Dream: Power of Truth

Date: 9/19/2020

My name was Alexis. Most my friends called me Lex. I was a woman of maybe 30 with the ability to take a walk inside a person's mind and dreams. Well, that and enhanced strength and speed but the physical abilities were more harmful to me than people may think. Without the proper amount of enhancement I could end up harming my hands or feet… or other limbs. The hardest thing was that I had powers at all. Those of us with powers were being chased down. Hunted by people who thought we were threats to the government and society. I had grouped up with a few others while on the run. Valor, a kinetic who normally wouldn't even appear to be one of us if he hadn't accidentally blown up his sister's birthday cake trying to light the candles. Morte, a psionic who normally could just pass as a normal person but the moment he touches you he gets a glimpse in your mind. He became terrified of crowds with how much he'd see. Then there was Avery. He was a shifter. He could make himself look like any guy or girl or someone completely new. The four of us were our own little family unit. Doing what we could to stay alive together. Unfortunately things got a bit dicey one day. Valor and Morte stayed at our current base. Manning the fort they said. Avery and I had gone into town for supplies. He'd morphed to be a man of similar attributes to mine so we could play it off as siblings. We had gotten a good way through our shopping when we noticed it. One of the patrol cars for that damned group. Avery and I pulled the hoods up on our jackets as we headed back through the alleys towards home. "Morte. Get Valor and pack fast. Patrol here. Time to relocate." I sent out telepathically. I got a small "okay" in response before the connection faded. Avery nodded to me as we weaved through to one of our other hideouts. We were certain one of those guys had followed us. We knew that much but we're unsure how many others were with them.  "Lex?" Avery asked as we headed off at a somewhat quicker pace.  We could hear them chasing us now. I looked to Avery and he morphed as we ran. Became a young woman and threw the supply bag hard at the direction the footsteps were chasing from. We heard a grunt behind us as we ran. I nodded to him and he hopped on my back. Clinging tight as I enhanced my body to run faster. I enhanced it again for the strength needed to leap far and got us up on the rooftops and away from possible civilians. We didn't want to hurt anyone. We just wanted our freedom. We were still being chased. At least one of our pursuers had abilities. One of the converted it seems.  "Lex I'm not sure if we'll make it." Avery said as I felt the fear radiate off them. I did yet another enhancement. More speed. We had to make it. "Just a little further. We'll be across the border soon." I soothed in Avery's mind. It was true. If we crossed the border we'd be in a country where they couldn't reach us. A country that protected people like us who didn't use their abilities to harm. Just to survive. Panic. Hatred. I could hear the mental voices of those chasing us. As well as Avery. Sweet Avery who only ever wanted to help people. Never harm them. We were just a few feet away when I could feel the pain of a gunshot go skidding by my side. I stopped, swung Avery off my back, and tossed them across the border. A shield wall of sorts appeared after they had made it across. "Lex! Lex!" I heard Avery shout as I felt another gunshot. It cut my leg as it went by. I powered down. If I even so much as flinched I knew I'd get more than just cuts from their bullets. At the least… Avery was safe now. "Don't worry. I'll find you again once I get free. Until then please stay where you're safe." I soothed in his mind. I felt the power suppressing cuffs lock onto my wrists. One of the patrolmen stared me down with a smirk. "Just a few more steps and you coulda made it. Must suck punk." He said. "You would have killed my friend. Getting them to safety is what mattered." I said with my own smirk, "Guess I won." That cost me a hard hit to the back of the head. I was out cold for most the ride to their base. When I awoke I was being led to what looked like an interrogation cell. I could feel patches on my wounds so I'd been treated while unconscious.  "At least they have some humanity." I muttered as I tried to adjust in the seat I'd been placed in. A buzzing sound came and a woman walked in. She looked about my age. Her eyes cold. The more I stared the more familiar she seemed. "Alexis Lee Morelle. Abilities: Physical body enhancement for speed and strength. Psionic mind walking and dream walking. Threat Level: Red." The woman stated as she flipped through a file. She sat across from me. Her eyes not once looking at me. "Anya?" I asked as I realized I knew that voice. "Corporal Dennett to you." She said, confirming my realization. "Christ." I hissed, "You're a Convert. You. Why are you working with them? What did they promise you that was worth selling your very soul." One of the guards looked ready to intervene but she raised a hand to stop him. He obeyed and she fixed her gaze on me. Her eyes were so cold. So far from the bright Anya I once knew. "I learned of the dangers of those like you. Those who can influence the mind." Anya told me calmly. "But I'm no Convert. I wasn't captured and changed. I signed up voluntarily. I knew I needed to help them capture those like you." "I can't influence the mind. Seeing inside someone's head isn't the same as controlling it." I scoffed, "Is Andy here too? I bet you had to capture him. He'd never willingly turn on his own kind." Anya glared at me, "Don't speak that name. His name should never be spoken by such a traitor as you." "Traitor?!" I snapped as I rose to my feet. Both guards trained their guns on me. I glared daggers at Anya. "I have never done anything to betray you or this country. Nothing outside being born with powers that I never wanted. I protect those who can't protect themselves and get them across to the safety of a country that cares for them. THAT isn't a betrayal. THAT is the right thing to do." I felt a growl build in me as I watched her. "The betrayal is you turning Andy against me and this country. You manipulated him to think you were some wonderful person. He died trying to keep your location a secret." Anya told me calmly. I growled low, "So that's what this is. Petty revenge because you couldn't convince him to sell his soul."  We stared each other down a good five minutes as I worked out my plan of attack. I could see her working through her own strategy. "Did you ever stop to think why Andy and I got along so well? Why you would catch us whispering away from you when we were younger?" I asked her as she glared, "It's because he was giving me advice on how to talk to you. You. The woman I once loved. He was rooting for me whole-heartedly. But when my abilities manifested he knew I had to get somewhere safe. So he sent me off with one of his friends. That way he could keep you safe as your abilities began to manifest. Abilities similar to his. He knew he could help keep you hidden but not both of us. So I got sent to someone who could help me." I watched her taking this all in. "I loved you Anya. The woman you were was bright and strong. She was determined to help others." I felt my anger rise, "But Corporal Dennett is nothing but a traitorous coward who is letting the government destroy people's lives." She waved off the guards that had their weapons aimed at me. Instead a hot glow emitted from her hand and she pushed it into me. Pain seared me as I flew back into the wall. I dropped to the floor and felt a throbbing pain in my head.  "Truth hurts." I spat at her. (I awoke after that.)