Stella POV:

I got back at the Hub by doing what I like to call "breezing." Basically, you vaporize and can literally travel at wind-speed. My shift ran from nine to three, and it was about four AM. Great. The sun wouldn't be up for another two hours or so, and I was already exhausted. I know falling asleep won't get me anything but nightmares, but closing my eyes couldn't hurt, right? Wrong. Zoom doesn't get that for most Omni, the dreams aren't a curse. I assume it's the same for humans, but we dream about our day, our past, and, when the time is right, the future. (Okay, maybe that isn't the same for humans.) And when your past isn't all butterflies and sunshine, neither are your dreams. I hate to sound selfish; my time here on Earth has definitely helped, but it's never going away. Sighing as I floated up to the roof, I opened up my bag and pulled out a crossword. Dorky? Yes, but hey, it'll keep me awake until I can "recharge." Finally, the sun comes up, and after about half an hour I go downstairs. I know I told Zoom I draw my energy from nature, but it's so much easier to solar-charge. I think it's something about my name. I mean, "Stella." What do you think is gonna charge me, coffee?

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Previously at the Hub:

As soon as Zoom got back to the Hub, he went to see Sage.

"Sage? Is there any way to access Stella's restored memories? You know, the ones of being a slave." He asked nervously. Sage turned from her work.

"It is indeed possible, but why would you ask such a thing?" She inquired.

"Uhm…I just wanted to take a look. You know, to understand her better." Zoom admitted.

"Very well, but I must warn you that it will not be a simple "look." In order to view the memories, you must experience them through Stella's eyes. From the little I have seen, it will not be pleasant." Sage warned him. Zoom nodded.

"I know." He said.

"Very well. Please, take a seat." Sage gestured to the Cerebral Reformatter, and Zoom sat down, preparing himself. "I shall randomly select memories for you to experience. You are free to stop if you feel the need." Zoom felt the crystal above his head begin to vibrate, and he closed his eyes to see…dirt. He was in a pit, surrounded by Vandals, who seemed to be crowded around a fire. Zoom fought the urge to flee; remembering that he was only a spectator. It seemed he was in her body, experiencing, but he had no control. Zoom "looked," or rather Stella's head turned to his right, and saw another human! He seemed about twelve, a bit chubby, and was huddled into the wall with fear.

"What's gonna happen?" Zoom heard Stella say. She sounded young, maybe about nine. The boy next to her was about to open his mouth, when another person, looking in their forties, nudged him, shaking her head and pointing at Stella. The first boy's eyes widened and he clamped his mouth shut. It's her necklace. Zoom realized. These are the last of the Peacekeepers that were taken captive. They know she's an Omnis. They're…scared. Zoom watched as Vandals began approaching the small group.

"That one." A feline gruffly said, pointing at the boy. His two accomplices grabbed the kid, dragging him toward the fire. Zoom heard his screams of terror fall silent as a crocodile drove a crude wooden spear through his chest. He watched through horrified eyes as the beasts began ripping the lifeless body limb from limb, some choosing to cook the meal, some…Zoom turned away, unable to watch. He resisted the urge to vomit as they fought over the body, tearing at their meal in hopes of getting the most.

"He was too small!" A cockroach complained. "Here! What about this one?" Zoom gasped as he felt his angle of vision tilt. Stella had been yanked up, dangling by her arm from the creature's pincers.

"Stupid Snarlclaw! That pitiful meat-creature would barely feed a Slime Lizard." Another laughed, choosing instead the adult male. Zoom felt dizzy, his view swirling as Stella was roughly dropped back to the ground. He suddenly saw himself crawling through a crevice in the wall, opening out into a cave where he saw…a Blue Sentient? Must be Mortalus. The Blue reached out to comfort Stella when the memory changed.

Now all he could see was dirt. He heard Kalus growling above him.

