What if... Three had Survived?

Unlucky Fortune – Chapter One

Three

One moment I was lying in my cot, covered by a mosquito net and thinking about how I would beat Ren at Basketball tomorrow. The next my Keeper was dead and I was running for my life. They found me. Somehow, some way, they'd found me. The Mogadorians had found me. But in that moment I didn't really care about how they found me; I cared about my survival, and my survival alone.

That's when I heard it. An eerie, bone chilling growl, the likes of which I had only ever seen in my nightmares (memories?). I never believed I would ever see one on earth, one of the monsters that destroyed my world, stole my life – a Piken. A terrifying, ghoulish creature with enough strength, speed and power

My first memory is of a Piken killing seven Loric children, they would have been my age, or older, by now. Sometimes, when I'm alone I wonder what life would be like if I was on Lorien, if I had a name and not a number, if I was just normal Garde that didn't have to keep his race alive and fight viscous aliens who wanted to kill him. What it would be like if I wasn't Number Three, next in line to die and royally screwed.

Ahead of me, I see the ravine and my heart drops. I have three choices: stay here and let them kill me, jump across and fall three hundred feet to my death, or jump across and reach the other side of the ravine where I might have a slight chance of survival. The third option is the one I desire most. But it's an impossible leap; there's no telling whether I'll make it or not, even if I am a Garde. It would be hard for the others too.

But as the heavy, clambering footsteps increase speed behind me, I decide that it's my only option. If I had to choose between murder and suicide, I'd take suicide any day. I'll never give them the pleasure of taking my life. So as the ravine comes closer, I take five steps back and run, take off and fly across the ravine. Heart beating fast, I put all my effort towards reaching the other side of the ravine... and miss the opposite ledge by one or two inches.

Within milliseconds I'm free falling. This is it, I think, this is the end. The ground comes closer and closer, taunting me. The Earth, which has been my home for around ten years, will be the thing that kills me. Yet moments before I smash into the ravine and become a scar on six legs, a miracle happens – I stop. Then I drop onto a small patch of land right next to the river crashing through the Kenyan jungle, a small impact which barely even bruises me. Groaning, I roll over, and horror courses through my veins. Mogadorians are staring down at me... they're blurred, small figures, three hundred feet up, but there nonetheless. They're on both sides of the ravine. With a sickening lurch I realise that if I had made it across the ravine, I would most likely be dead by now. But sheer unluckiness saved my life.

The Mogadorians are laughing. They must think I'm dead. But soon enough they'll come to 'collect' my body and realise the truth. I barely resist the urge to smile at the thought of their reactions; but I'm not out of the woods just yet – if they see me move they'll know I'm alive. They're laughing, snickering, grinning all around. That's when a grief filled screech fills the atmosphere. I cringe inwardly at the inhuman sound and spot one of the Mogadorians, a twenty something year old, staring down at me. A larger, broader figure approaches him from behind and pushes him over the ledge. Why did he scream? Why did the other Mogadorian push him?

He must have done something to anger them, but what? Deciding that the boy could be a possible ally, I tense. When he is one foot above the ground I spring up and catch him. His weight catches me by surprise and we both topple into the rapid river. The next few moments are a blur, the two of us are holding onto each other for dear life. Between gulps of air, the boy manages to splutter a sentence. "You're – you're alive!" I nod, but I can't be sure if he saw me or not. I would have said something but I was too focused on trying to breathe than anything else.

Screams of outrage can just be heard just in the distance, above the roar of the waves, but they're fading quickly. I know in an instant that they're rushing down to the ravine – we have to find a way out of this. But I've followed this river before, it goes straight through the jungle and into the ocean, travelling through miles and miles of deserted land. Even if we do escape, where would we go? They would catch us eventually anyway. So what's the use?

Just as I'm about to give up hope, though, and succumb to the icy waters, there's a flash of red and blue and everything turns black.

