Hey Brother

It wasn't exactly the best view of my little brother's face, being nearly twenty feet away. But I knew it was him. And I knew he was different.

As much as I wanted to run to him, I was completely frozen there on the ground. He was the one that walked forward. With every step I could see him clearer and clearer. I could see how his face had gotten just slightly longer - slightly more matured. How his shoulders had grown broad and how his arms had filled out. I used to call him the scrawny one. But now I looked like a toothpick next to him.

He -

He looked like Mama.

He was several inches taller, but still not as tall as me. His hair was still shaggy, but not as bad as the last time I'd seen him. Four and a half years ago. Oh God, four and a half years.

Krel stopped a few feet away from me, the two of us staring at each other through tear filled eyes. He'd changed - grown. I could see it in his eyes. In his posture. He wasn't the eleven year-old boy I'd left behind in those woods. Then again, I wasn't the twelve year-old girl that had left him there either. We'd both changed. But that barely mattered.

What mattered was that he was here. I was seeing him again. We were together again.

"Aja," His voice was considerably lower than what I remember. It sounded so much like Papa's it hurt. "You're . . . you're here."

"Yeah," I hiccuped. "I - I am."

I watched his eyes go to the brand between my brows, and a few tears fell down his face.

"Four years later," I brought his eyes back to mine. "And I'm still taller than you."

He choked on the laugh, more tears spilling over. His feet carefully stepped forward, barely coming within another foot of me. He was moving so cautiously, like if he got too close, I'd run away.

I opened my arms. "What are you waiting for?"

And just like that, he launched himself into me. His chest slammed against mine so hard it knocked the wind out of me. But I didn't care. He could crush the life out of me and it wouldn't be tight enough.

We dropped to our knees, clutching each other as we sobbed. I put my hand over the back of his head, just like Zadra had done for me. I felt his shoulders shake against mine, burying his face in my hair. He was so much bigger - so much fuller to hug.

He'd grown up.

"I missed you so much," He choked out.

I squeezed him harder, my mouth opening to say something, but nothing was coming out. There were no words for how I felt in that moment. For what it felt like to be whole again. So instead, I pressed a kiss to the side of his head and crushed him against me even more.

"That is one hell of a happy ending."

I looked up without releasing Krel, watching the driver of the other car step out. He was a tall man, with dark hair and blonde eyes. What a strange combination.

He nodded to me when he caught me staring, his voice deep and gravely. "I was beginning to think I'd never see you in person, Miss."

I closed my eyes, burying myself in Krel's neck again. I'd forgotten what he smelled like too. Like fresh bread and aged paper.

Zadra touched my shoulder to get me to lean back. "Why don't you two get in the truck?" She asked. "Zeron and I have some things to correlate."

"Zeron?" I looked back at the man.

He gave me a single nod.

"Come on," Krel pulled me up by my arms. He was still wearing rubber gloves.

We climbed into the backseat of the truck, Zadra closing the door behind us and then approaching the other car. For the first time, I noticed that Krel was wearing nurse scrubs. Almost identical to Zadra's.

"What are you wearing?" I asked, unable to stop smiling. "Where have you been?"

"That," Krel replied. "Is a crazy long story. But the scrubs were from Zadra. I just got back from an Op."

"A what?"

He waved his hand. "It doesn't matter."

"You're right," I leaned forward to hug him again. "It doesn't."

I felt his tears wet the fabric on my shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Aja. I'm so, so sorry."

"What are you talking about?"

He just shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm just so sorry."

I kissed the side of his head again, hugging him tighter. "We're together now, that's what matters."

"Terrible Tarrons, back at it again."

I giggled at our old elementary school nickname. "You're damn right."

"Your hair," He tugged on a few strands. "It is very uneven."

I felt my heart sink a little, remembering who had cut it like that. I pinned my lips together, trying to hold back a bitter layer of tears. Krel noticed the change in my posture, leaning back with concern.

"What's wrong?"

I shook my head, wiping away the tears. "It's nothing."

"You know you can tell me anything, Aja," He rubbed my arms. "Even if it's scary . . . or sad."

I took a deep breath. "Not yet. I'm not ready yet."

