CHAPTER 65

Franklin took a sip from his milkshake, watching the sunrise. It had already been a whole day since their battle with the Sculptor and yet the city kept going on, like nothing had happened. He guessed, to them, nothing had. Eustace had done a good job repairing everything to look like nothing had happened.

But, of course, something had. People still had died, despite their efforts, leaving a dark and bitter taste in Franklin's mouth. He didn't know how Lord Kane or whoever it was did it but the mind warp thing had happened again. Now the evacuations and deaths were blamed on a major gas leak that had now been fixed. People were scared but safe to return.

Franklin's mom knew the truth though. Angie had been beside her the whole time and since she knew what was going on, she kept their mom in the loop. It had been a tough conversation to have afterwards, explaining his powers and why he hadn't told her, but they came through it. While she was still scared for him, knowing he was going out into this new world with people like Swarm and Sculptor around, she was relieved to know he was practically invincible now. Though she had also limited his work in the deli to stop him from breaking stuff.

Now, he was up here, on the roof, sipping his strawberry milkshake and watching the sunrise, thinking about the future.

SLURP!

"Ah!" Travis sighed gratefully. "That hits the spot…oh, oh, brain freeze! Ow!"

Franklin snorted. "Guess it didn't hit the spot, huh?"

"It did for a second. Ow."

"Just take it slow, man," Franklin advised, taking a nice slow sip of his milkshake for emphasis.

"Yeah, slow isn't really my thing."

"I know." Franklin took another sip and then a deep breath. "So, I want to apologize to you."

"Oh you don't need t-"

"Maybe. But I want to. I kind of pushed you away after the whole superpower thing came up. Especially after Swarm."

"Yeah, but to be fair I pushed you away too."

"It's just…you kind of remind me of my dad."

Travis didn't say anything, just have him a look. It wasn't pity, which Franklin was grateful for, but more sympathetic. He placed his hand on Franklin's shoulder and listened while he talked.

"I didn't have many friends growing up. When I joined the football team last year, I did get close with some of the players there. I thought they were my friends. But then one night they decided it would be hilarious to rob a liquor store. I stayed behind and called my dad over and he paid for it all. I stopped hanging out with them after that. I didn't really want any other friends cause my dad was the only friend I needed. We loved the same things, movies, comics, shows, all of it. We just clicked. My mom said we were basically twins." Franklin chuckled a little at that memory before getting somber again.

"He was a fireman. He always loved being a hero, saving people, and that job made him feel closer to the heroes we idolized. So, when we got our powers and you said you wanted to race off and be a superhero, I guess a part of me was reminded of my dad and so…I just backed out. I didn't want to relive that."

"I'm sorry for making you think you were going to."

"It's not on you man. It's my own problem that I'm dealing with. I was really struggling with what to do with my powers. Cause I do kind of want to be a hero. It's just the danger…it got to me more than I'd like to admit. But…I think I'm ok now. I want to be like my dad, to save people. So, if you're still interested, I was thinking that…"

"YES!" Travis cried out, throwing his hands up into the air and startling Franklin so much that he almost dropped his milkshake. "The new dynamic duo baby! The Nerdfriends are back!"

"Ugh," Franklin sighed behind a smile. "We cannot be called that."

"Well I wanted it to be Nerdbrothers, but we're not quite there in our relationship."

"Ugh!"

"Hey." Franklin looked up, hearing Travis's voice become serious. "Thanks for telling me all that. It means a lot."

"You're welcome."

"I'm OCD."

The phrase was said so bluntly and out of context that Franklin needed a few seconds to process it. "Huh?"

"Yeah. I'm OCD."

"OCD?" Franklin checked. "The…constant cleaning and organizing thing?"

Travis snorted. "No, that's not it. Those are just examples. OCD just means there are things in my life that bother me so much they never really leave me alone. Some people clean constantly even if everything is crystal clean and others organize everything until it's perfectly straight. For me, it's all about my hands." He held them up and Franklin noticed that he was wearing fingerless gloves. "Whenever I use the bathroom, I take so many precautions to make sure my hands don't get dirty in any way whatsoever. And even then, I take like 20 minutes washing them."

"Jeez," Franklin muttered. "I'm so sorry."

