We get to the infirmary and see Shawn and Trish sitting in the lobby. Trish says right away, "They don't think it's too serious. Just a few stitches for now, and a night spent in here."
"If it isn't serious then why is he spending the night in here?" Flame asks.
"They just want to make sure he's totally okay," Shawn explains.
Flame nods, "I'm going to go check up with the staff."
"Have fun," Trish says monotoned. He walks away and I move to sit beside Shawn.
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine, knowing that Beast will be alright," he sits back and drums on his knees with his fingers like how Trish would.
"You really care about him, don't you?"
"He was the first person to talk to me when I came here. He's like my older brother."
I nod my head and Trish adds, "He welcomed me my first day too. I was really hostile and I didn't even want to join a group. He finally got me to stick with him, and it was actually good for me."
"I don't know what I would do without him," Shawn says, and Trish seconds him.
Flame walks back to us, "They said he can take visitors. They just finished stitching him up. He might actually be able to go back to his room."
Shawn stands up right away and walks quickly to his room, and Trish follows. I hold Flame back, just to test something. I gently pull on his right arm and he inhales sharply. Holding his shoulder he turns to me, "What are you trying to prove?"
"What are you trying to hide?"
He clenches his jaw and stares at me with irritated eyes, "Zoe. Stop. I mean it."
"What did Mole do?"
He furrows his brow, "Mole didn't do anything."
"You met with him this morning just before practice. That's what you said."
"Doesn't mean he re-injured my shoulder."
"What did you talk about then?"
"We were talking about—" Flame stops. Dang it. He gives me a side smile, "That was close. You're getting better at talking it's almost becoming dangerous."
I almost got close to getting him to tell me what they were talking about. So close, if I hadn't rushed the truth he might have not gotten it. "You need to tell me."
"It'll come up eventually, don't worry."
"What happened to your arm then?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Yes."
He sighs into a light laugh, "I slept on it wrong." He turns around and starts to head to Beast's room.
I sigh and start to walk there but I see a figure move out of the corner of my eye. I look to my left and see Marcus stranding in a doorway. He gestures for me to come over and I silently make my way to him.
"Zoe, where are you going?" Flame asks me and I freeze.
"Bathroom," I say turning around. "I have to pee? Where is it?"
He rolls his eyes, "Down the hall."
"Thanks," I say. I watch him walk into Beast's room and I motion for Marcus to follow me. We get inside the bathroom and once I make sure no one it in here I turn to Marcus, "Hey."
"Long time no see," he says with a smile. "I saw you win your match today, it was amazing."
"Thanks," I say softly. I don't really like compliments. I could have done better.
"I guess you want to hear the news right away?"
"I hate to rush our little meetings."
"It's fine, I kind of like having something to do," Marcus says. He leans on the wall, "So word of John has died down. I don't know if he's given up or if he's laying low."
"And White Shadow?"
"You aren't scared of John?"
"I'm through with worrying about him. If he wants me, he can come get me," I say confidently. It's crazy how strong I feel now compared to two months ago.
Marcus nods his head, "White Shadow has been laying low, but his brother stopped by yesterday."
"What did he want?"
"He was wondering how you were doing, and when you were going to fight."
"He wanted to know when my first fight was?"
"Yeah, why? Did you see him in the arena?"
I take a step back, "I didn't see him, I saw..."
The door opens and I turn to the sink and start washing my hands. The lady smiles at me and disappears into one of the stalls. Marcus says in a lower voice even though he doesn't need it, "We can continue this later. Right now your teammate needs his friends. Take the night off, you deserve it." I nod and he disappears. I dry my hands off and walk out of the restroom.
Right away I can sense the uneasiness in the air. No, not necessarily uneasiness, it's more...regret. Gah, I don't know I can't think straight. Or see straight. The hallway seems to be spinning. My head hurts, it's so cloudy. I notice the ringing in my ears and the stinging in my finger tips. I'm sensing something. No, I'm sensing someone. They are in the compound somewhere, and they are very powerful.
