Chapter Text
“You know, even though we can’t use it, it really does tie the room together.”
Oh for fuck’s sake, they were talking about the toaster again.
Rhea chose to ignore the burning desire she had to smack the twins around the head as she stepped into the kitchen. It was strange to say that this random room in an old office building was now a kitchen. It was strange to say that any of this was something one could call a home. Even then, nobody used that name.
It was the den . Rhea hated that they called it that. But that’s what happens when the world order collapses, and the only thing left of life is an empty city, a virus that killed itself and a bunch of mutant young adults with the doctor who experimented on them.
Rhea hated a lot of things. She was bitter, twisted, and actively detested everything around her. She was also incredibly self-aware of her own pessimism.
“I can just make you guys toast, you know.” She said, beginning to search the cupboards for something to eat.
Malcolm and Henry turned to look at her. Malcolm had this look of utter disgust and rejection on his face. Rhea had almost forgotten what he looked like before the experiments. Now, Malcolm had eight eyes, and small hairs covering his skin. He could now take the name spider-man literally. Henry, despite being his twin, had not received the same animal DNA as Malcolm. Instead, he was covered in patches of black fur, his eyes had a sharp yellow tinge to them, and his front teeth were sharp.
“What you make is not toast, and you can barely make bread.” Malcolm said, crossing his arms and pouting.
“It’s flour and water.” Rhea explained, tutting. The cupboards were almost empty. For fucks sake, nobody had left her anything. Again. “That’s bread.”
“No, it’s flatbread.” Henry added. “No yeast or salt either. It doesn’t rise.”
“It has bread in the name. It’s bread.”
Malcolm smacked his brother. “Idiot. Shouldn’t have mentioned the flat bread. Anyway, it’s not toast. Toast was made in the toaster . Which we can’t use.”
Rhea leaned back out of the cupboard. She raised a skeptical eyebrow as her eyes landed on the toaster. It was bright red, metallic, and stupid. They had found it while searching the city a couple of months back. When it initially got brought back to the den, everyone was fascinated that something like that was in pristine condition.
It was in pristine condition because it had been kept in the fucking box.
“If we had electricity…” Malcolm mused, his expression turning wistful.
She rolled her eyes at him. “You’re starting to sound like Jax.”
“If he really wanted to sound like Jax, he would start going on about the music on that weird little box of his.” Henry added, chuckling to himself as he leaned against the counter.
“Hey, my brother gave him that walkman.” Rhea said, standing up. Getting breakfast was a bust. “And I don’t see you two trying to appreciate what little culture remains in this world.”
“It’s shit music.” Malcolm added with a shrug.
Rhea noticed a teaspoon on the kitchen countertop. She grabbed it and threw it at Malcolm. He and Henry screamed like children as it flew between them. She headed to the door, calling back to them as she went. “I’m going out. If Isaac asks where I am, tell him I’ll be back before sundown!”
She heard the protests from the twins, but couldn’t be bothered to respond. She took a slight detour to one of the old storage rooms where she kept her backpack. The old metal shelves still had boxes of stationery and paper, the cardboard beginning to crumple in on itself. She checked her backpack, making sure everything was still in there while constantly listening to anyone coming her way. Though getting experimented on wasn’t exactly the pinnacle of living her best life as a teenager, Rhea could at least appreciate the fact she had heightened hearing. Perks of bat DNA, of all the fucking things to get.
Rhea fumbled with the zip of the bag, swearing under her breath as the webbed skin between her fingers made it difficult to grip the zipper. She flung it over her back, sneaking back out the building and onto the streets.
It was a nice day for exploring. She could see why Jax liked to walk the streets with his music so loud it could burst his eardrums. Why Blue enjoyed going to the library. And why Luco and Karl, the idiots, constantly engaged in parkour across the buildings. From what she remembered before the world went wrong, Rhea always found everything in the city too loud. Cars, sirens, people. A disorganised symphony of mayhem and madness that could never be in true harmony. That felt like forever ago.
Too long, actually.
Rhea hummed some silly tune as she walked, a random song Jax had showed her one day. He and Isaac always listened to music together, it had become something of a constant in their budding romance. Rhea worried for them, sometimes. The facility had changed them all, but Isaac had changed the most. Her relationship with her brother was never the best, but he needed Rhea, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
After about ten minutes of walking, Rhea reached the place she wanted to. An old roundabout in the city centre. The roads had long remained unused. The concrete was cracking, with shoots and weeds appearing through the gaps. Flowers, little daisies and daffodils, bloomed in the spring sun. She dropped her backpack and opened it again, pulling out what the entire purpose of this excursion was.
An old paper map of the city. It was at least a decade out of date, and one of those silly tourist ones that was filled with adverts and tiny icons telling you where the toilets were. It was covered in Rhea’s notes, detailing what streets were still usable, which buildings had any supplies and general interesting things she had encountered. Only about half of it was complete. And the starting point for this grand adventure of the city? The broken statue at the roundabout.
Rhea often wondered how large the city was. She had forgotten how much time the years in the facility had taken from her. The world changed in what seemed like the blink of an eye.
She thought the same thought she had so many times. Time feels weird now. Off, almost.
It made no fucking sense.
Looking back at the map, Rhea picked her route, knowing she could then make a stop at the greenhouse before heading back.
Map in hand, she began her ritualistic routine of exploring the city. The adventure, the quest, the hunt. Whatever name she decided to call it that day. It ate away at the boredom that constantly gnawed at her insides. It gave Rhea purpose, even as the days morphed together. Living was fine. It was fine . But that never felt like enough.
Eventually, as the sun moved across the sky, Rhea found herself at what was formerly a popular garden. Now it was nothing but overgrown plants that had regained control. But at the back of it stood a greenhouse, which Rhea had claimed authority over.
Dr Martin appreciated the fruit and vegetables Rhea had been able to grow. The motherfuckers at the den really liked strawberries.
And there, standing outside, was the uncertain part of the day. Whether or not she would be there was always a surprise. The ‘maybe’ in the day of ‘definitely’. Elle was leaning against the glass door, arms crossed, looking the picture of grace. Even if she was wearing an old pair of overalls and a very muddy pair of boots. Her butterscotch coloured hair was in two dainty plaits that framed her face.
“Well, if it isn’t Miss Wanderlust?” She announced, her lips curling into a smile.
Rhea walked up to her, throwing her backpack by the greenhouse door. “Surprised you didn’t call me bat bitch, star shine.”
Elle shrugged, scoffing. “Seemed too easy. After all, you’re not exactly dangerous with your scrunched nose and baby ears.”
Rhea faked looking offended as she took off her leather jacket. “I have fangs too.”
“Baby fangs.” Elle smirked. “You’re a little baby bat.”
“Basic bitch.” Rhea taunted back.
“Mutant brat.” Elle said, sticking her tongue out. She took a step closer to Rhea. Rhea felt her heart begin to race as Elle said with a roll of her bright green eyes. “Will you just kiss me like you hate me already?”
Rhea grabbed the straps of Elle’s overalls and pulled her in towards her. “With pleasure.”