Fractured Bonds

by DarkEmeraldGem

Natalia Boltagon is the little sister of Black Bolt and Maximus. She remains behind on Attilan during Maximus' coup. But when Attilan's barrier falls, Natalia is forced to leave her Max behind. Now, faced with the prospect of life without the one person she loves, Natalia seeks vengeance on those who never listened to her or cared about her agony. This is the creation of a monster.

3. Sibling Bonds and Genetic Testing

In the last chapter, Natalia and her best friend Camelia underwent the Terrigenesis Ceremony together, both to their trepidation. Upon stepping out from the pods, Natalia discovered herself trapped in the body of a child. Angered by this and the pain that she had been put through, she lost control of her newfound psychic abilities and unleashed a torrent of violent imagery into the mind of one of the councilmen, leading to both of them collapsing. In the midst of her panic, Natalia is escorted back to her room by Maximus, and the two of them are left alone to talk. We pick up the story right where we left off…

Yet again, comments and feedback are welcome, as are any messages and favourites. Follow and favourite if you enjoy what I've written. Thank you to anyone who has read thus far — any support would mean a lot to me!

Somehow, I doubted that there was a word that could truly describe the fear that I was feeling at that moment. The unbridled trepidation that started from the bottom of my toes and ran all the way up to my spine, tingling, leaving Goosebumps on my skin, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The awful feeling in the pit of my stomach, as though there several poorly trained acrobats were attempting to do some epic summersaults but were instead failing and tumbling into a deep pit of acid. How was I supposed to vocalize any of these feelings? Did my fears make sense or was I simply overreacting? Dare I say it, was I losing my mind?

From my place on the bed, I was afforded no comfort. My fingers dug into the sheet, feeling the soft, satin material that kept me warm each night. I lay on my side, wrapping my arms around the pillow and bringing it close to my chest, in a desperate attempt to quell the beating of my heart. Tears welled up in my eyes, stinging as they rolled their way down my cheeks. Tossing and turning, this way and that, I tried to do something, anything, that would let me force the pain that I'd been put through the back of my mind, at least for the moment. For what purpose would it serve to wallow in the past? What good would come of fearing the worst when nobody even knew the outcome?

Yet there was no freeing myself from the confines that my brain had locked itself into. With a cry of frustration, I tossed the pillow to one side and leapt from the bed, my body almost reacting on its own accord to whatever shock I was feeling at that moment. I began to pace. Up and down, up and down, my fists clenched behind my back, fingernails digging so hard into my flesh that it was almost painful. And still, I almost welcomed that pain — at least it was distraction from whatever else I'd been feeling at that time. It wasn't supposed to be like this!

God damn it, it was NOT supposed to be like this! My Terrigenesis was meant to be the hallmark of my introduction into the Inhuman society. Camelia and I, we were meant to be taking our place in the world together. We should have been celebrating with our loved ones, basking in the congratulations and well-wishes of friends and family. We should have been laughing and planning new adventures to use our powers together — as we'd planned to. Instead of trapped in whatever levels of Dante's inferno that this was!

I turned my attention onto Maximus, staring at him with wide-eyes and a pleading expression. 'Tell me,' I thought, 'tell me everything is going to be alright. Tell me that this is just a normal reaction to the Ceremony and that there's nothing wrong with me. Tell me that this just a little blip and we can fix this — that the Council will find a way to make this right again. Tell me… tell me that I'm just over-reacting. Tell me that you know what this is, and you can help me fix it! Please, Max, just… please!'

The words, again, seemed stuck on the tip of my tongue. Part of me wanted to throw my arms around my brother and cling to him like the scared and hurting child I must have now become, and yet another part, the more mature part, told me that I should not do so until I had gleaned at least some answers about what was going on. An understanding of the powers that I'd been 'gifted' or rather, cursed with. Whatever was the point of undergoing the Ceremony if the result was just going to be me being pushed aside and not told what was happening? That was no way to treat anyone, much less the Royal Princess of Attilan! And maybe the panic that I was feeling would subside if I could just get an answer to the burning questions eating away at my very core.

In all truth, I would have settled at that very moment just for an explanation of the horrific pictures that had formed in my head. There was no way that I could have seen them before; the faceless, screaming creatures, the flesh melting from their bones, the maggots eating them down to the bone. Even the memory of it was enough to make me feel sick. Was THAT what I had shown to Council Member Viktron? Was that why he had reacted in the way that he did?

"Max…" My voice came out as a terrified stutter, fixing my brother with a horror-struck gaze. I took a step towards him, each movement feeling like lead under my feet, like I was dragging myself through wet cement. "Max… Max… Max…" It was all I could say, repeating my brother's name over and over, as though it were the last source of comfort that I could find.

"Natalia, listen…" Maximus started to say. "It will be okay, there's nothing to worry about. Nothing at all. I…" He was trying to comfort me, I know, the wonderful and caring brother that he was, he would no doubt be saying words to soothe and console his little sister after her ordeal, but he could barely get another word in edgeways before I began to ramble at a mile a minute. Panic-Speech — something that I was no stranger to in a time of crisis.

"What have I become?" The melodramatic question fell from my lips before I'd even had a chance to formulate a more cohesive response. "What is this? What… what… what…" I was getting worked up, my breath coming in large gasps, chest heaving up and down, every word desperate to spill out and yet caught in my throat at the same time. My throat burned as I continued forcing myself to talk. "What the hell was that, Max? Why did this happen to me? It hurt so much, brother, it… my head… the sounds… the pictures… the… the… the… just EVERYTHING… is this what's meant to happen? Or is this just a bad reaction to the Terrigen Mist? Has this happened to anyone else before? Do you know? I can't remember… I just… I need… I need… Max… I… what the hell is going on?"

