My Own

The way we met will always be one of my favorite stories to tell.

Technically, we met through Normal. She had this daily routine where she would get on a Skype call with her boyfriend as soon as she got home. The calls could last as little as 1 hour or as long as 11. Sometimes they’d fall asleep and wake up in the same call.

She used to tell me that falling asleep to his voice lead to the best nights of sleep. It always brought her comfort and she woke up feeling great. And if the call lasted all night, and he was there with her in the morning, even better.

This one particular call changed everything, though. This call gave way to everyone meeting.

The Normals were on their call like usual, but then he decided to come over. It was fine, we didn’t have an issue with it. What we didn’t know at the time was that he was bringing his roommates. Prior to this, Normal was the only one who knew about them. They pretty much showered her with their attention. Once me and Light Kitty, my sister, met them, things changed.

Immediately, Light Bunny was smitten with my sister. He fell for her, hard. And why shouldn’t he? She’s cute as a button and the nicest person you’ll ever meet. He was nervous at first, but once they started talking, it was a wrap. It’s like you couldn’t even pry them apart with a crowbar.

Now when I met Dark, it was a whole different story. I sauntered past him and completely brushed him off. It was rude but I didn’t care. I was more interested in his brother, LB. At the time, it didn’t matter that he liked my sister more. I was going to win him over. I suppose I wasn’t attracted to him because he was so… dominant. His entire presence radiated it. And with me being a dominant person myself, I didn’t like it. We would clash and I wasn’t down for that. So I went after his brother, who was clearly the more submissive of the two. He didn’t like the rejection, apparently. A few times, he tried to get rough with me, and I continued to shut him down. And then one day he just gave up. He stopped entirely. Dark’s entire demeanor changed, and he wasn’t like himself. He told me it was all a ruse, that this was how he really was. He acted tough to impress me but that wasn’t the real him. This was.

Naturally, I was skeptical at first. But I believed him. This new passive him was much more attractive to me. And within minutes we were kissing on the couch , with me straddling him. And then in seconds, we were on the floor, me on top. Clothes were thrown off, shrugged off, or torn off. And he was surprisingly, actually a gentle and soft lover. At first.

But all good things must come to an end.

Unbeknownst to me, this was all part of his plan, and everything had fallen right into place. Dark turned the tables on me and flipped our positions so I was underneath him now. And then he just went to town. By the time he was done fucking me, I couldn't think, couldn't speak, just pant. And like a true asshole, he pulled out, stole my clothes, and went somewhere else in the house. It took me a while to notice that, but when I finally recovered, all hell broke loose.

   The clock on the nightstand read 1:00 AM. It was our last night at the lodge; we were leaving at sunrise. As I sat up, I could feel Capt’N shift in his sleep beside me, turning over on his side. I sighed, standing up all the way and left our room. Maybe some fresh air would do me good. I hadn’t been able to sleep at all for some reason. 

   The lodge had a wrap-around porch with a coffee table in between two brown armchairs. I plopped down on one, bringing my knees up to my chest and rested my forehead against my knees. I could hear the leaves rustle as the wind blew softly, and the crickets chirping their love songs. There was a certain peacefulness to this. It was calming. 

   Yesterday had been relaxing. We actually all got along for once, with no bickering. I think Katana was trying to make it up to Cyrus for punching him in the jaw by refraining herself from starting any arguments. She was actually a really nice person the more you got to know her, just strong willed. We had tried to make s’mores last night for the group as a surprise, but we actually ended up almost burning down the room… Luckily, Domilia showed up and put out the fire. She then explained very patiently that we should make the s’mores outside. And then we did. The night turned out to be really fun. The six of us sitting in a circle on the grass, s’mores on the ends of our forks, looking up at the stars.. Laughing and joking… It was something that made me smile right now as I recalled it. I hadn’t enjoyed myself like that in a while.. I didn’t know that I had missed it.

   I heard footsteps approach, and then a soft sigh as someone sat in the other armchair. A groggy voice spoke.

   ”Why aren’t you sleeping?”

   ”I can’t sleep.. why aren’t you?”

