Post-Series Drabble
The minute that Stephanie felt John breaking out again, she knew where to go. At one point, Jed had given her a map of his many various hideouts in case they had ever needed to go underground. She'd never given the information a second thought until that moment. She was grateful that Jed had chosen to trust her.
Systematically, she began checking the hideouts, teleporting to one after another, looking for signs of John and her uncle, using both the map and the telepathic signal that John was giving off.
At the third hideout, she found them, and found herself staring down the barrel of Jed's gun.
“Jesus!” She exclaimed, throwing her hands up. “It's me! It's just me!”
With a stare and a long sigh, Jed lowered his weapon, and let her into the hideout.
“I'm not surprised that you found us,” he told her after a few tense moments. “We were just getting ready to leave - I was hoping I had a little more time.”
Stephanie raised an eyebrow. “It's good to see you, too, Jed.” She crossed her arms over her chest, looking around. “You should have thought this through - we've been in each other's heads for nearly a year. What did you do to him?”
Jed mirrored her stance, arms crossed defensively after he holstered his pistol. “I gave him his powers back. But now that you're here, we have a bit of a problem. I can't let you go back to everyone and have you mount a party to get John back. So - I can have him put a bullet in you, or you can stay here with him, but I don't have a use for a soldier who can't kill. If you stay, you'll get the Anax serum.” Jed stared down at her. “You'll be injecting yourself, too. I don't have time to keep an eye on a liability.”
Steph felt her jaw drop. “Jed - are you serious?! After everything I did to cover for you when the Founder showed up, this is what I get? This is your ultimatum?”
Jed shook his head. “. Ultra's done, but I still have plans. John is a part of those plans, and you can be too, but you have about thirty seconds to decide. Don't try to call your friends or your brother. They can't help you. You need to make a choice.”
Fear curled up in her stomach and threatened to choke her, but after a moment, she nodded slowly. She could play Jed's game for a while, and then when the time was right, she and John could leave. She wasn't sure what was keeping him there to begin with, and part of her didn't want to know.
She swallowed her fear and nodded. “Fine. I'll do it. I'm not losing him again.”
Jed gave her a proud smile and put a hand on her shoulder. “You've always been smart, Steph. The three of us can do great things. Come on - I'll get you the syringe and then I've got to check on John. You won't regret this, Kid.”
Steph didn't like the manic gleam in his eye, but she followed him, wishing she'd had a chance to say goodbye to everyone. She didn't know where this would lead her, but she was sure she wouldn't be able to go home at the end of the day.
John was in another room - he was so close that she could practically hear him. She had come so far. They both had. She couldn't give up and run away now.
“Here.” Jed handed her an alcohol wipe and a prepared syringe. “I'm going to go check on him. Anywhere in your arm will work. Make sure you're sitting down when you do it. When I come back, we'll get out of here. It's too risky to stay in the city.”
With that, he left, the door to the next room closing and locking behind him.
Steph took the wipe with shaky hands and cleaned a spot on her left forearm with trembling fingers. This was by far one of the worst ideas she'd had in a long time, but she didn't see any other path.
Taking a deep breath, she thought of John - his smile, his embrace, and all of the pain that he had endured. He had never once turned away from a fight. She couldn't, either. She could do this, and she would do it for him.
She exhaled, and injected the serum.
*
When the explosion of white behind her eyes died down, Jedikiah was kneeling in front of her, fingers on her wrist taking her pulse.
“You took it like a champ,” he told her, grinning widely. “Well done. How are you feeling?”
It took Stephanie a minute to take stock of how she felt. Her head felt like it had been split open with a hammer, and she tasted blood in her mouth. She wiped a hand across her mouth and nose, and found blood.
“What the hell happened?” She asked, her voice hoarse and throat dry.
“A bloody nose and migraine are normal side-effects,” Jed assured her, voice low. “But you seem fine. Good - let's go. John!”
John entered the room, and Steph smiled weakly up at him. “John,” she greeted, and felt her heart drop when he didn't seem to recognize her.
“Yeah, Jed?” He asked, his voice quiet.
Jed stood and gestured to Stephanie. “This is my niece, Stephanie - Your new partner. But you can get to know each other later. We need to go.”
As he turned, Steph looked at Jed in fury. “What did you do to him?!”
Jed smirked. “We'll discuss that later. Come on - we need to get moving.”
With the dread mounting, Steph stood and followed him, wondering if she had just made a deal with the devil.
