➢𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗔 𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬➢

『 𝐓  𝐇  𝐄     𝐄  𝐅  𝐅  𝐈  𝐂  𝐈   𝐄   𝐍   𝐓  𝐒  』

𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟏 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫 

『 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜: 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭'𝐬. 』

𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭© 

𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭© 

𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲... 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭©

𝚂𝙴𝙿𝚃𝙴𝙼𝙱𝙴𝚁 𝟷𝟾𝚃𝙷, 𝟸𝟶𝟶𝟿. 

𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙲𝙴 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳𝚀𝚄𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚂 𝙱𝚄𝙸𝙻𝙳𝙸𝙽𝙶, 

𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙳𝙾𝙽, 𝚄.𝙺.

Lights flicker down a white hall, down the white halls.

Each one is entirely blank and detailless, just white.

There are numbers etched onto steel doors, ones that have been vacant for almost two years now. Since experimenting started.

Since the Success was born.

The inside of FORCE Headquarters is completely hectic on this day, always having been considering what was at stake... what was being performed.

The FORCEFIELD Experiment.

When pieces of a mysterious and unparalleled source of power are finally injected without restraint into an innocent young child. A toddler.

Successfully... For the others were not successes.

No, their strength couldn't hold a quarter to what Experiment #124 was to possess, her capabilities, sustainability―though the children were kept in solitary confinement even in the nine months that Deborah Rockland carried Dani Rockland inside her belly.

After the child was born, kept in separate quarters and solely believed that she was the only potential vessel... the survivor, and the summer following her second birthday.

When the experimentation would officially start.

Jabbed and sedated with needles to enhance and prepare the test subject's body, for whatever amount of power was about to bury itself inside her, the five-year-old was unbeknownst to the events occurring alongside the shut-down of her psychotic parent's organization, and the death of her biological father, Joseph.

She was unaware of the five other children subsequently freeing themselves from captivity. 

From abuse. Torture.

Stolen from their homes and forcefully tested on as well, these enhanced individuals do not possess the same stamina as their superior, later confirmed successor... and explosions from the main area of the lab alert two scientists who run down the hall frantically, so much so that their clipboards fall out of their hands.

"What the hell is going on?" One asks.

The other spits out rapidly, "It's the girl. Dr. Rockland's daughter... the experiment worked!"

Both lock eyes when passing a room that its number of children being tested on―five―is not scratched out, and the white-lab coat individuals quicken their pace when realizing, "We need to get to the foyer right way, there's been a break-in!"

"The child's powers are uncontainable!"

All report directly to the head of the incident, where the Strategic, Homeland, Intervention, Enforcement, Logistics, Division presently holds the affiliates of this very dangerous and illegal experimenting―preparing to take them in.

This grants an opportunity for others to escape.

A few seconds of nothing pass, alarms inside the headquarters blaring, and then a strong, unexplainable force busts open the steel door right off its placemark―sending it back a few feet.

The lights go out amidst all the gunshots suddenly fired, though a glimpse through the flashing of dark and bright proves the essence of five unique young kids. Orphaned children.

The ones who were only Efficient.

These are the Efficient's.

They take this chance with everyone in the lab being occupied, fixated on the whereabouts of Experiment #124, to skedaddle and head out of the organization that ripped them away from their families. Kidnapped them.

Changed them. Forever.

They were all they had now. Siblings, friends, lovers... they take their chances and they don't stop running.

Not looking back, one time.

Once.

...Sound familiar?

𝗧 𝗛 𝗜 𝗥 𝗧 𝗘 𝗘 𝗡         𝗬 𝗘 𝗔 𝗥 𝗦             𝗟 𝗔 𝗧 𝗘 𝗥

𝙼𝙰𝚁𝙲𝙷 𝟷𝟻𝚃𝙷, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟸. 

𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙳𝙾𝙽, 𝚄.𝙺.

The bell of the Big Ben loudly chimes as a new hour starts, and wholeheartedly it is one that is very lonely. Streets are... not as crowded as they used to be, undoubtedly due to what happened, however, London remains small in its appearance though is a maze when it comes to navigation. 

One can easily feel like they're in a big city and can lose their way.

Unless one has a purpose in their stride.

Danielle Mairead Rockland always did. Does.

The older teenager, with only the tips of honey-blonde hair now, travels down a street and crosses another, walking swiftly in the broad daylight granted at a freshly earned 12 PM―she is bundled up in a red scarf and blue jacket. 

Jeans and boots, whatever she brought with her since leaving abruptly that day, four years ago.

Dani's gaze is somewhat sunken in considering the lifestyle she had been living, on the streets, and had been traveling consistently on foot for the last several years with only one destination in mind. A location.

Her birthplace, home of experimentation. The word 'home' itself doesn't register well with her as of late, though she maintains the determination, and will to find what she is looking for. Who she is looking for.

But first, the seventeen-year-old drinks in the appearance of the beautiful city of London, its euphoria.

Somewhere she hadn't been since running away from FORCE Headquarters. Breaking free.

Dani refuses to ponder longer on her time there, knowing it would only add to the awful nightmares she's still plagued with when closing her eyes at night, only this time, more heinous memories appear.

Memories that were created during the time when Dani Rockland was an Avenger.

