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Revelations

The group fell into a tense silence after Cristofer's revelation. Suspicion hung heavy in the air, and I couldn't blame my friends for their distrust. I found myself torn between wanting to trust him and needing to protect my own.

"Why should we believe you?" I voiced what everyone seemed to be thinking. "You claim he was part of your group, yet he's still wearing the same cloak. Which, by the way, looks very ominous and gives 'bad guys' vibes, so, sorry if we won't trust you right away." I said while Ryan and Charles taunted the newcomers.

"I told you the cloaks were stupid." The teen said to Cristofer.

He seemed unfazed by the comment and continued explaining himself. "I came here to warn you about him. But, there's more to it. I wanted to weaken your resolve to join Ivory and her group. If you did, they'd be without a leader, and they wouldn't be as involved as they are now, which leaves me with no other choice but to talk to you."

"Why not talk to us before? Are you against the idea of us forming a revolution?" Ivory questioned.

"It's not about the revolution itself," Cristofer replied, his tone intense. "It's about gathering people with Clemons Cells and exposing them to the world, pushing them to fight against the government. You're sending them to their deaths with false ideals," he said, clearly wanting to remain hidden from the public eye. It made sense; the general public still believed the videos of Nicholas using his ice powers in Bo'caní were fake. However, according to Ivory's plan, that wouldn't be the case for much longer. "And besides, talking to you would mean—"

"A TEAM-UP!" An excitable voice suddenly cut through the tension. We turned to see the other cloaked figure, who had vanished and reappeared next to Ivory. "I can't believe I'm meeting Ivory Vestalis! It's such a pleasure!" The hood fell back to reveal a girl with grizzly hair and freckles. "Do you mind if I take a selfie?" She pulled out her cell phone and began posing for pictures. However, she seemed dissatisfied with how she looked and instantly it looked like she teleported to the other side of Ivory, then back again, repeating this process at lightning speed.

"Cabrón... Super speed." Ryan muttered to Fabian.

"And, creating things out of thin air," replied.

Charles let out a nervous chuckle. "We would've been fucked, huh?"

"Completely fucked." Yelena agreed.

Cristofer's annoyance was clear as the teen antics continued. "Daniella, please, we're trying to have a serious conversation," he said in a demanding voice, trying to maintain some order.

"Oops, sorry Cris." In a blink, she had returned to her original spot. Her expression shifted to one of seriousness as she attempted to look intimidating.

Ivory couldn't hide her intrigue. "I don't know you, but it seems you know about the Clemons Cells. I never thought I'd encounter another group of people with the same cells as us. How did you all come together?" she asked.

"Cris saved us when we were young—" Daniella began to respond before Cristofer cut her off.

"That's enough. We don't need to divulge our stories, and we certainly don't need to hear yours." Cristofer declared firmly.

"Because you already know them." Ivory retorted, catching onto Daniella's earlier slip where she had mentioned her full name.

Cristofer took a moment before responding. "You're right, we do know everything about your group's daily lives and their abilities. However, we know very little about you. I can't say I don't trust you, but I don't like what you're doing—exposing us. You're well aware of whose attention you're going to attract."

"A coward for a leader? Now that is surprising." Ivory said, her voice laced with anger. "I'm fully aware of the consequences."

"But do they know?" Cristofer shifted his gaze to the rest of our group. "Do you guys know about the Cell Seekers? The special force dedicated to finding people with these unique cells and capturing them?"

"That's enough!" Ivory shouted, effectively silencing Cristofer. "I was going to tell them when the time was right."

"When there wasn't any turning back. I see what kind of leader you are." Cristofer commented coldly.

"That's why I'm not the leader." Ivory shifted her eyes towards me, and everyone else followed suit.

"Right. The legacy of Nicholas Everhart. What do you propose we do?" Cristofer directed the question to me.

I've grown accustomed to this, Ivory had a strength that I admired, but she preferred not to lead. It seemed I had become their voice, the one who would articulate our decisions. But I also had questions. Now that I remember, she does have two abilities, which means she had to kill someone with Clemons Cells, to obtain them, right? And now Cristofer mentions the cells too. He probably also knows who this Doctor Cyrus Clemon is. I needed more answers.