"Well, whenever you are," He said. "I'll be here. And - and I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm not going anywhere either," I promised.

He leaned into my open arms again, hugging my waist and setting his head against my shoulder. It felt so surreal to be with him again. Too good to be true. There was still a gripping of fear weighing in my chest. A fear that all of this was a dream. That in just a moment, I'd wake up in Cabin 27, ready for another day of work.

I pinched myself.

"So," I started. "The League."

Krel sighed, his shoulders hunching with it. "It's . . . complicated."

"That's what Zadra said."

"I know your mad -"

"Oh, I'm furious," I rubbed my hand up and down his arm. "But not at you."

He looked up at his own words. "You're not?"

"What you did got me out of there," I said. "I'm proud of you, Krel."

"I don't feel very proud."

"That's why I'm here," I squeezed him tighter. "To be proud for you."

His head lowered back onto my shoulder. "I've missed you so much. It's been so hard to be brave without you."

More bitter tears filled my eyes, but I bit my lip and blinked them back. "It's been hard to be brave without you, too."

He sat up, wiping his face. "So, did Zadra tell you what we're doing next?"

I exhaled. "Georgia?"

"Yeah," He nodded. "They're going to want to get you on a team there."

"A team?"

"That's how it works in the League," He explained. "All Psi kids get sorted into teams of like four or five. Then you train with your team in every way imaginable, and once you're ready, you get sent out on Ops."

"Ops?" I tilted my head. "Like Black Ops?"

"Actually, kind of," Krel said. "They're like missions, I guess. I usually work with Greens and other Yellows, so the majority of my Ops are just me hacking into different security databases."

"What does that mean?"

"It means if every Op were a break-in, I'd be the guy who disables the alarm and picks the lock."

"Aw," I rubbed the top of his head. "Look at you. My little brother putting his genius to good use by breaking into people's houses."

"For the record," He ducked out from under me. "I've never broken into a house. But I have hacked three hospitals."

"Of course you have," I rolled my eyes. "I'm gonna guess that's why you're dressed like a nurse?"

"Yeah," He shrugged. "It was last night's Op."

I turned my head to glance out the windshield, watching Zadra and 'Zeron' discuss something in front of the hood. "What are they talking about?"

"Zeron's Op," Krel's tone went bitter. "And how he completely failed it."

I blinked. ". . . I'm also gonna guess you and Zeron don't get along too well?"

He glared off to his left. "You could say that."

"What's wrong with him?"

"There's nothing wrong with him," Something in Krel's tone changed. It went flat, emotionless. "Have you shaken his hand yet?"

My brows pinched together. Krel knew better than anybody why I didn't touch people. There is no way he had just forgotten that over the past few years.

"No," I answered. "Why?"

He gave me an odd look. "Just wondering."

Wondering what?

"How did he fail his Ops?"

"Just Op, Aja," He replied. "Singular. And he failed because he didn't complete it. His job was to go to a camp a couple hours south of here and get a few kids out. But whoever they were, he . . . lost them."

There was that same tone with the last two words. Ominous. Like there was a double meaning to it. The glance he gave me out of the corner of his eye just confirmed it. Something was definitely up with this guy, and Krel was trying to tell me. But why couldn't he just come out at say it? What was making him act so cryptic?

"Is everything okay with the League?" I asked. "Everything okay with what they want me to do?"

Krel shrugged innocently. "Well, what do you want to do?"

I thought for a moment. What did I want to do? I wanted to help other kids, I knew that. But I had no clue how to even begin doing that. I wanted to survive. I wanted to stay with my little brother. And now that I was out of Thurmond, I wanted to continue that.

"Do they care what I want?"

"No." He said it lightly. Matter of factly. I could see it in his eyes, he was trying to get me to say something.

What?

"Well," I glanced to my left. "What if I decided I don't care about what the League wants?"

"You're not supposed to do that."

"No," I grinned, remembering the conversation we'd had years ago, when I ran away for the very first time. "You're just not supposed to get caught."

Zadra opened the door, cutting of our conversation. "Come on, you two. We gotta get going soon."

I followed her out of the vehicle, seeing Zeron hold a backpack out towards me.

