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biancaarivera · 8 years

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The Start of Everything || Ranger Para

TAGGING→ @syriafraye, @griffinsayoc, @roreomarshall, @pieceofreeses, @eurydicecostas, @sawycrffs

WHEN→ Sunday, January 8th

WHERE→ Shadow Island

GENERAL NOTES→ Kat, Tommy, and Syria have officially decided who they believe will be best fit to become Power Rangers. They have lured the five students to secluded Shadow Island in order for Syria to inject the serum that will turn them into the next generation of Power Rangers...

Needing extra credit in Professor Hillard’s literature class, Rory invites a few of her friends to join her on an expedition to haunted Shadow Island to assist her in completing a report on the horror genre. What began as an innocent and fun trip quickly transforms into an experience that will forever change their lives.

Rory smiled softly, as the island came into view. The temperature had dropped significantly over the past week, and the water was rough due to the patches of ice that had formed across its spread, but they had made it. Finally. "It looks kind of creepy, doesn't it?" she voiced to no one in particular. She watched as a thick cloud of fog rolled across the shore and drifted over the surface, encompassing the land and its surroundings entirely. Between that, the rocky crests, and the leafless trees… it honestly looked dead. And it was seriously creeping her out. "When was the last time anyone ever came here?" she asked, nose pink from the frigid 6AM air. She tugged her scarf up to cover her mouth and chin. "I hope they got home..." Breathing hot air into the material, she basked in the warmth it provided to her cheeks. "You'll be fine.” Rory jumped as the stony faced boatman broke his silence. "We're almost there."

Syria sighed a little as she checked the time. "Hmm... they should have made it to the island by now." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before double checking to make sure everything was ready. The vials were ready to be ready to be injected into their subjects. Even now they still gave off an ominous glow. Then again it could just be the negative thoughts running through Syria's mind. Shaking those thoughts away. Syria gathered her supplies. Which was the case that held earth's only hope and her teleporter wristband. "Let's hope that I don't screw this up." She said as she pulled on Carter's armored jacket. Before she teleported to the cave on the island.

Reese leaned into the railing of the boat, a red ascot, as promised, was loosely knotted around his neck, drifting in the breeze. "Kinda?" He echoed with a quirk of his eyebrow. "This place looks totally creepy." For a moment Reese was wondering what he was even doing there, but the promise of extra credit rang in his ears. "Better question would be: when was the last time anybody left," he asked with the best ominous tone he could muster; however his lopsided smirk easily gave him away. As if in unison Reese jumped when the older man appeared, "Ya know if this was an episode of Scooby Doo, he would be suspect numero uno," he mentioned as soon as the man was out of earshot.

Sawyer pulled her jacket around her tighter as the breeze hit, sending a shiver through her body. “Have to say I agree with Reese,” she mumbled, looking over their surroundings. It looked beyond creepy and she knew from the start this was a terrible idea, yet here she was. She wished she could say it was just for the extra credit, but she knew that’d be a lie. Being caught up in her own thoughts, the man’s voice startled her causing her to gasp out loud and turn towards the voice. “Jesus, give us a little warning next time.” A quiet huff slipped through her lips and she crossed her arms over her chest. “If I end up dead, I’m haunting all of you.”

Eury couldn't believe how spooked everybody was already getting, when they hadn't even reached their destination fully yet. She had to admit that there was an eery feeling lingering in the air, but she definitely wasn't going to start acting like a wuss around the others. It would have been a killer for her reputation as a badass. "Guys, it's not that scary, seriously. You're all acting like we're about to be put into a Saw trap. I'll warn you all if I see Billy the Puppet riding towards us on his tricycle." With a smirk, she moved to punch the boat guy in the arm lightly. "Dude, you're giving all the kids the heebie jeebies, cut it out. Next time you're gonna talk, clear your throat, man." She shot the man a warning look before looking around at their surroundings. "Nobody is going to die." With a sigh, Eury turned to look at Rory, blowing a puff of air out of her mouth before chuckling. "I'm a dragon."

Bianca stuffed her cold hands into her NYU mittens and adjusted her long dark braid under the matching pom hat, choosing to ignore the fact that she was 1) up at 6AM on a Sunday and 2) they were taking a boat with a creepy old guy to a supposedly haunted island. She didn't believe in ghosts or demons and knew that this trip would end up being a harmless adventure taken with fellow floormates for the sake of extra credit but she couldn't help but feel slightly on edge. Rolling her eyes with a small smile on her face at Eury's typical joking mood, Bianca gripped the railing of the boat to steady herself as it edged up to the shore. "Looks like we're here," she announced, moving towards the ladder they would take to climb off board. "I say we get this over with as soon as possible," she added before climbing her way down and landing on the beach, patches of snow and ice atop hardened sand crunching beneath her boots.

Rory Ignoring personal space, Rory shuffled towards her brother and rested her chin on his shoulder. She felt much more at ease knowing that he was there, and the uneasiness that had come with their arrival slowly ebbed away. “You have to say that on film,” she told him, a smile toying at her lips. Leaning back against her seat, she rubbed her mitten clad hands together and glanced at Sawyer. “And feel free,” she chuckled beneath her breath, little puffs of fog falling from her mouth. “Cuz what a boo-tiful ghost you’d be.” Standing up she stretched her legs before hopping onto Eury’s back. “C’mon Targaryen. I’ll ride you to safety.” She had just wrapped her arms around Eury’s neck when the boatman cleared his throat, rather pointedly in Sawyer’s direction. “As the young lady’s said, we’ve arrived. I’ll return tomorrow at 5AM sharp. Don’t be late. Now kindly get off my boat.”

Syria walked around the cave thinking of how she would get them to separate. Sighing as she ran her hand through her hair. She was going to either let one of them see her or make a sound. Possible she'd have to scream. Syria wasn't a fan of yelling. Having been on the receiving end when she ended up failing her father. Pulling the jacket closer around her as a cold wind enter the cave. "Hmm... I know what I could do. Sadly I'll have to read their minds in order to figure out who I'll be injecting. Then hope that this doesn't kill them." Syria walked to the entrance of the cave. "But first I'll need just one of them to see me. Once they notice me I'll teleport away." Shaking her head, "I hope this works."

Griffin pulled his jacket tighter around him to block out the cold breeze as he looked at the island they'd just arrived at. The whole place looked like it was the perfect setting for a horror movie, but he was sort of excited about it. He had no idea what he was doing there outside the promise of food being cooked over a fire. But honestly, that was all it took for him. "5AM is so early, dude," Griffin tossed over his shoulder as he walked past their captain to follow the others off the boat.

Sawyer rolled her eyes as she caught Rory’s glance and words. She wasn’t about to add fuel to the fire by commenting back, despite how badly she wanted to. The sound of the man clearing his throat made her duck her head a bit as she couldn’t help but feel like it was directed towards her and her previous comment. Looking up her green eyes widened. “5AM?” She echoed with a groan as she stood up and followed Griffin, throwing an apologetic look the boatman’s way as she walked by him. “Thanks, Rory.”

Eury was just about to start dramatically charging around with Rory on her back, but was rudely interrupted by them arriving at their destination. When the boatman cleared his throat, Eury patted him on the back. "Nicely done." With her best friend still attached to her back, Eury made her way towards the ladder. "5am is sucha dumb time to be riding around in a boat. But whatever." With a huff, she lowered Rory down off her back before descending down the ladders, onto the icy beach. "I feel like a freakin' penguin. It's so cold." Eury was pretty sure that they were all going to freeze to death on that island, but she had a plan to keep herself alive. It was a grim plan that involved a little cannibalism, but it was certainly a better option than death...maybe. "Okay, so... Who's got the ouija board?"

Bianca waited for the others to descend the boat, taking the time to survey the island. Their surroundings were practically barren, save for one little shack a few yards down. "No one actually brought one of those things, right?" she balked, knowing that even if she didn't believe in ghosts or demons only bad things ever happened to groups of kids playing around with a ouija board. "I say we go to that hut," she decided, pointing down the shore to their right before continuing. "It looks like there's a fire pit down there." She looked back at the group, opting out of leading the way.

