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Pure-Hearted



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Thu Mar 14, 2019 2:21 am
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Europa says...



Spoiler! :
I take full responsibility for any typos my over-excited brain didn't want to proofread for.


The Purehearts.
You don't know how the cult came to be, nor anything about it's (Former) leader, known only as Father to you and the rest of the children like you, only that it has been your only true home for a long time. You were an orphan when the Purehearts found you. As far as you were told, it was a merciful rescue, to take a young child from the clutches of a cruel world to become part of a whole. To groom them to serve a greater purpose.
The abilities they gave you years before were a divine gift, and later, when your training was complete and your full power was realized, you would be the furious storm that cleansed the Earth, paving the way for them, God's chosen few. It was for this purpose you had been working towards your true strength, a second ability locked deep inside of yourself until you reached the epitome of your power.
Many of the children began to unlock them as the years crawled on, and at first it was a cause for celebration, but then you noticed these same children begin to change, becoming more reckless, shockingly rebellious, and most of all, terrifyingly viscous. Later, this transformation would be termed by the other children as going Grim.
The Purehearts didn't see any cause for concern. After all, what they needed from your kind was ferocity, and they'd always been able to handle spurts of willfulness with their crushing force.
They never saw the attack coming.
The Grim children organized so secretly, not even most of the other children suspected anything. When they struck, it was clear to everyone the Purehearts didn't stand a chance. After Father was killed, those of his followers who had survived the slaughter and were still able to escape the compound with their lives went into hiding. In no more than a single night, the Grim children had gained full control of the Purehearts. The leader, an older boy who insisted on being called only by his first name, Onyx, announced their mission would be different from now on. Your unease at his words were only elevated when he refused to give any answers as to what his plans were. Although he acted benevolent, you couldn't shake the feeling that whatever he intended to do was something awful. You didn't stay long afterwards.
Since your escape, you've found others who had your same idea after that change in leadership. You've been sticking with each other for months now, watching each other's backs and waiting with baited breath for Onyx and his new order of Purehearts to make their first move. None of you know when or what it will be, but you feel it looming now more than ever. You know whatever it is they have planned is fast approaching, and when it happens, your life will once again change forever.


Rules and Character Sheet


Rules
Spoiler! :
1. Keep romance and language PG
2. Try to stay active in the DT
3. I highly doubt this will be an issue, but please respect your fellow writers
4. No god-modding
5. In the interest of power balancing, check with me if you have an idea for a character who already has their secondary power unlocked.


Character Page
Spoiler! :
Code: Select all
Name:

Age: (Between 16-18)

Gender:

Ethnicity:

Appearence:

Personality:

Main Power:

Secondary Power: (You have the option to unlock it later if you so choose)

Strength:

Weakness:

History:

Other:
Last edited by Europa on Fri May 24, 2019 2:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.





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Sun Mar 24, 2019 2:33 am
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Europa says...



Jack


I was starting to get tired of driving. Well, not driving exactly, since I didn't have my hands on the wheel or my feet on the pedals. I was sort of sitting cross-legged in the driver's seat, that was so much more comfortable. The old RV drifted into an exit, the steering wheel turning on its own. Earlier that day I'd picked the nearest town on the GPS and told it to take us there. It must have been the millionth time I'd counted my lucky stars the GPS on this old rust machine still worked, because if I had to be the one to navigate we'd probably have driven straight to disaster in the first ten minutes.

For a while, all there was were a bunch of cars and more road. I think I might have started to nod off when I heard the sirens.

"Betsy, Pull over!" As soon as I gave the order the RV's steering wheel jerked in the other direction and we idled on the side of the road as an old pickup truck shot by, followed by two or three police cars.

"Don't tell me you actually named this thing." It was Yohan who had spoken up, I could tell mostly by the pinch of boredom that constantly laced his words. I turned around to look at the back cabin.
"Should I not have?" I shook my head. Now was not a time to feel self-conscious. "Betsy, floor it. We're going after those guys."

As Betsy began to accelerate I saw Daniel straighten in the top mirror. "I don't think that's a good idea, Jack. I mean, do we really want to risk the police seeing us?"

"Sorry, can't hear you over the radio!" I shouted the last word, and it clicked on with a small punch of static before picking up a station and the twang of a banjo.

Almost heaven, West Virginia

A collective groan from the back as John Denver's voice rang out through the cabin.

"I don't control what comes on the radio!" Betsy finally began to pick up some speed, and the tail of the police cars began to grow closer. "Besides, it's a classic."

Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River

I couldn't help singing along under my breath as we began to gain on them. Someone leaned out of the passenger's side door holding what I already knew was a gun in front of him before he fired. I ordered Betsy to pull back a little, as one of the police cars swerved wildly. I couldn't see where the bullet had gone but I knew from the movement the car must have been hit.



Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze


"Jack, seriously!" Daniel piped up again. I could feel his anxiety nipping at me.

"It's alright. We can handle this!" I turned the volume up as he tried again to argue. "Please don't be mad at me..." I prayed under my breath. A few more shots from the passenger in the truck. Fortunately we were too far out of range for him to hit us. The passenger retreated back through the window and the pickup suddenly swerved into an exit. The police cruisers didn't even have time to react. They shot past and down the road as the song reached its chorus.

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads


I sang along loudly to drown out any objections as I directed Betsy to follow them. For a clunky old trailer, it was keeping good pace with them, probably because their truck was also large and beat up. We began to close the gap between us and drew up beside them.

as the chorus closed, I shouted "Ramming speed!" And Betsy ground into their side, pushing them to the shoulder and off the road.

All my memories-- I ordered the radio off and stopped as the truck skidded a couple more feet, tipped precariously on their side wheels, and then crashed back onto four. I looked over my seat at the back cabin, accounting for everyone.
Daniel, sitting with a death grip on the arms of his chair, check.
Ion, looking out the window at the truck, check.
Yohan, looking generally like he's done with the universe as usual, check.
Samira, who I may or may not have forgotten about for a hot second but was probably not thrilled with the soundtrack of the car chase judging on how she's looking at me right now, check. Everyone present and accounted for.

"So." Yohan rested his cheek against his fist. "We've already had a moderate to low-speed car chase set to the tune of Country Roads. What's the plan now?"

Ion didn't give me time to explain, once again, that what played on the radio was out of my scope of power.

"Uh...guys?" He was facing us, tugging nervously at his scarf. "Those guys are getting out of the car and they don't look very happy."

"Oh shoot. Right. Um...Betsy, lock the doors." The locks slammed shut with a clunk I thought for a quick moment. "Well. it wouldn't make sense to let them get away now. My vote is we beat the crap out of them."

Samira nodded. "I'll provide a distraction."

A gunshot cut the strategy session abruptly short and sent everyone to their feet. I jumped out of the driver's seat as Ion tumbled back. Daniel was already there, helping him up again. Thankfully, it looked like the bulled only grazed the fox ears he'd decided to sprout from his head that day. Two more shots broke through the window and sent the rest of us dropping below it's level.

"I'll take the gunman." Yohan looked determined in a way that always made me nervous.

"Yohan...I mean, no offense, but..." I nodded at the giant weight chained to his left wrist. "Are you sure you can swing your death yo-yo before he can pull the trigger?"

Yohan didn't say a word, just stared at me in a deadpan way that seemed to make his point oddly clear.

"I still think we should drive away." Daniel persisted.

"No one's going to force you to fight." Samira pointed out.

"Unless they drove away already." Ion pointing that out drove me back to my feet. The gunman was climbing into his pickup. I rushed to the door and unlocked it.

"Well, I'm going to stop them. Whether or not you come with, that's your choice." I jumped down into the grass, feeling relief bloom inside me as I heard four more pairs of feet drop down beside me. I looked back at them and grinned.

"Oh you guys are too easy. Anyway, let's kick some butt."





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Fri Mar 29, 2019 3:48 pm
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trashykawa says...



Mira



What was it with bad guys and old pickup trucks?

It was always the same old routine: sirens, the guns, bad guy shooting, and innocent bystanders. The only thing the movies overdid was that part where your hair blew out behind you as the speeding truck whisked by.

Of course, this was my life everyday.

We climbed out of Betsy (I do admire Jack's choice of names), and for purely the fun of it, I said, "Looks like someone's been a bad boy." I added a smile. Except I hadn't smiled in a while, so I think it was actually more of a grimace.

The gunman paused, tilted his head (classic), and surveyed us.

I admit, we weren't much to behold. A couple of teenagers, mismatched clothes.... while our gunman was, obviously, huge- bulging muscles, tattoos drawn from his neck to head in ugly patterns, a dozen or so rings on his face, shaved head, pale and at least seven feet tall.

"It would take me less than five minutes to break all two hundred bones in your bodies and deliver you six feet under, but I'm on a tight schedule," he said. "Jim! Get the engine going." He turned to face us one more time, "And oh, I really liked what you did to my truck. I feel like I should only return the favor." And he shot the left- front tire of our trailer.

Bad idea. We'd grown kind of attached to Betsy.

Yohan shot his yo-yo contraption at the man, who cursed and dropped to the ground.

Jim, from the truck, called, "Everything alright out there, Pyke?"

At the same time, Jack moved forward and gave him a couple of bashing punches on his head- though I could tell she was pulling them. We're pure hearts, not killers.

By then, our man - Pyke - had had enough. He swung his legs to trip Jack, and she fell. He got up and brought out his second gun (the first one had fallen away at my feet when Yohan had shot at him and I'd picked it up) and was about to shoot when a huge black bear knocked him down. Ion.

I skirted around the fight, to the pickup truck where Jim was. I didn't like guns, and hopefully, I'd be able to illusion him long enough to have him caged.

