[Normal P.O.V]
Sweat dripped down her forehead, her focus blurring out from the intense pounding of her muscles and head. With her hands on her knees and her back hunched over out of exhaustion, Lyra squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them back up in an attempt to keep herself awake. Her charcoal-shaded hair fell down her face, drenched in her sweat, and the purple streaks of color decorating her locks now looked similar to wet paint. It's been a harsh week for the recruits. They've been constantly pumped with exercises and training to the point that it no longer shocked them if another set of training was added to their regimen. But that doesn't erase the fact that it's incredibly difficult and mind-breaking.
The twins were physically stronger and better in certain areas but not even they could survive the harsh temperature and the muscle-aching exercises. They lay sprawled across the tiles, face red and sweat pouring down their bodies. Lyra could spot the gashes and cuts on their palms, a few droplets of blood seeping out the wounds. She, herself, has her fair share of pain and injuries on her hands but since she was the first one to let go, it was bound for her to have less of it.
Their training course today was called Mount Olympus, which their objective is to climb a tall, overwhelming, cylindrical structure that's surrounded by multiple attachments and obstacles, specially built by their friendly neighborhood A.I., Toothless. Just like how Greek mythology portrayed the abode of the gods, to reach the pinnacle of the structure, you have to be more than a mere mortal or at least be someone like Hippocrates. It was layered with different obstacles, ranging from rock climbing to salmon ladders to monkey pegs. Lyra had no idea what came over General Haddock's mind when she thought of torturing them. She barely crossed the fourth obstacle before she lost her grip on the twisting swings and plummeted down to the soft, fluffy pit of sponge that cushioned her fall.
It was a nightmare. However, there was one person who was kicking this course's ass that no one has ever expected to see, not even General Haddock. They watch as Jack Harth, the most unreasonable recruit in the team, hauled his body upward and threw the bar over the next set of rungs. His bulging back muscles were painfully red and straining through his skin, sweat gleaming off the surface. Grunts and pants escaped from his lips as he kept his arms up in the same position for a short while. He was on the salmon ladder, the last obstacle of the training course. Using his muscles to propel himself upward again, he latched the bar on the last set of rungs before he pulled himself up and crossed across the platform, beating the course.
Astrid witnessed the entire scene with wide and shocked eyes. She knows that out of anyone in her group, Jack was the only contender into beating the course-no matter how much she doesn't want to admit. But to complete the entire course in the limited time she gave them and with no past experience was honestly impressive and revolutionary. Not even the most athletic sports player could accomplish such a feat so she had to give it to him. However, Astrid will only acknowledge it by either nodding or recording it on his file.
The ex-footballer stood on top of the summit, positioning his body into a power pose with a smirk before yelling, "HA! SUCK ON THIS, BITCHES!"
And with that, the moment was gone. Everyone's view on the man immediately shifted in a matter of a millisecond. Even Lyra was admiring the blond's hard-work and huge accomplishment but once the cockiness and arrogance began to radiate out of the guy's smug smile, her stomach rolled and bubbled darkly. The Cardinal twins, who were rather neutral about Jack at the beginning, were now blatantly disliking his attitude with a passion. This type of personality isn't really rare. In fact, it's quite common but it's not as brash and exposing as Jack's.
Rolling her eyes, Astrid walked past the exhausted recruits and stared up at the blond with an unimpressed look. However, that wasn't enough to wipe the stupid grin off his face or the massive ego. "Good job, Harth! Now, go back down using the same way!" She yelled, instantly erasing the arrogant expression on Jack's face. Astrid didn't plan this at all but she'll just make up a bunch of useless life lessons about haughtiness. She reveled in the idea of squashing her student's confidence.
'Ah, this must be the feeling Hayden felt when he was training us...' Astrid thought.
She then turned to the remaining students clutching their breaths to stay awake. "Although you weren't able to finish the course, I congratulate you for trying." She nodded in approval. "Slate and Phoenix, good job on reaching the second to the last obstacle. But you wasted too much time on the obstacles that you lost eventually lost your stamina and strength."
"Th- thanks, miss! We'll make sure to improve on that!" The Cardinal twins replied through their heavy breaths, still laying across the floor with most of their clothes off.
Astrid directed her gaze towards the youngest of the group, while Lyra met her gaze with anxiousness yet with determination. The marksman knew that out of the four recruits, she's probably the weakest, both in strength and skill. All she knew was how to shoot a gun accurately and even then, it was drilled into her brain by their secondary teacher, Cutthroat, that just because you're an expert on a certain skill, doesn't make you a professional. Situations like close-quarters combat and stealth missions were presented in front of her but guns were entirely useless in those types. Running out of ammo in a middle of a close-combat fight is probably the worst thing that can happen to a person who has no knowledge of proper self-defense and a weak body.
Granted, her skills weren't the only ones that have been undermined during their classes. Cutthroat also mentioned towards the twins that their identical and synced minds could be their downfall because as soon as the enemy can predict one of the twins' moves, then it's over for the both of them. Jack's athleticism and sports IQ will be another way that can easily be defeated if poked at the right spots. Someone who relies on their physical abilities can be taken down by someone with a battle IQ of a bare minimum. Experience and intelligence in sports can't help you in the field if their capabilities are limited in that box.
Lyra thought that this was fairly reasonable to point out because if it's one thing a person is proud of, it's their known abilities. However, when she's in a position like this, she knew that there's nothing to be proud of. The straight-faced expression on General Haddock's face made her nerves wrack. It's only a matter of time before she's kicked out of the group and out of Drakos, forced to forget whatever happened, and forced to keep her mouth shut. She can't do that. Not because she wants to break the rules or get back at them, but because she is incapable of keeping a secret. Once she learns something she's not supposed to know, it's all she's going to think about. Except, in this case, the worst-case scenario that can happen if she did talk was possibly death...
All these thoughts and emotions ran through Lyra's head, clouding her head so much that she nearly forgot General Haddock was standing in front of her, ready to give her the results. "Agnor..." She started, to which Lyra responded with a sharp intake of breath. "Good job as well. Despite being the first to let go, you have made incredible progress and amazing improvement since last month. If I were to guess, four months ago, you wouldn't have been able to cross the first obstacle."
The charcoal-haired woman blinked in surprise at the unexpected compliments. But now that she thought about it, she did notice that she gained a bit of muscle over these. She certainly wasn't a Rhonda Rousey but she had enough for her body to appear toned and tough. She remembered looking at the mirror, noticing a few faded bumps on her stomach that she now realized to be abs. It was good progress, especially when she looked like a wet noodle dipped in paint before she arrived in Drakos.
