Fireflies (Kinetics Series Book One)

Fireflies (Book One of Kinetics Series)
by:Ryan M*****


It wasn't the first time I have ever came close to death, but it was still truly horrid. The wind was knocked straight out of me, as my helpless limp figure was sprawled onto the ground. Shouting developed, as I spat out blood, ear's pounding. Blurry eyes glanced up at my friends, or at least I was sure they were my friends, engaged in combat with him. Him. He wore black sunglasses to cover icy blue eyes that seemed to leave you paralyzed. I imagined them like a snake's. I imagined tongue flickering silently out of his jaw. I imagined venom coursing through my veins. Quickly regaining my senses, I climbed to my feet, teetering slightly, as people came to my aid, almost unaware of the gory scene in front of them. All in all, I thought briefly, just for a moment, I saw fireflies dance in the cool breeze, and they gave me the will to remember how to survive.......



Chapter 1

Kinetics. It is an odd word with a very interesting meaning. It may be scientific, or merely science-fiction, but either way, it is an extraordinary addition to the English language. To any language, actually. Anyway, this is a word that endangered my life forever.
It was mid-summer when I was found by them. Loki and Cali to be exact. I was down by the tennis court, and scored me best game. Marcos Fiyre was the best player in the neighborhood. And I was Marcos Fiyre. It had been an odd name, mostly my last, but it also seemed mighty cool at the same time. Having a name like 'Fiyre' sure dominates most others. Anyhow, they, as in Loki and Cali, caught me sauntering down the sidewalk to my house, my home before they came along. Seeming so carefree, I bumped into the black haired male, who was about my age with blue eyes. The one next to him was a beautiful girl, with brunette hair and green eyes. She also averaged our ages by her appearance, and stared at me in awe. Whispering to the boy, he immediately pointed at me. “That's him,” his mouth gaped, making the words sort of muffled. “That's the Pyro.”
“I beg your pardon?” I asked, starting to feel a tad bit hostile. I had no idea what the boy was talking about. 'Pyro' wasn't much of a description. At a closer inspection, I studied the boy's apparel. He wore a white jacket, which hung open revealing a dark blue bare shirt. Dungarees dropped to his shoes, which were black and white sneakers. The girl wore a dull gray hat over golden brown hair. Her apparel consisted of a white T-shirt, oddly enough, and some dark blue jeans, kind of like the boy's, except more tattered.
“We must get you out of her, before he catches us.” the girl explained. That didn't help much at all, for I was still befuddled. “Who is he?” I asked.
“Nexus,” she answered. “,I'll explain later. But for now, you must follow us. Trust me, your life depends on it.”
This was all happening too fast. I hadn't had a clue what I was getting into, and started to back away. “No wait...” the boy made a futile attempt to stop me, as I darted away, straight towards my house. Swiftly slamming the screen door, I then locked it and sighed. What were those guys talking about? Remembering vaguely, I slowly walked to my computer, immediately tapping on the keys. I typed 'P-Y-R-O' and hit enter. An article came up immediately, and one word stood out from the rest. The word 'fire'. So the key word to all of this is fire. Something in which my last name corresponds to. As I carried on with my day, it replayed over and over again. That exact word. Fire.

I had a dream that night. A horrific nightmare that shook me, as I stood in complete and utter darkness. A cold laugh erupted from what seemed far away, although it was hard to tell. It echoed, as if there were walls all around me, until, after running into one, I found out there were. Panicking, I unknowingly outstretched my hand, and balls of fire danced on my palm. They also provided light for something terrifying. Looking up, I came face to face with a man in a black trench coat. He wore tinted sunglasses, but I could still feel an icy gaze baring down on me. Oddly enough, he threw back his head, and let out an explosion of maniacal laughter. Taken aback, I outstretched my arm, hoping to destroy him, making him go away, but instead, the man slowly disappeared into nothingness. Before he fully vanished, he said: “You will never be safe from us...”
Immediately, the scene changed to something that happened in the actual world. It showed the boy and girl, except in the forest with a couple others. Finally though, I awoke from my confusing dream, panting. Was that 'Nexus'? The man that girl and boy were talking about? Him? The question entered me as I pondered the possible answer, and wondered if I could ever reunite with those odd beings, the people warning me of a potential enemy. But why would someone want to hurt me? I hadn't thought of myself having much enemies, not at all. Especially middle aged men with black trench coats. Something seemed oddly wrong, though, until I remembered the fire dancing across my open hand, not injuring my flesh at all. That was all in a dream, but it seemed so real. Plus, it related to me being “the pyro.”
I ceased all thoughts, as I took on a new perspective, something outside of my past. Something occurring at this second. I smelled smoke, and glanced around the room with sheer terror. Bright orange met my gaze with an evil crackle, and smoke filled my lungs, as I realized what was going on. My bed, the place where I lay at that second, was covered with blazing fire.

