A dying man is given a second chance. This story is a fan fiction that takes place in the Whateley Universe

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I was stretched out in the bath tub, soaking in hot water and enjoying the scented bubbles that covered the entire surface of the water and ticked my nose. But as calm and relaxed as I might appear, that was all on the surface. Underneath it all, my thoughts were running around in circles, and honestly, they were starting to get a bit tired.

After I climbed out of the tub, I grabbed the largest and fluffiest towel in the house, one that was so big that it threatened to engulf my small body. I found a certain amusement in using this towel, just as I was now entertained by a lot of simple things that I’d never given a second thought to before. Part of having a second chance was that it was giving me the opportunity to experience things from a new perspective, one that made almost everything seem like I was seeing it for the first time.

Once I’d finished my long but relaxing new routine of brushing and drying my hair, I got dressed, forming silk panties and a beautiful purple dress. In minutes, I even had ribbons tied into my hair. About the only things I needed to add that I couldn’t create for myself were my shoes and a few decorations like a skull shaped hair clip and the black metal bracelets that I’d left sitting on the counter.

I absently ran my fingers over the smooth metal of my bracelets, thinking of Rachael and how she’d given these to me a week ago. I didn’t really need them as weapons anymore, but I felt much better having them with me anyway. And if nothing else, they reminded me of the daughter who’d made them.

I went back to the living room where I found Melanie sitting on the couch, watching a news report on TV. I immediately saw that it wasn’t a new report but a recording of one that had aired after the fight with the Marquis. Without saying a word, I sat down beside my daughter to watch it again.

The reporter May O’Connel was on the screen, making me smile faintly. I remembered her showing up at the mansion right after the police had, wearing that bright yellow jumpsuit. That jumpsuit let me see her well before she’d noticed me, giving me plenty of opportunity to get out of sight. I hadn’t wanted to be on the news and Pinnacle and cooperated and redirected her attention elsewhere.

Pinnacle stood in front of May O’Connel, looking a little bruised and banged up from the fight, but otherwise being in good condition. Unlike Miss Fortune. “As unlikely as it may seem,” Pinnacle told the reporter, “Lady Havoc played a critical role in defeating the Marquis and freeing his prisoners…” After May asked a few questions, he answered, “No, I can’t speculate on her motives, only to say that I believe they were personal. However, I should add that after the Marquis was defeated, she surrendered and turned herself in of her own will when she could have escaped in the confusion.”

“At least Rachael is getting some credit,” Melanie said with a sigh, turning off the TV.

I nodded agreement, wondering how Rachael was doing and feeling a bit worried. After all, I hadn’t seen her since she’d been taken away by the police. Since she was a dangerous super villain who’d already escaped once, they had her locked up pretty tight and weren’t allowing her any visitors except for her lawyer. This frustrated me since I wanted to see my daughter, even though I understood their reasons.

“I don’t think Rachael really cares about the credit,” I said carefully, knowing full well that the only reason she’d gone up against the Marquis and had turned herself in was because of Rich. “But it is nice to see her getting some.”

Melanie gave me a faint smile and pointed out, “But they didn’t say anything about your part in this.”

I chuckled at that, then responded, “Thankfully.” Then after a couple seconds, I added, “I asked Pinnacle to keep my name out of it as much as possible. That kind of attention would be a real pain in the ass.”

“Alyss said a bad word,” Kimberly exclaimed from the other side of the room, where I hadn’t even noticed her.

“Sorry,” I said, glancing to Melanie who gave me a look that seemed to be equal parts amusement and disapproval. Then I looked at Kimberly, who was staring at me with a smug look. “Okay,” I told her with a roll of my eyes. I owe another dollar to the swear jar.”

“And don’t forget,” Kimberly insisted before rushing off.

The swear jar had been Kaylie’s idea, and I was pretty sure it was just scheme to collect as much money from me as possible. At the rate I was going, I was going to empty my limited bank account in no time at all. I REALLY needed to get a new job soon.

