Choices (INVITE)

[Maia Celise]

'Damn I didn't expect it to take this long.' she thought, 'At least the movie was good though.'

The sky above Maia was a blanket of darkness, even the stars that were usually the pinpricks of light in the night sky seemed to have gone out. It was past 10 so most of the stores in the city had already closed. Only one or two lights shone out of the glass windows of the buildings that lined the quiet streets. The night was a bit chilly and for a split second Maia considered ducking into the inviting coffee shop she was passing for a steaming hot mug of its special but she quickly dismissed the idea.

'I'm late as it is.' she told herself sternly.

The young girl had left the school earlier that evening. She hadn't even bothered to make sure that it was okay like she usually would. The students were allowed to leave the premises as long as they returned before curfew. They didn't need to ask but Mai always checked first, the goody - two - shoes in her coming out. She had found out that morning that Ris really had left just like she had threatened to. Mai had noticed that she hadn't seen Ris around the school over the past week but she had refused to believe that she really was gone. Unfortunately the lies we tell ourselves never lasted and the truth we had to accept came out sooner or later.

Almost as soon as she had heard, Mai had left. Knowing that one of her best friends was gone without even saying goodbye. Knowing that it was at least partially her fault that Ris had left. That knowledge of that on top of everything else was just too much for her to take; everyone had a limit. Everything seemed to be going wrong lately. There was also the problem of the possibility of running into Chase. It was weekend so there were no classes to stop him from coming to find her and trying to apologize for what was probably the billionth time. Her room was overflowing with flowers and chocolates all with various apology notes attached. Mai sighed as she thought of all this and pulled her jacket tighter around her as she approached the city limits.

'20 more minutes before I'm there.' she thought to herself, 'At least I got a couple hours of escape.'

As Maia passed the tavern she saw a man stumble out the door almost falling down the stairs. This drunken man was the first person she had seen since leaving the Fox Theatre. She stared at him curiously as he picked up the jacket he had dropped. There was something off about him besides having had one to many shots of whiskey though she couldn't tell exactly what. When he finally stood up straight again, he seemed to notice her for the first time. Right before she blushed in embarrassment and looked away, quickening her pace slightly in the process, he gave her a toothy grin that gave her the chills.

For ten minutes she walked on, taking a short cut through the abandoned part of the town. It was hidden so well that a stranger to the city would never even know it was there. She couldn't remember the history behind it but she knew that everyone shied away from this part of town. The only life left was the sewer rats. She walked past the desolate, broken down buildings and began to get a chill down her spine from the eerie feeling this place exuded. She still had a little way to go before she would be free from this deadened, rank place.

"Hey there!" she heard a voice behind her call out.

It was more shock than anything else that made her stop and turn around. It was the same drunk guy that she had just left behind. The emotions that she was getting from him weren't stable. They were all over the place, probably from the alcohol.

"Hold on a sec." he called out as he began approaching her.

A few seconds passed before her brain got over the shock and grounded back into action. She turned and began to walk...almost run away.

"Sorry I really have to be going." she said.

It was amazing that even in her freaked out, wary state that she was still trying to be polite. Go figure.

"What's the rush?" he asked slurring his words, his voice was much closer than it had been, "Stay a bit."

That did it. Maia broke out into a flat out run. Behind her she heard that he had done the same. Maia wasn't slow but in too short of a time he had somehow caught up with her and she felt a rough, calloused hand close around her arm like a steel band and pull her back. She could smell the alcohol on his putrid breath as he held her close.

"Let me go!" she all but screamed as she struggled futilely against his powerful, vice - like grip.

"Its alright baby." he crooned tightening his grip slightly, "Just relax."

She was close to choking from the heavy stench of sweat and dirt that came from his clothes and skin, assaulting her nose.

"Its been so long." he murmured, seeming to be talking more to himself than her as he ran his lips down the side of her face.

Mai screamed. Her arms were pinned so she brought up her left foot and kicked him squarely on his leg hoping to get him to release her. But something was wrong; instead of him howling in pain, it was her that made the yell. As her foot connected with his she felt the something snap as pain shot through her leg. He didn't even seem to notice that she had tried to fight back. He clamped a hand over her mouth as she screamed for help again though she knew no-one would hear her. He seemed to be getting angry.

It was with wide, horrified eyes that she watched him pull out a pocket knife even as she struggled against him even more fiercely but to no avail.

"Shut Up!" he growled as he slammed her against the opposing walls of one of the abandoned buildings.

Mai felt her head connect with the solid concrete and somehow between the searing pain that was now in her head she registered the slick, wet, warm substance that began to run down through her hair.

The man's eyes looked manic...crazed. Mai tried to calm his emotions but whatever was wrong with him went deeper than an emotional level. She tried screaming again but his hand muffled the sound out to all but a whisper. She could barely breathe. Tears began to run down her face as she helplessly watched him rip off her leather jacket with his bare hands and began to almost lovingly caress the skin of her arms.

"So long." he muttered to himself again.

She couldn't breathe. In a last ditch effort to escape she bit against the palm of his hand. This time he noticed the attack and with an angry growl released her arms and plunged the knife into her side.

"Keep quiet you stupid b**ch!" he yelled, twisting the blade around in her side as she screamed in agony again.

She felt his hand release the knife and move down. She felt his hand ripping off the button of her jeans and begin to push them down her long legs before he reached back up to work on her shirt. Maia sobbed, knowing what was coming.

Her sobs suddenly stopped as she felt his hand invade the inside of her shirt and began to pop the buttons open, one by one, from the inside. It was as if something had awakened inside of her. She had never tapped into the true depth of her power but somehow something inside her had done it for her. A survival instinct perhaps. She couldn't subdue him physically but emotionally was another story. She became less aware of the pain that was coursing through her body as she focused. Using her power had never seemed so simple and natural; it felt as easy as breathing.

