It had been a few days since Chase last spoke to Stella. After their argument in Director Shaw's office, she went straight to his room and took out all her stuff. When he returned, he almost thought they had been robbed.
She had even cleaned the place up a bit.
Whenever he went to sleep, he no longer heard her tiny snores or felt her warm body against his. He could feel her cold absence against his skin. Sometimes, he would wake up in the middle of the night and just stare at where she would have been sleeping.
The mere sight of her side of the bed chiseled pieces of his heart away.
He wasn't quite sure where they stood at the moment. She refused to talk to him. During their training sessions, she went out of her way to purposefully avoid him—often standing on the other side of the Gym or opting to spar with someone other than him. Even when they all were eating lunch in the dining hall, she made sure to sit at another table.
It was like he was a plague she was trying to avoid.
Was he a plague? Was she right about the PRA? Did they really need it?
He asked himself those questions every day. The answer seemed to be moving farther and farther away each time he asked.
"Dude, slow down," Theo warned from above him. "You're going to fast. I can't keep up."
Chase grunted and racked the weights he had been repping. After sitting up on the sweat-covered bench, he grabbed a face towel and wiped his forehead.
To cope with Stella avoiding him, he filled his time with extra workout sessions in the weight room. He often dragged Theo along with him for the sake of having some company. He knew the boy sucked at weightlifting, he was more of a treadmill kind of guy, but he didn't want to be alone.
"My bad," Chase mumbled. He rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled, releasing the tension in his aching muscles.
"I don't even know why I come with you here," Theo said while looking around the place. A few other agents were weight training as well, their strained grunts and aggressive words of encouragement filling the room. "I can't even keep up with you." He gestured at the bar in front of him. "I mean, this is easily five hundred pounds. You're lifting it up like it's a newborn baby."
"It's actually a little too light. I need to add more weight."
"More weight?!" Theo brushed his brown curls out his face before pulling his inhaler out. He took a few puffs before putting it back in his pocket. "You know, you've been coming in here a lot. Like, more than usual. You alright, dude?"
His smile faltered. He grabbed his water bottle from the ground and pretended to take a sip.
While he had been spending a lot of time with Theo, he hadn't exactly told him why. It wasn't like he needed to, though. They were friends. They had been for two years. He didn't need an excuse to hang out with his buddy.
"Let me guess." Theo placed a finger to his chin while looking at the ceiling. "It's about Stella, right?"
Chase stayed tight-lipped.
"You know, I'm not a complete idiot," Theo pointed out. He sat down on the other end of the bench. "I can pay attention to things...sometimes." He glanced at the blond. "So, what's the deal? What's going on between you two?"
"It's nothing," he replied dismissively. "We're just going through a rough patch."
"Ah, the old lover's quarrel," Theo joked. "I'd say I can relate, but I can't. I don't have a girlfriend. Come to think of it, I've never had a girlfriend." His face fell. "Jeez, I need to get a life."
Chase patted his shoulder. "Don't lose hope. I'm sure there's...someone out there for you."
"Gee, thanks." Theo laughed. "No, but seriously. What's going on between you and Stella? I know this isn't some regular argument. Something happened."
It was clear to see he wouldn't be dropping it anytime soon. While Theo could be rather scatterbrained at times, he could also be insanely hyper-focused if he really tried.
And he was trying.
"Fine." Chase sighed and slid his hand down his face. "We had an argument about the PRA. I went to Senator Crane's penthouse to try and get him to confess or something. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting from him."
"She's mad at you because of that?" Theo scratched the top of his head. "I dunno, I know Stella and that doesn't sound like her. She's pretty patient, believe it or not."
He scowled. He didn't want to reveal that he lied about seeing Crane, but Theo was smarter than he let on. "I...kinda lied about the whole thing."
"Oh," the other boy said. "That explains it."
"I just...she's too wrapped up in the whole thing. She can't see through Crane's whole façade. But I do. He's a fraud, Theo. He doesn't care about the people. He just wants to put us all in jail."
Theo fiddled with his fingers, his gray-brown eyes focused on his worn sneakers.
Chase furrowed his brow at him.
No. Not you too.
"Theo..."
