by Lola StVil
“I got your crazy right here!” Winter blares as she picks up the dining table and flips it over. We all back away from the table just in time to watch the food and drinks fly into the air and land all over the floor.
“What are you doing?!” Uncle Rage asks.
We all call out to Winter to stop. East tries to restrain her, but she is a force of nature. She starts smashing any- and everything in sight. East begs her to stop, but she keeps going. All of us take a turn trying to get her to be calm, but the more we try, the more things she breaks. She grabs a rod from what was once the leg of the dining table and cries as she smashes it against the TV.
In the chaos, the knickknacks on the mantel above the fireplace start to fall. Among the items is a Ming, a small box that holds a hologram of a loved one. I know this device very well; Uncle Rage had Tony-Tone, a friend of my dad’s, make it for him.
Only the being who created the Ming can recreate it. Since Tony’s dead, this Ming is the only one he will ever have, the only “living” image he has of Aaden’s mom. It’s Uncle Rage’s most prized possession. So when he sees it about to topple to the ground, he desperately dives to the floor to catch it. He’s too late; the last recorded message from Aaden’s mother has been destroyed. The silence that follows is palpable.
“Thomas, I didn’t know you moved it to the mantel, I…” The words die in Winter’s throat.
Even though it’s the Ming that fell, it’s Uncle Rage who has been shattered. He’s kneeling over the fragments of his lover’s device. He takes the pieces of it into his palm. He moans in agony as he clutches the fragments between his fingers.
Aaden kneels down beside him and places a hand on his shoulder. “Dad, it’s okay.”
Uncle Rage looks up at him with tears in his eyes. Aaden embraces his father tightly. Our hearts break for the grieving Akon. Melody is by East’s side as he tends to his mom, who cut herself in her tirade. Diana and Swoop start to clean up. I go to join them but get a text from Randy saying he’s finally ready to talk. So I excuse myself. I know it’s a bad time to walk away, but my talk with Randy is long overdue. I assure Aaden I’ll be back to help as I rush out the door.
I run down to the park where Randy wants to meet. I find him alone in the middle of the playground. He looks like he always looks lately—deep in thought. I call out to him and he smiles.
“Where’s your security?” I ask.
“I gave them the night off.”
“Yeah, me too. We shouldn’t do that, though.”
“The Paras know I’m with you. And of the two of us, I’m the one being we know Malakaro doesn’t want dead.”
“Still, you shouldn’t be here alone.”
“Do you remember this place? This is where it all started. You texted me that you wanted to meet because you had something to tell me.”
“And soon we were under attack. I had to call the team for help. I wasn’t sure they would come, but they did.”
“In this abandoned playground, everything changed,” he says, mostly to himself.
“Are you sorry that we—that I came into your life?” I ask, fearing his reply.
“No, you saved me.”
“Um…actually, I put you in danger every five minutes,” I remind him.
“No, Pry. You saved me. You saw me when no one else did. You gave me something I didn’t have—a purpose. I love you for that.”
“Well, when this whole thing is over, you and I are going on a Game of Thrones and Star Wars binge. I’ll even let you teach me Klingon.”
“That’s Star Trek,” he corrects me.
“Whatever. You can go ‘full-on nerd’ mode.”
“Wow, are you sure? There may be a few conventions coming up, and I would require you to go in full costume.”
“Bring it on!” I reply as I reach out and wrap my arms around him.
“Pry, I need a favor.”
“Anything.”
“I need you to look after my dad if something happens to me.”
“Randy, nothing is going to—”
“Pry, please. I know that you will do anything and everything to keep me safe. But just in case, please promise me you’ll look out for him. Make sure he doesn’t just stay in the house. He needs to go out and have a life. There’s a woman at his office he’s been talking about for months. I’m hoping he gets around to asking her out, but my mom hurt him so bad, I don’t know how likely that is.”
“When this is over, our next mission will be to make sure your dad goes on a date,” I promise.
“Thank you.”
