Afterlight
Chapter Fourteen
"One should avoid carrying out an experiment requiring more than 10 per cent accuracy."
― Walther Nernst
"Good work, kiddo. You'll be better than me in no time," My mother ruffled my hair affectionately, "Go on and get changed before your birthday lunch. Eight years old and you're already spinning around the air like you were meant to be there."
"Because I am!" I chirped happily and ducked underneath my mother's hand, racing off to our trailer.
The trailer was right next to the Grayson trailer, which housed the Flying Graysons, some of the best in the world. Dick, the son of the famed Grayson couple and my best friend, was perched on the roof. He waved at me and flipped off, landing in a puff of dust from the sandy lot we were in.
"What's…up?" Dick's heavy accent made me grin. I was teaching him English in exchange for lessons in his native language.
"Mom told me to get changed. We're having a birthday lunch!" I exclaimed, grabbing Dick's hands and spinning him around.
"Can I go?" Dick asked eagerly. I was about to respond when Dick's mother walked out.
"Later, my little robin. We have practice," She teased him, "Happy birthday, Kyara. We'll give you your present tonight, and a little lesson on the trapeze too."
My eyes went wide, "Really? I can't wait."
"Seven hours," She said mischievously, "Come on, Dick. You have to fix that flip of yours."
"Awe," He said, disappointment in his voice, "Later, Ky!"
I waved at good bye and sprinted into my trailer, slamming the door shut behind me. I eagerly pulled my leggings and shirt off, tugging my hair out of my hair tie and ruffling through my dresser for clean clothing. I ignored the sparks of light that kept appearing in my vision and tugged my clothes on.
Bouncing over to the mirror, I adjusted my clothes and hair, smiling at the way I seemed to sparkle in the dim lighting of the room. It was my eighth birthday, and I was going to have fun. Heck, the Graysons had promised me a lesson on the trapeze. This was perfect.
Turning towards the door, my elbow caught a small statue sitting on the vanity. It shattered against the floor, the shards piercing my feet and legs. I screamed and stumbled back as blood began to drip out of the cuts. I tripped over my feet and knocked against the dresser, which began to sway with the force of my fall. Too late, I released that it was falling onto me.
A screech flew from my lips as I fell into a crouch, arms flying up to cover my face. As if that would stop the dresser from crushing me. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the hit to come. I heard the creaking of the wood, and splinters flying against the walls as the old wood shattered, but nothing ever hit me.
"Huh?" I cautiously opened my eyes, and squeaked in surprise.
A golden shield covered me like a giant bubble, sparkling against the dusty wood and darkness of the trailer. I slowly stood, gasping when the bubble stretched to accommodate my taller form. I pressed a hand against the bubble, feeling the warmth of the…light.
Curiosity filled me as I prodded at the bubble with a finger. It burst into a puff of golden powder that floated down to cover me. I attempted to gather some in my hands, but it was like nothing was truly there. I darted through the wreckage of the dresser, intent on telling my mother about what had just happened.
Just before I reached the door, my legs gave out as all the energy in my body left me. A second later, my skin began to itch, and then burn. I weakly lifted a hand to look at it, whimpering when I saw that it was glowing. I looked at my arms and legs and saw that they were as bright as my hands.
I threw back my head and screamed as the pain seared my insides. Light flared from my body, washing the walls with a golden glow and shattering pictures. I wept bitterly as I struggled to stop it, on the verge of panic.
"Kyara! Where are you?" The trailer door was yanked open by my mother, who flung herself inside and slammed the door shut behind her.
She approached me slowly, ducking under beams of light. I scrambled away, afraid of hurting her, but she continued to advance despite my alarm. She held her hands out in a placating gesture, "Shh, it's okay. Focus on me, that's it. My voice, only my voice."
My mother kept on talking as she walked closer and crouched beside me. I let her voice consume my thoughts, and surprise twisted through me when I realized that the light was dying away. When it was all gone, she pulled me into a hug.
"What was that?" I whimpered into her shoulder.
"I don't know, but we'll figure it out," She promised me, "You'll be alright."
She frowned and tightened her arms around me, repeating her words, "You'll be alright."
I jerked awake, gasping for breath in the cramped space of my pod. The restraints were still wrapped around my wrists and legs, although the one around my stomach had been removed. I pushed against them, a cry of fear erupting from my throat when they wouldn't open. I attempted to break them with my powers, but they refused to work.
Panic consumed as I felt for my light. I could always feel it at my core, but now it was missing. Oh God, the Reach had taken it, hadn't they? They had taken away my identity so that they could make me their own. No, I couldn't let anyone do that, not again.
I pushed against my restraints again, and felt something inside of me change. The lights in the pod flared before dying, and I felt the restraints on me lose power so that they were useless pieces of thin metal. My senses flared up, strength returning to me in a sudden burst at the same moment the lights died. Sparks burst from the pod's sensors, and I could see the same happening in the lab.
In a surge of movement, I pushed against the restraints, and this time, I felt my powers burning in my core. My light snapped the thin metal and blew the door off its hinges. I stumbled out of the pod, sensors falling off of me. I only made it a few feet before I collapsed, my escape having exhausted me.
