Survivor

Chapter 19

Immediately Sophie's mind flashed back to when she and Keefe had been taken, a Shade and a Psionopath had both been present. She didn't want to doubt them, but both abilities were extremely hard to come by; it couldn't be a coincidence. She felt it exceedingly disturbing as she realized her Neverseen training had taken root even deeper than she thought. Even now she heard Gisela's voice, question everything, trust no one. Clearing her head she made her way back down, landing in front of them with a thump. Eden stopped, petrified at the wary look in Sophie's eyes. Immediately Zeph came to her defense.
"It was my idea not to tell you, I was worried if the Neverseen found out she'd be subjected to the same thing as I was!" He practically shouted the words at her desperate for understanding. She listened and offered a little nod before looking back to Eden.
"Anything else I should know about?" She asked, her eyes steely.
"I'm also a polyglot..." Eden hunched her shoulders up nervously, saying it like it was a crime. Sophie nodded again and turned, walking back up to the treehouse. She paused at the steps and turned,
"How fast can we get everything we need for an attack, tonight." Sophie asked over her shoulder. Eden looked at her nervously.
"Sophie I don't think... with your inj-" she started.
"How fast?!" Sophie asked again, putting a little bite in her words.
Zeph stepped forward, putting a hand on Eden's shoulder.
"We can go to Atlantis to get supplies, the wall should keep lightleapers and wanderers out while we're there." Sophie just nodded,
"Do we have elixirs to change my appearance?" She asked, and attempting to lighten the mood. Eden nodded vigorously.
"Are you asking for a makeover?!" She said, her hands practically vibrating in excitement.
Sophie sighed at that, and muttered.
"I've traded one beauty queen for another." As Eden led her upstairs.

An hour later she was finished, her features were the same but her hair, eyes and complexion looked very different. She was much more tanned than her usual ivory tone, her hair was a dark chestnut brown with caramel highlights and much more volume than usual and her eyes a startling light cyan blue.

"I look so weird." She said turning in the floor length mirror. Eden insisted she couldn't wear her Neverseen outfit so she heaved a trunk from the corner of the room and pulled out a few old outfits. All the bright colors reminded her of times before the Neverseen, she decided if she was going to look different she needed to go all out and selected a blush pink knee length dress with brown leggings and a boots to match. She told herself she could get out of the horrendous color once they had the supplies she needed from Atlantis. In all she knew she definitely needed new daggers, a new rapier and more of the stun devices she had in the Neverseen. She prepared herself for potentially seeing Dex or one of her friends again as Slurps & Burps! was stationed down there.
"Ready." Zeph called for outside the door, nodding to as herself she walked out.
"Let's go."

She knew she didn't need to hide, she was wearing the complete opposite of what she normally did and her hair and eyes were a stark difference as well. But she still flinched a little when people looked too long. After a while of searching she found a place that sold what she wanted, browsing the selection of daggers she decided to buy a whole case. She had decided, one never could have too many daggers, they even had a selection of swords. Most of the weapons were dull and too heavy to wield as they would be used for decoration in most eleven homes but with a little polishing and sharpening they would be in tip top shape. She found a selection of rapiers each more hideous than the last, one with tassels, one with gold engravings, one that was entirely too top heavy. None of them seemed to be functional, she decided that she would just have to settle for a different blade. Not a broadsword, not a long sword but... something caught her eye from the corner of the shop. A faint glint, leaning up against the wall, forgotten was a pair of sabers. When she picked them up they settled into her hand nicely, they had black handles with a simple guard. She had never used a saber but they gleamed wickedly at her until she just couldn't say no and bought them.

Zeph had selected a nice broadsword and a set of daggers, he was pretty accustomed to his usual while Eden chose a more dainty estoc, longer and thinner than a rapier it would match her small stature well. Thankfully they didn't run into anyone she knew, by the time they got home the elixirs were wearing off and Zeph informed them that night would be falling soon. Before he wiped the place with shadows a journal belonging to none other than lady Gisela herself had been wide open on her desk. Leaving the plans for missions, for the next two years in their hands. That particular night there would be a kidnapping of a newly manifested Shade at only thirteen it would be easy for them to indoctrinate him into the program. But they were intent on never letting that happen, especially Zeph who she could tell was remembering his own kidnapping.

Later that night

Sophie sat up on the western roof of the huge house, the shade it looked like came from a talentless family and was home alone now in the big manor. Zeph was prowling around below, sticking to the shadows to avoid being seen. Eden was on the eastern side of the house. She kept her eyes peeled for any tell tale moving shadows bearing the sickening silver eyes she had once associated herself with. In addition to ripping the vile eye off the shoulder, the cape like part of her outfit was gone now leaving her with just the jumpsuit and hood. Replacing the silver eyes was a silver silhouette of a snarling dire wolf, just as she had described to Keefe. She felt a little prick of a consciousness moving towards her, not Zeph or Eden. She smiled to herself,
Revenge would be sweet.

She took a running start and launched herself off the side of the house, slowing her descent a little and landing right in front of three black cloaked Neverseen members. Zeph and Eden were at her side in an instant, squaring up against the three. Without a moment's hesitation they struck, Sophie unsheathed the smaller of her two falchions pulling it out with a hiss from the black leather scabbard on her back. The leader of the opposition met her blade with his own with a resounding clang! Pulling her sword back she flirted in and out of his defense. Hearing a yelp from behind she saw Eden locked in a losing battle with a much bigger man, She inflicted in an instant, the man doubling over with a cry of pain and passing out. Eden looked shocked at first but quickly realized what had happened, with a little flick of her wrist a force field covered his prone figure and she joined in Zeph's fight which was already almost over. Growing impatient Sophie pressed forward, her opponent stumbling back until she disarmed him, he fell back with a huff and she drew her arm back, probably looking insane as she prepared to swing her weapon down but Zeph caught her wrist.
"We'll leave them for the council, they can live in exile but we don't kill unless necessary." He had adopted his monotone voice again but she felt the edge to his words.
"Maybe that's what you're doing but had he been assigned to my sister he would have killed her just as easily as that Charger." She hissed, her eyes still locked on the man on the ground before her.
"Tell me, Keefe once joined them correct?" She sensed where this was going and through gritted teeth replied
"Yes."
"He blew up part of Foxfire, any other Neverseen operative would have done it to, does that make him the same?" He asked. With a glare like daggers she sheathed her blade and though she had been barred from killing this man, that didn't mean she couldn't inflict. She pressed all of her emotions on to him until he too passed out like his compatriots. Binding them together they teleported to Enternalia, dropping the Neverseen members in a heap on the floor of the tribunal hall. She left a note in case Councillor Alina was too dense to understand why they should be out in Exile.

The next day Sophie watched from above in amusement as they were discovered and jailed. Right where they belong. Perhaps this mission would go quicker than she thought.