Fate's Choice (ON HOLD)

Chapter Five // Signs

Because she's been my best fan and actually read all of my stories. (Or she's at least liked at least one chapter of all of them and commented on some.) So thanks, you're awesome!

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The news flashed the story for the second time this morning. A mass poisoning in Chicago. Normally, murder in a big city wouldn’t be unusual enough to count as a sign but this was extreme. Thirty people dead, all women of the ages 20 to 30.

We were all squished into the small couch in front of the television, watching intently. Even Roma, who had no idea what was going on.

The reporters were discussing the issue now. The bodies had all been found in their homes, all within a 30 yard radius. The victim’s blood had contained high amounts of Carbon Monoxide, leading the reporters to believe that the victims had been gassed. They suspected that it had been the middle of the night and that there was gang involvement.

One news reported started to voice her opinion. “The evidence showed that the Carbon Monoxide was leaked into the houses through the ventilation systems. However, it’s still being looked into and it is inconclusive why only the women were affected.”

“If it was all through the houses, why’d only the women die?” Roma asked, looking back from David to Xavier.

Roma and Xavier had gotten here early this morning, as soon as Xavier had seen the news. Roma was wearing jeans and the ADTR shirt I’d bought for her and Xavier looked like he’d just thrown on his ripped jeans and black sweatshirt. His hair was still ruffled from sleep.

“It wasn’t.” I answered. “She didn’t have to filter it through the house to expose it to them. All she had to do was touch them. Carbon Monoxide, as well as Cyanide, is a favorite way of killing for her.”

“Who?” Roma asked.

I smiled at her sheepishly. I’d forgotten we hadn’t told her yet. “My mother, Fate. She–“

“Your mother’s name is Fate? That’s awesome!” She exclaimed, cutting me off.

I nodded, smiling. “Yeah, it is pretty cool. She named herself that because that’s what she brings on others, supposedly. She’d kind of like vigilante justice embodied. She kills whomever she deems bad enough to need to receive proper punishment. She says she’s just sealing their fate.”

“So why is it such a big deal that she did this? I mean, it’s horrible, but it must not be unusual for her.” Roma mused.

“It’s kind of a long story and I’ll have to start at the beginning.” I warned. She nodded, settling onto Xavier’s lap more comfortably.

“Fate met a guy, years ago, who was dying of cancer. Because he didn’t have more than a year left, he was doing all the things he’d wanted to when he was young. One of them was to steal and graffiti a train car. He stole it and she caught up to him as he was drawing on it. He was quite the artist.” I smiled at that. I’d gotten his skills. “She was a fallen angel who kept her powers. It was rare so she considered herself to be a God, worthy to dish out punishment to those who didn’t get proper justice.”

“However, she didn’t kill him. Whether she was intrigued by him or she pitied him, I don’t know. She let him live but stayed near him, watching him. Eventually, she fell in love with him. She got pregnant and stopped using her powers. She didn’t want to tell him and she wanted to protect the baby.”

“You?” Roma guessed. I nodded.

“She had me and then she and my father moved in together. Instead of dying that year, my father beat the cancer. He was completely cured. Being a free, healthy man didn’t do him good. He turned into a monster, one of the people she would have killed long ago. First, he started to come home late. He’d go out drinking and partying. Then she found out that he was having an affair with many whores and one girl from the office. When she confronted him, he hit her. After that, it was like her own personal hell. It could have been karma, coming back for all those times she put others through hell.”