Exciti

Chapter 53 (Adam, the end),

"Adsee, where is the salt?" Tam demanded.

"We are using it here." Adam pointed out.

"You can share the same bowl with me, you know."

Liam answered, "No way, your popcorn isn't salty enough."

Tam pointed at their bowl with her bandaged hand, "There is no way that amount of salt is edible."

"What time is it?" Adam asked, ignoring her criticism of their culinary abilities.

Liam looked at the kitchen clock, "Five to nine," he signed

"Lucy should be here soon."

Tam snatched the salt, "Is Lago coming?"

Adam shook his head, "No, him, Barb and Kerman are going to a play."

Tam frowned, "A play on New Year's Eve?"

Liam shrugged, "I guess."

She frowned, "I can't make up my mind if Kerman is a third wheel, a rival or a wingman."

They carried their bowls to the living room, bantering and laughing. It was a New Year's tradition for Liam and his dad to watch a movie marathon with Adam and his mom and sister up until and way after midnight. The tradition started as a way to help Liam and Adam stay awake until midnight when they were younger, but it was now just an excuse for a movie binge.

"Not so loud, kids," their mom put a finger to her lips then pointed at Berta, who was asleep.

Tam put the bowl down and laid a blanket on top of the little kid, "Poor thing, she had a long week."

It turned out that Berta was no longer able to alter memories through her voice since her eclipsing, and doing it through touch exhausted her. Still, it was amazing to watch her restore everyone's memory of Tamara's with a mere handshake or a hug. She had worked her way through their parents, the Board, HQ and even their relatives and family within one week. The only thing left to do was Tam's school, which they planned to do once the holidays were over.

Their mom looked worried, "I feel bad for her. She is training too much at that dojo. She is always so tired."

Tam smiled, "Nah, she is a tough cookie."

Adam and Liam exchanged a look. Tam had talked them both out of telling their parents what really went on the last few months. "The Society's world is too dangerous for ordinary people like them. Not to mention the guilt! Just imagine how guilty mom would feel for forgetting about me?! Or Liam's dad for not noticing what Liam went through?"

Adam sighed and got a handful of popcorn. The Society and Berta worked a lot on fabricating a cover story. As far as their parents and the rest of the world were concerned, Tam was in an exchange program for one semester and hurt her arm in an accident on her way back.

After the Pompeii Day, as they all referred to now. Dawn had screamed himself hoarse for the Board to send them all to the Cell. But the President convinced the Board to recruit Adam and Liam to become junior apprentices, "Pray tell me, if we put every powerful Natural in the Cell, how are we going to face the first rogue Computer Excitus, or the first rogue missile? The research department believes that the rise in the numbers of Naturals is our species' response to the rise in the number of powerful Exciti. This new generation had proven their worth when they stood up to and eliminated the Crimson Emperor. Our ways need to rise to the challenge as well."

Adam looked at Berta. He and Tam had fought nail and tooth to protect her, but he suspected that her usefulness as a powerful Excitus was the only reason the Board didn't throw her in the Cell, stopping at enrolling her in the Incubator for the next year.

Adam smiled to himself. His mom thought Berta was their young neighbor who lived with her grandpa, starring the Key Maker, and was just too attached to Adam. None of them expected Berta to plant that memory into his mom's head. Lucy was mad at her for doing that, but Adam and Tam thought it was kind of adorable, and genius.

The doorbell rang, and he and Liam raced to open it. Lucy stood outside looking awkward, "Am I late? I'm not used to coming here the normal way."

Liam and Adam put their arms around her and grinned, "Welcome!" they said in unison.

She looked at them, suspicious, "What?"

They started moving in, and Adam explained, "Nothing, we are just welcoming you to your very first movie marathon. We will be starting with the Wizard of Oz."

Liam mouthed, flashing his wolfish grin, "It is time to un-layman you!"

The end