I'm back. I just wanted to thank everyone for wait. Here it is-
Division Agent Jenkins
"And call for back up, there was also a 'Stitch', but I think the Paladins can take care of her. Send some of them over so they find out where the 'Stitch' went." I said, once I finished telling her the directions. "On it." Said Johnson, and the call disconnected.
Nouxi POV
There was a light rain that splattered against my trench coat as I walked to our temporary home. I stared at my hands, the rain cooling them off. They were a bright red, but then I have never 'Stitched' someone who was dying. I hid my hands in my pockets.
There weren't many people out, except for those two who were fighting over there, even though it wasn't that late, I thought as I walked down the streets. Or was it? I didn't really know anymore. For me, day and night blurred together.
In the back of my head, there were soft whispers of voices that I tried to forget in numerous of occasions.
"So we're Jumpers?" "Yes, you can't go back to your old lives now…"
"MOM! DON"T TAKE HER, PLEASE! TAKE ME!" "We will, one day, when you are older…"
"Neo! DON'T, NEO!" "I have to go for her!"
"I love you, Ma." "I love you too, Nouxi."
"DAD! NOOOOOO!"
Screams echoed throughout my head. Mom taken by Division, Dad killed, it really does make me wonder what kind of a world I am living in. Hell? No, something much worse.
I reached our apartment building and I walked in. I took my time up the stairs and then slowly went down the hall. I walked up to the apartment and softly knocked on the door. The door opened and I was suddenly looking into a pair of yellow eyes. My twin brother, Neokil, smiled and walked into the apartment. Unlike me, he chose to wear a different style. He had on khaki pants and a blue sweater with the sleeves pushed up to the elbows. He had on brown boots, opposing my black leather ones and his black hair was shorter. Other than that, he looked exactly like me.
I followed him, closing the door behind me. "So, where were you?" He asked as he sat down at the table. I shrugged as I took out my supper from the pantry, potato chips. I opened the bag and sat down. I put my feet on the table. "Remember the favor Seph told me to do?" I said as I opened the bag. We had known Seph ever since Division took Mom away. Seph helped us along the way, helping us get food and fake identities, stuff like that. He nodded. "Was it far?" I shook my head and I bit into a potato chip. My chewing made a loud noise in the silence of the apartment. "Just a few blocks away." I said after I swallowed. "Did you get seen?" He asked, his yellow eyes in worry. I laughed. "No, I'm not that stupid." He nodded. "Sure?" "Sure." He nodded again. My brother had a bad habit of nodding a lot. I just hated it. I finished the bag, taking my sweet time. After I was done, I got up and threw away the bag.
I was about to walk into my room when "Hey." Said Neokil. "Did you remember her?" I stared at the door. I knew exactly what my brother was talking about.
I only knew Jazmin because a few days ago, we had been in her town. Seph had called ahead and told me what I had to do. Luckily, I was going to her school at the time, so I began to look for her. The first encounter had been a disaster. We had been in the parking lot and I thought I had seen Seph's eyes when we passed a few cars. I turned and saw a guy and a girl arguing in a truck. Neokil and I had gone closer and I saw the girl. I thought it was Jazmin, the girl Seph had told me about, but then my mind flooded with memories of the bell ringing. We stood there like idiots before walking toward the building. Neokil later told me that he had seen the same thing, so we know a 'Pusher' had done it. The next day, I learned that Neokil and I were in the same class as her, Mrs. Green's science class. I waited for the class to finish so I could see her face again, to make sure it was her. The bell rang and Neokil and I grabbed our stuff, but then two people walked in. Jazmin ran from the classroom and I couldn't help but to curse.
The two people were wearing suits and from our seats in the back of the class, we could hear them asking for us. We guessed that they were from Division or Paladins, so we left the room by using Mrs. Green's second door. We ran from the school and then we both 'jumped' to Hong Kong. We rented a small apartment because Seph told me that it would be at the Tang Shiu Kin Hospital, so we had to wait a few days. Then today, I had gone to the room, and there was Jamzin. I worked my magic on her and had left quickly. I didn't recognize the male there. I wonder who he is.
"Yeah." I said. I turned around to see Neokil sit down. He looked up. "Do you miss Mom or Dad sometimes?" He suddenly said. I wasn't expecting it. My heart slowed down. I didn't know how to answer. I was older the one, the one who was suppose to know the answer to everything, but I didn't know how to answer my brother's simple question. For some reason, that question triggered something in my mind, and I suddenly remembered Dad's death that had occurred a few months ago.
"Hey Dad, how about we walk a different route?" I asked him. It was another day and I decided that I would skip school, just because. It had been a few years since Mom was taken. My dad found me hiding out in the house and we decided to walk together since we didn't have time to do that after school. "Why not?" he said and took a different street, a street called Oak Road. We had been talking about something, I think it was about my studies, and then a car started to pull up. My dad knew what to do. "RUN!" he yelled, pushing me away. I fell into some bushes and through the thorny branches, I watched as a woman, accompanied by a man, beat him in broad daylight, trying to force him to say someone's address, I think they said the Rice family. He finally told them. I was surprised; I didn't know any Rice's. Before I could do anything, they pushed him in the backseat and drove down the street. I must have been that bush for hours, but only a few minutes passed. I was afraid to move, go get help. One of them, a man, walked up to a house and knocked on it. A dirty blond-haired man opened it, and the other man barged in, and closed the door behind him. A few minutes passed before I heard screams of torture. I watched the house in horror, watching as the windows were splattered with blood. Finally, the screams ceased. The man ran out of the house just as the house exploded. The house burned down and I could still hear someone screaming inside. I saw the flames caress the sky and the smoke hover above the house like clouds.