Of course, I’d been thinking about what I should do with my second chance at life ever since I’d woken up like this, and over the last week, I’d been thinking about it even more. I knew that I had to make good use of my second chance, that I had to do something worthwhile…something to prove that it hadn’t been wasted on me.

My thoughts turned to Rachael, who’d given up her freedom in order to save her brother. When he’d needed her most, she’d come through for him. When I’d been in that damn hospital bed, in pain and feeling my life slipping away, she’d come for me. In spite of the fact that I’d once betrayed her and turned her in, when I’d needed her most, she’d been there for me. She’d saved my life and gave me this second chance, one that I wasn’t sure I’d deserved. After all, when she’d needed me most…I’d failed her. I’d been powerless to do anything while her life spiraled into hell.

While I’d been in the hospital, I’d had countless hours to think about my life, about everything I’d done and was leaving behind. During my life, I’d done a lot of things that I wasn’t proud of, but in that hospital bed, I’d realized there was only one thing I’d truly regretted. There was only one thing I would have given anything for another chance to fix. However, it seemed ironic that while I’d been given another chance, it was still too late to help Rachael.

I’d thought about this quite a bit over the last few weeks, ever since I’d woken up as a little girl. But for the first time, something suddenly clicked. I suddenly knew what I wanted to do with my second chance…what I needed to do with it. I had absolutely no idea of how to go about it or where to even begin, but with the gifts I’d been given, I knew I at least had a chance.

“Thank you,” I whispered, wondering if maybe Rachael hadn’t been the only one to answer my prayer. I’d given up on praying to God a LONG time ago, but in this case, just maybe he’d finally decided to answer.

I was still thinking about this when the doorbell began to ring. Before anyone could get up to answer it, the door opened and Rich let himself in.

“Uncle Rich,” Kimberly exclaimed, excitedly running over and giving him a hug.

“Careful,” Rich told her gently. “I’m still a bit bruised.”

I got up and absently adjusted my dress, then said, “I’m ready to go when you are.”

“What all do you two have planned?” Melanie asked us curiously, though I’d already told her. I figured she was just being polite.

“I’m taking her to the library,” Rich answered with a chuckle, still amused by just how much I’d taken to reading. “Then I’m going to stop off at the Clinic for a checkup…to make sure there aren’t any surprises from the drugs that asshole gave me.”

“You owe a dollar for the swear jar,” Kimberly insisted. Without saying a word, Rich took out a five dollar bill and stuck it into the jar on the table. Kimberly just stood there, looking a little smug.

Rich and I took off a minute later, using one of his portals to go straight to the library. I immediately dropped off the books I’d previously borrowed, then went to work finding the ones I wanted to read now.

We didn’t stay at the library for very long, at least not compared to how long I stayed when I went on my own. I knew that Rich was bored, flipping through a few books while I read through a dozen of them, so I cut it as short as possible, much to his relief.

After the library, we went straight to the Clinic. I stayed in the waiting room while Rich went in for his appointment. And though I could have read one of the books I’d brought from the library, instead I looked over the bookshelf, being disappointed to realize that I’d already read everything that even remotely interested me.

“I might as well expand my vocabulary,” I mused as I grabbed a dictionary and began flipping through it. It was pretty boring, but I figured the knowledge might be useful. When I was only a quarter of the way in, I paused to muse, “So that’s what that word means…”

Rich finished up and came back to the waiting room after only half an hour, much to my relief since I was getting bored. I set the now finished dictionary back on the shelf, absently smoothed my dress, and asked, “What did the Doc say?”

“She gave me a good bill of health,” Rich answered with a smile. “I’ve still got a couple bruises that haven’t gone away yet, but other than that I’m fine.”

I nodded at that, knowing just as Rich did how lucky he was. The Marquis had drugged him with something that kept him from using his powers to escape, and had apparently beaten him just for the hell of it. And in spite of that, Rich had gotten off easily. One of the kidnapped villains had lost her hand and eyes to the Marquis, one of the prisoners had two broken kneecaps, and the police had found the bodies of two other people who’d been tortured to death. And then there was Miss Fortune, whose death had been relatively quick and painless compared to the other ones.

