~ X ~ Ultra Building

Stephen felt his cell phone vibrating again. It was about the fifteenth time today. His patience was wearing thin. He was trying to settle a dispute between two people that had gotten out of control. And to make matters worse it was over a TV show. He suppressed the urge to scream his frsutration. He had so many important issues to deal with and he was refereeing a TV show disagreement.

They had taken over the old Ultra headquarters. The damage from the blast Hilary had set off hadn't been repaired. There were building inspectors to deal with. He didn't know how long he had before things like rent being due loomed before him. There was the problem of feeding two hundred people and things like clothes and shower times and former Ultra agents who could kill on the loose plus young breakouts who thought the world was their playground. Stealing was rampart. There was so much to organize. You could raid for twenty people and get away with it, but two hundred was noticeable. And here he was involved in a dispute over what TV show to watch when there were probably twenty big screens in the building.

Cara, sensing his frustration, stepped in. "Answer the phone. I'll deal with this."

"Stephen, is John there?"

Stephen, hearing the strain in Astrid's voice, responded to what he knew was her real concern. "I'm sure he's okay."

He was met with silence. Finally she said, "Are you sure?"

He started to assure her and then stopped. He had no idea and all thoughts of John had slipped his mind, but Astrid was his oldest friend and he owed her more than platitudes. He had met her briefly once when the machine was destroyed and then was ashamed to realize had forgotten about her. And John. His whole attention had been on the Tomorrow People. His conscience bothered him now.

"Look, where are you? I'll have someone bring you here."

Stephen approached Russell, lounging on a coach, flipping through internet sites. "Astrid's at Central Park near the zoo. Can you bring her here?"

Russell eyed Stephen. "Sure, what's up? You seem frazzled, dude."

Stephen hesitated before speaking. Cara having cleared up the dispute had quietly walked over. "She's worried about John."

Russell looked stricken. He had not spared a thought for his former best buddy. Cara looked self conscious also. Russell avoiding both their eyes, nodded quickly. "Sure."

He returned in several moments with Astrid. The girl flung herself into Stephen's open arms, regardless of the fact that they were in one of the new common rooms in Ultra headquarters. She ignored the people staring at them and nudging each other.

He hugged her fiercely. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"John's missing."

Cara's eyes widened. "What do you mean missing?"

Astrid covered her face with her hands for a moment before removing them and wringing them together. "We were on the subway. I was showing him how to use maps and . . . and . . . Jedikiah—"

"Jedikiah!" Stephen and Cara interrupted her at the same time.

Astrid bit her lip. "He followed John and told him he had something to show him." She shook her head. "I had a bad feeling, but John—" she made a helpless gesture "—John followed him. Said it would be okay. He would make it up to me."

She folded her arms, shivering. "I haven't seen him since. I checked the shelter where he was living—"

Cara winced. "The shelter?"

Astrid coldly eyed her for a moment. "He had no job. No money. He wouldn't move into my house. Where did you think he was going to live?"

Cara blushed. "He never sai . . ." She trailed off knowing John would never ask for help.

Russell and Stephen wouldn't meet Astrid's eyes. After she stared down Cara, she continued. "I knew he wouldn't want me going to you. I've tried everything, but I can't find a trace. It's been two weeks now. It's like he and Jedikiah never existed. I've searched every way I know possible."

She wrung her hands, pleading. "I don't know who to turn to. Please, Stephen. Help me."

Stephen was shaken. "I will. Don't worry. We'll find him."

Cara blurted out, "I knew we should have done something when I felt him."

"You felt him!" Astrid was incredulous. "You felt him, and you didn't think it was important?"

Stephen interceded. "She couldn't have. It was impossible."

"Oh. So now maybe you'll do something. You just dumped him, didn't you? He wasn't important anymore. Just another human!"

All heads turned towards the source of the harsh accusatory voice. It came from a young girl carrying a doll. She stood by herself. She should have looked childish, but the expression on her face was anything but.

"Honey, that's not true!" Carla started to go to Charlotte, but something in the girl's fierce demeanor warned her to stop.

"If it's not, then how come none of you, but Astrid knew he was in trouble? You did. You just didn't care."

"We have important things to take care of." Stephen defended himself.

