CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX:
BRING IT ON
"OKAY, WELL, I SAY WE go in now, since everyone's still in holding. I mean, Reed and i were locked up in there together." Lorna was frustrated, angry, and scared all at the same time after Reed and his wife brought back the news of what had happened to their people. How Sentinel Services had them in their grasp. Two of her best friends were in there. One of which was Artemis' mother.
The teenager was terrified, tried tear stains coating her cheeks. She knew that her mother could take care of herself, but she also knew her mother was powerful. And if they got their hands on her, there was no telling what they would force her to do. That was something she couldn't have. Yet, she couldn't find it in her to stand up and argue in agreement with Lorna. It wasn't right and her mother wouldn't like them going in without a plan.
"You want to hit Sentinel Services―︎are you crazy?" Reed snapped.
"Don't call me crazy."
"Okay, everyone take it easy." Marcos tried.
"She wants to launch an attack on the heels of what we just went through, with no way in." Reed argued. "Which part of that doesn't sound crazy to you?"
"Hey―︎"
"Okay, do I have to remind you that it's not just our people in there?" Lorna questioned, holding up her hands. "They have your kids, too."
"We saw men with guns cart away our kids while they cried for our help, so, no, you sure as hell don't." Caitlin glared daggers at Lorna.
"I'm not agreeing on a plan that puts them in more danger."
And then several arguments broke out once. Artemis' arms tightened around her chest, fear gathering in her veins as she glanced at John who met her eyes, silently begging him to do something. John looked at the teenager before glancing back towards the shouting, clenching his jaw and curling his hand into a fist and then slamming it against a chair, breaking it into pieces.
"That's enough!" They all went silent. "There is no more 'yours' or 'ours'. Andy and Lauren, Winter, Sonya, and Clarice. They're all our people now."
"Turning their jail cells into a shooting gallery hurts everyone." Reed reasoned.
"Maybe." Lorna agreed. "But it's just a matter of time before Campbell gets his hands on them and turns them into hounds. If that happens, this place is finished. Especially if they have Winter on their side." She clenched her jaw. "It might already be finished."
"There are people we can talk to."
"What, we write our congressman and hope for the best? If we have to shed blood sooner or later, I vote sooner."
"That's our blood you're talking about." Caitlin frowned. "Some of us almost died the last time we tried something like this."
"I know people in the courts, the government, even Sentinel Services."
"Last time you tried that, we almost got killed."
"Okay, it was your 'low risk' assaults that got us into this situation." Caitlin snapped as she stepped closer to the green haired woman.
"Look, guys!" Marcos spoke, making them stop. "The enemy is not in this room. We're all in this together. And we should set up some scouts at Sentinel Services and Trask. Maybe they can get eyes on our people."
"Marcos is right―︎we can send out Sage and Shatter." John stood up straight as he talked. "And also check in with our police contacts. We are gonna fight to get everyone home." He looked at Artemis directly as he said this before looking back at the others. "But we need to remember, we're on the same side."
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The device around her neck felt suffocating. She felt so weak, her powers being drained from her body the longer that she wore the contraption. It made the skin around it itch. She had her eyes closed as she leaned her head against the concrete wall. She had been secluded from everyone. Sonya and Clarice went to one set, Andy and Lauren to another set of cells. Aphrodite sat alone in the room, forcing herself to remember that her people were looking for her. That they would come for her.
The same type of device was wrapped around both of her wrist, connected like a set of handcuffs. Clearly they knew who she was and what it was that she could do. She looked up when the door opened, an officer stepping in and unlocking her cell before taking hold of her and dragging her to an interrogation room. She was sat roughly in a seat before being left alone, and not a moment later Agent Turner came in there and she gave him a smile.
"Hello again," she smirked.
"For someone that's well on their way to being a puppet, you're chipper." He sat down in front of her, placing her file on the desk and pulling it open. "Aphrodite Rosenburgh."
"Winter." She corrected. "Or Kaos, whichever you prefer."
"Oh you cause chaos alright." The man muttered, clearly annoyed that she was enjoying this. "Are you going to lie to me like your fellow mutants, or are you going to tell me the truth?"
"Does it matter? Either way I'm being sent to my death. So, bring it on." She leaned back into the seat, and he knew there wasn't anything else he was going to get out of her. She was dragged back to herself, grunting as they threw her inside. She blew her hair from her face, standing up and turning to face the guard. She stalked closer to the bars, staring at him before making her eyes glow which was enough to send him flying from her room, and to send a painful shock through her body.
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Artemis sat there on one of the chairs, staring blankly ahead of her as everyone went around, doing their thing and trying to come up with a plan. Not only had her mother been taken from her, but the girl that she had developed a major crush on had been taken too. The redhead felt like she had been taken again, that she was being encased in a cell and tortured. She didn't even register Esme walking up to her until she spoke.
