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Edges of the Spears
The room buzzed with tension as our discussion unfolded.
"We're going after him, now!" Cristofer's voice carried a fierce determination, his eyes ablaze with anger.
Ivory, as cool-headed as ever, replied, "You know we can't. We won't resort to abusing our powers. We'll find a way to get him back, but not through brute force. That'll make us look weak."
Cristofer's frustration was palpable. "Then how, Ivory?!"
Ivory's eyes glinted with a touch of inspiration. "Can't you see what's happening across the island? Mateos and these guys have made us known. People are learning about us, and they're rallying. We've even got a name, The Sunspears. I'm positive the people will stand together to free him."
Cristofer, though still visibly angry, seemed to pause for a moment. "You better be right. If he's not out in a week, I'll break him out myself."
Ivory's confidence remained unshaken. "We'll organize a protest tomorrow to demand his release. He didn't do anything wrong, and there's a video of him helping people. The public will gather together for this."
Cristofer turned to me, his eyes locking onto mine. He had come to Ivory with his anger about Mateos, and I felt a sense of resentment at the implication. He went to her as if I was a misbehaving dog and Ivory was my master. I'm the leader of this group and I made the decisions, the consequences should fall on me, not on her.
"You're not cut out for this. Nicholas would never have let them take him." Cristofer said.
"No, he wouldn't have. Worse, he would've saved him and probably gotten arrested himself. But I'm not Nicholas, and we need to stop comparing me to him. We're where we wanted to be. The government and the people know about us. We have a plan. Mateos made a heroic sacrifice, now, we can use this to rally the people and make us stronger. Next time, let your frustrations and anger out on me, I'm the leader here, and anything that happens, falls on me, not Ivory." I replied firmly, not wavering my eyes from his.
A wry smile crept across Cristofer's face. "To think, you're actually starting to believe you can lead a group like this." With that, he turned and left.
"You did well today." Ivory's reassurance was like a soothing balm to my rising self-doubt.
"Yeah, it was weird at first, but then it all came so naturally. Reacting and trying to protect the people, felt like that day at Solsticio Beach. That feeling is like no other." I said to Ivory. "Now we need to reconvene and divide ourselves into groups. But first, I need to know who's willing to go to the other towns to gather the people for the protest."
I had a plan in mind during the drive, but I needed to gauge our numbers. Cristofer and Kyriah remained elusive figures, and I wasn't sure where they stood in all of this. I know Cristofer doesn't believe in the cause, he still lingers here only to protect his group. And Kyriah is never here and I don't know where she stands in all of this.
"About that, we have one more person to add to the group. I don't know how you'll feel about this, but I believe it'll be a valuable addition." Ivory suddenly said.
Who could she be talking about? Could it be...?
"Ah, here they come now," Ivory remarked.
My gaze shifted to the entrance door, and I saw my little sister, Annabella, entering. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of her. "Annie?!" I knew she was referring to my sister. But Annie didn't possess any powers, or did she? We are related, so could she also...?
"Not your sister, sangano! Ivory pointed behind Annabella, and as soon as I saw him coming through the door, with his light brown hair and somber face, I recognized him. It was Max.
"Qué carajo is he doing here?!" It's not often the spanglish comes out of me but when it does, it's because my Vanitan blood is boiling.
"I didn't leave him at the police station, I didn't think it was a good idea. I was afraid the Cell Seekers would eventually come for him in his cell. Now he's joining us, He wants to." Ivory informed me, her tone indicating that the decision had already been made.
Annabella greeted me enthusiastically, jumping into my arms, and Max followed behind her. As he approached, he seemed to avoid eye contact and stared at the floor. I didn't know what to feel or say. A lot had transpired since the battle in Itayó. His mind could be anywhere.
He stood in front of me, slowly raising his head to meet my eyes. When our gazes finally locked, I noticed the redness in his eyes. He offered a smile and extended his hand, reaching for a handshake.
"Out of everyone, I'm glad it was you Nicholas entrusted his powers to. There's a lot I want to say, but someone's been teaching me to forget the past and look into the future. And I want to help you fulfill his dream." Max said, his voice tinged with a hint of vulnerability.
