Elena Romero was born on the 1st of October, 1989. Elena's superpower, she had discovered, was not keeping her dysfunctional family together. It was, in fact, keeping herself together. She could miraculously heal all of her injuries. All except one...
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The Handler didn't take the news that Five had escaped once more very well. Once again, they had rendez-voused in a storage cupboard. The small space didn't stop the Handler from throwing a tantrum and throwing anything she could get her hands on. Elena didn't even attempt to dodge her throws as even if the entire collection of spare name badges in the cupboard that the Handler was throwing in anger became embedded in her skin, she could heal it in a flash.
When the Handler had calmed down enough to stop throwing badges, Elena plucked them from her skin and healed herself before she shed even a single drop of blood. She smirked smugly as she watched her arm go from gaping wound, to scar tissue, to completely normal. She was definitely getting better at healing.
"How did you let him get away again?" the Handler hissed once she had her anger under control.
"Try asking those guys who turned up guns blazing!" Elena hissed so no passers by would overhear, "They're part of the commission, I take it. Who else would conveniently know where Five was, turn up to pump him full of bullets? So take it up with whoever handles them."
"I don't know who handles them!" the Handler hissed and punched a shelf so hard it fell down.
"I thought you knew everything that happened here?" Elena hissed sharply and the Handler flashed her a warning look, "Wouldn't you at least know if someone else had organised the extraction of the same guy you want extracting?" Elena pointed out which left the Handler without a comeback.
"Why would they double book the same guy- oh!" Elena said, cutting herself off in realisation, "I get it now. That's why Herb is being so weird. No one knows. Do they?"
"Okay, yes, you figured it out," the Handler said begrudgingly, "No one knows."
"What I'm doing is not authorised, is it?" Elena asked again, just to make sure she was right. And also to make sure the Handler knew she was right.
"No. It is not," the Handler said as if it was a struggle to spit out the words, "But what are you going to do about it?" she challenged, "If you quit, you'll get sent back to your original timeline and remind me what happens then? Ah yes, you die. Along with your entire family."
Elena shuffled her feet. She knew all too well what was at stake here. Believe it or not, being blackmailed isn't a thing you easily forget.
"But if you carry on with the job I assigned you," the Handler said suspiciously sweetly, "Then I will fix all of that for you."
The Handler's voice was so soft that Elena, for a split second, thought that everything really was going to be okay. Then she opened her mouth and shouted so loudly that Elena thought she was going to be deafened.
