October 2nd

1032 EST

Bristol padded into the cortex, ignoring the chill coming in from the vaulty ceiling above. She had too much on her mind to let a simple draft bother her. The room was empty, which was an oddity nowadays. What with Rune officially being a threat, the Contingency pulled members of the Union out to defeat whatever tricks he left for them to deal with. Today, that meant everyone but Bristol.

It wasn't that they didn't ask her to go, it was that she was too caught up in her own mess to deal with anything else.

Bristol huffed a breath, angered at her own pitiful thinking. "No one's going to play any violins for you, Vandeviere, get a grip."

She stormed onto the platform, punching in the information needed on the dashboard to begin her training. In an instant, chaos broke all around her. The simulation burst into life and Bristol got into position.

She inhaled slowly, flexing her palms up. On the exhale a geyser of water shot in every direction, drowning the goons into nothing. She sprinted behind a protection wall as a javelin wisped past her head.

That was too close. Bristol chided herself silently.

She clenched her fists together and twirled around the wall, releasing shards of jagged rocks at her enemies. Her eyes darted back and forth as the embodiments of light kept attacking. Bristol parried an oncoming sword attack, and combusted the enemy simulation.

Bristol gasped for breath. She was beginning to feel overwhelmed, there were too many.

Come on, Vandeviere. Come on!

She made a 1080 turn, enemies surrounding her.

You're weak! You're Weak! You're Weak!

Bristol shook her head and closed her eyes. The simulations advanced all at once, and she let out a piercing scream and pushed both her arms forward..

A minute passed, and nothing happened. Then another minute. As Bristol open her eyes, she gasped at the sight. Every enemy was frozen in its tracks. Bristol felt the power that was being released from her hands. She looked around horror at what she had done. Then all of a sudden they disappeared. A person emerged from the darkness, clapping. Calum.

Instantly, Bristol tensed. Despite the trembling fear racking her body from head to toe, she stood her ground. "What do you want?" She spat.

That seemed to be the reaction he wanted, because the telepath arched an eyebrow and smirked. "Why so cold, Bristol? I thought we were friends."

"What a concept," Bristol retorted, a harsh glint in her dark eyes. She watched Calum recline against a nearby pillar, folding his arms and gazing back at her intently.

"Can I help you?" She balled her fists at her sides.

Calum shrugged. "Not necessarily. I was bored so I came down here just in time to see the show." His eyes glinted maliciously and Bristol tensed. "Where'd you get the power upgrade?

Bristol rolled her eyes. "Why do you care?"

Calum's lips stretched into a thin smile. "Why wouldn't I? The concept of it just seems...intriguing. Funny how you haven't used that ability since you got out of Rune's clutches."

Bristol inhaled sharply. She was walking on thin ice now. "Leave me alone, Calum," she scoffed, turning her back to him as she headed back to the platform's dashboard.

"Have you always had that power? Or is hemokinesis something that you only recently developed an aptitude for?" Calum's voice called through the cortex, bouncing off the walls and shaking Bristol to her core.

She gripped the sides of the dashboard, her knuckles turning white. "What are you trying to get at?" She turned around, venom in her gaze.

Calum's smirk only widened. "Did your buddy Rune give you those powers after you made your choice?"

Shakily, Bristol exhaled. Calum started forward, but faster than a bolt of lightning, her hand was outstretched and he was frozen in place.

"Did your father fill you in on everything or are you just that nosy of a mole?" She retorted gravely.

Calum's voice turned grave. "You should watch what you say," His glare fierce. "You might get hurt."

A silent showdown ensued between the two. Eventually, Bristol released her minor grip on the telepath, although the ice in her eyes was enough to leave its effect. Calum took a breath and opened his mouth to speak but the sound of the portal kicking into gear was enough to shut him up.

Bristol whirled around and saw Tristan, Avi, and Liv enter the cortex. A few members of the Contingency entered as well, instantly heading towards the hallway to the control room without a second glance.

"Toodle-Loo, Elemental Empress." Calum hissed, walking in the opposite way of the others.

