The fire blazed up as Cassi threw more wood into it, making the room increase multiple degrees. She slid backward, moving into a sitting position next to Skylar. Cassi positioned her legs so that one was on top of the other. She caught the other girl’s eyes and grinned, the light of the fire reflecting off of her smile so that it was even brighter. Skylar tiredly smiled back, then saw Raphael over Cassi’s shoulder, frowning at the fire. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were crinkled together, making him look extremely troubled. Skylar called him, trying to get his attention and succeeding.

“Hey, what’s got you all upset? Really, you’re like the life of the party compared to me!” She started to laugh but soon stopped when he looked at her and shook his head in a sort of sad way. 

“I’m thinking about JJ. His death thing is honestly kind of suspicious, don’t you think? He was shot inside, but I didn’t hear it. And JJ is too much of a pro to accidentally shoot himself. Not to mention that no one was inside when we came, so whoever it was made a quick getaway. It’s just, JJ’s death is under kinda weird circumstances.” 

“Well, maybe he was just cleaning his gun and it malfunctioned. Even JJ couldn’t have stopped an unforeseen bullet.” Cassi looked toward Raphael, trying to soothe him.

“But surely there’s more to his death story than a malfunction gun, right?” Cassi and Skylar shared a look, and looked back to Raphael, who was still staring into the flames.“Do you know what’s funny, though? JJ was carrying that package around. But the message and masks were meant for us. How do you think he found it in the first place? Was it delivered to us and we just weren’t paying close enough attention? Or maybe he had just gotten it today and was going to give it to us, but was killed before he could.” He glanced at the two girls sitting only feet away with matching concerned expressions. “Listen, all I’m trying to say is that we should investigate his death. Don’t you guys have these questions too?”

Skylar sighed because she knew that Raphael was going to find out what happened with or without their help. Cassi, on the other hand, had her mind made up. She was going to do everything in her power to not get near JJ’s corpse or that note again. 

“No, actually, I don’t. Why are you always like this? Do you remember what JJ said when you were trying to find out why there was less game around to hunt? You look into things that have no meaning, ok? JJ’s death was most likely an accident, just like everything else you’re worried about. Leave this alone.” Cassi glared at Raphael, who shook his head at her, almost disgusted.

“You’re not serious? You’re not actually curious about this?” Raphael sounded completely befuddled. “You’re just going to pretend that none of this ever happened and that our lives have not changed? How can you do that? How can you do that to JJ?” Cassi scoffed and glared at Raphael.

“How can you not? He’s dead, Raphael. Not even your investigation will change that.” They stared at each other in angry silence until Skylar had enough of their attitudes.

“Why so cynical all of sudden? You were the kindest and most sympathetic person I’d ever met. Why stop now? Especially when Raphael acts more like me every day.” Skylar acknowledged that she had hit a nerve when Cassi’s face turned red and she was rendered speechless.

“I…Well, I… um. Ugh! I’m not cynical, ok? I’m just done with you guys. And for the record, I’m not the ‘kindest and most sympathetic person you’ll ever meet.’ I’m not even close to that.” Cassi glared at Skylar, who bit her lip and slowly shook her head, realizing that something was most definitely wrong.

“I think you’re wrong. No, I’m sorry, I know you’re wrong. From the start, you were kind and gentle towards me, and I pushed you away. When we were brought into our units, you immediately tried to make me comfortable, even though you knew my record. You weren’t scared of me or how I’d had to become to survive. You saw what was written down on paper, and then you judged based on what you saw inside of me. I kept pushing against you and against what you kept saying to me, what I kept realizing every time you came around. Earlier today, you had me thinking, we’re not always supposed to be by ourselves. Every time you talked to me, I felt, well, I felt loved and as I belonged. I hadn’t felt that way in such a long time, I kept pushing against you, but you kept pushing towards me until I finally understood. You’re wrong. You are most definitely the kindest and sympathetic person, not that I’ll ever meet, but anyone will ever be or see in their lifetime.” Skylar came to a stop in her monologue and cringed when she saw the other two’s reactions. Raphael’s jaw was plainly dropped, and he was doing absolutely nothing to hide it. Cassi’s mouth was pressed into a thin line and her brow was furrowed, making her appear as if she was holding back tears. Skylar took a deep breath in and held it, waiting for someone to speak so that her words would stop resonating in the air.

After an awkward quiet couple of minutes, Cassi got up and left, walking out the door and into the dusk-turned-night world, which left Raphael and Skylar together. Skylar let out her breath, exhaling in disbelief.

“I can’t believe she actually said that,” Skylar said to no one in particular. Raphael, on the other hand, was staring at Skylar with no shame.

“No, I can’t believe that you said that. Honestly, where did you find that in yourself? I’ve never heard you say that much ever, and I knew you before we met Cassi.” Skylar grimaced. She did not want to be reminded of the dreadful month before her military term had started. She had met Raphael on the streets, where they had decided to join the units protecting the world from the danger the masked men present. They had stumbled upon each other, Raphael heartbroken and physically incapable of doing anything other than sit and beg for someone to pity him. Skylar was detached from the world, looking and feeling the exact opposite of Raphael, unfeeling and willing herself to be someone other than a beggar asking for you to supply him with a reason to live. However, when Skylar had gotten into a slight scuffle with a person trying to rob her, Raphael saved her, if pretending to be her brother and taking her away could be called saving. They had been inexplicably drawn together since they were the actual siblings Raphael had claimed to be. They decided to join the military, as roaming the streets wasn’t exactly smart or safe for people like them. Through the month they spent together, though, neither designed to tell the other the story each carried on their shoulders. Asking would bring back a flood of unwanted memories, and if one told his story, the other would be obligated to tell her own as well, which was not exactly what she wanted.

Raphael sighed, watching Skylar watch him carefully. “I guess it’s time, huh?” Skylar jerked her head up in surprise, eyes narrowing.

“What do you mean, it’s time? Time for what, getting Cassi back inside?” Skylar swallowed, knowing that she was wrong, but holding out hope anyway. Raphael looked at her like he knew it, too.

