《Extraordinary Mistakes》


 Happy Day of Peace

    May 2028


    "How did we get to this point?" an older man asks his two younger accomplices when he steps out of the bus and sees the tumultuous protests that take place.


    The demonstration is against the celebration of the Day of Peace. One hundred, maybe two, people hold signs and shout.No peace while deviants live.#notmypresident. Some also hold a photo of a young woman, Emily Roberts, her green eyes are covered with red ink.


    Despite the disturbance, the line of people expecting to make it to the ceremony moves peacefully. The city hall employees make sure that everyone who has a ticket passes the gates.


    "Hatred," the younger man replies dryly.


    They keep their heads down while passing by and stand as close to each other as they can.


    "We used to be considered extraordinary beings. The closest we had to gods walking on Earth. Now we''re nothing more than genetic mistakes," the younger man continues.


    "When you fight for your freedom. You stir the pan," the woman whispers.


    "I think you mean pot," the younger man says.


    They raise their heads when they finally make it to the entrance of the park.


    "Happy Day of Peace!" They show their tickets to the employee.


    The park raves and buzzes with all the energy. People talk happily, families gather and there are a lot of distinct smells on that beautiful spring morning. There''s popcorn, cotton candy, and chocolates being sold. And to their surprise, also traditional foods from deviants.


    Naturally, there is no such thing as deviants'' food. The only thing they share is a genetic modification, which affects a minority of the world''s population. They have no cultural heritage in common and are as diverse as humans. Another misguided effort from the president of the United States of America to work toward acceptance.


    The gene has always existed. Why it never become dominant is a matter of much research and has shown no increase in numbers as years go by. Scientists around the world have tried to reproduce it, but have failed. Since 1980s that there is a test for newborns to determine if they have it, even though it only manifests when the children turn seven. An enhanced immunity in all cases, and in some also an ability.


    Those three are not guests of honor. In fact, they are infamous deviant terrorists. If anyone recognizes them, they would be immediately arrested. Nonetheless, here they are. In disguise, obviously. Not with the hats and sunglasses, those are only because it''s a scorching day. But by using the ability of one of them, body shifting.


    The older man is actually Megan Grant, or as she is known, the Angel of Death. Rachel Moore, the leader of the terrorists, is disguised as the younger man. And Diego ¨¢lvarez chose to hide his identity as the woman.


    They slowly walk up to the stage, which is on the eastern end of the park, nearby many residential buildings.


    Children run by. With t-shirts with the face of the young woman that the protests held. A band plays, the first deviant-human band from the United States of America. Social media fills with hateful comments and as soon as they are posted, they are immediately deleted.


    "Such an amazing show!" the presenter congratulates as the band walks off the stage, "please give your warmest welcome to the president of the United States of America, the president of the Institute, Madeleine Clark! And... Emily Roberts!"


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    They walk up to the stage and everyone in the audience cheers. The three terrorists pretend to be excited as well and clap.


    Emily Roberts waves enthusiastically with her right hand, in her wrist there''s a blue bracelet similar to a smart watch.


    Madeleine Clark stands next to her smiling as well and pointing to Emily''s bracelet. The Institute that Madeleine runs is a private and public founded organization that educates and employs deviants with abilities from the United States of America and abroad. There, deviants are taught how to properly use their abilities and scientifical developments in the name of peace are made.


    "We love you, Emily!" Someone in the audience waves a sign with her face. This one without any red ink on it.


    "Thank you, it is such an honor to be he-"


    Emily''s smile disappears for a second when she''s interrupted. Only for a second. It comes back easily when she notices the cameras on her.


    "It is. Emily is an example to follow! The world''s most powerful deviant wants to live in peace with us humans. Fun fact, everyone! Emily is more talented than Ariston himself!" Madeleine claps at her own speech.


    More powerful than Ariston? This puppet?Rachel, still disguised as the young man, lowers her sunglasses. Despite the distance, she can perfectly see Emily on the stage.


    Ariston was a powerful element controller in ancient times. He saved many lives when he stopped a tsunami from hitting the shore. Emily Roberts is not an element controller and there''s no records of Ariston''s levels to compare to hers.


    "We are here today to present the newest invention of the Institute. The bracelet on Emily''s wrist stops deviants from using their abilities. It can be quite painful, and we don''t want to hurt our dear Emily, right?" Madeleine laughs.


    "That wouldn''t be necessary!" The president of the United States of America adds with a laugh.


    The audience shoutsno.


    Diego, still disguised as a woman, rolls his eyes and looks at Rachel that taps her foot and smiles. Megan, on the other hand, still an old man, just focuses on the stage.


    "This is a monumental step toward a more peaceful future. May we never be at war again!" The president of the United States of America shouts and the audience claps, some in tears.


    Rachel sighs, grabs from her fanny pack and older phone and textsdo it.


    The screen behind both presidents and Emily begins playing an apparent live stream video. Rachel Moore, in her true appearance, wearing a white dress all splattered with red ink, is in the center. On her left side is Megan and on the other side Diego.


    "Happy Day of Peace, my fellow citizens!" Rachel smiles from ear to ear.


    At first, silence fills the audience. Some begin weeping, others shout. Rachel opens her mouth widely, Diego pretends to hyperventilate, Megan stays frozen. The president of the United States of America holds his hand, preventing it from shaking. Madeleine Clark keeps looking around the stage and moves closer to Emily. Who just stands there, shoulders and head tall, with tears beginning to form on her green eyes.


    Devil! I knew you''d try to ruin this day.Her heartbeat begins pounding.


    "Peace for those who believe-" Rachel continues.


    Out of nowhere, a gunshot fires and no one sees it coming until it the president of the United States of America falls to the floor of the stage, bleeding. The agents near him react immediately and take cover for him.


    Madeleine Clark freezes when she sees the blood pouring out of him, filling the floor. The people on the audience scream louder than before and start to rush out of there.


    The video from the terrorists keeps playing on the background, but Rachel''s speech is no longer understandable because of all the noise.


    How... where... focus...Emily takes a deep breath.I have to save everyone. She focuses on her ability, telekinesis. Another deep breath. She accesses it and time slows down for her. Another gun shot is fired in their direction, but this time, she sees it coming and stops it.


    An electric shock goes through her entire body. Something she never felt before. It was as if she was connected to a power outlet that she couldn''t turn off.


    They said it wouldn''t hurt. Madeleine Clark promised, her father promised, the president of the United States of America promised. They all did. Of course, she was also told she wouldn''t have to activate her ability today, only show the bracelet.


    Pull it together... this pain is nothing. Focus on the bullets.She bites her lip and begins bleeding from it.


    "Turn off the bracelet!" Madeleine runs off the stage and shouts at her secretary. Her security detail form a circle around her.


    Emily sees Madeleine running off.You coward.


    Another shot, this time against a child in the first row, Emily holds it. Takes several deep breaths. Tries her best to ignore the pain. Another shot. Once more, she keeps it from hitting someone. Sweat runs down her face, the bleeding from her lip continues, she curls her fists.


    Don''t give up. Everyone is counting on you.

 A peaceful movement

    With all the confusion, people stomp over each other trying to escape.


    Emily already stopped seven shots, and it is costing her greatly. She falls to her knees screaming.


    Don''t you dare give up... You''re number one. They need you. She looks back to the moment that her father told her she was number one in the world. The most powerful deviant. A title that belonged only to her. A title that came with responsibilities.


    Time is still much slower for her, she focuses on the people in front of her. How much they are suffering. She can''t focus on the faces, because several beams of light pass by. Emily shakes her head, trying to ignore it.


    Not now.


    Usually, stopping just seven bullets wouldn''t make her side effects appear. But the bracelet is forcing her to use too much of her ability.


    Her shoulders give in, and so does her back. Emily is practically lying on the stage, looking up, focusing on the bullets.


    I can''t take it anymore... no... you have to... She knows that as soon as she releases the bullets, they''ll hit their targets. How can you say that you are the number one if you can''t protect these people?


    The security corps run around with no plan. They keep searching for the source of the bullets but there are too many points that the sniper could be hiding. Madeleine Clark shouts at her secretary, but to no use, the bracelet can''t be turned off, they didn''t expect it to be necessary.


    One more bullet and it''s done.


    You are number one. Act like it. She takes a deep breath and her strength gradually comes back to her. The shocks are lighter. She can now put herself on her knees and stands up.


    Everyone''s eyes fill with hope.


    Have I underestimated you, Emily Roberts? Or maybe the bracelet is just pure propaganda. Or... Rachel looks to her side and sees a shy blue light coming out of Megan''s right pocket. ... a third option, none of the above. Megan is healing you.


    "Don''t," Rachel whispers and faces Megan, who refuses to look at her.


    "You can end this," Megan says.


    Why would I help her?


    "Just look around, will ya?" Megan faces her.


    Rachel ignores it at first, but eventually gives in. Several children cry in the arms of their parents, who hold their wounds. She looks back at Megan and nods. She draws a deep breath and looks at Emily Roberts.


    Let''s do this. Rachel sees the ability of telekinesis and feels it on her. But loses the connection once someone hit her shoulder passing by. This is going to be harder than it has to. Again she breathes in and sees all the other abilities around her, feels them, before focusing on Emily, on her telekinesis again. She connects with it and time slows down for her too. She bends Emily''s bracelet until it cracks.


    Madeleine Clark and her secretary see the bracelet breaking into several pieces and cheer.


    With the weight of the bracelet gone, Emily sends easily back the bullets, showing the security corps where the sniper is hidden, and ends the shooting.


    "An elite, desensitized to both human and deviant suffering, controls us. While half the country struggles to pull through, the Institute receives millions for a facade of inclusion," Rachel''s speech on the screen continues, but no one heard it.


    It wasn''t that hard to connect the sniper to the terrorist group lead by Rachel. The video, a conspiracy theory spread across social media explained, was used as a sign for the sniper to know when to shoot. A decoy to focus the attention of everyone elsewhere. Those posts weren''t deleted. Social media also was filled with posts showing appreciation for Emily Roberts, she saved the day, everyone was thankful that she made it alive. Unlike the president of the United States of America, who died there on the hands of the terrorists.


    As soon as the bracelet broke, the three left, avoiding the security corps and returning to the same place they entered. The protests gathered even more people, over one thousand now. They look away, trying to avoid being pushed. Quietly entering the same bus again, ready to head home.


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    It takes longer now with all the emergency vehicles. When they finally get home, a young woman sits on the couch in the living room watching the news.


    "The sniper is part of the deviant terrorist group led by Rachel Moore."


    Diego, back to his normal self, grabs the remote and turns it off. He sits with his laptop on the armchair.


    "I was watching that!" ¨¢nh Nguy?n tells him straight away, her colorful clothes contrast with the all black attire that usually Megan and Diego wear. "I can''t believe that we are being accused of murdering the president!"


    "No such thing as bad publicity, no? Our followers seem okay with. They only criticize the use of a human weapon." Diego skims through the posts of the deviant forum, a secret online place where some deviants hang out virtually.


    "¨¢nh, you should take a break... your side effects are showing," Rachel notices her foot tapping.


    "I spent the day running calculations... needed to do it." The tapping increases.


    "Leave the calculations to the computer. We need you healthy and as stressless as possible, please," Rachel goes near her and puts her hand on her shoulder.


    "We can''t have people thinking we murdered the president... we are a peaceful movement!" ¨¢nh continues.


    "What has peace done for us so far, my dearest?" A new face comes into the living room, he holds his silver hair and approaches the rest of the group. "You heard Diego. Our followers support it, and we could use that."


    "We don''t kill!" ¨¢nh starts biting her nails.


    "Let''s be honest with one another. Especially you and I, sis," he focuses on Rachel.


    What do you want now, Alex? Rachel looks at him.


    "Ten years of movement and we have made no progress. Our enemies keep on winning. What is this bracelet I heard about? It stops deviants from accessing their power?" He laughs.


    "Apparently..." Diego says.


    "That''s just chef''s kiss! How long until they make it mandatory for every deviant with powers to wear it? How long?" Alex continues.


    "If you saw how it worked today, that''s not something we have to worry for now," Rachel tells him.


    "For now..." he smiles, "we are losing and we are delusional about it with our ridiculous educational videos, sis."


    "Please, Alex. What should we do in your opinion?" Rachel sits next to ¨¢nh and puts her hand on her knee to stop her from tapping.


    "Since you asked..." he teleports next to her, "first, we should either use the power of death or get rid of Megan." He looks at her. "No offense!"


    Megan looks at him and doesn''t react.


    "But I mean... who in their right mind would join a movement that has the person responsible for the death of their loved ones?" He looks at Diego. "Perd¨®n, amigo... sin ofensa, s¨ª?" he says in broken Spanish.


    "Mira, ?No me molestes!" Diego shuts down his computer and leaves the room.


    ¨¢nh tries to get up to go after him, but she starts trembling instead.


    "Scusa, hermano! Stay, please!" Alex puts his hands on the air.


    Is he wrong, though? Has my fixation on achieving equal rights by peaceful means being nothing but an unrealistic, childish belief? One that I forced Rachel to accept as hers as well. Is he right? Are we losing? Megan continues to look around seeing their discussion play out.


    "I''m just being honest here, sis... your father would''ve done so much more for us than you have," he puts his hand on her shoulder and moves away from her, sitting on the armchair that Diego was in.


    "Alex, I never expected to see you miss him other than his ridiculous style of clothes. Shame ... shame... shame... that we can''t ask any of the Five for advice, right?" she smiles back at him.


    "Oh, and whose fault is that?"


    "Let''s see. Two, they did it to themselves. It''s no one''s fault. Two, that was my treat. And one..." she looks at Alex, "is on you."


    It''s your fault she''s dead, Alex. Your fault, and your fault only. He remembers Rachel''s parents saying it years before. Alex''s smile disappears, and he teleports out of the room.


    "You can come back, Diego, he''s gone," Rachel shouts.


    Diego comes back to the room and sits next to them, caressing ¨¢nh''s head.


    "We will not take any responsibility for something we haven''t done. Megan, please help me with the speech," Rachel says.


    ***


    On the following morning, at Emily Roberts'' house, everyone gathers in the living room when the trio shows up in the television. Emily turns up the volume.


    "Morning, my fellow citizens! We could pretend to be surprised when your faux investigation concluded us to be the culprits of the death of the president, but that is dishonest, and chicanery is your government''s modus operandi. Not ours. A government that considers you gullible. Why use a sniper when I can absorb Megan''s power? Emily Robert hardly stopped a few bullets. Think she could stop us?"


    I can stop you, devil. Emily''s shoulders tighten.


    "Don''t play into their hands and seek the truth. Who gains the most with the president''s death? Who loses the most? This one I''ll answer for you. Deviants. Fellow citizens, especially the gene carriers, our future is uncertain. Please fight back!"


    Emily turns off the television and her father grabs the remote to turn it on again. He wants to see the follow up with the comments on the news. She gets up and goes to her room, grabs her phone to see what people are saying online. A smile takes over and she falls to her bed.


    No one takes the terrorists seriously. Several posts show her support and disdain them. Jokes fill the socials. All in her favor. She laughs when she sees a viral animated video. In it, Rachel and Megan show up. Rachel''s hand turns blue, and she evilly laughs. Emily stops her right away. Easily overpowering them both.


    In real life, Emily never faced Megan or Rachel. But she knows it, and everyone seems to know as well, that if that day comes, she would win. She''s the world''s most powerful deviant. Rachel only claims to be it and the Angel of Death hasn''t been a threat since the day of the massacre. She would win without even sweating.


    Come on, devil, come at me if you want. We''ll see who should fear who.

 More powerful than Ariston

    On Sundays, the Roberts always invited their oldest and best of friends, the Parkers. Today was no exception, even with all that happened a few days before.


    "Joshua! Why aren''t you dressed already? The Parkers will be here in no time!" Mary looks at her watch and shouts outside his bedroom door.


    "I''ll open the ap¨¦ritif, bought a special one, I''m sure they''ll love it!" Her husband, Thomas, gets out of their bedroom in the same floor, kisses Mary on the cheek and winks.


    A few minutes later, the bell rings and Thomas rushes there. Three of the Parkers come through the front door: Rebecca, Mark, and Abigail. The other two live abroad now, but for many years, took part in the Sunday tradition.


    Emily joins her father and hugs her friend, complimenting her long, stripped, dress. Despite knowing that Abigail chooses that attire to disguise her weight. The girl smiles and reciprocates the compliment, saying how much she loves Emily''s top.


    Both Mark and Rebecca hug Emily tight and greet Joshua and Mary when they meet them.


    Thomas orders the maids to make sure everything is set already at the table, and they all sit there.


    "Emily, how are you feeling?" Rebecca''s eyes move from the plate to her.


    "It was painful, all the bl-" Emily''s speech is slower than usual.


    "Those terrorists!" Mary shouts and lowers the tone to ask the maids to pour the drinks.


    "You guys, they can''t even accept their responsibility. It''s ridiculous!" Mark helps the maid pouring his glass and thanks her.


    "What do they hope to accomplish by killing the president?" Thomas tips his glass to signal the maids that he needs refilling. "Mark, have some more of this entr¨¦e, we bought it thinking of you!"


    Across the table, Mark smiles and accepts. The maids take the plates, and serve the first dish.


    "And when they said that Emily couldn''t win against them! Our girl''s even more powerful than Ariston!" Thomas proposes a toast in her honor.


    "Don''t think about it, Emily! Rachel Moore is a physiological terrorist," Rebecca smiles.


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    "Cher, I think you mean psychological," Mary corrects her.


    They all laugh. It''s an inside joke of theirs. Rebecca often mispronounces, or misuses, words, and Mary helps her out.


    Despite all her wealth, Rebecca never went to college. On that table, she''s the only human who hasn''t. Mark, her husband, and Joshua, Emily''s brother, both did. Deviants aren''t allowed on the United States of America to attend university, but Mary''s ability, knowledge replication, is enough for her to have a broader vocabulary than most. And when compared to Rebecca, it isn''t that hard to. She tries her best not to sound condescending with her best friend, she simply wants to help her out.


    "Oh, you''re right. Silly me!" Rebecca blushes.


    "Rachel Moore is meaningless. You on the other hand... not even the bracelet could stop you!" Thomas raises his glass once more.


    Emily won''t say it. But she can''t understand why in that moment, when she was about to break, she overcame her pain. She can''t understand either how she broke the bracelet. No matter how many times she replays it in her head, she can''t figure out what happened. She opens her mouth to yawn, and her mother looks furiously. She hasn''t slept at all during the past few nights. The lights keep her awake. This is the first time that she experiences side effects for so long.


    "What a bright future for the Institute! The bracelet didn''t do as promised!" Joshua laughs.


    Mary shouts at him, and Thomas'' look is enough for him to understand that he misspoke.


    "I''m sorry. This was of poor taste. Obviously that I''m relieved that you weren''t hurt, Emily, and that you saved everyone. It''s just, they promised the bracelet would prevent the ability. And you used it anyway."


    "That''s because your sister is too powerful!" Mary replies and they all toast again.


    Abigail touches Emily''s leg, her friend looks at her and she can tell the comment hurt her.


    Emily can never understand if her brother means her harm or not. There''s always an ambiguous line, or an out-of-place smile, that she questions. When she was five, he tried to drown her. She remembers it vividly. If you ask him, he''ll say that it was just a harmless prank.


    "How are Veronica and Zachary?" Thomas asks.


    "It keeps getting harder to get them both on the phone at the same time. I think Veronica has a wonderful group of friends there and Zach... he''s too busy saving everyone''s lives," Mark replies.


    "Rebecca, cher, I love your outfit! Is it new?" Mary hides well her judgment.


    "Yes, thank you. New to me. I passed by a second-hand store and just loved it. Didn''t even need to alter it! Can you believe that?"


    The lunch keeps going for hours, and their conversation turns into a loop. Emily disguises her yawns, and, despite being so tired, keeps faking a smile whenever they bring up her ability.


    "I have to show you my new car, Mark!" Thomas drinks a digestif and offers one to his friend.


    "New one?"


    Mark remembers that Thomas bought a car two years before.


    "Yes, grew tired of that one. I''ll show it to you! When are you getting rid of the old Bentley? Isn''t that thing five years old already?"


    "No, more like 15. It was spendy, but it''s a good keep, and Abigail has her own, so we do just fine with it."


    "That''s outdated already!"


    "What are you doing tomorrow?" Abigail asks Emily.


    "I have several interviews to prepare for with the marketing de-"


    "The price of being the most powerful deviant in the world!" Mary raises her glass.


    Emily smiles again.

 Dealing with your own limitations

    The doors open on the sixth floor and Abigail gets out to the frenetic rhythm of a morning on the classes floor. She walks toward her office, trying her best to avoid being hit by the children and teenagers that pass by.


    On the walls, there are several quotes about deviant acceptance. She passes by a picture of ¨¢nh Thi Nguy?n, 2003-2025 in loving memory. Abigail always looks away and pretends to focus on something else.


    "Aminu, morning! How was your weekend?" She enters her office, and he''s already there. "Love your t-shirt!"


    He smiles, removes his expensive headphones, puts them on his neck instead, and shows off his t-shirt, with a painting by Julie Mehretu.


    "Spent studying, you know. How''s Emily? Were you with her?" His Nigerian accent shows, and he looks around the room.


    "Yeah, we went yesterday to their place. Well, considering everything that happened, she is doing... okay."


    "Will the terrorism ever stop?"


    "Not everyone wants a better world, my friend. How busy are you today? Can we have lunch together? In the indoor garden, please?"


    "Nah, too many people there, Abigail. Can we go somewhere else o?"


    "Library it is! Do you have classes today?"


    "In the afternoon, yes, now I have lab duty."


    "So, let me guess, you''re here for... coffee?"


    "Don''t ever taste..."


    "The coffee downstairs. Trust me... I have no interest in checking what is it you nerds do there all day!" She laughs.


    He smiles, puts his headphones back to listen to one of his favorite playlists, with tracks from Tems, Ayra Starr, and CKay, grabs a coffee on the way to the elevator. When he passes by ¨¢nh''s photo, unlike Abigail, he stops to look at it for a while.


    ***


    Emily exits the elevator on the tenth floor.


    "Lovely to see you, Emily! Looking good!"


    Different people come up to her as she passes them by in the hallways on the tenth floor. She has just finished up a briefing and is onto the next.


    "Emily, why are you here?!" Jade Harris asks, she''s the number two most powerful in the world, and a fifth deviant generation, which is unheard of.


    "It''s themarketing floor... I''m the number one... where else would I be?" Emilysmirks.


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    "I meant on the Institute. You should be resting after everything that happened..." the girl looks directly into Emily''s eyes.


    Emily looks away after a few seconds.


    "Dealing with your own limitations was probably hard," Jade lowers her voice.


    Seriously?! Emily refuses to face her.


    "What limitations?" Emily raises her voice.


    "I''m not attacking you. Chill," Jade comes closer, "Have you had time to deal with what happened?"


    "Obviously, Jade. Obviously..." she clicks her tongue, "in the slight breaks between all the interviews that I have scheduled."


    Jade laughs and steps even closer.


    "Good to know. This was a pleasure, as always." She starts to walk past Emily, puts her hand on the girl''s lower back. "Take care, will you?" And leaves.


    Emily rolls her eyes. Her cheeks turn red, and she can''t help but smile. No matter how their last interaction went, the girl always had the power to make her smile again.


    ***


    "Morning, Miss Parker!" the children say in unison when Abigail enters the classroom.


    "Morning, everyone. Hope you had a wonderful Day of Peace. Let''s start with a minute of silence in the president''s memory."


    One minute goes by. Some children cry, and Abigail puts her hand on their shoulder.


    "Ok, so in our last class, we spoke a little about the war. And even though we were clearly winning, our enemies kept murdering us indiscriminately."


    Abigail shows several photos to her 7-year-old class. While ones cried, others laughed because they didn''t understand the severity of the situation. One of her students told her that if he were there, he would have killed the enemies.


    No matter how long it passes, this hatred will never be truly in the past. Abigail bites her tongue to prevent her from crying.


    "So, until the Day of the Ariston Massacre, we had lost over 250 thousand soldiers." She shows photos of the cemeteries filled with funerals and the families crying out. "We also know that deviants are naturally selfish and impulsive. This can only be reversed with the sort of education that the institutes provide worldwide."


    Abigail looks down from time to time to follow the manual.


    "Our enemies were savages. They had no education, and no organization in their so-called movement. Ruthless power-struggles. And one group had a lethal weapon. The Angel of Death. On the 26th of April 2013, she decimated the Ariston community, as we''ll see in this video."


    She plays the video; it has no sound. At first, nothing happens. There are people on the streets going about their business. The footage focuses on the main square. A 15-year-old girl in a white hoodie talks to an older woman.


    Megan''s right hand turns blue, and she fires it in every direction. Out of nowhere, the entire architecture of the community changes, new buildings show up. Several children bleed out on the floor, mothers hold their babies and fall to the floor.


    On the main square, completely different from before, Megan''s right hand turns blue again and this time flowers pop up around her. She stands in front of the same woman, who lies on the floor, dying.


    Out of nowhere, a dazzling white light forms a circle surrounding the outskirts of that community. Heads full force against the main square. Dust fills the air for a few minutes. And then, there''s nothing there. All the bodies, buildings, reduced to ashes.


    The older woman, and Megan, vanished.


    "So, what happened here?" Abigail asks.


    "The Angel of Death killed those deviants!" A student replies.


    "Exactly. A single deviant did this monstrosity. Having an ability is a responsibility, we can''t use it to cause harm to humans, we can''t use it to cause harm to other dutiful deviants. The only deviants that should be hurt are..."


    "The bad deviants!" the children say in unison.


    Abigail smiles.


    "Miss?"


    "Yes?"


    "Were the children at the Ariston community all deviants?"


    "Yes, the Ariston community only allowed deviants in."


    "Did the people hold a minute of silence for them?"


    "No. They were terrorists. No one cried for them."

 The Five

    No one cried for them. Abigail repeats to herself. Why would you say that to the children?


    That feeling quickly dissolves when she sees that, despite their curiosity, the students don''t relate to the ones who died on that day. To them, those children were of a different kind and deserved what happened.


    "So, the massacre happened in April, and the group who carried it thought that they were powerful enough on their own. We know them as the Five. I''m sure that your parents have read you The Five Will Catch You."


    Abigail puts on the screen the book cover, with a small child running from five hideous figures. She then shows the photos of three women and two men.


    "So, who are they?"


    "Matthew Moore is the devil!" A student says and the others boo in agreement.


    "Amanda and Amy Anderson are the evil twins!" Another adds.


    "And the other two...? Who are they?" Abigail asks but the students have trouble naming them. "Stephanie and James Williams," Abigail helps.


    Around the room, no one seems to recognize them.


    "The Five were monsters... as they showed on the Day of the Ariston Massacre. The Williams signed a deal with our government and then betrayed us. They signed it on the 3rd of May, which is why on the 4th we celebrate the Day of Peace! Before we finish up for today, I''d like for you to write a little essay about what the Day of Peace means to each of you and how you spend it this year!"


    Abigail checks her watch and rushes out of her classroom, making it out of there faster than the children. She takes the stairs instead of the elevator and makes it in time to the library.


    "You made it to lunch!" Aminu is already outside with a package for them both.


    "Emily can''t come. I texted her; she is stuck on her interviews! How was your morning?"


    "Not good. We are trying to make the bracelet work. No progress! At least Padma was there." He looks away and tries to hide his smile.


    "Why haven''t you made any move?"


    "You know, don''t think she''d want to be with me."


    "Aminu, why would you say that? You''re such a catch, my friend. If you were my type, we''d be married by now," she smiles and tries to make him look at her.


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    "Because I have autism. I''m too much for anyone to handle. You wanted to have lunch in the garden, but here we are, because I can''t go there. I''m too much. What if she wants to go to a restaurant or a club? Where''d we go, o, if she said yes to a date?"


    "I wanted to have lunch with you. It was stupid to even mention the garden. I''m sorry. I''m such an idiot sometimes. If she likes you, she won''t mind of going to a smaller restaurant, or even staying in. You love so many things, Aminu, and you love them with all your heart."


    "But I am too much. Emily said it to me once. I got upset that she canceled our plans. She told me that it was hard being my friend."


    "Aminu, we''re all too much to handle. Emily included. But you make a world of an effort to change the things that you were born with. Your people should help you carry your burdens, not make you guilty of having them. If Padma, or whoever else, thinks that you are too much. They aren''t worth it. You deserve the same love that you give to the others."


    He forces himself to look at her and shares his dessert. He never allows anyone to touch his food, and Abigail learned to understand it. Instead, takes a piece of it and gives it to her. They always bring different menus to share.


    "Are you working late today?" she asks.


    "I have classes until seven, and then I have some studying to do for tomorrow."


    "I don''t know how you handle so much work: lab, classes, studying."


    Aminu knows that Abigail doesn''t do it on purpose, but he had to work. The more, the better the pay, and that''s something she can''t relate to.


    "Yeah, I love it, even when it tires me. I hope they upgrade my contract for more hours."


    Abigail''s attention is taken away by a sudden pain. Her ears ring loudly and her head becomes heavy. She closes her eyes hoping it passes.


    "Is it happening again?" Aminu asks.


    She nods, counts to ten and it stops.


    "It''s gone now."


    "You need to see a doctor."


    "Again? I think I''ve been to every doctor. Here, in Eurasia. I''ll go to a sorcerer next if necessary. The doctors keep saying the same, ''don''t know. It won''t go away''. The next one will say the same."


    Abigail receives a text from her brother apologizing for not answering her call the day before. Aminu unconsciously looks at her phone. In the screen there''s a photo of Abigail and ¨¢nh Nguy?n, when they were 13 years old, with their tongues showing.


    "Her birthday was a few days ago, wasn''t it?" He asks.


    Abigail just nods.


    "I always think of her whenever I pass through her memoir. Can''t believe that it has already been three years," he forces himself to look directly into Abigail''s eyes.


    "Do you think it''ll ever stop hurting?" Her blue eyes fill with tears and her voice breaks.


    He asks Abigail for her phone. Types Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and hands it back.


    "Love this author, o. Hope her words can soothe some of the pain," he smiles while looking at her.


    "Thank you, my friend..." she wipes her tears and forces a smile, "how''s your life on Saturday? There''s a new temporary exhibition in the museum!"


    His eyes immediately glow, and he searches the paintings that are part of that exhibition and begins to explain to Abigail in great detail the difference between the styles and techniques.


    No one else listens to him, they hear him, sure, but don''t listen. They just want it to be over, and don''t even acknowledge his soul. Waiting for an opportunity to change the subject and speak just as long, and not as passionately, about something else.


    He was undoubtedly too much. Too much life. A cold, insensitive heart could neither appreciate nor understand. Only envy.

 Misery and subjugation

    February 2017


    Alex''s screams wake Matthew Moore up.


    It''s four in the morning, Matthew runs downstairs to meet him. Amanda jumps out of bed and meets them there. Seconds after, Rachel gets out of her room, but stays hidden on the top of the stairs instead.


    "Alex, what''s going on?!" Amanda looks around. "Where''s Amy?"


    He looks around in confusion, everything surrounding him is strange. The table by the door is exceptionally small. He has been there before, knows it isn''t its size. Matthew and Amanda''s faces are blurred and their voices too low for him to understand. She shakes him, shouts, and he can''t hear her.


    Matthew makes him go numb.


    "Where is Amy, Alex?!" Amanda grabs his shoulders.


    "Deviants came to our house. Amy amplified my teleport so I could get away. She stayed."


    Matthew logs in on his phone to the forums and shows her the video that circulates. Someone films Amy''s house, demanding Matthew to show up or they would kill her. The person says in great detail exactly how and how much she would suffer. A few moments later, the house explodes. No one makes it out alive and the video stops.


    "Why didn''t you bring her?!" She easily breaks his arm.


    "I couldn''t bring her," he says with no demonstration of pain.


    She grabs him easily, despite him being heavier than her, sweat fills her entire body, her veins show in her forehead and neck, her face completely red, she throws him against a wall near the stairs.


    Rachel covers her mouth to stop her from screaming. She wants to help him, stop all the pain that he''s going through. But her parents are too powerful.


    "Why did she stay behind?!" Amanda goes near him and punches through the wall next to his face.


    She notices his necklace hanging beneath the plain shirt. A silver A. She takes it out of his chest carefully. It isn''t his to have.


    "I couldn''t bring her too. I tried. It just didn''t work."


    "As useless as his parents," Matthew rolls his eyes and releases Alex from his control.


    The boy starts screaming again, holding his neck, searching for the necklace Amanda took from him.


    "Amy died because of you!" Amanda continues to punch through the walls.


    Matthew puts his hand on his forehead and controls her emotions, she falls on the floor with no expression.


    "We can''t have you destroying everything, Amanda. Please calm yourself, dear. Alex," he comes near him, "she''s right. This is your fault. Which means that tomorrow you''ll start training. Or better yet. Today!"


    Matthew grabs a baseball bat nearby, is about to hit him when a fireball breaks it.


    "Come out, Rachel!" Matthew sighs out loud.


    "Leave him alone!" She sends another fireball this time against her father''s back.


    His shirt burns, but his skin doesn''t. Amanda gets up again, screams, and throws part of a door against Alex and a chair against Rachel. She missed both, but if she hadn''t, it would''ve caused great harm.


    "Enough, Amanda." He snaps at her, and she stops even though he isn''t controlling her emotions. "Come here, dear," Matthew tells Rachel calmly.


    Rachel doesn''t move at all.


    "Honey, let''s talk," he sees that she''s in the middle of the stairs.


    She slowly comes down and puts herself between her father and Alex.


    "Amy''s dead, Rachel."


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    No... not Amy... The one who always protected her.


    "All because of Alex. He killed her..." Matthew smacks his tongue.


    "I didn''t-" Alex begins hyperventilating.


    "Oh, but you did, Alex. She could''ve saved herself and instead saved you! You. Killed. Her. It''s on you." Matthew pauses and caresses his silver hair. "And now, my dearest. You must grow stronger."


    He pulls Alex to his chest and grabs with the other hand her shoulder. He isn''t hurting her, but she still freezes.


    "So do you, Rachel. Our kind is against us. Those ungrateful idiots! We need to show them they need us. We''ll kill as many humans as we see fit. And for that, we need strength. We don''t have the numbers, so we need the power. It''s time. You''ll commit the fatal flaw."


    "Dad, I... don''t... want to," she whispers.


    "What was that, sweetheart?" He pulls her closer.


    She looks at Alex and the boy is breathing heavier and faster than before.


    "It''s just..." She looks at Amanda. "Mother, please."


    Amanda is back on the floor, by a corner, completely numb.


