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  “This isn’t just an opportunity to save your father,” Jade said. “You can shut down Pandora and end this war for good.”

  There was a bit of desperation in her voice, almost like she was pleading with me. But it wasn’t enough.

  I turned to Redgrave and shook my head. “I’m sorry you spent all that time doing research. Maybe you’ll be the man who’ll end this war. But my dad’s dead and I’m an adult. If you want someone to save him, get a time machine and tell it to the boy who needed him.”

  I spun around to leave the warehouse.

  “Enzo—” Jade grabbed my arm to stop me in my tracks. She looked me right in the eye, staring pleadingly at me.

  “Jade…” Redgrave spoke softly. “Let him go.”

  She squeezed her grip on me for a second before loosening it. I tugged my arm free and headed for the exit. The warehouse door slammed shut. The ship horns bellowed in the distance but they weren’t enough to distract me from my own thoughts.

  I thought about everything I heard then shook my head. “Crazy,” I scoffed softly to myself.

  4: One-Percent

  17 years earlier…

  I stared out the window and watched the leaves fall. When it was this time of autumn, it was like there were a million of ‘em. They covered the grass and the streets and the sidewalks. Grandma said I never had to worry too much about ‘em though because the wind would take it away. There was no point in sweeping them into a pile when there’d just be more of ‘em to sweep up, she’d say.

  Through all of the brown and orange leaves, I made out the road. It was the middle of the afternoon and most people were in school.

  “Are you hungry, dear?” Grandma’s old voice rang from behind me.

  I shook my head, too distracted as I looked out into the street. “Where is he?”

  “He’ll be here soon. Don’t you worry about him.”

  I turned toward my grandma. She was smiling, making her face wrinkled and her eyes look like two little slits. She always looked like that. I was more used to looking at her face than anybody else’s.

  The rumble of an engine coming down the street made me turn my attention back out toward the window. I jumped off the couch as soon as I heard it and rushed toward the front door like the house was on fire. I kicked away the leaves and ran through the grass as fast as I could then watched as the black sedan pulled onto the driveway.

  My dad smiled from the driver’s seat and hopped out. “Dad!” I pounced on him, wrapping my hands around his waist.

  “Superstar! It’s been a long time!” He grabbed me right underneath my arms and held me up like I didn’t weigh anything. He never had much trouble holding me up because of how strong he was. His smile underneath his mustache had never seemed bigger.

  His eyes shifted to the cast on my arm as he set me back down on my feet. “What happened here?”

  I looked down at it. “Well…” I could either lie to him, which wouldn’t make me feel very good. Or I could tell him the truth, which wouldn’t make me feel very good either. Dad was smart enough to figure me out anyway. I wished there was some way to explain to him how I busted up my wrist but there wasn’t.

  He took a knee down in front of me and looked me right in the eye. “Tell me.”

  “We were playing a game,” I said. “Football. Mark… He’s such a jerk. He was messing around with some of the kids. And then his team beat ours and he really started rubbing it in everybody’s faces… He was picking on someone else. Arnold. Started to make him cry. I used the punch you taught me. Caught him right in the mouth. Knocked him down but… I kinda landed it wrong…”

  I thought he’d be excited about using a punch I learned from him but I knew he was sad.

  He sighed softly through his nose and shook his head. Even though he was smiling, he wasn’t very happy.

  “You can’t just punch everybody whenever they make you mad,” he said.

  “Well, what am I supposed to do?”

  He burst into a chuckle, which only made me confused. He squeezed a hand around my shoulder to make sure I was listening to him.

  “Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all. It’s hard. Especially when someone is being a bully. I know. But you have to do it. Otherwise, you’re just a bully yourself.” He moved his hand down to my cast and looked at it. “How long?”

  “I was suspended for a week but the cast will be there for another month.”

  “Right… Well, cast or no cast, we’ll still have a good time.” The smile returned to his face.

  Dad got mad like I expected him to but he never stayed mad for very long. He was always smiling when I was around him, even though that wasn’t very often.

  “Oliver!”

  Dad straightened up when Grandma came out. He gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek.

  “What are you doing out here?” she said. “All these darn leaves. Let’s get inside already.”

  “It’s not like this at the District,” he said with a chuckle. “The weather’s always perfect. I missed Newmire.”

  “You can admire Newmire another time. Food’s getting cold.” Grandma muttered to herself as she headed back into the house.

  Dad looked down at me, a proud smile on his face. Whenever I saw him, he always looked more impressive than the last time. I looked at the star buttons on the chest of his uniform and he noticed I was staring.

  “They changed colors,” I said.

  “That’s right,” he said with a nod. “Your father got a promotion. Made it all the way to Omega Prime.”

  “Omega Prime… That sounds cool. Maybe I can be an Omega and make it to Prime, too. Some day…”

  He smiled at me then took another knee so he could look me right in the eye. “Listen, Zo… I’m gonna tell you a secret. But you can’t tell anybody. Not even Grandma, okay?”

  My eyes widened as I nodded.

  “I’m working hard at the District. It’s… difficult but it’s necessary. You know that, right?”

  “Sure. The monsters in Pandora. You’re doing your duty.”

