National Intelligence

Chapter 1

IT was just a normal day, well, normal for me. I was aware that my experience was not like every other 15 year old boy's. 

There I was, sneaking around the lab in dark clothes and rubber-soled shoes, trying not to alert anyone else to my presence. That plan did not succeed, however.

I looked at the luminescent hands of my watch. 1:15am. I had at least two hours till Hugh would notice I wasn't there.

I went over to the right side wall, which was lined with machinery. In the dim moonlight that shone through the glass-panelled roof, I found the one I was looking for. I pressed a button on the side and watched as it opened, revealing a small, faintly glowing, container, holding about a dozen vials. I stretched my hand forwards to take one, but heard movement behind me. I stood, stock-still, hardly daring to breathe, and slowly turned around.

Five armed men surrounded me, glaring at me angrily.

"Hey fellas" I chuckled nervously, putting my hands up, "This is all just a misunderstanding."

Before they had a chance to think, I crouched low to the ground with one leg out and spun around, hitting one of the men behind the knees, causing him to fall forwards towards me. I managed to dodge out of the way, but he fell against a lever attached to the machine containing the vials. The machine started to whirr and an eerie, blue light filled the room. Then the warning lights started to go off. The henchmen looked alarmed and quickly ran out of the lab. I wondered what had frightened them so much. I soon found out.

The room became brighter and gravity seemed to disappear. I began to float upwards. I was nearly at the ceiling when a fierce bolt of electricity flowed through me, causing me to cry out in pain. When it stopped, gravity kicked in and I fell to the floor. I was still aching from the electric shock and winded from my fall to the floor. I was also confused. A fall like that should have killed me, or at least broken some bones, but I could feel that nothing was broken. How was that even possible?

Once I had gotten my breath back and the pain had subsided, I stood up. The machine had stopped whirring but was still giving off an eerie glow, giving me enough light to see by. I decided it necessary to leave as soon as possible, in case the henchmen came back. I was in no state to fight them if they did.

I picked up a metal pipe from the floor and used it to break one of the windows. I climbed through and back out into the street. I pulled my hood up over my head and began to walk in the direction of my house.

When I was a few streets away, I heard police sirens approaching.

'Obviously going to the lab,' I thought.

I walked for a while longer, but when I was only a few streets away from my house, I suddenly doubled over in pain. I wanted to cry out, but also didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention at that time of night. I was on my knees, breathing heavily, wishing for the pain to stop. It eventually did, as the world went black around me.

Chapter 2

BEEP, beep, beep.

The first noise I heard as I came was the sound of the heart-monitor. I was in a hospital, but why?

I thought about it, my eyes still closed. Memories from the night before came flooding back to me. I groaned as I opened my eyes.

Hugh was sitting next to me, watching me anxiously. When he saw that I was awake, he smiled, gently.

“Hey, kiddo. How are you feeling?”

“Fine, I think.”

He chuckled softly.

“Do you remember what happened last night?”

I nodded, “Everything up to passing out.”

Hugh's face hardened.

“You know that you should never sneak out like that!” he exclaimed, “What were you thinking? What would have happened to you if the police hadn’t found you?”

“I’m sorry,” I replied, rather inadequately.

“I’m sorry too,” he sighed, “I shouldn’t have shouted. You just worried me, Gabriel. How do you think I felt when I came home to find that you weren’t there? And then I get a call from the hospital to say you were found unconscious on the streets! What happened?”

“Would you mind if I explain once we’re home? Hospitals aren’t exactly my favourite places.”

Once I had been checked out of the hospital, we drove back to the place I had called home for the past 5 years.

I had lived with Hugh ever since my parents’ disappearance when I was 10. Hugh, as my legal guardian, had been looking after me ever since.

When we got inside, we both sat down in the lounge, Hugh eying me anxiously.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m perfectly fine,” I assured him, “Just a bit tired, that’s all.”

He relaxed slightly into his chair, but still watched me warily.

“Are you going to explain then?” he asked.

I took a deep breath, and told him everything.

Once I had finished, he merely nodded.

“Alright, then. You can go to your room now.”

“No questions?” I asked, surprised.

“I need to think about what you have told me,” he replied, “I’ll ask any questions I have in the morning.”

Shrugging at his vagueness, I lumbered up the stairs to my bedroom, swiftly falling asleep on top of the covers.

Chapter 3

WHEN I awoke the next morning, I lay for a while with my eyes closed, thinking of all that had happened during the last 48 hours.

Sighing at my thoughts, I sat up, and bashed my head on something above me.

“Ow,” I grumbled, in irritation, rubbing my head and turning to glare at the thing above me.

It was the ceiling.

