Tilly|✔️

Chapter 10 - A Plan

Beep! Beep! Beep!

I groaned, slowly extracting the covers from me. The alarm bell persisted loudly, demanding me to awake.

I rolled out of bed. I had no nightclothes; just my dress.

Reluctantly, I went downstairs. Yuki was calling out her yell, so I assumed that a meeting was in order.

"Now. I have come to gather us all today for a plan." I heard Yuki's calm and composed voice.

"Yeah? And what might that be? Another plan to destroy The Creator?" Jasper's unamused voice sounded.

"Yes, it is. But this time, I have a good plan -"

"Look, Yuki. It was all fun and games while it lasted, but it's not good anymore. You're developing an unhealthy obsession, Yuki. The Creator cannot be destroyed. There's nothing we can do. We can't escape. We just need to survive." Emily's voice wisely reflected my thoughts.

"But this time, I know someone who can help." Yuki replied shortly.

"Who?" Jasper and Emily asked at the same time.

"Tilly."

"Tilly? But she's new. We don't even know what power she has yet."

"But." Yuki continued, ignoring Emily's interruption, "She is dangerous. I felt overwhelming power when I was in her presence. I think she has more than one power."

"That's stupid. Experiments are only programmed to have one power." Jasper replied bluntly. "Besides, she hasn't shown any signs of evident power like everyone else who comes here. She's just like Isla, really."

I heard a whimper, and a pattering of feet, nearing me. I was too panicked to run, so I froze. Please don't see me. Just act like I'm invisible....

Isla passed me, rubbing her nose. She was sobbing loudly as she ran away. She seemed to have ignored my presence.

I didn't think anything strangely of this. Isla was clearly too upset to talk to me. Normal, I guess, for anyone.

"Now look what you've done. You've made Isla cry. Good going." Emily drawled sarcastically. Her expression turned serious. "Why did you have to do that? That was just plain mean."

"I'm sorry." Jasper looked to the ground, showing genuine guilt. "I didn't mean to upset her. Isla? I'm sorry!" He shouted into the darkness. There was a sniffle in reply, presumably Isla's.

"You better be. I'll check on her later. Yuki, could you please continue?" Emily asked her. Yuki nodded.

"Tilly could help us. But we need to gain her trust first."

"How are we gonna do that?"

"Umm....I haven't thought of that yet."

"Oh, typical Yuki." Jasper groaned, and I could practically see his eyes roll, even though his back was facing me. "Well think of something. And now, please, not next Christmas."

"Shut up." Yuki replied.

Suddenly there was a loud rumbling outside. "I must see who that was. It may be a newcomer - and if it was, they may be in trouble." Yuki whispered. She pulled on the cloak she had put on when she discovered me. "Stay here and don't run off."

"Sure thing." They replied. Yuki opened the door, and shut it behind her. We all heard her swift, hardly audible feet as they lightly touched the ground.

"Well. This is awkward." Emily said, looking around. I swear her eyes locked right on me, but she didn't nod in my direction. In fact, it was like I wasn't there, and she was staring right through at the wall behind me. What if I really was invisible? What else could explain this?

I snuck upstairs, back into my room. I don't wanna be invisible anymore. I told myself, and stepped out of my room again. "Good morning, Emily and Jasper!" I called out to them.

"Good morning." They replied flatly. They looked around at everywhere but me. It was like they were avoiding my contact for a reason - one I already knew. But I wasn't gonna tell them that.

"Are you okay, guys?" I asked them.

"Umm.....Yuki's planning to destroy The Creator....and she wants you to help her."

"Me? But we're still not sure what power I have."

"Yuki says she can detect more than one power within you." Emily replied.

"Yeah. Weird right?" Jasper laughed. His voice faltered slightly as he stared over at Emily.

"Welp. I know Yuki said, but I gotta bounce. Things to do, places to go, you know what it is." She smiled nervously, and ran off.

"B-bye, Emily." Jasper smiled.

"Holy crap, Jasper." I smirked. "If I'm not detecting the vibes correctly, it seems as though you like Emily. Let's see.....nervous behaviour, smiling at her, and you've not been sarcastic once! Keep it up, and you might win her," I grinned. Payback, haha!

"Alright, don't shout it out, goddammit!" Jasper shushed me. "Okay, okay, you got me. Maybe I like Emily a tiny bit. And I emphasise on the tiny. Don't you dare tell her! I swear it won't end well." Jasper tried to blackmail me.

"Are you kidding? This is way too priceless!" I put my fingers into a love heart shape and captured Jasper and Emily in the "shot". Emily was hiding behind the stairs. "Perfect! Now, the ship name? Hmm......Jamily! Hell yeah!"

"Shut up, Tilly!" Jasper was practically begging now.

I sighed. "Okay. But I'm still shipping." I grinned, much to Jasper's annoyance.

"Ugh, just shut up about it okay? I don't wanna ruin my chances." Jasper slouched his shoulders and looked at the ground.

"Alright. But I'll ship it secretly."

"Mhm."

"Awkward. I hate conversation dead liners." I stated, looking up at the ceiling.

"Me too." Jasper agreed quietly.

"I know what you were all talking about."

"Huh? How?"

"Are you stupid, Jasper? My power of course! I....uh.....turned invisible. That's why Isla ran past me and didn't know I was there. That's how I know what you were talking about. I know Yuki doesn't trust me. She thinks I'll be handy in war?"

"Yeah. She's kinda obsessed with the idea of The Creator destroyed by out forces. Yeah, right. Totally not gonna happen. Let's face it, The Creator has much better forces than us, a bunch of people, more than the survivors here doubled over, who worship her as if she was a gift from God. Sad, really. If only they knew the truth about Hilda......basically, our chances are pretty much slim to none. We just survive. We won't escape this place. We just live and fight every day until we die. Except from E-1. He's the only one who has to experience this terrible place."

Suddenly, I heard footsteps from outside. "That's probably Yuki coming back. May as well hide. You don't know who could come knocking. Might be a scientist. Come, hide," Jasper flew, and I followed him into the darkness. The door swooshed open, and Yuki stepped in.

"This is headquarters.....I hope you like it here, Mark."

I peaked from where I was hiding, behind a cabinet. There stood Yuki, her hood off, showing a boy the same age as me The Outcasts' main entrance. There was some nostalgia, remembering when it was me standing in Mark's place. Mark turned round and looked seemingly right at me. His hair was dark and his eyes were chocolate brown, so welcoming and sweet. I smiled slightly just seeing his face. He spoke softly.

"I have a feeling I'll be right at home here," Mark said happily. "Right at home, indeed."