March Writing Challenge: 100 Stories, 1 Month

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

38. Rogue.

It was rare for Penny to ever join Lucy while she was in Paris. It was always difficult to connect their working schedules in the right way. But when it worked, it was imperative to fly the Brit to the Australian. And so she did. The only difficulty behind that fact was the amount of time Lucy spent with her favourite of the Chevalier twins. Her boss. And her friend.

The three of them didn’t spend that much time together over the years, but at least they respected each other. To an extent.

Lucy had left the two of them alone for barely a few minutes. But whenever they were out, she simply couldn’t settle for just one cup of coffee. So she left the table to order another. Penny straightened her back against the chair, her legs crossed. Hands folded in her lap as she watched her Australian as she waited.

“Lucy tells me you’re planning on having children.” Dominique started, in his most charming way. He folded his ankle over his knee, leaning in his seat slightly as he searched his pocket for his cigarettes.

Penny finally tore her eyes away, glancing at his face for a moment before turning her attention to the packet he produced. She tried her best not to turn her nose up at the habit. But she failed; “Yes.”

“You should put a fair amount of thought into who would be their biological father.” Dom continued, drawing a cigarette from the little box before pressing it between his lips. He patted his suit jacket pocket in search for his lighter. It was there, where it always was. “I’d offer myself, provided traditional conception methods are used.”

Procuring his lighter, the nonchalant man glanced over at her, taking in her expression. At first her face was completely washed out; devoid of all emotion. She didn’t even offer a look of surprise. She simply couldn’t. Did he just-

“Excuse me?” She asked, and when she blinked through the phrase, shock formed in her dark eyes.

“You should prepare for twins.” Dom raised his eyebrows once towards her, flicking the light on and burning the end of cigarette. He drew the smoke in, pressing the cigarette between his fingers and exhaling away from the table; “Chevaliers’ are notorious for twins.”

Penny glanced back for Lucy. What the hell was she doing? “No.”

Dom suppressed a chuckle, to the best of his ability; “Mon cher, I-”

“No.” This time, she snapped. And he grinned.

“Penelo-”

“Absolutely not.”

“Absolutely not what?” The Australian asked.

Lucy had approached the table in time to hear Penny’s conviction-filled response. She raised her eyebrow in curiosity, catching the eyes of her wife as she offered something of a shaken expression – she was wearing something between unbridled irritation and possessive anger.

“Nothing.” Penny replied instantly, her passive aggressive tone interlacing into the singular word. But Lucy knew nothing never meant nothing, and when she looked at Dom for confirmation, all he offered was an amused smirk.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

#19 – Game

Sean had been horrified to wake one morning to find himself alone in bed. This was noteworthy, because Josh rarely woke before him; his boyfriend was a notoriously heavy sleeper and also wasn’t a morning person. In fact, the only days he woke early were Saturdays, and that was because he had to go to morning Temple services.

A quick sweep of their home told Sean that Josh was nowhere to be found. Not in the living room, nor in the kitchen, not in the bathroom or the guest room...another sweep of the area, mental rather than physical, told Sean that Josh had disappeared completely. The younger man was no longer within his mental range, and that was disconcerting.

Not knowing what else to do, he fell back on his default response: calling Robert Hopkins.

The elder telepath listened to his worried lament with the same patience and wisdom as always. He urged Sean not to panic, although he acknowledged that this was gravely concerning.

“Let me do a bit of research, and I will call you as soon as I have any information.”

Sean tried to remain calm, patiently waiting for his mentor to call him back. He hoped that, when Robert called, he would have a simple solution: an address where Josh had gone, reassurance that his boyfriend was fine. That he had simply gone out early to run a surprise errand and had gotten lost on an unfamiliar subway line. Or that he’d received a call from his mother and that he needed to tend to a family emergency so he forgot to leave a note.

Until then, he bided his time by pacing in the living room and pushing himself to the limits of his telepathic range. The young psychic knew that it wasn’t the most productive use of his time and energy, but he didn’t know what else to do.

He was worried. It was so difficult to be productive or calm when he was worried.

Eventually, the telephone rang. Sean answered it before it could ring a second time.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Sean.” It was Robert. Sean was relieved to hear from his mentor and hopeful that the older telepath had managed to locate Josh for him.

Robert’s news was a mixed bag of good and bad. As far as he could tell, Josh was unharmed. However, he was not visiting his parents, nor had he run an errand that he had neglected to mention.

When Sean hung up the phone, he had a task ahead of him. He needed to rescue his boyfriend.

He didn’t know why, exactly, anyone would want to kidnap Josh in the first place. Yes, the Bernsteins were well off, but they weren’t part of the elite class that had real political or social influence. They weren’t famous. They had no connections to organized crime or other dangerous people.

Sean’s socioeconomic background was similar. His parents were engaged in no shady dealings, even if they supported the opposite end of the political spectrum. As for Sean, he wasn’t that interesting, except for his powers. And for the fact that Josh was his boyfriend and not merely his roommate.

If someone wanted to send him a message for either of those reasons, this was the worst way to do it.

However, with the information that Robert had provided, Sean had a starting point to find his boyfriend and rescue him before any harm could befall him.

Quickly, the telepath donned his coat, grabbed his wallet, and keys, picked up a map of the five Boroughs, and took a handful of subway tokens from the bowl.

There were five addresses that he had to try, to see if he could find any trace of Josh.

Yet, each address proved fruitless. Josh was not there, and, in scanning the memories of the residents (or employees in the case of businesses) brought few clues as to where he could be.

By the fifth and final address, Sean was exhausted, and he was concerned. He might never find his boyfriend at this rate.

A pay phone on the street corner began to ring. As nobody else was around, the telepath entered the booth and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“What’s taking you so long?”

“Where are you?”

“I left you a map.”

“Your maps are unintelligible; you know that.”

“They are not!” The voice on the other end of the phone was petulant.

By contrast, Sean’s inflection didn’t change. “Either stay put for a bit or give me a better hint.”

“...I’ll stay where I am.”

“Good.” The telepath glanced around him at the people passing by on the street. Since this was as much privacy as he would have until he managed to find his boyfriend. “And Josh?”

