.empathogen.
♡𝚙𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚎♡
C H A N G E
© reveriee
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Futuristic the institute
- Thread starter Walliver
- Start date
Simon Strut
I am not a man, I am a bean.
Alexander Blackthorne
It sounded like a bomb had gone off. And it was coming from the library.
Lurch!
The Shadows responded to his distress: Daven exploded out of him and barrelled ahead to clear a path, while Syfa seeped out of his back and held on to him like a demonic cloak. Alexander sprinted, boosted by Syfa's own speed, until he arrived at the library through a hole Daven had smashed through the wall. The scene before him made him freeze in his tracks.
Leander faced off against Noah. The mentalist seemed to have the upper hand. Hileena watched from the mezzanine above, wide-eyed, and a few other students and members of staff we bearing witness. Lurch... Where was he?! Alexander's eyes darted back and forth, until he found him, standing by the entrance. Noah and Leander stood between them.
"What the fuck is going on?!" Alexander tensed. His mind raced.
Leander had attacked Noah. He was finally showing his true colours. Alexander knew the bastard couldn't be trusted! The Shadows were ready to fight. Lurch... Lurch looked ready too. Alexander tried to control his breathing. The Institute had taken down Morgan Haywood; they were more than equipped to take on the discount version.
"Stop it, both of you!" Hileena shouted over the banister. "Can we please just talk this out!"
I think we're beyond that, Hileena.
Daven would be no use in this fight, except as a distraction or to protect the others. But Syfa, she could get through Leander's defences. But would she be fast enough to prevent Leander from killing Noah? Alexander would have to stay close to her too, otherwise he'd risk Leander being able to get into his mind. The Gilded Mother wouldn't take too kindly to that, but he couldn't depend on her help. And he definitely couldn't let himself die in this battle: birthing a new Shadow while surrounded by so many people would be a death sentence for all of them.
Hileena launched a book at Leander. "Explain yourself, damn it! You're trying to kill a man who's going to be resurrected in another location, what's the point?!"
Alexander waited for Leander's answer, but mentally commanded Syfa to keep her senses sharp. If she noticed any more aggression from Leander, she'd lash out.
Walliver
.empathogen.
It sounded like a bomb had gone off. And it was coming from the library.
Lurch!
The Shadows responded to his distress: Daven exploded out of him and barrelled ahead to clear a path, while Syfa seeped out of his back and held on to him like a demonic cloak. Alexander sprinted, boosted by Syfa's own speed, until he arrived at the library through a hole Daven had smashed through the wall. The scene before him made him freeze in his tracks.
Leander faced off against Noah. The mentalist seemed to have the upper hand. Hileena watched from the mezzanine above, wide-eyed, and a few other students and members of staff we bearing witness. Lurch... Where was he?! Alexander's eyes darted back and forth, until he found him, standing by the entrance. Noah and Leander stood between them.
"What the fuck is going on?!" Alexander tensed. His mind raced.
Leander had attacked Noah. He was finally showing his true colours. Alexander knew the bastard couldn't be trusted! The Shadows were ready to fight. Lurch... Lurch looked ready too. Alexander tried to control his breathing. The Institute had taken down Morgan Haywood; they were more than equipped to take on the discount version.
"Stop it, both of you!" Hileena shouted over the banister. "Can we please just talk this out!"
I think we're beyond that, Hileena.
Daven would be no use in this fight, except as a distraction or to protect the others. But Syfa, she could get through Leander's defences. But would she be fast enough to prevent Leander from killing Noah? Alexander would have to stay close to her too, otherwise he'd risk Leander being able to get into his mind. The Gilded Mother wouldn't take too kindly to that, but he couldn't depend on her help. And he definitely couldn't let himself die in this battle: birthing a new Shadow while surrounded by so many people would be a death sentence for all of them.
Hileena launched a book at Leander. "Explain yourself, damn it! You're trying to kill a man who's going to be resurrected in another location, what's the point?!"
Alexander waited for Leander's answer, but mentally commanded Syfa to keep her senses sharp. If she noticed any more aggression from Leander, she'd lash out.
Walliver
.empathogen.
.empathogen.
♡𝚙𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚎♡
C H A N G E
© reveriee
Walliver
Two Thousand Club
The thing that wore Noah’s face only grinned at Leander’s attack, not even flinching as blood welled up from between its teeth. It didn’t seem to feel anything- no remorse, no guilt, no pain. Its eyes drifted upwards, locking with Leander’s.
“As if they would ever believe the apprentice of their worst enemy over the man who protected them for a decade.” It spat out, mouth opening into a bloody snarl. “I thought you were better than this, Leander. But you’re just another Morgan.”
In one final swift move, the thing that looked like Noah reached up, grabbed both sides of his own head and gave a sharp twist.
Crunch.
The thing went limp, eyes dull and lifeless. Dead, permanently. Or, as permanently as any Noah-like thing could be.
“As if they would ever believe the apprentice of their worst enemy over the man who protected them for a decade.” It spat out, mouth opening into a bloody snarl. “I thought you were better than this, Leander. But you’re just another Morgan.”
In one final swift move, the thing that looked like Noah reached up, grabbed both sides of his own head and gave a sharp twist.
Crunch.
The thing went limp, eyes dull and lifeless. Dead, permanently. Or, as permanently as any Noah-like thing could be.
Simon Strut
I am not a man, I am a bean.
Somewhere...
"The tracker's in Paderborn."
Arden whipped around. Magdalene sat with her feet crossed on her desk, twisting her dyed-ginger hair in between two fingers, as she monitored Styr's movements on a screen.
"Already?"
The B-tier mutant nodded. Arden shook her head, almost in disbelief. She had expected Styr to mull over it for a few days, perhaps wait until the Institute was more empty, so this was entirely unexpected. She'd have to start factoring in this impulsiveness of his, it could end up putting the pair of them in trouble. But... It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The boy knew what he wanted. That was more than most people could say.
Arden swapped her dress and high heels out for a pair of sneakers, jeans, and a bomber jacket, then tied her hair up into a bun. "Do you have the strength to portal me there?"
"Just about," Magdalene said, tilting her head. "But I'll be out of juice after. Morgs will have to bring you back."
She nodded in response, readying herself as the silvery-purple energy wrapped around her body, obscuring her vision. When it cleared, she was in a field. Giant windmills stretched out as far as the eye could see. And there was Styr.
"Are you ready, darling?"
Styr nodded, "Yeah... But you promised me revenge, and I don't see Freya. Where the fuck are we?"
Arden gave her warm smile, but kept a respectful distance from the boy. Goodness knows, after his life, he probably couldn't differentiate between a tender touch and a hostile one. Instead, she walked up to the nearest windmill, observing the hatch. It only opened from the inside. Now, normally that would be a design flaw, but these people weren't expecting visitors. Not from this door anyway. Arden flexed her fingers, feeling her skin tear as her claws formed. She jabbed into the seams of the door and with a small grunt of effort, snapped the lock and pulled it open. A ladder lead downwards to a series of metal grated platforms, lit by dim lights.
"An underground prison," she remarked. "Now, I don't want either of us getting hurt, so you'll have to listen to me carefully. I can't use my Dread-force—the ability that cleared out the café earlier—effectively down there, because they'll have inhibitor fields in place. Both our powers will be suppressed somewhat, so we can't stay long."
Styr nodded again, but this time it looked like a spasm. The nerves and anxious energy were ready to explode out of him. "Let's get going already."
"Okay, darling. All you have to do is follow me." She stretched her arms above her head, feeling each of her vertebrae snapping, crunching. "I'm going to assume a more powerful form. It's rather terrifying, but I'm sure you've seen worse from some of your teachers. Try not to look at me for too long, or the Dread will begin to effect you too."
With the warning in place, Arden let her Dread Form wash over her. Her skin turned a sickly dark grey. Wings, horns and a scorpion-like tail sprouted from her body, and she grew to almost seven feet tall, not including the horns. The chitinous armour that formed over her skin enveloped her clothes as well as her face. Once it was complete, she flew down the open hatch, landing on the raised platform. Styr hesitated, then quickly climbed down the ladder.
They had arrived on a walkway above what seemed to be a maintenance room. Several pipes, all varying sizes, crisscrossed over the walls and ground below, leading to machines that Arden didn't recognise. A set of stairs led them downwards and a door opened into a hallway. Four guards stood at the end of the hallway in front of a stairwell, mid-conversation. They froze upon seeing the two mutants, then immediately began to fire. Arden raised her wings to protect Styr, and simply waited as the bullets bounced off her. They continued firing, but she didn't move. Sooner or later... They'd break.
She saw it in one of their eyes before it happened. A guard, shorter than the rest, with a tuft of blond hair poking out of his mask. He stopped firing, grip quivered, then threw his weapon to the ground and pushed his comrades out of his way as he ran. Now! A flap of her wings shot her forward, almost faster than the eye could perceive. She threw her momentum into a kick, launching one of the guards down the stairs. Her tail acted on instinct, stabbing the guard to her right, one-two-three-four-five-six-seven, in quick succession, until he was a puddle of blood on the floor. The final guard managed to shoot her. The bullet pinged off her temple. Arden turned, watching as he slowly lowered the smoking barrel.
