Ch.6: Safety In Numbers

Rebel's P.O.V.

"I don't see her," I whispered, my throat drying. Ava gripped to my arm and bowed her head in defeat. I looked down at her and sighed.

"Hey, not cool!" Eva's voice rang clear as a bell. My head whipped up, a smile on my face.

"Thank god!" Ava breathed.

"Leave me again, Rebel, and see what happens." Eva shook a finger at me. I shrugged.

"Where's Nichole and Blane?" Eva questioned.

"I sent them to Storm. Did you see what happened to Gwen and Kale?"

"They loaded them into some helicopter, Mom and Dad too."

"Why? How did they find us?" Ava asked.

"I don't know, but we need to go warn the others," I hurried.

Eva nodded. "Right."

•••

When we landed in Storm's yard I noticed a few things...off. Firstly, the grass was laying down like a tornado had blown through, and, secondly, the front door was thrown open. The three of us ran in a dead sprint into the house, calling for the kids. Nichole met us first, throwing her arms around one of my legs. I picked her up and noted that she was sobbing. Her little hands fisted onto my shirt and she buried her head in my shoulder. Blane came next, pulling a rather pale Holly along behind him.

"What happened?" Ava got down to business.

"They got Storm and Ebony, too," Blane explained. Holly just nodded slightly, still in shock. "I found Holly hiding in a closet. They came here a hour ago."

"So we weren't ambushed first..." Eva processed.

"What about everyone else?" I asked. "Have they been attacked?"

"Blane, call Flair," Ava ordered, "I'll call Gazzy and Melee."

"Do you think that was the military? Do you think they finally decided they wanted us locked up?" I swallowed at the possibility.

"No, they would have taken us too," Ava shook her head, taking off down the hall.

Blane picked up the home phone and dialed Flair and Ice. Eva examined a few cuts on Holly's arm. Nichole cried and called for her daddy. I stood there, completely overwhelmed, patting the girl's back.

"I-It's ok," I mused.

"They got Mommy! They got Daddy!" Nichole whimpered.

"I know, boo. I know." I glanced up to see Blane setting the home phone down.

"No answer," he mumbled.

"Try again," I said, fear churning in my gut.

Ava came back, carrying Ebony's cell phone. "Melee's phone number says it's out of service, and Gazzy didn't pick up."

"Flair isn't answering, again," Blane added.

"Try Alex and Jace," I tried. Blane sighed and obeyed.

Eva looked up at me. "What if they got everyone?" She squeaked.

I didn't want to think about it.

"Demi?" Blane suddenly said. We all fell silent as he spoke into the phone.

"I know, they've got Mom and Dad, too," Blane nodded. He looked to us and mouthed, "They've got Jace and Alex."

"Tell her to stay put," I barked, "Tell her we'll be there in a little while."

"Demi, stay there, ok? We're coming," Blane mumbled. Then he hung up the phone.

"Lets go," I hurried, passing Nichole to Eva.

"Wait, they've got Alex and Jace, Flair and Ice, Storm and Ebony, Mom, Dad, Gwen, and Kale..." Ava observed.

"Yes, now come on," I grumbled.

"No, don't you see? They're moving in a pattern! They're coming from south to north!" She explained, "Jace, Alex, Flair, and Ice live approximately ten minuets south east from here, right? Then they hit here, and then moved to our house."

"So they're gonna hit Ryan and Selene next?" Blane guessed.

"No, they're already there," Eva whispered.

"Call Jester and Sylvia!" I yelled.

Holly picked up the phone, her fingers flying as she punched in the numbers. Four rings later someone picked up.

"Sylvia! Listen, you have to get out of there!" Holly screamed. "Someone's kidnapped my parents, and we think they're gonna hit you next! ... Yes, I'm fine, but you all need to get out, now! ... SYLVIA!" Holly's tone grew desperate as she gripped to the phone. She shook her head as tears sprang in her eyes. "SYLVIA!" The call then went dead, and Holly dropped the phone.

