(Officer Veil POV)
I think I'm finally to the point where I have to ask him now. I've been holding off on this for his sake, but I can't hide from having the truth anymore. I walked back to the interrogation office. I had brought him some food to try and get him to cheer up. He ate it which was a good start.
-So what are you needing today officer?- He asked me.
I gave a sigh, "I've been holding back on this, but it should be obvious."
He looked down, seemingly upset. I pity him, he'd already been through enough, and the events at the school made things no better.
"Take your time." I said genuinely as possible.
-Ok, before that though, I think I need to bring up the events before the attack,- He explained.
"Whatever you feel is necessary." I replied.
(Elizabeth POV, 2 days earlier)
I was heading on to school the day after I visited Bruce's family. Their words, and the plan me and Xeta had still rang through my head like a drum. I felt like life was spiraling out of control at this point. I could be in danger, Xeta could be in danger, those involved with us could be in danger. I wanted to stay strong, I wanted to stay calm, but I couldn't. I just couldn't do it.
Classes hadn't started yet, and Xeta hadn't shown up yet either, I decided I would just head outside the school to get some fresh air. Hanging out near the courtyard in a shady spot, I sat my backpack down and took a seat on the concrete. I took out my phone and decided to just listen to some music, some piano.
I sat there for a while just thinking about things. Maybe I was overreacting to this, it couldn't get that bad. Just had to make it to the end of the year. Just had to make it to…
My eyes opened in shock, my mind went blank, and all of my focus went to what I had just seen. It shouldn't have been anything special, just someone walking to school, ready to start their day. This person was ignoring me of course, they probably had other things to do then worry about me…
Only issue was I knew this person… I could never forget what she looked like. That was Sunny. Walking towards the courtyard was Sunny, acting as if nothing was happening, black hair covering her eyes, not even paying me any mind. Many thoughts raced through my mind, what was happening. My fear and curiosity started to rise exponentially by the second. What was going on, was I hallucinating? She kept walking, but she didn't turn in my direction, it's almost like to her I don't exist. My mind just kept racing, over and over, what was I supposed to say, what was I supposed to do right now?
Was it a trick? A trap? I don't think it matter cause curiosity overcame fear. She walked past the wall I was sitting next to, and that's when I bolted.
I got around the corner, "SUNNY!?" I screamed.
But she wasn't there. The alleyway was completely empty. My breathing started to become more sporadic, not able to really understand what had happened or what was going on, my mind started to race, and fast.
Then a grab on the shoulder knocked me out of my trance. I quickly spun my head around to see Xeta looking at me worriedly.
"Oh… Xeta, hey," I said, doing my best to calm my breathing.
-What happened? What's got you so scared?- He asked in a worried tone.
"I… I thought I saw Sunny…" I said still reeling.
-You thought you saw her...? I though she… Sorry, but, wait I'm not understanding, what do you mean you saw her?!- He asked confused and scared.
"I just… I saw her walking, she walked past the wall here, and when I turned the corner she was gone…. I don't know, maybe things I starting to get to me, you know?" I explained.
-Yeah… I think I get what you mean… We'll get through this, I promised didn't I?- Xeta explained. I don't know why, but that wasn't him feeling confident in his words, he seemed scared, just as he was earlier.
I turned to him, "Yeah, yeah you did, and I'm not going anywhere, promise." I don't know why either, but I was also scared. I didn't like this, I didn't any of this.
We decided to just put those thoughts to the side and continue to our classes. We split up as usual, and headed to our own classes. Finals were coming up, and it was something to be truly scared of in every way. Thankfully today the classes were giving out study sessions to help students, and everyone was taking their chance to get ahold of one.
When I got to lunch, I sat at my normal table with Xeta. He was already there, and he had a stack of notes next to him, looking through them as he ate.
"Hey," I said sitting my stuff down next to him.
He nodded at me, knowing full well not to talk while there were other people around. He got out some paper and prepared to talk.
His first note said, "Got everything you need for finals?" He asked.
I spoke, "Mhm, I got everything for it, let's hope we can pass them."
He wrote his next message, "Either way, hunting isn't exactly that hard for me to get away with, I can pay for food somehow." He was snickering by the time I finished reading.
"Har dee har!" I laughed mockingly.
