Chapter 6

Homecoming

“My, you drive a hard bargain. Within the week it is. When are you next free?”

With that question her face grew slightly somber. I knew there was going to be something in the way, but I was willing to make this work. The way I felt, I had all the time in the world to do this right. A glance out of the corner of my eye showed me that the head waitress, Mave I believe her name was. Mave was watching us with a smile on her face. A smile that quickly soured as she seemed to react to a presence outside. She went to the back, no doubt where the viewing screens for the front were.

Mave’s abrupt departure and equally quick re-entry made us wonder what was happening. No sooner had she re-entered than she looked at the two of us and gave some advice. “Look, I don’t want to cut this moment of yours short, but if you have anything important to say, well, I’d say it now.”

With that I locked from her to Mel and paused as my breath caught. God she is beautiful. It is hard to describe, perhaps it is the way a small splatter of syrup rest just under her lip like some shimmering beauty mark. Maybe it is the way she looks just as nervous about talking to me as I feel about sitting at the same booth as her.

Not even looking away, I can feel that there is something out front. I suspect it is my Precognition going off, or maybe heightened awareness. As I can feel multiple casters approaching.

“Military?” I ask.

Mave nods, “a whole lot of them.”

I see her motion out of the corner of my eye, but my full attention is locked on Mel. Looking at her, I want to see her again. Then on gut instinct I act. I don’t know if there was a little something extra in my cherry syrup or what, but I did something stupid. I did something that is only spoken about legendary cock ups that are told through generations. I gambled on budding love.

Moving the plates away, I hold out my hands. Melissa looks down at my hands for a second, before she nervously sifts her hands into them as well. Locking eyes with her, I take the plunge. I do the stupidest thing I can imagine, something that will tell me once and for all if there is ever a chance here between us. If there isn’t, then I figure I’ll wait until the next cycle of rebirth and try again. I know that once the blast frames come up, military officers will come storming in. They could be here for many different reasons; from my actions in the school directly after my Awakening, to my assaulting people in the park, or to defending this diner from five would be thugs. Really the reason the military is here is irrelevant. I know that as soon as I leave here, I will be owned by the military in some way shape or form. I am too powerful to be kept on the streets, I realize that now.

This means that as soon as the blast doors come up, I will be made into military property, thereby voiding my ticket purchase conditions, even if they are after the fact. Also, I believe my Precognition powers have been on the rise as well, as I have been more aware of moments than ever before. That is why I know this is an important moment. I am made doubly certain of this moment’s importance by the glance I give to Mave where she is just clutching her hands tightly to her chest. Like she is watching a great love scene from a movie. Inwardly shrugging at the fact that I have an audience, I decide to make the show worth watching. With that I begin my impromptu speech.

“Mel, we just met and already I think there is a spark within you that is amazingly vibrant. First, before I go any further, I want to thank you for making me feel special. I hope that in some way our time together has also made you feel special as well. That said, I don’t think we can be in a relationship as we are. The power dynamic is too off. You would always feel slightly inferior and always feel that you had to bring something extra to the table to make up for that shortcoming. I never want you to feel that way, not now ever.”

I pause as I let the first thoughts fill her. She visibly deflates at the suggestion. Dawning realization floods her features, as she realizes this is the truth.

“That’s why I have a solution.” I say.

Instantly she perks up and I have her attention fully on me. It is this look of awe and hope that spurs me on to do something incredibly stupid, especially for someone they just met.

“See there are two types of power in this world, there is the supernatural power, which I happen to have in spades.” I say, then make a slight gesture to where I took down five armed thugs handedly. She starts to get a little weary, as she waits for what is to come next.

“There is also a different form of power, one gained from money. If you had that, we could be the ultimate power couple, you a multi-billionaire sugar momma, and me the ultimate dual casting freak.” I say.

As soon as the words leave my lips, she has a moment’s hesitation as she looks confused. That is when I pull up my receipt for the lottery ticket, and pull up the winning numbers for, now, last night’s drawing. She looks at the numbers in disbelief as she slowly tracks one set of numbers and compares each number to the last. Then her mouth grows wider and wider as she looks at them.

“You won?” She asks?