Rory “What?” Rory hid her face in Eury’s knitted hat, shying away from her friends’ complaints. She stayed there until she lowered her to the ground. “What if we had class?” she countered, stepping forward to follow Eury off the boat. Her hands gripped the railing, but she looked to the boatman before climbing down. “Great work, Derek. See you tomorrow!” Her feet reached the doc before she could hear the man mutter, “It’s Wes, actually…” She turned to Bianca, eyes bright with excitement. “I hope so,” she slid the bag from her shoulders. She’d have to wait until they arrived at the shack to unload everything, but for the time being, she couldn’t miss this. Pulling a camera from the bag, she handed one to Bianca Griffin and Eury, keeping the last for herself. Powering it on, she pointed it directly at herself. "Welcome to Shadow Island," she introduced, raising and lowering her brows at the lens. Flipping the camera around, she surveyed their surroundings, following Bianca's gaze. "Works for me," she agreed, more than happy to find some warmth. She was beginning to shiver beneath her coat. She returned her attention to the dock, filming up the ladder. "C'mon guys, you heard the man! Get off the boat. It's cold, and I'm ready for adventure!"

Syria kept watch from the entrance of the cave. The boat should have arrived, leaving the group of soon to be heroes alone until tomorrow morning. Closing her eyes as she cleared her mind. Syria then focused on trying to pick up anyone's thoughts. For now she'd have to use her ability to read people's minds to figure out what was going on. Taking a deep breath as she tried to relax. She knew that Rory brought Sawyer along. Which could be an issue, if she forget to add a tranquilizer to the case. Yet Syria hoped that she wouldn't have to use it. Syria's eyes opened as she heard some rustling.

Reese forewent the ladder and jumped down onto the creaky dock, luckily it didn't send him into the water below. He took a moment to survey the dark, yet quiet island as he stretched his arms and legs, and got used to the steady ground once again. A mischievous smirk pulled at the corners of his lips as an idea occurred to him. "Last one to the fire pit owes me a breakfast burrito tomorrow!" He called out as he took off and in the direction Bianca was pointing.

Griffin took the camera that Rory offered him and focused on not dropping it. He was fairly certain that his RA salary wouldn't cover replacing it if he failed. With all his focus on not breaking it, he didn't realize he'd pushed the record button, so he effectively contributed a three second video of his confused looking face before he found the button and pushed it again. Surveying the island and the cabin that Reese began to run towards, Griffin's attention was quickly drawn in the other direction before he could join in. He could have sworn he saw another person that didn't arrive on the boat with them. "Did you see that?" he asked mostly to himself before taking his eyes off the girl in the distance to look around him and see who'd heard him. Spotting Sawyer who happened to be walking behind him, he repeated the question to her, "you saw that right? That ghost over there?" he expanded before looking back over towards the caves and starting in that direction.

Sawyer looked back and forth between the shack Reese was currently running towards and the caves. "Hmm?" Stopping mid step Sawyer nodded at Griffin’s question. She could have sworn she saw someone over in that direction as well, she just didn’t want to say anything in case she had been mistaken. "I don’t think it was a ghost, but I think I saw a girl over there." She admitted, pulling her jacket a little closer to her. Noticing Griffin start to walk towards the caves she followed after him once again. "Griffin I’m not so sure we should split up. That’s like Scooby-Doo 101."

Eury took the camera Rory was handing to her, pressing the button to turn it on. Pointing it at herself, she began to sing the theme tune to Ghostbusters as she walked around in a small circle. When Reese began to move towards the shack Bianca had pointed out, a feeling of competitiveness washed over Eury. She hated losing. Especially to boys. Not bothering to turn the camera off, she went after Reese, trying not to slip and die in the process. "There is no way I'm buying you a tofu breakfast burrito, nature boy." As she overtook him, she turned on her heels to walk backwards and point her camera at her group of friends. "Okay, so, before we all get murdered inside a shady shack, which probably has Leatherface in, do you have any last words?"

Bianca accepted the camera that Rory handed to her, turning it on and checking it’s battery charge. She laughed at Reese’s challenge, carefully tucking the camera into the pocket of her jacket and propelling herself forward after him and Eury. “Me either!” she yelled out, attempting to catch up with her much shorter stride. Stopping short in her tracks upon arrival, she shook her head at the rundown cabin before them. Were they really going to go into that thing? It looked so old that the floorboards probably couldn’t support their weight! Bianca caught her breath and walked forward so her face was right in front of Eury’s camera. “Greetings, my name is Bianca Esther Rivera,” she paused, flashing her brilliant show smile. “And if anything happens to me while I am on Shadow Island today, Sunday January 8th, the world should know that they have lost their shiniest star in the making and should mourn respectfully. Also, dads, I love you very much and I strongly recommend archiving all video footage you have of me performing. Their bound to be a hot commodity once my unfortunate, tragic death is revealed on national news.” She finished her sentiment with one final smile, the best she could muster, and blew a kiss to the camera.

Rory‘s eyes lingered on Griffin and Sawyer for a moment, curiosity overcoming her as she wondered what they were talking about. Before she knew it, her lips were twitching into the smallest smile and she absolutely hated it. She couldn’t even look at the girl without grinning like an idiot. The sinking feeling returned to the pit of her stomach as she recalled the chat she had had with her sister over break, and she turned away. It’s not a crush, she reminded herself. “Hey, watch the cameras! That’s NYU property!” she called after her friends. Strapping the handheld carefully, she continued to film as she walked towards the pit. “I need footage more than Reese needs tacos,” she put her twin into frame. “Reeses Pieces, age nineteen.” she narrated. “Taco King. And in more ways than one,” she wiggled her brows, laughing at her own joke. “But he’s my brother, so that’s to be expected,” she finished up, shifting subjects and catching Bianca being, well… Bianca. “Maybe it looks better on the inside,” she suggested optimistically. Stepping closer, she steadied her hand and shot the entryway to the cabin. The wood was dark and worn, but at least it was shelter. Cautiously, she reached out and pushed the door open.

Syria could hear them making their way to the cabin. Her heart sank a little as she could hear Reese, Eury, and Bianca race to the cabin. Today was going to be the last day that they would be able to be carefree. Tonight they would get their powers, and tomorrow they would probably find out about the war her father brought to Earth. Syria's jaw tighten at that thought of her father. She wouldn't let him win. This had to be done. The earth needed heroes, and professor Hillard saw something in those five. "Let's hope that you won't have your hands full with them" She whisper to herself. As Syria stood at the entrance of the cave she heard someone's thoughts. Raising an eyebrow as she looked over at her fellow students, as she tried to figure out who it was. But before she could. Syria felt eyes on her. Quickly she teleported back into the cave. "and now I wait."

Griffin looked over his shoulder with a lopsided grin when he noticed that Sawyer was following him. Then again, he didn't see how anyone could avoid seeing a ghost up close and in person. "What? They split up all the time to explore those haunted mansions. I'll be Scooby Doo, and you can be Shaggy." Griffin gave one last look over towards the cabin before deciding chasing the ghost just couldn't be passed up. "What would a girl be doing out here? Think she's like a cave woman? Or maybe it's Batgirl. That would be so awesome."

Sawyer shook her head as a small smile formed on her lips at Griffin’s words. "Yeah and that usually ends so well for them. Besides, Scooby and Shaggy are always the ones that get chased by the ghost, you totally just doomed us." She sighed dramatically before laughing a bit at the thought; at least she was a fast runner. The idea of seeing a ghost did interest her, but she couldn’t help but worry about the rest of the group, Rory especially. Knowing they had extra numbers and were likely safer than Griffin and herself, she shrugged and walked beside him. "I don’t know. I saw someone with long hair, I think. But it could’ve been a guy with long hair I guess. Maybe it’s a crazy old hermit. Batgirl would be my preference too, though."

Eury couldn't help but roll her eyes playfully at Bianca's last words. Leave it to her to be the one to go for the dramatic approach. "Better on the inside?" Eury asked, pointing her camera at Rory who had now overtaken her. "I think what we'll find on the inside will be more disappointing than the outside. I do hope somebody brought a ouija board, though. Like, I really, really want to talk to ghosts and find out if they died here because of a murderer." Following her best friend towards the door, she somewhat hid behind her, resting her chin on her shoulder to peep into the shack. "Hello? Any murderers in here?" she called out, squinting into the darkness. "Rory, I want you to know that if we die, I loved you the most," she mumbled softly, before then shoving the blonde forwards, into the shack and following behind her.