Without warning she brought down the emotions of the entire city upon him and amplified it even further. Happiness, sorrow, pain, doubt, fear, grief. Every possible emotion you could ever imagine was amplified by twenty and then placed upon his shoulders to bear.

A split second passed after she started the attack and nothing seemed to happen but then suddenly his eyes went out of focus. Another second passed and she felt his grip slacken slightly. Then the man had released her completely and she crumpled to the floor, unable to stand. He was retreating from her and screaming as if in physical torture, clutching the sides of his head. Mai watched him fall to the floor and begin to writhe in absolute agony as he now clutched his chest. The young girl was panting as she watched him. She looked down when she finally felt the liquid against her leg and saw the small pool of blood that had formed beneath her.

Mai didn't have the strength to yell again and at any rate she knew it wouldn't do her any more good than it had before. She felt her consciousness slipping as she returned her gaze to the the man on the floor that was writhing and whimpering like an animal in agony. The last thing Mai registered before darkness claimed her was the sound of running footsteps and the call of a name she couldn't make out.

~

The darkness she was in seemed to be lifting as she slowly became aware of her surroundings. Pain seemed to be running throughout her entire body as if she had just been crushed by a building. There was a annoying steady beeping somewhere in the distance. Mai's brow furrowed as she came out of the darkness even more and the pain she thought was engulfing her entire body began to become localized to her head, side and leg. Their was pain all over her body but those three places were the worst. The crease in her forehead deepened, she wanted to go back into the safe darkness where pain didn't exist. Despite how much she didn't want it to her body began to continue to slowly wake up. She became aware that was she was no longer on the hard, cold stone floor but in a soft, comfortable bed. She blinked...once, twice. There was a bright light shining down on her. She instinctively tried to raise her arm to shield her eyes from the blinding light that burned them but she barely got it halfway to her face before she felt something tug against her effort.

Mai blinked again and this time managed to keep her eyes open at least to slits. She turned her head to see what was holding her arm back; running from her wrist was the thin tube of an IV. She opened her eyes fully and took in the room. The walls were white. The steady beeping she was hearing was coming from a sophisticated looking monitor at the side of the bed. The bed she was in had protective steel bars on both sides.

'Hospital?' she thought fuzzily, feeling groggy and disoriented.

She suddenly became aware of another person in the room and turned to see the familiar face of a tired looking, dark-haired man sitting in a chair beside the bed as he watched her.

[Dr. Reid Sullivan]

"Woah there, don't stress yourself Ms. Celise. You just came out of a surgery and moving like that would open the plumbing." Reid chuckled. Despite the usual dark circles around his eyes, an evidence of his late night activities, his whole face seemed to be relaxed. Reid usually stayed up until the wee hours of the morning for a lot of reasons. One, he had a whole school of breeds to take care of. Two, he had a daughter to raise. And the last but most definitely not the least, he had to deal with his experiments, a fact that he puts more priority on. He was a busy man, but not too busy for self indulgences…he does have a…partner to satisfy. And he knew that Alison was more than satisfied with him. He made sure of that, but then again…even if he didn't she would still be following him anywhere he went. That's just how crazy she was of him.

"Tell me something Ms. Celise. Why is it that everytime we get to talk like this…you're always on a hospital bed? Why, I'm starting to think that my socialization skills needs some improving." He maintained a straight face, a task he never found hard at this point. After watching Maia squirm and look apologetic, he burst out laughing. The action seemed to make him look younger, a ghost of who he once was slipping for a little. But no one really knew that…to everyone else like Maia, he is a cool and funny guy who just happened to run the school. No doubt, a mask he wore to avoid conflict from students. It was easier to put on a sheep's clothing and act as a saint in front of everyone owing to the fact that he was once like that.

"Loosen up Ms. Celise…you just came out of a critical condition…If we arrived later…" His face melted into a grim expression, his mind playing the flashbacks of what had happened. He was working in his laboratory, the buzzing of the thoughts he experienced mellowing into hush whispers as the city slept the night away. Frustration bubbling inside of him as his specimen didn't even get close to completion. He was on a stagnant, his experiment being on the same state as it was three months ago and he wasn't making any progress. His quest for knowledge was disrupted by a piercing scream, making him clutch his head with his hand. He felt blood surge in his blood, rousing his senses. "No…" He muttered to himself. It was a distress call alright. He had gotten lots of them but this one was special. He had implanted psychic bugs in the minds of his "special" students. One that would alert him if his cream of the crop were in imminent danger. He didn't even have to think, for he knew already that it was Maia who was in danger. "Alison go get the team and meet me in my office. NOW!" He projected with his telepathy. Ali would know who she meant when he said "team" because he rarely sends out for them. No one even knew they existed. Only him and Alison knew of their existence. And they did their job flawlessly, by the time they arrived in the scene, his "team" was able to apprehend the culprit. An escapee of Sententia research facility. One of the breeds that he kept at bay in the laboratory for experiments and further study. The guy was still writhing on the ground, undoubtedly from the effects of Maia's powers.

He was furious and only to Alison's request did he suppress the effects of Maia's powers on him. That and they took her back to the academy's medical bay to attend to her wounds. It took little time for the school's resident mender to do her job but the injuries made her lose a lot of blood. The reason why he had an IV tube right now. "Don't worry…the guy who attacked you is in custody. He won't harm you anymore. In the mean time…focus on your friends. They've been worried sick. I practically had to threaten them to go away, especially Ms. Andrews and Mr. Sinclair. They've been taking shifts to watch over you in the past…thirty-seven hours you've been asleep." He stopped briefly to look at his watch before continuing once again. "Ms. Andrews just left a few minutes ago and Mr. Sinclair will arrive…any second…" He had to pause in the last part as he picked up on the guys mental signature. He really had to talk to Maia's frequent visitors about their visiting hours. But for now…he will leave them be. "Don't stress yourself Ms. Celise." He answered before heading out towards the door to give the two some privacy.

