the dreaM

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

A few months ago

"Okay be honest, if we were to fight one-on-one, who would win?"

I laugh at his odd question, "I would win, probably."

"What? You have no faith in me?"

"You can only crush things and move stuff away. I can do a lot with ice. I can freeze you, blizzard you to death. I got options."

As he chuckled, his eyes soften when looking at me. The Strucker puts one of my stranded hair away from my face. I knew his mind was wandering, thinking of thoughts that made his face hollow in worry.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm just thinking... about when those people took you. You know, the ones that put you in that coma."

"Them? Th-They're gone, I mean. You saw what I did to them."

I still do regret what I did to them. I knew it was an accident, I didn't know how my powers grew, but I still had guilt in me.
A lot of it.

"But what happens if someone hurts you," Andy says, "like the man at Trask Industries. He tortured you, he hurt you in the most awful of ways."

"But I'm still here, aren't I? I'm with you, here."

"Okay, but... I still worry that——"

I put my hands on his chest. "I am with you, on every mission. I'm not leaving your side. You won't lose me, not ever."

"But... what if I'm the reason you're hurt? What if I lose control and I hurt you?"

"Andy, Andy. My darling, my love, I don't even believe you can do that. I know you wouldn't. Never intentionally, never on purpose."

He sighs, turning his head up to avoid the water that seemed to be in his eyes, "It's hard to think like that when you have powers that can literally destroy anything."

I pull his face to look at me. I kissed him, long and calm. I could feel the salty water next to my cheek.

I didn't know Andy felt this way, about these powers. I always thought his powers were good, useless, in a way chaotically beautiful.

"I love you, I love you so much," He whispers to me.

"And I love you too. More than you can ever know."

❅ ❅ ❅

Present

Tires screeching on the road rang in my ears. My lungs only seemed to waver weakly, as I was in the car with Rebecca Hoover, the same girl who had just murdered more than a dozen people.

I sat in the passenger's seat, with Lorna beside me.
I had my hand wrap around my seat, as police were chasing us, like cat and mouse. the car ran fast, as the magnetic woman dodged and glided through the busy roads.

"What the hell was that?" Lorna shouts.

"What? We were just going to let a bunch of mutant-haters walk away?" The girl argued.

"Massacring 30 people doesn't help us with shit," I exclaim.

"I thought our shit, our cause, was to build a place where mutant could use their powers whenever they wanted to."

I was appalled to hear her try to justify her actions.
I can understand fighting toward people who are going to outright harm you, like police and mutant-haters, but to just kill people, people who just worked for a company; that is unjustified.

"That doesn't mean you kill people with those same powers!"

"The cops are coming; can we not do this now?" Andy interferes.

" Lux? Lux?! " My earpiece screams, my brother's voice.

"Jack? W-What the hell is going on?"

" What's going on? Andy put you in the car with that damn serial killer, is what's going on. A girl who, dare I say, hates you. "

"Trust me, I can take care of myself. I'll meet you at the headquarters." I silenced my earpiece, not wanting to hear the worries of my brother.

"I don't think this can wait, okay?" Lorna snaps at Andy, then at Becca. "I got news for you, you little psycho, you can't go slaughtering everyone who pisses you off."

"If I killed everyone who pissed me off, it'd be a lot more than 30 people," Rebecca states, even eyeing me up and down.

"Do you want me to kick your ass, right now?" I growled, knowing that a fight was exactly what she was looking for.

"Everybody just chill, okay?" Andy speaks, "She made a mistake, all right? She lost control."

"You did not just say that," I mutter.

"She doesn't belong here," claimed the Dane woman.

This seemed to pull a nerve in Rebecca, making her stop talking and become silent.
As the car was lost from police, Lorna stopped at a red light, trying to now hide within the crowd of cars.

"Andy, she's right," The brunette gaped, "I was just a tool to them anyway. It's been awesome."

I refused to turn my head around, knowing full well that I would only grow angrier by the second. I heard the sound of a kiss, making my stomach turn, but then a morphing sound.

I reluctantly turned around, seeing that Rebecca was turning the car door around, making the car door move the outside in, and Rebecca making her escape.
I watched as she ran away, as police sirens had rung from a short distance.

"We have to go get her!" shouts Andy.

"We can't." Lorna then drove on the green light, not wanting all of us to get caught because of the girl. "She made her choice."

❅ ❅ ❅

Andy, Esme, and I were with Sage, as she tried to track Rebecca down, to get her back and into the compound.

"It's getting tense out there," The tech woman remarked, "Since word broke out about the bank, people have taken to the streets. Mutants are getting attacked."

"Are Reeva and my sisters gonna be okay out there?" The triplet asked.

"And Jack, he's with them," I add, scared for the worst.

Sage admitted, "I don't know. But after what happened, Reeva's not gonna give up until she finds Rebecca. If she doesn't find her, she could ruin everything."

"What about security cameras in the city?" I question.

"Her powers make her really difficult to find. I had a fix on her a couple of times, but then she twists something, and..."

"I'm going to send Fade and Bill out, too," Esme informs, "We need to wrap this up before anyone else gets hurt."

"What happens when they find her?" asked Andy.

The blonde paused. "That's up to Reeva."

The timid expression in her voice just made me fear, even worse.
I knew Reeva was quite powerful. Hell, Andy was with me when he saw her stop Marcos, but it was unexpected of what she could do to Rebecca.

