"DEAAAAATTHH IS ALMOST UPOOON ME!!!!!!!!" Jarex wailed, as he pounded out explosive power chord after explosive power chord.

"I jump... from the staaaarship onto... the mansion rooooof," Leffa sang sweetly. Her melodious tones were strange, coupled with the eardrum-destroying guitar sounds, but everyone agreed, she sounded perfect. The song they were playing was "Touching the Hands of the Ocean," a powerful ballad that Jarex had written. No one but the songwriter could seem to figure out what it was about.

Edward played the same melancholy piano riff in the background over and over. It didn't bother him, though. He enjoyed playing the piano very much. It put him in a nice mood. Even if he was playing some sort of neo-trash hardcore noise, he still enjoyed the music. However, he did not like playing with Jarex as the leader of the band.

He knew Jarex hated him. It was obvious from the beginning. Edward had no idea what the origin of this animosity was, but it was certainly there. From the way the band leader glared at him for no apparent reason, to how he made Edward do all the heavy labor involved in moving equipment, to the way he never let Edward voice his opinion. Even though he had found this great room that they were playing in now, the room below the chapel, Jarex still resented Edward. It frustrated him, but he could live with it.

"Flaming skeletons... call my name..." crooned Leffa.

"AND THEY BECKON ME BACK HOME!!!" finished Jarex with a mighty crashing chord that let into one of the many guitar solos he wrote for himself. He danced around, angrily strumming the strings, tossing his hair all around. Kalie giggled at him, but to Edward it looked rather stupid. In one impressive jump, he flung himself up to the pedestal and started jamming on top of the altar. Leffa gasped.

Of course, Jarex didn't know that the things he was stepping meant so much to Leffa, but he was still jumping over sacred images. Edward was irritated. Jarex had no idea what had occurred here between Edward and Leffa, but so far, he hadn't been treating this place with any respect whatsoever. His guitar-playing antics got dangerously close to the stained-glass many times. The mosaics really were beautiful. Edward had been examining one the entire practice. It depicted a spider-like humanoid. It would be a shame for them to break.

Jarex pounded out the last chord, and took a deep, flamboyant bow."Alright guys, practice is over. We're leaving. See you all in one week." Jarex stepped down off the podium and walked straight over to Kalie. Edward sighed with relief and swung his bookbag over his shoulder to leave.

"Nice job on the keyboards, Edward!" complimented Leffa as he neared the door.

"Thanks. You're a great singer," said Edward in return. "You should do that for a living."

"Wouldn't that be AWESOME?" Leffa squealed in agreement. "You'd get to sing and stuff... and get paid! How amazing would that be?"

Edward laughed. "That would be great." Inside, however, he couldn't help thinking that the gods may not exactly want the chosen one to spend her entire life singing. He kept those thoughts to himself, though, they seemed like something Leffa might not want to be reminded of.

They continued their conversation for several more minutes. The two were starting to get along very well, beginning after Leffa had told Edward her secret. Leffa's identity as the chosen one hadn't been brought up since between the two, that would just be too awkward. But they seemed to understand each other better now. Edward would definitely consider her as a friend, as opposed to before when she was just sort of an acquaintance.

"Well, I better go," said Leffa, and Edward waved a hand goodbye. She ducked down through the small stone archway and out of sight. He heard Jarex say something similar to Kalie, and both started to walk out toward the tiny exit. Edward just stood there, waiting for the others to get out as for a clear passage. As Jarex walked by him, Edward felt something hard and pointy slam into his stomach. He doubled over in pain, lungs seizing up.

Jarex just walked past like nothing had happened. What was that for? wondered Edward. But he dared not say it aloud.

* * * * *

Edward was walking in a forest. A wind blew through the trees, rattling the branches above his head. The sound of pine needles crunched softly under his feet. Leaves floated to the ground. But this was obviously not just any forest

The trees were not all the same shade of green. The lush green of the canopy was mixing in with vibrant hues of pinks, reds, oranges, yellows, blues, and violets. The spectacular display kept Edward looking up at the sky, gazing at the colors.

It was night, and darkness had fell over the wilderness. In the gloom, Edward could see only a couple yards in front of him.

There was a rugged path beneath his feet, weaving through the trees. He followed it loosely, through every twist and turn that it took, leading further into the darkness. He was beginning to think he was lost. How long had he been walking for? He had no way of knowing. All he could do was follow the winding path through the enchanted woodland.

Suddenly, he reached a clearing, and he couldn't believe what he saw ahead of him.

A unicorn. Yes, a unicorn. To make it even stranger, the unicorn was bright pink. It was like something out of a fairy tale, amidst the dark cool of the forest and the soft light radiating out of the creature's fur. It stood proud and mighty before the boy, a spiraling horn extending from its forehead.

He stepped forward, attempting to try and possibly touch the magnificent beast. But the unicorn saw through his actions, and took a step back. And then it spoke to him.

