Dark Angel (A 001 prequel story)

9 - Snow and Fire

Usually the end of the year was the most depressing period of the year for Rose.
She saw all around happy people buying and exchanging presents, lights, decorations, Christmas trees, fireworks.
The death of a year was motive of celebrations and long, boring family reunions.

Rose didn't see any of that for the children in the lab. It felt like it was forbidden for them to celebrate Christmas and New Year.
In other parts of the building there were lights and festive music. The staff greeted each other as they left for the vacations.
Rose was happy to stay. Peter was staying as well and it meant more chances to be alone, not just underground.
And it was the first time she felt so happy in those final weeks.
She had no family to reunite with, no more excessive parties, no more shows to entertain boring people. She had all she needed. Peter and and the knowledge that she had talents that just few months earlier she would have called impossible.

"I feel sad for leaving you here. I wish you could come and meet my family" Jason said as he removed his uniform to put on his jacket. He just ended his last shift for the year.
"It's alright. I feel safe here" she comforted him, dropping her eyes to the tray with the latest post for the building. She noticed a newspaper that didn't show the front page, but was opened on the latest pages.
Prodigy missing?
A title said.
"Do you join me for a hot chocolate?" Jason asked, getting her attention back.
"Sorry, I have to take the children to their bed" she said checking the time on the wall clock "Do you stay for a little longer or do I have to say Merry Christmas to you now?".
"I'm free from now on. I can stay until this evening. I'll wait for you in the canteen".
"Great. See you later".

Rose knocked on the door and peaken inside, finding only Eleven in the room, staring out of the window.
It was a gray day, so nothing appealing to watch.
"Where's Eight?" she asked.
"Bathroom" the girl said simply.
"Okay, so let's start to go to your bedroom. I will get her when she's finished".
The girl took her hand with no hesitation.
"Have you ever touched snow?" Eleven asked suddenly.
"Yes" Rose said simply.
"I never have. I only saw it out of the windows. When everything turns white".
It saddened Rose. Why the children were never allowed to play outside? The building was safe enough, it seemed cruel to keep the children always in those few rooms.
"I'm sure someday you get to play with snow. And we'll build a snowman" Rose said encouragingly.
"No, you won't" Eight intervened angrily, appearing on the threshold "I've told you to stay away from her".
Eight raised a hand against her.
Rose gasped, feeling pushed back into the room, her shoes sliding noisily on the floor.
The door closed with a loud bang and Rose smelled smoke.
She turned seeing flames erupting wildly all around her.
She screamed and ran to the door, but it was locked. She slammed her hands against it, calling for help, then she remembered her powers. She focused and tried to unlock it, but nothing worked.
She coughed, the smoke starting to fill her lungs.
Then she remembered the windows and ran to it, but with horror she found they were barred.
She was caged.
And she didn't have the strenght to break free.
She deluded herself that she was special, with talents. But she wasn't capable of using them when needed. She was still a disappointment.
The heat was becoming unbearable. She was sweating and panting. She laid on the floor, realizing that she was going to die.
Being burned alive wasn't the best way of dying. It was very painful. And she hated pain.
She recalled the paintings of the witches that were burned alive just few centuries earlier.
She screamed in her helplessness.

"Rose?" a familiar voice called her from a big distance. Her angel.
She sobbed.
Forgive me, Peter. I'm weak. She wished to tell him.
She didn't want to leave him, but she wasn't strong enough to escape the fire.
"Rose, breathe!" he commanded aloud, then shouted "Eight, stop it now!".
Rose breathed deeply. Suddenly the fire and the smoke were gone.
She was lying on the floor and Peter was above her, shaking her to wake her up.
The rainbow room was unscathed. Nothing was burned.

"You're safe" Peter said touching her cheek so she would look at him instead of looking around "I was an illusion. It was just in your mind".
Rose stared at him, incredulous. She still smelled the smoke, she still felt the fire.
"What have you done?" another male voice shouted.
Brenner walked to a sobbing Eight and held her when a moment later she collapsed.
"I'll take her to the infirmary" Peter said, taking Rose in his arms and lifting her.
She squirmed and wished to tell him that she was too heavy, that she could walk. But her throat felt still scorched.
Feeling heavy in his arms, feeling his body pressed against hers were a comfort after the nightmare she just lived.
Emily came out of the infirmary widening her eyes at the view of them "What happened to her?".
"Eight attacked her with an illusion" Peter briefed "I think she used fire. Rose was coughing and not breathing properly. And she's boiling, like she's got high fever".
Emily gestured to an empty hospital bed and grabbed some instruments to check her vitals.
When Peter laid her down gently, Rose grabbed his hand, not willing to let him go.
"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere" he said softly, kneeling next to her and letting her squeeze his hand, placing his other hand on hers.
"You're right. She's hot like she's being thrown into an oven" Emily commented nervously.
"Give her some adrenaline. She's still panicking".
Emily took a vial and readied a syringe that made Rose even more scared.
Peter touched her face to make her look at him "You don't have to watch. You won't feel a thing".
Rose trusted him, still expected to feel the prick, that didn't come.

"Wait!".
They turned to the door, where Brenner appeared extending a hand to stop the nurse, who still held the syringe.
"Let's check all her body reactions first. It's interesting data to collect".
Peter clenched his jaw and stood up "She's not a lab rat. The shock can kill her".
Brenner glared at him, a huge tension between them that didn't help Rose's situation.
"Ballard, get out of the room".
Peter held his gaze, but his shoulders lowered under the authority of the command.
He crossed her worried eyes and she saw anguish as he walked away.
He stepped out but halted in the hall leaving the door open so he could watch.
"We'll be quick" the doctor said wearing some lattex gloves "You can relax".
Rose didn't like whatever they did to examinate her conditions.
She turned her head towards the door, staring at Peter for some comfort, but the anguish in his eyes didn't help her.
At some point she passed out.
She thought she heard Peter screaming, but she wasn't sure if it was the memory of when he found her in that room on fire or if it was in the present.

A/N

Tuesday 26th July 2022

Things are getting serious 👀

Eight's power is very cool, but I'd hate if someone would use illusions against me 😅
Any theory on what will happen next? 🙃