Chapter 3

After about thirty minutes Waya got antsy and came looking for us. He found us there, at the edge of the Pit, sitting in silence. He sat on the other side of me and glanced over, taking in the view of his girlfriend and me, tear stained and still shaking a bit. He faced forwards again, not saying anything. We sat there for what seemed like a long time, enjoying each other’s company. When Waya finally spoke his voice was quiet, like he was trying not to destroy something fragile.

“We have to go, we have a lead on where they could be.” 

My heart broke a little. I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to be Chameleon right now. I wanted to be a little kid again, with her parents and little brother and sister and be happy. I didn’t want responsibility. I was still just a kid. I couldn’t do this, none of us could. But we had to. Because we said we would. And in this world once you’ve made a promise this big you can’t escape it, no matter what you do. 

I felt Aella’s wind surround me like a comforting hug, swirling around my feet and hands, raising the small hairs on the back of my neck. I pushed myself up, Aella and Waya standing up on either side of me. I gave them a bit of privacy as they did their usual forehead touch before each mission, and when Aella turned around she did the same with me. I breathed in deeply, relishing in the peace, in the familiarity. 

Waya slung his arm around my shoulders, drawing me tightly against him. We all knew something bad was going to happen, there’s no way it could be avoided. We were going up against the top villains, Heathen, Genocide, Peculiar and Mime. Slowly, we all headed off to the Briefing Room. Opening the door I saw everyone else was still in there. They were standing in a tight circle talking amongst themselves and looked up when we walked in. They quietly dispersed, taking their seats. 

The projection of the warehouse floor plan was still up on the wall. Legion pulled up the floor plan of the building opposite before taking his seat opposite me, at Waya’s right hand. I was seated at Aella’s left hand; her and Waya were the heads of the table. They were our leaders. They made all the hard decisions, and unfortunately after Swallow died they paired Legion with Houdini and put me in their group. 

Waya cleared his throat, preparing what he was going to say. He smiled tightly at us, sitting down slowly in his chair. “We all know the risks,” his voice was sombre, and I choked back a whimper, thinking again of Swallow. I looked over at Legion and saw his fists clutched tightly, his head down. My heart ached for him, loosing someone that close to you is horrible, I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. 

Except maybe the Director. I really hated him. He might consider the value of people’s lives if he lost someone dear to him.

“Waya, Cammie and I are strike team one,” Aella said, squeezing her boyfriend’s hand in reassurance. “Legion, Geronimo, you two are the second strike team. You’ll enter from the back. Look after each other.” They nodded, all of us feeling the heavy tone now. “Houdini, Starbright, you guys are back up. Stay on the roof of the building opposite and let us know what happens outside the building. Remember, they’ve hired men before and they could still have them. We just barely outnumber them on a good day,” Aella took the time to look around at all of us. “Everyone needs to be on high alert, including you, Cammie.” She turned to look me directly in the eyes.

“What do you mean by that,” I said weakly, knowing exactly what she meant. 

“You always throw yourself head first into danger. Your shape shifting abilities won’t save you from harm every time. You’ve been lucky so far, but we need you alive.” I looked down, unable to face her anymore. She didn’t even know why I did that. I had a family. I loved them and they loved me. Then the lightning came and they burned, and I couldn’t do anything to help them. I would never be that helpless again. I don’t care if I die, nobody really needed me. Maybe if I died I’d be able to see my parents and siblings again.

. . .

We stood, the seven of us, on the ledge of a building. Out in the distance we could see the warehouse, our target. Aella and Waya, on either side of me, grabbed my hands at the same time and gave them a squeeze. I squeezed back. I looked down the line at all of us standing in a row. We were so powerful, yet so weak. I knew these people like I knew myself. Flashes of memories passed through my mind. Moving into the cave for the first time after the Director found me. I think I was nine around the time. I can’t quite remember, it was so long ago and buried so far down that all I could remember was stone and coldness and being alone. Then came Waya, Aella and Swallow. The first three. They always worked together, but I was their last line of defence. I left food around the place, set up their rooms, programmed the computer to recognise them. 

I loved them. It was like I had found my second family. The orphanage was barely an orphanage at that point. It was just me. Me and Helen. But with my second family it was like I had a Mom and a Dad and a brother again. All that was missing was the sister. Then came Houdini, Geronimo and Legion and suddenly this family had two brothers, two sisters and me. The in between child. I saw flashes of food fights, pillow fights, and regular fights. Of making suits together, training, napping, hugging and hoping. We were so so close. 

