Spectacular World

Meta

Pain trailed through the top of her head, and Hope couldn't help but reach up and rub at the scar that was there. Even after being shrunken down, the wound Wish had left on her was still there. A jagged line that went all the way across her forehead. It suddenly ached and burned as she stared at Kevin, a sick reminder of everything she had gone through in her battle with Wish.

"Are you really Kevin?" She asked startled, though she knew without a doubt it really was him.

Of all the people to run into, this might have been the one she was least expecting. To be honest, she hadn't really thought about him at all since the Wish incident. A fact that made her a little disgusted with herself. Some hero she had been. She had failed to save him from ending up in such a bad fate, transformed into a monster by the Lord of Life's hand, and then taken away by the Emperor to do God knows what.

Now here he stood dressed in clothes but looking much like Mars King had back in the day, only smaller and slimmer. The teen's eyes roamed over her own changed form, and he frowned. "I wasn't sure if it was you or not when I first saw you. You've changed a lot. I mean, you were pretty tall for a girl, but now you look like a kid? This some sort of power or something you have?"

"It's complicated." She sighed. "Wait! Why am I being casual with you? I bet the Avalon, or the Emperor sent you to come get me!" She clung to Meta's arm and pointed at the red-skinned monster. "Get him, Meta!" She waited, but Meta didn't budge. "Meta?" She looked up at the girl's face.

Meta had her head cocked to the side and looked between her and the Mars King lookalike. "Did he call you Hope?" The girl asked firmly. "And he said you were tall? And you 'look' like a kid? Are you not a child? Also, the Emperor is after you? Ah. Those drones I destroyed earlier. They were meant for you, weren't they?"

She felt a chill go down her spine as she looked into Meta's green eyes. They suddenly looked a lot more scary. She could tell the girl was studying her up and down, processing everything that had been said. She had totally forgotten once again that this was a villain. One who had casually taken down those guards and Avalon's drones. One who she could tell was very, very powerful. Maybe even stronger than someone like Wish had been. If Meta turned on her, she was basically screwed.

"Furthermore, are you a follower of the Emperor?" Meta's hand found its way onto her rapier, and her gaze now stared at Kevin. Green energy began to crackle out as the girl slowly drew her weapon. A crowd had started to form around them, but it quickly broke apart when Meta's blade was fully unsheathed. Everyone decided it best to not pay them any mind, seemingly avoiding Meta's wrath. "If you are, then you should know that I am not on the side of the Emperor. In fact, I'd say I'm against him and what he stands for. The one I follow is not him." Things were going from bad to worse in such a short amount of time. She wouldn't be fast enough to escape if Meta decided to fight. Not with the level of speed the girl had shown.

Thankfully, though, the dangerous silence that was starting to fill the void around them was broken by Kevin. "I'm not with the Emperor." The young man finally said, folding his arms. "I might be a monster, but that doesn't mean I follow him. Believe me, it was bad choices that led me down this path. That girl you have with you is a friend of mine. I'd appreciate it if you let her go."

"Let her go." Meta looked down and realized she had Hope's shoulder in a death lock, digging her fingers into the girl's skin. Meta let go and stepped away but kept her weapon drawn. Some people in the crowd stopped and looked at them, but most had seen stranger things during their times and kept moving around them. "Is this man really someone you can trust?" The villain questioned.

Hope stared up at Kevin and then looked back at Meta. Kevin once again spoke up. "Look. I want what you want. I'm trying to get out of this place as well. I escaped from the place the Emperor stored me at and am just trying to find a way back to the real world. I don't want to work for him. I was forced to obey Wish. She kept her cells deep inside of my DNA and forced me to obey her or she'd hurt me. Not just physically but mentally. I could always hear her voice. The Emperor hasn't done that yet. I think he's still trying to decide what to do with me and the other two weapons Wish created. This could be my only chance." He held his hand out toward her. "Do you want to escape with me?"