"The world is soon to end," it stated simply. "It starts today. Everything changes today. And you, you must come to this forest. There lies your true destiny. You must play the game. You must.

A thousand questions were tumbling through Edward's mind. He began to open his mouth to ask the unicorn. It glowed pink in the moonlight, and Edward was so transfixed thatthump

thump

thump

Edward rolled over and slammed his fist on the softly thumping alarm clock. Man, he had been having some bizarre dreams lately. He hopped up and out of his bed, pulled on some khaki pants and a polo shirt, put on his glasses, combed his hair, grabbed his books,and wasted no time in getting to breakfast. Today, he was a very hungry boy.

As he walked down the stairs, however, one phrase kept repeating in his mind. The world is soon to end. It starts today. The world is soon to end. It starts today. The world is soon to end. It starts today... Sometimes he wished his subconsciousness would just shut up. He was having a difficult enough time without these seemingly random inner voices.

He grabbed some breakfast, and looked for a place to sit. Unfortunately, the table Leffa was sitting at was full when he got there, so he had to rely on Andrew and company for support. After enduring a conversation full of DuelBlasters trading card game strategies, he headed off to first period.

First period was a rather uneventful class that day, they filled out several worksheets while Mr. Faverbro ate bananas behind his desk. The teacher's eating habits were oddly humorous, actually, but Edward was glad to see the end of that period. Especially because he had to do twice the work, due to Leffa making him assist her on every problem.

Second period, art class, was anything but uneventful.

Edward had finished all his assigned projects, so Greto told him that he could just draw in a sketchpad for a while. His mind still lingered on the dream from the previous night. The world is soon to end. It starts today... He found himself, without even realizing it, sketching out a scene from his nighttime vision. The unicorn... that bizarre pink unicorn, stood in the center, fierce and bold. Over its head, hung the trees of the forest.

As time grew on, it was turning out to be a rather good picture. He had gotten the shading right, something he had not quite mastered before, and somehow, maybe just by chance, the lighting through filtering in through the trees was just right. He was just sketching in the grass when-

BRAAANG BRAAANG BRAANG BRAAANG BRAANG BRAANG BRAANG BRAAANG

Edward must have jumped a foot off of his chair at the sound of the alarm. His hands clamped over his ears. He heard girls shriek. "Stay calm!" he heard Greto shout, while running to the door and pulling it firmly shut. "Stay calm and listen to me!"

The room was filled with utter confusion. The shrieking din of the alarm blocked out much of the shouts of the students, and Greto had to yell his commands over the havoc. No one seemed to have any idea what was going on. Edward would have guessed that it was a fire drill, like there were in his old school on Earth, except for the fact that Greto had closed the door, and no one ever went outside of the school anyway.

"Everyone, get into the supply closet RIGHT NOW. From now on, do exactly what I say," he demanded far more ferociously that was common for Greto. "Get in the supply closet!" he repeated as he threw open the door to a small room, the walls lined with posterboard, clay, scissors, and other materials.

No one was sure what was going on, as they crammed into the room one by one, many with hands over their ears. When all the students had filed in, Greto did a quick head count and then shut the door behind them.

The alarm sound was dulled in the closed-off room, it had faded to a solid thump, like Edward's clock. The art teacher got down on his knees, ran a hand through his dark, unruly hair in worry, and addressed the class.

"Do not panic, everyone," he started off by saying very calmly. "This alarm basically means there's an internal threat. This alarm says that there is someone or something inside the school that may cause harm to us." Edward noticed that Greto was speaking far less casually than he usually did, and in a completely different tone. It was almost like a separate person was saying the information.

"I don't know if this is just a drill or not. They usually let us know ahead of time, so it's most likely not. But-" he continued, as some girls in the corner whimpered, "It could be the alarm malfunctioning, or something similar. It could just be that they saw a suspicious person, who will turn out to actually the health inspector, and there is no threat whatsoever. Or say, a wild animal getting into the school that will soon leave. This is a 'better safe than sorry' thing. So, please. Don't panic."

The speech didn't look like it was having quite the effect Greto wanted it to have. Some girls hugged each other, everyone had worried expressions on their faces, and you could cut the tension in the air with a knife. "However," continued Greto, "There is a possibility there could actually be a serious threat. If you listen to me, I guarantee you, you will all be fine. This door is securely locked, and almost impossible to break down. I will have to leave the room in a moment, as it is my duty to go look up and down the halls and in the school bathrooms for students. When I come back, I will knock three times on the door, then pause and knock a fourth time. You will know it is safe to open the door." He got up from his crouching position, and left the room.

Edward was very unnerved by now, and he didn't think that he was the only one. Greto reminded them all to stay absolutely quiet, and then he disappeared behind the door. It closed with the soft click of a lock. A redheaded girl next to Edward began to sob with her head in her hands.

Okay, Edward began to rationalize. Breath normally, it's probably nothing. Still, his mind couldn't help returning to the school shootings that were ever so present on planet Earth... People died in those, about ten people every time one occurred. What was preventing some insane gunman from stopping by this very room and killing everyone inside it?