When I thought of the Marquis, I felt a surge of anger and disgust. If Rachael hadn’t killed him, I would have been pretty damn tempted to break into jail and put a bullet in his head myself. I just hoped that monster was burning in hell.

“While we’re here,” Rich suggested, “why don’t we eat in the cafeteria.”

“Sounds good to me,” I told him, licking my lips as I thought about their menu.

Rich and I went to the elevator, and when the doors opened, three people stepped out. They were all in civilian clothes, though one of them was a woman with green skin and horns, who looked familiar. It only took me a second to recognize her as being a customer from the super villain bar, along with one of the men. The two of them gave me looks of recognition, then as they continued on their way, they whispered to each other. All I could make out were, “Havoc’s daughter,” and a few seconds later, the words, “Little Miss Havoc…”

“Do you know them?” Rich asked me, noticing the way I watched the villains.

“Not really,” I admitted with a faint chuckle and a shake of my head. When I’d crashed the bar, I’d had absolutely no idea that I’d end up with a reputation from it, much less that the villains would somehow think that Rachael was my mother. I chuckled again at the very idea, even if I did look young enough for that to be true.

When we reached the cafeteria a minute later, Rich and I began looking for a table, only to see Pinnacle having lunch. He noticed us and gestured for us to join him. I’d actually been looking forward to just eating with my son, but I had to admit, I’d been wanting to talk with Pinnacle about a few things as well.

“How are you holding up?” Pinnacle asked, looking at Rich and then me. I was pretty sure he was asking more about how we were dealing with Rachael being in jail than about Rich’s health.

“I’m doing a lot better,” Rich told him while I nodded sadly, thinking of Rachael and where she was currently at.

“How are the Freelancers holding up?” I asked Pinnacle.

He was silent for a moment, his expression grim. “We’ve all been having it rough,” he admitted with a deep scowl. “Miss Fortune’s death hit us all pretty hard. Most of us aren’t close to each other, but still...” He sat there for several more seconds, then told me, “I was the one who had to tell her fiancé she’d been killed. It turns out, he didn’t even know she was Miss Fortune until then. It was…difficult.”

“I’d imagine,” I said with a frown.

“Asset and the Occultist are both out of action for another month,” Pinnacle continued. “But they will both recover…at least most of the way. Ceasefire, Aerial, and Mystery Woman are recovering quite well physically, but they’re all taking a break to…deal with things.”

“I can certainly understand that,” Rich said with a grim nod, having gone through the very same thing himself.

“At the moment, I’m the only Freelancer in any shape to still be active,” Pinnacle admitted. “There are a couple other local heroes who occasionally swing by the headquarters, but no more regulars.”

“So, what’s going to happen to you guys?” I asked curiously. “I mean, I know you’re not an official group or anything.”

Pinnacle snorted at that. “Unfortunately, that was part of the problem. We’re all pretty good on our own, but we aren’t a team. We didn’t coordinate with each other and we barely cooperated. That was why the Marquis was able to take us apart. He didn’t need to divide and conquer because we were already divided.”

I nodded at that, definitely having noticed the same thing. “He kept picking you off one by one…”

“If we’d worked together more,” Pinnacle said with a grimace. “If we’d gone out in teams instead of by ourselves…” He stared off into space for several seconds before saying, “I wish things could have been different.”

I snorted at that, pointing out, “If wishes were horses, we’d all be wearing hip waders.”

Pinnacle chuckled faintly, then admitted, “I don’t think, I’ve ever heard that particular one before.”

“I have,” Rich added with a roll of his eyes.

“Anyway,” Pinnacle continued, “the others agree that we can’t let this kind of thing happen again. We’ve shared contact information, and once they’re ready, we’re going to have some training exercises. I don’t think we’ll be an official team, but at least we’ll be able to work together when we have to.”

“That sounds like a damn good idea,” I told him, thinking that it was about time too. If they’d done that kind of thing before, then none of this would have happened.