"Zoe?" I hear Flame's voice like he's yelling into a microphone and I'm right by the speaker.
"What?" I look to him and sense the worry that's he's feeling.
"You alright?" He lays a hand on my shoulder, and it ignites my sense of touch.
I back away from him saying, "I'm fine, I'm just..." the ringing intensifies. I grimaces and try to shake it off casually. "I need to go lay down." I move past him and see someone standing in my way. "Excuse me," I say quietly but they don't move.
"What did you say Zoe?" Flame asks me. I look back to him and he looks confused. I turn to the person in front of me and look up to meet his face. He's smiling. He backs up and starts to walk out of the infirmary.
I follow him.
What am I doing? Who is this guy and why am I following him. Is he another ghost like Marcus? No, Marcus was a crazy accident. This guy is real, I know he is. Why couldn't I see him in normal vision then? Who is he?
I follow him to the hallway and he leads me to the older training room. He walks in and I follow him, still half in a daze. Once the door closes he becomes visible and my senses erupt again. I collapse to the ground, almost unable to handle my ability.
"Zoey. Get up. I know you can handle this," he's got a surprisingly normal voice. "This power that you feel right now, it's not just coming from me. You have a monumental amount of ability stored within you as well. You were programed to handle this, so get up."
I try but I fall back to my knees again.
"Your mother could do it," He says and I freeze. With my senses this heightened I can feel his sorrow from that sentence. I take a deep breath and focus on the thought of my mother, just like I did when I was five and had my power outbreak.
I remember when I was about three, my mother took me to a little pizza place. It was cheap and stupid, but I was three. Phillip didn't care much for it, but I had the best time in my life. I played all the arcade games with my mom, and she would always let me win. I didn't even care though. It was fun.
My hearing dulls until I can hear normally.
There was this other time when we went to an amusement park. It was when I first met John. Believe it or not, he was actually a pretty cool guy before my mom died. He and my mom spent nearly twenty dollars on this one arcade game until they finally won me this huge stuffed unicorn. The shade of pink was so bright it would hurt your eyes to look at it in the sunlight.
My sense of touch calms and I don't feel the stinging of the air around me.
My mom was just the best. She was always there when I needed her. It still amazes me how she was such a loving parent and could turn around and be a mother figure to the kids in this compound. To kids like Flame, and the ones that are now trainers and on missions. They all respected her, I know they still do.
My eyes turn back to normal and I look at the guy in front of me. I stand and back away. He has grayish eyes, the kind my uncle has. He isn't my uncle though. His hair is a deep shade of purple.
"Zoey," he says with a faint smile. He moves to hug me but I back up more.
"Who are you?"
He sighs and drops his hands to his side. Looking at him again I realize he isn't actually that big. He's no more that an inch taller than me, maybe two. He's thin too, not muscular like my uncle, ShadowStar. "You act just like her."
"Stop avoiding the question."
"You even sound like her, and your eyes, they are just like hers."
"Stop avoiding the question," I say more sternly.
He smiles at me again with his sorrow filled smile. "I am Spirit. I'm sure you've probably figured out I'm from the Shadow compound."
I nod my head, "So you're my..."
"He's our cousin. Well second cousin," I recognize Phillip's voice as he walks from the darkness of the room.
"What's that mean?" I ask him.
"It means my father is your grand father's brother," Spirit says.
"Our family's line is complicated," Phillip clarifies.
"How diverse is this family?" I ask incredulously.
"It's growing," Spirit says. "Anyways, I've come to finally meet White Shadow's successor."
I feel Phillip tense a little. I respond, "I have no intention of succeeding anyone."
"Well you are going to have to," Spirit says. He pulls his hoodie off and starts pacing. I notice his hair is short, spiked all forward.
"Why's that?"
"Because the compounds are getting more fierce. They have a lot more abilities within them, and we can't compete. Not that it really matters. Our population may be small, but we have amazing work."
