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Past, Present, and...
Two days had passed since we all got together, and everyone was talking about what happened in the old city of Urices. The TV news made us out to be bad news, but people online saw us differently. They were even asking us to come to their towns to help.
I couldn't help but think about how people's attitudes toward us were changing, especially since the protest against Senator LaBorda. That day, Mateos got arrested, but not before he used his powers to save many protesters. He helped those who got hurt or couldn't move because of the tear gas and the police's brute force. Now, when I overhear people talking in the streets and stores, they're saying good stuff about us. It looks like we're starting to win some support. But with all these people looking up to us, I feel the pressure building. We need to be careful about what we do next.
Today was also the day the big storm was supposed to hit, and we still hadn't heard anything from Lucía. Ivory was trying to call her non-stop, but Lucía wasn't picking up. She kept telling me to call her, but I was pretty nervous about it – Lucía can be really intense. So, in the end, Ivory just teleported us right where Lucía lives. It's in an old building not too far from the Capital.
As I hesitated at the building's gate, Ivory was having none of it. "Well, you go on ahead. You let me know how it goes." I tried to excuse myself, hoping to avoid the inevitable confrontation with Lucía.
But Ivory was quick to pull rank. "Oh no, you don't. You're coming with me whether you like it or not. You're the leader, and we need her. You know she hates me, right?" she said, her grip firm on my hand as she began to tug me inside. Her grip was surprisingly strong, hinting at the hidden power she possessed.
I trailed behind, reluctantly. "I think she hates me too," I admitted, recalling our last awkward conversation. "I didn't give her a clear answer the last time we talked, and we haven't spoken since Arlo's death. Which I think she blames us for, too."
"She blames everyone for everything but never herself." Ivory retorted with a hint of bitterness.
I had no response to that. The conversation fell into an uneasy silence as we ascended the old staircase, winding around the non-operational elevator. The building, with its peeling paint and creaking steps, felt like a relic of a different era.
As we ascended the creaky staircase, I caught a glimpse of the central courtyard below. My gaze drifted upwards to the glass roof, a later addition to the building that allowed light to filter through. I imagined this place in its heyday, vibrant and full of life, with rainwater cascading into a fountain below, nourishing plants and serving the community's needs. It must have been a sight – a bustling hub where people gathered, surrounded by the soothing embrace of nature.
Now, it was a shadow of its former self, the fountain, and plants replaced by concrete and stones, devoid of the life and communal spirit it once harbored. Things have changed, not just in this building but across the entire island. As we continued our ascent, I couldn't shake the feeling of loss – for the building, for Arlo, for the island as a whole. But there was also a sense of purpose, a determination to bring back some of what we'd lost, starting with mending fences with Lucía.
We finally reached the top floor of the building, both of us out of breath. "Finally!" Ivory gasped, clearly relieved to be at the end of our climb.
"Do you even know her apartment number?" I asked, a sense of dread creeping over me. I was afraid Ivory would say what I was thinking.
Ivory just laughed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You should know me by now and how I do things. I'll take the left side, and you take the right." And there it was - we were about to knock on every door, hoping to stumble upon Lucía's.
Ivory was already at her first door, knocking enthusiastically. I couldn't bring myself to start knocking on strangers' doors. Instead, I took a deep breath and shouted, "Lucía!" My voice echoed through the hallway, a desperate, loud call. I ignored Ivory, who I was sure was staring at me, probably thinking I had lost my mind. "Lucía!" I called again, this time with more urgency.
Then, at the far end of the hallway where I stood, a door creaked open. There she was, Lucía, recognizable by her bright orange hair before I even saw her confused expression.
"What are you guys doing? You look stupid yelling my name out there." Lucía said, her voice laced with annoyance.
As Lucía's words hung in the air, Ivory teleported right in front of her room, but Lucía didn't even blink. "Why didn't you just pick up your phone? We were worried, especially after your father announced your arrest on the news." Ivory said.
Lucía answered calmly, "So far, no one has come to my arrest. And I was busy dealing with Arlo's things. But I guess you wouldn't get it, Ivory. You always move on so fast, like with Lorenzo and Nicholas." She stared hard at Ivory.
Ivory was quiet for a second, then said gently, "After Lorenzo's funeral, you and Arlo just hung back, playing soccer with his favorite ball. Your dad didn't show, but your grandma and other relatives did. You brought a bouquet of white lilies for him. And for Arlo, you held a small funeral, just you and a priest, standing under an umbrella. You played his favorite song and even sang it."
