Backstories and Betrayals

There was an ice pack on my head, my nose stuffed with cotton swabs to stop the nose bleed. Zach fretted over me, making sure I didn't get a concussion.

I let him, surprised that my mark wasn't reacting to how he was feeling. I must have exerted it more than I was use to. David, meanwhile, had cleaning bots clearing out all the destroyed fragments of the other bots.

"I'm sorry David, I uh...broke all of them." I said, grimacing a little.

"It's fine, I have Quinn designing and making more as we speak. We're updating these as well." At my look of guilt, he chuckled. "No, honest, Laney. You should see how many Zach breaks; no contest, I prefer to train you."

"Hey!" Zach exclaimed, handing me some ibuprofen. David chuckled again.

"Make sure you use the serum for her nose; it's swelling, and changing color."

Zach nodded, disappearing off into a different room.

It went quiet as we stared at the bots cleaning. David tapped some buttons on his watch, frowning a little.

"Are you okay?" I whispered, taking the ice pack off my head.

"I should be asking you that. You are the one that got kneed in the face."

"I'm talking about the...the thing I was able to summon."

He said nothing for a moment, scratching the back his neck a bit. "I'll admit, I didn't know what I was looking at at first. Then the thing kind of...I don't know, changed something in the air that made me realize what it was. I didn't think it would protect you."

"Me either." I answered honestly.

"Has this ever happened to you before?"

I thought about the one other time it did occur, guilt closing my throat a little-

"No." I lied, clearing my throat a little.

I could feel David's eyes on me, my gaze still on the ring, and the bots that were now clearing it off. He patted my shoulder, moving around me. "How are you feeling?"

"My nose feels sore." I answered.

"I'm back!" Zach said, as he jumped in between us waving a small canister in his hand. At my confused look, he grinned. "Don't worry, this will help."

I nodded, as he pointed the nozzle at my nose, closing my eyes. The spray was cold, stinging at first, then gradually going numb. The throbbing pain ceased, and I relaxed.

When Zach was done, I opened my eyes, smiling in relief. "Thank you, that helped."

"Of course!"

"Zach, don't forget, Laura still needs your help with constructing the-"

"Oh, man, I almost forgot! I gotta go, Laura is scary when I'm late."

I let out a laugh, as he disappeared once more. "He's not joking, Laura can be really scary." David replied, seriousness coloring his words.

I stretched a bit, briefly wondering about Laura. "Hey, um, David? Thank you."

David gave me a puzzled look, arching an eyebrow. "For?"

"For this. But I think it's time for me to leave."

"Leave? Didn't you say you needed a place to stay?"

"Yeah, and I need to go get Silk. And help Rowan find somewhere else to stay." At the mention of her name, I blinked. "By the way, where is Rowan?"

"Paris, with Emilia."

"Paris?? Like Paris, France?"

"I know what you're thinking, and I wasn't invited to go. Rowan said there was chance you wouldn't want to go."

I shrugged, smiling a bit; she knew me too well.

"I really do need to get home, though David. Thank you for everything, but I've overstayed my wel-"

"Laney, before you go though...talk to me. I know almost nothing about you."

I could feel my guard go up, staring at him warily. "What do you mean?"

"Zach for instance," he started, staring off into space, "he was orphaned just over three years ago. He lived out on the streets, but he was very smart; managed to hide from almost everyone, including CPS."

"Almost?"

He smiled. "I ended up finding him, and recruiting him part of my team. This is his home now."

"That's nice of you, David. What's his power?"

He smiled again. "He has heightened senses, agility, and one of the fastest healing factors I've ever seen. I haven't thoroughly tested it-Zach wants to see if he can regrow his body parts back-and of course, I won't let him."

"That would be something to see."

"Trust me, no it would not. Knowing him, he would actually put himself in harm's way to test his limits."

His tone changed to something else, as if hiding an ancient pain.

"David? Are you okay?"

"Trust me, I'm a lot better than I was before you came to see me. Just...some thoughts never go away." He replied.

I wondered if his mind was back to his mentor, the one that betrayed him. Or the many people that were using his chips?

"My father walked out on me when I was twelve. He ran away with my babysitter who was nineteen at the time. My mother didn't take that too well." I laughed lightly, staring at my chewed up nails.

"What a family man." David joked.

"I didn't really know I had abilities until I turned thirteen. I mean, I did suspect, but they didn't actually...activate until then. I accidentally tested it out on my Mom, and it didn't go to well. For some time, she was scared of me."

"And then what happened?"

"....she didn't get better. Mentally. She got worse...I couldn't help her." The memory came back, too close. My mark began to glow softly, in reaction in distress.

For a moment, I lost control. The memory triggered something inside of me, at my own failed attempt to really save someone that mattered the most to me. My power leapt out, reading the emotion, and everything in the room. Before I could stop it, I read David.

My head jerked up in his direction, stopping my power from expanding. He glanced at me confused.

"You already knew." I said between clenched teeth.

"What?"

"I said, you already knew. You found my mother, you know what I did-"

"It wasn't your fault-"

"Bull shit." My eyes began to water, my voice going down to a whisper. "What happened today? It happened to her. But worse. So much worse. I was suppose to help her, to FIX her....and I failed and she got sent away because of me."

"You were only thirteen, Laney, you didn't know."

"Do you know where she's being kept at? Because I didn't-and I still don't. State law said it was better if I never came into contact with her, not after what she did."

As David opened his mouth to explain, I held up a hand stopping him. "Thank you for everything, but I do need to leave." I turned on my heel, walking away. I could hear David trying to explain, and call me back, but I ignored him.

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped in, pushing the button to the bottom floor.