Decisions, Part 2

Posted on Wed Oct 26th, 2022 @ 10:16pm by First Lieutenant Bethany Harrison & Private Mattias Tonelly & General Dyami Bentley (Tribal : Bent Leaf)
Edited on on Wed Oct 26th, 2022 @ 10:16pm

Mission: HYDRA: Another Head Rises
Location: Unknown
Timeline: Present Day

Mattias took a deep, ragged breath, then told Talon everything he could remember about the day his life changed forever…

School had let out and Mattias was walking home, so far feeling relief that the threat was never followed through. And that's when he heard the loud pickup truck that he knew belonged to the senior. He stopped walking and slowly turned to look at his foe. As soon as he did, the truck peeled out and raced past Mattias, turning down a side road.

Again. Mattias felt a wave of relief flood over him again. Thinking that he was going to make it home safe after all, he put his ear buds in and turned on one of the song lists on his android phone. He started to bounce on his feet as he began to hear his favorite songs.

He was so engrossed in his music, that, after turning a corner, he failed to notice the pickup truck parked by a small, wooded park that he walked through to get home.

About twenty meters into the park, where the view from the street was blocked by foliage, he was suddenly and viciously tackled to the ground, his ear buds and glasses flew off his head. He also split his lip when his face hit the ground.

Though Mattias grunted when he was hit, he never cried out in pain. Slowly, he started to climb back to his feet. Only to be knocked down again. "I didn't tell you that you could get up!" The senior barked at him as he kicked Mattias in the ribs. There was a soft cracking sound from tbe impact, clearly indicating that a rib had been damaged.

Still, Mattias did not cry out.

"Oh, you're a tough guy, huh?" The senior reached down, grabbed Mattias by the hair on the back of his head and yanked him up to his feet. "Well? Let's go, tough guy." The senior taunted. "I'll give you one hit. You better make it good." He closed his eyes and mockingly stuck out his chin.

Mattias could feel the rage building inside of him. He so desperately wanted to defend himself but something inside always cowed him. "No." He said finally.

"No?" The senior spat back. "You're saying no to a free hit? Man, you are nothing but a chicken shit." He looked at Mattias with disgust. "You make me sick." He started to walk away, then stopped, "Hell with it." He turned back and began to viciously beat Mattias.

About twenty minutes later, a woman came by, walking her dog, and she happened upon Mattias' unconscious form. She immediately called 9-1-1.

Flashes of light. That was the first thing that Mattias remembered. Why were the lights flashing? People were saying things, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Then, blackness.

Next thing he remembered, he was laying on a bed and surrounded by people who were rushing around him. He tried to turn his head to look around but big red blocks were holding his head straight. Someone was shining a bright light in his eyes.

Blackness

Opening his eyes again, he saw Mama and Dad, talking to someone in a long white coat. Then, Mama put her head against Dad's chest. Was she crying?

Blackness

Mattias finally opened his eyes. He was in a strange room. Was it a hospital? Looking around, he saw Mama, asleep on a lime green recliner that was positioned at the end of the bed he was in. "Mama?" His voice was weak and scratchy.

Baeryn woke the instant Mattias called to her. "Oh, baby!" She moved quickly from the recliner to stand by Mattias's side, holding his hand and trying to hold her tears back. "Hi, honey! How are you feeling?"

Mattias thought about the question, then answered, "I don't feel any pain, Mama. I..." He suddenly realized that something was wrong. "Mama..? I..I d-d-don't f-f-f-feel anything."

Baeryn turned her head up and sniffed back heavy tears. She looked back down at her boy and tried to be strong for him. "Matty, baby, I need you to listen to me, okay, honey?"

Mattias managed to nod to his mother. "Okay, Mama." He was starting to get scared.

She took a big, ragged, breath then continued. "You were hurt real bad, sweetheart. And, while the doctors aren't done fighting for you, for right now, my sweet boy, you...you're paralyzed from the chest down, Matty." Tears finally broke free, running down her cheeks. Baeryn quickly wiped them away, trying to keep strong for her Mattias.

Mattias started to get upset. "Mama...I...I ...I'm scared!"

"I know, baby!" Baeryn kept holding Matty's limp left hand in her right, and moved her left to his face, wiping his tears away. "Shh, shh, shh. I know this is scary, baby. But, we will get through this! Do you hear me, Matty? You don't give up, we don't give up! You will be getting the best care that we can get you. You will get better, baby!"

Mattias still felt scared, but his mother had never lied to him before. If she told him that he would get better, then he would.

Just then, David walked in. "Hey, champ!" He said as he moved to stand on the other side of Mattias's bed.

