Pain.

Why was there so much pain?

Just end me.

End it all.

Just let... me... die...

My head bounced against the floor. I heard a wheezing sound of an animal — a sound which turned out to be mine.

What was happening?

I felt the energy that left me return and my vision grew alert of my surroundings once again. Robin was grappling with someone, that particular someone didn't have the upper hand. Because, as soon as they threw themselves onto Robin again, Robin stumbled to recovery and drew his hand out. Then, the figure with golden hair grew still again.

Yoan's not dead! He's not dead!

Yoan let out a moan, trying hard to shift his body but Robin held him on the floor.

"Aqua, dear," Professor May gestured with her hand. Aqua began to move, gripping an icicle in her hands. However, I saw the uncertainty in Aqua's blue eyes. She looked back at Professor May.

"Remember who they are," Professor May had a softness in her voice. She walked closer to Aqua, touching her shoulder tenderly while she looked at Yoan was disgust. "They're murderers. It's a hard thing to do but you're doing the right thing."

Aqua looked at May one last time and nodded. Professor May walked away to give them space while Robin turned to look the other way, removing his force away.

Yoan began moving again, attempting another attack. But before he could, Aqua plunged her icicle inside Yoan's chest.



***



A wisp was caught too late by anyone. A bullet was flying and it struck Aqua in the temples.

I could hear screaming, gasps, panicked orders being thrown back and forth. People began to flood out from different corners and I wasn't sure who they were. I was too weak to care.

I laid still, my eyes closed as I let the havoc happen.

Someone touched my shoulder, "Oh God! Cassie! Cassie, wake up!"

I opened my eyes and I was met with a pair of concerned dark gaze.

"Thank Goodness! Alright, we gotta go. Come on!"

Alsa dragged me from the floor and threw my arm over her shoulder. "Come on, girl, you're doing good."

She took Reflecta from the table and we stumbled across the warehouse. I heard an explosion nearby and the sound of glass shattering.

"Y-Yoan..." I finally seemed to wake up.

"What was that?"

"Yoan," I tried to speak louder, "We need to get Yoan. He..." I pointed back. "He's hurt..."

"We need to get you out first."

We stumbled to a small area and she let me sit down gently, sensing that I was leaning more and more of my weight on her. She kneeled in front of me and began checking for wounds and broken bones.

"Alsa... how come you're here?"

"Who do you think does the tracking?" Her eyes danced along my body, breathing a small sigh of relief when she realised I wasn't hurt. "How are you feeling? Any pain?"

"I haven't eaten for hours."

Alsa dug inside her pocket and brought out a nutbar. I didn't know how this girl did it.

"Say no more to the Snack Queen," Alsa shoved the nutbar in my hands. "Eat something and rest here for a while. I need to help James but I'll be back."

I nodded and let her leave. I munched on my nutbar quickly. I made sure to chew them into smaller pieces because it was proving hard to swallow. Despite the chaos that was happening in the background, I was surprisingly clear-minded and even more so once I had food in my stomach.

I was going back for Yoan.

I touched Reflecta by the hilt, whispering, "Reflecta, lend me your strength."

I sensed nothing. I clenched my jaw and tried again.

Reflecta, please... you were there with me... when Marty attacked me. You're still there, aren't you?

"Reflecta, lend me your strength."

Nothing.

I let out a sigh that sounded half like a whimper and half like a sob. I wiped my cheeks, dry from tears and leaned myself against the wall.

I stood there for a few seconds, unsure if I had enough strength to last long but I needed to do this. Yoan was seriously injured for my sake. He was the reason I still had the Iridescent bond.

"Reflecta, lend me your strength," I said, gripping my hilt before I went into a run. I appeared out of my hiding and expected to be met with enemies, except, the fight had moved somewhere else. Somewhere nearby but definitely not near me.

I slowed to a jog, checked for enemies, and then continued with light steps. I passed through a set of doors and spotted a familiar figure. They saw me too, their green eyes rounding; a labyrinth of emotions.

Seeing him reminded me how to breathe again.

I ran to him, my expression crumbling. I wasn't able to pretend I was strong anymore. I felt vulnerable at that point in my life. I almost lost my powers, lost the opportunity to ever see the people I love again.

I threw myself into Jaxton's open arms and he locked me in a tight embrace as we both melted to the floor. He cupped my head as I sobbed shamelessly into his shoulder.

"Cass... You're alright. You're alright..." He comforted, rubbing my back. I hugged him tighter and sobbed louder. God, I was crying in front of him again. I revealed the form I usually reserved for myself and the night, alone in my bed.

Then, logic shot me at the back of my head. My heart accelerated. I pushed Jaxton back and stared at him with wide-eyes, "Yoan's hurt. We need to find him."

Jaxton recovered quickly. There was no time to be emotional.

I wiped my tears away in a swipe and said, "This way."



***



When we got to the place I was looking for, Yoan was still on the floor and if he was breathing, I couldn't see it.

Without any words being exchanged, Jaxton ran toward him and got to his knees, "Yoan, can you hear me?"

I got to Yoan's other side. "Open your eyes, Yoan."

