Chapter Thirteen: Shades of Grey

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Air filled her lungs as Lux took a deep breath. The distance was staggering but she was able to make the jump. She had to make the jump. She wanted answers and Atrum held them. If she didn't catch him, those answers would disappear forever.

"You want me to tell you what happened? Alright, but first, you have to chase me." Then he had taken off running, leaping from building to building.

She was gaining distance; he was going to be hers. Morgan was lying in her bed, with an IV in her arm. She had gotten sick after what had happened just a week before. Lux was afraid for her, if she couldn't find out what was wrong, she was afraid she'd lose her sister forever. Having had enough, Lux lunged for Atrum and tackled him as they landed on the roof of an apartment complex.

"Tell me now!" She roared.

"You. You are the reason she reacted the way she did. She tapped into your subconscious, saw your future, and freaked." He responded calmly, despite the fact that she was pinning him to the ground.

"My future? What's so bad about my future that Morgan would want to kill me? And how could she have tapped into my subconscious? She can't read my mind!" Lux hissed.

"The night I made you black out, my mental powers are greater than Morgan's. When I went in though, I left a 'door' open. Without her consent, because she was asleep, she entered through that door." He explained, "And if I told you your future, you'd try to prevent it from occurring, and then it will happen."

Lux let him sit up and he held her chin with his hand and looked straight into her eyes.

"I have to report to Crane, Lux. I have to tell her about your recent activities and about what happened to Morgan." His voice was filled with remorse.

"Then I have to kill you so you won't have that chance." Lux bit back.

Atrum grinned, "Let's have at it then Lux Aeterna."

In the blink of an eye Lux and Atrum separated and stood in attack stances, there was great distance between them. However, before either of them could attack, Atrum began to laugh.

"What the hell is so funny?" Lux asked.

"I can't fight you, I don't have the guts." Atrum answered through his snickers.

"So you'll keep your mouth shut about us?" Lux demanded to know.

"We'll see." Then he was gone, vanished right in front of her.

Still, Lux wanted to know more. She had told Richie she knew Atrum vaguely. She had remembered seeing him back at the military base. He was always gazing at her, like he was in love. She had always been curious about him too.

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Morgan smiled when she saw Lux, the color was beginning to come back to her pale face. Lux didn't say a thing to her as she leaned in the doorway and stared at her sister.

"Dad wants us to quit being superheroes." Morgan finally spoke.

"You can, but I'm not." Lux responded without hesitation.

"I don't want to quit either. He thinks it's putting a strain on us, especially me." The blonde laughed.

"Dad can bite me. I don't feel anymore strain now than when I did when we were back in Eros." Lux snapped.

Morgan raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" Lux inquired.

"You haven't called it by its name since we got out." Morgan remarked, "Usually you avoid talking about it altogether."

Lux knew she was right. She hated talking about their military home. The only time she called it by its name was when she was extremely agitated and wasn't paying attention to what she was saying.

"I still won't quit. Nitrix has grown on me." Lux smirked, changing the subject completely.

"Then Dad can just deal with it." Morgan smiled, "I can't wait until you guys let me off bed rest. I miss school, I miss being Matrix, and I miss Richie."

Lux didn't say anything as she turned and walked out of the room. As she headed to her room, she passed James. Trying her luck, she smiled wickedly at him.

"We're not quitting."

He stopped and stared at her, his eyes boring into her. She looked straight through him. She could sense his uneasiness. She had been sensing it for awhile. James was beginning to become afraid of her. She couldn't blame him either. She had been more on edge lately. She felt like a predator, waiting in the shadows, waiting to attack her prey.

"Did you hear me, Daddy?" The title was clipped.

"I heard you, and it's your life. I won't control it, Lux. However, when it comes to your sister's health, I will step in if I have to." He responded before entering Morgan's room.

Lux snarled at him before walking into her room and shutting the door. The sound of the lock clicking reverberated through the house.

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Night fell as Atrum watched the Willows' house. Crane had been correct after all, his coming had…awakened the true Lux Aeterna. He had seen it when she threatened to kill him today. She was becoming more and more bloodthirsty and from that thirst would stem her coming future as the perfect soldier. She had no control over it. She would change, whether she had wanted to or not.

The question was though, did he want that? Although this was the first time he'd seen her in years, he still felt that connection with her. There was a piece of her inside of him, and because of that, he love her. If she became the perfect soldier, a natural born killer, a monster; what would he do? He'd lose her forever.

There had to be some way to stop that from happening.

Some way.

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A short filler chapter. And there's your explanation for Morgan's freak out which initiated the plot of this story. Hope you enjoyed it.

Reviews are love, gimme gimme!