Project Jamboree

Chapter Twenty-One

The cameras likely cut at that line to give it the most power.

All the senators, save for Senator Cruz, decided that I was becoming a problem, speaking out against the government was treason.

Guards came towards Cole and I, ready to arrest us. Ex-PSFs and Camp Controllers. Fire threatened to spark out of my hands.

I sensed everyone with a phone was recording.

The guards grabbed their guns and aimed them dead center on my heart.

"What, so now that she's speaking freely, you're just gonna shoot her?" Vida asked, "Vida Bautista, age eighteen, blue classification, telekinesis. You're gonna have to shoot me too."

Ruby stood up, "Ruby Daly, age seventeen, orange, psychokinesis. Me too."

"Liam Stewart, eighteen, blue, telekinesis," Liam said, standing by Ruby, "And me."

"Suzume Kimura, twelve, yellow, electrokinesis. Me too."

"Charles Meriwether, eighteen, green, enhanced intelligence. You'll have to shoot me."

"Olivia, nineteen, blue," she stood tall.

One of the reds I'd spotted before said, "Owen, nineteen, red. You'll have to shoot us all."

Every child in the room was standing, united against the government and the PSFs because of me.

I smiled wickedly, standing tall as I signed, These kids have Psionic abilities that you scientists developed for us in Leda Corp. For anyone who didn't know, they released Agent Ambrosia, no matter how much they try to deny it.

A few mutters between the senators peaked my interest.

You locked us up in camps. You beat us and killed us, and now you want to cure us? We don't need curing because there's nothing wrong with us. You say we're monsters, but you're the ones who made us, you're the ones who raised us.

I was so glad someone was recording. If the kids and their parents didn't release this, whatever fire I was sparking would remain in this room.

We are the future. You can lock us up, hurt us, shoot us, train us all you want, but we are the future, and one day, we will rise back up from the ashes you buried us in, stronger than ever. Thanks for fueling the fire.

Ruby was smiling. She was happy. Her parents and grandmother were looking at me like I was crazy, wondering why they let me in the same room as their daughter. I knew her better than they did.

Even Clancy Gray, my psychotic older brother who tried his hardest to get rid of me, had the faintest trace of a smile on his face. The smile turned to a shout of warning.

I turned just in time to see a senator raise a gun, shooting three times. A bolt of fire shot out of Cole's hand, incinerating the senator. Too late. The damage had been done. I looked down at the three bleeding holes in my side, too shocked to feel any of the pain.

The children were in a frenzy now, energized and angry. The guards turned on the white noise. I screamed, but no sound came out. Why did they have Calm Control in here?

Because this was their plan all along.

I weakly signed with one hand, Get the others out. They think I'm dead, they won't look twice. Go!

Cole and Ruby dragged me to the elevator, where Liam was waiting with Suzume, Vida, and Chubs. I let out a breath of relief as we got into an RV trailer and started driving as fast as possible.

"Alright, Chubs," Cole turned to the green, "Tell me you can fix this."

"She needs a hospital," Chubs said, "But clearly that isn't an option, considering the riot she just started. We're gonna have to fix this ourselves."

Liam was driving, Ruby in the passenger seat. Chubs and Cole were hovering over me, while Suzume tried not to worry. Vida was sat nearby, staring at me with a distant look in her eyes. She was remembering LA. Oh god, she was remembering Jude.

Jude.

The memories suppressed by Sawtooth's conditioning came flooding back. The bombing in LA. Jude trying to find me. He found me. The tunnel collapsed. It killed him. He died and I couldn't stop it. No. Vida wouldn't look at me, her face was so ghostly pale.

I weakly tried to sign something, but Chubs was holding my arms down, trying to stop me from using any energy.

"One shot hit her shoulder, one's in her upper arm, and one's next to her neck," Chubs commented, "The one in her arm nearly hit her lung, the one near her neck could've hit her spine. She's lucky."

"Lucky?" Vida shrieked, "Natasha, you're not going anywhere. Hear me? You aren't going to leave me."

She wasn't remembering Jude. She was remembering Nadia, her sister who'd tried to turn her over to the PSFs for reward money before Cate found her. I faintly nodded, but darkness was slowly appearing in my vision.

Strangely enough, I couldn't feel anything. I only felt angry. Fear wasn't there. Sadness wasn't there. Pain wasn't there. Shock had vanished. All that was left was pure, untamed anger.

I was trying to warn them about the inferno about to explode from me. Cole seemed to understand, shoving Chubs away and opening the window. Liam pulled over to the edge of the road.

I focused my fire outside, letting it take whatever form it wanted. The sky was glowing in the twilight, the sun having just vanished from the sky, leaving fiery clouds behind.

Afterlight.

It was only then that I realized what I'd truly done. I'd stepped out of the gray. I'd let hope fill me. And now I was paying the price, breaking in the darkness. No, I wasn't in the dark. I wasn't done fighting. I was still in the sun.

I was stood in the afterlight.

Everyone was joining me, standing up. All the Psi. All the kids. The kids are coming.

The fight was never over.

With that, my mind jolted back awake, and I immediately signed, How long?

"Two weeks," Vida was sat next to me in the dark room, "This used to be a Children's League safe house. I'm glad you're awake. I can't stay."

Where are they?

"Someone tried to assassinate Ruby, so she and Liam vanished to make a safe house for kids who ran from home and didn't take the cure or get registered," Vida sighed, "Chubs joined the Psi Council in the interim government, Suzume's at school, and Senator Cruz is now president. And Cole's on a supply run. I have to get going if I don't want to get arrested for treason or anything. The two of you can stay here. It's completely safe. Only Cate and I know about it."

I sighed. I knew this would happen eventually, that we'd all get separated. I also knew that I had to let her go.

You better come visit, I signed.

"You better not get shot again," Vida replied, gently hugging me, "I'll be back in a few months. Goodbye, Nat."

I took a deep breath as she walked out the door, Goodbye.