Chapter Text
The Cross
Chapter One:
Beginnings
2003
==
A young girl with shoulder length blonde hair, at the age of nine, sat on the cold metal lab table. “Why do I have to do this?” She whined, watching her mother and the other people in lab coats walk around her.
“You are part of The Cross; you will be the next generation. We need to perform all of the tests and make sure you can't be poisoned by anything known of.” Her mother told her, in a harsh tone. “You are our hope.” She answered, voice softer. “We need you to be able to be immune to everything.”
The small girl hated the labs, they scared her. Though she knew better to show her fear, if she did her mom would send her back to the camps. She hated the camps.
The smell of the stale labs was the same you’d find in a hospital. The scent was sterile and cold, you could detect just a hint of the medication they had laying about. It all made the young girl want to rub her nose and she hated it.
“Hold still.” A man grunted at her, connecting her to a bunch of different things, she doesn't even know what is what.
The girl looked over her shoulder to all the machines she's hooked too and the many types of strange liquids that dripped into the IV that she wore. Softly she gulped, then everything started to dim.
The beeping noises in the room, they were slowing down, skip beeps from the dimming lights. The power couldn't have been dying, simply because they aren't using normal energy sources.
The next thing that happened was a loud banging. The room they were in shaking and the lights from the top of the room they are in came falling down with rocks and rubble.
A moment later everything went black and then lighten up to point that electronics were exploding. The lights above that didn't fall exploded like bombs going off, sending glass flying everywhere.
The smell of chemicals was replaced with the smell of burning wires, burning flesh and anything else that would catch on fire from the electronics exploding.
Then the smell of burning wood could be smelt. The small girl was too scared to move. Most of the adults were either dead from electronics exploding or injured from it. The Little girl pulled at the things she's connected to, and the machines started to send electricity through the wires connecting her to it. The machine that controlled how much poison that gets pumped in her loses control and the machine began to overdose her.
Her body felt like it was burning from inside out. Screaming in pain, tears running down her face. Her once blue eyes started to change colors, and her eyes couldn't close. Shifting from blue to an off green. Then everything stopped.
Everything was silent. The girl's heart stopped.
Her chest wasn't moving. Not breathing anymore.
The noise that caused all of that was from a falling meteor.
Outside of the room that they were working on the small girl and other people, was a cave in; young woman laying in the rubble unconscious from a blow to the head by the falling rubble. The young teenager with the light brown hair was lucky to be alive.
2005
==
Two young girls stood next to each other, holding each other's hands. One with shoulder length bright blonde hair, the other with dark brown hair that was just below chin length. “Scary.” The darker haired one mumbled, obviously younger than the blonde.
The warm wind from the summer heat and smell of the trees, and ocean not far greeted the pair. It was their first day of school.
Their feelings were obviously mixed about it all. Excitement from being away from the Cross, learning from an actual school. Fear of being discovered. Nervousness for meeting new people. And much more.
A crowd of people passed by them. All of them seemed to be excited or nervous mainly. Some of them seemed to be playing it off cool, but their eyes showed their real feelings.
Then there the ones that really didn't matter much. They just looked like dead souls. Another squeeze of hand from the younger of the pair.
“We can do this.” The blonde stated, though her off green eyes were darting every which way. The blonde was looking for danger, trying to protect the younger one. “No one knows who we are. We will always have an ace in the hole.” The blonde spoke in hush tones, not wanting anyone to overhear her.
The breeze, this time, didn't bring the comfort of the outside world, but rather the crowd that formed around them. The smell of perfumes, body washes deodorant, and sweat.
They kept holding each other's hands, walking slowly closer to the doors of the building. The smell of cleaning supplies hit them, and the older of the two scrunched up her nose. Memories flashing through her eyes. Though this was different.
"We have something they don't." The older mumbled, again.
Who they are... Who are these two?
Children of the League of the Cross.
The darker haired one, eight years old, squeezed her best friend's, basically sister, hand for what felt like the millionth time. “We should head in.” The eleven-year-old told her, taking a step forward. “Come on, Amelia.”
2006
==
Nine years old Amelia stood tall in front of the council of The Cross next to twelve-year-old Emily. “Amelia Eberhardt and Emily Freitag,” Algenib called forth the two young children.
Emily linked her hand with Amelia's as they took the step forward. Amelia's hair was below her shoulders now, Emily's was cut to just above her ears and was in a spiky, pixie style. Amelia looked at her companion, her almost sister. They were both scared, but neither was allowed to show emotions.
Emotions were prohibited from The Cross.
