Andie had always dreaded that this would happen. Zarias being there while her sister was with her. Risking her life was one thing, but her sister's? That was not an option. But what were they going to do? They couldn't fight him there, or they would risk exposing their powers to the whole neighborhood, not to mention endanger it... And yet, she knew he had to have some reason for being there at that precise moment.
“What should we do?” Emily asked.
“First, we should go see what he wants.” Andie said after thinking a moment. “Jessica, you're with me. Isabelle, Emily... watch Hannah."
“Wait, are you crazy?!” Emily exclaimed in a low voice so . “What if he attacks you?”
“Look, he has to be here for a reason, Emily. We have to find out what. And I can't risk Hannah getting caught in the cross fire. I need you guys to stay with her.”
The girls nodded, even though a little reluctantly. Andie stepped forwards, Jessica right beside her. Zarias stood casually beside a tree.
“Well, well, the angels of war descend,” he said.
“What do you want?” Andie asked.
She wanted to cross her arms but didn't to keep them free in case things turned nasty.
“What, can a man not enjoy a clear, starry night?”
“Don't give me that.” Jessica retorted sharply. “Zorak sent you, didn't he? I suppose he's not very happy with you, is he, having failed to catch us so many times!”
Andie wasn't sure angering him was such a good idea, but wanted to keep focused on Zarias. She was trying to think what to do. Fighting him head on was dangerous but he was smart, which meant any confrontation against him was risky.
“You know I am stronger than you. I was raised to fight. I am the son of the Demon Lord, while you are merely humans.”
“Merely human, maybe. But we have still escaped you every time you've come after us.” Andie told him. “And let me tell you: I will not let you anywhere near my sister. So don't you even think about touching her.”
Zarias laughed.
“Your sister? That child over there hiding behind your friends? What interest would she hold for me?”
Andie didn't answer. But that meant that in theory, he wouldn't harm her as long as they were around. He'd just said so, he had no reason to.
“So what d'you want from us?”
“Well, ideally, you to surrender and come with me. Your sister can leave, naturally.”
“Like-”
“And if we don't?” Andie asked, quickly cutting across Jessica.
“Oh, I think you know why what will happen if you don't,” Zarias said pleasantly. “I will have to subdue you by force.”
“Go to Hell.”
Jessica pointed her hand to the ground and shouted:
“Strength of Earth!”
A giant fist shot out of the ground, but Zarias stopped it with his hand. It shattered, and he turned to Jessica with a flicker of his hand and sent her flying backwards.
“Jessica!” Andie cried.
She turned back to Zarias and decided to go for a more physical approach. She first aimed a spurt of flames at him to distract him then ran towards him and threw her leg up as hard as she could into his side, knocking him aside. Of course, that, again, was not enough. He easily steadied himself and counterattacked. Andie's training kicked in and she did her best to keep him from hitting her where it would send her to the floor. But he had years of training whereas she only had weeks. She managed to keep her defense up but not long. She was knocked backwards and hit a tree. Zarias raised his hand, but Jessica came crashing into him.
“Andie, Jessica!” Isabelle called, taking a step forwards.
“No! Stay with Hannah!” she said.
Zarias had said he wouldn't hurt her, but he might get impatient and use her as means of pressure. And she refused to give him that opportunity.
“You're really getting tiresome, you know,” Zarias said.
“Sorry, but we don't exactly feel like letting you destroy our world,” Andie said, dodging his leg as it swung up towards her stomach.
She knew his body was a lot more powerful than hers and a hit like that could hurt, so she had to be careful.
“You won't be able to prevent it, you fool!” Zarias snorted. “The former masters couldn't stop my father.”
They paused, facing each other, one panting, the other barely disheveled.
“They stopped him for twenty years, didn't they?” Jessica said,
“They delayed him is all. Lord Zorak is unstoppable. It is only a matter of time until he gets your powers."
“And then, what?” Andie asked. “Why does he want our world so badly?”
“He does not want your world, or to destroy it,” Zarias scoffed.
“Then why is he so intent on getting our powers?” Andie demanded, her body tense and ready to strike.
“To rebuild his own world,” Zarias said. “He has immense power, but to recreate an entire world, he would need the elements of nature itself.”
“Why not ask the masters to help him?” Jessica asked.
“My father takes, he does not ask for help!”
“Yeah, well maybe you should when I'm through with you!”
Jessica charged forwards. Zarias had to block a few blows because she was faster and stronger than Andie, but she was soon overpowered. Andie tried to keep him off her, but he was too fast and struck her in the stomach, sending her three feet through the air before she hit the ground hard. Jessica was also down for the count. If they didn't move fast, Andie knew they would kill them all. He raised his hand, which glowed dark purple. They looked at each other.
“Don't hurt them!” called a small voice.
