Author's Note...
I am a liar: I said I'd be done by June 30th. Funny how I didn't factor in necessary things like sleeping and eating. Or unexpected things like funerals. I'm sorry for lying to you.
This chapter was supposed to have a plot point in it, but that turned out to be too long, so I cut the chapter in half. This one is a bit boring, but it's a transition. The next chapter will be more interesting. Then we get to meet all the freaks in 24 and finish it all out in 25.
So close, but so far away. Hang in there with me, okay?
Thanks to Annie for beta-ing. Thanks to reviewers for sticking around. I'll let you read now.
Jason stood by the window, occasionally glancing out as he chatted with the others. He had tried to be courteous by not listening to Katie's thoughts, but it was hard at times when they were so loud.He couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl; a few words had stuck in his mind: rape, freak, Witness.It wasn't hard to guess why Lex was talking to her, but Jason decided to let Katie explain the story to him when she was ready, not force it out of her mind. He knew as well as anyone else that it sucked to be forced into anything.
Luke elbowed him. Hey, are they coming back yet? he asked impatiently.
"Still out there," he commented like he was talking to no one in general as he glanced out the window. Poor Katie, no wonder she was so scared of Lex. I shouldn't have told Luke to make her come out of the bathroom.
What are they even talking about? I'm ready to make them come in, Luke grumbled.
"You can't make them do anything unless you want Elle to give you a new face," he said quietly so that the girls couldn't hear. "Lex's orders." Jason was acutely aware of Chloe listening, trying to figure out who they were without asking questions, just observing.
Ellusion would enjoy any chance to make him look like an ogre and take great pleasure in it. The two meteor freaks had never been able to tolerate each other, especially after their fight over who made a better Protector. Luke muttered something angrily under his breath, but Jason could tell from his defeated thoughts that he wasn't going to try anything.
On the other hand, the blonde, Chloe, was worrying him. She listened curiously, taking mental notes of what they said and trying to make sense of it. "How do you guys know Lex?" she asked. It was an innocent question, but Jason could hear the intent behind it.
The boys had planned to lie if such a question ever surfaced but had never exactly decided on what they would say. Before anyone could notice their hesitation, Luke said, "We were classmates back in high school."
"Really? So your parents must be pretty well-off." They don't look like the rich, Excelsior type, Chloe noted. Probably lying.
Jason held back a groan. Note to self: never, everlet Luke do the explaining. "Yeah. My parents split for Florida to waste their vast fortune as soon as I graduated from Excelsior, though." He quickly changed the subject. "So what grade are you girls in?"
"Tenth," the brunette, Lana, answered. Her thoughts were average, normal. Unlike Chloe, she was nothing to worry about, and she didn't have many interesting thoughts. Jason decided it was fine to ignore her. The blonde, however, was still observing him, noting every detail that might be evidence of something or other.
"Sophomore? Awesome. Only two more years, and you'll be in the big leagues." Yeah, college wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. The parties got old after freshman year, and the classes just got more difficult. He was almost grateful to be kicked out of Met U after going MIA for a month. The school board thought that he had been cutting class for four weeks and took appropriate action. He had actually been held in a Luthorcorp lab but didn't tell anyone this. The truth was, he wouldn't have been mentally strong enough after the order to last until the end of the term. It was a good thing his only classes these days were training to hone his powers as a Protector.
"Do you two live in Metropolis?" Martha asked.
Luke nodded. "Right outside of downtown. Have you heard of Hanna Street? Nice place to live."
Yes, Martha had heard of it; she loved the old houses down there. "And what about you, Jason?" she asked.
"I'm in Florida with my parents during the summer, but I still spend my school year rooming with Luke." In reality, after being kicked out of the university and his dorm, Jason had been renting a nasty place in Suicide Slums. He felt a bit guilty about lying to this nice woman, but Curious Chloe didn't need information about his real situation. The less she knew, the better.
After what seemed like ages, Jason picked up a hint of a thought in the distance. He could determine that it was Katie by the feminine tone but couldn't make out any words. All he could tell was that she was trying to stay quiet. With a glance out the window, he announced, "They're coming back."
"Finally," Luke huffed. "Come on, man. Let's get the van back to the mansion." I've got training in fifteen minutes.
"Nah, man. You go on ahead. I need to talk to Katie before I leave."
"How are you gonna get back?" Luke challenged.
"I'll have Corben come pick me up or something."
Are you crazy, man? Luke thought. Corben can barely fly seven miles without a load. What makes you think he can carry you?
Jason quickly added, "I'll just have him take me to the mansion to get my car. It's not that far from here, is it? Only about three miles."
The thoughts of the pair outside were loud enough to hear clearly now. Lex was admiring how picturesque the Kent Farm looked with the snow and Christmas decorations. Katie was wondering if Lex's head was shiny enough to see her reflection in it. Jason swallowed a laugh, instantly realizing that she was thinking about something ridiculous to disguise another thought. He tried not to imagine what it might be even though he had a pretty good idea. She had probably accepted Lex's offer if she was still walking with him.
