meMento

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"Is it true that you almost got shot?" Jack asks me.

It only had been a few days since we raided the Purifier's homeland. I could barely even look at Andy, let alone speak to him.

"Who told you that?"

"Andy. He was ranting to me during his training."

"Well, he is being dramatic," I lied, "That bullet barely even was around me."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, but for once, I don't think he's being 'dramatic'."

"Oh, so now you're starting to like Andy?"

"Of course not. He's still a little brat to me. But I don't think he overreacted too much, then again, I only have his side of the story."

I scoff, "He can make himself a victim all that he wants, I know what happened."

"So tell me."

I looked down at my hands, wondering if I should actually tell the whole story or a half-truth.
"He's changed," I stated, "The Inner Circle changed him. The Andy that I used to know, he would never break the legs of a man; I'm sure that guy won't be able to walk again. He has so much anger in him, he's using it for the wrong reasons."

"Hey, Andy made his choice——"

"I feel like this is my fault. I was there with them throughout everything, how could I have not seen him change? I could've stopped him."

"Lux, this isn't your fault." My brother holds onto my hand. "You're in here, just as much as him, and you haven't changed. This is all Andy, he makes his own decisions. You're not responsible for him."

I just remained silent. I knew Jack was right, but I still felt responsible, in some way.

"Do you wanna see the new people train?"

"New people?" I furrow my brows.

"Yeah, Reeva has them. They escaped from prison, and we got them. I believe they are about to start."

Beats doing nothing on my own, I got up and Jack showed me the way. Coming into the deck room, Lorna and Andy were already there. I sat right by the window next to the corner, farthest away from Andy.
I knew his eyes were looking toward me, I just ignored it.

"You're not in prison anymore," Reeva tells the three new mutants, "We are offering you an opportunity. To join us. To leave your past behind and become a part of something much larger than yourself. This is your opportunity to become the founders of a nation, to help to create——"

"You know," The man in the middle interrupts, "there's nothing I like more than a good civics lesson, but word his we're gonna be getting our hands dirty."

"Close your eyes," The boss orders, and he does so, "Think of every human who has ever done you wrong."

"I'm liking this so far."
"Now imagine the world without them."

"Sounds good to me, Max," A woman comments, named Heather, "When do we start?"

"After your training," answers Reeva.

"Training? Who needs training?" Max remarks, cockily.

He walked up to the chair that was placed behind them. Without even touching it, the metal chair turned hot, bright red hot. Heather flicks her hand, making the chair move from its position to another — the farthest side of the room. The last man claps his hands and the chair exploded into nothingness.

I couldn't help but feel something so familiar with them, I just couldn't put my finger on them. Their powers were impressive but dangerous as well.

Looking back, Reeva opens her mouth toward her high-tone ability. She watches all the three of them were in pain, covering their ears to try and block her out.

The woman chuckles, "I am sorry. Let me be clear." Her voice turned threatening. "This is my house. These are my rules. And what we're planning requires far more than just... blowing up chairs. I need discipline. I need commitment."

"Unless you have other plans," Esme comments.

"Maybe you'd rather go back to wearing a collar?" Sophie adds.

"Because that can be arranged," Phoebe finalized.

The three mutants looked at each other for an agreement. Max says, "Beats prison. We're in."

It was then that Jack pulls me out of the room. I was confused as to why, but he looked stern, stern but anxious. As soon as the doors closed, he exploded.

"I'm telling you now, Lux, stay away from those three," He orders, "Don't talk to them, don't converse. Keep your distance from them."

"W-What, why? Who are they?"

"They are dangerous people, okay? Getting on their bad side will be a mistake... Can you please listen to me this once?"

I saw the fear in his eyes, I had never seen him like this before.
If he was truly afraid of them, god knows who they are actually like.

❅   ❅   ❅

I was quick to try and find out my own research of the new trio that came in. I was so close to find out the truth, until someone came in my room, unannounced.

"Lux."

I look up to the person who pulled me back to reality. It was Esme, standing in my doorway.