Travis shrugged. "It is what it is. It's gotten easier with my super speed. I mean, it still takes the same amount of time but in speed mode at least I don't hold anyone up."

"Dang man. But, uh, why are you telling me all this."

"To show you're not the only one with problems. It's like I told Eustace. Everyone has something in their life that makes them feel less than who they are. For me, being OCD is a big part of it. But, when I'm with friends, it doesn't feel so bad anymore."

Franklin grinned. He was right. He remembered when he first met Travis a few weeks ago, how they'd gone on and on about comic books. At that moment, the pain of his dad's death didn't feel as bad anymore. It was the same right now, like he was finally healing from it.

"You know something Travis? I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

Travis laughed. "Hell yeah it is," he grinned. "Doesn't matter what's out there waiting for us, the Nerdfriends can take it on. Thunderbolt and…"

"Unstoppable," Franklin finished. "My name's Unstoppable."

Madison sat on the bench, sighing as she put down her phone, having just agreed to a training session with Emily and Gabriela tomorrow. After everything that had happened, all of them felt like they could do better than before. Madison had never really done something like this before other than that first training bit with Travis and Franklin. She'd never really tried making friends before. But…it felt nice. Great, actually. And she was surprisingly looking forward to it. Even if it would be tough and exhausting. She really liked having friends.

Speaking of, she checked the time wondering when Travis was going to arrive.

       There was a sudden rush of wind and a slight burst of light and Travis was there, sitting next to her. Madison jumped, nearly shrieking. She still wasn't used to that. She didn't think she'd ever be.

       "Oh, sorry," Travis said, wincing. "Didn't mean to scare you."

       "It's fine," she replied, taking deep breaths to lower her heartrate.

       "Still, sorry. Shouldn't have just appeared like that. Next time I'll just do it behind a tree or something."

       Madison nodded. She couldn't really blame him. He had taken to his new powers like a fish to water, reveling in them. While at first she…took to them like a fish to mud. Or just her to mud. Messy and feeling like she would slip or choke at any moment. She had wanted to get rid of them so much, hated every part of them and what they were doing to her life. But still, Travis had helped her. Not to make her into a superhero like he wanted to be, but to just help her Because of him, she could turn invisible whenever she wanted. She could even create force fields. Because of him, she now wanted to be a superhero too. It was a silly, crazy, fantastical dream but she wanted to use her powers right, to really make a difference with them. All because of him.

       He had always been there for her ever since he entered her life. Which brought her to the reason she asked him here.

       "Can I ask you something?"

       "You just did."

       Madison gave him a look. "Really? You're one of those people?"

       Travis shrugged unashamedly. "Hey, when you're presented with an opportunity like that, you jump on it. Plus, I've always kind of wanted to do that. Anyway, sorry, what did you want to ask?"

       Madison paused, recollecting her thoughts. She wasn't entirely sure if she should ask this question or why she wanted to know the answer. But it had been in the back of her mind for a while now. Since the beginning, really. And, she kind of just wanted to know. So she dove right in.

       "Why did you sit with me?" she asked.

       "Here?" he pointed at the bench. "You asked me to come here. But if you want, I can stand up. Don't know what difference it makes but it's fine a-"

       "No, no," Madison stopped him, getting flustered now. What was it about him that made her get flustered like this? "I meant last year. Why did you start sitting with me?"

       "Oh," he nodded, eyes going wide. "Uh…"

       "You don't have to answer," she told him hurriedly. "It's not a big deal or anything but…I don't know, I'm just curious. I mean, we were lab partners once and then you just plopped down at my lunch table. And it's not that I don't mind, you're a really good friend. Probably my best one, to be honest. I just…I just don't understand why you did it. But if it's uncomfortable or weird or-"

       "No, no, no," Travis stopped her this time. "No, I can answer. Just, uh, surprised for a second is all." He paused, looking like he was collecting his thoughts. He opened his mouth like he was going to start talking but then he closed it again. Instead he slumped in his seat and stared at the park.

       It was several minutes before he started talking, minutes where Madison stared at him with wide eyes, wondering if it was uncomfortable and weird, then stopped staring at him because that was weird. Then she wondered if not staring at him was even more weird and then wondered if she should say something to break the silence. Then she rubbed her forehead because she had a headache.

