~ 4 years later ~

Amelia walked briskly down the long corridors of her law school as she spoke with the director of the institution. A lot had changed in the last few years… hell, everything changed since her two little girls came into her life. But this, this was something else she never saw coming.

“I still have to commend you Mrs. Artiste, achieving a degree such as this in the time frame you gave yourself is nothing short of staggering. And you had no formal education prior to the field of Law?” Smiling reservedly, the blonde shook her head as she kept up with the man whom she had to get acquainted with.

Her daughter’s plans counted on it. “Not really, no. I did take social justice courses back in high school, but besides that no. I’ve just always found the studies of Law as a passion. I knew when I graduated I had to pursue a career in their field… if only, a bit later due to complications.”

Nodding his head in understanding, the director led her over to his office before stepping inside himself. “Yet, even with your obstacles you still managed to make it all the way here. Remarkable.” He praised before shaking his head.

The blonde before him was sort of an enigma. She had graduated in the early 2000’s and showed no interest in the studies of law on her records before she grew ill, but after her miraculous recovery that baffled doctors even now, she suddenly shot through the ranks of law school, achieved her bachelor's degree in half the time it usually took and just finished receiving her Juris Doctor Degree.

Usually, it would be impossible for anyone to receive both in such a short window, but she astounded all of her practitioners and even received recognition from the state of Pennsylvania as well. She had become a rising star out of nowhere. And it didn’t seem like she was going to stop anytime soon.

“You have friends in high places to have gotten where you are now, I can see a bright future for you.” Nodding curtly, Amelia lifted the paper degree up as she examined it. “Maybe a couple. But if I have anyone to thank for where I am now, it would have to be my daughters. They’ve given me a purpose… and a reason to follow this path.”

Chuckling, the man nodded before reaching his hand across the table. “Children are always a good fuel in our field of work. Good luck Mrs. Artiste, I hope to see you again soon. You’ll no doubt be rising higher from where you are now.”

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Walking down the steps of her law school, Amelia soon sighed. ‘Time to move on to the next path they set me on.’ This was hard, very hard. But she had faith in her girls to not lead her astray. But this… smiling mirthfully as she gazed over the formal degree, she soon slid it in a folder before making her way over to her car.

Why they chose this, still baffled her to this day. Recalling the conversation they had, Amelia hummed in thought. She could recall it vividly, as all things her daughters did were. ‘We need power, substantial power to make change happen. But we’re just children… and because of human’s conservative views to minors, we would never be able to make these changes. No… an adult has to be our catalyst. You need to be our hand for what people know about.’

‘And what of the things people don’t know about…’ Amelia thought darkly. Closing the door to her car, the blonde soon thought overall she knew that others didn’t. She had become an influential person in later years… and it was all because of them. It made her feel like a puppet of sorts…

She was the radiant star to them… but her darker shadow she cast was a few feet shorter and came in pairs of twos. If something came up to stop her ascension… the twins were quick to react, and their response was swift. Shivering with fear, Amelia quickly shook it away before sighing.

‘They have plans to change the world… don’t forget. Don’t forget what they did for you… or what they’ll do for society.’ Smiling proudly, she nodded to herself before turning the engine on. They needed her to be in power so that they could pull not her strings, but everyone else’s.

It was just a matter of time, and they had all the time in the world.

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“I’m home! Girls?”

Looking around for a moment, Amelia soon scowled. Sophia and Alexis generally greeted her at the door whenever she came back. Closing the double-sided door to the house, the blonde walked inside the large opening hall before looking around. ‘I’ll never get used to this…’

Looking over the ornate mansion of sorts, she wondered how things had gotten this far, to begin with. As quick as her daughters made money they spent it just as fast. And sometimes in needless extravagance… such as the 24 room mansion she now stood in. ‘What possible use could they have for this…’ Their old apartment, while not pristine and beautiful had been their home for years and they didn’t seem to complain before.

Could her girls really be changing this much? Walking up the spiraling staircase, the woman made her way down the long hallways as she navigated her way to their room. She still had trouble figuring out where to go though and made a couple wrong turns here and there.

Feeling her face flustered, Amelia soon passed an open door before hearing a ringing in her mind. ‘We’re in here Mother.’ Stepping back, the blonde came to another set of doors before pushing the cracked one aside.

Inside was a massive library with a multitude of books she wasn’t even aware they owned. ‘W-WHEN DID YOU GET ALL THESE?!’ “A couple days ago.” Jumping, Amelia gasped in fright before looking behind her. Sitting in a small lounge chair, was Sophia, a small black book resting in her hands as she skimmed the pages quickly.

“I-I’ve told you not to do that young lady…” Smiling in amusement, the little blonde snapped the book shut before looking up at her mother. “And that’s why I do it.” She giggled. Pouting, Amelia moved next to her oldest before sitting down.