...

She's not one anymore.

Stepping into a small cafe on the corner of one London Street, Dani situates herself at a barstool while hands come nervously to fiddle together.

She seems uneasy, on edge, and not for the reason one would think.

The teenager removes her pack from around her shoulders and promptly searches through it, stuff she had picked up along the way of her running proving to be useful as a black notebook is pulled out and a pen.

Her dominant left-hand scribbles down whatever else she can remember about her past times here, a common practice, and then lifts the pen off the lined paper only to place it back down moments later―Dani crosses lines through several other locations she had not been successful in searching for the Efficient's.

God, it was hopeless.

Whatever she is doing, the way she is doing it, it's not working, evidently, but the enhanced seventeen-year-old is immune to losing her focus. Resilience in this recent discovery.

After all, Danielle Rockland has been on the run before, orphaned from five to seven years old on the streets, and survived... because of her wit and intelligence. Something individually possessed by her, along with her quickened regeneration.

All in all, Dani does consider her way of living. As sadistic as it was, she's just trying to get by... find a new life, hopefully. A family.

Since hers is nonexistent.

Believe it or not, being the biological daughter of two crazed and self-centered scientists was not an easy life to live, and even if able to search for those specific titles―the ones as 'mom' and 'dad'―in other individuals―strangers―Danielle still struggled when it came to coming to terms with who she is.

Her destiny, the power she possesses, her purpose...

She thought she'd found her purpose, though too many mistakes were made for Dani to be able to believe that it was real. That it was home.

She has lost faith. In herself, and in others. Trust.

If Dani can't redeem that, she won't be able to redeem herself. Or, forgive the actions of others... ever.

Chronic pain ignites inside her all of sudden, only appearing as a bit of discomfort on the outside, but internally, the seventeen-year-old suddenly senses an overwhelming presence of power. Of the Force Field.

Dani bites down on her bottom lip, trying to suppress the agony and/or wounding cries that want to seep out of her lips but she tries her hardest to maintain―to sustain, as the pieces of the Tesseract much like before ruthlessly beat against her skin.

They make her veins twitch, it's a similar feeling experienced during the rise of Ultron... except it is 10x worse.

Ten times worse in pain, lack of control... and strength―because as Dani Rockland grows older, so do the potential and harmfulness of her abilities.

They become more irritable... and defensive.

They take over her body.

"Something I can get for you, love?" A waiter approaches her, murmurs are heard in the distance as others talk to one another in the notice of the sweating girl, or even though her hood covers most of her face they almost recognize her instantly―they know exactly who she is.

That she is dangerous.

Two other individuals in hood-less disguises of their own turn their heads ever so slightly at the attention.

Dani coughs, her throat dry, and the voice of the waiter speaks to her again, "Love?" and she forces herself to look up.

"Uhm," Droplets of sweat drip down her forehead, and through shallow breaths, the teenager manages to somewhat pull it together enough to ask gratingly, "Do you have bathrooms?"

The man stares at her oddly, though raises a finger towards the signs of the ladies and men's rooms and Dani utters a thank you, before scrambling out of her seat to get there.

She locks the door of the whole thing, not being mindful of the other empty stalls that were private enough but Danielle did not have time to be so courteous―she was suffering. In pain.

Her abilities were rupturing.

White knuckles grip one of the white rusty sinks inside the nice cafe, and the structure rattles together when the teenager applies more of her weight to it, helplessly. Dani moans.

She flinches as without control she starts to lose control, spiritual grip slipping on her abilities when they simply outmatch her. She is seventeen now, not ten, or seven, therefore signifying that getting a grapple for the sustainable energy source inside her, from a universe unparalleled, proves to be much harder than ever anticipated. Then ever before. 

She is wracked by dizziness and pain from the inner parts of her body. Her legs, her arms, her heart.

This causes her breathing to be raspy and low, and Dani fails to inhale correctly which induces panic for someone as anxious as herself, as afraid of herself. Of what she could do.

Another strong wave nearly shoves her back into the cold wall behind her, and the girl's blue veined-wrists grab at the wall like a cat scratching a post. She lets out a fierce gasp.

Eyes glow a different color, her hair drenched with sweat and somebody tries to open the door, "Excuse me, but we need you to please unlock this door right now."

Dani groans again, craning her neck awkwardly before her head produces a surging migraine at the continuous voices echoing from outside the cafe, and they turn absolutely meaner, "Hey, you need to open this door right now!"

"I-I," she grits out before vibrant blue lines climb up her neck, and Dani shrinks back, "I can't. Just please..."

She begs to no one in particular, but probably to herself, "I don't wanna hurt anybody."

"I don't wanna hurt any of them."

"Danielle Rockland, you have three seconds to unlock this door before we come in to take you!"

Shit...

They know who she is.

She isn't able to correctly register that however when primarily after three more seconds of pain and torture the cafe bathroom door is unlocked from the outside, with a key, and London officers holding guns stick them up.

They prepare to tase her, but Dani accidentally does it first.

WHOOSH!

Blue energy emerges, wiping out every officer that had stepped in to disarm Agent Rockland.

Being shoved back herself as the abilities rage, Dani slowly comes to terms with the fact that she has damaged the entirety of the bathroom and corner of the cafe... the white sinks from earlier springing leaks.