I stared at it. How was I high enough to hit my head on the ceiling? I looked downwards, hoping that it was my bed or my blankets that were floating. My bed was planted firmly on the floor, but my blankets still covered me. With a nervous breath, I pulled them off as my last hope. I remained in the air.

I was the one floating.

Panicked, I called for help.

“Hugh!” I shouted.

I heard his footfalls up the stairs before he entered my bedroom, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. He stopped as he saw my gravity-defying state.

“Gabriel!” he exclaimed, “How did you get up there?!”

“I don’t know!” I replied, “I just woke up and hit my head on the ceiling!”

“Alright,” Hugh said, managing to remain calm, “Let’s try to get you down.”

I, meanwhile, wondered how he did it, remaining calm in a stressful situation. ‘But then,’ I thought, ‘He is the director of a spy organisation. Stress is his everyday life.’

Once my feet were safely back on the ground, we both breathed a sigh of relief.

“What was that?” I wondered.

“I’m not sure,” Hugh responded, slowly, gazing at the ceiling as if it would give him answers.

After a minute, he spoke again, carefully, “I think we need to run some tests on you.”

“You need to do what?!”

“Nothing to worry about,” he replied, shaking his head, “Just change into something and I’ll take you to H.Q.”

“It’s Monday,” I pointed out, “I have school.”

“I’ll phone the school and say you’re ill,’ he explained, “Besides, you’re already ahead of your class. Missing one day won’t hurt.”

I sighed. I guessed I had no choice.

Once the tests had been completed, Hugh explained the results.

“It seems,” he began, “That the machine you encountered exposed you to a rare sort of radiation. That’s why those men ran away and the alert sounded. They weren’t going to risk being exposed.”

“Like I was?”

“Exactly.”

“So? What did happen?”

“It would seem that the radiation has affected your DNA slightly, giving you special abilities.”

“In English, please?”

Hugh smiled slightly, “That radiation has given you superpowers.”

Chapter 4

YES, I had superpowers. Was I happy about them? I wasn’t sure. I suppose it was every kid's dream to gain powers, but it had never been mine. My dream was to become a spy, like my parents, and to find them. I didn’t even know what I would do with them.

I asked Hugh what he thought, and he responded with; “Haven’t you read the comics? Help people.”

Which is what I decided to do.

Once I had gained control over my powers, that is.

Having been trained as a spy, like my parents, I already had a number of skills, including various martial arts, acrobatics, self-defense and computer hacking.

My first success, if you could call it that, as a hero, came about a month later. Hugh, having lectured me about the importance of secret identities, created a suit and mask for me. The mask was blue, and had a white, transparent material covering my eyes. The suit was black and grey, with a blue feather symbol on the chest.

I was patrolling the street that night, when I smelt smoke. At first, I thought someone had lit a fire, as it was nearly winter, but as I rounded the corner, I saw there was an entire building on fire. The fire crew was already there, battling the blaze with little success. I rushed inside to rescue the people still trapped, during which time the press arrived. Once I was certain that everyone was safe and the fire was under control, I began to leave, but someone grabbed my wrist, stopping me. I turned to find a girl standing there. She was probably about 2 years younger than me. I wondered what she was doing there.

“Wait,” she said, “What should I call you?”

“Blue-Feather,” I replied with a small smile, before flying away.

Chapter 5

THE girl, it turned out, had a part-time job as a reporter. In the two years after the fire, she had become the main Blue-Feather correspondent. Her name was Samantha, which I discovered from her articles. The thing I found strange was that her surname was never mentioned. I assumed she preferred it that way.

I was 17 and, having finished school a year early, was working for N.I. N.I or, National Intelligence, to give it its full name, was the spy agency directed by one Hugh Masters, my legal guardian. My parents had also been N.I. members, top agents, in fact, until they disappeared on a mission when I was 10. Hugh had trained me to follow in their footsteps. No one at the agency knew of my alter ego.

I had become one of the best field agents, having inherited my parents’ intellect and knack for the job. Hugh was pleased, and I soon began to lead my own missions.

Some of my older colleagues envied me, and were bitter about being told what to do by someone at least 10 years younger than themselves.

I did,, however, have at least one friend. Anne Evans, Head of Field Operations, also known as my immediate boss. Being only 5 years older than me, she was the youngest HOD at N.I, and we had bonded over our similar circumstances. She was also the closest to me in age. We got along right from the start and had a mutual trust in one another. I trusted her with my life.

I had once asked Hugh whether I could share my ‘secret’ with her, and he said I had to make my own decisions.

I decided not to tell her outright, but rather began dropping hints, waiting for her to notice and make the connection.

I had been doing that for about two months when she called me into her office to speak to me privately.

“Gabriel,” she began, sternly, “I want you to look at this.”