Chapter 2

I never even felt the scorching flames. They bounced off of my harmlessly, as I ran. I called for my mother, but she was nowhere to be seen. Lost in the forever prison of smoke. Bursting through the front door in an old T-shirt and sweatpants I wore to bed, I saw two people I never thought I would ever see again. The two who warned me of Nexus. The ones I ran away from. They shouted something, and made a motion for me to follow, and like the exact opposite as our last encounter, and ran after them. My bare feet pounded on the sidewalk as we came across a lush wood. Trees surrounded us as we journeyed farther in, until, they told me to climb through a bush, a standard sized one with blue-green leaves and ripe red berries. I nodded reluctantly, and crawled in, not ready for what I would see. Maybe this was a trap. Maybe the man with the trench coat would be awaiting at the other side. Maybe, I'd be killed. But instead, I scurried out into a cave, illuminated by bright torches and populated by maybe 5 or 6 other kids. It was hard to tell, for my vision was blurry, and I was sore all over. Within seconds, I blacked out.

To the warmth of a bed, my eyes flicked open. I saw a dim cave roof, first, and sat up, my head pounding. I peered around the room, and found it being a part of a cave, with walls built around it to make it seem as if it was a separate place. I arose slowly, looking at my reflection in the mirror. I stared at a familiar face, with different, unnatural features. Instead of brown hair, I inherited hair with a bright orange, and had blood red eyes instead of my usual deep blue. Who was that in the mirror? I hadn't recognized him at all. Awestruck, I failed to notice a blonde haired girl peer into my room, giggle, and step out. Whipping around, I found her already gone. Breathing deeply, I stepped out of the room, opening the door with a long creak. It seemed like the loudest sound I have ever heard, but no one seemed to notice. On a closer inspection, I counted around 11 or 12 in all. One girl whispered to another quietly, as she immediately giggled. This kind of thing drove me crazy, and I was about to confront them when a familiar voice called: “Marcos!”
I turned around to see that girl. The one with the brunette hair and gray hat, except she now wore a green shirt and blue sweatpants. A clip was in her hair, and I soon recognized it as a sun. She was smiling sweetly. “Hiya Marcos,” she said. “You must be feeling pretty weird being here at such short notice.”
I hadn't answered her for a while, mainly because something occurred to me. I was wearing something completely different then what I blacked out in. I wore a white short, jeans, and dark brown boots that rode up my lower leg. I wondered how this happened, but I decided not to keep on the subject. I disliked the thought of how someone pulled that off. “Erm......I never caught your name.” I murmured in reply. The girl giggled. “Oh yeah, I'm sorry. I'm Cali. The boy who was with me out there was Loki.”
Okay, maybe by odd names standards, Loki had me beat, but I saw him leaning against a rock, hollering to a girl on the other side of the cave. She giggled, and retreated the other way, into a door. Suddenly, I discovered the size of this place. The ceiling was as high as a 3 story house, and the cave was as long as a subway station. Doors lined the whole way down, and the entire place was lit as if electricity flowed through it in wires.
“Hmm....Nice place you have here...” I commented. “But I have one question. What's going on?”
Cali sighed. “I'll tell you the full story.” Sitting back on a rock, which was vaguely similar to a chair, she started speaking. “Long ago, many people lived in harmony. They all were tribes, holding different kinetic abilities. Err....elements is another word.”
I tried to picture a bunch of ancient men and women with face paint shooting electricity at each other, as she continued. “Though, an impending force diminished the population, until there was one of each. They, though, were doomed to only produce one offspring each time, and was usually shortly killed afterwards. You see, we are one of those generations. We are being hunted by that evil force-”
“Nexus.” I cut her off without really meaning to. She nodded wistfully. “Alas, Nexus has his own army. He built up a force of brutal men, trained in the arts of swordplay, archery, and even hand-to-hand combat. They are extremely deadly.”
it was mighty silent before I spoke. “Well, who really is Nexus?” I asked. Cali seemed reluctant to speak. “He's...an immortal demon, who may only die on the field of battle. His goal, or as legend goes, is to collect all of our powers to rule to world. To do that though, he must brutally slaughter us in any way imaginable.”
“Wow....” was all I could say. I couldn't imagine myself being ripped apart by a mace, pulverized by a hammer, or shot to pieces by a volley of bullets. Why would someone do this? Once again, my thoughts were cut short as someone exploded through the door. “Cali, come quick!” he gasped through heavy breaths. “What is it, Blake?” Cali asked, a hint of fear on her face. “It's Navida!” he called. “She's been killed!”

