Chapter 1:
Gaia stuffed the entire donut in her mouth, stifling her craving. She polished off the last donut in her bag and crumpled the paper up, dropping it in the metal garbage can chained to a pole. Gaia walked off of the lit path of Washington Square Park and into the shadows. Where were all the muggers tonight? Was it their day off or something?
Her muscles ached for a fight. She needed to kick some butt. She needed to feel the rush of adrenaline through her system. She needed her fix. But, no, she was able to walk all the way to the other side of the park and out onto the street without so much as a rustle in the bushes.
Gaia walked down the street, passing the occasional pedestrian. What else could she do? Go back to the boarding house? Yea. Right. Be stuck in the same building as crackhead Zan and an OCD house mother. That’s pure joy right there.
She started to wonder, once again, if there was another girl like her. Someone else fearless. Someone else with a psycho uncle, a criminal mastermind grandfather, a dad in the CIA, and a mother who’d been murdered when she was twelve. Her life in a nutshell. If so, she would really like to talk to them. Ask them what their life is like. How they attempt to go about it normally. What they would do if they were in her position. She found nothing to do but walk around.
What time was it anyway? Gaia checked her watch. 9:25. Ed would probably be watching television right now. But Gaia would need to find a pay phone. She didn’t own a cell phone. She despised them actually. Why carry something around that can interrupt you at any given moment?
Spotting a lonely phone booth on the other side of the dark street, Gaia walked across. She dug into her pockets for some change. Any change. Nothing in her sweatshirt. Nothing in her jeans. She didn’t carry a purse. Gaia almost laughed out loud at the thought. She had a small backpack that she took with her occasionally, but not when she went to the park. She tried the back pocket and managed to fish out the change from the donuts.
But just before she went into the booth, she heard the answer to her pathetic prayers from behind her. Quiet footsteps and a couple seconds later a knife point at the back of her neck.
“Give me your wallet.” A smile crept across her face. She turned around, trying to put on her best scared face, to face her assailant. He was a young guy, lower twenties, and was attempting to be threatening by holding the sharp knife up to her throat. Gaia blinked slowly. “I said give me your wallet.”
“Oh, I’ll give it to you.” With that, Gaia grabbed the man’s wrist, twisting it, hard. He cried out and his knife clattered to the ground. She snapped her fist up to his jaw in an uppercut and finished him off with a flying kick to the side of his head. He fell to the ground, unconscious, as Gaia landed gracefully on both feet, snatching up the blade. She smiled with satisfaction. That felt good.
But, annoyingly, the darkness started to sneak up on her. Even with the tiniest fight like that, she had to feel slightly faint. After combat, she tended to lose consciousness because she used up so much of her strength. Came with the territory being fearless.
She went into the phone booth and leaned against the glass, closing her eyes. After a couple of seconds, she managed to stay fully conscious and opened them again. She looked around the phone booth and saw a ledge at the top. She stuck the knife on it, out of sight.
Bored once again, Gaia went back into her pocket for the quarters.
Chapter 2:
Ed flopped down on his bed. He looked over to his left and picked up his remote from his bedside table, pointing it at the television and pressing the ON button.
“-amazing quality of the-.”
“-find the burglar-.”
“-ever want to-.”
“-tonight at ten-.”
Flipping through the channels, Ed shifted his position on his bed. Just then, the phone rang. He looked at the clock and smiled. Only one person knew he was up at this hour and felt comfortable calling. He put the television on mute and picked up the cordless phone, pressing the button to answer.
“Edwardo’s Pizzeria,” he said in a deep voice.
“Three large pepperoni’s.”
“Hey, Gaia.”
“I’m bored.”
“Go play chess with some late nighter.”
“Zolov isn’t there. Nobody else but a freak and some guy that I could beat with my eyes closed.”
“Sucks.”
“There aren’t any muggers in the park tonight. The best I could do was a wuss with a knife.”
