Alone in the Shadows

Posted on Sat Sep 9th, 2023 @ 10:30 by Claire Cavendish & Phoebe Hunter

Chapter: All Hallow's Eve
Location: William's cottage, Avalon Institute's courtyard
Timeline: Concurrent with Steal from the Rich
2163 words - 4.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Previously in Steal from the Rich:

As Claire saw that her team seemed capable of handling themselves she focused on a secluded spot in the Institute's courtyard where she knew she'd be safe. The first one that came to her mind was the cottage William had built for himself. She made sure to focus only on herself, not that it felt like she'd have the energy left to take anyone else with her. With a sizzle and a pop she disappeared, taking herself out of harms way.

Claire reappeared in the shadow of William's cottage. For a second she stood there, looking around quickly to see if she was secluded and safe. Then her resolve cracked and her knees buckled. She fell to the grass. Her outstretched hands stopped her from hitting the ground. After two strong breaths she felt her stomach turn and suddenly a mix of the horror themed snacks found their way back out the fast way. She hadn't felt this sick from teleporting since her teenage years.

She crawled backwards, away from the mess of fake eyeballs and blood punch. When her slowly retreating feet found a tree to rest against pushed herself up to sit down against it. The makeshift prop flamethrower that was still slung around her shoulder cracked with the collision. It barely registered. Her mind was swimming with what had happened. The wave that had supercharged her powers, and a loss of control that she had fought so hard to avoid all those years.

The head teacher's head hung low, between her pulled up knees, arms wrapped around them to make a cocoon of safety. She was doing what she had always done. What she felt supercharged her powers. Before whatever happened had actually supercharged her powers. Hiding had become second nature, and however much it pained her to be sitting here while there was an army on her doorstep, there was no way she could be of any use to anyone after draining herself completely like she did.

There were many philosophies on the mutant powers. Where they had come from, what made them manifest, when the first occurance had been. Contemporary research had found that proper training and practice could enhance one's abilities. Even beyond the development they made throughout adolescence. Claire had never been able to do what she had done tonight. She had tried with willing participants to teleport, but to no avail. It was something that always felt just out of reach for her.

Tonight she had felt the location of those near her. It was almost a reflex to reach out to them. It had been. She hadn't wanted it to happen, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. And when she did that familiar feeling of vertigo had overcome her. In a panic she had tried to direct herself. Away from the London mansion she had called home, away from the country house in Wales, Avalon. She had tried to think of Avalon. The Castle. The Hanger. The Loch.

She had never been able to teleport to anything more distant than a couple of kilometres, and even that was pushing herself to her outer limits. 500 miles to London. Over 350 miles to Wales. Her body was catching up to that fact and was starting to feel as if she had crossed that entire distance by simply running back and forth. Shivers taking over.

Even in her early stages of discovering her powers she never had this bad of a reaction. She could suppress another bout of nausea. The sounds of fighting in the distance made her want to get back up and help. Her home was in danger and she was sitting under a tree, in the dark. It took no effort to disappear into the shadow. The shame did all the heavy lifting there.

Claire had built herself up to be a strong woman. It was times like these where she felt her true nature shone through. Hiding in the dark while her friends were out there defending her home. The home she had dragged them all into. Promising a safe haven. a sanctuary from persecution. Now the enemy was at the gates, and the Duchess was cowering.

She pushed herself up off the ground. Heart pumping courage into her chest. She clenched her fists and then collapsed back onto the ground. There was nothing left. Another heave. Another splattering of red goop forced from her stomach. There was no way she was going to be any help in keeping the enemy at bay. She crawled back to the tree she'd been seated against. She needed a moment to recover. A couple more moments than she'd given herself.

Then she heard a loud crash from overhead, something had come flying through the roof of the institute and suddenly landed right in front of her.

"Head Mistress Cavendish." The man known as Robin Hood leaned into her, towering over her weakened form. "You're not looking so spry." There was a crackle of energy that coursed over his body. He winced. He was clearly straining against something building up inside. "I'm sorry I can't stay and chat, I'm sure you can appreciate that." He grabbed her by the chin and his eyes shimmered purple as he pulled in her powers. "Did anyone ever tell you how boring your abilities were?"

Claire pulled herself away from his touch, using the tree to get herself upright and stand in front of him. She simply stared daggers at him with clenched jaws.

"You've got so many interesting people here, each and every one of them more powerful than you. Yet you convince them that they're weak. Should work for humankind, rather than their own kind. Your father would be proud of you. You built a concentration camp and they all flock to you willingly." He stepped to her and put a hand around her throat. "It would be so easy.." He mused to himself.

There was no way she could defy him. Even as he winced again at something surging through him. He was stronger, there was no telling what powers he possessed. She could barely stand up straight. Almost thankful for the extra support he was giving her with his hand. "I'm not afraid of you."

"So weak. You can't even protect your own people." The grip tightened for a moment before Robert suddenly felt a strange sensation. A familiar one. "You don't want to do that, Pheebs, you and I both know how this is going to end."