    "Rachel, don''t you want to take our kind out of their misery and subjugation? That''s your fate. I''m proud of you."


    "That''s a lie," she whispers.


    "Of course, it is. What reasons would I have to be proud of you? We were so happy when you tested positive, and our lives filled with hope when you showed the power of element control. But now, I wish we''d got ridden of you like we did to your brother and sister."


    Rachel tries to take a step back, but her father holds her tighter. She didn''t know about her older siblings. Newborns killed when they tested negative. Although her father was capable of many monstrous things, she thought he had to draw the line somewhere. Turns out, there''s no line.


    "Have you seen the news? The human side has this girl. The ''most-powerful-in-the-world'' they say. Emily something. And what do we have? Rachel, you''re my daughter. No deviant can be more powerful than you. It''s your birth right, and the fatal flaw will give it to you."


    Matthew releases them both. Telling Alex to go to the basement. That''s his place. Rachel goes back to her room on the first floor. When she looks in the mirror, her aunt Amy is beside her. Nothing more than a side effect of her element control.


    Why did you leave me? She wants to run away wherever she can.


    Her chest aches, and tears pour down her face. She feels a fuzzy sensation on her stomach, but it isn''t hers. Ever since she was seven, she would sometimes feel it. Sometimes laughter, warmth, and others, complete loneliness. She tries to focus on this other sensation to overcome her own misery.


    On her parents'' room, Amanda tries to close the door, but she can''t feel her arms.


    "If she doesn''t want to commit the fatal flaw, we can''t force her."


    "You shouldn''t have used the power on him. He''s not worth the price." Matthew closes the door and grabs her into his arms and takes her to bed. "And we can force her."


    "That''s not how it works." Amanda''s legs twitch.


    "Dear, I''m glad to see you in pain. Next time you''ll think twice before wasting your power like this. About Rachel, we''ll find out soon enough if her reluctancy will prevent her from getting it."


    "How will she do it?"


    "I''ll bring that kid that she keeps playing with and have her kill him."


    "Is that necessary?"


    "We want the strongest fatal flaw that she can achieve. The greater the pain, the stronger the power."


    That''s a myth. Her cramps intensify.


    "The boy is a deviant, Matthew."


    "Don''t you want to avenge Amy? We need to be stronger for that. I promise you we''ll make them all pay. The boy has a useless power. Nature growth or something. Not big of a loss."


    The same person who said countless times before that every deviant life matters, even the ones whose ability doesn''t develop, even those are extraordinary and deserve a place above humans.


    On the next day, Matthew invites Andrew, a small, underdeveloped, 15-year-old boy to their house. Amanda feeds him a cookie, and he collapses unconscious.


    Rachel sees him, her best friend, the one who has been with her the longest, her person. And yet, her heartbeat goes through the roof, she shoves him, screams at him. Deep down she knows that it''s her father''s manipulation.


    You can fight it.


    But she can''t. She has failed time and time again to stick up to him, to stop him from hurting her, and once more she couldn''t.


    Alex wonders if he can save the day. He could control Matthew''s mind. He immediately puts away the courageous thought when Matthew glances at him smiling.


    Finally, she is too tired to fight it any longer. From her hands ice spikes form. Tears roll down her face while she closes her eyes.


    "Let''s hear it, I''m dying of curiosity. Not as much as him, sure," a cackle echoes.


    "Nothing, father," her voice begins to shake, and she forces herself to keep it firmly, "I have no fatal flaw."


    "So anticlimactic. Get rid of it." He leaves.


    "Rachel, I''m so sorry," Alex rushes to meet her, puts his hand on her shoulder and she immediately pushes it away.


    "Why didn''t you save him?!" Her eyes fill with tears.


    "Your father would''ve killed me if I tried!"


    "At least you would''ve tried."


    I couldn''t have tried. Alex leaves her in peace.


    Rachel shakingly burns the boy''s body and uses the wind to keep it under control. A few minutes later, it''s reduced to ashes, and in his memory, she makes the ashes dance like he used to. With no coordination, but beautifully. Her entire body burns as well and next to the tree where the ashes fell, Amy looks at her, with a disappointing expression.


    She knows the consequences of lying to her father, and that he wouldn''t leave her be. There isn''t that much time until turning 16 and he''ll keep training her and Alex. Her birthday is less than four months away. That''s her timetable to force him to back off.


    There are three options. One, Alex''s mental control. Two, her father''s emotional manipulation. Three, her mother''s super strength.


    Rachel has no plan, and time isn''t on her side. The odds of succeeding are far from ideal. But she has to do it. She can''t envision a fate worse than her reality.

 Impossible

    May 2017


    Three months had gone by since Amy died.


    Ever since the fatal flaw that Rachel would sometimes not feel like herself. Her skin isn''t hers. Everything around her seems foreign and weird. Nothing feels real anymore.


    Matthew keeps trying to convince Rachel to just kill someone, anyone, or not even kill, just torture a bit, whatever she feels like. Every day she and Alex are properly trained, as Matthew calls it. He believes that if they can endure everything that he puts them through, then they''ll be unstoppable. Amanda promises her daughter that if she commits the fatal flaw, they wouldn''t be anymore.


    Day after day, Amanda, and Matthew keep blaming Alex for Amy''s death.


    "It wasn''t his fault!" Rachel stands in front of him.


    "It was, Alex. It was your fault and no one else''s," Matthew says.


    "They killed Amy because of the massacre. Because they think we did it, that I am the Angel of Death! Because you told them so!"


    "The government blamed us, Rachel. Do you honestly believe that denying it would''ve done anything? What? You think the people would''ve believed us instead? I did what I had to. Admit it to show other deviants that they shouldn''t cross us like the Ariston community did. Everyone believes that you are the Angel of Death. So you are, my dear. In a war, the illusion of power is power."


    "We''re not at war anymore!"


    "We''ll always be at war!" Matthew closes his fists. "We are evolution''s next step and even animals have more rights than we do. We are the ones who should be ruling!"


    Matthew takes a few steps forward and looks directly in her eyes.


    "This is why, Rachel, you will never be a leader. You wouldn''t be strong enough to make the necessary decisions. If you were, you would''ve committed the fatal flaw already. You would''ve done that for your people."


    Rachel starts to form a fireball in her hand, but immediately puts it out.


    "Thanks, dear, for proving my point."


    Matthew and Amanda decide to punish her for her insolence. They put her in a locked box for two days. In there, it''s the first time she truly feels lonely. Not because of the box itself, a place she''d grown up in, but because for three months, she hasn''t felt the sensations that she used to anymore. The other person''s feelings. Was it just a dream?


    After locking her up, Matthew enters his bedroom, Amanda is already lying wide awake in tears.


    "Rachel''s old enough. Alex is talented... ish. Why are you against it, darling?"


    "When we regain the confidence of our people. There will be plenty of other suitable partners."


    "True, but she could always have another then."


    "They''d be a third generation on my side and a fourth on yours. That''s rare. If we''re lucky, one baby would be a deviant. But two?"


    "You''re right, perhaps it''s better to wait a little longer and find a more talented match for her. I''m lucky to have you by my side, Amanda. I''m sorry that I don''t say it enough." He kisses her.


    ***


    Amanda releases her daughter from the box. She runs to the garden where Alex is being trained. One thing pops out immediately, his clothes. Alex is wearing Matthew''s suits. Which made no sense, they were too big for him, and they had other clothes for him to wear. For Alex to be wearing this, it was given by her father, he would be upset to say the least if the boy used those.


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    "Why are you doing this to him?!"


    "Not this again... one second, Alex." Matthew turns around and walks toward her.


    "Leave him alone!"


    "Rachel, darling. My dearest. Look at our situation, will you? We''ve lost Amy, you don''t have a second power and being quite honest now, honey, your first is a disappointment. I mean, you are our daughter. We expected a level close to Ariston, not this..." He takes a deep breath. "The humans have a powerful daughter. Why don''t we?"


    Matthew tries to shed a tear and Rachel''s blood boils.


    "I must train Alex like you were, and hopefully he''ll turn out better." He smiles and approaches her. "Of course, that, and I told you this countless times already, if you just killed or hurt someone, we wouldn''t have to continue his training. You see, your weakness is why he keeps suffering."


    "I''m strong enough to kill you," Rachel mumbles under her breath.


    "Rachel!" he laughs hysterically, "these are the moments that I recognize you as my daughter. That confidence. Definitely didn''t come from her." He points to Amanda. "But you know that it''s a delusion. I know your power makes you feel things that aren''t real. But this level of disconnection seriously concerns me."


    "I''m the most powerful deviant in the world," her voice gets louder, but still shakes.


    "Yes, keep practicing that line. When you get interviewed is important that you say it like you mean it. But you aren''t. You aren''t the most powerful in the world, not even in here. I mean, you are the fourth more powerful here. Get it?" His laugh echoes. "And your place is in the bottom. You could never kill me, daughter. And I''m starting to believe that your second power will be just as useless as your first."


    He turns around and begins walking toward Alex.


    "Leave him alone!" She sends a fireball against his back.


    As expected, she only burned his shirt.


    "Rachel, Rachel." A smile shows, petrifying Alex. "Did you really think that I''d turn my back without it?"


    You can do it.


    "So, Alex, in Amy''s memory, let''s do this. God, I wish you had died instead of her. Did I say this out loud? I''m sorry. I do appreciate you, son."


    He puts his hands on Alex''s shoulder and the boy smiles.


    You can do it.


    Rachel forms a blade made of ice. Absorbing Alex''s teleport, she jumps right behind her father''s back. Accesses his mind with Alex''s ability, and disconnects him from his invincibility. And there it is, her opening, she slices his knees. Matthew screams in pain.


    "What was that?!" Amanda runs to Matthew''s body. "Take a step back, Rachel!" She closes her fist, using her other hand to hold one of his wounds.


    Nothing is real anymore. Her mother shouting, Alex crying, her body is there, but she isn''t. She''s seeing it all play out without her.


    "Why?" Rachel tries to focus on Amanda.


    "W-h-y?" she bites her lips.


    "Yes, why didn''t you protect us? How are you the weakest person I''ve ever met?"


    "You look at us and see us as villains, because of how we trained you. We did it to make you stronger. Rachel, the world will be more cruel to you than we''ve ever been. You wouldn''t have handled everything me and your father went through! You are too weak... the only strong thing you''ve ever done is our ruin. You killed our last hope... they won."


    Tears pour out of Rachel''s eyes, her hands form ice spikes, and she shoots them at her mother. Ten against her heart. If she had one. Rachel takes the silver A necklace from her mother''s neck and gives it back to Alex.


    "How could you do it?"


    "I had to."


    "They loved me..."


    "They controlled you. That''s not love."


    "It''s what I had. That was enough for me, and you took it."


    Later that day, they carry the bodies through the night, and put them on full display, next to the remains of the Ariston community. Hoping it brings peace to everyone who lost someone on that day.


    On the evening news, the president of the United States of America exalts the work of the intelligence agency. They were forced to kill them after Matthew and Amanda refused to surrender. Fireworks ruptured through the sky.


    Days went by and Alex and Rachel rarely spoke with one another. They would eat each on their own, and leave the table whenever the other showed up. Alex spent most of his time reading, and Rachel out on the streets.


    She developed the habit of people watching, seeing who''s deviant and who isn''t. Focusing on their abilities and absorbing them. She takes notes: how many mind controllers; how many element controllers. Those were the more frequent. Whenever she feels an ability that she hasn''t before, her face lights up.


    It''s late in the evening, she''s walking back home, and a young adult woman walks ahead of her. A black hoodie hides her face.


    Rachel can tell right away that she''s a deviant and is going to pick up her notebook when she finishes her analysis.


    It''s impossible.


    Her hands shake while she absorbs it. Her right hand turns blue. She has no idea how those abilities manifest. It''s the first time that she found anyone else with it. Perhaps it''s the common manifestation of it. Or maybe, just maybe, the woman walking in front of her is the Angel of Death.


    The woman takes a right turn. With no thinking, Rachel does the same, and Megan Grant grabs her.

 An urban myth

    June 2028


    ¨¢nh Nguy?n spends most of her time in the room that she made her own. The basement was a mess when she first arrived. She saw the potential to turn it into what it is today: an operations office. In there, she installed several computers and a squared table for them to meet. Considering it too dark, she asked Megan to paint something to put there and installed brighter lights. For ¨¢nh, it was her whole world there.


    She spends her days modifying her computer and searching through the endless databases. No matter how many times she improves the machine, it can never run anything faster than her. And she keeps racing against it. On her desks, everything is in its place, not even a single mug that needs cleaning, no papers on top of it. Diego gave her action figures from her favorite superheroes saga to keep her company whenever he wasn''t around.


    The entire group is there today. Megan and Rachel work on the next speech. Diego and Alex take turns posting and commenting on the deviants'' forum.


    "Weird." ¨¢nh types faster.


    On one sweep, she gets up and walks back and forth, while alternating between Vietnamese and English.


    "Diego, please, fetch me the conspiracy theories from last year?" She stops and at once returns to pacing around the room.


    "Can you be a bit more specific? It would be too many."


    With her eyes closed, she goes through in her head all the theories that she read until then. She filters it to the ones from the earlier year.


    "January."


    Diego checks on one of the computers.


    "What are we looking for?" Alex reads it through as fast as he can.


    "On the next school year, the Institute will start a new level of education. 105 children from abroad will join. Some as young as five. 105." ¨¢nh''s breath grows shorter and faster.


    Megan gets up, sits ¨¢nh, and tries to guide her through a breathing technique.


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    "During June... June... now... On the first, 20 would arrive. But they only registered 10."


    "Perhaps they will register it later," Rachel says.


    "The Institute receives more international children than that every year. They could register 20!" Diego looks at Rachel, asking her to stop. "¨¢nh, are you okay?"


    "The flight logs are clear..." ¨¢nh coughs and tries to breath deeper like Megan is instructing, "the registries from the international institutes..." ¨¢nh is too tired to continue.


    "They arrived here, but never made it to the Institute," Diego looks at the screen.


    "Look..." she points to the screen, "look where they are from... look to the others."


    The correlation that ¨¢nh meant was crystal clear. The registered children were from wealthy countries, unlike the others.


    "¨¢nh, I''m going to shut your brain a bit, ok?" Rachel puts her in a sleep-like state. She holds her and settles her comfortably in her chair.


    "Guys, come here. I think this is the one that she wants," Diego says, "last year, a user said that when the Great War ended, the government department changed."


    "Yeah, everyone knows that it''s the Institute now," Alex says.


    "A part yes. But another turned into something nebuloso. Uh, disturbing. An organization that hides in the shadows. The user explained that deviants who''re outcasts are taken and used as cobayas... tested. I think that what ¨¢nh is trying to say is..." Diego doesn''t have the stomach to finish the sentence.


    "The children that were supposed to go to the Institute are going there." Rachel holds ¨¢nh''s wrist, counting her heart beats.


    "Ok, so we trust unverified opinions online now? Come on, this is an urban myth!"


    Alex is too afraid of it being true, wondering if after Matthew and Amanda''s death, he could''ve been taken and tested. The idea sends shivers down his spine, imagining how many times he walked the street by himself, without any care. Could he have been snatched in the middle of the day? Could someone have entered their house and taken him? Made him disappear like these children.


    "Users shared that family members and friends disappear." Diego shows him the posts about it.


    "They never acknowledged the testing they did during the war. Is it such a leap to believe that fifteen years later, nothing changed?" Rachel looks up to meet Megan''s eyes.


    "If it''s real, how do we find it? There''s no mention anywhere of a location," Diego says.


    "It will be wherever she is," Megan says in a thick Scottish accent.


    "Who?" Alex looks around, unsure if he''s the only one kept in the dark.


    "My mum."


    You never told me anything about your mother, Megan. You never told me she is connected to what was done to you. Rachel sees everyone''s reactions and hopes this won''t be an issue of mistrust on the group. Megan will say what she wants when the times comes. They can''t pressure her.


    Megan''s childhood is a complete blank. She can try to remember it, but she knows deep down that her deluded heart will gloss it over and show her a different story than the one that her mind is protecting her from.


    There is no point to remember the past, better to leave it buried. As she''s done, ever since that day.

 Lab rats

    "Aminu! What do you think?" a colleague asks while setting a welcome sign for the new children.


    "It looks beautiful, o!"


    The girl smiles back. Usually, the dormitory of the Institute doesn''t have so much excitement. But with the arrival of the new students, the ones from abroad during this month and the others in August, there are many last-minute details to take care of.


    He wishes them to have a better experience than he did. It wasn''t like anyone gave him a hard time. Simply, people weren''t as comprehensive and available as he thought they would.


    Ahktar handed me my schedule for the next months... no summer! Padma texts him and he can''t help it but smile.


    The thought of seeing her more often always made him happy. If something unpleasant happened before, it would be easily forgotten. If something after tries to unsettle him, it doesn''t. Everyone around him keeps shouting, some asking for help, others fooling around. It becomes too much for him. He has trouble focusing on only one thing and becomes overwhelmed. As always, he carries his expensive headphones and plays one of his favorite songs, Eyo by A?a.


    ***


    Padma reads Aminu''s reply while walking. Her phone is in one hand, a coffee in the other, and several papers under her arm.


    Joshua Roberts, a man, and a woman face her. When they pass her by, one of them elbows her, making her drop everything and spill the coffee all over the floor.


    "Freak," Joshua says between laughs.


    I don''t understand you, Joshua Roberts. How can you hate deviants when your own sister is the world''s most powerful one. Is that why? Are you jealous that your parents see her as their greatest source of pride instead of you? You act like you are better than us, but that superiority is a lie. You''re hiding your inadequacy, your pain, and I pity you. Padma grabs some tissues and cleans the floor.


    They keep walking unbothered and stop by the children''s playground. A glass window separates them from the room.


    Seven children play in there, and three others sit next to an older woman, who finishes reading them a book. The children beg her for another story, but she breaks their heart by saying goodbye. She kisses one by one and promises to return in the next day. They know she''ll come; she always does. Her blue eyes are the kindest they''ve ever seen.


    "More are coming tomorrow," the man comments.


    "Why are they so well treated?" Joshua shakes his head.


    "It''s the Council''s decision."


    "I''ve never seen lab rats having a playground," the woman laughs.


    "They probably think of themselves as actual children." Joshua makes a weapon out of his fingers, points at the children.


    "A moment, please," Saif Ahktar enters the room they are in. He straightens his lab coat.


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    They all correct their position, pretending to be admiring the children instead. They follow him into an empty room. As soon as they enter, the door opens again. The woman from before and a younger one enter the room.


    "Why are we here?" Joshua''s arrogance masks his elevated heartbeat.


    Saif shows them a video of them mistreating the children. Insulting and even beating them. He fast-forwards it, and fifteen minutes turn into one.


    "This seems to be you."


    "Sir, there''s an explanation for this-" the woman says.


    "Have you forgotten the rules?"


    "It won''t happen again, sir." The man puts his hands together, begging for his understanding.


    "Are you on drugs?"


    "No, sir," they reply in unison.


    "Aymee?"


    The younger woman nods and smiles back at them.


    Saif shakes his head. How could you be so reckless? He raises his hands, two tiny spears form in the palms and he shoots against them, leaving only Joshua in one piece.


    "They would''ve stopped hurting the specimens. Why did you kill them?!" Joshua''s lower lip trembles, and his breath turns shallows. He avoids looking at the dead bodies lying next to him.


    "What''s rotten can''t be fixed," the older woman says in a Norwegian accent. The kindness in her eyes is gone.


    "Joshua! Next time you won''t be so lucky. Get your act together!" Saif shouts, being fully aware that Thomas would protect his son and there''s nothing Saif can do about it.


    They leave the room at once and Joshua stays there in tears.


    Dinner at eight in my suite. They read the text message and leave together in a car, making no small talk on the way. The car stops in front of a five-star hotel. They keep a low profile and head directly to the elevator. They stand in front of the master suite, without knocking the door opens.


    Thomas Roberts, Padma, Madeleine Clark, and several other people are already there. One hour later, the former vice-president, now president, also shows up.


    "Everyone, take your seats," Edward Hall says.


    He looks at his watch again. Realizing how late it is already. Most people couldn''t afford that watch even if they saved an entire year of salary.


    Other than the older woman from before and Padma, everyone in that room share the same lifestyle. They never experienced poverty. At least first-hand. If you ask them, they know the struggles of the poor, because they volunteer now and then and donate a fair share of their profits. The suits of the men are tailored. Some bought abroad. Even the now president of the United States of America was born into wealth. Heavily criticized for that during the campaign.


    On a big round table, Edward takes the middle seat, and the older people form an inner circle. A smaller second circle has the younger people, whose purpose there is to advise.


    "We welcome the new president of the United States of America here today! A longtime friend of our work, finally she''s in the position to take us to the next step. Mrs. President, here on my right, we have Saif Ahktar. He runs the department of development and is the head of the lab at the Institute."


    Padma sits behind him.


    "Next... we have Thomas Roberts! Emily Robert''s father. He''s our head of the weaponry department."


    Thomas smiles right away.


    "Next, Laurence Pierce, head of the department of strategy and damage control. Madeleine you know already from the Institute, next to her is Jessica Miller, head of the marketing department here and at the Institute. And last, but not least..." Edward turns to the older woman from before.


    She gently looks up, removing the part of her bangs that covered her eye. Unlike everyone else in the room, she doesn''t hide her age. Everyone can see the gray mixed with her natural blonde.


    "Dr. Marianne Olsen, head of the testing department."


    Behind her sits the younger woman, Aymee Ortiz.


    ***


    "Have you found her?" Rachel hovers over ¨¢nh.


    She searches on the computer as fast as she can. Diego and Alex keep a certain distance despite their curiosity. Megan, on the other hand, seems to have no interest whatsoever. Instead, draws a landscape on her tablet across the room.


    "Here! Marianne Olsen, retired Professor. Is this her, Megan?"


    Megan approaches the screen. She stares briefly at her mother''s photo and focuses instead on the information. Her eyes wide when she notices that Marianne still lives in the house where they were once a family. Out of necessity, she''s sure.


    You''re not one to hold on to things for their sentimental value. Nothing sentimental matters to you. Not even people.

 True happiness

    Call me! Abigail texts her brother while sitting by herself in one of their living rooms. The school year at the Institute is almost over. On the day before, she received a new contract.


    She can see her mother outside by the pool with a book and making a phone call. Her father goes in and out of the room. He always paces around while making phone calls.


    From what Abigail gathers, the Parkers have an international charity event coming up. Not sure where this time, but she figures that, since her parents haven''t said anything, she could skip it. Thankfully.


    Abigail steps outside and sits on a chaise longue, asks Kateryna to prepare her a drink.


    "Yes, Mary, but irregardless of that... right, regardless, you are right, thank you..." she shuts down the call and keeps reading Finnegans Wake by James Joyce.


    Abigail''s drink comes, and she walks around with it, trying to catch her mother''s attention.


    "What is it?" Rebecca puts the marker in and closes the book.


    "Nothing." She looks away and taps on the cup.


    "Abigail, in life we either say what we will or make peace with being unable to. This meekness will get you nowhere other than frustrated."


    "Fine! The Institute has handed me a new contract. 30 hours, history classes of several years."


    "What about it?"


    "I think there''s a better use of my time... like, the exchange program in Eurasia. I was thinking... Vietnam."


    "To teach history there instead." Rebecca reopens her book.


    "Forget I said anything."


    "No, seriously, Abigail." She closes the book harshly this time. "Let''s hear it. What''s the argument here? I''d say mine''s unbeatable, but I''m willing to change my mind."


    "It''d be good for me. The chance to do some self-discovery. One year to be myself... to be happy."


    "It''s intoxicating to believe that we can chase happiness, and to think of it being everywhere but here. When, in fact, you can be happy wherever you are. True happiness, and not a mere illusion of it, is created rather than found."


    Abigail looks away, trying to keep the tears at bay.


    "Now, the argument for you to stay here is very simple: we are the main sponsors. How are we supposed to promote the Institute when even our deviant daughter won''t work there? The press would have a field day!"


    "It''s not a degree. It''d be only for six months, a year tops," Abigail says, still refusing to face her mother.


    "At first, sure. My answer is no." Rebecca reopens her book.


    Abigail''s phone vibrates; Zach texts he''ll call later. She excuses herself, and lies down on her bed, finishing two more drinks, crying. She puts her ear plugs on and listens to her go-to playlist. Phoebe Bridgers, girl in red, and Clairo always keep her company whenever she needs to feel some sort of comfort.


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    The image of a tightrope walker, trying their best to stay balanced on such a thin line, keeps popping up in Abigail''s head. She knows in her heart that she''s always one misstep away from free falling into her darkness. In the past, whenever she felt this, then the misstep would come, that moment which she dreaded dearly, and she would remain centered. But the anticipation, the idea that it would be that one unfortunate event to down spiral her entire life, would be much more painful than the thing itself.


    Just a bit won''t hurt. She tells herself whenever things get scarier, harder, heavier. But the relief that she would feel momentarily wouldn''t be worth the amount of despair that would come after. She reminds herself that repeatedly. Sometimes once a week or month, sometimes every two minutes, one minute of self-doubt and one minute of reassurance.


    She hadn''t used her ability for over eight years now. Still, she fears it every day. How would she remain centered if things got truly hard when she was doubtful of herself even in meaningless adversities?


    The music stops playing, and the self-doubt stops too, both interrupted by Zach''s video call.


    "Hey, ugly," Zach says, smiling. He immediately changes his tone when he properly notices her. "Abs, what''s going on?"


    "Same old. I tried explaining to mom about the exchange program. She didn''t even listen and began talking about true happiness and illusions."


    "I''m sorry to hear."


    "Where are you now?" She wipes her tears and smiles.


    "Today I''m technically off work, but I preferred to stay around. To keep my head occupied." He looks away momentarily and some tears slowly drop from his green eyes. "Damien broke up with me yesterday. I felt understood this time, you know? We''re both adults. One thing was dating as a teenager. But now, I figured that any relationship that I''d be in, we''d both know what we want."


    "What happened?"


    "He says he can''t be with someone who won''t love him."


    "I don''t understand."


    "Because I''m asexual, Abs. I told him right away; I was honest from the start. But now he says that he thought that it would be different with him if he waited a while. That I can''t love anyone because of it. I''m tired of being a working project for people."


    "You are capable of so much love. Don''t let anyone tell you otherwise. I''m sorry about Damien. He seemed nice, but you deserve so much more."


    "Thanks, I miss you so much. You should come visit me. Or Veronica, and I''d meet you there. And about your exchange program, I''ll see if I can persuade general Lewis."


    ***


    "The mountain''s out!" Mark comes by the poolside; there isn''t a cloud in the sky. "Everything''s set for Friday."


    "Good. Abigail was here. Again with the idea of going abroad."


    "France still? It''s a good university. Maybe we should let her. We can''t hold her here forever."


    "No, an exchange program with the institutes. Not forever, but while we can. Oh, she''s going with us on Friday. Kateryna has a family emergency."


    "One day we won''t be here to hold her back, Rebecca."


    Her phone rings. She shows Mark that it''s Zach video calling and closes her book.


    "My beautiful son, I wish you were calling because you missed us. But I''m sure there''s another reason."


    "I do miss you, mother, and say hi to dad for me, please."


    Rebecca flips her phone and Mark smiles and waves.


    "I want to call you all the time. Things have just been crazy here. But as always, you are right. I spoke with Abigail. Come on, mom. Just let her go!"


    "You know I can''t, Zach. I''m too afraid of what she''ll do to herself on her own."


    "I understand and I feel the same, trust me. But you can''t keep her from living, mom. And at least, be honest with her. What did you say this time?"


    "That the press would drag us for not having her working at the Institute. It''s not a lie, Zach. They would."


    "But that''s not why. Be honest with her. And honest with yourselves, too, you can''t protect her forever. She has her mistakes and life to live."


    ***


    On the group''s house, they are all on the basement. Megan sits on a chair apart from the rest of the group. Alex is on the floor, Diego, ¨¢nh, and Rachel on the couch.


    "We have Marianne Olsen''s address, so let''s set a plan to see if she''s anywhere to be found. I''ll take the night shift. Alex, can you take early mornings? Diego, late in the afternoon?" Rachel hands them the details.


    ¨¢nh''s job is to check any information on cards or phones associated with her, and Megan will be on social media duty. Everyone agrees that she isn''t to go anywhere near Marianne. Even Alex is comprehensive for once. They aren''t sure how she''ll react when she sees her mother after all those years.

 Their love is nothing but a mask

    Alex drove for over one hour to get to Marianne''s house. It was in the suburbs of the Capital. A small two floors house, with a garden on the back and a lake just five minutes away walking. The neighborhood seems rather calm in the early mornings. There''s enough space between the houses for everyone to have their privacy.


    He drove an electric service van, so it wouldn''t be suspicious to be parked for many hours on the street. For that reason, he had to dress the part, instead of his normal oversized look. He feels it itching everywhere.


    The only good thing about it was the silence. In the house there were too many people, even before An or Diego moved in. There was never any silence there, which is why he didn''t even blink when Rachel suggested the early shift. He would be there in the early hours, wait it out until after lunch, and leave.


    Across town, Megan''s day began uncharacteristically early. She usually wakes up around ten to meditate and prefers to work out late in the evening. Today she woke up before sunrise, hurried up and now waits on a busy street downtown. The sun light begins to show, and she watches as the people move along. Some starting their day and others ending it.


    The young woman with the red shoes leaves an apartment building. Her shoes are the only standout feature from her usual all black attire, black hair, and dark brown eyes. She''s about to begin her morning jog, one that she did every day.


    Megan knows her schedule by heart and starts following her on a bicycle, creating a safe distance between the two. Wherever she passes by, people often give her a second glance. An objectification that Megan frowns upon.


    Back in Marianne''s neighborhood, Alex watches as kids are kissed by their parents before leaving for school. How partners wish each other a wonderful day at work. It all seems rather distant to him, like a movie that you must suspend your disbelief to fully enjoy. Dragons and happy families are the same to him, and watching these people go about their day, he knows in his heart that it''s all for show. That those partners don''t care for each other and that their children will grow to resent them, since their love is nothing but a mask.


    When the woman with the red shoes and Megan arrive by the river, she stops to rest a bit, drink some water, check her heartbeat. An older woman passes by and accidentally drops her purse. She races to pick it up and give it back. The elder smiles and so does Megan.


    No matter what the woman does, the simplest of actions would warrant a smile. She sits by the river appreciating the moment. Megan reaches for her tablet and draws, trying to capture this moment.


    The next stop is the cemetery. She enters and Megan keeps her distance when she sees her crying next to an urn.


    Should I go there? Hold you? Would that make it all better? Would you want me to?


    Megan isn''t close enough to hear what is said. If it''s a prayer, sharing her week, the newest developments in her life, or just saying she misses the person.


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    The woman gets up and looks in Megan''s direction. Megan hides right away, not in a swift movement, one that would award some attention, but smoothly.


    She knows she wasn''t spotted because the woman right away looked back to the urn instead of heading in her direction.


    Need to be more careful, though.


    Megan looks again, notices that the woman is distracted and leaves.


    ***


    It''s almost three in the afternoon and nothing. No sign of Marianne Olsen.


    Alex is certain that if she really exists, at least she isn''t around there. He told Rachel he''d stay today until six, but she wouldn''t know that he left earlier, and he could use the time to be by himself peacefully.


    How should he enjoy the solitude? What would make him happy now?


    He decides to take a lounger route back to the house, driving calmy, taking side roads instead of the main ones. All to lead him to his older house. The one he lived briefly.


    The only place he ever felt safe enough to be happy.


    He parks across the street from what''s left of it, ashes only. Ten years later and nothing flourishes out of it.


    This will always be our place, Amy. He holds his necklace, a silver A tight.


    ***


    Back in the house of the movement, ¨¢nh is in the operations room modifying her computer when Diego arrives.


    "Want to go to the park? Have a water ice?"


    She nods, and he changes their appearance. She laughs at his choice of disguise. He would often reverse their gender, make them younger or older, change up their ethnicity, anything that he could imagine, and always to surprise her. With the others, he never tried so hard. Rachel wouldn''t appreciate it, Alex would rarely need it, and Megan he was sure she wouldn''t find it amusing.


    He grabs ¨¢nh''s hand and kisses her forehead. They get into the car and he puts a pen drive with her favorite songs. Diego can''t understand a single word, or even pronounce the names of the artists and songs. She sings it with her whole heart and switches to some artists from Puerto Rico. He sings and she hums the melodies.


    When they get to the park, the parlor is gone. It was a while since they last went there, so it wasn''t easy to pinpoint exactly when it closed. Diego smiles, but inside his mind, millions of negative thoughts enrage him. ¨¢nh tells him that they''ll get it someplace else.


    They keep strolling around, ¨¢nh tries to make jokes, and Diego only fakes a smile. She makes small talk, commenting on the glorious weather and how the forecast showed that it would stay that way for the next few days. He keeps smiling, but when she tries to grab his hand, he flinches and takes a step further from her.


    ¨¢nh looks up and sees the Institute. Some days, she misses part of it, but never regrets leaving. This is the only thing in her life that she''s sure to have done right.


    She jokingly pushes him when she spots another water ice parlor and runs there. Diego makes the effort but doesn''t order anything.


    They drive back in silence.


    ***


    Later that day, Rachel comes by the gym while Megan is working out.


    "¨¢nh showed me Marianne''s daughter."


    "Sofie," Megan punches the fighting robot harder this time, "what about her?"


    "There isn''t anything up there other than a birth certificate. Do you know something that can be useful to us?"


    Megan shuts down the robot, removes her gloves and sits on the floor.


    "She was always sick growing up. I wished many times I had the power of life instead of death to save her. One day she just got better. It made me believe in miracles." Megan almost shows a smile.


    Rachel looks at her and decides to keep her distance.


    "For a while, our lives were perfect. Then, our father died. Then, I died... I mean, to the world... to her. Everything that happened was too much for her to handle. Not right away, but I guess one day it became unbearable. She killed herself a few years after the massacre," Megan concludes in the same neutral tone.


    She puts her gloves back on, gets up, and turns on the robot again.


    "It haunts me that I had then the power of life and still couldn''t save her."

 Welcome

    August 2016


    13-year-old ¨¢nh finally arrives in her new home after a long flight. All the excitement kept her from sleeping on the way there. She''s the only child from Vietnam, and one of eight from Eurasia, to be part of the first group of international students. The photos of the Institute that she saw made her fall in love with it. Everything is modern and beautiful. Unlike the institute in her home country in which she had been studying since she was seven.