"Right! Like whose turn it is to choose what TV channel you watch." They wilted before the scorn in her voice. She turned her gaze around the room. "You all make me sick. Do you know who the true hero is? It's John. Being a hero isn't being the strongest or the bravest. It's fighting on when you don't have a chance of winning. It's never giving up even when you know you're going to lose."

She turned her gaze on Stephen. "You're father wasn't our savior. Sure, you lost your father, but John lost everything. His entire life he was betrayed by your uncle and your father, and then he sacrificed himself to save that man."

She turned her focus on Russell, and the disgusted look she gave him made him feel small. He wanted to cringe. "And you. After what he went through you turned Roger in. And now everyone's all friends. Oh well, John lost his powers. No problem."

She let her gaze go around the crowd. "While you've been relaxing and celebrating, I went through the files. I wanted to see what happened to John. And l found it." She turned to Astrid. "Don't put your faith in these people. They don't care about anyone but themselves."

Cara once again reached for Charlotte. "Honey," she soothed, "that's not true. You're upset. John is part of our family. Once you're part of our family you always are."

Charlotte tilted her head. "Is that so?" She appeared to consider for a moment. "So where's Irene? How's she doing?"

Cara's mouth dropped open, and she looked to Stephen and Russell. They stood dumbstruck. She weakly defended herself. "We've been so busy . . ." Her voice trailed off at the look on Charlotte's face.

"Exactly."

Cara straightened up. "You're not being fair to us. You have no idea of the problems we're facing. We will take care of our fam . . "

Charlotte's face darkened and the chords in her neck and the veins in her forehead bulged. Her mental scream brought the weak to the floor while the strongest bent as if facing a hurricane. "You are not my family."

As suddenly as it came the rage passed. "My family is human. John's human." She looked at the doll in her hand and dropped it to the floor. "I'm not a child anymore. It's time I grew up and took care of my family." She spoke in a firm voice. "Alice, play the video. Let them see the price John paid."

As she turned and flashed out all the video screens and TV monitors in the headquarters activated overriding games, shows, and the internet.

Everyone in the building watched horrified as they heard a feared voice speak. "Wakey, wakey."

People stood frozen, unable to turn away, yet not wanting to watch. John's screams echoed throughout the building. One shot. Two shots. Finally at three shots he collapsed, and someone whispered, "Thank God."

A heavy silence reigned until finally broken by Stephen clearing his throat. He looked helplessly at Cara. She shielded her thoughts from him, but he read the mute agony in her eyes.

He cleared his throat again and spoke. "We've got work to do." As people stared at him uncomprehending, he spoke in a firmer tone. "Let's get moving. We have supplies downstairs that need unloading." He addressed various individuals and gradually people started moving, doing as he asked.

He turned to see Astrid hugging herself as if she were cold.

"Astrid, I'm so sorry." He reached for her, stopping as she raised a warning hand.

"Don't," was all she said, but there was something about her tone that froze him in his tracks. "I never realized what he went through. Do you know I told him to buck up? To stop being a jerk. That he had to get over it. I didn't know. How could I know?" She spoke to herself, pleading for mercy, but unable to forgive herself.

She looked at Stephen as if she didn't know him. The sheen of tears in her eyes made them appear brilliant. "I loved you once." She didn't appear to know or care that they were in a room filled with people. He cringed at the past tense. "And you broke my heart. Then John came along and mended it. . It was whole and brighter and stronger than ever. I knew he was the real love of my life. And now . . .," she shook her head, "I wish I had never met you Stephen Jameson. Knowing you has brought me pain I don't even know how to begin to live with."

She let her arms drop and she straightened her back. She unashamedly wiped her eyes and headed out. People parted like a wave before her. She stopped and picked up the doll Charlotte left behind. She smoothed the messed hair and cradled it in her arm.

Stephen looked to Russell his eyes begging. Russell jumped forward. "Let me take you back."

Astrid stepped back as if his touch would contaminate her. "You forget I'm human. I know how to use the subway."

As she walked proudly out, the recording started again. "Wakey, wakey."

"No!" "Stop it!" Dozens of voices raised in protest.

Stephen felt a tidal wave of rage overcome him, and every screen in his vicinity shattered. Glass slivers flew everywhere. Those caught unaware and unable to deflect it were cut.

Cara turned and silently walked away, heading for the room she had claimed as hers.