Mak Wheeler: Chapter 1

6) Secrets

"What do you mean? Mak! You can't be dying you're 14!" Steve shouted

"Keep your voice down Steve!" She paused to collect herself, "You're gonna wake up New Jersey!" She said in an annoyed tone.

"Do they know?" He asked, pacing back and forth. Mak didn't look at him. "Of course they don't!" He said nervously laughing, answer is own question.

"Do you think I want to die? No!"

"Then why didn't you tell us?"

"What was I suppose to say Steve? 'Hi I'm your daughter from the future that gets tortured for five months while you both are getting physically sick because you're worried about me and my twin brother so much. Oh! By the way, I only have a week left to live!'?" She took a breath realizing what she just said.

"You only have a week left?" He said calmly.

"Yes! Maybe! I don't know!" She yelled, "You know how I said that I've been injected?"

"Yeah."

"Well, me and Miles weren't the only ones." She pulled out her arm to show him the numbers that read 022. "He's 019 Steve."

"What does that mean Mak?"

"He's not just making weapons, he's making an army." He looked even more confused. Mak sat down on a chair and put her hand to her forehead. "An army that he's a part of. He injected himself with different formulas. Not only is he part of the army but, he's the general. The powers he gave himself allow him to control people and what they do."

"What does that have to do with you?"

She sighed, knowing that she would have to say it. "Remember when I said that I could stop my own heart?" She laughed nervously, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Oh hell no! I'm not going to find out that I have a Goddaughter, and lose her in the same week!"

"Steve stop! There's nothing you can do! As soon as that clock reaches 12:00am on Sunday, I'm gone!"

"But why did you come back?"

"Miles thought that there was a way to save me, but I couldn't tell him that there wasn't. I've known I was going to be dead since day two of getting my new powers. They told me that I had 5 months to change my mind and join the cause or I would have to kill myself."

"What about Miles?"

"He's safe, he's pretending to join the cause because he knew I was coming here."

"Mak?" Steve paused, preparing himself for the answer to his next question. "What's the cause?"

"To inject every single person in the US with a formula, the weakest would die, and the strongest would live."

"Jesus!" Steve said putting his head in his hands.

"This is why I didn't want my parents to know who I was! This is why I didn't tell them that I was their kid! I'm just going to die anywa—" Mak was cut off by darkness taking over her consciousness.

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Mike was sitting next to El talking to Mr. Clarke about Time Travel and how it could affect the human body when he heard Steve's voice coming from his walkie-talkie.

Exchanging a look to the party, Mike and El jumped out of their seats. "Sorry Mr. Clarke! We've gotta take this!" Mike practically yelled.

"Steve?!" Mike yelled, "Steve what's going on?!"

"Get here! Now! She won't wake up!" That was all they needed to hear to be on their bikes in an instant. They sped to the movie store as fast as they could.

When they got there their hearts stopped beating. They saw their little girl on the floor lying more still than anyone has ever looked to either of them. She was still alive she just, wasn't awake. They all sighed of relief when they felt her pulse and heard her breathing.

"What happened?" El asked quietly.

Steve wanted to let Mak tell her parents herself. He didn't want to cause her anymore pain than she was already in. "She um," He looked at Mike, then at El trying to come up with something. "She just passed out, out of nowhere!" Which, wasn't a lie.

They all noticed that blood was streaming down her nose. "Is it suppose to do that?" Steve asked.

Mike shook his head while trying to contemplate everything. "Only when she uses her powers."

Steve looked like he just had an epiphany but, he didn't look happy. "Shit!" He whispered, loud enough for Mike and El to hear. They looked up, confused. They saw that tears were threatening to escape Steve's eyes.

"Steve?" Mike asked, growing concerned. "What is it? What aren't you telling us?" Before Steve could answer, Mak started to get up.

As soon as she was awake, she tried to get on her feet, earning protests from everyone in the room. "Hey, take it easy kid." Steve said while Mike and El eased her back down so that she was sitting up straight.

"How are you feeling?" El asked. El was especially calm when it came to Mak. Well, except when someone was trying to hurt her.

Mike, on the other hand, was freaking out. "Are you in any pain? What happened? Did anyone hurt you?!" Mike asked frantically. Everyone rolled their eyes.

"Jesus! I'm fine" she said annoyed. She gave Steve a look and spoke to him through their minds. 'Do they know' she asked. Steve just shook his head.

Mike and El noticed the exchange. "Does somebody wanna tell me what the hell is going on between you two?" Mike asked, his voice cracked a bit.

Before Steve or Mak could even look at her parents, the rest of their party joined. They didn't even park their bikes. They immediately ran to Mak and hugged her. She missed her family.

"Steve, can I talk to you?" Mak asked before turning to look at the rest of her family. "Alone." She added. Everyone rolled their eyes and obliged. As everyone walk out of the room, Steve walked over to Mak

"I think I know what happened." Steve said.

Mak was shocked by this. "What?!"

"Well, since you have to do whatever he says, maybe from a distance he's trying to get you back."

"But I didn't use my pow—"

"I think you did Mak." She looked even more confused. "I think you're slowing down your heart."

Tears started filling up. "So what? I'm just killing myself, and I can't stop?" She paused for a second. "He knows where I am."

Steve's head shot up. "We need to tell the others." As soon as Mak stood up, she doubled over in pain. "Mak!" Steve shouted, loud enough for the others to hear.

"What?!" Mike shouted, running in.

"I'm killing myself" Mak said between breaths.