Skai

The Darkest Minds Never Fade in the Afterlight

Alyssa Barker

Two years. 730 days of... nothing. Alyssa hadn't gotten anywhere closer to getting out of here. In fact, the only places she'd gotten to other than the cabin and labor house was the nurses office and solitary confinement. The latter she'd seen quite a bit of. She'd grown a little too comfortable with those cells. At this point, she considered her time in solitary as a vacation. She was even able to have a little fun messing with the guards too.

The first time she'd gone was the second most frightening time of her life. The little light bulb display she'd shown her first day in the camps wasn't taken lightly. The next day, after a rough night of little sleep, she'd been the only one taken from her cabin. As they were taking her away, rubber gloves sticking tightly to her sweaty and nervous hands, Alyssa could only wonder what they were going to do. What they'd done to the five kids the day before was terrifying. Was she going to get the same fate? What would they tell her father? Would they make it look like an accident committed by another kid at camp?

She was relieved to find out that the punishment wouldn't be physical, but she also wasn't happy to be thrown into a small, metal room. For two days she sat in that cold cell. It gave her plenty of time to think about her situation. What she didn't think about was why she'd been sent to solitary. Such a small act of disobedience sent her here? No biggie. At least they hadn't done anything worse.

Two days in solitary, for dropping a light bulb during processing. She grew to understand that two days was the usual length of time. The longest time she'd spent there? Five days. For what? She zapped a guard for bullying another kid. Little acts like this sent her to solitary quite often. She didn't mind. If she could do one thing in this awful camp, it would be to stand up against the guards as much as she could.

---

When Jasmine suggested a game of truth or dare, Alyssa wasn't too thrilled. Yet after a long, uneventful day, she just wanted a distraction. So Alyssa joined the group in their little circle. She glanced around at the other girls and briefly wondered what new truths or dares they would commit to that night.

Before anything could begin, there was a sudden, intense thunder outside. Alyssa looked around the room, her bewilderment clear on her face. She noticed a few of the others covering their ears and awaiting the white noise, and Alyssa quickly did the same. She hadn't heard the blaring noise in a long time. She wasn't sure why the weekly siren had stopped, but she'd taken it as an act of mercy by the camp's leader. Would it still feel the same? Would it be even more painful since it had been so long? She shut her eyes tightly and braced herself.

Yet it didn't come. Instead, she heard the sounds of chaos from outside. She slowly opened her eyes and lifted herself off of the ground. One of the girls, Annabelle, was headed towards the door. Alyssa glanced around the room for a moment, feeling a little overwhelmed. What was going on outside? Was this the time to escape? While she wasn't fluent in the secret language that the kids had developed, she picked up on a few things. Was this what they were warning the other kids about?

Filled with a new sense of hope, Alyssa followed Annabelle over to the door. If this really was the day to break loose, Alyssa was all for it. No matter how scared she was of failure and the PSF's violence, Alyssa desperately wanted her freedom back. Even if she could hear gunfire and screams that made her heart begin to race and raised the hairs on the back of her neck she was determined to fight. She took a deep breath and summoned all of the courage she could before she walked past Annabelle. From her pocket she pulled two paper clips she'd picked up while visiting the nurses office a while back.

"I may not have done this before, but I've always wanted to try it." She mumbled mostly to herself, but also to the other girls in the cabin. Her voice was as confident as ever, but also had a tone of seriousness as she spoke. "If this works, I'm going out there." She pulled the paper clips apart and stuck them into the lock in the hopes that jiggling them around would do the trick. If that didn't help, there was another option in the room. She turned her head to the side and peered back at the only blue that Alyssa felt close enough to ask this.

"Mackie, could you maybe, uh... push the door open?" By push, Alyssa meant force it off of its hinges. At least, that's what she'd do if she was a blue. While she wasn't quite sure that the girl could use her ability well, she wondered if this was the day that Mackie would feel brave enough to try it out. Her eyes fell on Min-a, and she nodded her head towards her. "Min-a, you know how to lock-pick, don't you?"

The Darkest Minds Never Fade in the Afterlight

I'll be posting within the next few days here :)

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

---

Eli was alone. Surrounded by pitch black nothingness except for little stars that danced across her sheets and legs. She was sitting in a bed, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around them. There was a presence, somewhere out in the dark. Her eyes drifted lazily as they searched. Her body felt heavy. Her calf was like a tight ball of muscle. She thought of nothing but to find the source of the presence.

What was out there? Was it her mother? Was it Radvi? Keaton? Lynn? Her head turned to look behind her, but there was nothing behind the headboard but the same blackness. She frowned. What kind of place was she in? Am I dead? Disappointed and lonely, Eli turned back around intent on burying her face in her knees. She looked out into the expanse one last time, and her eyes finally met what she was looking for.

Her breath caught in her throat and her heart began to race. She wanted to run, but her body was heavy and didn't move an inch. She was stuck. She could only stare into the eyes of the beast that stood in front of her bed and let her mind run for her. Archie... please.

A bloodcurdling scream erupted from every direction, but it wasn't her own. The darkness suddenly vanished and all that was left was the monster and the constellations that danced across his face. She heard a tray clatter to the ground, and the panicked cries of a woman. Run, she thought, briefly wondering if it was the girl from the loading bay. Run!

