David was sitting in the truck waiting for Gabe to get in. Opening the door and looking at David. "Liam?" He asked as David started to drive away from the school.

"Yeah," David said as he sat in the silence of the vehicle. Being bumper to bumper in traffic. Gabe just sat in silence looking out the window of the truck.

Eve was sitting in the car in front of them. She just sat with her eyes looking in the rear-view mirror seeing David's face, she scoffed. Her mother turned down the music, "What're you huffing and puffing about?"

"Nothing" Eve turned up the music and took her eyes off the rear-view mirror, and to her phone. Still no notifications other than her subscription to a new book release. Her mother darted at her eyes and took her phone from Eve.

"Don't start with me!" Eve's mother said. Eve became anxious and angry all at once. "Is it the boys behind us?" Eve stayed silent. "Why can't you be friends with better people? When I was your age..." Eve tuned her out, she was tired of hearing how popular and better than Eve was when she was in high school. She never understood where everything went wrong, they treated her like an outcast ever since Eve had her first incident. Traffic soon was able to continue. Eve's mother turned the car straight on towards the richer suburb of the city. David's truck veered to the right as he headed to the middle-class side of town. Eve kind of wished she had gotten out and asked David for a ride anywhere else but home. Maybe she was being too hard on him, he was just being nice. He had been the only person to treat her normal other than Liam, who made her feel like she was walking on water.

David and Gabe hopped out of the truck, grabbing their bags. "Hey Gabe, don't tell anything to Dad about Liam, I'll let him know afterward," David said stopping his brother in his tracks towards the patio before opening the door. Gabe put the keys in the door not saying a word.

"You don't always get to tell me what to do, y’know I'm grown too," Gabe said as he started inside the house. Their father wasn't there, he didn't get home from work for an hour or two after they had gotten off school. "Sorry, it's just a bummer to think about is all." Gabe shrugged his shoulders and dropped his backpack on the floor as it made a metallic crash.

"You got to be more careful with that," David said as he darted for the fridge. "So, are you going to help me kill these leftovers before work, or are you going to sulk?" David was hiding his emotions, at one point Liam was his best friend. However, Liam just fell off the Earth, their goals no longer aligned. He hated the thought of potentially having to kill him.

David’s father, James was washing his hands of the oil that stained his wrinkly brown hands. He looked up at the mirror, mumbling under his breath, "Thank you Jesus for this day." He dried his hands and left the bathroom. The shop was filled with R&B Music from the eighties and nineties. He was wearing his blue jeans and a white t-shirt. Smiling and laughing with workers.

"Mr. James, we got a customer’s up front." One of his employees said.

"Oh right, I'll be right there." James grabbed his gray button-up shirt and started for the door. Eve's mother was standing at the front desk waiting, Eve was sitting in one of the chairs waiting. "I apologize for the wait, busy busy day." He started, "My name is Mr. Locklear, but everyone just calls me Mr. James. How can I help you." Eve looked over at him from afar.

Blanking out the rest of the conversation, she was contemplating where she heard the name Locklear from. Finally occurring to her, he must have been David's father. After they had finished talking about business, Eve's mother had begun telling James that they were new to town. "Oh, so you, young lady must be going to La Mirada High?" He asked. "My son goes here, David, maybe you met him?" James was always excited to meet new people, offering his hand out to a handshake.

Eve smiled and stood up, she never met anyone so friendly. "Yeah, I met him." Walking over to shake his hand. "Speaking of, is he here?"

James looked confused at first, "Why would he be..." He suddenly stopped after realizing what he was saying. "I apologize, he just got off school, no? He only works weekends. Do you want his number or something?"

Eve just laughed before being cut off from her mother. "No, she doesn't need that." She laughed awkwardly.

"I'm only joking, girls should be the last thing on his mind." James said, "He's leaving for the military."

"I hope my daughter would be wiser to choose someone with a more, prestigious occupation." Her mother said. James quickly overcomes with offense and then smiled.