"Some necessities, plus a change of clothes," He said. "Every kid in the League gets one. Even Clyde, here."

He tossed a much rattier looking bag towards Krel. "Yep," He said as he caught it, sending the man a flat smile. The same smile he used to give patronizing teachers.

"There's a bathroom in the station," Zadra said. "The water should be clean enough, but don't drink any of it."

I nodded, following Krel up the path into the building. He glanced back at me, then down at my hand. It was barely a pointed look. If I hadn't been paying attention I would've just thought he was making sure I was following. But if I'd learned anything at Thurmond, it was how to pay attention to people's eyes.

Have you shaken his hand yet?

I slowed my steps a little, letting Krel get several paces ahead before I hit the edge of my toe against my heel. I threw all my weight on the bent foot, instantly rocking forward just as I passed Zeron.

The man reacted instantly, his bare hand catching my wrist.

And I was in.

I saw vague and loose memories of childhood. They were blurred down to nothing more than a rush of scenes and feelings. The woods at night. Sticky fingers and fruit snacks. An old blanket and the smell of rain.

Slowly, I thrashed for the surface, the memories began getting clearer. I saw a college and smelled cigarette smoke. I saw long hours of training. I saw a brother and a sister that would follow me to the edge of the world. I felt heavy guns and hot blood. I listened to different clients giving different names, but all with the same price.

The clearest memories hit as soon as my head broke the surface, driving me back down. I saw computer screens and circuit boards. I saw pages and pages of plans and Ops. Then I saw Krel - more specifically, I saw over his shoulder to the face of his laptop. Whatever it was, it made me angry.

I felt my hands rip the device away from Krel. Then, like a scene switch, I felt my hand close around Krel's throat.

You think anyone's going to believe you? My voice said. But it didn't sound like my voice.

Then I saw kids, in uniforms just like mine. A Blue girl and a Yellow boy. They were sitting, crouched back against a concrete wall. The boy's chin was lowered to his chest, probably unconscious. The girl was looking up with absolute terror in her wet eyes.

I watched her face crumple. Her lips peel back as she begged. 'Please,' Her lips said. 'Please.'

But I didn't care.

I even thought the glint on the gun was pretty as I pressed it against her head. There was barely a bang, more of a splatter as the color red coated the wall behind her. Her red. And then the boy's red too.

Just another client.

I ripped myself back out of his mind, stumbling back, blood rushing in my ears.

"Careful," He chuckled. "Watch your footing."

He was smiling, like he hadn't just killed two kids point blank. Like he hadn't heard them beg for their lives. I blinked away the shock, desperately trying to shake off the icy feeling his mind had left behind. That's how he felt now. Numb.

You're not him, I told myself. And I walked into the gas station.

Krel raised an eyebrow at me as we entered. I looked back at him with all the horror I couldn't hide. I opened my mouth to say it - but Krel held a finger over his lips, shaking his head.

'Not here,' He mouthed.

But I understood. That was enough for now.

"You can use the bathroom first," He said.

I shook my head. "I had a shower this morning."

He gave me another glance, as if asking if I was okay.

I managed a nod.

Why couldn't I get rid of this feeling?

We stood back to back as we changed, and I cannot tell you how good it felt to take off that uniform. I'd forgotten how comfy it was to wear leggings. How clothing didn't have to be scratchy or baggy or papery. It could be soft, fitted, and warm. Like the sweater dress I'd dug out of my backpack. I'd never been the biggest fan of plaid, but it was the most lively thing in the world compared to my uniform.

"You think they'll be talking for a while?" Krel asked.

Another cryptic look.

"You tell me," I replied. "Don't you know them better?"

"Maybe ten minutes," He said. "Zadra isn't a conversation person."

"Maybe more if they expected us to shower."

"Like a grace period," He said. "Remember? Back at school?"

Of course I remembered grace periods. They were the academy's version of flex time, fifteen or so minutes for students to get help from teachers. But most days, I used it to find a way off campus. And, eventually, a way off the base.

Krel and I locked eyes again, the message going between us.

"You know what else reminds me of grace period?" I asked.

"What?"

