Skai

The Uncanny X-Babies - Concluded

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Vertigo

Location: Sisterhood Base
Skills: N/A

Elara was apprehensive of her calm approach as she noticed the blonde pull out an entire sword. The rest didn't really seem to care. Psylocke's presence was the only thing they reacted to. Jolene came up to give her a hug. Elara awkwardly patted her back, caught off guard that practically a stranger showed her such affection. Especially on a mission. As the girl pulled away from her, Elara felt warmth emanate from her neck and pass down her spine into her body. She blinked, suddenly feeling much stronger. Jolene had done something, and Elara gave her a small nod of thanks. She wasn't sure if she would it against this group; they seemed pretty calm at this point. If things went south, though, Elara would be able to handle each of the rogues.

Psylocke exchanged words with the rogue team members, and Elara glanced between the tall woman with red hair as she spoke and the unconscious man on the floor. Dead? Was this the team member that presumably died in the attack from Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch? She eyed the body, wondering just how complicated this entire mission was. Gardner lied to all of them, but why? What had she expected to come out of this mission?

Elara was about to voice her concern about Gardner to the entire group, but found herself stumbling back as the room around her shifted. What? Another illusionist? But how? And who? She turned to reach for the door behind her, but it and the entire wall it was attached to vanished. Instead, she found herself staring at empty space until a huge wall about 20 feet before her stopped it. Elara looked around the entire room. They'd been in a giant room this entire time. Was the whole building just a room? When had the real world melted into the illusion?

She didn't have much time to think about that, as she laid eyes on a full-sized T-Rex. "Oh, fuck," she muttered, wincing as the beast released a guttural roar. At first she was convinced that it was just another illusion, but as the quick-to-attack team members around her began to assault the dinosaur, Eli was shocked to see it was real. Especially when it tail-whipped a few of them. She was also surprised to see that neither Psylocke nor the unconscious man was in the room with them.

Frustration and anger suddenly flowed through Elara's veins. She'd been fooled, this entire time. Even when she was examining Psylocke, she appeared completely real. Either the illusionist was a strong one, or Psylocke had slipped off and been replaced by an illusion the moment she left the elevator. After all, that had been the only time her back was to the purple woman. So, was she behind this, too?

The others in the room weren't faring well against the beast, so Elara decided it was time for her to step in. There was certainly nothing she could do physically against it, but she had other means of debilitating a person or creature. Fortunately she remembered a school lesson when they covered the Cretacious period in school. Tyrannosaurus Rex were smart creatures, their brain larger than a humans, but they relied on their depth perception and smell to hunt their prey. Their hearing was sub-par. So, the best Elara could think of to hinder the beast would be to remove the most important ones, it's sight and smell. It would be the best low effort move. An illusion wouldn't be enough, unfortunately.

"Alright, everyone! I'm gonna need some cover, but I may be able to stop the beast from smelling and seeing you," she explained, shouting so that the group could hear her over the chaos. It felt odd to explain what she was about to do, but she knew that the group of old Serval employees would need an explanation. "You're all capable of stopping this beast, but you're going to need my help!"

That said, Elara backed a few yards away from the action, keeping her eyes on the T. Rex. She felt her mind reach for the dinosaurs, and an eerie feeling crawled over her body as she connected with it. She'd never attempted this with an animal, but she knew that the science behind their perceptions worked the same as a humans. First, she searched for it's sense of sight, and successfully rendered its eyes useless. It was the first step, but she knew that she still needed to remove the big one: smell. Unfortunately, as she stretched her control over the beast she found it difficult to hinder it's smell as well. She would have normally stopped and tried again, but she wasn't sure if she could. So, instead of the risk of losing the entire illusion, Elara decided to stick with the one she'd already cast.

"Okay, scratch that! It can't see you, but it can still smell you. There are still ways to get around that! You've got this." For now, Elara would just hold tight and hope that the action wouldn't come her way. "How many superabled does it take to stop a T. Rex?" She mumbled, making a joke of the situation to keep herself from fearing it.

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

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As if Radvi had come at the perfect moment, Eli felt a wave of relief as she heard what sounded like two pairs of feet crashing through the woods. Lynn began to move forwards, towards Arianna, and Eli felt her body tense in a sudden rush of adrenaline. This was it. This was the moment she was waiting for. The bitch was caught. Radvi would jump in and distract her, and Eli would aid in her capture by giving the killer all she could. Lynn was there to burn.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Eli prepared to reach out for Arianna again, but for a moment she was confused by the what looked to be a taser in Radvi's hand. She didn't have enough time to process the thought completely. Eli scrambled to claw her way out of the thicket as Arianna booked it, followed closely by Agent Radvi. She wasn't going to let Arianna out of her sight. She couldn't. Not until Radvi had her in nullifying handcuffs. All thoughts of safety or however Amelia would react to his appearance disappeared the moment she felt she lost sight of Radvi.

