"So, how's this gonna work?" Warren asked as they reached the park. "I tell you what I know and then you decide whether or not to believe me?"
"Pretty much." Tara responded as she sat down at a picnic table. "Objections?"
"Well, no not really, its just that I'd like to be in bed. Asleep." Warren said, sitting across from her.
"Right. That's why you were traipsing around outside at 1a.m." Tara said rolling her eyes. "Can we just hurry up and get this over with so both of us can go home?"
"Right, so Little Miss Ray of Sunshine here can get her beauty sleep." Warren said sarcastically.
"Bug off Peace." Tara sighed. "Just hurry with your story."
"Well, like I said earlier, all that stuff you told me from the your dear older brother? Utter bullshit. He's covering for your dad and knows the real story." Warren said. "My dad and your dad, they weren't enemies. They were comrades."
"Sounds believable already!" Tara said in a mocking tone.
"Look Langley, you're the one who came to my house asking for the story, so let me tell it ok?" Warren said sternly.
Tara sighed and agreed to be silent as Warren told the story he knew.
"As I was saying." Warren continued. "They were close friends at Sky High during their last year, and carried on that friendship afterwards. The battle that you think Stronghold's dad saved your dad from? That's the one where your dad betrayed mine. They had both planned to go through with what they did back then and both been defeated by The Commander. But there was one problem. You're dad had the ability to manipulate minds. Memories, what you saw, what you heard, and probably more."
"How'd you know that?" Tara interrupted.
"How do you think?" Warren answered. "Dad was wary about Brain Storm's abilities already. That's why he taught me and my mom how to keep him out."
"Right." Tara said, understandingly. "Wait, Brain Storm?"
"You're dad's name before he went 'inactive', as everyone thinks." Warren said. "As I was saying, when Stronghold defeated our dads, Brain Storm used his little ability to change Stronghold's memories. Making him think that he'd rescued your dad from potential death. Since Stronghold was the only other witness that the authorities would believe, his story stuck and that's how everyone knows it."
"Hmm. And so this is the real story?" Tara asked.
"Look Langley, I honestly don't give a shit on whether or not you believe me, but that's the story." Warren said as he stood up from the table.
"I didn't say if I did or not." Tara responded. "I just, I don't understand why my brother would lie to me. But the part about Dad changing stuff. It makes perfect sense. He did that about mom."
Warren looked at her questioningly, and Tara continued, "When I was about to turn six, my mom died. Dad's been using his power since to make it to where no one even knows she's gone. Not even Demitri."
"Why would he do that?" Warren asked.
"Don't know. I guess he just loved her too much to let her go." Tara said. "Doesn't matter though because it never worked on me for some reason."
"Maybe its because you have his power?" Warren suggested. "I mean that would make sense wouldn't it."
Tara shrugged. "I suppose. But how do I know you're telling me the truth?"
"Like I said I don't care what you think. You wanted to know what I knew and I told you. End of story." Warren said. He saw a movement in the woods behind Tara and a thought occurred to him.
Tara, already distrusting of the guy in front of her, focused her thoughts for a moment to read his. She wanted to trust him, but what she found definitely changed her mind.
'That's right Langley, you know you want to believe the story. It makes so much sense doesn't it?' he thought. 'You will believe it, and when you do you'll fall right into my plan.'
Warren didn't want to plant the fake thought, especially not as lame as that, but it was the only thing he could do. Making her think that he'd accidentally let down his guard was the only way to keep her from who was slowly coming near them. It was for her own safety.
"You're lying," Tara said calmly, "Why go through all this trouble and then keep the walls down in your mind."
'I left them down?' he purposefully thought to her. 'Damn it!' He then added putting the walls back. "No, I didn't Langley. I don't know what you're talking about." Warren said aloud.
"Yeah, you slipped up Peace." Tara said, secretly wondering why he'd let down his barriers. "Sucks for you, for a second I almost believed that bullshit story."
She was doing exactly what Warren wanted her too now. Which was ok with him. He didn't know why, but a part of him still wanted her to know that it was the truth and that he wasn't lying. The other part knew that this was for the best.
"Tara!" A voice said from the shadows. A face appeared, followed by a body.
"Demitri?" Tara said turning around to be greeted by her brother's angry face.
"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked. "And with him?"
"Coincidence." Tara said, noticing Warren slipping away to return to his house. "Weren't you over at Lash's?"
"Yeah, but I had to come home for a couple of things." Demiti said, suspiciously eying Warren as he left. "What did he say to you?"
"Something stupid." Tara said, strangely feeling the need to stretch the truth. "I didn't really pay attention. I think he was trying to make amends or something like that."
"Why? What his dad did is unforgivable." Demitri said with a look of pure disgust.
"I know. That's why I told him to go screw himself and leave me alone." Tara lied.
"I told you I didn't want you talking to him." Demitri said, anger evident in his eyes.
"And I told you that this was just a coincidence." she said. "I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk. He just happened to be out."
"Ok. Anyway. Lets head home." Demitri responded, thankfully buying the story Tara had just fed him. "If mom and dad realize you're gone they'll call the national guard."
"Right." Tara said as the siblings headed back to their house.