"I said to fetch the Leechislugs from the store-house! Lazy, incompetent FOOL! Do you not understand a thing I say?" Zoom was surprised when he felt several metal spikes slice into his skin. He cried out, not expecting the pain to be so realistic. He heard the swish of leather through the air, feeling the spikes at the end dig into his skin repeatedly, but Stella never made a sound. Not once. Finally, Kalus had finished.

"You will never be anything but a worthless slave." He finished coldly, and walked off. Zoom was holding back tears at the end as Stella slowly stood, limping away. Zoom could feel blood running down his back, and when she touched a hand to the area there was no fabric, only bloody strips of flesh. Zoom let out another scream of pain, even at the gentle touch, and the scene faded into the walls of the Hub.

"Zoom? Zoom?" He heard Vert's voice as if he were on the other side of the Hub.

"Zoom? Are you okay?" Agura was there too, shaking his shoulders. Zoom blinked blearily.

"Uhm, yeah. I'm fine." He lied.

"We heard you screaming. What happened? What are you doing up so late?" Vert asked.

"Zoom wished to view a few of Stella's memories on Vandal. I pulled him out because of his accelerated heart rate and nerve responses." Sage answered.

"Why would you do that? For one thing, that's personal, and for another, you have no idea what could be on there! And this late at night? If Sage hadn't pulled you out, who knows what could have-"

"Agura," Vert laid a hand on her shoulder tiredly. "I think he gets it. You should have asked us first, Zoom, or at least Stella."

"I'm sorry." Zoom mumbled. "I just…wanted to understand her better."

"Alright, it's late. Why don't you go to bed, and we'll talk in the morning." Vert sighed, and Zoom stood to leave. "You don't think he'll have nightmares, do you?" He addressed Agura.

"From what Stella's told us, possibly. From what Stella's purposely avoided telling us and his screams, most definitely." She said, wincing. Vert yawned, leading her back to her bedroom.

"What are we going to do?" He groaned, leaning against his doorframe, across from hers.

"He wanted to know; he has to take the consequences. It was awfully sweet of him, but sometimes, when he cares about something, Zoom can get in over his head. It's gonna get him in trouble someday, but honestly? It's cute." She replied.

"So, got any dark memories I can peek at to understand you better?" Vert asked playfully. "Don't worry, I'll try not to get in over my head too cutely." He pulled her a bit closer.

"You better not." Agura giggled into his chest. "Otherwise some poor girl's gonna fall head over heels in love with you." She leaned up to peck his cheek, but Vert tilted his face to meet her lips. They stayed like that for a few minutes, she playing with his hair a bit and he resting his hands on her hips. Agura pulled away for a breath, and Vert leaned in again when she put a finger to his lips.

"Good night, Vert." She sang, slipping into her room. Vert grinned, still feeling a bit light-headed, then turned and entered his room.

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"Ugh! What is up with the sun today?" Stella groaned, pushing through the kitchen doors.

"You seem uncharacteristically grouchy." Stanford commented.

"It's a solar eclipse." Sherman added, looking up from a newspaper.

"Well, the sun and moon can align or whatever some other day! I need my sunshine!" Stella replied, looking with interest at a small basil plant Sherman had brought up. Tapping a finger to a leaf, she closed her eyes, necklace glowing. Suddenly they shot open.

"Okay, that should work for now." She resolved, slicing a bagel.

"The solar activity shouldn't last for more than three hours." Sherman said, trying to help.

"Three hours? Imma need another plant. Say, how fast do these things grow? If I'm an Omnis, I might as well be able to control them by now." She said, taking the plant. She put it on the table in front of her, then lowered herself down to eye level. Stella stared at the green leaves with such intensity that Stanford burst out laughing.

"What are you trying to do, love? Make a basil army?" He was immediately hit in the nose with a small leaf.

"HA! I did it!" Stella said triumphantly. "Let's see how much energy is in this plant…" She traced a finger up the stem and the plant started glowing, then faded. "Danget! Stupid photosynthesis! What kind of stupid thing needs sunlight to survive, huh? What is this?" she muttered angrily.