When Eli finally managed to catch up to the pair, she was able to catch the instant that Radvi hit Arianna with the taser. Except... it didn't shock her. It liquified her. As if her body had morphed into the blue goo, but couldn't quite keep itself together. Eli stood still in shock, her blood running cold as she realized exactly what kind of taser it was. It's... a nullifier? She'd seen a wide range of ways to nullify a parahuman's ability while she was aboard The Promise. To have technology that was capable of this was unheard of. The sight of this taser and witnessing its affects firsthand sent chills down Eli's spine. It was a huge red flag and it left Eli with a nauseous feeling in her stomach. She found it difficult to move forwards, even if Radvi may need her help.

If The Promise was capable of producing nullifying tasers, they were capable of producing much more dangerous nullifiers. The images of nullifying firearms flashed through Eli's mind, and she felt genuine fear for her people. If nullifying weapons like that got into the wrong hands, it would mean that not even The Promise was a "safe" space for parahumans to coexist. Although it felt good to know that parahumans like Arianna could be stopped, it still made Eli wonder if it would ever be turned against the peaceful parahumans as well.

Radvi looked surprised. He didn't expect it to work? Or he was just in awe of its effects? Eli watched him move towards the blue puddle in the dirt, reloading the taser with another cartridge. Eli cautiously moved forwards, and for a moment she saw the flicker of Lynn's light on the other side of the action. What did Lynn think of the taser? She was probably disgusted. She wouldn't trust Radvi after tonight. Eli was certain. D was close behind Radvi, and Eli wondered how long the pair had been together that evening. Or if they'd met up on the way over?

These were the thoughts that ran through Eli's mind as it seemed that the action was over. Still, Eli looked at the surrounding forest. The gut feeling that Arianna was playing them still lingered, and Eli felt herself lurch forwards as she spotted a figure rapidly makings its way towards Radvi. It's a trap! She took a step towards the scene and opened her mouth to shout, but it was too late.

Arianna, the real Arianna was fast. Faster than Eli could have ever expected her to be. Eli watched in shock as she crashed into the electronic bobble head and sent him tumbling down a hill of fallen trees. Arianna's body was morphing like a wave, but instead of being mesmerized by her fluidity it only reminded Eli of how astonishingly powerful Arianna was in real life. Even if this was what Eli expected the real Arianna to be like, it still instilled sheer terror to see it in action. Arianna was headed towards Radvi now, and instead of stepping in to save him Eli was frozen in terror. She could only stand and watch as Radvi was quickly disarmed and thrown. Eli felt fear for her friend and stepped forwards to finally jump in. She could distract Arianna, and then he could get the taser back. As long as her focus wasn't on hurting the only security guard that gave a shit.

She kept her eyes on the woman as she made her way towards Radvi, watching as she broke the taser like it was made of plastic. Oh, fuck. Fuck-what now? Sound. D showed them that sound could dismantle her figure. But D was still in the mass of broken trees below them. There was no way he could produce enough sound, and even if he could would Eli be able to handle affecting Arianna? Earlier it had just been a separate piece of her and it felt wrong. This was the real deal now. Would affecting just a small part of her be enough? Did she even have a center mind, like a queen bee in a honey hive?

Radvi suddenly began to fire at the woman, unexpectedly frightening Eli with the loud noise. She grabbed a nearby tree, taking cover in case any bullets ricocheted off of the trees behind Arianna. The bullets were going straight into her, but they didn't do anything but slow her down. Eli peeked around the tree just in time to see Arianna lunge for Radvi. In a matter of seconds, Arianna tossed Radvi into the mass of fallen trees with D.

There was no sound but the crashing of dead tree limbs and Radvi's body for a few moments, but it was quickly silenced after one last round from Radvi's pistol. Eli felt her heart pounding in her chest, and she watched as Arianna rejoined bodies with the doppelganger. Now, Eli! Get her now! She thought, but her body didn't budge. She was still clutching the tree, her eyes staring straight at Arianna but her mind trying to comprehend what may or may not have happened to Radvi during his fall. It was denial that kept her in her place. It was hope that the gun had fired off into the air. That it landed five inches into dirt instead of the person holding the gun.

Arianna slowly dissolved into the dirt and Eli stared at the spot for a few moments. How had such a hope driven capture gone so wrong? The only thing they'd done wrong was underestimate Arianna. They'd been fooled by the doppelganger. All of them had been so foolish. Lynn came into the clearing, but Eli made no attempt to go to her. Lynn hadn't stepped in either. Was she scared, too? Or was it the taser that scared her? Eli watched her pick up the broken pieces and stash them by a tree nearby. Why?

Lynn quickly made her way in Radvi and D's direction. Eli slowly followed, stopping in the same spot that Arianna had gone into the ground. She knelt into the dirt and grabbed a handful, squeezing it tightly. Her eyes shut tight, and she began to reach her mind into the dirt as if Arianna was still hidden in it's crevices. For a moment, it felt like she'd connected with a few pieces of Arianna's consciousness. Or maybe what her drunk mind assumed it was. She held onto the connection for as long as she could, wishing whatever pieces of Arianna's mind she was fucking with would imagine itself on fire. That's how this should have ended.

