by Bryan Cohen
Ted turned toward the noise before spinning back. "More kissing later?"
"We'll see." Erica had her game face on.
Judging by the furniture, the building seemed to contain mostly condos. There would be multiple families at risk well before the fire department could arrive. They shared a glance and ran toward the screaming. Ted unlocked the door to one of the apartments from the inside and opened it with his powers. A mother was trying to pack something for her two children, one of whom was screaming in the middle of the room.
"You need to get out of here, miss," Ted said.
"Come with me." Erica gestured to the mother. "Show me the staircase."
The woman called her two children toward her and started to run down the hallway.
Erica looked back to Ted. "Check the other apartments."
Ted nodded and flew out the door, and she led the inhabitants through the door to the staircase. While doing so, Erica found herself thinking about Ted's powers.
We could have done this from a mile away, if I taught him everything.
Before Erica knew it, Ted had led a caravan of families toward the stairs. He flew through the hallway and back to Erica's side, where he coughed and kept low to the ground.
No. It's just too risky.
Erica put her arm on Ted's shoulder. "Check downstairs for any stragglers. I'll look on this floor."
"Are you sure?" Ted asked.
"Yes." Erica moved her hand to Ted's face. "Go. I'll be fine."
Ted took a deep breath and flew down the stairs above the escaping residents. Erica did a quick scan of the remaining apartments. All the rooms were abandoned; the fire continued to spread from one room to the next. When she returned to the stairs, the patriarch of one family said he recognized Erica from TV.
"You guys just saved all those people yesterday," he said. "You're all over the place."
"Right place–" Erica saw someone out of the corner of her eye. It looked like a girl around her age with curly, red hair. Erica had a sneaking suspicion she knew who the hair belonged to.
"Beth?" Erica turned to the man. "Is everybody accounted for?"
"I think so."
Erica saw the red hair zip around the corner and toward the fire. She ran in that direction.
"Wait!" The man could barely be heard over the sound of the arriving fire trucks. "Where are you going?"
Erica didn't have time to answer, as the person she was chasing moved too quickly for her. After going around two bends, Erica finally got a full glimpse of her. It was Beth. Her face was covered in black soot and she wore a vacant grin.
"What are you doing, Beth?"
Erica's friend wasn't the brightest egg in the dozen, but she knew well enough to stay away from fire. Unless she was the one who caused it.
Beth's grin grew wider.
"Homework." Beth dashed toward the smoke and Erica tried to catch up with her.
She doesn't even live in this part of town. Something isn't right.
Erica tossed off her shoes to move more quickly. She coughed as she grew closer to the source of the fire. Erica tried to bend lower as she ran, but it was no use. Erica thought of a past life in the desert as she got to a room that was completely engulfed in fire.
Beth stood right in the middle of it all. She didn't seem to be feeling any effects from the heat, the smoke or the fire.
"Beth, please."
"You know, I started this fire." Beth looked around from wall to wall. "And I knew you were going to be here. He told me you would."
Erica wondered if her friend was still alive. It was entirely possible she had been replaced with a dark soul, just like Sandra and the Torellos.
No, I would have felt it. She's still human.
The flames surrounded them and the smoke took over the room.
"Alright, Beth," she said. "The firefighters are going to be up here soon. Let's just get out of here together, OK?"
Erica felt a whoosh of air as Ted zipped around the corner and stopped right next to her.
"The fire marshal says this place is about to blow," Ted bent over and put his hands on his knees. "Why the heck is Beth here?"
"I'm here to help you reach your full potential." Beth walked up to one of the walls and started to lay her hand directly onto the fire.
"No!" Erica reached for her friend and felt the shudder of an explosion behind them.
Before she could react, Ted zipped ahead, grabbed Beth under one arm and gripped Erica underneath the ribs with the other. The three of them moved at an incredible speed through the air, smashed through a window and got far enough away from the building to avoid the burst of fire that followed them.
The three of them hovered in the night sky. Erica welcomed the cool air that brushed against her skin.
