Perennial

Chapter 30 -- Vex

During the Cold War, DSHA used to concentrate a lot of its efforts on trying to create the perfect soldier, using what later became known as genetic engineering and gene therapy. The human experimentation was top secret and didn't have a whole lot of funding due to ethical problems. You see, DSHA would "acquire" super-human children through undisclosed means and try to artificially augment their natural abilities. 
 
This program eventually evolved into Icarus and its associate schools and programs, like Midas and whatever program it was that took Eclipse. 
 
One of the children DSHA acquired for their Super Soldier Program was given the codename "Overlord". The goal of Project Overlord was to create someone who could telepathically control an entire city's worth of people at once. 
 
The project was extremely successful, right up until the subject escaped. He grew up and became the Overlord we all know and love today – my father. 
 
My father, who is now in Jason's apartment, smiling at me. 
 
He's a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair. Right now, he's sitting comfortably on the couch, with an arm around my mother. 
 
Maman herself is leaning into her husband as if there's nowhere else she'd rather be. She looks like she's still in her thirties, with short brown hair the same color as mine brushing the tops of her shoulders. 
 
"Salut, sweetie." She smiles. "It's good to see you again. I trust Harry made sure you were well taken care of?" 
 
Dumbstruck, I sputter, "Who's Harry?" 
 
A man on the other side of the couch raises a hand. I focus on him, realizing I that have seen him before. Just... not this old. He's the man from Megan's computer wallpaper, her father. Valor. 
 
"That would be me. Harry Werner, Headmaster of Icarus Academy." 
 
"Oh." I squeak. Does he know where his son is right now? Did he know his son was out wandering the city? Should I tell him? "Do you know where Aether is right now?" 
 
He smiles, confused. "What does that have to do with –” 
 
"Answer her, Harry," The Overlord says. "It doesn’t always seem that way, but she never asks a random question." 
 
"He's in my family's apartment. Sleeping." 
 
I shake my head. "No. He went for a walk. And... I get the feeling you're going to receive a phone call very soon, saying he's in the emergency room." 
 
Valor's eyes widen and he goes to stand up. "What? How –" 
 
Megan cuts him off, actually sounding scary for the first time since I met her acquaintance. "What happened?!" 
 
I flinch away from her. "I... I think he has a concussion." 
 
"From what?!" 
 
"A hit on the head. What else?" I snap. 
 
Megan looks like she might try to punch me. 
 
"Sit back down!" The Overlord orders the Werners. They comply immediately. I don't blame them. Dad can be pretty scary when he wants to be. "Elaine, Vex, tell us what happened." 
 
I tell them everything about my mission, how it played out, and what happened when Aether tried to stop my escape. I avoid looking anyone in the eye as I do, choosing instead to look at the poorly drawn seashore Jason has in a frame above the couch. 
 
When I'm done, I still refuse to look at anything else. 
 
I wait for the rebukes, for people to start yelling, but instead of hearing Megan or Valor or even Maman, Sueña speaks up. 
 
"Welcome to Nexus. You just passed initiation." 
 
"What?" I dare to look down at her. 
 
"You thought you were in Nexus before. You weren't. You only just now passed the initiation test. Now you're in," Sueña explains. "Congratulations. From here on out, you'll be a fully-fledged member of a global network of super-humans." 
 
"But I just smashed Valor's son's head into a wall," I say, uncomprehending. "And I made him hate me." 
 
“But you did that because you thought it would be better for the long run, didn’t you?” the Overlord says. 
 
Valor's cell phone, which has somehow appeared in his lap, begins to go off. 
 
The Overlord looks at the Werners and nods. "Go. He needs you." 
 
For a second, I'm hit with the desire to go with Megan and Valor to check up on Manning. But I can’t. We aren’t friends. He doesn’t even know me without that stupid perception filter. He’d likely find a visit from a strange brunette he’s never seen before weird and suspicious. 
 
Megan and Valor take off without a goodbye. (Which is fine. I didn't expect one.) 
 
Once they're gone, I look back to my parents and Sueña. 
 
The Overlord clears his throat and starts speaking again. "Everything from your arrest to your escape was orchestrated by Nexus. It was put together to see if you could adapt, get along with other people and bring them together, and most importantly, be ready to let someone else tell you what to do – which is what you did when you infiltrated the DSHA Office." 
 
He leaves out the implication that I'm not good at following orders. (Which is true.) 
 
"So... does that mean Digit was in on it the whole time?" 
 
Sueña nods. "Yes. He was the one primarily responsible for starting your initiation." 
 
"What about you? Were you spying on me for Nexus or DSHA?" 
 
"I was keeping track of your progress for Nexus, not spying on you." She gives a sheepish smile. 
 
"But why?" I ask in a hushed tone, turning to face my parents. I'm not even sure where my thoughts are. Unfinished questions circle my head, each fighting to come out, only for them all to come out at once. "Why do this? Why me of all people?! I'm an idiot jerk who's socially inept and hates everyone!" I shout. 
 
Maman smiles. "We chose you because we thought you could do it. And we were right." 
 
Seeing her look so... proud...of me makes me feel a little lost. (She's never looked proud of me before. I've always been a disappointment. Jason is her favorite. What's changed?) 
 