"Well, I hope you have a good one, but I don't need your business here," James said offering his hand to the door. Eve's mother just scoffed and started out the door.

"If I can get that number before my mother goes ballistic. I'd appreciate it." Eve said quickly pulling out a pen and paper. James just looked at her and began writing.

"He may not answer after nine at night and Mija, respect your mother but don't let her control you," James said as he handed her back the paper and pen. When she touched his hand, James’ single jewel on his necklace began to glow slightly blue. Neither of them noticed. Eve left the building after saying goodbye to him. He had seemed familiar, as she did to him.

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David and Gabe were blasting classic rock as they were eating and speeding through their homework, pulling most answers for math and science off of their computers. Most called it cheating, but they just saw themselves as resourceful. "Dad's home," Gabe said with his mouth full of a chorizo and egg burrito. The lights came flooding in through the window into the kitchen.

"Hope he had a good day because I don't think I can handle any more drama on my plate." David said as he closed his laptop.

"You know what I can handle more of on my plate? More burritos." Gabe laughed as he began prepping his plate with another tortilla.

"Save some for dad, Man." David stood up and began to prepare a plate for his father who was coming through the door.

"Dad doesn't need as much food as us alright. I burn more calories thinking than he runs a mile." Gabe said as he poured more food on both plates.

"Boys!" He yelled as he came into the kitchen, "Dang, save some for me!" David just looked over at Gabe who already had the burrito in his mouth. Shaking his head in disappointment, He handed the plate over to his father.

"How's your day, dad?" David said gathering his paperwork and turning on the TV to the movie channel for his father. David always felt he had to take care of his dad to make his life a little easier. He knew it couldn't be easy with Gabe and his nights out every day, especially without their mother.

"Ah it was alright," he said sitting on the couch and taking off his boots. "I should be asking, how your guys' first day of school was?"

"Boring," Gabe said before bellowing out a sigh. "Except, David met a new psychotic girlfriend."

"She has blue hair?" James asked kicking his feet up and beginning to eat. David looked at him taking estrange how he had known already.

"How do you know her?" David asked, "And she's not my girlfriend, just a friend."

"Ah her mother came in today, very rude lady, but she's very beautiful, God bless her," James said eating. Their father was a very Christian man, doing his best to forgive others. That's more than can be said than most followers. "Just be careful Mijo, I can tell she has a lot going on." David sat down next to him sighing.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Gabe joked taking a drink of water and handing David a packet of electrolyte powder. David grabbed it quickly and pulled out his bottle of water.

"Trust me, I have priorities. Besides, she's not my type." David said as Gabe turned over to him and peered his eyes full of disbelief.'

"I'm not going to touch on that," Gabe said smiling and beginning to drink from his water bottle.

"Regardless, remember what I always taught you boys, protect your heart..." David and Gabe joined in with him almost mockingly, "Because your mind can fix your heart, but your heart can't fix your mind." James smacked his lips. "Alright, never say I didn't tell you so."

"It's not that I don't believe it, just you say it all the time." David laughed taking a drink, "We need to start getting ready." David stood up.

"Can't you boys just take the night off? Feels like we barely get time together." James said knowing the answer before asking.

"Sorry dad, we have to help pay those bills." David smiled. "We have Saturday night off, so don't worry."

"Sounds like a plan," James said with his eyes turning back to the TV, he worried for his sons but also honored who they were. He knew they were the greatest at their job, but it didn't make the worry any less. Gabe and David headed to their backyard, closing the door behind him.

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Eve was closing her locker, wearing a black hoodie with a logo of a band on it. Slinging her backpack across her shoulder, her lips sitting at a natural smile as she walked down the hallway. Suddenly someone jumped on her back, wrapping her arms and legs around Eve. "Eve! I missed you." She hoped down off of her and started walking next to her. Eve just laughed as she turned to hug her friend.

"Jess, it's only been a weekend. We even went out on Saturday." Eve said smiling.

"Still, I missed you!" Jess said picking her backpack off the ground. The hallways were enclosed, students filled the paths on their way to class. Eve looked around.

