TWO YEARS AGO

"Are you sure?" The fourteen-year-old brunette uncertainly asked the four mutants who stood around her. In the past few days, she had come to know them and get close to them. A few months ago, the slight idea of being around those people would seem insane. But now they all had something in common-They were all mutants, they were hunted. 

"You'll have to learn to control it someday. Might as well start now." The tall, muscular man with the long black hair said. His name was John and he was the leader of the Mutant Underground Headquarters. Behind him were standing two people; Lorna, a young woman with pale skin and green hair and Marcos, a man with a short-cut black hair. Right next to her was standing a red-head woman with green eyes. The brunette girl couldn't remember her name, maybe it was Sarah? Sophie? No, but it definitely started with an 'S'.

Lainey seemed hesitated. She shifted uncomfortably in the chair she was sitting on.

"You don't have to do it if you don't feel ready. We won't pressure you into anything," Marcos reassured, seeing the uncomfortable look on Lainey's face.

"No, I..." Lainey shook her head and got up, "We just better do it outside."

John nodded towards Marcos and a few minutes later, the five were outside of the Headquarters. Lainey looked around, trying to find a place that would fit. When she finally stopped, she saw that four pairs of curious eyes were staring intensively at her. Lorna spoke up, "Let's see what's you got, kiddo,"

Lainey closed her eyes, trying to focus. She slightly raised up her right hand but then she immediately dropped it, opening her eyes, "I just... I can't,"

"Most mutants first discover their abilities when they're in moments of stress or danger. They feel strong emotions like fear, anger or pain. Those are all unreliable, but if you want to learn about your abilities you can try just this time. Do you remember what triggered your abilities?" John asked and Lainey's gaze dropped to the floor.

"Yes," Lainey murmured. She could never forget, she would forever blame herself for what had happened. "What if I can't stop?"

"We'll be here with you all along, don't worry." The woman with the red hair stated, smiling at her reassuringly.

Lainey closed her eyes once again. All the memories she tried to force herself to push away, now came back and overflowed her. At first, all she could feel is pain and fear and it was hard not to break down and give in to those feelings. Then she felt it. She didn't know how to describe this feeling but she felt this connection. When Lainey's brown eyes opened, she was both surprised and slightly pleased to see what was happening around her.

Twigs and rooks that had been placed on the floor just a few moment ago, were floating around. Even a big, cracked sign that said 'Danger-do not enter!' and an old tire, that wasn't far away, were now floating mid-air. It almost seemed like everything around the five mutants was swimming through the air. Lorna stepped forward, her hand was reaching up for a big floating brick. She touched it with her fingertips and slightly pushed it forwards.

"It's light as a feather, like it's floating in space or something," Lorna observed as the brick drifted slowly towards Lainey. "Do you think you can make it move to where you want?"

"I don't know," Lainey truthfully answered, "I never tried,"

"We will figure that out," John grinned, "Now all we need to do is to channel it into something positive,"

"So, until then I'll just be Lainey Parker, the freak girl who can make things fly,"

"I was actually more thinking about Lainey Parker, the mutant who can do amazing things." Lorna replied, smirking at the brunette, "Now all we need to do is find you a street name."