    This is her opportunity to be happy. Ever since she was a child that ¨¢nh wondered if having the gene truly made her special. Her parents are both deviants and struggle to make ends meet with precarious jobs. They rarely even use their abilities. The cartoons that she watches never portray a deviant superhero. They are always the villains, and everything ends well when they are either dead or arrested.


    She has her own room, which is far from ideal, because she wanted a roommate. Nothing to be concerned about, she''ll have plenty opportunities to make friends. It''s a setback, but everything will be fixed in due time, and then she''ll be happy. For the time being, she occupies her time with modifying her computer.


    On the news from Vietnam, she sees that the organization of Eurasia has determined that all members are to implement the possibility of deviants to go to university until 2025. ¨¢nh doesn''t understand the 9-year deadline. Surely the countries could make it happen faster than that if they wanted to.


    She arrived right on time on the Institute, she enters it and gasps at how grand it all is.


    "Morning. What''s your transference number?" The employee in the reception asks. "Ok, you are associated with Miss Abigail Parker. She isn''t around yet. Here''s your schedule, the map of the Institute is on this tablet, and your card to enter and leave. Miss Parker will come to find you when she gets here. Please be around this lobby. Next."


    ¨¢nh enters the bathroom and records an audio to send to her parents.


    "What''s that language?" an older girl asks.


    "I''m ¨¢nh Nguy?n! I come from Vietnam, Eurasia."


    "Can''t understand a word. Speak English?" another girl asks slowly and loudly.


    They all look the same. One couldn''t tell them apart. They go near ¨¢nh and spray paint her shoes. The paint they used to write welcome, friends! Other girls enter the bathroom and leave immediately.


    "Sorry!" one screams in ¨¢nh ''s ears.


    ¨¢nh starts to weep, which makes the girls make even more fun of her. They pick on everything they can: her clothes because they are too symmetrical; her accent because it sounds fake; her ability, even if they don''t know it.


    They are too busy to realize that, behind them, a girl, younger than them, blonde with blue eyes, with a long, tent dress, has a broom and hits one of them on the head.


    ¨¢nh takes several steps back. Who are you? She wonders in Vietnamese.


    "What the-?!" The girl grabs her head.


    She hits another, this time on a leg.


    "I''ll kill you-" the girl doesn''t end her thought when she sees who it is. How one phone call could make her lose her spot on the Institute.


    "Go to hell, Abigail!"


    The girls leave and ¨¢nh takes a deep breath finally.


    "Are you okay?" Abigail tries to go near her and ¨¢nh flinches. Abigail drops the broom and takes a few steps back. "You are not ¨¢nh Thi Nguy?n, are you?"


    How... how... did you pronounce it correctly?


    "Are you?" Abigail asks again.


    ¨¢nh nods while looking away, still in tears.


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    "Did I mispronounce your name?" Abigail blushes. Stupid. I practiced it so hard, how did I mess it up?


    "No..." she whispers.


    "Sorry, I can''t hear you," Abigail comes closer.


    "I don''t want to," she says a little louder, "speak English badly."


    "I''m sure that I''ll have to cheat off you in English!" Abigail smiles and takes a few short breaths. "Ch¨¤o m?ng!" Vietnamese for welcome.


    ¨¢nh lost all words right there, silence feels the room once again.


    Idiot. I mispronounced it again probably. She must think I''m making fun of her. "I''m Abigail Parker! Sorry that I couldn''t make it on time... I''ll do better next time."


    ¨¢nh wipes her tears and tries to smile and look at the girl.


    "Can you show me where the classes are?" She raises her voice a bit.


    "Nope, that won''t be necessary, we''re on the same grade. We''ll just meet here every day and I''ll take you there. Follow me!" Abigail grabs her hand and ¨¢nh immediately flinches and takes her hand back.


    "Where are we going?" She looks away.


    "You are new here, right? What do you think? I''ll show you the city. You''ll love it!"


    ¨¢nn begins to cry again, she takes a few short breaths, noticing that Abigail is staring at her, frozen. She wipes her tears on her blouse. "Will I be happy here?"


    Abigail nods and asks her to come with her. They run off the Institute. Abigail suggests them to get on a touristic bus that will show all the mandatory stops. Whenever they stop somewhere, she runs to a stand of street food and asks for everything there, more than the girls can eat.


    "Stop asking for things... you are spending so much money..." ¨¢nh uses her ability to realize how much Abigail is actually spending there.


    "¨¢nh, trust me, it''s okay! Let me pay. Let me show you the best this town can offer you."


    It took seeing all the credit cards that Abigail owns, properly noticing the clothes she wears, for ¨¢nh to realize that money isn''t an issue. Something she had never experienced before. In her house, only on special occasions could they spend it on something so futile.


    The final confirmation came when they reached the Parkers'' mansion.


    ¨¢nh''s jaw drops when she passes the gate. They have a swimming pool, a tennis court, shooting range, a room just to watch movies. Their main living room is bigger than her house back home.


    Abigail asks ¨¢nh to show her the best music from Vietnam. She puts her favorite V-Pop artists and their conversation evolves to K-Pop. They realize how much they have in common already.


    "I''m home!" Zachary runs to meet the girls.


    "Zach, meet my new friend, ¨¢nh!"


    She blushes right away when she sees Zach''s dazzling smile and long red hair.


    "Really, Abigail? Why wouldn''t you tell me that you were welcoming someone from Vietnam?" Zach''s eyes glow. "I''m going there next summer with some friends from college. Would love some tips! We are doing a full month, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam."


    "College...?" ¨¢nh asks.


    "No, no, no, Zach. ¨¢nh doesn''t need to hear a five hour lecture on your life... save the slides for someone else! So, please gather for a summary of the interesting life of Zachary Lewis Parker." She makes some noises pretending to be a presenter and they laugh. "Zach here is a genius and graduated high school when he was only 14. Which is why, today, at 17 years of age, this brilliant child is finishing up pre-med. And ¨¢nh, you might say, wow, that''s so impressive!"


    ¨¢nh laughs while nodding her head in agreement.


    "But it doesn''t stop here. Oh no, he has a perfect boyfriend, great friends, and rides magnificently. You might ask folks, is there anything that he can''t do? Well, he has terrible aim." Abigail claps and bows.


    "Never forget that I was the one who taught you how to shoot, Abs. Are you done?" He smiles and she tells him she is, "I''ll see you girls in a bit, need to change clothes, I''m meeting Nathan after dinner." Zach leaves.


    "Is it just you and him?"


    "No, Vero... Veronica''s in the middle. She''s two years older than me."


    "Is she around?"


    "No, she''s on a boarding school. Even on a private school, fitting in wasn''t easy, because she has autism. Vero was very lonely, and my parents decided to put her on a specialized school. She''s doing much better there, whenever we talk, there''s something different in her voice. They sent her to this school three years ago, I wasn''t here. I was living in France."


    "Why were you there?"


    "To study, my parents put me since I was seven in institutes. When the American finally opened, I came back."


    "Do you like it better here?"


    "Some things. Like I have my friends and family he-"


    Rebecca knocks on the door, introduces herself and insists that ¨¢nh stays for dinner. She orders Vietnamese food and makes sure ¨¢nh doesn''t feel overwhelmed with Zach''s questions. After dinner, Mark drives her home and lets her know that anything she needs, they''ll help.


    As agreed, every day the girls would meet in the lobby. ¨¢nh didn''t make any other friend besides Abigail, but that was enough for her. Some days, Abigail wouldn''t show up. Whenever she came back, she always had a spectacular reasoning behind where she had been and took ¨¢nh away for another of their adventures.


    Looking back, those were the only happy moments that they both had at the Institute.


    ¨¢nh had never seen Abigail cry, the girl was always in the happiest of moods, and in that aspect, their friendship was unbalanced. She would cry constantly, because of the bullying she suffered at the hands of the older girls, from being homesick, from feeling like a burden all the time. Abigail would cheer her and take some of the weight from her shoulders, but the opposite never happened, even when ¨¢nh thought that Abigail would have countless reasons to be upset.


    The girl would just be a light on her life and then disappear for a few days. She kept promising ¨¢nh that she''d always come back.


    When the girls were sixteen, Abigail was nowhere to be found for over three months.

 Rivers have meanders

    October 2019


    For two weeks now, ¨¢nh would enter the lobby, look around, wait for ten minutes, and then give up. Today is no different; Abigail is a no show. She doesn''t pick up the phone or answer any texts. More than worried, ¨¢nh feels abandoned and alone for the first time in years.


    S?ng c¨® kh¨²c, ng??i c¨® l¨²c. She keeps repeating the proverb trying to believe it. Rivers have meanders, human life has phases.


    Determined to change her situation, it''s time to make new friends. The dormitory seems like the safest bet. But as she enters the living rooms, and hears people laughing and looking at her, right away she assumes that they are making fun of her.


    In fact, they aren''t even acknowledging the girl, but as she gets more anxious, and draws attention to herself, then people will either get worried or just find her weird. Either way, she always ends up running away and secludes herself as much as she can.


    After several failed tries, she gave up and found herself a new hobby to occupy her day after the classes. When she hid in the bathroom, she heard some older students talking about the deviants'' forum. Accessible only by invite. ¨¢nh is set to find her way in without needing anyone else.


    The older girls'' obsession with her grew. They follow her around most days. All wearing the same outfit. The newest humans'' trend. One makes her drop her things, kick it to another while commenting how dirty everything she owns is.


    Emily Roberts passes by. ¨¢nh hopes that she''ll help her. Even though they aren''t friends, Emily and Abigail are, and that should matter. Emily''s also the most popular girl in the Institute, whatever she says is obeyed, her being the world''s most powerful deviant and all. All she has to do is tell them to back off.


    ¨¢nh looks at her, but Emily ignores her. Instead, she greets her classmates and uses her ability to throw one of ¨¢nh ''s books against the wall.


    Only when ¨¢nh is by herself, in her room, does she let the tears out. Abigail used to be her safe haven, but not anymore. She holds it in throughout most of her day, and even smiles whenever she video calls her parents.


    She keeps focused on entering the deviants'' forum. Even with her enhanced intelligence, she''s still struggling to find her way in. Her side effects are the most severe she has experienced until then, but it doesn''t stop her from continuing to push her ability to the limit.


    I won''t give up.


    Her eyes twitch uncontrollably. It''s already six in the morning, when the impossible happens. She''s in. The first thing she notices are the several posts signed by the movement for the liberation of rights of deviants. The terrorists that she''s seen on the news.


    ***


    One month has gone by, and ¨¢nh decides that, no matter how hard it seems in her head, she has to ask Emily about Abigail.


    Emily leaves the Institute with Aminu. She sees them in a distance and walks faster to catch them.


    "I just don''t understand, you know? You don''t need glasses. Why use it?" Aminu repeats the question thinking that Emily hadn''t heard him the first time.


    "Aminu, for heaven''s sake! You have no sense of fashion with your ridiculous clothes. I mean," she points to his hoodie, "what is this? A stupid dog?"


    "This is art! It''s by an artist named-"


    "Please don''t! Stop boring everyone to death with the rambling. This technique, this artist or whatever else you obsess over. You just don''t get it", Emily stops immediately when ¨¢nh steps in front of her.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Emily..." ¨¢nh looks at the floor instead of meeting her eyes.


    "Why are you talking to me?" Emily rolls her eyes.


    ¨¢nh''s foot taps, her eyes are twitching, Emily notices this and laughs.


    "Have you... spoken... spoken with..." her voice trembles.


    "God, this is ridiculous! En, get out of my way." Emily pushes her aside.


    "It''s ¨¢nh!" Aminu says and begins to snap his fingers. He puts his cheap earphones in his ears.


    For a second, ¨¢nh smiles, she can''t normalize her breathing, but Aminu''s words give her some strength.


    "Abigail! Have you... spoken with her?" she raises her voice a bit.


    "Of course! Every day... Haven''t you?" Emily laughs.


    Every day... She just doesn''t want to talk to you... ¨¢nh''s shoulders give in.


    "Oh, don''t worry, En," Emily looks at Aminu and sees that he''s looking away and snapping his fingers, listening to his music. "She''s alive and well in South America. Lucky her!" she laughs again.


    Emily couldn''t piece together why she lied. Truth to be told, she hadn''t spoken to Abigail for a while now, but her parents said that the Parkers mentioned her being there on some volunteer program.


    ***


    At the Parkers'' mansion, Rebecca opens the door to Abigail''s room without knocking first.


    "Abigail, aren''t you going to the Institute today?"


    Rebecca looks around the room, Abigail lies on her bed with the curtains completely shut, she hasn''t showered in several days, the food that Kateryna brought has been returned the same. According to Zach, she hasn''t left the room for three days now.


    "I''m sick," she says without facing her mother.


    Rebecca gets closer and puts her hand on Abigail''s forehead. She doesn''t have a temperature.


    "I''ll call in a doctor," Rebecca starts to leave, but her daughter slowly moves to look at her and she stays.


    "Mom, can you get me an amplifier? I''m sure that if I just use my ability that I can get better and be out of this bed in no time. Please." She shivers.


    Haven''t you used your ability enough, Abigail? Rebecca fakes a smile.


    Abigail''s first ability, when she turned seven, was the mental loop. She can create on another person''s head a scenario that she desires. The fatal flaw gave her another ability, emotional control. For years now, whenever a "wrong emotion", that''s how Abigail puts it, shows, she uses her ability to replace it with the right one. Anger turns into excitement. Sadness into happiness. She''d do it at first only once in a while. But now it was the norm.


    "An amplifier? That''s something that I can get you. I''ll take care of it."


    As soon as Rebecca leaves the room, she knows what needs to be done. Her and Mark both agree that enough is enough. Abigail has used her ability irresponsibly and isn''t in control of it anymore. They develop a plan and call in several favors.


    ***


    "Mr. and Mrs. Parker, thank you so much for welcoming us to your home. This is the analyst that I told you about, Padma Bhatt." Saif Ahktar and Padma enter the Parkers'' mansion, behind them several people carry boxes.


    The Parkers asked Saif, the head of the lab at the Institute, for a solution. A guarantee that, for as long as necessary, Abigail couldn''t access her ability. He told them there wasn''t anything that he could do, and they reminded him that they are the Institute''s biggest sponsors.


    Saif told them about a developing project, still being tested and that he wasn''t sure of its repercussions. They thought it through and decided to accept it. They couldn''t take Abigail''s self-destruction anymore. Because he had too many things on his plate, Saif assigned Padma to be full time on the control room that they were installing.


    A few days later, Rebecca enters Abigail''s room, she stands there dressed up, searching for her phone to head out.


    "I have the amplifier you asked for. But it doesn''t seem necessary anymore."


    "It is. Right now, I''m okay, but with the amplification I could hang on a littler longer and prevent another slip." Abigail hugs her.


    Rebecca shows her the way to the amplifier. Abigail enters one of their living rooms, Rebecca shuts the door behind her, lights turn on and where once were expensive paintings, a grand piano, and hundreds of books, now there''s only a bed. Even the door to the bathroom is locked.


    "What''s this?" her eyes widen.


    Her parents, brother, Saif, and Padma can see her on the screens. There are several cameras installed on the room. Abigail looks around noticing them.


    "Abigail, we need you to stop using your ability, please." Mark begs through a communicator.


    "Dad, I will, ok, it''s just I wasn''t feeling good. I was very sick."


    "You experienced side effects. If you counter those with more ability use, it will only get worse," Saif explains.


    Abigail keeps looking around the room, this time for an escape, but even the windows are blocked.


    "Just a few more hours. Dad, please. It''s still very painful if I don''t use the ability. I won''t use it after and let the side effects wear off... I... I promise."


    Rebecca and Mark look at each other. Mark shows Zach out, and Rebecca orders Saif to turn on the machine. As soon as he does, a wave of shocks goes through Abigail''s body.

 Heavy price

    November 2019


    "Just stop it, Abigail..." Rebecca''s hands hold her forehead. She hadn''t slept all night.


    Abigail ignores her pleas and only stops when she gets so tired that she can''t fight it anymore and collapses. Rebecca drags her to bed, kisses her forehead and goes back to the control room. When she gets there, she notices that Padma isn''t around and goes to her room to find her.


    "Is the accommodation to your liking?" Rebecca knocks on the door and gets in.


    "Yes, thank you, ma''am."


    "I''m sure that Ahktar has explained that everything that happens here is not to be commented with anyone. Abigail''s only ability is the mental loop, understood? The emotional manipulation doesn''t exist. She has no fatal flaw."


    Padma swallows her saliva. She didn''t know about the fatal flaw. Why would someone so well off, like you Abigail, commit the fatal flaw? Why would you ruin your life like that? How did you do it?


    "Understood, ma''am..."


    Rebecca takes a deep breath.


    "Do you have an ability, Padma?"


    "Yes, I''m self-sustained, ma''am."


    "What does that mean?"


    "That when it''s activated, I don''t need to eat, sleep..."


    "Do you use it often?"


    "I try not to."


    "Why is that?"


    "Ma''am, my side effects... it can get out of hand."


    Rebecca waits and the girl understands that she''s supposed to elaborate on it.


    "Last time that I overused my ability I spent at least three days without being able to sleep. I had too much energy and ended up having a threesome with two colleagues. It''s not something that I usually do." She looks away and her voice breaks. "An older colleague found us... in the middle of it," she whispers, "and took me out of there."


    "It could have gone way worse, thankfully you had someone put the brakes on you. Same that I''m doing here. You aren''t to interact with Abigail in any way. If you have something to say to her, you tell me, and I''ll deliver the message." Rebecca takes a deep breath, deeper than she has all day. "She can be highly manipulative when she''s in this state."


    ***


    One week has gone by and Abigail refuses to stop using her ability. She keeps throwing up and crying, begging her parents to let her out, promising that she isn''t trying to use it and that the shocks hurt. She refuses to eat and threatens to die from hunger if they don''t release her. A doctor comes by and tries to insert a syringe with fluids, but she pushes him.


    Rebecca forces her to drink water, and Abigail shouts how much she hates her. Throwing against one of the cameras a book that her mother left for her to read, There''s a Hole in My Sidewalk by Portia Nelson. Rebecca highlighted Autobiography in Five Short Chapters.


    After two weeks, Rebecca is done, and uses a tranquilizer on her to connect her to fluids.


    It''s late in the evening. Rebecca reads One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garc¨ªa M¨¢rquez and Padma monitors Abigail''s vitals.


    Mark has gone to Eurasia to visit Veronica, their middle child, and there are already rumors circulating that they separated.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "One month and a half and you''re still a complete stranger to me, Padma."


    "Sorry, ma''am."


    "Any siblings?"


    "Yes. All of them younger, two brothers and two sisters." She shows the pictures on her phone. "The oldest is 18 years old, the next one is 16, this one 15 and this one 12."


    "Deviants?"


    "No, they''re humans, same as my parents."


    "Are they around?"


    "No, they moved back to India five years ago. I stayed to work with Mr. Ahktar. I send them some money."


    "Is the analyst salary from the Institute enough?"


    "Yes, I live in the dormitory, so I pay very little for rent. The salary was enough to cover it and for everything else. Until my father lost his job two months ago, so things have been harder. I''m trying hard for my brothers and sisters to keep studying. They want to be engineers and doctors; I think they will make it." She stops. "I''m sorry, I keep going and going."


    "Never apologize for being vulnerable. It takes great courage and strength to be open about our misfortunes. Be honest now with me, have you cut costs on your wellbeing before you moved here? In food perhaps?"


    "I am self-sustained, ma''am."


    "That comes with a heavy price."


    "One that I am happy to pay for my brothers and sisters'' future."


    ***


    A therapist accompanies Abigail every day. Rebecca, Mark, Zach, and Padma always step away in those moments. She finally comes around to read the poem and understands what her mom means. How hard change is, how inevitable it all feels until we take a first step in a different direction than we have for a long time.


    She realizes she can''t continue doing what she has so far. That all her emotions are valid and worth feeling, that she can''t use her ability to avoid the uncomfortable ones.


    It took her three months to be finally good enough to come out. She runs to hug her father, apologizes to him, and refuses to look her mother in the eyes. Rebecca respects it and steps aside. Zach punches her lightly on the shoulder and makes her promise never to pull such a stunt again. They sit by the poolside and Abigail asks her brother to tell her all about his life on the last few months.


    Inside, Saif''s team removes the equipment. Padma left the day before without saying goodbye.


    "Thank you so much!" Mark shakes Saif''s hand at the door.


    "Glad that we could help, Mr. Parker," Saif begins to leave.


    "Ahktar, you will never fire Padma. And more than that, you will offer her the highest paying position that you have." Rebecca looks directly to his eyes, making him swear on this.


    ***


    Later that week, ¨¢nh sits comfortably in her room, commenting on the deviant''s forum, interacting with other users. Despite not knowing who they are, some she considers close friends who are unconditionally there for her.


    A knock on her room interrupts her thoughts and she immediately shuts down the forum.


    "How was South America?" ¨¢nh asks Abigail when she opens the door, she refuses to look at her.


    "Can I come in?" Abigail looks down and ¨¢nh opens the door wider and shuts it after she comes in. "... I wouldn''t know. That''s just some lie my parents made up," Abigail sits on ¨¢nh''s bed.


    "Emily said she spoke with you."


    "What? She lied."


    Why would she lie?


    "I''m sorry if I worried you and... I''m so sorry." She goes near ¨¢nh, falls in her arms and cries.


    In this moment, ¨¢nh''s resentment disappears. She tells Abigail that it will be okay, whenever she feels ready to talk about it, she is there for her.


    When Abigail returns to the Institute, everyone keeps praising her for being much thinner. No one wonders why she isn''t tanned after almost four months on the south''s summer. Not even Emily. Not much of a surprise, considering Jade Harris, the world''s second most powerful deviant, and Emily''s on and off girlfriend, is back in the picture.


    Later that day, she walks with ¨¢nh when they see Aminu by himself, listening to his favorite American bands. They sit next to him. Aminu welcomes back Abigail, who compliments his hoodie and asks about it. The boy''s eyes light up.


    They became inseparable on that day.


    Years went comfortably by, and they remained tight. Celebrating each other''s victories and helping in the moments of pain. Emily would, from time to time, join them, whenever her love life fell apart.


    Despite it all, ¨¢nh isn''t happy with her life. She can''t be, after everything that she reads on the forums. All the suffering that her group of friends can ignore in the comfort of the Institute. For a year now, she would message every day a user. He was a member of the terrorist group. She didn''t know his real name, but she''d never felt so understood. Loved even.


    ***


    June 2025


    It''s their last day of classes. Even though they are 22, they still feel too young to start working for the Institute in the following school year. They hired ¨¢nh as an analyst in the lab and a brainstormer for the marketing department, and Abigail will be an instructor.


    On the first day of their adult life, Abigail arrives on the lobby, and there isn''t any sign of ¨¢nh. This is strange, she''s the one who''s always late, ¨¢nh would never fail her. She calls her and nothing.


    Abigail runs to the dormitory, goes all the way to ¨¢nh ''s bedroom, knocks on the door, and eventually asks the manager to open it. There''s blood everywhere, the bedroom is tarnished, and ¨¢nh isn''t there.


    Rebecca spends the next week at home with her daughter, never leaving her side. Afraid of what Abigail might do to herself.


    The police calls and confirms their worst fears: ¨¢nh was murdered.

 Pawns in their games

    June 2028


    Except for the president of the United States of America, all the other members are already ready to meet in the hotel room.


    The younger people, the advisors, discuss their investments, mentioning how much they''ve made and comparing amongst themselves their wins.


    Padma and Marianne chat while admiring the view on this summer afternoon.


    Aymee Ortiz, Marianne''s advisor, scrolls through the feed of her socials, and the older members argue about the latest players on the political scene and what changes they can expect in the next election.


    "I appreciate your availability to be here. Marianne, have the newest specimens arrived?" Edward Hall, the head of the Council, asks.


    Aymee hands Marianne the names of the children that were diverted from the Institute, and she confirms it.


    "Did we really go ahead with the international specimens? If Eurasia finds out-" Saif says.


    "Saif, this isn''t open to discussion anymore. Your point of view was perfectly clear when we voted. We don''t have that many specimens available to begin with, and making children go unnoticed is no easy feat. Eurasia won''t find out. Laurence, I assume their cover is taken care of," Edward faces him.


    "Yes, we have our systems identifying the specimens'' pattern of speech and using it to send messages to their families. Also, we made up several photos of them in the Institute," Laurence Pierce, the head of the department of strategy and damage control answers.


    "Great. What about the bracelet, Saif? It didn''t work as we thought it would on the Day of Peace," Edward turns to Saif, facing him.


    "Emily''s levels are extraordinary, sir," Thomas smiles widely.


    Marianne makes an effort not to roll her eyes.


    "The bracelet must work on everyone. Our number one included," Edward shuts down any further discussion about Emily.


    "Sir, I was against the use of the bracelet on the Day of Peace." Saif jots some ideas down.


    "There are goals we need to achieve. Fast," Edward notices the disappointment on the president''s face.


    "Scientifical developments take time," Saif continues to write down.


    "With the resources available, it really shouldn''t," the president taps her hand on the table repeatedly and sends a fuming look to Edward.


    "We understand and appreciate the effort that your team has been making. But we need it done. The strategic team is developing a plan and for it to succeed, we need the bracelet to work. All deviants will use it on the first day of the next school year," Edward promises.


    "That''s impossible!" Saif raises his voice.


    Padma''s entire body stiffs behind Saif, she notices that most advisors are trembling. The older members on the table seem to be much calmer, at least on the outside.


    "Don''t underestimate yourself. Surely you''ll find a way," Edward smiles.


    After other discussions, their meeting ends and they part ways except for Saif, Marianne, Aymee, and Padma that stay in the room each on their own.


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    "How will we do it until August? It''s impossible and I''m tired of this!" Saif approaches the windows and looks over the city.


    "Do you want my team to help you out?" Marianne comes closer to him.


    "Aren''t you tired, Marianne? All this nonsense, these strategic plans we know nothing about..."


    Marianne takes a few short breaths.


    "Padma, Aymee, leave the room, please," she asks gently.


    Padma smiles and leaves without protesting, Aymee continues to look at her phone, annoyed that she has to step outside.


    "Pull yourself together, Saif," she softly tells him as soon as the door closes.


    "Why aren''t you tired? We are nothing but pawns in their games. We are scientists! Our goal is to end deviant and human suffering. That''s it. That''s what we work toward."


    Was that ever our goal?


    "It took years to make it small enough to be wearable. And then we stalled. Remember? The desperation of it not working properly? Remember the deviants that died during it?!"


    "Specimens," she corrects him with a cold tone.


    "They are my kind! It would never be you there, but I could be!"


    "And it can still be you. Ice in your stomach." A Norwegian expression meaning to keep one''s cool.


    The tick of the vintage clock on the wall fills in the silence.


    "I remember when our work wasn''t getting anywhere. And you found a solution. I''m not worried about this idiotic deadline, because you''ll make it work. If you want my help, I''ll help you. But enough of this nonsense, especially in front of anyone else. Aymee and Padma would report you without hesitating. I''m supposed to. Pull yourself together and consider this my last warning. Which is more than you would have from anyone else. And more than I''d have from you."


    "More than you''d have from me? Marianne, have I ever showed you anything but consideration?"


    "Mmm, really?"


    He looks at her and rubs his forehead. She avoids his looks. A few seconds go by.


    "Where was that consideration when Erik was killed? And please, don''t make a fool out of me and pretend that you didn''t know," she says in the same mellow tone, without a single elevation throughout.


    "I didn''t know that they''d kill him..." he looks at her directly in her eyes. His lip trembles. "But I knew that he was dead before you did."


    Finally, some consideration.


    On the outside, Padma reads a study on her phone and Aymee tries her best to hear their conversation through the door, without any luck.


    "Tell me, Paddy, what do you think? Have they hooked up? Has she told you anything?"


    "Just read their minds if you''re so interested," Padma tries her best to focus only on her phone.


    "Tempting, but I work with other mind controllers and they would report me in a heartbeat."


    "All that I am hearing is that you are the weakest on your team."


    Aymee laughs.


    ***


    Alex, Diego, and Rachel keep their watch over Marianne''s house and never see her. Like a ghost that haunts them in their sleep, but whenever they open their eyes, makes them question if it was ever there. Alex takes the initiative to just teleport inside. Knowing fully well that Rachel wouldn''t approve it.


    Letters pile up on the entrance, there''s dust everywhere, the small kitchen is perfectly organized, no dishes on the sink or leftovers on the fridge. The living room has nothing special on it, a chess board game, a small tv, an old couch. The garden outside hasn''t been properly taken care of for a long time now.


    He notices the two bedrooms and a small bathroom. There isn''t much in one other than furniture, perhaps a guest room. The other clearly belongs to a teenager. Megan, maybe. There aren''t any clothes hanging on the closet, the pallet bed isn''t made, there are three colorful pillows on top of the yellow cover, a wall painted green, several fake flowers, a few books in the desk, and an old computer that doesn''t turn on anymore.


    Alex goes up the stairs, each step creaking more than the one before. The house itself is well maintained, but the structure shows how old it is. There''s another bathroom there, a small office, and next to it, the main bedroom, smaller than he imagined, just a big bed, a closet with no clothes in it, one of the bed-side tables has a picture of a younger Marianne, in her early twenties, and a man around the same age, with ocean-blue eyes, dark blonde hair, and glasses.


    He opens the drawer and sees a broken frame with a photo of a younger Megan, with long, red hair, smiling while holding in her lap a blonde child, not much younger than her. The resemblance to Marianne is uncanny, she has her mother''s hair and features and her father''s eyes.


    Alex contemplates taking the picture to give it to Megan, but what good would that do? Does reminiscing on the past do anything other than gatekeep from whatever the future holds? How can one move forward when is being held back by those who aren''t around anymore?

 Just smile

    ¨¢nh has breakfast by herself, accompanied by the sound of the news. Usually, only Rachel joins her, but never on a Friday. On the night before, she went out and came home in the early hours.


    The Parkers show up on the news. They are going for a week to the Asian part of Eurasia. Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea, and Thailand are their stops. To talk with the governments about deviant integration. China has finally agreed to meet with them.


    "A sign that times have changed", Mark enthusiastically says, with his wife and daughter smiling.


    ¨¢nh preferred to stop searching for and trying to see what Abigail had been up to. At first, she''d do it, but Rachel suggested she cut ties with everything from the Institute so it would be less painful.


    She smiles, seeing that Abigail is doing well. But it quickly disappears. There she is, dutiful, obediently living a life that isn''t what she is eager for. A role she''ll undoubtedly play as long as her parents live. Same could''ve happened to ¨¢nh. She figured out that if she stayed, a role would be played, a lie would be lived for too long and she would lose herself in the process. One always does.


    ¨¢nh stopped searching for her family as well. The thought of contacting them would pop into her mind every so often, but it could compromise the security of the rest of the group. Abigail''s parents assured her parents are well taken care of. That''s enough for her to know that she didn''t disappoint them and that her death didn''t ruin them, at least financially.


    ***


    At the Institute, Aminu, Padma, and several other colleagues work for endless hours. They started early and left on the day before already past midnight. They ordered pizzas for lunch and talk about the weather, plans for the summer, when they are finally free.


    "Are you heading to Nigeria?" Padma sits next to him.


    "Nah, don''t think I can. Had a ticket, but with everything that''s going on here... I won''t even make it to Emily''s party."


    "Sorry, Aminu. Some other time." She places her hand on his and he immediately retracts.


    Saif enters the room, notices that they have already eaten, and asks them kindly to go back to work. He''ll supervise it for the day.


    ***


    Alex, Rachel, Diego, ¨¢nh, and Megan are on the living room, talking about what they''ve found about Marianne so far and discussing their next steps.


    "Another day with no results. Tomorrow is the day!" Alex says. She will never be there.


    "We haven''t seen any sign of Marianne Olsen since we started staking out her house," Rachel says.


    "Maybe she''s away on a beach," Diego suggests.


    Have you changed that much? Nine years and they never vacationed together once. She didn''t even have weekends. Always working. If she was now the sort of person that went to the beach, what else has changed about you, mum?


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    "There aren''t any recent movements in her credit cards. And the old ones aren''t unusual," ¨¢nh says.


    "Safe to assume that she''s not living there. If she''s even around anymore," Rachel looks to Megan, who isn''t paying attention to them.


    "There is a relationship between the Institute and this secret lab. Why not follow them?" Diego keeps typing on the forums.


    "We don''t have enough people, maybe just focus on one or two. ¨¢nh, can you grab a list of everyone who works there, and we''ll try to narrow it down?" Rachel gets closer to her.


    They all work for a few more hours and finally take a break. Dinner tonight is a different one. Usually everyone minds their own business, eating at different hours, but it''s Rachel''s birthday, and they decide to make it special.


    Rachel and ¨¢nh make pizzas together, Diego runs to the store to buy drinks, Alex sets the table, and Megan tides up the room.


    The group gives Rachel a board game and play it together, ¨¢nh argues with Alex whenever he tries to cheat. They laugh and talk loudly over one another, all but Megan.


    Are you a different person now, mum?


    ***


    Meanwhile, at the Roberts'' house, fireworks ramp through the sky. Everyone looks enthusiastically.


    Emily doesn''t know half of the people there and her friends couldn''t make it. In the company of her parents, she goes around and shakes hands with a lot of influential people.


    The Roberts gather and take a photo together, all smiling. Stunningly dressed, wearing the best designers. Thomas and Joshua with custom suits, her mother with a dress, making sure to be the most stylish there, and Emily with a beautiful jumpsuit, chosen by the marketing department.


    She excuses herself and goes to a balcony as far away as possible from the party.


    "Your father will find you here." Jade shows up behind her.


    Emily pretends not to care that she''s there, but a smile shows right away.


    "Hyperawareness always finds you," she disguises her smile and meets her eyes.


    "That... and you always come here whenever you need to be by yourself. He knows that."


    Jade gets near Emily and admires the view. The peacefulness is interrupted by the drunken laughs from the party.


    "Are you enjoying it?" Emily tilts her glass.


    "Free food and drinks. It''s perfect!" she mocks.


    Music plays and the older people in the party scream with excitement.


    "Wow! Early 2000s, how fun... they''ll go wild!"


    Emily keeps looking over the view.


    "Let''s get out of here! Go to an actual party." Jade finishes her glass in one go.


    "Can''t."


    "Okay then. We''ll just stay here in silence. Doing nothing. Saying nothing. Just us, in silence. Being perfectly quiet here."


    Emily smiles and Jade comes a bit closer to her.


    "You should go back to the party."


    "It''s your birthday, Emily. I''ll stay wherever you are. We''ll party in Africa next month. After we fulfill all our obligations, let''s go dancing!"


