Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12
Chapter 12: A Road Trip and Rescue Mission
My best friends, the only people I had left, were being held by a government organization that wanted to use their powers to fight a war; or something. I’m not really sure what they wanted. I only had the word of my first love and crush, turned super-villain, for what they wanted.
We needed to make our way to CPL headquarters. The Canadian Protection League made their home in a familiar place: Point Zero. The place it had all started, a small town in Northern Ontario that had been wiped off the face of the map by aliens, sparing only the five of us and giving us ridiculous powers.
I thought my life was a bad comic book, but the more I spent time with Frank and realized he was the same man I’d loved, the more I was starting to think it was a bad science fiction television show from the 1990’s.
How do two known super powered people get to Northern Ontario without raising suspicion? We weren’t sure, I couldn’t fly us there, driving would get us caught at the roadblocks, same with airplanes or busses. After lots of discussion we decided the best thing to do was go north into Quebec and then cross the border.
We bought a used car from a sketchy dude and drove it to Montreal. Frank was chatty but very jumpy. He’d definitely changed from the carefree theatre major-to-be, but I’d changed too. We talked about everything and he apologized excessively.
In the middle of a conversation about our old communications tech teacher, Mz. Coderre, I interrupted him and said, “I don’t understand something. Mel had perfect control of her powers. How did she lose control of the storm?”
He smiled, “I thought the same thing. Mel doesn’t do anything until she’s sure it’ll be perfect, except pun.” He paused while we laughed. “I think there was a storm already starting and when she drew hers, it accelerated the pace. I looked at the data while you were in the hospital—” He made an apologetic face. “and when she tried to dismiss it, the storm weakened severely, but then picked up power naturally.”
“So she didn’t cause it?”
“She made it worse… I think you did too.”
“Great, so we’re both to blame?”
“Only a little…”
I sighed.
In Montreal we sold the car and bought another one. I was shocked at how easy it was to find illegal car vendors.
We took the back roads as far as the border and then traded the car for a motorboat. The Abitibi Lake and River got us close and the rest we could walk.
We walked, doing our best to survive on old beef jerky and canned food. Most of the water was drinkable, but we boiled it first just in case.
Finally after what felt like weeks but was really only three days, we made to the same clearing where we first got shot at by the RCMP helicopter.
“How do you think they prevented Jane from teleporting?” I asked.
“Probably knocked her out and then…” he trailed off.
We both finished the sentence, “James.”
“So Jane is probably isolated or knocked out. Will they keep Mel and James in the same place?” The only answer to my question was his shrug.
We had a plan. It was a terrible plan, but a plan. Frank created two puppets of us and a few large scary orks. They appeared at the nearest town and started making a fuss.
We waited in the thickest part of the trees for the soldiers to leave. He held my hand and the electricity from that simple gesture had nothing to do with my powers. I was conflicted and worried about what he’d become and how we’d manage after all this was over.
Four helicopters and several personnel carriers exited the base. We waited five minutes and I hovered us to a section of fence and used a concentrated arc of energy to cut through it. We walked into the base and tried our best to be stealthy. I had expected a highly protected complex, but this was more of a large tent city with some cabins. It was all built on the glass plateau created during the Point Zero incident.
Frank seemed to know where he was going and led us towards a series of cabins with reinforced doors. The lock on the first cabin fell off easily. Inside were Mel and Jane.
Mel looked at me with wide eyes. “What are you doing here?” Then at Frank. “You’re alive.”
“Yes, he’s alive and we’re here to save you. The storm wasn’t completely your fault but more of team effort and bad luck. Please come with us,” I said it pleadingly. I was terrified she’d say no.
“Okay. Nothing I’ve done is as bad as what these people want me to do, so I’ll punish myself another time.”
Jane had been quietly watching us when I looked at her she shook her head, “They have James. I’m not leaving him.”
Mel, Frank, and I all responded the same way, “Of course not.” It felt nice to be on the same wavelength.
“Where are they holding him?”
Jane shook her head. There were four other cabins like this one but only one of them had a hose going to it. It was the most obvious place and thankfully he was there. James and Jane kissed for a long time and I was starting to get worried.
We checked the other cabins and found them empty but prepped for more people. Had they discovered more like us? Captured some from the other countries?
When we left the last cabin, Frank asked, “Shouldn’t we destroy this place?” As he said it a loud alarm went off and I heard the cocking of guns.
“DON’T MOVE A MUSCLE. Or do, I’d love to find out how fast your powers really are.” The one speaking was a bad stereotype of the military; the kind of man you found in really old movies.
I didn’t know what to do, there were fifty guards with guns pointed at us. Could I raise a big enough shield? Could Jane get us out quickly?
The alarm sirens were joined by a familiar green glow. It came from beneath us, the glass itself was glowing. It got brighter and brighter until I could barely see. Then it stopped and it was complete darkness.
This time I looked up. I didn’t see the spaceship but I did see the green beam come towards us. I grabbed Frank’s hand as the searing pain hit me again. The last thing I heard was the soldiers’ screams.
The End?
While you wait for 2021’s Serial Story, catch up on last years
