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Run. Just run and never look back.
It was the main thing that Zeta learned while growing up, as someone who possessed the power that was thrust upon her since birth: the power to burn; The power to manipulate, create and bend fire to its very will.
“You’re a Burnish, Zeta. Just like your father and I,” She remembers her mother saying when she asked what these newfound powers were when she showed her how she could simply create fire just like that.
Little did she know how much a small detail would cause such a drastic change to her world.
◁◁◁
When she had first discovered these powers, her parents made it plain and simple that keeping her powers well-hidden was an absolute top priority. At first, she was curious as to why her mother and father wanted her to keep them hidden —because why would she want to keep the power to control fire secret?! It was too awesome to not show off!— but after an incident one afternoon while she and her family were in the city, where the Freeze Force showed up to arrest a couple that was just going along their daily lives, just for simply being Burnish — just like her — Zeta began to understand what it was exactly her parents were talking about.
From that point onward, Zeta took her parents’ words to heart; except for the occasional night light she would use to get around the house at night to either get water or use the restroom, she would keep producing any flames of her own to a minimum. She grew up to be the daughter that her parents would be proud of; she had a good amount of friends, she got along really well with her teachers, and she got good enough grades in school. All in all, Zeta had lived a pretty normal life, given the circumstances that she was in.
It wasn’t until not too long after her 20th birthday that she and her parents were greeted with an unwelcome awakening. One moment, Zeta was getting ready to go to bed; the next, she heard the Freeze Force officers burst their way into her home, using their freeze guns to encase as much as they could in ice and blocking out any means of escape. Locking the door in her bedroom with as many sturdy objects as she could, she grabbed her backpack and packed as much stuff as she could: clothes, a pair of shoes, snacks she kept in her drawers, and other small necessities she needed to survive. She could hear the yelling the Freezing Force officers, as well as her parents, coming from downstairs. Hearing her mother and father scream in pain was enough to leave a twist in her gut, but Zeta continued her escape.
As much as it killed her inside to leave them and the home she knew behind, Zeta leaped out of the window and into her back yard just in time; her door being burst wide open the second she was out of sight, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Hopping into the new motorcycle that she had just bought just a few days prior, Zeta speeded off into the night, not once looking back at the life she was leaving behind.
This was her life now; a life of being on the run, and as long as the fire inside her shined brightly, she would learn how to control the flames that burned.
△△△
The world, Zeta finds out soon enough, becomes more of a matter of survival than just living. While she had the necessary resources to skate on by (for now…), she knew that it was only a matter of time before she would inevitably encounter Freeze Force again. The nightmare that continues to haunt her in her sleep —when she does find it in her to fall asleep— was a very grim reminder of that fact.
There were also times where Zeta found herself lost in thought about in the possible what-ifs that may have happened had it not been for the unfortunate events of that night. Would she and her parent still be living their normal lives? Would they have left regardless of whether their lives were in danger or not?
Could I have been able to save them? The million-dollar question rang inside Zeta’s head. Would I have been able to prevent everything that went wrong that night?
She, however, decides to not answer it, refusing to let the guilt festering inside get the better of her. Part of her knew an answer to those questions, and she didn’t like it one bit.
▷▷▷
Zeta never overstayed her welcome when she went from town to town; whenever she needed to stop for something; such as food, gas, a place to sleep for the evening, Zeta would get what she needed, make friendly conversation whenever it was required, and go along her merry way to her next destination.
It wasn’t until a ride through the desert that she sees a glimpse of something very peculiar. The Freeze Force was there, sure, but that’s not what catches Zeta’s attention; but she finds herself captivated by the myriad colors of flames that were fighting the ice guns and bombs of the Freeze Force. Well, they weren’t exactly… fighting them head-on, per se, but rather also using themselves as bait for hit-and-run tactics. It’s almost as if they’re—
Zeta finds herself speeding up, heading towards the cloud of ice and fire to see whatever exactly was going on, as well as figure out who was leading the pack.
▽▽▽
The battle was hard-fought, but with the help of Zeta’s intervening, the Freeze Force is driven off for the time being.
At the cost of their victory, however, the Freeze Force was able to capture many fellow Burnish. It feels more like a bitter defeat than a sweet victory, but it’s a pill that Zeta must swallow, no matter how putrid the taste.
“Is everyone all right?” Zeta yells out, to everyone that managed to avoid capture.
Several nods from several people are her answer. Jumping off her motorcycle, Zeta makes her way towards one of the rogues, questions ready at her disposal.
“You,” she speaks sharply. “Is your leader around? Because I’d like to have words with them.”
The stranger points towards a direction, and what Zeta sees is two tall men, dressed in black, heading this way. After giving a short “thank you”, Zeta walks towards whoever was approaching her.
Upon a closer look, she sees that both men were much taller than herself; one more broad-shouldered — and also has a while the other looks almost lanky in comparison. She’s almost intimidated at how she looks almost puny in comparison to the two of them, but Zeta stands her ground.
“Miss,” The taller man speaks, his voice surprisingly deep. “I cannot thank you enough for the help that you’ve given me and my partner here. The Freeze Force would’ve surely gotten a hold of us if it weren’t for you.”
“It was the least I could do to help out my fellow Burnish,” Zeta responds, “Though I would like to ask you a question: Why on earth were you fighting in such a reckless manner? You and your goons are gonna get yourselves killed if you keep using attacks like that. It’s like you want to put giant targets on the back of your heads for the Freeze Force to get you!”
“…. I see,” The man responds simply. “Our apologies. It’s all we’ve known to do ever since we’ve begun our skirmishes with the Freeze Force.”
“If the government doesn’t want to play fair with us Burnish, then why should we?” The other man cuts in. “It’s only simple logic. We’ve got to do what we can to protect those that can’t fight for themselves.”
“I see both of your points, I really do,” Zeta commends. “But wouldn’t that just make your lives more of a living hell than it already is? If you all go as far as to try to kill someone from the government, they’re gonna crack down on us even more than they already are.”
“… You bring up a very good argument,” The broad-shouldered man agrees. “But what do you suggest we do?”
“We’ll create and establish a city for the Burnish.” Zeta states. “One that’s far away from humanity where we can make a living with almost no troubles.
“What do you mean by that?” The shorter of the two men ask. “Could we manage to do something like that? It seems illogical.”
“We have the power to do it ourselves,” As if to prove her point, Zeta creates a flame from her hands. “We’ll use these flames to that end. No matter the cost, we’ll save our comrades that were captured, and we can do it without killing anyone. We can fight back with all the strength we have against those who wish to reduce us to nothing but ashes. No matter what cruelty the government throws our way, we will never give in. We’ll live proudly as Burnish, as long as these flames continue to burn within us.”
When Zeta finishes her small speech, the two men exchange a glance, nod, look back in Zeta’s direction, and hold out their own flames; almost identical to Zeta’s fire.
“Very well,” The taller of the two replies. “We’ll follow you from now on, Miss, as the new leader of Mad Burnish.”
“I am Vaseraga,” He adds.
“And I’m called Cassius,” The other man says. “May we ask what your name is?”
“…Zeta. My name is Zeta.” She answers, as their flames glow and burn brightly in the dark of the night surrounding them.
She doesn’t know when it happens, but she feels the smallest of smiles grace her lips. For the first time in what feels like a long time, Zeta feels like she can see the light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel.