Murder, grave desecration, assaulting a police officer... these charges are just some of what the brunette was being charged with. Her blue/green eyes glanced down at the long list of her criminal record. Boston Massachusetts, Amherst New York, Denver Colorado, Allentown Pennsylvania, Dayton Ohio... were just some places she was wanted. Her eyes went numb and she placed the piece of paper on the table. Arabella Cassidy Callahan was the name of a person that many law officers wanted to lock up for good, but once they did.. she slipped through their hands like butter. Sure she was a slender petite woman in her mid twenties, but she was more than just that. Arabella is what you might call a freak.. or in more official terms 'Evolved Human'. From an early age, her parents trained her military style to fight evil. Why? Well mainly because they were hunters of the supernatural sort. The things that go bump in the night were real and there was only a handful of people that know these kind of things exist. Some don't care, but most fight it to save lives.. and the Callahan family fell into that group.
Jump starting this fairytale at sixteen years old. Little Arabella was the only female in the house besides her mother. Her older brother went off to college in New York, while the family was still in lil 'ol Dallas. On a cloudy night, Arabella smelt smoke coming from inside the house. She jumped out of bed and ran into her parents room to wake them up but they were nowhere to be found. Black smoke was seeping in through the cracks of door ways. Arabella yelled and screamed for her parents, but they weren't anywhere upstairs. She rushed downstairs to see them knocked out on the floor. Bright flames where starting to rise a few feet away from them. The small teenage girl's eyes widened as tears fell down her face. She kicked, smacked, pushed, slapped, anything to get her parents to wake up but nothing. She opened the front door and started to drag their bodies out of the house, but it was no use, they were way to heavy for her. Movement from her father came as he opened his eyes. He saw the flames starting and turned over seeing his only daughter crying. He screamed at her to get out fast. The fire was spreading rather quickly. Arabella obeyed her father by nodding, but at that time the stove exploded in the kitchen, a few feet away, and the house went up in flames. Arabella's body flew across the hall and she felt a cool breeze pass by her. The next thing she knew she was awake in what seemed to be a hospital.
Sitting up, she touched herself, seeing if there was any cuts or burns. She sighed in relief that there was none. She felt no pain, though she did feel different, in a good sort of way. The room she was in looked like a hospital, but this room had no visiting chairs or other beds, it was just her, machines and a small mirror. Little did she know it was a start of her new life at a government, military facility called Project X. Project X is a government strand facility where they test non-human and animal DNA on humans to create the superior being. Just a few decades ago they experimented with paranormal and supernatural DNA and test it on humans. Scientists developed more information on gene slicing and placing abilities. Most of there test subjects fail, but very few survived.. and Arabella was one. She developed enhanced abilities. With this, the military trained her. Since she was already trained by her ex- Marine parents, the training was easy and familiar. She did all the tasks they ask.. but not at first. Within the facility, she met many people. Such as her half sister she never met, and a guy who secretly stole her heart. She gained many peoples trust, but she never trusted anybody in the facility.
Within seven years of being trapped in the hell hole, Arabella wanted out. And that's what she did. With her sister by her side, the two of them escaped together, but a few others right behind them. They ran and hid until they thought it was safe to move again. And when they did, they shipped off to New York to reunite with their brother. From then on, Arabella has been training her sister how to hunt and protect others and herself from the evil that lays within this fucked up world. Since the two of them share the same abilities, it has been easy and together they are powerful. But the duo went on their separate ways, but still share a bond now and again. Arabella continues to hunt the evil, and with a massive criminal record she gathered, it is beginning to get more harder. She has to look over her shoulder consistently, in hopes of not getting caught.
October 25th, 2009.
Breathing started to get heavier as her feet managed to keep up with the pace of her sister, Even though she was a leader, she was already injured. Feet hitting the crunchy leaves as their body moved into the forest, dodging tree's and branches as the armed guards were slowly surrounding them. Her eyes dilated as she could see the area in front. The gate. Her head snapped back seeing three others behind them. Her blue hues looked at her sister's blond hair who was flowing in the cool breeze. Was this it? Were they finally free?
Before she knew it, a sharp pain hit her face and she felt her body fall back to the ground. She looked up seeing a guard swinging a bat in hand. Her vision was a bit blurry but was able to make out what was going on. For a split second she saw the guard there, and the next minute he was gone. She felt an arm pick her up.
"Come on Bella! Get up!"
She shook her head and leaned up. Getting to her feet, her mind went back into action as she got out of her semi-day dream. As her sister was pulling her towards the gate, her eyes went to the left of her seeing guards closing in on them.
"We have to go!"
