Sonny waits outside by the classroom tapping his feet as the hallways grow more empty. He has been to his locker and waited by the front door, before then checking the classroom again. That turns into nervous pacing as it's still no sight of her at all. "Something is up. Should I call-No! I can't jump to conclusions just yet. I should look for her myself before worrying them."
(Brooklynn POV)
The trio goes on a shoppping sphere the store Victoria originally wanting to visit only first on their list. Brooklynn doesn't have all that much to spend, but just hanging out with them like this is fun enough for her. The sun getting lower in the sky they make a small jewelry store their next destination. "I really have to head back to the dorms after this. I know it's still a bit early but I have homework that needs finished up tonight," Raylen says as they walk inside.
"Alright, I understand. Just me and Hira could go around a little longer then. We'll still be back by curfew time. Is that okay with you?" She questions, glancing back and Brooklynn slowly nods.
"Sure, why not."
"Perfect and thanks again for coming with me girls. I wouldn't had nearly as much fun by myself."
"We had a lot of fun too. I'm happy I was able to make it." Brooklynn responds with a grin as each girl goes off their own way. Browsing around the shelves she spots a certain pair of bracelets straped together. Without a second thought she grabs them to purchase. Once they're all done looking they gather out front. Each girl sharing what they picked up.
The vibrations from her pocket for the billionth time forces Brooklynn to check her messages. As expected they're all from Sonny now regretting she exchanged contact information with him. She scrolls down to read the most recent one.
Sonny- Where are you Brooke?! It's been nearly three hours now! I've checked all over the school and dormitory. I don't know if you're skipping out or if something actually happened. Please just answer me once you see this.
The text leaving a sour feeling in her stomach. She really shouldn't be making Sonny worry like this, but they will be back soon and she'll explain everything to him then.
"Hira? Something wrong?" Victoria asks with a hint of concern in her soft voice. Brooklynn rapidly shaking her head while stuffing away her cellphone.
"No, I'm okay! Actually Vicki, Raylen, I have something to give you." She pulls out the just bought bracelets from her bag. Taking them loose and holding one out for the each of them.
"You're...giving these to us?" Raylen asks, sounding more surprised by the gesture.
"Yeah, when I first came to this school I was upset with the change. I wanted to stay with my old friends at the same school, though now I've befriened the two of you and I'm not so lonely anymore. Uh, it might seem childish to give friendship bracelets, but it's just my way of saying thanks." She finishes with a sheepish smile and Raylen is first to accept.
"It's really pretty. Thanks a lot, Hira."
They both look over to Victoria who has been quiet the entire time. Her expression is hard to decipher with her blue eyes staring silently. "Vicki, don't you like it?"
"Yes! Of course I love it. Thank you, Hira. I'm...getting pretty tired so let's just call it a day." Quickly putting the charm bracelet on her wrist, and starts off ahead of them down the street. The two exchange glances as Brooklynn can't help but wonder what was that just now?
...
Going back to the dormitory they luckily just made it in time before the rain starts pouring down. Saying their goodbyes to Raylen first who takes off upstairs. Then continuing down the left side towards their own rooms. Brooklynn stops dead in her tracks when seeing Sonny talking with both agents towards the end of the hallway. Victoria looks back at the burnette who's no longer by her side. "Hira?"
"Oh man, Ron and Jerry. What are they doing here?" She mumbles as all three of them spot the girl. Their tense expressions softening as they run over to her. Sonny is first to reach the burnette grabbing Brooklynn by her shoulders.
"Where have you been?! I've been looking for you everywhere! Didn't you get any of my text?!" His face hardening as he glares at the mint haired classmate standing next to her.
"I'm so sorry! I invited her out to town for a bit. I didn't know it would be a problem..." she says softly, with her expression crumbling. Victoria doesn't have anything to be sorry about.
"You don't have to apologize. This is all my fault."
"Well we're just glad you're alright. You should warn someone next time so we don't worry. It's too late to take you two out today so we'll come back tomorrow," Jerry says. Her apologizing to them as they take their leave.
"Um, who were those men?"
"They're my uh-guardians! The two of them watch over me."
"Really? They looked pretty young."
Before Brooklynn can say anything else Sonny grabs hold of her arm, dragging her away towards the loudge area. "Could you give us a minute, Victoria?"
Once the distance is made is anger returns. "What were you thinking? I said to stay away from her!" he semi shouts, though not loud enough for her to hear. She expected this reaction but her own patience is growing thin.
"For her to be so bad I'm back in one piece, aren't I?"
"That's-"
"I admit I shouldn't of snuck off but Vicki is a friend of mine now. And I'm not going to let your crazy delusions stand in the way of that!" Storming off before Sonny can reply she pulls Victoria into her dorm room. Slamming the door shut behind her and releases a fustrated sigh. It's only a few minutes wait to see will he follow, but she hears him walking into his own room. The burnette finally turns her attention to Victiora who's staring shocked and confused by the whole ordeal. "I'm sorry about that."
