Aberrant: A New Beginning

The sun was just beginning to set outside of Houston as Ezra's car sped down the highway. His trip to the southern state was next to fruitless, his entire purpose thwarted by ignorant bigots preying on those they did not understand. The stereo was blasting hard rock as the small coupe weaved in and out of traffic. In all honesty, he was probably being a little too reckless, as being pulled over would certainly result in some face time on the nightly news. His multi-colored eyes scanned the road ahead for any potential hazards, ever vigilant and wary of the path laid out in front of him.

Jade opened her eyes to complete and total darkness. Her hands were bound behind her back, her limbs heavy. She shifted slightly uncurling her legs out from underneath her, knees popping, muscles aching. What had happened? It took a moment for the memories to come back, and even they were fractured, like there were still pieces missing. She'd been jumped, and drugged. The last thing she remembered before darkness had claimed her was being shoved in the trunk of a car. The girl groaned, and adjusted her position slightly so that her feet were firmly planted on the trunk latch above her. With a swift quick, the metal splintered and flew off of the car. Jade heard cars swerve, and the sound of squealing brakes as she was thrust forward as the car she was traveling also stopped abruptly.

Still moving sluggishly, Jade pushed herself up, her fire red locks hanging in a mess about her face, neck and back. Three large men appeared in her vision, the driver of the car obviously pissed about the state of the back end of his car.

"The probability that you will survive this encounter is incredibly low. Almost nonexistent." Jade murmured softly. The men laughed, as one of the grabbed her and yanked her out of the car, not caring about the cars whizzing past them, shooting them dirty looks and curse words.

"Well, freak, you better hope that you do kill us, cause we ain't letting a piece of trash like you roam free any more." The one who had a tight grip on her arm squeezed harder, but her expression remained impassive.

"I warned you..."

As the piercing glow of red tail lights flew past him, Ezra began to forget about his surroundings. He'd gone numb to death long ago, but a missing person was much worse, in his mind. Lost Aberrants were dangerous, to themselves and to those around them. His problem was both simple and complex, as he was constantly weighing moral value in every situation. His hands could both save and condemn a life, and more often than not, the fatality rate was higher than he wanted. Ezra was very good at violence, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it.

So lost was he in his own thoughts that he almost didn't notice that the vehicles ahead of him were coming to an abrupt stop. His car skidded as it slowed, it's driver barely able to maintain anything resembling control. Ezra's eyes focused on the road ahead, discovering a set of lights stopped in his lane. As he approached the scene, the Aberrant could hardly believe his own eyes. The back of a car was flat out missing, and three large men were all but carrying a red-haired girl out from behind the trashed vehicle. Not wanting to alert anyone, Ezra drove by the scene, then flipped off his lights and pulled over.

Silently he crept from his coupe toward the thrashed sedan, careful not to allow the three burly saps know of his presence. Ezra didn't know if the girl they carried was a Meta or a human, but he couldn't stand idly by knowing that he could have done something. It was against his father's rules, of course, but it didn't bother him to break them every once in a while. What could it hurt to do it once more?

Mentally the girl sighed and shrugged. She did warn them, it wasn't her fault they didn't listen. Closing her eyes, she went through all the possibilities, every plausible scenario, there was a way she could escape without killing them, but it would be dependent upon their actions.Jade was not a wholly violent person, but when her life was in danger she lashed out. People have died, people have lived. She knew the odds, had calculated them carefully; again, it wasn't her fault no one listened.

Jade opened her eyes and, with a quick jerking motion, freed herself from the man holding onto her arm. Yanking her wrists apart, the thick shackles binding her hands snapped as if they were nothing. She slammed her elbow into the nose of the man who had been holding her, effectively breaking it. Without missing a beat, or even looking, she pivoted on her feet, to face the man who had been behind her, raising her foot, catching him in the chin. It didn't look like she used much force, but the mans feet came off the ground, and he flew fifteen feet before slamming into the ground, and rolling to a stop. Jade then spun to look at the man who had been driving, and she tilted her head to the side.

"Don't do it." She said, but she knew he would. He swung at her. With a roll of her eyes, she swatted his hand away, and punched him in the chest. His sternum broken under the force and he collapsed, gasping for air. Jade stared down at the three men, one of which she was sure was dead, maybe two. "I told you that you would not survive." It was in that moment, she felt like she was being watched and her head snapped up as she scanned the darkness.

Just as suddenly as the action began, it was done, leaving only the girl still on her feet. The three men had been dispatched with brutal efficiency. By the crunching sound he heard, Ezra was sure that at least one of them wouldn't survive the encounter. The strength by which she all but destroyed her enemies told him that the girl had to be an aberrant.

