Stars Of Our Lives: Part I

by S0ins0

Aja and Krel had a golden childhood. Loving parents, old family friends as caretakers, and endless amounts of trouble to get away with. But that all vanished in a single day, the day IAAN became known in their household. With newfound, terrifying abilities, the siblings are thrown into an unforgiving world, but they can do anything as long as they're together, right?

1. 1

(A/N): in case it wasn't clear, this is an AU for the Darkest Minds series by Alexandra Bracken. The vast majority of the lore in this story isn't mine, but this alteration of the plot is. Enjoy!

Sometimes I Feel I've Got To [LAW & ORDER] Runaway

Grace Somerfield was the first to die.

Frickin Grace.

She had been sitting on top of one of the lunch tables, preaching to anybody that would listen about the fly in her milk. When she'd shown Krel and I, we'd both agreed it was just a raisin she'd dropped in there herself. It was turning into an actual debate, with her friends on her side and basically everyone else at the table on ours.

She was in the middle her rebuttal when her entire body froze up, cutting her off mid sentence. She made little gasping sounds, like she was trying to breathe. Then her eyes rolled back and she collapsed. I was so close to her when it happened, I had to step to the side to avoid her falling on me.

She lay crumpled against the tiles, perfectly still. Lunch ladies and parent volunteers gathered around us, along with every kid that was at the table. It wasn't until I nudged her arm with my foot that anybody realized she was dead.

That's how the Psi disease started. Just one death. A little spark. Then a few more. A small fire. Then the entire fourth grade. And it consumed everything in its path.

Every night, the casualty number they showed on the news only got higher. But that was less than half of the real deaths. Neighbors, friends, people we used to pass on the street, burying their children the next day. I always knew death was real, but it's different when it takes kids in your grade. When you know you could be next.

Then the rumors started. Stories of those that could survive the disease had somehow developed . . . abilities. Mama and Papa tried to shield us best they could, telling us it was all just propaganda. But that was difficult, especially with life on the base.

Our school was the first to show mandatory broadcasts, telling us all about the roles of the PSF officers. How they were to find the "disabled and corrupted" children that survived the disease and take them away for "rehabilitation".

Our school was also the first to air the inauguration of General Morando. I guess it was President Morando after that. It wasn't done normally, with a campaign and people voting. It was done quickly, Morando being chosen by members of the cabinet and other officials.

'For the good of the people', the interviewer had said. 'In times of crisis, efficiency is key'.

And Morando sure was efficient.

Any kids who were still alive at that point were being looked at, including me and Krel. Mama and Papa stayed up for nights at a time, talking quietly between each other. I don't really know if I understood what it meant back then. If I understood what happened to the kids that were taken. It didn't feel real. The President wouldn't really take a child from their parents. No one would.

Akiridion-5 Base had become a sort of safe haven by that time. Anyone with the necessary connections was moving in, and everyone else was making room. Psi had nearly wiped out my entire grade, not to mention Krel's. But suddenly, our school was chock full again. A new kid almost everyday. I didn't know the camps they were trying to avoid yet. I don't know if they did either.

It got so crowded, people started forcing any childless soldiers out to make room for families. Even those who had children were sent away, as long as they had somewhere else to go. Mama and Papa got to stay though, Papa being Sergeant Major over the Marine Corps and Mama being an ambassador - formerly a Commander. They were the definition of 'dream team', the power couple of the marines. And me and Krel were heirs to their legacy.

That had never sat well with me. I was a military baby, raised on Akiridion-5 Base my whole life, but I'd never wanted anything to do with it. It's what everyone expected of me, it's what my last name stood for. But it was also strict. Rules. Deadlines. Repetitive day in and day out. Following orders. It was something I couldn't be.

So I ran from it. Literally.

My parents practically owned the base, so I knew every inch of it. I guess that's why it was so easy to sneak off of it. I'd just skateboard along the streets, the playlist that Krel had put together for me blaring in my ears.

I never made it more than two days before Mama and Papa would finally track me down. The first few times they came to get me themselves. After the third time, they started sending Zadra, our over-glorified drill sergeant of a babysitter.

