Fortified

by J. F. Jenkins

  A crack of lightning ended their moment of rest. The tree above Angela split at the point of impact, causing an explosion of bark and branches to fall down around her as she screamed. A shield of fire appeared above her just as a branch almost smashed over her head. It landed off to the side and Orlando redirected it out of their way, his body tense as he anticipated another attack. He reached for Angela’s hand, and she took it, much to JD’s surprise.

  The three of them prepared to run but Drone stood in their path. The one Drone called Gabby, and a third unmasked teen flanked their sides. He was a young man, pale, with vibrant red hair and even more passion in his olive green eyes than any of the others. And that was saying a lot because Drone’s gaze was intense enough as it was.

  Drone sighed and pulled out his gun, keeping it ready but not pointing it at a target. “I know you can protect yourself from our attacks. Eventually, you’re going to tire yourselves out and we’re going to overpower you. Because I know you’re not trained to conserve your abilities for longevity. And you know what? That’s okay. We’re all just teenagers thrown into a fight that shouldn’t be ours in the first place. Wouldn’t you like to go back to worrying about who to take to prom, getting your homework done on time, all of those simple, trivial things that we once took advantage of?” Drone stepped forward. “I can make that happen for you. Just give me the Ilotus, and life can go right back to normal.”

  “And how exactly do you plan on making that happen?” Orlando sneered. He folded his arms in front of him and did what he did best: talk. It bought them time if nothing else. Time JD could use to find a Plan B. “Hypothetically, we give you this device. What happens next? What do you plan on doing with it? What do you plan on doing to us?”

  “Your leader called it rehabilitation,” Drone said. “Though you’re more than welcome to join me and my group of justice warriors.”

  “Justice Warriors, cute.” Orlando scoffed. “Come up with that all on your own?”

  Drone smirked. “A collective effort.”

  “And who are you providing justice for? The Doctor and his clan of murdering monsters?”

  Shaking his head, Drone relaxed his posture, and JD briefly believed the guy didn’t mean them any harm. The steel in his gaze sent shivers down JD’s spine however, not letting his intuition allow for his guard to come down. “Hardly, but I admittedly don’t stand for any Alturan faction at all. I fight for Earth and her people.”

  “Then we’re on the same side,” JD said carefully.

  “No,” Drone snapped. “You work for Alturans and their priority is them. They come here and ruin our lives. Uproot us. Turn us into their unwilling experiments because they seem to think we all want to be superheroes, then drop us when we’re done so we have to pick up all of the pieces.”

  The breeze rustled through the trees while JD processed what he’d just heard. “Sounds like you know from personal experience.”

  “Smart, not that I’m surprised. Sir Jaes always talked you up. I still haven’t figured out why.” There was a sharp bitterness in his tone.

  JD held his hands out in front of him, urging peace and knowing it was probably a vain effort. “I don’t know much about Jaes or how he runs things, but not all Alturans are like him. Alan is kind and considerate. Let’s not do something we’re going to regret later. Maybe we can all meet together and work through—”

  “No.” Drone shook his head. “I’m done with them. The Ilotus. Now.”

  “What do you want to do with it?” JD clutched the gold box to him tighter.

  “If you’re not going to help me, you don’t get to know.” Drone lifted his gun and pointed it at JD. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you, but hurting you isn’t something I want to do either.”

  Before JD could utter a reply, the gun fired with a loud bang. Everything seemed to move into slow motion then. A scream escaped from his sister’s lips while at the same time Orlando raised a hand. Psychic energy pulsed away from him and JD watched it slowly ripple through the forest. More interestingly, he watched the bullet inch its way toward him like some special effect from an action movie. I’m controlling time?

  He moved out of the way of the bullet and walked over to Drone, standing right behind him. Smirking, JD tapped on the guy’s shoulder and life resumed at its normal pace. Drone spun to face him. Without a second thought, JD punched him square in the jaw, knocking him over. There was just enough time to grab the gun from his hands. All the while JD ignored the sting in his knuckles and pain in his joints.