Bristol clenched her fists, but kept her composure. She turned and walked in the direction of the others.

"Hey Bris," Tristan said, with a faint smile. His hair was ruffled, his eyes were their sapphire shade, and for some reason Bristol's heart did a little tap dance.

She bit her lip and averted her gaze. She should not be thinking of Tristan like that. She and CJ were dating. Focus.

"Hey, what's going on? How'd it go?" Bristol leant against one of the pillars, gazing at her friends in concern.

Liv huffed a breath, running a hand through her short hair. "Could have gone better," she mused airily. "This one almost became plant food." She jerked a finger towards her brother.

Bristol furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Come again?"

Avi recounted the tale of how Rune's latest trick was creating a jungle in downtown Brightbay. Not only was it very unusual for an urban setting, but the plants happened to be massive and poisonous with a mind of their own. Liv incinerated most of them, while Tristan tried his best not to become plant food. If it weren't for CJ rushing in to get him out of the way, he probably would have been defeated.

"I still owe him nothing," Tristan grumbled. He sent a bitter look Bristol's way, and she detected a bit of longing laced in it as well.

Bristol tore her gaze from Tristan's eyes and addressed the rest of the group. "Where even is CJ?"

Within a blink, CJ was beside Bristol.

"Did someone call me?" CJ grinned.

Bristol noticed a series of eye rolls, but she couldn't help smiling. She felt CJ lace his hand with hers and a blush cast over her cheeks. Since the battle with Rune, things were evidently different between the duo but with the hecticity of life at headquarters since then, they hardly had any time to themselves.

In a moments notice, their Caretaker stepped into the room. Bristol had a to suppress a groan, but apparently the hostile look in her eyes was too simple to discern. The past couple of weeks had brought Priscilla back up to terms of suspicion. She was closed off, colder, and hardly even a caretaker--that was to say, more so than usual.

"Tristan, Avi, a word." The redhead deadpanned. She glanced at the heroes she needed before turning on her heels. She didn't wait to see if they would follow; they essentially had no choice.

Tristan and Avi glanced at one another, and Bristol caught a glimpse of a mutual understanding pass between them. She knit her eyebrows together and watched them get up from their seats and head off in Priscilla's wake.

"What's all that about?" Bristol muttered. Suspicions began to formulate in her head, adding to her stress, but CJ squeezed her hand reassuringly, bringing her back to reality.

"Don't worry too much about it," He whispered.

Bristol chewed on her bottom lip. "You know 'worrying' is my middle name." She grumbled, turning her head to face him.

CJ's lips stretched into an impish smile. "I know," he chirped cheerfully. "And that's why I'm gonna help you relax."

It was a genuine offer, but Liv's sudden cough caused the two to avert their gaze over to her.

"So, I'm gonna go because I'm not in the mood to witness a lovefest. I'm never in the mood for that. So...deuces." She flashed a peace sign and stalked down the corridor.

Silence filled the room. CJ stood beside her looking down at their intertwined hands. He looked as if he had a million thoughts racing through his head all at the same time. Of course, Bristol felt the same way but she figured they both could use a break.

Bristol squeezed his hand gently, and nudged him playfully.

"What's up, Mr. Stone?" She smiled. "Something on your mind?"

He looked up at her and scrunched up his nose. "Since when did you call me-" But Bristol cut him off in an instant with a peck on the cheek.

"Since now." She laughed, slipping her hand from out of his grip and sauntering back over to the training platform. "I'm glad you're back." She called over her shoulder.

She felt a gust of wind and instantly, her feet left the ground. She wasn't surprised to find herself in CJ's arms, considering the fact that he swept her off her feet anytime he had a chance nowadays. "Glad to be back, Avatar."

Bristol rolled her eyes sarcastically, despite the butterflies in her stomach from his gesture. "Put me down, Stone," she laughed.

CJ made a face of mock consideration. "Nah, I'm good." He grinned.