Adam

I'm running fast – faster than I've ever run. There's a Piken somewhere behind me, and it's catching up fast, along with dozens of other Mogadorians, but for now I'm in the lead. I have to do this. I have to save Three, like I tried to save Two. I have to do this to prove to myself I'm not just any Mogadorian, thirsty for bloodshed. I have to do this for Three, and his Cêpan. I have to do this for the people of this planet. For the humans. For the Garde. For One...

He's only twenty or so feet away – I just have to get to him first and I might have a chance. I'm within fifteen feet when he steps back and runs towards the ravine at an impossible speed. I watch on in horror as his flies over the edge, and tumbles down into the darkness below. There are cheers from behind me – and, to my surprise, from the other side of the ravine. But none of that matters now. I've failed. It's over. Three, Hannu, is dead. I gave up my life today. What am I going to do now? Surely I can't go back home, not after what I confessed to Ivan.

Reaching the edge of the ravine, I peer over the side and see Hannu's body staring wide eyed up at me. One is screaming in my head – or is that me? Maybe it's both of us. It's hard to tell. Footsteps approach from behind. I'd recognise them anywhere but I don't care. "Goodbye, Adamus," hisses Ivan, and I'm suddenly falling down to the ravine below, as Hannu was just moments ago. I wonder if my death will be swift, like his, or if I'll plunge into the icy river and drown somewhere along the line.

I'm force my eyes shut, waiting for the end to come when my weight is lifted by something – someone – and I topple into the water, for the most part unharmed. Spluttering, I see the face of my saviour and my heart soars in my chest. "You're – you're alive!" Hannu's head bobs slightly, in what I think is nod but I can't be sure as the water is tossing us to and fro as we drift further down the river, wherever it may lead.

We hold on tight to each other, keeping each other upright and alive. If we don't get out of the water soon, my Father and his men will catch up to us, we'll drown, or die of cold. The iciness in my bones is pushing me to the edge of darkness, and then it'll all be for nothing.

That's when a warm blue and red light pours out of Hannu's mouth and surrounds us both. It's blinding and I can't see. What's happening? What is this? Then it hits me – it's got to be one of Hannu's legacies. Whatever it is, anyway, despite blinding me, I'm no longer dying of cold. The light fades quickly, and, still holding on to Hannu, who must have fallen unconscious at some point, I squint as the light has left dots dancing in my eyes.

When my vision clears, it's clear that we're no longer in Kenya. The water is warmer, the sun is at a different position in the sky, and it's daytime. There's also the fact that we're both in the Ocean. Hannu's legacy must have transported us here – but where is here? Holding on to Hannu, I swam towards a pier poking out just in the distance. I pull him to shore, and lie there for a moment panting. Somehow, we're still alive. It should be impossible. But we've done it. I've done it.

I've saved Number Three. I'm not a failure.

"Okay, now that you've finished being proud of yourself, Mog boy, where the heck are we?" I jump at the voice and turn my head to see One smirking, though the hint of pride and hope in her eyes betrays her true feeling. In the events that just passed, I'd forgotten about her. With a lopsided grin, I pant, "No idea. But Number Three's alive."

"I can see that, and it's brilliant, but you might want to move him before someone asks you what you're doing." One motions her head in the direction of a pink house. It's surrounded by palm tree's, something I've only ever seen in One's memories. "Maybe we should ask them where we are."

One looks at me as if I've grown an extra head. "And just how would you explain the unconscious boy in your arms and the fact you're sopping wet?"

"I'll think of something," I say, "besides, what's the worst that could happen?" One rolls her eyes but says nothing, and I lift the still unconscious boy with a grunt, making for the house. Careful not to drop Hannu, I pressed the doorbell. The door flies open almost immediately. "Tara -" A blonde boy starts to say, when he sees me. He freezes for a second, not sure what to do.

Gosh, do I really look that bad? "Yes..." One snickers and I ignore her. The boy takes a deep breath in and calls into the house, not taking his eyes off me for a second. It's sort of unnerving. Could this boy know about me? Know what I am?

"Henri!"