Hello and Welcome All

3 hours earlier

March 5, 2016

White started to flood into my eyes through the blackness. The light stunned me but I soon recovered, I seem to be doing a lot of that recently. I looked around trying to calm myself and trying to convince myself that I wasn’t dead. But the more I looked around the small, white room, the more I actually wanted to be dead. The table beside the bed I was chained to was full of knives and syringes. The two metal arms above my head had a blow torch and long thin spikes. I was starting to panic but I completely lost it when I heard the footsteps coming to my room. Closer, closer, until the door opened and I was shocked at who it was.

“Tommy?!” I stared at my best friend who had just entered through the doorway. He didn’t answer. He began to walk forward but something was defiantly off about him. His eyes looked like glass and had giant, dark bags underneath them. He was wearing all white as he stepped towards the table with all the syringes and knives. He picked up a single knife then stepped towards me. I panicked and tried to move away from him,

“Tommy, it’s me, it’s Bobbi… your best friend!” I tried to talk to him but he just moved the knife closer to my arm,

“I’m your best friend, along with Ryker, what’s wrong with you Tommy? What did they do to you?” I yelled at him but he was completely unfazed. The knife reached my arm and dug into my skin. I screamed out in pain and tears welled up into my eyes,

“Tommy, please,” I begged as tears streamed down my face as I looked at my arm which now had a cut from my shoulder to my wrist. I began feeling lightheaded but then something changed. His eyes cleared and he rubbed them and he took in his surroundings. They stopped on me, then my arm, then the bloody knife in his hand. He gasped and dropped the knife on the floor.

“Bobbi, I-I-I’m so sorry, I did that to you.” He sobbed as he took off his shirt and pressed it to my wound, I smiled weakly at him, knowing that he was better.

“It’s okay, Tommy, it wasn’t you.” I tried to reassure him but he just kept sobbing as he placed his head on the table next to me. He lifted his head after a while and took off my restraints. I sat up and he helped me to the door. We managed to get out into the hallway but then we heard a voice over the intercoms.

“Barbara, I see you’re awake now. Ah, so is Thomas.” I sneered at the voice, recognizing it immediately.

“Angelica Gold.” My voice was so filled with venom it even surprised me, she laughed over the com and said,

“That’s right my child.” I got so angry I began yelling at the contraption on the wall.

“What is wrong with you? You kidnapped my friend! Controlled him! Made him do things he didn’t want to! How sick are you?” She just lightly giggled and replied,

“Me? Sick? I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong person. You are the sick one, my child.”

“Me? What did I ever do to you?” I tried to keep her talking while Tommy and I walked towards the door ahead of us,

“You, my child, you’re a freak! An abomination! You float around the world, healing sick people but do you know what should have happened to all those people? They should be dead, all of them!” 

“All?” I was confused, all I knew was about the two car crash victims and Mr. Bubbles.

“That’s right, my child, ever wonder why you suffered severe headaches after your mother died? Ever wonder why I married your pitiful father? Why I even joined your family in the first place?” Finally it all clicked, I finally understood everything.

“You wanted my power…” I leaned against the wall comprehending everything while Tommy tried to break down the door. 

“That’s right! and I will learn how to harness your power, then I’ll-” she continued to talk but I wasn’t paying attention anymore, Tommy got the door open. We walked out of the building to find The She. About 15 men in black, all were holding guns pointed at us. Immediately, Tommy stood in front of me as if to shield me. My step-mother looked absolutely crazy with her Joker-like grin, eyes wide, and her wild hair. She has completely lost it. As I scanned through the crowd, my heart stopped when my eyes landed on Ryker and Daniella in the hands of some of The She’s minions. I faced the crazy lady and stepped out in front of Tommy and yelled at her,

“Let them go! You want me, not them.” If her smile could have gotten any bigger, it just did. She beckoned Tommy over to where my sister and friend were. He looked at me. I gave a slight nod and he began to slowly walk over. I faced the lady again. She gave a laugh that would have made the Wicked Witch of the West jealous.

“You misunderstood me, my dear. I need you but I do not need you alive.” My eyes widened at her words, then everything turned to slow-motion. I heard a loud BOOM! Then I saw Tommy running forward and just before the silver bullet hit me, it landed in his chest instead. Everything blurred, but the only thing I could see was Tommy. He fell to the ground with a slight smile sketched on his face. I fell with him, without realizing I saw gold around my hands and I pressed them to his wound.

Nothing was happening…

I didn’t even realize I was screaming until Ryker pulled me off his body. The body of the person who gave their life for me. Ryker held me against his chest and soon the slow-motion stopped. I saw lights flashing and The She being arrested along with all her men in black. I looked again at the body and I buried my face into Ryker’s chest, sobbing. He was gone. Gone.

---

The Epilogue will be posted tomorrow!

This is an essay I wrote for my Composition class that I think I will start posting more because I always write about things that I believe in.

Dress codes are made to keep students in check by controlling what students, particularly girls, are wearing. Set in place during the Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent School District case in 1969 where students were wearing black armbands to protect the Vietnam War. The Supreme Court ruled that there were to be rules or the option for administrators to make codes for how their students dressed “if there is a legitimate concern that such expression will be disruptive to the learning environment or violate the rights of others” (Findlaw.com).

The main idea of this ruling was to put “limits on ‘gang-related’ clothing, sometimes described as over-sized clothing and other clothing meant to show affiliation with a certain gang or group, such as certain colors, logos, brand names, or arrangement” (Findlaw.com). By applying these rules to students, they are not being able to maintain their rights as individuals and their freedom to wear what they want. People may say that clothing is artificial and unimportant to other events in America, but clothing is an identity for students. By taking away that right, they are taking away their freedom of thought and speech.

Lizzy Martinez, a student at Braden River High School, wore a long sleeve shirt with no bra and was called out of class by the Dean because he felt she was being a distraction to the boys in her school. Martinez was also asked to jump and move around, “so the dean could see the motion in my breasts” (Nittle). She took to Twitter after this event which eventually led to interviews about her experience of what had happened to her. Martinez’s original tweet stated,

“I decided not to wear a bra today and got pulled out of class bc one of my teachers complained that it was a “distraction to boys in my class.” My school basically told me that boys’ education is far more important than mine and I should be ashamed of my body. @Manateeschools :)” (Nittle).

Martinez is not the first and will not be the last girl to have to be told what she should wear and do with her body. Some may argue that dress codes are beneficial for the school environment because they are needed to keep students from having a situation that could lead to “undesirable consequences” (Somers) in schools. An article of 5 benefits of dress codes writes that dress codes are essential to all schools with reasons such as “a dress code promotes a more serious school atmosphere which emphasizes academics and promotes good behavior” and “dress codes in school settings reduce social conflict and peer pressure that may be associated with appearance” (Somers). These reasons are focused around how clothing is the center of how students act around each other but boys are rarely if never dress coded. Rather it focuses on the girl’s clothing for the boy’s education and that they cannot learn as well if they are being distracted by the clothing their female classmate is wearing. Therefore leading tho boys not being held accountable for their actions. 

The most common phrase to defend how a boy acts around a girl breaking the dress code is “boys will be boys” which is defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as “used to indicate that it is not surprising or unusual when men or boys behave in energetic, rough, or improper ways” (Merriam-Webster). Defending the phrase meaning that if a girl dressed in the way she was not allowed to and a boy gave her trouble, it would be the girl’s fault for dressing that way.

