Chapter 9 The Past

Austin reminisces about the beginning of the war and the beginning of his bad relationship with his brother (Strong lang. towards the end. Read at own risk)

"You can't be serious?!" My mother exclaims

"What, you think I control this whole thing?! You think my opinion matters at all?! I was just following orders!" Jack yells back at our mother. Jack had just told our mom about how he had been a part of a team who fought against the first rebel alliance rebellion. During this battle innocent people were killed.

"You always have a choice jack." Our mom's voice was quieter now

"No Mom, I don't. You know just as well as I do how the government is. I would be killed if I didn't follow orders." Jack says looking down at the ground.

"I wish you never signed up for the army." Our mom mutters under her breathe.

"I don't. Yeah innocent people were killed but i don't completely disagree with the government's agenda." Jack says back to her, looking her straight in the eyes.

"You think it's ok to kill innocent people?! They had no say in the rebellion! Why were they killed as well? Because they were protesting?!" My mom yells back at him

"Mom, I want the protesting to stop. What if it had happened in this town? And you or dad or Austin was killed? That is what I'm trying to stop.' Jack says and starts to walk out of the room.

"We both know this country is headed towards a civil war. What side will you be on?" Our mom sternly says to Jack.

"The side that has helped put food on our table all these years." Jack looks towards the door and walks out. I walk through the kitchen and look at my mom who knows I had heard the whole conversation. I don't think it's a big deal that I know whats going on. In a few months I would be 20 years old. I had already voted on the new president a year ago. I walk straight through the kitchen and go out the back door to follow Jack. I look around and realize he isn't around. He must have flown home. I feel the heat building in my heart which goes down my arms and legs and exits my feet and hands. There will be another spot where the grass is burnt. luckily I'm not wearing any shoes or socks. 

I fly a few miles to my brothers apartment. At the moment he lives there with his squad of five men including him. Over the four years he has been in the military he had moved around a bit. Luckily he is right outside of town at the moment. i turn my fire off about two feet above the ground so i don't mess up any of his grass like I did to my mom. I ring his doorbell and one of his friends answers. His name is Andrea Burring. He is about three or four inches taller than me. He is skinning and has short black hair and very dark skin. His is able to freeze water. He can use the moister in the air to shoot ice out of his hands and do countless other temperature related things. I always wondered what a fight between me and him would be like. Since he was in the military he would probably kick my a*s anyways because i only have basic training in fighting.

"Hey little dude, how are you?" Andrea says to me

"I'm fine. Have you seen Jack lately?" I say quickly, Just trying to get to the bottom of things

"He said he was going to your house actually. Why?" Andrea asks with a puzzled look

"He stormed out after talking to my mom. Well thanks anyways." I turn like I'm going to leave when a breeze blows my hair. I look up and see a figure flying over the house and landing in the small back yard. I turn back and Andrea moves aside letting me in the door. I keep walking and pass two of Jacks other roommates playing a game on his big screen TV.

One of their names is Derrik Haggers. Derrik is about my height, 5' 10", and has some old spanish heritage. He has a pretty strong accent but it is still pretty easy to understand what he's saying not including his random slang words. He always called me Chollo for some reason. Many people called his power a gift instead of an ability. He can put people to sleep using hypnosis. He would hold his hands out and make three little gold rings appear out of his hands. Apparently if you're not the one being hypnotizes then you can't actually see the rings. This isn't the most powerful thing in the world because he can only put one person to sleep at a time. What he was really known for was dream walking. Dream walking is a slang word for people who can go into other peoples dreams. He would enter a person's sub conscience and can do anything to their dreams, and I mean anything. The best part is whatever he would do to the person in their dream, would happen to them in real life, leaving the person asleep completely useless. Derrik can basically become a non-believer, basically another term for God in this day of age, and do whatever he wanted inside your head. If he wanted to kill you, then he would, And you wouldn't wake up afterwards. This makes him very valuable for assassination missions. 

The other man is Crash. I'm not quite sure what his last or even his real first name is. His power is very simple to explain. He can turn himself into complete stone, diamond, or metal. This makes him impossible to even leave a dent on when he is in this form. He is called crash because he loved to run into things and isn't the brightest of men.

They both wave to me and call my name but i walk straight past. I have a bone to pick with Jack even though I'm not quite sure if I'm on his side or our Mom's. i see him through the back slider. I move the door to the side and i walk out to see him staring at the sky.

"So, what was that?" I say to Jack. Jack doesn't answer and keeps looking at the sky. "Jack. I said what was that?" he still has no answer so i walk closer to him and grab him on the shoulder. He turns and looks at me with a blank expression on.

"Mom is wrong Austin. This country needs a stable government. If people start thinking things are unfair and fighting back then the power of the government will be challenged. Well have to fight back and there will be a civil war. I don't want a civil war as much as mom but for different reasons. The government needs to keep its absolute power." Jack calmly says

"But that isn't fair Austin. If we..." I try to say before Jack cuts me off

"Life can't always be fair. The government is too powerful and will kill off anyone who tries to go against it. There is no point if a rebellion will just be killed off. Thats why i need to keep the peace so the civilians like you aren't put in danger."Jack says still very calmly

"But what if i don't think its fair. What if i would risk stability to earn more rights." I say back

"Are you saying you would fight against the government? You'll be killed Austin. Maybe not right away but eventually you would be stopped and i may even be the person to do it." Jack says still surprisingly very calmly

"You would kill your own brother?" I say with a shocked look on my face

"I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE!" He yells at me. He's not very calm anymore. It's obvious that the stress of being a Spec. Ops. agent is getting to him "Austin promise me that you will stay as far away from the battle field as possible. Go to Antarctica if you can!" Antarctica was the nay place that had not changed its name through out time

"I can't promise that" I say

"What?" Jack says quietly

"I can't promise you that" I say sternly. Jack moves his left arm sideways and brings a gust of wind towards my legs knocking me on my feet.

