Unnamed

Phillip randomly walked up to Perry and told her that Aurora has a bunch of people she's experimenting on in her basement. Then he walked away.

I watched Phillip walk away. “What’s new?” I muttered after him, then continued on my way.

I slowly came to a stop and thought about it a little more, I should probably do something about that. It’s more fun than endless training anyway, plus who doesn’t love to annoy Aurora. Oh, right, and save those people.

I weaved through the castle until I reached Aurora’s rooms, then entered her secret basement. Yeah, I know where it is. I’ve been there several times, though never of my own accord…. When I finally got down the stairs (there are so many stairs), I found absolute chaos. And fire.

Set the scene:
A creepy basement with a bunch of potions lining the walls. Chains and blood (blood of almost any color all over the floor) The room is up in flames.

On the right there is a giant truck war vehicle that Aurora is sitting in. Vladimir is trying to fix the engine.

To the left of the truck there is a giant jail. A fainted guard is in front of the jail. Liam and Anna who are in front of the guard are having a argument about how somebody "accidentally" caught the place on fire.

Heather is aiming a gun at a panther who is standing next to Anna, and the panther doesn't notice Heather.

There are two other guards knocked out around them.

Stallion is treating Toby Pringle's shoulder (which got shot) from the left side of the room.

Also all the people there (not including the villains) are wearing very fancy clothes as if they just got back from the prom or something.

I backed up a step. “Nope, I’m outa here,” I said to no one in particular. I turned to leave, but the stairs had been blocked.

And the moment Perry turned around she heard a gunshot and someone yell out someone else's name.

I froze, I’d heard that sound only once before, and it definitely wasn’t a good idea to move now.

Two people seemed to appear out of thin air.

A girl with a blond braid and light blue eyes was blocking Perry's path. Along with a boy with dark brown hair and teal eyes. They were both wearing fancy clothes. The girl shoved past Perry, and the boy stood there in shock for a moment.

I glared at the boy, “You’re in my way.”

"Sorry...." He went past her into the room.

Perry can hear Anna crying, a gun being kicked out of someone's hand, Toby yelling "Stop!" at someone, a bloodcurdling scream, a body hitting the floor hard, and the clatter of chains.

I observed the room from the stairs, suddenly not feeling like leaving. I recognized almost everyone in the room, even if I didn’t know all their names.

“I thought I was a member of Aster too,” I grumbled, then sullenly made my way into the fray.

And then she heard a car starting, Aurora yelling, a crash, and someone screaming.

Anna's sobbing over the fallen panther, Stallion is helping the panther's wound, Toby is sitting up watching them, Liam got thrown to the floor with a Heavy Chain pinning his arm down and he caught Perry's eye, Heather is dragging the blond girl who is in chains to the truck, and the boy Perry saw on the stairs was shakily aiming a gun at Vladimir who was grinning evilly at him.

“What’s going on?” I shouted to anyone who’d answer.

"Well, I got hit in the head with a drone…."

"None of your business." Vladimir and Liam said at the same time.

“Oh, just go ahead and shoot him,” I told the boy as I walked by him. I crouched down by Liam and hefted the chain off his arm. “I still hate you,” I said.

A gunshot was fired, but the barrel was empty.

Also Toby's eating popcorn now.

"Feeling's mutual." Liam stood up and instantly threw a fireball at Vladimir.

Vladimir dodged easily somehow.

I flinched, still on the ground by Liam, as the fire flew over my head. I stood up.

The boy who had been trying to shoot Vladimir was barely missed by the fire. A red drone was on the ground next to Perry. Vladimir insulted Liam in such a thick accent Liam had to ask what he'd said.

”He probably said he hates your profile,” I whispered to Liam. Suddenly, someone behind me threw a chain around my body, pinning my arms to my sides. “Hey!” I cried.

The fire on the walls is creeping very close to the flammable potions.

Vladimir said something to Perry in Russian.

"He said silly girl." Heather said.

She heard another rush of fire and Heather shout out in pain.

“I think he was talking to you,” I said to the girl in a strained voice as I struggled in the chains. I promptly fell over, slamming painfully onto the floor on my right side. The breath was knocked out of me.

Also Vladimir just stabbed Anna in the neck with a formula and tried to drag her away. Perry heard struggling, and by the sound of it someone rescued Anna, but now she's unconscious.

"Oh, sure…." Liam yanked the chains off of Perry, and he ran towards Heather.

At the same time Vladimir caught up ALL the fire around the room and tossed it at Liam. The fire didn't hurt him, but he was thrown across the room and hit the wall very hard. ALL the free walls are covered in potions on shelves... So Liam fell against one of those shelves and the shelf caught on fire. ALSO the bottles are VERY explosive.

My response was lost in the crackling sound of fire as it hit Liam. It was close enough to knock me off my feet again, and I carefully crawled away. I reached Liam. “Are you okay?” I asked, “Wait. Do I even care? Why am I still helping you?”

Heather stood up and looked around. Her shoulder looked like it had been hit, and was badly burned.

Liam opened his mouth to answer just as the bottles exploded.

A little bit of the acid from one of the bottles hit Perry. The explosion would have killed both of them, but a blue force field appeared in just enough time.

At the same time that the force field appeared Toby called someone on his phone, and Vladimir attacked the boy with the brown hair.

I cried out and clenched the burning spot on my leg. It was so painful that I barely had room to wonder where the forcefield had come from, because it certainly wasn’t mine. It also wouldn’t go away, meaning I was stuck with Liam for the time being. Just great.

"Oh no… I don't like Shadow but...." Liam gestured over to how Heather was sneaking up behind Stallion who was still trying to save the panther's life. Heather was holding a knife.

