Mina was sitting in her bed, legs crossed, reading the old book. She had already memorised everything on the first three pages and was working on page number four.
She had always been smart, of course not as much as P.C. who was a declared genius, but since she loved to read, she had gotten a lot for free. She clutched the book to her chest and leaned back on the bed.
This was more than just learning about magic. Which was what her mother had given her. This was a chance for her to have something special about her.
Since she was, with the exception of P.C. and Erlea, the only tiny titan born without powers.
Luanna and William of course were born to fly, could shoot starbolts, and had a gift for marshal arts. Thou everyone got lessons from Robin his children were his children.
Her brothers had both the morphing power from their father, and the empathy, telepathy, telekinetic and teleporting from their mother. Mina was just born with a weak empathic gift. So slight other, normal people, could even clam they had similar.
Now, if she could learn magic, if she had inherited that gift from her mother, she would finally have something to secure her place as one worthy of being a tiny titan.
She did everything right. She always checked things three times. She memorised every book her mother gave her. She was very strict and disciplined, not letting herself have one single brake.
And yet, four months later, she hadn't gotten better. She tried not to let herself be put down by that, but soon she skipped more and more lessons, and not long after that she told her mother she didn't want to have any more.
If they had thought she had been unhappy before, they had no idea. She was totally heart broken. She only ate if one of her parents came to her room, which she never left, and force-feed her.
She didn't smile, and the sounds coming from her room at night where unmistakable. This had an impact on all the tiny titans, especially at nighttime.
Luanna wouldn't sleep unless both her parents were sleeping next to her in the bed. William would sneak out and roam in the halls. Not really doing anything.
The twins would cry almost as heartbreaking as their sister, feeling her pain as clearly as she, and Erlea would just cry and cry, meaning either Cy or Bee would have to walk with him till he past out in the early hours of the morning.
P.C. would just lie in his bed and look up at the ceiling. Bee swore he wasn't even blinking.
Eventually it was Erlea who made her come out of her room at last. Erlea, as all the children, got agitated when walking past her room, since they all loved her with all there heart, and it killed them that she was so unhappy.
Well, Bee was carrying Erlea past Mina's room on their way to the common room when he started to call out for her as he always did.
"Mia. Mia." "No, Mina can't come out to play." His mother told him, as she always did. This only made the boy more desperate and his cries even higher. "Mia."
The door opened, and this even startled Bee. Mina was much thinner, her face was red and puffy from crying, and her hair was greasy from not being washed.
When the boy saw her he stretched his tiny arms to her, and she took him from his little shocked mother. She turned and walked slowly towards the common room, since she barley had strength to carry the child, but she made it and opened the door.
It was Saturday, and very early. Actually only William, Luanna and P.C. were up, silently watching their cartoon. They turned as the door opened and a big smile appeared on the three faces.
They ran to her, and she took a step back. Not because she didn't want to see them, she was just too weak to have them jumping around her, or having Luanna hugging her.
But it was like they knew. Luanna carefully took her hand, and led her to the couch where Mina sat down. Luanna sat down on her right, P.C. on her left and William sat down by her feet, all three pinning her to the couch, terrified that if they didn't she would leave and never come back.
Bee came to her with a bottle for Erlea. The shock replaced by care and gratefulness. "You want some tea girl?" "Yes pleas." Even her voice was a mess, sore and hoarse. "Be right back."
Mina gave the bottle to Erlea, and he drank gladly. The sounds of him drinking reached his mother and made her take a sigh of relief as she waited for the water to boil. Including not sleeping had he not been eating properly.
She smiled warmly to the girl as she walked back as her son burped. She took the bottle as Erlea lay on her chest; smiling happily hearing her heart beat.
"Here you go." "Thank you aunt Karen." "Anything for you girl" Bee turned and walked back to the kitchen, starting to prepare breakfast. Mina suddenly felt something odd against her back and looked up, just to see her two brothers sitting behind her.
They weren't looking at her, but they each had a hand on her shoulders. Mina gave them a slight smile and leaned back resting on their knees before she turned back to the screen. Slowly sipping her tea.
