The fall knocks the breath out of her, and she soon finds herself being pulled off the sheet and carried away.
As they run, she can see the park crumbling down around them, pieces of metal catching fire and shards of shrapnel falling like raindrops. She watches as they leave a trail of destruction in their wake.
Finally, they find somewhere the bombs have left untouched, heaving a sigh of relief as they see the police and the reopened gate.
"You kids alright?" The cop asks as soon as everyone is seated and accounted for.
"Yes sir." They reply in unison.
"Alright, then." He nods. "The paramedics will be here in a few minutes to assess your injuries. I don't know if you kids got lucky or are just very unlucky."
"Sir, there were bombs planted all over the park." Leo interjects.
"I'm aware of that son, just keep tending to your ankle." The cop brushes him off. "Leave any investigation stuff to the authorities this time, ok kids?"
Hayley sits between Daniel and Alex, the rest of their friends scattered around them as Tammy tends to her arm.
"I'm pretty sure you're going to need stitches Hayley; it looks pretty bad." Tammy tells her, gently prodding at the open wound. "It doesn't hurt now, but it's going to be a pain once the adrenaline wears off."
"Here." Leo takes off his jacket and hands it over to Hayley, ripping off a sleeve in the process to wrap around her arm. "Can't let you go into shock right now."
Hayley willingly accepts the jacket, gritting her teeth as it pulls at the wound. "Tammy, that hurts." She clenches her fist as said girl tightly wraps the cloth around her arm.
"Sorry." She smiles apologetically, loosening the makeshift wrap a little. "Done."
"Thank you."
"Hey." Daniel calls to her, remembering the plush stuffed under his arm. "I got this for you."
Hayley only smiles, accepting the plush and bringing it close to her. She shifts a little, moving closer to Daniel so she can lean her head on his shoulder.
"Cold?" He asks, placing his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer.
"No, just tired." She nuzzles up to him, letting herself rest.
"Wait, Woods." Leo suddenly interrupts, causing everyone to turn towards the two. He's not sure if it applies for people who had been through a traumatic incident, but just to be on the safe side, it's probably best to keep her awake. And right now, the only certain way to do that would be to annoy her with questions and conversations. "How did you get here?"
"I ran. Then I hitched a ride. Then I ran again." She explained as everyone looked on incredulously.
"Hayley, that was extremely dangerous." Alex chastises her. "Mom and dad have taught us better than that. We don't just jump into strangers' cars, especially when we're alone."
"But you guys could have been in danger, something didn't add up-"
"Alex is right, Hayley." Carter cuts in, putting an arm around his daughter. "Thank God you're safe. I don't want you to end up on the precinct wall, ok?" He places a kiss on her forehead as she nods.
"We'll need to collect statements from each one of you kids, and if you saw any suspicious activity, don't keep it from us. You got it?" Carter sternly looks at Team Eureka, who bow their heads and nod.
"Ok, paramedics are here. Who's first?" Ryan informs them, moving to hug Alex and Hayley.
"Hayley." Everyone says in unison, causing said girl to groan and her mother to look at her with concern before noticing the blood soaked sleeve. That's all it takes for her mother instincts to take over and the girl to be fussed over.
"Dad, I don't know if we should send her back there." Hayley hears her brother's voice, waking her up from her nap. "I mean, if she could leave so easily, how hard could it be for another one of those bad guys to break in and hurt her?"
"Alex." Her mother's voice sounds tired. "The place is safe. We've checked the reviews and everything. She'll be fine there. And we'll visit her every week, ok?"
She hears his feet stomp up the stairs and hurries back onto her bed, cuddling the stuffed fox as she fakes sleep.
Her door creaks open and her bed dips. She feels her brother's arms go around her in a gentle hug. "I know you're not asleep." He whispers softly. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine." She sits up, being wary not to pull on her fresh stitches. "Still high on pain meds so it's pretty dull."
"Ok." He nods. "Sorry for waking you. I don't agree with mom and dad, but they know what's best right?"
She sighs. "Thanks Alex." Giving him one last hug, she wishes him "Good night" before he leaves the room.
Left alone once more, she turns towards the window, keeping her new plush close to her as she sleeps.
"Hey, kid." Daniel gives him a smile as he goes through the new security checkpoint at the Greenhouse. "How's Hayley?"
"Getting better." He tells him, placing his bag on the table to be checked. "Saw her last week and the place said she'll be able to come back soon."
"That's good." He pats him on the back. "Ready to scare the fresh Eagles this year?" Daniel teases him, reminding him of what happened almost a year ago.
"As long as it's not me." He jokes, and the two of them walk back into the Greenhouse.
"Hey, Leo." Brooke knocks on the door to the music room. "Dad needs you to go play for the candidates."
"Coming." Sighing, he grabs his guitar and leaves for the exam room. As it gets closer to the beginning of a new school year, the thought of going through the year without Hayley becomes more prominent and plausible.
And even though he's only known her for a year, the thought of her not being there for a challenge seems weird and almost illogical.
"Leo." Sophie stops him, making him look at the candidates before turning to face her and Brooke sitting at the teacher's desk. "Don't sound so sour, ok? Hayley will be back soon, Alex said so."
"Yeah, rock on." Brooke mimics him, playing on an air guitar as Sophie rocks her head to the music. Shaking his head, he changes the tempo and plays a new riff.
Soon after, the students begin to finish the test. Some are crying, while others just look disappointed. A few however, look proud of themselves, and it only takes a few looks at their tablets to see the high scores each one of them boasts.
As he packs his guitar, he listens to Brooke and Sophie's discussion about who will make it into the Ravens and the Eagles.
"You know that first guy, Manny?" Sophie asks and Brooke nods. "I think he'll be an Eagle. He was jumping rope while waiting earlier, and I think he'd be great for the team."