"That lively window back there," I pointed past his head, at the window that had been cracked open.

"I see what you mean," Krel replied, grabbing his bag and approaching it with me. "I'm sure you have tons of memories with grace periods and windows."

I narrowed my eyes.

"What?" Krel lowered his brows. "Am I wrong?"

"Just get it open," I growled.

Krel hooked his fingers underneath the window pane, giving it a tug before sliding it up. Shooting one last glance at Zadra and Zeron, I climbed onto the back counter and eased both legs out into the air.

I landed in the grass, completely out of view from the parking lot.

Whipping back around, I reached up to help Krel out. Turns out he didn't need much. Not that the sticks I currently had for arms would've been too helpful anyway.

I caught the rubber on his wrist just as he started into the woods. "What about Zadra?" I whispered.

"She can handle herself," He replied.

Grabbing my hand, he tugged me across the line of trees. But something in me was aching. I'd just gotten Zadra back, and now I was leaving her again. I never knew how much I'd missed her until then.

"We'll see her again," Krel said. "But we need to go. Now."

He released my hand, the two of us pacing into a run. I was winded after five steps, but I pushed myself forward anyway, reminding myself I once ran a five-minute mile. Of course, that was almost four years ago, but still.

"So where . . ." I panted. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know."

My head snapped toward him. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"You're the expert on running away."

"Yeah, on the base," I replied. "We're . . . we're in the middle of nowhere."

"Just think of it like a giant game of fugitive," Krel said, his breathing much more even. "You loved playing fugitive."

"Emphasis on playing."

"Just think of something!"

"Fine!"

I came to a stop, leaning on a tree for support as I gasped.

"Are you okay?" Krel asked, stopping beside me.

"Lively," I panted.

"Do you need something? Water?"

"Aja!" Zadra's voice echoed from beyond the tree line. "Krel!"

"Motivation?"

"The shortest distance between two objects is a straight line," I blurted. "So . . ."

Grabbing Krel's rubber hand, I tugged him off to the side, the two of us breaking through the shrubbery as quickly and as quietly as we could. We ran for about thirty more seconds before switching directions again, turning our path into a zigzag pattern.

I was the first one to face plant, my foot catching some stray branch and my hands too tired to catch me in time.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Krel asked as he helped he sit up.

"Fine," I said. My chest was burning. My throat was sticking to itself when I swallowed. "I just haven't . . . ran in awhile."

"Aja! Krel!" Zadra's voice called again. "Come back here!"

"Come on," Krel heaved me up by my arm to continue our sprint. "What do we do now?"

"We have to . . ." My throat gave me another sticky swallow. "We have to find a hiding place."

"Like climbing a tree?"

Climbing a tree sounded down right phenomenal. It had been an unholy amount of time since I'd done. But that's when we finally broke into the clearing, noticing the black car that had been left there. It was a van - a minivan. The words: Betty's Laundry Service were printed on the side in big curvy letters.

It looked too clean to be abandoned. But why else would it be out here?

"There!"

We stumbled towards it, me half leaning on Krel at this point. The side door was unlocked, so we heaved it open together. There were several bleached sheets crumpled in the corner. Empty bags of chips, a few granola bar wrappers. Other than that it seemed pretty clean.

Climbing across the two back seats, we collapsed over each other on the floor before Krel shot back up to shut the door. I stayed sprawled on the floor, trying to catch my breath.

"Again," Krel said. "You sure you're okay? You sound like a dying lawn mower."

"What a compliment, little brother."

He smiled. A smile that was so completely Krel - no matter how much he'd grown. It made me want to cry all over again for how much I'd missed him.

Someone was coming. Two sets of footprints cutting across the grass from behind the car.

Shit.

Scrambling to the back of the truck, I ripped up the sheets and threw them over us. The smell of bleach burned in my nostrils as we crammed ourselves into the corner, laying over one another beneath three layers of fabric.

The footsteps continued to the driver's seat. I held my breath.

"I told you this was a bad idea."

That . . . was not Zadra's voice. And it definitely wasn't Zeron's either. It was male yes, but younger. And somehow familiar.

"But did you listen to me? No! You never listen to me!"

