Chapter One (Riley)
It's been almost a month since I woke up from my coma. Well, it's what they're calling it anyway. I still don't really know what it was, or if it was actually real or not or more importantly, whether I want to believe it was real or not. But as much as I want to forget about it, it's impossible to ignore.
I'm constantly thinking about the things I saw and experienced, looking out for them and just being on edge all the time. Then there is Billy. He remembers everything too. It makes the whole wishing it never happened thing, pretty redundant and pointless. Although to be honest, I think about him a lot, it's weird and completely weird, but when he's not around me, I feel like a part of me is missing.
He is fun to be around though, so that helps. He is also like a magnet for other people, especially the female staff and Empowered, they all love to be around him. I think mostly to embarrass him, and they are constantly pinching his cheeks and calling him stuff like Cutie-pie and handsome. It's hilarious to see how much he blushes when they do that.
But as much as that amuses me, I can't help but think about my sister and about Aidan. Especially Aidan, because things are weird between us, and things have never been weird between us before, not since just before Baine almost killed me. I think we both figured we would just be like we used to be, but there is a wall between us.
It's even worse since neither of us wants it to be this way, but even though we've talked, and we have talked. It's just not quite right. It just seems like, for every secret that we reveal, there are two or three more, that we're still hiding. He's definitely hiding something about Lily, because while he hasn't given anything away, Billy has overheard him and Mason talking, and he wouldn't lie to me, I would be able to tell.
Of course, I'm being a massive hypocrite, because whatever he is now hiding from me. My secret is much bigger, well I should say secrets, because while they know that for whatever reason Billy was sort of physically inside me. They had no idea to what extent, and they definitely have no idea about what we experienced together.
We had both agreed not to tell anyone. I think Billy just agreed to avoid having more tests done to him, rather than being that bothered about it. He actually thought the whole thing was cool and while it was creepy and weird, he liked being inside my head, and if I am being completely honest, I kind of miss it too.
It's just so hard to explain or to put into words, without his presence, I kind of feel empty and incomplete. I even have these weird dreams at night, where he is actually still a part of me, although weirdly, he is in full control, which is really freaky. It's also more than a little creepy and stuff because they sometimes take a weird turn. I am putting that down to the hormones that come with puberty. At least that's what I'm telling myself.
But anyway, enough about Billy. He will probably be here soon anyway. I hope he isn't away for too long. So anyway, I just don't know how even to begin to talk to anyone else about what I experienced. Will they believe me? Will they laugh at me? It's not like everything has come true. Mason isn't even gay, No one knows an Empowered called Amelia, and I haven't been having any psychotic thoughts about killing everyone and taking over the world.
So that has to mean something because those were big things. Plus, as far as I know, and even though I could hardly be one hundred percent sure, there was no sign of anyone calling themselves Invictus. So if I have an evil doppelgänger out there somewhere, he hasn't gone public or anything. So the more time that passes, the more relaxed I feel because even though it's only been just over a month, some of those things should have already come true.
That still doesn't mean that I want to tell anyone though. I don't want people to think that I'm crazy, and just like Billy. I am getting sick and tired of the tests and questions that everyone keeps asking me. I just want to get home already. Don't get me wrong, being around all the Empowered in their secret headquarters, is pretty cool and awesome, well it would be if I wasn't stuck in my room or one of the labs for most of the time. At least it shouldn't be for much longer. I think even the doctors are getting bored of it now.
I just wish they would get bored with Billy, because even though he loves to show off how fast he is, especially when Mason is around or is the one racing with him. He doesn't have to tell me, that he is getting fed up with it all. Not that I can really blame them for being curious. Billy phased into me, it's an ability no other Empowered has done before, and as fast as Mason is, even he can't do it.
Although in saying that. Billy hasn't been able to do it again either. He's passed through a few things, but actually phasing inside something, he hasn't been able to do the same thing, that he had done with me. The doctors don't know that though, they think he's been succeeding, but they don't actually know what Billy and I really experienced, and hopefully, they never will.
