• Chapter 2



    The world around me was covered in shadow. There was not a single scrap of evidence that life could exicist here, so the fact that I was able to stand here with no idea as to how I got here, was extremely unnerving.
    I thought that I was scared before, that is until I sensed the presence of my worst nightmare coming towards me. I took a couple of steps backwards trying to keep away from the entity. However, I knew that it was worthless to even try. I heard the malevolent laughter roll through the air and wrap its self around me. My hands were trembling beyond my control and I could not help but lick my lips in fear.
    “You are afraid Ariel.” Chills ran up my spine as I felt him come up behind me and whisper this in to my ear. I felt him lift a clammy clawed hand to pull back a hand full of limp silvery blond hair and tucked it behind my ear, and I instinctually bent my head away as best as I could away from his grasp. He laughed again. “You are afraid, are you not?” He repeated once again as he took the hand that had been playing with my hair and ran it down my arm and down to my hand. I was too afraid to answer, not only that even if I was not I would not satisfy him with a response.
    He did not seem to care either way; he just seemed to carry on. “No matter, there will come a time, a time that is soon coming that you will come to me o your own volition. Moreover, in that time you will swear yourself to me and become forever mine.”
    I somehow mustered up the courage to respond to this. “No, I will not. No matter what you do I will never come to you or serve you. And in that matter you are incredibly delusional for thinking that you will be able to succeed in this.”
    “And that,” he whispered into my ear. “Is where you are wrong. In two things as a matter of fact.” I could feel his warm breath against my ear, and although it felt gentle against my skin I knew otherwise as he wrapped his hand around my throat. “My plan is not to have you serve me, but to rule the world with me. You will come to me, I will see to it. I am a relatively patient man.”
    “So that’s what you call yourself.” I interrupted him with a sudden surge of confidence. “I thought that you preferred to be called Atomos Tenebra, what is that, Latin? Which anyone can speak fluent Latin all know translates into incapable of being divided, darkness, obscurity, dark corner, ignorance, concealment, and gloom. If you truly know me as you say you do, you have got to know that I would never join you for those reasons alone.” His bloody clawed hand tightened around my throat, my breathing sped up, and my heart raced with fear.
    “But my patience does grow thin. In addition, just as you have said I do know this of you, which is why I will achieve my goals through the ones that are closest to you. I have already taken measures to achieve this end, and I know that although you do not speak to any one, outside of your mind of course, you have grown quite close to one individual in particular. What is her name again? Alexa, isn’t it?” My heart nearly stopped at hearing this, and all that I could think about was that once again, because of me some one has been placed in harm’s way and there wasn’t anything that I could do about it. Tears welled up in my eyes. Atomos threw me to the ground with little care, and with the state that I was in, I could barely pull myself to my knees, my breath shaking. “And although her power isn’t all that significant I’m willing to find a place for her as an indentured servant.”
    “No,” I said with a barely addible croak.
    “I know very well that her fate will lead you straight to me. I will make sure of that.”
    “NOOO,” I cried.


    My eyes flew open as I came out of my dream into complete alertness; and I reached up and wiped away the tears that had run down my face. As the complete realization of my most recent nightmare came back to me, I leapt out of bed in frenzy. There was no longer any doubt in my mind that these were not just dreams. I had suspected before but now I had no doubt. The dreams were far too real to be anything else. That being said I had to do whatever I could do to prevent anything from happening to Alexa. If something did happen to her I would never forgive myself, and it would be another person’s blood that would be on my hands. The thing is, is that I still had not gotten over the last time that something like this had happened.
    I got dressed as fast as I could and practically ran out of my dorm in search of Alexa. Once I find her, I will make sure that I do not let her out of my sight for even a moment. I knew that I was missing classes but at this very moment, I did not care.
    I was half way down the hall when I quite literally ran in to Aaron.
    “Whoa, easy there Ariel. Where are you going so fast this early in the morning?”
    I did not want him to know, nor did I have the time to deal with him. I have a great deal of respect and affection for him but he would not understand what is happening to me. Not that I even know what is going on, all I knew was that Atomos, whatever and whoever he is wants me. He is even willing to go to great lengths to do it as well. Between screwing with my mind and black mail, though I was going to do everything within my power to make sure that was not going to go that far.
    Therefore, I bowed my head in greeting and respect and tried to duck away so that I could continue on to find Alexa. He took hold of my arm before I could and turned me to face him.
    “Ariel, what’s wrong? I have not seen you like this in quite some time. In fact, you seem worse than before, desperate even. What’s going on?” I let there be a moment’s pause before I tried to pull away, though he held me fast with that worried furrowed brow stretched across his face. “Please, Ariel. I am here for you, you know that. You can tell me. Nothing will change for you, no matter what you tell me. You know that, right?”