My brother lifted up a hand to stop me in my tracks, presumably so that he could gather his thoughts and respond somewhat coherently to my incoherence. He crossed to the middle of the room and placed his hands upon my shoulders, grounding me back into reality. "First of all," he said, his tone soothing yet firm at the same time, "stop getting yourself worked up. It won't do you any good to get so upset." How I wished that I could heed such advice. "Take a deep breath and think before you panic, alright? This isn't something that can't be fixed, understand?"

"But WHAT is it?" I shot back, in a harsher tone than I'd wanted to use. Maximus arched a brow at me and I glanced down at my feet, "sorry. It… I just… what is this? Nobody is telling me anything; and I just want to know what's wrong with me." God, I felt as though I were about to burst into ugly sobs at any given moment. "I feel cursed… all I want to know is what the curse is…"

"You aren't cursed." Maximus kept his hands on my shoulders, preventing me from the return to the Epic Pace Around the Room that I had been partaking in. He leaned down so that we were on an eye-level, steadying my trembling form. "Now, I don't know what happened in there. Or what powers you developed — that's something that the genetics council will have to determine later. Really, Talia, I'm just as stumped as you are for an explanation as to what went on in there. But that explanation will come, understood? You just have to be patient and calm and wait for it."

Patient and calm? Was there any way that I could be either of those things? Patience was a virtue that had long since left me, and could any person be expected to remain calm when they'd just gone through such an ordeal? Would you have felt anything of the sort if you were in my position? No, I didn't think so! But I knew my Max was only trying to comfort me and make me feel better about all that had happened, and for that I felt grateful. He was the only member of my family that was bothering to show any concern at this moment — but that was nothing new; he had always shown me a level of compassion that everyone else appeared to be at a loss to express.

I took a deep breath. Then another. Then another. In-and-out. In-and-out. Once, twice, three times. Inhale, exhale. Feel the carpet under my feet, focus myself on the here and now. "Thank you, brother," I said, even managing to force the smallest bit of a smile for him. "It… I'm just scared… I don't… This wasn't what I was expecting to happen — I thought things would run smoother. I didn't expect to…"

A quick glance down at my hands, so small and dainty now, brought yet another thought rushing to the forefront of my head. "I'm so small…" I mumbled, perhaps more to myself than to my brother. "I'm so tiny… Medusa said I look like a child, but how can that be? I'm fourteen, that's… that's not a child. But then, if that were the case…" My eyes met my brother's again, "you wouldn't have been able to carry me like you did, Max, would you? I mean… if I hadn't shrunk in some way. What do I look like? Is… have I mutated? Am I hideously deformed? Everyone was staring at me, Maximus, tell me what I look like. Please, spare me the comfort and just get right to the point. What's been done to me?"

Maximus, his grip still firm on my shoulders, turned me around and pointed in the direction of the walk-in bathroom adjoining my room. He pointed in its direction. "You want to know what you look like? You have a mirror in there, don't you? Go in there and take a look for yourself. I can promise you, Natalia, it's not nearly as bad as you're making it out to be." I hesitated, fearful of what I would find, but he pushed me forward, "go on, I swear that it's alright. Trust me."

With awkward and lumbering steps, I made my way across the carpet and into the bathroom. The door shut behind me and I turned the lock with a trembling hand, leaning my palm against the door, head resting against it. I wanted to afford myself just a small bit of privacy in case of any future meltdowns. Surely, I had embarrassed Maximus quite enough already, he didn't need to see this, too. I clenched my fist and closed my eyes, breathing deeply. My left hand grasped on the doorknob, the right palm pressed against the doorframe.

All it would take was but one second to turn it again and step out without going through with this. Something it was better NOT knowing the truth, after all. Could I handle what lay waiting for me through the mirror's glass? The creature that would be staring back at me, mocking me. Could I handle what I would find? Or would this just be something to further break me? My mind flashed back to the stares of my family and the councilmen as I'd stepped out of that Terrigenesis pod. I wasn't ready for this. But then…

I couldn't go around avoiding mirrors for the rest of my life, could I? Sooner or later, I would have to confront my demons and look at what I'd become. Face the mirror, and everything that it represented. Why not do so now, in the privacy of my own room, when there was no-one here but my Max, the one person that I knew would not pass even the tiniest bit of judgement upon me. It would be better to get this out of the way now lest I be forced to face the truth at another, more inconvenient time. What was there to be afraid of, after all?

'Max says it doesn't look bad,' I told myself. 'He says you look fine, remember? You're probably just over-reacting about all of this, Natalia. Come on now, if you were disfigured or deformed then everyone would have had a much worse reaction than they did. Your thoughts, they are merely running away from you in your nervous state. Come on, get this over with. If you can't trust yourself then at LEAST trust your brother. Would he lie to you? Try to lead you astray? When has Max ever done such a thing, when WOULD Max ever do such a thing?'

Inch by inch, my hand lifted from the doorknob. I took a few steps away from the door, in so doing cementing my decision to stay in here and look at myself. There was no point in hiding from the truth any longer, no matter how ugly that truth may turn out to be. I had to do this. For my own peace of mind, for to have but ONE explanation of what had happened to me today. This was… surely this would be the easiest part. Swallowing back the lump in my throat, I turned around. My eyes scanned the room for a moment, this way and that, before stopping on the floor-length mirror that stood in the corner of the bathroom. There was a shape there, a person, a person that looked oddly like… me… but it took me a little while to understand what I was looking at. And when did, oh, let me tell you… nothing, and I do mean NOTHING could have prepared me for what I saw.

