We are the Enhanced

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Alex barely noticed that he had moved. One minute he stood on the beach, just noticing the boat, the next he stood in front of it, watching pieces of burning hull fall into the water.

Talent showed up beside him, shoving through the crowd of onlookers. His hand reached over Alex's shaking shoulder.

"Are you sure they were on it?" Alex whispered, sinking lower against his friend.

"I wish not. They'd have-" his voice broke, and Alex completed the sentence, void of emotion.

"They'd have found us... Talent? Why? Why us? Why something like this?"

Alex felt a warm tear fall through his dark hair, Talent's. "I dunno," Talent stiffened. "RUN!"

Alex didn't need to be told twice. Instinct kicked in, and the athlete took of running at top speed. He was trained to run, and was good at it. He hadn't lost in running to anyone for as long as he could remember.

He was a block away before he looked back. The cruise ship was gone. All that remained were crisps and embers of the fiery inferno.

"Goodbye, Rebecca Sanchez." Alex waved to the distant flame solemnly. He thought of his sister arm in arm with Talent's brother Andy, who was also gone.

Talent. Alex had forgotten about him. Where was his friend, was he okay? He whistled, something the pair had done on the ship through vent pipes, signaling each other.

The same two toned whistle was returned to him, and he just about crumpled in relief.

"Talent! Talent!" Alex called, "Talent, where are you?"

"Here! I'm here Alex! I'm coming!" Alex could pick up on his friend's voice even over the bustle of the city. He'd always had better hearing than others. Better senses in general, now he thought about it.

Talent showed up next to him in a minute. "What now?" he asked.

"I dunno," Alex shook his head. "Home. Home! We need to go home. Talent, how do we get back to America?!"

Alex rambled in a state of shock. "A... A plane. Not a boat. No more boats. But planes are expensive. Do mom and dad even know yet? REBECCA COME BACK!" Alex panted, breath gone, and fell to the ground shaking.

"C'mon bud, let's get you to like... a minute clinic or something," Talent said. Alex shook himself to sleep.

He woke up in a bright white room. Talent and an older man were above him. His friend was looking at his phone and saying strange things. Alex realized he was talking in Portuguese, Brazil's main language. The doctor didn't speak English.
Then the doctor left the room. Talent flopped down on a chair.

"That took forever. He's going to get a doctor that speaks English," Talent said. "You're okay, by the way."

"Why am I here? What'd I fall off this time?" Alex asked. He hated doctors. Surprise appointments were the worst, though.

Talent glanced around, nervously, Alex noticed. "What do you remember?"

Alex rattled off every detail he remembered, up to the point of seeing the random kids following Talent's brother. "That's all," he said.

Talent grimaced, but the door opened, and another doctor entered. Talent motioned him over, where they had a private conversation behind a clipboard.

Alex crossed his arms, and noticed a needle sticking out of one. "They have IVs at a minute clinic?"

The doctor whipped around from the whispered conversation, then collected himself and said in a heavily accented voice, "That is strange?"

Alex reddened. "Um, no," he said quickly.

The doctor turned back to Talent. "Young sir, while you are here, perhaps vaccines for common diseases be considered? Some diseases here are not vaccinated against in United States. No charge, seeing your circumstances."

"Uhh, yeah, sure," Talent looked at Alex. "What about my friend?"

"Yes, sure, him too." The doctor looked at Alex. "This alright?"

"Yeah. Why not." Alex shuddered inside. He hated shots, but figured diseases might be worse. The doctor nodded and left the room. Alex fell back asleep nearly instantly. Just the conversation had made him drowsy.

What seemed like just seconds later, Alex woke to a horrible sensation. "Gah!" he yelled, looking at his leg to see a needle sticking out of him. "You could've warned me, ya know!"

The doctor, same one as before, pulled out the needle. "Vaccines done now. That was last one. Your visit finished. Good luck young sirs."

Alex got up, less drowsy now, and he and Talent walked out of the bright room into a generic drug store. Talent seemed skittish. Then Alex remembered something.

"Hey Talent? What did the doctor mean by our 'circumstances'?"

Talent mumbled, just as he had early that morning, and right before the boy had finished speaking, it all came rushing back. Every horrible moment.