"It's alright. I hope it isn't my fault you two are fighting."
"No, don't worry about it!"
"I love your room," she comments, beginning to pace as she takes a look around. "This pink dresser is the cutest."
"Oh, thanks. My Grandma picked it out for me."
Victoria is silent for a moment fiddling with the charm bracelet still on her wrist. "I guess...since we're friends I should be honest with you. This isn't my true appearance."
"Huh?"
"Vicki isn't even my actual name but Hira isn't really yours, right?" She questions with a delicate smile, though it sends a chill down her spine. Brooklynn's heart rate increases as she slowly takes a step back towards the closed door.
"W-Who are you?" Though a sly smirk is the only answer she gives her.
(Sonny POV)
Sonny stares blankly at the ceiling on his bed. Perhaps he is just overthinking this with Victoria. After all she did come back in one piece, but his gut feeling still tells him otherwise. Quite honesty he'd much prefer that he really is wrong about the whole thing.
Sighing he rolls over glancing at his clock. It ticking being the only source of noise until a high pitched scream comes from the room next over. Similar to the sharp yelp on the night of Gores's kidnap attempt. That shoots him right up and wasting no time hurries for her room. "Brooklynn!"
Yanking at the door handle it's glued shut and won't move an inch. On the otherside a layer of darkness keeps the door closed tightly, as the female has Brooklynn pinned in the middle of the floor.
(Brooklynn POV)
As much as the younger tries to squirm free it's all a wasted effort.
The girl she thought to be Victoria is no longer wearing a school uniform, it being replaced with an all black top and pants. The once short hair is now flowing down her back a cherry color. Victoria's deep blue eyes are replaced with red glowing ones. She even looks older in appearance, as if she'd be in high school rather than a private one for middle school students. It's hard for her mind to fully process the sudden turn of events, though one thing is obvious now.
Sonny's bad feeling was right, Victoria never existed. She must be with the organization. What am I going to do?
"Now I can finally end you Felixa!" Something about her tone of voice creates and even worse dreaded feeling than her encounter with Gores. Fear kicks in doing more mindless struggling but that won't work on her. She has to calm down and focus like her partner advised her before. If she uses some kind of magic she might can break free from her grasp.
"Brooklynn! Brooklynn!" The voice of her guardian she wishes nothing more than to see now echoes from the hallway.
"Sonny, help I'm trapped in here!"
The pleading call only further agitating the female standing over her. "You should learn to keep your mouth shut." Striking to attack with a small blade she had hidden, but Brooklynn puts up her reflective shield in just enough time. The pocket knife getting knocked out her hands and sliding across the floor. Just then the door busts open with a wave of fire setting it ablaze.
"Sonny!"
"It'll be alright, Brooke," he says, giving her a gentle smile before glaring at the red head with cold eyes. "I felt it. I knew it was you, Cheryl."
"Awfully sharp of you, Sonny. I wasn't expecting you to figure out the moment I got here."
"You were using your special ability, impersonation. I didn't think you'd go this far."
"It was easy really. I just scanned a random girl at another middle school not far from this one. Made up a fake name and files and I was enrolled. I didn't know she would be so naive to manipulate."
"This ends here. I won't let any harm come to her."
These words having her face twist in rage as her grip on Brooklynn's neck grows tighter. With how strongly she's holding it's getting harder for her to breathe. "You really are a traitor. I'll kill you right here and now with her, since you want to play guardian so badly!"
Both choosing fire as their first choice of attack. Luckily that move has Cheryl let her go as Brooklynn struggles to catch her breath. The flames collide at the same time, her's overpowering his which sends him flying backwards. Then throwing several of the ice sickles he just taught her how to use yesterday his direction. Sonny quickly puts up his refletive shield having some reverse back at her, but she dodges every single one of them.
Pausing from the fight she glances at Brooklynn for a second, then casts an electic shockwave covering the whole floor. This temporarily paralyzes them both giving Cheryl the chance to throw a dark magic ball her way. "Get down, Brooklynn!"
Not having enough time to put up a shield uses his body as one diving in front of her. The ginger dropping down to his knees. "Sonny!"
Cheryl lets out a disgusted laugh glaring down at the younger teen on the floor. "You're really going to throw away your life proctecting her? Though I suppose death would be waiting for you either way anyhow."
Her red eyes go to the burnette slowly closing in the distance between them. Sonny yells for her to run as he tries to get back on his feet. Really she's just in the way by being in here. Sonny will only focus on proctecting her, and get himself hurt in the process. There's only two options standing before her. Either get out of their way or help fight.