In the kitchen, Luke pulled on his white winter coat that made him look like a short version of the Michelin Man or maybe a jumbo jet-puffed marshmallow. "Well, I guess I'm out of here, then. Good luck catching a ride, Jase."
"Yeah, thanks," Jason responded. "I'll tell Lex you already left." Not ten seconds after the door closed behind him, Katie and Lex walked into the front room, stomping the snow from their shoes. Jason could hear Lex's thoughts as he quietly told her about the Luthor Christmas Party: what time it started and how to dress. She must have warmed up to him and agreed to become a Witness if Lex was giving her details about the big bash.
They entered the kitchen, ears red from the cold. Martha immediately offered to make them something warm to drink, but Lex declined politely, saying he was leaving soon. Katie followed his lead and did the same. "Where's Luke?" she asked, looking around warily. I hope he's not here.
"Oh, he left just a few seconds ago. Lex, he's dropping the pies off at the mansion before going home."
"Well, I'm disappointed that he couldn't wait for us," Lex said. "Wasn't he your ride back?"
"Yeah, but I'll just have Corben come pick me up," Jason said, waving it off. The billionaire shot him a skeptical glance, doubting Corben's strength more than Luke had.
Chloe wondered what the two had been talking about outside and was about to ask when Katie spoke up. Jason mentally applauded her save.
"Hey, Jason, I can probably give you a ride," she offered. We need to talk without everyone else listening.
"That would work. My car's out at the mansion. We can catch up on the ride out there."
Wait, why can't you just ride home with Lex? she wondered. She didn't sound too annoyed, though. "Mrs. Kent, do you need me to stay and help with anything else?"
Martha smiled, and Jason felt another stab of guilt for lying to her earlier; you didn't meet good-hearted people like her every day. "No, you can leave if you want. Thank you for coming over to help."
Katie rushed around to give the girls and Martha hugs and exchange goodbyes. "Thanks for having me. I had a good time." Even if it ended the way it did. This was for the best.She smiled, and Jason noticed that her eyes looked a bit watery. This detail didn't escape Chloe, either, and she regretted not being able to ask what it was about. Katie turned to Lex and reminded herself, For the best. "Thanks for everything." Jason noticed the safe distance they kept from each other.
Lex smiled back. "The pleasure is all mine. I'm sure we'll see each other soon." Jason, please explain to her the details of Friday night and answer any other questions she may have about the Witnesses. I sense that she is more comfortable with you than me.Lex reached to shake Jason's hand. "I appreciate your help today." Don't be late for training.
"Any time," Jason replied with a nod and turned to the girls to flash a winning smile. "Nice meeting all of you. Have a good evening."
Chloe seemed disappointed that she couldn't ask Katie directly about her conversation with Lex. Her attitude toward him was really cold yesterday. This is all so weird. To Chloe, it was strange that they would even say more than a few words to each other, much less a full-out conversation. Despite this, she said her goodbyes with Lana and Martha. I guess I'll have to get the details from her later or ask Lex.
Jason let Katie lead the way to her car. Once they had pulled out onto the road, she repeated her question from earlier, "So why couldn't you just get a ride with Lex?"
Jason almost wanted to laugh. "Just because we're working together doesn't mean he loves hanging out with us." The questioning glance shot his way told him to explain. "Lex likes things in order, he likes respect. On the other hand, the freaks are, well, freaks. High-energy, impulsive people who thrive on mild chaos and aren't fans phrases like, 'Mr. Luthor.' I try to give our rich friend as much space as possible; I think he appreciates a break from the disorder."
While she was amused by the thought of fifteen high-energy freaks, Katie's eyes hardened as she let a few questions fill her mind that she had been suppressing for a while. How did Luke know I was in the bathroom? Did you tell him? Why are you working for Lex? Aren't you afraid of his dad?
"Can you slow those down a bit? I'm a mind reader, not a speed-reader. Yes, I told Luke because I knew you needed a bit of a push to come out and talk, but I didn't consider how you'd feel about it. This is a worthy cause, and I wanted you to hear Lex out. I'm sorry."
She frowned. "You better be." I was scared the entire time, thinking that Luke might make me do something…that I really didn't want to do.Jason felt his stomach tighten, knowing what she was trying not to think about. She continued with the questions, "Why are you working for Lex? Aren't you afraid of his dad?"
"I'm not working forLex; I'm working with him. We're not afraid of Lionel Luthor anymore. All of his resources are nothing compared to the Freak Army."
She was at ease knowing that Jason wasn't scared of the elder Luthor. "What's the Freak Army?"
