“So that’s the gist of it Ben.”
Ben looked at Cal and Kathryn through the face time call. He wasn’t at home, from what Cal could guess he was outside the store. It definitely might have been Cal’s turn to go shopping but things had gotten out of hand for obvious reasons.
Ben rubbed his face slowly and leaned back against the door of the car. The early morning sun was good for him. But as he looked at Cal he looked tired and apprehensive. “So what are you asking Cal?”
Cal blinked surprised and Kathryn looked over at him confused, “What do you mean?”
“Don’t give me the what do you mean Calvin. Your friends are going to go off to an alien planet and fight some giant monster and risk your life. And you want my permission.”
Looking at his husband Cal’s face broke into a smile and shook his head quickly, “Not even on my mind. I’m retired babe. Me using my stone again these past few days has been really fun but it’s not my life anymore. We got everyone else back so I can step back to married life.”
Ben stared at him and blinked quickly, then looked away. “Sorry. I jumped to conclusions.”
“It’s fine Ben. And I get it. But like I said last year. Retired I shall stay. Unless you know, dire dire circumstances where the rest of the team can’t take care of things. And if that happens we might be in deep shit anyway,” Cal laughed brushing his fingers through his hair.
“So why the group call then?” Ben asked perplexed.
“Well I always need to back Cal up,” Kathryn said. “Because he’s not exactly the best at talking isn’t that right?”
“No he isn’t.”
“Oh come on. I just explained myself pretty well didn’t I?”
Ben laughed again, “Yes you did. I have to give you that much. And for what it’s worth Kat I’m glad to see you’re okay. Me and Cal were both really worried.”
“Appreciate it Ben. Being mind controlled sucks but I’m definitely ready to put Legion down for good.”
“You guys got this,” Cal said. “How’s my successor by the way?”
“Owen?” Kathryn nodded. “He’s capable. Though his girlfriend really surprised me. Didn’t expect her to be ride or die like us.”
“His girlfriend. The Dark Knight right?” Ben asked.
“Yeah. She rose to the challenge with Cal and took care of Earth. Even lost her powers in the process,” Kathryn looked over at them.
Owen, Gen and Alice were gathered together across the street. Alice looked back and forth between her parents, her eyes lingering on Gen but turning to Owen who was smiled. “Are you sure you’re okay dad? No leftover side effects from being under Legion’s control?”
“Nope I’m good,” Owen flexed and then laughed. “Jeff would do that but it just felt awkward. I don’t know how he does that.”
“Endless optimism and bravado,” Gen said with a slow eyeroll. “Maybe he should have been one of you guys.”
“Don’t you mean one of us?”
Gen shook her head, “My stone was broken. I don’t have any more powers. Just the bad ass kung fu celebrity.”
“Are you sure mom?”
Gen almost flinched at being called that and looked everywhere but at her daughter. Alice looked at her then down guiltily and Owen looked back and forth between the two of them. Ever since Alice’s reveal Gen had been even more distant to the Astro Knight. He didn’t know what happened and Gen wouldn’t tell him either.
“What did you mean?” Owen asked trying to defuse tensions.
“Your crystal. The one you got from the temple. Look at it again,” Alice all but mumbled.
Gen raised her eyebrow skeptically but did as she said. She pulled the stone out and gasped. Owen did as well and even Alice was surprised. The crystal that had been a dull red prior was now a deep black. And in the center of it there seemed to be a soft glow. Her eyes widened because she could feel it. She could feel the energy inside of it, even a connection to it.
She stared at it a moment longer and then suddenly it disappeared. Just turned into raw energy. Stumbling backwards she gasped and then looked at them and she felt the energy coursing through her. “What happened? What was that?”
“The crystal. It looked like you had a stone again,” Owen said. “But I thought it was broken. Shattered.”
“It was,” Alice looked at her. “But you didn’t lose your powers. They just needed another container. And that crystal, even broken from the main one, was still an amp. It’s a conduit for psykik power’s normally but in this case, celestial ones.”
“Can you transform?”
“I don’t know,” she flexed her hand slowly and sighed. She felt it inside her like a fire that she almost forgot what it felt like. It ran through her veins and she felt like she could run a marathon. But more than that she was inspired. If she was an artist, she was making the next great American novel or drawing a Picasso. “Probably. No. I know I can. Looks like I’m going with you.”
Owen smiled taking both their hands, “All of us together. Nothing is going to stop us.”
The Harlequin Library 