Ashlyn Katherine Kennedy's Story

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"Radio static:
F.E.A.R official:"We Expect a battle for humanity is about to begin, Within each uprising, a vague sense of safety will ignite you in an unseen Shadow without a slither of a doubt, towards those who protect and defend You. Let the thoughts slip away, and remain calm. Stay close to F.E.A.R. Only we can protect."

Caleb sighed as he kicked at the radio. FEAR realized how powerful they were. He looked at his group of misfits. They all seemed exhausted, tired, and maybe hungry. All he could grow were fruits and vegetables... nothing more. They still needed meat. FEAR would not have the upper hand in this. No... they will find the last two powers... they had to. Maybe FEAR thought they were close to finding them? That's not possible..he'd given them false information... he made sure of it, he had lied to his brother, looking in his blue eyes, the same eyes that were used to look around the room. That was one thing they shared now... nothing more.

"Listen up, guys. FEAR thinks they can get to us. They know we're listening...they know we're stronger...well... for now we are." He'd shake his head and sit down on the moth eaten sofa in their warehouse. Ares would be by later... they had agreed to meet up. Maybe tonight... I can get him to leave F.E.A.R and Join us... he must see this is madness! He thought silently to himself as he consciously played around with his lip ring. "Now... tell me... what do we know... about these last two powers?" He'd ask wondering if their friends had given them any more information.

He was determined to find them. He craved to defeat FEAR. The world needed new order...and no mater what they were called, Savior, Devil, Divine, Rebels...He would restore this world. Stay close to FEAR? FEAR can protect? He'd snort to himself as his thoughts turned on FEAR and the fate of humanity. FEAR would destroy whoever had hope. There was no hope in FEAR.

He'd look down on his arm and see a scar from their last encounter with FEAR. He almost lost his group, he'd risked their lives, FEAR had been two steps ahead of everyone...because of him...now... they'd stay at least five steps behind. He'd bounce his leg as he thought of his meeting tonight with his brother. The tavern... he knew Ares would be in disguise...he always was, Caleb would disguise himself as well... in case his loving brother planned on an ambush. It was risky meeting him so close to the Rebels base, but he had to do something. He needed FEAR off their asses.

"Guys... I'm glad we've made it this far...our morale and our faith in each other has prevailed..."

He'd stand up and walk over to the radio transmission system. Clearing his throat he'd make his own speech, stopping the music dead in its tracks.

"The battle for humanity has already begun, FEAR says they'll protect, but what have they shown? Nothing. Feel safe in your homes, we do not wish to harm you. Families will be safe with us, the Rebels. We know what is going on with FEAR...fake words get you nowhere. Stay calm, only the Rebels can save you. Stay Close...only we will protect."

He'd sit back and smirk. He knew that FEAR wouldn't make another transmission... that would mean they were intimidated by Caleb and his friends...that would mean they acknowledge that the Rebels have stirred up some faith and feelings.. that would cause panic.
Stay Close... only we will protect..
Caleb thought as he closed his eyes a satisfied smile on his face.

Ashlyn sat still, sat against a wall, completely still. Her legs were drawn up to her chest, and her head rested on her knees. It seemed that the misery she felt was perpetual, and she had had it for countless years. The people around her were unhappy, and she could feel it as a consistent pressure inside her head. She smiled wryly as she found the perfect comparison. It was quite like the time she had had a lesson with her tutor, who had to bring his son along too. And the kid had spent the entire lesson clicking his pen. This headache was like that, only sadder.

She wasn't too aware of external things. She heard the various speeches from the radio, and from Caleb -tired, determined, sad- who was who was determined to try raise the spirits of the group. He was a good man. One of the best. And Ashlyn wanted to force herself to her feet and stand beside him and help raise group morality. She wanted to. But the weight of the depression around her rested heavily on her shoulders.

She felt the emotions of Huey resonating nearby. He was tired. He had a headache. He was exhausted. And he was starving, though wouldn't admit it. Ashlyn felt her own hunger with a sort of numbness. The emotions of other people were strong in her mind, numbing her to physical discomforts. Vix was just as tired and hungry as the others, though she felt a slight indignation from her. And pain. Vix was seeing something, and Caleb knew that too. Caleb felt doubly unhappy. He felt responsible for the groups melancholic atmosphere.