"Uhm, the kind of thing that's blonde, didn't sleep too well, and grouchy?" Spinner wisecracked.

"Don't push it, Cortez." Stella growled, when Sage's voice over the intercom saved them.

"StormShock in T-minus three minutes! Be prepared to face your Antis due to solar activity!" She warned.

"Antis?" Stella's head perked up.

"Our Anti-selves." Vert explained.

"Can I come?" Stella asked.

"Well…." The team looked to each other.

"Come on! I can either take out my lack of sleep on y'all, or my equally ticked off Anti self." She reminded them. Vert was first to speak.

"Oh-kay, Stella rides with Zoom."

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"So, these are your Antis?" Stella said as the BF5's cars pulled up. "Kinda…emo."

"Excuse me!" Anti-Stanford snarled.

"Okay, royally emo." Stella rolled her eyes, dismounting the Chopper with her hands on her hips.

"Oh, look. My very own goody-goody." Anti-Stella smirked, getting off the back of the Anti-Zoom's Chopper. She was dressed in a black miniskirt and tank top, with the trademark Anti eyeliner and (obviously, in Stella's opinion) dyed raven hair. "I hate her already."

"Hate makes you ugly. Oops! Too late." Stella replied.

"Oh, do you wanna, like, go?" The Anti responded.

"Catfight? Anytime. But you might want to file those chewed-on bits of skin you call claws first."

Anti-Stella gasped, and the two traded insults while their teams looked on.

"Should we do something?" Spinner asked.

"Uhm…." Vert began. "They aren't hurting each other, and our Anti's are occupied. Zoom, go for the Key. Stealth time."

"Alright!" Zoom said, silently riding off as the others tuned back into the conversation.

"But speaking of beauty, or complete and total lack of it whatsoever, that eyeliner looks familiar." Stella commented.

"Whaddya mean by that?" The Anti spat.

"I think I threw it in the trash the other day."

"Are you like, calling me a dumpster-diver?" Anti-Stella asked angrily.

"If the snorkel fits…" Stella responded smugly.

"Ooh, good one." Anti-Stella snarled.

"Ah, the comeback for the comeback-less." Stella shot back.

"So, what happened to your loser boyfriend?" The Anti asked smugly.

"He's allergic to dogs." Stella smirked while the BF5 laughed and her Anti gasped. "That yours?" Stella nodded to Anti-Zoom.

"Like, totally." Anti-Stella responded.

"Hmm. Guyliner. He's a keeper!" Stella dead-panned.

"Hey! I do not wear eyeliner!" Anti-Zoom defended himself.

"Go swimming with your mascara on then? Don't worry, all us girls have been there." Stella said smugly.

"Babe! She's like, totally trashing me!" Anti-Zoom complained.

"Not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Not that you seem to care about sharpness." Stella drew a finger along her inner wrist, and her Anti's eyes widened as she grasped the meaning of the gesture.

"So, now you're saying I cut myself?"

"Girl, please. You're more emo than ANTI-Tezz!" Anti-Tezz gave a small huff and eye roll at this.

"At least I'm not a preppy, pom-pom'ed blonde!"

"At least I'm not more fake than Lindsay Lohan!"

"Oh, I'M fake?"

"Where'd you get your hair done, your bathroom sink?" Stella asked smugly. Her
Anti turned to Anti-Zoom.

"Can you like, take her out?"

"I dunno, babe, she's kinda turning me on." He shrugged, infuriating Zoom, who had returned with the Key.

"Hey, hands off!"

"Oh, you wanna fight for her now?" His Anti responded. Stella sighed.

"Puh-lease. Could you be any more eighteenth century?" She said, hopping on the back of the Chopper. "Sorry, but yellow is the new black." The BF5 laughed and followed her and Zoom as they drove into the portal.