The Destiny's Bounty, 2:15pm

Something had gone wrong. Lloyd could feel the strange feeling within his gut, along with the few bruises on his body from the earlier battle. Something was making him sick to his stomach and restless, but it wasn't from the fact that Karma and Alex had gotten away with Realm Crystal or the fact that the girl who he had once viewed as a best friend broke Sammie's bones. No, it was the fact that Clouse had abducted his sickly uncle right before his eyes that set him on edge.

He remembered the scene clearly. The image of Clouse releasing everyone from his grasp just to escape the waves of Nathan. How most eyes were on Sammie until the devilish man grabbed his uncle and jumped from the ship. Though specifically, he remembered the exact, sinister look on Clouse's face before he jumped, as if to say "I'll be back for all of you later." The boy couldn't help but be paranoid.

I thought for sure this battle would give me the chance to finally speak to Karma and get any hints as to what happened to her, but instead it only brought the abduction of my uncle. Lloyd sighed, looking up at the ceiling, What kind of screwed up luck do I have now?

"Hey, Lloyd, are you there?" in almost an instant, Jay broke him out of his thoughts and reminding the boy that he was in the control room with his teammates. He looked around at his friends, frowning at the damage he could see on all of them. Sammie sat, half-conscious and obviously in pain, next to both her brother and Nathan, the light blue ninja having one arm draped around her and his head leaning against hers. Zane was discreetly speaking to Lloyd's mother, the two looking obviously concerned.

Lloyd then turned to the other side of the room, where Cass seemed to be seriously discussing a matter with Hunter. Nya was fussing over both Kai and Lilly, who were both covered in bruises and cuts. Last he could recall, Lloyd saw that the duo went after Alex and Karma, obviously not successful. The master of energy wondered what happened to them though.

"I'm okay. I'm just...thinking a lot," Lloyd finally answered, looking at Jay. The master of lightning nodded.

"I bet. Seeing Sensei getting snatched like that was kind of scary, since he was someone I kinda looked up to," he sat down next to Lloyd, adjusting his eyepatch. The master of energy raised his eyebrows.

"Wow, you're not throwing a high-pitched rant for once," he noticed. Jay shrugged.

"I learned during the ordeal with Nadakhan that screaming about everything wasn't exactly helping our situation. In some cases, I only made it worse," the master of lightning spoke, "But that doesn't mean my anger won't get the best of me sometimes. I'm as bad as Kai with that."

Jay sighed before speaking. "Speaking of which...Kai and Lilly sure had fun chasing Alex and Karma. It doesn't seem like Shorty's hesitating when she hurts them though. Kai said she tore off his motorcycle tire with no remorse whatsoever and Lilly said Karma threw her into a car. I'm starting to think that she's not there anymore, that we've lost Karma."

"Don't say that," Lloyd replied almost immediately, "We mustn't give up on her. I know she's still in there. I can feel it."

"Gut feelings usually end in disaster, Lloyd," Jay told him, "I feel like she's no longer there. That something took away what she used to be." The master of lightning glared at the floor. "And those somethings stood before us today. One taking Sensei Wu and the other nearly being killed by Lilly."

Lloyd now stared at the floor, frowning. She didn't hold back when breaking Sammie's bones and proudly showing them to us. I'm starting to wonder what they did to her know, and why she keeps saying that we're lying. She knows that I've never lied to her, ever. So, why would she claim that we are?

The boy thought for a moment before an upsetting thought popped into his mind. What if it's because of that time a year ago, when I accidentally killed her? Does she hold a grudge now? But I apologized! I thought I made it clear that I never meant to do that! Perhaps this is all a misunderstanding...

"I swear to god if I ever see those two again I'm not holding back! I'll freakin' roast them to oblivion!" he heard Kai shout, steam rising from the red ninja's shoulders. He looked as if he might burst into flame any second. Nya sighed.

"Calm down, Kai. We're only going to set fire to one of them. I'm sure Karma has no idea what she's doing," the crimson ninja told her brother, fanning away the steam with a folded up newspaper. The master of fire huffed.

"I'm with you, Kai. I'm not going to hold back either," Nathan spoke up, "After what was done today, I have no feelings of mercy left. The first second I see those three I'm throwing a wave."

"I wish we could find where they're hiding though, that way we could find Sensei. I'm starting to get nervous about why Clouse took him in the first place," Lloyd admitted, his horrible gut feeling returning. He saw his mother nod.

"There's not much we can do though. Your uncle doesn't exactly have a tracker on him and we have no clue where exactly they'd hide," Misako said, "And with the fact that one of them can teleport over long distances, they're more than likely either in some far off place or somewhere we'd least expect."

