Endgame (Book 3)

Chapter 38

After I managed to pull my thoughts together, I told my parents and Ben what I had realized with a better understanding than I had before.

When I finished, a knock on the front drew all of our attention away from the moment. Mom was the first to react, checking the window before opening it.

A breath hitched in my throat. I looked down at the floor as she entered.

"Jay!" I could feel Cassie's smile as she threw her arms around me. She smelled so good. Her skin was so soft.

A tear escaped from my eye.

 I consciously sped up my thoughts so she couldn't read me in case she was checking.

Coming in behind her, Ashley stood in the doorway, her arms folded, giving me a questioning look. My blank stare should've been answer enough.

When I didn't hug her back, Cassie pulled away and tilted my chin up gently so she could look at me.

"What's wrong?" Her eyebrows were creased in misunderstanding.

I opened my mouth to come up with a lie, but no words would form on my lips.

My eyes darted everywhere but on Cassie's face. A cold sheen of sweat had already begun to form on my forehead.

"I- I-" I couldn't say more.

"A lot's happened to him," Ashley spoke for me. "Just give him a moment."

I squeezed my eyes shut. Counted to three. Opened them again, sighing heavily. I still refused to look at Cassie directly, but I focused on a point just past her ear that was close enough to seem normal.

"It hasn't been that long," Cassie said with concern. "Did something happen?"

"Probably some things I wasn't there to see," Ashley said, covering for me. To explain to everyone else in the room, she elaborated. "I caught her up on the way here."

I nodded to her gratefully. Then, I turned around and stared at the floor. That was the only way I was going to be able to focus with Cassie so close to me.

"I really want to wait for Sage and Jeremiah to wake up, but something tells me they'll be out for a while," I said, wheels turning in my head. "So I figure I should go ahead and tell you all now..."

"You're cooking up something crazy in that head of yours," Dad warned, leaning against the wall. "Whatever it is, don't say it."

I gave him a small grin. He didn't know me well, but he was right.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you guys to help me on this one," I admitted.

"That's a terrible idea," Cassie immediately replied.

"You don't have the choice," Mom said with a strong shake of her head.

"Jay, you don't deserve that." Ben sympathized.

"I was right," Dad said, frowning. 

Ashley just looked at me with concern. I was surprised she had nothing to say, but her silence was telling enough.

When they had all quieted, I strengthened my argument. "No offense, but I don't want Zero finding a way to use any of you against me. His fight is with me. That's what he's going to get."

Mom thrust herself into my face, forcing me to look up. "Now isn't the time to be selfless, Jay. Your life is at stake."

"The whole world is at stake," I said, hardening my gaze. I stared her down.

"Even more of a reason for us to tag along," she said.

"Mom, you don't even have your powers anymore. Dad can't help here, either. Only metahumans would even have a chance of surviving a fight like this, but I can't guarantee all of us will make it out alive. If one of you died, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"That's not why you don't want us there," Cassie said, squinting her eyes.

I took a sharp intake of breath.

"You feel responsible for this," Cassie muttered as she read my mind.

Could she still read me? Holy crap, that meant none of my thoughts were safe...

"Of course I feel responsible! I got a whole hospital full of people killed! And half the city flooded- did you forget that?" I exploded. "All of this is my doing! Only I can fix it. If Zero's taught me anything, it's that I have to stop relying on you to get me through things. To support me."

The room became silent. We could hear Jeremiah snoring on the couch and Sage taking deep, easy breaths beside him. 

"What do you mean by you?" Cassie.

I let her read my mind. 

"You don't want to know the answer to that."

She nodded her head in understanding and took a few steps back, giving me breathing room. I had no idea if she had picked up what I knew from my head. If she had, then good for her. She definitely realized I was unhappy with her.

"I'm going to need Ashley and Ben to help me prepare. I don't have much time," I said. I looked at each of their faces to confirm their aid. They both nodded without hesitating.

Ashley added a comment, though. "I think Cassie and Sage should help, too. You need to experience attacks using superspeed and things you can't see."

I completely disagreed on Cassie, but I couldn't do it in front of her, so I verbally concurred.  

"You can continue training later," Mom butted in, being the ever-present parent. "You need your rest."

The word sounded almost foreign to me. Looking at everything I had done, lying down seemed an odd thing to do at a time when I could be dead very soon.

But she was right. Taking time to slow down was a good way to be ready for challenges to come. 

This was one of the times when I felt older than my age. The misalignment between my dream state and real life threw off my age by a couple of years, and that was on top of the stress I had on my shoulders. The weight of the world. What I actually needed was someone to talk to- rest could only do so much. 

It took me a moment to realize that everyone was waiting for me to speak. I looked up and around, trying to find something to say.

"So, Sage and Jeremiah are knocked out because they're tired?" Ashley asked.

I almost smiled. Some spunkiness had returned to her demeanor. 

"Sage got caught in the crossfire separating Zero from Jay, and Jeremiah was Zero, so..." I raised my arms an "I don't know" statement. I had no idea why they hadn't woken up yet. "I guess I'll take a power nap or something. Then, we can get to work on those two."

"I call Jeremiah," Dad half-joked from his position. I wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"That definitely makes sense with no proper context," Ashley said dryly.

"I'll explain it to you," Cassie offered. She must have pulled that information from my head as well.  

I clapped my hands. "Well, guys, I guess that's it. Nothing much else to say until-"

Upon the startling sound, Jeremiah shot up from the couch. He leaped for me, knocking me to the floor. 

Not this again, I thought.

I used a small amount of my energy to throw him off of me with my lightning sparking from my hand to his belt buckle. I held him in the air above us all. 

Cassie lifted her hand, holding him in place and taking control of him.

He righted himself in midair and telekinetically sunk his body to the floor, easily pushing against Cassie, who looked dumbstruck.

After looking around, he said calmly, "Would anyone mind telling me where I am?"