[Chase Sinclair]

Chase held his head in his hands as he sat in the waiting room. He didn't blame himself for not being there, after all, he couldn't be everywhere at once and he wasn't a stalker. Maia was a big girl but obviously had been on the wrong side of town. What he did blame himself for was her being gone in the first place. After all, he had a hunch that she'd fled the school grounds to get a breather. She wouldn't have needed one of those if he hadn't...well that was in the past now. Nothing he could do or say would erase anything. Raking his fingers through his messy hair, Chase stood and began to pace.

Back and forth, back and forth, a blur across the waiting room. And here he was alone. This wasn't an actual hospital of course, and that meant that perhaps most of the time this place was empty. There was however a place for coffee near here. He could go and get a cup and be back in literally a minute. Should he? He felt so drained and cold. These walls with their beige coat of paint, an attempt to sooth the troubled mind, only served to make him depressed. This place wasn't in anyway cheerful. It didn't offer any source of comfort. Someone had placed glass vases of flowers around the room to try and brighten it up but the flowers were fake. Forced to make pretty faces until they were thrown into the garbage and replaced by newer, faker flowers. Yet another depressing thought. Everything was replaceable but was that true about Maia? No. People weren't replaceable.

Chase's black converse hit the white tile with a slap, slap, slap but it was a soft noise for he was running fast enough that his shoes hardly hit the floor. At the end of the long hall was a coffee maker with a fresh brewed pot currently steaming and letting off the comforting burnt aroma of coffee beans. He was not much of a coffee man but this wasn't the time to be slobbering drunk although there was still a little bit of that scotch he'd had last night on his breath this morning. Maybe the coffee would mask it? No, it wouldn't. More like mingle to make a strange combination. It was an alarming thought to realize that at 15 he was already turning into an alcoholic, something neither of his parents were. Lifting the pot, his hands were shaking. He missed his cup and ended up spilling quite a lot of coffee all over the counter and his hand.

"Shit!" he howled, cradling his hand to his chest and glaring at the black liquid seeping over the pink countertop and spilling in small waterfalls onto the floor. The skin was pink where the coffee had burned him but nothing that wouldn't heal by tomorrow or maybe the next day. This was just adding to his already tense mood. Now he was more than a little agitated. Ripping paper towels out of the nearest dispenser, he mopped up the floor and counter and righted the coffee pot, having no more stomach for the stuff. He threw his cup in the garbage and walked slowly back to his seat, still cradling his hand. This whole situation was lousy and only made worse by his own stupid fumbles. When had his reflexes been this bad? He couldn't remember. Usually he was so agile, so in control.

He glared at the door leading to another hall where Maia was. He hadn't been allowed to see her pre-surgery nor in the hours afterward but he and Felicity had been taking turns waiting to hear news that she was awake. Felicity had gone back to her room to do God knew what but Chase stayed. His whole body was trembling from pent up energy but he didn't want to pace anymore. All he wanted was to see Mr. Sullivan come and tell him something good, something that would make this whole nightmare vanish. And then he saw the drawn face with the dark circles under dark eyes. A wan smile was tight across Sullivan's features. Chase was up in a flash and at the door as it was pushed open slowly.

With tentative questions he inquired as to Maia's health, asked if she was awake, if she knew he was here. If Mr. Sullivan answered his questions, Chase didn't really hear, he could only watch the older man's mouth move. What did get through was "You can go see her, now". That was all he needed. Maybe he thanked Sullivan, maybe he didn't. He wasn't aware of speaking but in his mind he thanked the man though not consciously. The hall to Maia's room seemed impossibly long though it wasn't. He was at her door within three seconds, offering a small knock before breezing in.

There she lay on the bed, looking pale and small with machines hooked up to her and a steady beep, beep, beep in the background. Chase glanced around, feeling like this room was even more depressing than the waiting room, only colder because in this room, people had a real chance of dying. He drew a chair up to her beside and sat down carefully as if the chair would bite him if he sat down too fast. Folding his hands in his lap, lacing his fingers together, he offered Maia a small smile before it faded. She had no color in her face. His stomach felt like lead. Now he really was glad he hadn't had any coffee or else it would be churning uncomfortably in his stomach right now.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, his voice almost drowned in the silence. The ends of his fingers felt like ice and he tapped one of his shoes against the leg of the chair because he couldn't sit still. "Looks like you have to finish that history report after all, huh?" his attempt at humor made him feel worse, made his own color drain from his cheeks. The only color that seemed to still be left to him was the blue of his eyes, always present but dark with intensity now.

[Marissa Peretti]

Trust me
I’ll be there when you need me
You’ll be safe here
When you finally trust me
Finally believe in me
I will let you down
I’ll let you down
When you finally trust me
Finally believe in me

_________________________

Sparky walked through the doors of the clinic. Her angry electric blue eyes covered with expensive shades that seemed perfect for her face. The ice blue tints matching with the silver frames that were streamlined and slid over her nose and across her ears with precision. Her blonde hair was longer and spiked all over the place; cut short around her face and angled it framed her pale skin and brought out her pale pink lips perfectly. The rest of her hair slid down her back, it wasn’t much longer but the difference was startling.

She wore a silver top that dipped low on her body to her belly button and just barely covered her breasts, it left her back out and joined with a silver pleated skirt that flared around her mid-thigh and met white fishnet stockings that slid in to knee high white leather boots. For as revealing as the outfit was there was no doubt that Marissa had blades and a fun hidden somewhere on her person, she never left without it. Behind her were two men, burly and quiet large in street clothes but even so it was obvious they were thugs. Marissa glanced over her shoulder and spoke to them in Italian; they nodded and wandered off each meandering around the empty clinic waiting room.

