Author: This chapter is where the fun truly starts to show it's face. You get to meet a character who has been previously hiding among the shadows, waiting for her glorious arrival :P (The one toward the bottom of the chapter). A secret is shown! A terrible horror is unraveled and the dots are slowly being connected! Eryn reveals to us one of the many mysteries surrounding her group. Alex is working his charm.. but to what reason? What purpose? Just who IS Alex? Read to find out! Before I go let me also say how butchered Alvin's words will be. I'm implying the accent heavily into his sentences, using various ways they pronounce their words (the Germans). It may not be accurate, it may be misleading, butttt.. it was the means to portray his rather present accent that otherwise wouldn't have been known (similar to Val's horrible British one, which is more neutral than British then anything). Enjoy this spectacle of chapters, one of several to come.
Disclaimer: DC totally isn't mine. I just own the Energy Court users and whatever else I create.
The smell of pizza wafted in the air, catching and hanging in the nose like a soft tease. Ruba ripped her hand from Alex's grasp, cradling it to her chest as if injured. Alex eyed her, curiosity on his face. She glared at him sharply and gestured toward the city.
"I haven't been here since.. since the day Barrett and Roger died." She said without emotion.
He chuckled and shrugged. "Not my problem. Pizzaaaa?" He skipped ahead, pushing past the doors that stood in their way to the delicious food inside. When was the last time she had ate pizza.. she didn't recall.
Her chest ached as she watched him go on ahead, her eyes flashing with memories of the past. She brushed them aside and sighed, heading into the building for pizza. She was hungry..
The doors parted at her touch and she strolled inside, scanning for her companion. "Alex?" He was no where in sight. She went out to the patio area and called his name again. "Alex?" Still no answer.
A voice at her ear chilled her. "Isn't Jump City so marvelous?" Alex was at her back, trapping her against his chest with an arm on her shoulder (fingers pointed at the neck) and the other around the waist. "Can't you just.. smell the danger permeating the air? Don't you want to find it.. to defeat it.. to win?"
A strange feeling circled her and she felt herself once more drawn to a person's words.. just like with Slade. She turned her head to stare at him, his head propped atop her left shoulder.
He smiled at her. "You know.. we'd make a great team."
She snorted. "You.. and I? A great.. team?" Her words were slow, as if unsure. "You're crazy."
His shoulders shrugged against her back. "Maybe. Just maybe you're right about that.." This next part he muttered as if to himself, though she caught it. "But I will be greater than him."
She arched a brow, but said nothing. He pulled his arm away from her stomach and directed her toward a seat.
"Our pizza will arrive shortly. I hope you like pepperoni."
She chuckled. "Pepperoni is fine. Garlic?"
His head tipped in a curt nod and she smiled.
"Vere's Lore?" The clipped voice of Alvin asked as said man gazed deeply at his comrades. Sometimes they were infuriating, but he had to deal with them. They were the few people he had left, the only thing close to a family.
"I dunno. Last I heard from her she was heading to Jump City to meet up with La- Alex." Eryn mused as she flexed her fingers. She had calmed down a bit after entering the kitchen as if this new room soothed her ruffled feathers. That slip-up though. What was la? What had she been about to say?
Alvin didn't know.
His head tilted as he glanced to Val, who's deep blue eyes were twitching.
"I told 'er ta' stay away from the maniac. Can't she eva' jus' lis'en?" Val rubbed his chin, a scowl set upon his face. He seemed troubled.
Who was Alex? Why did Valence not like him? "Alex?" Alvin questioned it aloud, this man's identity that Lore was with.
Eryn peered at him, a blank face now made. "Alex is an.. associate we met awhile back. He knew about our powers, showcased his own and he became like family to Val, Lore and I. He looked out for us when we were lost. The man was demented though. He had this.. hatred of someone by the name of Jack. Wanted revenge, he said. Don't know why." She shrugged, taking a seat.
"Did you say Jack?" A voice called and all eyes turned to see Sidra rubbing at her arms in the doorway to the living room. "Sorry, I didn't mean to overhear, I was going to ask for the bathroom's location.. but Jack?" She tilted her head at this.
"Aye, Jack. I crossed pas vis someone vis zat name a year ago." Alvin grumbled. "Tall, black-haired, sharp eyes, side cuts abofe ze ears, clean dressed. Same man?"
"Sounds like the description Alex mentioned one time." Eryn said, eyes narrowing. He could see the gears churning in her head.
"He vas a real.. asshole. Cocky, arrogant.. but cunnink. Za man knew vat he vas doink, I'll say zat." Alvin smirked, recalling that kid.. the kid who challenged him.
Alvin couldn't help but roll his eyes. Such a bold kid, but a powerful one at that.. like him. Alvin's gaze narrowed on Sidra as she flinched visibly.
"I take it you know za guy?"