“So where’s Alexis? And why…” She trailed off before looking over the vast library. “All of these…?” Grinning from ear to ear now, Sophia stretched out before cuddling close to her. ‘I’m here as well… and the reason for the books is because we’re going over the civil justice system law by law. There are some mistakes we’ll be changing once you attain your proper status.’

Looking around quickly, Amelia tried to Find Alexis, the voices easily differentiating to her by now before Sophia pointed upwards. Glancing up, the woman gawked in surprise before feeling completely lost. “T-This is a two story library?!” There was a whole other balcony she completely missed!

Popping her head out over the side, Alexis nodded before moving back where she had previously been. “We’ve sectioned off books by category and had them placed where we could easily access them one at a time. I’m reading the lower half. “‘And I’m reading the upper. So far we’ve read all laws from A to S.’ “But there’s still a lot to go. Did you know that half of these were made for the most trivial of reasons yet they were never fixed?” ‘A rather lackadaisical system if you ask us.’

Pinching her brow, Amelia shook her head. “Have you two taken any breaks since you started… whatever this, is?” Hearing silence follow her words, the woman sighed in exasperation. “Alright, lunch time, come on you two.” Scowling, Sophia tried to stick her nose back in the book before her mother’s hand yanked it away.

“Did I say after you finished? You two need to take a break from time to time too. Please tell me you at least had something to eat for breakfast this morning?” Once again silence was her only answer before the woman grew annoyed.

‘We can store energy in our bodies from when we ate and stretch it out for prolonged periods of time Mother. We don’t need to eat as frequently as others.’ Alexis chided in but from the look she saw Sophia receive the younger of the two sighed as well before standing up.

“Fine… we need to discuss our next steps anyways. We’ll take a break.” Sophia muttered weakly before waiting for her sister to climb down. Smiling triumphantly, Amelia nodded before taking her girl's hands in her own and walking out.

Now… she just had to figure out where the kitchen was in this place…

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“YOU WANT ME TO BECOME WHAT?!”

Amelia shrieked as the cup she had been holding prior having slipped from her grasp from the shocking statement her daughters had said. Raising her hand up, Sophia moved the percaline mug upright before pushing the paper towels near them over to her mother.

“Because of the outburst you just made we don’t need to repeat ourselves, you clearly understood what we said,” Alexis muttered her expression insouciant as she continued to eat her food. Feeling her hands shaking as she thought over what that meant, Amelia quickly shook her head.

‘I… I can’t do that… t-that’s impossible…’ “And how many times have we done the impossible?” Sophia smirked. “You’ll become an Attorney General Mother, and we will make sure of that. You’re still on board with us, are you not?” Feeling herself called into question now, Amelia grit her teeth.

“Y-Y-You two know I’d do anything and everything in my power to support you… but this… how can I just become one! It’s not like I can just apply to be it!” Setting their utensils down, both Sophia and Alexis grew serious as they cupped their hands together.

“We’re well aware, as we’ve said. But don’t worry about how Mother, just focus on your goals for now. You have the proper credentials, and you’ve shaken hands with very powerful people. In terms of popularity, you are in the upper ninetieth percentile. You will be addressed soon enough in the months to follow by the state about where to go from there. Just be sure to follow along as we have already planned.”

Shuddering, Amelia looked down at the table as she felt her head spinning. ‘Please don’t overthink this. Everything will go according to design as it always has.’ Feeling her sides clenched on both sides, Amelia soon began to calm before moving her hands around her daughters.

“B-B-But… But why Attorney General?” Growing silent as they held their mother tightly, Alexis looked up before thinking over how to say this next. “Because… we need you to have a hand in the medical fields, the political… and the judicial… Sickness, corruption, failed systems. Society as we know it is faulty, and you will be able to make a change from a position of power. It won’t be instantaneous, no. But it’s a step in the right direction. So once again Mother, are you still on board with us?”

Staring off as she processed their words, Amelia still wondered how this all came to be. But… she didn’t need to think long in terms of an answer. “I told you… I’ll do whatever it takes to make your goals a reality. Sophia, Alexis… I’ll always be here to support you.” She whispered before closing her eyes, the pain of her past slowly surfacing from her words.

Frowning, the blondes said nothing as they felt the guilt in her words. Even after all this time, no matter how much love they gave her, and how many times they forgave her… she still couldn’t bring herself to forgive herself for how she treated them. And they couldn’t do anything about it…

Stepping away from their mother, the twins moved back to their sides of the table before they resumed eating. “It will work out fine Mother… Our first real milestone will be reached soon, and you’ll see then just how far we’ve come with our endeavors.” Nodding her head briefly, Amelia smiled in silence before moving her hand over to her cup.

“I know… you two can do anything if you put your minds to it. I can’t wait to see where this will end...”

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Sitting next to one another, Both Sophia and Alexis looked at their formula as they preened it over. This had to be perfect. The slightest mistake in their calculations could very well ruin years of hard fought work. After checking the final numbers and measurements, however, they soon grinned.

