Lee
Khan: This isn’t good. Her heart rate is going way up, something’s going on.
Lee: Is there a chance I can get patched in?Khan: Yeah, just put your hand on Lilith’s shoulder. She’ll probably act as a conduit between the two of you now, but it’ll be better for her to have a familiar face in there.
Lee nodded in agreement then proceeded to place his hand on Lilith’s shoulder.
Lee: Hey, patch me in.
Lilith: Monique, Lee will be joining us now, can you open the door adjacent to the one blocking us?Monique: Y-yeah.
With much ease, she opened a wooden door nearby. Lee was on the other side.
Lee: You, okay?
Monique: No, everything feels wrong. I don’t understand why…why can’t I remember this? Why can’t I go look into my own memories?Lilith: There’s a lot of questions we may not be able to answer. But for right now what is best is answering the ones we can.
Lee: Besides, we’ll find out sooner or later, right?
Monique: I-I’m just so afraid.
Lilith: Of what?
Monique: What if it’s blocked for a reason? What if I really am a monster?
Lee shook his head as Lilith did the same. Both disagreed and said no matter what, they would still help out someone in need. That they wouldn’t turn their backs on her.
Lee: You’ll be okay. I’m right here with you and I’m not going anywhere.
Monique: O-okay. Let’s continue!!Lilith: Alright then! Come follow me.
They followed Lilith out of that room and proceeded to another door, this time made of mosaic glass.
Lilith: How often were you in and out of that facility.
Monique: I remember running away when I was ten. I can’t say I remember where I was, but I do remember I was brought back at thirteen ran away the following year and was caught two years afterwards.Lee: So, ran away again at fourteen and brought back at sixteen.
Lilith: Who brought you back?
Monique: Ezekiel.
She slid open a sliding glass door that led into a partially lit living room. The light shined, showing Lilith and Lee a fourteen-year-old Monique beaten to shit. Scars everywhere. Her lungs were having a terrible time giving her oxygen. She was cautious. She ensured no one had followed her. The floors were painted a grainy gray. Pewter gray couches faced the wall with a flatscreen TV that looked like it had been turned off. Young Monique stepped in quietly, hoping no one was home. This was the first time she had ever entered somewhere so fancy and luxurious. God was she hoping no one was home. As she tip-toed across the living room floor, she heard someone causing the glasses to rattle. She stopped midway, sweat bullets formed.
Lee: Where are we?
Monique: You’re about to find out.Stranger: I know you’re out there! Your thoughts are fucking loud.
fuck shit fuck shit. Thoughts not only echoed around young Monique’s mind but all around the scenery. Notably, they were loud enough for present Monique to hear them as well.
The stranger stomped into the living room. The moonlight hit his figure, revealing a scrawny looking kid with unruly long black hair and white eyes appeared. He was holding a kitchen knife like it was a bat.
Stranger: Who the fuck are you and what do you want?
Young Monique: My…my name is Monique and I just need a place to stay the night.He looked her up and down, scanning each and every corner of her.
Stranger: Aren’t you one of those things that work for the government?
Young Monique: I wouldn’t say that Twilight Baleful is ran by the government.Stranger: So, you’re with them?
Young Monique: No. I am not.
Stranger: And how do I know you’re telling the truth?
Young Monique: I wouldn’t look like I’ve been beaten to shit now would I?
Stranger: Fair point. Why’d you come in here?
Young Monique: I was really hoping no one would be home. It seemed abandoned from the get-go. I’m sorry, whatever your name is, can you please put down the knife?
She tried to hold back how much she wanted to laugh at his failed holding of a knife.
Stranger: Apologies, I suppose. My name is Ezekiel.
He placed down the knife, then cautiously walked towards her.
Ezekiel: For a person with superpowers, you oddly don’t seem to want to show them off.
Young Monique: Well, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.Ezekiel: Couldn’t you hear me before? I could hear every thought in your head. It literally screams at some points.
Young Monique: Sorry. Is that all you can do?
