those dance games. Their backs face us.
Samson motions everyone except for me to hide. They climb into closets and behind furniture. I’m left standing behind the president and his wife. These are my biological parents. When I was little and used to think about meeting them, I thought I’d feel some sort of connection. I do feel something, but it’s small. I think that no matter what, I’ll never see them as my parents.
As if he feels me staring, the president turns around. So does the First Lady. I don’t look like them. I mean, I guess I have the same green-colored eyes as her…and my nose kind of looks like the president’s.
Taking one look at the lanky guy standing before them, his mouth drops. “Henry?”
“H-huh? I thought my name was Adam.” The look on his face makes my arms stretch and slide to the floor. I quickly retract them.
He gasps. “Adam?” The First Lady’s hands fly to her mouth.
I crack my knuckles. I didn’t think it’d be this hard. “Actually, it’s Andrew.” I wave lamely. “I guess I’m your son.” I wave to her, too. “Hi, Mrs. Ashford.”
She shakes her head like she doesn’t believe what she sees. They look at one another, then at me. I take in a deep breath. “The first thing you need to understand is that this isn’t a dream. Well, it kinda is. I’ve entered it. I’m sorry, but I have something very important to tell you. You’re going to remember this when you wake up and I need you to trust me. Can you, Mr. President?”
“You look…you’re nearly identical to my brother Henry who passed away before you were born. Who told you you’re my son?” he asks.
“I figured it out on my own. I’ve been in some of your dreams.”
“Excuse me?”
“Please, we can’t talk about this now. You have to hear me out. People are dying and no one’s got a clue what to do.”
The president’s eyes narrow. “Because of what you people have done.”
“No.” I step closer to him. “Mr. President, I know you and everyone thinks the Keepers of Justice are behind the virus, but we’re not. You need to trust me. The Keepers wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
I pull a vial out of the back pocket of my jeans. It’s not real. Samson gave it to me before we entered this dream. It won’t work on the president in the dream, but it might be enough proof to convince him to listen to me. “This is an antidote. The Keepers have been working on it for days. It can cure the virus and save the humans.”
He eyes it.
“The government has known and trusted the Keepers for twenty years. Do you honestly think they would do something like this? They were set up by the ShadowBlades. Remember them? The most powerful villains in the world? Everyone thinks they’re dead. But they’re not and they want to kill off all the humans.”
He looks at his wife, whose forehead is wrinkled.
“Please,” I say. “You’ve got to believe me. For years I’ve resented you because I never understood why you gave me away, but I understand it now. You wanted to spare me a life of scrutiny. Thanks for that, by the way. I’ve had a great life in the League.”
He hesitates before saying, “Thank you. I’m glad to hear that. I’ve been watching over you for years. The Keepers of Justice are good people. I was shocked to discover they were behind the virus.”
“Because it’s not them.”
His eyes dip to the vial. “If that’s a cure, why haven’t you administered it to the infected humans?”
“Because the leader of the ShadowBlades is preventing us from doing so,” Samson says, stepping out from behind a couch. One by one, the others leave their hiding places. They’re all in costume—not Keeper ones. I’m not, because the president needs to see my face.
He gapes at all nine of them. “What’s—what’s going on here?” He grabs his wife’s hand and they back up against the wall. Samson and Cindy start to explain everything—what Vlayne’s done and how we plan to fix it. The president and First Lady seem completely lost, but as they look at me, I can tell they’re starting to believe him. Kale was right. Having me here changes everything.
“You’re saying this…this villain is controlling my mind?” he asks.
“Yes,” Cindy answers. “You as well as the human population.”
He stares at the floor, trembling a bit.
“We’ve come up with a solution,” Samson says. “However, it’s unorthodox, but we believe it’s the only way to save the humans.”
He slowly brings his gaze to Samson. “What’s the solution?”
“We…” Cindy gestures to the telepaths. “Will use our telepathy to remove Vlayne’s hold and replace it with our own. We don’t normally do this, but we need to keep Vlayne’s control off you.”
They explain that he’s the central brain and the rest of the normies follow him. He mutters something under his breath.
“By removing Vlayne’s hold,” Samson says, “The people will no longer be under her control and are free to accept the antidote. Once they are cured, they will be immune to any virus the ShadowBlades may release in the future.”
“We need your permission to place a hold on your mind,” Cindy says. “We won’t control you. We only need to protect you from Vlayne.”
The president tilts his head to the side, contemplating. “I understand.” He takes his wife’s hand again. “I’ll do anything for my people. What about other countries?”
“They are controlled to follow you as well,” Samson says.
The president thinks for a second. “You have my permission to do whatever it takes to save my fellow Americans and the rest of the world.”
Samson heads to President Ashford and holds out his hand. The pres wavers before shaking it. “Thank you,” he says.
“Protecting the humans is the Keepers of Justice’s number one concern.”
The president lifts his hand toward me and slowly pats the top of my head. “Thank you for taking care of my son.”
His wife hugs me. It sucks she’s not experiencing this, since it’s not her dream.
“It was our pleasure,” Samson says. “He’s growing up to be a brave, mature young man.”
The pres smiles. “You don’t know how happy I am to see and talk to you, Adam.”
“It’s Andrew,” I tell him. “Sorry. I mean,
my parents…I mean they named me Andrew.” Geez, this is hard.
“Yes, Andrew.” He pulls me into an awkward hug. “Thank you for all of this.”
Cindy explains what she and the rest of the telepaths are going to do. Once they’re sure Vlayne’s block is gone and theirs is strong, we’re going to leave the dream and our leaders are going to meet up with the president in the real world and hand him the antidote.
She instructs me to stand in the center of the room, and the telepaths form a circle around me, holding hands. We shut our eyes. Like before, I feel all their energies, but this time they’re stronger as they enter me. I feel like I’m floating in the air.
This goes on for what feels like hours when it’s probably only a few minutes. The energy leaves me. “Did it work?” I ask.
A grin forms on her face.
Kale’s face shines with excitement. “Vlayne’s gone?”
“Vlayne’s gone.”
Kale raises his fists in the air. He slaps my and X’s hands. “We’re so badass!”
“Language, Kale,” Samson says. He cocks his head toward the president. “We’ll be in touch.”
“Thank you.” He messes my hair like he’s a fun uncle instead of a dad. His wife steps forward and gives me another hug.
The place gets blurry. We shoot out of the dream.
My first “meeting” with my biological parents (well, father, since the real Mrs. Ashford wasn’t there) went okay. Weird, yeah, but okay. I’m not sure if I want to meet them and their kids—my siblings—in real life yet. I don’t think I’m ready. But I’m pretty sure I’m going to want to one day.
Chapter Thirty-One
We’re in the living room, gathering vials of antidotes into sacks. Speed and the other scientists synthesized billions. I don’t know how the sacks work, but whatever you place inside seems to disappear, even though it’s still in there. When you’re ready to use one, you pull it out. Like Marry Poppins’ bag.
A few hours ago, Samson and Cindy met with the president and he accepted the cure. When they got back, they told us that less than a second after he took it, he was healthier than he’s been in years.