Bianca poked Eury’s arm, “Why does everything have to be about death by murder with you?” The two followed Rory into the cabin, careful to test the floorboards beneath her feet before applying her whole weight onto them. Taking a deep breath once she realized that they wouldn’t fall through, she began to pace the floors. Her hands ran against the rotted wood of the walls and towards the single window in the shack, peering out the cracked glass to the lifeless trees and shrubbery around them. It was gloomy out, the snow blindingly white to contrast the grey skies. Why did she agree to this again? Sighing, Bianca began to record Rory, Eury, and Reese inspected every inch of the shack. Griffin and Sawyer, however, did not appear, but Bianca shrugged it off. While she’d love to have Griffin’s company this eerie morning, she could certainly part with Sawyer’s. She panned the camera up to the ceiling where there were strange etchings. “Wow, this must be a message from the ghosts of Shadow Island!” she exclaimed playfully, knowing that some explorer before them had carved it themselves probably to scare future travelers.

Rory The door creaked open and the dull light spilled onto the old wooden floor, revealing nothing but a dusty, old, cabin. She wasn’t disappointed, exactly, but she wasn’t thrilled by the emptiness either. “Not if it’s warm,” she challenged, shuddering as a strong gust of wind blew past. She looked over her shoulder to see if there was any sign of Sawyer or Griffin. She turned back, discouraged and feeling far more threatened than she had back on the boat. “Awww, babe,” she cooed at the sentiment, before being pushed through the doorway. Stumbling forward, her mouth fell open as she balked. “You sacrificed me!” Noticing a pile of blankets on a dingy looking couch, Rory reached for one and tossed it at Eury’s face. “Don’t trust her, B,” she cautioned, before looking up to see what had caught her interest. After a moment, she decided. “We should set up a night cam,” her eyes remained fixed on the etchings. If she wasn’t concerned before, she certainly was now. “Cuz I’m pretty sure we’ll hear the sound of children scream as we sleep.”

Syria waited inside the cave with her back to the entrance. Taking a deep breath, before cracking her neck. Pulling out the case that held the syringes that looked like mini EpiPens. Quickly she opened the case to look at them. It seemed like they knew what their purpose was going to be, as they glowed a little brighter. Though it seemed that the yellow one had a pulse, as it flickered. "Hmmm.... that is odd." Syria said. Putting the case back into the jacket pocket. "I wonder if it can sense a candidate close by. Then again maybe it's telling me who it wants to wield it's power. Or I am just losing it as I speak to myself." Syria stopped her rant as she heard foot steps. "Let's hope it's not the whole group."

Reese followed behind the others into the old shack, and the door creaked closed behind him. His fingers danced across an old dusty bookshelf as he idly wondered to himself who inhabited this place before, and just how long they'd been gone. His nose crinkled as he wiped the mix of old dust and cobwebs off on his jeans, and he followed to what was captivating the others. Blue eyes squinted as he tried to make out the writing on the ceiling, but it all looked foreign to him. His hands gripped the straps of his backpack when Rory mentioned sleep, "Yeah, where will we be sleeping by the way?" He asked, trying to keep his tone casual despite the goosebumps prickling at his skin from beneath his jacket.

Griffin lifted up his camera towards the entrance of the cave they were approaching, and attempted to get some proof of the ghost they were going to investigate. In reality it was more his own hand and the ground in front of him than anything else, but his heart was in the right place. "I forgot about that part. At least they always get all the good snacks." Turning around and doing his best to walk backwards, Griffin pointed his camera in Sawyer's direction. "What are you going to ask the old wizard in the cave when we fin-" He didn't get to finish his question as he stepped awkwardly on a branch, twisting his ankle the wrong direction as he fell towards the ground in a heap, screaming as he did. Pain shot up his leg, but the unnecessarily loud sound that left his mouth was more out of fear that he'd broken the camera in his hand than anything else, or that's what he would claim if ever asked about it.

Sawyer giggled softly as she grabbed Griffin’s wrist to pan the camera up a bit. "Pretty sure you’re getting shots of the ground. Rory won’t be pleased," she snickered with a small smirk. "How could you forget that part?!" She exclaimed in disbelief, arching a brow as he pointed the camera at her. "You’re gonna-" Cutting herself off she tried to reach for him before he fell but didn’t move quite fast enough. The scream Griffin let out and the way he fell made her wince and a look of concern quickly came over her features. "Shit, are you okay?" She asked as she knelt down next to him.

Eury smirked as Bianca poked her arm. "Because dead is my aesthetic." When Rory mentioned the word sacrifice, Eury shook her head. "No! I didn't! I pushed you first so that if the murderer jumped out, I coulda thrown myself in front of you and stabbed him first. I just wanted to be your hero. You can't be mad about that..." Eury hoped that Rory would buy her story, and just to make sure, she shot her a gleaming smile. Frowning as a blanket was suddenly covering her face, she pulled it off and held it out in front of herself between her thumb and index finger. "You've probably just given me the plague, you little shit." When everybody began to look at the ceiling, Eury looked up too, shrugging one of her shoulders. "I could draw better than that." Looking at Reese, she smirked, before opening her mouth to speak. "You can sleep on top of me, nature boy." She knew that her words were flirtatious enough, but she tossed in a wink for extra effect. Just as she was about to sit down on the couch, she heard a piercing scream. Rushing to the entrance of the shack, she looked around. "What the hell was that?! Where are Griffin and Sawyer?!"

Bianca waited for Rory’s response to Reese’s question, focusing her camera on the beautiful blonde’s face. Eury, of course, had a flirty comment to insert which made Bianca chuckle. She really didn’t feel comfortable spending the night on an island with them, but what choice did they have? The boat wouldn’t come back until 5AM the following day, which meant they had quite some time to kill. Before she could worry any longer, a loud scream split through the air. Her heart rate instantly increased at the sound and she shut her camera off immediately, tucking it away into the backpack she had been carrying on her shoulders. “I-I don’t know where they are, I figured they were trying to start a fire or something!” she responded to Eury, panic in her voice. Bianca ran through the door of the shack and back out to the shore, eyes nervously darting around in search of her roommate and RA. Instead she observed the vastness of the dark island and a sinking feeling dawned upon her.

Rory looked at her brother and gave him a sympathetic grin. “On the floor, probably,” she corrected, nudging his shoulder and ducking her chin. “But sharing that dorm room bed doesn’t look so bad now, huh?” Indecipherable markings or not, cooping up in the shack was a far better option than leaving themselves to the elements. In an attempt to return some of the feeling to her nose, she rubbed it gingerly with her glove, paying no attention to the mixture of dust and dirt it left behind. “My hero,” she rolled her eyes at Eury, the sarcasm evident in her voice. Her words, however, were forgotten when a painful yelp suddenly sliced through the air, effectively flooding the teens with fear. Rory’s eyes widened and she instinctively jerked towards the sound, her heart beginning to race. “That’s Griffin,” she reached out and clutched Reese’s wrist. She held onto him tightly as the panic settled in. “He was with Sawyer when I came down here,” she explained as her chest clenched beneath her coat. Without another word, she ran after Bianca, pulling Reese behind.

Syria could just make out two voices. Drawing closer to the cave. If she wasn't mistaken, it sounded like Sawyer and Griffin are heading her way. 'Great' she thought. 'Why couldn't Rory just do the one simple thing and only take the people professor Hillard asked her too.' Syria had to stop herself from turning around when she heard Griffin scream. She did the only thing she could do and that was teleporting further into the cave, just in case they decide to stay there until the others found them. "I really hope that this serum can heal. If not then I'll have to put a rush on the other one. " Sighing as she listened and waited to see what the others thoughts were leading them. "Maybe this will get them to split up." Shaking her head, "I am going to hate myself even more than I do if this doesn't work. But... it's the right thing to do isn't it?" She spoke as doubt started to set in.

Reese knew it was simply in Eury's nature to be flirtatious, but his cheeks took on a darker shade of red. He was suddenly thankful for the darkness of the shack, Rory wouldn't let him hear the end of it otherwise! "There's a subsection in Marshall Law about best friends," he stated with a smirk, "But we're out in the elements. It would be irresponsible not to keep each other warm," he teased. Reese's carefree smile faded suddenly as it dawned on him that Griff and Sawyer hadn't followed them inside. Before he could even begin to chase after Bianca, Rory was pulling at his wrist, and he knew Eury would be on their heels. Reese scanned the shoreline, mentally retracing their steps since docking, and noticed an opening in the caves. "Over there!" He shouted, pointing towards the caverns. "I think the scream came from the caves," he said pulling Rory with him towards the entrance.