"Have you heard from Tyler?" She asked as they made their way down the halls.

"Oh, no, he hasn't talked to me," Eve said looking around, she became filled with anxiety. Tyler used to be a close friend of hers, until a few weeks ago, when he tried to get too handsy with her.

"Well, that's a bummer." Jess said sadly, "Liam has been asking for you." She put her hands together.

"Jess, who's Liam," Eve asked, the room around her started to creek.

"Liam, he's over there." Jess pointed out. "You stupid whore!" She screamed out in panic. Eve looked over to where Liam was standing, everything around her turned to black and white, slowing in motion. Suddenly Liam was standing over her with his hand on her chin.

Eve's eyes began to well, she turned to Jess who had begun to turn into ash. "Jessica!" She cried in a bloody murder. Dropping to her knees, soon everything else turned to dust and ash. The school soon fell into rubble. Liam was still standing, soon dropping to his knee, and grasping her shoulders.

"Come with me, and I can teach you how to control it, you can save the ones you love." He said bringing his lips to her ear. "You will be unstoppable."

Eve immediately woke up in a panic, her head resting in her hands. She looked out the window, checking her phone again, nothing but a message from Jessica which read, 'We miss you.' Eve threw her phone to the ground and got back to her homework before she could read the rest of the message. She could feel a rage stir up inside of herself.

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David and Gabe reentered the house, both wearing a pair of gray cargo pants, black hoodies,

and gaiter necks below their jaws. A long, thin, black multi-cam pouch sat on the back of their belts. James was asleep with his arms crossed in his recliner. Gabe grabbed a blanket out of one of the closets. David grabbed the TV remote, turning it off along with the lights in the living room. Gabe and David worked together in wrapping him in the blanket, almost routine. They pressed their lips against their father's forehead. "Be safe, boys." It was routine for them.

"Always," David replied quietly, this time was different. He couldn't bring himself to tell his Father about Liam, he couldn't bear to see him in pain, never again. The rest of the evening was filled with Eve doing homework and watching the streetlights turn on outside her window. Grabbing her phone off of the ground. She decided to text David, 'Hey, it’s Evelyn.' She didn't know what she was doing, she just knew she needed someone to talk to. David pulled out his phone, estranged at the random message. Quickly after she sent a message that read, 'I'm sorry, it's late lol I just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out.' David started to think to himself about her.

"What is it?" Gabe asked him as they were sitting at a park bench.

"Taylor, she wants to hang out."

"Well, tell her tough titties, you'll see her at school." Gabe shrugged his shoulders. David just nodded, he agreed with his brother, he just couldn't help to know if she was okay.

"Yeah, you're right." David unlocked his phone and began to text back, 'Can't tonight, is everything okay?' Pressing send and keeping his eye on the conversation.

Eve looked at her phone leaving David's message on reading as she just closed it and set it on her desk. She felt so alone, David was the only person remotely able to talk to. David read the receipt on his phone and put it in his pocket, he wasn't going to message her further. If it had been an emergency, she would've said more.

Her mind started to be filled with Liam's voice about the billiard house. She started scratching her arms as if she were having withdrawals from a type of drug. Her lamp began to lift off the ground, floating around her as well as small items littered across her desk. Eve had her eyes closed, tears welling up which began to levitate around her. Shaking back and forth mumbling to herself. She looked as if she was a sun, objects orbiting her like planets.

Her parents were sitting together watching TV, as her father was reading notes on his phone, he began to feel a slight resistance as the phone began to leave his grip. Her mother had been drinking wine from a glass, suddenly a crack appeared. Quickly her mother threw the glass as it crashed on the floor out of fear of ruining her clothes with red. "Dammit!" Her mother yelled and started up the stairs. Swinging Eve's door open, "Why can't you just stop!" She yelled before quickly slapping Eve. Eve fell out of her chair as everything crashed to the ground.

Soon her father appeared in the doorway. "Judith!" He yelled, trying to intervene he was frozen still.