       "I've been alone most of my life," he said, making her turn back to him. "No one ever really…got me, you know?"

       She found herself nodding.

       "As you know I am a huge geek for comic books and superhero movies and adventure novels and all that stuff. Fantasy, sci-fi, mild horror, all of those stories that just captivate you with the wild and weird and extraordinary but are still, at their core, human. But in my family, there's no one else. My mom tries but you can tell she's not really that interested. My sister couldn't care less. My brother couldn't care less about me. And my dad…" he trailed off and Madison thought she might have seen some tears in his eyes before he blinked and they were gone. "Well, he's made it pretty clear how he feels about my life."

She suddenly had the urge to take his hand but she stifled it. Instead, she just listened.

"School's basically the same. No one's that interested. I mean, practically everyone's seen Star Wars or the Avengers or Lord of the Rings. But no one else seems to be a diehard fan for them. And whenever I talk about them, their eyes either glaze over or they back away or just start talking about something else." He sighed and Madison could practically feel the pent-up emotions inside of him coming out. "All I wanted really is just someone to share it all with. And then I met you."

Madison blinked, gaping for a second. "Uh, Travis, I do consider you a friend but I don't really like that stuff anymore than-"

"I know," he said. "I know that, that's not what I meant. I meant that when I met you I saw someone just like me. Someone who didn't really have anyone else to talk to about the things they love. Cause I see you when you talk about computers and programming and code. Your face lights up like, well, the 4th of July." He smirked at that. "And you get lost into it, describing in detail everything you can. Just like I do with my stuff."

Madison gaped at him, not sure how to answer. She thought her brain might have broken.

"And well, I figured that if I couldn't get the kind of friend who listened to my stuff then at least I could give someone else that kind of friend. I'm sorry I do get lost sometimes when you talk about cause there is way more than I ever thought there would be to know about computer programming. But I still see that spark in you when you talk. And if I can keep that spark alive," he shrugged, "then it's more than worth it."

Now it was Madison's turn to blink back tears. She stuttered, not quite sure what to say. "You didn't have to do that," she settled on.

"I know," he nodded. "But I wanted to. I messed up with Eustace though. I kind of got so focused on you that I left him out. And that's…"

"That's not on you," she told him. "I didn't know what Eustace was going through either. But you came through for him in the end. And, with the other stuff, you know you can stop now," she told him, though her inner voice was screaming at her to shut up. "You have Franklin now to talk about all your geeky comic book stuff." She felt her stomach curl though, not wanting him to stop. Without realizing it, she had gotten so used to talking to him about programming, to talking to someone about it, that she didn't want to go back.

"I do have Franklin," Travis grinned. "I believe that's karma. I helped out a friend and I got one back. But, I don't think I'll leave you high and dry."

"Really?" Madison questioned, her heart leaping a little. "You still want me to, uh how'd you put it, oh yeah, word barf all over you about it?"

Travis's head tilted, a sly expression coming over him. "Well…" he said, drawing the word out.

Madison frowned. "What did you do?"

"One of the fun things about being able to move at super speed is the amount of stuff you can do in a short amount of time. Like run across the city in a matter of seconds. Or, you know, read an entire book in the same amount of time. Like, say, these books."

He was suddenly gone and Madison blinked before he was suddenly back again and had to force herself not to jump. She was never going to get used to his super-speed. She then blinked again, seeing the books he was holding in his hands. Beginning Programming for Dummies and Coding for Dummies.

"Dummies is the operative word here as while I did my best to keep up with you, I realized about ten sentences into either of these books that I really don't know squat about programming. Or coding. Or computers."

"You read these?" Madison almost laughed.

"Yep. Took me almost a minute. Speed-reading to the extreme. Also, another fun fact about my powers, turns out I retain more knowledge now. So, unlike before, I remember practically everything in these bad boys. So you go ahead and word barf all over me and I'll just do it right back."

Madison couldn't help it. She laughed. She laughed so hard there were tears in her eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed like this. She didn't think she ever had. It took her several minutes before she calmed down again.

"Thank you," she said to him. "I honestly don't think I deserve a friend like you."

"No, I think you needed a friend," he replied. "And I was more than happy to be that friend."