Marissa had spotted her target and her rage suddenly knew no bounds. She stalked towards Reid her heels making an authoritive click against the ground. She cocked back her arm as if to punch him, her long nails decorated with faint blue sparkles but she slowly lowered her hand. She stared at Reid and he stared at her and for another moment she wished to rip that smirk off his face and shove it where the sun don’t shine.

”If you ever invade my mind like that again Reid for whatever reason I’ll put a bullet in your fucking brain. You understand me?”

Marissa jerked the shades from her face revealing her beautiful electric blue eyes. They glistened and glowed with her rage. Ever since she’d left all she’d been was angry; her rage hadn’t been sated by the bodies she’d left on the ground, being with her family again, the prospect of her father remarrying and retiring and giving the mob to her. But she had another reason for the pure rage she felt…she was being married off. She knew she would be when she returned but it was easier to bear without her being summoned back to this shitty city like a fucking dog being called by its Master. Just thinking about it made her blood boil and she turned with a sneer away from Reid.

”I shouldn’t have come here. It’s not like Maia wants to see me anyway and even if she did fuck her…I told her our friendship was over just like I ended it with Chase. You sick bastard I bet Chase is up there right now isn’t he!? That’s it! I’m going HOME!”[/color]

She turned to walk back but with the way things were going she wouldn’t be surprised if Reid stopped her. She was trembling with rage…but under that was fear, how could she possible face the love of her life and her best friend after she’d abandoned them.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/color]

[Maia Celise]

"Surgery?" she asked.

The young girl began to sit up in surprise but the surge of pain that the movement caused had her collapsing back onto the bed and wincing before she was even halfway up.

'Surgery.' she thought to herself, staring up at the ceiling. Now that she thought about it, surgery did make sense. The stab wound alone.....

Everything was still a bit hazy, probably an effect of the medication, but bit by bit it was all becoming clearer.

"Yeah, sorry about that." she said, blushing and squirming slightly when he mentioned that their meetings always seemed to involve her in a hospital bed, "I guess I don't have the best of luck."

A shadow crossed her face when he spoke again, mentioning the attack. He didn't have to tell her how close she had come to death, she knew that if he hadn't somehow found her she would have bled to death in that decrepit place. The thought alone sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. Maia had never felt more scared or vulnerable in her entire life.

He was telling her to relax and she knew she should but she couldn't. Intellectually, Mai knew that it was over, that she would probably never see that monster of a man again. But she could still feel his hands on her body, invading to take what they wanted. She could still feel his coarse lips on her skin; smell his putrid breath. As these thoughts ran through she heard the beeping of the monitor increase as her heart thudded away at a quickened pace in her chest. The shallow, harsh breaths she was taken were painful. It was a minute or two before she could marshall herself and calm back down.

"Don't worry…the guy who attacked you is in custody. He won't harm you anymore."

Dr. Sullivan obviously knew what she had just been thinking about that had nearly sent her into a full blown panic attack; he was an immensely strong telepath after all. Mai nodded to him and smiled weakly after he spoke, advising her to focus on her friends.

'Easier said than done.' she added to herself but she would at least try.

'Chase!' she then thought it surprise when he revealed that he along with Felicity had been basically camping out at the clinic waiting for her to awake. Felicity she understood, but Chase....

The young girl's next shock was how long she had been out for. Almost two whole days! And according to Dr. Sullivan Licie and Chase had been there all that time.

"Wow!" she said softly more to herself than him.

"Thank you for everything," she said to him as he rose to leave, "and I'll try not to."

It seemed like the door had just shut behind Dr. Sullivan and she had just settled herself back down onto the pillow before she was hearing a knock at the door and watching as it reopened. Then again, knowing who was on his way it probably really was only a few seconds. Mai watched as he entered and just looked at her for a few seconds before grabbing a chair and sitting beside her. She turned her head so that she could look at him. She returned his small smile with one of her own but remained silent not sure of what to say especially since she knew how he was feeling. She was glad when he broke the silence.

"Probably as good as I look." she replied to him, "On the bright side they gave me a morphine button."

She held up the small button that would deliver extra morphine to her whenever she needed it. Mai was trying not to use it though since it made her get a little muzzy. She shifted slightly in the bed so that she could face him better and winced at the resulting pain. She really had to remember to keep quiet.

"Yeah," she said to his comment about the history report they both had, "If only I had stayed knocked out a couple more hours then I'd be free."

Silence fell between them again after she had spoke and it was as if in that quiet his emotions grew louder.

Mai hesitated and then reached out with her free hand to touch his pale face and stroke it lightly.

"I really am going to be fine, Chase." she said softly, "Cheer up and stop beating yourself up. Noone could have known. This isn't your fault. I shouldn't have taken that shortcut alone at night."

As she spoke Mai could have sworn she felt the familiar upsurge of blistering anger but she passed it off as her imagination. Her best friend was gone.

[Dr. Reid Sullivan]

His was a job that didn't earn too much credit. Especially when certain distractions are at play. In this case, Chase's distraction took on the form of Maia. And he didn't really mind, he wasn't the type to coo in some person's praise. Nope, not him. And yet he couldn't help but smile when he heard the silent "thanks" from the young speedster. Ironic, and he felt that he was the one who should feel thankful. One of her "special" subjects was saved after all. It would have been a shame if Maia died in that accident…too much waste. And besides, he hadn't found another empath as strong as she is…not even half of her power. He proceeded to walk out of the hospital then, and not too long did his face contort into a smile…more of a sneer. She's back.