Emotions are a weakness.
Though if they could show the emotions that they have to keep hidden, it'd show the fear and worry. What ifs running through their minds.
The smell of musk from the underground tunnels that lead up to this inner-cave dome, the one that is a sacred place. This is where the innermost members of The Cross can be found.
The outfits the pair was wearing consisted of tight fitting black cloth with no symbols or anything to mark them as unique. “I am proud to announce, the heiress, Tricks.” The man reached forward to Amelia who took his hand and stepped up on the platform.
The man motioned her to go to her knees. Doing so, on the higher step, he placed a hooded mask on her face. Then he turned to the spiky blonde, Emily.
“I am proud to announce, the survivor, Sparks!” He held his hand out to the blonde who took it and went to her knees, on a step below Amelia.
He placed a different mask upon her head.
“Welcome, our new sisters! Welcome, our future!” The leader called, making the two girls stand and turned to the crowd of who was there. They all bowed down to the pair. Amelia knew that now within the compounds she was Tricks, the Heiress. Emily will be Sparks, The Survivor.
2007
==
Tricks kneeled down. The ground looks mostly undisturbed. A frown across her lips. She was directed out here with her partner. Speaking of which, Tricks tilt her head back at the older woman and the teenager who was glaring at each other.
Masks be damned.
Tricks have no idea what has gotten into the two. "Siren, Sparks, what do you believe?" Tricks asked, trying not to be annoyed.
The smell of the fresh air and the woods around them seemed so peaceful. "I believe, three's a crowd," Siren spoke, snapping at the younger female that was wearing a plain mask with dark outfit.
This mission determines if they get their colors or not. This mission is what will give them a rank rather than continue on as lowly foot soldiers.
"If three's a crowd, then you should get lost. We are trying to earn our colors here." Sparks snapped back.
Siren's own light blue and red heart doodled where the ears of her mask should be. It was almost like headphone sets, and blue polka-dots.
"Siren, not helping." Tricks groaned, hearing a noise in a distance. "Shush!" She tried to silence them to listen. "Did you guys hear that?"
"Hear what?" Sparks asked, walking to her friend.
The smell of the woods that was so peaceful air seemed to drift and a different scent was in the air. It was one of burning wood. Sparks jumped into the trees, along with the other two not far behind her.
Siren was the fastest, but with her equipment on she was as slow as Amelia. Sparks only slightly faster than the younger of the pair.
Sparks climbed to the highest vantage point she could, needing less equipment which made her slightly lighter of the three. She could see the smoke from a distance. “Looks like a forest fire. Not our…-”
“Let's go check it out.” Tricks declared, about ready to jump forward.
“That’s not our job!” Sparks called after Tricks who was already jumping forward to the next branches of the trees.
A snicker from right below Sparks made her glare down to the colorful masked woman. “You heard the Heiress, let go check it out.” Siren sang, jumping forward herself.
Shoulders slumping, she knew that this would spell nothing but trouble for them.
The tree branches went down but didn’t crack or break under them. Careful to jump in trees that weren’t dead, that didn’t have falling leaves, and made sure they had a clear path forward.
Balancing when standing still was harder than running in the tree tops. It meant they needed balance to stay with them. Running they only need balance for a couple of seconds before they jumped forward.
Stopping not far from the flames, they saw a man standing there in a strange outfit. “You must be from the Cross.”
“How did you know that?” Siren demanded jumping down. Sparks about to protest, a single from Tricks stopped her.
He doesn’t know that they aren’t really henchmen, they are in fact training to get their colors. They are on the path to earning their colors. This mission is their first of hopefully many.
The smoke made Amelia fight back coughs and sneezing. She loved the smell, but it was also bothersome that this man was burning something as beautiful as these woods to draw them out.
The man snickered behind his masked. “I make it my business to know.” He stated, “The Cross needs new informants, powerful ones at that.” He walked forward.
Taking cues from Tricks, Siren frowned behind her mask. “We will have to turn you down on that.” She stated, about ready to leave.
Tricks were the heiress, and only Tricks or
Algenib
can bring in new people… without special permission.
“You are not in any positions to deny me of this.” The man in black and red stepped forward.
Siren reached backward, her wrists flying under her cloak. Soft clicking of the strange leather almost like bracelets on her wrists. Then chains with circular blades connected to a dark chain to her wrists.
“Threatening me now? Last time I checked, you needed the help.” He sounded smug, reaching back to his back. Where two blades rest.
It was playing out in Trick’s head long before she could see either of them move. He was well trained and obviously could take Siren down. Not that Tricks… Amelia… had any doubt at all in her trainer’s ability to do what all cost needed to be done.
The flames were getting closer. Their blades hitting each other and making the clanging noises. Tricks stopped paying attention to that. Instead, she paid attention to the flames that wouldn’t be stopping anytime soon.
Fires here stays for long periods of time.
The curse of hot climates, even if it is in the woods.
“Sparks, come with me.” Tricks demanded, jumping over the two battling below heads.
Watching her leader and friend head to the fire, Sparks’ breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t lose Amelia no matter what. The battle below, it would just have to wait.
Jumping closer to the fire, she looked for any source of water. She needed some way to put these flames out. To stop this fire before it consume everything.
The two younger kneeled on the ground, the older standing with her front leaning forward, a fist behind her back and one across her stomach. “Taking on someone as trained as him was reckless! You could have lost your lives! Normal foot soldiers would not have mattered, but you are the heiress! You are the last of the lineage of
Algenib
. You need to survive and it is your two jobs to make sure she does survive!” A man in a pure black outfit and pure black mask, light gray around the eyes, screamed at them.
“My apologizes Council, but Siren fought him. We were merely trying to control the flames before it attracted attention.” Tricks tried to explain.
That earned a harsh growl from the man before them. “You were merely trying to control the flames? You could have still been killed! Or worse (expelled)! You could have been spotted by those rogues who call themselves superheroes!” He yelled at them louder.
“What if
Algenib would have heard about this before us?” A woman wearing a similar mask stood up. Her mask gray markings had a swirling design.
“Heard about what?” A deep but soft voice asked, earning everyone’s attention.
The council of five bowed like how the older, already ranked, assassin stood. An older man walked in, with a hood over his head. The face was blocked out from view, but he was obviously debating on what the punishment should be.
A single to Amelia, she stood up, only having her head bowed. “Why was my hair on the ground? On the ground as if she was a foot soldier?” He tsked.
“My apologizes, great Leader. Our great Algenib.” One of the Council tried to… they were given a hard glare, as the man took his hood off.
His storming gray eyes then looked down to the masked Amelia, before reaching out. Unclasping the back of her mask, he placed his hand on her cheek. It was cold and rough. Years of fighting harden them so much.
“Grandfather, please do not be angered.” Amelia pleaded. “A man once part of Shadows approached us. We tried to earn no attention and Siren fought him while we…-” Her grandfather, the Algenib placed his hand on her chin making her look up to him.
“You are to go to the coloring corridors. The seer will see to you.” He commanded. “Your mission was a success.”
“Grandfather? I do not understand…”
“You survived and marked part of the Shadows, a threat to the Cross. Your mission was a success.” He stated, simply. Then motioned them to move onward as he looked to the Council. “My business with you is not over. Siren, see to the children.”
Amelia looked back to Siren as she moved away to leave the cavern they were in. The man who has her eyes motion her to leave through the door he came in, from behind the Council. Sparks followed Tricks, not knowing what else to do.
They then could hear a harshness of the Algenib tone that neither of them want to hear again. Most of all not directed to them.
Kneeling on the ground, Amelia watched the sparkling but clear water below her. The man that kneeled between her and Emily had wrappings around his eyes. His hands moving over the water in a rhythmic way. It was almost like he could hear a song that no one else could.
Stopping his hands for a mere moment, Amelia saw a soft smile crossed his lips. “Amelia, walk into the water.” He demanded, before standing himself.
Slowly Amelia risen from her position on the ground. The pure white mask in her hand. Walking into the water, she felt the coldness of it. Getting to the center, there was a colorful, very colorful, rock.
The man standing on the shoreline of the small underground spring then started to chant. Amelia had no idea what he was muttering, but the rock she was looking at… it melted. The colors split and morphed back together. A light glow tint to them.
The water then raised as if in a whirlpool or a hurricane. It moved and twisted. The colors still morphing and splitting apart. The incoherent chanting then got louder though it wasn’t the man she could hear. It sounded like a mix of voices. The water colors splashed at her as if begging her to move into them.
A harsh whisper could be heard, but she didn’t know where it came from. “Mask up. Mask up.” It kept whispering to her.
Holding her mask up with both of her hands. The colors formed washing over it.
Multiple times over and over again.
The waters reminded Amelia what she could only imagine the beauty of the Aurora Borealis would look like. It was breathtaking and she could almost see people was in the water itself. Swaying and dancing around her. The water was still somewhat transparent, she couldn’t see the people on the outside only what would be the water. It confused and amazed Amelia.
