Trace

Twenty

As if his heart wasn't beating fast enough, its rate spiked, like a racing horse being spooked by the crack of whip. Jay glanced at Daniel and saw a mask of calm, hinting only a little fear and uncertainty to keep up impressions. Of course, he thought bitterly, Cunningham was communicating to him specifically, placing all his and Yang's trust in him to make sure neither Trace nor her friend Glint knew something was up. Jay knew he shouldn't feel jealousy towards Daniel- he was, after all, his childhood friend who had stood by him over the years as he struggled to come to grips with his new life- but he couldn't help the emotion worming its way into his heart.

'Jay.' Cunningham's voice was a splinter in his head, aching more than the jealousy in his heart.

'What?' He spat back, the words coming out harsher than he had intended. Jay couldn't have cared less.

Cunningham brushed it off, continuing. 'You see Daniel, over there?'

'Yeah.' There was that spike of jealousy again.

'Copy his expression- you look too angry and distressed. The girl's looking at you.'

Jay slid his eyes to Trace. She was looking at him, her face a mixture of fear, confusion and anxiety. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, their colour washed out and sad. He smiled inwardly; her affection towards M was exactly like Cunningham had told him, stupid and pitiful. His separation from the group had lead to her being distraught and separated from the others on their journey to the camp and he knew for a fact it was making Glint worried.

Good.

'Jay.' Cunningham warned.

He glanced once at the face of his 'sister', once at her friend and finally, once at the face of his own friend. Each of the girl's faces was a reflection of their own inner turmoil but Daniel's was perfectly calm and content.

Sighing silently, he mirrored the mask on his own face and quietly followed the trio of rebels as they lead him towards one of the cabins.
***

M stood in the shower, the water pelting his back and torso in torrents of welcome heat. The water had finally stopped coming off brown and thick with dirt and blood and now pooled on the floor before draining away. His eyes were fixated on his leg, the wound-less, scar-less leg that should have been blown to pieces by the ferocity of the bullet that had torn through it. The doctors here must have administered the self-healing pills Trace and Glint had been given by Serpent and Splinter. But how had they done it while he was unconscious? Crushed them into a paste and smeared it on the wound? Shoved it  down his throat? Given him a liquefied version?

Which lead to another question- how had Serpent and Splinter gotten them?

M committed the thought to memory, deciding to ask Pyg next time he saw him.

Turning off the water of the greatest shower he'd ever had, M saw his face in the mirror for the first time. Once again, he was a stranger to his own mind- he must have shifted while he was unconscious. For his own sake, he hoped it had been before Pyg and the UA found him and brought him here. Where was here? M shook the question from his mind, not knowing the answer and not caring enough to find out. Instead, he focused all energy on memorising his new face.

A helmet of shaggy, straw-coloured hair fell around his face, making his mismatched eyes stand out even more. One shockingly blue; the other, shockingly green. Yet another feature to make him stand out in this crowd. His skin was golden, looking slightly Asian in colouring but, as he looked himself in the eye, he could see a Caucasian background. Great.

He'd never been bothered by shifting into a mixed-race identity but now it would just be another thing to make him stand out. As Pyg had lead him to the showers, the other residing members of the UA had all sent him looks- one's he wasn't used too, even after five years of being just another person in the aftermath of the biggest natural disaster. Now, he understood. Every other member was of a single, distinctive race and, if he was correct and had changed appearance before being 'rescued', they found his mixed race appearance downgrading.

Well, he thought, shoving his new shirt and khaki pants on, they can get stuffed. I can't change how I look right now so if they have a problem, they'll just have to keep it too themselves. And, if they can't, I have experience in self-defense.

Smiling slightly at the memory, M tugged on his army boots and jacket in a few swift movements, the clothing fitting his body nicely. Surveying himself one last time in the mirror, he turned and left to find Pyg.

***

Trace bounced her knees, nervously glancing through the tinted window. Nothing. Glint's been in there for ages, she thought nervously. The test can't seriously be that bad, can it?

Noticing her nervous energy, Splinter placed his hand on her right knee, forcing her to keep it still. She ignored him, her eyes trained on the door and bounced the other knee faster.

"Honestly, Trace," Splinter shook his head.

Honestly? Trace moved her eyes to look at her brother. Not once had she ever heard or known of him to say 'honestly', so why would he start now? Something felt wrong.

"Trace, you're up." Wiki's voice made Trace jump a little, considering his light demeanor seriously didn't match his gruff appearance and that went for his voice as well. It was calm and patient, something Trace didn't expect from him.

As she turned around, she saw Glint walk quietly out, her eyes glossy but a small smile on her face.

"You in?" Trace whispered as she got to her feet.

"Yep!" Glint whispered back, quickly hugging Trace. Again, there was that faint sense that this- Glint hugging Trace- was familiar but again, she couldn't remember why.

"Trace." Wiki said again, his voice slightly more firm and demanding.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Trace called back, releasing Glint from the hug.

Glint squeezed her arms. "You'll be fine!"

Trace smiled back, walking over to the door, pausing only as she saw Wiki a few paces before her. He inclined his head at her, beckoning her in. She glanced behind her. Glint was telling Splinter and Serpent that she was in. Whether that was a good idea or not, Trace took a deep breath to steady her racing heart and walked inside, shutting the door firmly behind her.

But not before she heard the clack of scales on the floor again, the exact same noise she'd heard back at Allivan's mansion.