Eve slowly stood up from the debris surrounding herself. "You don't need this." Liam's voice said softly in her head. Judith raised her hand at her daughter, Eve caught it. peering up from the hair in her face, eyes turning an electric blue color. Her mother's face was painted with the terror of her daughter.

"You feel it too?" Gabe said to David. David quickly stood up and looked at the sky. They both darted off the bench and began running to the shipping buildings nearby.

"Evelyn, stop it!" Judith screamed Eve raised her other hand, tears running down her face. In almost an instant, her mother and father have pushed away in a heavy force across the hallway into a wall. Knocking them out instantly. Eve looked at her parents taking a pause in regret, she looked at her backpack, emptying it of all her school supplies. Darting to her closet and started packing the bag full of whatever clothes she grabbed in a hurry. Throwing on a pair of shoes and headed outside the door, taking one last look at her parents, feeling as if this were the last time, she would see them.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. Quickly left the house and began running faster than she ever had before. She didn't know where to go, the only thing that was in her head was to go to the Billiard Club.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Virgil, I'm in pursuit. Need you to tell me where to go." David said running through the alleyways of the city.

"If she was compromised by Liam, my best guess is his hangout on Telegraph," Virgil said came in through their earpiece.

"That's too far from our position. Need a pickup." David said as Gabe straddled his back against the wall. David stepped on his thigh launching himself up onto the roof. Reaching his hand behind himself to grab onto Gabe's, slinging him onto the ledge. The gusts picked up as David pulled out a cloak over his shoulder, it was green with a black hexagonal pattern. Gabe did the same, but he was a dark navy blue, sharing the same pattern as his. A glowing light appeared above them, they looked at each other and nodded, jumping inside. The light quickly faded and dashed away.

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Eve was walking down the street; hoodie draw strings pulled tight so no one could look at her. Every eye-like car that passed by her felt nothing less than paranoia. Sirens and lights traveling made her think they were coming for her. Eve was truly alone, looking at nothing but her phone for directions to the club. The closer Eve found herself, the stronger Liam's voice felt. Tears rolled down her face, she didn't know whether to feel horrible for what she did to her parents or happy. They had always belittled her for what she felt was a curse, maybe if she didn't have this power, they would have loved her more.

She found herself soon in front of a bar with a large glowing sign that read, '8 Ball Billiards House and Bar.' Liam's voice soon dominated her mind, "Come in." He said to her. Completely seduced and entranced by his words. Everything else seemed to disappear. Eve took her sleeve and cleaned the tears from her face. As she started down the pathway where a bunch of men was drinking outside on the patio. A large gust of wind began to pick up, swinging the flags around, people grabbed onto their hats and the fence to regain their stability. Eve didn't think too much of it, although seeming supernatural. She had enough of crazy for one night.

The bouncer out front looked at her, "I don't even need to see ID to know that you're not old enough." He smiled pulling out a marker. "Hands please." He said. She was confused, not knowing why she needed to have her hands drawn on like it was an amusement park with those stamps. She brought her hands up innocently, the bouncer quickly drew a cross pattern on the back of her left hand. "Drinking is downstairs, teens upstairs for pool." He said opening the door for her. Looking like a lost puppy, Eve just nodded as she entered the building.

Country music began to fill the halls, people dancing, and a few others drinking or eating at the scattered tables and bar. She wouldn't be caught dead here, unless if it weren’t for Liam. Eve turned her head to the right where the stairs circled up to the second floor. Second-guessing herself, she started up the stairs. She felt crazy, almost as if her conscience were telling her this was a dumb idea.

Liam's voice broke through again, "Come upstairs." His voice echoed in her mind; she was back into a trance.

"Go home" Gabe's voice soon came into her head. She was taken back; she didn't know whose voice that was, but it felt real and not as seductive as if it were her own conscious. She ignored it and continued upstairs. Finding people more of her age, some were extremely young, however. Feeling herself being watched, she turned around and found Liam watching her, waving his hand from Eve and back to him. She immediately did as he commanded. She felt a battle raging in her mind.

