"Okay Carla, be honest, what drugs are you on?" Joey asked as I skipped to the table with a plate of pancakes. I handed out the pancakes to everyone, making sure to give an extra to Kaida because it was her favorite breakfast.
"Do I have to be on drugs to be happy?" I asked mockingly as I gave him two pancakes, "Why can't I just be happy?"
"It's just, Hena you lost your entire family, we understood why you locked you've been so distant the past two years," Jasper explained.
"Don't call me that, I hate that," I said as I pointed a spatula at him and smiled.
"Okay well them what cheered you up," Joey asked.
"Maybe she's in looooovvvvveeeee," Jasper mockingly joked.
"Yeah totally," I laughed as I sat down and gave myself two pancakes, "With these awesome pancakes right here."
"Me too," Kaida laughed.
I tickled her slightly and laughed, "You're not allowed to be in love."
"And your boyfriend can't be a pancake," Kaida laughed back.
"Well then I will be married to all food," I said as I pointed the spatula straight up into the air and made a funny face.
Joey stared at me with confusion.
"Seriously Carla, what are you on?" Joey asked.
"To quote our preacher, I am 'high on the gospel.'" I laughed.
"I miss him," Joey sighed.
I threw a pancake at him and it stuck to his face. Kaida and Jasper broke out into laughter.
"Eat food and feel better."
"Oh my gosh Carla," Joey laughed as he pealed the pancake from his face.
"After this we need to talk about the war," Jasper said with concerned look, "Jason declared war on us for being 'traitors to our own kind and our own family' whatever that means"
"He's talking about me, and I'm making a trip to Oklahoma after breakfast," I said as I took a bite of my pancake.
The sudden silence in the room made me lift my head to see everyone looking at me, obviously frightened.
"You are taking a drug test before you leave," Joey insisted.
"There's no need to have a war over this silly matter, I'll talk him out of it," I answered with a shrug.
There was alone silence, "You were plotting to burn him on a stake just a few days ago."
I shrugged, "That's the past."
"You wanted to skin him alive Carla," Joey added.
I shrugged once more, "And I want to speak with him."
"Can I come?" Kaida asked.
"No," Joey answered quickly.
"Of course honey," I told her, "It's just going to be a peaceful conversation."
"She's seven Carla!" Joey insisted.
"She'll been fine," I declared, "I'll protect her."
"Yeah cause that's worked in the past," Jasper mumbled under his breath.
My eyebrows perked up as I looked at him with slight frustration.
"He's been killing every superhuman in every other part of the country these past 2 years and you think you can walk up there with a seven year old and fix all the issues?" Joey asked condescendingly.
I scoffed, "I will be fine and Kaida will be protected."
"How? Hmm? How will she be protected by someone who couldn't even save her own brother? Her own children?" Jasper snapped, "You can't be MIA for two years and then up and decide you're going to end the war with a seven year old."
I leaned over the table, "I can and I will."
"This is stupid you shouldn't be Alpha if you're acting like this," Japser argued, "This is reckless."
"Then challenge me Jasper, take the title from me," I snapped.
"Fine-"
"No," Joey tried to intervene.
"I challenge you for the title of Alpha," Japser said as he stood.
Joey face palmed.
"Yay, more family drama," Joey sighed.
"Come on let's go do this now," I said as I started to walk out the door.
"What? No we get a day to rest," Jasper explained, "That's the rules."
"I'm Alpha and Hena, I make the rules. You've have two years to rest from my antics now come on, I need some practice."
I punched the bell Donte rang to signal everyone of the Challenge. As soon as people came from their houses I heard mumbles about me and my absence.
Joey got on the stage with the microphone this time. He seemed stressed. He gave the same speech Alpha Flynn did two years ago, "The bell has been rung, such as on numerous other occasions, to observe the fight between your Alpha and the challenger. As always, both contestants are given the same weapons to choose from as well as what they have on them. Projectile launching weapons are not permitted as always because if you miss then you'll hit a civilian. Do not leave the circle area for any reason until the other opponent has died or yielded or you will be disqualified. That being said, this battle is for the Head Alpha title. The winning Alpha will chose the fate of the losing Alpha. Are there any objections?"