"Tell me you will!" Jack yells at me. I'm really pissing him off now. I quickly jump to my feet and bring up my arm like I'm about to punch him in the face. He grabs my arm, gives me a quick jab to the stomach and trips my feet out with more wind. I look up at him from sitting on the ground

"Tell me you'll leave Austin." Jack says to me calmly again. I jump up again, and he knocks me on my a*s again. I look up at him and realize that he just wants me to leave instead of fight so he never has to kill me. Even though we fight all the time and he says that he would kill me in an instant it would kill him emotionally if he really did. I spit smoke out of my mouth, enough so he can't see anything. By the time i am on my feet he has brushed away the smoke with more wind and is standing right in front of me. 

I catch both my hands on fire and take a punch at him with my left hand. He easily grabs my arm but i expected that. With the momentum of my body moving towards him i lift my leg and go to kick him in the head. He grabs that as well but now he is out of arms. I shoot a fire ball at his feet and it hits him. It burns his shoe away. He drops me and jumps back about three feet. I still fall on the ground

"I'm not looking to fight you Austin. I just want you to see my way." Jack says looking down at me like he always does.

"I'm done taking your s**t! I have had enough. I can do whatever i want and you're not the boss of me!" I shoot a ball of fire towards him and he makes it disappear with his wind. He jumps in the air and goes right over me. He is trying to get behind me. I turn around and feel the fire building in my heart. Sometimes i still have trouble controlling my powers. I shoot a huge heat wave towards Jack. This would have been much more effective if he was four feet or more away from me. Since he is right in front of me the fire goes right past him and towards the house.

The fire hits the side of the house and it quickly engulfs the two story house. The fire moves up the wall and spreads catching the entire house on fire in about 5 seconds. The three men inside run out the back door all yelling different curse words. I know they all must want to beet the s**t out of me. 

"Austin what have you done?!" Andrea yells at me. "We're going to have to report this!"

"Don't worry." Derrik says. "I'll put him to sleep right now and we'll be able to bring him in."

"STOP." yells Jack. Everyone stares at him waiting for what he has to say. "With that rebel attack the other day Austin will be killed for doing this. You need to get out of here right now. Go to Antarctica. Now Austin! You can't look back!"

"But dude, we could get in serious trouble for this." Derrik says. "We have to turn him in!"

"SHUT THE F**K UP! He's my little brother! We're not turning him in! We're going to say that the rebel alliance bombed this house. They had an electric wielder who attacked and hit the fuse destroying the house. Austin! pay attention. the two houses next to ours are empty. Catch both of them on fire and then fly home. Say your goodbyes to mom and dad and get the hell out of here." Jack is very flustered but came up with a good plan right on the spot. This is probably the reason he was one of the youngest Spec Ops team leaders ever.

I turn to him and nod. I do exactly as he says and start to fly home. I think about if i will ever see Jack again and wonder if things will ever be the same. I realize that i need to find the rebel alliance and join. It's the only place i can ever have a normal life again. I fly off with high hopes not really realizing how much my life has changed. Hopefully, ill be able to adjust. Only time will tell. 

Author's Note

Please read the first 8 chapters before this one even though this is more of a filler chapter. please let me know what you think and leave a review! This is a long chapter but hopefully its worth it :)

Reviews

[Calibaster]

I like this, but am slightly confused, does he have a flashback?

[Alex]

its kind of more supposed to show you how they got to there relationship at the moment just because i started during the war and you don't really know the back story. its kind of a flash back because its in his point of view but its almost a filler chapter as well

[JGIII]

You have a good premise like I said in my previous review.
What I don't like: You need to spell check before posting to review, a few spelling errors are understandable but there are so many it became distracting for me. You have too many spelling and grammatical errors.
What I like: I think the use of first person works for this story because you're essentially telling the story of a family's struggle within the larger national tension between freedom and security. I think you do a good job of personalizing and humanising characters who could very easily have become stereotypical superpowered cardborad cutouts.

[Alex]

thank you so much! i know i need to review my stories before posting them but thanks for the positive feed back as well!

[Kadessa (Kaddy)]

Love it as always
I would like to see a few chapters from Tori's point of view while Austin is gone on hiss mission. I love to learn about his past like this. It all seems real when I read your stories.

[Alex]

Thanks! :) I'll also see what I can do for you! I'll try and get something out soon but one question for you since you're my biggest fan for sure... When I bring up his past do you like it from the point of view where it's happening in the moment like this chapter is? Or do you like it in say chapter 4 where he is dreaming or remembering the past? Or do you like the mix of both?

[Kadessa (Kaddy)]

Both

[Alex]

ok thank you!