In the distance, she saw Emily looking to her worried.
Feeling the water go up her arms, Amelia then started to freak out. That’s when the water just was frozen. Holding still to the water that went straight up to the ceiling Amelia looked up to it then down. It was almost like she was in a crystal. Then it went downward. The water below her only rise but not done a wave effect. She watched the colors formed together and then seemed to swim behind her.
Turning she watched the colors form the rock again. Looking down to her mask in her hands, she saw the colors that were chosen for her… The colors and design.
Navy blue with royal purple around the eyes, in soft swirling down the right cheek.
It was beautiful to her.
Looking back up to the short haired blonde, Emily finally lets out a breath she seemed to be holding in since Amelia walked into the water.
Tricks and Sparks were on their fourth mission. Jumping down from building top to a lower one. “What's the plan?” Sparks asked, from standing on top of the electric cables post.
Tricks got down on her knee, looking for any signs of who they were looking for. Finally finding it, Tricks jumps up and started to run. The cloak she was wearing was tight fitting, her dark blue with dark purple around the eyes, was the only thing visible under the cloak, though. Sparks were silver with yellow and white markings on her mask.
Sparks followed Tricks’ lead. Running along the wires following the younger of them. Then a girl with a spandex looking outfit and dark brown mask that only covered her eyes was standing there. Her ebony hair was in pigtails.
What threw the pair off, she was their age. She was a kid, like them. Then the girl started to shift into an animal, a bird, flying away.
The pair followed her, running after her from roof to roof. Trying to not lose sight of her. All of the way to the woods.
It was thrilling, to feel the chase as if they played a simple game of tag over rooftops and trees. Though they couldn't tell, the animal-child was enjoying their game too.
Then isolated from the rest of the world, the animal-child changed back to the human version of herself. Just as she did, Sparks was attacked by a dark cloaked person. She looked to be the same age as Tricks, who was ready to attack the animal-child, should she attack them.
Sparks using the electricity that runs in her shocking the Shadow Assassin. Sending the small Shadow Assassin away from her and spazzing on the ground. Sparks then turned to the two that was before her. To the animal-child and Tricks who seemed to be just looking at each other, waiting for the other to move first.
The girl stood up straight, looking at Tricks, then spoke in a soft, scared, voice. “I didn’t want this.” The animal-child admitted.
Tricks looked to Sparks who was standing guard. “Wanted what?” Tricks asked, carefully.
The animal-child looked to where the other Shadow Assassin was knocked out from electric shock. “I wanted to help people, not be the cause of chaos and use my abilities to destroy and steal.” She admitted, before looking back to Tricks.
“Come with us then.” Tricks freely stated, which earned a hard glare from Sparks. Tricks didn’t hesitate, to place her hand up to the animal girl. “Come with us, we can help you.”
“No, you can’t.” The animal girl shook her head, a noise leaving the back of her throat. “They have my mother. They are making me do this.” She admitted.
“The Shadow?” Sparks asked, from her place on guard for others.
“Yes.”
October
2008
==
The girl with ebony hair sat on the edge of the cot looking at the gray-eyed girl before her. “Come on, Evan,” Amelia begged, reaching for the animal girl's hands.
“No, it's scary!” Evan declared, shaking her head before looking in the direction that everyone was gathered.
Amelia sighed, looking from her own mask to Evan. “I know, I have been through it. It's very simple. You get called forth, kneel, get a mask and name, then sent away. Later you have to go through the rituals of colors, which is fun.” Amelia tried to urge her, trying to get her to commit to them completely.
“I don’t know if I should, er, Tricks.” Evan admitted, “I didn't grow here like you did.”
Amelia laughed, softly. “It’s just us, you can call me Amelia.” Amelia went down to her knees so Evan had to look at her. “You might not have grown up in this, but you earned the title, you earn your freedom from the Shadows.” Amelia grabbed her hands squeezing them tightly. “This is probably the best way to get your mom back, and afterward, it’s up to you if you stay here where you are protected by us, or leave.”
“What of my sisters?” Evan asked, looking to Amelia hopefully.
Emily spoke up. “They will be protected, as soon as you are a member. They will be treated as if they are children of the Cross.” That seemed to be all that Evan needed to stand up.
Grabbing her mask, Amelia followed the tall, young, Native American teen before her. They walked into the crowded room, Amelia with her mask on. Splitting from Emily and Evan to go stand by the man with the hood over his head and leaning into the throne.
Standing to his left was the council, standing to his right was Amelia.
