FUTURITY

A TIME TO DIE

Leon kept running. He'd reach the lab in a few more turns. The ground made a sudden lurch, and Leon leaned against the wall until it passed. A sour taste burst in Leon's mouth, and he grimaced. He'd run out of time. Jude had done his work. 

Rounding the next bend, he skidded to a stop. A body lay in the hall, a small pool of blood spreading around it.

"Kid?" Leon said. He swore and ran to Jason's side. "Jason!" The boy didn't respond, and his entire body felt limp. Finally, his dark-rimmed eyes fluttered open.

"I'm so sorry," Jason said, tears welling up and spilling across his ashen cheeks. "I couldn't—"

"No. Don't be sorry," Leon said. "You have nothing to be sorry about." He looked at Jason's wound, and his stomach tightened at the sight of so much blood. Leon frantically tightened the makeshift bandage around it. "Just relax, buddy. Let's stop the bleeding, and we'll get out of here." The blood oozed through the cloth and Leon's fingers. Come on!  Leon swore under his breath. Think! Think! 

Jason touched Leon's hand, his fingers already cold. Leon found himself staring into the boy's mournful eyes. Jason seemed to be trying to say something, but all he managed was a sad stare. And Leon knew. 

"No!" Leon shouted. And then he whispered as if begging, pleading. "No." Leon gently wrapped his arms around Jason's frail body. Leon held him close, from the world that was taking him away.

"It's all right," Jason whispered. 

"It's not alright! I finally found you!" Leon snapped.

Jason's diaphragm spasmed, and he choked. After a moment, he asked in a weak voice. "Why? Why, Leon?"

Leon blinked. "Why what?"

Jason swallowed with effort, his eyes growing dimmer with every second. "Why did you help . . . ?"

Jason's head sank on Leon's lap, eyes still open. With a shaking hand, Leon felt for a pulse and sobbed. He held Jason's body tighter; tears streamed down his face.

"Why wouldn't I help you?" Leon said, looking at Jason's face. "Why wouldn't I help you?" He put his forehead against Jason's cold one and let the emotion come. The world around him didn't seem to matter anymore. After what seemed like forever, Leon looked at Jason's features again. 

"The answer to your . . ." Leon cleared his throat and swiped at his eyes, suddenly angry. "My parents died when I was very young." Leon shook his head and laughed sardonically. "I can't believe I'm telling you this—you can't hear me."

Yet Leon found himself continuing. "Years later, a couple found me. They had struggled to have children, so they adopted me." Leon wiped his face with his sleeve.

"After a year, they had a child of their own named David." Leon clenched his jaw and took a shaky breath. "I was seventeen years old when I got in an accident with my little brother in the car. He . . . he died. The accident wasn't my fault. Both of our parents said it wasn't my fault. But I couldn't take it. I had been driving. Somehow, I should have avoided that other car. So I ran away so I couldn't hurt anyone else I loved.

"Later, I met a woman named Sarah. I—" Leon looked away.

"She died the day I was going to propose to her."

Leon shook his head and chuckled through his tears. "I heard that our parents had had another baby—you. But I couldn't get enough courage to come back until I heard about our parents' deaths on the news—and then I couldn't stay away anymore. I started to look for you. I thought Jill and Todd would want me to. But I had forgotten about Max and Debbie, whose last name wasn't Sorn anyway. Then, instead, you found me." Leon's voice grew thick, and he struggled to speak. "That's why I helped you, Jason. I am your brother." The ground trembled under him, and dust began to fill the air.

The place seemed like it was about to collapse. But Leon didn't care.

He couldn't move.

PLINK!

Leon looked down. A penny had fallen out of Jason's limp hand and onto the floor. "In God We Trust."

Leon picked up the penny and stroked its metal surface, read the words. Somehow this was a symbol of Jason, of who he was. Trust.

Leon noticed a folder under Jason's waistband. He pulled it out and opened it. Jason's name gleamed on the first page. Leon flipped through it, and his stomach tightened. ANO had known everything about Jason—his powers, where he'd lived, where he'd gone. He saw dates and quotes from Daniels and other

ANO personnel. It listed names of national leaders who'd okayed the capture of Jason and funded the operation. It even revealed Ryan Fischer's name among agents who'd worked on acquiring Jason and noted the first day Fischer had brought Jason to the attention of ANO some weeks before.

Leon ground his teeth and stuffed the folder in his waistband. He would expose ANO and all its branches to the FBI— even if it were the last thing he ever did.

Running feet made Leon turn. Jude limped to him from the end of the hall. "Leon, the whole facility is collapsing. We need—" Jude stopped and eyed Jason. "Is he—?" Leon nodded.

"We-we need to go, Leon."

Leon got to his feet and slipped Jason's penny into his pocket. The ground shook harder. Chunks of the ceiling crashed down around them.

They'd done it. They'd destroyed the facility. He glanced back at Jason's pale face. But the victory was at great cost. Jude stepped forward and grabbed Leon's shoulder. "Let's go, Leon." The hallway, and Leon's little brother disappeared.