It was just as the base was getting crowded, talks of rehabilitation camps, of PSFs forcefully coming to the schools were on every street corner. I woke up that morning knowing that today, I didn't want to be Aja Tarron. I just wanted to be normal. So I took off, skateboard under my arm and buds in my ears.

Zadra found me within six hours.

When she did, she was furious. She screamed at me from the driver's seat the whole way back. Yes, she was a drill sergeant if there ever was one. But this was different. This was tears in her eyes and salt raking at her voice. She wasn't angry. She was afraid.

It wasn't until we came to the front gates that I realized why. I watched the PSF vans drive past us, full of small bodies and tall officers. And my heart had stopped.

When I got back to our home, Mama and Papa's look matched Zadra. Krel was sitting on the couch, fiddling with the puzzle box Papa had gotten him for his eleventh birthday a week ago.

"Do you know what happened today, Aja?" Mama's voice was tight.

I shook my head.

"A Collection," Papa said. "PSFs came, and they took every child that showed up at school today."

My eyes went to Krel, but he didn't look up from his puzzle box.

"But the base said they couldn't -"

"They surpassed our jurisdiction," Mama said. "Do you have any idea what would've happened had Zadra not found you first?"

That's when the fight started. We were all just scared and sad, and none of us knew how to say it. So we shouted and we screamed and Krel just sat there fiddling with his puzzle. I stomped up the stairs once I'd finally had enough, slamming my bedroom door behind me. My chest was tight and hot with anger. I paced back and forth several times, fuming.

Psi wasn't my fault. So why was it sucking all my freedom away?

Like I had any clue back then.

Eventually, my anger drained my energy, and I passed out on my bed. When I opened my eyes again, it was in the middle of the night. My room was dark, but the hall light was on. I heard Mama and Papa's footsteps coming, then I heard Krel's door open. I heard muffled, quiet voices, speaking slowly and softly.

Was Krel in trouble too? After what I'd pulled today, I found it doubtful.

Then his door closed and the footsteps approached mine.

I dropped my head back onto the pillow, turning towards the wall and closing my eyes. I wasn't ready to revisit our fight. Maybe in the morning, but not now. My door opened all the same, Mama and Papa slowly creeping in. I felt them come to my bedside, kneeling over me.

I almost turned around, wondering why they'd decided to check on me at this hour, but then the quiet sob came from Mama's throat. Every part of me went stiff, but my eyes stayed closed as I listened to her soft cries. As I felt her tears drop into my hair.

"Dear God," She said, her voice so very broken. "Please protect our daughter."

They were praying. Over me. I'd never seen them pray over anything before.

"Please protect her free spirit and her strength. Protect her good heart and her gentle soul. But most of all," Mama said. "Please protect her life - her sweet, innocent life."

"Let her find the freedom she seeks," Papa's voice was just as raw. "Let her know how we love her, and we always will, no matter where she goes. Let her know her potential as a leader. Let her know her family will never forget her."

"Please," Mama gently smoothed her hand over my hair. "Give her the strength to survive whatever path her life takes. Give her the strength to be the warrior we know she is."

They were quiet for a moment, Mama smoothing her hand over my hair as they both wept. A part of me wanted to cry with them, but I was frozen in place.

"I love you, Aja," Mama whispered to me.

"Star of our lives," Papa said.

Her lips pressed against my hairline, Papa's too. Then my head exploded with pain. It was like someone had suddenly taken a jackhammer to my skull. I couldn't move if I wanted to. I couldn't even breathe.

I felt my eyelids flutter. I felt Mama shift back, thinking I may wake up. Then it all faded away.

The next morning, I woke up in a daze. My head was still throbbing, by far the worst migraine I'd ever had. My nose, mouth, and everything in between was crusty with blood, making me think I must've had a nose bleed in my sleep.

It took more energy than I expected to get up, the ground swaying beneath me as I walked into my bathroom. I scrubbed my face clean and washed out my mouth with Listerine, hoping that would be enough to get rid of the taste. I stumbled down the stairs, the grogginess suddenly turning to nausea. Why did I feel so crappy? I hadn't gotten sick since I was seven, and I wasn't ready to break that record.

