7 Gone

Though far away, a child is always accompanied by his mother's love.

It has been two weeks since Adam disappeared. In his absence, Maria went on with her life as if nothing happened. No way of informing police that her adult son teleported away from home. The second weekend after he left, Kiyana came over to Maria's home to visit. She saw what Adam did to the living room and shifted the wormhole to reflect the beach once again instead of the forest ruined after the confrontation between Lucas, Adam and herself.

"Adam is incredibly gifted even compared to his Eternal peers." Had confirmed Kiyana, a compliment that fell on deaf ears as the only thing that Maria was interested in was knowing the whereabouts of her baby boy.

Kiyana promised to do her best to try to locate Adam herself and that she would ask Joy if she knows anything.

Maria slept in Adam's room those days he was missing. Sniffing his bed sheets to remind herself of him. One night she feels something inside the pillow case and finds one of her dirty thongs tucked away. She laughs out loud, thinking 'Typical Adam.'

The following Monday, Maria went to work like any other day. She was glad to have Sheryl back at work, having someone to distract her from everything going on in her life was greatly appreciated, but even more so when she found out that morning that Olivia had returned from her vacation.

Maria knocks on the psychologist's door.

"Come in." Says the voice inside.

Maria steps in, with as bright of a smile as she can put on, given the circumstance.

"Hey, Maria. How have you been?"

Olivia doesn't look too good herself, lacking the usual color of her skin, and heavy bags under her eyes, she looks exhausted. Maria notices this and is concerned.

"Hey, Olivia. Got a minute?" She asks.

"Yeah, absolutely. Please come in, Maria."

Maria sits in front of the doctor, noticing an uncharacteristic uneasiness in her. "How was your vacation, Olivia?" She asks.

Olivia forces a smile, then releases a sigh.

"So weird. I don't know. Nothing much happened superficially, but-" She thinks of what to say. "Like I said, I don't know. I feel I am going through a lot emotionally myself, but-" Olivia's eyes begin to swell. Swallowing the emotion, she changes the subject. "Let's talk about you first, Maria. How have things been going with you and your son?"

"I don't want to make you feel like you have no one to talk to, Olivia. I may not have the training you have, but I know I can keep my mouth shut long enough to hear what others have to say."

"That's sweet, Maria. I appreciate it, I'd love to talk to you about what's going on. But let's allow you to have the floor first, as it should be, according to our patient-therapist relationship." Says Olivia, a warm smile now appearing on her face.

This eases Maria a little, she decides to unload. "Adam's been gone for a while. We had an argument- not even an argument! I said something he didn't like, I said it because I was worried about him. He didn't take it too well, then he just left."

Olivia's attention is drawn towards the name of Maria's son. Remembering the man she shared a kiss with at the beach in Greece.

"Maria, I don't want to change the subject. It's just something I couldn't stop thinking about. Especially recently."

"What?"

"The man on the roof, the day of the shooting. Who was that?"

Maria is uncomfortable with the question. She remains silent, unsure of how to respond.

Noticing her hesitation, Olivia decides to open herself up. "I met a man while I was in Greece. I was on top of a cliff, ready to throw myself at the rocky coast at the bottom."

"Oh my God, Olivia." Whispers Maria.

"A man named Adam saved me. He pulled me back before I could make the leap. We got to know each other, I couldn't help but feel attracted to him at that moment. I kissed him, I regretted it, but he was very sweet throughout the whole situation."

Maria listens intently.

"It's when he decided to reveal a bit about himself that I got the inclination of having recognized him. He could fly."

Maria's eyes widened. Adam. Her Adam.

"He was the same man on the rooftop that day. You know each other."

"He's my son. The Adam you met is the same boy I have been talking to you about."

"That wasn't a boy, Maria, that wa-"

"I know my son better than anyone. I know especially well what he is to me."

Olivia recognizes her intrusion. She should have kept quiet and let Maria speak.

"You kissed Adam." States Maria, clenching her jaw.

Olivia hesitates. "We were supposed to meet the day after we met. I never saw him again."

Maria relaxes, conflicted with her emotions towards her own son.

"I don't know where he is." She says.

"Maybe he's taking his time to understand how he feels about the situation. I wasn't aware of the magnitude of the situation, Maria. Honestly, the way you've been carrying yourself, I wish I had that type of courage."

Maria relates what Olivia said to what Adam would say.

"I don't feel this courage so many people tell me I have. I spend most of my time scared shitless of everything going on around me." Admits Maria. She is defeated by her tears, as she weeps into the palms of her hands, hunched over.

Olivia walks over to her, kneeling down, and putting her arm around her.

"You have every right to feel this way." She says.