   ”I felt your absence.”

   ”Oh.”

   Capt’N smiled tiredly, his eyes closed. I studied his features, taking it in. The ends of his hair fell to his eyes in the front, but down to his neck in the back. His chest rose and fell slowly as he rested, and I could just barely make out the outline of his pendant below the collar of his shirt. It wasn’t clear to me what it was, though.. His lips turned upwards in a smile as he opened one eye, glancing at me through his peripherals.

   ”I can feel you staring at me.”

   I smiled now, moving my gaze to the dark sky lit up with stars.

   ”Sorry. I was trying to figure out your pendant.”

   ”Oh, that?” He shrugged and took it out from under his shirt, holding it up for me to see. 

   ”It’s… What? Why is it broken?” I frowned.

   ”It’s not broken. That’s part of the design. It’s supposed to be a broken heart. The Divinities told me, but they didn’t tell me why. Apparently we’re supposed to discover the meanings on our own.”

   I could feel him staring at me, now. 

   ”Hey.. Marce?” His voice softened. I looked at him only to find a serious expression on his face. I should have known he would bring it up.

   ”I know, I know. The Augury. I just.. I don’t see why you’re so eager to discuss it. Or believe it! It was prophesied before even our grandparents were alive; how do you know it’s still true?”

   ”Because the Divinities are never wrong and you know it.”

   He was right about that. They knew everything. But still.. I couldn’t bring myself to accept it. And even if I wanted to accept it, I didn’t want it to happen just because it was supposed to happen. I would want it to happen because it’s what I would want.

   ”Look, Vin- shit, sorry. I forgot for a second. I didn’t mean to almost-use your real name.” I sighed, chastising myself for forgetting.

   He shook his head, smiling lightly.

   ”You know I already gave you permission to use it. You’re the only person I want to use it, Marce.” 

   ”I know, but it doesn’t feel right. And it feels personal, too personal. It feels more like us fulfilling the Augury rather than two friends being chummy with another.”

   ”Understandable. But back to the matter at hand, I think we should really talk about it. Nothing being held in, just us letting it out. why don’t you want the prophecy to come true?”

   This was why I didn’t like being alone with him. I hated having to confront my problems, and he always faced his headstrong.

   ”Look, you’re a good guy and all but I just don’t want this to be forced. I don’t want anything between us to happen because you feel it needs to. I’m not trying to be your ‘duty’ in order for our race to continue existing. I want…” He had me really going, now. I closed my eyes, thinking of everything I wanted, everything I never had the chance to have.

   ”..I want real romance. I want roses and soft kisses that tell me everything you could never say. I want your arms wrapped around me, pulling me to you when I’m sad and crying because that’s the only place I’ll ever feel comfort and warmth. I want to cook in a kitchen together, getting into food fights and laughing and kissing while we’re messy and covered in food because that’s couples in love do. I want late night talks of our future and our fears and our hopes and dreams.. I want to hear a cute song on the radio and not be able to wipe off a goofy grin because you’ll be on my mind. I want.. I want walks in the rain with an umbrella big enough for the both of us, because we’ll be cocooned as if we were in our own little world. I want so many things, Capt’N, so many things. But the one thing I will not stand for, is being used as a task just so a prophecy can come true. I will fight it with every fiber in my being. because sometimes, fate is so fucking wrong.” A tear rolled down my cheek and I frowned, wiping it away. Why am I crying, damn it..

   His eyes had widened slightly while I talked, but he had stayed silent. Now he had his head tilted, furrowing his eyebrows.

   ”Marce, what makes you think I can’t give you that? I don’t see you as ‘task’ or a ‘duty’.” 

   ”But you don’t see me the way I would want, either. You haven’t known me long enough, to. We’re still practically strangers.” 

   ”Really, now? If I can recall…

   ’A short relationship shall bloom from the very start to the end,

   The Youngest and the Eldest shall become fast friends,

   And from there it shall blossom and turn sweet,

   Until their inevitable faux defeat.