She was waking from a nightmare, but the beast didn't go with the dark. It remained in her hospital room and stared at her with wild eyes. In the corner of her wide-eyed vision she could she a nurse stumbling backwards towards the door. Eli wanted to go with her, but she couldn't move. Her head was swimming. No... Archie stopped himself. He isn't here. This isn't real...

"Amy, what's wro-" Another nurse rushed in, but immediately stopped short at the sight before her. "O-Oh... U-Uh... She's using her power... I-it's nothing but an illusion." She didn't sound confident, but she was right.

An illusion?

Eli blinked, and the beast was gone. She was coming to her senses, even if her head still felt dense. Her eyes shut tightly and she focused all of her will on keeping the beast away. Her hand slowly moved up to run itself across her face. "I... I'm sorr.." She couldn't form a sentence.

"I can't be in this room unless she's sedated, Chelsea!" The first nurse shouted with a shaky voice. "I can't deal with this type of para. They can't control themselves when they're like this. You saw what happened to her on the broadcast. Imagine what she's dreaming of. I can't do it!" She was practically spitting her words as she stormed out of the room.

Broadcast?

Eli opened her eyes again, squinting into the bright room. It was actually quite peaceful looking, now that Eli had a grip on reality. She looked up at the ceiling and felt shame coat her mind in a fresh seal of wax. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she heard the remaining nurse walk over to her.

"Don't mind her, sweetie." The voice was soft, but Eli could pick up that she too was scared of the girl in the bed. She felt the light touch of a hand on her wrist. Her pulse was being taken. "The anesthesia should be wearing off soon. Your surgery went well. You should be up on your feet in a day or two." Eli swallowed, the events of the welcoming day flashing briefly through her mind. She flinched, and the nurse flinched too. "W-well, how about I get you another tray of food and some water. The IV can only do so much." Eli was silent. The nurse cleared her throat softly. "When you're feeling better, I'll let you call your mother. She's been worried sick about you."

Mom. Eli thought, and she felt the tears spill over her bottom lid and down her cheeks.

---

An hour later, Eli had a full stomach and a clear mind once more. She sat upright in her bed, although her shoulders sagged beside her in a portrayal of how defeated she felt. She'd gotten a good cry in before the nurse came back with her lunch. Now she sat alone in the room with a full stomach, and her eyes stared at the portable phone that laid on the bed next to her. Inhale... Exhale. She breathed before picking up the phone and dialing. It rang for a while, and Eli anxiously picked at a loose thread in the sheets as she waited. She wasn't sure what she was going to say. There were a million thoughts that ran through her head. She only knew that her mother was aware of what happened, and that she desperately missed her now. There was a harsh click on the phone before a worried voice filled Eli's ear.

"H-hello? Is this the doctor? Is Eli awake? How did the surgery go?"

Eli's throat was tight, but she managed to speak. "Mom," she managed. "It's me."

There was a heavy sigh on the other line. Her mother sounded relieved. "Oh, Eli... Eli I'm so sorry, honey. How are you? Are you okay? I'm so sorry. I... I saw everything. I've been worried sick about you. Please tell me you're alright."

Eli closed her eyes and listened to her moms voice. As anxious as she sounded, her voice was still as soft and warm as ever. "I'm..." She wanted to lie to her mom. She wanted to tell her she was okay. After all, she only was shot in the leg. It was all better now, despite the white scar that remained. Even that would go away. But the memories wouldn't. That day kept flashing through her mind, in bits and pieces. The tears returned until she couldn't hold them back any longer. "Mom, it was awful," she croaked, beginning to sob into the phone. "These men came out, and all of my friends were getting hit-" She brought her hand up to rest her head into it.

"There was so much blood, a-and my leg hurt so much. One of them was going to kill this girl. She'd just gotten onto the station but I stopped him and then he was gonna kill me and-and I-I had to kill him and-" She caught her breath, and she could hear that her mother was crying on the other end too. "Mom, I killed him. He was right on top of me and I shot him. I-I'm a murderer."

"No, Eli, you're not." Her mom interjected, her words just as strained as Eli's. "He had a body camera on. We all saw you. You were so brave, baby." She sniffed. "That girl's alive because of you." Eli bit her lip. She was still shocked that her mother had seen her do it. That the whole world had seen her. She couldn't believe it. "I don't feel brave, mom. I didn't even do it on purpose. He came at me after I'd gotten his gun and I just squeezed and it was over." She shook, and the two sniffled over the phone for a while.

"I'm so sorry, honey. I'm so so sorry. You did what you had to. Those men did horrible things, and he deserved it. Your father thinks so too." Eli's breath hitched in her throat. She was silent for a moment, tears running down her face. "He does?" She asked, her voice small and fragile. "Yes, Eli. He called the second it was over. He's worried sick about you, just like me." Eli sniffed and wiped her sore eyes. "I don't know if I can talk to him, yet... Would you just tell him that I'll call when I can?"

"I will, sweetie. I will. You don't have to do anything that you don't want to. We can talk for as long as you want. About whatever you want. I just want you to do one thing." Eli sniffed again. "What is that?"