Jim had an earphone attached to his left ear, his head bobbing up and down. He sat up when he saw me coming.
"Yo, man, what took you so long?" he said
"Couple of kids on the hero streak. Got them knocked out, but they've got a pretty big trailer that's sure to have a couple of things we could sell. Come on out and give me some arms," I replied. I hoped I wasn't laying it too thick.

I had, of course, transformed myself to Pyke, and while I could imitate his voice just as easily, finding out how he talked was harder. Jim bought it though, and came out of the truck, quite eagerly.

I waited till he was in front of me before I hooked his arms behind him and held the gun to his head.
"You can scream. Your buddy won't come to help you," I said, real sinister and all. I changed back to the way I looked.

Jim, for his part, looked absolutely terrified, "H-h-how........you-you're-not p-pyke.....D-devilll!!!!" It was amusing, really. I had forgotten regular human folk weren't really aware about us.

"Well, if you want my honest opinion, Pyke could pass for a devil. But that's beside the point. I'll offer you a deal: I promise not to burn you in hell fire, you do what I say. Savvy?"

Jim nodded, way too enthusiastically.
"Well, then, MOVE!!!" I screamed. He scrambled to follow me, tripping over his legs in his rush. I was beginning to enjoy this.

The rest of the guys had Pyke down by now, he was pinned under Yohan.

Jim went down beside him after I gave him a swift kick to his legs, and Danny came up front.
"Do your magic, Dan," I said.

"You want to tell us what you were doing," Danny said(not a question). "You trust us. You feel like you could never lie to us."
I could feel the power in his voice, the way it rang around in the air. Jim and Pyke visibly relaxed, their shoulders slumped and breathing eased. A lazy, almost dazed smile said hi from their faces. They looked at us like we were long lost friends.

"Jim and Pyke?"
They looked up, their smiles growing wider.
"Uh.....looks like you're lost," Danny said, and I almost cringed. Terrible pickup line. "Do you want to tell us what you were doing?"

Pyke nodded his shaved tattooed head enthusiastically, almost like a three year old. "Following orders from clients. Delivering package."

"From whom? What package?"

"Oh you know, that crazy guy in the black and all. Looked like batman to me," he said, chuckling. "And we don't know nothing 'bout the package. Just that it's bloody heavy." Pyke said. Jim nodded and said, "I almost dislocated my shoulder carrying that Mjolnir to the tuck." Wow, two superhero references in a minute (albeit from rival comics). I wonder if they talked like that in normal life.

Trying to look casual, Jack said, "Where'd you pick it up?"

"A club down in Cheyenne."

If that information made any of us uneasy, none of us showed it. Cheyenne was the last know place of the Pure-hearts - or now, the Grims.

"That's probably all they know. I think it's time to knock them out," Danny whispered to us."We need to check the truck for this package they're talking about."

Yohan nodded, and stepped in their line of vision. The gunners looked up and said, "Hey, fella." Those were their last words before Yohan's cold fist knocked them to the ground. The succeeding crunching noise was probably nothing. They laid over each other, just as if they were sleeping.

We were just about to begin the hunt for the package - how small was it? - when we heard a low moan from the back of the truck.

We froze.

Our package was a person.





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Europa says...



Monica


Over the past couple weeks, I'd gotten used to waking up someplace new every few days, from getting jumped in Miami where Nat and I decided to settle, then to what I assumed was a lady by the sound of her voice in what I assumed must have been the halfway point, to a pair of men at some hole-in-the-wall club at the point I'd lost all sense of location. All the time with my hands and feet zip tied, trapped inside the same body bag, biting down on some sour tasting rag they'd wedged into my mouth. And that's only what I remembered about being awake, which I was guessing wasn't often judging by how rapidly the changes went by for me.
It didn't take me too much thinking after I was first kidnapped to grasp what was going on. There was only one person who would go so out of his way to get to me, and the thought itself was enough to make me sick.

I was going back. They were bringing me back.

I felt panic rising inside me again and reminded myself to breathe. Grounding myself, I tried to get more of a sense of my situation. The car was silent. No loud voices or gunshots, and it wasn't moving. that either meant that they had both gotten out to refuel for some reason, or...
I heard the back door open. Even though I couldn't see through the dark fabric of the bag, I could sense the space being filled as people climbed in. There were definitely more than two. I shifted to see if I could pinpoint any other sounds, and couldn't keep back a groan as the plastic binding my wrists dug in deep, pressing into the skin that had split while I'd struggled. All noise stopped for a minute, then there were some whispers, and the zipper above my head began to open. I turned my face away as the sun shone in my eyes, squinting as they adjusted. When they did, I was staring up at a group of six kids, all looking about my age and vaguely familiar.

"Holy cow...Is that...?" It was one of the shorter kids who spoke first, a girl with a tumble of light brown hair. Not surprisingly, the group took a collective step back when they got a good look at me. It took her speaking to get me to realize where I'd seen their faces before. These were deserters, kids like me that had worked for the Purehearts, but left when Onyx overthrew their leader. Not long after that I realized the brown haired girl was the only one who didn't either look like they were waiting for me to blow something up or to get the chance to pound my face in. One of the kids, a small brick wall of a boy, started to come forward, but was stopped when a second boy held out his arm. He was looking at me with just about the same nervousness as most of them, but a bit less of the hostility.

"Wait." He glanced over at the rest of his group. "Guys, I don't think she's going to hurt us." I couldn't say anything with the gag trapping my tongue, but I nodded my agreement.

"Did your powers tell you that?" A third boy was standing on his toes at the back of the group. For some reason, there were what looked like fox ears springing from the top of his head.

The second boy looked a little less certain at that. "Well...no, but look at her."

"Daniel has a point." It was the brown haired girl. "I mean, why would she be here like this if she was still working for Onyx?"

I saw the second boy nod a little, but no one else looked very convinced. I can't say I blame them.

"Why don't we just ask her?" It was another girl who said it, this one with long dark hair and stunning green eyes. She knealt down in front of me and quickly untied the gag. I puffed out a little sigh as she pulled the foul-tasting thing away. "Alright," She scowled at me as she stood back up. "Talk."

'Talk.' Like she'd just walked out of some old crime show. I decided it was best to leave the cliche alone, and do what she said.

"I cut ties with Onyx months ago. Snuck out one night, and didn't go back." I lifted my bound hands a little "Obviously he wasn't big on the idea."

"Onyx did this to you?" The brown haired girl's eyes darted around, like he might be standing behind any one of them.

"Not himself, but I'm willing to bet he was the one who sent people after me. Listen," I made sure to keep the desperation out of my voice and face. Looking around, I tried to find the easiest one of them to convince, and settled on the boy they'd called Daniel. "I don't want him catching up with me any more than you do. All I need is my legs cut loose. Then I promise I'll walk away and you'll never have to see me again."

An agonizing moment where he thought about it, then he nodded to himself. "I'll get some scissors."

He jumped out of the car and disappeared from view. The first boy hoisted some kind of barbell contraption under his arm. "If you're planning something..."

"I'm not." I said quickly. "Promise."

Daniel chose that exact moment to let out a sharp yelp, one that was abruptly and suspiciously cut off. My heart sank as every single pair of eyes turned toward me, none of them too friendly.

"What was that?" The green eyed girl demanded.

Before I could answer, a very familiar voice called "Sorry, Mon. I'm a little late."

I almost groaned as Nat, dragging Daniel wrapped in vines behind her, came into view. Somehow, she had tracked and followed me from Miami all the way here, and was now dangling these kids' friend upside down in front of their faces.

"I'm only going to ask once. Give me back my friend."





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Mon Apr 01, 2019 2:26 pm
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HazelGrace16 says...



Natalia Santos


It’s been two weeks, 3 days, 4 hours, and 17 minutes since Monica was abducted by Onyx’s henchman. I knew something was wrong that day the moment she didn’t come back from the gas station. She told me she’d be gone for only 15 minutes, but she was wrong. Tick tock goes the clock and 15 minutes turned to 60. We both knew Onyx was right on our tails, but then again, we also didn’t expect him to strike so soon. Odds are the bastards that took her tried to get my location as well, but she’s stubborn and smart enough to indicate I was long gone after she saved me the day of our escape. Then again, I suppose under a leader like Onyx one enemy captured, especially one as important as Monica, is better than none at all.

I started following them at a close distance after catching up to their rendezvous location within the first few days. Close enough to know their location, but never close enough to strike. They were constantly and fast. Onyx must be getting desperate. You’d actually be surprised how many people are willing to pick up a sixteen-year-old girl from the side of the road and drive her across kingdom come. Another thing that surprised me is how easy it was to track them, especially with how strong and vibrant Monica’s life force is.

I sat along the tree line at the side of the road when the car chase and confrontation was over. It was then I saw my chance to get to Monica. These strangers seemed different. They weren’t with Onyx that’s for sure, but I also wasn’t quite sure if their intentions were pure or not as I watched them take down Onyx’s men. I quickly recognized Pyke as one of the henchmen. He would often taunt me in the cells during my imprisonment. A part of me was almost happy to see them take him down so easily. He suddenly wasn’t so scary to me anymore.

When they pulled Monica from the bag I was happy to see her unharmed, and I was also happy for the opportunity that arose when one of the taller boys walked towards the old RV. I concentrated as some of the nearby ivies began to slither past my feet and towards the unsuspecting stranger. Without another thought, the ivy wrapped itself tightly around his body covering him from his head to his toes. He let out a sharp yelp and I manipulated the vines to lift him into the air as I emerged from my hiding spot in the brush.

“Sorry, Mon. I’m a little late.” I said not taking my eyes off of the group in front of me. Not surprisingly the strangers took stances ready to fight if necessary. “I’m only going to ask once. Give me back my friend.” The strangers surrounded me but no one moved.

