Warning: This chapter contains mature content. Viewer discretion is advised.

Bramble's POV

"AAAAAAAH!"

Up above, someone could be heard sliding through the tunnel leading to the bunker. The screams and occasional curses echoed throughout the room. I saw Dove quickly cover Pounce's ears when the person started to swear as the mother and daughter passed through the area. While they were walking through, the other students who were also passing through the lounge area snickered, but continued on their way. A new recruit must be coming, or sliding, down here then. Whoever this person is does not hold back when it comes to shouting. If anything they emphasize it, trying to show they didn't like this method of transportation. Well, at least we're getting some more recruits, so why should I complain?

The small hatch inside the wall opened automatically, letting whoever was in the slide out and on the ground. They tumbled forward and even slammed face first into a chair. I was in the room with Rain, Soot, and Squirrel, so we all collectively sped over to the person to see if they were okay. They groaned and rubbed their balding head while struggling to get up on their feet.

"Are you alright?" Soot asked while Rain and I helped them up to their feet.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine," they groaned, "Just didn't expect to go on a roller coaster."

Rain and I lead them to the empty chair he ran into and sat him down on it. There I was able to get a good look at who they were.

The person was a middle aged man with faded blue eyes and a balding head. The only hair left on his head were a few specks on the sides, making him look older than he was. It was wispy and gray, accenting his pale as snow skin. He was very slender and had skinny arms that were hidden behind a poofy button down shirt. The more and more I looked at him, the more I could've sworn I recognized him from somewhere. But I couldn't quite put my finger on it. He held onto his head as he slowly came to terms with where he was and who was in front of him. He scanned everyone and when he got to me, his eyes grew wide.

"Brandon?" he asked.

I raised my eyebrow, still not knowing who they were but answering anyways. "Yeah?"

He put his hands over his mouth and nose. "Oh my god, it is you."

The man stood up slowly and hugged me around my waist. At first, I didn't hug back because I still didn't know who he was, but eventually did because he looked like he needed the comfort. He buried his face in the front of my jacket, whispering into it like a little child. "It is you," he whispered over and over again, "I can't believe it. It really is you."

My lips curled, not really knowing what to respond with. Slowly, the man let go of my jacket and stepped away to face me. "You probably don't remember me, because it's been so long. It's me, Frank Nowak, but I went by Frankie when I was young. You helped me find out who killed my mother."

I was filled sudden flashbacks of who he was talking about. About the little boy who found the hidden file leading directly to Zachery Zerev. I blinked several times and looked down again at Frank. Then I noticed the familiarity in the lightly shaded freckles dusted across his nose. I noticed the shape of his narrow face and his distinct sharp cheekbones. I noticed the large ears and the curved nose.

Holy shit! It was Frankie.

"Please, sit," I ordered before I could say anything else. We were both excited to see each other, but I knew he should calm down before we talk and catch up on stuff. This is the first time Frankie was seeing another warrior besides me and the first time he has ever been in a place full of them, so I knew he should just sit and calm his nerves for a moment. This was a lot to take in after all.

Frankie was still clutching onto my jacket as we shuffled over to the empty chair. I grabbed his arms and guided him down onto the plush cushions. He slowly released his fingers from my puffy jacket and collapsed in the chair in relief. His skinny arms laid on the armchair, almost motionless. His chest was heaving up and down while the room filled with his heavy breaths.

"Yes," I finally replied, "I do remember you Frankie."

Soot and Rain took a quick glance at each other, the brothers concerned if the new volunteer was doing okay or not. Frankie took a breathless sigh, nodded for a few moments, and stared back at me. "I remember you as well Brandon. I'm not sure if I made that clear enough earlier," he chuckled, "You look good man. Really good for your age. What are you now, sixty?"

"Sixty-three," I corrected quickly, "And thanks man. You look good as well."

Frankie shook and leaned his head on his hand. "No no, don't lie to me. Don't give me your sympathy. I know I've aged twenty years in the past five."

I pursed my lips and looked at the twins. They looked back at me with the same confused face. They were like me in this situation. They didn't know what to say after that sentence.

"Well," I started, hesitant at first, "Since its been so long, how have you been?"

Frankie shook his head again. I immediately regretted asking that as he sighed and clutched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. Soot and Rain looked at me like I just committed a war crime. But before I could take it back, Frankie started to explain himself.

"Uhm," he sighed and slouched further in his chair, "Wow, where do I even start? Uhm, I traveled to the United States when I was sixteen to look at colleges, only to realize I didn't have the money or scholarships to afford my education. So I spent a few years in the marines and that was just a complete disaster. I almost lost my leg and arm on one account and I was treated terribly by everyone there, so I did not have the best of memories. Then I went to college, got a job, got married, and had two kids. Life was pretty good for a period of time I guess, but of course it sort of went downhill after a while.

