Lucy pursed her lips. "If it's in ten minutes, then we're not breaking any rules, and therefore it's none of your business."
Luke elbowed her in the ribs. "What my sister means to say is we're just out for some fresh air and a jog. We're heading back to our dorm now and will be there before lockdown."
The guard grunted like some wild pig. "Hurry up, then."
They jogged back to their dorm, and Luke pulled on Lucy's ponytail. "You trying to get us busted."
"No, I'm sorry. It's just so irritating, these stupid wannabe soldiers thinking they can boss us around. I hate them."
"I know. We'll figure a way out of here. Somehow."
***
Ms. Fenkle's computer class used to keep Lucy's attention—she was, after all, the most advanced student. But, like everything and everyone, Ms. Fenkle was affected by the school's change of leadership. Her normal lessons were replaced by rote assignments a chimp with a typewriter could do.
Lucy had the distinct impression this new regime didn't actually want them to learn anything useful. Even more troubling was that she had no idea what they wanted the students for, or why they kept up the charade of an education.
She missed the days when school was fun, when she and Sam would pass notes in class and talk about boys and compare powers, when life made sense and they didn't have to worry about death and pregnancy and being beat up.
When the bell rang, Lucy hustled back to her dorm. The loudspeaker voice had strictly forbidden fraternizing in the hallways—or anywhere else for that matter.
That didn't stop Mary from flirting with Darren.
When Lucy walked past them, Mary pushed her aside. "Watch it, freak!"
In the past, Lucy would have had a witty retort to throw her way, but it didn't matter anymore. Mary, with her stupid games and her stupid flirtations... Lucy didn't have time for it. She had bigger worries.
To Lucy's surprise, Gary came out of his physics class and approached Mary. "Have you given any thought to our new club?"
Mary flipped her hair back and turned on enough charm—AKA para-power—to make most boys sweat. But Gary had a boyfriend, so Mary didn't get far with him, much to her obvious chagrin.
"Do you really think I want anything to do with you and your stupid little group? I am way too cool for all that and wouldn't be caught dead with you!"
Gary ignored her attitude and turned his attention to Darren, who focused on levitating a rock by his foot. "Darren, what about you?"
"I've got to agree with Mary on this one, but not for the same reasons. I just think you're fighting the wrong people. Rent-A-Kid keeps us safe. I know it's gotten a lot worse around here, but it's to protect us. Who knows what the rest of the world would do if we were discovered?"
Lucy left them and continued back to her room. Mary's refusal didn't surprise her—she would always look out for herself and no one else—but Darren's response was concerning. How many other students felt they were better off trapped here than out in the world, free?
***
The rest of the week came and went in a blur of para-power practice sessions.
Luke and Lucy stood in the training arena with dozens of other students, each practicing their shadow power. Lucy focused on her brother and compelled him to lie.
"At night I like to wear ladies underwear and dance around singing show tunes." Luke's face turned bright red as the room erupted in laughter.
"Lucy, I'm so going to kick your butt for that." He held up his hands.
Lucy tried to move, but the air around her had thickened and held her prisoner. When she opened her mouth to talk, another draft of air tightened around her jaw, so she could only grunt.
"Now who's laughing, Sis?" Luke released her and she mock-punched him. She was happy they could all laugh and enjoy something, if only for a few days.
In the corner, one kid screamed. Desirai looked up. "I'm sorry. I think I should stop practicing. Giving waking nightmares to people is going to send everyone into therapy."
Okay, she thought, maybe it wasn't all enjoyable. "I know some shadow powers are scarier than others, but we all need to strengthen these muscles if we want to defeat the people who are keeping us prisoner."
Each night, after everyone had retired to their rooms, Lucy found herself again mesmerized by the powerful sphere she'd acquired in Russia. A rush of calm flowed through her whenever she focused on the soft light that sometimes emanated from it.