Phoebe's heart raced as she sprinted through Avalon's dimly lit corridors, the fear of finding her dear friend in dire straits gnawing at her. The vision that had driven her there was an ominous spectre, casting shadows of dread over her usually unshakeable confidence. Arriving at Williams' once-comfortable home, she was met with a door ajar, a stark contrast to its normally secure state. Phoebe, disheveled in her ripped and tattered goddess outfit, now bore the appearance of a warrior fresh from battle, a stark departure from her earlier, well-kept self.

The voice that called out to her, the way he said "Pheebs," sliced through her like a blade, a painful reminder of the impending outcome she had foreseen. She held a dagger tightly in her trembling hand, its cold steel contrasting with the warmth of her conflicted emotions.

"Both of us...dead," Phoebe replied, her voice heavy with resignation as she gazed at the ominous blade, knowing that this perilous journey she had embarked upon would culminate in a grim and harrowing confrontation.

After a moment where Robert seemed to consider that option he released Claire, who immediately slid down to the ground. He then gave Phoebe a wink. "I forgot how delicious your abilities could be. You never did use them to their full potential." She had been right though. Had he forced the matter, both of them would be bleeding out on the ground before the night ended. "I better get back to my Rangers." He looked back over to Claire, who was holding back tears and struggling to regain her breath and composure. "You should join us. This is clearly a lost cause."

"You don't know anything about me now. You lost that when you freed Heather from prison." Phoebe retorted, a sly smirk curling on her lips. Her knowledge had become her secret weapon for this confrontation. She anticipated her adversary's surprise, leveraging it to her advantage. In a swift motion, she launched a solid kick, landing it squarely, a testament to her strategic prowess and the fact even with her abilities now echoed she could handle herself.

Staggering from the kick, Robert took a moment to recover from the sudden assault. It had always been sharp dialogue between them in fights, not flying fists and feet. "It's inevitable, you must've seen this too. They'll be coming for us." He threw a sideways kick to try and connect with her abdomen. "I'm all that stands between those humans foaming at the mouth to throw us in cages."

"You are a fool, Robert," Phoebe exclaimed, her voice quivering with a mix of anger and concern. The only person witness to their confrontation was Claire, an air of tension thickening with each passing moment and movement from the pair. Her desperate warning fell on deaf ears. In his pursuit of an elusive goal, he had become blinded to reason, and she knew that he would dismiss her words as mere noise.

"I'm the fool?!" Robert grabbed onto an incoming strike from a fist and focused himself to avoid drawing her powers into himself. Something he had found harder to control than before. He willed his muscles to strengthen, thanks to a kid he had run into earlier, and forcefully pulled her in by her wrist. "Last chance. It's me or them." His head mere centimetres from hers.

Despite the pain radiating from her injured wrist, Phoebe refused to yield as he knife clattered to the stone path as they moved back and forth in a fight that was much more fatal than the sparing they had done back in the day. Her eyes blazed with defiance as she resolved to protect what Robert's reckless ambition threatened as she hit out at him again.

Robert barely dodged the incoming strike and couldn't quite grab on to it. "Wrong answer." He could no longer suppress the ability of futuresight Phoebe was leaking into him due to the prolonged contact. Immediately also doubling the weight of all the competing powers on him. He gritted his teeth as in front of his mind's eye his companions were overrun by the larger group of mutants from the institute. "It was lovely meeting you." he pushed Phoebe away from him with some force before he gave a nod to the still incapacitated Claire and blowing a kiss towards Phoebe. He turned and sprinted towards the castle walls before leaping over it with one great bound, disappearing into the night.

Phoebe let the man leave before she rushed to Claire and wrapped her in her arms despite the pain it caused. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Claire felt her muscles somewhat relax. The tiredness was too much. She could still feel the grip on her throat. Knowing his abilities and whatever had happened to them due to the surge she was probably lucky to still be alive. She slowly shook her head. She wasn't okay. As things were starting to shape up in the world around them it almost felt like it was never going to be okay again. She didn't want to think like that, she wasn't a blind optimist but she'd never felt cynical about the chances of uniting humanity, regardless of their vast differences. People like this Robin Hood figure were pushing them further apart.

In this moment everything she was working for, everything she tried to accomplish. It seemed too far away, and gaining distance. So she wasn't okay. She was alive. They survived another day out here. And the Institute survived a direct assault. But it had only been three people, and one of them had managed to get inside. So they certainly lost more than they won. She started to push herself up from the ground. Her entire body protesting and aching. "The students." She said hoarsely. She needed to check on the kids. If all of them were still alright. Her heart pumped adrenaline around her veins, taking away some of the hurt, not nearly enough, but some at least. Once everything was sorted they were going to do things differently, and the next person that breached these walls were going to regret setting foot on Avalon soil.

More than the hurt. More than the fatigue. More than the fear. Claire felt anger, for the first time in a long time, she was furious.