"Relax, Eli," A second voice replied, equally familiar.

Eli?

"It's not like they saw us. They were probably just squatters anyway."

"You don't know that for sure."

"Oh yeah, and you do 'cause you know everything?"

"Yeah, kinda!"

"Would you just buckle up?"

I risked sending Krel a glance in the dim light coming through the sheets. I had to know if he thought the voices were familiar too. It was killing me trying to place them with faces.

But when he looked back at me, he just looked confused.

The engine seemed to rattle as it started. My heart began to pound, but I forced it to slow. They were just driving. Driving us further away from the League, to be more specific.

Thanks for the ride.

The truck started forward, rolling and jostling as it went. Krel and I rocked with it, bracing ourselves against the wall to try and keep still.

"Did you eat all the granola bars?"

"No, they're in the back somewhere."

"Go get me one."

"Get one yourself."

"I'm driving and I'm starving!" The second voice replied. "It's not like you're doing anything."

"I'm formulating."

"Now is not the time to quote whatever nerdy shows geeks like you watch."

"Its Earth Invaders!" The first voice cracked a little. "And you watched the season finale with me!"

"Nope. Don't remember. Didn't happen."

"You have a very convenient memory."

"Shut up and get me a granola bar."

My head was pounding, both from the headache and from scrambling to try and place these voices. I had to have known these two, whoever they were. Were they from Thurmond? No, I hadn't known any of the boys since they'd kept us separated by gender. Could I have known them before that?

"Just give me one second to -"

The voice cut off without warning, the car going silent.

"Who is that?" The second voice asked.

"It's them! I told you! I told you they were trolls!"

"For the last time, Eli, we don't -"

The first gunshot cut him off, pinging against the bumper of truck.

"Do you believe me now?"

"Fine! Fine! They're trolls, ya happy now?"

Another gunshot pounded against the back doors of the car, making Krel and I flinch. The two boys at the front swore, followed by some distant shouting.

"Pull over and we won't hurt you!"

Now that, that was Zadra.

"Faster, Steve!"

"Quit back-seat driving, buttsnack!"

"I'm not in the back seat!"

Steve?

No. It couldn't be. Could it?

A third gunshot interrupted my thoughts, making Krel and I glance at each other. I could see the same feeling in his eyes. Whoever these boys were, they were kids. And we'd just dragged them into our mess.

A fourth gunshot.

"Pull over, I won't ask again!"

"Steve!"

"I can't concentrate with all your nagging!"

This time Zeron spoke. "Krel! Krel, you're treading on thin ice and you know it!"

"Huh?" The second voice asked. "Do they think we're someone else?"

"They're probably looking for someone."

"Why would they be looking for someone if they're trolls?"

The fifth gunshot shattered one of the back windows, spare bits of glass spilling over top the sheets. Suddenly, the truck made a hard left, throwing me and Krel against the wall. There were several minutes of quiet driving before the second voice spoke again.

"Who do you think they were looking for?"

"That would be us," I announced, throwing the sheets off Krel and I.

"What the -" The two boys in the front seat whipped around, the car stuttering.

With a final swerve, the driver managed to skid the car to a stop, allowing both of them to crane around and stare at us again. The driver had wide eyes and an open mouth. The boy in the passenger had his face set into a glare.

It took a full two seconds for me to finally recognize them. I blinked, again and again because it just could not be them.

"Steve?"

He blinked right back at me. "Aja?"

"Krel?"

Krel sat up beside me. "Eli?"

We spent a solid three minutes just staring at each other.

They didn't look too different. Steve had definitely gotten thinner. Eli was barely more than skin and bones. And his hair, it had been buzzed against his head, the shadow of scars peeking through.

Oh.

"What are you guys doing here?" Steve finally gawked.

"We could ask you the same thing," Krel replied.

"You're the ones who broke into our truck," Eli snapped.

"We didn't break in," I said. "It was unlocked. We thought it was abandoned."

"Aren't you guys supposed to be . . ." Steve glanced at Eli. "Dead?"

Krel and I glanced at each other. "What gave you that idea?"

"Well you guys did disappear after your house burned down," Eli said. "The whole town just kinda assumed the worst."