With no further need to conceal his presence, Ezra stood up straight, his green and colorless pupils focused on the red-headed. His guard was up, though he showed no signs of it. He did not have a reason to trust her just yet; he had met plenty of metas who were not friendly. Ezra stood maybe thirty feet from her, his hands resting at his sides and a blank, expressionless look etched into his facial features.

"I mean you no harm. Are you alright?"

The sound of shifting clothes pulled Jades attention to the one who had been staring at her, watching from the shadows. At his question she shifted on her feet, her head inclining slightly to the left. She assessed him as he stood there, probabilities running through her mind, scenarios. But this one was different. He wasn't like them. He was like her.

"You are not human." She said simply, purposefully brushing off his question. She had bruises and scratches, and had shed more blood than she'd like to admit during her kidnapping, but she would heal eventually. She wasn't exactly worried about it. "The odds of you finding me by chance are extremely minimal, which means you are out here for a reason. What is it?"

Just as the girl assessed Ezra, so too did he of her. She had certainly been through a rough time, evidenced by the deep cuts, scrapes, and bruises that adorned her body. Her clothing had been torn in different places. The fact that she picked him out as a meta and disregarded his question confirmed his suspicions.

"An astute observation. I was passing through the area on a different errand when I happened to pass by the car you broke out of. So I stopped to help. I see it wasn't needed." Ezra's words lacked any accent; he had chosen to mask it to sound as plain as possible. He couldn't have people recognizing him by his voice alone.

"You are injured. At least let me tend your wounds. Then, if you wish, I'll leave you alone."

Jade narrowed her eyes slightly in suspicion, straightening some. She opened her mouth to answer him, but the man at her feet groaned softly, regaining his consciousness; she'd only broken his nose after all. Her fingers twitched as she knelt down next to the man. As she looked at him, she was half tempted to snap his neck right then and there, but she did not. Jade instead tapped his temple with her foot, and he fell into unconsciousness once again.

"I don't require help. I don't need my wounds tended to. What I need.." she trailed off glancing at the men around her, "is somewhere safe. But you can not provide me with it, so I suggest you move along. There is an eighty-two percent chance than another non human like ourselves requires what you offer." Jade stepped back away from him. Ever since Jade had discovered that she was different, she had been shunned, beaten and broken. Even if this man standing before her was like her, who was to say that he wouldn't hurt her, too?

Ezra scrutinized her carefully. She was almost robotic in the way she spoke. Could it be that there was someone in the world as guarded as he? His multicolored eyes never left her face as he responded, the only motion perceptible being a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"Whether you choose to admit it or not, you need to see to those, or infection could spread. I can give you a place to stay if you'd like. My car is over there." Ezra pointed down the road a bit to his coupe, it's engine still humming.

Ezra noted the aching men at the girl's feet. She was clearly strong, and tough enough to withstand injuries without flinching. He wondered if they happened upon her by chance or if she was targeted. The only one that was still alive was still unconscious, so answers wouldn't be easy to come by. He chose to ignore them and started walking toward his vehicle.

As the man walked towards his car, Jade took a moment to look over herself, taking in the damage. Unfortunately he was right. She needed to get her wounds taken care of, and even if she didn't go with him, the probability of getting someone else to stop and take her to safety was slim to none. Glancing back up at him she felt conflicted. He'd shown no hostility towards her, but she still couldn't trust him. If she went with him he could be telling the truth, but he could also be lying. Then again it was better than starving to death.

"Wait..." Jade took a few hesitant steps forward, making her decision. She would go with him, but that didn't mean that she felt safe. It had been a long time since she had felt safe. "You're right, I need to get myself looked at, but not out here. If your offer still stands.." Jade trailed off, her discomfort quite obvious

Ezra stopped for a moment, tilting his head down and to the right to look over his shoulder at the girl. He didn't make direct eye contact with her, choosing instead to look one last time at the bodies she'd left, noting her relative restraint. He was relieved that she had accepted his offer, but it was clear that she didn't trust him. The boy Aberrant felt that was prudent of her, and mutually understood, as he didn't trust her either. He was putting himself in a vehicle with some who could knock a person out with a mere flick of her ankle. He'd keep his guard up, and hope that he was at least fast enough to react, just in case she decided to kill him for some unnecessary reason.

"It does, and I agree. Doing so out in the open would not be a good thing. I'm heading into New York, but I have a couple of stops to make before I get there. I can drop you off somewhere along the way if you like, but if you need a more permanent place to stay, I can help you with that." With a small gesture of his head, he indicated for her to follow him, then opened the door to his car and sat down inside, waiting for her with his hand on the shifter.

