February 2017

We have AA. Are you in?

Diego reads the text message during his lunch break. He keeps reading it, as if the words would magically change.

He looks to the rearview mirror on his van. His forehead wrinkles keep getting bigger, how is that possible? He focuses on it and with his ability they disappear. He checks out his biceps and doesn't understand how they look so small, when he works out every day.

With one punch the van's steering wheel squeaks. He fixes his muscles, making them bigger and smiles at the result.

None of it, the wrinkles or the biceps are real. Ever since that day, Diego never stopped using his ability. He would change his appearance most days, and even when he wasn't disguised, he wasn't pleased with what he saw in the mirror. The wrinkles, that no one else saw, because they weren't there. He would fix. The muscles that were big enough already, he saw them too small. He would fix.

That Diego could control. That he could fix.

Later that day, after work, Diego picks up an older man. They drive in silence for over an hour. The man tells him in Spanish to park the car.

"What are we doing to her?" Diego asks.

They are a few blocks away from their target: Amy Anderson. One of the Five.

"To her? Just ask her where Matthew is."

"Why the guns, then?" He points to the bag the man carries.

"Do you know who she is, Diego?" He scoffs. "What she's capable of?"

Diego doesn't.

"I'll tell you this about her. She committed the fatal flaw when she was eight. Eight! What a monster. What kind of child does that? The good thing," he laughs and pats Diego on the shoulder, "is that it's why her second power is so weak. She can only stop time for a few seconds. We'll strategically stand on several parts of her house. If she tries to escape using it, we'll catch her. Now," he looks at his watch, "repeat the plan back to me, so I'll know you understood it."

"I'll post a live video on the forum telling Matthew Moore to show up. If she doesn't tell you right away where they are hiding, I'll keep filming and when you come out with her, I'll show her on the camera."

Diego follows him. When they approach the house, more than forty others are there, all armed. Like he was told, Diego starts filming the house, following the script that the group had written for him.

They quietly enter Amy's house and start positioning. The man that was with Diego before and ten others slowly go up the stairs. They go room by room on that last floor, and finally, on the corner of a bedroom, next to the closet's door, stands a woman. She raises her hands when their eyes meet, her brown eyes are in tears and her silver hair looks almost white with the moonlight shining on it through the skylight.

The room that she's cornered in is of a teenage boy. They can tell from the decoration.

"Amy Anderson, remember me?" the man asks, and silence fills the room. "I've asked you a question."

"Silence is a clear enough answer."

"We are the Ariston community and we're looking for Matthew Moore, and the one they call the Angel of Death."

"Well, isn't everyone?" she scoffs, "hey, if you do see Matthew, ask him to pay me back. I'll take 100 dollars for starters, just to show some good faith, you know?"

"Amy Anderson," he clicks his tongue, "I can see it in your eyes that you know you've lost. You can try to use your power, but you are too weak. You won't get far. That's what happens when you do what you did at such a young age."

"It's always 'she's too weak because she committed the fatal flaw when she was so young' and never 'why would a child do it?'" her voice grows louder.

"We don't care about why. We only care that it's too weak to be useful. We are not afraid of you."

"Man," she whistles and with her hand pretends to wipe the sweat of her forehead, "that makes one of us, because I am, you know, afraid of myself. The things I've done..." she snaps her fingers and points at him, "you've seen some of it. And let's be honest here, without my amplification, we would have lost the war on its first year."

"Enough of your nonsense!" He slaps the door. "You always saw yourself as a goddess. But look at you now! Tell us where they are, or we'll make you!" He points the gun at her.

"You'll kill me? Is that it, Gabriel?" She smiles.

"I knew it..." He keeps his gun pointed.

"Man, we fought side by side, and here we are." She looks up to the skylight. "Isn't war always so ironic?" She looks back at him. "Friends turn into enemies; enemies turn into the best of comrades. Out of respect, I'll say this once and nicely: my niece isn't the Angel of Death."

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"She is!"

"Why? Because Matthew said it? Because the president said it? What a coincidence, right?" Her voice raises several pitches, she takes a short breath and goes back to her normal tone. "Your leader negotiates a peace treaty, and your entire community..." she makes the sound of an explosion and mimics it with her hands. "And the biggest coincidence of all, was that nearby your community, which the president, allegedly, didn't know where it was, several soldiers were doing a 'military exercise'", she laughs and holds her belly. "I'm sorry, man, I just can't say it with a straight face. I'll try again. A mili-", she laughs again.

"Shut it!" He hits the door several times, each one louder than the one before. "Matthew Moore was angry that we betrayed you. He sent his daughter. The videos that you mention, of the troops nearby hit by the white light are fake!"

"Are fake?" She keeps laughing and tears roll down her face. She takes several deep breaths. "Do you hear yourself? You, idiots! His daughter is an element controller! The person who did that... person... child, is not my niece! The child who did that, did it out of vengeance. That was personal!"

"Shut it!" His hands tremble and the gun keeps moving away from her momentarily. "You would say anything to get out of this situation!"

