Lielle was nearly trampled by the crowd that had rushed off in the direction of the disruption, but she could not move an inch as two children no older than eight were digging their nails into her legs.
"Hey, slugbugs," Lielle laughed. "Miss me?"
"Ya," they giggled in unison. "The nice man brought us here after Mommy and Daddy and Amalia..."
Coby broke off sniffling, his big brown eyes filling with tears. Lielle held him close and he plopped onto his bottom and slid down her leg.
"It's alright," she reassured them. "They were the best Thunderthrillers out there. You know how annoying it is to say that all the time," she said irritated.
Coby smiled a little. "Ya. Some of us call it Thrillers instead."
"Thrillers," she tried. "I like it."
Lielle scooped Amaya up and grabbed Coby's hand. "Let's go check out what all the commotion is."
They started down the hall, chatting about what they had missed over their years apart. Lielle held them close for they were the only family she had left, other than the Pueblo ones, the ones she didn't even know existed until that day.
Shouts sounded as they neared the cafeteria. It sounded as if there was a full blown rebellion going on. Fists flew through the air and then Connor shouted above them all.
"He's just a kid, okay. He can't be a spy, doesn't look more than three. He's a toddler."
"Everyone, be quiet," yelled a young voice.
Lielle's breath caught in her throat.
Pushing to the font of the crowd, clutching her cousins at her side, she screamed, "Wait! Everyone stop!"
Shockingly, the crowd quieted a significant amount so that she would be able to be heard throughout the room.
She caught a glimpse of Finn's light blonde hair and sighed.
"He's a child. It's absurd to think that a three-year-old could be a spy. You're all dumb if that's what you think." At this point the entire crowd had stopped talking and was staring right at her.
"They're children, for Pete's sake, and you're just trying to find someone to blame. I'm sure Elliott was a great guy and all, but you all need to calm down. We'll figure out who the insider is and we will get rid of them. Meanwhile I don't see what you have against babies, but we need all the recruits we can get right now. This child, and any others in this compound should be recruited."
She turned to Connor and nodded. "Go get her. I happen to know this kid and he has a twin. This is Finn Mitchell Travis." She pointed at the door behind her and added," And this is Callie Bella Travis. They could be the ones to win the war against Callahan Agencies. You never know and getting rid of them won't do anything to help."
Everyone stared more for another moment, then mumbled their agreement, and began to file out. When the room was empty Lielle stared the twins down.
Still holding onto the Thomas kids, she gritted her teeth and scolded, "What are you doing here Finn? Didn't we tell you to stay in the room? Can't you listen to us, Finn, they could have killed you."
"Lielle, stop!" Connor hissed. "You're scaring them. They're kids."
"Well I'm sorry, but that's just the harsh reality of this world, of this world of Thrillers that just appear out of nowhere and tell you a bunch of unbelievable trash."
"Trash that's true. Well you still don't tell that to babies. They may not look like it," he growled, "But that's my brother and sister that you're rebuking. Would you give them a break?"
They scooted closer to Connor and he lifted them in his arms.
"You two need to listen to whatever we say," he instructed. "Okay?"
The kids nodded and Lielle walked away with her cousins. Something bothered her about the way Connor was looking at her. He seemed off. Sweet, proper Connor wouldn't talk to Lielle like that. They respected each other and told each other everything that they needed to know. Connor may not respect that but he should. If this was something important Connor would fess up. After all, she never told them exactly what happened on the day her family died, what those men had said.
"Lielle?" Amaya asked. "Do we need to go train? I want to play with you."
Lielle sighed. "You have to go, but I'll see you later in the initiate bedroom."
"Actually," Coby opposed, "There is a separate bedroom for initiates under ten. But we can still sit with you at dinner."
He turned to Amaya and waved her over. Hand in hand they waved back at her and headed off in the opposite direction.
* * * * *
Lielle sat, head between knees, thinking about the day her family was murdered. Those men had stopped following her at some point in the city, but if they were so intent on killing her that wouldn't make sense. The people in the bank also could have killed her, but they set the bomb giving her plenty of time to get out. Why would they keep pushing it off? Did they want only to terrify her so she would go to the Thrillers and get to know them? This way, it would have more impact on them if they lost a good fighter.
