We searched most of the abandoned DUP strongholds but couldn't find any Core Relays.

"Why don't we check if the Akurans have any?" I offered. I was anxious to develop Paper so that I could use Ice again. I almost panicked when I realised that I couldn't hear the voice of water when I first got Paper even thought that would relieve most people.

"I've got no better ideas, so why not?" Delsin replied before using lightspeed to get to the top of a building. My paper-dash was almost as good as Celia's, with the exception that I couldn't maintain it infinitely like she could. Even so, it was better than Delsin's smoke-dash - faster and more flexible. But it took a split-second longer to turn into paper strips than it took for Delsin to turn into smoke. Still, I kept up with Delsin with ease.

We got to the nearest Akuran hideout - an abandoned apartment building - and Delsin Concrete-launched himself through the window. I paper dashed after him, but soon realised that he didn't need any help. Delsin knocked out most of the guys just by throwing small bits of concrete at their heads. We finally found a Relay in the basement.

Ooooh, you're an eager one aren't you?

Cut the bull and give me new powers. The voice did not reply but the glowing sparks fused with my body and I felt that familiar surge of power. I looked over at Delsin.

"I have a feeling that I'm going to enjoy paper." I smiled. He just nodded and walked up the stairs out of the basement. As soon as we got out of the apartment building, Delsin starting running down the street with lightspeed. I followed from the rooftops, dashing from building to building.

It took us a while, but we soon found a group of six Tracksuits smoking in a dirty alleyway in Rainier Valley.

"All yours," Delsin said as we examined the group from a roof overlooking the alleyway, "but leave one conscious so we can find out where the closest hideouts are." I nodded in reply and paper-dashed down ground. They still hadn't noticed I was there. Perfect. I crouched down and put my palm on the ground. Paper strips slithered down my forearm and snaked towards the oblivious Akurans. I waited until the paper had surrounded them and then snapped my hand up, whipping the paper around three pairs of ankles. The other three Tracks turned around and two of them pulled out handguns while one had a knife. I closed my hand into a fist and the paper wrapped around the the three that I had attacked first - leaving them helpless. Standing up, I calmly walked towards the trio with the three immobilized suspended in the air with more paper. The two with guns started shooting at me, but I dashed out of the way and, still keeping the other three suspended in the air, I shot a stream of paper at the shooters. They tried to run I wrapped them up just as easily. The guy with the knife considered attacking me for a second but, after glancing at the five guys hanging in the air, he decided to run. Before he even got two metres, I threw one of the guys at him and they both collided, tripping over the last Akuran. I dropped the rest of them and motioned for Delsin to come down.

As soon as he jumped down from the building, Delsin grabbed the conscious Akuran by the collar and slammed him into the wall.

"Okay, dude. There's two ways we can do this," Delsin said viciously, "either you tell me where the rest of your buddies are and I let you go with only a tiny bruise or..." He raised his hand and summoned a glowing ball of red-hot Neon, "You try to be the little hero and end up with your brains splattered all over the walls. Your choice. But I'm giving you five seconds." The Akuran's eyes were practically glazed over in fear and he replied immediately.

"They're hiding out in Mercer Arena! P-Please don't kill me." He whimpered.

Delsin quenched the blazing Neon and punched him in the head, knocking him out cold. What the hell is wrong with him? Eugene's death couldn't have made him this unstable... could it? I keep thinking that he'd even end up turning on me. After all, he hardly knows anything about my past. Well, I'll have to try and make a fictional background about myself because it's only a matter of time until the subject is brought up. But it's also only a matter of time until the lies slip up... and what then?

"You okay?" Delsin asked me. I was so lost in thought that it took me a while to process what he had just asked.

"Ur... y-yeah," I stutter, "I... I think I need to recharge." I look around and notice just now that we're on top of a roof. I had been following Delsin and not even been paying attention to my surroundings. Stupid.

"Well, help yourself, I guess." He motioned to a pile of cardboard boxes by an air conditioning unit. I walked towards them and waited for some sort of voice or feeling that I would get with water. When I focused, I heard quiet whispering and a while later, I could make out the words.