"May I?" Esme softly asked. Artemis jumped slightly, looking up at the woman before nodding towards the seat that was beside her. Esme sat down, looking at Artemis and cocking her head slightly as she looked through her memories. She was quick to look away when she witnessed the torture she went through, along with the pain she had to watch her mother go through.
"What do you want?" Artemis asked, looking at the blonde.
"I know what you're going through." Esme started. "My family is trapped inside one of those places, the same as your mom. I believe in the people here. I believe that they're going to figure out a plan. They're going to find away to bring my family home, and they're going to find a way to reunite you with your mom." She placed a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry that you're having to go through this."
Artemis wiped away a stray year before forcing a small smile as her fragile voice whispered, "Thanks." She met her eyes. "I'm sorry your family is in there as well."
Esme smiled a small smile. "Thanks."
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She wanted to be with her baby sister. She wanted to find a way to break out of these cells and find Sonya and hug her just so that she knew she was alright. She was pissed that she had been isolated. She wanted someone to talk to, someone to help distract her from her mind that was screaming at her, filling her body with fear. Would she ever go home? Would she ever get to see John or Lorna? Hell, would she ever get to see her daughter again? So many questions with so little answers, it was driving her insane.
When a guard came and got her, she fought against him, but eventually she gave in, allowing two of them to take hold of her and drag her into the room where Sonya and Clarice stood. "Sonya!" She cried her sisters name, wanting to hug her but they held her back. She turned her head to look at Clarice, smiling at her and simply glad to know that she was alright. She looked up when the sound of Andy and Lauren's voices could be heard.
"What are you doing? They're not a part of this!"
The three were dragged to stand in front a screen, Andy and Lauren being projected on it, placed in some weird suit with collars around their necks as well. Aphrodite swallowed thickly as she exchanged glances with the other two.
The man standing in front of them shook his head. "Oh, you made them part of this."
"Leave them alone." Andy snapped.
"Whatever happens to them is entirely in your hands." Campbell shrugged. He looked at one of his guards. "Can I have your side arm please?" The guard didn't hesitate, handing him the gun. The three exchanged looks when he cocked it. "It doesn't have to be difficult. Just show me what you can do."
That's when Sonya glared at the back of his head. "Don't do anything for him."
Campbell sighed before looking back towards the Strucker kids. "Children, clasp hands."
They looked at the screen, deciding what they would do. And that's when Sonya spoke up again. "Don't do what he―︎" and then a gun shot off. A scream fell from Aphrodite's lips as she watched her little sister get shot in the chest, Clarice yelling Sonya's name as they both watched her fall to the floor.
"No!" Aphrodite cried. She struggled against the guards, trying to get to her sister, crying and screaming, begging to get to her but they wouldn't let her. And then her anger took over. Her eyes glowed purple, her hands being surrounded by the color as she quickly shot the guards across the room, wisps flying out and attacking anyone near her and sending them flying. She ran to her sisters side, cradling her body in her arms and sobbing.
"Take her!" Campbell yelled. Her sisters body was the last thing she saw before a needle was inserted into her neck, and her vision turned black.
When she woke up again she was placed in a room. One where she was strapped down to a chair, collar on her neck and wrists. She struggled, trying to break free but stopping when Campbell entered the room with a smug smile on his face. "I see the Strucker's aren't the only ones with true potential in the building."
"What are you going to do to me?" Aphrodite said through clenched teeth.
"I would see the full extent of your abilities, but with that little stunt you showed me what I needed. So, instead. We're starting with the next step." He held up a needle filled with liquid. "Experimenting."
It was later that night when Sentinel Services had come, taking in all of the detainee's. Aphrodite had been carried onto the bus, practically thrown to the back but Lauren and Clarice were quick to catch her. Clarice placed a hand on her forehead, frowning deeply at her drugged state. "What did they do to you?"
As they sat in the bus, a sound of a gunshot going off made some of them scream. The driver had shot the guard with Andy yelling at him, asking what the hell it was that he was doing. And then the driver turned the gun towards himself and shot the gun. More gun shots went off outside the vehicle causing them to panic, but Clarice was quick to take action.
"We need to get the collars off. Someone help me find the key." She looked towards Lauren who nodded before taking hold of Aphrodite so that she wouldn't fall over. When the keys were found Clarice was quick to start unlocking everyone's collars, barely glancing out side when more gunshots went off. Clarice wrapped Aphrodite's arm around her shoulders, "Come on." She hoisted the drugged girl up before one by one they made their way off the bus.
They stopped when they came face to face when three figure. All of which looked identical. Aphrodite frowned. "Am I really that drugged, or are there three of Esme?"
"Both." Clarice answered, and then Aphrodite was slumping against her body, losing consciousness once more.