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Sunlit Hero
Once again, I found myself within the dark, oppressive embrace of the Itayó Forest. It seemed that escape from this place was impossible. We had crossed the police line barrier, and the lab was not too distant, but leaving the forest was out of the question. The area outside was swarming with people, and the blinding floodlights of the construction machinery pierced the night sky.
Anticipation hung in the air, amplified by the eerie chorus of machinery and voices. We cautiously navigated the forest, never straying too far from the lab, hoping to find any trace of Arlo. Ivory, Ryan, Lucía, and I maintained a close but silent distance from one another as we ventured deeper into the woods.
"Fuck." Ryan suddenly muttered.
"Ryan, did you find something?" I asked as I was the closest to him, but he didn't respond. His silence was unnerving, and I hastened toward him, paying no mind to the crunches of the leaves. As I approached him, I followed his gaze to the ground where Arlo's lifeless body lay, pale and still. "Arlo?!" I cried out.
I crouched beside him, and it was painfully evident that he was no longer alive. His throat bore gruesome marks, as though someone had strangled him. The memory of the shadowy tendrils from the night at the hospital flashed in my mind. Could it be him?
Ivory and Lucía arrived moments later, with Lucía emitting a choked sob. She knelt beside her brother, hands trembling as she gently touched his cold cheek. Despair settled over me as we mourned yet another loss.
"Take me to the hospital, Ivory," Lucía said, clutching Arlo's lifeless body.
"Lucía-"
"Just get me to the damn hospital!" Lucía's outburst was sudden and fierce, coinciding with the distant flashes of light from the construction site where the USC was at work
"Everyone, hold onto me. No one stays behind." Ivory commanded, and we all grasped her tightly as she teleported us to a parking lot next to a hospital. But this time the teleportation felt strained and heavier, it seemed for each person that Ivory teleports, it gets heavier for her.
Lucía silently made her way towards the hospital building. I wanted to say something, and offer comfort, but Ivory placed her hand on my shoulder, and I understood that silence was the best choice for now.
"Those cabrónes! Leaving his body out there like it's nothing! Let's go back, Ivory. We'll show them who's boss!" Ryan was seething, his anger spilling out.
"I don't think it was them, Ryan," Ivory responded calmly. "From the looks of it, he was strangled and left in the forest. That doesn't seem like the USC's style. But it is strange, indeed."
Ivory appeared lost in her thoughts, and it was clear she knew something. As my unease grew, I realized it was time to tell them about my encounter with the hooded man. "There's something I need to tell you all. One night, while I was in the hospital, a hooded man emerged from the shadows on the ceiling. He had whip-like black tentacles that emerged from his body. He warned me not to join the revolution, threatening that I'd die if I did. Before I could react, he covered my head with those black whips, and the next thing I knew, it was morning."
"You too, then," Ivory said, her voice calm and knowing.
Me too? Did she mean the hooded man had threatened the others as well? "Did he visit the rest of you too?" I asked, a sense of dread creeping in.
Ryan appeared baffled, it seemed that the hooded man hadn't approached him. That was a relief.
"Yeah, everyone in the group has seen someone like that lurking nearby, but he never directly confronted anyone as he did with you," Ivory replied, more lost in her thoughts than before. "This confirms it. We need to regroup and devise a plan to confront this threat. I'm not sure why he killed Arlo, but he must be connected to everything somehow."
"Ey! I'm here guys! I'm here, guys! What's going on? Who's following us and making threats? Let's fuck that cabrón ass!" Ryan' became agitated again.
"I'll explain it all later," Ivory said, "for now, I'll teleport you back to your homes, and we'll reconvene tomorrow. The entire group will be there, so, Ellion be prepared to show them what you've got." She winked at me as she spoke.
"He'll be just fine! If anyone can lead us, it's him!" Ryan reassured, placing his arm around my shoulder as he often did, considering he was taller than me.
I offered a nervous smile but kept my thoughts to myself. With Ryan's encouragement, Ivory's faith in me, and my promise to Nicholas' vision, the weight of responsibility was heavy. Yet, I had the night ahead to gather my thoughts and hopefully face tomorrow with less worry.
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(Next Day)
Fuck! I'm even more nervous than I was last night!
I couldn't sleep at all last night, my mind swarmed with endless scenarios for today. The weight of responsibility pressed down on me, and I couldn't shake the fear that I'd embarrass not just myself but also Ryan and Ivory. What could I possibly bring to the table as a leader?