“Yes?”

“The next time we role play, can we do a little more coordination?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’ll find you soon.” Then, before he hung up, Sean added, “I love you.”

With the call ended, the telepath looked down at his map. The Boroughs weren’t that big, and, more importantly, Josh wasn’t adventurous enough to risk getting lost for a game. That meant that his boyfriend wouldn’t have wandered too far from the locations on the map.

He was out there somewhere. Whenever Sean found him, then the real fun could begin.

[Salem Hirch]

68. Kiss.

Nothing could relax Salem as much as a hot cup of coffee and a good book. There he was; sixteen years old; sitting on his bed and tucked into the corner of the wall; book spread open across his knees and the cup clasped tightly between both hands. Simple to most far as Salem was concerned, this was heaven. Every once in awhile he would glance up at his phone, wondering if it would go off tonight like it did every Saturday night.

It was always the same person and always for the same reason. His friend Alec, the most popular nerd in school. That thought alone was enough to make the boy let out a soft chuckle. Alec was tall and lanky, loved to read, was super smart and yet still got invited to everything. The other boy was outgoing as well though, so it wasn't that much of a surprise. It wasn't that Salem didn't have friends or didn't get invited to the typical teenage revelry. He just preferred to be alone.

Alec crossed his mind again now as he took another sip of his coffee. Yes, it was true that he did enjoy his solitude, but Alec was different. In fact, when the boy's face floated through his mind, a little blush spread to Salem's cheeks. With a little frown he shook the image from his head. "What am I thinking?" He muttered to himself as he laid his head back into the crook of his wall.

His friend was straight. Talked about his girlfriend all the time in fact. Almost seeming to go out of his way to show Salem her picture at least once a week.

It always made the poor guy's stomach flip flop a little.

The feelings that he suppressed had been there so long, that sometimes he himself didn't even notice them. So he hoped that Alec hadn't noticed either.

Almost on cue his phone started to ring. It was some stupid song that Alec had put on there just him, so Salem would always know who was calling. More to the point Alec had managed to hack his phone and set that particular ringer in such a way that it was very loud and Salem could not figure out how to take it off. With a heavy and irritated moan, the blonde reached out and grabbed his phone. He answered it while still half leaning over and suddenly felt heat all over his legs. Alec got a very unusual greeting out of this.

It was a quick part of the word 'hello' that was followed by a little screaming and a stream of cursing.

"Well that was a fine way of saying hey to your knight in shiny four door." Alec chuckled as Salem finally came back.

"You jerk, I spilled hot coffee all over myself and my favorite pajamas." He was laughing a little to, but didn't really catch on to what Alec had said.

Another laugh came from the other end of the phone. "Well, that means you have no exscuse for not getting dressed and going out with me tonight." There was a slight pause and Salem was about to speak before Alec broke back in. " And no trying to weasel out of it, I'm already on your front porch. So get down here."

Well, there was no use arguing with that. After a very disgruntled "fine"; Salem pressed the button and his cell and proceeded to throw on whatever was clean and raced down stairs. As promised, there was Alec, leaning on the pillar of the porch and looking very nice in a button up and pleated pants. Dressy clothes were typically his fashion.

"I see you got all dressed up for the occasion." Alec shook his long brown hair with a smile and yanked his friend down the steps and to his car. Honestly he didn't mind the way Salem dressed, in some ways he was jealous that the other didn't seem to care what others thought. As they started to drive Salem got very quiet. Once again, this was something all to common for the boys. What Alec didn't know was Salem had to stare out the window, because the car was very small, which meant their bodies were very close together.

"So, whose party are you dragging me to tonight?" Salem finally asked as they pulled onto a slightly unfamiliar dirt road. Alec didn't say a word, just smiled a little and continued to drive. After another turn in the road, Salem realized they were on the opposite side of the lake in town. It would be the perfect place for teens to have a party, but Salem didn't see any cars. Nor did he hear any music, people talking, or the typical noise one expects.

"Okay, so I lied..." Alec rolled his eyes as he noticed the look on his friends face. "I wanted to get you out of the house and just be me and you for awhile. Is that so bad?" He asked as he got out of the car. The taller boy had started walking away before Salem could even speak.

Jumping out, he followed him. "Of course not Alec, it's just been awhile since it was just the two of us hung out together. At night anyway." Salem followed blindly down the trail to an old bench that set close to the water. Here, Alec made a motion for Salem to sit, which he did. Turning, the taller male looked down. The moonlight in the water seemed to shimmer off Salem's blonde hair, making him look even more handsome than Alec already thought he was.

Salem stared up at him a moment. His friend's hazel eyes had a look to them. One his own blue ones had never seen. There was a moment of awkward silence before Alec spoke again. "Salem, I need to tell you something." He paused and moved a little closer. "I've been lying about that girlfriend I have. She doesn't exist." A puzzled look crossed Salem's face as he watched him.

"Why? Why would you lie about it? And why tell me now?" A few stray strands of hair blew across Salem's face and covered his eyes. To which the other male's fingers responded and brushed them back, tucking them behind Salem's ears. Alec could feel the heat on his face and ears; it made him smile.

"Because, I wasn't ready to admit something...I wasn't ready to show how I really feel." By now Alec was almost kneeling down in front of his shorter friend. Salem locked eyes on him again, not really sure what was going on.

"Feelings? About wha..." Salem's words were cut short by the feeling over another set of warm lips pressing against his. Then arms wrapping around his mid-section. His own slowly wrapping around Alec's shoulders. "This can't be real...can it?" It was the first think that came to him. Salem's mind raced so fast, as did his heart. The kiss just seemed to last forever.

There was still a lingering buzzing and heat on his lips when Salem's eyes snapped open. He was back in his apartment and he was a good ten years older. Groaning, he swung his legs out from the covers and stood. Moving much like a zombie dragging itself, he made his way to the kitchen. There, standing by the counter was Alec. Fresh cup of coffee already in his hand and waiting for Salem.

"Good morning my sweet on..." Alec's words were cut off. The shorter man was pressed tightly up against him. His still soft and tender lips pressed against Alec's in a way that made him blush. As Salem finally backed away and took his coffee, his husband shook his head with a smile. "What was that for sweet one?"

