"Hello, Mara. Missed me?"
I could hear a hint of humor in his voice, as I quickly check the room for Priscilla but unfortunately couldn't found nothing. Pulling the door open once more, I head out back towards the hall, ignoring Hudson, not wanting anything to do with him.
That was, until he levitated me back into the room, being sure to shut and lock the door behind me.
"Where's Priscilla, you horrible piece of trash!" I shout, trying to break free from his powers yet had no luck. I was locked in a position I couldn't move from. Then, Hudson had the audacity to levitate me over to the chair and sit me like a proper person.
"Priscilla?" Hudson questions, chuckling maniacally. "She is none of my concern at the moment. That sounds like a you problem, Mara."
"Would you stop saying my name in every sentence you say? I get that you're a bad guy and you use it for dramatic effect, but it's getting really annoying," I claim rolling my eyes, and I swore I could've seen him smirk through his mask.
"Mara is a pretty name. I like the way it simply falls off my tongue."
A weird, fiery emotion ignites at the pit of my chest, but I am quick to diminish it. "Well then... don't like it!" I exasperate, completely out of comebacks. I watch as Hudson got up from his chair from his side of the room.
"Now where's the fun in that?"
"You want to know what's fun? Me being able to actually move on my own, and not in some voodoo mind trap that controls all my limbs," I say to him, and in an instant he lets me go. I sink in the chair before I am able to regroup my muscles. Hudson watches me like a hawk. The red, flashing lights from the alarms reflect off of his helmet, and it made me wonder how on Earth he could even see through that thing.
"Earlier, three of your spies were caught roaming the streets of Sector 42. Their disguises were so easily uncovered that even a homeless old woman could manage to do the same in under two minutes. I would ask you where your location is, yet you still recollect nothing about coming into this place."
"So I take it that you weren't able to find our coordinates from the communication devices in time? Jeez, that homeless old woman sure could come in handy when it comes to your guards."
Hudson pauses, clearly surprised with my comeback. He was quick to change the subject. "I will ask you one more time, and one more time only," he growls, as his voice got heavier with each word. "Take my hand, Mara. Rule with the forces of evil and submit to the place you truly belong."
I raise an eyebrow, staring at his mask. "Firstly, why should I take someone's hand if they spend their lifetime hiding behind a piece of metal? I would take it, if they weren't such a coward. Hiding behind a mask is so 5 decades ago."
As two clicks ring throughout my ear, Hudson's metal mask hits the floor with a loud thud.
I hadn't looked at his face yet. I was afraid to, in all honesty. As I stared at his helmet on the ground, I saw his reflection only slightly. What if he looked like a forty year-old man who grew beards for a living?
Suddenly, my eyes met his.
And the first thing that I registered as I gazed at his face, was that Hudson was absolutely, drop dead... handsome. My eyes met his green ones as my breath momentarily hitched. I felt something stir between us—most likely the pathetic bond again. I could've sworn Hudson's angry face momentarily fell, replaced by realization, as he looked at me through his true eyes for the first time, instead from the holes of his mask.
I curse to myself. He had wavy hair, my biggest weakness when it came to guys. Tiny bits of brown strands stood up from the pressure of his mask— helmet hair is what I believe they call it. His jawline was finely carved, and it was clenched so tight at the moment, I thought he was going to break his teeth. He was angry—while I couldn't keep my eyes off of him.
"Now would you take my hand?" He asks. His voice had changed from when he wore the mask. It sounded so much silkier and soft, it could even put a baby to sleep.
I grimaced, regretting the words that came out of my mouth just moments ago. "N-no." Oh my god, of course I had to stutter. I was so compelled by his face reveal, I forgot how to speak english. "Just because you showed your face doesn't mean I'll change my mind, idiot."
I laugh in my head. I was being such a hypocrite—but I loved it.
Instead of Hudson lashing out or raging, he simply nods and goes back to sit, leaving his helmet lying on the ground.
"I seriously don't know what to do anymore, Mara. I've tried absolutely everything to get you on my side yet you still defy me. King Red will not be happy when I report to him tomorrow."
I look to him with suspicious eyes. "What will he do to you?" I question, curious as to what his life was like. I knew he couldn't and wouldn't hurt me. So why shouldn't I get to know him better since he won't leave me alone?