“My deepest sympathies.”
“Let’s see…You’re watching television.”
“How’d you guess?” Ed asked, putting the TV on mute.
“I’m bored.”
“You just said that. So what do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. Chatting is fun.”
“Fine by me. What’d you get on the calculus test?”
“This is chatting?”
“It is for me.”
“65.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why?”
“You’re a genius,” Ed replied. “Why did you fail?”
“I did about half the test and then daydreamed about you for the rest of the period.” Ed smiled. He needed a good dose of Gaia.
“Well, I’m very sorry that my incredible good looks are impacting your grades.” Gaia laughed. Ed smiled again. He liked it when he made her laugh.
“How’s Victoria?” Gaia teased. Ed groaned.
“Ugh. Don’t even get me started. I’m counting the minutes until she leaves.”
“Please deposit ten cents.”
“I’ve got to get you a cell phone.”
“I don’t want one,” Gaia told him, slipping in another quarter. “The only thing they’re good for is annoying people who are sitting in the movie theater with you.”
“They’re also good for calling your best friend.”
“So are pay phones.” Ed let silence envelop the line for a few seconds.
“So you want her?” he asked.
“Who?”
“Victoria.”
“Oh, trust me, she wouldn’t stand a day being my sister.” Ed laughed.
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” He turned off the television after he finished flipping through all of the channels twice. “You should see her at the dinner table. You’ve met my mom. Can you imagine her listening to Victoria talk about fashion for twenty minutes?”
“That would be entertaining,” Gaia replied.
“The entertaining thing is watching them try to make civilized conversation. I just sit back and watch the action. If I could change three things about my family, at least one of them would be about my sister. So what would you want your family to be like if you could program them?” Ed stopped and there was only the nearly inaudible sound of static on the other end of the line. He suddenly realized that he wasn’t just talking to one of his guy friends.
That was pretty easy to do. Gaia was just as easy to talk to as any of his other friends. Except she wasn’t any of his other friends. She had such a complicated life that Ed didn’t think he’d be able to fully comprehend it if she sat down and explained it to him for twenty-four hours.
Ed let out a quiet, long breath and was trying to think of what to say when Gaia finally broke the silence.
“Hey, what happened to the no questions rule?” she asked, trying to act nonchalant. Ed let out a long breath. He hated how strained her voice sounded.
“Yea. Sorry.” That sounded really lame. “Well…”
“Yea, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow in school.” Ed cringed. He didn’t want to hang up. Could they just talk for a while longer? Another few minutes? Hours?
“I guess. Bye.” Gaia hung up and Ed let the phone fall onto his shoulder without hanging up, sighing.
Gaia hung the phone back on the hook, holding on to it for a few seconds before letting go. She left the phone booth and saw that the spot the mugger had been five minutes before was now empty. She smirked. Nothing better in the world than showing them they could never count on a young blonde being helpless.
Gaia spun on her heel and headed in the opposite direction, begrudgingly setting the brownstone as her destination. She allowed herself the opportunity of passing through the park once more. Very slowly.
She twirled her hair around her finger, attempting to look innocent. Not something she was good at, but all she needed to do was seem spacey. She could do it in school. Why not here?
Just then, from the opposite side of the park, Gaia saw a woman get out of a cab and start walking down the sidewalk. Oddly she was in a t-shirt and jeans, definitely not warm enough for New York’s autumn weather. She rubbed her arms, looking around, before she stopped, sitting down at a bench with her back to Gaia.
Gaia suddenly saw a three guys walking down the street on the sidewalk and one of them motioned for the other two to stop, pointing at the woman. Smiling, Gaia started across the park toward her. The three guys reached her only seconds before Gaia did and the woman stood up, startled.
“Leaving so soon?” one of them asked. The three were only feet from her, trapping her against the bench and wired fence. She backed up as they closed in. She abruptly turned and ran around the bench, but tripped and fell. The three guys took a few steps and were suddenly upon her.
