019

— consumed in a burning world —

June 30, 2:56 pm

IF ANYONE LOOKED AT THE GIRL, THEY WOULD SAY IT WAS A SCENE FROM A HORROR MOVIE. Hazel's eyes were diluted, completely and utterly focussed on the wall in front of her, she sat cross legged on the ground, her hands perched in her lap, her eyes had sunken, and her skin had paled.

A doctor watched over her, scrawling in a notebook, watching for any movement. His gaze only moved when the heavy sound of boots stalked closer. "Uh, Mr Tarves, Miss Graves," A doctor nodded as the pair walked to him.

Mercy looked over the girl, smiling to herself. "What is she seeing?" Mercy questioned.

"We have amplified moments in her mind, the points where she's most vulnerable and intensified all her emotions," The doctor explained. "She's not seeing any one particular thing."

"She's being overwhelmed by her own emotions," Micheal explained to Mercy.

"And her resurrections?" Mercy questioned.

"Oh, uh, Miss Lillis has died seventy-three times, we have her resurrection time down to fifty-seven seconds," The doctor explained, displaying the files. "The past several times we have not been able to lower the time."

Mercy turned to Micheal, and he shrugged. "Very well. How close are we?" Mercy pulled up another set of files that watched Hazel's brain activity.

"We have nearly driven her insane," The doctor replied with pride.

"What's stopping us from assessing her brain functions?" Mercy questioned.

"Nothing, we can get into her brain, but she heals by the time we get someone in to test."

"So try again."

"It's a problem of brain functions. Her body just heals too fast."

"Show her Mr Logan," Micheal suggested, opening a packet salad. Mercy turned to him, and he shrugged. "Give her that little extra push, while she's delirious, re scramble her brain to listen to me."

The doctor looked at Mercy, questioning her. Mercy smiled, "Show her Mr Logan."

The wildfire clawed at the building's walls with an insatiable hunger, each flicker of flame growing darker as it raced along the walls. The fire's tendrils turned upward, dancing with malevolent glee as they scaled the walls, leaving behind a trail of destruction. The walls of the tower, once a fortress for the Titans, succumbed to Hazel's light as she set the tower ablaze.

Hazel stood in the centre of it all, the red and orange inferno lighting her like a villain in an old superhero movie, consumed in fire as the world burned around her. She stared out at nothing, her gaze unmoving as the horrid wildfire tore into her vision, but she stood still.

However, a sharp, painful cough took her senses. She turned her head, almost mechanically to stare at the body on the floor. Gar sputtered as smoke filled his lungs, his arms stretching out to drag himself across the charring floor. She watched him struggle for a few moments before she stepped towards him.

She stood over him, watching the embers burn his skin. A terrible cough ripped from his lungs, and he rolled onto his back, his eyes meeting Hazels. He sobbed, his head rolling back and slamming into the floor. "Hazel... please," His pleas and desperate begging fell on deaf ears as Hazel kneeled over him.

He started to kick, attempting to squirm away but Hazel's hands encased his throat, squeezing against his jugular. Hazel's hands dug into Gar's neck, the soft but rapid beat of his pulse thumping against her fingertips. "Please..." Gar croaked, his throat tight from her grip and the smoke filling his lungs. His hand scrambled, his nails breaking her skin as he clawed at her wrists. His eyes rolled back, his body writhing as his breaths got shorter and shorter. "Hazel please."

His grip loosened, barely gripping her wrists.

Micheal smiled as he watched Hazel murder the doctor, his gaze only enhanced as the fires with the glass room grew. Micheal pressed his hand to the speaker, his voice blaring around the small room. "Hazel," Micheal's voice hissed. "You're doing amazing, he deserves this." Micheal bit into his salad, his smile growing as the fire faded away, but Hazel's strength grew, the doctor's eyes rupturing under the intense pressure. "Well done, sweetheart. You can let go now."

Hazel's grip loosened and she stood, staring at the man below him. Micheal's smile grew to a prideful glee as he turned to Mercy, who shared the same look. "What do you think, Miss Graves?"

Mercy looked at Micheal, a glint in her eyes. "I think you're ready for a test run, Mr Tarves."

Michel pressed his hand to the speaker. "Hazel dear, would you like to go out for lunch?"

❁

THE LITTLE NEIGHBOURHOOD WAS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE RICH PRETENDING THEIR NOT. Dawn, Donna and Terran stood outside one of the perfect white houses, its greenery tended to, and a fresh coat of paint had been added to the house. Terran stood to the side, leaning against the door as she waited for Dawn's instruction.

She nodded softly and Terran pressed the arrived button on the So Sue Me Sushi app. Donna knocked softly on the door, fixing her hair as she did. Not a moment later a man in his late thirties opened the door, his eyes widened as he looked at Dawn and Donna. "So Sue Me, Sushi?" Dawn asked in a sweet voice, holding up the bag of sushi.

"Uh, yeah," The man nodded. "Sue Me Salmon?"

"Uh, Walter?" Dawn asked, reading over the name on the bag.

"Here," Walter said nervously, raising his hand.

Donna looked over the pictures displayed on the wall and gasped. "You kiteboard?" Donna asked, nearly squealing in excitement. "I love kiteboarding."

Walter stammered smiling, "Uh, wanna see my hydrofoil?"

"Oh, I dream of hydrofoils," Donna hummed, flashing Walter a fake flirty smile.

"She does," Dawn agreed, copying the cheeky smile."

Donna bit her lip and nodded, stepping in the door and slipping past Walter. Dawn shoved the sushi into Walter's arms and walked in as well. Walter looked around; his eyes so fixated on the girls he didn't notice the door didn't close properly. Terran waited a moment longer before stepping through the door, closing it quickly behind her.