"I'll fight you, Stone. Don't think I won't." She retorted, arching an eyebrow.

"Is that a challenge, Vandeviere?" CJ asked in response.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't." Bristol mused, averting her gaze nonchalantly.

"Oh you're on!" CJ said, before zipping to the training platform.

Bristol leapt down from his arms before he took off and crossed over to the platform. She forced herself to avoid any thought of what had happened earlier, stretching her arms as she watched CJ prepare.

"Scared?" She called.

CJ scoffed. "In your dreams."

Bristol smirked. She pretended to keep stretching, and in one fluid motion she had jutted her hands forward and water materialized around her. She flexed her palms and her wave rushed forward.

She thought it would work, but the speedster was too fast. CJ bolted up the wave and vaulted over its crest, landing in front of her. He pushed himself up and folded his arms, a mischievous smile on his face.

"That all you got?" He rolled his hazel eyes.

Bristol narrowed her gaze. She stamped her foot on the ground, and a tremor shook through it. A pillar of earth shot up at CJ's feet, sending him flying backwards. Not even a second later, CJ buzzed out of the air regaining his composure in a fight stance.

"Cute," Bristol noted sarcastically, catching her breath. She still hadn't mastered earth control, and it still took a toll on her.

CJ grinned. "I try."

Bristol laughed lightly and threw her hand forward once more. A burst of fire materialized before her and rushed towards CJ, who darted out of the way.

"Not fair!" She exclaimed, a laugh laced in her voice.

"Who said anything about fairness?" CJ responded, rushing forward and grabbing her wrist. He pulled her to him, smiling down at her.

Bristol tried sneering, but all she could manage was smile. She looked away blushing.

"God, you're adorable," He stated. "And have I mentioned smart, funny, caring, and overall perfect?"

At that, Bristol's blush only intensified. "Oh, shush, Stone." She mumbled, but she found it difficult to say anything with such a big smile on her face.

CJ grinned. "I'll go on then," he decided. "Your cute little smile is contagious, your laugh brightens up my day everytime I hear it, you're the freaking bravest girl I've ever had the privilege of knowing, and I must say, you're the strongest too."

An idea formulated in Bristol's mind and she smiled, looking up at him with a dazzling look in her eyes. She linked her arms around his neck and slowly leant up.

"CJ, do you know what rule one of battle strategy is?' She asked softly.

The speedster shook his head, his eyes fluttering shut just as their lips were about to meet.

"Never let your enemy distract you." Bristol whispered in the same tone, taking a step back.

"Wait, what?" CJ's opened immediately, but it was too late.

Bristol threw her arms forward and a hurricane force gale filled the training platform. CJ tried to fight it, but she just kept adding more and more power until he was practically stuck in place.

"I guess you weren't fast enough, Mr. Blur?" Bristol laughed.

She looked over to see CJ kneeling down fist to the ground, silent.

"CJ?" A worried tone filled her voice. She eased up on the wind, until it had died down drastically.

He said nothing. Bristol stepped closer looking for a reason to what could be wrong. She didn't think she used that much power, but even she surprised herself sometimes.

"CJ if this is some way to get back at me, it isn't funny." She called, her heart beginning to race out of anticipation and worry. What if she had hurt him or shocked him or...

She didn't get to finish the thought, because CJ looked up and the sight alone was enough to draw a gasp out of her.

His irises were electric blue. Just like the night of the battle. They gave of a terrifying aura, like his eyes were now made of lightning. His gaze was directly into her own eyes, and chills ran up her spin. They were mesmerizing and dangerous all at the same time.

"Don't you worry, Bris," He grinned--almost out of malice. "I'm feeling perfectly fine."

Bristol didn't know what kind of game he was getting at but she figured she should roll with it. Questions soared through her mind but she channeled her confusion into energy and shot a beam of fire towards the crouching speedster.

Before the flame even reached it's destination, her boyfriend was in front of her. His body vibrated profusely, and Bristol had to blink just to make sure her vision wasn't blurring. She then figure it was just him.

