❛Always be here for you ❜

The concrete room was lifeless and the only distinguishable feature was the orange in the syringe sitting upon a metal tray. The man in front of me sighed and unhooked the blood pressure pump from my arm and placed it on the second tier of the cart. He looked at me and I saw his green eyes flash with something I have never seen a scientist have. It was remorse. I was sure of it. The spark was only there for one second as the syringe was in his hands the next. I felt the familiar cold sting push into my arm and I cringed, my face scrunching as I tried to react to the pain the only way I knew how. I knew there was no use in fighting.

The needle was removed from my arm seconds later and placed back on the tray without the orange liquid. I laid on my back and stared at the man who dared not to turn around again. He wasn't scared of me. He knew I wouldn't hurt him. The others complained about their assigned scientist at meals quite often but I had never experienced any negative thoughts toward mine. Every time I looked at him I saw regret in his eyes and a part of me knew that this was not the life he wanted. He did not want to be experimenting on children.

"I will see you tomorrow, Aniya," he told me while helping me sit and then pushing the cart to the other side of the room. I glanced behind me and watched him roll the cart away before pushing myself to my feet and looking at the door where my training officer stood. She had chestnut brown hair that went to her elbows. It was pulled into a tight ponytail with a plain black hair tie holding it together. She had a black jacket adorning her shoulders and arms and a black tank top that hugged her sides underneath. She was wearing simple black leggings with black boots. It was a very plain look but it was what every training officer wore because it allowed them to assert their authority without standing out.

She said nothing but her dark brown eyes pierced my very soul and I knew better than to not follow her immediately. She turned on her heel and spun around. Her slight heel tapped the concrete floor with every step she took and I silently wandered behind her. We passed Marcus and his training agent on the way to the Training Station and I met his eyes which were lifeless just like mine. His training officer was a large man with dark skin. He had muscles that could crush both Marcus and I without hardly doing a thing. Marcus feared his training officer for his build and I feared mine for her silent stature.

We stopped in front of a large door that had bolts adorning the side. The woman in front of me opened it and stood to the side with her left arm pointed out gesturing to the room. "Go," she demanded. I walked into the room alone and heard the loud bang of the door closing behind me. My training officer was gone and I stood in the dark room all by myself.

I felt my arm sting from my shot earlier and there was a blinding pain radiating through my body. My eyes burned and I took a gasp of air as I knew what was coming.

With a gasp, I lurched up in my bed and found myself staring at the wall before me. I could hardly breath, there was a lump in my throat and a pain in my arm where I had my shot nearly two years ago. My body was shaking. In fear - pain - shame - I didn't know. But I was shaking.

I yanked the covers off my legs and looked to my left where Kathyrn peacefully laid in her sleep. I placed my feet on the ground and pushed myself to my feet. I felt weak and fragile. My body was shaking uncontrollably and I just wanted to fall down on the ground and be cradled by my friends. I wanted the comfort of my past where even though I was in pain every day, I knew what to expect and had everyone I loved with me.

I was planning to go downstairs and seek comfort in Mr. Silas because I knew he was awake since we were all still adjusting to life in his home and since Jax and Luca were new to the surroundings, but I also knew that I needed my family.

I grasped the door handle weakly and pulled the door open. The hallway was empty and there was not a sound to be heard but when I stepped outside my room the floor creaked and I stilled. The floors at the compound were concrete and did not creak when I stepped outside, and I did not dare to leave my room when I was not instructed to.

I continued to shake and took another step, and then another, and another. I ended up facing a plain white door. It was nothing special, but it was a door that was not metal and did not bang against the wall when closed. I lifted my hand to see it trembling yet again and without thinking, I grasped the handle and pushed it open softly. Inside there were three beds and bodies occupied each one. I almost felt bad for disrupting the peace in the room but I knew I would collapse or my powers would relapse if I did nothing.

"What's wrong?" someone whispered from the farthest bed in the room. I glanced up and saw Jax propped up on his elbows with concern in his eyes. My lip trembled and I quickly hid my hands under my arms while crossing them across my chest. "I had a nightmare, Jax," I quietly told him. "We're not asleep, Aniya," Luca's voice sounded from the bed across the room. It was muffled by the blanket he was snuggled in but he lifted himself up and sat up straight to look at me. I knew neither of them would be able to sleep their first night here because I didn't either.

Jax patted his bed softly and I walked over to him and sat down. He wrapped a blanket around my shoulder and Luca soon joined us, snuggling in close to my side and us three all huddled together just like the day S.H.I.E.L.D. invaded Forefront. In the other bed in the room, Marcus softly breathed and I was happy that at least the two siblings were able to sleep.

"Why are you shaking?" Luca asked while reaching for another blanket. "I'm not cold, "I whispered but welcomed the extra blanket on my shoulders. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you, A," Jax told me while wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I leaned my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arm around Luca's arm to keep us all close. "I had a nightmare a-about the treatments they would give us," I told them. "My doctor was a good man," I said with my voice wavering since I was ready to break down.

"They aren't good guys, Aniya," Luca jumped in. "He was," I quickly rebutted. "I saw it in his eyes. I didn't know it before but I know it now. He had the same sparkle in his eyes that Mr. Silas does."

"Then why would he be experimenting on us?"

My lip quivered and I let out a small sob. I buried my face further into Jax's shoulders and he kissed my forehead and used his arm that wasn't around my shoulder to cradle my head and keep me as close as possible. "I don't know," I cried out. "I don't understand any of this."