"My wife filed for a divorce about ten years into our marriage as she found someone better than me. And my kids seemed to have grown up too quickly. They're teenagers now, and of course you know how that turns out most of the time. They're embarrassed by me, at least they've given off that impression most of the time because I'm an aging man who's worked at the same accounting job for his entire career. And when they're at my place all they do is have excuses to go out. I've tried to be a cool dad, I really have, but they still won't take an interest in any of the activities I try to get them into. And my co parent has been spoiling them lately, so they want nothing to do with me anymore," he took a long sigh and looked back at me, "It's just been rough lately."

I nodded, feeling sympathy for my old acquaintance."I'm sorry about that man," I replied, "I really am."

Frankie curled his lips while looking at me with his aging eyes. "Thanks Brandon, but it's fine. I've come to terms with those facts a while ago. I just need to learn to move on and all. I'm just glad to have an excuse to travel away from home for a little bit to be honest with you."

Squirrel looked sideways at me while I took a quick glance back. She seemed concerned for my old acquaintance, and honestly, I couldn't blame her for feeling that way. "So," Rain started, causing everyone to turn his way, "Why did you volunteer to come here in the first place? Because I'm assuming Bramb- I mean, Brandon told you the risks and all."

Frankie frowned and looked into space. "The truth is I just want to feel important. With the life and job I had, I just felt like the other guy on the street. I felt forgetful to a lot of people. When my kids were young, they saw me as some superhero who could do anything, because they knew I was in the marines. I miss those times, where I felt extraordinary and special." He took a long sigh. "I guess I just want to feel like I'm alive again."

I frowned with him, seeing his side of the story. It was sort of depressing because the Frankie I knew was so persistent and lively, and it was upsetting to see him just become a complete 180 from his past self. I miss the old him, and I think he does too. "But what if you don't make it through this?" Squirrel suddenly asked him, "What would your kids and co parent think?"

Frankie gave a sad smile as he looked our way. "Well, I hope they know I died trying to save the world. Because they may not think so anymore, but to me, I'm still considered they're hero. So as long as they are able to live another day, my sacrifice will be worth it in the end."

"Are you sure?" I asked once more.

He gave a reassuring nod and smiled. "I'm sure," he replied. He took another heavy sigh. "So this guy is Zachary Zerev's son?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm assuming you haven't forgot about him, have you?"

"No. How could I really? He killed my mother and left me all on my own when I was only a child. How could I forget? But yeah, I do remember." He took another exaggerated sigh. "Like father like son right?"

I nodded, forcing a smile. "Like father like son."

As if on cue or as if this was a cliche comedy show, a voice came from behind me. I turned around to see my own son with a mixed look on his face. He was wearing a tight blue shirt with the same dark jeans he's been wearing ever since we got here. He took one of his hands out of his pockets and pointed over his shoulder. "Hey dad," he asked while also taking a quick glance at his mother, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

I looked at Alder, then at Frankie. "Yeah sure. I'll be a minute." With that, I got up from my chair and followed my son over to the empty hallway. On the way there, I could feel the stare of Frankie, Squirrel, Rain, and Soot on the back of my head. I smoothed my brown dreadlocks unconsciously while walking into the echoing hallway.

"So," I asked Alder while we were out of earshot from everyone else, "What's up?"

My son suddenly became self aware of what he was going to say. He clasped onto his opposite forearms as his cheeks shined brighter than before. I started to get nervous of what he was going to say next, afraid it was some sort of bad news. He wouldn't get insecure about little things, so this was something relatively big.

"It's about Needle," Alder started, "Lately she's been acting weird and I don't know why. I've been talking to one of the Skyclan students and he suggested that something was up with her. But I don't know what to do, because I don't want to hurt her feelings in any way and I don't want our friendship to be tarnished just in case I mess up or something. I don't know. I just need some advice."

I raised my eyebrow. There was something Alder wasn't telling me. I knew him too well to know he was keeping a secret. I never taught him to lie, that's why he's so bad at it. I was about to ask him the truth, but decided against it at the last minute. Alder's a full grown adult, he's allowed to keep certain things to himself. I shook my head and put my hands in my coat pockets, shrugging.

"I'm not sure," I admitted, "It solely depends on the situation she's in and what you found out from the Skyclan student. The only advice I can really give you is to talk to her about the situation she's in. I'm sorry if this sounds negative, but you should probably confront her before the battle that will come in a day or so. You don't know the next time you'll talk to her again, so it's better now than never."

Alder seemed hesitant by my suggestion, but eventually gave a slow nod. It seemed like he didn't want me to give that sort of answer, but didn't give a verbal response to contradict me. I wished he told me he felt like my advice wasn't good for the situation Needle was in, but he kept his mouth shut and avoided my gaze. For a grown man, he's still never learned how to speak his mind. He was the exact same when he was young, as if nothing has happened in the past 18 years.

I frowned. "Alright. Are you sure everything is okay with Needle?"

Alder looked directly at me again. "I'm not sure honestly," he sighed, "She told me about how her mission almost ended terribly, but I don't know if she told me the whole story. She just seems so far away now." He paused and gave me the eyes of an innocent child. "Did you act like that after your first mission?"