The next day during training, the loudspeaker came to life. "LUKE AND LUCY, REPORT TO THE HEADMASTER'S OFFICE RIGHT AWAY."
Everyone stopped practicing and looked to her and Luke. "We'll be fine. Let's call it a day for now and meet up tomorrow. Just go to your rooms and stay out of everyone's way."
Lucy spent a lot of time telling everyone how fine it would all be, and almost no time believing it herself. Her sense of foreboding increased as she and Luke crossed the campus.
The headmaster's office had changed very little compared to the broken man sitting behind the desk. "Thank you both for coming. I'm afraid you are being requested for another assignment, something urgent that can't wait."
Luke's face hardened into granite. "You cannot be serious. Have you seen my sister's face? She still hasn't recovered from the last assignment, thanks to your head goon. He beat her nearly to death, even after she completed her assignment and brought back what was asked for. If it hadn't been for the clinic's miracle drug, she'd still be bedridden right now."
The flesh of Higgins's face sagged off his skull like a man being stripped of his skin. "This is beyond me. I am only relaying the message. It's just an assignment like any other. Do it and be back in no time."
Lucy tried to read him, but something prevented her. She knew her powers were working, so something must have been protecting him.
She needed to assess what was truth and what wasn't. This whole situation felt very off.
Higgins had tells like anyone else, so Lucy focused on his body language and the inflection of his voice. She also tried to read the micro expressions in his face. Luke had been right. After all these years of seeing the difference, she should be able to tell when someone was lying—even without her powers.
Lucy leaned forward. "I can't go on another assignment. I'm still having trouble breathing at times. What happened to your policy of not sending kids out unless they passed the health screening? There's no way I'd pass one now."
Higgins shifted in his chair, looked down at his hands and fidgeted with his tie. His left eye twitched a fraction when he looked up at her. "It's going to be fine. You'll be back before you know it."
He'd lied. She was sure of it.
She recalled her conversation—well, beating—with Mr. Black. He'd said she and Luke would be leaving and not coming back.
This was no assignment. They were being sent off to breed.
***
"We're being sent away, and this time it's for good, I think." Lucy let the news of their impending departure settle on the Freedom Fighters before she continued. "Higgins said the news came from up above. We have no choice. Luke and I think that because we are the oldest and most experienced, they're sending us off to begin the breeding process, and to get us away from you."
Gary, who had become much more confident since his first timid introduction, stood. "Then we bump up our plan. We need to act now, before they take you away. We've all been practicing hard and our para-powers are strong. We can take out many of the guards. We can escape."
The crowd cheered, but Lucy raised her hand. "Believe me, I wish I could get gung-ho about that idea, but I can't. We're not ready. They have weapons and training we can't compete with. They'd destroy us if we tried now. Many of us—maybe all of us—would die. We need a stealthy, clever plan, something that would stand a chance at succeeding."
"There's no time for that, Lucy. If we don't do something before you leave, then we really are screwed."
Lucy leaned against the wall and crossed her arms over h
er chest. Hopelessness settled on her like a dark cloud. "I don't know what we can do. Even when our powers are working properly, something's protecting them. I couldn't tell if Higgins was lying the other day, and when Mr. Black beat the shit out of me, I couldn't make him lie. We have no chance if our powers don't work."
The door at the back of the room opened, and Mary sashayed in with her red dress and designer heels.
Lucy pushed off the wall and faced her. "What are you doing here? This is a private meeting and was supposed to be secret."
"Oh now, you need me, and you know it. I can help with your little Mr. Black problem. I can seduce him into helping us."
"Right. What makes you think your powers will work on him?"
"My powers are chemical, hormonal. Something protecting his mind won't protect him against me."
"And why would you want to help? I thought you wouldn't be caught dead with us freaks."
She walked through the room, running her fingers over the boys' shoulders and leaving a trail of drooling teenagers in her wake.
