What They Call Us

Atarin

I woke up with a fresh feeling. I was in a bed, this time. The room was bare, but the door was open. I sat up and rolled my shoulders. Maybe a bit stiff, but nothing I couldn't handle. Then I tried my legs. I could walk, but running would be out of the question. I closed my eyes and groaned as I felt the damage to my connective tissue. Quickly referencing my notebook, I constructed some triple-helix tropocollagen and myosin and left my body to do the rest, already feeling increased flexibility. The reaction cost me a second of dizziness and painful hunger cramps, so I ventured outside to see where I was.

The morning air was crisp. I collected a handful of snow and buried my face in it. Then I noticed a large group of people gathered under a lean-to. The tantalising smell of hot food crossed my nose. I went over and helped myself. Sitting on a tree stump and trying not to scald my tongue, I was surprised to hear someone speak to me.

"Hi there. You must be new here."

Spoiler

Could be anyone, but I was thinking Lacie.

Spoiler

So wait... Kei isn't under Sooth's spell anymore? Darn. I'm pretty sure this post is wrong, but correct me if it's not.

Sooth

I woke, feeling bleary. Then I remembered the events of the past days and sat up with a jolt. The mutants!
Quickly, I dressed, then checked their rooms... empty. They were probably at breakfast, I realized.
I hurried outside, snow crunching under my boots, until I reached the Mess Hall. I saw the mutants. Lacie grinned, Ingrid moved towards me, Kei clutched Ronan, and Gemini glowered.
"Well well," I began. "What a happy reunion!" I sat down at the head of the table and laced my fingers toghether.

Lacie

There was a new guy in camp and I decided to walk over to him.

"Hi there. You must be new here." I said, holding my hand out. "I'm Lacie. What's your--"

"Well, Well." Sooth began at the table. "What a happy reunion!" He chuckled, lacing his fingers together.

I grinned and sat, vines covering my chair and my eyes still yellow from the venom.

Atarin

I tore my eyes away from Lacie, who had a snake wrapped around one wrist, and focussed on the man who had addressed them. He was tall and pale, and had a thin mustache. I suddenly felt hidden tensions in the group around me.

"Who are you?" I asked, then added, "sir," standing with a frown. This man looked like someone important.

Ingrid:

Sooth sat at the head of the table. Seeing this, I ran up and sat in the seat beside him.

Pushing my wet curls from my face, I folded my hands just like him. Looking around, I waited for somone to say something.

Squirming in my seat, I finally asked, "Where's Roe!? I haven't seen her since dinner." Realizing this, my eyes widened, and I leaned close to Sooth whispering "Don't tell Oe I didn't finish my dinner."

Roe

I searched for Ingrid until I was too tired to walk. I didn't get much sleep, as worried thoughts ran through my head. "What if she wandered into the woods? What if wolves got her? What if the FDA found her? What if Sooth has her like he got Kei?"

The sun peaked between the trees and over the edge of the clear piece of plastic that passed for a window. I went over, yawning, and let the sunlight wash over me and wake me up. I would look for Ingrid again, but I needed sustenance first. I rubbed my eyes, trying to clean them up. I turned my back to the tent wall and combed my hair, using my shadow to make sure it was smooth. I pulled on my jacket, and went shivering out of the dormitory tent. The snow crunched under my feet as I dashed into the mess hall.

I grabbed my breakfast quickly and looked for a place to sit. At the head of the table sat Sooth. "His hignesss decided to grace us with his presence, did he?" I muttered. Next to him, however, sat Ingrid. I ran over to her and enveloped her in a hug. "Where were you?" I asked stroking her hair. "I was so worried!"

"Don't worry, Roe," she said, grinning at the man next to her. "I was with Sooth."

"O-o-oh," I stuttered, sitting next to Ingrid, quickly filling my mouth to prevent me from saying anything I'd regret.

Solstice

I woke up, my head throbbing from the overuse of power. It was always like this if I had to create an object in great detail, and boy did Gem's sword have a ton of it. I pushed myself off the bed, only to find that I was still in Ronan and Gem's room.

Ronan mustn't have slept last night, because he looked terrible. His eyes were gaunt and his face still had dried tear tracks along it. Gem was still by his side. I pushed myself up to a sitting position and stretched, realizing I had slept the night away. The sudden exertion made me dizzy, but I shook my head clear and looked at my best friend. "Sorry for conking out on you like that, Gem. You guys alright?"
"We're fine. You needed the rest. Why'd you detail the sword so much anyways? I would've been fine with just the basic shape of it."
"Yeah, I'm sure you would've been fine with a cardboard cutout."
"Oh, is that what that would've become?" she asked. I smiled and shook my head , and then got up off the bed.