Griffin grimaced as he sat up and examined the damage to his ankle by slowly moving it back and forth to test it out. He could feel new shocks of pain anytime he moved too far in any direction, but he was relieved that he could move it at all. "I think so," he said even as he was scared to get up and put any actual weight on it. "I don't think it's broken. Uhm, if anyone asks, let's tell them that a big grizzly bear chased us, and we had to fight it off. Oh, or a big ghost monster. A ghost bear monster." He didn't want everyone to know that he'd come undone from his own uncoordinated feet. Remembering the camera that would ruin his story, but that he also hoped wasn't broken, Griffin looked at it much the same way he had his foot. "At least this thing is still in one piece."

Sawyer rolled her eyes and smiled softly despite the current situation they were in. She wasn’t even sure how far into the cave they had gone and now Griffin was injured. A fact that she wanted to point out with an ‘I told you so’ though, she refrained from doing so. His pride already seemed wounded by his clumsy display. "Yeah, I don’t think you’d be able to move it if it was broken. But a ghost bear monster, eh? Obviously that was what we were chasing after when we decided to break away from the group." She nodded, playing along with his story for now. "Oh, forget the camera. You’re hurt and I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to carry you, so how about we try to get you back on your feet to see if you can put weight on it, yeah?" She offered, sliding his arm over her shoulder in order to help him up.

Eury could barely believe that she'd been the first one to the shack doorway, yet everyone else had bolted past her to find the source of the scream. "Idiots," she grumbled under her breath, kicking an icy rock as she made her way towards where the others had ran to. "I'm literally the strongest one here, and they run off without me. I'm not gonna be sorry if they get sliced and diced by a monster. Not my problem. Nope. Not my problem at all. They chose to run." Despite her mumbling these words grouchily to herself, Eury couldn't stop the worry that making her stomach twist up in knots. Her roommate had a good chance of survival, seeing as she was with Reece. But Bianca? God knows if they'd caught up to her. "I swear, everyone underestimates me because I'm small..." Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked around. "Fuck it. Guess I'm running north, because Jesus followed the north star... Or was that his parents? Who cares. I'm not here to learn about religion." With a deep breath, Eury took off sprinting towards what she hoped were her friends.

Bianca followed Reese and Rory towards the sounds of Griffin’s screams, her stomach churning with each step she took. What a stupid idea it was for them to go to a haunted island in the middle of the winter! She felt angrier when she realized that Griffin and Sawyer had willingly wandered from the group knowing this place was sketchy. The entrance of the cave came into her view after Reese pointed it out. “We have to go in there!” she exclaimed, continuing to close the distance between her and the entrance. Bianca took her backpack off once more, this time to fish out the flashlight she had packed. Once Eury had caught up with them she took the first steps to enter the dark cave. Bianca waved the flashlight around before her with a shaky hand, yelling out Griffin and Sawyer’s names. Instead of finding her missing floormates, the light revealed a split in the cave that separated into two paths. “Let’s go left first, I guess. We have to start somewhere.”

Rory looked around frantically in search of their friends but to no avail. “They couldn’t have gotten far,” she wiped a strand of blonde from her face, eyes tracing the shoreline and skating across the perimeter. She glanced back to make sure Eury was still with them, swallowing the lump that was already beginning to form in her throat. “People don’t just disappear!” she stressed, gripping Reese’s hand in both frustration and dismay. The frosty air stung her tear filled eyes, but she refused to blink, afraid to miss any kind of signal her friend's might put up. Seconds felt like minutes, and minutes felt like hours as they sought them out, but finally, Reese made a judgement call. Rory’s stomach churned violently as she thought about her friends, lost and alone, in some cave they’ve never seen, but she nodded in agreement. Having a good six inches on her, Rory struggled to keep up with her twin, but she surged forward, wanting, no needing, to reach Sawyer and Griffin. Slowing once they reached the cavern entrance, she placed her hands on her knees to catch her break. “We gotta find them, Reese,” she huffed, eyes lifting to meet his. “I don’t care what it takes. Let’s go.” Quickening her pace, she switched on the flashlight from her iPhone and penetrated the darkness. “I don’t see them,” she breathed, immediately irritated by the divide in structure. “Left of right?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned right.

Reese turned on his heel to catch Rory's gaze, the frustration in her voice was enough to twist his stomach in knots. "We're gonna find them. Then we're going to call Gary the boat guy and see if he can take us back." It wasn't like he was scared or anything, but maybe they could just write essays for extra credit. 500 words about why you shouldn't mess with ghosts or something. He followed both Bianca and Rory into the cave and huffed to himself as they went in opposite directions. Reese stalled before taking a right after his sister who had quite a lead on him. "Rory wait up!" He hollered. "I really should have remembered a flashlight."

Syria listened carefully, hearing the others voices. 'Great...looks like I'm going to have to be really careful if I don't want them to see me.' She thought. Slowly walking around the area of the cave she was hiding in, focusing on picking up their thoughts or the sound of their voices. Syria had one hand on the case. Knowing that she would have to be quick with injecting them once they were close enough. Then she would teleport them back to the cabin. It was a good thing the cave was basically a labyrinth. Syria's pulled out the case when she heard Rory's voice, along with Reese's. Though his voice sounded farther away. Which meant Rory ran ahead. Syria took a deep breath, as she heard Rory come closer to where she was. Waiting until she saw the light from the girl's phone. Syria quickly teleported a few feet behind Rory. Taking a quick glance at the syringes to see if they did the same thing as before. Without fail, the syringe with the blue serum was pulsing. In one quick motion, Syria took that syringe and injected it into Rory's neck. Like professor Hillard said. Rory passed out. So, Syria teleported Rory to the cabin. Laying her on the couch. "I am so sorry about this." And with that Syria teleported back to the cave.

Griffin smiled when Sawyer seemed to go along with his story. "Exactly. It was huge, like the size of a house or something," he continued the made up excuse of a story as he let Sawyer help him up to his feet. "It could have eaten everyone if we hadn't scared it off. We're heroes." At this point he was rambling more to take his mind off of his ankle than anything else, as he leaned more of his weight on it. It hurt the more pressure he put on it, but luckily for them both, he could hobble along with a little support. "Which way do we go now, Shaggy?"

Sawyer chuckled listening along to Griffin’s spin on the story. It was beyond far stretched and she had no doubt no one in the group would believe it, not to mention the camera had caught it all on video, but it was amusing, and right now it was a good distraction from their situation. Especially now that she wasn’t sure which way they came in. "Um…" Sawyer pulled her iPhone out and switched on the flashlight as she looked around the cave and began leading them down a tunnel in hopes it was the correct way out. "I think we came that way." She pointed with her free hand, not wanting to admit that Griffin falling had turned them around and she honestly had no idea where they were now.

Eury finally caught up to Bianca after what felt like forever, but was probably only a couple of minutes in reality. She didn't like the idea of stepping into a dark and dingy cave one bit, but their friends were in there. One thing Eury had learned throughout her life was that people could abandon you at any second, and leave you with nothing. But she wasn't one of those people. She wasn't going to run away. As she stepped into the cave with Bianca, she nodded her head. "Okay, left is a good call." Pulling out her phone, she turned on the flashlight to brighten the cave some more, trying to ignore how hard her heart was thumping. "They can't have gotten far... I mean, realistically, they have gotta be in here somewhere." Turning to look over her shoulder, to check Bianca was still behind her, Eury smiled at her for reassurance. "Okay, I'm gonna jog ahead a little, but make sure you stay close, okay?" With those words still lingering in the air, Eury picked up her pace, calling out Sawyer and Griffin's names in a semi hushed tone, in case there was someone sinister in the cave with them.

Bianca cautiously stepped forward on the path that they had chosen to travel, holding her breath the entire time. She wasn't afraid of stumbling upon a monster or a ghost in these caves, she was afraid that Griffin would be seriously injured and they'd have to wait who knows how long before a boat arrived for him to receive medical attention. She had a feeling the mini first aid kit tucked away in her backpack wouldn't hold up well for any severe cuts or broken limbs. "You're right," Bianca agreed with Eury, relieved to see the comforting smile the girl had offered her. "They weren't gone for that long and besides, why would they want to venture any deeper than this? I bet they're right around the corner." She allowed Eury to charge forward at a quick pace, but made sure to keep up so as not to lose her too. It was then that she realized there weren't any lights flashing behind her head anymore and she definitely didn't hear more than two pairs of feet crunching along the gravel in the cave. "Rory, Reese?" Bianca called out, stopping in her tracks to look over her shoulder. "Ugh!" she groaned in frustration. Of course the twins had to get lost!