I didn't expect this response from him, but I understood. The important thing right now is looking at the future, and dwelling on the past wouldn't serve us well. I smiled at him and shook his hand firmly.
"Más les vale." Ivory teased, trying to foster good relations between us. I couldn't help but wonder who had been helping Max with his emotions.
Annabella approached us and asked, "So, have you guys made up?" Max and I both nodded, and I noticed a smile on Annabella's face as she gently placed her hands on Max's arm, looking proud. This took me by surprise and thoughts started popping up about him and my sister.
"Whoa, hey, are you guys...?" I began to ask when Max looked away, but Annabella quickly cut in.
"These past weeks, Ivory had told me to visit Max so that he wouldn't be alone while she was busy dealing with all the chaos on the island. During that time, we talked a lot. I tried to help him process his feelings. But I didn't do anything; it was all him."
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"Nonsense. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have dared to ask to join them, much less leave that house. I was ashamed, but you helped me get over it." Max said, looking at her with affectionate eyes.
Okay, so she helped him but this, I don't think I liked this. The growing closeness between them felt unsettling. I was about to express my concerns when Ivory stepped in.
"Okay! So, let's gather everyone to discuss the plan, shall we?" She ushered me towards the living room, where most of the group had assembled.
Alexander turned off the TV, and the room fell silent. "Vamos, jefe, what's the plan?" Ryan asked, putting me on the spot.
All eyes were on me now. "Well, hey, Sunspears!" I addressed them with a stiff expression. The group had grown in size since our early days. They now looked to me for a well-thought-out plan to rescue Mateos. "Now that we've established ourselves on the island, everyone knows about us and what we're capable of. There will be many who still won't believe in us, who will view us as a threat. But we have to change their minds. We'll divide into groups and go into different towns, gathering the people to stand up and join us in a protest to free Mateos." I noticed their expressions weren't exactly enthusiastic; they were likely hoping for a faster, more action-oriented plan.
"Remember, guys, we have to show them that we won't use our powers for our benefit, only to protect," Ivory interjected. "We're not here to take over the island; we're here to change it for the better."
"Exactly," I added, though the group still seemed somewhat dissatisfied. "It'll be a slow process, but without the people's trust, we won't be able to do anything. It's a start. Once most of the towns are on our side, they'll have no choice but to listen to us. After we free Mateos, our next step will be to have the people inside the government step down from their positions. But we'll discuss that further later on. Any questions?"
Fabian, of course, had something to say. "You're the leader, and we have to follow your orders no matter what. But I think we should just go in and get Mateos out while he's still in there. Who knows what they're going to do to him, or if they'll even let him leave? What if they send him to the USC because they can't control his power? Or something far worse happens? Anything can happen inside a prison. And he's just a kid who will definitely be treated as an adult because of his powers." His comment left everyone feeling uneasy.
"He won't use his powers to escape. I've only just met him, but from what I've seen, he's not the kind of person to use his powers to harm others." I responded.
Jessie, with her short, thin hair tipped in teal and her ever-present gloves, spoke up, "He won't use his powers. He'd probably prefer to follow Ellion's plan rather than resort to violence or a rescue mission. Knowing him well, he's likely excited that he could help others. I'm glad he could use his powers for that." A gentle smile accompanied her words, her eyes softening with a mix of pride and affection as she spoke.
"You're his girl, verdad?" Ryan asked Jessie, with a teasing grin.
Jessie blushed. "No! My powers are psychometry. I can learn a lot about someone if I make physical contact with them. Look." She leaned forward and touched Ryan's left cheek; he shuddered slightly, but nothing extraordinary happened.
Ryan's expression became awkward as Jessie playfully continued, "Oh, but now I know one of your secrets." A mischievous smile crossed her face. "Do you guys want to know where Ryan tried to shoot off some of his electric powers?" She asked with a laugh. Ryan's face turned completely red as he frantically tried to stop her, while everyone in the living room burst into laughter. It was heartwarming to see them all laugh together.
"Alright, guys. Let's start forming the groups. First, Ivory's group. I was thinking..." Before I could finish my sentence, Daniella started eagerly pleading.