  With a shaking hand, he held up the gun, doing his best to manage its weight with one hand while he gripped the Ilotus with his other. “Call off your teammates.”

  “You’re not going to shoot me,” Drone mumbled.

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do next, actually!” JD backed away. “Call them off.”

  Drone only chuckled until a rock flew into his head, knocking him unconscious.

  When JD gazed over at his sister and his friend, he saw Orlando trapping the other two assailants in a prickly looking bush. His blue eyes narrowed as he focused all of his attention on moving them a few more inches in the plant, and his entire face was flushed red. Once he was satisfied with his work, he breathed hard, his skin slowly returning to its normal pale shade.

  “What did you do?” JD demanded.

  “Are you complaining?” Orlando whined. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “I’m not complaining.”

  “Good, because I was about to say…”

  Angela grabbed both of them by the arm. “Walk and talk, okay? Actually, run and talk sounds better.”

  “Run then talk,” JD advised, putting the safety on the gun and then tossing it deep into the forest.

  “Whatever!”

  They ran, stepping over branches, dodging bushes, trees, and anything else in their way. If I don’t think about how tired I am, it’ll be easier to keep going. And there was a lot to distract JD’s mind. What happened back there? I thought for sure I was toast. Then everything went to a standstill? Cadence and Alan have mentioned weird stuff happening when I’m around, but this is definitely the weirdest. Maybe Orlando did it? He’s the one with the super cool, super strong powers, and he did look pretty beat. He glanced over at his friend who struggled to keep up. Still does, actually. We should rest soon. Assuming we can.

  When the forest abruptly ended at the border of a farm, JD put his hands on his knees for support as he tried to catch his breath. Of the three of them, Angela was the least winded. Orlando lay down on the ground, groaning loudly.

  “I’m done. If they still get us? I’m done.” He closed his eyes. “Pretty sure I broke my brain using my powers back there.”

  JD smirked at him. “Whatever you did to help me, thanks.”

  “That was all you,” Orlando countered. “I was going to try and get a shield around you, but the super speed…no it was almost like you teleported, only…I’m not sure how to describe it…you did it.”

  He was about to open his mouth in protest when Angela interjected.

  “Can we talk about this later? I’m kind of freaking out here!”

  Slowly, Orlando pulled himself into a sitting position. His gaze never left her. “We should check where we are, again. Permission to use my phone, fearless leader?”

  “Yeah, sure,” JD said. His eyes darted to the forest, waiting for Drone and his team to appear once more, like a shadow haunting their every move. They’re either coming for us or they aren’t. Might be a good idea to reconnect. If all else fails, we can tell Cadence what’s going on.

  Orlando got his phone out and turned it back on. “According to the map, there’s a highway of some kind on the other side of this field.” He pointed in front of them at the newly tilled ground. “If we travel east a quarter of a mile, we’ll be at that gas station. I’m going to go ahead and call us a cab to ride back in. By the time we get there, it should be waiting for us. We can get snacks for the trip, recharge,
that kind of thing.”

  “And talk about what went down,” JD said.

  “In the cab?” Orlando raised an eyebrow. “How about we try to get in touch with Alan first.”

  “This is mega-important, though.”

  Angela sighed. “It is. JD, you got your powers. He might have some insight on what they are, how they work!”

  “And he’ll hopefully have information from Jaes,” Orlando added. “Assuming they’re both okay.”

  “I’m worried about him too,” JD said in a soft voice. He still didn’t agree about waiting, but perhaps they both needed more time to process their most recent adventure. I know I do.

  Once Orlando got back to his feet, he started to unbutton his mud spattered white shirt. “Here, Angela, it’s getting cold.”

  “I’m fine,” she insisted.

