Hello everyone. Sorry again for the late update. Fanfiction is being a bit tricky because I was unable to log in for a while, not sure if you had that problem...But it's fix and here you are! The longest chapter I have ever written! Let's just hope we don't have any tech problems with the updating of this one. Well, you've waited long enough, ENJOY!
Bill stumbled into the room. Everywhere he stepped exuded richness. From the deep mahogany floors to the chandeliers that hung above the corridors like stars. Everything was so beautiful. When he rounded the corner to the living room he saw his family seated on the floor and available seats. A dark haired man dressed impeccably in a crisp white button down and black pants was taking handfuls of coins and bunching them in his fists. When he opened his palm again Bill was shocked to see what looked like a bomb in his hand. The man then passed it to the girl they had taken from the mansion, where she would fill it with a liquid that she seemed to grasp from the air. By her side, a girl with brilliant red curls watched the two of them with wide eyes.
"Bill!" Nina leapt up and hugged him, then helped him to the seat she was previously sitting in. "How are you feeling!"
"I am feeling fine Nina, I swear. What happened?"
"I was checking Thomson to see if you guys were coming back when I saw all the men moving towards you. So we went and collected the other two alphas and came to your rescue." Skylar said, not looking up to from where she and Tiana were drawing something up.
Dr. Rosen approached him and looked him over. Bill couldn't help but notice the old man's red rimmed eyes. The two old friends nodded to each other. Acknowledging that they were both thinking of a dark haired woman asleep somewhere in this strange house.
The impeccably dressed man rose to his feet. "Zachary Summers. Welcome to my home."
Bill nodded. The girl by his side, sitting cross legged on the plush carpet, raised her hand in greeting, her beautiful copper face splitting into a smile. "Belinda Luz. Glad you're feeling better!" Much to his surprise, strands of her dark hair turned a bright yellow.
"Gwen Everdeen." The red haired girl said with a shy smile.
"Doc, what's happening?"
Dr. Rosen returned to his seat before answering his old friend's question. He looked at every person in the room.
Cameron and Christopher pouring over a map on a large wooden table.
Tiana and Skylar muttering in quiet voices.
Zachary and Belinda making grenades in the corner, watched by Gwen.
Bill seated on a soft couch, Nina looking at him with worried eyes.
Rachel was in a comma somewhere in the mansion. Hazel hadn't left her side.
The doctor sighed, and for a moment felt a thousand years old.
"We storm Binghamton tomorrow. Red Flag is ready. We just have to get them an opening. "
"Tomorrow?" Bill's voice cracked. "Why so soon?"
"Because they won't be ready for us. " Skylar answered from the corner. "We have waited for too long. It's time to end this."
Bill nodded, closing his eyes to take in everything that had come his way in only a matter of minutes. Rachel in a comma. Three new alphas. The moment they had all been waiting for to happen the next day.
He opened his eyes and took a deep breath.
"So what's the plan?"
Belinda walked up the stairs that led to the roof of the mansion, two cups of cocoa in her hands. There he was. Seated on the shingled roof, legs dangling off the edge. Head in his tanned hands. She carefully made her way to him and sat down next to his still body. He accepted the cup of cocoa with a soft smile, but it was clear to her that he was lost in thoughts.
"I never got to thank you for saving my life."
"It was nothing. We were the ones who got you into that mess anyway."
She leaned back and looked at the dark sky.
"Isn't it amazing? How many stars you can see in the sky?"
He was quiet. She took a deep breath and stared into space as she tried to reach him the only way she could.
"When I was a little girl I never knew I was special. My ability only developed in my teens. You can imagine my surprise then. To go to sleep one day perfectly normal then wake the next morning with the ability to manipulate the molecules of the air. With my new ability, everything was clearer. Everything was sharper. I remember that day so vividly. It was the day I set my school on fire."
Christopher turned to her in surprise.