"Oh yeah," I muttered.

Krel looked at me. "Our house burned down?"

"Apparently."

"You guys didn't know?"

"We left because we went on the run," Krel said. "Something you seem to understand."

"Speaking of which," Eli said. "Who are you guys running from?"

"Aja! Krel!" Zadra's voice again, not too far off the intersection.

"Doesn't matter," I blurted. "We're leaving." I jumped to my feet and stumbled to the door. But Steve locked it before I could pull it open. "Hey."

But Steve was too preoccupied with our backpacks to notice my complaint. "Those guys are with the League," He said. "Aren't they?"

Krel and I glanced at each other.

"Let us out," I said. "We didn't mean to get you guys involved. We thought the car was abandoned."

"Figures," Eli muttered. "The hunk of junk this thing is."

"Hey," Steve said. "Don't talk about Black Betty that way."

Krel tilted his head. "About who?"

"Where are you two!" Zadra's voice was closer this time.

"Steve, unlock the door," I said. "We're sorry we got you shot at, but if you let us out we can deal with it."

"Yes!" Eli turned back to Steve. "Let them out! Need I remind you how many trolls we have to worry about? We don't need the League on our tail, too."

He looked at me steadily for a moment, as if trying to read my expression. "Do you want to go with them?"

I stopped, suddenly wanting to read his expression too. But he was completely guarded, just waiting for a reaction.

"Steve," Eli groaned. "Why does it matter?"

"I just wanna know!"

"Why?" Krel snapped. "What's it to you?"

"Yes or no," Steve repeated. "Do you want to go with them?"

That's when Zadra's red pick-up sped around the corner, flying towards us.

"New question," Steve blurted. "Can either of you drive?"

"I can!" I shot my hand up. At least, I could. When I was twelve.

Krel held up a finger. "Um -"

"Great! Come up here," Steve climbed out of the driver's seat, reaching for my arm.

"Wait, no," I yanked away from him. "Don't touch me."

". . . Okay." I could tell he was confused, but we didn't have to time for questioning.

I climbed into the seat, gripping the wheel and throwing my foot on the gas. The car lurched, throwing Steve directly onto Krel.

"Ow!"

"Outta my way, buttsnack!"

"Okay," Eli braced himself against the dash. "I guess we're moving now."

"My bad," I giggled.

Krel sat up rubbing his shoulder. "Is there a reason Eli can't drive?"

"Trust me," Steve replied. "You don't want him behind the wheel. He's as blind as Domzalski's grandma."

Eli glared back at him. "I'm still smarter than you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, buttsnack."

I watched through the rearview mirror as Steve threw open the two back doors of the truck, his feet firmly planted over the broken glass of the window.

"Speed up!" He shouted to me

I pressed the gas harder, but the car was barely inching up in speed. "It won't go any faster!"

"Then hold her steady!"

Zadra's car just kept getting closer the longer she tailed us. But Zeron was the one to stick his torso out the passenger window and fire three times into the open van. Steve ducked against the shots, Krel pinning himself to the ground and pressing his face into the carpet. The car jolted from the shots, pings sounding as it tore at the metal. But there were no cries of pain.

On the third shot I watched Zadra reach over and drag him back into the car. "Don't shoot at my kids!" She screamed.

"Everybody okay?" I asked.

"Okay," Krel called back.

"Hold her steady, Aja!"

I pressed the gas as far as it would go, listening to a faint whining from the engine. My knuckles were white around the wheel, my arms barely able to keep the truck moving straight. I nearly ran the car right off the road when I saw the tree.

It had been uprooted right out of the dirt, moving through the air as if being lifted on strings.

Eli had to grab the wheel to keep us going straight. "It's okay," He said. "It's just Steve."

"Steve?"

Craning my neck back, I saw Steve raising his arms out, carefully positioning them towards the road. Blue, my mind said. He was using his abilities. He was . . . good at them.

No one was ever allowed to use their abilities at Thurmond. The one time a Blue caught a falling sewing machine she disappeared for months. When she came back, her head was shaved and she had fresh scars across her bare scalp.

To see him using them now, almost effortlessly, it was . . . unreal.