I finally lowered my eyebrow while staring slightly away from my son. "The first mission is always the hardest to get over. Usually your shaken up after it and feel guilty or separated from everyone else. Especially if the mission was almost a disaster or was a disaster, like Needle's. Then yes, she would probably feel outcasted for a little while. But like I said before, the battle is not so far away, this may be your last chance to have a heart to heart chat with her. And I know she's your best friend and you've known each other for forever. So don't let your time with her go to waste."

Alder still didn't seem convinced, but didn't argue either. "Okay," he finally said, "I'll give it a shot."

"Okay. I hope it goes well."

My son forced a smile before leaving in the opposite direction. "Thanks dad."

I raised my hand to wave at him goodbye, but he was already walking down the hallway and eventually escaping my site. I frowned slowly and lowered my hand at the same pace, feeling a sort of defeat travel through my veins. "See you later," I whispered to myself.

Fin's POV

"That should conclude today's meeting," Leaf finally finished, "We'll go over the route one more time tomorrow and then the day after is when the plan will actually be executed. For now, does anyone have any questions?"

I looked to the three other people by my side, who I got to know as Jake, Half Moon, and Holly. They shook their heads as I followed suite with them. The plan for our team seemed simple enough. Sneak into the school, program the sequence to detonate he school, and get out of there before it self destructs. Simple right? It was to me at least, considering I know the route like the back of my hand.

"Alright," Leaf concluded, "You better get back to your families now. I don't want to waste any more of your time."

I tried to give a sincere smile, but found I couldn't as the sinking realization of everything was filling inside me. I put my hand and wrist in my sweatshirt's pockets and walked out the small room, close behind everyone. Then it hit me. The feeling of hopelessness I've been feeling all throughout the past week. The same feeling I'm sure a lot of others are having at a time like this. I stepped out of the room as the three others went their separate ways, leaving me all alone. I took my only hand out of my pocket and used it to raise my hoodie over my head.

I stood completely still in front of the meeting room, contemplating what might happen to me and everyone else in the upcoming battle. There was a chance we could win, but there was also a chance we could lose. And if we do end up losing to Jacques, then not only is it the end of the Warriors, but it also may be the end of the world. We are that big of an impact on every living creature inhabiting this planet. That lesson was the first thing I was taught when I started my training. It gives me a both prideful and anxious feeling in my stomach. To have that much power and control over everything was intense and overwhelming to say the least. It was exhausting to have the feeling of every action you take having an impact on someone, so you must be able to choose what's right before it's too late. And if I end up being too late with my decisions against Jacques, then I could lose my life and possibly someone else's if I fuck up that badly.

I just pray to some powerful overlord I don't cause anyone's death. I don't think my body can take that much guilt or shame.

"Hey!" someone called.

I blinked several times and looked up from the ground to see a woman calling for someone. And it wasn't just any woman, it was the warrior that saved my life while some of us were escaping to the bunker. It was easy to tell who she was because of her shaved patterned head and terrifying scars surrounding her entire figure.

"Yeah you," she pointed at me, "Follow me."

I was a bit cautious at first because the woman sort of terrified me. But I knew it was better to obey her commands than to make a pointless argument like my father would have. So I followed her over to the back room where we kept most of our machinery. I didn't make a fuss when there were some new stuff present like my father would've. Because I wasn't my father, and I never will be.

I couldn't help but think back to how my father, Sandy, yelled at Twig when we were in the school and when some of the new recruits came earlier this week. He treated her like dirt, and even when Leaf intervened, he still wouldn't stop making demeaning comments behind her back. And ever since his last public outburst, I haven't been able to talk to Twig. I've tried to make an effort several times, but my father was always watching my back and dragging me away before I could try and get her attention. Not only was I frustrated by his actions, but I was also becoming more and more isolated.

Not being able to talk to Twig tore me up inside, even if she and I only met a little while ago. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, I couldn't do anything really because I was so unmotivated and down from not being able to even look at her for more than a few seconds. I missed her. I missed her so much she was all I thought about ever since we got to the bunker. I missed being able to talk to her, I missed being able to laugh with her, I missed everything about her. And I mean everything. I've never had these feeling and reactions to someone before, and I don't know why. Every thought I had of Twig, I could feel my heart beat faster and my stomach become all of a sudden light. And these reactions just made me want to be with her more and more. But I knew that would never be. All I wanted was at least five minutes with her, to explain everything that has happened with my father and to apologize on his behalf. But I'm not sure if I'll ever get the chance.

"I don't think I ever introduced myself," the woman said, bringing my attention back to the real world, "My name is Ivy. I was a student at Warrior High a while back."

She held out her right hand for a handshake. I hesitated and instead held out my left hand since I didn't have a right hand. Ivy quickly switched to her left hand as we shook on it. "I'm Fin," I introduced myself as, "I'm a student at Skyclan."

