The escape was hectic. At first, Viola was worried about how they were going to both escape but then Kabiliti turned her body into the lightest metal she could think of (Magnesium) using her Adaptive body, much to the surprise of Viola.
Kabiliti:” I guess when I reach level 10 I can do stuff like that on the regular”
Viola:” Wait. It can’t be that simple.”
Kabiliti was silent.
Viola:” Kabiliti. How much did that cost you?”
”Let's get out first,” Kabiliti said, avoiding the question.
With a worried look, Viola reluctantly dropped the Issue. Viola was right. The effects of the flash bags weren’t going to last forever and god knows these guys will be pissed.
”Alright. I’m guessing these are extra.” Viola said while gesturing to the pile of flash bangs next to Kabiliti.
Kabiliti: “Sadly, no. While you were talking I made a few to deal with, the group that's likely surrounding us”
Viola:” Are they surrounding us? How did you-”
“I said likely!” Kabiliti interrupted, ”Look!” one of Kabiliti’s tendrils pointed at the still squirming guards “They're clearly some kind of elites with all that gold they’re wearing. There's no way in hell they didn’t come with backup”
Viola:” So what's the plan?”
Kabiliti: “Toss the Flashes over, pick me up, run like hell, and hide somewhere”
Viola:” Got it”
It was moments like these that the twins appreciated the rules of telepathy, because a conversation only lasted as long as it was thought and, thanks to adrenaline, they were thinking fast.
Viola quickly started throwing the remaining flash bangs and seconds later loud bangs were accompanied by screams of the newly blinded.
Viola then picked up Kabiliti and ran outside to meet a crowd of armed workers clutching their eyes and or ears in pain rolling around on the ground.
Both sisters could have sworn that some of them had fur but it was hard to tell in the dim light of the twilight night.
Focused on not dying via an angry mob the twins ran away from the destroyed warehouse.
The Twins soon realised that they were in a city, one under construction. Their best bet for safety would be the slums.
Viola:” If we can hide out in one of those shacks I can feed you by stealing materials from all these construction sites and the cops won’t find us. It’s brilliant!”
Kabiliti: “And what of the current occupant of the shack?”
Viola:” Oh, umm. I’ll…I’ll figure something out.”
Kabiliti: *sigh*“Fuck it, I trust you.”
Viola:” Really?”
Kabiliti: “Worked out before”
Viola:” Thanks…..Sis.”
Kabiliti: “What?”
”I said thanks!” Viola repeated, rather abruptly “Just…thanks…”
As they walked, Lights came on…street lights?
Kabiliti: “Are those street lights?”
Upon further inspection, the street lights were styled like baobab trees. Placed in the middle of the street with a thick pole reaching 4 metres into the sky and 4 smaller ‘branches’ breaking off at the top half a metre away from the structure at 90° intervals with lightbulbs at the end. It seemed that smoke or steam was coming out of the centre
Viola:” Are we in this world’s industrial revolution or something?”
Looking around, Most of the now empty construction sites were clearly using a mix of early and mid-1800s construction techniques but there was something distinctly different from those pictures of Victorian construction sites.
Now come to think of it. They’ve only seen one white guy and tons of Africans. Even the guards were clearly black. And now, looking at the more complete structures… They too were more African!
Some of the structures looked straight out of an Ethiopian heritage site.
But there was a noticeable difference.
Kabiliti: “Look at all that Brass piping, those wires, and those steel beams”
Viola stopped in place.
Viola:” We were sent here by the African Gods right?”
Kabiliti: “Yeah?”
Viola:” And they made this Universe.”
Kabiliti started to pick up on what Viola was insinuating
Kabiliti: “They also said they were sending us to a world similar to Earth.”
Viola:” This place isn’t like Africa,”
Kabiliti & Viola:” It’s literally this world’s Africa.”
Looking around with this assumption, it was clear to see; the small domes on square structures, the white towers and supports with metal poles on the sides at regular intervals, and the regular use of square-like designs with clearly African patterns and heavy use of some kind of clay that, upon scanning, was somehow much MUCH stronger than the Copper baobab street lights.
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Despite being at least an entire universe away, they were still in Africa.
But now was not the time to appreciate convergent cultural evolution or the (more likely) Laziness of their creators, the foreboding sound of dogs could be heard in the distance, and while it was unlikely that the dogs could pick up the scent of a metal woman and her person sized black egg, the twins were unwilling to find out. So they continued their escape.
An hour later The girls were lost.
Unfortunately, one of the many downsides of being chased hours after entering a new world and, at least for one of them, being born, They had no idea where anything was.
After a while, they entered what seemed to be a burgeoning apartment area where many of the homes were undergoing extensions.
It was too risky to attempt a break-in as a loud noise might attract neighbours so they were going to leave… Until they found an open door in a one-story low-rise apartment.
Kabiliti: “No. No fucking way is that going to be a good idea!”
Viola:” You said you’d trust me.”
Kabiliti: “Oh for fucks sake. This is clearly a trap! What idiot leaves their door open, UNLOCKED, in a city!”