"I propose we focus on the most important issue here and not personal feelings— your rogue member," I replied calmly, trying to strike a balance between assertiveness and respect.

Cristofer's face darkened with irritation, and he turned to leave, vanishing into the shadows. His parting words hung in the air, "This same time tomorrow at your place. I'll meet with my group for discussions. I suggest you all do the same before then."

Daniella, with her boundless energy, waved goodbye to Ivory and flashed a peace sign at the group. "Let's go, Owen!" Owen, the teen who can create objects out of thin air, tried to yell something, but Daniella whisked him away in an instant.

I intended to give Ivory a look to let her know we needed to talk, but she was already looking back at me with a serious expression. She already knew.

-Back at Ivory's house-

I spent the night at Ivory's, and the rest of the group did too. However, my mind was too restless for sleep, a familiar occurrence when my thoughts raced ahead of me. I maneuvered through the slumbering forms of Ryan, Fabian, and Charles on the floor and made my way to the sliding glass door leading to the backyard. Outside, Ivory was already there, her silhouette faintly outlined by the dim moonlight.

"Do you ever sleep?" I asked as I slid open the door and joined her.

"Not when there's so much to think about," Ivory replied, her voice tinged with a mix of worry and intrigue. "So many possibilities and so little time. I need to be prepared for any situation that might arise. This thing with Cristofer... I never imagined it."

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. "I think it's about time you tell me everything, Ivory. I'm willing to risk my life for the group and to do that, I need to trust you completely. Right now, I'm finding it difficult."

"Everything happened so fast..." She turned to face me, her expression serious. "What do you want to know?"

Where should I start? "Let's begin with the so-called Cell Seekers. Who are they, and should we be prepared for them? Then there's Doctor Clemons. How do you know about him? And you have to tell me, what did you do to Gustavo?"

"So, you want to know everything, basically," Ivory remarked. "Fair enough, you are our leader, after all."

As she began to explain, I listened intently. "The Cell Seekers are exactly what Cristofer said. They're a unique police force created in the USC to subdue people with wild Clemons Cells. If Max hadn't stopped Nicholas, they would've eventually shown up. Two of them, to be precise. They always come in pairs."

They only sent two? I wonder if they have a really good weapon to fight against people with powers or...

The realization hit me, and Ivory nodded in confirmation. "Yes, they possess Clemons Cells themselves. But we're not using our powers to gain an advantage over the law or for destruction. We're going to use them to defend the people. That way, we might attract their attention, but they're not going to intervene as long as we don't use our powers against the government." Her voice wavered with uncertainty.

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"You don't sound too sure," I replied.

"They don't want to expose themselves to the public, and I'm taking advantage of that. Eventually, the world will know what Clemons Cells really do to people, and by that time, hopefully, the people will be standing with us. Rallying for us, if they ever try to come and capture us for our cells." Ivory's face was firm, truly believing in her plan.

Hopefully. The one word you constantly hear in a revolution.

"And Doctor Cyrus Clemons is someone who was very well-known decades ago." Ivory continued. "He used to work for the Cell Seekers, studying people with unique cells. He was the one who figured out how they mostly work, their nature to seek other cells and try to join as one. Honestly, it's all very fascinating in the book he wrote. It said they had a lot of different facilities around the world, all with different people from different places, children and adults alike, with these unique cells."

I was anxiously waiting to know about Gustavo, I needed to know what happened to that cabrón. "And Gustavo?..."

"He's with them," Ivory replied bluntly. "That's why I didn't tell you before. Explaining about them might have discouraged you from joining us. But now you know."

Mixed emotions swirled within me. Could it be true? How could I ever know for sure? And why wasn't I entirely relieved that he was taken care of? It felt like it wasn't enough.

"Hey, I'm sorry I didn't turn the guy into pieces!" She said as she noticed my troubled face.

"No! It's not that, It's just... "I just wanted him to feel what we felt, especially what Nicholas went through," I admitted, my voice laced with doubt. "Is it wrong for me to want him to feel our pain?"