"Yes." She said with a bitter smile. "I had no idea of my power. I was toying with the different molecules I could see. I mixed the wrong chemicals and boom. Everything was gone. By best friend died in that explosion. The funny thing was people blamed me. I went to Juvie. A seventeen year old Latina girl..well let's just say didn't I fit in. But I had a way out. Agents from Red Flag found me. I thought my life was going to get better. They promised they would clear my record, in exchange for a highly explosive chemical. I worked months on it. I just wanted to start over. To forget what happened in only a matter of months. However it wasn't as easy as that. I found out what they planned to do with the chemical. They were going to blow up a mall. As a demonstration they said. I couldn't do that. Me? Murder innocent people? Never. So I destroyed the sample and I've been on the run ever since. I've become good at computers, it's helped me keep tabs on them, ensure that Red Flag agents don't ever come near me."
Belinda turned to him and put her hand on his shoulder. 'We've all led fucked up lives. But that's the part of what being an Alpha is. I doubt whatever is on your mind has more on my story."
Christopher smiled at her, this girl who he felt he could trust.
"You know, you remind me of her."
"Who?"
"Santa Maria Arrocha. Maria to me. She always preferred Maria. She has your ability to give hope when you can find none. "
He fell quiet and took a deep breath.
"She was my girlfriend. She was my life. And now she's rotting away in some cell where she is being experimented on like an animal."
"What happened?"
"I was a bad kid. I had a record. I was back from Juvie when I met her. At that time I thought that I had no future. My parents didn't even believe in me. The plan was I was going to die in my twenties because of some overdose. But then I met her. That quiet, shy girl who saw hope in the most flawed of people. I never could understand her. She was just so good. Maria sees the good in people, even when they can't see it themselves.
Over the summer we got closer and closer. It started off as a friendship. Her family had recently moved into the house across the street, so we saw a lot of each other. I taught her how to swim. She kept me away from beer and from my old friends. I met new guys and I changed. Our families were so happy. I kissed her one day on the beach, as we were sitting down watching the sunset. Then she told me something amazing. She loved me? Can you believe it? A broken wreck like me! She loved me.
One night she told me she didn't want any secrets between us, and she told me she had a special ability. She can determine whether someone is honest, and can see whether people mean to do good or ill. I was amazed. She was an alpha! Just like me! But we didn't call ourselves alphas, no, we didn't know the term, we were both X-Men fans so we called ourselves mutants. We became even closer."
Christopher laughed, and Belinda was shocked to see tears falling down his tanned cheeks.
"It was a Thursday when one of our neighbors houses caught on fire. I can hold my breath for long periods of time, so I jumped into the fire to help the family out. The smoke didn't affect me. People wrote about it in the newspaper "the boy who doesn't need to breathe." I guess Sullivan and her lot found out. I was working at Starbucks when I heard a police man's radio say that there was a raid going on at 221 Emerald Rd. My house. I ran so fast. When I got there I saw FBI men crawling all over the lawn. I also saw them dragging Maria in one of their vans. I fought so hard to get to her. I can still hear her screams in my head. I promised her I would find her. That I would bring her back home. Then I ran away. I became a fugitive. The news said that I killed my mother and sister, and then abducted my girlfriend. I was wanted by the FBI.
Red Flag gave me another chance. I've been waiting for the opportunity to get into Binghamton for 3 years. And here is it is. I will get her out of there, or I'll die trying. "
He sighed and unclenched his fists to wipe the tears off of his face. The two young alphas then sat there on the roof. Each unsure how to answer the other. Each lost in thoughts. Each not ready for the day that was soon to come.
"We will get her out of there Chris. I promise." Belinda said quietly, breaking the silence. "I promise…"
Bill walked quietly into the makeshift hospital wing they had set up. Rachel was asleep on a large white bed, her hair spread out on the crisp sheets. Hazel was seated by her side. Quiet and unmoving as a statue, her hand in Rachel's still one. She looked up to see Bill sit next to her. He put an arm around her shoulders.
"I've never had much of a mother. Much of anyone who cared and understood me. But Rachel…I feel like I can tell her everything. She knows me. I just…I can't lose her after I've just met her."
Bill squeezed the girls shoulder. "She's going to be ok kid. Now we have a long day tomorrow. You'd best go get some sleep."
Hazel nodded and wiped the tear that threatened to spill down her pale face. She got up slowly and walked out the door, looking back at Rachel one last time before she left the room.
