Wild Things - The Gifted

Prologue

12 Months Ago

"C'mon John, a hike won't do anything, the Sentis haven't been on to us in over a month. They have no clue where we are!" Eira insisted, she was going stir crazy from being cooped up in the headquarters for so long. She was used to the freedom of the reservation, where she could go hiking at any time she wanted and not worry about who saw her. 

John sighed as he looked at his little sister, the puppy eyes she was doing had always gotten to him. "E, you know it isn't safe out there. I don't know if I can protect both of us if Sentinel Services come, and I don't want you getting locked up because of me." The words were a blow to Eira, she wasn't a mutant, and John didn't think she could protect herself if it came down to it. 

"John," Eira snapped, "I haven't stepped foot outside of this building in two weeks. Fourteen days! I'm going crazy in here, and I know how to fight! Papa taught me long before you picked me up to protect me." She muttered, crossing her arms against her chest, looking at the floor. Their father as a sore subject, he was a wonderful man, but the key word in that sentence was that he was. He wasn't alive anymore, he died of a heart attack when Sentinel Services came to question him and he got too riled up. At least that's what the reports said, but Eira didn't think that a bullet to the chest and leg was a heart attack.

Those words were all it took for a look of guilt to cross John's face before he walked over and gave Eira a hug, which she returned with teary eyes. "I miss him too, E, so much," John whispered into her hair, "but I can't lose you too." 

...

Eira didn't care what John said as she laced up her hiking boots and her jacket. It was night now, technically morning, about 1 AM, when she slipped out of headquarters, moving quietly enough that no one who cared would notice, and the mutants who didn't care, wouldn't say anything. 

With a sigh, Eira looked back at the old bank that they had turned into the mutant underground headquarters, and then continued on. After about a half hour, Eira found the trail she had been looking for, and started hiking, turning on her flashlight. She was cautious, she had always been very observant of her surroundings, to the point that some of the mutants thought that could be her ability, to notice the little details that very few others did. 

The sound of crunching twigs and leaves caused her to pause, taking in a deep breath and holding it, no one should be on the trail with her at this time of the day. Without even seeing who was approaching, Eira broke off into a run, going off the trail, but keeping her flashlight on the lowest setting. The moon wasn't big enough to guide her home tonight, to guide her away from whoever or whatever was pursuing her. 

"Eira Proudstar! Stop running, I'm with Sentinel Services and have just a few questions for you!" Those were the words she feared the most, the ones that caused her heart rate to spike, adrenaline to fill her veins. Eira threw her flashlight to the right, lobbing it, hoping that the Sentinel Services agent would think that she was going that way before she ran again, relying on the dim light of the moon to guide her. 

And then, the moon wasn't so dim, a bright light landed on her, a drone was following her from above, pointing out her direct location to the team following her. Eira swallowed down the sob that was making its way up her throat, her lungs burning from a lack of oxygen from all the running when she saw it, the metal spider like device that was charging at her full speed. No, no! Eira couldn't get caught, she could be used against the underground, used against her brother.

That's when she felt it, the splitting pain in her head as she suddenly heard all the animals around her, understood them, not just heard them. The pain was too much, Eira clawed at her head, falling to the ground screaming, feeling like someone was drilling into her head. "Make it stop, make it stop," She sobbed, a new pain filling her body, her bones morphing, her hair follicles growing longer, her body changing. It was the most excruciating pain she had ever felt, bones breaking and reforming, her fingers getting smaller. Within a minute the spider was attached to her ankle, which too, was changing. 

"This is Agent Turner, the target is in sight. Be warned, target appears to be experiencing mutant abilities for the first time." The words were so loud, much louder than she was used too, and as Eira opened her eyes, everything was so much clearer, like she was seeing in night vision. A heavy tongue lolled out of her mouth, grazing sharp teeth, the pain in her ankle causing her to whimper before she felt the pain in her side, everything going dark as the pain of her body reforming filled her again. "The target has been subdued, I will bring her back in for detainment and questioning." Then everything went blank.