Asylum

Enemy Upstairs

Lana Elwood

I found it oh-so-very ironic that out of all the seats on this monster-sized plane...Dog Boy and I sat in the row adjacent to Elektra's. There was that obvious don't stare at them, act like they're not there, even though they're OBVIOUSLY there, moment hanging between us for an hour or two. Elektra was mute the whole way. As for Sarah, she listened to Leo yap, occasionally laughing at one of his stupid jokes. As for Leo...don't get me started on that imp. If talking was a sport, that loser would be able to win a marathon. He went on and on and on, talking about things that didn't matter whatsoever: feelings, emotions, attractions in Japan, playing around. At one point, I started to wonder if he was doing this on purpose to lull me asleep, so right when my eyes closed, Elektra would pounce.

But after that first hour or two, something strange happened. A flight attendant strolled down the aisle, passing out drinks and those cheap packets of super-dry peanuts. She paused by me, offered a beverage, then gave me a slip: a ripped-off piece of paper with a peculiar scrawl on it. Without confirming I'm who this paper is meant for, or saying who it's from, she continues her rounds down the aisle.

Dog Boy hovers over my shoulder, gray-green eyes eating up the folded parchment. Shoving him back, I growl, "Keep my personal space personal, freak. If it was for you, then she would've handed it to you."

"One of these days, another one of my personalities is going to take over, and you're going to get what's coming to you," he whispers, looking down at the paper but staying away from me.

"I look forward to it," I promise, grinning like the madman I know I am. "Then, I'll actually have an excuse to kill you. I think I'll start by ripping that tongue of your out of your throat."

Electricity transfers between us as we glare at each other. In a way, I've sort of filed Cerberus into the group of convicts we're after. He's been eating with them, sleeping with them, talking with them, and setting them free. Why shouldn't I differentiate the two parties? Amongst the gifted, there are only ever two groups, anyways: me and them. I'm far more superior; faster, stronger, more powerful. And on top of that, I do what I do to better the world. Meanwhile, the other mistakes of humanity just terrorize the normal world and leach off its fruits like the parasites they are. I'm not like that. I'm so much better. And that gives me the right to file Cerberus away so carelessly.

Finally, Cerberus breaks our contact, eyes softening. "I can't wait until this ends," he sighs.

"The feeling is mutual." I unfold the paper. Its contents are baffling.

Meet me at the Tokyo Tower the first night we land – midnight. Alone. I'd like to discuss a future where we don't kill each other.

There's only one person who would ever send this message to me: the only person who's seen me use my ability against them and wasn't surprised or fazed. After a moment, I turn my head and look at the girl with hair strands of sapphire and seafoam irises cursed with slashes of blue. She's already cutting me a glare, although I'm positive that's actually just her natural face. Calmly, I stare back, debating about how to respond to this.

A future where we don't kill each other? Like, where I slap cuffs around her wrist and surprise everyone at my agency by bringing in the ambiguous Elektra once more? Or where she ditches those freaks and joins me? She's by far the most powerful of those amateurs. Maybe even as powerful as me...

I've always wondered, when her lightning bolt struck through me and had no effect, why she never flinched. She never blinked. She never gasped. She didn't fumble for words or scatter away for her life like everyone else. She didn't even give me the curtesy of a slight gape. Why wasn't I remarkable to her? The Reaper came for her in the flesh and she stood her ground.