"Only God does, Aniya," Luca responded, his faith unshaken in times of troubles. "I don't know what to do, and I don't want to see my past when I'm trying to sleep. I don't know what to do."

"We're here, Aniya," Jax told me while closing his eyes and resting his head on mine. "I don't know how you managed to find the man who had connections to Forefront, befriend a superhero, find Kat and Marcus, and find us, but you did it Aniya. You did it all by yourself. You are so strong and amazing and we will always be here for you. We're family."

•••

The three of us waited for Marcus and Kat to awake before we headed downstairs to start our day. It was nearly nine in the morning when we walked down and we heard muffled conversation from the living room. I followed behind Luca who basically hopped downstairs in excitement to start his full first day in a real home and when we entered the room, I froze. I stared at the person sitting on the couch with Mr. Silas. I would never forget her piercing brown eyes and sleek brown hair that was usually worn in a simple ponytail.

"Everyone," Mr. Silas announced while standing to his feet with a large smile on his face. "This is my daughter, Cassie."

The woman smiled and waved to us all and there was clear excitement on her face. I never saw that joy in her eyes when she was leading me to the Training Station. I never even saw a glint of remorse in her eyes as I saw in my doctor's. I was in disbelief. "I am so glad you are all okay. After I rescued your friends I was almost caught and was forced to keep up my facade as a faithful Forefront employee. I finally had to choose between saving you or protecting the others and when I heard S.H.I.E.L.D. was planning to raid the complex I decided to move out of the way and let them save you. I just never expected you all to run and... be taken."

I stared at the woman. I saw her in my dream. I saw her in my nightmare. Her eyes. Her ponytail. Her black clothing. Her piercing brown eyes. "You were my training officer," I plainly stated. She gulped and glanced at her father before looking at me nodding. "Yes, I was."

"You flipped me. You hurt me."

"Never intentionally, Aniya," she corrected. "I always intended on saving you. All of you."

"What if Forefront returns? What will happen to your eyes?"

Cassie looked confused. "My-my eyes?" she wondered. Jax rested a comforting hand on my elbow, "She has a thing with eyes."

"There was never any remorse in your eyes. There is now but there never was then. If Forefront comes back what will happen?"

"I'll be fighting on your side. I had to hide who I truly was in order to save the Children. I never noticed my eyes but I guess you're right."

Mr. Silas patted his daughter on the back before waving all us kids into the living room openly. "I promise you are all going to get acquainted and specifically Aniya, Cassie will explain everything. But now that she's here we can focus on getting you all adjusted to being a teenager."

"What does that mean?" Marcus questioned skeptically. "Does that mean school? I've heard about school! I've always wanted to go!"

Mr. Silas laughed and a smile formed on Cassie's face. "That does mean school, Kathryn. We are going to enroll you today and you will start within the week."

"I don't know if we are ready for school, Jasper. That's a really big step," Luca expressed, clearly concerned just as I was. "We will prepare you," Cassie promised. "We aren't going to let you do this without being ready. And Peter Parker will help you," Mr. Silas told us. "Peter Parker knows about this?" I asked while raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, and he's coming over soon to tell you all about his school," he replied. I sighed, knowing this was the best plan for us. I did not want us to jump into school so soon because we still had so much to learn about being teenagers and now I was worried about my mental state and I knew if I did not figure things out soon then I would not be able to control my powers. But if Peter Parker was going to help us then maybe this would work. And I did not understand my feelings for Peter Parker but I was glad to keep him close. Though I did feel guilty he was having to sacrifice parts of his life for five random kids with random powers. "What about Forefront?" I asked the two adults. "What about Forefront?" Cassie asked.

"They will come for us, or we need to go to them. They are still out there and without all their science experiments. What if they go for the other Lost Children?"

Cassie shook her head, "They will never find the other Lost Children. You can all see them in time at an arranged meeting but the Children are spread across the country in loving homes, I just came back from visiting them. And we will deal with Forefront when the time is right. But I gave those other Children great homes and I am determined to do the same for you, so your lives are my main priority. If Forefront comes, I promise we will be prepared for it. But I don't want you all to need to worry about living lives you all deserve."

"Are you going to split us up?" Kat asked softly. We all turned our heads to her and noticed how she was looking down as if she was scared to ask her question. "Kathryn - " Mr. Silas began.
"Cassie said she is determined to give us great homes. Plural. Are we being split up, and when? I need to prepare for it and - "

"This is your home," Mr. Silas interrupted. We all looked at each other in surprise and no one knew how to react. Kathryn stared at her brother and he stared back at her. Jax was smiling wide and Luca was gripping my hand so tight that there was no time for it to shake. Jax always wanted a home. We all wanted a home, but we had all given up that goal by now. "I-I don't understand, Mr. Silas," I said back.

"I knew the moment you found me, Aniya, that you were not going to any other home. I can provide for all of you and I wouldn't dare separate you. I know only fragments what you have all been through and I care about each and every one of you. So long as you are willing, you will always have a home here."

We all looked at each other and nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Silas. We are all indebted to you."

There was an awkward silence in the room after my statement and no one knew what to say. But it was Jax who broke the silence.

"Not sure about this Spider-Man," Jax whispered into my ear. I smiled, knowing he was being protective over me and the others, but I also trusted this Peter Parker. "He is a fine boy, I promise."