"You're going to break into the Eastern Tower, the most guarded place in all of Dema?" Debby scoffed and leaned back in her chair. "Clancy was right. You and Josh are absolutely nuts."

Tyler had explained his plan to Debby after the service in her bedroom, and even he thought it was crazy. That didn't mean it couldn't work, though.

"Keons must know about me. That's why he chose me to be his apprentice. We have to leave tonight, and I'm not leaving Clancy behind. It has to be me."

"But how are you going to get past the guards?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I'll just... mind control my way in. I'm an Empathic, remember?"

"Yeah, and I'm a Neon. Doesn't mean I'll be throwing buildings at people any time soon." She turned serious. "We need practice."

"But we have, like, six hours," he reminded her.

Debby stood and held her arms out, twirling to make the hem of her skirt spin. "Practice on me. I, Debby Ryan, allow Tyler Whateveryourlastnameis to mind control me."

"It's Joseph and I don't think I really need your blessing to control you."

Tyler stood and grabbed her face with his hands, closing his eyes. He could feel a tugging, like a string pulling at the pit of his stomach.

Images flashed in his mind. A man and woman, a man with a dark red cloak pulled off his head, and Clancy'a face. Tyler tried to focus on one at a time, but they flashed and disappeared quickly that he couldn't keep up. When he finally focused on a single image, it was the man in the cloak.

Even though Tyler had never seen him before, he couldn't help but recognize him. His hair was short and black, and from under the hood, his eyes shined a metallic red. Taut pale skin pulled itself around his skeleton. He didn't look real. Everything about him reminded Tyler of a zombie.

The man pushed his hair back, revealing the burn scar that took up half of his face. He held his hand out to Tyler, the scars circling up and around his arm. His appearance should've made Tyler run, but his voice was soothing and trustful.

"Are you lost?" He asked in a smooth voice.

Tyler couldn't help but reach a hand out, not noticing the hungry look in the man's eyes until it was too late. The man latched onto Tyler's wrist, a ring of fire shooting from his arm to Tyler's.

A cold, burning pain ran up his body, freezing him in place. He couldn't move or speak, even through he desperately wanted to scream.

The man shushed him, tracing an ice cold finger up the outline of his face. "Shhhh, Debby. I'll help you get out. Just tell me where they are."

Tyler jerked back and out of the dream, shaking from the cold. Debby was staring back at him with dull eyes, her body slumped forward.

"Debby?" He squeaked.

She didn't move.

He poked her. "Come on, this isn't funny. Say something."

"Something," she mumbled.

"Oh shit." Tyler grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her. "Snap out of it, wake up! I release you, I release you!"

Debby blinked and swayed on her feet, stretching her arms out to yawn. "Dang, I'm so tired. Wait, what were we doing?"

Tyler fell back on her bed, stunned. "I- you were- don't you remember?"

"Mmm, nope." She blinked again, confusion crossing her face. "I asked you to... oh shit."

"Yeah. Oh shit."

She fell Tyler, both of them staring at the ceiling for a moment before she spoke. "Do you think I could move a building with my mind?"

Tyler snorted. "Wouldn't hurt to try."

Night fell faster than they anticipated. They sat on the floor of Tyler's bedroom, both talking about the plan again. Debby kept rolling the pills in her hands, unsure of her part.

"Are you sure we can't split them?" She asked. "I feel guilty leaving you behind. What if we can't get you out? What if you're caught? I can't just leave you."

"It'll be fine. I'll get out," Tyler promised, kissing her cheek and standing.

He stood and opened the window of his room, making sure that nobody was watching from outside. Holding himself up on the window sill, Tyler turned and pulled a long piece of tape off the roll, placing it diagonally across the window. He repeated this, creating an x with the tape.

"What's going to happen?" Debby asked.

Tyler shrugged. "Nothing bad. Once you take them, I'll make my way to the Eastern Tower. Watch out for the fire I'm going to set, okay?"

She nodded and tilted her head back, dropped the pills in her mouth and swallowing them. A shudder ran through her body. "Ugh. Gross."

Her eyes rolled back, collapsing on the ground. A low rumble took over the building, and a cry of help rang through Tyler's ears even though her lips didn't move. That must've been what the pills did. They called out to other Banditos.