I quickly look away from her. 
 
"So... the reasons Nexus exists, were those true, or did you make those up for the trial too?" I ask. 
 
"Nexus exists because the existence of super-humans is at risk. We stand at a precarious position in this world. Half of the political scheme wants us dead. Half of DSHA wants to study us like lab rats, and we've already taken losses because of it," the Overlord explains. “What happened to your Uncle, and to Eclipse, it really happened. Nexus aims to prevent that from happening again." 
 
I nod. 
 
Sueña stands and walks over to me. "I should get going. Sorry I wasn't completely honest with you, Elaine. I hope we can still be friends in the future." 
 
"Yeah. Hopefully." I give a weak smile. 
 
She gives me a final grin and walks out the door. 
 
I wonder why she's being so... nice. She knows what I've just done. She heard my confession. 
 
I swallow. 
 
Maman comes up to me and rests a hand on my shoulder. "Your father wants to speak with you."  
 
She smiles and then goes, leaving me with the Overlord. I look at him. 
 
"It's good to see you again, Elaine." 
 
I can't take it anymore. 
 
"Dad!" I run across the living room and crash into him, wrapping him in a hug. A few tears leak down my face (again), wetting the bandage over my cut. 
 
He grunts and returns the hug. After a few seconds he ruffles my hair. He knows I hate it when he does that. 
 
"I missed you," I admit. 
 
"I missed you too," the Overlord says.  "Now, take a seat. I want to talk." 
 
The Overlord and I sit across from each other, him on the couch, and me in Jason's special love seat he's unofficially banned me from ever sitting on. 
 
The way we sit mirrors each other. If someone entered the room right now, there'd be no doubt about whose daughter I am.
 
Dad gestures to the right side of his face. "You got a scratch."
 
I self-consciously feel the bandage. Underneath it, my injury still stings. This time, there is no blood on my fingers when I pull my hand away. 
 
"I think it'll be fine," I say, dismissively.
 
"Did you get it fighting the Werner boy?" He asks.
 
"Yes," I admit. "He's way bigger than me, anyway. It's not like I expected to get away unscathed."
 
Dad nods, and then smiles nostalgically and shakes his head. "That's my girl. I get the feeling that you don't realize about ninety percent of the world is bigger than you."
 
I glance toward the curtains obscuring the sliding glass door I entered through not so long ago. Paradis pulses just outside, oblivious and uncaring of the boy I left concussed in a dirty alleyway. "I know." 
 
Dad chuckles. 
 
"What is it you want to tell me?" 
 
"There have been some interesting developments in the past few days," he says. "Some of which required my attention, that's why I wasn't able to see you as soon as I would have liked."
 
"Like what?"
 
"A group of politicians are looking to push an act that will outlaw all super-human activity," he explains. "This is due to recent protests in other cities, like Santa Antonia and Argent."
 
"So?" I object. I've lived outside the law my whole life. A new law making everything I do (including existing) illegal isn't really going to change anything. 
 
"Usually, I wouldn't care too much about it, but the law also states that anyone using a super-human ability in public would be arrested and their powers removed. That's what concerns me the most. Does DSHA have the ability to remove our powers? Was their research with Eclipse successful?" 
 
I shake my head. "I think they're still in the experimental stages. What happens if they do pass the law?" 
 
"I imagine we will have to be more careful, but in the end, we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it." 
 
I can live with that. 
 
"Now, one final thing, about this boy you left with Digit, you seem pretty shaken up about him." 
 
I nod. I can't hide anything from my dad. It's simply not possible. He's the only person in the world who has ever been able to figure me out. (Probably because of his two kids, I'm the one most like him.) 
 
"I could have killed him. But I didn't. I didn't want to kill him." I might as well get that out, deal with the disappointment now instead of later. 
 
"That's okay," the Overlord says (much to my surprise). "That's good. It shows restraint, self-control." 
 
"No, it's not. He has a concussion." I shake my head. "He might never be the same again." 
 
"Elaine, there's nothing we can do about it now." 
 
I know, so I put on a fake smile. "Thanks, you're right." 
 
The Overlord isn't fooled, but he respects my performance. 
 
He begins to stand but I stop him. 
 
My eyes drift the worn carpet. “I suppose you have to leave now?”
 
"Don't worry. I'll see you again soon." He reassures me, and then walks out the door without preamble. 
 
I'm left alone in the apartment. I sigh, stand up, and walk back to the sliding glass doors. The air outside should be cool enough to calm my nerves. 
 
There is a siren in the distance, and someone is playing music a few floors down. 
 
I thought when I left Icarus, I'd be free again. As things turned out, I was never free in the first place. First it was the Overlords, then DSHA, and now Nexus. I don't even know what freedom is. 
 
Still, I have to admire the cleverness of Nexus' little game. 
 
I smile to myself. I'm good at games. Once you master the rules, it's easy to cheat, and I definitely plan on cheating. I'll cheat my way right out of this game. 
 
Aether told me I was like a perennial, once. I can work with that. This is just another one of my winters. I'll regrow, re-invent myself once again, cheat the game, and disappear. My grin widens. 
 
This city had better be prepared. 
 
I am a perennial, recurrent, returning, perpetual, and no matter how many times it takes, I will always come back.