We both laughed for another minute, and after a little bit of eating, one of Xeta's friends came by, I think his name was Terry?
"Yo Xeta, do you have the notes for math? I missed some I think," he said a bit worried.
Xeta nodded, handed him the notes and he sat down thanking Xeta. After a few minutes Terry finished copying the notes, and thanked Xeta, but before he left…
"Hey Xeta… I heard about Bruce…" Terry said.
Xeta looked down and just nodded.
"I'm sorry man… look you ever need anything me and my friends got your back, could get you a pizza and hang out or something, you know? Just, whatever we can to help out." He explained.
Xeta looked up with a sad smile and nodded, then after Terry headed back outside to hand out with his friends.
Xeta and I started to talk about what our plans were after school. We needed to come up with an excuse for my parents, he said he might be able to get us a house with the money he obtained from his parents. That might work, apparently we can pay off budget from Xeta taking odd jobs and hunting for food, so we can make shortcuts with our money if that's the case. We talked about how we wanted to settle on a beach. I think i liked that idea, we both had stories from going to the beach, but we never got to go together.
I liked it, I think the beach would be a perfect place to live… well minus storms, but I'm pretty sure Xeta could outrun it. Note to self, make sure to get insurance on our house.
I had never really thought of what I wanted to do after I got out of school, and I don't think singing is gonna pay well starting out. Wonder what kind of jobs I could get. Well, if we worked together, surely we could afford something.
"Oh Xeta! Maybe we could try to open some kind of food stand on the beach, surely snow cones would sell amazingly during the summer!" I proposed.
He smiled and nodded at the idea, he seemed on board.
"Now to find out how to get my parents on board…" I said.
Both of us were at a loss on that one, we'd see what we could do about it though, it shouldn't take us too long to get it taken care of.
The end lunch bell rang and we packed up our stuff. He said see ya and headed to his next class. I was still packing but I told him to head on without me. He walked off while I finished up with my things. I looked up outside for a minute… and once again my heart started beating faster and faster.
There she was again, Sunny, she was walking outside, passing by the door, and heading to the other side of the courtyard. My mind started racing again, something was wrong here, but what was I supposed to do.
Just then two other students ran through the door.
"Damn her! How the hell did she..!?" the on guy seemingly in pain said.
"Shut up we need to get that burn checked out!" The other one said.
That was it, I don't know what it was, stupidity, curiosity, it didn't matter, my mind just said go and my body followed through. I started running towards the door as fast as I could, running outside. Looking to my left I saw Sunny leaving the area again. Not this time, I followed her, not letting her get out of my sight.
I quickly ran up, grabbed her arm, and made sure she couldn't walk away.
"Sunny?!" I asked breathing heavily. I waited for a response, but so far I was happy, this was real, it was physical, she was there.
She slowly turned around, her eyes not visible due to her hair. But even so, i could tell this was her, it was.
"Sunny? You're… still alive? How? I don't understand, how are you...Did those creatures do this to you, did they fake your death somehow?" What was I saying, am I stupid? I saw her die, yet no matter how much I knew I was being stupid, I was running on pure irrational thought. I knew this wasn't right, yet my need to know if my friend was ok took over everything.
She then started to try speaking, "G… ga...ah…" She seemed out of breath.
"It's ok, just take your time, listen come with me ok, we can go talk with Xeta about this, and figure out what's going on, alright?" I explained to her. Damn it, what was I doing, this is all irrational, don't I not see how serious the situation is?! Yet I can't help it, damnit, what is wrong with me.
Suddenly she took hold of her head, seemingly in pain, yanking her hand away to hold her head in pain, she started shaking rapidly.
"Sunny please, we have to get you help!" I screamed at her.
Suddenly her arms fell limp. At that moment everything in my body went cold. Suddenly all the irrational thoughts I had been having suddenly turned into irrational fear. I suddenly realized now the danger I was in. I saw her eyes… they weren't the same, it was almost like the day I saw Xeta's real form. Her eyes were a cold red, staring into my soul. I knew I needed to get away, yet my body wouldn't let me. Then as if on cue, her arm aimed at me. And in a moment, it felt as if my arm caught on fire.
The pain was hot, and cold at the same time, my body fluctuating between the two as chills and heat ran from my arm to the rest of my body. I mustered up the strength to look down at my arm. There stuck in it, like a blade, was some kind of pink and white energy. Blood was rushing from it and dripping down my shirt.
