“It has been so long! I haven’t been able to communicate with you at all due to your training. I am the source of your powers, and we need to talk!”
Chapter Five
State of the Heart
“What are you going to do with them?” Nick asked.
“I really don’t know. It’s not like I can just put them in jail, can I?”
“As a matter of fact, the manor does have a brig. But are you going to support these guys forever? I mean, I guess you could put them in cells and have the robots feed them. Some supers would just kill them…”
“I don’t think I can do that. I know these guys are evil, probably some of the evilest men I’ve ever met in my life. If they died, no one would know, and it would mean that much less garbage in the world. But it just feels wrong to me on a visceral level. I always swore I would do things differently when I got my powers.”
“Situations change. Besides, what’s the big deal? Like you said, you’d be doing the world a favor.”
“I can see your point of view, but I still think this choice may be more extreme than you think.” Gus wiped away sweat that was beading on his brow from the noon-day sun.
“Two years.”
“I’m sorry?”
“It only took two years for Cyclone to kill someone. And he had no remorse about it either. How do you not know that? Don’t you have access to all of my memories?”
“You think I’m some weird Peeping Tom? Well, technically, I guess I am. That’s beside the point though. I generally experience memory only as you recall it actively, unless there is something specific needed, but it’s like cleaning out your Aunt Greta the hoarder’s garage. Good luck if you don’t know where to start.”
“Can you access the memory of when my older brother got his powers?”
“Let’s see, how old were you?” A small window popped open in the corner of the display, speeding by like a fast-forwarded movie.
“I think I was thirteen,” Gus wrinkled his forehead, trying to recall the exact date. “It would have been around his sixteenth birthday, so check around July 10th.”
“Gotcha. Hmmm… This one?”
The small window enlarged to fill his display like a home movie recording, only the perspective was from Gus’ own eyes. “Yeah, that’s it.”
“Today’s the day, Black Anus, I mean Angus…” Alan teased.
“Hey, you’re supposed to stop calling me that,” Gus whined.
“Are you gonna run and tell Dad? I’m just kidding—sheesh. You’ve got to lighten up, dude. You know people tease you more if they can get under your skin so easily. I’m trying to help you out. Besides, you can’t just tattle to Dad for everything. It’s wimpy as hell and no one will respect you—even Dad. Don’t you see how he’s always babying you all the time?”
Gus bit his lip. Alan was older, so he probably knew what he was talking about. Is that why he seemed to like Alan better? He didn’t need anyone to come rescue him? Gus decided to change the subject.
“Why won’t you tell me how you’re getting powers?”
“Jealous much? I don’t blame you. But I can’t tell you anything. I promised the others. Even to family. Sorry, bud. It’s not me, that’s just how the Faction works. I can’t wait to see what I will get though.”
“Do you have anything you are hoping for?” Gus asked, his frustration replaced with wonder.
“I’m sure it will be pretty good. Mom and Dad are both strong supers, and I really couldn’t go wrong with any combo of their powers. They say that if both your parents are supers, your DNA is more primed for better, stronger abilities. Too bad you don’t have the right markers. Not to say they’ll never come, but sucks that you have to wait.”
“Yeah, it does. It would be cool to work with Tempest, and go on trips with the Faction.”
“Yeah, you’re going to have to grow up a lot. We are going to be gone a lot for training and all that. You think you can handle it? Not burn down the house or anything?”
“I think I can manage,” Gus grumbled.
Alan tousled Gus’ hair. “Now get outta here, you’re distracting me. I gotta get ready.”
Gus swiped hair out of his eyes as Alan shooed him out the door, closing and locking it behind him. Alan wasn’t that much older than him, only three years. He acted like he was so much bigger and more mature. He was lucky to get his powers so young at sixteen. Gus kicked some clothes out of the way and plopped down on a bean bag chair.
He stared at the ceiling and wondered what he would do when it was his turn. Part of him knew Alan would change. And it probably wouldn’t be good, at least for him. Alan tolerated Gus in the best of times, but he expected the already-limited interactions they had would be even fewer from here on out.
He would move on. He would figure it out. It might even be good if he had some more time to himself.
“Seems like a jerk to me,” Nick snarked.
“He kind of was, I guess. But aren’t most big brothers? Getting his powers changed him, though. He became, I don’t know, more vicious? Like regs deserved anything he did to them when they got in his way.”
“Might makes right,” Nick said without emotion.
“Yep. The Purple Faction way.” Gus sighed.
“So you want to save these guys, is that what you’re saying?”
“I dunno. I feel like I got a second chance; who am I to judge them? Maybe things would be different if circumstances were different. I mean, do I have the right to sentence these guys based on the limited knowledge I have on them? I’m not a magister. I can’t read their thoughts and intentions. Killing them seems, so… final. What if I get so used to it, I do
