The Story Of A Girl Named Flame

I wrote this two years ago so enjoy the book that was my first novel.

      FLAME

ONE

Flame felt as though her head had just hit the pillow when she was jolted awake by the sound of gunshot. She was out of bed in a minute, adrenalin flowing through her veins filling her as she flew down the stairs. Flame was at the entryway in an instant, throwing open the door with a BANG! Flame looked out and saw six shadowy figures running down the street out of town. Flame ran out the door to follow the figures, but before flame could get vary far she saw him. He was only a few feet away from her and he was bloody, very bloody. Flame rushed over to him and dropped on her knees beside him. She leaned over the boy her ear to his chest listening for a breath. To her relief the boy was breathing, but his pulse was erratic, and he was loosing blood quickly. Flame looked for an entry point for the bullet she had heard, but there was none. All of the blood was exiting from knife wounds or skin broken under the force of a punch or a kick. Flame quickly glanced around to see where the bullet had landed as she ripped up the bottom of her long night shirt. Flame found the bullet in a moment, a slight silvery glint in the early morning’s darkness. The bullet was sitting in a small pool of water an inch from the boy’s head. Flame needed to get the boy inside before he died lying in the street. Flame ran inside and headed strait back up the stairs to the room directly across from her own.

“Brick!” Flame yelled waking him up as she dragging him out of his bead. Flame didn’t have time to explain she just ran back down the stairs again as Brick stood, the boy was loosing blood too quickly, she had to get back down there. Brick was on her heals wondering what had excited her, but he knew better than to ask. Then he was there, and he saw the boy. Without needing a word from Flame Brick scooped up the limp body and carried it to the back of the garage, to the spare room. When Flame switched on the light to the room, she saw just how pail the boy was as Brick put the boy down on the bed.

“Brick, get the first-aid kit and water,” Flame said ripping off what was left of the boy’s shirt. The blood on it was starting to turn black. Flame threw the soiled shirt on the floor and as she did so she noticed the boy’s thin, strong, frame that had been hidden beneath the baggie shirt. Brick was back in a moment the first-aid kit in hand. He handed the case to Flame who pulled out the hydrogen peroxide and poured it over a rag. Flame took the drenched rag and started cleaning out the deep gashes. She didn’t have to worry about it stinging, the boy was out cold. Flame began in the areas that were loosing the most blood and worked her way to the scratches and burses. This whole process took four hours and by the time that Flame was finished the sun was out and shining to announce another summer morning. As flame reached the end of her labor she notice two broken bones. One was an upper right rib and the other was the lower left arm bone. Flame could feel the bone already beginning to mend itself. And then a sense of dread filled her. Flame lifted the boy’s right arm and just before she could look she heard Brick at the room’s door, behind her.

 “How's it going?” he asked, his tall, tan, muscular, build taking up most of the doorframe he was leaning against. Flame put the boy’s arm back down on the bed and turned toward Brick.

“Remember the time the Bulwaluk pulled you behind him for three miles?” Flame asked looking at Brick, Her face had contorted itself into a grimace but her eyes showing the slightest gleam of a smile at the memory.

“Of course I do,” Brick said “How could I forget? I still have the scars on my arms and back,” his ice blue, eyes smiling back at her deep green ones.

“This is a little worse,” Flame said.

“I thought you said that I had nothing worry about,” Brick said looking at the condition of the boy.

“I lied.” Flame said pushing her hair off her face. “I wasn’t sure you would live,” she said as she was brushing the kids face with a cool cloth wiping away the final flecks of blood. “In fact, it was caring for you that taught me how to care for him now.”

“You what!” demanded Brick.

“ You did lived through it and now you’re stronger than before, so stop whining,” said Flame. Brick just shook his head and turned to leave the room. Flame was the most confusing person on the planet. According to her instead of him being fine like she had told him he had almost died. She baffled him. Why would she have done that? Just as Brick was out of the room, Flame’s voice pulled him back. “Brick, look at this,” Flame said worry crossing her face as she healed up the boy’s hand so Brick could see. Brick saw that there was something like a tattoo, but not quite, it was jagged like a lightning bolt the edges sharp. This wouldn’t have caused him to be surprised except that A: It was the same as Flame’s and B: It was glowing a light blue color. 

“It's the same,” Brick said.

“I know it’s the same but how a…” Flame gasped and grasped her right wrist with her left hand as the pain struck, and her wrist began to glow. Then all of a sudden the pain was gone and all that remained was the ominous glow, a reddish tint around Flame’s wrist.

“What was that?” Brick asked as the glow finally faded out.

“I-I don’t know,” Flame said.

“Flame if it… Do you think it could mean…” Brick was cut off by Flame at this point.

“No, it just doesn’t,” Flame said as she left the room. “Watch him.” Once in the hall, Flame Picked up the old phone that hung on the wall, it was covered with dust from lack of use. She dialed an old number. It had been about a year since she had used this number. Flame wondered why she hadn’t tried to call them more often. It would make days like these so much less awkward. Not that Flame normally had days like this.

“Hello?” A voice said light, and cherry on the other side of the line as JJ answered.

“JJ,” Flame said.

“Flame? It can’t be you we figured you had lost our number, that or you were avoiding us,” JJ said.

“I know, sorry. The garage has been really busy.” After that there was an uncomfortable silence until Flame said, “Listen, do you and Zeek still have your bikes?” Flame asked herself if this was the right thing to do but she knew that if it is what she thought, she knew it was just the beginning and she would need them.

“Yeah they’ve been sitting around for a while but they still work,” Said JJ. “Why?”

“I don’t really know,” Flame said. “Can you come?” What was she supposed to say that a boy with a glowing wrist had shown up and it meant trouble? No, that seemed crazy to her and she was living it.

“Of course we’ll come. We’ll leave tonight,” JJ said.

“Thanks,” Flame said, and she hung up the phone. She still had to call one more person. She got his voicemail again. This was the third time this year that she had tried to call him. She wondered why he had a phone if he would never answer it, “Leo it’s me. Please pick up,” She waited a minute but noting happened. “Fine, Just call me back. There’s something going on and you should be here with the rest of us,” that’s all she said after that she just hung up. If only she had known what was happening to Leo at that moment.

Flame walked over to the kitchen and pulled out a tray and started making some breakfast for the boy. She figured that he would be up soon with his amazingly fast healing pace.

So at this point it would probably be appropriate for the author of this book to explain about Flame and her friends. Flame is a sixteen year old girl with short red hair and deep green eyes and she can create, maintain, and manipulate fire. Flame is the leader of a group of kids. Kids that she had come to see as closer to her than family. Brick is the only person in the group that is older than flame. Brick is seventeen and he is Flame’s right hand man. You probably wonder why Brick would let Flame, a girl and a younger person lead. Well the fact is that she beat him. They had a contest just as they had met to decide who would make the decisions and Flame had won. The other members of this little brigade are; Leo a thirteen year old boy with white hair and gray eyes and if you were to hand him a weapon then in ten seconds he would be able to use it; JJ is also thirteen and he has brown hair and brown eyes and he just likes to make things go BOOM!; Then finally there is Zeek. Zeek is fifteen has black hair with natural dark blue streaks. Zeek really likes guns and knows how to use over two-hundred different guns.

 “The kid's up,” Brick said poking his head into the kitchen.

“Okay. I'm coming,” Flame said grabbing the tray and going into the boy’s room.

“Where am I?” asked the boy as Flame walked into the room. Flame cut off the boy before he could say anything else.

“Hold on, eat this then tell me who you are,” said Flame putting the tray down. “And then I’ll tell you about me.”

“My name is James,” Said the boy in between mouthfuls of food, “So who are you?” asked James with enfaces, noticing her bright red hair a short, plain, black dress that was cut at the side to show her jeans underneath and to allow free movement, a bright red shirt under the dress, and a red belt that went around the waist of the dress.

“I'm Flame, and this is Brick. You're at my garage,” said Flames

“So you’re like a mechanic?” James asked.

“I prefer the term vehicle specialist,” Flame said then asked, “Do you remember what happened at all last night?”

“Yeah, I got beat up by a gang,” James said rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the ground.

“Do you know who attacked you? Or why someone would want to attack you?” Flame asked.

“No,” James said. “I fought because they attacked me. I didn’t get a chance to see their faces. The only thing I saw was a ring. It looked like a viper.”

“You fought a team of vipers? And lived? You're going to think this is beyond crazy, but I saw the birthmark on your wrist and well it started to glow, and so the question is, can you control fire?” Flame asked as she rolled her sleeve and showed him her birthmark, James instantly saw it was the same.

James looked down avoiding Flame’s gaze as he spoke, “Water, I can control water. I take it, since you asked, you can control fire,” So that was it he was an element user. He was a water controller and what had happened so many times in history began to happen again. An unintentional gathering of element controllers.

Flame nodded then said smiling, “You should eat; your body will appreciate it,” and as if to confirm that, James's stomach growled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TWO

“Flame?” James peered around the corner of the doorway at the bottom of the stairs looking for Flame. It had been eight days since he had arrived, and he had been back on his feet for the last three of those. Flame knew he was pushing himself, but really, what was she supposed to tell him? Go back to bed? What was she his mother?

“I’m here, what’s up?” Flame asked sliding out from beneath a car, grease smeared across her face

“A concept in which things that are above you are considered up,” said James.

“Very funny but not what I meant,” said Flame.

“I was using water to hit targets I had setup out back and I accidently hit my arm. It’s starting to swell. Do you have any ice?” James asked.

“Well, I do, but would you like to explain ice for me first?” asked Flame.

“No.” James said in a playfully pouty tone.

“Give me one second and I’ll show you I keep the ice,” Flame said pulling a rag off a nearby work bench and  to wipe the grease smears off her face and hands, “If you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t you just make some ice?”

“Well… I… I never tried,” James said.

“Why not?” Flame asked.

“I haven’t needed to before,” said James.

“How long have you known that you could control water?”  Flame asked, leading James into the kitchen.

“Not long,” James said. Sliding into one of three chairs at a small round table in the corner.

“How long is not long?” Flame asked as she opening the freezer an edge in her voice.

“About a month,” James said as Flame put the ice in a towel.

“A month!” Flame asked shocked as she handed James the ice.

“I found out just a month ago just after my father died,” James said.

“James, who was your father?”  Flame sat down straight across from him and watched him intensely.

“Aushis his last name was Aushis,” James said looking her straight in they eye for only an instant. No one could hold flames piercing gaze for more than a few seconds. It’s a word of power isn’t it?” James asked.

“It is, do you want to tell me how you know that?” Flame said keeping her gaze steady as ever.

“My father was Harold David Aushis,” James began, “My father spent his life trying to find gifted children to train, so they could survive what he thought was coming. My father believed these kids were going to save the world. Kids who could manipulate elements,. My father died a month ago trying to find ‘element children,’ as he called them. After he died I was just so angry something boiled inside me and the next ting I know there’s water everywhere and it’s too hot to touch. Before my father died I travelled with him, I learned so much but especially the family name. And I know that my cousin was supposed to be the main user in the family but here’s the thing, I don’t have a cousin. My uncle died saving my father’s life, My father died saving my life. I don’t plan to die saving some one, but I will save everyone. So don’t ask me to explain this, don’t ask me to explain why I have this power, just know that I plan to use it to save people.” James said telling Flame exactly what she had thought he would.

“James, who killed your father?” Flame asked leaning closer to him to make sure she heard what she knew was coming.

“A gang, but they’re not the one’s that matter, the one that matters is the one they call Commander,” James said.

“Excuse me.” Flame said as she ran out of the room. She was angry, she couldn’t be around anyone when she was this angry. Flame ran out the door and headed to her favorite spot. It was just out of town and next to the clearest, glassiest, water, in the entire zone. This was her spot. It was hidden behind trees and hills and it was hers. But today Flame couldn’t even find comfort in the peace and serenity of her spot, she was too angry. He had done it again he had touched her life again knowingly making her life a misery. He was killing her, and he meant to. He was evil, and Flame had to wonder just what he wanted from her. He was crazy but he never did anything without a reason and Flame knew that those Vipers were sent by him and that he had dropped of James on her doorstep, her only question was why.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three

“Hey you guys going to keep us out in the cold?” yelled through the door on a 97 degree day. It was the warmest day that there had been in three years. Typically it stayed around 70 or 80. JJ and Zeek were waiting at the front of the garage door.

“Yes,” Flame said as she went through the garage to open the door. Flame gave each of the boys a hug and said speaking to JJ, “You’ve gotten taller,”

 “That seems to happen,” JJ said.

 “Come on. There's someone you need to meet,” Flame pulled the boys up the stairs to the living part of the garage and knocked on the door, to what had been transformed into James's room.

“Come in,” James called from the other side of the door.

“James, meet Zeek and JJ,” Flame said throwing open the door.

“Hi,” James said stuffing a new shirt and a pair of Jeans Flame had gotten him into a drawer.

“So you survived a week with Flame. How do you feel?” Zeek asked.

“Older,” James said.

“Welcome to the club,” Zeek said.

“Yeah anyone who can survive a week with Flame is a member,” JJ said.

 “Come on guys, you too James; I think you'll want to take a look at your new motorcycles and weapons,”

“What motorcycles?” asked JJ.

“The ones I modified for you guys; You think I sat around for an entire year? Please! You know me better than that,” Flame said as she took the boys to the back of the garage and flipped open a power box flipping some switches; Then she closed the panel sliding open a hidden door to a back room of the garage. Inside the room, there were six bikes, each one different and as far as motorcycles go; Beautiful!

“What are we supposed to do with the old ones?” asked JJ.

“Leave theme here. I mite be able to use them for scrap,” Said Flame.

“Hold on. There are six bikes here and James just recovered. Why are there so many?” asked JJ.

“I got bored, so I made another bike about a month ago. Once James showed up I modified the sixth bike for his specific use,” said Flame brushing her hair back using her fingers.  “James, can you ride?”

“Me?” James asked “yeah my dad used to fix them,” he said.

“Good; Now weapons. JJ I know how much you like to make things explode so I made a bomb kit for you; I don't exactly know what you have to mix but it looks promising. Will it work?”

“I think so. Thanks Flame,” said JJ looking through the box.

“Zeek, can you handle a sniper’s weapon?” Flame asked turning to Zeek.

“Yes,” Zeek said he was always so vague except with JJ.

“Good. Take this one. James you get a canteen,”

“Oooh water. I'm soooo scared,” said JJ sarcastically.

“It sounds a little strange, but I like to carry around matches because I can't always get enough heat from the air to generate fire, so you get a canteen,” Flame said explaining it to James.

“Wait, you’re saying he can control water?!” Asked JJ mouth dropping open in shock.

“That's exactly what I'm saying,” said Flame, handing James the canteen.

“Thanks,” said James as JJ gawked.

“Now, how about we try out your new bikes and see if you can keep up with me,” suggested Flame, pushing up JJ’s lower jaw closing his mouth for him.

James smiled and said, “I don't think you'll be able to keep up with me.”

Flame looked at him out of the corner of her eye. She planted her hands  on the front of the bike and then jumped onto the bike firmly sitting herself in the center of the seat. Then she revved the engine, “I’ll just have to prove you wrong,” as she took off.

“Hey, wait for us!” yelled JJ who was now done being astonished.

Twenty minutes later, JJ, Brick, James, Zeek, and Flame were heading out to the countryside to try out all the new toys on their new bikes; That’s when they heard it - a girl’s blood curdling scream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four

“Fight pattern Gray-Three. James stick close to me. Brick, take JJ with you; Zeek, go to that hill,” said Flame in a rush. Then she and James headed straight toward the sound; JJ and Brick flanked them far behind; Zeek positioned himself on top of the small hill with his sniper weapon. When Flame and James pulled up, a thug was holding a small girl maybe eight or nine.

He dropped the girl when they pulled up; “Oh look, it's twinkle; Do you know how hard it is your to get your attention? I even had to beat that kid up,” he said with a sneer in his voice talking to Flame but looking at James.

That's when Flame noticed the ring on the thug's finger and said, “You're a viper? Man, they'll take anyone won’t they? I'm so not impressed.”