Brooklynn silently prays this won't go how it did in practice as she throws a wave of ice towards her. Cheryl stumbles a little but quickly recovers hurling small fire balls at her. Putting up her shield the fire scatters all around the room. She hesitates for a second however immediately pushes any doubt from her mind.
I need to do this and I can just like during that car chase. I hate deliberately recking my stuff but it's better that than losing my actual life.
Carefully she levitates her cute pink dresser on the other side of the room. It lifts higher up until she sticks her arm out, throwing it at the red head from behind. That knocks her down foward trapping her underneath the weight. Now Cheryl is the one who's struggling as Sonny recovered gives her a small pat on the back. "Good job, Brooklynn. This fight is over Cheryl, so you can give it up."
"Heh and do what? Just lay over and accept my fate. Either she dies or I die trying!" Forcing her hands together she gathers a ball of dark magic that's so big and powerful it's making sight difficult. "Yes if I cast that spell I can end this. It might not work with me but I don't care. I refuse to have it end like this!"
Brooklynn tries to her best to walk but she can hardly move. Sonny however makes it on his feet pressing foward with his shield. "This should be enough! I just need to kill her and that light deity will be forced back to the ruins! Can this even work and she hasn't awaken to her power yet...No, I've come too far for this to end in failure!" The red head shouts in frustration.
By that point Sonny has reached her with his hands glowing with electricity. The final hit zapping any strength the trapped female has left. The boy whispers something she can just barely make out. "Cheryl, I'm sorry." One last agonizing scream tearing from her throat as Cheryl's body falls limp on the floor.
Her appearance changes again but not to the copy. Instead she's wearing normal clothes and her once red eyes are now brown and filled with tears. Brooklynn shakily stands on her feet leaning against the wall for support as she watches silently.
"So this is the end for me, huh? I was so reckless...acting on my own." She picks up her arm with the little strength left, and her friendship bracelet is still in tact. "I was the one who let that girl get to me. With all her stupid talk of friendship I hesitated, and didn't luwer her away back in town like I planned to."
Thinking on it now Cheryl did suggest for the two of them to hang out some more alone when Raylen spoke on leaving. But for some reason after giving her that bracelet they came straight back here. Was she originally setting that up to kill her while she was away from Sonny?
"Maybe...things were going to play out this way regardless. The others especially Duran will be coming for you both. Will you really...survive against them all?"
"I-I didn't want it to go this way, Cheryl." Is the last thing he can say to her before she takes her final breath. Brooklynn is left frozen in shock as it's the first time she has ever witnessed someone die right in front of her. Her magenta eyes looking at Sonny who's head is dropped low, and nails digging deep into the carpet. Suddenly she spots tears falling down on the floor.
He's crying...but why?
Brooklynn doesn't believe her voice will work if she tries to speak. The two of them without a doubt knew one another. It must hurt deeply to kill anyone, especially someone you've known. Maybe she wouldn't be dead right now if she had just listened to him. Then they wouldn't have fought here like this. Though if she was apart of the organization, Cheryl would have made a move eventually. It isn't until she feels the dampness on her own cheeks to realize she's crying too. Is it because a girl she thought was a friend is now laying dead on her floor? The fact she nearly lost her own life with that last attack? Or is it because Sonny looks so miserable?
He takes a breath finally turning to face the burnette walking over to her. "Are you okay, Brooklynn? Does it hurt anywhere?" She can only manage to shack her head in response. When Sonny notices her eyes his arms suddenly wrap around the Felixa tightly. "It's all over now, okay. You will start trusting me for now on, right?"
"Y-Yes, I will and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Sonny." She isn't the one who should be getting hugged right now.
"You don't have to keep on apologizing. I'm just glad you're alright. Though...this room isn't." Releasing her as they both gaze at the ransacked dorm room. The walls all scratched up and several things are either burned or broken. Even the burnt up door as if on cue falls down flat to the floor. "I'm sorry about your room. I'll call Ron and explain the situation. He'll also know what to do about her." He glances at Cheryl's body her empty eyes staring off into space.
Brooklynn looks at the friendship bracelet she gave her, then at the one on her on arm. "Cheryl..."
"It might take some time to get things sorted out, so you can just sleep in my room for the night. I know a lot has happened but try and get some rest...I'm sure you have questions but I'll explain more tomorrow."
"Okay," she weakly voices. Grabbing her pink night dress that's surprisingly still in one piece. Then goes over next door to change and lie down.
I can't believe everything that happened. What did Cheryl mean by him being a traitor? And why did Sonny look so sad when she died? It seemed more deep than killing a stranger. Did they use to be friends or something? Despite this all school's still in the morning. I should try to take his advice and gets some rest.
But no matter how hard she tries sleep won't seem to come to her.
A/N Suprised about Cheryl's transformation? What do you think their possible connection was? More to be revealed next update!