Moreover, it is not only clothes that girls are dress coded for, but it can also be related to their religion or their hair that girls are being mistreated with the dress code rules. Muslim girls and African American girls are being told that they cannot wear their headdresses or their natural hair because it is not considered “right.” Linde McAvoy, a Muslim college student, was faced a hard decision between her religion or her education. She was told to take off her hijab unless she provided proof of her religious beliefs which she felt that she should not have to prove her beliefs. McAvoy was expelled and humiliated in front of her peers, she sought out lawyers and they can currently in the process of making her case to have “a full-tuition refund on her behalf and implementation of anti-discrimination training for all the staff and its owner” (Abdelaziz).

Dress codes are not beneficial or helpful to students because if they are sent home to change their outfit for being a distraction, then that student is losing their education.  McAvoy and Martinez are merely two examples of girls losing their education either by being expelled or feeling as though you cannot go to school from the humiliation (Nittle). Dress codes should be removed from all school’s rules as they are discriminatory towards girls for distracting boys, giving girls the idea that their male peer’s education is more important than theirs. Education is equal that does not depend on the clothing of students, however, education is being treated as the need for girls to be wearing certain clothing for their education to matter.

Works Cited

Abdelaziz, Rowaida. “Muslim Student Said College Expelled Her For Wearing A Hijab.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 13 Dec. 2018, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/college-hijab-expelled-muslim_n_5c1283d8e4b002a46c152aee. Accessed 5 December 2019. 

“Boys will be boys.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boys%20will%20be%20boys.  Accessed 5 

December 2019. 

Findlaw.com, Writers. “School Dress Codes.” Findlaw, https://education.findlaw.com/student-rights/school-dress-codes.html. Accessed 5 December 2019. 

Nittle, Nadra. “Students Are Waging War on Sexist and Racist School Dress Codes – and They’re Winning.” Vox, Vox, 13 Sept. 2018, https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/13/17847542/students-waging-war-sexist-racist-school-dress-codes. Accessed 5 December 2019. Somers, Lauren. “5 Benefits of a School Dress Code.” 5 Benefits of a School Dress Code, KosherCasual, https://www.koshercasual.com/5-Benefits-of-a-School-Dress-Code_b.html. Accessed 5 December 2019.

Hey everyone! It has been a long time, but I am back and am going to keep uploading stories and hopefully not fall back again!

Far away, behind the Sunset Hills where the Fire Sand blows, anyone who dares to ascent the perilous range would die. The Fire Sand burns any human skin it comes into contact with. Anyone who is foolhardy enough to try to pass through these hills will find a small town, the last of its kind. A decaying town sign hung slightly off-kilter read “Novac” secured into the ground that was covered in what seemed like black soot. Rundown houses stood slanting towards the ground as though gravity were pulling them back to the center of the planet. No residents seemed to be in sight as a woman stepped slowly into the road that led to the dead town. 

Blisters coated her body, the stinging smell of flesh and sulfurous hair began to waft through Novac. Wide eyes searched the town, the berserk gaze found a small child peering out from behind a charred house. 

“Water! Please help me!” The woman rasped out to the boy as she rushed towards him. Startling the boy, he quickly turned, heading for a house across the road from the charred house he was hiding behind. 

“The Sunset Hills sent another Unhinged! The Sunset Hills sent another Unhinged!” The boy cried out to anyone who was listening. As soon as the boy slammed the half shattered door in place, two men appeared in the woman’s view. 

“Please help me,” gasped out the woman as she fell before their feet, exhausted from the perilous journey leaving a permanent mark on the woman. Looking up hopeful to have found her saviors. However, when the woman’s eyes met the men above her, she saw only malice and a barrel staring at her; the last sight that the woman who somehow survived the danger of Sunset Hills but would not survive the few minutes of Novac.

BANG!

“This town is no place for the Unhinged.”

The families of Novac were accustomed to the stench of death, the rotting bones seemed to appear everywhere. Their ancestors did not favor their descendants and sent fiery blazes down to the ground every night. At least that is what the three families believed, the McLain’s, Cohn’s, and Webster’s. These three families made up this town that they all grew to love. No matter what disaster that was sent their way, the Novac’s residents refused to leave their home. As long as they were together, nothing could stand in their way, they only needed each other to protect their town.

The Cohn twins, Calix and Zaidan, were the only survivors from the first fire blaze attack, some say that their backs are still scarred from where their parents could not protect them entirely.  The McLain’s consisted of Hera whose sisters, Mischa, and Adaline, died of the heat that burnt their town. The McLain’s were always wicked with daggers. Legend says that they never miss their target, and anyone who dares to question them, are never seen again. Finally the Websters, Zora, and Nigel, an elder sister that took her young brother under her wing when their parents died of heatstroke five years ago.

Together, the five of them had formed an unlikely family, trapped in the town that was once vibrant with life, now desolate, forcing them to survive by themselves. 

“Dinners ready!” Zora called out into the barren town waiting for her family to appear. Nigel ran as fast as his little legs could take him into his home, the sisters walked in a straight line towards the house behind him. Finally, the twins came sauntering up the stairs clutching their rifles. They were the last defense and would see no harm come to their family. 

“I’m starving!” Nigel exclaimed as he rushed to sit down until his sister tutted at him. 

“Go wash your hands little one, we don’t want the germs to infect our food,” Zora pushed her little brother towards the bucket slightly filled with water. 

“Gruel again Zora?” Zaiden questioned sitting down, laying his rifle across his lap. 

“It’s all we have Zaiden,” Hera spoke up ruffling Nigel’s hair as he ran past.

“And how are our supplies, Zora?” Calix questioned before hesitantly taking a bite of her gruel.

“Not right now Calix,” Zora said darting her eyes to the youngest at the table. The Novac family finished eating in silence with eye conversations between the oldest members around the table. After dinner, Hera took Nigel upstairs to rest until bedtime before joining her siblings back at the table circle. 

“We’re running out of food,” Zora said simply, the facts were that the supplies from last ransack of the deserted town to the south were slowly dwindling.

“This is what I feared, we are no longer safe here,” Calix shook his head rubbing his forehead to distract himself from his never-ending headache. 

“With the new Unhinged appearance, there are bound to be more coming, we don’t have enough ammunition,” Hera twirled her favorite dagger between her fingers skillfully.

“We can’t leave Novac, it is the only place that we are safe,” Zaiden stood up to look out the window, on edge from the last attack. 

“So we try to find another town to get more food?” Questioned Hera, “we are dying and we don’t have the means to support ourselves.” 

“Calix,” Zora turned to the oldest of the group, he had always been there for the family when times were troubled, “what should we do?”

Calix sat in deep thought, gaze turned downwards, he knew he would have to lead them. They all looked up to him and he was their unofficial leader of the family, the protector. 

“We stay here, for now, Zaiden and I will start to search for a new town, we will take the Red String and return every night. Zora, you will lessen the food that you make, except for Nigel. We must find a new town to get food, we will not leave our home unless absolutely necessary.” The rest of the family nodded, no one dared to argue against their eldest brother, he knew what was best for them. The sisters stood to make their way back to their home to try to sleep a good night’s rest. 

Suddenly a scream echoed through the room igniting chills throughout the families bodies. Out on the street of their hometown, laid Nigel’s little body covered in blood. Zora screamed as she stared at her little brother, the one that was left in her charge. The sight of an Unhinged filled their gaze with rage that rattled their bones. Hera charged, yelling at the top of her lungs, clutching her daggers with her knuckles pure white. 

“Water!” Yelled the blistered Unhinged as they swung their wooden club at the eldest sister. Hera went flying back from the hit across her chest. Calix pushed Zora behind himself and his twin as they raised their shotguns and fired.