There was… a child in the room with me. Someone else had managed to sneak into my chambers, perhaps cloaked with the powers of invisibility that I had longed for. Whoever they were, they had undergone Terrigenesis far, FAR too young. I felt a pang of guilt for them, for this stranger, this nameless child. But what to do with them? What do to? Call for Maximus? Yes, yes, that seemed like the best course of action. I'd have to get my brother in here and tell him that some genetically enhanced child was after sequestering themselves into my bathroom and could he please make them leave?

That was the only option. That was the only explanation. This child, this girl, whoever she was, had snuck in here unannounced and without permission, and she would have to get out. Really, she had some gall wandering into the private chambers of a royal, didn't she? Yes, yes, she did. This girl, this little girl, the second person in the room with me. The second person who HAD to be in the room with me. Because the only other explanation that my mind was conjuring up was that the girl staring at me was…. Me. I took a step forward, towards her. In the back of my mind, I almost expected her to move too, to run, to dart away from me and give weight to my theory that this was someone else. Yes, it might have been a shock to the system, but I could handle that. Handling the opposite, on the other hand, was proving to be a bit more difficult.

The little girl hadn't moved an inch from her place in the glass. Her face was frozen in an open-mouthed expression of fear and awe, her jaw dropped, eyes wide. She tilted her head to one side, slightly, and it took me a moment to realize that I had done the exact same. I straightened up… and so did she. Still with that same dumbfounded look on her face. This child looked as perplexed as I felt. Coincidence? God, how I hoped so!

Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, in a rhythmic motion I crossed to the mirror, now standing almost nose to nose with this little girl. She was pretty, I had to admit that. Her long, dark hair hung in ringlets down her back, soft curls framing her face. Her eyes were a deep brown, almost black in colour, ever so expressive. Her skin was a pale, porcelain colour like that of a China doll — tiny freckles dotted on her cheeks and on the bridge of her nose. She looked like one of those dolls that I had seen Crystal — Medusa's younger sister and the other Princess of Attilan — playing with on some occasions. Almost surreal.

She was short, too. Maybe even shorter than the average eight-year-old. She took up not even half of the mirror, only around four foot or thereabouts. She looked like a cherub, an angel. Far too gentle and innocent to be anywhere near this place. To have gone through the same painful process that I had just suffered. Who… who had put such a child through the Terrigenesis Ceremony? Who would be so cruel to do such a thing? Where were her parents? Where were her family? Was… was it falling to ME to offer protection to this child? How I wanted more than ever than to call for my Max, but I felt this was something that I had to do alone.

Lifting my right hand, I placed it against the glass, as if hoping to offer some comfort to this girl. I felt a strange pang of both guilt and fear while looking at her. Like I had to make right the wrongs that had been done to her. Like it was my royal DUTY to make right everything she had gone through. But as I raised my right hand, so too did the little girl raise her left. Our palms met, separated only by the glass.

I tilted my head, and Mirror-Child did the same, long curls falling over one shoulder. To the other side, and she followed. Back straight again, and again, she followed. Left hand up for Natalia, right hand up for Mirror-Child. Head down, and she copied. Head up, and she copied. I opened and closed my mouth, again and again, and she did the same. No matter what I did, this child copied. She copied and copied and copied. She copied so much that I could no longer refute the thoughts that were bubbling at the recesses of my mind. That this child, this girl, was me.

"What the fuck…?" I mouthed, in complete shock. "What in the name of God is this? Is… is… that me? No, it can't be!" You can't even imagine the feelings that I was going through right at that moment. Okay, maybe it wasn't disfigurement as I'd feared, and maybe my new child-form WAS quite cute, if I did say so myself, but at the same time, was this the body that I wanted to be trapped in? I was a teenager, for the love of all that was right and just in the world! Just last year I had gone through puberty and all the painful experiences that brought along. Now… that was gone.

Would I have to go through it again? To grow from eight to fourteen once more? Or was this it for me? Forever trapped as a little girl, never growing or changing physically while my mind grew and my needs and desired changed to those of a woman. Doomed to be seen and treated as a child for the remainder of my life. The very prospect seemed almost mind-boggling. Infuriating. All of the above, all at the same time. I raised a clenched fist at the Child-Natalia staring at me from the mirror, perhaps with the thought that if I could get rid of her, I could get rid of everything else that had gone wrong.

But no, no I couldn't do that. Couldn't shatter that glass, couldn't break the illusion. For what good purpose would it bring for me to hurt myself and cause my fingers to bleed? That was not the correct way for someone of my ranking to behave in a crisis, no, no it was not. Had to just breathe, calm myself. Take it all in and then assess the situation with a clearer and more rational head. I turned away and bit down on my closed fist, teeth scraped against my knuckles. I bent over, head on my knees, and swallowed back a wad of phlegm. Calm, calm, calm… have to be calm… have to stay calm… have to relax… stay in control… I have to get out of here!

Unable to stand the sight of Child-Natalia any longer, or to feel her beady little eyes boring into my soul, I made a mad dash towards the door. In a fit of panic, I struggled and pulled on the doorknob for a few moments before my stupid brain managed to remember that I had, in fact, locked it before turning to look at the mirror. "For crying out loud!" I scolded myself. I fumbled about with the lock in desperation before it finally clicked, and the bathroom door swung open, setting me free.

Out into the bedroom I went, tripping and stumbling over myself, almost falling right onto the carpet. I felt as though I were about to faint dead away! As though I were about to collapse onto the ground and let it swallow me up, swallow my traumatized soul and leave my body numb. My body moved from left to right, each step like dragging my aching legs through quicksand. Had I lost the will, the ability to engage my brain and my body? Was I losing the very will to live and function as a normal Inhuman? Was I, dare I say it, was I losing my mind?