A slight pause, "I object."
A battered soldier looking dude walked out of the crowd onto the ring with us. A shorter fellow with green eyes. I looked at Jasper and Joey who seemed terrified. Japser threw me behind him.
"What are you doing here?" Jasper growled.
"Came to talk about family with the girl who tore ours apart," the man answered.
Then it clicked.
My blood rushed.
My face reddened.
My teeth gritted.
"We need to freaking talk," I growled.
"That we do Hena," he answered, "However, I object this challenge."
"Why?" Jasper asked.
"Because I want to be the one to kill her," he answered.
Jasper turned to look at me and then back at his little brother.
"Jason if you so much as touch your Hena this whole kingdom will slaughter you in your sleep."
"Guess I'm in luck then," Jason chuckled as pointed to the front gates. "I've got an army outside the gates."
"Tomorrow at dawn," Joey ordered, "Till then you'll be in the challenger's quarters."
Jason nodded and then walked to the castle.
"You're psychotic," Joey growled at Jasper as he helped me to my feet.
"I was protecting her!" Jasper protested.
"By inviting Jason?" Joey yelled, "You've just killed everyone!"
"If we win-"
"No if she wins then Jason's army will slaughter us like they did Lionsville!" Joey screamed, "You've seriously killed all of us."
I wiped my hands on my jeans and walk towards the outside gates.
"Where're you going?" Joey demanded.
"Away from you two immature boys," I snapped as I walked. I pushed the gate open and walked down the dirt street until I saw a line of soldiers. Each of the soldiers eyes glowed as soon as they saw me.
"Carla you've been treasonous," one of the soldiers declared.
"How?"
"Murder," another said.
"What do you call the killing of 384 men, women, and children that you committed two years ago?"
"They refused to surrender," another soldier argued.
"You killed civilians," I argued back, "Each one of those-"
A gunshot rang out and a soldier on the opposite side of the bang fell to the ground. I rolled my eyes and walked to the shot soldier and healed him.
"As I was saying. Each of those people were innocent, none of them were soldiers. Not a single one was a soldier."
Their eyes dulled.
"You're forgiven," I said, "I forgive you. You were just following orders."
One soldier, a younge black haired hispanic boy no older than 15 walked up to me. I smiled at him.
"Blaire?"
A rush of memories hit me.
Their faces.
I remembered each of these soldiers.
A large city was stricken with murderers and drug lords. Aspen, Dylan, and I worked as their police for a few months before everyone became too afraid to do anything even remotely illegal. This boy was their leader's son. Several of the soldiers I remembered from doing the street work and just trying to connect with locals to find the druglords.
I shifted my appearance to look like Blaire.
"Yeah," I said loudly enough for them all to hear me, "My real name is Carla." I changed back, "Lionsville was filled with my family and friends."
The 15 year old started bawling into my shoulder.
"I thought- I- I thought that was Aspen I saw," the boy cried, "I shot anyway. I'm so sorry Blaire."
I pulled away from the hug.
"I forgive you," I said with tears running down my face, "I forgive all of you."
I didn't realize I had wandered all the way to Oklahoma on my trips.
"Mom?"
I turned to see a woman wearing a hood. She seemed as hard as I had been at one point.
She pulled the hood from her head and my legs instantly got weak.
Charlotte.
I tackled her and held her tighter than ever. I bawled my eyes out. I missed her so much, too much. All of them.
"Is anyone else alive?" I asked after I calmed down.
"Rachel had a plan-" Charlotte told me everything that happened during the fight, everything Rachel told her, and how everything would pan out in the end.
"You kill him mom," Charlotte explained.
"That's not the same timeline Charlotte," I explained, "She's not from the same timeline Charlotte."
"Mom I'm telling you, he wins and then you kill him while he sleeps."
I shook my head.
"I don't play the game like that."