Extraordinary Mistakes II - Blood Ties

Something... anything... now

It's the last day of September. Time flew by even if nothing concrete come out of it. The group spend their days searching for the secret organization. Crossing buildings off their maps, waiting for Marianne Olsen to show herself, for the Institute, its head, Madeleine Clark, or the Roberts, to make a mistake. But it's the last day of September already, and nothing of the sort happened.

Rachel lost against the robot again and Abigail laughs. It's seven in the morning, time to end the training, eat, start the day fresh.

Ánh joins them for breakfast. She turns on the news and everyone turns their head to the screen.

"Breaking news. The terrorist movement has sent us a video showing Emily Roberts and Abigail Parker. The following video contains some graphic images. Viewer discretion is advised." the news presenter swallows her saliva and holds the tears.

The video begins. It shows a small room. Emily and Abigail are tied and have their bracelets on the wrists. Rachel laughs hysterically while burning parts of their bodies. Their toes, fingers, back. She claps, freezes their wounds, and resumes the burning. Megan's right hand turns blue. She's expressionless. Tears fall down while Emily and Abigail beg for mercy. Their screams are louder than Rachel's laughter. Slowly, their wounds are gone. Diego and Rachel laugh again. She faces the camera, says tick tock and this time Emily and Abigail are drowning.

Rachel turns off the television and looks at Abigail. She reacts immediately and heads to the basement. Ánh and Rachel follow her. Abigail searches for their names on the social media platforms and covers her mouth. Every reaction is worse than the one before.

Ánh logs in the forum and their supporters are cheering the pain they are causing in them.

Both sides are incredibly vocal in their hatred.

"Rach," Ánh begins.

Rachel is speechless, her heartbeat increases. Ánh's voice echoes imperceptibly.

"I'm sorry I didn't predict this, Rach..." her foot taps harder and harder on the floor. Each stomp echoing harder on Rachel's head.

"When we... when we..." Ánh's breathing increases.

"Ánh..." Abigail goes nearer, "you couldn't have predicted any of this!"

"I... I... should've... Rach..."

"What?" Rachel finally focuses on Ánh, the ringing in her ears lowers, "the truth is, Ánh, we have no idea who we are up against. What they are capable of, the resources they have. It's impossible to predict everything, even with your power, without the correct information."

"We could shoot a video too, show the world that you aren't torturing us!" Abigail says.

"Abigail..." Rachel looks everywhere but her and Ánh, "the illusion of power is power."

"What does that mean?"

"Matthew Moore said it to me when I asked him," she looks at them and bits her lip, "why he told everyone that I was the Angel of Death. He told me 'no one would've believed us'. That no one would take our word. No one. We show now that you weren't tortured. No one will believe it."

"Rachel, you can't take responsibility for this," Abigail looks at her.

"Everyone in the forum is cheering this, Rach." Ánh takes deeper and deeper breaths.

"I'll deny it there, asking people not to believe everything. We aren't monsters. We don't torture. We'll wait for it to die down. It will," Rachel leaves the room.

***

Across town, Megan is supposedly looking out for buildings, but instead, finds herself following the young woman with the red shoes. Megan notices that she cut her black hair a bit shorter, not something that anyone else would notice, too small of a difference, but Megan sees it. The young woman left campus, went to the cemetery, and is now outside a psychiatrist's office. She buzzes and gets in.