Her own powers dismantle her again and she writhes on the ground.

Head smashing down against the ground the seventeen-year-old is left defenseless when another officer, one that was outside―and is very large, hovers over her whilst pointing a gun, and the look in his eye is both hurtful and threatening, "Now I've got you."

"You... will pay―"

He gets cut off by an anomalous source of purple energy.

Dani's sea-foam green eyes widen. She crawls till she is upright, and the mysterious people do the rest of the work while she watches in awe.

They move swiftly, using their whole bodies whilst signaling some sort of blast into each guard that remains―blending tactical fighting with harsh shoves of their own harnessed and controlled energy sources.

Purple energy is strikingly kicked into an officer while a bright and recognizable orange blasts into the back of another one left.

They take care of everything.

It's insane.

Finally finishing the job, getting the work done in defeating a bunch of cowardly laymen... the two, a boy and girl both with dark hair slowly walk over to the girl crouched on the ground.

Dani's sweat-coated hair is slightly covering her face when she looks up, but when she does, she is in awe.

When two other Experiments from the FORCE Headquarters stare directly down at her, breathing.

The girl crosses her arms, while the boy keeps his hands down at his sides, looking passive, and she shakes her head as a chuckle breaks through, "Well, well, well... look who it is."

"What took you so long, Dani Rockland?"

"Are there still five of you?"

Dani Rockland, still astonished as she clutches her left arm, follows behind these two individuals from earlier―two of FORCE's 'Efficient's'.

Two of them... so were there still five?

"I mean," the girl nearly swallows her own tongue, trying to cope with what is happening, "is it just the two of you and the other three just... you know..."

She doesn't acknowledge the world catastrophe deemed inevitable, though they understand what she is referring to. Everyone does.

The dark-haired girl from earlier turns her head back, nodding somewhat with a smirk, "Nah, it isn't just us. We all survived 'that', coincidentally... we think it's something in the DNA."

"The DNA from being experiments."

Thin air blows through Dani's nose and out her mouth, and she shrugs, "Okay."

Before her curiosity gets the best of her again, inching closer to the two enhanced individuals who walk casually with a purpose, she has one too in asking, "So then are you guys okay?"

"A-Are you all safe? Still on the run?"

Everything that goes on right now feels so new to Danielle, she struggles to keep up mentally, so her naturally-inherited anxiety presents itself when a shiver sends itself down her spine―body temp dropping―and the seventeen-year-old is met with responses from the two eighteen year old's that include much amusement.

Stoic silence, and that droll demeanor again from the short female who stops at a small apartment building and trots up the steps, sending somewhat of a wink in Dani's direction, "I'll let you be the judge of that..."

The boy remains behind her.

A clicking noise is heard and shortly with a bob of her black hair, Experiments #102 and #123 motion Dani inside the condo where the five of them currently live, and the girl is incredibly amazed.

She steps inside a small but spacious building with windows that bring in the sunlight, not hiding them, and there's a wide staircase and small kitchen, along with a living room with comfy soft couches.

They don't have any lights on, noticeably, however, candles as well as sunlight light up the apartment which is reasonable during this time... when governments and cities are in shambles.

Nonetheless, the place seems vacant until other presences that lurk come forth, and the first one is a very tall and long-haired guy.

"Allison, why the hell are you back so early?"

The purple-aura girl, Allison, answers him cooly, "Because Dante and I got interrupted during our little outing."

"By what?"

The deep voice comes closer in range, and lifting a hand from being on his face, Experiment #07 is shocked to find who he finds standing in the center of their apartment.

The nineteen year old's jaw drops, "Holy shit."

"God, Jackson, watch your mouth..." Another strict tone of voice pipes up, another female's, and a skinny and pretty blonde comes into view moments later and nearly has the same reaction.

"Oh, my god."

All four pairs of eyes stare at her. 

Dani is uncomfortable.

"It's... you..."

"How in the shit did you find us?" She asks in disbelief, and her boyfriend corrects her.

"Language, Kayla."

"Shut up."

Jackson's smirk transfers from his girlfriend toward the seventeen-year-old, and his 6'5" figure walks up to her.

Dani's 5'6" body cowers.

He checks her out, "So, this is the famous Dani Rockland, then..." there is a dryness to his tone, a bite, "kinda disappointing."

"You didn't answer her question," the presence of another boy, one much scrawnier and smaller, spooks the teenage girl enough to emit a gasp, "How did you get here?"

Dani blinks furiously while stuttering, "I-I uh, well, I walked."

"You walked?" The white-t-shirted boy asks.

Allison mocks him, "Can you speak English?"

"Better than you."

"Marcus! Don't start!" Experiment #04 calls out again, suddenly grabbing the attention of everyone―clearly the authoritative figure of the group―and Kayla gently talks to Dani, "You walked all the way from New York? On foot?"

"Well... I had to take a boat," Dani starts to nod, reminded of the overseas journey, "but, yeah."

"Must have been a long trip." The blonde sympathizes with her.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad, with that pretty face and bangin' body..." Jackson's comments infuriate Dani to no end, his snarky attitude, though she is too busy blushing to say something back and the nineteen-year-old, Kayla, sends a sharp hand into his arm that gives off a zap. 