"I don't want you to blame yourself for what happened... And I want you to get as much rest as possible and call me whenever you feel sad. Can you do that for me, Eli?" Eli nodded, her free hand gripping the sheets beside her. "Yeah... I'll try." She could tell that her mother was calming down with every word she said. "Good, honey. Thank you. I love you so, so much. To the moon and back. To pluto and back." Eli managed a shaky smile. "To Andromeda and back." She could tell that her mother was smiling too.

"That's my girl."

---

A day passed, and Eli had the same nightmare again. This time the scream was her own, and the monster wasn't Archie, but the man with the gun. The same nurse from before, Chelsea, was the only one that came into her room. She managed to calm her down enough to give Eli her own cell phone to call her mother. The two women cried together again, but this time when she hung up the phone she felt much better than before. Still pretty shit, but better.

Another night or three passed and Eli dreamed again, but no illusions appeared in the room. She didn't even scream the last two times. When she called her mother on the fifth day, it was to tell her that she was being released from the hospital on a good bill of health. She cried again. Only because she wished that she was going straight home instead of to her lonely apartment. She wanted off of the station as soon as possible. She'd heard a rumor that a shuttle of supplies were going to arrive in a month or so. Surely they would allow some students to return to Earth with it after what had happened. She just needed to talk to her advisers and apply to leave. That wouldn't be too hard, would it?

She stepped out of the hospital, once again wearing borrowed scrubs because the clothes she'd worn into the hospital were covered in blood. Outside it was oddly quiet. She could see the sun shining through the station's glass panels. The spire's white hull glinted in the sunlight, and Eli swallowed. She recalled her little investigation a while back, and she made a note to text her lead once things were settled. She began to walk towards her apartment. Each step with her healed leg felt like it wasn't her own, but she was glad to be able to walk freely again. She recalled the times when she'd take walks just for the hell of it. Back before the breakout, when she just wanted some fresh air. Even after, when she'd walk the streets with Arianna's chip in her phone in search of revenge. Now she walked just to make it home. She wanted a long, hot shower, and a fresh set of sweats and a t-shirt. She just wanted to feel clean again.

She'd just made it almost three quarters of the way home when she felt her phone buzz in her hand.

Archie: Hey, Lynn and I need everyone to meet up. Where Keaton said they should spill flour on the floor. Ask Keaton if you don't know where that is and don't see any of us on the way.

Archie.

Eli immediately stopped moving. She stared at the screen for a moment, but all she saw was her friend morphing into what plagued her nightmares for the past five days. Her heart began pounding in her chest, and she instantly felt like she was back in the loading bay. No, no, no. Not here. Her head lifted, and she desperately searched for a place where she could be alone. She began to move and was soon sitting against a wall between two shops along the street. It was hard to breathe, but she made sure to take deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth to keep her pulse steady. She wasn't having a panic attack. It was somewhere in between that and a calm state. It was just PTSD. She'd been warned of this by Chelsea. It was sadly suiting that a text from Archie would be the trigger. She had to remind herself that last time she'd walked home in scrubs, Archie had been there to help her home. Her eyes closed, and she thought of those memories of him to keep her from thinking of what he'd become on welcoming day.

Would she go to meet him and the others? Could she handle seeing him so soon after what had happened? She'd thought about him a few times in the hospital, but she hadn't talked about him with her mom. Her mother didn't need to hear that side of the story. If anything, Eli wanted to put it far behind her. On one hand, Eli felt like she would carry that fear with her forever. That being close to him again would do nothing but bring that fear back to a boil. But, on the other hand, he was still just like her. Just like how her illusions were slipping into reality, Archie's ability had slipped out too. She'd come to the conclusion that he'd only reacted by instinct. That the monster was just a side effect of his own fear and anger. There was no way he'd been in control. She and Natalie were able to bring him back, in some way. The real Archie.

Thinking these things soothed Eli. She calmed down again, but she didn't open her phone to respond. As she continued towards her apartment with the intent to just visit Keaton to find out where the meeting spot was. She wanted to see how she and Amelia were doing. A brief memory of Radvi's comatose body in a bed made her think of Lynn's bloody face. It'd looked exactly the same as his. Was Lynn even okay to make it to a meeting? Surely she was, if Archie said that he and Lynn needed to see everyone. She was going right back to the hospital after she recuperated at home. She had to see Lynn before she did anything else. Before she faced Archie again. If Lynn was okay, Eli could be okay too.

The Uncanny X-Babies - Concluded

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Elara

Location: Mojo... world?
Skills: N/A

Elara was uncomfortable with the thought that any living being in Mojo's world could just be another brainwashed mutant. Her eyes drifted towards the frozen man on the sentinel's shoulder. So, he was one of them, too? How could they fight him now, with this knowledge? Better yet, how could they break him out of this trance?

Then Spiral told them that she had no idea where the Mastermind sisters were. Elara tensed, remembering her encounter with Pryor's abilities. It was unnerving that she might have gotten away. There was still a possibility that Spiral was working with the group. Or they could even be working with Mojo. If anything, this information made Elara want to get out of this reality as much as possible. The green hood didn't seem happy about this either.

Elara agreed with both Sapphire and Andrew. In her opinion, Spire could send them right back into Mojo's reality once they saved her friend. Yet, they had no other choice. She was sure that if they stayed in Mojo's world long enough, they would become another brainwashed character in Mojo's reality, like Longshot.

"I'm going to guess that Longshot is our robot-riding friend, here as well." She said, agreeing with Andrew.