"Yes, anything." She pushes her silver hair back. "Including the truth. She's not the Angel of Death, Gabriel. The president lied. Matthew lied. Realize how mistaken you are and leave my house..." her shoulders give in for a bit.

"Why would Matthew lie about that?" He goes back to steadily holding the gun.

"Why would he lie...? Why... would... he..." She straightens her back and laughs on his face again. "I'm sorry, is this the first time you heard of him, is that it? Do you need a crash course on Matthew Moore?!" She paces around and he tells her to stop. She looks at him. "Why does Matthew do anything? Because he sees an opportunity in it. He's a bit short sighted, if you ask me, but he was pressed against a wall and saw the opportunity to scare the world, even if it costed your support. Which, well, he didn't have it already, so."

"Those are lies!"

"I've been meaning to ask, but the chance hasn't come up until now, so forgive my poor timing..." she smiles and bites her lower lip. "How badly does it hurt? That even after he admitted to killing your people, there are still countless others who look up to him like he's some sort of savior. It must hurt like hell..."

"Enough! You are coming. Is the boy hidden on that closet?"

"No, he's not around. You know how teenagers are, he's turning against me. Sneaking out at night. You have... two? Three? They were lovely," she smiles, "are they around? I'd love to see them again. Oh... please tell me they didn't," she fakes a tear, "die on that day."

"No, they were away from that mess. We'll rebuilt our community, and we want our hearts to be at peace when we do. We need our revenge."

"Man, I see your mind's made, Gabriel. Again, you are mistaken, but I do know that nothing that I'll say will change my fate. Since I'll mostly scream after I leave with you, right? You'll torture me," she contracts her throat and makes noises, pretending to be in pain, "let me tell you about my fatal flaw," she smiles.

"You're stalling, Amy. Waiting for Matthew to come."

"Please, man. If my life depends on Matthew Moore, I'd rather die," she pushes her hair back, "but if he does come, isn't that what you want? Two more minutes. Just let me tell you this, no one knows about it other than my sister, and it seems fitting."

She sits on the chair nearby her and he keeps holding the gun. The other men wonder why Gabriel is allowing the monster to do what she pleases. Is it some debt? Has she saved his life during the war? Were they together at some point? Too many possibilities for them to go through.

"Deviants with powers born on the same day, they share this special connection. I think mine and Amanda's was stronger because we're twins. One night, when I was eight, I felt an excruciating pain that was hers. I ran to her room, and a dear family friend, looking out for us while our parents were away for a week, was on top of her..."

She stops and takes a few short breaths.

"He was a mind controller, so he was preventing her from using her strength to... well, we're all adults here... to rape her. I've never felt so much hate, that was mine... that feeling. The urge to kill him overcame me. Man," she looks away for a bit, "I knew that if I killed him, if I hurt him like I wanted to..."

She looks up to the skylight and smiles.

"I knew that I'd commit the fatal flaw and everything that comes with it... the earlier death, the pain for the rest of your life... the regret... But it was Amanda..." her voice breaks and tears fill her eyes once more. "What choice did I have, Gabriel?!" She shouts. "My own sister..." she wipes the tears and take a long breath. "I amplified his power the most I could, and that must have felt great to him, until it didn't," she smiles and curls her fists. "Until his side effects appeared, and several veins popped on his brain," she makes a pop sound repeatedly.

The rest of the men, all but Gabriel, look to each other in disbelief.

"Man, that wasn't the prettiest of sights, I can tell you that. All this to say one thing, Gabriel..." she sniffles, "that's me. That's who I am. I will always, always, put my people first. I'll burn everything to the ground, including myself, if that means keeping my people safe. You can't have my niece. She's innocent and I won't let you hurt her," she laughs again.

"You won't be able to protect her," Gabriel starts moving forward.

He's almost an arm's reach from Amy when time completely stops for everyone but her.

She only has eight seconds. It takes three to go to the closet and open its door widely, two to get near the bomb, one for a tear to fall, one for her to smile and the last one, for her to push the button.

The quietness of the night makes Diego shiver, any moment now they would leave the house with Amy Anderson. He was against hurting her, but his vote in the matter wasn't considered. Diego keeps the phone as steady as he can, waiting.

The explosion throws him to the floor, the phone falls, and breaks. The once quiet neighborhood fills with people curious, calling the police and shouting. He runs back to the car, with a few scratches on his arms and legs. His heartbeat is going through the roof, he feels the breath shorten and holds his chest in pain.

***

A few months went by, Diegos tays in touch with the children of those who died on those days: the day ofthe massacre and the day that they tried to get Amy Anderson.

He sees on the news that the president killed Matthew Moore and Amanda Anderson. The last terrorists, they said. Confident that Matthew lied and that his daughter, the Angel of Death, died on the massacre.

A few months later, Diego is working on a construction site when he sees a video going around online. The introduction of a movement for the liberation of deviants. Led by Matthew's daughter and Megan Grant, the Angel of Death.

Is that you, devil? That's your face? You can't hide yourself forever. I will find you and I will make you pay. You've taken everything from me.