The connection slipped out of reach as easily as the dirt slipped through Eli's fingers. She remained in place for another moment, her body shaking from the adrenaline that was still pumping through her veins. When she felt calm enough to move again, the frustration of losing Arianna was instantly replaced by worry. Her body carried itself to the edge of the deadfall, and without a second thought about it she began to climb her way down until she could see Lynn and D leaning over Radvi.

"Radvi!" She shouted, ignoring the scrapes and bruises she was getting as she ran towards the huddle. She was going to ask Lynn and D if he was okay, but the moment she saw Radvi clearly she was fixed in terror. "Radvi!?" Her voice was tight with anguish. Her hands shook as she crashed into a kneeling position beside Lynn, reaching for Radvi's neck to check for a pulse. It was there: faint, but there. Eli released a shaky sob of relief, but there were tears gathering in her eyes and they made Lynn and D and Radvi's bloody face and torso blur. "I-is Cara getting h-help?" Eli asked, her voice strained as she attempted not to sob any further. The tears were flowing freely, but as long as she felt a pulse in Radvi's neck she knew that there was hope. There had to be hope. Eli had been too scared to help Radvi, and she couldn't be too scared to help him now. She shut her eyes tightly, doing the only thing that she could think to do.

It was difficult after her earlier failed attempts, but Eli was relieved to feel how easy it was to connect with Radvi's singular mind. It was going to be extremely difficult to rid Radvi completely of the pain he was experiencing, but she was going to try her damn best to do so. All she could do was sit tight and concentrate all of her focus and energy on convincing Radvi's mind that all of the nerve endings in his face weren't on fire. The level of strain that Eli felt already let her know that the pain must have been excruciating. She bent her head, fresh tears flowing down her cheeks and landing on Radvi's barely moving chest. Her shoulders shook every now and then and Eli felt like it was hard to breathe, but the outside world was distant as she kept her focus on Radvi. All she could do was hope that help would come soon, and that she could keep him from the pain for as long as it took.

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

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Eli half expected Amelia to vanish right in front of her. She wouldn't have felt any different towards her. This situation was frightening, and it became more and more so with every second spent near Arianna. The only reason Eli wasn't shaking in her leopard print shoes was the image of Zeke's memorial, and the faint screams of her people in the darkness of the forest. With Amelia's shaky nod, Eli suddenly felt confidence soar through her. This plan would work. She just had to make sure that Amelia wouldn't get hurt because of her own need to see this through. Eli gave her a firm nod as Amelia took her arm. She would certainly not have enough in her to cloak the both of them, but she would do her damn best to make sure that Amelia was hidden.

She followed Amelia's gaze back into the forest, and Eli laid eyes on Arianna for the first time in person. The anger she felt at the sight of the distant figure made her blood boil. She barely felt Amelia's fearful grip on her arm. When Amelia mentioned D, Eli gave her an inquisitive glance, but made a note to ask about it later. She'd seen Arianna before. She knew what she was capable of, and yet she chose to stay and help Eli. It was brave of her. Lynn and Amelia were both brave. Eli's courage only grew with that thought. Misters Black and White may believe that danger surrounds their little group, but Eli believed that they were the only ones that could stand against the danger together. There was a reason that Arianna had chosen her next spot near the bonfire. Whether it was fate or coincidence, Eli didn't give a shit what it was.

Amelia spotted their destination, but Eli didn't even bother to double check the spot. She had faith in her physics-defying friend. As the cloth went over Eli's eyes, all she could do was hold tight and enjoy the ride. It all happened within a matter of seconds, but Eli's body suddenly felt wrong. It knew it was in a different place, but it wasn't sure how it got there. Eli held tight as the wave of nausea came and passed, but it took her a moment to get her bearings. She gave Amelia a thumbs up to let her know that she was okay before she adjusted her position to kneel on the dirt below them. From their little hiding spot in the bushes, Eli could see that they were behind Arianna. The woman was small; smaller than Eli expected to be honest. It honestly looked like she was the same age and height of Lynn. Arianna is a fucking teenager? She thought, her fingers gripping her jeans tightly. This girl is responsible for the breakout?

Eli couldn't believe it. Her gut told her that it was true; the person before them resembled the person in D's footage. Even if it was shaky and blurred, Eli knew that it was Arianna that stood nearly ten feet from her. Was she this young looking in the footage? No, it hardly mattered her age. What mattered was that she was right there and 300 parahumans were dead. Eli pressed her lips together into a tight line as she listened to Arianna speak. This is all a sham. Don't fall for it, Lynn. She'll try to rip you apart the second she thinks you're weak.

Arianna turned her head in their direction and Eli froze. Out of instinct, Eli reached her mind to connect with Arianna's in an attempt to make the thicket appear thicker. Something odd struck Eli as she did so. With every other person on the space boat, Eli felt at ease affecting their perception of their environment. When she reached for Arianna's mind, she suddenly felt overwhelmed with the effort it took. She grabbed onto Amelia's arm beside her. It felt secure to hold onto something, as if it were an anchor in the sea of bushes. She'd expected to feel some restrain, but she never expected it to feel like this. Like Arianna's conscious was split between a hundred or more parts. Maybe even more. Was Eli even able to affect all of Arianna? The woman probably had eyes everywhere. Were they already busted? Had Eli's attempt to conceal Amelia and herself futile?