"Very impressive, Ted." Beth gave one last dreamy smile before digging her nails into Ted's arm.
Ted wrenched his grip from Beth's body and the girl plummeted toward the earth.
Ted's body tensed. "Hold on!"
Erica felt herself jerk downward as he attempted to hold onto her and fly at the same time.
He's getting good.
They punched through a cloud of smoke. Erica swore she saw a peaceful smile on Beth's face. Ted flew twice as fast as Beth's descent and snatched her up with his free arm about 10 feet before she hit the ground. The superhero slowed his flight and deposited his passengers safely on the lawn below.
Erica grabbed Beth's arms and wrenched them behind her before her friend could react. Meanwhile, Ted let himself collapse onto the grass.
"Let me go!" Beth squirmed as much as she could, but Erica's heightened strength was too much for her.
Erica watched Ted's chest heave up and down in rapid succession. "Is this nap time or something?"
Ted sounded like he'd just finished a marathon. "I... the flying... and... need a little break."
Erica couldn't help but laugh. Two firefighters came over to help restrain Beth – one of the apartment residents had seen Beth start the fire, and they had been looking for her. As much as Erica hated admitting it, she corroborated the story. When two deputies arrived shortly after, they placed Beth in handcuffs. Before they could take her away, Erica got her attention.
"Who did this to you, Beth?"
Beth whipped her long, red curls with a snarl. "Someone a lot more powerful than you."
As the deputies put Beth in their squad car, Erica sat down next to the still-recovering Ted.
She placed her hand on his chest, which had halved its previous rate of heaving. "You know, they say you're supposed to stand and stretch after strenuous activity."
Ted grumbled. "The guy who recommended that never flew through a burning building. Where's Beth?"
"They're taking her to the sheriff's office for questioning."
Ted took in a deep breath and sat up. "I don't think she did this alone. Was it the GHAers?"
Erica shook her head. "There's something else going on here. Something cosmic. Something from another world."
"Hashtag: Other world problems."
Erica rolled her eyes. "Date's over, funny man. It's time to get to work."
14
Dhiraj's father had given him approval to take some of the money he'd earned from Ted-related speaking gigs to turn the basement into a television studio of sorts. It allowed him to make talking-head commentaries via satellite with ease. A freelance technician helped patch him into the feed while Dhiraj worked his earpiece into place. He spoke with the show's producer for a moment to get the rundown. Dhiraj and GHA founder Thomas Cobblestone would be introduced at the same time. He’d speak first, and from there, the two of them would alternate until fast-talking YNN superstar Rudy Bolger ended the segment.
The technician cued him in and Dhiraj could hear Bolger's used car salesman voice pipe in through the earpiece.
"Tonight, we have teenage entrepreneur and business manager for Ted Finley, Dhiraj Patel, on the program."
"Always a pleas
ure, Rudy." Dhiraj took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"We also have the leader of the Go Home Alien movement, Thomas Cobblestone."
"I'd like to point something out, Rudy." Cobblestone's voice was clear and powerful. His voice was the kind people would listen to. It made Dhiraj feel self-conscious. "While I'm here representing my movement, Ted Finley is off using his powers to look up cheerleaders' skirts or something."
Dhiraj smiled and let out a chuckle, even though his instinct told him to come to Ted's defense. "Now we know what you'd do with telekinetic powers, Tom." Dhiraj thought he saw the technician laugh with him on that one.
"Gentlemen, please." Bolger put up his hands as if he didn't love every moment of conflict between his guests. The twinkle in his eye betrayed him. "Dhiraj, we'll start with you. Earlier this week, the GHA movement protested outside a robbery in which Ted Finley saved the lives of six hostages. Was this excessive?"
Dhiraj wondered if his face betrayed his belief that Bolger's question was one heck of an understatement. "Rudy, you know as well as I do that Ted Finley is a hero." Dhiraj let his eyes soften as he stared into the camera. "This week, he saved mothers, sons and daughters from armed men, doing what he could to keep families together. He was rewarded for his efforts by a couple of balloons filled with green paint to the side of his head. I wonder if Mr. Cobblestone would offer that kind of treatment if Ted had saved his children."