My eyes settled on Maximus, who had taken a seat on the edge of my bed. He patted the space beside him for me to sit down. I nearly fell over myself in haste to get there. Some gentle contact and reassurance were exactly what I needed right at this moment. After that revelation. I lowered myself into the seat next to my brother, grabbing onto his hand and holding tight. My fingers were clammy, my hands shaking. I made a pitiful little croaking sound as I leaned my head against my brother's shoulder, desperate to be held and comforted. How much like a child I was behaving in this moment, I thought with a shudder. How much like a scared, lonely, helpless child.

"Oh, Max…" I whispered, tears blurring my eyes and clouding my vision. I tried to look up at him, see the expression on his face, see what he was thinking. But I couldn't see for shit with the tears stinging me. Max lifted his hand and ran it through my hair, while I tried to gather my thoughts enough to speak. But he beat me to it, cutting right to the chase before I had the chance to unleash another tirade of a rant and start babbling like a crazy person.

He wiped away a tear that I hadn't even noticed falling. "It isn't so bad, Natalia. It really isn't. You're don't look nearly as bad as you could. Remember, you could have turned into an animal or something. Or merged with the furniture." He pressed a kiss to the side of my head. I managed to a soft chuckle at the mental image of being merged with furniture; not from finding the prospect funny, per se, but from the sheer ludicrous of the thought. Or maybe I just needed to laugh, needed a bit of light-heartedness, even for the briefest of moments. "You're still you, Talia. You're just… just a little bit shorter than usual. That's all."

I lifted myself from off of Maximus' shoulder. I brought my hands up to run through my hair, bringing them back onto my face. "But that's not just it, is it Max?" I asked through my palms, in a muffled tone. "It's not just about what I look like now. It's about what happened there in that Ceremony. What I saw. What I did… What I did to Viktron." The mental image of Viktron writhing on the ground in pain, the fear on his face, the screams and moans. My family lifting him back to his feet and looking at me as though I had just begun to violently beat him in front of them. Their judging eyes, I loathed to stand it.

Maximus rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb. "Talia…"

"I'm sorry…" I hung my head down, shame filling every fibre of my being as my gaze became fixated on my shoes, toes scuffing the carpet. "I… I don't know what happened to me. I didn't mean to make that… that… I didn't mean to make Viktron sick like that… I didn't mean to attack anyone! I swear it, I PROMISE! My mind just… acted. It hurt so much, the pictures, the images. And I was so angry with the Genetics Council for putting me through it. You have no idea… I NEVER meant to hurt anyone, Maximus, brother, please, you have to listen. You HAVE to BELIEVE me."

Perhaps it could be considered strange for me to unleash such thoughts out into the open. Once they were out, there could be no taking them back. No putting the truth back into its little box. There it was, spoken. My feelings, my anger, my reasoning for doing what I did. Dare I say it, the justification behind the attack on Viktron. Trust me, if this were ANYONE else, I would not have said a word. I would have been silent and let the secrets fester within me until my dying day. But this was Maximus. There was no one in Attilan, in the universe, that I trusted more than I did him. I knew that he would never judge me or make me feel bad for what I had done. He would be understanding.

And, like the paragon of wonderful brothers that he was, Maximus immediately understood my plight. "You were reacting out of fear, little sister." He tucked a strand of crow black hair behind my ear. His voice was soft, his accent soothing. "You had just gone through a traumatic event, and you were scared. It's not uncommon for new Inhumans to lose control of their abilities at the start. Yours are probably just based on your emotions, so are a lot of people. That is why we have training for Inhumans to control their powers. Don't fret about this. I understand, the Council will understand, and the rest of our family will understand as well."

Still… despite his words, I could not help but to keep thinking of the worst possible outcomes. Yes, I had Max's reassurance, but still another, even more awful thought entered my mind. So much worse than the thought of hurting a council member. "Max, what if they take me away?" I asked, beginning to panic at the thought. "What if the council decide that I'm not good enough to stay or that I'm too dangerous or that I'd be better off in a different caste and — and — what if they take me away from you?" I didn't mention the rest of my family. While I loved them, cherished them, cared for them deeply, it was my Max who my heart would shatter to leave. "I don't wanna leave, I... I swear I'll be good. Please don't let them take me!"

I clutched to Maximus' arm with both of my tiny hands, staring up at him through teary eyes. I felt embarrassed to be making such an almighty show of myself, but in this moment, with all the emotions that I was feeling, did I even have a choice? Still, that didn't stop me from mentally berating myself. 'Why must you act like such a child, Natalia? Just because you LOOK like one does NOT mean that you have to ACT like one. Do not be such an embarrassment on the Boltagon name by acting in this manner.'

Maximus tried to comfort me, rubbing circles into my back in a soothing and soft motion. "You haven't even gone through the genetic councils testing, and already you're concerned about being taken away?" he asked. From his tone, I could tell that he thought I was overreacting. Not that I could blame him. "Come now, Natalia, there's no point in getting upset over something that hasn't—"

I stiffened, and he amended his words. "Something that WON'T happen. Natalia…" Maximus lifted my chin up and made me look into his eyes. "You are the Princess of Attilan, royal by blood. No matter what happens, the Genetics Council can't do anything would the royal seal of approval. And you know as well as I do that Black Bolt doesn't send his family away, right?"

He was referring to his own situation, I knew. To the fact that the Genetics Council had wanted to send Maximus down to the mines when his own Terrigenesis rendered him human. Something that Black Bolt had prevented from happening, allowing our brother to stay a part of the royal family. A decision that I would forever be grateful for. "Besides," Maximus continued, "do you really think I'd let them take you? Hm? That I would let them take my little sister?"