“Look we don’t want any trouble. We haven’t done anything to hurt your friend, and we just wanted to help. And if you could help us by releasing our friend that would be awesome.” A girl with brown hair explained. Next to her, the Asian boy glared as he clung a strange looking weapon attached to a chain. A chain I recognized all too well.

“Nat please just listen to them.” Mon pleaded and then turned to the brown-haired girl. “I’m sorry she’s just scared, and she’s been through a lot. We all have.” Mon tried to reason with the girl. Suddenly a deep fear began to take hold of my body as if I suddenly didn’t have control over my emotions. The boy with the strange weapon went to take a step and turned sharply.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” I threatened the boy. Next to me, the boy I had captured grunted as I tightened the vines around his neck. “Any sudden movements or if I notice any presence of powers and I snap his neck right here and right now.” My emotions grew.

“Nat.” Monica croaked trying to reason with me. “Let him go. They aren’t going to hurt us.”
“You don’t know that,” I said my hands now shaking.

“They’re friends Nat. They aren’t with Onyx. They aren’t going to put you into a cage. I promise.” She explained. I looked down at Pyke’s unconscious body, and back to the chain in the boys’ hand.

“Your name is Nat, right?” I looked up suddenly back to the girl with brown hair who had spoken earlier. Her hands were now in front of her and she took a few steps forward. “My name is Jack, and you’ve got my friend Daniel a little…tied up. If you let him go I promise, we’ll release your friend. We have no reason to hurt either one of you so please don’t give us one.” She looked over to the boy she called Daniel and gave him a nod imitating a deep breath. I looked to him and he seemed to nod back in understanding as well. Suddenly the intense feelings of fear began to dwindle like a weight off my shoulders.

“What are you doing to me?” I asked not loosening the vines quite yet.

“I apologize.” Daniel piped up for the first time his voiced slightly strained from the tight vines around him. “The sudden ambush took me by surprise. I seemed to have attached my fear onto you.” He tried to give me a reassuring smile as his voiced calmed with my mood.

“Nat it’s okay,” Monica reassured me once more.

“You promise?”

“I promise.” She said. At that moment I loosened my hold on the vines and set Daniel gently back onto the ground. He pulled the vines off himself and stood walking slowly back over to his friends. I didn’t dare move my hands still ready to attack if it came down to it. He finally grabbed a pair of scissors to release Monica. After cutting her free Monica jumped from the car and wobbly walked towards me. I ran to hug her almost knocking her to the ground. She was the closest thing to a family in a long time. She was my sister.

“Maybe we should all start over.” Daniel suddenly suggested walking towards us. With a smile, he held out a hand to both of us. “I’m Daniel and these are my friends Jack, Ionic, Yohan, and Samirah. If you guys don’t mind we’d really appreciate you telling us your story…” I could tell Monica was uncomfortable, but what choice did we have? With a forced smile, she nodded still refusing to grab his hand. He nodded in understanding.

“I think that’s a great idea.” Pipped up the girl named Jack. Beside her, the girl Samirah and the boy Ionic gave their best reassuring smiles. However, it was the boy named Yohan that still stood on guard his face stoic. I watch the chain dangle next to him feeling the shiver down my back. Despite his cold glare maybe we weren’t so different after all. Maybe none of us were.

“I do too,” Monica said nodding. Right now, we needed all the help we could get.
"Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine" - The Imitation Game





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AlyTheBookworm says...



Daniel Lapitan



Danny’s neck was still sore from nearly being choked to death with vines, but he smiled at the girl named Nat anyways. She’d probably been terrified for her friend and thought they were a bunch of Grims sent by Onyx... He could forgive that.

He’d immediately recognized her, and the other girl she’d called “Mon”, as two of the other Purehearts. Monica, the older girl with dark skin and a muscular build, was still swaying on her feet from being tied up in a body bag for who knew how long. Natalia, tan-skinned, slender, and shorter than Monica, looked just as tired- as if she’d been on the road searching for her friend for weeks.

They came from the same place, and had probably all suffered because of Onyx… There was no point in any further fighting. Maybe they’d even be able to help each other.

“Maybe we should all start over,” Danny said. He gave them a friendly, disarming smile and held out a hand to shake.

Monica stared at it. After a moment, she returned a forced smile but didn’t take his hand.

Danny only nodded and let his hand drop to his side again. After all that had happened, it was no wonder she didn’t trust them yet.

“I’m Daniel… or Danny. These are my friends, Jack, Ion, Yohan, and Mira. If you don’t mind, we’d appreciate you telling us your story.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Jack piped in.

Monica and Nat glanced at each other. After a moment of tense silence, Monica turned back to Danny and nodded.

“I do too.”

At that, Yohan stepped forward. The Korean kid was still wearing his slight, customary scowl. “That’ll have to wait. We need to leave. The police are going to come back here looking for those kidnappers and we don’t want to be here when they do.”

As if they’d somehow heard his words, a police siren began to wail in the distance. It started soft but became louder and shriller with each passing second.

All of them glanced towards Pyke and Jim. The two men were sprawled on the dirt in front of the beat-up pickup truck, still out cold after being knocked out by Yohan.

“Before we get out of here, let’s tie them up so there’s no chance of them getting away again,” Danny suggested.

He glanced at Nat. “Er- do you think you could..?”

She grinned and stepped toward the pickup truck. After a moment, ivy began to slither from the grass and twist around the two men’s unconscious bodies. In seconds, they were tied up head to toe in vines. Pyke twitched a bit, but neither woke.

When they do, they’ll have a nasty surprise waiting for them.

The rest of them piled into the RV. Betsy looked a bit worse for wear, but luckily for them, Pyke’s bullet- aimed at one of the front tires- had glanced off the metal rim of the wheel instead. There was a small dent from the bullet’s impact, but it wouldn’t affect the RV’s driving.

Monica and Nat hesitated before getting in, but the approaching sirens seemed to convince them. Jack, as usual, hopped into the front seat and started up the vehicle with a shouted command.

The RV came to life with a rattling grumble and began to climb back up onto the main road at a word from Jack. The mousy-haired girl stared at the back cabin through the rearview mirror, her bright blue eyes flicking from Nat to Monica before turning forward again.

Once they were back on the road, the police cruiser sped past them in the opposite direction and down the exit. Danny let out a sigh of relief, and everyone seemed to relax a little as his mood became calmer. Usually, he’d be more careful to control his ability and keep his friends from feeling his emotions, but he thought they could do with some peace after that car chase and the confrontation with the kidnappers.

“So… where are we going?” Monica said, breaking the silence.

“Nowhere, anywhere,” said Jack from the driver’s seat. “I just picked the nearest town on the GPS and told Betsy to take us there.”

“Betsy?” Monica said with a raised eyebrow.

“Uhm. Yeah. Our RV is called Betsy.” Jack blushed.

“Why were you after Mon’s kidnappers?” Nat asked with a frown.

“We weren’t. It was just a coincidence, I guess. Jack was driving when she saw some criminals trying to escape in a car chase, shooting at the police following them,” Danny explained. “They were getting away, so we went after them.”

“This stuff actually happens to us more than you’d think,” Samirah added wryly.

Ion watched the new Purehearts shyly, fox ears still poking out from his long blonde hair, while Yohan examined them with a serious expression. Eventually, he spoke up, staring directly at Monica.

“We’re safe now. We won’t reach town for at least another hour, if this thing’s GPS is still accurate. You’ve asked your questions, so now you owe us an explanation. Who are you? Why did Onyx have you kidnapped?”

Danny winced. He trusted Yohan, thought of him as a friend, but he wished the older kid would learn to have some tact- especially regarding emotions.

Monica frowned at his bluntness, but obliged him. “Nat and I said we would tell you our story, so we will.”

The sky darkened outside the windows, the sun melting into the pink horizon like a pat of butter. Trees and cars whipped past the old RV, and Danny propped his arm up on his chair’s armrest to watch them pass as Monica told her story.





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HazelGrace16 says...



Nat


Monica and I sat together on a lower bunk towards the back of the RV. It was the farthest piece of furniture from the front, where the rest of the group sat watching us. Next to me, Monica keeps her arms crossed and gaze glued to the floor. I do my best to focus on the rattling of the old RV to distract me from the anxiety of the new and strange faces.

“So where should we start?” Mon pipes up after a few moments of silence.

“Well, I guess the beginning,” Danny suggested looking at us with a soft expression. “We got a long drive ahead of us.” A moment of awkward silence passes until Jack speaks up.

“What my friend over here meant to say is it’s best to probably start with how you both got into this mess with Onyx and the Purehearts.” She crosses her arms. “Like how you ended up together, and why Onyx cared enough to send a bunch of thugs after you. He’s not exactly the type to catch and keep prisoners alive.” She says eyeing Monica. I looked over to my friend, who now looked even more uneasy than before. Telling a bunch of strangers, you were Onyx’s right hand is probably not the best way to earn some trusted allies. We only need to tell them what they need to hear, right? Monica could always tell them the full truth when she’s ready.

“Well?” Jack pushed. Just as Monica opened her mouth to speak, I quickly held out my hands cutting her off.

“Maybe it’d be better if I showed you…” I say. Monica tightly grabs my wrist as if to say, “are you sure?” In response to her uneasiness, I nod with a smile, and she slowly let’s go. I stand slowly and take a gentle step towards Danny. “May I?” I ask gesturing to his arms where some newly formed bruises had begun to appear from my vines.

“Oh…uh sure.” He holds his arm out to me, and I take it in my hands gently brushing a thumb over the discoloration. Suddenly a soft light glows from my palms onto his skin. A warmth spreads as I close my eyes, letting my energy flow onto his. When I open my eyes, I see him staring at me intently, ears red. I turn to the others who have similar expressions. Below my hands, the bruises have now disappeared.