For the first time since Adam left, Maria makes physical contact with someone. Olivia wraps around her as she cries into her hands.

Maria opens her mind, similar to how she practices with Adam, encountering Olivia's stream of consciousness.

Maria is surprised to succeed in her theory. She straightens herself up in her seat, holding on to Olivia's hands on her own, like with Adam.

"Olivia, I can connect our minds. That way you can feel what I feel. The process allows us to share our thoughts. Adam and I have been practicing how to communicate without being in the same place. If I practice with you, maybe I can learn how to find Adam."

Olivia, wanting to help, but having no idea what Maria is talking about, plays along. She nods her head in approval.

Maria closes her eyes again, focusing on Olivia's stream of consciousness. She dives in head on, shielding herself from receiving any information from Olivia, rather, practicing her ability to share her own specific thoughts without taking in the information the other has to offer.

She succeeds, feeling Olivia take in Maria's feelings for Adam.

Olivia recoils her hands. "Wow. That's what you meant. That was amazing, Maria, and beautiful. I now understand how you feel about your son."

Maria smiles. "That went better than I expected."

Maria wants to keep the connection she had with Olivia open, missing the feeling of having someone there at all times, like with Adam. Out of respect for the doctor, Maria restrains herself from suggesting this to Olivia.

"How were you able to do something like that?" Asks Olivia.

"I didn't know I could do it with anyone other than Adam. I'm just as surprised as you are."

"I doubt that. Listen Maria, wherever Adam may be, I'm sure he's safe."

"That's what I can't come to convince myself of. I know Adam is a very strong capable man, but I still feel I need to protect him. You know?"

Olivia loses herself in thought. Taking in everything that's been revealed to her.

"I think it's good that Adam is away. Take this time to sit with your thoughts, answer questions you didn't know you had."

Maria accepts her advice. "What about you, Olivia? Do you need someone to talk to?"

Olivia looks down at her hands, holding on to Maria's, she slowly raises her gaze. "I have a lot of things going on in my mind right now. I have to focus on my work first. Let's have an actual session tomorrow. Yeah?"

Maria nods. She hugs the doctor and holds her tight. Olivia appreciates the sentiment. Maria dismisses herself, giving Olivia a kiss on the cheek on her way out.

The rest of the day is spent like any other. Maria's efficacy at setting aside personal problems and focusing on the task at hand is another characteristic her peers admire her for.

She arrives home, takes her clothes off, and sits on the sofa overlooking the ruined forest when she spots Kiyana in the distance.

Remaining cautious, and worrying this might be a trick by whoever that Lucas person might be, she shields her mind as she explores, expanding towards the woman she sees in the distance.

"Maria, it's alright, it's me!" She yells.

Maria feels Kiyana extend a stream of thoughts; Maria doesn't need to interact with the stream to recognize the memory Kiyana and her had agreed upon to use to communicate.

Maria opens her mind, inviting Kiyana to her home.

She teleports in. A smooth entry, unlike Adam's attack on the senses.

"Any luck?" Asks Maria.

"Yes, actually. I asked Joy. She said he's in the sun."

"How the fu-" Maria stops herself from asking a silly question.

"Joy said he made the best possible choice. She said that you would know what to do when the time comes."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I thought you would know." Replies Kiyana.

"Kiyana, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

"Could we practice sharing thoughts. I did it earlier with my psychologist, Olivia, and it felt great."

"Okay. But, this is something the Guardian is supposed to do only with an Eternal." Replies Kiyana.

"Speaking of which, have you warned all the Eternal about Lucas?" Asks Maria.

"Besides Adam, Lucas and myself there's only three others. One is near immpossible to locate. The other two have begun taking precautions."

"I hope nothing bad happens to them."

Kiyana smiles at the sentiment. "I'll practice with you Maria." She says.

Maria takes a seat on the floor, Kiyana makes her way, then stops. Like Adam did with the beach, she brushes her hand in front of her. The forest outside is replaced by another forest, covered in snow. Kiyana raises her hands, creating a barrier between the room and the cold temperature of the forest.

"If you need me, talk to the trees and they will let me know you called." Says Kiyana, taking a seat."

"Thanks, Kiyana. I appreciate it." Says Maria.

Maria practices extending her mind, to shield herself while being able to extend her consciousness.

Their practice is interrupted when they fall on a hot sandy ground. Kiyana immediately recognizes the place to be Joy's mental landscape, it takes Maria a second to recognize the place herself.

"Kiyana, go to Alondra right now!" Demands Joy appearing out of nowhere. "Maria?" She says, just noticing her presence. "What are you doing here?"

Kiyana doesn't stay to explain, disappearing before Joy realized Maria was there too.

