The Mutants of Cosimia

The Blue Eyed Siren

"They hate us because they fear us" - Unknown

Andromeda's POV:

The ceiling violently shook above us, I hastily grabbed Verenas hand and ran for the exit. It was too late though, the door in front of us fell and the building came crashing down onto us. Verena looked at me quickly, she allowed herself to smile and then everything went dark.
Five Hours Earlier:
My hand traced the grooves of the stone and I nodded. "This ones good," I said with boredom. The man quickly grabbed his stone and hurriedly exited the building. The next man was a mutant like me. He had pink hair and white eyes. I slightly smiled and held my hand out for his stone. The mutant man shook his head and gave me a worried glance. "No..... st-stome. STONE!" he fumbled out, obviously he didn't know English well. I looked at him and shook my head, he tilted his head and gripped the edge of his shirt. He still would not budge and leave though. "No service," I said and pointed to the door at the end of the corridor. He gripped the edge of his shirt again and reached inside his pocket.
So maybe he did have a stone after all? I sighed and looked at him with my dull eyes. He finished digging around his pocket and I heard a click. Without giving it another thought I looked across the room at the guards. They were busy arresting someone else so I was on my own.
Within seconds of turning back to him he had pointed a gun on my forehead. My thoughts spun around like a merry-go-round with little children playing on it. I brought my hands up "Please sir, you are better than this just le-."
"No! My daughter is going to the gallows tomorrow, if I don't get some money she cannot be saved from the humans. Now give me the stones!" he said angrily. I gritted my teeth and bent down to unlock the stones safe. The mutant rejoiced and began humming an earthen tune from the 3000s. I twisted the handle on it and began humming a tune of my own. The safe finally budged and took out a pile of priceless stones.
When I came up I held dozens of priceless stones in my arms. Enough to buy an army, I had joked earlier that day. The man eyed the stones and shoved the gun in his pocket, he held his arms out awaiting the stones. My blue eyes flickered to the gun safely placed in his pocket. I quickly pulled back the stones and threw them on the floor.  The landed perfectly undamaged on the floor, only a small click could be heard when they fell.
I reached my hands up in the air and willed my water powers to work immensely. A winding piece of water came out of the person next to me's water bottle. It was thin yet could still do damage, this I knew for a fact. The mutant noticed all of this and reached into his pocket hurriedly. The tendril of water  twirled around and then shot out to my arm, it wrapped around my arm. It carefully made a beautifully intricate web around my arm, until it shot out and impaled the man in the middle of his neck. He fell to his knees  and then to the ground. Blood was everywhere except for on me. As soon as the water had impaled him it flew to me and made a barrier between the splattered blood and me. I placed my hands on the deck and the now bloodied water barrier disappeared into the ground.
A woman screamed from behind us, she was a human noblewoman. Apparently she had been bloodied by the battle and was planning on suing. However, she would not win, they never did. I let out a small laugh careful to not let anyone hear it.
The guards ran to our station quickly after abruptly noticing the water tendril and the woman's scream. They saw the gun in his hand and quickly scrambled to the floor to clean up his body. This was why the humans had hired the mutants to watch over the stones, we could easily kill if needed.
A loud chime escaped the clock hanging on the wall, all the workers rejoiced at the freedom. I bent over and quickly picked up the stones I had thrown on the ground. All of them were accounted for. With all that in check I quickly stuffed all of the, in the safe and locked it. I heard heels clicking on the floor lightly and let out huff. I had to go to my other job already, my life was so tiring. Verena walked to my stone examining station and quickly helped me clean up. She worked at the information desk, guiding humans to the right stone stations. "Çava(Are you okay)?" she asked.
"Maybe," I replied distantly. My hands instinctively flew to my heart and I nodded. "Yes, perfectly fine."
"Bon." Her red eyes began glowing more vibrantly and I smirked. "Shall we?" I asked.
Verena tipped her head slightly, "Oui, viens(yes, come)" she said. We began walking to our next job and without knowing we also began worrying much more.
The familiar path to our next job was under construction so we would have to take a new route. This new route was filled with diseases, sex workers, and overall poverty. The flooring was torn up cobblestone with dung and throw up splattered everywhere. I has told Verena "It is like a horrible obstacle course," as we walked around all pestilence. A human woman was laying on the ground coughing up a storm. Her skin was paling and she had some flesh falling off. A doctor was towering above her with a revolver pointed at her. He had to shoot her or else she would turn into an Esper. Only humans were susceptible to the plague that caused Espers. Mutants could not be infected because they're ancestors evolved to become immune. A gunshot rang along the whole street and we hurried to our next job. We finally reached it after two more minutes of walking through the ugly part of town and then fifteen minutes of walking through the rich neighborhoods.