The man calmly brushed his coat off and walked in his car. Seconds passed, and then the lady pushed my father out. I could see from where I was that he had duct tape over his mouth and looked a bit shaken, but that was it. I sighed in relief and watched the scene unfold before me. The lady suddenly punched him in the stomach and then pushed him into the burning house and she ran to the car. They drove off as I watched the scene in terror. I could now hear my father cry out. I jumped out of the bushes and ran to the house. "DAD!" I screamed but I knew it was no use. He was dead, and I didn't do anything about it. He burned to death. What I wanted to do was fall to my knees then and there and cry out in pain, but I didn't have time. I could already hear alarms far away. I ran to school and forced my brother out of it. I told him what happened, and we ran home. There, we met Seph. She told us our second powers, what we were; hybrids as she said, and told us we could never go back to our normal lives. The moment I saw those people beat my dad up, I had already known that.
"Well, do you?" He repeated, taking me out of my memory. He had tears in his eyes. Why was he crying? I thought with irritation. He didn't see Mom get taken, Dad die… I sighed. He was going to need comfort. I sat next to him and hugged him. "It'll be all right." I whispered, and I hoped it would be.
Tristan POV
The letter from the principal in my pocket seemed to weigh me down. I've been going to school for a while, but I was failing my classes, even Science, my best subject. With these turn of events, things were going to bad to worse. The light drizzle rain only made me feel even more melancholy, and it wasn't helping. I trudged on, the mud making my journey harder than it could have been.
I decided to go back to my rant. It's been days since I have heard from Jazmin. What if she was hurt? What if she failed? What if... A black Corvette passed by and it splashed me with dirty water. The water soaked me to the bone. I wrapped my arms around me, trying to stay warm. I've been walking to school and back since the day Jazmin left. I just couldn't make myself to drive that car. The best answer seemed to walk.
I finally saw Aunt Seph's house, and I slowly took out my keys. Once I got to the door, I put the key to the doorknob and I walked in. Water dripped from my hair and clothes, and something told me that my homework, which was in my backpack, wasn't dry. I dropped the thing on the floor, giving my back a break. I shook my head, spraying water everywhere, and walked up stairs. I looked up and saw my mom staring at the living room phone. "I'm getting worried. She hasn't called or anything. I do hope nothing bad happened on her trip." She said. I stared at her, confused, but then I remembered that I had 'pushed' her into thinking Jazmin had gone with the band to New York. "I'm sure she is just having a lot fun in the Big Apple, but I hope she does call." I stared at Mother. I wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her, scream at her, to destroy the illusion I have placed in her so she would know the truth, but I promised to protect Mother. She couldn't know, at least not yet. She still mourned for Father, and knowing that Jazmin was sacrificing her life would literally kill her. I sighed and forced a smile. "I'm sure she's having lots of fun." Mother smiled and then walked away.
I was starting to get hungry. I walked down the stairs and I walked into the kitchen. I suddenly smelled a grill cheese and I turned to see someone making just that. The person turned and I saw that it was Aunt Seph. "I should have warned you about the water." Aunt Seph said with a shrug and a smile. I couldn't help myself; I ran and I almost toppled Aunt Seph over as I hugged her. Tears came out, and I cried. I hadn't seen Aunt Seph for days. She hugged me back. She finally held me at arm length's and I could see also had tears in her eyes. "I can see you did your part. Good job." I nodded. Her praise felt good.
"You're wet. Here." She took out the grilled cheese and served a plate of tomato soup. She handed them to me. "This should a warm you up." I smiled. I haven't had this since I was a kid. I sat down and bit into the grilled cheese. It tasted like heaven to me.
I finished my small lunch and thanked her. I went back upstairs and shook my head again, splattering the walls with water. For a moment, for some reason, the water on the wall, the way it was formed, reminded me of an eye of a tornado. It was calm before something bad happened…
Jazmin POV
Luckily, my shoe didn't get scuffed, but I was pissed. "Why?" I yelled. "Why?" Rodney didn't say anything now. A light drizzle rain began to pour down, but it didn't disturb me. The rain wet us both but we still stared at each other. Across the street, I heard someone walking. It took a moment before I calmed down. "They know. They could have followed us." I finally said, breaking the silence. "Look, I didn't know. I swear." Rodney said. "I wouldn't have done it, if I had known." I nodded. "But, why were there guns and knives in your bag?" I tried to think of an excuse. "Rod, I told you my Father taught us languages." He looked at me. I looked away this time and rubbed at my neck. "He, um, also, um, taught my brother's and I, um, how to, um, kill with guns and knives, etc." I said quickly. "What?" "I would have thought you could have figured that one out, Rodney." I said. "I did. I just didn't know who taught you that. Why'd your Father teach you that?" "To protect ourselves from Paladins and Division and such people." "So you're a killing machine?" "Not fucking funny at all." I said. He shrugged.
