Hey guys! I'm just gonna stop making promises I won't be able to keep, but I finally managed to finish "A new enemy".
'Getting Stronger' belongs to Gabriel Brown aka Blackgryph0n, 'Wild Kratts' belongs to the Kratt Brothers and to 9 Story Entertainment, Yami belongs to me.
Truth can be deceiving
"What do you mean?" Chris gasped, remembering what she had told him.
She groaned, her skin flickering to reveal her true form. "It's – arrgh – the Stone. I feel its power close by..." Suddenly, she launched herself past him and leapt out of the window, running into the forest.
He lingered for a few seconds, asking himself if he should follow her, but he decided that if she were to need help he should be close by. So he ran out of the front door, Martin looking after him.
"Chris, where're you going?" he yelled. But his brother couldn't hear him anymore. Martin was barely able to make out another figure he reckoned was Yami. "I'll follow them in case they're in trouble!"
"Martin, I think you should give them some privacy." Aviva tried to change his mind, but he was already outside, running after Chris. "Ugh. Why do I even bother?" She couldn't help but smile. They all knew that Martin had become very protective, but besides that there was nothing that could satisfy his curiosity.
After running as far away as she could, Elliana collapsed on the ground, unable to move anymore. The pressure on her mind had become unbearable, but she had to keep fighting. She knew exactly what she was capable of and if the beast was unleashed, who knew how much damage she would do? Until now, nobody had been able to defeat her in battle when she was in that state of mind.
"Elliana, where are you?" Chris yelled. She had taken off so fast that he had only been able to follow her thanks to his sense of smell. But since she was a robot, it was very weak and after a few minutes he had already lost her trace. He had almost given up upon finding her when he suddenly saw her lying on the ground. He got closer, his heart beating fiercely in his chest, but when she slowly stood up he could see that she was somehow different. Different...and horribly familiar. He felt anger rising in his throat, memories resurfacing. Suddenly, falling to his knees, he grabbed his head as the being he had locked away started to free itself.
Song: Getting Stronger – Michelle Creber, Black Gryph0n, Baasik
He had stopped in his tracks when he saw both Chris and Yami collapsing, apparently in great pain. He wanted to help them, but there was something in the back of his mind, a presence he hadn't wanted to ever see again. He leaned against a tree, trying to fight it, but he didn't stand a chance. He was only able to send an alarm signal to the crew before his vision faded to red.
It was like she had been knocked over. Her vision was blurry, but she was able to make out Chris who was lying a few feet away from her, and Martin who had apparently followed them. She wanted to run away to protect them, but something else was controlling her movements.
Yami: My return is a mystery, thought you had control of me. I'm offended that you're so surprised. That first defeat was a practice round, but I've pulled myself off the ground and I've already planned your demise.
Stonebreaker: I won't stop fighting cause I'm not done yet. You're gonna regret. This time, I won't let you forget.
Hikari: You're not gonna get away this time. I'll strike when you're blind. You'll awake just to find you are mine.
Stonebreaker: You thought you won, thought the battle was over but I
Yami: I!
Stonebreaker: I!
Yami: I'm just getting stronger!
Stonebreaker: Enjoy you freedom. It won't last much longer 'cause I
Yami: I!
Stonebreaker: I!
Yami: I keep getting stronger!
Hikari: When the sky turns to grey, when the light fades away
Yami: You will say I just keep getting stronger.
Stonebreaker: You can try to prepare or attack if you dare.
Yami: I don't care, 'cause I'm just getting stronger!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami: I!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami: I'm just getting stronger!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami: I!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami: I'm just getting stronger!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami: I!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami: I'm just getting stronger!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami: I!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami: I'm just getting stronger!
Yami and Stonebreaker: I am the nightmare that replays in your head, I am the shadow lurking under your bed. And when I lose it's never really the end, you should have known I'd have a plan for revenge.
All: And I won't stop fighting cause I'm not done yet. You're gonna regret. This time, I won't let you forget. You're not gonna get away this time. I'll strike when you're blind. You'll awake just to find you are mine.
Stonebreaker: You thought you won, thought the battle was over but I
Yami: I!
Stonebreaker: I!
Yami: I'm just getting stronger!
Stonebreaker: Enjoy you freedom. It won't last much longer 'cause I
Yami: I!
Stonebreaker: I!
Yami: I keep getting stronger!