“She’ll be fine. After all, she was the second in our seminar,” he said, shrugging, talking about the one-week seminar that all new military members were required to take before being separated into units according to skill and talent. Luckily, Raphael and Skylar were put together, but for Skylar, that also meant one more person likely to want to know her backstory. “And, Sky, you know that’s not what I was talking about. It’s really and truly about time I told you how I got on the streets in the first place.” He held up a hand as I began to protest. “And no, I don’t expect you to return the favor, okay? I just think, with everything going on, that you deserve to know. And I won’t ask for your story in return. I know you well enough that you have a reason for not telling me. But that shouldn’t mean I don’t want to tell you.” Raphael looked at Skylar as she fidgeted with her hair. Finally, she let out a deep breath that she’d been holding.

“Fine. But you don’t you think we should at least wait until Cassi comes back? I mean, she was the one who quoted our pledge just so we wouldn’t keep secrets from her.” Raphael shook his head.

“No. I don’t think so. The ones most against keeping secrets are the ones who have the darkest, most dangerous secrets.” Skylar felt guilty as she admitted that about Cassi, then shook it off. Who was she to feel bad about something that has a good possibility of being true? Raphael seemed to agree, however and continued with his unwanted story.

“Okay, so, I, um, okay, I’ve obviously never told anyone this in a while, so this is going to be a little jumbled together and might not make too much sense, but here goes nothing.” Raphael looked at Skylar to gauge her reaction, and when she nodded, he continued. “About two years ago, I fell in love with this girl at my school, Stella, She was in all of my classes, and I would do everything I could to get her to notice. Every day I would say something just so she would turn around and smile at me so that her attention could be on just me for one moment. There was this dance coming up, the Military Ball, you know?” Raphael was referring to the one dance every school had, a ball that honored the military and reminded the students why they were allowed to be in school. “Anyway, there was this group of us at my friend’s house, and we were just hanging out playing truth or dare. Yeah, I know, stupid when the person you like is in the room. Well, I wanted to ask Stella to the Ball, so when it was her turn, she chose truth, just like any good girl would, and I asked her if she would like to go with me to the dance. There was a moment of silence, then she jumped up and hugged, and told me that she’d thought I’d never ask. By that point, all the people in the room were just so happy, it was incredible. So, of course, we went to the dance, and we started dating, and everything was perfect until Stella and my brother met. My brother, Luis, and I weren’t on the best of terms, not that we were ever on good terms, but from the moment they met, he flirted with her more than he’d ever flirted in his life. Stella was surprised, I think, but as time went on, she grew more comfortable with it and with him, and eventually, she started flirting back.” Raphael stopped, staring for a moment until he swallowed and shakily continued. “I don’t really know when it happened, or how it got to the point it did, but I was coming home from school, where Stella had not been, and I walked into the house, and it seemed empty, but Luis’ car was in the driveway, so I knocked on his door and opened it and-” Raphael cut off, clenching his jaw angrily and staring at his closed fists until he took a deep breath in. “When I opened it, Stella was sitting in his room by herself, wearing one of his sweatshirts, which was our thing, and when she saw me, she jumped up and tried to explain, but I walked out the door and kept walking. I didn’t come home until it became dark. Once I did, though, my parents and Luis were waiting for me on the couch, and he had this small, extremely infuriating smirk like he knew what he had done. I couldn’t stop myself, I walked right up to him and punched him straight in the face. He did nothing to stop it, even when his nose started bleeding. But he never stopped smiling either. It was kinda disturbing, the way he kept smiling at me, through the punches and blood. My dad had to literally pull me away from Luis. They sat me on the stool across from them while they sent Luis to the bathroom to clean up. They just sat there in silence until he came back, staring at me. It was so unlike the,m. My parents didn’t have it in them to sit still for five minutes, let alone the half-hour it took for Luis to come back. When he finally decided to make his appearance, my mom looked straight into my eyes and admitted why they had been looking at me with such indifference, ‘Stella’s pregnant.’ She said like it was my fault. But the thing is, Stella and I never did anything like that. I mean, she wanted to, but I wanted to wait. I honestly thought she understood and respected that. But when I looked at Luis, he smiled and nodded, and I knew, I knew why Stella was in his room, and why she was pregnant, and why my parents thought I was my fault. At that moment, I kinda became numb, I guess. It was like nothing really affected me. It didn’t matter what my parents said in that conversation. If I’m being honest, I don’t even remember what they told me. I could only focus on the fact that the girl I loved went behind my back, cheated on me with my own brother, and got pregnant with his child. Not to mention my brother used that to get me out of the house. My parents kicked me out. The one thing I remember them saying is that there was no place in their house for someone like me. I had been living on those streets for two months by the time we met.” Raphael exhaled, looking anywhere but Skylar. Skylar stayed quiet, slowly processing everything he had entrusted in her. They stayed like that for a long period of time, silence filling the air with what Skylar wanted to say.

“Well. That felt, um, different. Relieving, but I’m not too likely to do that again, for sure.” Raphael laughed with Skylar, who was all too happy for the quietness to be expelled. The moment felt a bit off, which was when Skylar realized Cassi still hadn’t come back.

“Hey, do you wanna go get Cassi? She’s been gone a while.” Skylar got up with Raphael once he nodded and led him outside. Skylar didn’t see her anywhere, so she called her name a couple of times. The two shared a look and circled to the back of the building where JJ’s body laid. Cassi knelt there, her back to them. Skylar started to step deliberately so she would know they were behind her. As they stepped closer, they could hear Cassi’s ragged breathing.

“You know, you guys were supposed to be pretty smart for street urchins,” Cassi said, her back still to them. Skylar and Raphael shared a second look. Had Cassi lost her mind? What was going on? “I was assigned to this unit because they thought you guys were dangerous. Smart. Strong. But you’re none of those, right? You’re just two people trying to make it in the world.” Cassi got to her feet unsteadily. She turned to face them, her coat wrapped tightly around her. At the sight of it, Skylar shivered, remembering her own in the building behind them. Skylar’s eyes traveled behind Cassi, where she had somehow undug JJ’s grave and pulled him up halfway so that he was somewhat lying out of the grave. “After all, you’re Raphael Garcia. Luis said you had anger issues, and that you’re pretty easy to ignite. He wasn’t wrong. You went off on Skylar at the suggestion of her actual opinion. He also said that you’re curious about what’s beyond your control. Again, he wasn’t wrong. Your curiosity might be your undoing. If you hadn’t tried to question JJ”s death, we might not be here.” 