I slowly looked back up at her, her face looking almost dead, no emotion, just a soulless creature. I realized then I had made a huge mistake. And in turn, I screamed.
"Ah..AH...ARHGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed and the energy went away and I pulled myself back from what I thought was Sunny.
I looked back at the thing, and it still just stood there, wearing Sunny's form.
"Well well, this is quite the show," I looked past her to see a man walking up to us. He had blue eyes, and wore black pants and a white shirt.
"Sir! RUN NOW!" I screamed at him. But his reply was simply to walk up to Sunny, and hold her chin as if he owned her. What the hell?
"Oh now I see no reason in doing that at all, why should I? Nothing wrong here, besides, this girl is quite useful to me," he pushed her head away.
"Who… who are you?" I asked, not knowing what to do.
"Oh my name is Monty my dear, it's a pleasure to meet you, it seems you know this girl, a friend of yours?" He asked. Where did I hear his name before?!
"What… that's not her," I said trying to pick myself up.
"Oh you said Sunny right? Sunny Fitz?" he asked.
My eyes widened, the man knowing Sunny's full name as well.
"Well honey, to tell you the truth, this is her," he walked over to her, and started holding her, waving his hands over her, the form changing right before my very eyes.
White skin, green arms, the white forming a dress like shape, her hair, or helmet shown in green, her face keeping the same pale white, and her eyes the same red I saw a moment ago.I also noticed some kind of brace wrapped around her neck.
"Su… Sunny?" I asked.
"Oh it won't do you any good," He aimed her head at me, "She doesn't remember you, not anymore at least, right now she's a good obedient creature thanks to the neck brace on her, but, to be fair, even without it she still wouldn't remember you," he said pointing to said brace.
"What did you do… she died… what… how?" I asked.
"Well little lady, I died as well, and yet," his form then changed too, a creature of pure black, with red around its neck, bright blue eyes staring me down, and white hair flowing from the top of his head.
"I'm still standing too!" He started laughing.
Suddenly one of the officers from the area came around the corner, "Hey what the hell is going on- WHAT THE F-" before he could finish his sentence however, a loud crashing noise happened right where he was at. I looked at the damage when it died down, and some kind of…. Hammerhead dragon!? Some kind of dragon crushed the man under it's foot, a puddle of blood forming under it. It was also wearing one of those neck braces as well.
My mind was in so many places at this point, these creatures, they were like Xeta, weren't they?! And Sunny, is that really her?! What the hell, is going on?
Suddenly before I knew it I was kicked back by this Monty figure with his thin legs. For being small they pack a hell of a punch. I got myself up slowly, trying to hold my wound, most of the students still in the cafeteria were already looking in my direction.
"Wait… Elizabeth?!" I heard Terry's voice, and since I recognized it I ran over as fast as I could.
Those three stepped out of the alley, the dragon stomping his way over, and the other two floating their way over.
I heard lots of people, either in fear, or taking videos, or asking what the hell were these things.
-Listen up everyone!- I just realized, that man's voice, I was so used to hearing Xeta's it hadn't dawned on me, he had been speaking in my mind.
The creature known as Monty snapped his fingers, and before we knew it there were about 5 or so armed people in the area. Everyone started holding up their hands, and I tried to best I could with my wound.
-Now then, that I have your attention, we're all here for one thing, if you would be as kind as to drop all phones to be collected, no one is calling the police, and if you do, we'll kill you all, do we make sense?- Monty said.
Everyone including me and Terry put our phones on the ground to be collected. Sunny, walked around collecting them, making them float in the air and moving them over to Monty. Everyone around me was freaked out, but I was used to it, a little at the very least.
Suddenly I heard a ripping sound next to me, Terry had ripped a part of his shirt.
"Here, I don't know what happened but patch up, or try to at least." He explained.
I did what I could, ripping part of mine as well trying to wrap the wound as best I can.
-Ok everyone, now to explain what we're here for, just so you know we have others inside the school as well, taking hostage of all the students and teachers, but if we can be diplomatic and peaceful, no one has to die.- He explained again. He didn't have to continue, I already know what they are after.
-Now then… Whoever knows this student, tell us… Where, is, Xeta Shidel?-