Dad picked up the backpack. He handed it to Mum and told her to ‘Hide it!’
Mum reluctantly teleported away.
Asher flew into Dad and knocked him down.
‘Where is it?’ Asher grunted. ‘Where is it?’
He rammed Dad into one of the school windows. Sirens screamed as two police vehicles pulled up in front of the school. Four police officers climbed out. Mum reappeared and looked around for Dad. The main school building rumbled catching everyone’s attention. Dad and Asher flew out of the second story and landed in the road. The police officers surrounded Asher and pointed their inhibitors at him. Asher stumbled to his feet. The inhibitors didn’t seem to phase him. He let out a telekinetic burst pushing the police officers away and flipping the police cars. The students screamed and scattered. Some remained to watch, hiding behind vehicles parked along the street.
Asher turned to Dad. ‘Where is it?’ he demanded. He punched Dad. ‘Where is the bag? Where is—’
The sound of a helicopter circling the school drew his attention.
Asher pointed his left hand at Dad. He pressed a button on the inhibitor around his wrist. Dad writhed in pain. Mum ran over to help. Asher turned his hand on her. She fell beside Dad and writhed in pain.
Izzy and a couple of the adroit watched behind the cover of a car. I could no longer stand by. I ran out into the street, defenceless, my words my only weapons.
‘Stop!’ I implored Asher.
He ignored my plea and continued draining my parent’s abilities.
‘Please,’ I begged. He complied.
I checked on Mum and Dad. Dad was conscious, but he could barely move. Mum was not moving, but she was still breathing.
‘Where’s the bag?’ Asher persisted.
‘Isn’t it enough?’ I pleaded. ‘Haven’t you caused enough destruction?’
‘Ability dysfunction, Maladroit, Andronicus complex! How are we to coexist in a world riddled with degrading ranking systems?
‘How am I to feel good about myself when all labels used to describe me are associated with negativity?’
He looked at the adroit. They sunk a little behind the car from his stare.
‘I can’t get angry like everyone else. It means I feel insecure or inferior. It’s science fact. “Studies show that people with AD are prone to fits of rage and have lover self esteem.”
‘I can’t simply be assertive without being accused of over compensating.’
‘I understand,’ I consoled him, ‘but this is not the way. Forcefully stripping away peoples abilities is not the answer.’
The news helicopter hovered closer. Asher looked up, irritated. He held out his right hand palm up and aimed it at the helicopter. He closed his eyes in concentration before crushing his hand into a fist. A cloud of smoke emanated from the helicopter engine as it began to descend uncontrollably. The helicopter ricocheted against a nearby building before hurtling towards the ground. I flinched as it flew passed me and landed near a crowd that had gathered behind me. It was pure mayhem as the crowd of students and onlookers fled to avoid the helicopter, which tumbled to the ground and left a trail of destruction.
Asher turned his attention back towards us.
‘Where’s the virus?’ he demanded.
’This is insane, Asher,’ I pleaded. ‘Stop before you cause more harm.’
Dad strained to his feet. The buttons of his shirt were all torn. The symbol of his Titan costume was completely visible.
Asher was knocked down by Cody who effortlessly rolled on the ground and stood tall in a heroic pose. His homemade “Kid Titan” towel loosely hung and floated in the breeze. He wore the “Kid Titan” beanie that covered half his face. Cody turned to face us.
‘Don’t worry, Titan. I’ve got this.’
Asher strained to his feet behind Cody.
‘Cody,’ Dad warned meekly.
‘It’s Kid Titan!’ Cody proclaimed. He saluted Dad before flying into Asher, knocking him down. He hovered over him. Asher telekinetically propped himself up. Cody flew into the sky. Asher followed, chasing him around the school. I ran after them. Allie, Gael, Ailin and a few kids followed. Cody effortlessly dodged and countered Asher’s attacks.
‘Come here, you little brat!’ Asher demanded.
Cody laughed and mocked. ‘Come get me!’
Asher accepted the invitation. He chased Cody around the school, speeding through some lamps and the trees. Cody could do it all day. He had superior speed and agility. ‘Come get me!’
Asher barrelled through tree branches and knocked down some lamp posts to catch up. He telekinetically pinned Cody against the wall of the school building block overlooking the sports field.
Cody wriggled until let out a telekinetic burst, pushing Asher of him. He crashed into Asher and drove him into the sports field. Asher’s helmet fell off in the process. Cody landed on Asher and repeatedly punched him.
‘That’s enough son,’ Dad called. He navigated through the crowed of students with Mum. Cody got off Asher and started towards us.
Asher used his telekinetic abilities to knock down Cody with one of the broken lamp posts nearby. Cody tried to stand up. Asher blasted him with the power inhibitor around his hand. Cody dropped and began seizing. Dad used his remaining strength to fly into Asher, knocking him to the ground.
I ran to check on Cody. He moaned and sheepishly stared at me. I knelt down and held him in my hands. Mum and Dad rushed towards Cody and I. Asher knocked them down with some large fallen branches.
The sky above darkened. An icy breeze befell the field. The sky flashed and rumbled as dark clouds quickly formed. A bolt of lightning struck Asher in the chest. He let out a guttural sound before dropping to the ground. Grandma Sophie descended from the sky and landed in between Asher and us.
Asher crawled on the ground. His chest smoked. Grandma Sophie turned her back to Asher to check on us. ‘Are you all right?’
Asher rolled to his belly. He extended his hand towards his helmet. It budged and slowly rolled towards him. ‘Grandma!’ I warned.