Hesitantly she followed him, keeping a good enough distance away until they reached the car. Sliding inside, she remained quiet, her eyes scanning her surroundings both inside and outside of the vehicle. As long as he didn't try to hurt her she would not retaliate, but she understood why he was guarded. Jade wasn't sure how long he had been watching her, but if he had seen the whole ordeal, then he knew what she could do and with the ease in which she did it.

"I don't believe there is anywhere truly safe to stay, and a permanent residence makes it easier for them to locate me." Jade finally spoke, gazing out the window. "My name is Jade, by the way. Seeing as how I am in your vehicle you should at least know that."

"Ezra," he replied with a slight nod, his eyes focused on the road ahead. The engine revved and off they rode into the night, the bloody scene now only a memory in the rear-view mirror. "Normally i'd agree, but things have changed. There is a place where you could maintain a permanent residence and not have to worry so much about being ambushed every time you step outside. But we'll talk about that later." Ezra cut in and out of lanes, pushing 90mph easily. At that time there weren't as many cars on the road, making traveling a bit easier and, admittedly, more entertaining. He kept one hand on the gear shift, a habit he'd picked up from watching other people drive. He'd only had his license for about a year up to that point, but he'd been driving a lot longer than that.

He noted her posture, her facial expression, and the red stains on her clothes, but kept a sharp eye out ahead. The last thing he wanted was a wrecked car. For a couple of miles he didn't speak, being unsure of what to say. Finally, he cleared his throat after seeing a familiar landmark. They were only a few miles away from the first stop. Not a hotel, of course, but a safe house from his old, more militant days. "We'll be stopping soon. I have supplies to stay the night there, but there aren't any luxuries. If you need to buy something, i'd suggest doing it now."

Jade was so lost in her own thoughts, and watching the scenery that she almost missed what he, Ezra, said. Somewhere in the back of her mind the name sounded familiar, his face, too, but she couldn't place it so she didn't think about it too hard. She was more worried about if they were being followed, how long it would take for someone to find the three men that tried to take her, for someone to find her again. Shifting her gaze from the bland scenery, she turned to look at him, her tired eyes sizing him up now that she was closer to him. Jade wasn't sure what he could do, but she knew it was something, and he didn't look to be too much older than she was, but she could be wrong. Looks could be deceiving.

"I don't need much," she replied carefully, once again turning to look out the window. "Just clothes." And soap. Maybe a brush, but she didn't say that. It's not that she was worried about the way that she looked, but she was covered in dried blood and bruises; dirt and sweat, too as it was hot in Texas. Plus her hair was tangled and hanging in her face, and it made it hard to concentrate needing to push her hair from her eyes. Almost absently, she checked her pockets, and then nodded. They didn't take her cash, which was nice. She'd need that money, especially if she was going to continue to be on the run.

Ezra shrugged nonchalantly. "You'll need more than that. If I had to guess, you've been on the run for quite a while now. You'll need to get cleaned up, take care of your injuries, and get something in your stomach. We'll be safe there for the night, but it's best not to linger longer than that." The young man continued driving north east, and soon enough they crossed over into Louisiana. It was hot and muggy, even at night, but the temperature didn't seem to bother Ezra. After they crossed the state line, he didn't even glance in her direction unless it was to check the mirror. To his knowledge, there was no one behind them, but that didn't mean it was true. His senses were keen and his wits sharp, but he was, by no means, perfect.

In his mind, Ezra wandered about through memories, trying to keep himself awake long enough to reach their destination. He'd driven for two days and two nights without stopping; despite his extensive conditioning he was starting to slip too deeply into a relaxed state. The car occasionally drifted toward the lines on either side, only to slowly move back to the middle of the lane when he refocused. Ezra was grateful to see their salvation ahead. He pulled quickly into a paved driveway that cut through a large copse of trees, leading up to a wood cabin tucked away behind overgrown hedges and other foliage. He parked the vehicle in a camouflaged detached garage then unbuckled his seat belt. "We should be safe here for the night. There's security inside, and it's not really on the beaten path, as you can see." Ezra reached behind his seat and grabbed a backpack, slung it over his shoulder, then exited the vehicle.

"Guesses are inaccurate." Jade responded nonchalantly, even though that guess was correct. She couldn't remember the last time she felt safe, when she didn't have to look around every corner, or watch her back every second of the day. Sleeping with one eye open, never really resting. But that was her life, and she had accepted it. It didn't do her any good to try and remember the past, her memory was fractured; whether it was from multiple head wounds, or something more sinister.