Andie and Zarias looked round as Hannah came running towards them, Isabelle and Emily coming behind her.
“Hannah, don't!” Andie gasped, her breath still short from the blow to her stomach.
Either Hannah hadn't heard her or she wasn't listening, because she didn't stop. She stopped in front of Andie and held out her small arms, as if meaning to shield Andie with her tiny body.
“Hannah... run,” Andie gasped, cursing herself for not being able to move.
“Please,” Hannah said, sounding scared but determined. “She's my big sister... stop hurting her and her friends...”
“You know I could cast you aside in a moment?”
“If you touch her, Zarias, I swear I...” Andie said warningly.
“But... my fight is not with you.” Zarias told Hannah, ignoring Andie. “So I'll let you go. This time. But be warned: when next we meet, I will get what my father desires.”
He looked at Andie a moment.
“Your sister has courage, I will give you that.”
He turned around and walked away before fading into the darkness.
“Andie, Jessica!”
Isabelle and Emily, who had stayed back during the whole encounter, ran forwards. Emily dropped to Jessica's side while Hannah and Isabelle knelt by Andie.
“Andie, are you okay?”
She helped her sit up.
“Yeah...” Andie said, wincing. “I'll be okay.”
Then, she turned to Hannah.
“What were you thinking?!” she chided. “Don't ever do that again!”
Hannah shuffled her feet.
“I didn't want him to hurt you...”
“D'you think I want you to get hurt?” Andie said. “That's why I told you to stay back!”
“... Sorry...”
Andie pulled her into a hug.
“It's okay... thanks, Hannah. You were amazing.”
She held her close for a moment. Andie then looked up.
“Jess, you okay?”
“Yeah... I'll have a bruise the size of Australia but I'll live.”
Andie chuckled but stopped quickly because it hurt. Then Isabelle said:
“We should move. If anyone saw that fight they might have called the police.”
“Right...” Andie said.
“Here, let me help you up,” Isabelle said.
She pulled her to her feet (Andie tried not to wince too much) and they left the area quickly. Isabelle and Emily had to help Andie and Jessica, though, because they were still injured.
Fortunately, Andie's house wasn't too far and her parents were at the office. They slipped inside and went to the living room.
“You guys sit down,” Isabelle said. “Hannah, can you run to the kitchen and get me a bowl of water, please?”
Hannah clearly didn't understand, but did as she was asked.
“Isabelle, I'm not sure you should... it'll drain you too much...” Andie.
“Andes, I love you, but you have to trust me. You didn't let me fight. At least let me heal you.”
She dipped her hand in the water then looked at Andie:
“Give me your hand.”
“Isabelle...” Andie began.
Isabelle sighed and took it before she could protest.
“Isabelle!”
But it was too late. The power was already flowing through her, healing her bruises and pain.
“There.” Isabelle said, looking up. “Better?”
“Yeah...” Andie admitted.
Before she could ask her if she was alright, Isabelle had already turned to Jessica. She tended to her wounds as well and leaned back, panting slightly. Suddenly, she began falling backwards.
“Isabelle!” Andie cried, catching her before she fell over. “Isabelle, are you okay?”
“Yes... I'm just a little dizzy.”
“Hannah, go grab a soda from the fridge, would you?”
“What's going on, you're scaring me...” she said.
“I can't explain right now, Hannah, please, just go get the soda!” Andie told her.
Hannah came back with it.
“Here,” she said, handing it to Isabelle.
“Thanks, sweetie,” Isabelle said, taking a big sip from it.
After a moment, she seemed better.
“Are you okay?” Andie asked.
“I'm fine. Andie, we're friends, but you have to stop overprotecting us.” Isabelle said.
Andie sighed.
“... I know... sorry.”
She looked at Hannah.
“Hannah, can you go to your room for a bit?” she asked. “The girls and I need to talk.”
“But, Andie...”
“Please, Hannah? I'll join you in a bit, I promise.”
“... Okay...”
And she left the room. When she was out of earshot, Andie turned to her friends, looking distressed.
“What do we do? I have to tell her something...”
The other girls didn't seem to know what to do either.
“... She's right...” Jessica said. “Hannah saw too much...”
“Okay, but what can we tell her...?” Emily said. “Obviously, not the truth...”
“... No, that would terrify her...” Andie said. “If she's not already... I have to go talk to her... I'll be right back.”
“Hannah?” Andie asked as she peered in.
Hannah was sitting on her bed, looking absently at the posters on her wall. She looked shaken and worried. Andie forced herself to not let it get to her. She had to show Hannah she would protect her.
“Yeah?”
“Can I come in?”
Hannah nodded and turned around. Andie sighed as she closed the door, and crossed the room to sit on her sister's bed.
“Are you okay?"