Mama was sitting at the table, her back to me while she sipped her coffee.

"Mama?" I said. "My head hurts -"

She screamed. As in, she actually screamed, jumping around and nearly knocking her chair over in the process. I jumped too, several steps back and whipping around, thinking there was an intruder behind me. But no one was there.

"Oh," Mama sighed, putting a hand over her chest. "Oh, honey, you scared me."

I cringed. Mama had never called me 'honey' before. I watched her regain her composure, straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin. The posture she used was she was Madam Ambassador Tarron, not when she was my mama.

"Can you tell me how you got in here?"

I stared at her for a moment, waiting for her to say something else.

"How did you get in here?" Her voice raised this time, snapping like a whip. She only talked like that during debates.

I flinched, stepping back again. "Um . . ." I raised a shaky finger towards the stairs. I didn't know what else she wanted me to say.

Her eyes became scrutinizing. "Did you climb through my son's window?"

Her son?

"What?" I stepped back again. "No, I didn't - I didn't climb through a window."

"Then how did you enter this housing?" She shouted.

I shrank back, fear rising in my chest. "Mama, what are you -"

"I'm not your mother."

She might as well have slapped me across the face. Maybe punched me in the stomach too.

"Is this because I ran away yesterday?" Tears began gathering in my eyes. "I'm sorry, Mama. I'm sorry I fought with you, I promise I'll -"

"I am not your mother," She snapped. "Stop addressing me as so, it will gain you no sympathy."

"I - I don't understand," The tears stung against my cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'll be better I promise -"

"Who is this?"

I whipped my head towards the stairs to see Papa, staring at me as though I were a perfect stranger.

"She snuck in somehow," Mama said. "Her parents must be somewhere on the base for her to have gotten past clearance."

"What are you talking about?" I cried. "You are my parents!"

"Miss, please," Papa said, his voice strict and cold. "Give us the ID number you used to get into this vicinity. Did you get it from a relative? Do they live near here?"

I shook my head. "I don't - I - what did I do wrong?"

"Guys?" Krel appeared at the top of the stairs, bedhead and all, squinting at us. "What's going on?"

"Krel, do you know this girl?" Mama asked. "Does she go to school with you?"

He stared at them, eyes wide and brows drawn in confusion. Then he looked at me, and for one horrible moment, I thought he wouldn't know me either.

"Aja, what are they talking about?"

I looked at them, backing up even more. "I don't -"

"Krel," Papa went to the stair banister. "Go back to your room. We'll handle this."

"Handle what?" Krel looked back and forth between them and me. "What did you do?"

"I don't know!" I sobbed.

"Did you let your friend in?" Mama asked.

"She's not my friend," He said it like it was obvious. "She's my sister."

"Krel," Papa almost laughed. "You don't have a sister."

The words were like a knife in my chest.

"Yes, I do," He said. "She's right there. As in, three feet that way."

Mama's eyes flared. "You think this is funny, Krel? You think you can prank us with your friend? After what happened yesterday?"

"What?" Krel's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "If anyone's pulling a joke, it's you! And by the way, I don't think Aja finds it funny!"

"That girl is not our daughter!" Papa shouted.

"She looks just like you!"

He was right. I'd always looked just like Papa. With Mama's dark complexion, everyone was expecting their first baby to be shaded to match. But I came out as pale as my Papa, blonde and blue eyed. Instead, it was Krel that had inherited her deep skin tone. Mama used to joke that I'd be a good gambler since I did so well against astronomical odds.

But she wasn't joking now.

"Don't be ridiculous -"

"That's it," Krel fished his phone out of his pocket. "I'm calling Zadra."

Papa ripped the phone away from him. "There is no need to bother her with a matter we can handle ourselves."

"Hey!"

"No," I said, grabbing my own phone. "I'll call her."

Mama scoffed. "You couldn't possibly have the contact of -"

"Aja?" Zadra's voice came through the speaker.

"Zadra?" I choked. "I think you need to come."