Chapter 3

Dead bodies are the worst. Not even I could bring up enough willpower to see the battle-torn carcass they lay in the middle of the forest. I just sat a good ten yards diameter away, and waited for a status update. Either it was a gruesome scene, or a good friend, because after a half an hour of inspection, Cali came out with tears in her eyes. She was escorted by a girl, and I found out from a close look, that she was the girl Loki was yelling to. She had electric copper eyes, that glistened in the twilight, and crimson red hair. She has pale skin, and around her neck was a pendant, with a charm, reminding me of Cali's clip. It had multiple curved lines a few millimeters apart from each other, and I decided to identify it as a sound wave of some sort. I decided to follow them back through the brush, and into the cave. A cave in which I should have been calling home by now.
I awoke on my second night there to a jolt. Drowsily, I peered out my door, and found a boy outstretching his palm to a chord. The chord jolted alive, and the torches came on. So they were electric powered after all! The boy seemed one year younger than myself, and had light brown hair and shocking yellow eyes. He had a scar across his cheek, that looked like it had been caused by a sharp object, like a sword. He suddenly turned to me and waved. I jumped, but waved back, and soon enough, he ambled over to me. “You must be the new guy. The Pyrokinetic.”
The word seeped in. I had forgotten about my power. I controlled fire. I nodded as he excitedly made a fist pump. “Cool! I'm Leo, the Electrokinetic. Nice to meet'cha.” he reached to shake me hand, and when I grabbed it, I quickly pulled it away, for it was met by a powerful shock. “Sorry,I do that to every new person.” he laughed. Though, he stopped, and scanned me. “Erm, where exactly is your emblem?”
Emblem? I cleared my throat. “Like Cali's clip?” I asked stupidly. He nodded. “Yep. I have a lightning bolt here.” he pointed to a jet black scarf around his shoulder and blue jacket. It held a realistic lightning bolt. “So, what is your's going to be?” he asked, whistling awkwardly. I never actually thought of that, mainly because I just heard of it now. “I don't know.” I answered blankly. It must have sounded lame. But oddly enough, the boy nodded. “I see. Well, I need to go restore some more power. Nice to meet you....” he purposely faltered to get my name. I caught on immediately. “Marcos.” answered me in a friendly tone. Leo nodded, and seemed to walk away, mumbling my name to himself over and over again.
My first dinner here was excellent. For cave people, they definitely know how to cook. On a stone table, they served turkey, fish, warm rolls (when her asked them where they got these, Cali stated they snuck into town last night), and herbal tea. Tasting as good as it sounds, I ate it all as fast as my body could digested, realizing how hungry I actually was. I felt bloated at the end of the meal, and my plate didn't contain even one speck of food. No one seemed to notice my bad banners, anyhow, for they all were eating it, as my mother would say, rudely. My mother!
I had completely forgotten about mom. What has become of her since the fire? I feared she was no more, that the rescuers were unable to save her. She must be dead. I was unable to bear the thoughts, and thankfully, Cali sauntered over to me. “Hey, um, Marcos. You should really find your emblem.” she insisted silently. “All you have to do is journey into the forest, and find something that fits your character and element altogether.”
It was nice to see Cali alright again, so I nodded happily. “Alright, I'll see what I may find.” I answered. She nodded, green eyes sparkling in the cave's artificial light. “Okay. When you find one, return, and we'll do battle practices in the morning.”
This was the first time in a long time I was truly alone. Not even armed with a weapon too, just my instincts and fiery powers, in which I hardly even knew how to use. I set my own house on fire in my sleep, for god's sake.
Looking around, I spotted someone lighting a grill in the park miles away from the cave, but immediately thought no. A grill? Seriously? Walking further to the east, I absolutely couldn't find anything. What things relate to fire in the forest? My boots sloshed in the dark brown mud stretching out a couple feet, and the sun was going down. Feeling miserable, I thought I'd never find what I came for, until a faint twinkle appeared 10 yards to my left, and quickly extinguished by the time I noticed it. Soon, it appeared again, and it was killing me to know what it was. Making sure to be quiet as to not scare whatever it is away, I silently padded over there and reached out my finger. Something landed on it immediately, soft and gentle to the touch. It's backside flickered with warmth as it crawled up my forefinger. It was, indeed, a firefly. And I instantly chose it as my emblem.

