''Uh, yeah. Yeah, I think so. It looks like the Adjudicator's trying to let them see something in a syringe. Glasses kid isn't saying a thing but the bandage girl is angry over something." Astrid shivered as they thought about what that serum in the syringe could be. It was a highly fluorescent and was this neon green color, glowing in pulses. There were a few other tubes down there, but over all, the basement was crapped with pipes and wires. "I wish I could hear but I can't really tell what she's upset about."
"A syringe? Like the one Darcy stabbed Sam with?" Evan pressed his ear against the door, trying to see if he could hear anything through the thick wood. Silence. "Well, it's a start. Do you see anything else?"
"Maybe? Sorry, they're just..." Astrid rubbed the wraps over their eyes, grunting softly. "There's lots of lights down there and it's getting kinda fuzzy. I just see some test tubes and other vials of serum." Then, she suddenly cursed and stood up. "Crap! I think they're coming back." Astrid's shoulders jumped and she hissed. "Yeah, Darcy just stepped on the puddle, we gotta go, like, now. Know any good hiding spots?"
"Here," Evan grabbed Astrid's arm and planted his hand on the wall. In a matter of seconds, both of them were indistinguishable from the painted surface. "Just stay still. I promise they won't see us."
"Uh... Okay? I don't really know what you did..." Astrid whispered, before quickly shutting up. Slowly, she heard something coming up. The trapdoor flew open.
"I can't believe you! This is completely insane!" Izzy screamed, holding her shoulder tightly as she dragged Powder up with her. Darcy poked her head out of the trapdoor, still on the ladder. "Please, Izzy, if you would just hear us out-" "I've heard enough! You're... You're-!" She yelled nonsense to vent her frustrations as Powder clung to her desperately. His face was filled with dismay. "Please, Izzy, just listen... Maybe it's for the better? You saw what Sam did to you..." Izzy looked down at Powder, her eyes wide. "You... You really think this is okay?" "No! Well, sort of. I-I think her intentions are in the right place, at least! C'mon, you're tired and stressed, Izzy. Let's just give it a day. Maybe you'll feel better in the morning," he said, stroking her hand gently. It seemed to ease her just enough.
Darcy looked down, listening to the whispers of the Adjudicator, before turning back to the students. "If Izzy doesn't want it, Powder is also a subject we're considering. The name Powder and your façade about gunpowder would make it just as easy to give you a fire ability." She looked down again, nodding as the Adjudicator spoke. "Just give it some time. We both know this is a lot to learn at once. Sleep well, you two." Darcy glanced over them with sincerity, before stepping down and closing the lid.
"Unbelievable..." Izzy murmured as she yanked Powder's wrist and took him off. He happily let her.
Evan let out a slow breath as the trap door snapped shut and Izzy and Powder disappeared down the hallway. He released Astrid's arm, watching them melt back into existence. "A fire ability..." he murmured, staring absently at the trap door. "They didn't...they didn't try to...transplant Sam's powers, did they?""
Astrid swallowed slowly. Things were getting really... really serious. Her breathing started getting rugged. "Oh, man..." Astrid said, running a hand through their hair, "This is, uh, kinda bad, isn't it?" Their voice trembled. "I mean, this is just... uh, wow. M'kay." She leaned against the wall, rubbing her cheek nervously. "Wow. This place sucks."
Dawn didn't sleep that night. She just kept reading over the papers, kept thinking too hard about everything, kept flinching when she rolled onto the wrong side. She was staring at the ceiling, thinking over what they could even do. They were helpless... There wasn't a link to the outside world, and they could be punished for anything. It was so much to think about, and then to realize that Avery, the kindest person ever in the history of the world, was right below her? What if she became the next victim? Dawn brought her blankets over her head. Hopefully that was enough to block out the sound of her choking back sobs.
"I don't think we should stay here," Evan said quietly, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pocket to keep them from shaking. Astrid couldn't see them, but still. "I can take you back to your dorm."
She chuckled. "I don't think any of us should be in this place," they said, hugging their pillow close to their chest. Astrid nodded slowly, sniffing. "Yeah, that'd be nice. Thanks, dude. You're pretty cool, despite the... everything."
"I could introduce you to my sister tomorrow," Evan offered. "If, y'know, you wanted to help us end this whole thing. Your skills would come in handy."
Astrid smirked. "Of course! I love bringing down the system. Anarchy rules! Screw the Adjudicator!" Maybe they shouldn't have said that last part so loud, but they were just glad to have someone they could call a friend. Were they friends? Eh, close enough. I mean, they already knew this much about each other, so might as well just jump the shark.
When they arrived at Astrid's dorm, she left his side easily. "I can navigate from here. There's a lotta water in my room." Astrid entered the room, but held the door open and stood in front of Evan, smiling. "Thanks for walking by my dorm too loud. It's fun breaking the rules with you."
Evan smiled back, just a bit. "Thanks for helping me. Having a little anarchist on our side will be extremely useful. Just don't get into trouble without me."
Astrid shrugged before they slyly shut the door. "No promises."
When Dawn woke up the next morning... Well, she didn't. The alarm clock rung four times before she actually took her head off the pillow. She groaned from an overall lack of sleep, but what was even worse was by the time she found the mirror, she saw her cheek had turned purple. "Great. How do I explain that away?" she grumbled as she grabbed her toothbrush. "Yeah sorry guys, got hit by my mom, nothing big! Don't think that'll work." Dawn rubbed water all over face, but sleep deprivation and emotional exhaustion was awful. Her eyes were red and puffy from the tears she cried yesterday and just generally looked and felt like a mess.
"Urgh...Dawn? Is that you?" Sage sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. "Everything's all blurry...I did not sleep well last night." She looked around groggily, sweeping the tangled hair out of her face. "Hey...where's Evan?"