“Hey!” Gaia yelled. All three of the guys looked up, staring at her through the darkness. “Leave her alone.”
“Isn’t it a little past your bedtime, little girl?”
“I would think your bedtime would be a little sooner than mine.” His eyes narrowed and he came at her, his fist flying through the air quickly, but Gaia blocked it easily and counterpunched him smack in the stomach, sending him to the ground, stunned.
The two others came at her at the same time and both attacked, grabbing at her arms, but Gaia twisted them out of their grip, smacking one in the stomach with her sneaker and giving a roundhouse to the other’s head. The three took a quick last look at her before bolting. Apparently they weren’t in the mood for a real fight.
“Oh come on! Leaving so soon?” Gaia called after them. Turning around, Gaia felt the blackout coming. The woman got slowly to her feet as Gaia started to wobble on hers. Gaia suddenly narrowed her eyes. Her blurry vision showed something that stunned her. Something impossible. Gaia stared at the woman, refusing to believe what her eyes were telling her. The woman took a few steps over.
She was beautiful. Her brown hair fell past her shoulders. She had Gaia’s nose. The problem was that she was dead. The problem was that Gaia had seen her killed.
“Gaia?” She blinked quickly, trying desperately to propone the blackout.
“Mom?” Just then, the ground came up and she didn’t have time to put out her hands to block it from giving her a hard smack.
Chapter 2:
Gaia awoke in someone’s arms and opened her eyes slowly. She saw her mother and smiled slightly. It was nice to dream. She hadn’t had a dream about her mother in a while.
“Are you ok, honey?” she asked gently. Gaia nodded slowly.
“I’m fine.” A bright light seemed to be shining around her mother’s head, giving her a bit of a halo.
“I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too,” Gaia whispered.
“Can you sit up?” Gaia shook her head.
“I’d probably wake up if I did that.” Her mother looked confused.
“You think you’re dreaming?” Gaia nodded again.
“I have to be,” she said, smiling. “You’re dead.” Katia bit her lip.
“Gaia…can you please try to sit up?” Gaia let out a long breath.
“Ok. Am I going to dream again soon?”
“Please, Gaia.” Gaia obeyed her dream mother, sitting up, and her vision became clearer, like it did after a blackout.
“Do you remember what happened?” dream Katia asked.
“I saved you,” Gaia said with a smile. The smile faded from her face. “I couldn’t save you the first time.” Katia blinked back tears.
“Here. Let me show you something.” Katia took Gaia’s hand and pinched it, hard. Gaia jerked it away and rubbed it.
“Ow! What did you do that…” Gaia’s mind spun. You couldn’t get hurt in dreams. She knew that. Yet dream mom was hurting her. “Mom?” Katia smiled.
“There she is.” Katia leaned forward and gave her a big hug. “God, I’ve missed you so much. I see you’re still fighting.” Gaia was too stunned to respond.
“But…” She yanked herself out of her mother’s grip, suddenly standing up. “You…you died.” Katia looked to the ground and shook her head before looking back as she stood up.
“No I didn’t. I was brought to the hospital just in time. They were able to give me a blood transfusion. You were told I died because Yuri–.”
“Yuri?” Gaia exclaimed. “What’s he got to do with this?”
“He told you and your father I died. Your father left right after. I know that. I heard what happened from the doctors. I was in a deep coma, confused about many things, but I could hear what was going on. Yuri took me from the hospital to his estate. I was kept secretly in a hospital area underground. I was so angry at him for doing it, but I couldn’t do anything about it.”
“Finally, a year ago…I woke up. I went through physical therapy and thought about you and your father every day. When you came with your father and Oliver and that boy–.”
“What?” Gaia breathed. “You…you were there?” She nodded.
“Yes. I had full reign of the downstairs area, to keep myself in shape, and when I knew something was going on, I snuck into the security area to see what. I saw you in the cameras. And I thought you’d found out I was alive and come to save me.”