Madison wasn't really the huggy type. Physical contact made her a little uncomfortable. But this time, she initiated it, wrapping her arms around him and pulled him close. She felt his arms go around her and sighed softly. She didn't hug too much but this one wasn't awkward like the others and she didn't have the urge to let go. It was…nice.

When they pulled apart, Madison saw Travis's cheeks were a little red. She frowned, wondering what that was about, when he smiled. "So, you in any mood to, uh, word barf all over me?"

Madison laughed again. "You know what? I actually kind of am."

"Great," he grinned. "Cause after all that reading, I'm kind of ready to word barf all over you too. I know way too much about this stuff now."

"Oh really?"

"Yep." He then held out his arms widely, like one of those sacrifice poses in the movies. "Word barf away."

Emily smiled as Champion began devouring her wet food. "I spoil you too much," she said to the cat. "But I just can't help it. You're just so loveable, aren't you?"

"Mrow!" Champion mewed in protest as Emily got down on her knees to hug her.

"Alright, alright, I'll leave you to it," Emily said, getting up. "But if you get a treat, I think I get one too." She placed a hand into the secret cookie tin, pulling out one of Zelda's chocolate chips, and placed the cookie in the microwave.

She was still struggling with how to cope with all of this. It had only been a day and she still wasn't sure what to with herself. What was one supposed to do after nearly dying so many times? She'd eaten quite a few cookies, which did help take her mind off it, but still. It was why she emphasized her training a lot more, needing to improve. She knew now that there was no backing out of this. Not with Kane's warning. They were all officially part of this world. Which meant more threats were on the horizon.

Not exactly how she expected her life to go. But it was a challenge. Her stretchy powers didn't do much in the last fight so she had to make sure that for whatever came next, they would make a difference. She would be strong enough to stand on her own and be the best.

But until that happened, there were still a few things to take care of.

She heard the door open just as the microwave dinged. She pulled out her warmed cookie, blowing on it a little, just as her mother entered.

"Dear, I've got news. There's a new photo…oh Emily," her mother sighed, spotting the cookie. "How many times have I told you? No cookies. They add too many calories. Please, if you must eat, then have a green apple or-"

Emily didn't let her finish. She just popped the cookie in her mouth. It was still a little hot but the buttery and chocolate taste that overwhelmed her taste buds was so worth it.

"Emily!" her mom gasped. "Spit that out right now!"

Emily just rolled her eyes and kept chewing.

"Spit that out right now or else-"

"Mom, just stop," Emily said, though in reality it came out more like 'matusop.'

"Emily! Don't talk with your mouth full. I taught you better than that. Now will you please-"

Emily swallowed it all, a pleased smile crossing her face.

"Emily!" he mom gasped again. "I don't know what's gotten into you but you should know better than all this. Now you've-"

"What mom?" she asked. "I ate a cookie. It's not going to kill me."

"Maybe not but it will add calories you don't need. Don't you want to keep your figure-"

"My figure is fine!" Emily practically snapped. "I work out every day. A cookie every now and then isn't going to change that."

"Well, I don't know what's going on with you, but you'd better change your attitude before the photo shoot."

"Photo shoot?" Emily asked. "What photo shoot?"

"Oh, right. I managed to land a gig with Teen Spirit. And guess what? One of the producers there works for Teen Vogue. If we land this right, we can even get a gig for them and then-"

"I'm not going."

Her mom stopped, her excitement dying. "What? Well of course you ar-"

"No, I'm not. I'm done, mom. With all of it."

"Now honey, we've worked too hard to-"

"You're not hearing me mom. I'm done. I never cared about any of it. The shoots, the magazines, stupid Teen Vogue, none of it. I'm not doing it again."

Her mom stared at her, flabbergasted. "This is a huge opportunity for you. You can't just throw it away like it's-"

"I can and I will," Emily replied. "It's my life. I only ever did it because I thought it would prove something. But all it did was make me miserable. So I'm done."

Her mom tried to adopt a stern look. "Now Emily, listen close. After everything we've worked for, I cannot just let you-"

"It isn't your life mom," Emily told her firmly. "It's mine. And I'm finally going to do what I want. There's nothing you can say that will change my mind." She checked the time and started moving to the door. "I've got to go now, I'm meeting up with Britta."