She handed me a manila file, boldly labelled ‘For your eyes only’. I opened it onto the first page.

Case File no. 307186

Name: Blue-Feather

Information:

Identity: Unknown

Age: Late teens. Exact age unknown

Height: Unknown

Weight: Unknown

Abilities: Flight, Enhanced Speed, Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Agility, Healing-Factor.

Other: A vigilante. Viewed as a hero by the general public.

In the top, right-hand corner was a clipping from a newspaper, a photo of me in flight. I sighed as I closed the folder. Anne raised an eyebrow at me, “So?”

I acted nonchalant, “Blue-Feather is 17 years old, 6ft tall, weighs 70kgs and also has Enhanced Sight.”

Anne blinked at me, “And how would you know that?”

I smirked, leaning back in my chair with my hands behind my head, “I am Blue-Feather.”

Chapter 6

ANNE stared at me for a moment, before she burst out laughing, “You? Sorry, Gabriel, but I’m going to have to see some proof before I believe that you’re a bad-ass vigilante.”

“Alright,” I agreed easily, standing up, “Here’s your proof.”

Anne watched, mouth agape, as I slowly rose from the floor.

“That enough proof for you?” I asked with a smirk.

She spluttered, "What-how?!"

I landed back on the floor, "Let's go somewhere where no one will recognise us. We can talk there."

...::-::...

We went to a small café just up the road from H.Q, ordering coffee each before I explained everything to Anne. She knew my more public backstory, so I just told her about the Blue-Feather part of my life.

“You’ve been doing this since you were 15?” she asked, incredulously.

“Yep,” I replied, simply.

“Who else knows?”

“Just Hugh and, now, you.”

“No one else?”

“Nope.” 

She was silent for a while after that, cradling her coffee mug in both hands and watching the steam as it rose into the air.

“Do you know why I showed you that file?” she asked, eventually.

“No?”

“I was going to ask you to bring Blue-Feather in for questioning. Some operatives have begun to query your morals. Most believed that you had had bad intentions.”

I scoffed, shaking my head, “Yeah, they would think that.”

Anne looked up, studying me carefully, “What are your intentions?”

I thought about it for a moment, before looking her straight in the eye, and answered with firm conviction, “I just want to help people. I know how cruel this world can be, and if I can spare them from at least some of the pain and suffering it has to offer, then I will, and nothing you or anyone else does can stop me.”

Anne seemed to contemplate my answer for a minute more before she replied, “I can see you’re not going to be dissuaded, so I’m not going to stop you. I’ll support your actions, explain everything to them.”

“Thank you,” I replied, appreciatively, “Just don’t mention my real identity.”

“Why not?” She seemed surprised.

“It’s not safe,” I replied, “I mean, have you read the comic books? You know what happens to the heroes and their families when their identity is revealed. Besides,  they resent me already. If they find out that I’m Blue-Feather, they’ll have me kicked out of N.I. for good.”

“I understand,” she replied, with a small smile, “Your secret’s safe with me.

...::-::...

Once we had finished our coffee, we walked back up the street towards H.Q, talking as we went. As a result, I wasn’t really watching where I was going, and ended up bumping into a girl heading in the opposite direction, causing her to drop the notebooks and papers she was holding. I apologised profusely, bending down to help her pick up her things. When she stood, I recognised her as the reporter, Samantha. I had only ever seen her at night, when she went to report on my latest escapade, so it was strange to see her in the daylight.

She thanked me briefly, before continuing the way she had been going. I looked back at her, frowning.

“What is it?” Anne asked, looking up at me.

“I don't know,” I replied, “She just reminds me of someone."

Chapter 7 

THAT night, I dreamt of my parents.

It was a vivid image. We stood before a large, grey, dull building. My Mom, Dad and I. I appeared to be only about two years old. My mother held a baby in her arms, wrapped in pale blue blankets, and both of my parents had silent tears streaking their cheeks.

There was a gold plaque beside the door, engraved with the words:

St Louis’ Girls’ Home 

A haven for those who need it

My mother stepped forwards, and placed the child she held on the doorstep. She then took a slip of paper from her pocket and tucked it between the blankets, before kissing the baby on the forehead.

“Goodbye, Sammy,” she whispered, “We’ll come back for you, I promise, just as soon as it’s safe.”

I awoke with a start, breathing heavily. Taking a minute to think things over, I quickly got dressed, before rushing to H.Q.

...::-::...

“Hey, Harvey,” I greeted N.I’s lead scientist, “I have a favour to ask you.”

...::-::...

Two days later, Harvey handed me a thin file.

“Are you going to tell me who those samples belong to?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Nope,” I replied, smirking.

“Thought as much,” he sighed, before leaving me to study the file.

