Chapter 7.
I began to chuckle nervously; it was a strange, hoarse sound that started in the back of my throat. I was confused and emotional enough to be manic. He moved to the door in case I should try to escape, a precaution that was probably wise. Apparently I was in major trouble with absolutely no idea how to escape. I began to look around as logic took over, hoping for a bottle of some toxic cleaner to appear close by. Instead he just began to talk again.
"Look, Secondhand, I mean Wallace, is my dad…"
"Wait a minute," I held up my hand in front of watery eyes, "If you know who I am and who my father is, why did you ask who I was?"
He fidgeted for a moment, "My mother was a village leader in our province in early China…I was actually born some five hundred years before you."
"That really doesn't answer…"
"I'm not done Lydia," he leaned against a shelf, "My mother was a village leader because of her ability to discern the truth, when Wallace arrived, he and his soldiers burned the village and killed many. They raped many of the women including my mother. She died giving birth to me, but her gift passed on to me. I can tell if someone is lying or telling the truth, so if you aren't Lydia then you're some maniac who's convinced she is Lydia."
His logic befuddled me. How was I supposed to react to this? The story was well thought out if it wasn't the truth. I didn't have his so called ability.
"But there's no way your mother could have had that ability, thousands of years before they discovered the gene pattern for superheroes," I had him there, what could he say?
To my surprise he smiled, "You really don't believe all that mutation junk… "superheroes" have been around since the beginning of time…which by the way, wasn't as long ago as you think. But I digress, the point is, your father and the agency found me and raised me so that Wallace would never be able to use me to his advantage. I also have the ability to notice changes in history like you so when your father disappeared the agency set it up so I'd be here to help you."
"It's one thing to say you have the ability to sense the truth and changes in history, it's another to prove it," I answered, eyes narrowed, "besides how is it that you fit in here at school without a question from anyone?"
"They took me back in time so I'd join Sky High about the same time as you, that way I'd know what was going on here and could help you. Here…" he pulled back his sleeve and the strap of his undershirt to reveal a tattoo, identical to mine that crossed his shoulder.
This was evidence that I couldn't disprove, but still it was hard to accept that he was who he said. I wrapped my arms around my torso, teeth chewing on my lower lip. What was I supposed to do? Knight answered the question by pulling a cell phone out of his back pocket. "Here call the number, Fintan should answer."
"Fintan?" I asked softly flipping open the phone and removing the compact mirror I'd put in my pocket. To be safe I took off my shoe and sock, realizing that dialing the number on his shoulder might be unsafe. One number off could send me plummeting into a trap.
Knight grinned strangely, "I forgot you wouldn't know, Fintan's the head of the agency…the number is his."
"At least some of this is starting to make sense," I muttered, balancing as I dialed the number and then placed my bare foot on the cold floor. I looked at Knight, he was staring intently, and seemingly examining me like a lost relative…I suppose if he was telling the truth, I was. Someone finally picked up on the other line.
"Lydia, you're starting to figure things out but don't get ahead of yourself, there are people here to help you. Trust Knight…"
This all sounded too much like a generic recording to me, "What's your name," I asked wanting to confirm that Knight hadn't pulled the name out of the air.
"Fintan," the low voice answered, "I'll be around, but right now you better get out of the closet and to class before you're late."
The line went dead and then the bell for classes rang. I handed Knight's phone back, "I don't know what to do," I said taking a deep, shaky breath, "I don't even know anything about all of this…but maybe that should wait since the bell just rang," I ended lamely then I stopped as he turned the handle, "Tell me something," I struggled for a statement that no one would know besides me, "Is this valid? My sock drawer in the other dimension also holds a volume of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night."
He looked me in the eyes and then opened the door, "True, though you do realize that I have a fifty percent chance of guessing the right answer even if I didn't have this power."
"I guess so," I said, almost completely convinced that Knight was who he said and meant me no harm. If the tattoo hadn't proved it, the phone call had, though like any intelligent person I still examined the possibilities over and over again in my head.
"I'll show you your next class. I told Magenta to bring your stuff in with her. She's in your next period and the one after that, then there's Save-the-Citizen…stay away from that at all costs, it's pretty vicious and you have quite a few enemies in this dimension," he whispered. We exited, me with arms crossed over my stomach. He put his hand on my shoulder and guided me to a doorway not too far away. I was surprisingly relieved to see the familiar head of Mr. Medulla.
"Cheer up," he said softly; pushing me through the door, "you look like a deer caught in the headlights."
I didn't know how to follow his advice. Magenta waved me over to one of the counters, cluttered with things we must have been working on in this class. I saw my purse and backpack on the floor near the empty stool.