“I believe,” ‘That we’ve done it.’ Looking over to one another, both girls laughed happily before hugging each other. “It’s finally complete! Oh, I know Mother will love this especially!” They knew their mother was having doubts after all the years they had her following their orders but she would soon see.

This was just a step forward in the proper direction of humanity but a single step was still progress! Pulling the formula they had written upwards, Alexis shivered with glee before leaning into Sophia and giving her big sister a kiss. Not shying away from the intimate act in the slightest, the older of the two pulled Alexis closer as her eyes scanned the room they sat in.

‘Careful, Mother’s around and you know what she thinks of us doing this kind of stuff.’ Pouting, the younger girl nodded sadly before folding the formula up and setting it back down. As many gifts as they had been given in life, there was one fundamental gift they had yet to truly receive… love.

They loved their mother, and she loved them but that wasn’t what they meant. They had learned what love was at a young age, but upon discovering the different kinds they wanted to know more. But… it seemed the kind of love you give to your significant others was one they weren’t versed very well in. But, that didn’t mean it would stop them from expressing it to one another.

Pulling her sister into her lap, Sophia cuddled with her quietly as she remembered their first time experiencing it, bliss. And of course… the first time their mother found out about it, about them. She wasn’t very happy. Souring, the older blonde pushed the memory away as she thought back on the wonderful feelings they felt towards one another.

‘She isn’t able to comprehend the feelings we share. No one possibly can.’ Their minds were one. Every thought and every action that passed between their minds were shared. Every feeling one felt the other did. And every pleasure the other received, they shared just as much. Yet with the amount of closeness they both held, they were still two separate people entirely. And with that fact, it was like knowing someone as well as you know yourself, and yet completely learning of another person as well. It felt amazing.

It was a bond like no other. And to comprehend it would only be to experience it. This was why the taboo nature of their love did little to deter them from expressing it towards one another. It wasn’t taboo to them. It was just, love. Looking up happily, Alexis cuddled her sister closer as they shared each other’s warmth.

“We should go find Mother and escalate our plans to the next step. With the formula complete… we have leverage over any pharmaceutical company we choose. We must pick carefully, or, perhaps give the credit away entirely.” Nodding her head, Alexis acknowledged her sibling… but, she didn’t move.

Smiling in amusement, Sophia made no move to push her off and chose instead to pull her closer. ‘We can do that later I suppose…’

They were content where they were now.

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~ C.D.C, Druid Hills, Georgia ~

“I still don’t understand. Why is a lawyer from Philadelphia coming all the way out here, to begin with?” Clearing her throat, Amelia didn’t bat an eyelash as she corrected the man in front of her. “Attorney, actually Mr. Frieden. And the reason I’m here is because I’m doing a study for legal presidencies regarding infectious disease claims. I was given prior authorization to come here and learn about certain conditions which could be a breach of law. Here are my documents.”

Looking down at the manila folder she held, the vice director of the center gave her an inscrutable look before glancing behind her. “And, is this, *bring your child to work day* as well?” He remarked snidely as he saw two little girls standing behind her, both in a pair of regal red mini dresses that looked rather out of place compared to the business suit she wore in turn.

Narrowing her eyes, Amelia was about to bark at the man for addressing them like he had before feeling her jaw clench up in its own. ‘What are you talking about? These are my two assistants.’ “What are you talking about? These are my two assistants.”

Blinking, the vice director looked back at the two little girls before furrowing his brow. In place of where he thought the two children were, were two neatly dressed woman, both in business suits carrying varies cases or documents. Glancing over her shoulder, Amelia frowned as she saw Alexis grinning Cheshire-like.

Scoffing, the man shook his head before opening the folder to read its contents, his expression darkening by the second.  “Is there a problem, sir?” Snapping the folder shut, he handed it back to Amelia before moving away from the center's lobby.

“I don’t know how you got a signed appointment with us from the governor of Georgia, but so be it. I’ll have an assistant guide you to where you need to go.” Nodding her thanks, Amelia watched the man leave before her expression darkened.

‘Asshole…’ ‘No need for hostilities Mother, we’re right where we need to be.’ Nodding her head, the blonde looked back at her daughters before smiling. “How long do you need me to keep them busy?” humming, Sophia counted in her mind for a moment before nodding.

“The building is only a few story’s tall. Thirty minutes will be enough to find who we need.” Nodding her head, the woman waited till a staff member came to greet her and took her with him to where she was supposed to be.

As the twins were left alone to their own devices, both blondes grew amused. ‘This is kind of exciting. Breaking into a building feels so… naughty.’ Walking down the hallways, Sophia disregarded her sister’s childish comment as she looked for the office they needed to find.

In about ten minutes they soon found it, however, it didn’t seem very hard. With workers all around them, they simply learned the layout of the building and walked carefully to avoid the security cameras. If worst came to worst they could get their images removed from them but that was an unnecessary waste of time.