And those words... The world is soon to end. It starts today... Was that what the threat was? The end of the world? Did it have something to do with the apocalypse? Edward reminded himself that that was silly. Of course it has nothing to do with that, it was just a silly dream. A recurring dream, yes, but still a dream. He still hadn't quite convinced himself. Besides, the world ending would be an external threat. This is ridiculous, Edward, you know you're going to be okay.

But his mind ran through worst-case-scenario after worst-case-scenario. A mass murderer was trying to kill every last student in the building. A bomb had been placed in the center of the school, and they couldn't find out how to shut it off. A specimen of rare bacteria in a biology lab had been spilled, and it would soon infect everyone in the school. The worst part about it was that he was in the Kingdom of Doom, where everything was possible! It could just as easily be a rampaging dragon in the school as it could be a bank robber.

He didn't want to admit it, but he was terrified.

Think of something normal, he thought. Anything to take your mind off of this. So he thought about Jarex, and how he was actually an impressive songwriter, despite not being a very kind person. He thought about his first period class, and how sometimes it was very interesting and how other times it was very boring. He thought about Leffa, and the way her hair swirled around her shoulders. Suddenly, however, his thoughts were interrupted by heavy footsteps outside the door.

Instantly, everything was deathly silent. The several crying girls instantly choked their sobs. The straggling whispers among students ceased. Edward heard commands barked, but they were unintelligible. He prayed with all his heart that whoever was out there would pass by, but they didn't. The footsteps grew louder and louder, until they appeared to be right in front of the door to the hiding place.

"I'm telling you, there's no one here," said a familiar and assertive voice. Edward could just barely hear it from inside the door.

"We'll see about that, won't we?" sneered another voice, his one cold and unfamiliar. "If you're lying to me, Greto, there will be consequences."

Edward heard some grunts and other muffled sounds of a struggle. Now he was not only scared for his own safety, but of Greto's. Goose bumps were raised on his skin.

A hoarse, low grunt. "Tell them... to open... the... door."

"Kids, you can open the door now, it's me," came Greto's nervous voice. Nobody moved. A faint smile briefly crossed Edward's lips at how Greto had prepared the secret code, and it now was saving their lives.

Seconds slowly went by. You could feel the stillness in the air. Nobody twitched at all, not even moved a muscle, paralyzed in fright.

After an agonizing moment, the threatening man grunted, "Alright. They're not here. You win. Now, Greto, you're coming with me, and you'll help me find the person..."

"I'm telling you, I don't know any girls with long blond hair..." explained Greto as his voice and footsteps faded away out of earshot. Suddenly, what he had just said struck Edward with a sickening realization.

Oh my god...

Leffa. They were after Leffa. He was sure of it. Hadn't she said so herself? "I think people are looking for me. I think people know that I'm special. And I'm scared of them." Those were her exact words, weren't they? That was a week or two ago, and she had obviously thought that the threat was immanent enough to tell Edward about it. Oh my god. Leffa was in terrible danger, or so it seemed.

You're jumping to conclusions, Edward reminded himself. It's probably totally unrelated. There are a lot of girls with long blond hair. Just stay here, and everything will be fine. But he knew that wasn't true. He knew that Leffa was the only girl with long blond hair that someone would break into a school to reach. He knew that she was in mortal peril, and he could do absolutely nothing about it.

They're going to kill Leffa. They're going to kill her, and then she'll be gone. Forever. I'll never hear her sing again. Her perky attitude will be totally gone. Because she'll be dead. Oh my god. Oh my god.

Beads of sweat were running down Edward's forehead. He couldn't think straight. He couldn't sit there, knowing that right now, people were coming to kill his best friend. But he couldn't do anything about it, either. For a moment, the ridiculous thought of finding her and rescuing her himself came into his head. Then he remembered how cripplingly, pathetically wimpy he was, and the thought left his mind.

Then, a new, reckless thought came into his head. Jarex. It was obvious, from the way he looked at her, to the way he treated her, that Jarex fancied Leffa. And the boy was athletic. Edward had seen him do athletic feats many times before during band practice. He would run and jump around the circular chapel, shredding out chords on his electric guitar, trying to impress Kalie and Leffa.

Somehow, Edward knew that he had to get into contact with Jarex. Edward suddenly understood, with a lurching feeling in his stomach, that it would be easy enough, he knew what classes both Leffa and Jarex had during second period. It had come up at band practice before.

This is stupid, he told himself. Are you really going to risk your life to help Leffa out, who may or may not be in danger? Those people are murderers. It's just a silly girl, your own life is more important.

As desperately as he was trying to convince himself out of it, he knew that he couldn't just sit in the room. Because Leffa was the chosen one. In every book Edward had ever read with a "chosen one" in it, the author reached the same conclusion. If the chosen one died, the evil force would triumph. The world would die along with the chosen one.

Edward still didn't know exactly what being the chosen one meant that Leffa had to do. But logic told him, that she must be saved.

