Hi guys!

Disclaimer - i sadly don't own the Lorien Legacies or any characters :( ...except Five :D

First, thanks soooo much for the reviews. They're really encouraging and seriously help me continue to write this. I've already written the next couple of chapters, and whilst there's some action here, there is definitely more to come. :D

Also, the pairing for definite are EightXMarina. I'm also a FourXSix favourite, but unfortunately i can't drop Sarah just yet as i think John would be too guilty to let her go, especially after Dulce. But you will see some interaction between Four and Six soon. :)

Btw, i don't live in America, so for those who do, i don't know if journey times are realistic or not, so please say if i get something wrong. Thanks :)

Anyway, on with the story! :D

Chapter 2

Six

Marina falls to the ground again, rubbing her arm. Bless her, she's covered in bruises and we've only been training for a couple of hours. But still she gets up again and takes a defence position.

"You sure, you wanna carry on? We can have a break" i ask. But she shakes her head and concentrates. I lash out at her with my fist but she twirls away using her superspeed. She's fast and misses getting hit by the basic punches and kicks; it's the hard sequences that she gets caught out on. She aims a punch to me but instead of ducking, I grab her fist and twist her arm. I pull her to me and wrap my arm around her neck and finally kick her legs out from beneath her. She falls to the floor again.

"Dammit" she mutters and sighs. I look down at her and smile in pity.

"Let's stop. We can practice with our legacies now instead" i say, not caring if she wants to carry on. She may not realise it but already she's so much better. She's stronger and she's got the hang of using her superspeed to her advantage. She'll be more of a threat in the field.

I pull her to her feet and then begin to move back to camp. She follows me. I suggested we train somewhere else, because i know she'd be embarrassed in front of the others. They themselves have been training though not to the extent Marina and I have. I enter the clearing and see the others sitting and chatting away. I roll my eyes and sit down next to John. He grins at me and Marina.

"So who won? Nine has just beaten Eight and I up, and since Six can beat him, I'm guessing you won" he says to me whilst smiling kindly at Marina. She blushes and nods.

"Obviously, she won. I didn't have a chance" she replies. Eight looks at her and then looks away again quickly. But I can tell he's still watching her out of the corner of his eye. She's doing the same. It's cute and funny at the same time. But something has clearly gone on between the two and i have to find out what.

"Well none of us do. Anyway, what do you guys think we should do? Clearly, we need to find Five but he ,or she, move around so much it'll be hard to catch them" says Eight.

"We have the tablet and the communication devices-" I begin

"Which have been bugged. By the mogs" Nine interrupts. I glare at him. It's one thing calling me Sweetheart but then he interrupts me.

"How did they do that? They're, like, doing everything. Hunting us, making deals with the US government, creating god-knows-what in their labs, tracking down anything that links to Lorien..." Eight complains. I nod along with him. The others look glum and then Marina perks up.

"They have a secret community" she says, excitedly. Nine snorts.

"Obviously, they have their bases but-"

This time Marina turns the table on him and interrupts. "The ordinary mogs. What do they do?" She turns to me. "You said you and Katarina were attacked by a mog, looking like a human"

I nod hesitatingly, ignoring the flash of pain that memory brings.

"Well, what did they do before that? They must have a job but one that helps the mog soldiers. I bet there are hundreds of civilian mogs surfing the web looking for any sign of us. Whilst others create scientific products to hinder us. And then they need to train the soldiers and animals, so they'll need schools and stuff. And houses to live in and look ordinary. The bases are just for intense preparation and our captivity. But they'll need something for in between, for when we are hiding and they need to fit in. There must be a huge, underground mog community in America. I bet half of Mogadore will have been emptied!"

We all stare at her amazed. She's right and it's so completely obvious that it's embarrassing. How come I never thought of that when I was on the run!

"Um, wow Marina. If that's the case then we have more to worry about than we thought" Nine mutters, kicking a stick into the fire. Eight grins at Marina and gives her a high-five, the first outright show of true friendship I've seen him show her since Dulce. Something has definitely happened there.

"Nice thinking. But still it's not great for us. And on top of that we have to worry about getting Five, saving Sam, oh and also resurrecting Lorien!" he says, becoming serious at the end. We all stare glumly into the fire. Sarah sighs and leans her head on John. I feel a flash of jealousy course through me. I know I shouldn't feel that way but I can't help it. Clearly, my feelings for John have not disappeared; in fact they seem to have become worse since our separation. I run a hand through my hair and grimace. I really need a shower. I'm not the only one because I see Ella also fiddling with her hair.

"Well, we need a plan and I suggest we go to Chicago; to my safe house. It's awesome and safe and we can have as much pizza and sleep as we want" Nine says looking at us all.

Chicago? Katarina and I agreed a city was never a good idea; Mogs love them too much. But Nine seems so confident and the idea of a warm shower is so tempting, I can't help but nod. John does the same.

"It is pretty good. And there's a room where we can train, plus loads of internet access. Then we can really make a start at finding Five" he agrees. I see him unconsciously stroking Sarah's back and I feel that pang of jealousy again.

"Cool, let's leave tomorrow. But first let's get some more training in..." i say, grinning evilly at Marina. She groans but stands up anyway.

"Wish me luck guys" she mutters, walking back to our practice area. And as I jog away, I can't help but be thrilled that John couldn't keep his eyes off me.