"You look like you're on death's doorstep." Annabella's unexpected voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Why are you just sitting there, staring into nothingness? You must've left the hospital too soon."
"Hey, Annie. Do you think I'd make a good leader?"
Her response was predictably sarcastic. "Not really. You're too much in your head, and, well, you're kind of short."
"Yeah, you're right. I'll just end up making terrible decisions." That settles it, I won't go there.
"But I think you should join them and see where it takes you anyway." Her unexpected support caught me off guard. I gave her a puzzled look. "I spent the entire week with Ivory, and she told me everything. At first, I couldn't believe it, and I was pissed off inside, but eventually, it started to make sense. What Ivory and Nicholas saw in you, I've seen it too. You care deeply, but you keep your distance from people and society because you probably feel overwhelmed by the problems and your inability to fix them. So, you turn a blind eye, to avoid facing the harsh reality. But I saw a spark in your eyes the day you left with Ivory, and it was still there on the day of the hospital. You'll have a team guiding you."
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"Wow, so you're not the heartless machine I always thought you were." She then proceeded to pinch my arm, which made me jump. "Relax. Thanks, really. You've helped me more than you know. I always doubt myself in moments like this. You're the best, sis." We fist bumped then she walked to the kitchen as I turned on the TV, my mind finally a bit clearer.
The TV droned on, a constant backdrop in my sister's life, her supposed way to stay ahead of trouble, though it mostly kept her holed up inside. The news broadcast was focused on the Itayó Forest, " - LaBorda's son was murdered last night, reportedly in the Itayó Forest near the Union States of Columbia's lab. His daughter, Lucía LaBorda, brought the body to the hospital, but it was already too late. It's uncertain what repercussions this tragedy might have, considering that Senator LaBorda is the driving force behind the USC's presence in the area."
"Next up, the weather. How strong are the winds of the oncoming sto-"
What in the actual fuck? Senator LaBorda?! Lucía's father is the one who made the contract with USC to come here? This is bound to get ugly, and I could already sense it. Lucía must be devastated, and if she believes her father's actions led to Arlo's death...
I took out my phone to call Ivory, and as it began to ring, I heard Annie's yelp followed by the sound of shattering glass from the kitchen. I assumed Ivory had teleported in.
"Sorry about that, Annie! Whenever I think about your house, the kitchen just pops into my head, for some reason." I called out to her, and she responded quickly. "Hey, Ellion! You called?" She had a playful smirk on her face.
I hope teleporting doesn't become a habit. I do enjoy driving. "Hey, Ivory. So, I just saw the news, and they mentioned Lucía's father, Senator LaBorda?"
"Oh yeah! You didn't know that? Lucía's family has always been involved in politics. It was her mom who taught them about the old revolution and how it inspired her when she was younger. But she lost her mom and her older brother, Lorenzo, not long after. And now her little brother... I didn't want to say anything because she didn't talk about it much. But now, I think we have to go to Itayó. My phone has been blowing up about it. Everybody is already heading there." Ivory extended her hand, and as soon as I grabbed it, we were in the middle of the forest. There was already a significant gathering of people here, far more than yesterday. The news of Arlo's death must've reached everyone.
As we got out of the woods to join the growing crowd, Ryan jumped out of nowhere and tackled me. He was followed by the group he was with, seemingly everyone from Ivory's crew except for Kyriah. Charles, Yelena, Alexander, and Braden were here, along with someone who had a long ponytail and a sleeveless shirt, revealing his toned arms. I don't think I've ever seen him before.
"Hey, Ellion, long time no see. I'm glad you're doing better." Alexander hugged me, as the others gathered around me.
I was nervous, but I didn't have any fear. I saw the group's faces, and everyone, even Braden, greeted me with smiles and cheers as if I had known them for years.
"I'm Fabian, nice to meet you!" The sleeveless young man put out his hand for me to shake, and as I did, he put a lot of strength into it, abnormal strength, it stung my hand quite a bit. "Yeah, you took that as a warrior! You're definitely one of us, anyone normal would've fractured their bones a bit." Fabian said as he put on some dark shades. He looked rugged but fashionable, with long flowing dark hair that gave him a free-spirited look. He was tanned and looked like he lived an adventurous life.
"Let's leave the greetings for later. Is Lucía already here?" Ivory asked the group.
"Everyone is here, even the Senator," Charles said, pointing in the direction of the police line barrier.