"Look, sorry about the yelling, I shouldn't have yelled like that." I apologized after a moment. "No, it's me who should say sorry." Said Rodney. We nodded and then stood in an awkward silence. "So, I guess we should go up now." He said. "Wait, let's get our bags first." I opened the car door; glad Nick hadn't locked it, and grabbed our bags. I handed Rodney his and put mine on my shoulder. "I'll 'jump' us there." I said. I hugged him and he wrapped his arms around me. I thought of our destination and 'jumped'. I opened my eyes and we were outside the apartment, by the door. The water from our clothes made a drip sound against the floor. The door opened in front of us and we stepped out of the way. Nick and Cassie walked out.
"Hey, we were waiting for you." Nick said. "Okay, I had enough." Cassie suddenly said. "Why can't I see you guys? I should have seen you come up or something, but nothing! I can't see anything!" She yelled. I was about to say I didn't know what she was talking about, but then I realized something. Cassie had said before she hadn't been able to see us, at all. That would mean someone is messing with her sight. But… I looked at Rodney. All this had started when I was around Rodney. The visions I had, the funeral, everything, he was always there. Cassie said she could never see us, and as far as I knew, I wasn't a Shadow or anything else that could disturb someone's sight. But if Rodney was a Shadow, why wasn't I disturbed too? Was it because he was trying to protect me in an unconscious way, or what? "Cassie, it could just be you." I said, keeping my new discovery to myself. Cassie was clearly fuming, but she said nothing.
Nick opened the door wider, enough for the two of us to pass. "Emily said she would let us stay here for the night. But we have to be gone by morning." I nodded and walked in, Rodney trailing behind me. I set my bags down by a couch and took a look around. It was a nice apartment. Maybe one day I could have one too. I shook my head at the ridiculous thought and turned around. I then came face to face with a woman. She was slightly shorter than me, with deep, black hair, black eyes, and a very scary figure, but her glaring eyes were enough to make me not to mess with her. "Xenia, this is Emily, Emily Hu." Emily lowered her head slightly in acknowledgement. I waved back. "So you're this Xenia?" She said. I nodded. "You look a lot like Nick." She said and walked away. Well, that was unexpected.
"So we're we going to sleep?" Rodney asked. "The couches and I have a guest room. You can arrange the sleeping arrangements." Emily said, coming out of nowhere. "So, I guess I can have a couch, maybe Rodney can have the other one." I said. "Sure." Cassie said, and she propped down on one of the couches. "I'll have this one." Nick looked around. "I guess I'll have the guest room." "Okay, the bathroom is over there, but try not to make a mess in it; I just had it cleaned." Emily said, pointing to a door to the left. "Here are some towels." She said and she threw me one and another at Rodney. "Dry not to wet the floor much." She said. "Okay." I said softly.
I turned around to see Cassie looking at me. "Does Cornelius do anything?" she asked, continuing our conversation from before, pointing at Rodney, seemly incredulous. It was as if she didn't want to acknowledge him. I cracked a grin, which is something I hadn't done often since this journey had begun. "He is my friend, and a 'Shadow'. He had us shielded the whole time." I said, and prayed that I was right. She didn't need to now his second power, or mine. Either way, she looked surprised. "He is really powerful, then. Maybe that's why I didn't get any visions on you two coming here." Rodney... Cornelius nodded. "I'm pretty good. You have to admit that." I was surprised to see Rodney be cool with the second power. Cassie looked at me then Rodney. "I guess you sort know our situation, then?" I shook my head. "I just know that you need help with something." I said. "How don't we know that you are working for Division?" asked Nick. I glared at him. "If I were from Division, both of you would have been dead the moment I got here." I said. And I knew that was true.
Nick sighed. "To make things short, a female 'Pusher' named Kira was injected with the drug to boost our powers. She survived the injection and managed to escape with a syringe filled with the drug. She woke up here, with no memories. With her help, we managed to walk away with the drug because Division thinks I injected myself with it." Nick said. I took the information in, but then was confused by a fact. "If you didn't inject yourself with the drug, what did you inject yourself with?" He grimaced. "Noy Dragon Soy Sauce." I wrinkled my nose. "Nasty."
Emily laughed. "The things…" She said, not finishing her sentence. She walked to a door. "Good night." She said with a smile and dimmed the lights; candles placed around the room our only light. She slipped behind the door and closed it with a thud. "Night." I said. I dried my hair as I could. There wasn't much I could do for my clothes. I walked into the bathroom, bag in hand, and took out a long-sleeved black shirt and the white thin pants that I had gotten at Griffin's. I Knew this would come in handy, I though as I changed. I walked into the living room, placed my bag on the floor, and from there, propped down on the couch. I lied down, and wrapped myself into a small ball, covering not even half the couch. I tried to get into a comfortable sleeping position. Everyone drifted off eventually.
