The lords of the Nightmare realm materialised out of darkness, hovering over the waves, like ghosts. Both of them wearing scowls of disappointment.
"So you're still alive?" Panic growled at Chelsea in particular. There was a burn mark on the left side of his face.
That wasn't there the last time she saw him clearly but it was of least interest to her. "You two are responsible for this." She raised her sword neglecting that she was in a row boat.
Nate and Justin held her back.
"Who are these guys?"
"The creeps that killed our parents." She said her voice filled with loathing. The sick feeling in her gut had vanished now replaced with deep rooted anger.
Nate too felt it. He glared at the men, one tall and sinister looking. The other round and menacing. As much as he felt like taking them on, he couldn't. He and his friends were at field disadvantage. These guys had magic.
Fear grinned as his eyes travelled over Nate. "The Ross woman right? She put on quite a fight, hope you you can too?"
The boy's fists clenched.
"Fight if you're going to Fear, if not go away." Justin said raising his voice. "Or are you afraid we'll still beat you?" He sneered at Panic who was rubbing the discoloured part of his face.
"Settle down Yang. Even if we wanted to fight you we can't."
This statement was greeted with silence.
Panic continued for his brother. "We spent our last ounce of magic keeping a special someone who could be useful."
As if on cue, the waters began stirring beneath the brothers. Blonde hair emerged follwed by the rest of Bailey.
"Hi Justin, miss me?"
The other two in the boat fixed Justin with accusing stares.
"Long story." He managed before the brothers began talking again.
"We've got gates to open and deaths to plan but I promise our next encounter will be far more entertaining." Panic said taking Bailey's hand and pulling her out of the water.
"Until then, worst wishes." With a wave of Fear's hand they vanished.
"Good riddance." Justin relaxed once more. The tension in yhe air seemed to have faded away with the brothers. "You two put the crazy crew out of your minds for now."
"Today's been so... unnatural," Nate said with a small smile. "My dad's going to lose it when he hears this."
"It comes with the job." Chelsea said thinking of how her own dad might react. He had tried to hide her from it. Moral of the story: you can't hide from the future no matter which cruel foster home you use.
"Come on kid. Let's teach you how to use your key to go places." Justin said.
Nate grinned. "Actually I was thinking we should row."
"Yeah, Justin, it'll be fun." Chelsea added bursting in into a lively recital of 'row row row your boat."
Nate joined. Justin groaned.
Why did I have to get stuck with this. He was staring at Chelsea she winked. That smile as infectious when it wasn't sarcastic.
After the some rowing, they decided to use the key. Mainly because the distance was way too far. Once back on shore, Justin gave Nate the usual instructions to report to the Alliance's HQ the next day.
Chelsea found out most passengers on the ship had been rescued before it capsized. The only ones who didn't survive were the crew and a few brave men who had opted to stay back so the women and children would leave first.
Chelsea stood by a sandy part of the pier, her eyes focused on the horizon. All those people dead. They were just caught in the middle of the crossfire and even if she wasn't entirely at fault she still blamed herself.
"You should have seen the look on Mr Ros-" Justin stopped talking when he saw she was in deep thought. He knew what she was thinking. "You can't always save everyone you know?"
"I wish I could."
He moved closer to where she was standing. "There was a time I used to wish that too."
She looked up in askance. "Tell me about it."
He seemed to wince at the suggestion. "Let's head to the hotel." He turned away and started walking towards the road.
Chelsea sighed. Why is he like this? She let her stare linger a little too long. He turned back and caught her. She managed to keep herself from looking sheepish as she jogged towards him.
Justin asked the cab to drop them off just a few blocks from their hotel. If they were lucky Chelsea could either bribe or sob story their way past security and the front desk.
During the walk he used the opportunity to talk to her.
"What did you see... You know, when you looked through my phone?"
"Was I suppose to see something special?" She chuckled, but he didn't join. She stopped.
"The things you saw didn't change your opinion about me?"
She looked up at him a little shocked, did she really seem that judgemental. "What's on that phone that I didn't already see in real life?"
He was quiet but she noticed the thin smile.
"Justin, you're a complex idiot and I know little about you. But I can't let what I see on your phone tell me who you are. I want you to tell me yourself."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And I want to start from why the bad guys are calling you son of chaos-"
"Terrible place to start from?"
"Okay, what were you talking about back at the pier?"
"You don't need to know."
She had to get at least one bit of emotion from her question she thought of one. "Is that lady in your wallpaper your mum?"
He froze. He looked at her, his gaze piercing right through her. She felt a freezing blast swirl right through her, like someone had wrapped her insides with a frosted chain. She gasped.
She came back and noticed Justin was holding her shoulders. His gaze was still warning her never to ask that kind of question again.
"No." He continued down the side walk.
Chelsea made her conclusion there and then, he wasn't ordinary.
Back at their room they were both surprised to meet Snowflake lying curled up beside three items. Both their phones and the journal.
Justin picked up the cat and danced it about the room. "You're welcome on the bed anytime you want you fluffy menace."
Chelsea watched in amusement before turning her attention to the journal. She sighed, it was safe.
"Chelsea you're okay, I was so worried." That was Ray the next morning when she called him on the phone.