On opening the file, I found two pieces of paper, the first a report explaining the favour I had asked of Harvey and the tests conducted. The second was the results of the test. I read them in anticipation.

Results

According to the tests performed, as mentioned in the preceding letter, it would seem that the two DNA samples are definitely related. Their relationship would most probably be siblings.

I read the page over again, making sure I had read it correctly. I then hightailed it to Hugh’s office, not even bothering to knock before opening the door. His head whipped up at my sudden entrance. I handed him the file.

“It would seem,” I said, carefully, “that I have a sister.”

...::-::...

That night, I went to St Louis’ Girls' Home. I’ll admit that it was a bit of a gamble. She might have been adopted or might not have been there in the first place, but I had to try.

I flew in through one of the upper floor windows, having gone dressed as Blue-Feather. That particular floor contained a games room, the communal bathroom and a number of bedrooms, each with its occupant’s name on the door. It made my task much easier.

I walked along the corridor, scanning names as I went. I found the one I was looking for. Opening the door slowly, I tried not to make a sound.

I found the girl I was looking for seated with her back towards me, gazing out of her window. She hadn’t heard me come in. I quietly closed the door behind me.

“Samantha?”

She jumped as I spoke, whipping around. The look on her face was a mixture of shock and surprise.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” she asked, shakily.

“I just came to ask you a few questions,” I said, calmly, giving her a disarming smile.

“Ask me?”

I nodded.

“Oh, okay then.”

She sat down at her desk opposite me, looking at me expectantly.

“Why don’t you put your surname on any of your articles?” I asked, getting straight into things. Samantha seemed surprised by my question.

“Well, I don’t actually know what it is. My parents left me here as a baby, with only a note mentioning my name and birthday as well as the blankets I was wrapped in.”

“When is your birthday?”

“March 20th, 2005.”

I chuckled.

“What?” she asked.

“That’s exactly 2 years and 1 month after mine.”

“Really?”

“February 20th.”

We lapsed into silence.

“I actually came to tell you something,” I confessed, “It may come as quite a shock.”

“What is it?” she asked, wide-eyed.

“You have a brother.”

Samantha did not reply for a moment, just stared at the floor in shock.

“Who is he?” she asked, quietly, looking up at me.

I gave her a small smile, “Me.”

Chapter 8

“WHAT?”

I nodded, handing her the results from the file, “I had a DNA test done.”

She took the page from me, and read it over a few times.

“But, how did you get my DNA?”

I smirked, “I got it when I bumped into you three days ago.”

I watched as the cogs turned in her mind before it clicked.

“You’re…”

“My name is Gabriel Jameson,” I replied, removing my mask.

Sammy stared at me for a moment, as if not able to believe her eyes, before rushing over to me and embracing me in a crushing hug, toppling me over onto her bed. I hugged her back.

“I’ve always wanted a brother,” she whispered.

...::-::...

The next morning, Hugh and I went to, officially, collect Sammy. We had decided that it would be better if she didn’t just disappear in the middle of the night, so, in the name of officiality, I brought with me the DNA test results, having made a few changes.

The night before, after having returned home, I hacked into N.I’s Science Department system and made a few changes to Harvey’s report, leaving behind a note for him to find.

Hey Harvey

Guess what?

I have a sister ;-)

When we got back home, the first thing we did was unpack Sammy’s belongings into her new bedroom. Once that had been completed, we sat side by side on her bed as I explained everything to her; our parents’ disappearance, as well as my job at N.I and how I got my powers.

We sat for a while in companionable silence once I had finished, giving her a chance to mull things over.

“So, are Mom and Dad dead?” she asked, seeking clarification.

“That’s what everyone seems to think,” I replied.

“But you don’t.” she stated.

I shook my head, “It’s not like them. It just doesn’t sit well with me.”

“I agree with you.”

“Well I’m glad you do. No one else does.”

“Not even Hugh?”

“No.” 

We lapsed into silence once again.

“Gabriel?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you think I could get powers?”

Chapter 9

THE next day was a Saturday, so I took Sammy to work with me. The one downside of being an international spy was that you never had weekends.

The first person we encountered that day on entrance to the building turned out to be Harvey.

“Gabriel!” he called as he approached me, “What is the meaning of that note you left me?”

I smirked mischievously, turning to Sammy.

“Harvey, This is my sister, Samantha Jameson. Sammy, this is N.I. 's lead scientist, Harvey Stephens.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Sammy smiled brightly, holding her hand out to Harvey.

“Likewise,” Harvey replied, smoothly, though I could see his concealed surprise.

We went to Anne’s office next. On the way, I received the usual disapproving glances.

“Why are they all looking at you like that?” Sammy whispered, conspiratorially.

“Well,” I replied, similarly, “as it turns out, 30 year olds do not being ordered around by someone 13 years younger than them.”