Ezekiel: ‘Fraid so.
Young Monique: Then why do I feel like you’re hiding something from me?
Ezekiel: It’s all in your head.
Young Monique: Haha, very funny.
She pulled out a lighter, one she always had kept handy at the time and flickered it on. She allowed the flames to engulf one of her hands. She then proceeded to the kitchen and turned on the faucet. She then placed her other hand in the sink, letting the water wrap around her hand. All at once, just as the fire engulfed her hand so too did the water. Ezekiel stared in amazement. She snapped her finger, the flames extinguished. She shut off the faucet and no droplet of water was left on her arm.
Ezekiel: Whoa! That’s so cool. But wait, why would you be running away from them? Why not use that to join that organization? Or any organization for that matter? Wouldn’t they help you direct that to good use?
Young Monique: Hah. What sort of lies were you fed to, kid?Ezekiel: Well, tell me why wouldn’t you stay?
Young Monique: For what? To be misused. Abused? To be lied to at every turn. Them saying of course you can go home, go back to your family but in reality, you can’t. You can never go anywhere without their permission. You’re their prisoner because they can do whatever they want since you’re a minor and no one else will care for you. Because you’re just some unwanted orphan. You exist for their purpose. Their amusement.
Ezekiel: Okay…but wouldn’t it just be easier to live for that? To serve them?
Young Monique: Hah, says the fucking rich kid who’s mansion I just broke into. You get to eat whatever you want, never worry about your next meal and you probably get some freedoms.
Ezekiel: It’s not what you think.
Young Monique: Oh? Then enlighten me. Cause from where I’m standing you seem to have it all.
Ezekiel: I mean…you are right…I’m just some rich kid whose had everything handed down to him. Silver spoons and all. But you wanna know why no one else is home besides me? Because no one cares about me. Can’t live up to their expectations why bother caring about their wellbeing.
Young Monique: So, it seems were on a similar boat here. You can’t live up to your parents’ expectations and I’d rather die than live up to the figure heads at Twilight Baleful’s expectations of me.
Monique
As her past self-talked with a shifty, younger, Ezekiel, Lee had a zillion questions running through his head.
Lee: How exactly did you end up in this kid’s house?
Monique: Look when you’re on the run, you don’t really check who’s rich house is whose.
Lee: Were you planning to stay there forever?
Monique: No, just until the coast was clear. Clear enough for me to leave New York City…I-I think I wanted to go to Louisiana.
Lilith: Form our records of any Earth. Well, most Earths those two places are quite a ways away. Why did you want to go there?
Monique: I honestly don’t know. I just knew it was better than being there. In a big city.
Lilith: How did you find yourself there?
Monique: We were supposed to do a mission for the US government. Twilight Baleful prides itself for being a mercenary for higher. Even if it’s for the big wigs in Washington as long as everything is kept under the table. It was to keep people in line. Many were protesting about the unethical use of children with powers being kept in private armies. We were forced to shut them down. But I took the opportunity to split. Most missions, I was supposed to be kept under lock and chain with a chaperone. However, chaos erupted. I don’t know how it started but I do know, Angelica, the girl with pink pastel pigtails and what we called our sister Annabelle were having too much fun with the protesters. They were supposed to keep them inline. What they did instead was caused a massacre. Killed anyone who got in their way. I tried saving the ones I could, but I was told to stay put until they got back. I broke all communication devices I had on me, anything that could trace me, and I ran. Cowardly, I ran.
Lee: You saved who you could.
Monique: Fair, I guess. As I was running, Angelica and Annabelle were attempting to capture me. I fought them and obviously won.
Lilith: May I ask how?
Monique: They rely so much on their powers that they hardly know how to use a weapon. Even though now, Angelica’s a gun specialist and Annabelle can use small knives and daggers…Angelica relied way too much on her telepathic powers whereas Annabelle relied so much on her ability to slightly see into the future and her inhuman dexterity. Icing them where they stood and rendering any tool useless using a sword was really easy for me. Also, constantly confusing Annabelle helped too.