"Little being the operative word," I replied, finally, finally letting a small laugh of… relief… escape my lips. My chest deflated as the breath that I'd been holding in for seemingly so long was let out. My Max was right, as always. There was no point in 'crying over spilt milk' as the saying went. No point in being worried when I did not even know the outcome. What would happen, happened and I would find a way through it when it did.

I pulled away from my Max and smiled as best I could. "You're right, Max. You know what? You're absolutely right about this. I'm just overreacting. But there's no point in worrying about something that hasn't happened. No point in making a fuss over what could be nothing. Either way, what the Genetics Council find when they test me will be what they find, and I will deal with it when that time comes."

Were these words me trying to reassure my big brother, or was I trying to reassure myself? Who knows? They were bringing some tiny semblance of normalcy back to my life and for that I told myself that I would believe them. Perils are only made worse by the mind's darkened imaginings, are they not? Thoughts of optimism or pessimism can truly make or break a scenario.

"That's it, Talia." Maximus wiped away a tear on my cheek that I hadn't even noticed falling. "There's the fighter I know." Oh, how I adored how he could make me feel better no matter the situation. No matter the issue, Max always knew what to say. Was there ever a greater love than that which beat through my heart for my dearest brother, beating in with me with a fierce tenacity that could be matched by none!

Finally, that sense of peace seemed to return. We remained seated together, not talking to one another anymore but enjoying the simplicity of being in one another's company. There were no more words that needed to be spoken. No more offerings of comfort to give. I knew that, no matter what, so long as I had my Max, everything would be okay.

Knock! Knock! Knock! The pounding on the door yet again jolted me out of my thoughts. I jerked suddenly, head darting every which way, hair whipping across my face. "Princess Natalia?" came the voice of a Genetics Council Member. "It is time for you to undergo the Genetic Councils testing. Please open the door."

I glanced to one side at my commlink that sat upon my bedside locker. It hadn't beeped once, but then again, given my title, it made more sense for me to be fetched personally for my testing. For all of my previous bravado that I'd exerted a minutes ago, the helplessness was once weighing down upon me. In a daze, I brought a hand up to my head and rubbed at my temples. Well… the man on the other side of the door didn't sound as angry as I feared he might have been given what I'd just done to his colleague. That was good. Yet I still could not seem to bring myself to open the door, not wanting to leave the sanctity of the peace I felt here in my solitude with Maximus.

"I'll get it." Maximus stood, crossed to the door and opened it. There, in all their terrifying glory, stood two Genetic Council members. Their faces were stoic, hands clasped behind their backs like security guards.

The taller of the two gave a curt nod to my brother. "Maximus," he said in an almost… disappointed tone. That was it. Just 'Maximus.' Not 'Your Highness' not 'Prince Maximus' not anything indicating the respect that someone of my brother's royal ranking should have been afforded. Just 'Maximus'. I bristled inwardly at the lack of respect being shown to my Max, a slight buzzing sound in my head, but forced myself to brush it to one side.

Both he and the shorter, lighter-haired member of the Genetics Council walked directly past my brother as though he were nothing, instead focusing their attention on me. "Princess Natalia." The taller one bowed his head in respect, one closed fist resting upon his chest as a gesture of deference towards my place in the royal family. "I am Council Member Dmitrius and here with me is Council Member Avram. We are here to escort you to the Genetic Councils Testing to determine the abilities that your Terrigenesis have granted to you. Please, come with us."

Frozen on the spot, I glanced back towards Maximus, staring at him for what seemed like eons before turning back to the Councilmen. I wanted to ask if he could come with me while I went for testing, but I knew that this would be refused. This was something that I would have to undergo alone, regardless of how much I craved to have my brother by my side. What choice did I have but to obey these men? A princess I may be; everyone had to bow to the will of the Genetics Council.

Maximus, Dmitrius, Avram and I all made our way out of my room and stood in the open hallway. Right. This was it. No turning back. No beating about the proverbial bush. I had to do this. I had to go through with this, sooner or later and wouldn't it rather be sooner? I glanced up at the Councilmen. "Lead the way," I told them, hoping that my voice didn't shake as much as I felt it was. Trying to sound as regal and proper as I could.

Dmitrius and Avram seemed satisfied by my answer, as they both began leading me away. Before I walked away, I glanced back to my Max, who smiled and mouthed the words "good luck" to me. I smiled and mouthed a quick, "thank you" back in his direction, before allowing the two Genetic Councilmen to lead me way.

Down corridors we went, through a large set of double doors and up a flight of stairs. I had never actually been the Genetics Council Testing Chambers — while I was expected to attend the Ceremonies in the Grand Hall, the follow-up testing was something that was done privately with the Inhuman that had undergone the Terrigenesis. So, this would be a first for me. We rounded yet another corner and went down another flight of stairs. Nobody spoke, not that I expected them to. What could these men say to me? What DID you say to a princess who had just gone through the biggest moment of her life? Were there any words?

But then, my mind formulated a burning question, one that I'd not thought of yet, being so focused upon myself. "What happened to my friend?" I glanced up at Avram, trying to read his expression. Easier said than done. "Lady Camelia Ivanskiar? She underwent Terrigenesis with me. She… she hadn't come out of the pods when I'd left the Grand Hall. Do you know what happened to her? Is she okay? Has she got powers? Has she gone through testing? WHEN will she go through testing? Is she—" There I went again, rambling at a mile a minute.

