3 2: Kelsie

Four Years Old...

A little girl runs through the Underground, her black hair streaming after her. Violet runs after her, trying to make sure she doesn't disturb anyone.

Kelsie runs into the room overlooking where the Undergrounds members train.

"Daddy, Daddy!" She runs up Richard and grabs his leg.

He looks down at her, smiles, and picks her up. "Hi my little sunshine, What are you doing in here?" Richard asks.

Violet runs into the room a second later, out of breath.

Richard stares her down. Everyone knows Kelsie is to be kept from this room until she is older.

Violet kneels down as all of the Underground's members are required to do. She looks up at the Demon Lord and mouths, "I'm sorry my lord."

"Daddy! I can do something cool!"

"Oh you can? What is it?" He asks her.

"Can you put me down? I need to be standing daddy," she tells Richard.

"Whatever you want sweetie." The Demon Lord

"This!" Kelsie spreads her hands open and moves them in a small circle. Light draws towards her hands and forms a small ball. With a push of her hands outward, the light grows even brighter and disperses. "I have powers like you daddy!"

The entire room stops what they are doing and fall silent at the immense display of power coming from the four year old. She was now one of the most powerful among them, if not the most powerful.

"I can't believe it. You really are my little sunshine now!"

She giggles. "I know I am daddy. Can I train with you now? I want to be just like you!"

"Maybe not with me but Violet can help you with your powers," Richard says warily. "You are one of us, correct?"

"Yes sir, I am."

"Please remind me of what your power is again," He commands her.

"Right away sir."

Her blue eyes begin to glow a luminescent blue as she circles her hands. The humidity in the small room instantly drops as water droplets pull towards her hands. Violet makes small motions that freezes, unfreezes, and reshapes the water multiple times. With one movement, she puts all the water back in the air.

"That is what I am able to do sir. Is that a sufficient demonstration?' Violet asks.

"No, its not."

"I'm sorry sir. How is that not sufficient? That is all I am able to do sir." Her face twists into confusion.

"I know you are able to do more than what you just did. You were not brought here for that little trick," he snarls. "Your parents are no longer here because of something. Now, I will ask you one more time, What. Can. You. Do?"

Violet sighs in defeat. Her eyes begin to glow again but this time they're a bright red. She walks to the edge of the balcony overlooking the training room and moves her hands. One of the people training suddenly starts jerking around and attacking the other people in there. He screams in terror but is unable to stop himself.

Richard raises his hand. "You may stop now."

She stops controlling the man and falls to the floor sobbing. She swore she would never use her powers to hurt another living person like that.

"That is exactly why you are here Violet. Never, and I mean NEVER, forget that is the only reason you are still allowed to be here."

"Y-yes si-sir," she stutters.

"Daddy, can Vi help me learn how to use my powers?" The four year old is seemingly oblivious to the horrors that just happened in the room below them.

"Of course she can sunshine!" Richard picks up his daughter.

"YAYY!" She squeals with joy. "Did you hear that VI?"

"Of course I did sweetie. You just need to work hard and you can be just like your dad," Violet says after composing herself.

"I'm so excited now! Put me down daddy! I want to go work now!" Kelsie starts wiggling out of Richard's arms until he finally puts her down.

She runs over to Violet and tugs on her arm. "Come on Violet! Let's go practice!"

Kelsie tugs Violet out of the room while Richard turns back to see everyone recover from the attack. A dark smile crosses his face. This was going to be fun.

Ten Years Old...

"Again!" Violet calls from the sidelines. "You need to know your limits. Without knowing them you could be caught by surprise and beat!"

Kelsie bends over out of breath. "Too" gasp "Dark" gasp "In here."

"It is never too dark for you! You can hold light in your hands! If you can see a single shadow move, take that advantage! The lights will stay off until you can take down everyone in this room. You want to be like your father? PROVE IT TO ME!"

Kelsie stands up and cracks her neck. "Here we go. Just focus," she whispers to herself. "You can do this. I just need to make dad proud."