I frowned at the scene. Sure, I hated Liam, but I’m smart enough to know when to focus on more important things. I flicked my fingers and another forcefield (this one grey) appeared around the girl and her cat. I still couldn’t do anything about the one around Liam and me though.

In the time for Perry to react Heather knocked Anna to the side and took a struggling Stallion somewhere behind the truck. The panther was barely breathing and was unconscious.

Stallion still got snatched, but Anna and the panther are in the force field. Aurora has been hiding in the truck this entire time.

“Huh,” I said to Liam, “well at least the cat’s okay. Or dead. It’s hard to tell.”

I examined my leg while I waited to be released from the bubble. The acid had burned a small hole through the left leg of my pants, a little below my knee. The skin underneath was red and angry. I experimentally pressed my foot against the ground; I groaned in pain. I sure wasn’t going to be able to walk on that for a while.

Vladimir knocked out the boy, Atlas, he was fighting. When he got knocked out the force field around Perry and Liam disappeared.

Liam touched the back of his head. It came out slick with green blood.

Toby walked past both of them on the phone.

"Hey! Can I—" Toby ignored Liam and kept on walking.

Liam closed his eyes and suddenly Toby jerked, and then kept on walking.

Magenta fire circled around Liam's head and Perry's leg for a moment. When the fire disappeared Perry's leg felt a little sore, but other than that it was fine.

Anna was sobbing hysterically over the panther.

I resisted the urge to scream or pat out the fire. When it disappeared, I was surprised to see clear skin where the acid had been. Unfortunately, my pants were still ripped.

I grabbed Liam’s hand and pulled him up, “Did you do that?”

"You know, I could teach you sometime if you weren't so stubborn. That one isn't the best though... that chip guy just lost two years of his life."

Toby was still on the phone, and was now screaming at someone on the phone.

Vladimir, Atlas, Heather, the blond girl (Agnes), and Stallion have all disappeared behind the truck.

Toby, Anna, the panther, Liam and Perry are the only ones left in the room.

I threw his hand, which I forgot I was holding, away from me. “I don’t want to suck the life from people,” I declared. Then I paused a moment, thinking of Aurora. “Well…”

Liam started towards Anna, "Not all of the things I could teach you suck the life out of people."

I sputtered a reply, but it was too quiet to be heard; though, maybe I didn’t want it to be. I followed him to Anna.

The truck was started and started to go slowly forwards.

I looked at the departing truck. “Uh, Liam,” I poked him in the arm, “should we do something about that?”

Anna and the panther were still in the force field. The cat seemed as still as death, but every now and then he let out a stuttering breath.

"I thought that engine was broken... Stupid Russian…."

“You can say that again.”

The truck's cannon thingy charged up with it's three bars and aimed at them.

They could see Aurora grinning through the windshield.

I voiced my thoughts, “Now there’s someone I’d like to suck the life out of.” With a lazy wave of my hand, I extended the forcefield to include me and Liam. I gave a Aurora an “I dare you to try” look.

"I've been waiting a long time to do this…." She smirked and pressed a button. Suddenly a white net came out of the cannon and sat on the forcefield. A second later a shock went through Perry as it sank through the forcefield.

The net fell on Perry and part of Liam. Perry felt a sharp shock when the net hit her and everything went black….

---

Something that was happening elsewhere while Perry was still unconscious:

Vladimir: "We will make clone robots for three of you."

Charlie (Water and Charlie tried and failed to rescue everyone while Perry was unconscious): ''Why?"

Vladimir: "None of your business."

Water: "More like, who?"

Vladimir: "Well, we can fool other people into thinking the clones are the real you for secret N.S.K. work."

Water: "Well, I AM WATER! NOBODY CAN PRETEND TO BE ME!"

Charlie: "Something about having a clone doesn't sound right.."

Liam: "If I had a clone World War Four would start."

Charlie: "World War Three hasn't happened yet."

Liam: "I know. It would be so bad that we would skip the third and go instantly to the fourth."

Vladimir shakes his head and walks away.

---

I groggily woke up, not really remembering what had happened.

Perry was in a jail cell. It was tightly packed with six bunk beds. Perry was on a bottom bunk.

Next to her she saw Anna who wasn’t crying anymore, but was hiccuping lightly, her mascara streaking down her face. The only other person in the room was two beds over. He had brownish black hair. He was very pale and had a bandage on his right shoulder.

And that’s why I don’t like makeup, I thought.

Anna looked at Perry. "This is what the world is like. Cruel…."

I looked away from her. The emotion in her eyes was a sharp reminder of… of things long past. “I know that, Anna,” I said in a low voice.

"You don't know what my life was like. Unless you're my secret triplet…."

“You don’t know what mine was like either,” I shot back.

"Well, how was yours? Mine was awful...."

“One of my closest friends asked me to… to kill them. And I did.” A single tear rolled down my cheek. I brushed it away and shrugged at Anna. “So that’s how my life was.”

"That's sad... The world is such a dark place...." Anna closed her eyes briefly.

Aurora poked her head in the room, snickered, and left.

The boy next to Anna coughed a few times, opened his eyes, and stared at the ceiling.

I sniffed. NOT sniffled. Then watched the boy.

Perry hears a cold, familiar voice outside.

I stopped short. Who…?

The boy stared at Perry for a moment before looking back at the ceiling again. His eyes were grey with slight green in them. The one on the right was cloudy.

I stared right back at him while I thought. Such a bad habit, staring people down. Stupid Phillip.

Perry thought she heard voices outside coming closer.

She thought she heard a familiar voice ask, "WHAT?!"

Then she heard the doors open. Two people stood by the bars watching her. Ember Crystal and Aurora.

I blinked. And blinked again. Surely I was just dreaming. If acid and chains digging into your side can hurt so bad in a dream. I willed a forcefield to spring up. It didn’t; power bracelet, of course. I held my ground, determined not to let either of them see that I was afraid. But I was, more than anything.

"When will I be able to take them?" Ember asked.

"Now. Which ones are you taking in this cell?" Aurora answered.

"All of the available ones."

"They'll be there in a few hours." Ember stared in Perry's eyes for a moment, and you know what Perry saw.…

Aurora and Ember walked away.

I was shaking. Something was whispering inside my head, Not again, never again, not again, never again…. I squeezed my eyes shut and sank against the wall behind the bed.

"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!" Anna screamed while banging on the bars.

Perry eventually fell into an fitful sleep, and later woke up to the sound of low voices.

I lay with my eyes closed, listening. I was stilled bunched up against the wall; amazing, I usually move in my sleep. A lot.

It was Anna and the boy talking.

"We need to try to escape somehow…." Anna mused.

"How?"

Anna looked around for a moment.

"Well, the guards here are stupid…."

Silence.

They heard in the distance Toby singing a song about no one caring about him at the top of his lungs.

I opened my eyes, still unmoving. These losers could escape by themselves, I had other plans. Plans that hopefully would only take about 3 minutes; that was my previous record anyway. I opted to listen a bit longer, assuming I had time to spare. Probably a stupid assumption though.

"Who's—" The boy was interrupted by Vladimir.

He pushed Perry down and stabbed something in her neck, then he did it to Anna. He stood back for a moment.

Whatever Vladimir hit her with was making her feel very achy and tired....

I reached up and felt my neck. My finger came away with a tiny spot of blood.

“Rude,” I said to Vladimir.

My eyelids were getting droopy. Why are sleep potions and poisons a thing? Honestly. With what precious concentration I could muster, I dove into my mind. It was always hard to separate dreams from reality when I did that while sleeping, but it was worth knowing what was happening around me while I was out.

Vladimir dragged Anna and then Perry out of the jail, and shoved them through a portal.

She felt someone pick her up, and take her down several flights of stairs and hallways. The temperature went from blazing to freezing as she was taken down more and more stairs.

Then she felt herself being thrown roughly onto the cold ground. She heard a gate close, and then there was silence.

I vaguely felt myself get dragged along a rough floor.

Rough wood… lightning… thunder… “Perry! Watch out!” A chunk of the mast flew from the sky straight for me…

“Focus, Perry, focus!” I berated myself. I was now being taken down a staircase or maybe a…

“No!” The temperature was fluctuating, blazing, freezing, blazing, freezing.

The arrow was too fast to stop. She saved my life, but… “No!” my body burst into flames…

We tumbled down the frigid, snowy hill, laughing… “An owl, ha!” We heard angry voices… I turned us invisible…

“Ugh, Perry!” I was thrown onto cold ground. There was a distant clank, and then silence.

My mind was getting foggy, and it wasn’t just that I was overcrowded with memories. Something was trying to push me out. I put in a last ditch effort to activate my talent, but when the blackness finally took over, I wasn’t certain if I’d accomplished that task or not.

---

I woke up. The bed was hard as stone. I guess I deserved that.

“Peregrine…” a soft voice said expectantly.

I groaned and sat up. “Look, lady, I’m trying my hardest here.”

She shook her head and her long silky red hair rippled with the motion. “You know how dangerous it is to be awake when your body is asleep.”

I hurumphed, “No permanent damage yet.”

“Yet.”

“Oh, shut up.”

“I’m just trying to warn you. And activating the gift while doing it? You’re treading on thin ice, Peregrine.”

I looked away, out the window. It was coated in frost.

She softened her tone, “I just wish you’d be more careful. I can’t help you forever you know.”

“I know. You don’t have to. I never even asked you to.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I was nice enough to offer.”

I spun to glare at her. “I don’t need you, okay! You can leave!”

She slightly narrowed her crystal clear eyes at me. “Fine. For now, you can be free of me.”

I laid back down and quickly slipped into a dreamless sleep.

---

Perry woke up (she didn't know how long she had been asleep). She heard at least one person on her left. She was whimpering and shivering in the freezing, pitch black dungeon.

Unlike Aurora's prison this one was just a cold room with no furniture.

Perry was against the one of the corners. She can feel a wall behind her and bars to her right. There is another cell beyond those bars, but it seems empty. It reeks of old blood and sweat. Whoever was in there before is gone now.

The room was so cold that I could see my breath. I wasn’t eager to experience the fate of whoever had been in the other cell, so I shakily stood up and turned towards the wall. My hands were shaking too, but I placed them on the wall anyway. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and—Be careful, Perry. You need to focus.

I scowled. I knew it wasn’t her voice in my head; she always kept her word, and now seemed determined to leave me be. Unfortunately, my own voice was becoming as cautious as hers. I closed my eyes and thought about the wall. I envisioned every tiny crack, crevice, and cranny that it could possibly have.

Here goes…

I began to press my hands into the wall.

She felt the sensation of going through for a moment.

Then it stopped. Her arm was halfway into the wall. She didn't feel air, her arm was stuck.

She saw a light moving slowly down the hallway outside of her cage.

“Curse you, Imelda,” I muttered, frantically tugging at my arms.

You called?

“No,” I whispered angrily as the light grew brighter, “go away.”

I can help you. Just say the word.

“I don’t need anyone’s help!” I yelled.

"What?" The person next to her asked? Not the person sobbing, but someone... else.

