Disclaimer_I do not own 'The Gifted'
"Andy."
"Just trust me."
"I can't believe you're this delusional. Don't you see what the Inner Circle is trying to do? What they're going to do if you don't come back home?"
This argument never seemed to get old. A never ending routine of her trying to convince him to fully comprehend the Inner Circle's intent.
"We're trying to create a better world, Lauren. A world where you don't have to look over your shoulder everytime you try and cross the street fearing you'd be attacked by the purifiers or the Sentinel Services." he retorted evenly. "This new world will be a better one and humans will live and learn to accept us for who we are and what we are capable of."
The older of the two defiantly shook her head.
"A world built on the foundations of fear is not a better world, Andy."
"If we wanted to take over the world we would've done that a long time ago." he reasoned smartly. "Take a look around you. Humans are afraid of us. Afraid of what we can do. Their fear runs so deep they're convinced we are the bad guys. We didn't even have a choice to be who we are," he stepped closer, "To be what we are."
Lauren felt sympathy for him. The Inner Circle completely doused his mind with the false ideology of building a more peaceful world that her little brother was entirely convinced it wasn't too far out of their reach.
"Just come home, Andy." she pleaded softly, "Mom and Dad miss you. The Underground misses you. It isn't the same without you."
He scoffed.
She wavered, unable to believe the words she was about to say to him.
"I miss you."
The reaction to those words was near instant. The flicker of hope and something else as he impassively peered down at her. It was only then she realised her verbal error and took a step back, averting her eyes.
"We can be a family again. Like before."
She was avoiding it.
And he couldn't blame her.
He looked away from her and exhaled through his nose. His left hand twitched and he fought the urge to disintegrate something out of existence. He couldn't hope to contain it. This devastating force of attraction. A natural force fabricated by the link that exists between their respective powers. How does he deal with this when he already has a hard time keeping himself in check, never mind his inadequate control over his own powers. A long bode of silence washed over them, leaving each to wonder when either would wake up to extinguish this endless sea of tension and awkwardness.
"I don't think that's possible. At least not now."
"Right."
He frowned, well aware he wasn't making it any easier for her which explained the lack of surprise when she pushed against the railing and left, her body enveloped by a sudden darkness.
She had no choice.
She was drawn to him.
That much she knew.
Her eyes caught up to him comfortably leaning against a pillar at the entrance of Central Bank. Upon seeing her, a small smile took hold of his face. Conceding the look on his normally expressionless visage, she had half the mind to turn around and go back from wherever she emerged from but who was she kidding. They were worlds apart and she wasn't beleaguered to admit the desperate need to see him, even though he was a mere figment.
"You came."
"I did."
Their psyche excursions were becoming constant. Both poised on opposing sides with the battle gloves drawn and it would only be a matter of time before their respective sides butt heads. Lauren sighed, frustrated with the quandary regarding her family.
"You're happy to see me."
"I haven't seen you for more than six months." he justified, taking all necessary measures to prolong their civil conversation before an argument breaks out. Lauren considered his posture. She's been so hell bent on convincing him to come back home that she hasn't had the time to take a good look at him. He dyed his hair, she could classify him a blonde now. He was still taller and showed signs of growing a few heads more. She deduced he was an important asset to the Inner Circle because past memories of him abandoning the Underground, he was incredibly scrawny. But now, he gained a bit of weight and adorned a somewhat muscular frame though his face still retained baby fat. She failed to meet his eyes well aware they were glued to hers, tracking her sights.
"They make sure to keep me in top shape. Standards."
"I suspected they did," she replied. He looked ready to take on anything.
"How is Dad?"
She hid the surprise on her face at the sudden change of topic, but answered nonetheless.
"Coping. Mom has him on prescribed drugs to keep his powers in check."
He didn't speak for a while. They were probably desolate. Hiding from the purifiers, the Sentinel Services since they were publicly declared dead not so long ago. His absence though, was the center of this mess. He knew it. They all knew it but were too forgiving of their youngest son to admit it.
"John?"
"Still trying to put up a fight and protect everyone. Like any good leader would."
That impression in the sound of her voice, appraisal of Thunderbird didn't sit well with him but his face didn't betray his annoyance. Luckily, she brought her eyes back to him.
"How is Lorna?"
"Preoccupied with the baby."