"Y-Yes?"

"Reeva wants to see you, come on."

I was confused about what I was needed more, but reluctantly, I got up and left with the triplet.
She didn't lead me to the training room, as I suspected, she led me to one of the guest rooms. Reeva stood outside the door, waiting for us.

"Lux," The woman says to me, "I have a mission for you."

I step forward with my brows knitted together. It wasn't typical to have me do a solo assignment, I would always have someone — Andy, Jack, or even Lorna.

"We found a potential member of the Inner Circle. He can be a great asset to us, but..."

Esme sighs, "He is being a little uncooperative with us."

"So another Rebecca?"

Reeva pushed down her annoyance. "We have made our mistakes with Rebecca, and we have learned from them. He is different from her."

"Why can't Andy do this?"

"Because this boy needs a more softer touch. Listen, this boy needs to trust us, we need to see if we can trust him. This is a big deal for us, with him on our side, it can give us a huge advantage."

I didn't feel right to do this. I felt like some manipulator, a puppeteer. All I know was that Reeva expects much from me, about this. The Inner Circle has changed, it's not how it used to be.

"Fine," I huffed.

I walked toward the door and slowly opened it. Walking in and closing it behind, I saw no one there. Did they have invisibility? A camouflage ability?

"Hello?" I call, looking around the room.

"Who are you?"

Looking toward the bed, where I heard the voice, my eyes grew wide. A boy with curly hair and freckles walked out, standing right in the middle of the bed.

"H-Holy shit," I gasped.

"Who are you?"

He looked scared yet had a tough exterior for a defense. His eyes stared toward my half face, which I suspected as much. As his eyes drifted up and down, for body language or any sign of danger, his stance loosed, as if the people he tried to intimidate were gone — he saw me as harmless.

"I'm Lux, Lux Mycroft." I lay out my hand. "You?"

He was hesitant upon seeing my hand as if manners were never shown to him. His hand shook a little when holding into my hand, shaking it. "Monty... Monty Pryde."

"Your abilities," I awed, pulling him out of the bed and more to me. "It's amazing, I've never seen this before."

"Intangibility. I can pass through anything, even people," He tells me.

When seeing that our hands were still touching, he let go quickly, backing himself away.

"W-What can you do?"

I smiled at him. I looked around his room and found a pencil. I grabbed it and held it tight, frost covered the sharp wood. Monty was intrigued by my abilities.

"Ice. I can make and control ice, snow, and so on."

I tossed him the pencil and with just his touch he winced from the sudden cold. His hand phased, making the pencil drop to the ground.

His mind shifted back to serious business. Hiding his small smile, crossing his arms. "What the hell am I doing here? Who the hell were those women?"

I sigh, "I honestly don't know. Reeva and Esme — 'those women' — just asked me to be here. I'm like your guide, a friend."

"I don't have friends."
"... Well, I can be your first."

His eyes looked quite unsure.
He looked at me and back to himself. He was conflicted and confused, I couldn't blame him, I would do the same thing.

Monty straightens himself up. "Then, if you're my friend like you say... do you mind showing me where the hell I can get some street tacos?"

❅   ❅   ❅

Unlike Rebecca, Monty liked to stay indoors, he didn't mind a professional chef making 'street' tacos. He ate fiercely to his food, it was as if he hadn't eaten in days.
I just watched him, as I ate my own tacos, as well.

"Monty," I say, "How did you end up here?"

He looked up at me, which I took as him being triggered by his past. "Sorry... I didn't mean to——"

"I was a weapon," He admitted, "Growing up, my dad found out my abilities and took me to an area, and I had to fight for my life with other mutants. It was fighting or my father taking me to some scientific and get experimented on."

I was quite shocked to see him open up so much. It was only a few seconds ago, he was so closed off, now he's willing to be an open book.

"Oh," I peeped, "I didn't expect you to answer."

"Well... don't friends tell people things?"
"Yes, but when they're ready."

It was clear he had never experienced what friendship was like. He wasn't kidding when he said he had no friends, he truly had no idea.

