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Everything Jake 1004: Junior Year II, Autobiography, continued: “Questions?”, I said, trying to keep my cool. “Are you kidding me?” “Jake—“ “First, who the fuck does that guy think he is?” “Wha…?” “Mercy’s uncle, he’s an asshole.” “You have to understand that—“ “He’s a giant asshole.” “Jake…” “Wait, he can’t hear me, right?” “Mr. O’Gara is a low level telepath, Jake, he can’t hear you.” “Super major cock sucking asshole. Seriously? ‘Let him know this isn’t the end.’ He could have looked at me. And fuck me, this is the end.” Jenkins smiled, he was trying to be as warm and reassuring as possible. “Jake, you’ve been though quite an ordeal, and I’m here to simply help you clear up any confusion you may have. ” I leaned back in the bed, it reminded me of a hospital bed, too springy, smelled like sick people and antiseptic. It bounced a little under the shift in my weight. My arms felt a little stronger than I remembered them, but that could’ve been in my imagination. “How do I know you’ll tell me the truth?” “I was told not to keep anything from you, anymore.” “So you have lied to me in the past?” “I wouldn’t call it lying, just, I was telling you the truth you needed to hear at the time.” “So how do I know that this time it’s not the truth I just want to hear?” Jenkins again didn’t frown, I could tell he was holding back his anger. For a second I felt bad for him, this wasn’t his fault. He was just a pawn in someone’s sick game. Just like me. We were all pawns. But whose? “Jake, you’re just going to have to trust me, or not. It would be better if you did, I’m going to answer any question you may have about what happened to you.” “I don’t think I can ever fully trust any of you ever again.” “That’s fair. But—“ “Ever again.” “As you wish, Jake. So…” “What the hell happened to me? I don’t want to hear I walked into a square and came out wearing armor and carrying a sword five years older. I’ve heard that. What really happened?” “We’re not sure.” “But you have an idea?” “I have a very good idea, but unless you remember, we can never be certain. What do you remember?” “After getting hit by shit in the White Room? Nothing. Waking up here with my whole body sore and the Old Men’s Club staring at me.” “That’s all?” “That’s all.” “What I think what happened, and this isn’t shared by some of the members of the ‘Old Men’s Club’, as you said, but this is what I think. We’ve told you bits and pieces of Randall Cohen, right? I’m sure you’ve heard one of us mention that he was the most powerful TK ever, but it was much more than that, really. Much, much more. “Randall was able to pierce into other dimensions, some even said he was able to travel through time, arguing that all time is taking place at once, parallel dimensions. I personally don’t believe that, but that’s neither here nor there.” “Wait, so what you’re saying is Randall Cohen brought me into another dimension?” “That’s exactly what I’m saying, Jake. But, he shouldn’t have been able to do that, the White Room was specifically guarded against stuff like that.” “Then how did he do that?” “I don’t think it was him that cause the rift, Jake…” Everything Jake: 1005 “If it wasn’t Randall Cohen… are you… are you saying… it was me?” “It might have been you, Jake, your full potential… there’s no visible ceiling. However, at such at young age, and so inexperienced, I doubt it was you.” “Then…” “When the mask attacked you, Jake, it merged with your conscious. When we shot it off of you, that link was severed violently. I do think that there was more than one reason Reggie attached itself to you. One: I do believe was that thirst for power, he saw you as an untapped, unlimited source. The other… I believe the other was a calling card of sorts.” “Randall Cohen sent Reggie here to… mark me? Calling card, I’m not sure I get what—“ “It’s more like Randall Cohen’s power, a tiny bit imprinted on your consciousness, that tiny bit, in the White Room, expanded into an echo of the man himself. Which opened up a door to his pocket dimension.” “Pocket dimension? So you know where Cohen is?” “In a sense. You have to understand we tried everything in our power, but he was just too strong. The way we finally defeated him was to create a new dimension within our own. In this pocket dimension he defeated all of us and shaped the world in his own image. He believed he finally won.” “How did you get him in the pocket dimension? It doesn’t sound like a very good idea, I mean, couldn’t he have just pierced into our dimension and realized your little game?” “Yes… and no. That is a story for later.” “I’d like to hear it now, if you don’t mind, Jenkins.” “It is a painful story, Jake, we lost a lot of great people that day, I lost my powers in that battle. I do not wish to go back to it right at this moment, Jake, but I will, in time, tell you.” “In time? I never want to see you again. I never want to see any of you again.” “I understand that, but, you now have your powers back. You are going to need training. I persuaded them not to re-establish the link to your sister on account of you doing three things.” “Never. I will not be your toy. I’m sick of me and my friends being hurt or killed by your little games.” “Maybe you didn’t realize, there is no choice in the matter for you. You are what you are Jake, you have to accept it.” “Oh, trust me, I accept it. With open arms. But I don’t accept any of you.” “We are your only choice, Jake, or else the link in your little head gets reconnected and everytime you use your powers you could kill your sister. I think that’s a stupid bond… but it’s effective. Not without it’s flaws… we don’t want to see Becky hurt, Jake, do we?” “No.” “Three things, Jake, and you’ll find them very simple. One: You train with me at school for your senior year. It will be, as always, an accredited course in Advanced Self-Defense. But I will teach you the ins and outs of telekinetics and show you how to develop your powers. “Two: You try and not use your powers in public. This would be very bad, but I know sometimes it’s unavoidable, especially with it sometimes acting on pure instinct. But try. We don’t need any attention that could be negative. “Three: You come back here to our island facility after your senior year to finish your training. It will take three months. After that, and I swear with my life, you will be free to choose what to do. You can either join us, or go live your life.” “Join you..?!!?” “We are in a war, Jake, whether you can see it or not. This White Room episode furthered our fears, Randall Cohen isn’t fooled by his pocket dimension prison any longer. He cannot be allowed to run free here, he simply cannot.” I sat in the bed, let the silence linger on. A war against Randall Cohen. Having powers back. Self-Defense class. I tried to read Jenkins, read his feelings, look into his eyes. As far as I could tell, he was being truthful. But what did I know about that. I accepted the terms. Then a flash of light hit me and an image. It felt natural, comfortable. I felt it from the bottom of my soul. “Jenkins… “I… I remember something… Jenkins… just now, like a flash, or a feeling…” “What is it Jake, whatever you can tell us about where you were can help us immensely…” “Randall. I… met him… wherever I was… he… I can almost… The feeling I got, the flash, just now… I don’t think… he’s not a bad man, Jenkins… I… he… was a very good man…” Jenkins frowned now, unable to hide his feelings. He quickly straightened himself out, and put his hand on my shoulder. “I know Jake, Randall Cohen wasn’t a bad person. But his intentions are too dangerous, his methods…” “What were his intentions, Jenkins?” “To rid the world of all evil… no matter the cost…”    
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EVERYTHING JAKE is TM & (C) 2000-2011 by Mike Rosenzweig. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
