Decisions, Part 3 (Conclusion)

Posted on Wed Oct 26th, 2022 @ 10:17pm by First Lieutenant Bethany Harrison & Private Mattias Tonelly & General Dyami Bentley (Tribal : Bent Leaf)
Edited on on Wed Oct 26th, 2022 @ 10:18pm

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

There was a soft groan from the formerly unconscious young woman as she rolled onto her side and attempted to push herself up. She found herself face to face with her long-fanged companion and she gave a brief smile as she reached up to scratch the cat’s head reassuringly. “I’m fine. Everything is fine,” she said softly, as she pulled herself up off of the hard rock floor.

“I see you found the surprise.” Bethany rolled her neck from one side to the other, wincing slightly at the loud crack that echoed off of the smooth stone walls of the odd bubble of a cave. After a moment, the sleek black headguard pulled away from her head as she drew closer to the fire.

“This wasn’t supposed to be a rescue mission. Might want to check your source,” the battered brawler said, her skin and armor glittering in the glow of the flames. Her strange, rainbow-hued eyes settled on the native shaman as he healed the young man that she had found in what may as well have been the bowels of hell. “Be gentle with him. The Ice Queen brought him in. I have his files. Just add another tick to the list of reasons to flash fry her out of existence.”

Dyami was relieved to see that the young brawler was awake and greeted her comments with a knowing chuckle. “As I often say, the Great Spirit leads us but rarely does he tell us all the obstacles in our path. I also am filled with hope that we will soon be able to rid this world of the Ice Queen's existence.” Dyami smiled in a wistful, almost longing manner, before shaking off the thoughts and adding, “How are you feeling Stesi?” (Tsalagi for Daughter)

Mattias looked over at Fractal and smiled happily and exclaimed excitedly. "Talon is fixing my legs!!"

“I’m fine. Everything is fine.” It was an obvious lie, but tough and unphased were the reluctant superhero’s default settings. Fractal looked at Mattias and nodded, the sleeves of her armor rolled up and away from her wrists, the legs doing the same from her ankles, leaving her drawn, pale limbs exposed to the relatively weak light of the fire. She was covered over with still healing cuts and bruises that stood out garishly from the pallor of her skin, the gore from a head wound staining her grayed out hair. “Dyami’s healing isn’t complete right away, but it gets you going,” the young woman said as her exposed skin glittered hungrily, the fire even seeming to dim slightly.

She then looked back to Dyami, “The scary blonde giant he turned into when he awakened didn’t seem to have any issues walking. Or bounding up multiple flights of stairs and knocking them down. His medical records said that he was paralyzed, so I was carrying him, but once chaos ensued, he was far less,” Bethany paused and shrugged before continuing, “helpless, I guess.”

As soon as Fractal's armor cycled away, Mattias's grin evaporated and he started to breath faster, clearly getting agitated. "You…you look like…!" As his anger started to rise, his body started to react slowly. His eyes flashed an electric blue and he slowly, and unsteadily stood up, balling his fists.

“She’s my half-sister,” Bethany said, her jaw clenching slightly as the venom-tipped words slipped from her lips. The battered woman that had risked everything to save him, turned towards Mattias, her arms held out to her sides, her swirling rainbow eyes meeting his, cooly, evenly, fearlessly. “It’s a very long story, but trust me, I have no love for her.”

There was a tense silence between the two of them for a few beats, then, his strength waning, Mattias's legs buckled and he dropped back down. Anguish filled his face again. "She killed my mom and dad, Fractal….please tell me that we are going to stop her?!"

“What do you mean we, white man?” Bethany asked, an eyebrow arching over one eye curiously. “I’m sorry for what happened to you and your parents, Matty. But you have no training and no control over your powers. I will continue hunting her down, you will go to school, heal, train, and learn about your new reality before I’d ever even consider taking you on that kind of mission.”

Dyami suddenly burst into laughter, “I remember saying that to you a few years back!” He exclaimed with tears running from his eyes. “I swear I will have you running a team soon, maybe I will start with this one.” He added hooking his thumb at Mattias. “Once he is healed anyway.”

Mattias wasn't sure how to react. So, his spark of anger took over. "I want to be there when she is brought down! She took everything from me!"

Dyami suddenly turned serious eyes to the young man, “Then I suggest you heal and learn quickly, because if either of us find her first, there will not be enough left of her for you to be mad at.” The Shaman of the Nations continued after a breath, “I will help you if you want the chance, but it will not be easy.”

Mattias looked up at the tall man and shook his head emphatically. "Yes, Sir!"

“Dyami, are you sure about this? I mean, he’s not like me. He’s not used to that kind of,” Bethany said, then paused as though searching for the right word. After a moment, she sighed, “training. We don’t know much about his powers other than he becomes an over-powered, slow-witted giant. Besides, he’s...he’s just a kid. Shouldn’t we let him just be a kid until he has to be something else?”

Dyami turned to face Fractal. “I can see behind his eyes into that which lies within. His other self is much more than you have seen. And besides he will not sit still; it is not in his nature. The only real question is do I train him or do you?” The long-haired Indian let the question hang in the air, knowing that only Beth knew what it would entail for the boy if he were to train him. Then he added “Or do we let him decide who he wants to train under.”

“Well, I’ve seen him pretty much tear a man in half, and bring down a few flights of stairs on my head because he wasn’t thinking things through,” Bethany retorted, then went even paler than she was at the rest of Dyami’s words. “I...I can’t do that,” she said, her voice lowering. She turned back towards the fire and shook her head. “I can’t be like...him. Just no,” she nearly stammered.

Mattias watched the exchange between his two heros. He wasn't entirely sure what they were talking about, so he kept quiet and listened.

