Mean

Where the heck is this light coming from? Ugh.. Mean was awakened by the three o'clock sun that punches through her window. Woah, it's actually beautiful.. and cozy. I never had this view nor this kind of light back in Eden. Mean remembered her room in Eden, four white walls covered by tourism ad posters that she found while on a mission in a nearby area. The areas in the poster consisted of ski resorts, beaches and most of all, mountain top views. The one she loved the most is the photo of Mt. Everest, she would have visited it but it was destroyed during the 2073 bombings. The once ice-covered-highest peak in the world has been reduced to rubble and debris, the nuclear heat melted the ice covering the mountains, creating a series of rivers flowing like fingers between the rocks and rubbles of the once proud mountain range. Mean hated the fact that her generation has been left with nothing but ruins and death which has driven her to work hard to win the war. Training Tina, their ultimate weapon, is the focus of her military career; training the assassin to kill the Utopian leaders, or better, taking over the Utopian Nation with her pheromones. But now, there has been a step back to her goal. I will work with Aom for now, but after this, Tina will have to kill the mother of the girl she's infatuated with. I don't want this for her, I want her to be happy, but we are at war and personal happiness is irrelevant. Mean stood up and stretched her arms. “It's about time I wake up the kiddo.” She was walking towards Tina's room but she heard a loud THUMP sound in Aom's room so she decided to check it out. What she saw shocked her. “What the hell?!”

Tina

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” Tina heard a long, angry scream; she was frozen with fear. The next thing she heard was a loud explosion, so loud that it made her ears deaf, so strong that she was thrown of her feet. Tina could only watch in horror as the thing that followed the explosion creep towards her. A bright blinding light, strong as the sun itself and just as hot. Slowly at first, then it came rushing in like a wave towards the beach. An overwhelming wave of heat and fire descended, Tina covered her face with her hands, she could see the skin from her hand melting, then her bones crushing into ash. No words can describe the pain she is feeling right now, she knew in just a few seconds this thing will devour her whole, but she did not die. She took a second glance at the hand that was devoured, to her surprise were regenerating. Like someone pressed replay, her bones starts to grow, then her muscles and blood vessels, finally her skin. It became a cycle for the next two minutes, her flesh and bone dissolving and growing back, the pain coming and going. The two minutes felt like an eternity until the light suddenly disappeared into oblivion, then darkness followed, the pain finally gone, she closed her eyes.

“How could she have survived that? And not even a scratch on her, this is amazing.” Tina heard a woman spoke. But that was not the only thing she could hear, she could hear the heart beats of the people around her, the drops of the IV attached to her arm and even the tiny steps of the rats creeping through the vents all around them. She could feel her body heat up, her heart beat faster and then.. “Oh my God!” Tina heard the woman exclaimed, then she woke up. A cream-white ceiling welcomed her eyes, the sound of trees bristling against each other as the winds blew against them. A dream. Tina thought. But, it was different, I have been having the same dream for ten years until today. She looked at her left hand, the hand that was disintegrating in her dream. She opened it and stretched it then curled it to a fist. Tok! Tok! “Tina, are you awake? It's Zee, I found her.” Tina puts aways all her thoughts about her dream and walks towards the door.

Aom

This is wrong, this is not good. I cannot feel this for Tina. I mean, we are both women and we are enemies. Wait, the vision.. she is Tina, my best friend when I was younger. I can remember her face when we were younger. She always loved to cut her hair short and pretend to be a prince from the fairy tales mom read us. Wait, mom knew Tina, then that means Tina is a Heteroual! But, how did she became a Homo and ended in Eden, it is because... Aom touched her lips with her fingertips, for a moment she could feel the warmth of Tina's lips. She felt her cheeks warm up, she knew she was blushing. Then she held out the pen then starts to make it float against her palm, playing with it as if she has always been doing it. Then something came to her mind. “They killed your father, they are monsters. They have always been abominations since the beginning of time, now their powers just proved what kind of nightmare they are.” Aom could hear her mothers voice, then her anger took over her. The objects around her starts to float again, the lamp, the desk and all the books in the shelf then the shelf itself, the pen still circling on her palm. Tina may know who killed my father, we shall have justice. And with that, the pen on Aom's palm flew away with the speed of a bullet, rushing towards the door. A millisecond before the pen hits the wooden door, it opened. Aom had the presence of mind to change the direction of the pen, an inch away from Mean's face. “What the hell?!” All the floating objects came crashing down. Aom could feel her face turn pale as she looks eye to eye with Mean, her lips were slightly open and she was frozen. “What was that?” She heard Tina's voice, coming closer. Mean quickly went inside and closed the door. “It's just me Tina, I'm in Aom's room.” Mean said. “Are you guys okay? Mean be nice!” Tina replied. “Uh, yeah. Sure.” Mean replied. Aom was almost thankful, then Mean turned to Aom again. “You...” Mean pointed at Aom. “Me.. I uh, it's not what you think.” Aom replied, she hoped that Mean would think she was hallucinating, but then again, it's clearer than broad day light. “Oh my.. Who is it? Wait, don't tell me. It's Tina? Oh yeah, it's definitely Tina!” Mean starts to laugh. Aom pouted her lips then she stood up, the captain in her has just presented herself. She looked at Mean with her soul piercing eyes, right there Mean stopped laughing, she won this round.