A pained look flashes in his expression, as he propped his head atop of his hands. "First, he'll get angry. So angry, not even my rage fits could compare to his. Then since I'm a mutant, he'll send me into a prison cell and starve me for a couple of days, but that's not bad. Most likely he'll do reform, bla bla bla. To sum it up, he'll just get even."
My eyes widen, whatever reform was, it didn't sound very pretty. This was the first time we were talking about something besides taking hands, or joining evil. What if he was stalling, or secretly was plotting to murder me? I had seen it too often in movies—and I wasn't about to become a part of one. But right now, he was guilt tripping me over anything.
Either way, I stand up, walking over to his chair in the corner. He watches my every step with cautious eyes as if I were going to attack. Jeez, I'm not a rabid dog.
"Hudson," I place a hand atop his. I kneel over so that I was somewhat eye level with him. "No human or mutant should ever be treated the way that King Red treats you. That's called abuse," I claim to him and he simply stares at me with a neutral expression.
"It is the ways of evil, Mara. Neither you and I cannot change the outcome of that," he speaks softly. After all of this time, he still hadn't removed my hand from atop of his. I had no idea how we were able to make skin contact through our bond, yet other objects would simply fly straight through us.
"Yes, you can change the outcome. Hudson, you should join us. Join the Rebels and fight for a good cause. I can see deep down there is hope in you for a better life," I say staring into his green eyes, hoping to change his perspective on evil.
"The Rebel group was dead to me many years ago," Hudson spits, his words increasing in fury. "Tell me, did Priscilla tell you what actually happened, and not some fake, innocent lie?"
I nod my head, looking to him with firm eyes. "She told me you were a murderer," I say viciously, recalling how he killed the dozens of mutants. "The last thing she saw were your green eyes, torn between the light and the dark."
Hudson's eyes turn red, as he summoned his powers. And me, being the idiot, stared straight into them, which easily gained me access of a front row movie screening. He was going to play the memory through my head.
I felt like I was being sucked into his mind, as the room I was in slowly fades away and turns into a new one.
I was suddenly staring at a younger Priscilla, next to a child version of Hudson. He looked like a sixteen year-old. They were inside a training room, one that looked almost the same that we had in our base now.
"Channel that inner power of yours, my boy," Priscilla urges as he attempted to levitate multiple rocks at once. "Don't let any of the outside distractions cause you to fail."
He was clearly struggling, as trying to multitask and levitate seven rocks at once was clearly too much for him. "But Priscilla, I can't!" He shouts annoyedly. Funny how I said the same thing just earlier today.
"Come on now, child. Don't let those negative thoughts get to you. All you need is a strong mindset, with words of 'I can do this,' not I can't."
And that motivation compelled him to do better.
He focused more, and levitated all seven rocks better than before. All of the other trainer mutants were cheering him on. But all of a sudden with one large crunch, he slammed all rocks together, unaware of what he was doing. Priscilla's eyes widen, as she watches Hudson levitate with such a large pressure, he was forming one rock.
I watched with wide eyes. Knowing that Hudson could literally pop someone's head open with his powers scared me. Maybe I shouldn't be on his bad side after all...
"Alright Hudson, that's enough for the day!" Priscilla exclaims with a smile on her face, yet the smile looked fake. "Rest up, my boy. Come back tomorrow and we will continue from here on."
"I don't get what's so bad about all of this," I ask the current Hudson, who was standing next to me in the memory. "You seemed to do perfectly fine in training."
"Look at them," Hudson mentions softly, pointing to the other trainee mutants who had gathered to watch younger Hudson train. Their ages varied from pre-teens to mid-twenties, but all of them had one look on their face. They were clearly horrified at the potential of his powers. "They were scared and jealous. Scared, that I could use my powers for such awful things. Jealous, that they weren't as powerful as me. I always was the apple in Priscilla's eye while the other's felt... simply neglected."
Younger Hudson walks out of the room awkwardly knowing he had every eye in the room on him. Even Priscilla had a concerned look on her face. She knew she had just awakened the inner beast within him.
The memory suddenly flickers to later in the day, or night, I should say. Hudson was fast asleep in his bed, yet I could hear faint voices just outside of his room. I turn to see the mutants from earlier all with their swords drawn, and it was clear that this was one thing, and one thing only.
