All characters go to their proper owners.

CHAPTER 5- Jared Jordan Fuentes

I sighed as I stood outside of Anilie's room. I had removed the jacket, considering that it was still too hot to wear one inside, so I was wearing a black shirt and the pants. "Ani, you know you can't hide from me forever," I muttered.

I wasn't even sure why Anilie was ignoring me. We had made up about our fight last week. I sighed as I looked at the red, blue and green rope I held in my right hand. I made it so she would have something to seal a promise I was going to tell her.

If she ever opened up the door.

Which, thankfully, five minutes later just as I was about to leave, she did.

"What?" Anilie mumbled, wiping her eyes from sleep.

"Oh, so you were sleeping the entire twenty minutes I've been out here?" I replied.

Anilie raised an eyebrow. "You were here for twenty minutes?" She then saw what I was wearing. "Where did you get that?"

"Yes and apparently, a friend of Mom's." I said. "Here," I gave her the "necklace".

My twin raised an eyebrow again. "What's this for?"

"Must you ask so many questions?" I muttered with fake annoyance. "Something for you to remember a promise."

"What promise?" She countered.

I rolled my eyes. "And didn't I just say that you ask too many questions?" Anilie placed her hands on her hips. "My promise that since now Mom died, I'll always be there to protect you, no matter what, even if it means my own life."

A faint smile appeared on Anilie's face. She's been keeping most of her feelings to herself since Mom died since she started getting bullied at school. She wore long sleeve jackets to hide the bruises from Dad until she could morph to remove them.

"Thanks Jar-head." Anilie said, hugging me.

"One, there's the Ani I know," I responded. "And two, it's not Jar-head." I smiled back as Anilie let go.

"Whatever, Jar-head." Anilie repeated as she tied the rope around her neck. "Come on," She closed her door behind her and started down the stairs. "I bet I can beat you at Tekken this time!"

I groaned, remembering that I had played real life Tekken with Silver an hour ago. I combed my hand through my hair, and followed Anilie down.

-a year later-

Not much has changed since the year I last spoke with you. Elfang and Casjar are here, though. They're Ax's and Kylin's kids.

I guess I never told you much about my family, have I?

Well, you already know me, and I guess the same about Anilie, so I'll start with my cousins now.

Elfang, like I told you, is Ax's and Kylin's son. He may be an Andalite, but he spends most of his time in human morph. Lucky for him and Casjar, we don't have to worry about the time limit, Mom fixed that problem. I haven't seen him much as an Andalite now a days. Before, when he was in the Andalite army, I rarely saw him as human. But he quit three years ago, when he was 20, aka, when I was 14. He's the oldest out of all of us, now 23. He has dark brown hair that's messy, never kept, and light brown eyes. He's pretty tall in morph, close to six feet now I think.

Elfang quit the army that he was in for four years because he decided he preferred close range fighting than hiding behind lasers. He started practicing all sorts of Martial arts and fighting with weapons like swords and knives. Since I started having a daily match with Silver, he's been help with practicing.

Casjar is Elfang's sister. She's 19. She's a fashion freak like Rachel and Lauren, but not as much. She knows when she goes overboard and still prefers Capri's and shorts over dresses and skirts. She has light brown hair and green eyes. She spends about the same amount of time as a human as Elfang now. She's like an older sister for Anilie- since Mom died, whatever girl problems she went to Casjar now.

Lauren is Tobias' and Rachel's daughter. She's the youngest out of us. She's 15 now. Like I said in Casjar's information, she's a fashion freak. She drags Ani and Teague to the mall whenever she and Casjar go. She has blond hair and golden eyes. Ani and Teague dread it whenever they see Lauren- because most of the time it means shopping.

Allan is Lauren's older brother. He's 19 too. He has brown hair and green eyes. There's something weird with him, because up until three years ago, he was missing and none of us except Elfang knew who he was. Elfang told us that he was born with two hearts, like an Andalite, and disappeared when I was barely one, aka, when Allan was three. Allan told us he's been in the woods all that time, but I don't know if I believe him.