I closed my eyes, trying to sleep, but I couldn't. Sleep was escaping me, and it was just so wrong. Hours passed and I turned every now and then, trying to sleep comfortably. I finally sat up. It was now probably one or two in the morning. All I knew was it was far from sun rise. From the guest room, I could hear soft snoring, probably Nick. Cassie looked more peaceful in her sleep, her jacket covering her as a blanket. Rodney was covered by blankets, but looked in agony, and every now and then made whimpering noises, as if he was in pain. I couldn't do anything for him in his dreams.
I laid back on the soft padding of the couch and decided to think about my situation. First off, Rodney being a Shadow. Was it possible? Yes, and it was probably true. Rodney's whimper surprised me, but then he quieted down. I just needed to test that theory, I thought as I looked at him. Second off, my appearance. My dark-brown and blonde hair wasn't going to be hard to miss, unless they see Cassie first with her colorful hair. I wrapped my arms around my knees, bringing them closer to me. I needed to change something about myself, so they couldn't recognize me immediately if they saw me. Unconsciously, I began to finger my hair. That's it; I thought suddenly and stood up.
I unzipped my bag, being as quiet as I could be, and took out a few small boxes. I took out a pair of clothing, boots, and scissors. I walked silently to the bathroom ad closed it behind me. I turned on the light, illuminating my surroundings. Something told me that I didn't have much time, so I began to work. I stared at my long hair for a moment. I tried not to think about it. I picked up the scissors and began to hack off pieces until I had a Mohawk sort of look. That was phase one. I picked up one of the boxes. It was a box of hair dye. This one was black. I looked into the mirror. I mixed the dye up. I added the whole thing to my hair. I spread it around and soon my hair was just a mass of blackness. I noticed that I still had my gun, so I placed that on the counter and quickly jumped in the shower, my clothes on, and washed my hair. A few minutes passed, and I walked out. I was wet and cold but when I looked into the mirror I got the result I wanted. My hair was now black and in an unusual style. I hardly recognized myself. I nodded to myself and quickly dressed in the dry clothing.
I was now decked out in my leather jacket, a pair of black skinny jeans, and a dark blue shirt that had a black three spiral symbol in the middle. I placed the gun in my pocket and I put on my silver hoop earrings and put on my other two earrings. My hair was now dry and truly looked alien to me. But there wasn't time for to admire my work. I slipped on a pair of steel-toed blue leather boots and walked outside of the bathroom, my wet clothes and other things in my arms. Everyone was still asleep. I walked into the kitchen and was happy to see a dryer. I put my stuff inside and turned it on. In a few minutes, it would be dry. I walked to my bag and put the rest of the things in there. I then sat on couch. My new haircut slightly covered my eye, but it was fine with me. There was a small beep and I got up to take out my clothes from the dryer. I folded them and put them in my bag. I got up and checked one last time to see everyone was asleep before lying back down.
A few minutes ago, I was Jazmin Artemis Harris Rice. Now, I was Xenia Maria Stewart. Let's hope nothing bad happens, I thought and turned on my side. In moments, I fell asleep. For the first time in a long time, I slept soundly.
That's when I realized something, Kira had badge around her neck. I would recognize that anywhere… I quickly swerved into the side of the rode, parked, and took out my gun from my pocket. I already had it pointed at her head when everyone had settled down. "Whoa, what are you doing?" said Nick, trying to push my hand away, but it stood firm. "She's with Division." I said in a monotone. A Division agent, in my breathing space, I thought. She could have killed us all, and Nick was blinded because of his love. I took off the safety. "Kira is good!" said Nick. "I swear!" I didn't listen. "You're blinded, I understand. I would be blinded too, but in the end I would kill anyone who tried to kill me or my family… I can't believe I actually picked you up." I whispered and almost pulled the trigger. "I swear I had nothing to do with Division!" She yelled and her brown eyes seemed to turn black. I suddenly felt someone else in my mind… I moved my arm and pointed at the window. I pulled the trigger. There was a loud BOOM, and then the glass fell. Everyone stared wide-eyes at me and the feeling stopped. "I DON'T WANT YOU MESSING WITH MY MIND! STOP!" I yelled. "I have no right to kill you. " I whispered. "That person is no longer with us, but I swear if you don't stop, I will kill you."
Rodney POV
I sat up, breathing quickly. Calm down, I thought. I finally got settled and I looked around. The candle light made everything dim, but I could still everything. I looked at Jazmin. In the dark, her hair looked black. She slept quietly, her chest barely rising, and looked like an angel. I smiled to myself and pulled the blanket off of me. I placed the blanket on top of Jazmin. I stared at her for a moment. I quietly took out the case out of my backpack. I opened it, and the necklace, the one silver thick chain with small blue and green stones decorating it as the chain twisted in a braid, twinkled in the light. I smiled again and gently took it out of the case. I unclipped it and put the necklace around her neck. I snapped it and there it was. I gave her the necklace. It looked nice, and it even matched with what she was wearing at the moment. I was sure she wasn't wearing that when she fell asleep, I thought. Maybe she changed. For a moment, I wondered why she was wearing her boots, which reached her knees, but then she muttered something. I leaned closer. "Rod…" She said. "Home…Stylo…Star…Ghost...Light…Rod…" I wondered what she was talking about.