Fortunately, Arianna's gaze never strayed towards the thicket. She was looking past them, and she soon turned back to face Lynn. Eli released Amelia's arm as she stopped her attempt to conceal their location. Her hand went to her head, and she took a few quiet breaths to regain her composure. If she needed to do more than conceal her location, it was going to take a lot more energy. Was Eli prepared for that, in her state? She looked up at Amelia, realizing that her reaction to it all probably wasn't reassuring for the girl. In an attempt to console Amelia, Eli smiled sheepishly and shrugged. Hopefully Amelia would just pass it off as fear of Arianna.

Lynn was getting closer to Arianna now. She gave the fugitive an ultimatum. Eli felt her body tense. Why would Lynn help her? After all she'd done to the station? Hadn't Lynn heard the same pleas for help as Eli? Even if humans were cruel and twisted, and Arianna probably had a reason to hate them, she was still responsible for 300 deaths. Whether it was by her own young hands or she was helped by someone older with a bigger grudge. Eli wanted to walk out of the thicket and stop it. She wanted to confront Arianna and see if the girl would still feel scared and guilt ridden when she was reminded of what she'd done. She wanted to see that Arianna was in fact as ruthless and evil as Eli imagined her to be.

But, Eli stayed where she was. Her body was shaking with anger, but she knew not to chance getting Lynn or Amelia hurt with her own emotions. If Arianna chose to attack, Eli would definitely take action then. For now, all she could do was sit and listen. Radvi, hurry, she thought, biting her bottom lip. She wasn't sure how much longer she could handle this. Arianna was much more of a threat the longer she was free.

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

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’Alert: Target within 100 feet’

Eli couldn't feel the tips of her fingers, or the heat of Lynn's nearby presence on her skin. She was numb. The only sensation she felt was a tightness in her chest. She'd stopped breathing. Her eyes were fixed on the forest before her, and in the light of Lynn's glow she could make out a patch of leave-less trees before her. The trees were dead. 300 hundred parahumans were dead. Zeke was dead. Because of the woman that was less than 100 feet before her. The blue goo in the jar. The stowaway that The Promise allowed to slip past their guard.

She'd never expected to be the one to find her first. It would have been Radvi- it should have been Radvi. Should it have been Radvi? What could he do, but call for backup and fight her off until the nullifiers arrived? Eli wasn't as strong as he was, but she had been gifted with something a lot stronger instead. Would her ability be enough to hold her in place until the others came? Would she be able to withstand a few hits, and hold an illusion over a woman that could morph and separate her body into smaller pieces? It would take a lot of energy and concentration. More than I can handle... She thought; the realistic part of her mind making its way into the melee of her thoughts.

She heard Amelia's words, but they sounded distant and muffled. Her focus was still on the space before her. Her ears were honed in on the sounds of shoveling. Amelia was right. It was a shovel and dirt. Had the woman killed again? Who was it this time? A security guard? A trainer? A student? Like Zeke? There was one last shhnk before the world was quiet. Eerily quiet. She knows. She heard the alarm. She's transformed into blue goo and she's coming. Eli felt sick. Sick with fear- with anger. The quiet was replaced by distant sounds of cries for help. The screams were getting louder the longer the silence lasted. Eli's fingers curled into fists, her nails digging crescent moon shapes into the palms of her hands. 300 parahumans. She began to breathe again; long, laboured breaths. The shoveling suddenly continued, but Eli wasn't fooled. Arianna had to have heard them. This was a trick. Some sick joke before blue goo came crawling up her leg and wrapped itself around her neck.

She flinched as she felt something warm clamp itself around her mouth. Her hands came up to grasp whatever was attacking her face, but as she heard Lynn's whispers she stopped herself inches before the girl's wrist. As brave as Lynn sounded, Eli was unable to complete the girls wishes. Even if she wanted to hide from Arianna, she was too far away from her to have any affect on her. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay and make sure this blue bitch was taken down.

Lynn released her mouth, and Eli took a deep breath. There was no way she was going to leave. Not when Lynn was walking into the dark, towards the woman who was responsible for a massacre. Eli could tell what Lynn's plan was the moment she felt the heat emanating from the small girl. It would be dangerous to be around Lynn when she was relinquishing her control over her fire. Eli would have to be very careful, but she was going to stay and watch this bitch burn. Lynn couldn't be left alone right now. Not in her inebriated state. Not after she just word vomited what had been bothering her earlier. There was a chance that the girl would get carried away and forget about her own safety. Eli couldn't allow that. Everyone needed someone in dark times. Even Lynn. And tonight felt like one of the darkest nights of all.