Casey's words only confirmed her suspicion. Elara nodded along with her plan and watched Watts move into position. Elara did the same. She knelt on the ground and rested the blaster against her shoulder. Everyone else seemed to prepare for battle too. She almost had a notion to let loose on the robot before time unfroze, but she had a better idea.

"Hey, Andrew. Do you remember where that EMP blaster is? If we can't take it down without hurting the man, an EMP emission would definitely help." She looked over at Andrew and flashed a grin.

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

---

A scream interrupted a peaceful night in Arizona.

Lights flickered on down the hallway in a quaint suburban home. Out of the room emerged a woman in a cotton nightgown. Her hurried steps carried her down the hall. Her arms reached for the handle to a white door with a purple E painted on it. With just a turn of the knob and a pull, she found herself in a room with purple walls. It was dimly lit, illuminated only by a star lamp that stood in the corner. It's light cast constellations against the ceiling, bookcases, stuffed animals, and a crude blanket fort made by placing a blanket over a desk. Her eyes turned immediately towards the bed, where she found the huddled form of a young girl right under the constellation of Orion.

"Eli? Honey, what's wrong?" Her voice, although slurred by drowsiness, was as smooth as silk.

The little girl's head rose from her knee and her arms hugged her knees tighter. A small river of tears flowed down her cheeks and her eyes were wide with fear as she saw her mother in the doorway. "I had the dinosaur nightmare again," she whispered. "But this time when I woke up, it was in the closet." Her hand rose from her legs to point at the dark, open closet on the other side of the room. She took a stuttering breath, staring at the dark space as if the creature would reappear.

While something like this may have frightened a little child, it did nothing to scare the strong woman that stood in the doorway. Her mother strode straight towards the closet, and to Eli's surprise, reached straight into the abyss. The light within clicked on with a simple pull of a string. Eli immediately hid her face into her knees again.

"Eli... Look, honey. There's nothing in your closet. See?" Her voice was soft, and soothing.

Eli slowly lifted her head, whimpering as if she'd see the beast again before she felt relief pass through her when she opened her eyes. There really was nothing in the closet. Nothing but clothes and a toy box. She sniffled again and rubbed her puffy eyes with the back of her hand. "But it looked so real, mommy."

Her mother gently made her way towards Eli's bed now. She crawled under the covers with the girl and Eli climbed into her embrace as she sat back against the headboard. Eli gratefully hid in the crook of her neck. She was warm, and the little girl could smell her lotion wafting from her skin. Vanilla. Her mother always smelt of Vanilla. She held on tightly, still recovering from the frightening nightmare. Her mother's presence was slowly easing her back to sleep.

She felt her mother kiss her forehead, and then her fingers running through her hair. With a sigh, she finally felt her racing heart slow to a calm pace. The room was quiet for a few moments. She listened to the distant nighthawks chirping in the Arizona desert, until her mother's voice filled the room. She sung softly, some lullaby that her own mother sung to her years before. By the time she reached the second chorus, Eli was already peacefully asleep.

---

"Archie, please."

As brave as she was to continue projecting illusions into Archie's mind... as strong as her will was to continue to stay focused amidst her terror, Eli's resolve shattered the moment the beasts arm crashed into the wall beside her.

The impact was deafening. A terrified cry escaped from her throat. Eli felt her entire body shake as ripples of energy passed through the wall, and she shrunk into nothing but a small form against it's base. The pain that flared in her calf was nothing compared to the panic that took control. Her hands came up to cover her head, as if to they could hide her from what was about to happen next. This is it. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as they stared down at the blood spattered ground. The memory of the beast lurking in her closet came to mind, and she felt just as scared as she had when she awoke from the dream. The kind of fear that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and left a tight, painful feeling right in the middle of your back and your shoulders This was the first time Eli yearned for her mother's embrace in years.

But the monster never emerged from the closet. The light came on, and the hot breath of the monster above her never came an inch closer to her. Slowly, like a mouse trapped in a small crevice, Eli turned her shaking body to look up at the beast's mangled face. This close to him, Eli could see every scute and scale on his body. A droplet of blood dripped down a broken tooth and fell to land on Eli's hand. She flinched and felt it's heat as it dissipated against her skin. She couldn't look away from him. She wasn't sure why he hadn't killed her yet. Why did he throw his arms up like that? As if it was meant to stop him from crashing into her.

Did her illusions work? Had she broken through to him? She was utterly shocked, and yet still completely terrified. What would he do now that the illusions were gone? Would the rage return? Out of fear, she remained frozen in place, cowering beneath him as if any sudden movement would draw attention to her once more. She felt like a little girl again, and she desperately wished that she could crawl under the covers and be safe from this nightmare.

Then another explosion rocked the room. This time it came from beside the beast. She returned to a fetal position against the wall once more. Surely the beast would come crashing down onto her now. Only, he didn't. She looked out from behind her blood-matted hair to see that one of his arms had clawed it's way down the wall and onto the ground. A moment of relief replaced her terror when she saw the huddled form of Keaton on the closer side of it's massive foot. Keaton had been there the entire time. Why hadn't she seen her before? She saw shrapnel sticking out of the beast's arm and, for a second, she was almost convinced that he'd done it to protect her. That couldn't be true... right? Her eyes grazed over Keaton. She was unharmed... besides the blood that stained her denim jacket.

