Chp. 36 "Goodbyes"

I had been quite shocked that Avery Ryan, a tiny, 5"4 girl who weighed no more than 125 pounds, could fight the way she had demonstrated earlier today. She had showed us she could block attackers, a possible knife attack, and being face to face with a gun. All of this was previously learned from her older brother Chris years ago before he left for deployment. I was shocked, mostly because I had always viewed Avery as pretty defenseless, but today I realized I had been very wrong.

Even Gage and Max had been caught off guard.

I had known Avery worked out, and that she liked to stay in shape, but for her to be able to cripple Gage, well it was startling. He had demonstrated all kinds of possible attacks and she had gotten herself out of each one perfectly. It was almost scary how good she was.

And the more I watched her fight Gage off the more I remembered how fast she had "caught on" in the self-defense classes. She had clearly been trained way before we had entered those classes, and I cursed myself for not realizing this sooner. It had been right in my face the entire time, and all along she had continuously portrayed a normal, innocent teenager.

It actually kind of made me mad.

I was currently packing my travel bag for tomorrow, knowing that we were leaving at exactly noon. We would make it to the hotel at around 5:30, which gave us an hour and a half to get ready to meet Agent Harris. I was nervous of course, curious as to what exactly we would discuss and how cool or non-cool he would be.

I just didn't know what to expect.

Avery was at her house packing too, and after I spoke with my parents I would head over there and leave my car. Gage and Max would pick us up and we would leave, making our way to South Carolina to complete Phase 1.

I was just waiting for my parents to get home from work.

I took in my room as I sat on my bed, knowing it was possible that I wouldn't be seeing this place for a long time. I wouldn't sleep in my familiar bed or drive my own car, my life was about to change significantly. This wasn't just because I was attempting to save the world from this deadly disease but I was also getting involved with a very confidential agency.

Any normal 18 year old would just look at me like I was crazy if I told them that.

It was weird, I had never in a million years pictured going through everything I had gone through in the last year. Finding out I was adopted, possessing deadly powers, and attempting to save the world from a pandemic. My life had changed significantly already and I was just realizing that now.

Then I heard my mom and dad's voices in the kitchen, and I grabbed my things, knowing I would be leaving after I spoke to them.

They soon came into view, allowing me to catch their gazes that held not only worry, but nervousness. I wasn't going to see them for a long time and knowing that pained me. I would miss them a lot.

I smiled sadly, "Hey."

My mom stayed silent but my dad rested his hand on my shoulder and responded, "Andy..."

I propped my bag on the kitchen table, seeing my mom's eyes searching mine. She wasn't going to tell me I couldn't go, and she wasn't going to protest against my choices, but she was still my mom. She was still protective and nurturing, and to her I was still her little girl.

This realization just only furthered my pain.

I spoke, "I'm fixing to leave, just wanted to make sure there is nothing else I need before I go."

After I had told them everything about Teal and Fred, and how Fred was murdered because he was on power overload, they had been shocked. Everything they had known changed because their long-time friend Fred Mason had been dead for ten years, without them knowing. I hated breaking the news to them, and I knew they were afraid I would end up like him because they knew we shared the same power. Losing one of their good friends was one thing, but losing their daughter to the same catastrophe would wound them horrifically.

But I wasn't going anywhere because, well, I technically couldn't die.

My dad squeezed my shoulder while my mom petted my hand on the kitchen table, and spoke, "I have something to give you."

She walked off into her bedroom and me and my dad followed eagerly. I watched her go into her jewelry box and pull out a silver necklace with a dog-tag looking emblem hanging from the chain. She draped it over my head and I held it out to look at it, realizing it was more than just a dog tag. It wasn't anything spectacular but the dog tag had a cross and wings engraved in the middle, and words that read "Stay Strong" under it. I ran my thumb over it, feeling every little indent and crease of the dog tag while I waited for an explanation.

"I wore it every day I worked in the Protection Bureau with your father, even on missions, and not once did we ever have bad luck. I hope it does the same for you, Andrea."

I looked up at my parents who were looking at me with something different in their eyes. They weren't scared or nervous, but more proud than anything. They knew I was an adult now, and maybe all along they knew I had been destined to do great things.

Just like my real father.

I stepped towards them, wrapping both my arms around them and pulling them into a final group hug before I left. A part of me wanted to stay here, protect them, knowing I couldn't do that if I was in New York, or wherever I ended up.

But I couldn't, because I had responsibilities now.

Both of their arms wrapped around me, surrounding me with love and protection. I felt old, I felt sad, and I never would've imagined leaving my family for a long time right after I graduated. Life really knows how to throw you curve balls.

Then I heard my dad's voice, "Call us when you make it to your hotel tomorrow."

"And be safe Andy," my mom continued my dad's previous sentence.

I smiled, nodding while I tried not to cry. Suppressing the tears was extremely hard, but I knew I couldn't cry in front of them, "I will, it'll only a month, maybe, if everything goes well it might be less than that."

They walked me to my car and I hugged them one last time before departing from my house. I watched in remorse as they disappeared in my rearview, and this is when I allowed tears to fall.

Usually I never pictured this, maybe when I left for college or something along those lines, like every normal 18 year old. Then again, I was everything but normal, and this was a start of a crazy but adventurous time with my friends.