Finally, Ashlyn looked up. It felt weird to look with her eyes, rather than feel the things around her with her powers, but she looked to Caleb. Standing, she forced herself to push away at her Power, grimacing at the familiar jarring that she experienced whenever she tried not to feel the emotions of those around her. But, nevertheless, the emotions of the others moved from being like someone screaming in her ear, to gentle whisperings. Ashlyn sighed with relief.

She stretched, lifting her arms above her head, and groaning softly as her muscles moved against each other. She then walked to Caleb, who had just found his guitar. She found herself smiling. He often did this when the group was down. She was a little unsteady as she moved because of the sensation of being sat for too long and the exhaustion borne out of hunger. She grimaced and ignored it, coming to sit beside Caleb.

Ashlyn looked up at him, and found herself smiling as she recognized the song, and sang with him. Her voice was fair, and light, as she sung the harmonies, losing herself for a few precious moments in the music.

As the song ended, Ashlyn looked up at Caleb. He appeared intimately sad as he stood to prepare himself and she sighed and took up a place at the end of the couch, and curled up. Ashlyn wanted to speak to them and offer reassurance, but couldn't find her voice, so she just lay there.

Huey awoke to a gentle breeze across his face. It wasn't until he opened his eyes that he realized he was on his side, and it wasn't until he smacked his lips a few times that he realized he'd been drooling. He sat upright, bunching up his hoodie sleeve and wiping the spittle from the side of his face.

As far as naps go, that was a damn good one. He would've stayed asleep longer, but his stomach would have none of it.

Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he surveyed the room. Someone had shut most of the lights off, allowing a gentle glowing twilight to filter in through the large glass panels that made up the ceiling. Some corners of the warehouse were too dark for him to see into—either that, or his sleep-addled eyes hadn't adjusted to the ambiance yet.

The others were probably around. Somewhere.

Stretching like a cat, Huey hopped down from his perch, expending a minimal amount of energy in order to land silently and confidently on the uneven ground. Though his stomach gurgled, his headache had died down. That was good. Next to his feet was his book, sprawled unceremoniously on top of a sandbag. Huey bent to pick it up, shaking his head slightly, dusting the cover off.

Poor book. Must've fallen when I turned in my sleep...

Pocketing the paperback, Huey noticed for the first time that Caleb wasn't on the couch. For a moment he panicked, thinking the others had gone somewhere without him, but he quickly calmed himself after he heard movement somewhere else in the warehouse. It was probably one of the others—though if it wasn't, whoever the intruder was had picked the wrong group of teens to screw with.

Huey snickered at the idea of some unsuspecting thief getting shown what for. It was the first time he'd laughed all week. A harsh growl from his stomach cut the humor short, however.

"Yeah yeah, I know," he muttered to himself. It was still too dark for him to see who else was in the warehouse and his eyes were talking a while to adjust. He had other things in mind though.

He'd planned on asking Caleb if he could grow some food—something, anything, but he wasn't on the couch. His jacket was gone too. Probably went to get some air, Huey guessed. So time for plan B. Plan B was simple: go outside and grab something from some local joint—fast food, if he was lucky. The cheaper, the better. Fortunately, he still had a few crumpled bills on him from earlier. Reaching into his pocket, the bills in question were still kinda wet.

Don't ask how he acquired them.

Giving the room one final sweep, Huey noticed Ashlyn on far end of the couch. Seems his eyes were finally getting used to the crepuscular atmosphere. He couldn't tell if she was awake or asleep, or if she was looking at him or not. If she was asleep, he didn't want to wake her. Vix couldn't be that far away either, and was probably the source of the noise he had heard.

A gurgle from his stomach put him back to purpose. "Okay okay, I'm going!" He whispered, moving towards the exit.

"Uh..."

His stomach gurgled. "Uh..." Huey chewed on his lower lip, trying to make a decision.

"Kid. Are you gonna to order or not? I ain't got all day for this crap," the cashier said, obviously annoyed. He seemed like he'd had a rough day.

Huey could relate.

"My bad," he muttered. "Uh... Hrrn... Yeah... Yeah. Just give me one of everything, please."

The cashier froze, giving Huey a look that said are you high?!

Huey gave his most disarming smile. "Yes. I can pay for it." He dug around in his pocket, unfurling one of the drier of the wads in his pocket, straightening the green paper between his fingers. He held it up to the cashier. It was a hundred dollar bill. "Here, see."