  “You’re shivering.” He handed it to her and JD noticed her eyes were more or less glued on Orlando’s lean muscled arms. Thankfully, he had on a white undershirt, a sleeveless one, but he was covered.

  Rolling his eyes, JD watched his sister reluctantly put the shirt on. “At least you don’t look like a yoga class reject anymore.”

  “Bro, you have absolutely no room to critique my outfit.” Angela pulled off her mask and let down her long, dark curls from her messy bun. “I feel like I should go find the circus you escaped from.”

  JD scowled and gazed down at his costume. “This is cool.”

  “For a twelve-year-old’s birthday party,” Orlando chimed in, also taking off his mask. “At least take off the extra pair of underwear and hide it in your pocket. We’re going back to civilization soon.”

  “Fine…” JD took off his mask at last and then began to tweak his costume so he didn’t stand out quite as much. They could have easily explained the outfits away. He took in a slow, cleansing breath, a tiny smile forming on his lips. Me, I did it. I finally have my powers.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Alan chased after his father through the narrow underground tunnels. These particular tunnels didn’t seem as sturdy or well engineered like the ones around town. Normally, that kind of thing would give him reason to hesitate. But he’s my father! And he’d never forgive himself if he let the man get away.

  They turned right and into a dead end. It seemed his father wasn’t familiar with the area either. He searched for a door and found nothing beyond a sleeping bag and pillow tucked away in a nearby corner.

  “When you said you had the leak narrowed down to the top four officials of our tribe, I’d made the assumption to trust you weren’t one of them,” Alan said bitterly. “Now I see you were just trying to throw me off of your trail. I don’t understand why you’d want to work with the Gelandrosimbol or Basatlavan.”

  His father faced him, giving him a sad smile. “They aren’t who I’m delivering information to. I’m sharing with the governments of this planet.”

  “They’re already being informed,” Alan seethed. He clenched his hands into fists.

  “Not as much as they should be. I told them about the drug being used to recruit teenagers. About how it is already for sale on the black market so they could have the chance to purchase it for themselves. There is so much the nations here didn’t know and don’t you think it’s their right to be told? We are invading their planet, after all.”

  “Our people could have died!” Alan recalled all of the foiled missions, the number of close calls he’d had with just his team alone thanks to the way things seemed to conveniently go wrong too often.

  “Their people are already dying. The innocent teenagers being manipulated into science experiments, remember? Less of this would happen if the government had more control. They could choose who became soldiers, make them trained military personnel instead of random individuals who happen to be a match to the Wimosiphyer, our technology. It all goes back to us when it should be about them.”

  Alan shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. “But behind everyone’s back? That’s the part I don’t understand. Couldn’t you have worked something out so no one needed to be hurt unnecessarily? I don’t always like our tactics, but I respect protocol. It’s in place for a reason. You’re encouraging chaos and that’s so much more dangerous, especially in a war! Wasn’t the whole goal to keep people in the dark so they could be safe?”

  “Negotiations were taking too long,” his father said slowly.

  Footsteps running through the tunnels grew closer. Alan stiffened, ready for one or more of his father’s assistants to barge into the scene. When he realized it was Jaes, he relaxed…but only a little. There was still the possibility Jaes might be involved. A thought that soon went out the window when his friend displayed a pair of laser handcuffs from out of his pocket. The blue energy crackled between the metal pieces dangling from his fingers.

  Jaes stepped forward with a confidence Alan needed before he lost all of his nerve. “This is not a crime that will go unpunished.”

  His father laughed, his gaze settling on Alan, as if expecting his son to intervene. “Is that so?”

  No. He needs to know he will get no sympathy from me. Alan took in a shaking breath. “By Code 785 of the Alturan Unification Committee constitution, you are under arrest,” Alan somehow managed to say. His entire mouth felt dry, his speech coming out on autopilot. “You will be held in a cell of the Rosalotuve until your trial before the committee takes place on Altura.” He swallowed. “Should you resist arrest, we are allowed to use any force necessary to bring you in.”