   Offspring and love shall save their race, 

   And will overpower the enemy in the face

   of troubling times, and yet their fate

   Is sealed because they are soul-mates.’

   Marce, from the start to the end, we’re soul-mates. I’ll do everything you want me to just to prove it to you.” He looked dead serious.

   A week. This guy has known me for a week. I shook my head as I stood up and stretched. Everything I said was true. I did want those things, but not with him. Not so soon. Even if I did feel fluttery whenever he looked at me or felt a certain emptiness whenever he wasn’t near, that didn’t mean we were soul-mates. And that certainly didn’t mean we were going to have children. Fate took away Matthew, and gave away Hope. I wasn’t going to let the Divinities make me fall for Capt’N just to have him taken as well. I’ll fight it every step of the way.

   ”I’m… Let’s talk more another time, okay? Now I just want to sleep.” I yawned. The look on his face said he wanted to talk now, but I could see he was also tired. After nodding, he stood up and we went back to our room, getting under the covers. Although this time, I was aware of how close we were, how our breathing was in tune, the warmth emanating off his body. 

   "What's an orphan?" I asked. My eyes were wide with curiosity. 

   "It's what you are. It's what we all are." The older boy looked down at me with a sad look on his face. He was maybe eight years old, four years older than me.

   The other girl in the room, Hope, turned her attention to us. I had never seen such a hostile expression before. Her voice was full of malice and she spoke with venom. But I could see what was underneath it. Detachment. Hopelessness. A longing for something she knew would never really come.

   "Don't give her that. She deserves to know the truth. We're orphans, little girl. That means we aren't loved. It means we're not wanted. No one cares about us, okay? We've been abandoned and left to be done God knows what with. Our parents didn't even want us, so who else will?"

   She turned away from us. She'd been in the orphanage for ten years, compared to my four. Every family that came in here agreed that she was too old for what they wanted and always rejected her. It left her without hope, without faith, and bitter.

   The boy, Matthew, twisted his mouth to the side as he looked at her.

   "Don't listen to her. She's just had some bad luck. You'll be adopted."

   He smiled at me, and I believed him.

   It was so easy to believe anything back in those days. The days when I knew nothing. All I knew was how to smile and beam at couples, hoping they'd pick me and I could finally have a home. But it never happened. It wasn't supposed to, anyway. The Divinities didn't allow me to be taken home. They needed me right where I was so they could watch over me more easily. But back then, I didn't know that. I remembered going back into my shared room every day and wondering what was wrong with me, wondering what I did wrong to make them not like me. 

   As I got older, it got worse. Matthew tried to console me the best way he could, and most days it worked. Even though we were separated by age, he was the closest friend I had. Him and Hope. They were like my big siblings, and I always ran to them when something was wrong. If one of the other orphans picked on me, I knew Hope would give them an icy stare and they would whimper and apologize. If any of us was feeling down, the other two would call a Court Meeting. Those were fun.

   We'd all gather in Matthew's bedroom and make a fort out of blankets and bring a flashlight. Then the trial would begin. I remember when I first got my period...

   "Order in the court! Order! I said or- hey!" Hope frowned at Matthew as he snatched the flashlight, rolling his eyes. I was eleven at the time, Matthew fifteen, and Hope seventeen. 

   "Yes yes, order, we get it." Flashing the light in my face, he smiled.

   "What does the defendant say about the plaintiff?" He nodded at me to speak.

   "I..." It was a little embarrassing for me to say to them. I had trouble getting the words out that day.

   Hope grabbed the flashlight back from him and shined it on the floor so no one was blinded and we could see each other and spoke in a soft voice.

   "What's wrong, Marcey? You can talk to us." Even though she still hated the orphanage, she loved us. We all loved each other. In a world where your 'family' deserts you, sometimes you have to make your own. And we did. We made our own family. Hope was more of a mother to me than my real mom ever was. She cared for me on sick days and wiped away plenty of tears. Matthew was there too, always being the cheerful one of the bunch, lifting our spirits whenever we were down.

   I sighed and mumbled my words, looking down.

   "...Igotmyperiodtoday..." 