"I just got the notice. I'm to go on assignment in a few days, but obviously, in this Hitler-like lockdown, that's just a ruse to get at my stellar genetics. Who wouldn't want to breed me, after all? Why they're chasing after Sam and her sub-standard genes I'll never know."
"You are such a bitch." Lucy blocked Mary from taking center stage. "But you're right. They're going to stick a bun in your pretty little oven, so I guess we're all on the same side now."
Lucy turned to the group. "Listen up. What Mary's saying makes sense. They want to weaken the ranks by taking those of us with the most experience. Gary, you were right, now is the time to fight. And I have a plan...."
Chapter 20 – Mr. Black
The girl lay in the hospital bed, her eyes closed to the sun shining in from the bedside window. Her blond hair fanned out around her face like angels' hair.
Mr. Black sat in the chair beside her bed and took her mangled hand, gently massaging the deformed muscles and tendons that caused her so much pain. Her good eye opened and looked at him.
"Daddy! You came." Her voice danced in the air like fairy laughter. She smiled with half her mouth, the other side of her face crushed in on itself and unmoving.
This is what fate or genetics or whatever you wanted to call it had done to his little girl. While those monsters were off flaunting their para-powers, his beautiful child had been fighting for her life since the moment she was born.
A fight she was destined to lose.
"Did you bring me any new books, Daddy? I've read all of the other ones twice already."
"You're a smart girl. The smartest I've ever met. Of course I brought you books. A whole bunch of them."
He pulled out a bag filled with books and put it on the dresser next to her bed. "But I suppose you will finish those by the time I come again tomorrow."
She giggled, then coughed. A goblet of bright red blood dribbled down the front of her gown. "Daddy?" Tears flowed down her face and her body shook.
Mr. Black hit the call button for the nurse, and held his daughter to him as he fumbled for a napkin to wipe her mouth and gown. "It's okay, Sarah. It'll be all right."
Her trusting eyes bore into his heart and squeezed until he couldn't breathe.
"Nurse! Doctor!"
A nurse poked her head in the door. "Is everything okay?"
Anger boiled up in him, but he pushed it down to protect his daughter. "No, everything is not okay. She's coughing up blood."
The nurse didn't look surprised. "It happens at this stage. I'll give her some medication to ease her pain, and then get the doctor."
Rage and fear shook his voice. "What do you mean at this stage?"
"I think it's better if you speak to the doctor."
She left before he could question her further.
Sarah slumped in his embrace, her little arms wrapped around his neck. "Am I dying, Daddy? Is it time?"
"No, Honey, you'll be fine. I'm not letting you go."
Her grip loosened, and her eyes fluttered closed. "I'm so tired, Daddy. Can I take a nap?"
He lowered her onto her pillow. "Of course, Baby. You sleep. I'll come back tomorrow."
The sobs couldn't be contained any longer. He locked himself in his daughter's private bathroom and splashed cold water on his face.
"Laura, why did you have to leave? Our girl needs you. I need you. I can't do this alone. I never could."
The doctor called for Mr. Black from outside the bathroom.
He dried his face and met the doctor in the hallway. "What's happening to Sarah? Why is she so much worse?"
"Her body is failing. I'm sorry, but we knew this would happen. As she ages, her internal organs are eating themselves in an attempt to survive. She won't make it much longer. All we can do is keep her as comfortable as possible."
Mr. Black balled up his fists. "How long? How long do I have with her?"
"There's no way to know for sure, but I'd say a few weeks at most."
He slammed his fist into the wall. "And is there nothing you can do? No cure or treatment we could try?"
"Sir, please calm down. And no, there's nothing that can be done. Barring a miracle breakthrough in genetic testing, there are no cures for this disease."
A dim hope took root once again in his soul. "A miracle breakthrough?"
The doctor pinched the bridge of his nose and grimaced. "Wrong choice of words. There is no miracle forthcoming. You must accept the fact that your daughter is dying. I'm sorry."
Mr. Black stalked out of the room. He would not accept that outcome. He would get his daughter her miracle.