Xxx

Adam

The coffee and sandwich has done me a world of good. I feel revitalised and fresh, ready to take on anything. The past few weeks since Dulce have not been easy. Malcolm and Sam had barely managed to dig me out from the ruins and rescue me, and since then I've been recovering whilst we hitchhiked to California. I'm still tired, though I feel ten times better than i did. I'm clearly not the only one who feels that way, as I see Sam sit back and smile.

He and I have got on well. We have the same geeky personality and looks. When I was unconscious in a motel for a couple of days after Dulce, Malcolm must have explained everything to him about me and my family. I can tell Sam feels sorry for me; at least he has his dad despite everything.

Sam has also told us about the others: Six, Four and Nine. He says Four is his best friend and saved him loads of times. He also clearly has a crush on Six as he blushes whenever she is mentioned. Nine, he doesn't say much about but I have the feeling he is pretty badass from what I've heard.

"So what's our plan? I know John will be looking for me, he would have been devastated that I was caught" Sam says, chewing his food.

Malcolm nods. "I think our best bet is to make ourselves known. Then they'll have to come to us. But it's very dangerous, especially since we have Adam". They both look at me, but they're not accusing.

I grimace. "Sorry. But how do we make ourselves known. I mean unless I create a seismic wave here" i mutter. Malcolm laughs and shakes his head.

"Well they took my tablet and that was my only way of finding you. What we need is a computer so i can see if any potential Garde activity has occured recently. Then we can concentrate in that area. Adam, do you think you can get my laptop, I left it in the car" he says looking at me. I understand immediately. He bought a computer a couple of days ago and is addicted to it. He's always looking for signs of the Garde, but so far we have been unsuccessful.

I nod and get up. I feel a strange sensation of being watched. I shake my head and walk outside. It's stupid i know, but ever since I saw that strange girl watching me from the corner, I can't help but feel paranoid.

The car is parked is a hidden area, in an alley, since it is a stolen vehicle. I never knew Malcolm could hotwire a car. I walk up to the car and look around. There's no one in sight but I still feel like I'm being watched. I sigh and unlock the car. It's turning dark which doesn't really help me either.

Suddenly, I'm grabbed from behind and slammed into a wall. I feel a tight grip on my throat and I can't breathe. I blindly kick my leg and feel it connect with the person who is holding me. It's the girl from the coffee shop and she's snarling as she tries to pin me back. She's doing an excellent job and I realise she must be a Loric. That's the only way someone that skinny and small can be that strong.

I knee her in the stomach but that doesn't seem to affect her at all. She's tough. Desperately, I focus on my legacy and the ground beneath us shifts. She stumbles back and with that I punch her solidly in the face. I don't care that she's an ally, she's attacking me and wants to kill me.

"I'm a friend! Trust me! One gave me this legacy! Please, let me explain!" I gasp, trying to regain my breath. She fell when I punched her but she's back up and has grabbed me again. She holds my neck in a headlock and I know she's going to kill me. She grabs my hair and is about to rip my head back, when there's a shout. We both turn our heads. It's Malcolm and Sam. Before I have time to wonder how they knew I was in trouble, the girl cries out and falls to the ground. In her back is a huge dagger.

A fully grown Mogadorian stands at the end of the alley and he's loading a gun. I'm furious. I hear Sam and Malcolm running up to help her, but all my attention is on the Mog. I raise my hands and focus my legacy on the spot he is standing on. Suddenly, a huge explosion occurs just below the Mog. He rockets up into the air and then slams down, immediately turning into dust. My strength suddenly feels as though it's been sapped and I fall to my knees. Guess using my legacy so soon after i almost died is not a good idea. I turn around, expecting to see the girl dying but instead she is sitting there calmly, all sign of a wound gone. In her hand is a small, black rock.

"Thanks, you saved my life" she says, looking at me curiously. I nod stupidly and just stare at her, waiting for her to attack again. In the back of my mind, i notice that she's quite pretty, but doesn't seem to smile much. She's dressed in a hoodie, jeans and the most awesome pair of combat boots i've ever seen. All in all, she's what I'd expect from a Loric.

"I'm Number Five. You must be Adamus" she says and holds out her hand. I glance at her, suspiciously, looking for any sign of a lie. She rolls her eyes and stands up, in a fluid motion.

"Seriously, I believe you, I can read minds; it's one of my legacies. I can understand if you don't trust me but you saved my life and I owe you one" she says. Giving up, I smile and reach for her outstretched hand. Her lips twitch in a barely-there smile and she pulls me up easily. She then looks to the other two.

"I know who you are too. Malcolm and Sam Goode. Look, I know this seems too fast since we've only just met but we've gotta get out of here. The healing stone has tired me out and we're too close to Dulce to be comfortable. Normally that mog wouldn't have stood a chance against me, but ... I don't know, I'm feeling on edge" she says, looking round, no doubt checking for more mogs . I nod and gesture towards the car.

"We have a ride and a legal driver. We'll hit the road, but I don't know where to. Do you have anything that can help us find the others?" I ask. It's crazy, i've known her for less than five minutes and yet i already trust her completely. It's a nice feeling, this feeling of safety.

"Nope, it's all been bugged. But that's a problem for another day. First we need to get out of here" she states, moving towards the car, confidently. The others follow immediately. With one last look around the alley, I walk away.