The road to the Lightning realm is long, but it doesn't seem like it's going to be quiet, the tension in the room is high aside from Tara, still messing with Ray, who looks visibly irritated, but is keen not to mess with the lady who had just lifted up a mass of metal and bent it with ease.

Jake scoffs, having had enough of the mess he was now involved in.

"Why the hell are we also getting dragged into this shit?"

The bewilderment in his tone clear.

Winter looks at him uninterestingly, not looking forward to start a converstation with him.

"Far as we are aware, you're wanted criminals, plus... no point in letting fresh meat like you go."

Josh looks up at him, baffled by the last part of that statement.

"What the hell does that mean?"

Zayn jumps into the converstation from the drivers seat, looking suprisingly smug.

"Tara's gotta eat."

He looks back at her through the front dashboard's mirror, seemingly expecting her to get angry.

She looks annoyed, murmuring to herself, gripping Ray's hair a little too tightly, making him squeal.

"Go back to being quiet..."

Jake looks annoyed that they have the nerve to sit around joking when they are tied up and cramped together.

"Dont just ignore us, this is insane! We dont know where the hell you're taking us!"

In a flash, Winter points his pistol to Jake's head, looking just about done with his complaining.

"Quit running your mouth... dont you think its stupid for a little brat like you to start barking when you can't even bite?"

The air around them feels heavy, as if a bomb is threatening to go off, Winter and Jake hold the pin.

Tara sighs, still tugging at Ray's hair.

"So immature, take a few lessons from your pal Aaron."

Zayn chuckles, sounding amused. While Aaron is a dear friend to both of them, Zayn doesn't seem too interested in being more like him.

"No one wants to be like that willingly."

Tara gives Ray's hair a long, painful pull, offended on his behalf.

"You watch your mouth you lazy punk."

Zayn scoffs, looking away from the mirror and back onto the road, which looks like it stretches on forever, no end to the reflection in his eyes.

"You guys are bad frien-"

Ray attempts to say, before Tara tugs on his hair more, letting him yelp out in pain.

In the other corner, the tension between the brothers and Winter remains high, outside, the sky has gone dark aside from the three moons, Phobetor, Phobos and Deimos.

As Josh stares into the nothingness that makes up no mans land, his eyes form their own void to mimic what he sees, three tiny little dots graze over them as he looks over the moons with a glint in his eyes.

Jake stares out at the vast empty fields, then back at Josh.

"You dont have to be scared, we'll be fine."

He tells him, seemingly worried about his brother,

Josh doesn't look back at him, the sound of his heart beating remains normal.

"It's fine... it's just... it feels like i hear something coming from those moons.

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Winter and Jake look at eachother confused, Tara bursts out laughing, looking down at Ray.

"Your friend has lost it pal! Space is a vaccum. Even if they made a sound, you wouldn't be hearing it."

Jake sighs.

"Yeah, you're off the rails." He says, looking even more worried now.

He continues looking up at the three moons, now looking even more interested.

"I can't make out what i hear..." He whispers.

"You're just tired kid, just go to sleep." Winter tells him.

Josh looks at him from the corner of his eyes.

"On the metal floor?" He asks, wondering if he's serious.

"I'm not offering you my lap." Winter says.

Tara looks down at Ray.

"Dont you worry. You'll sleep on mine." She tells him.

Ray looks at Jake with a pleading look in his eyes, a silent scream to help him.

Jake looks away and starts whistling as if he can't see him, not at all interested in getting caught up with her.

They simply curl up against the sides off the van next to eachother, drifting off to sleep without much trouble. Though, the others dont look like they'll be getting much sleep.

Ray looks at Winter, by this point, he's figured out that for some reason, everybody seems to be rather interested in him, yet he can't quite figure out why, up until this point, he's simply gone along with the ride.

"You should cut it to me straight. Are we in trouble?"

He's not sure if he's in any trouble, although he remains cautious, Winter's lack of response only entices him to not trust him. Until eventually Zayn butts in.

