Calls for Desperate Measures

Natalya

Present day

Death

An all too familiar term in my dictionary. My definition different from others' perception.

A word commonly used to describe myself. A term used for a monster without fear, with lack of emotion and a monster with humanity dispatched from its host. A soul long but forgotten.

Similar words used in its place: Torture, Hell, Unholy, Immoral, The Reaper, The Belladonna.

I can feel the titan stalking beneath my skin. The scratches long but visible at my palms as it tries to escape. Its cage solidified by those around me. Silently pacing from one ear to the other as it patiently waits for the call. Its gaze pierces through mine and perceives the world before it.

Cruel

Ungodly

Its words echoing within me as I release my hold on its claws.

Deadly

Demise

The seconds painstakingly slow as the time edges forward. The sun hidden behind its wings as it latches on the surfaces surrounding my flesh. My neck bent backwards, my throat awaiting the decree of moral law. My hands concealed in the breath of the demon within.

Meagre

Trivial

My windows of vision cracking on the sockets it so idly rests upon. The broken and tainted layer spreading like wildfire on my features. The veins of the villain impersonating the shadow of the fiend. The scent of broken promises and denied wishes disperses from the dark abyss it calls home. My legs barely sustaining the weight of the monster being released. My arms and hands drenched in ink as my dark tears fall from my eyes. The eyes coated and stained along with it.

Release

Threat

The clothes only an irritation on me as the smoke surrounds my mortal body. The material melts away as I levitate from the floor, my wings of poison carrying me as I arch backwards. My teeth cutting my delicate skin as it elongates to match its demon counterpart. The sound of quiet static surrounds me. A slight tremor emerges from the clutches of the abyss and my hair idly waves around me. The movement mocking a wind sweeping through my locks of darkness.

Defeat

Morality

Honour

My nails mirroring the claws of a bird, my features copying the face of death. Liquid poison falls from my hovering frame. The surrounding space now coated in the monsters proclamation. It savours in the limited freedom it has been given. Its power grounded by my humanity. Or what is left from it.

Weak

A knock from my door awakes me from my controlled slumber of vigour and the monster is trapped in its cage once again.

Control

As I land silently on my feet, I move towards my dresser for clothing. My hair hanging loosely around my shoulders.

"I will be right there." I spoke calmly. Shouting and loud noises only an irritation on my skin. I have enough sound from my gift, I do not need more to please others. The hum it makes each time it is in use already triggers enough nightmares for everyone. More than I would like to admit.

The sound soft but a deep baritone in comparison with the usual silence that occurs when my demon is released from the cage within.

I pull a pair of black pants that hug my plain curves and a simple dark green top secured underneath the waistband. My shoes sat waiting as I pulled on my socks and my hair fastened in a loose bun atop my head. As I sat fastening the laces of my boots another knock was at my door.

"Grebanyy detenysh." I said to myself through gritted teeth.

My movements were quick as I walked towards the door, yanking it open almost ripping it from its hinges.

"Yes?" My eyes were glaring down at the young Flair before me.

Her hands were shaking and she wasn't looking directly at me, but rather focused on the floor. I looked down to the floor and did not find anything of interest. I sighed and rolled my eyes as I waited for the girl to speak.

"I..the..uh..there's.." She stammered.

"If you hurry up then I might be in time for my funeral soldier." I spoke calmly, although annoyance was adamant in my posture.

"Ye..yes donna." The Flair cleared her throat. "The others are awaiting your presence ma'am. There seems to be a few issues."

Well would you look at that. She doesn't have a stutter. How surprising.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose before I spoke. "Why didn't they come get me themselves? It's much less dangerous if one of them showed up instead." The last part I merely muttered to myself. But the young soldiers' enhanced hearing knew what I said.

"They could not reach you and it is an urgent matter." The girl spoke, her hands were still shaking but her eyes were at least on mine. Or that is what she kept trying to do. They seemed to hold it for no longer than two seconds.

"Which mafia are you from? Where did you train?" I asked, my brows furrowed.

"Greek, ma'am." She said slightly confused at my question.

Of course she did. If she was from any of the others then she would have been able to hold my gaze properly, even if she was scared of me. Chryse seems to be lacking in her duties again.

"Smeshnoy." I said, sighing once again. Seems as though I am doing a lot of that today. "You're fast right? Which is why they sent you?"

"Yes donna."

"Tell them I am on my way. They can start without me so long. I will not be running in the halls like a mad woman. Neema and Hanna can take care of the situation." I said.

The girl seemed to take in my words and her eyes had a slight worry in them.

"Just tell them I am on my way. The others will know that they do not have to wait for me."

The girl seem to understand and quickly nodded before disappearing in an orange haste. The colour soon disperses as the seconds go by.

I quickly turn to my room and made my way to the bathroom. After I have finished I stared at the space before me. Sad. My room have no colour other than black, even the screws on the furniture and the windows are tinted. All of us know that this is what I prefer. I do not care about the colour but rather the fragments, taints and damage I tend to leave behind when ever my gift is present. Black hides most of it, making it barely noticeable even with our enhanced vision.

I passed by my floor length mirror on my way to the door when I noticed my full appearance. I did not glance in the mirror from the bathroom and as I stand before the one in the bedroom I realise why the soldier was even more terrified than what they usually would be. My eyes are still dark and my sharp teeth are still visible. Small cracks are barely showing under my eyes. Funny. I think to myself.

