NINE

This just in: the terrorist, Falcon, is on the move. Last night, there was an attack on a medical clinic in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Over one hundred people lost their lives. This makes it the third clinic destroyed in the city.

Where will this criminal strike next? Some say that he’ll go to Philadelphia. Others speculate that he’ll go to New Jersey. Templeton Hills and Trenton are possible targets. Law enforcements are scrambling to up their security.

Templeton Hills is home to one of the controversial government teams of the powerfully gifted – Unit Twelve. No doubt, Falcon will have his hands full if—

“Turn it off,” said Zach, folding his arms. Drake twisted on the couch, looking back at him. Jacob was sitting next to him. He stared at the small television, visibly shaken by the report.

Drake’s expression darkened. “We should be up on the news.”

“We don’t need to hear about crap, especially second-hand crap,” said Zach, taking the remote out of Drake’s hand and switching the channel to an afternoon cartoon. “We don’t need to hear about that man any more.”

“But what if… What if Falcon does come to our city?” asked Jacob. He bit his lower lip; his eyebrows furrowed. The black eye he had received a week ago had faded and the swelling had gone down. He had little discoloration around his eye.

Zach put his hands onto his hips. “If he comes to our city, we’ll hear it from Sullivan and not from some stupid reporter wearing a toupee.”

Drake snorted.

Jacob giggled, his dark eyes dancing with mischief. But his good mood faded; anxiousness filled his features. “If he does come here… what are we going to do?” he asked in a soft whisper. “He’s really dangerous.”

Zach sighed, putting a hand to his forehead. The news had blown up about Falcon, nearly every channel having some sort of discussion about him. The school had turned their attention onto Falcon, giving Zach and his friends some much needed respite. The police station was going crazy with overwork. Sullivan had been expecting this man for awhile it seemed, but he hadn’t mentioned anything – yet.

But Jacob was twelve years old, a child. This was scary. A terrorist with a chip on his shoulder could strike their city any day now and it would be expected of Unit Twelve to stop him – even when the top units had failed. If he could shield the boy from the burden and responsibility, then he would. It was better this way. He would protect them.

That was his duty as their leader.

“Look, Jacob, it’ll be all right,” said Zach, trying to sound confident. “If he has the guts to show up, then we’ll take him down.”

“But the other units have had trouble against him,” said Drake. “Remember, a few months ago, when he went to Denver? Unit Four didn’t have a chance against him – and they have someone who can see into the future.”

“We can take him down,” said Zach, a hint of warning entering his tone. He gave Drake a pointed look. “We can do this. We’re a good team.”

“Yeah… not really,” said Sevati, entering the living room from the kitchen. She sat on the couch next to Jacob with a bowl of cereal in her hands. “We’re at the bottom of the totem pole. We’re not exactly the best unit, according to online rankings. What makes you think that we’re any more powerful than the others?”

“Because we have something they don’t,” said Zach; he paused for effect. His eyes twinkled. “Nicknames.”

Jacob let out a soft giggle. Zach gave the other two a look, daring them to question it. Sevati stared at him, calmly spooning cereal into her mouth – yet within her eyes, there was a light of gratitude.

Zach handed Drake the remote and turned away, apprehensive. He walked towards the front door and slipped into the dimly lit hallway, shutting the door behind himself. With a sigh, he sat down at the top of the stairs. He rested his arms onto his knees and ran his fingers through his hair.

It’d been true all along, what those officers had gossiped about. TV, webpages, newspapers, neighbors – no one would shut up about this guy. In a way, the news had doomed them, giving the man so much publicity. Falcon was probably in the city. It was unlikely he had chosen another – he always made a show of his targets.

Zach was so done with it.

He yawned, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. Sleep. What was that again? His nights were haunted by the woman who had died, blood staining the lining of his dreams; the girl’s screams echoed. The others suffered as well. In the mornings, there was always an understanding silence between them.

And, of course, copious amounts of caffeine.

The pressure in Zach’s chest bubbled upward – the fear, the worry, the terror that someone would die because he couldn’t save them. The helpless feeling threatened to suffocate him.

It was the final lash upon his back. On top of all the stress he already had, he didn’t need some nutcase in his city. Problems at school, little to no money, sleepless nights, nightmares – after all that, did the universe really have to give him a mass murdering psychopath?

Of course, it did. It also added failing powers onto his load.

No matter how much he wanted to ignore it, no matter how much he tried to hide it, this wasn’t fixing itself. He had no idea what was wrong with himself. He had no way of knowing if this was common or otherwise. But he knew he needed his ability back immediately if they wanted even a sliver of a chance against this man.

The alternative could not be allowed.

Failing meant hundreds of people would die. Failing meant Sullivan would be furious. Failing would mean the end of their family.

No matter what, he was going to stop Falcon.

The door behind him opened, breaking his thoughts; it closed with a soft shut. Someone sat beside him and leaned against his shoulder.

“Hey,” whispered Zach, recognizing the scent of her shampoo.

“You all right?” asked Hikaru. Zach took in a breath and let it out slowly. He nodded and rested his head against hers; she fit perfectly in the crook of his neck.

“I’m fine.”

“I heard from the others. Are you worried?”

Zach shrugged.

“Mmmm… Pretty scary stuff, this all powerful Falcon,” Hikaru said, her tone light with a blend of seriousness. “I think I’m going to faint with fright!”