    I bit my lip and nodded avoiding his gaze.
    “Then why will you not show me what is going on?” I bit my lip knowing what I had to do. I was not going to show him much but just enough to get him off my back. I looked him in the eyes with the single most powerful image that I had of the entire situation. The image of Atomos ran out of me with a surge, and into him. He flew back into the opposing wall with the pure power of the single memory. As he looked up in shock, I bowed my head in apology and headed back down the hallway.
    When I got to Alexa’s room, knowing that in all likely hood she would be still in bed asleep I pounded on her door to get her up and out of bed. “Coming, I said I’m coming! What?” The door was yanked open. Her eyes were barley slits, her hair was all over the place, and she still had yet to change out of her pajamas. “Ariel, what is it? Is it not a little early for a social call? Either way why don’t you come in?” She opened the door far enough to allow me to step in with a yawn. She closed the door behind me. I sat down on the edge of her bed while I waited for to wake up more and get ready for the day.
    “Have you had another nightmare?” She asked when she got back. I nodded unable to look her in the eye. “Well how about we skip class today and hang out here today. And as an extra precaution you can stay here as long as you need to.” She knelt down before me and took my hands. She was now able to look me in the eyes. “You are my friend Ariel. Moreover, I am willing to do anything for you. I know you and your personality, and the fact that you trust me enough to come here for some kind of comfert or that I may be able to give it in some kind of way tells me very well that you feel the exact same way about me. You and I are as close as any two people can be. We’re like sisters.”
    I once again started to cry, and I wrapped my arms around her neck and held her close. She had no idea how much her words meant to me. Although this is, the whole reason that her life is at risk there was no way that I could deny that she is the single most important person in my life, and that I have yet to find someone who is closer to me then her.
    It was not to long after this that the school’s alarms started going off. We both looked up in reaction to it waiting for Aaron to inform us of what we needed to know about the upcoming mission.
    The only times that the alarms go off here at the school is when ether the school is under attack or another of our kind is in danger. The people who control the alarms all have what is called the seeker power. It allows the person to find other Powerless and to know whether they are in trouble. Which is how we have been able to save so many of our kind from the A.P.S.S. and to keep our abilities from being missing used?
    “Attention everyone. Our seekers have detected another Powerless that is in need of our help. We unsure of their talent but swift action must be taken. The A.P.S.S. has discovered their existence and is on their way to take them in to custody. Now as usual we need seven people to go, retrieve, and rescue the individual. In addition, you have the choice to turn the missions down as well. We cannot and will not force you to do anything that you do not want to do. The people that we believe would be most effective on this mission are Alexa.” Alexa and I exchanged looks, and I was extremely concerned for the obvious reasons. “Maria, Daniel, Julie, Jacob, Justin, and finally Ariel as well.” An onslaught of contridictrial emotions over took me. I was relieved because I could continue to protect Alexa. However, I had not had to face the A.P.S.S. sense I myself had escaped them. And that was so many years ago.
    Without hesitation, we both got to our feet and headed to the locker room where we stored everything that we would for the most part need when going on these missions are stored there. We met up with the others there and grabbed our packs. Julie caught sight of us, smiled and waved us over to her. When reaching her I managed a weak smile and bowed my head in greeting. “So how are you guys doing today?” She said with a bubbly nature about her.
    “Mmm, well enough. How about you?” Alexa responded with an edge of uncertainty with in her voice.
    “Actually I’m quite ecstatic. This is the first mission that I will be going on sense I have arrived. I will be aiding in the rescue of ether one of my brothers or sisters today. That gives me such a good feeling about a mission. Do you not agree, Ariel?” I nodded with grin pone my face amused at her enthusiasm. “So any way, Ariel this may not a be a completely comfortable question to be asking you at the moment, especially given the fact that we’ve just met but how exactly do you intend on handling yourself on this mission given the fact that you have a neutral talent. Do not get the wrong idea, I am only asking this out of concern for you. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
    Alexa cast me a bemused glance. She knew that my talents were far from neutral, and even without the use of them, I was far from being defenseless. She did not say or do anything; she was waiting to see what I would do to show her just that. Well I would not want to leave the crowd wanting, now would I?
    Julie had reached out to place comforting hand pone my shoulder. Before she could though I had taken hold of it, twisted it behind her back, and forced her down to the ground. Alexa and the other four kids with in the room who were going on the mission all burst out laughing.
    “Ok,” she gasped as I helped her to her feet. “So you’re not as helpless as I thought. Forgive me for my assumption.” I nodded in affirmation.