"Why don't you try that again?" She smirked beneath her mask. "Since it's working so well."
The man let out a pathetic cry, quickly turned watery as Arden grabbed him by the neck and pulled out his throat. She turned back to Styr, who hadn't moved.
"Come on, darling. Don't spare the mice any sympathy. They tried to kill us first."
Styr came to her side, not sparing the bodies a glance nor looking directly at Arden, just as she'd asked. "Yeah, I know. I don’t care about them. they’re keeping her safe so they’re as bad as Noah and Edith, in my book."
"You learn quickly." Her voice showed she was genuinely impressed. "I don't want to harm anyone, but they've turned this into a world where it's kill, or be killed. The choice is clear."
With that out of the way, they ascended the stairs. More squads of guards came to intercept them, but Arden tore through them as easily as the last. By the end, her arms were drenched in blood all the way up to her shoulders. The lights embedded into the floor and ceiling thrummed a deep tune. She could feel her armour loosening, her claws growing brittle. The inhibitor fields littered throughout this prison were designed to suppress mutant powers gradually, long-term, so it wouldn't be too much of an issue. Still, the boy would be feeling the effects more than she was, so it was a sensible idea to get this over with quickly. Whatever guards left alive had been consumed by the Dread-Force. There would no more resistance.
They walked quietly, side by side. Some heavy duty doors had become sealed, a lock-down procedure, no doubt, but Arden ripped them apart with little effort. Until, finally, one door stood before them. Cell Number 13.
Arden pierced through the lock with her tail, leaving a sizeable hole. The door swung ajar.
"After you, darling."
Hvnny-Bvns0
Walliver
Two Thousand Club
“No!”
A bloodcurdling scream ripped through the library. Thomas ran, pushing Leander away from what was left of Noah’s body. He fell to his knees beside the corpse. His hands flickered about, like he was searching for something to do. But there was nothing to be done. Thomas couldn’t even cling to the last dregs of the man’s power before it faded along with the light in Noah’s eyes. Thomas’s heart pounded in his chest, his lungs feeling like they were moments away from exploding.
“No no no! You can’t do this to me!” He screamed, fists beating against what was left of Noah’s chest. “You can’t do this, you can’t!” He sobbed, bowing over the corpse like a sapling against a strong wind. Grief and rage, like the oncoming wave of a tsunami, crashed over him. But instead of dragging him under, the wave pulled him up. He got to his feet, hands clenched into fists at his side.
Power called to him from all corners of the room, abilities to be plucked like harp strings. Any number of deadly weapons to pick from, to use to obliterate the traitor in front of him. He plucked a string that tasted of copper and death, and felt something like evil surge through his veins. Blood poured from the open, searing flesh on Noah’s body, forming a thousand sharp points directed at Leander. Thomas was livid and he would not be stopped.
“You killed him.” He spoke bitterly, shaking with rage. “You killed the only person who could have redeemed you- why?! Why would you do that?! He protected us for years! He was the only thing here that didn’t change- the only one of you who still cared!” He shrieked, the knives of blood inching closer.
“You killed him and I’m gonna make sure you never know rest ever again.”
.empathogen.
A bloodcurdling scream ripped through the library. Thomas ran, pushing Leander away from what was left of Noah’s body. He fell to his knees beside the corpse. His hands flickered about, like he was searching for something to do. But there was nothing to be done. Thomas couldn’t even cling to the last dregs of the man’s power before it faded along with the light in Noah’s eyes. Thomas’s heart pounded in his chest, his lungs feeling like they were moments away from exploding.
“No no no! You can’t do this to me!” He screamed, fists beating against what was left of Noah’s chest. “You can’t do this, you can’t!” He sobbed, bowing over the corpse like a sapling against a strong wind. Grief and rage, like the oncoming wave of a tsunami, crashed over him. But instead of dragging him under, the wave pulled him up. He got to his feet, hands clenched into fists at his side.
Power called to him from all corners of the room, abilities to be plucked like harp strings. Any number of deadly weapons to pick from, to use to obliterate the traitor in front of him. He plucked a string that tasted of copper and death, and felt something like evil surge through his veins. Blood poured from the open, searing flesh on Noah’s body, forming a thousand sharp points directed at Leander. Thomas was livid and he would not be stopped.
“You killed him.” He spoke bitterly, shaking with rage. “You killed the only person who could have redeemed you- why?! Why would you do that?! He protected us for years! He was the only thing here that didn’t change- the only one of you who still cared!” He shrieked, the knives of blood inching closer.
“You killed him and I’m gonna make sure you never know rest ever again.”
.empathogen.
.empathogen.
♡𝚙𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚎♡
C H A N G E
© reveriee
Last edited:
Hvnny-Bvns0
╭・🌿𓂃❨˖ ₊ ⊹
Here it was. Here she was.
Nothing stood between Styr and Freya, and she was only a few steps away.
Styr’s hands twitched as he watched her like a hawk. He set one foot inside of her cell, and then the other. Freya hadn’t turned to face him yet.
Pathetic.
Perhaps she was expecting death. Perhaps she was expecting one of her fellow inmates to have broken loose. Perhaps, if she hadn't heard the commotion, she was expecting a guard.
Or perhaps she was expecting Styr. A mother’s instinct, or whatever.
Styr took another step closer. Then another. He felt like he was suffocating, yet his lungs were about to explode from all the oxygen. He felt like he could run around the entire world, yet his legs would barely move.
Finally, Styr was right behind her. Freya seemed to glow, even with the pure white walls that surrounded her. She was always the brightest in the room. Always the one that outshone everyone.
Styr grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to look at him.
Whatever Freya was expecting- clearly wasn’t this. Her dark eyes widened, her expression of pure neutrality turning into one of ecstatic joy.
“Oh, Anna! Baby!” She sobbed, enveloping Styr in a hug.
Only her hug never reached him. Her arms fell through the air, and she stumbled forward. Her eyes- wide, pathetic, and desperate- tried to lock with Styr’s. She seemed to be desperately searching for the reason he would so cruelly refuse a hug from his own mother.
Styr refused to look her in the eyes, instead opting to look directly behind her. Freya didn’t deserve to be acknowledged any more than she had to be.
“Get off of me,” Styr demanded.
“I don’t-” Freya started, before being cut off.
“Get off of me!” Styr screamed. “Get your fucking hands off of me! Don’t- don’t hug me!”
“Annalise!” Freya gasped. “Annalise. You don’t talk to your mother that way.” She scolded. “I’ll forgive you this time, because I’m sure you’re just upset, but-”
Styr cut her off once more. He shoved her back, causing Freya’s frail figure to hit the wall behind her. She bounced off of the perfectly white wall, but before she could recover, she received a harsh punch to the gut. Styr didn’t have a lot of strength, but he knew where to hit. The strike was enough to send Freya doubling over, coughing and sputtering.
“A-An-” Freya started once more. In response, Styr phased his hand through her shoulder, seeing red. He solidified his hand once more, the action getting a loud screech from Freya in response. The sound was like music to Styr’s ears, but only for a moment. He pulled his hand back, and Freya was no longer there. But Thomas was, bleeding and doubled over and sobbing and it was all Styr’s fault.
He shook the thought out of his head. This was different. Freya deserved it. She deserved all of it. This wasn’t like it was with Thomas. Styr was just hurting Freya as much as Freya hurt him.
But that just means you hurt him as much as she hurt you. You’re just like her, a traitorous part of his brain whispered. You hurt him and then you made him love you. Do you think he actually wants to be with you? He’s just with you because of Sage. You don’t even love him. You just like the control.
No. No, no. That wasn’t true.
It was just his brain lying to him. He didn’t force Thomas into dating. He didn’t make Thomas do anything!
Despite the reassurance he tried to offer himself, he felt no better. He turned to Arden, Freya still sobbing at his feet.
Please, He begged her silently. Tell me I’m right.
Arden seemed to catch on to what Styr was trying to say, at least enough to offer him a semblance of help.
"Now, darling, it's up to you. This is your chance to fix everything. You see her, you remember everything she did to you. Even now, she refuses to even use your name. Now is your opportunity to rid yourself of the past. Erase the abuser and you'll finally be ready to heal. If you can't muster the strength now, she may haunt you forever. Or you can end this today, right now, and tomorrow you can move on. What will you do, Styr?"
With Arden’s words being tossed around in his brain, Styr looked down to Freya. Her pathetic, shaking form. Her hands, which had once been the source of all his tears. Her throat, and the voice she once used to break him down. To convince him that she kept him safe. Safe from the dangers that now protected him from her.
Styr pushed Thomas to the back of his brain. Freya’s life was now in Styr’s hands, and he was a sucker for poetic justice.
He let his leg fall through her chest. Through her ribs, through her muscle, through her sickly flesh.
He could only hope she was looking at him as he solidified his leg inside of her. He could only hope she looked at his face, to see he was still looking past her. This meant nothing to him. Freya meant nothing to him.
When Styr pulled his foot out, he could barely keep himself from vomiting. Blood and guts covered his boot and the tip of his jeans. Freya was still heaving, though her breaths were short and ragged. She would die soon.
Good.
Let it sink in.