Lainey looked at the grey brick that was floating aimlessly in front of her before she looked up at the four, "How about Gravity?"

~~~

PRESENT DAY

"Get him out of there, Gravity!" John exclaimed and Lainey raised her hands towards the portal. The portal was getting smaller, less steady. Lainey concentrated as hard as she could, she already saw his body rising slightly above the ground.

"I can't hold it!" Clarice exclaimed. Just a second later she passed out and with that, the portal closed. Lainey didn't make it. The man was trapped on the other side.

"No!"

She couldn't comprehend what just happened. All she could see was that man's helpless gaze as the portal closed and he was separated from his family. She was supposed to get him out of there, but she couldn't. The scene played over and over in her head. She didn't even realize that she was still staring at the place the portal had just been a few moment ago until someone shook her.

"Lainey? Are you okay?" She just nodded at John, she couldn't bring herself to speak. Less than a second though, Marcos, John and Lainey were bombed with questions by the confused family.

"Where are we? W-What was that? What just happened?" Andy asked in alarm.

"Andy, calm down." The blonde woman immediately said. However, it didn't seem to do any help. The blonde girl who was standing next to Andy rushed towards Marcos.

"Where's my dad?" Marcos didn't bother to answer her as he was too busy making sure Clarice was okay. Although by the looks of it she was far from being okay. "Hey! Where's my dad?"

"We know as much as you do," Marcos finally answered.

"You have to explain this." The blonde woman turned to Lainey and John, "What just happened? Where are we?"

"This is our headquarters-" John started to say but he was quickly cut off by Andy.

"Where is my dad?"

"We need to go back. Please."

"Just hang on. Hang on!" John tried to calm them down, to no avail.

"Hang on? My husband is in that warehouse. We can't just leave him there." The woman said, looking on the verge of bursting into tears. The family kept pleading John to somehow come back to the warehouse. Lainey walked towards Marcos, trying to help him to get Clarice on her legs.

"Even if we could get back, it is a very bad idea. I know you want to help your dad, but that is suicide. It's not gonna help him if we all get killed." John stated, looking over at Clarice who could barely stand without Marcos and Lainey's help. "Right now, we need to take care of Clarice."

With Clarice's bad condition and those machines that the Sentinel Service sent after them, Lainey knew he was right. Marcos and Lainey tried to support Clarice as they walked out of the room along with John to find a room they could take care of her.

The blonde woman gasped loudly, quickly following the four, "Where are you taking her?"

"Please, you got to help us. Can you get us back to my dad?" Andy asked as he followed them, too, along with the blonde girl.

"It hurts. I've never gone that far before." Clarice muttered weakly. All of the sudden, she collapsed and almost fell to the ground but luckily Marcos and Lainey managed to catch her. John didn't hesitate to grab Clarice and lay her on a nearby bench.

"No, no, no, no." The blonde girl said, getting close to the passed-out woman.

"Give her some space." Lainey immediately said, knowing that crowding Clarice wouldn't do any good. While the blonde-haired girl listened and backed off, Andy rushed over Clarice.

"You've got to wake her up. Hey! Can you wake her up, please?"

"Ugh, kid!" Marcos finally snapped and glanced at Andy, "Look, your dad was gonna help me get my girlfriend out of jail. I want him here just as much as you do, but we cannot do this right now. All right?"

Andy didn't answer but he took a step back, understanding the situation.

"She is not in a good shape," John stated and stood up, "Marcos, we need to talk with Sonya," Marcos nodded and stood up with him. Before he went upstairs to find the red-head woman, John looked at Lainey. "If anything happens, you call me immediately," Lainey nodded, moving her gaze back to Clarice.

Her green eyes were barely opened and she seemed like she was about to completely lose consciousness at any second. Lainey didn't know Clarice very well, but Clarice was willing to risk her life to go and save Marcos and that was more than enough. She must have used a lot of energy to get all of them to safety. 

Almost all of them.

A small voice in Lainey's head reminded.

She glanced up and looked at the family, who still seemed confused and scared. Lainey understood why. They were brought to unfamiliar place, were surrounded by strangers and they might have just lost a person they deeply cared about. Lainey knew that feeling too well.