Ivy nodded and walked over to a nearby shelf with several metal objects. "I know who you are Fin. You were that student who stood up to Jacques's allies a little while ago."

I felt myself heat up from embarrassment. Is that who she saw me as? I didn't want to be remembered as that coward who gave into Jacques's forces while everyone else stood their ground. It was embarrassing to even think back to that horrible memory. "Yeah," I sighed reluctantly, "That was me."

Ivy chuckled as she rummaged through the pile of mechanics, trying to find a specific item. "Don't be so sheepish about it. You were very brave to take that kind of risks to save your fellow allies. Some warriors wouldn't even do half of what you did. So there's no reason to be ashamed of it." She found what she was looking for and walked up back to me.

"Oh. Thanks."

Ivy smirked. "No worries," she shrugged off, "Anyway, I wanted to give you this. It might help when the time for battle eventually comes."

I looked down to see her holding a thick metal bracelet. All around the sides were blue lights and buttons in certain positions. I held out my left wrist for her to slip it on, but she instead grabbed my right wrist and slipped on the surprisingly light bracelet. "This is a Sensory Harness Artillery Glove, or SHAG for short. Now," she instructed as she stepped to my side and pointed her finger towards a beaten up target board a little ways away, "I want you to press the blue button and jerk your arm toward the target."

My eyebrows upturned, kind of afraid of what might happen if I do those steps. But I didn't argue like before and pressed the button. The wristband made a click sound and began to morph into something else. More metal came out from the small compact bracelet so now the metal plates were overlapping with each other and the newformed plates now began to surround my wrist. It kept changing until the spots in between the plates glowed blue and two tongs arose from the base, where the front of my wrist would be. There was a slight hissing sound as the place in between the tongs glowed blue. I turned to Ivy to see if I was doing this right, and she gave a sharp nod in return. Hesitantly, I raised SHAG and pointed it right at the target. I jerked my arm forward and my arm was suddenly jerked backwards again when a blast came from the weapon. In a split second, the target was completely destroyed with small flames erupting from the sides.

"Nice," Ivy congratulated, "It worked. How do you feel?"

I was left speechless by the weapon. "Holy shit!" I practically squealed, "It's a working transformable handgun! Like the one Cyborg has from Justice League!"

Ivy laughed from my reaction. "That's what I based the design off of," she chuckled, "I'm surprised you even know what the Justice League is. It's such an old franchise."

"I read the comic books when I was young," I answered quickly, "They were my favorite." I looked down at the weapon, then back at Ivy. "How did you even know I didn't have a hand?"

She pressed the blue button again on SHAG so it was now transforming back into a metal bracelet. "When I gunned down Jacques's comrades a little over a week ago, I was hiding in the trees and noticed when you raised your arms in the air, you didn't have a right hand. Plus, Twig came to me a few days ago expressing concern for your safety and asked if I could make you a weapon that will help you if you're in trouble."

Ivy slipped off the SHAG bracelet and went to put it back in the pile, but I was too busy thinking about what she just told me. I felt my cheeks flare up and my heart race while my entire body suddenly became hot. Twig . . . was worried about me? She . . . cares about what happens to me? I felt my cheeks strain from smiling so much at the thought. She cares about me just as much as I care about her. My mind was racing with so many thoughts and possible outcomes, but all of them had Twig in it.

Ivy raised her eyebrow at my goofy expression. "You love her, don't you?"

All my senses completely stopped working as I slouched forward, trying to hide my red face while thinking over the question. Do I love Twig? Is this what being in love feels like? I mean, I've never had these reactions and thoughts towards anyone else prior to her, so maybe . . . just maybe, I do feel that certain way toward her.

Ivy shook her head and put her head on her hips. "You don't need to give a verbal answer, your face says it all. Believe me, I was the same way with my boyfriend back in the day."

I looked up at her with my cheeks still flushed. "Boyfriend?" I asked.

Ivy suddenly became ridged. "Well," she sighed, "Ex-boyfriend. But don't worry about it, I'm sure you and Twig won't have the same problems we had."

I curled my lips, curious on what happened to her. I had no idea she had a boyfriend because she came off as such a scary and independent woman. Sort of like those overpowered outcasted female characters you see in action movies. Where they seem very one dimensional and are stupidly good at everything. But maybe I judged her too soon. "You can go if you like," she finally broke through the silence.

I nodded and thanked her for making me a sufficient weapon for the upcoming battle. With a final goodbye, I walked out the room and made my way towards my bedroom. Since I had nothing better to do, I might as well try to get as much sleep as possible. As I headed up the stairs however, I saw someone make their way towards one of the rooms. I froze when I saw them and they froze when they saw me.

Twig.

She looked absolutely stunning, even without putting any effort into her looks. All she was wearing was a loose tank top, worn out capri pants, and a zip up hoodie. Her short dark hair was being held back by a gray headband, but missed a few short pieces. I felt my whole body become extremely hot as I started to sweat in my own sweatshirt. After a while of staring at each other Twig began to make her way past me and towards her room.

