The Vortex: Killjoys, Book 1

Chapter Seven.

The night air was cold compared to the building I'd just been in, the tension so thick in there that it was hard to breathe. The guards that stood beside the entrance to the Center seemed to stand less confidently as they murmured amongst themselves. I could only distinguish the words 'dickhead' and 'crazy' before they realized someone was listening.
I turned back, about to say something, when I saw their faces. Both of them were bleeding from the nose. Surprising, considering we hadn't heard anything inside, but Val had always been incredibly skilled in combat.
I scanned my surroundings to see if I could find the twins, but instead, I was met with just the guards and the people quietly chatting a distance away. Some were giving me looks of curiosity, but most seemed to not care about my presence.
I was sitting on a wooden bench near the house's entrance when I heard footsteps approaching. I looked up and locked eyes with a pair of hazel eyes, soft and kind. "I'm sorry I couldn't help but notice you seem a little out of your element here," the woman said, offering me a small smile. Something about her seemed familiar as if I'd met her before.
"You could certainly say that," I said, looking up at her.
The girl wore a black windbreaker with metal armor plates attached to some of her clothing. Her hair was a light shade of blonde, past platinum, almost entirely white. If it weren't for the small accents of blonde, I could see poking through her braid; I would've thought her hair was completely white.
She sat down on the wooden bench next to me, looking straight toward the giant wall of metal and various other objects stacked together.
"You know, we rarely get visitors, especially Killjoys. I'm assuming that means the Commander has decided about us joining your ranks," she said. Her tone seemed curious, but something told me she didn't care about my answer, only that she was trying to make me comfortable, which I appreciated.
"Last I heard, that was the case, though I'm not so sure about that now," I said, tucking a piece of teal hair behind my ear as the night air blew a cold breeze past us. I could feel it on my hands as I nervously shoved them into my nano-jacket's pockets.
"She was going on and on about family while I was in there," I said, admittedly.
The girl chuckled.
"I find that incredibly ironic," I glanced at her, cocking my head to the side in a questioning manner. "She's my mother," I turned fully toward her. I could now piece together the familiarity I had seen in her, the white hair, her lightly tan skin. Even though her eyes were a light shade of brown, the set of her eyes reminded me of him. She couldn't have been any older than fifteen, and I realized in that instance how complicated this whole alliance would be.
I trusted Val to understand we needed numbers, but this was a side I had never seen with him before. I'd seen him upset because we didn't listen to him, but that was nothing compared to how he looked inside The Center. If looks could kill, Mara would've been dead twice over.
Now, his sister sat next to me.
"You're her daughter?" I asked, even though I knew it was true just by seeing the resemblance between the three of them. The girl nodded.
"It may not seem like it. I've just never been that close with my mother. She's too much of a hardass, and she expects me to learn to take over 'just in case.' Do you know how awful it is to think of your mother only seeing you as a second option?" The girl looked down at her feet. I just listened as she spoke again.
"I'm not like my mom at all. I never want to be like her. I'm sorry I'm pouring my heart out to you, but I don't have anyone to talk to here. This place, I have nothing left for me here. I'm glad we're leaving," the girl said. Her eyes were glossy, the wet they get just before a rush of emotions hit you, and tears started spilling out, but that never came. If she were anything like Val, crying would be the last thing she did in front of a stranger.

Despite the lack of words I had to comfort her, sitting in silence with someone else seemed to be the right thing to do. I let a few minutes pass before I spoke.
"You know, I lost my family before the Killjoys found me. I watched my mother die right in front of me," I said. She turned toward me, tears no longer threatening to fall, instead replaced with a look of interest and curiosity and perhaps a hint of sympathy.
"I don't know what happened to my father. I can only assume he didn't make it, but I'd give anything to see them for five more minutes." I paused, turning toward her and watching as her face changed to contemplation.
"There's still so much I didn't get to say, to do, to apologize for, but you still have that chance. I know it's easy for me to say these things, and everyone has a different situation, but I think your mother needs to hear that you don't want what she wants for you," I said. The girl nodded slowly, not breaking eye contact with me. At that moment, I could tell my words meant something to her.
I'd never understand her familial situation because I'd never been through it, but I could, at the very least, explain how I felt now that both of my parents were gone. Sometimes I forget that despite all of the bullshit going on with BLI, the apocalypse, and the numerous things out to kill us, the emotional problems are still just as much of a struggle. Even though it had been just a little over a year, things take time to heal, and some things never will, and I know I'm not the only one feeling those feelings.
"Iris, my name is Iris. Sorry, I just realized I never introduced myself before trauma dumping on you," she said, wiping her eyes and laughing slightly.
"I'm Frost," I said with a smile.