"Don't feel too bad about finishing this course." General Haddock said. "I remember my fingers slipping on the first obstacle. Terrible day... and that was me, with physical training." She then proceeded to mumble something about someone forcing her to complete it with honey-stained hands before flashing a smile to cover her frown. "So I'm really impressed with your progress."
Just as she finished, Jack jumped from the stepping rocks and landed safely on the sponge pit. Sighing, Astrid turned around to meet the blond as he hopped out and rushed towards her for her judgement. The smug smirk on his lips was the first thing she saw, which immediately spoiled her already-foul mood.
"Harth, I commend you for finishing the course. Your improvement from last week is phenomenal and you seem to be continuing to improve. Out of the four, you have the highest grades in these physical courses. Good job..." Astrid said monotonously, as she lazily read the records off of the files before closing it with one hand. "Now, onto our next training course. But this time, it'll be based on your battle IQ and strategic skills."
The three other recruits silently cheered in their mind. Their bodies are still weakened and drained so they couldn't express their excitement and joy. So, they resorted to simply nodding and groaning in approval. Lyra shakily raised her hand up and flashed Astrid a thumbs-up, much to her amusement.
Meanwhile, a scowl formed on Jack's face. "What? That's it for me? No medal or championship kiss or something?" He exclaimed, the sense of victory finally fading away. "Didn't I just do something incredible? Is there no reward for thi—"
Time froze for a mere second. The words immediately died off of his mouth and got swept by the forceful gust of air that Astrid created with her kick. Her leg remained motionless in its position, the heel of her boot hovering above the tip of Jack's nose. It was just a blur but somehow, they saw Astrid rotate her hip and swung her leg up in the air, creating a powerful blast of wind that wiped Jack's words off of his mouth while her foot missed his face by a centimeter. Everyone was silent as they watched the general effortlessly lower her leg down like a graceful ballerina.
There was not a hint of malice or anger in her eyes, but one could even say that she was unaffected and even bored by it. Once she straightened herself, she looked up directly at Jack's nonplussed eyes without a trace of hostility. "You must think that you're some type of big shot around here. Let me kick you out of your high horse and drag you back down here to reality." Her voice was emotionless but her words held some type of venomous substance in them that the people around her could taste the rancor itself. "Your accomplishment is practically child's play compared to everyone else's here in Drakos. It was impressive since you're a recruit, but your confidence should stay inside the circle because if you even try to take a step out of that line, we'll tear your ass apart and spit you back in here to rebuild yourself."
Jack was a big and muscular man. But here he is, nearly cowering before a woman, four inches smaller than him and from the looks of it, physically weaker. He should be able to take this girl down with no effort but his own body refused to listen and instead, kept his mouth shut and his muscles still.
"You may be a strong guy but you're as dumb as two rocks, fifteen pebbles, and a boulder! You could've taken an easier route but you decided on using what you deemed simple and ended up taking five minutes on it when you could've finished the entire course in ten! The reason why we always have strategy classes is that you're holding the entire group back." Astrid shouted, taking Jack aback. "I swear, my daughter would make a better agent than you."
"Thanks."
All eyes suddenly shifted towards the girl standing behind Astrid. The blonde didn't need to look back to see who it was. Simply arching a brow, she turned and faced her daughter with a questioning look. "What are you doing here, Ezra?" She asked, to which she responded with a shrug.
"No reason. By the way, Uncle Zyth is at home, taking care of Noah, in case you're asking." The brunette placed her hands on her back, strolled around innocently as Astrid rolled her eyes at her daughter. She's not exactly surprised that she's here since Ezra usually spends her time here in Drakos more than she does at home. Astrid could understand and maybe even relate with her because when you have nothing to do, you find ways to entertain yourself and her daughter finds it through Drakos. But apparently, training with recruits is another source of entertainment for her.
Rocking the '20s look, which was just a bunch of random stuff from different eras stringed together that they now call fashion like literally ripped jeans, a long-sleeved shirt that's covered by a denim jacket, and a 90s bandana to hold her chestnut-brown hair up, Ezra walked past her mother and then noticed a few familiar faces sprawled across the ground.
"Oh, hey! How are... you, guys?" She wasn't sure whether she should ask that, considering that they're literally on the ground, surrounded by their own sweat.
Nevertheless, the three didn't miss this opportunity to greet their acquaintance or semi-friend. While weakly raising their arms and waving them, they tried their best to say what they wanted to say, but what came out was just a string of mumbles and mutters.
"Hey..."
"Wh- what's up?"
"I'm dead..."
Ezra decided to leave them alone for now. She then turned towards the half-naked man who was watching the interaction in confusion until he blinked out of it once he realized that the brunette was looking at him. Not exactly liking his veiny and bulging muscles, Ezra focused on his face, which wasn't any better considering the amounts of sweat pouring down the side of his head.
A frown formed on Ezra's face, "Harold?" She tried.
"It's Jack." He sighed frustratedly.
"Close enough."
"Wait..." Jack turned towards Astrid, who had her arms crossed over her chest. "This is your daughter?"
"And is there a problem with that?" General Haddock's glare pierced through the air, but the arrogant blond was more focused on different things.
He gestured towards Ezra, "Her? You think that she would make a better agent than me?" Jack exclaimed, before throwing his head back in laughter. All five sets of eyes, including the ones laying across the tiles, shifted their gaze towards the blond. The recruits were only staring at him because he just laughed out of nowhere and they wanted to find out why, while the other two were expressionless. "I mean, no offense to you..." He glanced at the brunette for a second, completely missing the dead stare creeping into his soul. "I seriously doubt that. What's a civilian even doing here? But back to my point, I don't even think she can complete this thing, let alone become a better agent than me..."
The lack of sound really didn't help Jack's case here. In fact, it made the situation even worse than it's supposed to be. The tension is so thick, you can almost see and touch it yourself. Ezra, as calm as ever, nodded with her lower lip pursed under her upper lip. She then craned her neck to the side, not even looking directly at her mother but she could already sense the skin-tingling, blood-curdling aura she was emitting. If anyone was doubting that Night Fury can't have a relationship, let alone get married with a temper like his, then just look at his wife and her devil-like presence once you rile her up.