    Just the two of us. Emily hopes.


    Jade keeps talking, distracting Emily. She smiles and acknowledges the effort. Jade has this about her. She has a caring soul, protective of her people, will stay with you no matter how hard things get. That''s one side of her. She can also be selfish and uncaring, especially when her side effects appear. The price of invincibility.


    "Why did you break up with me? I mean, the last time. I thought everything was going great... wonderful, really," Emily blurs it out.


    "There''s a time and place for everything. I''m too drunk and you''re not okay."


    "I just want to understand it. Should we just give up trying? ''Now isn''t the right time, let''s be just friends for a while,'' you said. Whatever that means."


    "Emily..."


    "I know." It''s not the right time... place. Never is.


    They face each other in silence for a few seconds.


    "Emily!" Thomas shows up. "Head back to the party. Jessica Miller is asking for you to make a video, thanking all the fans for the birthday wishes. She has found the perfect spot for it."


    Even Jessica has more to say about my birthday than I do. Just smile, will you? Who cares about some stupid birthday? You''re living your best life. It isn''t perfect, but this is the price of being the most powerful deviant. Isn''t it worth it?

 Impressive

    June 2008


    Thomas holds Mary''s hand while they both look at Emily. Joshua keeps playing by himself nearby. They are all in their small garden in their two-bedroom house, waiting for the moment of truth.


    Emily just turned seven. Would she have any ability?


    Please, something useful... make her powerful. Thomas smiles at Mary and kisses her forehead.


    Emily is sweating, the sun hits her face, and she has her parents'' eyes heavily focused on her.


    "It''s okay, honey, you''ll feel it. You''ll just know," Mary tells her. What if there''s nothing to feel? Seven years we wasted...


    Emily breathes in and out. Nothing is happening. She can hear her brother laugh in the background. Pretending that he''s playing rather than mocking her. Tears begin to form in her eyes.


    I don''t have it. She looks up and sees the smiles from her parents'' faces slowly disappearing. The laughter of her brother echoes, but it isn''t the same as before. She looks around and a bug passes in front of her in slow motion, this scares her, and everything returns to normal again.


    "It''s okay, honey..." Mary tries to hold in the tears.


    Emily gets up, focuses on the tree nearby her, it starts happening again, everything is slower.


    "Having an ability isn''t everything," Mary tells her and she hears every syllable being pronounced.


    Lights begin to form around the tree and she knows it in her heart what she can do. She breaks one of the branches and sends it flying all the way to her feet. Time goes back to normal.


    "Was that you, Emily?!" Thomas asks.


    Emily looks at her father and smiles.


    "What did you do? Do it again!"


    Thomas and Mary take a deep breath and smile. Emily does the same, this time with the law mower and moved it a bit. Thomas smile grows bigger when he realizes it.


    "What''s her ability?" Mary asks.


    "Telekinesis."


    "Impressive!" Mary cries and runs to hug her daughter.


    "Can I rest now? Watch my cartoons?" Emily smiles and holds her mother tight.


    "No, Emily, someone important is coming tomorrow to see you. You have to practice a bit more. You have to be at your best." They both go inside to call Edward Hall.


    Joshua creeps in from behind and fires his toy gun. It''ll hurt her, and he smiles, thinking about it. She stops it, sends it back surgically close to his face.


    On the next day, Mary greets in Edward, Saif, and a mental controller. They all watch Emily using her ability on the garden.


    "Impressive, isn''t it?" Mary brings a glass of ludicrous expensive wine to them.


    "Yes," Edward takes a sip and pretends that it isn''t the least tasteful wine he had in a while.


    "Telekinesis is such a useful ability for the war," Thomas makes a toast.


    "That is true."


    "We feel that we can do more for our government, Edward. And Emily... she could be useful in the war!" Thomas smiles.


    "It isn''t up to me." It''s up to them. "Saif, the results, please?"


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    Saif calls the mind controller, and they speak briefly. He calls Edward and the three men speak for over thirty minutes in a distance.


    "Impressive, right?" Mary paces around.


    "We''ll take her into consideration." Edward starts to leave.


    "But... won''t she be useful?" Thomas stands in front of him, preventing Edward from leaving.


    "Her levels are impressive." His tone sharpens, and he immediately corrects it. "But it will take her years to control it. We''ll stay in touch."


    As soon as they turn their backs, Mary and Thomas look at each other, still holding the glasses of wine, slowly their eyes look down and they follow them to the door. When they get back, Emily runs to them, using her ability to move all the toys out of her way.


    "How did I do, daddy?"


    "You need to practice more." He goes inside.


    Emily is about to cry when a sharp sensation runs through her body.


    What''s going on? What''s this? As if it isn''t hers. As if it''s something that she''s only observing.


    On that night, Emily experiences her side effects. Seeing things that aren''t there, objects moving, lights glimpse even when her eyes are closed. She runs crying to her parents. Thomas goes back to sleep and Mary brings her back to her room.


    "This is part of having an ability, honey."


    "It hurts..."


    "I know, I have it too. You need to stop being afraid of it. Fear will prevent you from reaching your true potential." Mary kisses her goodbye and shuts down the door on her way out.


    From that day on, Emily stayed with her father all day. He keeps training her, but whenever the mind controller comes by, Emily''s levels are the same. They tell Thomas that it''s common for deviants to stagnate.


    ***


    October 2009


    "They have other children. They won''t choose her," Mary says while the two watch Emily practicing outside.


    "Her levels are extraordinary; it''s just a matter of patience."


    On that week, Thomas is working early in the office when Saif knocks on his door.


    "Want to see what the specimen is capable of?"


    A 12-year-old Megan Grant turns her right-hand blue, points to a massive wall, and shoots against it, turning it into dust. A younger, blonde girl runs to her barefoot and hugs her. They start playing on the field, Megan shooting up against anything that she wishes and the younger girl clapping and laughing, pinching Megan''s face, and she laughs too.


    Marianne Olsen shows up.


    "Who''s the woman? I''ve seen her around," Thomas focuses on Marianne.


    "Marianne. She works with me. Edward got her a job here."


    "I can see why," Thomas smirks.


    "Thomas, don''t. She''s very capable, highly intelligent, more than me, I can admit. She shocked everyone when she took the specimen in as her own. Adopted it. Not formally, of course."


    "Adopted it?" Why? "What can it do? Besides destroying unmovable objects," Thomas smirks.


    "Its ability is death. With levels unmatchable. And today it showed that it can control it. The other side won''t stand a chance."


    "Matthew Moore is invincible."


    "No one''s invincible. And I don''t think his ability would be much of a fight against it."


    "What are they waiting for to use it?"


    Saif shrugs and tells him he has to take care of some affairs.


    "Have a good one!" Thomas smiles and stays a bit longer, looking at Marianne hugging the girls.


    His future would be hers. She has a powerful child, one that can get rid of the Five, even end the war. Emily will be considered a knock-off version. No one cares about the second most powerful. You have to be the best and they aren''t.


    Emily practices when Thomas finally gets home. He doesn''t even acknowledge her and shuts himself in his small office. He throws some books off the shelves.


    "Thomas... Emily is asking for you." Mary knocks on the door.


    "Leave me alone!" he shouts and she leaves. I won''t give up. Emily isn''t what we needed, what we wanted. But I''ll find a way to make it all better. To show them we can be useful. Our family has value.


    Outside, Emily keeps training. Every day. Her father stopped showing up. Stopped helping her.


    If I become stronger, daddy will be proud again. The objects around her move even when she isn''t doing anything. The lights blind her. You can''t give up. You can''t... give up. Tears fall down her face.


    A sharp pain interrupts her thoughts. She decides to look up her symptoms online later that day when her father is sleeping. It''s probably another side effect. One that she must respect and control. On social media, people talk about a shared deviant connection. Supposedly, if two deviants with abilities are born on the same day, they can feel one another. Nothing but a story, scientists assured, but she believes it and wants to meet this other person. Wherever they are, whoever they are. One day, she hopes to meet them.


    Dear other, I wish I could share part of your pain, or even make it all go away. Tears roll on her cheek.


    Later that day, Matthew Moore announces that he has a daughter. He says, "she is the most powerful deviant in the world". Urges the government to surrender.


    Emily keeps replaying the video, Matthew, and Amanda smiling, singing wonders about their child. How her ability, which they refuse to tell, isn''t anything like the world has ever seen, how magnificent it is to watch her use it, how she doesn''t even experienceside effects.


    She wishes her parents would talk about her like that, they didn''t for a while now. In her heart, she knows that if she keeps practicing, if she keeps working harder than everyone else, one day they''ll be proud of her again.


    Whoever the Moore''s child was, she wouldn''t stand a chance against Emily Roberts, the world''s most powerful deviant.


    Just watch out, world. You''ll all know my name by heart. You''ll love and respect me.

 A boy with a manifesto

    February 2013


    "Xiuhtezcatl, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Matthew enters his living room.


    Xiuhtezcatl, the leader of the Ariston community, sits on the couch, ignores Matthew at first, and looks instead to his left. He notices Rachel and a boy in the garden dancing without a care in the world. This makes him smile. Realizing that, despite Matthew''s strict education, she still has some moments of joy.


    "You won''t be pleased."


    "My dear friend, please." Matthew smiles and approaches him. "Whatever it is, I''m sure we can work it out."


    "We can''t." Xiuhtezcatl crosses his arms and avoids looking at Matthew. "I''ve met with the president. He wanted me to give you five, but I said no. But," he gets up and walks around the room, "we''ll surrender. Me and some others will go to prison, but everyone else will be free."


    "Why... would you... that''s ridiculous." Matthew''s heartbeat increases. "We are winning!"


    "Deep down, I know you can tell the difference between your narrative and the truth."


    "We are winning! Look at the numbers, they have lost thousands."


    "They have thousands to lose!" He places his hand on his chest. Looks to the garden again, the children keep dancing and giggling. "Ten of us are thousands of them. I want my people to live, not just survive!"


    Xiuhtezcatl''s shoulders give in and Matthew scoffs.


    "Do you know what protecting the community has done to us? My sister holding the optical illusion to hide us in plain sight, the amplifier helping her, the healers taking care of them... they are in excruciating pain! Their side effects are destroying their souls. And for what?!"


    "For what?!" Matthew shouts. "You say you want your people to live. This is the only way that we can."


    "We''ve lost!"


    "No!" Matthew throws a vase against the wall.


    Rachel and the boy are too focused on their happiness to hear it. Matthew holds his chest, trying to normalize his breath. Xiuhtezcatl looks at him and clears his throat.


    "You haven''t changed. Remember when we met? You were a boy with a manifesto, and you still are."


    "My circumstances haven''t changed, how could I...?" Matthew pushes his hair back and looks up.


    "They have... you are an adult now, a father. This will be your fatal flaw."


    "What nonsense is that? My fatal flaw is invincibility!" Matthew sends a fuming glance.


    "Do you know why it''s called that? A fatal flaw?" Xiuhtezcatl tone drops.


    "Why the sudden lesson?" He scoffs. "Sure, I''ll take the bait. Because there''s the idea that once you have the new power it will slowly shut down your body. It will kill you much earlier than you would without."


    "That''s the modern interpretation. The story that my people carried through the centuries is that you were supposed to kill anyone who had it. No matter who. If you saw someone with a second power; they were to die. All they had to do, was keep it a secret, and still they couldn''t hide it, they loved to show it around. It wasn''t the power that killed them, it was the ego."


    Matthew''s laugh fills the room.


    "My dear friend, we will win. My daughter is an element controller, with Amy''s amplification, we''ll win. And when we do, that victory will be for all deviants, even the ones who crossed us."


    Xiuhtezcatl laugh''s fill the room.


    "I doubt it. The only reason I''m not dead now is because I''m not really here."


    Matthew smiles, his brown eyes fixate on Xiuhtezcatl.


    "Do you honestly believe that they''ll just arrest you? You and a few others... Everyone else will live happily ever after, is that it?" Matthew laughs.


    "With the treaty signed in front of the entire world, he won''t do anything else. We won''t show our community until everyone sees us surrendering. The president has been under fire because of the war. Everyone wants peace."


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "You have killed his sons! Do you honestly believe he''ll put the will of the people in front of his own?" he exhales loudly.


    "Matthew, surrender too. No good will come from the path that you are walking and forcing others to follow."


    "Has your mother showed you that? Because sometimes her predictions aren''t entirely accurate."


    "Every future she has seen, including you marrying her daughter, changed. There''s no fate. You should want a better life for your daughter, and for the generations to come. But your judgment is clouded by hatred."


    Matthew''s smile disappears. They face each other in silence.


    "Yes, it''s no secret that I hate humans. I''ll tell you why." Matthew takes a deep breath. "Did you know that my father was one?"


    "No, your lies won''t work. Your father was the most powerful deviant you had ever met. You said-"


    "Guess what? I made it up! Is this such a surprise? Really?" Matthew drops his thick capital accent and continues in a southern one. "Everything about me is made up. Matthew Moore isn''t even my name."


    Xiuhtezcatl shakes his head.


    "Ironically, the humans don''t know who I really am, but they were right about my mother. She died when she had me, not because I''m the devil..." a tear almost forms on his eyes, only to be replaced with a roll of eyes. "I think! Just back luck."


    "Enough with the lies! Your entire manifesto centers around that your father, the most powerful deviant you ever met, was subdued to humans."


    "Yes, it does. It resonated with everyone. Everyone thinks they are the most powerful deviant, so they saw themselves in my words. But no, he was human. The test showed it."


    "Lies."


    Matthew rolls his eyes again and continues.


    "I was a little over five when I tested positive. He found a way to cheat the system and faked my result. Interesting, isn''t it? How there isn''t anything that the right amount of money can''t buy, and my father had an impressive amount of it."


    Xiuhtezcatl sits down on the couch refusing to look at Matthew.


    "So, I grew up with all the privileges of a human. Can you believe that I went to school?!" He opens his mouth wide on purpose. "Every day I grew anxious of what the future would hold for me. Would I have a power when I turned seven? My father hoped not, and when it first appeared, he told me, ''you have to hide yourself now, son. The world won''t accept you.'' I promised him that I would never use it, and I kept that promise. I hid who I truly was."


    Matthew goes around the room and stands in front of Xiuhtezcatl.


    "My father... how can I describe him? He had the kindest soul, my friend. He took in a few abandoned children, and while he taught them to respect everyone, taught them well, at school they learned differently, like I did. And I almost fell for it."


    Matthew raises his hands.


    "Actually, no, this is a lie. Sorry, force of habit! I did. For a moment, I hated being a deviant. Hell, I hated myself."


    Xiuhtezcatl looks away and Matthew keeps moving to meet his eyes.


    "One day, my baby sister just wouldn''t stop wailing. The more I tried to stop her tears, the more she kept going. I tried the funny faces that always worked and nothing. Every scream of hers pierced through my heart like the sharpest knife. Pierced through my heart..." Matthew laughs, "You know, back when I had one!" Matthew stops laughing. "I just wanted her to stop suffering... I wanted to take the pain away and make it better. I''m sure you can guess what happened after..."


    Xiuhtezcatl finally looks at him.


    "I controlled her emotions."


    Matthew looks to the garden, sees the children playing and meets again Xiuhtezcatl''s glaze.


    "The change of behavior was too drastic to be natural. She told us she couldn''t understand why she was happy all of a sudden. Emotional control is too common... my siblings knew right away that one of us did it. So, my father told them that he was a deviant, thinking, ''I raised these children to be as kind as I am''."


    Matthew smiles.


    "He looked at me telling me with his eyes that everything would be okay. But in that same night, most of them, as young as 12 and no older than 16, murdered him in his sleep."


    Xiuhtezcatl''s mouth opens wide, and Matthew looks up, focuses on the mold forming on the ceiling.


    "They didn''t call their teachers, no, no. Or some hotline for tips, oh no. They took care of it themselves. Sure, death is the penalty for deviants who fake being humans. But one thing is having others do it, another is doing it yourself."


    Matthew smiles.


    "Now, I''ve seen my fair share of heinous acts." He laughs, "In fact, most done by me!" the laughter grows. "You''ve heard the rumors surrounding my fatal flaw, I''m sure. Sorry, I''m losing the thread here... where was I?"


    Matthew looks around the room and focuses back on Xiuhtezcatl.


    "Oh yes, fair share of heinous acts... But the blood splattered all over their little bodies, and the smiles of pride they wore in their faces, that''s the only image that sends shivers down my spine, even after all these years."


    He fakes shivers on his body and laughs.


    "I thought about ending their pitiful lives there and then. But I was 13 then, and I wanted the most powerful fatal flaw that I could have. Age was one of the reasons not to. But more than that, and being completely honest here, I didn''t hate them. I did not, despite what they''d done."


    His voice trembles for a second.


    "I felt sorry... compassion... perhaps? And I would''ve only killed them to prevent them from living with guilt for the rest of their pathetic lives. I knew that committing the fatal flaw without the right emotions... hatred, envy, greed, wouldn''t grant me a strong new power. Kindness just wouldn''t do it."


    Xiuhtezcatl''s eyes widen.


    "So, I left."


    Matthew focuses on Xiuhtezcatl and raises his voice louder than before.


    "One day, children will be taught at school how humans were willing to kill us just for existing. Not because we were ''inherently violent'', ''impossible to educate'', ''as savages as wild animals''. One day, people will know the truth. We must win for it to be known."


    "Even if I believe you, let me ask you something. Have you told me this to change my mind? Because-"


    "Yes, I told you for that reason. Hoping you realize once and for all, for your sake, for your entire community''s sake, for our kind''s sake, for our future, the one simple truth: humans will never accept us!"

 A new world

    March 2013


    "Here is all the information, Edward. I hope the generals find it useful." Thomas hands it over in Edward''s office.


    Edward carefully looks it over, ignoring Thomas'' eyes glancing over.


    "This is all about the Ariston community? What about the Five?"


    "I couldn''t find anything. This is some years of work already; it was extremely difficult to find the community. I''m sure that this''ll be enough to end the war."


    "Thank you, Thomas. How''s Emily?" he asks while looking around the room.


    "Doing great! She controls her ability beautifully, Edward. You should come by and see it yourself."


    "Sure," he smiles. What a waste of time. Emily''s levels stagnated. She''ll be useful whenever she turns 18 for the war, but nothing more.


    "Have a good one!" Thomas leaves with a victorious smile.


    Edward takes the papers to the generals, and they all meet up with the president of the United States of America. A few days later, he schedules a get together with his colleagues. In an empty room, with some celling lights and a tiny table, Marianne Olsen, Edward Hall, Saif Ahktar, and one other gather.


    "Thank you for your availability. The leader of the Ariston community has surrendered. He won''t give us the location of the Five, but they will stop fighting in exchange for us leaving them be," Edward tells them.


    Everyone''s expressions change. Their eyes lit up and smiles show.


    "The president only pretended to accept, naturally. He and the generals decided to attack the community instead. We have their location. Marianne, the specimen is to carry it. It''s almost turning 16, it''s time for the fatal flaw."


    The hope their eyes held begins to crumble.


    Not the fatal flaw... no. Marianne avoids meeting Edward''s glance.


    "Edward, I don''t understand," the head of strategy and damage control says.


    "Which part? The president wants the community to be wiped clean."


    "They surrendered. There''s no need to kill them. We''re talking about children here!"


    "Deviants aren''t children, Peter!"


    "Not to you! Not to the president! But children are children, innocent people are innocent people. One thing is shooting an enemy. One thing is doing the necessary scientific testing to ensure we win. Another is killing children only because they are in the wrong place. I will not participate in this and if you have any conscience, you won''t as well! We have been friends for many years. Don''t do this, Edward."


    "It''s already done, friend."


    He prepares to leave, and Edward grabs a gun and shoots him, first on the chest and then on the head.


    "Anyone else feeling moral all of the sudden?"


    Saif hasn''t closed his mouth yet and Marianne focuses on the body lying on the floor, bleeding out.


    "It''s a shame. I''ll have to kill his family."


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    "Don''t," Marianne says calmly, "they have nothing to do with it. Let them mourn him in peace."


    Saif holds his breath.


    "No one will ever find his body. They''ll have nothing to mourn."


    "Don''t kill them."


    Edward raises the gun and points it to Marianne''s forehead.


    "Any change of heart now? What a tragedy that it''d be."


    Marianne doesn''t even blink, and he comes closer.


    "Your beautiful daughter alone, with no one to fend for her. Not even her grandparents. I''d change her papers to get her into the system. She could find a nice family, sure... but the odds of that..." he laughs. "There''re so many sick people out there."


    Marianne takes a deep breath and looks at his eyes.


    "Mmm, you kill me, and she won''t go to any orphanage. Try to get near her. You, and the generals, and the president, and whoever is idiotic enough to try. You''ll all see hell on Earth."


    She pushes her forehead against the gun.


    "The specimen would destroy you before letting you anywhere near her. You kill me, she''ll be fine."


    Saif holds his breath.


    "You won''t have any chance against the Ariston community, let alone the Five. It won''t do as you want. I," raised her, "trained it far better than that. But, sure, go ahead and kill me."


    Edward smiles, lowers his gun and leaves the room at once.


    "Why would you put yourself in danger like that?!" Saif grabs Marianne''s arm.


    She looks at him and takes off his hand.


    "You haven''t taken any time out since Erik''s funeral. You should go away for a bit. Go home!"


    "We can''t go anywhere. The specimen can''t travel, it doesn''t have any papers."


    "So? Go with your daughter. The specimen can just stay here."


    She won''t be safe here.


    "Thank you, Saif, you are right. This was reckless. Maybe after the Ariston attack, I can take a break."


    "The specimen carries this attack; the war will probably be over. Who knows? There won''t be any need for our work. Deviants won''t have immediately the same rights, but one day. As soon as the war ends, things will get better. Just look at Eurasia."


    The war in Eurasia ended over 100 years ago...


    "It can only get better from here." He puts his hand on her shoulder, smiles, and begins to leave.


    "Did you know? About Erik... Did you know that they''d kill him?"


    "I only found out after they had you identify the body." He looks away, "I''m sorry."


    ***


    They stand there on that day, seeing it all play out from a safe distance. The generals, Edward, Saif, Thomas, Marianne, and the newly appointed head of strategy and damage control, Laurence Pierce.


    It''s a quick operation. Edward wants Megan to will destroy whatever and whoever she can, and the army will sweep in and take care of the rest.


    The damage she did exceeded their expectations. The bodies collapse on the floor and her bright blue hand creates flowers around her.


    "What''s that?" One of the generals asks.


    "Her fatal flaw. Nature creation? Not very useful," Edward replies.


    "Life," Marianne tells them. She''s certain.


    "Death and life. What a combination! Send our boys in," the general orders through a communicator.


    A white light takes over, and when the dust settles, there''s nothing there, Megan included. The generals hurry to meet their wounded soldiers. Edward, Laurence, and Thomas leave. Proud of their accomplishment and ready to release the footage.


    Daughter, where are you? Please, don''t be... please, be alive. Marianne bites her lips to stop her from crying.


    "I''m sorry, Marianne." Saif puts his hands on her shoulders.


    "It''s a shame," she turns around and faces him, "it was such a powerful specimen. We won''t have another like it to study," she says in the same unaltered tone.


    Everyone in the organization celebrated, until the images were released. The public opinion swiftly manifested across social media. People were calling it a genocide and accusing the president of taking it too far. Such an atrocious act wouldn''t achieve peace. Luckily for them, the outrage happened immediately, and there was never a speech by the president taking pride in it.


    It was fairly simple to spin it. Laurence Pierce suggested blaming the Five, coining the term Angel of Death and claiming that it''s Matthew Moore''s daughter.


    Easy enough for Matthew to deny, they all knew, but no one would trust the terrorists. And to their surprise, he didn''t. Instead, took great pride in his daughter on national television, saying that she was alive and well despite everything that the news said. That the Ariston community betrayed their kind, that they stroke a deal with the government, and that the fight for deviants'' rights was more alive than ever.


    ***


    A few weeks later, Edwards greets Thomas on his office.


    "Thomas, a new world is upon us!" Edward fills two glasses with champagne. "The president wants our testing department to keep existing, and he authorized the creation of an organization led by me. I appreciate loyalty. It will be the same team, joining some others who have been helpful. If there''s anything that you want, this is the time to ask for. You did a great job with this attack."


    Thomas asks for Emily to be the face of this new world.

 A setback

    June 2028


    For the day''s testing, a young child, aged ten, is called. Lack of sensorial pain is her ability. And for that reason, the Institute considers it ethical to test the bracelet on her.


    Aminu would amplify the girl''s ability for the rest of the analysts to understand which adjustments needed to be made.


    I''m more than my ability. I can do the science too. Aminu fakes a smile.


    The bracelet on her wrist is turned on and she''s connected to several wires. A colleague pinches her for the ability to block the pain. On the current level, she can''t use it. The shocks from the bracelet prevent her and she can feel the pinch.


    "Ouch..." the girl tears a bit.


    The analysts ask Aminu to amplify her a bit. With the new level, she can use her ability, so they turn up the level of the bracelet, and once again, she experiences the pitch and the shock.


    The analysts see in her brain what the shocks do, and a mind controller writes down her ability''s level. It''s nowhere near Emily''s, and their work has to continue.


    "Ikubor, let''s take it to a higher level, please," an analyst asks.


    "Can we stop for a second?" the girl asks.


    The analysts on the room begin to protest.


    "Let''s take five," Padma orders and invites Aminu and the girl to the cafeteria.


    "You''re so brave, you know? I wish I was as strong as you!" Padma hands her a package of cookies and a juice from the vending machine.


    "I''m scared," her voice breaks.


    "We won''t hurt you. Whenever you want, we can stop. Just tell me and we''re done. Okay? The world will be a better place thanks to you! You''re a superhero!"


    "Aminu," she wipes her tears, "what''s my superhero name?"


    "Superhero name? Deviants can''t be superheroes!" Never were.


    Her tears keep falling.


    "What Aminu means is that until now there aren''t any deviants superheroes. Maybe you''ll be the first! What do you say... Miss Unstoppable? Because with your ability, no one can stop you."


    The girl smiles.


    After finishing their snacks and coffee, they return. Everyone is impatient to resume the testing. Saif enters the room, greets everyone individually and asks Padma to meet him in private.


    "How''s it going?" he closes the door behind him.


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    "There was a setback, but we''ll go around it. Ikubor has amplified the specimen''s powers all the way to Roberts'' levels. But no matter how high the voltage, the bracelet doesn''t prevent the girl from using it right away. It takes several seconds for the shocks to reach the brain."


    "Jahan chah, wahan raah." Where there''s a will, there''s a way. I know you are working hard, Padma... But it isn''t enough.


    "Sir, we are taking the right steps here."


    "That''s magnificent work, Padma!" Small steps will get us nowhere.


    ***


    Megan sits on her motorcycle waiting on a busy street, watching people chat, complaining about the hot weather.


    The woman with the red shoes leaves a kung fu studio. The people from her class talk for a while together outside. She ignores them and goes to her car. An old one, not a vintage. One that someone owns because they need to. Megan follows her to a park outside the capital.


    Megan is watching the girl write in a small notebook while sitting alone in a caf¨¦, wondering what she''s writing. Perhaps poetry, or something technical for college, random thoughts that she will later turn into a book. Megan daydreams the possibilities and sketches the scenery on her tablet.


    ***


    Every summer since 2020, the Institute chooses a continent and visits their institutes. This year, they planned a 15-country-tour starting in South Africa.


    After the first tour, Madeleine Clark realized that bringing the highest-ranking deviants in the world was a plus. Emily and Jade always came along. The third member depended on the destination. This time, because of Jade''s roots, her grandparents are from Kenya, Madeleine decided there wasn''t a need for a third person.


    The children loved to know their institute was chosen to be part of the tour. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the girls. They were asked to take several photos throughout the day and even signed autographs. The students would light up whenever they showed their abilities.


    Later on that first day, Madeleine flew back to the United States of America, leaving her vice president to an important, but rather boring, dinner party with the presidents of the institutes.


    Realizing they were unsupervised for the evening, Jade and Emily decide to go partying until late hours. In the next morning, Jade is getting dressed on Emily''s room when she wakes up.


    "Just sleep in, it''s still 10. No need to rush," Jade whispers.


    "Where are you going?"


    "To my room."


    "Stay a little longer."


    "See you at noon."


    Their first day in Madagascar is spent hiking their stunning parks with the nation''s most powerful deviant, he''s on the top 350 in the world. The deviant asks them if they want to go out.


    Emily spends the entire day trying to be closer to Jade, but she distances herself every time. When they get to the club, Jade gets a bit too friendly with a group of people and disappears. Emily looks for her, only to find her kissing another girl. She tries to leave but some deviants recognize her and ask her to dance with them, to accept their drinks, and to spend some time getting to know them.


    You''ll be criticized if you say no. I can imagine already the posts on social media... just go for a bit and smile.


    ***


    Aminu sees on Emily''s profile her posts. Right away he closes the app and puts the headphones with ambience noise to calm himself.


    He''s thankful for everything that the Institute has done for him, but these demonstrations of power are insulting. Without funding, the institutes in Africa cannot do much more. Their talent never makes it to the top 100. And when it does, it''s someone from there who moved to the States. Like him, who is the 27th most powerful.


    Aminu wishes his home institute could be given the right conditions. If things were different, he would move back in a heartbeat. Only a silly thought, he realizes.


    There''s no time for that. The bracelet is his sole priority. It''s far from perfect and he hasn''t received a new contract yet. One thing is returning to Nigeria with his head high, as a choice. Another is if he''s invited to leave the country because he has no job left at the Institute.


    Before going to bed, he confirms on an app that the monthly transfer to his parents happened already. He never missed it before, it''s automatic, but better safe than sorry.

 Ice Queen

    The Council gathers on a suite of a four-star hotel, waiting for the president.


    Perhaps we should offer her a watch when she gets reelected. Edward shakes his head. One hour and thirty minutes later, she arrives.


    "Everyone, take your seats. Let''s begin," Edward orders and everyone obeys, "Laurence, go ahead."


    "We''ve run several scenarios and developed a plan to ensure that in November we''ll have an increase of 20% in anti-deviant representatives," Laurence explains.


    "What do we need to do, then?"


    "We need a new massacre in the Ariston community."


    The younger people in the room don''t understand what Laurence means. They know about the massacre, and that it was the government that carried it. But why would a new massacre change anything?


    They are too young to remember that back in 2013, the president faced a steeping decline in popularity, mostly because of how he dealt with the war. People were pushing for reforms, more rights for deviants if that meant ending the suffering. Then, the massacre happened.


    Everyone saw how ruthless deviants can be, even against their own kind. A single deviant killed them all, children even. What would the Angel of Death do against humans if allowed freely? The president responded with more sanctions against deviants and won the next election by a landslide.


    "The most likely scenario to turn the tide is a massacre at the Institute," Laurence explains.


    How have we come to this point? Saif thinks about the deviants that study and work there.


    Jessica and Madeleine know they''ll be safe, but that they''ll have to deal with the aftermath.


    "Done by the terrorist movement?" the president asks.


    "We can''t blame them for this. They have never hurt deviants before. Every time we''ve blamed them, only humans died. Most of the population believes that if it were today, if Rachel Moore was in charge instead of her father, there wouldn''t have been a massacre. We need a new terrorist movement, one with fewer members, but more extremist," Laurence explains.


    "How many deviants would have to die?" Saif straightens his tie.


    "Several, the younger the better, or... we terminate only one, injuring others."


    Around the table, all eyes focus on Thomas.


    "How much more impactful is killing Emily when compared with the other scenarios? I''m asking because she has brought a lot of precious contributions," Edward asks.


    "According to our analysis," Laurence asks his advisor to hand him the calculations, "75% superior."


    "Anything that you ask for is yours, Thomas. Anything," Edward looks at him.


    "Everything for our nation, sir."


    Everything for your own gain. This is a new low, even for you, Thomas. Marianne''s fingers curl into a fist, and she hides it.


    "Okay, that''s fine by me, obviously! But I ask only one thing... please don''t make it more bloodier than it has to! I don''t want to deal with the parents complaining that their children suffered," Madeleine rolls her eyes.


    "Madeleine, you''re the president of the Institute, that''s literally your job!"


    "That''s right, Edward, I am!" She claps. "Thank you for reminding me that I can just let the vice president or my secretary deal with it."


    Why do I have to deal with this bimbo? Right, her wealth is almost on the same level as her stupidity. Ridiculous, how she spends it on the most useless things. How much did your MBA cost, Madeleine? Not just the tuition, the bribery of course. No one in their right mind would pass you on their classes. Edward smiles back at Madeleine.


    "When will this take place? September?" the president asks.


    "Marianne, Saif, what do you say?" Edward asks.


    "The weapons are ready." Marianne smiles.


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    "Well, the bracelet isn''t," Saif says.


    The tension in the room is palpable. One advisor''s hands shake while grabbing a glass of water.


    "We''ve been friends for many years. Don''t make me rethink your purpose here," Edward says and ends the meeting.


    An entire nation would cry over Emily''s death. In her name, the people would demand more restrictions. Even the representatives in favor of deviants'' rights would be pressured to change their stance on certain issues.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Jade spends the entire day showing her ability.


    No one wants to see it. It''s unnecessary now to use it. Emily looks to her and fake claps. Jade couldn''t help it. She loved the attention, and the more she got, the more she craved turning into a never-ending loop.


    Later that day, Emily enters Jade''s room without knocking first.


    "Today was a bit much. You know how damaging your side effects can be."


    "Oh, Emily, your jealousy shows. For once, you weren''t the center of attention."


    "You''re not yourself right now!"


    "If you want to stay, just say it. If not, leave." The girl gets nearer her. "I appreciate your concern," she fixes Emily''s hair and holds her hand, "but why waste time talking?"


    Not this time. Emily tried her best, but still smiled, gave in, and kissed her instead of leaving.


    ***


    Back in the United States of America, ¨¢nh drinks her tea while going through the Institute''s databases.


    "This is frustrating!"


    She goes through all the analysts, instructors, employees of the Institute. Her scrolling slows down when she sees Aminu and smiles for a microsecond.


    Rachel arrives there and puts her hand on her friend''s shoulder.


    "Take a break, ¨¢nh. Where are the others?"


    "Can''t. Diego is shopping, Megan left and Alex... don''t know, don''t care."


    They both laugh.


    "Shouldn''t you rest?" Rachel sits next to her.


    "We have to find this secret department. Those children... Failure is the mother of success, but this is frustrating."


    "I know, and we will find it. Just don''t fry your computer or your brain in the process. We need you, ¨¢nh. I need you."


    "Now that you mentioned it... my computer is outdated."


    "Just send the list of whatever you need to Diego."