"Keaton!"

Fueled by the hope that spread through her, Eli began to crawl towards her friend. They had to get out of there, somehow. They had to get as far away from Archie as they could. Maybe in this moment of clarity, the beast would let them go.

The ray of hope was gone in an instant when the beast's body jerked once more. She cowered again, feeling as if she'd provoked him by moving, before she realized what had happened. His massive shadow was gone. Somehow, he'd been pulled away from them, and when she looked to see why, she saw Natalie gripping his leg. So, Natalie had super strength... and Archie could turn into this. The girl appeared behind the beast for a moment before it turned it's attention towards her. Natalie saved them from whatever was about to happen next, but now she was alone against Archie. Eli looked away as his foot descended upon Nat's chest with a grimace.

"K-Keaton... We have to go," she managed, her eyes desperately pleading Keaton to jump into action. She couldn't make it on her own. She wouldn't leave her friend behind. What are the chances we survive, Keaton? What's your head telling you now? She just about reached her when she heard Natalie's voice. Her head whipped around, and she stopped in place when she saw that the monster hadn't crushed Nat.

Even though Natalie's words were touching, Eli wasn't sure if they would get through to him. Even if the illusions had stopped him before, it seemed like every sudden sound or movement would set him off again. They had no idea what would trigger him next. Would it be Keaton and Eli as they tried to escape? Would it be The Promise's staff, finally arrived, and aiming rifles at Archie's enormous form? Were there still gunmen in the cafeteria? So many possibilities. So many ways to die. Eli felt like her head was spinning. Or was it the bloodloss? Would she even make it far enough before collapsing?

No, there was no escaping this. She had to face it head on, like she'd done the gunmen earlier. She swallowed. Disorienting Archie wouldn't help. It would only send him into a deeper state of rage. If she took away his sight or smell, he could easily thrash his body until it found something solid to hit. They made a promise? It seemed that the two were closer than she expected. She'd relish in the thought that her advice worked for Archie later. Now, she could only hope that their bond was strong enough to bring the real Archie back.

If there was a difference between the two.

"I have to t... try something, Keaton," she murmured, reluctantly closing her eyes to the scene before her. She thought long and hard about Natalie. She'd only ever been in the same space as her a few times. They hadn't even spoken to each other that much. She could only rely on the image of her, and the words Nat spoke to Archie just now. She remembered how Natalie looked at the bonfire. With her pretty dress, sleek black hair, and perfectly done makeup. She'd looked amazing. Like a dark angel...

It was the image she chose to show Archie now, and Natalie's words about their promise drifted throughout the illusion. Even if doing this took the last of her energy, used the last of her blood left in her body, Eli knew that it was the right choice. They'd all be okay if Archie came back. He needed to come back. She couldn't stand feeling this way about him. This fear. While she could never look at him the same, she thought that if they could get him back to the way he was, she could stand to be around him again.

"Come on, Archie..."

The Uncanny X-Babies - Concluded

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Elara

Location: Mojo... world?
Skills: N/A

The man's laugh did nothing to convince them that Mojo wouldn't have them killed. Elara braced herself, her hands inches away from the blaster in case she needed to defend the group. One blast wouldn't get them all. She'd just have to hope that it wouldn't land near herself.

The robot never fired. The man upon his shoulder froze with the irritating smirk stretched across his face. Elara felt relieved. Their plan had worked. She looked around for Mojo, but instead found herself staring at Spiral as the woman spoke. Elara rolled her eyes and grabbed her blaster as she stood. The barrel was aimed for Spiral. She frowned as she thought about Spiral's words. So she helped us out just to put us in another dangerous situation as payment? How did she expect us to help her friend if she couldn't do it herself? The girl can make portals out of thin air.

She scoffed when Spiral called their young bodies "side effects" of her help. She almost felt like blasting her right then and there, but her next words kept her from doing so. "So, we have to trust that you will help us once we help your friend?"

Casey asked a great question, and then to Elara's surprise asked another one. It would be extremely comforting to know where the Sisterhood had gone to. Of all the outcomes that Elara expected from this little adventure, she expected Spiral to still be working with the Sisterhood the most. Unless Spiral only helped the group out because the Sisterhood had something to do with her trapped friend.

Watts wasn't happy with Spiral's explanation at all. Elara was easily able to fill in the blanks in Watts' censored question. She looked back towards Spiral, eager to hear her answers to the others questions, but she heard the Green Hood speak up.

Elara looked over in his direction to see that he hadn't even picked up his bow. She watched him for a few moments and realized that he was probably the most rational one in the group at the moment. She looked back at Spiral and looked for any signs of desperation in her expression. It took Elara a few moments to come to her own decision. She slowly lowered the blaster.

"I'll help, too. You really could have just asked us for your help back at the warehouse, but I'll consider that poor judgement on your part." She looked Spiral right in the eyes. "What can we do to help?"

The Uncanny X-Babies - Concluded

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Elara

Location: Mojo... world?
Skills: N/A

Elara's eyebrows furrowed as she watched the sparking robot suddenly collapse. She looked down at her weapon to make sure that she hadn't accidentally fired it again. She definitely hadn't pulled the trigger, so what took it down? Her confusion was quickly answered when Andrew grew back to normal side beside her. Elara now raised her eyebrows and a slight smirk appeared on her face as he spoke. "An EMP blaster, hm?" She liked this guy. Especially his toys.

