October 2017
"What ya want, eh?" Megan asks with a thick Scottish accent.
She pushes Rachel against the wall. They're on a dark alley, the moon's dim reflection isn't strong enough to lit Megan's face. To Rachel, she remains a figure only.
Rachel struggles to set herself free. Megan is four years older than her and Rachel only ever focused on training her abilities. Megan easily overpowers her, without hurting her.
"Sorry... can you repeat? I didn't understand any of it..." Rachel says with a mischievous smile and keeps pushing her.
"What... do... you... want? Why... are... you... following... me...?" Megan shakes her head.
"You're the Angel of Death," Rachel sets herself free momentarily.
"Don't know what ya mean," Megan steps back, "bye now."
Rachel smiles, raises her right hand, turns it blue and fires against a pile of trash that stands next to them. Easily disintegrating it. Megan's eyes follow the movement and then focus on Rachel again. She shakes her head and crosses her arms, facing the girl again.
"With your powers, Angel, and with mine... We'll rule the world!" Rachel forms a gun with her right hand and pretends to blow the flume.
"Don't wish to rule anything... Leave, child, before ya hurt yourself."
"Our kind is oppressed... and you... you for some reason! Have the power to end it. And what?" Rachel curls her hands into fists and stomps her right foot. "You go around pretending that it's none of your business!" She lowers her voice and shakes her head. "Why did you choose the power of life, Angel, if you don't live?"
"The world is better off with me death. What is ya big plan, eh? Killing everyone on your way to the top? Stunning!"
"My plan is to set us free from our restraints. Convince me we can do it without killing, and sure, we'll start the most peaceful movement in history."
"That... we can discuss. Megan. Don't call me Angel of Death again."
Rachel welcomes Megan into their house for the first time. There isn't much to be said about it, some coats hanging, not a single photograph anywhere, the stairs can use some work, and the walls need paint. Rachel shows her the way to a small bedroom and gives her some towels and fresh clothes and leaves her on the bathroom.
Megan took her time on the shower, enjoying the perks of a house, one that she hadn't been in for a long time now. Ever since that day, the one that destroyed her entire life, that she went around town, squatting, scraping by. Four years she lived like that. Completely by herself.
When she comes out of the bathroom, with a fresh Nirvana shirt and some worn out pants, her short ginger hair is already much healthier than it was when she got there. Rachel meets her and leads her to the living room, for her to eat something.
"Who's that?" Alex sits on the couch reading.
"Megan," Rachel takes some plates from the cupboard and grabs a few slices of pizza from the fridge.
"Why is she here?" Alex's eyes move away from hers and he goes back to his reading.
"We're in conversations to start a movement..." Rachel hands Megan the pizza and she takes it instantly. Eating it right away and almost choking on it. Rachel hands her a glass of water. "We could use your talent, Alex... and I don't mean just your powers. You have this skill that keeps you alive while others around you drop dead. This understanding of things that would be helpful to keep us alive."
"Oh, thank you, sis, I do. But while I agree with you, and see the value of my contribution to this... project... that you are talking about... what exactly does she bring to the table?"
He focuses on Megan and drops his book. His eyes widen.
"Why can't I read your mind?"
Rachel's eyebrows raise. Should I try it? No... don't... stop it... just let her answer it.
"Is this something that you just do? Force yourself on people you just met?"
"Answer me! Why can't I read your mind?"
Megan gets up and asks Rachel for another slice of pizza. Rachel is on autopilot, trying to make sense of it. Alex could read her mind, she would absorb his power and block him, but if she didn't, he could. He could read his parents when they were alive, her parents, Amy, and all the enemies and even allies that Matthew asked him since he was seven. He never had any problem reading the mind of someone. Until now.
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"I don't have the answers that you are looking for. No mental controller has been able to read, manipulate or erase my mind, and I've met quite a few. All exceptional, I'm sure. Sorry to say, child, but I don't think you'll be the first." Megan takes her time to pronounce every word, making sure he understands it.
Alex decides to try even harder. Nothing. Megan's face remains serene, while his expression gradually changes. His face turns red and the veins on his forehead become noticeable.
"I don't want her here, Rachel. Get rid of her."
"Alex, she's my guest. We will start a movement and this will be our operations center. This will be her house too."
"What a movement this will be! Let's see who we have. Me, the highly talented mental controller, teleporter and obviously, natural leader. You... that, let's be honest now, Rachel. Power absorption and element controller are perfectly fine... but your only relevant feature is having killed your parents, and no one knows about it... and then," he gets up and faces them, "that thing there. I have no idea what she's capable of, who she is, and you expect me to trust her?"
"Alex, that's enough."
"No, seriously. The Five and the Ariston community failed..."
Megan looks away.
"So many powerful deviants. Much more powerful than us. Or at least more in number... they all failed. Why would we not? What makes you think, Rachel, that we will achieve anything? Why can't we just use our skills to get richer and leave all this mess. Move to a nicer weather."
