ELEMENT

Chapter Forty-Four: Premature Beginnings

The day of the Dark Exile began like any other.

The royals passed through the portal one last time, knowing with full intent that they were never going to again.

Sage was nervous. The conversation she held with Meadow the day before hadn't left her yet, and it was important to her that it never would. She needed to remember, just like Meadow needed to remember, her promise that she wouldn't do something she didn't need to.

Ethan was going into a horrible and history-making situation with people he loved very much, including the person he planned to spend the rest of his life with. But he was still worried he wouldn't come back from this, which is understandable considering a lot of people didn't.

Robin thought they knew exactly how this would go down. Robin also knew that whatever they thought was completely and utterly wrong.

Meadow was determined.

-

"What the fuck were you thinking?!" Peter screamed, his voice sounding padded in the basement laboratory. "How long have you been at this?! How much do they know about you?!"

"They don't!" Young Cole yelled back. "They don't know anything!"

"You're such a fucking idiot, I thought you'd be smarter about this!" Peter pointed a finger right at him. "Now your sister is jeopardized because of you!"

"I thought you didn't give a shit about either of us!"

"I don't!" Peter screamed louder, nearly losing his breath. "But you belong to me! What happens when you get linked to me, huh?! I go down with you!"

"I'd prefer that over anything, you bastard!"

A heavy cracking noise shattered the room, as Peter's hand flew across Cole's face and left a reddish-purple mark on his cheek. And all the same, Peter went back to yelling. "You don't speak to me like that! Now we have to do this early!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?!"

Young Meadow watched in horror, staying quiet and timid through the whole thing.

She only spoke up when Peter came marching toward her, taking her arm.

"What are you doing?!" She grabbed at his wrist, trying to pull it off. "Stop!"

Peter simply just dragged her to the open capsule on the wall. "You both have completely ruined my plans, and now you're going to regret it!"

"Let her go, Peter!" Cole ran after him, trying to pull his sister away.

Peter was stronger than them both, and when he finally let young Meadow go, it was only for a split second, as he pushed her right into the capsule and slammed the door.

Meadow beat on the glass, and it was clear she was screaming, but the glass was soundproof. Not a single sound could be heard from the outside.

"Meadow!" Cole pulled at the door, but it wouldn't open. "Let her out! Get her out of there!"

Peter pushed a red button on the wall, and Cole's desperation quickened as steam flooded in from tubes on the wall of the capsule. Ice formed around Meadow's feet, and it was the most scared she'd ever been in her life.

"Peter, stop!" Cole turned around, tears quickly forming in his eyes. "Let her out right now!" He turned back around, seeing Meadow's consciousness quickly slip. "Wake up! Meadow, come on! Push the door!"

But ice caked the glass, and before Cole knew it, a timer had begun. Meadow was gone, and she wouldn't wake up for a very long time.

"Now you've got no choice." Peter pushed Cole away from the capsule. "You're not going anywhere as long as she's in there! You're going to do what I say, and when this is over, you're going down with her."