All: When the sky turns to grey, when the light fades away, you will say I just keep getting stronger. Stronger everyday...stronger everyday...
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami: I!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami, Stonebreaker and Hikari: I keep getting stronger!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami: I!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami, Stonebreaker and Hikari: I keep getting stronger!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: 'Cause I!
Yami: I!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami, Stonebreaker and Hikari: I keep getting stronger!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami: I!
Stonebreaker and Hikari: I!
Yami, Stonebreaker and Hikari: I keep getting stronger!
'No, impossible!' she thought, trying to regain control, but Yami was too strong. 'We had an agreement!'
'Did you really think I would listen to you?' Her body walked over to a tree. 'Do you even know how it is? Always having to settle with being second, just witnessing what you're doing? But now I'm finally powerful enough!' The wood cracked as Yami hit it with her claws and ripped off a big chunk, showering Chris with splinters.
"Well, well, well." she whispered, pushing his body with her foot. "It seems that he has passed out. Let's have some fun, shall we?"
'Don't you dare touch him!' Elliana's outburst made Yami stumble backwards, and the young girl hoped that she would perhaps be able to stop her, but it was too late. Next to them, Chris stirred, fur growing on his arms and his ears moving to the back of his head, much pointier and covered in fur. At the same time, Martin's face was covered in blue lines as the edges on his arm grew sharper.
'Stonebreaker...and Hikari!' Horror clouding her mind, she remembered their last battle. At the time, she had been able to save Martin and Chris, but now that she was trapped herself she didn't know what to do.
Stonebreaker's eyes opened, revealing glowing red irises. "YOU!" he roared, sprinting towards Yami, but the cyborg was too fast. "That was the last time you stopped me. I know exactly that you helped him, but I will end you now!" He extended his claws and even managed to dent her armour, but she pushed him back, snickering.
"Oh, you mean Elliana? Don't worry, she won't bother you anymore. But it has been so long that I haven't been able to destroy anything, you will be the perfect playmate!" She tried to rip his throat open, but was stopped by a blue blade held against her throat.
"You're only N.2, it won't take long to annihilate you. But N.1 belongs to me." His cold blue pupils just stared at her, but his voice revealed his anger. She evaded the blade before he could do any damage and leapt backwards, before making her own blade appear. They circled each other, both looking for the perfect angle to attack their opponent. Meanwhile, Stonebreaker shook his head, recognizing his enemies. Both of them had hurt him, stopped him from taking over and satisfy his thirst for blood, and both of them would pay! With a deep growl, he leapt towards Hikari, plunging his teeth into his shoulder. The cyborg let out a horrible scream, halfway between a human scream and the sound of a chainsaw, before attacking the werewolf. His own claws extended between his fingers and he instantly focused on the enemy in front of him, ripping through the first bit of fur he saw.
Stonebreaker howled, blood dripping down his face and into his eyes, but it didn't matter that he couldn't see. His hearing let him evade the next blow and he attacked a second time, his nose leading him towards the smell of the blood now dripping from the cyborg's shoulder. He had completely forgotten about Yami, Hikari was the one he wanted dead more than anything! Something in his head, another presence, was fighting him, trying to pull him away from that cyborg, but he ignored it, storming towards him once more.
Blood was covering his claw. He stared at it, a thought smashing its way through his head. Your brother's blood. Your blood! His power was weakening, sadness and anger filling his mind. Anger against himself. A wail came from inside, fighting its way out before escaping his lips.
Yami's ears perked. She had been frozen in place by Stonebreaker's attack, Elliana's anger being too strong. 'How can I be defeated by a simple instinct?' she scolded herself, but now she heard a different voice, a voice she had already heard. The memory of claws ripping through her shoulder and filling her body with poison came back, fuelling her rage. Her blade appeared once more and she leapt past Hikari, him deflecting her blade so quickly that nobody could see it. She landed behind him as his shirt was slowly getting soaked with blood. Nobody was a match for her. She hadn't been able to get her revenge when and the way she had wanted to, but it finally was the time.
Stonebreaker licked his lips, the smell of blood giving him back his strength. His right eye was still caked with dried blood, but he didn't care. The hunter had awoken, eyeing his weakened prey. Hikari had collapsed on the ground, blood covering the grass. He went closer, thinking of the best way to deal the final blow without having his prey tense up, he didn't like it when the flesh was too chewy.