"Striker's senses lead us here. It's not that we will actually harm any of you. Though to add to what Winter was saying earlier... one of you is the Atomsplit. And from the little time we've spent in here, i seriously doubt its one of those two."

He then looks over at Winter and Tara.

"You're both thinking the same thing, aren't you?"

"Right on the money. Didn't need to tell him everything though."

Winter sighs, looking at the sleeping brothers beside him.

"Nobody is getting hurt. Though we have to take you back with us."

Ray looks at him, not at all amused.

"I'd say i'm getting pretty roughed up."

He looks up at Tara, whos fallen asleep cradling his hair by this point, though he thinks to himself that she's more peaceful this way.

Zayn's gaze on the road slightly falters, his head lowering. Winter does something similiar, seemingly a bit upset all of the sudden.

"Dont get too caught up with her." He tells Ray, who looks back at him confused.

"She's not a bad person at heart. She wouldn't hurt a fly if you begged her to. Though she can't control herself at times." He tells him.

"It's no use, Winter." Zayn says.

He doesn't respond to him, simply acknowledges him with a slight nod.

"Yeah... forget what i said. You wont get to see anything anyway."

He looks at Ray with a somber glint in his eyes, almost pitifully.

"You didn't choose any of this. But your life is gonna change, you know that already though."

Ray looks down wistfully, deep down, he's already aware of whats coming. But before he gets the chance to speak, a small screen on the dashboard starts flashing red, a loud alarm following.

Zayn hits a button, and a new voice starts coming through the speaker system.

"#4 reporting. If you're taking the main road, you're about to run into 3 abominations. 2 fire types, and a wind type, mid level threats aside from the wind type." The voice speaks calmly, yet Zayn and Winter seem worried all of the sudden.

Tara seems to have woken up by all the commotion, and looks between Winter and Zayn.

"Do we switch roads?" She asks seriously, even then, she looks just about ready to jump out and fight.

Winter looks back at her.

"It's just three of them. They are the only types Zayn cant get close to though. It'd just be you and me."

Ray looks worried sick at their sudden mobilization.

"What the hell are abominations? What's going on?"

Zayn looks back at him, a smug look crossing his face.

"Oh, you're about to see." He giggles, handing him a pair of binoculars.

Tara loosens the grip on the metal binding Ray's hands, leaving behind some red marks around his wrists, he takes the binoculars out of Zayn's hands without a second thought, and aims them through the windshield, interested in what lies ahead.

His hands freeze in place as he looks ahead, and quickly learns where the abominations got their names from. Multiple, distorted, humanoid figures, with black spikes randomly sticking out of their backs lie ahead of them, two of them covered in flames, the third one has a whirlwind in a large area around it. Their faces are all blacked out from the same, pitch black material that the spikes are made of, resembling scales.

"W-what the hell are those things..."

Winter lowers Ray's binoculars to block out the sight.

"We aren't sure. But they really do love attacking people."

Tara chuckles, amused by Ray's fear.

"Dont worry, these aren't a problem... well, they could be, but probably not. Or maybe..."

"Cut it out. We are getting close to them." Zayn tells her in a repremanding tone.

She snorts but stands up anyway, reaching into the bag she was carrying around her waist and pulling out around 8 small daggers, she lets them fall out of her hands, but instead of falling, they float around her, then she looks back at Winter.

"I'll take the wind one. You can handle the fire types."

He simply nods and signals for Zayn to stop the vehicle, pulling out his pistol. He goes slightly off the road before hitting the brakes.

Winter looks down at Ray, knowing this is a great oppurtunity to show him what this life will be like.

"Make sure you watch closely."

"Y-yeah, i can do that."

Ray knows he must steady himself mentally for what's about to ensue, he's not quite sure if those "abominations" are as powerful as Nyx was, but this time it doesn't look like there will be a peaceful conclusion.

Winter and Tara slowly exit the van, Tara moving ahead without looking back at Winter.

He looks back at Ray.

"Are you scared?"

"A little..."

"Good. Fear is a tool for survival. You'd die if you met one of these on your own."