That's when the thug said, “I'm not here to impress you. I'm here to kill you,” as he pulled out a gun and pointed it straight at Flame. Flame smiled as the thug shot. He was so cute the way he thought one gun would be a problem. Flame created a wall of fire between her and the bullet. “The bullet never had a chance and neither did this thug,” Flame thought, her eyes narrowing and a sly smile dancing at the corner of her mouth as she melted the bullet in mid flight. The heat in the wall could reach 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

Flame leaned over and whispered to James. When she finished, he looked at her wickedly. Then he looked at the thug. James collected the moisture from the air and the water flew toward the thug. James froze the water around the thug's feet.

“Nicely done,” Flame said, impressed that James had gotten it the first time.

“Thank you,” said James, in reply, surprised that he had managed to freeze the air.

 Next, Flame made the handle of the gun so hot that the guy dropped it. Then she said. still on her bike, “You're going to tell us what we want to know,”

The thug just said, “You can torture me all you want; you won’t get a thing,” The thug smiled like he had just won.  Flame wondered how many times this thug had practiced such a cheesy line in the mirror because it was definitely rehearsed.

“Oh, but honey, we aren't going to torture you,” said Flame responding with an equally cheesy line as she pushed a button on her communicator, cueing Brick and JJ.

 

“We’re up,” said Brick, and he and JJ hit the accelerator.

A minute later they arrived, and Flame said, “JJ, ask the man who he works for,”

JJ looked at the thug, and as he looked the eyes of the thug glazed over; When they were completely glazed, JJ asked, “Who do you work for?” When the thug finally answered, he sounded as if he were half asleep.

“Commander,” He said. James and Flame tensed.

“Who is Commander?” asked JJ.

“Guy running gangs,” said the thug.

The last thing JJ Asked was, “Where can we find Commander?”

The thug answered slowly as if he were trying everything not to have to answer. “Sewers,” JJ released the thug and the guy fell unconscious.

“I would have gone on to get more details, but I can only use concentration like that for a short time,” said JJ.

“That's okay, JJ, I got all I needed; In fact I didn't know your concentration had gotten so much better,” said Flame.

“Well it has been a year,” said JJ.

“Right. Well, I'm going to take this little girl home,” Flame said scooping the kid up. “You guys head back. I wont be long,”

Flame took the little girl to her house only to find that her parents were out looking for her; Apparently the girl had been missing for three days. Her parents had called the authorities but they had said they could do nothing, so in desperation the parents went looking themselves. The entire police force was under Commander’s influence.  As Flame waited for the girl’s parents to get home, she got off the bike and leaned against it. The girl fell asleep on her front porch on a rocking chair. Flame thought about how to stop Commander; She thought about what she had learned about James’s past, she also thought about her own past. Flame knew that in some way all these things made a picture but to her it seemed she could only see one piece and she had to put it in the right place before the other pieces would make sense.

Flame heard a noise coming down the street, rocketing her out of her deep thoughts. It was the girl’s parents coming back after another day of searching for their lost lamb. Flame decided that she didn’t feel like being berated with questions that night so before the parents were too close, Flame took off in the direction of the garage. Before she was too far away, Flame looked back to see the parents hugging their daughter and crying as if they would never let her go again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five

“I-I'm s-sorry boss! They j-jumped me!” said the thug that had been sent after Flame.

“I should say they did. That was part of the plan. Stop shivering, I'm not disposing of you yet, I still need you for another mission, but if you fail me again I won't be so kind,” this was said by someone behind a blackened window a person referred to as Commander.

“I-I c-cant. I-I'm… t-they had t-to unfreeze m-me. I'm c-cold,” Said the thug.

 “You’re dismissed,” Commander said as the thug left.

Why were people so incompetent? Now Commander had to send in a professional. “Alana!” he called.

“Yes?” a young girl walked in to the room, her silver hair and eyes making quite an impression.

 “It would seem the time has come for your training to be tested. I want you to infiltrate a group,”

“Is that all?” Alana asked

“No, you must use your... specialty,” Commander said as Alana smiled.

“Who gets the special treatment?” she asked.

“Flame,” Commander said.

Alana's confidants seemed to flicker “Flame? She wont be happy to see me it will be hard to infiltrate anything Flame’s involved in” but then she seemed to remember where she was and she regained her confidence. “Of course I can handle anything,”

“Good. You're dismissed,” said Commander.

 

 

six

Everyone was sitting in the garage having lunch in the only spot free of clutter when there was a knock on the door. “I'll get it,” said Flame “It must be Leo,” Flame opened the door. It wasn't Leo.

“Pattern D-71!” Flame yelled.

“I'm not here to fight you Flame,” Said the girl coolly. The girl with silver hair and silver eyes.

“What do you want, Alana?” Flame asked ice in her voice, still on guard.

“I'm here to help,” Alana said, walking in.

“We don't want or need your kind of help. Now leave. It's what you're best at,” Flame said, holding the door open.

“It's about Leo,” Alana said.

“What about Leo?” Flame asked, letting the door go seeming a little less intense than a moment before.

“Flame, don't you find it a little strange for him to be so late?” Alana asked.

“So?” Flame said.

“Flame, he's been kidnapped. You know I'm telling you the truth, You can read people read me,” Flame did know she wasn't lying, but that didn't mean she was telling the whole truth.

Flame turned to Brick and said with forced sweetness, “Brick, take Alana to Leo's room,” Flame said with forced sweetness.

Brick said to Alana. “Follow me,” Brick tuned and looked once at Flame to see her looking at the door like it had let Alana in. When  Alana was upstairs Flame slammed the front door and stormed into the kitchen.

“What's the story with that?” asked James.

“Alana is Leo's sister,” said JJ “Flame treated Alana like a little sister, but one day while all of us were asleep Alana left. She took all her stuff and left. Alana only left a note, that only said she had met a man and he said he could help her and that was it, Alana was gone. Personally I don’t think that Flame ever liked Alana, I think she was only nice to Alana because of Leo. The one thing that gets underneath Flame's skin is people leaving people,”

Meanwhile, upstairs,

“You're not so happy to see me,” Said Alana looking at Brick.

“Alana, you left in the middle of the night. Flame's not going to just forget,” Brick said, leaving the room. Just before it closed all the way he heard,

“So because Flame hates me you do to? Is that loyeahlty or is it because you love her?” Alana asked.

“Flame!” Brick called walking down the stairs.

“Kitchen,” James said pointing, “Word to the wise; caution,” Brick gave a look like yeah no kidding and walked into the kitchen.

When Brick walked into the kitchen he saw Flame, three chocolate bars, and three chocolate bar wrappers on the floor.

“Cutting back, I see,” said Brick. “Why did you let her stay?”

“I'm not letting her stay. I'm keeping my eye on her. She's up to something, and I'm going to find out what. I wouldn't put it past her to have kidnapped Leo herself,” Flame said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seven

Leo woke up, his arms held in the air by chains and his feet chained to the ground.

“Well, well, look who finally decided to join the real world,” said a man walking into the room. “You needn't worry, you're sister left strict instruction that you aren't to be harmed.”

“What have you done to my sister!?” yelled Leo.

“Done to her? Why nothing. Done for her, well that's another story;” the man smiled slyly “you know I could do the same for you, Leo. You and your sister would make quite a team,”

“I have a team, and as far as a sister, if she really is working with you, then I have no sister,” said Leo.

“Ah, perhaps you will change your mind when all your friends lives depend on your choice,” Commander said.

“I will never ever hurt good people, even if it costs me my life,”

“Ah yes, but what about when it will cost your friend’s lives? And you said good people, why am I not good?” Commander asked.

“You're hurting people who did nothing to you,” Leo said.

“You think I'm evil? You don't know anything, you're only a child,” Commander said.

“Yeah? Well you're just a bitter old man who manipulates people,” Leo said.

“Do you play chess, Leo?” Leo just stared daggers. Leo momentarily thought that Flame would have been proud of this look.

“I am like the black king, I control the other pieces and they protect me. Flame is like the white queen. Flame’s king is her heart. She would protect it with her life. Flame’s heart is her family her friends and the people around her. She has willingly put her life on the line and as she dose so, she will undoubtedly loose it.” Said Commander.

“How will you destroy her heart?” Leo asked appalled.

“That is what you will just have to watch and see, my young sir. I do hope you're comfortable, because you have a front row seat for something much bigger than you can possibly anticipate,” With that Commander left the room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eight

“From Alana's information, we know that the Commander is somewhere in this area here,” Flame said, pointing to a spot on the map, “And we think Leo is somewhere over here, we don't think that Leo would be too far away from Commander. I still don't know why they would want Leo except to get the rest of us, so be prepared for a trap,” Flame said.

“Trap or not we can’t leave Leo in the hands of this person,” said Brick.

“I agree,” said Flame.

“Do we know why Commander wants us?” asked JJ.

“We think so,” said Alana. “We think Commander is after element controllers.”

“I've been thinking about that,” said Flame. “I wonder, do you really think there will only be four element controlling people in the world? Why not more? Why not hundreds?” The room had become quiet at this idea. No one knew what to say to that until Alana spoke up,

“It might be possible. I mean the chances that James is the only person in the world who could control water are slim, and the chance that the one person in the world who can control water would land on the porch of the one person who can control fire is even more slim, unless it was planned,” This comment made the room almost deathly still.

“A plan, a trap, both, or chance we still need is save Leo, and that's exactly what we're going to do right now,” said Zeek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nine

“You go,”

“No, you go,”

“No, you go.”

This brilliant exchange of the English language was between Zeek and JJ, who were arguing over who would go first into the pipes. Flame had told them to scout out the area and they thought that they had found an entrance to the sewers that had no evidence of being used for years.

“Look lets just both go,” Said JJ.

“Okay,” said Zeek. JJ and Zeek approached the entrance slowly and when they were no more than a step away, JJ pushed Zeek in through the entrance.

“Why you little..,” Zeek was cut off because what he saw next made him forget what he was saying. “JJ, come see this,”

“Oh no, I'm not going to be tricked that easy,” said JJ.

“You're going to want to see this.” This time the tone of Zeek's voice made JJ come, and what he saw made him stair.

“Flame, get over here NOW!” JJ said, using the communicator.

“What is it, JJ?” Flame asked.

“We found Leo,” JJ said.

“Where?” Flame asked.

“About three miles south-west from where you are. Flame hurry,” Flame went over to her bike.

“What is it?” asked Brick.

“JJ and Zeek found Leo,” Flame said. Brick couldn't read the look on Flame's face but he thought it might be a mix of fear, excitement, joy, and relief.

“Well what are we waiting for?” asked Brick getting on his bike. As soon as they were mounted they headed toward Leo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ten

“Lower me,” said Flame. The boys had found Leo; he was asleep in a cell styled room which they could see into through a slight gap between the floor of the tunnel and the roof of the cell, just big enough for Flame to slip through.

“What?!” demanded Brick, “You can't go down there by yourself. I should go. It could be dangerous,” He almost seemed like he was pleading with her.

“Brick, I value your input and you’re my best friend, but right now I'm not asking. You are going to lower me in to that room and you're going to keep an eye on my back,” She then turned to the younger boys and said,

“You guys listen to Brick, whatever he says goes, no matter what. Now, help me to the floor of that room,” Brick nodded and they lowered Flame to the floor below. You may be asking yourself, “where is Alana?” Well she had disappeared that morning and hadn't been back. Flame had expected this and knew Alana would be back but as far as Flame was concerned she couldn't care less, at least that's what she told herself.

“Leo, wake up, we have to go,” Flame said in an anxious whisper. “I don't know when the guard will be back,”

“Flame!” Leo was surprised to see Flame and he was surprised at where he was. They must have drugged him and moved him in the middle of the night. “How did you find me?”

“I'll tell you later. Right now let’s get out of here,” said Flame.

“How?” asked Leo.

“Over there,” Flame pointed to the gap in the floor, just big enough for a slim teen to get through. Leo nodded.

“You go first,” said Leo. Flame planted her feet firmly on the two Bricks protruding from the wall, lifted her hands, put them on the ledge, and pulled herself up.

“Okay, now you,” Flame said, helping Leo up and into the pipe.

“Something is wrong,” said Leo.

“You're right. The others were with me,” Flame said, but before she could worry about what happened, Leo yelled,

“DUCK!” Flame dropped to the floor and the next second, she saw a bullet fly through the air right where her head had been a second ago but now it was headed straight for Leo's head. There was nothing she could do. Flame felt so helpless, but then, just as the bullet was about to hit him, Leo did something totally unexpected. The ground moved to shield him.

“Leo, what did you do?” Flame asked, shocked. But before he could answer, a voice came through the tunnel,

“Surrender or be destroyed, child of the elements,” said the voice.

“I choose neither,” Flame said, yelling back at the unseen attacker. Flame looked around. She was stuck; there was only one thing to do. “Leo, run. I'll hold them off as long as I can. Find Brick, and whatever you do-don't come back,”

“What?” Leo asked, sounding concerned.

“Run, now!” Leo nodded. He knew there was no use arguing. As soon as he was gone, Flame created a wall of fire and pushed it forward, bracing herself for a fight. As bullets started to fly by, Flame melted all the ones she could, but that didn't stop them. They just kept coming, one finally, hitting her in the shoulder.

All Flame could remember after that, pain and blackness. There was no plan. Flame couldn't think, she could even move. She was captured, and the one thought that crept into her mind was, “They're alone with Alana,” then nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eleven

“Leo!” Alana yelled. She had seen him running out of the tunnel. She had returned to the camp shortly after the others had found Leo. Brick had filled her in on what had happened, though secretly she already knew. Alana was about to tell the rehearsed story of what she had been doing that morning, but before she could, Leo had run out of the tunnel. ‘Rats, things are moving too quickly,’ Alana thought. Oh well, she’d just have to make it work.

“Where were you?” Leo demanded.

“Leo, where's Flame?” Brick asked urgently.

“She's back there. We have to go get her now!” Leo said.

“Oh, we're not going anywhere,” Alana said, pulling a sword from under a nearby boulder.

“Alana? What are you doing?!” demanded Leo.

“This, my dear Leo, is the part of the game where distract and kill you,” Alana said.

James was about to stand up when he heard this. Kill her own brother? James had not known Alana long, but he hadn't liked her. Now he knew why.

“But you’re my sister. Flame trusted you,” Leo said pathetically.

“Don't be so naïve; you're a big boy, you know she would only let me in to keep an eye on me, and as far as being your sister, well talk to Flame if she lives,” Alana said.

“You planned this?” Brick demanded.

“Flame was trying to prevent yours and her inevitable destruction, but as we all know, inevitability is well, ha, inevitable,” Alana's eyes had begun to shine with excitement. The excitement of evil. The mood emitted from this girl was so startling it made JJ's spine crawl. It was so wrong. This girl had used to be his friend, and now she was so evil that JJ couldn't move. He couldn't believe what his eyes told him was true; he could only stare in horror.

“Here is what you need to know about me I don't believe in inescapable,” Brick said.

“You can't beat all of us Alana,” JJ had found his voice.

“I don't have to beat you, I merely have to keep you occupied,” Alana said.

“Stop playing games Alana, either fight us now or surrender,” Brick said.

“Brick she's distracting you she said so herself. You go look for Flame, we'll take care of Alana,” said James suddenly. What was going on had suddenly snapped into perspective, and he had a plan. Brick looked at James and saw the determination. He then took one last look at Alana and took off toward the pipes.

“It’s a good plan, you know. Nice work James. It really is to bad he'll die,” said Alana.

“Did you want to talk? Or did you want to fight?” James asked. Alana lifted her weapon.

“I want to fight,” and she swung the sword in a deadly arch toward his head, only to be stopped by another blade.

“I thought you gave up fighting,” Alana said to the boy in front of her.

“I'll make an exception for you,” said the boy. James noticed his hair, which was green and brown. He also noticed he was about Zeek's age.

“How nice, but you can't beat me,” said Alana.

“He may not be able to win on his own, but any enemy of yours is our friend,” said James realizing with lightning speed that this boy was on their side.

“Aw, how cute. You think you’re a part of their group,” said Alana, talking to James.

“More than you ever were,” said Zeek. “Now quit your talking and fight, if you are actually as good as you say you are, you should have no problem with that,” Instead of answering, Alana attacked. Alana let her emotions get the better of her. How dare he think he could beat her! Alana stepped away from the boy and jumped over him, straight toward Zeek. Too late, Zeek saw the fire coming off of her sword. Zeek didn't have time to move out of the way; he barely had time to process what was happening. But just before Alana reached Zeek, there was that boy. He was fast and he was in front of Zeek and he blocked Alana again.