"Kids breakfast." Mina rose, but quickly was thrown back at the amount of children on her. "Aren't we eating?" "You mean you are going to eat. With us." P.C.'s face lit up.
"If you let me up." Mina gave them a smile, and the children's faces had never been so bright. They jumped up and Luanna helped Mina to her feet.
Not letting go of her hand, Luanna went next to Mina and took a seat next to her. P.C. took the seat on her other side, and William took, a little mad, the seat next to him again. Then there was Erlea, Bee, Cy, Star, Robin, Beast Boy, Raven, Ulrich and Gavin next to Luanna again.
Luanna was carefully looking at Mina, mimicking everything she did. Not to taunt, but because she wanted to be just like Mina. When Mina didn't take meat, since she was a vegetarian like her father, Luanna didn't take meat. When Mina took orange juice, Luanna asked if she could have some too, which she got.
William saw what Luanna was doing, and followed her example, as did P.C. and the twins. Mina didn't notice what the children were doing, but their parents did, and smiled at each other. It was nice having their children back to normal.
Mina turned to walk into the bathroom, and saw that all of the tiny titans, with the exception of Erlea who was napping, were following her.
"I'm taking a shower, is that okay?" The children nodded and sat down outside the bathroom.
Ulrich took out a portable video game player and soon he, William and P.C. was intrigued in the game. Gavin was meditating, and Luanna was just looking at the closed bathroom door.
Mina was sighing as she turned on the water and threw her dirty clothes in the hamper. She stepped under the water and smiled to herself as the water washed dirt and old salt from her skin.
When she was clean she leaned against the wall, still letting the water running down her crying face. She was so tired of trying and failing. She also hated the feeling of jealousy.
The feeling that consumed her and made every day, every second with the children a living hell. She knew it wasn't the children's fault. They had asked for their gifts, just as little as she had asked for her normality. But she couldn't help hating them for making her feel so jealous.
She turned of the water, wrapped herself in a towel, and opened the door. To her shock they where still sitting outside there.
"Have you nothing better to do than follow me around?" Gavin opened one eye before he touched down as the others rose to their feet. "No."
She shook her head as she went passed them to her room. Luanna grabbed her arm as she opened the door. "I need to go to my room to get dressed Lua."
The girl grabbed her hand even tighter. Mina went down on her knees. "Do you want to come inside and watch?" The girl nodded. "Okay." She rose again and let the girl inside her room.
The boys settled down outside. Once inside the towel fell to the floor, and Mina went to her closet. Luanna sat down on her bed.
"Can you do me a favour Lua, and strip my bed?"
Mina could easily to it herself, but knew the girl wanted to help. Another character trait inherited from her mother.
Lua smiled and started to work. Mina quickly dressed in a set of underwear, then blue jeans and a red t-shirt.
She turned to see a pile of bed clothing in the floor, and Luanna smiling proudly by a striped bed. Mina smiled approvingly at her, and the girls face glowed from happiness.
Mina grabbed a book and reached out a hand to the girl. Luanna laughed as she took it. They opened the door and saw that the boys where still sitting there, waiting. "I'm going to the common room to read." The boys rose and followed.
P.C., William and Ulrich sat down and began a video game. Mina sat down on the couch with her book, and Luanna sat down next to her, resting her head on Minas lap.
Gavin had run and gotten his own book and was now sitting by her feet, resting his head on her knees. "We're going out." Only Mina raised her head to look at the three couples.
"When are you coming back?" "Late, but we have our communicators on." "Do you have yours Mina?" Mina raised the yellow thing she never left.
"Erlea is still sleeping." "Okay, have a nice time." "We will." Hours passed, and the children hadn't moved.
The only thing that had happened was that Erlea had woken up, and was now sitting on the floor with a toy his father had made him. Suddenly the room started to blink red, like when the alarm went of, only there wasn't a sound.
Mina rose to her feet, getting the attention of the other children. "What is it Mina?" "I don't know." Suddenly an explosion knocked her of the ground. She got quickly to her feet, the children running to her.