“You’re…You’re a healer?” Jack asked, still shocked. “But…”

“I know. Don’t see that often, do you?” I say avoiding eye contact. “That’s because there aren’t that many of us, and those that Onyx knows about are either drained to death or they are trapped in cages like animals. Like I was.” For the first time, Yohan looks our way. His intense stare hits me like a wall. His hand clenches tightly to the chain attached to his wrist. A chain I recognized all too well, but that seemed like a conversation for another time.

“So that’s why they were after you? You’re one of Onyx’s healer puppets. Id’ heard rumors before the uprising, but I wasn’t even sure healers really existed as we’ve never really seen that many.” Samirah added.

“You know that still doesn’t explain how she fits in.” Yohan finally speaks up gesturing to Monica.

“She saved me…Maybe…Maybe they thought they could get information from her about my whereabouts.” I looked down, Yohan’s gaze piercing me unconvinced.

“How’d you escape?” He asked, pushing.

“Monica…worked in the kitchens, and she often would bring food to the prisoners. I think she remembered me from before the uprising where at one point we were bunkmates.” I explain.

“At that point, I had been planning on escaping anyways, and after seeing how they treated the people in those cages, I knew I had to bring her with me. I couldn’t just stand by and watch as they slowly killed her.” Monica added supporting our story.

“Onyx had many reasons for keeping people in cages. But one thing was certain for all his prisoners, and that was that it was torture.” I feel my eyes begin to tear up, but I quickly blink them away. Monica places a supportive hand on my shoulder. “That’s why we’re on the run.”

“I’m sorry guys had to go through that,” Jack says, placing a reassuring hand on my knee. “Well, you’re with us now. We’re still running, but hopefully, it’s a bit more comfortable.” She laughs shyly.

“Thank you. Really.” I say genuinely.

“We seriously are just going to believe everything they say?” Yohan spits. “You can’t be serious.”

“Yohan enough,” Danny speaks through clenched teeth. “In truth, we don’t know everything about them, but that was also the truth for you at one point too. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m willing to give them a chance if you are.” I smile at him, thankful.

“Me too. Your stories are yours, and when you’re ready to tell us more, then we’ll be there ready to listen.” Jack adds, and Samirah and Ion nod in agreement.

Yohan scoffs, turning his gaze back out the window. A beat passes.

“Thank you…” Monica whispers finally.

“Well, I think it’s about time we all tried to get some sleep. We are still quite a ways from the next town, and it’s been a long day…for everyone.” Jack stands and heads toward the passenger seat. The rest of the group disperses across the small space taking their spots. I look to Monica who grabs my hand grateful.

We’re going to be okay… At least for now.
"Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine" - The Imitation Game





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Chaser says...



Yohan Yo


Yohan sat on the ice cooler, neutralizing his expression. Monica sat on the couch across from him, returning his gaze coolly. Jack was petting the dash and cooing, apologizing for the bullet holes. Danny was looking out the window, touching his throat. Mira was drifting off, and Ion was looking around restlessly.

The traffic thinned out, dwindling to pinpricks of light along the country road. Yohan laid himself stock-still in place, keeping his strength from shifting and denting the RV. He raised his right hand, turning it over in the light. Slowly, his fingers moved towards the shape of a fist.

It caught halfway, his fingers locked in the shape of a gnarled root. Pressing any further than this would be agony, the bones and joints of his hands having been broken and healed scores over. Yohan sat quietly in the darkness, clenched both fists and grimaced. The marks of Onyx’s torture were slow to disappear.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of someone sitting up. Nat was looking at him, no, his hands. Yohan didn’t look back at her, instead laying his hands to rest, just for now.

He felt the cooler slide forward, and stood up gently. “Why are we stopping?” he asked, walking up to the front where Jack was bargaining frantically with the dashboard.

“You can’t be serious, I- Yes, I do owe you one. I’m sorry, what do you want me to do?” Jack slapped a hand to her face and turned to Yohan, jerking her thumb towards the windshield. “Hitchhiker. Betsy can’t turn from a person in need.”

“A Good Samaritan,” Yohan murmured, opening the door to reveal a wiry girl, around their own age. The boy cowering behind her couldn’t have been more than ten. Both wore dirty, flowy clothes, as if pulled from a music concert.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey.” The girl leaned forward intently, smiling. “How’s the weather tonight? I can tell you - it’s kind of cold. Can we get a ride?”

Yohan glanced at Jack, who shrugged with bewilderment. “Where do you need to go?”

“Heaven, at this point.” The girl laughed and cocked her head. “But just a ways down the road for now. Oh - I’m Hannah. This is Vittorio.”

The boy lifted his head up, on the verge of tears.

Danny came up behind them. “I- I don’t think we should.”

“Let them in,” Yohan heard himself say.

“Thank you!” Hannah said, traipsing up the step into the RV. She twirled around, grinning. “Gosh, this is a nice ride! Kinda disappointing though.”

Ion cocked his head. “Disappointing how?”

Vittorio pressed his hands to his eyes, sniffling.

“I dunno,” Hannah said, grinning gauntly. “It’s just, I’d expect better from the people taking on my man Onyx.”

The rest of the team jumped into different stages of panic. Monica was the furthest away with Nat, Mira and Ion already up. Danny and Jack were moving and starting to take cover. But Yohan was already in place: he’d known, after all.

Yohan had known before Hannah had opened her mouth, before she’d entered, before she’d stepped aside just now to reveal Vittorio, his eyes brimming with icy spikes. He had already placed himself between his team and the ice shards as they exploded outward, and was just now feeling them rip into his skin and launch him back.

At the same time, his metal yoyo lashed out. Hannah intercepted it like a pro footballer, the impact knocking her out the door. She gave a out a whoop as she hit the ground and rolled.

Yohan slammed into the side of Betsy’s wall, yanking the disk back with him. “Drive!” he spat, as Jack shoved Vittorio out and slapped the dashboard. Betsy roared to life with wheels spinning. As they lurched away, Yohan felt the blood trickle down his face and almost punched himself along with it. He had to kick that habit of sacrifice somehow.

Monica was backing away, looking puzzled and troubled. "Why did he- I could've-"

“Now’s not the time!” Mira shouted. “Nat, stop his bleeding!”

“Good girl!” Jack shouted to Betsy, then frowned. “What do you mean, am I putting on weight?”

The RV jolted downwards, knocking everyone off of their feet. Some ice crystals popped out of Yohan’s skin and fell to the floor, covered in blood.

“You’d better get out of that thing, or I’ll crush you along with it!” Hannah yelled. “Onyx named my ability himself: Gravitas!”

“Betsy!” Jack whirled around to everyone else. “She can’t take this for long!”

Monica ran to the door. “I’ll go,” she said. “The rest of you, try to get this thing moving!”

“We can’t do that,” Mira replied. “You couldn’t take both of them at once.”

“You don't know that. Besides, there isn't much time,” Mon protested. “If there are more in hiding, you all need to get away. You can trust me," she added, looking around at them.

Jack cut in. “Betsy likes you! She’s not gonna-” But she was interrupted by the clinking of a death metal yoyo.

Yohan had lifted himself up, bleeding over one eye. “We’ll all go,” he declared, glaring at Monica. “Stop trying to be a hero. We’re all fighting for survival, and I’m not gonna accept a getaway as the price of anyone’s life.”

Monica glared back, but broke off. “That's not what I was trying to do,” she countered, but looked back at the group. “Together, then?”

“I’m game if you are!” Ion chirped.

“We’ll be stronger together,” Mira agreed.

“We've got a good track record so far,” Danny added.

“Then let’s get our hero on!” Jack shouted.

The team leapt out of Betsy’s door, single file, to face the Grims. Yohan started out as well, but Betsy’s seatbelt wrapped around him, pinning him down.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you, trying to get out of your own rule!” Jack said, grinning. “Sit tight, now. It’s for your own good.”

She nodded quickly to Nat. “Patch him up, ok?” Then the rest of them were off, having decided their own fight scream, with the sounds of battle already erupting.

Nat knelt down in front of Yohan as Betsy’s door closed. “If you’d just let someone else handle it, you wouldn’t be in this situation,” she said quietly.

“I wasn’t willing to take that chance.”

“You could try actually trusting other people,” Nat said pointedly, looking him in the eye. “Especially Mon. You don’t know what she’s given up to be here.”

Yohan returned her gaze for a moment, then sighed and held out his arm. “Just a quick fix, alright? No need to try old wounds.”

Nat nodded, the plants already doing their work. She spoke in such a dreamlike way that he couldn’t tell if she meant it. “Thank you for your sacrifice.”

Yohan scoffed, though felt a great bliss spread through him, holes in his flesh filling up. “Welcome to survival,” he said, smiling slightly. “We sacrifice nothing but honor.”
The hardest part of writing science fiction is knowing actual science. The same applies for me and realistic fiction.





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Europa says...



Jack


The minute we stepped out of Betsy, a volley of ice sent us diving in different directions.

"Keep low to the ground and take cover!" Monica shouted.

Most of us were still on the ground, but we started crawling away from the side of the road, until suddenly we weren't. I windmilled my arms as we all tumbled into the air, like leaves in an updraft.

"That won't work!" Hannah cackled underneath us. "And here I thought capturing someone like you would be hard."

I was about to ask what made a couple of runaways so powerful when I realized she wasn't looking at me or my friends. She was looking past me towards Monica.

"Wait, what does she mean someone like you? I thought you worked in the--"

Monica cut me off sharply "Can I remind you that we're trying not to die right now?" She grabs my hand. "I'm going to throw you down towards Vittorio. Try and take him down. Whatever you do, don't let him cry."