“Don't underestimate me,” the boy said, and he started attacking Alana. James had never seen anything like it; even though Alana's sword was on fire, the boy's sword did not melt. The skill that the boy fought with was that of someone twice the age he appeared to be. Alana started losing ground fast, and sudden Alana tripped, and her sword went flying. The boy held the tip of the sword at Alana's neck and said,

“Go tell Commander that I'm back, and I won’t let him control me,” Then gthe boy pulled back his weapon and Alana took off. The boy sheathed his sword and turned to the boys and as he did JJ asked in amazement,

“Who are you?”

“My name is Deven,” said Deven.

“Well Deven, my name is James this is JJ, Zeek, and Leo,” James said, pointing to each one in turn. “You are an element controller,” James said. It wasn’t a question, he had seen the way Alana had been tripped.

“If you want to save your friend, we should leave now,” said Deven.

“Lead the way,” said James, trusting this boy they barely knew.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twelve

“Wake up!” Flame felt a sharp pain on her right. Where was she? What happened? Then, like bad fish, it all came back. Flame looked around; she was in a room that had a cement floor, rock walls, and a roof of cement. She was strapped to a table, metal, of course; it would take too long to melt. Who had told her to wake up? Flame looked around the room, again and there in the corner,

“Who are you?” asked Flame fear creeping into her voice so she sounded as though she was worried.

“I'm not the one you need be concerned about, it's him you should worry about,” said the voice. Flame looked, it was Brick!

“What do you want from me?” Flame asked, now angry.

“You should know that, you are MY daughter after all,” It was Commander. He had walked in through a door behind Flame.

“You! I should have known. A plan as sick as this could only come from your dark, twisted, manipulative mind,” said Flame.

“Oh stop, I'm blushing,” said Commander.

“What do you want from me? You want to use me as a weapon? Not going to happen,” said Flame.

“Don't think so highly of yourself. Turns out, you’re not as irreplaceable as you think you are. Alana, come here,” Alana stepped out of the shadows. “Show our dear Flame just what her little sister can do,” Brick had woken just in time to here this last sentence. Flame's sister?! Wouldn't that mean that...? Leo... was...? Alana lit her palm with a small blue flame.

“Am I supposed to be surprised? You think I didn't know? Please, I'm a bit sharper than that. I knew from day one. You can change things like how she looks but you can't change a personality like that. And I know that you wiped Leo's mind, because he would have never agreed to that,” said Flame.

“Very good. So if I don't need you, why are you still alive?” asked Commander.

“That's simple. I caught Alana a little faster than you planned, so she never learned any of my tricks. So you may not need my power, but you do need my experience,” said Flame. “Plus, I doubt she can sustain it for very long without loosing control, and I bet that she's weak after using any fire at all.”

“Very good, Flame. So will you join me, or does this one die?” asked Commander.

“Neither!” someone yelled somewhere above Flame's head. The next thing Flame knew, Zeek was next to her, Commander and Alana were gone, and she was sitting up.

“Brick?” Flame asked, looking at Zeek now.

“Here,” Brick said behind her. Flame took a deep breath and collapsed. Brick caught her.

“She's asleep,” he said. “She's reached her limit. Who's your new friend?” he asked, looking at Deven.

“He's..,” James started to say, but then Deven interrupted.

“You might as well know now. My name is Deven. I used to work with Flame. I control earth elements. Any more detail will have to be talked about later because if I know anything, then I know that they'll be back with bigger weapons,” said Deven.

“Any enemy of our enemy is our friend, and you’re right, they could be here any moment,” said Brick.

“That way,” Deven said, pointing to a nearby cavern.

“Then let's get a move on before they come back,” said JJ, so they did.

 

 

 

 

 

Thirteen

Flame was thrashing in her sleep, and a cold sweat broke out all over her body when suddenly she sat up sharply, awake, breathing heavily.

“Flame,” Who was that talking to her? Had she been captured again? Flame looked around. She was outside, the night air sweet and light. Flame felt a hand on her back. It was Brick. Flame relaxed.

“Brick,” she breathed out, nearly above a whisper, and she smiled a weak smile with relief.

“Are you okay?” Brick asked.

“I'll live,” said Flame.

“I'm glad. Are you hungry?” asked Brick.

“Is my hair red?” Flame joked half heartedly wit a bad pun. Brick went over to a fire that was burning about ten feet away. Flame spotted something next to the fire and her eyes widened when Brick brought the stew.

“Brick, where did he come from?” Flame asked, referring to Deven. She didn’t seemed surprised just curious.

“He's the one who beat Alana,” said Brick.

“He fought Alana?!” Flame was shocked now.

“Yeah, he said you knew him,” Brick said, looking at her questioningly.

“That was a long time ago,” Flame said.

“Flame who is he?” Brick asked flatly.

“He's Deven,” Flame said.

“I know his name, Flame, who is he?” Brick persisted. Flame took another deep breath, then another, then said,

“Before I met you, I was trained by Commander… my father and someone else,” said Flame.

“I thought as much,” said Brick.

“Yes, and Deven was my partner,” said Flame.

“What sort of a partner?” asked Brick.

“My mission partner. Brick are…,” she broke off and then said, “Are you jealous of him?” She had gone from a face of grievous memories to one of delight at this discovery. It just reminded Brick again how versatile girls could be in a scary way.

“Why should I be jealous of him? I barley know him!” Brick said.

“Because there's nothing to be jealous of,” Flame said still teasing.

“I'm not,” Brick said, turning away.

“Brick, look at me,” Flame said with a new softness in her voice. “Deven is like a brother to me, and he has liked Alana ever since I remember,” Flame said.

“What?” Brick asked “I learn something new and terrible every time your past is brought up,”

“No matter my past, no matter what I did I--I love you,” Flame said with a tenderness that Brick had never heard from her.

“Flame I..,” Brick looked down, then with astonishment realized what Flame had just said and he looked up in shock “You love me?” he said, eyes wide. Flame, sarcastic, hot headed, no commitment, impatient, Flame of all people loved him.

“Couldn't you tell?” Flame said, a small smile dancing on her lips.

“Yes,” Brick said. Flame studied him. It was odd to see him like this, but then again Flame herself felt odd. Not for better or for worse just different. This was not something she did; she was strong, she wasn’t supposed to need anyone. She knew letting her emotions surface like this just put people in danger, but then again she was human. Flame thought about Brick from the first day she met him he had been different usually flame could have kicked him and walked away but something about him, something unseen, told her not to. She wondered what her life would have been like without him. She guessed she would be dead or a much different person perhaps more like Deven, struggling on her own, being a survivor, doing what she thought was best for her.

“You know I could have walked away that day,” Flame said quietly.

“You could have, but I think you took me with you more for my own good than yours. I’m positive you’d still be helping people in some way. Me, I don’t know what would have happened to me if I hadn’t met you,” Brick said.

“Life happens, but I’m glad that mine can happen with you in it,” Flame said. Suddenly Flame was struck by an episode of shaking. Flame grasped her shoulder and felt warm blood through the tear in her clothes where the bullet had pierced her.

“Your shoulder!” Brick could see the blood coming through Flame’s fingers.

“Get me my bag off of my bike. There’s a pack of bandages in the bottom,” Flame said through gritted teeth.

 “I’ve got it,” Brick said.

“I need hot water,” Brick pulled out a pocket knife from his pocket and began to work out the bullet. Flame felt a new burst of pain with every second but was grateful for Brick’s help. Brick pulled out the bandages that flame told him to get and the water off the fire. Brick soaked one of the top rags in the water and pressed it to Flame’s shoulder. Flame pulled out the needle that had been carefully folded in to the rags then she unraveled one of the rags so she had just the string. Flame poured the rest of the scalding water over her shoulder to wash away the blood and clean in the bullet hole as brick released the pressure off her shoulder. Next Flame strung the needle she held and sewed the deep gash gritting her teeth with every excruciating stitch. Brick just watched feeling helpless as he saw Flame’s pain. After about an hour, flame finished and heated the two edges of the gash together and finally wrapped her shoulder in the rest of her bandages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fourteen

“Flame?” Flame was strapping her rolled up blanket and pillow to the back of her bike when she heard him; she turned around to face Deven.

“It's been a long time,” Flame said, pushing her hair back behind her ear.

“Yeah, yeah it has,” said Deven, looking at the ground and kicking the dust around with his left foot.

“Why'd you do it?” asked Flame, spinning to face Deven. Deven looked up, only to meet Flame's soul piercing green eyes.

“I could lie,” said Deven, looking back down, but then changing his mind again and looking back up.

“You could. But you'd be dead before you finished,” said Flame. Deven couldn't tell if she was serious or not. That scared him.

“You know I think you would. So let me tell you the truth. It’s because you’re my friend and I need to tell you, Alana's mind was whipped,” said Deven, meeting Flame's Dark green eyes with his own two shaded, green, cat-like eyes. The surprise on Flames face was evident.

“You better start from the beginning, but not now. Now, we are heading to an old hideout of ours,” Flame said, when what she really wanted to do was to sit Deven down right there and get every smidgeon of information out of his skinny, secret holding, little body.

“Okay. Which way do I head my bike?” Deven had sensed Flame’s attitude toward the subject of Alana and had quickly changed the subject.

“Toward the woods of Dre-amon,” said Flame, the twinkle of danger in her eyes. Deven noted that Flame's eyes talked to him more than her mouth. Deven hoped Brick knew this, because it was (at least to him) deadly obvious that he, if not loved her, had a deep rooted affection for her.

“Flame, those are the most treacherous lands in Aseneo,” Deven said, wondering how crazy she was.

“I know. But I have the ONLY complete map, so we are untraceable,” said Flame.

“Isn't there an ocean on the other side of the woods?” asked Deven.

“Yes, and you don't have to worry about it being all stiff and dusty. This old hide out is where Zeek and JJ usually live,” said Flame. Not, she thought, that it meant it was clean. It was probably worse when they first found it.

When Flame, Brick, and the others first banded together, they walked and hitchhiked. Flame would do odd jobs for the people of the towns they went through. Usually it would be her chopping wood or helping build something, but once, about a year after she had run away, she was hired in a mechanics shop that specialized in motor bikes. Flame made a lot of money doing that, and she found she enjoyed it. The owner of the shop was a woman named Francesca Gribil, and she had seen Flame as a sort of daughter. It had broken Flame's heart to leave, but three months after Flame started working at Francesca's shop, she had enough money to leave and she did. As much as Flame liked feeling like a normal human, nothing special or different about her, she still had Brick, JJ, Zeek and Leo. She couldn't abandon them. With the money from Flame's previous jobs and working at Francesca's, Flame was able to fix up a house well enough to live in on the other side of the Dre-amon woods, and that was where they lived until Leo had gone off to find adventure of his own. After Leo left it was only a matter of time till Flame got the itch. She loved her family, but she couldn't sit in one place for long. Flame was going to leave. The only question in her mind was when. One day, while JJ and Zeek were down at the beach near the house, flame packed her bags and tied them to her old, beat up, gen 5 bike when she felt a hand on her back. It had been Brick. Flame had begged him not to ask her to stay and Brick had said,

“I always knew you wouldn't stay, you have a restless soul. You were born half way out the door. But there is one thing I've always known, and it’s that I wouldn't let you go without me,” Flame had stared at him, his ice blue eyes looking not at her, but through her. Brick was her best friend, but she didn't know where she was going or what she would be doing. Would Brick still want to go with her if he knew her past? Something told her yes.

Finally Flame said,

“You'll need a bag,” Flame said. Brick had lifted the one that was slung over his shoulder and he tied it down to the back of the gen 5.

“Were you planning on saying goodbye?” asked Brick.

“I wasn't,” Flame had said quietly. “But I will.” Flame and Brick had said goodbye to Zeek and JJ. It had been bittersweet to say goodbye for Flame, but for the boys they would miss her and Brick. However the appeal of living on their own was more exciting than them leaving was sad. After Flame and Brick had left, they decided to go south for no particular reason except that they had never been south.

“Are you alright?” Deven asked. It wasn't until he spoke that she noticed she had been standing there for the last five minutes, staring into space.

“I'm fine. I was just remembering,” she said. Then after a pause, “You took my bike here, didn't you?”

“Yeah,” Deven said.

“So what are you going to ride if I'm using my bike?” she asked with a sly smile.

“I could run,” said Deven.

“You could, but take my bike instead,” said Flame .“I'll go with Brick.”

“Only if you’re positive you don't want me to run,” Deven said.

“I can't really steer with my shoulder in the condition its in, and I certainly don't want to leave it here,” said Flame. “Oh and Deven?”

“Yeah?” Asked Deven.

“Thanks for not telling anyone yet,” Flame said, sitting down, looking toward a nearby hill.

“I know you'll tell them when you’re ready,” Deven said. Then suddenly, “Oh I almost forgot,” Before Flame could ask what he’d forgotten Deven was back with a wooden box. “Open it,” he said. Flame could feel the energy coming from the box, but what was in it? Flame slowly opened the box and in it there was a dagger.

“Where did you get this?” Flame asked, recognizing the blade.

“You’re mother gave it to me the day before she died and told me if I were ever to see you again, I was supposed to give it to you.” 

“What are you doing?!”  demanded Deven as Flame lifted the dagger gently and blasted it with white fire.

“Watch,” Flame said, dissipating the fire. The dagger had been unaffected except on the back, where there was a single word was engraved.

“What does it mean?” asked Deven, reading the word. The word on the back of the blade was Drionafin.

“It means Daughter,” It meant more, but Flame would keep that to herself for now.

“We should get going,” Flame said as she got up and tucked the dagger into a pocket on her hip. Deven just nodded and watched her leave, Then a minute later got up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fifteen

Bane hid behind a low bush, hoping she wouldn’t be spotted. She could hear them coming now. A little closer, closer, one more step, there! She threw pricking, ice cold, air toward the guard, pushing him against the wall. One down, two to go. Bane ran to the gate, a guard on the left, and one on the right. Instead of opening the gate and killing the guards Bane created a current strong enough to project herself over the gate. As soon as Bane’s feet touched the ground on the other side, she ran, occasionally pushing herself farther with a burst of air. For the first time in a year Bane could go where she wanted when she wanted. Then with a pang Bane saw five dust clouds coming up behind her. How could they have followed her so quickly? Then Bane saw him, Deven on one of the bikes. Bane turned and stood in the path of the bikes and waited.

“Brick, do you see that?” Flame asked. It looked like a person. Brick nodded and said,

“We should be on top of him in a few seconds,” Flame could feel Brick’s muscles tense under her arms which were wrapped around his middle. Within seconds, they were upon the figure. The bikes came to a slow stop in front of the person.

Flame perceived that it was a young girl. Flame felt the itch, then the burning pain, and finally saw the faint glow.

Bane felt the pain. She knew what it was. She pushed it out of her mind, but then she saw that it wasn’t just the girl in front of her, there was also a boy. Then the moment passed. The glow left and all that was left was an uncomfortable silence until Deven spoke.

“Well you haven’t lost your flair for the dramatic Bane,” Bane looked at him and said,

“You haven’t lost your impeccable timing,” Bane said, and then she smiled. From behind, a boy on one of the bikes and a girl with short red hair dismounted the back of the bike and came toward Bane and said,

“Deven, you could have told us about your friend,” said Flame.

“She always just had a way of turning up when she was needed. I saw no reason to tell you,” said Deven.

“Would you like me to leave while you two have your conversation?” Bane asked.

“Sorry,” Said Flame “I’m Flame,”

“How appropriate for a fire user,” Bane said. Puzzlement crossed Flame’s face.

“How did you know?” Flame asked.

“The attribute is often evident in the user. That boy there for instance,” Bane said, gesturing toward James, “his blue eyes and sun colored hair gives him away. That with the color of the glow,” Flame could see what she meant. Bane was in a way obvious, as she had blue hair and her eyes were gray/blue it seemed to create a wistful look in them.

“How old are you?” Flame asked wonderingly. The girl seemed old in some ways and young in others.

“I’m fourteen,” Bane said. Flame took a step back in surprise. Fourteen! Bane was tall enough to be sixteen or seventeen, and the way she talked and acted. Flame had been through a lot, but to see this girl no more than a kid. Flame began to wonder what kind of horrible life that could be.

“We were just about to make camp would you like to join us for dinner?”  Deven asked as if it were totally normal to find your friends in the middle of nowhere.

“You know, that sounds great,” Bane said pulling her hair back off her neck then dropping it gracefully over her back.

