More Power More Hope- Book Three In The United Series

Chapter 17

Nine's POV:

Dang it feels good to be back.

Being in 'Elysium' was awesome, let me tell you, but being alive and fighting the war is so much better.

"Well, this is fun," Six announces. "We're like a big, happy family on vacation."

We're all in a plane and headed to Chicago again. That's where we'll go back to my penthouse and discuss this legacy of Max's and what our next move is going to be.

I sit by the window with Sam on the outside and Six in between us. Johnny is right behind me with Max beside him, and beside Max is Ivan. So far he hasn't done anything stupid so I trust him for now. Not fully, though.

In front of me is Eight, next to him is Marina, and next to Marina is Ella. Sitting in front of Eight is Five with Adam and next to him is Malcolm.

"Who's the mother?" I ask and Six rolls her eyes.

"Max is the mother. John is the dad," Eight announces with a cheeky grin.

"Hades no," Max replies and I snicker. I love it when she uses that demigod slang of hers.

"No, no this is working! Six is Max's sister!" Sam exclaims, a huge smile plastered on his face. Even Six can't hide a smile from that.

"Are Adam and I bwothers?" Ivan asks in a teasing baby voice. Everyone nod their heads in agreement and Adam rolls his eyes. Ivan winks at him.

Marina catches along. "Yeah, Ivan and Adam are Max's cousins and are brothers. Eight can be Max's brother."

"I already have a brother, thank you very much," Max replies but she can't hide her smile.

"What am I?" Sam asks out loud.

"Okay, this part I'll jump in on. Sam is obviously Six's husband," Max answers and everyone laughs while Sam and Six blush.

"Ella and Five are Max and John's children," Adam announces. Max blushes and John raises his eyebrows.

"Who said Max and I were having children? We're not at that point yet," John replies.

Max freezes when John finishes his sentence. After a few moments she furrows her eyebrows together and looks at John.

"'Yet'?" She asks and I stifle a laugh. Eight, Adam, and Five are biting their lips to keep from laughing, Marina and Ella have their mouths covered with one of their hands, Sam and Six's faces are red, Ivan is silently laughing and mockingly pointing at John like a child, Malcolm has his lips pursed, and John's face is as red as a tomato.

Trying hard not to laugh, John turns back to Max and says, "That's-That's not what I meant..."

Max purses her lips together and I can't help but laugh. Everyone else joins in, even Max and John. Some people around us turn to look and flash us smiles when they just see a bunch of teenagers goofing off.

"What are you going to name your children? Jonathan and Maxine?" Six asks them smugly. While everyone laughs quietly so we don't get more glances from everyone around us, Max purses her lips and closes her eyes, probably wishing she were anywhere but here while John sinks into his chair.

"We are about to take off. Please fasten your seat belts and have a safe flight," a female voice tells us from the speakers.

Everyone buckles their seat belts and Max and John finally look comfortable after we've all stopped talking about them having future kids.

I lay my head back and John kicks my chair like a six year-old. I look back at him and he shrugs his shoulders.

I roll my eyes at him and stare ahead at Eight's head. It does feel good to be back.

John's POV:

I have no idea why I said that.

Why did I say 'Yet'? Now Max probably thinks I want to...Oh my god I can't even think about it.

I look right at Max and she catches my eye. I give her a sheepish yet apologetic smile and she returns it. Ivan from next to her raises one of his eyebrow at me. I bite my lip to keep from laughing and turn back to Max. Everyone else has started conversation, so why not us?

"Uh..." I trail off. I can't find the right words for some reason. Should I apologize? For what though? "I, uh..."

"It's fine. They're just being idiots," Max tells me, which sends a wave of relief over me.

"Yeah, idiots. So what are you going to name your children?" Ivan asks Max with a smirk. Max punches his arm and turns back to me.

Max opens her mouth to speak to me again but Ivan leans in next to her ear. "How about you name your first boy after me?" Ivan asks, whispering. I roll my eyes at him but I can't stop a wave of anger from rolling through me when I see Ivan so close to Max, literally breathing down her neck. Max then shoves Ivan away from her, which is a relief.

"Fine, but you're obviously going to name one of your boys Conrad," Ivan says. Max freezes for a moment then turns to Ivan. I can't help but feel surprised, too. Conrad is Max's Cêpan. How does Ivan know about him?

"How do you know Conrad?" Max asks Ivan.

"Uh, a few years ago when you...uh, you know...before we got to London, we had information on Conrad after he killed a Mogadorian scout," Ivan answers. Max looks at him for a little longer.

"Who killed him?" Max asks. Ivan looks surprised at this question.

"Who killed...Conrad?" Ivan asks and Max nods her head. Ivan shrugs his shoulders. "I didn't see the fight. I was too busy looking for you with the others."

Max doesn't look at all convinced but forgets about it and turns back to me.

"Are you going to train more when we get back to Chicago?" Max asks me.

I nod my head even though I know what Max is doing. She's trying to change the subject. She knows, just like me, that Ivan is lying. He knows who killed Conrad, who killed Max's beloved and missed Cêpan, but he won't tell us, and I think I know why.

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Fun Fact: Number One is still alive (wink wink).