  “Heh… Ten-years-old and you understand it better than some adults…” He swallowed suddenly, his eyes still locked on mine. “There’s a chance the next time I go back will be the last time. I can finish this for good and then retire. I can spend the rest of my time with you and Grandma.”

  “What? Really?” I started bouncing up and down but he kept his hand around my shoulder to keep me in place.

  “That’s if I get this done. If not, I’ll be coming around as often as I can. This… This is…”

  “It’s what, Dad?”

  I looked into his eyes. I could see something. It almost seemed like he wanted to cry. That didn’t make sense though. My dad never cried. It was impossible.

  He smiled at me. “What do I always say when we play games? You can’t control what happens in the end… Just enjoy the now.”

  I smiled back and wrapped my arms around him. I didn’t know why he was saying it to me now but I didn’t care. All that mattered was he was here.

  He moved his other hand up to my shoulder then leaned forward to kiss me on the top of my head. “What are you?”

  “Superstar!”

  “Yeah… I’m proud of you, Zo. Always. Don’t ever forget that.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Lucky’s Pub had the usual crowd of guys and gals just looking for a drink and a chance to get away from it all. The chatter and the stink and the unappealing scenery were never enough to distract me from enjoying a moment of peace. Tonight was a little different though.

  It wasn’t the sweet sugar of my drink that had my mind wandering like usual. The whole damn day, my encounter with Jade and Dr. Redgrave was running through my head. Even working the mitts with everybody at the gym only worked for a few moments before my mind would go elsewhere.

  I wasn’t about to let that shit get to me. It’d all go away. It was just some crazy dream. Things would be back to normal and I’d forget all about i
t.

  My lips wrapped around my straw as I stared at the bar counter. I was staring at the counter when I felt someone take a seat next to me. I couldn’t see them clearly from the corner of my eye but I already knew who it was.

  “If you’re trying to convince me to go back into that warehouse garage, save it,” I said.

  “How’d you know?” Jade’s stern but feminine voice floated into my ears.

  “Lucky’s has a particular smell. It stinks. Someone like you walks in here with just a whiff of perfume… They definitely don’t belong here.” I looked up and saw her smiling softly.

  Jade had an intense face, eyes always so focused. Her skin was so pale and unblemished, it made everything else stand out. Her thin lips. Her thin nose. The high cheekbones. Her long, dark hair went down the sides of her face like she’d brushed it a million times.

  In this town, she could’ve fooled the schmucks of Newmire into thinking she was from up north in Hollywood. Some model or actress. As pretty as she was though, she wasn’t enough to distract me from my drink.

  “Are you drinking… pineapple juice?”

  “Criticizing my drink isn’t a good way to convince me.”

  “Hey, if you enjoy it, that’s all that matters.”

  “How about you? What are you drinking tonight?”

  “Tonight? I think I’ll stay sober. Got some plans with Dr. Redgrave.”

  “Hmm… You really trust that old man, huh?”

  Jade leaned forward against the counter. Her eyes were on me even though I wasn’t looking back at her.

  “Redgrave is one of the smartest men the LOD ever had. It was a huge loss when he left. He worked directly with Dr. Higashi, who’s responsible for a lot of the work the Legion is doing. The original Dr. Higashi, not his son.”

  “Redgrave’s old. He looks smart, too. I’ll give him credit for that.”

  “He’s smart but…” Jade hesitated for a moment. The sudden uneasiness emanating from her wasn’t something I noticed before. “He’s made mistakes. He’s trying to atone for them. He meant what he said when he thought it was only appropriate you be the one to do this.”

  I sighed a deep breath through my nose. It wasn’t some crazy dream. Redgrave really did tell me my father might be alive. I took another sip of my drink and shook my head, still not believing it.

  “What about you, Jade? I get Redgrave wanting to fix his failure but you…”

  “I’m an Omega.”

  “You?” I raised an eyebrow at her and scoffed. “How old are you?”

  “I’m twenty-one. You only need to be eighteen to apply to the Legion.”

  “Fell for the brochures, huh?”

  “Sure. ‘Choose your class. Wield your weapon. Level up.’ However it goes. Still a Bronze but it pays decent.”

  “How’s that working out for you?”

  She shrugged. “It’s a grind. You go into Pandora through these things called Junction Gates. You kill monsters. Giant ones the size of buildings sometimes. Then you rest and wait for them to point you to the next one.”

  Her eyes shifted over to the side. She wasn’t looking at anything in particular, just lost in whatever her thoughts were.

  “I was on leave. Figured I needed to keep myself occupied. Saw an ad on the Internet asking for some help. Needed an Omega. Turns out, it was Dr. Redgrave. He told me his story—”

  “And you believed him?”

  “Not at first. But he showed me all of his data. All of the research he’s done over the years. Everything he’s built.”

  “Could be faking it.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe he was trying to get into your pants.” I wrapped my lips around my straw and sipped as I stared at her.

  “He’d go through all that trouble just to sleep with someone?” Jade leaned back and crossed her arms, her face twisted in confusion.

  “Some guys are pretty crazy. Don’t deny the lengths they’d go. He’s old. Maybe he’s senile.”

