When Worlds Collide - Chapter 2 - Awakening

It had been nearly a week since the Black Torrent had told Sara Wolff of the mysterious girl on the street. In that time, Luciana had acclimated to the Gale Home well. She'd managed to make a few friends, which was a wonderful experience,since she had never known many children before. Sara eventually had to go back to her duties as Administrator, but still made time to be with the girl each day. And every night Sara allowed her to feed. Properly cared for and sufficiently nourished, Luciana was safe, secure, and happier than she had been in a very long time.

  Sara had invited Michael to the Home to see how the girl was doing. He was immediately impressed by how well she looked. Her cheeks were rosy, her face bright, and she even managed a smile. However, that was contrasted by the fact that Sara was looking pale and weak.

  "This is my brother," Sara said to Luciana. "His name is Michael."

  The ebony haired child smiled. "I have a brother. His name is Lykaios." It was the first time the child mentioned such a thing. "You're the man in the mask."

  Michael looked shocked, "Did you tell her?" he asked, indignation in his voice.

  "No, I didn't." Sara was surprised, but given the girl's nature, she realized it might be one of her gifts.

  "Your eyes," Luciana explained. "I know your eyes."

  Michael sat down on the couch and motioning for his sister to sit next to him. Luciana went to the corner of the room and grabbed a couple of dolls from the toy box.

  "Do you have any idea where she's from?" he asked, lowering his voice so the girl couldn't hear.

  "No. I had the psychologist talk to her, and he said she's suffering from post-traumatic memory loss. Something terrible happened to her, but she hasn't been able to tell us what. I did hear her talking about doctors and a glass room, but she was mumbling in her sleep and I have no idea if that was just a dream or not."

  It all sounded strange and Michael was just about to say so when Sara's eyes sagged and she swayed slightly. "Are you all right?" Noticing bandages on her wrists, he removed one to reveal several small puncture wounds. "Where did you get those?"

  Despite their hushed tones, Luciana had been listening across the room. She stood up and walked over. "I did that."

  Michael seemed shocked, both at the girl's bluntness and how she suddenly sounded so mature and intelligent.

  "I can explain," Sara said, replacing the bandage.

  A half an hour later, Sara had finished telling the tale of Luciana's first days at the Home and the revelation of the her true nature. Michael was both confused and scared. He was not one to believe in the supernatural readily. Even when he had experienced things that were supposed to be magic, he always felt there was some logical explanation that just needed to be discovered. However, as he looked at the tiny girl's teeth and saw his sister's failing health, he couldn't think of anything other than vampirism.

  "You can't keep feeding her. It's not going to help her if you die."

  "What else can I do?" The administrator wrung her hands. "I know this sounds odd, but there's something special about this child. I don't know what it is, but I feel this deep need to protect her. I can't let her hunger get out of control—I can't afford for her to attack someone again."

  Clenching his fists, Michael sighed. One thing his sister had inherited from the Bruce side of the family was their stubbornness. He could tell she was going to be firm on this. "What about a blood bank? If I can get some donated blood, would that suffice?"

  "Yes," Sara nodded. "But how are you going to manage that?"

  "I'm Black Torrent, I'll manage it. I can't promise how much I can get, but it should be enough for you to get yourself back up to health." He sighed and took her hand. "And if it's not enough, I can...y'know—if she needs to."

  Smiling, Sara hugged her brother. "Thank you. I know this is all so strange, but I know it'll make sense soon. I know it'll all be worth it."

  Luciana had been combing the hair of a doll, pretending not to listen. But as she heard the man's offer of help, she rose and threw her arms around him. Michael sighed and hugged the girl back.

*          *          *          *          *

  That night, after the sun had set, Luciana wandered outside into the fresh night air, feeling she needed to clear her mind of all thoughts. Fears and worries still plagued her, Even though she was adapting to living at the Home, everything still seemed so surreal, particularly after living on Gale's streets for so long.

  The girl sought solace in the darkness around her. As she walked out into the gardens, she smiled gently to herself as she gazed up into the sky. She loved the night and the stars; somehow they always gave her comfort and peace of mind.

  Luciana sighed. It seemed so quiet outside, even though the bustling city was still awake beyond the outskirts of the orphanage. The flowers in the garden beds reminded her of the beauty that was still left in the world. She reached out, cherishing the feeling of the rose petals beneath her fingers.

