Part 2

They put down in a forest after a while. The boy put her down gently.

"I'll report, you charge this." The girl replied, tossing him a pale yellow stone.

Almost instantly the girl's backpack exploded back into a wheelchair. He caught it and chuckled.

"Your partner in crime waiting on the other end?"

"Of course." The girl scoffed. "Without her on the other end.."

"Yeah yeah yeah the thingy won't work properly. I know." The boy groaned, toying with the crystal.

"It'll work because I have the important part. But if she isn't on the other end I'll just be talking to myself." The girl corrected. She talked to him like he was an imbecile. "The thingy is called macrocosm/red crystal communication system by the way." She smirked, a teasing finger pointed at him.

"Who are you? Why help me? What do you want with me?" Riley demanded. Over the past few months, she'd become stronger and faster like her father. That she thinks is called enhancements. Still legacies or not she was still good at physical combat.

"I am hurt, actually hurt that you don't recognize me." The boy teased.

The boy placed a hand on his heart and fake pouted. Riley cocked her head at him in confusion.

"Imagine me with shorter hair and less muscle." He suggested.

She looked at him and actually imagined he was one of her drawings and adjusted his features. The wheels started turning in her mind, a teenage boy with short messy black hair, mischievous green eyes, and a lopsided grin.

Nah, draw his hair to hang in his face a little bit and cover his eyes. That was one of Mrs. Rose's pet peeves when boys did that. She'd threaten to go after them with pinking shears.

Wait a moment.

She remembered sneaking around the gym and hearing her yell at a boy. A boy with messy black waves hanging in his eyes and a cheesy smile on his face. She remembered him pulling that face for every teacher over the years. She remembered being on the receiving end of that cheesy smile too. She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

Impossible. It couldn't be, could it?

"Casey?" She questioned in disbelief.

"In the flesh." He bowed.

"How'd you find me?" Riley inquired.

"You can thank my mother. She worried about anyone else being caught. Then she made contact with your father and he knew you wouldn't make the day. He knows you've inherited his bad luck." Casey explained casually.

"Feeling the love." Riley retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Although I'm impressed that given your heritage you didn't develop your legacies sooner or get busted a lot sooner." He smirked.

"Shut up." Riley teasingly shoved him.

"How old was he? 12? 13?" Casey joked.

"Your point?" Riley huffed. She sat back on her heels and crossed her arms in defiance.

"That I can't believe I just found out that he of all people is your father. So it's not the waste of flesh that was yelling you at the art show? Or the play?" He inquired, a giant grin on his face.

"That's my stepfather, you dolt." Riley snapped. She reached forward and smacking him.

"Alright, you two, who's her father?" The girl sighed.

"I think you know him Gia. Your parents are friends with him." Casey taunted.

"One of the original Garde?" Gia raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Yes, my father is the one and only professor Nine." Riley sighed. Gia wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"So how's my mother?" Casey questioned, trying to prevent Gia from exploding.

"She misses you. Other than that fine." Riley answered with a shrug.

"Okay." Casey nodded. Riley couldn't grasp how much he'd changed in 4 years.

"If you two are done." Gia huffed. She pulled out a red crystal from her actually bag and held it in both hands,

"Come in Sunshine. You there?" Gia spoke into the crystal. It lit up in response.

"Adel, they're doing it again." A female voice replied.

"That means there's gonna be someone on the other end. The red crystal has been activated." Another female voice spoke.

"Kat? Adel?" Gia questioned, cocking her head in confusion.

"We were starting worry that we were going to have to tell boss lady that Casey had gone and gotten himself and Gia captured by Earth Garde. You know she'd kill him but enjoy the challenge." The second female voice answered.

Casey chuckled. "That's not showing any sign of respect for your elders Adel."

There was laughter on the other end. "So you got one?"Adel questioned.

"It's a girl. Riley Worthington. She'll be bunking with us." Gia replied. Riley looked confused. Casey smirked again.

"Don't worry it's just because of your father."

"Okay?" Riley questioned, still completely lost.

"I recommend you hold your position for now. We're in the process of bugging out." Adel told them.

"Where we going?" Gia questioned.

"I still don't know. Let's see. Hey Henri!" Adel hollered.

They didn't hear anything for a moment.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen I'm back. Henri doesn't know where we're going either. But he did tell me boss lady is busy directing the relocation of the mess tent and cooking pit. Emma should be somewhere around the tents helping take them down so ask her." Adel replied. "Speak of the devil. Be right back. Hey Emma!"