The tree scraped into the road, landing with a loud crunch. Zadra's car was forced to swerve to the left, halting before the giant block in the road.

I exhaled a breath I didn't know I'd been holding, looking back at the road in front of us. I could suddenly feel how bumpy the road had gotten. Or . . . maybe that was just the truck.

"We've got a flat," Eli grumbled. "Get off the road and pull over."

When I'd brought the vehicle to a full stop, Steve and Eli set to work on the popped, back tire. Eli grabbed the spare from the back while Steve waved his hand over the nuts and bolts, unscrewing them all with his mind. Krel and I climbed out after them, wordlessly watching.

"You just got out of a camp," Eli looked up at me. "Didn't you?"

I grabbed my backpack strap, gripping it in front of my chest. I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

He pointed to my feet. "You're still wearing your identification number."

I glanced down at the standard slip-ons still clad on my feet, my ID number written on the right shoe in permanent marker. Huh.

"It's okay," Steve said. "We just got out of a camp too."

Krel raised an eyebrow. "You did?"

Eli shot Steve a warning look.

"What?" Steve innocently shrugged. "They're not trolls, they're . . . friends . . . from school."

Eli shot us a suspicious look. "They're with the League."

"No," Krel snapped. "We're not."

"Really?" Eli stepped forward. "Cause judging by the fact that your backpack looks at least two years old and you're not a walking skeleton, you've been with them for a while."

"Yeah, well I'm not anymore," Krel spat. "End of story."

I glanced at him, wondering if he realized how behind I was on everything. And I didn't have Zadra to fill me in anymore.

Eli turned his gaze on me. "Then why would the all-powerful-League give up their oh-so-precious resources to break you out of a camp, huh? What makes you so special?"

I gripped my backpack strap tighter. "Uh . . ."

"She was a code breaker," Krel spoke up. "One of the only Greens they'd let into the control tower."

". . . Right," I managed a nod. "And I have a photographic memory so . . . they thought I could help them hack into other camps."

"Oh yeah," Steve said. "Isn't that your guys's thing? Didn't you once hack the power grid for the science fair?"

"Yep," I chirped. "That was us."

"Well, it's been nice knowing you guys are alive," Eli started back to the passenger seat. "Give the League our regards."

"What are you doing?" Steve asked. "We can't just leave them here."

If looks could kill, Steve would've withered into a pile of dust right then and there. "We agreed," Eli said. "No strays."

"That was over a box of kittens -"

"No strays!" Eli stabbed a finger at him. "We agreed it would be best!"

"You are never gonna let that go, are you?"

"They were defenseless kittens!" Eli threw his hands up. "And your black heart decided to leave them under a mailbox! A mailbox!"

"Yeah, as fun as this is," Krel said. "We'll be fine on our own."

Steve turned to look at me. "At least let us drive you to the bus stop. It's not too far from here, and it's on the way -"

"Steve!"

"They're kids," Steve replied. "Not kittens."

"Yes, but we're also not defenseless," Krel narrowed his eyes into Eli. "We don't need anything from you -"

"But," I rested my hands on Krel's shoulders. "A ride would be nice. Wouldn't it, little brother?"

He folded his arms, grumbling under his breath.

Eli leaned against the side of the truck. "Where are you guys even going? Cause I'm sure it's very far -" Another glare at Steve. "- from where we're going."

I glanced at Krel again, hoping he'd fill me in at least a little. He looked back at me, releasing a sigh.

"There's a place in New Jersey we need to check out."

New Jersey? What could possibly be there? Except for the shore, I guess.

"Really?" Steve's eyes lit up, but the light quickly died as Eli punched him in the shoulder. "Ow! What the flip, buttsnack!"

Eli just glared.

"Oh come on!" Steve threw up his hands. "They're kids! Remember what Jim told us?"

I cocked my head. "Jim?"

"Steve," Eli hissed through gritted teeth. "Look at her forehead."

I took an instinctive step back, hitting Krel's shoulder as I did so. My throat constricted as I looked away, clamping one hand over my arm to keep from touching the scar - now throbbing for attention. Suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to fold up and disappear.

