ELENI
"It's ok, Elle," Bright said. "I knew it was a long shot, but I'm glad I had the opportunity to talk to him. To tell him how I feel."
Eleni glanced at Bright who was sitting next to her in the supply room at the Tower. Her friend's response didn't assuage her feelings of guilt, but she didn't press the subject further than her apology.
"OK," she said quietly. She had told Madam P that she missed her friends DownMountain, and the woman had allowed her to skip a day of ballet. The afternoon was almost over, and Eleni had been glad to catch a moment alone with Bright as they were cleaning up.
"Elle," Bright asked after a moment, "can I ask you something personal?"
"I don't promise to answer, but sure." Eleni hoped the topic would return to their casual conversations, like how the non-binary did their hair in tight braids across their skull, or what the latest dance craze in the DownMountain was.
"Are you a lesbian?"
"What?" Eleni laughed off her shock. "No."
"Then, why don't you want Matthew? I mean, even if you only feel friendship, it doesn't hurt to give the relationship a try."
"I just don't want to be with anyone right now." She hadn't told Bright, or anyone, about what had passed between herself and Matthew. There had been no visits from the Tower group to the dance studio in the past week, so none of them would suspect that she had come down to avoid seeing him. She had claimed it was nostalgia that had brought her back down today. The group had gotten a good laugh out of that, but also seemed pleased.
Eleni glanced to the door as Scarlet and Patches enter the room and started putting away materials. The man tried to catch her eye, but she looked back at Bright. She surmised that the last activity was finished, and the kids were probably straggling out of the Towers. G and Tray had gone to Katya's Locker, and Hulio was UpMountain at the recording studio. Eleni would have to leave soon to get back for dinner. She had enjoyed the visit.
Bright spoke again, and it turned out their questions had been leading up to something.
"It's just, seeing him at the dance school, he still sometimes laughs and jokes with them, the UpMountain people. I feel like it is only a matter of time before they pull him back in." Bright looked directly at Eleni. "It wouldn't hurt, just to try, would it?" Scarlet, who was standing by a nearby shelf, overheard. She took Bright's meaning immediately, then took it much farther.
"What's this? Asking Eleni to sacrifice herself for the noble purpose of keeping Mattie out of their self-serving clutches?" She came over and held Eleni by her shoulders. "Yes! Eleni, you must do it! Lay yourself down on that sacrificial alter, and he will -"
"She's made it clear she's not interested!" Patches yelled over Scarlet's litany. She continued as if he hadn't spoken.
"-until you can't see straight. By the end you'll feel—"
"Um, Scar, you know G doesn't like that kind of talk when kids could still be here." Bright chimed in.
"—and wonder at the meaning of life without Matthew Summers in it." The woman looked at Bright but didn't release Eleni. "I just locked the doors. The kids are gone. Anyway, that wasn't so bad. Don't want to scare Elle here away just yet." She leaned in closer to Eleni and whispered, "If I didn't have a girlfriend right now, I would happily demonstrate what you are missing with Matthew." The woman winked as she walked away.
"Uh, I need to get back for dinner," Eleni said as she stood, her face flaming. Bright tried to cover their smile with their hand, but their eyes danced and they just waved their goodbye.
"I'll walk you to the train. Just let me put these things away!" Patches said, hurriedly trying to stuff supplies into boxes, and dropping some in the process.
"Sorry, Patches, I can't wait. Madam P is very strict. I'll catch you next time!" She called out as she moved towards the door. Once outside, and out of sight, she broke into a slow run.
Slowing down after a couple of blocks, she reflected that it was good to be back DownMountain. It was comfortable in a way the UpMountain was not. She had decided she would spend a day DownMountain to remember her mother whose birthday was coming up soon. The exact day was lost to Eleni now; she was certain there were some subtle shifts in the calendars between the Montagne and the Citadel. Nonetheless, she and her mother had always taken great care with birthdays and Eleni wanted to memorialize the day. As she walked, she considered which hiding place she would use to do so.
Three-quarters of an hour later Eleni and Madam P were sitting down to dinner.
"How were things at the Tower?"
"Good. They are all well. G and Bright say hi." The older woman smiled fondly. Then her look turned innocent.
"Matthew asked where you were."
"Did he?" There was nothing more to say to that. The dance teacher had made a few subtle attempts to discover what had happened between Eleni and Matthew to no avail. To Eleni's relief, the woman did not take the issue any further than that. The two fell silent while they ate.
"Have things improved at school?" Madam P asked casually when they were close to finishing.
"They have." It was true. Most students were happy to ignore her now, as she was no longer seen as an active threat to Matthew. The teachers were as bad as ever, though, and there was still the occasional prank. Save for an increase in one type of infraction, it was overall easier to get through the days.
"I'm glad to hear that." Madam P looked sideways at her and seemed about to say something. Eleni was glad when she didn't.
It turned out she was only waiting until later. After they cleared the table, Eleni wandered into Madam P's small study to look at the books. The woman collected ancient works. Her pride and joy was a book about the United States of Amerika, the country that had once occupied the land where the Montagne and Citadel were now found. And the Remnants, Eleni added mentally, still unaccustomed to the thought that people lived on the Wastelands.