"Mom..." Ezra called for Astrid, but her glare remained on Jack's stupid sandy-blond hair and straightened teeth that look like he had it fixed to look like rows of pillows. "Can I handle this?" She wanted to teach this guy a lesson as well, but she wanted to do it without anyone getting hurt-this applies to both sides, but she's more worried about the one before her because he's most likely to be murdered in cold blood if she lets her mother take care of it. Besides, this is a great way to show off the skills she learned from nearly, every agent in Drakos after spending most of her time in the agency, roaming around to get along with everyone else, and to do that, she challenges them to a spar which often ends up with her ass on the floor and birds flying around her head. But because of that, she knows about more than a hundred martial-arts styles and combat strategies.
Astrid thought about her suggestion for a while, before retracting her aura back inside her. "Sure, but make sure to take it easy." The doting mother reminded her daughter with a caring voice.
That was a lie. It was just a secret code that meant 'tear that motherfucker's ass up for me', which Ezra understood immediately. Shoving past the blond, much to his shock, she pulled her bandana off and twisted it until it looked similar to a scrunchie before tying her hair up into a ponytail. She slid her jacket off of her shoulders, throwing it at her mother, caught in and hung it on her shoulder, and then she rolled her sleeves up to her elbows, revealing her pretty toned forearms. The recruits were now simply spectators of the upcoming show, even the exhausted ones who have somehow lost their fatigue all of a sudden.
Ezra intertwined her fingers together and stretched her arms upward. Technically, it wasn't that necessary for her to do that but it gives her some sort of calming spell before she performs. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, sparks of amethyst flashed from her irises as she kicked her body off the ground. The recruits watched in astonishment as Ezra jumped up to a fifteen-foot ladder with ease before climbing up the structure like a lizard, switching the positions of her limbs as if she had more than four.
Soon, she reached the stepping stones on the wall. It's relatively harder to climb a wall without a harness and merely relying on your physical strength and endurance. However, this was no problem for Ezra. She practically flew her way up, not missing a single beat as she rapidly climbed the wall with her bare arms, not even using her legs most of the time. After she reached the upper platform, she looked at her two options; the spider wall or the jungle bars. The course was designed to present two options where the challengers would decide on which one would let them reach the top easier and faster.
But the catch is, the two are the complete opposite. The spider wall, where you have to prop your body against the opposite side of the wall and slide yourself up to the top. It's easier, but it'll take a long time. The jungle bars are a much more complicated version of the monkey bars. Unlike the original, it was designed to have rows and sets of bars that are scattered across the air like a bunch of vines in a jungle, hence the name. Although it's much harder, it'll be a faster way if you keep up your momentum. The recruits always chose this route because they programmed their mind into thinking that it was a race. Unfortunately, it wasn't.
However, these problems aren't applied to Ezra because it doesn't matter which route she chooses, it's going to depend on the person, whether or not the course is designed to be much easier and faster. Leg muscles straining and her center of gravity shifting, she took off into the air. The recruits, especially Jack, followed Ezra as she landed and locked her foot against the first spider wall. Then, using her other foot to push her body up by the second spider wall. She continued this process until it looked like she was simply running up the walls.
It was a sight to behold. Lyra had already forgotten her exhaustion, abandoning her hunched position to gaze upon the astonishing performance by Ezra. Admiration filled her eyes as she watches this teenager, someone who is much younger than her, breeze past this obstacle as if it was a mere game. This type of stunt can only be done by daredevils and traceurs, but none of them can do it to this extent. Ezra had already passed the spider walls and was now on the tornado vines, which as a series of ropes attached to a machine that continuously spun the ropes around.
But like the rest of the obstacles, this was no challenge for Ezra. She swung across each rope, despite the constant and rapid movement. She had worse experiences so this was barely a nuisance to her. However, because of the wind blowing her tied-hair across her face, it was a bit of an inconvenience since she can literally taste her shampoo. Grabbing the last rope by simply using her intuition, she pulled her body backward and then swung herself up into the air before landing perfectly on the next platform.
A single breath of enervation escaped her lips. Her heart pounded against her ribcage but other than that, it was still beating normally. There was no sign of fatigue or exhaustion, except for her straining muscles but that only meant that she's using them correctly. After taking some time to catch her breath, she looked up to see the last two obstacles. She contemplated on whether or not she should use her powers, but the reasonable side of her reminded her that it'll be a waste of effort if she just flew up to the summit. Besides, she could already hear her mother's disappointed tone if she uses her powers to get something she's physically capable of.
'Hm, the Devil Steps won't be a problem but if I trip, I'll accidentally use my powers so I gotta be careful...'
Tapping her feet across the platform to prepare herself, she took another deep breath but this time, she held it in. And with that, she leapt off and landed across the first wooden board, taking barely a second before crossing over to the next step, just as the wooden board disappeared behind the structure's walls. Ezra jumped across each step, skipping a few wooden boards just in case as the step she's been stepping on retracted into the walls. The last step began to close in, where three metal bars were hanging across the wall, waiting to be used.
The adrenaline began burning inside Ezra's heart. Her nerves sparked and exploded with excitement. A smile crawled up her lips as she swiped one of the metal bars and walked across the air. It was like witnessing an angel ascending to the skies. Or at least, that was what Lyra thought before Ezra raised the bar and slammed it over the rungs, keeping her body up in the air. The Cardinal twins were now full-on cheering for the brunette, ignoring their fatigue and standing up to praise this flying miracle.
Unable to speak, Jack simply watched the sixteen-year-old girl effortlessly move past all the obstacles he had a hard time crossing. Now, that same girl is bullying the salmon ladder by skipping over a set every time she would raise the bar, including her own body weight, and attach it in the rungs. The amount of strength, endurance, and stamina needed to accomplish such a feat is damn near impossible to achieve. He couldn't help but stare in awe and envy, unaware of his expression which Lyra didn't fail to notice.
Astrid glanced at the mix of emotions shifting across the recruits' and she was more than ecstatic to see the hint of jealousy staining one of his student's faces. Turning her gaze back at Ezra's form as she took the last few steps towards the summit, she couldn't help but feel proud for her. Granted, she wasn't a normal girl or a normal human as a matter of fact. But despite having superhuman abilities, she was impressed to see that her daughter refused to use them. Her Dragon genes, as far as she knows, only grants her a small boost to her physical abilities so her current prowess is comparable to Usain Bolt's or Christian Ronaldo's.