The dark skinned man leaned in close to his friend.
"Oh Rachel. Don't do this to me. I've almost lost Gary and now you want me to lose you. I can't let that happen. Come on Rachel. Wake up. You've been there for me in everything. By my side in everything. I know I've given you a hard time. Do you remember all those times I used to steal Gary's lunch? He would get so angry at me! And he would go straight to you. You and Gary…You guys are like my siblings. My little brother. My little sister. I can't lose you. I won't lose you. I won't lose you…"
He took a deep breath, chocking up.
"We are going to Binghamton tomorrow. I guess I'm kind of glad you're not coming. That way I know that you are somehow safe. I will bring him back. I will bring Gary back safely to you. I know how much he means to you. I will bring him back. And when I do Rachel, you have to promise me that you'll wake up for him. He won't understand that you're still asleep. You know Gary. "
Tears spilled down his dark cheeks as he thought of the pale boy who was always laughing. Always so strange and sarcastic and wonderful and innocent and…He held back a sob. This wasn't meant to happen. None of this should have happened. Gary shouldn't be gone. They shouldn't be here working with strange people in strange places. They shouldn't be going somewhere where some of them are sure to die. Rachel shouldn't be in a comma. No Rachel should be laughing and listening into their conversations. She should be sharing Hummus with Gary. The both of them should be ok. No. Bill couldn't lose them. Not after all they had been through. He wouldn't lose them. He simply wouldn't.
"I love you Rachel and I need you to get better. You are my little sister. You are my family. You and Gary are the family I never knew I had. You know if I had a kid I was going to make you it's godmother? And Gary was going to be the godfather. Can you imagine Gary as a godfather? He would drive the kid mad!"
He laughed a bit at the thought. Took a deep breath and wiped away the tears.
" Everything is going to be ok. I promise. I will see you soon. You will be ok. You will wake up." With that he fell silent.
Dr. Rosen would walk in hours later and see Agent Bill Harken fast asleep at his friend's bedside, his dark hand wrapped around her still one. The sound of her heart moniter's steady beat the only sound in the room.
Doctor Rosen closed the lights and walked away. He had sent everyone to bed. Walking into the living room he saw Zachary sitting down, speaking with Gwen. He had only recently met the man, but whenever he talked to him he was strangely reminded of himself. And the girl, well she was still a complete mystery to him.
He sat opposite them and Zachary rewarded him with a smile upon seeing him.
"Still not asleep Doctor?"
"I can't sleep. I would ask the same thing of you both."
The Professor smiled.
"We were talking about tomorrow."
Dr. Rosen leaned in towards the new additions to his team, and asked the question that had been on his mind since they had first agreed to join them.
"Why? Why did the both of you leave your lives to help us? And on such short notice. You don't even know us. You probably don't remember all of our names! So why help us on an impossible mission?
"I've spent my life afraid of who I am. I've traveled from China to Mexico trying to discover myself. To find a reason to why I'm like this. I've never stayed in a place long enough to make real friends. Because I've been too afraid that someday men in black vests will take me to Binghamton. The only permanent thing about my life is this house. It's been in my family for centuries. I return here whenever I plan to decide where to go to next. I am ready for this to end. There comes a point where you have to take a stand. This feels like the right moment." Zachary Summers leaned back in his chair, brushing back his black hair, his brilliant blue eyes deep in thought.
"And you Gwen? You're so young. You have a family. Friends…"
"And what does it matter if you're a freak?" She answered bitterly. "My whole life I have been bullied and taunted for my individuality. My ability? I showed my parents and they thought a demon had possessed me. They took me to an exorcism. Afterwards, I told them it was gone when it did nothing but harden my heart. So I've practiced my ability in secret. All my life I've read books where heroes use their abilities for good. Here's my chance. What's the point living a life when you have to live it as a lie? There comes a point where you stop asking questions. When you stop wondering whether things could be different. There comes a moment where you just have to do and not think. You guys are fighting for something. When you came to my high school that day, I couldn't help but come. I had to. "
"And you're not afraid?"
