8

Kaitlyn picked up the ice cold bottle of water, and downed about half of it instantly. The cool liquid felt refreshing and she was finally able to catch her breath. She'd done three training sessions, almost on top of each other, and it was tiring her out. However, Kaitlyn knew she was growing stronger every day, and soon no one would be able to match her. Tyler walked over to where she was sitting.

"How're you doing?"

"They made the last fight harder," she replied. "Pushed me to my limits. But nevermind about me. How are the guys holding up?"

Tyler shook his head. "To be honest, maybe we should stop making them train. The whole point of creating them was when we finally met up with Ryan and his army. They're too good, even for me."

"Brandon said they'll get restless if they just sit around. Trust me, it'll be fine."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Better hustle up, because it's time for our next session."

Kaitlyn stretched and put on a pouty face. Even though she was wearing a tank top and shorts, she was still sweating a lot. "Now?"

"Yes," Tyler insisted. "Come on, let's take it upstairs where no one can bother us."

She smiled and stood up, following him to the second floor. The warehouse they found was large enough to hold the entire team, and most of them were staying on the ground floor, leaving the various halls and rooms above empty. The stairway they entered had glass walls, revealing the bright sunlight outside, and the empty roads spreading out into the distance. The state they were in, Ohio, had been one of the places where a nuclear bomb had struck, back during the war. It was almost entirely destroyed, killing hundreds and wounding thousands. Most hadn't survived, so people were quick to leave, abandoning the state in a matter of days.

They arrived at one of the hallways on the second floor, with rooms branching off on either side, filled with random items untouched for years. Kaitlyn Shifted a helmet and a chestplate, both made out of hardened nucleon, and put them on. At a first glance, they appeared stiff and uncomfortable, but they actually felt rather soft against her skin. This type of armor, called Nucleum, was designed to be resistant to certain types of damage, mainly bullets and fire. It was only used by the military, but it was deemed worthless after several test runs and dead or wounded soldiers. Then they threw the prototypes away into one of the dump zones. That was when Brandon had found them and thought they could be helpful to their cause. With Tyler's assistance, they put some modifications on the armor, making them stronger, more durable. Now, they could withstand almost any object that came into contact with them, including bare Particles. They were essential in the training exercises and would play a role when the inevitable attack by Ryan's Shifters arrived.

Kaitlyn looked around, and found out that she was standing alone. That was no surprise; she knew Tyler well enough to realize he was hiding nearby waiting to ambush her. He'd done it plenty of other times. She focused her mind and then sensed a presence behind her. Kaitlyn turned just in time to block the blue tinted Particle sword with her own. Tyler stood there in the same armor she wore, steely eyed, pushing into her with all his might. She pushed back until their blades slipped away, breaking the standstill. She stumbled forward a few feet, then turned back in a flash, beginning the fight she was so used to.

Tyler was blocking all her strikes easily, using a pattern of side-stepping and deflecting. He was one of the best Shifters out there, but she could easily match him. Kaitlyn stepped back and raised her hand toward the ceiling. An overhead light burst into Particles and reformed into a rock the size of a folding chair. It instantly started to fall, directly over his head. Tyler jumped back, narrowly missing it, and the boulder crashed to the floor, forming cracks in the polished stone. Kaitlyn advanced on him, Shifting right in front of him, sword extended. He blocked quickly, then it was his turn on the offense. He narrowed his eyes, and several leafy vines appeared around Kaitlyn's chest and legs, already wrapped tight. She gasped in surprise, and fell to the ground, struggling to get loose. But her arms were pinned to her sides, and Tyler kept trying to pin her down with his sword, which had solidified into a wooden one.

It was when it looked like he was about to get a hold on her that she bounced back. That was something she was good at; turning the tables when the odds were against her. The vines morphed into a metal pole, which she swung at the oncoming blade. The wood splintered and broke, the pieces flying into the air. Tyler scrambled back, as Kaitlyn stood up, drawing another Particle sword. They had come back to square one, slashing and countering with lightning speed. However, after almost a full minute of all-out fighting, Kaitlyn found that she was beginning to tire. The other matches that she'd gone through had worn her strength down. Her breaths were becoming heavier, more strained, and sweat was beginning to run down her back.

Nonetheless, she definitely didn't want Tyler to win because of how weak she felt. No way that would happen. She gritted her teeth, then delivered a sharp kick to Tyler's stomach. He fell back, shocked by her new come vengeance, and attempted to block her following strikes. But, Kaitlyn had gotten smarter from the many months of training, and knew a few tricks. She stepped back as Tyler tried to reorient himself. Kaitlyn concentrated on his wrists, and a piece of rope appeared around them, tying them together. It happened so fast that Tyler couldn't react and dropped his sword. It vanished when it hit the floor, and Kaitlyn took advantage of his vulnerability. Tyler attempted to drop a wooden chair on her from his place on the floor, but she simply rolled to the side, Shifting it into a sphere of Particles.

