Odd One Out/Falling Skies fanfic

Chapter Fourteen

Presidential Office

“How are we meant to trust you? You have sent Maggie to hospital with a broken rib, your father has a broken hand, and you just say 'sorry'. You just walked into a building full of Skitters and walked out, unharmed. Ben said they were at your feet. What happened?” Tom Mason asked demandingly in his office, accompanied by Marina Peralta, Colonel Weaver and Colonel Porter. Tom had also asked his vice president, Manchester, his former teacher. It had been approximately one hour since Ben Mason and Tanya Pope had been rescued from their place of captivity.

Brandon had been held in custody since he came out of the building. He came willingly after parting with his sister; his sister going to the infirmary. She was ill, unknown cause but obvious effects. Brandon had calmed her and convinced her to go with the doctors while he was taken away. He had not spoken a word to anyone other than his sister, and one word to Ben when they had escaped.

“So? What happened?” Tom asked once more, now with a tone of irritation in his voice.

“I don't know” he said looking down. He was only a seventeen year old boy. He could probably get away with everything if he acted so.

“What do you mean you don't know?” Manchester asked him cautiously. If he was a threat, he would get rid of him. That was a fact.

“It just happened. I … I can't remember” he said, knowing a lot more than he was letting on. He couldn't let them know who he was, or what he could do …

“Yeah, neither could your sister when she went into her fit” Tom said as though he had completely bought the story. Manchester sighed. Marina Peralta and Colonel Weaver however had not for a second believed it. There was just something about him. Plus the fact they were both extremely danger-aware. That's why they got on so well.

“This happened to her as well?” he asked honestly unaware. She had abilities? She had his abilities? That was great … or was it? Could she use her abilities against him when he eventually tried to illustrate his plan? He did not know yet whether this was a good or bad thing, but he was to find out.

“Yes” Manchester spat as he came closer to his chair. It may not have been a big office, but it was a better place to interview someone that a jail cell Tom thought. “But you knew that already didn't you?” he continued, and Weaver had to put his hand on his shoulder to indicate he was getting too close to the boy.

“I honestly didn't realise. That is a fact.” he said honestly as he looked down to the desk.

“Arthur” Tom said to his mentor “I'm sorry but please leave” he said and Manchester looked at him more than annoyed.

“What?” he snapped and Colonel Weaver stood in his way of getting to Tom, holding on to his arm.

“Manchester just go. I'll tell you when you can come back inside OK?” Weaver's raspy voice sounded through the silent room.

He shuffled around and with facial expressions that cannot be described finally said “Alright” and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Tom trusted him, but he knew for a fact that he had lost family to the invasion; ALL of his family, and that if he thought something was a danger to the town he had established, he would have no qualms in destroying that threat. Not only were these kids seemingly half-alien, they were also Pope's kids. Pope, the man who had created more trouble the first month he had come to Charleston that there had been in the whole year before Charleston was formed, combined.