"Oblivion, what are you doing out of your pod?" Scientist snapped as she ran into the room. I struggled to focus on her, my vision growing hazy.
"I don't know," I admitted, "I-I don't feel good."
I sagged to the floor, black roaring through my mind.
April 20, 2016
"Bow before the Demon and his heir," The guard ordered me as he dragged me into what I had affectionately dubbed the "throne room."
"My masters," I pressed my fist to my heart and bowed deeply before kneeling in front of them.
Talia and Ra's al Ghul appraised me with cold eyes. A few months after being taken in by them, I had already shown my willingness to learn from them. The bow was a sign of respect that I had refused to do in my previous encounter with them before joining the Team. I had accepted my place within the League of Assassins.
"Kyara Wayne, the Astra," Ra's al Ghul's voice mocked me. He paused, "But no longer. You have been reborn as someone else, as something else."
"Now that your powers have settled and you have been reconditioned, it is time for you to start your training," I stiffened in surprise, "I will not be your mentor. It is rare that I take on an apprentice, and that apprentice is always meant to be my successor."
"My daughter has offered to be your mentor," I couldn't help myself, a gasp flew from my lips.
"Don't look so surprised, child. I see potential in you, now that you have been changed," Talia al Ghul spat, "I will shape you into something that is of use to the League of Assassins."
"Thank you, mentor," I whispered, "I will do all I can to be shaped to the League's ideas."
"Hmph," Talia turned to the guard waiting behind me, "Get her cleaned up and fitted in the clothes of an apprentice. We start training tomorrow."
"Rise, apprentice to the heir," Ra's al Ghul ordered, "And be rested, for tomorrow your life begins anew."
I rose and bowed again. The guard guided me from the room, this time allowing me to walk on my own. Although I had seemed impartial to being trained, my heart was pounding and my hands were shaking. I shook my head sadly at the idea of being trained. I was one step closer to being a killer.
BREAK
"What are you doing? I taught you how to get out of this hold months ago!" Talia snapped as she pinned me against the wall.
"I know!" I shouted as I broke out of her hold, pushing her back with a ball of light that pushed her against the other wall.
I flipped forward, landing in a crouch that mirrored Talia's. She nodded in approval and struck, forcing me to leap back. We exchanged blows that were hard and fast, designed to eliminate opponents as quickly as possible. I wasn't fast enough though, and Talia knocked me to the ground with a punch that left me disoriented.
"Better," She drawled, "While I would like to have us spar another round, the Demon has something else in store for you."
"What?" I asked cautiously.
"It is one of the many tests that apprentices go through," Talia explained, "One of the most important. Come."
We walked through the empty halls, the apprentices in various classes and training simulations. The few people that walked past us nodded in respect. I nodded back, although Talia ignored them with the attitude of someone who knew that she was above them all. She only dropped her attitude when we entered the throne room, respect scrawled across her features.
"Father," She bowed shallowly as I sunk to the floor in a familiar salute.
"Talia, is she ready?" Ra's al Ghul didn't acknowledge me, directing his question towards his daughter.
"Yes, we cannot wait any longer," Talia confirmed, "It is time."
"Then we shall proceed. Apprentice, do you know why you are here?" I jumped as Ra's al Ghul addressed me.
"No, I do not," I admitted, not daring to meet his eyes.
"It is a test to prove your loyalty, that you will never question your orders. Bring out the prisoner," Ra's al Ghul directed the order towards the guards behind me.
They disappeared and came back a minute later with a hooded and shackled man in tow. The man stumbled and fell as the guards pushed him forward. I leaned back in disgust as he almost hit me. The guards yanked the hood off, revealing a man in his fifties.
"This man has been sentenced to die. You will be his executioner," Ra's al Ghul said bluntly, "Stand, and carry out the order."
"I-" I hesitated as I stood, "Yes, I will."
I swallowed dryly and twisted my hand to the side, the sword that formed gleaming in my hand. I stepped up to the prisoner, who was kneeling on the floor. Dry sobs shook his body, and he looked up at me with pleading eyes, "Please, I didn't mean to. Please, my family…"
My blood ran cold as I touched the blade to his neck. I couldn't take a life. It would destroy the last piece of Kyara. This man probably didn't even deserve it. It was wrong…it was inhuman. Only a mindless soldier would do this.
But wasn't that what I had become? I followed orders, I learned moves that would kill someone, and I carried out missions that indirectly caused deaths. I was no better than a mindless soldier. I was one, I had been for months. I had just been lying to myself. Kyara was gone, she had been gone for months.
I swallowed dryly and tightened my grip, raising the sword, "The League of Assassins has sentenced you to die by my sword. And…so you shall."
I swung the sword down, ending the man's scream before it could truly start. There was a sickening sound, a thud as his head hit the floor, and then nothing at all. I let my sword fall to the ground, watching as it shattered into stardust.
"Very good. You have proven yourself, for now," Ra's al Ghul nodded, "Return to your quarters and await further instructions."
"You have done well, my apprentice," Talia praised, "Continue to do that."