"I knew that girl was no good. If she's the one who-"

"Mom, just stop! This has nothing to do with her. Look I'm going and you can't stop me. We'll talk later, ok. I hope you can understand but if you can't…well, I'm sorry. Bye."

She walked out, leaving her mom speechless behind her. As she passed the trophy cupboard, she glanced up at it again, her eyes always scanning for the person who wasn't there. The person who left her, deciding she wasn't worth it.

I don't want you in my life anymore, she thought.

She had finally done something worthwhile, helping save the world from annihilation. And she'd nearly died doing it. When the Sculptor had lifted her up, she flashed back to everything she'd done. And all she'd really done was train her body to earn more trophies and do photo shoots. All in the name of someone who didn't care about her.

It was time to actually live.

"Hey!" Britta yelled when she arrived at the mall ten minutes later. "How are you?"

"Doing better," Emily replied before taking a look around at all the different shops and stores laid out in front of them. She'd never really been to the mall but she knew Britta went a lot so she'd decided to treat her. She did want to see what the 'full mall experience' was all about anyway. "So, where do you want to start?"

"Oh, everywhere."

"That's…not an option."

"It is with me," Britta said, flashing her a bright grin. "Now come on. There's so much we need to try."

Emily grinned just as widely. "Yeah. Let's do it."

Luke sat outside the office, doing his best not to tap his foot. He wasn't sure whether or not this was the best decision for him in the long run but he knew it was what he needed right now. Didn't stop him from feeling a bit guilty though.

It was weird, the way these powers had changed his life. He should be furious at having them, at the way they had disrupted all his plans. But part of him did feel relieved. Which had helped lead him to this decision.

The door suddenly opened and he stood up just in time to see Coach Beatriz step out. "Hey Luke," she greeted. "Sorry to keep you waiting like that. Had to deal with a few calls. Come on in."

"Thanks Coach."

He had sent an email to her this morning and had been grateful to learn Coach Beatriz was at the school for a few hours, giving him the time and the privacy to do this. He took a deep breath and stepped inside.

"So what I can help you with? Must be pretty important to come in on the weekend."

"It is Coach. I…I'd like to drop from the team."

If he was expecting her to be surprised by this, then he was in for a surprise since she just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You…you were expecting this, weren't you?"

"Honestly, Luke, I was expecting something like this, yes. If not, then I would have been the one to bring it up. These last few weeks, your head's not been in the game. You've been distant, lost your focus."

"Yeah…you could say that," Luke said, scratching his head. "Something happened recently and, honestly, I think part of me has forgotten why I love football in the first place. I think I lost that love somewhere along the way and now when I play, I just…I don't know, I don't feel it as much. Does that make sense?"

Coach Beatriz nodded. "It does."

"I will always love football. I've been playing it all my life. But…"

With his powers, every time he played, he felt guilty over using it or not using it. The only time he felt right was when he'd been fighting Swarm and the Sculptor, using to help his teammates there and stop the bad guys.

He should be angry about it, losing the game he loved over it, but relief was washing over him because he knew he could finally take a step back from it. His entire life was dominated by football. His entire future was mapped out based on football. He didn't realize how much he'd been drowning in it until he suddenly had an out.

"I do want to play," he said. "I guess I don't want to quit quit, per se, but more just be a reserve player. Maybe. I just…I need time to figure out what I want with it. Take a pause on it."

"Kid, I get it," Coach Beatriz stopped him. "I actually do know what you're feeling. You're burned out. You've done it too long. Happens to the best of us. So yes, take your time. You'll be on reserve starting next week. And come back to me when you've figured out what you want, ok?"

"Ok," Luke nodded, relieved. He knew he would want to play again, someday. He just didn't know yet.

He walked out of the office and let out a pent-up breath. Telling his father would be a challenge but Luke hoped he'd understand. He really needed this right now. But, before that, there was something he had to take care of first.

He pulled out his phone and tapped on his friends' group chat, sending a text to them.

Who's up for a movie?

It took a few minutes for the others to reply.

Roderick: For real?

Bruce: I'm in.

Sally: Sounds good.

Ralph: What movie?

Omar: I think the new Jack Blaze movie is out. How about that?