    "I already did. I knew that the probability of you saying yes would be close to 100%!"


    Rachel pretends to be mad, and the girls go to the living room to watch their show, a K-Drama that ¨¢nh loved and couldn''t convince Diego to join her, so Rachel instead gave it a go.


    "What? She has amnesia now! What about the wedding next week?!" Rachel shouts.


    ***


    Back at the hotel, only Saif, Marianne, Padma, and Aymee are in the room. Everyone else already left.


    "Marianne, I need your brain." Saif goes through the data from the latest tests.


    Padma and Aymee observe them while keeping their distance.


    "Mmm, the problem is obvious. The bracelet takes too long to recognize the activation of the ability."


    "And how can I fix it? We have improved the levels, engineering as seen the bracelet. It''s impossible."


    "It can''t go from zero to the level that you want, the one that prevents the use of their ability. But it can go from a lower level to that one. Just leave it always on. At first, they''ll have a few headaches, probably, but in a few days the brain will normalize it."


    Padma''s mouth trembles, and she has shivers all over her body. Her heart beats faster, and she can''t control her rapid breathing. Aymee looks at her and pretends not to notice it.


    "Marianne, we have no idea what consequences that might have on the brain." Aage kuan peeche khai. He''s between a rock and a hard place.


    "Just until the massacre, then we''ll improve it. If you don''t do it," she looks away and notices Padma, "they''ll ask me to finish your work, and this is my solution."


    Padma can''t hold it in anymore and leaves the room quietly. Aymee follows her and closes the door behind her.


    "What? You thought the Ice Queen cared, Paddy? Are you that naive? She raised a deviant for years and still sent the girl to her death. She cares only about herself. The sooner you realize it, the better!"


    "Help... me..." she sits on the ground with her head between her legs.


    "You know I can''t. It''s against the rules. Don''t hate me, I didn''t make them!"


    Padma tries to normalize her breathing. Saif slams the door on the way out and Marianne helps Padma get up and brings her back inside. She guides her through deep breaths and calms her down.


    "Padma..."


    "How could you?!" She shoves her. "I have defended you for years! Every time someone called you ice cold-"


    "Ice Queen, I find it endearing."


    Padma''s eyes widen and she looks away.


    "En... endearing? Marianne, this isn''t you... I know who you are. You''re the person that took me out of my dark hole. How could you suggest this?!"


    Padma takes a few steps away from her.


    "Knowing that it will have an impact on their brains. Soon enough, my brain too! How can you say that you are my friend, that you care about me, and do this?!" Padma starts crying. "I wonder if the Angel of Death also thought you cared."


    Marianne counts to five to herself slowly, goes nearer, and wipes Padma''s tears with a tissue.


    "Padma, this demonstration of feelings is to stop. You have no idea what they are truly capable of. I learned that the hard way. It would break my heart, if you had to go through hell to learn the same lesson."


    How can you say all this with such coldness?


    "So out of the consideration that I have for you, I''m telling you this only once. Play their game, make it alive, live a perfectly acceptable life. I always considered you smarter than this. Don''t ever forget that you could be a test subject considering..."


    She holds the girl''s chin.


    "Your background... against all odds, all due to your skills, you made it here. Don''t ruin it when you are one step away from making it to the top!"


    Padma takes Marianne''s hand away from her chin.


    "Next time you are in a meeting, just take a look around, okay? Do you think that any of the other advisors are there out of merit? Aymee?" Marianne laughs, "if the Parkers weren''t sidelined, even their pets would have a seat there!"


    Marianne takes a bottle of water from the minibar, opens it, and takes a sip.


    "If you want to hate me, go ahead. If that will bring you peace, go ahead. But, Padma, you can''t conveniently have it all. You can''t see me as your savior and as the worst person in the world. Pick one and live with the consequences of your choice."

 Fighting against fate

    "We did it, everyone!" Saif tells his analysts at the Institute, "enjoy the rest of the summer! Be here on mid-august so we can make a last test."


    Everyone claps. All their hard work has finally paid off.


    "Ikubor!" Saif runs closer to him. "Here''s your new contract. Hand it signed to Padma. Great work!"


    "Thank you, sir."


    Aminu admires his contract for a little bit, taking it all in. You did it. He sees Padma and she asks him to meet her in the office.


    "Are you heading home?" Padma asks while Aminu signs the contract.


    "Yeah, I think I can fly tomorrow, you know." He hands it to her.


    "I meant now, but it''s great that you''re going there. Aren''t Emily Roberts and Jade Harris on Africa?"


    "They are, and they''ll be in Nigeria next week, I think. I''ll see if we can meet up. Are you going to India?"


    "Sadly no. We should hang out when you get back."


    "Of course, o. We''ll hang out in the lab for the last tests."


    "Of course!" Padma laughs, "have a pleasant flight. Enjoy home!"


    ***


    The children from the Kenyan institute loved to hear about Jade, how she, who was practically one of them, was the number two in the entire world. They dreamed of doing the same, leaving for the United States of America and reaching the top 10.


    Emily stays put and lets her have that day. They wouldn''t be long there, and Jade was truly proud of her ancestry. She still wishes the girl would notice her, but she didn''t. She ignored her again for the entire day.


    By nighttime, Emily lies on the bed, stalks Jade''s profile, the comments that people post, the likes. She tries to understand if any are from girls that live on the next stops of the tour.


    She throws her phone away and tries to watch some tv. But a few minutes, if so, later, she''s back to holding her phone, seeing if Jade''s online and why she hasn''t replied to any of her messages.


    There''s this dinner tonight... it''s with her grandparents. Ok, but that doesn''t mean there isn''t other people there. Right, but the other people would be family too. That''s safe.


    She receives a text from Aminu, asking to meet up. She ignores it immediately to focus on Jade''s photos instead.


    Someone knocks on her door and Emily ignores it. The knocking grows.


    "Emily, it''s me, open up," Jade says.


    Emily gets up in one go and rushes to the door.


    "Can I come in?" She wipes her tears.


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    Emily hugs her and closes the door.


    "What happened?"


    "I don''t want to talk about it."


    "You owe me that much, no? At least an explanation."


    Jade takes a few short breaths.


    "We''ll talk tomorrow."


    "You have mistreated me-" For years now. You keep pushing me away and pulling me closer whenever you want to. It''s always on your terms.


    "You know how hard things get with my side effects. It''s not me. I wish I could just care, but I don''t on those moments."


    "Your side effects may explain your behavior, Jade, but they don''t excuse it."


    "I''m devastated, and you decide that this is the right time to bring up your feelings. Sure, I''m the self-centered one. This was a mistake."


    "I''m sorry. Please stay."


    She holds her, caressing her hair while the girl cries. Jade closes her eyes finally, and Emily takes a deep breath.


    She chose to come here. To have me comfort her. That must mean something.


    When she wakes up, Jade had left already.


    It didn''t mean anything. Again.


    ***


    Back in the United States of America, Diego and ¨¢nh are in the operations room.


    "Have you done something different today?" ¨¢nh notices that Diego''s face isn''t the same, but can''t pinpoint what changed.


    "No, just took a shower," he smiles.


    Diego changes their appearance, and they hold hands while walking in the park, the one they claim to be theirs. It''s the place where many first moments happened, the first time Diego opened about his family history, first time ¨¢nh admitted to missing her parents, first time he worked up the courage to hold her hand and ask her if he could kiss her.


    It wasn''t so long ago that it happened, but whenever they fought, it seemed light years away or worse, that they never happened in the first place.


    They lie down near the lake and discuss which shapes the clouds turned into. ¨¢nh brought some strawberries and Diego pretends to give one to her and instead kisses her.


    I wish we''d always be like this. That you''d stay this blissful. I''m always one wrong word away from sending you back to your painful past.


    Some days, he couldn''t move past from there. He wasn''t in the present but stuck in his memories. She tried her best to get him out, but he wouldn''t leave. In his head, he goes over everything that happened and everything that didn''t.


    Every day she didn''t know which Diego she would find, the thoughtful one that she came to understand and care for, or the young man who didn''t save his family and regrets being alive.


    "I dream that one day this''ll all be over. And all the pain we have, everything that happened, it''ll be okay, because we built a better world. One where we''ll be free and happy," Diego says.


    "But we are in that world now, even if momentarily. I''m happy. We''re alive. Free."


    Diego gets up and looks away.


    Oh, the wrong word, which one, ¨¢nh isn''t sure, and Diego wouldn''t explain.


    As soon as they arrive home, Alex says out loud that the power couple had a fight. ¨¢nh runs to Rachel''s bedroom.


    "I''m so tired, Rachel. It''s always the same thing."


    "He has a lot of demons. Until he moves past his guilt, he won''t be healed enough."


    "There''s nothing to feel guilty for."


    "There is. He''s here and they aren''t."


    "What if he never forgives himself? Do you think we are just postponing the inevitable? I wonder about that sometimes... most times. Like we keep trying to be together when maybe we just aren''t made for one another. We keep fighting against fate, and we will lose in the end."


    "I don''t believe in fate and don''t believe that anyone''s meant for anyone else either. But I think he needs to heal. If that''s by your side or by himself, I don''t know."


    With ¨¢nh ''s teardrops, Rachel made a little dance, and for a minute there, she believes in the world''s beauty.


    "I''m tired of it all, Rachel. I used to think that in the States I''d be happy, and then the Institute happened. Then I thought, on the movement I''ll be happy, and here I am crying myself to sleep whenever he makes me feel worthless. Only focusing on survival because we have no right to be happy. A tied-up buffalo hates an eating buffalo, and it''s true, I envy the humans. Sometimes I wish I was born without the gene."


    "Don''t say that, ¨¢nh..."


    "Don''t you?"


    "I wish things were different, yes. Sometimes I think about how different they could be, if Megan hadn''t destroyed the community, if Amy hadn''t died. How different my life would be today. But I never regret being born a deviant, and I''ll never stop fighting until everyone has equal rights. And in the meantime, we won''t just survive, ¨¢nh. We''ll live a life that we''re proud of."

 Justice

    The rest of the summer ran uneventfully. The group gave up on trying to find Marianne. She remained a mystery to them. Instead, they focused on key figures of the Institute and took turns following them around.


    They started with the head of it, Madeleine Clark. She had a busy schedule. Several meetings throughout the day, interviews, dinner parties, some nights spent in luxurious hotels. Nothing unusual, and one week was long enough for them to decide she wasn''t worth their effort.


    On the aftermath of yet another failure, Rachel tried her best to keep the team motivated.


    Abigail Parker was the next target. Once again, nothing. They followed her to her family''s charity event.


    Using Diego''s power, he, ¨¢nh, and Rachel infiltrated as waiters. To Rachel''s surprise, Rebecca Lewis and Mark Parker were extremely polite to them, unlike most of the guests that treated them as if they weren''t even there. Abigail took a drink from ¨¢nh ''s tray and smiled. Despite her disguise, ¨¢nh avoided any eye contact, pretended not to speak English and left.


    Next, they focused on Emily Roberts when she came back from Africa. She spent her summer doing videos and taking photos for social media everywhere she went. She accepted deviants from abroad in an exchange program and volunteered with NGOs.


    They realized after two days that there was no difference between what she showed online and what she did in real life. Keeping tabs on her socials would be enough. No one wanted to, and ¨¢nh accepted the boring task.


    Their impatience grew, and they lost hope that they''d find this secret organization. Three key figures were a dead end. Rachel kept motivating them. They had a purpose and no matter how long it took; they''d prevail... eventually. That was her motto, but when no one was watching, she let out her stress, frustration, and anger on the fighting robot.


    On one evening, ¨¢nh asks everyone to meet her. She shows them the latest interview with the president of the Institute.


    "Miss Clark, the Institute reopens tomorrow and with an innovation! The deviants there will all use the bracelet."


    "Exactly, Martha! We are pleased to announce that we have concluded the final tests. The bracelet is safe, and our students and employees will use it. Honestly, I wish I was a deviant, so I''d wear it myself!" Madeleine laughs. "We are confident that this pilot project will show that humans and deviants can live happily together."


    "And how are the deviants taking it in?"


    "They love the idea. Our deviants, unlike others, want to create a society in which their abilities aren''t feared and are happy to be free from the burden of their side effects. This is something that isn''t openly discussed enough, but there is so much pain associated with the ability. The bracelet will ensure none of it anymore."


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    "What about the shocks? We all saw Emily Roberts in pain on the Day of Peace!"


    "Martha, that was our primary concern: deviants'' suffering. The Day of Peace was three months ago, the incredible team of the Institute worked non-stop to make it possible. No more pain!"


    "Wow, an historic day not only for the United States of America, but for the world. The Institute has improved their bracelet and starting tomorrow, for the new school year, a pilot project will take place. Every deviant there will have a bracelet that prevents them from using their abilities. We will interview Emily Roberts on an exclusive after a quick break."


    Several ads appear on social media right after Madeleine''s interview, showing children happy with their new jewelry and how pretty it was. Available in different colors. They are perfectly fine with trading their gene for a shiny, new object.


    Rachel''s eyes turn blank.


    How can anyone accept so willingly to wear this? She holds her posture in front of the others, but inside, her thoughts race, her heart beats too fast and her chest hurts.


    "Are you okay, Rachel?" ¨¢nh asks her.


    "Yes, yes, I''m going to the gym," she leaves.


    ***


    A few days later, Emily and Jade are on the marketing floor practicing for an interview, Aminu and Padma are on the lab, Abigail has a class in a few minutes, when the elevators stop working, the electricity goes off, and five armed people, three men and two women, open the door on the floor of the classes and shoot while declaring everyone to be a traitor to their own kind.


    They film the children running, the bodies lying on the floor bleeding. The instructors run and hide the children in any safer space, while trying to call the security corps, but both the internet and the mobile service aren''t available.


    They are on their own.


    ***


    Across town, the group is on the operations room discussing their next move.


    "Weird," ¨¢nh says while staring at her computer.


    "What''s up?" Diego asks.


    She sees that the network of the Institute is down. She accesses the surveillance cameras and sees the children running and hears the assassins shouting. After a few minutes, the cameras stop recording, and there is no power. Their backup generator failed.


    "What''s going on?" Rachel asks.


    Alex and Rachel move closer to ¨¢nh. Diego looks up to the screen and Megan continues drawing on her tablet.


    "They are shooting deviants at the Institute," Diego says, and goes back to his social media duty.


    "Who''s they?" Rachel asks.


    "I don''t know, but on the audio, they claimed to be deviants and treating them as traitors," ¨¢nh explains. Her foot taps.


    "We''ll be blamed for this too."


    "They are... shooting down innocent people. Rachel..." ¨¢nh''s eyes fill with water.


    "Innocent people die all the time. For me, this is justice." Diego avoids looking at her.


    "With the bracelets, they are sitting ducks. That''s not justice," Alex intervenes.


    "It''s not our problem, Alex!"


    "They are deviants! It is our problem too. I''m heading there. Alex, please take me!" ¨¢nh stands up.


    "No, you won''t!" Diego shouts.


    "Yes, I will. Rachel, please."


    "It''ll be dangerous. We have no idea how many are armed there, or if the deviants from the Institute won''t try to kill us too. Also, maybe someone is wounded there already. Megan-" Rachel looks at her.


    Megan nods.


    "Alex, let''s head into an open area; it will be easier not to be trapped there. ¨¢nh, show us where."


    They grab some black hoodies and cover their heads with it, Alex gets nearer ¨¢nh and teleports them. Rachel teleports herself and Megan. They choose the wide area of the classes floor, where students spend their time between classes.


    There were trees, benches and a variety of boards and vending machines.


    When they get there, children, teenagers and adults bleed out on the floor. Two of the armed people are there and open fire in their direction.

 Last words

    Immediately, as they face the assassins, Rachel teleports herself and Megan to behind some desks. Alex does the same with ¨¢nh, and right away teleports to the back of one of the shooters and hits him. The man turns around and punches him.


    The other assassin is going to shoot Alex, but he teleports near ¨¢nh again.


    "Sis, please distract them, so I can kindly tell them to shoot each other," Alex tells Rachel inside her head.


    Rachel forms a fog around the shooters. Alex tries to focus on one of them. He goes through everyone''s mind, but Megan. As the shooters continue to fire, he loses focus and has to start all over again.


    ¨¢nh tells him that nearby one of shooters there''s a massive fish tank. One of Madeleine''s extravagant purchases, probably.


    "Burst the fish tank," Alex''s voice echoes inside Rachel''s mind.


    A first crack appears on the glass. No one hears it. Rachel keeps controlling the water inside the fish tank until it bursts and hits the back of one of the shooters. The other fires indiscriminately.


    Alex takes the opportunity and puts them one by one into a deep sleep state.


    Megan and Rachel approach the deviants hurt and their right hands turn blue. They cry, beg for mercy. The bleeding stops.


    "Aren''t you the terrorist group?!" an instructor asks.


    He touches his stomach, realizing the blood stopped pouring.


    "Not today," ¨¢nh smiles.


    She recognizes him from her grade when she studied there. Realizing that if he knew who she was before, they wouldn''t picture her with the terrorists.


    "Today as well. You are welcome!" Alex smiles.


    ¨¢nh gets closer to the assassins, uncovers them and takes photos of their faces. Alex skims the mind of one and realizes that Emily Roberts is the primary target.


    "Come. Hide in that room." Rachel leads the instructors and their students. "Block the door. Don''t open it, no matter what."


    "Rachel Moore... thank you!" He smiles.


    The group puts their hoodies back on again and walk slowly through the main hallway.


    "Emily Roberts is the target. They aren''t here to kill anyone else," Alex says softly.


    "We have to find her," ¨¢nh says.


    The silence threatens them, being fully aware that any mistake can make a difference. There are no gunshots, no one''s screaming, and that''s scarier, the anticipation.


    Rachel heads the group. She and Megan walk forward while ¨¢nh and Alex backwards, securing the rear. No sudden moves, silence only.


    They pass by ¨¢nh ''s memorial photo hanging on the wall. She stops and stares at it for a second, she was 22 back then, and the fakeness on her smile is obvious.


    A gunshot ruptures through. It hits Rachel''s leg, she falls to the ground without screaming, holding the pain in. Blood pours out of it, and the worse is that they can''t understand where the shot came from.


    "That was a warning shot. Next one''s straight to the heart!" a woman''s voice says from the inside of one of the rooms in front of them, "don''t come any closer. I have time and weapons. Leave if you don''t want to die!"


    ¨¢nh recognizes it and shouts in Vietnamese welcome!


    Megan and Alex look immediately at ¨¢nh, while Rachel holds her wound tight and Abigail Parker freezes.


    ¨¢nh? She wants to come out of the room right away. No, this is mental control, probably. ¨¢nh is dead... She shoots again, this time against the wall next to Alex and Megan.


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    Rachel looks around, trying to come up with any solution, but deep down, she knows she wouldn''t be fast enough to teleport even if she found out where the voice is coming from.


    ¨¢nh removes the hoodie, and slowly walks forward, passing by Rachel who grabs her leg.


    "What are you doing?"


    "It''s okay, Rach. It''s okay."


    Abigail zooms in with a micro camera, it''s ¨¢nh''s face, but it can''t be real.


    One of them is controlling my mind... she isn''t real. ¨¢nh''s dead. Tears fill her eyes.


    "Don''t come any closer! I won''t say it again! Stay there!" Abigail shouts.


    ¨¢nh takes her phone out, ignoring Abigail''s final warnings, and plays a video of them. A happier day, all the touristic, foolish things on their first day.


    Abigail shakingly holds the gun and comes out, being only a few steps away from each other. She points it straight to ¨¢nh''s head.


    No! Rachel teleports and puts herself in front of ¨¢nh, barely standing, with the blood all over her pants.


    "Rach, it''s okay," ¨¢nh smiles and holds her face.


    Is that... Rachel Moore? Abigail focuses on Rachel''s face.


    Megan and Alex remove the hoodies and come closer with their arms in the air.


    That silver hair, probably the son of Amy Anderson. I didn''t know she had one. So, these are the heirs of the Five. Oh, here''s something no one wishes to see. The Angel of Death in person. A shiver goes through Abigail''s spine.


    "Abigail..." ¨¢nh''s voice breaks her thoughts.


    Abigail raises the gun again, her hands shake, and ¨¢nh goes closer.


    Meanwhile, on the marketing floor, Emily keeps moving around the people who work there. Mostly interns. Jessica Miller, the head of the department, is not there today.


    "We have to take this bracelet off," Jade whispers.


    Scissors, forcing it with their hands, a lighter. Nothing works. Gunshots fire in a distance, and it won''t be long until whoever is out there finds them.


    On the classes floor, Abigail closes her eyes, takes several breaths, trying to stabilize the gun. ¨¢nh is getting closer, she''s almost within arm''s reach.


    "Abigail..."


    "Shut up!" Abigail shouts, "you aren''t real! You!" she points at Rachel, "you are doing something to me, or you!" she points at Megan and Alex, "¨¢nh died! She''s dead..." Abigail falls to the ground and starts breathing faster and faster.


    ¨¢nh finally reaches her, sits on the floor in front of her.


    "How was South America?" ¨¢nh asks.


    Abigail''s eyes widen and she looks at her.


    "¨¢nh? How...?"


    Rachel sees the opportunity to heal her leg, gets up and Alex and Megan are already next to her.


    "I faked it, Abigail. My death."


    Abigail keeps staring at her face and touches it.


    "What are you doing with the terrorists?"


    "Well..."


    "She''s one of us," Rachel says. "Where''s Emily Roberts?"


    "Why?" Abigail looks away from ¨¢nh and focuses on Rachel.


    "Answer the question!" Alex points at her.


    "Emily is their target, Abigail. They are going to kill her," ¨¢nh says softly.


    "On the marketing department. 10th floor."


    "Let''s split up. Alex, head with ¨¢nh outside to communicate with the security corps. Me and Megan will save the puppet," Rachel looks at Abigail.


    "What if the security corps are in on this?" Alex puts the hoodie back on.


    "Right. Let''s call the news, post on every social media, instead, attract enough attention that they won''t move a finger without being watched."


    "There''s no time! Teleport there. I''ll go by myself and meet at home!" ¨¢nh says.


    "I''ll go with you. We''ll take the gun in case we run into trouble," Abigail smiles.


    ¨¢nh smiles back and Rachel laughs, comes closer and stands between ¨¢nh and Abigail.


    "Abigail Parker, if you hurt her, I''ll use your feckless abili-" Rachel looks away, "-ty to kill you."


    "Rachel Moore, the leader of a peaceful movement! I''d never hurt ¨¢nh. If you hurt Emily, I''ll use my useless ability to kill you. Some of us don''t need other''s abilities to be powerful."


    Rachel smirks, grabs Abigail''s hand, and using Megan''s ability, carefully destroys the bracelet.


    "Just in case," she smiles.


    Rachel puts the hoodie back on and they teleport to the marketing floor.


    Emily, Jade, and the marketing department''s interns are stuck in the hallway. The door to the stairs won''t open. They turn around and face three of the assassins.


    "Emily!" one says.


    The interns begin crying. Jade stands tall while the shocks from the bracelet run through her entire body. If only she could activate ability. Save the day.


    "You got me. Let the others go," Emily curls her first, ignoring the pain from the shocks. Time isn''t slowing down; she can''t use her ability.


    "Join us! We will do great things together."


    "Where''s your leader? I''m surprised she isn''t here," Emily looks around them.


    "Rachel Moore has proven too weak. Our movement will make us gods again. You are a traitor to our kind, and if you aren''t to join us, then you aren''t to live."


    Jade holds Emily''s hand, tears go down their faces, and then blood comes out of Emily''s mouth once the first bullet hits her.


    Slow down. Just slow down. She falls to the floor, in pain from the bullet and from the shocks.


    "Leave her alone!" Jade shouts, standing between Emily and the shooters.


    "Get out!" One of them punches her in the stomach and pushes her aside.


    "Any last words, Emily Roberts? What a day. I''m about to kill the world''s most powerful deviant so easily," the assassin smiles while holding his gun to Emily''s head.


    The other two laugh.


    "Excuse me, good morning!" Rachel shows up on the other end of the hallway. "I heard you were interested in killing the world''s most powerful deviant. Not sure why you are pointing the gun to little Emily here. I am the most powerful... she? She''s not even," Rachel starts counting, "the 15th of the world, let alone number one. Ok, maybe 15th most powerful in this room."


    There are only 15 people there.

 Dear other

    "How lucky am I? I''ll get to kill this traitor here," the assassin smiles and moves his gun away from Emily and focuses on Rachel instead, "and the head of the weakest movement our kind has ever seen. Matthew Moore would be ashamed."


    "Bravo! What a meritorious performance!" Rachel claps while laughing hysterically. "You have no powers, and I highly doubt you have the gene. Just some human pretending to be a deviant." her tone drops.


    Rachel looks around to analyze each ability. Jade''s invincibility would be useful to her, but not so much if they shoot Alex or Megan. Telekinesis it is. She absorbs Emily''s ability, suddenly, time goes slower. She sees the bullets slowly leaving the weapon, one by one, in her direction. She stops it with little effort, takes her time to return it. Smiling, almost as if she is seizing the moment.


    When the bullets hit the assassins'' knees and arms, Rachel''s spine freezes. While Emily has massive wounds, to them it is like it''s made of rubber instead.


    Are these bullets designed to be more effective on us? Has science come this far?


    They get too tired from being shot, allowing Alex to control one by one and put them to sleep. He and Megan go closer and take their masks off, photographing their faces.


    Rachel''s right hand turns blue, and she heals Emily''s wounds. Who opens her eyes slowly, still too tired.


    "I''m surprised." Megan tells Rachel while searching the assassins'' pockets for any clue.


    Everyone in the room is also surprised. They thought that the Angel of Death couldn''t speak, since on their videos, she never did.


    "I''m trying not to end up dead." Rachel smiles.


    On the outside of the building, Abigail and ¨¢nh hide.


    "This is Abigail Parker speaking. The Institute is under attack." She hangs up. "It''s time for you to leave. The security corps will arrive soon."


    ¨¢nh nods and begins to walk away.


    "Are you happier... with the terrorists?"


    "I don''t think I am, but I am less unhappy than I was in the Institute."


    "Fair enough."


    "I know it doesn''t make any sense to you, Abigail. I don''t expect you to understand."


    "You''re a very rational person, and I don''t mean because of your ability. I''m sure you had your reasons."


    "I did, yes... But I regret how I kept you in the dark about leaving. You and Aminu. You both deserved better than that."


    "Regrets are useless, ¨¢nh." Abigail scoffs.


    "You sound just like your mother!"


    "Do I? You won''t ever get a chance to tell her this, which is why I can admit it... General Lewis is right 99% of the time." Abigail turns around and starts crying. ¨¢nh comes closer. "Why let me think you were dead?! I''ve been mourning nothing but an earth-shattering lie for three years, ¨¢nh! It never stopped hurting. I miss you every day, and it''s not even real! How could you?!"


    "There were two scenarios..." tears roll down on ¨¢nh''s face too, "You''d either try to convince me to stay and I wouldn''t be confident enough to go, or they would''ve used you to find me. Find them! And if that happened, my parents would know... that I''m just a traitor."


    Abigail wipes her tears with the back of her hand, "what about a third scenario, uh?"


    Despite her ability, ¨¢nh couldn''t find the answer. There wasn''t a third option. Back then, she ran the possibilities. That was it.


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    "One that I would''ve come with you. Join the terrorists too."


    "You couldn''t!" ¨¢nh''s voice breaks.


    "Why?!" Abigail looks away.


    "Abigail, you''re incapable of going against your parents. You wouldn''t leave them. You told me for years that as soon as you ended your education, you''d leave. Like Veronica and Zach left. Your parents let them live their lives, but not you. No! You''ll stay with them forever. You''ll never make your own choice in life, they keep making it for you, and they always will."


    Abigail bites her inner cheek and looks back at ¨¢nh.


    "Fair enough. This is goodbye then. Don''t worry, ¨¢nh. I''ll find a mind controller to wipe these memories clean."


    "No! Memory wiping is too dangerous. You''d put yourself through that for nothing, who knows who saw or heard us on the hallway? It''s time for me to deal with my choices, Abigail. Even if I disappoint my parents in the process. And, hey, there''s no need for you to keep mourning," ¨¢nh smiles.


    "No need to keep mourning..." she holds back her tears. "You''re out of my life. The only difference is that I know that you''re alive and well, less unhappy, but I''ll keep mourning your absence."


    ¨¢nh breathes deeply and looks away.


    "You really need to leave now, ¨¢nh, and I have to let you go."


    "Abigail... I really wish things were different. Thanks, and I mean it, for everything, not just today."


    Abigail hugs ¨¢nh tight and pushes her to force her to leave.


    ***


    Alex and Megan signal Rachel that there''s nothing of use in the assassins'' pockets and that it''s better to head out before the security corps arrive. Using Alex''s mental control, Rachel puts everyone but Emily, Alex, and Megan to sleep.


    "Emily Roberts."


    Devil. Emily tries to open her eyes wider, but everything hurts.


    "Save your energy, we have little time left. Help is on its way, I mean if you trust them, I wouldn''t. Do you recognize me, Emily?"


    "Devil."


    "That''s one way to put it, but think a bit harder, please."


    Emily looks at her face and scoffs.


    "Rachel, we have to go," Alex taps his wrist pretending to wear a watch.


    She uses Alex''s ability to search through Emily''s memories and shows the girl what she means. The moments in Emily''s childhood and adolescence in which she experienced someone else''s feelings other than her own.


    Dear other, I wish I could share part of your pain, or even make it all go away.


    Rachel stops when she stumbles on that memory. How young Emily wanted her to stop being in pain, how she''d now be more than happy to cause it.


    "You." Emily''s eyes widen.


    "Yes, me. A higher entity, or evolution, or whatever else you want to call it, brought us together. We shouldn''t be on different sides. This attack is the work of your government. They are testing on us, developing weapons like these that specifically target us. Be careful, Emily. Your status won''t protect you anymore. I wish you''d join us," Rachel says in Emily''s head.


    "What does she mean with you, Rachel?" Alex asks.


    "Nothing."


    Nothing... right... Alex taps his wrist again.


    Megan looks at Emily and Rachel, analyzing every detail.


    "Until we meet again, Emily Roberts. Stay safe," Rachel gets up, meets Megan and Alex and they teleport back home.


    "Where''s ¨¢nh?" Alex asks Diego.


    "She isn''t with you?!" Diego shouts.


    "I''ll call her," Please.... Be okay.... "¨¢nh, where are you? Okay..." Rachel hangs up, "Alex, go get her. Diego, we need to have a little chat."


    ***


    "Why are you here?" ¨¢nh sees Alex waiting for her.


    "Rachel asked to come get you. Let''s go."


    "I don''t need your help."


    "Of course not, you never do. Earlier, you only asked my help because you were desperate to get to the Institute as fast as we could."


    "And that why you did it, wasn''t it? You loved seeing me like that, or to make Diego angry. One of the two. It wasn''t because you cared, because you are incapable of caring, Alex."


    "¨¢nh, I told you what happened to Amy. How she died. No one deserves to be in a situation where they are helpless. That''s why I went with you."


    "I thought that was just a story you made up. One of many, just another lie, like everything else."


    "Not everything was a lie. Today was too much, going to the Institute, seeing Abigail. If you need to-"


    "Don''t you dare finish that sentence. You don''t get to ask me if I need anything. That''s a privilege that you don''t have anymore."


    They walked back to their home in silence.


    On the evening news, children cry, and their parents denounce the horror faced. When will the pain stop? Haven''t the likes of the Moore''s done enough already? Set back the country years. Pretending to represent the entire deviant kind when they are nothing but a loud, violent minority.


    Several theories fill up the news channels, specialists are invited to comment on the upscale of violence from this new group of terrorists.


    A massacre in an institute had never happened worldwide. What does it mean for the country?


    "My children," a woman being interviewed says, "are dutiful deviants. They respect the rules of society. Because of Rachel Moore, of the Angel of Death, of deviants that don''t want peace, they could be dead now."


    "Thankfully, the security corps saved the day," an instructor says, "if they hadn''t arrived, what would''ve happened?"


    The government accused an unnamed group. The connection to their liberation movement was yet to be determined, but it was a possibility that shouldn''t be ruled out.On everyone''s mind there was no need for a confirmation: they were one and the same.

 Foolproof

    "Where are you headed, Abigail?" Mark asks when he sees his daughter walking toward the front door of their house.


    "To visit Emily...?" Her eyebrow''s frown. It''s highly unusual of him to keep tabs on her.


    "Shouldn''t you be resting? With everything that happened yesterday..."


    "I''m still shaken, dad, but it''s probably better for me to keep my head occupied anyway. And I want to be there for her. It was awful for me, but I can''t imagine what she went through."


    "Ok, I see your mind''s made," he smiles, "if you want to... you can take the Shelby."


    Mark means his most precious car, a vintage model that Rebecca gave him to celebrate the birth of their first child, Veronica.


    Her eyes glow and she hugs him. He laughs and asks only for it to be returned intact.


    Rebecca parks the Bentley when Abigail passes in the direction to the garage, showing her the Shelby''s keys.


    Abigail turns off the engine outside of the Robert''s house and takes her time to get out of the car. Rehearsing what to say to her friend.


    Emily, we need to talk... I''m afraid... The attack on the Institute...


    Ten minutes later, she gives up and decides to improvise instead. She rings the bell and Mary hugs her and holds her face.


    "Abigail, cher, come in! Emily''s upstairs. Go ahead."


    Mary heads to the office where Thomas is. She closes the door behind her.


    "Thomas, we need to talk," her tone dropped from the usual chipper, "yesterday... was it the Council?"


    Thomas looks up from his laptop to meet her eyes.


    "How can you ask that?!" He lowers his voice, but his tone remains as sharp. "Emily could''ve been killed! How can you think that''s something we would''ve done. That I would''ve allowed it! Of course not!"


    "The Council organized the attack on the Day of Peace. I just thought this one was their work as well."


    "Don''t. Edward, the president, they are grateful for everything that Emily has done. They would never hurt her or us. This was the work of a terrorist group."


    "This was stupid of me. You''re right. I can''t believe the thought even crossed my mind."


    "You can''t go around thinking those things. This is what the terrorists want, to create chaos. I mean, after what they did to each other. Killed the entire Ariston community out of spite. Is it so strange that nothing has changed?"


    ***


    Abigail sits on the side of the bed. Emily''s still in pain and slowly stands up a bit.


    "How are you?"


    "Terrible... I''m in pain and couldn''t sleep last night. Every time my eyes shut... they were there. I''ve never felt so powerless." She looks at the bracelet. "We''re building a better world, and all of this will be worth it, but I almost didn''t make it. And the thought of being unable to defend myself was-"


    "I''m frightened."


