LJP- No Pete's not the one getting a new power, not yet anyway. But believe me this whole story revolves around Pete. And keep in mind that he was having problems telling the triplets apart. It will come into play latter.

CHAPTER 24

WISH GRANTED November 20, 2010

10:13pm

Galway, Ireland

It had taken close to two hours to move all of Benny, and Steve's things across town. Benny had a large amount of medical supplies -a hospital bed, bed pan, wheel chair, etc.- and hated all of it. He hated that he had to rely upon someone else to do every day activities. He couldn't even get out of bed to pee in the middle of the night -or anytime of the day really-. The few days after waking up from his coma had been the worse for Benny, he didn't have complete control when it came to hand eye coordination. Steve had to feed Benny as though, Benny was a baby. Then there were the diapers. The most degrading part of the whole ordeal, was having Steve change him. Benny cursed Kaine's name every second of the day, that first week.

"Benny," Adam said in attempt to get the boys attention.

"Yes, Adam" Benny said and for a moment his Scottish accent was quite think.

"You've been out of your coma for what, two weeks now right?" Adam asked as he placed Benny's folded clothing in the dresser.

"Yeah two weeks," Benny said softly as he stared out the window and watched the people below shuffle by. He absent-mindedly ran his hand across the three inch scar on his abdomen.

"Well you've finished healing. And I was wondering if you wanted to start your physical therapy. You know get back on your feet again."

"I'd love to start walking again. Hell I'd just be happy if I could use the bathroom on my own."

"Good we can start tomorrow," Adam replied.

"Wait who's going to train me?" Benny asked.

"I will," Adam answered.

"B-but you're not physical therapist," Benny stated.

"A minor detail. Give me tonight to look up some stuff on the internet and we can start first thing in the morning," Adam said. "Always knew my pretender skills would come in handy."

Benny stared at the other boy a bit wearily, worried that he would be trusting a twelve year old boy to help him walk again.

"Boys I'm back," Steve said entering the room with a bag of groceries in each arm. "Ben, I picked up your meds."

"Thanks," Benny said catching the small paper bag Steve tossed to him. "Guess what. I'm starting my physical therapy tomorrow."

"With who?" Steve asked concern in his voice. Steve wanted for Benny to start walking again but was afraid to take Benny to a doctor, out of worry that the Centre would find them.

"I'm his therapist," Adam said taking the groceries from Steve.

"And just what do you know about physical therapy?" Steve asked sitting at the table next to Benny.

"Aside from the fact that it's, you know, physical and a form of therapy, I know enough. Half of the adults in my family are pediatricians, my Grampa Syd's a psychiatrist and my older cousin Will and Alley are studying medicine and I've read their text books from time to time. Hell I've even made quizzes for them. In short I've spent the past seven years of my life observing doctors. Let me do a little research and I'll be set," Adam stated

"Oh, okay," Steve said a bit unsure about having Adam work with Benny.

"Hey..." Adam was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. He sighed when he noticed the number but answered it any way.

"How'd you get this number?" Adam asked the caller.

"Will gave it to me little brother," Jake replied.

"Why?"

"Ad I'm on your side. Now listen a lot of things have happened since Will called you," Jake said, Adam realized that his brother was whispering.

"Where are you?"

"Attic of the Manor. I don't want Dad to know I'm talking to you," Jake replied.

"You're not tracing this call are you are you?" Adam asked.

"Damn it Adam Edward Russell stop being paranoid and listen to me. I'm not tracing this call. No one save Will knows where you are. So just listen please," Jake hissed Adam could sense the underlying tension in Jake's voice.

"Jake what's wrong? Are Mom and Dad okay? Logan, Kay, and Kale they're all alright, right?"

"Calm down Ad, everyone is okay. It's just... Look a lot of people don't know this but Mike and Maddie aren't twins," Jake began.

"What are they?" Adam asked.

"Triplets. Their brother Markus died half an hour or so after he was born. Uncle Sam buried Markus next to his biological parents -not Markus's parents, but Uncle's Sam's-. Markus Keegan Anthony, Son of Alexander and Julia, Brother of Michael and Michelle, You were loved," Jake said softly.

"Jake..."

"I was the oldest Adam. Protecting them, all of them, it was the only thing I knew. Still know really. Markus was my first failure. He was why I started keeping things from the others. Terra and Tobias sensed it when Markus died. They were distraught. I didn't want for the others to feel that pain again. That's why I never wanted to tell Jer, Lis, and Greg that Bobby was their dad."

"Jake you aren't making much sense. What does Markus have to do with any of this?" Adam asked.

"This whole think is about Markus. I don't know how they did it, how they got his DNA, but they did. And God Adam they did it again. And I failed Markus again."

"Oh God," Adam gasped realizing what Jake was trying to say. Adam glanced over at Benny, and then closed his eyes. Somehow it was different, worse that they had cloned a baby who was dead, just so that they could make more money. But then again that was the reason Chris, Benny, Kaine, and Seth had all been cloned.

