"NO, YOU DON'T!"
"Elise, I—"
"No! You promised that we're in this together! And now you want to go there—"
"It's a riot, Elise! You can't protect yourself. I… I can't protect you. Your dad doesn't want you to. And I… I can't risk it. I'm sorry."
…Elise didn't respond. She just kept staring angrily into my eyes, fists balled.
Blocking the front door.
When William handed a first-aid kit to me, I went to Elise and Ken to explain roughly what I had just discussed with the doctor. I concluded by telling them that William is on our side, but he's out of his depth for now. I explained it all while heading back to the house to quickly prepare for the journey.
And when I had just got ready, and told them lastly that I wanted to go to Philadelphia alone, well…
…How do I convince Elise?
I thought about it, but I came to the conclusion that everything I would say would just piss her off more.
…Ken it is.
I shifted my attention to him.
He was standing off to the side, looking worriedly between Elise and me.
If he also says, of his own free will, that me going alone is the safest option for all of us, that might have the highest chance of making Elise see sense.
"Ken,I thought about bringing you along. But between being able to move as fast as possible and having to hold back, protect you and maybe not even needing your powers… You understand, right?"
He looked at me, seriously contemplating for a moment.
But I already knew his conclusion before he even spoke.
Because his trust in me had taken a hit.
"I understand," Ken said reluctantly, with some guilt on his face.
"Ken!" Elise said, astonished.
"…It's safest when I go alone. You know it's true. It is what it is," I said to her, as the final nail in the coffin of her resistance.
Elise's expression weakened, as her anger got replaced with doubt.
She kept staring into my eyes, and I kept staring back.
Unyielding.
Slowly, the willpower left her.
Until even her clenched fists had no strength left in them.
She looked down at the floor, and did the only thing she still could.
"Please…, don't," she pleaded in a meek voice.
…I had convinced her.
One 'I'm sorry' was all it would take.
I opened my mouth to respond.
But no words came out.
…What!?
Huh! Why! Why couldn't I say it!
My heart was beating fast.
It… felt painful? Wh… why did it feel like it was in agony?
I didn't understand! Me going alone was the best to keep everyone safe!
Then why did I feel…
Did… did I feel…
Guilt?
"Why?" was the word that came out of me, instead of what I needed to say.
Elise looked back up at me, now with a confused expression.
But, when she saw my unguarded face, I saw some will come back into her eyes.
"I… I don't know if you're safer alone. But… but I feel… I… I worry that, if you go alone, you… won't return as the man I love."
"…Elise."
Her name was all that came out of me. I didn't know what else to say.
I… I didn't understand what she meant, and I didn't understand why I couldn't understand it.
But the way she made me feel right now…, I…, I didn't want it.
I couldn't take it.
Wasn't there another way?
…Maybe…. I'll…
I'll… trust her then.
She's been right before, although every thought in me told me that this is wrong.
So… then… I'll sway Ken and bring him along.
"I... if you truly feel that way... then... Ken, do you want to come with me?"
A slight shock went through him when I asked him.
We looked at each other while he was processing it.
But the hesitation never left him.
"I… I don't know."
"Ken…, please," Elise begged.
"Sorry. I…, I just don't know," he continued, avoiding everyone's gaze.
…I took a deep breath before speaking again.
Then I said what I actually wanted to say.
"Ken, I might move faster on my own, but you being able to see through walls,that might become even more valuable than that to avoid all danger."
Upon hearing that, he looked at me again.
"And more importantly, two heads are better than one. I trust you. I trust your judgment. So…, please help me."
His eyes went wide.
Now, for one final push.
"Besides, you're scared of a little riot? You've returned to the coward you were in the past?"
His expression turned to one of complete astonishment.
But slowly, because I had insulted his pride, I saw determination well up in his eyes next to his doubt.
"…Fine then. I'll… I'll come along with you," Ken declared after regaining his composure.
"Thank you," I said with a smile on my face.
"Ken…, thank you, truly," Elise added, moved.
Ken simply nodded, and looked between us.
And Elise and I looked at each other again.
I stepped in front of her and stared into her blue eyes.
"I… I still can't take you along with me, but I want you to know…"
I moved my left hand, and pointed towards my heart.
"In here, you're always with me. So even if you stay here, I promise you, I… I don't want to do anything that makes me not able to look you in the eyes again. I truly feel that way."
"…Jack," she said while grabbing the fabric near my shoulders.
"Please believe me."
She stared into my hazel eyes.
And nodded.
"I do. And I know… I know I can't come along. But…, it's so unfair. My powers…, I can't help you, can't protect you…, can't even heal you properly. They're… good for nothing when it matters."
She looked down from my gaze again, but I gently cupped her face with my right hand and tilted her head back up while stroking her cheek.
I put up my left hand next to my face, and she looked at it.
The place where the scar once was.
"I think your power is beautiful. They reflect how good of a person you really are, someone that shines so brightly that they bring the best out of everyone else. The… the best in me. That's why I love you. So please, don't put yourself down. Doing what you can do is more than enough. You promised Beth that you'd help in the clinic now., so, that's what you should do. I won't let my girlfriend break her promises so easily, you know! I only have the highest standards for women!"
"Pfft," Elise snorted out in between the tears.
I kept smiling gently, as her tears quickly dried and a soft smile had formed on her face again.
"…I love you. Please save your brother and Willow, and then come back to me. I'll be waiting for you."
"I will. And I'll keep in contact with you over the phone, so you know what's happening and I can ask your opinion if needed. Is that alright with you?"
"…Yes, please do."
"Alright. And…, while you're here. Your dad, I told him about us, but, uh, I'm sorry to say, I don't think I have entirely convinced him of our relationship. So…, maybe you could talk to him to get me in his good grace again?"