Madam P found her looking at that book, which was stored at one side of the room in a glass case. It was always open to the same page. A large statue, a crowned female draped in cloth and greenish with age featured prominently there. The woman held a torch high above her in one hand and a book clasped to her side in the other. Eleni had seen the image at the Citadel as well.
"They say people would cry at the sight of her, because she represented an end to their journeys and the start of a new life." The dance teacher came up beside her. "They would sometimes change their name, it was such a monumental occasion for them."
Eleni nodded at the woman's romanticism, but internally wondered if perhaps they changed their names because their lives had been so altered that they could no longer go on living as the person they had been.
Madam P continued as she stared at the book in front of them.
"Elayni," the teacher mispronounced as she always did, "I don't pretend to understand what you are going through. I know I can't. But I do care, and I would do more if I could." Eleni looked up in surprise. She had not expected this. The older woman smiled slightly at her reaction. "You must wonder why I took you in, why I don't subscribe to the same beliefs as the rest of them. Even with your ability in ballet."
The thought had crossed her mind. She knew Madam P was serious in her dedication to the art, but even with that she treated Eleni with an evenness that the young woman had found a surprise and relief.
"You have been very good to me," she said simply, stating the truth. Madam P smiled sadly.
"I might not understand, but I do have a point of reference. My own daughter had to come to terms with first the subtle disdain of the UpMountain at her origin, and then, in the end, their complete rejection." Madam P walked around the pedestal in front of them. Eleni held her tongue, understanding from Matthew's warning that this was a sensitive topic. She wouldn't ask, but wondered, what had made the mutants of the Montagne reject one of their own. "That was a terrible time. And I realized I would have reacted the same as everyone else before Katyana had become part of my heart. And that in the end, it was all irrelevant."
The woman's voice broke, and unexpectedly Eleni felt her own sadness rising up. Sadness about so many things, past and present. She cursed her traitorous heart.
Madam P glanced at the younger woman's face with sympathy in her eyes, then she walked back over to embrace Eleni. "So, I am here for you, as much as I can be. I hope that that, at least, makes things more bearable for you."
Eleni didn't let the wetness in her eyes escape, but she did return the hug. She thought of the promises she had made to this woman and knew she would try her best to keep them.
MATTHEW
"Elle's not here, today."
"I know," G replied. "Scarlet probably has her teaching some classes now. Patches is probably assisting." The latter he said in an unamused tone. Matthew put that piece of information out of his mind.
They were sitting in the audience of the dance school auditorium while Matthew took a break from dancing. Or, more accurately, waited until he was missed and ordered back to the stage or the studio.
"She's not the only reason I come you know," G finished.
Matthew looked at his friend and nodded, a feeling of gladness relaxing his stomach.
"Mattie. I know it hurts now, but…it's probably for the best." Matthew wondered what exactly G knew but didn't extrapolate for his friend.
"I don't really want to talk about it." G ignored him.
"Travis mentioned that it is making things easier for her at school." Matthew looked sharply at his friend.
"Really? Because…" He started to understand. Because they don't think we're together. "Why didn't she tell me people were picking on her for that?" He said, unpleasant emotions again curdling his stomach. G shrugged and looked at him sympathetically.
"If there is one thing I am confident of, it is that I have no idea of what is going on inside my little sister's head. But, it was pretty obvious she had a better handle the situation than you did." Matthew looked straight ahead. G might have come up here to see him, but his friend's comments weren't helping.
The man softened his tone a bit. "Mattie, like I said, I think this is for the best. I mean," he sighed in frustration, "it's even worse than I thought. What Jae and those cadets did…that was scary."
Matthew's spirits fell even further at that memory. If he hadn't insisted on staying close to her, then maybe they wouldn't have targeted her. He hated feeling this way.
"I only wanted to help her."
"I know. And you did. You got through to her when no one else could."
That was true.
"I did help her," Matthew declared, edged with anger. It was good to move his guilt aside. "I made all this possible!" He spread his arms wide.
Now G's expression turned dubious. "Now you are getting ahead of yourself. You were the one who convinced Madam P to take her on?" He shrugged deeper into his seat, glancing sideways at his friend. "Didn't think you had a thing for older women, but she is one fine lady." Matthew slugged G in the arm. The other man simply grinned.
"I helped her! I did it all for her!" G's face went flat.
"'I did it all for her!', 'I did it all for her!'" G mimicked the words a few times, and Matthew rolled his eyes angrily. Then G made as if he had had a sudden realization. "Ah! You mean, 'I sacrificed so this could be hers.' Or 'She is ungrateful if she doesn't appreciate what I did for her.' Or 'She owes me for this'." The last had a nasty tone to it.
"What?" That hadn't been his meaning at all.
"Oh yes," G said, satisfied with his analysis. "And she does owe you. For all those nutrition bars you provided, for the chocolate, for getting her through the turnstile at the station, for introducing her to Madam P, and I'm sure there is other stuff. And she owes Madam P even more. How long has she been living with the woman now? Almost 2 months? Yup, she owes Madam P a lot." G's expression twisted. "And she hates it."
"But, Madam P, and I, we want to help her. We don't feel that way!"