"Hey, Dad!" Mattias tried to be brave for his father. Now that both of his parents were here, he felt safe. "I'm feeling tired, Mama. I'm sorry."

"Don't be silly, baby." Baeryn replied comfortingly. "You sleep. Your father and I will be right outside in the hall for a few minutes." She leaned in and kissed Mattias on his right cheek.

David leaned down and kissed Mattias on his left cheek, then stood back up.

Mattias closed his eyes. He was really tired all of a sudden.

When Mattias finished speaking, fresh tears were rolling down his face again. Looking over at Fractal and the large cat, he wished he had an animal that he could snuggle against. He was suddenly feeling very alone in the world.

As he sat there, propped up by his arms behind him, he started to feel a growing anger deep inside of his core. It was fire hot, and it was growing.

“I see,” the Indian healer spoke softly, “can you tell me what happened inside that compound that Fractal erased? Did anything unusual happen to you? Before, or after she arrived?”

Having his thoughts changed to the compound, Mattias's young mind switched gears, calming some. "Um…" He tried to piece it all together as it was a bit of a jumble. "I remember waking up. I was tied to a table. There were a couple goons nearby that…that were…" He suddenly turned to the side and wretched, remembering the sight and smell of that room.

The shaman quietly allowed the boy a chance to compose himself, “I know this is tough on you Mattias, Did they experiment on you or did something happen after you were set free by Fractal?”

After clearing his mouth out and taking a few deep, cleansing breaths, Mattias answered as best as he could. "They..they injected me with something…a tranquilizer I think…but...before I could pass out, Fractal killed them and injected me with an antidote. She..she then picked me up on her back and we got out to the hallway…that's when more of those goons showed up. She hid us with her powers, but I think I made a noise…I'm sorry..I didn't mean to!"

“It was not your fault Mattias, you did your best. Do not let your mind dwell on the past, you both survived so no harm no foul.” The blue-eyed shaman reassured him with a knowing smile.

Mattias nodded and took another breath. "She put me down and started to fight them. Another goon showed up and pointed his rifle at me. I…I think he started to…to taunt me while Fractal was fighting." His brows furrowed as he tried to concentrate. "I think...someone else was there. I couldn't see him, but…I heard his voice in my head. I…I can't remember what he said, just...just that he was very angry. Then…." He closed his eyes, trying to remember more.

Finally, deflating a bit, he opened his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sir. The next thing I remember, I was waking up in here."

Dyami nodded knowingly and answered, “Have you ever been tested for the X-gene?”

Mattias thought about it and shook his head. "Not that I know of, Sir. Though...my doctors were amazed by how quickly I was healing and getting stronger after the attack that paralyzed me."

“Well let me be the first to confirm it, for you, young man, are a mutant. Of that I am sure.” Dyami watched the young man's face impassively to see the reaction.

It took Mattias a few beats to register what Talon had just said. Then his eyes bugged out slightly and his jaw went slack. "M-me? A mutant?" A lop-sided grin slowly started to fill his face. "Whoa…"

“We will have to spend some time figuring out what powers you have, but yes you are a mutant.” Dyami pointed at the bruises on the young man, “Do you want me to heal these?”

Mattias looked down at them, as if only noticing them for the first time. "Holy cow! How did I get so banged up?!" He looked back at Talon and nodded. "Yes please, Sir."

Talon nodded, stretched out his open hands and began speaking words of power in his native Tsalagi tongue. A soft, blue-lit aura began to surround the young man.

Mattias gasped as the magical energy started to envelop his body. "Whoa…!" He exclaimed as he started to float a few inches off the ground.

Suddenly, he gasped again as he started to feel sensations in his legs! He inhaled sharply through his teeth as his nervous system was assaulted by waves of pins and needles washing over his legs over and over.

Talon watched the young man's expression of surprise turn to pain as the waves of magic started the work to repair the damaged nerves in Mattius’s legs. He slowed the magic flow and brought it to a stop gently so as to not shock the boy.

“Mattias,” Talon said softly, “the pain you are feeling is likely to increase over the next few treatments that I give you. My magic accelerates natural healing, but it also has side effects, if we are not careful to take it at a reasonable pace. Ask Bethany about it some time, she has had more of my healing than almost anyone on the planet.” Dyami smiled before continuing. “But in time you should be able to walk again.”

As soon as the blue aura vanished, Mattias was again sitting on the stone floor. The discomfort was gone, and in its place…warmth! He could feel the warmth of the fire on his bare legs!

Tears of joy started to fall down his cheeks as the teenager looked up at one of his idols. "Thank you, Sir! I…I can...feel!!"

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TBC
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