"I should go," she whispered to herself as she passed.

"Wait," I called out to her, making her turn around hesitantly, "I actually wanted to talk to you."

Twig gulped. "Fin, I don't think that's such a good idea."

I felt my shoulders shrink. My dad has officially scared her. "I know, but it's urgent. If you'll let me-"

All at once, Twig's sparkling green eyes went wide in fear as her posture became impossibly stiffer. "I'm sorry," she interrupted in a louder voice than usual, "I'm sorry, but I can't talk to you."

My heart sank from her words as she quickly ran off to a room and shut the door behind her. Now I felt truly alone. I should just go and hide away in my room. But as I turned around, I saw my dad at the corner with his arms crossed. Then it all suddenly hit me. My dad scared Twig off.

The sadness I felt before was now replaced with a built of anger I've been feeling ever since my dad's last outburst. I had it with his controlling nature. I'm just done with it.

I put my hand and wrist in my pockets and walked right past him, keeping my head low. My father stepped away from the wall and began to follow me, keeping his arms crossed. "I've tried to warn you again and again Fin," he growled, "You shouldn't hang out with her. You don't know what she's capable of."

"You don't know that," I growled back as I continued to walk forward, "You don't know her like I do."

"And what do you know about her, huh?" he demanded while still following me, "You've known her for less than two week, what could you have learned from her in that time period exactly? All we do know is that she's the sister of Toby Herrington, one of the most infamous serial killers ever. How can you tell me she's different when that fact is out there for the world to see? Why can't you see that I'm trying to protect you?"

I felt myself shake from holding back my anger. I stopped walking, making my dad stop as well as I turned around to face him. "You not protecting me!" I yelled at him, surprising him and myself with my raised voice, "All you're doing is invading my personal space and private life! I'm nineteen for fucks sake dad! I'm capable of making my own decision without you!"

"No you can't!" he argued back, "You've proved you couldn't as soon as you got attached to that psychopathic girl!"

"She's not a psychopath! Why can't your dense head see through that?! I hate how you're so close minded and judgmental of others you have no idea about!"

"Being close minded and judgmental has saved my life on missions! If having that certain characteristic can save you from people like her, then I'm completely fine with being called that! And that's what makes you so vulnerable to people like her, people who are unstable! You still have that child like innocence where you think everyone in the world is this angel you feel you have to save-"

"I HATE YOU DAD!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, making my throat go dry. My dad stopped talking and stood completely still from my comment. "There! Are you happy now?! I finally see who isn't an angel in my life and it's you! I've never had a friend like Twig before, a friend who seriously cares about me! And you're trying to take that away from me! If you truly cared about me you would trust me in the decisions I make about people! And my first ever independent decision I will make is that I hate you dad! I hope you go rot in hell right next to Toby Herrington!"

I turned around and stomped away to my room, still shaking from the anger I just released. I didn't hear any footsteps behind me, so for once I'm left alone. I wasn't even sure if my dad was still there he got so quiet. It never truly registered what I said to him. In that moment, I was just thankful he was finally leaving me alone for once.

I told my dad I hated him, but yet I couldn't help feeling like the world was lifted off my shoulders. Almost like I was given a wish and it came true. Almost like I survived a natural disaster with no scars. Almost like I was flying through the clouds with the ground no where in sight. It was such a mixed feeling I didn't know how to put it into words. But that guilt I felt beforehand for Twig never came for my dad.

I told my dad I hated him, and yet, I felt nothing.

Alder's POV

You can do this Alan, I thought to myself, You can do this. It's only Needle after all. What can possibly happen?

In return for my thoughts, a whole bunch of scenarios popped up in my head. My plan is to confront Needle about her feeling for me and hopefully we can come to an agreement or resolution. It seemed simple when I was planning it out in my head while talking to my father, but now that I'm actually standing in front of her bedroom door, all the confidence I had beforehand suddenly disappeared. I started to sweat uncontrollably and my heart started to race, thinking about what Dew told me over a week ago.

"Count yourself lucky my guy," he grinned, "She's in love with you."

The flashback made my skin become hot as the clothes I was wearing started to become more constricting against my skin. I ran my hands through my hair and closed my eyes, still waiting to knock on Needle's door. When my eyes were closed, I started to think of all the possible outcomes. She may just stay quiet and deny everything, but that's not her so it most likely won't happen. She may confess her love to me before I get to say anything, but she won't do that unless someone gave her the confidence, and I don't think she's talked to anyone recently because she's been spending all her time in her room doing god knows what. But I could be wrong. But she also may kiss me. What would I do if that happens?

Shivers went through my spine at the thought. I knew I shouldn't be getting so worked up over a kiss, especially someone my age, but I couldn't help it. I never shared a kiss with anyone, and to be honest I never thought I would. Because I never felt such strong feelings for someone to push myself and make that commitment. Sure, when I was young I had a crush on Dove, but that was an innocent little childhood crush. I mostly just thought she was pretty and nothing more. I never had such powerful feelings and instincts for someone.