Chapter 4

It has been two months. Two months since I discovered my emblem. Two months since I discovered my mom's death. I took it pretty hard, taking shelter in my room, and hardly ever coming out for several days. But, I knew I had to get over it, for I didn't want to be joining her.
In the two months timespan, I had met every kinetic that lived in the cave. All of them were wonderful, and I soon became a full member, and that made the whispering between the feminine side of us abruptly stop. Though, I was not the last to join the cave.
His name was Kai.
It seemed he was pretty shaken up about the whole idea of living in the wilderness also, but adapted quicker than I did. We became good friends in no time, for our rooms were adjacent. He had also recently picked an emblem. Considering Kai was a Thermokinetic, or he had the ability to control temperature, he had chosen a thermometer, which seemed like a plausible choice. Kai was about 14, with standard brown hair and eyes that changed ofter from icy blue to a warm red, depending on his mood.
The fights were abundant.
I had met my first battler three weeks ago, a swordsmen. He was crafty and cunning, but no match for my flaming techniques I had learned throughout my stay here. The minion soon died of third degree burns, something of my actions. At first, I wasn't very fine with killing, but I realized soon after it was the only way. That those people deliberately put this on themselves. At least that is what Cali said.
Cali.
A photokinetic, and one of my favorite people here. She was the only girl who never frequently talked about “new people” and how “hot those guys were”. All she cared about was destroying Nexus, one way or the other. Her determination made me feel closer to her.
Loki.
I had also acquainted with the odd dark blue haired dude. Turns out, he was a Chronokinetic, and spent his time on the battlefield freezing people in time and warping them to a hellish dimension. It seemed like a pretty cool power manipulating time, but I decided my fire powers fit me well.
Every night since I got my emblem, I would journey out and watch the fireflies dance in the breeze. They were extremely majestic, and freed me from everything happening around me. They made me feel one with nature, and made me feel invincible. I had definitely made the right choice for my emblem.
Though, for some reason, my emblem wasn't forged yet. I don't know where I'd put it, and no one has time to catch a firefly and model it anyhow. I'm just waiting for some kind of inspiration.


The siren blared the next night. Sitting up, I heard the other's feet slamming against the rocky floor as I hauled myself out of bed and retrieved my boots, putting them on. Exiting my room at a fast pace, I ran side by side with Kai.
“Who'd attack us at night? I mean, they need sleep too, right?” Kai asked drowsily, yawning after the question. I shrugged, as two men in black blocked up, grinning. Both wielded bronze swords, in which glistened in the pale moonlight. We both decided to take separate people, and that is what we did. I produced a flame and ran at one guy, who held out his sword. I shot a swift fireball, which he dodged with quick speeds. It was his turn to run at me now. Though I was ready. Jumping to the opposite side of him, the guy ran past me as I shot a fireball onto his back, as he immediately combusted. The minion shrieked and retreated into the forest. “No!” a voice shouted. It was the minion Kai was facing, and he came at me with his sword. Suddenly, a sharp pain hit me. My left eye grew blind, as all I saw was a blood red. Holding it, he came at my again, and I never knew where he hit me, for I blacked out instantly.

Chapter 5

I woke up in a daze, and lack of complete vision. I ached all over, and felt as if I couldn't move. A familiar figure loomed over me, and identified itself as Cali, who yelled something muffled to my ears. Opening my mouth to speak, all that came out was a muffled sound. Cali shook her head sternly. Slowly and silently, she walked out of the room, and all I could do was watch.
The second time I awoke, Kai and Jace, the hydrokinetic, were there, discussing something. I felt as if I was able to move, and a tad bit better. I still didn't half full sight. “W-what happened.” I was able to sit up, holding my head as a migraine commenced. Jace looked at me uneasily. “Erm, you see. When you were in battle, Kai's enemy charged at you and stabbed you in both the eye and shoulder...”
“Huh?” I moved my index finger across where my left eye was supposed to be. In place, was a cloth. Immediately, I tried to stand up, and despite Kai trying to stop me, I limped to the mirror. A black cloth stretched over my eye and around my head. It had a golden firefly drawn on it, wonderfully designed. Another bandage made it's way around my shoulder, stained with dried blood in the middle. I backed away. “M-my eye!” I exclaimed. Suddenly, the door rushed open. Cali came through. “Marcos!” she shrieked. “What are you doing up?”
She exchanged glances with Kai and Jace, as I sat down. “I'm fine.” I muttered, leaning on the table. Cali seemed enraged. “No you are not! You could have died!” she retorted angrily. Jace and Kai were retreating slowly out of the room, and I mouthed two letters to them. 'F-U'.
Cali didn't seem to notice. She was too busy waiting for me to respond. I rolled my eyes. “Chill, Cali. I'm not dead yet, am I?”
Cali was seething, though. “Ugh! I hate you!” she screamed, and stamped out. I blinked as Blair peeked in. “What exactly did you do?” she whispered. I shrugged. “I just stood up.” replied me blankly.