There was no talking himself out of it now.

Edward slowly rose to his feet and calmly walked toward the door. His classmates gaped at him, obviously wondering what the hell he was doing. He gave no answer, and instead swung the door open and walked out of the closet, into the art room. Securely shut the door behind him, making sure that it was locked, he left the frightened children behind.

As soon as he stepped away from the door, he instantly wanted to take it back. He was out in the open. He felt absolutely naked. Any gunman could find him here. His death was starting to look like a very real possibility now.

The only thing he could do was to find Jarex, as planned. Jarex was in technology with Mr. Avo, and the computer lab was just a couple corridors away from the art room. Edward tried to convince himself that it would be easy. He failed. He was quivering with fright.

The longer you stand here, the worse your chances are, he told himself. So he crept through the art room door, fully expecting to see an evil man on the other side. There wasn't one. So he stole down the hallway, making as little noise with his feet as possible. Every turn in the hallway was a nightmare. He expected every shadow he came up on to jump out at him. He felt as exposed as a turtle out of its shell.

Finally, wiping his forehead in relief, Edward reached the computer lab. He turned the knob of the door. As he expected, it was locked. Slowly, unsure of himself, he raised a fist and knocked three times, then once. Maybe the code was the same for all the teachers. It was worth a shot.

Edward heard hushed voices from within the room, and the sound of people moving around. Edward stood there for several seconds, looking over his shoulder frantically, until the door swung open for him and he was let in.

"What were you doing out there?" a thin man with short brown hair a cropped beard, who Edward assumed was Mr. Avo, whispered incredulously. "Do you know how dangerous it is? Be glad that there's a peephole on this door, or we wouldn't have known who it was, and we would have never let you in!"

"Well," babbled Edward, making up a lie on the spot, "I was in the bathroom when the alarm went off. I just now gathered up the courage to come here."

"We're all scared," comforted the teacher. "Sit down, don't say anything, and you'll be fine."

Before sitting down, Edward studied the crowd of students for a thin-faced, black-haired boy. He found Jarex sitting on the far side of the room, Kalie sobbing into his shoulder. The boy was embracing her, trying to comfort her, but it was obvious that his attempts were half-hearted.

One had to admire the boy's courage. Jarex was the only one in the room who didn't carry a worried expression. A cold, intense glare lay on his face. It was the expression of total indifference towards the situation.

Edward slid down beside the entwined pair, and Jarex still didn't twitch. He remained apathetic, staring at a distant point in space. Edward lightly tapped him on the shoulder, and he silently mouthed, "What."

"I need your help," Edward whispered back, aware of how much of an idiot he sounded.

"Shut up," Jarex mumbled, and turned his head away, and rested it on his redheaded girlfriend's shoulder.

Edward made another attempt at persuading Jarex. "It's about Leffa... she's in trouble."

This time, Jarex's head spun around faster than before. "What?" he hissed. "What the hell is going on? I am so fucking confused right now, I could kill someone."

"Please, Jarex," Edward begged in a hushed tone. "They're attempting to kill Leffa... and... um..."

"You're an idiot," Jarex murmured, and he coldly looked away, before Edward could even finish his sentence.

"No!" Edward burst out. Every eye in the room turned toward him, and he clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Ssssh..." Mr. Avo reminded the class.

After all the eyes turned away, Jarex whispered to him, "What the fuck are you talking about? " He glared at Edward. "'Leffa is in trouble'" he cruelly imitated. "Either you tell me what's going on, or I'm not talking to you anymore, no matter how pathetic you act."

"Okay, so... uh...," Edward babbled, trying to think of what to say. If he told Jarex the truth, he would never believe it. If he told Jarex a lie, the boy probably wouldn't care enough to take action. "Well, the thing is, Leffa is um... special. I don't know how, but I know that she is. And these people, the guys that are in the school, are after her, and we need to help her. And so... I came to talk to you. Uh... she's in the theater class, I think. We have to get her out of there."

Jarex arched an eyebrow. "Wow. Coming all the way over here is... ah... more than I expected of you," he admitted. "But. Your story sounds like bullshit." He sighed, and relaxed his hold on Kalie. She fell to the ground, looking shocked and bewildered, with wide eyes full of tears. "Let's pretend that what you're saying is true. It gives me an excuse to get some exercise."

The boy stood up to his full height, stretching and yawning, and Edward was soon to follow. "Boys... what exactly are you doing?" asked Mr. Avo, but the two ignored him. Jarex nimbly leaped over sitting people, while Edward weaved around the class, being careful not to trod on any toes. Jarex held open the door for Edward, and the two rushed out of the technology lab, leaving a very confused teacher and a group of stunned students behind.

Before Edward was even fully through the door, Jarex had rushed off in the distance of the narrow corridor, his heels clacking noisily on the linoleum floor. Edward ran to catch up, huffing and puffing in Jarex's wake. "Jarex!" he called after the other boy.