"Who are you?" She asked them. She didn't mean it in a rude way nor a cold way. She simply wanted to know. Maybe it would help to ease the tension that filled the room.

"I'm Caitlin," The woman with the blonde hair said, "And those are my kids, Andy and Lauren,"

Lainey nodded, it was good to know their names at least, "I'm Lainey and the guy with long hair is John." She introduced. "What happened to you?" Again, it wasn't rude or cold. She was curious and wanted to know if these people were trustable.

This time it was Andy who answered, "You heard about the mutant attack at Belleview High?" Lainey could only nod. "That was us. That was me," He continued, his gaze falling as he muttered the last part. It made sense, she saw what he did to those machines at the warehouse. She had never seen anything like it.

"My husband, Reed, he thought it would be safer to ask you to help us get across the border," Caitlin said, looking at her kids.

"We'll find a way to bring him back," Lainey knew she shouldn't have made that kind of promise, especially to complete strangers she had just met. She didn't even know if that man was still alive, but Lainey had a feeling they needed that reassurance. They needed some kind of hope.

Abruptly, Clarice started panting and she seemed in pain. Caitlin rushed towards Clarice and put her fingers on Clarice's neck, checking her pulse. "That's not good,"

Upon hearing those words, Lainey looked up at Lauren who was standing near the staircase, "We need to get John here,"

Lauren nodded and went up a few stairs to call him, "Guys, you got to come. Something's wrong." John and Marcos hurried downstairs, crouching down to check Clarice.

"She's in respiratory distress and her temperature's spiking." Caitlin informed them, "I'm a nurse."

"She needs help." Caitlin added. Lainey looked at Clarice, whose condition seemed to get worse. They needed to get her help but Lainey knew that with their limited resources they couldn't do much.

"She portalled for miles. The energy that must take." Lainey explained, looking worriedly at John and Marcos.

"I can't, I can't breathe." Clarice panted in a strangled voice, regaining somewhat consciousness.

"She needs medical attention." Caitlin repeated.

"We can't get a doctor right now." Marcos told her, quickly turning his attention back to Clarice.

"Are you telling me you have this whole network, and you don't have a-" Caitlin started to say be she was cut off by Marcos.

"A what? A Blue Cross? Yeah, we're on the mutant plan." Marcos sarcastically said. He rose up and looked at the blonde woman, "No, we've got some first aid and some painkillers. Can you do anything?"

"I-I took a one-week course on human variant medicine in school." Caitlin shook her head.

"Mom, she saved us. You can help her." Lauren encouraged her mother.

"Yeah. Okay," Caitlin agreed, walking over Clarice's side and checking her pulse again, "Her heart rate's through the roof. Without running tests, I can't-"

A sudden gasp from Clarice interrupted whatever Caitlin was about to say. Clarice's palm started to glow with shades of purple light, similar to the colors of the portal she had opened back at the warehouse. She started panting heavily again.

"What's she doing? What's going on?" Andy asked.

"I'm not sure," Caitlin answered, "She may be in shock. If her system's crashing, if it's unstable, it may be affecting her abilities."

"Well, what does she need?" Lainey asked, frowning.

"Hypercortisone-D to stabilize her powers. Sodium polystyrene sulfonate for potassium. S-Something to restore her blood calcium." Lainey ran her hand through her hair as Caitlin listed down what they needed, having a feeling it wouldn't be easy to get all those things, "She needs a hospital."

"Whoa, a hospital? She's wanted. She'll go straight back to jail." Marcos said, trying to explain the situation.

"I don't think you understand me," Caitlin turned around to Marcos and stood up in front of him, "She could die here."

All of the sudden, Clarice started gasping again, her body writhed on the bench as if she had been electrified.

"What is that?" Lauren asked, grabbing everyone's attention. Lainey looked at the direction Lauren was looking, only to see a portal opening, much like the one Clarice had created at the warehouse.

Lainey's brown eyes narrowed as she watched the portal growing bigger. She couldn't see what was on the other side since it was too dark, but then her eyes widened as she realized it was a road and saw a pair of flashlights which belonged to a car. And it was heading right towards them.