The person holding the lantern reached the cell. There seemed to be two people. A guard and someone else.

The someone else was thrown into the cell by Perry's feet.

The cage closed and the guard started walking away.

I craned my neck over my shoulder to see the person shaped lump on the floor, ignoring whoever was next to me.

They’d better not throw anyone else in here, I thought, This cell is already cramped enough, not to mention my… uh… situation.

I gave my arms another fruitless tug.

Perry heard a VERY loud clatter.

"GREAT, NOW YOU DROPPED ME!" Water yelled from somewhere in the castle.

"OH, SHUT UP YOU BUCKET OF BOLTS!" Then silence.

I snorted. Sure, things weren’t going very well, but… “bucket of bolts”? Pure genius! Why hadn’t I thought of that before? I couldn’t help it: I burst out laughing.

The person next to Perry stopped sobbing.

There was a light coming slowly closer and closer.

It was a fire, but there was no one there.

Every five seconds or so she would hear a thwap, and something large hitting the ground.

Now the floating fire was directly in front of their cell.

She heard some muttering and the lock being rattled

Then a thud as someone else set something heavy down.

I watched this process with wide eyes. I stretched my foot over to poke the person-lump. Maybe they could buy me some time… not on purpose of course. Should I have felt bad about planning to throw them under the bus? Maybe. But am I Perry or am I a cuddly teddy bear? Perry is the answer, don’t even consider the other.

The person groaned, and seemed to sit up. The fire was now illuminating the cell enough to where she could see the people around her.

By her feet was Atlas, staring in the cage next to them.

Next to her Stallion was hugging her knees, and staring with wide eyes at the fire.

To the left of Stallion was Charlie Stone.

The lock made a creaking sound, but didn't budge. Someone seemed to kick the door in frustration.

"Who's the bucket of bolts now?" A familiar voice asked from outside the cell.

Still you, Water, I thought.

"Shut up.…" The lock started rattling again.

"Dur. dur. dur."

"What's the point of being invisible if—?"

"Guys." Another voice outside said quietly. "Someone's coming."

Sure enough someone was making their way down the dark hallway holding a lantern.

The flame flickered and died. The lock stopped rattling.

I hung my head between my arms and groaned in frustration—I seemed to be doing the latter a lot lately.

Heather appeared holding the lantern.

She stared in the cage. Then she got out a chair and sat down.

Heather keeps on throwing popcorn at Stallion.

I frowned at the pitiful girl sitting on the floor next to me. A piece of popcorn hit her in the face. This was cruel and unusual punishment. Like we were circus animals. But I had bigger problems than helping little miss crybaby over there; my arms were starting to fall asleep. I’d have to take unsavory measures soon.

There was a thunk and a crack, then Heather fell out of the chair with blood coming out the side of her head.

She was unconscious. A broken rifle laid on the ground next to her.

"Liam!"

"What?" The lock starting rattling again.

"You broke the gun!?"

Perry couldn't see the people even though it was bright out in the hallway.

Suddenly a wispy boy with black hair and black eyes appeared. For some reason he had stitches on his neck... Shadow Boy

There was a shout of surprise when Shadow Boy appeared by the door.

Two other people appeared who had been invisible before.

The boy who had been in Aurora's prison with Perry and Anna was supporting a large box that seemed to be full of.... screws...

And Liam was on the ground by the door pushing the mysterious boy off of him.

---

Stallion's eyes are light blue with freckles. Her hair is blond and VERY long. She is wearing a beautiful blue dress, and smells like the ocean.

Heather's eyes are brown, her hair is black to her elbows, and she's wearing Firidian knight armor.

Charlie has her dark blond hair up in a braided bun, her eyes are green, (duh), and she's wearing a silver dress.

---

“Water…” I gasped, “you’re literally a bucket of bolts.” I started laughing again. After a few seconds of awkward silence (from everyone else at least), I caught my breath and nodded impassively at the girl with the bashed head.

“Kinda looks you broke her skull,” I told Liam, “good job.”

"What happened to your—?''

"I am here to rescue you Peregrine. For Aster business…." Shadow boy said gloomily.

He put his hand up to the door and it opened.

"Wait…." Liam asked. He stood up. "They sent you to rescue. Her. And I had to knock out three people including my own sister to get out. Even though my mother is the head of the organization?"

---

Meanwhile in Ember's throne room:

Anna: "What?''

Ember: "I thought you died?"

?: "I did.... How long has it been?"

Anna: "Who is this again?"

Ember: "A year and a half."

?: Where is my wife?"

Anna: "You were married?"

Ember: "I disposed of her long ago."

?: "I... You-?"

Ember: "Yes, now I believe there are things in the dungeon that I need to clear up."

Ember briskly leaves the room.

---

“Now I’m part of Aster; when the only person they can spare to help is a creepy emo kid.” I tugged on my arms, grunting with effort. “Well—umph—I hate to—argh—tell you this,” I stopped tugging, “but I can rescue myself.”

I worked up enough concentration to pull one arm out of the wall. It was the one with the power bracelet. Unfortunately, my arm still wasn’t solid. Fortunately, this caused the power bracelet to fall onto the floor with a clatter. I’m not even sure how it survived being shoved into the wall, but whatever.

Suddenly the person holding Water got knocked off his feet by something. Water's pieces went everywhere, and Lilac stood over Shadow Boy holding a knife.

I furiously tugged on my other arm again. I was getting increasingly angry with my current predicament, the people around me, and the one stuck inside my head. I waved an arm at the bars of the cell in an attempt to put a forcefield around them.

