September 1st, 1996

     "Addi?" Cole whispered as he gently shook the girl. "Addi you gotta go. Now."

     "What?" Addison bolted upright in bed, instantly grabbing for the knife she kept under her pillow. "Cole? What the fuck? What time is it?"

     "Addison!" He whisper yelled as he squeezed her arm hard enough to hurt. "They know. Josh and Sam. They know."

     Addison felt a pit in her stomach drop. "H-how?"

     "That thing you did...Josh saw and told Sam. Listen Addi, you need to-"

     Addison let out a scream as white hot pain flashed through her head. Not now. Anytime but now. Why now?!

     Cole was yanking her out of the bed, throwing her boots on her and thrusting her backpack into her arms.

     "It hurts it hurts it hurts," Addison whined as she grabbed at her temples. "Make it stop Cole."

     The older boy grabbed her roughly, turning her to face him. "Addison listen to me. They're going to try and hurt you. You're tough, you're strong. I believe in you okay? Go. Get out of here. Don't come back. Ever. For the love of god just go!"

     Addison felt hot tears in her eyes as she threw the backpack over her shoulder and jammed the window open.

     Cole left the room quickly, she could hear shouting and something slamming. Before she got on the windowsill she heard the cocking of a gun.

     She hopped out the window, her boots hitting the ground softly.

     Addison wiped the tears off her cheeks and sniffled hard as she broke out into a run.

     She was so fucking sick of running.

July 26th, 2002

11:45am

     Kis woke up and groaned at the sunlight seeping in through the curtains. She looked at the small clock next to her bed, groaning loudly when she realized that it was almost noon.

     "Fuck this," she muttered as she kicked the blankets off her body. She sleepily grabbed clean clothes and pulled them on as she ran her fingers through her hair, using them as some sort of sad excuse for a brush.

     She swung the door open and rubbed her hands over her eyes. To say she wasn't a morning person was an understatement.

     "Oh hey, I was just coming to look for yo...wait did you just wake up?" Kis scowled and looked up at the blonde boy who was standing in front of her door.

     "Shut the fuck up, what do you want?"

     "I was gonna ask if you've seen Tommy, I haven't seen him all day and he didn't sleep with me last night."

     Kis made a face. "He didn't sleep with you?"

     Newt shook his head as he tugged on his blonde hair. It really was getting too long, he needed a haircut. "Is it stupid and clingy to be worried?"

    Kis rolled her eyes. "Newt, Thomas breaks shit when he doesn't sleep with you. Where's Minho?"

     Newt shrugged. "Probably with El." He made a face. "Sorry."

     Kis scowled. "Don't."

     Newt put his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry."

     Kis rolled her eyes and closed her door behind her. "Okay, let's go find your boy."

     Newt was practically jogging as they headed down the hall.

     "Slow down," Kis whined as she trailed behind him.

     "You're fuckin lazy bitch," Newt shot back as he turned around and started walking backwards.

     Kis shrugged, then she smirked slightly and appeared down the hall.

     "That's cheating!" Newt shouted as he chased after her.

     "It's not cheating!"

     "Shadow traveling is cheating!" Newt shook his head as he came to a stop in front of the library. "Think he'd be in there?"

     Kis shrugged. "Did you check his room?"

     Newt nodded before heading into the library.

    Kis noticed how stiff Newt was, how his muscles were clenched.

     "Newt?" she asked softly.

     "Yeah?"

     "What are you not telling me?"

     Newt froze in his tracks and turned around. The worry on his face was so evident, it made Kis feel uneasy.

     "Something happened last night...we were, you know, doing stuff and out of nowhere he threw me off of him and had a panic attack. He said someone was watching him." Newt took a shaky breath and tugged at his hair again. "He wouldn't tell me anything, but I just held him and rubbed his back and somehow I drifted off and when I woke up he was gone."

     "Shit," Kis muttered under her breath. "We need to find El, her and Thomas are close, they always know what's going on with each other."

     "Really? They're close?"

     Kis nodded slightly, a smirk spreading across her face. "He told her about the time you and Thomas switched it up."

