FUTURITY

THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOOD AT

"Jason . . . Jason." A hand gently shook him. 

Jason forced his eyes open and started. Aunt Debbie and Uncle Max smiled down at him. Aunt Debbie's face looked rosy, and her eyes twinkled. "How are you feeling?" she asked. "We came as soon as we heard they'd found you."

"I'm okay, I think," Jason said. His throat constricted. He'd never thought he'd see Aunt Debbie again. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, and she bent down and hugged him. Jason would have never thought he'd be so happy to see her. A tear slid down his cheek.

"You sure gave us a scare, buddy," Uncle Max said, his voice still that deep baritone.

"Where am I? Won't the FBI want to arrest me?" Jason asked as he slowly pulled away from his aunt.

"You're in a hospital in New York, and the FBI is not going to arrest you, Jason." Agent Brown, with an arm in a sling, stepped forward and smiled.

Jason gaped. Thoughts swirled in his mind. He struggled to form the words. "But why not? You—you were shot, and the authorities think I did it," he said.

"While you were making your escape from ANO's facility, one of your friends found your folder containing your file, which included all the measures they had taken to procure you. With this file and with other evidence we've found ourselves, a court ruling will go in your favor. I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"But what about my powers?"

"Don't worry about that. Your friends told me everything that happened. As long as all of you abide by the law, there's nothing to be scared about. We may need you to come get tested to fully understand this phenomenon, but your secret is safe. We also arrested the FBI agent who'd been leaking information about you to ANO. We're hoping to get more out of him, but so far he isn't talking. His name is Fischer."

Agent Brown looked concerned for a moment, then went on. "Jason, I've been researching, and I don't think your parents' murders were the result of a simple robbery. There were too many coincidences. It doesn't add up. We're going to keep looking into it and see if ANO or Benjamin Crowe was involved."

Jason nodded, thankful that someone, at last, realized there had to be more to it, remembering the unexplained yellow eyes his mother had seen and had haunted his dreams. What were they? Whose were they? The truth about his parents' deaths might be hard, but he needed to know whatever the facts may be. Then he looked around the hospital room. 

"Where is everyone?"

"You mean Mr. Gates and his children? They're waiting out in the hall," Agent Brown said. He opened the door. "He's awake." Samuel walked in with Jude and Rachel.

"How are you feeling, Jason?" Samuel asked.

"My back's sore, but other than that, I'm actually—speechless." Jason laughed, and Rachel smiled at him.