Rory Somewhere in the back of her mind, Rory knew she shouldn't get too far ahead of Reese. The caves were unchartered territory for all of them, and should they run into any trouble, she was much stronger with him than without. She could even hear him calling after her, having already fallen several paces behind, but she paid little attention to his pleas, head clouded with fear and desperation. There wasn't any time! "We have to find them," she thought to herself. "Sawyer wasn't even supposed to be here and now... If something's happened to them," she couldn't bear the thought. Instead, she kept her eyes forward, and against her better judgement, she pushed on, walking briskly through the cavern and scourging for clues. "Reese, keep up!" she shouted back, craning her neck to try and spot him. Still, she made no effort to slow down. "I can't lose you too," she huffed quietly to herself and faced forward once more. She had just barely turned around when suddenly, she felt a gust of cool air on her back and an lithe arm wrap around her shoulders. Rory's phone clattered to the ground, blinding her, as she stumbled back into another body, and she gasped, startled by the fact that this was definitely not Reese. Her attacker was much smaller in build, and though their grip was firm, it wasn't forceful as one might expect. It was almost as if they were handling her with care, but before Rory could even begin to struggle free, she felt a sharp prick in the side of her neck. It happened so fast, she barely had time to react. Her hand immediately shot up to the puncture wound, but it was too late. She blinked several times as whatever it was was emptied into her, gliding through her veins like ice and rendering her numb. When the needle was extracted from her skin, she used her elbow to half hazardously create some space between them as she blinked several times in the darkness. She'd lost feeling in her face in seconds, and her vision began to tunnel as sound seemed to disappear all together. She wanted to turn around. She wanted to see, but in that moment, her heart began to slow, and she could no longer find the energy to move. So instead... "What the fugh--" she hit the ground, skin growing dull and cold.

Reese followed the soft glow of Rory's iPhone flashlight until it was suddenly eclipsed by another figure. He couldn't make out who it was, only that they had appeared seemingly out of thin air, and in one fluid motion it looked as if the figured injected something into Rory's neck. Fearing for his twin's safety he picked up his pace, and skidded to a halt where his sister and the dark haired figure were just a moment before. They were gone. "No," Reese huffed, brows furrowed in confusion as he looked around the cave for his sister. Frantically, he finally decided to retrace his steps in hopes of meeting back up with Bianca and Eury along the path. "Bianca! Eury! I think Rory was abducted by aliens," he called into the darkness of the cave, hoping that he wasn't too far behind the others.

Syria teleported back to the cave, just in time to hear Reese call out to Bianca and Eury. 'Damn... so much for not be seen. Oh, well... at least he only has part of that story right.' Syria thought. Waiting in the shadows for Reese to get closer to where she was hiding. She pulled out the case of syringes. Looking to see what one would react to Reese. It would seem that the syringe with the white serum was the one reacting. 'Hmm... I'll have to tell Dr. Oliver about this. If it doesn't kill them.' Footsteps quickly making their way to her pulled her out of her thoughts. Again she would have to act quickly. Taking the syringe with the white serum. Syria prepared to inject Reese with it. All too soon Reese was in her area of the cave. Like with Rory; Syria teleported behind Reese. Quickly but still being as careful as she could. Injected Reese with the white serum. Reese passed out after she pulled the needle from his neck. "Sorry, about this." She spoke before she teleported him back to the cabin. Syria laid him down on a sleeping bag the best she could. 'Note to self: males are heavy, and I should try working out.' She thought, cracking her neck. Quickly she checked Rory's pulse. "Good you're still alive. Now please both of you stay alive." Syria said before teleporting back to the cave.

Eury turned to face Bianca when she mentioned that Rory and Reese had disappeared. "What? Are you kidding? Why can't the sunshine twins just stay still for once!" It wasn't that she was angry, but more so worried. Rory was her best friend, and if something happened to her in the cave, Eury would never be able to forgive herself. Just as she was about to attempt calling her friend's cell phone, she heard Reese's voice call out to them. "Reese?" She called out back, breaking into a run in an attempt to locate him sooner. "Aliens? What the fuck?" Her torch shone around the cave as she tried to look for him. "Reese?" she yelled, and when she didn't get any response, she leaned back against the cave wall, banging the back of her head against it slightly in frustration. It was when she didn't hear footsteps any longer, that she realized Bianca wasn't following her anymore. "Fuck. Bianca!" she yelled out, not caring if a ghost could hear her anymore. "Aliens got Rory and Reese, and now I'm probably gonna get abducted too, so like...can you try and find me!"

Syria reappeared in the cave. It didn't take long for her to hear someone calling for Reese. Again Syria found herself pulling out the case and looking at the syringes. The one with the red serum started pulsing. 'Looks like red is going to be next.' She thought, pulling out the syringe with the red serum. Syria waited as she listened for any footsteps. But the only thing she heard someone shouting for Bianca to find her. Of course, Eury would be the one staying still. Signing a little as she thought what her next move would be. Syria couldn't waste time. So she did the only thing she could do. Teleporting right next to Eury as she injected the other girl. "Look on the bright side. At least I am not an evil alien like my father is." She said, pulling out the needle. "and the earth needs a few heroes." Like with Rory and Reese. Eury passed out. Teleporting Eury back to the cabin. Syria decided to lay her down next to the couch, sleeping under her. "three down. Two more to go." Syria bit her lip. She was going to have to do something about Sawyer. She'd have to leave Griffin for last then. Before she went back to the cave. Syria checked over Rory and Reese. Both still very much alive. Nodding her head at the small fact that the three she injected with the serum were still alive. "On to Bianca, I guess."

Eury waited for Bianca to come, but she didn't. It felt like hours that she was standing there, but it was probably only a couple of minutes in reality. "Of all the places to meet my grizzly end, it's in a freakin' cave that feels like I'm sitting in Elsa's asshole." Sighing heavily, she looked up for a moment, then closed her eyes. Maybe if she closed her eyes, her friends would appear next to her when she opened them again. Just when she was about to open them, she felt a presence next to her, then a sharp pain in her neck. Quickly, her eyes shot open, and she turned her head to look at the person next to her. Due to her eyesight beginning to blur, Eury couldn't work out who this strange yet familiar person was. "Who... Wh-why?" she asked, bringing a hand up to cover the puncture wound on her neck. "Asp-- Tell Aspen I..." Before she could finish her sentence, she collapsed into a pile on the floor, allowing the darkness to swallow her.

Devone surveilled the situation below, chucking beneath his breath as the children he spied began scrambling towards the caves in what could only be described as a panic induced craze. For as long as they were out in the open, the murky atmosphere would protect them from where he stood on the cliff, but once they reached the caverns... he'd have little issue grabbing the girl. The thought alone was enough to make him giddy. One by one, he watched as they disappeared into the darkness, falling deeper and deeper into his trap without him ever having to lift a finger. "Come out, come out, wherever you are..." he sing songed, having felt her presence from the moment he arrived. "Maybe you're of use after all." Twirling his danger between his fingers, he began his descent. Sawyer McClintock would be his super soldier, and Syria was leading her straight to him.

Syria walked around the cave. Trying to gather up the nerve to follow through with the plan. But now that she was here and it was happening. Syria wasn't so sure that she'd be able to do this. Though she did tell professor Hillard that she'd handle this part. Earth needed heroes, she could let what happened on Nexus happen here. Yet what if she failed. She'd be letting a lot of good people down. Dr. Oliver, Professor Hillard, her fellow students, and then she'd be dishonoring Carter's memory. Syria couldn't fail them. Not when she and Dr. Oliver spent so much time creating the serums. Having to be careful so her father wouldn't figure out what was really happening right under his nose. Syria stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widening as she felt a familiar presence. "Shit....why are you here and why now?" Running a hand through her hair as she realized that she'd have to act quickly. "Why the hell didn't I create a mind link with professor Hillard when I had the time."

Griffin nodded his head as he trusted Sawyer's choice in direction. It wasn't like he had any idea where they were anymore. One minute they were chasing a batgirl ghost creature, and the next he was eating dirt. Definitely not his proudest moment. "This is usually the part in the cartoon where Shaggy and Scooby find all the good snacks," he said to try and keep the mood light to ignore his racing pulse as he realized he'd really screwed up. Not only had he sprained his ankle, but he'd also got them all twisted around after Sawyer had warned him about not splitting up. He wanted more than anything to be able to fix things and get them back to the cabin for s'mores and grilled cheese with everyone else. "Did you hear that?" he asked as he tilted his head to try and figure out which way the voices were coming from. With the echoes, he couldn't pin it down. It was like they were in surround sound. "We must be getting close."