He didn't anticipate it, he didn't even use his powers…it was more of an automatic reaction on his part. The instant he had a glimpse of her desire to fry him, his powers had activated itself…thus shutting down her powers. "Uh-uh…" He answered nodding as his tongue played with the insides of his mouth. He walked swiftly beside her and the next moment he was slamming her to the wall, his face only an inch to hers, their lips almost touching. "You really don't want to hurt me now, do you Marissa?" he said in barely above whisper, sure that his breath would be fanning her face and neck... "Didn't you have a little…"crush" on me?" It was said with arrogance, all the while his hands traced delicate paths on her body. He was well aware of it…how the vengeful goddess in front of him ogled him one too many times. And being the guy that he is, he actually teased her about it though she never had a clue and he was positive that it left her feeling hot all over.

"And I'm surprised to see you return so early Ms. Peretti. I had the impression you weren't going to return. Let me guess…got into a fight with daddy?" He said in mock pity. "Let me guess…he shipped you off and betrothed you to a bloke you didn't love?" The way he had said it, it was impossible for her to catch that he actually knew why she was back. An illusion he shattered abruptly when he next spoke. "But if you're here…wouldn't that mean…he's here too?" He was a bit skeptical especially regarding the circumstances. But then again, it was a possibility. One that he knew was right, making him grin like he just made a new discovery. "I have to remind your father not to surprise me like this. I could've given your betroth a much warmer welcome. Oh and your father and I go way back…don't get paranoid about how we met." Just like with how he said things earlier, it was done in a normal fashion. As if he didn't have anything to hide…that he didn't owe anyone an explanation. And the gods be damned, that's exactly how he is.

One of his restraining hands dared to caress her hair, his face going to the side of her face in the act of whispering. He blew on her ear, teasing her before his tongue went out to dip it on her ears. Then he proceeded to the sides of her face. "Nu-uh…" He cautioned when he caught what was going inside her mind. His hand slid down slowly, taking his time until he found her skirt. He hitched it up, until her lacy underwear was revealed but his hand just brushed past them to go lower to grip the hilt of the gun that was on her thigh. "Clever little mafia girl…but not clever enough. And for your benefit…I didn't invade your mind to know…your head basically screamed for your hands to get the gun and shoot me." He said before he let her go as if nothing had happened, but the gun was still in his safe keeping.

"You have two choices, follow me out and do your worst…which I actually doubt but the point is…you'll leave the lovebirds alone…long enough for you to get thrown out of the game. Or…you go in there and do whatever it is you came here to do…" He asked casually, as if giving her an option. He walked to towards the door that led him out with self assurance but before he got out turned once again to the seething teenager. "And by the way…Chase is in there with her. And if I were you…I'd better control that anger. It'll do you no good. And oh, no killing inside my Academy." His face straightened and his eyes darkened at the last sentence. Letting her know that he wouldn't tolerate that behavior inside his school. Satisfied that he got his point across, Reid went out of the door and took the direction towards his office. On his way, he spotted one of her bodyguards and casually chucked her gun at him, which the burly bodyguard caught without even flinching. The job of a headmaster.

[Marissa Peretti]

Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend, till you break
Cause its all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad you get strong
Wipe your hands shake it off
Then you Stand

_________________________

Marissa froze, pinned to the wall she stared blankly at Reid and for a moment all her emotions were gone. She could only hear her breath and the blood rushing to her head. It didn’t last long though; soon her cheeks had flushed and her teeth were grit and her electric blue eyes glowed with hatred and rage. Sure she’d had a crush on Reid back when she was more of a kid, when he’d treated her special. He used to pull her aside for hours a day teaching her to speak English properly. He’d even made her leave her gun in her room, made her feel safe and for her first year here she’d been in love with him because he was the only friend she had in a strange new place.

Then she met Chase and she no longer crushed on Reid, but that he would bring up such a stupid immature crush showed how sadistic he was. He was perverting her sense of safety that she’d felt whenever she was around him. He was supposed to know that she wasn’t angry with him, when she’d walked in she was angry at Chase and Maia for driving her away and then angrier at Maia for dragging her back when each and every night she’d been away from this hell she’d dreamed of nothing more than making Maia pay for hurting her so badly. She was a Peretti and Peretti’s always got their revenge for wrongs done to them.

Marissa stared at Reid as he held her and his death flickered in to her eyes, she squeezed her eyes shut as he touched her and licked her skin. Despite how she dressed and acted Marissa was still a young girl, she still harbored illusionary feelings for the man she’d considered a father away from her father and the fact that he was breaking this trust so casually broke her inner child’s heart. She was devastated but Marissa wasn’t a crybaby anymore. She felt the cold rage of her electricity bubbling in the pit trapped in the cage of his powers. But electricity wasn’t a solid thing, it was large and though most of it was trapped she could feel her power creeping through the cracks and each of her electricity’s sharp fangs were searching for Reid to tear him to shreds.

”Why…? Every time I come back to this place everyone I’ve ever cared about decides to stab me in the back.”

Marissa lowered her head as his hand brushed her most intimate parts and stole her most precious weapon. She slid down the wall as he released her feeling more like a broken doll than ever. But she could feel him drawing away from her, she could see him out of her peripheral vision walking out the doors and chucking her gun to Rudalfo her bodyguard. She felt him pulling away and as he did his suggestion grew weaker with his distance.

Marissa was one of the most powerful Elite’s there were, she could easily defeat all of the Elites aside from Connor and maybe Tyler, but all he had was muscle mass on her. She could put a bullet between his brains and fry his guts when he fell. He’d keep coming back and maybe wear her out but that was all he had on her.

Reid continued to underestimate her and that was mostly because he felt he was the strongest. As true as that was it was never strength that determined the battle it was what you did with what little you had and Marissa was anything but stupid, she was crafty and book smarts may not have been her thing but she’d been killing since she was nine and it had become something she was incredibly good at.

Her voice was slow, silky but it felt like mud coming out of her throat.