Casey chuckled. "Wow, she must've had too much coffee this morning."

"Ya think?" Gia quipped.

"Emma honestly doesn't know exactly where we're going either. But if you hold your position and we'll tell her your position she'll get her sister to send a teleporter your way as soon as one is available. Moving the camp takes priority over you folks." Adel replied.

"Kat, be very careful when packing my things." Gia reminded.

"Your sis just rolled her eyes at you," Adel replied.

"This ain't my first rodeo!" Kat hollered.

"Sit tight folks. You might have to wait an hour or two." Adel suggested.

"Stay safe Adel, keep an eye on Kat for me," Gia replied.

They heard someone scoff on the other end.

"Will do Smiley, Sunshine out," Adel spoke.

Then Gia put the crystal back in her bag. Riley decided against questioning the nicknames.

"So care to explain how you folks know each other? Or why Nine never mentioned to the others he had a child?" Gia questioned.

Riley sighed. She ran a hand through her messy black hair.

"It's a long story."


It had been hours since they'd landed here and they all were entertaining themselves in their own ways. Gia was toying with a small yet smooth black stone. Casey was toying with a smooth yellow stone, he put it on his forehead at one point. Riley had finished a sketch of her father and decided to dig in her pocket for the small pouch he gave her.

She emptied it out onto her lap. There was a small red stone, a green ball, a small black stone, and a folded note. She unfolded the note first.

This is what is left of my inheritance, the stuff from my chest. These things come from Lorien so take good care of them. Your necklace is also from my chest, I gave it to you years ago so that you'd always be protected. I wish I could be there to help you train your legacies and learn how to use these objects but it must be some invisible tradition to have someone else train your child. I hope to see you again Ley. Hopefully under better conditions than when I gave you this. I love you Ri, never forget that. I love you to Lorien and back.

Riley held the note to her chest and already felt the tears coming.

"I love you to Lorien and back too." She mumbled.

Casey looked at her. "You okay?" He gently questioned.

Riley wiped the tears out of her eyes.

"I'm fine." She quickly brushed him off.

"Present from your father? I saw him give you something before we left."

Casey sat down next to her. Riley showed him the three objects.

"Do you know what any of this is?" She asked him.

"This I know is a healing stone. Gia is playing with hers right now." Casey answered.

"The Xitharis stone is also mine. Which you need to give back." Gia reminded.

Casey tossed the waxy yellow stone back to her. Gia caught it and placed in her pocket. Riley grabbed the red stone.

"What do you do?" She mumbled.

Like it was a pencil she started twirling it with her fingers. She placed it between her knuckles and showed it to Casey again. Except it gave off a light that showed the bones in his face. With a cry of alarm, she dropped it.

"What?" Gia impatiently huffed.

"It showed his bones." Riley blurted.

"Cool X-ray stone." Casey chuckled.

"My father told me the story about John saving him from the mogadorian cave in West Virginia. But he gave this stone to Sam and Sam was captured and left behind. How did he recover it?" Riley thought out loud.

Casey shrugged. "Luck?"

Riley moved to play with the green ball. She tossed it from hand to hand. Gia let out an irritated groan when Riley screamed again.

Although this time it was a cry of pain. The green ball had deployed spikes. Casey very carefully pulled the ball from her hands, careful to avoid the spikes. Riley's hand started oozing blood. Casey sighed and grabbed the black stone from Riley's collection.

"This is gonna hurt." He advised before placing the stone on Riley's bleeding hand and placing his hand on top the stone.

Riley let out a scream of agony, her whole body tensed in response. Then it was all gone. Casey pulled the stone away to reveal a perfectly healed hand.

"Healing stones when used double the pain of the original injury. I'm surprised it worked. Usually, the injury had to be inflicted with intent to harm or kill not stupidity." Gia coldly explained.

Riley glared at her. "I'm sorry, do you have a problem I'm not aware of?" She impatiently snapped.

"Nope, it's just how can you be Nine's daughter but not know to be careful with our parent's trinkets? Or not know how to use any of them? If you're truly his daughter how can you be so oblivious?" Gia demanded.

"Our parents? Excuse me? Name your number then oh wise one." Riley retorted.

"Six." Gia sharply answered.

"I'm sorry you actually got to be raised by both your parents. Or that both of your parents actually gave a crap about you. What an awful existence that must've been for you." Riley drawled.

Casey stifled a laugh. He'd never seen this side of her. Gia rolled her hazel eyes.

