I slid down the slope, panting as Savannah and Larry followed after. Darien was dead and he left me in charge. I was completely responsible for every last person in this cave. Amoy was working hard with teaching her healing. Nik and his tunnelers were still digging, and they were much deeper than before. And Kay was teaching others how to fight.

With all the strength left in me I bolted to the ledge and climbed up to look down on all the faces I might never see again.

"Everyone! Listen, quickly!" I cried out. I waited for everyone to stop doing what they were doing and walk up to look and see what was happening. With a deep breath, I told them what had happened. "Darien is dead! Natas' people are right above us and I think they saw me vanish in the force field, they could be coming any moment!"

Terrified murmurs filled the cave. Everyone looked anxiously to the person next to them and I began to feel fear take me over. Was any of what we had ready for something like this?

"Nik, how far have you gotten?" I looked down to my friend.

"We got far enough to think we're somewhere else," he responded, "but not enough to actually be anywhere."

I thought for a moment and held out my staff carefully. I bent a little off of it, threw it to the cave, and watched as it transformed into a huge drill truck. I snapped my fingers and the drill went to work through the tunnel.

"Amoy, is there anything you need for healing?" I looked to my other schoolmate.

"Just supplies," she answered, "I'm the only one who can heal with just my hands!"

I swiped the staff in the air and a gas filled the area around the healers. It faded and it revealed a bunch of first aid supply.

"Kay?" I looked to the last of the ones I left behind in the cave.

"Weapons, we need a lot if we're gonna take these bastards on!" he shouted up.

I waved the staff and weapons of different varieties fell into everyone's hands.

I then decided to wave the staff at the tunnel again and a huge metal door was whisked onto the sides. That would slow Natas down at least a little.

Just when I thought we were all going to get through this without a fight, a loud explosion was heard. Dust came from the entrance of the exiting tunnel and flowed down the slope. My eyes widened as demons swarmed into the cave. A lot of the survivors ran at them and started fighting those monsters off.

I jumped off the ledge and turned the staff into a bazooka. I pulled the trigger and a missile was shot out to the demons and Men in Blue. Some were blown back, or killed, either way, more seemed to come in.
I searched frantically for my friends and relaxed a little when I saw Savannah fight off some of the minions, Nik punching the hell out of some, Amoy kicking and dodging blows, Kay karate chopping some, and Larry lashing out at others with a kantanta.

I readied myself to jump in again, mostly to help Savannah and Amoy who didn't have weapons, but something snatched the back of my hair. I let out a yelp and dropped the staff. The pain was unbearable as whoever had me pulled harder on my hair.

"His lordship will reward me when he sees I've brought back the head of the bitch who caused all this!" I heard a horrible, gruff voice laugh in absolute pride. I fell to my knees, my head hurting and becoming an absolute headache. "Your head is mine whore!"

I tried to hold back my tears as I glanced down at my staff. I slowly let go of my head and reached down to the red stick. I was able to grab it and watched as it turned into a small dagger. I hissed in pain as he pulled harder on my hair.

"You think you can escape me with a lousy kitchen knife?" the man scoffed. "You should've died days ago!"

I scowled as I brought the dagger to the line between his fists and my hair. I sliced through my hair, my head falling from the man's hand, but most of my hair still in his fist.

I spun around and stabbed the man in the side with the dagger. He fell over, writhing in pain, my hair falling to the ground. I stepped over him and brought the blade down on his chest and continued to do so until there were forty-seven holes in his chest.

I panted, tasting the blood as it rolled down my face. I spat it out with the sour taste making me gag.

"Kylen!" I looked over to see Savannah run over and grab me by the arm. "We have to get you out of here! There's too many and you're the one they want!"

"I can't just leave!" I protested.

"There's no arguing this!" I heard Nik shout. He ran up from behind and snatched my arm, dragging me away from where I stood and headed for the escape tunnel, Kay and Larry taking down anyone who came near us. Amoy shot her healing at some of our guys and Savannah shoved me on when I tried to help.

"There she is!" I looked behind me to see Natas glaring down directly at me. His red eyes blazed with fury. "Don't think you can get away from me too easily, you little whore!" he waved his hand at me and all the demons and Men in Blue to look my way. "Don't let that bitch with the staff get away!"

Some of the demons began running at us and the Men in Blue shoved the survivors out of the way and ran our way with them.

Nik and Larry immediately grabbed the individual doors and pulled them open as fast as their arms could allow them. I was pushed in by Savannah, but I stopped myself as best as I could and turned back, stopping them as they tried to close one of the doors.

"I'm not leaving any of you!" I yelled.

"Kylen, you're the only one who has the power to stop him!" Larry yelled back. "You need to-"

He was stopped when all of them were shoved into the tunnel, causing me to fall down with them. I looked up to see Kay begin shutting the doors. I shot up and began running to the doors, but my world died a little more when Kay's smile vanished behind the heavy metal doors and the sound of a lock filled the tunnel.