”I don’t think I can keep to that rule much longer Reid.”[/color]

Her voice was a purring contralto, the dolcet sounds of her throaty whisper seemed to echo in the silence in her head and it left her wondering if she’d spoken aloud or in her head. Not that it mattered, even if it was in her head he’d hear it. Electricity crackled in short bursts around her. Spiraling up her legs... waist…torso…breasts…neck…until finally her hair whipped about her face with the sparks that flowed around her skull illuminating her eyes in their sockets like light bulbs that had been turned on for the brightest idea of them all.

Kill Reid.

Slowly Marissa dragged herself from the ground and subconsciously straightened her skirt around her hips. She’d always lacked control in emotional stress and if it weren’t for the cage still struggling to suppress the dragon that was her electricity the fire it blasted through the bars crackled and sparkled around her in angry waves. Naturally it was nothing compared to her normal strength, she was probably as weak as the usual electrokinetics in sententia but even that was enough in her capable hands. The lights burst above her and she heard panicked breed nurses confused as to what was happening to the high tech machines they had all over the place. She had a moment of clarity to wonder if she was hurting Maia with all this rage and destroying the equipment that was making her better but it was quickly crushed under the dragon’s claw as the dragon screamed murder and revenge in her head.

”Who cares about Chase and Maia anyway? Why should I give a fuck about them I only came because you called me and now you’re running away? You can’t keep my powers locked up forever and whatever fucked up mind games you think you’re going to play on me give it a go. I’ll blast it all to hell with this power of mine.”

She had another brief moment to scream inside of herself that she did care; she did care about Chase and Maia that they were the most important people in the world to her aside from her family back in Italy. That if she had it all to do over again…

She’d do it all the same.

The dragon roared inside of her, laughing and snarling snorting fiery electricity in bursts out of her body destroying the walls and shattering the glass as her body stalked Reid while her mind tried to figure out what was going on. The beast in her was laugh. Why?

Because it was the truth.

She would have done it all over again exactly the same way. She was a monster and monsters weren’t supposed to be died down by love. It was as her father had said; she was born for her family and that was all. What should she care about some man upstairs who didn’t have the decency to love her properly? She calmed slowly, she was getting married to a man that she hated and who probably hated her back. But the sex was good and that’s all that matters…the beast only wanted to be fed it didn’t care about petty emotions like love. Finally it was quiet in her head; there was no Chase, no Maia, no dumb fiancée, no Peretti family. Just Reid and with Reid came the thrill of the hunt no matter how short. The thrill of the hunt…and the thrill of the kill.
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[Chase Sinclair]

When Maia reached out, however hesitantly, he felt a strange flop in his stomach. Intense relief flooded him like warm water pouring over his head and trickling down his skin, filling him with a considerable amount of what he could only think of as heat. A better way to describe it might be like driving home in a cold car, teeth chattering with the heater not working. Getting out of the car you're hit with frigid wind and you're bundled up so tight you can't feel anything. Then stumbling toward the house, ablaze with lights and opening the door to feel waves of golden heat wash over your face and the arms of your loved ones embracing you. That's what her touch felt like, or at least, as close as he could possibly explain it. He exhaled a long breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding and turned his face so that his lips brushed the inside of her palm.

He squeezed his eyes shut and just shut everything out for the moment. The heart monitor's steady beep, the constant white noise of the vents, even his own thoughts. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders and maybe Maia hadn't said it, and maybe she hadn't consciously thought it, but he felt she had forgiven him at last. It was a thing he had wanted for so long that now that he had it, all the effort was worth it, all the insomniac nights, skipping classes to make sure she'd gotten the flowers or at least seen his drawn features. Even the color was returning to his cheeks and if his fingertips were as cold as before, he would have sworn that he felt warmer.

"Oh Maia!" He leaned forward, taking the chair with him and reached across her to take her other hand in his own, putting that one against his face as well. "I can't even begin to tell you what a wreck I was. The moment I heard I was over here in a minute. I saw them wheeling you into surgery but Reid wouldn't let me in, well obviously, so I paced in the waiting room. It was touch and go there but you're ok now..." Chase smiled a wan smile. It made him appear somehow older than he should have looked. He was only fifteen but the hard drinking combined with worry and fatigue made him look at least ten years beyond his age. With eyes glittering like sapphires he brought his head down on the bed and closed his eyes again, resting against her side.

"I'm sorry for babbling. Felicity didn't have much to say to me," he didn't add why Maia's roommate might feel a little cold towards him. "Anyway how are you feeling? Wait, I already asked that," his smile this time was a little less tired, a little more Chase. He blew stray locks of dark brown hair out of his face. It was growing longer than usual, another sign he'd been neglecting things he was always so careful to maintain. The dark circles under his eyes and the red across his cheeks might alert her, if she knew of such things, to the measures of drink he had had and the lack of sleep he'd engaged in.

"I meant, when do you think you'll be feeling well enough to leave here?" The words were barely out his mouth before the power blew. First the monitor grew fuzzy and then blipped out altogether before it and the florescent lights above exploded in a horrific spray of glass as well as liquid but he didn't understand what it was that was wet. Chase fell to the floor as a wire that ran underneath his chair shot out bolts of electricity. He landed with a hard smack on the tiles and felt a rush of dizzying disorientation replace his happy limbo. There was still something wet and it seemed to be soaking his face but he didn't spare a thought for it. Or didn't he? What if Maia's IV drips were all over him? What would happen to her?

That thought alone forced him to try and raise himself up off the floor but he managed to get his head five inches from the tiles before he slumped back down. The smell of burned fabric wafted to his nose along with flashing lights and the whirring of a generator coming online. Of course. They were in the clinic and no hospital or clinic would be without back up power. When next he raised himself up, he was able to get to his knees but the world was spinning. He blinked several times, trying to clear his vision. On the white floor he watched specks of red drip down and splatter. With a tentative hand, he felt the side of his face that Maia had been stroking. Pulling his hand shaking hand away, he watched with utter confusion when he found it wet with red.

