Better Undercover

Chapter 15: Falling

Chapter 15: Falling

"I need that key!" Brittney yelled.

"Well then, you better start looking the good old fashioned way," I replied.

Was I mad that my powers were gone? No, not really. I might miss them someday, but right now I was happy to be a normal kid. Not that anyone would ever consider me normal. I looked over at the crowds of people huddled next to and behind cars with their phones watching my every move. A few faces stood out to me. I vaguely remembered the words that I said to the people who had been my friends all year, but every emotion behind them caused me to think I was going crazy again.

But I wasn't going crazy. Not anymore. The smoke was clear, and so was my head. The space that used to be clouded with words that weren't even mine were all gone. I could think freely again.

"You're going to get the key whether you like it or not."

I had a feeling the key wasn't what she said it was, and I wasn't going to get it again, for me or for her, even if I could.

Someone pulled me back and I looked around. Foley and Cameron were behind the school with me. Or what used to be behind the school. Now it was just a black wall of burn.

"How did you guys break out of the control thing?

"We don't have much time," Foley said. "Are your powers really gone?"

I nodded. "I can't feel them anymore."

She looked at her cousin. "What do we do?"

"What happened to the other two?" I asked.

"Kade got hit pretty hard and Lillianne's trying to heal him," Cameron replied.

"Sorry for knocking you out, by the way," I said.

He shrugged. "It's fine. But we could really use one of those blasts right now."

I held out my hands. "I can't do anything. I don't know how to activate them again."

Foley closed her eyes. "The poison leaving took away the negative feelings you had, and also since you learned the truth of what happened. It changed the way your brain is structured."

"What does that mean?" Cameron asked.

"If what I can sense is correct, her powers really are gone."

"Now back to the million dollar question," I said. "What do we do?"

"We have to go out there," Foley said. "You stay here."

I laughed. "I'm not staying here. I have to help."

"You'll just be a setback, no offense," Foley said.

I brushed it off. "But it's me she wants."

"It's the key she wants."

"What even is the key?" I asked.

Cameron shook his head. "We don't know."

"I read your thoughts and listened to Brittney's story, and it's all lies. She told you all of that to get the key, but I have no idea what it does."

"Great," I said. "We're back to square one."

They both nodded. "We're going to have to take her out," Cameron said.

"We tried that. Didn't work. Remember that other fire?" Foley said. "We narrowly escaped that." Her eyes widened. "I have an idea."

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