Chapter Nineteen: Specialists Are Not Stalkers
"...I think you need training." Topaz looked in her window to see Jeremy sitting comfortably. She closed her book and started to transform. "There's no need for that."
"You're stalking me." Topaz accused.
"Stalking you?"
"How'd you get my number? How do you know where my room is? Just leave me alone!" Topaz wasn't prepared for him to laugh at her. "What's so funny?"
Jeremy's Flashback...
Jeremy wiped his brow after lifting debris from his designated square area. Most things he recovered couldn't be recycled. Flora came over after once he cleared his section. "You did a great job, Jeremy."
"Thank you. It's no problem."
"I haven't had much help since my daughter went to Alfea. How is she doing?"
Jeremy flashed back to his last interaction with Topaz. He had to drag her to their table after she sang to him, drunk. He didn't remember her having much. What a lightweight... He didn't say that though. Jeremy wasn't going to tell Flora about her daughter's crazy night. "She has a beautiful singing voice."
Flora smiled brightly. "Yes, she does. She's so shy, I was afraid nobody would hear it. I'll have to tell her we met. I don't have my phone on me."
"That's alright, you can use mine." Jeremy offered.
He simply asked Euphoria where Topaz was to find her presently. Jeremy couldn't help; but, laugh at Topaz's thought process. "What's funny is you thinking that I'd stalk you."
"You are. You have my cellphone number and you're-"
"Flora gave me your number. Euphoria pointed to where you were. I should have knocked, but with Anagan being your dad, I figured I didn't have to. I apologize."
Topaz looked elsewhere and played with her cornrow. "It's okay. Sorry I thought you were a stalker."
"Alright, back to what I was talking about, I think you need more training."
"I don't want to talk about that night." Topaz whispered.
"We have to. You have amazing power Topaz. In raw power, you're the strongest member of this generation of Winx."
Topaz looked at him shocked. "That's not true. The witches..."
"Have more skill. That's what you need especially now since you've reached Enchantix." Topaz looked at him sideways. She was shocked that anybody could talk to her about her powers without bringing up her dark fairy form. "Are you able to sustain your dark fairy form?"
"I don't want to talk about that." Topaz said looking away again. "My father is a notorious villain, I guess darkness flows through my veins."
Jeremy leaned on her wall before he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a piece of coal. "Good and evil are choices. I'd try to think of a long speech to convince you of that, but I won't. Everyone has good and evil inside them."
"I have it literally..."
"Me too." Jeremy countered. "I don't remember my birth mother, but I was told she was a very powerful and evil witch." Jeremy showed Topaz the coal. "And thanks to her, my brother and I have great power." Jeremy closed his fists and clenched them. When he opened it, the coal transformed into a small diamond. "Cool huh, but look what happens without control." Jeremy looked at the diamond. It grew flat before exploding into dust and fragments. The fragments sliced his hand.
Topaz looked at him with wide eyes. Jeremy took a napkin from his pocket to wipe his hand. "...I tried to transform into my dark fairy form, but I can only will Enchantix. It's not gone; I can even feel it now. I just don't know what that means."
"It means whatever you want it to mean, Topaz."
Topaz looked at his shoes and twisted her plaits. She wished she'd met Jeremy sooner; maybe things would have been different. "Will you train me?"
"Sure."
Meanwhile...
Orion was downtown Magix. A lot of things had happened to them recently and he didn't like the disarray. Elliott was constantly arguing with Euphoria and the witches. Everything they disagreed with became a battle for the entire unit to hear. There probably wouldn't be a resolution any time soon. Orion wished he'd chosen a different group. He sent his profile because he was excited to work for the notorious Winx. Even though they were the second generation, they were made up of future rulers and a diverse range of power. This opportunity rarely came along. He assumed he'd go along big missions. Wasn't there a psychopath after them? However so far he'd just seen a lot of personal issues. The most confusing was Ismene. Were they dating? He hoped they weren't. They'd done things when she was lust and he was vanity. He'd tried talking to her, but she never returned his calls. The twins told him to forget about her, but Orion wasn't that type of guy.
Ismene walked out of the shop with a bigger scowl than usual. Her low-rise jeans kept touching the cover up of her tattoo. When she was under the spell she got a tattoo of three stars on her lower back. To the untrained eye, it was nothing; but, she knew it was supposed to be Orion's belt. She'd always wanted a tattoo; but to tattoo some guy she barely knew on her back was the worst decision she ever made, spelled or not! This next visit the tattooer made it look like the stars were cut and fenced with thorns. It was detailed and it hurt. Seeing the source of her pain across the street from her didn't make her feel any better.
Orion was surprised to see Ismene; but it was a welcomed coincidence. He crossed the street and walked to her. Ismene waited for him to cross over simply because she didn't want him to see that she didn't fully cover up the tattoo he inspired. "Hey, Ismene." She didn't respond. "I've been wanting to talk to you for a while."
"Why?"