I sat back on the couch and lied down. I thought back on what happened. Jazmin was now calling me a Shadow. What was that? Kathy didn't tell me what that power was either. I sighed. I seriously needed to know. I was really tired and I decided to fall back to sleep.
It was time to go back to hell, I thought grimly before closing my eyes…
I sat up again. I put my head in my hands and breathed deeply. I always had the same dream. I seriously needed to stop reading stuff.
I looked at my watch. Only an hour had passed. Thee rain was still falling outside. I looked at Jazmin. It was lighter than before, but her hair still looked black in the dim light. I stood up and I gently picked up a strand of her hair closer to the light. It was still black. That's when I noticed one side of her head had long hair; the other side was closer to her head. Her hair…What the…
Jazmin POV
I woke up when a flaring light blinded me. I sat up as I rubbed at my eyes. I looked up. Rodney was holding a candle and was staring at me. "What?" I said sleepily. "You dyed your hair?" He whispered, but it was loud. Cassie moved in her sleep. I put my hand over his mouth and dragged him to the bathroom. I closed the door behind us, the candle our only light in the darkness. "You cut your hair?" He said more loudly. I nodded. "Why?" "Division and Paladins are clearly after us, and as you well know, they now know how I look like because of my passport. I had to change my appearance somehow." I said. "Should I change too?" He asked after a long moment of silence. "Only if you want." I said, looking at the ground. "Nah." He said. "I guess I'll be fine." I nodded and we walked out of the bathroom. "You should really let me sleep." I said. "Sorry, I just freaked." "Yeah…" There was a tingling sensation at the back of my head and I closed my eyes.
There was a woman in a black car that could be described as a prison car, the one they use to put multiple people in the back. She parked in front of the car we drove to get here. She got out and a group of men with guns piled out from the back behind her. They walked inside the building and barged into Emily Hu's home. They took us, even Emily, and forced us into the back of the car. They drove off.
I opened my eyes. "GET UP!" I yelled, surprising Rodney. Cassie groggily opened her eyes. "What?" She said. I ran to the guest room and barged in. "GET UP!" I yelled and startled Nick fell off the bed. "What?" He said. "They're coming!" I yelled. "They're coming!" I yelled again when walked into living room. Everyone was awake. "What?" said Emily. "They're coming." Rodney put his hands on my shoulders. "Who is coming?" "Division." I whispered. Nick was already moving. He grabbed my bag and was already out the door. "Why didn't I see anything?" whispered Cassie quietly, almost sad. I grabbed Rodney's bag and ran after Nick. We didn't wait for the elevator, we ran down the stairs. It wasn't until we were outside did I notice Emily was with us, changed into a black sweater and jeans and carrying a small bag with her. "You coming?" I said. She shook her head. "I'm leaving. They might find me, but they probably would do horrible things to me if I stayed." She said. I nodded. "Why are you doing this?" Emily asked me. I was puzzled. "Doing what?" "Doing this, whatever you are doing. I'd recommend just go far away, and stay under the radar so Division won't find you. Not only are you endangering your life, your endangering Cornelius's life too." I stared at her, considering what she said. She was right, more than right. But I know pulled them into my problems, and now it was my responsibility to make sure they stay okay. "Thanks for your advice, but I'm pretty deep in shit right now. I don't think running will do anything." She nodded. "Good luck.' She said to us before disappearing into the rainy night. I looked at her until I couldn't see her anymore. "Thank you.' I whispered in her direction.
"Well, you can prove it now." Nick said. I turned and stared at him. "Prove you can actually hot-wire a car." I nodded and walked down the street, looking for a good one. They followed me and I found a car that was perfect. I quickly broke the lock and in a few seconds, the car was running. "Good enough for you?" I asked as I slipped into the driver's seat. Nick stood there with a surprised look, but quickly piled into the car with the others. He handed me the bag, and I put it in the space between the passenger seat and me. Rodney slipped in beside me, the rest in the back. "So where are we going?" I asked. "I thought you would know." Nick said.
Nick POV
Xenia, who now had black hair and a weird hair-cut, looked at me with a look of desperation. "I don't know." Silence. "It won't work. They are looking at my every decision even if I didn't where I was going. They can follow us." She said. I slumped back into my seat. It was over, I thought with dismay. I was fighting with my life, only to be captured in the end.
Xenia suddenly sped up. "What?" I said, looking behind us, expecting to see someone from Division or something. "This is going to hurt." Xenia whispered. "What?" I said. "Everyone, close your eyes." "Why?" said Cassie. "I can shake them from our tail. But you have to close your eyes. If they can't see what I'm doing, they're going to be looking at your future, so to make sure that fails, you can't know what's happening. Close your eyes." I looked at Xenia. "Do you trust me?" She said, her blue-green eyes flaring. I didn't say anything, I didn't have to. I closed my eyes.