She nodded, her attantive span going haywire, thinking of so many things at the same time. Her personal troubles, emotional mishaps and the little things that involved her heart affecting her behaviour and every thought.
"Lauren."
Her face burned a deep scarlet and she quickly removed her hand from his cheek.
A small smirked danced on the curve of his lips when she found the skies profoundly interesting.
"You still haven't told me how you're doing."
Lauren cleared her throat, thankful he steered conversation away from that weird moment.
"I'm fine."
"Honest?"
"Okay, you caught me. I'm miserbale without you and your stoic tendencies of saying something annoying and stupid every minute you try and be smart. There. Happy?"
He chuckled.
Lauren stared.
Perchance was the fact that its been such a long time since she heard his dry laugh. These dreams, if she could call them that, stained her mind with sensations, feelings of want, desire and other emotions she didn't want to feel. It was like fighting a losing battle. An agonizing battle that was constant and took more out of her the more resistance she injected. A tug of her heart into the recess of her soul, she glimpsed at their intertwined hands before she met his eyes.
"Do you feel it?"
She almost whimpered from within the yellow light they bathed in.
Of course she felt it.
How could she not?
It was wonderful.
Eerie and overwhelming.
But still wonderful.
He waited patiently for her response even though she knew that he knew what it would be.
She nodded her head, untrusting of her voice.
"Does it feel wrong?"
Lauren instantly had an inkling as to what he was insinuating, but given the warmth and the pleasant comfort soaring through her being, nodding dumbly was the new fashion.
"Say something." he prompted, having seen enough of her bopping her head.
"What do you want to me say?" she sputtered. "That my little brother is causing me to feel things I haven't felt before?"
"Or maybe this is how its supposed to be."
"You and I. Meant to be together." she said monotonously, almost possessed, shuddering under his cool gaze. She wished she could stay like this forever. By his side, staring into the endless depths of his eyes that reflected the relative yearn, tensile and unrelentless. The center of her conscience radiated power and vulnerability under his eyes. Was this what they meant? Was this what the humans feared? This boost. The capability of ending the world with a mere raise of their conjoined hands. Lauren caught up with her mind, ever elusive under the weight of emotional pressure but ever nearby when she wasn't thinking straight and needed to retain a moment of logic.
What felt like eternity was wept away when Lauren yanked her hands back.
"Andy, no."
A surge of anger visibly flashed across his facial features but vacated as soon as it came as an inquisitive expression replaced it.
"Why?"
"Its not right. I don't want it and with everything that's going on I don't want to make a priority." she pointed out. She was denying herself a rare comfort. It felt like the right thing to do.
"Lauren. You're fooling yourself." he accused softly. "Our powers are like urges. The more you resist, the more you crumble. Dad tried resisting his powers and look where that got him."
She slapped him, unsure whether it hurt but sure it got the message across.
"Don't talk about Dad as if you've been around to know what he's been going through."
The younger of two pursed his lips apologetically.
"I'm sorry, but consider my words. Once you start trying to hold it in, the more volatile it becomes and impossible to control. It states breaking you from the inside out. Willingly or by force, you of all people have seen what it does first hand."
Her anger dissipated.
He was stating ugly facts.
"Everything that led us up to now will ultimately end with the two of us on the battlefield." he said, hand on the nape of her neck. "I don't want to have to hurt you, Lauren. I don't want to fight you when we can be happy, together."
Her heart skipped a beat.
"I know you won't hurt me. A-and, I want to be happy."
Their hands found each other.
She wanted to cry.
Andy was bold enough to close the distance between them.
Their world got engulfed by a familiar blaze of yellow light.
In an undetermined location, two figures could be seen standing over the sleeping form of Andrew Strucker.
"You said you have something for me."
"Right. I...my sisters and I recently discovered that Andy here has been dreams where he encounters Lauren."
"Dreams?"
"A reality probably established by their powers."
"What exactly is it that they do in those dreams?"
"Nothing dissatisfying to the Inner Circle since all they appear to do is talk."
"Talking is dangerous."
"It isn't if you have three pairs of eyes as surveillance."
"Alright. How is this valuable to us?"
"We found a way we can use his dreams to alter Lauren's loyalties and lure her to our side."
"How?"
"The method is a bit unconventional but my sisters and I wholeheartedly guarantee it will yield results."
"I'm listening."
TBC