CHAPTER EIGHT
"Shit, Alec!" Jet exclaimed as the older man jumped down on him from above.
The two of them fell over to the dusty floor and rolled; Alec landing on top of Jet. With a laugh, Alec jumped to his feet and formed his metals into a knife as he rushed towards the monster marching towards them. Jet shook his head to stop his surroundings from spinning before he stood up. As he did, he saw the monster dead on the floor and Alec making a phone call.
"You're loathsome, detestable, and most of all, I hate you," Jet angrily listed as he walked towards the older man.
Alec returned his phone to his pocket and turned to Jet with a smile. "That wasn't how you felt at my deathbed a couple of months ago,"
Jet rolled his eyes. "Stop exaggerating. You didn't even see the light much less lie down on a deathbed,"
Alec laughed and put an arm around Jet's shoulder as he started leading them out of the old home. He nodded at the men that arrived to clean up the place and he stared at the azure sky as they walked towards his car. Jet grumbled a few more words under his breath but he only laughed at him.
"I'm dropping by the hospital. Where do you want me to dump you?
"Haha," Jet gave a sarcastic laugh as he opened the door and got inside the car. "I'll just come with you,"
Alec nodded and started the car and they set off towards the hospital. Alice, his sister, was confined in the agency's care facility and hasn't woken up since her appearance a month ago. Due to people more powerful than Jet's pitiful healing ability, he recovered in just two weeks. But—Alice hadn't.
Clinton had forced them to tell the truth and he reported it all to the higher-ups. The owner of the mystery voice was still a mystery. Alec and Jet expected for the higher-ups to collect and even Alice but Clinton had fought, saying that the two of them would be under his care.
And Alec was thankful that his boss won the argument.
Alec parked the car and got out of the car without waiting for Jet. He speed-walked towards his sister's room knowing that Jet would sign them both at reception. He stopped at Alice's door and opened it without knocking.
His sister looked the same, pale and white—unmoving on the hospital bed. Her platinum, loose curls were spread across her pillow like some angelic waterfalls. Her petite arms were on her side. Her face calm yet looked so tired, though getting better each day; he noted.
Her scarf and headphone were on the bedside table as the agency provided her with approved earphones to protect her from the Freakquency. But even their scientist had praised the work in her headphones; especially if she did it on her own.
He quietly walked towards the bed; as if afraid to wake her up from her rest. He stood beside her and gently took her hand in his. With a smile, he looked up at her face and caressed her cheek with his free hand.
"Alice," he started his voice calm and collected but his eyes were misting. "When are you planning on waking up? You were not this lazy in my memories,"
Jet reached the room to hear Alec started his usual greetings. With a grim look, he pulled his hand back that was about to open the door and decided to go for a little walk. Ever since the arrival of his sister, Alec had been different. Jet had no idea what his past was but he could see the older man trying to act as normal as he was before the incident.
As he sat on the bench beneath a tree on the courtyard, he leaned back down; leaning his head hung awkwardly as he looked up at the silhouette the leaves were making. He closed his eyes—letting the breeze lull him to sleep.
The voice in his head continued to give him warnings and it was taking its toll on him. It wasn't literally draining his energy or anything but having another voice inside his mind was—disconcerting for one. Not to mention he gets all embarrass thinking if the owner of the voice can hear him as well.
"What are you doing here?" a voice asked.
Jet hadn't opened his eyes and answered with a gruff voice. "Escaping from Alec's dramatic ass,"
He felt someone leaned back on the bench. "You really can't blame him,"
"What's the story with that anyway?" he asked.
Clinton sighed. "Alice was announced dead when she couldn't be found after the first Freakquency attack. And it wasn't farfetched to say that something had gotten her considering that there was so much blood at their house when Alec came home. Who would have guessed that she turned out to be one of us,"
Jet opened his eyes and looked up at his boss. "Did the doctors have anything new to say? Why isn't she waking up yet?"
Clinton shook his head. "They're stumped as well, Jet. They really can't say why she isn't responding when all her vitals are okay. But—I think her coma has nothing to do with her physical condition,"
Jet sat up straighter as that seemed to be new. "What do you mean?"
Clinton gave a stale laugh. "You've witnessed her, Jet. Who can bring down a hotel building like she did, even if it was old? To control these abilities of ours, we need firm belief, unyielding focus, and most of all a strong mental power. Alice is just a teenager. People in her age are usually unstable. Not to mention this happened just days after the train incident. She usually appears every 6 months or so. She's probably drained,"
Jet found himself agreeing to Clinton's theory. There was silence between them as they both stared above them as if waiting for something to pass by. Jet turned slightly to his side to look at yet another mysterious man. No one knew the man behind the desk—the man who never goes out and kept his abilities secret.
He sighed and closed his eyes once more. As he did, he pictured Alice that first night he saw her. She had looked so supreme, so divine that night. Standing in a dark rooftop with her blue eyes glinting and her hair that appeared to be wings made of mists. Yet the murder of crows that flew around her gave off a sinful vibe as her unearthly aura surrounded them.
It was the first time Jet himself had ever felt real fear. The fear he felt during the first Freakquency attack was nothing compared to the fear he felt when she unleashed her powers. That night of Alice—Jet had sworn he felt that it was going to be the last night of his life.
"Hello? Do you still hear me? Tonight, at the plaza. Please. Please,"
Jet's eyes widened as he sat upright. Clinton raised a brow at him and Jet quickly explained the message he received. His boss nodded and pulled his phone out of his pocket to make a few calls. He told Jet to not worry and have a rest with Alec because he will send another team to the plaza.
Jet nodded and watched as Clinton left with his phone pressed in his ear. A moment after Clinton left, Alec came walking towards Jet with two bottles of soda in hand. He threw one to Jet who caught it with no problem before he sat down on the bench with him.
"I bumped into Clinton. Nice of him to give us a rest," Alec started.
Jet opened his soda and looked up at the sky; watching the crows above. "Anyway, Alec, what's with your sister and crows? I'm pretty sure those crows weren't here before her,"
Alec gave a small laugh as he took a sip of his soda. "I've no idea as well. But—if it helps, we do have a birthmark in the shape of a crow,"
Jet's eyes widened at his partner's answer and stared at him. "Then, can you control them as well?"
Alec shook his head much to Jet's disappointment. The two of them continued to watch the crows above as they finished their drinks. Once they were done, they started back towards Alice's room for Alec's last check before going home.
"Come on, Jet. She's still asleep. There's nothing to be afraid of," Alec said patronizingly.
Jet scrunched up his face. "Who the hell said I'm afraid?"
Alec gave another laugh. "Well, you haven't entered her room even once,"
Jet gave him an incredulous stare. "Have you seen your sister that night?"
As soon as the door opened, Alec stopped in his track as he saw his sister wide awake and sitting down on the bed. Jet stopped beside him and watched as Alice slowly turned towards their direction. Her eyes widened as they lit up and her lips rose to a large smile.
She jumped down the bed and ran towards them.
-"You're alive!"-
The voice in Jet's mind exclaimed as the girl in front of him jumped in his arms.