"Jake what's his name?" Adam asked.

"Keegan. He's known as Project Shadow. I-I don't know much more about him," Jake said. Adam had a clear mental picture of his brother, sitting on the old dusty paisley couch in the attic of the Parker Manor, his eyes closed in both pain and anger, his hand running through his hair over and over.

"Jake you do know that none of this is your fault. You couldn't have stopped Keegan being created, no more than Uncle Jarod could have stopped Chris being created, or Will, or Alley or any of you guys," Adam told his brother.

"I know," Jake sighed. "But it's just so damn frustrating."

"I know how you feel. I'm about as pissed as you are. I can't believe they did it again. Well actually that's a lie. I can believe it," Adam said.

"Well listen little brother I need to go before Dad starts wondering where I went. And hey, come home as soon as you can. A few people have mentioned that they miss you. Don't know why but they do. Especially Logan, Mom says that he's started to brood, he misses you so much," Jake told his brother.

"Tell Lo, Kay, and Kale I'll be back soon as I can. I'll try to call them later today," Adam replied.

"Alright then little brother. Be safe."

"I will," Adam said and hung up. Adam closed his eyes trying to let everything seep in.

"Who was that?" Benny asked.

"My brother, Jake," Adam replied.

"You didn't tell him about me, why?" Benny questioned. Adam chuckled bitterly, and Steve and Benny stared at the boy concerned.

"I didn't tell him because Jake just dropped a pretty big bombshell on me and I wasn't up to repaying the favor. You see, a new clone was just discovered. The Centre apparently went and cloned my dead cousin Markus. Markus has been dead for fourteen years, he barley lived for fourteen minutes," Adam said, Benny could sense the growing anger coming off of the other boy.

"I can't believe they did this again!" Adam vented getting up off of the bed. First my Uncle Jarod, then Pete, and now Markus. Will they ever stop playing God? Was creating and steeling children not enough for them, they decided to clone the children that they stole or created so that they would have them forever? What are they going to do next, start fusing adamantium to skeletons, endow people with spider like abilities? Make their own version of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants? And yes I know I'm a comic book geek," Adam snapped when Steve made the motion to make a comment. Benny's eyes grew wide.

"Adam you need to calm down," Steve said slowly.

"Don't tell me to calm down! You don't understand. They think that they are gods. For decades they have done nothing but toy with the lives of my family as though we are nothing more than pawns on a chessboard!"

"Adam we understand that your angry. We all have reasons to be angry with the Centre. But please you need to calm down," Benny said his blue eyes pleading.

"Why should I calm down!" Adam shouted.

"Because kid right now there is electricity crackling in your hand," Steve stated. Adam looked down at his hand and yelped at what he saw, at the same time the small ball of electricity flew out of his hand and crashed into the dresser leaving behind a scorch mark.

"Oh man how am I going to explain this," Adam moaned.

"I don't know but I'd love to see you try," Benny grinned.

"Wonderful I'm friggin' Electro," Adam muttered looking at the scorched dresser.

"Electro was one of Spider-man's enemies right? He controlled electricity?" Benny asked.

"Yeah," Adam said flopping down on to the floor.

"Well you aren't a bad guy so I guess that means your more like Brennan from Mutant X," Steve said. Adam blew a raspberry.

"Please Mutant X was a rip off of the X-men. Although it is quite ironic that Marvel did produce Mutant X," Adam replied. "Damn it, what am I going to do? If my Mom or Dad find out they'll drag me back home."

"How will they find out if you don't tell them?" Benny asked.

"Please, at lest half of my family are psychics. When I was little I remember that there were games I couldn't play with the others. They had their own special games. Psychic hide-and-go seek. Telekinetic football. You know all those wacky games you read about mutants playing in X-men. I hung out on the sidelines mostly. Still do. I even with the younger kids I had to hang on the side lines when they played their games." Adam said with a slight bit of bitterness in his voice.

"I guess I'd better call Will and tell him what's going on with me. He'll know what to do. Will and Alley became pyrokinetics when they were four. They know how to deal with this stuff I have no clue. Will and Alley are the ones who train all the others when they get their powers. Never trained me though. Had no reason I am -I was- just a low level pretender. In fact save for Terra, and Tobias I'm the only second generation pretender in the family with no other powers. Well there's Kat, Amy and Shane, but they aren't even pretenders. They hung out on the side lines like me."

"Well now like the other kids you have a gift," Steve stated.

"Don't call them gifts," Adam said. "They hate that. Powers, and abilities are okay terms. But they don't like the words gifts, because sometimes their gifts are curses. I never saw them that way. Guess cause I didn't have a power till now. Always wanted one. Probably should of been careful what I wished for. Huh?"

Up next: Adam contacts Will, and later Will and the other kids do a bit of musing on why Keegan was created and just how powerful the young clone is

Okay it's been a while so here it is- I'm begging here, please, please review. I know that there are people reading this story.