“Ah,” she replied in understanding, as we reached Anne’s office door. I knocked briefly before opening it. Anne looked up as we came in, her eyes landing on Sammy.

“I see this confirms the rumour that’s been  going around,” she said simply, with a smile.

...::-::...

Later that day, I stood to the side and watched Sammy as she interacted with some of my colleagues, when Anne came to stand beside me.

“I can see the resemblance between the two of you,” she commented, following my gaze.

It was true. We both had our mother’s bright blue eyes. I had ebony hair like our dad, while Sammy’s was dark brown like our mom. Sammy also had a lithe frame like Mom, while I was taller and more thick-set, but I could see where Anne was coming from.

...::-::...

The next day, Sammy decided to stay at home as she had a school project to work on. After much assurance that she would be alright by herself, I headed off to work.

When I arrived, I found Harvey anxiously waiting for me. As soon as he saw me, he pulled me into an empty office and spoke to me in a serious, hushed tone.

“Gabriel,” he said, looking me straight in the eyes, “Now that I know it’s your DNA that I tested, there’s something I think you need to be made aware of.”

I frowned, “What is it?”

“Well,” he began, “it would appear that you have been exposed to a rare sort of radiation. It is unclear exactly when it happened, but it could have some side-effects.”

I nodded, much to his surprise, “I know.”

“You do? Well, then, if you don’t mind my asking, what side-effects have you experienced?”

I sighed. I was going to have to tell him.

“Harvey,” I said, seriously, “What I tell you does not leave this room. Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes, of course,” he replied, wide-eyed.

I took a deep breath, before saying, “What do you  know about Blue-Feather?”

Chapter 10

I waited a moment for my words to sink in, watching as realisation dawned on his face.

“Ah,” he said, slowly, “Now that would explain things.”

“Now that you know,” I said, “I have another favour to ask you.”

I explained to him what I wanted. When I finished, he smiled, nodding slowly.

“Yes,” he said, “I think that might just be possible.”

...::-::...

That night, I brought Sammy back with me to H.Q, where Harvey was waiting for us in one of his smaller labs.

“What are we doing here?” Sammy asked, looking at me curiously.

“You’ll see,” I replied, cryptically.

“Spies,” she huffed, rolling her eyes, “Why do you always have to be so secretive?”

When we arrived at the lab, Harvey was waiting for us.

“You’re early,” he stated with a grin, “Good! That means we can finish earlier.”

“Finish what, exactly?”

“You haven’t told her?” Harvey queried.

I shook my head. He smiled mischievously.

“We,” he said, addressing Sammy, “are going to give you powers.”

...::-::...

“Good thing you both have the same blood type,” Harvey said, once we had finished, “Otherwise it would have taken a lot longer.”

“Thanks, Harvey,” I said, quietly, picking an unconscious Sammy up.

“No problem,” he said, with a smile, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I gave him a brief nod of accent before leaving.

...::-::...

When we got back home, I gently put Sammy into bed, careful not to disturb her. She stirred slightly, however.

“Gabriel?” she asked, groggily, “When you got your powers, did you feel dizzy?”

I chuckled, “Yeah, a bit. It helps to sleep it off.”

She simply groaned in response, before promptly falling asleep again. I left her bedroom, shaking my head as I closed the door behind me. Hugh stood there waiting for me.

“Is she alright?” he asked, anxiously.

I nodded, “She’s fine, just tired, that’s all. It takes a lot out of you.”

“And you?”

“I’m alright.”

“Good,” he said, smiling slightly, “I’ll email Sammy’s school, tell them she’s sick.”

“Alright,” I replied.

Hugh nodded in response, before turning to go to his own bedroom.

“Hugh?”

He stopped and turned back towards me, “Yes?”

“Thank you, for everything.”

He sent me a small smile, “My pleasure,” before entering his bedroom and closing the door.

I then went to my own bedroom, flopping down onto my bed, still fully- dressed, and promptly fell asleep.

Chapter 11

THREE years later, I was called to Hugh’s office, where I found both Hugh and Anne waiting for me. Hugh motioned for me to close the door, which I did before taking a seat beside Anne.

“Right,” Hugh said, diving in head-first, “As you know, my retirement is coming up and, as such, I need to appoint a new Director.” He paused. “I have chosen you, Anne, to take my place.”

Anne stared at him in surprise, “Hugh, I…”

“I won’t hear another word,” Hugh cut her off, “Both Gabriel and I know you’re the right person for the job.”

“Of course,” I agreed, easily, “You deserve it! You’ve worked hard for it, and you’ve earned it.”

She blushed at my compliments.

“However,” Hugh continued, “This means that someone will need to take Anne’s place.” He looked straight up at me, “And that’s where you come in.”