"They...they busted in and-" she whispered.

"Call Hillbilly!" Ava snapped. Blane snatched the phone up off the floor and did as told, only to get the busy signal.

"Dang it, Nudge must be yammering away again!" I growled.

"At one in the morning?" Eva asked.

"Keep trying." Blane dialed again, and again.

"Someone needs to get Demi," Eva reminded.

"I can't go and leave you here." I shook my head and crossed my arms. Eva sat Nichole down.

"We will be fine. Demi could be hurt. Go," She insisted.

"No, safety in numbers," I said.

"And what about those of us that aren't 'in numbers'?" Ava growled.

"Go, Rebel," Eva whispered. I sighed and nodded, not really wanting to leave them unprotected, but Ava assured she could defend herself, so I took off south.

•••

Finding Demi wasn't all that hard. The girl practically shook like a maraca under her bed. Eventually I got her out of the house.

"We'll see them again, right?" She croaked as we walked under the verandah.

"Hopefully." I nodded.

"Is this how you felt, you know, when Gwen was attacked the first time?"

It felt like I was swallowing cement. "Sort of."

"Sapphire and Cole, are they ok?" She asked.

"I don't know," I shrugged as we walked towards Flair and Ice's house. There houses were super close, sharing a garden. They were isolated, like most of the mutant's homes.

"Oh no," Demi breathed as we reached their back door. Inside, blood was splattered everywhere.

"SAPPHIRE! COLE!" She shrieked, throwing the door open and running in. I followed cautiously, taking in the fact that most things were either burned or frozen. Flair and Ice had put up one heck of a fight, but as I scanned the perimeter I noticed that there were no bodies left behind. Whoever was doing this was making it clean and precise, leaving nothing behind to hint anything.

"Demi!" Sapphire squealed, coming to hug her cousin.

"Now to find Cole," I grumbled, turning around.

"RAWR!" The boy jumped in front of me.

I didn't flinch, much to his disappointment, and simply nudged him aside, walking back out the door.

"Come on!" I called, taking off. They soon joined me, flying over the forested land below.

Whump! Whump! Whump! Whump!

My eyes widened as I spotted a helicopter, the helicopter that abducted out parents.

"DOWN!" I screamed. "Dive down!"

We landed in the brush roughly, branches tearing at out clothes. I peered up and watched as the giant machine sped by. All I could see of the label on the side was a giant 'H' painted in white.

"Look!" Demi breathed, pointing up at the smoke rolling up towards the sky.

"That wasn't me, I swear!" Sapphire defended.

"You know where that is...?" Cole rubbed at his chin.

"They bombed the house..." I whispered, unwilling to believe.

"Excuse me, but what?" Demi looked over at me.

"They bombed the house!" Not only were they startled by my sudden yelling, but also by the fact that I practically threw myself up, into the air; they followed nonetheless.

I stroked down hard and then glided for three descends before stroking down hard twice and gliding again. I was propelled through the air, and although it may have looked like a slow way to fly, I was reaching speeds that were usually not accomplished by any Avian-American. I learned the technique from Max, watching her fly on those days that I lived with the Ride's. Sure, I had no super-sonic power like her, but it was a more efficient way to fly. I reached the house, my brain racing after what I saw.

Pillars of smoke rose from the collapsed structure. Any life in the house at that time would have been either burned to death or suffocated in the grey cloud. My calm composure was now completely crumbled.

Were they gone?

Could everything I know suddenly be wiped off the face of the Earth?

Thanks for the reviews y'all!

Thank you GagaBear18 for the complement. I've been trying to out more effort ini writing.

NEXT UPDATE: 12/22/13 (tomorrow)

REQUIREMENT: 3 reviews

DEAL: If I get 4 reviews within two hours of updating I'll out up the next chapter.

And sorry for all the cliffhangers.