“Oh mom,” Gaia whispered, tears coming to her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea that–.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Katia said insistently. “I was so glad that Yuri was in prison, but he still gave orders. Then he was given the death penalty and…so he let me go. I was allowed to leave. He told me you were in New York and that your father is on a mission. I was going to go to your boardinghouse to see you, but I needed to gather myself first.” Gaia nodded slowly.
“I just…I’m a little…” Gaia rubbed at her eyes a little, her head spinning. Tears came to her eyes. “I really don't know what to say. Only that…I know everything. I know what happened. A few months ago, Nickolai told me–.”
“Nickolai?” Katia exclaimed angrily, narrowing her eyes. “That bastard approached you?” Gaia shook her head.
“He left the Organization and took some files with him. He had regrets and did his best to make amends to me. I know everything. I know what happened at the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. I know that Oliver is Loki. I know that he isn’t my father. I know who Yuri is and how bad a guy he is. Oliver…Loki…he destroyed a lot of the things I love in my life within the last year or so.” Katia’s face softened.
“I’m so sorry. I know how evil he is. I’ve experienced that firsthand. As have you.”
“And I know about the wedding night.” Katia stiffened and walked over to the bench, sitting down. Gaia followed her and sat by her side. “I know it isn’t my fault, but I really am sorry it happened. But you need to know something.” Gaia took in and let out a deep breath. “Loki’s gone.” Katia whipped her head to meet Gaia’s gaze.
“He’s…dead?” Gaia shook her head quickly.
“No. Actually, what happened was Oliver came back. Loki went into a coma and when he woke up he was Oliver again. I’m sure that you figured out that something like that was going on when you saw him with Jake, dad and me at Yuri’s. He doesn’t want to hurt people anymore and he regrets everything he’s done.” Katia looked to the ground.
“That’s incredible.” She hesitated before looking up to her daughter. “Are you sure?” Gaia nodded.
“When I broke him out of the hospital, he started remembering things. All the people he’s killed. What he did to me and dad. And he stepped in front of a speeding car and said, ‘I deserve to die.’ But I pushed him out of the way.” Wide-eyed, Katia stared at her daughter. She sighed.
“Wow. So…what have you been up to?” she asked with a smile.
MEMO
From: K21
To: O
Stunning information. You will want to sit down for this.
MEMO
From: O
To: K21
I’m sitting. Out with it.
MEMO
From: K21
To: O
Aquarius is alive. At the moment, she is at Washington Square Park with Gemini. Explanation and reasoning for this is too delicate to relay over at the moment, but validity of it is being explored as we speak.
MEMO
From: O
To: K21
Get men on this now. I want at least ten men keeping surveillance on Aquarius and Gemini. If this is a hoax, I don’t want anyone getting hurt and I don't want the objective of it to be accomplished. I’m on my way. Relay to me possibility of it being legit.
MEMO
From: K21
To: O
Legitimacy is being confirmed at the moment. Current probability of true to false is 74% to 26%.
Chapter 3:
It was nearly impossible for Gaia to comprehend it. Her mother was alive. Her. Mother. Was. Alive. And she was here, right next to her. It seemed like she was still dreaming, but her mother had proved she wasn’t. And Gaia was thinking very much of her father at the moment. What he would think. What he would do.
“When is Yuri scheduled to get the lethal injection?” Gaia asked. Katia glanced at her watch.
“Sixty-two hours.” Just then, Gaia’s ears perked up and she narrowed her eyes, looking around. Her eyes locked on someone walking their way from the other side of the park.
“Wait here,” Gaia told her. Katia suddenly grabbed her arm.
“Gaia, be careful,” Katia whispered. A wave of comforting, motherly love washed over Gaia and she smiled slightly before Katia let go and she walked toward whoever was walking toward them. It wasn’t long before she recognized the face and froze.