"I can't do anything, not with Liam being closer to her." Gabe said as he mediated on the floor of the interior of a dark room with monitors along the walls, "Liam is persuasive, I can only talk. He’s going to win this battle."

David started over to the door, "I'm going in there." David said. Virgil peered over from the cockpit.

"And what? Have a battle with Liam in the middle of a bar?" Virgil said sarcastically. "Patience." Virgil was right, David knew he couldn't do anything that would compromise The Order. They had remained in silence for this long.

Eve sat down next to Liam who was in a booth to himself and two other men. Both were well-groomed, especially Liam. She felt comfortable and the opposite all at the same time. She was conflicted in all of her emotions. Not knowing what to say she rubbed her sweat-covered hands on her jeans. "I know who you are Evelyn," Liam said putting his arm around her shoulder. "There's no need to be nervous."

David opened the back ramp on the VTOL hovering above the building. Mentally preparing himself. Looking down upon the cityscape, taking a deep breath. Everything was happening so fast for him to comprehend. Feeling as if his whole world was shaking. He pulled his hood over his head and brushed his cloak over his arm.

"How do you...?" Eve was cut off from her words.

"Know who you are?" Liam smiled passing her a drink, "What if I had told you, everything you are, is a mere speck of the world around you." He locked eyes with her. "You are by far greater than you can possibly imagine. Thinking your entire life that you were a freak, the gazes you see as if they were words being spoken to you. You are far more special than the average man or woman." Eve was entranced by his eyes. She was once again seeing her past. All of the punishments and the way she was hated for being who she was, by her own family, by her own friends. "What if the world around you was controlled by a group of powerful men and women like us?"

"What am I?" She asked.

"Come with me and I will show you," Liam smirked. He offered his hand to her. She hesitated at first. "I can make you see things that you couldn't even possibly imagine.

"Don't do it." David's voice entered her mind. She was taken back by the surprise. However, her decision remained unchanged, she took his hand as he began to stand up. Pulling her closer to himself, they took their leave. The two other men followed closely behind them. Liam took her towards the back of the room and outside the emergency exit. Eve's mind started to be full of doubt, was she ready to leave her old life behind. Was she ready to say goodbye to her family and friends? She began to think of her options.

Gabe stood beside David and placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. Breaking David out of his thoughts, a tear rolling down his face from his eye. Gabe nodded his head, Liam and David were best friends at one point. Gabe couldn't understand what his brother was feeling.

Liam walked outside onto the rafters and started down the stairs with Eve. It was dark in the alleyway; a few cars littered the parking lot. Eve took a deep breath, once, at the bottom of the stairs, she was able to break free of the trance. "Where are you taking me?" Liam tried to dominate her mind again but couldn't, he felt Gabe's power in the air.

"Somewhere safe. They sent others to kill you."

"Why would they send someone after me?" She had asked.

"They work for the dark," Liam stated his composure, and his patience was breaking down.

"They are afraid you'll hurt anyone else." Speaking quickly, he soon felt both of the brother’s presence. He wasn’t afraid of either of them. He feared them together.

"Who are you talking about?" She clinched her fists as the asphalt below her began to crack.

Her patience wore thin, tired of all of the confusion and not receiving answers.

"Why don't you leave the girl alone? Let her choose." David's voice broke from the quiet from the concrete steps that head leads up to the neighborhood. A dim light illuminated both David and Gabe. Eve turned in shock with Liam and his friends to the right, David and Gabe standing to the left. Her hands still clinched.

"David?" She called out to him, "What're you doing here?"

"Are you hurt Evelyn?" David asked, making a visual inspection of her condition from afar. She nodded her head slowly, completely confused. She didn't understand what was happening around her.

Liam regained his composure and drew his arms outwards to his sides. "David, Gabriel!" He called out, "How are you guys?" Liam was trying to use his persuasion dominance; however, Gabe was casting a mental shield around Eve, David was far too powerful to fall for his deception. David could feel Liam’s change in energy. There was no doubt about it anymore. He wasn’t the same.