Ignoring the right side of his face which was stained with blood, he staggered to his feet to get a look at Maia. He didn't know if the blood was coming from a gash made by glass or the smack on the floor. All he could comprehend was that something smelled like it was burning, his head was ringing and hurting in such a way as he'd never felt before, and Maia looked awful. A strange far away thought struck him as he leaned against the wall for support. Ris was able to blow out lights and make electricity pop wasn't she? She was the only one he knew who could do it. Suddenly without a doubt he knew she was here. It didn't make sense that she was because he knew her to be in Italy but none the less, he believed she was close.

"Marissa!" he yelled but his voice failed him at the end. "MARISSA!" Turning again to Maia he narrowed his eyes. Something wasn't right and it wasn't just the fact that he'd been blown out of his chair and couldn't see straight. She looked like she was going to fall asleep or no, not fall asleep, oh he didn't know what he was thinking. All he knew was something was amiss and he didn't comprehend what it was. Not yet.

[Maia Celise]

Despite herself, the spot on her palm where Chase brushed on his lips began to tingle as if an electric current was running through it and she couldn't help the small smile that played across her lips at the feel of his touch. Mai had tried, she really had. She had struggled desperately against herself once the pain he had caused began to numb and fade; she had never been able to hold a grudge. And yet she still couldn't get rid of her feelings for him; they were still there and perhaps stronger than before.

How many times had she reread the apology notes he had sent her? How many times had she resolved to throw away all the apology gifts and burn them but when the time came had been unable to do it? How many times had she picked up her cell to call him and had been unable to make her fingers move to dial the number? How many times had she had the chance to tell him to shove it all and to get out of her life but had been unable to say the words? How many times had his face weaved in and out of her dreams and when she had woken had found that their was a smile on her face?

"Yes I'm okay. A little worse for wear but okay. I'm sorry for scaring you." she said softly as he rested his head down next to her and closed his eyes, running her hand through his overgrown hair as she spoke. "And its okay, I don't mind the babbling," she said smiling, "I have to apologize to Licie too." she continued when he mentioned her roommate and best friend.

Her hands moved from his hair to gently touch the dark circles that she had spotted under his eyes.

"You're tired; running on adrenaline." she said, "You need to sleep."

Before Chase finished his question about when she thought she would be up to leaving the clinic, Mai felt it. That unmistakable spike of immense, spiteful, menacing, pure rage that was coming from outside. There was no way to convince herself that she was imagining it this time. She had quelled the rage of her best friend too many times for her not to recognize it now.

'But h....'

Mai couldn't even finish the thought before the electricity flickered, the monitor connected to her faltering and going out. A millisecond later she heard an explosion throughout the building as the lights above her blew out and shattered, raining the projectile glass down upon her and Chase. She felt her exposed skin as she reflexively covered her face but none of the cuts were deeper than a flesh wound.

"Chase!" she yelled out to no response.

Panicking, she removed her arm from her face and reopened her eyes, searching for him. It was a second before she heard his moan from the floor and spotted him on the floor struggling to get up, there was a small pool of red by his face. Her eyes were drawn to the noise of crackling electricity and she saw the exposed live wires that were touching the fallen metal chair that Chase had been sitting in seconds before. He'd been electrocuted.

"Chase!" she called again but this time her voice was softer and she was slurring slightly.

'What the hell?!' she thought.

Only then did she become fully aware of the numbness that was slowly spreading through her body, growing more intense by the second and making it feel sluggish and heavy; already her vision was starting to blur. Her gaze fastened on the morphine pump and it was a few seconds before she could bring it into focus she quickly saw that the shut off valve had been blown out by the electrical surge and now the morphine was pouring through the IV into her and fast.

'Damn it.' she thought. She did Biology and had watched enough movies to know what a morphine OD would do.

Her movements were off; like the messages from her brain were taking detours before reaching her limbs. Her left arm felt like it was 100 pounds as she forced it over her body and then clawed desperately at the IV on her right hand trying to pull it out. The edges of her vision were going black as her eyelids grew heavy and began to close as her breathing grew shallower.

"Chase." she called again, her voice no more than a whisper now. She hadn't seen that he had managed to stand.

Finally she managed to dislodge the needle, opening a deep gash on her hand in the process but at least she couldn't feel the pain. Mai closed her hand across the wound to stop the blood flow and panted, willing herself not to let her eyes close, not even to blink, and fall asleep.

'Have to stay awake.' she kept saying to herself over and over again in her mind.

Shaking her head in an effort to try and clear it, Mai steeled herself and it was with a stupendous effort that she made herself sit up in the glass strewn bed, small beads of sweat forming on her forehead from the effort. She couldn't be sure if arms had really been on her back to help her up or if she had imagined it.

"Marissa." she whispered.

There was no doubt about it. Her best friend had made a literally explosive return to Sententia.

[Dr. Reid Sullivan]

"Bingo"

A smug smile formed on his lips as he watched his victory. Or rather, read it from her head, a few seconds before her powers had gone on a full out outrage. And then there was an explosion within the hospital he just vacated. Still, Reid neither flinched or turned his back. He was quite sure that Marissa would come charging up on him…literally. He provoked her into it…and he was ecstatic that it worked the way he wanted it to turn out. Like a moth to a flame, Marissa took the bait. Newbies. Tch, they had to learn how to play with the big sharks…or else they'd be swallowed whole.