Moving around the room holding one of her daggers, Kelsie searches for any sign of movement. A shadow, a flicker of light, anything that can give her the advantage. Seeing a slight movement out of the corner of her eye, she reaches out and pulls the light towards her. Attaching it to the blade, she sends it flying out of her hand and around the room. The dagger lights up outlines of the people in there with her. Calling the dagger back to her, she sends out small ropes of light from it and ties up anyone it touches.

Then, the lights come on.

A sigh of relief escapes her mouth. She has always hated being in the dark, even since she was little.

Applause sounds from above her. Looking up, she sees Richard on the observation deck

Seeing the Demon Lord, Violet immediately drops into a bow. If everyone else was not tied up, they would do the same.

Looking at her father, Kelsie uses the light around her to float up to the railing.

"Hi dad! What do you think of my new move?"

"I love it sunshine! But how do you get it to work? A knife should not be able to hold light like that." For once, Richard actually seemed speechless.

"It's actually a new technique I've been working on in the shop," she explains. "The blade is still sharp but there is a little trench where I can bury light."

"That is very impressive darling." Richard moves towards the announcement system they have set up.

"TRAINING IS OVER FOR TODAY," his voices booms throughout the room. "I NEED MY DAUGHTER TO HELP ME WITH SOMETHING."

"I guess I should let them go now," Kelsie sighs.

"That would be a smart move."

She flicks her wrist and immediately the light tying that has everyone bound disappears. Small groans rise up from all over the room as they all see singe marks on their clothes.

Using one last push of the light under her, Kelsie vaults herself over the railing.

"So Dad," Kelsi falls into step beside Richard, twirling her dagger between her fingers. "What is it you need my help with? Helping out with some of the kids? Fixing some of the terrible weapons in storage? Meta proofing the containment rooms?"

"Actually, I need your help with something a little more difficult than that." He leads her to one of the containment rooms that they keep people in when necessary.

He opens the door to reveal a man she doesn't know handcuffed to the table, shaking in fear.

"I don't understand. What am I supposed to do with him?" Confusion clouds her features.

"Simple." A dark smile crosses Richards scarred face. "Kill him."

"But why Father? This man has done nothing to hurt us!" She's not unfamiliar with the concept of death but doing it killing someone? The thought had never crossed her mind.

"No but it's what he was going to do that makes him dangerous. This man found out what we are doing down here and was going to take it to the GBI. We can NOT have him do that."

"Please sir! Have mercy on me!" The man begs, tears streaming down his face.

Richard's dark eyes gleam. Victims like this always give him such a rush.

"There is no such thing as mercy down here," he snaps. "If anyone tries to reveal us, they do not live to see the light of the next morning."

Kelsie tugs on Richards arm. "But Dad, can't we just keep him down here? Wouldn't killing him in this room be more of a hassle than just leaving him to die?"

"Who said we were killing him here. Blood is not meant to be spilled in the Underground unless it is absolutely necessary," he tells her.

A light "pop" is heard and Richard is suddenly behind the man. A knife appears in his hand, pressing against the man's throat.

"Now, you are going to tell me where you're from. Do you understand me?"

The man nods in fear. One movement could kill him.

Kelsie lashes a stream of light at the man, hitting him in the face.

"He asked you a question. Where are you from?" She says in a low voice.

"Tu-Tulsa, Okla-Oklahoma," the man stutters out.

The knife is removed from his throat. A motion moves Kelsie to Richard's side and they leave the room behind.

On top of the BOK Tower downtown Tulsa, three figures appear.

"Wha-what are we doing here?" The man asks in confusion.

Richard just looks at him as if that wasn't clear. "Simple. She's going to kill you and then you're going to get pushed off. The cops will be none the wiser."

"I-I can't do that Dad."

"You can and you will!" He snaps.

"Bu-but he didn't do anything wrong!"

"Do it or you'll join him on the ground."

Kelsie gasps in shock. She's always seen her father threaten others but he had never threatened her.

"Yes sir."

She reluctantly walks over to the man and un-handcuffs him.