    "Yesterd-"


    "No, for our future!" Abigail lowers her voice. "If it wasn''t for Rachel Moore, the Angel of Death, and Amy Anderson''s son, you wouldn''t be here now."


    "How... how do you know that they were the ones who saved me? Amy Anderson?" Emily tries to think it through. "Oh, the man! That makes sense, Anderson had silver hair, he has it too."


    "I know because... I send them to you when they were on my floor."


    "Abigail, they are terrorists! I wouldn''t be surprised that they worked together with the assassins. That''s what the government is saying that we can''t rule out a connection between the groups. Maybe this was all an elaborate plan for me to join them. Rachel Moore asked me to. She tried to manipulate me."


    "How?"


    "Do you remember the strange feelings that I had when I was younger?"


    "Yes, you thought it was the deviant connection. And either it wasn''t, or that person died. You stopped having those."


    "I did. The person didn''t die. It''s her. She made me focus on those memories. How would she know where to look? Well, she is Rachel Moore, after all... It''s not impossible that she has been following me around and looking into my memories and using this to try to force some connection with me, for me to join her."


    Stolen novel; please report.


    "Maybe it''s her."


    "Even if it''s her. She cut our connection years ago. Why bring it up now?"


    "Why do you say that? When was it?"


    "Let me think... It was in the year that I turned 16."


    "Rachel Moore has two abilities. If I were an evil mastermind like Matthew Moore, I would have my daughter carry out the fatal flaw almost at its limit. The closer to 16..."


    "The more powerful the new ability will be... sure. Your point?"


    "Maybe it wasn''t her that cut the connection, but the fatal flaw! Either way, it doesn''t matter. What matters is that you had it for years. You felt all from one another."


    "All that I felt was pain. She''s that rotten!" Emily tries to stand straight but stops because of the pain. "And she has an agenda. Even tried to convince me of ridiculous things, how the government tests on us. Tries to kill us." Emilly rolls her eyes. "Devil."


    "What if it isn''t ridiculous? I don''t know who to trust anymore."


    "Abigail, please tell me insanity is a side effect of yours, because if not, you''ll be tested. The first deviant to experience human diseases!"


    "I''ll leave you to rest."


    Abigail leaves and receives a text message with some coordinates. When she goes to the park nearby her house, she finds a package from her favorite bakery, inside a croissant and an old phone with a text saved: hope we can stay in touch! Love, ¨¢nh.


    ***


    Jade knocks on Emily''s bedroom door and sits next to her.


    "Yesterday was... intense. You could''ve died, Emily. And that scared me, sure, but more than that, it made me feel so stupid."


    "You''re not stupid. Don''t say that."


    "I know that I''m not. But I felt like it, because there we were, in a life-or-death situation and yours felt like it was too much of a possibility. Everything, all our history, seems futile in comparison. Our trip to Africa and how I treated you there."


    "Not just Africa. For too many years now, Jade. You always pull me close and then apart."


    "You''re right. I think it''s just... we''ve become too familiar with one another. Like, I know that you''ll always be there for me no matter what. And instead of appreciating that, instead of treating you like you deserve, I''ve taken it for granted."


    "I don''t know what you want me to say." That I feel like a fool whenever you decide we are done. With no explanation. That I feel worthless when you ignore me.


    "If you want me, I''ll try harder this time; I know now that we haven''t worked because of me."


    Jade looks at her and Emily holds her face with a smile.


    ***


    Rebecca goes inside her house, takes off her hat and walks toward her husband.


    "Really, Mark? I thought you loved that car more than us."


    "It''s so silly to care more deeply about things than people. How mad are you? From I-could-kill-you-now to I-will-unleash-hell-on-earth?"


    "Jokes won''t help. We agreed yesterday that it was better for Abigail to stay put here for a while. I leave your sight for two seconds. Two! And you let her go? I can''t even imagine the possibilities, if I left you two for a whole day."


    "She''s heading to the Roberts to see Emily. It will be good for her. Staying put doesn''t always mean being safe, Rebecca."


    "I don''t agree with you. Here we can watch her. I talked to Mary earlier today. They are heartbroken. I can''t put myself in their shoes, how much pain they are in. Those monsters were nowhere near my baby..." her voice breaks, "and I''m so scared."


    Mark hugs her tight and they stay there for a while.


    "Should we call the president?" He grabs a drink and pours one for her too.


    "Which one? The country''s or that idiot Madeleine?"


    He mouths both.


    "Either will be useless. They''ll just make up excuses, and I bet whatever you want that in a few days, we''ll have a request for more funding. This time to..." she waves her arms around, "reinforce security."


    "Well, Emily is supposedly the number one. They almost killed her. I guess it''s better to secure the funding, no? With the bracelets, they are at a clear disadvantage to any attack. Any luck with the NGOs?"


    "They''ll organize some protests, but don''t believe that it''s possible to shift the public opinion on this."


    "Why not?"


    "For every ad we pay, Emily''s smile promoting the bracelet is worth much more effortlessly."


    "But with the massacre yesterday."


    "No one cares, Mark. Deviants tried to kill other deviants. Humans don''t bat an eye that some were defenseless. They only care that one day, sooner than later, all deviants, especially the bad ones, have to use the bracelet."


    "Maybe we should just leave. Head to Eurasia. Things are much brighter there."


    "I love your optimism." She smiles. "Always have. But you know the bracelet will go there in a few months, years, if they''re lucky. They tolerate deviants there, it''s not acceptance. We''re always one political mess away from them having fewer rights than before. Eurasia isn''t foolproof. Their people have just forgotten the last war. Ours is still too fresh in the collective''s memory, and Rachel Moore and her army make it worse."


    "When I realized the other day that Abigail is 25 already... it sank in."


    "What did?"


    "That we''ve been doing this for 25 years and nothing has changed."


    "That''s not true."


    "Who''s the optimistic now? How can you say that anything that we''ve done has made a difference?"


    "I can say it because I''m being realistic here. When I was born, if I had the gene, I wouldn''t be considered my parents'' heir. Now, when we die, Abigail has the same rights as Vero and Zach. They are equal in that aspect! We wouldn''t have gone to school, if we were deviants. She has."


    "She has studied only on institutes."


    "Because we made that choice! We thought, and that was a decision we made together, that having her with her peers, with other deviants with abilities would be the best for her. She could''ve gone to any school after the war."


    "Yes, Rebecca, after the war! Abigail was ten already. Do you think that any deviant that went to it with that age or older had any chance to keep up with the humans? Any chance to actually learn when they hadn''t for years?"


    "I''m not looking at 2013. I''m talking about now, and now they can go to school, they can have jobs."


    "No one hires them!"


    "We do!"


    "Yes, Rebecca, and that''s exactly my point! Because Abigail tested positive, we care. Because until that point, we didn''t. And while we do everything in our power, we hire deviants, we sponsor the Institute, we pay for educational ads, we sponsor NGOs, we finance the entire campaigns of representatives that support deviants, and let''s not even talk about how we manipulated information to have the last presidents elected-"


    "Well, I don''t regret doing it."


    "I don''t either. All that I''m saying is that after everything we''ve done... I still don''t see a better future for Abigail."

 Destroy my home

    Megan sits under a tree on the university''s campus and looks around. Many students pass by, commenting on the massacre that happened on the Institute. They share their theories about it. It has been the most debated theme for a few days now.


    The woman with the red shoes, sandals today, leaves a building. Three others join her. They are younger than her. They talk for a bit outside and Megan can tell that both the boys and the girl are flustered. They hide it as well as they can, and the woman with the red shoes either doesn''t notice it or pretends not to.


    She waves them goodbye, setting a firm distance between them as she puts her hand covering the sun hitting her dark brown eyes. She takes her also black sunglasses out of her pursue and puts them on. As soon as she turns her back on them and starts walking they keep watching her leave their sight.


    Megan won''t follow her today, she wants to, but a more pressing issue, one that she has to discuss with Rachel, is the priority of the day. When she gets back home, she pulls Rachel to her room.


    "I thought we had no secrets."


    "Megan, I respect that you''re a person of few words. But sometimes more is needed. I don''t understand what you mean."


    "The connection between deviants with powers. I always thought that was a myth."


    "Oh, that." Rachel looks away for a bit. "It isn''t. When I first felt it, I thought it was my side effects, but I told my aunt, and she said that her and my mother had it too, and that it stopped when she committed the fatal flaw. Same with me and Emily Roberts."


    "Why haven''t you said anything?"


    "Because we are entitled to our privacy."


    Megan''s eyebrows raise immediately, and she crosses her arms.


    "Privacy, eh? Want to call it that?"


    Rachel scoffs and looks away for a second.


    "Where were you until now? I know you won''t answer me, Megan. See? I don''t ask you about the human that you keep following around, because you are entitled to your privacy."


    "Please, it''s not the same and you know it." Megan looks directly to her eyes. "Anything else that you are hiding from us?"


    "From you, Megan?" Rachel points at her and lowers her voice. "Or from them? There''s a big difference on the answer depending on who I''m keeping something from. This Emily Roberts thing didn''t feel necessary, that''s all."


    ***


    Meanwhile in the living room, ¨¢nh walks around, talking to herself, ignoring that Alex is in the room reading.


    "I can''t believe they are making up this new extremist group!"


    She taps her left foot making too much noise. Alex takes a deep breath and tries to focus on his reading.


    "And people just buy it... They weren''t using any power. Just regular guns. But sure, they are deviants. Of course!" She shouts.


    "¨¢nh..." He closes his book. "Humans fear all deviants, even those who have no powers. We know this was fake, but to the regular person, the government says they''re deviants, so they are. No one questions the most comfortable explanation," he taps on his book.


    Diego opens the door to the living room, ¨¢nh meets his eyes.


    "¨¢nh, can we talk?"


    "Perdon, amigo! I am staying. You two find somewhere else to have this... difficult conversation." Alex dives back into his book and stays on the couch.


    ¨¢nh hesitates at first but gives in and follows Diego. They sit on a bench on their garden.


    "Why would you put yourself in danger like that?"


    "Innocent people were in danger, Diego. We had to do something. We couldn''t just leave them to die."


    "Ok, and why you? Rachel''s the most powerful. Megan is the Angel of Death. Alex can teleport. What use could you have in a fight? All that you do is... math."


    ¨¢nh looks away and moves a bit farther from him.


    "My power matters. Even when your loop of self-hatred and shame cloud you."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "Shame?" He laughs. "This is about you, ¨¢nh! You are selfish! You didn''t think of me. How you hurt me by leaving. You abandoned me!"


    "I''m tired of this! This thing that we do. We keep going in circles. I didn''t leave you!" She turns her back at him for a moment, holding back her tears. She turns again. "You made your choice to stay! You could''ve come with us, but you decided it was okay for them to die!"


    "And why not? They are responsible for our awful life!" He gets up and faces her.


    "We are responsible for our lives! We make our own choices on how to live." She takes a few steps back.


    "None of this is my choice, ¨¢nh! I didn''t choose for Megan to destroy my home! For her to kill... mi padre! Mi madre! Mi hermanita! Y el amor de mi vida! Qu¨¦ sabes tu sobre eso, ¨¢nh? T¨² has abandonado tus padres."


    For her to kill... my father! My mother! My little sister! And the love of my life! What do you know about it, ¨¢nh? You left your parents. Tears roll down her face as she keeps repeating it in her head.


    The love of his life. A tittle that belonged to a dead girl. A love that no one could compete with.


    "Everything you just said... everything..." ¨¢nh''s tears keep falling. "I understood. I never said I knew exactly how you felt, Diego, and what you went through. But how dare you? Saying that I abandoned my parents, like it was easy for me. How dare you?"


    He leaves and ¨¢nh falls to her knees. Her crying gets louder and louder. She looks up and meets Alex''s eyes as he stands on the window. He shuts the curtains.


    ***


    At a four-star hotel, the Council gathers in time. The president of the United States of America and the advisors weren''t asked to participate on this meeting.


    "Everyone, I can''t even begin to express my disappointment. We had everything in our hands... and we lost it. Such a monumental failure! A bunch of children outmaneuvered us-" Edward starts to say.


    "Sir, we will find a solution. Our department is already working on new scenarios."Laurence looks around in his papers. "We do not know how the terrorists found out about the operation, but we are inquiring, and there are no news or social media posts about them saving anyone."


    "Obviously!" Edward hits the table with his hand. "At least the marketing department works well since the rest of you are a disgrace! Imagine if the headlines were The Angel of Death saves the day."


    "The weapons worked, sir," Thomas smiles.


    "Against a deviant, a weapon must kill, Thomas. Not tickle."


    Thomas reminds the room that Marianne is the one who developed the bullets.


    "Strategy, how''s the mind wiping going?"


    "Wiping, sir?" Saif looks around the room, and Laurence avoids his eyes.


    "Yes, I don''t want a single trace of gratitude for those terrorists in anyone''s mind."


    "Wiping has devastating long-term effects on deviants, sir."


    "Have I stu-tu-tu-tte-red?!" Edward throws the cup of water against a wall. "The official version is that the security corps killed the terrorists!"


    "But-" Saif continues.


    "Shut it, Saif!" He points at him. "I''ll leave the number one and two out of the wiping, but those are the only exceptions." He turns to Madeleine and takes a few short breaths. "Madeleine, you must explain to them that they are our future. They must ensure that every deviant in the world knows what they felt at that moment. How they could''ve died and only the security corps helped!"


    "What about En Nagoyan, sir?" Laurence gives up trying to find the papers.


    "Who?"


    "A former student of the Institute. The wiping has shown her with Rachel Moore, the Angel of Death, and an unidentified male. They talked to Abigail Parker on the hallway. Should we expose En Nagoyan as a member?"


    "No..." Edward takes off his glasses. "Let''s just add her to our list and monitor her family and friends to see if she contacts them."


    "What about Abigail Parker? Should we wipe her memory?" Madeleine asks.


    "I''m surrounded by idiots. We wipe her memory, and next time she heads to Eurasia with her parents, if they have a more talented mind controller, they''ll know we wiped. Of course not!"


    "What about the terrorist group?" Laurence asks.


    "I''m tired of them. They have served their purpose. I want them all dead." Edward pours himself a glass of whisky.


    "Edward!" Madeleine waves, "is that necessary? I know the terrorists are super annoying, but they are useful. People hate Rachel Moore, she''s the daughter of Matthew Moore, who they also hated. I just think that people have grown attached to that little monster. If it''s a new leader of a new terrorist group... people will be like ''why do we hate them?'' right?"


    Why am I being contradicted today by even freaking Madeleine? Since when do you care so much about anything other than your latest cosmetic intervention?


    "They are a nuisance. We have to eliminated them. Madeleine, your only job is to talk to our girls. Stick to it. And everyone else, stop being so incompetent!" With a last shout, Edward ends the meeting.


    Marianne''s temperature drops to below zero. Edward no longer tolerated their group. They would hunt them and she knew it was a matter of time until they found them.


    You could''ve lived an entire life hidden, Megan. Why risk it all and come back from the dead? To fight for what?


    Marianne stays behind to pack her things, her thoughts keep racing, until Thomas grabs her arm.


    "I love a good turn of events, don''t you?" he smiles.


    "Please don''t waste my time." She takes his hand off and looks at her wristwatch.


    "Well, Marianne. Let''s see. My daughter will live to see another day and yours will in no time... die."


    "Oh, Thomas. Your ingenuity never fails to humor me. Today she is of worth to them, but yesterday wasn''t, and tomorrow... who knows? The Angel of Death is not my daughter, and it already cheated death once. I pity whoever they put in charge of trying to kill it."


    "It isn''t such a threat anymore. Fifteen years have gone by and can''t use death. We all know that."


    He pours a glass of whisky and offers to her. She smiles, takes the glass and puts it away.


    "Her pacifism is just an act. If she could use her ability, she would. Probably there''s even a limit to the fatal flaw. Her act was so atrocious that even God said, ''that''s enough''." He laughs and grabs the glass. "I''m crossing my fingers that I''ll be one in charge of killing it!" He smiles, drinks a bit, and meets her eyes. "Using one of your superbly developed bullets. Ones that work better than now, of course."


    "Oh, Thomas." Marianne laughs. "When we get to a certain age, we don''t experience anything new anymore. Everything is just something that we have lived before. And yet... here''s something that I haven''t seen ever, even on the Great War, a deviant willing to kill another with a human weapon."

 That day

    Diego sits by himself on the living room. His back faces the wall, but he still flinches whenever a noise disturbs the quietness of the room. No one can show up behind him and see what he''s typing, but still, he quickly changes the screen of his laptop to show the deviant forum instead.


    He''s used to hiding what he''s really up to, so now, even when he''s alone, he still can''t trust that no one will catch him.


    Most times, when he pretends to be posting on the forums and talking to people interested in joining the movement, he''s actually only messaging the survivors of the Ariston community.


    He''s writing a new message in Spanish, trusting that the automatic translator will honor his words.


    "Whenever I look back to that day, it puzzles me how it started as the best day of my life, the one that nothing could ruin and how quickly it turned into a nightmare-"


    A soft blow of wind opens the window next to him. He quickly changes the screen while holding his breath. Diego looks around one more time and changes the screen back.


    "One that I find myself trapped in since. I know, brothers and sisters, that you want revenge. But I urge you to change your target. Some of you have criticized me for being part of the movement because of the Angel of Death. I haven''t found yet who was responsible for the massacre, but I guarantee you, please trust me on this, it wasn''t her."


    He pauses and deletes it wasn''t her.


    "She killed our family, but do we care about the executioner more than the mind behind it? Do we not want to find out who planned it? Who ordered our death? Do we not want justice? I admit this, I also-"


    The door opens wide, and Megan faces him. He nods and smiles even. She takes her time to grab a glass and pour water in it. Drinks it slowly while looking at the white wall, ignoring him. She washes and dries the cup and goes away.


    "I also wish she was never born."


    ***


    January 2010


    On the poorest part of New York city, Diego, his sister, mother, and father gather on their one-bedroom house. His father has some news to share.


    "I met with the leader. He told me that we could stay with them and only asked in return that I''d join the fight and Diego too when he turns 16," he says in Spanish.


    "What about me and Camila? Do we have to stay behind?" Diego''s mother asks.


    "No. You are coming too."


    "We''re not deviants."


    "That''s ok, they accept everyone."


    "Sebastian, I''m not sure about this. You''d have to fight..."


    "We can''t keep running from the authorities. If they catch us, what will happen to Diego and Camila?"


    "I''m afraid, Sebastian."


    "I know, they have no problems with defectors. If we get there and think that it isn''t our place, we''ll leave. I promise."


    They moved to the Capital and never left. Camila and Diego made friends, and Sebastian healed the injured deviants and the ones in charge of keeping the illusion that protected the community from the outside world.


    Their life was almost perfect, and for a moment they forgot what was like before, when they were afraid of their own shadow.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    On his first day there, during the welcoming party that the community organized, Diego exchanged a look with Jasilyn, the daughter of Xiuhtezcatl, their new leader. The girl waved and he looked away, blushing. He wanted to, but for the next few days ignored her instead of talking whenever he saw her passing by. Which happened more and more often, not a coincidence at all, she was actively trying to catch his attention.


    One month later, he saw her crying on her own next to the school. He went near her and made his ears enormous and his nose too small. Laughing replaced her tears and they became inseparable.


    Jasilyn wasn''t a deviant, but she felt their pain, having watched her people come back wounded or not even coming back at all. War was always present, and only Diego had the power to take her mind out of it. They would spend a good part of their days looking at the clouds and discussing which shapes they could see.


    When Diego turned 16 in 2012, Jasilyn feared he would be put in the front lines, changing the appearance of their soldiers. Xiuhtezcatl convinced the entire community that Diego should be in charge of supply missions.


    ***


    On that April day 2013, Diego gets up earlier than usual, he hasn''t slept all night.


    "Should I do it, father?" Diego''s foot keeps tapping and he holds his leg with his hand to stop it.


    "You love her, she loves you. If you are old enough to go to war, you are old enough to make your own decisions. If that''s what you want, you should ask her. I''m sure she''ll say yes."


    "Tomorrow I''ll buy the ring." Diego''s eyes fill with tears.


    "Diego, what do I always say?" He smiles and puts his hand on the boy''s shoulders.


    "Don''t take tomorrow for granted," they both say it at the same time.


    "Yes, buy it today. You''ve been working hard; buy something she''ll appreciate. When you see it, you''ll know. I wish Camila could come with you, but she has a full day at the school today."


    His father hugs him, which takes him by surprise. While he was extremely caring toward Camila, to Diego a smile was already too much show of affection. The hug and the words were perhaps a shift in their relationship, a new direction that Diego craved for years.


    Diego passes by the school on the way out and tells his sister what he''s about to do, she gives him some hints on which ring to choose, telling him straight away, between laughs, to choose the opposite of what he thinks it''s pretty.


    He changed his appearance, not that it was needed, but it gives him a sense of safety. His brown hair turned blonde, and his dark skin completely white and left the community toward the city center.


    The cars horning and the people shouting aren''t as stressful to him as it once was. It took some time to get used to it but having spent more time on the city and across the country than at home for a year now, he could now go around unbothered.


    His English improved greatly because of all the people that he came across throughout his journeys, but he still felt a bit too self-conscious and preferred his mother tongue. The interaction on the jewelry was straightforward, and he practiced it on the day before.


    As he walks inside the store, he''s immediately taken aback by the different rings, sizes, colors. The shopkeeper notices it and comes to his rescue.


    "Can I help you, sir?"


    "Uh... s¨ª, yes... I''m want buy a ring for asking marrying."


    "What kind of ring would she like?" The woman asks in Spanish.


    Diego smiles, all his nerves dissipate, and he explains in Spanish what''s Jasylin''s style, how she wears the simplest of clothes and still looks beautiful.


    "I have a few in mind, come take a look." She shows him three different options.


    Diego''s eyes glow, he pictures the rings on Jasilyn''s fingers, her smile when she tells him she accepts him forever.


    "They are all so beautiful. I can''t choose."


    "I work here for 30 years, my advice... just follow your heart. It has brought you here. You know deep down which one she''ll prefer. And this is what I do for a living, but it''s less about the ring and more about who hands it to you. Keep my secret safe!" She winks at him.


    He laughs and thanks the woman for her kindness, surely, she wouldn''t be so kind if she knew where he came from. He ended up choosing one and left the store with a gigantic smile on his face.


    When he starts walking back home, something strange happens, everyone around him is glued to their phones, some even crying. The entire street stopped. Their expressions are blank. He asks a woman near him what''s going on and she doesn''t react.


    "What happens?" He shakes her.


    "The... terrorists..."


    Diego keeps shaking her.


    "They... they were slaughtered."


    "Who? Five?" Please say the Five.


    She shows him on her phone the video of Megan''s blue light firing in every direction, the bodies piling up on the floor, then a white light that destroys everything. He recognizes it, but that can''t be true.


    The video keeps repeating and each new play feels more surreal than the one before.


    He walks away, slowly, clumsy hitting the people as he passes them by. Every few steps he has to stop. He tries to focus on a point, but everything is blurred. His ability turns off and he goes back to his appearance. Just two more steps, there''s an alley coming up. There he''ll be safe.


    He turns right and enters the alley, falls to his knees, and throws up.


    When I get home, it''ll all be okay. This isn''t real. I''m either imagining it or it''s fake. I''ll go back home, and everyone will be there waiting for me.

 Youve taken everything from me

    February 2017


    We have AA. Are you in?


    Diego reads the text message during his lunch break. He keeps reading it, as if the words would magically change.


    He looks to the rearview mirror on his van. His forehead wrinkles keep getting bigger, how is that possible? He focuses on it and with his ability they disappear. He checks out his biceps and doesn''t understand how they look so small, when he works out every day.


    With one punch the van''s steering wheel squeaks. He fixes his muscles, making them bigger and smiles at the result.


    None of it, the wrinkles or the biceps are real. Ever since that day, Diego never stopped using his ability. He would change his appearance most days, and even when he wasn''t disguised, he wasn''t pleased with what he saw in the mirror. The wrinkles, that no one else saw, because they weren''t there. He would fix. The muscles that were big enough already, he saw them too small. He would fix.


    That Diego could control. That he could fix.


    Later that day, after work, Diego picks up an older man. They drive in silence for over an hour. The man tells him in Spanish to park the car.


    "What are we doing to her?" Diego asks.


    They are a few blocks away from their target: Amy Anderson. One of the Five.


    "To her? Just ask her where Matthew is."


    "Why the guns, then?" He points to the bag the man carries.


    "Do you know who she is, Diego?" He scoffs. "What she''s capable of?"


    Diego doesn''t.


    "I''ll tell you this about her. She committed the fatal flaw when she was eight. Eight! What a monster. What kind of child does that? The good thing," he laughs and pats Diego on the shoulder, "is that it''s why her second power is so weak. She can only stop time for a few seconds. We''ll strategically stand on several parts of her house. If she tries to escape using it, we''ll catch her. Now," he looks at his watch, "repeat the plan back to me, so I''ll know you understood it."


    "I''ll post a live video on the forum telling Matthew Moore to show up. If she doesn''t tell you right away where they are hiding, I''ll keep filming and when you come out with her, I''ll show her on the camera."


    Diego follows him. When they approach the house, more than forty others are there, all armed. Like he was told, Diego starts filming the house, following the script that the group had written for him.


    They quietly enter Amy''s house and start positioning. The man that was with Diego before and ten others slowly go up the stairs. They go room by room on that last floor, and finally, on the corner of a bedroom, next to the closet''s door, stands a woman. She raises her hands when their eyes meet, her brown eyes are in tears and her silver hair looks almost white with the moonlight shining on it through the skylight.


    The room that she''s cornered in is of a teenage boy. They can tell from the decoration.


    "Amy Anderson, remember me?" the man asks, and silence fills the room. "I''ve asked you a question."


    "Silence is a clear enough answer."


    "We are the Ariston community and we''re looking for Matthew Moore, and the one they call the Angel of Death."


    "Well, isn''t everyone?" she scoffs, "hey, if you do see Matthew, ask him to pay me back. I''ll take 100 dollars for starters, just to show some good faith, you know?"


    "Amy Anderson," he clicks his tongue, "I can see it in your eyes that you know you''ve lost. You can try to use your power, but you are too weak. You won''t get far. That''s what happens when you do what you did at such a young age."


    "It''s always ''she''s too weak because she committed the fatal flaw when she was so young'' and never ''why would a child do it?''" her voice grows louder.


    "We don''t care about why. We only care that it''s too weak to be useful. We are not afraid of you."


    "Man," she whistles and with her hand pretends to wipe the sweat of her forehead, "that makes one of us, because I am, you know, afraid of myself. The things I''ve done..." she snaps her fingers and points at him, "you''ve seen some of it. And let''s be honest here, without my amplification, we would have lost the war on its first year."


    "Enough of your nonsense!" He slaps the door. "You always saw yourself as a goddess. But look at you now! Tell us where they are, or we''ll make you!" He points the gun at her.


    "You''ll kill me? Is that it, Gabriel?" She smiles.


    "I knew it..." He keeps his gun pointed.


    "Man, we fought side by side, and here we are." She looks up to the skylight. "Isn''t war always so ironic?" She looks back at him. "Friends turn into enemies; enemies turn into the best of comrades. Out of respect, I''ll say this once and nicely: my niece isn''t the Angel of Death."


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "She is!"


    "Why? Because Matthew said it? Because the president said it? What a coincidence, right?" Her voice raises several pitches, she takes a short breath and goes back to her normal tone. "Your leader negotiates a peace treaty, and your entire community..." she makes the sound of an explosion and mimics it with her hands. "And the biggest coincidence of all, was that nearby your community, which the president, allegedly, didn''t know where it was, several soldiers were doing a ''military exercise''", she laughs and holds her belly. "I''m sorry, man, I just can''t say it with a straight face. I''ll try again. A mili-", she laughs again.


    "Shut it!" He hits the door several times, each one louder than the one before. "Matthew Moore was angry that we betrayed you. He sent his daughter. The videos that you mention, of the troops nearby hit by the white light are fake!"


    "Are fake?" She keeps laughing and tears roll down her face. She takes several deep breaths. "Do you hear yourself? You, idiots! His daughter is an element controller! The person who did that... person... child, is not my niece! The child who did that, did it out of vengeance. That was personal!"


    "Shut it!" His hands tremble and the gun keeps moving away from her momentarily. "You would say anything to get out of this situation!"


    "Yes, anything." She pushes her silver hair back. "Including the truth. She''s not the Angel of Death, Gabriel. The president lied. Matthew lied. Realize how mistaken you are and leave my house..." her shoulders give in for a bit.


    "Why would Matthew lie about that?" He goes back to steadily holding the gun.


    "Why would he lie...? Why... would... he..." She straightens her back and laughs on his face again. "I''m sorry, is this the first time you heard of him, is that it? Do you need a crash course on Matthew Moore?!" She paces around and he tells her to stop. She looks at him. "Why does Matthew do anything? Because he sees an opportunity in it. He''s a bit short sighted, if you ask me, but he was pressed against a wall and saw the opportunity to scare the world, even if it costed your support. Which, well, he didn''t have it already, so."


    "Those are lies!"


    "I''ve been meaning to ask, but the chance hasn''t come up until now, so forgive my poor timing..." she smiles and bites her lower lip. "How badly does it hurt? That even after he admitted to killing your people, there are still countless others who look up to him like he''s some sort of savior. It must hurt like hell..."


    "Enough! You are coming. Is the boy hidden on that closet?"


    "No, he''s not around. You know how teenagers are, he''s turning against me. Sneaking out at night. You have... two? Three? They were lovely," she smiles, "are they around? I''d love to see them again. Oh... please tell me they didn''t," she fakes a tear, "die on that day."


    "No, they were away from that mess. We''ll rebuilt our community, and we want our hearts to be at peace when we do. We need our revenge."


    "Man, I see your mind''s made, Gabriel. Again, you are mistaken, but I do know that nothing that I''ll say will change my fate. Since I''ll mostly scream after I leave with you, right? You''ll torture me," she contracts her throat and makes noises, pretending to be in pain, "let me tell you about my fatal flaw," she smiles.


    "You''re stalling, Amy. Waiting for Matthew to come."


    "Please, man. If my life depends on Matthew Moore, I''d rather die," she pushes her hair back, "but if he does come, isn''t that what you want? Two more minutes. Just let me tell you this, no one knows about it other than my sister, and it seems fitting."


    She sits on the chair nearby her and he keeps holding the gun. The other men wonder why Gabriel is allowing the monster to do what she pleases. Is it some debt? Has she saved his life during the war? Were they together at some point? Too many possibilities for them to go through.


    "Deviants with powers born on the same day, they share this special connection. I think mine and Amanda''s was stronger because we''re twins. One night, when I was eight, I felt an excruciating pain that was hers. I ran to her room, and a dear family friend, looking out for us while our parents were away for a week, was on top of her..."


    She stops and takes a few short breaths.


    "He was a mind controller, so he was preventing her from using her strength to... well, we''re all adults here... to rape her. I''ve never felt so much hate, that was mine... that feeling. The urge to kill him overcame me. Man," she looks away for a bit, "I knew that if I killed him, if I hurt him like I wanted to..."


    She looks up to the skylight and smiles.


    "I knew that I''d commit the fatal flaw and everything that comes with it... the earlier death, the pain for the rest of your life... the regret... But it was Amanda..." her voice breaks and tears fill her eyes once more. "What choice did I have, Gabriel?!" She shouts. "My own sister..." she wipes the tears and take a long breath. "I amplified his power the most I could, and that must have felt great to him, until it didn''t," she smiles and curls her fists. "Until his side effects appeared, and several veins popped on his brain," she makes a pop sound repeatedly.


    The rest of the men, all but Gabriel, look to each other in disbelief.


    "Man, that wasn''t the prettiest of sights, I can tell you that. All this to say one thing, Gabriel..." she sniffles, "that''s me. That''s who I am. I will always, always, put my people first. I''ll burn everything to the ground, including myself, if that means keeping my people safe. You can''t have my niece. She''s innocent and I won''t let you hurt her," she laughs again.


    "You won''t be able to protect her," Gabriel starts moving forward.


    He''s almost an arm''s reach from Amy when time completely stops for everyone but her.


    She only has eight seconds. It takes three to go to the closet and open its door widely, two to get near the bomb, one for a tear to fall, one for her to smile and the last one, for her to push the button.


    The quietness of the night makes Diego shiver, any moment now they would leave the house with Amy Anderson. He was against hurting her, but his vote in the matter wasn''t considered. Diego keeps the phone as steady as he can, waiting.


    The explosion throws him to the floor, the phone falls, and breaks. The once quiet neighborhood fills with people curious, calling the police and shouting. He runs back to the car, with a few scratches on his arms and legs. His heartbeat is going through the roof, he feels the breath shorten and holds his chest in pain.


    ***


    A few months went by, Diegos tays in touch with the children of those who died on those days: the day ofthe massacre and the day that they tried to get Amy Anderson.


    He sees on the news that the president killed Matthew Moore and Amanda Anderson. The last terrorists, they said. Confident that Matthew lied and that his daughter, the Angel of Death, died on the massacre.


    A few months later, Diego is working on a construction site when he sees a video going around online. The introduction of a movement for the liberation of deviants. Led by Matthew''s daughter and Megan Grant, the Angel of Death.


    Is that you, devil? That''s your face? You can''t hide yourself forever. I will find you and I will make you pay. You''ve taken everything from me.

 A power struggle

    September 2028


    "Girls, I''m so sorry for everything that happened. The Institute failed you. No, no... I! I failed you," Madeleine Clark''s high-pitched voice trembles.


    She excuses herself and wipes her tears.


    Emily and Jade were both invited to her office. Her perfectly expensive decor fills the room. She rambles about it, how she decorated it herself and how now and then feels the need for a revamp. Asking the girls if they like it. This entire floor is hers, the last one on the Institute. The elevator needs a code to open the door and a security guard stands on the hallway.


    "You are the future of our world, and that future is in jeopardy. I shouldn''t be telling you this. You are only children... but... you are the most powerful. I have to!"


    She closes her eyes, takes several deep breaths, and pours the girls some heavy drinks.


    "There''s a power struggle between terrorist movements. Rachel Moore''s position is being questioned. We must find all terrorists, on both sides, and end them all! I need you..." she smiles, "the president needs you! The country needs you!"


    She pushes the glasses closer to the girls and they grab them.


    "You have to explain to everyone what you experienced on that day. Everyone needs to know the hell you went through because of those monsters! We''ll prepare some interviews about it, have special merchandizing against the terrorists. Jessica will organize everything!"


