I didn't dare move, full of anxiety and fear, the gun still pressed to the back of my head, the pain still coursing through me. I knew this was the end. I couldn't fight my way out of this one. Connor, Elizabeth, Eve, Willaim--everyone I've made friends with, I'm sorry it has to end this way. All I can hope for is that you guys and Willaim stay safe and protected. I'll be watching over you from above. I thought, mentally bracing myself for them to pull the trigger. "We had hoped to keep you alive longer, but since you only mess things up, you've got to go. Say hi to the lord for me." I listened, waiting for them to just get it over with. I could hear them slowly squeezing down on the trigger. But before the gun could go off, I heard the door open, and some surprised and confused grunts, before the pressure on the back of my head suddenly disappeared. Curious, I opened my eyes-seeing Eve sitting in front of me on his knees, checking me over for injuries, his expression concerned but calm. The pain was slowly starting to fade. "Eve?" I asked, looking back at him as he looked into my eyes. "Shelby, are you ok? You aren't hurt, right?" "Mentally or physically?" I tried to joke, but that just made Eve more concerned. He reached a hand out to me, and I took it, standing up with his help. "Then who tackled-?" "Oh, that? Yeah, that was Elizabeth, Connor, Amina, and Ms. Violet." I looked at him. "And exactly how did you manage to find each other?" Eve ran a hand through his hair. "Funny story. So, we had all been separated, like you had, right? Well, I had been walking around the edges of the trees, trying to find my way back. Some sort of portal opened up and out the squad came." I blinked, processing that information. "Ok, I'll be sure to ask the other four for their stories, if I'm gonna make sense of this."
*****
After a little while, the figures-villains?-had been captured, and were restrained, thanks to Elizabeth, Connor, Ms. Violet, and Amina. The first to rush over to me, though, was Connor. He rested his hands on my shoulders, looking me up and down for injuries, a bit of concern and worry in his eyes. I reached up and cupped his face with both of my hands, making him look into my eyes. "Hey, hey, I'm ok, I'm safe, and I'm here. Now, what about you? Are you hurt anywhere?" I asked, tilting his head to the left, and then to the right, not seeing anything. I then looked up and down his body, making sure he wasn't hurt-before he gently grabbed my chin, and pushed it upward, making me meet his gaze. "No, I'm perfectly fine. I'm just glad I was able to get here in time." He then wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my hair. I let him, wrapping my arms around him as well, a small, fond smile on my face. "And everyone else is good, right?" I asked. "I'm good!" Eve answered, watching us. "Nothing to worry about for me." Amina said, stretching her arms behind her back. Elizabeth, meanwhile, reached for the sky. "I'm a-ok! And teach?" Ms. Violet chuckled, resting her hands in her outfits pockets. "I'm good, thanks for asking." I stayed silent for a few minutes before asking my next question. "And Will?" Connor gave a small chuckle, kissing my hair. "He's great, and he's in good hands, which just so happens to be the rest of the class." I let out a sigh of relief. "Good." He gave a slight scoff. "You really do worry like a mother hen." I pulled away, gently and playfully punching his arm, a mock-stern expression on my face. "Oh, shut it! It's called motherly instincts." He laughed, rubbing at his arm, as if I had actually hurt him. "Anyway-should we get going, children?" Ms. Violet asked, a small, amused smirk on her face.