"Oh am I supposed to feel sorry for you? Tough cookies chic. Do you know what our parents went through growing up? Your pathetic tale is nothing compared to there's." Gia's voice carried a sharp yet icy edge.

"How about you can the whole mightier than thou act before I knock your lights out?" Riley snarled.

"Bring it chick." Gia hissed.

"Your transportation has arrived." Came a male voice jokingly.

Before he could look around a girl crashed on top of him. Riley looked to see a boy and girl. Both were maybe fourteen or fifteen. The girl had bright red hair pulled back in a braid and the boy had wavy blonde hair sticking out in every direction.

"Really?" The boy asked the girl annoyed. Deep dark blue eyes flashing with irritation. Riley smirked at the scene before glaring at Gia.

"Did we interrupt something?" The boy asked.

"Just Gia biting off more than she can chew, again," Casey replied, giving Gia the look. Gia stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't mind Gia she's all bark and no real bite," Casey told Riley.

"Well, I'll bite." Riley snapped at Kat.

"So she sent the dynamic duo to get us. How thoughtful of her." Casey smirked.

The boy and girl both laughed.

"Derek and Tia please welcome Riley to our ranks." Casey introduced.

"And do not tick you off. Note taken." Derek quipped.

"Derek." Tia elbowed.

"Siblings?" Riley inquired. Cocking her head at them.

"Actually no. The youngest bloomers on record. Derek, we got three years ago at the age of eleven. Tia comes from an orphanage in Ireland, we got her at age ten a few months after Derek. They're an inseparable pair." Casey explained.

"Alright, they're almost done moving out so let's go," Derek suggested.

"I'll take Riley you take the other two?" Tia questioned.

"Sure." Derek shrugged.

"Next stop Pennsylvania." Tia chuckled.

She walked forward and grabbed Riley's hands.

"See ya there," Derek called.

Then they went, poof. As if no one had been there they left. Leaving the opening in the woods undisturbed, the only remnant was a gust of wind.


Next thing Riley knew she'd landed in icy cold water. She struggled to find her way to the surface, thankful for all those swimming lessons from her father. Her head finally broke the surface and she gasped for air.

Cold oxygen filled her burning chest providing relief to her body. She started swimming for shore. When she got to the grassy bank she flopped and started coughing up all the water she'd swallowed. Casey pulled himself up onto shore coughing as well.

"Well, that certainly wakes one up." He chuckled.

Riley couldn't believe he was laughing between coughs. Casey was even crazier than she remembered. Gia charged (rolled?) onto the shore seemingly unaffected, except for being soaking wet like the rest of them. She coughed once into her elbow before ringing out her shirt.

"Are you seriously trying to kill me or my contraption, Tia?" She snapped at the river.

Derek's head broke the surface and he started coughing. He was struggling to swim with one arm, his other arm seemed to be dragging something. Casey ran back into the river and rushed to help Derek.

"Get to shore I got her." He ordered. He picked something up out of the water, it was Tia. He rushed her to shore.

"Gia take Riley to your tent and try not to kill her. Derek meet me at the infirmary." Casey commanded. Tia looked awfully pale and small in his arms.

"Not again." Derek sighed. Casey took off in a blur.

"What's wrong with her?" Riley inquired.

"Tia exhausted herself, that's why she misfired and we landed in the river. She also swallowed too much water I think." Derek sighed before running off, not a blur.

"Some people never learn." Gia sighed.

"This has happened before?" Riley questioned.

"Exhaustion isn't unusual. Some people just don't know when to quit." Gia huffed.

She turned to head up the river bank.

"Whatever your deal is with life knock it off. You are not better than everyone else. I don't care if Six is your mother and she's this awesome warrior. We are all the same." Riley argued. "If your family is so spectacular why are you here then?"

"Because my mother sent me away for my own protection. Better than your father." Gia sharply answered.

"What is your problem with him? What did my father ever do to you that was so horrible?" Riley argued.

"Don't play dumb. He's probably already told you." Gia huffed.

"No, I do not remember any mention of him beating a snotty child. I don't recall you ever being one of his students." Riley retorted.

"As if." Gia scoffed. With a wave of her hand, Riley was sent into the river.

"Find your own way to camp." She scoffed.

With the push of another button, Gia's wheelchair deployed legs and two joysticks. Gia "walked" away from her. It was quite possibly the weirdest thing she'd ever seen.

Riley picked herself back up and rung her hair out. She had to thank Mrs. Raya for her bag though. Her backpack might be drenched but at least the pouch inside was waterproof. All her art supplies, her journal, and her book were in there. Riley head in the direction the others had went.