Bang

Bang

Bang

Thudding to the ground, the Unhinged laid dead sand entering her mouth from the wind gusts. Tears streaming down her face, Zora ran to her little brother.

“No, no, please, please, you’re okay, it’s going to be okay, I’ve got you, we’re all here, no, please,” laying her head down onto his chest, a cold emptiness made her forget of her blistering warmth that surrounded everywhere after years of living. 

“I can’t lose you, Nigel, I can’t…” Feeling her brother’s firm grasp on her shoulder pulling her up behind him. 

“Hera.” The simple phrase shook Zora to her core, rushing over to her fallen sister still clutching her dagger, her bare skin blistered from the fiery sand underneath her. 

“Hera, are you okay?” Zora shook her sister harshly trying to get a small response, anything.

“Too…. hot…” Groaned Hera shifting slightly before hissing at her burns. 

“It’s okay, we’ve got you,” Calix spoke reaching down to pick up her sister ignoring the sizzling of his skin burning as he touched the sand. 

“We have to take her inside–” something caught Zora’s eye as she looked at Zaiden, slow motion took place as an Unhinged threw the burning sand onto him, “NOO!!” 

Animalistic screams filled her ears as she watched her brother fall to the ground burning. Calix quickly raised his shotgun.

Bang

Bang

Bang

“We need to go now, they’re coming.” Calix pulled Zora towards their house.

“No, we can’t leave them!” Zora cried fighting against her brother, desperate to hold her little brother one last time.

“Zora! They found us, we need to hide.” Staring into Nigel’s lifeless eyes, Zora quit fighting back, letting Calix pulled her into their house. The moans of more Unhinged echoed through the old home. Sobbing on her knees, Zora felt utter hopelessness. Her family was dead, all she had left was Calix, Calix who had figured out the Fire Sand was burning them from the excruciating heat beaming down from the Sun. Calix, who took care of them and never let the Unhinged hurt them. Calix who found out how the Earth ended up as a waste hole that was burning daily and nightly. 

“Zora, Zora, it’s just us now, we can do this,” trying to comfort his sister while his voice shook, Calix knew that he was out of bullets but would not let anything hurt his last sister. He would die saving her if that is what it took. 

“They’re gone, they’re dead!” cried Zora trying to wipe her eyes, the sun seemingly burning her eyes as well as the sand that got on her skin when she held Nigel. Calix could hear the moaning until it froze. He slowly crawled over to the window and peeked out. The Unhinged were spreading Fire Sand at the base of the house. Looking at his sister, he realized that this was the end: the burning, Unhinged, and sun had won. The last sane people who stayed together because they were a family, were going to be wiped out as the population of Earth was before them. 

“It’s okay Zora, we’re together, we’ll take care of each other, no matter what,” the lie and heat burned his mouth as he held his sister close to his chest. 

“Are they gone?” Looking up innocently to her brother, she never thought she would lose her family like this. 

“Yes, you can rest now, close your eyes and it’ll all be okay now,” Calix squeezed Zora again feeling her relax as she closed her eyes, just in time for her to not see the tears that were filling her brother’s.

“It’s okay, we’re okay,” Calix kissed Zora’s forehead as the house came crumbling down towards the center of the Earth. The bodies of Calix and Zora stayed in an embrace when the Unhinged found their dust-coated bodies. 

The Earth was finally, truly dead. The McLain’s, Cohn’s, and Webster’s never thought their deaths would be the consequence of their ancestors that could not admit they were killing their home and everyone in it. 

Chapter 3: Her Help

14 hours earlier

March 2, 2016

I lied in bed thinking about how much my life has changed in these past few hours; Daniella ignoring me, my step-mom yelling at me because I was a half a hour out past curfew, my dad doing nothing to help me at all, Toby and Aiden are being little demons, pestering me, asking me questions about my life, not like it’s any of their concern. The only thing that has been going for me is Tommy and Ryker. They have been amazing searching for answers about my… condition. It happened again last night, and I was lucky enough to not have woken up Daniella. But I have noticed something strange. Every time I look at Daniella, her eyes widen and she quickly turns away. 

I probably would have spent all Saturday lying in bed in my ocean of thoughts since my “mom” told me to do my homework even though I have already completed it all if Ryker hadn’t burst into my room, followed by my dad and my step-mom who had an angry face on, well more than usual.

“Bobbi, we need to go,” he managed to gasp out grabbing my hand and starting to pull me downstairs. I followed without question. However my mother did not have the same idea.

“You will not take Barbara anywhere. She is not leaving this house at all! She will stay in her room and you will leave my house immediately!” This tipped me off. Who was she to control if I leave or not? I certainly was not her house. Heck, she isn’t really at all a part of my life.

“I can leave if I want to. You do not control me. It is not your house and my name is Bobbi. You have no privilege to call me Barbara. You never have. You’re not my mother, so leave me alone!” I yelled back at the woman who replaced my real mother. 

“You will listen to your mother Barbara and you will not correct her in anyway. You are a child and you will listen to me or I will lock you in your room and you won’t leave for a month.” This stunned me. My father has never yelled at me before; at least not like this. By this time Ryker was slightly pulling me to the door and my step-siblings were just staring, not daring to say anything to me. I felt like I might cry but I didn’t. Whatever Ryker wanted, it was important. I could see it in his eyes. I was about to respond when suddenly my step-sister who has ignored me and hasn’t even given me a second glance spoke up.

“She’s right mom…” Everyone was looking at her now. “This isn’t your house. It isn’t even any of ours. You’re not Bobbi’s mother. I’m not her sister. Toby and Aiden are not her brothers. We never have been her family. We’re just the fake imitation of a real one.” No one dared to speak as the younger girl continued.

“She needs to go with Ryker.” Her mother was about to respond but she just kept talking,

“I’ve never seen Ryker without Tommy, or Bobbi without one of them so if Ryker is alone why shouldn’t we worry? If something is wrong, Bobbi and Ryker have a right to go look or do whatever for Tommy. They’re important to each other…” My sister finished her speech and smiled at me, I matched hers and looked expectantly to my parents.

“Our answer is still no,” my father pushed Ryker out of the house but not without a few tears sliding down my face. Once he was gone my father turned to me.

“Go to your room.” He looked at Daniella, “You too.”  I was so angry, I began walking but before I actually left the room, I looked at my father dead in the eyes and said,

“You are not my father.” And walked away. I could hear Daniella behind me. We didn’t dare to speak; at least not until we reached our room. We sat across from each other on our beds in silence until I couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Why did you do it?” She looked up from her pillow she was holding to her chest. “Why did you stand up for me even though we’ve never been friends, we never really talked, we never called each other sisters? You have ignored me all day and now you’re sticking up for me, why?” She slightly smiled but it faltered when she took a deep breath.

“Why? Because everything I said was true. We are not your family. I’m not your real sister.” She paused again then looked me right in the eye.

“I’ve been ignoring you because last night you were gasping, breathing really hard. I think you tried to hide it because you didn’t want me to hear. But I did and when I looked at you, I just expected you to be having a nightmare or something but you starting glowing. You floated into the air while clutching your head. I was so afraid but then you floated towards my dead fish that had died just before we went to bed and your hand shot out and you touched it. The gold glow went onto Mr. Bubbles and then he started moving again. I was surprised.. Then you floated back towards your bed and you stopped groaning and making noises.Then you turned around and fell asleep. I couldn’t sleep at all after that. I was scared, terrified even, but I was also perplexed. How did you do that? The next morning, when I looked at your fathers newspaper, it said that there was this really bad car crash but strangely the two people were not hurt even if they insisted that they were hurt. Then I thought, was it you? I took the newspaper and I got rid of it.” 