At his voice Sidra glanced up, her eyes having been fixed on the floor. She studied him momentarily, taking in his question. She slowly nodded. "Jack Zendric is his name and he was a.. special kid." She spoke softly. "He.. I.. We.." A sigh. "There's a past he and I share together, with several others. A small group of 'gifted' kids."
Alvin felt a memory stir within the well, coming to the front with a light shining down on it as if a knight. It was of the day when he was challenged, how Jack had mentioned seven others like him.
"Eight, ja?"
Sidra furrowed her brows, shaking her head. "Yeah. How did you know?"
"He muttered 'project' und 'eight'. I didn't know ze meanink ov zose vords at ze time." Alvin's voice was low, but it gained strength. "Vrom zat alone I surmise you und him vere part of some project."
Sidra looked away, eyes shadowed by her thoughts. "Yeah.."
"Want to talk about it?" Eryn asked, a tender note to her otherwise harsh voice.
Sidra huffed out a breath, moving away from the door to take a seat.
Valence leaned against a counter, silent as a mouse. Eryn was sitting in the chair beside Sidra and across from her was Alvin, who noticed the seriousness that clung to the air.
The strange woman drew in a breath, closing her eyes. Alvin tensed.
Sidra couldn't stop the nervous edge that had filled her. "Project Energy Court.. was a means to utilize weaponized chi, funded by a corporation. Morgan Renee, a scientist, ran this project. A chemical was injected into eight kids, each unique and capable of using a specific colored energy. Saphrica, Rubica, Obsidica, Emerica, Sonica, Attica, Vilotica and Silvetica."
She noticed how they all stiffened, eyes widening.
"I'm the Sonica, or white energy manipulator." A pause. "Each type is different. Mine, for example, is white energy, labeled after light-"
Eryn hesitantly lifted a hand, fingers curling down a bit. She shared a glance to her comrades before settling her usually cold eyes on San.
"We have something.. to tell you." She inhaled. Deeply. She slowly stood, walking toward the door, a hand running through her blonde locks. She turned, eyes closed. "We're.. members of a project similar to yours.. I'm.. How to put this.. We're like you." Her eyes opened, grey orbs now stony. "We're a separate project Francis Miller had underway- Francis was the corporate leader, the one who assigned the pair to their projects.. Morgan dealt you lot and.. Jerry ran us."
"Jerry..?" Sidra tilted her head a bit.
"Jeremiah Marcov." Alvin answered.
Elsewhere..
Night had fallen on Jump City. Alex had purchased a hotel room and the pair stayed at it. Ruba was very iffy about staying, but he managed to persuade her.
She was easy to manipulate.
She had fallen asleep on the bed across from his and so he decided to go for a walk. He found himself walking through the streets until he reached the ocean-side of the town.
He moved along the docks, the night shadowing him. The view of the night time air hanging above the glistening water was beautiful. The moon above shone brightly as if to spy on this midnight lurker.
A light flickered on, causing Alex to turn to address this light- realizing just WHO was carrying it.
The white light illuminated the tall male with his jet black (gold streaked) spiked hair, green-brown eyes narrowing at said light. "The hell do you want?" He wore simple black jogging clothes.
"Pazzo! I've found you, mi amico." A sharp Italian voice purred and the light faded into darkness, but the moon's glow was enough to reveal to him this woman once his eyes adjusted.
The woman was also tall with crisp shoulder length blonde hair, spiked at the back with shining blue-green eyes. She wore a tight red strapped dress that fell to her knees with black flip-flops. Her makeup highlighted those eyes of hers along with her freckles and defined features. Sunglasses were set atop the head, pushed back to rest.
He released a long sigh, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Lore, what are you doing?" He asked in an irritated way.
The Italian smiled big and gave a curtsy. "Salve Alex. I thought you'd be happier to see me since I've come all this way to assist you."
He snorted in disbelief. "As crazy as you are how beneficial would helping me be to you?"
She shrugged. "No benefit. I wish to help of my own interest. Is that a problem?" There was a brisk curl to her words, especially on the r's.
He looked away before shaking his head. "Any help is welcome, but.. is it loyal help or the devious kind that leads to betrayal?" He locked eyes with her, cool muddy grass eyes questioning a set of green sea orbs.
She rolled her eyes. "My loyalty is to you- as it's always been."
He nodded, believing her. If one thing could be said positively about Lore it was her honesty.. plus the fact her eye twitched when she lied and it didn't.
"I'm staying at a hotel near the heart of the city. Do you have a place to stay?"
She shook her head slowly. "Not currently. I just arrived here an hour ago."
He rubbed his cheek. "Come, I have someone I want you to meet."
"Molto bene!"
The pair walked back to the hotel, sharing stories of their travels with the other, but it was mostly Lore blabbing and Alex listening.
Another ally.. perfect.