"That darlin' was for giving me sweet dreams and for my first kiss." With that Salem set down at their table. Happily ready to start another wonderful day with the man he loved. A day sure to be full of warmth and plenty of kisses.

[Deleted]

77. Hatred


Blue light shone in sideways from the window of an unlit room, the silhouette of a man crouched over the edge of the bed, cradling a shirt, or picture, or hairbrush - some object of sentiment - that belonged to the room's former occupant. How long he'd been there was uncertain - he'd shut himself off from the world, even those of the institute, ever since the news came from the hospital - but it was only hours before that one could hear the stifled sobs through the opposing wall.

When he'd heard the news there at first had been shock. As expected. Then denial. How could he believe it? None were allowed to leave campus, so he hadn't even been allowed to see her. Not even to say goodbye.

So he'd isolated himself. The anger came in waves. Sadness in between. Now he was just a shell, unable, unwilling to even stir. There were no more tears to cry.

His ears caught the sound of the door opening, yet he still didn't raise his head. His eyes, though, watched as that tall oppressive figure stepped through and stood over the grieving boy. "We're leaving tonight," Oriel stated succinctly. "....I want you to come with us, Junpei."

There was an intensity within Junpei's coal black eyes as he glared at him through the dark veil of his bangs. ".....dou'tsukaa?" His voice was a faint whisper, still dry from his hours of anguish. He blinked, shifted his eyes downward then back up to the long-haired boy. "...why?" he repeated.

"It's not safe here. They're just going to keep us locked up like animals...just waiting around like sitting ducks until the inevitable happens." Oriel paused and knelt beside the broken Japanese boy. "The same thing that happened to Yue."

Junpei shot up a glare at Oriel, one composed of all his anger and despair. How dare he speak her name like it was a bargaining chip! It had been Yue's misfortune that she became so involved in this year's campaign. Apparently she'd been targeted because of it. The rest of the victims had been random. At least it seemed that way.

"We're going to get out, regroup somewhere on the outside, and fight back before any more of us fall victim. We may not win...but at least we'll be doing something, instead of waiting to be slaughtered." It was only a matter of time before the anti-meta radicals increased their numbers and came after the source of their hate. Oriel spoke his next words slowly. "You will have the chance to strike back at the people who killed Yue."

Hearing it said so plainly like that left Junpei twisting his grief stricken features as he sunk his head into his lap, once again finding the tears he'd thought had dried up. "Yame!" he pleaded. "Iu na~!"

"Junpei!" Oriel firmed his voice as if he were scolding the Asian boy. "You have a chance for revenge! Are you just going to let that go? Will you...can you forgive them for what they've done!?"

Junpei rose his head, staring down his persuader with a look of pure disgust. "Chiga...kirai~!" he cried, the fury burning a hole in the other boy as he rasped out his words. "You....will use Yue-chan...to make me join you? To make me fight?" How dare he use the memory of Yue to manipulate him!? Junpei stood, shoving Oriel back against the floor, who only sneered up at the crying boy. "I... hate... you!!" he growled out between harsh breaths. "Kedo...." But.

Junpei wiped his tears onto the sleeve of his jacket for the last time. "...I hate... them more..."

Oriel smirked like the devil up at his new ally. "Glad to have you with us..."

[Kristina Novak]

24. Chocolate

A fifteen year old Kristina walked down to the student lounge, skipping and humming under her breath. Today was a good day. Her allowance had come from her parents in its monthly envelope, for both herself and her sister Sofie. The girls had split the money, excited and giggly. Kristina always felt like a millionaire when that monthly gift came. 

She had tucked the majority of it in a shoebox under her bed, hidden behind other treasures. Clutching the dollar bill in her hand, Kristina had quickly made her way down to the student lounge vending machines. They were notorious for eating kid's money, but the treats inside were worth the risk. Think of it as child gambling.

Kristina approached the vending machine, letting out a deep breath. Her brown eyes gazed at each of the chocolate bars, as she absentmindedly licked her lips. Mmm, chocolate. The young girl ate healthy for a fifteen year old away from her parents, treating herself to a vending machine treat once every two weeks. 

Oh Henry, Reese, Kit Kat... all the generic candy most kids enjoyed. Kristina's eyes landed on a Charleston Chew, chocolate version. Eyes widening, Kristina decided that that was going to be her treat. The chocolatey goodness surrounding the nougat inside... her mouth was watering at the thought.

Without thinking twice, Kristina flattened out her dollar bill, inserting it into the machine. She took a moment to breath in, gently coaxing it into the machine. Most kids shoved it in without taking the time to smooth it out. Those were the kids who ended up loosing a dollar.

The machined whirled, pausing for a moment. Kristina's breath caught in her throat, watching as the bill slid the rest of the way in. The pad lit up. $1.00 credit.

Grinning, the young Czech girl pressed A8 for her candy bar, watching it free itself from the metal rings. It fell to the bottom, her hand instantly taking hold. She ripped open the bar, taking a generous first bite. Mmmm, chocolate. Kristina began skipping back to her dorm room, happy and content with her treat.

[Lani Hunter]

3. Mythos

Legends and myths often rise in some form of truth. A legend is made by stories passed on through the generation and the courage of a man become godly and the strength of a woman becomes immortal.

There was once a time when the world was growing dark and the Great Darkness was rising from the depths of the Earth. Born of Gaia and Ouranos were the great titans. Within the depths the Great Darkness waited and when it finally bloomed it took a the form of a demon to walk the earth. With its great armies it scoured the earth of all things pure and right. Those of the Lightworld did not want to sink into the Darkness and an army they did form. Built of heroes and warriors bold and golden of heart.

Lani raised a brow at the recruiter, “You know who you’re talking to right?”

“Of course. Mr. Hunter we need your help.”

“I don’t know what I can do for you. I’m here for a reason,” he motioned around the empty room indicating he was not of army material. Made a prisoner by the same people who begged him to join their army. Suddenly meta humans were important because they were the only ones who could stop the potential of weapons to destroy the world utterly as it was doing so.

“We are very aware of your situation. Which is why we’re offering you freedom in return.”