"And yet, it is the truth." Now his expression turned wistful, but it was an act. "I owe the Montagne for keeping my sorry ass alive. I think about that sometimes, I really do." He nodded his head as if to himself, and then looked deeply sad before his face twisted into a bitter smile. He looked back at Matthew and pulled himself out of his reverie. "Mattie, we just ignore the inequality here. We don't discuss it, but it is always there. So, don't go and throw it in her face, if that is what you did."
Matthew looked away. "That's not what happened."
"Look, you're one of the good ones. I know it. Elle knows it. If she didn't, I don't think she would have taken you up on your offer. And that is what it was, by the way. An offer. You offered to make this opportunity available to her. You shared your connections. It was a damn generous thing to do. But it was her choice to take you up on it, and she is the one who made it a reality. I don't think she understood how great the inequality was, or how nasty people would be, and maybe that would have changed her decision. But there it is." After a pause, G made a bitter addition. "If you make it into you giving her something or doing something for her that she now owes you for - which you can, it wouldn't be a lie - just don't expect any kind of friendship in return."
They fell silent. Matthew wished for a moment that he had never suggested that Eleni leave the Towers. Things had been so much simpler there.
It was two weeks now since she had rejected him, and every day had been awful. He still had to stop himself from getting off at the close car station to meet her at Madam P's or looking for her after school to walk to the dance studio together.
At the studio, the first few days, they had done the awkward dance of trying to avoid each other. Then, one day, she had simply not come. He supposed it had made things easier, although it also made him realize he hadn't been trying that hard to avoid her as it was the only opportunity he had to see her.
Adam had later informed him that she would be going DownMountain a couple days each week to help out at the Tower. Then his father had gently suggested that Matthew take some of the other days off – days that Eleni would be at the school. Taking the message, he had betrayed his heart and agreed. That was why, on the afternoons he didn't have an interview at the university, his former friends, who he still wasn't sure were really friends, were providing plenty of entertainment. He enjoyed very little of it but hanging out with a group also made it easier to turn down the invitations for dates which had suddenly increased.
And now this conversation.
G seemed to take pity on him and changed the topic.
"You thinking about the civil course?" That was only slightly better. Matthew shrugged himself deeper into the seat and gave a flippant reply.
"A bit. It is something to pass the time." G snorted.
"That's one way to think about it. Or, you could think of the useful things you'll be able to do with that education."
Matthew breathed out in discontentment. He knew G was right but wasn't in the mood to talk about this.
"Mattie, you know we need all the help we can get."
"But how much power do the administrators actually have? The Lensherr's basically rule the place, with some leeway given to the Barons. And I am not becoming a politician."
"No, definitely not you. Might as well join the military with Jae." Matthew glared at the joke, not finding it the least bit funny. "Administrators have more power than you realize. On the small scale, sure, but that's what we are. The small scale." G looked around to make sure they were alone and lowered his voice. "You saw me talk with the guy at the passcard office. In his case it was a combination of apathy and idiocy that made him unknowingly switch the passcard of a dead person to a living, unregistered one. But he did it."
"I don't want to be doing something where I am constantly lying and cheating the system," Matthew protested.
"No, I wouldn't ask that of you. But you saw the power the man had. And there are a multitude of small things that can be changed, without breaking any rules, that would still make a huge difference. I mean, just having someone who is on our side in there, someone who greats us with a smile and treats us with respect, that is a fine place to start and you are already there." Matthew looked away at the compliment. It made him open up a bit more.
"But, G, I'm a Summers. I have the vineyard. It would be very strange if I went and started working DownMountain."
"Yeah, strange like throwing over your rich lifestyle and gaming in the gutters?" Matthew grunted unhappily. "They'll get used to it after a while. And I told you, you wouldn't give up your entire life up here. You'd commute down like the rest of them." G looked at Matthew out of the corner. "Maybe you'll even meet a nice woman up here and settle down. Or man. Travis says there are some decent ones, but they tend to lie low." G raised his eyebrows at Matthew, who returned a weak smile.
"I'll keep thinking about the civil course." He got up to return to dancing and saw the young man they had just been talking about coming down the aisle. Matthew rounded on G for a moment before Travis got close.
"And don't you even think about trying to set me up with someone." G's held his hands up in surrender to Matthew's mock anger.
"Hi Matt," Travis said casually.
"Lord Travis," he returned.
"It's just 'Travis' here, now. Like school." The younger man corrected him as he pushed into the seats to sit beside G. Matthew considered them for a moment, then left to dance.
At lunch a couple of days later, Matthew was sitting with Craig and Calen discussing the progress of the school's football team.
"We are going to slam the Institute. We got a great team this year." The season was just getting started. Craig was the quarterback of the Hell Hounds, the school team. He strapped his wings down to play.
"I don't know. The Shaw Institute team is pretty good. They won against Frost Academy last week," Calen countered.
"Yeah, but we got Pryde!" Craig returned, with the overused pun.
The two other men groaned, and the topic was dropped. Then Matthew wished it wasn't.
"So, Mattie. When you going to start spreading your love around again? Everyone's holding their breath for you, and I can't get any dates," Calen complained. Matthew rolled his eyes.
"I don't know what you are talking about. Look at Craig here, scoring the queen of the lower school." Craig had actively pursued Ebony Darkholme and been rewarded for his efforts. "You're just not trying hard enough." Calen gave Matthew an irritated look.
"What did that slip have that's keeping you from enjoying yourself?" Matthew clenched his teeth. "Maybe I'll see for myself."