It's not all bad though, well not that bad anyway. Since I've been here, I've learned that Aidan was very different from most of the other Empowered that are part of the Facility. He might be spending more time here now because of me, but according to everyone else, he barely stayed here before. All of the Empowered have their own personal rooms, and I've seen Aidan's a few times.
But whereas he has made it his own, it made me realize that this was never his home. Aidan's home was with Lily and me, and that made me smile. Things might be weird between us now, but we're still family, even if it's not by blood. I just wish I could tell him what I experienced, but I have no idea how. It's not just about sounding crazy or stupid, because he wouldn't judge me like that.
I just have no idea how you tell someone, that you saw an evil version of yourself, kill everyone that you both apparently loved. I mean was it a premonition, an alternate timeline, an alternate universe, or just some weird dream that for some reason, Billy and I shared together. Just thinking about all those possibilities, gives me a headache.
There is also Mason to consider. I know I said earlier that he was straight, but I know Aidan, and while it was kind of a surprise when he told me that he was actually gay, it made a lot of sense when I think back. However, since he told me that, and of course the fact he was gay in what I experienced before. It's obvious that he has a crush on him.
Which worries me a little bit. Don't get me wrong, I want him to be happy, and again, even if things are weird between us. He's still my brother as far as I'm concerned, so I want him to be happy. But if he somehow ends up with Mason. Well, that scares me a little bit, because if they do become a couple, that's something that comes true from my experience.
There's also the fact that I heard the other me say that he killed Lily. That bothers me more than anything. I would never hurt Lily, and sure she was acting weird before all this happened, but she's my sister, she looked after me and took Aidan in. There is just no way that I would ever hurt her. I just wouldn't. So while it's not as bad as the rift between Aidan and me, there is also a bit of awkwardness between Lily and I as well.
At least Billy and I are okay, that's one good thing that I can be happy about. He's got so much energy and the way he can be really confident and cocky, and he gets all shy and embarrassed around girls. It's so cute and adorable. It reminds me of when I first met him during the Baine incident, he was so scared and overwhelmed, but when I asked him to help Aidan, he did it.
He also came back to save me, and even though I don't actually remember it. He was safe and away from danger, but he chose to come back and help. He didn't have to, he didn't know us, but he came back to help, and I will never forget that. It also feels good to be a kind of big brother to him, that's a nice feeling, and I find myself wondering if this is how Lily felt towards Aidan and me.
"Come in." I quickly call in curiously. Usually, people just walked straight into the room, especially the doctors, so for someone to actually knock, it was a little strange. Although as the door opens, I feel myself tense up a little as Lily walks in with a slightly awkward looking warm smile. I wish things could go back to how they were.
"Relax, Riley. I have some good news." I hear her then say with the same smile. Which still bothers me, but with good news being offered, I quickly pushed those feelings aside, and crossed my fingers that they were finally going to let me go home. I've been here too long and I really just want to be in my own house, and be in my own bedroom again.
There may not be any camera's in here or any kind of surveillance in this room or the en-suite. I had Aidan check it all out for me, several times. But it still felt odd, and I haven't been able to fully relax, or do the things a normal teenage boy might do. There was just no way I was going to risk that ending up on some video for doctors and scientists to analyze.
Although being completely honest, and this is a bit weird, despite still getting a little horny and stuff. I haven't really felt the need to do that kind of thing. Not that I was an out of control horny bastard, but it's been well over a month since I last did anything. Maybe it's just what I experienced, playing a role, and given enough time, I will get back to normal.
"Do you want to hear the news, or are you just going to stare blankly into space all day like an idiot, Riley?" I then hear her say in an amused tone. Snapping me back from my thoughts and back to her, and despite myself, I can't help but smile. This was more like before, and I really did miss it.
"Sorry, I guess I just want to get out of here and go home." I respond apologetically. Although I can see the same feeling, I had, on her face, and it was nice to know, that she was probably thinking the same thing as I was about how things were between us. But it was the same as Aidan, I couldn't tell her my secrets, and if Aidan was on to something, it meant that Lily had her own secrets as well.
"Well, I might be able to cheer you up a little bit, Riley. Because even though they aren't completely happy with it, you will be going home at the end of the week." She then says with a genuine smile this time. But while it meant waiting a few more days, it was still great news and quickly jump out of my bed and give her a massive hug.
