I Am So Sorry For Disappearing - Tumblr Posts

Control

Summary: The world finds out about Victor-Hecate's relatively tame powers, and things go wrong when they discover a much more destructive side of their formerly self harming powers

Warnings: pain. Like lots of pain, unconsciousness, mentions of death (of course, it's Vee), and let me know if there's anything I missed

A/N: Consider this my triumphant and apologetic return. I come back from weeks of catching up with work and hours of exams bearing gifts of angst. Watch out for more rambling apologies in the tags. Also, the dialogue is a little clunky since this is my first short story based on a song (Control, by Halsey) and I tried to incorporate some lyrics. Not entirely happy with it, but here is this melting pile of angst and not so happy endings

The worst thing happened. Their greatest fear came true. The world found out about their powers. They were pursued everywhere they went - they were called a freak, demon, death personified. People shied away from them, afraid of what they could do to them. Rumors flew, blowing their relatively harmless powers out of proportion. They pushed away everyone who cared about them; their fears being articulated by the masses was too much. They spent night after night, day after day locked in their room, trapped in their emotions. Finally, their mom had enough - she sent them out for a walk, to clear their head, to get a breath of fresh air. She worried about them. Their hair was limp and gathered in clumps - they’d been pulling at it. Their pallor was even worse than before, grey and washed out.

Walking in the young morning light, they found some sort of peace. They were numb in the crisp air, walking robotically along paths they’d taken months before with their friends, their partner. A tear traced down their face, wiped away before it landed on their shirt collar. Suddenly, someone grabbed their hand. Phantom bullets riddled their torso, and they wheeled around, squeezing the wrist of the stranger. Surely he recognised them, going out of his way to ensure skin to skin contact. Animosity twisted his face as he loomed over them, wilting where they stood, lightheaded in pain. Rage turned the invisible holes in their chest to pinpricks of pain. For the first time, they wrenched control of their power, turning it against the inflictor. His sneer snapped off his face, replaced with agony. He collapsed onto the path, clutching his chest, feeling the pain they did moments before. They stood over him for a few moments, holding his hand aloft, relishing in the panic, the ache that someone else felt instead of them.

“Please.”

The single word choked out, pitiful, but it was enough. They dropped his wrist, appalled with themself. What had they done? Everyone was right to be afraid of them. They stepped back, tripping over an unseen root. Gravel ripped their palms raw, but the stinging was unnoticed as they scrambled up. Tears blurring their vision, they raced home. They were right, they were right. Everyone was right.

“Tae?”

Their mother’s voice broke through their haze halfway up the stairs. They halted in their progress, taking a heaving breath before turning around and cocking their head.

“Are you okay?”

They nodded, afraid of letting out a sound, lest the truth spill out. Satisfied but skeptical with their response, their mother turned away, leaving them to face their demons. Quietly, they shut their door. The doors of their closet slid open, hiding the mirror on one of the panels. A leotard was laid on the bed. It had never been touched before; it was white with silky material cutting off at their knees and elbows, too much skin exposed for them to be comfortable. They slipped into the one-piece, binding their feet with gymnastics wraps. The window opened. The roof tiles whispered as they slid down them. Creaking, the gutter bent under their weight as they dropped to the ground, quiet as a cat.

They had to leave. Authorities would have heard about what they’d done by now. How could they face their family after they found out what they’d done?

Red and blue flashed behind them. Feet pounding, air rushing, arms pumping, they fought to outrun the pursuing vehicles. They couldn't get caught, they knew what happened to vigilantes and elementals that endangered the general public.

A calloused hand found the middle of their back, the only hole in the suit. An invisible blade sliced their thigh, making them falter in their relentless pace. They whipped around, placing a hand on the uniformed woman’s scarred arm. She fell to the floor, limp from the surge of pain. Freed from the agony again, they turned and ran. Guiltily, they relished in the euphoria of finally mastering their power. It would never control them again.

~

“Victor-Hecate, stop it. Get back here!” Tora’s voice rang out from across the road, 70 feet above the public. She hovered on the roof of the building, surrounded by her friends.

Violetta echoed her sentiment, “You’re better than this. Come back to us.”

The white-clad figure smirked cruelly down on them, perched on the top of a parking garage. “You don’t know what I’ve done.” They got to their feet, graceful and lithe. Taking eight steps backward, they set off at a run. Launching themself off the edge, they flew towards the group. The wind whistled past their ears. Closing their eyes, they relished in the bliss of free falling. With a sickening crunch, they landed on the apartment block, most likely having broken their feet. They felt nothing. Rising to stand before their once chosen family, their mouth twisted into a cruel imitation of a sad smile. Carefully stepping forward, their insides roiled as the group skittered away. “You see? You’re afraid.” Bella’s eyes went cold, darting around the group, assessing the layout of the roof. Nyx moved in front of Juni, expression steely as her girlfriend’s visage was etched with determination. Lynn’s mouth quivered as her hands lit up with icy blue light. Zach was the most controlled, standing stoically, one hand on a sheathed sword at his waist. His shirt partially concealed the tell-tale bulge of a gun. Shoulder to shoulder, with matching tense expressions, Aster and Violetta stood, united as a single front. Tora hovered at the front of the group, choppily cut hair whipping around her face, her arms sparking with barely restrained power.

Moving forward again, they placed a hand on Lynn’s shoulder, a finger brushing her neck. Stifling a panicked gasp that came as the air whooshed out of their lungs, they watched her crumple to the ground, unable to bear even a fraction of the pain from their broken feet. The group tensed, shifting forward, not daring to strike the image of the one they perceived to be their lost friend. Expression turning tender, they shot an apologetic look at Lynn. Was it sincere? They didn’t know anymore. A tiny part of them hoped it was. Gliding forward to stand in front of Tora, they gazed into her intense expression, admiring her courage. Taking her hand, they squeezed it gently. She drifted to the floor, her eyes softening, somehow believing their guise of peace. Their insides twisted, torn between guilt and triumph. Should they follow through? Follow through with which path. Stilling their stormy insides, enjoying the emptiness for one more moment, they decided. They crushed her hand, turning the tide of numbness against their once beloved. Tora crumpled to the ground, comatose.

"Stop it! You're scaring her!" Nyx's voice thundered, commanding as Juni's hand was white-nuckled in her comforting grip.

Letting out a manic laugh, they cried out, “I can’t help it! This power, this energy is me. However awful it is, this is me now.” Watching the hope wink out in most of their eyes, they snarled, desperate, conflicted, "Damn right, you should be scared of me!”

Gaze fixing on the only one who still stood tall, they watched Bella raise a hand. Cool metal suddenly pressed against their neck as an unusually messy mop of near-black hair peeked out from behind a fan. Her gaze grew distant, robotic. Blue sparks flew across Victor-Hecate’s view of the roof as she spoke coolly “There is no need for fear when something is tame. Who is in control?” Her piercing gaze shattered their toxic thoughts. Unsure and stunned, their legs gave out, and they fell to the floor. Black slid inward from the corners of their eyes, like curtains closing a show, as the last of their consciousness slipped from their grasp.