I look at Spirit, "I didn't see you. I sensed you, but I didn't see you until my ability freaked out."
"Sorry, it's like a biological thing that when two Shadow members come together, their abilities counteract and power radiates off them. You'll learn to control it eventually."
"But your ability. I always see everything, and I didn't see you when you were using your ability."
"Your art isn't in your eyes, and my art isn't in my ability," he replies. He doesn't look like it at first, but he seems really intelligent. He must only be about eight or nine years older than me.
I look at Phillip, "How'd you bring him here?" He looks down and clenches his jaw, a nervous tick he has. "Phillip?"
"I joined the Shadow compound," he says softly. "They let me because of our dad."
"Because you can get closer to me than they could," I shake my head.
"No, because they focus more on family than ability," Phillip argues. "Zoe, it's time you come with us. It's dangerous here. You aren't safe."
"Really?"
"Yes! Zoey—"
"I go by Zoe now," I turn around and start to walk to the door.
"You are just going to walk out now?" Phillip says. "This place isn't safe! I know you already can tell X isn't the most trustworthy guy, but listen. The corruption goes deeper than you realize."
I turn around saying, "I don't care. One heart of evil doesn't mean everyone else is bad."
"No, it means the others can get infected," Phillip counters.
"I don't care. I don't want to switch compounds, just leave me be."
"You are constantly being put into positions you don't like. You shouldn't have to deal with that," Phillip says. "Just come live with your family and you won't have to make decisions like this anymore."
"Family?" I say with a laugh. "If they were my family, then where were they when we needed them all these years? Where were they when Mom died? When we were stuck with John?" I scoff, "They've been a great family."
I turn and open the door, "You know, I should have believed you when you said that people and compounds want me only because of my ability."
"I want you because you're my sister. Because you're my family."
"I'm not seeing it the same way." I walk out and head down the hallway. After all he's stupid speeches on how he was so sorry for leaving me, and how all he wanted was to keep me safe, he doesn't even realize that this fake family is only using him? I thought he was smarter than that. But he does have a point. X is up to something, and it can't be good.
I'm in such a rush I barely realize someone's following me, and it's not Phillip or Spirit. This person has anger coursing through their veins, and I start to feel uneasy. I look around behind me, but they aren't there.
Suddenly someone slams me into the wall from my side. "What's up freak!" I look and see Ulrich's wicked smile.
I frown at him, "Go away. There's no need for this."
"You hurt my ego back there. My place in this compound just dipped because of you." He cocks his head to the side, "You think there's no need for this?" He slams me against the wall again. "If you even thought for a second that I would leave you alone after that, you are crazy. He pulls me from the wall and throws me to his right. I trip on my own feet and fall to the floor. I start backing up, not even bothering to get up. He's so angry, I can't imagine facing him.
"How come you can fight like a fearless ninja in that arena, but freeze up when it's just us two? Are you protecting your pride?"
"No," I say softly.
"Then what is it!" Ulrich yells at me. "Why are you so scared now?"
Because people are always their worst when you are alone with them.
"It doesn't matter to me either way. I'm going to get back at you for humiliating me like that." He starts to advance towards me and I try to get up. He lays a kick into my stomach. Jeez, he could be a soccer player if he wanted to.
He throws another kick but this time to my side. "How does that feel, huh?" He kicks my side again and I almost blackout, "Next time you should think about messing with someone like me." He pulls me from the ground and throws a fist to my temple before laying one last kick into my side. He spits at me before walking away. "Freak."
I lean against the wall for a few minutes, waiting for him to come back and beat me again. I think it might just be my mind wandering, but I'm almost expecting John to appear around that corner.
But no one comes. Eventually I stand up and start to head to the dorms. I don't feel much like visiting anymore. Besides, I already told Flame I was going to go lay down.
It seems like forever until I get to my room. I manage to open the door and close it behind me. I don't even bother turning on the light. I just pull off my flats and lay in bed. My side hurts, but I ignore it. I've had a lot of experience of that. Some would say too much.