Until now.

I hated myself for feeling this way. I hated myself for having uncontrollable feelings of love and desire. At least I think this is what being in love feels like. A feeling where you get jittery, flustered, nervous, and excited all at once. It's such an odd yet perfect combination. And I don't know if I like the feeling or not. I hated being fluttery and light because I've always been a grounded person, but I like the feeling of being loved and excited. It makes my chest feel tight, yet warm and fuzzy at the same time. I was shaking uncontrollably while flexing my muscles, testing to see if I was dreaming or not. Then an image of me kissing Needle entered my mind. I leaned forward and covered my mouth from the thought. Why am I making such a big deal about this? There's no way we would kiss.

But what if we do?

There was always that possibility, considering we're going into battle in a couple of days and we may never see each other again. But because of that, is it possible we may go further than kissing? Like touching and pleasuring and maybe even full on sexual intercourse? A thought of Needle and I doing that replaced the image of us kissing. I felt myself become dizzy and had to lean up against the wall for support so I didn't accidentally fall on the ground. My heart was racing and my whole body was shaking and becoming hot. No. There's no way her and I would do that. But the image wasn't going away and the longer it continued, the more and more my body started to react on instinct. My chest heaved up and down while a twitch came from my pants.

Now's not the time. I was in the middle of the hallway. Anyone could just walk by and see me publicly aroused, and I can't have that. I opened my eyes and took a few long breaths while flexing my legs so that the blood doesn't rush to my groin. When I felt myself calm down just enough to not have those images again, I fixed my curly hair and took another deep breath before knocking on Needle's door.

I only had to wait a few seconds until she answered it. I gulped as I saw her. Nothing she was wearing in particular was super special, it's just that I was having graphic images and thoughts earlier, so she looked more attractive in what she was dressed in. Needle was wearing a tight white tank top with bike shorts, the same outfit she always worked out in. Her light blonde hair was in a low ponytail that was pulled to the side, letting a few rogue strangs loose whenever she moved slightly. Again, nothing special at all, but my mind wouldn't let me think that.

"Alder?" Needle asked, a bit surprised, "Is something wrong? You haven't come to see me in a little while."

The lust I was feeling prior was now completely gone and was instead replaced with guilt. It has been a long time, hasn't it? "No," I almost struggled to say, "I just wanted to talk to you. To catch up on things, you know?"

Needle's lips pursed, the light pink skin reflecting in the light. I felt my face heat up when I realized I was staring at her lips. "Yeah sure," she finally replied as she opened the door a little more to let me in, "Come in."

I gave her a quick thank you and walked into the room. While she closed the door, I spent my time looking around. She only had her nightstand lamp on, causing the room to be most dark and empty. The only other thing that was illuminating the place was her blue holograms that were floating in midair. The holograms had a bunch of articles, reports, and pictures of people up.

"What's this?" I asked her while pointing at the holograms.

Needle turned back around and looked at me. "Research," she put it simply, "While going over the plan, Leaf asked us to do our own research so we don't go up against Jacques completely blind. So, that's what I've been doing for the past couple of days. Because I want to beat Jacques and all. And the best way to defeat your enemy is to know your enemy."

I nodded as she went up and stood beside me. "Right. Did you find anything useful?"

Needle gave a serious nod. "Yes. Not only that, but I may have found out why he has as many allies as he does."

"Can you show me?"

She gave another nod and strutted up to the holograms. While she walked, I couldn't help but notice how she swung her narrow hips. How they moved back and forth in such a hypnotizing rhythm. I quickly looked to the side when I realized what I was doing. The main reason I asked her to show me her research was so I can distract myself from her physique, but that hasn't worked out well so far. Then again, I haven't heard what she found, so I shouldn't jump to conclusions too quickly.

"Right." Needle cleared her throat as she pulled up the first hologram, which was a picture of Jacques. "What we know so far is that Jacques's mother was a victim of sex trafficking and helped young Jacques escape to find his biological father and have a better childhood, but it costed her her life. He found his father, who raised him until Bramble rightfully killed his father, Zachery. Then he went to an orphanage and then to a college, but nothing else was found. Well, I found what school he went to and his records there."

I put my hands in my pockets while Needle pulled up a picture of an university. "So he went to a good school?"

"Not just any school," Needle corrected, "He went to Oxford University, one of the top five schools in the world. For that to happen, you need to be extremely smart and extraordinary. This school doesn't just accept anyone after all, it's motherfucking Oxford for goodness sakes. I knew he was smart, but I didn't think he was this intelligent." She made the picture of Oxford disappear and instead have a report sheet take its place. "But despite that, Jacques wasn't the most respectful student. He would often skip class and be obsessively rude and obnoxious to professors, but he was never expelled because he was still one of the top students there. He also exhibited weird behavior whenever anyone mentioned his father. Because back then, Zachery Zerev was still known for being the Polish bomber, so everyone knew who Jacques was and because of that he was often separated. So he combatted those struggles with getting in trouble for the most serious of things, including being accused of a former classmate's overdose. But I found a pattern with all his crimes. He did all of them with one other person."