"Wait but I don't have a combat--" She acted before I could finish, slinging me forward and propelling me towards the ground by some unseen force.

oh that's right. Her secondary power is shockwaves. I remember some dim part of my brain thinking before I collided with Vittorio. I managed to grab him and cover his mouth as we spun back into the air and away from the conflict. I cursed and kicked him away as more ice burst from his eyes, wincing as a few sliced by my arms. Vittorio landed clumsily on his feet and shoved me back towards his partner.

"Gotchya!" Hannah's arms wrapped tightly around me, and then I felt the air squeeze out of me as her power crushed me into the ground. From where I was lying I could barely see Monica, floating alone in the air. Hannah grinned up at her. "That was a good idea, blowing them in different directions. But you know you've only slowed me down."

There was a lead-like thud, and Monica crashed down across from me. Hannah started jogging down the highway, waving for Vittorio to follow. "Help me round them all up."

Vittorio started to follow, but stopped and looked back at Monica. "Why did you leave?"

Monica glared at him as best she could with her head fixed to the ground. Beneath us, the ground trembled with tension. Monica's fingers slowly began to move and lift, rippling with power. "If I told you, would it make a difference?"

He shook his head. "I'm just curious."

"Hey! What are you hanging around for? We've got a job to--" Hannah never got to finish her sentence. At that moment, Monica's fingers slammed the ground, swallowing them in a tide of ruptured soil.





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trashykawa says...



MIRA



I’m still reeling from that drop. Strong isn’t really my strong suit (feel free to cringe), and tumbling into the air, then crashing down again has left me winded.

Not like that’s the only reason my head feels like a Ferris wheel.

Like, what the hell just happened? How did Onyx’s lackeys even find us? There’s absolutely no way he could have tracked us all the way out here. Even we’re not sure where we are or where we’re going. The last place I consciously remember in my head was at the place where those men in the truck–

Oh. Oh.

The truck men. Pyke and Jim. Monica wasn’t delivered, so obviously, Onyx figured we had something to do with it. I curse at myself. Stupid, stupid, stupid. We should’ve been smarter. I should have been smarter.

Back to the present though, where everything’s a mess. Well, more of a mess than usual.

Hannah and Vittorio are in too deep. Quite literally. Monica’s in a daze – though that’s not surprising. Pulling off a power strike like that, it’s no wonder Onyx wants her back. Sure, she probably wouldn’t cooperate if he had her. But imagine it if she works against you. There’s nothing that girl couldn’t destroy. And if the after effects are this bad, that list must include herself too.

Betsy’s door flies open and Natalia comes running, her long, wavy hair flying behind her. She kneels beside Monica, who’s sitting with her head buried inside her hands. Mon’s rocking slightly, whispering to herself.

“Mon,” Nat says gently. “Mon, can I help? Are you okay?”

Monica stills, and looks up at Nat. She blinks a couple hundred times and shakes her head, as if to clear the cobwebs around her. “Yeah,” she whispers. Then louder: “Yes, I’m fine. I’m alright. I just…needed a minute.” She stands up, slowly. Typical superhero, I think to myself. It’s the one flaw I think we all share. We’ll never admit that we’re hurt. We just take it; and try our best to forget. We’ve lost people, and family; and we live in a van most of the days, and we still fight. We ignore the pain, the fact that we didn’t even have a choice in any of this, and we bring justice to a world that we’ve –that I’ve never been an active part of.

Bleh, get yourself together, Mira.
It’s the crash’s fault. I think I hit my head too hard, and now I’ve become this sentimental idiot.

Danny and Jack are getting up too, Yohan just climbed down from Betsy, and Ion’s already scoping out our surroundings. A few feet off from where were Monica stands, there’s a huge bit of upturned soil, like a heap on a crater, and two pairs of limbs can be made out among the rubble. Hannah and Vittorio. I can’t say I don’t feel at least a little bit of remorse. After all, the real enemy’s Onyx. Not them. They needed to pick a side; and they chose the one that would win. Not everyone’s superhero-sacrificial.

“Is everyone okay?” Jack calls out.

More or less, I think. No irreversible damage. A few ice shards here and there, but everyone’s fine.

Things need to change. I’m tired of running.

“Guys?” I say.

I don’t think anyone heard me. I’m the introvert, not the one who takes charge. So I try again.

“Hey, guys?” I say again, louder. They look at me this time, expressions open, and I make myself believe that they’re my team, that we’re a family, and they’re people I can trust. I tell myself that they too want more than life in a van, chasing mundane criminals, fighting kids our age who are supposed to be enemies because some madman had the power to sway them.

“We need to talk.”

Jack looks at me, long, and nods. “Yes. Yes, we do.”

_____


A few minutes later, we’re sitting on the ground next to Betsy, with Jack sitting atop the hood, and Yohan and Danny leaning on the side.

I’m suddenly nervous; I’ve never done this before. I don’t make speeches; bad at convincing, and just bad at communicating in general.

I take a deep breath. “This needs to stop,” I say.

When no one screams out “NOW YOU DEAD,” my heart deems it safe to continue.

“We can’t keep doing this. Fighting petty criminals every day, just waiting for Onyx to make his move. He’s got all the strings, and he knows it. I mean, come on, we’re a group of seven people! Even if Onyx does strike, what could we do? March into headquarters and get thrown into dungeons? Sure, we’re powerful, but we’ve all got limits. Monica’s in a daze after that power strike, and that only took care of two people!”

“I could’ve taken out more,” Monica mutters, but half-heartedly. Doubtfully.

“She’s right,” Natalia says. “There’s only so much a few pure-hearts can do against an entire army.”

“Well,” Jack says, “What do we do? This is all there is, it’s all that we can do. Like you said, we are just a group of seven people. We have no choice.”

This is the hard part. This is where the madness makes an entry.

“Onyx has an army,” I say slowly, dramatically, letting the words sink. “So we should too.”

I hold my breath, to see how they react, but everyone just looks confused.

“I agree. Let’s just pluck random humans off the streets and send them to war,” Yohan says, dripping with sarcasm.

I can’t hold back a smile. “Yes, exactly. That’s what I mean.”

Everyone erupts.

“Not funny, Mira.”

“She’s gone loco.”

“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head too hard?”

“Meow.”


That last bit comes from Reaper the cat, who’d abandoned her sleep and come out, snuggling on my lap. I stroke her fur, and she lets out another meow. She loves me.

“What I mean is,” I continue, “We were all normal once upon a time, right? Then the purehearts found us, and now we’re heroes. So why not make new heroes? Only this time, they’ll be grown up and they’ll know how to fight.”

Jack shakes her head. “Mira, that’s absolutely insane. We can’t just do it ourselves. There’s a ritual, and actual magic, and a book called ‘Transformation.’ We can’t just swish a wooden stick and say ‘Abracadabra!’

“No, and that’s why we need to break in to headquarters. To figure it out. None of us remember how it was done to us, we were like, five. And after we get what we need, we recruit members, find a hidden training area, and make our move.”

Danny shakes his head. “This just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it?”

“And how do you expect us to break in? Smash some doors, kill some villains, and come out holding hands singing a song about love and teamwork?” Monica says.

“She’s right, we can’t just waltz in; we’d be spot-dead.” Jack says.

I roll my eyes. “I’m an illusionist, remember?” Then, to demonstrate and make this insane plan sound a little more believable, my hair gets shorter, and blacker; my eyes become cold and sharp, and my body shifts to that of a sharp, strong man. Onyx.

A few gasps here and there, but some eyebrows are raised, as if considering my proposal.

“I can hold the illusion for a couple hours for about four people, longer if there are fewer. It should be simple: knock out the next four men Onyx sends our way, take on their disguise, and march into HQ. Get what we need, burn down a few rooms in the process, and come out unscratched, ready to save the world. Classic superhero movie.”

Someone whistles.

A few minutes pass. “Fine,” Danny says at last, “But who goes? And what's the actual actual plan?”
I was eleven years old
and I'd lost my mother,
and my soul.
And the crucible
gave me you.

mA





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AlyTheBookworm says...



Daniel Lapitan



Danny tried not to fidget. Mira stood in front of him, staring intently at his face with her brow furrowed in concentration and her hands on her hips. Jack, Monica, and Yohan stood next to her, glancing from Mira to Danny.

“Uhm... you done yet?”

“Yup. Take a look,” she replied after a moment. She dropped the focused stare, let her hands fall to her side, and flashed him a grin.

Danny looked down at his body. His skin was now pale- almost sickly. A tattoo had popped up on his forearm, and his clothing had changed as well. He knew without looking that his eyes had changed from dark brown to a pale green, and that his black hair was now a sandy color.

“Hey, it-“

He stopped midsentence and jumped in surprise. The deep, growling voice that had replaced his own had caught him off guard.

Jack laughed at his shocked expression as Monica moved forward.

“Guess I’m next.”

Mira turned to Monica and focused.

The girl’s long black braids lightened, morphing into the silky shoulderlength brown hair of the woman the disguise was based on. Her face became more rounded, while her skin lightened and freckles popped into view. After a moment, Dreya- one of the henchmen Onyx had sent after them- stood in Monica’s place. The illusion was a perfect replica of the girl, down to the silvery stud earring and the little scar on her chin.

The disguise was so realistic that Danny had to remind himself that the real Dreya was tied up and unconscious in the back of the RV, being watched over by Nat and Ion.

Yohan was next.

In seconds, his appearance changed to that of another of the henchmen they’d captured- a tall man with beady black eyes, a large nose, and a reddish beard. Yohan’s familiar scowl on the man’s face was a bit disorienting.

After looking himself over, he nodded his approval.

Mira finished the last illusion, taking on the face of Caleb, the short, round-faced, and dark-skinned boy who had been the youngest of the group Onyx had sent after them.