"A lot of things happened between us and-"
Ismene stopped him. "It would never work out. You're a goody-goody paladin and I'm a witch."
Orion smiled. "I am so relieved! I feel the same way."
"Tell me how you really feel." She said sarcastically.
"I apologize. That was rude of me." She scoffed.
"If that's it I'm going to the store to find some cream for this stupid tattoo."
"I'll help you. I can't help, but feel responsible."
"Fine. You can come to the store with me, but don't get any ideas, Angel-boy."
Regina had enough. She was so sick of Elliott and the Specialists in general. This was definitely not her mother's generation of the Winx. She couldn't think of anything positive the Specialists did for the Winx. They were even spelled! She could right an entire essay about how detrimental Leon had been. Orion was new, but forgettable. The twins were forgettable. Elliott was useless in her opinion. He made her and Ismene go to a school that did nothing for their education or safety. That was a major call that in hindsight, sucked! After discussion Euphoria and Regina requested an audience with Headmaster Saladin and Cordatorta. They wanted the Specialists reassigned.
"Princess Regina, Princess Euphoria, what troubles you?"
"I thank you for meeting with us." Euphoria said diplomatically. She tagged along for that reason. "We formally request that the Dragonfire Unit assigned to someone other than us."
"Reassigned? Is there a reason for this?"
"They haven't protected us. We would have been better off if they weren't assigned to us." Regina said.
"Can you name specifics? We just can't switch just because you all are having a lovers spat." Cordatorta said dismissively.
"Lover's spat?" Euphoria repeated in outrage.
Regina sat back and glared at him. "Lover's spat, huh? Just who are you referring to? Orion and Ismene? Me, Elliott and Euphoria...? ...or Leon and Topaz?" It grew silent. Regina got up and left the table.
Euphoria opened her briefcase. She handed them a piece of paper and spoke again. "All of us have signed it. We don't want the Dragonfire Unit assigned to us anymore. But now I must get personal, my friend Topaz didn't want to report what happened, but it's blatantly clear that you all are aware of her assault. Protect your school, just as I'll protect her. If I find out that you convinced her not to or knew about Leon's tenancies, on my title, I will shut this school down. Goodbye."
Euphoria shivered, but she felt amazing. Someone had to take a stand for Topaz, the Winx in general. It was for the best that the Dragonfire Unit be assigned elsewhere. She just wished Regina was there to see her in the meeting. She would have been proud. Regina was outside of the building leaning by the door. Euphoria gave her a small smile and walked with her. "I'm feeling better about this than I thought I would."
"You should; it was time." Regina said
"I know. I know. I just don't know what Elliott will do when he finds out about this." Euphoria replied
"Finds out about what?" The girls turned to see Elliott behind them. They each looked at each other instead of answering so he repeated himself. "When Elliott finds about about what?"
"That the Dragonfire Unit is no longer assigned to the Winx." Euphoria answered.
"Unbelievable! Un-fucking-believable."
"I'm sorry." Euphoria apologized feeling guilty.
"Are you really, Euphoria? I know you're not, Regina."
"You're right; I'm not." Regina said "Euphoria, let's go."
"That psychopath is still out there. Good luck without the dragon flame." Elliott yelled after him.
Regina and Euphoria turned around ready to cuss him out; but, before the words left their mouth, they were silenced by a cloaked figure behind the angry prince. Regina saw the hitman's finger on the trigger. She transformed and pulled Euphoria and Elliott down simultaneously. Instead of hitting Elliott, it hit her. She flew back a few feet. The injury healed itself and Regina appeared fine. Elliott turned to the cloaked figure and blasted him out of his perch. The gunman protected himself with an electromagnetic shield. The Eraklyonese prince ran to him and attempted to break the shield. Several specialists came to help capture the hitman. He felt like the situation was handled until Euphoria screamed.
Elliott turned around to see what was Regina. Her body became transparent. The Androsian princess looked at Elliott in with fright. It was an emotion he'd never seen Regina make. Regina faded until she disappeared. Elliott ran over to Euphoria and tried to feel around for Regina. Nothing was there. Elliott stood in shock. This was his fault. His arrogance caused this. Euphoria was hunched over, shedding her own silent tears. He wanted to comfort her, let her know that everything would be fixed. There wasn't anything he could do, but he would try.
Elliott threw a blast of fire towards the gunman. The specialists trying to contain the cloaked man moved out of the way. Elliott continued to rain fire on the man who took Regina from him. If Regina was gone, he would be too. Elliott's hair whipped wildly as his dragon came forward. He sent it towards the assailant. It exploded the shield and nothing was left other than a large fire and a scorched ground.
Meanwhile...
That was way too close. If he didn't transport out of there sooner, he would have died! He couldn't blame Elliott. If he were in his shoes, he'd do the same. He was sorry for what he did to Regina, but John would do it a hundred times over if it meant freeing his sister from Nabu.
(A/N) Where did my balls go? John was supposed to die in this chapter, but I punked out!
Next Chapter: A leader emerges from the Winx to find Regina.
