A New Mission, Part II

Posted on Mon Jun 19th, 2023 @ 1:23am by First Lieutenant Bethany Harrison & Private Mattias Tonelly & General Dyami Bentley (Tribal : Bent Leaf)
Edited on on Mon Jun 19th, 2023 @ 1:33am

Mission: The Mutant Underground
Location: Unknown
Timeline: Present Day

“Mattias, currently this is not your fight. You need training and time before you will be able to go up against the likes of the Ice Queen. I know you want to do something, but you are a smart boy, think about it. Never start a fight you cannot finish. You will have your chance to strike at the evils of this world. Just not right now. To do so now would mean your death and I believe that would be a supreme waste of who you will be in the future. And all those that you will save would be lost.” Dyami patted the boy on the shoulder reassuringly, “I have big plans for you, you will do great things when you are finished training I am sure of that.”

While he didn't like it, Mattias was smart enough to know that both Dyami and Bethany were right. He currently was a liability to those around him. He had only survived the Hydra meat farm because of his awakening. It would be a long time until he was able to manifest that strongly again.

While the charge in the air started to diminish, he was still quite angry. "Promise me that I'll be ready for her when you do finally go after her. I want to make her feel as weak as she made me feel, right before she dies."

“I’d prefer to take her out fast, from about a mile away, with a high velocity explosive round,” Bethany said, shaking her head and standing back up. “Eva is not a fun enemy to get close to in combat. I’ve seen her kill with a thought. I still can’t figure out how she escaped when I awakened. No one else did.”

Dyami shook his head solemnly. “You will not be ready for this battle, I am not able to make any promises to you other than I will train you until you are ready. I have been hunting Hydra for over one hundred and fifty years and still they survive. Remember that she is only one part of a much greater whole.”

The shaman turned his attention to Beth before adding, “We will kill the Ice Queen if the chance arises. But there will always be other heads that rise up. And I agree with you. Long range would be the best to take her out. But she has survived some pretty unbelieveale situations so we may not know the full extent of her powers.”

“I wish I could help with that, but she awakened when I was about eight. Her eyes went that icy blue color and some of the boys accused her of bewitching their minds. I was eight. I couldn’t stop them. I thought they killed her, but they just beat her nearly to death and sold her off to Hydra...like all the others. It figures Hydra would put her in charge of something like that,” Beth said evenly, but it was clear that it was a disturbing thought for her.

The young light-bearer hadn’t even known that Eva was her sister then. She was just a kind girl that had helped to set broken bones, and helped her mama to nurse her wounds after her nearly daily beatings. She still had nightmares about that day. “After that, I just know she’s survived a few things that she probably shouldn’t have, she turned me and Jon against each other on my birthday that one time, and she seems to have a serious grudge against both of us.”

Mattias listened quietly as both of his heroes and mentors spoke to him. While the anger would remain, he would heed their warnings. At the same time as Dyami and Bethany cautioned him, he could hear the voices of his mother and father in his mind, doing the same thing. To rush in now, unprepared, would not only be a waste of his life, but of their sacrifices as well.

“It is possible that Hydra knows what you mean to me and the plans that I have, it would explain the fact that she keeps showing up, and that Hydra has gone to great expense to attack you on many occasions.” Dyami said.

“She’s been going after Jon since long before I met him,” Bethany said, shaking her head. “Jon refused to join Hydra when she tried to recruit him. She then went about ruining his life to try to convince him that he’d be better off joining them, and made him carve up his wife and best friend when he caught them sleeping together. Even sitting in jail, he still refused. She hadn’t managed to set him up quite well enough, and he got off with a good lawyer. I’m sure that plays pretty heavily into her grudge against him.”

The young woman sighed and shrugged. “As for me, well, I got away from the fate that she suffered.”

Mattias continued to listen as Dyami and Bethany spoke of their foe. Aside from what he saw her do to his parents, he had no real knowledge of her. Sure, he had read some chat room blurbs about her over the years, but none of it had truly been newsworthy.

Dyami reached over to the nearest car cover, pulling it back to reveal a fluorescent green 1969 Mustang Mach One convertible. "If you would rather think then I will drive.” Helping Mattias into the back seat he said, “Buckle up, I do not drive slow. Being that I am a Marshal I do not have to.” He gave the boy a toothy grin before stowing his wheelchair into the trunk.

Dyami patted the car on the quarter panel, "Time to wake up old girl, it is about time I took you for a ride.” The engine roared to life and the top retracted automatically. Dyami pushed a button on the dash and the garage door began to raise, “Ready?” He looked at Beth.

“The last thing that I want to do is reflect right now,” Bethany said, watching Dyami as he still opted for the car. Did he really not understand? It’s not like he hadn’t seen this state of mind from her every time that her survival was called into question. The result of a lifetime of torture at the hands of her father, of other men. It was just easier for her to live in that state, than to constantly want to claw at the pain in her chest.

It took her a long few moments, standing outside the car, looking down at Dyami, before she sighed heavily and got into the passenger seat, putting her file away in the glove compartment and sorting out the five point safety harness with a practiced grace. “You talk about me being a pain in your ass,” she muttered.

“Ah my Stesi, I know I am the biggest pain in the ass of them all. I have worked long and hard at it, but I have a dream that one day you will surpass me. And right now you are putting forth your best effort, I am proud of you.” He looked back at Mattias, “All buckled in Matty? If so, we can be on our way.”

While still angry, his rage was starting to quiet inside of him. Finally, Mattias nodded to Dyami. "Yes, Sir."

Dyami pulled out of the garage slowly before exiting onto the road leading to the highway, the engine produced a satisfying vibrating rumble as he sped up. Once on the onramp to the highway he gunned it. The engine roared loudly as he zipped into the traffic and began weaving in and out of the vehicles in their path. They were doing well over a hundred when he eased off a bit and the engine quieted, though it seemed to be under no strain to keep the car moving at this speed.

In the back, Mattias couldn't help but smile as Dyami drove like a bat out of hell. He had always enjoyed roller coasters, and this certainly felt like one now.

Bethany had long ago grown used to Dyami’s insane driving. Of course, for someone that could move at the speed of light for short bursts, the speed wasn’t really the issue. Once they got past normal traffic, and into a clear spot, the area around the car darkened significantly, her skin glittering as she drew in the natural light around her.

Mattias watched with awe in his eyes. While he knew of Fractal's powers, and had seen them used first-hand, he had never observed her recharging before. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Dyami looked at Beth and asked with a mischievous smirk, “You should have chosen ‘Sparkles’ as your hero name.”

The glittering brawler turned her rainbow-hued gaze towards Dyami, rolled her eyes, and shook her head. “OG tried that. I’d rather live in a cave than be called that,” Bethany answered flatly, before looking back out over the landscape that they were speeding by.

After a few moments of silence, Mattias asked the question that had been with him since he first learned of mutants. "Sir, with all of the mutants in the world, how is it that there are still no two mutants with identical powers? There are hundreds upon hundreds of similarities among homosapiens."

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TBC
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