Antumbra - A Lost Cause

Champion - Chapter Twenty Four

Arva leaned forward onto the table, fidgeting with her fingers. She shifted in her chair, tapping her foot impatiently against its leg, a cold sweat forming on her back. It had been at least half an hour and no one had come. The pure white room closed in around her the longer she sat, the single table and chair being the only pieces of decor. There wasn't a window, only a door with no handle or release pad. She was trapped, alone, and on edge. The ride over had been awkward and nerve-wracking, with Marcus not saying a word the entire journey. Her and Elia, as before, were placed in the back of an armoured car with no windows, albeit this time Marcus joined them for all he offered in assurance. He'd simply smiled, kept his hands together in his lap, and watched them. Any time they asked a question he'd say nothing, only closing his eyes and looking momentarily regretful. Arva had grown tired of his games quickly, and was growing more frustrated by the moment, especially as they'd separated her and Elia when they arrived, and promptly locked her in this room and merely told her to wait. She was about to start shouting to see if anyone was even listening, only for the door to hiss open. She wanted to run, but as she watched Marcus enter, she decided it best to stay in her seat.

"Where's Elia?" Arva asked.

"She's safe," Marcus answered. He held a small square object, like a folder, and set it on the table. He opened it up and Arva saw it was actually a computer, though far thinner and fancier than any she'd seen.

"What's going on?" Arva demanded to know, "you can't hold us here." She was trying to remain calm, to seem as though she wasn't intimidated, but in truth she was both terrified and furious. The anger from the incident hadn't simply vanished, and Marcus being so secretive didn't help, nor did his constantly appearing as though none of this was serious. She often found him kind and approachable, but this same perpetual affability was starting to wear thin.

"I'm sorry about your mistreatment," Marcus started, Arva not feeling his apology was too sincere, "but you must understand, I have people who are watching me very closely. It took some time to arrange this private meeting."

"And what are we meeting about?" Arva asked, crossing her arms as she glared at him, "and why can't I see Elia?"

"The less your friend is involved, the safer she'll be," said Marcus. He turned on the computer and pulled up footage. It showed the Antumbra in the silo, exactly as she last saw it, though the footage was clearly from an angle inside. Out of nowhere it started to move, to thrash and flail like a ragdoll, causing massive damage all around it before the feed cut out.

"Is it..." Arva said, a sharp chill running down her spine, "is that thing alive?"

"No," Marcus said, "it most certainly is not. This happened approximately ninety minutes ago." Arva thought to herself. Accounting for travel time and her time spent in this room, she estimated that was about when she was in the city.

"So?" she asked, "I had nothing to do with that. I was in the city with Elia, nowhere near... wherever we are."

"Exactly," Marcus said, "and what happened around that time?"

"Well, we got into an argument-" Arva stopped as she began to catch on, though it seemed impossible, "we ran into that anti-Hybrid protest, and I got really mad."

"Like you did on that day," Marcus said, "it seems you and Antumbra left quite an impression on each other." Arva recalled the sensations she'd felt before the riot, how the anger overcame her like it had when she wore the Argonaut. It was the same.

"I controlled that..." she muttered, "with my mind?"

"I wouldn't say controlled," Marcus explained, "but it certainly reacted to your emotional state. It's how we knew you were in danger." Marcus phrased it like he'd rescued her, but she wasn't convinced his actions were that noble.