Hikari was gasping for air, the lines on his face slowly fading. He heard his enemy N.1 coming closer, even though the voice in his head kept insisting that it was Chris. "What a pity." he heard Yami behind him, but was already too weak to turn around. "Killed by your own brother. Dying with a sense of betrayal." Her quiet laugh filled his ears. "Much easier than I thought! Now you finally know how it feels, how I feel!" Rage welled up inside him. He would not give up like this! N.2 wasn't supposed to be able to defeat him!
Suddenly, there was another presence, one he didn't know. The thoughts repeated themselves over and over again, weak, but he was unable to ignore them. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I...He lifted his head, but let it fall down again, pain drilling through his skull. He saw N.1 come closer, eyes glowing, his fangs glistening in the moonlight. Both presences inside him grew stronger with every step the werewolf took towards him, before the lines completely disappeared. His eyes turned back to normal as the darkness was too weak to fight anymore, but he could only mumble before the werewolf put a claw against his throat and he blacked out. "Chris..."
He had been ready to kill his opponent when he heard the voice, mumbling a name he despised. He wanted to get this over with so he could finally move on to the other one, but the presence inside him was growing, strengthened by the will to protect the one before him. "Get out!" he growled, but it didn't back down.
"What's taking so long? Kill him already!" Yami's voice sounded clearly through the air. He snarled, jumping to his feet.
"Why should I take any orders from YOU?" He attacked her, his claws making sparks as they scraped across the hard surface of her body. "I'm the only one who can decide when to kill!"
She narrowed her eyes, scolding herself. She had been so close, yet her impatience had once more been too strong. The werewolf kept attacking her, but Elliana somehow managed to stop her from inflicting too much damage, so they ended up sparring, none of them able to take the upper hand.
He had tried to bite her arm with which she was holding him away when suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He wanted to whirl around but two strong arms wrapped around his torso, pulling him close.
"Please, Chris, you have to fight him! You were already strong enough once, you can do it again!" Martin whispered, his blood dripping from his wound. He had used his last bit of strength to walk over to his brother, but now, he felt empty...so empty...
Stonebreaker snarled, looking at the man who had fallen on the ground, but before he could attack him once more light filled his mind.
"You won't hurt him anymore!" Chris yelled, locking Stonebreaker away. It had taken him all of the things he had learned from Elliana and taught himself and he knew that he was still vulnerable, but it would have to do for now. He had to find a way to heal Martin before the blood loss killed him, but if he didn't manage to bring Elliana back it wouldn't matter anyway.
"Hmph. I should have known you would be incompetent. Humans have oh so many flaws..." he froze as he heard her voice behind him. Stonebreaker tried to come out once more, but Chris pushed him back. "It seems like I have to take matters into my own hands once more."
He turned around to face her, her metallic body pulsating with purple energy. "But – but you're a human yourself..." he managed to say, before she hit him across the chest, making him fall to the ground. He scurried towards his brother, trying to shield his body from her attacks.
"Me, a human? Pathetic." she hissed. "I have the power of a beast inside me! I have enhanced my abilities with technology! I. Am. Perfection!"
With these words, she grew bigger, stronger. Her eyes glowed fiercely as her limbs were covered in razor sharp spikes, and both her hands had turned into long, powerful claws. The proportions of her body changed, resembling those of an animal more than those of a human. Chris gasped as an inhuman growl filled the air, resonating in his ears. He quickly covered them, remembering her story. Did the clan turn her into this? How could they possibly beat her?
The beast lift its arm, ready to rip the two men apart. The claws were glistening unnaturally, covered in a liquid. The poison! Chris thought. But it didn't matter anyway. In her current state, Yami would be able to kill both of them in one blow. He closed his eyes and hugged Martin one last time, preparing himself to die as the claws came down...
But the pain didn't come. Instead, the beast howled again, raging, but it sounded muffled. He slowly opened his eyes, blinded at first by a bright turquoise light, but after blinking a few times he could see what was stopping the beast. A shield of light had formed around them, protecting them from the attacks. The monster was still clawing at it, but the shield was too powerful. Suddenly, the beast was also trapped in a sphere of light, stopping its movements. It roared and howled, trying to get free. Chris froze as he was separated from Martin and got trapped in his own sphere, instantly starting to pound on the walls.
"Hey, let me out! I have to help Martin!" he yelled, hoping that he could be heard.