"Trust me, Ellion. He suffered." Ivory stated with a tone that left me unsure whether she meant it literally or metaphorically. Either way, I didn't want to pry further. "Well, you got your answers. Now, you've exhausted me with all this serious talk."

"Wait, what about the group, are you going to tell them this?" I asked, thinking that all of them should know this.

"I just did," Ivory replied, her gaze shifting behind me towards the open sliding door. To my surprise, the entire group was sitting there, having overheard our conversation.

Ivory began to walk toward the sliding door, but I stopped her with one more question, "Your powers... You have two of them, teleportation and sensing others with these 'Clemons' cells. Did you have to...?" I trailed off, unable to voice the rest of my question.

She turned back, a sly grin on her face. "What makes you think I only have two?" With that cryptic response, she turned and went inside, leaving me to contemplate her words.

Kyriah had urged me to trust Ivory, and it seemed like everyone else did so easily. I would have to swallow my pride and doubts for now. We needed to stay united to fulfill Nicholas' vision. If only trust weren't such a fragile thing, maybe it wouldn't be so hard for me to do.

-LATER THAT EVENING-

The house was filled with people, each possessing unique abilities, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty. The potential for a full-scale battle loomed in the air, so I knew my only option was to pursue peace, hopefully.

In the room, Ivory, Ryan, Fabian, Yelena, Alexander, and Braden were all present, sitting together. On the other side of the room stood Cristofer, Owen the kid who can create things out of thin air like a blueprint, the speedy teen girl, Daniella, and three newcomers—Jessie, Liam, and Mateos, all of them looking more or less the same age. We faced each other as if it was a standoff, the tension building each second.

"I just don't think it's fair, cabrón! How come they know all about our powers, and we don't know shit about them, and you let them come here?" Ryan had been complaining non-stop all morning, primarily directed at Ivory, but she seemed to be ignoring him. The rest of the group shared his sentiments but remained silent, perhaps waiting for me to make a decision that would inevitably be my responsibility. Fabian and Charles, in particular, appeared poised to seize any opportunity to intervene.

Daniella tried to defuse the situation. "No! Don't be like that! Please trust us! We voted and reached an agreement. We're here to help with the revolution." she said cheerfully.

I turned my attention to Cristofer to see his reaction, this was the exact opposite of what he would've wanted. He maintained a serious expression, confirming that they had outvoted him. "Is that true, Cristofer?" I asked him.

"Only so that we can capture Davos more easily," he replied, his words laced with reluctance. It was evident that this wasn't what he had wanted.

"That doesn't mean we will accept your help, just like that. You came out of nowhere and attacked us first, We don't trust any of you." Fabian said and Ryan agreed loudly.

"I trust them." I declared, stepping closer to Cristofer and the others. "Not at first, of course. But something Ivory said made it click. And she knows it too. You need to be more observant, Fabian. Cristofer's main goal is to protect them because he saved them from somewhere, didn't you?" I noted the widening of Cristofer's eyes, confirming my suspicion. "Now it's our turn to get to know all of you."

All eyes were on Cristofer, waiting for him to say something, but he hesitated to speak.

"He saved all of us." Liam, finally, broke the silence in an elegant voice. Liam had short, neatly trimmed hair and medium-brown skin. He looked attentive and curious.

Owen then spoke as well, "We lived in a facility, along with other kids like us, where they conducted various experiments. We were called Project Mendel, where they tested the reactions of our Clemons Cells to the absorption of the same blood-"

"Yes, I saved them. You don't need a recap of their childhood." Cristofer interjected, his tone more serious.

"Maybe they don't need it, but we do." I retorted.

Cristofer grew more serious, but Daniella placed a reassuring hand on his arm, quietly offering her support.

"Fine." Cristofer conceded, standing up. "My name is Cristofer Leach. When I was a young teen, the Cell Seekers invaded our home, capturing my parents and the littlest of my two brothers. My other brother and sister managed to escape, but even though I was the oldest, I... I used my powers to hide until it was all over."