We can be friends! Omigod. I belong in an asylum. A pile of cardboard boxes want to be friends with me. Urrgh.

Sure, whatever. I reached a hand towards the boxes and they unraveled into a bunch of flying paper-strips which I absorbed.

"Ready?" Delsin asked.

"Yeah."

Half an hour later we were outside Mercer Arena. The full moon hung directly above us in the dark sky. I was about to go in when Delsin stopped me.

"You just sit tight and wait." He said casually.

"Huh?"

"I'll do this alone. Get in, take down the Akurans and bring you the relays." He explained.

"Wait, but... I can help!" I protested.

"I know, bud," He slapped me on the shoulder, "But I've got to figure something out. And what better way to clear my head than to beat up a few Akurans?" Delsin winked, reminding me of what he was like before Eugene's death.

"Um. Okay - sure," I said, "I'll wait up there." I point to the top of the adjoining building. Delsin nodded before opening the door to the side-entrance and slipping inside. I notice the white eagle on the back of his jacket. Wait a second... The bird. At the start of Second Son, the eagle on his jacket is half-red and half-white. Just like the little bird that brought me here. Why didn't I realise this before. Shit. What does it mean? I'm so fucking stupid.

Delsin took a long time. So long, in fact, that I fell asleep on the rooftop and woke up an hour later to find that he still hadn't come out. Could he be in trouble? The first thing that I think of is Kessler. What if he's got him? I was about to jump down from the roof and find out what was going on when the front entrance exploded and Delsin, carrying two Core Relays in a giant Concrete hand, burst out. He gently set the Relays on the ground and called me down. I dropped from the roof and landed with ease.

"How was it?" I asked.

"Just like meditation, bro." He chuckled before motioning to the machines. I nodded before absorbing them both. The power surge bursting through me made me feel dizzy for a few seconds but I soon had never felt better. Suddenly, another explosion shattered a window in Mercer Arena and Akuran's came flooding out of the entrance. "Oh yeah." Delsin said tapping my shoulder as if he forgot something, "I left a few for you." He smoke-dashed up to the top of a tall fire-escape and waited there, smirking as about twenty machine-gun-toting Tracksuits surrounded me.

"Let's find out what's new." I murmured to myself. Just as the first Akuran was about to pull the trigger, I snapped my hands sideways and hundreds of paper-strips shot out in every direction faster than the eye can see, tangling the Russians in a huge, white web. The strips were holding me suspended in the air and I felt a sudden pull inside my chest as if my power was telling me what to do. I crossed my arms over my chest and the paper started revolving around me at an impossible speed, like a tornado. The wind generated was whipping my clothes around me and I wished that I grew my hair instead of keeping it short so I could find out what it feels like to have my hair billowing too. The paper tornado started spinning so fast that the ground and the very air started to heat up and only when the ground started to glow from the heat did I finally feel a sudden drop in in my energy reserves. I stopped the tornado and fell to the ground, landing on my hands and knees and panting in exhaustion. I didn't think it would take such a toll off me. I looked around to see if there were any paper-sources nearby and when I saw none, I tried to see if I could call it from a distance like Ice but it wouldn't work.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Delsin jumping down from his perch and rushing towards me, "Dude, are you alright?"

"Y-yeah. Yeah... I'm just out of juice" I nodded. I tried again to call Paper from a distance but, again, nothing happened.

Looking for us? Oh my god! I had never been so relieved to hear the voice of water in my head. Yeah, even if it makes me mental.

Well not really, but get you arse over here anyway! I replied

Yes, we missed you too.

Sorry this isn't longer guys. Tbh the last chapter was meant to be merged with this one AND the next one, but me and my boyfriend are really behind on NaNo Prep and we need to catch up. We decided to finish the chapter here so we can post it. We've already written half of the next one but we won't have the time to finish it and there'll DEFINITELY be no time in November.

CYA in December
Oreo.