Another picture enlarged to show a profile of a young woman with light brown hair and freckles. "This is Susan Galanis, another student who went to Oxford. She was originally from Athens, Greece, took a gap year before going to Oxford, and majored in literature and art. And she was known as Jacques's Bonnie to his Clyde. So I looked into her history and found something that might explain their great partnership. When she was seventeen, her older sister was killed in an explosion at a museum. But the thing is, this explosive was made by a heist team and was accidentally detonated by one of ours."

I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "By one of ours, you mean . . .?"

"A warrior," Needle finished, "Her sister was accidentally killed by a warrior. And it wasn't just any warrior, it was Dawn when she was on her first mission. Apparently she was trying to get the explosive out a window before it detonated, but didn't have enough time and in return, killed Susan's sister, who was in the way back corner of an exhibit." Her eyes narrowed seriously at me. "That's the connection. Both Susan and Jacques knew someone who was killed deliberately or accidentally by a warrior. And that must be why they have so many willing and bloodthirsty allies. They must've all been through similar experiences."

My lips curled, thinking over what she talked about. It all started to make sense as to why all of their allies seem so vengeful. "But there's still one question I have," I asked, "Why are there so many of them? And how do they know their loved one was killed by a warrior?"

"There's no way of me giving a definitive answer to your second question," Needle admitted, "But I can guess on the first one. Like I told you before Alder, when were still at Skyclan, being a warrior doesn't come without its challenges. Sometimes you have to act on instinct, like with Dawn's first mission, and sometimes you have to do something hurtful to someone else, like with Bramble's. Not everything you do is considered good and you're sure to make an impact on some stranger's life, whether it be good or bad. And based on how many people are in Jacques and Susan's army, we had to do some terrible things to make sure good always comes out on top."

I looked at her with my eyebrows upturned, getting that similar feeling I had the last time we had this conversation. A feeling of guilt and regret. Needle was right. We must've done some terrible things, whether we meant to do it or not. We must've angered too many innocent strangers, and for the right reasons. Our mistakes and actions always seem to come back to haunt us. But when the world needs warriors like us, how could it not? And with an army as vengeful and as angry as Jacques's, there's a chance we might not be able to make it.

"You don't know the next time you'll talk to her again, so it's better now than never," my father's voice told me in my head.

"Needle," I started, taking a nervous gulp. She turned off the hologram and faced me. "I need to ask you something, but you don't have to answer if you're not comfortable." I inhaled a long continuous breath, preparing myself for the worst possible outcome.

"Are you in love with me?"

The silence after my question was unbearable. I felt like crawling into a hole and never coming out of it again. My limbs started to twitch uncontrollably from the anticipation in the uncomfortable silence. Needle's expression wasn't helping either. She seemed shocked I would ask such a thing. Her broad shoulders fell to the side so her arms were now by her slender waist. I was getting so intolerable by the dense atmosphere I turned away and looked to the side, not wanting to look into her almond shaped eyes.

"Yes."

My posture stiffened as I looked back at Needle to see her cross her arms over her stomach. "What?" I asked again, afraid I heard her wrong.

"Yes," she repeated, a bit more soft this time, "I do love you Alder, as more than a friend." Needle turned to the side, probably embarrassed. "I don't know why, but ever since we parted at our graduation, I couldn't help but fall for you more because I could no longer see you everyday like I used to. You became something sacred to me. Yet, you motivated me through my entire mission, even when I thought I would fail it. And when we met again at Skyclan, those feeling I tried to hide erupted for whatever reason and I just couldn't look at you in the same way I used to. I thought if I pushed you away it'd go away, but I couldn't let you get hurt either, so I was torn. So yeah," she sighed, "I am in love with you Alan."

I looked at her, stunned. What Dew told me, was true? And all the things she just expressed, were true as well? And I was just blind to all of it? I wanted to punch myself for letting something like this slip by. Needle gave a sad smile, the only light in the room letting her bright pink cheeks be shown. She must think I don't feel the same, because her eyes look like they're on the verge of tears.

But do I feel the same way about her?

I didn't know. I truly didn't. Because I didn't know if before I walked in, I was feeling love, or lust. Is there even a difference? And if so, which one was I feeling for her? Before this, I planned out our entire interaction so perfectly. After I confronted her, I was going to ask if we could make some sort of acknowledged agreement, but now that I'm actually here, I have no idea what to do. I gulped, opening my mouth but having no words come up. However, in the light, I noticed something. I noticed Needle's arm have splotchy red marks all across the side of it. That must be where she got burned, as I recounted what she told our friends and I in Skyclan. She must've been so scared in that moment, but she pushed forward. And like she said before, it was because of me. I gave her the hope and courage she needed to move forward.

Am I really that special to her?