“And that brings me to something I’ve been wanting to talk with you about,” Pinnacle told me. He looked at Rich and then me before saying, “I talked with the others, and they agree. We’d like to bring you two in as an official part of our unofficial non-team.”

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Rich said, beating me to the punch. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ve had more than enough danger to last me the rest of my life.”

“I can understand that,” Pinnacle responded, looking just a little disappointed.

“Besides,” Rich added with a smirk. “I’d look horrible in spandex.” We all chuckled at that, then Rich added, “But if you need help with transportation, feel free to give me a call.”

“Will do,” Pinnacle agreed, looking at me again.

I shook my head, then told him, “Thanks but no thanks. Spandex ain’t exactly my thing either.”

“Of course,” Pinnacle said, giving me a wry look. “You wouldn’t be caught dead in a silly costume.”

“Something like that,” I agreed, glancing down at my dress and grinning. “Besides, I’m not really into playing hero…”

Pinnacle gave me another wry look, then commented, “You know, a couple days ago, a known pedophile was found in the park, tied up in pink ribbons and hanging upside down from a tree branch…”

“Let me guess,” Rich added with a smirk. “He was attacked by a group of large men…”

“Yeah,” Pinnacle agreed with a chuckle, giving me an amused look. “Funny how that keeps happening.”

“Hey, I had nothing to do with that,” I lied, giving my best innocent look. “It’s not my fault some vicious gang keeps tying thugs up in ribbons.”

“For someone who keeps trying to avoid attention,” Pinnacle told me with a faint smile, “you seem to be pretty good at drawing it. I’ve heard that there’s a rumor going around among the villains that Lady Havoc has a daughter running around…”

“I’ve heard that too,” Rich said, smirking again. “I wonder what Rachael will say when she finds out she has a daughter…”

“She’ll probably laugh her ass off,” I admitted with a sigh.

Pinnacle hesitated a moment, then carefully said, “Actually…she did.”

I stared at Pinnacle for a moment, then stated, “You’ve talked to her.”

“Yesterday,” Pinnacle admitted.

“How?” I asked suspiciously. “They aren’t letting her have any visitors.

“The warden and is an old acquaintance,” Pinnacle explained, his expression turning serious again. “He allowed me to talk to Lady Havoc so I could interrogate her.”

“Interrogate?” I asked, tensing up as I thought of those cop shows and movies where they roughed up suspects during the interrogations.

“Probably not what you’re thinking,” Pinnacle quickly assured us. “I just went in and talked to her.”

“Why would you do that?” Rich asked.

“She knows a lot of other villains,” I pointed out thoughtfully. “She could probably give some good leads.”

“That isn’t it,” Pinnacle responded, suddenly looking awkward. He was silent for several seconds, then explained, “I spent years chasing after Lady Havoc, trying to put her away. In that time, I just thought she was a dangerous lunatic. I never really saw a human side until recently. I suppose, I wanted to reconcile these two sides, so I went and talked to her.”

“That…must have been awkward,” I said carefully, not sure I could even imagine that conversation.

“It was,” Pinnacle agreed with a faint smile. “At first. She was surprisingly congenial…considering the circumstances.”

Rich gave Pinnacle a skeptical look, as if half sure the hero was lying. “In spite of what she’s done…she’s a good person.”

Instead of arguing that, Pinnacle gave a sad nod of agreement. “I had a nice talk with her,” he said quietly, giving me a faint smile and adding, “It really made me wish that I’d met her under other circumstances.”

The three of us were silent for several minutes as Rich and I ordered our food. After the waiter had departed, I asked, “How’s she doing?”

“She seemed strangely calm,” Pinnacle responded after a moment of consideration. “Resigned.”

“That won’t last forever,” I said quietly, knowing it was only a matter of time before she had one of her episodes, if she hadn’t already. I had a vision of her being wrapped up in a strait jacket and tied up like Hannibal Lecter. The very thought was enough to bring a knot to my stomach.

“The warden has a devisor looking over the restraint device she built,” Pinnacle said with a thoughtful look. “They think that after a few modifications, like removing the force field and making it so she can’t access the components, she may be able to keep it.”