Vines grew from the ground and wrapped around Asher’s extended hand. They pulled and rolled him on his back. I looked to my left. Gael had his hand on the grass in concentration. Asher grunted ripping through the vines. Thicker, longer vines grew from the grass to restrain Asher as Christie emerged from the crowd of adroit and placed her hand on Gaels shoulder. Asher fought against the vines. A cacophony of sirens screamed in the background growing louder as they neared. Asher was overwhelmed by the vines as they cocooned his legs and lower body. He stopped fighting. Silence fell.
Grandma Sophie knelt to check on Cody and I. Asher laughed dementedly to himself as he laid on the grass staring at the sky. Grandma Sophie’s nose bled. She fell to her hands. Sparks flew from Asher’s inhibitor band. He bled from his ears and began seising. Cody moaned and writhed in my hands. His eyes rolled all the way back. I looked around. Everyone was on the ground squirming. Mum, Dad, Allie, Gael, Christie, the crowed of students and teachers — everyone was in pain.
I looked down at Cody. He bled from his nose. I gently set him down and ran towards Asher. I pulled the power inhibitor band of his shaking arm. The touch screen was cracked. I pushed the manual buttons. Sparks flew. I winced and dropped the band. It was no use. As an act of malice, Asher had activated the long range inhibitor and broken the band. I frantically looked around. My eyes stopped on Asher’s helmet. I picked it up, ran back to Cody and placed it on him. He was unconscious, but he was no longer shaking. I helplessly checked on Mum and Dad. Their faces pulled as they thrashed wildly. Grandma Sophie was on her knees. I ran over to her. ‘I need to get to the main inhibitors at the old mill,’ I told her. I got up to leave. There was no time to waste.
‘Hope,’ Grandma Sophie weakly called. ‘Come here.’
She strained to her knees. I helped her up. She put her hand around my shoulder and heaved. The world around us changed. Soon we were standing in the road leading to th
e old mill. There were three police cars parked along the road. A tow-truck stood near the overturned car. Beside it, two men in overalls wriggled on the ground. Grandma Sophie collapsed. I got down to check on her. ‘Go!’ she ordered. I got up and dashed into the woods. My lungs burnt as I ran towards the place I had desperately tried to escape. I ignored the pain from some low branches that whipped against my body. Before long I was at the old mill. Three police officers lay writhing around the entrance.
I entered. One police woman in uniform and two more without uniforms laid unconscious around Asher’s work station.
I looked around. The lights on the large power inhibitors in the corner were illuminated. I ran over and studied them. There were a bunch of buttons and panels. None of them made sense to me.
I went for the quickest option. I looked behind the cabinets for the power cord and pulled the plug. The lights dimmed. The police officers in the mill were still unconscious. The officers outside were unconscious but no longer shaking. I rushed back to the road to check on Grandma Sophie. She strained to her feet as I emerged from the woods. I helped her up. She hugged me and whispered. ‘You did it.’
Chapter 24
Grandma Sophie teleported us back to the school sports field. Asher was in inhibitor cuffs seated on a stretcher. A group of medics and police officers swarmed around him. I ran to check on Mum, Dad and Cody. Apart from a few cuts and bruises, they were all fine and thrilled to see me. I hugged Mum and Dad then Cody. ‘You were really brave Kid Titan,’ I saluted him.
‘I was just doing the right thing,’ he modestly said. ‘I couldn’t let that villain harm you and Mum and Dad. I had to stop him.’
‘You greatly succeeded,’ I told him.
Mum took me aside and said, ‘You were right. You are not normal.’
My heart sank at her candidness. I couldn’t conceal my shock if I tried.
‘Normal is boring,’ she explained. ‘You are special.’
She wiped away tears from her eyes. ‘I’m sorry I ever made you feel any different.’ Her voice broke as she said, ‘My abilities are nothing special compared to your grandma and Cody. I passed on the defective maternal gene to you.’
I never thought of it that way.
‘It’s not your fault,’ I assured her. I wrapped my arms around her to comfort her. ‘It’s not your fault.’
‘Thank you,’ she sobbed. ‘Knowing you’re happy is all that matters,’ she said. ‘I love you.’
‘I love you too.’
When I was sure my family was fine, I turned my attention towards Allie and Gael. I hugged and thanked them for their intervention.
‘So your Dad is Titan?’ Allie said looking over at Dad and Mum. ‘Who would have guessed?’
‘Crazy right? Those tights are so dorky.’
‘I don’t know,’ Allie teased. ‘I think he looks kinda cute in them.’
‘Ew, ear rape,’ I retorted.
‘You saved us all,’ Gael said.
‘Not without your help,’ I told him.
‘You’re still the big hero.’
***
‘That Grandma sure can kick but!’ one kid said to another as they walked past me in the school hallway.
‘She sure can,’ the other kid agreed. ‘I wouldn’t wanna get on her bad side.’
I stifled a laugh.
Things were a little different at school. After the Asher incident, everyone was a little bit more careful at making fun of others. The groups remained, but the mocking stopped for the most part.
***
Allie, Gael and I were seated at our lunch table with a few other kids including Oliver and Christie. Our table had grown and we often pulled two tables together to accommodate everyone. Allie gestured to a kid sitting by himself. She collected her tray and stood up to go join him. I was about to get up as well and join her when we noticed two other girls from the lower grade join him. They shook his hand and sat down.
ABILITY DISFUNCTION SPECTRUM DISORDER (ADSD)
Source: Perfectly Normal: Understanding ADSD by Natalie Carlisle, MD
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