“I’m listening…”

~~~~

“I’m not working with him.” Odion said glaring at his ex as the telekinetic swiveled in a rolling chair looking just as annoyed at the situation as Odion was.

Lani narrowed his eyes and nodded in agreement, he was not working with Odion either.

No warriors fought more boldly than the brave Lord of Time Odion and the Lord of Matter Lani. They shone in their golden armor as they boldly declared to confront the Darkness themselves. The Knights worked seamlessly together and showed the hope to the light once more. Battle after battle was won and the Light pushed back the Darkness.

“You son of a bitch! You were supposed to have my back!” Lani raged spitting fire as the nurses struggled to hold his arm down as it needed to be bandaged.

“I told you to get out of the way,” Odion commented.

The General paced in and his mere presence commanded silence. “You useless pieces of shit! You just nearly let your lovers squabble let Xena’s bombs decimate our entire army!”

“It wasn’t my fault!” Lani and Odion protested in tandem.

“I don’t care who’s fault it was!” The general roared, “Leave it off my battlefield! If you pull a fucking stunt like that again I’ll skin you both alive! That is if I have anything left to skin!” The general decided the discussion was over and stormed out the tent.

The final ground was set and the partners stood brave against the Darkness. On the Light’s side stood the Lightworld’s army glittering in the sunlight and great armies in white and gold stood like an unmoving wall to face the Darkness. On the other side stood the Darkness’s army sickly green and black at the helm the Great Darkness stretching his fingers into the sky and igniting the very air with a thought. The Light was brave and the Lord of Time and the Lord of Matter stepped forward to challenge the Darkness.

The Darkness rained fire from above and without so much as a batted eye Time protected the army and Matter turned the blaze back upon the army of Darkness. The Great Darkness raged and gathered Darkness and set a spell that loomed overhead. A spell of Blackness and Unmaking. Turning all it touched into dust and scouring the Earth of Light. Brave and bold the Lords raise their hands and giving their last breath they wove a spell of light and it shattered the Great Darkness and the Darkness was vanquished.

Lani dove out of the way of the enemy ships as they darted from the sky and over the army. They were losing time, the Alien mothership was starting to descend and if that happened they would all be lost. He’d lost Odion in the melee and he ducked as meta humans fought their hardest, throwing fire and lightning. Destroying rocks and other telekinetics were throwing ships into each other. Lani’s dark uniform was blotted with the red blood of humans and the green blood of Xenites. On all sides people were dying, aliens were dying. It was only possibly in the darkness to tell friend or foe because the enemy was painted sickly greenish gray and screamed vicious static. All around him living things were dying.

“Odion!” He shouted, he’d lost the time turner in the confusion. He ducked the blast from a cannon and grabbed the weapon with his power and launched it back. Looking desperately for his partner and his love Lani’s heart ached from the fear he would not find Odion alive.

“Lani!” He heard from behind and he whirled sprinting to Odion. Odion met him halfway panting and suffering from a wound on his head. Not enough to stop him, but enough to worry Lani. The blasting shell which had separated them had indeed done some damage despite Lani’s efforts. There was a crack in the radio Odion was wearing.

“Report! Report!”

“Code Time and Matter are good,” Odion said using their encoded name. Lani wasn’t sure what anyone was thinking putting two sly thieves together in special operations, but in all honestly they had the power of Gods and they had worked well once together and they had just had to learn how to work again together.

“Focus on Mother!”

“Roger.”

Lani hit Odion’s chest to grab his attention and sprinted off. He ducked blows and fired his gun striving to get closer to the ship. Already it was visible below the dense black clouds and bombs were exploding in tiny flames against its surface. It fired back and as soon as Lani and Odion were in range Odion stopped them in time and Lani launched them back turning them weapon on their own user.

Telekinetics were already standing hands in the air and expressions straining against the weight of the mothership. Lani arrived and shouted quick orders and his own power took up with them. Two telekinetics dropped out and started to make their goal to guard Lani and Odion as they fought.

Lani didn’t hold he dove within the ship and his power slipped through the crevices. With a war cry he started to tear and break. Metal buckled and tore itself from the ship and a wave a dizziness overtook him. His scream turned painful and he stopped holding his head in agony. No, no, no, if he couldn’t do this all was lost!

He felt a hand on his and his fingers closed around Odion’s. No. If they couldn’t do this all was lost. He locked eyes with Odion and there was an understanding that passed between them and they raised their free hands skyward. Odion’s power grasped the machine and Lani could feel the pressure of time as it rocketed the ship forward. Lani held it and as time started to rust and weaken the machine Lani’s power broke it. Like it was aging a thousand years in one minute it crumbled under Lani’s power and as agony laced through his eyes he held tightly to Odion and felt Odion tighten his own hold.

“Lani,” Odion said snapping Lani’s concentration. His power worked and he turned his eyes to Odion. The redhead was bloodied and steady streams of ruby blood ran from his nose and Lani realized that he too felt the liquid flowing from his own nose and ears. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Lani replied.

Their eyes locked for a moment and then in unison turned back and Lani plunged deeper into the ship and became unaware of his screaming. His vision became white and Lani’s power over took him and Odion’s hand was his only link to the world. Lani felt the core and with all of his strength he pulled. He felt the heat of the explosion instead of seeing it.

The force knocked him to his knees and he fell. Well, he wasn’t sure if he fell first and took Odion with him or if it was the other way around. Lani’s whole existence was pain then blackness and cold. He strained to open his eyes and look at Odion one last time and he met those blues with grays one last time.

The Lords of Time and Matter perished to save the Earth. They were gifted by the Light and upon their death twin trees burst from the earth and sheltered the world underneath their branches. Those trees still stand guard at the helm and no enemy had been able to break through.

Never forget, dear friends, that legends rise from truth. Stories change over the years as tales change hands and languages add detail. Sometimes legends become myths. If there is but a grain of truth in the stories told by myths know that somewhere in the far distant past someone died so that we might live.

[Ashton Harper]

17. Regrets.

Addison
Adrea
Alec
Aleks
Allie
Andy
Bo
Bobby
Candice
Carissa
...