Her eyes glow red.

They turn back to normal, "So the implications are true. You're Danielle Rockland, daughter of Dr. Joseph and Deborah..."

"Only biologically," the seventeen-year-old quickly clarifies, but nods, "Yes."

Everyone is staring at her again.

Marcus says with wide eyes and an internal gasp, "You're the Success."

"We'd never thought we'd meet you..."

Allison walks forward, arms crossing again, "But here you are now," 

She passes her, and identifies her sharply, rather, as "a runaway."

"And for what?"

The older girl turns cold. 

"What do you want from us?"

Dani swallows thickly, really... she does not know.

She didn't really plan for this part, not just due to her chances of finding them already being slim, but also because the girl was not thinking very clearly during this time, in a good place.

Hell, she ran away from the only loving and nurturing home she ever had.

Sure there were reasons for that, an argument that ended with words that can never be taken back―that Dani is still unsure whether she meant them or not, but regardless, the girl is lost. Lost inside, and lost herself, she needs a new home.

New... family.

The Efficient's are not who she thought they would be.

Sure they were cool as cucumbers with their abilities and seemed like normal teenagers, but that was just the problem.

They are orphans, a bit cold-hearted, and don't seem to understand nor reciprocate the feelings Dani portrays towards them. 

No, they seem to despise her. Dislike her, as she is the very Success of the FORCE Headquarters and well... they are just Efficient. Failures that are defects... are only worth keeping around as backup plans or potential vessels. Jealously suddenly slips into the convo.

Allison scoffs at her silence in disgust, and promptly steps forward, "Who do you think you are? Coming to find us like this?"

"Do you think... you are one of us?" She circles Dani, and the seventeen-year-old suddenly feels small again.

She gulps.

Allison responds simply, "No,"

"You're not."

"You see, we paved the way for you... we were held in captivity for an extra amount of time, continue to be caged and ostracized from our families while you go off and celebrate your orphanage with the Avengers."

Dani's expression darkens as the others are silent, letting the cruelest one out of them continue her un-filtered tangent. 

"Surrogate uncles, adopted parents... we don't care." Allison finishes, sneering as defensiveness takes over and her last words strike a chord, "You're not like us."

"I never said I was."

Her mouth gapes open when purple glowing eyes are met with much stronger blue ones, much more pronounced and powerful, and Dani slips up again with control. Struggles... with having no control.

The Efficient's all step back, understandably rattled by an energy source as powerful as the one they are witnessing right now, and the boy from earlier trickles back into the conversation.

He looks at Dani.

Kayla is the one to reassure again, "Okay, it's-it's okay... we understand."

"No, we don't." Jackson grits out.

Others silence him with a look.

The blonde quietly walks up to Dani again, tone softer as with some precautions―but no fear―she places an arm against her shoulder, "With being on the run for so long, you must be exhausted."

The seventeen year old's eyelids nearly droop at the comment.

She commands herself to stand upright.

Kayla rubs soothing patterns into her arms and from there a small smile forms, "We can't let you answer anything without cleaning yourself up," she notes of Dani's sweat-soaked clothes, and otherwise bony form, "or filling up your stomach."

Carefully turning around to her friends and roommates before looking back at the young girl, the oldest Experiment instructs, "Take a hot shower, it'll calm your abilities, and then Dante can take you out."

"Oh, I don't think..." Dani is immediately flustered by that last part.

Jackson cuts in with annoyance, "Not like that... just for some food or shit."

The other tall and muscular boy with curly hair then stands up, walking over to the seventeen-year-old who has red cheeks and stiff hair.

He speaks, and his voice is smooth and cavernous, "Are bagels okay?"

Dani squirrelly nods, "Yeah."

✰

Then, she steps into the shower.

Turning the hot water on and discarding any and all her clothes, the seventeen-year-old throws her hair up in a bun whilst letting herself soak underneath the scalding hot steam.

Dani breathes a sigh of relief, that for once today... does not sound strangled with the current predicaments that she finds herself in.

Alone with her thoughts, relaxed, body temperature warming back up―the girl swipes her face from under the water and then allows her hands to come together.

Slowly but surely, a circular ball of blue aura appears within her grip, and Dani stares at it for a long while in much contemplation. Contrition.

What is she doing here? Is she gonna be okay?

"So you can somewhat control your abilities!"

Green irises expand and Dani whips around in shock, gasping fearfully when laying eyes on the presence that accompanies her... in the shower.

IN THE SHOWER.

"Girl!" The brunette pulls the white shower curtain in front of herself, mortified when taking in the fact that she was still naked, and that this person is, too.

Kayla rips the curtain open again after Dani's abilities cease, asking curiously, "How long can you sustain that amount of power for?"

"How long can I what? Oh, my god!"

Severe trauma and embarrassment overcome the seventeen-year-old when realizing that she is still very much exposed―not wearing any clothes―because she is supposed to be alone! Alone in this shower! And the other one seems to have the nineteen-year-old on the end of it.

Who Dani learns is very... comfortable, in this state when she proceeds to talk casually, honestly, "I'm really sorry if any of them offended you earlier, you know, Jackson's a real sweetheart on the inside, protective―and he claims he isn't, which is really a fun little war of ours..."