Sawyer hoped to God she was leading them the correct way, despite the feeling in her gut that she wasn’t. All they needed was to end up even further in the cave. Griffin was injured, although she did view it as a good sign that he was walking, with her help, but still. "That doesn’t sound like the worst thing to find. I think we were promised some food, I seem to remember that." She mused with a small smile. Honestly food was the last thing on her mind; she was worried, and felt a little sick. Sawyer had seen enough horror movies to know how situations like this normally ended. But if she could help Griffin feel a little at ease by not pointing out how screwed they were, she would. "Yeah," she nodded; smiling genuinely at the realization that they might just get out of here in one piece. But just as quickly as it came, her smile faded and she came to a full stop. "Am I going crazy or does it sound like someone is ahead of us?"

Syria teleported back to the cave, hoping to find Bianca quickly. The cave was quite. Which didn't help Syria out, If her father was around. She would have to get to Bianca quickly. "Please, let me find you before he does." She whispered. Walking the cave as quietly as she could. Syria tried focusing on Bianca's thoughts. Soon she was able to figure out where the other girl was. Taking out the syringe with the pink serum, Syria teleported behind Bianca. Carefully covering her mouth before injecting the pink serum into her neck. Just like before Bianca passed out after the needle was taking from her neck. Syra teleported them back to the cabin. Where she gently placed Bianca on a sleeping bag. After she removed the girl's backpack. " I am really sorry about this. Please don't hate me too much when you find out what happened." Syria said. Before heading back to the cave Syria check everyone's pulse again. Just to make sure they were all very much alive. "Now onto Griffin and Sawyer, and finding out why my father is here." Syria bit her lower lip. "Let's hope he is here for me and not anyone else."

Bianca felt a shift in the atmosphere of the cave, sending chills running up and down her spine. Even with the assistance of a flashlight, she could hardly see what was in front of her other than masses of crumbling rocks. Understanding that it was wise to catch back up with Eury and find Reese and Rory later on, Bianca began to sprint forward deeper into the caves after the girl. After running for what felt like forever, it dawned on Bianca that somehow she had lost Eurydice as well. Tears began to prickle in her eyes; she was lost. No matter how many times she spun around in place, waving her flashlight for a clue as to where she even came in from, she still couldn't figure out where everyone else had gone. She felt around in her coat pocket for her phone, praying that she'd have enough reception to send a 911 text to the others. As she waved her phone in the air waiting for a signal, a hand slipped over her mouth. Before having the chance to scream or fight, a sharp pinch to her neck instantly made her body go numb. She dropped her flashlight and her phone, her legs going out beneath her. "Send help," she whispered before her world turned black.

Devone whistled a slow tune as he traipsed through the caves, the tip of his knife scraping against its stony walls. He kept a leisurely pace, unconcerned by much of anything. "Let then be warned," he thought, not that it would help them much. Humans were weak. They allowed themselves, so easily, to be ruled by emotion, and it would be their downfall. They were a race unfit to shine his shoes, but they had numbers. With the ability to multiply by the day, his army would grow to grand proportions. Better yet, they were disposable. Just the way he liked them. Stopping in his tracks, Devone lowered his weapon and waited as the voices grew more and more clear. It wouldn't be long now. He was standing a mere 50 yards from them, hidden by the shadows and biding his time. They stepped into the clearing, and finally... "Showtime," he smirked, stepping out into the light.

Griffin squinted ahead into the darkness like it would help him figure everything out better. "I think so. Maybe its.." Griffin stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the figure step out from the shadows. With all the talk they'd done about ghosts, the man standing in front of them was worse than any he could have dreamed up. His blood ran cold, and he couldn't believe his eyes. "Wha...how?" he stuttered out in disbelief. There was no way the man was standing in front of him. He was supposed to be dead along with everyone else from his home planet. He was the reason the planet was gone in the first place. Suddenly realizing that both he and Sawyer were in very real danger, he tried to get his limbs working again to back away.

Sawyer moved her phone around a bit trying to light their way a little better. Either she was imagining things or the cave was getting darker the more they moved along the tunnels. "Wha-" Sawyer’s words stuck in her throat as she noticed what seemingly startled Griffin. Without even thinking she started backing up, which she found a little hard to do with him still using her for support. Her wide eyes never left the knife in the man’s hand as her mind began to race with thoughts of how they could get out of this. She wasn’t sure how well Griffin could move on his own but right now she knew this might be their best bet. Glancing up at him she started pulling her arm away. "If I can distract him for a bit, do you think you can get out of here and get help?" She whispered in hopes only Griffin would hear her.

Syria looked at the cave throw a window in the cabin. Her jaw tightened as a feeling washed over her. "Father is deftly in that cave. Please let be here for me." She knew that she was repeating herself. But Syria feared what her father would do to Griffin and Sawyer if he found them. Taking a deep breath as she tried to gather herself. If her father was here for them, Syria would have to find a way to get her father's full attention. "You can do this... come on don't screw it up now." She said. "Ok just focus on their thoughts." Syria did just that. But she didn't like what was getting. "Damn it! Looks like I've ran, out of time. He knows I am already here. " The one bad and good thing about families on Nexus. Was that they could sense each other. But with some training, you would be able to sense others energy. Not just your family members. "Shit!" Syria teleported to the cave. Just outside the area where her father, Griffin and Sawyer are.

Devone scratched the stubble on his cheek with the back edge of his knife and waited for the initial shock of his sudden appearance to pass. He was growing bored already. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” he started, stepping closer to introduce himself. He paused, however, when an strange sense of familiarity began to stir within him. “I’d offer my hand,” his eyes lingered on the young woman, “but it’s rude to interrupt.” Sneering, his eyes seemed to darken as he ducked his chin, hoping to get a better look. Had he been any further, he might have mistaken it for Syria, but with proximity came clarity, and he could sense now, the shame that tainted the young soul. “Let’s save us both time, shall we? Your efforts are futile,” he warned, his steps calm and even until the distance between them was closed. “It’s simple really,” he smirked, standing in front of her now. “Come with me willingly, and the boy lives. Resist, and well…” he twirled the dagger between his fingers, raising his hand until it was level with his cheeks. “I’ll rip his guts out.” He never gave the boy a second glance.

Griffin tried to quickly run over his options to get them out of the mess they were suddenly in, but didn't find any that didn't end horribly for at least one of them. "No, Sawyer you-" he was cut off from trying to dissuade her from sacrificing herself as Devone moved closer, each step somehow more menacing than the last. There was no denying who the man was, despite how impossible the very situation was to him. "You can't," he cut in immediately before Sawyer could take him up on the offer. There was no way that he could let her go with Devone, not for his life or for anything else. She had no idea who she was dealing with and just how ruthless he could be, but Griffin did. He'd lived it before. "You have to run, Sawyer! Now!," he shouted before throwing himself at Devone to try and give Sawyer a chance to flee the scene. Not only would his ankle had slowed them both down, but it was clear that the man's attention was focused all on Sawyer, which just wanted Griffin to stop him from getting near her even more. "Go!" he shouted again as he knew he stood no chance against Devone on his own. Armies of Nexonians couldn't stop him from destroying their planet, so Griffin knew one lone one wouldn't be able to either.

Devone sighed heavily as the two contemplated their next move. Whether it be ignorance or arrogance, they always fought back. "Think very closely about your next move," Devone warned between their whispers, though he was careful not to give demands. "The choice is yours, but please," he waved his knife through the air. "Don't make it your last. I've got a new vest and it's quite warm. I'd hate to ruin it." He tapped the puffy black material with the tip of his blade, deciding that he had given them enough time to consider when his patience wore thin. "Do what the lady says and walk away," he slowed his speech, giving the command slow and clear. His eyes narrowed when Griffin never so much as flinched. The daunting half-grin etched into his face faltered, and for the first time, Devone's eyes shifted to the mangy maned kid. Something was wrong. Not many could resist his pathogenetic abilities, and those who had hadn't lived to tell the tale. His surveillance was cut short, however, when Griffin seemed to have made up his mind and lunged at him. Glowering, he noted the deep rooted hatred in his eyes, but did not waste time inspecting his motives. The gap cleared, and Devone clenched his fists, prepared to fight. There was no fear, only utter annoyance. He spun through the tackle and reset his feet, preparing to grab the throat as Griffin rounded on him. And when calloused fingers met soft, fleshy, skin, he clutched so hard that if he continued, he was sure to crush the esophagus. Instead, he ripped him from his feet and flattened him to the ground. Kneeling above him, he used his forearm to add pressure to the throat while using the knife to brush dark curls from Griffin's face. He craned his neck to face Sawyer. "Your move," he threatened.