It was like with every word she spoke, they grew more paralyzed, and hung onto every word. Skylar was extremely confused, and with good reason to be. She was also worried about Raphael and Cassi. What was Cassi saying? How did she know about Raphael’s brother? And what was Cassi going to say about her? Cassi gesturing behind her. “If either of you had cared enough, you would have looked into the circumstances of JJ’s death. Neither of you questioned where he was shot, how I knew what to do, or why he looked the way he did when he went outside.” Cassi pointed at Raphael. “You saw it. You saw the whole thing unfold, but you didn’t even question it. You didn’t question anything at that moment. You didn’t go investigate. You didn’t go look to see if anyone was inside, possibly the guy who killed JJ.” Cassi’s words seemed to get Raphael out of it because he snapped back, saying, “Oh, and you did? No, you were taking with Skylar, crying over some sad sob story. Boohoo, my life’s so bad.” Cassi clenched her jaw, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Who do you think killed him, Raphael? Who do you think gave JJ that package?” Cassi thrust her arms out. “Who do you think is behind all of this?” Raphael glared at her and started to walk towards her, but Skylar stopped him with a look. She mouthed ‘stop’ and closed her eyes. She heard the footstep a split second before the stranger stepped behind her. She kicked out, landing with a satisfying thump sound, and whirled around, facing her opponent. Skylar only had a second to see him, but it was all she needed. He was a foot taller, with a red and black face mask. In his left hand, he held a damp rag, and his right hand clutched at his side, where Skylar had landed her kick. He looked at her and his eyes widened slightly. He grabbed her by her hair and jerked her head back as he raised the rag to her face. To do this, she had to get closer to her than Skylar would have liked, but as he made eye contact, Skylar recognized him immediately. “John?” She whispered, just as the world went black.

I need to keep sleeping. That was the first thing Skylar thought as she woke up. The second was that the sheets she was sleeping on were not the coarse government-supplied blankets she usually slept on. Skylar opened her eyes to see that she was sleeping in a stranger’s room. The walls were her favorite color, a light lavender, and she was sleeping in a white bed, accented with royal purple. There was a white hammock hanging from the ceiling, which was occupied by a tallboy. He had brown hair like Skylar’s, the only difference being the length and that he had a lighter brown on the ends. They looked like twins, sharing the same chocolate brown eyes, freckles splattered across their nose, and the same facial features. Skylar glanced at him and looked everywhere but him, not acknowledging him even when he spoke.

“Hey, Maria.” He spoke her name softly, reverently as if she was someone special to him. Skylar whipped her head to glare at him. “That’s not my name, Matthew, and you know it.” Matthew shrugged, a cautious smile on his face. “And Matthew’s not mine, but how would you know that? You haven’t been here for, what, the past two and half years?” He smiled again, the same smile he had when they were kids. “What happened to family loyalty? What happened to no loved one left behind?” Matthew was referring to when he and Skylar were siblings and were actual friends. Their family had a motto: No loved one can be, or will ever be, left behind.

“You don’t have the right to ask me those questions when you left me after Mom and Dad did. You knew what you were doing to me when you walked out of those doors.” Skylar felt like screaming. She sat up, about to swing her legs out of the bed when Matthew responded.

“Do you seriously still think that? I swear to you, on my honor as the leader of the masked men, that Mom and Dad knew what I was doing and agreed with it. I talked with you, do you remember? I told you exactly what I was doing. I offered you a place in this new empire. I want you in my life, you’re my sister. I will always want you to be part of my life. I’m not doing this to be some type of bad person, I’m genuinely trying to make this terrible world something better. Isn’t that what you want too? To make society better? I believe the exact quote was ‘They just made the world even worse: society full of brainwashed idiots that can’t think for themselves and would risk their lives.’ You agree with our ideas. You just don’t agree with our methods. And I can understand that. Part of what we do is messy. But-” Skylar cut him off.

“First of all, how do you know what I said? You weren’t even there! And besides ‘Part of what we do is messy”? You’re joking, right? You’ve killed people, Matthew! You take children from their parents so that you can raise them differently, and you kill their parents in front of them. You take innocent people how have done nothing but live, and force them into this war-riddled life they didn’t know existed, let alone be involved in. But however you think your changing society, you’re not. You have a different way of doing it, that’s for sure, but you’re doing the same thing the government does to us now. You’re brainwashing these people. You are taking them from one hell and leading them into another, whether you realize it or not. You’re not giving them a chance to live the way they should.” Skylar stopped to take a breath, where Matthew interjected.

“See? You’re a natural at this. Tell us how to fix what we’ve done. Help us to figure out how to get more people on our side. Please, Maria.” He looked at her sadly and shook his head sadly. “At least think about it.” He got up and gestured to the closet. “You’ll find some clothes in there. I’ll be in the second room to the left.” He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him softly. Skylar closed her eyes and sighed, repressing the flood of mixed emotions she had after speaking to her brother face-to-face after almost three years. Three years ago, her parents had gone to a meeting that was supposed to decide who the candidates were going to be for the next presidential election. The president was more of a figurehead for the country than an actual leader, but it was still considered a position of honor. In Skylar's opinion, though, the dangers outweighed the positives by way too much. Maybe that was why her mother decided to campaign for that specific position. They had left Matthew and Skylar in the house by themselves, promising that they would return with good news and Chinese takeout. Except they never came home. The next day, Matthew sat down with Skylar and explained to her how the shooting happened and why. It was also the first time he told her about his idea for the next era of their world. He wanted to start a group of anonymous people who would go around the world to save people from terrible situations that the government had caused. Together, the people they saved and their saviors would rise and overthrow the opposing government, and make the world a better place. When Matthew had first told Skylar about his idea, she was all for it. Skylar had even agreed to help him, to be his second in command. All he had to do was wait until she finished school that year. Matthew gave her an address to find him at and walked out of the room, out of that house. Neither of them knew that it was the last time they would be on good terms for the next years to come. Skylar inhaled and exhaled, gathering all of her will to get out of the bed. She rested her bare feet on the cold wood planks and padded silently over to the closet, opening it and stifling a gasp. The closet was filled with all of her favorite things, from her old T-shirt’s from home to new, never-worn ball gowns. Not that she’d ever get a chance to wear them, but hey, at least she has the choice. Skylar selected a pair of black sweatpants and an oversized gray sweatshirt because she wasn’t trying to impress anyone, and, what the heck, she might as well seem the indifferent brat Matthew sees her as. Skylar walked out of the room, stopping in front of what Matthew had pointed out as the room he would be in. She rested her hand on the wooden door for a moment, straining to hear what the people were saying in the room. She could hear her brother clearly.

