Author's Note: Hey there welcome to my first The Gifted fanfic. Just as a quick warning there is some talk of wounds and blood and violence in this chapter so if you are sensitive to those topics please do be careful when reading, I don't want to accidentally trigger someone. Naturally I do not own any of the characters they belong to the Xmen comic writers and Fox's The Gifted. There are also spoilers particularly for the first 2 seasons of The gifted right up to ep 14. This chapter is told entirely from Clarice's POV just to avoid any confusion. Anyway I hope you all enjoy. :)

Chapter 1

Pain. It was throbbing through her whole body. Unbearable. Oh God. Please make it stop. Let it end. The purple energy of her portal was swirling all around her; spinning like some kind of vortex. Faster and faster. She felt sick and slammed her eyes shut again. John's face floated to the forefront of her mind. He was smiling that perfect smile, his eyes bright with love. Clarice tried to cling to that image. But then it shifted and suddenly his face was a picture of horror. His eyes turned wide and he had speckles of blood on his face. Wait was that her blood? She remembered the impact of the bullets and the pain rushed through her again. Her head felt so foggy. John was reaching out to her and she tried to reach back. But he was no longer there. There was nothing in front of her but the swirling walls of the portal she was trapped in.

She could feel her blood seeping from her wounds, soaking into her clothes. She could hear the sizzling sound it made as it dripped down and made contact with the energy from the portal. She was dying. No she couldn't die. She didn't want to die. She wanted to see John again. She brushed away the tears and with a new determination she focused on the portal. She tried desperately to get some sense of where she was, where she was going. She reached out and tried pushing and pulling the portal apart, trying to find some way out. But the vortex was spinning too fast and she couldn't get a grip on the energy, on the stuff. Her efforts were futile and all she had succeeded in doing was making her wounds bleed more. She could feel the blood running out of her faster now. Her clothes felt wet and sticky against her skin. She could feel panic and fear rising in her chest, mingling with the intense pain.

Maybe if I just hold my breath it'll stop hurting. She took a deep breath and then held it within her just in case it may be her last. Instantaneously everything seemed to stop. The portal seemed to have paused mid spin. The air was trapped in her lungs. The blood had stopped flowing from the bullet holes in her body. Her heart was still in her chest. The pain faded away. She felt weird like she was suspended in a place between heartbeats. Was this what it felt like to die?

John's voice came to her unbidden. Think about what you love now. His voice sounded so clear as if he were right there with her. But she knew she was alone. Please, she thought to herself, please let me get out of this, let me survive this and return to him.

A bright purple light flashed. Once. Twice. Three times. Then everything went ten speed. Wind whipped her hair about her face as the portal began to spin again. Faster than it had before. Faster. Faster. Round and round. Then she saw it, a little crack. With all her remaining strength she reached out with both hands. Ripped. Pulled. Tore at the wall of the portal until there was one more blinding flash of light and she fell. Hit hard ground. Murky darkness was all around her. Pain. It hit her again like a freight train. She struggled to breath. She could hear voices all about her. Shocked gasps and shouts. People were running about calling to each other. Where was she?

All of sudden she felt like she was being lifted into the air, cradled. Then she felt something cool beneath her. She couldn't make anything out. There was an impenetrable fog around her. Shadows on the corners of her vision and muffled voices. The only thing she could focus on was the breathtaking pain that was rippling through her body. She couldn't even tell where it was coming from anymore.

She felt a tugging and then she was on her side. Something was cutting into her back, prodding her and then she could feel the bullets being pulled on, she could feel them tearing their way back to the surface of her skin. Then pressure against her back. Someone was calling to her. Asking her questions but she couldn't figure out what they were saying. It seemed like they were fading further away. She felt something warm around her hand and she was suddenly reminded of warm glowing lights and a friendly smile. A tingling sensation started to prickle around one of the bullet wounds. The sensation intensified then it started to sting. Clarice had to grit her teeth in an attempt not to groan. It felt like hot needles were being stabbed into her back. Just when she thought she could take no more it abruptly stopped. After a short reprieve she felt the sensation again at another of her wounds. She had no idea how much time had passed she was only aware of the sensations within her body, of the lurking shadows and the soft calming voices that where whispering reassurances to her. Slowly she let her eyes close and finally she slipped into unconsciousness.