I stared at him for a moment, speechlessly, before letting out a breathless laugh, “Me? You’ve got to be kidding, Hugh. I’m only 20.”

“20 my foot!” Anne exclaimed, “You’re our top field agent. You’re more than up to it.”

“Alright,” I backed-off, chuckling at her enthusiasm.

“It's agreed then,” Hugh announced, with a  smile, “There are, however, still 3 months before I retire. Within that time, Anne will explain everything to you that you do not already know.” With that, he quickly gestured for both Anne and I to  leave his office, which we did, closing the door behind us. As soon as the door was closed, Anne and I caught each other’s eye, before we burst out laughing.

“Hugh.”

...::-::...

When we got back to the Field Operations section, Sammy came running up to me eagerly. She had begun working for N.I after she graduated.

“What did Hugh want?” she asked, looking up at me expectantly.

I opened my  mouth to reply, but Anne beat me to it.

“He’s going to be the new Head of Field Ops. when Hugh retires,” she explained, bluntly, before walking back to her office. Sammy simply blinked at me a couple of times, before flinging her arms around my neck.

“That’s fantastic!” she squealed, “Congratulations!” 

“Thanks, Sammy,” I laughed.

“You know what this means, right?”

“No?”

She grinned mischievously, “Not only are you going to be my brother, you’re going to be my boss, too.”

With that, she skipped happily away, presumably to talk to some of our colleagues.

...::-::...

Later that afternoon, Harvey came to talk to me.

“Is it true?” he asked.

“Is what true?”

“That Anne is becoming the director when Hugh retires, and that you’re taking over Field Ops?”

I laughed, “Harvey, you know we don’t divulge that sort of information in our line of work.”

“So, it is true then,” he stated, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

I nodded, “Where did you hear that, though?”

“Sammy has been going from department to department, practically bragging about it.”

I huffed out a laugh, shaking my head, “She shouldn’t be.”

“She has reason to,” he defended, “She’s proud of you, and she wants everyone to know that. Even if you don’t see it, everyone knows that you’re the right man for the job.”

He smiled.

“Thanks, Harvey, that really means a lot to me.”

Chapter 12

SIX months later, I sat at Anne’s old desk, that had become mine, going through some unsolved files. Some operatives had suggested that we relook at the cases, so I was deciding which ones. That is, until I came across one that stopped me in my tracks. Shoving the others aside, I opened it eagerly and began to read. I poured over every detail, going over facts both familiar and unfamiliar. 

I was still busy with it when Sammy came in.

“What are you looking at?” she asked, curiously, “Or are you not at liberty to tell me?”

“I don’t understand,” I mumbled, staring at the pages before me, not really hearing her, “Why did no one tell me this? This solves everything.”

“Gabriel?” Sammy asked anxiously, “Are you okay? What is it?”

I looked her dead in the eye before replying, “I know how to find Mom and Dad.”

...::-::...

Three weeks later, Sammy and I stood on a rooftop, watching over the lab from 5 years previously, the one where I had gotten my powers. Things had come full-circle.

We had decided to go as ourselves, as spies, rather than our alter-egos, Blue and Red Feather. Our  aim was to solve the case and find our parents, and we had a plan to do just that.

I purposely did not disable the lab’s security as we entered. We went in through the sky-light, landing silently on the tiled floor, side-by-side. The pair of us shared a glance before splitting up and heading to opposite sides of the room. I personally headed straight for one machine in particular, opening it to a familiar, blue, glow. Carefully, I extracted one of the vials from within, placing in a pouch on my belt, to use for evidence. It was lucky that I did, as not two seconds later, a horde of men flooded in, overpowering Sammy and I easily, knocking us unconscious.

...::-::...

When I awoke, I found my wrists and ankles bound together, tied to some sort of beam behind me. Sammy was in a similar situation beside me. She gradually woke up.

“Are you alright?” I whispered, anxiously.

“I’m fine,” she replied, equally quietly, “Where are we?”

“In a cargo plane,” I replied, having previously studied our surroundings in the dim lighting.

We flew for about another hour, before we could feel the plane begin to descend. Sammy and I once again feigned unconsciousness as the hold was opened. My wrists, while still bound together, were untied from the beam behind me, before I felt myself being lifted up. Beside me, I could hear someone do the same to Sammy.

As I could feel myself being carried forwards, the man who held me spoke.

“Hey, Boss,” he called, “This kid looks like one of the other prisoners.”

The boss scoffed in response, and spoke in a voice that brought to life my deepest fears, “Of course he does. He’s their son.”

“Uh, what do you want us to do with them?”

“Throw them in cell six. We can have the ‘family reunion’ later.”