“She stays. I don’t care if she finds out the location. I really don’t. She’s my freaking sister, Aiden, and she is more likely to stay than you at this point.” Skylar sucked in a breath, confused. She hadn’t met an Aiden who was high enough in the rankings to consult with her brother, not that he seemed to like that person, from his tone. She could hear a person respond, just barely enough to know that she actually responded. The person's voice seemed awfully familiar, but Skylar couldn’t recognize it. Matthew sighed, and Skylar, before she actually thinks her actions through, opened the door and slipped in, and immediately observed the room and situation she had I steered herself into. The room was slightly smaller than her room and was painted a maroon color, with gold accents. Matthew was lounging in a dark red loveseat, his arm sling across the top and a lazy smile on his face, at odds with his previous tone. On the other hand, Cassi was sitting on the edge of one of two reclining chairs, her expression showing just how frustrated she was. Raphael was reclining in the second, obviously enjoying the drama unfolding before him. He gave Skylar a lazy smile before refocusing. Skylar scrunched her eyebrows together. Where was this Aiden her brother was talking to? Before she could get thinking about it, however, she looked at Cassi’s reaction to her. When she noticed Skylar, Cassi pinched her lips into a thin hard line and turned her head slightly so that when Cassi addresses her, Cassi was looking right above Skylar’s head.

“What are you doing here?” Cassi asked coldly. Skylar looked at her brother with one eyebrow raised. He shrugged helplessly and then turned his gaze on Cassi, his expression becoming anything but helpless, not to mention frosty and withdrawn.

“She’s my sister, that’s what she’s doing here. And for however long she ness to be here, she will be here. End of discussion. You have no power over this whatsoever. Keep questioning, and you’ll no longer be Third. Got it?” Matthew started at Cassi, unfaltering until she began to squirm. Finally, she threw her hands up in defeat.

“Fine. Fine! Whatever, I don’t even care at this point. Do you want to get us all killed? Fine. But don’t come crying to me when you lose your precious little kingdom.” Cassi glared at Matthew, who the impact of which was lost upon, as he was watching Skylar wage an inner battle with herself. She couldn’t decide whether to leave the room, to leave this argument for which she was so obviously not supposed to hear or if to stay and hear what was going to occur. Because something was going to occur, whether it be Matthew explode on Cassi or Cassi explode on both Matthew and Skylar, something was going to happen. Skylar’s logic eventually lost against her curiosity and she cautiously sat down on the arm of the main couch that matched the loveseat. Matthew smiled briefly at Skylar’s choice, then turned his attention back on Cassi. Cassi, at least, had the good grace to flinch when he got up and started to pace around the front of the room, hands behind his back, like the boss in a business office would do if presented with an extremely insignificant problem.

“Lose my precious little kingdom, you say? Hmm, that’s terribly ironic, considering you’ve begged me, on multiple occasions, might I add, further our reach internationally. You’ve promised branches of our group in Paris, Orléans, and Marseille, all within your reach, just if I promoted you to Second. I denied you, and I’ll deny you again. I don’t want you here, in this room, right now, alright?” He stopped in front of the door and opened it, looking straight at Cassi. “I’ll show you out.” Cassi slowly got up, shooting Skylar a pissy look. If looks could kill, Skylar would’ve been dead twenty times over. As Cassi left the room, she murmured something to Matthew, who briskly nodded and bowed her out, a small smirk resting on his face as he closed the door. Matthew glanced at Skylar, his confident aura slowly fading away as he sat across from Skylar. Meanwhile, Skylar picked at her nails, trying to project a sense of confidence and reassurance in her abilities, which Matthew was failing to do. An awkward, quiet silence ensued the sound of their breaths and the padding of footsteps down the hallway. Raphael shifted multiple times, most likely tired of sitting so still with nothing to do. After many minutes, Matthew sighed and looked at Skylar, who carefully glanced up to see Matthew mimicking her.

“Stop. You’re not eight anymore, and neither am I. That’s not cute. You’re not cute, especially with that inflated ego of yours.” Skylar watched, satisfied, as Matthew stopped, dropping his hands from in front of his face and placing them folded in his lap. “So what did you want me here for? You know, considering you went to the trouble of infiltrating my unit and kidnapping me.” Skylar stopped fidgeting and made eye contact with her brother, desperately needing to hear that he hadn’t ordered anything and that this was all a big misunderstanding. But, of course, her brother said absolutely nothing like that.

“Yes. About that. I did not mean for Cassi to be so flamboyant about this situation. She was supposed to get information on that other boy you were with and see if you were ready to see my side of the story. She was also there for protection, but-” Skylar snorted.

“She was there for my protection? Thanks, she was great at that! I mean, not only am I alive at this very moment but so is Raphael. The only person not here is JJ. Why’s that? Oh yeah, because he’s dead. So yeah, I wouldn’t say she did the best job she could.” Skylar stopped when she recognized Matthew’s expression. It was the type of sheepish face people wore when they were going to have to correct you and they didn’t want to be the one who did it. Before Matthew could say anything, however, Raphael interjected into the conversation. 

“She’s got a point. If Cassi was there to protect us, she was doing an especially lousy job, even for such a goody-goody.” Skylar laughed a little. “Yeah, Raphael, no one says that anymore.” They laughed for a moment until Skylar caught Matthew’s eye and stopped, gesturing for him to continue.

“Skylar, I ordered that JJ’s death”.” Skylar closed her eyes and massaged the bridge of her nose, the quick moment of silliness fading away. Of course, he had ordered JJ’s death. Why wouldn’t her brother play executioner on an innocent person? Whatever path causes Skylar the most grief is the path he was most likely to take. But one thing didn’t add up.