Tyler used the time to free his wrists, however, when he did, it was too late. The Particle Blast that Kaitlyn had created was already flying in his direction. His eyes widened, despite the fact that the blast wasn't strong enough to break through his armor. However, he didn't have to worry. It was only a few feet away when another force collided with it. The resulting explosion threw Tyler back, but he was already on his feet when the dust cleared, finding Brandon standing there.

"Aw, come on," Kaitlyn said, smiling. "I really would've enjoyed that."

Tyler gave her an annoyed glance and opened his mouth to speak, but Brandon started first.

"You could've seriously hurt him," he said in a monotone voice, eyes fixed on Kaitlyn. "The Nucleum won't break from a blow like that, but it could get blown off him. Then see what happens if he crashes into a wall."

"He would've been fine." Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. "He's tough enough."

"Doesn't matter," Brandon replied. "You should take a break though."

Her brow furrowed, but she was happy to finally stop fighting, at least for now.

"What are you really doing here, Brandon?" Tyler asked.

He turned to him. "We have a visitor."

The sound of footsteps came from the stairs, and Kaitlyn looked to see who was arriving. Seconds later, a man came into view. He had short cropped dirty blonde hair, and sky blue eyes that closely matched someone else's currently in the hallway. The sweatshirt he had on bore the symbol representing the Shifters: a circle morphing into a triangle. His face was expressionless at first, but then broke into a smile as soon as he saw Kaitlyn. She, on the other hand, was looking at him as if he was an ancient spirit back from the dead.

Once Aaron Clark stood in front of her, her mouth tried and failed to form words until it eventually came out with, "Dad?"

He nodded. "Yes," he whispered. "It's me."

She raised her arms, then fell forward into him with a hug. Aaron Clark returned it, slowly wrapping his arms around her. Tyler was wearing her previous expression. "Aaron Clark, the one who invented Shifting, is her father?" His question was aimed at Brandon.

"Yes," he replied, a confident smirk on his face. "He's come to help us finish what we've started."

Tyler nodded, still looking incredulous at this legendary man talking with the girl he'd come to love.

"So, what've you been doing recently?" Aaron asked Kaitlyn.

"Oh, you have no idea," she replied, still hugging him like she wouldn't let go. "I've missed you so much."

Brandon nudged Tyler on the shoulder. This snapped him out of his trance. "Come on. Time to pay our prisoner a greeting."

Tyler smiled hungrily, and followed Brandon out of the hallway.

Aiden was lying in a small storage closet that was locked from the outside. It was dark and cramped in there, but he wasn't concerned. His eyes were closed, his mind in deep thought. Being only able to Shift around a room you were in was one thing, but going through walls was another thing entirely. You had to have a clear picture of your destination in your head, and keep it there during the entire process. Whenever they brought him out of the closet, they'd made sure to keep the red headband on him, to prevent any Shifting. They took it off when he was inside because the darkness consumed the room like a sponge, leaving any object he saw an unidentified form he couldn't use.

This time, as they brought him back from the bathroom, he'd paid extra attention to the hallway right outside the storage closet, taking in the stone walls, the smooth floor. Now, he could picture it clearly in his mind, every detail exact. It was time to get back to Pennsylvania, to get ready and attack the losers he'd been stuck with for the past few days. However, if someone saw him, they'd surely have him go through a lot of pain. And his escape would be harder to execute. But it was worth the risk. They needed him back just as much as he needed them. He took a deep breath. It was now or never.

Aiden thought of himself standing in the hallway.

The familiar feeling of his body disappearing occurred, and when it was over, he finally opened his eyes. He couldn't believe his luck. The process had worked. And the hallway was empty. He smiled a little at his success, and then walked down the left, making a right, tracking the path they'd first taken back to the front doors. However, it turned out to be harder than he thought. While he was pretty sure he was going the right way from his memory, the trek seemed longer somehow. And the hallways were a little too vacant. He was pretty sure that he would've been met with opposition by now. Where were the…?

That's when he heard voices coming from somewhere up ahead. His heart quickened and he was instantly on alert. Aiden walked quietly forward, trying to hear whatever they were saying. A moment later, he came by a set of double doors, both of which were open. He stopped before them then leaned forward to see what was behind them. A large, cleared out room lay beyond them, where about 20, or so, people were gathered. Some were practicing Shifting and Particle fighting, while others stood around talking. Aiden looked down the hall and saw that the exit was about 15 feet away, calling his presence. He smiled triumphantly.

What a shame, he thought, they don't have anyone keeping an eye on me. This escape feels a little too easy.

With one last look at the others, he Shifted himself though the doors, and, making sure no one had seen him, ran out into the warm afternoon.