Young Writers Society

Elissa

Elissa was beginning to grow impatient watching everyone so immersed in the battle. She regarded Izzy's blank eyes staring back at her and wished that she had waited in freezing her. She kept having flashbacks to when they'd fought and met six months ago. And Elissa didn't want to fight her again. She wanted to talk. Still, she punched the ice as hard as she could and gave Izzy the middle finger. Even though she knew she couldn't see, it felt nice. Why did they have to go and get drunk at that stupid party? And it wasn't fair that Izzy still got to go college when Elissa would probably never see Minneapolis again.

It felt weird to see Izzy there in front of her eyes after all the time she'd spent thinking about her. She couldn't believe that she had ever trusted her with so many things, including a simple ride home. And that cost her life.

Elissa wanted to get away, talk to Izzy, curse her in every way imaginable. She screamed and let a massive hailstorm down on the area. Izzy's friends were caught off guard and she used the time to make eye contact with her allies, tell them they needed to leave now. They understood. Their mission had been to capture Izzy and they had been successful. Elissa slid Izzy down to the sidewalk until they were sure they had ditched her friends, and then Elissa let the ice melt. Izzy reacted with a jolt.

"Elissa, what are you doing?"

"Shut up. Just walk with us so you won't die."

Albatross held Izzy in place while Elissa made ice cuffs form around her hands. It made her smile to see her old friend writhe in pain.

And they walked in silence back to the base.

Killian/Entwine,

My body cannot move as fast as normal, burdened as it is with the weight of the marble that I absorbed. Before I can take even a few steps, the girl in the tattered white dress who stands next to Izzy raises her arms, and the air is suddenly full of massive hailstones. More screams and cries, thuds and confusion. Every fiber of my being aches to release the marble that is dragging my body back, but I cannot.

"Izzy!" I shout, my voice a stony rasp, "Verity!" I know I'd seen her nearby, but in the swirl of ice, it's impossible to see anyone anymore. The girl that I used to know as Abbie is also gone.

Abruptly, the hail storm stops, and the atrium is suddenly silent. I blink and allow the marble to flow out of my body. I look around wildly, but the block of ice that contained Izzy is gone, as is the girl in the white dress. Innocent concert-goers huddle on the ground, some injured, others looking severely shaken. At the far end of the hall, I see Verity standing next to a massive section of tree root that has forced itself through the floor. I hurry over.

"Did you see where they went?" I ask in an undertone.

I gasped for air as the hail storm came to an end, I hadn't had enough time to raise a force field. I immediately looked around and cursed under my breath. Izzy had disappeared along with the villains.

"Did you see where they went?" Killian asked me. I wrung out my hair and grimaced, I absolutely hated anything remotely wet or cold.

"No, but it seems as though they've taken Izzy." As people began getting to their feet and looking around to assess the damage. The building was absolutely ruined and the wines embedded within the walls and throughout the floors slowly began to retreat. Evidently whoever the masked tree woman was, her influence over them was beginning to wane.

Killian let out a sigh and shook his head. "I don't think there's anything more we can do here."

My jaw tightened and I rolled my eyes, it was always difficult admitting defeat. In the distance the arrival of ambulances and other services could be heard. "Let's get back to the base and regroup with the others, I don't feel like being interrogated by the media." Killian nodded in agreement and I placed a hand on his shoulder. Many of the bystanders gasped in our direction as I allowed our bodies to sink into the floor.

We're going to find you, Izzy. I thought.

Lionel De Montfort

It had been almost sad to leave the rooftop battle, but the Albatross knew where he was needed and what part he was to play.

Still, he couldn't help but throw a glance back over his shoulder to where he presumed Nephelium still waited, momentarily blinded by the fog he'd dragged in from the coast. It wasn't his style.

"Albatross," Elissa prompted angrily. The young man turned his head and saw that the girl had stopped walking. Good for her. Nethertheless, he commanded the wind to nip at her ankles until she was forced to walk forward, or be bowled over and pushed along the concrete.

Elissa gave a haughty nod of approval and turned to lead the way once more. The Albatross wasn't sure how he felt about The Snow Queen. Snow Girl. He knew that he didn't like how she encroached on his turf with her hail and her ice, but it wasn't in him to lead. If she was the one to bring destruction to the world, then he would follow her.

As they neared the base, Lionel wrapped their captives in fog and led them, with gentle nudges and tugs of wind, in the right direction. It wouldn't do for them to know where they were, not if there was a friendly telepath loose in the city. He hadn't come across one before, but that wasn't to say the heroes didn't have one on their books: not every hero was as foolishly heroic with their gifts.

Then they were home. After their guests were secured and settled, Lionel backed off, not wanting to be drawn into this.

Besides, he had a class to teach in the morning.