It took me a couple of minutes to actually process everything she had said. I was shocked, especially about the part with Mr. Bubbles. He died but now he’s alive. I looked over to the bowl and saw him swimming around making bubbles every now and then.

“Where did the crash happen?” I asked my sister.

“Behind the public library? Why? Where were you?”

“I was in the library…” I couldn’t believe this. Could I actually have this crazy ability to heal somebody, let alone a fish?

“So it was you.” She said smiling

“Wait, we don’t even know if I can heal people. You saw me heal a fish, not a human.” She rolled her eyes and looked at me excitingly.

“You can heal people!! Aah! This is so cool.” She started jumping on the bed and screeching. I giggled and grabbed her hands.

“Okay, okay, calm down. If I do have this crazy superpower then we do not want our parents to find out right?” She nodded but then her expression changed. she was still happy but now something was different.

“What is it?” I asked nervously. She was going to do something bad.

“It’s just for the first time, I finally feel like our my sister.” I thought about it, removed my hands from hers then replied,

“You were wrong.” She looked at me funny and kind of upset.

“You were wrong before. You are my sister.” She lit up like a candle and attacked me in a hug. We laughed and hugged until we heard a tapping noise on our window. We looked at the window then looked at each other shocked. On the window was Ryker looking this way and that every now and then. I rushed over and opened it.

“Come on, we don’t have much time.” I was still confused on why we had to go but I trusted Ryker none the less.

“Ok, let’s go.” I began climbing out and motioned Daniella to do the same, Ryker caught my arm and whispered in my ears,

“Are you sure you want her to come along?” 

“Yes, if I go then Daniella goes. Besides we have something we need to tell you.” He nodded then Daniella came and we jumped down to the ground and we were going to begin walking away when we heard a psst. We whipped around to see Toby and Aiden at the window. I panicked at first trying to decipher the look on their faces. 

“Mom stormed out of the house and dad is in his room,” Toby began while looking over his shoulder in the living room.

“You need to go before your dad sees you out of your room.” Aiden finished before they slammed the window shut and covered it with the curtains. I smiled knowing that my younger step-brothers had my back. We quickly got into Ryker’s car and he began to speed down the road.

“Okay, what is so important that you couldn’t wait to tell me, and you had to sneak me out of my window?” I asked Ryker while gripping the side of the headboard.

“Tommy’s been kidnapped.” That one sentence crashed down on me like a giant anvil on my head.

“What do you mean Tommy’s been kidnapped?” I asked and Ryker glared at me.

“What do you think I mean? I was at his house in the bathroom when I heard crashes. I peeked out and saw three guys in complete black dragging Tommy out the door. I didn’t get seen but I did hear them say when he asked why they were taking him, that it was because he was a friend of the Healer. Any idea of what that means?” I processed this new found information until it hit me.

“The gold glow went onto Mr. Bubbles and then he started moving again.”

“You can heal people!!”

I was the Healer, I’m the reason they took Tommy. I need to save him. It wasn’t until the car bounced on the curb that Ryker hit while making a turn did I answer.

“Okay, this is going to sound completely crazy but this is what it means…” I told him the whole story with Daniella correcting me about certain parts. After the story was finished, Ryker was silent for a long time.

“So let me get this straight… You are this so called Healer even though you have only healed three times? And the men in black took Tommy because he’s your friend and they are trying to get to you?”

“Yeah pretty much…” He shook his head then Daniella asked from the back.

“Where are we going?” I looked out of the window and noticed we were in a very familiar neighborhood,

“This is Tommy’s neighborhood,” I explained to my sister, “But why are we coming here?” I turned towards my best friend.

“I don’t know where else to go. I’m not going to put my little sister and mom in danger and since Tommy’s parents are not in town, I thought it would be the safest place to be.” He finished explaining right as we pulled into the driveway. We all got out of the car and into the house. Everything was exactly the same as the last time I was here, except for the, you know, everything being knocked over in the sign of struggle. We all sat down on the couch to decide over our next move.

“Maybe we could see if they left any signs to where they came from.” Daniella suggested.

“Like what?” Ryker countered back, obviously not liking that Daniella was here.

“I don’t know, mud or leaves.” I looked at her funny but she just shrugged her shoulders,

“What? I watch a lot of CSI: Miami, okay?” I rolled my eyes and stood up,

“Where are you going?” Ryker asked grabbing my hand before I could get anywhere.

“To the bathroom to get some Advil.” I said and he nodded slowly before letting go of my hand. I walked into the small room and opened the closet. I popped open the lid and took two of the pills and rubbed two fingers against my temples. My head was pounding but I refuse to heal anything right now since I have to find Tommy. I looked up into the mirror to clean my face but was startled when I saw a man in black,

“RYKER!!” I yelled but as soon as I did, everything turned black.

They reached the third floor to find the door already open with Nobody sitting at her desk according to Kain’s staff. Each step revealed another picture in his goggles. He always hated being blind, it made his and his friends’ lives harder. The same four chairs lifted from the ground from seemingly nowhere but his Radar showed him the truth. There were a variety of furniture and tables underneath the floor and on the ceiling of the second floor. 

“Sit,” The simple command caused Kain to shiver as he sat down with his friends. “I know you are confused.” Lex snorted at the leader’s words. 

“That’s an understatement.” Nobody cleared her throat. 

“Yes, the Rising Band does not know about the Game Changer, that is my choosing and mine alone. You won’t understand why and I have no intention of explaining myself to you. But you are to follow my rules as you stay here.” Kain’s heart pounded, knowing Lex she would start arguing, what would happen to them if they were thrown out? They were still vulnerable and Screema could be looking for them. A light tap showed his friends. Mo sat looking downwards, Karasi held her head up but with worried eyes, and Lex, she was clenching her fists and jaw tensely in her chair. 

“That makes no Elecing sense.” Determined to save his friends, Kain interrupted before Nobody could respond. 

“We understand,” a sharp look that Lex understood made her lean back in defeat, “This is your rebellion.” Turning back to Nobody even as nothing but black greeted his eyes. 

“No we don’t understand,” Lex spoke as she stared down her friend knowing that his eyes were blank.

“Lex, this isn’t our fight.” Karasi prompted drawing the fire eyes of her friends to her own. 

“Your friends are right Lex, you are not a fighter. You are a simple girl who up until now lived her life stealing from other people to take care of herself. You may have learned to protect yourself but you haven’t learned how to protect others.” Nobody 

“Good. Now we are—“ 

She was cut off by a glaring siren echoing through the entire floor, Nobody immediately shot out of her desk. Karasi watched as she rushed through the door then realized that the four of them were not following her. 

“Quickly come with me.” She left the room without seeing if they followed her. The stimulation of panic rises in Karasi’s chest. Her synthetic body replicated what her old body would do if she were still human. Rushing up to the fifth floor, the one they were told for only when they were getting ready for a battle against Screema. People raced across the floor when the silver doors opened for them. Lex noticed the Core Four strapping guns and knives to their belts and vests. Quickly following after Nobody, the four found themselves facing a screen with a monitor shining bright in their eyes. 

Fires and gunshots filled the screen as Lex watched with wide eyes, the floor seemed to sway underneath her. That was Northeast Port. Several SC-Bots could be seen darting out of the shadows. Panic flooded Lex’s chest as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. Houses were being raided. Screams filled the air. 

“Alright let’s move it!” Nobody yelled to the Rising Band and they all slowly surged towards the wall. Lex quickly remembered how there was no wall as the team walked through the holographic doorway. A hand gripped her shoulder as she began walking to the door. 