“Really?” Rich blurted out in surprise.

“It is a restraining device,” Pinnacle pointed out with a faint smile. “They know it could make dealing with her a lot easier on them.”

“That’s good to know,” I said, thinking of the irony that she finally invents something to keep herself under control, right before she finally goes to prison where she couldn’t hurt anyone anyway. Unfortunately, Rachael had been right when she’d told me that her bracer had been too little too late. “At least she’ll have that to help.”

Pinnacle nodded, giving me a sympathetic look. “She gave me a message,” he said, looking straight at me. “She told me that the next time I saw you, I should tell you that she’s sleeping well.”

“She’s sleeping well?” Rich asked with a look of confusion.

“That’s what she said,” Pinnacle responded with a shrug.

I just sat there, feeling my eyes get teary. Neither Rich or Pinnacle could understand what that really meant, but I did. I smiled faintly, feeling a little better about her now.

“Thank you,” I told Pinnacle quietly, feeling self-conscious as I wiped the tears away. “You don’t know how much that message means.”

Pinnacle smiled at that, then asked, “So, what are your plans now?”

“What do you mean?” I asked him.

“You said you’re not interested in being a hero,” Pinnacle commented, “so I’m curious about what you are planning to do.”

“I have some ideas,” I responded carefully, though I wasn’t really ready to share the decision I’d made this morning

I had a feeling that if I told people what I had in mind, they’d react the same way they would to a kid who announced he wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up. They’d pat me on the head and say, “What a wonderful goal,” all the while thinking I was being cute but unrealistic. Unfortunately, I’d done just that to Rich when he was a kid.

“I’m a high school dropout,” I said after a few seconds. “I’m damn good at fixing cars, but other than that…” I shook my head, then admitted, “This time around, I want to get an education. I want to do something with my life.”

Pinnacle stared at me for several seconds, then asked, “Have you ever heard of Whateley Academy?”

“What?” I asked blankly.

“It’s a school for mutants,” Rich told with a faint smile. “I’ve heard of it.”

“A college for mutants,” I mused.

“No,” Pinnacle responded with a chuckle. “Whateley is a high school. I’ve heard it’s quite good…”

A new voice suddenly announced, “The best.”

I nearly jumped in my seat and looked over at the Asian woman who’d come up behind me. She was in civilian clothes, but there was no mistaking who she was.

“Mystery Woman,” I said in greeting.

“Call me Min,” she told me with a faint smile. Then she looked at Rich and added, “I take it you were here for your checkup as well.”

Rich nodded at that and gestured for her to sit at the empty seat. “How are you doing?”

“Better than my brother,” Mystery Woman…Min answered with a shrug. She shook her head and chuckled faintly. “The Marquis barely touched him, but then he goes and twists his ankle while running out of that place.” Then she asked, “What was this I heard about Whateley?”

“I was just suggesting that Alyss consider applying to the school,” Pinnacle said, looking to me again and adding, “If you’re looking to start over, I think it would probably be a good place to do it.”

“Whateley is a great school,” Min stated proudly, giving a clear indication that she’d gone there. She gave me a curious look, then added, “It’s one of the best schools for mutants in the world. The classes are…unique.”

With that, Min began describing the school, though I had a hard time believing some of her claims. After all, I couldn’t believe that even a mutant school would have classes on how to build death rays, or that they’d make students fight each other in some arena like gladiators. She was definitely pulling my leg on that one.

“Now you’re making me wish I’d gone there,” Pinnacle commented with a joke.

Min smiled in response, then admitted, “I just wish I hadn’t forgotten a few of the things I learned. If I hadn’t, my fight with the Marquis might have gone differently.”

I just sat there, thinking about what they’d told me and then sighing. “I’m too old to go back to high school.” Rich and Pinnacle both started chuckling at that while Min gave me a confused look. The real irony was, I actually looked too young to be in high school.