The voices are what she became aware of first. They were hushed but close by. She was also aware of movement nearby. She seemed to be laying on a hard surface, a table maybe? There was a thin blanket over her. Yet despite the chilly air and the thinness of the material covering her Clarice felt feverish. In fact she felt like she was on fire and her skin was clammy. She wasn't in as much pain as she was before but there was still a dull ache pulsing in her back. Slowly she blinked and opened her eyes. The space she was in was dimly lit, the only light came from a few flickering candles on a nearby table. She appeared to be underground. Was she back in the sewers? Did she dream it all? The pain in her back said otherwise. Turning her head gently she spotted two figures were standing close by with their backs turned to her. She couldn't make out their faces due to the low light. She tried to call out to them but all she managed was a quiet moan. Still it was enough to get their attention. Their hushed voices broke off and they moved towards her. As they stepped into the light Clarice was met with a familiar face.

"Glow." Clarice smiled at the young woman. "Your looking better." Her throat felt scratchy but still she was glad to see her friend. Glow crouched down next to her and took her hand. With the other she sent up some orbs to light the area.

"Hey how are you feeling?" Glow asked gently.

"I've been better." Clarice quipped with a small smile. Glow grinned back.

"This is Anna-Marie." Glow gestured to the woman just behind her. She had a nice smile and welcoming eyes. Her skin was pebbled and seemed to have a slight blueish/ grey tint to it. She had glowing amber eyes with white pupils and her hair was long and auburn. Her hair is the same colour as Dreamer's Clarice thought sadly. "She's a healer." Glow continued to explain. "She patched you up."

"Hello Clarice, it's nice to meet you." Anna-Marie smiled at her. "Clarice do you remember what happened to you?" She asked gently.

Clarice took a moment and tried to process her thoughts. She remembered Mason telling them about the intruders in the tunnels, and then calling Marcos. She remembered portalling people out and seeing John. She remembered watching those who stay behind to fight get massacred. And she remembered getting shot. She remembered the pain. She sighed and looked back up at the two woman watching her intensely. She didn't want to be the one to tell them the bad news but she guessed she was going to have to. "The Purifiers attacked us in the tunnels. We tried to fight them off but they overwhelmed us. I managed to get some people out but those who fought back were all butchered. Only Erg and I survived. I was shot as we went through the last portal. I must of subconsciously portalled myself here." As she finished her explanation she caught the two woman exchanging a strange look.

When Anna-Marie caught Clarice's eye she put on a forced smile. "Well it's lucky that you did. Your wounds would have killed you if you had landed anywhere else. One of the bullets nicked your heart. Luckily I was able to use my abilities to heal you enough that you'll live. You do need to rest though. I can't heal completely so your body still has some recovering to do."

Clarice nodded in understanding as Glow gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Ok Doc" She joked, "I'll make sure I get the rest I need, but I need to check in with John and the others first. Let them know where I am and that I'm safe." There was that look again. They were both looking at her strangely, it seemed like half in disbelieve and half sadness. Something wasn't right here.

It was Glow that eventually answered her. "Well don't worry about that just yet, it's late. How about you focus on getting some sleep and in the morning we'll figure it all out." Her voice was a little shaky and Clarice could only look at her in confusion.

"No, Glow you don't understand. John saw me get shot. I have to talk to him now!" Clarice was vaguely aware of a crowd gathering some distance away. She saw Anna-Marie make a shooing gesture. But before they all completely dispersed she caught a glimpse of a girl that looked just like Faith. But it couldn't be, Clarice just left Faith in DC with Erg and besides this girl was taller and looked a little older.

Her attention was drawn back to Glow as she moved her hand to pat her shoulder gently. "Look it's ok Clarice, just calm down. Like I said it's late. John is probably asleep there's no harm in just waiting a few hours and calling him then." Glow tried to placate.

"Oh come on Glow! Of course he's not asleep! He's probably worried sick, you don't know how John gets. Please I have to speak to him it's important!" Clarice could feel an irrational panic growing inside of her. Something was very wrong, she could feel it. When she looked back at Glow she was shocked to see tears in her eyes and a look of utter despair on her face. "What's going on Glow? What aren't you telling me?" She begged.