“You are not going.” The metallic voice of Valz filled her eyes daunting down on her. 

“But we can help.” She protested and looked at her friends. Kain had a hand on Mo’s shoulder while Karasi stood with a hand outreached to Lex. 

“Lex we don’t- we can’t help them. We don’t know how to.” Karasi’s soothing voice tried to reason with her friend. 

“No,” Lex stubbornly shook her head, “we can.” Pulling herself away from the cold hand of the cyborg. Blood rushes through her ears as she desperately looks at the boys. 

“I want to help. No one deserves all of this.” Gesturing to the screens which just made her even more determined, “we can help and fight and take back some ports. There’s so many and you could use all the help you can get.” Valz stares Lex down but she never wavered until the second in command spoke,

“Fine, you want to get killed, grab a weapon, the rest of you are staying here.” Her voice was final and Karasi paled. 

“Don’t do it, Lex, just stay here with us.” 

“I’m sorry Karasi, I haven’t been able to help the ports at all but now I have the chance to and I’m taking it.” Lex turned and grabbed two small guns walking to where the rest of the Rising Band was converging, staring at Valz as she passed the Elf-Bot. 

“Come back to us Lex.” Mo’s voice stood out to Lex, she turned and smiled at the young boy but continued walking. 

“I’ll try my best,” Lex said silently and her childhood friends didn’t hear her as she walked to an unfamiliar aircraft away from her family life.

Breathing heavily on the aircraft, Lex’s hands shook as she held her guns in her hands. She never thought she would be here; an unfamiliar aircraft that was taking her away from her only friends and into a battle. Closing her eyes, she took deep breaths attempting to slow her racing heartbeat. The guns loosened down her hands as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. The heat of other eyes on her back caused her insides to turn as she wished she had stayed with her friends back at the base. 

No.

She needed to be here, to help fight for her home.

She was meant to do something extraordinary, that’s what her mother always said to her. She had to, she wouldn’t be worthy of her name if she didn’t. Flaring pain shot through her palms, looking down, Lex saw her hands turning white due to the pressure from her guns. 

“Arriving now deployment in 3..” 

This is what she’s been waiting for. 

“2…”

For her to prove herself. 

“1…”

She was ready. 

Fixit led the group out of the elevator to the Battle Room. As soon as the doors opened they knew why it was Fixit’s favorite. It was blindly white at first but when Lex could see again, it was lined with weapons, aircraft, H-L cars, and more machinery that she has never seen before. 

“Woah.” Was the only thing that seemed appropriate to say, Fixit chuckled and walked forward. 

“This is where we fix our weapons, get ready for missions, and plan for the missions.” Her face was bright with a smile. 

“Oo come on!” She ran off making the four follow Fixit. She was standing in front of one weapon wall and grabbed a simple rod. 

“This is my favorite weapon.” Lex raised her eyebrows at the Elf-Bot. 

“A stick?” Mo questioned trying to figure out what was so special about it making Fixit laugh loudly. 

“No, silly Mo,” she pushed an invisible button on the side and suddenly a blue whip burst out the top. Fixit saw the shocked faces and grinned deciding to show off a little bit. She swung the whip above her head watching the light surround her; Lex felt like it was magic. The blue twirling all around her body reminded her of the bus station walls and the colors that always shone out to her. When she was done she bowed to the claps from Karasi and Mo. 

“Did she do something?” Kain asked obviously oblivious to the show that was displayed. 

“She was showing off,” a girl walked towards them holding a strange-looking tablet. 

“Fixit what did I tell you with playing with weapons in the red section?” The girl’s golden ponytail swung back and forth as she took the rod from the Elf-Bot and placed it back on the wall. Only then did Lex realized that the wall was illuminating a light red hue. 

“Aww come on H, I’m always careful.” Fixit hung her head even though the girl was shaking her head. 

“This time you were lucky if you had taken this one,” she gestured to another identical rod to the right of the other one, “you would have sliced someone’s arm off.” Karasi took a step backward from the wall. 

“Anyways,” she turned to the group and smiled, “I’m H, mechanic, inventor, and engineer of all of our tech.” She smiled and Lex noticed that the girl had a gold eye and a bright blue one. 

“Hi I’m Karasi, this is Mo, Kain, and Lex.” She gestured to each one and H seemed to analyze the group. 

“Ah, I see and are you newbies?” 

“No, we are just here for protection,” Lex said but saw the mechanics eyebrows raise. 

“Our parents broke some rules and were taken so Nobody is letting us stay here until they forget about us.” The smooth lie seemed dual down H’s curiosity but then something caught her eye. 

“Wait you’re a robot.” She lurched forward to look at Karasi, leaving the girl frozen. 

“Yes..?” It came out more like a question as he grabbed her arm and pulled her goggles on top of her head down. 

“Amazing, how did I not notice it before?” 

“She was made to blend in,” Kain interjected as he pushed the mechanic slightly backward making H blush. 

“Oh I am so sorry, I should have asked before I just grabbed you and began to examine you.” Karasi rubbed her arms looking more towards the ground. 

“It’s alright.” Lex wanted to get her friend away from this girl but was saved by a voice. 

“Hey guys.” They all looked and saw Tera walking towards them but strangely without her gun strapped to her back. 

“Hey Tera.” Mo greeted with a warm smile, he liked her way more than that cocky Legion. 

“H did you fix my gun?” Pushing her hair behind her ear she focused on the golden girl. 

“Yup, a metal sliver got into the firewall but I got it out and then took the liberty of enhancing the aim and power in the converter.” H proudly stated walking to a bench and grabbing the gun. 

“You’re the best H.” Tera smiled, she swung the gun across her back again. 

“How often do you build things?” Kain asked leaning on his Staff, facing the wall to their left.

“All the time, it’s my job to keep our tech updated and come up with weapons that could help us take down Screema’s forces. The conveyer belt on the first floor led everything back up here.” Pointing to the side of the room where the same conveyer belt the Core Four placed their weapons when they first arrived. 

“Everyone always either uses up their light bullets and need a refill at the charging station,” she said gesturing to the opposite wall, seemingly filled to the brim with wires and weapons. “But I love doing hands-on working to improve our weapons.” The Elf-Bot jittered as she jumped around her station handling different tools. 

BEEP

“Would Lex, Kain, Karasi, and Mo go to floor three.” 

BEEP

The cold voice of Valz filled the room causing Lex to shiver. 

“Well, guys lets go,” Karasi said walking to the elevator. 

“It was nice meeting you guys,” Mo called back smiling and waving to their friends in this strange place. 

Chapter Two: The Feeling And The Lies

32 hours earlier

March 3, 2016

That feeling never left me at all today, but I tried to ignore it the best I could. After school we three went to the library to work on our Biology project. We had to research Phobias. We had chosen this topic because Tommy had a phobia of snakes, which sucks when Ryker and I want to go to the reptile section of the zoo. We separated to find more books. I jumped up the stairs and began browsing the shelves. While I was looking, that same feeling came and hit me like a bullet. I staggered back as the sudden shock of pain coursed throughout my body. The pain didn’t stop, and it wasn’t like a stubbed toe pain or period pain. It was like being hit by a train that’s on fire over and over. I grasped my head trying to relieve myself from this torture and I let out a loud gasp. My hands felt like they were on fire when I placed them on my head. I ripped my hands off my head and stared at them. They were glowing bright gold. I slid down the bookshelf and tried to control my breathing. Everything was blurry. I couldn’t think straight, and I was in too much pain to do anything besides gasp for air, close my eyes, and pray that this will be over soon. After what seemed like 5 hours, the pain went away and I stood up shaking my head trying to shake out the dizziness. My vision returned to normal and I looked around taking in my surroundings. I looked up at the clock hanging from the wall and I saw it had been fifteen minutes in my little pain fest. I hobbled out of the shelf, when I suddenly felt a hand on my arm. I flinched and whipped around looking at who it was.