I slow my breath and I watch as my eyes slowly drain the ink from them and my blue irises merge from beneath it. My teeth and the cracks disperse to its original state and I am left staring at a Russian donna who seems irritated and disappointed by the figure staring right at her.

"Demon." I say and left the room without another word. For a small second my doubts were met with a small smirk that appeared on the donnas face as I left. I stop at the entrance, my hand hovering over the handle. The smirk left my face long ago, but my vision is still haunted by death staring right at me through the replicant that I find each time I stare at a mirror.

The door closes behind me and I aimlessly walk down the empty halls towards the rest of the squad. I take my electric cigarette from my pocket and silently breath in the cancer as I take my steps. Tainted. I thought.

While I walk, I passed the windows I cannot help but bewonder the sight each time I do. My strides never stop but my head is turned and the smoke from the cigarette still leaves me at each step. The forest lays quiet in the distance and the people of the city live their routine. A broken mountain is visible behind small clouds that refuse to leave. An opening towards crevices and cracks in the earth is occupied by residents residing in it. The cracks have long but grown trees and moss around them and small streams from the rivers fall and disappear into the depths.

I can see the housing within it and how the people laugh and talk among themselves. Half of the city is found beneath the surface and lays assembled inside these broken spaces. The world used what is broken and built new beginnings for the future. The architecture of some of the structures are hidden inside these underground spaces while also sprawling out into the outside air. The structures resembling that of creatures hanging and sleeping between what is above and what is beneath.

The vines and tree roots making their way from one side of the cracks and crevices to the other side. Nature's stitches to hold the earth together. Traveling lines are set up between these spaces for people who do not wish to rely on just walking where they would like to be.

I pass the endless row of windows and once again move my head to the front, putting away my cigarette as I enter the control room. It was busy, more so than usual. Soldiers were hurrying around and typing vigorously on their screens. Too much talking and movement in such an open space, the sounds echoing and bouncing between the walls.

I close my eyes as I stand at the entrance and control my breathing as I try to eliminate the torture of sound around me. Focusing on my movement instead I walk past the ruckus and enter our squad meeting room. The room was made entirely from glass and is set atop the control room where we can keep an eye on everyone around us. The platform not nearly high enough for my preference.

I enter the room and is immediately met with silence upon closing the door. The others knew my dislike for sound and stopped talking. Once their eyes settled on me they continued in hushed tones, loud enough for basic conversations amongst two individuals. I walked towards the coffee machine in the corner and tuned in on the discussion at hand.

"Anyone want some coffee?" I ask as I open a cupboard which contained mugs.

"Two please." Reyna said. I knew that meant one for her and one for Carmen.

"No thank you I already have water." Alistair spoke. The healthy one of the group. Not surprised that she chose water.

"That would be great. Thank you Lya." Hanna spoke kindly. "Neema?" She asked and Neema nodded, also seemingly wanting a cup.

"Tea would be great." Chryse said as she put her feet on the table.

I stop and turn to glare at her. I eyed her before she spoke again, "Please." I still stared at her, my face void of emotion.

"Gamó! Stop that, you're freaking me out." She said, knowing quite well that I hate the fact that I have to specifically make tea for her. The problem with this is that she requires it to be made in a very particular way and would throw it out if not done right.

"Good." I turn around and continue with making the coffee for everyone. "You can make your own tea. I do not have the patience or interest in making you some."

"Oh come on! You have basically perfected the method." She wines.

"I will throw it at your head if you do not make it yourself." I said calmly.

The others snickered at my comment while Chryse stuck out her tongue like a child.

"I saw that. The walls are class Chryse. Your reflection is on all four walls."

She only sighed and stood up from her position. "Yeah, Yeah."

She stood next to me as we quietly made the drinks and listened to everyone speaking again.

"Your members need better training. The soldier that came to my door almost pissed her pants and her eyes almost fell out of their sockets from all the movement she did to avoid eye contact." I said while I walked with the tray towards the table.

"Yes I know, but also. You do that to everyone, even us." She said.

"Good." A small smirk made its way on my face as I sat in one of the chairs. "So what happened?"

Everyone went silent, my knife would cut the air in the room. My face went blank. This is not good.

It was Hanna who spoke up, "Where do we begin? Dead soldiers, vanished children and camps, rabid animals and mind control from both Flairs and Mars. Did I miss anything?" She asked sarcastically, a bitter tone in her words.

"There's something else." Neema said. She seems hesitant as she spoke and I slightly frowned. The others avoided my eyes. Strange.

"Well?" I said impatiently.

"There was a fight in one of the Rebels camps. We came across it yesterday, we didn't knew it was there until one of the squads found it when they were patrolling." Carmen said.

"There was both dead bodies from rebel Mars and Flairs." Reyna said and looked hesitant on her next words. "The Flairs had features from that of Mars. Their DNA was not one of the other but merged from both."

What the fuck? My brows furrowed.

"The Flairs had similar markings from the other cases of mind controlling. Who ever did this was the same people or person responsible for the DNA situation." Chryse said. Who only sipped on her tea as she finished speaking.

Puppet masters. We are pawns in their little game. The puppets with our strings attached to the hands of a fool. It seems the puppet masters have improved their skill. My eyes turn dark as I realise that someone made a game from playing with the lives of people. Again.