     Newt's face flushed red. "Excuse me he what?"

     Kis tried to stifle her laughs, but she was failing. "I hear it was very romantic."

     Newt held his middle finger up in her face. "That boy is a clueless bottom and a disastrous top...how do you know?" 

     "You tell El, you tell me and vise versa, it's how we work."

     "You're a bloody psychopath," Newt scowled as he turned to leave the library. "Now go, go sniff out your lover."

     Kis punched him in the stomach.
    
     After two hours of searching, the panic started to seep in. Kis kept clenching and unclenching her fists and Newt had obvious concern etched across his face.

    "She always tells me where she's going," Kis said as she leaned against the wall. "If they're together they're not here."

     Newt frowned at his feet. "Is it stupid of me to be worried? He's been acting so weird lately and he never leaves in the morning..." Newt trailed off as he pulled at his hair. "I'm not trying to be controlling...I'm-"

     "Newt. You're not overreacting. We'll find them, they're probably just snuck out to talk about dicks and get real food."

     Kis was so good of a liar, Newt almost believed her. The blonde boy shook his head anyways. "No, something is going on. I know it. We need to find them. Where's Minho?"

     Kis shrugged. "As if I know, I don't keep tabs on him."

     As if he knew he was being talked about, Minho came running down the hallway then. He was out of breath and skidded to a halt in front of the other two. "Have you seen El?"

     Newt and Kis slowly shared a concerned look.

     Something was happening, and it wasn't good.

July 26th 2002

4:05pm

     "We're on a mission! A real life mission!" Thomas practically screamed as he put a hop into his step.

     It took everything in El to resist rolling her eyes. "Thomas for the fifth time, you need to be quiet."

    "But we're not even there yet!"

     "And we're not going to get there if you blow our cover!"

     Thomas had on his suit under a pair of dark washed skinny jeans and Newt's hoodie. It was warm out, but the suits we're long sleeved and if someone saw them they'd lose cover for sure. El's outfit was very similar with her leggings and long sleeve shirt hidden under her cardigan. They looked normal on the outside. No one could see the blade El had shoved in her boot or the hilt strapped to the inside of Thomas' arm. They probably looked like siblings to the passer-byers, at least she hoped.

     "We can catch a bus in a half hour," El said as she pulled Thomas to stop at a small gas station, "and leave your hood up, like I told you."

     Thomas flushed and yanked it over his head. "Sorry, it smells too much like Newt, I miss him."

     El shook her head lightly. "You're whipped Thomas."

     "I don't know how I'm going to sleep without him," Thomas said softly.

     "We're gonna go somewhere far, we have to sleep on the ground. We can't risk you freaking out and alerting someone."

     Thomas nodded, his expression falling. "I don't think I was ready for this El. I can't even function without my boyfriend."

     "Hey," El said softly as she grabbed his arm. "It's your first mission Thomas, it's weird and new just like it was when you first came to the school. You're good in training, one of the best of us I believe, you'll be okay I promise."

     Thomas smiled softly at her. "You're such a good friend El."

     She returned the look as she lightly squeezed his arm. "You should have seen me and Kis the first time we went on a mission together. We were a mess, she almost died the first time we shadow traveled." El laughed lightly. "We'll be okay, but now let's eat because I'm starving."

     "I didn't bring any money," Thomas said as he followed after El who was walking toward the gas station.

     "It's okay, we don't need money."

     "Then how are w-"

     Thomas trailed off as El held her hand up. "Just trust me."

July 26th, 2002

9:27pm

     When Newt slid into his bed that night it felt weird. He didn't like how cold he was without Thomas' unnaturally warm body next to his. He didn't like how he couldn't feel Thomas' light touches trailing down his arms and stomach and how the kisses Thomas would leave on his cheeks and face weren't there. He didn't like how his hand rested on the pillow because there was no soft black hair to tangle them in. He couldn't smell Thomas or hear his breathing or feel the soft rising and falling of his chest. He missed him and he hated it.