“Bobbi? Are you okay? Where were you for the last fifteen minutes? Me and Tommy were worried about you.” I breathed out a sigh of relief as I saw it was only Ryker. He looked at me expectantly waiting for my answer. I gave a fake smile and said,

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just reading a good book and lost track of time.” I lied. I did not want to make him worry about me nor did I have an explanation about the pain I felt. Ryker narrowed his eyes at me and studied me trying to see if I was lying or not. Before he could say anything, Tommy came around the corner,

“Ryker did you find…” Tommy paused then noticed I was standing right next to Ryker, “Bobbi! There you are, we were worried about you.” Tommy said and I responded the exact same way with Ryker,

“Yeah I’m fine, I just got lost in a book.” While I said the exact same thing, Tommy’s eyes replicated Ryker’s. The boys shared a looked then Tommy scoffed.

“Bobbi, if you’re going to lie, you have to lie to people who don’t know you.” He crossed his arms and I looked at Ryker who just looked at me expectantly. I sighed knowing that I couldn’t lie to my childhood friends. They figured out how I lie when we turned six. 

I walked out of my school holding back my tears. I shouldn’t be crying. I was a big girl. I should be strong like Ryker and Tommy. The two boys who are my only friends came up to me with big grins on their faces. I tried to match their smiles. I really did but it was just so hard to. The grins faltered when they saw me.

“What’s wrong Bobbi?” Tommy said completely concerned as he scanned my face for any injuries. 

“Nothing’s wrong.” I lied selling it off with a big smile, Ryker raised an eyebrow at me.

“Don’t lie Bobbi, tell us.” He said but it was more like demanding, I sighed knowing that I could not hide from the boys with this.

“It was just Rosie Park. She said my mom and dad were bums and didn’t do anything for work.” Two tears fell onto my cheeks. Ryker reached up and wiped them away.

“Don’t listen to her Bobbi. She’s just jealous because her parents work at a zoo.” Tommy reassured me and I instantly felt better for some reason. They hooked arms with me then we began to walk.

“Oh Bobbi, did you know that when you lie, the black part of your eyes gets bigger?” I looked at him with interest since I did not know this.

“Yeah, then your left hand starts to fidget too.” Tommy finished. The rest of the time we walked, we just laughed and joked around all day.

I sighed knowing the two boys in front of me would not back down from my case until I told them what was wrong.

“Fine I’ll tell you,” I looked around but then noticed that the library was full and anyone could listen into our conversation, “just not here.” I grabbed both of their arms and dragged them out of the library. The phobia paper completely forgotten. We walked into the ice cream parlor right across the street and ordered. As soon as we sat down, my friends looked at me waiting for me to tell them what was going on. But the truth is, I had no idea what was even going on, the mysterious feeling of being watched, the pain I felt, even the weird feeling that everything was going to fall apart right before my eyes. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes preparing what I was going to say. I opened my eyes and began to tell them the weird events of this day; this horrible, miserable day. After I was done, they both looked scared, protective, worried, and maybe a little angry!

“Are you ok though?” Tommy asked. I was almost about to say yes but I wasn’t okay.

“No, I’m not okay.” I shook my head and placed it into my hands leaning onto the table. Our table the one we have always claimed whenever we came here. 

“I feel awful. I can still sort of feel the pain, like a thousand fiery knives are being dug into my skin. I still feel like I’m being watched. I’m scared to be alone right now. I don’t want my dad or especially the She to find out. I think I’m going crazy but at the same time I feel completely sane… If that makes any sense.” I thought I was going to start crying but I didn’t when they both grabbed one of my hands each.

“You’re not crazy or alone, we’re here and we are going to help you through this.” Ryker exclaimed. Tommy nodded. These were the times when I wondered how I got two amazing best friends. 

Mo was ecstatic. The Rising Band headquarters. Only in his dreams did he ever see this secret hideout. When the knock came from the girls, he immediately followed after them and did not listen to his brother at all about safety. They walked down the halls to find themselves back where they started. Lex and Mo raced to the elevator as Kain and Karasi stood behind them shaking their heads, but with smiles on their faces. Clicking on the second floor, they found themselves in a giant room. The walls were lined with weapons and there were people fighting holograms or each other. 

“This is so cool!” Mo was studying the fighters techniques when he saw Lex’s eyes filled with longing.

“Go on, show them what you got.” He nudged the older girl with his elbow an she met his eyes. 

“Really?” Her usual sarcastic tone was gone and she almost looked like how he first remember ever seeing her. 

Kain had been friends with them first but when Mo and his father moved in with his stepmom, he met them all. She was a ball of energy, already with her purple hair, she stood confident and innocent all at the same time. She had been the first one to talk to him when it was just the four and he fell in love with her. She was like his sister that he never had. But then, the incident happened. 

Murder is not tolerated in Central Port, but there are few who dare to try and actually succeed. Lex was with her mother walking towards the subway station when a man jumped out with a gun. Where he got one, no one ever found out. He shot her mother and was about to shoot Lex down too when a mysterious shadow leaped from the darkness and saved her. The murderer died on the Platform. When Mo saw her afterward, she was different. Quiet, closed off, and then her fake strength became a natural pastime for her. She began to teach herself how to fight by watching videos and holograms. It was these moments that Mo wishes that had never happened to her and she was still innocent. But life isn’t a fairytale. 

“Yes.” He said simply meeting her green eyes. Lex nodded and stepped onto a small mat. 

“I don’t know how to..” she began until a holograms came running at her. Swiftly, she ducked out of the way and high kicked the figure and stared as it dissolved into small blue particles. More holograms circled around her and the purple-haired girl smirked. She threw a punch after punch without even breaking a sweat. Soon she had defeated at least 15 holograms. The program seemed to stop and she stepped off the mat grinning like mad. Mo smiled but froze when he heard clapping. Turning he saw a guy that could not have been much older than Kain. His blond hair spiked into the air and he wore a black leather jacket. Mo disliked him immediately. 

“Well done newbie.” He walked forward after he stopped clapping. 

“Oh no, I’m not a newbie, I’m just… here.” Lex flushed, joining her friends. 

“Shame, you’ve got skills.” The boy shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets. 

“She’s got more than that.” Mo declared glaring at this new boy, something about him just bothered the youngest teenager. 

“Oh yeah?” Raising his eyebrows almost as if he was looking down on Mo, this just angered him more. Mo felt a hand on his shoulder and through his orange hoodie, he felt the coldness of Karasi’s hand. 

“Look,” Kain said stepping slightly in front of Lex, “we’re not gonna be here for long, just passing through.” The boy looked slightly surprised before it disappeared. 

“Just passing through? Shame, we could use a girl like you.” Lex turned a light shade of pink which made Mo’s blood boil. 

“Leave her alone Legion.” Mo’s savior was a girl. She stood in a giant hoodie that obviously wasn’t hers and a gun strapped to her back. Her hands were on her hips as if to say he has done this before and she was annoyed. 

“Aw, Tera I wasn’t doing anything.” He smirked towards the armed girl Tera who shook her head. 

“Ignore him, he’s one Elec of an idiot.”