Sure I’d dropped out high school, but the idea of going back and starting over was…humiliating. Getting a GED would be quicker and easier. In fact, with my ability to read and memorize things, getting a GED shouldn’t be very difficult at all. However, there was also the problem of my legal identity, and the fact that I didn’t have one other than what the MCO had on me.

As far as I was concerned, the subject of me going off to some boarding school for mutants was over, but the others at the table disagreed. They continued talking about it while we ate, though I think Rich and Pinnacle were doing so just to mess with me.

When we were finished eating, Pinnacle announced, “Wait here for a few minutes,” then he rushed off. When he came back, he was holding a large packet which he handed to me.

“What’s this?” I asked suspiciously.

“Application forms,” he told me, his expression serious. “I honestly think you should consider this. After everything you’ve been through recently, this might be just the thing you need.”

“Fine,” I lied, rolling my eyes but deciding to humor him. “I’ll think about it.”

“Make sure you do,” Min told me, giving me a gentle smile. “I can see you aren’t taking this seriously, but Whateley has a curriculum that can not only challenge a high level exemplar…but can help you reach your full potential.”

I stared at Min for a moment, thinking that she was definitely pushing this whole mutant school thing a bit hard. However, I was pretty sure she was actually sincere. She actually meant what she was saying, which made me pause just a moment.

“We’ve got to get going,” I said, glancing to Rich and then saying a quick goodbye to both Pinnacle and Min.

“I’ll talk to the warden,” Pinnacle abruptly said, giving me a sympathetic look. “I’ll see if I can talk him into allowing a visitor.”

“Thank you,” I told him, definitely appreciating that. Then I nodded to Rich, and mere seconds later, the two of us used a portal to return home.

“So,” Melanie asked, giving Rich a curious look. “How did the checkup go?”

“Not bad,” Rich responded pleasantly. “No surprises or unexpected reactions.” Then he looked at me and grinned, “But a couple people recommended this boarding school for Alyss…”

“A boarding school?” Melanie responded, giving Rich a skeptical look, as if trying to determine if he was joking.

I rolled my eyes at that, then went and made myself comfortable on the couch and began to read through the books I’d checked out from the library. While I was doing that, Rich continued talking to Melanie, repeating everything we’d heard about Whateley Academy. He even broke open the registration packet and they looked through the school pamphlets. I just did my best to ignore them and focus on my books, but I found myself listening in on their conversation anyway.

Eventually, Melanie and Rich both came over and stood right in front of me, with my daughter announcing, “Rich and I were talking…”

“I know,” I responded, setting my book down and looking up at her with a sigh. “I heard most of it.”

Rich and Melanie shared a look, then Melanie said, “I think you really should consider this school…”

“It’s a high school,” I pointed out wryly.

“And you never graduated the first time,” Rich reminded me. “You’re young again and have a whole new life ahead of you. You said that this time you wanted to get an education, and I think this is just the thing you need to get it started right…”

“It will also help you build a new identity,” Melanie added almost eagerly. “You’re going to need some kind of background and history if you want to go to college or get a job… Getting a high school diploma will really help…”

“So, you’re telling me it’s time to find a new place to live,” I joked to Melanie.

Melanie frowned at that and protested, “That’s not what I mean… You’re more than welcome to stay here as long as you want, but…”

“You know,” Rich continued, “going off to school will be good for you. It’ll give you a chance to stand on your own two feet and learn more about who you really are.” Those words were almost the exact same thing I’d told Rich when he was going off to college, and the smirk on his face confirmed this was intentional.

“That’s very wise of you,” I responded wryly.

However, my kids weren’t done with their arguments yet, and before I could even come up with a decent response to what they’d already said, Melanie decided to bring out the big guns. “Kaylie might manifest as a mutant any day now,” Melanie said, giving a worried look in the direction of Kaylie’s bedroom. “When that happens, I don’t know what kind of powers she might have, but this school sounds like it would probably be good for her. It sounds like a good place for her to learn to control her powers…and learn how to deal with being a mutant. If that does happen, then it would be nice for her to have someone there who could look after her and show her around.”