Syria could hear her father speak. From the sounds of it. He wanted Sawyer. But why her? What was so special about her? Did he want her for his soldier, or for another reason altogether? Syria didn't want to really know the answer. Because she knew that it wouldn't be something she agreed with. Sighing to herself as she slowly walked to where the three of them where. Thinking of a good lie to tell her father as she got closer to the area. Staying in the shadows behind Griffin, and Sawyer. Her jaw tightened as she saw her father take down Griffin. Taking a deep breath as she moved from the shadows. Hoping her father would notice her behind Sawyer.

Sawyer looked back over at the man, a slight look of bewilderment crossing her features. She couldn’t quite understand why he wanted her. Sure she was smart, but Bianca was just as smart as her, if not smarter. Why not go after her? She didn’t want to think about any other alternatives. Before she could do anything Griffin left her side and launched at the man. "Griffin, I’m trying to help you dammit. Don’t be stupid!" She yelled back, running a hand through her hair out of frustration. Sawyer always had a plan, always had things figured out, but right now she had absolutely no idea what to do. She could try and fight her way out of it, she was a good fighter, but she wasn’t sure how well she’d match up against a clearly insane man with a knife. But to avoid unneeded bloodshed she needed to be smart about this. And the moment the man threw Griffin to the ground she knew she was left with little to no choice. Besides, it wasn’t like she had much to lose, or many people that would miss her. Griffin had friends and family that loved him. Her own parents wouldn’t even notice her gone, that much she knew. Holding her hands up, she walked towards them slowly. "I’ll go with you, but only if you leave him and the rest of them alone."

Devone released the pressure on Griffin's neck and sighed in exasperation. Hanging his head, he couldn't hide the disappointment that washed over him. As mundane as it would have been, he had been preparing for a fight. Tsk, tsk, tsk, he clicked his tongue. "Come on!" he boomed, the sound echoing off the walls and carrying across the cavern. "After all this, you're going to make it easy for me? I got my trousers dirty," He pointed out, as if it were the most strenuous thing in the world. "Where's your fight? That driiiiiive," he challenged, carrying the vowel for emphasis. Using his knife to point at Griffin's face, he studied Sawyer. "He was going to die for you," he explained slowly, as if she didn't already know. "And you repay him by giving up? Just like that?" Eyes widening with amusement, he turned back to Griffin and clenched his jaw with his free hand. "What if I do this?" Lowering the knife to his chest, it didn't take much to split the clothing there. Puncturing the skin, he drew a short line where a steady stream of red seeped through. He looked back at Sawyer. "What about now?" He tried. The arrogant grin on his face faded however, when he noticed Syria step out from the shadows. What do you want? he thought, fully irritated by the interruption. As you can see, I've got my hands full.

Syria didn't like where this was going. She knew that her father wanted to play around with them and with Sawyer giving up so easily. He was going to get pissed. And when he is pissed, people bleed. Syria's jaw tighten as she thought of what she could say to her father. Then again maybe if she got close enough to Sawyer; and teleport away with her. But then that left Griffin alone with him. She had to be super smart and careful about every move she made. Syria straightens up as she put on her mask that she wore are her father. Yet she knew he'd probably see through it. Trying to push aside what she was feeling as she noticed Griffin bleeding. Syria raised any eyebrow as she moved closer to Sawyer. "Just trying to figure out what is happening here." as she spoke, Syria tried to hide any emotions she was feeling. "If she is the one you want to become your super soldier, then should we just grab her and go?" Syria was slowly moving to put herself in between Sawyer and her father.

Devone “You are dismissed,” Devone accentuated every syllable, entirely annoyed by Syria’s sudden presence in the room. His cold eyes stared straight through her, instead remaining fixed on Sawyer. “The girl has a choice to make, and it is in your best interest to let her,” he threatened. Standing to his full height, Devone pulled Griffin up along with him and placed him between the girls and himself. The blade resting at his throat, Devone made no effort to conceal himself. Sneering into the void, Devone wondered how many times he had to cut the boy before one of them would make a move. He wasn’t leaving this room until he figured out exactly what he was sensing. “You’re full of surprises,” he addressed Sawyer once more. The change in tone was instantaneous, from distaste to an almost giddiness. “Aren’t you, sweetheart?” Rolling his eyes to his daughter, his jaw instinctively clenched. “What a shame, it is, for one to have not mastered their abilities. You could've felt it too, but alas. You are weak. Now get out before I start to get really angry.”

Griffin gasped for air the second Devone's hand left his throat. His lungs felt like they were on fire, and his head was pounding from the lack of oxygen. Before he could move away, Devone had his jaw in his hand and a knife at his chest. "Sawyer, go!" he shouted through the pain as the sharp knife pierced his skin. "Go or we're both going to end up dead. You can't trust him." Griffin tried to move back and get away from the searing pain in his chest, but it didn't work. Instead he ended up back on his feet with a knife at his throat. It would have taken just the slightest flinch of Devone's hand, and he knew he'd be bleeding out in the cave. Just when he thought things couldn't get worse, Griffin saw Syria walk out of the shadows. Instead of helping them in any way, she seemed to be helping Devone. "Syria?" he asked as he looked between her and her father as he tried to piece the puzzle together. "No, you leave her alone." Griffin took a chance and tried to kick Devone away. He figured it he could at least keep him distracted, Sawyer could get away.

Sawyer looked behind her at the familiar voice. It sounded just like Syria but why in the world would her roommate be out here? Last she remembered Syria had told Rory she couldn’t come, yet here she was. "Syria? What the fuck is going on?! You know this asshole?" Sawyer asked, her jaw clenching in anger as she stared back at the man, trying to keep her eyes off the knife slicing Griffin’s chest. "I can’t just leave you, Griffin!" She was trying to avoid unnecessary conflict but it was rather clear that that wouldn’t work with this man. As Griffin was pulled to his feet and the knife met the skin of his throat, Sawyer briefly glanced back at Syria, trying to weigh her options. If she ran it was quite likely both Syria and Griffin would end up dead, but if she tried to disarm the man, Griffin could end up dead. Griffin trying to kick him away, however, quickly made up her mind. Without giving herself time to second guess her actions, she pulled a knife from her boot and threw it at the man’s forearm, hoping to at least make him drop his knife.

Syria felt her looking through her and right at Sawyer. She knew nothing would stop him from getting what he wanted. And he wanted Sawyer. Syria tried her best not to let any emotions show as her father spoke. She was getting a little annoyed at how he was handling this. For one Sawyer already gave up. What more did he want from her? Did he want her to fight him? The only thing Syria knew for sure was that Griffin was right. He father was not to be trusted. But how did he know that? Was he a good judge of character or was it something else altogether? All of this was just leading to more questions, that hopefully she'd be able to find the answers to later. But right now she needed to get them away from her father. Crossing her arms Syria slipped a hand into her jacket pocket. Her hand went for the last syringe. Syria wasn't sure if she could save both. Her eyes quickly locked with Griffin's for a moment. What was it she was supposed to be feeling? Was it power, or another Nexonian survive? Before she could reply to her father a knife was in his forearm. Without a second though Syria quickly turned around and grabbed Sawyer by the waist then injected her with the yellow serum, as she teleported to the cabin. She placed Sawyer on the couch with Rory after she passed out. "I am so freaking dead. I swear if my father kills me and you start screwing up as heroes. I am haunting all of you." She said to the soon to be new power rangers. After setting up a shield to throw off her father. She went back to the cave to see if she could help Griffin.

Devone‘s grip wavered and he lurched back, Griffin’s sudden kick catching him off guard between the commotion. Scoffing, his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he pursed his lips together, more irked by the feeble attempt to escape than anything else. “Come here, boy,” he asserted, gripping the back of Griffin’s t-shirt and pulling him forcibly back. Devone somewhat cringed when Sawyer’s words reached him. “Well, you could,” he suggested instead. “Technically… But that wouldn’t be very kind now, would it? After all he’s done for you?” But before she could answer, a blade was being launched in his direction, leaving him little time to react. He felt it before anything else. It was by chance that he had caught the knife’s glint at all. Tossing Griffin carelessly to the ground, Devone found the hilt of the weapon and snatched it out of mid air, heaving it back at once. “Now that’s more like it!” He yelled, overly thrilled by the level of bravery displayed by Sawyer. However, there was a flash of white light and the edge carved into nothing but stone. Syria and Sawyer were gone. “What is the meaning of this?” He rounded on Griffin. Looming over him for a moment, he cast his face in shadow before squatting down to see him. The girls were gone, but the feeling wasn’t. Staring Griffin in the eye, he examined him closely wondering how he could have missed this. “Today’s your lucky day,” he boasted, fisting Griffin’s shirt and raising his back from the ground. Pulling him closer, he inhaled the scent of blood from Griffin’s wound and basked in the confirmation. “You’re one of us.”

