Title: Against the rules

Chapter 41: Anchor

/.\

Mercy's POV

I place a gentle kiss to Fareeha's cheek. We was resting on our bed for a small moment. I don't get many moments alone with her so I like it so we can relax.

Her fingers graze up and down my back slowly, sliding them along the bumps of my spine.

I move my hand to her cheek and pull her down for a soft kiss, coming back for small pecks afterwards. Which earned the slightest smile from my Fareeha.

I look over her features for a moment before crossing my arms on her chest and laying my head on them so I can carry on admiring her.

"You're beautiful you know?" I say taking in the features that I most adore. Her tattoo, the firm but gentle brow and her deep chocolate eyes. And let's not forget the cheekbones and jaw!

"So you say on a daily basis." She deadpans, trying to make it seem it doesn't bother her. Though I know that it touches her deep down, so I carry it on for that reason. She deserves every touch of love I can offer.

"And I'll keep on saying it." I whisper as I start to lean forward to catch her lips in my own.

"Angela!" I hear someone yell in the distance and the rushing of footsteps. I groan softly as I sit up on the edge of the bed giving Fareeha an apologetic look.

"I might as well go get some jobs done." Fareeha says as she stands up herself and picks up her jacket.

"I'm sorry babe." I apologise as I stand up and make my way to her. "It'll get better, I promise." I place my hands on her hips and look up at her slightly stony face that is so normal for the woman I love.

"Yeah, I know." She replies as she lowers her head slightly to press a soft kiss to my lips. Before we go too deep into it there's erratic knocks at the door.

I sigh into her lips and move away to answer it.

I pull open the door and look up at a very upset Amélie. My motherly side kicks in as I become concerned.

"What is it? Did Lena react badly?" I ask as I bring my hand up to her upper arm to comfort her.

This seems to affect Amélie as she starts crying hard, covering her face with her hands. I pull her in close and cradle her head softly as she cries into my shoulder.

I feel Fareeha slide past me and look at her giving her a slight smile. Her lips curve up slightly as she winks softly and moves away. Oh she's getting in trouble tonight.

My attention moves back to Amélie as my hand moves up and down her back.

"What happened?"

/.\

Tracer's POV

I feel my stomach grumble. I quickly check the time, 12:51pm. This is still classed as lunch time, right?

I push myself away from my desk and stand up. I might as well carry on the theory of my work while I eat. I pick up a few sheets that contains the most vital information for small sized powerhouses.

I pull out some orange circular shades and pop them on my face before combing through my messy hair with my free digits.

Thinking I must look presentable at this point, I start walking to the door. I step into my shoes on the way out.

I walk down familiar corridors towards the food Hall. Surely everyone should be finished at this point. Just walk in, sit at the back and eat while reading. Not so hard.

I get to the big doors in no time and take a deep breath. Let's just hope no one is inside. I push through the door to be met with 7 sets of eyes looking in my direction.

Of course my eyes train on Amélie's first. She looked upset before looking back to the table and not looking at me. I start to yearn to go to her but snap myself out of it. No, she didn't want anything more than this. I should show the same emotion a stranger was, because that's what we are. Strangers.

I start walking to the kitchen area, blanking the looks from everyone. Do they hate me for what's happened between me and Amélie? It wouldn't surprise me, they're all closer to her now.

I hear someone's chair pull out and footsteps making it towards me in an attempt to catch up.

"I'll put something together for you young one." Ana says as she starts getting close.

"Nah its good. You carry on eating. I can get something myself." I reply as I carry on walking.

Her steps falter for a moment before she stops. I get to the kitchen and go inside, looking around for something quick and easy to eat.

I come back out of the kitchen with a bag full of carrots and a tub of marmite. I consider staying in here but chose otherwise. They don't want this depressing picture to spoil their lunch.

I start to make my way to the door again, but before I could get too close I hear a familiar clearing of the throat, something I only get if I've done something wrong.

"I'm fine Ang." I say as I continue my walk, and strangely enough, no one followed me.

/.\

I sat back at my desk and dropped the carrots and marmite on the table, pressing the sheet of paper on the table and starting to read.

Nuclear batteries

Can be width of hair

Completely safe (if used with right material)

Strong output energy

Lasts longer

This power is from the energy released from radioactive materials during radioactive decay. It uses no fission/fusion.

Can use it to power anchor too. But also if you turn off/down your anchor your particals will get more energy so you could go faster. But you need complete control or you could get lost again.