"I was practicing with Kiyana-"

"That doesn't matter." Interrupts Joy, creating a looking mirror out of thin air.

The image on the mirror depicts a battle between Kiyana and Lucas over a city Maria does not recognize.

"Where's the other Eternal?" Asks Maria.

"I think it may have been too late." Replies Joy, solemnly.

Within the image Kiyana battles with Lucas. She has him follow her over the rooftops of the city, wanting to get him out of there to avoid as many casualties as possible.

Seeing through her scheme, Lucas catches up to her, pulling her leg and slamming her against the roof of an apartment complex. He leaps into the air, then like a meteor crashes against the ground, destroying the building and crushing Kiyana as she coughs up blood.

Desperate to get Lucas off her, she takes over the minds of onlookers, reinforcing their bodies, and sending them to fight Lucas for her as she recovers.

"Stupid bitch!" Says Joy.

As Lucas wrestles the minions off of him he looks at Kiyana with a smile. "I didn't know I could do that."

Lucas copies Kiyana's tactic of controlling minions to do his fighting, taking over the minds of as many people around as possible, reinforcing his minion's body to withstand a high impact conflict.

"Aren't you going to help?" Asks Maria, back in Joy's mental landscape.

"I can't interfere with a Guardian's work. Not unless the situation reaches a critical level."

"The guy is mind controlling people, how is that not critical?"

"The Pantheon calls the shots here, Maria. There's nothing I can do without getting an equal punishment."

Kiyana jumps out of the rubble, flying now, towards the city's limits. She is tackled out of the air by one of Lucas's minions. Not wanting to hurt the people under Lucas's control she does her best to keep them off her.

Kiyana is thrown against a building's wall after receiving a flying kick from a minion. Two more appear, restraining her arms. The minion that had kicked her closes the distance and punches her all over her face and torso as she attempts to release herself from the grip of the two holding her.

Kiyana looks up and sees an oil truck fall from the sky towards her.

The truck explodes upon impact, setting the surrounding buildings on fire.

Within the fire, Kiyana escapes the grip of the minions who, despite being covered in flames, continue struggling with her.

Kiyana leaps into the air when she sees a squadron of military planes approach. They open fire on her.

Kiyana spins and weaves up through the air. Avoiding the plane's fire. Behind a cloud, Lucas appears and grapples with Kiyana in the middle of the air. He holds her skull in his hands, squeezing her head between his hands.

Kiyana lets out a scream in pain.

She kicks Lucas hard in the torso, the impact displacing some clouds around them.

Angered, Lucas bashes his skull against her face. Letting her out of his grip briefly, he barrel rolls his crushing foot against her chest, launching her down to destroy another building with her impact.

Grateful for her durable body, she escapes the rubble and leaps into the air, only for Lucas to send her back to the ground with a heavy impact, crashing into another apartment. The residents of the apartment are immediately taken under Lucas's control and launch themselves at her. Managing to dodge their attacks, she jumps down to the city street.

She looks around her, the residents and passersby that were in the area now under Lucas's control, all charge towards her. Realizing she's out of her element, she teleports out of there, back to Maria's house. Joy then has Kiyana's mind re enter her mental landscape.

Joy hands the mirror to Maria, as she observes the aftermath of the battle. Lucas must have left the area because his minions turn back to themselves.

"You fucking idiot. Lucas saw what you did and learned how to take people under his control. Do you know how dangerous this ability is in the hands of someone like Lucas?"

"I'm sorry. I panicked. He absorbed Alondra. I was too late. Lucas has now absorbed two Eternals power. I don't know if I can face him alone."

"Alondra is gone." Confirms Joy, distraught. "I have to speak to the Pantheon, this is getting out of hand."

"I hope they hear what you have to say." Says Maria.

"Me too." Says Joy, forcing a smile.

Maria opens her eyes back to her living room once again. Kiyana lies a few feet away, blood on her tattered, and burnt clothes.

"Kiyana, are you okay?" Asks Maria.

"No. I wish Adam was here."

"Me too." Says Maria, holding back tears.

"Maria, I feel compelled to stay here and make sure you are safe."

"You don't have to, Ki-"

"I insist."

Maria doesn't know what to make of her stern intent on staying, ultimately giving in to the idea.

"You can stay here as long as you like. You can stay in my room, I'll stay in Adam's."

"That's not necessary."

"I insist." States Maria. "Now go shower, get some rest. You can borrow some of my clothes."

Maria guides Kiyana to her room, making sure she's accommodated. Maria enters Adam's room once Kiyana enters the bathroom to take a shower.

She lies down on her son's bed, wrapping her arms comfortably around a pillow, wondering when Adam will return.