Eli turned towards Amelia, keeping her eyes focused on the girl as she slowly began to back towards the direction of Lynn's light. She was wise to keep her eyes on the other, in case Lynn had warned her to get them out of there. "Look, Amelia... I understand that you have every right to get out of here as fast as possible," she began, her voice as sincere as it could be considering the current situation. "I can't leave Lynn here alone. I'm going to help her. The alarm you heard also alerted a security friend of mine, and I'm sure he's on the way too. We just have to hold her off for a little while. If you don't want to stay, maybe you could go back to the fire and get everyone away from here for me." She'd reached a good distance away now, and she suddenly noticed that the sounds of shoveling had stopped. Lynn. She found her.

"If you stay, then I need your help to get close to her. I can only affect her mind if I'm within 30 feet. I could really use someone to get me close enough to damage her and get out of there before she can hit me back." She looked over her shoulder now, spotting Lynn's light in the distance. "Are you with me?" She asked, her voice hushed now in case she could hear anything from Lynn's direction.

The Uncanny X-Babies - Concluded

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Vertigo

Location: Sisterhood Base
Skills: N/A

Elara felt her suspicion of this man rise, and also a bit of anger as well. He made absolutely no effort to answer her question. She tightened her fists in response and pressed her lips together, ready to take offensive action. He obviously didn't belong here, which made him her enemy for now. She was prepared to take him down physically, using her ability as an ace up her sleeve if she couldn't handle a hand to hand fight.

Unfortunately, he acted too quickly. As whatever he aimed their way came flying past, Elara stepped out of its way. She felt the air from it pass by her, and a moment later she saw a flash of green leather as the man propelled himself out of the door. She was held in place for a moment. In shock that she'd let him get away so easily. Her eyes glanced towards Psylocke, wondering if the woman wanted to pursue or not. Without waiting for her command, Elara turned and rushed out of the room into the hall. She looked both ways down the hall, and she even squinted into the shadows in case he was merely hiding in them. Nothing. It was like the man had been a ghost. A hooded, green, asshole of a ghost.

Elara huffed and shook her head. "Must have been someone pretty important to put on a costume and break into this place," she muttered to herself. She reached up to adjust the lace mask on her face, comforted that she'd hidden her identity from the stranger. At least she didn't have to deal with his silence again.

As her frustration slowly died down, Elara suddenly noticed a gaping hole in the ceiling to her left. She stepped over a few large pieces of rubble to stand beneath the hole, peering up into the hallway above. "You think this was Robin Hood or our rogue colleagues?" She asked Pyslocke, whom she assumed had followed her into the hallway. Before she could hear Psylocke's answer, she could hear the sounds of muffled voices from a few doors down. "I guess we're about to find out," she said with a much softer tone.

Advancing towards the source of the voices, Elara made sure to take light steps around each piece of rubble. She and Psylocke took similar positions as their last encounter with a closed door, and Elara once again waited for Psylocke's nod of approval before making her move. This time, as soon as Elara opened the door, she was encountered by the sight of an entire group of people. A few faces she recognized herself belonging to Casey and Jolene. The rest resembled the descriptions that Psylocke had given them of their disobedient coworkers. As she quickly glanced over them, she noticed there was a spot of blood on the ground and an unconscious man on the floor.

"Well, I see we're late to the party," she murmured, slowly stepping inside so Psylocke can follow her. "I'm also going to assume that there's no reason to feel threatened because no one's weapons are raised. So, will someone care to explain whats going on here?"

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

---

The bottle went slack in Eli's hand. Lynn was putting on a little light show, whether she knew it or not. It was captivating. Like the illusions Eli created when she was in her room and lonely. Except this was real life. It was real.

"Eeli?" Lynn slurred, pulling her back into reality. She blinked slowly, her eyes adjusting to the light of Lynn's face. Both of her eyebrows raised as she waited for Lynn to continue. Wow, she was feeling shitfaced right now. Maybe she was enhancing Lynn's light at the moment, but it seemed to absorb the area around them. As if she was her own little bonfire. The bonfire. How were the rest of them doing? Did the newbies find someone else to talk to already? Eh. We'll find out later. The night was still young.

"Thanks."

Eli smiled at her sickly friend, giving her a light little shrug. Bringing her water was the least she could do. She couldn't count the amount of times that she'd held a friend's hair back while they upchucked into a toilet or by a tree. Lynn's next garbled comment proved her point. All Eli could do was laugh, her shoulders shaking and her body leaning backwards a bit as the laugh spread through her body. It was the first genuine laugh in a while, and it felt good. "I'll tell everyone to look out," she mused.

"Eli." Lynn continued. Eli pushed her hair back from her face, brushing the joke away before she continued to laugh. She adjusted her knees below herself, getting comfortable. It looked like Lynn had something serious to let out. Maybe it was the reason she was so down all of the time, or just some sad observation she made tonight. Either way, Eli was there for her. She might have been almost as drunk as the girl before her, but she still had a grip on herself. She was prepared to comfort Lynn if needed.