  “I’m disappointed,” his father said softly. His eyes briefly met Alan’s before he averted them back to Jaes who moved closer, cuffs at the ready.

  “Not as disappointed as I am,” Alan said, biting back his tears.

  Jaes was almost upon his father when the man disappeared into thin air. “I didn’t realize this was a gift that ran in the family.”

  Alan stared at the empty space where his father once stood. “I didn’t know either, but it certainly puts all of the pieces together.” His father’s teleportation ability explained Drone’s quick escape from the ship. It also explained how he could come aboard to get information as he needed it. And because he is a higher officer, he has the clearance to get into a lot of areas most of us can’t. Possibly even manipulate other members of the ship to join him.

  He squeezed his eyes shut. Jaes placed a hand on his shoulder. A hand he shrugged away. “I’m fine.” Alan was pretty sure his friend knew it was a lie. For the time being, he got to indulge in it. “We need to speak with Sir Orioltogorthan, now, and my charges. I need to make sure they’re safe.”

  “Would you rather I talk to Sir Orioltogorthan?” Jaes offered. “You can focus on finding your charges and tracking down the Ilotus.”

  Emotionally numb, Alan nodded, all the while wondering when the world started to spin so fast. Why was he all of a sudden so dizzy? So nauseous? The real weight of what just happened crashed over him, becoming an unbearable load to carry. What would happen now? What about his mother and sister back home?

  Jaes must have sensed all of Alan’s distress because he silently brought them back to the ship. Once in the safety of their vessel, he drew Alan into a hug. “The technicians can help you track your charges. I will find you soon. I promise. Unless you are in need of me now? I can stay with you until you are ready.”

  Shaking his head, Alan held onto his friend for a moment, long enough to keep his tears at bay. “No, go check in. I’ll be okay.” For now. He stood in the empty hall of the ship, watching his best friend leave. Guilt filled him at the realization of how horrible of a person he was to ever doubt Jaes. At least he didn’t have to hide things anymore. That was one less burden to deal with.

  He slowly made his way to the technicians sector. There was always someone working and monitoring the situation on Earth. When he walked into the room, people actually stopped what they were doing to acknowledge him. Since when did anyone on the ship respect him? Had it been going on for a while,
and he just didn’t notice it? He paused, soaking in the moment, before going to the head tech on duty.

  “I won’t take up much of your time, but I’m in need of a tracking system so I can find where my charges are to make sure they’re safe.” Somehow he managed to have some kind of authority present in his voice. Surprising since it was taking so much of his effort to not shake. Even more surprising was that he could remember the assigned codes to identify his charges.

  The tech gazed up at him before nodding. With a few quick keystrokes and a pinch of her fingers on the screen in front of her, she located JD, Orlando, and Angela for him. They were still close to where he’d left them.

  “What’s this building here?” he asked, pointing to a small box shape on the map.

  “A business of some kind. Convenience store is what the people here call it, I believe,” the tech replied.

  They must have succeeded in getting away. “Thank you. That’s all I needed.” Alan almost teleported right then and there. He knew he should have. That would have been the responsible thing to do since he was in charge of their well-being. What would he say to them, though? As soon as he arrived, they’d know instantly something was wrong. Was he ready to tell them his father was a traitor? Should he? Is it their business to know? I never told them about the leak. Only Cadence… She was who he wanted to see most. His thoughts couldn’t linger on her for long, however, because Jaes rejoined him.

  “He wants to see you in his office,” Jaes said.

  Of course Sir Oriol would want to see me. “Now?” he asked, hopeful the encounter could be delayed.

  “Yes. Are your charges well? Do you want me to check in with them?”

  Alan exhaled. “Make sure they’re safe, but don’t engage them in conversation. I’d like to talk with them myself.”

  “Of course.” Jaes saluted. “It’ll be okay.”

  The words seemed vain. Alan appreciated them all the same. “Thank you.”