  The girl looked up towards one of the side entrances. The nurse was leaving after a long day's work, heading to the small car park not far from the gardens. Luciana bent down and broke off three stems of white roses. She caught up with her just as she approached her car.

  "Nurse Catherine?"

  Catherine blinked at the child before her. "Luciana?"

  The girl blushed and held out the flowers. "I wanted to say sorry for hurting you. These are for you."

  Catherine smiled and took the flowers. "Thank you, but you don't have to apologize. I understand.You're in a safe place now."

  Hugging the woman for a moment, Luciana stepped back and waved. "Take care going home."

  "Goodnight Luciana." Climbing into the car, the smiled back at her before driving off into the night.

*          *          *          *          *

  Another two weeks passed quickly. The routine of the orphanage was nice, as it gave Luciana focus. While she had made many friends, she was closest to her roommates, Danielle and Megan. The girls had taught her so much, from details about the new world she lived it, to fun stuff like video games and "girly" stuff. One of her favorite things to do was play dress-up and have puppet shows.

  Since Sara realized that Luciana was drawn to medieval things, she indulged the child in tales of elves and dragons and magic-users. The girl took mostly to the King Arthur stories and had even chosen to name her bear Lancelot after one of her favorite characters.

  The time at the Gale Home was special and each night as she drifted to sleep, she made a wish that it would be this way forever. Though a part of her knew that would be impossible.

  The sun was shining brightly, so Luciana was instructed to stay inside. Sara had spoken with the nurse and they declared she had Xeroderma Pigmentosum; she had strict orders that she keep out of direct sunlight. Since she was stuck inside, Danielle, Megan, and a boy named Howard, were happy to keep her company.

  "Let's play space rangers," Howard suggested. "I'll be the spaceship captain and you girls can be my crew." He pulled out a small box that had a variety of buttons and knobs on it. One of the volunteers at the Home had made it for the kids' playtime. "Luciana, you'll be the princess we need to save."

  Somehow that struck Luciana, but she didn't know why. With a smile, she nodded.

  "Go over there behind the couch," Megan ordered. "That's the jail. We'll come to rescue you."

  Climbing behind the sofe, Luciana giggled as she heard the kids play-acting. They said that she was captured by a giant slime monster and Luciana wondered just what such a creature would look like. After a dramatic dash through the room, the children appeared from around the couch and staged their rescue.

  "C'mon, princess, we must get you home." Howard was holding a squirt gun which he was using as a space blaster.

  "Oh, thank you," Luciana said in a grandiose manner.

 "Oh no, here comes the slime monster," Danielle cried, pointing towards the doorway. Her hand caught Howard's by accident. The gun flew from his fingers and landed behind the large big-screen TV.

  "Oh, no! We'll never get it now."

  The children ran over, trying to see behind the large cabinet. Megan was the smallest, so she tried to reach her hand back. "I can't quite get it."

  With a grumble, Howard sat on the floor. "Well, that's the end of the game."

  Luciana closed her eyes for a moment and imagined the gun behind the heavy wooden unit. Megan gasped and pointed as it floated up and into Howard's hand.

  "Now we can play," Luciana smiled.

  Danielle and Megan exchanged glances while Howard stared at the gun. "I don't think you need rescuing, Princess," he said. "Maybe you should rescue us."

*          *          *          *          *

  Michael knocked on the door, opening it a bit to peek in.

  "Coast is clear," Sara assured as she waved him in.

  Closing the door behind him, he pulled out an insulated bag. "Two more units. Though, honestly, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get much more. I've already gone to all the blood banks and they're upping their security."

  "I feel better, so if we need to, we can go that route again."

  He took a seat on the couch."How's she doing?"

  "I'm amazed. She's very bright. She's seeing a tutor here and has already mastered many of the basic concepts, like colors and numbers and letters. She's also showing some supernatural abilities, too."

  "How long do you mean her to stay here?"

  "I'm not sure. She seems so content, I don't want to press her yet. We'll find out where she's from soon enough."

  Michael wasn't happy with the situation, but it made him feel better to see his sister looking more like herself. "If you can break away from here for a while, there's something else I'd like to talk to you about. I'm working on a case and I could use your help tonight."

