Hey guys! Good to see you again! At least, most of you.
This is the first time since coming to fanfiction that I'm a little annoyed. I had a lot of guest reviews just a short while back, and I'll admit I got a bit irritated. I have nothing against Nix, and if that's what most of you want, then that's what I'll do, and I'll even make sure to do my absolute best not to make them OOC and yet go well together, and so on. But what I don't appreciate, is late voters, making me change the story at the last minute. I will accept the late votes this time, and I will change the story to Nix, but next time, please be nice. I'm writing this story for you guys, and there's nothing that I would like more than your support.
Sorry about the rant. I apologize. Now on to the celebrations.
100 reviews! Thanks so much to all those who reviewed to help me cross it. I never thought I would get this far, but I have and it's all thanks to you guys. Special thanks to thesecondgarde, scone104, EpicLoric24, Colemet Milinia, and of course, Prajnaa, for reviewing practically all my chapters! I love you guys!
This chapter is dedicated to Prajnaa, because she was my 100th reviewer. This is the last you'll hear from Ella in a while. Enjoy!

Ella

'Why don't we just tell them the truth?' I ask. Marina's face flashes into my mind again before I will it away.

I can't stop thinking about the fact that I will have to kill my friends, the ones who took me in and kept me safe. I keep trying to distract myself, but I can't get Marina's sisterly smile, or Eight's goofy grin, or Nine's arrogant smirk out of my head. Even during combat training, every time I duck out of the way, or deflect a projectile with telekinesis, or land a blow on my father while sparring, I imagine them looking at me with pride, congratulating me on my progress, and my resolve almost shatters again.

Even though I try not to, my mind keeps combing for excuses, any way out of this nightmare that I'm in. This question is just the latest.

My father sighs. 'I've already considered that, Ella.' he tells me patiently. 'The Elders did their job well. Anyone who didn't know what happened would automatically believe that the Mogodorians were invading, who, incidentally, did not help by torturing the Garde and their Cepans against my orders.'

How true. The Mogodorians may not have destroyed Lorien, but that doesn't mean that they aren't cruel and bloodthirsty. We need their help now, but I'm determined that the moment the war ends, I will personally make an example of each and every bully among them.

'We were lucky enough to be able to convince Number Five.' my father says, turning away.

Now it's my turn to frown. I had completely forgotten about the vision which my father showed me, warning me that Five was a traitor.

'How did you manage that?' I ask uneasily. Even though I understand why Five betrayed us- betrayed them, I remind myself- I still don't feel completely certain about him. He deceived everyone too easily.

'We found him when he was young.' my father says almost absently. 'His Cepan had just died, and he was afraid and alone. I took him in and told him the truth. After a lot of work, he believed me.'

Something else occurs to me. The mission in the Everglades- the one to retrieve Five's chest- that was probably a trap. 'He led them there on purpose, didn't he?' I ask, remembering his suspicious behaviour. 'It was all a trap.'

'Yes.' my father agrees. 'Speaking of which, I almost forgot. He reported back to me yesterday with the good news. He successfully killed one of the Garde. Number Eight.'

The words hit me like a sledgehammer. 'Eight is….. dead?' I ask, struggling to keep my voice even. I don't know why, but I never imagined that one of them could already have been killed. I didn't think that I would never get the chance to apologize to them, to beg for forgiveness.

The reality of what I'm doing hits me. I remember Eight teleporting us out of trouble in India, Eight joking around after new Mexico, Eight laughing and flirting with Marina, Eight hugging me after I read Crayton's letter, Eight grinning goofily, making us all laugh… He's gone. Murdered by his own kind. And I have to do the same for the others. For all my other friends.

I want to scream with frustration. This isn't fair. In that moment, I hate the Elders with every fibre of my being, not just for all they have done, but for all they are making me do. Marina, Nine, Eight- they all should have had their entire lives to look forward to. But out of greed, they've stolen it all away from them.

How am I supposed to kill them? How can I tear their life away from them?

'Are you alright, Ella?' my father asks.

I swallow the lump in my throat and choke out the words.

'Yeah, I just need some sleep.' I mumble.

I run out of the room before he can stop me.

Nine

The ground ripples under my feet, and I almost topple over. The Mogodorian in front of me isn't so lucky, and he goes sprawling on the ground, trying to scramble to his feet, before I snap his neck and put him out of his misery.

I brush the ash off my arms and glance back in surprise. I know that the Mogodorian standing next to Sam caused the earthquake. I try to recall the name Malcolm told me….. Adam. Looks like he isn't as useless as I thought.

The battle starts getting monotonous. Duck, punch, shove, jump…I zone out, kneeing the Mog in front of me in the stomach almost absently, using my new Legacy to assess the battle. John has set himself on fire and is rapidly burning through the Mogs. Marina is using her new ice-Legacy, cutting through the battalion almost as fast as me. The humans have taken cover and are firing incessantly at any strays, and I can even sense Six, invisible, summoning her storm, waiting for the moment to finish them off.

