Emma

My eyes shot open and the fog of my nightmare faded away. Even though I couldn't see it as clearly anymore, my heart pounded loudly from the perfect image it always left in my mind. I didn't need to see it to know how this one had happened. Even my current surrounds (which were soon remembered) weren't enough to draw my mind away from it. The nightmare was too common for me, and yet it still made my heart pound and me feel really scared. It never felt easier, even though it probably should after all these years.

We were always back in the labs (it didn't matter which one since they were all the same to me), and we always almost escaped. The final hallway always had a light at the end, but we when we came out we saw it wasn't light. Everything was always black with killing shadows. Shadowy tentacles would wrap themselves all around Jay and he would always struggle and struggle even though it never did anything to help him. Danny was always drowning in the bubbly floor, and I…it always felt like I was being held up around my neck by a huge hand that was bigger than my neck and head put together. Like a giant's single finger almost, but colder than ice.

The only thing that ever changed was the order of how we died. There were times when one of us escaped our personal prisons, but then were smashed into the ground by an invisible giant hand. Many times, I just gave up before they I could watch them die. I was always the weakest of us when it came the impossible, but only on the inside since I was always looked to be strong on the out. I always needed to be a survivor when really, I was the one who always wanted to just give up and end our torture…

After so many years of this dreaming torture (as far back as I can remember at least), they could never be completely forgotten. During the war (does it matter which one?) ((also, on nights when I wasn't having nightmares about the dead soldiers either surrounding us or lying on the battle field dead)), I used to wake up thinking that they were actually dead…It's been a while since I'd slept so deeply to have my own personal hell come back…I wished it hadn't.

Slowly, I pushed myself up (since the cats had decided to sleep both under the covers and on top of them) and found a fat white cat roll off my pillow and lodge under my back. I moved up and the fat thing struggle to remove itself from the bed completely.

Liz had cleared the top bunk for me while I was recovering and put clean sheets and covers up here for me. Red could now sleep in his huge bed underneath, and I had my own little place to sleep by myself. Both of us were happier now because of her.

The cats around me stretched out and jumped off the bed and onto nearby ledges except for a tiny white one on my feet. Once most of them were gone, I reached over and picked the little boy up. He yawned big and opened his huge eyes. They were a startling blue. I knew most white cats with blue eyes were blind, but I knew he wasn't by the way he kept moving his eyes around as they stared up at me. I tucked him in my arm and easily climbed down. Once down, I started playing with him with my fingers. He patted them with his paws and made me think he wasn't so young (younger cats didn't understand that teeth and claws hurt us more than other cats).

"He's a cute guy," Red suddenly said and rubbed the boy's chest with one of his fingers. I watched the boy whip his head down and latch his teeth into one of Red's fingers. It may have looked painful, but I knew it wasn't since I could see the teeth barely pressing into the flesh.

"He wouldn't move," I said and looked up with a small smile. I bent down and put the cat on his feet after he released Red's finger. He looked back at me before padding to where one of the food dishes were on the floor.

"They missed you, you know? It was like they knew something was wrong," He said looking down on me. I never minded being short, not even now, but it still unnerved me how big and tall he was. I could still take him down I bet, but there was a good chance that was my pride talking.

"I have that effect on them," I stated and stretched toward the ceiling. I felt amazing for the first time since the war (again, does it matter which one?) ((also, we were fed at least once a day during those times, which was more often than at the labs)) and felt stronger than I ever had in the past. Even as I stretched, I felt extra electricity sparkle through my body. It's almost like when you're excited for something and your body quivers along with your heart pounding.

"I've noticed. We should get ready," He said absently and went to the dresser to rummage around for clothes to wear. I went over to the hamper Liz had left and dug out a pair of flare jeans (my favorite since they had all this extra cloth and they were long. Also, they gave me a sense of privacy that most clothes I either stole or bought from thrift stores didn't) and a white V-neck short sleeve. I also found some under clothes near the bottom thankfully. I hurried into the bathroom and closed the door so I could quickly get dressed.

Once I was ready, I did something I rarely did; I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked a lot better than I had last time I had checked (who knows when that was). There were no longer bruises under my eyes and there weren't any creases of lines anywhere. I looked how I used to (or what I imagined I looked like) before the labs: young and innocent.

I smiled a little and then left the room with a brush in hand. As I sat down on Red's messy bed, he locked himself in the bathroom and started a shower.

My hair wasn't as knotty as it probably should be, but what would I know? The closest I ever came to brushing my hair was running my fingers through it when I was bored or traveling. Liz had specifically gone out of her way to find me a brush though, so I might as well use it. It hurt a lot worse than when I used my fingers, but it was worth it. By the time Red came out, my hair was tangle free and smooth for the first time in my life.