Glow looked back at Anna-Marie again and that same look crossed between them. Anna-Marie sadly shook her head and looked away from Clarice. For some reason she seemed unable to meet Clarice's questioning eyes. When Glow looked back to her the tears were streaming steadily down her cheeks. Clarice felt fear creep into her chest and tighten its grip around her heart. Had something happened while she was out? How many hours had passed since she fell into her portal? She had no way to tell.

As she watched her Glow took a few gulping breaths and was clearly attempting to compose herself. "Clarice, the Morlock Massacre that you're talking about. The one where the Purifiers hit the DC tunnels. Well that happened over two years ago." Glow rushed out quickly. Clarice felt like someone had chucked a bucket of ice water over her. She looked between the both of them waiting for one them to laugh and yell 'Ha jokes!'. But they didn't. They just stared at her with ghosts in their eyes. Clarice tried to process it all but none of it made sense.

"Wait what are you talking about? I just came from DC I mean I had just been shot you saw the bullet holes!" Clarice replied desperately, there had to be some mistake.

"Clarice I'm telling you the truth, it was two years ago." Glow insisted.

"But how can that be. Last time I checked time travel wasn't part of my skill set." Clarice answered sarcastically.

"Well it looks like you developed a new skill set." Anna-Marie interjected. "Because this is real you fell into a portal and then came out the other end two years later." She said it so matter of factly, like that kinda thing happened all the time. But everyone knew there was nothing ordinary about this.

"Clarice you were shot, that must've made your portal unstable, caused it to I don't know malfunction or something." Glow reasoned. "But we're telling you the truth." She cupped Clarice's cheeks and met her eyes with an intense look, those tears were back in her eyes again. "Clarice, we thought you were dead. I mean John tried to find you but when he couldn't we all assumed it was because you were gone. Erg held a memorial ceremony for you and everything. I still can't believe you're actually here." Her voice cracked at the end and she fell forward and wrapped Clarice in a tight embrace. Clarice felt a tight lump form in her throat. Whatever had happened this was clearly very real for Glow there's no way she was faking that emotion. Clarice held her tightly for a moment before pulling back gently.

"Ok lets say for a moment that I believe all this time travel stuff." Clarice shrugged. "What have I missed?" And once again that shared look passed between the two women almost like they were trying to decide how to tell her something bad. "Please." Clarice pleaded she needed answers.

"Well the thing is the worlds a very different place than what you'll remember." Glow answered after a beat.

"Why." Clarice asked.

"Because the Inner Circle. Well they won." Glow said as clinically as she could but Clarice still picked up on the slight wobble in her voice.

"What does that mean? What happened? What did they do?"

This time it was Anna-Marie who answered. "It was a terrorist attack. They pretty much blew up the White House and The Pentagon. They overthrew the government and then she took control for herself. Thousands of people died. Now all humans live in subjugation and are used as slaves. More and more people are dying by the day. She rules with an iron fist and anyone who disobeys or gets on her bad side dies."

Clarice was horrified. Thousands of people were dead and thousands more were suffering everyday. What kind of world had she fallen into. She shook her head to clear her busy thoughts. "Well isn't anyone fighting back?"

Glow let out a harsh laugh and looked her incredulously. "And who exactly do you think is going to fight back?"

"The Mutant Underground! Or the Morlocks!? They were trying to stop them right? Are you telling me they just gave up?!"

Glow just shook her head. "One of the first things she did when she got into power was hunt down the remaining members. Some of them she had publicly killed as a warning to others who might resist her. Some people just disappeared. But one by one she defeats us all. Those few of us who are left are forced to hide under the radar and hope she never finds us. She even wiped out The Purifiers. There is no one left to fight back."

The fear and panic within Clarice began to increase rising up her chest and throat, smothering her. "But what about John and the others, Marcos? Lorna? The Struckers?" Clarice inquired the feeling of doom taking over her as Glow looked at her with such grief in her eyes.

Shaking her head she delivered the blow. "Nobody has seen them since a few weeks after the attack. Most likely they're dead. All I know is that one day they were there the next they were gone."

Dun Dun Daaa... oh oh what's happened to John and the others? Are they still out there? Are they all Ok? And what's going to happen to Clarice now how's she going to cope in this brave new world? Well I guess you'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find all that out. In the meantime I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave reviews I love hearing my readers thoughts and theories and until next time.