With one last push, Ezra swung her body upward, twisting across the air and then landing on the summit's platform with grace. The small crowd of three began cheering and whooping rather loudly, clapping and whistling while Jack remained speechless. Astrid gave her a Dumbledore clap but inside, she was a red-headed wizard with a broken wand, slapping her hands together like crazy. She stepped forward, but not without sneaking a small glance at Jack that could be interpreted as, 'Ha! In your face, bitch!'
Pettiness is one of Astrid's strong suits.
"Nice job, Ezra. That was four minutes and thirty-six seconds. Not bad for a first try." Astrid sneaked a smug grin at the blond, just to show you how petty she could be. "Now, come down."
With a smirk, the Dragon stood on her tippy-toes and her feet then left the platform as she hovered above the air and began descending downward like a real-life angel. Unlike one, her hands were buried in her pockets, her legs positioned into a walking-motion as if she was simply walking down the stairs, which was just another way to show off her powers; the giddy grin on her lips proves that. Once her feet touched the ground, she was greeted by four pairs of eyes, staring at her indecorously. Their jaws hanging below their mouth, the blood on their faces draining down to their hearts as it pounded harder and faster. A mix of fear and wonderment filled their eyes. They didn't how to respond or react and this amused the Haddock family.
Ezra didn't mind the attention. It's always a treat to showcase her abilities to other agents in Drakos. They didn't feel the need to hide it since the people around them are used to these crazy stuff. But that doesn't mean she'll just tell everyone about it. Ezra would just use her powers when she needs or wants to, without any care about who was able to see her because it doesn't really matter. They'll find out about it in one way or the other so it's easier to just reveal it in an unexpected fashion. It always delighted Ezra whenever someone she knows or didn't know, saw the thirteen-year-old girl that would always hang around the headquarters, hovering above them and spectating the area like she was one of the Watchers.
Of course, she would explain it to them when they would ask. Most of the time, they wouldn't and they'll just pretend that they never saw it, which really brought some warmth in Astrid's heart that the agents of Drakos are not the type to spread information about certain things they're not involved in. She also glad that they're more accepting than she expected, but then she remembered the time where Camilla told her about the kid's powers, and in all honesty, she wasn't that surprised to hear about it. Maybe seeing how strange and awful the world is, numbed her mind a bit to the point that if someone told her that there's a meteor in a shape of a penis heading straight towards the earth, she'd probably just laugh and accept that she's going to die by the hands of a dick.
Back to the shocked recruits, they remained frozen, with their eyes locked at Ezra's form. Lyra was the first to melt, only because she wanted to rub her eyes to see if what she just saw was real. Just to mess with her, Ezra lifted off the ground and hovered two feet above the ground so that when the charcoal-haired woman opened her eyes, she's in for a treat. Well, not only did she predict her reaction, but it also earned her one of the best responses she had in a while.
"Holy as... sortment of Christmas toys!" Lyra caught herself before she could curse, but that didn't erase her shock. "Y- you can fly?!"
"Yup!" Ezra nodded, floating back down to the ground.
The Cardinal twins, as amazed and shocked as they were before, were even more so once it's been confirmed. They thought that their earlier dose of weed was making this all up but much to their relief, it wasn't. "How... how are you doing that?" Phoenix asked in disbelief.
"Well, do you guys know about those meta-humans that attacked all those years ago? They're called Dragons." The brunette explained as the three nodded. Ezra gave it a few more seconds before realization dawned on them.
"Ohh, shit!" Slate exclaimed loudly, to which the young Dragon responded with a light chuckle. "But you're one of the good guys, right?" When she awkwardly nodded, he released a huge sigh of relief as if that problem was bothering him for years. "Thank gods for that. I was getting the collywobbles at the thought of you destroying the world."
Ezra smiled uncertainly. "Uh, thanks?" She then turned towards Jack, who was still in complete shock. Flashing him a wink, she shrugged her shoulders with a smirk and said, "Well, it is what it is." But then her smile faded when she spotted something in his eye. It was a bunch of squiggly lines-veins-but it was more than usual. It almost made his eye seem as if it was bleeding with how painfully red it was. It makes her wonder how he doesn't notice it. "Uh, you have something in your eye."
Almost immediately, Jack's hand flew to his eye to cover it, "Shit..." He muttered under his breath.
The brunette, a bit concerned, was about to ask him if he was alright when Astrid suddenly clapped her hands, grabbing the attention of the rest. "Now that Ezra whooped your asses, I think it's time for her to go." The only reason she referred to all of them was because she didn't want them to think that she has some sort of grudge against the blond, even though she kinda does.
Meanwhile, the brunette walked towards the exit, saying her goodbyes to the recruits when all of a sudden, Astrid called out her name, "Ezra!" the said girl turned her head around, arching a brow. "You don't want to give your dear old mum a hug?"
Now, this is was weird for a few reasons. One, Astrid never asked for hugs ever in her entire life. Sure, she's been hugged before... but most of them came from Noah and the Thorston twins; the former being more pleasant than the latter. Two, she would never refer to herself as Ezra's 'old'. Everyone in the agency knows to never call her old because the last time someone did, that person ended up in the hospital, scheduled for a neck surgery.
So when Ezra heard what she said, it's expected that her reaction wasn't exactly normal. "Mom, did you hit your head or something?" She questioned, a bit scared of her mother's new personality.
"That's a bit rude... but I'll let it go if you give me a hug." Astrid cooed, her students standing behind her with an equally shocked expression. For the first time, they saw their superior speak in a gentle voice and a caring manner.
Still skeptical, she cautiously took a few steps forward before being enveloped into a crushing hug. Despite her body being more durable than most humans, it's completely useless when it comes to Astrid's overwhelming strength. Ezra would like to believe that her mother has inherited some Dragon genes because of how much power she has in her slim arms. That woman could bend steel if she wanted to. It wouldn't be a surprise if she could actually do it.
As Astrid suffocated her daughter in a bear hug, she then whispers in her ear, "There's a tear on the back of your shirt." as she slipped her denim jacket off of her shoulder and wrapped it around her daughter. Ezra made a mental note to never doubt her mother again. She then gave her a silent 'thank you', a tint of a red blush painting her cheeks as she hurried away. Chuckling to herself, Astrid turned back to her group, her expression shifting into a much more stern look. All the recruits stiffened at her gaze, including Jack who unconsciously did it because of his experience with his coach. "We'll be heading for Cutthroat's class in five minutes. Do what you need to do and return."
"Yes, General Haddock!"