“Hey!” Legion yelled crossing his arms while Lex and Karasi snorted. 

“Here let me save you, I’ll show you around.” She smiled at the group. 

“Yes, please.” Karasi accepted the offer and returned the smile. Mo smirked as they walked past Legion who looked defeated. 

Tera led them to the elevator and pushed the fourth button. It led them to another floor that was filled with computers and tablets. This room was a brighter blue and was totally illuminated. Each computer showed different things, maps of each Ports, sewer maps, security cameras all over Central Port. 

This was Mo’s heaven.

Grinning with delight he ran from each screen to the next. He felt at her with these computers, they just made sense to him. 

“This is the map room, where we monitor all activity around the Ports to try and help prevent bad things from happening,” Tera explained and pushed a strand of her long bleach blonde hair behind her ear as they moved through the room. All Mo wanted to do was to type and figure everything out about their system but Valz popped into his head. He wasn’t allowed to. 

“Me too.” Was all Lex had to say to Mo to know she felt exactly what he was. While she was never as passionate about hacking she knew it and understood it. 

“So why are you here?” The four turned to the Rising Band member, she looked confused as if she was trying to figure them out. 

“Well, you see,” Kain began,

“Classified.” All eyes turned to see Valz standing behind them with the red-haired girl who looks like an Elf-Bot next to her. 

“General.” Tera looked like a soldier which was different from just a second ago. 

“You are released Tera, Fixit will take it from here.” Nodding tightly, their newfound friend walked away but they were all thinking of her eyes. She looked ready for war with the pain in her eyes. 

“You are to not speak of your discovery on your laptop to anyone.” The harsh words shocked the four. 

“What? You mean the rebellion against Screema doesn’t know about the thing that might destroy them?” Mo went through slowly but was shut down by a glare from the general. 

“Correct. And if you have problems with this instruction you can take it to Nobody.” Mo looked at the other Elf-Bot to see if she agreed with this but saw that she was shut down. There was no light in her eyes. 

“Why is she shut off?” He changed the subject and Lex stopped from what she was about to say. 

“Classified.” If the general’s eyes could go any smaller they would have. She lifted her arm and pressed some buttons, slowly the other robot came to life. A smile covered her face, her eyes shining like the headlights of an H-L car. 

“Hello!” She waved excitedly towards the still shocked teenagers. Only Karasi managed to wave but Mo’s mind was racing and far away from his body. What was happening?

“I’ll show you around if you want!” Kain looked as though he was just about to decline when Lex interrupted. 

“Sure, we haven’t seen the fifth floor yet.” 

“Oooo the Battle Room is my favorite!” Fixit squealed turning and sprinted down the hallway. 

“What?” Karasi said but then the Elf-Bot returned. 

“Sorry, I think I might have left my speed on for some reason?” The four shared a glance. 

“Strange it was off when Valz came and got me and we came here.” Mo realized that Fixit did not know she was shut down, he paled. What else do the Rising Band keep from their members?

Silence ran through all eight of the companions, Lex kept looking over her shoulder just to see if the SC bot had followed them. Only Lex and Karasi still held hands, while all four of the children had white faces. Their rescuers seemed to know where they were going so all they could do was keep quiet. The old man with a mustache was grumbling as he kept checking his machine gun while another man that was slightly younger with a clean-shaven face grinned. Whoever they were, Lex didn’t trust them, sure they saved her and her friends, but they too were strangers. So, she suddenly stopped walking. Karasi stopped, looking back to her friend with a confused face, 

“Where are you taking us?” Lex demanded to cause the rest of the group to stop.

“How do we know you aren’t just going to kill us?” Glaring as she let go of Karasi’s hand and crossed her own arms. The clean-shaven man stepped forward but the man who looked to be the youngest out of all of them spoke first.

“We are taking you somewhere safe.” Stepping forward to tower over Lex, but her eyes never wavered. 

“You can see why I don’t exactly take your word for it.” The woman stepped up and pulled the man away from the teenager.

“Lex, they might be able to help us,” Kain said with one hand on his staff, the other on his brother’s shoulder. 

“How are we supposed to know that?” 

“Listen,” The woman began, “I know this is unusual and strange for you but trust me, where you were, you are not safe. Screema is trying to get you and take you to the Platform.” Mo paled and gripped his laptop, Karasi grabbed and squeezed Lex’s hand. They all knew what Screema does to robots, even one with a human brain and consciousness. 

“But why? We never did anything to her or break any laws.” Kain raised his eyebrows to his sly purple-haired girl but kept quiet about the Pennlar Boxes. 

“You found her secret, something that only a few people know about.” The man with the mustache butted in looking at Mo’s laptop. 

“Please, we are not safe here, we have to keep moving.” The clean-shaven man who was keeping a lookout while the others tried to get the children moving. Lex looked at her best friend when she squeezed her hand, Karasi’s face held confusion but most of all fear.

“Fine.” With that one word, the group moved forward again. The adults led them through the Pipes, places they’ve never seen before, even as they explored before their lives changed. Eventually, it got a lot darker and the only light that could be seen was Karasi’s Elec-Veins and Kain’s staff. The tunnels started to light up and a loud noise was getting closer and closer. The group found themselves in a main room. The roar of water falling into an unknown abyss. Mo looked up the railing and saw endless water raining down from a place he could not see with how low they were. Suddenly the youngest man yanked him away screaming something that none of them could hear over the waterfall. Finally, after he was done yelling, he pointed towards his woman companion who was gesturing for them to follow her. They followed and found themselves facing a wall. 

“What the Elec are you doing?” Lex shouted but her voice was drowned out by the noise. The mustache man held up a finger, reaching into his jacket, he brought out a strange metal stick and began drawing on the wall. After he drew a glowing rectangle that looked like a door he gestured for them to walk forward. He was met with confused, blank expressions from all four of them. Rolling his eyes, the youngest man walked through the wall, earning wide eyes. He was gone. Mo slowly walked forward and touched the wall. He found that it was not solid. He was dazed staring trying to figure out what it was when he was yanked through the wall. The rest of the teenagers gasped silently and ran through the door to find Mo.

Karasi froze. A bright light blinded her purple eyes, but her electrons quickly fixed her vision. All around her was a completely different atmosphere. Several levels rose above her, the bottom was full of computers with cameras that showed all the ports. People were sitting or standing or moving through the elevators to different levels. Voices overlapped her sensors as she watched the scene before her. Humans, cyborgs, and robots walked freely around showing their body parts. They weren’t hiding or ashamed. She rubbed her arms and found that she had lost her shawl. The one thing that hid her metal arms and made her fit into society. 

The team that saved their lives moved forward; the teenagers stood, lost for words. Karasi saw her friends frozen in place just as she was. 

It’s so beautiful, Karasi thought to herself as she found herself longing for that sense of comfort within herself and her veins. She felt something squeeze her hand and saw Lex staring at this place like it was a beautiful castle. She assumed to Lex, it was. Karasi looked back to the group who led them to this place and saw them smiling at her and her friends. 

“Now that we are safe, we can introduce ourselves.” The woman said, stepping forward towards the teenagers. 

“I am Freya, this is Babylon,” she gestured to the clean-shaven man, “Cerberus,” the youngest man, “and Rome.” But the man with the mustache was not paying attention and playing with his facial hair. 

“And what are you?” Kain asked, inclining his head towards the four. 

“We are cyborgs and quadruplets, I don’t have an arm,” she pulled up her sleeve to show her Elec-Veins. 

“The boys all are missing their legs but have cyborg legs to make up for it.” Cerberus walked forward and set his guns down onto a conveyor belt that pulled the machinery with it until it went into a different room. The rest of the three followed suit. 