Avram looked down at me for a moment. In that split second, an emotion flashed across his face that I could not recognize. Was it sadness? Guilt? Something else entirely? But then it was gone, and he fixed his gaze ahead once more. "The Lady Camelia…" he began, then paused. His tone, his mannerisms. It was as though he were trying to explain to a very small child that their goldfish died. Patronizing yet gentle all at the same time. "Well, to be blunt with you, Your Royal Highness, she collapsed after her removal from the pod. Her family has taken her to the Medic Bay to receive medical attention and she will be undergoing the Testing once she has made a recovery and is up for it."

He didn't say another word after that, and our journey continued in silence. A crippling sense of remorse overwhelmed at the prospect that, had I not made Camelia go through the Ceremony along with me, then mayhap she would not have ended up fainting. What if such an outcome had a negative affect on her powers? What if she didn't GET any powers? Would she be doomed to a life in the mines?

'No!' I thought, feeling the panic rise like bile in my throat, 'I won't think like that. I won't freak out about Camelia when nothing bad has happened to her yet. And even if she does not get a power, well, I'll be there for her either way. Best friends through thick and thin… best friends through everything… Besides, I'm the Princess of Attilan. Sister of the King… if I ask, then surely Camelia will be allowed to stay as a servant for me… It'll be okay, Natalia, now purge any bad thoughts from your mind… purge them from your heart right now, for they will never come to pass!' The rest of the walk was done in total silence… neither Avram nor Dmitrius could think of anything to say to me, nor I to them. What could they possibly say? What comfort could these strangers offer? How could they offer even the slightest bit of comfort or reassurance?

It felt as though they were leading me to the gallows. As though every step we took drew me closer and closer to my impending execution. The Genetics Council were the ones who held true power in our society. It was they who determined what rank a person would have within the society… they who could bestow upon an Inhuman a blessed life of luxury, or a cursed life of misery and servitude down in the mines. All would depend on the level of power that a person displayed, and whether that power was seen to be useful in our society.

If my family were royal, then these men… these Inhumans with the power to make our break our destiny, felt, in my mind, as though they were Gods. So, you can understand, I think, the level of fear that I have for them, the terror that I cannot help but to experience even to write about them. The hidden loathing, I felt within my body, my very soul. Even to this very day, the fear I held of them still rings palpable and true as the ground beneath my feet.

We reached the Genetic Council's testing chambers. Here I would face the Council Leader, Kitang. A man who held the balance of all fates within his hands. Avram stopped outside the door. "Please, Your Royal Highness, please step inside." He said, pushing the door open and allowing me entrance. With the politest smile that I could muster, I slipped into the room.

Kitang stood there, awaiting my arrival. He bowed to me but really, I could have forgone the formalities. As with my Terrigenesis, I just wanted to get this over and done with. Bite the bullet and dive into the shark tank. I felt so completely trapped in here. Trapped. Trapped yet again. That seemed to be the story of my life right now, didn't it? These four walls… they seemed as though they were little more than a prison cell. How I wanted to turn tail and run, but I knew that I could not. This was my destiny, and I needed to face it.

"Welcome, Your Royal Highness," Kitang said, gesturing to a small seat across from him. "Please, have a seat." I did as I was told, smoothing down the back of my skirt and lowering myself into the chair, wringing my hands nervously, tiny fingers rested upon my lap. This felt like an interrogation, as though I were a common criminal who had done something wrong and was being brought to trial.

"You don't need to be nervous, Your Highness," Dmitrius seemed to have read my mind. "There is nothing to fear. This testing is a right of passage for all Inhumans, but it is not as bad as it may have been made out to be. Just relax. All that we wish to do is determine the extent of the gifts that your Terrigenesis have granted you. Be calm, Princess. There is no need to fear."

I managed a half-smile. "I know. I… I can't help but to be a little nervous." My voice came out like that of a child — nervous, scared, fearful and timid. Oh, how I hated the way that I now seemed to sound. Was I ever going to be taken seriously now that I was trapped in the body and mind of a child? Or would I always be known as the 'Child Princess of Attilan?' God, I could almost hear the mocking nickname become a reality in society… forever whispered behind my back.

"Understandable." Dmitrius smiled. Behind him, Kitang was preparing something in the corner of the room. I refrained from craning my neck to see what he was doing. I was, in fact, somewhat grateful to Dmitrius for his kind words. If I could not have my Max, then at least there would be someone here who understood my plight.

Kitang walked back over to us. "Now, before we begin, we first need to take a sample of your blood so that we can have it tested. This is something that is done after each Terrigenesis, but most often when a Ceremony causes a severe… physical change… in a person." He looked at my child-form, not needing to explain himself further. "I hope you understand."

"Of course." I extended my arm, pushing the sleeve up to the elbow. Kitang bent over, needle in hand. His grip on my wrist was firm. I turned my head to one side, not wanting to see the needle entering my skin. I chewed on the inside of my lip, closing my eyes. The prick of the needle entering my skin felt like a bee sting, and I hissed in pain. Refraining from letting lose an unladylike swear.

I hoped that this would be the worst part of the testing, a mere needle to the arm. Something that would sting but that I would forget, that I was already beginning to forget. And at least I could find some miniscule comfort in the fact that at least my physical appearance had not changed TOO much by my Terrigenesis. As Maximus had said, it could have been a lot worse. I was not hideously deformed or made into some sickening amalgamation of a piece of furniture and a human being. That was a small mercy that I was grateful to any higher being that existed for.

Kitang handed the vial to another Council Member, who walked away to do the relevant testing on it. I couldn't help but to stare at the red liquid inside. My blood. Still the same colour as it had always been, I wondered if its properties had changed at all. How DID Terrigenesis affect the body, the bloodstream? It was a question that I was actually quite interested in the answer to, because despite having borne witness to many, and understanding the importance of it, I still did not quite fully comprehend the process behind it.