Sawyer blinked a few times as she tried to process all that happened. She still had no idea why Syria was around, though judging from the way the man spoke to her, they knew each other, and Griffin possibly somehow knew him. None of it made any sense to her, but before she could react to her attempt to free Griffin, he was suddenly thrown to the ground as she felt someone grab her by the waist, along with a sharp sting in her neck. Raising her hand to cover it, she blinked a few more times. "What the… Syria? I’m stealing and hiding one of your books for this," she mumbled before everything went dark.

Griffin was barely able to stop his head from banging off of the rocks as Devone tossed him aside like a toy he was tired of playing with, but when he looked over and saw Syria and Sawyer disappear before the knife could reach her, he was relieved. No matter where Syria was taking Sawyer, it had to be better than where they were. At least now, she only had Syria to fight off. It was far from perfect, but he would take what he could get. With the girls gone and Devone's attention back to him, Griffin felt more defiant than before. "You lose. She's gone, and you can't get her." While antagonizing a crazy knife wielding maniac was not a very good plan of action in the slightest, Griffin was too full of emotion to control himself. Being jerked back up to his feet, he one again found himself face to face with the man that destroyed his whole world. There were plenty of nights after Griffin woke up from the nightmares that plagued him, that he would lay in bed and dream about getting his revenge. The only thing that had ever given him any comfort was believing that Devone had already gotten his when he died. Finding out he was wrong, was devastating. "I'm nothing like you," he spat out with a sharp look of defiance etched on his face. "You're a monster." Griffin shoved Devone's shoulders back in an attempt to free himself, or at the very least to stop the creep from sniffing him.

Devone's chuckle filled the void then... Dark. Merciless. It was a laughter so sinister that it sucked the hope, itself, directly from the atmosphere. He teetered back with Griffin's resistance, but held his balance, merely releasing his grip on the boy and watching him fall back with a dull, hushed, thud. He looked absolutely beastly towering over him, a snide grin locking into place while his eyes filled with gratification. "They claimed the same of you," he remained unbothered, bearing down on his chest with one hand. He brought the dagger to eye level with the other and examined the thick, dark, substance that lingered there. It wasn't nearly enough to sate him, but he inspected it as if it held the key to Griffin's secrets. "You were only a child then," he dug his thumb into the angry red line of Griffins pec, easy at first, only to add more pressure as he spoke. He just wanted to see how much he could take. "A funny thing, Destiny!" He relished in Griffin's pain. "Tell me, did your mother cry? Did she beg me for mercy as I ended her life?" His tone turned sour, and his eyes darkened further still. "Or was it them?" He didn't need to elaborate, knowing full well how the bearers of half breeds were dealt with. He knew the answer. "You were dealt a death sentence before you were ever born. You do not need these humans," he sneered, "to make you week, when I can make you strong. I can teach you how to live!" His eyes shimmered in the firelight as his thumb dug deeper still. He could feel the muscle tearing as the cloth grew damp beneath him. "I can help you fulfill your Destiny..." the words vibrated through him. Devone leaned down to whisper in Griffin's ear. "You'll enjoy tearing the girl apart." And with that he rose, his eyes never leaving him. "Come!" He commanded, addressing his daughter's return for the first time. His teeth gritted together as he tried to control his anger at her disobedience. "I know exactly what he'll do to you." And with that, they were gone.

Griffin was determined not to break, even as the pain was becoming overwhelming. His muscles cried out in protest, but he wouldn't. He bit down so hard on his lip that he could taste the metallic and coppery flavor of his own blood. The more Devone spoke, and the harder he pressed into his already throbbing chest, the more impossible of a task it became. It was all too much. The flood of memories, the inescapable terror, the excruciating pain, he needed for it to be over. For the first time in a long time, he felt exactly what it must have been like for his parents in their final moments. Just when Griffin was sure that Devone's rant was going to end in murder, the pressure on his chest was released and a tease of Devone's sinister plan was whispered in his ear. He knew nothing good could follow for anyone, but in that moment, he had no more fight left in him.

Rory's nose twitched in the daylight, the dreariness of morning falling through the windows and washing over them. The couch she laid on was tattered and worn, it's cushions crumbled with age, but if it were at all uncomfortable, Rory was none the wiser. Her arm was tucked under someone else's head — the same someone who's legs were now tangled with her own, and she was unwilling to wake up just yet. Instead, she ignored the shiver that ran down her spine and subconsciously burrowed into the body next to her, tucking her face into the neck of an unfamiliar source. She inhaled deeply, breathing them in and basking in their warmth when she suddenly stilled. Her eyes snapped open as she seemed to realize the novelty of the situation, her head jerking back in surprise. She blinked several times before realizing that it was Sawyer she was... cuddling? Flashes of the previous morning came flooding back, and suddenly her heart began to race with relief. She was safe. She took another calming breath and stirred just enough to brush a lock of brown hair from the girl's face. A slow, sleepy, grin crossed her face. "You're safe," she muttered to no one in particular, her gravely voice sounding throughout the cabin.

Sawyer awoke to the feeling of someone touching her face, their raspy voice filling her ears. In her still half asleep state, Sawyer didn’t recognize the voice or face in front of her as her green eyes fluttered open and took in her surroundings. She didn’t recognize the dingy shack she was in or the beat up couch she was on, all she remembered was being in a cave with Griffin, and a man? As her mind and heart began to race, she scrambled away from the person tangled up with her on the couch, inadvertently knocking them off the couch in the process. Noticing the flash of long blonde hair, Sawyer winced when she heard two simultaneous groans. "Oh my God, I’m so sorry." She immediately apologized, leaning over the edge of the couch.

Reese wasn't sure what hurt more his head or his knees. His legs were thrown over the sides of an old armchair. The cushions were tattered and his joints ached like he hadn't moved in hours. Reese noted how strange that was. He had the ability to fall asleep anywhere, but he often moved through the night. Reese rubbed at his temples as he twisted his body into the chair's intended sitting position. He saw shapes around the room that vaguely resembled his friends, and the nightmarish visions fresh in his mind seemed like they were just that. Nightmares. Reese felt around for his backpack and pulled out his water bottle. "Is everybody okay?" He asked between sips.

Eury began to stir as she heard low voices, and the sound of movement. Her back was aching, and her neck felt a little stiff. Bringing her hand up to her face, she rubbed her eyes with the back of it. "Where are we?" she grumbled, knowing that she definitely wasn't laying in her bed. Was she still in the cave? No, she couldn't be... Had they really been abducted by aliens? Before she could open her eyes to scope out the room she was currently in, she felt a body land on top of her own. A loud groan of disapproval mixed with pain left her as she opened her eyes to see her best friend laying on top of her. "'Sup, babe?" she asked with her signature smirk plastered on her lips, now that she knew who it was. "I thought you were abducted by little green men, I'm so glad you're okay!" with a smile, she wrapped her arms around Rory tightly. "S'ok, Sawyer. I often wake up with Rory in my face, but she's normally poking me and asking me to do something for the Vine." Looking around, she felt her stomach settle as she saw all of her friends alive, and safe. All of them besides Griffin.

Bianca stirred from her sleep as her brain signaled her to just how ice cold her body was. Her hands grasped for the softness of the vibrant colored quilt her grandmother had made her as a going away gift but came up with nothing, an action that caused her to slowly blink through the haziness and sleep in her eyes. Once her vision was focused on her actual surroundings- the creaky old cabin they had been exploring for their extra credit project- she shot straight up from her position on the tattered sleeping bag on the floor. The events from the day prior came rushing back to her mind and a panic settled over her as she realized she couldn’t remember a single thing beyond venturing into the caves. Bianca’s eyes scanned the room around her for her friends, silently taking a head count and when she realized that she was coming up one short her stomach began to churn. Reese’s question rang in her ears; no, they were not okay. “Where’s Griffin?”

#post: para #p: 004 #p: rm #p: rhm #p: sf #p: sm #p: ec #p: gs #p: the start of everything

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