The cashier grunted, snatching the bill from his hand and holding it up to the light. He grunted again, taking out some sort of marker and drawing on the paper before holding it up to the light again. Huey cocked his head to the side in amusement, a wry smile touching his lips. The bill wasn't fake.

"Woah," the cashier muttered. "Um, coming right up, I guess. You'll be order number 322." There was no one in line behind him, so Huey remained at the counter. The cashier gave him another look, although this one a bit softer. "Have a seat kid, this might take a few minutes. I'll call you when it's ready." Huey nodded, taking the cue and moving away from the counter. The rest of the place was empty, save for an Asian couple in the far back. Huey sat close to the window, dropping his hood and electing to stare at random cars as they passed by.

He wondered about those people and their "normal" lives. The spouses rushing home from work. The families going out to eat. The parents taking their children someplace special.

Friends. Family. Parents.

Parents, huh. Huey shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. He'd encountered wangsty characters in stories he'd read before and immediately disliked them. He was determined not to become one. He didn't need anyone's pity. He had superpowers for god's sake. And of course he had a family: his fellow rebels—plus, if anyone was like a parent to him, it was definitely...

At that, Huey smiled to himself. Enough of the internal pep-talk.

The sun was going down and the sky looked beautiful. It was as if the gods had spilled their brightest hues onto the very clouds themselves. Huey wrung his hands, thinking about his comrades. What if they were panicking because he left without saying anything? What if Caleb had returned and whisked everyone away on an important mission without him? What if they needed him... like, right now?

Caleb. He probably wouldn't have condoned Huey leaving the warehouse—hood or no hood. "Too risky," he'd say. Hmm. What if they caught him on camera leaving the warehouse? Huey shook his head. No way. They're not that good. Huey's thoughts returned to Caleb. He hadn't seen their leader anywhere while he was walking to this place. What if he was in trouble? What if he got picked up by FEAR...?

Huey sunk down in the soft cushions, looking away from the window and back towards the pallid luminescence radiating from the fast food menu hanging from the wall up by the counter, banishing his thoughts. His stomach growled at him, to which he responded with a few pats to the belly. Food is coming... and worrying about random "what if's" is the path of the fool. But it didn't really count as random, did it? FEAR was after them. The entire freaking government was after them!

The thought of the government and their nigh-omnipresence prompted Huey to put his hood back up. He didn't want to be caught on some random street camera.

It took several more minutes before Huey's order was completed. "Order 322?" The cashier's voice rang out, but Huey had begun to doze off and didn't hear him. "Order 322?! Hey! You! Kid!" At that, Huey opened his eyes. "Your order's ready, though I'm not sure how you're going to carry all this..."

Huey stood. Bags and bags of food spanned the entire counter. He had to resist tearing into one of the bags as he walked up to the cashier and received his change. He couldn't resist salivating, through.

"Yeah, you enjoy that," the cashier joked, eyeing the bounty. "You sure you can carry it all?"

"I'll be fine, thanks," Huey responded, looping as many bags around his arms as possible. By the end, he'd managed to wrangle them all. Then, to the astonishment of the cashier, Huey hoisted the bags effortlessly, as if they were full of air instead of food. He nodded his thanks for a final time before opening the door with his back and walking out of the establishment, leaving the cashier scratching his head.

Huey made it back to the warehouse without so much as a police car passing him by. Upon entering the place, he strode victoriously over to the couch, laying his bounty of bags out across the floor. The others could partake in this grand prize—he had no problem with that. They were probably hungry too.

After greeting Ashlyn, every other thought left his mind but one: eat his stomach commanded. He snagged a random bag, kicked back on the couch, and proceeded to commit what he could only guess were war crimes against food-kind.

As she lay there, Ashlyn had undoubtedly slipped into the deepest sleep she had had in weeks. She had nightmares often, and this unexpected nap was no exception. In her dreams, F.E.A.R. had finally caught up to them. In her dreams, F.E.A.R. were trying to find out how they had their powers, and she and her friends had been split up. But they were close. In her dreams, Ashlyn could feel their emotions raging. There was pain. Hunger. Loneliness. Humiliation. Regret. Anger. Hatred. But...mostly fear. In her dreams, this ironic realization made Ashlyn smile wryly. F.E.A.R. creates...fear. It was a petty humor, but in her sleep, she had lost all hope.