"Move!" John yelled, warning everybody. There was a loud sound of a horn honking and tires screeching. Before she had a time to reacted, Lainey was pushed out of the way and down to the floor. After hearing a loud grunt from John, Lainey realized he had pushed her, Andy and Lauren to safety, stopping the impact of the car with his back.

Lauren gasped as a few sparks flew from the car. When Lainey got up she saw that only the back part of the car made through the portal, which apparently had closed and disappeared.

"You all right?" John asked the three teens. After seeing that they were okay he told them to move away from the car, "Come on, go. Come on."

"Mom," Lauren called, seeing her mother, who was crouched down near the stairs, "Oh, God. You're cut."

"It's okay." Her mother reassured her. After seeing Caitlin's bleeding cut, Lainey quickly went to grab a towel. She handed Caitlin the towel, realizing how badly things could have ended.

"All right, we got to move her," John said, lifting Clarice from the bench and carrying her, "Clear the table, now."

Marcos tossed aside everything that was on the table and put the table in front of a cell of a big safe. He looked at Caitlin, "I thought you said she was overextending her powers. How is she doing this?"

"I think I was pretty clear, I'm not an expert," Caitlin told him, wiping off the blood from her forehead. Clarice started writhing again, her hands glowing purple.

"Look! It's happening again!" Andy said, pointing to the portal that suddenly opened a few meters beside them.

"That's the same road as before," Lauren said. Lainey realized that she was right and now the road seemed to be filled with more cars and people who stopped by to see what was happening.

"This is a problem. They can see us." Marcos said, walking towards the portal. His hand started to glow but he was quickly stopped by John.

"We're not getting into a pitched battle with innocent bystanders."

"Yeah? What about him?" Marcos nodded towards a guy who was carrying a guy and was getting closer to the portal. Clarice was still gasping and writhing and by the looks of it, Lainey knew she wasn't going to close the portal anytime soon.

Marcos started to raise his hands, but Lauren ran forward to the portal. She raised her arms in a round shape and bubble-like shields appeared around the portal.

"Lauren, what are you doing?!" Andy exclaimed but Lauren completely ignored him. She kept using her abilities and the portal was getting smaller and smaller.

"Lauren, watch out!" Her mother warned as the guy with the gun started loading it and aiming it towards Lauren. It was a close call, but she managed to close the portal just on time. The second the portal was closed, Clarice lost consciousness again.

"Dude, what did you just do?" Andy asked his sister, totally amazed by what just happened.

"I don't know. I just I used shields to close it. I didn't think it'd work, but I guess it did." Lauren answered, slightly breathless.

"Yeah, it worked. For now. Clarice is in bad shape, that could happen again." John said, walking over to check Clarice again.

"Yeah, again? If people start coming through, we're toast." Marcos said.

"Caitlin, if we get you that medicine, get everything you said, is there a chance you can help her from here?" Lainey asked the blonde woman

"You can't just buy hypercortisone-D at Walgreens." Caitlin answered, shaking her head, "You have to get to the hospital, get in the Pyxis machine."

"Well, then we'll take you." Marcos told her. He then turned to Lauren, "If this happens again, can you do whatever it is you just did?"

For a moment, Lauren looked at the place the portal had been before she answered, "Yeah. I think so."

"Good," Marcos said, sighing with relief now that they found a temporary solution.

"No. I am not leaving my daughter here to close space holes." Caitlin immediately objected to the idea.

"Mom. It's okay," Lauren reassured her mother, "I can do this."

Caitlin nodded, understanding that they don't have any other option. Marcos quickly started to go towards the exit. He looked at Caitlin, "We don't have any time to spare. Let's go,"

After Caitlin hugged her kids and left with Marcos, Lainey and John started to move what remained of the car and everything that was crashed around it. While John took care of the car, Lainey used her abilities to carry some of the big ruins outside, knowing it was too heavy for her to lift them by herself.

As the broken furniture floated smoothly through the air around Lainey while she kept cleaning up, she noticed that Andy was glancing at her. Once he realized he had been caught he walked towards Lainey, "Is this why he called you Gravity?" Andy asked, nodding towards John.

