No Strings Attached

Chapter 42: The End

What if Mom and Dad are still mad at me?  I think sadly. Do they even deserve to call me their daughter?

"So now that the crazy journey is over, " began James.  "What are you guys going to do?"

"I'm probably going to call my girlfriend and beg her not to dump me," Marco responds quietly.

He looks at Aria who is studying the dirt in between her toes.

"What about you, Aria?"

"Well, I want to see my family again, " she said quietly.

"Me too, " I agree. "I want to see my mom, Aunt Krystal, and my dad."

James sighed. 

His hand brushes his short, dark Auburn hair as he tries not to cry.

"I wish my mom was here, " whispered James. "I know she hasn't been calling me that much since the divorce, but I miss her so much, unlike my dad—"

He was cut off by a milky-white light shining in front of our faces. Repulsed, I swerve my head away from the glow.

"NYPD!" a woman's voice yelled. "Everyone put your hands up!"

Although we couldn't recognize her face, we raised our hands for the officer to see.

"Please don't hurt us, " Aria pleaded. "We just wanted to see our parents!"

Marco trembled like a leaf while James grasped my hand for reassurance.

As the cop moved closer, I can see the rats squishing their bodies into the cracks avoiding the warm light on their faces.

"Are you okay?" the officer asked, lowering her firearm. "How did you kids wound up down here?"

She has dark brown hair, inquisitive green eyes, and fair skin. The sight of her navy blue police uniform made my eyes tear up.

My friends and I put our hands down and exchange happy smiles. Aria bawled like a baby as we ran up to the officer and gave her a warm embrace.

As for the female officer, she has no idea what was going on.

But at least the cop hugged us back.

After that, she leads out of the sewers and into the Metro General hospital where we were vaccinated and well-rested.

The doctors manage to remove my tracker before it can do any damage. But thanks to the toxic waste, my friends and I healed very quickly.

We finally met our parents who seemed alive and well.

I hugged my mother, father, and Aunt Krystal then told them everything—especially my powers.

However, to my surprise, Mom and Dad didn't give a shit.

In fact, they were already proud of me for helping train passengers, a little girl, and an immigrant woman who was harassed by racist cops.  

They—along with Aria and Marco's friends from the LGBTQ orphanage—hired a drunk P.I to prove our innocence.

She found records of Mr. Jefferies and his colleagues' crimes and had a passionate journalist splash it on the Daily Bugle.

Outraged, the judge threw Mr. Jefferies and his friends in jail, but as for Peyton, his body was never found.

I tried asking Aunt Krystal what happened, but the doctors think it would be best if I had forgotten about Peyton for a while.

"ISSAC!" Aria exclaims in delight. "JASON!"