Jarex sharply whirled around on his heel, flicking his hair back from his eyes. "I can't run as fast as you, you know," complained Edward. "And why are you wearing those boots? Everyone in the building must have heard us by now!"

"It's not my fault if you're slow," was Jarex's cold reply. "And these boots?" he said, as he lifted up his leg and ran a finger along the shiny metal sole. "They're like the most fashionable thing I own. Can't help it if I decided to wear them today."

"You could always take them off," suggested Edward.

"Fuck you," stated Jarex, and then he ran off again, leaving a huffing and puffing Edward behind. They ran through the hallways, the distance between Edward and his companion increasing with every passing second.

Suddenly, Jarex stopped in his tracks, and a wheezing Edward got a moment's reprieve. Clutching a stitch in his side, it was only when he looked up that he realized exactly what was towering over them.

It was most definitely one of the gunmen that had invaded the school, yet it wasn't at all how Edward had imagined them to look like. He had pictured them as guards, to have some sort of armor, complete with a helmet and bulky shoulder pads. But no. This one was wearing, of all things, long, flowing robes. Ornate designs covered every inch of the stark white clothing. Harshly contrasting with the grace of his apparel were the two enormous guns he wielded, one in each hand.

The formidable man began to open his mouth, but before he could do anything. Jarex rapidly grabbed him around the chest, drew his head back, and firmly slammed his scalp into the man's stomach. "Nice dress," he cruelly commented, as his opponent doubled over in pain.

Before Edward's brain fully took in Jarex's daring feat, the black-haired boy rushed off into the distance, leaving the blond-haired boy to chase after him.

By the time they reached the theater classroom, Edward could feel the sweat under his armpits, whereas Jarex's breathing was still calm and normal. He fervently hoped that Jarex would slow down from now on, but it seemed unlikely. While Edward was still hunched over, recuperating from the mad rush down the corridors, Jarex took matters into his own hands and sharply rapped on the door.

It didn't open.

"Oh fuck, that's right, of course they lock these doors... now let's see..." Jarex stood there for a moment, staring into space. Then, his head snapped back to look at the door, and all of a sudden, his foot sprung forward in a hard, fast impact. There was a massive crunching noise, and the door fell to bits. Shards of wood flew in all directions, forcing Edward to shield his face from the debris. The door had been totally derailed from its hinges, and a shocked scene lay before them.

"Oh my goodness!" a female teacher in the room shrieked. "Jarex! That's... that'... ten detentions for you! How could you!?"

Jarex completely ignored her. "Leffa!" he demanded. "Come here. Now."

The seated occupants of the drama room all turned toward the destined girl. Her hanging head lifted. Tears were running down her cheek and, she looked absolutely frightened. "Uh..." she muttered confusedly, with fear laced into her pale eyes. Jarex stepped into the room, striding across the floor toward her, and Edward followed him a few seconds later, shifting his glance from side to side.

"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, MR. JAREX DEVEDA?!" screamed the female teacher. "YOU'RE ENDANGERING THE SAFETY OF ALL OF US!"

"Come on, Leffa."

The girl slowly stood up, looking very unsure of herself, and ran toward the boys. "They're after me, aren't they?" she asked, knowing the answer. "Yeah," Jarex confirmed. "Or so Edward says so. Now let's go before that fucking hag over there gets too pissed."

"WHAT???" roared the teacher, but by that time, Jarex was off again, and Edward and Leffa hastily sought to catch up, rushing back down the hallway and out of sight. Jarex's black metal-tipped boots were making a hideous and loud din, and Edward was sure they would be heard. But Jarex was too far ahead of Edward for him to say anything, and calling back after him would also point out their location.

Needless to say, it wasn't long before they were found. Specifically, found by a burly sentry and a smaller companion, both adorned in the flowing white robes. Unlike the previous ones Edward had encountered, they were both equipped with swords.

"It's her!" squealed the smaller intruder, brandishing his long blade. "By the Four Gods, it is..." muttered the muscular one in agreement. "Well, you know the boss's orders. I guess it's better if we kill the chosen one." He also unsheathed his blade, the tip pointing in Leffa's face.

"Shut the fuck up," replied Jarex coldly. "You're not going to kill her, you dirty motherfucker. I'll kill you first." Leffa gasped.

The taller villain gave a loud, booming laugh. "This kid has some attitude, doesn't he? I like you already!" The man's chuckles receded, and a more serious expression came upon his face. He adjusted the belt on his white gleaming robes. "Anyway, I don't care about you two. If you'll just hand over the girl, everything will end up just fine. Plus, we don't want anyone to die, now, don't we? We might have to resort to violence if you don't cooperate..."

"I'll save you the opportunity," sneered Jarex, and in one swooping motion he brought his knee straight up into the large man's crotch. A pained expression snapped into reality on the target's face. He dropped his sword to the ground with a sharp clink, wincing and moaning in pain. Leffa giggled.

"How do you do stuff like this?" Edward asked incredulously. He always knew that Jarex was nimble and strong, but not... this nimble and strong!