Luke smiled, as he watched the texts pile up. He couldn't remember the last time he'd just hung out with his friends. Felt nice. He didn't know what the future might bring, but he was ready for it. New threats, new problems, new things to mess up his life. But until all that happened, he was just going to relax and enjoy his life.

"…and those are only a few reasons why you should choose me as class president," Dredden informed the listening audience. "With me, I will steer us towards a more orderly and prosperous future. Thank you."

There was a scattering of applause and some chatter as he finished. Gabriela did her best to tune out the comments she was hearing. She had already pinpointed who his strongest supporters were and they were already doing their rounds, trying to convince the rest of their peers to cast their vote for Dredden.

Gabriela was beginning to feel like her stomach was filled with dread, which was ironic considering her circumstances.

"Hey, don't worry," she heard Meredith say next to her. "You got this."

Gabriela nodded nervously. She had worked hard over the weekend, putting this speech together. She still wasn't sure if it was right or not. She'd gone through it so many times and made so many edits but part of it still felt missing. But at least it was something.

"And now, we have Gabriela Fuentes."

"You're up girl."

"Go knock that jackass out of the park," Latika urged.

"Show them the warrior queen we all know and love," Rosalyn urged.

Gabriela smiled, her nerves fading slightly. "Thanks guys," she muttered before stepping up and walking onto the stage.

"Hello everyone. As probably most of you know, my name is Gabriela Fuentes and I am running for student president." She paused a little her, her throat gone a little dry. Suddenly, her speech went out of her head and she couldn't think of a thing to say. All her work went up in smoke. She was going to choke, right here, in front of everyone and ruin everything. Dredden would be president and make everything so much worse with his policies. And it was all because of her.

Her gaze landed on Travis, who was watching with a semi-interested expression in the back. On Madison, standing next to him with her hair covering half her face. On Emily who gave her a sly thumbs up. On Luke who looked like he was trying not to yawn but still kept his eyes on her. On Sumin who nodded stoically at her. And on Franklin, who just smiled encouragingly.

And suddenly, she knew what to say.

"For a long time, I was wondering what I wanted to say when I stood up in front of all of you. And I think part of me was even wondering why I even wanted the position." She heard some murmurings after that and saw Dredden smirk out of the corner of her eye, but she wasn't done yet. "But the thing is, I truly love this school. Maybe some of you don't feel the same. Maybe you feel like it's just a place you're forced to go and learn stuff you probably never wanted to. Maybe it's just a chore to you."

She could see she was getting more people's attention now and had to hold back a smile. "But that's not what it is to me. To me, this school is a place where I can learn, yes, but it's also a place where I can hang out with my friends. It's a place where I can discover who I am. It's a place where I can build my future. I decided I wanted to become a U.S. president in the school library, if you can believe it." Another small round of chuckles. "It's also a place where I found my people. I joined the LGBTQIA+ society my first day here and was welcomed the second I stepped inside. And I know that some of you can relate, whether it's chess club, debate club, robotics, Study Hall, football, and so many more. When I walk around this school, I see people sitting and talking with each other, helping one another out in so many different ways from homework to self-improvement. That's why I love this school. It's where we can build a community. Friends, family, teammates, whatever's your preference. That's what this school is about. Because we all become better, stronger, when we work together. And once we do that, there's nothing we can't do."

She saw she now had everyone's full attention. "And that's why you should vote for me. Because I will do everything in my power, not to keep it the same, but improve all that. Improve everything you either already do love or the stuff you might love about it. I want to help you love school as much as I do, in whatever way that works for you."

She went on for the rest of her time, talking about examples of what she would do and how she would help people. Her eyes wandered over to her friends and teammates at times, their confident and encouraging looks always giving her the push she needed to keep going.

"As someone special to me once said, a better tomorrow is just a promise we make to ourselves to try and make each day better than the last. So let's start right now, in making your school life better from each day going forward. Thank you."

There was a breath of silence and then almost everyone started clapping. She heard her friends whistle and shout out to her and saw Franklin give her a small nod. And for a second there, she felt a warm glow fall on her, like her mom was smiling down on her.

"Where do you think this should go?" Sumin asked, holding up a small pot of aloe vera.

Of course, Althea did not respond, but Sumin continued on as if she had.