"Don't worry, Martin will be fine. I'm healing him right now." a voice said.
"Aviva?" He had recognized the voice, calming down instantly. He saw Martin's sphere spraying the new antidote onto his wound before wrapping bandages around his waist, but frowned, tapping the surface of the shield. "What is that?"
"It's a new material we've been developing together to help you. It is extremely resistant but can change its shape according to our needs, and it absorbs the energy of any hits it takes. Not even Hikari's blade could cut through it!" she explained, her hologram appearing next to him. "Sorry that we had to separate you, but it's for your own good."
He nodded. "Yeah, I know." Had he still been under Stonebreaker's control, he could have easily killed his brother. "How did you find us?"
"Martin sent us an alarm signal. We'll bring you back to the Tortuga, but we have to figure something out to help Yami." He looked over, expecting to find the beast, but it had already turned back. The cyborg was standing there, holding her head, her mouth open in an inaudible scream.
In the Tortuga, Martin was already recovering. Thanks to their new medicine, they had been able to close up the wound and replace the blood he had lost. Chris never left his side until he opened his eyes, unable to talk about what had happened, what he had been about to do. Martin didn't say anything either, just carefully touching the bandage covering Chris' right eye. They hadn't been able to use the medicine on his wound because they feared it would damage the eye even further, he didn't even know whether he would be able to see properly ever again. Even though what they developed was amazing, it couldn't make limbs regrow.
Yami had collapsed inside her shield when they walked closer. Chris looked at Koki, who shook her head. Apparently, she was still fighting the darkness, but at least Yami hadn't been able to take over completely.
Suddenly, he remembered what she had said. The Clan...it's back! Yami had been able to break out because Elliana's anger had come back. But now that she was separated from the outside world, perhaps she wasn't able to feel that power anymore! But that meant that she wouldn't be able to leave the sphere until they had found wherever that power was coming from.
"OK, who volunteers to take over the first shift?" Koki's voice snapped him back into reality. They had decided to guard her, in case she woke back up, so they could help her immediately. He knew that if she would lose her fight, he would be in constant danger as well. Though he had managed to regain control once more, Stonebreaker was still lurking in the back of his mind, waiting for a moment of weakness. He had to help her win to save the team.
"I'll do it!" he said. The others looked at him, questions in their eyes. He knew exactly that they were thinking about Stonebreaker as well, but he hoped that they would understand.
"Are you sure about that?" Jimmy asked. Chris nodded.
"I think I might be the only one able to help her."
For the rest of the night he sat next to her sphere, but the closer the sunrise came, the more he got unsure about his idea. He knew that she loved him, and if her love towards Bartholomew had managed to defeat the beast so many years ago, he hoped that their relation would manage to bring her back. But the love between her and her old friend had gone both ways. He didn't know how he felt about her. He didn't know if the feelings he had had towards her were love. He didn't know whether it was Stonebreaker who kept pulling him away from her, or himself.
Suddenly, her eyes fluttered open. He instantly touched the sphere with his hands, forming 'Are you alright?' with his lips. She was still shaking, her eyes darting left and right, apparently still fighting the darkness.
He knew she needed stability, stability he could give her. Seeing her in so much distress, he was overwhelmed by the need to protect her, to defeat the darkness in her place. Suddenly, it dawned upon him. He really did love her. He had only felt that same way once, when Martin had been in danger, the pain and rage that kept him going, that made him powerful enough to offer protection.
"Elliana." he whispered. She looked into his eyes, able to hear him even through the material. "I – I love you. I know I didn't give you an answer last time, but now I'm sure about it!"
She didn't say a word, just lifted her hand, wanting to touch his. They were still separated, but he could feel power running through her arm and suddenly, everything went black.
"Why do you fight me? I saved you from the Clan, I gave you the power to destroy it! I am stronger than you!" He heard the voice, but couldn't see who it belonged to. Then, he gasped.
A huge Beast made out of black smoke was standing above Elliana, clawing at her. She had managed to keep it away with a light purple shield, but it was weakening, cracks appearing on it's surface. He ran over to her, and just as he reached her, the shield shattered.
"NO!" he roared, throwing himself in front of her. He waited for the Beast to smash him to pieces, but instead, a green shield appeared in front of him, deflecting its claws. Instantly, Elliana stood next to him, strengthening his shield with her own powers. She looked at him, infinite gratitude in her eyes. Together, they drove the Beast back and bound it, making it impossible for it to escape its cage.