Emily bowed like the rest of the ranked. Evan went down on her knees like the unranked and slaves. Slaves… that makes her flinch. It makes all of them flinch. All slaves here though are treated better than most slaves, though. That was the law that Amelia’s mother had made sure passed long before Amelia was born.
With hearing her name, Evan walked forward. Kneeling down on the steps, she felt the white mask get placed over her head. “Ambrosia, The Changeling!” The Council leader called, earning cheers and then bowed from everyone, even Amelia.
November
2008
==
Evan leaned with her arms resting on top of Amelia’s head, Amelia seething from the anger of being so much shorter than her. Emily just took a step away from them, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire between them.
“Tricks, Sparks, Ambrosia, the
Algenib
wishes to speak to you three.” A man with a boring black mask spoke, walking to the three.
“Coming!” Evan chirped, loving her new name.
“Wait for us!” Amelia called after her, as she ran down the hall. Emily and Amelia on her heels.
Getting to the
Algenib’s
private quarters, Evan stopped. Amelia knew she was scared as did Emily. Amelia took a couple deep breaths to calm her breathing, before walked past Evan and opened the door. “Grandfather.” Amelia greeted.
The man looked up from his papers. “I’ve got an assignment for you three.” He admitted, motioning for them to come forward.
Taking a deep breath, Amelia’s worry seemed to just wash away. Her grandfather would never send them off on a super dangerous mission. All they had to do was hear him out, and then do whatever the mission is. It should be easy, easy enough.
… … …
“So we just wait for this mystery person to just appear?” Sparks asked, annoyedly. Sitting on a thick wire between two electric posts.
The other two both waited on top of a nearby building. “In truth, this isn’t what I had in mind for my first mission,” Ambrosia admitted, leaning against the wall behind her. There was a door that leads inside of the building not far from her.
Tricks rested her body since she knew that whomever this person was, it’ll be an awhile. Finally, a piece clicked together with her. “It’s kind of strange, that Gramps sent us out on this mission.” She hummed. Her mind was reeling to make sure all her facts were straight before spoken them.
“What you mean?” Ambrosia asked, curiously. Her dark brown eyes looked in the direction of the group’s leader.
Taking a deep breath, once she knew she had both of their attention. Amelia decided to explain. “There was the story about someone around this area that can’t die. She heals and is very dangerous. She takes on odd in jobs and is very mysterious.” Amelia stated. “And gramps sent us here to recruit this unknown female, in the roughly same area that the mysterious one has been seen in.”
“You think it might be the same person?” Sparks asked, standing up on the wire all at one.
“We aren’t alone,” Ambrosia stated, looking around.
Amelia smirked, behind her mask. “We haven’t been alone for a while now.” She commented, before slowly standing up. “Isn’t that right?” Amelia looked behind her to a building higher up than they are on.
A moment passed and a person with a dark trench coat like a hoodie on jumped down in front of them. “This who we are looking for?” Sparky asked, looking to their leader.
Reaching up, Tricks took off her mask and hood. The person before them was obviously female. She was tall and lean, but the hoodie hid most of her features. Walking forward, Amelia held her hand out to the unknown.
“I am known as Tricks. I’m the heiress of The Cross.” Amelia stated, her strange gray eyes looking up into the darkness of the hood. Finally, the young woman pulled the hood down, a light black mask over her face. Pulling it off, it showed a pale skinned young woman with short white-blonde hair.
A scar on her throat made it obvious that it hurt for her to speak. None of them than expected her to. Taking the young woman’s hand, the white-haired one turned her hand. Looking at the gloved hand then cold fingers found Amelia’s wrist.
December
2008
==
The girls all gathered around the private room of their Algenib . A pixie cut white hair young woman was kneeling on the ground. Mask placed over her head, then a hood. “My girls, my children, welcome your newest sister. Lady Dooms.” The man spoke in a weak tone.
It was obvious he was sick. His assessor will have to take a step up. That means that Amelia would have to take a step up.
This initiation of the Cross was also held in secret. Lady Dooms was a special, rare, talent. A talent that Amelia's grandfather wanted on their side. A talent that he wanted to be protecting his granddaughter, instead against them.
Motioning for Lady Dooms to stand up. He held her hand up in the air. “Lady Dooms, the protector.”
The small group of young women clapped and cheered. A sharp look from the old man, all of them besides Amelia bowed to the newest member. Amelia only bowed her head as a greeting, like.
The tallest of the group, newest member too, looked to the three young women in front of her. They were all roughly same age. That's what surprised the white-blonde when they first met. Now it seems so natural. How they work together. How they fit together.