The pain in my heart was deep leaving my family, the people who raised me for 18 years, but I knew this was necessary. If I didn't go to the Protection Bureau this disease was going to wipe out the entire human population and it wouldn't be long till it made it to Jacksonville.

The single thought of protecting my parents was all I needed for motivation.

I pulled into Avery's driveway and wiped my eyes quickly, straightening my hair and clothes before getting down. I didn't want to let her know I had been crying, I always felt bad talking about my parents to her.

I grabbed my bag and walked to her front door, opening it and speaking, "Avery I'm here."

I walked to the familiar stair case and looked up, seeing her standing at the top waiting for me. She smiled in response to seeing me, "Hey."

I jogged up the stairs to join her, her soft hand lacing through mine as she pulled me into her bedroom. I dropped my bag and wrapped my arms around her torso, pulling her into me. My lips pressed against hers, and suddenly I realized what exactly was happening tomorrow.

The only reason I felt confident going into it was because Avery, Max, and Gage would be next to me.

I pulled back and Avery smiled, blushing in the process, "Nice to see you too."

I cupped her soft face in my hands, kissing her again lightly on her pink lips. This kiss was more sensitive and sentimental, and I didn't understand why I was acting this way but I was just happy to be with her. She always seemed to take away all the pain and discomfort in my heart and just recently I felt like I needed comfort.

She pulled back, allowing me to get a good look at her curious eyes, "You ok?"

I smiled, nodding stiffly, "Yea, I'm just a bit nervous about tomorrow."

"Everything's going to be fine, just like you said."

I smirked, realizing everything was going to be ok. If anything, we could just look at this whole ordeal as a road trip to New York. We would have a little time to experience the cities we visited and we wouldn't have to get serious till we made it to New York.

Thinking about it like that made me excited.

"Can you really heal from anything?"

Her question had caught me off guard, mostly because this question had come out of nowhere. It was random but I knew she was asking for safety purposes. She wanted to know if I would be safe if anything happened to me.

I shrugged, "I don't know, I mean it's not like we can try anything out, the idea is pretty inhumane."

She squeezed my hand, "I just get so worried about you..."

I remembered the horrific first accident that had happened when I was with Max. I had completely healed from a fatal wound to my arm, an incident that should've resulted in an amputation most likely. I had healed quickly, within at least 10 seconds of removing the shard of metal from my arm. It had been quite the sight for me and Max but I felt confident that I could survive other fatalities, but don't expect me to be the test dummy.

I smiled, leaning in and kissing her warm neck and whispering, "There's nothing to worry about."

She stood, "You need to learn how to fight and not rely on your powers."

I stood lazily along with her, crossing my arms, "Why?"

"Because... I want to feel confident that you're safe without having to result in electrocution."

I smirked, laughing a bit when she stepped closer to me. I responded, "Okay fine, but I'm only doing this for you."

I had learned a little bit in the self-defense classes we had taken awhile back but I knew Avery could teach me a lot more one on one. I mean her brother was in the Army and had taught Avery how to defend herself from almost anything.

I had learned the arm pull back move that Avery had done on me the other day and basic defense blocks. Avery knew a lot about getting out of multiple attacks, such as knife attacks and being face to face with a gun.

I was pretty confident against a knife, but what if a simple gun-shot to the head would end me? I needed to know how to get out of that.

She looked around the room in confusion, causing me to ask, "What are you looking for?"

"We need a fake gun to practice with."

I tilted my head as I watched her search her room, eventually settling with the idea of using a stapler for our "gun." I laughed, "A stapler? Really?"

"It'll do for now."

She held the "gun" to my head and spoke, "Now, you're face to face with a gun, what's your first move?"

I smirked, not really wanting to pay along with this. I reached inside myself and searched for my invisible "arm", extending it and wrapping it around the stapler in Avery's hands. I yanked it out of her grip without moving a single muscle, resulting in an annoyed reaction from Avery.

"That's cheating."

"There are no rules when it comes to life or death."

She tilted her head, "Be serious."

I rolled my eyes as I handed her the stapler, allowing her to resume her previous position. She held the stapler to my head, which was something I could not take serious even if I tried. "What is the first thing you have to do?"

I mumbled, "Get out of the line of fire."

She responded, "Good, now quickly grab the gun and tilt it up, bringing your head down and below the barrel."

I grabbed the stapler quickly, tilting it up and bringing my face down and out of "the line of fire". Avery stepped back and smiled, "Good, now let me demonstrate the entire moment."

She handed me the stapler, allowing me to hold it right to her head. Then suddenly her hands were on it, tilting it up violently, bringing her face down all while she's twisting the stapler out of my hands. This all happened within five seconds, and I couldn't believe that she was that quick.

She had dodged death within five freaking seconds.

"Your turn."

I was still in awe but I shook my head, "This is going to be a long night."

POSTED: February 27, 2013

***A/N***

Hey guys, hope you all are enjoying the story, stay tuned cause there's a lot more about to go down! I try to update as soon as I can but college consumes my life, literally. Please Vote and Comment if you enjoyed this chapter even just a teenie tiny bit :D It means a lot to me! Happy reading!