Jarex snatched up the weapon on the floor, and forced it up in close proximity to the second foe's face, letting it rest right next to his Adam's apple. The scrawny intruder quivered in fear. "You never saw us," he enforced, before darting off in the distance once more.

"I wish he'd wait for us," moaned Edward.

But it seemed like Jarex was slowing down now, as he was going at a considerably more reasonable pace than before. It was most likely due to having Leffa by his side again, and having the constant need to protect her.

Edward put on a sudden burst of speed to catch up to the blazingly fast Jarex, in order to get a quick word in with him. Sweat trickled slowly down his forehead. "We... need... to... find... a way... out... of... here...," the boy pointed out, wheezing and sputtering.

"I know," calmly replied Jarex, still racing ahead of his classmate.

"But... we... need... it... now..." gasped Edward, hardly finding the air to use the words.

"Do you have an exit plan?"

"No... but... I..."

"Well, I do. Follow me."

Jarex rushed through the twisting and turning hallways, seemly intent on just getting somewhere, anywhere, as fast as he could. He still clutched the heavy sword in one hand. Admittedly, he did slow down at the end of each hallway segment for his two companions (mostly for Edward), but he did so with a cold scorn, as if it was expected that they were to be as ridiculously fast as him.

Soon, the inevitable happened, and more men in white robes came unexpectedly racing around a corner. Leffa and Edward halted in their tracks, unsure of what to do, but Jarex, without missing a beat, held up the stolen sword, and rammed the weapon into one of the five men. His target was knocked over to the ground, his robes gashed and torn by the force of the blade.

"How... does... he... do that?" gaped Edward.

"I have absolutely NO idea," replied Leffa.

The other four men turned on Jarex, drawing daggers, guns, and other tools of war. Jarex was undaunted. "Surprised?" he sneered, standing in the center of a tight circle of opponents. There was a moment's pause as the robed invaders stared down the outnumbered hero.

Jarex cautiously held his blade, surveying the four for a chance to strike. Then he snapped. In a flurry of motion, he spun his body like a whirlwind, swinging the sword as he turned. It slashed the air, but caught no bodies, for the men had dodged its path. Jarex ceased his motion, showing no outward sign of discouragement.

One of the four men spoke up, after leaping out of Jarex's range. "Guys, you're forgetting. The girl we want is right there! Ignore this kid! The girl, she could run away any second now!"

The men followed his advice, and slowly turned on Leffa, clutching daggers, turning the sights of their guns toward the poor girl's neck.

Tears ran down her face.

"I... I..." she began nervously. "For whatever I did, I'm sorry! You don't... you don't have to shoot me! What have I ever done to all of you?"

"I can't tell you that what our motive is," the same man, who appeared to be the leader of the group, told her. "But I will tell you that no one here wants to kill an innocent girl. Our orders are to not refrain from using violence if necessary. So please, don't make it necessary. Come quickly."

All eyes centered on the sobbing chosen one. There was utter silence.

"Come quickly," repeated the man, the barrel of his gun still pointing straight at her.

They waited, anticipating to strike any moment. Then, tears still draining from her eyes, Leffa slowly shook her head.

The men burst forward at her, the pointed ends of their daggers gleaming, the leader shouting hoarse commands. Edward could barely tell what was going on in the chaos. He spotted Jarex trying to get in an attack, but failing, he saw Leffa crying harder and harder, he saw men prepare to pull the trigger, then...

A blinding light filled the room.

Edward could see it all unfold. He was standing behind Leffa, and the light was in a cone radiating from her chest, where he knew the symbol to be. The light was so intense, he found himself shielding his eyes from the glow. He heard some mangled screams, and then it faded.

All four robed men were laying still on the carpeted floor.

There was silence.

"Let's go," whispered Leffa.

"Uh... first, maybe we should grab some of the weapons they dropped," commented Edward, still dazzled by Leffa's shocking display of power.

"Good idea," was Jarex's rare appreciative comment.

They snatched up fallen guns and daggers from the unconscious bodies, and then they chased off down the hall, Jarex leading the way. "We're almost there, guys," he muttered.

But Edward looked behind him, and he saw even more men in robes run after them, armed with enormous guns that took two hands to hold. "STOP!" one man yelled after the teenagers, but the heroes all put on a burst of speed, sprinting faster toward their unknown destination.

TSEEW!!

All three looked back. One man had shot his guns, which was apparently a laser, up at the roof as a warning. Ceiling tiles crumbled to dust, showering the two gunmen with debris.

"RUN EVERYBODY!!!" screamed Jarex, as he sped up far into the distance ahead of them. Edward sprinted faster than he had ever sprinted before. His insides were writhing out in pain, every inch of his body hurt, but this was a matter of life and death.

"STOP OR WE'LL SHOOT!" roared a man behind them, but they took no heed, just running out of their mind. The distance between the students and the foes grew, but the robed figures were armed, and they knew how to use their weapons...