We were taken quite a distance, but I eventually heard the sound of a cell door being unlocked before I was roughly thrown inside. Sammy was tossed beside me, before the cell was locked behind us. As soon as the sound of footsteps had receded, we both sat up and began to untie ourselves. Sammy worked at her ropes furiously, her face red from anger.

“How dare they?!” she hissed, “They’ve kept Mom and Dad imprisoned here for ten years! Why didn’t they do anything?!”

“I don’t know,” I replied, dazedly, still reeling from discovering  the boss’ identity. Sammy clearly hadn’t recognised their voice, judging by her reaction. She did seem to notice something was bothering me, though.

“What is it? Are you okay?”

I shook my head to clear it, “I’m fine, it doesn’t matter. We need to focus on finding them.”

Standing up, I studied our surroundings. The cell we were in had barred windows near the ceiling, as well as an enforced-steel door and thick walls. Virtually impenetrable, except if you were highly-trained spies who just so happened to have advanced powers. 

I flew up to the window in the backhand wall, and peered through to see what was on the other side. I turned out to be another passageway, a way out. Sammy, seeing my idea, flew up to the left-hand window, while I moved to the right-hand one. My breath caught in my throat as I looked through.

My parents were there, sitting side-by-side on the concrete slab that served as a bed, talking quietly to each other. Quickly, I caught Sammy’s attention. She flew up to me and peered through the window. I watched as her face paled.

“Is, is that them?”

I nodded stiffly, not able to speak. We observed them for a minute more, before landing again to come up with a game plan. Once we’d decided what to do, we went to action. 

Simultaneously, we flew up to the window that led to our parents’ cell, each grabbing a bar and bending it back so that we could fit through. Sammy went through first, and I followed after her, dropping to the floor.

Our parents were on their feet, staring at us in complete shock. I was anxious that they wouldn’t recognise me. We stood on opposite sides for a few minutes, examining each other. My mom and dad didn’t seem to have changed much. They were pretty much as I remembered them, except for a few more grey hairs.

I watched as my dad’s expression changed, flickering from one of confusion to another of recognition.

“Gabriel?” he whispered, hoarsely.

I nodded fiercely, unable to speak for emotion. Before I knew what had happened, I ended up in his arms, wrapped in his embrace after ten years apart. I held onto him as if he would disappear if I let go. Somewhere along the line, both Mom and Sammy joined in. 

Once I had composed myself, I finally let go, looking my parents in the eyes, “We’re getting out of here.”

“We’ve tried,” Mom sighed, “There’s no way out.”

“Oh, there is,” Sammy smirked, “You’ve just got to have a certain… touch.”

She shot a glance at me as she walked over to the backhand wall. I followed behind her as our parents watched in puzzlement. They watched in shock as we flew up and bent the bars of the window back. We then flew back down.

“Going up?” I asked mom, cheekily as I picked her up and flew her to the window.

“Gabriel!” she exclaimed, “What…?”

“We’ll explain later,” I promised, “Let’s just focus on getting out of here.”

Once we were all out of the cell, we began running down the corridor. I heard footsteps behind us.  We then started running in the other direction.

The passage led to a large, open, hallway, with many doors leading off of it. One of them, I was certain, opened onto the way out.

Before we had a chance to try one, however, we were surrounded by a large group of goons.

“Hmm, what have we here?”

We all turned around.

“Hugh,” I hissed.

“Gabriel,” He returned, smugly, “See you’ve finally reunited with your parents.”

“How dare you?” I shouted at him, seething, ”We trusted you, we cared for you, and you betrayed us?!”

“I truly am sorry,” he said, genuinely, “but I had no choice.”

“Of course you had a choice!” Sammy screeched at him, “There is always a choice, you just chose the wrong one.”

“I see we’re not going to agree here,” Hugh sighed, “So this time, you really do leave me no choice.” His face hardened.

“Kill them.”

Chapter 13

THE men all began to edge towards us slowly. Mom, Dad, Sammy and I stood back to back, covering all sides.

“So,” Mom said, lightly, “how long have you known that it was Hugh?”

“I had my suspicions,” I shrugged, “Confirmed it when we got here.”

“You mean you knew?” Sammy exclaimed, “And you didn’t tell me?”

“Can we discuss this later?” Dad broke in, “Let’s deal with the fifty armed men trying to kill us first.”

“We can’t let Hugh get away,” I said, watching him edge his way to one of the doors.

“You go after him,” Mom instructed, “We can handle the rest.”

I nodded my accent, before fighting my way through the mass of goons. Hugh saw me coming, and began to run down the subsidiary corridor. I chased after him. I managed to catch up to him, grabbing his arms and holding them behind his back.

“You’re not getting away with this,” I said, darkly.