Teague is Jake's and Cassie's adopted daughter. She looks a lot like Cassie, except that she has her hair long and in a braid. She half of the time acts like Jake, taking the part of leader when we have a mission if no one else knows what to do, then the rest of the time she's exactly like Cassie, breaking up any arguments that happen between us. I also like her. As in like like, for those who don't get it.

And then you people probably all know about our parents. Saving the world from the Yeerks, and all that. And of course you know that Ani's and my mom died, I told you about that already.

Now that we've got that over with, there's one thing I never thought I'd do.

It happened earlier today.

I pulled up the hood to my jacket. Yes, even after a year, I was still wearing the clothes I got from Silver when I met her. Hey, they still fit and I liked them.

The weather was bad lately- on and off rain. Not that I mind, it's OK now that I'm used to it.

Right now it's on. It's not heavy just yet, but I'm sure it's gonna be soon.

I'm nearing the alley between the library and an abandon apartment building. I stopped a few feet before the alley as I saw three figures come out of it.

They're a gang, only one of the many in our city. They're also the only one I can stand- only because I know all of them. But I'm sure none of them remember me.

The leader is Dead-Lee (aka "Dumby"), a tall muscular African American. He wears his black hair in long dread locks, and his dark brown eyes showed nothing but hatred. When I knew him, before he started the gang, he was Craig Browns, the school's track star and wrestling star. Then he dropped out two years ago. His folks died and the only people he has left is the gang.

The second in command and Craig's best friend is Spikes. He's Asian and wears his black hair gelled in spikes, hence the name, and his green eyes show his love for fights. They also show that half the time he isn't listening. He used to be John Lee-Janrei, one of the school's best b-ball players. Then his dad, his only family, started getting drunk and abused him. His dad's in jail now, and John left school for good and joined Craig's gang.

The only female member of the gang was called Icy by Craig and John. She had light brown, shoulder length hair and pale, lifeless and cold blue eyes. Icy used to be Anilie and my friend, when we were toddlers, Darla, I believe, from the orphanage. She came from the same orphanage that Teague did. She ran away when she was 8, myself 6, and been living on the streets since. Darla laughed when she saw John and Craig's attempt at a gang. She put them in their place, and let herself in the gang. She had a cold heart, hence Icy.

Craig saw me first. "Yo Hellboy," I looked up, knowing he was talking to me, but unsure where he got Hellboy from. I certainly didn't look like the guy from the movie! "Give us yo money, fool." Darla leaned against the wall of the library, and John stood behind Craig, eyes showing he couldn't wait to beat me up.

I smirked. "What money?" I mocked, receiving a growl from Craig.

"Don't play with us boy!" Craig snapped.

"Or what?" I replied. "You gonna do somethin' about it, DUMBY?"

"You're gonna get it now," John stated, smirking.

"Like I care, Janrei." I told him, surprising him by the fact I knew him other than Spikes, his last name at that.

"Come and get me," I taunted. I wasn't gonna morph, I was going to have a fair fight with them, like I did with Elfang and Silver.

And I was thankful for those fights then.

Craig charged first. He ran to me and tried to punch me with his right fist. I fell to the ground.

"Ha," I heard Craig say. "The easiest fight ever. Didn't even hit him!"

I let Craig think he won- and let his guard down. Then I got up while sweeping my leg under his feet. I guess I under estimated my strength, again, because he fell backwards. Craig groaned as I stepped a good distance away.

Craig stood up and tried to punch me in the face again. I blocked him with my arms then steadied him, kicking him once on each side of his face. Seemed like it was too strong, again, because this time, Craig was down.

John came right after. He tried to Karate kick me in the chest, and I barely managed to dodge it.

John was quicker than Craig, I realized as he let out multiple hits with his feet and fists. Soon my arms were bruised from blocking his attacks.

"How do ya like me now?" John smirked as he let a punch to my left side of my face, with made it's mark. I stumbled back a few inches before getting my footing again, only to be hit with a punch to my chest.

I fell to the ground, panting, trying to regain the breath that he had just knocked out of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that John was getting within kicking range. He was checking if I was OK, I thought.

I quickly stood up and kicked him in the face before he could see it coming. Blood drew, and John was out.