"Leave her alone," Matthew snapped, glaring at the man. Exchanges like this had happened several times with other peers, and he was disgusted by their less than savory intentions. Matthew was confident that his anger, and the memory of what he had done to the cadets, was enough of a deterrent. He also tried to be confident that Eleni would have no interest in any of his peers.
Craig tried another change in subject.
"So, this Holday the party is at the Cassidy's." He gave Matthew a pointed look. "You should go! Get out some."
"We'll see," was all he said.
His bad mood followed him to the dance studio, where he hoped he would manage to overlap with Eleni. No luck. He pushed down his disappointment.
As he entered the studio, Jenna came over. He braced himself, but she surprised him.
"Hi Mattie," she said, almost tentatively. She looked around, and then back to him. "How are you doing?" She seemed subdued.
"Um…fine." He wasn't, but there was no need to share that with her. She looked at him, and he became uncomfortable under her scrutiny. "I need to warm-up."
"Mattie," she said suddenly, "I meant what I said at the school. I'm sorry. And…I can see that you are sad." She looked sad herself for a moment. "I just want you to know that I am here for you, if you want to talk. Just talk."
"Um…thanks, Jenna," he said, not knowing what to make of her comment. He turned away to go stretch as Cordelia and Alicia entered the room.
The next Holday found Matthew at the Cassidy party, trying to distract himself by any means necessary. Thoughts of Eleni and how much he missed her were still constant.
As he sipped his drink, a fermented beverage, he surveyed the party in front of him. At least, what he could see of it; it was spread throughout the entire house as usual. The parents were away, probably at the remote spa, which people usually reached via portal. The Cassidy's were well connected and wealthy: there were only three mutants in the Montagne who could open portals at the moment.
Matthew was in the living room, with the crowds, and purposefully so. Earlier, in a side hall, he had been waylaid by Donal Dawson who had been looking for some action. It was the sort of thing the old Matthew would have entertained to an extent, but while he had made out with the guy for a minute, he had extricated himself as soon he had felt it wouldn't be awkward.
Here in the living room he was safe, and there was entertainment, of a sort. Dwayne, from the dance studio, was trying jump from the coffee table and touch the elaborate light piece hanging from the ceiling. The teenagers seated on the surrounding couches were egging him on and making bets as to his success. They all held drinks and some were smoking. It was harmless fun, Matthew thought to himself, and tried to find some humor in it. He reflected that once it had been him that people watched at these parties.
"Can I sit here?" a soft voice asked. He looked up to see a young woman who looked vaguely familiar. She had bushy light brown hair, yellowish-brown skin with a slight fuzziness to it and hazel eyes. Her skin, along with some cat-likeness in her features and her pointed ears made her mutation evident.
"Um, sure." He shifted over a little.
"You don't know my name, do you?" His mind was racing to find just that information.
"Do-ra?" he half guessed. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, but her expression was sympathetic.
"Doreel," she corrected him. "Doreel Cassidy." Ah, the host probably. The Cassidy's had strong military ties and were Loyalists. The information came to mind automatically.
"Doreel. We have a couple classes together," she nodded.
"History and physics." He mentally placed her in those classes. "What do you think of Pryde in physics?" Matthew winced then pretended to clear his face as if he had made no reaction. Doreel suppressed a laugh and nodded.
"Just because your family founded the school, doesn't mean you can teach," she muttered. Matthew agreed wholeheartedly.
They fell into a comfortable conversation about school which was interrupted by a crash a few minutes later as Dwayne tried for the last time to reach the lights and failed miserably. The man emerged uninjured, however: his skin was nearly impenetrable and provided significant protection for the rest of his body. He sat himself between two women, confidently putting an arm around each of them. The group drew Matthew and Doreel into some frivolous conversation for a while.
"Hey, Mattie. Your sister is picking up the slack in your absence. Better get to it before she charms every female away from you!"
"She's welcome to them," Matthew muttered, glancing back over his shoulder to see the source for the comment.
Jae was coming down the stairs, her arm around a girl he didn't recognize. He had heard about the reputation his sister was gaining but hadn't much cared. His eyes met hers briefly, then they both looked away. Matthew's distancing from Eleni had improved their relationship only slightly. She still lived in the military dorms, and they didn't see each other very much.
Jae went into another room, and the conversation fell back to the inconsequential.
Matthew was actually enjoying himself, until two hands landed on his shoulders and pushed their way down, arms embracing his chest. Then a pair of lips was on his neck. The group hooted.
"Yeah, Jenna! Go get him in a room and remind him of what he's been missing!" Matthew stood up as quickly as he could without putting Jenna off balance, and stepped away from her, holding his hands up in mock alarm.
"Whoa, whoa. I believe the catering is in the dining room if you're hungry," he said casually, trying not to show his annoyance. Jenna pouted. Selene, with a wicked smile on her face, was coming up behind her along with Alicia.
"Mattie, really. I promise I'll be gentle." Jenna came over and encircled his arm with hers, all teasing and playfulness.
"I was having lovely conversation with Doreel. I think I'll stay." The shy girl couldn't suppress her smile before she ducked her head. "Maybe you should stay too? From what I recall, you're not so familiar with conversation." He threw the reputation she had given him back at her as he disentangled his arm from hers. Their audience loved it.
