'But you can't just leave,' Mister Jones said.
We'd found a campervan parked in one of the underground car parks. It was modern and obviously worth a lot of money. Unlike the one we arrived in, this one had windows and beds for everyone. This would be our home.
For now, anyway.
'Try to stop us,' Chad suggested.
We were standing in front of the van outside the entrance to The Agency. The engine was running. Inside the complex, the cleanup was still happening, but we weren't interested. We'd already been through enough.
Mister Jones considered Chad's suggestion and thought better of it. After seeing us defeat Twelve, the idea of confrontation obviously didn't appeal to him. Dan and the others were packing our few belongings into the back of the van. There was very little to take. The Agency had already stolen our names, our homes, our families. They'd taken the most precious thing of all: our memories.
All we had left now was each other.
'I'm not sanctioning what Twelve did,' Mister Jones continued. 'I can't sanction what he did. The other Agency branches are up in arms over it. They're completely disavowing Twelve's actions. It's a betrayal of everything for which The Agency stands.'
'I'm glad to hear you say that,' I replied.
Although I didn't really care much. It was hard to tell the difference between truth from lies with Mister Jones. He and some of the others at The Agency knew about The Alpha Project. Trying to find out who, would be a waste of time. The Agency was modifying other teenagers all the time. How The Alpha Project was different was anyone's guess. Doctor Richards destroyed all the records, and the death of Twelve signaled the end of the whole experiment.
Mister Jones had already told us a replacement was being brought in for Twelve. There would be more accountability for projects within The Agency. Personally, I was just glad we were leaving.
Mister Jones made one last attempt to stop us.
'I understand why you're upset.' He tried to sound conciliatory. 'And the last thing I would ever want to do is threaten you—'
'Yes?'
'You may have forgotten those poisonous capsules we implanted in your bodies?'
I reached into my pocket. 'Oh?' I said. 'You mean these?' His jaw dropped as I handed the capsules to him. 'They were difficult to find, but fortunately, they're made from metal, and Dan has a special knack with metals.'
'You mean—'
'It was painful,' I told Jones. And it was. 'But he got them out.'
'But we've invested an enormous amount in you—'
I climbed into the driver's seat and wound down the window. 'And we're going to pay you back,' I said with a thin smile. 'By not exposing you to the world and not suing your organization through the International Court of Justice.'
'You can't mean that.'
'Let's see,' I began. 'Kidnapping, child endangerment, abuse, deprivation of liberty…'
'And that's just for starters,' Chad said, settling into the seat beside me. 'I've got all these injuries that need fixing. I need compensation for my sore knee. My elbow…'
'I'm not saying you'll never see us again,' I told Mister Jones. I was thinking of Pegasus and what would have happened if we hadn't stopped it. The world needed superheroes. Even teenage superheroes like us. 'If you ever need us, really need us, we're prepared to help.'
Chad vigorously shook his head. 'Mister Goody is only speaking for himself,' he said. 'I'm never coming back!'
I raised an eyebrow at Mister Jones and shrugged.
'Where will I find you?' he asked.
'Where does this road lead?'
His eyes followed it into the distance.
I nodded. 'That's where we'll be.'