ELECTRIC LOVE; Sam Guthrie

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"Come on." Illyana groaned leading the way followed by Sam, Berto and a sleepy Athena. For the first time in a while, Athena had ditched the knitted sweater instead wearing a short singlet and loose cargo pants.

Sam and Athena hadn't talked since their kiss, Sam guiltily avoiding her. It was driving Athena crazy, every fleeting moment the girl searching the compound for him.

So it came to great surprise when he had knocked on her door dragging her along to a late night excursion.

"Can't believe you woke me up for this." Athena rubbed her face tiredly, Roberto shoving her playfully.

"Oh get over it Thena, this'll be so much more fun then sleeping." Roberto laughed catching up to Illyana, Sam and Athena hanging a step behind the pair.

"Where are you guys going?" Dani poked her head out of a room the group had just passed, followed by Rahne.

"Reyes is asleep, so we're going up to the-

"To the "never mind, you're not invited." Illyana spat, Athena chuckling lightly leaning against the wall.

"Come on, Illy. Come on, we'll show you." Sam invited the girls leading the way up to the attic.

"Whatever." Illyana groaned following after the group carrying Lockheed lovingly.

"So, you guys hang out in an attic?" Dani scoffed walking up the steps, the rest of the group dispersing. Berto slumped onto a couch, Illy sat on a table and Sam and Athena on another a table.

"Yeah. It's one of the only places Reyes can't watch us." Sam swung his legs on the table beside Athena.

"It's full of cool shit... from back before this was even a place for mutants." Berto boasted.

"Let's play a little game." Illyana spoke wickedly pulling out a lie detector hooking Roberto up to it.

"Dare." Roberto mumbled dumbfoundly.

"You can't say dare." Athena laughed, Roberto retracting offended.

"Fine. Jesus. Truth." He rebutted annoyed.

"How many girls have you been with?" Sam smirked, Roberto shifted nervously.

"Like I can even remember." He scoffed looking to Rahne pleadingly.

"Rahne?"

"He's lying. It's a lie detector. We know."

"Fine. Three." Roberto settled.

"That's not bad." Sam shrugged.

"No, look."

"I told you."

"What?"

"Why not?"

"I get too hot." Sam and Athena snickered together, Berto looking to the pair fiercely.
"Yeah, you think it's funny?" He snarled at the pair of them, "Your turn, asshole" He threw the wires at Sam, Sam stifling his laugh to sit in the chair. Athena noticed he had brought his piece of coal.

Athena had already heard the story of Sam's coal, he didn't carry it around him often only when he thought of his dad. The only other person he had let touch it was Athena.

"Why?" Dani's voice entered Athena's thoughts.

"New girl, he already had his question. It's your turn." Illyana snarled, Athena sighed at Illyana's hatred towards the new girl.

"Aren't you gonna hook me up?" Dani gave her the same tone, the room tense.

"I don't need a polygraph to tell if you're lying. What's your power?" Illyana readjusted herself.

"I don't know."

"I thought you were going to say that. How about another question? What's with the stupid bear?"

"Same as Sam. My dad made it for me."

"Why?" Sam asked curiously leaning on the table beside Athena.

"When I was little, I was... I was really afraid of the dark. Like, so afraid, it was impossible... to get me to go to bed. So my dad, he told me a legend of a bear. A Demon Bear... that lives inside of us and feeds off of our fear."

"That'll help a kid sleep." Berto joked, Athena chuckling at him before shutting up Rahne listening intently to Dani.

"So, when you're born... the bear is tiny and weak. And the older you get... the more afraid we become... the bigger and the stronger the bear gets. My dad, he... he made this for me so that I would always remember... how small it was when I was born. So that I would remember to never be afraid." Dani finished, Athena too busy staring at Sam to focus on the words. She smiled at the concentration on his face, as if Dani's words had gone straight to his heart.

"Enough. Let's do this. Well, come on. Truth." Illyana broke the silence strapping herself in, Athena moving over to the machine to see the results.

"Why are you here?"

"Because I killed 18 men. One by one. With my sword. And Lockheed."

"You're lying."

"She's.. not lying." Athena mumbled looking up from the machine. Athena had her fair share of kills working for HYDRA, not that she liked to advertise it.

"You don't believe me? I'm the most powerful mutant here." Illyana boasted cockily, Berto rolling his eyes as he leant back.

Athena laughed moving over to sit in the chair, strapping herself up pulling her headphones down.

"Don't doubt it Illy. Now, ask away ladies." Athena smirked, Dani the first to react.

"Why are you always wearing headphones?" Dani asked curiously, Athena's face wincing slightly.

"I." Athena shifted in the seat, "Can pick up electrical communication fields meaning I can pick up every voices within a hundred mile radius. Sometimes I can't handle that contact too many voices anyone's bound to go crazy eventually." She laughed half-heartedly.

"How many people have you killed?" Illyana asked, Athena's eyes growing wide. The room growing silent.

"I- I.." Athena paused for a moment, Illyana's face remaining set.

"You don't have to answer that Thene-

"No she does, how many." Illyana pushed approaching Athena's seat. Athena shifted uncomfortably.

"I didn't have a choice." Athena's face softened, Illyana's instead hardening. Athena's palms rubbed together anxiously, Illyana not giving up.

"How. many." Athena gulped, her eyes hardening angrily at her hostility.

"I lost count

"Fine, didn't question then" Illyana muttered smartly, "What's that mark on the back of your neck." She taunted, Athena'a skin prickling.

"I.. I-

"Illyana stop." Sam's voice cursed, sensing Athena's increased agitation. She was going to blow any second, and Sam wasn't keen on the consequences. Illyana ignored him, getting so close to Athena the girl stood up looking up at the tall girl.

"Who's Anthony huh? Your boyfriend?" Illyana continued, catching Athena off guard, "That's all we ever hear about, Anthony this, Anthony that. Where is Anthony, Athena? Is he dead?" Illyana smirked, sitting back down satisfied. Athena eyes bulged, her fingers summoning her spear swinging it towards Illyana, Roberto catching the end stopping it from impaling Illyana. Athena's eyes had lit up electric waves running across her pupils.

"Woah Athena!" Roberto shouted, struggling to hold the girl back, Sam jumping up.

"How dare you." Athena gritted through her teeth attempting the push the spear further down, Sam having to help Roberto hold the spear back. The spear hovered above Illyana's head the tip seconds away from stabbing into her.

"Athena stop, it's not worth it!" Sam pleaded, the spear disappearing as Athena stormed out of the room angrily, the room tense.

"Why do you always have to take it too way Illy." Sam spat following after Athena.