LES DÉSCENDANTS

~Chapter 3: La Nouvelle Fille (The New Girl) ~

"What are you saying?" I cried.

"They brainwashed us. All of us. The Flash caused every citizen in Paris not to perish or die, but instead to lose all of our memories."

In a twisted way, as I listened to her, it made sense. A corrupt regime needs loyal subjects to thrive and survive. If they had killed everyone, they wouldn't have had a following. Creating a weapon that would brainwash people instead was a whole new layer of twisted thinking...

The girl continued her story: "It seemed only the Marseilles officials and their families retained their memories. And for those who couldn't remember The Flash, Paris still seemed a peaceful city - people having picnics, taking walks in the fresh air...however, only those who remembered knew the full truth. The Eiffel Tower is now in ruins, and every time I walked past, I would watch children screaming and laughing in a game of tag, as they climbed its ruins. No one knows, or even seems to care, that they're living under an authoritarian regime, I would think, watching yet another legion of soldiers keeping watch over the group of parents and their children...and the security cameras would scan the crowds below. There is no privacy anymore..." she trailed off.

So how'd you escape? I wanted to ask, but I already knew.

This girl was not an Unnamed. She was a family member, a daughter, perhaps, of a Marseilles official. She had rebelled, and probably got caught instantly. She had been disowned, brought instead to the labor camp and made to forget her own name...

"Why didn't they brainwash you, too? After you...came here..."

"Oh, they tried. Put me in a room full of that...that stuff they used in The Flash. What they didn't realize is that once you've seen what it did to those people, you never forget it."

"I supposed that's why I still have all my memories...In any case, thank you for being here," I said knowingly, and I saw a glimmer of uncertainly flash across her face, instantly replaced by a fierce mask of a nod.

"But I can't kill them...I just can't, after what my brother taught me," I continued. "I won't let you do it, either."

"Well what do you suggest then, all-powerful pacifist that you are?" she questioned sarcastically.

"We don't go back to Paris. We hide instead in the Lands Beyond. We'll live in-between Paris and Marseilles."

"While Marseilles remains frozen in time and Paris remains brainwashed? I don't think that's the best –"

"It's all we can do," I interrupted. "Until we think of a plan to liberate Paris, it's all we can do."

"What about this time-travel stuff, ay?" she said. "If you can stop time, and you appear out of nowhere looking like a colonial revolutionary – oh yeah, I've heard all about that one - can't you just go back to the founding of Marseilles and change it?"

I paled. "Are you saying every Marseilles official knows I can time-travel?"

"Hard to miss, kid."

"My name is Avenir," I replied instantly, shooting her a look. "And you sound just like –"

Éponine. This girl had mannerisms which reminded me of Éponine...

Éponine had told me to question what was missing...

"Enjolras," I said instead.

"Uh – bless you?" said the girl.

"Enjolras's speeches, that's the missing piece to this puzzle!"

"I don't know who the heck you're talking about, but for the love of –"

"You said couldn't I just go back to the past and make all of this go away...that's the answer! I need to go back and get Enjolras to say the missing speech...the monologue he's supposed to say on the summit of the barricade, he...he never said it!" I said, the realization dawning.