"The Leach family." Ivory exclaimed to the group, "The only family documented by Dr. Clemons who had Clemons Cells and lived a normal, healthy life. Your parents were the foundation for his studies. Supposedly, they lived in peace after being released from the facility."

"Supposedly," Cristofer repeated. "Filled with regrets, I had a small recollection of where the facility was, from when I was a kid, so I went there in search of my family. But it was abandoned. I found notes pointing to other facilities, but I was eventually captured. It took some sacrifices, but the group I was with, older kids from another project, managed to escape. We devised a plan to free all the children in the other facilities. Gradually, we managed to free some, but, once again, the Cell Seekers found us. They recaptured all of us. However, a close friend of mine sacrificed her life for me to escape. Once again, I was alone. I tried one more facility, hoping to free my friends once more, but I found them." Cristofer gestured toward his group. "These children, no more than ten years old. They needed to be liberated and protected, and that's what I'm going to do, no matter what."

He was a man whose hope had been crushed many times in his life. He wanted me to understand that he was ready to lay down his life for them.

"Don't worry; I've got a plan for us to collaborate," I reassured him, even though I was mostly improvising on the spot. "With your group joining us, we can divide ourselves throughout the island, focusing on different capitals and protests, lending a hand wherever it's needed. But we need a name, something that unites us and makes our purpose clear."

The room fell into a contemplative silence as everyone mulled over possible names. Daniella broke the silence with her enthusiasm, suggesting names like "The Ivory Revolt! Or The Emeralds of the Island. You know, because of Ivory's hair." She said confidently about her options.

Suddenly, the room was buzzing with suggestions, each person sharing their ideas out loud. The lively discussion was cut short by Alexander, an unusual occurrence since he was usually glued to his phone. He showed us something he had found.

"Take a look at this!" he said, revealing his phone. On the screen, a video showed Senator LaBorda making an announcement.

"We have decided, for the safety of everyone, to no longer tolerate acts of rebellion against the government. These actions only lead to more crime and destruction on the island. We will not allow such acts to continue. We will arrest anyone caught engaging in revolutionary activities, starting with the arrest of Lucía LaBorda."

"There you have it citizens of Vanity, now back to the oncoming storm repo-"

"We need to do something," I said out loud. Lucía, his daughter, was declared a criminal by her father. This was our cue to confront him, to let him know we were here to protect the people no matter what.

"Before you go." Cristofer interrupted. "You have to know about our rogue member." His tone turned serious, and his group fell quiet as he began to speak.

"Among the children I saved, there was one older than the rest who called himself Davos. The experiments changed him. He was always a bit troubled, even among us, but he was just a kid. A few weeks ago, he got into an argument with Zeke, another member of our group and he killed him, absorbing his powers as well." A somber mood settled in the room.

I knew very little of how Clemons Cells work, but the basic knowledge meant that this Davos now wields two abilities, making him a formidable threat. I needed to understand more about his capabilities. "And what are his powers?"

"Zeke had magnet-like powers, controlling positive and negative forces. He could touch someone and an object, and they'd be drawn toward each other, like magnets. Davos has the power to alter his appearance, though he struggled to perfect it. After the experiment, his power intensified and now with Zeke's cells, we don't know the extent of his abilities at this point." Cristofer explained with growing concern.

Ryan's earlier experience of feeling stuck to him now made sense. And if Davos can alter his face, how can we find someone like that?

"Ivory, I'm taking the car." I declared, and her eyes met mine, reflecting a confused gaze.

" I declared, and her eyes met mine, reflecting a confused gaze [https://img.wattpad.com/97655da8bc36382cc1600f9b9ce726f491a05069/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6263474c6154726b583236794a413d3d2d313336383736303934372e313761616638356362636435353462373730353733343133353033332e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

Name: Fabian Delgado

Age: 25

Clemons Cell Ability: Super Strength

Character Info: He is always doing something new or looking for adventures around the island. He is very passionate about the island's beaches and the rainforests. People love being around him because they feel motivated as he is always trying to lighten the mood and look for the bright side of things.