Kya Carter
The grip Elwood had on my powers was immensely crippling, but once Xavier stepped in, that grip released. Despite the numerous times I told him not to touch me, Xavier brings me to my feet. "Whose side are you on?" Elwood gripes, glaring at the eldest Walker – a terrible reflection of Ren.
"Mine," Xavier growls. "I'll fight anyone, but keep Kya alive. I need her for something I think you'll find quite favorable, Elwood."
"What's that? Pick your answer carefully. Your life depends on it," Elwood threatens while Cerberus and I engage in a staring competition.
"Putting an end to future mutants," Xavier boasts, having the audacity to smirk like he's just won the lottery. "We're going to find the origins and cut it down at its core."
Without warning, Elwood cringes and sucks in a breath, holding his hands to his sides. Glaring up at the mouth of the dojo, Elwood nods at Sarah, who retracts a stubby knife from her own side. "Fine. Take care of that pest. I'll take care of someone else."
"Deal," Xavier nods, as if a deal means a damn thing to him.
Shockingly, Elwood keeps his promise, sprinting to aid his daughter in destroying Elektra. But not before he turns to Cerberus and says, "I can't touch her for now. But you better end her or my previous threat still stands."
Whatever that threat is, it's enough to keep Cerberus rooted in his spot before me. "I'm sorry, Kya. But I have to do this."
"You never intended for this," I assure. "But I'm not going to hold back."
Softly, he smiles. "I was hoping you wouldn't."
Though I'm still a bit hesitant, Cerberus wastes no time getting to work. Shooting one arm into the air, he brings down a lightning bolt. Now that Elwood is gone, I can use the full extent of my powers and grip the raindrops around me. As he sends a bolt right to my chest, I duck, though I still maintain a steady connection to the fluid around me. I drop to pushup position, then as I force myself into a stand, I pool water around Cerberus's feet and freeze them, locking him in place as I create a floating bubble full of nothing but liquid, and hold it over his head.
Don't get me wrong. My first instinct isn't to kill someone, let alone freeze them in place and drown them standing up. But it's clear that Cerberus has no reservations of killing me, considering that was his first instinct. Sure, he has one of Elwood's threats that he could use as an excuse, but still... Nevertheless, Cerberus's fastness to end my life, I'm a bit more comfortable with ending his. It's either kill or be killed in this moment, and while I despise the circumstances, I'm not going to let my friends down by letting any more of us die.
I hold my stance, ignoring the defiant thumping of my heart and the wrenching of my gut. Killing isn't in my nature. It isn't a part of me. It's a contributor to why I tied up the other SD agents, refused to end Reaper in the bunker, and hated myself for my parents' death. It's more than an opposition to it; it's like an allergy to my body. And the symptoms for a breakout? Another marking. I'm still unclear if the markings only ensue after using my dark strain to a high extent, or because I kill people. Potentially, the answer could be a bit of both. Am I willing to risk another burning sensation in my back?
Side-looking the areas around me, I absorb the fights and the conditions that bind us to them. Xavier slices Leo's bullets in half, cringing every now and then as Sarah stabs and pricks herself. Xavier does this to find his younger brother, a quest that he and Ren once endured. Leo does it because he hates Xavier and wants to stay alive. Sarah helps Leo because she loves him. To my left, Elektra barely manages to fend off Reaper and her "play smarter and harder" father. Elektra and Reaper have both been in their eternal mutual hate because of a squabble back in Russia two years. Elwood is in it to see the escaped Asylum convicts dead or in cuffs. And there's my own engagement. Cerberus attacks me because he wants to live. I attack him because I don't want to die.
Somehow, Reaper manages to see Cerberus's predicament, and she abandons all war with her lifelong enemy to help him. I'm utterly shocked that her priority lies with him, considering how vigorously she's been hunting us down, and if I was talking to begin with, I'd be rendered speechless. Roaring with fury, she launches a dagger aimed for my throat. I barely see the thing until it flashes silver in Elektra's lightning. Caught off guard, I dodge, but lose my hold on Cerberus, who gasps for airs and coughs out water. He uses my power to melt the ice from his feet, but that doesn't mean Reaper is done with me.