“Now that’s playing dirty,” I grumbled. Melanie knew damn well that I could never turn my back on family, especially when they needed me.

As much as I might argue otherwise, Melanie and Rich both had some damn good points. Of course, they were also things that I’d already been considering on my own, at least, all but being able to help Kaylie out if she ended up going to that school. I did need to build a new identity for myself. I did need a good education, especially for what I wanted to do with my new life. And the truth was, as nice as it was being here with Melanie and the girls, I needed to get back out on my own again. I needed the freedom and opportunity to explore this new person I was becoming.

But for every good reason for me to do this, there was also an argument against. I was too old and stuck in my ways to go back to high school. I was too young, or at least too young looking, to fit in with the kids who would be attending. In spite of my newfound youth, I wasn’t really one of them and knew that I would never belong or fit in. And of course, it would be pretty damn humiliating to be treated as a kid again. Sure, I got that whenever I went out in public, but my family knew who I really was, and at the end of the day, I could come home, kick back with a beer and just be myself. If I was at some boarding school, I didn’t think I’d ever get a break from just being seen as a kid.

“It’s a fancy private school,” I said quietly, thinking about my nearly empty bank account. “There’s no way in hell I could even afford something like that.”

Rich and Melanie shared another look, then Rich stated, “We’ll pay for it.”

“What?” I gasped in surprise. “I can’t…”

“It’s not charity,” Rich insisted, guessing what I was going to say. He stared down at me with a gentle smile and said, “I know how much overtime you did to put me through college. You worked your ass off to make sure I got a good education, so let me help you get one too…”

“You helped Mark and I with the down payment for this house,” Melanie added, giving me an almost pleading look. “And you offered to put me through college too. You’ve always been there for us, so let us be here for you. This is what family does for each other.”

I stared at my kids in silence for several long seconds, wondering what Rachael would say about this entire thing. If we’d known about Whateley when she’d first manifested, if we’d sent her there for help, would things have turned out the same way? Would she have learned how to control her Diedricks before it was too late?

I let out a sigh, knowing that it was pointless to keep asking ‘what if’. With that, I looked over at the book I’d just finished reading. The title was ‘The History of Treatment for Mental Illness,’ though all the other books I’d checked out from the library were on similar topics. There were books on first aid, human anatomy, and on mental health issues.

When I’d been on my death bed, the one great regret that haunted me was the fact that I’d failed my daughter. Rachael had an illness that I couldn’t possibly understand, and I’d been helpless to do anything but watch as it destroyed her life. I’d burned with grief and frustration as the sweet and innocent girl I knew and loved was transformed into the kind of monster who killed dozens of innocents. I had no doubt that if I’d been offered a single wish while I was lying in that bed and breathing my last, I would have used it to save her life before my own.

Whether I deserved it or not, I’d been given a second chance at life, and I realized now that this meant I also had another chance to deal with my greatest regret. Unfortunately, it was probably too late to help Rachael, but even if was too late to help my own daughter, there were still a lot of other people who were suffering because of Diedricks Syndrome and maybe I could at least help some of them. Of course, I didn’t know jack shit about medicine or psychology, but with my new abilities, I could damn well learn.

“I’ve spent most of my life working on cars,” I said carefully, staring off into space while Rich and Melanie both gave me curious looks. “And I’m pretty damn good at it too. But now, I think its high time I learn how to fix something more important.”

I had no illusions that doing something like this would be easy. Hell, nothing worthwhile ever was. I had no doubt that this was going to take dedication and a lot of hard work, but I’d never been afraid of that. However, it was also going to take resources and knowledge, the kind I just didn’t have yet. I’d need to build my identity. I’d need a proper education, not just a bunch of random facts I memorized from books. And of course, I’d actually need access to experts in mutant powers and mutant related diseases like Diedricks. Regardless of how embarrassing the idea of going back to high school was, Whateley was actually my best chance to make something of my new life.

After considering all of this for another half hour, I finally said, “I’ll do it.” Then, just hours after hearing about Whateley Academy for the very first time, I began filling out the application.