"Alex, is that all that you care about? Money and comfort? What about our rights?" Rachel shakes her head and comes near him. "Don't we deserve more than that?"
"Rachel, this isn't a matter of deserving or not. It's a matter of realism. The Five failed. The Five when they were with the Ariston community failed! We will fail! And the irony of it all, is that we probably won't see it. We'll just be going, thinking we are achieving something... So, I don't mind helping you two out, without me you probably won't even know how to start, but I'll stay focused on my goals. Yes, money and comfort. Get out of your high horse and let me dream with the achievable." He teleports away.
Rachel and Megan sit on the couch, keeping a certain distance from one another.
"You can absorb abilities," Megan focuses on the black tv screen.
"Powers. Yes, I can. I first identify it, before choosing which to absorb. It's hard to explain, but that was why I knew who you were. I keep going outside and training my focus to identify and absorb more easily."
"So, you know all my abil... powers."
"Yes. All."
"I can't use it anymore. The death one. Not since that day. Not sure for how much longer, maybe forever. There are a few things that you need to promise me here and now, Rachel, or I'll walk." Megan faces her.
Rachel nods.
"First, you'll never use the power of death to kill anyone. Second, if it ever returns to me and you think that I might kill someone, you'll end my life before I end anyone else's. Third, no one can know about the other power. Everyone knows about life."
Her right hand turns blue and she forms a small plant in a dry pot nearby.
"It was all over the news, the irony of choosing life as a fatal flaw. The other... you can never absorb it," she curls her fists. "And I mean never!" Megan takes a few short breaths and checks her heartbeat. "I don't care if we are in a situation in which it seems that it's our only getaway. Never."
"You heard Alex. Absorption is my fatal flaw, but I was born an element controller." Rachel creates an ice pick in one hand and a fireball in the other and makes them disappear again. "We'll never be in a situation, Megan, in which I'll need to use your third. Life and death are your only powers. That's our secret and I'll take it to my grave. They'll hate us more than they already do, if they find out that there's even a possibility of having more than two."
Megan looks away.
"Alex can't read your mind, but I can absorb your power. This is a disadvantage. Absorbers and amplifiers are rare, but they do exist and can identify powers. It's probably better if you stand back on our movement. Be just a shadow that it's always there. Representing the fear that everyone felt on that day. Making sure everyone knows that we can use your power if we want to. We'll just choose not to. I'll stand tall in the center of it. The illusion of power is power. I'll tell everyone how I'm the world's most powerful deviant... when you are it, Megan."
"Maybe, but I never wanted to be."
Everyone wants it, but you, the one that actually is. The humans claim Emily Roberts is the one, my father said that it was me instead. You are the one and don't want any of it.
"Why do I have three powers? Why did the fatal flaw give me two? This is a genetic mess... a mistake... All my existence has been an error that should never have happened. I wish I died when I was born. Or before I turned seven. Or before I... I did... what I did." Megan takes a few long breaths. "No one should have the power of death. No one."
"Megan, this isn't wrong. There's nothing wrong about it, about you. This is... evolution..." she pauses and faces her, "I have to ask...why did you kill the Ariston community?"
"They tricked me into. Told me they killed my father. That was a lie... one that worked."
"Who told you that?"
"Strange, suited people and the military. If I had to guess, the government. I don't remember most of it."
***
December 2017
Marianne is in her office at the university. Thomas, Mary, and Emily are at home, each in their own room. Abigail is by herself in her bedroom. Rebecca and Mark are abroad. Saif works at the Institute. Aminu, Padma, and Ánh are on their rooms at the dormitory. Alex is visiting his old house. Diego works in a construction site.
Their phones blow up and they all see the video that was just posted on social media.
"Hello!" Rachel Moore and Megan Grant stand in front of a moldy white wall. "Well, well,well. Peaceful times that we live in, aren't they? Would be a shame... if someone started making waves. Oh, I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Rachel Moore. And yes, if you are wondering, ding, ding, ding. That Moore. It's a lie. I'm not the Angel of Death. She is, meet Megan Grant."
Megan doesn't speak and with her blue right hand a root forms in a glass of water. Rachel raises her right hand and shoots against the glass, turning it into dust. Raising her right hand again, she forms life on an extra glass. She then makes fire out of her hands, puts it out with water, mixes it with wind. It's a full demonstration of powers.
"Life, death, and everything in between. You see my father was right on one thing. I am the most powerful deviant. Megan is a close second," she smiles, "we actually just met! She's not connected to the Five, and she didn't carry the massacre for us. Everything the government has told you is a lie. We'll show you their lies, treason, and corruption. Our movement for the liberation of the rights of the deviants begins today. Until every deviant has the same rights as humans, we won't stop. Expect to hear more from us, this is just the beginning."