I saw her at dinner, but she was a far away from me as she could be. We never even made eye contact. I sighed and discarded my plate next to the river to be washed. Pulling my jacket over the bandage on my shoulder, just for examination, I created a ball of fire, which hovered over my palm harmlessly. Turning my hand, I watched as it spun around it, then I made a fist, and the fire extinguished. Suddenly, someone clapped in back of me. It was Leo, the Electrokinetic I met a while back. “Well done.” he commented. “How'd you like to train with me?”
“With you?” I asked, pointing. How is that possible? We'd kill ourselves. “Yes.” he stated. “I'll show you how.”
He revealed two standard gray bands. They had “restricter” stretched across them in black letters. “What are those?” I asked curiously. Leo laughed. “These are restricters.” he explained. “They are used for training, and have the power to make elements bounce off of you, as long as you are wearing it.”
“Ah.” I answered blandly. I took one and strapped it around my wrist. “Let's taste it out.”
I made a fire ball as he hollered: “Go!”
Immediately he charged, shooting electric sparks at me. They bounced off me and disappeared into nothingness, as I shot spheres of two hundred degree fire at him. They too, were doused before impact into Leo. This went on, until I was able to trip Leo, holding a fireball to his face. He snickered. “Nice one. You are a fighter at heart.”
I then helped him up as he dusted off his pants. “Nice battle.” I stated. He nodded. “You too Marcos.” then, he walked off into the cave, and for a couple of minutes, I watched the dancing fireflies, and they seemed to circle me, as if questioning me about my eye. I laughed silently and limped in the direction Leo went.

In bed that night I thought of all that occurred. Cali hollering at me, training with Leo, the fireflies, and I realized, whether I liked it or not, this was where I belonged, whether I liked it or not. Smiling at that thought, I drifted off into sleep.

I woke up to an alert call. “Breeeeeeaaaaaakkkkkkffffaaaasssssttt!” I heard Nicole, our cook and telekinetic call. I rubbed my eye and and got dressed, walking out to see floating plates and food landing on the table. This was normal, of course. Past me, Everee floating, using her gravity ability, gryokinesis. She yawned softly, running her fingers through her own bed ridden blonde hair. The others followed, and I took a seat in the middle of the left side. Fried turtle and potatoes were served, as well as mixed fruit. Like always, it was good, considering I was the one responsible to light the fire in the oven each time we had a meal. After I was finished, to my surprise, Cali came up to me. “I'm......sorry about last night.” she apologized. “I didn't like seeing you hurt, and didn't want another friend lost to Nexus..”
I stopped her. “It's alright.” I reassured. “You only wanted the best for me.”
She grinned happily and walked away, and I couldn't help but think of how beautiful she looked in her lush green shirt and blue jeans.

Chapter 6

At the twilight of that same day, battle cries roared from outside. Immediately, my friends ran out, and once again, I feared we wouldn't come back. I scanned the cloth over my blind eye, the golden firefly upon it, before running out to join them. We met Nexus' minions immediately, as we clashed. Kai had to stay far from us, for he a lot of times would drop the temperature to unbearable degrees within a 10 yard radius, and that is what he used to kill. Not much he could do anyhow. Focusing, My fist lit on fire, and I spend the next ten minutes punching people to death. After that, the others retreated, but screaming erupted. Turning around, I ran towards the sound, and saw Blake, on the floor, pale. I thought he was dead, until Nicole reported otherwise. I had realized there was an arrow stuck in his stomach. They slowly lifted him and carried him away, into a room we called the “Infirmary”. No one except the few of us who knew medicine were allowed in.
It was midnight when Roy, our Cyrokinetic, came out. “He isn't looking good, but is stable. We are doing everything we can. We all sighed with worry as Loki punched the cave wall, trying best not to hide how painful that probably was. I just looked down, waiting for bad news, that seems to always come in my presence. Quietly, we all disbanded, going to sleep, hoping our friend won't be dead in the morning.
Staring up at my cave's ceiling that night, I sighed, and realized I wouldn't be falling asleep anytime soon. Sitting up, I decided to go outside, into the cool fall night, and take a walk. I grabbed my hat and walked out. The moon was waning, and the fireflies danced through the breeze. I outstretched a finger, and let one land on it, glowing casually. It tickled my hand as it crawled around it, as if trying to find a way to escape. The others bobbed around also, and soon enough, I freed the one scurrying along on my finger. It flew off with the others, and I sighed, collapsing onto the field. The leaves on the trees rustled as I leaned against a rock, thinking about exactly how I'd have a chance to survive. How I'd possible get through this alive. Suddenly though, a hand rested on my shoulder. Spinning around, I was face to face with Cali. “H-hi.” she whispered. “I saw that you were gone. I came to see if you were out here. Looks like you were..” she shifted uncomfortably. I nodded. “I see.” I stood up, and started walking. She held out her arm. “W-where are you going?” she asked. I halted and turned towards her. “Inside.” I answered simply. “Oh...” she blushed. There was an awkward silence for a while, until we both moved to the undergrowth in front of the cave. Suddenly, I halted. She tilted her head. “What is it?” she asked curiously. I suddenly grinned, turning to her. Without really realizing it, I leaned down and kissed her on the lips. It happened fast, and I was waiting for her to run away, calling me a pervert, but instead, she stood in place, and I saw her eyes closed. Our lips parted, and I caught her smile, as she jogged over to her room. I was awestruck, and slowly I also made it too my room, as the sun rose over the horizon.