Lainey was a bit surprised. John called her that right before the portal from the warehouse closed, right before Andy's father was stuck on the other side. She just was slightly shocked that Andy had managed to hear and remember that with everything that had been going on that moment.

Lainey turned around, completely facing him. Despite everything that had happened to his family and everything he had been through, he genuinely seemed interested in talking to her. Maybe he was trying to distract himself. Nonetheless, Lainey figured she had nothing to lose, she wouldn't mind some company.

"Yeah, but you know, it's just a nickname," Lainey said, slowly lowering a floating table back to its place on the wooden floor. "We all have those- Marcos' is Eclipse, John's is Thunderbird and Lorna's is Polaris."

"So, is it like telekinesis or something?" Andy asked, referring to Lainey's abilities.

"In some ways it's pretty similar to telekinesis," Lainey said, with a hint of a smirk on her lips, "But I have some other tricks up my sleeve."

He opened his mouth to say something but he was quickly cut off by John who called Lainey from upstairs. Just like that, her smile vanished. Lainey muttered a quick 'sorry' and went upstairs.

"Hey, is everything okay with Clarice?" John asked, looking at Lainey.

"Yes, she's stable for now. Lauren is downstairs with her in case something happens." Lainey answered, her eyes focusing on anything but the man in front of her. Apparently, he noticed it.

"Lainey, is everything okay?"

"Well, I wouldn't define having an unconscious mutant who opens portals in the headquarters as okay," Lainey answered snarky, avoiding the real subject. John picked up on it, too.

"No. I mean, are you okay?" John insisted, watching the brunette carefully, "You have barely even looked at me since we got here,"

"I'm fine-" This time, she cut herself off. Knowing it would be no use to try and lie to John. Not because he could hear her heartbeat quicken if she lied, but because he knew her. Lainey stood still for a few moments, not saying a thing.

"I was supposed to get him out of there," Lainey said and finally looked at John. He immediately knew she was talking about Reed.

"Lainey-"

"I should have been faster, I should have been more concentrated. Maybe then-"

"You wouldn't have made it," John interrupted, "Even if you had been faster, Clarisse couldn't hold the portal anymore. It would have closed on him,"

Part of her believed John, but a voice inside, no matter how small it was, still whispered she could have done more. John quickly put a hand on her shoulder, "We can't change the past, Lainey,"

"Come on, let's go check on Clarice," He added.

Lainey and John walked down the stairs, standing around Clarice along with Andy and Lauren. As John checked Clarice Andy, Lainey and Lauren sat on the couch.

"So, who is she, anyways?" Andy asked.

"She's a refugee, escaped from jail," John answered.

Lauren looked slightly shocked, "Jail?"

"We found her," Lainey told the siblings.

"What did she do?" Lauren asked.

"She used a portal to steal food from the back of a supermarket. Happens a lot with mutants who can't pass for human, they can't get jobs, one thing leads to another..." John started to explain but Clarice started to twist and gasp.

"Hey. It's happening. Get everyone safe. Everyone, move! Let's go!" John told Sonya. Lauren quickly got up and walked closer to Clarice. There was a loud sound of siren wailing and Lainey saw that the other side of the portal was surrounded by the police.

"Lauren? You got this?" John asked. Lauren didn't answer, just walked to the portal and started to use her abilities. Lainey watched over Clarice, making sure the Asian woman didn't hurt herself. With a grunt, Lauren finally closed the portal.

"That was way too close." Andy said.

"I'll be back in a minute. Anything happens, you yell." John said, walking away from the three teenagers.

"Is she okay?" Lauren asked Lainey, looking at Clarice.

"She's unconscious," Was all Lainey replied. There really wasn't anything else to say about Clarice's condition

"What you're doing..." Andy looked at his sister, "It's insane."

"Thanks." Lauren replied, slightly panting.

Andy sighed heavily and sat down, "Do you think, um, do you think mutants drink soda? I'm kind of thirsty." Lainey slightly raised her eyebrow at the question.

Lauren let out a soft chuckle, "We are mutants. Remember?"

"Right. Yeah. Still sinking in." Andy muttered.

"It will take time before it completely will and that's okay," Lainey told Andy, "I'll go and check if there is something you can drink."

As she walked away from the siblings, Lainey couldn't help but hope that their mother would come back quickly. She overheard Sonya and John talking about evacuation which only made her fear of losing the place she called home bigger.