*          *          *          *          *

  The Dark Flame crawled up the drainage pipe, making it to the top of the building. Michael had told her that he was tracking a ring of bank robbers as The Black Torrent and had discovered their hideout on Main Street. Though he was probably capable enough to handle them on his own, he felt it prudent to have backup, just in case.

  Thick clouds hung in the sky, blocking out the moonlight. A flash of lightning shone in the distance. From her position on the roof, she could make out an apartment building across the street. On the fifth floor, in the rear unit, was where the group had set up camp. Through the window she could see two men at a small table, playing cards. There was another man sitting in a recliner, typing on a laptop computer.

  "Flare, come in."

  She pulled a communicator from her glove pocket. "I'm here. Have the perps in my sights."

  "Alright. I'm on the roof above."

  Dark Flame brought her binoculars to her eyes. "Got you. I'm about to secure my pulley line. I'll be ready."

  Tensing, Dark Flame watched as Torrent entered the building.

*          *          *          *          *

  Over the time she had been at the Home, Luciana had thought it odd  that Sara would often leave late at night and then come back in the early hours in the morning. She was always dressed in the same strange and tight clothes that Michael had been in when she first met him as Black Torrent. At first she didn't think too much off it, but as she saw the woman sneak out at 1:00 a.m., curiosity got the best of her.

  Luciana had decided to follow and watch from the distance to see where Sara would go. As she sneaked out the window, she took care to be extra quiet. It was a good thing she was so small, she could hide easily from anyone's view.

  Scaling and stalking along the rooftops, she finally caught up to Sara just as the woman pulled a strange metal gun-like device from her belt. There was a popping sound and a metal rope shot from the gun, the end embedding into the building across. She then took a small wheel attached to a bar and slid across. It was all fascinating to Luciana, as she had never seen anything quite like it. She wondered if she should ask Sara if she could ride it sometime, then decided that would be a bad idea since she didn't think the woman would be happy she had been spying on her.

  Sara got to the roof and ducked behind a large metal box. Luciana could still see her cape blowing in the wind. She was there for a long time and the girl was just starting to get bored enough to head back home when the door opened. Two men ran out, looking around in a panic. Sara jumped out, running towards them. They looked scared and one pulled out a gun.

  On the rooftop, Dark Flame saw the man reach for his weapon and she dropped into a roll. The criminal shot once, missing. She maneuvered, trying to get behind them. Torrent wasn't coming yet, so she figured he must be taking care of the others back in the apartment.

  Managing to make it around behind the men, she round-kicked, sending the gun flying from the man's hand. The two thugs stopped, looking at the woman in terror. Then she noticed their eyes shift behind her...

  Luciana had seen the other man come out of the doorway and immediately knew that he meant to hurt her friend. Breaking into a run, the girl made it to the edge of the roof and leapt forward. It was a narrow street below, but the distance was still quite wide. Concentrating, she felt the air move around her, carrying her across the way. She gained her footing on the slate roof when she saw the man grab Sara, clamping his arm around her waist and placing a knife to her throat.

  "No!" Her protest was drowned out as thunder clapped across the sky. Luciana thrust her hands forward, sending a gust of wind toward the man and Sara. Abover her, she could feel the energy of the storm emerging from the skies. The girl's eyes glowed an electric blue as she started to channel the power. Once again she held out her hands, drawing energy from the storm clouds. Lightning split the sky.

  With all the strength she could muster, Luciana aimed the electricty towards the criminal just as it began to pour down with rain. She then turned around to face the two other thugs.The storm began to increase in intensity, the thunder booming so loudly it seemed like the whole sky would break apart. Two more lightning strikes came down from the sky, directed at the criminals. Black Torrent emerged from the doorway just in time to witness the scene.

  Screams came from the criminals' lips as hot blue streaks shot through their bodies. Their limbs shook violently, smoking rising from their fingertips before they collapsed onto the wet rooftop.

  Torrent stood in shock as the girl lowered her fingers. Her eyes were nearly white with power, but soon faded back to their normal blue. Rushing to Dark Flame's side, he helped her up. Both crimefighters stared at the child.

  The rain that had started suddenly, slowed and turned into a small trickle. The clouds parted, allowing streams of white moonlight to shine down. It was just an illusion, but the girl appeared to glow from it.