"I won't let you destroy me once again." she whispered, before everything was enveloped by a white light.
The next morning, Jimmy came to take over the next shift and found her outside the sphere. Panicked, he wanted to get away to warn the others, but Chris assured him that everything was alright. Still, he told him to get the others, because she wanted to tell them something.
"Are you really sure about that?" he had asked her, but she had just nodded. Now that everybody had seen the Beast, they all had to know where it had come from. She knew that she risked losing their trust because she had so much blood on her hands. Nobody would trust a killer. But this was a relatively safe environment for her. The technology was sophisticated enough to contain her, and here, she finally found the love and the feeling of friendship she had been looking for ever since the Clan had taken her away. Finally, the others entered and sat down, and Aviva appeared on the screen. She took a deep breath, telling herself once more that this was the right decision, and started.
"Are you – are you saying that they are still out there?" Aviva was completely taken aback by what she had just heard. Elliana hesitated.
"They must be. The source isn't strong, but it's definitely the Stone's radiation, and The Clan, Martin and me are the only ones who have ever been in contact with it long enough and intensely enough for our bodies to put out the radiation as well. But since me and Martin only use one half of it, we...it's difficult to describe...we both "feel" different. What I'm feeling right now is definitely a member of The Clan." she explained.
Jimmy had covered his mouth, horrified by what they had done. Koki swallowed before asking: "Do you think they...this person is dangerous?"
Elliana frowned. "Even after the facility exploded, they were still planning. I destroyed them so they couldn't finish their work, but if this member still has knowledge of their plans, these informations could get into the wrong hands very quickly. Someone with bad intentions and enough resources could do horrible things..." It went silent for a second. "I have to destroy this person."
"Wait, isn't this a bit...radical?" Martin asked. "Killing isn't always the answer."
"I know." She rubbed her eye. "But what can we do? We can't let them go free for obvious reasons. We can't send them into prison because we have no proof we can use against them, and we don't have the ability to contain them ourselves forever. I can't show my abilities as proof because I would just end up inside a laboratory for people to find out how to change a human, and that would be identical to letting that person go free." The others went silent, realizing she was right. All of this was too dangerous for the outside world to know.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Chris carefully grabbed her wrist. But she shook her head. "No. I must do this alone." She left, preparing herself.
"It will happen at nightfall."
She hurried through the woods, leaping from tree to tree, always following the trail of energy. She felt Yami stirring inside her, but her defences were too strong. Still, she didn't know whether she would be able to kill once more. 'Come on!' she urged herself. 'Just one more time and it will be over.'
Finally, she felt like she had reached the source. Hiding in a treetop, she heard footsteps coming closer and closer, almost running.
"Come on, Ronan! I saw the Tortuga land there just yesterday evening. Mum said we could visit them if we're back by dinner."
She froze, peeking through the leaves. 'A child!' she thought, her resolve fading instantly. 'I can't kill a child!' She sat there for a second before hurrying back to tell the Team.
Chris was waiting alongside her in her room while the others greeted the children. He had already told her that they were Gavin and Ronan, two Wild Kratt Kids, but she still didn't understand why the energy was emanating from them. She heard Koki and Aviva explaining what had happened to her and Jimmy, earning concerned looks at first, but being stormed by questions about how it was afterwards.
"So, do you think you are ready?" Chris asked. Elliana nodded, hoping that she wouldn't lose control. The young man quickly told his brother through his mind that they would come out and Martin started to tell them who she was.
"She joined us some time ago because she also wanted to help people and animals in need. She's great at using and inventing technology, so she can now help with the work Aviva would have usually done."
"Of course, she isn't replacing me, she just brought new sets of skills into the Team." Aviva added, before Chris and Elliana came in. She felt the pressure in her mind, glad that Chris was next to her to give her the strength she needed to stay in control, but smiled at the boys. They returned her smile and went up to her to greet her.
"Hello Elliana, my name is Gavin and this is my brother Ronan." the taller one said while the younger one waved to her shyly. "It's nice to meet you!"
She blushed slightly as her fear of talking to strangers started rising up, but she fought it back down. "Thanks, it's nice to meet you, too." Pausing for a second, she tried to think of something to talk about. "Tell me, for how long have you been members of the Wild Kratts Kids? You seem to know the Tortuga rather well."
