Aio, watches as the paramedic wheel away his brother, Jake. They place him in a black body bag, still and lifeless. Aio was crouching against the wall, his face has no expression, but for his red eyes, from the crying. Jake was his only thing that kept him tethered to his humanity. Now Aio was thinking that he had nothing, and no one. Neon walked up to him, grabbed Aio and lifted him up.
"I know it's hard, but we have to go." Neon starts, "but the police have to gather evidence and clean up." Aio didn't move, he couldn't move.
"Aio," Neon looks into Aios eyes. "Stay strong, for Jake. Don't let yourself be lost in despair." Aio slowly nods and allows himself to be led to the car that was to take him, and Dark Void home. He just sat looking out the window, watching as the city skyline passed by.
"Jake was one of the good ones, he's the one that changed my mind." Dark Void tells Aio, "Now it's left to us to take care of the scum that did that to him." Aio didn't respond.
The car pulls up to the school entrance, the boys get out and Dark Void walks Aio to his room in silence.
"If you need anything, just let me know." Dark Void offers, Aio mutters out a quiet thank you and closes the door.
He walks over to his bed and screams and cries into his pillow. The pain was almost too much for him. He lays in his bed for hours before Aren comes and knocks on his door. Aio doesn't answer after several knocks so Aren enters and walks to Aio's bed, and sits on the edge.
"Aio, we need to talk." Aren says. Aio sits up, though his head is down with his hands in front of him. "I know you're hurting, but this is the best time for you to hear this."
"I knew this hero once, he was very powerful and a very angry person. He lost many of friends to the struggle between heroes and villains. He became so angry that he saw tainted as a problem and swore revenge for all of his friends. got to the point where he tracked down these two tainted. He murdered them in cold blood, in their own home. after he finished he turned to see that they had a child he was no older than five the child was covered in blood and horrified. This hero had a very unique ability where he was able to feel the emotions of those around him. this kid feared him, and he held a hatred in him that this hero recognized. It was the same hatred that he felt towards the tainted, this child held the same hatred for the hero. that is when the hero realized that he became the very monster that he hated, that he wanted to defend others from. From that point on this hero vowed to take out the bitterness and the drive for revenge, all that poison, that he had and actually fight for justice. That hero was never the same again, he changed and not for the better. he had a better mission they ever had before but he was scarred for the rest of his life. Aio, I don't want you to become like him, Jake would never have wanted that for you too. Jake realized what bitterness and hatred brought to you and made you into, and he wanted few to not hold on to that. he wanted you to be the Aio you used to be. if you truly saw him as a brother then you would fight for what he fought for. I know you can never be who you once were, but if you can get a piece of that innocence that you lost it would be all for the best." Aren puts his hand on Aio's back for a couple moments before standing up. Aio stops him.
"Aren, one of the men said that I was tainted. Do you know anything about that?" Aio asks.
"I had my suspicions. Does it really matter Though? It doesn't change anything about you and it will never change how much I care for you." Aren responds.
"So it is true." Aio says.
"It's something we can keep to ourselves. Being tainted doesn't define who you are, but the choices that you make." Aren says, then walks out the door.
Aio looks over to Jake's bed, and sees his drum sticks laying on the covers. Aio walks over and picks them up and holds them. He reminisces about old times and happier times. The band they formed, and the music they played. Miss Laura's laugh and cooking. A tear formed in his eye as he remembers. A knock on the door startles him out of the daydream, this time Aio opens the door. Aurora, who is still bandaged up, and Dark Void who's with her, close to tears tells him what happened.
"Clarissa is missing! They didn't notice at first, but when they realized her ambulance never reached the hospital and couldn't find her, they realized she was taken. The ambulance was found thrashed, and the paramedics were killed. Please, we need your help to get her back." Aurora was talking quickly, and jumbling words together.
"Some of the teachers are headed out to look for her, but Lexi and Aimi think they know where she is. We were wondering if you wanted to come?" Dark Void asks.
Aio looks down at the drum sticks he had in his hands. He grips them tightly and sets them down before saying, "Let's go." and walking out the door with Dark Void and Aurora.
The group meets with Lexi, Aimi, and Tak. The other students who were at the warehouse were still recovering from their wounds.
"Aimi, Lexi I hear you think you know where Clarissa was taken?" Aio asks.
"Yes, but no. If we go to the site where Clarissa was taken, I can figure it out." Aimi clarifies.
"Ok, what is stopping our mentors from doing the same thing?" Aio asks.
"Well, few people have powers that can do that, and those who do are all currently deployed, including my father." Aimi answers.
"Why don't you go to the teachers with this information?" Aio asks.
"We all decided together that we would rescue Ros, and everyone who was injured in the process is our responsibility, and that includes Clarissa. We got her in this mess, and it's our responsibility to get her out of it." Lexi answers.
"I get that. Well, let's go." Aio says, and they all walk out to rescue their friend.
