Seventeen year old Jay Sasaki lives in a world where corporations spend millions of dollars to exploit superpowered children and the media defines good and evil. Cursed with the ability to steal souls, Jay leads a double life as both a normal high s...
The next day, when my dad picked up his copy of the San Urbano Times, he immediately saw my name. At first, he looked shocked, but he took a sip of coffee to calm himself down and read the rest of the article. Meanwhile, I ate my breakfast and waited patiently for his reaction.
Dad had already told me that he didn't want me around Vanessa, Percy, and Terry - what would he think if he knew that we had blown up the Academy together? I braced myself for a disapproving look and a lecture about why I should never get involved with true supervillains.
Instead, his reaction surprised me. "I'm proud of you, Jay," Dad said.
"What?" I said, not believing my own ears.
"I'm glad that you and your friends finally destroyed the Academy," Dad said. "I'm not sure if you know this, but the Academy sent the superhero team that killed your mother."
"I know that, Dad," I said. Now I knew that something had to be wrong. I had never heard Dad talking about Mom. "Why did you send me to the Academy if you knew that they killed Mom?"
"I thought that it would be better for you if we cooperated with the Academy instead of fighting against it," Dad said. "Clearly, I was wrong."
Dad passed me the newspaper, and I skimmed the article. I already knew most of the information in there from firsthand experience, but I discovered that there was only one casualty - Edward Doyle - and that the Academy planned to continue teaching and researching, despite the destruction of their main building and the arrest of their primary sponsor. "It says here that the Academy plans to keep going," I said.
"The Academy won't last for much longer," Dad said. "They can't rebuild with only government funds."
"I'm still worried," I said.
"You don't need to worry," Dad said. He did something else unexpected - he gave me a hug and said, "I'm sorry for sending you to the Academy, Jay. It was my mistake, and I've been paying for it ever since."
"I forgive you, Dad," I said. "It doesn't matter anyways, now that the Academy is gone." I paused for a few seconds and then said, "Can I ask you something else?"
"Of course," Dad said as he took another sip of his coffee.
"Ellen is having a retirement party at her castle next Thursday," I said. "Can I please go?"
"Isn't that the night before school starts?" Dad said.
"Yes," I replied.
Dad thought it over and then said, "Yes, you may go."
"Thanks Dad," I said.
"Are you ready to go to work?" he asked.
"I think so," I replied as I finished the last few bites of my toast. Dad then drove me to the San Urbano Times building. When I got there, I quickly found Vanessa and Declan cleaning out Declan's desk. "What are you two doing?" I asked.