“Oliver?” His face expressed an emotion that Gaia had never seen before. It was a mix of several.
“Gaia…who is that over there?” Gaia kept her gaze solid with him.
“You don’t want to find out standing up.”
“Is it…it really is…Katia?” Gaia narrowed her eyes.
“You’ve been keeping tabs on me?” Gaia suddenly realized that this wasn’t the time for an argument and her expression softened. “Yea…yea it is.” Oliver bolted past Gaia and over to her mother, stopping short. Gaia was right behind him.
“Katia?” he whispered. “But…how?” Katia stood up from the bench, walking over to Gaia and taking her hand. Gaia met her mother’s gaze and, even though it should have been reversed, she felt the sudden urge to protect her mother flow over her as she realized something.
Aside from the fact that it had been another personality, this was still the man that had raped her. The man that had nearly killed her. The man that had tried to kill her husband. The man that had tried to kidnap and kill her daughter. And it would take a lot more than an explanation from Gaia and even one from her father to securely cancel out all those feelings of fear.
Oliver’s face fell.
“Katia…I’m so…so sorry…for everything that Loki did. I know it’s nearly impossible to comprehend it, but it’s true. I’m not Loki anymore. I’m Oliver. Gaia and Tom both know it. And I know that you’ll need time. I just…I’m so happy that…how is it possible?” he asked.
Katia explained the reasoning the same way she did to Gaia. And he had the same reactions that Gaia did. From her being kept captive to when they had come to arrest Yuri.
“Is it possible to relay the message to my father?” Gaia asked, looking to Oliver. He nodded.
“The Agency has the resources.” Oliver stared at Katia and smiled. “Just as beautiful as I remember.” Katia shifted uncomfortably on her feet. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “It’s just–.”
“It’s ok,” Katia told him. Gaia’s hand flew to her mouth and Katia saw the shock in her daughter’s eyes. “What is it?” Gaia swallowed and slowly guided her mother by the shoulder back to the bench.
“Mom…do you remember what happened about thirteen years ago?” Katia thought for a second before her face fell and she stared at the ground.
“Yes,” she said quietly. “You found out about that.” Gaia shook her head.
“No. I found him.” Katia’s head looked up so quickly it was enough to give anyone whiplash.
“What?” she asked with wide eyes.
“Yuri lied to you. He told you he’d died and took him to a mental institution. He kidnapped me too and tried to brainwash me to work for the Organization. It didn’t work, as you can see.” Katia’s eyes filled with tears.
“Danny’s really alive?” Gaia’s eyes narrowed.
“Danny?” Her eyebrows rose. “Oh! That’s his name?” Katia looked confused.
“Yes, why?”
“All I know him as is D.” Katia sighed.
“A single letter? That’s all he’s been reduced to?” She shook her head sadly. “Where is he?”
“On a farm in Ohio. Long story,” Gaia told her. “He…he has the ability to see auras. Human auras.”
“I want to see him,” Katia whispered, the tears slipping down her face. “I want to see him and Tom.” Gaia nodded slowly, taking her mother’s hand.
“You will.”
“Katia?” Oliver said quietly. Katia jumped, and Gaia shook her head, realizing that she had forgotten that Oliver was there.
“What is it?” Katia asked.
“If I’d known…I would have used all my resources to–.”
“I know,” she murmured. “I know. I’m just glad I’m back with my baby girl.” She gave Gaia a tight hug. “I love you so much.” Gaia hugged her mother back.
“I love you too,” she whispered. She squeezed her mother closely and never wanted to let go.
Great story! A happy one for change: Yuri is going to die,Katia is alive and Oliver is Oliver, not Loki.Was there all chapters? so katia is going to meet Tom and D.and they all are to going to live "happily ever after",like prhase go?
I dont know,either.You can leave it to that or you can continue it.somehow,it is little too happy,maybe.No enemy,no conflict.