Lucía looked shocked and her eyes started to tear up. Then she quickly went inside, leaving her door open. "I'm going to my dad's. You guys can come along if you want." She came back out with a backpack and shut the door.
"Your dad?!" Ivory asked, surprised. I was taken aback too. Why would she go see her dad, especially after he had made her a criminal on TV?
"If no one has come by to arrest me yet, it means he hasn't given the official order to do it, maybe he changed his mind." Lucía explained softly, looking down, "I have to make sure he's okay during the storm. He likes to stay in our old house when storms hit. He says he trusts the houses he built with his hands more than those houses made to sell. I think he still feels attached to it." She seemed to know what she was doing, going to see her dad, despite everything he had done. I wanted to say something, but then I remembered that he was the only family she had left. Maybe her dad will see that too.
As we stepped outside the building, the sky was a canvas of dark, ominous clouds, with only a drizzle of rain gently falling.
"Let's go, my car is over there," Lucía said, pointing to an old red SUV parked nearby. Ivory looked at the vehicle skeptically.
"Why don't you just tell me where it is, and we'll teleport there?" Ivory suggested, but her tone lacked conviction, almost as if she already knew Lucía would refuse.
"No way, I'm not a fan of teleporting. One wrong thought and you could end up inside a volcano or something. I'll drive there. You don't have to come if you don't want to." Lucía replied, getting into the driver's seat. Ivory, looking slightly irritated, climbed into the backseat, while I got in next to Lucía.
The car struggled to start, but after a few tense seconds, the engine roared to life. "Where are we headed?" I asked Lucía.
"We're going to Mariraco, right in the middle of Vanity. It's where my dad built our childhood home. And we're taking the old roads; I don't have the expressway pass." she explained.
Ivory groaned from the backseat. "Oh, great. This is going to take forever. I'm just going to take a nap. Wake me when we get there." she said, pulling her legs up onto the seat and closing her eyes to settle in for the long ride ahead.
A few minutes into the drive, I noticed Ivory was completely still. Had she fallen asleep already? I wished I had that ability; it usually takes me hours to drift off.
"She's out like a light," Lucía commented, catching my surprised look at Ivory's swift slumber. "Lorenzo used to be amazed by that too. She could sleep anywhere, anytime," she added, her eyes briefly flicking to Ivory in the rearview mirror before refocusing on the road.
Curiosity got the better of me. "If you're sure she's asleep, can you tell me what exactly happened between you two?" I asked. I knew I probably should have been asking about her joining our cause, but their past had always intrigued me.
Lucía smiled a hint of nostalgia in her voice. "I would've told you regardless. Ivory knows I don't hold back." She kept her eyes on the road, but her grin lingered. "It's about Lorenzo, of course. He was a big kid at heart, always trying to live up to our Mom's legacy as a revolutionary. She was part of the first revolution here, said she even met Albazor." I knew the name well – Albazor Solarez was a legendary figure in Vanity Island's history, the original spark of rebellion. His legacy was followed by Macerio, and now, it seemed, it was our turn with The Sunspears. The third spark.
Lucía's reminiscence was tinged with a mix of fondness and sorrow. "Lorenzo was always reckless, and after Mom's accident, he was more so. She drowned trying to save him during a storm. He said the last thing he remembered was Mom telling him not to worry, then everything went black. She never came back from the sea."
"Lorenzo was 17, and I was just 16 when we lost her. Dad left shortly after, leaving Arlo to our grandmother and us to fend for ourselves. I guess the grief was too much. He was a good father, just... different in his thinking from Mom. They were opposites in many ways but always supported each other's ideas, even when they disagreed. But then Mom joined the second revolution and that's something Dad never really accepted."
As she delved into the past, Lucía's smile faded, replaced by a more somber expression. "After Mom's death, Lorenzo and I got involved in protests across the island. We rallied against privatization, environmental issues, land rights... you name it. It was during one of these protests that Lorenzo reconnected with Ivory. He remembered her from a revolution gathering he'd attended with Mom – a young girl with green hair, passionately speaking alongside Macerio. That image stayed with him."