She gave a small smile at hearing his concern even if it was through the phone. "I'm okay Ray, how's-"
"Everyone's worried sick. We heard of the capsize, and... Nelly's still in mourning."
She kept herself from bursting out in laughter. Justin didn't make it obvious he was listening. The phone was on loudspeaker, why won't he happen to over hear their conversation.
Chelsea continued stroking Snowflake. "Tell everyone I'm fine Ray."
"Sure." His voice was now filled with soft concern. "I'm so glad you're okay, I don't know what would have happened if I had believed it in the first place."
"I'd come back to hunt you for doing so." She joked.
"I'd deserve it. I feel so lost without you."
She blinked, hoping she hard heard wrong. No one could care that much about her.
Justin, made a choking noise like he was going to throw up. Obviously fake.
"Anyway, when are you coming back?" Ray went on when the still silence had gone on long enough.
Chelsea turned to Justin who mouthed the word 'tomorrow'.
"Tomorrow?" She didn't know they'd be leaving LA so soon.
"See you then." He hung up.
"How come we're leaving so soon, why didn't you tell me?" She threw at Justin.
He strapped on his watch. "What are you mad about, I thought you liked your old life?"
"I do but what if something bad happens? Anywhere we go, trouble follows and I refuse to have my friends dragged into it." He said nothing. "And again, aren't we meant to be heading to the location of the third Keeper?"
"Quit acting like you want to work. Just say you don't want to face the your foster family." He moved towards the door. "Oh and after breakfast, we need to meet with the Alliance."
She watched him leave and after threw a pillow at the door. Ugh.
Snowflake jumped off her lap and hissed.
"Sorry girl." She said and went to the small wardrobe to get her stuff.
Later that morning the went to the Alliance's HQ where Justin got what he's always dreamed of.
Chelsea had expected one big over elaborate ceremonial process but instead all she saw was Justin shot with blasts from all four members of the AO. During that time she couldn't take her eyes of Father time, he was back to his regular grandpa look. Her last mission had really changed her perspective of him, but now she couldn't shake the feeling someone else was going to pay her a visit.
Back at the hotel, Justin did not shut up about how great being immortal was.
"You still look the same to me, or maybe they just gave you a bigger ego." Chelsea sneered.
"Be quiet." He pulled out his phone. "I so have to tell Yin about this."
She went to the snack bar and came back to their table, holding a corn dog. "Your dad said immortality works in two ways, I don't get it."
He gave her an uninterested glamce before turning bag to his phone. "The first way is that I can survive a fatal injury, the second way is that I don't die unless I'm killed."
"Sweet."
"I know right?"
"I was talking about tge corn dog."
He glared at her. Then stood up to go.
"Where are you going?" Her smile faded.
"Far away from you. See you tonight." He left.
She tried to pretend she didn't care but how could she. Being alone wasn't really her thing. She took the last sad bite of her snack and made it back to their room.
Why does he act like this? She knew he hated it when she tried to pry but she couldn't help it. She turned to Snowflake. "Any ideas on how I can talk to him without him getting mad?"
The cat stretched itself on the bed and seemed like it more or less cared.
The next day, the two were back on the private jet on their way back home. Or at least that's what Chelsea called it. The ride was quiet since she and Justin didn't have much to say to each other. She used Magesty's light mode to play with Snowflake.
Once the plane landed they boarded a cab to the Lawsons' house, Justin opted to get out before they entered the street.
"Where are you going to stay?" Chelsea asked.
He shrugged. "I'll find my way."
"What about-"
"Chelsea please go home."
She nodded and told the cabby to move on. As they neared her foster home, she was surprised to see a small crowd around to see her. This might be the first time they met someone who survived a ship accident.
"I tried to keep it on the down low but Nelly made it hard." Ray told her as she stepped out.
She was overwhelmed, all she could hear was her name called from all angles. Suddenly she was tackled from behind.
"Chelsea Caves you will never get on another boat as long as I live." Nelly said half sobbing, half laughing.
"Got it. Now will you let me get my stuff out of the cab?"
The Lawsons were waiting for her on the porch. After she had waved off everyone else she walked up to them, Ray and Nelly behind her.
"Hi."
Mrs Lawson mumbled something unintelligible while Mr Lawson said. "So you're not dead? Hmm. Welcome back."
Maryse was like, "whatever..."
And Max just gave her a curt smile. She smiled back and walked in with her friends.
"I'm so glad you're back. How was the trip?" Nelly asked once they were in the safety of Chelsea's room.
She told them everything carefully removing the parts including her mission and Justin.
"Sounds like you had a blast." Ray said, he had not taken his eyes off her. She pretended not to notice. Even that was kind of hard.
"What about your dad? Did you meet him?" Nelly went on.
"If I did it'd be the first thing I tell you." She said dryly.
Nelly's phone began to ring. "Give me a sec." She left the room.
Chelsea looked at Ray who was watching Snowflake.
"So..." she lost track of what she wanted to say, she wasn't really the best at small talk.
He smiled. "Do you remember when I asked you if we could hang out, just the two of us?"
"Yeah. But I was busy."
"I hope you're free now?" He moved closer now. "I know its sudden but can we meet up tomorrow?"