Running his finger along each name that had been written earlier that day, he put a face with it and shook his head. There were so many. Literally it seemed like he'd slept with half of Hammel, minus all of the younger kids. The list had grown throughout the several years he'd been at the school. Each year adding dozens of new victims. They all fell for his charm, his smile, the flirtation. It was a game for him. Always a game, player after player. Rowan always won.

And then there had been Alex. A game-changer. Someone that hadn't just fallen for him upon first glance. Someone that had tested him and gotten closer than he ever could have imagined. Alex had changed him for a moment or so, not long enough for it to last. He was a whore by nature, taught by the woman that gave birth to him. Lust over love, always. She had cheated on his father early on in life and told him that it was okay because he had never really loved her.

His eyes scanned down the list and he stopped at Lucy's. His girl. If there was one of his many flings that he didn't regret, it was her. His first time. The only time that really mattered. Rowan could list all of the names of everyone he'd slept with off the top of his head (give or take a few names), but none of them meant anything to him now. In the end, it was just Lucy.

Each name that he passed over just reminded him of who he had become. Once an awkward as fuck introvert (from the mouth of his own best friend) to a complete jerk that whored around because he could. Maybe it wasn't the best plan of action for him to take, but all in all, he stopped caring. He stopped trying to find love because he started believing his mother's words. Lust always outweighed love. Part of him had just accepted that there was no such thing as love. Not family love, not love love. None of it.

There was a knock at the door and Rowan glanced up to see his cousin standing in the doorway. "Hey, you ready to have some cousinly bonding time?" She scrunched her nose as she said it and it caused him to laugh.

He may have regretted a lot of things, but there was always a way to forget about it. "Jeez, Beat. Don't look so excited," He smirked and stood up, closing up his list for later and threw his arm around her shoulders as he walked out of his room. "Hmmm, how to embarass Beat-box today?"

And with that, they walked out of his room, with no regrets lingering in his mind.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

42. Fearless. [Canon; Early March, 2014]
Note: Involves swearing.

Breezing into the dorm room allocated 2-0-5, Lucy stopped briefly in the common room and listened. Her eyes dragged to the door she found most familiar, though really, she so rarely ever visited Dom. The last time she truly spent time there, she was pressed into his side. Sleeping. But she passed by after a moment, moving forward. To another dorm.

She curled her hand into a fist, knocking against the unfamiliar door. But a familiar face resided there all the same. “Open up. We gotta talk.”

Soon enough, he did. The older twin pulled his door open, shirtless. The article in question was folded over his shoulder. He glanced down at her, his eyebrows raising. A grin evident on his lips; “Luciella-”

“No. Nope.” She immediately shoot her head. Normally, she could handle the douchey nickname he provided. Normally she’d volley back at him. But she didn’t have the means. She didn’t care. “Don’t pull that shit with me.”

This wasn’t about her.

Carter leaned in the doorway, breathing a slightly exasperated sigh as he folded his arms. He knew Dominique hadn’t told her what he’d said about her. He never would. It’d be both a betrayal, and frankly, the blonde knew the words would taste too bitter if he even tried. “To what do I owe?” He asked instead.

“You’re not talking to him.” She denoted sharply.

“Mmhmm.” A patronising tone coloured the sound he offered.

“I’m not talking to him.”

Immediately, Carter pushed off the door, his arms unfurling. “What?”

“I’m not-”

“I heard you.” Carter snapped instantly. His eyes quickly traversed the line of her form out of habit, sizing her up and denoting every possible discrepancy he could. The tears in her jeans. The paint-splattered jacket. The choice that was a denim shirt underneath. His eyes narrowed amidst her own. “You were supposed to-”

“You’re supposed to!” She shot back, almost involuntarily.

They stared at each other, and Lucy felt her breathing go shallow. Carter curled his hand around the shirt over his shoulder, because if nothing else, digging his fingers into the fabric was something of an outlet.

“Lucy.” He warned her, his tone darker than her eyes.

“No, it’s not me.” She started anyway, shaking her head. She rocked back slightly, stuffing her hands into her pockets. “Jesus, you’re a bloody idiot. As if I’m anywhere near as fucking useful as you are.” The older twin pressed his lips into a hardened line, his eyebrows raising.

“You did this to him.” Carter replied coldly. And something about the words seemed to shake her anyway. Enough for her to avert her eyes in the briefest of moments before she sought his gaze again. But a brief moment was enough. “I don’t know how. And I don’t know why. But you started this. You.”

“He’s failing, you inconceivable fuck.” Lucy knew it wasn’t the response he was looking for. She was acutely aware that he wanted to shift the blame. And rightly so. She knew she deserved to wear it. But that wasn’t the point. It wasn’t about her. “He’s failed.”

The word itself seemed to move through the blonde like lightning. His muscles tensed, his eyes widened. Just a touch. So little that she didn’t even notice it.

She didn’t stop; “So cut the shit already. I’m not the one he needs here.”

Without a faltering moment, Lucy turned and walked away from him. He found himself watching her as she walked down the hallway, disappeared behind the door to room 2-0-2. If nothing else, one thing she inadvertently said was true.

It was inconceivable.

His brother had failed. But he had not.

[Damien Tremblay]

16. Lies

“Shhhhh.” Carol pressed a finger from her free hand to her lips, trying in vain to silence her brother. It didn’t help that she was giggling just as much as he was. Dad was right down the hall, and she already had the feeling that they’d be in Big Trouble if they were caught.

They’d found some fancy markers in their Daddy’s office earlier, and while they smelled a little funny, they colored really well. Paper had quickly gotten boring, so they’d sought out something new.

That something was the fridge.

It had started innocently enough. Tiny designs on the bottom of the fridge where no one would see them. But that had been at the start. Now, they were branching out all over the appliance, their scribbles getting larger and bolder. Carol was happily scribbling in loops, while Kieran was making more elegant designs. Even at four, he had a talent for art.

From down the hall, Josef had finally clued into the fact that the twins were dead silent. While he could hold out hope that they were quietly playing, or sleeping, he knew them better than that. Silence usually meant that they were up to something.

Kieran heard the footsteps first, freezing in the middle of his spiral design. Carol gave him a curious look as he capped his black marker and rolled it across the kitchen to where the dogs were laying. NPH wagged his tail and nudged the marker, watching it roll with clear delight. Gypsy was less interested, simply watching the twins in the same near-maternal way she always did.