He looks off into the distance, and sadness creeps into his eyes. He’s so deep in thought I have to call out his name three times to get him to reply.
“Randy, you know that it will be okay, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“So stop looking like the world is over. The world is not over.”
“You’re right. So…you wanna tell me how long you plan to punish Silver?”
“I’m not punishing him. We had our chance, and now it’s time to move on,” I reply.
“And have you—moved on?”
“Um…hello? I’m with Bex, remember?”
“Yeah, and how’s that going?”
“Really well.”
“I know he’s in love with you; are you in love with him?”
“I am. I think. Hey, when did this become about me?”
He laughs and shakes his head. He takes my face in his hands and kisses me tenderly on the forehead.
“Don’t wait too long. Find happiness with Silver while you still can,” he says.
I study his face; his eyes are droopy, and his skin is slightly pale.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just been a long day. Let’s go sit over on the swings,” he says.
He takes my hand, and together we sit on the rusted-out swings.
“Pry?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry…” he says. Something in his tone chills me. I turn just in time to see him tumble to the ground.
“Randy!”
I leap off the swing and down to the ground. His eyes are closed and his body is limp. I call out his name over and over again. It’s no use; Randy’s heart isn’t beating. I pound on his chest frantically.
Suddenly, I hear an earth-shattering roar ring out in the night air. I turn and see a midnight-colored, ravenous panther with large fangs, a powerful tail, and electric blue eyes. And right behind the panther is his master, Malakaro. Together, they head straight for Randy’s motionless body.
“STAY AWAY FROM US!” I shout as I place myself between the panther and Randy.
Malakaro looks back at me as if he’s bored. “You will move aside,” he informs me, calm as usual.
“Fuck you. Don’t touch him,” I counter.
He grabs hold of me and tosses me aside effortlessly. I land hard on my ass, but nothing’s broken. I watch in horror as he gets closer to Randy. The panther now stands right over Randy’s body. He growls and looks towards his master, seeking his guidance.
Malakaro instructs his beloved pet, “Makayla. Eat.”
Makayla roars into the night sky, lowers her head, and rips into Randy’s flesh.
Chapter Four:
Didn't Daddy Teach You?
Dread fills my lungs as I hang my head, devastated. I can’t bring myself to look at what remains of Randy. But instead of mourning, I run up to Malakaro, determined to at least strike him if nothing else. I charge at him and strike blow after blow. He’s saying something, but I’m too enraged to make it out. Anyway, I don’t care what he’s saying; I just want him to die.
“Oh dear, didn’t Daddy teach you about containing your emotions?” he asks as he swats me away.
“You killed him! You killed him!” I rage, now in complete hysteria.
“I believe that’s what he was trying to do to himself. I, on the other hand, revived him,” Malakaro says.
That’s when I dare to look clo
ser at where Randy’s body lies. The panther does have her teeth in his flesh, but she’s not ripping it off his body. Instead the area where her fangs enter his body is giving off a bluish glow. It spreads throughout Randall’s body.
“Makayla’s fangs are laced with Trunin, a thick coating that heals,” he explains.
And sure enough, Randy begins to awaken. The panther backs away, and the scars caused by her teeth begin to heal as well. Randy is weak but very much alive.
“Why would you do this? Why would you help him?” I ask.
“He’s the Alago. How could I not? One day soon, he and I will do great things.”
“Are you okay?” I ask Randy as I kneel down on the ground beside him.
He groans but keeps his eyes closed.
“He will need additional medical care. There is a human hospital near here. You will take him there. It’s under construction, so the humans have cleared out. You will call a Healer; even the most inexperienced one should be able to take it from here,” he says.
“Don’t expect me to thank you,” I snap.
“I never mistook you for one with manners,” he informs me as he signals to the panther that it’s time to go. The creature obeys and comes to her master’s side.
“So you just walk around stalking Randy?”
“I look after him, which is more than I can say for you.”
“You don’t give a damn about him. You just want to end the world, and you’re using him.”