Then came Genocide, stealing my bother away from me. It was pain upon pain upon pain after that. It was too familiar. I closed myself off, barely noticing my family was shutting down too. Then the Director, he thought he was helping but all he did was emotionally stunt me, he didn’t give us time to grieve properly. He made me public, and added new supers. We didn’t even have a chance to make them part of the family before they were stolen away from us. Peculiar and Mime. I am the only one of my Initiation still alive. I started the Hall of Memories, the Wall of the Fallen. Swallow, Purge, Ace, Jacks, Folly. All of them died and it ripped holes into my still gaping wound. 

Flashes of feathers and hugs and random fits of laughter brought tears to my eyes. I wouldn’t lose anyone else. I couldn’t.

. . . 

“Get back here!” I screamed, my mind blind with rage. All I could see was the red, white and black suit of Mime. Mime, the one who killed Ace. Her body was still frozen, now in ice courtesy of the Scientist. The others weren’t as lucky. Peculiar got to Jacks, who I still visited at the hospital every weekend. We got Jacks back months after Peculiar had kissed him and taken him captive. Sometimes he mutters things, things we think could be hints to the villains weaknesses. His mind is beyond repair. 

Mime laughed high and cold, sprinting through the maze of hallways. I poured on the speed, wondering which exit she was going to take. There were three possible choices. The warehouse courtyard, the city, or the river. This old warehouse used to be an electricity plant, powered by the river. Then the plant was moved further into the city and it became a storage warehouse for whichever company bought it. 

She dodged crates filled with goods, or bads if it happened to be food, and wormed her way through scaffolding towards a small door. I burst through the exit after her, blinded momentarily by the sudden brightness. I heard scuffling and felt wind brush past me. Aella. I ginned to myself and opened my eyes, seeing my best friend buffeting the wannabe top villain back. She was grinning, hair whipping out behind her, eyes alight with adrenaline. I heard shouts behind me and turned to see the others charging over. I saw Houdini holding Peculiar tightly, teleporting a few meters to keep pace with the others. My grin widened.

Suddenly I saw Waya’s eyes widen, and he shouted louder. I whirled around staring at the scene before me. Mime’s hand was wrapped tightly around Aella’s wrist, and my best friend was frozen with an expression of shock etched into her face. My heart beat loudly in my ears, and I felt the world slow down. A scream tore through me, and I flew forward, kicking Mime as hard as I could. She fell to the ground, clutching her abdomen. The others came to a halt a few feet away but Waya charged right up to Mime and grabbed her by her wrists. 

“Reverse it!” He yelled in her face.

I staggered forwards, my hands coming up. I stared at the woman in front of me. Long brown hair, completely still. Even the air around us was frozen. My hand came up to cup her face, tears flowing down my cheeks. Waya kept shouting and shaking Mime, and all she did was laugh

and laugh

and laugh.

I wanted to kill her.

I turned around blind once again with rage. Shoving Waya aside I grabbed Mime by the wrists and hauled her up, dragging her over to Martha. “Fix her now,” I growled, almost shoving their faces together.

“I don’t think so, sweetheart,” Mime said coldly. Before I could yell at her again, she kicked out and I watched, helpless as my best friend tipped over and fell and fell and fell and fell and fell until she finally reached the river and splashed. All I could do was stare in horror. I willed my body to move, I could save her, I can swim, I can fly. Let me save her, I screamed in my mind. Legion would later tell me that Mime had been building up to her special move. Sending out a ripple of her freezing power, temporarily keeping us trapped where we were.

My lungs burned. I couldn’t see, I couldn’t hear, I couldn’t feel, and there was no one to hold me this time.

Mime wriggled out of my grasp, saluted, and jumped backwards into the river. I hope she drowns. 

Suddenly we could all move again and the first thing I did was dive off the cliff. I plummeted several stories and plunged into the freezing cold water. I opened my eyes and looked around. Nothing.

How could there be nothing?

She was just here. 

She was just here and now she was gone how could this have happened.

. . . 

The Agency almost shut down after the Last Battle. I didn’t speak to anyone, I didn’t eat anything, I didn’t drink anything. I just cried and wasted away and hated and hated and hated. The Director tried to get me back in the field and only got the hint that I was done when I narrowly missed his head with my knife. 

It was still embedded in my wall.

Months passed. My grades slipped, my mind slipped, everything slipped. Every day was the same, same clothes, same room, same thoughts.

I couldn’t stop replaying the last moments in my head, cursing myself.

How could I have been so stupid.

I didn’t see anyone the few times I left my room to go to Martha’s or the Pit.

It was one of these days at the edge of the Pit, my small body hunched over under the weight of my blanket, when I heard footsteps behind me. I whipped around, only to see Legion. My eyes watered up and sobs tore through me. It was all my fault. 

He sat beside me and said nothing. I sobbed and wailed and cursed and he did nothing. Then I gave up, my body gave out and I fell. He caught me, laying my head down on his lap, stroking my hair. My eyes blurred up again, but my tears did not fall. 

“I’m here,” he whispered, and he was.