“Great- now we have our disguises,” Caleb- or Mira- said. “I’ll only be able to keep this up for a few hours, so we should get going soon.”

“I’ll drive,” Yohan said curtly. He headed off in the direction of the Grims’ van without a backwards glance.

Danny swallowed, struggling with his nervousness and a growing feeling of dread.

Why are you so scared? We’ve done stuff like this before.

Despite that fact, the wrongness of the whole situation was like an itch in the back of his mind. They were going straight back to the place they’d barely escaped months ago. They, a group of kids with next to no resources, were going to steal information from Onyx himself using a half-baked plan.

“Hey. You sure you want to do this? You don’t have to be one of the four who goes in, you know.”

Danny glanced up to see a concerned-looking Jack, the only one there who hadn’t been changed by the illusion.

“Huh? Oh, sorry. I guess I need to work on controlling my power more, if you can sense my nervousness.” He forced a laugh.

“I couldn’t feel your emotions, but it’s pretty obvious from the look on your face what you’re feeling,” Jack said.

Danny hesitated, then balled his fists and looked her in the eyes. “I’ll be fine. We need my power to get in, right? Anyways, they’re waiting on me. I’ll see you after this is all over.” He gave her a reassuring smile and headed for the van.

His friends needed him. And Mira was right- this was the only way. They couldn’t hide from Onyx forever.

The drive felt shorter than it was. Before long, the compound of buildings that had belonged to the Purehearts came into view. The top of the bleak grey headquarters was just visible over the wall and padlocked gate. Even under a bright, sunny sky, the place looked ominous.

As they approached the gate, Danny ran over the plan in his head for the hundredth time.

Jack, Nat, and Ion would hide and wait nearby with the RV and the four captured Grims, ready to come to their rescue if everything didn’t go according to plan. Using Mira’s illusions and Danny’s emotional manipulation powers, Mira, Danny, Yohan, and Monica would make it into the compound. Then they’d find the information they needed and leave.

Simple, huh? Danny sighed.

The van slowed to a stop in front of the iron gate and two figures stepped into view. One, a dark-haired young woman, quickly approached the van and gestured for Yohan to roll down his window.

Once he did, she peered into the van- her narrowed eyes roving over Danny, Monica, and Mira.

“You’re back. Were you successful?”

The four of them glanced at eachother.

“Yes,” Yohan said stiffly.

“Really?” the woman said suspiciously. “Your mission was to capture them and bring them back alive, not kill them.”

“We didn’t-“

“I don’t see anyone else in the back of this van. Where are they?” the woman interrupted.

“Look, we have some important information we need to get to Onyx. Open the gate,” Yohan growled.

Things aren’t looking good. I’d better help Yohan out, Danny thought.

He caught the woman’s gaze and held it, concentrating hard. Soon, her suspicious glare slipped away. Moments later, her scowl softened and she even let out an indifferent yawn as Danny used his power to tamper with her emotions. He carefully dampened her suspicion and irritation.

You couldn’t care less what happens to us, he urged. You’re getting tired of this arguing… Just let someone else deal with it.

“You know what? I don’t care if you did what you were ordered to or not. Onyx will deal with you how he wants- I had nothing to do with this mission’s failure.”

She finally stepped away from the van and waved to her companion to open the gate. He quickly complied, and the iron gate swung open.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief as Yohan moved the van forward. Leaving the gate behind them, they made their way up the road, rapidly approaching the bleak compound ahead. Headquarters loomed like a mountain.

“Alright- we’re in,” Mira said.





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Chaser says...



Yohan Yo

As they passed the gate, Yohan made an attempt to steady his grip on the steering wheel. His fingers semi-cooperated, denting into the metal and holding fast. The van cruised along the compound’s single supply road, heading for the loading bay.

Monica sat in the shotgun seat, taking it all in with a steely glance. It was a bit too much steel, as far as casual stealth was concerned, but it looked natural on the borrowed face.

Mira and Danny looked around, taking in the scene. For all of them, it was their second time entering the compound. But the mood had changed, the once-warm colors of the hill seeming harsh and enraged. All of it was a reminder that the man who ruled it was crueler, power-mad and manipulative. Yohan knew that with Onyx’s reign, Father did not exist here anymore.

Yohan stared up at the dull grey building, wondering if they were seeing it like he once had - proud towers stark against the sunlight, pure and unreflective of the world around them. The firm stone base had opened like an embrace when Yohan, resolute yet staggering from hunger, was brought in for the first time.

The road dipped into an indent in the side of the hill, yawning down into the cave that served as a garage. Yohan caught the ghostly image of a bearded man, standing at the stone awning with his arms wide open. He ran right over the memory, cruising into the garage and parking the van. Father did not exist here anymore.

In his place were the scorches and cracks of a full-scale rebellion, ones that sank deep into the walls and ran across the floor. Yohan saw a few broken pillars and remembered the night of the rebellion.

Watching his brethren escape on the bus, he placed both hands on a support pillar and shoved with all his might. It broke away, the earth above him shifting slightly. Shouts began to ring out from behind as he reached another pillar, straining to burst it from the structure.

My body will be crushed upon this place, he had thought. I’ll die here, for Father.

Yet here he was, still alive, Onyx’s palace still standing, and Father gone. Yohan’s face made a revolting grimace. His experience was one that all Purehearted had faced that night.

The four of them sat there for a moment, finally aware of the weight of the compound on top of and all around them. They’d walked into the enemy camp, on a limb made of raw hope. There would be nothing to catch their fall.

Monica took a deep breath, but said nothing. Yohan opened his door and stepped out. The rest tentatively followed, looking warily around the garage. Where Father had once posted guards to keep the outside world at bay, Onyx had none; maybe he needed none. For whatever reason, they were able to step into the elevator and ascend to the main complex.

Monica stepped forward out of the double doors, and Yohan followed. His shackle had been illusioned into a briefcase, which he lugged alongside him. From what he could see, everything seemed to be working perfectly.

The hardest part, though, was acting like a stranger to people he’d known like siblings until months ago. They walked up and down the halls, making a point of peering down their nose at them. Most were shorter than him, so they ended up leaning back and goose-stepping past. It was hilarious, but its meaning wore on Yohan’s soul.

They despise anyone without Purehearted power, he thought, watching the children go by. Father taught us to save humanity, not hate it like this.

Monica opened a door and beckoned them deeper into the facility. “This way.”

Of the four Purehearts, most knew their way around the outer reaches of the complex, but Father’s inner sanctum was only opened after the Grim rebellion. Yohan tried to clear the feeling of wrongness from his mind; he was not the trespasser here, Onyx was.

“This should be it,” Monica said. She stood in front of a large oak door that ran contrary to the sparse grey aesthetic of its surroundings. “The ritual book should be in this room.”

Yohan breathed softly, unwilling to show the heaviness of his lungs. “Open it,” he ordered.

Mon looked annoyed, but pushed on the brass door handle. The door slid open soundlessly. Just like that, Yohan thought. Without waiting for the others, he walked on through, fully expecting Onyx to be on the other side.

Nothing. “There’s nothing here,” Mira said, which was about true. The room was large, angled like a chamber of worship, but the white-lined architecture of the ceiling was all there was to see.

“He must have moved it,” Mon muttered, moving around the empty linoleum floor. Danny was doing the same, peering around for a trapdoor or fake wall.

Mira inhaled sharply, then exhaled slow. “Well, I guess it was wishful thinking that we’d know exactly where it was.”

“Should we keep looking?” Danny asked, glancing around. “I feel like we’re conspicuous already.”

“Let’s at least try a little longer,” Monica suggested, pushing the door open to exit. Yohan followed her out, then bumped into the back of her. Peering around, he saw a young girl staring up at him.

“Are you lost?” she asked.

Monica glanced at Yohan before leaning down. “Yes,” she said. “Yes we are.”

“Can you show us where Onyx is?” Yohan asked.

The girl’s eyes widened, and she grinned. “Wait right here!” she said, beaming, and bounced off down the hallway. When she was gone, Danny and Mira pushed the door open and

“I guess this is as far as we can go pretending to be lost.” Mira said.

“We might be able to split up to search, though,” Yohan offered.

“You can’t be serious,” Danny protested.

“I’m not about to squander this opportunity,” Yohan said, looking around. “There are no other plans.”

They all stood quiet for a second, feeling the weight of those words.

“If Onyx is here, I guarantee most guards will be too,” Mon said. “I’ll stay here to bargain, buy some time.”

“They’ve seen both of us,” Yohan added. “I’ll stay too.”

He turned to Mira. “How long will these disguises hold?”

“As long as you need,” she promised. “But are you sure about this? Splitting up in the evil lair isn’t usually a good move.”

“It could be this time,” Yohan said, forcing the point. “You two can search and switch disguises to more effectively move through the facility. Search every inch, but don’t be afraid to leave us behind.”

Danny opened his mouth to argue, flustered at the notion of abandonment. Yohan gave him a meaningful glare.

“We’ve got enough combat power between us to escape. The best thing you could do if things turn south is signal Jack for backup. Is that clear?”

Danny blinked for a second, conflict caught in his eyes. Eventually he looked away. “Okay. Stay safe, you two.”

“Same to you,” Mon said.

With that, Danny and Samirah moved away down the hall, checking around the corners. Yohan and Monica went back into the chamber and stood in silence.

Eventually, Monica breathed out. “You’re planning on fighting him.”

“Aren’t you?”

“I want to. Badly. But I don’t think I could win. Not right now.”

“I couldn’t either.”

“But you still want to fight?”

“If it gives you enough time to prepare. Just tell me when you feel ready.”

Yohan’s smarmy tone made Monica glare over, but there was a fearful graveness in his face. Yohan saw her face drop with the same expression.

