I do not own The Gifted nor the characters.

Lauren POV

I stood frozen looking around for a way out as we stood surrounded by sentinel services. Each man and woman looked our way with eyes of pure undeniable hate, including the man I once called my father. Looking at him now I found no resemblance to the man who use to tuck me in and read me bed time stories. I only saw a monster.

Anger coursed through me as I put the shield in front of both Andy and myself. He was all the family I had left now, telling our parents what happened had been the worst mistake of my life. It had led us here.

Within minutes these people were knocking on the door and my mother was teary eyed as she began letting them in. After a curt conversation her and my father each stepped aside and they came our way. My brother was frozen solid, eyes wide begging of my parents for help. I knew better the moment they let them through they stopped being our parents.

"Andy, we need to go!" I said holding up the shield as I pulled him in the direction of the garage.

"What are they doing? Why are they just standing there?" He asked, muttering in an off tone as they shouted at us to stand down. I knew better though people who went willingly always disappeared.

"Why do you think? We just became their enemy. Let's go." I growled pulling on him harder as they drew their weapons. I watched a shift in my brother's eyes as he began to let out a primal growl. Suddenly the room began to shake just like it had at the gym.

"Andy, move." I yelled struggling to hold the barrier. Each bullet driving into it felt like a full force punch to my gut. He finally moved and I was able to move backwards guarding him as he ran towards our mother's car. "Get in!" I ordered slamming the door and locking it tight. Thankfully I still had the keys from earlier at the dance and jumped in beside him. I hit reverse and the garage button at the same time. I drove slamming into multiple cars becoming jarred with each contact.

"Where are we going to go?" My brother asked as I switched to drive.

"I don't know but, you need to hold the wheel." I said gearing up my powers again. It was only half true I knew where we needed to go but, not how to get there. It had been five years since I had seen Johnny last and I wasn't even sure he was still there let alone if he remembered me. "I'm going to make a hole." I explained shaking my thoughts of my childhood hero aside. Without question my brother did as I asked allowing me to push the people and cars to the side.

"Wow." My brother said as I took the wheel.

"We need to ditch the car now, look for any cash." I said looking in the rearview mirror just in time to see a drone being released to follow us. Again, my brother did as I asked. I drove to the nearest industrial park and we ditched the ride. Knowing the drone was following us I looked to my brother. "Can you break it? Like you did the poles?" I asked, knowing I was asking way too much of him. When I first found out I couldn't push anyone with my barriers only stop their actions. Memories of the night tickled at my mind threating to take over but, like always I pushed them back.

"I can't control it. I can't force it." He said hysterically.

"Take a deep breath and try Andy." I urged pushing him. I watched his failed efforts knowing he hadn't been successful in calming himself but plastered a smile upon my face despite it. "It's okay Andy, we can run." I said grabbing his hand reassuringly as we took off into the nearby warehouse.

"Do you have any idea, how many people you have hurt?" My father growled pulling me to the here and now. The shield in place I backed Andy into the wall behind us. We were now cornered nowhere to run and he knew that. A deep fear I had never known before coursed through me as I looked him in the eye. I could tell to him we were already dead and they would take whatever action deemed fit.

"I thought you were a prosecutor." My brother said in disbelief beside me though I myself had given up that delusion long ago.

"I am, but first and foremost I am a Sentinel Agent and it is my job to keep the city safe." He replied with little to no emotion. "You and your sister are a threat."

"We are your kids." Andy yelled the building shaking around us.

"You are a mutant, and you are dangerous to all humans." He replied. Though I knew to expect such a response each word felt like the cut of a dull blade upon my skin bringing tears to my eyes but, I would not let them fall. I had to be strong for Andy even if we were about to die. He on the other hand reacted as he had earlier pouring his anger and pain into his powers. I watched in shock as the drone fell in pieces to the ground and the cement bricks around us began to crumble pushing us further apart. Even now I could feel each piece which hit my shield as if they were being thrown at my body.

"Fall back." I heard my father yell as an odd purple light appeared to our right just in front of the wall. Ignoring it I began to reassess our situation. There was a chance we could still escape if we were smart.

"Lauren your bleeding." My brother called just as I heard gunfire fill the air. With only the thought of my brother in mind I swung my shield before him. Wrapping it around him like a blanket from head to toe leaving myself unprotected, and open to harm. Closing my eyes, I braced myself for the bullets which I was sure would come but, instead felt strong arms wrap around me holding me tightly.