The palace towered above all other buildings. It's floorings glistened and every time the sun hit it the diamonds in the castle would sparkle. Verena and I hurried up the grand staircase. We avoided to red carpet on it because it was off limits to mutants. We finally reached the top and the door.
The door the palace opened automatically, we were greeted with another maid. I believe her name was Druella Archibald? "Miss Kertj and Miss LaReve, how have your days been?" she greeted us. I handed her my cheap and torn coat and shrugged "Remember call me by my first name please, Andromeda. I've been better," I said.
"Oui, Je m'apelle Verena, non Miss LaReve(Yes my name is Verena, not Miss LaReve)," Verena said bitterly. I placed my hand atop her shoulder to quiet her and turned back to the maid with a smile. "Alright, hurry along to the changing rooms you will be late if you don't!" she exclaimed. I nodded and bid her a farewell before running to the maid rooms.
             A knock sounded on the door and I hastily slipped my black gatsby shoes on. I was all ready now, with about five minutes to spare. The knock sounded on the door again, this time more urgent. I looked at Verena and she shook her head, I growled and walked over to the door annoyed. My hand rested on the handle and finally I gathered enough courage to open it. A woman dressed in expensive silks and furs stood in front of me. She had a glistening crown placed atop her golden locks. "Miss Euphemia," she snickered.
I curtsied "You're highness," I answered. She looked at me up and down, her hand landed on my cropped pink hair and I heard and tsk. "You look like a boy now, too bad you did not leave the long hair you had. I've come to do my weekly maid evaluation you failed this one," she said. I looked up at met eyes with her. "Your highness, if I may answer you, I felt lik-." A hand collided with my cheek and I  fell to the floor abruptly. "No mutant can answer me! Now apologize to me you scum," she bellowed. I dropped my head to the floor too fearing the worst. "Please forgive me, your hi-," but she kicked me before I could finish it. The Queen grinned one last time and left me with a bruise on my cheek and left leg that was hidden .
          Verena hurried to me and cupped my face, she shook her head and tears threatened to fall. This was the third time the Queen had failed me and left a bruise on my body. "This isn't the first time, please calm down," I said.
"Oui mais(Yes but-)" she said but I cut her off.
I brushed her pale hands off my face and placed the maids cap on. I made sure to cover my newly shortened hair under my cap well. Then I stood up and smiled "I'm just fine," I stated. However, I had an even harder time trying to convince myself this, then I did to Verena. I knew a maids job at the Palace of Cosimia was tough and I had to be tough too. After all a maid had no time to cry or pity herself, she had work to be done.
         I walked out of the room with my head held up with and began walking out the door. Our shoes clicked and clacked quietly as we made our way to the main maid room. Verena was walking in front of me with an angered expression on her face. I walked a couple paces behind Verena fearing that if I caught up she would start crying again. Along the way I received dozens of stares and comments on my new bruise. Some chose to ignore it like me, while others chose to point it out like it was as big as the palace.
         However, no matter how many people chose to comment on it or even laugh at me I kept my head held up high. I continued this up until I finally arrived at the main maid room. It was covered in tacky decorations for the Prince Wilheim-Constatines birthday. Of course all of them were more expensive than Verena and I's entire life savings. I shivered as I stared at a creepy robotic version of Prince Wilheim-Constantine. Of course the robot was handsome just like the prince but it had an eerie smile.
It had been rumored that Prince Constatine-Wilheim was the most handsome man in the world. After all Cosimia traditions ban anyone from seeing the princes of the family until their twentieth birthday. Yet they still kept the Crown Prince Seines appearance masked even after his birthday. Of course this didn't include his family and servants.
         I had never seen Wilheim-Constantine in person, but after that robot I planned to keep it that way. The robots eyes seemed to follow me around everywhere and I quickly turned away. Verena laughed at me and turned back to the jobs board. Two other maids were looking at the board and they blocked my view so Verena would have to tell me. "Vous êtes la femme de chambre à Prince Wilheim-Constantine(You are the maid to Prince Wilheim-Constatine)" she answered. "Je suis en chef de cuisine," she finished off. I nodded and began making my way to the sixth floor of the palace.
          My hair bounced up and down slightly in my maids cap as I jogged up the staircase. Since mutants were not allowed to use the elevators we had to climb stairs everywhere. I reached the top of the stairs and turned down the dimly lit corridor. I passed the queens ivory doors and internally screamed. She was like the devil of the mutant world, nobody wanted to be near her. My speed picked up and I soon reached the end of the hallway. Tall marble gold embellished doors stood in front of me, with the words Prince Wilheim-Constantine printed in golden it.