Before I’d even raised my arm, she screamed in pain, Peregrine! Don’t! It— I completed the motion without registering the warning. Deep red fire sprang up around the bars. I screamed.

"Aaaaahhhhhhhh!" At least four people screamed. Although Perry thought she heard someone laugh.

Through all the confusion Perry thought she saw something.

A apparatus. Barely visible at all. It calmed her for some reason.

All she could see where deep red eyes and the basic shape of a body. Perry could barely see the face which she couldn't place for some reason.…

He seemed to be staring into the cell next to Perry. He turned and smiled sadly at her and was gone.

I followed the mysterious figure’s gaze to the other cell.

It was a cell like the one she was in except for several things: There was blood in most places, it stunk, and—Perry saw someone else holding a lantern coming down the hall.

Perry heard something hit the ground and a second later a burst of ice covered the fire, and extinguished it.

Somehow Shadow Boy escaped Lilac and blended into the shadows.

Liam stood and tried to yank Lilac's knife out of her hand. Her grip was stronger than he thought, and she kicked him in the ribs and he fell over again.

"Hey guys! DID YOU FORGET ABOUT ME? I'M AT 98 PERCENT REBOOT!" Water's body parts were trying to put themselves back together.

I was trembling again, but my arm was finally sliding from the wall. I ran to the edge of the cell, kicking ashes into the air. My body slammed against the bars, but my not-solid arms swung through the bars and into the knife-wielding girl’s hand. As I’d hoped, my hands were solid enough to upset the solidity of her own, and the knife clattered to the floor.

Lilac balked at Perry for a moment.

Water beeped.

Liam grabbed the knife and was prepared to take down Lilac, but suddenly something happened.

Ember and Robert appeared in a plume of smoke three feet from the door.

Robert had his hair flattened down and actually looked nice. He was holding a golden scepter.

Ember stood next to him, glowering at the situation.

I saw Ember and quickly backed away. In a moment of terror, my whole body went “ghost mode” and I fell through the bars and into the creepy cell. I became solid again right before hitting the floor with a painful thud.

It smelled like... death in the cell. She could tell it was several weeks old though. She smelled a familiar, more recent scent... monkey.

In the corner was a shivering, curled up, sock monkey. He had a silver collar around his neck and looked genuinely terrified.

The cell door was locked, and everyone next door seemed too preoccupied killing each other to notice Perry.

Her hand phone started ringing.

I scooted towards poor, stupid little Cool Bananas and answered my… hand. “Who are you and what do you want?” I didn’t have time for this.

"Why don't you look at the picture?"

“Oh…” I didn’t check the picture. I didn’t know what to say either.

"So, Perry, what are you doing? Also did you hear about the ball in a few—is that screaming?"

What was I supposed to say? “I found your monkey”? “Water is broken… more than usual.”? “Your evil mother is here.”?

“I—uh—yes,” I answered.

“I need you.”? Ha, no.

She hears Water say that he doesn't feel to good and then another beep.

"Where are you? Oh wait I'm dumb…."

Perry hears sword against sword, and someone falling against the bars.

“No, you’re—not. Um, I’m with—well, not with, just here at the same time as… lots of people.” What was I trying to say here? It’s a rare moment when I get flustered.

He hung up.

Robert slammed someone against the bars next to Perry using his scepter just as Phillip appeared next to her.

I was lost for words. Well, that’s not entirely true. I had lots of words in mind; none that I wanted to say to Phillip’s face though. “You hung up on me,” I sputtered.

"Well I'm here now! Jeeze what happened to you?" He wasn't wearing his armor, and only had a quiver over his shoulder.

Perry heard a buzzing sound and saw a girl with dark orange hair pointing a gun at her through the bars.

The situation caused me to act without thinking, and I flung a fireball at this newcomer before throwing up a forcefield around Phillip and I (and, reluctantly, Cool Bananas). The forcefield was a mix of many colors, fluctuating over each other.

The girl held out her arm and caught the fire in a closed fist.

I stood up on shaky legs.

Phillip stood up as well. "Ah. Cool Bananas. Can't say I'm happy to see you. What happened Perry?"

I placed a hopefully comforting hand on his arm, then quickly thought better of it and dropped my hand awkwardly to my side. “Your mother,” I answered in a hoarse whisper.

''Yeah….'' She was currently sword fighting Anna.

The girl in front of the cage pushed another button on her gun and it made a buzzing noise.

I didn’t know what to expect from this girl, so I just watched.

The gun fired and melted the force field. She was prepared to shoot again, but Phillip tossed something between the bars at her feet.

I zapped another forcefield around us. My energy was draining quickly.

She looked at the item between her feet. Then she ran, but it was too late. The grenade just barely grazed her.

I covered my ears and ducked at the sudden explosion.

Half a dozen heads turned as the door fell outward.

I stood up, slightly embarrassed that I was the only one who’d cowered.

Ember took this moment to kick Anna against the wall.

Also, Water finished rebooting, so now he has to listen to anything Ember tells him to do.

I was weakening by the minute. Most people don’t realize that psionpath’s forcefields are an extension of themselves, being constructed using emotion. Every blow that hit that barrier was basically hitting me, it just didn’t leave any marks on me myself.

“Phillip,” I said wearily, “I… what should we do?”

---

Perry and Phillip are still in the forcefield. Stallion got up and pulled two tridents out of nowhere and took Anna's place fighting Ember. Charlie and Atlas are both trying to take on Robert, Shadow boy reappeared and is going fist to gun with the girl who tried to shoot at Phillip and Perry (she just got grazed on the arm by Phillip's grenade), the boy who was in the dungeon with Perry and Anna (Shadow), got knocked unconscious somehow and is next to Water. Water is waiting for Ember to give him a command, and Liam and Lilac are battling.