“... I don't know... what happened earlier? Why was that man hurting you?”
Andie bit her lip.
“Hannah, what you have to remember is that he was after me. Not you. I promise he won't ever hurt you. Okay?”
She pulled her sister against her chest. They were silent for a moment.
“But why?” Hannah asked. “What does he want?”
How am I supposed to tell a ten year old that a demon king is after me and not scare her senseless for the rest of her life...?! Andie moaned internally.
She soon decided it was not a good idea.
“... It's complicated.” she finally said. “I'm not sure even I understand it.”
She moved to look at her sister.
“Listen, sweetie... I know it's scary and strange. I'm scared too. But it'll be okay. I will never let anyone hurt you. I promise. Okay?”
Hannah nodded again.
“What do Mom and Dad think?”
“They don't know, and you can't tell them. They wouldn't understand. I need you to promise you won't tell them or anyone at school, okay?”
“Promise,” she said.
Andie sighed. It was unfair of her to put such a burden on a ten year old...
“It'll be okay, I promise...”
After a while, Andie went back to the kitchen where she made some hot chocolate before bringing it to the living room.
“Is Hannah alright?” Isabelle asked.
“... She's scared and shaken...” Andie said worriedly as she put the tray down.
She shook her head to clear her head and sat down.
“What I don't understand is why he didn't finish us off,” Jessica said. “I mean, Andie and I were literally at his feet! Why did he just... leave?”
“... Do you think Hannah's intervention really swayed him...?” Emily asked.
“... Maybe. If he has any honor, he wouldn't hurt an innocent girl...”
“... he's a demon, he has no honor or moral!” Jessica said.
“Well, he clearly has a little, or he would have cast my sister aside and destroyed us by now.” Andie pointed out.
“But he was pretty clear that he wouldn't be so generous next time,” Jessica pointed out. “I don't understand, how did he overpower us so easily?”
“It's obvious,” Isabelle said. “He's had years of training, we barely started two months ago. Of course he'd overpower us.”
“Well, then, how do we stop him from destroying us?” Emily asked.
“If I knew that, Jess and Andie wouldn't have gotten hurt...” Isabelle said.
“Hey, it's not your fault. He's always sneaking up on us.” Andie said.
“Okay, so what do we do? Even if we know he's coming, he'll defeat us easily.”
“Because Bane's not here,” Andie reminded. “So we just have to hold him off long enough to complete the Caduceus and heal Bane. Then, we'll be able to fight back.”
“How do you know that? We never beat him before!” Jessica remarked.
“Because we never faced him all together,” Andie argued. “The first time, it was only Bane and me, and ever since then, it's been the four of us.”
It made sense, after all.
“Okay, so what next?” Jessica asked.
“Well, we have to keep training but emphasizing on defense, this time.” Andie said. “Balon always worked on our attack.”
“More training...”
“Unless you'd rather get killed?” Andie pointed out.
“Uh... no, that's not really on my to-do list,” Jessica said.
The girls looked at her, then at each other, and burst out laughing like they hadn't in what felt like ages.
Hannah seemed better, over the next few days, though she glanced outside once in a while over breakfast. And Andie couldn't help admire how smart she was, she always waited for their parents to be looking away so they didn't notice and ask questions. Genius.
“So, are you ready for your first rehearsal?” Hank asked that Thursday morning.
Andie had told them she'd be home late because of her rehearsal (and because of the switching operation, but that, she had thought best to keep to herself).
“Yeah, I think so. Oh, I might be late, Jessica wanted a hand with an essay, so we'll probably both do it at her house.” she said. “I have to go, I'll see you later...”
She got to her feet and picked up her guitar case.
“Honey, I thought you were the lead?” Hank asked. “Why d'you need your guitar?”
“Oh, Jess wanted me to teach her a few chords,” Andie lied quickly, though hating to have to do it. “Love you, Dad, bye!”
She quickly walked out before her father could ask her any more questions she'd have to answer with lies. She sighed as she drove on, and tried to focus on the plan for that afternoon. She would go in, put her guitar case in the prop room, do the hour of rehearsal and then switch the staff while getting her guitar case. She would then leave while leaving the copy for the club, thus leaving a perfectly good prop and covering any trace of it disappearing. She concentrated on not feeling scared at the prospect of Zarias trying to attack her. But that was proving hard after the events of Halloween. They had trained for hours over the past few days to strengthen their defence. But three days wasn't much, and they all knew it. But they had agreed they would just have to keep at it and pray it would be enough.
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Wow, was Hannah one brave little sister or what?
What would you do in their place? D'you think Andie should tell Hannah the truth or not? Tell us all in the comments!
Will the girls withstand their next encounter with Zarias? What about Hannah? or Bane? Let's find out in the next chapter!