Once they were allowed to disperse, Jack immediately ran for the bathroom, grabbing his backpack along the way. Nearly stumbling along his feet, he slammed his body against the door to open it and proceeded to grab the sink for support. Heavy breaths escaping his mouth, heart beating out of his chest, he could feel his own muscles weakening at a rapid pace. All the stress and strain he got from the training course were returning. He threw his bag against the wall, scattering its contents across the tiles. His fingers tightened against the porcelain, causing a few cracks to appear. Raising his head, the mirror on the wall reflected his bloodshot eye, which was now tearing up with blood.
Panic surged through his veins. He flipped the faucet on and doused his face with water, resulting in a horrible and painful sting to occur on his bleeding eye. His heart gradually began to beat harder against his ribcage, pounding and throbbing loudly. It was so loud that he can actually hear it from the inside of his ears, constantly thumping as if there was an army of people playing the drum, one hit at a time, resonating with the beats of his heart. His muscles tightened around his bones, flexing through his skin while his blood vessels pumped more blood to keep it active. Rays of every color in the rainbow began to shine at his peripheral view, blurring his vision. Swallowing a gulp, which nearly got stuck in his throat, he reached for his backpack, only for his legs to basically give up on his weight, causing him to collapse to the floor. He slammed against the ground with a loud thud, putting more stress and pain in his body. He couldn't even let out a groan or a scream because it was too painful for him to speak.
His body started failing to function, or at least listening to his mind. Through his flashing vision, he could see the bottle of capsules sitting on the floor, just inches away from him. But he couldn't move a muscle. Something so close was yet so far. His nerves failed to transmit his orders to the rest of his body, rendering him paralyzed. The beating of his heart only grew stronger and faster. If its pace keeps up, it'll soon slow into a halt. When he thought all hope seems lost, the bathroom door opened and he heard the sound of someone's footsteps coming in.
"Oi, Harth. Boss Haddock is waiting for us in the... holy shit, what happened to you?!" Slate exclaimed, his gaze directed at the person sprawled across the floor, veins nearly popping out of the side of his face. He followed his body and then noticed that his finger was pointing at a small bottle. Without wasting a beat, he rushed down and grabbed the bottle, flipping the cap open and taking out a bright red pill.
"Jack, what am I supposed to do with this?" He asked anxiously, turning to meet his gaze, only to find blood dripping out of his right eye. "Fucking shit." The eldest of the Cardinal twins slid his arm under the blond's back, pulling him up so that he has a perfect view of where to put it. After opening his jaw, he placed the pill in his mouth and then forced the man to swallow it by abruptly tilting his head up.
It was silent for a moment. The only thing you can hear is Slate's heavy and nervous breathing. None came from the blond, which only raised his anxiety. But fortunately, the one that broke the silence was Jack, himself, by gasping for breath. The popping veins on his forehead and body started retracting. His heart started to slow down to a normal rate when Slate placed his ear against his chest. The only problem he has now is that he's drenched in sweat because of Jack. That's when he realized that he just saved someone's life; someone he doesn't like in fact. He reckons that if he didn't reluctantly volunteer to fetch him from the bathroom because his brother forced him to, Jack would've been the third person he knew that would've died in the toilet, right after Catherine the Great and Elvis Presley. But no matter how much he disliked the guy, his life was still valuable.
Slate leaned his against the wall with a deep sigh, "What the fuck is going on here, mate?"
Ezra was screwed. Not the 'I-made-a-mistake-so-now-I-have-to-face-some-minor-consequences' type, but the 'holy-shit-I'm-going-to-die' type of screwed up. Her normal thought process was speeding across each nerve and neuron, like a train as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop on the colorful apartments that brought life to these empty roads, even with the black yet sparkling sky overshadowing the entire city of Havana. It would've been fun just to hop on top of houses if it weren't for the Cuban ninjas following close behind her.
Yes, Cuban ninjas are real. To say the least, it was a huge surprise for the young Dragon when she stumbled upon their lair, which was a simple, abandoned factory separated from the city. But as she looked behind her, the street lights bursting into sparks and coating the already-dark area with even more darkness. She could see the faded forms of the ninjas slashing the lamps with their blades and using the blackness to blend in while they ran across the buildings behind her.
The only reason why Ezra picked Havana as her target was because she thought it would be a good experience. Although she did expect it to have at least a few criminal problems, it certainly sounded like the perfect and romantic place to be in when she listened to that old song that's literally named after the city. It was written by some chick that she didn't bother remembering the name but because of this experience, it gave her even more reason to forget about her and delete that song from her playlist. But after doing some research, which is through reading all the wanted posters and files attached on the walls, she learned that Havana now has the highest criminal ratings and this is all because of how perfect it is. The citizens of the city were so convinced that Havana was a beautiful gem that would only appear every one hundred years, that they started attacking tourists because they thought that they would ruin the city. Truth is, the citizens were the ones forming trouble.
One thing she commends the Cuban ninjas to have is their incredible speed. Ezra didn't use her powers because it would only alert the city, which will cause more chaos so she decided to leave the destruction to the ninjas. Especially if she uses it now, her fairly overly-bright and loud plasma bullets will certainly spark at least one, if not all, citizen that would be curious enough to poke his head out the window and bear witness to the great dumbass that is wonderfully named Ezra. If she uses her flight powers to get away, they would find out about them and if word spreads about a superpowered vigilante, she's equally fucked, both due to the knowledge of the criminals and also to the fact that every agency might receive some sort of information about it, which will heavily limit the circle of suspects until it's just her. However, the ninjas are quickly closing the gap between them and if she continues at this pace, they'll catch up soon. She only has two options and both sound terrible.
A groan escaped her lips, "Well, you gotta do what you gotta do." She muttered to herself.
As the next rooftop began to grow closer, Ezra leapt off the surface higher than usual and slowly twisted her body around until she's facing the ninjas. She had counted at least four of them when she was still running across the buildings and if she wants to get them all, she needs to be smart about it.
Ezra formed her hand to mimic a gun, with her index finger pointing out. Using her other hand to cup it as if it were a gun, she began focusing all her energy in her finger. She had done this before but not to the extent of properly hitting a moving target that's about ten feet away from her. But if there's one thing she learned from Yu Yu Hakusho, it was how to shoot a bullet from one's finger.