   Her eyes widened, as did her smile, and she rubbed my arm soothingly.

   "That explains the moodiness. Don't worry about it, all girls get them. It sucks, trust me, but you should have told me!" 

   She banged the flashlight three times as though it were a gavel.

   "I declare that Marceline Roguesin, the rightful victim in this situation, be given ice cream and brownies as compensation for the Niagara Falls of blood flowing between her legs."

   Matthew gagged and covered his ears as we laughed.

   Those were the days... It didn't last long, though... About a month later, Matthew was diagnosed with a type of terminal cancer. We would have never known if it wasn't for the doctor. We get regular check-ups every six months at the orphanage, and they discovered it. But there was nothing we could do.. He died a few months after that.

   I remember crying into Hope's arms every night for the next two months. She would cry along with me, tears streaming down our faces as we held each other. 

   And then she turned eighteen, and she was forced to leave. Part of her didn't want to leave, probably because of me. Her last day was a sad one. We gave each other fake smiles and she promised to visit me every day. But that didn't last long. She had to work now, being an adult. There wasn't time for a twelve year old in her life anymore. Even if we were once close, she had grown up, and that's just how things were. 

   You don't get by in life doing the things you want to do; you get by i life doing things you have to do. I understood that, and so did she. I missed her every day of my life, and sometimes she crosses my thoughts, but I always push her out of my head. The past is just that:the past. There's no point in bringing it up when we're both in better places now. 

   When I turned eighteen, I had no where to go. The streets welcomed me with rats and a concrete floor to sleep on. It wasn't so easy for me to find a job as Hope had. I begged for change from strangers, using whatever I could at the nearest McDonald's or White Castle. A 'shower' was washing up in the bathroom of some fast-food place. This went on for a month. Then, one night, I heard a whisper in my head. It told me to get up and head down the street. I don't know why I followed it, but I did. It took me to a park, specifically to a giant oak tree, and there I found the other five. I stopped twenty feet behind them, not wanting to alert them of my presence, but the minute I stopped, all six of our pendants glowed a bright white light, and they turned and saw me. 

    A few hours later, we were back on the road again. Everyone was well rested and Cyrus was back to normal. He was really excited about what happened now that he knew that duplication was his Ability. Even Katana was willing to admit that it was pretty cool. It was, so far, the only thing they had agreed on. 

   Capt’N decided that he would amuse himself by making stupid comments about what happened in the room. Whenever I would talk, he would say ‘meow’ under his breath and then burst out laughing. If it isn’t that, it’s a dumb joke. 

   When we had all gotten in the car at 7:07, the first thing he did was a fake cough for a minute straight, causing all of us to stare at him wih concern. Then he smiled and said,

   ”Sorry, I think I had a hair ball.”

   I wanted to punch his arm. 

   For the past hour, though, he’s been pretty quiet. Actually, now that I think of it, everyone’s been pretty silent. I turned around in my seat and glanced at everyone, only to find them asleep. Dominic was half-way laying down with his head in Domilia’s lap. Their chests rose and fell in tune with the other’s. Surprisingly, Katana had her head resting on Cyrus’s shoulder, and his head was resting on hers. I grinned, shaking my head and turning back around in my seat. If I had a phone, I would’ve totally snapped a quick picture of them. 

   But I don’t. None of us do. The only phone we use is the house phone, and even that is specifically wired so that it can’t be traced. The Divinities were extra careful to make sure we were hidden and stayed hidden, since we are the Hidden. Speaking of them..

   ”We haven’t heard from the ancients in a while, ya know,” I murmured to the driver, looking out the window. There was a lot of green scenery, wherever we were. The car had already gotten off the highway, but I’m not sure where we were now. Then again, we weren’t supposed to really know. Our instructions were clear:

Get a car.

Drive.

Bond.

Come back home.

   There wasn’t a time limit. There wasn’t a destination. We had to take a road trip and bond. It was sort of working. The Doms were closer, at least. I think Katana was warming up to Cyrus, but that could just be the excitement of the recent events.