“I’m afraid that’s where you’re wrong.”

It was to my great disadvantage that I’d never seen Hugh fight before. He flipped me right over him, so I ended up flat on my back, slightly breathless. Hugh bolted through another doorway, so I got up and chased after him, grabbing him by the back of his jacket, turning him towards me. I landed a punch to his sternum, winding him. While he was getting his breath back, I grabbed a rope hanging on a hook beside the door, and began to tie him up with it, but I didn't get to finish. He turned me to face him, and proceeded to knock me on the temple with a metal pipe that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. I stumbled back, dazed. Hugh knocked me back onto the floor, brandishing the pipe. 

“Oh, how the tables have turned,” he gloated, grinning, “Only just got your parents back, and now you’re going to disappear. Only, this time, there’ll be no coming back. And who will protect poor little Sammy when you’re gone?”

At that moment, all I saw was red. I wasn’t actually sure what happened. Things ended up with Hugh thrown back against the wall, unconscious, and what seemed like a thousand fires coursing through my veins.

“No one,” I hissed, bending down over his limp form, “hurts my family and gets away with it.”

...::-::...

When I got back, dragging Hugh behind me, I found most of the men unconscious. Any that weren’t were tied up and quivering in a corner. Sammy looked like she was going to develop a nasty black eye, my mom was inspecting a nasty gash on her arm, and my dad seemed to be pretty much alright.

“Is everyone okay?” I asked, dumping Hugh in the corner with the other goons.

“We’re alright,” Sammy responded, “You?”

I shrugged, giving her a small smile, “I’ll recover.”

“What shall we do with him?” Dad asked, glaring at Hugh.

“I’ve called for back-up,” I replied, “They’ll be here soon.”

...::-::...

They arrived in helicopters ten minutes later. They took Hugh off my hands and rounded up the men left inside. Afterwards, a medic came to check our various injuries. Once we were given the all clear, we climbed aboard a helicopter to fly home.

“So,” Dad began, “You worked out what Hugh was up to?”

I nodded, “Pretty much.”

“What was he up to?” Sammy asked, looking between us, “No one’s actually explained that to me yet.”

“Well, Hugh’s actually the owner of one of the world’s largest oil companies, although registered under a false name. It has recently increased in both size and wealth, due to the fact that the other oil companies' products have become unsuitable for processing. It just decomposes and breaks down, a complete chemical phenomenon. The reason for that was a special formula, created by Hugh himself in the lab we broke into. That’s what’s in the vial I took. The chemicals cause the molecules to break down and separate, decomposing the oil. All he had to do was to pour one vial into the other companies’ oil.”

“But, how did he add it? Surely he doesn’t go around himself to every single processing plant with a dozen vials and just pour them in without anyone seeing.”

“No,” I chuckled, “He employs people to do it for him. More specifically, he employs trained agents to do it for him, ex-N.I agents, ones either fired or presumed dead. He sends them undercover to work for the other companies. That’s what he wanted Mom and Dad for,” I looked to them for confirmation, which they gave, “He tried to get them to go undercover for him as well. When they refused, he imprisoned them because he knew too much.”

“But why did he do it?”

“Simple,” I replied, “He did it for the money, “When the other companies’ oil became unsuitable, everyone turned to Hugh.”

Chapter 14

WHEN we arrived back at H.Q, heads turned in our direction, probably due to the reappearance of my parents, as well as the unconscious ex-N.I director handcuffed and being supported trailing behind us. My parents decided to stay and talk to some old friends while Sammy and I went to report to Anne.

“Is it true?” she asked, anxiously, standing up as we entered her office, “hugh kidnapped your parents and imprisoned them?”

I nodded, “That’s where they’ve been for the past ten years.”

“But why?”

I explained everything to her.

“I just can’t believe he betrayed us all like that.”

I nodded in agreement.

We all went back to Field ops, to find Mom and Dad eagerly engaged in conversation. Sammy and I introduced them to Anne, and they got on really well.

My mom and Sammy then went off again, Sammy wanting to show her a few things. My dad stayed behind to talk to me.

“So,” he began, with a raised eyebrow, “Head of Field Ops. hey?”

I chuckled, “Did Sammy tell you that?”

“Maybe,” he admitted, smirking.

...::-::...

Three weeks later, we had all settled into a new routine.

Hugh had gone to prison, Sammy and I had moved in with our parents, and Mom and Dad had rejoined N.I. 

Anne had managed to hush up Hugh’s connection with N.I. Being an espionage agency, we couldn’t afford to have ourselves too well known.

As a family, we tried to spend as much time together as possible, catching up on the years we had lost.

Hugh was sentenced to prison for ten years, for kidnapping, illegal imprisonment and fraud.

Poetic justice, if you ask me.