"Yes, by the window would be best. Let it get plenty of sunlight," Sumin nodded, placing the pot there. "These plants do not require much water so don't worry about it dying on you. Here, I also brought you this from your room." They pulled out a poster depicting a cat hissing with the words 'When Someone Tells Me I Have Too Many Books' written cross it.

"There," they said, hanging it up with thumb tack. A while ago, the hospital staff had said they could decorate the room any way they wanted (within reason) as they believed it would be some time before Althea woke up, if ever. But Sumin and their family had never taken them up on that offer. They had hoped that Althea would wake up sooner rather than later and that decorating the room was just unnecessary.

But after they had been forced to pack up her room for the new place, Sumin had accepted the fact that even though she might still wake up any day now, it still might be a long ways off. So, they had finally taken up the offer, making the room more homey and welcome. Perhaps it would soothe Althea's state of mind, even in unconsciousness. Or maybe it would just make Sumin feel better whenever they came here.

Moving had been harder than they would have liked to admit, but Sumin knew it was their only option. They had to stop pretending this was all temporary and accept the reality of the situation. It didn't matter at this point if Althea woke up or not, the medical bills were piling up and they needed to make some changes in order to keep going. If this was a sacrifice to help Althea, Sumin would gladly make it and a dozen more like it.

Still, none of that meant they were giving up on helping her. Their access to Lord Kane and official welcome to this new world meant more possibilities. There was still a chance someone with a healing power was out there. And if they were, Sumin would find them. They'd felt so helpless before, unable to do anything. Even with the coffee shop job, they felt they had been fixing a hole with a roll of tape. And not even duct tape at that. But now, they could do something. And they wouldn't stop trying until they succeeded. Or if Althea woke up on her own. That worked too.

"Here," Sumin said, depositing a few of Althea's favorite novels like Skyward by Brandon Sanderson, The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. "In case you wake up while we're not here. But don't worry. Once you wake up, we will rush to your side and never leave it again."

They could almost imagine what her next words would be. "You'd better leave when I use the shower, you perv!"

"Just come back to us, ok?" Sumin told her, leaning over to give her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll visit as often as I can. I promise."

"I know you will."

Sumin leaped five feet in the air, an indigo shield already forming, when they saw their grandmother enter the room. "Halmi!" they exclaimed.

"Your reaction was very funny, Jubang," she chuckled, depositing her bags on an empty chair.

"What are you doing here?"

"Same as you. Visiting my granddaughter," she replied as if it was obvious. She reached out and took one of Althea's hands, holding it gently.

"I meant in Terrinburg, Halmi."

"One moment," she replied, closing her eyes. They watched curiously as she muttered some soft words under her breath and then made some sort of gesture with her hands. "May the ancestors give you strength," she said in Korean before opening her eyes again and looked over at Sumin. "My apologies for not warning you in advance of my arrival but we must have a conversation over your abilities. And this is something that must be done in person."

"Right," Sumin nodded.

"You have met Lord Kane, one of the Emperors of this world."

Sumin recalled the terrifying figure with incredible power. "Yes."

"Do not trust him. He is only seeking what is best for him and his kind," she warned them.

"He did aid Eustace," Sumin commented. They wondered how their friend was doing now in his new home. He had seemed happier the last time when they talked the previous evening. More ambitious and full of life.

"Perhaps. But that man has committed many atrocities in his lifespan. Come now, we must talk somewhere safer. It is time I told you the truth of your heritage, of your grandfather and the Cloak Guard. All of it."

Sumin thought of the Sculptor and Swarm and Kane and everything else out there. And they thought of their friends, vulnerable to it all. Of Althea, lying helplessly there, unprotected.

"Yes. There is much to discuss."

Travis hopped down the stairs, heading for the door.

"Oh Travis, good," his mom said. "Dinner's just about ready. I made your favor-"

"Sorry, mom, gotta go. I'm eating over at Franklin's tonight," he said, putting on his shoes. "Be back later, don't wait up."

He was out the door so fast he missed the saddened look on his mother's face as well as his sister's while Andrew just glared and his father looked at his phone.