"Tisk. Tisk. Tisk. What kind of a welcome is that? Children now a days don't have any manner." "I agree Gizmo." The man standing in front of them was short, almost as short as P.C.
The girl next him was tall and spoke in Spanish accent. Mina didn't know the girl, but she knew that their parents had fought Gizmo when they where younger. Apparently he was out.
As quietly as she could tried Mina to bring the children around out the door, but was stopped by dozens of men. They looked like the average minion, with the exception they where heavily armed.
"Uh. Uh. Uh. Now how's that for greeting your guests." He shook his head disappointing. "Gavin, Ulrich, my room, now." The children grabbed the two boys, who quickly followed orders. Before they could react the children was gone.
Mina gave Erlea to Gavin and ran to her closet as quickly as they landed and got a black box from the closet. Her secret. A semi-automatic gun. She checked it, saw it was loaded, put on the safety and tucked it in the back of her pants.
She turned to the children and ran back to them. "We need…" A new explosion interrupted her, and she tried to protect the children from the flying rubble.
She turned and looked as two of the minions suddenly appeared in a whole in the wall. Before she could do anything one of them ran and grabbed Ulrich. "Ulrich." The boy was terrified, as he looked at his sister, brother and cousins.
"Let him go." "I don't think so." The other minion took out a gun. Very slowly, and in the cover of Gavin and Erlea, reached Mina for her gun and removed the safety.
Okay boys. She thought. Knowing her brothers would read her mind. If you can hear me, blink twice very slowly. Ulrich did as he was told, even though he was almost peeing in his pants.
When I say now, you phase. Okay? It will be okay Ulrich, but I need you to wait for my order. Do you understand? He nodded very slightly. Okay, good boy. Now.
He phased and before the minion could even react Mina rose her gun and shoot him twice. He fell to the floor, blood running down his chest. His friend raised his gun at her, but she was quicker and fired two more bullets killing him as well.
"Gavin, Ulrich, down in the basement now." The boys where almost paralysed, but some how her order was understood and they where soon standing in the basement.
Her adrenalin was pumping like crazy, and with a firm hand she led the children into a storage room. Erlea was about to cry, but thanks to Gavin he kept still.
One after one she hid the children. Luanna and William flew up under the roof. P.C. was tucked into a cupboard. Ulrich morphed to a fly and flew into a corner, and Gavin, with Erlea was placed behind some boxes.
She would have asked the boys to teleport them away from the tower, but they weren't powerful enough.
"Just keep quiet, and don't come out until I come calling for you. Not even if you think you hear your parents, because they might have forged it." "Then can't they forge your voice to?" P.C. squeaked.
"Okay. If it is safe, I will yell tiny titans. Okay?" All the children gave their understanding nod, and disappeared. First then did she turn on the communicator. Her fathers face appeared.
"What is it Mina?" "Some one broke into the tower, Gizmo and a girl with a Spanish accent. They are in the tower now." Mina whispered, terrified any other of his minions would hear her.
"What. Where are you now?" "Hiding. Pleas dad, come quick."
A sound from above her made her jump, accidentally turning of her communicator. She placed it in her pocked and she raised her gun. She moved slowly to the door and peeked out. She took a step outside when she saw him, another one of the minions.
He shot her, and she could feel the bullet penetrating her left arm. Sadly for him she was right handed and as she raised her gun she fired and he fell to the floor with a loud bang.
He had been close and now she was covered in his blood. But she couldn't stop to break down. She went to the corps and pulled him in to an empty room. She closed the door and looked after his companions.
Slowly she followed the hallway, her gun raised, ready to shoot anything that didn't belong. She came to the door going up, the only way in or out of the floor, and waited. Her heart beating so loud she was afraid they would hear it.
Foot steps. She was ready.
She had taken three lives today, what difference would one more do. She would rather kill everyone in the world, than let anything happen to one of the children.
She hid behind the door, gripping the gun tight before loosening a bit. The door opened and she aimed at the man walking in.