With some assistance we manage to get Layla and her IV drip up to the room.
Through each step Lin and Layla chat thoroughly about every topic possible but I dont find it in myself to tune in. Anxiety swarms my chest and my stomach is tense just dreading the conversation thats coming.
Sooner than I hope a breathless Layla, a smiling Lin and a mess that is me arrive at our room.
Lin leaves with the promise of Layla meeting her daughter and hurries off.
I lead Layla into the room and place her on the mattress as she gathers her breathe with her eyes squinted. The injury is hurting i gather.
Layla watches me with her eyes as I pace around the room gripping my clammy hands together to stop the twitching. She doesnt need to say anything I know she is waiting for me to start talking.
She smiles at me reassuringly and I sigh.
I turn to face Layla ignoring the pang in my abdomen.
'Right Layla. Best place to start is how I got to be ...this.' I gesture to myself making a point.
'Like what? What do you mean Erza?' Layla looks concerned and to an extent suspicious...cant blame her.
I cast my hand through my knotty locks trying to combat some of the shakiness in me.
'The woman who gave birth to me wasnt the kindest woman. She locked me in my room a lot and we would get into bad fights where she would throw things at me ...sometimes hit me. Dont mistake it. This wasnt for discipline it was for fear. She wanted me under her control for whatever purpose.' I fight for the anger to not take over. There was a reason I didnt talk about Her a lot.
'E thats horrible....you dont deserve that. Your kind and funny. There isnt anything you've done wrong.' This girl..gratitude floods through me to Layla just knowing how much regard she held me in fills me with warmth.
'Well the whole reason I got good with my powers...is cause she sold me to the authorities.'
There I said it the action that ruined the innocence in me never to be found again.
Layla's eyes fill with tears as she doesnt respond.
'The night I got taken away I lashed out and scared Her pretty good so in a sense got some payback' I chuckle dryly. Layla smiles faintly.
'They took me to an institution in the country where loads of kids were. Kids like us.' I gesture a finger to us both.
Layla nods.
'They wanted to know what powers we all had. Then forced us to do extensive training every day all day for years. Till they thought we could go out in the field. I did the bare minimum refusing to let them tame the beast. Thats how I got my name: the Purple Predator.'
Layla's eyes light up as she hears the nickname and I can tell she is geeking out over it bless her. But she doesnt know whats coming. I shake my head free of those thoughts and push on through the story.
'They named me that because I wasnt easily tamed. I clawed a guards face and he just loved taking time to agitate me whenever he could for some sick satisfaction.' I shiver just thinking of him and his beady eyes.
'However I wasnt the only rebellious 'soldier' as they labelled us children.' A growl crawls up my throat as my fury grows at the whole damn situation we are in.
'No there were others like me. Always thrown into isolation. Deprived of rations every time we pulled a stunt or wouldnt work hard with our powers. The others and me were so similar that they started punishing us as a group.' A smirk spreads across my face.
'As young teens locked in some detention place on the land we began to speak to each other through the bars or under the doors. First person I met was Peter, he was as wild as me haha. Red hair like autumn leaves and eyes as green as emeralds. He even had red eyebrows to match.'
Layla smile grows and her eyes widen.
'His power is wind. He can control wind around him so much he can make himself fly. However when we first met he could only control wind around him and lift certain objects of certain weights. The whole reason he was locked in detention was because he wouldnt train harder.'
A broad smile grows and it hurts my cheeks due to its unnatural place on my face but I cant help it. I am taken back to that memory all to easily.
'I was leaning against the detention door after using my powers to claw the bottom of the door extensively but I stopped due to the bleeding my fingers were put through. I smacked the door in frustration as I cradled my hands. Thats when I heard a voice through the cell next to me.
'Finally giving up?' it said. My head shot up in offense as i snapped back, 'Never. Im just taking a break.' Then a chuckle sounded throughout the hallway of the cells.'GOOD. Dont let them break your spirit P.P.' I snarled at him irritated at the use of the stupid nickname bestowed by them idiots. 'Dont call me that damn name.' At that I proceeded to lie on my back on the cold tiled floor enjoying the cool feeling on my hot skin. Despite my hope to be left alone the voice sounded again.
'Dont go snarling at me. I dont know your name so had to call you something.' The voice now sounded as irritated as mine did which intrigued me.
Layla breaks my memories as she laughs loudly. 'He sounds like you E!'
A blush flames my cheeks but fade as a sad smile graces my face.
'Anyway at that I decided to tell him my name. 'My names Erza. Yours?'
A surprised tone responded. 'The names Peter. Nice to meet ya. Why did they stuff you in here?'
'I refused to transform to a different animal. They wanted to see how big I could force my body to transform too plus turn into a new animal. I refused.' I started scratching the door again even more determined to get out. Peter responds with the worst sentence I ever heard someone that age say. 'The fucking bastards. Glad you didnt let them force ya. Me and my friends are always in here so at least you know you got friends here yea?'
Shock flooded through me Layla you see I never had friends before so having Peter so easily accept me was a first. Layla smiles and urges me to carry on.
After that me and Peter became inseparable so I met his friends. Kyran was a few years younger than us so he was the baby of the group. He has dark brown eyes like yours and his skin the colour of milky coffee, he was the one we all protected. His power was electricity as he absorbs it. His personality was quiet but good god he had a temper. One time a guard tried to separate Uriel from the group and he got so angry he shocked every guard in the room. That was awesome.'
Layla looks curious about Kyran. So I carry on.
Uriel was the only other girl in the group.She has sparkling blue eyes and hair the colour of fuchsia, her personality was bubbly with hints of sarcasm but when she got into the field she was a warrior. Her power was using fire but multiple different types. For example she once stated she reckon she could use a fire that could slay dragons. Can you believe it?'