The mutants were planning a murder on the boy laying in front of me.
A man, who surely looked in his younger twenties opened the door, sword drawn and ready. They did it so swiftly that even my mutant hearing couldn't pick up the movement of the door.
With steady steps, he slowly walked over to Hudson's spot in attack position, sword drawn and ready. As the stranger stopped before the powerful mutant laying in bed, he looked at Hudson one last before turning his sword vertically, and striking down onto his body.
That was the plan, until Hudson woke up.
In a flash, Hudson stopped the sword midair with his levitation ability, the tip narrowly touching the fabric of his shirt. Hudson's sleepy eyes, which were once at peace grew wide with shock, and one other emotion that sent chills down my spine.
Anger.
"You... you're trying to kill me?" Younger Hudson asks, bewildered.
The other mutant with this sword glares at him. "You've always stolen the eyes and love of Priscilla. Your powers are becoming too strong to contain. And for that, we are going to end you."
The mutant uses all of his strength to try and impale Hudson with his sword, trying to rid it of Hudson's levitation powers.
Younger Hudson began levitating the man with the sword in the air, blocking off his airways so much that his face turned purple. And with one flick, the man was crushed against the wall, as the sound of bones snapping fills the room.
And that will be an image I will never get out of my head.
Pure anger raged throughout Hudson, as he could sense the other mutants outside as well with swords drawn. They knew that they weren't going to get away alive.
It was horrendous. Not the horror movie type of horrendous, but disturbing. The rest of the memory went by in a blur, not because I wanted it to, but because Hudson had chosen to forget the memory.
I watched as the once peaceful Hudson slashes his way through multiple mutants that had attempted to fight him, yet he made his way through without a scratch. A fire had somehow started behind them and was now crawling its way through the halls of the base. They attempted to burn him too?
Few mutants laid heavily injured, and to many extents dead as Hudson stood there with a look on his face I would never forget. He looked torn, just as Priscilla had described. With red-green eyes, he looked down to his hands in horror at what he could do with just a simple snap.
Then another movement startled him. Priscilla stood in a distant hall with a look of pure hurt on her face. She knew she had failed him, just as much as she had failed the other mutants who were lying on the ground motionless.
And what happened next was also predicted. Hudson ran.
It brought a sickening pain to my chest, as I felt a tear roll down my eye from the painful images I had just seen. Being sucked from the memory, I close my eyes as my head spun, until I could firmly stand on two feet.
As my eyes opened I was still in the kneeling position next to him, and the hand that I had placed on top of his was now entwined with his gloved one. He looked just as pained as I was, as if that memory had haunted him for his entire life.
"That is why I chose this path, Mara," Hudson barely whispered. "Every person who has found a way into my heart somehow has betrayed me. Every. Single. One." His words become shakier by the second. He stands up taking me with him in my hand, his close proximity taking my breath away. "Then here comes you, spiraling into my life in a crazy game of cat chase mouse. You're the first one I've trusted with my life in years, Mara, even if I've only known you for just days now."
Removing a glove, he wipes the single tear that had fallen from my face with his bare hand. I look down, too stunned at his confession to even speak. He was evil, and I shouldn't be associating with him. Yet there was something inside of him that drew me towards him, and it frightened me.
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear with shaky hands, as my heart rate increases to a million beats an hour. Hudson opened his mouth to say something, yet holds it back as if he wanted to save it for a better time.
"Join me, Hudson," I urge him, squeezing his hand. "You don't deserve to live a life full of evil. And if you really do trust me with your life, than you'll accept my offer."
His eyes remain neutral, staring deep into mine as he debated on punching the wall nearby or simply giving up. I knew I had won this argument, and all there was left to do was wait.
He takes a step backwards, releasing my hand that was entwined with his but not breaking eye contact once.
"Goodbye, Mara."
Those were his last words as he looked at me one last time. And as he vanished, I could've sworn I saw a look of regret in his eyes.
As I collapsed in the same chair he was sitting in moments ago, I wondered how that one little memory brought us so much closer together. To think two hours ago I despised him. Now all I felt for him was guilt. Guilt that he never got to live a joyous life like a normal kid would.
I think to myself for a moment, before I hear the door click. Priscilla enters the room with a surprised look on her face.
And I knew in that moment, I had to tell her everything going on between Hudson and I.
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