I shake my head. “I can’t win. After this I will either be in jail, or the military, both will exclude me from claiming the prize. If I kept this ticket it would go to waste. Just another unclaimed multi-billion in crypto prize left unaccounted for.” I state. Then I lock eyes with her, “this is why I want you to take it. On the condition that you give me your contact info.” I say, smiling back.

“That’s it, just my contact info? Nothing else?” She asks, wondering if the other shoe is going to drop. I can tell she is hesitant, but that should only be expected, for who gives away a multi-billion in crypto prize. For me it’s a no-brainer, either she takes the money and leaves never to be seen again. Meaning I just wasted one lifetime on her and a good story. That or she proves the odds wrong and proves my hopeless romanticism to be well speculated.

Shatter.

A plate cracks in the back. Mave looks over nervously. She was leaning forward on the bar so far that she ended up sliding a menu into a plate which shattered on the floor.

“Oh sorry. Don’t mind me.” She says, as she activates the cleaning bot.

I turn back to Mave, then an idea comes to me.

“Can you take a picture of us? I want a memory of this moment forever.” I ask, as I cause a hologram of the lottery ticket to appear behind us. Then I lean in close to Mel. Mel for her part looks flustered for a moment, but then smiles brightly and leans in.

Mave takes a quick picture. At that exact moment wham, wham, wham!

Three crisp knocks ring out over the blast doors. Quickly I transfer rights to the ticket to Mel. Since we are already touching it is a simple process.

“You sure?” She asks, looking at the ticket.

“Again, this is the only way we will be true equals in this relationship.” I say.

“We know you are in there Mr. Goldman. Come out with your hands up. Release the hostages you have in there and this will be over soon.” A voice calls out over a loudspeaker that pipes into the buildings speaker system.

Hearing that, I can already see the angles they are trying. Either I am a vigilante that needs to be taken into custody. Or a monster who is too powerful to be left alone to roam the streets. Either way, my days of freedom are over.

Mel is still close, so while Mave goes to the emergency off switch for the blast doors, I make my move.

“Mel.” I say, as I already bring my arms up to make my move.

“What?” She asks as she turns her full attention back to me, that is when I swoop her up with my left arm, pulling her so close that our lips touch and I steal a kiss from her. A kiss that tastes like cherry syrup and rainbow dreams. I manage to take a quick picture of the two of us, then a second one where I am winking at the camera.

Whir.

The blast doors come up, and dozens of military operatives in full tactical armor can be seen trying to breach the door. They come in to see Mave gushing at us, while I finish up our first kiss. A stolen kiss definitely tastes better than one freely given.

Mel for her part is just panting. “Wow. You stole a kiss?” She asks as she rubs at the part of her lip that I bit and licked, the part with the scrap of cherry syrup.

I smile brightly at her, “if you want it back meet me for a date.” I say.

She bites her lower lip herself and I can tell she liked the kiss, almost as much as I liked taking it. My last act as a free man was to send her and Mave the pictures I took.

Then I promptly get tackled to the ground. As muscle bound morons come in rip me from the table and then fling me to the ground. I heal any injuries I sustain from the harsh treatment almost instantly.

“Careful!” Mel screams, and my heart races at the feeling. I lock eyes with her, or at least try to. She is angry on my behalf, something I am immensely grateful for. This moment alone was worth the entire run. Hell, even if I lost the ticket, I could feel happy knowing this moment occurred. It’s not like I ever got the money in the first place, so what is this life without a few hundred billion in crypto. That kiss was amazing. Finally, the guards start to walk me away. That is when Mel locks eyes with me and fear grips her. I give her a reassuring smile, at least as big of a smile as I can provide. I likely looked goofy, with how happy I was in that moment. As I begin to get pushed away, I say, “call me.”

I know she has my number, she got it when I sent the picture to all communicators within the diner that I had been speaking to for over thirty minutes. It sounds like a complicated command to give, but it is the default setting, literally two clicks and boom you are there.

Within a few steps the guards who are acting as my escort have cut off Mel from following me. That just leaves Mave, who I nod to on my way out. “Thank you for the hospitality. I hope I will get to see you again as well.” I offer.

“You will son, I guarantee it.” Mave says in a voice that will broker no argument from Mel.

Hearing that, I feel I am at the top of the world. Then I take one step outside and immediately smothered by cold clammy springtime air and carbon emissions. Still, I take in a deep breath, knowing that I am still alive. The operatives who captured me and hogtied me take me before a Major wearing police regalia.