Dhiraj hoped he had Cobblestone backed into a corner. With a strong enough appearance, perhaps he'd be able to knock down enrollment numbers for new GHA members.
Rudy Bolger let out a "hmm" sound as he turned his attention toward Cobblestone. "Tom, do you think assaulting Ted after he saved six lives was out of line?"
Cobblestone laughed like everything he'd just heard was below his standards. "First of all, assault is one heck of a strong word for a little prank. We have disciplined the member who brought the tiny paint balloons to the protest." Cobblestone took in the air he needed for the long, prepared sentence he always spoke during his time on TV. "Ted Finley saved these families, but he'll never be able to atone for the murder of his two classmates, Jason and Phil Torello. The Torello family will never be whole again."
Dhiraj considered bringing up his stand-by defense: the fact that one of the Torellos tried to kill him with a giant rock. He decided to keep things lighter instead.
"Ted has mourned for the lives lost during the attacks of several months ago," Dhiraj said. "And now it's time for the GHA movement and Ted to work together: serving the public and using the power of many minds to solve problems."
Rudy Bolger turned his attention to Cobblestone. "Together everyone does achieve more, Tom." Rudy Bolger was amused at himself. "Could Ted and the GHA ever work together?"
From the breath Bolger took right before he spoke, Dhiraj could tell the GHA leader was in full attack mode.
"Work together?" Cobblestone let out an incredulous yelp. "We don't know how Ted gained these powers. We have no idea just how dangerous he could be. Ted is a nuclear explosion just waiting to happen – one that could kill everyone around him if we're not careful."
Dhiraj wanted to smack the rhetoric right off of Cobblestone's face. He knew exactly what to say to rile up his followers, and there was little Dhiraj could do to get him to change his tune.
"Could Ted be a threat, Dhiraj?" Bolger asked.
Dhiraj did his best to keep his cool. "Ted Finley is an honest-to-goodness hero, and that was the case even before he got his super abilities. He wants to keep everyone safe, including you, Mr. Cobblestone."
Cobblestone broke into the exchange immediately. "Keep me safe? Was that some kind of threat?"
Dhiraj rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying that Ted would protect you if you were in danger."
"Ted is the danger." Cobblestone was dead serious. "None of us are safe as long as he's allowed to roam freely. I'm nervous for Treasure and I'm nervous for the rest of the United States of America."
Dhiraj was unable to get a word in edgewise the rest of the interview until Bolger signed them off. As the show went to commercial, Dhiraj and Cobblestone remained on the line for around 30 seconds.
"What do you even want, Cobblestone?" Dhiraj asked. "A firing squad to gun Ted down?"
"It would be a start," Cobblestone said. "Take care, Dhiraj. Tell your friends I said hi."
15
Ted missed the anonymity he used to experience when he walked into the main cafeteria. Before he'd gained the ability to move objects with his mind, it was rare for anybody to give him a second glance when he walked into the large hall filled with circular tables and semi-appealing smells. He'd had way too much attention when he sat down with Natalie the previous day in the Freshman cafeteria, and he had a fair amount of eyeballs on him as he maneuvered over to a table where Erica and Dhiraj sat waiting for him.
On most days before his powers, Ted would sit in a quiet corner with Natalie and Dhiraj. Natalie would discuss her latest game or sports in general. Dhiraj would talk about the newest money-making scheme he'd heard on a podcast or webinar. Ted would simply listen and enjoy the company. Nowadays, he was expected to contribute much more to the conversation than a smile and a nod.
"I checked her body for the symbol," Erica said. "As far as I can tell, Beth is still alive."
Ted smirked at his friends. "For once, can't we talk about who's hooking up or the latest cat video or something?"
Dhiraj raised his chin. "Personally, I like the one with the cat on the tiny sailboat."