Jazmin POV
I actually didn't know we were going. But I had been looking out the window when we had droving to Emily's place, so I just need to pick a random spot. The rest couldn't see this, even though I have already told Nick and Cassie about Porters, because of two reasons. If something happened, it would be my fault. If they force Nick and Cassie to talk, they will say what they know about me, AKA Watcher. They thought Rodney and I were sent here by a Porter, AKA Hannah Lecter, to help them out. This was bad. If they went through their records, they might find out what Hannah was, AKA Porter, and they probably would start looking for people who could 'jump, AKA Jumpers. This again was bad. Second reason, if they saw me 'jump, they would know I was lying and I needed their trust. I just needed to keep them in the dark, for now. I looked at Rodney beside me. He looked back. "Are you ready to jump once more?" I whispered. He nodded. He took my hand and I closed my eyes. This was dangerous, especially with this traffic, and I was going pretty fast, but it was more dangerous not 'jumping' correctly. I blanked my mind and I placed my head against the seat. I quickly opened my eyes when I heard a long car beep and I could see through the rain there was a huge traffic jam ahead of us, but I was going faster. I closed my eyes, concentrated on my position, and 'jumped'.
I opened my eyes and looked outside. We were at an apartment building we had passed by. I looked behind me. Everyone still had their eyes closed, except for Rodney. His eyes were wide, and full of excitement. Yeah, a 'jump' could do that to you. "You can open your eyes now." Everyone opened their eyes. "Where are we?" asked Cassie. "At an apartment building." I said. That was obvious. Cassie sneered at me, and then got out of the car. Everyone climbed out after her, and I grabbed my bag. Suddenly everyone was just looking at the building, not moving. "Well? Come on, people." I said and we walked inside. I quickly rented a small apartment, enough to hold us all, and the lady gave me a key. I told them which room we were staying in. Rodney nodded and then walked toward the stairs. I hauled my bag over my shoulder. "Come on people." We walked up the stairs to the fourth floor and we walked into the room. "We should probably stay here for the night or the rest of it anyway." I said. Everyone nodded and went into the two rooms that were in the apartment. Cassie, and Nick would stay in one room, Rodney and me in the other.
Cassie POV
I didn't trust Xenia, and I was pretty sure she didn't trust me. The way she spoke, she was hiding something. And why would she come here? There was something about Xenia that I couldn't explain, but I didn't like it. I sat on the edge of a chair, thinking. And why couldn't I see them? Why?... The vision… I sat upright. "Nick, the case!" I said. He stared at me for a moment before turning pale. "Shit…" We ran to the door.
Jazmin POV
I went through my bag, looking for something. I suddenly hit something hard against my hand and it didn't feel like one of my guns. I took it out and stared at it. It was a small glass case with an injection in it. I stared at it some more. Was this the drug Kira had taken? If it was, what was it doing in my bag? What the fuck? I stood up and walked into the living room, case in hand. Cassie and Nick burst out of the room. "Careful with that!" yelled Cassie. "Why did I forget?" muttered Nick, keeping his eyes on the case. I looked at him, then the case, then at him all over again. "Here." I said, and he snatched it form my hands. I looked at the case, thinking. I knew they didn't want Division to get their hands on it. What if…"What if I hid it?" I asked. Cassie looked at me with surprise. "I'll hide it. You guys won't have to worry about it, and we are all good." I said. "Why should we trust you?' asked Nick. "Because I'm probably your only chance." Nick looked at Cassie. "Give it to me. I'll hide it and Division will never, ever be able to find it. I won't break, I will never tell them." I said. Nick once again looked at Cassie, and this time she nodded. Nick warily handed me the case. I nodded and walked out the door. I thought of all the places I could hide it in. But there was only one place that I trusted, one place I knew hardly anyone went anymore. I stood in the hallway and closed my eyes. I jumped.
Cassie POV
About two hours passed before Xenia came back, clothes dirty. "It is hidden?" asked Nick. "Yeah. Division won't be able to find it now. There is nowhere safer than where I hid it." She sighed and leaned back on the wall, as if tired. I nodded. It was hidden.
Nouxi POV
I must have fallen asleep. I opened my eyes groggily. There had been slamming of doors down the hallway. I quickly stretched. New neighbors must be coming in, I thought as I yawned. I looked beside me. Neokil was looking peaceful, more than usual. I sighed. I didn't always see him like this. I brushed his bangs away from his face.
Jazmin POV
I hid it underground in a place dear to me. I don't think anyone would uncover it. It was too underground. After I hid it, I roamed the town near by. I walked down the streets, enjoying the morning, since it was barely dawn there. Once I saw the first person out, I jumped back to the apartment building. I leaned back on the wall and closed my eyes. Down the hall, I heard a lot of people running. What was going on? I opened my eyes and met Nick's confused eyes. Ah shit…
Nouxi POV
Suddenly, the windows exploded inward and the door was knocked down. Men with gear and guns came rushing in, their guns pointing at us. In a few seconds, at least ten men surrounded our couch, not counting the others, and I was still sitting down. Neokil's eyes flashed open once the glass hit the ground. I let go of Neokil and we stood up in sync. We already had a plan if something like this ever happened. "Ready?" I whispered. He nodded. Maybe his nodding isn't so bad…
I grabbed the first two guys by their bare arms and worked on them. "AHHHHH!" They began to scream as I made them bleed. When they fell, I worked on the others. My brother 'Moved' at least half the guys out of our huge window and I heard them fall to their painful deaths. Once he heard a sickening thud, he turned and punched another one. As we moved, I noticed that they seemed to move too slow, not even shooting us. Some fought back, but with their fists. A man in front of me punched, and his knuckle caught me in the side of my head. I kicked him out the window, and I heard another sickening snap. Why? I thought as I grabbed a man by the arm and worked. More men came in, and we still fought. What were they trying to prove? Maybe because… There was a sudden piercing feeling on the side of my neck, and I knew they shot me with a needle. I couldn't help but to gasp in pain as I fell to the ground, Neokil mirroring my actions. I stared at him until the drug took over. Hope Jazmin is okay, I thought as I closed my eyes.