It was as if it never happened. Daily routine went on normally, as we went on with our duties. It was my turn to go hunting today. The wilderness here was abundant, as Roy, taking a break from his medical duties, went with me. Within a few minutes, we arrived at the river, where Roy bent over it. With his hands, he shaped an icicle out of nothing, and looking into the water, he flicked it in and out at blinding speeds. At the end of it, was a bloody but dead fish, in which he put in a bag for gutting. I watched him do this for an hour, before we headed upstream. Ducks were perched on rocks, looking around, not noticing us creeping up on them. With a quickly flick, I set one on fire, and I watched it slowly die. Saddened by this, I quickly shook it off and put it in my bag. Soon, we were off. We met up with Nicole, who took our bags gleefully. “Dinner will be ready in a moment.” she reassured. But we halted, as rustling could be heard from the bushes. We had no time to react as men in dark suits exploded through with needles. Swiftly, they came in and stabbed all three of us, Me, Roy, and Nicole, with the needles. I was ready to attack but teetered, before collapsing with the others, as the men dragged us away, unnoticed.

Chapter 7

I awoke to the sound of a chopper. Dizzy, I lay on the floor, glaring around. Nicole and Roy were still out, and I looked up to see two well built men guarding a door, AK-47's locked and loaded in their hands. Storage containers and bags filled most of the room, and there was a window that was two high for me to glimpse out of. I was a sitting duck, for I didn't want to alarm the guards. Besides, my hands were glued to my back, due to the cuffs. After a couple minutes of this, though, the helicopter stopped in it's tracks and started to lower, and soon enough, they hauled us up violently, and took us into separate rooms. They were interrogation rooms, and at first I though the cops had taken us, until I realized how run down the place was. Spider webs cluttered one corner, and there were small holes in the ceiling, signaling we were on the top floor. No one came into the room until about an hour later, where the door handle awakened me. I half expected Nexus, but instead, there was a women, who looked in her mid thirties and wore a Red coat. Her eyes were dark brown, as was her hair. “Good day, Mr. Fiyre.” she said blankly. I, of course, didn't answer, but all she did was look up for a brief second. “I assume you are the-” She looked over her papers once more. “-Pyrokinetic?”
I froze, awfully pale. “I don't know what you're talking about.” I protested. “I am just a kid living with his friends in a cave...”
She said nothing, and shuffled through her papers some more. Finally, she chose one, and threw it on the counter. It was a newspaper article, in which showed a gray image of my charred house. My picture, along with my mother's picture, were plastered next to it. “You killed her.” she stated. I immediately shook my head. “N-no, I did no-”
“You killed her!” she hollered, standing up. “You have already been accused of arson, and I reviewed your body structure while you were knocked out. You have hemoglobin as well as propane and other flammable gases coursing through your blood. Don't lie to me, damnit!”
Shocked and appalled, I whispered: “I'm not talking....”
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PART 2:Nexus










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“Where are they?!” I pleaded, staring at the crime scene. Loki checked the area. “They seem to have been dragged.” he reported. I let my self fall into my seat. “It was Nexus. H-he took them, and he probably already killed them!” putting my hand to my mouth, I let out a weak sob, before getting up, fist clenched. “We have to go out and find them. They couldn't have gotten far!” I tried to make myself think that, but my gut told me the worst. “We can follow their trail...”
“I can do that...” a soft voice spoke. We turned to see Isaac, the young boy who showed up before Marcos. He was our Magnokinetic, or controller of magnetics, who had black hair and gray eyes, and was awfully shy. “How so?” I asked, obviously ready to do anything. He swiftly walked over to the drag marks and started to sprinkle a silver powder. Almost instantly, a silver trail spread as far as the eye could see. “Ancient Magno trick..” he said quietly. My eyes lit up. “Oh thank you!” I hollered, hugging him. He blushed and disappeared into the crowd. I called. “Okay. Leo and Erika stay here with Blake. Everyone else, come with me to find the others!”
And off we went, to try to save our friends from impending doom. Though, my stomach lurched after a ten minute walk when we discovered a hangar off limits from city folk. Helicopters and Planes alike were there, and a man in a black suit was reading a magazine, leaning against a building. Whispering to Blair, she nodded and disappeared in the trees. Minutes later, she came out from behind him, and even if we were too far away to hear, we could tell by the man's face that the sound waves she was producing was terrible. After he was knocked out, she signaled for us to come, and quickly but quietly, we made our way across the concrete yard, and climbed into a helicopter. Loki and Jace stared at the controls, and gulped. “Here goes nothing...” he turned a lever, and slowly we levitated, before flying towards the sea, as Isaac tracked the helicopter which sped off long in front of us.