Lucía paused, collecting her thoughts before continuing. "Lorenzo was drawn to Ivory's intensity and her commitment to the cause. Soon, they were inseparable, always off together, planning and protesting. I was there too, but always felt like an outsider to their world. They shared secrets, strategies... and then they decided to take a drastic step. They planned to free Macerio, moving from one prison to another, searching for him. When they couldn't find him, they started digging deeper, infiltrating government buildings. I didn't know all the details, but they caught the attention of some USC officials. Dad warned us, but they were too far gone in their mission. One night, despite my pleas, they headed to an old prison on Coana Island, looking for Macerio. They didn't find him, and... Lorenzo was shot. Ivory managed to teleport away, but Lorenzo... he didn't make it." Her voice trailed off, the pain of the memory evident in her eyes.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Now I get why Lucía is the way she is with Ivory. "Was this ever on the news, and did he also possess some kind of power?" I asked her.
"This way a long time ago, of course, they were reports, but Ivory has always kept a low profile. He possessed the same powers as I do. But using our powers was always a double-edged sword. Lorenzo used his, but cautiously. Like me, he felt that internal heat, a strange mix of warmth and power waiting to be unleashed. But while you have that power dwelling inside, you feel a constant itch inside your body that can't be satisfied until it's unleashed. Mom used to say Grandpa felt the same way. His solution was to release it at night, a way to find sleep. We followed in his footsteps, doing the same thing every night, brightening the night for a few seconds, as we relieved the energy we had accumulated inside our body during the day."
I pondered on the unique challenges and experiences that came with these powers. It was a reminder that everyone's experience with their abilities was different, some more burdensome than others. I wanted to express empathy, but I was cautious not to overstep or seem like I was picking sides. After all, Ivory's side of the story was yet to be heard.
"I can only imagine how that must have been," I said, trying to convey my understanding. "And Lorenzo... from what you've told me, he seems like he was a really cool guy."
Lucía's smile brightened. "He really was. He had this zest for life, even with all the challenges life threw at him. You would have liked him."
Now it's time to ask her to help us. "I know with what you just said, I would be a dick just to ask, but I'm still going to because we need you. Are you going to help us?" I asked Lucía, my face serious.
Lucía's contemplative silence lingered in the air before she finally responded, her words measured and resolute. "To join The Sunspears? I've always preferred my own path, but the situation has changed. After what I did in Itayó, there's no turning back now. So yes, Ellion, after this storm passes, I'll help. I'll stand with you to help the people."
Yes! Now with Lucía's help, there is no way we'll lose. I can actually see it, us changing Vanity Island for the better. I gazed out the SUV's window, taking in the lush green mountains and the rich expanse of the rainforest visible from the old road. It was a poignant reminder of what we were fighting to protect – the natural beauty and the soul of our island.
Lucía's announcement that we were nearing our destination prompted me to gently shake Ivory awake. Despite my efforts, she remained deeply asleep. It amazes me how she is still asleep. Then Lucía braked hard, and Ivory fell into the gap between the seats, waking up with seat marks on her face.
"We there?" Ivory mumbled groggily, seemingly unfazed by her abrupt awakening.
"Yes, we're here. Get out or stay, your choice." Lucía said curtly, stepping out of the SUV.
The road to Senator LaBorda's house was narrow and winding, going up and down hills. Lucía parked next to a small bridge that led to a big green field with a one-story house and a large shed. The house was simple and plain, not what you'd expect from a senator.
It was still morning, but the sky was so dark with clouds that it felt like nighttime. There was a fancy car parked outside, which probably meant the senator was home. I started feeling nervous as we got ready to meet the man we were planning to confront.
As we approached the house, we found the front door unlocked, but the screen door was still shut. Lucía called out as she opened it, "Dad, are you here?" From the back of the house, we heard some noise, and then Senator LaBorda appeared. He was dressed casually and looked surprised. "Lucía? What brings you here?"
"I wanted to check on you, Dad. With the storm and all, I was worried about you being in this old house." Lucía explained.
"I'm perfectly fine, Lucía. Got everything I need for an emergency. But I'm happier now that you're here." the Senator responded, giving a smile that seemed a bit off to Lucía.
"Are you sure you're okay? You seem... different." Lucía said. Just then, a noise from the shed caught our attention. Before we could react, the shed door swung open and out walked another person – who looked exactly like Senator LaBorda. Two identical LaBordas? How was that possible?
Ivory turned to the Senator standing before us and questioned him directly, "Who are you?"