“We should get a little closer to a water source before making camp,” Flame said. “Bane, why don’t you ride with one of the boys,”

“She can ride with me,” Zeek said. Flame looked back surprised. Zeek had never been the kind to volunteer or speak for that matter. Flame just nodded and got back on the back of Brick’s bike as Bane got on to Zeek’s and they headed off to the nearby stream to pitch camp for the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sixteen

“Bane perhaps you better tell us how you got out here in the middle of nowhere,” Flame said as they were sitting around the camp fire. Bane waited a moment then said,

“Last year, I went undercover in a corporation called Ricosal. They specialize in weapons. I had a hunch they were selling weapons illegally to gangs, so I decided to… investigate. I got myself hired as a metal worker, and I quickly moved up till I was an assistant to the owner of the company, at which point I was in a position to look at the sales records. However, they were restricted, and I got caught last month and was locked away. It was only today I escaped. I was in the middle of getting away when I saw Deven and figured he was the best one to help me,”  When Bane finished Flame asked,

“How do you know Deven?”

“I was on a mission of my own to obtain cretin files the continence of which I won’t go into but as I was sneaking around in an office I heard someone coming and hid in a closet nearby. When the door was opened Deven walked in and went straight to the safe and started to open it, it was then that I decided to come out because there was no way I was losing that information at that time,” At this point Deven broke in.

“When she opened that closet door, she hit me over the head with a book she found on the desk behind me. When I turned around, there she was, the book still in her hands. And what do you think she said to me?” Then Bane finished by saying, “I told you what a thick head you had. Then we opened the safe shared the information and that was how we met,” Bane waited a moment, letting the story settle in. Then she asked, “Flame how did you meet Brick?”

“That’s a better question for him, seeing as he met me,” Flame said, laying out her bed role.

“Brick?” Bane asked with an intrigued look, turning toward him.

“Well, I guessed I’d have to tell this story eventually. This story will have some things that Flame would have had a hard time telling. I will start at the beginning, but not mine, Flame’s,” While he spoke flame sat silently staring into the fire. “After Flame’s mother died she left home…” Brick stopped and said to Flame quietly, It’s time to tell him,”

“You’re right,” Then she said, raising her voice, “Leo, come over here and listen.”

“After Flame’s mother died, she left her home. Flame left her sister, brother, and her father. Flame didn’t want to leave her siblings, but she couldn’t take them with her.

I was a young, misguided boy who was going nowhere fast until I met Flame. One day I was lurking around corners waiting for someone to pickpocket, when this girl with bright red hair and green eyes caught my attention. Flame felt me coming up behind her when I tried to go for her pocketbook. I thought she wasn’t looking but she caught me and nearly broke my arm in two,”

“I have to admit it was hard,” said Flame.

“You didn’t show it,” Brick said.

“I was trained not to,” Flame replied quietly.

“Anyway, that’s how we met. But part of the story has to be explained. You see I told you of Flame’s sibling, well Flame’s brother’s name was…” Flame broke him off.

“Leo. Leo is my brother’s name,” Flame said, cupping her hands over her eyes and rubbed her forehead. Leo who was sitting next to Flame stared hard at her.

“That’s what Alana meant,” Leo said quietly “Flame why don’t I remember?” Leo asked urgently.

“After I left, our father, he needed me and he would do anything to get me back, so he wiped your memory, and from what I understand from what Deven told me, Alana’s as well but he only partially wiped Alana’s,” Flame said slowly.

“Who is are father?” Leo asked.

“He’s… He’s Commander. You have to understand though, he wasn’t always like this, but after our mother died, he became obsessed with changing the world,”

“Why?” was the next question Leo asked.

“Our mother was walking home one night when she was mugged, a no good thug who just chanced to shoot her from behind and ran off with the five dollars that was in are mother’s pocket. You have to know, before I go on, our mother was an element controller. She controlled fire like I do. What I learned after I left home is that Alana was too. I would never have let you two behind if I had known.  After our father found out about our mother’s death he couldn’t stand the thought of someone else being killed like that. It was a good thing to feel, but the pain of losing our mother drove him mad. Our father concluded that one could not stop crime, but it was plausible to control it, and that is what he started on. Our father wanted to use me to be his ultimate weapon, his tool that would do his will. I couldn’t do that. He wanted me to kill, and I couldn’t then and so I left. I’m not going to tell you I didn’t have a choice or that he forced me to, but I will tell you that I did what I thought was best at the time,” Flame said. As Flame told all this to Leo, Deven turned toward Bane and said quietly so only she  could here,

“Welcome to the team. We’re one part kick butt action, three parts emotional baggage,” And with that, Deven quietly got up and went to where his sleeping pad was and he layed down and went to sleep. Bane lay down, but she didn’t sleep. She continued to listen.

“What happened to me though? And if Alana’s my sister and you’re my sister…” Leo asked.

“I don’t know what happened to you, but Alana is still your sister, she’s just my sister to,” Flame said her face dark in the moon light except for a single, silver, tear which she quickly wiped away. “I wasn’t there for you. I should have been there,”

“You’re here now. And seeing as how I can’t remember what happened, I can’t hold it against you,” Leo said comfortingly.

“You better get some sleep. We have another long day tomorrow,” Flame said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seventeen

Bane woke before dawn, the others were still asleep. Finding Deven and Zeek together made Bane a little edgy. Bane looked around and wondered if it was safe, not only for her, but the people around her if she stayed. Bane saw that, about three miles south were the woods of Dre-amon, to the north about twenty miles was Blearo, the city of dreams. Before Bane could make up her mind whether to stay or go, she got that uncanny feeling that someone was watching her.

“Bane,” She heard the voice behind her. Bane had been dreading this moment ever since she saw him last night.

“It’s been too long,” Bane said, turning to face Zeek who was now sitting up.

“Two years,” Zeek said, standing up and walking about three yards in the direction of Dre-amon. “What happened to you?” Zeek asked.

“I want you to know that I’m sorry that I didn’t get to say goodbye, I’m not I left, but I had to go,” Bane said, walking over to stand next to Zeek. “Besides, you were thirteen, did you really want to take care of an eleven year old kid?”

“I never had to take care of you. If anything, you saved my life,” Zeek said.

“Zeek, why didn’t you tell Flame about Alana?” Bane asked.

“I couldn’t get a fix on her, it was like she was trained to block me,” Zeek said.

“You didn’t tell her? You didn’t tell Flame you’re a telepath did you.” It wasn’t really a question. “Don’t you think the fact that you couldn’t read Alana’s mind meant she was trying to hide something?” Then, like a girl does Bane quickly changed the subject back and asked again, “Why didn’t you tell Flame you were a telepath?”

“Do you remember how long it took you to tell me you were a telepath?” Zeek asked

“About as long as it took me to figure out you were one,” Bane said

“Do you remember how much you relied on me to tell you when someone would come your way, and I would have to warn you to hide? Well, I couldn’t always catch someone’s thoughts. Now think I tell Flame that I’m a telepath. She lets her guard down, and she dies,” Zeek said.

“That wouldn’t happen. Flame would be able to tell you have no faith in your gift and that you don’t trust yourself.  If someone doesn’t trust themselves, then no one else could because they will only let you down when it counts the most,” Bane said walking away.

‘how did she do that?’ Zeek wondered. Bane had just turned the whole conversation on him! Then he smiled, that was the Bane he knew.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eighteen

“We should be there in twenty minutes,” Flame said as they entered the woods of Dre-amon.

“Has she always been this crazy?” Bane asked, yelling to Deven so he could hear her over the air rushing by. Deven looked for a moment like he had to consider this. Then he said,

“Yes,” Bane smiled and asked,

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re insufferably truthful?”

“In fact no, it seems like people tell me the exact opposite. I only tell the truth to people I like,” Deven said.

 “Does that mean you’re lying to me?” Bane asked.

“No,” Deven said.

“But how would I know if you were telling me the truth?” Bane asked.

“You can tell,” Deven said. Bane hoped that she had misunderstood what he had just said, but to her horror Deven said, “I didn’t know for sure till just now, but from the way you’re reacting, I know I was right. You could have told me you are a telepath,”

“How did you figure it out?” Bane asked.

“It was when I saw a painting of a battle from years ago. There seemed to be a young girl in it who looked much like you. Given, she was taller and her clothes were different, but it looked like you nonetheless. The picture’s caption told of this ancient battle that was won because of one girl who was a telepath air element. From seeing that picture, I guessed it was one of your ancestors, and if that was true then it was likely it was a family trait,” finished Deven.

“It is a family trait, but it was not only my family that had the gift of telepathy; there were three other families. Though, one of those families died out years ago. There is only me and one other telepath now alive,” Bane said.

“Bane, could you use your telepathy to track down the other telepath?” Deven asked.

“Yes,” Bane left it at that.

“Or have you already?” Deven asked, hearing the tone in her voice. Bane remained silent. She looked over her shoulder to Zeek then fixed her eyes strait ahead and stayed silent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nineteen

James fell on the couch and sighed contentedly. It had been two days of tiresome travel, sleeping on dirt, searing heat. When they did sleep, it was only for a few hours. James was used to roughing it but this was crazy. He would have been content to sleep on that couch and never get up again, but just as soon as he was comfortable Flame said,

“Okay guys, change into fresh clothes, then meet me on the beach in ten. Anyone who’s not on the beach in ten minutes has to run ten laps around the house and has to sleep outside tonight,” James threw back his head and groaned loudly. Leo, Zeek, and JJ could be heard snickering from all around the room.

“Guess he’s not as tough as he seemed earlier,” Leo said. Things had been dicey between Leo and Flame the last few days, but only in a way that Leo found out that Flame was his sister, his mind was wiped, and that his other sister was an evil assassin.

“He just needs a good run to get his blood running again,” Flame said, giving him a sturdy push off the couch and onto the floor.

“OW!” James yelled indigently. Flame, however was doubling over laughing.

“Brick, you and James can share the room up stairs. Bane, you can share my room. JJ, Zeek, you get to share with Leo. Ten minutes people, let’s go,”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty

 Flame dug her feet into the sand, letting the warmth of it seep down to her bones.

“Okay. James, Deven, and Bane, you three are with me. Zeek, Leo, and JJ, you are with Brick,” As JJ, Zeek, Leo, and Brick walked down the beach some Flame turned toward the others and said, “We are going to practice the things we know and create new techniques that far outweigh our old tricks,”

“And how do you suggest that we do that?” Bane asked.

“That is the fun part. We are going to discover are ultimate techniques in battle,” Flame said.

“That’s what you call fun?” James asked.

“Yes. So we remain fair, boys on one team and girls on another,” said Flame.

“Who is that fair for?” asked Bane. “Girls always win, whether the boys know it or not,”

“You know girls are smaller than boys,” Deven said.

“Yes, well boys’ egos are larger too,” said Bane.

“Alright, alright, save it for the match,” Flame said.

“Well, let’s begin then,” said Bane.

“GO!” yelled Flame and they began to spar. Half way down the beach, Brick could see the sand being kicked up by the scuffle. He could even see the flecks of water in the air that shined from the fire blazing below.

“What are we going to do?” asked Leo. Before Brick could answer, he saw something huddled in the top of a near by tree.

“Wait here,” Brick said. He quickly climbed the tree, and when he reached the top, he saw a girl huddled in a nook, sound asleep. Brick nudged the girl. The girl, startled by the touch, rolled over and fell out of the tree.

“I’ve got her!” JJ said, running over to the tree. When the girl landed, JJ did not catch her, as much as he broke her fall. Instead of thanking JJ for breaking her fall, she scrambled to her feet. As the girl scrambled up, JJ noticed her eyes and hair. The girl’s eyes were purple and catlike, her hair yellow that slowly went to black near the bottom, and a blue Ling flower pinned steadfastly into place at the top of her head. Not being able to see where she was going, on account of looking over her shoulder, the girl ran straight into Leo and fell.

“Hold on, we don’t want to hurt you,” Said Leo.

“You’re not bounty hunters?” The girl asked skeptically.

“No. We live in a house down the beach,” Leo said, helping the girl up.

“Who are you?” the girl asked, still tense.

“That would be complicated, maybe you could tell us your name first,” said Brick, coming up behind Leo.

“My name is Leaunna, but everyone calls me Ling,” said Ling. Something about her told Leo that she was not used to sleeping in trees, but she could still hold her own in a fight.

“Well I’m Brick, this is Leo, JJ, and Zeek,” said Brick, pointing to each boy as he introduced them. “There are four more down the beach, some, but, I’m afraid that if I were to introduce you to them now, we would be wet or burnt.”

“Element children,” Ling said, halfway above a whisper then even more quietly so none but Zeek heard, “and a telepath,” Zeek looked at her with shock evident on his face.

“You know of element children?” Brick asked.

“I do,” said Ling. “I grew up on stories of them they only seem to surface when there is great trouble about to hit. I read about element children, there history goes back to ancient days when they were feared as gods. In fact, in that tree you pushed me out of, there is a bag that has three books on battle techniques for element controllers,”

“How did you get them?” JJ asked, truly curious to know, as he had been the one to get the books from the tree.

“I worked in a castle that had a big library. That is where I found them. I was put in charge of getting rid of some books so we would have plenty of room for new books; That is how I came in possession of these books,” Ling said.

“The air seems clear now, it should be safe to introduce you to the others now,” Brick said. Ling nodded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty-one

“Flame!” Brick called to her as he entered the battle ground.

“Here!” Flame said, helping Deven off the ground. “Who’s your friend?” she asked, looking at Ling.

“I’m Ling,” said Ling.

“Ling?” Flame looked at her with an odd expression, wondering where she had heard that name before.

“Jiarim Lina Bray Drionafin,” said Ling. As Ling spoke, an ora of power seemed to enter the air.

“A pleasure to meet the daughter of power and fire,” said James.

“I see you speak in the ancient way of power,” said Ling.

“Akee amro dieno brielo Aushis laine Drionafin,” Then, translating for the others, James said, “I speak in the ancient way, for I am the son of water and strength, friend of the daughter of power and fire,” When James finished Ling said,

“I’m impressed; few know the forgotten dialect,”

“Could someone please explain the idea of an ancient dialect, and why on earth it matters?” JJ said.

“The ancient way of power was once used by all, but is now only used by a select few. All element children can understand it and only a few ordinary people can even speak it not because it is hard to learn but few can remember it. No one knows why,” said Flame, she then added, “Most people just call it words of power. It’s easier to remember,”

“So what can words of power do?” asked JJ.

“It depends on which ones you use; some can heal, some can destroy some can do neither. Drionafin means daughter of fire and power, and that does nothing. However, when you break it down, dri means daughter of, ona means fire, and fin means power. When they want someone could use these words to manipulate these things,” Explained Flame.

“Oh that’s complicated,” JJ said

“Yeah, no kidding,” said Bane. “I know it naturally, and I still have problems with it,”

“Anyway, you didn’t come for a school lesson. You came for a reason. What can I do for you?” Flame asked, turning with a smile to Ling.

“Actually it’s what I can do for you,” said Ling, handing Flame the tree books she held tightly in her arms. Flame looked at the books and saw in a curly, intricate script the title of the book, Fighting Stiles of the Elements.

“These books were lost centuries ago,” Flame said.

“Not true, only one was lost. The one that was lost was the family history of each element family. It doesn’t matter because I’m sure you know that an ability is either passed from mother to daughter or father to son,” said Ling.

“There were rumors that a…” Flame’s eyes narrowed as she remembered where she had heard the name, and in her amazement said, “Princess  Leaunna. Princess of the Ling flower, daughter of the king of the Zimbrem islands, a bender of light and fire a child of Drionafin. A close cousin of mine, though I’ve never met her I know Ling must be her. I don’t know why I didn’t relies it sooner,”

“How did you know?” Asked Ling.

“A family bond, the glint in your eye, you forgot I know the ancient langue. Drionafin is my name as well,” said Flame.