The other girl pushes the front of herself against the wall, nodding quickly while looking up instead of anywhere else, "That's nice."

"It is." Kayla smiles happily to herself, before focusing back on Danielle, "You were just using your powers earlier, right?"

"Can you show me again?"

Dani gives her a look like she's crazy, dumbfounded, and she is still mortified, "Girl, no! Get out!"

"Ugh, not for that reason!" the female experiment rolls her eyes, and stepping closer to which the Success responds very quickly―curling the shower curtain between them again, Kayla turns off the water, "I need to know just how dangerous you are."

The word 'dangerous' makes everything inside Dani pause. She slumps, and following a heaved sigh of exasperation and really... much confusion, she recoils and then makes noises of strenuous tendencies when lifting up her left palm.

Her veins turn blue in an effort to summon a ball of blue aura, and she struggles with both controlling and sustaining it.

A wet palm suddenly cups the bottom of her small one, and from there a guzzle of red energy swirls and surrounds the source of energy―Danielle's eyes widening as a more controlled―but less powerful―aura safeguards and helps her sustain and navigate the extreme power emanating from her palms.

She and Kayla lock eyes, green ones full of fear and blue full of calmness.

Her entire presence, atmosphere... it was so welcoming.

Dani already feels better. About everything.

The two energy sources slowly fizzle away when Kayla lowers her hand and remaining honest this time, she relays, "You've got potential."

"More than any of us."

Dani meets her warm gaze, nodding back as somewhat of a connection has been formed between the two, a sisterly bond... and that is interrupted when reality kicks in.

The seventeen-year-old reminds her, "I'm still... naked."

"Oh, right!" Kayla moves to hand Dani a bar of soap, to which the girl accepts but still stares oddly and with confusion at the other female.

Uh... hello?

"You have a really lovely aura..." A male's voice adds, and the brunette's expression enlarges even more.

Sharpens, just like her icy reply, "Thanks."

Jackson winks, Kayla nodding as she smiles, and then the two leave Dani alone, back doing whatever the hell they were doing and she is left completely baffled. Confused... and a bit scared.

Jesus Mary and Joseph, who are these people?   

✰

Dani had her doubts when making their way into a new cafe, different from the one she had blown up, though Dante was to reassure her that nobody would care if they were there... it would be half-empty anyways.

Sitting across from one another silently after getting their food, the brown-eyed boy eyes the sea-foam green-eyed girl quizzically when noticing her reluctance to dig into the meal prepared for them―her restraint.

"Why'd you lie?"

Dani picks her head up, "What?"

Dante chews on the straw of his strawberry smoothie, lifting a brow, "You said you were fine with getting bagels... but now you're not eating them."

"Oh," the seventeen-year-old says quietly, looking down at the plain bagel and cream-cheese sandwich that waits for her, and shrugging her boney shoulders Dani forces a smile, "I'm not that hungry. Feeling a little nauseous, actually."

"Nauseous because you're not eating your bagel." Dante quips back as he removes his mouth from sipping on the paper straw, and upon making eye contact a chuckle bubbles up inside the throat of Agent Rockland―one that is breathy.

The eighteen-year-old smiles to himself at the success that he'd gotten her to laugh. 

Entertain her, then help get her to open up.

"I hope everyone wasn't too harsh, it's just, you know we're really protective of one another."

"Oh, it's fine." Dani waves him off, nodding as she inhales a big breath, "I understand."

Dante purses his lips together at her immediate empathy, a trait he'd just picked out of her, and continuing to engage in conversation the boy carefully treks, "You know, we've uh, heard about you, a lot."

"But I'm sure what we've heard isn't actually the whole truth, so, what's the story there?"

He emphasizes, "Here. Why did you come here?"

Dani swirls the straw of her own beverage before admitting "I don't really know, to be honest."

She attempts to explain without much detail, her tale, "I just... knew I couldn't stay where I was, with who I was―I wanted answers."

"People kept things from me, insisting that it was to protect me, but liars are the ones who make the best promises, and I thought that would make everything better. Promises."

Dante listens with care as Dani emits, "Then I learned I didn't want promises, I wanted the truth. And when they wouldn't even give that to me, I just..."

"I just..."

Her voice falls off, trailing as rapid blinking occurs to rid of foggy vision, and the boy quickly starts to speak, "That makes sense."

She is thankful for his understanding, going on to relay, "But I'm sure that those people you were talking about, they're worried about you. They want you to come home."

Dani shakes her head, strong-willed in denying, "I can't. Not ever... I need, I need to find my calling. My real home. My real purpose."

"I thought I had, but I was proved wrong, and after this..." She looks around at the dark-looking cafe, the significantly minimized amount of customers inside, due to the Blip, the teenager gnaws down on her lip before drawing back, "I don't think things will ever be the same again."

"So... when I found out about you guys, it gave me..."

"Faith?"

Dante frowns when the female corrects, "Hope."

"Hope that there are people out there, just like me, who I can actually trust."

"People that can help me."

The boy wets his lips, settling his large arms down on the table and Dante says, straightforwardly, "I don't know if we can help you."