"Oh, er… crap." I then find myself mumbling, as I step back and realize that I was completely naked. I have no idea why I was naked. I'm sure I had some briefs on when I went to sleep. "But er… anyway, I can't wait to get home. This place is okay, but it's not home." I then say with an embarrassed smile, as I slip back into the bed and cover myself up with the sheets.
"Why are you naked?" Lily then asks with a slight smirk, although I could tell that she was more curious. Which I couldn't blame her, because I was still sure I wasn't naked when I went to sleep. So I couldn't really answer, maybe it was just late, and I was tired and just don't remember not putting anything on, and I haven't got out of my bed since I woke up about an hour ago.
"Must have just been tired last night, can you pass me some briefs or something, just in case someone else comes in, please." I decided to ask in response. It was embarrassing having her see me naked, but it's nothing she hasn't seen before, and while I am not as confident as Aidan, I'm not that self-conscious around her. However, I didn't want to risk someone else coming in before I got a chance to get some clothes myself.
"Okay, but try to remember to put something on before you go to sleep, Riley. I know you and Aidan aren't shy about your bodies, and you shouldn't be, but I don't want reports of my little brother exposing himself." Lily then says in a semi-serious tone. A tone that quickly makes me blush a little bit, because while she wasn't completely messing around, she was teasing me, and it was embarrassing.
Instead of responding though, I just wait for her to go into the draws and then bring me some briefs and to my surprise, some shorts. Not that wearing shorts was strange, but I just figured she would just bring me some briefs as I had asked.
"You're not exactly a kid anymore, Riley. So your briefs don't exactly leave much to the imagination, and I know for a fact, that since you're getting out of here in a few days time. You will be seeing more doctors and nurses, and that means getting out of bed or taking your covers off." Lily then suddenly says, as I pull the sheet off me and pull the briefs and then the shorts on, and I can't help but look at her in shock.
"Wait, what? Why do they want to do more tests, I'm not a lab rat." I quickly protest angrily. Sure, I didn't mind so much after I first woke up. I wanted to understand what happened to me, and how Billy somehow phased into me, as much as they did. But this was getting ridiculous. "What?" I then find myself asking curiously. She had hidden the look quickly, but I saw it, and I wasn't going to let this go.
"It's not something we should talk about here, Riley. Just trust that I will always do what's best for you. You're the most important person in my life, and Aidan is important to me as well, so please drop it for now, okay." She says in response. It was almost like she was asking me, but I could tell straight away, that it wasn't a question, or her pleading with me to drop it. She was telling me, and I wasn't sure what to make of it, or why she brought up Aidan as well. Was this something to do with what was bothering him?
"You're my sister, Lily. I trust you." I find myself saying in response. Although I can't quite shake the feeling of suspicion that I had. I also couldn't help but wonder what she was hinting at. Did she know why they were so keen on studying and doing tests on me? Was something wrong with me? Did whatever happened, do something to me? All these questions were running through my head, and I had no idea how to feel about it.
But as much as those questions were valid. She was still my sister, and she would never ever hurt me. I believed that a million percent. She just wouldn't. So whatever she was hinting at, I believed it was in my best interest, and even if there was something wrong with me. Knowing that I had her on my side, along with Aidan, was enough to stop me from freaking out or something like that.
"I know you do, Riley. But why don't you tell me about what you got up to yesterday, I heard that you and Billy had some fun, and you actually spent some time with Aidan. That must have been nice." She then says with a soft smile. Her question, however, instantly put me on edge. Not that it was a strange question, but she mentioned Aidan for a reason, and I wasn't quite sure I wanted to talk about him with her.
It wasn't that I didn't want to, but at the same time, I was pretty sure that Aidan suspected her of something, and I had to admit, that even though I trusted her with my life, she had to have some secrets. So I wasn't sure how to talk about Aidan, without accidentally letting something slip, and making the whole situation even more awkward and stuff.
So instead, I decided to focus on Billy and what we did. Which to be honest, was pretty fun, there was just something about Billy, that I loved, it was almost like we were drawn together. I sometimes wonder if it was because of what had happened and if that formed a closer bond between us. Whatever it was, I didn't mind, and it wasn't like it was dangerous or weird, to want to be around someone you got on well with.