Styr refused to look at her as he stepped back. The white room was now stained with red, both the walls and floor. Bloody red imperfections covering the perfectly white room Freya had been held in for who knows how long.
The loud, ragged breaths he heard from Freya began to quiet. As they did, Styr relished in the sound. He had to be. He had to be enjoying it. There was no reason for him not to be.
He refused to think about it any longer. He wouldn’t feel remorse.
Styr turned his back to Freya, still barely holding down his lunch. He didn’t spare her a second glance as he approached Arden, averting his eyes both due to the Dread Form and his own instinctive fear. The fear that Arden would look at him with disgust. That he somehow failed her. That she would run off, leaving Styr to face both the MNTF and his own actions.
Arden stayed, though. She didn’t walk off, she didn’t leave him. She let him collect his thoughts, waiting until he managed to think straight again and finally speak.
“...What now?”
Arden smiled approvingly.
Simon Strut
Mentions:
Walliver
Nothing stood between Styr and Freya, and she was only a few steps away.
Styr’s hands twitched as he watched her like a hawk. He set one foot inside of her cell, and then the other. Freya hadn’t turned to face him yet.
Pathetic.
Perhaps she was expecting death. Perhaps she was expecting one of her fellow inmates to have broken loose. Perhaps, if she hadn't heard the commotion, she was expecting a guard.
Or perhaps she was expecting Styr. A mother’s instinct, or whatever.
Styr took another step closer. Then another. He felt like he was suffocating, yet his lungs were about to explode from all the oxygen. He felt like he could run around the entire world, yet his legs would barely move.
Finally, Styr was right behind her. Freya seemed to glow, even with the pure white walls that surrounded her. She was always the brightest in the room. Always the one that outshone everyone.
Styr grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to look at him.
Whatever Freya was expecting- clearly wasn’t this. Her dark eyes widened, her expression of pure neutrality turning into one of ecstatic joy.
“Oh, Anna! Baby!” She sobbed, enveloping Styr in a hug.
Only her hug never reached him. Her arms fell through the air, and she stumbled forward. Her eyes- wide, pathetic, and desperate- tried to lock with Styr’s. She seemed to be desperately searching for the reason he would so cruelly refuse a hug from his own mother.
Styr refused to look her in the eyes, instead opting to look directly behind her. Freya didn’t deserve to be acknowledged any more than she had to be.
“Get off of me,” Styr demanded.
“I don’t-” Freya started, before being cut off.
“Get off of me!” Styr screamed. “Get your fucking hands off of me! Don’t- don’t hug me!”
“Annalise!” Freya gasped. “Annalise. You don’t talk to your mother that way.” She scolded. “I’ll forgive you this time, because I’m sure you’re just upset, but-”
Styr cut her off once more. He shoved her back, causing Freya’s frail figure to hit the wall behind her. She bounced off of the perfectly white wall, but before she could recover, she received a harsh punch to the gut. Styr didn’t have a lot of strength, but he knew where to hit. The strike was enough to send Freya doubling over, coughing and sputtering.
“A-An-” Freya started once more. In response, Styr phased his hand through her shoulder, seeing red. He solidified his hand once more, the action getting a loud screech from Freya in response. The sound was like music to Styr’s ears, but only for a moment. He pulled his hand back, and Freya was no longer there. But Thomas was, bleeding and doubled over and sobbing and it was all Styr’s fault.
He shook the thought out of his head. This was different. Freya deserved it. She deserved all of it. This wasn’t like it was with Thomas. Styr was just hurting Freya as much as Freya hurt him.
But that just means you hurt him as much as she hurt you. You’re just like her, a traitorous part of his brain whispered. You hurt him and then you made him love you. Do you think he actually wants to be with you? He’s just with you because of Sage. You don’t even love him. You just like the control.
No. No, no. That wasn’t true.
It was just his brain lying to him. He didn’t force Thomas into dating. He didn’t make Thomas do anything!
Despite the reassurance he tried to offer himself, he felt no better. He turned to Arden, Freya still sobbing at his feet.
Please, He begged her silently. Tell me I’m right.
Arden seemed to catch on to what Styr was trying to say, at least enough to offer him a semblance of help.
"Now, darling, it's up to you. This is your chance to fix everything. You see her, you remember everything she did to you. Even now, she refuses to even use your name. Now is your opportunity to rid yourself of the past. Erase the abuser and you'll finally be ready to heal. If you can't muster the strength now, she may haunt you forever. Or you can end this today, right now, and tomorrow you can move on. What will you do, Styr?"
With Arden’s words being tossed around in his brain, Styr looked down to Freya. Her pathetic, shaking form. Her hands, which had once been the source of all his tears. Her throat, and the voice she once used to break him down. To convince him that she kept him safe. Safe from the dangers that now protected him from her.
Styr pushed Thomas to the back of his brain. Freya’s life was now in Styr’s hands, and he was a sucker for poetic justice.
He let his leg fall through her chest. Through her ribs, through her muscle, through her sickly flesh.
He could only hope she was looking at him as he solidified his leg inside of her. He could only hope she looked at his face, to see he was still looking past her. This meant nothing to him. Freya meant nothing to him.
When Styr pulled his foot out, he could barely keep himself from vomiting. Blood and guts covered his boot and the tip of his jeans. Freya was still heaving, though her breaths were short and ragged. She would die soon.
Good.
Let it sink in.
Styr refused to look at her as he stepped back. The white room was now stained with red, both the walls and floor. Bloody red imperfections covering the perfectly white room Freya had been held in for who knows how long.
The loud, ragged breaths he heard from Freya began to quiet. As they did, Styr relished in the sound. He had to be. He had to be enjoying it. There was no reason for him not to be.
He refused to think about it any longer. He wouldn’t feel remorse.
Styr turned his back to Freya, still barely holding down his lunch. He didn’t spare her a second glance as he approached Arden, averting his eyes both due to the Dread Form and his own instinctive fear. The fear that Arden would look at him with disgust. That he somehow failed her. That she would run off, leaving Styr to face both the MNTF and his own actions.
Arden stayed, though. She didn’t walk off, she didn’t leave him. She let him collect his thoughts, waiting until he managed to think straight again and finally speak.
“...What now?”
Arden smiled approvingly.
Simon Strut
Mentions:
Walliver
Last edited:
Simon Strut
I am not a man, I am a bean.
C H A O S
© reveriee
.empathogen.
♡𝚙𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚎♡
KINDRED
© reveriee
monkeydoll555
OC Tormentor
.empathogen.
♡𝚙𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚎♡
JUSTIFIED
© reveriee
Last edited:
Walliver
Two Thousand Club
It was probably by chance that he heard the commotion from outside.
It was probably by chance that there was no guard at his door, too busy taking care of whatever problem it was that the latest arrival was causing. He’d heard her name and number in passing- just another new one that would be dead or permanently de-powered because of experimentation. But, hearing the commotion and the lack of tortured screaming, he felt some hope. Some hope was enough.
Reaching through the bars, ignoring the sharp pain that lanced up his arm at breaking the barrier that kept him from escaping, he typed in the code on the keypad outside of his cell. At once, the sharp stinging stopped, and the door began to open. He removed his arm from the bars, dashing out through the door. The feeling of being out of that cell was electrifying.
It was like a breath of fresh air after spending the whole day stuck inside. He could feel the injection marks and scraped up patches of skin slowly healing. The permanent cramp that had settled in his wings the past two years finally lessened, the limbs getting a chance to extend fully for the first time in months. He plucked some dead feathers from them before heading down the hall. Four other experiments had escaped.
One of them looked fierce, like the conditions of the lab had not yet broken her. That was the new arrival then. Another, a young girl carrying a gun and shaking like a leaf. He didn’t recognize the young man with them, but there was something familiar about the woman that stood nearby- faint flickers of power, like the energy that filled his own veins. He didn’t know her name, but he felt like he should.
“Do you have a plan?” He asked, his voice hoarse and cracking. Not like he had used it for much other than screaming for these past two years. He followed after them, eyes flickering about as he searching for guards and any potential threat to their escape.
“Or are we going at this blind?”
Simon Strut
.empathogen.
monkeydoll555
It was probably by chance that there was no guard at his door, too busy taking care of whatever problem it was that the latest arrival was causing. He’d heard her name and number in passing- just another new one that would be dead or permanently de-powered because of experimentation. But, hearing the commotion and the lack of tortured screaming, he felt some hope. Some hope was enough.
Reaching through the bars, ignoring the sharp pain that lanced up his arm at breaking the barrier that kept him from escaping, he typed in the code on the keypad outside of his cell. At once, the sharp stinging stopped, and the door began to open. He removed his arm from the bars, dashing out through the door. The feeling of being out of that cell was electrifying.
It was like a breath of fresh air after spending the whole day stuck inside. He could feel the injection marks and scraped up patches of skin slowly healing. The permanent cramp that had settled in his wings the past two years finally lessened, the limbs getting a chance to extend fully for the first time in months. He plucked some dead feathers from them before heading down the hall. Four other experiments had escaped.
One of them looked fierce, like the conditions of the lab had not yet broken her. That was the new arrival then. Another, a young girl carrying a gun and shaking like a leaf. He didn’t recognize the young man with them, but there was something familiar about the woman that stood nearby- faint flickers of power, like the energy that filled his own veins. He didn’t know her name, but he felt like he should.