Agent Hopkins POV
We were running down the hall when I passed a door. It wouldn't have seen so special, if it weren't for the fact I saw a girl we were chasing slip in. I quickly ordered for a few men to check it out.
Jazmin POV
Our door just slammed in, and men started to pile in. I stared at them before kicking one in the face. Nick 'moved' them, but there were a lot. In seconds, they overwhelmed us. I saw someone drag Rodney from the room by his hair. He cried out in pain. "Cornelius!" I said, reminding myself everyone was listening. While a man 'moved' Nick to the ground and put his hands behind his back, another grabbed Cassie from the back. Eventually, everyone was in the living room, on their knees. The man who had me pulled my hair, forcing my head to rise. I wanted to cry out, but I didn't dare. "I knew it!" said Nick before getting kicked in the belly. "You would betray us." He said weakly, and then coughed. I wanted to tell him that it was a lie, but the way Cassie glared at me; I couldn't make myself to do it. What had she expected from me? Even with the man pulling on my hair, my head hanged. I looked at Rodney and he smiled weakly. He knew this was going to happen. From the corner of my eye, I saw a man holding Rodney's and my bag, searching through it. "It's not in here." He said. "WHERE IS IT?" A man yelled into my face. I stayed silent. His hand snapped out, and he slapped me. He hit me so hard my head snapped back. I didn't dare to cry out. "WELL?" he screamed. "Fuck you.' I said and spit at him. In response, he kicked me in the stomach. I doubled over, and I couldn't breathe. I finally was able to breathe just as someone shot something at me. I began to scream as volts of electricity went through me. Rodney called my name, but I really couldn't hear it. I can't explain the pain. All I could say was I never wanted to fell that again. "Enough." One of them said, and I was released from my torture. My throat felt raw. "Ready to tell us?" he said. I shook my head, but it still hurt to move. "We'll make you talk." He said. "We lost the girl, but we have the other girl and guy, over," said one of the men. I could hear the faint response. "Are you sure?" The man lifted my head again, pulling harder on my hair. The man talking into the radio peered into my face. "Maybe it is her…" he said. "It doesn't matter. Get them over here." I began to struggle. I was not going to go with them, but then there was a sharp pain on the side of my neck and I looked at Rodney. They were injecting him with something and then his eyes rolled back. I was going to say something before the drug took over.
. . .
Nouxi POV
I opened my eyes slowly. The world was blurry. I blinked a few times before looking around. Neokil was roughly placed next to me. From the bumpiness, I was guessing we were in a car, maybe one of those big ones that police use for criminals. There were at least four other people crammed in with us. We were all pushed together back here. I recognized the male from the hospital, the one that had asked for my name, but I couldn't tell about the rest. The sun shone into my eyes, blinding for a moment. It was at least noon that I could tell. I remembered what I heard before blacking out. "We are taking them to headquarters." I heard one of them say. I didn't know where these headquarters were, but I didn't want to go there. The air here was suffocating, and hot. Where the fuck were we? How can it be this hot? Neokil beside me slowly got up. "Where are we?" He finally whispered. "I don't know." I whispered back. There was a small groan, and a girl with black hair raised her head. On the side of her pale face, I saw a huge bruise forming. Her blue-green eyes looked at me before whispering, "Who are you?" "QUIET BACK THERE!" Someone screamed from the front, and we shushed. I sat back against the wall. Where are we going? I thought. Soon, the other male and a girl with colorful hair woke up. They looked around before understanding filled their eyes. They looked down. "Got any way to get out of here?" whispered the male. "No." said the girl. "No." She said again, this time with dismay. I sighed, my breath trembling. Whoever they were, Paladins or Division, they finally found us. They finally were taking us in.
Jazmin POV
My face hurt, and so did my stomach, but I tried not to think abut it. I looked at the black haired twins that were in the car. The girl's yellow eyes were fearful, but the guy's weren't. He seemed troubled, but not afraid. All of our hands were handcuffed together, making me feel like a prisoner. I stayed silent, trying to stay next Rodney. Rodney looked at me and smiled softly. "Well, I've met them." he whispered. "And I don't like them." I nodded. "I'm sorry. I should have been more cautious, now they're taking us in." I whispered. Rodney shook his head. "You did your best." I shook my head, but the heat was making me sleepy. Even with the bumps we kept hitting, I eventually fell asleep.
. . .
Division Agent Phillips POV
The night came too soon, and we still had to drive for a while. "Do you want to stop at a hotel?" I asked the Paladin agent next to me. "Yeah, you should. We need to rest." I nodded. I parked in the nearest hotel.