"Lex calls us the Witnesses and Protectors." Jason rolled his eyes. "That's too boring with all of us hyper mutants running around. Nate came up with it because he's hoping for a fight. He's really violent, has more hatred in his head than ten of us put together. Most of the group wants justice, not revenge. It'll be hard to wait for the court date, but things will be much worse if fighting breaks out. We can't have that if the sixteen of us are going into hiding; if we turn against each other, it will get ugly."
"We're going into hiding?" Katie asked, shocked. "Why? For how long? What about my parents? Are they coming with me? How am I supposed to tell them? Will Luthor try to kill them?"
"Don't worry about your mom and dad; Lionel will only send his minions after us. Arnold will find your parents after we've disappeared and tell them what's going on. He has a way of explaining things without letting anything slip. However, I'm not sure how long we'll have to hide."
"No ballpark number? Like, a month, a year?"
"Probably no more than a few months. Once the trial starts, I think we'll be okay."
That set her mind at ease a bit, though she worried that her mom would have a heart attack upon finding out that Katie was disappearing. "What's Arnold's power?"
Jason laughed. "Arnold is just a normal human that Lex put in charge of us. You could say he's the strict General of our Freak Army."
"What, does he order you around? Make you do drills? Isn't that kind of like what Lionel did to you?"
It was Jason's time to shudder. "No, it's nothing like what was done in the labs." He liked to keep the memories of those weeks locked in a box in the back of his mind—they were frightening to remember but impossible to forget. "Arnold keeps us freaks from destroying the mansion. He oversees our training, but never pushes us too hard. The lab, on the other hand, was like a concentration camp. We always had nosebleeds from the mental strain of the tests, and those with powers involving physical activity could barely move by the end of the day. My best friend in there was Mike; he didn't survive one of the tests. Little Sam 'celebrated' his fourteenth birthday in that hell by crying and begging to see his mom. The anguished thoughts of twenty-four others nearly drove me to a mental breakdown. Those that escaped barely made it out alive but not unharmed. Every last on of us has mental scars that will stay with us forever. And Lionel Luthor was the one behind it all, giving orders on what tests should be performed. Out of everyone I've met, he is the only person that doesn't have a conscience."
"That's awful! How could anyonedo that and find a way to justify it?" she demanded, not really expecting Jason to answer. "Then again, this is Luthor we're talking about."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's not human," Jason muttered.
A silence settled in the car. Finally, Katie asked, What is the training for?
Jason thought about how to explain this. "You know how if you lift weights, you're gradually able to lift more? Well, it's kind of like that. The Protectors have to train so we can be in top shape for the big bash. Before training, I could only hear thoughts from a few hundred yards. Well, now I can hear from about a half-mile, maybe even a mile if the thoughts are really loud. Sometimes I can see their thoughts, too, but not very often. That's what my trainer is focusing on right now."
"Whoa. That's crazy." She contemplated this for a moment. So I could train my ability?
He shook his head. "No, some abilities are reflexes. You can't control them."
Darn. Her hopeful thoughts fell. Do the other Witnesses have to train, too, or do they have reflex abilities?
"A few have reflex abilities. The rest train for fun. In general, everyone stays close to the he Luthor Mansion. It's like our headquarters for hanging out. If we've got nothing better to do, we sit and talk in the gym while others train; there are always at least two other people there." His train of thought changed to, "Hey, you were supposed to turn the other way on this street to get to the mansion."
Oops, on autopilot to go home. Sorry! Katie glanced at the road behind her, then at the clock on the dashboard. Almost five o'clock? No! "Uh…Jason? Do you have training today?" She kept her thoughts unusually blank.
Jason looked at her suspiciously. "Yeah, at six tonight. Why?"
I didn't tell my parents that I was going anywhere today, and if I'm not home before they are, my mom will think I got abducted. They're coming back at five. He found it odd that she didn't talk.
"It's five 'till right now. What do you want to do?"
"Well, since we're headed back towards town, it'd be easiest for me to just go home, but I'd rather drop you off first." Then there was a confusing jumble of thoughts that he couldn't decipher.
"Say what?" he asked.
I'd rather not take you with me because I'm going to be discussing some sensitive stuff with my parents. She bit her lip, thinking. But they'll be so freaked out if I'm not back on time. She glanced uneasily at Jason as he caught a few words surfacing, thoughts she couldn't hold back. Pregnant. Abortion or adoption. She sighed and pounded a fist on the wheel, frustrated with herself. "I give up; I can't hide anything from you!"
"Nope," he replied sympathetically. "The pitfalls of being a mind reader."
She debated some more with herself. "Can you promise to stay outside in the car and not listen in to out conversation?"
Jason couldn't help but pity her. The puzzle pieces were all too easy to put together: because of the rape, she was pregnant. "I promise. Just try to make it fast, okay? Don't try to argue and reason with them for hours while I turn into an ice cube in the car and miss training."
Katie nodded. "Deal." If blocking out thoughts isn't part of your training, it should be.
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