"Here's the thing," Theo said. "I don't really believe that. Like, I want to, but I just don't. I mean, Emily's theory about him sabotaging his own rally is crazy. It's crazy! I mean, how could he do something like that? He's a senator, not a terrorist. And trust me, I know what real terrorists are like. I just...I don't buy it. I wish I did, but I don't." He shrugged his shoulders apologetically. "Sorry, dude, but I think Stella's right. It's time to start preparing for the future instead of making up problems that aren't actually there."
Chase's entire body deflated. A deep, disappointed frown took the place of his scowl.
The two of them remained next to each other for a few silent minutes. It took Andre walking in to break the ice. The six-foot-seven Prime wore a black tank top and basketball shorts. A sweatband framed his mini afro. His prosthetic arm glint with light pouring from the ceiling. As he walked in, he rubbed the metal absentmindedly.
"Where'd you just come from?" Chase asked him, secretly thankful for the distraction.
"Basketball in the Gym. I need to work on my form," he replied. He arched an eyebrow at the blond. "You okay?"
"He made Stella mad," Theo answered. "Now he's got the blues."
Andre nodded slowly before walking up to him. "She told me what happened." He offered Chase a smile. "I'm no relationship expert, but I think you two could do with some time away from this place. Together."
"What do you know?" Theo quipped. "All you do is walk around and stand silently like a statue."
Andre huffed at the boy. "I know some things." He glanced at Chase. "And I know that we're all slowly losing it inside these walls. Getting away could do some of us some good."
Chase's eyes widened.
He's right.
It was the perfect idea. He had been wanting an escape from The Acropolis and he knew Stella wanted to get out of their headquarters as well.
The only problem was that she currently wanted nothing to do with him.
"There's no chance she'll agree to it," he grumbled.
Andre shrugged. "You'll never know until you try."
He was right. Not like that was news, though. The guy didn't speak often, but when he did, it was often something wise or insightful. Being the oldest of the group of young Primes by a few months, he was sort of the team's mentor.
Chase stood up from the workout bench and shook hands with him. "Yeah...yeah, alright. I'm gonna do that. Thanks."
"No problem."
He said goodbye to both boys before walking out of the room. With a hopeful smile on his face, he marched to Stella's bedroom.
#
In Chase's mind, his plan was perfect. Not only would it hopefully help his relationship with Stella, but it would also give him the chance to get some advice from the best people on the planet: his parents.
After his talk with Andre and Theo, he went online to see how long the drive from Oregon to Idaho would be. It was seven hours. In those seven hours, he would finally be able to drive his truck—which had been collecting dust in the hangar. He would also be able to spend some alone time with Stella; something that wasn't always easy to come by in The Acropolis.
The only obstacle was getting Stella to agree to go with him.
He thought the prospect of finally meeting his parents would've been enough to convince her, but he couldn't be too sure.
Fortunately, she agreed to go on the road trip to his parent's ranch in Boise with no questions asked. He wasn't out of the woods yet, but this was a good start. He hoped the drive there would be enough to explain himself further to her.
Unfortunately, they didn't end up doing much talking during the drive. That just made the seven-hour trip that much more agonizing.
They arrived on the road that led to his parent's place as the sun was going down. Brilliant streaks of marigold, orange, and purple spread across the blue sea above. Beyond the evening haze, mountains lurked in the distance.
"It's beautiful," Stella mumbled to herself as she rested her cheek on the window. "I'd love to live out here."
"It gets old fast," Chase said. "Trust me. I lived in South Carolina for a few months."
"Where haven't you lived?" she asked jokingly.
He smiled and shrugged. "Touché."
He steered down a winding road that climbed up a hill bordered by two fields of tall grass. Or were they stalks of corn? He wasn't entirely sure. Scarecrows loomed over the foliage, their arms spread wide like angel wings. He shuddered at their blank faces and soulless button eyes.
"Are you afraid of scarecrows?" Stella asked him. She stifled a laugh as he pursed his lips at her. "Chase Masterson is afraid of an inanimate object. Who would've thought?"
"How do you know they're inanimate?" he argued. "There's a reason why crows are scared of them."
"That's because they're birds, Chase," she retorted. "Then again, you both probably have the same size brain..."
He deadpanned. "Ha-ha, I'm dying of laughter."
She playfully punched him on the arm. A smile lingered on her lips, but it was short-lived. "I'm still upset with you."