"Get him through the portal!" an all too familiar voice called vibrating the body around me. Opening my eyes, I could see only tendrils off black hair and the tanned skin of the arms wrapped around me from both my position and my faling vision from the dust. Even still it was enough to confirm who my rescuer was.

"Johnny?" I asked confused but, relieved as my heart hammered in my chest. Instead of an answer I felt my body being lifted as he ran full force at something in front of us. The scenery switched to that of a new abandoned building with cots everywhere in the blink of an eye leaving me shaken and confused. As he slid me to the ground I swung around too quickly wavering as I began looking for my brother.

"Andy!" I gasped in relief finding him nearby. Despite my current state I pulled my brother close ignoring the pressure in my head and the blood falling from my nose. "Are you alright."

"Yeah, thanks to them. Who are they?" He asked in a quieter tone gazing behind me. Slowly turning my head, I looked at a group of people. In the center stood Johnny, arms crossed and blue grey eyes boring holes into my brother and I. He was so different than the young native teenager who saved me when I was six, and even the young adult he'd been five years ago when he'd helped me learn to fight. He stood like a statue now dressed in dark clothing with his calculative gaze and long black hair pulled into a messy ponytail. He was edgier, stronger, and somewhat colder yet, beneath this new version I could still find traces of the person I had compared all others to through out my life.

"I'm Johnny, this is Polaris, Eclipse, and Blink." He said gesturing to those nearby. One girl had purple hair and cat like green eyes whereas the other had green hair and matching eyes and the last was a man with brown hair and brown eyes. "We are the Underground. We came to help you when I felt you use your powers."

"Here your safe. You can rest until morning and we can figure out your next move." The green hair girl said carefully nodding at us as a woman with red hair entered.

"Sonia. Get them two cots." Johnny said, eyes still locked in my direction as the others left. "You come with me I will get you cleaned up." He said pointing at me. I felt my brother shift and tense up and quickly turned to him.

"It's alright Andy I will be right back okay just lay down and get some rest." I said brushing his arm with my hand. He nodded but I could tell he didn't like it.

I followed him through a maze of people and cots trying to ignore the stairs and whispers which seemed to follow until we reached a single small make shift cubical area and sink. Pulling a scrap of cloth from the edge of the sink he wet it.

"How are you?" He asked before turning back to me. Trying not to roll my eyes at the loaded question I bit my tounge.

"Fine." I replied stifling the wince when he touched it to my face.

"What you did for your brother was brave. Stupid but, brave." He said cleaning the blood from my lips. I could not help but admire his good looks in this low light and how it highlighted his bone structure. He was gorgeous without question even now and it made me wonder if he even recalled my name.

"He is my brother, I will always protect him." I said absently.

"You said that before to when I asked you to come with me." He replied thoughtfully.

"So, you do remember." I blurted out as my cheeks instantly reddened.

"The little kid who can't stay out of trouble?" He laughed, "Of course I remember, but you should have found me before this mess tonight. You almost died." He said eyes and face growing sterner.

"I didn't know Andy was like me." I responded. "Those jerks bullied him day in and day out, you know. I tried to stop them before but, it didn't work out. I guess tonight he had enough." I muttered my voice going distant to even my own ears as I began remembering the dance and all the events that had followed. "I went in to get him and I was trying protecting a girl when I was exposed. When my parents found out they handed us over immidately. We had no choice but to run."

"Your safe now Lauren you and your brother." He said firmly pulling me back to reality and from my own thoughts but, I knew even this was temporary. A known mutant would be running for the rest of their lives especially with the chargers my brother and I had. No one could change that not even Johnny. "You should get some rest, we can talk tomorrow." He said tucking a piece of my golden hair behind my ear and sending a shiver down my spine.

"Yeah." I replied nodding as I stood coming only inches from him. Careful not to brush him I made my way back to both my brother and the empty spot beside him. He had fresh tear stains on his cheek which caught my eye. I lay down my own tears burning again but, I forced myself not to let a single one drop. They did not deserve my misery. Closing my eyes tight I awaited for sleep to overtake my aching body, pulling me into a dreamless slumber as it always did.