The ground began to rumble again as another sentinel approached them. Her head tilted back to look up at the figure on it's shoulder. His words did nothing to Elara but make her roll her eyes. She looked over at her new friend Andrew before aiming her blaster towards the robot's neck. Even if I don't get the robot, I'd knock the smirk right off of that guy's face.

Watts snapped at her, and Elara let her childish impulses answer for her. She simply stuck her tongue out at him before continuing to keep her sight on the robot. She listened as Arthur explained his point of view, and she even glanced over as he set down his bow and arrow. The move was unexpected, and Elara couldn't help but wonder if he had a point. She certainly didn't want to set her new weapon down if this robot did attack, but if Mojo's little pets didn't fight for him there wouldn't be a reason to fight, right?

She was all seriousness until Watts attempted to curse. She giggled and turned her head away from him so that he wouldn't see her laughing. It was amusing to know that even their words were censored like a real show. Which made her wonder. If they were set to play these roles, whether it be like the Teen Titans or whatever Mojo expected, what was the point of it all? What kind of lesson was Mojo trying to teach them? Or was this all just a huge test?

Even Evelyn and Casey agreed to surrender. Elara frowned. She wasn't exactly happy with the idea of setting her blaster down, but she was curious to see what Mojo or this new guy would do if they stood idle. Was refusing to play along the entire point of being trapped here, or would it end in their doom?

With a sigh, Elara slowly lowered the blaster and knelt to the ground. She laid it down in front of her and rested her hands on her thighs. Any way this went, she could easily grab it and fire from this position. "Well, Mojo? What do you think? If I had a tiny white flag right now, I'd wave it for you."

The Uncanny X-Babies - Concluded

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Elara

Location: Mojo... world?
Skills: N/A

Elara was surprised to hear Watts agree with her. She looked over at him and nodded along with what he was saying. Perhaps the feeling of being in a reality show, maybe even the feeling of being young again, was all one grand illusion. She shivered at the thought, but dismissed it as nothing but the dropping temperature in the room. She didn't want to fear Pryor, or the Mastermind sisters. They'd been taken down pretty easily, once the illusions stopped. They weren't a real threat right now.

The real threat was whatever suddenly made the ground tremble beneath them. Elara furrowed her brows, both in anger and confusion. What kind of game did Mojo put them in? They all looked out of the windows, and Elara felt her stomach drop at the sight of the giant purple people eaters coming towards them. Watts' description didn't help her either. "I think these are a little more sinister than AT-AT walkers." She muttered under her breath. While everyone else would be able to physically fight the mutant killers, Elara wasn't sure how she would be able to help them.

Elara was among the last of the group to go outside, but she didn't go past the white picket fence. The others jumped into action quickly. All Elara could do was stand back and watch. Illusions wouldn't work on technology. She didn't even have her baton. As if that little stick would help her now. Watts had his speed, and she watched in awe as he quiclky dismantled a robot. Arthur had his arrows, which quickly brought another down with an EMP. Evelyn's knives took out an eye, but they could easily lodge themselves into the neck of a robot if she wanted to. Bella's use of her abilities impressed Elara, too. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous as another robot fell.

The only ones who hadn't taken action now was herself and Sapphire. Andrew probably wouldn't be much help since he had no memory of his suit's ability. Where was the suit, anyways? She noticed that he carried the helmet, but she hadn't seen the rest of it.

The basement. What else is down there?

Elara turned away from the battle. There had to be something useful down there. She quickly made her way back inside, her converse taking her down the stairs into what appeared to be a lab. "Let's see what you've got, Andrew." She murmured as she began to shuffle through all of the tech and equipment.

After a minute of searching, Elara came upon what looked like a large gun. It was a little heavy, but Elara managed to hold it up and aim it at a nearby computer screen. "Well, it's worth a try."

She took two steps at a time as she raced back up the stairs. This time she headed past the fence and as close to the robots as she dared to get. She held up her new toy, gripping it like a rifle. She'd only shot a rifle once, but how different could this be? All she had to do was just aim the barrel at the robot, hold on tight, and squeeze the trigger. As awkward as her 11 year old body looked holding the gun, Elara managed to keep a steady aim. She took a deep breath, pointed it straight at the robot's neck, and fired.

It was nothing like a gun. The recoil nearly took her shoulder off, and she stumbled a foot or two backwards but kept her balance. Whatever fired out of the weapon missed the robot. She squinted her eyes into the light, realizing that there was some sort of explosion behind the purple shoulder. "What the hell is this thing, Andrew?" She asked, rolling her own shoulder.

Without waiting for his response, she aimed the weapon again. This time she gave it a firmer grip, leaned into the gun, dug her right heel into the ground behind her, and fired again. This time it didn't nearly knock her off of her feet. The blast hit the robot directly in the chest. A little too low from where she was aiming, but it definitely did some damage. She watched in satisfaction as sparks flew out of the machine, but she quickly frowned when it didn't fall. "Looks like I'll have to work on my aim."