I slowly walked up to Needle to see her silently crying. She still continued to look away from me, even when we were mere inches apart from one another. She wiped her wet eyes with one hand while slowly tilting her head up to me. "I knew you wouldn't like me, even then," she struggled to say through the built up cries in her throat, "Because you never focused on feelings and instead focused on your work as a doctor. And that's why I tried to push down my feeling for you, because why bother having any if you weren't going to accept mine, right?"

Even though she was almost six feet tall, she still looked up into my eyes. She closed her eyes and smiled, finally letting the tears dry. "You don't have to pretend, I know you don't feel the sa-"

But she was cut off when our lips connected one another.

I didn't know what foreign force pushed me to do that act, but as soon as she closed my eyes, I knew in the back of my head that it was now or never. Like my father said before, I may never see her again after the battle. So before she could open her eyes again, I went in for her lips and successfully captured her's in mine. I let my eyes close as I put both my hands on her cheeks. I knew I shouldn't be doing this, and I hated myself for letting this happen like it was nothing, but I couldn't help it. I let the soft feeling of her mouth be on mine until I started to run out of breath. Slowly, I pulled away and opened my eyes to gaze into her wise blue green ones. Needle kept her mouth slightly open in shock as she cheeks reddened.

"Alder-"

"I don't know what came over me," I interrupted, speaking quicker than I usually do, "I don't know why I did that. All I do know is that we may not be able to see each other again the day after tomorrow. And because of that I want to spend every minute I have like it's my last. I want to spend the rest of the time I might have being with you. Because I don't know what might happen to me if you were gone. You don't know this Noelle, but I'd die for you. That's how much you mean to me."

Her blue green eyes sparkled as we kept our gaze on each other for a while. I unconsciously licked my lips in anticipation. Finally, her eyes softened. "I die for you too, Alan," she whispered.

We leaned into each other again and our lips successfully connected. I let my eyes close as all my senses filled with nothing but bliss. Our mouths' moved in sync with one another's as I slid my hands down so they were now holding onto her forearms. In return, she tugged on the collar of my shirt. I knew what she was wanted and I felt the familiar feeling of a twitch in my pants from that realization. My mind couldn't think of anything else. I wanted this just as much as she did. I wanted Needle. Even if I regretted it later, it doesn't matter. I needed her.

We shuffled to the bed, refusing to let go of one another until I found myself on top of her. My hands were on either side of her head while her knees were straddling my hips. She whimpered in anticipation, grabbing onto one of my biceps. All of my insecurities and anxieties left my body and all I could feel was a need. On instinct I went in for another kiss and the next thing I knew all of our clothes were on the ground.

My vision became blurry as I wrapped my arms around her waist when our pelvises met and our hips moved back and forth in sync. Needle wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist, bringing me in close. I closed my eyes and focused on my thrusts as she dug her nails into my upper back. Her throat made noises that drove me further and further from reality. Then suddenly, I thought of the oath to the doctors. The oath of how we shouldn't have sex before surgery. But for some reason, that major promise I made to everyone around me completely escaped my mind. For me, that didn't matter, even though it meant so much to me all throughout my career, it didn't mean anything to me now. All that mattered to me was Needle. All I could think while making love to her was her. She was the only thing on my mind.

I suddenly gritted my teeth and buried my face into her neck as she pushed me deeper. I moved my hands to the back of her head to hold her closer and closer to me. Sweat was beading down my forehead as I felt myself unintentionally pick up the pace. My curly hair was now wet from sweat as there was probably more on my back as my muscles flexed then relaxed over and over again. Needle then cried out to me in the almost dark room as she found her released. I groaned into her as I felt a sudden feeling at the base of my spine. And all of a sudden I found my high. My senses clouded with euphoria. My limbs shook from my own release as I gentle fell on top of Needle, gasping like a hot dog. Soon enough I was on my side as Needle leaned her head against my pecks while her hands went to my broad shoulders.

"I love you, Alan," she whispered.

I gulped at her words, contemplating if I should say it back. Her breaths became steady and slow, indicating that she had fallen asleep. I listened to her steady sighs while staying completely alert and awake. I was still processing what we just did and somehow not coming to terms with it. I just had sex with Needle. How am I supposed to react to that fact? She was my best friend and I just had sex with her. Why can I not wrap my head around it? And the doctor's oath. I haven't gotten a vasectomy and I'm pretty sure Needle hasn't gotten her tubes tided. So I just broke the most important doctor oath. The oath I lived my entire adult life reciting in my head. And what would happen to me when the eventual truth comes out? What would happen to Needle? She would probably have her reputation ruined and her life as a warrior be invalid. And when that future comes to be, I know it would be my fault. I would have no one to blame but myself. I just ruined both of our futures, all because of me. I hated myself for agreeing to such a thing. I was better than this, I really was. But I didn't feel like the bigger person in this situation. More bad will come out of this than good. I fucked it up for both of us. I shouldn't have agreed to this. I shouldn't have agreed to this.

I'm sorry Noelle, but this was a mistake.