So, thank god I have clever readers to compensate for the lack of wit I have, because as a reader who presumably prefers to remain anonymous (their screen name was Anonymous) cleverly pointed out, there's a little bit of confusion going on between who Derrick is and what his intentions are. I previously mentioned him in the first chapter as a minor character with the ability of creating and manipulating ice, though later in the story I introduced him as a flying runaway. Sorry, he is in fact a flying runaway and I totally forgot I used him as a fire extinguisher in the beginning.

-your devoted author

PART 4: as told by Layne

First period History of Supernaturalism class Claire was suspiciously absent. I scoured the halls and dorms and classrooms for her after second bell rang, and began to suspect she'd slipped into invisible mode for the day. I needed to show her my drawing.

Quite often, whilst I was aimlessly doodling, I'd draw something that would later connect to the future. Currently, there was a crumpled sharpie sketch of Claire, surrounded by a ring of flames in my pocket. Evidently, it was quite vital that I warned her of this potential fate.

PART 4 CONTINUED: as told by Landon

As I paced impatiently on the meadow where Derrick promised he'd return to, with Claire, suspicious flickers of flashlights from the forest began to distract me.

"Who's there?" I called out into the stillness, and there was an audible response, very faint, coming from what seemed to be the source of the distracting light.

Two figures stepped into view and trained their lights on my face, momentarily blinding me.

When I recovered enough to leap backwards and sink into a ready position, I recognized the one of the figures to be one of my former comrades from the school.

Chris Plovert was his name, with disheveled brown curls and crooked horn rimmed glasses that slid off his face whenever he looked down, characteristically abashed. Underneath the pure, yellow light of the flashlight, his round green eyes seemed red and glowing.

"Chris," I sighed, knowing very well he was here to be a nuisance, as he always ways. "What do you want?"

"You're alive?" He said flatly. "And you never told me?"

I shrugged. "It never came up."

Chris shone the flashlight in my eyes as punishment for the crude joke, probably the most aggressive thing he'd ever done. "You douche bag. I held a funeral for you."

"You're angry that I'm alive?" I demanded incredulously. "I'm sorry! I haven't made contact with anyone though, it was too dangerous." I glanced at the boy beside him, scowling. "Who'd you drag into this, Chris, now I'll have to kill him so he won't tell."

"This is Dempsey," Chris murmured, lowering his head now that the conversation had calmed down some. "My best friend."

I felt the slightest bit of hurt when I realized I'd been replaced. I looked the replacement up and down, evaluating. He was scrawny and tan, with messy blondish hair and wide, and flat, emotionless eyes. Even though he was in the presence of someone who could take off his head within seconds, effortlessly, he didn't seem the least bit scared.

"What can you do?" I asked interestedly. It couldn't hurt to pick up a few recruits.

Dempsey shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothin'."

"That wasn't an invitation to share," I sneered. "That was a question."

"I can't do anything," Dempsey insisted. "I don't have a power."

"Then why do you go to the school?" I frowned.

"I…" Dempsey seemed to scramble for a plausible excuse.

"Liar," I accused, and when we made direct eye contact he still didn't seem afraid.

I turned my attention back to Chris, who was scuffing the ground with his feet distractedly.

"What say you join my little team, Chris," I offered in my kindest, most inviting tone.

"Team?" he echoed skeptically. The offer didn't seem to appeal to him as much as I hoped.

"I'm forming a rebellion, to take down the school," I explained.

"You're insane," Dempsey said mildly.

Chris nodded in agreement. "You'd have to have a pretty powerful team to do that," he pointed out softly.

"That's why I need you," I tried, attempting a friendly smile. Flattery was my only option of enticement now.

Chris shrugged. "I suppose my abilities could be of service…" he muttered, clearly pleased.

In fact, if Chris joined my team, he would make our invasion considerably easier. He could control technology with his mind, and though he'd never tried, I knew him to capable of wiping out all the electricity in the school with a single, coherent thought.

"Well, can I join too?" Dempsey asked after a thoughtful silence.

I laughed once. "What do you have against the school, oh powerless one?"

"I know you founders can't be such great people after what they did to you," he said.

I stopped smiling abruptly and began advancing towards him solemnly. I grabbed his collar and lifted him five inches off the ground. He remained perfectly calm.

"That's not a subject I'm willing to discuss," I said.

He lifted a hand, smiled eerily, and touched my neck gingerly. An onslaught of pain, sharp and real, sent me to the ground.

I heard him laugh above me. "You don't intimidate me. I don't care if you're an amalgamationist, my ability affects everyone."

"And what the hell is it?" I asked from my pathetic, defeated position on the ground. The last traces of the pain were finally dispersing, but I was afraid to get too close.

"The death touch," he answered grimly. "If I maintain physical contact with someone for more than twenty seconds, they'll die. Ten seconds makes someone unconscious." He snapped his fingers. "Just like that."

"And it's painful, too," Chris added.

"Yeah, I got that," I murmured as I reluctantly pulled myself up. I kept my distance from Dempsey.

"So, I'm helping you because I know eventually I'll end up like you," Dempsey explained. "The Founders weren't happy to take me in, and they're constantly watching over me, making sure I never touch anyone, never get angry…it's imminent, right? I mean, if there's someone they can't fully control, they get rid of them."

I was going to protest, just out of habit, because I didn't like people I didn't particularly like being right. But it was entirely true.

"Okay, you're in," I sighed.

"Cool," Chris grinned, and it looked as if he were about to high five his friend, but then again, only if he wanted to endure horrific pain.

Sorry 'bout the shortness! Reviews are my only incentive, so please do so! :)