~~~

"She's burning up. This is getting worse." John said. Behind him, was standing Sonya.

"It hurts. It hurts," Clarice whimpered, "I have to get away,"

Lainey's heart sank a bit when she thought of how much pain Clarice was going through. Caitlin and Marcos still hadn't shown up and Clarice abilities were getting out of control.

"We need to start getting everyone out of here," John demanded but Sonya didn't seem happy with the idea.

"We are not gonna abandon this place," Sonya objected.

"I don't see what choice we have. All right? She's opening portals every few minutes now, and Lauren can't keep this up." John said.

"I can keep trying, but... " Lauren trailed off, admitting she was getting tired and exhausted.

"Mom has to be back soon, right?" Andy asked, looking at John.

"Maybe. We need to consider the possibility-" Clarice's body began twisting again and she was gasping and groaning. "This could be it. We might have to evacuate. Clarice!" He tried to snap her out of it but it didn't work.

Lainey saw the portal opening. She didn't know if she was imagining but it seemed to be bigger than the others. Through the other side of the portal, Lainey saw that a SWAT team was surrounding the portal. Lauren immediately walked towards it, trying to close it.

"I can't hold it!" Lauren exclaimed, grunting. Suddenly the portal was burst open and the blonde girl was sent back flying into a wall behind her.

"Lauren!" Andy exclaimed and Lainey rushed forwards to help her to get up.

"Look out!" Sonya warned as one soldier walked through the portal, aiming a gun at John.

"On the ground! On the ground now!" The soldier yelled. Instead, John disarmed him of his firearm, kicked him a few times and threw him into the ceiling above.

Lainey raised her hands and sent the knocked-out soldier flying back into the other side of the portal. The other soldiers raised up their guns. Before she, or anyone else for the matter, could do anything, Andy rushed forward.

He didn't hesitate to use his destructive abilities, sending the SWAT team flying into the cars behind them. The wave of energy was so strong it made Lainey stumble back into the wall behind her. Apparently, it also knocked Clarice off the table. The second Clarice's body hit the ground, the portal closed.

All of them rushed towards Clarice. John started to shake her, "Hey, hey. Clarice, wake up!"

Things only got worse when Clarice's powers started going further out of control and small portals started popping up randomly through the building.

"What's going on?!" Lainey shouted.

"Get out! Get everyone out now. Go!" John said, forcing them to evacuate.

"Lauren, come on!" Andy yelled, grabbing his sister's arm and pulling her away. Lainey got up with them and they started to run out along with the other mutants. Lauren immediately stopped to help a kid who had lost his mom in the chaos.

"Come on, we have to find a safe place before this whole place collapse," Lauren told them.

Then it suddenly dawned on Lainey and she completely froze. Andy noticed and started to pull her, "Lainey, what are you doing? We have to get out!"

"I-I have to get back," Lainey took a step backward, ignoring the teenagers' protests. She ran up the stairs, her heart pounding so hard she feared it might burst. John must have seen her because he started shouting her name, telling her to get out of there. Normally, she would've listened to him, but now Lainey just kept running, trying her best to avoid the popping portals.

When she finally reached the room she was looking for, a hand instantly found the handle of the drawer, pulling it so hard she nearly tore it off. She dug in the drawer until she finally found what she desperately had been looking for. With a sigh of relief, she quickly stuffed it into her pocket.

She began to make her way back but stopped in her tracks when she saw that the staircase that led to the exit were surrounded by portals. The building was shaking which only increased her panic. She saw that one of the portals that was on her left led to the exit of the building. Knowing there was no other way out, Lainey jumped into the portal, praying it wouldn't close on her.

With a grunt, Lainey landed on the ground, relieved to know that she made it through the portal. She quickly walked towards the exit. She was almost outside when she saw Marcos pulling Andy and Lauren away from the building, and if he was there, Caitlin must have arrived, too. Hopefully with the medicine to help Clarice.

As if they felt her gaze on them, the three looked at Lainey. Suddenly an explosion sound was heard and that was the last thing Lainey remembered before she felt a sharp pain and everything turned black.

"Lainey!"

_____________________________________________________

Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait and I really hope you enjoyed the chapter. I decided to reveal a few things about Lainey's past but obviously, I'm not going to give them all in a just one chapter ;) I just wanted to thank you all so much. We've almost reached to 600 reads which is completely insane! Thank you all for the comments, the votes and the support!

Also, I'm still planning the chapters so the longer the chapter is, the longer it would take to write it but I'll do my best! By the way, look what I made for Lainey: