Connor left in the early morning, leaving his siblings time with their parents. He appeared on Capitol Hill only a few minutes after he had left and decided to take the marching in approach. Daniel had helped him compose a list of who he would be able to find at the Capitol building so he took long strides in the direction of the easier to enter. The House of Representatives was empty, excuse the few Representatives who occupied seats for a minor decision. The spectator seats were easy enough to get into being who he happened to be, so he headed to one of the doors in search of a kindly guard. One of the guards allowed him through after explaining that he had important information regarding recent amendments for the Homeland Security Act of 2002from his father who had other matters to deal with and had asked him for a favor.
Doors lined the maze once they got downstairs. Each one led to a specific office which was an issue for Connor had no idea where half of these people worked. He had seen them all before, of course, though with most he had only exchanged pleasantries. He found the Speaker of the House, Gregory Alltogras walking down one of the hallways and he ran over to him as he was one of the men on his list. He explained the situation to the shocked looking man and then asked, "Why did you not use your father's buzzer?"
When he saw the confused look on Connor's face he added, "We established a way to contact those of us in government if there ever was an emergency. The Thrillers in the army have them as well."
He bit his lip before saying, "May you do me a favor and after this meeting press the buzzer?"
Representative Alltogras smiled and nodded determinedly. "Anything for you, boy. You know, I happened to be your father's instructor before moving out here."
Connor smiled, not understanding the old person's memory and unsure of what to respond. The old man walked away laughing and Connor headed in the opposite direction, back toward the lobby of the Capitol building.
Tourists who flooded the lobby snapped photos of him and other passing members of Congress. His guards moved closer to him as shields from photos and other threats, knowing that he hated being the center of attention.
Once outside, Senator Hallman appeared in the parking lot and he called out to her.
"Senator Hallman, may I speak to you for a moment?"
She walked over and nodded respectfully so Connor continued.
"I'm really sorry about your daughter. I didn't want to tell you like that and I hope you can forgive me for any pain I may have caused you. And in case you would like to know, Evie has returned and is in the base. I do hope you'll meet us there later today, as I spoke to Representative Alltogras who promised to send out an SOS after their meeting."
She smiled and replied, "She still feels like a daughter to me. I wouldn't miss it for the world. Besides, I want to finally do something lesser than serving America."
She kissed him on the cheek and strode away while Connor was pushed back to his ride.
* * * * *
The ride was short and quiet until they returned home where yet more reporters bombarded him with questions. He acted as if he did not hear then and had the doors closed firmly behind them, leaving the people outside alone and storyless.
Immediately after he was changed and showered, he drove back to the compound to meet up with the others and prepare for the extra guests. For the first time, Connor entered the assembly room which had pearly white walls and rows upon rows of straight backed chairs, all lined with soft, velvety cushions.
Thrillers began to pile in by the dozen and soon enough, most of the chairs were filled. Daniel flipped on a projector and pulled up the maps they had found along with their own and began to explain the tactics and positions, the information they had discovered and the placement of the spies. Cassidy and Evie took pride in joining them in the demonstration, filling in gaps in the story every few seconds and pissing off Daniel whom was already becoming short tempered since the capture of their leader whom he felt obligated to look out for.
People shouted out suggestions as they walked through the battle plans at which point Zena and Ray were doing most of the talking. All Connor did during this portion of the assembly was stand and stare blankly at the wall opposite him. He was a bit confused as the Thunderthrillers did not seem as if they were very formal people to him, yet everyone in front of him sat in similar black jumpsuits that would suit them well if someone were to attack at any time.
When Zena and Ray were done, a small group of guards for the afternoon shift made their way to all entrances and exits and others lined the entire place with a clear material that supposedly disabled any use of powers so that Agent Travelers could not enter, meaning initiates were only to train with their bodies for the next few days, maybe even weeks, and he knew it worked for the second he walked through a hall lined with one, he felt suddenly exhausted, as if a part of him was missing. That's when it hit him where the glass-like substance looked familiar from. He pardoned himself to make one last detour and rushed off to find his partner in investigation.
* * * * *
"Look at the glass in the picture. It looks like it has two layers; one glass, one that glass-like thing that is being put up all over," he explained eagerly. "What if the entire hallway is lined with it? How do we expect to get her out?"
"There are ways to get rid of ganaitium, we just need to find one."
"But did you not say that it was nearly indestructible?" he argued.