“How did Cassi kill JJ? She was talking to me the whole time JJ was being killed. Also, Raphael saw the whole thing unfold. Don’t you think he would have seen another person murdering our instructor?” Raphael nodded, looking at Matthew for an explanation. Matthew shook his head slowly, biting his lip.

“I never said Cassi was the one who killed JJ. She was the one who let us in, sure, but she wasn’t the one who killed him. In fact, she asked to not be the one to kill him. Her decision made things more difficult, but it was doable. To keep you distracted, I sent her to you, to have a conversation with you. I remembered how unsocial you were. From Cassi’s data, you seemed to have stayed that way.” Matthew held up a hand as both Skylar and Raphael started to protest. “I know that this is confusing. That’s understandable. I’m going to explain it, I promise. Just give me time. I’ll start from the beginning, from when I left.

“I felt terrible, leaving you by yourself, but to me, I had no other choice. I gave you the address of one of my friends, and he would be with you, watching over you, even when you eventually rejected my offer. He was always at the same parties, same classes, even the same clubs. He would report to me every night, telling me how you were doing and that type of stuff. His name was Sam. Do you remember him?” Skylar closed her eyes again, this time, rubbing them hard and keeping her palms pressed against them. She did remember Sam. Now that Matthew had mentioned it, he was always where she was. It was cool at times, especially when Skylar had developed a crush on him and found out the feeling was mutual. They had gone out many months when Skylar had revealed she was going to leave her house and her life behind so she wouldn’t live in her brother’s infamous shadow. Sam had tried everything he could to make her stay, but when she held her ground after hours of fighting, he gave up and wished her luck. She never saw him again.  Now Skylar was re-evaluating everything she and Sam had done together. Was it all because of her brother's wishes? Was her life just manufactured by this boy who thought he could play world-maker?

“When he told me you were leaving, I freaked out. I had a good thing going. There were thousands of people supporting me, and hundreds were joining our ranks every day. The last thing I needed was for my sister to get herself killed in the process. So I searched for you for months. I couldn’t find you. I probably never would have found you if you had stayed on the streets. But when you registered for the military, I found you. I was able to edit the records to make a false background for Cassi and put her into your unit. And yes, before you ask, that means that Cassi Suave never really existed. I’m not going to tell you her story, simply because it’s not mine to tell, but her name is actually Aiden DuPont. Her parents were cruel and so they named her Aiden, even though she was born a girl. So stupid. Anyway, once they brought all of the units together and you graduated from training, just as I knew you would, I immediately set Aiden to work. I told her to find out everything about Raphael, JJ, and you. It had been seven years. I didn’t know if you had changed, and how you had changed. Aiden fit in well, from what I heard, and you both didn’t suspect a thing. Though why would you? You were in the military, and you couldn’t suspect someone so dead set on following the rules and been with you from step one, right? Aiden was the one who left the note and package in JJ’s workspace. I included her fake identity in it so you wouldn’t be suspicious. Anyway, the day we killed JJ, Aiden had woken up even earlier than you two, which was a difficult feat, considering how early you military people wake up. John and I drove up about two miles away from you guys and waited beside the building where John shot JJ. Aiden got us from there and snuck us in, bringing us in that armory you guys have. We stayed in there until you left to go do whatever you did for the hours you were gone. Then Raphael left to go shoot targets, and the three of us were left alone. Aiden gave us your gun, Skylar, and added a silencer so the shot wouldn’t be heard. She walked out to find you and keep you busy. So John and I got out of the room and found JJ sitting on the couch looking at Raphael practicing. He hadn’t heard our approach, which surprised me because Aiden had described him as a respected instructor and an expert in everything combat. It didn’t take much to drag him off the sofa and shot him in the gut. Unfortunately, John didn’t take care to shoot anything vital to make his death quick. So JJ stumbled outside and was found by Raphael. While you guys were trying to fix something unfixable by that point, Aiden came to get us out. She guided us around the building and led us back to the armory. We stayed there, waiting until you guys started to look for Aiden. And, by the way, Raphael, that was an extreme sob story. I didn’t realize you had that on your belt. Once you guys were outside, we took our chance. If Skylar hadn’t fought so hard, John wouldn’t have had to be so rough. And I think that rounds up everything up until this point.” Matthew looked at them expectantly, waiting for questions. Skylar was stunned. She had been fooled by someone she had dismissed as susceptible and naive. All of this was going on right under her nose, and because she was so caught up in not thinking about her brother and not facing her past, her past caught up with her and brought her back. Before Matthew was given any questions from the shell-shocked people in front of him, there was a brisk three knocks on the door and an annoyingly familiar voice to accompany it.

“Are you guys done having a family reunion? Because I want to tell my story now.” Cassi-no, Aiden’s voice carried through the thick wooden door and made the three of them chuckle. Matthew got up and opened the door, giving Aiden a fake smile.

“Welcome. We have actually just finished having, as you so respectfully deemed it, ‘our family reunion.’ Please, join us.” Aiden rolled her eyes and walked in, once again claiming the edge of the first recliner. 

“So. Are you all interested in hearing my story, or have my lies infiltrated your innocence and now you can no longer trust me? Which, hey, is totally understandable. You know, considering I’ve lied to you for what, the past six months.” Aiden looked at Skylar specifically, wordlessly challenging her. Skylar shrugged, giving her a small smile. Aiden widely smiled back, leaning into the chair to get comfortable. Skylar did the same, suspecting she was going to be hearing stories for quite a while.