"Being 'off the beaten path' does not necessarily mean that we are safe," Jade spoke as she got out of the car, barely flinching as some of her recently sealed wounds cracked open again. "In fact, if we were followed, this would be a more preferable place to.." She shook her head, there was no point in being pessimistic. She wasn't even sure that they had been followed, though she chose to create escape plans. Just in case.

"Your prudence is noted," Ezra interrupted. He knew full well the dangers of the world, as he himself was one of them. Unconsciously he flexed each of his muscles one by one, the movements being very important but almost completely invisible. It was one way of checking himself for injuries in case he was ever in a position where he could not do a more thorough search. "I didn't say we were safe because the cabin is hidden. I said we will be safe because I intend to keep us safe. You aren't the only one who has survived being constantly surrounded by wolves." Ezra's words were cold and abrupt, stiff and brisk, like those of a military officer. He understood her hesitation, and silently scolded himself for being rude. But there was nothing he could do to salvage the situation or take back what he said, so he simply let it go.

He turned the knob to the front door of the cabin and pushed it open, revealing a dusty but spacious front room. It was sparsely decorated with a few chairs, a table, and a small kitchen. Foldout cots were resting in the corners, the ends of which bearing cobwebs, giving away the fact that it had been quite some time since anyone had used them. Turning immediately to the left, Ezra collected some matches and lit a propane lantern, then set to the task of lighting the others. A set of stairs went upward to a pair of bedrooms. Each room had vents for a central heating system, though he doubted they would need it. It was hot and humid enough already.

After setting the lantern on the dining table, Ezra moved into the kitchen and opened the third drawer of the right cabinet. Despite the cabins obvious signs of neglect, he seemed to know exactly where everything was. He reached into the desk and pulled out a package, which was quickly and easily opened. Ezra then sat the contents of the package on the table in front of Jade, a first aid kit, then looked up at her. There's a bathtub upstairs. Water is pumped in from a natural hot spring. It'll be warm, but not scalding hot. I'll turn on the pump. Go get cleaned up then come down so we can stitch you up."

Jade followed him inside, but kept silent. She was taken aback by his harsh tone, but she didn't show it, her expression remaining impassive. It did not pass her that he obviously had been in this cabin before, but it looked like it had been neglected for a long time. Long enough for dust to settle anyway. As she stood there, just barely inside, she took note of windows, doors, any possible exits or entrances. She had to know that she could escape if she needed to.

At the mention of the bathtub she directed her attention to the stairs, and cautiously walked towards them. As of yet he had not made a move to hurt her, or betray her, but she was still unsure of him. She didn't need to ask where the bathroom was, she'd find it eventually, after she had explored the entire area to make sure there was no one lurking up in the shadows of course. Jade took a lantern and headed upstairs without a word. She'd learned the hard way that when someone speaks to you in that tone, you just don't respond until informed otherwise.

It didn't take her long to locate the bathroom, and she set the lantern on the sink. Jade slowly peeled her dirty, torn clothes from her body. As she did so she looked over her injuries. Cuts and bruises marred her upper torso, some looked as if they'd been almost done healing. The newer cuts crossed over and hid most of her older scars, but some were hard to miss.

The pump was located outside, in the small shed near to the cabin. The door was covered by overgrowth and the handle was quite rusty, but after a small effort Ezra was finally able to pull the door open. It was a simple machine, designed to work without the need for fuel or electricity. Ezra himself designed and built the device after some study.

In about fifteen minutes, Ezra had the pump working. Perpetual motion and steam would keep it moving for the rest of the night, which would be more than enough time for what they needed. The aberrant walked back into the house and stayed on the bottom floor. In his backpack he kept quite a bit of food, which he removed from pack and took inventory.

"Six sandwiches, water bottles, and chips... Four cups of fruit... Six pudding cups... And four juices. Not enough. .. "

Once she was done assessing her wounds, she turned to the shower and turned it on. The water took a second to warm up, but once it had she stepped under the water. It took a moment for the pain to set in, and she cringed as the water washed over the fresh wounds. For a few minutes she just stood there watching as the water around her feet went from brown and red, to pink, then clear; then she actually showered.

When she was finished, she stepped out and had to search for a towel. Upon finding one she wrapped it around her body and began to search the two bedrooms for clothes. She couldn't put her own back on, torn and dirty, so she rummaged through the rooms until she found a pair of shorts that reached her knees and a tee shirt that was several sizes too big. Wandering back to the bathroom, Jade wrung out her thigh length hair over the sink, and proceeded back downstairs. She felt refreshed, though her muscles were sore, and her head throbbed.