“We are called the Core Four,” Rome began to explain,

“We are part of the Rising Band, the first people to join after Nobody started to build this rebellion.” Mo and Lex shared a confused glance.

“Who’s Nobody?” Mo asked.

“Nobody.” They all said in unison absentmindedly, confusing the children even more until a strange robot revealed herself. She was normal grey but with a strange purple tint on her body. Her ears, however, were pointed and she had bright red hair that made her look like a pixie. 

“Woah! Who are these people?” Her voice was electronic but a higher pitch than the teenagers have ever heard. She bounced around from Kain, all the way to Lex. 

“They look so weird. Wait! Are they humans?” Her voice traveled through the mystery room and Karasi found that the room had gone dead silent. All eyes were directed towards strangers and no words were spoken. Freya looked as if she was about to say something when a deeper feminine voice ran across the room. 

“Core Four, you have returned and brought them back.” Karasi saw a woman. She was beautiful. Brown hair, green eyes that pierced through the room, she had a mini screen displaying in front of one eye. She stood on top of a panel in the room before she grabbed the ledge and swung herself down to the ground. Her red jacket flowed through the air and died when the giant thud filled the room. The Core Four immediately lowered their heads towards this woman but she only had eyes for the teenagers. 

“Did you retrieve the object.” Her eyes were trained on Karasi but she had a feeling the woman wasn’t talking to her. 

“Yes.” Babylon stepped towards Mo and held out his hands for the laptop. 

“No, it’s mine.” Cerberus joined his brother but instincts took over and the three teenagers stepped to circle their youngest friend. Kain was in the middle, face stern as he gripped his Radar. 

“Try it.” To the right, Lex said standing firm, her purple hair in front of her face. 

“Peace.” The woman put a hand on Babylon’s shoulder and he stepped backward to join his siblings. 

“I understand what you have found has made you cautious,”

“That and almost getting killed.” Lex interrupted. 

“Yes, but we can help you, what you have found could help us put a stop to Screema once and for all. I won’t make you give it to me, but I would be glad if you did so I can make life better for everyone.” She stood looking down at the Mo but with soft eyes. Raking for a breath, Mo stepped out of his protection circle and slowly, put the laptop in the woman’s hands. 

“Thank you.” She smiled at Mo, turning to give the laptop to Freya, she said. 

“I am a Nobody, leader of the Rising Band, please follow me, you are in grave danger.” Karasi’s eyes widened as she realized the magnitude of what was happening. She wasn’t safe, her friends weren’t safe, her father… 

Her father wasn’t safe either. 

Nobody led them down the hallways, into an elevator that rose to the third floor. A screen flashed from the only doorway. Nobody put her hand on the screen and it scanned it. Opening with a hiss, Karasi saw an office. It was simple with computers and a chair and desk. Nobody walked forward towards her desk and sat down. 

“Please, sit.” Gesturing to the chairs that rose up from the ground, the teenagers all took a seat. 

“I know you’re wondering why you are here and why you were attacked and I have a very simple answer for both of those. You found something that Screema does not want anyone to know about. She had created a weapon, a Game Changer if you will, but I’m sure you already know all about that.” 

“Yeah, and that she wants to destroy you once and for all.” Mo nodded. 

“Yes, you see Screema hates us because we support freedom…”

“Then why are you called Nobody?” Lex interrupted once again but Nobody just smiled. 

“So that no one will be able to control me. Names have power. Only one person knows my name.” The door hissed again and another woman walked through, but she was a robot. 

She had silver hair, silver skin, but her ears were also pointed like the red-haired girls were. 

“Ah, Valz, come in.” The pointed eared woman walked to stand next to Nobody but eyed each child before her. 

“This is Valz, my second in command, she has been with me since the beginning.” 

“Why are your ears pointed?” Karasi blurted out, her face would have turned red from her embarrassment but she no longer could. 

“I am an Elf-Bot. Extremely rare, deadly, and designed to kill.” The metallic voice was cold with no warmth in it at all. 

“There are hardly any left but the Elf-Bots are a huge advantage in this war.” Nobody explained suddenly seeming nicer than she did a minute ago. 

“I don’t understand why they were chasing us though.” Lex inquired as she pinched the arm of the chair. 

“As I said, Screema doesn’t want anyone knowing about this but because you somehow managed to hack into her servers and find the plans, that makes you a threat to her. She hates threats and will try to eliminate them as soon as possible. I’m sorry but you aren’t safe anymore.”

“But what about our families?” Karasi cried but winced when she remembered. Lex’s grandparents would be glad to be free to spend all their time in Middle Port. And Kain’s and Mo’s father was not someone they worried about. 

“I assure you, you will be able to return home and see them again.” Karasi wasn’t listening and was looking at her friends, cursing herself. Lex was looking at the armchair and picking at it, while the boys were just staring at the ground. Guilt gnawed at her even when Lex met her eyes and smiled but she could tell it was forced. 

“So what happens to us now?” Lex said with glassy eyes though she acted strong. 

“You will stay here, it is the safest place for you to be at this moment. I will have Valz show you to your quarters that you will be staying in.” Nobody stood up and began walking towards the doors. 

“I hope you know,” the leader paused, staring at the door, “all we want is to save the world.” As the door closed behind her, Valz cleared her throat. 

“You are to follow me.” Lex leaped out of her seat, anything to get out of this room. She loved Karasi but she was reminded again that her grandparents hardly cared about her. She followed the stoic Elf-Bot towards the elevator. There were 5 floors with labels. 

Main, Training, Nobody, Maps, Battle Room. 

Valz clicked the Main button. Her head hurt but she didn’t speak a word as she heard the boys whispering to each other. 

“What are we going to do here?” The soft voice of Mo filled her ears. 

“I don’t know, I think it’s best if we stay low.” Kain reasoned as he held his arm around his younger brother’s shoulders. 

“But I want to look around at all of this technology.” 

“Maybe but-“

“The boys will sleep here, the girls across from them.” The second in command stopped short in front of a long dark hallway. 

“You are free to go to any floor but floor number three, you may not change anything in our  system,” she gave Mo a sharp glance, 

“And you are to not leave at any time, Nobody will call upon you when she needs you.” With a curt nod, the Elf-Bot walked away leaving the teenagers alone. Lex practically ran into the room. 

It was a dark purple with two beds, one mirror on the wall, and one closet filled with identical full-body outfits. Lex was sitting on the bed by the time Karasi closed the door behind her. 

“I’m sorry Lex, I wasn’t thinking.” Karasi stood rubbing her arm, an unconscious habit she had when nervous. Taking a deep breath, Lex walked over to her friend and hugged her. 

“It’s okay, I understand.” She was always jealous that Karasi had a loving father while hers just left her and her mom when she was born. 

Karasi relaxed in her best friends arms. 

“Thank you.” The tiny whisper came from the robot, no matter how jealous Lex was of Karasi, she always felt bad for her. Becoming a robot is no easy thing to happen to someone. It took Karasi two years to fully pull herself together and become like her old self. Lex always wondered if Karasi missed being human. She had long black hair and teal eyes, and even though her eyes are the same color, they are different. Electronic. Her short black hair now stood against her pale cream skin made by her genius father to help “fit in” with society. Lex always wanted to help her but didn’t know how to. She was still human, she didn’t know what it was like to die and then wake up in a completely different, not to mention metal, body. 

“Now want to grab the boys and see how much trouble we can get into?” Karasi laughed at her friend glad to see her signature smirk back on her face. 

“Of course.”