Disclaimer: Oooh. Look at all the pretty dancing lights. If you squint at it, it even looks like a boat.
Learning to Breathe
Chapter Eight: Together We Stand
I had been dreaming for a while when someone called to me. At first, I thought it was a dream, but the incessant shouting started me awake.
Regan!!! Regan, get your ass up!"
There's only one person I know who would be up at this hour
Kristen? Is that you?
Duh! Kristen "said" back. Now get up! I need some help!
What's your problem? I asked her.
I'm being chased by eleven angry vampires who want to kill you all in your sleep, now go get the others!
You're kidding, right?
Shut up and wake up the others! She said before tuning out. Guess she wasn't kidding. I rolled out of bed and sent a wake-up bolt in the boys' direction. That would do for them. Andi, however, would need a bit more effort to awaken.
XXXXXXX
I was in the middle of dream number five when I felt someone shaking me into awareness. Before dawn! I should share several traits in common with a cadaver at this point, but no! I am woken up! Damn shame, I was in the middle of the Kentucky Derby.
When I opened my eyes, Regan was prodding me and saying, "we don't have much time. My calm reply was:
"What the hell are you on, Reg?!"
"Yeah, what's the rush?" Bryan mumbled as he and Neal trudged into mine and Zanya's room. Maybe I should charge admission.
"Get dressed, we don't' have much time." Our resident telepath whispered. Time for what? Sleep?
"For what, Reg?" I growled.
"Kristen's in danger, and so are we." Regan said. "We must hurry."
Hell no. Fang dug her own pit, and now she can dig her way back out!
"Are you insane!" I hissed. "She can get herself out of trouble."
"Andi, there are twelve delusional vampires chasing her here in the hopes of taking us all out and ruling the state!" The pink-clad girl whispered back. "We need to be at the ready!"
"Some friends she picked out." Bryan said as Mitch walked in. Yep, I'm definitely going to start selling tickets. "We should go suit up."
"Then what?" Neal asked. "We can not take all of them ourselves."
"We wake the adults." I said. The entire group turned to stare at me in disbelief. I don't blame them; I wouldn't have believed me either.
"We can handle this without them." Bryan said.
"But it's their base!" I protested. "I don't think it would be very considerate of us as houseguests to let the entire house get trashed while they're asleep!"
"Why do you want to ask them all of a sudden?" Bryan asked. "They're authorities! Why listen?"
"Because they gave a damn, Bryan!" I shouted. "They took us into their home, gave us food and a place to sleep, and even take care of us when we're sick! They want us here! You may be willing to throw that away, but I'm not!"
A long pause followed my outburst, accompanied by some mild snoring from Clover. My word, the girl hasn't even moved during all of this. Like a corpse. Finally, I continued. "If any of you disagree, you can go ahead and fly into your death wish, but I'm not going to face a pack of vamps without backup! All with me, go find something you can fight in. Uniforms are not mandatory."
"Which is good, since most of you have outgrown them anyway." We all turned around to see Zartan standing in the doorway. Crap. Wonder how much of that he heard?
At any rate, the rest of the group filed out to change, and I was left alone with the boss.
"Regan's waking the others up." I said as I dug through our shared closet for my shirt. "We need to move quickly."
"Then why don't you change in the bathroom and I'll wake her up." He pointed at Clover as he said this. "It will save us all some time."
I nodded, grabbed my pants (the only pair that fit me at this point), and walked out of the room. Somehow, I think that this night will either make or break us. I just hope it's not the latter.
XXXXXXX
"We're almost to the base." Kristen shouted to her partner.
"Isn't that were they want us to go?" Raphael asked.
"Let's just say that we have a welcoming committee." She smirked. The two dove down, only to be followed by their pursuers.
"We have you now, traitors!" Almira shouted.
"Take this!" A male voice called. Before the pack had the chance to react, a stream of fiery plasma swept through the air. Several were knocked to the ground, but Solomon and Almira were still floating.
"What's this?" Solomon asked in confusion.
"I don't think they got the point!" Kristen shouted.
"Then we'll explain again!" Chaos shouted as he took to the air.
"Stay away from our home!" Atlantis shouted, her eyes glowing a soft blue.
"What is she doing?" Raphael asked.
"Just move." Kristen said, jerking him off to the side.
They made it just in time. Crashing towards them was a massive jet of water, courtesy the hose that Golem turned on in the yard. Several more vampires fell to the ground to be pummeled by the Dreadnoks, leaving only Sabrina, Almira, and Solomon in the sky.
"You will not defeat us!" Solomon shouted.
"We'll see about that!" Yelled Lady Mastermind as she began to claw her way into his mind.
"Oh no, you don't!" Sabrina hissed, using her own mental powers to combat the young blond.
"Can't you do something?" Kristen asked her newfound ally.
"It's a useless power." Raphael said. "It wouldn't do us any good."
"We have to try." Vampira pleaded. "Just give me a demo, please?"
"Fine!" Raph sighed. "Just don't blame me if this doesn't work."
The brown-haired boy took a deep breath, and pulled his hands apart. A thin bolt of energy arced from one hand to the other. With a mighty cry, he slammed both palms together. A massive charge flew out of his hands and hit Almira in the back, sending her to the ground.
"Wow!" The onyx haired girl shouted. "You call that useless?"
"It just kinda low-grade." He sighed. "I had to focus extremely hard to get that effect."
"It's cool, however you did it." Kristen beamed. "Now, can you try it again?"
"Too late!" Solomon shouted. He flew at them at top speed and broke up the pair. "I will take you down!"
"Not likely." Zartan shouted from the ground. He fired off a shot from one of the laser rifles that knocked the wind out of the remaining vampire.
"You will pay for that, mortal!" Solomon boomed.
"I would like to see you make us!" Atlantis yelled.
"You will never be able to defeat me!" The dark headed man yelled.
"Maybe we won't, but I'm sure she'd love to." Zartan smirked.
"What?" Solomon turned around to come eye to eye with Vampira.
"Time's up." She said as she sunk her teeth into him.
"Foolish girl!" He shouted, pushing her away. "You can't drain a vampire!"
"But you can electrocute one." Raphael shouted, sending a bolt of energy at the older vamp. Solomon fell out of the air with a whoosh and twitched along the ground.
"Good going!" Bryan whooped as the two flew down. "You saved the day!"
"But what about them?" Kristen asked, indicating the bodies strewn across the lawn.
"What did you do to Sabs?" Raphael asked.
"She's trapped in her own mind." Regan said.
"Okay." Raph replied. "But Kris is right. What do we do to them?"
"How about we let Bungler figure that out." Andi said. "Who's calling it in?"
"Just did." Zartan said. "They're on their way to pick them up as we speak."
"Oh." The two-toned girl blinked. "Thanks."
"It's no problem." Zartan said. "But you all need to go try to sleep tonight. We leave out in the morning."
"Don't worry." Kristen yawned. "I shouldn't have any problems with that tonight."
"Same here." Raph said. "See you later, Risty."
Kristen managed a weak "goodbye" as color flooded her cheeks.
"Somebody's got a crush." Andi chanted.
"Shut up." Kristen swatted as her friend flew away. "Can we just go inside?"
"Fine." Regan said. "But we're going to discuss this tomorrow."