Lynn's voice was quiet, and honestly difficult to understand. Eli's brows furrowed at first, and she leaned in a little closer to hear the younger girl's words. She never formed a full sentence; it was more like a bunch of little puzzle pieces were being spread out around her. There was a piece missing. Or three, or four. They were all connected somehow, but they were different scenarios. She was going so fast. A woman was going to do something to Archie? What woman? Arianna. . . No, that's not it. Not her.

Eli felt her heart sink into her stomach as the girl continued. She knew exactly how Lynn was feeling, but in her own way. What did Lynn know about The Promise already? What had this place done to her in such a short span of time? She thought of the first day Eli met her, trying to connect these pieces to what she'd heard in the mall. The others would know, wouldn't they? Lynn mentioned not thinking about anything, but then she mentioned a he and she. Eli assumed that she meant Archie and Nat. She recalled Archie's burnt hand at the mall. At least she was able to connect those dots.

Eli pursed her lips and frowned. It was hard to see so many emotions flash across Lynn's face. Eli wanted to ask her [i]so many questions[/b]. About her past. About the scars. About who was going to hurt Archie. For now, though, she could only ask one. [color=E5D00FF]"What do you believe everyone is thinking?"[/color] She asked, her tone soft.

"You know, I get the feeling you're too cool for the holding your hair back while you puke thing, but the offer stands." Another voice interrupted.

Eli turned her head to see Amelia step out from behind a tree. Her brow quirked as she realized that it looked like Amelia appeared from the opposite direction of the bonfire. "How...?" She thought aloud, but she didn't finish the question as Lynn made her own comment.

Eli let out a puff of air, one side of her lips pulling back in an amused grin. She was shaking her head as Lynn mentioned a lizard, and she quickly turned to give Lynn a confused look. How the hell did a lizard bitchslap you? She thought, but didn't ask aloud. It was probably just some drunk Lynn mumbling.

"We're not going anywhere without you, fireball." She said back, looking to Amelia and rolling her eyes. She was giving her best "can you believe this?" face when she felt something warm press against her legs. It was Lynn's leg, and it felt oddly nice to be against a source of heat. Eli smiled at the girl and leant back on her hands. "Amelia and I are staying right here until you feel well enough to go back. Anyways, you're a lot warmer than the bonfire right now." She smirked.

Pssh... shhnnk. Eli frowned, closing her eyes as she listened to the odd noise coming from the dark.

Pssh... shhnnk.

Her brows wrinkled, and she opened her eyes to look between the girls. "You hear that? Sounds like a... like something weird." Her head turned to peer back in the direction of the noise. "Listen." She murmured. Subconsciously, Eli had already tapped into the girls' senses of hearing. The sound was suddenly much clearer and distant sounds of the party were muffled and quiet. She didn't even think that the girls would notice the difference. Hell, she couldn't even tell herself. Maybe the noise had always sounded like this. It was hard to tell the difference sometimes; especially when she was drunk.

Lynn and Amelia may have responded, or even made expressions, but Eli hardly heard as she felt something in her stomach tighten. Whatever this was... she was going to find out. It was all she could focus on at the moment. Her body left the warmth of Lynn's leg as she stood, her gaze still on the woods. She dropped her connection with the girls' hearing, slightly enhancing her own to find the source of the sound. "It's gotta be something." She murmured. "I'm gonna look for the source. You can wait here if you still feel bad, Lynn. I'll only be a second."

Eli began to step towards the dark, glancing back at the girls to see if they were following before she slowly continued into the forest. Her steps were light, but given the state of the forest and the state of her inebriation, Eli was only hoping that she was being stealthy.

Pssh... Shhnnk.

The noise was getting louder. Eli didn't have to use her ability to hear it now. The further she went away from the bonfire, the better she could hear the noise. Her chest also tightened more and more as she left. She didn't know what to expect. Whether it was harmless or not Eli continued towards it. She could see movement in the distance through the trees, and then she heard something that made her freeze in place. A sound that made her heart drop into her stomach.

’Alert: Target within 100 feet’

Meadow Ridge Institute

Meadow Ridge Institute. . .

It was nice to walk through campus again after what felt like such a long break. The campus was alive with students, a soft breeze rustled the returning leaves and the blossoms on the trees. The air was the perfect temperature: not too hot yet, but not as cold as the winter had been. The weather was a nice middle ground between the two seasons. Hanae took her time as she headed towards the Blossom Auditorium. Her head was tilted towards the sky, a peaceful smile on her face as the sun warmed her cheeks.

This was her favorite time of the year. She was going to begin new, exciting classes. She was no longer a 1st year student now, so she had more liberty with her class schedule. She was also extremely excited for soccer season to begin. She'd practiced all summer, and even took up running to stay in shape. She was determined to crush it on the field, and she was also secretly hoping to become soccer captain in her 3rd year. It would also be nice to see all of her old soccer friends again.

She was nearing the auditorium now, but she slowed to a stop to enjoy one more moment outside. She didn't plan to stay long at the meet and greet, but she would walk through to say hello to her old friends and teachers. Then she'd go to do one of her favorite things on campus. Read. They had an entire day to themselves before classes started and Hanae intended to catch up on her latest novel before her schedule didn't allow as much time to do so. She'd go to one of her most peaceful spots, and spend the entire day hidden from the rest of the campus. Well, hopefully.