    Jacob, one of the seven who was chosen to go on this trip, is a Powerless with the talent of teleportation. This being the case, he was one of the few with the most field experience out of all of us. He was the one who was going to be taking us back and forth on this mission.
    He motioned for us all to move closer together and to take each other by the hands. It was not long before we all found ourselves out of the locker room and in the middle of what seemed to be an empty field. That is until I turned around and saw a medium sized junior high school standing somewhat surrounded by houses in the field, and two basketball courts on the west side of the building. I tapped Alexa on the arm trying to get her attention.
    “Jacob, you’ve brought us to the wrong place. There is not anything here,” Alexa stated. I tapped her again, but harder this time.
    “No, I didn’t. This is the right place. I have never transported anywhere that I did not mean to go sense I gained control of my abilities. This is the right place, I am sure of it,” Jacob responded. Went from tapping to actually hitting her in the arm.
    “WHAT?!” Alexa exclaimed spinning around. She fell silent when she realized what I was pointing out. “Oh, ok that’s something. Never mind Jacob, your off the hook.” He held himself in check while shaking his head with a glare.
    After taking a moment to assess the situation outside of the building before we started on to the front doors of the school building. “Whoa, wait a moment. Are we seriously just going to walk in through the front doors? What if someone sees us,” Julie asked concerned. I turned and gave her a yah so kind of shrug and expression, not that she really understood it.
    “Ariel’s right,” Justin put in. “The majority of us on this mission know how the A.P.S.S. work and think. They are all about keeping their atrocities from the rest of the world until they have enough power to monopolize it and make sure that there is no way to bring them down. And with them doing everything within their power to remain under the radar, they will not attack us out word in such a public venue such as a school. So we are safer walking through the front doors, then playing into their hands by trying to sneak in under the radar.”
    “But then, I don’t understand. If they want to remain under cover then why try and take the child right out of the school in broad daylight, in front of several people?” Julie inquired with a usually valid point.
    Maria stepped in at this point. “Normally you would be right in this matter. However, in truth they tend to either expedite or take advantage of matters like the hostage situation that is going on right now with in this school. The A.P.S.S. exploits the chaos that is stirred up with in these situations to kidnap those that they want, and no one for the most part would be the wiser. I mean it happens all the time with things like this. People go missing, people die, and there isn’t anything that you can do about it.”
    “What about you Ariel? Am I right in assuming that you were once taken by them before you were rescued by Aaron? How did they take you?” Julie went on to ask. I narrowed my eyes at her in a sudden suspicion; I mean how can she know so much about me?
    Apparently, Alexa did not notice this because she went on to answer for me. “Ariel, her little sister and I were all captured together. When the flight we were on was supposed to be supposedly on the verge of breaking down in mid air and we had to make an emergence landing. Of course our capture was made all the easier with the fact that we were in their territory where they had the advantage.”
    “Wait! So Ariel, you have a little sister?” Jacob asked in surprise. I shook my head, because I no longer did. “I never knew, I mean I haven’t even seen her around the school.”
    “No, you wouldn’t.” Alexa interrupted. “Her sister was killed about five months before she was rescued by Aaron.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry. I did not know.” Jacob apologized. I shook my head, it was not his fault that she was dead, it was my own.
    “Ha,” Maria laughed, “that actually explains a lot.” Alexa made to go and hit her but I stopped her and directed her towards the school building once again. I may not like or appreciate what she had said or the implied message behind it, but I would not allow it to get to me. In addition, I was not going to allow any one, especially Alexa retaliate on it in my stead.
    “Yah, you are right. We should continue with our mission. What we are doing now is quite pointless. So, we go through the front door.” She said this so candidly that I could not help but smile a bit. In the back of my mind, I knew she had said it for this very purpose.
    Upon entering the school, we were met with an eerie silence, but at the same time, it was not all that strange being that the school was under lock down because of those that had invaded it. I would have expected at least a couple of guards near the front of the building making sure that no one got in, or out. After a few of us had searched the front office while the rest of us guarded the entrance to the hallway, we had confirmed that there was not any one there, which could mean only one thing. That the A.P.S.S. was already here. This little detail made all of us nervous, but no matter what the case we had to continue on. After all, we had a mission to complete.