Lilith: Oh! So, you’re a swordsman?
Monique: Sort of? I’m not really well trained. But I can use it. Anyway, I used that opportunity, created a thick smog, and ran. Found what I thought was an abandoned mansion out over in East Midtown, New York. I was just trying to hide long enough till everyone was gone.
Monique: Look when you’re on the run, you don’t really check who’s rich house is whose.
Lee: Were you planning to stay there forever?
Monique: No, just until the coast was clear. Clear enough for me to leave New York City…I-I think I wanted to go to Louisiana.
Lilith: Form our records of any Earth. Well, most Earths those two places are quite a ways away. Why did you want to go there?
Monique: I honestly don’t know. I just knew it was better than being there. In a big city.
Lilith: How did you find yourself there?
Monique: We were supposed to do a mission for the US government. Twilight Baleful prides itself for being a mercenary for higher. Even if it’s for the big wigs in Washington as long as everything is kept under the table. It was to keep people in line. Many were protesting about the unethical use of children with powers being kept in private armies. We were forced to shut them down. But I took the opportunity to split. Most missions, I was supposed to be kept under lock and chain with a chaperone. However, chaos erupted. I don’t know how it started but I do know, Angelica, the girl with pink pastel pigtails and what we called our sister Annabelle were having too much fun with the protesters. They were supposed to keep them inline. What they did instead was caused a massacre. Killed anyone who got in their way. I tried saving the ones I could, but I was told to stay put until they got back. I broke all communication devices I had on me, anything that could trace me, and I ran. Cowardly, I ran.
Lee: You saved who you could.
Monique: Fair, I guess. As I was running, Angelica and Annabelle were attempting to capture me. I fought them and obviously won.
Lilith: May I ask how?
Monique: They rely so much on their powers that they hardly know how to use a weapon. Even though now, Angelica’s a gun specialist and Annabelle can use small knives and daggers…Angelica relied way too much on her telepathic powers whereas Annabelle relied so much on her ability to slightly see into the future and her inhuman dexterity. Icing them where they stood and rendering any tool useless using a sword was really easy for me. Also, constantly confusing Annabelle helped too.
Lilith: Oh! So, you’re a swordsman?
Monique: Sort of? I’m not really well trained. But I can use it. Anyway, I used that opportunity, created a thick smog, and ran. Found what I thought was an abandoned mansion out over in East Midtown, New York. I was just trying to hide long enough till everyone was gone.
After she was done talking, Ezekiel had asked Young Monique something.
Ezekiel: So, do you intend to stay the night or how long? Not like it really matters to me.
Young Monique: With any hope, the people who are looking for me have left the area already and I can make my way to New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ezekiel: What’s out there?
Young Monique: With any hope, the people who are looking for me have left the area already and I can make my way to New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ezekiel: What’s out there?
She mumbled it out, but it felt fuzzed out. Like if a redacted statement could be read, that’s what she said.
Ezekiel: Well, what would you say if I propose we go together?
Young Monique: Why would you want to come with me?
Ezekiel: I don’t have anything better to do anyway. Besides, it does me no harm bringing a pretty girl like you halfway across the country.
Young Monique: Yeah but what about your parents. I know they don’t care but…
Ezekiel: They won’t even notice I’m gone. Plus, you’ll get all the perks that come with knowing a rich kid. So, why not?
Young Monique: Why would you want to come with me?
Ezekiel: I don’t have anything better to do anyway. Besides, it does me no harm bringing a pretty girl like you halfway across the country.
Young Monique: Yeah but what about your parents. I know they don’t care but…
Ezekiel: They won’t even notice I’m gone. Plus, you’ll get all the perks that come with knowing a rich kid. So, why not?
Ezekiel extended out his hand as a way to shake in agreement. At first, young Monique was hesitant to take it. It was moments later that she “thought” it would be harmless. That nothing bad could ever happen from this small encounter How wrong she was. Her current self shook her head as she watched her younger self shake hands with a devil.
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