"CJ..." Bristol didn't know what compelled herself to do so, but she grabbed his quivering hand. It was hot from friction, but nothing she couldn't handle.

Without a moment's notice, CJ's eyes sparked back to their normal hazel and he fell to the ground.

"CJ!" Bristol yelped, falling next to him. She gripped his hand and took a shaky breath of relief upon seeing his eyes flutter open.

"Wh-what happened?" CJ panted. He looked around, as if confirming his location. His eyes met Bristol's, and even if they weren't glowing anymore, she detected some sort of secret hiding behind them.

"Don't worry about it," Bristol said quickly. "What matters is if you're okay." She put her free hand on his cheek, looking into his eyes.

For a moment, he still looked shell-shocked. However, that quickly faded as the impish visage formed on his features once more. "Whatever was wrong with me, I'm doing a lot better now, beautiful." He grinned.

Bristol tried to fight the butterflies but to no avail. "Stop making me blush, Stone, it isn't cool." She muttered.

As soon as she looked back into his eyes, she knew that she had given him an idea. Her face fell but she started to laugh. "Don't you--"

She never got to finish her sentence, because the next thing she knew she was the one on the ground and CJ was on top of her. She frowned up at him, but he just smirked.

"Get off of me," She laughed, trying to shove him off of her.

"Nah," CJ laughed. "I'm good." He leant down and their lips were about to meet--

"Oh, come on!" A voice groaned. "You both have rooms of your own, why do you choose this place to make out?"

Tristan.

CJ zipped off faster than ever and stood besides bristol, who was still laying down.

"Uh, sorry Dude," CJ stuttered out. "It wasn't, um, I'll shut up now."

Bristol took a deep breath and pushed herself off the ground. "What do you need, Tristan?" She asked, running a hand through her hair.

Tristan glanced at her with something she couldn't place, but the sadness that was evident in his eyes was enough to make her heart twist. "The Contingency's issued a meeting." He said, casting another vengeful look CJ's way before stalking off down the way he had come.

~~~

The meeting was concise for a change. Lately, all of the meetings issued by the Contingency were lengthy, boring, and often resulted with someone dozing off but this one was short, sweet, and to the point.

Due to Rune and his tricks, a watch would be set up each night in headquarters, as well as further security implementations. The schedule would be released later on, and after that announcement, the Union was dismissed.

"If we survive this war, remind me to invite Titanium Wave to a party, because he sure knows how to enlighten a crowd." Avi noted sarcastically as she and Bristol left the control room.

Bristol giggled. "I'll keep it in mind." She said.

Avi smiled politely but her face fell quickly. She glanced over her shoulders and looked back at Bristol with urgency. "I need to speak with you."

Bristol regarded Avi with confusion, but nodded. She followed her over to a corner, where Avi's neon eyes shimmered through the dim light.

"Back when you were...when Rune..." Avi started, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Back when I was held hostage by Rune, continue," Bristol sighed, leaning against the wall.

"Er, yes," Avi confirmed. "Did you ever come into contact with Rune himself? I am not sure of how much you saw as a prisoner."

Bristol knit her eyebrows in thought. Her memories of captivity were faint, but she remembered things in flashes. The draftiness of her cell, Phobos's way of torture, and bright blue eyes gazing down at her with disdain. However, as soon as she remembered it, a pain erupted from behind her eyes.

"Bristol? Are you alright?" Avi asked.

She held up a hand, catching her breath. "Yeah...I'm fine. Just got a migraine." She winced but took a deep breath. "I don't remember much, in all honesty. It's all kind of a blur."

Avi watched Bristol intently for a moment, and sighed. "I presume so," she said softly. "Very well. I will see you later, Bristol. Thank you."

And with that, she headed off down the hall.

Bristol watched her go and pressed a hand to her forehead as the pain erupted once more. Once it passed, she looked around. She got the feeling that someone was watching her, and it sent a shiver up her spine.

She looked around and saw nothing...until her eyes locked with Calum's before he stalked into the darkness of the hall behind him.