Another thing bothered her, the way Connor had looked at her in the lunchroom. He was definitely hiding something, but he was an experienced liar. She may not find out what it was, ever.
Lielle sighed and a faint grunt sounded from the crack.
"Connor, why didn't you tell me? I thought we were in this together. We told each other everything."
Lielle raised her eyes to the hurt voice of Evie. They stood seven feet in front of her, bickering like cats and dogs, the twins playing behind them.
"I was gonna show you tonight," he promised. "But these twins don't listen so they didn't stay put."
Lielle didn't want to eavesdrop so she rose and headed for the door.
"Lielle," Connor yelped. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have flipped out on you, even if I didn't agree with what you were doing. I feel so stupid."
Lielle nodded and stepped closer to the exit, turning last second.
"Why do you keep looking at me like that, ever since Elliott's death?"
He was making that face again where the humor left his eyes and his mouth turned down into not quite a frown, but something similar.
Connor corrected his posture and smiled. "Nothing. I just feel as if you've gotten older, or so it seems that way. Must be all the responsibility of taking us under your wing."
She frowned. "Connor, what did Daniel say to you?"
He bit the inside of his lip and sighed. "Didn't tell me much honestly. Only that they know what Callahan is after and know what they want to do if they get it."
"He didn't happen to tell you what, did he?"
Connor shook his head and sighed. "Wish I could tell you."
Lielle frowned at his cryptic message and walked toward the training room. When she arrived, a group no larger than fourteen young teenagers occupied it. A boy named Lei waved her over and smiled.
"Nice speech earlier," he congratulated. "Thought they would totally ruin you for it, but I guess you're well respected here. Wanna join us? We could use a seasoned veteran like you," he laughed
"Sure," she agreed. Stepping up on a mat with Lei, she added, "I must warn you, I've had many years of practice in mixed martial arts."
"Well, then, it will be a fair fight."
He threw his fist at Lielle's chest and she ducked. As she thrust her foot out, she spun and he jumped. Lielle rolled as he attempted to kick her. She grabbed his other foot and yanked at it. While he was off balance, she hopped up and shoved him onto his stomach, but a split second later, Lielle found herself shooting into Mary Elle, a Flyer.
"He's a Muscler," and she pushed Lielle back onto the mat.
Shaking off the hit, she charged toward him, him toward her, and at the last second she grabbed his arm, using his momentum to flip him back onto the mat. She aimed a kick at his ribs, but he moved, earning him a split lip.
The crowd cheered, half for the new kid and half for their old friend. Lei grabbed her leg and she flipped over him, rolling onto the mat, but she had gotten what she wanted.
Her hand brushed his skin before she rolled, slamming into the mat with minor impact. They both hopped up and Lei threw his hand at her head.
Lielle threw her hands up to block the blow, and immediately tossed her arm around his arm, straight into his hip, using her stolen ability. He doubled over upon impact and she took the chance to end the brawl. Aiming for the center of his forehead, she hit as hard as she could, using little assistance from her Muscler abilities, knocking him onto the ground.
Cheers erupted around her as she dug her knee into his chest and raised her hands in victory. She rose and many came up and patted her on the back.
"Nice one," Mary Elle congratulated. Hey, some of us are gonna sneak up to do something. If you're not afraid of heights, meet us at the teen lounge. Don't tell anyone though. Can't have too many people or we'll get caught."
"Do they not have security cameras?" she asked.
Mary Elle chuckled and waved her hand. "Course they do, but not everywhere. Some halls have blind spots, just trust me."
* * * * *
Midnight drew nearer and Lielle lay awake, her fight replying over and over in her head. It had all happened so fast and now she felt bad about hurting Lei. He was so nice to her about her thing with babies even though he didn't understand it. She knew that the base had something about anti-babies for one reason or another, but it beat her why they would even think about listening to her opinion.
Redoing her ponytail, she rolled out of bed and slipped on her new purple jacket that brought out the forest color on her new tattoo. She slid out the door and down the hall without difficulty. Once she reached the lounge, someone slipped their hand around her wrist and pulled her to the side.
Another hand was clamped over her mouth and Mary Elle whispered, "Watch it around here. They gotta keep an eye to make sure the teens ain't drinkin', am I right."