“Okay, so part of what I told you was true. I did have two younger sisters. My mom had died giving birth to my youngest sister, Rose when I turned twelve, my father had died of this virus that was circulating our neighborhood in Orléans. I had promised him before he died, that I would die if only to ensure they wouldn’t. We were all in my room and I was singing them to sleep when we heard the front door open. I never oiled that dang door because it squeaks like the world is ending when it opens. It was like we had our own little alarm system. Anyway, my other sibling, Jess, was already asleep, but Rose was still awake. I was going to go see what was happening by myself, but Rose insisted that she come with me. That was my first, and last, mistake. As we were heading down the stairs, we saw the masked men. Or more specifically, one masked man and masked woman. Matthew and this other girl, Claire. They saw us and we froze. For about a minute straight, we had this weird weaponless standoff. They put down their guns on the floor and started walking towards us. Rose ran back upstairs and woke up Jess, I guess, because they came back together, watching what would happen next. I stayed where I was on the stairs, just staring at them. Matthew stopped walking at the base of the stairs, but Claire kept coming until she was one step below me. She held out her hand, and to this day, I can remember her exact words. I will never forget them. She told me ‘We’re not here to hurt you. We’re here to heal you. We’re here so that twelve years old can be innocent again.’ When I heard these words, I didn’t hesitate to take her hand, but as I was walking down the stairs, I heard Jess call out my name. I stopped and begged for them to come with me. To come and be part of this revolution to be better. But they wouldn’t. And I left them. Walked out and never looked back. But I regret it every day. I wish I could’ve tried harder to get them to come. A ten and six years old, left out in the world by themselves. But that was the start of my masked career.

“Matthew and Claire took me in and taught me everything I know about combat, sneaking, and everything else in between. Thanks to them, I’m as good as I’ve ever been. For the past five years, I’ve been part of these people known as the masked men. I met many people with many different backstories, including Raphael’s brother, Luis. The masked men have been my family forever, so when Matthew promoted me to Third and assigned me to your unit, I did everything I could to make them proud. But as I got to know both you and Raphael more, I became a little more uncomfortable with the idea of betraying you guys, as well as JJ.  He had been my mentor too, if only for a couple of months. I started to doubt what Matthew was telling me to do was right. I was actually considering not going through with his orders until we had our conversation. I had already snuck them in, and I was planning to tell you so we could save JJ together. But then, when you started to lie to me about your childhood and who you are, I realized that I had interpreted you wrongly. I had thought you were slightly misguided, slightly brainwashed with what society had said of Matthew. I thought you had accepted those patterns of thinking because it was the best way to survive in that horrific world we live in now. But no, you were just a self-conscious girl who acted tough so no one would see her as she really was. You didn’t want people to judge you because of your relation to Matthew. I thought I had understood that and I thought that I could admire you, but I was wrong. Instead of living in your brother’s glory like you should have been, you were building your own empire of lies. I had assumed you were one of those innocently wrong army people who couldn’t see anything wrong with the government. But after that monologue you had in front of Raphael and me, I finally realized you knew what society was doing to us was wrong. Yet you still chose that hell-in-disguise utopia instead of Matthew’s powerful, ever-growing empire. So I decided against warning you. I decided to let this play out how it would. And it worked out pretty well if I don’t say so myself. After all, you’re reunited with your brother and best friend, respected among the government’s military, feared by the lower people in the masked family. You have everything you could have ever wanted. Do you know what I would have done to be where you are right now, huh? Have you ever thought that maybe your brother is right and that you should give him a chance because there are people who would kill to have a family like Matthew is to you?” Aiden stopped to take a breath, and Matthew looked at Skylar sheepishly, as if embarrassed by the sudden, unexpected change of topic in her story.

“After we wasted ten minutes lying to each other, we heard the gunshot, and that’s when I knew my role was finished. At that moment, I felt so terrible and guilty for killing JJ, the title murderer might as well be imprinted on my forehead. Did I try so hard afterward to save him, remember? I tried to save him with the medical skills I learned from Claire, but it wasn’t enough. When we went inside, I kept replaying that scenario in my head, minute to minute. I kept thinking about what would have happened if I had told you about your brother in the building with his plan. What would have happened if I had run faster, tried harder, stopped Matthew and John from doing something they can never take back. I kept thinking about JJ’s family. His wife, his son, his dog. That very soon, if not already, some officer will visit his family to offer his condolences and to wish the family well. When JJ was killed, I felt as if I’d made a huge mistake. After the whole thing, when Raphael decided to question JJ’s death, it seemed as if he was onto me. As if Raphael knew something and suspected too much. I tried to get him off the subject, the way I usually could, but I think he could sense something was different about this particular situation. I think my denying anything was wrong verified his claims that there was something to be hidden. I tried to be who you and Raphael could so easily be. I tried to be noble and brave and courageous like you guys, but to me, being that way was so difficult. Even after spending months with you, I find being that way so unreachable. Especially when you had your little moment of truth about me. Everything you had said in your speech was so entirely false that I knew I couldn’t stay or else I’d give something away. So I left. I couldn’t keep my mask together then. I walked around the building multiple times, listening to your story, Raphael, until I made my decision. I circled around to the armory and let Matthew and John out to help me kidnap you two. I knew that you guys were going to be in the room for a while, so I had them help me dig up JJ so that we could make the whole distraction scene a bit more, well, distracting. I guess I wasn’t too good enough of an actor, though, because Skylar heard the two guys approaching, and even had enough time to give Raphael a head’s up. And all of that leads up to where we are now. Sitting in Matthew’s headquarters, bemoaning our lives, our lost souls, and our broken hearts.” Aiden sat, waiting for someone to speak after her tirade.

“Well, that was a little more dramatic than necessary, but I guess that’s what makes for good storytelling,” Raphael said, standing and holding out his hand to Aiden, who grinned and clasped his wrist, letting him pull her up off of the recliner. Aiden looked at Skylar, who continued sitting on the couch, looking up at her. Aiden careful made her way to 

Skylar and held out her hand, just how Raphael had done to Aiden. They held eye contact for a long moment before Skylar let out a breath, reached out, and grabbed Aiden’s wrist. They stayed in that position for an almost uncomfortable period of time until Aiden lifted Skylar off of the couch.

“So? Am I forgiven for all of my sins against you?” Aiden asked, only half-joking, somewhat worried Skylar still, rightfully, didn’t trust Aiden and wanted nothing to do with her lies. But Skylar slowly shook her head, smiling just a little.

“Yes. You’re forgiven. But next time, try practicing how to trick someone who’s been lying her whole life. Seems to me as if you need a little practice in that.” Skylar nudged Aiden’s shoulder, who simply laughed and rolled her eyes.

“Oh please, I had you all fooled up until that whole JJ out the grave scenario. Don’t pull the holier than thou act. Or, in this case, the not holier than thou act.” Skylar and Aiden shared a small smile, then turned their attention to Matthew, who had cleared his throat, obviously only wanting them to remember he existed. 