“I see what he could be. And I push for that because it’s what needs to happen.”
“Then why not take him now?” I ask.
“There are a few things that I need to prepare for Randall. When I’m ready…”
“You will come and take him? Is that your plan?”
“No, dear sister, when I’m done, Randall will seek me out.”
“And what will you do to make sure that happens? Are you going after his family?”
“I don’t plan to do anything but give Randall that which he has been denied—the truth.”
“What truth?” I beg.
“In due time, First Noru.”
“And what about me? Why haven’t you tried to hurt me?”
“I wouldn’t bother with someone who has no powers. Right now, dear sister, you are a limping bunny on the side of the road. Killing you would not be very sporting of me. Once you get your powers back and our dear father returns, we will revisit this.”
“It doesn’t matter what you do, I’m not afraid of you.”
“Is that what they taught you in ‘First Noru’ class? Put on a brave face?” he asks.
“Whatever. You won’t get to Randy. I would rather die than let you have him.”
“Again, he will come to me. Now, in the meantime, allow me to offer you some advice. Something has changed concerning the rules of the Blue Rose heir. I’m not sure what, as I am just learning this. However, I warn you to be careful and trust no one. I need Randall alive, and he seems determined to take his life.”
“You killed the girl he loved. So now deal with the aftermath.”
“All the same, dear, do take care of Randall. Or next time I will take him from you for safekeeping.”
The panther disappears in a whirling puff of smoke. Malakaro takes to the sky. As he starts to ascend, I call out to him.
“What’s wrong with you? Why are you so broken?” I shout angrily.
“Perhaps that’s a question best put to our father.”
Not long after, the team and I gather in the waiting room of the nearest hospital. The Healer comes out of Randy’s room and tells us we can go in and see him. Aaden and the others get up from their seats. They ask me if I’m coming in; I tell them to go ahead of me. Aaden looks at me with concern.
“I’m fine. I’ll be right behind you,” I assure him. They go in without me. I’m left sitting alone in the middle of a row of colorful plastic chairs. I lean back and rest my head on the sterile white wall behind me.
I feel tears fill my eyes. I could try to stop them, but why? Just this once, I don’t want to fight them. I don’t want to fight anything. The warm salty water falls down my face. My body is fine, and Malakaro didn’t throw me hard enough to inflict immense pain, yet I’m in pain. It’s my heart; it hurts. I’ve never had a heart before. Now I’m human, and I understand what they mean when they say “it breaks my heart.” You can actually feel your heart breaking.
“Omnis, I don’t know why you took our powers away. But whatever the reason is, I can live with it. But please, don’t take anyone else from me. Please…” I whisper quietly into the air.
I close my eyes and have no idea how much time passes. When I open them up again, the team is looking back at me. They tell me it’s time to see Randy. I stand up and see my reflection in the clear glass side panel of Randy’s door. I look exhausted. While my tears have dried, my eyes are puffy. My skin is pale and my hair could use a brush. I inhale deeply and turn the knob. I find Randy under the covers; he looks good for someone who almost died.
“Hi,” he says softly as he turns to face me.
I don’t reply. I just look at him for a long time. He thinks I don’t know what to say; he’s wrong. I know what I have to say. He calls out my name and asks if I’m okay. I don’t reply. The more I look at him, the angrier I get. How dare he try to take his life?
“Pry, come closer.”
“You tried to leave me,” I spit between clenched teeth.
“I did it so you could save the world. I did it for you.”
“Bullshit. You did it for you,” I counter.
“Pry…”
“You tried to kill yourself by overdosing on pills because it hurt you too much to be here now that Key’s gone. You did it because it scares you too much to know how much danger is really out there. You did it because you are too afraid to try to stick around. So please don’t sit there and lie to me. This had nothing to do with me. You are a coward, Randy, and I hate you.”
“You don’t get it. You don’t know how hard it is to lose someone you love, not like this. I watched your brother slice her throat open.”