"Thanks for bringing my stuff."
"No problem," Maj said snappily, "What is up with you? You and Warren are going to be in another argument before long if you're not careful."
I didn't know why I answered when my tongue felt cemented to the roof of my mouth. I muttered incoherently and watched as different people came into the classroom. I realized suddenly that the class must be open to heroes and sidekicks, I knew my father disappearing wouldn't cause this many people, including Zach to suddenly gain powers. I realized Magenta was slapping my shoulder after it went numb.
"Are you listening to me?"
"Look," I said suddenly, "I don't feel like talking about this…what is with everyone wanting to know about my relationship with Warren anyway?"
I realized I was talking loudly when Mr. Medulla's melon like head came into view, "Because Ms. Tudor, it's a lot more interesting then most subjects in school excluding my class of course. Just be aware that had the final bell rung you would both be receiving an F on this project!" his navel voice made us both wince.
The final bell rang a moment later as if on cue and the teacher headed to the front of the room. Magenta shot me a glare that I ignored, hoping she wouldn't be averse to explaining exactly what we were doing in this class. She ended up doing most of the project as I proved unable to concentrate on the task at hand. I had so many unanswered questions, but somehow everything seemed better with the realization that I wasn't the only one going up against my uncle.
If Knight could be trusted.
My suspicions were lessening, but my nature ensured that I'd never be completely convinced by what anyone told me. Something told me that even when this was all over I'd have a hard time believing even my father. There seemed to be so much that he hadn't told me. Of course for now I was just worried about the fact that I might not see him again. Magenta squealed as the chemicals in the vials turned orange. I'd never thought she'd be one to get excited over school work
She shrugged at my look, "I think this means we get an A," she whispered as Mr. Medulla came over to see what we'd… what she'd accomplished. The rest of the class went quickly and then we were off to our next class "Villains: Stratagems and Ploys" with the same orange-eyed teacher I had earlier in the day. I was noticing that many of the teachers taught several different classes, it probably had something to do with the obviously low budget of the school. Besides the dirty halls and graffiti decorated outer walls, the students themselves all looked more guarded…this atmosphere had enough force to turn even the happiest person into a pessimist.
We were about to pass Layla and a group of her friends when they changed their course to step in front of us. Magenta rolled her eyes and put her hands on her waist.
"Move," Layla said simply, green eyes snapping with untold vehemence. I met her gaze levelly, wondering what exactly had happened to her. She rolled her eyes and shoved past me as the rest of the student body seemed to pour past me as well. I stood still following her red hair until she disappeared into a classroom.
"I'd say something nasty but it'd be pretty pointless now," Magenta said pushing her black hair back behind her shoulder, "Come on, we've really got to get to class."
The halls were emptying and I nodded partially before we were both startled by a deep voice nearby, "So you and Peace doing Save the Citizen today?" Will asked, looking down at me with a strange expression of mixed anger and amusement.
Magenta's face quickly changed mode, before it'd just been sarcastic but now it seemed as if she was truly afraid of the boy that stood next to them, "No," I answered quietly, meeting his eyes curiously. I didn't know what had happened between us but there seemed sudden tension radiating from all of us, "Excuse us but we have to get to class."
"I'm glad to hear you aren't…wouldn't want you to get hurt Pause," and with that he walked away leaving Maj looking like she wanted to fly at him with both fists. She grabbed my hand before I could reply and we entered the classroom just as the bell rang. We sat down in the back row, but I wasn't able to concentrate on anything she said because Magenta was berating me in low tones.
"We told you not to talk to him Lydia, you've got to stop this," she was as sincere as I'd ever seen her, in either dimension.
"Why?" I asked simply, hoping that simple question wouldn't elicit another tirade on my memory loss. I ran a hand through my unruly mane and waited for an answer.
Magenta's face took on a red shade as she slammed a hand down on her desk, "Why?" she replied in a hoarse whisper, "Why? Why do you think dimwit! Maybe the fact that he tried to kill you after you guys broke up…maybe the lack of oxygen to your brain when he was strangling you, killed off any common sense you might have had!"
Needless to say, I was completely dumbfounded. When Knight said I had enemies, I hadn't thought real breathing enemies. Magenta blinked rapidly and I tried to persuade myself that there weren't real tears in her eyes. Boy, did I have a lot of questions for my newfound cousin once I saw him again. With any luck he'd be able to provide me with a detailed history that wouldn't leave me reeling at the implications. Something bigger had happened when my dad had disappeared…something much bigger than I could imagine.