   ”I noticed. I think it’s because we haven’t finished the road trip yet. One mission at a time, I suppose, or something like that.” He replied. 

   It made sense. Although they could contact us at any given time, they chose not to. Then again, we also hadn’t asked for advice yet. It seemed like we were on the right track, though. Two of the six had developed their Ability; we must be doing something right. The pendants around our necks doubled as communication devices with the Divinities. They were to be used in emergency situations. Otherwise, the ancient ones would speak to us when they deemed it was time.

   ”Hey Capt’N,” This had been bothering me, “what do you make of the last line?” 

   ”Of The Augury?” When I nodded, he pressed his lips together and sighed. 

   ”We know what the obvious meaning is. I want to believe it’s something more, but I can’t think of what else it could be. ‘Only five of the six shall remain, the other will be replaced’. It’s obvious. And concerning.” 

   I agreed with every word he said. It was obvious.

   I just didn’t want to believe it. 

   It was maybe another two hours before the car was stopped. We were..outside a lodge? It was two stories tall and made of dark wood. Forests upon forests surrounded us, the constant buzz of insects filling our ears. Capt’N had been silent again, looking as though he was lost in thought. I had to interrupt.

   ”Where are we? How did you even find this place?” I was shocked. This place was so hidden.

   He grinned and shrugged.

   ”I just followed my instincts. It’s like I have my own built in navigation system.” 

   By now, everyone else had woken up and we were already out of the car, grabbing our suitcases and heading inside. We knew what to do without being given the order. Capt’N was by the receptionist, ordering the rooms and paying in advance. Wait.. That was too much money for one day. I waited until he handed out the keys and we were all in our own rooms before questioning him.

   ”How many days are we staying here?” 

   ”Three.”

   ”Why?”

   ”The Divinities told me to. Right before I went inside, they spoke to me.”

   ”Are you kidding me? Wait, don’t answer that. They aren’t to be joked with. What were their exact words?”

   “‘Stay for three days.’”

   A scream came from the front of the store. My feet kicked into gear, running as fast as they could take me until I skidded to a stop, my eyes widening at the sight.

   The cashier was on the floor, unconscious. Katana and Domilia were kneeling on either side of her, just as stunned as I was, but they weren’t staring at her. The gazes of both girls were on Cyrus… Two Cyruses. Both Cyruses were standing side by side, equally confused. 

   ”…Someone explain. Before she wakes up.” 

   Great. We were supposed to lie low, not get noticed. The plan was to take a road trip, get to know each other, and then come back home. The Divinities said we wouldn’t start showing signs for another a year. It looks like they were wrong for once.

   Katana was the first to answer me.

   ”We were getting the snacks, like Capt’N said, and then we started to argue and I punched his arm again and then he just.. He.. They.. Well this happened. And she saw us, ” She motioned to the woman on the floor, who’s eyelids began to twitch,” and then she fainted. And you showed up.” 

   I nodded, thinking fast. 

   ”Grab the snacks and get in the car. All four of you. We need to get out before she wakes up and be far enough that hopefully she”ll think it was her imagination.”

   At my command, they quickly left. I may not be the leader, but I had to take charge. Within six minutes, we had already left and were ten miles away. Capt’N had gotten Dominic from the bathroom and we had taken off. Now we were trying to wonder why the Divinities had lied to us.

   ”There’s no way they didn’t know about this. They can literally see everything. They’re the freaking Divinities. They predicted us a thousand years ago; they must have known we would start showing early. So why not tell us?” Domilia was extremely frustrated. Many of her time was spent reading about the ancient ones, learning of them and their capabilities. 

   Dominic rubbed her arm soothingly, trying to calm her down. It worked. She slumped in her seat, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. 

   Cyrus frowned, well one of them did. 

   ”I think.. I think… I don’t know what to think. This is weird!”

   The Other Cyrus nodded along with him, and they both cringed and then looked away. 

   ”I can’t get rid of him.” They said simultaneously. 

   ”Can I try something?” Katana asked. She smiled.

   ”Uh..Sure?’ They looked at her warily. 