She felt her shirt being pulled as she stumbled forward. The guards were now closing in on one of them. Aiden. Her eyes widened as she saw him in the small distance fighting one off. He had helped her before, she had to help him now. She started to run towards him but she felt a hand around her arm.
"No! Arabella we have to go!"
"Im not going to leave him, Skylar!"
Arabella pushed her sister back a step before running towards him. By now he was just by himself with the guards dead around his feet.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
She looked at his baby blue hues for only a second, knowing she was going to get lost in them. She never dared to tell him, but he had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen on a man before.
"Keep up slow poke."
"Their closing in on us."
She rolled her eyes and grabbed his wrist tight and pulled him towards the fifteen feet high fence that cage them all in. Helicopters above them, in search for them as they dived around the large spotlight around the tree's. He saw guards closing in behind them quicker and quicker. She dropped his wrist to prepare for the jump. She picked up speed and leaped high in the sky. The fence was now below her for a split second before her feet hit the ground with ease. She turned around seeing him fighting off guards.
"Aiden!" She screamed.
"Bella go!" He yelled back as they tased him.
Her eyes widened seeing the electricity pulse through him. Her jaw tightened as she backed away and started to run to the rendezvous point.
September 15, 2013
"Here's your order."
Arabella handed the cashier a ten and grabbed her iced coffee and chocolate doughnut and took a seat at the table by the corner window. Her blue hues looked out into the streets as people passed by. Some on their cell phones, others walking their dogs.
Soon after she finished her doughnut, a vibration came from her front pocket. She pulled out her phone seeing Skylar was calling. Letting out a silent sigh she answered with a tap of the screen.
"Whats up?" She asked.
"Ara.. Im stuck at work.. can you pick up Lyla for me? Bryan isn't answering his phone."
"Yeah.. what time?"
"Uh.. four."
Arabella looked at her phone for a quick second seeing it was already three-thirty.
"Fine."
"Thanks! I owe you one! There's plenty of food in the fridge, I should be home by five the latest."
" 'kay."
She said and ended the phone. She picked up her coffee and headed towards the school.
Hearing a loud bell, she cringed at the sound. Her headache from her hangover has already started, and the sound of a ringing bell was enough to punch a baby. She leaned on the metal gate as she saw the doors fly open with children behind teachers. One by one they raised their hands as they saw someone they knew and ran towards them. Parents or guardians embracing the small children with a smile. Arabella refrained from smiling. Her eyes went back to the front doors and saw her niece smiling bright with her hand high in the air letting the teacher know someone was there for her. As the tall blond teacher saw Lyla's hand, she scanned the crowd that was now next to her. Her face was a bit confused, not seeing a familiar face. Arabella wasn't usually the one to pick up the small child. Either her sister or brother. Arabella walked up to the teacher.
"Sorry, Im Lyla's Aunt. My sister asked me to pick her up today, she's running late."
Arabella pulled down her avatars a bit, resting them on the bridge of her nose as she made eye contact with the teacher, letting off a small smile. Lyla wrapped her arms around Arabella's waist hugging her tight. She placed an arm around her tiny frame, kissing the top of her head, holding onto her fedora.
"Hey chicky." She said.
The teacher let out a sigh and nodded, turning her attention to the next child in line and Arabella grabbed her hand and made their way out of the crowd.
"So how was your day?" Lyla asked, looking up at her Aunt as they reached a stop light.
"Its was okay. How was yours?"
Lyla shrugged. "Boring. I hate school."
"Dude, your only in Pre-school, wait a few years."
"I asked mommy if I can get home schooled, but she said no."
The light turned green and they kept walking towards the house.
"Why do you wanna get home-schooled?" Arabella asked with a raised brow.
Lyla shrugged again.
"Ly, is someone bullying you?"
Arabella looked down at her niece. Lyla's bright green eyes looked up at her as she shook her head.
"No. Not really. Just this boy keeps picking on me."
Arabella let out a smile.
"He probably just likes you."
"Thats what mommy said. But why does he have to poke me and take my crayons?"
Arabella let out a laugh.
"Poke him back."
"Ew. Uncle Bryan told me I can't touch boys until Im thirty."
"Uncle Bryan has a point. No boys."
Lyla giggled and nodded.
"You got it."
As they got to the house, Arabella made them both a sandwich and put on some scooby-doo cartoons.
"Hey Aunt Bell?"
"Yes Lyla?"
"I heard mommy talking about daddy.. and I was wondering.." She paused and looked up at Arabella. "Who is my daddy?"
Arabella stopped chewing and paused. She turned her head to look at Lyla.
"Who was she talking to?"