“Do you have a plan?” He asked, his voice hoarse and cracking. Not like he had used it for much other than screaming for these past two years. He followed after them, eyes flickering about as he searching for guards and any potential threat to their escape.
“Or are we going at this blind?”
Simon Strut
.empathogen.
monkeydoll555
Simon Strut
I am not a man, I am a bean.
Hileena Akhtar
Earlier that day...
The A-tier mentalist in Hileena's secret lab had provided her with a problem she had never been able to solve. No matter what she did, the many viruses she'd synthesised to destroy his cells never acted as they should. The success rate was below two-percent. Sage was supposed to help with that, Hileena had devised a formula that would allow the young mutant to use venom to catalyse the reaction. But that was no longer an option, Sage was gone. Leander's stem cells, however, seemed to be the perfect answer. Boosting the mentalist's cells seemed counter-intuitive, but it gave much more depth to Hileena's experiments. Now, suddenly, the newest version of the virus acted predictably... Or at least, it should be.
Hileena stared at the whiteboard. She had barely slept the past two weeks, constantly expanding her experimentation methods, until finally she had come to what she believed to be the perfect conclusion. This was supposed to be the perfect virus. The whiteboard was covered in tiny handwriting, numbers and symbols that would be foreign to most other than the brilliant minds among them, representing the problem she was trying to solve. The equation seemed perfect, but every time she plugged it into her simulation, it all fell apart.
She sighed, squeezing her temples. When was the last time she brushed her hair? Who cares? She couldn't rest until this was finished.
The crack of a can opening signalled Nat's entrance. The woman gave Hileena a concerned look, then placed a second can of Monster on her desk, opening it with one hand. Hileena whispered a thanks, then popped in a straw and took a sip. Peach, her favourite.
Nat's eyes went from Hileena, to the whiteboard, then back again. She looked almost as tired as Hileena felt. "Whatever that is," she said, "its making you break out in hives. Calm down, Leena."
Hileena sighed. She didn't know what was at stake... But perhaps she could help solve the problem. Well, another brilliant mind couldn't hurt.
"I could do with an extra pair of eyes," Hileena replied. "What do you think of it?"
Nat gave it a quick once-over. "What is it?" Hileena shifted in her seat. Telling Leander about this had been sensible, since he had a personal vendetta, but there was no telling how Nat would react.
"Just something new I've been working on, might come in handy some day. So here's the issue... The math is all correct, there's no problem there. But when I plug it into my sim, the success rate is below 5%. Obviously, it needs to be a lot closer to a hundred."
The other scientist nodded, putting her drink down, then went to scan the whiteboard. She held her chin in her hand, then tutted quietly.
"You're slipping, Leena. The math is wrong."
"What?"
Nat wiped away two numbers near the centre and replaced them, then changed a letter for an infinity symbol. "You're assuming 'x' is a discrete variable when it should be continuous. Just need to compensate for that, aaaand..." Nat turned around, leaned over Hileena's shoulder to grab her mouse, and plugged the new equation into her simulation. "Voila. Eighty-six-percent success rate."
Hileena stared at the screen, mouth agape. This... This was it! The only thing that had held her back was a tiny oversight. Eighty-six-percent was higher than anything she had ever accomplished. It wasn't perfect, but with some tweaking, it would soon be. A continuous variable... Of course!
"I've been stuck on this for days," she said. "I should have asked you sooner!"
Nat rolled her eyes, in that friendly, sarcastic way she often did. "I'm literally permanently 'on-call'. Stop overworking that brain of yours." She turned her head inquisitively. "So are you going to tell me what this is really about? Don't give me that look, you're like an open book."
"It's just a personal project," Hileena insisted, "Something from back in my MediTrust days." With that, she went back to studying the simulation. She'd have to keep it running all day and night in order to collect the necessary data, and staring at it wouldn't do much good, but she couldn't help it. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the other scientist pull out her phone, before going to her own desk.
Hileena spent the rest of the afternoon in silence, sipping her drink, bloodshot eyes glued to her monitor.
Later that day...
Whatever had just happened, Hileena barely understood any of it. But there was one thing that was crystal-clear. The time for action was now.
After Leander had attacked Noah and Thomas, then disappeared, Alexander had been the first to react. He sent his female shadow-creature to Thomas's side, who threw a translucent veil over the boy. It seemed to work, since whatever telepathic assault he was under came to an abrupt end. So that's how he's immune to telepathy. He then went to check on Lurch—was something going on between those two?—and inspected the damage done to the library.
Surprisingly, even though there was an air of panic, everyone seemed to keep their cool. Hileena quickly escorted Thomas to the infirmary, for the second time that month, before making a formal announcement about the current situation. A meeting was required, post-haste, which every member of the Institute above the age of eighteen was invited to, as well as Andrew Solomon and his advisors.
Hileena stood at the front of the table in the crowded staff room, holding her tablet. Somehow, she managed to stop herself from shaking, before addressing those present.
"As we all know, Mr. Cruz has, for want of a better term, gone rogue. Miss Yates is in a coma. And, for now, Mr. Cameron is out of commission. Before any of this, we were planning to infiltrate the MNTF headquarters in order to break out Professor Blackthorne's acquaintance, as well as any other mutants present." Hileena tapped an icon on her tablet, causing a hologram to project over the table. It showed a map of Texas, with a blinking light. "Mr. Cruz is currently on his way to the facility, which we can only assume means he intends to go through with the plan on his own." She tapped again, pulling up two more holograms. One showed a map of the facility, according to her memory of working and being imprisoned there, while the other showed the blueprints for a working prototype that she, Nat and Jack-Dane had engineered.
Alexander continued, "What we're proposing is a new infiltration mission. Professor Akhtar and I will be a part of this, as well as any volunteers who are confident in their abilities and fully understand the risk associated." He pointed to the hologram of the prototype. "Our team of engineers have created a tool that should help us. Once activated, it employs a field of energy that counteracts the effects of inhibitor technology—think of it like an EMP. Our mission is to get in, save as many mutants as we can, retrieve Leander for questioning, and get out. Safely."
Fiona Shezadi, the P.E. teacher, raised her hand. "How are you planning on getting there? I mean, I can fly pretty fast, but I can't say the same for anyone else here."
Hileena nodded, then motioned towards Sonia Wilson.
"I have some family living in a town near the headquarters," Sonia said. "So if you all stand inside the Daira Box, my Uncle Jenkin can summon it. Depending on how many volunteers we get, it'll be a tight squeeze, but it should be doable. I won't be tagging along though, as much as I'd like to, since it could put our entire movement at risk."
"But we can't stress enough that this isn't a mission for the faint-hearted," Hileena added. "We would be delving into the heart of enemy territory, and there's a very likely chance that we won't return. In the same breath, the more volunteers we have, the more mutants we could possibly save. If anyone has anything to add, or if there are any questions, please, the room is yours."
Earlier that day...
The A-tier mentalist in Hileena's secret lab had provided her with a problem she had never been able to solve. No matter what she did, the many viruses she'd synthesised to destroy his cells never acted as they should. The success rate was below two-percent. Sage was supposed to help with that, Hileena had devised a formula that would allow the young mutant to use venom to catalyse the reaction. But that was no longer an option, Sage was gone. Leander's stem cells, however, seemed to be the perfect answer. Boosting the mentalist's cells seemed counter-intuitive, but it gave much more depth to Hileena's experiments. Now, suddenly, the newest version of the virus acted predictably... Or at least, it should be.
Hileena stared at the whiteboard. She had barely slept the past two weeks, constantly expanding her experimentation methods, until finally she had come to what she believed to be the perfect conclusion. This was supposed to be the perfect virus. The whiteboard was covered in tiny handwriting, numbers and symbols that would be foreign to most other than the brilliant minds among them, representing the problem she was trying to solve. The equation seemed perfect, but every time she plugged it into her simulation, it all fell apart.
She sighed, squeezing her temples. When was the last time she brushed her hair? Who cares? She couldn't rest until this was finished.
The crack of a can opening signalled Nat's entrance. The woman gave Hileena a concerned look, then placed a second can of Monster on her desk, opening it with one hand. Hileena whispered a thanks, then popped in a straw and took a sip. Peach, her favourite.
Nat's eyes went from Hileena, to the whiteboard, then back again. She looked almost as tired as Hileena felt. "Whatever that is," she said, "its making you break out in hives. Calm down, Leena."
Hileena sighed. She didn't know what was at stake... But perhaps she could help solve the problem. Well, another brilliant mind couldn't hurt.
"I could do with an extra pair of eyes," Hileena replied. "What do you think of it?"
Nat gave it a quick once-over. "What is it?" Hileena shifted in her seat. Telling Leander about this had been sensible, since he had a personal vendetta, but there was no telling how Nat would react.
"Just something new I've been working on, might come in handy some day. So here's the issue... The math is all correct, there's no problem there. But when I plug it into my sim, the success rate is below 5%. Obviously, it needs to be a lot closer to a hundred."
The other scientist nodded, putting her drink down, then went to scan the whiteboard. She held her chin in her hand, then tutted quietly.
"You're slipping, Leena. The math is wrong."
"What?"