   Katana punched him in the jaw, knocking him out immediately. As soon as his eyes closed, the Other Cyrus disappeared. She smiled triumphantly. 

   Dominic looked back at her, giving her a high five.

   Capt’N was stunned, staring at them through the rear-view mirror.

   ”Um. Thank you…Katana? Anyways..” He shook his head, pulling into the parking lot of a motel. We’d been on the road for another hour already and now it was 7:33 PM. 

   ”I’m buying three rooms. We leave at 7:00 AM. I’ll room with Marceline, the Doms will share, and Katana will look after Cyrus. Everyone try to figure out what your Ability is. Eat. Go to bed.”

   His tone left no room for discussion on the topic. Even Katana didn’t argue, picking up Cyrus and dragging him inside by his upper body.

   She was really strong. 

   I didn’t want to share a room with him, he would just end up trying to bring up the Augury, but I also didn’t have a choice. Even though he didn’t outright say it, those instructions were really orders. And he was our leader, meaning we had to follow them. Every one grabbed their suitcase; Dominic helped carry Katana’s and Cyrus’s.

   We all received a key to the room and went inside. Before he could open his mouth, I told him I was going to shower and escaped to the bathroom. Letting the water run, I looked at myself in the mirror and wondered.

   What on earth could be my Ability?

  We all had one; that was guaranteed. It was just a matter of time before we figured out what it was. 

   Emerald eyes stared back at me in the reflection as I tied my dark hair back into a bun. I hoped that when I came out, he would be asleep already.

   No such luck. Twenty minutes later, I had stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around me. Of course I would forget to bring my clothes. 

   Capt’N was laying on his side of the bed, reading a short novel about, of all things, a pirate. When he heard the door open, he looked up and smirked. 

   ”Don’t say a word.” My eyes narrowed as I opened up my suitcase. My back was turned to him and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up with alarm as I felt his presence behind me suddenly. 

   ”Marce.” His voice was low. I didn’t turn around.

   ”We need to talk about it.” I could hear the smile in his voice. 

   Without warning, his arms wrapped around my torso and I panicked.

   My Ability accidentally activated. I was suddenly out of the towel, on the ground. Why did he look so much taller? Actually… everything was bigger. I couldn’t even reach the end of the bed. 

   Glancing up, I could see Capt’N shaking with laughter.

   There are times when a person will do something without cause. As much as psychology and sociology and religion would like to disagree, sometimes, there just isn’t a reason for what we do. Sometimes you don’t have it all planned out. Sometimes you do things just because you feel like it. 

   For instance, today we were doing something spontaneous. It wasn’t planned at all. An hour ago, it was just set in motion, and then it happened. And here we are: in a 2004 Toyota Sienna on the road to nowhere and everywhere at the same time. It was the only car we could find on such short notice that could fit all of us comfortably.

   Now, I’ll tell you who ‘we’ are. I don’t mean that in a metaphorical sense. I won’t tell you that we’re dreamers or adventurers (even though we are) or pioneers. No, I won’t tell you our hopes and dreams. I just want to tell you our names, and give you a small sense of who we are, even though you’ll find out along the way.

   My name is Marceline. I travel with a group of anti-merry guys and girls. We are all connected and unrelated at the same time. We are the last hopes, the Hidden. This will all be explained to you later, of course. I just need time. We all met recently, actually. A week ago. And we’ve been stuck with each other since. 

   In the driver’s seat was Capt’N, listening to his annoying country music. Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with country music. I can listen to it. But when you’re forced to hear it for three hours straight, sitting in a car that hasn’t stopped even once since you left the house, well it can get quite annoying quite fast. Black messy hair fell into his eyes as he controlled the steering wheel with ease, as though it were his ship. Grey eyes watched the road calmly as he whistle to the tune. Those eyes could be cloudy and dazed when he daydreamed, and cold as steel when he was furious. His lips turned upwards in a smirk, indicating that he knew I was staring at him. Before he could comment, I turned attention to the two rows of seats behind us. I’ll get back to describing him later, when he’s not being so observant of my actions.

