2.19

Freja stepped around her mother and made a golden hot chocolate. A mix of golden flecked chocolate and gourmet cream, it was a delicacy afforded only be the wealthy.

“Couldn’t you make it on your own? Unlike Elodie.” Elodie was Freja’s older sister. Someone who could do no wrong in her mother’s eyes and someone Freja was always reminded she should be like.

“I only came back for a visit. Don’t you want to see your daughter? I thought you would’ve been more excited to see me.” Freja sipped at her chocolate and stared at her mother over the rim of the silver laced mug. Her mother refused to look at her as she spoke.

“That’s never the reason you come home, and you know it. How much money do you need this time?” A tone of exasperation flowed through her mother’s voice.

“Believe it or not, I’m not here for money. Not this time.” Freja opened the fridge and helped herself to some salad.

“What have you done this time, who are you hiding from?” Her mother left the room, not waiting for an answer.

Growing up, Freja had often gotten herself into trouble, unlike her perfect sister. Even her powers weren’t good enough for her mother. Freja was always told how useful Elodie’s powers were and how pointless her own were.

Freja’s father had been the only one supportive of her. He kept her mother off Freja’s back better than anyone. But he passed away from an illness and ever since, Freja’s mother’s actions had been worse toward her youngest daughter.

“I’m not hiding from anyone. I just wanted to come see my mom. Is that such a crime?” Freja followed after her mother, who continued to do other things one step ahead of her daughter.

“Freja, we both know you aren’t like that. Ever since your father…” her mother stopped for a moment. “Ever since your father passed away, your behaviour has become more…erratic than ever. You’ve been in trouble with the law. Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been up to in Athena City.”

“What, have you got spies on me or something?” Freja was sure she had seen people tailing her at Athena City.

“Of course I’ve got people keeping an eye on you. You were bound to do something stupid in such a big city. You should’ve gone to Nova Prime instead. Much cleaner, much nicer city. That’s wh-”

“I know, I know. That’s where Elodie went.” A sarcastic, drawling tone bled through Freja’s voice, mocking her mother. Freja rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out and her mother saw her face before she had a chance to set it straight again.

“And here you are, mocking your mother as well. I don’t get why everything with you has to be so difficult, and yet everything with Elodie was so easy. She was the top of her class in everything. She’s even going into politics. And what are you? A small-time crook in a dirty city. What have I done wrong to deserve you?”

“I’m sorry I’m not Elodie. I’m sorry I’m not who you wanted me to be. That I couldn’t fit your little mould so you could live through me like you do with Elodie. You sit here in our family home, that you married into. This isn’t even your own earned wealth or status.” Freja knew she’d hit a nerve with her mother now.

“Get out!” her mother screamed. She’d reached a pitch that Freja knew there wouldn’t be any further conversation for the day. Most likely the rest of the year. Freja was okay with that.

Freja left her mother and family home after grabbing a few things from her room first.

As Freja walked out the door, she could hear her mother continuing to wail to herself about Freja and how much of a failure she was compared to Elodie. Questioning what she had done wrong.

A single tear rolled down Freja’s face. She wiped it away and opened the garage door. It was a room that had remained unopened since her father passed away.

Inside the garage was a one wheeled motorbike. Riders leaned forward on the vehicle; the balance was perfect. Thanks to its spherical wheel, it drove like a dream and could be ridden over most surfaces without trouble.

Freja kicked it to start and it roared to life, bringing a smile to Freja. Freja whipped around out of the garage and sped down the main roads and out of Haven Ponds.

After close to an hour of travelling, a large shadow flew over Freja and a sleek looking jet lowered itself ahead of Freja. Freja slowed down and watched as a person clad in black armor exited the jet.

“Woolpack, I’ve got a proposition for you.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“I’m Cardinal Knight. I’ve heard you have a problem with a group of teens. I can help you fix that.”

“But I was really wanting to go visit Grand Tunnels. You know, the underground city.” It was somewhere Woolpack had always wanted to visit.

“Of course I know the place. Help me and the team I’m making, and I’ll help you get to Grand Tunnels.”

“You’re making a team? Cool, can I be the leader?”

“Of course you can.”

“Yeah okay, I’m in. But I’m not leaving my dad’s motorbike here.” Woolpack hopped off and pushed it toward the jet. A hatch opened on the side and Cardinal Knight pushed the vehicle into the small compartment.

The jet took off toward the great walls of Athena City.