Gavin's face lit up. "Oh yeah, that was definitely one of the best days of my life! You see, it was when we moved here, a couple of years ago. We kind of live in the middle of the woods so we didn't have any neighbours, and no other children we could play with. The kids at school weren't really open at first and we were too shy to talk to them, but one day, some of them with a few others we had never met came down to the lake nearby to watch the migrating birds land. We had always been interested in animals so we both tagged along, and at the end of the day we had found lots of new friends! And after we joined the club, we – "
"Gavin, Ronan, it's dinnertime!" a voice from outside called.
"That's mum! Shoot, we completely forgot the time. I'm sorry, but we gotta go." Gavin started walking down the ramp, his little brother following him. Elliana came with them. She wanted to meet new people, now that she finally was a full member of the team. Outside, there was a woman with long blonde hair and brown eyes, eyes filled with love for her children. But when she saw Elliana, it instantly changed.
Both of them froze, panic rising inside their chests. 'No! It can't be!' Elliana thought, all of the memories she made while travelling with the survivors resurfacing. She now knew exactly why Gavin had felt like a member of the clan, because he technically was! He might have never met them, but having been born to Clan members and being exposed to the Stone until she destroyed the facility made him absorb enough power to make her mistake him for a fully fledged member.
"Elli! How nice to see you again!" The woman's voice snapped her out of it, and she realized that they must have stood there for quite some time.
"Mom? You know her?" Gavin asked. Elliana was still too stricken to react, but, luckily, she saved her.
"Yes, of course! Elli and I have been in the same gymnastics group for ages, but we kind of lost contact in the past few years." She blinked at the younger woman, making her understand what she was doing.
Elliana ran up to her and hugged her, hearing her whisper "Later.". She had to act natural, but from the corner of her eye she saw Chris tilt his head in confusion. He knew exactly that she hadn't been in any groups, and she hoped that he would play along until she could discuss the situation with Gavin's mother.
Now that she thought of it, it surprised her that the woman had been able to react even faster than herself. The only explanation she had was that either she had been on her guard ever since they parted ways, or that she herself had been slowed down by the fear of her past. She scolded herself; this should not happen! Had she been in battle, she could have lost her life.
"Now come on, we have so much to talk about!" Elliana exclaimed, taking her hand and leading her away from the Tortuga. She called out to the boys, telling them to wait for her at home and followed her. 'Her name is Alice.' she suddenly recalled, the memory becoming clearer by the second. As they got further away, they started to slow down before coming to a stop by a fallen tree trunk.
"Alice, I...you...what are you doing here?" she barely managed to ask.
The woman grabbed her shoulders. "I could ask you the same question. This is the first time I've seen you in the Tortuga. What happened after you left us? How did you end up with the Wild Kratts Team?" Her eyes showed nothing but confusion, but then she sighed and let go of her. "Sorry, but seeing you again just made everything –"
"Come rushing back?" Elliana finished the sentence. Alice nodded. "I know, I felt the same."
"Even though it's been so many years, it still seems like you left us only yesterday." She smiled, but her eyes were broken. "I haven't been able to forget any of it, all of the torture we had to endure..." Her voice cracked. "I've tried to hide it from them. Gavin has no memory of our journey and Ronan was born in the village that we found, but I fear that, one day, I will have to tell them the truth. We moved here a couple of years ago because I hoped it would help me forget, but it seems like every time I look at him I feel the pain once more." She broke down, crying, Elliana trying to support her.
'She must have kept all of this to herself for all these years.' she thought, sadness growing inside her heart. But another thought started forming inside her head. The only reason she felt that way when she looked at her son could be that she was able to feel the radiation as well and that it reminded her of the time they were locked inside the lab and experimented upon. Would it help her to know that the Clan was completely eradicated? Or would the knowledge that she was a killer drive her away? Still, she had to tell her everything, even if that meant that she would lose her again.
There's more to him than you realise.
She froze, a vaguely familiar voice echoing inside her head. Where did she hear it before?
There were aeons in which the Stone was used for good. It is time that they return.
The first Guardian of the Stone! How was he able to talk to her? She only had one half of the Stone in her possession.
But before she could ask what he had meant, the presence in her mind vanished once more, leaving her confused. Was this a sign showing her to tell Alice the truth? If the Stone was to become important once more, it probably was best to let her know that the power she could sense wasn't a bringer of evil and darkness anymore.