The Uncanny X-Babies - Concluded

---

---

Elara

Location: Mojo... world?
Skills: N/A

Elara glanced between each of the occupants in the "house." If it was even a house. The crash drew her attention and she turned to face the stairway behind her. Something small was stomping it's way up. Was it another Serval member? Watts was still missing, but she highly doubted that he would make such a racket. Was it one of the mastermind sisters? Could they fight them off, even as children?

Instead, it was a little boy who looked extremely confused. Watts? Or the other guy, Andrew? Another boy followed, wearing a bow tie and a colorful plaid shirt. Elara wasn't sure who was which. By the sound of his voice, Elara assumed that the boy with the bow tie was Watts. He didn't look like the nerdy type but after all, she barely knew him.

Elara turned her head back towards the young green hood as he spoke. She glanced down at his mini bow and then back up at his face. What he said made her sigh in frustration. "So you're telling me we're in a messed up episode of the Teen Titans?" She muttered. Even worse was that they'd need to play along with his sick games to get back to their older bodies. If anyone was looking at her, they'd see that her lips were curled into a disgusted frown.

She looked over at Bella with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think we'd be able to get back to reality if we killed him. We have to figure out why he's doing this, first." With a new feeling of determination, she looked back to the green hood. "You know why he might trap us here? He gave us weapons for a reason. Are we supposed to survive as kids until he's satisfied? Are there clues hidden around the house that might tell us what he wants?"

Another thought popped into her head. "We should also assume that the Mastermind sisters and Pryor are working with him, since they disappeared too. As much as I'd like to think that they're also trapped in some reality TV show, life isn't always that kind."

The Darkest Minds Never Fade in the Afterlight

Alyssa Jane Barker

Breathe. Alyssa thought with her eyes focused on her dirty white converse. She rested her chin against her knees. Her arms wrapped themselves tighter around her legs. Where she sat on the floor, she was surrounded by a sea of other children just like her. She felt like she could drown at any moment. Her lungs would fill up with the stuffy air of the gymnasium and she'd be gone. Breathe.

Her eyes dared to look around her at the other kids huddled together. Each of them equally as anxious and scared as herself. One of her classmates sat a few meters away. Alyssa remembered her bright smile in history from the day before. She was always such a happy girl. Today her eyes were red and puffy, and Alyssa could see the dried tears on her cheeks. The girl was looking around too, but before their eyes could meet Alyssa averted her own. Back to the pair of sneakers that had once been clean.

The black soldiers announced that it was time to go. Alyssa slowly rose to her feet and joined the shuffling mass that were also headed for the door. Her lungs took in a deep gulp of the chilly air as she stepped outside, and she felt much lighter than before. Her eyes scoured the buses before them before she found herself at the doors of bus number 264. She gingerly took each step, and as she looked the driver over her eyes rested too long on the pistol at his side. He shifted in his seat. His hand rested on the grip of the gun, and Alyssa met his cold eyes with her own wary gaze.

She was fortunate enough to get a spot next to a window. She rested her shoulder against the cold pane and didn't look at the boy that sat next to her. She'd already seen his black eye back in the gym. A close up of the wound wasn't necessary. Instead, as the bus eventually took off, Alyssa focused on the route that it took. She already knew her way back home from the gym. If she could remember where the buses took her, she'd be able to find her way if she needed to.

---

Alyssa was jolted from her seat hours later. She threw out her arm to brace herself against the seat in front of her and her eyes were wide as they looked out of the window. She'd fallen asleep somewhere through the ride. "No, no, no," she breathed, her frustration growing more as she noticed that daylight was shining through the overcast sky. How far had they driven? Where was she now?

As she disembarked the bus, she wore her emotions on her face in the form of a sullen frown. Another stern looking soldier pushed her forwards and she reluctantly joined the line of kids headed into the office building. The commotion inside reminded Alyssa of a processing center. She watched as the kids returned from the office rooms and noted the X's on their backs and various restraints. Her eyes lingered on each yellow X that left them. She figured that when she left the room, she'd be wearing a pair of rubber gloves as well. The muzzles were inhumane, and the handcuffs would definitely make the room feel a lot smaller. She was glad to be a yellow.

Alyssa suddenly felt the air around her intensify. The hairs on the back of her neck rose and she held her hands up to make sure that it wasn't herself that caused it. Then the building descended into chaos. She ducked as lighting erupted from all around her, and she watched in horror as a nearby guard lit up in flames. "Everyone RUN NOW!"

A few of the kids around her bolted, but the rest ducked their heads as well. Alyssa was too dazed to do anything. Her eyes were focused on the burning woman yards away from her. A gun fired somewhere that made her jump. The sound that followed it numbed her senses entirely. Her head was filled with a searing pain as her ears rang. She cried out and fell to her knees, her eyes shutting tightly to block out the fluorescent lights above. It took all of her energy just to remain conscious. What... What's happening? She grit her teeth together and whined. _Breathe...

The noise soon faded, but Alyssa still felt a dull pain in the back of her head. She remained on the floor and took deep breaths to keep herself calm. This was all too much. She wasn't sure if she could even stand at the moment. The hands that gripped her shoulders and pulled her to her feet moments later didn't care. She didn't fall, thankfully. It took her a few more breaths before she felt alright again. A man's voice filled the room. It was stern and commanding. Alyssa pushed her hair out of her face so that she could see what was going on. She had to rise up onto her tiptoes to see past the crowd that blocked her view.