Tyler crouched down and gave her forehead a peck, taping a ring of tape around each one of his fingers before leaving the roll on her chest. He swung out of the window, closing it shut before dropping to the ground.

Just as his feet his soft dirt, the sirens began. Tyler shot through his backyard, following a dirt path behind the familiar houses that led to the Eastern Tower. Between the fences, he saw flashes of people running in the opposite direction and heard hooves hitting cobblestone. Even with the anxiety running through his veins, he kept going.

As soon as he hit gravel, Tyler lost his footing, and he came tumbling down, right in front of the Tower guard. He looked up, trying to smile innocently before rolling away and getting to his feet when the guard swung a spear. The man scowled and swung again, but Tyler ducked and tackled him into a door, covering his mouth with his hand.

He tried to push past the memories flooding his mind and whispered, "go to sleep."

The man's eyes fluttered closed and he slumped forward. Tyler moved to let him fall to the ground with a heavy thud. He grabbed a ring of keys off his belt and tried each one until he got to the one that fit in the keyhole.

"That was easy."

There were seven floors and one each floor over a dozen cells. Most were empty except for the third floor, where Tyler saw a girl no older than twelve with silver hair and wide doe eyes.

"Oh my god, you're just a kid," he breathed, fumbling with the keys to get her out.

She grabbed the bars, staring up at Tyler as he shoved key after key into the lock. "Are you a Bandito too?"

"Uh..... yes, I am," he said, finally getting the right key in and twisting it. The lock popped and as soon as Tyler got it off, the girl thrust her hands forward, the door swinging open without her even touching it. "Okay, that's a thing."

"My name's Hayley Kiyoko. What's yours?" She asked, grabbing his hand without him offering.

Tyler led her up the stairs, her feet leaving small, bloody prints on the stone floor. He wanted to ask why, but after however long she'd be there, he could come up with a couple guesses.

"I'm Tyler. I've heard of you before. I didn't know you were so... young."

Hayley smiled widely up at Tyler, one of her teeth missing. It looked like it'd been yanked out. "That's okay. The monsters don't go after kids."

They made it to the seventh floor, and Hayley shouted for Clancy. Sudden rattling directed them to the very last cell near a broken window, a bloody hand limply sticking out between the bars.

"Clancy!" Hayley ran in front of Tyler, the lock shattering and falling away in pieces. She tugged the door open, and a tall, dirt covered man stumbled out. Somehow, Hayley was able to hold him up- by then, he figured out that she was a Neon- but only long enough for them to stumble to Tyler.

He grabbed the man, seeing the several thin yet deep cuts on his limbs and sides. His dark green shirt hung in tatters, clinging to his thin, malnourished body where the blood dried. One eye were a milky white, and the other was covered with a white, bloody patch held down by tape. Blood soaked through the bandages that went up to his elbows, staining Tyler's gray sweatshirt.

"Who are you?" Clancy mumbled almost incoherently. His lips were swollen and bruised to the point that he could barely talk.

"I wish we could meet more properly," Tyler said, wrapping one of Clancy's arms over his shoulder to hold as much of his body weight as he could. "But this is how is going to be, I guess. I'm Tyler."

"T'ler." Clancy's white eye went wide. "Y're th' boy J'sh- you-"

"Shhh, it's okay. I'm here to break us out," Tyler hushed him.

Hayley ran ahead of them, her pigtails flying. She let out a sharp giggle, but it didn't last long because then she skidded to a stop at the stairway, looking back at Tyler with fearful eyes. Slowly, she put a finger to her lips.

Tyler stopped, halfway down the hall, and listened carefully. He could hear footsteps rushing up the steps. Shifting Clancy so he could get ready to run, Tyler motioned for Hayley to come back.

Just as she started to tip toe back, a loud crash came from just below them, making her shriek. They held their breath. The footsteps had ceased, leaving eerie silence in the air.

Then, the boots started stomping, and Hayley sprinted towards Tyler, swinging her arm back wildly. The door behind her slammed closed, the lock and bolt shifted into place.

"We're trapped," she whimpered, clutching the sleeve of Tyler's sweatshirt. "The monsters are here."

Tyler desperately looked over to the window, knowing it was their only way out. He walked them towards the opening, seeing rocks and shrubbery at the bottom.

"Hayley, how long can you hold someone in the air?"