          I tightened my grip on the hem of my maids dress and let out a long deep breath. For all I knew the Royal Family of Cosimia was evil, Prince Wilheim-Constantine was no different. There had been records of maids and even princesses coming out of his room crying. Of course they never said the reason and sometimes even blushed. My hand instinctively pulled my dress down more to cover more skin. Finally I knocked on the door and waited nervously for the Prince to accept me into his grand room. A couple minutes passed and no answered sounded, I knocked again and still no answer. This time I began getting more and more nervous by the second.
          Finally on my fourteenth knock a voice finally said "Come in." The voice sounded velvety and perfect, however it seemed distressed and tired. My hand rested on the knob to the door. It was made of pearl and a carefully sculpted crown rested atop its top. I brushed my fingers along the crown and finally opened the door. Inside held a giant living room area with an aquarium floor and dozens of expensive objects. However, one object caught my eye the most. It was a picture of a girl sitting on a chair, she had baby pink hair and forest green eyes, obviously a mutant. My attention stayed pinned on that painting until Prince Wilheim-Constantine walked in. His famous jet black hair had been combed back messily and his sky blue eyes were foggy. I looked at him closely and almost laughed, he was wearing pajamas with rubber ducks printed on them and matching slippers.
        Wilheim yawned briskly and picked up his coffee from the table next to him. "So you are the person who has been knocking on my door for the past six minutes? Well do you need something or are you the maid that my mom sent for me?" he asked in a tired voice. I nodded and curtsied. "Your highness, I am the maid," I said. He looked at me curiously and then looked intently at my bruise. I instinctively brought my hand up to my cheek to try and hide it. This just made him more interested in it,
"So miss maid if that is your name, how did you get that bruise?"
"I got into a fight with my boyfriend, now ex boyfriend. It got violent fast since he can cause pain easily with his pain inflicting powers," I answered. My lie would both save my skin and make me seem a bit more powerful. Prince Wilheim stared at me fiercely and shook his finger. "Protecting my mother will get you nowhere. Tell me your name too," he said.
"Your Mother is quite pleasant to the maids. She would never do this to one of us! My name is Andromeda Kertj," I answered. He looked at me and then backed up slowly. "Kertj?"
"Yes, I was a Kertj family member before all of Kertj were killed off by the savage humans of Pires," I said with pure disgust. Wilheim looked at me and his expression softened. At least he still had his throne, I grimaced. Prince Wilheim walked up to me and lifted my hand from my cheek. He placed it at my side and took off my maids hat covering my cropped hair. "You're very bold. I infer you have sirenic powers," he said with a dimpled smile. I stepped back and kept my head down. Pieces of my pink hair fell to my eyes and I quickly brushed them away. Wilheim caught my hand and looked at me with his now bright blue eyes. I was at a loss for words, what could I do, kick him or punch him, no!
       Wilheim backed up and let a mini devilish smirk grace his perfect features. I backed up too and quickly fixed my hair. He sat down on one of the chairs positioned in front  the coffee table and motioned for me to sit next to him as well. I took a seat across from him and pulled out my notepad from my pocket. "So what do you want for your birthday party?" I asked him.
"You," he said and winked. I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Sorry, I must have misheard you, do you want a bright hue on your cake?" I asked trying to make it sound like I misheard you for hue.
"Oh never mind. Sure how about hot pink like your beautiful hair. Blue writing too like our hypnotizing blue eyes," he said with another wink as he stretched on the word our. This time I laughed and wrote down hot pink frosting with ocean blue writing. "So how about a neon color theme?" I asked.
He pondered this then smiled "Brilliant idea!" I nodded and began writing his many other neon themed ideas. By the end of our brainstorming session he had come up with 123 ideas for his neon birthday bash.
           I stood up and curtsied "Your highness, it was a pleasure working with you. I must be going and I do hope your birthday turns out well tomorrow. You will have a different maid help in you tomorrow so I bid you well. I must be leaving now, my adoptive sister Verena is looking for me." He nodded and stood up too. I walked to the door and waved before seeing myself out. Well it had not been that bad I thought to myself and made my way down the stairs slowly.
           Much unlike her, Verena was not waiting at the bottom of the stairs. I looked harder and continued on to our shared maid room. That too was empty except for a note placed on top of my bed. I walked to my bed with eagerness and snatched up the note. It was carefully folded and sealed with a pretty crimson colored wax seal. My mind swam with so many different thoughts that it felt as if my head were going to explode. Finally I ripped the note open and skimmed the writing.