Chapter 8

“Now, Mr. Fiyre.” the lady continued. “One more question before I leave. How did you lose your eye?”
A few seconds passed before she nodded. “I see, you won't talk. Meh, won't matter in time..” she then sighed. “Your food will be here soon.” Unlatching my cuffs, she smirked and walked out, shoes clacking. She shut a bolted door behind her. Laying on the cold dirt floor, cloth over my eye miraculously still in tact, I soon got that food, mush in my opinion, and went to work on trying to find out where we were. That was, until I saw the open sea out of my window and realized we were on a small island. Sighing, I wondered where the others were, until falling asleep. When I awoke, two men put me in cuffs and carried me away.

Loki strained his head, as I sat in the back with the others, staring at the endless blue ocean. It seemed almost hopeless, chasing the helicopter with Isaac tracking, but Jace beamed. “Small Island to the north...” he reported. But his glee turned to worry. “Oh no, guards..”
Usually, Leo could destroy them with lightning, but without him, we were forced to warp them into a dimension they themselves didn't even deserved, as Loki outstretched his hand, making them vanish.
Sighing, we landed the chopper, but ducked as more AK fire peppered the helicopter. Suddenly, a flame sparked. “We have to get out of here!” Kai yelled. Nodding, we all dived under the small amount of greenery in the garden, as the helicopter exploded, killing the other guards. Peeking out, I sighed. “Let's move...” my small voice whispered.

My eyes flicked open. I realized I was strapped to a chair. Professors occupied the center of the large room, which had a huge screen displaying three skeletal systems. Quickly realizing it was us, I looked to both my sides and found both Roy and Nicole, half conscious. Scowling, I focused on releasing fire from my hands, but nothing came. Instead, a slow whir sounded, and I felt myself being drained of energy. Wincing, I stopped, as I saw the skeletal system in the middle of the screen flare, then die. It was calculating every activity in my body. From my heart rate to the combustion of my palms when I focus on fire. Sweating, I became nervous, wondering why exactly we were here. There must be a horrible reason to it. Then, suddenly, the lady who interrogated me walked up. “What do you want from us?” Nicole demanded. Roy looked too shocked to speak, and I realized Nicole said all I wanted to know. The lady smirked. “That is simple.” she explained, flipping her hair casually. “We are simply going to drain all of your powers, and give them to the master. Nexus.”
After she stopped talking, her eyes turned glowing read, and her skin became unnaturally pale. Wickedly, she laughed and left the room. Almost immediately afterwards, one of the scientists pressed a button, and that is when the pepper of bullets fired through the window. The scientists ran for their lives, and one fell from a fatal wound, but the button was still pressed. Almost immediately, a pain flooded through me. Fidgeting, I watched as glowing orange liquid seeped up a tube located in my arm. But to my surprise, through the window went my friends, led by the prestigious Cali. Fast as lightning, I saw everyone rushed forward, and Jace reached for the controls to the wide screen. “Here we go!” he slammed his fist on a button, and the orange stuff flowed back into my blood stream. We were saved.
The ride home was filled with laughter as we flew over the sea, the dreadful chopper flooding most conversation. I guess I was grateful for being alive, but that all changed when we got to the hangar. Waiting there, was at least two dozen grunts, and standing in the middle, was a man with darkly tinted sunglasses, despite the pale moonlight that flooded over miles. This, was undoubtedly, my forst encounter with Nexus.