His face fell. "Yeah, I know."
He continued driving up the road until he arrived at the magnificent two-story log cabin at the top of the hill. Pine trees and painted clouds served as the backdrop for his parents' house. Yellow light illuminated the windows. Christmas lights hung from the roof.
Chase shook his head. That was his mother's doing. It just had to be. As soon as it hit November, she couldn't wait to start putting up Christmas decorations. If she could have her way, their house would've had the décor up year-round.
With a long exhale, he parked the car and opened the door. The brisk, autumn wind pulled his blue flannel to the side. He reached up and pulled the beanie atop his head over his ears. While he liked having his head shaved, he did tend to miss his hair when the temperatures dipped.
He watched Stella step out of the truck, his eyes soaking in her beautiful figure. She wore a stylish yellow dress with a brown leather jacket. Her dark brown hair had been twisted into two braids that rest over her shoulders. She had even touched up her bronze skin with a bit of makeup.
A smile spread across his lips like the last bits of dying light from the setting sun.
She squinted at him, her hands defiantly placed on her hips. "What? Why are you staring at me?"
He wiped his smile off his face and shrugged. "No reason." She mumbled something under her breath and strutted past him toward the cabin's front door. He followed her and watched as she rang the doorbell.
"They know that we're here right?" she asked.
"Well..."
"Chase!" She facepalmed. "How could you not tell them? Now they're going to think—"
The door swung open, cutting off her sentence.
A smiling woman with rosy cheeks and golden hair tied into a messy bun stood before them. She wore a decorative apron stained with flour over her clothes. Her blue eyes widened as she looked at the two teenagers on her wooden porch.
"Chase?"
He quickly swept her up into a big hug. "Hey, mom." She squeezed him back, nearly crushing his ribcage. He might have had hyper-strength, but his mother wasn't weak by any sense of the word. He liked to think that particular power came from her.
"What are you doing here?!" She rubbed his shoulders. "You said you were coming for Christmas!"
"Yeah, well, I need a vacation," he replied. Rubbing the back of his neck, he took a step and gestured towards his Stella. She took it and flashed his mom one of her beautiful smiles. "Mom, this is Stella. Stella, this is my mom."
His smile widened as the two of them embraced as if they were old friends.
"Oh, I know who this is," his mother mused with a wink. "She's even more beautiful than you described her."
He felt the blood rush to his cheeks. Even though the sun had set already, it felt like its burning rays were shining right on his face. Rubbing his forehead in embarrassment, he tried his hardest not to make eye contact with Stella.
Through his peripheral vision, he could see her grinning triumphantly at him.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Masterson," Stella said.
The woman waved her words off. "Oh, no. None of that. You're making me feel old." She beamed at the girl. "You can call me Alice."
Stella smiled before tightening her jacket tighter around her body.
"Oh, you two must be cold! Come in, come in." Alice quickly ushered them both inside. "You two are right on time too. David and I, mostly me, were just finishing up dinner. Have a seat at the table." She pointed at the dining room on the other side of the house.
"Thanks, mom."
She nodded before hurrying off for the kitchen.
Chase turned to Stella. "I think she likes you."
"Yeah, no kidding," she replied with a laugh. "What exactly did you tell her? She must think I'm a saint or something."
Or an angel.
Of course, he didn't say that. Not only was it very corny, but he still wasn't sure if they were good terms yet. Instead, he shrugged coyly at Stella and said, "I didn't tell her anything but the truth."
A blush spread across her golden cheeks like roses blooming in the spring.
The two of them locked eyes for a few seconds. Chase quickly lost himself in her bright, hazel irises. His heart thumped in his chest, the sound reverberating in his ears. Just as he was about to reach for her hand, she cleared her throat and continued towards the dining room. Sighing and hanging his head, he followed behind her.
#
"You should've seen this guy as a kid," Alice said to Stella from across the dining table. "When he was thirteen, his father took him hunting for the first time. He came back crying because he shot a deer."
"Aww," Stella cooed. "What a baby."
Chase placed his forehead on the table and groaned. "Do you have to embarrass me in front of her? I came here to see my parents, not get roasted by them."
He had noticed his father stayed silent through most of the conversation. The man wasn't a big talker. Every now and then he would smile at something his wife said, but for the most part, he remained expressionless.