Nat wiped away two numbers near the centre and replaced them, then changed a letter for an infinity symbol. "You're assuming 'x' is a discrete variable when it should be continuous. Just need to compensate for that, aaaand..." Nat turned around, leaned over Hileena's shoulder to grab her mouse, and plugged the new equation into her simulation. "Voila. Eighty-six-percent success rate."
Hileena stared at the screen, mouth agape. This... This was it! The only thing that had held her back was a tiny oversight. Eighty-six-percent was higher than anything she had ever accomplished. It wasn't perfect, but with some tweaking, it would soon be. A continuous variable... Of course!
"I've been stuck on this for days," she said. "I should have asked you sooner!"
Nat rolled her eyes, in that friendly, sarcastic way she often did. "I'm literally permanently 'on-call'. Stop overworking that brain of yours." She turned her head inquisitively. "So are you going to tell me what this is really about? Don't give me that look, you're like an open book."
"It's just a personal project," Hileena insisted, "Something from back in my MediTrust days." With that, she went back to studying the simulation. She'd have to keep it running all day and night in order to collect the necessary data, and staring at it wouldn't do much good, but she couldn't help it. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the other scientist pull out her phone, before going to her own desk.
Hileena spent the rest of the afternoon in silence, sipping her drink, bloodshot eyes glued to her monitor.
Later that day...
Whatever had just happened, Hileena barely understood any of it. But there was one thing that was crystal-clear. The time for action was now.
After Leander had attacked Noah and Thomas, then disappeared, Alexander had been the first to react. He sent his female shadow-creature to Thomas's side, who threw a translucent veil over the boy. It seemed to work, since whatever telepathic assault he was under came to an abrupt end. So that's how he's immune to telepathy. He then went to check on Lurch—was something going on between those two?—and inspected the damage done to the library.
Surprisingly, even though there was an air of panic, everyone seemed to keep their cool. Hileena quickly escorted Thomas to the infirmary, for the second time that month, before making a formal announcement about the current situation. A meeting was required, post-haste, which every member of the Institute above the age of eighteen was invited to, as well as Andrew Solomon and his advisors.
Hileena stood at the front of the table in the crowded staff room, holding her tablet. Somehow, she managed to stop herself from shaking, before addressing those present.
"As we all know, Mr. Cruz has, for want of a better term, gone rogue. Miss Yates is in a coma. And, for now, Mr. Cameron is out of commission. Before any of this, we were planning to infiltrate the MNTF headquarters in order to break out Professor Blackthorne's acquaintance, as well as any other mutants present." Hileena tapped an icon on her tablet, causing a hologram to project over the table. It showed a map of Texas, with a blinking light. "Mr. Cruz is currently on his way to the facility, which we can only assume means he intends to go through with the plan on his own." She tapped again, pulling up two more holograms. One showed a map of the facility, according to her memory of working and being imprisoned there, while the other showed the blueprints for a working prototype that she, Nat and Jack-Dane had engineered.
Alexander continued, "What we're proposing is a new infiltration mission. Professor Akhtar and I will be a part of this, as well as any volunteers who are confident in their abilities and fully understand the risk associated." He pointed to the hologram of the prototype. "Our team of engineers have created a tool that should help us. Once activated, it employs a field of energy that counteracts the effects of inhibitor technology—think of it like an EMP. Our mission is to get in, save as many mutants as we can, retrieve Leander for questioning, and get out. Safely."
Fiona Shezadi, the P.E. teacher, raised her hand. "How are you planning on getting there? I mean, I can fly pretty fast, but I can't say the same for anyone else here."
Hileena nodded, then motioned towards Sonia Wilson.
"I have some family living in a town near the headquarters," Sonia said. "So if you all stand inside the Daira Box, my Uncle Jenkin can summon it. Depending on how many volunteers we get, it'll be a tight squeeze, but it should be doable. I won't be tagging along though, as much as I'd like to, since it could put our entire movement at risk."
"But we can't stress enough that this isn't a mission for the faint-hearted," Hileena added. "We would be delving into the heart of enemy territory, and there's a very likely chance that we won't return. In the same breath, the more volunteers we have, the more mutants we could possibly save. If anyone has anything to add, or if there are any questions, please, the room is yours."
Walliver
Two Thousand Club
(TW: ableism/ableist comments from not Noah, referenced/technical character death)
“How could you have known?”
Edith sat across from Noah- or, whatever had been pretending to be Noah. Her leg bounced incessantly, her nerves completely shot. It was normally a motion that Noah would copy- he was full of restless energy, always looking for an outlet. She was his outlet sometimes, but that was a different story. But this time, his legs stayed still. Nothing about him moved at all- she wasn’t quite certain he was even breathing. He just stared at her, his eyes piercing. Another imperfection that she should have noticed. Noah only looked in her eyes when he thought he needed to. This Noah looked at her just to look.
“I should have known. You’re nothing like him. You’re so…”
“Better?” The man pretending to be Noah smirked. “I don’t flinch when you touch me, I don’t shirk your affection. I don’t ramble incessantly. I don’t panic at loud noises and I don’t refuse food that you’ve taken the time to make.”
“That’s not- I don’t-”
“I treat you better. I hold your hand, I kiss you every morning. I don’t leave you cold and alone in bed because I’m pacing all night.” Somehow he had made his way out of his seat, kneeling by her. He was almost as tall as her, even on his knees. He reached out and touched her cheek, smiling widely. “You don’t need him. I look the same, without all the defects. Same face, same powers, same memories. Couldn’t you just forget about him? Forget about the other man, and love me instead.”
“Never.” Edith shook her head, rising up from her chair. His kind gaze turned into an expression of pure rage.
“Fine then.” And in one swift move, he snapped her neck.
Edith awoke with a gasp, flinging herself from the couch. She breathed frantically, hands scrambling to touch her neck, making sure her bones were still intact. She sighed in relief when she felt that it was. Her head throbbed, a familiar feeling from early days of clairvoyance. She felt slightly nauseous, exhausted, and panicked. Where was Leander? More importantly, where was that creature wearing Noah’s face?
She slowly rose, fighting back a wave of nausea and the renewed throb in her brain. She’d take care of that once she knew everyone was safe. She stumbled out of the room, trying to remember which way the library was. Edith put one hand against the wall, using it as a support as she stumbled down the hallway.
The library was a mess.
Books strewn about the floor, a hole punched through the wall. Blood on the floor, and…
“Oh thank goodness.” She breathed out, seeing what was left of Not Noah. That threat was neutralized, but where was everyone else? She heard a beep from her watch- a meeting. She was missing a meeting already? Edith sighed, rubbing her eyes.
“Gimme a break already.” She groaned, shuffling out into the hallway to make her way to the staff room.
-/-/-/-
“So, you guys handled that whole clone Noah thing, right?” She asked, entering the staff room. “Also, I’m not comatose anymore, and I have some things to tell you all.” She sat down, feeling her knees creak at the movement. She sagged into the chair, taking a deep breath before voicing her latest controversial opinion.
“I’m not certain a mission to the MNTF would be our best course of action at the moment. Unless you can handle another remorseless clone of one of the most powerful people this Institute has ever seen.”
She looked to Hileena.
“Unless you’ve got some secret weapon we should know about.”
Simon Strut
“How could you have known?”
Edith sat across from Noah- or, whatever had been pretending to be Noah. Her leg bounced incessantly, her nerves completely shot. It was normally a motion that Noah would copy- he was full of restless energy, always looking for an outlet. She was his outlet sometimes, but that was a different story. But this time, his legs stayed still. Nothing about him moved at all- she wasn’t quite certain he was even breathing. He just stared at her, his eyes piercing. Another imperfection that she should have noticed. Noah only looked in her eyes when he thought he needed to. This Noah looked at her just to look.
“I should have known. You’re nothing like him. You’re so…”
“Better?” The man pretending to be Noah smirked. “I don’t flinch when you touch me, I don’t shirk your affection. I don’t ramble incessantly. I don’t panic at loud noises and I don’t refuse food that you’ve taken the time to make.”
“That’s not- I don’t-”
“I treat you better. I hold your hand, I kiss you every morning. I don’t leave you cold and alone in bed because I’m pacing all night.” Somehow he had made his way out of his seat, kneeling by her. He was almost as tall as her, even on his knees. He reached out and touched her cheek, smiling widely. “You don’t need him. I look the same, without all the defects. Same face, same powers, same memories. Couldn’t you just forget about him? Forget about the other man, and love me instead.”
“Never.” Edith shook her head, rising up from her chair. His kind gaze turned into an expression of pure rage.
“Fine then.” And in one swift move, he snapped her neck.
Edith awoke with a gasp, flinging herself from the couch. She breathed frantically, hands scrambling to touch her neck, making sure her bones were still intact. She sighed in relief when she felt that it was. Her head throbbed, a familiar feeling from early days of clairvoyance. She felt slightly nauseous, exhausted, and panicked. Where was Leander? More importantly, where was that creature wearing Noah’s face?
She slowly rose, fighting back a wave of nausea and the renewed throb in her brain. She’d take care of that once she knew everyone was safe. She stumbled out of the room, trying to remember which way the library was. Edith put one hand against the wall, using it as a support as she stumbled down the hallway.