“You have the right to remain silent anything you say or imply by gestures will be held against you in a court of law. You will be provided an attorney, if you cannot afford one, a free copy of all legal proceedings and statues will be provided to you. Do you understand the terms and conditions?”

“Term seven.” I say. The officer pauses for a second before responding.

“Silence?”

“Golden.” I reply.

“Do you understand the terms and conditions applied here. You must answer in a yes or no.”

“Term seven.” Is my response. This time the officer looks excessively angry.

“You think that if I strike you, it will constitute a mistrial due to police brutality, is that it?”

I shrug my shoulders. It’s not that I want to play obstinate, but I just can’t help myself.

“I think he understands you quite well. Don’t you Mr. Goldman?” A woman asks with power laced in every word she directs to me. This is top notch casting, as it is so focused that no one else who hears it seems compelled by the command. I just smile widely, showing my teeth this time. It is meant to be a threatening gesture, but then I remember the comments of me LARPing as a vampire and I quickly go to just a smirk, before repeating my statement.

“Term seven.”

“Silence it is then. By remaining silent you hereby confirm your understanding of the rights that have been given to you?”

I hold still, knowing that even a slight gesture would be considered confirmation at this point. That is when I feel it, a tiny compulsion that something will strike the back of my knee forcing me forward. With a practiced ease of force, I create a Telekinetic wall of force that strikes the knee that was to go to strike me. The only problem is I provide a minor pin prick of a defense. This means that the surface area of the attacking knee, and my defense are minor in comparison. For non-math majors, this means the small surface area of my counterattack is directed at one pivotal point and strikes back with countering force. The differences in forces and tensions are so much that my assailant, a girl by the loud cry of pain, has basically impaled their kneecap on my force spike.

I turn back at the screaming officer to see I was wrong in my assessment; it was a male officer. Though to my defense I didn’t think any male could scream that highly, who would have known, I guess you really do learn something new every lifetime.

“You just assaulted an officer! We will be adding that to your list of charges.” The woman who has a commanding voice says.

“He injures himself while trying to assault me from behind, and I am going to get charged with what exactly? Failure to be subdued by excessive force?” I ask.

With that the woman’s blood boils, it is clear she is not used to thinking quickly on her feet, or people not listening to her commands. “Get him out of here, now!” She speaks.

With that I am carried away into the back of a large renovated urban Stryker vehicle. This is one of the new G classes, for gravity resistance. The thing glides smoothly along the ground as I am taken farther and farther away from the freedom I so desperately wanted, for so many generations. I feel a slight ball of tension form in my gut as I wonder if Mel will ever keep up her end of our agreement. Still, I can’t help but lean my head back and lick my lips. Once again, I am filled with the joy of cherry syrup on my lips and the memory of that incredible kiss.

Finally, the vehicle comes to a stop the doors open wide revealing the brick and mortar building that is a common staple external shell design for military buildings. With that I am pulled out by chains, like some type of caged tiger or circus animal. The second my foot contacts the pavement I feel a sensation take over. It is the feeling of resentment, and acceptance. It had taken less than twenty-four hours to happen, but this life was already on pace to mirror every other life I’ve lived so far. I look over and see the cattle cars that carried the other students from the temple here.

As I look, I guess my glowing eyes grab their attention as they all seem to look over to stare at me. It could also be the fact that I am being escorted by several armed guards. Still, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat nostalgic, as I was back home. The primary starting point for, now, all thirteen of my reincarnation attempts.

“Come along Mr. Graves. You will have a long process ahead of you.” With that I follow the mind controlling officer who seems to have some jurisdiction over the military compound into the main retention facility. This is the building with JAG officers, and judges who are willing to preside over court cases at all hours of the day.

I sigh, knowing that whatever is going to happen will be a sham of a trial. I am taken to a court room, where monitors are set to record our proceeding. For a second, I wonder if they will just cut to the chase. Then I realize this is all a setup when I see the corrupt judge who they trail in front of me.

“All rise!” The bailiff says.

I am already on my feet, but this is a sham.

“The honorable Judge Rantner presiding.”

“Oh FUCK NO!” Some asshole shouts angrily. Within a second, I realize that asshole is me.