Looking at the director’s office, Alexis pushed the door open before stepping inside. Sitting at a lone table as he filled something out, was a man in his late forties. Eyeing him for a moment, Alexis furrowed her brow. Something felt… different about him than other adults she had met. He was giving off a dark vibe…

Brushing the feeling away, Sophia led them to the man’s desk before pulling out a small envelope. “This is for you.” Raising his head momentarily, the man looked at them indifferently as his eyes began to fade. “You had your people here discover this while working with a strain of acute lymphatic leukemia. You found a cure, for it… a cure for leukemia…” She grinned.

They had spent years learning how to cure Amelia, and that knowledge they fought for wasn’t about to go to waste. Setting the formula down in front of the man, both girls turned to leave as the man opened the document to read it.

“You will have a conference about it in a few days. Make up whatever you need to in order for others to believe it.” As the door was shut, the man’s eyes soon turned back to normal before he looked down at the paper in his hands, the phone coming to his hands within seconds as she called the proper contacts. This was groundbreaking!

Walking down the long sterile hallways, both girls made their way to the front desk before Alexis signaled her mother mentally to return. ‘I sensed something… off about that man.’ Nodding her head, Sophia thought about it but nothing came to mind.

“Don’t dwell on it. He was the one we needed to make contact with and we did.” Humming quietly, Alexis took her sisters advice before looking up at they saw their Mother turn the corner, the assistant she had been with now seemingly gone.

“Did you girls do what you needed to?” Smiling as they both nodded to her, the blonde quickly turned to leave. Their work here was done for now. All they had to do was play the waiting game. A game the girl’s excelled at…

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“How long must we wait for this, I can’t stand it any longer!” Smirking at her sister’s annoyance, Sophia flipped another page of the law book she had been skimming before directing her attention over to the hotel's TV screen in front of them.

It had been two weeks since they had come to Georgia to deliver their cure to one of humanities greatest diseases and both siblings were tired of being here, Alexis no longer biting back her disdain for the place. “Perhaps if you made your instructions clearer to that benighted man we would have been back home in our own beds by now. Should I start casting blame?”

Scowling, Alexis ignored her sister’s jibe as she watched the news scrolling past her. This was the fourteenth time she’s heard the weather report! If it played over one more time, she’d find a way to change it herself just to piss them off!

Tsking, Sophia set her book down before making her way over towards her sister. “Alexis, relax. The CDC made a formal announcement this morning that they had big news to discuss. It will come on soon.” She purred, her voice soothing to the disgruntled girl.

Whimpering quietly, the younger of the two soon relaxed as her sister’s hands moved around her frame to hug her. “How about we go down to the pool? I know you like playing in the hot tub~.” Smirking, Alexis had to resist the urge that they indeed, both enjoyed as she continued to watch the news. “I think you're trying to take advantage of a distraught girl, for shame Sophia~.”

Smirking, the twin tailed blonde hoped on the bed behind them before propping her head up. “Don’t say I didn’t offer.” Chuckling now, her anxiety leaving her like it always did when Sophia spoke with her the way only she could, the younger of the two joined her as they both watched in silence now.

Thankfully their silence was short as the moment they had been waiting for commenced. Smiling brightly, both blondes held one another’s hands as they saw a live press conference down at the entrance of the CDC, the vice director currently speaking on behalf of the institution.

‘This is it, our first big step into correcting the world.’ At such a young age as theirs, they had learned many things. Knowledge was power… and they were hungry from birth. But with knowledge came the dark reality that was their world. War, disease, famine, corruption, poverty…

This world was hurting, and it needed to be saved. But humans were flawed, and it needed something more to help it. And that’s where they came in. ‘We’ll change it, all by ourselves.’ Listening in eagerly, both twins grinned giddily as they listened before feeling their smiles drop in an instant.

Blinking slowly, Sophia paused the TV before rewinding it for them, their minds attempting to process what it was they had just heard… “And through our staff’s extraordinary dedication to the jobs they do, we found a breakthrough in the war on viral disease. It was after rigorous months of testing that we came up with a new vaccination that can counter the beginning stages of Leukemia before it can even escalate! That’s right, we have the first steps we need to combat this deadly-“

Feeling the rest of the man’s words fall on deaf ears, both Sophia and Alexis felt their jaws trembling with their mouths agape at what they just heard. ‘A-A vaccination… to counter the beginning stages of leukemia…?’ Shaking her head slowly, Sophia tried to speak, but she was just too shocked. This had to be a mistake… it had to be.

THEY GAVE THE CDC A WRITTEN PAMPHLET ON HOW TO CURE IT! This, this was wrong… this was very wrong. “T-T-There’s been a mistake… T-THERE HAD TO BE ONE! Not even these troglodytes could have made a blunder this monumental!” Sophia barked angrily as she felt her anger bubbling over. Feeling her sister's anger beside her, Alexis gazed off in silence as her eyes scanned the TV.