    In the center of the school was the cafeteria, and was the auditorium as well. There were three hallways branching off into different directions. It was at about that same moment that we had a clamor coming from down the hallway on the right. The seven of us acted pone it without hesitation. Before we could get to far down it, the first door on the left obliterated into a million pieces and some one flew out of the classroom and against the opposing wall on our right. I allowed myself to continue going and then to skid to a halt in front of the person, I could not tell whether it was a man or a woman, and knelt down before them to examine their persons, hoping that they were all right. The only thing that I could tell that was wrong with the girl, because I could now tell when her gender was now that I was looking at her up close, was that she had a slight concussion from smacking her head against wall. Somehow, though she was still conscious.
    Alexa came and stood next to me with the girl while the others surrounded the door ready to jump anyone who tried to exit the classroom that had ill will to the one who was thrown through the door or towards any of us.
    “Ok Ariel and Alexa why don’t you stay here with this girl and make sure she’s safe while the rest of us kick the bad guys out of this school.” Justin suggested seeing that there was a need to protect the injured girl before us and sense that I do not use my powers he was leaving Alexa to do all of the heavy work within any kind of fight that deals in Powerless using their gifts against one another. The A.P.S.S. use us Powerless that they have ether black mailed or converted as their lackeys and have them doing all of their dirty work such as kidnapping Powerless and killing anyone who gets in their way. I shrugged not caring to much about the arrangement of how we go about this mission as long as I am able to make sure that Alexa remains safe. Alexa just nodded in response as well.
    Maria counted down with the others silently on her fingers and down to the moment in which they were to charge into the classroom. Alexa knelt down before the girl with me. “Are you ok?” She asked the girl.
    “Yah, what the heck is going on? These people just appeared out of nowhere and are trying to talk me into joining them. Um, I think they call themselves the A.P.S.S. they have this crazy idea that I have the ability to control technology or any other kind of electronics. I mean how weird and impossible that is. Now do either of you know what they are really after?” Alexa and I exchanged bemused glances. “Wait!” The girl exclaimed trying to leap to her feet in a hurry. “Who the heck are you guys, and where did you guys come from I haven’t seen you around here before!” However, because of the concussion that she receives when she had it the wall she slumped back down to the floor. Although still, awake the whole all the while.
    “Do not worry.” Alexa reassured her and took her by the hands. “We aren’t here to hurt you; we’re here to help you. And we’ll explain everything to you afterwards, though I’m not sure if you are quite ready to believe us but the A.P.S.S. haven’t given us much of a choice at this point.”
    The girl cocked an eyebrow a bit confused. “I don’t get it. Why would I not believe you?”
    “Um,” Alexa and I just exchanged glances once again. “Because what the A.P.S.S. said is true, though I don’t know too much about what your power is. They may be the bad people but what they said about you is true. So what is your name?”
    “Taya,” she replied uneasily. This whole thing was obviously freaking out.
    Speaking of feeling uneasy, a cold chill ran up my spine and through my body. Something was not right and it was not the A.P.S.S. this was not what I would sense from them. They may be evil but not this evil. My hands trembled in fear; it was almost as though one of my nightmares had come alive.
    As the realization of this came into full power in the frontal cortex of my mind, my eyes went wide in horror. Alexa who had noticed the expression a pone my face grew concerned herself. “Ariel, what is it, what’s wrong?” I barely heard this though, I was too afraid for myself and especially for Alexa. Atomos Tenebra was coming for her, a lot sooner than I had truly thought that they would be. Now that the time was actually here, I realized that there was not anything that I can really do. I could not use my powers unless I absolutely had to, but that terrified me as well. I was afraid of my powers and what they could do. I did not know what to do. I guess what will determine what I was going to do is by which I am more afraid of. Losing my best friend to my worst nightmare Atomos, or using my abilities that I have not used in over five years and that I have no idea about they can do to rescue my best friend.
    “Ariel, what do you sense, why are you so afraid?” Alexa asked placing a hand on my shoulder.
    “She senses us of course. And she knows exactly why we are really here.” Alexa, Taya, and I all looked up and towards the person who was speaking. Alexa and I were taken aback by who we saw was the one who was talking. Julie and some strange man approached out of the classroom.
    For some odd reason, I had a feeling that my previous concerns about the girl from earlier had some standing after all. “Um what are they talking about?” Taya asked leaning forward so that she could whisper it into our ears.
    “I don’t know. Julie, what are you doing?”
    “What, Ariel didn’t tell you? She knows exactly what we are doing here. Why don’t you ask her?” Julie said with maw king with a sneer.
    Alexa turned to look at me. “Ariel .is this true? What do you know about what is going on here? When did you get back in league with the A.P.S.S.?” I shook my head; eyes closed burning with fresh tears. The realization that I could not do anything and I was a fool to think that I could.
