Asylum

Death Comes for Us All...Sometimes

Kya Carter

The grip Elwood had on my powers was immensely crippling, but once Xavier stepped in, that grip released. Despite the numerous times I told him not to touch me, Xavier brings me to my feet. "Whose side are you on?" Elwood gripes, glaring at the eldest Walker – a terrible reflection of Ren.

"Mine," Xavier growls. "I'll fight anyone, but keep Kya alive. I need her for something I think you'll find quite favorable, Elwood."

"What's that? Pick your answer carefully. Your life depends on it," Elwood threatens while Cerberus and I engage in a staring competition.

"Putting an end to future mutants," Xavier boasts, having the audacity to smirk like he's just won the lottery. "We're going to find the origins and cut it down at its core."

Without warning, Elwood cringes and sucks in a breath, holding his hands to his sides. Glaring up at the mouth of the dojo, Elwood nods at Sarah, who retracts a stubby knife from her own side. "Fine. Take care of that pest. I'll take care of someone else."

"Deal," Xavier nods, as if a deal means a damn thing to him.

Shockingly, Elwood keeps his promise, sprinting to aid his daughter in destroying Elektra. But not before he turns to Cerberus and says, "I can't touch her for now. But you better end her or my previous threat still stands."

Whatever that threat is, it's enough to keep Cerberus rooted in his spot before me. "I'm sorry, Kya. But I have to do this."

"You never intended for this," I assure. "But I'm not going to hold back."

Softly, he smiles. "I was hoping you wouldn't."

Though I'm still a bit hesitant, Cerberus wastes no time getting to work. Shooting one arm into the air, he brings down a lightning bolt. Now that Elwood is gone, I can use the full extent of my powers and grip the raindrops around me. As he sends a bolt right to my chest, I duck, though I still maintain a steady connection to the fluid around me. I drop to pushup position, then as I force myself into a stand, I pool water around Cerberus's feet and freeze them, locking him in place as I create a floating bubble full of nothing but liquid, and hold it over his head.

Don't get me wrong. My first instinct isn't to kill someone, let alone freeze them in place and drown them standing up. But it's clear that Cerberus has no reservations of killing me, considering that was his first instinct. Sure, he has one of Elwood's threats that he could use as an excuse, but still... Nevertheless, Cerberus's fastness to end my life, I'm a bit more comfortable with ending his. It's either kill or be killed in this moment, and while I despise the circumstances, I'm not going to let my friends down by letting any more of us die.

I hold my stance, ignoring the defiant thumping of my heart and the wrenching of my gut. Killing isn't in my nature. It isn't a part of me. It's a contributor to why I tied up the other SD agents, refused to end Reaper in the bunker, and hated myself for my parents' death. It's more than an opposition to it; it's like an allergy to my body. And the symptoms for a breakout? Another marking. I'm still unclear if the markings only ensue after using my dark strain to a high extent, or because I kill people. Potentially, the answer could be a bit of both. Am I willing to risk another burning sensation in my back?

Side-looking the areas around me, I absorb the fights and the conditions that bind us to them. Xavier slices Leo's bullets in half, cringing every now and then as Sarah stabs and pricks herself. Xavier does this to find his younger brother, a quest that he and Ren once endured. Leo does it because he hates Xavier and wants to stay alive. Sarah helps Leo because she loves him. To my left, Elektra barely manages to fend off Reaper and her "play smarter and harder" father. Elektra and Reaper have both been in their eternal mutual hate because of a squabble back in Russia two years. Elwood is in it to see the escaped Asylum convicts dead or in cuffs. And there's my own engagement. Cerberus attacks me because he wants to live. I attack him because I don't want to die.