"Just you and me, Darla." I said, wincing in pain from the hits I took from John.

Darla gave a smile. "What makes me believe that you would fight a girl?" She laughed.

Too confident. Darla believed that I was the type that would only fight in self defense, and never against a girl.

I returned her smile. "The same reason that I'm attacking first." I grabbed Darla by her shoulders, doing the same move that Silver had won with when we first fought. But just as I flipped over her, and before I managed to throw her over me, she got out of my grasps and kicked me in the face with her boot heel.

"Note to self," I muttered as I wiped the blood that I had coughed up. "Never fight someone wearing boots." I waited for Darla to make her move, knowing that I'd grab her leg if she kicked me and slam her into the ground on her stomach so I could bring it back, close to the point of breaking it, but just enough to leave her in great pain.

And kick she did. I did exactly what I planned and this time my strength wasn't over estimated- I didn't hurt her as much as to breaking her leg, but still enough to make it hard for her to kick me.

Darla winced and growled at me as she stood up. She started throwing punches, since I had hurt her right leg too badly to be standing on by itself or to kick. One managed to hit my face, opposite of where John had punched me, and I was lucky that it wasn't on the same spot. Another hit me on the side of my head, hard enough for me to slam into the wall of the apartment building.

I stood, trying to regain my strength. I couldn't let myself be beaten by a girl. I wouldn't. I won't...

I screamed in rage and jumped in the air, kicking her in the air, and in the stomach as I came down. I threw Darla over my back, and she was lucky that she landed on Craig and not the concrete.

Panting hard, I stood over Darla. I made sure that I wasn't close enough for her to hit me, but still close enough to look her in her eyes.

"Have you had enough now, Darla?" I asked, bitterness in my voice.

Darla forced herself to get off of Craig and stand, leaning against the library wall for support. "How... do you... know... my name?" She demanded, trying to recover from her beating.

"I just happen to know you." I said, smirking as I left, leaving the two boys knocked out and my friend confused and scared.

-few minutes later-

I managed to get home without getting jumped again, thankfully, but still in pain as I opened the house's front door.

"...wrong with Jared." I heard Dad say.

"Are you sure it's not grief?" Cassie replied.

I hid behind the walls that separated the main hallway from the kitchen, closing the front door silently.

"I'm sure." Dad stated.

"Who did you say he has been seeing each day?" Jake asked.

"Some person named Silver Nites."

"But didn't you say that this Silver woman say that she was one of Lyz's trainers?" Tobias wondered.

"Yeah, but we've never seen Lyz actually go to train since we've known her." Rachel replied.

"Do you think Jared's behavior has to do with Silver?" Dad inquired.

"Who knows?" Jake muttered. "Maybe this is just a weird stage of grief."

"But guys," Tobias interrupted. "Lyz died a year ago. Why would he still be feeling grief when it's been this long?"

I didn't stick long enough to hear anything else. Once I knew that they were all facing away from me- though I didn't know how at the time- I dashed away up into my room. I closed my door softly, but still hard.

I had hidden all of my hurt since I met Silver. I didn't want to let her see that I was soft, and I wanted to make her proud.

It never occurred to me that I was letting Silver replace Mom.

-a few hours later-

I lied on my back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I was recalling how, a year ago tonight, I woke up from a nightmare and Mom giving me the letter that told me about the curse. My eyes were long dry, but yet a single tear still managed to fall out of my eyes. I shivered as I remembered the dream...

I was walking through the hallways of a house. I saw the familiar white walls and the photos of friends and family. This was my house...

But it wasn't.

There was blood splattered all over the frames and walls, still wet, and dripping, spilling onto the carpet.

I opened the door of Mom and Dad's room. More blood...

Their corpses.

I walked in and touched Mom's body, which was positioned on the bed as if she was sleeping, with a bloodied hand. I bent down and hugged her body, whispering that I loved her and that I was sorry that I had to do it. When I let go, her body turned quickly into ashes on the bed. Part of me wanted to panic and run my hands through the sand, yelling out her name, but the part of me that told me to move on to Dad was the one that my body obeyed.