"Normally, I'd agree with you, but did you see his score?" Brooke pulls up the boy's results on the computer. "1550." She exclaims. "I think he's more Raven material than an Eagle."
"We'll just have to wait and see, then." Sophie smiles. "He applied for the Eagles. Want to go watch him in the gym?"
"Sure." The two girls leave arm in arm, completely ignoring Leo's reminder that they both already have boyfriends.
"Emmanuel Blake. You're up." Louis calls from his desk and said boy leaves the bench, taking a second to tell him to call him "Manny" instead.
"I need you to give me two laps, then we'll start the drills." Coach Davies instructs the boy. He nods, immediately taking off around the gym. He's not fast, but he doesn't look too out of breath either.
"Which position do you normally play?" Coach Davies asks, but Manny just shrugs.
"I've never really played before, except with my friends for fun." He gives the Coach a sheepish smile, and said Coach turns to Louis, who tells him to do what he thinks is right.
"Alright. Can you shoot three hoops consistently from the spot you're standing?" He hands him the ball and tells him where to stand, making sure he's paying attention to what he's saying.
None of the balls make it in.
"Sorry, kid." The Coach pats him on the back. "You look like you could be a good basketball player, but I don't think basketball is right for you. The Ravens' computer exam hasn't begun yet, so you should go try out for them. It would be a waste to let go of an intelligent mind like yours."
Manny can only nod, leaving the gym with a dejected look on his face.
"Poor kid." Louis muses before looking at the next name on the list. "Yvonne Rivera."
A girl walks out onto the court, just as the rest of the Eagles walk in, stopping short at the man waiting by the entrance.
"Hold up. Are you Mickey Rivera?" Daniel's eyes widen at the sight of his idol. "Dude, you're legendary. Can we get a picture with you?"
Laughing, Mickey nods. "Sure."
The rest of the team crowd around them, each trying to get as close to the famed basketball player as possible. The Louie flashes once, twice, three times, until the icon puts a stop to it.
"Sorry guys, but I really want to watch my kid play." He smiles, turning just as the girl bypasses the Coach and shoots a hoop.
"That's your kid?" Mickey nods at Daniel, pride shining through his smile. His girl is a champion, and nothing will ever stand in her way. Not even gender disparity. He's watched her take on boys older than her, and beat them at their own game. He's seen her make waves in their local community by encouraging more girls to take up sports and not be a conformer to society's expectations. Many say that she inherited his talent, but few know of the hard work she had put in to come this far. And he couldn't be any prouder of her.
"Wow, you must be really proud of her." Daniel comments just as an idea comes to mind. "Would she mind a little one-on-one?"
The tall man slightly shakes his head, never taking his eyes off his daughter. "I don't see why not. Just don't go easy on her because she's a girl."
"Us?" Daniel asks. "Never." He turns to their youngest Eagle. "Alex, you're up."
Alex just gives him a weird look before going onto the court, motioning for the ball. It comes flying and he catches it with ease.
He dribbles it for a bit, passing it between his hands as he preps himself for the shot. He's about to pick up the ball, when all of a sudden, only air remains. And he can only watch in shock as the girl makes it into the hoop and the crowd cheers.
With new found determination, he stands between the girl and the hoop. She moves to the left, and he follows, guarding her every move. And when she throws, he catches it deftly, quickly shooting it into the hoop before she has another chance to intercept.
"Go, Alex!" Brooke cheers from the stands before blowing him a kiss, one he catches and places next to his heart.
They play a few more rounds until the Coach stops them, congratulating her on being the new Eagle. The entire gym is in an uproar, and Sophie rushes down the bleachers, eager to meet the first female basketball player of the Eagles.
"Hi, I'm Sophie Cardona. Captain of the Eagles." Sophie extends her hand to the new girl.
"Yvonne Rivera." She takes it.
"Yvonne, you were amazing." Sophie smiles brilliantly at her. "I can't wait to watch you play this season, you're going to knock the boys' socks off."
Yvonne laughs just as Parker comes up behind Sophie, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I think she already did. We may need to get Alex some new socks." Parker turns to the new girl. "You really gave him a run for his money. Parker Grant."
"Yvonne-"
"Yvonne. You played so well." Her dad came up behind her, and despite her tall frame, she still manages to jump into his arms. "You've made daddy so proud."
"Thank you, daddy." She hugs him tight, allowing him to swing her for a bit before coming down. This year is off to a great start for the Eagles.
"Ravens, your attention please." Leo stands in the middle of the clubhouse, bringing the two new Ravens closer to him. "I'd like you to meet Emmanuel 'Manny' Blake and Courtney Forrester."
"Hey." Everyone greets the pair for a moment before turning back to whatever they were doing.
"Don't mind them, they'll warm up to you guys soon enough." He smiles at them. "In the meantime, get some rest. The opening challenge is tomorrow, and no one wants to lose the opening challenge. We won last year, so the Eagles will definitely try harder to win this year."
"Can we still win without Hayley?" Emma breaks her silence and everyone turns to Leo, sombre looks on their faces.
"We can." Leo says firmly, eventhough he doesn't fully believe it himself. "And we will. We'll win it for her."
"Who's Hayley?" Manny asks, closing his new locker as soon as he takes out his clothes.
"Leo's ex, Brooke's boyfriend's sister, Jackie's best friend, one of the new Ravens last year, who turned into an Eagle, then became a Raven again-"
"Becca, enough." Leo stops her. "You guys will meet her soon enough. Now, get some rest. We need everyone bright-eyed and bushy tailed for tomorrow."
"Yes, Captain." Courtney smiles before turning towards the bathroom to get ready for bed.