The library was a mess.
Books strewn about the floor, a hole punched through the wall. Blood on the floor, and…
“Oh thank goodness.” She breathed out, seeing what was left of Not Noah. That threat was neutralized, but where was everyone else? She heard a beep from her watch- a meeting. She was missing a meeting already? Edith sighed, rubbing her eyes.
“Gimme a break already.” She groaned, shuffling out into the hallway to make her way to the staff room.
-/-/-/-
“So, you guys handled that whole clone Noah thing, right?” She asked, entering the staff room. “Also, I’m not comatose anymore, and I have some things to tell you all.” She sat down, feeling her knees creak at the movement. She sagged into the chair, taking a deep breath before voicing her latest controversial opinion.
“I’m not certain a mission to the MNTF would be our best course of action at the moment. Unless you can handle another remorseless clone of one of the most powerful people this Institute has ever seen.”
She looked to Hileena.
“Unless you’ve got some secret weapon we should know about.”
Simon Strut
.empathogen.
♡𝚙𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚎♡
CONFORM
© reveriee
Last edited:
Hvnny-Bvns0
╭・🌿𓂃❨˖ ₊ ⊹
Better late than never. That tended to be Dans’s motto, to excuse her constant tardiness. She jogged up to the aviary, reaching the open section of the Institute as quickly as possible.
It was no sweat off her back- running up a flight of stairs was nothing compared to the exercises she usually did. She entered the aviary, boots squeaking as she walked over to Kenny and co. She cringed at the sound of her shoes.
Dans made it over to the group, giving Kenny a quick hug.
“I hope I’m not too late,” she forced a smile. It was not often that Dans would recreationally get high, though she was no stranger to weed, marijuana, and the like. She often had no room to think and process her own negative emotions, so getting rid of them tended to be her best bet. Or at least pushing them to the back of her mind. And she really needed to get Nari’s death off her mind.
Truth be told, Dans had barely slept a wink since that rally. Her body begged her to, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Making her muscles burn, testing her limits, and juggling fire was what helped her calm down. Which conflicted with her need for sleep.
So, Dans looked like shit.
She shouldn’t have to feel like shit, too. Dans snagged a few of the edibles Nat had brought, not saying a word to the rest of the group as she let the marijuana sink in, and slowly take hold of her system.
Simon Strut
I am not a man, I am a bean.
Hileena Akhtar
"Clone?" Hileena asked. Noah was a clone? What did that even mean? Well, she knew what a clone was, of course, but Noah? The Noah she'd known for years, the one who rescued her from the MNTF... Or had he been replaced in the time she'd been there? There were so many questions. The other staff and students looked just as confused as she was, so they all sat in silence as Edith explained what had happened.
Edith had been trying to manually trigger her visions. Hileena swallowed back her guilt. After all, she'd been the one to criticise Edith the loudest, and the pressure was bound to make her do something rash. Leander had been helping her, but the ensuing premonition had revealed that Noah had been replaced by an identical clone created by the MNTF. Afterwards, Edith had fallen into a brief coma, while Leander went to confront this 'Not-Noah'. Hileena frowned at that information. The sight of the two Celestial mutants fighting in the library had been terrifying, and Leander should have conferred with the rest of them before doing something so impulsive and brash. But still... He'd done what he thought was right, even though he wasn't successful in killing Not-Noah, he removed the clone from the equation, giving ample time for Edith to recover and reveal the truth.
But if Leander had decided to trust the rest of the staff, or just trust her at the very least, he would have had allies in his corner to vouch for him. He wouldn't have had to run away and face the MNTF alone. And that was why this mission was now of the utmost importance. Leander Cruz was their friend, and had proven that he would fiercely continue to help them, even if his actions didn't show him in the best light.
After Edith was finished, Alexander spoke before Hileena could.
"I don't care." He sounded tired, but determined. "Martha and god-knows how many other mutants are being held there. On top of that, you've just confirmed that Leander didn't betray us, so I'm more determined to rescue him too. So, Edith, thank you for clarifying exactly what the fuck is going on, but—respectfully—if you aren't coming with us, then don't try to stop us." He stood up, rolled his shoulders and breathed deeply. Hileena gave him a small nod, then went to stand by his side.
"Sonia?" Hileena shared a smile with Solomon's secretary. It felt like a goodbye.
Sonia whispered an incantation and the Daira Box appeared at Hileena's feet, then expanded into a large translucent cube. She and Alexander fit inside comfortably, with room for more. Jack-Dane joined them without so much as a word, but Hileena could see Alexander's brow furrow slightly when Lurch also entered the cube.
Nat stopped at Sonia's side, "Don't accidentally send us to Texas... Please," she said, before hopping into the cube and passing Hileena one of the two prototype anti-inhibitors.
No one else moved. Some of them looked indecisive, but Hileena had made it clear not to volunteer unless they were absolutely certain it was the right choice. She turned to Edith and mouthed a 'thank you', before the walls of the Daira Box went opaque.
When the box disappeared, the five of them stood in a backyard somewhere in Kansas. A tall man with a comically long beard gave them a grin, pointing to the shrunken Daira Box in his hand.
"It worked!" he exclaimed. "We've never tried it with living beings before... Anyway! Sonia mentioned you'd need a ride, so here's the keys. Bring my baby back in one piece."
Alexander snatched the keys from Sonia's uncle before anyone else could, leaving Hileena to thank him for his generosity. As they all climbed into the Porsche, Hileena took a second to look at the sky. Everything was moving so fast, she'd barely had time to spare a thought. No, that was wrong, she was thinking, she just wasn't feeling. For today, maybe that was a good thing.
Walliver
.empathogen.
Hvnny-Bvns0
"Clone?" Hileena asked. Noah was a clone? What did that even mean? Well, she knew what a clone was, of course, but Noah? The Noah she'd known for years, the one who rescued her from the MNTF... Or had he been replaced in the time she'd been there? There were so many questions. The other staff and students looked just as confused as she was, so they all sat in silence as Edith explained what had happened.
Edith had been trying to manually trigger her visions. Hileena swallowed back her guilt. After all, she'd been the one to criticise Edith the loudest, and the pressure was bound to make her do something rash. Leander had been helping her, but the ensuing premonition had revealed that Noah had been replaced by an identical clone created by the MNTF. Afterwards, Edith had fallen into a brief coma, while Leander went to confront this 'Not-Noah'. Hileena frowned at that information. The sight of the two Celestial mutants fighting in the library had been terrifying, and Leander should have conferred with the rest of them before doing something so impulsive and brash. But still... He'd done what he thought was right, even though he wasn't successful in killing Not-Noah, he removed the clone from the equation, giving ample time for Edith to recover and reveal the truth.
But if Leander had decided to trust the rest of the staff, or just trust her at the very least, he would have had allies in his corner to vouch for him. He wouldn't have had to run away and face the MNTF alone. And that was why this mission was now of the utmost importance. Leander Cruz was their friend, and had proven that he would fiercely continue to help them, even if his actions didn't show him in the best light.
After Edith was finished, Alexander spoke before Hileena could.
"I don't care." He sounded tired, but determined. "Martha and god-knows how many other mutants are being held there. On top of that, you've just confirmed that Leander didn't betray us, so I'm more determined to rescue him too. So, Edith, thank you for clarifying exactly what the fuck is going on, but—respectfully—if you aren't coming with us, then don't try to stop us." He stood up, rolled his shoulders and breathed deeply. Hileena gave him a small nod, then went to stand by his side.
"Sonia?" Hileena shared a smile with Solomon's secretary. It felt like a goodbye.
Sonia whispered an incantation and the Daira Box appeared at Hileena's feet, then expanded into a large translucent cube. She and Alexander fit inside comfortably, with room for more. Jack-Dane joined them without so much as a word, but Hileena could see Alexander's brow furrow slightly when Lurch also entered the cube.
Nat stopped at Sonia's side, "Don't accidentally send us to Texas... Please," she said, before hopping into the cube and passing Hileena one of the two prototype anti-inhibitors.
No one else moved. Some of them looked indecisive, but Hileena had made it clear not to volunteer unless they were absolutely certain it was the right choice. She turned to Edith and mouthed a 'thank you', before the walls of the Daira Box went opaque.
When the box disappeared, the five of them stood in a backyard somewhere in Kansas. A tall man with a comically long beard gave them a grin, pointing to the shrunken Daira Box in his hand.
"It worked!" he exclaimed. "We've never tried it with living beings before... Anyway! Sonia mentioned you'd need a ride, so here's the keys. Bring my baby back in one piece."
Alexander snatched the keys from Sonia's uncle before anyone else could, leaving Hileena to thank him for his generosity. As they all climbed into the Porsche, Hileena took a second to look at the sky. Everything was moving so fast, she'd barely had time to spare a thought. No, that was wrong, she was thinking, she just wasn't feeling. For today, maybe that was a good thing.
Walliver
.empathogen.
Hvnny-Bvns0
Simon Strut
I am not a man, I am a bean.
Martha Madden
Okay, so let's get this straight. The MNTF were... Fucking twats.