Dad's body wasn't as fortunate as Mom's. His head was sliced clean off, and was held in his hands in his lap as if he would put it back on his neck and it would be OK again. But he never did. Dad's eyes flashed white for a moment, but the emptiness of a dead man's eyes reappeared. I touched his forehead and Dad's body was consumed by a white light and then he was gone.

I left their room, ignoring the fact that I had just seen my dead parents and that it didn't disturb me. I just walked down the hallway once more, looking at the smeared hand prints on the walls that lead to Anilie's and my rooms.

Pausing outside of Anilie's room, I heard the sound of a heart beat. I hadn't heard it before, or anywhere else in the house. I slowly opened the door, revealing what seemed to be an empty room.

But I knew there was someone in there. I could still hear the heart beating, faster now, as if the person was panicking. I stared at the bed, and knew that the heart I wanted was underneath.

I reached behind my back, and grabbed the handle of something. I pulled it out if it's loop and in front of me, seeing it was a single sided, curved sword. I grabbed another with my other hand.

I heard myself saying to come out and I'd make it quick and painless, just like I had done with Dad. If she didn't, it would be a long time of suffering, then a slow death, like Mom's.

Slowly, a brunette female crawled out of under the bed, her hair covering her face, bloodied hands and blood smeared on her clothes.

"Smart girl," I heard myself say and I stabbed a sword into her heart, and twisted it, killing her instantly.

As I pulled out my sword and wiped it clean on my black shirt, the female fell, and her hair fell out of her face revealing...

Anilie.

"No, no, no!" I screamed. "It can't be! I- I couldn't have!"

I had just killed my sister...

And yet...

I didn't care at all.

It was my worst nightmare- being the killer of my family. Even though I only killed Anilie in my dream, I was sure that I had killed Mom and Dad and so many more of our family.

I wanted to fall asleep and forget it all, forget about the nightmare, forget that Mom died, and forget that I was letting Silver take place of Mom. But I knew that sleep wouldn't comfort me. It only would hurt me more and let more of my nightmares come true...

-the next day-

I don't know how I managed to sleep, but it was a dreamless one at that, and I was thankful.

The day was a blur until I was passing by the alley again. I hadn't gotten a chance to morph the injuries out, so the places I got hit in were starting to bruise. I barely managed to walk- after all, I took hits pretty much everywhere. I'm surprised that Dad and Anilie didn't notice how hurt I was.

"Yo Hellboy!" I heard someone yell- this time, I had already passed the alley, so my back was to him. But seriously, anyone else getting De Ja Vu?

"Listen, Craig, I don't have any money. Or was yesterday not enough to get the message through your thick head?" I replied, sighing, before I turned and saw it was Darla. "Darla?" Knowing her, she probably wanted a rematch. "Rematch?"

Darla shook her head no. "Not now, Hellboy. Dead-Lee and Spikes wanted me to get you. And my name's Icy, not Darla."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't have to call you that, and I don't have to call Craig and John that either. I'm not in your gang!"

My former friend rolled her eyes. "Just follow me." She walked back into the alley.

Knowing I had no reason not to, I followed Darla, pulling up my hood. I was wearing the same jacket, but I had changed the pants for mainly black ones with red flames. "What do Craig and John want? I already beat them, and I got no money either."

"We ain't playing to get yo money fool." I heard Craig say from behind me. I turned and there was Craig and John, Craig smoking some weed.

Craig let out a ring of smoke. "We planning on letting you join the gang."

I was dumbstruck. Me? In a GANG?

"Well Hellboy?" John asked. "Ya gonna join or not?"

I gave a half-hearted shrug. "Sure, why not?"

Darla smirked at me. "Now you got no choice but to call us by our gang names, Hellboy."

"Sure Icy. Just one question." I replied. John gave me a cold glare, as if I was going to offend them or say that I was going to call the cops. He was about to get me until Craig stopped him with his own glare. "Why Hellboy?"

John gave a sigh of relief once he heard my question. "Well, considering you have all those serpents and flames on yo clothes, what do you think?"

I gave a faint smile. We'd never know how right the name was.