Everything was in slow motion. Controlling the plasma energy boiling in her blood is actually much harder than she thought. Whenever she would shoot a bullet, it would explode from her palm rather than her fingers because it has a lot more pores and open spaces to release its energy while her finger is limited. But since it's highly concentrated, she expects it to be more focused and probably more powerful. So with her entire strength, she forced every cell in her body to clump together and pushed energy from her blood, until she could feel it grouping up in the tip of her finger. Once she felt like it was too much, she relaxed her finger, and a thin multi-cellular plasma bullet formed through the pores of her skin before blasting away towards the ninjas... which completely missed them, zipping past the leather-wearing Cubans with a surprisingly far gap.
Once Ezra landed on her feet, she just gave a dead stare at her bullet, which was now disappearing into the night sky. Even the ninjas were curious enough to stop in their tracks and follow the bright purple light that just flew by past them. Realizing this was her chance to escape, despite it not working the way as she planned, she ran away as fast as she could, finding a narrow gap below that lead to an alleyway. She used this opportunity to hide, climbing down the walls by shifting from either side of the building until she arrived on the ground, where she quickly hid behind a dumpster as she saw the forms of the ninjas leaping over her, unaware of her true location.
She is fully aware of the fact that not only is she forbidden from doing these sorts of activates by her aunt, she's also not allowed to blatantly use her powers in an enclosed area—this was a rule she enforced on herself. But at least the ninjas don't know that she fired that bullet from her finger. It was in the dark and plus, they could speculate that it was just some type of advanced technology, which isn't that rare nowadays.
However, her trip to Havana is quite uneventful and anticlimactic. She arrived in the city, expecting to meet small-time criminals but was greeted by a whole factory-full of Cuban ninjas. The thing that probably shocked her the most was that the ninjas spoke Spanish which, in all honesty, no one can ever expect.
Ezra leaned her head against the wall, resting for a short bit. Just as she was catching her breath, she heard something rustling in the dark alleyway. Her reflexes immediately jumped into action. Without missing a second, she was already on her feet, luminescent eyes scanning across the shadows. Her hand slipped into her pocket to fish out a sizeable capsule. She twisted the ends and the entire thing sprung into its full size, a cylindrical metallic object extending vertically from the small case until Ezra held her quarterstaff in her hand; the bronze-plated pole gleaming against the young Dragon's glowing eyes.
The sound of footsteps began to echo from the alleyway. A frown formed on Ezra's face as she tightened her grip on the quarterstaff. She has to rely on her skills this time because she doesn't want to risk causing any destruction or chaos. As much as she wanted to, her powers are too explosive and powerful for a populated area like this. She hasn't mastered her powers enough to the point where she can control its range. Sure, she was able to focus her plasma energy to the tip of her fingers but that was due to dumb luck and even that didn't work as she planned.
"Who's there?" Ezra called out as the footsteps grew louder. Soon, she saw the boots peeking through the darkness, and out came a staggering man holding a bottle of whisky in his hand. The bright blush on his cheeks and his swaying body indicates that he's anything but sober.
"¡Hola! Mujer hermosa!" The man greeted drunkenly, his words slurred and his eyes glossy with tears. It's quite obvious that this man had too much to drink.
As soon as the brunette realized that he wasn't a threat, she lowered staff down. She's not really underestimating the fact that this could all be a ploy but the signs show differently. He could barely stand on his own two feet, let alone lunge and attack her. But she still kept her guard up just in case.
She can't understand nor speak Spanish so she has to rely heavily on his body language and hand gestures to interpret him, but that's already proving to be a challenge for Ezra since the man was all over the place. She's willing to be that if she flicked his forehead, he'll drop to the ground with a thundering thud like the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk.
"¡Vamos a divertinos un poco!" The man cried out again as he grew closer, his intoxicated breath nearly reaching her nose. Feeling that something's wrong, Ezra slowly backed away with a frown.
"Sorry, sir. I should take my leave now." She put up a strained smile, walking backward to escape, only for her to hit something blocking her way. She turned around and came face to face with another guy, with a woman's arm wrapped over his shoulder. Both were obviously drunk, judging by their faltering steps. A permanent drunken grin was plastered on her lips, the strap of her dress sliding down on her arm. The man held her purse in her hand, but it doesn't look like he was doing anything wrong.
But she's taking too long in these parts and it's already making her uncomfortable. Cuban ninjas are already part of her problem. She doesn't want to add drunk people to her list. "Um, excuse me. Can I please leave?" Ezra made a move to slip by the two drunks, only for the man to pull out a revolver and aim it at the young Dragon's forehead.
She froze in her steps, shocked to see the cold metal barrel of the gun pressed against her skin. The man was still clearly drunk, but the way he just slipped out a gun out of thin air was too fast and reactive for someone who's intoxicated. The woman was still hanging her arm around his shoulders for support, her head lulling down. Ezra glanced at his eyes and sure enough, they were dilated and at the brink of just rolling to the back of his head. She sneaked a peek behind her and spotted the first drunken guy to be simply staring at her with the eyes of a dead fish, the smile on his lips gone.
A million thoughts and questions surrounded Ezra's head. One of them is, what the fuck is even happening? Why is she getting cornered? Who are they? Why is she letting this guy point a loaded gun on her head?
The last question, she can answer already. It's because as far as she knows, these three haven't done anything so far, other than excessive drinking. They haven't caused any harm and even if they did, it won't be enough to justify killing them. But now that there's a threat presented right in front of her, she could at least try to defend herself without using any life-threatening actions.
Her grip on her quarterstaff tightened. A simple swing could knock both of them out; it's as easy as that. But just as she was about to make a move, a second barrel pressed against her back. She turned to see the first guy with a pump-action shotgun aimed at her. Just the other guy, he was still drunk as hell but his actions said otherwise.
"¡Termínala!" The man cried out, gesturing towards her staff.
Grinding her teeth, a mix of frustration and nervousness overwhelmed her face. She knows that her choices have once again been limited. Now, she either uses her powers to beat the hell out of them and get away or she follows their orders and waits for more trouble that's bound to come. Both choices are equally problematic and frankly, she doesn't have the time to think of a third one. All she needs is a...
CRASH!
A single distraction.
It was like the gods were watching over her. She doesn't know what it was but a miracle literally came from the sky and plummeted down to the dumpster, causing the two drunks to shift their attention towards it. It even woke up the drunken woman, who abruptly lifted her head with a snort. Ezra doesn't want or need to know what it was; it could've been a meteorite for all she cares but what's important is that it gave her a small interval in between the situation so she could act.