This had all began because Martha pretended to be more sick than she actually was. So Professor Akhtar, who probably had a bajillion PhDs under his belt from the way he'd go on-and-on, decided to reduce her dosage. Because of that, she'd been able to summon a measly bit of fire, and take out three guards—three professionally trained guards!—then bust out two other prisoners.
That sounds bad enough, doesn't it? Imagine having to be the guy to report to the big-evil-man-on-top that you lost in a fight against a heavily drugged, five-foot-six, twenty year old girl. But, no, it doesn't end there. Some dumbass brought flowers near a mutant who could control plants, knowing full well that the best-of-the-best of S-tier mutants never fully lost their powers even when subjected to the most extreme inhibitor technology. So, of course, she escaped too.
Couldn't get worse, right?
Wrong!
With all the commotion of the lockdown, another S-tier mutant literally stuck his stick-thin arms through the bars of his cell and input the code to let himself out. Why did his cell have a code, while the rest of theirs were card-activated? Who knew! What Martha did know, was that the MNTF was a joke. Five mutants were about to escape their facility, and she couldn't help but grin. Scratch that! Six mutants.
Another mutant, who looked around Martha's own age, called out to them. Martha gave her a reassuring smile, then swiped her card to unlock the cell. A red light buzzed, signalling that it hadn't worked. Well, the MNTF couldn't be that incompetent, she supposed.
"Can one of you guys get this?" She asked the two newcomers, since they were supposedly the strongest. She'd never been in the presence of S-tiers before, and she felt a smidge of... What was that? Admiration, embarrassment, fangirlishness? "My powers are still a bit iffy."
The tall guy with ratty wings swiped a claw at the lock, cutting through in one clean move. Damn, she reminded herself not to say 'ratty wings' out loud.
It didn't seem like anyone really knew where they were going. There weren't exactly arrows pointing towards exits, and the few signs she did notice just showed the number of the sector they were in, which meant nothing to her. It made sense, she guessed, making a prison easy to navigate would just be doing potential jailbreakers a favour.
As they made their way through various hallways, they ran into squads of guards and locked doors, but tall-guy tore through all of them with ease. He even tanked the gunfire for them. Martha fired her rifle but she wasn't sure if she landed a single shot, to be honest... She had never been good at Call of Duty either. Her powers were starting to return though, she could feel a small flame roaring to life in her belly. Give it a few more minutes and she might be able to go into her Fire Form. Ha, that'd impress these S-tiers!
Her smile only grew when she realised they'd reached an elevator. No doubt they've locked it down, but they'd be able to climb up through the elevator shaft, like you see in movies. She could already taste the fresh air. A shower and a clean bed! It was so close. She'd give herself a day to sleep, then a day to seethe, and then she'd come back and burn this whole place to dust. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan.
And then she remembered something, and her smile quickly faded... Alexander's parents were still here. Somewhere.
"You guys go on ahead," Martha said. "I've still got to rescue some friends. And don't worry about me, I'm an A-tier and my powers are pretty much back—" That was a lie, her powers weren't even half of what they should be, and this entire facility was an inhibitor field so she was operating at a low-C-tier level at best. "But you guys have all been here for years, you deserve to be free. Just keep an eye out for a Flare in the sky, yeah?"
She winked at Subject 4 and Romesh, then wreathed both hands in fire. She ran until the others were no longer in sight, then opened the first door she could see, labelled Sector 11. It looked like an armoury, with hundreds of weapons, most of which Martha didn't even recognise, attacked to the walls or on tables... Oh and at least a dozen guards were looking up at her in shock. They scrambled for their weapons.
Martha raised both eyebrows, then slammed the door shot, hearing gunfire go off a moment later. Before moving on to the next door, she welded this one shut. Good luck, dickheads, hope you forgot to bring lunch.
The next area, Sector 12, was much larger and, surprisingly, devoid of guards. It looked like another cell-block, but the cells here were: a) empty, and, b) noticeably lacking the mutant suppression fields present in all the other cells she'd seen. This had to be it then, this was where they must keep human prisoners.
She had to be quick. As much as the guards at this facility were idiots, the properly trained MNTF agents she'd encountered at the rally were no joke. Reinforcements were pretty much guaranteed, and she wouldn't have her Fire Form to rely on, nor any way to protect Alex's parents. She just hoped the other prisoners had gotten away in time to avoid the worst of it...
Walliver
Hvnny-Bvns0
.empathogen.
monkeydoll555
Okay, so let's get this straight. The MNTF were... Fucking twats.
This had all began because Martha pretended to be more sick than she actually was. So Professor Akhtar, who probably had a bajillion PhDs under his belt from the way he'd go on-and-on, decided to reduce her dosage. Because of that, she'd been able to summon a measly bit of fire, and take out three guards—three professionally trained guards!—then bust out two other prisoners.
That sounds bad enough, doesn't it? Imagine having to be the guy to report to the big-evil-man-on-top that you lost in a fight against a heavily drugged, five-foot-six, twenty year old girl. But, no, it doesn't end there. Some dumbass brought flowers near a mutant who could control plants, knowing full well that the best-of-the-best of S-tier mutants never fully lost their powers even when subjected to the most extreme inhibitor technology. So, of course, she escaped too.
Couldn't get worse, right?
Wrong!
With all the commotion of the lockdown, another S-tier mutant literally stuck his stick-thin arms through the bars of his cell and input the code to let himself out. Why did his cell have a code, while the rest of theirs were card-activated? Who knew! What Martha did know, was that the MNTF was a joke. Five mutants were about to escape their facility, and she couldn't help but grin. Scratch that! Six mutants.
Another mutant, who looked around Martha's own age, called out to them. Martha gave her a reassuring smile, then swiped her card to unlock the cell. A red light buzzed, signalling that it hadn't worked. Well, the MNTF couldn't be that incompetent, she supposed.
"Can one of you guys get this?" She asked the two newcomers, since they were supposedly the strongest. She'd never been in the presence of S-tiers before, and she felt a smidge of... What was that? Admiration, embarrassment, fangirlishness? "My powers are still a bit iffy."
The tall guy with ratty wings swiped a claw at the lock, cutting through in one clean move. Damn, she reminded herself not to say 'ratty wings' out loud.
It didn't seem like anyone really knew where they were going. There weren't exactly arrows pointing towards exits, and the few signs she did notice just showed the number of the sector they were in, which meant nothing to her. It made sense, she guessed, making a prison easy to navigate would just be doing potential jailbreakers a favour.
As they made their way through various hallways, they ran into squads of guards and locked doors, but tall-guy tore through all of them with ease. He even tanked the gunfire for them. Martha fired her rifle but she wasn't sure if she landed a single shot, to be honest... She had never been good at Call of Duty either. Her powers were starting to return though, she could feel a small flame roaring to life in her belly. Give it a few more minutes and she might be able to go into her Fire Form. Ha, that'd impress these S-tiers!
Her smile only grew when she realised they'd reached an elevator. No doubt they've locked it down, but they'd be able to climb up through the elevator shaft, like you see in movies. She could already taste the fresh air. A shower and a clean bed! It was so close. She'd give herself a day to sleep, then a day to seethe, and then she'd come back and burn this whole place to dust. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan.
And then she remembered something, and her smile quickly faded... Alexander's parents were still here. Somewhere.
"You guys go on ahead," Martha said. "I've still got to rescue some friends. And don't worry about me, I'm an A-tier and my powers are pretty much back—" That was a lie, her powers weren't even half of what they should be, and this entire facility was an inhibitor field so she was operating at a low-C-tier level at best. "But you guys have all been here for years, you deserve to be free. Just keep an eye out for a Flare in the sky, yeah?"
She winked at Subject 4 and Romesh, then wreathed both hands in fire. She ran until the others were no longer in sight, then opened the first door she could see, labelled Sector 11. It looked like an armoury, with hundreds of weapons, most of which Martha didn't even recognise, attacked to the walls or on tables... Oh and at least a dozen guards were looking up at her in shock. They scrambled for their weapons.
Martha raised both eyebrows, then slammed the door shot, hearing gunfire go off a moment later. Before moving on to the next door, she welded this one shut. Good luck, dickheads, hope you forgot to bring lunch.
The next area, Sector 12, was much larger and, surprisingly, devoid of guards. It looked like another cell-block, but the cells here were: a) empty, and, b) noticeably lacking the mutant suppression fields present in all the other cells she'd seen. This had to be it then, this was where they must keep human prisoners.
She had to be quick. As much as the guards at this facility were idiots, the properly trained MNTF agents she'd encountered at the rally were no joke. Reinforcements were pretty much guaranteed, and she wouldn't have her Fire Form to rely on, nor any way to protect Alex's parents. She just hoped the other prisoners had gotten away in time to avoid the worst of it...
Walliver
Hvnny-Bvns0
.empathogen.
monkeydoll555
Walliver
Two Thousand Club
Freedom.
Sweet, sweet freedom. The first taste of something he hadn’t felt in two years. The Institute was moments away, everyone he had missed was just moments away. Edith, Thomas, Hileena, and more. He missed the noise of it all, strangely. The sound of children laughing and his friends chatting about the latest debacle. There was noise in the MNTF too, it was just…screaming. Screams from other prisoners, taunts from scientists and guards. Medical jargon from the professor, the man who had relentlessly tortured him for two years.