Yoan did. He looked awful but he was still speaking and breathing. That was the most important bit. Everything else didn't matter — being alive was.

Survive first... only when you're alive, you can do things...

"Hey, hey," Jaxton's grin grew when his friend's eyes landed on his. "You're gonna be fine."

Yoan's breathing was shallow, there was more exhales than inhales. It worried me. Jaxton covered the wound on his chest and Yoan flinched but didn't utter a sound. Was he just being strong or...?

Yoan muttered something.

"What was that?" Jaxton leaned closer and so did I.

"Tell my dad... I love him..."

Jaxton shook his head, "You're gonna tell him that when we get you out of here." Jaxton spared me a look. "He's Iridescent, right? Can he heal?"

"He... not anymore."

Yoan had trouble focusing his gaze on us. I held his shoulder and tried to calm the emotion flooding every inch of my face.

"Stay with us, Yoan! We'll get you out of here!"

Jaxton already briefly wrapped his wound with some torn fabric but the blood seeped through almost immediately. We didn't have time to care. Jaxton took him by the arm and I took him by the legs.

"We'll move him to a safer area nearby-"

"Listen...!" Yoan grabbed Jaxton's arm, stopping him. I watched as a line of tears escaped Yoan's eyes. "Please, just listen..."

We both stopped.

"Jax, you've been... you've been great," he closed his eyes and grinned. "You're the only friend I have, really."

"Don't do this."

It was physically painful to watch the interaction.

"My dad..." Yoan's breath was more like a wheeze. He exhaled harshly, his eyes widening as he stared at the bright ceiling, as though the lights weren't directly shining into his eyes. That was when I knew.

"My dad..." he repeated, "keep him alive... please."

Yoan's grip loosened on Jaxton's arm and it fell to the ground.

Everything felt unreal.

"Yoan," Jaxton shook him. He tried taking his hand again but it slipped out from his palms. Jaxton brought his two fingers to Yoan's neck, then under his nostrils. Yoan's eyes were closed and I knew they will never open again.

"Yoan, come on," Jaxton cupped his cheek to stop his head from turning to the side but it was futile. I knew it was futile yet I didn't stop him. I also knew that Yoan's skin was colder to touch than Jaxton's. Ever since they took his powers out of him, it had left him hollow.

"We..." Jaxton slumped back, his eyes in disbelief, "we have to bring him back. Find him a healer..."

His voice grew quiet, a line of tears silently rolled down his cheeks.

"Step away from her."

Jaxton shot up from the ground like a startled feline. He dragged me up with him and I was pulled behind his body.

Even without looking at Jaxton, I could sense his shock. "Robin? Robin, we have to leave, right now-"

"Jaxton, step away from her," Robin approached us slowly, his grey eyes cold and sharp, but they held a softness just for Jaxton. "She's dangerous."

"Of course she's not! What are you on about?"

"You're not listening-"

"I am listening!" Jaxton inched another step back, he held my hand tighter. "I don't get it, Robin. We have to leave. You've been here long enough. Everything you've done, we'll explain it to the authorities, you were forced-"

"I joined willingly."

That silenced both of us. I shuffled closer to Jaxton, watching Robin's every move carefully, especially his hands. He held no weapon except his hands. They shifted the gravity of, not only the objects dominated by earth but also one's inner power.

"I don't understand..." Jaxton voice quivered.

"There's a lot you don't understand, Jax. That's why you need to stay away from people like her. I don't know what she's told you but you shouldn't trust a word these people say. They only bring harm."

"That's not true."

I eyed Jaxton warily. One was his brother and the other was... me.

Would he choose me?

"So you're saying..." Jaxton inhaled a sharp breath, his eyes landing on Yoan's body. "Who did this? Who killed him?"

"I did."

I felt Jaxton's horrified shudder. I tightened my grip on his hand.

"These people..." Robin pointed at Yoan and spoke of him like some sort of despicable being, it made my stomach churn, "they slaughtered the innocent."

"Yoan was innocent... he didn't do anything."

"How should you know? You are so far away from the truth!" Robin's grey eyes were growing intense, his gesturing growing more frequent. He took another few steps closer but Jaxton still backed away from him like he was a predator.

"People like her are criminals that got away," Robin softened his look. "We're family, Jax. You have to trust me."

Jaxton closed his eyes, pained. "But what you're doing is wrong on every level. You're not the Robin I used to know."

"Of course I'm not that Robin anymore. Being that Robin is only being foolish and blind," Robin looked toward the lights, his eyes scanning the warehouse calmly. Then, they eventually landed on Jaxton again. "Would you be the same if you knew your family was murdered by monsters?"

I couldn't help but flinch and Robin caught my subtle discomfort. He let out a bitter chuckle, he took out his phone and projected a hologram image. "Look familiar?"

Mother of two severely injured... died upon arrival of healers...

Young girl, aged 7, died of...

The only thing I could do was stare in stark horror.

"I had a sister," Robin continued, his eyes damp. "I had a family! Jaxton, maybe your family was there too. There were too many deaths that day. People like her were the reason we became orphans.

"We're not the villains. We're the victims that survived," Robin was taking steps forward again but Jaxton was no longer backing away and his grip was loosening on mine.