Chapter Six: Face the Music

Jimena was furious with Matti. She hadn't told her that she was the child of followers or a Lecta. Matti knew that Jimena didn't trust her right now, but Jimena had been the best friend Matti had since she had moved from New York. She didn't want to lose that, especially over something she herself had just found out a few hours before.

"Jimena, please give me a chance to explain everything. I promise I will tell you the truth and let you ask any questions you want. I will tell you everything I know."

"You're a Follower! You expect me to trust you?!"

"No, my parents are Followers. I never knew. My mother doesn't exactly run around telling me I belong to an ancient evil. I swear Jimena, I never knew any of this until I left you in the other dimension and wound up back in Planet Bang."

Jimena didn't look like she was gonna give in. Serena decided to probe in Matti's mind to find if she was being honest. She looked through all of her memories and thoughts. Matti didn't even try to stop her. She knew that Matti was being honest with them.

"Jimena, she's telling the truth. She found out tonight."

"How did you find out, Matti?" asked Catty.

"When I got back to this dimension, I realized I needed to find a way to help you guys. I ran into Tymmie outside of Planet Bang. He was saying he needed to take me back to my master. I dissolved into shadow and fled. When I felt constricted by the shadows I reformed myself. A man I later found out to be a Regulator took me to another place, where I met the Cincti who decided the Prince of Night was to sentence me for crimes against the Atrox. I didn't know Stanton was the Prince of the Night. He had a sadness to him about my being in trouble that I don't understand, but he wouldn't answer my questions, so I ran."

"And you got away?" asked Jimena.

"Part of me thinks that Stanton doesn't want to see me punished."

"Why would he not want you punished?" asked Vanessa.

"I don't know, but he told me that he wished I didn't have to face him, that I should've listened to his warnings to avoid the Followers."

"That's weird. Followers usually don't care," said Tianna.

"I know. I don't understand it myself, but he didn't stop me from running."

"Where did you go?" asked Jimena.

"I found your friend Maggie. I told her what was going on and what I had found out. She told me that I could use my gifts to save you instead of harm you. It was Maggie who told me to paralyze Lucas to give an opportunity to get out of the other dimension."

Jimena looked as if she was gonna forgive Matti.

"Are there any other things we should know about?" she asked Matti.

"Like what?"

"What are your gifts?" asked Catty.

"I can time travel, dissolve into shadows, read minds, teleport, telekinesis, and psychic attacks."

"How can you do all of that?" asked Serena.

"I don't know. I've been able to do it for so long, I never questioned it."

"Do you have any other secrets? Who are your parents?" asked Jimena.

"You have all met my mom. I think she's my real mother. As far as I know she is. As for my dad, I have no idea. I've never met him and Stanton wouldn't tell me."

"Alright, I believe you. But from now on, just tell us the truth. We can't let the Atrox get hold of you anymore," said Jimena.

"I'm with you. I don't want those Regulators getting hold of me. I need help."

"You need to talk to your mom to find out what you can. Find out if she's really your mother," said Serena, "then we can help you. It's not like you're the only one with Followers for parents. Catty's dad is a Follower and her mom was also a fallen goddess. We can deal with this. Let's just find out what we can before we act."

"Alright. I need to get home. My mom is gonna be pissed that I'm out so late," said Matti.

The girls all got into Jimena's car and drove off from Planet Bang. Jimena dropped Matti off first. Matti knew that the other five were gonna go see Maggie when they left. She waved good-bye to her friends and walked up the path to her house.

When she got inside the house she put her keys on the table and turned on the lights. She walked into the kitchen and made herself a sandwich. After she ate the sandwich, she went up to her mother's bedroom and checked to see if she was home... She wasn't.

Feeling a little nervous, Matti sat down and turned on the television. She was watching A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors trying to relax herself. She had the uneasy feeling that she was being watched. She got up to check the windows and the doors in the house to make sure that everything was locked. When she got upstairs, however, she realized she wasn't.

Sitting on her bed was her mother. She realized than that her mother really was her mother, because her mom had not been in the house forty minutes before when she had come home. She realized that her mother also had the ability to dissolve into the shadows.

"Mom?"

"You know."

"Why didn't you tell me that I'm evil?"

"Because I recognized your friends and didn't want to put you against them. They're trying so hard to protect you. Besides, you never made the decision to be evil. You've always been the opposite of your father and I."

"Who is my father, Mom?"

"You don't need to know that right now."

"What's going on? There are Regulators looking for me. What's gonna happen to me?"

Matti's mom really looked worried now. She knew what it meant to have Regulators chasing you. They had chased her for a long time, until a new Follower finally took the place of Prince of the Night.

"Matti, you must be very careful. Sleep with your shields up. Don't let anyone in your mind anymore. The Regulators can find you that way. They will destroy you."

"Mom, have you known all this time what I can do? Did you know that I was a Lecta?"

"Yes. I was at your Cold Fire ceremony."

"What's that?"

"It's where the Atrox burns away your mortality and grants you immortality. You were only five years old. Your father and I were proud to have you be chosen as a Lecta at such a young age. It doesn't usually happen."

"Why me?"

"Because of your abilities. You can help the Atrox destroy the Daughters of the Moon."

"I won't do it."

"Because they are your friends?"

Matti paused for a moment. Deep down she always knew that there was something about her five best friends. Maybe she knew they were goddesses all along.

"Because I don't work for evil. I work for the good in the world. I don't want it to be destroyed."

"You will be destroyed."

"Then I get destroyed. I won't work for the Atrox... Ever!"

Matti ran out of her room and bounded out of the house. She didn't know what she was gonna do. She didn't want to go to Vanessa's house and sit with Mrs. Cleveland. She didn't want to go into the gang neighborhoods to Jimena's house. Catty was spending the night with Tianna so she didn't want to go to either of their houses. She thought about Serena's house. She made up her mind.

Matti dissolved into shadow and went toward Serena's house. When she was partway there, she felt a presence pulling her back into her solid form. Before it could force the change, she reformed herself.

"Mathilde. I'm so glad that I found you myself," said the man coming towards her. He looked perfect in every way and she knew at once this was another Regulator. The lights in the street went out and she knew it was him this time, not her.

"What do you want?"

"You will return with me. The members of the Cincti are awaiting you. You will pay for your crimes against the Atrox."

"Or so you think."

Matti took a very big chance and threw all her energy at the Regulator. He wasn't expecting it and it made him stagger backward. Matti took her opportunity and disappeared out of the neighborhood she was in and landed right in the middle of something she never wanted involvement in again... Her past in the gangs.