Okay everybody
Here is the next chapter.
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Six POV

The school day passes by faster than I expected and before I know it I am sitting in my room, staring off in to space with my half-completed homework in front of me. A girl has to stay on top of her studies if she wants to help take over the world, you know. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and refocus on the question in front of me. It's about the Cuban Missile Crisis, and, due to my sporadic education, I have absolutely no idea what this is.

I sigh and pull my battered laptop on to my lap, powering it on and logging in. I search for the Missile Crisis and check my email while it loads. I have 6 new messages, including one from Ra, how predictable. Not a day passes by without him feeding me information and dictating my every move. I click open the message and scan the contents. Blah, blah, same old boring crap, stay faithful, monitor John. An odd phrase catches my eye.

It reads, in English: It is almost Ten.

To any oblivious snooper, it would seem a random statement, but now I know that it is time to get Ella on my side. The Mog side, that is. Ra has decided, I need to act. And after her less than savoury attitude towards school on the way home, I know the perfect conversation starter.

I smirk to myself and shut the lid of my laptop, Cuban Missile Crisis long forgotten. My feet make soft tapping noises on the wood floor as I navigate my way to Ella's room – two doors down from my own.

I smooth out my complexion before knocking softly on the door, twice. Ella mumbles something incoherently on the other side of the door and I take this as permission to enter plastering a smile on my face before stepping in to the room, shutting the door behind me.

Ella is sprawled across her bed, clothes rumpled and hair a knotted mess. She looks tired and totally unlike herself. I approach her slowly so as not to spook her, before speaking.

"Ella, how was school today?" I try to keep my voice light.

"Don't wanna talk about it", her tone is off. Perfect. I can work with this.

"What's wrong? I know you may feel like being alone, but talking can sometimes help, take it from someone who has experience in the area." I offer, and she grudgingly turns over.

"School isn't as fun as I thought it would be" she replies, eyes crinkling up as if she is about to cry.

"It never is" I say "but often change is good, if you give it a chance".

"I don't wanna go back, I don't care about learning. Nobody likes me." Her voice cracks on the last word, and tears well up in her eyes.

"Hey, hey, don't cry. It's going to be fine, I promise." I pull her in to a hug, but she still doesn't respond. "I know something that can help, how does that sound?"

"Okay" Her voice is stull blocked, as if her throat is closed up.

"Just stay still" I mutter, before plunging the needle given to me by Ra in to her neck. She let's out a strangled cry and jerks before her complexion smooths and she sits up. Now, she too, is under Ra's control. I know he will be pleased.

Ella straightens and looks me in the eye. Her stature is different, and thought her eyes are still puffy and slightly red, they hold a steelier look. Hardened. Different.

We share identical smirks.

Eight POV

It is Tuesday morning, and our second day of school. I wake unusually early and untangle myself from Marina, moving to get out of bed. I pause by the desk, looking back at her. Her face is unusually peaceful, not marred with the mundane creases of worry that her life brings.

I wish that I could give her a better life, and that she wasn't Loric, no matter how much she belongs with me. I sigh and lean over to place a gentle kiss on her forehead before exiting the room. On my way to the kitchen I check in on Ella, quietly turning the knob on her door and peeking my head in.

I know she isn't handling the new school routine well, and her separation from the rest of us is not aiding the situation. Ella is sleeping peacefully under the covers, body a straight line and eyes shut tight.

Content, I retreat to the hallway and continue on my path to the kitchen. Unsure of what to make for breakfast, I settle on eggs. I grab the carton from the fridge and notice that we only have two eggs left. I guess we haven't had much time for shopping lately.

I grab my keys from the hook and head off towards the supermarket. A short morning walk is always a good way to wake up. After the long elevator ride I exit the John Hancock Centre and breathe in the morning air. It is slightly chilly, winter is coming, and I wonder if it will snow this year.

It would be nice to have a white Christmas with Marina.

After buying the eggs and various other groceries I walk back to the penthouse, taking in the sluggish early morning traffic of Chicago. The city is slowly coming to life as the sun does, and I love it. Humans are so amazing, their total ignorance of the world around them fascinates me.

Later we all head to school, and repeat the same routine as yesterday. Come lunch time, Six isn't with us again, and Nine clenches his fists in anger, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. In fact, Six sits with a different group of people each lunch break, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We barely see her at school and I know that it is wearing on Nine.

Ella seems to be settling in better, she comes home with a bright smile on her face before disappearing with Six to an undisclosed location in the penthouse. It's not what I was expecting, but sometimes a strong friendship can be all you need to fix your problems.

If only a strong friendship could fix my problems with Marina.

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