"Don't even try it," Gabe said. Liam took a step closer towards the two brothers. Immediately stopping when he noticed their arms shuffled slightly under their cloaks. Liam chuckled under his breath. Eve felt as if she should leave, she had no business being there. Her thoughts conflicted with her, she just wanted to go back to her old life, but she had wanted to know who or what she was since she was a child.

"So that's how it's going to be then, David." Liam said, "We were friends once."

"Yeah," David replied sternly, "Yet you still fell from honor." Liam took a deep breath, unbuttoning his collared shirt, slowly revealing what appeared to be a chest rig. His two friends followed suit.

"You’re afraid of power David, you always have been." Liam dropped the collared shirt on the floor, wearing a black tank top and the chest rig. Eve noticed that he had a silver and gold rod-looking object hanging from one of the buckles. "It's never too late to join me."

"I knew you could never handle Kaitlyn’s death," David replied slightly shuffling his hand from a pouch on the back of his belt. Liam's smile dropped; David knew he'd struck a nerve.

"Come on already, we outnumber them, we can take them." His friend said taking the rod from his buckle. "There's three of us and two of them."

The other mirrored him. "Relax Bravo, these guys are The Watchers. Let alone, the brothers." Eve took a step backward; she began to notice what appeared to be a field of energy surrounding both parties. Liam was surrounded by what looked to be red and black electricity with hints of yellow. Turning her head to David and Gabe, it was more serene with green and blue waves surrounding them, more controlled, peaceful. She didn't understand what any of this was that she was seeing. Who were the Watcher's that the other referred to? What was so special about David and his brother? All these questioned swarmed her head. Her eyes continued to stay locked on Gabe and David.

"How do we take this," Gabe asked his brother through their mental connection.

"Stay defensive," David said knowing they were outnumbered, they had to play it safe especially with Liam being there. Knowing he was a master of the broadsword style. "Once we get rid of the Acolytes, we can break." Gabe nodded acknowledging his brother, David understood strategy, he never doubted him either. Both mirror each other in unison, placing their opposite legs more forward in front of the other. They sensed Liam's fear. Liam knew he'd have to win fast, his two companions offered only a decimal advantage. Pulling out a handheld device, he smiled, "They'll be here soon." Pressing a button made the screen flash green. This made the situation a little more complicated, the two of them needed to end this fast, David couldn't see a way of just kidnapping Eve. Gabe knew he and his brother were expert guardians, but not even a knight could handle more than four acolytes on his own.

"They're not going to move," Gabe said, "we need to strike soon, or we won't have a chance."

"Patience," David said watching them sternly. "Virgil, prepare for escape." David looked over at Eve, "Evelyn, come with us. We'll keep you safe." She looked at him with wide eyes, she couldn't remember if anyone had ever been concerned for her safety.

"Enough!" Bravo yelled out, "I'm tired of talking." He pushed his rod out to the side of his body, a large sword. Zweihander was the type that David recognized. He infused his blade with his red energy.

"No!" Liam yelled at him, but it was too late, Bravo was already sprinting, preparing to strike with full force against David. David just smirked slightly, immediately drawing a viridian green broadsword as Bravo tried to deceive him with an overhead swing. David stepped to the side, clashing his blade against Bravo's. Bravo didn't understand how fast David had moved. Gabe followed quickly puncturing Bravo's chest with a light blue katana. Bravo spat blood out on David's cloak which covered his face after his attack was blocked. Falling to his knees, David and Gabe in sync removed his hands from his bulky arms. Eve was in shock over the lightning but smooth movements of the two. Never seeing such violence before, she pushed it to the back of her mind.

Liam gritted his teeth, knowing fully that Gabe could surely handle Charlie. Could he quickly eliminate David? How fast would he have to be? "Now?" Gabe said.