“You are older than I am by two years,” Ling said. James looked skeptically at Ling. There was definitely an air of superiority about her, but she also looked like she could kick your head off just as quickly as she could settle a nation’s arguments. Ling’s clothes were also not what you’d expect of a noble; her shirt was long and gray with the sleeves coming down lower than her wrist, except on the side where it had been pushed up when she had fallen out of the tree. Ling had a gun holster wrapped around her leg twice, which hung loosely on her right side. On her left leg was a small leather pouch, the same as the one on her right arm. Her jeans were tucked securely into her brown combat boots. Ling caught James’s look and said, “I may not appear to you as an ordinary princess, and that is because I’m not. My country goes through war almost every year. From the day we turn ten we are trained to fight however my country has strong walls that no one has ever penetrated, therefore, my father would rather me read my books than fight because he has lost two sons in these wars and dose not wish to loose his daughter, his last air. Two months ago I was kidnapped from my room while I slept. When I woke up, I was on a boat and before anyone could stop me, I jumped over board. We were twelve miles from land. Luckily, growing up on an island has its advantages. I was able to swim to land. In fact, here is where I finally ended up. I slept in that tree last night and fell out of it this morning,”

“Who kidnapped you?” asked Flame.

“Bounty hunters. I don’t know who they were working for,”

“Well, you can come stay with us and we will help you back to the Zimbrem islands as soon as we can but that may be a while because we have every gang in the nation looking for us,” said Flame.

“I thought element control was passed from mother to daughter how is it that Ling and you have fire ability?” asked James.

“My sister has fire ability because my mother had fire ability, to simplify this, my mother had a sister the first female sibling born in eight generations and she had a fire ability as well. Therefore, her daughter had fire abilities, though they would not be quite as strong as her own because she was not the first born. Eventually the fire in their blood would dwindle and die. Now, there have been a few cases where that was not the case and the children of a second child fire user would be dominate,” said Flame trying to make a complex subject simple.

“So whose family is dominate?” asked James.

“Flame is the dominate fire user but at this point the fire is still so strong in my blood that I am very near the same strength as Flame,” Said Ling.

“How do you know?” asked Flame.

“I can feel it. I’m the princess who will rule a country. You are the knight who will protect the world. Therefore your power would be much better placed,” Said Ling. “I’ve studied oure history the gift resonates itself where it’s most needed,”

“Perhaps we will work on making you a night of fire as well, so that you are a queen who does not need others to fight for you,” said Flame.

 

 

 

Twenty-two

“You really don’t have to,” said Flame, talking to Ling, who was beginning to make dinner with what meager recourses they had.

“I want to. I like to cook, and it’s the least I can do,” said Ling, looking for a mixing bowl.

“Well if you’re positive you want to, then I’m not going to stop you,” said Flame, giving up and heading into the living room. Bane and James were studying the various stances and movements in the book Ling had brought; Brick and JJ were playing a game they had invented years ago, and no matter how hard she tried Flame couldn’t understand the parameters of the game. Zeek and Deven were deep in conversation in one corner of the room. Flame looked around looking for Leo.

“He’s outside,” Bane said, looking up from her book.

“Thanks,” Flame said, heading over to the door.

“He looked flustered when he went out there,” Bane added as Flame opened the door. Flame felt she knew what this was about.

“Mind if I sit?” asked Flame. Leo snapped his head back to look at her. “You okay?” she asked.

“I didn’t hear you coming,” said Leo, as Flame sat. “What was our mother like?” Leo asked looking over the water.

“Do you really want to know?” Flame asked.

“Why wouldn’t I want to know?” asked Leo.

“Because even when she was alive, you didn’t know her. I don’t want you thinking that if she had lived, everything would be different. I don’t want you to think that you would have had a mother. Even if she had lived, the real her was not what you’d think,” said Flame.

“Flame, I… I have to know. What was she like?” Leo persisted. Flame gave in and said,

“Our mother had red hair and green eyes. She could fight better than anyone; she would push you to do your best because she could see what you could not. She taught me everything I know. But she was never good at showing affection. She was obsessed with things being perfect. The reason you didn’t know her was because she spent all her time having me perfect my battle techniques. She would have me repeat the same move a million times before she would let me go, and if I messed up I had to start over. It sometimes took days for me to get a move. That was our mother. The day she was killed, she was walking home to sleep while I continued to practice. I didn’t find out till the next day,” Flame hid her emotion like she had so many times before and looked over the ocean stretching its mighty hands out toward the land and pulled back slowly, carrying away the sand that stopped it and getting larger a millionth at a time, though no one noticed it.

“If she was such a great fighter, why was she killed?” asked Leo, clenching his fists.

“The best fighters can still be stopped by a lucky shot. I’m forced to face that reality every time I fight every time I do what I think is right I remember. It is knowledge that could cripple some people. I will not let the fear of death stop me though,” After that they just sat there in silence watching the waves.

~Back in the living room~

“Deven, Zeek, why don’t you two accompany me on a walk down the beach and continue to talk as we walk?” Bane said putting down her book and stretching.

“Love to,” said Deven

“And you?” asked Bane, looking toward Zeek.

“Yeah, okay,” said Zeek, standing.

“Then let’s go already,” Bane said, slipping her arms into one of each boy, Deven on the right and Zeek on the left. Once the small group had made their way down the rocks to the beach Deven said,

“I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others, but I’ve figured it out,”

“I know. I always keep my mind open for you so you can talk to me without talking. Tell Zeek what you’ve figured out,”

“He knows?” asked Zeek, surprised, then angry he said, “You know I didn’t want anyone to know,”

“First of all, I didn’t tell him, but your reaction just now confirmed his suspicions. And two, you told me not to tell Flame. And Deven quit it! If you keep this up no one will have any secrets ever again,”

“Is that what this whole walk was about? His suspicion?” asked Zeek, still slightly steamed.

“No. I wanted to go for a walk,” said Bane.

“Stop, stop, you two sound like an old married couple that doesn’t get along,” said Deven. “You two need to tell Flame exactly just who you are. She deserves to know. Especially from you Zeek,”

“What do you know?” asked Zeek snappishly.

“I know Flame and she deserves to be treated well by the people she calls her friends. And she needs to know about you and Bane knowing each other,”

“Aren’t we allowed to have any secrets?” asked Zeek.

“Yes just not ones like this that could change everything,” said Deven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty-three

“Brick! I need your help!” Flame called from a back room of the beach house.

“Coming,” Brick said, drying his hear as he left the bathroom. Flame was glad he had finally put on some clean cloths. When Brick turned down the hallway that led to where Flame was, he found her staring angrily at the ceiling.

“Oh good, you’re here. I need you to pull the ladder down,” said Flame, pointing to a sting hanging down just slightly out of her reach. Attached to the string was a panel in the ceiling that, when pulled down, unfolded the ladder that led to the attic.

“What are you looking for?” asked Brick, holding the bottom of the latter while Flame quickly climbed them.

“Some old maps I kept up here,” said Flame.

“How did they get up here if you can’t even get the latter down now?” asked Brick.

“You lifted me. Don’t you remember?” asked Flame while she was crawling around the attic.

“Ummmm,” said Brick.

“Ah! I found them,” Next thing Brick knew, there was a pile of maps at his feet and Flame came down the latter.

“What are we going to do with these?” asked Brick.

“Were going to find Commander’s headquarters,” said Flame.

“Are you crazy?” asked Brick, keeping an even tone in his voice.

“Yes. Now come help me,” said Flame.

~In the kitchen~

“Where did you get these?” asked Leo. Looking at the maps in wonder, they mapped out each of Commander’s bases.

“I swiped them off of my father’s desk the night I ran away,” said Flame, smoothing out the corners.

“Why didn’t you use them before?” asked JJ.

“Before, it wasn’t personal the way it is now. He wasn’t putting me or my friends in danger. Now he is and he’s going down for it,” said Flame. Feeling the tension around this subject, Bane changed the subject and asked,

“Deven, how did you meet Flame?”

“We were partners. Flame’s mother trained her and me. I was a runaway and she took me off the streets. My father had left before I was two and my mother didn’t know he was an earth controller, so when it showed up in me, she didn’t know how to handle it. She loved me, but it caused her a lot of pain to see me trying to master something that she didn’t understand. I think it scared her a little too, so I left to find someone who could help me,” explained Deven.

“How come you were so surprised when James’ wrist glowed? I thought it happened whenever one element user met another,” asked JJ, turning to Flame.

“If you’ll remember, it didn’t happen with Ling either. I can’t explain it, but I do have an idea. You’ll remember how I said that sometimes a sibling was born that had the ability as well?” everyone nodded their heads to say they remembered and to go on. “I think that a wrist will only glow for a main user, not for a minor one,” Deven looked shocked.

“You think there is another, stronger earth user?” Deven asked.

“That’s the idea,” said Flame.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty-four

After Flame’s suspicion came out everyone except Deven and Brick went to the beach at the suggestion of Zeek, who could feel the tension in the room. Deven had gone to bed, so that left Brick and Flame pouring over the maps, trying to find a spot looked like a headquarters.

“What are we going to do when we find it?” asked Brick. Flame appreciated that he said “when,” not “if.”

“We’ll tear it apart, find Commander, and stop him,” said Flame.

“Flame, what if to stop him you have to kill him? Have you thought this through all the way?” Brick asked.

“I will do anything to keep my family safe,” Flame said.

“And have you thought about Alana?” asked Brick.

“I have,” said Flame.

“…and…?” asked Brick.

“And I’m going to try to save her,” said Flame. That’s when Flame heard the front door open and Zeek walked into the kitchen.

“Flame can I talk to you?” he asked.

“What’s up?” Flame asked, hearing the note in his voice that told her this was important to him.

“There’s something you need to know about me,” said Zeek. “I  haven’t been completely honest with you. You see, I’m… I’m a telepath,” Flame could tell from the tone this wasn’t a prank.

“Zeek?”

“That’s not all. Bane’s a telepath too. I’ve known her for a very long time,” Said Zeek, This is probably the most Zeek had ever said to Flame. “Oh, and… Bane thinks we can un-brainwash Leo,” Flame was shocked. Her mouth moved, but no words came out. Finally she managed to get five words out,

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was afraid that I’d let you down,” Zeek said. Flame hugged him and said,

“You are my family. You could never let me down. You should have known that you could tell me anything,”

“Thank you,” said Zeek, his eyes slightly watery under their closed lids.

“Now you should go hang out with the others and enjoy the day you have left, because tomorrow we ride out,”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty-five

She hated to be this close to Dre-amon, but one did what one had to do. She had tracked them down this far, there was no turning back now. Marlene was an earth user and she knew most of the other element children had already joined together. Marlene had long brown hair and gray eyes. Truly, the only thing that marked her as an earth controller at all was the birth mark on her wrist.

Marlene cleared out a piece of ground completely of gravel and laid her bed role down on the patch. Next, Marlene covered her bike a gen, 97 with accelerated throttle with a black tarp so it would not attract gypsies or pirates.

Marlene went over what she knew about Flame and the others while she lit a small evening fire half a mile away from her actual camp site. The main thing she knew about Flame and the others was that they were on Commander’s bad side which made them heroes and worth giving a chance. The one person Marlene did know about was Deven. Deven was Marlene’s cousin and even though he didn’t know her, she knew him. Marlene’s father disappeared three months after she was born; she had never known him and she hadn’t needed him. Marlene’s father had a brother, an earth user, and he had trained her, though his own son was struggling with an ability he didn’t understand. Deven’s father loved him very much and told Marlene the funny things he did as a child. There was one thing Deven’s father talked about, and that was the fact that Deven was an earth user. Marlene herself had only found out a few moths ago, wondering if he knew.

Marlene knew tomorrow would be a big day, so she prepared. Marlene pulled out her darkest cloths and laid them in a pile on a nearby stump. Next, she prepared her weapons: several throwing stars and a sword. The sword she had never learned to use but she just couldn’t part with it. All left to her by her father. Marlene was not one who would stand in daylight and think lightly of it; a shadow was much more comfortable for her. It was her survival instinct that made her this way. To fallow in shadow and look back it was simply her nature.

Marlene looked in to the night sky and gleaned that it was around two in the morning. And as she looked into the night sky, she fell asleep repeating a poem she had been told sense her child hood and now she quietly recited under her breath,

“Eight will go out and six will return. Two will be in the shadow of four. Two of four will love for life an one will be the one who led them all,” As she finished the poem she slept a deep sleep.

 

~Morning of the next day~

She could hear motors coming, and she lie in wait for them to pass so she could follow. This was the day, and almost the hour, Marlene would make her existence known. She must take care not to ride too close or her wrist would glow and it would be all over. She could not control destiny though and she knew it. She could only try her best.

Marlene followed for hours far behind, concealing herself in the shade of the trees of the Dre-amon woods. Her hair whipped through the air like lightning. The only thing that could ever have told you she was there was the wind and the trees. Finally, it was dark and Flame stopped in a clearing with a clear water stream flowing right through the middle. While the others in her group set up camp Flame walked to the stream and tested the water and when she felt how cool the water was she stepped in cloths and all. This was it Marlene made her move now.

Flame was under water when she felt it and she knew this wasn’t like before this was stronger this was someone new. Flame came up and squeezed her hair free of the water, heating the air around her to dry it faster. Then she saw a person standing to the side of the stream almost completely in shadow with a hood covering their face.

“Who are you?” Flame asked, pulling herself back up onto the water’s ledge.

“A friend,” Marlene said, coming out of the shadows.

“A friend who hides in the bushes?” Flame asked.

“Sometimes, friends you don’t know about are the ones who save your life,” said Marlene.

“Did you save my life?” asked Flame.

 “No, but I have saved Deven’s,” said Marlene.

“I’m sure he’d like to know that,” said Flame.

“You know he wouldn’t. The boy loves to be self sufficient,” said Marlene.

“He also likes to know the truth,” said Flame.

“He will in time,” said Marlene. “But I’m not here for him. I’m here to join you,” With that, Marlene stopped holding back the urge and let Flame know exactly who she was. As she did, she felt the itch and the pain but it was soon over, and as it was fading out, the boy named James and the girl named Bane came over.

“Flame did you…” he began then saw Marlene and asked, “Is this the one who caused it?” Marlene pulled back the hood and let her loose hair fall down to her shoulder. James thought she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen, even though in truth she was very plain.

“She is,” said Flame.

“Who are you?” asked Bane.

“You guys sure like to ask a lot of questions. My name is Marlene Carena or Marlene daughter of earth and plants,” said Marlene.

“An earth user. Does Deven know?” Bane asked.

“He will in a minute,” Said Flame, pointing to him coming down to the stream.

“Oh what do you know, I’ve got to cut some wood,” said Bane.

“I’ve got to help her,” Said James, rushing off after Bane, who was already halfway across the left side of the clearing.

“Flame, who is this?” Deven asked, trying to read her expression. Instead of telling him, Flame said,

“Talk to her,” As she walked away toward Brick and Zeek, who were having a small problem with unknotting the supplies.

“Deven,” Marlene said, bringing his attention back to her.

“How do you know my name?” Deven asked.

“I’ve been following you,” Said Marlene like it was a common thing for her.

“Why follow me?” asked Deven.

“Because I’m your cousin. And your father talked about you all the time,” said Marlene.

“My father?” asked Deven.

“He’s the one who trained me to use my power,” said Marlene.

“My father left me to train you!” Deven realized this and was thrown into a fit.

“Calm down, idiot, you’ll create a mountain if you don’t cool it,” said Marlene, seeing the land push up the angrier Deven got. “Yes, your father came to train me, but he sent for you and your mother, who said she wouldn’t come. Then your father sent just for you to come, but your mother would not let you. When your father went to get you, you had moved. Your mother hated your father for being an element user and blamed him for you being one,”

“You’re lying,” said Deven.

“If you don’t believe me, read these. Your mother sent back every letter your father ever sent her,” Marlene said as she pulled out a bundle and threw it at Deven’s feet. Deven picked it up and opened the first one. Ten minutes later, he was almost finished with the pile and tears streamed down his face he asked,

“Is my father still alive?”

“No, he was killed four year ago. Shot,” said Marlene, looking away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty-six

“C’mon you snails!” Marlene yelled  the wind ripping the words back to the others.

“Not all of us have such an advanced bike!” Flame yelled in reply, a smile covering her whole face.

“Hey guys, there’s a town about five minutes from here! We should stop and get supplies!” Bane said, hoping that Flame could hear her over the wind.

“What!” Flame called, “You’ll have to be louder,” Bane thought a moment, then with a slight movement of her hand, the wind was gone, and more importantly the noise was gone.

“How did you do that?” asked Leo.

“I’m suppressing the air that carries the sound the wind makes,” said Bane. “Now as I was saying, there’s a town only a few minutes from here and I need to get something I left there. It’s also a good place to get things we need,”

“She’s got a point. Were almost out of food that doesn’t taste like army rations,” Brick said.