Mama whipped her head towards Krel. "Did you give this girl Zadra's contact?"

"No!" Krel shouted. "You did! Three years ago!"

"What is going on?" Zadra asked.

"It's Mama and Papa, hear for yourself." And I clicked the speakerphone button.

"Miss," Papa yelled. "I command you to end that phone call."

"Zadra!" Mama snapped. "Please inform me why you answered an unknown number?"

"They're acting like they don't know Aja!" Krel shouted from the stairs.

"Zadra, a young girl has broken into our housing. We would like you to come and remove her from the premises."

Zadra didn't say anything for a long time.

"Aja?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"Stay with Krel. Whatever they say, don't leave the house. I'll be there in ten minutes."

She hung up.

I spent those ten, miserable minutes sitting on the couch, clutching my phone while Krel argued with Mama and Papa. They continued insisting he go back to his room and he continued insisting I was his big sister.

"How do you not remember her?" He shouted, tears in his eyes. "She's right there!"

"This is ridiculous," Papa muttered. He finally turned away from Krel, approaching me from the hall. He didn't say anything to me, instead, he grabbed me by my arm and hoisted me up. "I'll just take her down to the station," He said. "Maybe somebody can ID her there."

"No!" I struggled back, digging my heels into the floor. "No, I'm not supposed to leave!"

But Papa just tightened his grip, twisting my arm in a way that made pain shoot up into my shoulder. I let out a small cry, desperately prying at his fingers. It reminded me of the way I'd seen him drag people away before. People that were bad. People he didn't know.

That hurt worse than anything.

Suddenly, Krel was holding onto my spare arm, yanking me back. "You can't do that!" He shouted. "You can't just take her away!"

"Krel," Papa's tone had a warning in it. "Get away from the girl."

"No!" He screamed back. "What's wrong with you? How can you be this cruel?"

Papa pulled me forward several steps. "As your father, I command you let go of your friend."

"And as your son," Krel ripped me back. "I'm telling you I'm not gonna!"

It turned into a screaming match after that, Krel and Papa playing tug of war with me. Mama had finally managed to pry Krel's hands off my arm when Zadra came bursting through the front door, Varvatos on her heels. We all froze, Papa pinning both my wrists behind my back and Mama holding Krel in a bear hug to keep him from me.

The two of them took in the situation with a single look, then they bolted towards us. Zadra didn't bother asking Papa to release me, she just grabbed me by my shoulders and ripped me forward into her arms. All Varvatos had to do was reach for Krel and he, quite literally, bucked himself out of Mama's hold.

They pulled the two of us back from our parents, into the hallway in front of the door. Varvatos then rounded us to try and calm our parents down, his hands held out to pacify.

"Are you hurt?" Zadra asked me.

"What did I do wrong?" I sobbed. It was the only thing I could think. Just on repeat in my head. "What - what did I do?"

"You didn't do anything, Aja," She said. "It's gonna be okay."

"Under control?" Mama's voice suddenly cut through Zadra's, making me turn to see her. Her eyes were wide and angry as she did her best to tower over Varvatos. "Choose your words carefully, Vex. Do you forget with whom you are speaking?"

"Zadra," Papa snapped, seeing that he had our attention again. "Would you please remove this young woman from the premises? This is becoming absurd!"

"No!" Krel shrieked, latching onto my arm again.

"She's fine where she is now," Zadra replied, her voice carefully even. "She has stolen nothing. Defaced no property. And harmed no one."

"She has broken into our housing," Papa's voice boomed, the voice he used to yell at his soldiers. "I will not tolerate it a second longer!"

"Fialkov," Zadra stood, her eyes burning. "I do not care if you fire me for this, but with all due respect, shut up."

Papa was stunned.

"What did I do to them?" I buried my face in my hands, agony twisting in my insides. "I know I did something. I know, I know, I know -"

"Aja, listen to me," Zadra dropped back to her knees, putting one hand on my shoulder and one hand on Krel's. "Both of you, listen. This is what you are going to do. You are going to go outside, get into Varvatos's car, and get under the seats. Can you do that?"