She could see something around them… around them all. They had black… a dark black surrounding them…

What did it mean…?

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“C-C-CALL S-SECURITY, WE HAVE A CODE-“ Gasping as the words left the secretaries mouth in a choked groan, the woman slumped to the floor unconscious as two little blonde girls strolled past her, a look of rage present of both their faces.

As more people flooded in their path to figure out what the cause of the commotion was, neither Sophia nor Alexis paid them restraint. Slamming people into the walls or simply rendering them unconscious mentally, both twins made their way down the familiar halls of the CDC as they went to get to the bottom of just what the hell had happened yesterday evening.

As they both stood in front of the head director’s office door, Sophia didn’t even bother opening it as she shoved the door forward, the hinges and locks doing nothing to keep it in place as it was launched across the room.

Gawking, the director of the center looked at the gaping hole where the door once had been as he saw two little blondes walk into his office, and they looked, pissed. “W-What is the meaning of this! Who are you two, and what the hell did you just-“Coughing, the man gripped his throat in shock before clawing at it, the air in his lungs suddenly leaving him.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!” Alexis screeched angrily as she held her arm up, her hand’s positioning right over her eyes as she focused on pinching the man’s neck. As the man tried desperately to breathe, neither girl gave him an inch, Sophia adding onto his pain as she kicked the desk in front of him forward locking him in place against the wall. He wasn‘t going anywhere…

Letting her grip go, the man gasped as he breathed in relief, the much-needed air flowing back into him now as he stared at the two children in front of him in sheer terror. What the hell did they just do to him! ‘What did we do?! You have some nerve…’ Gripping his head in pain, the man tried to speak but… something was coming into his mind.

Shuddering as he saw images of these two little girls coming into his office before it soon dawned on him. This was real… Clenching the desk with one hand, Sophia gripped the wood in anger as it began to crank under her grip.

“We gave you a cure… and you told the public it was a vaccine! What the hell were you thinking?!” She barked. Trying to speak, the man found any words he could say were gone. He didn’t understand what was going on anymore. But… they didn’t need him to speak…

Staring at the man darkly, Alexis sifted through his mind before her jaw began to open. Shaking with rage, the younger blonde took a step back before cupping her gaping mouth now. ‘He… he wanted to release a vaccine… and then have a pharmaceutical company reproduce it only to release another strain later on that would raise the values…’

He had taken their cure… and was breaking it down so he could raise prices on it through different shares each year… staring up at the man with just as much disbelief as her sister was in, Sophia gave into her wrath. Forcing the desk into the man harder, the little blonde screamed angrily.

“WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS? WE GAVE YOU A GIFT! AND YOU'RE TRYING TO EXPLOIT IT!” They wanted to help people… not line these bastards’ pockets! Grinding her teeth, Alexis shook her head before watching something she had missed before… something no longer hidden to her, now that her eyes had been opened.

Surrounding the man… was a dark blackening shadow. It looked sickly in appearance… and ominous. ‘Do… do you see it…?’ Looking at her sister confused, Sophia looked at the man before shaking her head, but, the images soon came to her mind.

‘W-What does it mean?’ Shaking her head, Alexis tried to figure it out but… she didn’t have an answer. “P-P-Please, I-I’ll do whatever you want, j-j-just let me go!” Snapping back to attention both siblings looked at the man before they silently read him.

‘He won’t give us anything. He said that to make us stop. And plans on calling the police the moment he’s away. And if that didn’t work, he would offer us money, and beg like a dog… and then grovel… but he won’t change…’ Nothing was hidden. His every action… his every false word. He… he doesn’t care about people… he doesn’t care about helping others…

He just wanted money… “Monster…” Looking to her sister, Alexis flinched as she saw anger she had only seen her display one other time… and that was towards their father when he had hit her. “You’re… a-a Monster…” She whispered…

Clenching her teeth, Sophia gripped the desk tightly before displaying her physical strengths to the man, his eyes widening in horror as he watched the little girl toss the desk across the room as if it were made of cardboard. “We’ve… been called monsters before… but you… you're something else…” She spat with venom.

Raising her hand into the air, Sophia soon bound the man’s movements… “We… we were wrong… so, very, wrong…” Looking at her sister in shock, Alexis moved to Sophia’s side as she saw tears streaming down her cheeks. “And… you’ll pay for this!”

Screaming the man suddenly felt his body enflamed before falling back in his chair, his body going limp as he felt the restrictions around him leave… along with something else flowing through him. Looking up at her older sister in silence, Alexis said nothing as she watched her work.

Lowering her hand down, the little blonde wrapped her fingers around the diminutive man as she watched his paralyzed form screaming internally. He could feel everything… and she wanted him to. The pain he had brought upon them… was excruciating. He would feel that pain now to…

Clenching her fingers, Sophia began to slowly apply pressure to the shrunken director before Alexis’s gentle touch stopped her. ‘Don’t do it, Sophia…’ Looking at her sister in shock, and then anger at such a statement, Sophia soon calmed as she saw a dark look present on her sisters face.