"Hehe," Elise giggled.
"Wh… what's so funny?"
"No, sorry it's, *giggle*, it's just, I'm kinda glad you can be wrong about someone, especially something so simple."
…What!? Me wrong!? How could she say that!? She would have piped differently if she witnessed how tense things between me and her dad were.
Elise started giggling even harder.
Why now!? Had… had my expression cracked?
"Don't worry. I'll have some strong words ready for dad if it's really as bad as you say," she managed to say with a big smile on her face.
"…Please do," I managed to mutter out with the last of my composure.
Because my being screamed at me that I wanted to have the last laugh between us!
So…, I leaned forward…
And kissed her forehead gently.
I leaned back, and saw that Elise's smile was frozen in place.
And it slowly subsided with her cute face turning slowly redder and redder.
While my own mischievous smile grew more and more all the while.
"You can pay me back once I return. Now you'll have something to look forward to."
Her mouth opened and closed quickly in sequence, until she managed to swallow her embarrassment and find her voice again.
"…You better look forward to it too."
"Haha."
A quick laugh came out of me, which I suppressed quickly again.
I've had my fun. It was time to go.
I turned to look back at Ken, who was waiting somewhat impatiently for me.
"Ready?"
He just nodded quietly.
With one last goodbye and a 'See you soon' from both of us, we headed out the door towards my car.
Onwards to danger. Although I hoped I wouldn't see it too soon.
***
I was driving just out of town, heading towards Philadelphia with Ken sitting silent in the passenger seat.
We were going at considerable speed. But if I truly focused, I could have gone faster. However, I had something else on my mind.
How I could rebuild my trust with Ken. I kept stealingglances at him, but he just kept staring in front of him.
Since he wasn't saying anything, should I start?
"We're stopping first at a gas station next town over. The tank's almost empty. We'll be there soon."
"…"
He just gave me a small nod, nothing else.
…This can't go on like this.
"Why did you decide to come with me?"
Ken stiffened. Finally, a reaction from him.
He looked quickly behind him, at the back seats.
We laid a bandage across them, and no invisible force seemed to be sitting on it. But even so, it would be hard to tell. We had no better ideas, but it would have to do.
"I'm pretty sure my father's not here. And even if, it doesn't matter. We'll just not talk about future plans."
Ken looked at me, hesitation present on his face, before turning forward again.
"Why did you come with me?" I repeated.
…His mouth opened, then closed again.
I waited, and then, he decided to speak, though while still staring in front of him.
"You know I can't say no to Elise."
…That was all. The conversation died again.
"…You can ask me anything you want, and I'll answer honestly. I…, how things are between us now, I don't want it to be this way. So please, let me know what's on your mind."
Ken bit his lip, but after a moment of hesitation, he finally looked at me and spoke.
"I know she loves you, but I don't understand. After what you did to her, why…, why does she forgive you?"
"…I don't know either. But I did it to help her. That's—"
"Help her! Everyone was talking about her!"
"I wanted her to realize that other people don't define her, that how she saw herself was the only thing that mattered,that what she thinks of her body is entirely in her own hands. And it worked, didn't it?"
"…I…, you're absolutely insane! Who thinks like that!"
"I did, back then. I… I have regrets, but I couldn't think of another way. I still can't. Can you?"
"…"
"She suffered every day. Every gaze hurt her. I wanted to help, so I did."
Ken grimaced. He was scared to ask more.
"Spit it out. I'll answer."
"…What…, what more did you do?"
"…I don't understand."
"Those upperclassmen. Did…, did you send them after her too?"
"No, of course not!" I said, squeezing the steering wheel hard for a moment. "That…, I never expected… that people like that existed."
"But…, how did you know then?"
"They were hounding her before. I knew they were up to something, so I stayed around Elise. And when they thought she was alone and struck, I interfered and beat them off. That got the message across, until…"
"…Those scum are dead now."
"…Yeah."
"…And the rest…, those rumors about you. How did—"
"I spread those rumors myself. To use myself as an example to show Elise what I wanted her to realize."
"…"
Ken had a conflicted expression on his face.
"Just ask me what you really want to ask."
I saw a bead of sweat drip down his temple, but he found the courage.
"What about me? Those bullies…"
"I had nothing to do with that. Everything happened exactly as you know."
"R… really?" He asked, astonished.
"Elise wanted to help you, but didn't know how. So I came up with the idea to teach you how to fight them off, which, well, you probably can guess how she felt about that. But you fought them on your own. That was all you."
"…"
He didn't respond. He looked forward again.
As did I. I focused on the road again while driving into town.
And I waited for him to speak again, which he did after a while.
"Jack, I…, I don't understand you."
I glanced at him, but saw he had more to say, so I kept silent, until he spoke again.
"…You've always been kind. And you can fight. I… I thought you were cool. But with all this stuff happening now, and what you did to Elise… I…"
"…"
"Who… who are you really?"
…?
A... smile was creeping onto my face?
Why? …Well, it doesn't matter. I wanted to tell him eventually anyway.
"I'll tell you, although it's complicated. We're at the gas station now. I'll tell you—"
As I said that, I rounded the corner and the gas station came into sight.
"Stop the car!"
I slammed on the brakes immediately!
My body shot forward, my seatbelt painfully digging into me.
I scanned the sight in front of me, but found nothing.
The gas station was deserted. No people or cars.
The nation was in lockdown. The deserted sight was like it is supposed to be, like it was everywhere else.
…Then why was the gasoline price so high?
I looked at Ken. His expression was dead serious.
"What's wrong?"
He kept staring straight at the gas station.
…No, inside it!
He answered.
"There are two people inside. I… we're far away, but…"
He hesitated, but still told me his guess.
"I… I think someone's robbing it."