“No time to prepare. No time to run. Only time to try.”

“I’m with you.”

They stood there in the chamber, their backs to the wall. The footsteps were in Yohan’s mind long before they were in the hallway, and as the door opened, he could feel his muscles straining wildly, struck with a brutal chill.

A boy and a girl walked into the room, each standing on one side of the door. Their faces were marked over with contempt, and Yohan did not look at them for long, because a man with kind, wistful eyes had walked into the room.

His hair was black and curly, though some efforts had been made to smooth it to the side in a semi-wave. It contrasted with his prim and tidy black suit, making him seem as if he were far too posturing, like an intern at an insurance company.

He wore a lopsided smile, and his eyes were the picture of calm. However, there was distance behind that calm, reaching all the way back into the abyss.

On his chest, a chain clinked heartily. Yohan stared down at the pendant, and was stared back by the eye of a snake eating its own tail. Father had worn it as a symbol of enduring life, but now it sat over the hungry heart of the man who had usurped him. The man wore the chain with pride, the two guards cowering in its glow. But that was just the menace latent in the eyes of Onyx.

“Welcome, welcome,” he said, a meaningless laugh mixed in. “How was the trip in?”

Monica wasted no time. “Just give us the cash,” she growled, masking her vocal cords.

Onyx raised an eyebrow. “Right, of course.” He snapped his fingers whimsically, and the girl came forward and pulled out a silver briefcase. It opened to reveal rows and rows of hundred dollar bills. Yohan had to pinch himself to see straight.

“As you’ll see, human money is no object to us,” Onyx said. “We hope you’re satisfied with this arrangement?”

Yohan closed his mouth and nodded. Onyx chuckled. “Excellent, really! You’ll be escorted out shortly.” He turned away, towards the door.

“Wait a second.” Yohan’s voice launched with a surprising venom, making Onyx look back. Yohan cursed internally, searching for a casual followup. “Where the hell did you get this money?”

“It shouldn’t really matter to you,” Onyx replied flippantly. “Or are you just now worried about legality?”

“Shut up,” Yohan replied, flustered. “You say stuff like ‘human money,’ and just hand us a boatload for a couple of kids?” He gulped. “Just what are you trying to do?”

Onyx cocked his head, walking back towards them. He looked straight at Yohan, and his eyes had opened slightly, though it was more like yawning. “Well, what are you trying to do?”

Monica cut in, moving between them. “We’re not pawns, Onyx. We’re business associates. If you can’t be clear, you can find someone else.”

“Yes, I really could,” Onyx snipped, but his face remained kind. “But you should be grateful that I’m allowing you this chance at all. Most others won’t even get an opportunity.”

“You shut up with that,” Yohan snarled.

“Well, it’s like I asked,” Onyx insisted, smirking. “What are you going to do?”

“Nothing, Onyx,” Mon replied, gritting her teeth and glaring. “Nothing at all.”

Onyx turned full-body to face her. “You know, you keep calling me Onyx, Onyx, Onyx. And now I have to wonder how you know me.” He smiled. “Hello, Monica.”

“As for you,” he said, turning to Yohan, “well, I assumed you’d be Samirah, but seeing you now, I’m pleasantly surprised. Yohan, old pal, how’s it going?”

Everyone but Onyx froze. The two guards looked at each other, moving forward before Onyx held up a hand.

“Don’t worry about it. Samirah is still out there, and I doubt she’s alone, either. Just go and find her, and I’ll be so grateful.” The two subordinates smiled graciously and marched out of the room.

“Now then,” Onyx said. “Let’s get back to the real reason you’re here. You won’t find the ritual like this, but damned if you’re not at least a little warm.”

“You really think you can handle both of us at once?” Mon asked, invisible energy surging from her hands and peeling away the disguise.

“I never harm my allies, Monica,” Onyx insisted piously. “Are you my ally?”

“Not a chance,” Mon hissed.

Onyx’s smile grew, twisting across his lips. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.”

He thrust a hand forward, and Monica’s head snapped back, her body contorting as if on a knotted marionette. Her eyes were rolling back in her head, the energy in her hands roiling dangerously.

Onyx had his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling smoothly like yoga. Yohan swung his briefcase at his head; a shockwave blasted it aside as Monica’s body contorted again.

Onyx smiled. “It’s a little difficult, you know? Please give me a second while I get the hang of this.” But Yohan’s yoyo was already swinging around for another cutting blow.

Onyx ducked backwards and turned his head. “Why don’t I try you, then?” he said, but Yohan wasn’t listening. He was grabbing Monica, trying to ignore Onyx’s hand outstretched towards him, the room shifting, fading away. Wearily, he searched for the door, focusing on it and hurtling forward.

As he passed what must have been Onyx’s body, he heard the faintest of whispers. “You’ll be my sacrifice,” Onyx said. “And only then can you rest, Yohan Yo.”

Yohan ripped himself away, and it felt like the back of his skull was being torn off. But he ran blindly - he was good at running blind - and dragged Monica away as Onyx laughed jovially behind them.
The hardest part of writing science fiction is knowing actual science. The same applies for me and realistic fiction.





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Europa says...



Monica


When the mists finally cleared from Monica's mind, she found herself on the ground in one of the lower hallways, with Yohan crouched beside her. She sat up slowly, trying to shake away the odd pressure lingering behind her eyes.

"What the..." Monica shook her head again, her head feeling like it was trying to meet itself in the middle.

"You blacked out." Yohan explained simply, without looking back at her. "Try to keep it down."

The last wisps of fog dissipated, and then it all flooded back. They'd come here looking for something...the ritual book, and they'd decided to split up. Onyx had found them and then...then...Monica's mind drew a blank. She tried to reach back in her memory, but it was like a moment of film gap. A blip of darkness, then the present. Monica shook her head. The image of Natalia waiting in the van rose up to meet her, and she swallowed.

"We've got to get out of here."

Yohan looked back at this, scowling. "We aren't leaving without the others."

"We won't leave them here. Once we get back to Betsy, we'll get Jack to scramble their security system or something--"

"We don't have time for that!"

"Well, the minute you think you can take on Onyx and all his Grims while making sure everyone else stays alive, you tell me."

Yohan glared but was interrupted by the crackling of the PA. "Having trouble?" Onyx's voice seemed to radiate from every corner of the room, vibrating in inside of Monica's chest. "Whatever you're arguing about down there, I'd suggest you wrap it up quickly."

Monica cursed. "Security cameras. He's the control room."

Yohan's expression didn't change at all. He nodded. "Can he hear us?"

"Not unless he's bugged the place sometime in the past month."

Onyx's voice chuckled. "You really are keen on wasting time."

Yohan stood, and swung his yoyo out, smashing a camera in the corner of the hall. "Let's move."

"What's the hurry?" this time, it wasn't Onyx's voice that taunted them. Neither of them took the time to find out. The energy Monica had been saving was released and whoever it was was blown back. They burst from their resting place and into the halls, Onyx keeping up a quick commentary.

"Ah, there they go, down the south hall. Oh dear, cut off? They really should have turned right. Will they take a turn now? No, no, they're backtracking. A smart move. Keep going now, my Grims are closing in."

It took considerable ducking and weaving through the halls until they came in sight of the exit. Monica looked behind her and grimaced. There were Caroline and Daisy, nipping at their heels. She prepared another burst, but Daisy suddenly pitched to the side, body checking Caroline to the ground and finishing it with a kick to the head. Monica caught a flash of Samirah's face before the disguise was back in place.

"Surprise." She grabbed their wrists and started pulling. Yohan twisted out of her grip.

"Where's Danny?"

Samirah hesitated. "We decided to re-disguise ourselves and split up. Hopefully, they've already made it out."

Yohan was halfway down the hall by the time she was finished. "I'm going to find him. You go."

They watched for a second, then Monica sighed. "We don't have time to stop him, let's go warn the others."

Samirah nodded, and together they hurried through the doors. Jack was the first one out the door and made a b-line for Samirah.

"Danny?"

"Inside"

"Yohan?"

"What do you think?"

Jack cursed. "Of course he did. Nevermind, I've got it." She rubbed her hands together, headed for the surge protector. "You can climb back in Besty if you want. That's probably safest."

Samirah's eyes narrowed. "Jack, what are you going to do?"

Jack shrugged. "Well, basically it involves praying to whoever might be up there that I don't blow something up."

Samirah's warning "Jack!" had barely echoed around the parking lot before there was a spray of sparks and everything when completely dark.

"That should buy them some time."

Slowly, the three of them picked their way towards Betsy, faintly silhouetted in the sparse daylight coming from the end of the tunnel. Jack opened the door, and immediately Monica felt arms throwing themselves around her and knew from the smell of sage that it was Nat.

"Are you hurt?"

Monica shook her head.

Nat shook a barely visible finger in her face. "You better not be."

"You should probably get inside." Monica could see Ion inside, ears folded back, twisting his scarf like he was wringing out a rag. They nodded and retreated into the warm light of the van, sitting together on the small couch while Jack and Samirah took the front. Even though the view outside the window was nearly pitch black, Monica caught Nat glancing out it more than once.

"You're worried."

Nat sighed, then tried for a smile. "Straight to the point, as always."

She leaned back, trying to appear relaxed, but Monica could sense the nerves still pinging around inside her. She thought about taking Nat's hand, but the different outcomes that played in her mind made her curl her fingers away. "Yohan was one of the best the Purehearts had. Even if they run into trouble, I'm pretty sure they'll be fine."

It was then that the lights came on, and the intercom came back online with a pleasant binging noise.

Once again, Onyx's voice vibrated through the air. "Well played, well played. I actually lost track of them for a second."

Yohan and Daniel burst through the door then, making a break for the van.

