Jess crouched in the bushes, creeping slowly forward toward the epicenter of the sound. She couldn't see it, not yet, but soon she would be able to.
She entered a clearing in the middle of the woods, and looked around. She had no idea where she was, and knew no one could get her…but she felt like there was someone there.
"Hello?" she called. Jess couldn't see the source of the noise, but as she walked forward, it got louder and louder, to the point of being unbearable.
A hand slithered around her neck, yanking her backwards and starting to choke her.
Jess struggled, quickly running out of air.
"Hello, Jess. Long-time, no see," a voice softly murmured.
Jess' eyes went wide. "Re..x," she croaked.
"Aris and I need you to do something for us," Rex smiled. "Do you agree to help?"
Jess began to struggle again, even though her face was almost as blue as the midnight sun.
Rex let her go, and she collapsed to the ground, gasping. She began to run away, but as soon as she passed through and invisible laser, she slammed into a wall of electricity, wattage zapping up and down her body until she fell to the ground again, smoking slightly.
Rex grinned grimly. "I take that as a yes."
Jess slumped, her face resting on the dirt.

Dess and Jonathan helped Melissa into the teal car.
"How come we ran out of there so fast?" Jonathan asked, looking back at the town that was quickly disappearing behind them.
Dess gripped the wheel. "Someone's following us."
Jonathan turned back to face front ways and looked at Dess. "What?"
"They were watching us the whole time we were in the square this morning. And now that I think about it, I've felt them observing us ever since Melissa got out of the hospital."
Jonathan shivered. "Who are they?"
"At midnight, we'll find out."

"Lord Ragalus, sir." Aris bowed deeply.
"What is it, Aris?" the voice rumbled.
"We have captured Jess. She will power the machine for us. It will only be a matter of days before it is time."
"Any progress in capturing Melissa, and the other midnighters?"
"Your hum beam is working well, sir. Melissa can hear nothing, and blames her pain for it. We will soon have them."
Ragalus said nothing.
Aris stepped away from the mirror, and the connection broke. She rubbed her hands, where old scars defaced her pale skin.
"Oh, master. Soon you will feel pain, as I have. Soon…you will pay for what you did to me."

Dess parked the car in a deserted supermarket parking lot. The three midnighters said nothing as the black moon rose and the midnight hour began.
"Do you hear them, Melissa? Are they midnighters too?"
Is it Rex? Jonathan thought.
Melissa closed her eyes. After a minute she fell back into her seat. "I can't hear anything… I hurt too much."
Dess got out of the car. "They were near when we stopped. Let's find them."
Jonathan got out as well, but Melissa stayed behind. She didn't have the energy to get up.
Dess and Jonathan spread out, looking all around the parking lot for anyone, anything. Jonathan bounced up into the air to survey the area around them, but came up with nothing.
Dess walked into a back alley on high alert. She almost jumped as high as Jonathan when she heard something move.
"Hello Dess."
She spun around, and wasn't really surprised to find herself face to face with Aris.
"What do you want?" Dess spat. She hoped that was loud enough for Jonathan to hear.
Aris came out from the darkness, the dark moonlight illuminating her skin eerily.
"To find my fellow midnighters, of course." She smiled. "I've missed you."
I don't remember her nearly this talkative. She's up to something. MELISSA!
Aris stalked slowly forward. "Rexie, your turn."
Dess wasn't ready for the attack. Rex rammed into her from behind, slamming her to the ground. He was feral in his swings, smashing his fists into her face.
Dess brought her knees up into his gut, throwing him for a loop, and managed to get a shot to his jaw.
"JONATHAN!" She screamed.
Jonathan was over into the alley in a hop, skip, and a jump. "Dess!" he shouted.
He bore down on Rex, ignoring Aris for the moment, since she made no move to interfere. Jonathan careened into Rex, throwing him off of Dess, and pummeled him into a wall.
Dess slowly got up, shaky from the blows she'd taken. She quickly recovered and wiped the blood off her chin with the back of her hand.
"What do you want?!" she yelled at Aris.
"You," the girl whispered.
Dess couldn't take it any longer. She slugged the smug midnighter in the nose. Aris fell backwards, reeling from the unexpected attack. Blood tainted her pale face, gushing in a river towards her chin.
Aris shook her head, and put a hand to her nose. She shook her head again and scooted backwards towards the alley wall, anywhere that was away from Dess.
With fire in her eyes, Dess advanced. "We're not coming without a fight!"
She aimed powerful kicks at Aris, who curled into a ball. "Rex!" Aris yelled.
Jonathan and Rex were in a stalemate. They circled each other, waiting for an attack.
Rex, with superhuman speed, dodged past Jonathan, and picked up Aris, continuing to run farther into the alley.
Jonathan, after recovering from the shock of Rex's speed, dashed after them, Dess only a few feet in front of him.
They reached a dead end and looked around, but there was no sign of the renegade midnighters.