  We both shared a laugh, easing the tension only just a little bit.

  “No,” she sighed as she shook her head. “Everything adds up. Redgrave knows as much about Pandora as any scientist with the LOD.”

  “That still doesn’t explain why you’re working with him.”

  “I was just like you. I thought it was crazy. But then I really thought about it. Going deep into Pandora and getting to Anarchy… Destroying the source of everything. Ending this conflict… If there was a chance to do this and I didn’t do it… There was no other choice. That’s the whole point of being an Omega.”

  I didn’t know Jade for very long or very well. But from the look in her eyes, I knew she was sincere. That wasn’t enough to convince me though.

  “It’s too bad I’m not an Omega,” I said.

  “I guess I’m not the right person to convince you.”

  “That’s right. And if you’re about to spit out some cliché about ‘what would your father say to you’ then save it.”

  “I get it… I’m curious though. What would he say to you?”

  Jade wasn’t shy about asking me something personal. I would’ve been offended if I didn’t admire how bold it was. She stayed leaning against the counter, her chin propped up in her palm like she was genuinely interested.

  I took another sip of my drink to clear my throat as the memories came back to me.

  “I remember standing in the driveway when I said goodbye. Dad always looked so… impressive. I never saw him in his armor. Never took any photos. But even in just that black uniform, he was the most amazing person in the world to me. He was a superhero. The LOD uniform isn’t even anything special. The stars on his chest with the Omega logo though…”

  “It’s funny how a symbol can make all the difference.”

  “I remember the last thing he said to me. Reminded me there was a chance it’d be the last time he’d have to fight and he’d come back home to spend forever with me. Turns out he was only half-right.”

  “It doesn’t have to be the last thing he said to you.”

  So many damn thoughts were running through my head. Confusion. Anger. Frustration. Even a little bit of fear. They were all moving from my chest and around my stomach to the point not even another whole glass of juice could drown them out.

  “If my dad could see me now, he wouldn’t see much. A twenty-seven-year-old who couldn’t make it as an MMA fighter. A college dropout. A guy who trains kids at the local gym. Just another man trying to make his way through life like all the other lost people in Newmire. I… never really amounted to anything. Any parent would be disappointed. But my dad…” Through all of the emotions trying to work their way through my head, I managed to smile thinking about him. “…My dad would still be proud of me. He’d tell me to tell Redgrave to go fuck himself. Forget about this one-percent chance of finding him. Live my own life and let him go. Hell, I’ve been doing okay for seventeen years. Why not the rest of my life?”

  Jade straightened up slowly and nodded. “I see…”

  “My father always wanted what’s best for me… I guess it’s finally time for me to return the favor.”

  I turned to Jade. She wasn’t smiling but I could see the excitement in her eyes. Hell, I could feel the same anticipation burning in my gut.

  “Redgrave still in the warehouse?” I asked.

  She nodded softly.

  I took one last sip to polish off my drink then popped up to my feet. “I’m in.”

  5: Initiation

  “Let’s get one thing straight. I’m only doing this for my father. I don’t care about any other missions or experiments or any ideas you have. My dad is the number one objective over everything else. And the same goes for both of you. That’s our mission. If you’re not with me, I’ll leave right now. No exceptions.”

  I stood in the center of the garage warehouse, the yellow lights buzzing above me. My eyes were locked on Jade and Dr. Redgrave. They both slowly turned to one
another and nodded.

  “I made a mistake,” Redgrave said to me. “This was always about bringing Oliver back.”

  “Your father could be the key to ending all of this,” Jade said. “That’s why I’m here. Even if it means just saving him, it’ll be worth it.”

  Even though I’d already made up my mind, there was still a last bit of reservation. I took a moment to think about what I was doing.

  I didn’t know the first thing about being an Omega. The videos on YouTube from the First Event might as well have been movies. Even the brochures for the LOD looked more like press kits for video games than military recruitment pamphlets.

  I made my decision. But that didn’t make it a good one.

  “Okay,” I said with a nod. “What’s next?”

  “Jade will go over the general details with you while I make sure everything is ready.” Redgrave shuffled up to me with that friendly smile of his. The old man squeezed my arm, his grip surprisingly stronger than I thought it would. “Thank you, Enzo.”

  “Thank me when we get him back.”

  He nodded then moved over to the side of the small warehouse garage where his workbench was.

  “This is how it’s gonna work,” Jade said. “We’ll meet at night, when there’s less going on around here. Security is a little tighter, so we won’t have to worry about people snooping around trying to figure out what we’re doing. This isn’t an officially sanctioned LOD project. Dr. Redgrave… He, uh…”

  I crossed my arms and glared at her. “He what?”

  “He took some liberties with the LOD tech while he was working with them. More specifically, he borrowed a few things from them and… they don’t know he borrowed them.”

  “Wait a second.” I turned toward all of the equipment covered in cloth all around me. “Redgrave stole LOD equipment for all of this?”

  “He didn’t steal it. He borrowed it. Once we’re finished, he’ll return it.”

  “And I don’t suppose anybody is looking for it now.”

  “…That’s why we’ll only be working sparingly.”