“I DON’T KNOW ABOUT LOSS? YOU KNOW WHAT, RANDY, FUCK YOU.”
“Wait! Don’t go. Please. I don’t want to argue with you. I just want to stop hurting,” he says.
“And you plan to do that by dying? Do you know what your death would do to me? What it would do to your dad? What about the team? The team that risked their lives for years, trying to ensure you lived. What about them?”
“I’m sorry. I just didn’t know what I was supposed to do.”
“What you were supposed to do is pick up the damn phone and say, ‘Pry, I need you,’ or turn to any one of us and talk to us. But instead, you pushed us away. You pushed me away.”
“I know…”
“You think losing Key gives you the right to be ‘king of grieving’? Give me a fucking break! I’ve been losing people I love all my damn life. Swoop lost her twin. That’s half of her damn soul. Aaden lost his child. His child! And you…you know what, here’s the deal, Randall: We are done coddling you. We are done trying to help you. You want to kill yourself, go for it. We will not stop you.
“But if you decide that you want to live and be with us, you will have to handle your shit like a grown man. Because the days of Randy ‘the boy sidekick’ are over. So get your shit together or get the hell off my team!” I demand. I make my way towards the door and he calls to me. I don’t turn to face him. I place my hand on the doorknob.
“Pry, we’re not best friends anymore?”
“How could we be? I don’t even know you.”
“Wow…really?” he says, sounding hurt.
I turn to face him. I inhale deeply and speak plainly to the human on the bed. “I had a friend, a best friend. His name was Randy. He knew how to laugh. He knew how to put others before himself. And even though he was afraid, he always pushed past that fear and found the courage to do what was right. He saved me every day by ju
st being my friend. He loved without end, and I miss him. I really miss him.
“So much has happened to him, but I never thought he’d give up and go away. If you see him, tell him…I want him back.” Tears fill both of our eyes. I clear my throat, wipe my tears away, and head out the door.
“Pry, get down!” Swoop yells from across the hall as soon as I step out into the hallway. Without thinking or even seeing the danger, I drop down to the floor a fraction of a second before a dark Powerball slams into the wall behind me. The force of the orb blows the door to Randy’s room wide open.
I want to crawl back and get him, but there’s a demon a few yards away, throwing a steady stream of Powerballs at me. The demon can easily kill me from where he is, but he’s getting off on the fact that I have no powers. He’s missing me on purpose so that he can watch me try to dodge certain death.
He’s so focused on me, he neglects to note that Swoop is behind him. She grabs the closest crash cart and rams it into him. He falls to the floor, and while it doesn’t kill him, it gives me enough time to get out of the target zone. The demon quickly gets back on his feet and is soon joined by his friends.
The tallest demon, with cold gray eyes, picks Swoop up by her neck and dangles her in the air. He grins as she struggles to breathe. Easton takes the pocketknife he’s been wearing since we lost our powers and sinks it into the demon’s kneecap. He groans but doesn’t let go of Swoop. East attacks again. This time he uses the IV stand in the hallway to form a makeshift bat and takes a swing at the demon’s good leg.
The demon is hurt and unable to remain standing. His grip on Swoop is loosening up, but not enough for her to pry herself away. East tries one last time; he wraps his hand around the chrome pole and bashes the demon’s skull. Finally, the demon is in too much pain and is forced to drop Swoop.
However, Swoop isn’t moving. Terrified at the thought of his cousin’s demise, East sprints towards her. Meanwhile another demon with stark white hair and bad teeth summons a massive Powerball with both hands and hurls it at East.
“East, behind you!” I cry out as I race to get to him.
East moves quickly but not quick enough; the Powerball hits him in the shoulder and catapults him across the hall. His head hits the wall, and blood starts to ooze from his temple. He’s alive, but he’s in pain. The demon flies down to East so he can finish him off. I look around frantically for something to stop him. I spot an abandoned food cart, grab a silver fork, and run towards the demon. I’m only a few feet away when a demon with a Mohawk tackles me.
