ALEX MERRIELL – NEW YORK CITY
Alex sat in a seat on the subway after his disappointing trip to Isaac Mendez's loft. He sat in his seat with one leg over the other and began to draw something. He didn't know what to draw he was just moving his pencil around on the paper that began to take shape into something. The design was "s" shaped and had three smaller lines extending from it. He looked up and saw Peter and Mohinder. He was going to go up and talk to them but he decided against it because they looked like they were having a serious conversation. He couldn't hear what they were saying because they were next to the end of the car and he was closer to the center of the car. He stared at them for a few seconds but before he could turn away Peter disappeared and reappeared in front of him. It surprised him greatly.
"HIRO, where are you? I don't understand." He said.
Mohinder came up to him.
"Peter, are you alright?"
Peter was frantic about something. Alex's curiousity was now peaked. He still wasn't sure if he should go up to them or not. He decided against it. He continued to watch the two. He watched them walk to the other end of the car explaining about someone who stood right there. Alex stood up and subtlety got closer to hear what they were talking about. He was hoping that he'd be able to get close enough without Peter noticing him eavsdropping on them.
"It seems crazy but I know what I saw." One of them said. "He said something bad was going to happen but we can stop it. But first we have to……save a cheerleader."
"A cheerleader?"
"It seems impossible I know."
"Impossible it sounds mad."
"Please, just, he said I have to go see Isaac the painter. He's gonna' know what we have to do so let's just go back to his loft. If the answer isn't there then I promise I'll drive you to the airport myself. You can go back to India and you'll never have to hear from me again."
"Will you fly me there yourself?" The other asked. "There are no answers. Go home, Peter."
At that moment Mohinder walked away and the subway car came to a stop. Once the Indian geneticist left, he walked over to Peter.
"What happened, Peter?"
"Well, here's the story."
TONIA FIORE – MIDLAND, TEXAS
Tone sat at a table next to one of the front windows of the Burnt Toast Diner. She was going over some school notes with a coke in her hand. She was waiting for her order to arrive. She leaned back in her chair and observed the room. Her waitress was talking with some guys from Japan. She looked over and saw a guy in a hat that shadowed his face. She couldn't tell what he looked like but she didn't like the vibe she got from him. Then suddenly she saw the coffee cup slide to his hand. Her eyes widened and she instantly returned her attention to her notes.
"What was that?" She asked herself.
She tried to go over her notes but she couldn't get what she witnessed out of her head. Minutes later, she heard a scream come from the storeroom. She looked up to see a waitress back out full of fear. The two cops got up and the older one entered the room. Tone looked over and saw that the mysterious man was gone.
"He probably had something to do with this."
She began to pack up her books. She looked over and saw that the two Japanese guys were still there then suddenly one of them disappeared.
"What is going on here?" She thought.
One of the officers came up to her.
"I'd like to get a statement if you don't mind." He said.
Tone shook her head as the man pulled out a small notebook.
"I understand that she was your waitress."
Tone nodded. "Yeah she was."
"Did she seem like she was scared? Did she say anything?"
"No. She didn't. She didn't act like anything was wrong." Tone said.
Tone reached down and put her books into her duffel bag. The officer looked down and saw the hilt of a sword. The officer stood up and drew his gun. Tone was greatly surprised. Another officer came over to see what was going on. Tone realized that she had her sword with her and that is probably the reason of his actions.
"Damn it." She whispered.
She grabbed the remaining book off of the table and threw it at the officer. She then darted out the door with the officers in pursuit. She ran down the sidewalk making the distance between her and the officers bigger. She was a great deal faster than the two pursuers. She turned a corner and a few seconds later the two cops turned the corner to find that the girl was gone.
"Where'd she go?" One of them asked.
"I don't know. She's gone though. Let's get back to the diner." The other said.
Tone lied on her back on the roof just above the cops. She listened for them to leave before she made her move. Once they were gone she got up and took off for her house. Shortly later, she arrived to find her mother very livid.
"TONIA, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"
"What?"
"Running from the cops."
"They saw my sword and thought I killed that girl. I hadn't even moved from my spot."