She needed to take care of both of them at the same time. Pulling back her foot, she thrusted backward and by sheer luck, she was able to kick the shotgun away, as well as slam the flat of her boot against the man's chest, knocking the wind out of him and causing the bottle of whisky to shatter across the ground. Her attention returned to the pair in front of her and with a whirl of her quarterstaff, slammed it against both of them, tossing them across the street like two sacks of potato. If that didn't knock them out, she isn't sure what will.
In the midst of the fight, her senses tingled and for a short second, she thought it was her imagination. But her reflexes took over and all the cells in her body responded with force, swinging her staff, the heavier end first, into the man's face, who was about to grab his shotgun. She heard a crack, followed by multiple bones shattering on impact. The drunk twisted into the air and just to make it worse, he fell head-first into the ground, possibly placing a strain on his neck. But the important thing is that she made it out without any trouble... kinda.
Heaving a huge sigh, she placed her hands on her knees. "Fuck! That was a close one." Ezra mumbled.
"Yeah, I know..."
Three words. It only took three words for her to realize who was standing behind her. A cold, tingling kind of numbness spread across her forehead, into her mouth, into her cheeks. She couldn't speak because the muscles in her mouth were paralyzed. Even if she could speak, she wouldn't know what to say. She noticed that her knees were shaking. Her stomach opened up into a sickly, empty pit. It's one of her worst nightmares coming back to haunt her only this time, it's real. Ezra turns, but too slowly to be normal.
She didn't want to believe it but here she was. Her beautiful blonde hair was folded and tied into a single dutch braid, eyes still as blue as the ocean waters that were devoid of any sort of positive emotion. Multiple crescents and pins still attached in her general's uniform. The moonlight gleamed against the smooth blade of her axe hanging below her belt. Blue gloves reaching up to her elbows, she held her hands behind her back as if she was in her officer's mode. It seems that she wasn't here on a mission, indicating that she didn't stumble here by accident.
Astrid Haddock, Ezra's beloved mother and the general of Drakos, stood right in front of her.
The brunette's back found itself leaning against the wall, but she didn't remember moving her legs at all. She was on autopilot. She got my mouth to work again.When she speaks her voice trails slowly like her words are unwilling to take flight. "Mom" She was surprised by the hoarseness of her own voice.
At that single word, the blonde flinched. A spark of recognition lit up in her eye that lasted faster than it appeared. A muddy pool of cobalt mixed in with the crystal-like amethyst eyes that Astrid bears, creating this ugly, dull light that's reflecting off of her irises. Ezra recognized that emotion filling her eyes. She saw it in her teacher's eyes whenever she wouldn't pay attention in class. She saw it in the lunch lady's face whenever she would order more food than she should. She saw it in her little brother's body language whenever she would refuse to play with him. But none of them affected her as much as her mother did.
She was disappointed.
Fear gripped Ezra's heart, threatening to squeeze the life out of it. It tightened even further when her mother took a step forward. She didn't know what she was expecting, but out of terror and panic, she flinched at the sudden movement. Astrid's gaze momentarily shifted towards her daughter; that alone sent unbelievably strong shivers down her spine and it nearly caused her knees to buckle. Ezra, a young Dragon with superhuman abilities, cowered before her mother like a puppy.
But then Astrid did something that Ezra failed to expect; ignore her. The blonde general walked right past her daughter as if she wasn't there. She brushed by her and proceeded to kneel onto the floor to inspect the broken shards and the spilled whisky from the bottle that was dropped. Taking a finger and dipping it in the stale liquor on the ground, she held it up in front of her eyes and placed it in her tongue. Once the taste settled it, she spat on the concrete.
"Hm, fentanyl and amphetamine." She muttered to herself, licking her pink lips. "Explains their violent actions. Probably came from Estrellas Oscuras."
"M- mom..."
"Weird that they tested their drugs in alcohol. It's probably going to counter its purpose."
"Mom."
"But it's also a good test since the people of Havana are known for its alcohol."
"MOM!"
Astrid, unfazed by her loud voice, turned towards her daughter with the same look in her eyes as she had before. Frustration filled Ezra's head, the same adrenaline that was surging through her body back at the rooftops came bursting back until she released it through a cry that held so many emotions but what escaped her mouth was frail, weak, and shaky, but it was concealed by the loud voice she declared with. But not even the anger and tough demeanor she put up was able to hide the scared, little girl from her mother.
"Wh- what... What are you doing?" Ezra asked with a slight stutter, revealing the tiny cracks in her facade.
Tilting her head, Astrid spoke in a soft and almost compassionate voice. But her words were the complete opposite, "Oh, I was just thinking to myself... why the fuck is my daughter here?" Ezra flinched as if her words took in a physical form and swung at her face like a blade. The blonde rose from the ground, her eyes not leaving her daughter. "So tell me, Ezra. I've been wondering... why?"
There was no escape. Actually, there is no reason to lie out of this because she's already been caught. Any normal person could tell what she's been doing, let alone a perceptive officer with specialized training like her mother. But the anxiety and fear are literally holding the reasonable side of her, down. The devil sitting on her shoulder was whispering seductively into her ear, while the angel remained motionless in dread, just like her real body.
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. The strength and courage she willed into life almost died away from the mere stare from her mother. The walls she put up were smashed into bits, razed to the ground, shattered into rubble. Her arms and back are the only ones keeping her body upright. Gasps of breaths escaped her lips in a pattern, the cool air forming into a cloud over her mouth. She had never had an allergic reaction nor asthma before. Panic attacks are rare and they would only happen to certain triggers. But she couldn't think of a reason why her heart is tightening and her lungs are lacking oxygen just because of her mother.
The silence was all Astrid needed. A tiny flame in her heart wished and hoped that it wasn't true, despite seeing the evidence herself. She had seen the signs before, but she dismissed it as coincidental and refused to listen to the voice in the back of her head. She didn't want to break the trust between them but she couldn't help but think that one of them did. It turns out, she was right.
Tilting her head up to the black blanket across the sky and then sucking in a deep breath to just take everything all at once, she shuts her eyes and allowed the air to sweet cool air to caress her face one last time before everything turned to shit.
Astrid slowly lowered her head and opened her eyes, the muddy emotion in her eyes gone. Staring at her daughter with a straight face, she spoke these words without a hesitation;
"You know, if you weren't my daughter, I would've killed you on the spot."