Worse than her friends being caught, was the plague spreading over humanity that Ashlyn was forced to experience as her own. She had no sight, no sense, other than the wracking pain that was the curse and the blessing of her power.

Ashlyn was woken in her sleep by the smell of food. Hot food. Sitting up, she rubbed her teary eyes and looked around. The first thing she saw, was in pact a person. Huey. And her jaw dropped when she saw what he had brought with him. Real hot food. It was only then that Ashlyn felt the gnawing hunger that she had been numb to. She laughed, and due to the extreme emotions that her powers made her prone to, went to Huey before the food. She threw her arms around him, and hugged him for the briefest moment, kissed his cheek, and then chose a random bag.

"My god, Huey..." She said as she tore into a bag. Normally, she'd feel bad for just taking a bag, but she had sensed his willingness to share. "Caleb is going to kill you..." She ripped into the packaging of the burger that the bag had revealed. She took a large bite, and melted back into the sofa, clutching the hot food tight. She continued just before taking into another bite "Or he might kiss you" She grinned at him as she quickly devoured the burger. It had been so long since she had enjoyed a substantial meal, and made a mental note to make it up to him as soon as the chance arose.

After the fourth bag, Huey seemed to wake up. The world seemed to come into focus. He could see through the ambient murk and make out details of the warehouse pretty clearly. He could hear the faint back and forth of motorists in the distance. He could feel the grease on his fingers. Smell the intoxicating aroma coming off the remaining bags. Taste came back, and he became aware of what he was actually eating instead of just wolfing it down.

Whatever it was, it tasted good.

His cognitive faculties kicked back into high gear as well—as if they'd been paused by his intemperate and voracious hunger. He remembered walking in and Ashlyn hugging him. He remembered that quite fondly, actually—a smile tugging at his lips. He turned towards her and gave a quick sheepish wave with his free hand—his way of saying good evening with a full mouth—before resuming his meal.

Manners, manners.

Then he finally got around to processing what she'd said. "Caleb is going to kill you..." Huey grinned. While Caleb usually brought back some of the good stuff after going out, Huey just couldn't resist the urge. Not with foodstuffs so close and legal tender in the pocket... albeit acquired somewhat mendaciously. Hmm. Caleb wouldn't really be vexed at his leaving the warehouse, right... right? Then again, the guy could lay down a serious scolding when he got into the mood.

He looked over at Vix, wondering if she wanted some of what remained of this bounty before it was sacrificed.

Ashlyn finished her burger quickly, and then moved onto a slice of pizza. God, she loved pizza. It melted in her mouth, and she couldn't help but smile as her childhood favorite alleviated the last of her bad mood. She sat beside Huey and continued her meal, waving back when her mouth was just as full as his. As Vix came over too she swallowed and greeted her with a contented "Hey, Vix" and a wave. Caleb would be so mad at Huey and she paused. She knew that he had gone out, so dragged a couple of bags out of the way of their furious onslaught.

Ashlyn gestured to the bags she had rescued, and justified it by saying "For Caleb". She then leaned back against the sofa with a sigh and finished another slice of pizza. And as her body became satisfied, her powers attempted to take control again, and she felt Huey's satisfaction as her own, and also Vix's disapproval and frustration.

Setting aside the pizza box with a small smile, she pushed away the pressure of powers, grimaced against the familiar jarring that it caused her and spoke curiously to Vix. "How you doing, hon? You alright?" She offered her a sympathetic smile, knowing the irritation that she was feeling.

Peaceful.

Huey sighed, appeased. After that last run in with FEAR, things had been so tumultuous that it felt as if things would never calm down. Not to imply that life for them was ever "calm," but when your entire existence is defined as "on the run," you gain an acute appreciation for the relativity of things. Every time they got even close to what Huey perceived as "peaceful," something always happened to screw it up. Always and without exception.

Huey opened his eyes. He hadn't noticed he was nodding off, stomach full and lost in his own thoughts. He glanced at Vix and Ashlyn, who were having casual conversation. The couch was comfortable. He had a wonderful meal. The sky above was beautiful, gentle moonlight filtering in through the glass panes of the ceiling. Subconsciously, a smile found its way onto his face. For a moment, just a moment, Huey was content.

Is this what family is like?