Zach couldn’t stop the breathy chuckle from escaping. He sobered. “Come on, knock it off,” he said with a nudge. “This is serious.”

“Oh, oh, ofcourse, you’re right. This is very serious stuff,” said Hikaru, nodding. She sat up and stared at Zach with playful, somber features. Her eyes twinkled. Her lips thinned, twitching in the effort to not break into a smile.

Zach glanced away. A hand gently touched his chin, forcing him to look at her. The twinkling playfulness was gone. He averted his gaze. Warmth spread through his face.

Her hand is soft…

“Zach, talk to me,” whispered Hikaru.

Crystal blue disappeared behind the darkness, eyes squeezing shut. He couldn’t say out loud what she wanted to hear. The words were locked in his heart. He’d always been able to tell her everything.

Why can’t I say anything?

For the first time, he couldn’t express his thoughts to her.

In the end, he didn’t want to talk about this. He didn’t want to talk about an unstable future. He didn’t want to voice his fears, because – like Hikaru had said – the act of saying them out loud made them terribly real.

Time was draining faster than sand within an hourglass.

He couldn’t tell her. It would only add to her stress. They were all struggling after the death of that woman, but it’d been hardest on Hikaru. He couldn’t burden her further. It was better to be silent.

This was his alone to bear.

“Everything’s fine,” said Zach, opening his eyes. She tilted her head, her eyebrows furrowing with concern. He put a hand over hers. “I promise. Everything is going to be all right.”

She knows.

Forgive me, Hikaru.

Her lips thinned and, for a moment, it seemed as if she would press him further. But her expression softened and she nodded.

Thank you. I know you don’t like this. You’ve always been good at knowing when to back off. I’m sorry I can’t tell you everything, but it’s better this way.

I promise.

A door slammed, breaking the quiet moment. Hikaru quickly withdrew her hand, while Zach pulled back. Brielle stomped up the stairs, her steps echoing through the hallway. She muttered under her breath, her voice rising with each step she took.

“How was your last detention?” asked Zach.

Brielle glared. She stopped two stairs below them. “I hate school,” she said hotly. “I hate people. I hate stupid kids. And I hate Ms. Park!”

“That bad, huh?”

“It was horrible!” cried Brielle, stomping her foot on the stair. “Stupid, dumb, freakin’ punks. They’re horrible jerks and yet, for some reason, they feel that I’m beneath them.” She folded her arms, her backpack sliding down her shoulder. A deep, unsettled expression crossed her face. “They all have weird families. What’s wrong with ours?”

“Oh, Bri, I’m so sorry,” said Hikaru, reaching out to the younger girl. Brielle leaned away, brushing her off. She stepped up and passed the two of them on the ledge. Hikaru’s hand curled away; her gaze dropped.

“I’m fine. I just need some food.”

The door to the apartment slammed shut. Zach sighed. “Sometimes, I wish she wasn’t so stubborn,” he whispered. “I hate it when she doesn’t let Drake pick her up. I know she can take care of herself, but still…”

“She needs that time alone,” whispered Hikaru. “She certainly isn’t going to get it here.”

Zach let out a low laugh. “True.”

With a sigh, Hikaru leaned against his side, resting her head against his shoulder. They stayed there, sitting at the top of the stairs, enjoying the quiet company.

Such times were rare.

And, of course, they never lasted long.

Something buzzed inside Zach’s pocket. His stomach flopped. Hikaru shifted at his side. For a moment, they didn’t move, postponing the inevitable. Together, they took out their phones. A chill went down Zach’s spine at the words on the screen.

EMERGENCY. Unit Twelve assemble.

Their gazes locked onto one another. Fear bloomed in those dark brown eyes.

This is it.

Zach took her by the hand, lightly squeezing it. She trembled. He stood, pulling Hikaru up. He gave her a reassuring smile, before they went back into the apartment.

Chaos flooded the ears.

“It’s him! I know it!” cried Jacob, pointing wildly towards the television. “They were right; he’s here!”

“Would you chill already? You don’t know that,” said Drake.

Brielle stood in the kitchen with a bowl of canned pasta in her hand. She dropped her spoon into the bowl, the metal clinking against the glass. “Are you freaking kidding me?” she demanded. “We got a job? I just got home!”

“It’s probably him,” said Sevati; her voice was calm, yet it wavered slightly. “Why else send out ’emergency’ in the text? It’s logical to assume it’s Falcon.”

“What’re we gonna do?” cried Jacob, grabbing his face and dragging his fingers down over his cheeks.

“We are going to remain calm,” said Zach, raising his voice above the commotion. His tone turned serious. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this: it’s probably Falcon.” Jacob whimpered, covering his eyes with his hands. Zach’s voice rose. “But we’re not going to be afraid. If we’re afraid, then this criminal has already won half the fight.”

No one said anything. Jacob lowered his hands. He still looked worried, but his expression softened, as if he were making the effort to calm himself. Wearied strength entered his features.

“We’ll make a plan on the way there,” said Zach. He took a deep breath, wetting his lips. “Don’t let the fear go to your head. We’re a team—we’re a family, aren’t we?”

The intensity left the room. Everyone nodded. Zach took a deep breath. He gazed once more into each of their faces, trying to send them strength. His gaze rested on Hikaru last. If he was weak, then they all were.

Stay strong.

“There are people depending on us,” said Zach, his voice powerful. “And we will protect them – no matter what.”

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