“Oh, hello. Now that you all have become friends again, let’s sit down and plan our next victims.” Matthew clapped his hands together and settled back down into the loveseat, waiting for everyone else around him to do the same. Aiden followed suit, sitting down in the recliner, which seemed to be her favorite, but Skylar and Raphael remained standing.

“Um, sorry to break it to you, Matthew, but we’re not part of your party now. I mean, the reunion was fun while it lasted, but searching for freedom in our fake government really isn’t our thing, you know? We’re more protect the innocent, save the condemned, sort of people. But thanks for offering. Really. You’re all forgiven and I still love you and recognize you as my brother, which, by the way, is a huge improvement from an hour ago, but I don’t want to be a part of your reign.” Skylar bit her lip, watching her brother tilt his head in a slightly puppyish sort of way. Raphael continued Skylar’s train of thought, picking up where she left off.

“Yeah. You’re honestly a great guy, and your ideas for this group are great, but as Skylar said, that’s not really our sort of thing. We’re not really imaginative people. We’re more the people who go around saving the heroes and villains alike because that’s who we are. You have a great vision for the future, and, man, I respect you for it. But I’m not a visionary. I’m a fighter. I don’t want to be part of your leading plan, or be part of your intelligence. At some point, when you need me and Skylar, we’ll be your fighters. But for now, we don’t want to be your brain. We kind of just want to be fighters. I just want to live life the way I was trying to before.” Raphael stopped, watching Matthew’s reaction just like Skylar. He seemed to be looking at them, but also not looking at them. More like looking through them, rather than looking at them as people. After many minutes of awkward silence, Matthew blinked and looked up at them, really looked at them for the first time in at least twenty minutes.

“You guys really think that?” He asked, aiming the question for both of them, but only looking at Skylar, waiting for just her response. She nodded, lifting a shoulder cautiously.

“Yeah. Matt, I love you, but I’m not really going to ever be the person you plan your raids with or the person you rescue twelve-year-olds with, okay? Maybe at some point, not the future, in two or five or ten years, when we both have matured a little, and both have better, more realistic visions for our lives, then we can fight for our causes together. But as Raphael said, we just want to live life the way we tried to before. I’m going to go get trained to be a Protector with Raphael, so I can improve my skills and get more respect in my field. You want that for me, right?” 

A Protector was the highest honor any type of soldier or fighter could ask for in this world. A Protector was one of the elite fifty warriors who guarded the ruler of the government. The ruler, Willow Archer, was a female ruler who had a council of twenty-seven people. Each of those people helped to make the world what it was. In the beginning, the world was a good place, and our government helped us rebuild when nothing else would. But now they were slowly deteriorating, the condition the world was in becoming worse and worse over time. A Protector, however, was still the highest honor, whether you respected the government or not. A Protector had to endure five weeks of a horrific camp that was meant to test all limits, physical, mental, and emotional. Once the camp was finished, there was a three-day virtual reality simulation. The survivors of the camp were paired off and sent into a field with no supplies other than themselves and the guns they held. It was on the, to survive the three days, and if they did not, they were not allowed to become Protectors. Once the simulation was passed, you were allowed to become a Protector. However, they would be certain attempts to make a candidate slip up. There could be a test that was not recognized for what it was, whether it was a simple drug slipped into your drink to a death note left on the desk next to the bed you slept in. If any of those things even passed the doorstep without you noticing, you were shipped off, never to become a Protector. If you happen to make it to the ceremony of initiation, there would be no more tests. From that morning on, you were considered a true Protector, and you would be treated as such until the day of your death. No Protector made it past age 32, simply because of the risks that were taken every day to protect Willow Archer.

Once Skylar had stated the goal for her and Raphael, Matthew dipped his chin and sighed. “There really is no stopping you now. I remember when you were five and had the dream of becoming a Protector. Alright. I really had hoped that you would change your mind, though. We could have made the world a much better place. But I suppose you already have done that by saving people’s lives out on the field. And there is no one I'd rather have protecting me than my sister and her best friend.” Matthew got up and walked over to the closed door, Aiden at his side. “I guess that you’ll want to pack up. Again.” Skylar shook her head, sheepishly smiling at her brother.

“Actually, all Protector candidates are told to come with nothing but a weapon of your choice and the clothes on your back. So maybe you could keep our things and clothes until we come back? Just so we know we have a place to come back to.” Matthew smiled back at his sister, then at Raphael, willingly happy to do something for her. 

“Yes, little sister. But to get your things back, you are going to need to come back. And not with any of your Protector buddies either. I’m not a dang hotel. I run a business, you know.” Skylar pinched her lips together and looked at her brother teasingly.

“I’m not too sure that what you run is a business. I’m sure that in my next place of work that you’ll be called a terrorist group.” Matthew recoiled, laughing, which ruined the effect of his faked horror.

“And you still want to work there? Jesus, woman, get out of my room if you are to disrespect my line of work. Out, out!” He shoved them out, laughing as Skylar and Raphael walked out. As they walked down the hallway together, they picked up the scent of roasted meat and sautéed vegetables. Skylar and Raphael glanced at each other and laughed. It had been way too long for them not to have had a real cooked meal. They followed the scent down the stairs and into a room, which had a dozen people bustling around with a sense of purpose, creating the food that had made the aroma summoning the lair here.

“I’m going to be very bold and assume that this is the kitchen and that if I ask for food they will be obligated to give it to me,” Raphael said and walked up to the closest person. “Excuse me, but my friend and I are very hungry. We would like some food if you can give us any.” The person turned to be a girl, not much younger than Skylar herself. She smiled at them and gestured them to a closet across from her.

“I’m not really supposed to give anyone food,” she whispered, craning her neck to see if anyone was watching her. “But I know that you,” she pointed at Skylar, “are Matthew's sister, so if anyone asks, I can say that you were hungry, and anyone would let it slide. But you are hungry, right?” She asked, looking at Skylar. She giggles a little, nodding.

“There is never a time when I’m not hungry,” she joked. The younger girl laughed and nodded, opening the closet to reveal shelves of multiple types of food. The girl handed them a black bag and watched them put food in the bag greedily. When the bag was full, the girl pulled the door closed and turned to leave when Raphael stopped her.