That's when the warehouse lights started flickering. On. Off. On. Off. They didn't turn back on. In the distance, Huey could hear the sound of their backup generator dying out, which was... impossible. He leapt to his feet immediately, epinephrine already pumping through his veins. Anxiety clenched his stomach, wringing it like a dish rag. It can't be them. No way. No way. Huey slowly made his way to front entrance of the warehouse, placing his ear against the door. Why? How? He took a deep breath, stepping back from the door and forcing himself to downshift a gear or two. Maybe it wasn't FEAR. Maybe they were just having electrical pro—

Huey is what normal people might call "a freak". He'd call himself "special". You see, he has the power to manipulate forces that come into contact with his body. Yep, forces. You remember those old physics classes, right? Applied force. Normal force. Frictional force. Et cetera. Yeah, Huey can tap into them. Manipulate them. Negate them. Reflect them. It allows him to lift things he shouldn't otherwise be able to lift. It enables him to leap higher than normal humans should. He can survive falls from heights that would leave your average person splattered across the pavement.

So when the door exploded inward, Huey inadvertently jumped. Literally, jumped, several feet in the air at an angle back away from the door and toward the ceiling. However, the door was moving so fast and with such force that it smashed into his lower body before he could get clear. It took him but a moment to arrest the projectile's motion, negating its dangerous momentum with a single kick, but he had not accounted for the explosion itself.

The moment he jumped was the moment he'd made himself vulnerable.

Huey was flung backward in an arc, head over heels. With a sickening crunch, he smashed into the wall behind the stack of freight crates he'd been napping on earlier. The dent he left in the metalwork of the wall was barely noticeable as he had negated the impact, rolling down and to the ground. Through the haze of smoke and dust came soldiers. Lots of soldiers. They poured in like water through a ruptured dam.

Thinking quickly, Huey placed his hands along the side of the freight crate in front of him. "FEAR!" he yelled, warning the others if they had any lingering doubts. He then pushed slightly, concentrating on manipulating the involved forces. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he noted that his shirt was smoldering, wisps of smoke stinging his eyes. Due to his current efforts, his headache had returned as well.

Force augmentation was physically taxing... but worth it.

With a pained screech of metal on metal, the massive crate at the bottom of the stack exploded from its position like a rocket, sliding across the ground as if it were ice, smashing its way through the warehouse door, the soldiers that were pouring in through it, a respectably large section of wall, and everything else in its way.

Yep. There it was. Something always happens to screw up the peace. Always.

The lights flicking off effectively cut off the conversation she was having with Vix, and her smile froze on her lips when the lights flicked on one more time, illuminating one final image of delayed reaction and the fade of contentment from her friends eased faces. The lights flicked off, plunging them into darkness, and in that moment, Ashlyn stood, a half formed cuss word escaping her lips. There was then a lingering moment, and Ashlyn felt her fear create a small spark of light, the flame flickering uncertainly in the palm of her untrained hand, and the door exploded, sending Huey flying. And abruptly the press of soldiers against her mind made her gasp. FEAR. The organizations desire for their eradication was blatant on each mind that she felt as she stepped between them and Huey as he crashed to the ground behind her.

She glanced at him and Vix, refusing to let fear take over. Her previous nightmares tried to surge to the fore of her thoughts, but with an effort of will she choked them down and drew her little knife with her spare hand. In her other, her left hand, Ashlyn tried to make the little spark of light more substantial, focusing and withdrawing as she mentally coaxed the fire into some sort of projectile. Her training in this was informal, little more than instinct, and it wasn't until her nightmares pressed against her inner eye with a renewed vengeance that her anger and fear and natural defensiveness surged forth, and the flicker of heat in her hand swelled abruptly. She felt a thrill of victory. She had done it!

The soldiers moved forward.

Ignoring them, reclaiming her state of concentration, Ashlyn hurled the fire at them. Her aim was a guess as the fire arced from her hand to the middle of the group, striking home with the power of her anger. Like a cornered tiger that turns to her last defense, her flames exploded, and felled several of the soldiers, and broke the morale of a few of them as the stench of burning human filled the air. Even Ashlyn almost gagged. Nevertheless, she drew to herself another flame. It came easier, but it stuttered uncertainly, and even as she threw it at the FEAR soldiers, she knew it would do minimal damage.

They drew ever closer, and Ashlyn took Vix's shoulder as she dragged her, none too gently, to regroup with Huey. She shouted to them over the noise of the soldiers and the pounding in her ears "We need to get out of here!"

And where the hell was Caleb?