“Dad’s coming,” Kieran explained softly, getting up to sit with Gypsy. After a final scribble, Carol threw her own marker across the room and scrambled away from the crime scene.

“Carol? Kieran?” Josef called from down the hall, peeking into the living room before heading to the kitchen.

He stopped dead, silently counted to ten, and forced himself to appear more relaxed than he felt. “What happened to the fridge?” It only took Carol a moment to dredge up the most perfect cover in the history of mankind.

“Puppies did it!” Her little face was so serious that Josef, despite his irritation, had a hard time not slipping into laughter. Thank God for the zen master expression he had long since perfected. Instead, he slowly folded his arms and arched an eyebrow at the twins.

“Puppies did it,” he repeated solemnly. Carol nodded, with Kieran following suit after she poked him in the side.

“We saw them!”

Okay. He knew they should have been getting a talking to, or something. But he was having a hard enough time keeping the zen master mask in place. He’d have to figure something out.

The twins did get a talking to, in a calm manner. Namely that Daddy’s markers were not washable, and therefore not for playing with, and that the fridge did not need to be any prettier than it already was.

After they had scampered off to play with NPH, Josef sat on the floor of the kitchen, one arm around Gypsy as he took out his phone.

At work, Damien leaned back in his chair, half dreading what he was going to find when he got home. Hopefully they’d done it with their washable markers. The last time they’d felt the creative itch, they’d wandered into his office and found Sharpie markers. That was near impossible to get out of... well, anything.

He glanced at the clock. Only an hour more. They’d he’d find out just what was waiting for him at home.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

76. Key

It was rare for Lucy to bother spending a lot of her time in Penny’s college dorm. She had a place – a place she and Sawyer shared – but it was a place nonetheless.

“Here.” Lucy started, placing her hand down on the desk for a brief moment before she drew away. There, remaining on the perfectly tidied surface, was a key.

Penny dropped her gaze to it instantly, the shine of the newly cut metal catching her attention before the weight of it settled on her shoulders. In her mind. She stared at it intently for however long. She wasn’t sure – the time dragged on longer than she realised. Lucy found it difficult to just stand there within the silence. But she also knew that she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t be the one who talked first.

It wasn’t her place to.

“Lucy-”

“It’s not-” The Australian began quickly. She really didn’t think she could handle hearing that the Brit didn’t want to live with her. Or that she didn’t think she could. “I’m not-”

The psychometrist felt her fingers twitch, aware of her own need to reach out and at least touch the key. Or maybe it was the overbearing need to reach out and connect with her. She was still just trying to figure out what it meant if it didn’t mean the obvious.

“You stay all the time, but you don’t want to stay. I told you I get it but this…” She paused, unsure of how to explain herself properly. “Is a compromise.”

Finally, Penny dragged her gaze from it and looked at her counterpart, immediately searching her eyes for the light of recognition. It was still a little daunting to be presented with such a thing, but not the explanation that came with it. At least, not one that she felt was acceptable.

“She’s okay with it, too. So…” Lucy rocked back on a heel slightly, suddenly feeling the need to create a little distance. It felt awkward. But then, putting herself out there like this always did; “Use it whenever you want. If we’re not home.”

[Dr. Sean Neville]

#61 – Rumors

“Did you hear? The kid over there’s a freak.”

“Freak” was one of those particularly hurtful words. One that harkened back to a time (not so long ago) when people would but other human beings on display, to gawk at and mock their bodies, their disabilities, their cultural differences, or the expressions of their identities.

There was no use of “freak” that wasn’t hurtful.

However, it was more hurtful when people already ostracized by most of society chose to apply it to those who were like them in some ways. It hurt more when meta-humans would throw that term at other meta-humans, ones with powers that were more difficult to control or whose side effects made it harder for them to socialize.

Sean Neville had never been ostracized before developing his powers.

While he had never been Big Man on Campus, he had never wanted for friends. He’d had his friends at school and in his neighborhood and in the Boy Scouts. He’d always been well-liked by his teachers, by the Church members, by the adults in his neighborhood, by his friends’ parents. He fit in, because he belonged to the same cultural background as everyone else, and he had the same beliefs as everyone else. He was the son of a doctor, the oldest child of a well-respected family in their town.

Then he developed his powers. Now he was a freak.

“I heard he had a meltdown in the English class.”

It hadn’t been a meltdown.

Meltdowns were emotional. That had been the result of his powers being overwhelming.

Shielding was so difficult, and maintaining them in any effective way often proved more than he could handle. His trainer always assured him that control would become easier with time, but that was so far away. It did nothing to help people understand now, and, aside from Robert, nobody cut him any slack.

He hadn’t tried to disrupt class. It had simply happened.

“I heard he snitches on people. Teacher’s pet.”

That wasn’t true.

Sean never told on anyone. Even with the number of secrets to which he was unwittingly privy, he never told anything to teachers. But sometimes he had power slips.

Projecting was just as much a part of telepathy as hearing thoughts. Sometimes he projected without meaning to.

And sometimes his trainer saw things in his mind. Because Robert Hopkins was as powerful and skilled as Sean was uncontrolled.

“You can’t trust people like him.”

Sean didn’t think that was true.

He thought he was a trustworthy person. He tried so hard to follow the Commandments and to mind his manners and to obey his elders and to treat other people the way that he wanted to be treated.

With the exception of his trainer, very few people paid him the same courtesy. Yet, he never lashed out at them. He turned the other cheek. He offered help to anyone who asked for it, even if they never thanked him. He was willing to help even his bullies.

That never seemed to be good enough.

“I heard he melted someone’s brain.”

That wasn’t what happened. He just couldn’t control the memory manipulation yet. But it was an accident, and Robert had made everything better.

“Powers corrupt.”

Sean didn’t want that to be true.

He knew that it wasn’t necessarily true. After all, Robert Hopkins was the most powerful psychic at Hammel and perhaps in the world, and yet he was the least corrupt individual that Sean had ever met. In fact, to what degree it was possible without being blasphemous, Robert Hopkins was the most perfect and saintly person in the world. Robert had had his powers for more than forty years, and he didn’t possess a corrupt fiber in his being.