Everyone at the table continued to laugh at Chase, who was trying to find a way to hide. But there was no escaping the mortifying experiences of his childhood. Especially if his mother was the one telling them.
"I think these stories are great." Stella giggled. "Especially the one where you nearly broke your nose when you were eight."
"I didn't see the wall!" he protested. "It wasn't my fault!"
"He's been saying that for years," Alice quipped.
As much as he wanted them to stop embarrassing him, he was actually enjoying himself. It also helped that his parents seemed to like Stella more than they liked him—which was always a good sign. Then again, they were probably just happy he brought someone home. He had girlfriends in the past, but none of them ever lasted more than a few months at most.
Stella was the first one to make it past a year.
Though, he wasn't sure how much longer they had left.
"Alice, this meal was delicious," Stella said thankfully.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Stella."
Chase finished wolfing down his mom's famous chicken alfredo and grinned. Pasta sauce dotted his chin. While the chefs at Atlas were world-class, nothing beat his mother's home cooking.
"She's the best cook you'll ever meet," David said from the head of the table. The smile slid off his face as he started staring off into space. The amusement had left his dark eyes. It never stayed long.
Chase glanced at his father, a frown emerging onto his lips.
The main purpose of taking a trip to his parent's house was to introduce Stella to them. However, that hadn't been the only reason. While he and his father weren't terribly close, the man gave great advice. He usually told his mother about all his small problems, but it was Sergeant David Masterson he went to with the big stuff.
And boy could he use some good advice.
Alice stood up from the table with her plate in hand. "Hey, Stella. Would you mind helping me fix desert in the kitchen?"
Stella peered at Chase, who shrugged in reply. Smiling, she rose from her seat and followed his mother out of the dining room.
Chase and his father remained at the table. A tense silence filled the space between them. David continued nursing the half-empty bottle of beer in his hands.
"So, how's Atlas been treating you?" he finally asked.
"Er, I've been meaning to talk to you about that actually." He motioned toward the backdoor with his chin. "Mind if we talk about it out there?"
David grunted in reply. He stood up from the table, his beer in hand, and walked toward the rear porch outside. Chase followed him timidly, still trying to figure out what exactly he was going to ask the man. He had so many questions floating around inside his head; he had no idea where to start.
The two of them emerged into the chilly, night air. A pair of wooden chairs sat on the porch looking toward the dense ridge of trees framing the cabin's huge backyard.
His father sat down in one of the chairs. Chase took up the other.
"So, what'd you want to talk about, son?"
Chase faltered. His throat dried up like an empty pool.
That was always the hardest part; the question asking. He never wanted to burden his father with his problems. The man already had enough of his own.
But he needed help. He was mature enough to admit that.
"It's...have you seen what's going on in the news and stuff? With Senator Crane?"
David snorted. "'Course I seen it. That man makes me wish I didn't vote Republican. He's got no class, no integrity. I've never trusted those politicians, you know." He slid a hand over his buzzcut.
Any other person would have asked why he served so many years in the military if that was the case. After all, they were the ones who sent soldiers out to war. But Chase knew his father and his reasoning. He felt a strong sense of duty and obligation to protect and serve his country. Most of his life was spent protecting people and fighting on their behalf.
Chase figured that part of himself came from him.
"Yeah, well, I've been trying to stop him," he continued explaining. "I can't explain it but...I have a bad feeling about him."
"Well, that's great. I always told you to take imitative. To be proactive." He raised a bushy eyebrow at his son while sipping from his beer. "What seems to be the problem then? It seems like you've got it all figured out."
He exhaled. "That's the problem. No one else, except a few others, believes me. In fact, they think what Crane is doing is good. Stella...she..." He pulled at his collar. It suddenly felt like a noose around his neck. "She told me to drop it. She thinks I'm being paranoid or something. I'm starting to think she's right. What if I'm just projecting onto Crane and his PRA really is for the greater good?"
His father set his bottle down before looking up at the sky. Chase mirrored his movement and cast his own eyes upward.
For the first time in a while, he could see the stars. They blinked across the black expanse. Clusters of blue and purple and white danced beyond the veil above him. He whistled in awe.
"What's your gut telling you, son?"