Nouxi POV
The car suddenly stopped and I could finally hear the voice of the driver. "Should we leave them in the car?" I heard flesh hit flesh. "Of course not you idiot. They might escape. We're going to have to rent rooms for them too." I heard someone curse in an unknown language. Time passed and the air around us turned colder.
Jazmin POV
I woke up to the cold. I huddled closer to Rodney, trying to stay warm. The doors suddenly opened and I made myself smaller trying to get away from them. They roughly took us out of back of the car and into the cold. I looked around. We were in a desert. I gasped. I recognized this place. "We're in Nevada?" I said. Everyone looked shocked. "We're in USA?" I nodded. "What the fuck…" I heard someone mutter.
Nouxi POV
"Come on!" One of the men yelled and they guided us into separate rooms. The man took off the handcuffs. "Hope you enjoy it. And don't even think about leaving, we got your brother." He said with a cruel smile before leaving the room and locking it. I heard someone scream in pain and I recognized my brother's voice. "NEOKIL!" I screamed and ran right into the door. "NEO!" I screamed, pounding on the door but it was no use. He still was screaming. "NEO!" I yelled and then fell to the ground, crying. Oh, God…
Jazmin POV
They had shot the boy with the special gun and he too was electrocuted. He immediatly began to cry out in pain. I could hear the girl with yellow eyes scream from her room, and I could hear the boy's screams too. It was horrible to hear. There was so much pain in the air. In time, he had been too weak to yell out. They stuffed him in a room, and there he was lay on the floor. Probably bleeding to the death… In the next room they stuffed Rodney in. They handcuffed him to the bed before leaving. All I got to see was his look of surprise before the door closed behind him. In the next they put Nick and Cassie. "Didn't want to waste so much money…' I heard one of them mutter. They were still half asleep, so all they did was handcuff them together and then handcuffed them to the table.
We were now walking to my room. "You know, it seems a shame to not tell her…" One of them said. "What are you talking about?" I whispered, my throat still raw. They turned me around to face them. "Do you even know who told us about you?" One of them said. I stayed silent. "It was your brother. He was jealous I guess and told us all about you. Except your name of course, but now we know that too, Xenia." I don't know what you're talking about," I said, but it was hard to keep my voice steady. Tristan, selling me out? "Oh, of course we had to pay him for his information." I imagined it in my head. Tristan always loved money, keeping his close to him… "Look, we'll even show you." Something hit me in the stomach, and in that temporarily pain, I could see it. Tristan facing them, telling them what he knew about me. My favorite hideouts, about Rodney, how close we were, everything. They gave him a case and he opened it. It was full of cash, and he stared at it greedily. That's when I remembered that Tristan had a case just like that. He had told me a friend had given it to him… "How…" I couldn't finish it out loud. Tristan, how could you? "Bye." The man said and they pushed me into the room.
They locked the door behind me and that's when I realized I didn't have handcuffs on. I rubbed at my red wrists and looked around. It was pretty plain. Tan walls, red covers on the bed, green carpet… I began to pace, trying to organize my thoughts. Tristan promised to help me and time ago, to protect me. Why would he do this? Time passed, and I still paced. After time, I began to hear snores around me, except for the room next to mine. I could hear the TV on in there. I wondered if the person in there had insomnia… I could hear someone curse and as the commercials passed, but eventually the TV was turned off. I still paced. I paced around my room silently. I was afraid if I made a loud noise the men would wake up and come in here. They were my captors, they could do whatever they wanted with me. I shuddered at the mere thought of it. It wouldn't have mattered, though, I was trapped against my will and they couldn't do anything worse to me, other electrocuting me. Or so I thought, anyway.
It was 3:45 in the morning according to the small clock on the night-stand that was next to the bed. I wasn't tired and I couldn't be tired, especially after all the events that has happened to me today. I clenched my fist, thinking about the imprisonment of us all. I sat down on the edge of my hard, lumpy bed. I lay on it, trying to ignore the mattress cutting into my back. I went back to my thoughts. Tristan had promised me that he would protect me, and he lied. He turned me over to the people that father had promised him to protect me from the moment money was offered to him. I clenched my fists in pain and anger. How could he? He was my brother and he loved money more than me. I twisted on the bed until I was on my side. All I knew was that these people would move me. Where, I have no idea. I could escape by 'jumping', maybe. I could probably take Cassie and Nick somewhere, and then come back for Rodney and the yellow-eyes twins. But then, if I did that, I could come back too late and come back to empty hotel rooms... but I didn't want to take the chance that if I did succeed, letting Nick and Cassie knowing what I was. I didn't want them to know. I didn't trust them, even if I was going to help them. There wasn't much I could do. I felt so weak. I let the tears I had been holding in run over my face, and I prayed I would be protected against the brutality these people would have for me in the morning. I opened my eyes and waited for morning to come.
I hate this chapter, I just think things went by way too quickly. I hope you don't hate me for it. I swear I'm going to do something drastic... The muttering that Jazmin was doing during her sleep was the partial names of my favorite songs by the Gorillaz just in case anyone was wondering. So yeah, people this is the prologue. Sorry for the wait. Review…