---

"You're asking me?" Phillip picked Cool Bananas up by his tail and dropped him again.

One of the tridents went flying and lodged into a wall. Robert hits Charlie with a beam from his scepter and knocks her unconscious.

“Well, I don’t know what to do!” I leaned against the wall for support.

"Hmmm, I guess we could watch this play—" Phillip was cut off by Robert slamming his opponent into the bars feet away from Phillip and Perry.

I reached forward and grabbed the boy, using my phasing to pull him through the bars and into the forcefield. It surprised me that I was able to use it so well on command, weak as I was. Then again, it wouldn’t surprise me if Imelda was overstepping her bounds. I shrank the forcefield a bit to conserve my willpower.

Atlas had only been blasted by a blast of mon-wa-monty, so he wasn't that bad.

Robert had no opponent, so he shrugged and walked towards Phillip and Perry.

Phillip grabbed Perry's left hand and enhanced her, knowing that she probably had more power to help in this situation than he did.

The rush of power flowed instantly to my mind. I squeezed Phillip’s hand in thanks, then dropped the forcefield to cover only the other boy and the monkey. I kicked Robert in the stomach. Sometimes the simplest option is the most effective one. I grabbed his staff in my other hand, wrenching it out of his grip as he stumbled backwards.

Robert threw up on Perry because she kicked him in the stomach.

I scowled at my puke coated shirt. I then pointedly used Roberts staff to scrape off what I could for now.

Liam, who had just knocked Lilac back a few feet, looked at Perry and Phillip's hands. "Nice to see you finally found a life!" Perry couldn't tell if he was talking to her or Phillip.

Then Lilac sprang forward again.

“At least it’s better than yours!” I yelled at him. I didn’t drop Phillip’s hand in embarrassment; I’m not petty like that.

"At least I—" Lilac managed to slash him in the forearm with her knife. "Seriously?!" He blasted her with a weak ball of fire which was enough to knock her back a few feet.

Perry wasn't the only one here that was getting worn down. (Well, if she weren’t being enhanced.)

I released the barrier around Cool Bananas and the blue-eyed kid. I threw Robert’s scepter into the corner, and picked up the monkey and set him on my shoulder; he latched onto one of my braids with a whimper. I strode out of the cell, pulling Phillip along with me. One thought and two forcefields sprung up underneath Robert and the girl Liam was grappling with. I slammed them against the ceiling with the fields and pinned them there, gradually shrinking their prisons until I heard something pop. I don’t know what, or who, it was, but I was satisfied now. I snapped the barriers out of existence and the two villains fell to the floor. The girl screamed in agony; Robert started crying.

Ember knocked Stallion to the ground and held her sword over Stallion's neck. Ember glanced back at Perry and Phillip.

"M.G. 2000, take care of Peregrine.''

Sure enough Water turned his head towards Perry and started walking towards her. A gun popped out of his arm.

I placed a bubble around Water’s hand as he started shooting and then booped him on the nose. He fell through the floor, screaming. I grabbed his other hand before it could go through, and he became solid. Now everything but his hand—sticking out of the ground like a skeleton in a grave yard—was inside the floor. I’d help him out later; I was on a roll.

Suddenly a trident caught in between Perry's arm and side, separating her from Phillip. The prongs of the trident had impaled themselves into several bars behind Perry, dragging her with them.

Stallion was advancing on Perry with the other trident in her hand. Her eyes were now dark purple.

Cool Bananas fell off my hair as I banged into the bars alongside the trident, getting my breath knocked out of me. My vision swam black for a few seconds before I saw crybaby lady coming at me with another trident. I struggled to get free, but my elbow was caught between the prongs still.

Stallion had made it to Perry, and was about to stab the trident into her chest when she was knocked aside by a torrent of water.

The moment Stallion fell, I braced a foot on the bars and tugged at the trident with my free hand. It was stuck pretty fast. I mean, if that trident was strong enough to pierce metal, why not be strong enough to stay stuck in the metal?

Stallion knocked Shadow boy and the red-headed girl to the ground.

Phillip came up to Perry and tried to help her pry the trident out of the bars.

I could have easily phased through the bars, but I’d felt it shut off after using it on Water. Even Phillip’s enhancing couldn’t help with that.

Phillip jumped as strange bubble resembling things surrounded the trident and made it fall to the ground.

I dropped the few inches to the ground and experimentally bent my elbow back and forth. It hurt, but we had bigger problems than that. Crybaby was angry.

Stallion strode a few feet forward, and threw the other trident.

Phillip shoved Perry to the side at the last moment and they both toppled to the ground.

With a reminder to myself to thank Phillip later, I reached out and grabbed the other trident from where it was still lying on the floor. I sat up and stabbed the end of the girl’s dress with it, pinning the fabric firmly to the ground. I hoped it was durable fabric….

Stallion snarled and pulled at the dress.

Phillip reached out and touched her temples for a moment.

Stallion tried to push him away, but she had already been released from the mind control.

I pulled myself off the floor using the bars of the cell, and studied the battlefield….

Anna had somehow gotten a sword and was taking on Ember with Liam who had taken unconscious Lilac's knife.

Stallion crumpled to the floor from the aftershock of being released.

Water somehow was hauling himself out of the ground with his robot strength.

Charlie was still unconscious.

Shadow boy had taken the gun from the red head girl and knocked her out with the but of it.

And Heather appeared at the end of the hallway, turned into a wolf, and charged at the boy with black hair who had been in the dungeon with Perry and Anna.