“Wait! Aren’t you going to get in trouble when people find out how much food is missing?” The girl laughed again, a pretty tinkling sound, and waved a hand at him, her eyes crinkling as she smiled at the two of them.

“Oh please. Do you know how many people steal from that one pantry alone? And even if someone did notice, all I have to do is say Matthew’s sister was hungry, and I become absolved of all my wrongdoing. After all, Matthew’s sister is always welcome here, especially in this kitchen. You’re loved here!” She rolled her eyes and smiled at them again. Her smile was so infectious that both Raphael and Skylar smiled back. “But thank you for worrying about me!” She turned to go, and this time Raphael let her, as he was too distracted by the scent of the fresh food wafting from the too-full bag. Skylar smiled to herself and practically dragged Raphael out of the kitchen and into his room, two stories up. She took two large handfuls from the overflowing bag, stuffing them into her hoodie pocket, and waved at Raphael, who had already collapsed onto his bed and was sifting through his bag of goods. He gave her a half-hearted wave without looking up at her. Skylar rolled her eyes affectionately and continued onto her room. Once in her room, she dumped her food into the hammock, which wasn’t the smartest idea, because then the smaller pieces fell through the net onto the floor, but Skylar was too distracted to notice, for there was a small, folded note on her nightstand. She carefully made her way to the stand, which was empty except for the note. Skylar was positive that her nightstand had been entirely spotless, and she would have noticed a piece of paper. Skylar unfolded the note and read what was inside.

Dear Miss Skylar Locklear,

We are here to inform you that your application to join the Protectors has been reviewed. It is with our deepest honor and pleasure that we inform you that you have been accepted to be one of our candidates to become a Protector. In two nights' time, you will be required to show up at the Forbidden Palace before Midnight, where everything you will need to know will be explained to you. we look forward to testing your skills and abilities and pushing you beyond those points until you discover the strength that had not existed before. Be reminded, however, that the upcoming months will be the hardest you have ever endured. We are testing you so that we may realize your limits, and so you can, and will, break through those limiting barriers. You may withdraw your wish to become a Protector, but we strongly discourage this, as one never knows what one is capable of until the very end. We wish you the best of luck.

The Protectors

Skylar reread the letter many times before the information finally sunk in. Her dream had been accepted. She had a shot at becoming a Protector. At some point in the near future, she was going to become one of the people that she had only dreamed of being. Skylar smiled so hard she thought her face was going to break. She jumped off the bed that she had unconsciously sat down on, and ran to Raphael’s room, bursting through it. In her rush, she forgot to close the door or to put her acceptance letter down. She looked down on Raphael, who was still bent over his bag of food. Raphael noticed that she was standing over him and looked up, his cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk’s. Skylar laughed and poked his cheeks.

“What? You’ve never eaten food?” Skylar chuckled before waving her letter in front of his face, waiting for the realization to settle over him. Once Raphael understood what her paper was meant for, he jumped up and wildly looked around the room. Skylar spotted a similar-looking piece of paper on his nightstand as well, and she pointed to it, showing him what he was missing. Raphael practically ran to it and opened it carefully, being extremely cautious as if the paper was so very fragile. Skylar waiter patiently until Raphael sat down and slid the letter towards her, his face unreadable.

Dear Mr. Raphael Garcia,

We are here to inform you that your application to join the Protectors has been reviewed. We are deeply upset to inform you that you have not been accepted into our selection of candidates. Our list of candidates is only the most elite amount of people across the world. Our candidates are the smartest, the wisest, the strongest, the bravest, the ambitious, and the talented. Our candidates number less than ten this year, so our selection has been more meticulous than our past selections, and we regret having to reject you from this opportunity, but we must. We sincerely apologize to you for this inconvenience, and we beg you to follow where your heart wants you to go, for that will always be the way. We wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

The Protectors

As she finished reading it, Skylar realized that this meant she was going to the Protectors by herself. That her best friend’s dreams had been crushed and she was moving on without him. Skylar looked at Raphael and was shocked. Raphael was crying, tears silently slipping down his face, and he buried his face into his hands, still sobbing quietly. Skylar looked down at the note, the back at him. She had no idea what to do. In the end, she just put her arm around Raphael and leaned against him. They stayed like that for a long time, until Raphael stopped crying and Skylar came to terms with what Raphael’s rejection would mean for her. He wiped his face with his sleeve and smiled bashfully.

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m not wise, smart, strong, brave, ambitious, or talented enough, right? God, that is embarrassing, because I assume you got accepted, right?” Skylar numbly nodded, and Raphael sharply sniffed and blinked. “Yeah. I thought so. Why else would you have come here for? That’s great, Sky. That’s really and truly great. I’m really happy for you, and I know you will be amazing. You’ll make such a great Protector, I know you will. And I’ll watch you from the television from wherever my heart takes me, and I will be so proud of you, because after everything you have done for me, or just done in general, you deserve.” Raphael and Skylar shared a watery smile and hugged, which they’d done more in the past two days than they’d ever done before, then Skylar sprang back up.

“I guess I should get back to my room, then.” She said, furiously scrubbing at her eyes. Raphael just nodded and Skylar turned away, feeling hundreds of times heavier than before. After everything she and Raphael had been through, they still would end up being separated through the one thing they had been working for together. The disappointment and sadness were getting to be too much to bear. Skylar needed to lose herself in sleep, and fast. The day had just been getting to the point where the only way she could feel better was through hours of continuous, uninterrupted sleep. She collapsed onto her bed, which had been designed just for her, and fell asleep right away, the emotional turmoil she had been dealing with for what felt like forever was exhausting her in a whole new different way. At least in two weeks, she’ll be in a new, possibly better, more challenging place, surrounded by people with the same dream as her, the same motivation, the same feelings. No one who wanted to be a Protector was mentally stable. After all, you had to be somewhat unhinged to accept the fact you were going to die before the age of 40. However, this time she wouldn’t make the same mistakes. This time, she wouldn’t be fooled by fake intentions and stupid emotions and people who would eventually leave her, willing and unwilling, this time, she was going to accomplish what she set out to do, and nothing, not even herself, could stop her.