She scrunched her brows together, knowing her sister never talks about Lyla's father.
"Well.. no one. Her mouth wasn't saying anything but I heard her."
Arabella blinked a few times.
"Did you tell your mother about this?"
She shook her head no.
"I also sometimes hear my teacher talk about us in class while were coloring, but she's by herself."
Arabella bit her lip. She didn't know what to say to her.
Not long after, Skylar came home. Arabella stuck around a bit for dinner. Home made Mac and Cheese was one of her favorites, and she couldn't pass up the offer. Once Skylar put Lyla down for sleep soon after, she went to start cleaning up a bit. Arabella took a seat on the edge of the couch, watching her sister as she started to swiffer the floor.
"So.. Lyla asked me about her father today." Arabella broke the silence.
She saw Skylar pause as she slowly looked at Arabella.
"What are you talking about?"
"She said she heard you talk about him."
"I don't talk about him.." She shook her head.
"I know that. Where you thinking about him?"
Skylar's jaw tightened and her face fell.
"I think Lyla is telepathic." Arabella admitted.
"She can't be."
"Why not?
"Because she's not." Skylar growled.
"Sky.. she's the daughter of two science experiments. You had to know there was a chance of her developing abilities."
"I tried not to think about that."
"Well I guess now you have to hide your thoughts because your three year old can hear them."
Skylar let out a sigh and leaned the swifter on the love seat. She sighed and looked up at Arabella as she slid into the love seat next to the swiffer.
"I wanted a normal life." Skylar whispered. "I don't want her to be different.. to feel out of place like I did."
"Your going to have to deal with it."
Skylar scrunched her brows together at her sister's attitude.
"Your a bitch."
"Have you met me?"
Arabella licked her lips quickly and slid off the couch side.
"Talk to her Sky. Im sure she's scared and doesn't understand whats going on."
Skylar's eyes looked down and nodded slowly. Arabella placed a hand on top of Skye's head before leaving.
"Bella, I have a case for you."
She placed the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she tried to open up her front door.
"What is it?"
"A vamp nest in Virginia. Already killed a few people in a small town, I'll text you the details for it, but I need you on this."
She finally managed to unlock the door and opened it with her hip. She shut it closed with her foot, and locked it quickly before holding the phone with her hand.
"Yeah, I'll see what I can do."
"Bella.. Please Ther-"
"Don't go starting with 'there's people that need my help'. I've been hunting ever since I got out of that shit hole, I think I deserve a break."
"I understand but-"
"No you don't understand Greg. You quit."
"Because I had a family."
"And where are they now?"
There was a silence between the two of them, and she immediately regretted saying that. Greg Conner was a close family friend. She knew him since she was born practically. He was in the Marine's with her parents and later on became hunting buddies with them as well, but fell out of contact. After the death of her parents, Greg took care of her brother and helped him search for her once they found her missing. Once she returned home, he grew to be a father figure towards them both, even Skylar. He helped her control her abilities, pushing her to her limits to see how powerful of a creature she became. And then he sent her on cases, most were hunting cases, but he was her personal info man.
"Im sorry." She said quickly.
Her eyes scanned the room of the living room. In the pit of her stomach she knew something was wrong. Something was up. A picture of Skylar and her was moved. She could tell by the small dust that made a line. It was out of place.
"Send me the info and I'll call you back."
"Is everything okay?"
She turned around on her heel and looked around.
"I'll let you know on that." She ended.
She placed the phone in her pocket. Her blue hues looked into the kitchen which was dark as night, but thanks to her enhanced eye sight and night vision, she was able to see well. Nothing seemed out of place. She walked to her couch and lifted up the cushion, seeing the gun she had there was now missing. Her jaw tightened as she clenched her teeth together. She walked to the fireplace directly in front of the couch, her hand dug around the corner of the brick and found the gun she placed there was missing as well.
"Looking for these?"
She froze in place. She knew that voice. She turned around slowly on her heel and saw a figure emerge from the darkness of the stair case. His footsteps made the wooden stairs creek as he walked down the last four stairs. And then she saw his face perfectly. After four years, he still looked the same.. just his hair was different. He did have a crew cut that all men in Project X was required to wear within the facility. But now his hair was black, medium length, cut in a choppy layered faux hawk. His baby blue eyes stared down at her from across the room. She felt her heart beating more rapidly once she saw his face. She tried her best to not make an expressions. Her eyes saw he was holding up both her missing handguns. A small smirk was on his face and she noticed a bit of scruff outlining his jaw as he stepped closer.
"Aiden." She whispered.
"Hello Bella.. Miss me?"