"Huh?"
"Your gut. What's it telling you?"
He thought for a second.
Even though Stella and Theo had told him to leave the entire situation alone, he couldn't shake the feeling that Senator Crane had something sinister up his sleeve. And his meeting with the man had only reinforced that notion.
"My gut is telling me to do something," he answered. "But what can I do? No one believes me and we don't have enough evidence to act." Sighing, he massaged his forehead. "It's hopeless, really. Crane's going to get elected president and everything's going to change. Innocent people are going to get arrested and hurt because of his new policies."
"Chase Anders Masterson," his father started, his tone rigid and commanding.
Chase instinctively straightened his back and held his breath, his mouth pressed into a tight line.
"You're a born leader. Ever since you were a kid you've always tried to do the right thing. You've always been on the right side—the side of justice and honor. I may not show it or tell you often, but you make me proud every day. I go into the city and see people talking about how amazing you are. And you are amazing. Who else can throw cars and withstand the force of a .50 caliber sniper bullet?"
He blinked, confused. Was he...complimenting him?
That was new.
"What are you saying?" he asked.
"What am I saying?" David laughed. "Director Shaw made you leader of that team. A leader stands up against evil no matter what. A leader fights for what's right even if no one else will. That's what a leader is." He pointed the mouth of his beer bottle at the boy, a dark eyebrow raised. "Is that who you are?"
Chase frowned. He wasn't sure.
Is that who I am?
All the times he stood up for something came rushing back to him like a flood. They flashed through his mind like a sports highlight reel. Pride swelled in his chest. He remembered the time he stopped Theo from getting bullied in the hallway almost two years ago. He had gotten detention for a week for it, but he made a friend that day.
His life was never the same after that. But he never regretted doing it. He never regretted any of it.
He nodded slowly to himself. His father's words repeated in his head. They grew louder and louder like a thousand battle cries echoing across a field.
"That is who I am. I'm a leader."
"Damn right."
David stood up, walked over to his son, and placed both hands on the boy's shoulders. "You've gotta do what you think is right. I'm not gonna tell you what to do. I never have and I never will." He pressed a finger to his chest. "That's a decision you'll have to make. And if I know you, and I'm pretty sure I do, you'll make the right one."
With tears in his eyes, Chase stood up and embraced the man. He didn't know what was happening. He had never cried in front of his father. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he truly cried.
He opened his mouth to respond but the words deteriorated in his mouth. Sniffling, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
In one swift movement, his father wrapped his arms around the boy and held him like a child. Chase buried his face into the man's chest, his eyes shut and tears streaming down his face.
"You have no idea how proud I am," David muttered. "No idea."
The two of them hugged for a few more seconds, the sounds of crickets chirping in the distance filling the silence around them.
"Thank you, dad," he mumbled into his shoulder.
"No, Chase," his father replied. "Thank you."
#
Later that night, Chase found himself with laying his head in Stella's lap in his parent's guestroom. The room was pitch black; not a sliver of light came through the heavy curtains guarding the window.
The only sound that could be heard was their breaths mingling together.
After a while, Chase decided to speak.
"I wish we could go back."
"Go back where?"
"To before Kane and Kismet. To River Hill."
Stella laughed softly. "Me too." Through the darkness, he could feel her demeanor shift. Her fingers danced across his skin as she caressed his face. "Everything just changed so fast. We never even got to graduate."
Chase nodded.
Their lives were taken from them by Kismet. They were given something else in return—a chance to make a difference. And that was what he was planning to do. He was going to make a difference.
The only thing he wasn't sure of was whether Stella would be by his side when he did.
"I talked with my dad."
"About what?"
He bit his lip, debating whether or not to tell her. It turned out he didn't have to, as Stella removed her hand from his face.
"You talked to him about Senator Crane."
"I had to," he explained. "I...I needed help. I don't know what to think or what to do. You keep telling me to drop it, to leave it alone, but I just...I can't. Something inside me is saying that this whole thing is wrong. I have to do something about it."
She didn't say anything. He didn't either.
Chase kept his head in her lap. Seconds later, she resumed running her fingers across his face. He closed his eyes, but he might as well had kept them open. He still saw nothing but darkness.
"I hope you're right, Chase," Stella said after a while.
"I hope I am too."