after unlocked: a sokeefe fanfic

Chapter 68-Sophie

Biana winced and quickly unscrewed a bottle of Youth. "This stuff doesn't get any better." She said as she downed a gulp of it.

The compound Elwin had put together tasted disgusting, at least that's what everyone kept saying. When they'd given Biana her first dose, she'd complained, saying it wasn't fair that they all had to drink it while Sophie and Keefe didn't have to.

Well, that's what came with mind control.

Biana was on her third and final dose. So far, she was the seventh successful person they'd 'cured,' as Elwin said. So far, Maruca, Marella, Dex, Tam, Fitz, and Wylie had been cured. Linh was next, and then she, with Cadence, Forkle, and Elwin, would transport more of the compounds to their parents and work on making more.

Sophie had detailed their jobs the previous day, as Wylie was being given his dosage.

The boys—which was a decision Sophie already slightly regretted—would be on the same task: giving rings to more of the population.

Meanwhile, the girls had something slightly more dangerous in mind—finding and kidnapping Fintan.

***

Sophie wrapped the belt around her waist, straightening her navy blue tunic. She glanced at herself in the small mirror Biana had someone managed to bring with her, running a hand through her hair to ruffle it. As always, she expected to hear a voice chiming in, telling her she'd look so much better if she put a little eyeshadow on.

She missed Vertina, whether she wanted to or not. She missed the annoying girl with an annoying ache.

With a deep sigh, she flipped her hair back to its natural part and bounded outside to meet Biana, Marella, and Maruca. Biana was twisting her hair into an intricate plate as she chattered on with Maruca.

Marella stood further off, next to Dex. She fidgeted with one of her tiny braids as he joked around. A small smile flitted across her face, but it disappeared as she snipped at him sarcastically.

Dex laughed loudly, and Marella smiled.

Sophie walked over to join them, catching the last part of what Dex was saying, "—and he didn't even check to see if it was unlocked!"

Marella rolled her eyes, and smirked at Sophie. "We were just talking about your stupid boyfriend and my dumb boyfriend."

Sophie grinned. "Did you hear about the boot?"

Marella nodded. She opened her mouth to say something more, but Forkle called them over to him.

"You have your jobs?" He asked, distributing extra rings to each of them. Sophie bounded them up in the tiny pouch Marella given them—she had emptied her rubber bands out of them—and nodded. They didn't necessarily need the rings, but if they came across civilians that needed out when they were kidnapping Fintan, then they wanted to be prepared.

Maruca placed them in her palm and absentmindedly summoned a force field. Sophie watched as she formed it into a small sphere, complete with a hinge and lid and dropped the rings into a with a tiny clink.

Everyone grew silent, and she glanced up at them. She smiled, a bit nervously, and said, "Just a little trick I learned."

"Can you make me some of those?" Marella asked. "I gave everyone else the pouches for my rubber bands."

Maruca said, "If you want it to disappear as soon as I forget about it."

Marella shrugged.

Sophie studied her in her teal jacket over a white lacy frock. She wore tall, light brown boots, with square heels, higher than Sophie would've dared wearing. She looked completely at ease, and fidgety at the same time. A flush spread across her cheeks, and Sophie saw Dex squeeze her hand quickly three times.