I ran, registering only the imminent threat of death to the black-haired boy. This was a person whose eyes I’d stared into for just long enough to make it uncomfortable; I couldn’t just let him die. I leapt onto the wolf’s back, wrapping my arms around her neck. We rolled across the floor several times, finally coming to a stop with me underneath her. Unfortunate.

The wolf roared in Perry's face and opened it's jaws.

Robert had gotten his scepter and was battling Phillip across the room from Perry, and everyone else was a little.. preoccupied to say the least.

I clamped my hands around her muzzle, wincing at the drool that had flown in my face with her roar. She pinned my shoulders down with her paws, one claw creating a deep gash in my right shoulder. I brought my knees up into her stomach and pushed her to the side.

She was about to lunge at Perry again when something stopped her.

A sleek black panther had come from somewhere behind Perry, and was attacking Heather. The panther was slightly smaller than Heather, but was more agile.

I recognized the panther from before, and I was pretty sure he was on our side. He seemed to be handling himself well, so I began running again, this time to Phillip; who else?

Water burst out of the ground and was about to advance on Perry again when Charlie (who had just gotten up), shot a spear of ice at him.

Ember yelled something incoherent. Liam and Anna and both got knocked back several yards in a shower of flames.

Phillip had gotten a power bracelet on Robert, and he was trying to yank the scepter out of Robert's hands.

I skidded to a halt beside my friend and helped him yank on the scepter.

Robert lost his grip on it and the three of them fell to the ground.

My head hit the floor with alarming force, but I didn’t black out. My knuckles were white from holding the scepter so hard, but I still didn’t let go. Something had to be done with it before Robert got it back.

Pencil Man appeared and started tugging at the scepter. Cool Bananas was on his head.

"Seriously? You said—" Phillip started, but was cut off when the scepter got yanked away from him and Perry.

They hit the floor again.

Pencil Man disappeared and so did the monkey.

"Do you know what this means Perry?" Phillip still lay on the ground either in pain or shock

I groaned and propped myself up on an elbow to face Phillip. “No… who was that?”

"Pencil Man…." Phillip groaned and stood up.

I felt the back of my head; blood was on my hand when I checked. I wiped my hand on my shirt as best I could. “Should I know what that means?”

"Well, it's Phillip so you shouldn't." Liam went past from somewhere behind them, and walked over to check on Anna who was still unconscious.

It bothered me that he was right. I should listen more often when Phillip’s talking.

Shadow Boy and Ember were having a epic battle. Shadow Boy kept sending the shadows at Ember and she would respond with her own.

Phillip's eyes flashed to Ember and Shadow Boy's fight. Each time the shadows collided it sounded like thunder.

Robert was growling like a dog and trying to chew off his power bracelet.

Atlas seemed to have recovered and headed towards Phillip and Perry. " Do you need some help?"

I clumsily got to my feet. “I’m fine….” I assured him, even though I had a bit of a dizzy spell. Havoc had been wreaked on my head, inside and out.

"Nice.." His eyes darted around the room, as if he was unsure where he should be.

Everywhere they looked there was fighting.

Lilac was sat up and looked at Atlas. "Which side are you on?''

I glared at the girl, ready to kick in her in the head (another forcefield was out of the picture without Phillip’s help) if she tried any funny business.

Lilac knew that she shouldn't try anything while Perry was still watching her. So Lilac took a knife out of her belt and sat down.

I swiped at the back of my head again, coming away with the knowledge that I’d have to really scrub my hair clean later. I wished I had been selfish and ignored the threat of Aurora’s basement.

Phillip took in the scene.

Lilac looked like she wanted to tell Perry something, but she kept nervously glancing at Ember.

The red headed girl picked up her gun, and advanced towards Anna and Liam.

Robert started crying.

Water shot Charlie in the shoulder and looked like he was going to shoot her again.

I glanced around for a weapon, any sort would do. I gave the girl with the knife a once over, wondering if she’d been warned enough by my first attack to willingly give me her knife. Didn’t look like she was using it anyway. “Do you have a name?” I snarled at her.

"Lilac...." She said fiddling with her knife.

"I'm going." Phillip ran off towards Water and Charlie. Perry saw him start to pull something long and silver out of his pocket.

Atlas knelt next to Lilac, not thinking that she may try to stab him.

I snatched the knife, no longer worried about asking. The element of surprise was with me, and the girl was only able to shout at me before I was gone. I followed Phillip, ready to help in any way I could.

Phillip reached Water and knocked him to the side slightly (robot strength), enough to where his bullet hit the wall instead of Charlie's skull.

Phillip took out a fancy knife and wedged it between Water's shoulder blades. Smoke came out of him, he sizzles and fell over.

At the same time across the room a gunshot was heard.

I dodged behind Water’s bulk when the shot when off.

Shadow Boy got knocked back several feet by Ember and disappeared into the shadows. He tried to tell Perry something, but it was drowned out by someone screaming.

I searched for the source of the scream. Water was… leaking, all over me. I pushed him aside.

Anna had been grazed by a bullet on her side.

Liam had knocked the girl's gun out of her hand, and was trying to keep her from getting it again.

I rushed to Liam’s side (ugh) and slashed the girl’s hand with my knife. Hopefully the pain would keep her from attempting to shoot anyone else.

Liam picked up the gun and switched one of the settings. Then he fired it at the girl and she was out cold. (Sleep dart.) He went to help Anna.

"Perry, watch out!" Phillip yelled as he tried to make his way towards her in time.

She felt a cold blade on her neck.

Ember was trying to take hold of Perry's mind, and physical contact always works best.

“No!” I screamed. My knife fell to the floor. I felt Imelda’s presence like a spear; she was helping me resist.