"Please," he whispers. "Save me."

"I'm sorry." Tears stream down her face.

"Straight through the head Kelsie. I want the strongest beam you can create," Richard orders.

"Yes Father."

Summoning a single stream of light, Kelsie faces the man. She angles the light at his temple and thrusts it straight through.

A look of pain crosses his face before he collapses on the roof. A small hole in his forehead is all the evidence of what killed him.

With a completely emotionless face, Richard tells her to throw the man off the roof. Against her better wishes, she obeys.

"Very good darling. Now, we need to get out of here."

A silent nod is all that follows.

Seventeen Years Old...

"This is the man who is trying to betray you, correct Father?"

"Yes daughter."

Takeshi Alacritas is one of the most trusted workers of the Underground. His work was essential for the organization but also for keeping his family alive. Not much was asked of him, just that he runs things whenever he is asked too.

Lashing out her hands, Kelsie wrapps the couple's hands together in ropes of light and places them back to back. Making sure she had defenses in case someone snuck up on them, she used all the light she could to make a shield.

"Please My Lord. I didn't mean to do this! It was a simple mistake on my part!" Takeshi pleads with Richard. "I-I have a family! My wife and my daughter! At-at least spare them. PLEASE!"

"You deserve no mercy. YOU WILL REGRET THE DAY YOU EVER MESSED WITH THE DEMON LORD OF THE UNDERGROUND!"

A small gasp comes from the hallway, grabbing everyone in the rooms attention.

Richard teleports over to her. "And who might you be little mouse?" He grabs her by her hair and yanks her into the room. Lifting her up in front of him, he suddenly screams and drops her. A black figure that seems to be made of smoke is holding some sort of knife behind a wound in his back.

Kelsie sends some of her strongest beams at the thing, completely disintegrating it. The girl screams in pain. Whatever that thing was is somehow connected to her.

Somehow managing to get all the agents off of her, the girl ran out of the house.

"NO! SERENITY!" Dal yells.

"Deal with them," Richard snarls. "I'll take care of the girl."

A smile crosses her face. "With pleasure Father."

Stepping forward, Kelsie plunges her dagger first into Dal's chest, hitting the heart. Once she's dead, Kelsie uses the rope to move Dal in front of her husband.

"Now, what should we do to you?" A dark laugh escapes Kelsie's mouth. "I think you deserve the worst I can do given the circumstances, traitor." The word comes out like poison.

"Goodbye Takeshi," Kelsie says in Japanese. "If only you were still useful."

Holding light in both hands Kelsie pins him to the wall, her weapons solidifying. One final blow ends the life of Takeshi Alacritas, his blood flying all over the room.

"Great, I ruined another jacket." Blood spattered on Kelsie's favorite leather jacket, one she had taken care of for years.

She stood there trying to clean the blood off her jacket, waiting for Richard to come back.

"The girl got away." The look on his face is one of pure fury. "No need to worry. There is nothing but woods for miles and they are filled with wild animals. The girl will be dead soon enough."

"Can we just go home now?" Kelsie asks. This is the part she always hated the most. "I need to clean the traitor's blood off of me."

"Then let's go. We can't be connected to this home in anyway." Richard sends one last call to the men in the house. "LET'S MOVE OUT BOYS! YOU NEED TO GET HOME IN A SIMILAR MANNER TO WHICH YOU CAME."

Grabbing onto Kelsie, they leave the dead couple behind.

Twenty Years Old...

"You wanted to see me Father?" Kelsie steps into her father's office.

"Yes. I have a new job for you." Richard doesn't even look up from his computer.

"Who, where, and by when?"

"Michel Laurent, southern France. He's close to Monte Carlo." he pushes a file in her direction.

"I'll be back as soon as he's dead."

Kelsie turns to walk out of the office but halts. "I don't want him dead. I want him brought here. He could prove to be a very valuable asset."

"But why?"

"He's a meta that could prove to be highly valuable."

"No harm will come to him then. We'll be back soon." With that, Kelsie turns on her heel and leaves the room.