We all headed out of the room, when Gem and I spotted Ingrid. She was lying in the ice, cold and wet, with her hair dripping. Roe was nowhere in site. In fact, I didn't think I'd seen her since last night, after she left us.

Ingrid's teeth chattered as she spoke. "I'm t-t-the only o-one who c-can't-t-t forget." She pointed to her scars and said, "Even if-f I-i-i t-tried-d"
I hugged her instinctively, and kept her warm, until she ran off when Sooth appeared. I had begun to hate the tall, balding man. Looking up, I saw that Ronan had his arms around Kei, who was shaking, terrified. Next to him stood Lacie.

"Lacie?" I asked, tentatively. She just turned away in reply. I felt myself die just a little inside. Irritated, I stalked to the table and sat down in a huff. Gem approached the table and said,"So it's true, huh? Lacie's turned from us."
I snorted, angry. "I'm about to sort her out soon enough. Time to counter Sooth's trick. I'm going to show her an illusion."
Gem snorted and said,"Yeah, like that worked out so well last time. You were catatonic for four hours afterwards! I wasn't even sure you were alive till the camp's nurse checked you! Are you serious?" "Very." I replied. "It's gone on far too long for my liking. First Kei, then Lacie. Now Ingrid's acting weird. By the time this ends none of us will be left standing."

Gem looked at me, sizing me up. "Then you're going to need someone to come with you. I'm coming with you to make sure you don't go all stupor-y on us." I grinned, looking at my friend. "Can we take down Sooth after that?" I asked. "One step at a time", she replied.

Lacie

I played with vines during dinner when Sooth snaps his fingers in front of me.

"What's your task again?" He asks, making sure I know.

My eyes turn yellow, kicking up the venom. "Take down Gem, Then so on..." I muttered, getting slightly annoyed.

He nods, "Good. Just keep that in mind."

I ignore him, standing and walk over to a tree and leaning against it.

I get up after a night of restless sleep. Everything yesterday happened so fast. Three people came to greet me, and two of them ended up getting taken my that guys henchmen. I walk around the camp a few times to wake up. I see one of the people that game to greet me leaning up against a tree talking to someone.

I came up to them casually.

"Does stuff like yesterdays events happen all the time?" I ask.

Kei

I shook not understanding what happened. When Sooth came to the table, I hid behind Ronan.

Gemini Lazarus

Me and Sol get up with our new plan, and we take a few steps to the table Lacie was sitting at. I took a deep breath and made a silent vow, to no matter what happened with Lacie I will not hurt her in anyway. I looked at Sol who was already looking at me, and we silently nodded to each other.

"Ready for Operation: Revert?" I ask her.

She nods and I nod for her to go find some where for her to hide so she can concentrate. She runs off and I approch the table and take a deep breath, it was time to get this thing on the move.

"Yo Lacie! Me and Sol like to talk to you!" I called out at her.

Lacie

I was sitting at a table when I hear Gem calling for me. "Yo Lacie! Me and Sol like to talk to you!" She screams.

I chuckle and stand, the venom kicking in. My eyes turned yellow and I walked over, Ivys fangs bared.

Gemini Lazarus

"You look like that one time where some guy pissed you off and you knocked him on his ass." I joked.

Of course Lacie was ready for a fight because she socked me across the face. As much as I wanted to I didn't throw back, matter of fact I kept joking with Lacie.

"Oh so that's how it's going to be eh? Well then this, means, war!" I said standing on my toes with my arm raised in the air and a finger pointing at the sky.

Ronan

Sooth appears and Kei latches onto me. I hold him close and stand, watching the man carefully. In the background, Gemini and Sol confront Lacie and it doesn't look good. Part of me wonders whether I should go to them, but the other knows that if I do I might lose Kei again.

I sit down and keep my little brother on my lap, overly protective and clingy. No words are said to Sooth that I can hear, just looks. Ingrid and Roe are reunited and I sympathize for them, knowing what it's like to have someone close under the man's spell.

Sooth

I watch Solstice and Gemini confront Lacie. This might not end too well... I fingered my wrist, wondering whether I should activate the knock-out button.
Anyways, whatever the result of the battle would have been, I decided to end this confrontation before it started.
"Boys and girls, meet my dad," I announced.
The temperature in the room fell until ice formed on the ceiling and our breath plumed in front of us. I was immune to my father's undead presence, but the others were clearly not.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed Gemini and Solstice turn to face me. Then my father appeared, a dark, putrefying mass.
"Hello, children," he rasped. "I hope we're not misbehaving here."

Spoiler

Hokay. Sooth's dad cant exert physical presence, but he can, as an undead necromancer, affect the temperature and light in a room. He cannot control the undead, and he can speak. He's completely immortal, in the perfect sense of the world. He's not necessarily mean or rude, but disinterested. He believes what his son is doing is correct, and will support him no matter what.