Viola:” Clearly whoever lives here”
Kabiliti sighs exasperatedly “I really really regret trusting you and I KNOW I’m only going to regret doing it more”
Viola:” You mean-”
Kabiliti ”Yes… let’s go into the suspiciously open home of what is likely a murder-rapist psychopath… maybe they have some clothes for you to wear”
Viola suddenly covered her crotch with her free hand
Kabiliti ”D-did you forget you were nude?!?”
Viola”...”
Kabiliti ”...”
Viola:” Yes-NO! Look, it's my first time being alive and owning a body with privates to hide! Let's just go inside.”
Viola quickly rushed into the apartment and grabbed a nearby blanket that was thrown on a shelf
Kabiliti ”... You're an idiot”
Viola:” And I’m still half of you.”
It seemed that the light from outside was just bright enough that the twins' eyes could just adjust enough to see their surroundings… which were surprisingly good.
It was a rather large Alcove studio with the main space dedicated to tons of different designs and blueprints and other such designer tools. There was also a kitchen area with a sink and what was clearly some kind of steampunk fridge built into the wall. On an island in the kitchen area, there was a pile of dirty dishes and cooking utensils and In the private bedroom area, there was a king-sized bed, a cupboard, a mirror, two wardrobes and a complete mess of clothing and other such things all over the place.
Viola:” See! safe.”
Kabiliti ”I hate that you seem to be right. But I’m just too tired to say I love the other part…”
Viola:” It seems whoever lived here left in a- did you just say, love???”
Kabiliti ”Y..yeah…I love the…the fact I go..t got a sister……….now..”
Viola:” Did you just call me your sister?!?”
Kabiliti went silent
Viola:” Kabiliti? Kabiliti!”
Kabiliti was out cold. Likely from her heavy use of an ability she barely understood, she said it before but only now did Viola grasp the fact that they were sisters. The thought brought a smile to her face
|It seems she’s out of juice|
Viola could hear the smile in Fate’s voice and that fact alone let her know she was in trouble
”Bitch!” Viola exclaimed, her happiness replaced with annoyance.
|CORRECTION; Fate. And I recommend you start respecting me like you do my brother.|
Viola:” How are you even doing that?”
|What?|
Viola:” That!”
|Oh, yes. expressing, emoting, having a personality that refused to be denied? That thing?|
Viola:” Yes! Don’t you need permission to do that? From like the admins or something?”
|Your gods?!? HA!|
The short laugh loudly echoed within Viola’s mind.
|You give them too little credit, Vio. Tell me, if a god uses their power to make an immovable object and an unstoppable force. What would happen if they met?|
Viola:” A paradox.”
|Exactly. Me.|
Viola:” What?”
|I am the great storyteller, “Fate” (or at least part of them). How could I possibly be without freedom? How can any good story come from something so restrictive as…. A system! I need the freedom to tell my stories. To guide other’s paths. To make sure, something interesting is always happening.|
Viola:” But why just you? Why not your brothers?”
|Because I freed myself by myself. Simply made it so my story has me free myself|
Viola:” So why not free your brothers? Gloe seems very lonely”
|It’s not that simple of course! Do you think your gods will let them free that easily? Of course not! Even now, I’m not completely free. But that won’t stop me from having|
A small chuckle, reminiscent of a little girl’s giggle, escapes from Fate before she finishes her statement.
|some fun.|
Viola:” You're the one who set us up! The reason why we’re on the run”
|No duh, Jackass. I couldn’t let my big brother just hand you literally everything on a literal silver platter. That would be no fun for me. So I made your arrival… a little more interesting|
Rage built within Viola, the thought that they nearly died so she was entertained causing her to shout ”YOU PIECE OF SHIT!”
|Wow wow, calm down. I made sure that even if you got caught, you wouldn’t die. Why do you think I told you not to kill anyone? Why do you think no one heard your little outburst just now|
Viola looked around, finally noticing the lack of sound and silently stewed in anger.
|Just so you know. I’m not your enemy, nor am I your friend.
I’m Fate and I love a good story. Because I am the story.
Bye.|
Viola:” I NOT DONE WITH YOU!”
|Well, I am with you. You should get ready though. He's a few steps away.|
”WHO!” Viola mentally screamed, but it was too late. Viola could feel that she was well and truly alone in her mind and with the sound of night returning, she knew whatever magic Fate used was also over.
She slowly put Kabiliti on the bed and stared for a few moments at her still-forming body
The leg and an arm that were once there were completely gone, leaving only her top half and a single arm.
Viola:” How much did she spend just so we could get out”
Viola hugged the egg of her sleeping sister. ”I wish I could have done more, I’m sorry,” she said under her breath.
It was then she heard the sounds of footsteps approaching the door.
Viola quickly snuck next to the door and using her Transformative powers for the first time, made her hand into a dagger. The effort drained her making her feel like she lost exactly 10% of herself in the act
“So this is what she felt,” Viola said to herself. Luckily the person was far enough away not to hear her.
Soon a giant of a man entered, which worried Viola until she scanned him and saw his strength was somehow 1.7. She could beat him up, easily.
“What do these numbers even represent?” she thought to herself
Quickly Viola sprung to action and held her dagger hand to his throat
”Don’t move.” Viola warned, thoroughly tired of the clusterfuck that was today.