Click here to read Parallel Lives Part I.

Click here to read Parallel Lives Part II.

Misha involuntarily backed up against the wall as the door opened and a flash of light blasted against the wall. A man in a dark suit and reflective sunglasses burst into the room, the door swinging loosely behind him. He quickly closed the door and offered her a warm smile. As he did so, Misha could feel warmth seeping into her bones as the chill in the room dissipated. Misha felt her guard being pulled down, but not being forced. She felt calm, safe. What type of medicine or trickery was this?

The man pulled off his glasses, and locks of thick, dark green, hair fell in front of his eyes. He squinted at her. There was no doubt about it, both Misha and the man could feel a familiar pull between each other.

The man gestured for Misha to sit, wordlessly compelling her to do so. Misha could feel a cold sense of dread trying to worm its way into her mind, sending shivers racing down her spine.

“Do I understand that Mia Shue is not your real name? You can be honest here.”

“Y..yes” Her voice came as a raspy whisper

“And what is your name?” He raised a deep green eyebrow at her, eyes asking, posture demanding.

“Misha. Misha Whover” Her voice quivered, her emotions trying to break through the floodgate in her head.

“Misha? Did you say Misha?” The green haired man sounded surprised

“Yes?”

The green haired man lost his composure. He stood up, pressing a button, the door swinging open.

“I’ll be back. Just need to collect my thoughts.” He offered her a sad smile before leaving the room.

Jack Whover walked out of the interrogation room, specially calibrated to null any powers, including his own. He leaned against the door, his mind racing in a whirlwind of emotions. After all this time, could he finally have found her? A security guard walked up to him, his hat bobbing as he walked.

“The prisoner isn’t giving you any trouble, is she?”

“No, none at all. I just was hit by some...Deja vu. You know?”

“Yes, sir. Can I get you anything?”

“Yeah. Yeah you can.” A small, devious smile, crossed his face as a thought flitted through his mind. One that could prove his suspicions. “Get me the President.”

“Sir? Yes, sir.”

Jack smiled. If this was who he thought, felt, it was, he had so much to tell her. If not, she was just another face in the crowd.

But still. Misha. Could he have finally found her? She had the same powers. She had the same hair, the eyes. She had his eyes. Even without the test, he had a undeniable hunch that it was her. Even the last name supported his hunch.

Misha’s eyes flitted to the door and back to the table. She knew that man. She couldn’t remember where she had seen him, or why she knew him, but she knew she knew him. She stroked her dark hair, the greenish tinge causing the light to dance on her hair. She pulled her hoodie around her, shivering slightly as the room seemed to dim and become colder. She closed her eyes, wondering if she was imagining the faint whoosh of air flooding around the room. She drifted into a sleep, trying to dive further into her memories, trying to place the green haired man.

Max jumped, his muscles sore from the day before. Someone was rapping on his door.

“X! Get up!”

L was calling him, the ever impatient person they were. Though their appearance was female, it was quite obvious that they hated being called a female. He had learned that the hard way after they had beat him up for merely calling them a girl.

Max stumbled out of his cot, noting that Z and Q were already up. He yanked on his brown jumpsuit, provided to everyone by the facility, and opened the door.

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“HQ wants to see you. He needs to brief you on our program.”

“Kay.” Max groggily went down to the cafeteria, ate the slop he was offered, and headed to HQ’s office. The door swung open for him as he approached it.

“Max. Come on in.” The soft voice of HQ reached his ringing ears. “We have an offer for you.”

“Hmm?”

“The government is recruiting elite guards. They could use someone with your abilities.”

“THE GOVERNMENT? ARE YOU INSANE?” In that moment, everything became sharp, focused. He could count every hair on HQ’s head.

“You don’t seriously think we could run this place without help, do you?”

“Yeah. Yeah I did.”

“Max, come now. We work for the government. We keep supers from getting in trouble. We train them for special service.”

“You make us soldiers. You don’t protect us. We are your slaves!”

“No, you’re more like...workers. Max, we can give you the life you want. You can go to college. You can have a job, see your family again. You just have to work with us, not against us. We don’t hate you. We hate...The government hates rogues. You are not in trouble, you are just a citizen, a tool, an elite human, until you go rogue. Then...Then you are a supervillain. Then you are dead. They will kill on sight.”

“No. I won’t do whatever it is you are proposing.”

“Oh, but you will. I have never in my years as HQ had a man go rogue, failed my government. GUARDS!”

Max felt his limbs go stiff as telekinesis rays hit his body. He felt himself levitate out of the room, watching as two uniformed men grabbed his arms quite roughly. He shook them off as soon as he was out of their rays.

“No.” Max stood defiantly in front of the guards, arms squared. “I don’t know where you are taking me, but if I stay here I am a prisoner either way. I won’t be a pawn in your games, I won’t work for the people who ruined my life!” With that, Max Pictured a bee, the way the eyes curved around their heads, the fat wings and fuzzy legs. The soft underbelly. He transformed, for the first time, without an object in front of him. He smiled, and flew towards the door. Doors began slamming all around him as an alert was issued to find him. If going ‘Rogue’ was what it took, he would do it. He didn’t want to be a soldier, he didn’t want to be combed into a disposable object. He was a human who just wanted to take his own path, to be normal.

He could see the light, a pinprick of a tunnel blazing through the darkness, the red emergency lights. He grabbed for it, knowing, somehow, he wouldn’t make it. The light slammed shut. He careened into the wall. His wing shattered from the force, like a million tiny bullets had just shot him. The searing pain was intense, and he felt himself losing consciousness. He was losing his sight first, as a black figure loomed over him.

“Max. I can read you loud and clear. You will NEVER get out of here if you behave like that.”