Never in her life was she this scared of her mother. She found no malice nor bloodthirst in her eyes, but the sheer weight of her words was what struck her through her physical body and plunged into her soul.She couldn't breathe, it felt as if someone was choking her. Her heart was racing and all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and wait for someone to save her. But no one would, no one was there. A choked cry for help forced itself up her throat, it sounded pathetic but that was the epitome of all the emotions she felt at that moment.
"I was tasked to kill every single vigilante, mercenary... anyone who opposed the law. In fact, every agency was ordered to carry out this mission." A humorless chuckled left Astrid's lips. "But I never thought that my own daughter would be one of them."
Ezra gulped, her body trembling as she found the strength to speak, "M- mo—"
"Shut up, Ezra..."
An electrifying shudder ran down the young Dragon's body at Astrid's cold voice. It wasn't like anything she heard of from her before. The only thing that reminded her of the same stony tone came from back when she was a dangerous weapon locked in a cell, with Drago slamming his bullhook onto the floor. Memories flooded her head like a broken damn, the beatings, the insults, the slaps. It all came rushing back in her mind, torturing every single cell in her body with the reminiscence of her past.
The thoughts are accelerating inside her head. She wanted them to slow so she can breathe but they won't. Her breaths came in silent gasps and she felt like she's about to black out. Her heart hammered inside her chest like it belongs to a rabbit running for its skin. The ground spun, twisted, and turned as she held the wall for support, trying to make everything slow to something my brain and body can cope with. She felt sick in her stomach, the acid bubbling dangerously upward. Everything started moving at a rapid pace, flashing and speeding across her vision like a spinning kaleidoscope. The terrors of her past began to crawl up her throat; her trapped demons thrashed around the narrow tube, waiting to escape.
Fortunately, Astrid's voice ripped through her thoughts like a tear across a piece of paper and her vision soon reverted to normal, the floor stopped swaying and the uncomfortable feeling in her throat slid back down her stomach. She looked up to see her mother staring at her, not a single emotion floated in her irises.
"Go home, Ezra."
"B- but..." the brunette gasped and trembled, still recovering from her attack. She needed to explain herself, even if it didn't change anything. She wanted her mother to know her reasons. Sadly, Astrid wasn't in the mood to listen to anyone or anything. "I- I..."
"Go back home..." Astrid repeated and this time, there was a spark of anger in her voice.
Not wanting to ensure the wrath of her mother, maybe because she knows that she wouldn't able to hold down her emotions, Ezra dragged her feet in the middle of the alleyway. Glancing back at her mother one last time, only to find her expression still staying the same. And with that, the young Dragon took off, leaving a burst of wind that blew the trash away from the dumpster and scattering pieces of plastic and paper on the ground. Another boom echoed across the sky as Ezra blasted away into the air, breaking through at least one sonic barrier. She saw the dark clouds splitting into two as the small dot in the sky sped through the masses of liquid droplets and frozen crystals.
Once her daughter was out of sight, Astrid's demeanor instantly shattered and she fell to her knees, not caring about the mud staining her uniform.Once that first tear broke free, the rest followed in an unbroken stream. The blonde bent forward where she sat on the floor and pressing her palms to the ground, where she began to cry all the emotions she kept hidden in her heart.As if the soul could bleed an ocean through the eyes, that was the enormity of her sobbing.
She failed.
She failed her daughter...
She failed her family...
She failed herself...
She failed Hayden...
She was an utter failure as a mother. This burden of carrying the family by herself has been weighing down on her shoulder for six years. She thought she could keep this mask up that she was fine, that she was strong enough to maintain her family just as Hayden would've wanted, but it was all a lie. She was weak, fragile, delicate...
All this time, people saw her as this brave, fearless, powerful general that can clear through enemy ranks without wasting a single sweat. People thought that she was the perfect mother, someone who supported her children and made sure to spend some time with them. People thought that Zythid was the one who was trying to live up to Night Fury's name when in reality, it's a lie. Everything has been false. Behind that uniform, a lone girl that's afraid to lose another person she cared about is sitting in a corner, crying her eyes out to the melancholic song whispering in her ears.
The perfect mother? Don't make her laugh. She spent more time buried in her work than sleeping with her son in his bed, singing lullabies and whispering soothing words. It was her fault for not being there for Ezra at her hardest times. It was her fault why she turned to this life, to follow her father's footsteps when Astrid could've guided her to a much better future. It was her fault for having a strained relationship with her daughter when she could've had many enjoyable and memorable moments with her that they would look back upon when they grow older.
Lastly, Zythid never wanted Night Fury's title. Since the start, he wanted to make a name for himself, start his own legend and become known as the number one agent in Drakos with the real Night Fury as his inspiration. Instead, he has to pretend to be someone he's not, just like Astrid. She was the one who wanted to live up to his name. She was the one who wanted to reach his standards. She was the one who wanted to stand by his side, working together as the couple they should've been but that dream has been shattered to pieces.
Other than her tears, droplets of rain began cascading from the sky, blanketing the black sheet above with dark and grey clouds, trickling water down to the dry streets and the stone buildings around her until it was fully showering the city with its sad, depressing forms of liquid. The mud beneath her knees grew mushier and clumpier, but she didn't give a flying shit about it. In fact, she nearly breathed out a laugh at how poetic yet ironic the timing of the rain is. It was as if the gods really enjoy watching her suffer.
Her tears, mixed with the rain, drenched her body, both physically and emotionally. She stared right up into the sky, allowing the cold droplets to kiss her face as she willed every emotion in her body and let out a scream from the depths of her heart. It was the kind of scream that bypasses the ears to speak right to the soul. It was raw and hoarse, pain could be heard in between the lines. The scream was so intense that it rattled the entire alleyway like a chaotic pinball machine relaying more than one ball. It was so loud and pure, that the lightning and thunder had to respond to her with the same force, covering up her cry with its sheer garishness.
Her face soon turned solid red as her scream slowly faded into the rain and thunder. She felt empty, all her emotions and thoughts have been released into that one scream and now, she was nothing but an empty shell that's bound to crumble into a pile of dust. Despite her sore and husky throat, she was able to speak the last few words that remained in her heart. The words that summarized everything she ever wanted in her life. The words that reverted her to that parentless child that was sitting on a tree branch, looking down and thinking that all the pain she felt would disappear if she would just jump. But unlike before, she's expecting a lanky, auburn-haired boy to climb up the tree with her and tell her that she isn'tt alone; that she'll be there for at every step of the way. It was a cry for help...
"Please save me, Hayden..."
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End of first arc