Edward had lost sight of Jarex, and Leffa was extremely far in the distance. Still, he sprinted and sprinted, pushing against his very limits. A laser shot flew by him, just barely missing him, singing the hairs on his arm. He sprinted harder, and harder, and suddenly he felt something tug on his sleeve. He whirled around, expecting to see another foe, but it was his dark-haired companion, lying flat against an indent in the wall. Leffa was pressed up against the brick beside him.

"Go in the door!" barked Jarex, pushing open a heavy door beside him. The three dashed in, and Jarex firmly closed the door behind him. Edward hunched over, gasping for his lost breath, but Jarex wouldn't let him. "KEEP FUCKING GOING!" he screamed. And so they started up their mad rush again.

They were in another hallway, this one with tight, cramped white plaster walls and a linoleum floor. The hallway got thinner and thinner as they chased through, passing many doors with labels Edward didn't have the time to read.

Finally, Jarex stopped, and pulled open another door, letting the other two rush in. "There's no time to lose!" he roared, as Edward and Leffa struggled to catch up.

Once they were inside, and Jarex had slammed the door behind them, they faced an incredible sight.

An enormous swimming pool. Yes, a swimming pool, and it was at least as big as a football field. The still waters of the pool were untouched by any foreign object, the image of serenity itself. They were stained dark blue, darker than any swimming pool Edward had ever seen. And after a slight pause, he realized why. He couldn't see the bottom.

"This is the pool I told you about. It has no bottom," explained Jarex. "I'm ninety-nine percent sure that if you swim far enough, it leads to the lake. If we can only get down and out, we'll be free."

"What if you're wrong?" asked Leffa curiously..

"Then you get kidnapped and possibly killed. Now get in, before those fuckers catch up."

"But... we'll get wet..." complained Leffa quietly.

"Better than getting shot," said Jarex. He dropped his borrowed sword on the ground, and prepared. Then he bent his legs, sprung forward, and gracefully dove into the water with a small splash. After a couple seconds, he surfaced again, calmly treading water in the pool, his dark hair hanging straight down over his eyes.

"Damn, these boots are weighing me down," he commented. "Anyway, get in! It's not even that cold."

"I'm glad I wore jeans today," laughed Leffa, as she jumped in, with a large splash that spilled over the side of the pool. A few flecks of water hit Edward, and he shivered. She too, surfaced, and smiled, pushing her blond hair out from her face.

"Get in, Edward!" demanded Jarex. "They're going to come through the door any second now!"

The smell of chlorine filled the air. Edward took a deep breath, held his nose shut, and jumped.

The water was cold for a second, but Edward immersed himself in the blue chill and soon he was comfortable, his clothes billowing around him, drenched to the core. After a few moments underwater, he surfaced, bringing his head up, bursting above the surface.

"Now let's GO," Jarex hissed, pointing toward the far edge of the pool, about one hundered yards away. "If we dive down under there, I bet we'll get to the lake. See if I'm right."

Edward calmly pushed off the wall behind him, and dove in a tight, sleek, streamline across the still water, creating ripples near the surface. As he lost momentum, he burst into a fast crawl, tearing up the liquid he was sailing through. Edward, despite not being a runner, was a rather good swimmer. He had done swim team for several years back on planet Earth, and he had improved considerably at it.

He looked back, and saw that even Jarex, who was doing a graceful breast stroke, was lagging behind him. Leffa, who was utilizing a strange doggy-paddle that Edward had never seen before, was struggling. For once, Edward felt vaguely strong.

Before too long, he reached the opposite end of the pool, and waited for the others to catch up.

That was when they barged in through the door. By Edward's count, there were six bodies this time, the most the three heroes had ever had to face before. Leffa noticed them too, and panicked, effectively getting Jarex's attention when he paused to take a breath.

"This is your last chance! Surrender now, or we'll shoot her!" one threatened.

"I'm not fucking surrendering!" Jarex called back.

"So be it!"

And then, laser beams ignited the air, filling the room with a spectacular light display of purples and greens. Noises of gunfire flooded everyone's ears. The chlorine smell mixed with a burning scent. And the sparks singed the surface of the pool, barely missing Leffa. "Dive everybody!" commanded Jarex.

Edward took a deep breath and sank underwater.

From below the surface, Edward heard several muted series of splashes as six heavy bodies leaped forward into the pool. He dove down, the pressure getting heavier and heavier in his ears. Stealing a glance behind him toward his companions, he saw that the robed figures were darting towards them at a rapid speed. The men's arms crashed forward through the water, their legs flurrying like a motorboat.

Edward let himself rise up, surfaced for air, and swam over to join his two classmates. The six figures were nearly upon them now, as fast as Jarex and Leffa tried to outrun them.

Leffa squealed as two men grabbed her, one pulling on her leg, the other her blond hair that floated like an ethereal halo around her head in the water. She shrieked, but bubbles took the place of noise coming out of her mouth. The men slowly dragged the unwilling girl up to the surface.