Lucía and I exchanged bewildered looks. "What do you mean? That's my dad, Cesar LaBorda." Lucía responded, clearly puzzled by Ivory's question.
The Senator, with a hint of amusement, replied, "Exactly. Who else could I be? It's nice you came to check on me, mi sol. Come, give me a hug." He stretched out his arms invitingly towards Lucía.
Ivory, however, stepped protectively in front of Lucía, blocking her path. "No, Lucía, that's not your father," she said with certainty. After a brief pause, she added, "I think this is... Davos."
The thought that the man in front of us could be Davos was unsettling. He could change his appearance, but to change his whole body completely was something I hadn't thought of. Yet, he looked precisely like Senator LaBorda. The realization dawned on me as I remembered the Senator who had been outside earlier. I glanced through the window again, but he was no longer there. A sense of panic began to set in.
"Ivory, the one outside!" I shouted, turning to her.
She replied with a sense of urgency, "You handle the one outside. I'll stay here and deal with this one and explain everything to Lucía. You do realize what's happening, right?" Ivory asked, her tone serious, assuming I understood the gravity of the situation.
I gave her a nod, even though I was still trying to piece everything together in my mind. I knew it wasn't the time for questions. The danger was imminent, and action was necessary. Unsure of exactly what I was up against, I steeled myself to confront whoever - or whatever - was outside.
I went out again the screen door but there was no sign of anyone outside. The field lay empty, and a sense of unease crept over me. Then, I spotted movement behind the luxurious car parked near the house. To my surprise, a figure emerged, looking strikingly similar to Mateos.
"Hey, Ellion! Glad to see you're here too!" His voice was unmistakably Mateos'.
Rushing towards him, I asked unbelievingly, "Mateos?! How did you get here? Why are you here?" Relief washed over me at the sight of him, free and not in a cell as I had feared.
He greeted me with a warm smile and an offer for a hug, which I quickly accepted. "I escaped a few days ago and came here," he explained.
"Why here?" I asked, curiously.
"I figured we needed to deal with LaBorda. I wanted to get to him before you guys," he said with a newfound seriousness.
I hesitated for a moment. "Ivory mentioned that the person inside might not be the Senator. We also saw someone who looked just like him coming out of the shed. Did you encounter anyone else here?"
Mateos shook his head, indicating he hadn't seen anyone else.
"You want to go investigate the shed? I can come with you, you'll need a helping hand, just in case." Mateos suggested.
Agreeing, we cautiously approached the shed, prepared for whatever we might find inside.
"Hey, Mateos, I'm glad you're okay. I didn't feel right leaving you behind, but we didn't seem to have a choice. I wanted to say, I'm sorry." I expressed, the weight of regret for that day apparent in my voice.
"It's no problem, Ellion. You did what you had to do, but I'm fine, even better now that you are here." Mateos responded, reassuringly, as he opened the shed door.
His words, 'even better now that you are here,' echoed what LaBorda had said to Lucía inside. The phrase hung in my mind, unsettling me. Something is going on here that I'm not being able to piece together. I glanced through the windows of the house to see what was happening inside, but there was no one. Where could they have gone?
I stepped into the shed, finding it empty. The space was large, with clear tire marks on the floor indicating a car had once been stored there. Tools were hung neatly along the walls. As I surveyed the area, something about Mateos caught my attention. His shirt had holes in the back, surrounded by what appeared to be dried blood. "Did you use your powers to escape, Mateos?" I inquired, a hint of concern in my voice.
"Yeah, I had to. They were no match for me, and I got out quickly." Mateos replied, still scanning the shed.
"And how many duplicates did you have to create to escape?" I asked, a sinking feeling in my stomach.
Mateos turned to me, smiling. "More than a dozen. It was a full-scale battle at the prison. You should've seen it." he boasted.
His words and the ease with which he spoke of the violence didn't sit right with me. It was unlike Mateos to act this way. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. If this isn't Mateos...
"Davos," I uttered aloud, the name hanging in the air. Mateos, or whoever he was, stopped in his tracks. Slowly, he turned to face me, his eyes locking onto mine with an intense gaze.
"You're a bit slow on the uptake. Ivory probably figured it out instantly." he taunted.
With fear instantly consuming me, I looked back through the shed's door to see if I could see Ivory or Lucía inside the house to warn them, but still couldn't see either of them.