I can also sense the Mogs, sneaking up on her from behind like they know where she is.

I frown as I grab a Mog by the neck, crushing his throat, ignoring his wild swing at my head. I focus on the Mogs creeping up on Six, and then I sense the devices strapped on to their arms.

Infrared scanners connected to a camera feed. Designed specifically to locate someone invisible, someone hidden to the naked eye, someone deadly.

Designed to locate Six.

In a flash, the Mogs facing me are ash, and I'm turning to yell a warning, turning to tell Six about the impending danger. A sense of déjà vu rushes through me, and I remember Six doing the same for me when my Legacy arrived back in West Virginia.

'Six, watch out!' I scream.

I'm too late. I can just sense her turning to me in surprise before the knife plunges into her back.

Five

I walk nervously through the corridors of the base underneath Ashwood Estates, wondering why Raylan has summoned me in the middle of the night. I wonder briefly if he somehow discovered that I was the one who helped Marina escape.

The very thought of the Beloved Leader makes me shiver. My admiration for him seems to have completely disappeared since my run-in with Marina, leaving behind what I strongly suspect is disgust.

'Number Five.'

I hear his voice and turn around, trying not to shudder. He has taken the form of Setrakus Ra, and he towers above me, his eyes almost glowing in the darkness. I struggle not to recoil, reminding myself that he is a telepath. If I make him even the slightest bit suspicious, he'll examine my thoughts and have me executed for treachery.

Thankfully, he doesn't seem to notice. 'You must be wondering why I have requested your presence at this time of the night.' he says, his voice crisp.

I bow. 'Yes, my Lord.' I say, trying to keep my voice sincere.

'To answer your question, I have just finished combat training for the day with my daughter.' he says.

'How has she reacted?' I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.

'Surprisingly well.' he tells me. His voice sounds disapproving, but I know that he is willing to let the question slide this time. 'She hasn't even thought of using her telepathy to confirm if I was telling the truth.' He touches my shoulder, indicating that I can look up again. 'Follow me.' he commands.

He strides down the corridor, and I jog to keep up with him, trying to figure out where he is taking me. We seem to be descending even deeper into the compound, down staircases, through hallways, up corridors, until we finally arrive at a row of prison cells that I have never seen before.

He pauses in front of an interrogation room and remains silent for a moment, peering through the one-way glass. I follow his gaze. Sitting Indian-style, with his skin bruised and chafed in a multitude of places, and his hands bound with unbreakable, Legacy-negating manacles, is an old man with long grey hair.

I remain silent. I know that Raylan will speak when he is ready. But at the same time, I can't help feeling a surge of pity for this man, whoever he is, and disgust, that Raylan has stooped to a new low by beating up old wrinkled humans.

'This is Devdan.' Raylan says finally, looking up from the glass at me. 'He was Number Eight's mentor in India. The Mogodorians had captured him, and were holding him as bait in the hope that Number Eight would eventually try to rescue him.'

I try to speak evenly, neutrally, struggling to keep the horror from creeping into my voice. 'Why are you wasting your time on him now?' I ask. 'Number Eight is dead.'

"I killed him." I add silently.

'I originally planned to have him executed.' Raylan says, turning back to peer in through the glass. Devdan stares serenely back like he knows he's there. 'But, you see, I hadn't met him until yesterday. And it was only then that I realized that he's Loric.'

I blink in confusion. 'I'm sorry?' I ask. 'He's Loric?'

'Yes.' Raylan replies calmly. 'He has Sight.'

I suck in a breath. Sight is the advanced version of Precognition- the ability to see the future instead of just catching the occasional glimpses. It's incredibly rare and powerful. I open my mouth to speak, but Raylan waves at me to be silent and continues.

'He has telepathy too, and it's unbelievably powerful.' he says. 'Even with those manacles causing him pain and my Disruption shutting it off, he can still hold his own. The best I can get out of him is that he knows the key to defeating me. Some relic or artefact or something. And he says that he'll only talk to Number Eight.'

I resist the urge to yell with frustration. 'Why do you bother, then?' I ask. 'Eight is dead. He can't exactly tell him anything, and even if he could, Eight can't tell the Garde.'

Raylan shakes his head. 'Loric dreams are powerful, Five. Sometimes they can even enable you to communicate with the dead.' I nod, remembering Marina telling me that she had just had a vision of Eight. 'I won't take that chance. You're one of the Garde. He may talk to you. See if you can get it out of him. You know the rewards.'

I nod again, trying my best to look excited. 'I'll do my best.' I say.

Then I open the door and step into the interrogation room.

And then the lights flicker and go off.

That was difficult. Thanks for reading! Review!