Six hours later...
"I'm sure that if he was gay, Aidan. You would know by now." I respond as casually as I could. I felt bad for not being more encouraging or supportive about this. It's a pretty shitty thing to do, because it's obvious that he likes Mason, and I should be helping him. But if I help him, and it works, it would be another thing that came true from my experience, and that was terrifying for me.
"That's the thing, and I don't know, Riley. He knows I'm gay and I've been sort of flirting with him, and I think he flirts back." He responds with an almost pleading look. It's a look that really tests my resolve about doing my best not to help him get together with Mason. I'm not going to actively stop it from happening, but at the same time, I don't want to be the reason it does happen.
"He may have flirted back, but like you just said yourself, Aidan. He knows you're gay, and if you're flirting with him, he would know what that means. So if he was gay or if he actually fancied you, then he would make an actual move." I then decide to say in response. Each word, making me feel worse and worse about what I was doing. I knew it was wrong, but at the same time, it was with the best intentions, a lot of lives counted on what I experienced, not coming true.
"I guess so, but he hasn't exactly pushed me away, or asked me to cut it out." He then says with a hopeful expression. It's an expression that again, makes me feel like a complete jerk. But I had made my choice and even though it might come back to haunt me, I was going to stick by it.
"He's a good person, Aidan. Don't mess up your friendship, by doing what you did to me." I then say with a sympathetic smile. This was a low blow, and from the look on his face, I could tell that I was very, very close to crossing a line. A line that I didn't want to cross, and one that could lead to ruining our relationship.
"I'm hardly going to do that. Anyway, you told me exactly how you felt and to stop it. He hasn't done that." Aidan then eventually responds. I could tell that he was hurt by what I had said, but I could see that he genuinely liked Mason and that he was also trying his best not to give up.
"Aidan. I know things have been weird between us, we're both to blame. But listen to me now, you need to just be his friend. If something develops naturally in the future, then great. But don't force it. If he wanted to date you, he would ask you out. He isn't shy, and he knows you're gay, he probably knows you fancy him. Yet he hasn't made a move. Just be his friend, trust me." I decide to say next. The last few words, leaving a sick feeling in the back of my throat. Trust is a strange thing, and while I was doing this for good reasons, it didn't make it feel any better.
"I guess you're right." He then reluctantly responds. Which just makes me feel even worse than I already was about this whole conversation. "And you know that I'm sorry about not telling you the truth about me. I know I've already said it, but I really mean it, Riley." He then says with a sad, but genuine smile. We'd talked about this a couple of times, but he still felt the need to apologize, and again, it just made me feel like a hypocritical jerk.
"I know, and I do understand. But it still hurt, and I know that you had your reasons. But it still hurt." I decide to say in response. Again I was being a hypocrite, but I was being honest. Ever since he teleported into my bedroom that day a few years ago, I have known and waited for him to tell me himself. But he didn't, and it took this whole situation, for him to be honest.
"I know." He then says as he stares at the ground for a few moments. "I still can't believe I teleported on to your bed though. I don't really remember anything about that day. But when I eventually worked that part out, it took me a while to figure out why I came to you and didn't go home." He then states with a slightly awkward expression. I could tell that he was unsure whether to change the subject and with my own guilt, I decided just to let it happen and not make him feel any worse than he already did.
"Honestly, I can't believe you believed what we told you. I was sure that you were just going along with it, but it was obvious that you really couldn't remember anything that had happened." I then say with a half smile. He didn't need to explain what he had just said. I knew why he came to my room, and we had talked about it. So I decided to try and keep things light, and not too emotional.
"It sucks to know that my parents hadn't even noticed that I was gone. From what I do remember, they didn't really even care that I had seemingly disappeared." He then says with that same awkward expression. I had wanted to try and keep this all light, but it was obvious now that we were talking about this, he wanted to get it off his chest. The fact that he rarely talked about his parents, especially like this, intrigued me a little and I wondered if he was leading up to something else.