"You look nice," Red commented as he tied his hair back. It might have been his age (it was apparently in the 20s because he aged slowly), but slightly longer hair didn't seem weird on him as it did for a lot of the guys I saw on the street. Guys who had enough money to not have to sleep ON the streets that is.

"Thank you," I responded and got up. I used a bit of static to drag the hair from the brush and then promptly threw it all in the garbage. After that, I returned the brush to the bathroom just in case it was Liz went looking for it for some reason.

"That's a neat trick," He muttered. I smiled a little as I came back out. Red was now hunched over his bed, trying and failing to make it. I suppressed a smile and scurried up the ladder to my own. I touched the cover of my covers and played with the electrons and protons in the sheets and cover until they were rearranged in a nice looking way. I slid down and watched Red continue to struggle.

I smiled, and then frowned, and then smiled again. I had such a devilish idea…but I knew Red might get mad. Still…what was there really for me to do in this place now that I wasn't allowed on the computer or allowed to explore?

I took a corner of the cover in my head and sent a stream of energy through it. A visible shock threw the cover out of Red's hands. He swore and reached for it, but I bounced it away. He reached again and I pulled the cover up above his head since it had been cornered against the wall then. He swore and then looked at me. I quickly took my hand away and hid behind my back with the other one.

"Stop that," He stated and ripped the cover from where it had been floating near the upper mattress. I watched him make his bed in silence with the image of him reaching for something out of his grasp continuing to make me silently laugh. Finally, he stood up and surveyed his messy work. At least he tried I guess.

I was about to smile but then the door slid open and my body tensioned. I looked over to it and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it was just Liz wheeling in a cart of breakfast. I took a step back and she slid the rattily metal between one of the cat tables and the bed. She looked back at me and smiled.

"Good morning," She said warmly.

"Morning," I said with a very small smile. I still didn't understand completely why she was here and why the other two trusted her, but she hadn't given me a reason to be mean or mistrust her yet.

"Hey," Red whispered and put an arm around her. I shut my eyes and avoided watching anything they were about to do. I missed Danny enough, I didn't need to be reminded of the love we could no longer share. "Ummmm…Waffles," he said happily after I heard one of the tops come off. I opened my eyes and took a step to the cart. Red was on the other side and Liz had taken a comfortable place on the bed.

I took one of the three empty white plates and put a waffle on it. I added some fruit, syrup, and whip cream before taking a seat beside Liz. Red mostly stared at the food while me, and then Liz, got our food before taking a fork and eating right from the platter. I concentrated completely on my food; wanting to enjoy it to its fullest. I was only halfway done when that blaring alarm when off.

I looked up and quickly scanned the room. Red had already been done but he looked annoyed as he got his gun and coat. Liz put her plate on the cart and sighed before pushing it out of her way. She pulled out a sleek white phone and looked at something on it. I didn't know what to do with myself though, but I knew breakfast was now over. I put my plate on the cart and sat there; waiting for something to happen and always wanting more waffles.

"They only want you this time," Liz stated to Red. He nodded his head and loaded his gun. He was about to leave but turned around at the last second.

"Want to come with?" He asked. I smiled widely and jumped off the bed. I'd been wanting to test this new strength of mine all morning. As I went, I pulled on my tearing shoes with excitement. Red proceeded out the door and I followed.

"Ever fight monsters before?" Red asked as he checked his gun over and over again. Even though I wasn't weird looking, I rode in the back of the huge truck. I didn't want to sit with strange humans up front, so I insisted I sit back here. I stayed on the floor though since the movement of the floor made me feel unsteady in a bad way.

"A few," I responded, looking sideways at him. He was looking at me too now, and then he nodded his head.

"You're here to save people, I'll take care of the monster," He said. I nodded my head now.

"I'm fine with that," I responded. I enjoyed a little fighting, but not very much. It always lead to more conflict than the original one was worth. For example, WW I.

"Can you hear me?" Abe's voice came through what must have been an intercom somewhere.

"Yeah," Red responded for the both of us while I looked around for the speaker.

"Some type of dog like creature had invaded the subways. It detailed two trains, one of which was pressed into the docking platform," Abe said like he was reading off something.

"What could it be?" Red asked.

"It sounds like a creature known as Cerberus from Greek Mythology. It has three separate heads and is said to be as tall as the trains," Abe said. Red nodded his head.

"How do you kill it?" Red asked. Abe hesitated.

"It doesn't say here, but I will look. Until then, do what you usually do," He said in a shrugging type of voice.