They call a taxi and they head to the scene of the crash, and they make sure that they are dropped off a block away from it and sneak up to the crime scene. Once there, Aimi scans the crime scene the best she can from afar, and closes her eyes taking in everything around her. After a few moments she opens her eyes and tells everyone to follow her. She takes them down the street and across the city. They end up calling a taxi to take them to their destination faster. They eventually get to where Clarissa is, an abandoned underground bar. They walk down the steps to the entrance. They begin to mutter to each other on the best course of action: bust open the door; create a diversion; or sneak their way in. Dark Void, tired of the discussion, breaks open the front door and walks in. They are greeted by a beat up Clarissa and four villains, two who look familiar. A lady, who looks like the leader, steps forward.
"I was waiting for you to show up." The woman says, "After your attack on my boss you murdered my friends, and the arrest of my lover, I expected you to turn up and finish the job."
"I'm here for her." Aio says, motioning to Clarissa, as he goes in for a punch. The woman barks an order and the other three inject themselves and jump in. Aio is knocked back quickly, he then powers up the first layer. Aio, Tak, Aimi, Aurora and Lexi fight the three men as the woman takes Clarissa and leaves. Dark Void turns around and leaves the bar.
One man changes into a lion attacks Tak. Tak gets slashed across the face, but manages to grab the lion and shock him. Aio jumps in and sucker punches the lion in the jaw. Another man with the power of magmatism starts flinging objects at the group. Aimi rushes forward dodging all the projectiles and attacks the man. She strikes him several times and knocks him out. The last man was shooting energy beams from his eyes at Lexi. The beam hits her and dissipates on contact. She walks forward while he tries to kill her. The man was unaware of anything besides her, Aio walks around him and grabs him while covering the man's eyes.
"Where did the woman go?" Aio asks. The man ignores the question.
"I won't ask again, where did the woman go?" Aio asks again.
"Why should I answer you?" The man asks.
"Because if you don't, you're going to have a very bad day." Aio answers.
"I'm already having a bad day." The man answers.
"Dark Void..." Aio says, but stops suddenly when he realizes dark Void is not around. " Where is he?" Aio asks.
"I saw him run out the door when the fighting started." Aurora answers.
"Hmm, that's not like him." Aio says. "Aimi, can you track down the woman or Clarissa?"
"Yes, just give me a few moments." Aimi answers.
Dark Void is running down the street right on the tail of the woman. He shoots a beam of black energy at her, which knocks her down. He quickly catches up, and punches her hard. The woman gets up and readies herself, she injects herself with the serum. Then she quickly gains her composure.
"Come and get it handsome." She says while running at Dark Void. He quickly dodges the first punch and hits her in the kidney, but is surprised by an elbow to the jaw. He drops down and trips the woman. He then tries to kick her in the face, when she grabs his foot and tries to pull it out from under him. Dark Void just does a backflip to keep himself on his feet. The woman gets up and readies herself again.
"You don't stand a chance, this serum just gave me a boost in agility, strength and speed." The woman says to Dark Void. Dark Void makes himself an energy staff, and attacks the woman. She blocks a few hits, but each hit shocks her. Dark Void presses his attack and eventually defeats her. The woman slumps down defeated and exhausted.
"Just get it over with." She says.
"No, your life is to be taken by another." Dark Void says as he knocks her out. He rushes to Clarissa who is not in good shape. She's bruised and bloodied.
"What took you so long." She asks Dark Void.
"Quiet, Aio and the others will be here soon." He answers. The others run up and see the woman knocked out, while Dark Void is by Clarissa's side.
"So you didn't run away." Aio says to Dark Void.
"No, I was just smart enough to know the true target.
"Is Clarissa alright?" Aurora asks.
"She's a beat up, but she'll live." Dark Void answers. Aurora, Lexi and Aimi run to her side
"Looks like you caught her. We can take her to the authorities along with the others." Aio says. Dark Void gets up and walks over to Aio.
"I saved her for you. Start your revenge for Jake, and Clarissa. Kill her." Dark Void tells Aio. He then walks over to the woman and sits her up. The woman then looks up at Aio.
Aio begins to walk towards the woman, while the others start to shout at him telling him to stop.
Then a hand rests on his shoulder, Aio looks back and everything around him goes black, then he sees Jake.
"Aio, you are not alone. We will always be with you and support you." Jake says. Aio looks back in front of him and sees Miss Laura, Jake and the other kids. They are all smiling at him.
"Aio, don't lose what made you, you." Miss Laura says to Aio as everyone fades away.
Aio, back in reality, turns away from the woman and walks away telling Dark Void "No."
"You're weak Aio." Dark Void says as he slits the woman's throat, killing her, as everyone yells at him to stop. "That's what's wrong about all of you. You are not strong enough, to do what it takes to protect those who need it. There are few good people left in this world, Jake was one of them. Now he's gone, because people couldn't do what needed to be done. Good people need someone who are willing to do what what it takes. Don't get in my way." Dark Void then runs into the dark. Aio watches his friend run away, then runs to Clarissa's side.
Next Times, Chapter 24 Resolution...