***
"Forgive me for saying so, but your methods seem excessive compared to the threat posed by these kids." The Headmaster sat behind his desk and tried to look authoritative, but Mr. Black knew Higgins lacked the authority to have the bathroom cleaned, let alone to challenge his disciplinary choices.
That didn't stop the bastard from running his mouth, though. "These paranormal children are the heart of our organization. They're the reason we exist at all. They must not be so broken and terrified that we can no longer use them effectively. That boy didn't have to be whipped. You could have found another way."
Dark shadows filled Mr. Black's vision. "These kids, as you call them, are freaks of nature. They're self-righteous pricks with superpowers who think they're better than everyone else because of some genetic defect. You've let them get away with murder for too long. They need to be taught some manners and respect, and that's what me and my men are doing."
Mr. Black put the full weight of his own power—the real power that came from combat and weapons training—behind his stare. "My job is to keep this school safe. These kids lack discipline and have dangerous abilities. Accidents are bound to happen, and it would be a shame if one of the faculty members got hurt, don't you think, Mr. Headmaster?"
The color drained from Higgins's face. He looked down in defeat. "I understand."
A hard smile curled Mr. Black's lips upward. Some people are just too easy to break.
Shouts filtered into the office from the courtyard outside. Mr. Black jumped up and pulled the shades.
Two kids stood face-to-face, as though dueling. One was dressed in all red, and had even dyed his hair red, and held a ball of flames in his hand. The other wore blue and played with a ball of ice.
A tall boy stood just outside the dueling area and raised his voice so that all the kids gathered around could hear.
"Some say the world will end in fire,
"Some say in ice.
"From what I've tasted of desire,
"I hold with those who favor fire.
"But if it had to perish twice,
"I think I know enough of hate,
"To say that for destruction ice,
"Is also great,
"And would suffice."
Mr. Black couldn't believe what he was seeing. Were these kids really about to duel to a Robert Fr
ost poem?
Flame and ice clashed between them. The crowd screamed.
Mr. Black and the Headmaster ran from the office into the courtyard.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!" The crowd chanted at the top of their lungs. They formed such a tight circle that Mr. Black had to pull out his gun to get their attention.
The gun distracted the ice boy just as he deflected a fireball—only the fireball didn't fizz out as planned. Instead, it careened into the crowd and lit a young girl's hair on fire. The chanting ended abruptly and the kids began scattering to their classes or dorm rooms.
The ice boy having already disappeared into the crowd, Mr. Black aimed his gun at the fire boy. "What the hell is going on here?"
Instead of cowering, the boy flared another fire ball in his hand. "You can't do anything to me. I have power you can't even imagine, and I'm sick and tired of this crap you're putting us through."
Mr. Black cocked his gun. "You think you can hurt me before I pull the trigger. Try it."
The boy's fire winked out.
"I'm glad we understand each other. Now, are you going to pull something like this again?"
"No, sir."
"Good." Mr. Black lowered his gun and let the boy turn around and leave.
Damn kids. They never learn. Think they can just do what they want, when they want.
The boy had only taken a few steps when the gun went off. The bullet slammed into the back of his head, splattering blood and brain matter onto the sidewalk.
The few kids who remained screamed and ran away.
Higgins bent behind a bush and vomited.
Mr. Black waved to the guards around him. "Clean up this mess, and take the girl to the clinic for medical attention."
Someone grabbed his arm on his way back to the office.
Higgins's face contorted in horror and rage. "How could you do that? What were you thinking? You just killed that boy in cold blood."
"I meted out justice to someone whose power could destroy others. He could've killed that girl, or don't you care about her? Look, Higgins, I know you have a soft spot for these kids, but you have no one to blame but yourself. If you hadn't let them run wild, they wouldn't be rebelling like this. I don't tolerate fools, regardless of their powers. And I can guarantee you one thing: no one else will be dueling on my watch."
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