    “Ha!” Julie laughed with malice in her eyes. “Have you not figured out by now? We are not the A.P.S.S... Those morons have no idea what they actually have or can do with all of the kidnapped Powerless. They think that the world is the limit. My master, I, and even Ariel here know otherwise. Not that she would admit it. I mean she’s banished her voice, and denies her powers to accomplish that very goal.”
    “Ok, so if you’re not the A.P.S.S., then who are you? And what do you want?” Alexa exclaimed.
    “Well I guess you can say that that is why we are here. You will get to understand a little better about who we are. Also my master will also get what he wants.” Julie replied knowing perfectly well, what the next response from Alexa would be.
    “Oh yah, and what exactly is it that your, master.” She used finger air quotes to emphasize the word master. “What exactly is it that your master wants?”
    “To force Ariel’s hand of course. To capture you and have Ariel drown in her own guilt knowing full well that it is all her fault.” As Julie spoke, I watched as Alexa’s expression plummeted inch by inch and I felt my heart doing the same. “It’s her fault because she knew and grew close to you. It’s Ariel’s fault because she will not swallow her pride and use her extensive abilities to save you from our wrath. And finally because it was her fault that her sister was executed and that she’s allowing the exact same thing to happen to you.”
    “No,” I croaked. Both Alexa, Julie, and the stranger turned to face me in surprise. To be honest I was surprised as well, but I did not have time to allow it to sink into my subconscious that I had broken my eternal oath of not talking to buy time so that I could try to come up with a way to try to save Alexa before it was too late. I had no choice and if I had to choose between facing the unknown strength of my powers and losing my best friend forever. I decided to do my best in trying to save her even if it meant being dammed by my own powers.
    I squeezed my eyes shut tried to tap into my long unused powers. At first, it was difficult to get a hold of it and wield it, but once I did, it was as though a dam just broke open and all of my powers just rushed through my body and out of it as well. I knew that I was in an incredibly dangerous position. Had it been years sense not only I had used them but also I was very aware of the fact that I did not have any control of them. The most that I could hope for was that I would somehow manage in succeeding in saving Alexa.
    Slowly opening my eyes; I could see the stunned looks a pone all of their faces. Clearly none of them had expected me to do anything like this. My powers seemed to act of their own accord and lifted me from the ground and back onto my feet. “Julie,” I hissed. Why don’t you and your friend here leave now, leave all of us alone and I will not have to hurt you. Oh and tell Atomos Tenebra to forget it. I will never join him, and I will never allow him to lay single clawed finger pone Alexa.”
    Instead of backing off from just the pure essence of the power that was rolling out of me, Julie nearly keeled over in laughter at my edacity thinking that I can actually scare them off just by releasing my powers without any kind of control over them. “Atomos figured that you might be able to shake yourself out of your five year stuper at this point within our proceedings with the naive idea that you’ll be able to save your little girl friend here.” The man said nodding to where Alexa was kneeling sense Julie was too busy laughing and incapable of responding now. “This is why he sent us with a backup plan.” Within his left hand, he clenched a violet crystal. He raised it and focused his power through its core and I was suddenly feeling incredibly drained.
    I gasped, collapsing to the ground. I was once again in control of my own actions but I was too weak to do anything about it.
    “Ariel,” Alexa cried getting to her feet and coming to my aid. Before reaching me Julie, who had contained herself grabbed Alexa by the wrist and easily subdued her tying her hands behind her back. I once again attempted to get to my feet. The strange man was still draining me of my power and life force so I am even weaker than before and refell back to the ground short of breath.
    “I don’t know Julie maybe we should bring this other girl with us as well. After all, she is the one that the master really wants after all. This other one is nothing, worthless even.” He took a step towards me. Julie threw Alexa to the ground took hold of him by the scruff of his shirt and threw him against the wall.
    “No! You know perfectly well that the master wants her to come to him of her own accord. Moreover, although this girl may be worth less but she will help us to achieve exactly what the master wishes us to achieve. Therefore, don’t you dare try to disobey him now that we have her weakened and exactly what we have come for? So let us get out of here.”
    “Fine!” He growled then turned back to me for a moment. “Just remember Ariel, that this is your entire fault.” He tossed Alexa over his shoulder and poofed out. Julie followed suit.
    “Ahhh!” I cried tears streaming down my face. I had once again failed the ones that I care about. The others had emerged from the classroom to see what the commotion was all about. Maria stepped forward with concern in her eyes.
    “Ariel? Are you alright? What happened?” This was the first time that I had seen her act this way with me. It was almost as though she had taken a liking to me. But I couldn’t think about that at the moment. All that I could focus on is on how I had once again failed the people who were closest to me. Then out of pure exhaustion I fainted right there in the middle of the hallway.