   The first row contained the Doms. At least, that’s what we called them when they were together, which was always. Despite being absolute opposites of each other, the Doms had a special connection, stronger than any of us. They just fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

   Domilia had brown eyes that revealed wisdom and a passion for knowledge. Apart from clothes and a very few necessities, her suitcase contained nothing but books, such as the one she currently had her head buried in. Blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail so she could read better; this was her preferred choice of a hairstyle. In the short time I’ve known her, it’d become apparent that she was always serious, and always quiet. A necklace hung around her neck with a sun pendant on the end. The detail on it was very intricate and one-of-a-kind. 

   We all have a pendant. I’ve had mine for as long as I could remember. When we met for the first time, each pendant glowed brightly, almost blindingly, for a full minute. That was when we knew the Truth.

   Sitting beside her was Dominic. He had blue eyes that crinkled when he laughed, which was often. He was telling her a story, constantly smiling and chuckling, even though he knew she was just barely paying attention. He was a brunet, with stylish hair that looked effortless but really took an hour to do. Everyone who met him liked him immediately; that’s just how friendly he was. He could make you smile in even the most dire situation. His pendant, a silver moon, was twisted around his finger as he talked. 

   Behind them was Katana, and beside her was Cyrus. They were silent, which wasn’t a surprise. You could almost feel the tension in the air emanating off of them. From the moment they met, they despised each other. Katana had light strawberry blonde hair that fell short of her shoulders and hazel eyes. She was serious, like Domilia, but in a fiercer manner. They both too our jobs seriously, and wanted to ensure our survival and success. While Domilia wanted research, Katana wanted action. She was anxious for something to happen, when in reality, everything had been boring so far. Her solution to everything was to fight. No food in the fridge? Kick it. The car dealer didn’t want to give us a car? Beat the crap out of him (well she tried; we managed to restrain her). Her pendant was ironic: an owl head. A serene and calm animal for such a violent girl. 

   Cyrus, on the other hand, was a pacifist. His hair was long, pulled back into a low ponytail, and caramel colored. Honey colored eyes stared out the window, sitting as far away from Katana as possible. The only conversations they’d had were arguments, and those were too many to have for just one week of knowing each other. 

   ”Self-defense.” Katana spoke quietly to him, eyes narrowed. The silence was broken.

   ”No.” Cyrus muttered. This was a recurring disagreement. She thought of him as a wimp for not fighting, and often tried to force him, to which he always objected.

   As if to prove her point, she punched his arm, hard, and the rest of us in the car cringed for him. Katana may be short, but she was by no means weak. 

   Capt’N tried to defuse the situation before it got anywhere.

   ”I’ll change the music if you guys quit it.”

   That shut them up. With a smile on his face, he changed the channel to classical music. I looked out the window, trying to contain my glee. It was my favorite genre. 

  Another hour managed to pass without anyone speaking. Well, besides Dominic. He was talking aloud now, to anyone, though no one was listening. 

   ”Hey, look.” Capt’N interrupted him, pulling off the highway into a gas station.

   ”Five minute break. Use the bathroom, buy a snack if you need to. The Divinities gave us enough money to last the month. I’ll refill the gas. Okay?”

   When we all nodded, he got out the car, signaling the five minutes started then. I’m not sure when we adapted to him being the leader. Maybe when the Divinites told us. Maybe when we first met. Either way, we took his orders easily. Everyone used up 15 seconds to stretch, relieved of being out of the car. I was about to go inside when Capt’N stopped me, a serious expression on his face. 

   ”Marce, look. We have to talk about it eventually. You can’t keep avoiding this.”

   I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest.

   ”They aren’t always right. The Augury was written a millennium ago. And I don’t want to talk about it anyways. Now, is that it or can I just go? You’re wasting my remaining four minutes.” He just didn’t understand.

   Capt’N was about to respond, but then stopped himself. He smirked.

   ”Fine.” He turned back to the car, and I left. Before I had a chance to reach the door of the station, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Something was wrong.

   Looking back, I saw him looking at me, a worried look on his face that told me he had the same feeling. A quick nod told me to go check it out.