"You do what you do, quickly get rid of that acolyte," David said. Gabe reversed his grip on his blade, holding it backward. David prepared his footing and started towards Liam. Liam ignited his corrupted yellow broadsword and dashed after David. David took a deep breath, Liam and he used to be close friends, almost as close as Gabe. However, after the death of Kaitlyn, Liam fell apart, losing his morals. David blamed himself, he had to deceive him. In return, he turned away from the Order, David was tasked with stopping Liam, peacefully or violently.

Gabe took an acrobatic movement against Charlie. Charlie igniting his crimson saber went for a swing in Gabe's path. Immediately dropping to his legs to slide under, taking a swing at Charlie’s feet. Quickly jumping. "Dammit, who is this kid?" Charlie realized he couldn't be careless, however feeling a life soon leave Bravo's body. He fueled himself with anger. Gabe jumped back to his feet blocking a strike to his rear. Twisting his body around his blade, swiped away his opponent's blade. They continued to clash ferociously.

David was focused on a strong defense, Liam tried to attack but was repealed every time. "Strike me." Liam cried as he continued to attack heavily, he wasn't expecting David to not attack him. David continued to block every attack, that was thrown at him. Liam was sloppier than he had been before. Were his anger and hatred throwing his game off? David didn't know, he hesitated multiple times to remove the hands of his once friend. Liam attacked again with a stabbing thrust towards David, quickly the effort was blocked once more. David shifted around him as Liam stumbled and dropped to his knees.

"What is this?" David said, "I know you can do better." Trying to stall to find a way to convince his friend to quit with his effort. Liam grinned and quickly hopped back to his feet. Swinging his yellow blade at David. Blocking it immediately before it had hit his face. The two blades clashed, causing sparks to ignite in the night. "I had hopped you'd get complacent." David soon realized Liam was trying to make him lower his guard. David, however, stayed vigilant.

Eve decided she couldn't stand by anymore and watch. She watched the two battles rage, quickly turning her head to the lifeless body lying near the steps. She sprinted over to find the hilt near the decapitated arm. Reaching for it and grabbing the hilt, she soon found herself in a different setting. Standing in one place, multiple horrific images flashed before her eyes. The only images Eve could comprehend were that of a woman and two children begging for help. The same blade came down on top of them quickly ending their lives. Liam saw Eve grabbing the blade of the ground, soon discovering that her motives had changed. Blocking David's attack, he extended his hand out at Eve, firing a burst of yellow lightning from his open palm. "No!" David increased his attacks to stop the action on her.

Eve was pulled from her vision, screaming in pain. She never felt anything more painful. Tears rolled down her face as she was thrown to the steps, hitting her head on the concrete. Knocking her out before she realized what had happened.

Gabe was pushed back from Charlie, calling up mentally to Virgil for an immediate pickup. Gabe felt Eve's pain, he had to act quickly to get her the medical attention she needed. The gusts picked up with intensity around the alleyway. Charlie looked above himself, "Ah! You see!" Charlie called out, "Now it's time for our rein-." His words were decapitated as his head fleeted from his body. Gabe had swiftly ended the duel. Gabe had no issue with killing combatants, he justified it through the means of emergency.

Liam looked above himself as Virgil repelled from the darkness above them. Landing on the ground quickly drawing his falchion. Liam scoffed, reaching into his back pocket.

"Have fun killing her, you monster." He said slamming a smoke grenade on the ground.

"He's gone, we don't have time, I have a lot of dark energy surrounding us." Gabe was right, enemies were coming, and fast. David nodded and ran over to Eve. Grabbing her backpack of clothes from the ground, putting it on. He placed his hand on her wrist, pulling her body upright.

"Get that bird down now," David commanded, the osprey landed on the ground, which Virgil had gotten himself inside in a rush. Jumping into the cockpit. Gabe rushed inside as well; David had thrown Eve over his shoulder in a fireman carry.

"Hurry up!" Gabe's panic was warranted, even though Virgil was there, he wasn't the best duelist. David rushed inside the tail of the Osprey. "Get the hell out of here Virg!" Gabe called out slamming a button that raised and closed the ramp behind David. Soon laying down Eve on a stretcher laid on the floor.