He was eager to sink his teeth into someone, as bad as it sounded. Eager to rip and tear and make these people suffer the way they had made him suffer. Retribution at last. When the guards came upon them, they would answer for their crimes- with their lives.
“If you can’t fight, I would suggest staying behind me.” He turned to the three younger subjects. The one still seemed nervous, anxious to leave the prison that they all had been in for so long. “We’re going to get out of here. All of us. I have a place we can go when we get out of here.” He explained, taking a moment to feel their emotions. Trepidation, excitement, and more. Noah took a moment, trying to give them his own emotions- the relief of freedom, the confidence in his abilities and the abilities of the other S-tier they were with.
“Let’s get moving.”
He followed after the other S-tier, it seemed like she knew where she was going. Down halls, through doors, and up up up-
Fresh air was still out of reach. But closer. Noah’s eyes scanned the room- not much more than the elevator and the guards that had trained their guns on them. Guns that he crushed easily beneath his hands before his teeth sunk into one’s neck, ripping a chunk of flesh away before he turned his eyes to the other. His claws reduced the other guard to ribbons, leaving both of them bloody messes on the floor. He rummaged briefly through one of their pockets, pulling out a keycard.
“Outside.” He muttered, turning towards the door. A quick swipe of the keycard and-
Fresh air. Honest to goodness, fresh air. Pollen, the smell of damp grass, and more flooded his senses. He could have fallen to his knees and cried at the sheer sensation of it. The sight of green grass and clear skies made his eyes hurt, but it was still so beautiful. Two years, two years without any of this. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for a moment before he turned to the others.
“Okay, let’s get out of here.”
.empathogen.
Hvnny-Bvns0
monkeydoll555
Sweet, sweet freedom. The first taste of something he hadn’t felt in two years. The Institute was moments away, everyone he had missed was just moments away. Edith, Thomas, Hileena, and more. He missed the noise of it all, strangely. The sound of children laughing and his friends chatting about the latest debacle. There was noise in the MNTF too, it was just…screaming. Screams from other prisoners, taunts from scientists and guards. Medical jargon from the professor, the man who had relentlessly tortured him for two years.
He was eager to sink his teeth into someone, as bad as it sounded. Eager to rip and tear and make these people suffer the way they had made him suffer. Retribution at last. When the guards came upon them, they would answer for their crimes- with their lives.
“If you can’t fight, I would suggest staying behind me.” He turned to the three younger subjects. The one still seemed nervous, anxious to leave the prison that they all had been in for so long. “We’re going to get out of here. All of us. I have a place we can go when we get out of here.” He explained, taking a moment to feel their emotions. Trepidation, excitement, and more. Noah took a moment, trying to give them his own emotions- the relief of freedom, the confidence in his abilities and the abilities of the other S-tier they were with.
“Let’s get moving.”
He followed after the other S-tier, it seemed like she knew where she was going. Down halls, through doors, and up up up-
Fresh air was still out of reach. But closer. Noah’s eyes scanned the room- not much more than the elevator and the guards that had trained their guns on them. Guns that he crushed easily beneath his hands before his teeth sunk into one’s neck, ripping a chunk of flesh away before he turned his eyes to the other. His claws reduced the other guard to ribbons, leaving both of them bloody messes on the floor. He rummaged briefly through one of their pockets, pulling out a keycard.
“Outside.” He muttered, turning towards the door. A quick swipe of the keycard and-
Fresh air. Honest to goodness, fresh air. Pollen, the smell of damp grass, and more flooded his senses. He could have fallen to his knees and cried at the sheer sensation of it. The sight of green grass and clear skies made his eyes hurt, but it was still so beautiful. Two years, two years without any of this. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for a moment before he turned to the others.
“Okay, let’s get out of here.”
.empathogen.
Hvnny-Bvns0
monkeydoll555
monkeydoll555
OC Tormentor
.empathogen.
♡𝚙𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚎♡
KINDRED
© reveriee
Hvnny-Bvns0
╭・🌿𓂃❨˖ ₊ ⊹
Birdie-Mae watched the others exit through the door, following close behind. If they knew the group better, they would be dashing through that door. But Birdie knew that if they ran in front, it would leave plenty of room for the winged man to slice their throat open, and the plant girl to… do whatever she could do. Birdie didn’t really know any plants that were poisonous.
Out of them all, the girl their age was the only one Birdie trusted. They had seen her before. She’d never used her power before… at least, not that Birdie had seen.
She probably wasn’t dangerous.
Key word: probably.
Birdie still kept their distance from her. She seemed great… but then again, so did many of the people they’d known throughout their life.
Slowly, their vision cleared, eyes adjusting to the sun’s glare, and their surroundings sinking in. Their eyes began to water, both from tears and pollen. They sniffled, sneezing- much like the others. They had to stop and wonder if their mutation would take away their allergies, too. They never really had a chance to test it out.
Birdie heard the plant girl shouting, though her words were incoherent to their sluggish mind. The only words they could understand were “get clear!”
So, they did. Birdie stumbled back, still not quite coordinated, falling on their butt as the plant girl formed a wooden cage around the entrance.
There was another girl with them, right? Fire girl. She was still inside.
Birdie silently scoffed at their thoughts. It was everyone for themselves. Birdie didn’t have the time to think about others: especially not this close to escape. There was a reason that the fire girl was left behind. Whether it was of her own accord, or she just hadn’t been able to keep up… it made no difference.
Birdie slowly stood, wiping their itchy nose with their hand. Dirt and scratches littered their palms from the fall, and a smidge of mud got on their nose as well. It reminded them of the time before they had been taken here. It was nice, really. Birdie wasn’t used to anything being nice.
They shook their legs, one then the other. Their knees felt tight, and their legs slack. Birdie tuned out the others once more, more out of habit than anything, suddenly very aware of the grass tickling their feet, the sun in their eyes, and the pollen stuffing their nose. Escape was nice, but the outside was uncomfortable. Had it always been like this? In their memories, the outside was more shade, laughter, and birds. Ironically, Birdie didn’t actually like birds that much. But from what they could remember, it was a key aspect of the outside.
Birdie approached the quiet girl, still keeping a safe distance. They didn’t really say anything to her, they just wanted to be near the group somehow- instead of awkwardly standing outside it, like they had before. They kept their eyes trained on her, watching her carefully. While she didn’t immediately seem dangerous, Birdie didn’t know what she was capable of. And,if when the plant girl or winged man decided to show their true colors, Birdie would prefer to have someone on their side.
Vaguely aware of the adults’ conversation, Birdie bit the bullet and held out a hand to the girl. They wouldn’t make friends with her. Just an alliance.
“Hi.” They started, hoping to catch her attention. “I’m Birdie. Birdie-Mae.”
monkeydoll555
Out of them all, the girl their age was the only one Birdie trusted. They had seen her before. She’d never used her power before… at least, not that Birdie had seen.
She probably wasn’t dangerous.
Key word: probably.
Birdie still kept their distance from her. She seemed great… but then again, so did many of the people they’d known throughout their life.
Slowly, their vision cleared, eyes adjusting to the sun’s glare, and their surroundings sinking in. Their eyes began to water, both from tears and pollen. They sniffled, sneezing- much like the others. They had to stop and wonder if their mutation would take away their allergies, too. They never really had a chance to test it out.
Birdie heard the plant girl shouting, though her words were incoherent to their sluggish mind. The only words they could understand were “get clear!”
So, they did. Birdie stumbled back, still not quite coordinated, falling on their butt as the plant girl formed a wooden cage around the entrance.
There was another girl with them, right? Fire girl. She was still inside.
Birdie silently scoffed at their thoughts. It was everyone for themselves. Birdie didn’t have the time to think about others: especially not this close to escape. There was a reason that the fire girl was left behind. Whether it was of her own accord, or she just hadn’t been able to keep up… it made no difference.
Birdie slowly stood, wiping their itchy nose with their hand. Dirt and scratches littered their palms from the fall, and a smidge of mud got on their nose as well. It reminded them of the time before they had been taken here. It was nice, really. Birdie wasn’t used to anything being nice.
They shook their legs, one then the other. Their knees felt tight, and their legs slack. Birdie tuned out the others once more, more out of habit than anything, suddenly very aware of the grass tickling their feet, the sun in their eyes, and the pollen stuffing their nose. Escape was nice, but the outside was uncomfortable. Had it always been like this? In their memories, the outside was more shade, laughter, and birds. Ironically, Birdie didn’t actually like birds that much. But from what they could remember, it was a key aspect of the outside.
Birdie approached the quiet girl, still keeping a safe distance. They didn’t really say anything to her, they just wanted to be near the group somehow- instead of awkwardly standing outside it, like they had before. They kept their eyes trained on her, watching her carefully. While she didn’t immediately seem dangerous, Birdie didn’t know what she was capable of. And,
Vaguely aware of the adults’ conversation, Birdie bit the bullet and held out a hand to the girl. They wouldn’t make friends with her. Just an alliance.
“Hi.” They started, hoping to catch her attention. “I’m Birdie. Birdie-Mae.”
monkeydoll555
.empathogen.
♡𝚙𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚎♡
DECIDED
© reveriee
Last edited:
.empathogen.
♡𝚙𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚎♡
SUPPORT
© reveriee
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