Had this been any other circumstance, I felt I ought to have asked Kitang or Dmitrius or Avram about this, but this was no doubt not the right time or not the right place. I rested my chin in my palm as I silently waxed poetic about that vial filled with my blood and the changes that may or may not have been made to it. My thoughts were broken, however, when Avram spoke up, directing my gaze back to him.

"Now, Your Highness," he said. "This is the part where we discuss your newfound power and try to determine the full extent of your abilities. This, along with your blood test, will make up the majority of the testing. We will be asking you a series of questions regarding your Terrigenesis and what happened there. All that we ask is that you can be entirely honest with us, with everything that we ask. Can you do that?"

Any questions? ANYTHING? Then this meant they were going to be discussing what happened with Viktron. Discussing the fact that I had just ATTACKED an esteemed member of the Genetics Council. Had just hurt someone who was considered to be in high social standing and esteem in Attilan's society. Something that was considered to be a huge faux-pas. That, had it been anyone else, I knew would have landed them in some serious hot water. Alas, I could do naught but acquiesce in the matter.

"I will answer anything asked to me." My voice may have been clipped and formal, as though I did not care one bit about any of this, but this was the opposite. If there is one thing that being a member of the Royal Family had thought me, it was the ability to hide my feelings when necessary. The ability to lie on command and pretend that things were okay. Diplomacy, it is something that all those of royal blood are wont to learn, is it not?

Honesty would have to be the best policy here. What choice did I have? If I were to lie, if I were to try and bend the testing to my own will, then I would be found out. And if that were to happen, then I could think of no words or pleas that would save me then. The truth or a lie could be the difference between a life of luxury or the life trapped digging in the mines. A life of suffering or a life of joy. A life, oh, how I shuddered to even dream of it, a life without the ones I loved. Between being with my Max and being taken away from him forever. Between climbing the ladder to the highest heaven and tumbling screaming down into the darkest hell.

Kitang seemed satisfied by this answer as he took a seat across from me. It was clear in his movements and mannerisms that he was the one in control here. I shifted nervously in my chair as he began the interrogation. "Your Royal Highness, what we wish to discuss with you is the incident that happened immediately following your Terrigenesis. By this, I am of course referring to the incident with Council Member Viktron. We need you to talk us through what you were feeling there. Start from the beginning and do not leave anything out, do you understand? Can you do this?" His tone was a bit too strict for someone addressing a princess, but I didn't dare to speak up for myself. Not the time, not the place. I took a deep breath.

My lips parted and I gripped tightly onto the edges of the chair, fearing as though I was going to end up falling out of it and onto my ass. I lifted a finger to my mouth and bit down on it, trying to formulate a proper answer. A cohesive answer that would make them understand the reasons that I'd done what I did. These people were, after all, not like my brother. They were not understanding; they were vultures.

"It was…" I began, fixing my eyes on Dmitrius. He seemed to be the most understanding person here, and therefore I would focus my attentions on him. As the one source of comfort that I could find in this room. "While I was in the pods, all I could feel was pain. It was like my bones were breaking and being reshaped. And then when I came out, everybody was staring at me. It felt so very strange. I—" I paused and had to gather my thoughts for a moment before continuing on. "I didn't know if something had gone wrong or not. Nobody told me about what was going on. They were just staring at me and I heard them talking about how young I looked. It was then that the headaches started."

Avram was writing something down on a notepad. "The headaches? Please, elaborate, Your Highness."

"It…" How was I going to describe the headache? "At first, there was this buzzing sound in my head. Like a ringing in my ears. That, uh, that's the only thing that I could hear. I thought that I was going deaf." I paused again. The unfairness of the moment, the fact that I was being asked to recount the traumatic ordeal that I had just been through, so soon after I had suffered it. Anybody with some compassion, even the tiniest bit of compassion, would have been greatly appreciated. I mean, it would not have gone unnoticed one bit. Still, deep down I understood that there was no way anything of the sort could be offered to me. I just continued to speak. Get this over with. "Then… and then I got this awful headache. It was so terrible, so painful, that it brought me down to my knees and I collapsed."

Kitang looked at Avram and gestured for him to write that down. "Go on." Kitang said. "What happened with Viktron? Can you explain that to us? He spoke to us of hallucinations and images. Perhaps you could shine some light on that?"

This was going to be the hardest part. Explaining the pictures. Explaining the horror that I had just undergone. There did not appear to be any words to describe them, but I had to do this. There was no choice but for me to answer them. "Well," I began, "I saw these… these pictures. In my head. Pictures of fire and blood, and things like that. I don't quite remember exactly. But I didn't make them, I SWEAR it! I didn't intend to create such awful things. It's like, it, it, it, they just WERE. It wasn't my fault, really, I had no idea what I was doing. I swear to you that I didn't mean to hurt anyone, I didn't mean to hurt Council Member Viktron, honest. I'm really, really, really sorry. Will… will he be okay?"

In all honesty, I wasn't too sure how I felt about this. On the one hand, there was that sense of guilt that my actions had caused pain to another. That empathy for Viktron and the pain I had caused him. On the other hand, part of me couldn't help but to wonder if Viktron had deserved it in some way. He was a member of the Council, of the society, that had put me through that in the first place, after all. His smug face as I lay there on the ground, screaming out for understanding but receiving none. It was because of him and his actions, in part, that I saw those disgusting pictures. Perhaps I was right in what I had done to him. Perhaps this was a justified punishment. Was it? Were my words of apology sincere or just a white lie to preserve my own life?