Chapter 9
Immediately, Nexus frowned and spoke: “You are Marcos, no?” He looked at me, and I was fed up with constant questioning. Especially from a scumbag like him. Nexus raised his eye brow. “Stupid kid. This will be a singe.” He looked over to Cali, and in a blink of an eye, ran at her, and before you knew it, caught her in a neck hold, the one you use to simulate human shields. “Now now, you don't want to hurt her, no?” he asked, smirking. My finger's flexed with complete rage. “Let her go!”
I imagined myself with glowing red eyes, flaming like a crackling hearth on a winter's day. Before I knew it, however, he threw her aside and came at me, a fist flying into my gut. He took several swings until I was able to get out of his reach. Then with one final powerful punch, I flew back, slamming into a tree. It was the first time I have ever came close to death. The wind was knocked straight out of me, as my helpless limp figure was sprawled onto the ground. Shouting developed, as I spat out blood, ear's pounding. Blurry eyes glanced up at my friends, or at least I was sure they were my friends, engaged in combat with him. Him. He wore black sunglasses to cover icy blue eyes that seemed to leave you paralyzed. I imagined them like a snake's. I imagined tongue flickering silently out of his jaw. I imagined venom coursing through my veins. Quickly regaining my senses, I climbed to my feet, teetering slightly, as people came to my aid, almost unaware of the gory scene in front of them. All in all, I thought briefly, just for a moment, I saw fireflies dance in the cool breeze, and they gave me the will to remember how to survive.
I pushed them away, insisting I was okay. I focused on the being straight in front of me. The person who cause so much pain and suffering. He was right there. “I'll kill you...” I murmured, before fire danced off of me. “I'll kill you!”
And with that, as quick as fire spreading over a line of gasoline, I attacked, palms blazing, bellowing with rage. The other's were occupied with the minions, and I had the dark lord all to myself. Though, he met my attack with counters most of the time, and we clashed, bouncing off of each other helplessly. Then, suddenly, he seemed to sigh, and retreated from battle. “I am in no mood for this.” he murmured. “I'll see you once more, Mr. Fiyre.”
he seemed to grin to my side, but I was too angry. As I tried to shoot fireballs at the wings, it was no use. The helicopter was too far away, and I realized my chances of returning to a normal life, lacking the constant fight for survival. Right then and there, I had missed my chance. Missed my chance to end it all. All the suffering done here. It might have actually ended. I was too focused on the night sky, to hear Kai's terrified voice screaming to me. “Marcos, come quick.” I turn my head slightly to him. “What is it?” I whispered. “It's Cali.” he cried. “She's hurt!”
And sure enough, as I made my way to the edge of the plane lot, which seemed to go on for miles, I saw her. Cali. And she was laying in a pool of blood.

Chapter 10

It was about midnight when we hauled her in. I was frantically calling her name, as we got her into our infirmary. Once again, we all were tossed outside, waiting for results. Blake sat with us this time, crossing his fingers into one large fist. We must have been out there for dawn, but we hadn't seemed tired. Roy walked out, and faced me with a melancholy expression. I realized Loki and I were the only ones still out there. Wordlessly, he directed me into her room, alone and without Loki for a bit. She seemed pale, and bandaged. No equipment was strapped to her. We couldn't get that kind of medical technology. I sat beside her, and sure enough, her head turned feebly in my direction, eyes still as green as ever. “Am...I dying?..” she croaked. Choking back tears, I slowly nodded. Looking down, not courageous enough to even look at her, I was disrupted by her hand, slipping into mine. With pure emotion, I leaned over and kissed her. It was sweet and I wanted it to last forever, but it didn't. Surely, as I leaned back, she flashed one last smile. “Kick his @$$ for me, my little firefly...” and her hand lost all it's strength, drooping to her side. Cali was dead. Standing up, tears dripping down my cheeks, soaking the cloth she had made for me, I silently left the room, and pushed passed the others, only to here the silent sobs of the cave's residents. And oddly enough, I could here Loki's the most.

~

I had never been to the graveyard in all my life, and stared at the two other grave stones. Graves of two deceased allies, caught in the selfish greed of Nexus. Cali was about to join them. We had made a casket out of rock and tree bark, in which seemed to glow faintly. Cali was a Photokinetic, who had controlled light, so it seemed proper to make the whole arrangement luminescent. No one really said a word, and almost immediately the tombstone was made. Carved in more solid rock, was the story of the brave girl who led us on through our battles. The girl who was my friend, and even more. I sighed and departed with the others. I hadn't spoken much over the next days. The words would suddenly stop at my lips, as if my mouth was glued shut. And when I read the stones marked for the deceased, I came across one name I have never seen. Sorren. Under it, in the gray limestone, was the word “Biokinetic”. I was sure that meant he was someone who died even before I came here. And I was about to find out.
Loki had explained to me exactly who he was, the old leader, in whom was about 18 years old. He explained him, light brown hair, gray eyes that went against their color, and were full of life. He was a Biokinetic, or a shapeshifter, as most would say. He had died in hand to hand combat with Nexus. Turns out, some dirty punk of a minion had stabbed him when he was busy fighting. The sword went right through his gut, as the story went. He never knew what hit him. Loki said he didn't like talking of this, and I suspecting Sorren as an old friend of Loki's, and left the guy be. I went straight for my room once more.
At that night I thought about the story of Sorren, all that I had been through, and realized, this was only the beginning. That above my anger and frustration, was determination. I somehow knew Nexus was going to die in my lifetime. I could feel it coursing through my veins, and knew it would be a great result of all that has happened, sort of avenging Cali's death. And if that were to truly happen, if Nexus was to be killed, then maybe, just maybe, the world may be a better place.

END OF BOOK ONE