I looked over to Andy, seeing that his face look petrified, unpredictable.
I didn't like Rebecca, it was quite obvious, but I still didn't want Andy to become depressed or angry from this.

Seeing Esme walk away, I run to the young woman, catching her on the elevator to the lounge area. "Hey, Esme. Can I join Bulk and Fade?"

"On the search? No, you'll be spotted, and we need you here."

I explain, "If getting Rebecca off the streets is what can make a bigger improvement of keeping my brother, your sisters, and Reeva safe, then I should be out there."

"Lux, your brother would die if he found you were out there. And I don't trust you and Rebecca alone, you two don't have the greatest track record with each other."

"But I want to help——"

"Then staying is helping. You don't think I want to help my sisters, the only family I have left? I have to be in charge here, you need to stay here. Jack will come back, he is one of the most powerful mutants here. He can protect himself."

As the doors open, the triplet walked out, with her head held high. I walked out, walking in slowly, and seeing the two adults have a conversation, leaving me to eavesdrop.

"Any progress?" asked Lorna.

She sighs, "Not yet. We're working on it. We'll get her back."

"Okay, that's what I'm worried about. I cannot have Dawn here if she's around."

"Look, I know things didn't go as smoothly as we hoped——"

"I've been in plane crashes smoother than that. And what about Lux?"

"Lux?"

"Yes, Lux, the girl Rebecca hates the most here. You think it's a good idea to bring a literal murderer to this building, where Lux can be in harms way?"

Esme didn't reply, there was no need. This only made Lorna scoff, "Are you seeing this? It's anarchy out there. People are setting cars on fire, mutants are being attacked."

"The humans are being a bit... reactive."

"What did you expect? That freak killed a roomful of people before we could lift a finger."

"Lorna, believe me. We will keep Dawn safe here."

"Look at what is happening out there! I know you care about my daughter. Can you really look me in the eyes and make that promise?"

After hearing no reply, I walked away from the conversation.
I went to my room, to see Andy, waiting for me.

He stumbles to get out of the chair, clearing his throat to speak. "A-Are you okay?"

I cross my arms. "I... can be better. I mean, everything has gone off the rails."

"Yeah, I know. I just... You're the only person that can make sense of all of this."

I bluntly state, "Rebecca caused this. All of it."

"Now, you're just being mean."

"I'm telling you the truth!"
"Rebecca didn't mean this to happen."

"Andy, it's a domino effect. She killed 30 people, people react to mutants creating a heist and killing more than a dozen, dangerously predatory humans create this shit storm. What do you expect them to do? Sit at home, pretend like it was just a hiccup?" I scoff, "The worst part, she didn't even feel sorry."

"She's just... S-She doesn't understand, it was a mistake."

"You and I were in that same car ride to get out of there. We know she didn't do it on accident, she knew what she was doing, and she did it anyway."

"You just don't know her. You don't know her like how I do, okay?" He defends.

"Excuse me? You've known her for, like, what a few weeks? Little less than a month? And now you're an expert on how she feels?"

"This goes both ways. You don't even know her and you are already saying she did it on purpose, that she didn't possibly have a psychological episode."

I shake my head. "You are clearly too blind to see what she did."

"And you're too biased."

"Are you kidding me? You should go and talk to Lorna about how she feels about this. About if they do find Rebecca that she fears Dawn's safety, my safety."

"Your safety?"

"Yes! God, yes, and so am I."

Andy seemed to be taken back by it. "Y-Your scared?"

I gulped, "I don't say I'm scared, ever. Is it hard to believe that maybe... when I saw her doing what she did, I thought of myself? How brutal she could be if she even had the chance?"

He looked down, with tears building in his eyes.
I knew what I was saying was hard. Rebecca becomes a close person to Andy, he always cared for people that came close to him.

It was then that he pulled me in for a hug, which sent chills in my body. I was shocked, at first, with my heart beating out of my chest. When I felt a tear hit my shoulder, I hugged him back.

I didn't hug him as a girlfriend, an ex that wanted him back, but as a friend who saw him hurting. A friend who comforted a confused person, who needed to face facts.

❅ ❅ ❅

It was late a night when I woke up. With my door cracked, I saw a shadow pass by my room.
Furrowing my brows, I got out of bed, slowly making my way to whoever was up this late.

I took a breath when I opened my door, seeing the person who was down the hallway.

"Lorna?"

The green-haired woman turned, as was upset. Her eyes seemed to be crying, as her body slumped back in defeat.

"W-What happened? Are you——"

"Dawn, um," She interrupted, "she's gone... I sent her away."

I asked, "Wait, Dawn's not here? Where did she go? Why?"

"I... I know that the world has changed. It-It's more dangerous, ever than before. I can't risk her being her, us with. Especially if they are going to bring back Rebecca... Dawn needed protection," The mother explains, "I sent her away, to the woman who took care of me, as a kid. S-She'll be in good hands."

Hearing that Lorna's daughter being gone, broke my heart, and that didn't even compare to what Lorna felt about it.
It was the right for her to do since things have changed. The world wasn't so violent as it was just a week ago. I understood why she did it, it was the act of a mother protecting her child.

Knowing that space what was she needed, I headed back to my room.

I thought about our world, Rebecca, and my brother...
Society had changed, it took a shifting turn for the worse. People are acting out of malevolent hate, burning buildings, hurting mutants. I then think about what was the gain from the heist.
Money? Information?
How much of it was worth it?

How much pain what the heist worth?

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