Dyami approached Beth and laid a hand gently on her shoulder, “I would never ask you to be like him. I ask that you impart to this boy that which you have learned from me. Or even better, help me to impart it to him. So you can learn to train and lead yourself. Stesi you are the bearer of the torch I carry, as heavy as that may be you have never dropped it. I believe in you.”

The native man looked somehow incredibly old at that moment. With wisdom far beyond the thirty year old man that stood before them. His shoulders carried a weight that could not be seen but could be felt in the air as an immense burden. One he carried with joy and rarely let show. All of these sights were lost to Beth, having her back to him, but Dyami had forgotten the boy for a moment and let some of who he really was slip out.

Bethany gave a soft shudder and a weak sigh when Dyami’s hand touched her shoulder. “Adadoda, I don’t know what you mean by that. What torch am I carrying? I’m not some grand hero, and I’m not a leader. I mean, taking point on a strike team is one thing, but training someone? Especially a kid. No kid deserves that.”

Her rainbow-hued eyes swirled even more furiously, the light from the fire dimming even further, as she fought off the images and memories of the torment that her childhood had been, how much she had suffered even in the last few years. “Why can’t we just let him be a kid while he still can be?”

Mattias spoke up at that. "I lost that right the moment my parents were killed," his voice was devoid of anger. Instead, there was sadness. "But, if me starting training young ensures another kid gets to keep their innocence, then so be it."

Dyami turned and smiled at Mattias, “Your parents raised you well Mattias, they would be proud of you.” Dyami turned his head back to Beth, “He is right you know. Evil took your youth from you and from him, he now stands where you once stood. Yes, he could go back to a somewhat normal life, and after years of therapy find some semblance of happiness. He would always wonder, ‘what if I had taken another path’, could he have become someone who helped others and fought back against the evils of this world.”

Dyami paused for a few letting the words hang in the silence before adding, “This is up to you Fractal, if you cannot do this then it is ok. I will begin his training and you can decide later.” He put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a playful little squeeze. And with leavity in his voice said, “Besides you know how much I love beating up children.”

“It’s not the same, Old Man. He grew up to be a normal person, I didn’t.” Bethany turned and when her eyes landed on Dyami, she gasped slightly. She rarely saw him like that, and she was a bit surprised that he had let that wall down in front of Matty so quickly.

Then her strange gaze moved to Mattias. “Kid, this is beyond the big leagues. It’s brutal and unrelenting. I was five the first time I was shot in the chest. I was raised to be nothing more than a real life, home-grown terrorist. I was used to all of that by the time I awakened. By the time that I was your age and Dyami started training me, I had already taken down a human trafficking ring. It’s not a life I’d wish on anyone.”

Fractal put her hands up and sighed heavily. “I can’t make your decisions for you, though. I knew what I was getting into when I signed up. Being a soldier is the only thing I’m any good at, my only real use. I just want you to think about what this path is bound to bring. Death is an ever present specter in this way of life.”

Talon nodded, turning back to Mattias and looking like his formerly young self again, “She does not lie Mattias. It is exactly how she says it is. It is your choice and one hell of a dangerous life.”

Mattias looked at the both of them, silent for a few beats, then he replied with words that made him seem older and wiser than he really was. "My father was in the Special Forces. He always taught me that the easiest day was yesterday. You say it's going to be hard? I've spit in hard's eyes, everyday I went through physical therapy. Teach me what I need to know to survive, train me in what I need to know to protect those that can't protect themselves."

Talon motioned to Mattias with both hands before saying, “See he has the attitude and, I believe, the drive as well. He should be a good apprentice for you. What do you think Fractal?”

“I swear you’d adopt every broken kid on the planet if you could,” the young light-bearer said with a heavy sigh. It wasn’t so many years ago that she had been in Mattias’ position. Only she had been the one responsible for the death of so many, the destruction of everything that she had ever known. “We have to find a cure, you know that. And you know that there aren’t many of us left to go after it.”

Fractal glanced at Mattias, her strange eyes studying him closely. “He’s tough. I’ll give him that much. But is he that kind of tough?” Her question didn’t even seem to be directed at either of them. She ran a thin hand through her pale, blood-stained hair and sighed again. “Let’s get him back to base. He’s going to need processing. I have to get the spare room ready, because I’m sure that’s next.”

Dyami nodded, “First to the base for some testing and then to the Ranch to settle in for the long haul of training.” he said. Turning to Mattias he added, “You and I have a lot to talk about and several things that you will need to decide if we are to walk this path. All in due time though. First I want our doctors to take a look at you. Then in a few days we will speak at length over dinner.”

Mattias listened to Talon and Fractal talk about him. While he understood that he didn't know what was in store for him, he was resolute in the choice that this was the path that he wanted, no, needed to take. Looking up at Talon, he said, "I'm ready, Sir."

Dyami stepped back from his companions and turned away beginning a low chant in Tsalagi, speaking words of power, he spun his arms in a large circle, a portal very similar to the one they had arrived in materialized in the air in front of him.

“After you.” he said to Beth motioning to the portal. “Mind you, young man, it will be dark when we arrive,” the shaman said as he walked over and helped Mattias to his feet, allowing him to balance for a moment, again observing him. “Yes, I think you will be walking again soon.” That said, Dyami scooped the young man up in his arms as if he weighed nothing and waited for Beth to enter before following through himself.

Bethany chuckled slightly, rolling her eyes before she motioned to her feline friend and quickly attached a lead to the animal. Then she stepped through the portal that had long ago become routine. She knew what was coming. Dyami did love his theatrics, after all..

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FIN
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Dyami Bentleaf
Talon
Mutant Underground

Bethany Davies
Fractal
Mutant Underground

Mattias Tonelly
Newly Awakened Mutant