The thing that happened to Maia finally made it clear for him. In order for the Elites to reach their full potential, they have to be put in a certain condition. A heightened emotional state, whether anger, desperation or the need for survival, whatever works. As it lets them unleash their true powers and use it to it's full extent. It was such a shame that he wasn't able to witness Maia's display of power. Then again, there wouldn't be much to see. Marissa, due to the nature of her powers, would be more…visual. And he would enjoy seeing the spectacular show as if it was a pyrotechnics display. Even if he was on the receiving end of it.

With his power, it would've been easy to send out for his special group. The ones who took care of matters like these. People whom he trusted to be able to apprehend, clean and stop situations like these from happening. But he didn't. He was tagged as the strongest Breed for a reason and it wasn't only for show. He can do lots of things that are unimaginable to any breed…and Ris was the first one to see it…well not really the first person but the first student to witness his prowess. He'll suffer wounds, yeah it was a fact he never paid much attention, for it was inevitable in a school filled with overemotional teenagers.

Alison would kill him. If she finds out what he did to poor little Marissa, she would definitely give it to him. But he didn't fear her…after all, he had her wrap around his fingers. And angry sex was always good, if not second to make-up sex. Add the fact that he always liked it when Alison became a little aggressive in bed.

But this wasn't the time to think of that. Only proves that men really do think of sex way more than women. A weird timing, especially if he was about to get his ass fried…literally. "I called you being the operative word. I reckon, I never mentioned anything about going back." He answered calmly, without a trace of worry on his face. "And who says anything about mind games Rissa?" It was a question full of innocence and it's bound to cause confusion. He dared using the nickname he used on her when she was still little. When she was still…"close" to him and was smitten to him. A memory that he carelessly destroyed without an inkling of thought. The price he had to pay to make discoveries. He thought with a sigh.

[Marissa Peretti]

Looking at my own reflection
When suddenly it changes
Violently it changes
Oh no, there is no turning back now
You've woken up the demon in me

_________________________

Marissa stilled standing outside now. It wasn’t just her electricity she could feel the faint drops of rain from the sky above and the loud roar of thunder above them seemed to soothe her just a little. The dragon inside of her stared out of the cage, frozen by the nickname; it brought back memories from before, when Marissa had been quiet and everyone’s best friend, when Marissa was a good girl that did her best in everything so she could hurry up and go home or be praised by Reid.

She felt cold to the bone; it had been months…years since he’d called her that. She blinked and felt the tears slide down her cheeks before she could contain herself. Slowly she hesitated unsure of what she should really do but…before long she was walking towards him faint sparkles still ghosting down her pale flesh. She was tired suddenly and her muscles felt rubber and by the time as she reached Reid her knees gave out and she’d collapsed to her knees on the ground before him. The rain poured from the sky above and it felt as if the Gods were crying with her.

She rubbed at her face with the heel of her hands, it’d been a while since she’d last cried so openly and it felt horrible. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go, this was all wrong! Somewhere in her head she finally understood what she’d loved about Sententia. She’d seen Reid as her father and Maia her sister and in Chase she’d seen someone to share her life with, the good times and the bad times, she’d struggled and finally made a home for herself here and now…it was all a lie.

”I get it Dr. Sullivan…This is about as good as it’ll get for me. Now that you’ve made all of this come out I’m useless right? So are you going to kill me? Maybe expel me for destroying the clinic? I don’t care anymore do you worst.”

She was giving up. There would be no huge light show, she wasn’t angry anymore she just wanted to get this over with. But her powers had other ideas, she winced and clutched her head lowered all those blonde locks along with that pretty face to her knees. Whatever it was it was hurting and badly, the dragon inside of her had flexed its claws and let her know that this man in front of her was a bastard. He’d insulted her and summoned her like a dog, he’d touched her inappropriately he didn’t give a fuck about her he was a liar.

She wouldn’t have put it past him for hiring the thug that hurt Maia, she could bet that Maia had shown some progress all of a sudden as well. She felt cold again and the tears were starting to cease. She was getting angry again with that rage came a sparkling across her skin and out of her fingers in to the ground. She was grounding herself trying to stop the rage that wanted to destroy this menace before her that kept hurting her. She wanted to stop everything that was hurting her. Destroy it all. It was so painful she felt as if she’d been stabbed in the chest with a hot poker. She felt her heart burning with the righteous blue fire of her flame. The dragon roared inside of her, Dr. Reid had broken her heart, he’d experimented on her and used her even when she was a child, he’d implanted things in her head to make her feel safe when in truth he didn’t care about her at all. He’d never opened up about his past yet he knew everything about everyone else. He was keeping secrets from her and everyone else so why should such a dirty disgusting despicable man get to live?!

Marissa slowly started to get up and before she could stop herself her fist lashed out and struck him squarely in the jaw. So what if Marissa was a teenage girl, she fought like a 30 year old man and had the muscle mass to back it up. Sparks flew with the punch and she knew along with either a broken jaw or a busted lip he’d been burned. She watched him stagger back and her rage resurfaced.


”This is YOUR FAULT! Why don’t you stop USING PEOPLE!? We’re not toys for you to fuck around with you bastard! We’re human beings don’t fuck around with us! I’LL KILL YOU!”

Blue slices of electricity sliced around her body crackling angrily. The dragon rammed against the cage and she wondered if he could feel her fighting his suppression. She was so angry she could feel the electricity sparkling around her and she shivered. She needed to be free. She clutched at her head and screamed. It was so frustrating! Being trapped like this by this bastard! He didn’t care about anything and it was just…so annoying! Marissa was at her limit suddenly there was a clap of thunder and a bolt of lightening. It crashed towards the ground drawn by her own sparkling electricity and just as it hit her breath sighed out of her and she screamed.

Slowly Marissa sunk to her knees the suppression shattered and her body felt over flowing with electricity. Blood trickled past her lips, sure she could take a shock but that was too much even for her. She trembled and slowly looked up a sick grin twisting her now blood stained lips.

”I’m going to kill you.”[/color]
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