“I am not a Homo.” Aom claimed with all the conviction in her. “I am not in love with Tina. Now, if you don't have any business here, I suggest you leave. You have seen this, you have seen what I am capable of, so I guess it's best you don't piss me off.” Aom warned Mean. “Jeez, calm down princess. Well, I have seen what you are capable of.. sister. You know, the sooner you accept who you are, the sooner you'll be able to control that power of yours.” Mean replied. “I am in control, and this is not who I am. This, it's just temporary.” Aom replied. “In control? If this is what you mean by control then you're doing a banged up job.” Mean looked at the mess Aom made. She is right, I'm not in control. But what does she know? “What do I know right? Just so yo know, I did not became a colonel by just batting my eyes at the commanders. I train troops, I trained Tina. I can handle a little Hetero princess like you.” For a moment, Aom could feel a hint of sincerity in Mean. Perhaps she could use an expert's help with her situation. “What's in it for you? What would you get if you train me?” Aom was still skeptical, she is the enemy after all. She may trust Tina, but not her, not Mean. “What's in it for me? 'Not getting killed by you' is what's in it for me. Left uncheck, your power could kill us all.” Suddenly Aom was afraid, her new found power is not only unnatural but is also a danger to them, she hates to admit it but Mean is right. She looked at the mess she made, These could be people if I fail to control it. She thought. “Look, I know we got off with the wrong foot, I admit I have been a bit of a to you, but I was just looking out for Tina. You're the enemy, I can't just entrust Tina with you. I know you understand that.” Aom finally found the answer inside her, she needs Mean's help, whether she likes it or not. “Alright, I agree, please train me. But.. will this thing.. disappear?” Aom thought, this might just be a phase, just like what she feels about Tina. “It may depend on how strong you're feeling towards the the one.” Mean explained, but Aom just became more confused. “What do you mean by that?” Aom knew the rule of the one but she never really understood it.

“The rule of the one: Scientists discovered that there is another gene at work when a man or a woman is attracted to the same , that's the H gene. All human born children have the H gene, but it will remain dormant until they found the one. Homos can be infatuated with a number of people in the same and still have no powers because the chemicals that are produced by our brain when we are infatuated are not strong enough to trigger it. However, when you meet the one and fall in love, then that's it. Ninety nine percent of Homos that have found the one kept them as lifetime partners, that is what we call Vinculum, or the bond. Their powers match the powers of their partner, complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses. And that is the reason why there's very few of us, not everybody can find that one person.. their destiny. So Aom, I'll ask you again; is it Tina?” Aom could feel dry up as her heart starts to beat double, then triple time. She could feel the coldness in her hands. If I admit it, then it would be final. I will never be able to go back home, see my mother, my family and friends. I will be hated and mother would be ashamed. No, this is not final, it's just a phase. I am not in love with Tina. Aom could feel her tongue stuck inside , she would love nothing more than to deny it, yet it felt so wrong to deny it. Tok! Tok! Aom has never been more than glad to hear the knocking on the wooden doors. “Hey, it's me again. You guys need to come here, we found her. We found Sappho.” Mean opened the door, wide enough to stick her face out and speak with Tina but closed enough to cover the mess inside the room. “Yeah, we'll be right there. We just need to fix something.” Mean replied to Tina. “You're acting weird. I know you don't like Aom. Where is she? Let me in.” Tina tries to insist going inside the room. “Hey! Don't come in, I'm trying to get dressed here!” Aom exclaimed. “You okay in there?” Tina asked, still in doubt. “I'm okay. Just listen to Mean, it's a girl thing.” Aom replied. “See, I told you. You heard her, a girl thing. We'll be right out, just go Tina.” Mean replied, giving Tina an annoying grin, sending her away. Mean quickly closed the door and locked it again. “Don't think I've forgotten my question to you. We'll do this again later. For the mean time, let's fix this mess. Okay?” Mean reached out her right hand to Aom. She not so bad after all. Aom grabbed Mean's hand and shook it. “Sure. Thanks for helping me.” For the second time, Aom forgot her hatred towards the Homos. And just this once, she will let herself feel the happiness of finding the one, her destiny.