She looks up at him, startled by his words, but he explains himself, "I mean, I don't know if the people you were with are any better than we are."

"What are you talking about?" Dani questions with intent.

And Dante swallows down a bit of bitterness, better than the others would, the survivors, "Well, we used the night you were injected with your abilities to escape, only to find years later on the news, you alongside Earth's Mightiest Heroes."

"'Little Orphan Dani'..." She opens her mouth but closes it, looking down solemnly, and Dante continues, "Adopted by God's Righteous Man 'Captain America', saved and gifted a wonderful home―"

Dani intrudes, "I never asked for that life."

Dante replies, "Doesn't matter, you still got it."

"You had somebody who stepped up to be there for you, to be a 'Father', you know what it's like to be loved so intensely by your parents."

His voice lowers in volume in order to keep calm, "And us?" he scoffs, "Parents don't wanna get to know who we've become. They've disowned us."

"So no matter what, at the end of the day... You're not one of us."

There's a tint of emotion to his tone that makes Dani's forehead crinkle, and her lips close together as she now is the one listening to his claim, and he claims, "You were the success... and we, we were just efficient."

"Expendable. Convenient. That's what we are."

"You'll never know what that's like."

The seventeen-year-old swallows, the room around them containing no sound for a bit other than the rustling of cups and workers, and Dani eventually speaks, "You're right."

She nods, then turns satirical, "Contrary to popular belief, being the biological daughter of two psychopaths isn't really a walk in the park."

Dante's brows deepen in concern.

Dani's body twitches, "To... have that, as your heritage, your only momentum in life is... well, it kinda sucks."

"I'm sorry―"

"And um," she coughs to cover a hitched breath, "I just want to find a reason for being alive."

Dante's expression softens, and with a slow nod he repeats accidentally, "That makes sense."

"Sorry."

He and Dani share another laugh.

✰

"This cafe is only a few blocks away from our apartment, and also only a little ways away from―"

Dani has been ripped away from walking alongside the taller figure of the Efficient, Dante, when a man who recognizes her fills up with anger inside, and forcefully pins her against a wall.

She gaps in horror.

"You got some nerve showing your face here after what you did! Actually, what you FAILED to do!"

The obviously grieving and not sane man tightens his grip on the jacket of the seventeen-year-old, and Danielle Rockland is forced to watch his broken expression with one of her own when this man knowing of her former affiliation―wrongfully ridicules her, "WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST BRING MY FAMILY BACK? MY WIFE, MY SON! HOW COULD YOU LOSE!?"

Dani has tears in her eyes, but none of them fall.

"Hey!" the man is tossed to the side by a very angry Dante, and the tall boy confronts the individual with much intimidation and protectiveness, keen on shielding Dani from ever laying eyes on him but the girl is confined to the wall.

"Just what do you think you're doing? Haven't we all been through enough? Leave her alone!"

The man is discarded moments later, and quickly turning to get away Dante follows after a distressed Dani, stopping her in a rigorous bolt, "Hey, hey! Dani, are you okay?"

His hands rub patterns into her arms and the girl submerges the urge to whimper, nodding while sniffling and blaming it on the cold weather.

Dante shows compassion when continuing to move his large hands up and down Dani's shoulders in the belief that she was cold, and the teenager speaks to him, "C-Could you do me a favor, Dante?"

"Uh, yeah sure. What do you need?" He asks her.

She stares into his brown eyes with an idea. An important one.

✰

"I don't think this is a very good idea." The boy insists, moments later, when he and Dani are standing outside the old caution-taped building belonging to FORCE Headquarters.

The girl looks up at the exterior before breathing out, "You said it was abandoned."

"Sure, but," Dante looks around with a bit of apprehensiveness, "I don't know, going back to a place like this would probably trigger some PTSD."

The girl has already ventured inside.

The boy sighs, "And-Okay, we're going in."

The former organization's walls are still sickly white, hallways dimly lit, and through it all Dani and Dante cautiously step inside the building where they were formerly held captive in. Caged.

Memories fly through their brains, ones of being wheeled in, kids screaming, syringes stabbing into their childlike skin―Dani hides a shriek when the steel heavy door closes shut behind them, and out of nowhere, she grabs onto something stable.

She's embarrassed a moment later when realizing that it's Dante's hand, and the boy gives hers a tight squeeze.

He rubs his thumb over her knuckles in a familiar soothing way, and right then and there Danielle is racked with another vision.

She's ten in the Salvage Yard in Africa, having just been manipulated by Wanda Maximoff, and in Dani's limelight, she sees the Efficient's lined up by number.

The orange-aura boy remains right next to her. Experiment #123.

The one experimented right before her.

Experiments #123 & #124...

"Dani?" He calls out worriedly.

The teenager trembles, though her voice is firm, "I'm okay," and they continue venturing.

It was him... 

Dante... her memory, nightmare that happened way back when it was about the Efficient's. And... and more.

So much more.

✰

Rain has started to pour when the two of them return to the condo belonging to the Efficients, and stepping inside quickly Dani is only met with more hostility from this group of far from normal individuals. And not just because they possess power like her.

"We've got your things all packed up," Allison comments, tossing the brown backpack with such velocity and strength that it knocks the seventeen-year-old back briefly, stunting her with the enhanced strength.