"Lily said that your dad wasn't even home, and your mum was pretty drunk. Plus, Lily is smart and knew what to say, so I don't think they didn't care. Well, not completely." I respond weakly and could see straight away, that he didn't appreciate what I had just said. "I know, Aidan. But we both know they were deadbeats, it's not worth getting upset about, they don't deserve that. Besides, they kind of got what they deserved, people who live like that can only blame themselves." I then say a little reluctantly. Aidan normally clammed up when we talked about his parents, especially about their deaths, but I still wanted to point out that he should never blame himself.
"Do you really think that?" Aidan then quickly asks. Catching me completely off guard, and the way he was looking at me, surprised me as well. I wasn't quite sure what he was asking or why, but it was obvious that he had said it for a reason.
"Think what?" I decided to ask in response. I still wasn't quite sure and figured if he wanted to talk about it and was trying to tell me something. I wanted to make it as easy as possible, but let him take the lead. I also wanted to make sure I wasn't reading too much into this, and accidentally say something stupid.
"That they deserved to..." He then begins to answer, before trailing off. It was almost like he was testing the waters. I wasn't quite sure how to respond to what I think he was going to say and was relieved when he carried on talking. "Well, I er… well, not die, but they were shitty people and shitty parents, so do you really think they got what they deserved?"
It was still a strange question though. We've talked about his parents in the past, when they were alive and after they died, but we never really talked about their actual deaths. Nothing in depth or like this. It was just something he never wanted to talk about. So I wasn't quite sure how to respond or why he was asking me about whether I thought they deserved it or not.
"Well… I'm not sure, Aidan. I mean they were druggies and abusers, so I think they didn't deserve to get away with that, and I don't feel sorry for them. But at the same time, I'm not sure I would want people to die like they did, it must have been really horrible. Well, if they were awake." I decide to respond. But I really wasn't sure what he was really asking, and I could tell from his own expression, that he was a little disappointed by what I had said.
"Has Lily ever talked to you about them?" He then asks with an almost curious expression. Which catches me completely by surprise. It was a hell of a change in conversation, and on top of that, he went from looking a little sad about his parents to then talking about Lily, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was leading up to her all this time.
I know that he and Lily had had their differences and that he was suspicious of her for whatever reason, but this conversation was still a surprise, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was obviously trying to get to. There had to be a point to this, and while I wanted to know what it was. I was also a little-pissed off, that he has taken what I thought was the start of a conversation to clear the air between us, and turned it into something about Lily, and what he thought she was up to.
"Not really. Nothing that she hasn't talked to you about, or both of us together. Why?" I find myself then asking curiously. I was doing my best not to show that I was a little-pissed off. I had my own secrets, and what I was doing with Mason, was worse, a lot worse than this. So I had to stay calm, and just let him talk, even if I didn't like how the conversation had gone.
"It's just that..." He then starts to say nervously. Although to my frustration, because I was sure he was about to reveal something big to me. There is a quick knock at the door before it slowly opens. And despite my initial annoyance and frustration, I see who it is and quickly smile at him. I don't know how he did it, but just being near him, made me feel happy.
"Hey guys, what are you doing?" Billy asks with an infectious smile. Well, I thought it was infectious, but as I glance at Aidan. I saw the pissed off look on his face, just before he hid it and started to smile. It was enough to quickly remember that he had almost told me something really important. But even though I wanted to know, it was Billy, and I liked having him around.
"I take it that you decided to give Mason a break for a while." I hear Aidan ask in an amused tone. It was good to see that he had quickly hidden his frustration, but I was still a bit worried about him. Billy might not be able to see it, but I knew Aidan too well, and I could tell that he was anything but amused right now. Not that I could blame him, but it was Billy, and he was a good kid, so I didn't mind.
"I guess. I just wanted to hang out with Riley. We haven't seen each other for ages." Billy then responds with a smile, which I return. It had been ages, and I missed having him around. It's hard to explain, but it's better when he is with me.
"Didn't you have breakfast together a few hours ago?" I then hear Aidan ask, and I could see the surprise and confusion on his face. I just didn't understand it though, because a few hours is a long time, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to spend time with your best friend. Aidan and I used to be like that ourselves.
