The People with Useless Power

Chapter Thirty-nine

[A/N: Remind you of anything?]

"Sparrow... what did you do...?"

Feu's weak voice came from under her, and Sparrow shrieked, wiggling off of her and falling onto the plush flooring of the... asylum room?

Asylum room. Wow. That was the name that Sparrow'd come up with.

Everyone was sitting around her, most of them passed out: Chris, awake, held Calloway in his arms and looked immensely scared and uncomfortable, Nova, passed out, laid across Melody, Evan and Feu were dusting each other off, and Veronica was standing, peering over a blonde girl strapped to a bed in the middle of the room.

"What happened?" Calloway mumbled, barely moving his mouth, and, as dense as she was, Sparrow could tell something was wrong.

"Can... Calloway, are you okay?" Sparrow's words were hushed.

"I... my ribs..."

Sparrow fought the urge to scream when she saw the blood gushing out of her best friend's side.

"C-Calloway, oh my god-"

Veronica shrieked and ran to them, pushing the eight of them into a cramped cabinet, where her friends' small statures were finally appreciated. Sparrow shoved her face into Calloway's neck, tears blossoming in her black eyes, but he hissed at her to look out.

So she did.

And her heart dropped.

Emma. It was Emma. Of course it was, Sparrow had just gone back in time, right? But what was Emma doing, and where was that weird scar on her neck?

"Sweetheart, you've got to know I didn't agree to this," her sultry voice drawled. It was followed by a mumble, and Emma muttered, "You're in the headquarters of our organization. We haven't really decided on our name, though."

Oh god. Her mom was insane. She was in a cult.

More mumbling from the table.

"'That other woman'? Oh- ooooh, you mean Mara. Yeah, she's the head of this organization. She's really... horrible, and never call her Mara. She makes everyone call her 'Unknown.'"

Sparrow bit her lip, worried, but then smirked.

"Why?" This time the high-pitched, breathy voice was just loud enough for Sparrow to catch when she really focused.

"Because she's insane, that's why," Emma drawled once more, starting to unstrap the girl from the chair. The blonde looked about their age-

"What's happening, are they coming our way?" Feu asked, her hair flaming up and twirling around anxiously.

Sparrow scowled. "N-no! Shut up!" she whisper-shouted, sighing before the door slammed open and she looked out again.

"Stop conversing with the enemy, Miss Taylors, or the committee will have to take immediate action against you," a monotoned voice barked. Emma smirked, her face slightly pink, and Mara glowered at her.

And then more talking, more talking that Sparrow was too overwhelmed by to listen. Mara looked so healthy when Sparrow met her, but here...

Did her mom even sleep?

And suddenly Mara had slapped Emma across the face, and Emma was at the door, flipping her off and slamming it with a clang.

"Well, that's too bad, but she was rather sassy," Mara shrugged, walking over to the girl's side and unbuckling the jacket. "We're going on a tour of the building."