"I hate to say this, but I suggest all of you rest before we begin hunting our teacher. Some of you are injured and need to take the time to rest before you make those said injuries worse. Everyone else should do the same, since I can already detect a few who would make very irrational decisions if they don't get any rest," Zane suggested, looking specifically at Kai and Nathan. Everyone nodded, including Lloyd.

"Understood. It would probably be wise to do that, and to let Porcupine over here chill," Lilly said, before rising and walking out of the control room. Kai sighed and followed her, then everyone began filing out of the room. Lloyd joined them, his gut feeling not ceasing. He hoped deep down that nothing bad happened to his uncle.

Though, that night, his hopes diminished quickly, as he was awakened by a scream. In a rush, he had run with the others out on onto the deck, scared that Clouse was back, but he was wrong. It wasn't the sinister magician from before. Instead, it was something Lloyd never wanted to see.

Before Misako, the one who had screamed, was an old conical hat that hung on the mast. It looked perfectly normal for a moment, before Lloyd spotted one spec on crimson on it's rim. His heart pounding in his chest, the boy hesitantly walked up to the hat and picked it up. He stared at it for a moment before flipping it over, and then dropping it in horror and nearly screaming.

There, in the underside of the hat was various bloodstains. A note hung from the inside, it's words making the boy's fear only grow.

"Join your unholy mutant brethren in Hell."

The Next Day, Unknown Building, 11:40am

When I woke up, I was surprised to find that the bloodstains on the floor were now gone, though they were still there to me. They weren't visibly there but I could still see them. It was like an image you couldn't scrub from your memory. It was there forever, and the non-visible monster scales my uncle had on last night was still there too. Another piece that I can't scrub from my mind.

Spotting Alex at the table we set everything on the day before, I went ahead and sat across from him, watching him rebuild the mechanism for his weapon. I figured that if I was going to talk to anyone today, I'd rather it be Alex instead of my uncle, even though he's not acknowledging my presence. I decided to look around, only seeing a bottle and small glass filled with clear liquid. On the other side of the table sat a variety of screws and metal plates. I looked at the bottle again, seeing that it was half full.

"Geez, you sure drink a lot of water," I noticed. Alex looked up, raising an eyebrow and revealing dark circles beneath his eyes.

"Karma, that's not water. It's vodka," he told me. I gave a look of surprise.

"Oh...oops."

"But anyways...I think I did have a lot. I think that's the second bottle," he squinted at it before shaking his head and looking back at his work, "Whatever."

"That's bad for your liver," I informed him, to which he shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure I have brain damage too, so let's just add that to the list," he sighed carelessly. I frowned.

"That's bad for your health," I told him. Alex didn't seem phased.

"Well, I'm gonna die at some point. All of us are," he looked back down at his mechanism. I slammed my hands on the table.

"Stop thinking like that! Dying is bad for your health too!" I shouted at him. God, what's with him!? I questioned it for a moment, until I remembered what happened yesterday. Surely all that is why he's acting this way. I wouldn't blame him though. Clouse was pretty hard on him.

"You're still hurting from what my uncle said yesterday, aren't you?" I asked. Alex paused for a long time, then he took a drink from the glass. He sighed.

"When people take shots at your past like that, it's bound to hurt. It was uncalled for, and he was forcing me to do something I had no desire to do," the master of psion finally spoke, "The fact that he made me kill Wu with that stupid knife is even worse."

"You looked petrified when he handed it to you," I recalled.

"Well, when it looks like the same exact knife that was sticking out of your mom, you'd be petrified too," Alex replied bluntly, taking a drink from the glass again. I folded my hands in my lap and frowned once again.

"I want to think my uncle's being ugly to you because of the incident with my mother, but at this point I think he's attempting to torture you. Mentally, that is," I said.

"Why doesn't he just get it over with then? Tell him to stop doing it every now and then and just get his vengeance already," Alex pulled his hair back into a ponytail and began working on the mechanism again, "After all, it won't be long before the Ninja find the surprise he made me put on the Bounty. Then they'll come for me believing I willingly wanted to kill the old man. No matter what I do now Karma, I'm just screwed. The old me dug a hole so deep it's impossible to escape from now."

I blinked for a moment. "What surprise did my uncle make you plant?"

The master of psion paused and refilled his cup, looking slightly exhausted already. I could only assume he didn't sleep again last night. He then looked back at me, that pride and confidence that usually shines in his eyes nowhere to be found.

"He made me set Wu's bloodied hat and a note Clouse wrote on the mast of the ship. He said I couldn't leave until at least one of the Ninja found it, so I had to draw the old lady out onto deck so I could come back. Needless to say she was horrified," he didn't sound thrilled, nor proud, which confused me for a moment. It was odd to hear him not be prideful over some horrible deed he did for once.