“Okay, we can stop in the town, but we will go in pairs and we will be out of there in two hours max. We don’t know who’s working for Commander so we’re not going to stay any longer,” said Flame.

When they came into the town it was about five minutes later. The first thing Flame realized about the town was that it was small, but it seemed to be untouched by time. Children played in the streets, pies sat on almost every open window, and three little stores with rocking chairs on the porch with old ladies sitting in them making quilt squares.

“Okay Brick you’re with me and we’re on guard; Deven, Zeek you go with Bane; Leo, JJ, you two are in charge of food; and Ling and Marlene, you two can go into that supplies store and see what we need,” Flame said as she gave some money to Leo and Marlene. “Stay together,”

Bane walked into the store farthest from where Flame and Brick were.

“Hey Jack you here?!” Bane called as she walked in the store.

“Bane? How long has it been? A year?” asked a man Zeek guessed was Jack.

“Five moths at the most,” said Bane. “They done?”

“Of course they’re done, it’s been five months,” said Jack. Jack rummaged through the back for a few minutes, but finally produced a long black box. Bane opened the box and inside were two identical kodachi blades about 18 inches from hilt to tip, intricately decorated at the bottom of the blade with swirls and loops. But the most interesting part was a D surrounded by the rest of the decorations that was as loopy and swirly as the rest. It was too much to take in all at once.

“Jack, this is the best you could do?” Bane said, grinning broadly.

“Child, it took me an entire month to make each one, you better love them,” said Jack.

“You know I love them,” said Bane, laughing at the expression on Jack’s face.

“It’s the least I could do after you saved me from that rock slide,” said Jack.

“Thanks Jack,” said Bane as she saw Zeek tapping his wrist, telling her it was time to go.

“Try and stop by in the next twenty years,” said Jack as the door shut behind Bane.

Flame decided to stay near the town for the rest of the day. After the camp was set up, everyone occupied themselves with different activities. Marlene and Deven were talking about Deven’s father, Flame and Brick were talking quietly off to one side of the camp, Zeek and JJ were working on their weapons, JJ making some bombs and Zeek cleaning his gun, Ling was practicing her fire control, and Bane and Leo were sitting by the camp fire when Bane said,

“Leo, have you ever used a short sword?”

“No, but I’ve always wanted to,” said Leo.

“Here, try this one,” Bane said, handing Leo one of the twin blades.

“It’s light,” said Leo.

“It is usually used as a two part weapon, but to master two you must master one. We will practice every night until you know what you’re doing.

 “Cool,” said Leo.

“Now first, you’ll need to learn the basic blocks: right up, left up, right down, and left down. Catch the attacks on the flat of your blade, not with the edge,” Bane said, demonstrating each move as she said them.  And that is what they did till the stars came out and the moon was high.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty-seven

“We should be at Commander’s hideout in one hour.  Your mission is to secure the area. Commander is mine, none of you are to go near him. Capture Alana if you can, but if it’s a life or death situation, I’d rather you be alive than her,” said Flame in the morning as they mounted their bikes. She let the seriousness sink in. This was not a game, it was real. Someone could die today, and she wouldn’t let it be her family. Her real family. The one she had gathered over time, the people who would do anything for her and she would do anything for.

“We’ve got your back. And you don’t have to worry about us. We will do exactly what you taught us to do. Strike fast, hit hard, and win,” said JJ.

“Good, today your training will be tested. Whether its mantel or not you will need to be strong,” After Flame said that, it was quiet for the rest of the ride, everyone preparing mentally for what they were about to face.

~An hour later~

“Hide your bikes here. We walk the rest of the way,” Flame said as they reached a patch of earth that looked like nothing special. An old factory building was over a little to the north but it didn’t look like it had been used in years.

“Where are we?” asked James.

“Commander’s headquarters is under that building. Leo, JJ, you two stay here with the bikes incase we need a quick get away. I’ll call you over the intercom when and if I want you to come. You see us running back here, I expect the motors to be running,” said Flame. “Let go,” She said to the others.

Flame and the others slid into the building easily. Flame found it odd that there was no one around, but assumed it was to keep this building from being noticed. But then again, you would still need some sort of surveillance. While Flame was thinking about this, they arrived at the back. Flame felt around the Brick wall finally she found it, a fake Brick. Flame pressed it. Before she knew what was happening, Flame found herself on the top step of a steep staircase.

“Were going down there?” Marlene asked.

“What’s the matter getting cold feet?” asked Deven.

“No, it’s just this could easily be a trap,” said Marlene.

“Or it could be what we’ve been working for this whole time,” said Flame as she started her decent down the stair case. After a moment, Marlene followed. When Flame came to the bottom, there was a long, dimly lit, hallway. Flame walked to a large door at the end of the hall and swing open the door. In the split second before the door was open, James asked,

“How does she know where to go?” And Brick answered,

“Call it a sixth sense,” Before anymore could be said, the door was openes to reveal an empty room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty-eight

“Empty. It’s empty! He got away again,” Flame said, her voice raising with every word, her anger starting to boil over. She hit the wall nest to her, and her fist began to bleed.

“Deven, Ling see if you can get those computers working. The rest of you see what you can find lying around,” said Brick. Everyone nodded and went over to do their work. Brick went and stood next to Flame.

“Every time I think I’m close, every time I think I’m going to find closure, he moves and makes it harder. It’s like it’s a game to him. A stupid game. And I can’t win. I’d give anything to get inside his head and figure out what he’s trying, why he’s after us, and why is he so obsessed with my mother’s murder. It was a thug, nothing more. The guy could already be dead for all he knows. Why is he doing this to me?!” Flame was ranting now, letting out everything that had been building up for the last few weeks.

“Flame, we will find him and in the mean time we are in a major base of operations. This place must be full of information we just have to look,” said Brick, not sure what else to say, but before he could say anything else he heard Deven call to him and say,

“We’re in,”

“We’re coming,” Flame said, walking over to the computer.

“There’s a file on each of us. Even Marlene,” said Deven, worry in  his voice. “And another thing: all the names are in alphabetical order except Ling. Ling’s name is first on the list,”

“Why would my name be first?” asked Ling.

“Hold on I’ll open the file. It’ll take a minute; it’s encrypted,” After a lot of typing and clicking, Deven said, “Okay, it’s open,” He started to read the file much faster than Flame ever could. Suddenly, he looked up at Ling. “This can’t be right,” Ling read the file, disbelief in her eyes, shaking her head with each word.

“It can’t be true,” Ling looked from Deven’s face to Flame’s and repeated herself, “It can’t be true,” And suddenly, without another word she just left. She ran and Flame just watched.

“Deven, what did you find?” Flame asked.

“Commander was the one who kidnapped Ling then he brain washed her and has been using her to spy on us ever since she arrived. Those books she had with her were lost centuries ago, but somehow Commander found them and gave them to Ling to give to us. The thing is though, she wasn’t aware of her actions when she reported to Commander,” said Deven.

“Zeek, Bane, go see if you can catch her and bring her back. And I know this is a lot to ask but I want you to try and reverse what Commander did,” said Flame. Zeek quickly exchanged a look with Bane who was now by the others and said,

“We’ll try,”

“Deven keep looking. If you find anything else important, call me,” Flame said. “James, did you find anything?”

“Actually yes,” said James.

“Well, what is it?” asked Flame. James handed her a folder. When Flame opened it, she saw page after page about her mother.

“Guys it’s getting late, we should go,” said Flame. Deven nodded and said,

“I don’t think theirs anything else I can glean from the computers,”

“Yeah, I can’t find anything else useful either,” said James.

“Me either,” said Marlene. Brick just nodded.

“We couldn’t catch her. She just disappeared,” said Bane when Flame returned to where the bikes were.

“It’s okay, I didn’t really expect you to anyway. It was worth a try thought,” Then, changing the subject, she said, “We should make camp,”

Once everyone was asleep that night, Flame crept over to the fire and opened the file James found. And she began to read. As Flame read, her life was changed. Her father was still evil but he made sense in a twisted way. Flame’s mother had been killed but not by a thug but an assassin. Flame knew these files could be forged but something told  her they weren’t and what she was reading was true. Flame’s mother was once a spy, she was like Bane in a way. Apparently the corporation Flame’s mother had betrayed hadn’t forgotten. This was the same corporation that Bane had been spying on. Apparently her mother had worked with James’s father before James or Flame was born. It made sense now, Flame’s father was now completing her mother’s work by destroying the corporation the only thing is that her father still wanted the power, he wanted to tear down this corporation so he could be the biggest crime lord and weapons distributer.

Flame’s future was stretched before her with only one clear path she could see. She would have to kill Commander. She knew that he saw her as the only thing standing in his way and he wouldn’t give it a second thought before he killed her this time. The only question now is where to go. Flame went over to her bag and pulled out the map that she had used to get her to Commander’s hide out. Flame suddenly had an idea. These maps had been made by her father but they were originally made for her mother. Flame held the map over the cinders of the fire and within seconds a new image appeared on the map. In spidery lettering the map showed three of Commander’s hideouts.

“I’ve got you now,” Flame said in a whisper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirty

 “Were going to Beisdore,” said Flame when Brick woke up.

“Flam, have you been up all night?” Brick asked.

“Yes. Now pack up, we’re leaving as soon as we are ready,” Said Flame.

“Can I at least know why we are suddenly going to Beisdore?” asked Brick. Flame handed the map to Brick. “This is good,”

“The closest one is in Beisdore. It’ll take two days,” said Flame. She walked over to the middle of the campsite and yelled, “Morning! Now get up!” Everyone sat up immediately from the shock of the noise except for JJ. Flame walked over to where JJ was sleeping and yanked his pillow from underneath him. This put a smile on everyone’s face.

“You know, a simple nudge would have worked,” said JJ, rubbing his head and trying to scowl but when that failed he smiled too.

“Now what fun is that?” asked Flame. She seemed different to Brick. She wasn’t that girl he had seen yesterday. No, this was not even the Flame he had roamed the country with four years ago. This girl was resolved and… happy. It made him happy to see her like this.

“Hey Brick, if you keep staring at Flame like that you’re going to make her uncomfortable,” said Zeek.

“Last one to leave camp makes diner tonight!” called Brick, going with the mood and running the five feet to his bike, which he hadn’t bothered to unload the night before, and zipped off.

“Oh, you’re on!” said Flame also getting on her bike and taking off after him. Within minutes, Flame was ahead until she heard a KERPLUNK. She looked behind her only to see Brick laying on the ground face down his bike twenty feet away on it’s side smoking. “You forgot to replace the Limbrim crystal didn’t you?” asked Flame, observing the damage as Brick picked himself out of the landscape.

“I ran out,” said Brick.

“Yes, well asking someone else for one is better than digging yourself out of the dirt after using it so long that it explodes,” said Flame, chastising him. “It’ll take me a few minutes to fix this you take a look at the map and try and find a better rout than the one I found. Personally, I don’t like it much. I mean, with names like Bear Valley is sure seems like they’re trying to tell you something,” Just then, Flame heard the others coming up behind them.

“What happened?” asked Marlene.

“Brick didn’t change his Limbrim crystal,” Explained Flame.

“Here, use this one to replace it. It lasts five times as long,” said Marlene handing Flame a blue crystal. Usually Limbrim crystals were light red, orange, or yellow depending on the power of the crystal.

“Is this Lymbrim?” asked Flame.

“Yes, but it’s mixed with other substances that make it last longer,” explained Marlene.

“Where did you get it?” asked Flame as she began to install the crystal.

“I made it,” said Marlene. “At one time I was going through on a week, riding at high speed and changing it every time it ran out. It was a real pain to replace. So I made these so I would only have to replace it like once a month,”

“Clever. I thought about doing something like that but I didn’t have the tech,” said Flame.

“Or the patience, I’d wager. In order for it to work you have pure Sidray completely melted. It takes two months on top of a blue flame. Any hotter and it burns off all the useful stuff, and if it hardens, it’ll never melt again because you’ve already burned off the impurities,” said Marlene.

“As much as I hate to interrupt science class, I have something,” Said Brick. “If we cut through the Gale Desert we can be there by tomorrow morning,” Flame looked at the rout that Brick had mapped out.

“It’ll work, but you’ll have to get plenty of water before we go in,” said Flame.

“According to the map, we’re about a mile away is well,” said Brick.

“They just put a well in the middle of nowhere?” asked JJ coming up behind.

“It was specifically built for people going into the Gale Desert,” explained Marlene.

“Have you been there before?” asked Flame.

“Yes. I actually had to go by that to get to Dre-amon,” said Marlene.

“All right, Brick, good work. Okay guys, let’s go,” Said Flame folding up her map.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirty-one

The sun was hot, the sand beneath was hotter, and there was no water for miles.

“It’s hot,” said JJ.

“Really? You’re kidding,” said Flame, sarcasm dripping from her voice, then relenting tossed him a canteen.

“Thanks,” said JJ.

“I’m just a bit snappy when I get hot,” said Flame.

“Oh I know,” said JJ.

“I’m going to let that on slide,” said Flame, speeding up a little to catch up with Brick. “Where are you planning to make camp?” she asked.

“About ten minutes from here is an oasis. The only one in the desert,” said Brick.

“Feel like laying on the speed?” Flame asked.

“Yes.” And with that, they were gone in a flash leaving only a dust trail for the others to fallow.

“They do this every time. Take off and leave the rest of us,” said Zeek. “Not that I mind. But they just do that,”

“They’re in love and they’re travelling with a bunch of people they take any time they can get,” said Bane.

“How do you know they’re in love?” asked Zeek.

“How don’t you?” asked Bane.

“I don’t know, I’m a guy?” he suggested.

“Dude, I’m a guy and I saw it,” said Deven.

“Okay, maybe I’m just very inattentive,” said Zeek.

“Maybe that’s it,” said Bane.

“Is that a pond?” asked Leo.

“Yeah, that’s where we’re making camp,” said Marlene.

“Oh good, I was beginning to think that we were going to ride till we were out of this place,” said Leo.

“This is sooo good,” said JJ scrubbing the dirt and sand off of his skin, out from beneath his cloths, and his hair.

“Tell me about it,” Flame said, floating past.

“Okay, it’s cool, and clean, it’s deep and…” JJ got cut off by Flame,

“It’s an expression. The only thing I want to hear now is silence,” said Flame.

“How can you hear silence?” asked Leo. Instead of answering, Flame flipped over and dunked JJ.

That night around the campfire after his lesson Leo asked Deven,

“Deven, I’ve seen you fight with a sword, are you as good as Bane”

“Yes,” Deven said at the exact same time Bane said,

“No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’?” asked Deven.

“I mean that I’m better than you are,” said Bane.

“You want to test that?” asked Deven.

“In fact, I do,” said Bane.

“Alright, settle down. We’ll make it an official match. James go draw a really big circle in the dirt over there,” said Flame. Then she continued by saying, “The circle will be the boundary; first one out of the boundary automatically looses. Other than that, it’s the first one to give up that looses,”

“I’ll win,” said Bane.

“Loser has to pack up camp for a week,” said Deven.

“You’re on,” said Bane, shaking Deven’s outstretched hand. Bane and Deven walked over to the middle of the circle that James had outlined, which had about an eighty foot radius.

“Weapons out,” said Flame, who was now the overseer of the match. Bane pulled out her twin kodachi styled blades as Deven pulled out his samurai sword. They both looked at Flame for the signal to begin, and when it came Bane made the first move.

Bane started with testing Deven’s frontal defense, which was solid. With a defense like that, there was no way Bane could get him from the front, at least not easily. So with a strong leap she was behind him. Before Bane could do anything, Deven had turned and was ready to block her.

‘So he’s also extremely fast,’ Bane thought. She now used what she knew to realize that she was too far from him. Deven’s technique was long range and to tire out his enemy before striking. It was clever, but Bane had seen this before and knew what to do. Bane ran at full speed, one blade being used to deflect any attack that was directed at her and the other blade ready to strike. Before Deven could blink, his had was throbbing and his sword was laying in the dust yards away and the tip of Bane’s right blade was sitting casually on his stomach. Slowly, Deven raised his hands in defeat.

“I give,” he said, hands above his head.

“I know,” said Bane, fitting her swords back into their scabbards.

“Where did you learn that move?” asked Deven.

“From you,” said Bane. “I just perfected it,”

“In Javin?” Deven asked, referring to a place they had been in a fight almost two years ago.

“ Yes,” said Bane.

“But it didn’t work,” said Deven.

