Luminescence

Seventeen.

Hey guys! I'm probably going to double update because the next two chapters are related, but I didn't want to put them in one chapter because it would be a really long page. Anyways I hope you guys are having fun in quarantine <3 :)

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Last night was the most sleep I had gotten in weeks.

Hudson didn't show up. I mean, technically he couldn't since I had blocked the connection between us. That got me wondering — when I blocked off our bond that night, did I block it off permanently? I certainly wouldn't mind though, especially if it got me a few more hours of sleep each night.

Although the extra sleep was nice, talking to the same people everyday in the same metal hallways got pretty boring. Not saying that I do like talking with Hudson, but it's nice having someone to talk to that lives in the outside world.

Sometimes I wonder how Alex is doing at the junkyard. Honestly, I wonder how that man could ever want to go back to that hellhole when he was offered a new chance here. But as life goes on, good things must come to an end. And our friendship was one of them.

Priscilla had left me a note next to Elaine's bed to meet her next to the restricted hallway, that only mutants could pass through. She had set a small key next to the paper that would disable the alarms if they were to sound.

But what could we be training for today? I had almost mastered everything from sword techniques, all the way to rounding your fist for a perfect punch. I don't think there was anything left to learn... right?

Walking through the halls I saw many soldiers preparing for the battle tomorrow. Some, as I could tell were anxious. They were fidgety, and even the smallest of noises would startle them. Others were as confident as day, carrying ammunition to their ships in a hurry. They were dedicated, and had their minds set on defeating evil.

I just prayed that I could be as strong as those soldiers when I set foot on the field.

Gripping the key firmly in my right hand, I had finally reached the restricted hallway out of everybody's view. It only took a few steps for me to pass the invisible barricade with the key in my hand, and of course me being the scaredy cat was afraid that the alarms were going to go off as I stepped through.

I enter the sword room Priscilla had brought me into the other night, and there she was sitting in the chair, playing with what looked like an old relic of some sort.

"Welcome, Mara," She says with a normal smile on her face. She was holding something in her hands below the desk, but it was out of my vision range for me to see the object. "It's your final day of training, are you excited?" She asks happily.

Something seemed off about Priscilla. She was happy, but slightly more on edge tonight. Her eyes didn't glimmer with the normal... 'Priscilla vibe' tonight. I saw curiousness in them? Maybe even anticipation?

I eye her questioningly, knowing there was something off.

"What's wrong, dear? You look concerned," she says, the smile diminishing from her face all at once. I summon the pencil sword secretly behind my hand, out of view from Priscilla.

Suddenly, my ear picks up a soft clicking sound, and my first instinct is to dodge.

It was a good thing I did, because a sudden blast from the wall burned the spot I had just been standing in. What the hell?

Adrenaline began pumping through my veins, as Priscilla simply watches with a neutral expression. Her eyes reminded me so damn much of Hudson, sometimes it felt like he were actually here.

Whatever hovering, circular object that had just shot me from the wall was now floating towards me, whirring and preparing to fire again. It was no bigger than an orange. Its metallic walls could somehow analyze its target, hover and shoot at the same time—all compressed into one tiny ball.

And suddenly, it began rapid fire.

Like a machine gun, bullet after bullet came spewing out from the tiny device. But before the bullets could reach me, I twirl my sword around in my hand, letting it unsheathe and deflect the bullets coming at me from every angle. I let my instincts take over, as I struggle to find the weaknesses of the robot.

I began to run towards it while deflecting the bullets, using my high jump ability to reach up and swing at it. But, of course it was a robot— it saw my move coming from a mile away. As my sword just barely missed it, the shots came back even more persistent each time.

It had speed that was uncanny to mine, therefore making it incapable of being sliced down. I simply couldn't move as fast as it.

Then, an idea popped into my head.

As it kept firing miniature bullets, my sword would constantly deflect them sending each of the bullets in random directions. What if I could control the direction where the bullets were being deflected at?

I stopped swinging my sword in a figure eight motion to block, and put it in a new vertical position so that it deflected the bullets in a steady stream onto a blank wall. Slowly, I angled it at just the right position so that the bullets would go right through the hovering machine.

And with a clink, the machine fell to the ground with sparks as a bullet had pierced straight through its membrane.

This was a test. There would be no other words to describe it as I look back up to Priscilla, who has a mischievous look on her face. Her small smirk is enough to make me smile, because as hard as she was trying to seem intimidating, she was completely failing.

"Miss Mara," she says in a conspicuous voice. "You're officially ready for battle."

That made the smile falter from my face. I had only been training for four weeks, when some people train for their lives to do this. This was a death wish, but if it meant luring Hudson onto the good side I was all for it.

"I can see the doubt straight through you, my dear," she gets up walking over to my position. "You're afraid for the upcoming battle. But the only way you are going to get stronger is to push yourself. You can't truly discover who you are in this damned underground facility. Go out. Fight. Trust your instincts. You by far are one of the strongest mutants I have ever seen, Mara. And my God, you haven't even discovered your powers yet!"

"Powers?" I question. "I honestly forgot that I had a secret ability," I claim honestly. From training with Priscilla, I had figured my powers were simply to jump higher, run quicker and fight at a good pace. But how on Earth was I going to discover these powers?

"Silly girl," she chuckles. "Every mutant comes with an ability. Hudson has incredible mind abilities. Your mother had the power to create wind patterns, enabling her to fly, and many other shocking things you wouldn't believe. Your father could bend literal steel."

My eyes widen. How had they hidden their powers from my childhood? Because man, I would've loved to see their powers in action.

A shrill beeping sound rings through the air twice, signaling that an announcement was about to play over the PA.

"All members of attack sector 2-RB, ground forces, air forces, joint operations and tactical leaders, please report to room 32 for battle preparations."

Priscilla's eyes glimmered with excitement, while a shrill gut feeling of doubt still lingered in my stomach. "That's us. Are you ready?" She extends her hand out for me to grab. And with one confident move, I took it and we were on our way.

But something told me, that the doubtful feeling within me was right. That this battle wasn't going to be the outcome Priscilla and I had hoped for.