'Someone would be a fool not to be afraid, that or completely insane. "
The three sat quietly, each lost in their thoughts. Three strangers bonded by a common goal, to try to save the lives of people they didn't know, well, except one old man who felt like the world was crashing around him as he thought of a blue eyed boy lost in the depths of a hell. A hell that they were going to lay siege to come morning. It was almost like a bad story told by an eccentric teenager.
Skylar leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, clutching her phone close to her ear. Ringing. Ringing. Finally an answer.
"Can I speak to her?"
She waited for a bit, and smiled as she heard the commotion in the house.
"Hi mommy."
"Hi sweetheart. How are you?"
Skylar's heart burst as she heard her daughter's sweet voice at the other end of the line.
"I'm fine. "
"Sweetheart I need to ask you something. Mommy is going away somewhere tomorrow. If anything happens, I need you to promise me that you are going to…" Skylar's voice caught as she thought of her beautiful daughter, completely oblivious to what was happening. "…remember that Mommy loves you so so so much."
"You sound sad Mommy."
"I'm not sad sweetheart. I just miss you."
"I miss you too mommy. When are you coming back home?"
"Soon pumpkin. Soon."
"Ok Mommy. It's past my bedtime and I need to go to sleep."
"Of course love, Good night. I love you."
"I love you too Mommy."
And with that the phone closed, and tears fell down Skylar's angular face. She gasped as she tried to hold back sobs.
"Never knew you were such a softie Skylar." Called a voice from the doorway.
"I like to think of myself like a Skittle. Hard on the inside, gooey and sweet on the inside." Skylar said with a smile as she turned to the lean figure of Tiana, her long frame leaned against the door frame.
"A skittle? I can dig that. Who was that on the phone?"
"My daughter."
" How sweet." The alpha's features softened as she approached the other woman. "You'll see her again. Don't worry."
"How can you be sure? This plan might not work. We could all die tomorrow and the world will never know what happened."
"You know, in my all my years, the world's ignorance never ceases to amaze me. I've been part of countless sieges, lost friends, killed others. Here we are fighting a war that hardly anyone in the world knows about. "
"Will the world every know about us?"
"I don't know Skylar, But I do know that your daughter will remember you for as long as she lives. If we die tomorrow, we die trying to free thousands of people held captive because they are different, and there is no tragedy in that."
Skylar smiled and wiped away her tears.
"You know Tiana, if I didn't know you, I might think you're…I don't know…wise."
The light haired alpha was quiet for a second, pondering what Skylar said.
"Naaaahhh. Wise? Pfft. You need your ears checked."
And with that one of the most powerful alphas in Red Flag and the alpha that had been hiding from them laughed and talked late into the night.
"Cameron…"
"Don't."
He leaned in and kissed her, his lips soft and desperate. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his hands held her close.
She pulled away again, just far enough to speak but still so close that their breaths mingled as she spoke.
"Cameron. If anything happens to us tomorrow, I just want you to know that I love you."
He leaned in and kissed her again, then whispered softly in her ear.
"I love you too."
And with that he led her by the hand to his bedroom where they fell asleep in each other's arms, their love keeping the nightmares at bay.
Few slept that night. And if they slept it was restless. Each alpha in the rich house was too overwhelmed with what had happened the last few months. Between injuries and loss, friends and betrayals, death and destruction their relationships had only grown stronger. Together bonded with one common purpose. No one knew what they next day would bring. Everyone was so afraid. Afraid of pain. Afraid of losing one another. But their lives had already changed so much.
And so tomorrow they pledged to take a stand. To fight for what's right. It's kind of a messed up story, with blood and love and a whole lot of waiting. For this is the worst part. The calm before the storm. That time where you wait for the whole world to explode around you.
Tomorrow a good man will fall and a good lady will die. Tomorrow hearts will break and tears will fall. Bullets will tear through soft flesh and innocent blood will be spilt. And in hell a war will break out that will change the course of the future. After tomorrow everything will be different.
We've all been through so much. Tomorrow is the day our heroes have been waiting for. Tomorrow is the siege of Binghamton. Tomorrow couldn't come sooner.
May god have mercy on our souls.
Next time on Shattering Glass:
THE SIEGE ON BINGHAMTON