Marcus emerges from the corner of the room, insisting, "Now you can leave us. For good."

With more comprehension of their reasonings for acting this way, Dani tries to reason, "Wait! I-I understand your fear..."

"How could you?" The boy with an aura that is yellow seeps through his skin, almost in a threatening way, and a magenta-colored arm snatches tightly onto his.

Jackson slowly shakes his head. Kayla steps forward.

Trying to calm the situation, to let the Efficient's know that this Dani can be trusted. That she's good. Dante and Kayla both know that.

In the midst of all the chaos,  a surge of the pieces of the Tesseract directly interfere with their vessel, catastrophically, and sudden noises of pain escape out of the teenager's lips.

She whines and drops to the floor of the apartment, a blue aura constricting in her bones as well as outside of her, and this alarms each of the Efficients. Startles them.

For this girl... has it bad.

It makes sense. She's a Success.

"Jesus Christ! C-Control it, now!" Marcus panics in a tone much different than before, of restlessness, and he is reprimanded fastly.

"Are you a moron?" The orange-colored energy source boy, Dante, hisses out as he steps over to a struggling Danielle, "She can't you idiot!"

"Dani? Dani, listen to me, just try and relax, okay? Just relax." The boy whom Dani spent an interesting afternoon with at a cafe and then their old organization takes over in trying to soothe the girl, the girl's abilities, and from above her Kayla does the same.

Holding her hands out in front of her, a bit of nervousness presents itself on the oldest experiment's face as she witnesses the youngest twitch and squirm, even cry in pain at her powers that beat against her skin. That is incorrigible.

It is clear that she needs help, that she needs to learn.

Danielle inhales heavily, throat quivering a few times as she stammers when looking up―and for the second time today, she begs.

"Teach me. Please."

The Efficient's all eye one another.

Kayla stands back up, nodding as if to confirm.

"We will."

And on that day is when Dani Rockland officially begins her training...

♬ 𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗚: 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿- 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗔𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮 ♬

✰

"First, you need to forget everything you think you know."

"Nobody has a clue what it's like to be like us unless you're us, so, there's step one for you."

"Now... our abilities work closest to only two parts of our bodies: the physical, and the mental."

"That means that with every strike, it'll mainly be done with the strength of your own body, instructed by the brain. We don't have the luxury of being able to move things with our minds, summon our power that way... for us we need to use our physical strength. Work together as one with the anomalous energy source."

Dani Rockland in black workout gear, shrugs, "Okay, think I can do that."

"Oh, please, you're not getting anywhere with those noodle arms and chicken legs... let's go."

The seventeen-year-old then starts to train, first being knocked down over and over again when trying to prove herself, her stamina and control are where she is lacking―so she goes ahead and works at it.

PUNCH!

PUNCH!

KICK!

KICK!

Dani partakes in the most propelling of physical exercise: hitting a punching bag, and running each morning, all to build up her physical strength. Her endurance, to get that healthy appearance she never ever had, with a muscular build and healthier-looking legs.

Cue another training montage, punching bags, running, and lifting a parked car, many grunts escaping her lips.

"Having a Force Field means using it properly," Kayla explains, "it means having control over every single aspect that it intertwines your body with―sustainability, your regeneration process... your,"

"Emotions?" Dani finishes, panting after one day of practice.

"Yeah."

"That's the hardest thing to control."

"I don't get it."

"You don't want to get it."

KICK!

PUNCH!

PUNCH!

SLAM!

Dani goes after the sand punching bag, her hands wrapped in tape, and after each and every strike more power churns inside of her. More strength.

Dante smirks to himself when noticing her hard work and early rising in the mornings.

After much more practice and control, from those who know exactly what they are talking about, Dani is able to blow up a large car, the Efficient's going wild when the blue aura emitted from her destroys the vehicle in an explosion... they become her biggest cheerleaders.

Boxing becomes routine and soon enough one-armed chin-ups and push-ups do as well. The girl's enhanced strength truly presents itself.

Dani becomes extremely strong. Physically, but also in her velocity.

"To be honest, your control is not that bad for having the most difficult time anyway... flip your palms around."

Dani does as Jackson instructs, "Okay..."

"Good. Now, when you get a running start, push your feet off the ground and into the air."

"What?" She is confused.

Marcus chimes in, "Aw, I love doing that."

It takes a few moments before sea-foam green eyes widen like it's Christmas, and Dani all but whispers, "Are you saying... what I think you're saying?"

"Hell yeah, he is."

"Jackson." 

Dani's face lights up, "You mean... We can fly?"

"You can fly. We're only able to levitate efficiently."

A smirk fills the lips of the taller boy, "Get it?"

The smaller one rolls his eyes, "Shut up."

"Doesn't matter. I don't need to be an airplane because I'm the fastest out of all thee..."

"Is that so?" Dani vocalizes, quirking a brow and causing Jackson to bite his lip.

"Whoa... Is that a challenge I am hearing, Baby?"

"I guess you'll have to find out."

"Ooh, he's gonna hold you to that, you know," Marcus announces from experience.

Dani smiles.

She fights, learns to fight, learns to tame and harness the abilities she used to think were a curse and were detrimental to her life and wellbeing.