All of a sudden, Jarex's leg came swiveling around into the chest of his foe. Though the boots weighed him down, they were extraordinarily powerful at kicking, and the man let go of Leffa, sinking like a stone. The second man drew out a dagger, but Jarex was too fast for him, and planted his foot right in the man's face. Jarex's target cried in pain, and the man was forced to relinquish his hold on Leffa.

Immediately after kicking the second man, Jarex grabbed Leffa by the arm, and pulled her along as he rushed to get to the end of the pool. Edward also started swimming in that direction, but more men advanced on them. By this time, Edward's ears were starting to burn, and his lungs felt too much pressure to continue, so he sprang up to above the water, then followed it back down to the action.

Leffa, Jarex, and three more robed men were in an underwater tussle, as they pulled and pushed against each other, all trying to take control of the innocent girl. Edward stealthily dove down behind one, afraid that his presence would be noticed by the robed criminal. But it was not, and Edward punched him in the back of his head, his arm moving slowly underwater.

It gave Jarex the chance to break free and grab Leffa, and they headed farther, farther towards the edge of the pool. The remaining robed men were hot on their trail, but Leffa and Jarex's legs lashed backwards every so often so as to hinder their progress. Jarex kicked back once and met a man's chin, sending him reeling back as if in slow motion.

Edward hardly noticed when they had gone past the wall of the pool. Even though the surface of the pool stopped when it reached the wall, under the surface it did not. It was only when the boy dove up to surface for air that he realized that his head was just under a ceiling, easily twenty feet lower than it had been before. It seemed as they were in a sort of underwater tunnel, extending towards the outside. Maybe Jarex was right after all.

Edward started his freestyle crawl across the surface of the water. The tunnel seemed like it would go on forever, but in the distance, he could see a wall. It was blurred at the far reahes of his vision, but he could see it.

Then, he felt something grab hold of his leg. It was another robed man, this one with short, jet-black hair. The man cackled, and drew a sharp dagger, waving it threateningly in front of Edward's face. Unsure of what to do, Edward dove back down beneath the surface. The man pulled to drag him up, but Edward thrashed about, and kicked the man square in the chest. Not waiting to see the man's reaction, he swam forward as fast as he could.

The man also swam as fast as he could.

It was a race now, a race between Edward and a full-grown man. Edward pushed and pulled through the water like never before, his legs kicking out behind him as fast as he could make them. He heard the loud splashes of the other man's stroke, but did not dare look back.

The man was almost next to him, he could feel it. He could feel the man's greedy breath as he drew closer to Edward, ready to strike. Edward felt apprehension. Edward felt fear. Then he felt his leg connect with something hard. He turned around in surprise, and his foot had landed on the man's head, who was now sinking down in the water.

Edward pressed on, not worrying about the fate of the guy he had just kicked.

He heard a scream.

He stopped in his tracks, and turned around. By his count, there were two men not yet dealt with, and there one was, with a large blade in his hand, attacking both Jarex and Leffa. The brawl was now on the surface of the water, where everyone could breathe. It was difficult to watch. The man stabbed and jabbed and swung his great sword around, while Edward's friends were unarmed. Jarex had already a couple cuts on his arm.

Edward raced towards his companions, frightened for their safety. He lay face down in the water as he paddled towards them, so he was unable to tell exactly what was occurring. But he heard their anguished screams, and swishing of a blade. He saw their bulky shapes in the water before he saw their front halves. They kicked at each other wrathfully, and Edward could only think of one thing to do. He grabbed the big man's leg, who roared in shock.

This was exactly what Jarex needed. Now that the man had one less leg to kick with, a space was freed up. Jarex struck with his metal-toed boot and hit the man directly in the groin. Like every male would in that situation, the man squealed and fell down, down, underwater.

They swam on, diving under, when all of a sudden, the ceiling above them disappeared. Now there was just an endless stretch of water above them, reaching as far as they could see. They pushed up, up to where they saw the surface gleaming before them. The end was so close, Edward could feel the victory in his bones as he rose up and up towards the sky.

Then he felt a sharp pain in his leg. Looking downward as he kicked for freedom, a man had stabbed his dagger right in Edward's ankle. The pain seared up through his entire body, engulfing his whole consciousness, but still he kicked and kicked, rising up past the dagger-wielding man, rising up through the waves, and then...

Gasping for air, his head broke through the surface of the water. He shook the tiny droplets off of his head, and smiled. It was over. They had escaped, to the center of a lake, a serene scene of a forest in all directions. Leffa and Jarex were next to him, laughing with the pride of victory. They were in nature now, not in some stuffy old school. They were by themselves now, able to do what they want. More robed figures were gathered on the shore, but that was no concern to them at the moment. The happiness overcame the pain in Edward's leg, and he smiled with glee.

For the second time in less than two months, his life had been turned upside down. First he was abducted from his home planet, and now he had escaped from the school he was forced to attend. He had no idea what was to come now.

The world is soon to end. It starts today...


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