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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔

I never thought I would find myself on top of a roof with Theo. We climb, he leaps gracefully over the gab between the two buildings. The boy gestures with his hands for me to jump, but suddenly the ground looks farther away than 20 ft. which is what I'm used to.

I close my eyes and leap. My feet make a soft thud on the ground. I look in front of me, a little den on the roof. A small old Russian lady sits on a stool. With the little girl I gave food to beside her. A tall young man, around the age of thirty comes up to us, and pats Theo on the back. He begins speaking in Russian,Рад видеть тебя, Тео. (It is good to see you Theo). He smiles giving the man a kind smile. Then, Theo nudges at me, "Привет, Рози, это Лилиан." "She's hungryyy."

The old woman named Rozie perks up looking at me. "Иди сюда, Лилиан. Ешь, худенькая!" I roll my eyes looking back to Theo. He just laughs. What was his plan? 

Rozie brings out Пельмени. It smells delicious, they must be a type of dumplings. Theo sits down beside me, handing a bowl over.

***

Tobias sits in the car with tinted windows. Wanting to bang his head against the steering wheel until he falls over dead. The heavy weight of his past troubles his mind. Tobias Etter, the first successful supernatural assassin. His father was one of the founders of Osiris, when it was purely based on the research of science for the greater good. One day, his father and him were in a car wreck but only one made it out. The nine year old boy looked up to see the cause of the wreck. No one was on the road, and it wasn't dark or anything. Plus his father was a very good and careful driver.

The boy looked up, to see a 10 foot monster. With many heads of different shapes. They all would call out to him, "Tobias, I know you're scared." The creature started laughing.

The scared little boy ran, and ran. But couldn't escape the monster. He fell on a rock, and started rolling down a hill. Then appeared next to him a dagger covered by leaves and dirt. He crowded behind a large bush. The monster found him, for it could smell the fear emitting from the small child. One head sneaked up behind the bush, yelling at Tobias. The brave but scared boy struck it in the carotid artery. One head died off, and so did all the others. The last thing he saw was the life draining from the ugly monster.

He woke up, staring at a stark white ceiling. The only sound was the rhythm of machines, running tests on him. 

Suddenly feelings hit him like a truck. His heart rate started going up, doctors got alarmed. Then he started hearing the thoughts of those around him.

-Oh my God! A miracle! Don't die on me kid.

-I just want to get home and watch Cupcake wars.

-Kid, you're gonna be fine.

-Oh hun, what a world we live in.

-God, look at that ass!

-I wish this kid would just die so I can do other shit.

He looks around, Was he possessed? Then the doctors started to get powerful rushes of anxiety. Coming off of the boy.

That was the day that Tobias Etter became a Empath Mind Reader. Or as he would say, "Cursed."

***

A month.

A freaking month.

Eddie sits at his desk looking at the cork board, with the "Whose-The-Suspect" pins and yarn on the wall. 

The small pictures of her with a hood over her face. 

Eddie has kept the new leads on her hidden from the rest of the team. Not wanted to give false hope. Connor was in a terrible state, worse than anyone has seen him. He's not humorous anymore, no dumb jokes. He's only angry, and irritated all the time. And he spends at least 20 hours in the gym a day.

Arthur is sad that he lost Lillian but always has hope. 

Lex, is only focused on the tasks at hand, and doesn't dwell to much on the past.

And Nik, he seems torn.  He sits in his room staring at the ceiling. Just watching the water levitate. He's just in a blank-like state.

And Eddie himself, is tormented with guilt. Tony Stark has not payed for the damaged he's caused. And Peter is not in jail for his attempted murder. And what's worse, Stark hasn't even been mad at the boy for trying to kill his first born daughter.

That's what really gets Eddie. 

Who would do that?

***

Lillian and Theo sit out on the rooftop looking at the stars. 

"We know each other." Theo says.

Lillian stares at a star far away, "How?"

The boy clenches his jaw, "Remember when you asked me how I know about Osiris?"

Lily nods her head.

"Well I escaped from there 7 months and 13 days ago."

Lillian's eyes go wide.

Theo talks, "My father, he was a lead scientist. He became a monster after he killed my mother. But, you and I would talk. And I would bring you your food every day. You don't remember because parts of your mind would get erased. They chose to let you remember some things, but not me."

He sighs, Lillian just stares at him.

"You mean-"

Lillian talks to Terror in her head.

Terror, is he telling the truth?

I'm afraid so.

Theo recalls a memory, "One day I had asked you-"

"How do you still have hope?"

"Hoe do you still have hope?"

Memories flash back in her mind.

The smiles, the long talks. The laughs. 

The chocolate brown eyes that would stare at her, simply admiring.

"You would call me Angel." Lillian says.

Theo finally turns to her, "You remember?"

Lily looks at him, "Yeah."