Some technology can have radioactive batteries in them or radioactive substances.

After finishing the text I think it over while chewing on the end of a carrot. This could work. I just need the stuff and I'll be golden.

If I take my smaller anchor, I could go look for it myself and get exactly what I need.

I open the jar of marmite and dip my carrot inside and take a chomp off the end, basking in the sweet and salty mixture.

I'll do it later. When I can tell Angela I'm leaving without Amélie being there.

/.\

"I'm going out love. I'll be back soon." I shout through Angela's door waiting for a response of some sort before the door opens with a very annoyed Angela.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" She says in a normal volume but with anger lacing her tone.

"I need to go get stuff for my anchor to make me go fast." I say simply for her to understand. I don't expect her to understand the physics behind it, she's a doctor.

"You can't go alone. Take someone with you." she says as she yawns slightly.

"I haven't spoken to a lot of them in a year. They all probably hate me anyway." I say as I start making my way to the exit.

"What do you mean by that?" She asks as I continue walking.

"Nothing."

Little did I know, Amélie was in Angela's room. And heard everything.

/.\

I sprint along the land of junk, taking in the breeze and air that I have been restricted from for so long.

God this burn feels so good. I kick off an old washing machine and do a front flip into a roll. I giggle as I carry on running. How the hell does this feel so good?

"Lena." I hear someone say behind me. I'm just about sick of hearing people say my name.

I stop and turn to see Ana catching up with me, a sack on her back to hold useful things.

"Hey." I say sheepishly as I rub my neck. I guess I was caught enjoying life too much.

"Angela told me I'd find you out here. I know this place pretty well so I'll tell you where to find what you need." She says nicely as she repositions the bag on her back.

"Radioactive substances or nuclear batteries." I say as I step to her.

Her brows furrow slightly as she thinks. "I don't know what that looks like, but we have a pile of things that could be useful but we don't know what they are. Do you want to have a look?"

"might as well." I shrug slightly and start to follow her as she starts walking back where she came from.

"So, what makes you think everyone hates you?" She starts, obviously speaking to Mercy previously.

But something tells me I can trust her. I've always been able to trust her with things.

I sigh heavily and cross my arms looking at the ground. "I'm different, I haven't been around for a year and I hurt someone they all like."

Ana takes a moment to think it over before replying. "What are you going to do about that?"

"I dunno, probably get my anchor made and get this over and done with. There's no point in staying afterwards, I don't have anyone, I left everyone else behind the day I disappeared."

"Don't you think that's a little too reckless? You haven't made any effort in speaking to them. They can't always run after you. You have to meet them halfway." she semi scoles.

"I hurt Amélie. They don't want to speak to me after I hurt one of their friends." I mutter as I look to the ground.

"You're their friend too." She says softly, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

I look at her gloved hand for a small moment, before shrugging it off. "I'm not the same person."

She looks confused for a moment before understanding comes over her.

"I know. I wasn't either after I lost everything... But…" before she could continue, we was at a pile of a clump of what seemed like wires.

"This is it!" I exclaim as I grab a handful and look over the technology. This was perfect.

I grab as much as I can and look back at the slightly saddened Ana.

"Thank you." I say for more than just the power, but for also being a friend. She seems to understand and nod softly, giving me a gentle smile.

I start at a gentle jog towards base. I need to get this put together.

/.\

I drop the batteries on the desk and press a button on a music player, playing my working playlist.

The first song to come on was Redbone's 'come and get your love' and I turn it up slightly. This classic is the best.

I pull out the shell for my anchor which was black and looked the same as the one before. I place the computer boards inside that will control everything for me. With my new control over time, I should be able to activate the blinks by myself.

I solder them to some wires before gluing the board down so it doesn't move around.

I pull out my anchor from my pocket and push it in the circular hole where it belongs before soldering wires from that to the circuit board. This one is smaller than the one before but it's just as strong.

This should let me control the anchor too.

I pull out the end of a battery and start untangling it and pulling it free from the others. After I have a line of battery, I start to glue it down on the shell of the accelerator until there is no more left to glue, then I solder wire from that to the circuit board and repeat until I have used all of the batteries I got.

I push the back of the casing on the shell and start fitting some straps.

/.\

I'm stood in front of the mirror with my new anchor. It looked exactly like the one before but with a slimmer design and it is black now with a smaller anchor.

Now it just needs testing. And for that, I need my costume.