    Madeleine goes around her desk and stands behind the girls, puts both hands on their shoulders.


    "You have to emphasize the truth: the good deviants are on our side. The others, and whoever agrees with them, are enemies of the world."


    A few floors down, Abigail is walking as fast as she can to reach her office. Her phone notifies her of a new e-mail, sent by ¨¢nh, with the photos of the five assassins. Finally on her office, Abigail goes carefully through the photos and recognizes one. She''s seen that face before but isn''t sure when.


    She exits her office and walks slowly to her classroom. Taking several deep breaths on the way and stopping for several seconds before entering.


    How are the children after what happened? Some of her students were there on the day of the massacre. They had to hide, stay quiet, wait for all the violence to end. Remember what you practiced yesterday, if they have any questions, you''ll know what to say.


    She enters with a fake smile.


    "Morning, Miss!" they all say in unison.


    Where are the tears? They are shouting and playing with one another. Where are the questions? They are acting as if nothing happened.


    "Waterfall!" Abigail says.


    The children make a shh sound and sit down.


    "Today we''ll discuss the foundation of the new terrorist movement. Who can tell me their names and abilities?"


    "The leader is Rachel Moore. She is the world''s most powerful deviant!"


    The children around make fun of the answer.


    "She claims to be. But I can also say that I have brown eyes when I don''t. One thing is opinion, and another is the truth. What are her abilities?"


    "She is an element controller and steals other deviant''s abilities."


    "Steals?" Abigail''s left eyebrow raises.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "Yes, Miss! My parents told me that when she absorbs the ability from another deviant, the deviant gets weaker. She steals part of their ability forever!"


    "I don''t know about that, Sylvia, but it is true that we can''t trust that monster. What about the other members? The top ones!"


    "The Angel of Death has the ability of death and life."


    "And the third one?"


    No one could answer.


    "Diego ¨¢lvarez, he betrayed the Ariston community and made an alliance with the Angel of Death. He can morph his and other''s appearance. Maybe he is here... is that you, Diego?" Abigail pinches a student, and everyone laughs. "Rachel Moore and the Angel of Death founded the movement in 2017, after one year they had how many members?"


    The answers vary from 20 to 50, Abigail tells them that only ten, but they now have 120 members, and is known that most of them have two abilities.


    "Miss, if they have two abilities, won''t they be punished? My parents told me that the fatal flaw kills who did it."


    "Yeah..." another student jumps in, "my parents told me that whoever has the fatal flaw is in terrible pain."


    "That''s what they deserve! No one should do the fatal flaw!" Another student says and most nod.


    Does committing the fatal flaw makes someone stay in pain for the rest of their life, or they had it already and that''s why they committed it? Abigail''s neck tightens.


    When the day ends, Abigail notices that one of her students, from the class of 10 years, has forgotten their laptop there. She knows they need it for homework. Abigail goes back to the lobby, greets the security guard, passes by the machines in the entrance that deactivate her bracelet, and heads to the dormitory to hand it.


    ***


    Back upstairs, Jade and Emily leave Madeleine''s floor and go down to the marketing floor. The elevator door opens, they pass by some colleagues, and Jade pulls Emily into one room. It''s empty, the girl smiles and locks the door, kissing Emily instantly.


    "Emily, I''ve been thinking," she looks deeply into her eyes, "we should post about being officially together. I mean, number one and two most powerful, what a power couple!"


    "Why don''t we stay in our bubble a little longer?"


    "Why? We''re adults, we care for each other, there''s nothing else in the world that matters more to me. Why wait?"


    Emily takes a step back.


    "Ok, but before posting, let me just talk to my parents and Abigail -"


    "Took you long enough!" Jade takes a step forward.


    "Sorry?"


    "For her name to come up. I''m sure she''ll be thrilled. Try not to let her manipulate you into breaking us up."


    "She wouldn''t."


    "Emily... she''s in love with you. Always has. You''re the only one who doesn''t see it."


    ***


    Later that day, the receptionist gives Abigail the information that their room is on the fifth floor. She knocks on the door, the child thanks her and she leaves. The elevators are occupied, and Abigail takes the stairs instead, she sees an older man, in his fifties, talking to a 16-year-old girl. Because of the echo she can understand their conversation.


    "I told you, I''m a friend... just tell me what happened," he says in a soothing tone.


    "I don''t know you, leave me alone," the girl tries to leave, but he pushes her against the wall.


    "The president of the Institute asked me to come and talk to some of you. I know you experienced pain. Being shot, having your friends shot..."


    "Whatever... The terrorists saved us. Rachel Moore saved me. I want to forget all about it. Leave me alone!" she tries to leave again.


    "That''s why I''m here. To help you forget, forget all the pain, all the misery..."


    The man grabs her head. The girl fights it at first but gives in easily. Abigail knows what he''s trying to do, erasing her memory.


    She shouts to attract his attention. The man sees her and runs. Abigail asks the girl if she''s okay, she tells her to go after him. Abigail shouldn''t, and part of her, her parents'' voice, Zach''s and Vero''s image, tell her to stay put. But she needs to learn the truth. No matter how.


    She knows she can catch him. He keeps trying to block her path and exits the dormitory through a backdoor. When she finally catches him, her head starts hurting and the ringing begins.


    Not now...


    She sees everything around her spinning and falls to the ground. The man looks back and starts heading in her direction.


    Just get up.


    She sees him walking toward her.


    He grabs her and throws her against the wall. Puts his hands on her neck and chokes her. He begins going through her memories. She closes her eyes, and when they open again, he stops grabbing her. His eyes are blank, and inside his mind, the true terror starts.


    Abigail sees it all playing out. She used her ability, the mental loop on him, and he''s stuck on a nightmare that can''t wake up from.


    She grabs her phone and calls ¨¢nh, in tears explaining what''s happening. Her hand drops it when she sees that he threw himself out of a 20-floor building. All happening on his mind, but he collapses in real life too.


    No, no, no.


    His heart stops beating.


    Five minutes later, a car parks near her, she sits on the floor next to the body, pressing his chest. A woman with dark shades and blonde hair comes out of the car.


    "I... didn''t... want... to..." Abigail keeps pressing his chest.


    Rachel takes her hands and lays her down on the back seat, covers her with some clothes that she has. She shuts down Abigail''s phone. The sun is still out, she can''t risk anyone seeing them and drags the body to the trunk.


    She gets in, puts her seatbelt, looks at Abigail and starts driving.


    "It''ll be okay."

 Logical assumption

    The park in which Rachel stops the car is known for headlining the news now and then with some violent crime. Most people wouldn''t dare to go there, and Rachel thought it would be the best place to get rid of the body.


    She gets out of the car, takes her wig off, and drags the body out. It''s a chilly night in early September, the moon is nowhere to be seen, covered by dark clouds. It''s the perfect scenario to get rid of the body, she concludes. Abigail joins her, dressed in an oversize hoodie she found.


    "When does the Angel of Death arrive?"


    "Megan..." Rachel scoffs, "why would she come?"


    "For you two to save his life."


    "She''s talented, that''s for sure. But not even her can bring someone back. It''s impossible. Once they are dead-"


    "Maybe he''s still alive!" Abigail''s voice gets louder.


    "He isn''t," Rachel whispers.


    "We haven''t checked!" She kicks some dirt in Rachel''s direction.


    "I don''t need to. For me to absorb a power, I have to identify it first. If he was alive, I''d know. I''m getting rid of the body, and if this is too much for you to handle, go away!" she softens her tone of voice, "but stay close enough so I can see you."


    "You have done this so many times that you know the drill already."


    Rachel takes a deep breath and is going to burn the body when Abigail laughs. First, timidly but it keeps getting louder.


    "Are you insane? Stop it! We can''t attract attention!"


    She covers Abigail''s mouth with her hand and the girl bites her.


    "Leave me alone!" Abigail pushes her. "What? Nothing?"


    Abigail pushes Rachel again and makes her trip and fall. Rachel cuts her leg on a broken branch. Abigail goes over to help her get up, but Rachel slaps her hand instead.


    "What the hell?!" Rachel slowly gets up in pain. "Just use your stupid power to control your emotions."


    "No."


    "Okay, then, you leave me no choice. I''ll do it for you. I''ll make you all happy and fluffy. One second."


    "Don''t you dare!" Abigail closes her fists.


    Rachel backs off.


    "What do you need, Abigail? Because I need you to control yourself... we can''t attract unwanted attention for obvious reasons. I''m here to help. You''ve already shot me once, now you make me trip and hurt my other leg. Will you stop making my life harder than it already is?" She takes several short breaths. "Please."


    "Just another day on the job for you, right? Dealing with dead bodies... they keep piling up. How many have you got on your record? One thousand?"


    Rachel rolls her eyes, turns around and drags the body to an open area. She forms flames on the body and creates a bubble with wind around it to keep the fire contained.


    She grabs a bottle of vodka from the car, sits nearby on a trench and nurses her wound. Abigail asks her for the bottle to drink and Rachel refuses.


    "I''m genuinely curious. What''s your number? Is your goal to reach the body count of daddy dearest? Or the entire Five? Rachel Moore, no one can say that you aren''t ambitious!" Abigail shakes her head.


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    Rachel focuses on her wound, ripping part of her t-shirt to use as a bandage.


    "So many you can''t even remember, right? I don''t think I''ll ever forget this person." Her voice gets weaker.


    "What about his victims?" Rachel looks briefly to Abigail. "He''s responsible for wiping out the memories of rapes, murders, and whatnot. All for the highest bidder. He''s not exactly talented, so you can imagine the sort of consequences that he left on those poor souls."


    She holds her wound and disguises her pain.


    "And for your information, not that you''ll believe it. You have made up your mind already about us. But I killed three people in my life, and I remember it. Wish I didn''t..." Rachel''s voice trembles for a moment.


    I don''t believe you.


    "If this deviant was such a piece of work. Why haven''t you got rid of him? You are powerful enough! The world''s most powerful!" Abigail''s voice raises several pitches.


    "We''re not vigilantes. We just want equal rights."


    "You''re a hypocrite. That''s what you are."


    "Sure, whatever you say. I''m curious too. How did you kill him? No signs of suicide, so I''m ruling out emotional control."


    "I put him on a mental loop, he killed himself there and that gave him a heart attack or something like it on real life."


    "You forced him to kill himself there?"


    "No, I can only define the sort of scenario of the mental loop. The rest is the subconscious that takes control over it."


    "Abigail, you didn''t kill him. This death is not on you."


    Abigail looks away and tears stream through her face.


    "It''ll strengthen me, no?" She wipes her tears on the hoodie.


    "What do you mean?"


    "What doesn''t kill you-"


    "Doesn''t make us stronger. Pain never does. Trauma just leaves you traumatized. Dealing with the aftershocks for what feels like forever. Shadowing the glimpses of happiness that we can have. We make ourselves stronger despite it all, not because of it."


    They sit quietly for a bit. Rachel focuses now on the body to stop feeling the pain, not from her leg, but the burning sensation she has inside. Her entire body burns.


    "Can I ask you something?" Abigail looks at her and Rachel nods. "Did you break your connection with Emily?"


    Rachel laughs immediately and tries to contain it.


    "You are the one who self-entitles as ''the most powerful deviant in the world''," Abigail uses air quotes.


    "And I am. But not even I am powerful enough to break that connection. It was the fatal flaw, after I did it, I stopped feeling her. The same thing happened to my aunt. She told me."


    "Of course, they were twins... The fatal flaw was my theory too!" Abigail''s entire body vibrates, and she tells herself to be serious. "There''s so little that we know about it."


    "Deviants with powers are already a minority, two or more being born on the same day is a rarity. Also, there''s no interest in studying it. I don''t know why it broke the connection, I guess someone who commits the fatal flaw doesn''t deserve anything. Such a deep sense of understanding and empathy."


    "Forget I asked," Abigail shakes her head and bits her lower lip. Can''t believe that I considered for a second that you could actually be decent. You''re so manipulative. "There''s always an angle with you, isn''t it?"


    "One second with me and you have it all figured out." Rachel pushes her wound.


    "You know I committed the fatal flaw, and now you''re using it against me."


    "I know that you have two powers. If it''s because of the fatal flaw or not, I wouldn''t know."


    "It''s the logical assumption."


    "Some of us learned to read on the run, Parker. Logical thinking may be a class on the institutes, but not everyone has the chance to learn it."


    Abigail scoffs.


    "Of course it isn''t getting you lot anywhere, is it? The logic that is being taught there is deeply flawed."


    "How dare you?!"


    "I don''t believe that I deserve a deep connection because of my fatal flaw. That doesn''t mean that you don''t. Committing the fatal flaw is a matter of circumstances, not of character. Don''t let anyone tell you otherwise."


    "Who would tell me otherwise? Other than my parents, no one knows about it. My parents took care of it. Which always means the same. Throwing money to whoever knew about it. They moved me away from Belgium to France for a fresh start and that was it. Made me promise that I''d tell no one. But that isn''t why I didn''t tell Emily, for example. I didn''t because she wouldn''t understand. And ¨¢nh and Aminu I didn''t tell them because I was..." she stops talking and looks down.


    "You are ashamed of it. I could tell when you thought I''d say abilit-ies."


    "Why didn''t you?"


    "It''s not my place. In my world, it''s also a source of shame, Abigail. But we accept it as a part of ourselves. In yours, everyone is too afraid of being an outcast. I wasn''t sure if there was anyone around listening to us. I wouldn''t risk exposing your secret."


    "If you expect a thank you for doing the bare minimum of humanity," she faces her, "look someplace else."


    The body''s finally in ashes. It''s time to leave. When Abigail gets up, she remembers where she saw one of the assassins before. In a bonfire on the Roberts'' house. It was on Emily''s eighteenth birthday. The boy and his father oversaw the bonfire, they worked there in the garden.

 Death sentence

    Rachel uses her ability and plays with the ashes, making a little dance in the air. When she turns around, her aunt hides in the trees looking at her, and that sight makes her flinch.


    Seeing Amy doesn''t always bring her comfort, especially when Rachel knows that she''s judging her. Like now, helping someone like Abigail Parker would be something that Amy would never do.


    "What are you looking at?" Abigail notices that Rachel''s stare is fixated.


    "Nothing," she quickly looks away, "let''s go?"


    They silently head back to the car. Rachel starts it and Abigail calls ¨¢nh and puts her on speaker.


    "Abigail, are you okay?!"


    "Yeah, I''m okay. We''re heading back now..." Abigail looks to Rachel, "Can you give me a ride to the Institute? I left my car there."


    Rachel sighs and nods.


    "Maybe you should come here. Alex can check your brain and see if the man did something to you."


    What now, ¨¢nh? Seriously? How can you put our secrecy in jeopardy?


    While Rachel tries her best to hide her discontent, Abigail notices it.


    "All good. He only accessed my memories, didn''t erase them. Have you found the identities of the shooters?"


    "I did two seconds ago; I''ll send them to you."


    "Please..." Abigail taps on the seatbelt, "I think I know one of them."


    "If you do know... don''t do anything, please."


    Abigail smiles.


    "Rach, you are too silent..."


    "Everything''s okay, ¨¢nh. I''m just tired. It''s late already, we''ll talk tomorrow."


    "Yes! I was waiting for you so we could see our K-Drama. Tomorrow it is." ¨¢nh''s voice squeaks. "Abigail, stay safe."


    "Stay safe." Abigail hangs up. "K-Drama?"


    "What?" Rachel keeps her eyes fixated on the road.


    "Nothing, nothing... I just..." Abigail tries to hold back the laughter, "didn''t think that the leader of a terrorist movement had time for a show."


    "Sometimes a girl needs a break from all the terrorism." Rachel smiles. " ¨¢nh loves it, so I watch it with her. It makes her happy. It''s the first time that I''m watching a show."


    "I know she does. We used to watch it too. How..." Abigail scratches her forehead. "How''s this the first one you are watching? Didn''t you watch anything when you were growing up?"


    "No. First time watching television."


    "How...? What did you do with your time? That''s so weird."


    "I trained."


    Abigail focuses for a moment on the road instead.


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    "¨¢nh is right, if you confirm that you know one of the assassins, let us handle it."


    "She''s clearly better with you, isn''t she? I can tell from her voice. I knew she wasn''t happy at the Institute. We tried to," her voice breaks, "but to leave everything and become a terrorist. I didn''t think that she was that miserable."


    "It''s a possibility for you too. The becoming a terrorist, joining us, I mean." Rachel looks momentarily at her.


    Here it is... another glimpse of your true nature. She doesn''t care... Her goal is to recruit people. Don''t believe anything she says.


    "Emily said that you tried to convince her. Now me."


    "What can I say? I''m just a good Samaritan. The door is open if you want to."


    "Just stop it!" Abigail stomps her feet and takes several deep breaths. "I know you don''t mean it... Emily''s ability, that you want. Sure. But mine... are useless. You just want me to convince her to come along. Don''t pretend like all abilities are important and that you want everyone to join you. It''s a lie, and I can see right through you."


    "You shouldn''t say that about your powers."


    "Out of everything I just said, that''s what you focus on?" Abigail avoids looking at Rachel. "Also, you said my ability was useless when we met. Remember?"


    "We have to be proud of our powers. It doesn''t matter what everyone else may say. And that..." she looks at her and softens her voice, "it wasn''t personal. Emotional warfare is part of being a terrorist. The door is open for you, even if Emily doesn''t come along."


    "Sure. Don''t you have enough people already?" Abigail scoffs. "It must be tiresome to lead 119 people."


    "We are five," Rachel says softly.


    "What?"


    "Five. We are five. Not 119." She says it a bit more loudly this time.


    Again with the manipulation, I''m so tired of all these lies.


    "Sure... five." Abigail rolls her eyes.


    "The three poster children that keep showing up on the videos. ¨¢nh, obviously, and Alex. You met him on the other day. Ten years of movement and we are five. Okay, online we are much more, but in realit-"


    "You expect me to believe that the big terrorist movement..." she elevates her voice "the one that everyone is so afraid of! Is you, your cousin, ¨¢nh, the Angel of Death and Diego ¨¢lvarez?"


    "Megan. Her name is Megan!" Rachel grabs the steering wheel tightly. "And I don''t have a cousin... wait, you mean... Alex?"


    "He''s the son of Amy Anderson, no?"


    Rachel laughs for a beat and shakes her head.


    "Because of his silver hair? Parker, there''s a thing humans invented called hair dye. His parents were the Williams, you know? The other two members of The Five. I mean, we were a family in a sense, but he''s not my cousin."


    "And following up on this, pretending that I'' believe you."


    "Believe whatever you want, Parker."


    "Why would you be just five?" How ironic.


    "It''s difficult to convince people to join. Megan is part of the movement, so we have a lot of deviants who criticize us. They oppose the system, some even hate humans, but they''re against Megan more. Some other, sure, they want a new order, more rights, but they don''t want to be terrorists. They want to live comfortable lives and play fantasy at night on a screen. Joining us... is a death sentence. We look over our shoulders whenever we leave the house, even when disguised."


    Rachel parks the car away from the cameras. She can see Abigail''s car from there. Next to it, are Matthew and Amanda, shaking their heads.


    "¨¢nh asked me to help you today. There''s no favor that you need to return if you''re worried about it."


    One day she''ll ask you for something, and you''ll have to say yes to blindly.


    "I can give you something in return-" Abigail shuts the car door.


    "There''s no need."


    "If I hear someone in the Institute being against the system, I''ll refer them to you."


    They smile for a bit and their eyes meet. Abigail immediately looks away.


    "Rachel... I''m sorry about your leg... legs, actually," she takes a short breath, "but well, I could''ve shot you in the heart and tonight you kind of deserved it. I just hope we never meet again."


    "I guess there''s no class on how to apologize on the Institute. Do us both a favor and stay out of trouble," Rachel rolls her eyes.


    Abigail heads to her car and drives off. Rachel follows her, making sure she gets home safely.


    ***


    On the other side of town, Megan is in a known area of drug dealing. After the failed attempts of following the people connected to the Institute, she decided to spend her nights going through the most dangerous parts of the city. Seeing if, in some abandoned building, there''s a secret lab. She''s about to leave when she notices the red shoes.


    What are you doing here?


    Megan''s eyes fill with water when she sees her clearly buying drugs from a dealer. She has to take several deep breaths to stop her from hopping off the motorcycle and kill the man with her bare hands.


    Why would you do this to yourself? How reckless can you be?


    How unfair to blame the others for not measuring up to the image we created of them from a safe distance.

 Playing with fire

    ¨¢nh keeps playing with her food instead of eating it. She''s by herself on the living room, watching the Vietnamese news. It''s still early in the morning, not even eight. Usually, Rachel would be up by now and keep her company.


    It''s almost nine when she finally gets there, with her hands behind her back, hiding something. She tries to get ¨¢nh''s attention, but the girl either looks away, hiding her tearful eyes, or focuses on the news instead.


    "I have something for you..."


    ¨¢nh looks at her and forces herself to smile. Rachel shows her hands, a beautiful white lotus flower, ¨¢nh''s favorite. Rachel hands it to her and a genuine smile now appears.


    "It''ll take time, ¨¢nh, but your heart will heal," Rachel creates little drops of water and surrounds the plant with it, making them dance in the air.


    "Thank you..." ¨¢nh puts the plant down and hugs her, "I''m sorry about yesterday, Rach. I know it wasn''t easy for you." She notices Rachel limping. "What happened to your leg?!"


    "I... fell. It''s okay. She was in a tough situation and needed your help. I just hope she knows how lucky she is to have you."


    "She does and so am I. The Parkers are the kindest. Truly. They treated me as if I was a member of their family. Paid for my trips during the holidays and took care of my parents after my death. Abigail''s siblings are amazing too. I miss them."


    "Still..." Rachel sits down next to her, "they''re the biggest supporters of the system as it is."


    "I know what you mean," ¨¢nh turns off the news and turns to her, "but none of it is their responsibility. It''s their parents'' choice. Rach, children aren''t responsible for their parents'' sins."


    Aren''t they?


    "It always makes me laugh when I remember how me and Abigail met. Have I told you how?"


    Rachel shakes her head.


    "When I first got to the Institute, she was my designated welcoming student. Some older girls were mean to me, they destroyed my shoes..." ¨¢nh''s voice cracks, "she hit them with a broom."


    "God, that woman has no limits! And they say we are the terrorists!" Rachel laughs. "Do you want to... watch our episode?"


    ***


    Across town, Emily parks outside the Parker''s house. Ever since yesterday that her social media is blowing up. Jade posted a photo of the two of them, holding each other, back when they were 16. The not-so-subtle description of what is truly yours always finds a way back resulted in an avalanche of reactions. Even a hashtag and video montages of Jamily''s best moments.


    Abigail welcomes her in, and they head to her room.


    "Where are your parents?"


    "China. Thankfully, I convinced them to let me stay here. Kateryna is probably reporting back to them."


    "Have you seen the socials today?!" Emily''s smile widens.


    "What? Oh, yeah, sure, whatever. Emily, I called you here because we need to talk about something serious."


    "Well, what do you think about it?" The girl looks at her.


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    Abigail sits on her bed, realizing that she can''t avoid the topic.


    "Great."


    "That''s... that''s it? ''Great''?"


    "Emily..." Abigail sighs loudly. "You are too old to play games. Hopefully, this time it''ll be it." Here''s hoping this will-they-won''t-they will finally be over.


    "Can''t you be a little more supportive?"


    I don''t care... who cares, really?!


    "Emily, I''m sorry, but I just can''t. I''ve seen this derail over and over. So, I''m sorry. I hope this time is different for your sake."


    "Why would you say that?!" Emily paces around. "Why can''t you just be happy for me?!"


    "I am happy for you and wish you two nothing but happiness," Abigail says, trying to not sound fake. "Now, Emily, I saw the photo of the assassins."


    "The assassins... how?" her eyebrow raises.


    "That doesn''t matter. What matters is that one of them is the little boy whose father was your gardener."


    "Mateo? Don''t be ridiculous. My father got them a job in L.A., they had family there and moved. That boy wasn''t a deviant."


    "Neither were the assassins, probably. Emily, I know that it''s him..." she clears her throat. "Someone confirmed his identity."


    "I''m starting to worry about you. You should have your head checked. First deviant to have a tumor!" Emily scoffs.


    "Yesterday, I had a mind controller trying to kill me."


    Emily''s jaw drops and Abigail keeps telling it like it is nothing.


    "He wiped up the memories of the terrorists helping the people on that day. Someone doesn''t want them to think that Rachel''s group saved the day."


    Rachel... first name basis? What''re you getting yourself into?


    "That doesn''t mean that it was something orchestrated by anyone other than her. Why have the memories of their manipulation?"


    "Emily!" Abigail takes a long breath, "memory wiping has terrible lifelong effects. Don''t tell me that Madeleine..." she laughs, "not Madeleine, she''s too dense. Someone else did it only so they wouldn''t join the terrorists? They would spin it. Like that, that it was Rachel''s plan and there is no second terrorist movement."


    "Rachel Moore set in motion a plan for me to join her. Her army''s gigantic, but I''m the most powerful. She needs me."


    A gigantic army... of five.


    "We need to know what is happening! And your father may very well be in the center of it," Abigail tells her.


    "So what? You want to follow my father around?" she laughs loudly.


    "Not with his hyperawareness... but Joshua, on the other hand, he works for him."


    "Joshua? Are we talking about the same Joshua? My brother? That''s ridiculous."


    "Can we just do it for one week? If nothing comes up, we''ll know for sure."


    Abigail asks ¨¢nh for help with the tracker and tips. Every day, as soon as they leave their busy schedule, they follow him around. Mostly just her. Whenever Jade called, Emily disappeared and wouldn''t come back later, as promised. Unsurprisingly, it was the force of habit that Abigail watched for years now.


    They started on a Monday. It was Thursday night already. Abigail promised Emily that they''d only follow Joshua for a week. The approved timeline was almost over and nothing worth noting happened.


    Abigail follows him to an abandoned building complex on a sketchy part of the capital. The sort of area that the Roberts wouldn''t set foot in. She tries to contain her enthusiasm. This is the most exciting thing the boy has done so far, but it could mean nothing.


    Several other cars and a van park too. They drag body shaped black trash bags from the van to the inside of the building. A shiver went up Abigail''s spine. It could still be nothing, right? Just some dolls or just a poor taste packaging. Everyone starts carrying long briefcases and this she''s sure: those are weapons cases.


    She texts Emily. The girl doesn''t answer right away, and Abigail decides to call her repeatedly. Despite understanding the urgency in Abigail''s voice, Emily takes well over one hour to do a 15-minute ride.


    Abigail signals her to turn off the lights and park near her. They can''t see what''s happening inside.


    "Let''s go nearer." Emily uses her phone''s zoom to try to see through the windows.


    "We have no idea how dangerous they can be. What if they catch us? Will Joshua save you?" Abigail grabs her phone, turns it off and does the same with hers.


    "Well, Abigail, got a better idea?"


    "I''ll ask for some help."


    "From whom?"


    Emily''s fully aware of the answer already.


    "The terrorists."


    Rachel Moore, that''s who you mean.


    "It''s official: you clearly lost it. Should I even ask how you have their number?" Emily''s voice sharpens.


    "It doesn''t matter, Emily. Right now, they''re our best chance of finding out, safely, what''s happening there!"


    "Nothing is happening! Joshua and his friends are out partying, probably doing several drugs, and that''s why they are doing it here. That''s it!"


    "I know what I saw! There were bodies on those bags. Stop being in denial!" Abigail whispers.


    "Denial? You have no idea what you saw. You''re just delusional. I''m out of here. Be careful, Abigail, you''re literally playing with fire. One day that devil will ask you for something in return, and you''ll regret it for the rest of your life."

 A disappointment

    Rachel arrives at a bar near their place, walks in, and everyone recognizes her. There''s a band playing and even the singer smiles at her. She needs to get her head off the past couple of weeks. She approaches the bartender, and a drink is given to her. A woman nearby smiles, and Rachel smiles back.


    ¨¢nh calls her and she steps outside to answer. Abigail needs help, her help, once again. Rachel closes her eyes, takes several deep breaths, relaxes her shoulders and in less than ten minutes, meets her.


    "Can''t stay away from trouble. Unfortunately for me."


    "Trust me, I didn''t want to see you again, either. Even prayed that you wouldn''t show up when I asked for help."


    Abigail crosses her arms and Rachel stands in a distance.


    "Don''t be angry at ¨¢nh for helping me."


    Rachel laughs shyly, trying not to attract any attention.


    "¨¢nh didn''t do anything behind my back. Our searches for this secret lab were going nowhere. This can be nothing, or it can lead us to find out more. Alex and Diego tracked him while you were too busy. It was a team effort."


    "I''m sorry if I had to work!" Abigail scoffs. "Ok, good, then I don''t have to apologize. What''s the plan?"


    Rachel opens the trunk of her car and takes out an expensive camera with a lens.


    "Are you going sightseeing?"


    "I''ll find a spot to see what''s happening in there."


    "That''s it?" Abigail''s eyes widen and she smacks her tongue. "You''re just going to take photos."


    "What do you expect me to do, exactly?"


    "Storm in there... literally... if you want."


    "I can''t do that, Parker. I have no idea what expects me there. Also, there isn''t anyone to save. You said it yourself. It''s just bodies. If I see anything different, then I''ll do something about it. Right now, the plan is for me to go there and take photos."


    Rachel closes her eyes and takes several deep breaths.


    "Park near the Benjamin Franklin bridge. I''ll meet you there. If I don''t show up in, let''s say, two hours... go home."


    "No! You came here to help me. I won''t just leave you." Abigail''s voice breaks.


    "I came to find out more about them. Parker, I''ll only go there if we have this much clear. I can deal with the dangerous of the situation, but it''ll be harder for me, if I''m concerned about your safety. Who knows if there''s anyone else is around?"


    "Shouldn''t you call the Angel..." Abigail clears her throat, "... Megan Grant? Safety in numbers and all."


    Megan would be a liability. Rachel has a feeling that she is about to watch something unpleasing. But to Megan, it could be triggering.


    "No need. I''ll deal with it myself. Most powerful deviant and all, remember?"


    Abigail protests a bit longer, but eventually gives up and drives off.


    Rachel slowly approaches the building, trying to understand which is the best viewpoint. She goes around, climbs a ladder, and finds the perfect spot.


    There''s no limit to your evilness.


    One hour later, she parks her car near Abigail''s, puts on a blonde wig and some hoodie. They sit on a bench by the river, people walk by peacefully, some for a late-night jog, others simply enjoy each other''s company on the wonderful weather. Live bands playing in the nearby bars can be heard.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "What happened? Did you take photos? Went in there? Have they hurt you?!" Abigail keeps bombarding Rachel with questions after seeing her face.


    The girl''s stare is blank, and her sarcastic tone is nowhere to be found.


    "I took photos. That was it. Just some photos." Rachel''s eyes fill with tears, and she curls her fists. "Should''ve done more. But I can''t just be reckless." Her face drops to her knees. "Too many people depend on me. Not 119, though," she laughs.


    "Rachel..."


    "I can''t just get into a building and shoot fire and ice. What was the expression you used?"


    "Storm."


    "Right. That too. I just can''t. I wish I did there."


    "What happened?" Abigail puts her hand on Rachel''s head and quickly takes it out.


    "They were about 20. They had the weapons from the massacre on the Institute. And you were right. Bodies. If I had to guess, because of the damage the bullets did to them... deviants. They put them on this harness, with this sort of electronic device; it moved the body around. Played some drinking games and betted. Whoever failed the shot had to drink. They laughed through it all." Tears pour down on Rachel''s face. "The deviants were nothing to them."


    ***


    "Thomas, can we talk?" Saif knocks on his office.


    "Sorry, Saif. I''m too swamped now. New testing of weapons tomorrow morning!"


    "It''s important." He closes the door. "The strategy department found some disturbing footage. Some of our employees have taken during this week weapons. Have you authorized it?"


    "No, they probably took them to practice at home. Get better."


    "That''s against the rules."


    "Of course, I''ll take care of it. Thank you."


    "The morgue was supposed to burn the remains of our specimens early today. When the mortician arrived, the bodies were gone. Edward wants me to lead a team to bring the bodies and the weapons back. We have located several of the employees'' phones in the same place. I''ve postponed it the best that I could, but we are heading there in thirty minutes. You should go there first."


    "Why?"


    "Because I have orders to terminate the employees. No matter their rank. Even Edward''s advisor is there."


    "That''s unfortunate."


    "Your son is there, Thomas. Get him out without drawing attention."


    Thomas gets there right away. Calls his son and tells him to come outside. Joshua replies that he isn''t home and Thomas tells him he knows exactly where he is.


    As soon as the boy steps outside, Thomas grabs him and drags him to the car, drives away for a bit, but close enough that they could see the building.


    The boy protests and Thomas just turns off the light and waits. Less than ten minutes later, an entire team shows up armed.


    "What will they do to them?" Joshua''s lips tremble.


    "The protocol is to have them die peacefully, then they''ll stage their bodies. Suicide, a robbery, gas leak... Laurence has a wild imagination."


    "We... were just practicing."


    "You have alcohol in your breath, your pupils are heightened. Several one-hundred-dollar bills on your left pocket. All put together-"


    "Enough with this display of your stupid ability! We played a game, whoever hit more bodies would win. I was doing well. You''d be proud."


    "Do you think this is a game?!" Thomas hits the steering wheel. "Those aren''t dolls to play with!"


    "Such a hypocrite... Fine for you to torture and experiment on them, but you draw the line when they are dead?"


    "One thing is necessity, Joshua, another is some sick pleasure. You are such a disappointment. I can''t even look at you right now, can''t even call you son."


    ***


    Rachel cleans her tears and takes a moment to notice her surroundings. How everyone seems to live a peaceful life but her. How they go around their days. Eager for the weekend to enjoy life to the fullest. Making plans without being afraid.


    "If I had to guess, Joshua Roberts works for the organization that we are trying to find. That''s where the bodies were from. Missing deviants that no one cares about except their families. So, checkmate, you fool." She looks at Abigail and smiles. "We are one step closer to finding them."


    "Be honest with me." If you are capable of. "Do you think my parents are involved? I''d never suspect Joshua and his parents are best friends with mine."


    "I don''t know. We''re still not sure what the connection between the Institute and this organization is. We followed Madeleine Clark, you, and Emily, and we found nothing suspicious."


    "Thank you very much for that seal of approval."


    "Abigail, what I mean is that Madeleine Clark is clear. Maybe there''s no connection between this thing and the Institute. I don''t know about your parents. I''m sorry about that."


    "I''m scared, Rachel. I don''t know what to believe in anymore," she holds back her tears.