Shortly after leaving the river she saw groups of people pitching tents and forming rows. A girl seemed to be walking the edge of the setup. She had long wavy blonde hair loose down her back. She wore a simple blue maxi dress and seemed to be barefoot. Her blue eyes locked onto Riley and she cocked her head in confusion. Riley held her hands up as a sign she came in peace. The girl seemed about her age for her size, well Riley was still taller than her but same difference. She smiled at Riley and walked over.

"You're the new girl right?" She questioned.

"That's me." Riley nodded.

The girl gave her to examining look before sighing.

"Gia Malarie," she muttered.

"Shoved me back in the river. That is correct. A different girl," Riley never got to finish.

"Teleported you into the river. I knew they should've sent someone else." The girl said as if talking to herself. She saw Riley's confused face and laughed.

"Sorry, my name's Adelina." She greeted, holding out her hand. Riley smiled back and shook the girl's hand.

"Riley."

"Let's get you dried off before you catch a cold. Although you don't actually get a cold from being cold. If that was true I'd always have a cold." Adelina giggled.

Riley laughed. "Being cold lowers your body temperature which makes it easier to catch a disease because temperature affects your immune system." Riley finished.

Adelina looked surprised.

"I had a friend who lectured us on it. Because being cold does not give you a cold." Riley explained.

"I like you. Know your tent assignment yet?" Adelina questioned. Then she smacked herself and laughed. "I'm sorry you probably don't since you just got here."

"Actually Casey told me I'd be in the same tent as Gia," Riley answered. Adelina squealed with delight.

"Excellent! This is going to be so awesome!"

Riley raised an eyebrow at her burst of excitement.

"I'm in Gia's tent," Adelina added.

With that piece of info, Riley looked at the girl in a new light. Could Adelina also have a number for a parent? She couldn't see anything to prove her theory so she filed it away for later use.

"I'll show you our tent," Adelina replied and started skipping into the collection of tents.

People everywhere were setting up tents, always in groups. Adelina lead her expertly through all of them and then past a tent about the size of a trailer. A young woman with hair like cornsilk was directing a team of teens in erecting it. She held a clipboard in one hand and directed with the other.

Riley rushed to keep up with the bouncy Adelina. She lead her to a tent that was barely on the outskirts of the tent area. The tent was a decent size and probably could fit eight people comfortably. It was blue with the loric symbol for six on one flap and then the other flap had the symbols for four and seven. Adelina led her inside the tent.

"Let's find you something dry to wear. Maybe a maxi dress? You're not exactly anyone's size." Adelina spoke. "You take after your father don't you? My father told me that your father was the biggest Loric he'd ever seen." Adelina added absentmindedly.

Riley chuckled. "Your very talkative aren't you?"

"Sorry I talk a lot when I'm nervous." Adelina apologized, she gave Riley a worried look. She toyed with a stray blonde hair.

"Clothes?" Riley reminded.

"Of course," Adelina replied, perking up.

She knelt and dug in one of the chests by a sleeping bag. Riley noticed there were three sleeping bags and stacks of various stuff.

"See if this fits," Adelina suggested. She tossed Riley a wad of green material.

"I promise not to look." She giggled. Riley chuckled and quickly stripped off her soaked clothes. The green dress was smooth and stretchy with thin straps. She kicked her sneakers off followed by her socks.

"Presentable?" She asked Adelina.

The girl laughed and turned faced her. "Don't ask me. I was raised in the mountains far away from civilization."

Riley laughed. This girl had absolutely no filter. "Alrighty, what's next?"

"Want a towel to dry your hair?" Adelina suggested.

Riley sighed and rolled her eyes in annoyance. Here we go.

"Nah I'll just braid it to keep it out of my face." Riley shrugged. She instantly set to work braiding all of it. A second nature of hers.

"I'm sorry if I struck a nerve. Your hair is fine." Adelina quickly apologized.

"I should be the sorry one. You're just trying to help and I instantly snapped at you." Riley sighed. She stopped her braiding and just let her hands drop. "My pathetic excuse for a mother constantly berated me over my appearance," Riley admitted.

"Well, you don't have to worry about her anymore." She reassured. The girl hugged Riley.

I can't imagine not having a loving mother.

Riley felt a warm energy enter her body. Just like when Taylor would heal her after an insanely hardcore training session with her father. She missed him already.

"Now let's go see Cecilia. Hopefully, she's in a good mood." Adelina suggested cheerily.