"Who the hell are you?"

Monty stood up instantly, I turn my head to see my brother. I rolled my eyes seeing him give a mean glare to Monty, like what he had done with Andy before.

"Can you calm down?" I stood up to Jack. "Monty, this is my brother, Jack. Jack, this is Monty — our new recruit."

As Pryde loosened up, Jack pulled me away. "'Recruit'? This is bullshit. What are you doing with him?"

"Reeva and Esme asked if I could... 'guide' him. Be a familiar face in the Circle."

"Andy couldn't do this?"
"Andy isn't in his right mind."
"Says only you."

I scoff, "Forget it, this isn't about Andy."

"You're right. I don't like him, I don't want you near him," Jack states.

"Well, this doesn't concern you, Reeva——"

"To hell with Reeva. I'm worried for you... this gives me some real deja vu with Rebecca."

"Monty isn't Rebecca. Trust me, I would know a Rebecca Hoover copy when I see one. This guy is harmless, just scared and confused."

"And you're sounding a lot like Andy."

I gritted my teeth in annoyance. "You're pissing me off."

"I'm just saying, I don't want you hurt. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Reeva gave me this job for a reason. I saw what Rebecca could be before any of you, this job is more me. Trust me, I can handle myself perfectly, and you know it."

Jack had no other excuse.
He knew I was right, in a lot of ways, so he had to let me go. Even if he hated it, he had to. My brother walked away with a tsk leaving his mouth.

Monty breathes, "Your brother..."

"He's very protective of me," I answer, "He's like that with everyone."

After eating, I showed him around the building. Monty was more skittish of all the people that were there, but he was more than willing to continue our tour.
As we were walking, we turned a corner to make our way back to his room, but Monty stopped. Before I could say anything, he put a finger over his mouth lips, signaling for me to be quiet.
My mouth shut, I furrowed my brows when seeing him phase through the wall corner.

It took all for a few seconds to hear shouting behind the corner. I ran back and around the corner, seeing Monty eyeing Andy, which was stuck in between the wall.

"Oh my——"

"Who are you?" Monty shouts.

"Who are you?" sneers Andy, with only his chest and up showing, while his hands down were trapped behind the wall. "What the hell did you do to me?!"

"Andy?" I retorted, "What are you doing? Monty, why is he in the wall?"

"This creep was following us, that's why!" The freckled boy defends.

I look back to the Strucker, he didn't deny, he didn't even argue back. I was shocked, completely dumbfounded.

"Let him go," I tell Pryde.

"What?"
"Let him go, I'll deal with him."

Shaking his head, Monty gripped Andy's shoulder, making the Strucker phase out of the wall.
I took his wrist, pulling him a distance from Monty.

"Why are you following us?" I question.

"Some random person was with you, that's why."

"That doesn't give you an excuse to follow me and the new recruit!"

"Recruit?"
"Yes. Reeva gave me the job."

Andy looked to Monty and back at me. "I don't trust him."

"And I'm not asking you to trust him."

"Lux, he doesn't seem good. Please, trust me on this——"

"Woah, I wonder where you got that from?" I sarcastically blew him off. "I got him under control, believe me."

Andy held my hand. "I don't want him to——"

"What? Be like Rebecca? You don't want him to make me turn on you? Like how you turned on me?" This made Andy shut up, quickly. "You need to leave. Leave me and Monty alone, and that's not a request."

Again, he looked and Monty and back to me, and before walking away he tells me, "I'm telling you, something ain't right with him."

Watching him walk, I shout, "Sucks to know that the one person closest to you doesn't believe you, huh!"

I was more upset than frustrated. I truly don't think Monty had any bad intentions, not like how Rebecca was. Jack only was being an over-protective bully, and Andy a brat. I was just doing my job, I was trying to gain Monty's trust, so he could trust Reeva... even then, that made me feel all the more guilty.

"Who even was that guy?" The Pryde boy asked me.

"My ex," I answer, truthfully, "And what used to be my best friend."

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Cameron Boyce
played as
Monty Pryde