Dear Andromeda,
Verena will be late coming home today since she has a bunch of work to do for cooking.
From the Head Maid Perseus.
I let out a nervous breath I had not even noticed I was holding. The hat felt tighter on my head and my clothes felt more constricting. I knew I would have to spend a night without Verena, I could do this. I slowly began undressing and then redressing in my cotton pajamas. Without another thought I slipped into bed and willed sleep to consume me.
            A loud bang sounded throughout my room and I jolted upright. The room was empty and I could sense the sound came from outside my room. I could either go back to sleep or see what was happening outside. I fell back into my bed and laid my hand over my eyes. "What if that was Verena?" I whispered to myself and shrugged. And so I got up from bed and began to grudgingly making my way to the door. But before I could exit the room I ran to the bedside table and grabbed the water bottle off of it, extra protection.
          The corridor was darker than usual and it seemed much more dangerous too. I looked both ways and noticed all the maids rooms had been left empty, no signs of a struggle or any killing. I let out a tired sigh and kept walking to the kitchen. The pathway to the kitchen was dark, yet I knew the way by heart since Verena usually served as a chef there. My mind flashed back to the moments at Kertj where we used to bake cakes everyday with the maids. It was all a dream of a life but now it was all dead.
         A scream at the end of the corridor snapped me out of my thoughts. It was a familiar voice, one I would recognize anywhere... Verena! I willed my tired legs to begin running to her and finally I saw her. She was running towards me in her chef outfit. Her face seemed distressed. Verena ran to me and then stopped "Espers, they are here! Everyone has been evacuated but I insisted on waiting on you. You were not evacuated(She said this in French by the way)?" she exclaimed. I backed up more and swiftly grabbed her hand. "We are getting out of here alive! We will never make it to the exits. They probably have it surrounded anyways. We will have to fight them off. How many are there twenty-thirty?"
Verena shook her head "cent(100)" I bit my lip and nodded. It would be hard but I would just have to bring out all my inner Kertj, unleash all my angers at the Espers. "We can do it," I said and smiled. "Si(Yes!)!" Verena exclaimed. We stood there for two more minutes and then heard dozens of footsteps.
          Verena bent down and tapped the floor, it split open and hells fire blazed out. Soon the dark corridor was lit again with bright lights. Verena scooped up some fire with her hands and began shaping it into a sword. She grabbed the handle and began swinging it around. I stepped away a bit and laughed. I emptied the water bottle on the floor and soon it had become a mini wave on the floor. A pack of Espers appeared in front of us with their teeth pointing out and their rotting flesh on full showcase. I looked at them and sent the wave at one of them. The Esper eyed the wave and began cackling with coughs in between. I looked at the Esper and smiled at it. The wave finally reached the Esper, as soon as it touched it the wave expanded and covered the whole pack of Espers. All of them scrambled and kicked in the water. I froze the wave then broke it apart so the Espers were broken into pieces. Verena smiled and grabbed my hand, we began running to the main hall. We encountered another pack of Espers and I immediately groaned.
          The Espers looked at us and smirked, Verena swung her sword made of hells fire and soon all of them were decapitated and dead. We encountered two more packs of fifty Espers each and soon all of the Espers were dead. Verena and I ran to the main entrance hall and smiled finally we made it. However we heard a snicker from behind us. I turned first then Verena turned. Both of us screamed as an Esper climbed on a pillar and broke it. The whole back of the hallway was falling down rapidly and Verena and I were stuck in the middle of the hallway. We started running praying that we would make it out, after all we did slay one hundred Espers, to go out like this would be petty.
         We began running towards the exit but it was no use, we were too far from it. Verena grabbed my arm and shook her head, the destruction was following us too quickly. "I have to try and attempt the Kertj dome of indestructible water," I said.
"Oui," she said. Verena looked at me and soon the destruction had caught up with us. But I couldn't I was too afraid I would mess up the dome and it would crush us. The ceiling violently shook above us, I hastily grabbed Verenas hand and ran for the exit. It was too late though, the door in front of us fell and the building came crashing down onto us. Verena looked at me quickly, she allowed herself to smile and then she fainted. The ceiling was crumpling around. I quickly held my hands up ready to try and make a dome.
         A giant piece of the building split off and came down crashing towards us. I looked up and everything went blue.
Do you think they made it? And what is up with Prince Wilheim-Constantine, do you like him? Long haired Andromeda or short haired Andromeda? Verena or Andromeda? Comment your answers below🤔