Tonight, she's without her educated banter and tantalizing smirks. Now, it's all business. Her thrown dagger digs itself into the ground a few feet away from me. Not sure how, or if, I'll use it, I go for the blade anyways, this way I keep it out of Reaper's grasp.
Sprinting for the knife, I'm held back as something cold wraps itself around one of my ankles and solidifies itself, giving me a hard yank, landing me flat on my stomach. I recognize this attack as a sort of water lasso; one end frigid ice to keep me locked in, the rest of it a strong river. Cerberus uses my power to throw me around, bashing my back into the ground, twisting me in the air, using my body to illustrate me as a tumbleweed blowing in a desert.
"Here!" Reaper calls, the direction of her voice untraceable with all the angles I'm being contorted into. But Cerberus knows what to do as he flings me to the right. From the corner of my eye, I see I'm barreling straight to Reaper, right side first. I'm too panicked to launch an attack of my own. Due to the rush of nerves and adrenaline, I only feel something entering my body; severing my tissues and muscles, but the pain doesn't follow. Either way, nothing can be much worse from being branded another mark. Nevertheless, I know that Reaper's second dagger has sunken deep into my side and I need to tread carefully so it doesn't puncture something fatal, if it hasn't already. I allow myself to go limp, not risking squirming the knife into something like a lung. "Again!" she shouts, voice shaking with untamable, passionate anger. Though we were nodding at each other minutes ago, she's trying to slice and dice my torso.
I don't know if it's a curse or blessing, but I know I can't get too mad over it. Someone was trying to kill Reaper's Cerberus, and she had the guts to do something about it. Unlike me, who watched as Ren plummeted into the core of the earth, falling into an endless pit that only Xavier knows.
But as the dagger leaves my body, which is being reared back by Cerberus. It's either now or never to do something. Doing the easiest maneuver I know, I clench my fists, freezing the rest of the lasso. Unexpected, Cerberus can't hold the sudden weight and releases his hold on the water, allowing me to gain a few seconds to melt the whole thing. Quickly, I examine my side, which is slathered in blood. Still, I don't feel the pain, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be cautious of it.
Back on my feet, I feel more confident. I grapple two water ribbons, freezing the ends to razor-sharp points. Using them like a set of ball-and-chains, I sling them around, engaging in guiding the water but using the frenzy of the fight to make the motions violent. I bring down one of my weapons in a downward arc, slashing Cerberus across the chest. Reaper doesn't miss a moment, flaring up with renewed vexation, flying straight towards me. The anger turns her skin into shades of black. She either thinks I'm a worthy enough opponent to use her power against me, or her body is reacting to the danger I'm putting Cerberus in, similar to how the world froze around me as I watched Ren die.
As my second weapon pierces her gut, Reaper responds rapidly, using her knife to shatter the icy tip. Unfazed by the open wound in her stomach, she pursues me. Rushed, I bring the two ribbons together, huddling my fists close to her. Then I squeeze my hands so tight that my nails dig into my palms, freezing the water mid-air. As Reaper draws closer, I unfurl my fingers, flexing them so they're as straight as pencils. Responding to my action, the block of ice springs out into multiple ice-daggers, vaulting themselves in Reaper's direction.
The hairs raise on my arms with the sensation of nearby electricity. Glancing up, I barely see the spiraling brightness of an oncoming bolt before I roll to the side. The lightning crashes to where I was standing, the explosion and crack of energy are enough to almost put my ears out of business. As I scramble back up, I see Elektra launch as lightning bolt right to Elwood's head, and I swear the bolt grazes his head full of light hair. My sights are confirmed when a pained scream comes from the gargantuan man, who clutches the side of his head and crumbles to his knees.
My heart flutters with hope that our biggest enemy (literally and metaphorically) is taken care of. But just as quick as my optimism started to take root, it's weeded out. Before Elektra can even manage another step, Elwood reaches through the air, his hand looking like a crab claw as he pinches the air. In turn, Elektra also starts to collapse to her knees, which strikes me as odd. It's one thing to have your power drained to be extremely weakening, but painful isn't the word I would use to describe it.