‘Give him to me…’ Closing her eyes, she nodded before handing the immobile man to her sibling. Staring at the shrunken man carefully, Alexis shut her eyes. ‘You have no family… even if you beg, your lies mean little to a telepath…’ attempting to speak at all, the man was utterly silent as his eyes beaded with fear.

She was inside his head… and she knew everything. Raising the man high above her, Alexis gave him one last look before closing her eyes. “This will hurt… a lot. But we can’t think of anything worse for someone like you…” Lowering her hand, Alexis opened her mouth wide before putting the man inside. Cringing from the horrible expression she saw her sister making, Sophia wanted to stop her but… she wanted the man to be afraid… and feel fear for once in his miserable life for what he had done to them… to the world… to their gift.

Letting the man fall all the way in, Alexis shut her mouth before tilting her head back. He tasted gross… and made her feel sick to her stomach… but she wouldn’t let Sophia have to hold this burden. She’d be his jailer and executioner. Feeling the large lump in her throat beginning to slide down. The little blonde swallowed him whole before groaning.

‘He tasted horrible…’ Watching as her sister spit onto the ground afterward, Sophia nodded. “You can’t expect a Monster to taste good… can you?” Feeling something beginning to move within her, Alexis looked to her sister before smiling darkly. He’d regret ever crossing them… regardless of if he knew it or not.

‘Let’s go home... I don’t want to be here any longer…’ Nodding her head, Sophia moved her arm out before cupping Alexis’s in her own. This whole trip had been a waste of time… and it made them question their purpose in life now.

Why save them… why try to save… Monsters?

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Shivering with fear, Amelia looked in her rearview mirror as she watched her two little girls… in silence. They looked, terrifying like this. Both girls sat with their heads hung, their hair cascading over their faces, and immobile. Compared to the outrage she had seen them displaying last night and the morning that followed this was much worse.

Opening her mouth to speak, the woman soon fell silent, again. She had tried to speak… tried to talk to them… but every time she did, her vocal cords were turned off… they were controlling her… Closing her mouth, Amelia whimpered quietly before focusing back on the road. She had never been as scared as she was now from them… not after she discovered all those years ago they had been looking out for her.

Now, though… she didn’t know what to do. They looked… defeated. Staring at their laps neither Sophia or Alexis made a sound as their minds communed with one another. They were running scenarios through their heads. Determining what it all meant.

That blackness… it wasn’t around everyone… but it was very abundant around adults. Raising her eyes slowly, Alexis stared at her mother as she watched a light grayish wisp surrounding her. She didn’t have it… but he did… why?

Looking out her window, the little blonde looked at people passing them by as she studied them. ‘Black… gray… dark gray… black… black… light gray…’ What did it all mean? ‘Perhaps… it's somehow related to them. How they are, and what they feel?’

Looking at her sister, Alexis nodded her head slowly. It made sense… sort of. But why did she never experience this phenomenon till now? Scowling, Sophia shook her head. She didn’t have an answer to that question. Sighing in tandem, both girls continued to stare out the window as they watched a small town come into view.

They had left Druid Hills abruptly after their assault on the CDC. A lot of cleanup had been required so people wouldn’t remember them. A lot of unnecessary cleanup they could have avoided if they just took their time entering. ‘What’s… what’s wrong with us? We’re not emotional beings…’ “Perhaps, it's proof… that we’re human.’

Smiling mirthfully, Alexis leaned in on her sister before shutting her eyes. ‘If this is what human nature truly is… betrayal, anger, and thievery, then I renounce it. I renounce humanity…’ Cupping her sister’s face, Sophia shook her head slowly before looking up at their mother.

“Stop the car.” Coming to an immediate halt, Amelia shook with fear before looking over her shoulder. Did, did she do something to anger them…? Ignoring their mother’s fright, Sophia unlocked her door before stepping out of the car. ‘Let’s take a walk…’

Looking up at Sophia, Alexis’s eyes landed on a park that had come into view, but… she really didn’t want to. She just wanted to go home… and forget this ever happened. ‘But it did happen… and we will never forget it.’ Sniffling, Alexis nodded before stepping out of the car as well.

“Go off on your own Mother… we’ll contact you when we want to be picked up.” Looking out her window at her to crestfallen little girls, Amelia tried to speak once more… but she was still muted. Lowering her head, she nodded before putting the vehicle in drive and leaving them alone. They needed to be alone… and she knew better than to disturb them when they were in a mood such as this.

Walking into the park, both blondes were silent as they observed their surroundings. This was a small town… almost nonexistent really. It was surprising it was even in Georgia since they were a few miles away from the border.

“Why did you do this…” Glancing to her sister, Sophia sighed, before cupping her hand in her own. “We need to escape… and we need to process this thoroughly. And waiting another eight hours wouldn’t be good for us.” Nodding her head in understanding, Alexis glowered as she was led towards the forestry outline of the park they had found.

