Back

Burnt

Astrid just stood, shocked. Before her, the boy was writhing and screaming. Sam hadn't hit him directly, he had hit his arm, just like he had with Drake, before.

Sam was crying. Astrid knew that he hadn't meant to hit him. He didn't know the power was still there. That was the part that shocked Astrid the most. How could it be. As soon as the barrier had come down, all the mutants had become normal again. She knew that. Sam knew that. Everyone knew that. So, why?

"Sam," Astrid began, interrupting the boys anguishing screams. "Your powers are back."

"Yeah."

"So it's likely that other people's powers are back too."

"So?"

"We need to find Lana."

Sam and Astrid managed to carry the boy back to their apartment without anyone noticing. At least, they hoped no one noticed. It was hard keeping him quiet though, he was obviously in agonising pain.

As soon as they reached the apartment, they laid him down on their bed, to stop him hurting himself as he thrashed around. Astrid had given Sam anaesthetic wipes and bandages the clean and seal the wound, but Sam didn't think they were needed. The flesh all around the wound was cauterised, just like Drake's had been. He didn't really understand why Astrid had given him the things she had.

Back in the kitchen, Astrid had just found the Lazar household phone number in the telephone directory. She knew Lana would be there, ever since she had seen her and Diana in the hospital, she hasn't been allowed to see anyone else. Her parents had grounded her until she changed. But this was Lana. She wasn't going to change just because her parents wanted her to.

Astrid dialled the number, but had a spur of the moment thought. What if it was Lana's mother or father who answered? They would never let her speak to Astrid, they knew she was from the FAYZ. She'd have to do something. Pretend to be someone else...

Lana's mother passed Lana the phone. She took it tenitivley. She didn't know anyone called Melissa!

"Hello..." She said, down the receiver.

"Lana, it's me, Astrid," the voice said back.

"Wh..."

"Shhhh. Look, I pretended to be called Melissa so your mom would let me talk to you."

"Okay... So, what?"

"Me and Sam need you in Santa Monica ASAP. Powers are back. Just come." She hung up, leaving Lana hanging.

"Who was it, Lana dear?" Lana's mum suddenly asked.

"No one mum," she replied. "Wrong number."

And with that, Lana stormed upstairs into her room.

She sat down on her bed. If Sam and Astrid wanted her because powers had come back, then Lana knew what was happening. Sam had gone and burnt a hole in some random idiot, and Astrid wanted Lana to fix it.

Normally, Lana would have refused. They couldn't use her like that! However, it was a motive to escape, a chance. Just how to do it. Then it hit her. Chance! She opened the lid of her laptop, and googled 'contact Todd Chance.'

During long conversations that had occurred between Sanjit and Lana, Sanjit had told her about what it was really like to be a celebrity's child. One thing had stuck with her.

"You know, every day, to earn more money, Choo and I manage their fan mails. Yep! So, if you email Todd or Jennifer, you'll really be emailing me or Choo. And likewise, it'll be us who reply."

Today was one of those days. The Brattle-Chance family were on holiday in Las Vegas, and Virtue Brattle-Chance was checking his adoptive parents' fan mail. Normally Sanjit would help, but today was one of those days, where Sanjit was too busy googling 'Lazar', in a futile attempt to find Lana.

Most of the mail was the same. "I love you Todd! You are amazing!" And all that. Virtue replied with the mandatory response.

"Thank you for being such an amazing fan! I love you all!"

Then signed. Jennifer Brattle or Todd Chance.

It was dreary work, but he got payed! And it bet nagging kids to pick artichokes or emptying buckets of pee. That is what he had to do in the FAYZ.

Virtue was having a pretty hard time today, the fan mail seemed to pile up even more when they were on holiday. But, one caught his eye.

"Sanjit!" He called. "I think you need to come here! I've found Lana!"