Really they were a gift.

She would never forget what happened to her, the experimenting, the torture, but it's like how she thought when fighting in New York all those years ago.

She never asked for these abilities but was damn well gonna use them to protect herself and those she cared about. That was a motto that never left. No disguise.

Nothing would stop her, for she was a fighter.

PUNCH!

PUNCH!

She moves backward, and...

PUNCH!

The hitting bag flies off its chain and Dani stands up, breathing heavily as she sweats and a messy ponytail sticks to her skin that is one she feels more comfortable in―hot.

The girl goes to unravel the tape from her wrists and then throws on her gray zippered athletic jacket, promptly going on a thirteen-mile run.

In twenty-five minutes. Beat that. If you could.

✰

Grunts emit from both mouths, one a male's and another a female's.

Dani is as sharp as always, very agile on her feet, and from across her, Dante jumps in place―putting his fists up.

She does the same.

"Always keep your hands up, it aids the chances of you being ready for anything."

The girl does as she's told, and with a long-sleeved jacket on Dante begins their sparring match with many strikes that she needs to block. Dani does so. Quickly.

He tries to land one with his knee but she fends it off, fast reflexes, though he manages to swing one forceful throw at her that has some of his power behind it―knocking her back a bit.

Dani makes a noise of irritation while recoiling.

"It's all right." Dante persists, constantly encouraging her, "Things that your brain may forget will be replenished with your body's muscle memory."

The eighteen-year-old nods before raising her fists, "I wanna try again."

"You sure?"

Dani nods, "Yes."

They begin to spar again, Dante firing the same strikes at the same speed, and Dani countering them at an even quicker pace. This causes things to get more intense.

She outwits him in speed and strategy but he captures her up in his hold by taking a punch she throws and wrapping it around herself, one of his arms tightly pressed against her.

Dani winces, though due to over-exhaustion falls against Dante and the two are extremely close. Their faces are inches away from one another as she leans against the space between the crook of his neck and arm.

The two glance at one another as tension floats all around the room. Then they pull away.

Huh... Weird.

✰

What is extremely weird, believe it or not, to someone like Dani... is the movie, Peter Pan.

On the screen, while the girl eats a bowl of cereal on the Efficients' couch one night, she watches as in the Darling siblings' room in London, Wendy and her brothers Michael and John attempt to fly with the boy who never grows up. Peter Pan.

After some faith, trust, and pixie dust from Pan's friend, Tinker Bell, and the art of thinking of a wonderful thought... the Darlings fly happily and successfully to Neverland. Not a real place, by the way.

This silly little fantasy of a movie remains impactful however to the story of Dani Rockland as it causes an idea to pop into her head. A dream.

"Oh, god... God this is a bad idea..." 

The worst one she thinks she's ever had.

Agent Rockland's feet dangle off the edge of the Efficients' apartment complex, late at night... and at that moment Dani tries to convince herself that in fact, she can fly.

She can fly, she can fly... if she just believes.

If the pieces of the Tesseract inside her... cooperate.

Taking in a deep breath and holding it for eternity, Dani finally musters up some sort of courage to begin to back up―getting a running start as Jackson had told her.

Really though, what did he know? What did any of them know? They can't fly!

But apparently, she can, and when trusting her friend's words and not at all her own dignity, or sanity, Danielle inhales more oxygen before sprinting right off the rooftop of the condo itself―the building. And she's gone.

And she flies right back into the air.

It's the best feeling ever.

Upwards and aerodynamically like her Uncle Sam once did, the blue aura enraptured Agent Rockland's body in the form or shape of something undetermined―as she is still trying to figure out who she is.

Nothing could stop her, she was all the way up there.

Dani struggles a bit with control but using all her tips and tricks she levitates around the city of London with many sounds of joy and excitement escaping her lips.

She's like a bird set free.

Screaming a bit when eventually landing on the ground, it is a bit rough as it's her first time, but nonetheless, the chokes on air Dani emits are more of shock and gratitude than anything.

Liberation... as the girl during this lonely hour has finally found people that she can trust.

Her friends... the Efficient's.

The Experiments.

❀❀❀

https://youtu.be/ju4KQT0wL0I

『 𝐓 𝐇 𝐄   𝐄 𝐅 𝐅 𝐈 𝐂 𝐈 𝐄 𝐍 𝐓 𝐒   』

𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟏 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫

𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲... 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭©

━━━✰━━━

Thoughts? .... Please let me know.

This is all original content and something I've been planning since the beginning, so I was able to bang this entire chapter out today. Also, I'm done with High School, so expect more frequent updates. Still working on Moonlight but plan to finish that soon and move on to rewriting Metalloid.

I really hope this mini-series is not that bad and enjoyable, as there is a lot of character growth and development ahead for Dani... evolution that needs to occur before heading into Endgame. If you do not care for that I would wait until I post the chapter for endgame 🤷‍♀️ but if you're down to know what she's doing during the Blip here it is. Meet the Efficient's.

So much is ahead and I hope you enjoy these little episodes, they are supposed to be like a Disney Plus limited series if The Efficient's and my FORCES characters were real... oh well.

xoxo, thanks for your constant support and love

~Alessandra (dreamkept)