". . . What?" Krel gripped me tighter. "Why?"

"The two of you are going to go traveling -"

"How dare you speak to my son like that!" Mama shouted.

"Coranda, please," Varvatos continued. "You must understand what's happening is all the more reason -"

"How dare you speak to me like that!"

"What do you mean traveling?" Krel asked, making me turn away from the screaming match behind us.

"This has been the plan for some time now," Zadra said. "The two of you are going out west, to California."

"You mean like a school trip?"

"Exactly like that," Zadra smiled at him. "A trip out west, just for a few weeks. You've always wanted to travel, haven't you, Aja?"

I had always wanted to travel. Used to go on and on about all the places I would see. But right then and there, all I could do was shake my head. I couldn't leave Mama and Papa. Not like this.

"I told you, everything's going to be okay -"

"Stop doing that!" I screamed. "Stop pretending everything's okay! It's not! What's happening to me?"

The soft look she had pulled over her face fell, and she just looked sad. Heavy. Maybe even a little scared. But when she spoke, it wasn't to us.

"Varvatos," She looked at him over my shoulder. "Get them in the car. Now."

Krel and I both burst into sobs at her words, shaking our heads and clinging to each other as we begged to stay. It's funny, really. Before that day, I would've given anything to get off the base. But when the time came, all I wanted was my home. It was all I knew, I realized.

But it didn't know me anymore.

Varvatos and Zadra traded places, Mama and Papa now near hysterics. "I forbid you to take my son!" Papa roared. "You lay one finger on him and I will make you regret it!"

Zadra herded them back towards the kitchen, spouting something about the 'lucky number thirteen' and how if the two of them could calm down for five minutes she could explain what was happening.

Varvatos pushed us towards the door as soon as they were distracted enough, Krel and I separating to push him back. But no matter how deep we dug in our heels, how hard we cried, or how loud we screamed, Varvatos wasn't going to let us go. I could see it in his eyes.

With one move, he scooped me off the ground and hung me over his shoulder, dragging Krel behind us by his elbow. I screamed and kicked, pounding my fists against his back. Krel tore at Varvatos's hand, begging and pleading to just talk to our parents. To walk the ten feet back to them.

We had known Varvatos our whole lives. He had Mama's old job as a Commander, and Papa had known him since before I was born. Growing up, Varvatos had always been there. He was the one who taught me to skate. The one who helped Krel with his homework. But that didn't make it any easier to be lowered into the back of his car beside my brother.

We sniffled and cried, ducking beneath the seats the way Varvatos had told us. I remember turning around as much as I could, craning my neck till it hurt so I could watch my home disappear.

I looked over at Krel, his neck just as twisted as mine, looking for our home in the mess of streets. When he looked back at me, he still had tears streaming down his face. We both did.

"It is going to be alright," Varvatos told us from the from the driver's seat. "You will see your parents again. It is only a few weeks we will spend away."

"And then what?" Krel asked.

Varvatos didn't answer.

About an hour outside the base, we stopped at a store and Varvatos left us with strict instructions to keep still and quiet.

"This is all my fault," I whispered.

"What are you talking about?"

"I did something to them," My voice broke. So did the rest of me. "And then - and then I made them mad. If I had just - maybe I could've - and then we'd be -"

"Hey," He put his hand on my shoulder. "I made them mad too. If anything, we're both to blame."

"No, we're not," I shook my head into the carpet. "I did something to them. I did this. I know, I know I did."

"How?"

I stared into the carpet. "I just do."

It was a moment before he responded, shifting closer to me. "You look like you need a hug," He said. "I'll go get Varvatos."

And inspite of everything that had just happened, we both burst into giggles.

"Hate to break it you, little brother," I said. "But Varvatos does not simply 'hug'." He laughed a little harder.

I straightened my back, beefing out my arms and lowering my voice several octaves. "Varvatos Vex will give you glorious death!" I cried, raising my fists the way he would. "And honorable dismemberment!"

We spent the rest of that time laughing and joking, doing our best impressions of our old friend. It was the only thing we had to shield each other - from what we knew was happening, and from what we didn't.