Erica sighed and looked away as Ted stared in her direction with a smile. Dhiraj did the same.
"Fine," she said. "I saw the sailboat one, too. It was cute. Can we talk business now?"
Ted nodded.
"If Beth wasn't a dark soul, why was she burning down a building?" Dhiraj asked.
Ted couldn't help himself from glancing at Erica's hands, tracing up her arms and looking at the body of a girl he'd wanted to hold his entire life. He could've done without them having to talk burning buildings and dead people, but he figured he'd take what he could get.
Erica tapped her fingernails on the tabletop. "Dark souls may not be in play here, but there are many other worlds beside the Realm of Souls and yours."
Erica had mentioned other worlds before, but she'd remained tight-lipped about them during their training. Ted didn't know if there was some kind of pain there or if the living soul was on a need-to-know basis.
"Are the people on the other worlds like the dark souls?" Ted took out his chicken salad and started to devour it.
"No. Like yours, they're impacted by the war, but most of them don't support one side or the other."
Ted got the feeling Erica was holding something back, but he wasn't sure if he should pry. His girlfriend would tell him everything he needed to know to protect the town and his friends, wouldn't she?
"Beth didn't seem like herself, right?" Dhiraj asked. "Maybe something was controlling her. Like the same kind of thing you did with the sheriff."
Erica stared at the stir-fry stand to their left for a second.
"Erica?" Ted put down his fork. "Are there creatures from another world who can do what you can?"
"Usually they aren't powerful enough to take over a person's mind for any extended period of time." Erica munched on a celery stick slathered in peanut butter. "Sometimes, when the living soul crosses over, the power used in the process can be harnessed."
Ted narrowed his eyes at Erica. He wondered why this was the first he'd heard of this.
Dhiraj broke the silence. "Like a turbo button in a video game."
Erica laughed. "Sure."
Ted smirked at Erica. "Hey, you guys were the ones who picked a couple of nerds to keep the world safe. Would this turbo charger thing be in Page's?"
As Ted watched Erica, he couldn't help but wonder if she was trying to determine what to tell him and what to hold back.
"There's a chance the power could have been trapped on
paper. Leaving some kind of magic book."
"The books on the walls." Ted began to nod. "Of course. I think they're at the library now."
Dhiraj looked as happy as a kid in a candy store. "Turbo buttons, magic books. I love how this is all turning into some kind of video game."
"Please." Ted grimaced. "Please do not try to adapt this investigation into some kind of playable app or something."
Dhiraj grinned. "You know, I hadn't had that idea until now, but I appreciate you contributing to the think tank."
Ted shook his head.
"As long as you don't try to sell it on YNN." Erica sighed. "Good interview yesterday, by the way."
As Dhiraj thanked Erica and began to speak about his experience, Ted noticed something from across the room. Bringing up the GHA chat made Ted glance at the designated GHA clique table. It seemed to have gathered a few extra people since the previous day.
When he saw the unmistakable black hair of his ex-girlfriend at the table, he couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach.
Ted turned back toward Dhiraj and Erica, but he couldn't hear any of the words they were saying. The room spun as he thought back to the previous day in the freshman cafeteria.
Was I the one who pushed her to hate me?
This time, Erica was the one who noticed something was off with him. "You don't look so good, Ted."
"Then why are you going out with him?" Dhiraj asked.
"I meant right this second. In general, Ted is very cute."
Ted looked down at his hands. They were shaking.
Dhiraj leaned in toward him. "You need some water, man?"
Ted shook his head and stood up. He left his lunch bag on the table and walked toward the exit. He felt like the room was closing in and the only way he could get any oxygen was by getting out of there. The collection of orange lunch trays rattled as he walked by, and several students shrieked when their backpacks started to shudder. Ted tried to pick up the pace of his stumbling walk. As he neared the exit, he heard a voice calling to him.
"Hey, Finley." Travis looked over his shoulder at Ted from the seat next to Natalie. "You look a little pale."