    "Fear keeps us alive. Now you''ll see things more clearly. Find out in who you can really trust. ¨¢nh will always be here for you."


    "I know, she always has. I just... don''t even know how I will tell Emily about her brother. She''ll hate me for it."


    Don''t you dare say it...


    "I''ll do it."


    Why would you say that?


    They drive to Abigail''s house on separate cars. Abigail turns off the system and makes sure that Kateryna is fast asleep. Two hours later, Emily shows up there. Abigail welcomes her to her room and sees Rachel sitting on the bed.


    "This is a whole new level of ridiculous. What''s this devil doing here?!"


    "Emily, she has something to say, and you should listen."

 We outnumber you here

    "Welcome to our special program for this month: powerful women. Our episode today features Madeleine Clark. Madeleine has made it to the top 10 most influential women in the United States of America for five years in a row. Madeleine, welcome!" The presenter smiles widely.


    Madeleine smiles back and waves at the camera. They are on Madeleine''s office, facing each other, and the rest of the camera crew stands around them.


    "Madeleine, you are the CEO of Clark Industries and the president of the Institute, a position that you hold since January 2018. For those at home that aren''t aware of your story, you were an orphan until Hunter David Clark adopted you.... and here you are today! One of the most influential. Making that list every year."


    "Yes, thank you! I''m the living proof that you can reach your dreams if you work hard enough. Little girls everywhere can dream!" Madeleine claps.


    When the show airs in a few weeks, surely little girls everywhere will wonder how exactly they can work hard enough to become orphans that are adopted by billionaires.


    "You are such an example of resilience! Your father died when you were only six, and all your other seven siblings are also dead. You are the last one standing." Martha smiles while facing her.


    "Martha, I think you were misled by some source. One of my brothers did die on the same day as my father, both brutally murdered by a burglar, but all my other siblings are alive and well. They just don''t care much about the boring business!" She laughs.


    "I was guaranteed some killed themselves and others died of overdose," Martha checks her tablet.


    Why the difference? Isn''t an overdose just the means to suicide?


    "As I said..." Madeleine smiles, "you were misled."


    "Moving on, then, how do you deal with the criticism that Clark Industries doesn''t have a single deviant employee?"


    "I deal with it perfectly well. It''s true that we don''t have deviants working for us, but it''s only because we have the same employees for decades, they are happy to work for us. And the latest jobs we opened are for graduate and post-grad degrees. In our country, and in our neighbors, a deviant can''t go to university, and even on Eurasia it''s only a reality for 3 years now. How can I employ deviants if they don''t meet the requirements? Should I make an exemption for them? Is that equality?"


    Martha tries to interrupt her.


    "But the biggest reason that I won''t accept that criticism is because I work for free as the president of the Institute. As you said, for ten years now. Making sure that deviants are well taken care of."


    "Deviants with abilities. Deviants without it can''t apply to study there."


    "Obviously. It''s an education that specializes on teaching deviants to properly use their abilities. It''s not discrimination, it''s the purpose of it. Now, I''m terribly sorry but I do have to cut this interview short. My CFO has called me too many times already," she checks her phone and stands up.


    The camera crew leaves. Martha packs her things and rushes to meet Madeleine.


    "Madeleine, I''m sorry if I pushed a bit too hard! You know how audiences work! They''ll love this and I knew that you''d deal with it exceptionally."


    "Of course, Martha." Madeleine brushes her shoulder. "You are a wonderful reporter, it''s a shame that you are stuck on this sort of interviews, you are far better than this. But you are what, 29? A few more years and the opportunity to show all your talent will appear. I''m sure. I must really go now."


    "Thank you! I have to go as well. I''m heading to the Roberts'' for their interviews."


    "Lovely. Take care, Martha."


    Madeleine leaves the floor through her elevator; her chauffeur waits for her. She enters the car and activates a soundproof system. Her phone connects to the speakers and a man answers the call.


    "I thought we had an agreement. When I supported you, took your excuse of a paper from the gutter, you guaranteed me that my family''s story would never see the daylight. You supposedly buried it. And now your own reporter comes at me? Kill the story, fire her, make sure she won''t write or utter another word for the rest of her life... not even on a show at five in the morning or I''ll destroy you. My family is off limits."


    ***


    "Emily, I can''t even imagine the toll that your responsibilities have taken on you. The events of the Day of Peace and recently the massacre at the Institute. How do you deal with it all?"


    Martha sits in front of Emily, who is next to Mary and Thomas. Several renowned designers lined up to dress them. They all wear light colors.


    "It''s an honor to be the world''s most powerful deviant, Martha. Despite everything that happened in the past few months," Emily reads from the teleprompter, "we are trying to build a better world, a society in which humans no longer have to grieve their loved ones because of the hatred of the deviants."


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Emily takes a deep breath and they all smile.


    "Rachel Moore can put on a mask and say that she wants peace, but she''s nothing but a devil. Peace won''t be achieved through assassinations. Now... a new group exists... tried to kill me!" She stares at the camera, wiping a tear.


    Thomas holds tight his daughter''s hand, and she smiles back at him.


    "But to them, all that I have to say is your reign of terror is over. Love will prevail. Peace will find a way."


    "Mary, Emily is a superstar, but so are you. Congratulations on being named one of the most powerful businesswomen in the States. Your company is thriving. How many deviants do you employ?"


    "Cher, 10% of our staff is deviant. Everyone there works well together! Our employees are looking forward for the bracelet one day to be of general use. They want to be part of a better society!"


    Thomas leans his head on his daughter''s shoulder. They all smile. The cameras stop rolling, and Emily excuses herself from the room. She goes to her bedroom, puts water running and cries while taking a long bath. Her mind overflows with everything that Rachel showed her. How her brother is connected to what happened on that day on the Institute. And one question remains unanswered: was her father behind it?


    As soon as the camera crew leaves, Mary calls her son into her office.


    "Joshua, starting on Monday, you''ll come to work with me."


    "Why would I go there? I already have a job with dad."


    "Your father told me what you were up to. I wondered, after you finished college, why the interest in working for the Council. You could''ve chosen anywhere," she sighs, "now I know why. Just so you could explore your fetish. I bet you loved it, son," her tone sharpens, "but if you want to be honest with yourself, all this hatred isn''t against deviants. It is against us: me and your father."


    Joshua refuses to confront his mother''s stare. She comes closer, grabs his chin, and makes him.


    "Now, you ungrateful brat," she carves her nails on his skin, "don''t want to work with me... fine, don''t. Find someplace else to and try to find the opportunity to stop hating deviants while you''re at it. You will never set foot again there!"


    "You can''t stop me. It''s my work!"


    "Not anymore, Joshua. You''re lucky to be alive, see it as a second chance, and find something useful to fill your life with."


    "You and dad..." he removes her hand from his chin and takes a step back, "are nothing but hypocrites."


    In one sweep, Mary slaps him. Her ring cuts his cheek. Tears fill his eyes, more from the shock of it rather than the pain. She had never touched him before.


    "When you were in my womb, son... I felt an excruciating pain," she wipes the blood from his face with her palm, "I thought that I had lost you. Perhaps it was just all your hate trying to kill me. Do whatever you want with your life, but never forget one thing: we outnumber you here."


    "Just admit it. Say it!" He bites his lips and curls his fists. "You hate that I''m human!"


    "Keep your voice down!" Her stare is enough for him to obey.


    "I have been a disappointment to you ever since I tested negative," he whispers now. "You wanted a tool to use, and I wasn''t useful. That''s what everyone said on the building when they thought I wasn''t listening."


    "Hate that you''re human? I hate that I''m deviant! You have no idea how much we''ve gone through because of the gene. You have it so easy, son!" She approaches him and keeps her voice low.


    He takes a few steps back until hitting the desk. She comes even closer and holds his face.


    "Being human is a blessing, Joshua. I could''ve achieved so much with my life earlier than I did if I wasn''t a deviant. Do you think it was easy being born before the war? Growing up in the exact moments before it? When we couldn''t even hold property, have a job? I would''ve died of hunger or worked as a prostitute to just survive. The war was the best thing to happen to me, I found a life-vest with the humans. They wanted us, Joshua. People that were willing to fight off their own."


    Tears fill his eyes while he tries to push his mother away.


    "I love you, son... I do." She stands back and crosses her arms. "But don''t you dare messing up everything we''ve worked so hard to accomplish."


    On Monday, Mary smiles when her son joins her for his first day at work. She proudly shows him around, introducing him to everyone: deviants and humans alike.


    His entire body stiffens when he has to shake a deviants'' hand. It was a fall from grace, one that he had to take. He couldn''t exactly hurt his parents by exposing them online or to Emily without implicating himself. He had no savings of his own as well and was always one phone call away from being locked out of his accounts. His friends were all dead and by the request of Thomas and Saif, Marianne''s advisor, Aymee Ortiz, removed his memories of how to get there.


    ***


    It''s a lovely Sunday morning. Abigail waits for her parents'' arrival from China. She orders lunch from their favorite Thai place and surprises them with a set up table.


    "How was the trip?"


    "Great, we had such a delightful time there! Their institute is so well developed, and they have finally accepted to be part of our program!" Mark serves himself some noodles.


    "I recently realized that I show no interest in our affairs, and I''m sorry, I''ll do better. Who takes care of that?"


    "Of what?"


    "Of the programs. The national, the international. All the funding. The follow-up, the reports. Seems like so much work!"


    "It is! And you know us, Abigail, we''re terrible with numbers," Rebecca says.


    They all laugh, a sincere one, but worrisome coming from Abigail.


    "We oversaw it a bit at the beginning of the war. But eventually left it to the professionals who understand business and investments. And it was for the best! We are much more useful being just the faces." Mark fills his glass with water.


    "And who does it? I haven''t met our team..."


    "Of course you have. Mary''s company is in charge. She heads the team." Rebecca slurps her noodles.


    "They take care of it, the percentage of funding that goes to each program, how is being invested, the reports. It works so well." Mark tries to steal some of Rebecca''s food.


    "She invited us to go there today, but we were too tired from the trip... and next weekend we won''t be here. We should invite them over when we come back!"


    "You''re heading out?"


    "Yes, from Thursday to Monday. We have a charity gala in Paris," Mark finally steals Rebecca''s food and she pretends to be mad.


    Abigail tries her best to hide her nerves, clenching the fork, smiling and keeping the conversation light, about the sightseeing, plans for their winter vacations, when would Veronica and Zachary visit or if they would be the ones meeting them.


    The Roberts have control over the entirety of our patrimony. More wealth than several countries own. All that overseen only by them... Either her parents didn''t care, were too naive or were part of it.

 Stay afloat

    Abigail hadn''t slept properly ever since her conversation with her parents.


    She''s now sure that part of their money is funding this lab that Rachel seeks. No additional proof needed.


    The man she killed also keeps popping up on her nightmares, making it harder to rest.


    The urges to manipulate her emotional state keep creeping in. You don''t need it. She takes it out on the gym, on the shooting range. Anything that keeps her occupied and tired enough. But nothing seems to work. Whenever she lies in bed, she just ends up waking up a few hours after.


    Day after day, she heads to the Institute. She''s there physically, but her mind is elsewhere. She''s on autopilot mode. Smiles whenever needed, making small talk, teaching her students, and making them feel safer than she feels.


    She keeps looking over her shoulder. Asking herself if her colleagues, the ones she has for years now, some she knows since they were students, were also part of it.


    Her only moments of peace throughout her workday are when she can have lunch with Aminu. She couldn''t trust anyone, but him. She knew in her heart that he wouldn''t have anything to do with it.


    Emily hasn''t joined in a while and keeps being busy. Probably with the marketing department, Jade, or both.


    Later that day, she and Emily meet and sit quietly for a while in Abigail''s room.


    "I haven''t slept properly since you brought her over."


    "I''m sorry. I thought you deserved to know the truth about what she saw in there."


    "Wish I didn''t..."


    "I know what you mean. Part of me feels the same. That it would be better to unsee everything that happened. I''d sleep better. Eat. But we''d live a lie..."


    Abigail sits closer to her.


    "I''m going to join them."


    "Who, Abigail?"


    "The terrorists."


    "What?!" Emily stands up immediately.


    "Yes, I''ve thought about it thoroughly, and it is my best shot. Right now, I trust them more than anyone else. Your parents are part of this, Emily. And mine, I don''t even want to consider it. I''m scared all the time and can''t keep it any longer."


    "And the solution is to leave your perfect life and become an enemy of the world?"


    "The solution is making my own decisions. I''ll try to convince Rachel to let me join them on my terms. I have nothing to lose."


    "You have everything to lose! You are a Parker!"


    ***


    Emily meets Jade on a park near her house. The girl has a towel in the grass and lies down while updating her socials.


    "We need to talk."


    "Shoot." She puts her phone down.


    "I think what happened at the Institute was an inside job-"


    Jade stops her and turns off both their phones before telling her to keep going.


    "They weren''t deviants, and the Institute either organized it or at least closed its eyes."


    "So what?" Jade''s facial expression is the same as being told about the weather forecast.


    "What do you mean ''so what''?" Emily''s eyebrows raise.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "It probably was, Emily. Made up threats are a known technique. Rachel Moore is the big bad wolf with her gigantic army!" Jade mocks, "but we witnessed her saving you, so it turns out, is a whole new group that is threatening our peace."


    Jade holds Emily''s hands and looks at her with a condescending look.


    "There will always be a new group, and there will always be some Rachel Moore. The war ended, but as long as we exist, there''ll always be these plays on the backstage that we blissfully ignore."


    "Jade, my father is probably involved on this..."


    "Yes, of course. Your, mine, Abigail''s. It''s easier to guess who isn''t."


    "And we''re supposed to just what... accept it?"


    "We''re supposed to do everything that we can to stay on the top. Stay afloat. And we can. Madeleine gave us that opportunity, Emily. Even after they, whoever they are, thought that your death could be useful. Now, you have a purpose again."


    "I don''t want anyone else to define my purpose!"


    "Emily," she takes a deep breath and exhales loudly, "isn''t our life comfortable? I feel sorry for people like Rachel Moore. I really do. Fighting for a side that has already lost and won''t admit it. Things will never be different. Aren''t the bracelets a blessing in a way? At least we won''t have any more side effects. By the way..."


    Emily refuses to face her.


    "There''s something that I needed to tell you. I''ve decided to have a child. It''s time."


    "Okay..." Emily taps her fingers on the towel. "I wish we''d talked about this, but sure, I want kids too. Maybe we can adopt or if you want to experience pregnancy, we can find a donor and do it."


    "Emily, I have already chosen and it won''t be a donor. It''s easier if we just do it and get it over with, without going through the treatments. He''s a friend, I can trust him, and it will be just that. To have the baby."


    "I''m sorry, what?" Emily''s eyes widen.


    "It won''t mean anything."


    Emily stands up and refuses to look at her.


    I am done.


    "Emily, please, just let me explain. This doesn''t have to mean anything..."


    "I am done..." She leaves.


    ***


    Later that day, it''s close to midnight. People stroll through the river. Abigail sits and waits. Rachel wearing a red wig sits next to her.


    "Why am I here, Parker? I doubt that it''s because you missed me."


    "I can''t do it anymore. The pretending, the mistrust."


    "I''m sorry to hear," Rachel drops the sarcasm.


    "You could... abduct me..."


    "Abduction usually only works if the person isn''t aware of it," she laughs but quickly stops when she notices Abigail''s face. Properly notices it, how paler she is and the dark circles under her eyes.


    "I want to join your movement-"


    "... but?"


    "You said it yourself. It''s a death sentence, Rachel."


    "It is."


    "I can''t just broadcast it to the world, but I can''t deal with this anymore. I''ve talked to Emily about it, not sure if she''ll join too. It''s not like you''d get a worse reputation for abducting me."


    "It''s always possible to worsen our reputation. We''re a peaceful movement, after all. If we decide to go forward with this, and Emily doesn''t join, we''ll have to wipe the memory of your conversation. I''ll talk to the others about it. Keep your expectations low."


    A robber takes an older couple''s wallet. Abigail and Rachel see it happen. The couple screams for help. A tree branch grows in the sidewalk when the robber runs by, making him trip and giving other people the opportunity to grab him and call the police. The couple thanks all the bystanders for the help. Abigail looks at Rachel and smiles.


    ***


    Rachel asks everyone to meet. One by one they get to the basement, sit down by the computers.


    "What do you think?" She asks after thoroughly explaining Abigail''s proposal.


    "Well, I think it would be okay with our followers," Diego tells them while looking at ¨¢nh.


    "What about the peaceful part of our peaceful movement? I thought that was an issue not that long ago," Alex''s sweat drips. All the extra room they''d take on an already crowded house.


    "Emily Roberts decided to come too," ¨¢nh reads out loud the message she received from Abigail.


    "Interesting," Alex laughs.


    "That would be quite the hit on their side," Diego smiles.


    Megan has nothing to say about it and mostly watches everyone else present their arguments.


    Rachel decides that only a unanimous vote would make it to go ahead, and considering ¨¢nh''s relationship with Abigail, she had to sit this one out.


    After a few more minutes of discussion, they reach their decision and all leave but Rachel and ¨¢nh.


    "Are you sure you''re okay with Emily coming?" Rachel asks. "It''s okay if you don''t want her here, after everything that she put you through growing up."


    "I want to believe that she''s changed. That she isn''t the same girl I met.... and even if she hasn''t, Rach," ¨¢nh smiles, "I used to fear her when we were teens... She was so powerful! She was everything I wasn''t!" ¨¢nh looks away for a bit, "then when I started hanging out more and more with her, because of Abigail and Aminu, I kept envying her. She wasn''t that bad to me anymore, but still kept a distance... this act of superiority. Always with the most powerful deviant thing. But now... all that I feel when I think about her is pity.... How empty she must feel to need to drag everyone to her comfortable hole."


    Rachel grabs ¨¢nh''s hands and smiles.


    "When I had the connection with her, I felt so much loneliness coming from her... but that doesn''t excuse how she treated you, ¨¢nh. We are responsible for how we act because of our pain."


    "No, obviously. It doesn''t, Rach, but explains it a bit. As it turns out... at least that''s how I see it. Everything she has shown and done has been only a way to protect herself. Like I said, now I just feel sorry for her."

 Misfortune

    "Did you like it?" Abigail asks Aminu.


    They have just come out of the latest exhibition of one of his favorite artists. She hands him a bag with a present and tells him to open it later. It''s the latest hoodie from the artist''s collection. She got one of the first pre-orders and it''s autographed. He''ll love it, she''s sure.


    They sit on the museum''s gardens discussing the exhibition and Abigail looks around her. The peacefulness of the breeze passing through the branches of the trees. The sun touching their faces. Aminu''s eyes glowing while talking.


    She realizes how she took for granted these moments before. How she failed to appreciate her people too. Not understanding that the value of her life wasn''t in major accomplishments but on the smaller moments of joy that she had on each day. The moments she created herself with the right people on her side.


    General Lewis was right. Happiness isn''t found.


    "Can I hug you?" she asks when she stops the car in front of the dormitory.


    "Why?"


    "Just to... I don''t know, celebrate this perfect day we had."


    "That''s silly o. We''ll have a lot of other perfect days, you know."


    "You''re right. As always. See you on Monday." I love you.


    Aminu opens the bag as soon as he enters his room and loves the present. It''s the most special gift anyone as ever given him. He decides not to text Abigail thanking her, he''ll say it in person how much he loved it.


    ***


    "Lovely Saturday morning, my fellow citizens!" Rachel smiles in a broadcast, "my birthday is in a few days, and this year, my army really outdid itself. Bring the girls!"


    Diego and Megan bring Emily and Rachel, with their hands tied, mouth taped. Both have a newspaper showing the date.


    "Emily Roberts, and Abigail Parker, earned our enmity. Deviants who forsake their own kind in exchange of some commodities. Worry not, we''ll take proper care of our vacationers here. Now, what do we want? Not much, just the Institute''s dissolution... and new elections on our country. Perfectly feasible."


    On the living room, they all clap. A job well done. Abigail chats with ¨¢nh, and Emily looks around, analyzing every bit of the old house.


    What have I done to my life?


    Rachel asks them all to meet at the basement.


    "Except Joshua Roberts, all the other who were there on that night are dead. Some in a mug gone wrong, others suicide, others in a fire, the list goes on and on," ¨¢nh says.


    "The police aren''t connecting them?" Diego looks around in disbelief.


    "There''re no records of them interacting with each other."


    "We''ll keep following Joshua Roberts around," Rachel orders.


    ***


    Meanwhile, on a four-star hotel downtown, the Council and their advisors gather. All but Thomas Roberts.


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    "This is a disaster," the president says.


    "Truly!" Laurence Pierce shakes his head.


    "This is the best thing that could''ve happened to us. Good things come to those who wait!" Edward closes his fists and smiles.


    "I don''t think that any of us are following you, sir," Saif says.


    "They abducted the princess of the nation, and the Parker''s daughter. Humans who had the misfortune of having a deviant child. They are extremely relatable. People will get scared. If they got to the most powerful deviant in the world, and one of the richest families, they can go after anyone. Now we just have to show the world, and especially our people, how violent they truly are."


    "How?" Jessica Miller asks.


    "We''ll torture them, and if needed, we''ll kill them."


    "We don''t have them with us," the president''s tone sharpens.


    "We don''t need to," Laurence intervenes, "we just need the people to think that they are being tortured. Even if the group shows some proof later, no one will believe them. They are the terrorists. Sir, can we talk about the plan, now? Or is it inappropriate?"


    "Go ahead, Laurence," Edward smiles.


    "Our department has run several scenarios to hunt down the terrorist movement. We''ll need an amplifier. From what we gathered, the most powerful one around us works at the Institute."


    Padma''s pupils dilate.


    "Under you, Saif. His name is..." Laurence asks his advisor for the papers.


    "Aminu Ikubor," Saif says.


    "Exactly."


    "Sir... Ikubor is special... he''s autistic," Saif explains.


    "That''s great. He''s mentally challenged, that will make it easier," Edward says.


    "Neurodivergent," Marianne says.


    "You people and your modern shenanigans..."


    "Hardly modern."


    "We are losing focus here. Laurence, how many other amplifiers are there available?" Edward scratches his eyebrows.


    "Just the one. Amplifiers aren''t particularly common, sir, and when compared with the few that exist on the black market, his levels are far superior."


    "That settles it. Saif, find a way to bring him abroad. Also, I''d appreciate if you contacted our dear friend Thomas and expressed your concern for his daughter''s life," Edward says trying to end the meeting.


    She''s probably safer with the terrorists. Like you are, Megan. Marianne gathers her papers.


    "Sir, if I may. Me and Marianne will start improving the bracelet. Right now, it has too many side effects. We''ll work to eliminate them," Saif looks around.


    "No. We can''t spend any more resources on that. The bracelet works perfectly. Leave it be. We have more important issues here," Edward ends the meeting.


    They all leave, but Saif, Marianne, and Padma.


    "I''ll help you with the bracelet. Whenever I have some free time, I''ll work on it," Marianne smiles.


    "Thank you... Padma, you have a close relationship with Ikubor. I trust you can help me convince him."


    "I understand we need an amplifier, but I don''t feel comfortable tricking him. You know him, he won''t come willingly knowing what we do."


    Saif''s entire body stiffens, he''s about to open his mouth when Marianne interrupts him.


    "Saif, can I take it from here?"


    "Sure. We''ll talk tomorrow, Padma." He leaves.


    As soon as the door closes, Marianne faces her.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Marianne, you don''t understand. You don''t know him. He has such a kind soul. The work we do... it''s not something he can deal with."


    "Oh... I see..." Marianne smiles, "I understand, Padma. I understand that you have feelings for this boy. So, take my advice, I''m only thinking about your sake here."


    Marianne comes closer and lowers even more her voice.


    "Bury those feelings, it''s not fair for you... and being quite blunt now, neither it is for him. Your priority is your work. Saif is your boss. Saying no to him isn''t an option. And the fact that you tried to..." she scratches her forehead, "shows me that you still don''t get how dangerous they are. How dangerous he is. He handed you the task to convince the boy. You''ll find a way to do it."


    "But..."


    "Padma, you listen to me closely now. Pay proper attention. Laurence said it himself and Edward heard him... that boy apparently is the most powerful amplifier that they have. They will..." she pauses and crosses her arms, "they will have him. No matter how. Nicely or not it''s up to you now."


    ***


    On that night, the group took a break from Joshua, the secret lab, socials, the abducted deviants, and all their enemies.


    ¨¢nh and Diego took charge of making dinner, and they both chose the best dishes of Vietnam and Puerto Rico. They all made jokes, laughed, shared drinks with one another. All but Megan and Emily.


    At the table, sit the seven members of the movement. Rachel Moore, Megan Grant, Alexander Williams, Diego ¨¢lvarez, ¨¢nh Nguy?n, Abigail Parker, and Emily Roberts.


    "How did we get to this point?" Megan looks around the table and whispers to Rachel, who smiles back.

 Evolution

    October 2017


    "What ya want, eh?" Megan asks with a thick Scottish accent.


    She pushes Rachel against the wall. They''re on a dark alley, the moon''s dim reflection isn''t strong enough to lit Megan''s face. To Rachel, she remains a figure only.


    Rachel struggles to set herself free. Megan is four years older than her and Rachel only ever focused on training her abilities. Megan easily overpowers her, without hurting her.


    "Sorry... can you repeat? I didn''t understand any of it..." Rachel says with a mischievous smile and keeps pushing her.


    "What... do... you... want? Why... are... you... following... me...?" Megan shakes her head.


    "You''re the Angel of Death," Rachel sets herself free momentarily.


    "Don''t know what ya mean," Megan steps back, "bye now."


    Rachel smiles, raises her right hand, turns it blue and fires against a pile of trash that stands next to them. Easily disintegrating it. Megan''s eyes follow the movement and then focus on Rachel again. She shakes her head and crosses her arms, facing the girl again.


    "With your powers, Angel, and with mine... We''ll rule the world!" Rachel forms a gun with her right hand and pretends to blow the flume.


    "Don''t wish to rule anything... Leave, child, before ya hurt yourself."


    "Our kind is oppressed... and you... you for some reason! Have the power to end it. And what?" Rachel curls her hands into fists and stomps her right foot. "You go around pretending that it''s none of your business!" She lowers her voice and shakes her head. "Why did you choose the power of life, Angel, if you don''t live?"


    "The world is better off with me death. What is ya big plan, eh? Killing everyone on your way to the top? Stunning!"


    "My plan is to set us free from our restraints. Convince me we can do it without killing, and sure, we''ll start the most peaceful movement in history."


    "That... we can discuss. Megan. Don''t call me Angel of Death again."


    Rachel welcomes Megan into their house for the first time. There isn''t much to be said about it, some coats hanging, not a single photograph anywhere, the stairs can use some work, and the walls need paint. Rachel shows her the way to a small bedroom and gives her some towels and fresh clothes and leaves her on the bathroom.


    Megan took her time on the shower, enjoying the perks of a house, one that she hadn''t been in for a long time now. Ever since that day, the one that destroyed her entire life, that she went around town, squatting, scraping by. Four years she lived like that. Completely by herself.


    When she comes out of the bathroom, with a fresh Nirvana shirt and some worn out pants, her short ginger hair is already much healthier than it was when she got there. Rachel meets her and leads her to the living room, for her to eat something.


    "Who''s that?" Alex sits on the couch reading.


    "Megan," Rachel takes some plates from the cupboard and grabs a few slices of pizza from the fridge.


    "Why is she here?" Alex''s eyes move away from hers and he goes back to his reading.


    "We''re in conversations to start a movement..." Rachel hands Megan the pizza and she takes it instantly. Eating it right away and almost choking on it. Rachel hands her a glass of water. "We could use your talent, Alex... and I don''t mean just your powers. You have this skill that keeps you alive while others around you drop dead. This understanding of things that would be helpful to keep us alive."


    "Oh, thank you, sis, I do. But while I agree with you, and see the value of my contribution to this... project... that you are talking about... what exactly does she bring to the table?"


    He focuses on Megan and drops his book. His eyes widen.


    "Why can''t I read your mind?"


    Rachel''s eyebrows raise. Should I try it? No... don''t... stop it... just let her answer it.


    "Is this something that you just do? Force yourself on people you just met?"


    "Answer me! Why can''t I read your mind?"


    Megan gets up and asks Rachel for another slice of pizza. Rachel is on autopilot, trying to make sense of it. Alex could read her mind, she would absorb his power and block him, but if she didn''t, he could. He could read his parents when they were alive, her parents, Amy, and all the enemies and even allies that Matthew asked him since he was seven. He never had any problem reading the mind of someone. Until now.


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    "I don''t have the answers that you are looking for. No mental controller has been able to read, manipulate or erase my mind, and I''ve met quite a few. All exceptional, I''m sure. Sorry to say, child, but I don''t think you''ll be the first." Megan takes her time to pronounce every word, making sure he understands it.


    Alex decides to try even harder. Nothing. Megan''s face remains serene, while his expression gradually changes. His face turns red and the veins on his forehead become noticeable.


    "I don''t want her here, Rachel. Get rid of her."


    "Alex, she''s my guest. We will start a movement and this will be our operations center. This will be her house too."


    "What a movement this will be! Let''s see who we have. Me, the highly talented mental controller, teleporter and obviously, natural leader. You... that, let''s be honest now, Rachel. Power absorption and element controller are perfectly fine... but your only relevant feature is having killed your parents, and no one knows about it... and then," he gets up and faces them, "that thing there. I have no idea what she''s capable of, who she is, and you expect me to trust her?"


    "Alex, that''s enough."


    "No, seriously. The Five and the Ariston community failed..."


    Megan looks away.


    "So many powerful deviants. Much more powerful than us. Or at least more in number... they all failed. Why would we not? What makes you think, Rachel, that we will achieve anything? Why can''t we just use our skills to get richer and leave all this mess. Move to a nicer weather."


    "Alex, is that all that you care about? Money and comfort? What about our rights?" Rachel shakes her head and comes near him. "Don''t we deserve more than that?"


    "Rachel, this isn''t a matter of deserving or not. It''s a matter of realism. The Five failed. The Five when they were with the Ariston community failed! We will fail! And the irony of it all, is that we probably won''t see it. We''ll just be going, thinking we are achieving something... So, I don''t mind helping you two out, without me you probably won''t even know how to start, but I''ll stay focused on my goals. Yes, money and comfort. Get out of your high horse and let me dream with the achievable." He teleports away.


    Rachel and Megan sit on the couch, keeping a certain distance from one another.


    "You can absorb abilities," Megan focuses on the black tv screen.


    "Powers. Yes, I can. I first identify it, before choosing which to absorb. It''s hard to explain, but that was why I knew who you were. I keep going outside and training my focus to identify and absorb more easily."


    "So, you know all my abil... powers."


    "Yes. All."


    "I can''t use it anymore. The death one. Not since that day. Not sure for how much longer, maybe forever. There are a few things that you need to promise me here and now, Rachel, or I''ll walk." Megan faces her.


    Rachel nods.


    "First, you''ll never use the power of death to kill anyone. Second, if it ever returns to me and you think that I might kill someone, you''ll end my life before I end anyone else''s. Third, no one can know about the other power. Everyone knows about life."


    Her right hand turns blue and she forms a small plant in a dry pot nearby.


    "It was all over the news, the irony of choosing life as a fatal flaw. The other... you can never absorb it," she curls her fists. "And I mean never!" Megan takes a few short breaths and checks her heartbeat. "I don''t care if we are in a situation in which it seems that it''s our only getaway. Never."


    "You heard Alex. Absorption is my fatal flaw, but I was born an element controller." Rachel creates an ice pick in one hand and a fireball in the other and makes them disappear again. "We''ll never be in a situation, Megan, in which I''ll need to use your third. Life and death are your only powers. That''s our secret and I''ll take it to my grave. They''ll hate us more than they already do, if they find out that there''s even a possibility of having more than two."


    Megan looks away.


    "Alex can''t read your mind, but I can absorb your power. This is a disadvantage. Absorbers and amplifiers are rare, but they do exist and can identify powers. It''s probably better if you stand back on our movement. Be just a shadow that it''s always there. Representing the fear that everyone felt on that day. Making sure everyone knows that we can use your power if we want to. We''ll just choose not to. I''ll stand tall in the center of it. The illusion of power is power. I''ll tell everyone how I''m the world''s most powerful deviant... when you are it, Megan."


    "Maybe, but I never wanted to be."


    Everyone wants it, but you, the one that actually is. The humans claim Emily Roberts is the one, my father said that it was me instead. You are the one and don''t want any of it.


    "Why do I have three powers? Why did the fatal flaw give me two? This is a genetic mess... a mistake... All my existence has been an error that should never have happened. I wish I died when I was born. Or before I turned seven. Or before I... I did... what I did." Megan takes a few long breaths. "No one should have the power of death. No one."


    "Megan, this isn''t wrong. There''s nothing wrong about it, about you. This is... evolution..." she pauses and faces her, "I have to ask...why did you kill the Ariston community?"


    "They tricked me into. Told me they killed my father. That was a lie... one that worked."


    "Who told you that?"


    "Strange, suited people and the military. If I had to guess, the government. I don''t remember most of it."


    ***


    December 2017


    Marianne is in her office at the university. Thomas, Mary, and Emily are at home, each in their own room. Abigail is by herself in her bedroom. Rebecca and Mark are abroad. Saif works at the Institute. Aminu, Padma, and ¨¢nh are on their rooms at the dormitory. Alex is visiting his old house. Diego works in a construction site.


    Their phones blow up and they all see the video that was just posted on social media.


    "Hello!" Rachel Moore and Megan Grant stand in front of a moldy white wall. "Well, well,well. Peaceful times that we live in, aren''t they? Would be a shame... if someone started making waves. Oh, I haven''t properly introduced myself. My name is Rachel Moore. And yes, if you are wondering, ding, ding, ding. That Moore. It''s a lie. I''m not the Angel of Death. She is, meet Megan Grant."


    Megan doesn''t speak and with her blue right hand a root forms in a glass of water. Rachel raises her right hand and shoots against the glass, turning it into dust. Raising her right hand again, she forms life on an extra glass. She then makes fire out of her hands, puts it out with water, mixes it with wind. It''s a full demonstration of powers.


    "Life, death, and everything in between. You see my father was right on one thing. I am the most powerful deviant. Megan is a close second," she smiles, "we actually just met! She''s not connected to the Five, and she didn''t carry the massacre for us. Everything the government has told you is a lie. We''ll show you their lies, treason, and corruption. Our movement for the liberation of the rights of the deviants begins today. Until every deviant has the same rights as humans, we won''t stop. Expect to hear more from us, this is just the beginning."