Sean knew that he wasn’t as strong as Robert was. Not physically, not mentally, not spiritually or emotionally or in terms of maturity.

He never felt tempted to do anything to harm other people. Even with the constant ostracism, he felt no urges to exact revenge or to force people to apologize or treat him better. He’d rather be alone than take advantage of someone else.

Still, what if the other kids could see some darkness inside of him that he couldn’t? Even if he wasn’t dangerous now, what if something happened? What if something was destined to happen?

Sean didn’t want to think about that.

He wished he could shut off his telepathy. That way, he wouldn’t get bombarded with these whispers every minute of every day. Then, at least, he could pretend he didn’t know, and what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him.

[Stefan Spencer]

#18. Trust
(apologies to Captain)

It had been a month since his sister had passed and Stefan's pain still felt fresh and raw. He was trying to be strong for his brother-in-law and his children, but when he was spending most days crawling from one bar to the next, ending each day in a puddle of tears and scotch. People kept telling him things would get better. That time would heal. But with each passing day, Stefan only felt worse. Even with the remaining members of his family tree sharing his grief with him, Stefan couldn't help but feel alone.

And that was his biggest fear. That he was alone. That he would always be alone. His sister, she was different. She had gone out and made a family for herself. But Stefan, he couldn't stand the idea of putting himself out there and then someone leaving him. He didn't think he could ever trust anyone enough for that.

And so, convinced that he would be forever alone, Stefan once again retreated to the bottle. He'd even stopped tossing his pick up lines around the bars lately. What was the point? Nothing lasted. It never could.

He was stumbling down the street, trying to find a bar that would serve him and hopefully his wallet that he had seemed to have dropped at some point. His flask was getting empty and he was getting desperate.

And that is where Mike saw him. His first impulse was to wonder if somehow he'd forgotten that it was New Years. That was the only time he'd ever seen Stefan this wasted. Sure, he often saw his friend stumbling around, but Stefan was inches away from crawling. Even his clothes were past their usual disheveled stage and almost downright filthy. He hadn't heard from his friend in a while, but that wasn't out of the ordinary for Stefan. He wasn't exactly much for commitment.

"Stefan," Mike said, offering his friend an arm to steady himself. "Stefan are you okay?"

Stefan leached onto Mike's arm immediately. He had been meaning to ring Mike up since the funeral, but he kept putting it off. He hadn't wanted his friend to see him like this. But now that he was standing here, Stefan was quickly turning into a clinging mess.

"My sister...She's...gone."

-----------

An hour later, Mike had managed to get Stefan back to his place and a slightly cleaned up. It was lucky that he didn't have any kids in the house at the moment, though over the years he'd gotten fairly apt at juggling a drunken Stefan and a child or two, he was glad that he could devote his full attention to the weeping scotched filled man tonight.

"I'm going to be alone forever," Stefan said from his spot on Mike's bed. He had a cold cloth draped over his eyes and Mike had brewed some coffee for them.

"Now why do you say that?" Mike said, sitting down at the foot of the bed.

"I can't trust anyone one. Everyone leave me."

"I haven't."

Stefan pulled the cloth off his face when Mike said that. Something in him wanted to turn that statement into a come-on, but that part of him was buried by his grief. Still, it was nice. Nice to have someone, even if Mike would never care for him in the way that Stefan needed. Or would he.

"Mike..."

There was something in his friend's voice that reminded Mike of the old Stefan. The one that require constant force fields. But even now Stefan still sounded like a hurt animal, desperate for affection. And Mike found himself pitying the poor man. Before he could stop himself, he crawled up on the bed beside Stefan, laying his arm across his friend.

"I need someone I can trust," Stefan slurred, then corrected himself. "I need you."

And just for tonight, Mike could understand that.

[Carleigh Davidson]

41. Glitter

Face to face with her mirror, Carleigh leaned in, armed with her weapon of choice. Make-up lay scattered across her oak wood vanity carelessly, a disaster zone. The young woman, frankly, didn't care if her nice bathroom was a mess or not. It was just her here in her beachfront condo, a birthday present from her parents. She'd been ecstatic and couldn't wait to move in.

Now, years later, the aspiring fashion designer scrambled around the smaller space, groaning and glancing at the clock. Tonight, she had a couple of models featured in a fairly well-known runway show that presented local designer's and up and coming trends. Carleigh, needless to say, was stressing out about looking the part. She wanted unique, but tasteful. Fun, but classy. She had to strike a balance and succeed in standing out among other young hopefuls.

She wore a one sleeved black mini dress, paired with bright pink heels. Now, Carleigh just had to work on her face. Make-up itself was a risk, like fashion choices. And if she didn't hurry up, she would miss the show. The thought alone made Carleigh want to give up and go without a standout feature.

Her eyes landed on a long neglected bottle. She raised an eyebrow, reaching for the tube with a curious expression. Carleigh twisted the top off and pulled the brush out, revealing a shiny, silvery liquid.

Glitter! Of course!

Carefully, Carleigh applied the glitter eyeliner to one eyelid. She peeked, hoping that she didn't look over the top, like Ke$ha. Snorting at her reference, she soon sighed in relief at the subtle, eyecatching maneuver. Perfect. Her perfect balance was achieved.

Leaving behind the disaster zone of the bathroom, Carleigh half ran into the kitchen, grabbing her clutch off of the table as well as her phone. Outside, the blonde flagged down a taxi with confident strides and a smirk on her face. She was ready for whatever the night was going to bring and excited to see her selections strut down the runway.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

#45 – Heartbroken

“I’m sorry.”

Apologies did nothing to dull the sting of the other boy’s words. No matter how sincere Josh was in his apology, it didn’t – it couldn’t – undermine the pain of the separation. The law student might be sorry that he felt it necessary to separate, but he felt it necessary to separate. The loss was palpable, the silence was deafening, and Sean could only stand in shock, as Josh told him that they needed to break up.

“I’ll leave you alone for a while.”

Josh meant it as a promise, as a kindness, but it felt like a cruel threat. Sean didn’t want to be left alone. He wanted Josh.

He only wanted Josh.

Yet, Josh didn’t want him.