"That's pretty terrible," I commented. Alex nodded.

"Takes me even farther from being anywhere close to proving to the world that I'm trying to change."

"Well, one thing is that even if you're forgiven, no one can forget what you've done," I told him, "I want to be honest, you could have revolted against my uncle yesterday by spitting in his face. Ghosts don't like liquids."

"That'd be like suicide. I'm literally asking to die there," Alex shook his head and drank from the glass again. I watched him empty it, then set it down and refill it again. I was starting to question why he hasn't started acting loopy yet.

"I'm surprised you have passed out yet," I noticed. Alex shrugged.

"There's a gene in my family where mostly everyone has a high alcohol tolerance, that and the gene where almost everyone looks like the opposite gender," he told me. I raised my eyebrows.

"That would explain your looks," I said. He nodded.

"I have feminine looks, my mom was mistaken for a teenage boy many times, my grandfather was thought to be a woman many times and a cousin of mine was given weird looks in the locker room when she was young," Alex shrugged once again, "Need I say more?"

"I get the picture," I nodded, before pushing a screw in a small circle with my finger. There was silence between us again before I spoke once more, "You know, considering how easily provoked you were a year ago, I would have thought you may have fought against my uncle, but I'm going to guess it was how you don't like hurting people."

He nodded. "I had no energy to manipulate my mind, so my mind wasn't ready. Even though before I'd still have the memory of the death in my mind, the fact that I manipulated my own brain made it seem like some horrific dream I had. It's much more pleasant than the 'You just freaking killed a man' vibe."

"That's pretty weird, but sounds like something I'd hear about in a novel," I rubbed my chin before sitting forward, "Are you sure you're not a book character?"

Alex chuckled. "I'm sure if I was a book character I'd have a much more pleasant upbringing than what I had. It'd be a dream to be like them," he replied, tightening one last panel to the mechanism.

"Eh, not always. I've read a book where everyone dies except for like, two characters," I told him.

"Oh. Well, I'm kinda glad I'm not a book character then," Alex gave a surprised look, before testing the mechanism. He pointed it away from both the table and himself as he put it on, before jerking his hand forward and allowing the blades to extend smoothly. I gave a small clap as he smiled. "Oh wait, Karma. That isn't all I did with it."

I waited a moment before I saw him pull back his arms, to which the blades sprung upward for a moment before switching to the opposite side of where they were before. They only just barely scraped his elbows. I gave a small clap again, smiling.

"That's pretty cool," I commented. Alex nodded enthusiastically.

"I know, right!? And I was here thinking it wouldn't work!" he allowed the blades to flip into their dormant state before taking them off. His voice was filled with joy now instead of negativity. "I'm a mastermind!"

I giggled. "If you say so."

A period of silence filled the air for a moment before I decided to speak again, many things on my mind, though I didn't dare return to the subject concerning Wu. "So, you said you wanted to rule the world, right? What would you do?"

Alex paused a moment to sit down and rub his chin. "Well, first of all, I'd want to make the world an equal place. Women are treated equally, different races and sexualities are treated equally, ill people are treated equally, you name it. It was what my mother desired," he told me, "I know, it's impossible to get full equality at this point, but one can always try, right? You can work to where it's not impossible, no matter the odds."

"Huh. Anything else?" I asked. He thought for a moment.

"Well, I also want the media to be truthful. They think broadcasting subtle propaganda and drama-filled lies will get them views, when really the truth is all we want. Besides, all they do is cause paranoia, which leads to inequalities," he said, which reminded me of something Lilly said long ago. About how she said the news was 90% bullshit. Maybe perhaps she wasn't lying? "Then, I just want to stop extremists. I don't want to kill them. I just...I don't want what happened to my mother to happen to others. I don't want the world to view their deaths as the key to some national threat. I don't want them to demonize good people for it. I just want everything to be at peace and be okay. I'm tired of this endless thrill where others are scared of others for who they believed created our very existence," Alex continued, before taking a drink from his cup. I raised my eyebrows.

"I didn't think I'd ever hear words like that coming out of you," I spoke, before realizing that I had spoken out loud instead of thinking it. I wanted to facepalm at myself. Why am I so stupid!?

Alex shrugged. "I'm not an egoistical asshole 24/7 like you think I am."

"Oh, so you admit it!"

"We all have to admit our flaws at some point...as much as I hate it."

I laughed. So, he actually admits it!? Hah, now it's Kai's turn to admit how arrogant he is! Even if I want to smash his face in now! "Well, back to what we were talking about, you'd kill the president for all that?" I asked.

Alex paused and shook his head. "I don't want to kill him. I believe he's done fine, I just want to influence his decisions. Maybe sit in his presidential office chair at least once. I'll feel accomplished if I ever do."