Five or six others let out a hiss of laughter and then went silent. All of them started off down toward the training room and Mary Elle explained that they would teleport from there.
"Why couldn't we teleport from the lounge? Wouldn't that be much easier?" Lielle wondered.
"There are certain spots that are powerproof to avoid conflict, generally resulting in mass destruction," she explained.
"Oh. Wait, you called it powers. Aren't you, like, the best and most respected initiate?"
They laughed as they entered the training room. "That would be you, I believe."
Lielle frowned. "What-"
"Huddle close," whispered a face masked in shadows.
They all grabbed hands and were immediately yanked forward. Upon impact with the ground, they all stumbled and fell.
Mary Elle groaned and introduced her to Cory, a boy with light brown skin and darker hair, with cool chocolate colored eyes and a red and light pink tattoo, marking him as a Traveler and Soarer Duelist, Kayla, a pale girl around Lielle's age with stretching abilities, and Caleb, a tan boy with white-blonde hair and sea green eyes, Sensor abilities. Lei was there too, standing next to Samantha, a Goner.
"C'mon," she waved them over to the side of a tall cliff. "Cory, you mind tying this up there?" she asked, holding out a rope to him.
He grabbed it from her, brushing his lips against her cheek. She kissed him back and he soars up the side of the building.
"Are we gonna climb?" Lielle asked, nervously.
"How else would we get up there?" Samantha smirked.
"Um, teleportation?" she contradicted.
"Don't worry about it," Kayla reassured her. "We've got Cory and Mary Elle to catch us in case we slip and you've got your wind manipulation. Plus, we've got gloves to avoid rope burn."
Mary Elle held up a box and dropped a small backpack. "Everyone take a pair," she instructed, and then flew up the side of the ledge and disappeared 1,340 meters up.
Cory leaned over and gave them the thumbs up shouting and tugging the rope to get the message through to them. Running up to the rope, Lielle grabbed as high up as possible and heaved herself up. Muscles working furiously, she began to lose her grip about twenty feet higher. She glanced at the ground and gulped. She'd be flattened to a pancake if she slipped, so she pulled herself up higher, inch by inch, until she was forty feet up, Lei right under her.
"Hey, Lielle," he called. "I never got to congratulate you from training today. You were really awesome at fighting. I could learn a thing or two from you."
"Um, thanks," she yelled over the roaring wind.
She slipped down a few inches and Lei tried to help her back up, but he lost grip on the rope and slid down another few feet, frantically grabbing for something, anything to stop his fall.
She looked up and saw that Cory and Mary Elle were gone. By the time she was able to reach the top and find them, all three of the initiates below her would be good as dead.
Without thinking, she let go of the rope and plummeted toward the ground. Someone screamed and she summoned the wind to swirl under her feet, unsure if she had Soarer abilities. She stopped her descent, roughly when she was level with struggling Lei.
"Lei, grab my hand," she screamed.
He stared and cried, "Are you crazy? Your hand won't keep me up."
"Lei, you're heavy. No way they hold your weight while on that rope. Would you rather all three of you die? Come on."
He squeezed his eyes shut and swiftly grabbed her arm. She summoned a stronger wind to keep them both afloat. They all sighed, and she started up with Lei again.
"Wow, Lielle, didn't know Elementalists could fly," he laughed nervously.
"It's wind," she reasoned. "I guess I can manipulate it. At least you guys are still alive."
He smiled and traced his fingers up her arm, sending a shiver down her spine.
"You know, I was the strongest initiate, undefeated until you came." He scooted closer and held her tighter, breathing in her ear, "You're a pretty great girl. Why do you put up with the DC kids? Ditch them and come hang with us. We could get to know each other better."
"Are you flirting with me?"
"Maybe," he smiled. "Would you be with me if I was?"
"Hm, well," she moved her hand to touch his tattoo, then stopped swirling the wind carrying them. "I would never be with someone whom didn't respect my friends."
He sighed and mumbled, "But we're still friends, right?"
He moved his face closer to hers. She smelled the faint scent of alcohol on his tongue and recoiled.
"Of course."
They landed on the top near Cory and immediately separated. The top of the cliff gave them a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. It was a dead drop into oblivion if one was to slip.
Cory stepped over to her and handed her a harness. He helped her step into it and told her that Mary Elle was already going down and would help her off, then they would be hiking a few miles to a river.