I didn't see Lucía, but I could see a lot of police pushing the people behind the line, they had more armor and more weapons on. From behind the line, a tall man wearing a suit, the only one wearing it, was coming up the line, with a megaphone. That must be Senator LaBorda, Lucía's father.
"Citizens, please! You all need to calm down. The situation is not as it's being portrayed. Yes, my son Arlo was indeed found dead by my daughter, Lucía, but it wasn't at the hands of any officer or anyone from the Union States of Columbia! We have evidence, and footage proving they all remained at their posts throughout the night. There was some activity in the forest, but it was none other than my daughter discovering my son's lifeless body. I am devastated, but I came here to try to quell the situation. I don't want misinformation spreading!" Despite his words, the tone of his voice didn't carry the weight of someone truly grieving for his son.
Suddenly, the Senator fell silent, drowned out by the diminishing voices of the protesters. I scanned the area to figure out what was happening, and there she was, Lucía, with her fiery hair blazing, pushing through the crowd with a face reddened by rage.
"You don't care, do you? You've never cared for us. When Lorenzo died, you stood by and did nothing. And now you're going to do the same with Arlo? Worse, it's your fault he's dead, and you can't even take the blame for that!" Lucía yelled at her father.
Senator LaBorda lowered his megaphone and replied, "All of my children died the night your mother died. What I'm doing is for her, not for you."
Lucía began to emit an intense, golden-yellow glow as if the sun itself were radiating from her. "I'm doing this for her, and for us too." She raised her hand, and a burst of energy shot from it toward one of the machines behind the police line, blowing it up. The energy reminded me of the day we tore down the wall on the beach. She must've used her powers on that day too.
The workers scattered in all directions, while the police officers converged around Lucía. The Senator, realizing the danger, dashed towards an SUV parked in the landscape. As the workers fled their posts at the machinery, Lucía continued to unleash her energy, obliterating anything that belonged to the USC.
The police drew their weapons and aimed at Lucía, but the intense heat radiating from her body held them at bay. Then, as if the heat became unbearable, they all dropped their weapons simultaneously. She disregarded them and crossed the police line, continuing her rampage, destroying everything associated with the USC.
The voices of the protesters swelled with cheers and support for Lucía's actions. I glanced around and noticed all of us joining in, except for Ryan, who was strangely absent. I looked around the surroundings until I detected movement within the forest. There, I saw Ryan locked in a struggle with a hooded figure.
Without hesitation, I sprinted towards Ryan, pushing my way through the crowd. My heart raced as I darted through the forest, catching glimpses of him being dragged through the trees. Lightning sparked around him, aimed at the hooded man who relentlessly pulled him deeper into the woods.
"Ryan!" I called out, my voice a frantic shout. The hooded figure halted, turning its gaze, before finally releasing Ryan. As I drew closer, I watched as Ryan scrambled to his feet, sending a bolt of lightning toward the man. The lightning struck a nearby tree, setting it ablaze. Without hesitation, I unleashed a burst of ice from my hand to extinguish the flames.
The hooded man took advantage of the chaos and slipped away into the forest.
"OKAY! I didn't need a demonstration of what you guys were talking about the other day!" Ryan remarked, brushing dirt from his clothes. "That dude is either insanely strong or has some weird glue-like powers. It felt like I was stuck to him, couldn't break free!"
Glue-like powers? Not shadowy tentacles? Although I didn't get a good look at him, he didn't seem like the figure I had encountered in the hospital. I hoped there weren't two separate individuals hunting us.
"You okay?" I asked, concerned.
"Yeah, cabrón, I'm always okay." He replied with a thumbs-up.
We started walking back to the crowd, which had now scattered behind the police barrier. People began infiltrating the lab, rescuing the animals and plants within, just before Lucía unleashed her energy to obliterate the facility.
Lucía stood there, bathed in a sun-like aura, at the epicenter of the landscape. Now I understood why Ivory wanted her with us. She represented the dawn of a new era, showing our people's strength. She is now Vanity Island's new symbol of hope.
She is now Vanity Island's new symbol of hope [https://img.wattpad.com/ddbddcf6b15dfd48bb6c8c575814c3ca0a1191f5/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6c697a614d3246526f37464164513d3d2d313336303237313338392e313765376266353163623530383333373930383934333735363137382e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Name: Mauro Castillo (A.K.A. Braden)
Clemons Cell Ability: Gravity Manipulation
Character Info: A member of the revolution group. Confident and a bit narcissistic.