Synthetic Grins
A sleekly polished black box.
Pallid eyelids framed by raven wisps.
A single raindrop, falling from the heavens, rolling down her nose.
Or maybe it was a tear.
Did it matter? Nothing mattered.
It's possible to block out one's most terrible moments.
Forget the tragedy.
Pretend it never happened.
It takes time though.
Centuries.
Not that it mattered. She had plenty of those.
Eventually, the lies became pathological.
She became a liar.
Although, only to herself.
So it didn't matter all that much.
Her civilization, like her mind, remained strong.
A fortress, unable to be broken.
Other worlds crumbled.
A mirror of his paranoid mind.
Insanity must have run in the family.
But that no longer mattered. There was no more family.
She rewrote her life like a movie.
She had never made his acquaintance.
Never loathed him to the point of a death wish.
Never fallen for his suave demeanour and charm.
Never experienced the displeasure of true heartbreak.
That was no matter though, because he had never existed in the first place.
-x-x-x-x-x-
"Good morning citizens! It's currently eight forty one. The work day starts in exactly nineteen minutes. Lateness is unacceptable in the perfect society. Have a good day and keep smiling! And remember, the LEP know everything."
Thirteen.
That was the number of times the screen floating above her head had flickered to life and blurted out a similar message; delegating tips on how to keep Haven a perfect city.
Because, looking around her, perfection was the only thing that she could see. Each and every smiling citizen walked with their backs straight, looking directly ahead. Each perfectly perfect resident marched along in the same perfectly perfect silver jumpsuit.
It was, after all, simple regulation.
She gazed down at her chest, at her own silver uniform. At the tiny little emblem sewn onto the breast pocket. The smallest indication that she was an officer. The acorns required her to hold her head a little higher and smile just a little bit brighter.
She had no problem with doing so. Things had always been that way.
-x-x-x-x-x-
"Good afternoon citizens! We have some lovely news for you today and we expect to see some extra smiles on your way home. It has been decided that the reign of humans on Earth is over. It is finally time for the People to take back what is theirs. Relocation to the surface will happen within the next week. Have a wonderful day! And remember, the LEP see everything."
Relocate? Well, that was something she certainly didn't want to do. Haven was home. Haven was perfect, just where it was. If the People returned to the surface they ran the risk of developing what had been termed 'surface dweller syndrome'.
The desire for power beyond limit. This had killed the humans.
She did not want to go to the surface. It was outlandish, strange, alien; yet vaguely familiar. She recalled visiting the surface many times. She told herself it was impossible.
He told her the same thing. And then he kissed her, different than he did every other night. It was not the perfect kiss – not soft and delicate as protocol indicated it should be. Rather, it was fierce and frightened, as though he were trying to destroy her with that kiss.
But of course, he was.
Because there were things she did not know. Things she did not remember. But he remembered like it was yesterday. And he knew better than most. He knew what she was capable of. It was his job to stop her.
But there were some things that were not meant to be forgotten.
He let it slip in his kiss. She knew there was a problem. The lies she had fed herself over hundreds of years came flooding back into her mind, washing over her like a tidal wave.
"Why?"
It was the only word that could escape her lips. With that single syllable he knew the charade had finished. The kiss ended.
"They're afraid of you."
"Good."
-x-x-x-x-x-
"Good evening citizens. I bring you bad news tonight. Our police force has discovered corruption in their ranks. There is no doubt you have already heard the news of the girl's betrayal. Please be well aware that any consorting with the fugitive will result in the severest of punishments. That is all. And remember, the LEP are working for you."
She ducked between the buildings, careful not to spotted in the searchlights. The blood was fresh on her hands, the smell of fear still lingering in her nostrils. And she liked it.
Vigilante. The word did her justice.
A step out of the alley.
Tense muscles.
A quick flash of light.
-x-x-x-x-x-
"Good morning citizens. It's seven fifteen on this lovely day. Life has gone back to normal for us. Perfection remains in our city. Keep on smiling. And remember, the LEP will always be there to protect you."
-x-x-x-x-x-
A/N: The End!
Please let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is welcome. Thank you so much for reading. Thanks to Nikki for the beta and the confidence bump. She's amazing. Oh, and I don't own Artemis and company. Cheers!