'Woahh. She sounds awesome.' Layla jumps up before holding her chest wincing at the sudden pain.
I roll my eyes yet continue.
Uriel was super close with Grayth who has gray eyes and hair to match. He was the sullen type but loyal to a T. His power was his body converting Oxygen to a poisonous fog and he breathes out it has to be through a mask to prevent leakage. He sucks at cardio sports cause of this so mainly snuck away from physical training. Grayths gray always got lots of attention so he always got the sides shaved and the top plaited back into a bun. I always said it was the viking look but he would respond with some witty comment shutting me up for good.
Layla smiles but then turns serious. 'Erza why were you alone then when you found me?'
My gut has been punched, I was dreading this bit.
'Right. Well after years of being in training and the field with everyone it got worse. The deaths with every unit grew and the missions we went on got more intense. Things got to a point where we had all nearly died multiple times. I got to a point where I mentally shut down and couldnt transform using my powers. If it wasnt for Peter that entity would of killed me. He got hurt cause of me. Three deep incisions like a claw stuck in his shoulder blade.' I lower my head in shame.
Layla gasped.
'I just couldnt take going in the field and not knowing who was gonna come back. Thats when we made a plan. We as a group decided we would escape the institution. We would live in abandoned places and steal to survive. We would be free.'
Layla looks pale as if she senses something coming.
'That night we broke out of the cells they shoved us in to punish us for a failure mission. A failure to die or kill the entity I dont know probably both.'
I sit on the floor a meter away from Layla as I prepare myself for this part.
'Uriel blasted the door creating a scene as always and she broke Grayth out the same way. Kyran short circuited the system which let me and Peter out. Uriel was at the front as she had the explosive power. Grayth to back her up with his fog then Kyran in the middle for most cover. Peter and me were in the back as a tag team if you will. Peter can do short distance whereas I am short distance fighter so made sense.'
Layla nods solemnly.
'But something went wrong. A colleague of ours spotted us and alerted the guards using her sound wave power. The bitch.' My claws are now out.
Layla frowns and anger simmers in her eyes.
'The guards came blundering down on us and Uriel got a good few until they used the fire extinguish guns on her.' I am gripping my arms so hard I start to bleed.
'Grayth released his fog but they all had masks prepared for it, so they knocked him out.' Heavy breathing erupts from my chest as i force myself to continue.
'They doused Kyran in water so he electrocuted himself severely and as much as I fought to get to him he was too far.'
A deep breathe is needed before i can force the words out.
'The last of the guards surrounded me and Peter. He tried to protect me using his wind to fling guards left and right. But they overpowered him physically as the restrained him with about five guards. Then it was as if I was broken out of my trance as I saw guards heading towards me. Peter had his hand outstretched as he screeched my name.'
I close my eyes as the self hatred crawls to grab at my throat.
'I turned and ran Layla. I sprinted down the halls and transformed on the run. I ducked out of every guards legs through every crawl space. Till i reached the outside and i hawled myself through a window to get out. From then on I ran day and night until I reached London city. I the Purple Predator left my friends and chose to save my own skin.'
As if a weight is lifted I fall forward, laying my head to the ground as sobs force their way out. My worst self now out in the open. The real Erza is here in Layla's presence and I just lay there waiting for Laylas response like an execution sentence.
Layla steps down from the mattress and crouches beside me. She begins to rub circle on my back which only causes me to sob harder, she is giving me a kindness i dont deserve.
'Erza. Its okay.' My eyes flap open and look up at a blurry Layla.
'Its not okay Layla. It never will be I abandoned them...my only family I ever had....all because some sick animalistic instinct told me to save my own skin.'
'Erza what you did wasnt right but your not a bad person alright? You helped me and saved me so how can you be bad?'
Layla pulls me into a hug. My arms are flayed at my side and i just shake.
'I will never be redeemed Layla. I dont even know if they are alive right now. How can I ever be forgiven.'
Layla's tears are flowing too. Bless her the empathetic.
'I dont know Erza. But we will find them okay? Then you can make it right.'
Pushing Layla back I wipe my face on my sleeve grossly but I have yet to care.
'How though Lay?'
Layla now wiping her face responds honestly.
'I dont know. But i do know that you will regret it the rest of your life if you dont at least try to fix it.'
The sobs have lessened now and I just feel numb.
'Why are you still trusting me Layla? Dont you understand what I condemned them too.'
'I trust you because your my Erza. You helped me, fed me and saved me. I dont know who you were back then but you've changed Erza.'
My eyes widen in surprise but I nod accepting her support despite me not fully believing it.
'I am trying to change so if i ever see them again I can make it up to them.'
Layla nods and sits back on the mattress.
'Maybe you did an action like that because of your mother you know?'
I am now wary.
'What do you mean?'
Layla looks to the ceiling as she talks.
'Well if you think about it, you never had a bond before those guys...maybe cause of your mother you dont know how to honour it?'
My mouth opens and closes like a goldfish. Did Layla just psycho analyse me and nail it on the head.
'You could be right.'
Layla yawns into the back of her hand.
Shaking my emotions away I stand and push Layla to the mattress then cover her with the sheet.
Before I turn to walk away Layla speaks up.
'Erza I am glad I met you. I cant wait till I find my dad and I can introduce you to him.'
A smile garners my face as nod before she drifts to sleep.
Layla's dad huh? I forgot about him after everything...I cant help but wish we dont find him soon. I just dont want you to go Lay.
God I am such a selfish cow, is my last thought before I close the door behind me leaving Layla to rest.