"Dammit, where's Allison where you need her." David said, grabbing a medical bag off the wall, "Looks like we rely on first aid." He said unzipping the bag.

"Hold on!" Virgil called out to the back cabin as the Osprey took off into the night with extreme speeds. David and Gabe had braced themselves over Eve's body to keep her from flying off the stretcher. Gabe took a sigh of relief. David took out some bandages, wrapping Eve's blue head.

"You're right, she's prettier up close," Gabe said aloud chuckling.

"Get out of my head." David was annoyed as he finished wrapping her head. "I'm sensing bleeding in her skull, as well as corruption in her chest where she took the blast." David sighed, "Go to our house." David yelled out to Virgil. It was true, Liam had been using corruption oils to enhance his power.

"Roger that," Virgil said with a thumb up. "Allison is already waiting for there." David sighed. The adrenaline soon wore off in his blood. He realized a sharp pain in his skull and some burning in his chest. Rubbing it off.

"Did you get hit?" Gabe asked as he watched his brother rub his chest. David shook his head no. He didn't understand where the pain was coming from. Brushing it off, he held onto Eve's hand. Feeling so much pain within her. Virgil flew the helicopter onto the street, David grabbed onto the rear of the stretcher at Eve's head. Gabe took and deep breath and grabbed the front of the stretcher at her feet. The ramp opened up to a gust of wind filling the street, knowing time was against them, they both quickly headed outside. Once cleared from the ramp, Virgil immediately lifted off, disappearing into the night.

Standing in front of their house, the two ran to the front door. "God, she's heavy," Gabe said trying to keep his grip tight on the handles. David chuckled knowing his brother was reading his mind, if only he had gone to the gym more. Gabe began to think his brother was right.

Once on the porch, the door flew open where Allison stood in desperation. Wearing gray sweatpants and a white tank top was enough to get Gabe's surprise. Gabe being shocked stopped in his tracks; David shoved him with the stretcher knowing they didn't have all the time in the world.

James was standing in the hallway, his eyes quickly widened seeing Eve on the stretcher. "What happened?”"

"No time." David said, "She's got brain hemorrhaging, and she was hit with corruption." Carlos and Ethan appeared, quickly relieving Gabe from hold. Allison tied her light brown hair into a ponytail, the three boys rushed Eve onto stretcher stands. Everyone immediately got to work, Carlos and Ethan prepped the IV needle. David pulled out a pair of trauma sheers carefully cutting off her hoodie. James stood by looking onto the body, he started to tear up.

“James, please get David and Gabe some food," Allison said as she placed her hands around Eve's head. Her hands glowing green. James nodded his head and walked hastily to the kitchen. David lifted Eve's shirt revealing a black and purple electric pattern spreading slowly across her stomach. "David, I'm busy with this, you have to fight the spread." David looked down, knowing he was the only one willing to absorb the corruption.

"Come on man, you got this," Ethan said as he held Eve's arm, and Carlos placed the needle in one of her veins. David shook his head, placing his hands on her stomach. A green energy field appeared over his hands to her navel. Gabe walked over to Eve, removing her shoes. "Her vitals are getting better." Ethan said, "Well should I say steady."

David began to sweat, healing was one thing, but fighting corruption was a stronger task, completely deadly. He grunted. The infection began to spread onto David's palms, he could feel the burning. Eve opened her eyes slightly. "She's awake man!" Carlos said. She didn't respond, hazing in and out of cautiousness. All she could process was David's hands hovering over her stomach and in pain. David gritted his teeth. The process required David to absorb the corruption into his own body to fight with his own energy. Eve screamed as the infection completely left her body and latched itself onto David's Hands. He yelled out as the pain stabbed into his hands.

"No one touches him!" Allison said, "He's got this." She yelled out. Allison herself that David was the strongest of them. David continued to scream as Gabe ran over to him, ignoring her order. Eve looked at David before completely passing back out. Why was he in so much pain? More importantly, she wondered, is why he was in so much pain for her?