Chapter TwoConsciousness rushed in on the man known only as Bagheera. His eyes shot open. Fire and fury surrounded him. He recognized the remnants of downtown Seaside City, but he couldn’t quite grasp the reason why. Not through the fog in his head. “Who do you think she is?” Thief looked across the unconscious woman to his friend Devil Boy. Devil Boy grinned, showing his razor sharp teeth. “I don’t know, man, but she’s definitely hot.” Devil Boy’s eyes dropped from his gray skinned friend back to the bronze-colored woman at their feet. “Yeah, she’s definitely not like any of the degen girls inside. Outside of all the tats, she could pass for a normal.” Devil Boy playfully pushed his friend in the shoulder. “Idiot. For all we know, she is a human.” Thief nodded. “Yeah, I guess. What should we do with her?” Devil Boy scratched his clawed hand across his scaly chin. “Not much we can do,” he said. “We had better get Athena and Flint. They’ll know what to do.” “Sounds like a plan.” Thief faded from sight. A moment alter, the gate opened seemingly by itself. Devil Boy sat down beside the girl and waited for his invisible friend to retrieve the new headmasters. ***** Air Raid came awake as Beauty stirred next to him. He paused a moment to take in her naked form. What did I ever do to get this lucky? Beauty took that moment to roll over and open her eyes. She grinned as she saw him. “Hi.” “Hi yourself.” “That . . . wow . . . that was amazing. I never dreamed—” “I know,” he said. He leaned over and kissed her. “I—” “Yes?” “I think I’m in love with you, Nessa.” Beauty just sat stunned for a moment. After several seconds, she finally managed a word— “Wow.” Air Raid smiled. He leaned in and kissed her. He Unfolded his right wing and slowly slid it down her back. She shuddered as the soft down touched her skin, even before his hand slipped down to her thighs. “I—” A moan cut off her words. “I love you too, baby.” I want to stay like this forever.” Air Raid smiled again as he rolled on top of her. “Sounds like a plan to me.” ***** Barely twenty-four hours had passed, but already construction crews lined the streets of downtown Seaside City. Bagheera walked through the devastation and the construction in a dark trench coat and matching fedora. He looked to anyone paying attention like something right out of a bad 50’s gangster film. But the busy crews paid him little mind as they continued their work. The repairs made him want to roar out in protest. How could they so quickly wash away the pain? Hundreds of people are dead. Could I be the only one to feel that loss? No, not their loss, he thought. My loss. Why Donna? Why did you do it? Images flashed through his mind. All his memories of her, his love for her, whether she loved him or not. Whether she lead him and Geotherm both on for her own amusement. And she had killed Geotherm… And I killed her. He could still feel her blood course between his fingers as he buried his claws in her throat. Her face still haunted him. The mad glee of the twisted creature known as Mindwarp melted in to a look of confusion as he ripped her throat out. He recognized the eyes of Mindset, of Donna, then. Donna, the first woman to ever see him as something more than just a beast. And I killed her. Her last words hissed past her torn throat, ringing through his ears again and again. “Thank you.” The monster had died and with it Donna Masters. Bagheera didn’t know if he could ever forgive himself. Despite every horrible action of his past, every horrifying death he had caused, nothing could compare to the pain he now felt. He watched again as a group of worked welded the framework of a destroyed store front. They worked harder than any construction worker he had ever seen, as if they sought to rebuild the city over their lost. They worked with a vengeance. Maybe I can’t forgive myself. But I won’t quit. I can’t. It’s not in me. He needed to rebuild his torn psyche. Reclaim what years in the modernized world had taken from him. It was time to go home. ***** “Do you recognize her?” Flint said. Athena shook her head. Whoever the girl was, she didn’t know her. Despite dozens of tattoos and piercings, she doubted the girl was a degen. Whether human or metahuman though, Athena could not guess. They wouldn’t know that until the DNA tests were complete. Amongst her tattered clothes and ancient jewelry she wore no identification, nothing to mark her identity in any way. The girl seemed to be an enigma, at least until she awoke. Flint pointed at the large spider and web tattoo on the top of her chest. “Designs remind you of anyone?” “Who? Fetish?” Athena shook her head. Flint referred to one of Rubicon’s Brethren. Fetish’s skins bore hundred of tattoo-like markings, ever moving through her skin. Markings that with concentration she could use to summon various abilities. Athena studied the tattoo for a moment, even lightly running her hand over the flesh. “Not really at all,” she said. “The designs are similar to some of Fetish’s markings, but the same could be said of hundreds of tattoos.” “But those hundreds of people didn’t stumble on to our doorstep the day after hundreds of lives were lost in Bay City, including several of our own people.” “Point taken, but until we learn more, there is no reason to suspect any kind of malicious intent. It is for situations such as this that Wave first started this academy in the first place. This girl is just the reason we need to keep the school open.” “Yes, yes, but I don’t think trusting this situation to not be a trap is the best move at this time. If only we hadn’t been so trustful, maybe yesterday wouldn’t have happened.” “Mindset’s corruption came from an outside source. Whatever that entity was that she absorbed pushed her far past what any human mind could handle. She can’t be held responsible for her actions as Mindwarp.” “Even so, I believe we need to focus our attention on the security of our current student body.” “I agree with you, Flint. I don’t want to see any one else hurt. We will put one of the senior students in the med lab to supervise her at all times. Agreed?” Flint nodded. “Good,” Athena said. “I will take the first shift. Why don’t you inform Air Raid that he will be needed down here in four hours.” “All right.” Athena looked down at the unconscious girl as Flint left the room. I just hope this doesn’t back fire on me, girl. This school has had enough disasters for many years to come. ***** Manslayer lunged towards Rubicon. He dove out of the way as best as his aged frame would allow. The blade still caught him across the ribs. He cried out in pain and fell back to the ground. He screamed out in pain as his hip smashed in to the sidewalk. “Please,” he said. “Don’t do this, Stella. Think of all the years we worked together against the humans. Don’t end it here with a half-thought out action.” Manslayer sneered at him. “You convinced me of so many things, Rubicon, but not this time. This time I have the power over you.” Manslayer swung the knife down and towards Rubicon’s chest. The lightning burst forth from Rubicon’s hands unbidden. Manslayer flew up and back before crashing in to the grass several feet way. Rubicon and Manslayer both stared at his hand as the electricity crackled around it. ***** Flint knocked and paused but no answer came from inside the room. He gave Air Raid a few more seconds before he opened the door. Air Raid shot up from his sleep. Nessa stirred next to him. Flint stopped short in the doorway as he took in the two naked students. His glowing eyes darkened from yellow to crimson as he looked down. “I can explain—” “Don’t bother,” Flint said. “We’ll talk about this later. Right now you get your ass downstairs. Athena needs to brief you before we set up the rotating watch on the new arrival.” “New arrival?” Flint suppressed a growl. “Just get downstairs. Now.” He turned and slammed the door as he left. Beauty stirred as Air Raid fell back in to the bed. Why do adults always have to make things so complicated? ***** Bagheera looked down at Seaside City s the plane banked over it. Parts of the city still smoldered from the wreckage. Looking past the devastation, he picked out the school in the hills overlooking the city. He silently wished Athena luck and hoped she would be all right. He knew she could hold the school together as well as Wave ever did; he just didn’t know if she had the faith in herself to see it through. Especially without him. He pushed the thought aside. For now, her future lie here in Seaside City, while his lie elsewhere. He closed his eyes and focused his thoughts on his destination. His former home. Africa.
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