"Worried about your friends? They're still alive, barely. They're trapped by my clone, thanks to our magnetism power. But you know about my powers already, don't you? What you don't know is what I've been up to these past days." His smile twisted into something more menacing.
I pieced together the horrifying truth. He had killed Mateos and Senator LaBorda, using Mateos' cells to enhance his powers once again. He could now shape-shift his entire body, use magnetism, and create clones of himself. But the loss of Mateos hit me hard. I had let him down as a leader; Fabian was right. We should have rescued Mateos earlier. My negligence had cost us dearly.
"You murdered Mateos and the Senator. That's all I need to know. I'm stopping you here and now." I declared, my hands transforming into ice.
His laughter grew louder, echoing maniacally around us. He didn't seem the least bit intimidated by me, but I wasn't afraid either. I lunged at him, ice forming into a sharp blade in my hand, ready to strike.
"This battle has already been won." he sneered, and I felt a strange tingling sensation across my torso. It was the hug from earlier – he'd set a trap. I anchored my feet, resisting the magnetic pull, but his smirk remained unshaken. Abruptly, the SUV crashed through the shed wall, hurtling towards me. I quickly erected an ice barrier and encased myself in a protective layer of ice, but the SUV shattered it upon impact, pinning me against it. My shoulders felt an intense magnetic force pulling me towards the vehicle, immobilizing me, while my hands and feet remained free.
"I prepared for the worst, expecting government officials, but not you." he taunted. "As Senator LaBorda, I've had free rein. Some inside the government have already started to get suspicious, so I readied myself for confrontation. Life is full of surprises, isn't it?" He picked up a saw from the floor, accelerating towards me with every step. "Capturing you three, the leaders of the Revolution will make everything so much easier."
His quickening footsteps sent a wave of panic through me. Then, suddenly, a burst of sunlight and a massive explosion erupted, blowing the house apart. The blast sent Mateos reeling backward, and I felt the magnetic force dissipate. I whirled around to face him. The explosion emitted a golden flash, it had to be Lucía's doing. That meant they were fighting back.
I swiftly fashioned an ice spear and hurled it towards him, piercing his thigh. He grunted in response, but it didn't seem to affect him as much as I had hoped. "My turn." he declared, raising his arms and then slamming them down with force. In response, the entire shed began to disintegrate around us. I braced myself for the impact of the debris, but instead, I found an eerie silence enveloping me. Opening my eyes, I realized I was no longer in the shed. I stood in the middle of the field, with Ivory and Lucía beside me. I must have been so focused on the collapsing shed that I hadn't noticed Ivory teleporting to the shed and teleporting me to safety.
"Thanks," I muttered to Ivory, but she and Lucía appeared deeply focused, their gazes fixed on the ruins of the shed. Emerging from the wreckage, Davos, still disguised as Mateos, stepped out. The debris from the shed was floating around him, maintaining a consistent distance from his body, as if caught in an invisible force field.
As Davos advanced into the field, the debris abruptly clattered to the ground. "Ivory, Lucía, it's a pleasure to finally meet you! Well, technically, we've met before, but that was my other self. I like to think we're each unique individuals." Davos said, addressing us with a nonchalant tone.
"Who the fuck are you, and what have you done with my father?!" Lucía demanded, her voice seething with rage. The realization that Davos had taken her last remaining family member fueled a burning fury within her.
"I killed him, naturally. Just like our friend, Mateos, and soon, you'll join them." Davos replied with unnerving calmness as if he had visualized this scenario many times in his mind.
Suddenly, his body began to transform. His skin darkened to a deep, shining brown, his veins bulged prominently in his body, and his eyes shifted to a hazel hue, framed by elongating eyelashes. He grew taller and more muscular, morphing into a completely different person before our eyes. "I am Davos." he declared, his voice now noticeably deeper. "I am the liberator of this world. I will free you from the curse of your minds and reshape you anew." His chilling proclamation sent a shiver down my spine.
" His chilling proclamation sent a shiver down my spine [https://img.wattpad.com/711c8e72b503929c590b51ba784fb85e19a31c62/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3065326170503969414a764750413d3d2d313338383130373037302e313761623865363161343736643262383634373739353431313131352e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Name: Jessie Beharry
Age: 18
Clemons Cell Ability: Psychometry
Character Info: She's very observant, it seems she's always looking at you whenever you glance at her. She impresses everyone with her uncanny knowledge of the world. Despite her young years, she looks wiser than most of the older people.