  Luciana regarded the men. She knew they were dead. She has seen many dead people before. Slowly she approached Sara and grabbed her hand. "Are you all right?"

  Sara seemed unable to speak and Luciana wondered if she had perhaps been injured after all. Finally she knelt down and smiled. "I'm okay." The girl threw her arms around her neck and hugged her.

  Michael checked the bodies and gave a shake of the head. "Get her home. I'm going to have to meet the police and tell them of this 'freak accident.'"

*          *          *          *          *

  Another week passed at the Home without incident. Sara had been upset at Luciana for following her to the rooftops. She explained that she was a crimefighter and that it was dangerous job and no place for a child. Trouble was, being a vampire, Luciana often found herself awake late at night, lonely and bored—she wanted to be out with Sara, doing something. As a compromise, the administrator agreed to let her stay at her apartment when she was out on patrol. Since it was attached to the main building, there would be adults close-by in case of an emergency, but she would still be able sit up and watch t.v. It was a good solution, and Luciana promised to stay-put while Sara was away.

  It was a vow she kept, until the very cold night...

  Unusual as it was for late summer, snow began to fall from the skies. The temperature plumetted and frost covered the glass of the windows.

  Luciana had been sitting on the couch, drawing in a small sketchbook, when she sensed something magical in the air. It was a very old type of magic and something about it felt familiar.

  Glancing up at the window, she watched as it flew open, a gust blowing in a swirl of snowflakes. As she ran over to close it, she noticed that flakes were floating in the air, merging together. The form looked like a very small snowman, but female and with large wings like a fairy. Luciana tilted her head to the side as she watched it flutter its white wings.

  The girl had always had a passion for magical beings and she was enchanted as tiny snowflakes dropped from the fairy's wings with each flap. As she held her hand up towards it, the creature's own icy cold fingers touched hers before it motioned for her to open the door.

  It had been such a long time since Luciana had seen snow—it looked like a magical playground and she couldn't help but stare. In her unexpected moments of bliss, she didn't notice the two shadows.

  It all happened within moments. The two figures, a man and a woman, approached from behind. The man pulled her into his arms, covering her mouth to keep her from screaming. The woman held a small bottle filled with a dark crimson liquid. At first, Luciana thought it was blood, but soon realized it must be a potion. Thrusting it between her lips, the woman forced her to swallow the elixir. Though she struggled, Luciana soon found her eyes growing heavy and a moment later, consciousness left her.

*          *          *          *          *

  It had been a long night. Sara had learned of a gang initiation ceremony where grammar school kids were to be sworn-in through hazing. She had asked Team Torrent to help her break it up, and they had, but not before a nasty fight had broken out which left everyone bruised and beaten. Making the last leg back to her apartment, the only thing she could think of was a hot shower and a good night's rest.

  As she neared the building, the first thing she noticed was the snow. It had been warm earlier in the evening, but now everything was covered with a thin white blanket. The reflection of the moon lit up the area and she could easily make out two figures on the lawn. They appeared to be carrying something, and it only took a moment for her to realize it was a child.

  Panic gripping her, she broke into a run, adrenaline pushing her forward. Though her speed was incredible, she had simply gotten there too late. The pair hurried into their car and drove away.

  "Luciana..."

*          *          *          *          *

  Michael had just climbed into bed when he received he call. He hurried to the Home to find Sara frantic.

  "They took her."

  "Who?" he asked.

  "Them."

  He still didn't understand. "Who are they?"

  "I don't know, but I felt something recently. Something odd. I had a feeling something bad was coming." Sara broke down. "We need to find Luciana."

  "The police—" he started.

  "No! It's too dangerous. They can't know who...what...she is. We need to get her."

  Taking a deep breath, he rose. "I'm going to go look around."

  Though the odd snow had already started to melt, Michael could make out three sets of prints. First small ones, then two adult ones. From the size, it appeared there had been a man and a woman. There were several drops of a strange red liquid which he didn't recognize, but had an herbal smell to it. Then there were leaves. In the footprints, there were bits of crushed leaves, most likely left from the shoes of the kidnappers. He examined them closely and discovered they were from Box Elders. There was only one area nearby where those trees grew, in the forest off a small river to the northeast.

  Scooping some of the evidence into his hands, he headed back into the apartment. "I know where we have to go."