I was surprised. Is he stepping down from his goal to rule the world!? I wanted to believe he was lying, but I could only find honesty in both his voice and eyes, and it was always easy to tell when he was lying to me. He truly has changed, hasn't he? Scratch that. He's had a major change. It's as if he's a completely different person.

"That's...different."

"What?" Alex asked, looking confused. I shook my head.

"Nothing...just...I'm not used to hearing you say these kinds of things. It kind of makes me think you're lying, sort of," I admitted. It wasn't entirely true, but my feelings of surprise were sort of inexplicable. I didn't know how to say it really.

I didn't see Alex frown, but instead he tucked a tuft of hair behind his ear and pointed at his eyes. "If I was lying you would have seen the pink glow."

I blinked. "Give me an example."

"My hair's green," Just as he said it, the pink glow erupted in his eyes, proving immediately that it was true. I stared in awe.

"Woah! So you're like a subtle Pinocchio?" I asked. He nodded.

"Every elemental master has some sort of quirk in their powers like that. I know that when you're angry your shadow grows larger," he told me. I widened my eyes.

"Uh, how do you know that?" I asked, weirded out.

"I saw it the day you joined Clouse and I. Your shadow grew the angrier you became," Alex told me, "All from what he told you about your friends' betrayal huh?"

I noticed something then. Just as Alex spoke about the betrayal, a small pink glint shined in his eyes. It wasn't quite as bright as the one earlier and was barely noticeable, but it was there. I could see it. What's untrue about that part? What isn't he telling me? I decided not to question it, for now.

"I'm guessing it's hard for people to tell because your eyes glow that color when your powers are in use too, huh?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yup. It's probably why I get away with a few things when speaking to your uncle," Alex admitted before finishing the bottle and hiccuping. I raised my eyebrows.

"Now that truly is a surprise," I blinked, before getting up and stretching my arms. I need to go elsewhere to think about what I just saw. "Eh, I should probably fix whatever I broke beneath my motorbike...if I can remember what Lilly and Nya have told me."

"I can do it for you if you want," the master of psion offered, "I am kinda in debt to you for last night during that fight with Blondie."

I clearly remembered catching him as he fell off the truck last night before facing off with Lilly. Is that what he means? "I could do it. You're half-drunk anyway."

"I'm not acting nuts, am I?" he asked me, to which I shook my head. "Then I'm fine. I just can't drive, that's all."

"I don't know. I'd still be careful," I rubbed my chin as he rose from his seat and threw the bottle away. I kinda had to think about this too. He's pretty good with machines, right? And I barely have experience. Literally all I could do is stare at the bottom of the bike. I now wished I was like Lilly and Nya, who had lots of experience.

"I mean, if you don't know much about the mechanics I can do it, or help you. Whatever works," Alex told me, walking over. I shrugged. If he did it for me, I'd still get time alone without the added stress.

"Okay. Please do that for me then...and don't pass out or hurt yourself," I accepted. The master of psion chuckled and patted my head, messing up my hair slightly.

"Don't worry. I won't," he smiled before walking out. I waited a moment, then sighed and sat down, immediately entering my thoughts.

The fact that Alex's eyes glowed when he talked about the betrayal still baffled me. Though it was dim, it was still surprising. What exactly was a lie about my uncle talking about the betrayal? I honestly don't understand what wasn't true. It all seemed true...for a moment.

I then thought about the betrayal and replayed the moment he spoke about it over and over in my head. Though my memory wasn't always clear, I thought I could see Alex's eyes glow at the exact moment he said "betrayal". Of course, this may be a faulty memory of mine, but it's still odd. Is he lying? Did my uncle bribe him into lying?

I don't know, but I've noticed a lot ever since I've arrived here. How snappy my uncle is, Alex not telling me everything, the execution of Sensei Wu, the pure fact that Uncle Clouse has what Alex says is an exact replica of the knife that killed his mother, and now the thought that I may have been deceived by them too now. I doubted it was true and that Alex may have been using his powers while he was talking to me, but what would he be using them for? There were no enemies or bothersome objects nearby.

Everything seems so shady now, but I'm not ready to jump to conclusions. Surely my uncle would never lie to me, right? He has to be the person I trust the most, aside from my father who has not talked to me in forever. It's just times like this where I wish I was friendless again, so I didn't have to worry about anything like this, but would I be the same?

I'll have to investigate this memory myself and not be so naïve from now on. I'm going to be have to be much more critical and observe every detail, especially the Pinocchio effect with Alex's eyes. I can't be as trusting as I used to be anymore, and I'm afraid that I'll have to watch for Uncle Clouse's horns and scales again.

It was time I started believing in myself instead of just going along with what people said to me.