I am Number Two

Chapter One

My name is Maggie Hoyle, although I wasn't always called that. Before we arrived on Earth, I was known simply as Number Two. We were sent here on a mission, a vital mission, by the Loric elders. After our home planet, Lorien, was ravaged and destroyed by the Mogadorians, the nine of us were sent to Earth together with nine Cepans, and our mission is to train on Earth and grow stronger, then eventually unite and defeat the Mogadorians, then we can restore our beautiful home planet. When my Cepan, Conrad, and myself landed on Earth, we immediately fled to Europe to begin our mission, finding a place to stay in Sweden, prepared to relocate to another country at the slightest trace of danger, and now, we've ended up in a wooden cottage in the Scottish highlands.

It's probably lower than ten degrees outside, and I'm in my room covered in my bedsheets reading one of my books, while Conrad is in the kitchen scanning the Internet for any news that might either be related to us or to one of the other seven remaining Garde. He hasn't moved from his seat at the laptop for the entire day...oh how exciting the life of a Cepan is. Having said that, constantly having to be on the run and not being able to make any close friends or own many things for myself is also a pretty crappy life, I guess.

Just a few weeks ago, we were staying in Ireland, and I was in my school's cafeteria eating lunch by myself, when I felt like a knife was being pierced through my ankle. I rolled around on the floor in tears, not being able to bare the pain, a bright orange light emitting from under my white sock. I had never even knew a pain as intense as that had existed! I was taken to the hospital and the doctors saw a strange scar on my ankle. According to Conrad, the scar is the Loric symbol for one, meaning that Number One was found and killed by the Mogadorians. We fled Ireland immediately, knowing the Mogadorians could easily find and kill us if we stayed there.

I try not to think about it as much as possible, because the thought that I'm next on the Mogs' radar is really scary, especially since I'm yet to develop any actual Legacies!

Tucking my book neatly in a little red bookshelf in the corner of my small room, I tiptoe into the kitchen to check on Conrad.

''Hey. Anything yet? '' I ask.

'' Nothing of major importance yet, '' he says, relieved, and then continues, '' there is a story about shady, pale faced characters lurking about in Blackwater though, and I bet that's them. Probably heard about your little incident, ''.

''Shouldn't I have started to develop legacies already? The Mogs are now hunting us even more visciously, and I'm just a useless twelve year old girl that can't do anything in self defense...''

''Your first legacy should be coming about any time now, don't worry about that. We're very close to being able to fight back the Mogadorians, you have no reason to be worried, '' Conrad reassures.

I pour myself a cup of hot coffee and take a seat at the table, exasperating a sigh. '' We don't have time! They are on our trail and they will find us any time now! I need to be prepared to fight back...''

Conrad looks surprised at my sudden outburst, and he closes down his laptop, closing his eyes. '' You have a self defense. I taught you how to shoot, correct? And we have an entire arsenal of weapons to choose from, ''.

'' What if it isn't enough though? Human weapons can only do so much. We can be ambushed by an entire group of Mogs, then what do we do? '' I ask, knowing I probably shouldn't be arguing this with Conrad, but not caring anyway.

Just as Conrad opens his mouth to reply to me, I see the shadow of a man outside the window. I cut him off, '' Wait! Why the hell would someone be loitering about our house this late at night? ''

'' I saw him in my periphery a while ago, but I decided to see how long he would stay and what he's up to exactly, '' Conrad says.

'' Do you think it could be them? '' I ask, terror-striken at the thought.

Conrad goes to our amoury room and throws me a light machine gun, and takes an Assault Rifle for himself. I've got some experience with these things, but never against an actual opponent...

'' You wait here. I'll go scout, and then I'll return to tell you what's up, '' Conrad tells me.

By this time I can't move my body...could this be the moment a second scar burns into the ankles of the other Garde? No. I tell myself it's probably some drunk guy that got lost, and I slouch back into my seat and try my best to just relax.

Two mintues later Conrad re-enters the cottage, and the look on his face doesn't really do much to make me feel better.

'' Bad news. It's a Mogadorian scout, '' Conrad says, wearily watching out the window as he speaks.

''Crap!'' I shout, feeling light headed.

'' Scouts are really easy to take down though, and it's just one too. He doesn't know we're in here, but he does have an eye on the place. We'll sneak out through the back door, hide behind the shrubs and try to kill him undetected. If we are detected, Mog soldiers could be on their way, '' Conrad says, sounding just a bit panicked.

We race through the cottage, quietly creeping out into the cold night, and hide behind the nearest shrub. Glancing around, I see him; dressed in a black trench coat with really ugly tattoos on the top of his bald head, and he's probably the palest thing I have ever seen in my life!

He hasn't seen us, so it's going according to plan thus far. In my periphery I see Conrad take aim with his rifle, and a split second later, a loud gun shot errupts, but it misses the Mog!

''Shit!'' grunts Crayton. '' We've beend detected, ''.

The Mog pulls out a dagger and looks in our direction. In that moment, pure dread runs through my body, and I have no idea what to do!

'' Maggie! There's no point in hiding anymore, he's seen us! Get out and shoot! ''

I take a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself down, then I close my eyes and think about what I'm going to do. By the time they've re-opened, Conrad's rifle is in the Mog's hands and he's powerless. Nobody messes with my Cepan and gets away with it!

I use my super speed and before the Mog knows what hit him, I've uppercut him and he's lying on his back in the grass. I punch him in the balls and he emits a loud, discontented groan. Conrad, smiling at my show of power and bravery, scoops up the discarded rifle and aims it at the Mog's head. A loud gunshot later, the Mog errupts into ash.

Conrad sighs. '' We may have gotten rid of this asshole, but the Mogadorians definitely know where we are now...''

I drop to the ground, exhausted from all the adrenaline. '' I guess we're going to have to leave already? ''

''Immediately, '' replies Conrad, taking my gun and heading back into the cottage. I get up and follow him in.

''Where to next? '' I ask, as Conrad begins packing for the both of us ( as much things as could take, at least ).

'' I've got a place in London, '' he says, smiling.

'' Wow, really? I've always wanted to be to London! There's so many stuff to do there, '' I say, wonder in my eyes.

Conrad fixes me with a stern look. '' Remember, Maggie, who you are and what is your mission. Remember that you are next in line. You are not a tourist, ''.

I'm disappointed, althought I knew he was going to say that, but I try not to show it much. Crayton zips up two bags and hands me one, then goes to collect some documents on the kitchen table.

'' Ideally I would have forged some new documents for us, as I always do when we leave a place, but this is such short notice...these will have to do for a second time, '' he says, frustrated, as he tucks the documents away safely.

Just as we are about to step out the front door, we feel a violent tremor. Conrad looks distraught and puzzled, and I fear the worst.

'' T-The Mogadorians...they are upon us...''