     Newt kicked the blankets off in frustration. Where the hell was Thomas? Thomas' powers still weren't in his full control, if he was with El she wouldn't be able to control him if he freaked out. Newt himself could barely control Thomas when he got his power surges. Newt sat up and rubbed his face over his hands. The three of them had given up searching for the day, it had become quite obvious that they weren't anywhere at the school. Newt pulled on Thomas' hoodie to somewhat cover up his boxers before turning himself invisible. He slowly creeped down the hallway, being careful that he didn't push his door open too loudly. Newt paused finally when he was in front of Kis' room. He hesitated at the door before knocking softly. The door swung open a second later to reveal Kis in her plaid pants and black shirt.

     "Can't sleep either?" she asked softly as she stared at the empty space in front of her door.

     Newt appeared, his face flushing. "Don't make fun of me."

     The blonde girl shook her head as she opened the door wider. "Minho's already in here."

     Newt gave his friend who was curled up on the floor a slight wave. Minho nodded his head in acknowledgement before sitting up.

     Kis tugged Newt inside before closing the door behind them. Only the small lamp on the nightstand was on which didn't actually provide much light. It also didn't help that every aspect of Kis' room was black. Her comforter was striped black and grey, the pile of clothes on the floor lacked all color and everything on top of her dresser was some shade of night. Literally the only color in her room was the light blonde on her head.

     Kis patted the spot on the bed next to her. "I don't usually do this, but you fuckers can come up here."

     Newt and Minho exchanged a look before scrambling onto the bed.

     Kis laid by the wall, her body being pushed further into it by Newt's. Minho was on his side, one of his arms lazily thrown around his best friend. It was almost nice, the close proximity. The boy's knew that she'd never admit it, but Kis needed this, the weird body pile and everyone's limbs being everywhere.

     "We'll find them," Newt said softly as he gently kicked the blonde girl's leg. Minho hummed in agreement from his spot.

     An eerie silence fell over the group before Minho cleared his throat. "I think this is my fault."

     Kis and Newt quickly snapped their heads to look at him. "What?"

     "I think I know why they left, and it was because of me."

     "Minho what did you do?" Newt snapped as he sat up and glared down at his buffer friend.

     "El and I broke up."

     "What?"

     "Last night, she came into my room and we ended it, it was a mutual thing, well at least I thought it wa-"

     "No. El wouldn't do that," Kis snapped. "She'd never run away because of something like that."

     Minho looked at the blonde girl for a second before letting out a breath. "I didn't mean it like that. I love her, I really do, just not like that."

     "When were you going to tell us?"

    Minho shrugged. "El didn't want to, she thought it would upset you guys. We're on good terms though, like I said, I love the girl."

     Kis laid back down, her lips were drawn in a tight line as she stared at the ceiling.

     "It was probably Tommy's idea, he always gets into stupid shit."

     "Why wouldn't they tell us?" Minho asked as he settled back down into cuddling with Newt.

     Newt let out a breath and squeezed Minho's arm. "I don't know Min, I really don't."

     Kis huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You know we're going after them right? Like it's not up for debate, we're going to find them."

     "We can leave in the morning," Newt said as he pulled himself closer to Minho. "You're my replacement Tommy for the night."

     "Hey I'm not a skinny bit-" Minho groaned as Newt kneed him in the stomach.

     "Shut the fuck up and cuddle me bitch."

     "You guys are fucking ridiculous."

July 27th, 2002

1:47am

     El woke quickly when a sharp pain shot across her side. Despite it being the summer, when she woke up she was shivering. She looked down to see Thomas thrashing beside her. His arms were letting off smoke and his face was contorted into one of pain.

     Fuck.

     "Thomas!" She whisper yelled. "Thomas, please wake up."

     Thomas sat upright, his mouth dropping open and his lungs sucking in the biggest breath of air. His chest heaved up and when his eyes flew open they were red and unfocused.

     "Thomas," El said carefully as she slowly stood. She kept her hands out in front of her, ready in case the boy flipped on her. "Thomas, you need to relax."

     Thomas let out a choked screaming sound before falling to his hands and knees and throwing up strands of black smoke onto the grass.

     "Thomas!" She shouted again, her voice shaking. She'd never seen him like this, not since the day he freaked out while fighting WICKED.