“Just because something didn’t work the first time, doesn’t mean it won’t work with some practice. Plus, the fact that you thought that it would work showed you couldn’t see a way to block it,” said Bane.

“You are almost scary smart,” said Deven.

“I know,” said Bane. “Now c’mon I’m hungry and dinner should be ready,”

“That was awesome!” said Leo.

“She knows it,” said Deven. “That’s the problem with girls. Anything they don’t know, they’ll guess correctly,”

“That, plus she’s a telepath,” said Leo. Deven hit his head; he had completely forgotten she was a telepath.

“Never fight with a telepath unless you agree on no powers beforehand,” Deven said, giving Leo excellent advice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirty-two

“I thought we’d never get out of that desert,” said  JJ.

“First desert?” asked Marlene as she passed JJ.

“Yes. What makes you ask?” asked JJ.

“The fact that it was only two days and that we had water really points it out,” said Marlene.

“I take it you’ve been in a desert before,” said JJ.

“I have, in fact. It was this one but a much different way. I didn’t have a map,” said Marlene.

“You traveled a lot didn’t you?” asked JJ, trying to get any information out of this girl that he could.

“Yes,” said Marlene.

“What would your advice be to someone who wanted to travel, but didn’t know where they were going?” asked JJ.

“To find a place that feels like home and stay put. Traveling isn’t all it’s cut out to be. You never know where your going or where your food is coming from next,” said Marlene.

“We’re here!” called Flame from somewhere ahead, bringing them all to a complete stop. Bane looked around it, the only word to describe it was breathtaking. The desert let out onto a thin ridge just large enough for two people on bikes to ride comfortably. As they stopped, Flame was next to Brick  in the front, Bane was next to Zeek, behind Bane was Deven and next to him was Leo, behind Leo was Marlene, and next to her was JJ.

“Welcome to Beisdore,” Marlene said an air of heaviness around her words.

“I gather your experience here is similar to mine,” Said Bane.

“Tight lipped people who want to kill you the second they know you’re different,” said Marlene, “That is what I found in the Land of the Bear Claw,”

“I thought we were in Beisdore,” said JJ.

“Beisdore means Land of the Bear Claw, or more specifically, the People of the Bear. But when used to refer to the zone it means the first,” explained Bane.

“How did it get it’s name?” asked Leo.

“The People of the Bunny Paw was already taken,” Said Marlene.

“The truth is no one knows. The legend is that the land was once owned by an element controller that fought off a bear. It was not till after the element controller killed the bear that it was discovered that the bear had just been protecting her cubs. In honor of the bear the element controller created a mountain range that made the shape of a claw,” said Bane.

“All because he killed a bear?” asked Leo.

“The legend says it was a girl,” said Marlene.

“Alright, story time over. We have to get off this mountain before dark,” said Flame, who had been listening to this conversation. “When we get down there we are in their territory. If you see something, think fast and hit faster,” The group quickly made their way down the narrow dips and slopes of the mountain. Within minutes, they were in sight of the bottom, where they saw Alana waiting and not alone. Another girl with black hair and a purple streak stood next to Alana, blocking the way.

“Long time, no see,” said Alana.

“Yet it doesn’t seem long enough,” said Flame.

“Flame, I can read her thoughts now, there are things missing. I think I can restore them,” Zeek said.

“And the other?” asked Flame.

“Evil,” said Bane flatly. “There are no signs of mind tampering. She is doing this of her own free will,”

“Alright, Bane and Zeek, your job is to stop and if at all possible knock her out. The rest of us will take care of the other girl,” said Flame.

“We need JJ as well,” said Bane.

“Me? Why?” asked JJ.

“Someone needs to hold her down, just incase,” said Bane.

“Suddenly, a gust of wind almost threw Bane off her bike.

“She’s a wind controller,” Said Marlene brushing her hair back. “Deven, what beats air?”

“Earth,” said Deven. Deven and Zeek shared a looked, then Deven yelled, “Go!” Zeek quickly jumped off his bike and grabbed Alana and Deven, created a dome over the other girl.

“Get off me, you inferior Tuskit hound!” demanded Alana.

“Bane now!” Bane put her hand on Alana’s forehead, with much protesting from Alana, and put her into a deep sleep.

“JJ, come hold her,”  said Zeek. JJ ran over to where they were on the ground holding down Alana’s arms. JJ could see the tension in Bane and Zeek’s face. The level of concentration it took was almost staggering, and JJ knew it.

“Zeek,” JJ said suddenly.

“I’m kinda busy!” Zeek said, his forehead furrowing.

“Let me try,” JJ said.

“It can’t hurt,” said Zeek with a gasp. The effort was too much for him. Both boys could see the exertion in Bane’s face. Bane’s face was sweaty and her eyes were barley open for the concentration. Zeek touched her elbow.

“Let JJ try,” Zeek said. Bane was breathing hard; this was taking more of a toll on her than Zeek. In gasps Bane asked,

“JJ ?*gasp* What can JJ do?”

“This,” JJ put his hand on Alana’s head and her eyes flew open and JJ looked in to them and said, “Alana, I want you to remember everything that happened before your mind was tampered with,” Bane watched with amazement as Alana’s eyes glazed over and she passed out.

“JJ, how did you do that?” asked Bane.

“I’ve always been able to do that,” said JJ.

Meanwhile, Flame had thought the girl had been safely kept in the dome of earth Deven had created, but unfortunately the girl fought back with three razor sharp currents of air from within the dome that completely disintegrated it.

“You’ll find that I am a more formidable opponent than that,” said the girl.

“I believe it would be common courtesy to know the name of my opponent, seeing as the opponent knows my name,” said Flame.

“True, I know your name and it would be nice for you to know the owner of the hand that will be your downfall. I am Siarah, a name you will soon have no use for in the afterlife,” said Siarah.

“We’ll see who beets who to the afterlife,” said Flame her new attitude clearly showing for the first time. With no more than a sly look in Siarah’s eye, Flame jumped just in time to be glanced by a ball of pressurized air. If it had hit her, Flame knew she would not only have several broken bones but also be out of commission for this fight. Flame returned the blow in a fury equal to that of the girl’s last attack and then some. By the time the fire dissipated, Flame saw the girl cart wheeling to the side her hair just singed at the edges.

“None of your other attacks will come so close,” said Siarah.

“They don’t have to,” said Flame. Before the girl knew what was happening, Brick came up behind her, and as much as he hated to hit a girl she was in the air thrown up by Brick. When the girl hit the ground, it was a thump that Flame could feel deep in her stomach.

“Is she…” Marlene asked.

“Breathing,” said Bick checking her pulse. “What should we do with her?” asked Brick, looking toward Flame.

“Leave her. If she lives, then she can only go to Commander and tell him of her failure, or she will hide and he will think that she died,” said Flame.

“You guys go ahead and find a place for camp, I’d like to talk to Flame a minute,” Brick said. Flame looked at him surprised. As the others left them to find a place for camp.

~Down the hill~

“Has he been able to do this sense you met him?” asked Bane.

“Yes,” Zeek said, confused by her question. Why did it bother her so  much?

“Zeek, don’t you understand? Can’t you see it? Try just for a second try,” said Bane.

“Bane, what am I supposed to see?” asked Zeek.

“JJ’s a telepath,” Said bane mystified that he couldn’t see it. “Are you blind?!”

“A what?!” demanded JJ. “What could have given you that idea?” Bane looked from boy to boy, seeing only confusion.

“There has only ever been one family that had that ability. The third family. The strongest telepaths ever have been from the third family. They could do exactly what JJ just did,” said Bane.

“Your saying that I’m a lost family?” asked JJ his disbelief evident.

“Yes,” said Bane.

“How didn’t you see it?” asked Bane to Zeek.

“I just never would have guessed and never looked. I supposed he was just born that way. There are so many strange things in this world now that I just excepted it,” said Zeek.

“Trust boys to miss something so apparent,” said Bane turning away. “You two bring Alana with you,” she said, mounting her bike as she heard Brick dismiss the others.

~Back with Flame~

“Flame, you’re just going to leave her here?” asked Brick.

“This is war. This is what you do in war. I can’t afford to be soft anymore. It tears me apart inside. It makes it hard to sleep at night. But I  have to change I do what I do to keep us safe. This is the only thing I can think of doing,” Said Flame calmly.

“Flame, I trust you and I can’t picture my life without you, but you’re not the same girl I fell in love with. You continue down this rode, you will be no better than them,” Brick said, gesturing to Siarah.

“What else can I do?” Flame asked, anger seeping into he voice.

“You can show compassion, you could do so much more than just leaving her here to die,” said Brick.

“Like what?! When I face my father, what would you have me do? Sit by and watch as he cruelly attacks people around me?” Flame demanded.

“No! But this is not your father,” said Brick. “There are other ways.”

“Like what?! You keep saying there are other ways! Like what Brick?! What would you have me do?! I don’t want to kill anyone. I don’t want to hurt anyone. But I don’t see a choice,”

“You could find one if you looked,” said Brick.

“I know,” said Flame calming down. “Hand me the bandages,” Brick was surprised at this sudden request, but did as she asked. When Flame had the bandages, she wrapped the girl’s mid section. Flame could feel one maybe two broken ribs. As she worked, Flame kept her eyes on the bandages as they went around and around. Finally she said to brick still looking down,

“I’m sorry. I should never have said that, I’m just confused,” She admitted.

“I know,” said Brick. “I did not want to yell but you don’t know what it’s like to see you go down that road,” said Brick. “It’s as much for my own good as yours. I would follow you anywhere,”

“Thank you,” Then after a pause she said slowly, “I want to be that girl. The one you fell in love with,”

“The truth is, you may not be that girl, but I still love you as much as I ever have,” said Brick. Flame stood leaning Siarah on a nearby rock so the blood would flow easier. When Flame stood again, she turned and was face to face with Brick. Before Flame knew what was happening, Flame was kissing Brick. As she pulled away her had went to touch her lips. Brick looked as surprised as she felt. She hadn’t planned it. She hadn’t even meant to, but it had happened. And now, she didn’t know what to say. Slowly, a smile crept on to Brick’s face.

“What?” Flame couldn’t help but ask.

“I’ve been waiting for you to do that for a long time,” Brick said. Then Flame was smiling too.

 

Thirty-three

“Wh-where am I?” Alana’s eyes were still closed, but she was moving around on the blankets Deven had generously offered. Deven went over to her and picked up her hand. Suddenly she was still. “Deven?” She asked tentatively.

“I’m here,” he said his hands still holding hers. Then with a gasp, Alana opened her eyes fully and said,

“I tried to kill you!” Her memory was returning rapidly. “I tried to kill Flame!” Alana looked around, “Where is Flame?” Alana asked.

“Calm down. Flame’s fine,” Deven said in a soothing tone. “Would you like to talk to Leo?”

“Leo! I-I, where is he?” Alana’s pulse was rising as the memories came back.

“He’s fine, I’ll get him. Try to calm down,” Deven didn’t want to leave Alana, but knew getting Leo would calm her. Deven had to go find Leo because after he had put Alana to sleep. He hadn’t looked tired till they got back to camp; at that point he had almost fallen off his bike when they had arrived back at camp. “Leo!” Deven called when he found him in front of the fire though it wasn’t even near dark yet.

“Yes?” Leo asked when he heard Deven call him.

“Alana wants to see you,” said Deven. “You don’t have to go if you don’t think you can,”

“I can come. Just give me a second to stand up,” said Leo. With a heave, he stood up and almost immediately fell. Deven caught Leo before he hit the ground.

“Put you arm around my neck and I’ll help you over there,” said Deven, taking on Leo’s extra weight.

“Thanks,” said Leo, favoring his left leg and holding on to Deven to support his right.

“Alana,” said Leo when he was a few feet away.

“Leo you’re hurt!” cried Alana.

“I’m fine,” said Leo.

“But you’ve looked better,” Leo said, his voice lightening to create a funny familiar air.

“I’ve felt better,” said Alana. “Did I do this to you?”

“It was my own fault. I should have let Bane and Zeek help me, instead of looking like a hero and you know, saving your life,” said Leo.

“Always the modest one aren’t you?” asked Alana.

“You know me so well,” said Leo. Deven felt like an intruder but when he went to go Alana said,

“Don’t go,”

“What?” asked Deven.

“You’re just as important to me as Leo is. I want you to stay. I’m quite positive you’re the thing keeping me from falling apart,” said Alana.

“I don’t think  you know how to fall apart,” said Deven.

“I am a girl, not a robot,” said Alana.

“Girl’s can fall apart during the best of times,” said Leo.

“I should be so mad at you for that, but quite frankly I’m too tired,” said Alana.

“Then you should sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up,” said Deven.

“Me to,” Said Leo. With the reassurances of the boys to comfort her, Alana fell into a deep, warm, comfortable, sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

Thirty-four

“How is she?” Flame asked when she and Brick finally returned to camp.

“She’s rattled,” Said Deven standing only a few feet away from Alana. “But she’ll pull through. She always dose,”

“Must be hard for you to see her like this,” said Flame, reading Deven’s face. It was creased with worry as if he was an old man with years of pain and loss piled on him, not the look of someone who had just found and save the girl he loved.

“She’s herself again, but it’s been so long. She’s done thing, things I think will haunt her till she dies. The reason I didn’t go with you that first day when you left, it’s all because of her. I wanted to protect her. I was young but I knew that if I left then she would be used. She would be changed and I had to do every thing I could to protect her,” Deven wasn’t speaking to her or anyone. He was looking into the fire just saying what he felt, for the first time in a while.

“It’s always hardest on the people close to you. If you really think it is that bad I could, talk to bane and see what we can do to block those memories,” said Flame.

“I should ask her. I’ve known her longer,” said Deven.

“You should ask Bane while Alana is still asleep,” said Flame.

“She won’t be aware of the change,”

“Thank you, Flame,” said Deven his eyes slightly lit with hope but then, “Alana doesn’t show it but she’s hurt, I can almost justify blocking some of her mind. It’s just �"sigh- it’s like what your father did to her though. I just don’t want her to go through that again and defiantly not because of me,”

 The flames of fire reflected on his eyes and gave the appearance of green flames fighting for what they believed in. “I love her, I really do, and it feels like I’m going through this with her. I know that she will never be the same but I can at least try to make her feel comfortable with her new self,” said Deven. Flame watched him and saw the same thing she saw in Brick, true love. It was a girl’s dream. But did it really belong here? Was it really the time for this? They were constantly in danger. They were constantly fighting for their lives. Where was the room for love there? Flame supposed there was thought because it seemed to be the only thing to keep them fighting. Fighting for love, fighting for a better future, fighting for everything and everyone. It just seemed so complicated their lives. It overwhelmed her it held her by the throat that she was responsible for these people and not just these people. The circle was constantly getting bigger, now she was not just for her she was for Leo, JJ, Zeek, Bane, Alana, Brick or even Ling. Now the circle had grown now she was responsible for everyone that her father’s army of gangs touched. Flame was  responsible for every life that Commander took for each second she hesitated.

“I know,” said Flame.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirty-five

“Here are some new cloths,” said Flame, laying them at Alana’s feet. “You can change in the rocks over there. I hade Marlene make a dressing room today, so we could all put on some fresh cloths,”

“Flame?” Alana asked.

“Yes?” Flame asked.

“I missed you,” said Alana.

“I missed you too,” Last night, while she slept, Zeek and Bane had taken away some of the things that Alana had remembered that she didn’t need to know. Some of the things she did that she didn’t want to remember. They were easy to find because she had pushed them to the back. The place you can find anything anyone wants to hide. Between Zeek and Bane, they had almost gotten rid of everything.

“Flame!” Marlene cried across the camp. As soon as she heard the cry, Flame went running.

“What! What happened!?” Flame asked in a pace that was like warp ten.

“The fire! It’s spreading! I’ve tried to put it out, but it wont go down,” Said Marlene. Flame quickly killed the flame and when it had completely subsided Flame knelt down and picked up a box of ‘long lasting powder’

“I sometimes use it to make our fire last all night. When JJ made the fire last night, he must have over done it a bit,” said Flame showing Marlene the box.

“I don’t suppose boys ever read the fine print,” said Marlene taking a closer look at the box.