"Yes," I retreated, barely remembering to bow, and ran to my room.
I collapsed when I made it inside, barely managing to barricade the door with a block of light. I sobbed into my hands, weeping at what I had done. I had killed someone without even hesitating. God, I was a monster. They had made me into a monster, and that was what I would be for the rest of my life.
The next time I woke up, my pod was open, and I could hear the Reach chattering and clicking around me. The restraints were still on me, and I knew that they weren't there for my protection. I could feel the cold biting at my skin, directly opposite of the heat coiling itself at the back of my head.
I opened my eyes, the harsh light of the lab blinding me despite my powers. I closed my eyes as the clicking picked up speed, possibly from excitement or fear. I gasped, the urge to survive overriding every other instinct. My eyes flew open, just in time to spot the lab assistant approaching me with a syringe of some sort.
I screamed, the lights in the room dying in bursts of light. Everything was dangerous here. I couldn't trust anyone. I jerked forward, feeling every single machine in the room lose power as strength returned to me. I didn't understand. What was going on? What were these monsters doing to me?
Scientist yelled at an assistant, who grabbed a needle and rushed over to me. He plunged the needle into my arm, injecting the contents into my blood stream. Just as he pulled back, his glove rode up, his skin brushing against mine. My senses flared at the contact and I felt something connect us together.
The effect was instantaneous. The Reach assistant sagged, his eyes losing focus and his breathing stopping. I gasped at the sudden rush of adrenaline through me, my light suddenly crackling around me. It was like the last time I was awake, but it wasn't. I felt stronger than I had last time, like something inside of me was settling.
"Oblivion, listen to me," Scientist said calmly, "You have had a very dangerous procedure performed on you. Your powers have evolved and you're not ready to control them. We've injected you with a sedative that should take effect soon, but you must relax."
"Why? I feel…strong," I began to pull against my restraints, the metal creaking, "What did you do to me? How did I kill him?"
"Oblivion, focus. You need to relax," Scientist began, but I wasn't listening.
The burning pain was back, and it roared through my body. I arched my back and screamed, several of the Reach dropping to the ground, suddenly lifeless. Scientist stepped back in alarm and watched as I writhed in pain.
The pain continued, burning me up until I was nothing but a pile of ashes.
April 29, 2016
"Recognized Astra B10," I stepped into the Cave, the zeta beams dying away behind me.
"Kyara! You're back! Did you clear everything up with the League of Assassins?" M'gann stopped a few feet away from me, happiness radiating from her.
"I-yes, I think so. What's going on? I don't remember anything," I asked, taking a step towards her.
M'gann took a step back as she waved at Conner, who had stepped out of the kitchen. He smiled at me and grabbed M'gann's hand. She grinned and pecked him on the cheek before answering my question, "You must have hit your head."
"I don't think so," I admitted, "I'm really confused."
"Kyara, you're back," Zatanna led the rest of the original team into the room.
She stepped forward, arms open to pull me into a hug. I reluctantly accepted it, but the moment our skin made contact, something flared at the back of my mind. Zatanna slumped to the ground, suddenly boneless. I dropped to the floor beside her, frantically feeling for a pulse.
I couldn't find it.
"What did you do?" Artemis spat at me, "You killed her."
"No, I didn't. I swear," The last part came out as a scream, "I didn't kill her!"
I felt my mind give a tug as M'gann, Rocket, Artemis, Wally, and Conner fell to the ground. Their eyes were wide in death, even wider than my horrified eyes. I rushed over to them, dropping down beside Artemis, and attempted to resuscitate her.
"It's no use," Dick said quietly, "You killed her."
He reached for my shoulder. I batted his hands away, accidently brushing against his skin. Like all the others, he dropped to the floor. I felt stronger even as I attempted to revive him, and began to cry as I started chest compressions.
"Kyara that is enough. They are dead, because of you," I stopped and looked at Kaldur.
"I didn't mean to," I sobbed, "I don't know why this is happening. The Reach did something to me. Help me, please."
"Of course," He reached for his water bearers, "I will help you."
The water twisted into twin blades that he drove into my heart.
I screamed myself awake, head slamming into the back of my pod. Several lab assistants rushed out of the room, while Scientist stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with curiosity, "You are awake. Apologies for the new restraints. How do you feel?"
"Like I'm dying," I rasped, "What did you do to me?"
"We manipulated your meta-gene, and the results were not what we expected," Scientist said shrewdly, "While we successfully added an additional power onto your meta-gene, it caused your powers to go, for lack of a better term, haywire. Your powers are barely controllable now, especially your new one. This ruins the planned experiment."
"What is this new power?" I snapped at her, "Why can't I control it?"
"You can absorb energy, from anything, even a body. With time, you can control it, but it is dangerous for your skin to make direct contact with anything living. I do not know if you will ever be able to fully control your powers, or at least to an extent that allows you to touch another human," Scientist said lightly, "Your body is attempting to adjust to the changes we made, and if it does not accept them, anything around you will be in constant danger."
"H-How can I control it?" I gasped, pushing against my restraints. They didn't budge.
Her eyes gleamed, "I have a few ideas."