So, why does Elektra look so aggrieved? As Elwood's pinching hand draws his fingers closer together, Elektra's hands apply pressure to her chest, as if trying to alleviate some sort of pain. There's only a bit that we know about Elektra, but one thing is certain: her power comes from her connection to the sky and her stomach for redirecting the bolts; not her heart. And that's when the most shocking aspect of Elwood's power hits me.
When desperate enough, Elwood's power of draining power gives him the ability of draining life, too. I swear I see Elektra's dirty blonde hair turn gray with age, her skin becoming saggy. Meanwhile, Elwood's stern lines in his face slowly disappear, as if becoming younger. With a power like this, he can essentially live forever. And it makes me wonder, if his offspring has the ability to maintain immortality for a minute, if the spawn of someone with an ability is an alternative or sub-form of their parents.
Before I find it in myself to step in and help her, Elwood's hand closes itself, causing Elektra to fall to the ground, not a single part of her moving. My heart leaps into my throat. I don't know if she's dead, unconscious, or fast-forwarded to an age too old to move on herself. Another one of my friends could be dead because I lack the ability to take action, I growl to myself. What the hell is wrong with me?
Again, ice cracks over the grass around me as my frustrations grapple with my heartstrings once more. Something inside of me begins to tear apart, as if tiny fibers of a slowly-fraying rope have finally caused their damage. The snapping of one of my own strings resonates, its severance vibrating my body. What does it mean, exactly? What happens now? I mean, I feel like a part of me is missing, or just out of reach, but I did witness Ren's murder and Elektra's possible lack of time. There's a lot that I'm already missing.
Reaper and Cerberus advance on me, both of them coming from my front. Reaper gets close, flashing her dagger as she attempts to thrust it into my other side, or slash my neck from ear to ear like a psychopath. Meanwhile, Cerberus works up icy spikes that rise from the ground, my skin barely grazing its pointed end as I simultaneously dodge Reaper.
Then, suddenly, the assaults stop. Elwood grips Reaper through her strings, squeezing the life out of them. "You useless little shit," he hisses. "I needed you and what did you do? Run off. You didn't even finish the job! Let me show you how it's done."
Elwood lets go of Reaper's strings, letting her keep her youth, but giving her a vicious backhand across the face in return. Because she doesn't want to further upset her father, she doesn't speak, hoping Cerberus's life is still active after tonight. And for those same reasons, Cerberus says naught, as well. I, on the other hand, am terrified.
My stab wound decides now is the best time to make itself known, the pulsing of blood flow aching. It starts as a low throb, but quickly accelerates into the harsh pain of something burning inside me. Clutching the gaping gash, I turn and run, feeling more like a coward than I have all night, which says a lot. Pathetically, I run towards Xavier, since keeping me alive is the only part of the deal he's stuck true to.
But I don't even make it that far. My chest tightens, feeling like it's collapsing inwards on itself. An unescapable breathlessness chases out the oxygen in my lungs, which seem to be compressing and shriveling up. The lack of breathing room heightens my sense of pain in my side. My brain feels like it's melting; burning sensations prick my eyes and shut out the sounds from the outside world. My mouth is cotton-dry, my tongue feeling numb.
Eventually, I found myself on the ground, gasping as I realize there's no way to struggle against the unshakable grasp of Elwood. I barely manage to keep my eyes open through the scuffle, and I wish I had just kept them locked shut. As black begins to blue my vision, I make out Elwood's evil smile flashing in the storm's lightning. His eyes bug out, whites completely surrounding his light blue irises. Maniacal. That's the first word that comes to my mind. Then, sadist. He's enjoying every moment of my pain.
And as I fade from the present, I come to a realization. It doesn't matter if you're a man or woman, strong or weak, friend or foe – everyone is bound to die at some point. It might be a hasty end, or an unfair end, or an overdue end, but everyone has one. We can try to prolong our expiration dates, but soon enough, our time on earth has to spoil. Seeing my friends go down, despite putting all their strength into their survival, has told me as much. Death doesn't discriminate. Whether you're a lost soul who finally found your way back home, or someone who seemed like you could outdistance any force of nature, death comes for us all.
For obvious reasons, we often try to avoid death and the potentiality of dying. But what's the point? The sooner we accept our own inevitable end, the less fearful we'll be of our time when it comes.
Content with my revelation, I feel myself relax, giving into Elwood's power with the knowledge that there's nothing I can do to fight back.