Krel stepped in front of me, folding his arms. "What about it?" It wasn't a question. It was a dare.

Eli glared back at him for a moment, then turned back to Steve.

"They're still kids," Steve said.

"You know what? Have fun," Eli grumbled, heading back to the passenger seat. "Go ahead, spill our secret. Why don't you paint it on a billboard while you're at it?" And he slammed the door extra hard.

"Sorry about him," Steve's gaze went soft. "He can get grumpy with this stuff, I guess."

"That's a gentle word for it," Krel muttered.

I elbowed him.

"The point is," Steve continued. "We're headed to New Jersey too."

I felt myself smile. "Really?"'

"Yeah," He replied. "There's this place there, Trollmarket, ever heard of it?"

I shook my head, but Krel's brows lifted. "You mean with the Trollhunters? That place is just rumor."

"Believe me," Steve winked at me. "It's real. Eli and I can attest to it."

Krel rolled his eyes. "And how's that?"

"We know the Trollhunter," He said. "We were in the same camp. We teamed up with him to stage the break out."

"Break out?" I asked.

"That was you?" Krel raised an eyebrow. "You helped stage the break out of Caledonia?"

"Basically ran the whole thing," Steve replied, stretching his arms to flex them. "Me and Eli? We got deemed the Creepslayerz - with a 'Z'."

"Lively," I said.

"So you know the Trollhunter?" Krel asked.

"Sure do," He said. "It's Jim."

The name tugged on my memory, making me pin my lips together as I thought. "Jim Lake?"

"That's the one," He said. "Him, Claire, and Domzalski - they're the Trollhunters. And we're the Creepslayerz."

"Trollhunters," I repeated. "Like they hunt bounty hunters?"

"Kind of," Krel said. "According to the rumors, they started by taking down groups of trolls and rescuing captured kids. Then they set up 'Trollmarket' as a safe haven." He looked back at Steve. "You're telling me all that's true?"

"And they're our friends from Arcadia?" I added.

He nodded in reply. "I mean, the first Trollmarket did kinda get busted, and that's kinda how we ended up in Caledonia, but that's why they're making a new one in Jersey. That's where they headed after the break out. We were supposed to follow them, but things got . . . complicated and we were separated."

I understood that. Krel and I both did. But neither of us said anything.

"What do you mean 'break out'?" I asked. "Like, you actually escaped a camp?"

"Hard to believe, I know," Steve stretched his arms again. "But it's hard for even the best to contain the Palchuk."

"I don't think that's what she meant."

My eyes went down, trying to imagine how they must've pulled that off. If they weren't allowed to talk to each other, how did they do it? How did they even make it to the fence without being shot? Without White Noise being played to pacify them?

"What camp are you from?" Steve asked.

I looked back up at him, not knowing what to say for a moment. "Thurmond."

Something in his face changed. But not the look I usually got. It was different. Almost like . . . I was another wounded kitten he'd just found in the road. It made me shift the straps on my shoulders, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Thurmond?" He asked. "As in . . . Franken-kiddies?"

"They stopped testing," I said, almost defensively. Why was I suddenly defensive of Thurmond?

"Look," Krel cut in. "Thanks for the getaway car and all, but we need to get going."

"We can still give you a ride," He said.

"We are going to the same place," I reminded Krel. "Might as well."

"And if this place in New Jersey doesn't work out," Steve shrugged. "You can always come with us."

I smiled. "Yeah, we could."

Krel gave me a flat look.

"Come on," I gave his shoulders a shake. "It'll be an adventure."

"I hate it when you say that."

"At least to Jersey," I said. "Then if we part ways -"

"When we part ways -"

"It'll be no harm no foul," I finished.

Krel took a moment to glower.

"Adventure," I reminded him.

"Fine," He mumbled. "Only to Jersey."

"Totally," Steve grinned. "But we better get going - oh, and what is the place in Jersey you guys are headed to?"

Krel shouldered past him to the car. "None of your business."

I wondered if it was any of my business.

(A/N): sorry it took so long to update guys . . . kinda ;) but seriously, i promise to keep updates more consistent and daily from now on. until next time, enjoy the story loves!