"So? He's my friend, and I spend just as much time with you and Mason." Billy quickly responds with a shrug of the shoulder. It was classic Billy, he just didn't care about the little things, and was just fun to be around. I guess Aidan was probably jealous of him or something, although I don't know why he would be. Billy is great, and he wasn't lying, he probably has spent more time with Mason, than anyone else.
"You got me there. You and Mason are joined at the hip." Aidan then states with a smirk. And this time I could tell that it was genuine. I knew him too well to know that he was still frustrated, but at least he was putting his obvious jealousy aside.
"You're just mad because you want to be joined at the hip." Billy then fires back to my surprise. Quickly bringing a smile to my face. He might have been shy around the girls and staff at the Facility, but he could give as good as he got, with all of us, and the look on Aidan's face was priceless.
"Little shit." I then hear Aidan say with a shake of the head. His face was actually going a little red, and it's then that I realized what Billy had really said because if he has noticed how much Aidan liked Mason, I needed to have a word with him about what we both saw. He might not get it completely, but he will listen to me, and maybe even help keep them apart.
"Can we go watch a film or something? Or maybe Aidan can do that training assault thing, that was awesome last time." Billy then asks with a hopeful expression. I sometimes forgot that while Billy liked being around Mason, because they're both fast, and with me because we're best friends. He also liked Aidan, and kind of hero-worshipped him a little. Aidan was Hero, after all, and to a lot of people, he was literally their hero.
"It's up to you. I mean it was pretty awesome." I then decide to say with a smile. I was still thinking about the Mason problem, but I could see Aidan was thinking it over, and to be honest. Actually seeing Aidan in action and training, it was pretty amazing, and I wanted to see him do it again. For all I knew, after I am allowed to go home, I might not be allowed to come back here. I will have to talk to Lily about that. I don't want to be away from Billy too much.
"Fine, and I guess it's fun. Do you guys want me to entertain or to take it seriously though?" Aidan then asks with a little smirk. It was a smirk that I had missed recently, and it made me realize that maybe I needed to do more myself, to fix the rift that had built up between us. I could definitely do more, and maybe I needed to grow up a little bit.
"Do it seriously. You're so good." Billy quickly responds excitedly. Which quickly made me smile even more. When he was happy, so was I and it felt really good to be near him. I just wish he would stand a bit closer. I didn't want him standing so far away. He should be closer.
"Fair enough, but if you want to beat it one day, Billy. You will need to watch someone like Mason because, at the moment, you seem to be more tuned into your speed. Which means to beat the assault course, you will need to do it in a way, that revolves around you speed. I tend to use a variety of different powers, so it might not be that useful for you to learn from." Aidan then states with a slightly apologetic expression. Well, I think it was, I was more worried about why Billy was standing closer to Aidan, than he was to me. What was up with that?
"I know, you said that before. But you're still awesome, and I want to see you beat it properly." I then hear Billy state with a smile. I then watched him as he moved closer to me and give me that same smile. "Are you okay?" I then hear him ask, and for a moment, I didn't realize that he was talking to me. It just caught me by surprise, and I wasn't sure why he would ask me. Was I giving off some kind of vibe, that I was not okay?
"Yeah, what's up, Riley. You kind of look a bit weird." I then hear Aidan state in concern. Which confused me even more. I was fine, especially now that Billy had actually come next to me. So I genuinely had no idea what they were talking about. If anyone was being weird, it was Aidan, and I wonder if it was him being jealous again because Billy wanted to be closer to me, instead of him.
"Nothing, I was just thinking about some other stuff, but yeah, let's head to the assault course. I want to see if you try to show off, like last time." I decide to say in response, after taking a few moments to consider my answer. The last thing I wanted, was for them to fuss over me, or for any of the staff to overhear and use it as an excuse to keep me here longer.
Which was kind of an insane thing to think about. Was I being crazy? I really don't know, but I don't really want to think about all that crap. So instead of giving them a chance to ask me any more about it, I decided just to start walking towards the door to the hallway, and even though I am sure they're giving each other looks, I can hear them following me, and decide to give them a quick smile to make sure they know I'm fine.
To be continued...