"Ah, there they are."

Monica pushed herself up. "They'll be after us the second we pull out."

Jack shrugged. "Betsy's reliable. She's just old. And slow. And...probably needs an oil change."

A pause. "What, I'm just being honest!"

"There is no way she can actually talk to that thing." Monica muttered to herself as she opened the door.

"She can't." Ion called after her. Monica met the boys halfway, between two damaged pillars.

"We'll never outpace them in a junky old van."

"Hey, take it easy." Daniel protested. "That's Besty you're talking about!"

"It's a junky old van."

Yohan unspooled his weight, denting the asphalt. "They can't chase us if they can't get out."

Monica nodded. "We'll have to be quick."

Yohan raised an eyebrow. "Is pointing out the obvious some kind of hobby for you?"

"Just start smashing crap. Daniel, get in the van."

Yohan waited until he closed the door to swing his weight. Monica rubbed her hands together, feeling the energy pulse inside of her. "I've only got enough juice to take out one."

She heard something crumble and Yohan shouted back "Stop wasting time then!" The doors banged open again and Monica clenched her fist and braced herself. She could feel the bodies crowding into the garage as she swung and connected with the beam. She felt the energy rebound inside her and clenched her teeth against the pain as the bones in her arm took the form of the ruined concrete. The ground above them sagged. She stumbled back, taking deep breaths as the world swam, and collided with Yohan as his arm cocked back. She caught it with her unbroken hand. "Van."

She didn't give him time to argue as she hauled him with her up the steps. Yohan pushed the others back through the door as the started to crowd out, and Monica tried to ignore the feeling of something soft and warm brushing against her ankles.

"Jack, drive."

"But, the Grim--"

"Drive!"

"Oh-alright." She hurried to the steering wheel and Besty sputtered to life. Monica collapsed on the couch. Nat gasped at the sight of her swollen arm.

"Again!" She huffed out a small sigh when Monica didn't say anything and gently laid her hands on her arm. Monica winced as the boned began to repair themselves. "You know you shouldn't use your power strike more than every once in a while!"

Betsy rattled as she pulled out of the lot. Monica could see headlights flaring up behind them, but she knew they wouldn't have time.

"I had to."

Nat started to reply as the cave-in started. She stared in a mix of horror and fascination as half the building crumbled away, leaving a massive crater of rubble and sunken earth. They crashed through the guard gates, and Jack shouted for Besty to go faster. Monica let out a breath as Nat finished her work.

"How does that feel?"

Monica flexed her arm. "Good."

As the ruined compound faded behind them, Jack turned around and scanned the faces in the back.

"One, two, three, four, five, six...six."

A dead tension settled over the group.

"Count again." Yohan ordered.

Jack did. "Six. There's definitely someone missing."

It took about three seconds, then the anxiety in the room amplified tenfold.

"Ion." David quavered. "Where's Ion?"





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HazelGrace16 says...



The silence of the drive was almost too much for Natalie to bare. She hadn’t experienced deafening silence quite like this since her imprisonment. Flashes of that dark and cold cell raced through her mind. She shook the thoughts away and focused hard on the people around her. No one would dare look at each other most likely in the hopes that this nightmare wasn’t truly real. A ping of guilt filled Nat’s chest as she remembered her last conversation with Ion moments before the collapse.

They had been waiting patiently for any sign of their friends, and ultimately conversation sparked.

“There are times that I feel like I’m bringing the group down.” He sighed holding his knees.

“What do you mean by that Ion?” Nat asked.

“It’s just everyone is so strong and powerful, and- well there are times I feel like I’m just getting in the way. Like I’m useless as a Pureheart...”

“Oh Ion you can’t think like that!” Nat assured him urgently. “Every one of us has something amazingly special and powerful about us. You shouldn’t be so down about yourself. One day, you’re gonna discover how important to this team...this family, you are. You just need to wait for the right moment.”

“Thanks Nat.” He slightly smiled ears going red.

“Of course!” She boasted. Then the explosions sounded making the duo scramble to their feet and leap to the front of the bus where Jack sat behind Betsy’s wheel watching.

“It’s show time.” Jack exclaimed pushing hard on the gas straight toward the war
zone. They parked Betsy just as the doors burst open and Samiarah and Monica scrambled out.

That was the last time she saw him.

What could possibly have gone through his mind to make him run into a collapsing building like that?


Eventually, when the time came for them to stop for the night, they found a quiet clearing in the woods. As the team set up camp, no one could still bring themselves to speak about what happened. The night dragged on until everyone eventually settled. Jack, Danny, and Yohan sat solemenly by the fire, Monica sat along the edge of one of Betsy’s opened doors, and Nat sat on the edge of the bed stroking Samirah’s hair as she clutched the old scarf left behind by Ion. A soft glow came from Nat’s hand as she soothed the previously crying Mira to sleep with her power. After her breathing finally slowed, Nat rose and took a seat next to Monica.

“I don’t know what to say to them Nat.” Monica croaked tensely staring at the group by the fire.

“You don’t have to say anything. They’re mourning. The best thing we can do...is give them time. He was their family. He was our family, if only for a short while.” Natalie explained.

“Why do I feel like this was my fault? All of it?” She asked solemnly.

“Your heart.” Nat answered confidently. Monica looked over at her as she explained with a soft smile. “You don’t always like to think so or show it, but you have such a big heart. You care about others and to watch them suffer makes you suffer. And in a situation where it’s hard to find someone to blame it’s much easier to blame yourself.”

“But I do know who to blame. I need to blame Onyx.” She snaps. “What happens when we are faced with another threat like this? Whose next? Jack, Danny, Yohan, Mira...You? What if I can’t protect you? I don’t think I can lose anyone else. Not now.”

“We aren’t going to lose anyone else Monica. I promise...” Natalie did her best to lie grabbing Monica’s hand tightly, but even she couldn’t promise something like that. No one could. “We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but what I do know is that we can’t stop fighting for what’s right. You taught me that. No more running Monica. Onyx is still out there, and I’ll be damned if what happened to Ion happens to anyone else. We are a team now, and Ion’s sacrifice will not be made in vain.” Tears now pricked the edge of Natalie’s eyes aching to flow out.

“She’s got a point you know.” Jack interjected walking up to them shyly followed by Danny and Yohan. “The fight is far from over.”

“And so are we.” Danny added hoarsely. “For now, we all need to rest, and starting tomorrow we can figure out where to go from here.”

“There’s still one more thing.” Samirah appeared now awake and looked down at the scarf gripped tightly in her hands.

Together, the group walked to the edge of the clearing where a great tree stood tall. Mira draped the scarf along a branch as Yohan carved Ion’s name into the bark of the tree. Every member of the team placed a gentle hand on the base of the tree until they formed a circle around it.

Nat took a deep breath and with her exhale a slew of wildflowers gently began to grow around all of their feet.

“To Ion.” Yohan whispered.

“To Ion.” They all repeated back as one.
"Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine" - The Imitation Game





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Europa says...



Jack

I couldn't bring myself to sleep outside with his grave. As the others lay down around the fire, I climbed back into Betsy. I felt like some kind of traitor, leaving everyone else out there, but if I spent any more time out there I knew I'd fall apart, and that wasn't something they needed to see right now. I reclined in the driver's seat.

"Looks like it's just you and me tonight." I shut my eyes and let out a long breath. "How about a bit of music?"

Something inside me unraveled a little bit as soft acoustic guitar filtered through the speakers.

"Passenger? You know sometimes I wonder if you do this on purpose."

One went out in a bus stop in Edinburgh, One went out in an English park...

There was a knock on the window and Dan's voice saying, "Jack?"

A big part of me wanted to pretend to be asleep until he went away, and worry about interacting with everyone else in the morning. Instead, I turned the music down and opened the door.

"Yeah?"

Dan shuffled like he hadn't expected to get this far. "Uh...are you okay?"

I wanted to tell him I was fine, but the words stuck in my throat, and all I could manage was, "I don't know."

One went out in a night club when I was fifteen, little lights in my heart

I leaned back into my old seat, and Dan climbed into the passenger's side. I felt the warmth of his power inside me, smoothing down the frayed edges of my nerves. I took a deep breath, taking a moment of guilty pleasure in the feeling of grief being dampened, if only for a moment. We sat together, not knowing what to say, letting the music wash over us.

We’re born with millions of little light shining in our hearts...

“Hey...Jack?” Dan turned pleading eyes on me.

"Yeah?"

"Why does God want this?"

I sighed as something heavy settled inside my chest. "Can we not go there?"

One lights up every time we feel love in our hearts, one dies when it moves away.

Dan looked taken aback, and not even his calming influence could tamp down my regret.

"Trust me, it won't help you right now."

Dan was quiet for so long I thought he'd leave without another word.

I turned the radio off. "You know what really sucks about all of this?"

"Everything?"

I chuckled dryly. "You're not wrong, but you know what sucks the worst?"

Dan waited quietly for me to continue. Ion's scarf swayed in the wind.

"What sucks is tomorrow we'll get up and have to keep moving. We'll have to talk about what to do next and keep running like he was never there..." I had to stop. My emotions were rising so fast I felt like they were choking me. Not even Daniel could tamp it down.

Dan took a long, deep breath. "get it. Believe me. But...what else can we do?"

I didn't have an answer. I didn't want to answer. I wanted to curl up in the seat and scream that it wasn't fair like a surly toddler.

"The only thing any of us wanted right then was to get out with our lives. Maybe it's a messed up thing to think, but don't we owe it to Ion to make sure we get to do that?"

"So we're supposed to just move on?"

Dan turned over to stare at the ceiling. "I don't know, Jack. I really don't."








History repeats itself. First as tragedy, second as farce.
— Karl Marx