"Alice?" She carefully touched her cheek and the woman looked up, the pain in her eyes making Elliana's heart sting. "Before I left, I told you that I was scared of accepting another family because I didn't want to lose them again, just like you right now are scared of your son. But now, I know that these fears are both wrong." She took a deep breath. "I will tell you a story, my story. When I finish you will hate me and forbid me to approach your son, even though I mean him no harm, but you will understand."
The moon had long risen when they finally left the forest, its pale light illuminating the Tortuga which stood in front of them. Alice did not say anything at first, but before Elliana could enter, she grabbed her wrist. Expecting a word of warning she tensed up, but the older woman instead pulled her into a tight hug.
"Ever since you saved us I was grateful to you. I knew that you had a good heart even if I was scared of your other form, and I knew how much you had lost. But still, it's you who is helping me, even though I should be stronger. I know I will never be able to return the favour, but there is one thing I can give you." she said, looking into her eyes. "Trust. If you say that you will not harm Gavin, I believe you. Now that we both know that the Clan is no more it will be easier to hide his true past."
Elliana nodded carefully, not sure about those last words. What the first Guardian had told her still preoccupied her thoughts, but right now she couldn't do anything about it.
When they opened the door she saw that Ronan had fallen asleep, Koki carefully stroking his hair, while Gavin was talking to Martin.
"Mom!" The young boy jumped up as soon as he noticed them. "What did you do so long?" He ran up to her and took her hand.
Ronan's eyes fluttered open and he lifted his head. "Can we get dinner now?" he asked, tiredness in his voice.
Their mother laughed and tried to straighten Gavin's messy hair while he tried to duck away from her. "Of course. Sorry, but we just had so much to talk about. She moved away before you could meet her, but she helped me take care of you when you were a baby. You probably won't remember her, you were too young at the time."
Now he was looking at the young woman and slightly squinted his eyes as if he tried to remember her, and for one second it seemed like he was much older, much wiser, but the moment passed before she could be sure of it.
"Well, you should better go home now, both of you look exhausted." Chris urged, helping Ronan stand up before he was picked up by his mother. He wasn't able to answer, he had fallen asleep again. His mother agreed and she went home, followed by her eldest.
Once they were out of sight Chris turned towards Elliana, demanding answers. She breathed out, not realising how tense she had been. "Yes, I know now why he reminds me of the Clan." she said, anticipating his question. "It turns out that he is the baby I rescued from the facility. His mother did not tell him anything about what happened, but...I am afraid we'll have to."
Martin furrowed his brow. "But why? Wouldn't it be better for him not to know that his parents most likely were mad scientists thirsting for power?"
"Of course!" Yami started pacing. "But there must be a reason I was only able to sense him now. He never came into contact with the Stone again after I left them, and yet his radiation suddenly became powerful enough for me to feel it once more." She did not want tell them about the first Guardian, not yet. First, she wanted to find out what he had meant. "Can you call his mother tomorrow morning? I have to ask her first, even though she probably won't approve."
"Are you kidding? Of course she won't!" Had she been able to, Aviva would have facepalmed. "If you tell him, his entire life, everything his mother told him, all of it will crumble. His psyche won't be able to take the hit, he'll hate all of us forever for taking everything away from him, or even worse, he'll fall into a spiral of nothingness, questioning everything he thought he knew. He might even try to follow in the footsteps of his parents, becoming heartless and cold! We have no right to destroy a life just to solve a puny mystery, that's why we invented the scanners. That way we can have a look inside an animal's body without actually having to look inside its body. We cherish life in all its forms."
Elliana stopped dead in her tracks. Seldom had she seen Aviva this energetic. She felt coldness creep into her chest. She had been ready to kill him! Even after she stopped herself from killing his body she would have destroyed his mind without thinking about any consequences. Had the Beast managed to poison her mind? It had only controlled her for a few moments, but still...
...Could it be that it had been enough?
The next day, the two boys came back to show the Team a bird feeder they had built themselves. This time, Elliana stayed hidden, just to be sure. She didn't want to make a mistake that she wouldn't be able to fix. But even when she couldn't see him now, something in his eyes had been familiar. His radiation which she now knew the origin of suddenly felt different. It was still the Clan, that was undeniable, but there was something else. The first Guardian's words echoed in her mind.
There's more to him than you realise.