She followed the voices downstairs, her eyes scanning the pure oak floors. Once they reached the living room Dawn looked back at Terran and nodded. Terran's eyes flashed green, and the oak floor snapped under his feet, catching Walters' ankles. Donna quickly grabbed her lasso and wrapped it around Walter in a strange knot before hanging him from the rafters of the roof.

Walter screamed as the gold lasso tightening around his torso. Dawn and Donna sat on the large lounge chairs and Terran pulled up a stool, sitting beside Dawn as he glared at the man. Dawn rummaged through the Sushi bag, pulling out a pre-made sushi platter. She took the chopsticks, smiling as she bit into the food.

"Mmm, I gotta get one of those," Dawn said, eyeing the bright lasso.

"For accessories, it has pretty much everything," Terran agreed, taking a sushi piece from Dawn.

"Full memory wipe, Themyscirian truth coils," Donna explained, tugging the rope again, making Walter moan in pain. "So, Walter- When your CADMUS friends attacked Titans Tower, your face showed up on our cameras."

"I was there, yes," Walter nodded.

Dawn stood, stopping in front of Walter. "What happened to our friends, Hazel, Conner and Gar?" Dawn questioned.

Walter stammered for a moment as his mind raced. "They did some kind of brain salad surgery on them," Walter explained. "The three of them. We control them now. Phase One."

Terran kicked the stool back and stood next to Dawn. "What's Phase Two?" Terran questioned.

"I don't know," Walter answered. Terran tilted her head in frustration, her eyes going white. The pictures on the walls started to shake, as did the cups in the kitchen. "I don't know. I don't have clearance."

"Toxin," Donna called and Terran looked back, the house settling quickly. "He's telling the truth." Donna flicked the lasso and Walter fell to the floor with a thud. She wound it around her hand, sneering at Walter, "Enjoy your sushi."

Donna motioned them out and they quickly made their way out, Terran pulling the sound through the house to slam the door closed. Terran hurried her steps, walking alongside Donna. "Why'd you call me Toxin?" Terran questioned, looking up at Donna.

"I didn't want to use your name and Hazel is Venom, you can be Toxin," Donna shrugged and Terran gave a vague nod. "And Hazel and Gar are now weaponized."

"Sounds like Conner, too," Dawn added.

They stopped beside the jeep, Donna leaning against the door. "We could really use some backup on this," Donna said, and Dawn turned to her. "There's no Kory and Rachel, there's no Jason and Rose. Our only other option is Hank."

Dawn scoffed and shook her head. "I knew you were gonna say that," Dawn shook her head.

"Look-"

"No," Dawn cut in.

"Are you sure?" Terran asked.

"Completely," Dawn snapped.

Terran hummed suspiciously, tilting her head, "Okay, well it just doesn't sound like a completely completely." Terran shrugged and Donna nodded.

"He walked out on me," Dawn huffed, and the girls looked down.

"Look, I know Hank has not been the most reliable partner, but when he suits up, there's nobody better," Donna argued.

"We can take these CADMUS people out ourselves," Dawn countered. Donna hung her head and sighed.

"Well, it's either us three or just me and Dawn," Terran spoke up. "So..?"

Donna sighed, but smiled anyway, "I'm in."

❁

THE LITTLE WINEY WAS A LITTLE TO SMALL, GORGEOUS TO THE EYE, AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR EVERYONE ATENEDING, TOO CONTROLABLE. Hazel and Micheal sat at a barrel table, two glasses of a bubbly red wine in front of them, Hazel's eyes looked around, but she never spoke, just like he instructed. Micheal clicked the button speaker in his ear, humming softly. "The perimeter is secure," Mercy relayed. "Let the lady have some fun."

Micheal clicked the earpiece and smiled at Hazel. He pressed a button on a remote control, a high pitched, but nearly silent buzz filled Hazel's ears. Her body tingled at the new sensation. "Hazel darling," Micheal called, and Hazel looked up at him. "Why don't you have a little fun? Go kill some people."

Hazel slid out of her seat, walking towards a young couple on a date. Hazel looked down at the woman who turned to Hazel, smiling at her. "Is there something you need, sweetheart?"

Hazel could hear her heart beating, her body begging her to turn around.

Hazel grabbed the knife from their small scones and stabbed it through the woman's eye. Blood gushed her hands, screams of terror filling her ears as people watched the scene unfold. "Hazel," Micheal's voice echoed through her head, "seal the exits." Hazel turned, leaving the knife in the woman's eye. She lifted her hands and foliage sprang to block the entrances.

Micheal leaned back and smiled, sipping on the wine as he watched Hazel tear though dozens of people. Vines slashed through people's limbs; bright light burnt through people's flesh. Hazel grabbed a man, her nails digging deep into his eye sockets.

By the time Micheal called a timeout on his little pet, Hazel was covered head to toe in blood and flesh. Micheal called Hazel over, making her drop the man's broken skull she held tightly. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, dabbing away the blood falling over Hazel's eyes and the stains off her lips. "Well done sweet girl, we can go now."

A soldier hacked through one of the vine walls and Micheal led Hazel out to a CADMUS van. The doors closed and the van sped down the road. Micheal flicked the button, the high pitch leaving her skull, then he flipped a switch and Hazel blinked, control seeping back into her bones.

She barely was able to register the feeling in her hands before noticing her skin stained with thick, red blood. Hazel's hands trembled as she looked up, meeting Micheal's dark, prideful stare. "Hello darling, how are you feeling?"

Hazel jumped at Micheal, grabbing his throat, shouting in his face, "What did you do to me?!" Micheal smiled, jabbing a small needle in her arm Hazel's head rolled back, the limbs going limp. Micheal caught her, shushing her softly as he laid her out on the floor of the van.

"Oh, sweet Hazel, what fun we'll have together."

— pain —