"You know that I am," Jenna said softly. He felt bad at the hurt that flashed in her eyes and remembered her overture from the other day. Her behavior now didn't make sense in light of that. Or maybe he had overreacted a bit.
He was trying to figure out how to end the situation without being awkward when the issue was taken out of his hands.
A large woman whose eyes were vaguely snake like was suddenly at his other arm.
"Matthew, I can show you a far more interesting conversation than her. Why don't you come with me?" Rachel Grey winked up at him. Half the crowd loved the entertainment; the other half wanted to see him back with Jenna. He chose sides, glad that Rachel had given him an out.
"That does sound…interesting. Maybe I should?"
"Oh, Jenna, you're not going to let him get away again are you?" Someone shouted. Jenna stepped up to Rachel, who stuck out her famous tongue. Jenna's face took on a look of concentration, and the snake-tongued woman started to lift. Rachel just smiled, then glanced at Matthew, who had backed away, and flicked her eyes towards the back of the room. He took the hint, and sending her a mental 'thank you', he fled.
Once outside, on the patio behind the house, he stopped to take a breath. To his surprise, Doreel was there beside him a moment later. She handed him a drink.
"I, uh, I asked Rachel to step in if Jenna did something like that. I hope you don't mind."
"No, I don't. Thank you."
"She has no right to act like she owns you. Especially after what she did." Matthew nodded, thinking he had found another potential friend in the UpMountain.
"You're right. Thank you for saying it." They were quiet for a moment. Matthew stared up; this house was grand, but the real evidence of the family's wealth was its proximity to the edge of the mountain. A large many-paneled window was inset into the mountain side above them. The night was clear and the stars are out. It was very romantic, and several couples were taking advantage of the atmosphere along the edge of the yard.
Doreel spoke hesitantly.
"I'm glad you are back with us, Matthew. This is where you belong. You'll be happier here." And just like that, the innocent comment shattered his illusion and reminded him of exactly where he didn't belong. He had come tonight to distract himself from Eleni, not to re-assimilate back into UpMountain society. But, of course, that was how they would all see it.
Craig had just come up on his left with Ebony on his arm, and suddenly thoroughly unhappy with his current situation, Matthew shoved his drink into the man's hand.
"Excuse me," he said, and turned to reenter the house. Doreel followed him trying to get him to stay. He mumbled some apologies as he made his way to the front door and left.
JAE
"Over here, Cadet Summers."
Jae, who had been dwelling on her brother's disappointing but unsurprising performance the other night at the Cassidy party, turned to attend to the request of her superior.
The senior cadet, having finished putting in a code on a keypad to the side, turned a massive wheel and the heavy painted metal door it was attached to shifted. Air hissed out through the narrow opening.
They were underneath the central section of the UpMountain. Jae had had no idea these tunnels below existed. They were claimed by the military, and apparently used for moving people around more efficiently.
The chamber beyond finally pressurized, and the door swung fully open. The senior cadet pushed a button, and light flooded out the door, revealing a curved corridor, one side of which was steeply slanted away, to the point that the base of the wall disappeared into darkness.
At her superior's gesture, they entered together.
"What is this place, Cadet Shaw?" The older woman grimaced, but then smiled.
"The base of the Gift."
"The Gift?" Cadet Shaw rolled her eyes at Jae's ignorance.
"The Atrium of course. The Gift He created to see us through the long years of suffering so that we could once again reclaim our glory. Which we have." While the sentiment was familiar to Jae, she had been to Cult events before, the reverence with which it was spoken was unusual. She nodded hesitantly. "Now, this is your assignment. We are going to circle the entire base. You have the lights and your flashlight. Look carefully for signs of corrosion, and alert me if you see anything."
Jae blinked. "Uh, the entire base, Cadet Shaw?" The Atrium was huge. Cadet Shaw's face took on a look of fake sympathy.
"The entire base," she replied, parsing the words out carefully. "These are the jobs you get when you step out of line." Her smile was far from nice. "You better get started. I'll be here to keep you company." The woman didn't look so happy at that point, and Jae started to suspect that babysitting her here was some kind of punishment as well.
Jae knew why she was being punished. She had already been thoroughly questioned and then chastised for her involvement in the prank they had played on the sewer rat a few weeks back. It seemed to her that should have been the end of it, but she had suffered extra training sessions and disadvantageous placement ever since.
She grimaced, thinking it could be worse. The senior cadet who had orchestrated the entire thing now spent his afternoons as a secretary to some obscure colonel who had been demoted to administrative work a decade ago. Sighing, Jae started on her task.
"What's you power, Summers?"
"Energy blasts." Cadet Shaw nodded.
"Not so interesting, then." Her tone dripped with pity. "I can fly." Flying was highly valued in the military. "Someday I'll be hunting Rabbits," Shaw added, smugly. Jae's forehead furrowed, unsure as to the woman's meaning. Deciding not to take the bait, if that is what it was, Jae went on carefully inspecting the wall.
"Cadet Shaw?"
"Yes?"
"What is inside there?"
"It holds the entire system the sustains the gardens in the Atrium. Magento Himself left specific orders that it should never be breeched." Jae took this in, impressed.
"It recycles the water and everything?" Another nod.
"It has to remain completely sealed to sustain the system. Care for the Atrium falls under the military's purview." The latter comment had a tone of tolerance, and Jae identified immediately that that was an unusual mandate for the organization. She understood why it was used as punishment for Cadets and suspected that the military authorities were not so happy to be burdened with this task. "It is as Magneto designed and the Phoenix commanded, and we are loyal to His name." The other cadet said this as if it were gospel.
Jae ignored the fanaticism and fell to wondering how long her punishments were going to last. She started to suspect that by the end, she might actually regret targeting the sewer rat. She already regretted the manner in which it had been carried out. Cadet Shaw noticed her mood.
"You won't be taking any unauthorized action after this. A few more of these tasks, and you'll know your place." Jae looked up sharply. The tone of the comment bothered her. Cadet Shaw pointed in irritation. "Well, get on with it, Summers. If you take too long, you'll be back here every day until you learn how to be more efficient."
CITADEL 3020.10.18
Dave strode up the steps of the university building, nervous but hopeful. Sahira, though still harboring some cynicism, had been receptive to his ideas. She had asked for some time to think, but then had contacted him looking to meet again in private. He was on his way to the meeting right now.
Reaching the designated room, a small study room where the door could be closed for privacy, he was surprised to find that Sahira wasn't alone. Her long-time boyfriend, Natal Shivna, was there as well.
Dave went over to greet them and shake hands. Natal had straight black hair like Sahira, but his skin was a darker hue and his eyes were so dark they were nearly black. Dave remembered him as a slightly uptight young man. They had never hung out much in school.
"Are you also at the university?" Dave asked as they sat. Natal nodded.
"Studying agriculture," he provided. Dave thought that Natal's family were connected to nutrition resources, so that made sense.
Sahira came to the table after shutting the door and started the conversation.
"I've told Natal everything." Dave took a breath in. Even though the woman had mentioned Natal was sympathetic, Dave wished she had asked before bringing him in.
"When did you find out about your sister?" Natal asked him, and Dave noticed a pointed tone to the question.
"Just a couple months before she died," he answered honestly, then swallowed at the memory. Natal narrowed his eyes, then looked back at Sahira. She nodded.
"I'll stick around," Natal said. Dave set aside the strange exchange to ponder later, in favor of his mild shock at how quickly things had changed.
"Wait, so, does that mean…," He looked at Sahira.
"I'm in, too. Let's do this crazy thing." Her jaw set, and Dave laughed out slightly in relief. "What?"
"I…it's just nice to have someone on my side," he said honestly. And it was nice that he no longer needed to rely on Kurt for more contacts. The man had only given him one at their last meeting. Dave had said nothing of Kurt to Sahira.
A small smile quirked Sahira's lips, but then she focused, opening her laptop.
"We need to put together a concrete plan. Let's start with your thoughts so far."
"Like, how you plan to manage mutants who can explode as they are walking down the street…" Natal muttered, and Sahira glared at him.
"That's for later. I don't believe there are many of those, anyway," she retorted, and Dave decided not to get involved. He agreed that that was an issue for later; first they needed to stop the city from killing the mutants.
"Um, I don't know that it is wise to put this down anywhere," he said to Sahira as she started typing. She gave him a tolerant look.
"I'm just putting the structure down, nothing about the actual goal. It'll look like a generic plan if anyone should find it."
The government had the ability to access any computer that was connected to the internet and occasionally did so. The official line was that military officials only did it when there was cause for suspicion, but no one ever forgot what they could do. In his push for increased freedoms for the Citadel's population, Robert Kelly had touched on the issue a few times and argued for giving citizens more privacy. In private, however, the man was realistic about the prospects: there was evidence, decades old now but irrefutable, of mutant plots that had been designed within the Veil. The government could not allow such a thing to occur, and most accepted the invasion of privacy as necessary.
Dave nodded, accepting Sahira's plan.
"Well, as I am new to the Network, I was taking this time to get a sense for how people felt and get to know them in person. Let them get to know me." Sahira nodded, typing as she replied.
"We'll keep doing that. But since I am already part of the Network and know a fair number of families there, that sets us ahead of where you were."
"Then I was hoping to plan small gatherings where people could come to ask me questions. More time to get to know me with no need of a commitment." The keys clicked away.
"Smaller private meetings as well, I'd imagine?" Dave nodded.
"If requested."
"You have to be careful there. No one-on-one's."
"Why not? Sometimes you need that privacy to gain someone's trust. And if it's a person who had wealth, power or influence, then that support would be nice to have." Sahira shook her head firmly.
"We are playing with our freedom here. We have to think about situations that could expose us." Dave saw her point but wasn't convinced.
"I thought the Network was trustworthy."
"It is: the families have suffered together and that makes them protective of each other. But they are still people in the end. And," Sahira went on, giving Dave a look, "you are a public figure, golden boy. Increasing the chance that a person would switch their loyalties for money or another incentive."
"Plus, you haven't always been on our side. This isn't just to protect you," Natal interjected pointedly. Dave made note of the negative tone in the man's comments, but then set the observation aside.
Dave decided reluctantly that he agreed with the points Sahira had made. He nodded.
"Eventually, I was hoping to work up to some kind of rally."
Sahira paused, and took a deep breath, considering him.
"It might be better to find a way to get the proposed legislative change out there first. Anonymously. A rally is risky: you need people to go public."
"We could find ways to make it safe for those who came. It would build up the excitement and anticipation, bind people to us more tightly."
"And what about us? Are you thinking we'd stand up there promoting something that the majority of the city thinks will bring the world to an end?" Again reluctant, Dave saw her point.
"I'm sure we could figure out some way to speak to them without being seen," he hedged. She was right; with phones now capable of taking pictures and videos, it would be that much easier to be associated with this cause prematurely, dooming their chances of success.
Sahira nodded. "There are a lot of logistics to work out." She grinned at Natal. "You up to the challenge?"
"You know I am," he replied softly. Dave found the man's attitude stuck-up.
"Natal is a genius at logistics."
"You should have joined the student council!" Dave said, trying to make a connection. Maybe he could use his knowledge from the orchard to do so as well.
"Nah. It was more fun watching you guys pretend you were doing something useful." Or maybe not.
"So!" Sahira stepped in as Dave started to glare. "You were thinking of running this like a campaign."
"Yes," Dave said succinctly, his eyes still on Natal. "It is what I know."
"Let's brainstorm on how to keep it quiet and safe." They made a list of concerns and how they could be alleviated. The discussion took place mainly between Dave and Sahira, though Natal did provide some useful suggestions. For instance, he knew that there was a room in the basement of their temple where the wireless internet didn't reach.
When Sahira excused herself for a minute to use the bathroom, Dave took the opportunity to try to sus out Natal.
"So, what sort of stuff did you do in school? Any sports?" The man shook his head. "Arts or theater?"
"Nah." Dave wasn't used to someone who was so reticent to talk. Natal looked bored, and he looked anywhere in the room except at Dave. It was starting to get annoying.
"You must have some interests," Dave prompted. If there was nothing that motivated this man, Dave couldn't see how he could be a good team member.
Natal shrugged. Dave opened his mouth again, but this time Natal cut him off.
"Look. I'll help you guys and I'll keep my mouth shut. But I'm not looking to become lifelong friends or anything."
"Did I do something to offend you?" Natal laughed dismissively as he looked away from Dave again but didn't say anything. Dave searched his memory for something he might have done. One thing came to mind.
"Is this about when I was interested in Sahira?"
Natal's eyes snapped back to Dave. His hand formed a fist on the table. Dave laughed bitterly to himself at how the lies of the past kept twisting their insidious way into the present.
Dave felt his shoulders tense as he entered his father's office building and proceeded to the 22nd floor. It was September and the election season was in full swing, with rally's, receptions, speeches and a host of other events dominating his father's schedule, and his, too, to a decent extent. Family appearances were important, not to mention that Dave wanted to learn about the process as he had decided he wanted to go into politics, just like his father.
It meant the time he had with Eleni had dwindled to twice a week on average, and they had been alone only one time since his birthday.
"Hi Dave. You are really stepping out this year!" Dave turned to the familiar voice and smiled at Katherine, who was walking down the hall towards his father's office. "You keep this up and you'll be winning your father's seat for him."
The comment made Dave slightly uncomfortable, while at the same time he acknowledged its truth: the public loved him.
He was disappointed to find Eleni doing her homework and not dancing. He sat across from her and made a show of taking out his books as he greeted her. She looked at him, coolly, but greeted him in return.
They worked in silence, and as the afternoon turned to evening people began to clear out. He didn't have much time; Eleni was likely leave soon, and he wasn't sure when he would next be at the office. The school year had just started, and his bid for student council president, on top of his appearances for his father's campaign, was keeping him busy.
"Elle, we need to talk," he whispered urgently after a few minutes.
"Do we?" she replied, testing him. He looked away in annoyance.
"Yes!" he hissed. "Meet me in the conference room on the far side." With that, he collected his bag and moved location. About 10 minutes later, Eleni appeared at the door, as if she was stopping in on her way to the bathroom down the hall.
"So, Dave, I hear you are charming the known world," she teased him as she entered, but he knew it was all an act. "They love your earring."
For a moment the mask cracked, and he saw genuine pleasure and satisfaction shine through on her face. He reached up to touch the piece. It was the midnight sun, she had told him, playing on a phrase her mother occasionally muttered. They had been fascinated with the image as kids and had spent hours discussing what it could mean or how it could happen. It had been Eleni's inspiration for the earring which she had designed from scratch.
The press had picked up on it, and from there teens throughout the city and then designers. Shirts, bags, all sorts of items with the image on them were appearing in stores. Dave didn't like it, but there was little he could do to stop it. The image had been as eagerly co-opted as had his own public image: charming, smart but not stuck-up, and serious when it mattered. In terms of his future as a public figure, this was an excellent start.
He looked at the happiness on Eleni's face and held on to the truth that the earring was something secret and precious, and only between the two of them.
"Whatever," he said, playing the part and dismissing her tease. When she came closer, he said quietly. "They'll never know the truth." She looked down, and as she sat she brushed her hand against his under the table. Glancing at the door to make sure no one was walking by, he grabbed if for a moment, laced their fingers together and squeezed tight, willing her to know what she meant to him. Then he released her hand and spoke quietly.
"Elle, we need to talk about that. Everyone is asking me!" Eleni's face closed, and she looked away, crossing her arms in front of her.