Cory helped connect her to the wire and said, "Whenever you're ready. And welcome to the Karakoram Mountains. Pakistan is pleased to have you."
Lielle stared at the nonexistent ground and gripped the rope connecting her to the sturdy pole. She took a deep breath and lifted her legs, preparing for her first cliff climbing experience.
A thrilling feeling of her stomach dropping hit her, along with the wind slapping against her face and her hair whipping behind her as she fell.
When her feet connected with the rock again, Mary Elle stared up at her.
"You look like it's your first time cliff climbing," she laughed. "Now, we wait for the others to catch up."
* * * * *
Forty stories up in the middle of a cliff in Pakistan, the crew of initiates stared out at the drop, shouting daring commands to see who survived.
"Well," Kayla said in awe of the view, "Who's gonna drop down to that ledge way down there?"
Everyone looked around at each other and Lielle sat straighter, raising her hand.
"I'll go. Tell me what to do."
"If you make it without powers I'll give you $500."
She helped her get steady and nodded. "Whenever, you're ready."
Lielle took a deep breath and held the harness with her gloved hands. She closed her eyes and lifted her feet, soaring high above certain death. Tears wet her cheeks as she plummeted. She stared down at the breathtaking view of the now visible trees and ocean.
She raised her eyes and screamed at the thrill of it all, and just as she began to speed up faster, she saw a protruding rock emerge feet in front of her. She ducked and bent her knees on impact, no powers needed.
A minute later, Samantha zipped out of nowhere and landed next to her.
"They owe me all their desserts for a week."
They laughed and she pointed to a forest nearby. "We hike there."
* * * * *
Once all six of the initiates had landed and unhooked themselves, they creeped through the dark trees to a river with a gorgeous waterfall. "This is where my first kiss should be," Lei joked before declaring they return back. They arrived in the training room, but almost immediately the lights popped on.
Lielle felt a firm hand hold her shoulders. Two men emerged in front of them
holding Kayla and Cory, one behind them with Lei, all of the others with some part of their faces bleeding.
"Was anyone else with you?" one of them asked.
Kayla shook her head and they began down the hall. Lei kept his head down as they walked into a brightly lit office, Daniel and Ray conversing in low voices. They looked up upon their arrival, a scowl marked onto Ray's face, Daniel looking at Lielle with amusement.
"Take a seat, my friends." Daniel pointed to a few chairs around the desk and didn't even bother to wait for them to sit before continuing. "I understand some initiates were missing from their beds and were spotted near the teen lounge. I won't ask where you were because I know you won't tell me, but clearly you weren't supposed to be there. Kayla and Cory, you two are off with a day on trash duty for second offense. I take it that these young gentlemen will escort you back to the initiates' bedroom. Come here tomorrow for your gloves and bags at nine AM. Don't be late."
Once they were out of the room, Daniel turned to Lei and frowned. "Lei Chester, this is getting out of hand. I believe you have a death wish, though we hope you understand that you have a full life ahead of you. You will report here tomorrow morning and will be brought to serve your share in this. You may go."
Daniel stood silently for a minute, staring tiredly at her. He sighed and said, "I encourage you not to hang around the wrong crowds, Lielle. They could do more bad than good for your moral and good vibes."
"What are you, a nineties surfer?" she spat. "I want to know what you told Connor about me."
He scoffed. "Did he say that I was talking about you?"
"He's been acting odd around me. Don't say you didn't say anything."
Daniel and Ray looked at each other and Daniel straightened, leaning over the desk. "Don't worry about Connor, worry about yourself. I'll let you off with a warning and I urge you to train hard and be careful. The world is more dangerous than you realize, Lielle."
She frowned and crossed her legs. "You seem to be the reckless type, hypocrite? One of the first things you said to me is that you would love to jump off a moving train just to see if you'd be able to. Just tell me what you said."
Ray snorted. "Daniel does seem hypocritical."
Daniel scowled and leaned back against the wall. "Have a good night, Lielle, and do be on time tomorrow. Your instructor is pretty specific about time."
Ray pushed her, still on her chair out the door with a force field, and locked it behind her with a glowing blue hand. She scowled and turned down the hall with the crack, allowing her exhaustion to guide her to the nearest place to rest.