Then something happens. The tissues and skin of my stab wound start to reconnect, healing itself. The internal bruising I dealt when being tossed around like Cerberus's salad disappears. The pinpoints behind my eyes disappear, the nerveless feeling in my tongue vanishes, and I feel my chest rising and falling at a steady pace. Elwood's expression registers shock. Slowly, I feel my severed string start to reattach itself.
Outrageous as it may seem, I chuckle. I finally accept that death doesn't discriminate and this is what happens? My power goes on autopilot and starts to heal itself? Is this just because I'm in a dire situation, or have I finally opened the gates to my sub-power by becoming open to death? Whatever the answer is, it can wait until I'm somewhere safe. What matters most is that I'm fine now.
Elwood stares at me his wheels turning. Then he notices Reaper and Cerberus just standing there, just as in shock as I am. "I suppose it'll take all of us, then," Elwood chirps. "Take a deep breath while you can, Kya. It will be your last."
And because the night has another trick or two up its sleeve, something enormous swoops over our heads, almost invisible in the dark. Without warning, it flies close to the ground, coming to a skittering halt, raising the ground where it crashes. It's a miraculous, scaly beast about half the length of the Tokyo Tower with the width of Xavier's height. In this time of day, I can't exactly make out its color, but I have a feeling it's themed like the dojo: red and gold.
A shadowy figure hops off the beast, and right before my eyes, the animal begins to glow a bright, bright gold. Illuminated, I'm sure it's a dragon, as crazy as it sounds. Even crazier: that humongous dragon shrinks, then splits in half – one part becoming a blazing katana, the other returning as a glowing dragon on the left arm of the dark figure.
The silhouette turns to me, eyes like amber LED lights in the darkness. Hair just a tad overgrown rests right above the figure's irises, highlighting the red tips.
Whether it was the size of the dragon, its crash landing, or its display of light as it reverted to its original form as a mark, everyone's attention is on us, now. Sarah's mouth gapes, and Leo doesn't do much different from her. Both of them sprint down the steps, totally forgetting that Xavier even exists. Xavier, who glares at us with malice before joining the duo in their run.
I think my mind is playing tricks on me: the result of a breaking string reforming, or maybe I'm delusional from using my power to heal my body and slip out of Elwood's clutches. Perhaps I've bled out too much from Reaper's inflicted wound.
But there's no figments of my imagination when Leo joins our sides, breath coming out ragged and short. Ignoring the trio of SD fighters' fervent whispering, he asks, "Do you guys ever die?" And though he tries to be comical, his voice cracks with emotion, and any qualms he's ever had about the Dragon are thrown out the window as he Ren, the figure who rode the dragon.
"Guess not," Ren teases, patting Leo's head uncomfortably.
"Everyone thought you were dead. Even the Sages," Sarah informs. "Your heart stopped."
"It did on the fall," Ren admits, throwing a glance my way as he tries to pry a teary Leo off himself. "My marking saved me, keeping me at a level altitude until my heart started up again." Once more, Ren looks to me, trying to get a response out of me. But I'm so struck with glee and shock and anger at myself for letting him die in the first place, I don't even realize I've stopped breathing. It's all I can do to stare at him and drink in his naturally sarcastic tone.
"Ready for round two?" Xavier's voice grits, snapping me out of my reverie.
"Ren..." my shaky voice sighs. Tentatively, I take steps towards him, wondering if those glowing eyes are going to blink out of existence if I touch him. So badly, I want to touch him. But what if I do and he shatters like glass?
Ren grimaces and narrows his eyes, propping his hands on his hips. Dramatically, he bends down so we're eye-to-eye. "What the hell? You thought I'd die so easily? I'm offended, moon girl. Honestly. Some people..."
Playfully, I push his shoulder, blinking away tears. "You thought falling hundreds of feet would have cooled you off, hothead." And that's all I say about his plunge, because if I really said what was on my heart, then it would be me who collapses.
Skillfully, Ren twirls his katana. "You guys get Elwood and his sidekicks, if Elwood doesn't tear them up first..." Ren has a point. Elwood and Reaper shout at each other, blaming one another for tonight's battle still going on. Glaring at Xavier, he huffs, "I'll take care of this one."