With dismay, he saw that she appeared to remain unbending when it came to the topic he had broached the last time they had met. That meeting had ended abruptly: he had explained the pressure he was feeling to get a girlfriend for his public image, and the fact that he had decided to do just that, though, he had emphasized, it would only be for show. Eleni had stood up and walked out without a word.
The memory still rankled.
Eleni spoke, and for a moment he thought things might just work out.
"I'm sorry. That I walked away without talking. I won't do it again." Her eyes flicked to him, and he nodded his thanks.
"Elle, I'm under a lot of pressure. They want to see me with a girl on my arm." He breathed out in frustration. "I want to go into politics, and image matters. Everything is going so well, and this would help. And stop any rumors from starting." Not being with a girl for too long would make people wonder. "Anyway, I wouldn't be doing anything with her. I'd be yours in truth. Just like now."
He had already started getting to know his female peers, or at least the ones who accompanied their parents to his father's campaign events. One, Sahira Trebong, was intelligent and down-to-earth, and he had been going out of his way to make sure they met more often.
"I'm yours, Elle, and this way after I break up with whoever it is once we'd been together long enough, I'll be able to focus only on you like I want to."
He sighed in frustration at their situation. The secrecy, the lack of freedom. He didn't usually dwell on it, it was so impossible, but at times it did catch up with him. He pushed those thoughts aside. "It would just be for a little while. A few months at most. If I could, I would only be with you," he whispered. He looked at her, hopeful.
She sat in silence for a minute after he finished, staring straight ahead.
"No." It came as a whisper. "I won't be your mistress." Dave's desperation rose in anger.
"Elle, you won't be! You would be the one I'm really with—" She shook her head vehemently, decision made. She fumbled at her left wrist as she spoke.
"Dave, it is clear that you have decided you must do this thing. But while you do it, I will not be yours." His heart contracted as he realized she had taken off the bracelet he had given her. She thrust it towards him. "Take it." Her voice cracked, and he looked at her face to see that she was on the verge of tears.
"No!" He stubbornly turned away. After a moment of sitting there holding the bracelet out, she laid it on the table beside him and walked out.
He sat there for several moments, the bracelet burning a hole in the table beside him. Tears threatened, but his anger held him back. Finally, he grabbed his bag, and pushed himself up, leaving the bracelet where it lay. He tried to walk as if nothing was wrong, but once he found an empty men's bathroom, he spent a long time pacing angrily and hitting his fists on the tile wall.
Why didn't she understand? He had to do this, there was so much pressure. He wanted to roar in frustration. He didn't know how long his vented, but at some point he realized it was late. His father was probably looking for him. Leaving the bathroom, he turned himself towards the conference room. His father, indeed looking for him, came around the corner just as he reached the door.
"Dave, where were you?!" Dave felt bad when he saw the man's worry. "Is everything ok?"
Pausing before he responded, he glanced into the conference room as they passed it. The table was empty, no sign of silver. He exhaled in relief. Eleni wouldn't have just left it there for someone to pick up. Would she? He chose to believe she wouldn't.
"Elle and I had an argument," Dave responded to his father. Her mother and his dad had helped them repair their tiffs since they were small children and were used to tolerating it when their stubborn offspring treated each other with stony silence. Robert Kelly frowned slightly.
"Want to talk about it?" Dave found he did but knew he couldn't. He put truth and lies together to make a reasonable story.
"She thinks I'm being fake, all the appearances I've been making for your campaign and everything." His father nodded, knowingly.
"Elle has always been a bit black and white. It would be hard for her to accept some of the compromises that must happen for laws to be made, to keep a population in relative safety." Ever since Dave had indicated he was thinking of a career in politics, his father had taken to inserting nuggets of wisdom into their conversations. This was clearly one. "The question that you must ask yourself is, are you ok with what you are doing? Your image can be a huge asset or a huge liability." They had entered the elevator, and Robert looked at his son thoughtfully. "Don't become a lie, however. You might play to the crowds, and put on an act when it is necessary, but always stay true to who you are at heart."
"How do I know if I am doing that?" His father shrugged.
"It isn't always easy, especially when you live in a world of grey where black and white is a sweet fantasy. But there will be lines that you cross over time, and hopefully you will recognize the one that is one step too far."
Dave pondered these words as they walked the distance to the building where they lived. It helped him procrastinate in considering what had just happened to him and Eleni.
Once at home and in his room, however, he felt the sadness start to win out over his anger and was no longer able to ignore the truth. She was no longer his. As tears started dripping down his face, he reached up to gently grasp the earring. He hated this situation, but he had made his decision and would see it through. He held fast to the knowledge that no matter what Eleni thought, he would always be hers.
"No." Natal's blunt reply snapped Dave back to the present. "It's not that." But there was something.
"What, then?" What had he done to offend this man? Natal just looked at him, then scoffed and shook his head. He leaned forward, arms on the table.
"Look, we're doing this together. Let's just see how it goes." Dave was unhappy with that lukewarm reception but dropped the subject.
Sahira returned, and they went back to their planning. A half hour later, they were done, and Dave was satisfied with the new developments. Sahira would set up meetings with families for him and start doing them herself as well.
As Dave left, he looked forward to telling Kurt that he no longer needed the man's help.