The voice now had a face. It belonged to a man dressed much better than the soldiers. Alyssa instantly didn't like him. Just because of the look on his face as he paced in front of five rough looking kids. One of them had a bullet wound, and she remembered the sound of the gun firing. As the man spoke, Alyssa lowered herself back onto her heels. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see what would happen next. The grunts and yelps that occurred a second later made her glad that she hadn't continued to watch. Her eyes stared at the floor and she frowned. The agents lied to her father. They said that the kids would be taken care of. Did her father know that this was what they meant? There was no way he'd have allowed them to take her. She certainly wouldn't have gone willingly if she knew that this was what their protection looked like. Pretty little white lies.

"I recommend you forget about your lives before now because that is gone." Alyssa's hands curled into tight balls. She felt her nails digging little crescent moons into her palms. "Today begins the rest of your life. Get used to it."

The silence that followed his speech was deafening. Alyssa could only hear her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She gradually rejoined the lines that led to the processing rooms. Her eyes remained on the floor. As she slowly made her way towards the door, her hands loosened to hang limply beside her. The wait was long, and her anger faded by the time it was her turn to go in.

If she'd hesitated any longer, she would have surely been forced into the room. She stuck her chin out in a small act of bravery before she walked inside. The twenty something looking guy she found herself in the room with didn't look as mean as the armed guards outside. Still, Alyssa knew not to underestimate anyone that worked for this Lieutenant Asshole Aiden Anderson. The guy gestured towards the machine next to him and Alyssa steeled herself before she made her way to the machine. Her actions were slow and deliberate as she lifted herself onto it and laid back. She stared at the metal above her and heard him ask for her name.

"Alyssa Jane Barker." Her voice was flat as she spoke.

The scan was over in an instant, and Alyssa looked a little too relieved to sit up again. The guy handed her a light bulb. Alyssa took it with a frown and she stared down at it. Was this supposed to prove what the machine already told him? Didn't they already have a file with her name on it that told them this anyways? Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked up at him. Whatever information they wanted out of this little act, Alyssa wasn't going to allow them to have it. She held the light bulb out in front of her with one hand as her eyes were locked on his face. Instead of lighting the bulb, Alyssa let it drop. It fell to the floor and instantly shattered into a million little pieces.

For a second Alyssa regretted the action. Was he going to hit her? Would a guard burst through the door to reprimand her? She remained where she sat, but braced herself for the man's reaction. He didn't budge. Steam didn't erupt from his ears and nose. He just stood there before reaching for a pair of rubber gloves. "I don't get paid enough for this," he muttered as he shoved them in her direction. Alyssa took the gloves and slid off of the table. The man moved her to face away from them and she felt him marking the back of her jean jacket in the infamous yellow X. Alyssa quietly let him. She was too busy looking over her new fashion statement to care. Without waiting for him to put the gloves on for her, if he was even going to try, Alyssa pulled them on. They felt tight and hot around her hands. She instantly wanted to remove them. Unfortunately she knew she didn't really have a choice in the matter. The man said a terse goodbye before opening the door.

Alyssa didn't look at him as she walked past. She barely glanced back as he told the guard to find someone to clean up her mess. Punishment averted, Alyssa gratefully followed the other marked students out of the building. This time when she stepped outside, she didn't feel lighter than before. She felt the exact opposite, to be honest. Her body tensed as she laid eyes on hoards of what Lieutenant Asshole had called PSF's. The tall, sharp barbs at the top of the fences were menacing, and dread smothered out any hope of running away from this place. She was stuck here. Surrounded by black cargo with an arsenal of threats. She looked away and focused on the kid in front of her so that she wouldn't walk too far behind. How close was too close? What act of defiance was over the line? How trigger happy were these soldiers? Alyssa didn't know. Not all of them could be cruel, and not all of them could be smart enough to watch them like hawks. They would slip up eventually. Every human had a flaw. That was when she'd test her boundaries. She wasn't going to cower forever. She couldn't, wouldn't, stand to live in fear of the future.

Before she knew it, she was put into a long cabin with nine other kids of varying colors. When the PSF didn't follow them inside she felt relieved. With a disgusted frown, Alyssa pulled the gloves off of her hands and tossed them onto a nearby bed. She would have thrown them as far as she could, but something in the pit of her stomach told her to keep them close by. Would they make her wear them forever? Or at least in the company of the PSF's? She knew it was for their protection, but did they really think that they would stop her? She'd have to test it out. Not now, but when she felt comfortable putting them back on.

Now, with the door locked and surrounded by her peers, Alyssa felt like she could relax. Well, as relaxed as she could be given the last twenty-four hours. She sat down on the bed next to her gloves and pushed her hair back from her face. In through the nose... out through the mouth. She thought as she followed her own instructions. Don't lose your temper now. Not when you could electrocute the poor kid next to you. She looked up at the others in the cabin, resisting a frown as she watched the oranges remove their muzzles. The remaining kids in handcuffs lined up to have theirs taken off. She almost felt bad for not being the first to grab the keys and help them. Thankfully someone else had taken care of that. She could have said something at that moment. Maybe a joke, or a curse word aimed at the PSF's. She couldn't find the words to sum up what she was feeling, so she remained silent. Maybe someone else would do that for her, too.