     Thomas collapsed to his side, the snakes of black smoke swirling around him.

     El's heart was beating loudly against her chest and her hands were shaking, when Thomas' was in control his power levels we're insane, when he wasn't in control he was just straight up dangerous.

     Thomas coughed and blinked hard. When he opened his eyes they were black.

     El felt the panic rising again, she desperately tried to push it back down. Being scared made it worse. It was just Thomas. He wouldn't ever hurt her.

     Thomas' body went rigid, dark tears were running down his cheeks. "Newt," he whispered. "I need Newt. El you need to get Newt."

     "I-I can't get him. He's far away."

     Thomas eyes glassed over and his stomach pumped in and out like he was in pain. "You can't handle me like this, not when I completely lose control."

     Something in that sparked something in El. She swirled her hands, causing the trees around them to rise and twist. Dark Thomas looked up at them in curiosity. El closed her fists which ordered the trees to snap forward and wrap around Thomas' wrists.

     Thomas laughed, it sent chills down her spine. It didn't sound like Thomas, it sounded demonic and pure evil. He was looking at a spot behind her which made El quickly turn around. Her heart rate instantly picked up when she saw a growing spider rising in the patch of forest, it was spazzing and cracking as it grew.

     "Thomas!" El screamed as she took a step backwards. "You're gonna give us away!"

     Thomas let out another bone chilling laugh as he pulled at the tree restraints. The black snakes were slowly climbing them, tangling up in the tree stems.

     El shot her hands down at the ground, calling the dirt to rise up around her to give her some sort of leverage. A flick of her wrist shot sharp branches at the spider, which made it roar in pain.

     Thomas wouldn't stop laughing. El flicked her finger, which made ice run down the tree branches so Thomas would stop pulling. The spider was moving closer now, fire sparking and sliding down its hairy legs.

     "You can't kill me El, everything here is everything you create."

     "Shut up!" She screamed as she sent a rain of hail down over the spot of forest they were taking up. "Shut up. Shut up!"

     "Why are you screaming?"

     El froze and looked down at her feet to see Kis, standing there with her arms crossed.

     The spider was gone and dark Thomas was silent, his eyes wide and watching.

     El snapped her fingers, making the dirt tower she was standing on go down immediately.

     "What are you doing here?" She asked as she threw her arms around the blonde girl.

     "You never go on missions without me."

     I know I-" El trailed off as she heard Kis choke. She pulled back instantly, her heart dropping when she did.

     Kis' eyes were wide and blood was dripping out of her mouth. Her hands were clutched around her stomach where one of the black snakes were crawling out of.

     "Ow," the blonde girl muttered before dropping to the floor.

     El didn't know what to feel, everything in her felt empty, but rage quickly replaced the empty. She whipped her head around to look at Thomas, her hand coated in flames, ready to shook. When she saw him she stopped. He was limp in his restraints, his head hanging down like a rag doll. She looked back at where Kis was to see nothing. There was nothing there on the grass. There was no spider, no dead best friend.

     El let the flame in her hand die out, now just feeling nothing but confusion. She hurried over to Thomas and gently lifted his head. His eyes were closed and his skin was pale and cold.
"Thomas? Thomas are you okay?"

     Thomas slowly opened his eyes and groaned, feeling panic when he realized he couldn't move his arms. "What the fuck?! El what the fuck?!"

     El snapped her fingers instantly, letting the tree branches and ice clatter to the ground.

     Thomas fell into her arms, stumbling a bit as he did. He regained his balance quickly and stood up, smoothing out his shirt as he did. "What happened?"

     "You freaked out...I-I didn't know what to do. I'm not Newt," El pleaded as she let out a breath. "I'm sorry Thomas."

     The fear became evident on Thomas' face. "What did I do?"

     El opened her mouth to speak but froze when Thomas turned white and waved his hand to cut her off. There in the trees stood little Thomas, giggling with his hand over his face.

     "Mommy says they're coming," he said before running off into the depth of the brush.

     "Thomas what's going on? You need to tell m-"

     "We need to go," he said as he grabbed the girls arm. "Now."