"They said to call them when you returned but I'm not going to. I'm going to send you on a flight to your father's house in Ohio."
"That's fine with me."
DUSTIN ZOFCHAK – ATHENS, OHIO
Dustin awoke a few hours later. His eyes slowly opened and scanned the ceiling. He noticed it wasn't his own and he shot up. He saw that he was in someone else's bed. He looked around and saw Aarika coming to his side.
"You're awake."
"What happened?"
"I found you on the street and brought you here."
Dustin rotated his shoulder and realized that he was shirtless and was wrapped in bandages. He pulled the bed sheet away and realized that he was completely naked. He quickly replaced the sheet.
"Where are my clothes?" He asked.
"Over there." Aarika said pointing to her cedar chest.
"I can understand the shirt but why all of my clothes?"
"You had a wound on your thigh that ran down the side of your leg and I couldn't bandage it with your clothes in the way."
Dustin blushed.
"I am grateful for you tending to my wounds."
Dustin attempted to move again but pain shot through his body. He winced and Aarika protested.
"Oh, I don't think so. You're going to stay here tonight and you are going to stay in the bed."
"But this is your bed."
"I'm not complaining that I have a cute naked man in my bed but you're wounded."
"I'm not complaining that I'm in a cute girl's bed either but where will you sleep?"
"It's a queen size bed and I trust you. Remember, we've known each other for awhile."
"But we aren't even boyfriend and girlfriend." Dustin said trying to think of a reason not to stay in the bed.
"Well…do you want to be?" Aarika asked.
Dustin was surprised by the question.
"Uhh….ssssuuuu…..yes." Dustin finally spat out.
Aarika smiled. She stood up and held Dustin's face with her hands. She leaned in and kissed him.
"I'm going to go get a shower. Just lie here and relax."
Dustin watched Aarika walk out of the room then he lied back and let out a breath of relief.
LIZ DOWLER – LANCASTER, OHIO
Liz drove her car down to Athens again to see her grandfather. She was still in her cheerleading uniform. She wanted him to go over more spells with her. She learned so much last time and she wanted more. As she was driving she thought she saw something in the night sky but she shrugged it off. Then something exploded next to her and she swerved to avoid it. She stopped her car and got out to see what had happened. She looked up to see two figures lowering themselves to the ground.
"So you're Liz Dowler." One of them said.
Liz didn't say anything. She stood very cautious and prepared herself for anything.
"The silent type I see. Well, you'll be silent from now on once we kill you." The other said.
They both charged up a baseball sized energy ball and threw it at Liz. She leapt out of the way and threw a few arrow shaped fireballs at them.
"Flare arrow."
The twins leapt over the arrows and attacked again. Liz did her best to dodge the attacks but the energy blasts were getting closer to her. One of the energy balls struck her foot and she lost her footing and fell to the ground.
"Fireball." She said as she threw a basketball sized fireball at the twins.
The two attackers leapt back away from it.
"She's a dangerous one. We should watch ourselves." One of the twins said.
"Dill Brand." Liz said as she slammed her hand on the ground.
The ground below the twins shot up launching them into the air.
"I'm sorry grandfather but I have to do the Dragon Slave." Liz said softly to herself.
She stood to her feet began to gather her spiritual energy.
"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows, buried in the flow of time is where your power grows. I pledge myself to conquer all the foes who stand in front of this mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand. Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed by the power you and I possess. DRAGON SLAVE!"
Just as she was about to launch the attack, Liz was hit in the back with a blast. She fell to the ground in pain. She rolled onto her back and stared up at her attackers.
"Well, it's time to die." One of them said.
Suddenly, a pair of headlights shined on them. They looked up and they saw a figure emerge from the vehicle. Liz didn't recognize the guy. The man slightly lifted his hand and a wave of dirt flew up and took out the twins. The guy ran over and grabbed Liz and pulled her to her feet.
"Get in." The guy said.
The two of them got in the car and sped off.
"Thanks for the help." Liz said. "Who are you?"
"The name's Alex."
Liz and her savior drove off to their destination; Athens, Ohio.