"Alright," Red said as the truck came to a final stop. Red tossed me a red bulb attacked to a belt clip and an ear phone. "That's connected to Abe. Stay in contact with him," He said. I nodded and firmly attached the two things to my belt and wear while he walked over me and out the opening door. I scrambled up and followed him, walking easily as I always did. Fire trucks and paramedics surrounded the area. None of them were anywhere near the entrance (which looked more like a hole in the ground than anything) and I could hear why. There was howling, a lot of it. Three separate pitches for each of the three separate heads of the creature. Red jumped heavily down into the hole and I followed.

The area below was worse than I thought. Plaster dust hung thick in the air and there were blocks of rock everywhere. A train had truly been smashed into the area and there was a little area to the right where three noses were trying to nudge their way through to us. I could see people screaming inside the train as well as stains of blood against a few of the windows. I could tell the cars were crushed in some way, but it was all a matter of how bad.

"Hey there barky," Red said and ran toward the thing. On his last step, he drew his fist back and punched one of the noses roughly. There was a howl of pain and another rough push against the other side of the car. Red pushed through the crack and disappeared once it had stopped. Meanwhile, I rushed to the train doors. I sent a bolt of energy through and the door it easily opened.

"Come out this way," I yelled and looked inside. Anyone alive was pressed to the floor since the middle of the train had been crushed together. The people in front of the single line on the floor started to crawl really fast. There were sounds of Red fighting, but I tried very hard to block them out. People needed to be saved first. I left the train and looked for another door. There weren't any more for this side, since one half of the car was gone and replaced by a crushed chunk of metal. I watched people scurry out into the open with wild eyes. I jogged to the hole I had come through and yelled up.

"Get a ladder!" I yelled. I heard some shouts from above and soon a metal ladder was lowered. One by one the people started climbing up. "Is there anyone else?" I asked what seemed to be the last person. It was a young man, maybe in college. He shook his head no and took a step up the ladder.

I darted to the place Red had disappeared and went through. This side was much worse with lots of twisted metal and awkwardly lodged train cars. One by one I went to each one and helped whoever was left. Anyone who had been in the wrong place at the time this all happened, were dead or unsaveable. Still, there were a good amount of people who were able to run. Red had pushed the dog down the opposite end of the tracks and I could clearly hear the echoes of their fighting. I hurried the people along, eager to actually test this power to its extent.

Once everyone was out into the area with the hole, I joined the fight. The darkness wasn't a problem since a strong electrical current filtered through my body, making my veins glow blue and yellow. I felt powerful and confident, which I knew could easily be my downfall if I wasn't careful. I found Red, and he didn't look good with bit marks covering a good chunk of his now reveled skin. His jacket was in shreds as was most of his shirt underneath. The right head of the monster looked to be dead with a few bullet holes through its forehead, but the other two seemed to be perfectly fine and healthy they way they snapped and lunged at their prey.

I couldn't dart in. I would be dead in a matter of seconds before I could do anything useful. No doubt I would get Red killed in the process also. But…I may be able to attack it from here. Its paws touched the rails at one point or another and these rails were specifically made to transport electricity. I kneeled down and sent a large bolt through to test it. Luckily, Red wasn't touching that specific rail.

I watched the dog straighten up for a second and then howl in pain with its heads turned to the celling. It then turned them down and stared at me with snarling teeth. That defiantly didn't work the way it should have…

"Get out of here!" Red yelled and fired a few rounds at the black thing. They bounded off the dog's pelt as it lunged toward me. I ducked under it and briefly touched its skin to send another both through its body, thinking it might do something. I felt it collapse heavily against the ground, but it just got right back up. I pursed my lips…until I saw it sway. I bent down and sent another large bolt through the tracks, my last one, and watched as it stopped the beast's heart.

It collapsed over to the side, shaking the ground completely, just before I collapsed over too. I had just drained myself of power completely, and I almost regretted it until Red came over. He was bloody and tired, but he didn't look completely displeased at what I did.

"Did I do good?" I asked jokingly. I never looked to anyone for approval for one moment in my life, and me and Jay loved to joke about it. Red wasn't Jay though, not even close.

"You sure did," He responded with a small smile. I pushed myself to my feet and we slowly made our way back on equally shaky legs.

"He defiantly didn't want to die," I said lightly.

"Yeah…" He responded darkly. Life had been lost here, but there was still a lot that was saved. It was best to focus on the positives while we were alive now than to dwell on the negatives.

"A lot of people survived, so there's no reason to feel terrible," I told him.

"I was just thinking, a lot of monsters have been showing up recently," He said monotone.

"What do you mean?" I asked looking sideways at him.

"I don't know," he finished and that was the end of our conversation until we had gathered in the library at base after Red's wounds had been patched by Abe. The air there was serious, but I had no clue what my part would play in that one room on that one day.