"There are still ways to do it," Daniel contradicted. "I'll send them a message. You should get back before the press raids the White House for you. From what I've heard, you haven't spoken to them in days. Don't see what provoked that, man," he laughed.
"I hate the dumb old press," he scowled as he made his way out of the room.
"Don't forget to walk the red carpet on your way out," Daniel called after him, shaking with laughter.
* * * * *
After being shaken by his hour with the press which mostly had questions about his siblings, he rushed through a boring family dinner and up to his room with hopes of having the heart to write a speech for his sister's funeral being held the next day. He had always had some passion for writing. No one else in the world could write better than him with a heavy heart from the loss of the young girl who had always been with him through their confusing life of politics. So, with a pained expression and full of grief, he opened his laptop and wrote straight from the soul.
Once completed, he patiently waited for the time to come for the service. He sat fidgeting for hours while he practiced his first speech since he had left, but upon seeing the body wrapped in her country's flag, he could not help it and allowed a tear to escape.
* * * * *
Standing next to his father in front of the big room packed with spectators and friends, he listened solemnly to his parent's speeches and frowned upon how little they knew their daughter, for only Connor knew her so well and America should know that he devoted himself to his sister with all of his heart and soul. When his turn finally came to speak, he got in front of the microphone without hesitation, ignoring the flashing cameras in the otherwise silent room and spoke at once.
"Jean Madison Eleanor Travis, known well as President Travis's daughter, a friend to many who sit in this audience today, but not known enough as Connor Travis's sister. I think she would wish for more people to know her as such, for not many understand how close we had become over our experience here in the beautiful capital of our beloved America.
"We have spent years together under the same roof, but found that we never got to know each other well until we stopped our childish bickering. Sadly, I must confess that it was only possible to do that after many years, for we never truly saw how much we needed each other until our father began his new job in serving our country. In the first year, we still found time to argue, but also played together in the yard and learned to dance quite efficiently in the ballroom. I remember quite clearly when I taught her to ride a bike for the first time. We were sitting out front and I was biking laps around the house on my new racing bike which I so enjoyed, when my sister came up to me and kindly asked, "Connor, may you teach me to ride?" Now at first I laughed at her, but once she huffed and marched away I realized that she was, in fact, quite serious. So soon enough I had set up the bike for her smaller body and was pushing her down the hill. Not long after, my little bird was flying up and down the hill, over and over again until she could not breathe anymore.
"Jean was an ambitious young lady. She was actually the one whom taught me to dance. Lessons were doing me no good so she decided to take matters into her own hands. I can still feel her small, soft fingers pulling back my shoulders for posture and the meaning in her voice as she strongly scolded me for my lack of interest for "elegance and manhood" but she never got frustrated, not even once.
"We got close and always found it easier to get around when we were together. Whether I was studying and she was writing, or I was getting rough with her and she was screaming at the top of her lungs, we always felt that it was all out of love, even if others did not. Luckily, we only came close to killing each other once during fencing, for Mother insisted it was "a sport for footwork and played by everyone in their right mind." I would not have survived this long without her, so I feel as if I owe it to her to tell the good people of America how she honestly passed.
"As you all know; I was recently kidnapped with a friend of mine before an event in one of the rare cases I have slipped past my guards whom I must apologize to. My sister joined us a week and a half later when she came looking for me, for her sisterly love was never quenched by praying and crying. She took action and made it to me and my friends, and the girl who had found us and saved my life immediately allowed her to join us. We were making our way back to DC and made a shortstop for her to investigate something about her recently murdered family and our group of five was split up when a terrorist group attacked. Everyone ran in different directions as guns fired at us, and we all assumed that everyone else was safe in the other groups, but no one realized that one of us was not. She saved Callie from a loose bullet at the cost of her life, but she cared more for others then herself.
"Jean was born a nobody, but died a hero, and I am proud to have had the honor of calling her my sister, a hero to her family and America, the savior of a young soul."
He stepped back to find both of his parents in tears, and his father allowed the twins to each say a short word on her behalf. Afterward, people began to file out and the abominable press began to attack them again, but the guards would not allow them near the mourning family, not today.
And at that moment, Connor was sure that he had done his little sister justice, and made a good name for her, even if America would only remember her as President Michael Travis's daughter, he knew that to him and those closest to her, she would now be remembered as a hero, as Connor Travis's sister.