The second his feet hit the sidewalk, Travis was racing away, zooming across the entire city, the cool night air rushing over him. He hadn't lied to his mom. He was meeting Franklin. Just not yet. He had to deal with this first. He steadied himself, knowing what might go wrong but also knowing he had to go through with it, no matter what. He came to a stop in the abandoned warehouse where he, Franklin, and Madison had trained way back, spotting the figure waiting. "Hello there," he said.

"Thunderbolt," Samuel Tern replied, stepping out of the shadows. Travis noticed that the ground seemed to freeze with every step he took. "I see you got my message."

"It was kind of hard to miss." The words WHERE WE FIRST MET frozen across his window.

"Yes, that was the point."

"So, come to honor your word."

"Indeed. You know kid, I underestimated you. I thought you might stand a chance against Swarm. But the Sculptor?" Tern laughed, clapping his hands together. "Hot damn! That is next level shit. I didn't think you had it in you."

"So you know about that?"

"Do I know about that?" Tern laughed even harder. "Everyone knows about it. A bunch of rookies took down one of the headliners in the greatest war in history."

"War?" Travis frowned. "What war?"

"We'll get to that. You surpassed all my expectations. I thought you might be a shock to the system but now it seems I have to update it. You're probably more likely to completely disrupt it, perhaps even destroy it. This should be lots of fun."

Travis glared at him. "You still owe me Tern. What does Awakening mean?"

Tern grinned but this time Travis didn't think it was condescending but more…out of respect. "Awakening…that's a long story kid. So buckle up. But one thing before we get started, Thunderbolt."

"What?"

"The name's not Tern. Not to you." He raised his arms and the temperature went down so rapidly that it was like a flash freeze had hit them. Frost crusted over the ground and snow began to fall, ice forming all over the walls. "From now on, call me Baron Blizzard."

"And you're sure this is the best course of action?"

Darian shrugged. "The best course of action at the moment."

Even with the screen and mask, he sensed the look Slayer was giving him. His fellow Emperor knew him all too well. "They are a problem, this new Cloak Guard. And they will only continue to be the longer they are alive."

"I know," Darian nodded. "But…they could also be the solution to everything. I wanted their power for myself but that proved impossible. But if I could get them to work for me…then everything might just fall into place after all."

"You risk much, old friend," Slayer warned him. "With little chance for success. The other Emperors are questioning. All know of what the Cloak Guard have accomplished. Your public claiming of them has only fueled the rumors. Only chaos can come of this."

"I am aware." Darian knew the SRC was in an uproar over the events. The Sculptor returned only to be taken out by the new Cloak Guard who were then claimed by an Emperor before they could snatch them themselves. It was toeing the line to open war. Darian knew he was playing a very dangerous game, and not just with them. Everyone's eyes were now turned his way. Conflict was coming. But like everything before, he would meet it head on.

"I wish you luck, old friend." Slayer signed off, the line going dark. Darian leaned back, sighing. He'd never really felt his age before now but these last few weeks were really starting to do a number on him. After a few moments, he stood up and walked out.

"Let me know if our friend in the tank has any more advice for us while I'm gone," he told Shen. "Otherwise, don't bother me."

"Of course."

Darian made his way home slowly, enjoying the calm night air. But still, his thoughts were running riot. He couldn't say how shocked he was over the actions this new Cloak Guard had displayed. If they kept that up, they could rival their predecessors or even surpass them. They could change the world completely. Probably what the Oculus wanted all along.

"A new world," Darian breathed. Not a bad thing. But so much had changed since the old Cloak Guard had died. The world was far more dangerous than it once was.

These kids had no idea what was coming their way. So he would have to do everything he could to protect them.

Or, at least, one of them.

"I'm home," he said, opening the door.

"Oh, hey dad," Gabriela said as he walked in. "How was work?"

"Long and tiring, but it was worth it to come home to you. How was your speech? It went well, I assume."

"Oh, it went amazing!" she gushed and he beamed at her. "I'll tell you all about it over dinner. Joaquim's making his famous chicken and rice casserole."

"Yum." Looking at her, it was so hard to believe that she held such amazing power inside her, that she could one day reshape the world itself. That one day, she might finally bring about his dream. It was too much to hope for. And right now, he didn't care about tomorrow. He just wanted to enjoy the peace for a moment longer. "Let's get to it."