“But why here…” Shrugging, Sophia simply shook her head. “It was close by, and I don’t think we’ll be disturbed here.” Moving into the tree line, both girls began to hike downwards as they ignored the slight discomfort they forest gave them in contrast to how they were dressed.

They had grown up in a city, not the country. Perhaps the scenery change would assist them in their dilemma. Watching as small stream came into view, the older blonde nodded before leading them down the path they were on.

“And just like that, we’ve found a place to decompress…” Sitting in front of them was a low hanging tree, with a dock built into it. Smiling lightly, Alexis nodded before following along behind Sophia as they made their way to the end of it. Staring over the lake it hung above, both girls watched the water ripple below them before closing their eyes.

“We made a mistake Sophia… we trusted someone… and we were led to ruin.” Alexis muttered bitterly before poking her stomach. ‘I hope you suffer…’ Patting her back, the twin tailed blonde nodded before lacing her fingers and staring over the lake.

“The blackness around him… and the way he was… I think that’s what made him a monster…” Raising her brow, Alexis went over her sister's reasonings before humming in thought. “Mother is lying to everyone per our request, but she never does things like that with us. And she had a grayish shadow. Does that mean whatever it is can be swayed or influenced?”

Resting her brow into her fingers, Sophia shook her head. “I… I don’t know. I just know it means someone's bad. That… that they’re Monsters…” Thinking about the simple word that had been used against them in the past, Alexis nodded. “Monster… such a fitting name for him.”

And not just that director… but hundreds… thousands… millions? Billions…? An endless number of others as well. Shaking steadily at the sad realization that was their battle, Alexis whimpered before clenching her eyes shut in pain. “How… how can we help people… when we're being undermined by the very people we're trying to help?!”

Opening her mouth to answer her, Sophia soon found… that she couldn’t. She was always quick to answer her sister. When one of them didn’t have an answer, the other always did… but to this question, they were both clueless. “We… We can’t…”

Silence passed between them both now as they tried to figure out their next course of action, their mood darkening by the second. “We… we must change them… in order to save them…” Looking at Alexis in silence, Sophia’s eyes began to bead as she realized what her younger half was suggesting.

“A-A-Alexis! We… we can’t do that!” She snapped for the first time in her life. She had never taken that tone with her sister… but, what she was saying was abhorrent! Not even caring that her sister had sounded the way she did, Alexis looked to Sophia pleadingly.

“We must… if their Monsters… then they’re not worth saving… but, we can change them. Change them back… Make them, human.” She whispered shrilly. Her sadness overbearing now to the older of the two. Shivering, Sophia looked down in silence before clenching her eyes shut.

“Then… then what would that make us! We can’t just change how people think and steal their free will, Alexis!” Growling, the littler blonde looked to her sister angrily before shaking her head. “WHAT CHOICE DO WE HAVE! Be it people or Monsters we need to control them!” ‘They undermined us… we tried to help humanity and they threw our gift on the ground and stomped on it!’ “How can we hope to help people who will betray us!” ‘You saw them too! Monsters were everywhere outside! Anyone can turn into one if we don't control them!’ “We can’t just… we can’t just try and fail… over and over… I refuse…”

Cupping her head, Sophia panted quietly as she felt her sister’s words ringing both in her head and in her ears. She… she made a point… it wasn’t a good one… but, there was little room for her to dispute what she had said. Not after what had just happened. Sitting in silence now, neither of them said a word as they thought long and hard on what had just been spoken.

 “What are we…” ‘We’re not monsters…’ Looking to Alexis pleadingly, she tried to say anything to change her mind… but there was nothing to say. An answer was given… one they both agreed upon, whether they liked it or not. ‘So… how do we go about this then… changing people to be, better?’

Biting her tongue from the disgusting words she had just spoken, Sophia shook her head. This was wrong… but, they had to do this. If society wouldn’t obey the laws they had written, then they would make society rewrite them. ‘We’ll tear down this broken system from top to bottom. Mother is still in a strong position currently. We can make changes there. And start regulating people’s lives better. If they don’t obey us, then we make them obey…’

Nodding her head, Sophia shut her eyes before picturing it. ‘Is this the path we must follow…?’ ‘Yes…’ Nodding once more, both sisters let their minds go over their next course of action, before… something startled them. Something, they hadn’t been expecting, all the way out here.

“O-Oh, sorry, I didn’t think anyone else came out her but me. Are you two alright?” Jumping, the twin’s eyes shot open before they whipped around. Standing on the small staircase they had come from, was a brunette. She looked no older than fifteen or sixteen, with short cut hair and a slender frame. Dressed in a simple pair of worn out jeans and a loosely hanging tea shirt with some kind of icon printed on the front with a rainbow, she didn’t look like anything special. ‘No... She isn’t special… she’s just an adolescent.’