"ME! ME! ME! ME! ME!" She practically yelled. "I want to be on her team! Please!" She continued, annoying me a little, and I shot Ivory a glance.
"Fine." Ivory sighed. "You can be on my team. What about you, Max? I'd like Max to be on our team as well." Ivory gave Max an inviting smile, and he nodded in agreement.
"I want Braden and Charles on my team, and also you," Ryan said, glancing at Jessie. "So that I know you won't spill any of my secrets to anyone."
Fabian stood up and announced, "Well, I guess it'll be Alexander, Yelena, Kyriah, and me," His tone oozed skepticism. "Are you going to join your favorite group, boss?"
"Actually, you're right, I think one of us should get to know the other group better," I replied, I didn't know what he had in mind, but I didn't want him to think he had any control in here. "So, Fabian, you'll join, Liam and Owen. Yelena, Kyriah, and Alexander will be in the last group, and Cristofer and I can jump from the group to add any helping hand you might need if Cristofer is willing to accept. Now that everyone has been assigned to their teams, let's discuss where each group will be going." Fabian's face twisted with annoyance. He seemed ticked off by this, good.
Suddenly, an alarm went off on Annabella's and Alexander's phones. They both looked at it, and Annabella rushed over, thrusting her phone in front of my face. "The storm! It's headed right for us!" The screen displayed a massive cloud with its projected path directly over to Vanity Islands' in two days.
"Storm? Since when?!" I asked out loud.
"They've been talking about it on the news for weeks. You just don't pay attention to that stuff." Annabella scolded me, and she was right. Whenever the news started to discuss the weather, my mind often wandered elsewhere.
A storm could seriously complicate matters here. If it's hitting us directly, it means we'll be without power for weeks on the island. Our power lines are all above ground, and almost every storm wreaks havoc on the electrical infrastructure. It's a regular occurrence, but it always disrupts life on the island for weeks and sometimes even months. Thankfully, the massive storms that hit us directly only occur every eleven to fifteen years, and the last one was about a decade ago. It seemed another one was due to hit soon.
"We'll have to use this to our advantage then," I suggested, "the people will be scared, of course. So, after the storm passes, we'll need to be there to help them with their needs." I glanced at Owen, who appeared somewhat confused. "Owen, you can "apparently" create objects out of thin air. Do you think you could make generators?"
As the group continued discussing how to help the people after the storm, each member contributed unique ideas. It was a good sign, but I hoped their enthusiasm would endure after the storm, as it could be worse than I anticipated, depending on its strength.
Ivory approached me, her expression concerned. "I haven't been able to reach Lucía. We need her for these plans to work. Most of the locals support her, and if she doesn't back us, they won't either."
"Don't worry," I reassured her. "She's the heart of the people, she's bound to appear soon. Speaking of missing people, where's Kyriah?" I asked Ivory.
She playfully poked me in the rib. "You like her, don't you?! I saw it in your eyes before. You've been dying to ask me about her since you got here. Don't worry, she's been working a lot these past few days. But I'll let her know you asked for her and that you also added her to a team." She winked and left me to join the lively group in the living room.
Ivory had a knack for assuming things, and this time, she wasn't far off. Kyriah had indeed sparked my interest when she visited me in the hospital. While it wasn't intentional to put her on a team, I must admit, I was looking forward to getting to know her better.
For now, I decided to join The Sunspears and their lively reunion. They were already opening drinks and preparing food. It seemed like this was going to turn into a brainstorming gathering, and I didn't want to miss it. We needed to enjoy this night because we had no idea when we'd have another opportunity without worrying about the government or the USC.
We needed to enjoy this night because we had no idea when we'd have another opportunity without worrying about the government or the USC [https://img.wattpad.com/850395e53c6a89bab54be1dcb1bad22d9522add9/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f58414236774530396d37787645513d3d2d313338343832333330332e313761616665386164636137343031663931313630313931333939352e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Name: Daniella Caya
Clemons Cell Ability: Super Speed
Character Info: She's very joyful and easy to make laugh. Always trying to be included in everyone's conversation, she's been seen speeding from one group talking to move in a second to another, to not miss out on the conversations. She's a fan of Ivory.