"He will be fine." Avram said, "it was just a shock to his system, that's all. But you may rest assured that he will make a full recovery."

I bristled at his words. It was a shock to VIKTRON'S system? What the fuck? What about the shock to MY system? Me, the person who had gone through this, the person who was dealing with these powers. Not for a day, not for a moment, not for a split second. For the REST of my LIFE! Would they not afford me even but one word in sympathy? But as I was thinking this, Dmitrius reached out, as though he wanted to pat me on the shoulder, to offer some level of comfort. However, one glance from Kitang stopped him, his hand falling limply back to his side once more.

It was frowned upon, after all, to touch a member of the royal family without a decent probable cause. Still, there was a part of me, no matter how miniscule, that did appreciate the gesture. I may not have liked the Genetics Council but perhaps Dmitrius was one of the 'good' ones. Someone who would be willing to show some care towards this petrified little girl. If Maximus could not be here to support me through this, then at least I was grateful that someone else was willing to impart some kindness towards this lonely child facing this daunting prospect.

Kindness could not last too long, though. Kitang rose from his seat and walked over to a small table. He looked around for a few minutes before finding what he was looking for. He returned back to me and extended a small wooden plaque to me. No idea what it was for, but I would soon get an answer to that question as he began to speak again. "Princess Natalia, do you think, is there any possibility that we could ask you to create another picture? If you concentrated, could you place an image from your mind onto this piece of wood here?"

The question seemed to throw me off guard a little. I had only just developed these new mental abilities and now they were expecting me to do this again? Had they no consideration for the previous incident? Did they hold no self-preservation? No worry for the prospect of things going wrong? If I were to lose control now and hurt one of them. If I were to hurt Kitang, or any of these men, then who knows what to expect. What would be done. It felt bitterly unfair to put me through these hoops like some show dog doing tricks.

"Just for a few moments, that's all. We only wish to get an indication of the type of power that you've gained, and the strength from it. Can you try to show us a picture?" Avram was speaking down to me the way that you would a child, his tone almost sarcastic in its sweetness. Again, what choice did I have but to obey them? These leaders, these men who were almost like gods in our world. These men with the power of life and death or so it seemed. I knew that I had no choice but to do exactly as they asked. But the question remained... Could I do it?

I closed my eyes tight, fists balled up on my thighs. Picture, picture, picture. Show them something, Natalia! Show them something. Anything! This is the make or break of your life. You have to do this. Come on, now! The images began flashing through my mind, quickly, quickly, then slowly. They were strange shapes, flashes of fire, and then… an image of the Terrigen crystals. An amalgamation of everything and nothing all at once. My head began to pound, the ringing in my ears becoming almost unbearable. My knees buckled, and I almost spilled out of the chair onto my face before the men. It was only the firm grip of my fingers, so tight that my knuckles were white, that prevented that from happening.

"Look!" Dmitrius' voice broke me out of my reverie. That was it. As though he were flicking a switch, the headache stopped, the ringing ceased, and the room flooded back to normality. I lifted my head from where it rested on my chest and stared open-mouthed at the piece of wood. Where there had once been nothing at all, there was now an image of a Terrigen crystal burned onto it. The exact same one that I had been imagining earlier. Did I do that, I wondered? Did that come… from my mind? Was that… me? I couldn't understand it, and yet at the same time, I made a silent thanks that the image had not been something worse.

Both Dmitrius and Avram seemed to be a little shaken with what I had done, though Kitang displayed no emotion. Dmitrius had a hand over his heart, his eyes closed, head bowed. He muttered something under his breath that I could not quite make out. Had I shown him some horrific vision in the same way I did to Leader Viktron? The thought did make me feel a bit guilty, if only for the kindness he had shown me earlier. Still, I was quick to brush it off. No, if I were to have done that, then wouldn't his reaction have been something worse? Surely, he would not be standing, given the effect I'd had on his colleague. Kitang rose from his feet and indicated for me to do the same. "Interesting. Very, very interesting. Just a few more tests and we shall be done, Princess Natalia."

The prospect of undergoing more tests was a numbing one, but I didn't dare to speak up or argue about it. I just allowed them to perform test after test after test upon me. It felt as though it were taking hours. Or some other measurement of time entirely. But finally some mercy shone upon me and we were done. "Very well, then," Kitang said, "Alright. Thank you, Your Highness. Your time is much appreciated. You may leave now. We will discuss the outcome of your testing and return with a verdict at the earliest convenience. Thank you for being patient with us. You may leave now."

Having been dismissed (finally), I got to my feet and bowed slightly, leaving the room as the door clicked shut behind me. I almost wanted to cry, both in delight that it was finished, and terror of what to expect next. Who knew when the testing would be over? Who knew when I would have the results that I needed? Well, apparently those results would take about a week to arrive.

They certainly did have to go through every little detail with a fine-toothed comb, didn't they? But eventually, though, the council came to a decision. I had developed psychic abilities, the most prominent of which was called what I believe you would know as 'nensha' or 'projected thermography'. Kitang said that it was the ability to create powerful visual and auditory hallucinations and to impart these through telekinesis. To burn them from my own mind onto surfaces and even onto the minds of others. Given what had happened to Viktron, it was decided that I would be attending personalized tutoring to ensure that I would be able to control these powers so there were no more mishaps of this sort.

Just my luck, I thought, more lessons. What teenager wanted to go through that? Still, I knew that the outcome could have been a LOT worse. Maybe things were looking up for me after all.

In the next chapter, Natalia attends her first lesson to help her control her powers. But what will she face there? Again, comments and discussion are welcome! Thank you to everyone who has read thus far, I do appreciate those who take their time to read my work. It means a lot.