Or, worse, if the younger boy’s words were to be accepted at face value, he still cared but he couldn’t handle their relationship.

“You’d be better off with someone who understands you.

Nobody understood him. That was the problem.

Sean had thought that Josh understood him. He’d never balked at his idiosyncrasies, never complained about the telepathy or accused him of being a freak for it. Josh had never accused him of spying on him or accused him of being unreasonably possessive.

Sean didn’t think that he was possessive at all.

He’d encouraged Josh to have friends. He’d never inhibited the younger boy from having a social circle or a support network to which he didn’t belong. He wanted Josh to have a vibrant social life, since that was important to his extroverted boyfriend. Extroverted ex-boyfriend.

The qualifier hurt.

All of him hurt.

There was a hole inside of his mind where Josh used to fit, and the emptiness threatened to consume him. It scared him. It scared him because nothing felt right with the younger boy’s absence.

Sean didn’t know what he had done wrong. None of Josh’s explanations during his breakup speech had provided insight into what the telepath had done wrong. He didn’t know how he could improve himself to better suit Josh’s needs, but he would do anything that the younger boy asked.

If only Josh would give him the chance.

“I can’t give you what you need.”

That was the crux of the matter.

Sean didn’t know where the younger boy had gotten that impression or how he had conceived of that notion. Of course Josh could give him what he needed; Josh was all he needed. Why couldn’t the law student see that?

The telepath wondered whether he had given mixed signals somehow. Had he not shown his appreciation enough? Perhaps he should have said I love you more frequently. He’d said those words often, but typically at more regular intervals: at night, when they were in bed, when one or the other was leaving, over the telephone, when he felt particularly grateful for Josh’s presence (which, admittedly, was often as well)...

Maybe he should have surprised Josh with those words more often.

Maybe he should have surprised Josh more often in general. He should have made Josh’s wildest dreams come true.

Maybe he should have told Josh how perfect he was more often. Then perhaps, just perhaps, Josh would understand how Sean needed nobody and nothing else. Everything else was negotiable. Every term of their relationship was negotiable, as long as they were together.

Why didn’t Josh understand?

The telepath hadn’t managed to say a word during the Break Up. But, as soon as Josh was out the door, he whispered, “I still love you.”

He wished that Josh had heard him. Perhaps they would hurt less if they were still together.

At least Sean would hurt less.

[Mai Adaire]

73.Mercy

“I'm here, Erik.”

A softened and a hand passes over the cold plaque. The golden engraved name made an old wound ache, but she could not imagine an amount of time that could pass to ease that pain. Blue eyes dips to the fresh flowers already placed at the grave and a smile laced with pain crossed the woman's face.

“Ah...she came to see you too.” The brunette noted with a heavy sigh. Instinct urged her to cast a glance over her shoulder. Distantly there were somber figures visiting a marker, no one she had to worry about. It did little to erase that her time here had to be short. Sure, she had certain identification obtained in the event something went wrong in this excursion. Her long locks were bound up into a bun and chose a navy blue scarf to protect her from the winds and obscure her face but that would only go so far if the wrong people happened to cross paths with her today.

Maiella kneels in front of the marker, settling her own flowers opposite of the present bouquet. Just beyond the horizon would be her second home, but even the frigid wind made certain she could not even cast a glance in the direction of the academy. That was fate and the deal handed to her by her beloved trainer. Even beyond death, he would be frowning at her for risking her skin just to see a stone marking his existence.

“I know, I know, I'm not even supposed to be here.” Maiella pouted at the gravestone. Her muscles retained the memory of when he called her by her middle name or expressed disappointment at her behavior. When he was alive. “But what kind of student would I be if I can't even pay my respects.”

A pause. “Or give my thanks.”

Those days had been fraught with danger, a constant rush of adrenaline and backed by a myriad of purpose. That was she had been conditioned and trained to deal with. However, the weight of those missions and the sudden appearance of a certain letter had stretched the chipper brunette too thin. Though she smiled as always and continued her duties, her trainer had never been fooled by false bravado.

“Actually, I shouldn't be alive today...”

It hurt to say it, knowing full well that only the stone will hear her words. The day Erik had pulled her aside, they both knew that was the truth. It was the life she had chosen after all. There had been no reason for a man dedicated to Odarennyi, dedicated to forming and training the future of Russia's meta-humans to gently take the letter that had wounded her from her hand and allowed her a moment to shed tears properly. There was no reason for him to even act on her behalf, a mere student that was annoyingly sunny and an outsider.
Not a reason at all.
And yet, the end had not come for her as she had expected. He had swayed her into taking an examination and not once had Maiella questioned him.

The transfer had been what had snapped her from her daze. The sting of her Valentia's words had locked the reality of the situation. By then she had smiled and lied to her friend: discharged was the word she used. Any other word would have raised flags and questions – things that would take many years before the truth was able to be spoken openly. Maiella was technically never allowed to return to Russia and had been sent to Southeast Asia. After that, they had kept in touch by letters and maybe a phone call or two. She had seen his wonderful face only one other time in Java and what had slipped past her lips were other priorities, other matters that remain unresolved.

Mai never saw him alive again.

"Yet I am."

The golden engraved name blurred from her sight and a hand wipes at her eyes in haste. Only once she allowed tears in front of the man she loved. Damned if she was going to weep all over again at his grave. That too had been long said and done.

“You know...I lived to see the light of so many wonderful days, Erik.” A smile, both a pained and happy one. He would know better if he could see her. “I have traveled to so many places, saw beauty in the world, helped so many people. I have a job I adore now. Velli and I are working together, you know? And we're friendlies again even after everything that happened. It's all wonderful and I couldn't be happier! And all because...you had mercy on this dumb little ball of sunshine.”

Her words of thanks and questioning the reasons for his mercy would be left to the grave marker. The brunette would assume the terms of the deal and slip away from the cemetery, returning back to her current life in Pilot Ridge without looking back once.

For Maiella would never allow that wonderful man's efforts to go to waste.