A plane bearing the mark of the Thunderthrillers awaited them when they arrived at the Walker Field Airport. The private plane section was large and spacious. Hardly any planes were around other than two small jets.
The stairs lowered and they all walked onto the small aircraft. The interior of the plane consisted of two tables with cushioned benches on either side. The Thunderthrillers took the bench in the back of the plane leaving the table in the front to Lielle, Evie, Cassidy and Connor.
One they were seated Evie noted, "You know him, Cassidy. Are you an initiate?" she asked excitedly.
"I-yes. I found Daniel about six months ago. I was looking for my brother and I came to him to seek information because someone told me that he would provide me with something valuable to help me. When I got there he told me what he told you. I chose to leave and continue my search when he told me he didn't know my brother."
"So, don't mistake me for nosy, but what are your abilities?" Lielle asked quietly, clearly still thinking about what Daniel had revealed to her.
"Um, I'm a Telepathist-Sensor."
"A what?" Evie asked, eager to pick out every last detail, pushing the meeting with her real father which was soon to come out of her head.
"A Telepathist-Sensor," she repeated. "I'm a Duelist. I can control minds and have above average hearing, smell, taste, sight and feeling. Many Thunderthrillers don't trust Telepathists because we can manipulate their minds and you wouldn't know until afterward. We're upon the least trusted humans too because we seem to act in a manipulative manner around people. I swear I'm not manipulating you!" she hastily added after seeing Lielle's skeptical look.
Lielle turned to face out the window until she dozed off. Evie and Cassidy followed her example, but Connor was too full of curiosity to sleep.
* * * * *
The next hour was silent, the steady pounding of the rain against the windows of the aircraft calmed Connor's nerves from the events earlier that day.
"Connor," Daniel spoke from behind him. "Why don't you come sit with us? We can talk and answer any questions you or your friends may have."
Connor sighed. "Yes, I guess."
He slid himself into the booth, sitting on the edge of the bench as if he would have to get up and run at any moment.
"So," Zena began, "Connor Travis, what would you like to know? Maybe more about your abilities, a friend's abilities?"
"Actually," he raised his voice to be heard over Zena's chattering. "Why do you all call them 'abilities', not 'powers'. Anyone else would consider these powers, why not Thunderthrillers?"
"'Powers' sounds mythical," Ray stated. "We are not superheroes or anything of the sort. Anyone who thinks we are is watching too much Marvel®."
They all laughed, but Connor assumed they had all watched Marvel at one point or another and had no right to insult the movie magic they created.
Connor began, "Yes, all right-"
"Man," Daniel smirked, "You can use a bit of slang. Don't act so uptight and proper all the time. Loosen up."
More laughing around the table as Connor felt his face heat up. This was only natural to him, being proper and all, he should not be criticized about it.
"Okay, um, dude?" The word sounded more like a question and it felt foreign in his mouth, as if it was another language. "Why Thunderthrillers, not Thunder, or, well, anything else?"
"Well," Zena, now beaming at the slang he had used, answered. "We are quite thrilling aren't we, Dan?" she laughed, playfully slapping Daniel's shoulder.
"Daring," he exclaimed, dramatically, "Bold, fearless. We would jump off a moving train if we could.
Connor hoped they were joking, but the room was devoid of sound.
"Aw, his expression, man," Ray cried out, causing an outbreak of laughs from even Connor this time.
"Well, one more question. Why don't Thunderthrillers trust the Telepathists?"
The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees. All laughing stopped, smiles wiped off their faces.
"We don't talk about the Telepathist Rebellion," Daniel said, finally talking in complete words, and Connor slipped back into his friends' booth, pondering their conversation.
* * * * *
The DC air was moist, rain soaking their clothes as they marched up the busy streets. Anyone here would surely recognize Connor and Evie at first glance so they all needed to be careful to avoid streets near the White House, Capitol or really any streets that may host a single person they knew, which was everywhere. Lucky for them, they only had to walk a few miles, slightly into DC from the Potomac Airport where they had landed only an hour before.
Connor's feet ached and he was dying to see his family once more. The time they had been separated had been the scariest and most difficult time of his life. As they got closer to the place he once called home like so many others before him, all these feelings came rushing to him at once, overwhelming him.
Right then, he was thankful for the rain that masked his tears, and by the time he got himself under control, Ray was telling them to go through a door that had seemed to appear out of nowhere.
They all stared in wonder at the new phenomenon. Once inside, Connor was breathless from the beauty of the chamber. It was large and round with shining stone walls, a sitting area, a small food court, and a large open space in the middle where a few children, no older than twelve, were having a fist fight, the occasional blast of light from a palm.
"You should all sleep," Daniel ordered. "Your reading will be the first thing tomorrow and your training can start the day after. I'll escort you to the initiate bedroom, you can follow the crowd to dinner."
Without protest they all followed through one of the long hallways, turned a few times, then when Connor's feet felt like they would collapse under him, they reached a room with four rows each with eight bunk beds in them.
"Take any unoccupied bed. After your reading tomorrow you will be formally welcomed to the Thunderthriller community."
Daniel practically ran away while the four of them made their way to two beds in the back corner.
"Well," Lielle said groggily, "I'm gonna hit the showers and then walk around. Feel free to join me."
They all knew she wanted time to herself so none of them followed. Connor watched her wrapped up ankle as it slapped the stone floor. Daniel claimed to have sent it on the path to healing, but nothing can be healed instantly, only sped up. As long as she was on the way to being back at full strength, Connor was okay, even if it took a few days.
"So, Connor," Cassidy started uncomfortably. "Your father is a Thunderthriller? Is he here?"
"Not that I know of," he replied wearily. "He's still the president. There's more important stuff than me- No, for the Thunderthrillers too. They may not have even told him I'm here yet."
"Connor," Evie wept, "Do you really think my parents are fake?"
Connor motioned for Cassidy to leave while he tried to reassure her.
"Even if they are telling the truth," he began, pulling her into his chest, "It doesn't change who you are. If you really want you and this other man, Oliver Glasser, can get tested, but you are always told that you look nothing like your parents or sister. Besides, if it is true, it can get you a higher status here which could get us valuable information."
Evie sniffed. "But-but, I-I don't know what to-what to think. It's a lot to wrap my head around and I think it might be true. Connor tell me I'm crazy," she pleaded, pulling her tear streaked face away from him.
"I believe that whatever happens you are still Evie Sophia Hallman, and you will still be a kind, sensitive girl. But if you think about it, Diana Hallman and Layla are still Thunderthrillers if she is Oliver's sister."
"Do you think Layla will look here for me?"
"I think-"
"Evelin Glasser," a young girl called in awe. "Someone is here for you in the Freespace. I can bring you there if you'd like. You can come too," she added, wide eyed at Connor.
"Um, okay. Let's go, Connor," Evie pulled on his arm.
The three of them followed the same path from earlier while the girl introduced herself as Elizabeth Masterlin, a Runner.
The instant they rounded the corner into the Freespace, Evie broke away in a rush of brown and pounced on a girl with black hair and beautifully tanned skin. Layla.
The sisters buried themselves in each other. Layla spoke in worried whispers, Evie in full out sobs.
"I'm going to go back," Connor told Elizabeth.
Elizabeth nodded as Connor jogged back the way he came. Was his sister on her way? Would Jean still want to be around Connor after he was gone for so long? She must hate him. She wouldn't want to be anywhere near her horrible brother.
"Connor?" asked a small voice behind him.
He'd know that voice anywhere. He ran over and crushed the little girl in his arms, crying into her dirty blonde hair. Nothing else mattered as her little hands wrapped around him and squeezed him back. Finally, he was home.