The one person who could have helped her was tackled by Robert who had finally gotten his bracelet off. Phillip tried to get Robert with the Stardagger, but Robert had him pinned.

Her mind... Slipping away.... She felt the rush of freedom.

Two things happened at once.

Lilac took Anna's sword and stabbed Ember in the side.

And five people appeared.

Toby, Robin, Bobbobbob, Shadow Boy, and Scarlet appeared. They looked super cool. All standing in a circle and wearing their Aster outfits and gear.

I slumped to the floor, whimpering. My mind was foggy and cold. That experience had been like nothing I’d ever felt before. Nightmares had raged through my brain, I couldn’t feel a thing but pain and anger. Now I just felt numb. All the noises around me were a dull, muffled static. Imelda had fallen quiet, I’m sure she had gotten more hurt than I. I closed my eyes trying to remember anything important enough to snap me back to reality.

Ember disappeared in a puff of green smoke.

I can vaguely feel tears running down my face. Tears of terror. A voice pops into my head, I thought you were the girl who wasn’t afraid of anything…. The person who’d said that to me long ago hadn’t meant in the way it applied now, but one’s brain seems to twist things in your darkest moments.

Bobbobbob aimed his gun and shot at Robert, knocking him unconscious. Robin ran over to help Liam with Anna, and Scarlet shot something similar to Bobbobbob's at Heather. Toby took Lilac’s knife and put cuffs on her. Phillip tucked his knife away and knelt by Perry.

I opened my eyes again, taking in shuddering breaths. Someone was there, someone I recognized. “Phillip….” I choked out.

Scarlet and Charlie were discussing getting a technopath out to help Water, Liam and Robin were arguing about something, and so were Atlas and Toby.

Phillip took out something shiny and pressed it in Perry's palm.

All my aches and bruises from the last 24 hours were instantly cured. It felt amazing, but gems can’t heal everything. I sat up and attempted to dry my face. The moments while Ember had hold of me would be imbedded in my mind forever.

"I'll be back." Phillip left and gave Robin the Healing Gem for Anna. Phillip returned to her side.

Toby rolled his eyes and released Lilac from the handcuffs. Then he went to the red headed girl and dragged her to Bobbobbob, who was preparing to send the villains into containment at Aster's H.Q.

Riley Leisure appeared and started working on Water.

I sniffled. Not sniffed. “What did she do?” I whispered.

"It shouldn't last too long..." He sat awkwardly at her side, unsure what to do.

I looked into his eyes. On purpose. “Believe me when I say that will last forever.” I’m sure he could see the truth in my own eyes.

Bobbobbob and Toby left with the prisoners.

Stallion had woken up and was talking to Liam, Atlas, Lilac, and Robin about something.

The panther trotted towards Anna, and when he reached her he morphed back into the boy that had been in Aurora's dungeon.

Scarlet turned to Phillip and Perry. "We need to leave, Ember will be sending more guards down here soon."

At the very mention of Ember’s name, I lurched to a standing position. I nearly toppled over with the speed I stood up at, and I grabbed Phillip’s arm to steady myself. No way I’m waiting here for Ember’s goons, I thought.

"Yeah, we'll go." Phillip took out his red rubber band.

Right before they could teleport away Lilac tapped Phillip on the shoulder. Atlas was standing a few feet behind her.

"Yes?"

Lilac squared her shoulders, "We want to go with you."

"What?"

"We'd like to become knights at Andresia." She looked genuine.

Phillip scoffed, "You were just trying to kill us a hour ago!"

"But—"

I slapped her in the face. She was just begging for it, and it had been too long since I’d done that to somebody. “You don’t become a knight by asking,” I spat at her. “Especially not someone like you.”

Her brother spoke up, "Well, of course we'll train if that's what it takes. We were trained, but... not at the right place."

"You see," Lilac started, "Ember found me a few years ago and discovered my power. Magic doesn't work on me, but I didn't want to work with her willingly. So... she took control of my brother, and told me she would kill him if I disobeyed her. I just want to work for a good cause for once."

“Being a knight is more about loyalty than skill.” I thought about a little white envelope sitting—very well hidden—in my room back home.

Lilac looked Perry dead in the eyes, "I've always been loyal, but I was never able to use it at the right place."

"You need to go." Scarlet said. They could hear a lot of people walking upstairs.

It was only Scarlet, Phillip, Perry, Liam, Robin, Atlas, and Lilac in the room.

Phillip nodded.

Liam walked over to Phillip and whispered something inaudible to him. Phillip shook his head a few times. Then Liam gave Phillip a folded piece of paper and vanished in a puff of green smoke.

Phillip held the piece of paper out to Perry.

I hesitantly took the note from Phillip. I wondered what it’s contents could be, but opted to shove it deep in my pocket for now.

"So can we go or not?" Lilac asked.

I sighed in defeat. “I’m not even sure where we’re going.” I glanced at Phillip.

"I guess you can come…. Just contact a captain that isn't Perry right now because, yeah…." Phillip reached for his rubber band and the four of them teleported away.

---

After Lilac and Atlas had been settled talking to one of the captains Phillip and Perry were standing in a hallway about to part ways for the night.

I twiddled my thumbs, trying to think of something say. This had happened to me twice now in less than a day.

"Well, good night, Perry. Do you have any idea where the monkey went?"

“Uh… no. He’s with, Pencil Man, was it?”

"Yeah, probably.… Well, good night again." Phillip started walking away.

“Oh! And, Phillip?” He turned around questioningly. I smiled. “Thank you.”

"You would've done the same." He smiled sadly at her and walked away.