Ignoring the girl, the twins went back to pondering before the woman crawled onto the deck. “S-Sorry I scared you girls. You’re not from the daycare, are you?” Scowling, Sophia turned back before glaring at her. “No, we don’t know what you’re talking about now leave us alone…”

Pouting, the girl crossed her arms before moving a bit closer. Squatting down behind them, she hummed silently as her eyes observed them. “So… what’s on your mind?” Clenching her hands, Alexis ground her teeth before mimicking her sister’s glare.

“None of your business… now stop eavesdropping and be gone!” She snapped angrily. Cringing from the angry tone the little girl held, the woman pouted in silence as she continued to simply squat there. “If you to have a problem… talking about it with others can help. Maybe I can… help you two if you want?” She whispered quietly, her tone showing concern for them.

Turning around quickly, Sophia shook with anger for being continuously interrupted by this girl. “What could you possibly do to help us! You have no idea what we’ve just been through!” She spat aggressively. Nodding her head, the brunette didn’t dispute or agree to the statement. She simply acknowledged it.

“I can’t say I do. But, I’ll still hear what’s bothering you. It might make you feel better. It doesn’t take a genius to see when someone’s in pain.” She smiled softly. Scoffing, Alexis turned back venomously. “Obviously… you could see it after all.”

Giving the child a cryptic look, the brunette shook her head in surprise. These two were really hostile! Leaning back slowly, the girl soon plopped herself down before propping her chin up on her hand. “Well… if you feel like talking, I’m literally two feet behind you. Balls in your court… just saying…” Rolling their eyes, the twins decided to play her game as they made no response to her asinine comment. They didn’t need words to communicate.

As minutes ticked and became hours both Sophia and Alexis continued to talk internally as they discussed their plans. It would be easier than they thought. Their Mother was coming into government soon. With some handshaking, they could spread their influence inward… and take control of the state within a few years. From there, they would plan accordingly. They had all the time in the world to do what they wanted. And they would wait patiently like they had for this goal to be reached. But, the difference this time around… was they wouldn’t’ fail.

Nodding together, the twins turned around to leave before freezing up as they saw the strange girl still sitting there. It had been two hours already! What the hell was she still doing here?! Blinking slowly from her drowsy state, the brunette looked up before smiling. “So you two did want to talk. I knew it! It might have taken a few hours but… I was right…” She mumbled the last part more to herself but they caught it none the less.

“We don’t need your help! Now piss off!” Sophia barked angrily. What was this girl’s problem! Frowning, the girl sighed before shaking her head. “Fine… if you really want me to leave you girls alone… I will. I just wanted you two to know that you had someone to confide in with. I, I know that look you two were wearing well. I’ve worn it too. That’s why I wanted to make sure you knew someone would listen to you girls… I never had someone like that do the same for me.” She whispered sadly.

Growing angrier by the second Alexis stepped forward before stomping her foot on the wooden dock. “YOU KNOW WHAT WE’VE FELT?! THAT’S RIDICULOUS! You… you’ve had a simple life for your whole… fifteen years of existence… Claire Abernathy! You’ve lived in this town your whole life! Your sheltered, miserable life! You couldn’t possibly know the pain we’ve just been through. You no nothing of betrayal… and… and…”

Growing silent, Alexis’s words died slowly as she read the girl's mind and saw her memories. This… this wasn’t right… Looking at her sister confused, Sophia wondered why she had suddenly gone silent, but… she wasn’t the only one to do so. Shivering slowly, Claire looked down at the twins in silence before glaring at them both.

“S-So… so this whole time you knew who I was and you didn’t say anything… this is unbelievable.” She scoffed. Shaking her head, the brunette turned to leave before giving the girls a final look over her shoulder. “To think… parents are having their children taunt me like, like this… I just wanted to help you two!” She whispered bitterly.

Storming off the dock, the brunette left them both now as the twins stood there in silence. Looking to her sister slowly, Sophia scowled. Her memories weren’t being relayed to her like they usually were. She was completely mute…

“A-Alexis…?” Jumping from her sister’s touch, the younger blonde looked to Sophia before shaking her head. “I… I don’t know what I just saw…” She, she had to be mistaken in what she just witnessed. Furrowing her brow, Sophia soon began to gleam the memories her sister had stolen before growing just as silent.

These, these couldn’t be real… they weren’t. But… they were. Standing together in silence as they played memory after memory by in their minds, thirty minutes soon passed them by before both girls felt some of their anger leave them… and remorse for their actions to replace them. They… they had been so cruel to her… and she just wanted to help them…

Looking to the end of the dock where the girl had been awhile back, Alexis shook her head slowly before feeling her eyes harden. “I want to talk to her again… We’re staying here…” Looking down at Alexis, Sophia closed her eyes before nodding. She’d be lying to say her interests weren’t piqued as well.

“Let’s go inform Mother… If her memories are anything to interpret... she’ll be coming back here soon. And we’ll be waiting for you, Claire…”

To be continued…