Ezra looked up at Jade as she descended the stairs, clean and changed. He had forgotten that there might be clothes still, so he was glad to see that she had found something to wear. He packed away most of the food, but left several items out for her. Passively he watched her reach the main floor, then spoke softly.

"I guessed you'd be hungry, so I set some things out for you. We will have to resupply on the road, which could be dangerous. But for now, eat and rest. If you have any injuries, I can tend to them them you want. I won't push the subject though."

Ezra set a chair at the table for her and invited her to sit. He then sat down across from her and munched on some fruit. Thankfully he hadn't used his abilities, or he would be in serious trouble.

Jade walked over to the table and sat down, her gaze settling on the food for a moment, before she looked up at Ezra. Her wounds were mostly taken care of only needing to be cleaned out, and the shower had done that. The bruises on her wrists from the shackles stood out darker against her pale skin, and a hand shaped bruise on her upper arm barely peeked out from under the shirt sleeves were the only visible injuries. She did have a semi-deep stab wound in her shoulder from the first attempted kidnapping and she could feel it throb when she moved her arm, but she was unsure whether or not it had been torn open again and she didn't want to check.

"My wounds are fine." She said simply, poking at the food in front of her. She'd learned not to take food from strangers and she was still very wary of Ezra. Maybe he was secretly working for the ones who were after her. What if he wanted to poison her? Maybe she was wrong about him and he wasn't like her. She frowned at the thought, and looked up at him again, her head tilted to the left as she stared.

Ezra glared at the girl, but kept his tone even. "Refusing to allow someone to help you will kill you almost as quickly as the mobs. If you don't want my help, fine. When hunger weakens your body to the point of exhaustion and your cuts fester with infection, you can curse at yourself as hallucinations accompany you in death."

Ezra knew that his words were harsh, but sometimes the truth hurt. There was an ugly reality to their lives as aberrants, and that was the notion that any encounter could be your last. "That, or you could eat and treat you gashes and live to see future days."

Jade had her hands resting on the seat of the chair, but at his comment her hands clenched into tight fists, splintering the seat underneath her, eyes narrowing. Her normally passive expression changed to one of anger, though she held her tongue. Too much experience being beaten for saying the wrong thing, or speaking before being allowed made her keep her mouth shut, but the glare on her face said it all. Standing abruptly she turned around and yanked the shirt down over her shoulder revealing the gash in her skin. Her jerking motion had caused it to reopen slightly, and blood began to trail down her shoulder, and her back.

Just because he had a point didn't mean she was happy about it. She had never needed anyone's help before, and she'd only just gotten used to the 'rules' of being captive before she'd escaped. Jade hated being told what to do, but she hated being beaten even more just for being what she was.

The abrupt movements and stiff changes in posture spoke volumes. Ezra didn't need someone to speak the angry words they felt, he could see it in their body language. He'd obviously ticked her off, but at least she understood his point. It wasn't about being right or being wrong. She was an Aberrant and needed help. Clearly her past was full of abuse, so evidenced from the numerous scars covering her shoulder and back. Ezra sighed slightly, then pulled out some gauze from the first aid kit and began to dab up the crimson streaks that threatened to stain her newly-acquired shirt. With his other hand he pushed the plate toward her and spoke softly. "The cut is deep, but I don't think you'll suffer any long-term issues." Carefully he cleaned the site one final time before applying some topical anesthetic, then he began stitching the wound closed. He was no doctor, but he'd field-dressed enough wounds to know what he was doing.

Every stitch, however, brought painful memories to the forefront of his thoughts. Bonfires, cries of pain, riots, and a crucifixion all pounded his mind with every tug of the thread. As hard as he tried, Ezra could not banish the thoughts, and before he realized it, a tear had escaped his green eye, rolling down his cheek, eventually leaving his face and dripping on his leg. Desperate to rid himself of these, he cleared his throat and spoke to Jade again. "I met an Aberrant once, a long time ago. A boy from Europe. His parents trained him to be a soldier, to feel nothing and to do everything in his power to break 'the machine'. He was told that he could rely on no one else, that he had to live by his wits and determination alone, and he spent a long time doing just that. But as time went on, he established friendships, made enemies, but most importantly he felt like he could count on others." Of course he left out the part where he lost all his friends to death or betrayal.

"It's not easy to trust someone when you've been surrounded by wolves your entire life. But there are people out there that genuinely want to help. We may be Aberrants, but we're still people." Ezra kept his tone soft and quiet, trying to smooth over the harsh feelings that he'd invoked in Jade before. He wanted her to trust him, he just didn't understand why. Maybe he just wanted to feel like someone could possibly be friends with him, and maybe he could have a friend as well.