The auditorium was packed as she walked in, but she managed to find a seat towards the back of the room. She nodded a polite hello to the students around her before she settled in her chair. She hadn't recognized anyone so far, but everyone she knew had grown a little over the summer. She certainly had. Her hair was longer, and she had definitely grown an inch or two. Other areas had grown as well, but she hoped that it didn't draw too much attention. She found herself subconsciously tugging her skirt down her thighs.

Thankfully, the speech that Head Dean Ichikawa gave the students was short. Hanae stood, shuffling out of the auditorium doors with the crowd. She almost considered skipping the meet and greet entirely until she noticed the table for the girl's soccer team. Two of her favorite teachers were standing behind it, and Hanae brightened at the sight of her coaches. She approached the table, giving the two women a friendly smile and wave.

"Ohayō gozaimasu, Naya-sensei, Hatano-sensei!"

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

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“A-Ah. Sou desu ne.”

Eli's eyes glanced over the young man's expression as she tried to decipher what he said by his emotions. His smile was wide, but she could see a hint of fear in his eyes. The only reason that he wouldn't be thrilled by Cara's translating capabilities would be that he was trying not to speak at all. Her eyebrows furrowed for a split second before the right eyebrow rose in realization. He was lying. This guy was trying to get out of talking to them. A small laugh burst from her lips, but she quickly covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from laughing further. He continued the lie by responding to her question through Cara. It was only when Keaton made her own extremely sarcastic comment on the matter that Eli released another bout of muffled giggles through her hand. To be honest, it was hilarious that this guy had even tried in the first place. He wasn't that naive to think that no one would notice, right? Especially with Keaton here.

Nicholas answered her question next, which forced Eli to quell her amusement. She looked to the tall, friendly newbie and nodded to let him know that she was listening. Still, her lips were pressed tightly together in a smile so that she wouldn't laugh again. In between Nicholas's statements, her eyes glanced between Keaton and Gen. Oh, man, I hope he knows how to recover from that.

". . . But instead I wandered into this party. With all the stuff going on around the place I feel really bad for everybody and would love to help improve morale but, I guess, partying isn't really something I've ever done much of. This is all new ground for me."

Eli's smile withered, his empathy for the rest of the parahumans on The Promise reminding her why they were having this get-together in the first place. She nodded, agreeing with what he said as she looked into his eyes. At least she wasn't the only one that felt this way. She was going to voice her opinion on the matter, but a loud beeping noise drew both of their attention towards Archie. He was shaking his hand, and Eli noticed the heart monitor on his wrist for the first time. Nicholas moved to ask him if he was okay, but Eli was too caught up in wondering why he wore a monitor to react to it. Her eyes moved over Archie's face slowly. Why did he need a monitor? Only people with serious parahuman "conditions" wore them. Dangerous parahumans wore them. How could someone like Archie need one? And what had set it off in the first place?

"Lynn, pour me some tequila."

Eli looked away from Archie, her focus on the monitor broken as she was reminded of alcohol. OH, right. Drink, drink, drink. She thought to herself, raising her cup to her mouth and downing the rest of its contents. She lowered the cup, wiping the edge of her lips with the sleeve of her jacket. She looked into the cup for a moment, almost disappointed that it was empty now. Did she want more to drink? Did she need more? She was definitely drunk, but she wasn't sure how drunk.

"I'll have some, too, Lynn." She said as she turned to place her cup next to Keaton's. Only, when she looked, she saw that Keaton's cup was spilling over the sides. Lynn was frozen in place, but her hair was ablaze with color. Her eyes were glazed over, making it look like she was stuck somewhere deep inside of her mind. "Lynn-" She didn't need to say anything more. She was startled back into reality, on her own. She didn't look alright. This was a side of Lynn that Eli had never seen before. Eli looked over at Keaton, her eyes expressing her concern for Lynn.

Lynn gave the group an obviously improvised excuse to leave before she made her way into the woods. Eli pressed her lips together. For a split second she considered letting the girl have her peace, but she knew not to let someone that drunk run off into the woods alone. Anything could happen to them. And even if she just needed to puke it out, Eli knew that there was something else going on with her. The light of Lynn's hair quickly faded into the dark of the forest. Eli looked over at Keaton one last time. Did she want to go after her, too? Would it be better if Keaton went, because she knew Lynn better?

No. That doesn't matter. I'm going, too. Eli decided as she set her empty cup on the table. She bent down below the table, reaching for a case of water bottles that were ready to grab for anyone that needed them. "I'm gonna bring her a bottle of water and make sure she's okay." She let Keaton know before turning to see Gen again. "It was nice to meet you, Gen. I hope you have a good night." She gave him an amused smile, reminded of his earlier embarrassment, before heading out into the forest.

