Stolen Powers: Rise of the NGZ

Chapter Twenty-Three: War on the Horizon

It was a crazy plan, to say the least. Everyone was completely silent when Landon first explained it, and Jamie even questioned whether or not he was mentally sane.

"It could get him killed," she said slowly as if still processing the information. "You realize that, don't you?"

Landon raised a finger. "I really believe that it won't is the thing."

I just stared, waiting for an explanation. Bailey did a double-take. "W-What?"

"Just let me explain," he started. "They can't afford to kill him. He's too important to the NGZ."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

Landon sighed patiently. "Just hear me out. During my time with the Falcons, I once attended a meeting that was dealing with rebuilding the machine. It started with one of the scientists laying out the original blueprints, but a question got brought up."

"What was it?" Donovan asked.

Quentin jumped in at that point. "I remember this. The guy asked how we would import the exact number of volts, which required a lot, and the correct type of electricity that the machine needed. That's where your name got brought up, Mason."

"Yes," Landon continued. "That's why they can't afford to kill you. You're just too important to them." 

I didn't quite know what to say. "So you're saying that I can't be killed because I'm an asset to them?"

Quentin awkwardly smiled. "Heh, yeah. Pretty ironic, isn't it?" 

"This doesn't make sense," Bailey mumbled. "It's like I get it, but I don't." 

"I understand, Bailey," Landon reassured. "The best we can do is to destroy that machine and take down Lin and the Falcons for good." 

"We can't do that all at once, though," I said. "That's too much work. Even if we split up, we'd be risking way too much." 

"Or could we?" Jamie's face lit up, no pun intended. 

"Well, what do you have in mind?" I asked, halfway hoping that she has a better idea than throwing me into the pack of wolves. 

"How about this," she started. "Three of us find the lab that the machine is being stored in and destroy it before it finishes and afterward, find Mason's dad, while the other group faces Lin and the Falcons." 

Donovan frowned. "That's risking a lot. Are you sure that only half of us could take them?" 

Jamie's neck twitched. "If we have the most powerful ones out of our group do it, we should be okay." 

Landon sighed in an unsure manner. "There's one thing that's been on my mind for a while." 

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Quentin look away. "What is it?" 

He looked at him and nodded. Quentin began rubbing his arm. "Back when we were little kids, there were seven of us total, not just five." 

"What are you talking about?" Donovan asked with a tone of fear and frustration. 

"There was another boy and a girl, Evan and Cassandra," he continued without making any eye contact. "Cassandra died of cancer at a young age, but what scares me is that I've never heard anything on Evan." 

"So you're saying that..." Bailey started but trailed off. 

"I think Evan is alive," Quentin said. "And very well thriving." 

I plopped back down on the pavement in disbelief. "What's his power?" 

Landon looked at Quentin and frowned. "I don't remember. Do you?"