“None that I’ve ever known,” said Flame. They both had a good laugh after that.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been quite talkative around you and the others; I’ve never been good at socializing,” Then, more seriously, Marlene said, “Flame there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. I saw a small bit of that report about your mother, and that same day four years ago is the day that Deven’s father was killed, in the street it looked like a hit and run. But now, I think it was someone killing off element controllers,”

“That would make sense. James’s father was killed then to, I didn’t understand it then, but I think I do now. We’ve been focusing on Commander for so long, we fail to realize that there is another serious player,” said Flame.

“I just thought you should know before we go into this fight today,” said Marlene.

“Thank you for telling me. We will be leaving in hours. Do you have any equipment?” asked Flame.

“I can make some, it’ll only take minutes. Does anyone else need some I can make more,” said Marlene.

“Make some fore Alana and Bane,” said Flame after a moment of thought.

“Alright it’ll be ready in a few,” Said Marlene, as Flame walked away. Within hours, everyone was dressed. Bane’s everyday clothes were now trimmed with gold and silver plating to protect her, her ordinarily leather breastplate was replaced with a silver one that fit snugly, and her legs were covered in from the knee to the ankle to protect her legs. Alana did not want much armed saying it was heavy and uncomfortable and only slow her down, so Alana was armed with two simple arm bands and a simple band that covered her middle. Flame herself was clothed in full worrier princess cloths. Flame’s hair was pinned back a simple, light cloth pined to it and it hanging down, Flame’s ordinary cloths were covered with armor that was light but strong. Marlene was wearing only a simple bracelet made of mettle. The boys were all dressed the same unlike the girls they were adamantly apposed to wearing protective gear and just wore simple armed plating and breastplates.

“Today we may not make history, but we write our own story and form our futures,” said Flame as she looked over the battlefield into the deep caverns of Commander’s territory, where the war was about to truly begin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirty-six

The team rode down the valley wall, a heavy, silent, feeling of expectation weighing down on them like the sky on the earth. Brick rode next to Flame. He watched her face and saw the determination for what he could hardly imagine. It was a day to fight, a day to be remembered. But how it ended was unwritten and hanging over them. There are truly no words that could adequately explain the stress, and the pressure that there was.

Suddenly, Flame gritted her teeth and revved her engine taking off in front. Brick was about to go off after Flame when Alana pulled up in front of him.

“She wants to be alone. She did this when we were children and she needed to think,” Brick looked for a second longer at the dust cloud that told him where Flame was, and let her go.

“Alana you ride next to me. I want you to be in the front incase we have to attack,” Brick said. Alana nodded.

When Brick looked for Flame again, he couldn’t see a dust cloud. Brick saw fire though, lots of it. Brick felt sorry for those men who Flame was fighting. When Flame was stressed, there was noting on earth that could elevate stress like hitting some thugs. Brick also saw her bike abandoned at the edge of the skirmish.

“We should go help her. But we should also go slow,” said Brick.

“Man she’s good. Those men are dropping like flies,” said JJ then he spied something different a blond head with black tips. “Bane?”

“I see her,” said Bane.

“We have to help her,” said JJ.

“I don’t think she’s the one who needs are help,” said Zeek, as Ling and the girl Brick recognized as Siarah walked in to the midst of the fight. As they passed, the men parted to create a strait path to Flame.

“What is she doing!” cried Marlene.

“She’s attacking Flame!” Brick replied. “Marlene, get us a shortcut,”

“Got it. Deven help me,”  With a flick of her wrist and Deven’s, Marlene pulled up a hill and quickly descended down its side. The rest followed in suit behind her. Bane quickly started pushing men out of the way sending them flailing, falling, and passing out through the air.

“They’ll be in the middle,” said Alana. Every second more men seemed to be arriving closing in behind them.

“We’re being herded in,” said Zeek.

“Well there’s not much we can do that,” said Brick. Suddenly he had to duck because there was a fire ball headed straight for his head.

“Flame!” Brick yelled. Flame looked around. She could hear Brick, but she couldn’t see him. Finally, after bashing her way through what seemed like an army’s worth of men, she saw him. Brick was sitting on his bike, his hair slightly singed at the top.

“How did you do that?” Flame asked, disarming another man and pushing him to the ground so fast that the man hardly had time to think, much less to do anything about it.

“You did it,” said Brick, sitting on his bike as another man ran toward him. Brick saw him coming and lazily tripped the guy who fell on the ground with an *OMPF.* Then there was a weird whirring. And before he could react, Brick was being attacked by the man but this tie half of the man’s face had fallen off to revel metal beneath it. “Robots! They’re mixed in with the humans. Guess we’ll just have to hit them harder, said Flame, pulling out the dagger.

“Flame, are you sure?” asked Brick, knowing the importance of that dagger.

“Yes, I’m sure,” said Flame, using the blade to deflect a stream of fire directed at her. Flames face was surprised, but not for long, because coming through straight toward her was Ling.

“Ling, what are you doing here?” Flame asked, managing to keep her voice level as she stood face to face with Ling, though she had this eerie feeling she already knew. But then she noticed something else.

“Just doing what I was meant to do,” said Ling.

“Is that so?” Suddenly Flame threw herself at Siarah.

“Flame, what are you doing?” asked Ling. Flame ignored her.

“What have you done with my cousin?” demanded Flame. “And you better tell me now because I only ask nice once,”

“Flame what are you talking about I’m right here,” said Ling.

“Cute trick, but no,” Flame hit Siarah, hard, so hard Flame could feel the skin break on contact. With that Flame stood up and shook her fist. The apparition of Ling disappeared.

“How is that possible?” asked Brick.

“I can only suppose that she is a forgotten member of one of the three main families with the gift of telepathy,” said Flame. “It only explains how Alana’s mind was wiped,”

“We should find the others,” said Brick.

Flame gave a sharp whistle to call the others. For an instant, the fighting stopped. Flame’s group quickly took advantage of the second’s distraction. Within minutes the hundreds of men had been reduced to a dozen men. Flame herded the men into a circle like sheep into the lion’s den.

“Now you all are going to do what we say, or you can join the others on the ground,” Said Flame. “Now drop you weapons,” All the men’s weapons clatters to the ground with clangs and clatters. The others standing next to her now that the fighting was done. “I want you all to walk away and tell the story that you’ve seen today,” Flame walked away after that.

“Let go of me!!!” Flame heard the cry from across the field out of her sight. It was Ling’s voice. Ling came running across toward them. Brick took a defensive pose.

“Relax Brick, it’s her,” said Flame.

“How can you tell?”

“Her flower, I put a tracer in it.”

“Flame! Oh thank you, heaven!” Ling was almost tripping now over the earth beneath her feet. “We have to leave now!”

“He knows. He knows you’re here. He’s ready for you,” Ling was gasping for breath now. Alana caught Ling underneath her arm as she fainted from the lack of breath.

“Leo help me,” said Alana, gasping from the weight of Ling.

“I’m okay,” said Ling, straightening herself. “It was only a moment. I’m fine. But we have to go,”

“No,” said Flame. “I’ve come to far. I’ve done too much, I will fight him today or lose my life trying. I don’t ask any of you to go with me, but if you chose to, I can’t guarantee that you will live,” Brick stood and said,

“I told you once and I’ll tell you again I’m not letting you go without me,” after him Bane Rose.

“You’ll need me,” she said.

“Someone has to make sure Bane stays out of trouble,” said Zeek. Bane just smirked at him.

“I’m coming,” said Alana

“Me too,” said Leo.

“Like I’m going to  let you guys have all the fun,” Said Marlene.

“I guess I have to go too,” Said Deven.

“I’m not being left behind,” said Ling.

“We all go. We all protect each other. But you leave Commander to me,” said Flame.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirty-seven

The group stole quietly into the building that had risen up before them as they had travelled down the long flat surface of the bottom of the valley. The group had slipped in through a window in the back.

Flame looked around into the room she had entered. It was empty except for a single door on the other end of the room. Flame silently walked over to the door and tried it. Locked.

“Marlene, can you do something about this?” Marlene placed her fingers on the door feeling the mettle and she slowly turned the latch holding the door closed.

“We’re in,” said Marlene with a sly smile.

“Remind you of old times doesn’t it,” said Bane talking to Deven.

“It does,” said Deven, smiling.

“Okay everyone, take a partner and scout. Brick, you are coming with me,” With that, she ran ahead and Brick followed.

“Bane?” Zeek asked.

“Let’s go,” said  Bane. And they went down the left hall. After them Leo and Marlene headed down another hall, and Deven and Ling with down yet another. Each one headed into the heart of their future.

Once they were far enough away from the other to be over herd Zeek said, “Bane, I don’t know what will happen today but whatever happens, you need to know something. Now, before one, or both, of us die. Not that I’m saying we’ll die, it’s just you have to… Mph!” Bane stifled his words as her lips touched his.

“Shhhh,” she said, putting her finger on his lips as she pulled away. “You’ll jinx it,” she said smiling , walking forward again. It was several minutes until Zeek was able to move again.

Flame and Brick were creeping silently down a hall passing corridor upon corridor of rooms. It seemed as though each room was occupied to, which made this doubly dangerous.

Down the hall, Flame could hear many voices, talking, arguing, laughing. Flame saw that it was a mess hall and recreation room for the gangs that worked for Commander. Suddenly it was all quiet and a voice came in over an intercom system. It was her father’s voice, Flame realized in a second. And only another second after that did she realize what he was saying.

“Good afternoon, I’m taking this time to inform you all that there are intruders in the building. So if you see anyone that seems out of place, bring them to my office. You have permission to use any force necessary in comprehending the intruders,” After this, Commander went into a detailed description of each of them from Flame all the way down to Leo.

 “Brick, we need to get out of here now,” said Flame. And she was running �" again.

Meanwhile, across the hall, Leo and Marlene were making a very different discovery.

“Flame, answer your communicator, this is big,” said Leo speaking in to the communicators they had brought.

“Flame’s a bit busy!” Brick’s voice came in loud and strong, and it sounded out of breath. “Call the others, we’ll meet up with you as soon as we can,” With that they lost the connection.

“Zeek, it’s Leo come in,” Leo called again over the communicator.

“I’m here,” said Zeek.

“Follow the tracker. We’ve found Commander,” said Leo. The same call went out to Deven and Ling.

Within half an hour, all except Flame and Brick had arrived and were waiting in a dimly lit hall. Though one dimly lit hall in a labyrinth of dimly lit halls was not much except that this hall was the one that led to Commander.

“Someone should go get them,” said Bane. “And I volunteer because standing around here will kill me faster than any bullet,” Bane stepped away from the wall putting her hands up to her head and then dropping them again.

“You can’t go alone. I’m coming too,” said Deven. Alana squeezed his hand as she stood behind him and said,

“Flame will be here any minute. The worst thing that could happen is that you’ll get lost and we’ll be waiting even longer,” Just then they could all hear footsteps running down the hall.

“They know we’re here,” said Flame. Coming into the dim light for just a second before rushing past them. Just behind Flame was Brick who caught her shoulder.

“I don’t think they saw us. I think we can stop,” Flame looked around and when she saw he was right she took in a deep breath.

“Where are we?” asked Flame in between breathing.

“Look for yourself,” said Ling, pointing down the corridor. Flame’s eyes widened the hour had arrived.

“Brick come with me,” Flame said, then turning to the others, “If we’re not out in half an hour, blow the place sky high,” Deven nodded. He knew there was no reason to argue and Flame knew he would do it.

After Flame had disappeared, Bane turned and asked Deven, “We’re going in after her aren’t we,”

“Like we have a choice,” said Deven, heading down the hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirty-Eight

Flame walked in to the room bold and loud. It didn’t matter who saw her now, she was close. She knew it and so did the people around her. The room was empty except for monitors covering one wall and a high backed chair with its back to her.

“You are so much like your mother, head strong, bold; but you never think things through,” Commander turned toward her, standing up a gun in his hand.

“Better to be my mother, than the man known as my father. You are nothing but a killer, a vengeful mind, a disgraceful human being, lire, and more.”

“That’s all I am?” Commander asked cocking the weapon.

“You think that’ll work on me?” asked Flame almost smirking now that the time had come.

“No. But it will on him,” said Commander as he moved the gun to face Brick and before Flame could do a thing he pulled the trigger.

“NOOOO!” Flame shouted too late.

Suddenly someone knocked Brick out of the way from behind. “I told you to stay outside,” said Flame.

“No, you didn’t, but if you had we still would have come,” said Deven.

“You’re out numbered and clearly out powered,” said Flame talking to Commander.

“So what? Kill me. That would solve all your problems,” said Commander.

“No. I won’t just kill you I’ll destroy your organization first,” Said Flame.

“Maybe you are a bit like me,” Said Commander. suddenly Brick threw a punch knocking Commander flat on his back and unconscious.

“Humph, hard head, ” He said rubbing his fist.

“Destroy everything,” Said Flame directing Deven computers. “Bane, set up these bombs around main beams of the building. Brick, Start on these paper files burn everything, ” Flame walked over to the desk and shut off the alarm everything was suddenly vary quiet. Flame knew her father’s subordinates wouldn’t dare come to his office they were too scared of him.

Bane nodded, understanding. “Where will you be?” She asked.

“Starting fires this place has to be destroyed.” Said Flame.

It took almost an hour, but at last everything had been burned and erased and noting was left. The money in Commander’s safe was stuffed into a bag. Finally, after he was sure everything was gone Brick called Flame over the communicator. “Flame give us ten minutes and we’ll be out,”

“Got it,” Said Flame.

Within the ten minutes, all were out. Zeek had met everyone else at the window they had first entered through. It was dark now, maybe two A.M. Flame was headed for the door now she had to run she only had seconds.

Then she felt the first BOOM! It rattled the entire building, sending off alarms everywhere.

Flame ran faster. Within seconds she was at the window and was pulled up and out by Brick. But they weren’t done yet. They kept running father and farther. Flame stopped just out of the blast zone, she turned and said, “Goodbye Father,” eyes dry. She turned back to run again. She had to catch up with the others and she did. Everyone quickly got on their bikes and was up the canyon wall as fast as possible.

They finally stopped at the cliff over looking the whole valley the rising sun throwing a blood red veil over it for an instant with the base going up in flames.

Suddenly Flame was grabbed around the waist pulled close by Brick and Bane by Zeek. The other younger members had to look away. Leo actually had the nerve to stick out his tongue in disgust.

Flame sight contentedly. She felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders and a new day stretched before her like a blank piece of paper. It was time to build anew and to start a life, a real life without shadow. Flame would have a life with her family, she wouldn’t let them split up ever again.

 

 

Thirty-nine

That night around the fire, Brick came and sat next to Flame. “Are you okay?” asked Brick.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” asked flame staring straight ahead.

“Flame, you killed your father,” said Brick making her face the truth.

“My father died years ago. He was killed by grief and a desire for control. It’s as simple as that.”

“Why did you act so angry when James told you who had killed his father?” Brick was determined to find out the whole story. The funny thing was that for the first time flame wanted to tell someone. She wanted to tell Brick. 

“Before I left home, I had a chance. I saw what my mother’s death did to him. I could have gotten Alana and Leo out. I could have stopped him before he killed someone. But I didn’t.”

“Flame, you were a kid,” said Brick.

“But I knew right from wrong,” said Flame.

“You said once that Alana’s and Leo’s names were changed when they were put with us in the beginning. What were their names before?” Brick asked.

“Jane and Thomas,” Flame said.

“Leo is a Thomas?” asked Brick.

“Not anymore,” Flame said looking at Leo laughing and playing even wrestling with Deven. Leo probably would have called Zeek to help him except Zeek and Bane had disappeared about a half hour ago.

“Zeek?” Bane said. As she joined him sitting on the log that faced the lake they were camping by. Across the lake they could see the fire burning and the others sitting around it. Bane looked lovely as the full moon lightened her hair to look like moonbeams that surrounded her face in curls.

“Yeah?” Zeek asked.

“What are you thinking about?” Bane asked.

“You,”

“What about me?”

“How I want to see you every day for the rest of my life.”

“That’s a rather specific thought,” Bane said.

“Perhaps, but it leads me to my next question.”

Bane walked back to camp smiling talking to Zeek and admiring the simple silver band on her finger.

“Do you get the feeling they knew each other before our little campaign?” Asked Flame as she observed them walking back into the camp.

“I do and I think that they have the right idea. Today should signify a new start,” Brick said as he pulled a golden ring out of his pocket and handed it to Flame. Flame slid the ring on and said,

“What took you so long?”

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

Ignore punctuation and spelling please, just tell me what you think of the story if you'd be so kind as to read it.