The amusement vanished quickly as her concern for Lynn returned. She was moving through the forest, looking and listening for any sign of Lynn. Her foot stumbled on a root, but she caught her footing quickly before spotting a flicker of light ahead of her. Out of relief, she let out a breath of air and slowed her pace. She was careful about where she stepped, now, and she was cautious as she approached Lynn. The young girl was leaning back against a tree, playing with a singed petal from the flowers around her. Eli couldn't help but smile softly. Even though Lynn looked like she was fucked up, the color in her hair and the color of the petals painted a pretty picture.

"Lynn? Are you feeling okay?" She asked as she approached her. She knelt down in front of the girl, admiring the slightly burnt petal in Lynn’s hand. She then held up the water bottle in her own. ”Here. This should help.”

The Uncanny X-Babies - Concluded

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Vertigo

Location: Sisterhood Base
Skills: N/A

Elara was tense as she felt Psylocke move to stand nearby. Her eyes moved to the purple blade of energy that formed in the woman's hand. As she spoke to the strange man in green, Elara moved her eyes back to him. He didn't belong here, so what was he doing here? Her calm expression turned into a look of suspicion, and she curled her hands into fists. She was prepared for an offensive attack, if he chose to act that way.

Instead, he gave Psylocke an expression of pure anger. Her eyebrows furrowed. If you are Elizabeth Braddock? Her eyes glanced at the woman next to her to see how Psylocke reacted to that statement. Then her eyes moved back to the man.

"If you aren't going to tell us who you are, then I suggest you tell us who you are here to avenge." She stated, feeling as if she needed to get some of the attention off of her partner. "How did you know that you would find the person you're looking for here?"

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

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As Keaton retold her first experience with alcohol, Eli listened with a small grimace. Rum didn't sound like the best, first liquor to taste. Sure, it was fantastic mixed with literally anything, but straight? Yuck.

She didn't know what to think about what she said about the rich kids getting grounded. Were parties on The Promise anything like a high school party on Earth? There were definitely rich kids on The Promise, too. Eli imagined the rich kid parties on Earth set in huge mansions. With almost movie theater sized TV's and huge swimming pools in the backyard. Stuff she remembered seeing in TV shows and movies.

Keaton's face fell and she grew silent for a few moments, which made Eli feel sympathy for her. She had to keep reminding herself that her new friends had only been here for a month. They were still grieving for the lives they left behind. Eli gave Keaton a small smile after she changed the topic. She seemed to be doing better than most of the newbies she'd met over the years, but she reminded herself to ask Keaton how she was doing with the transition some other time.

Her attention turned to Lynn next. The girl's expression was contagious, and Eli returned Lynn's wide smile with one of her own. Her eyes crinkled at the edges, thoroughly enjoying Lynn's drunk personality. Was this the real Lynn shining through? Now that she was drunk off her ass, Lynn seemed as if the weight of the world had lifted from her shoulders. This was how a girl her age should act, anyways, right? How old was she, anyways? She couldn't have been more than 16. Eli's eyes followed Lynn's spare hand to the scar on her nose. How did a young girl get so many scars?

Unfortunately, Lynn's rambling was interrupted as the 'Fish' arrived. Eli turned to greet him, a smile on her face. He spoke first, his words coming out slowly and with a thick Japanese accent. She knew a way to overcome the language barrier, if he wasn't great with English.

"Don't worry, I have something for the language barri- ... berry, bear... barrier."

Lynn's slurs drew an amused grin from Eli and she looked to share the laugh with Keaton and Amelia. It was then that she realized that Amelia was talking to someone, and Keaton was looking in their direction. She followed her gaze to see Archie and Natalie by the drink table. Wow! She thought, her eyes on how amazing Natalie looked. Seriously, this girl is a dark angel. Archie even looked like a dressed up version of himself. If only he had a nice suit to go with her dress! They would have made homecoming king and queen. She gave Archie and Natalie a wave and a smile, deciding not to approach them. It was best that she give them their space for their first date. They would make it over to the group eventually.

So, Eli turned back to say hello to the Japanese newcomer. "Welcome to the party, Gen," she said with a smile. "If you're having trouble translating, Cara can help you with that. She's an amazing translator. Nothing like that google translate bullshit." She pulled out her own device, holding it up between the two. "Cara, how many languages can you speak?" She asked her phone.

"My database contains all active, written languages. What would you like me to translate, Eli?"

Eli grinned, looking up at Gen. "Told ya."

It was then that she noticed the other newbie coming their way. She lowered her phone, watching as he cleared the ground between them. He seemed shy as he approached, but once he was close enough to the group he revealed a happy smile. She smiled back as he grabbed a jello shot.

"My name is Nicholas but people tend to like Nic better. I hope that the evening has been kind to you."

"Hello, Nicholas," Eli began. "It's been a great evening so far." She gestured to the group. "These are my friends Gen, Lynn, Keaton, and Amelia." She gestured to each of them as she said their name, even giggling for a moment as she realized Gen and Lynn had rhymed. "And I'm Eli." She finished with a grin.

"So, what brought you two to this side of the woods?" She asked both Gen and Nicholas.