Star Beings

...and this is why we can't have nice things

I gasp and sit up. Did I... did I manage to get away in time? I look over at the pile of rubble then down at my hands. I made it! I get up. "Guys I-" the ballroom doors slam open. Anaideia steps inside, more troops behind her. She's wearing an all black suit. Her red hair, which has grown out a bit, is pulled back in a braid. I shake my head. She may look hot, but I've got bigger things to deal with. I look around. For the first time, I see who led the first charge. Elian.
He stands off to the side, staring in horror at the pile of rubble. I glance back over at it. The other Star Beings are frantically digging at it. "Guys, I'm right here!" I shout. No one responds. I bolt over to the ruined banister. "Guys, we have bigger problems." I urge. Lane raises an arm and, with a single swipe, clears the rubble. A rock flies towards me but, somehow, it goes right through my chest and cracks the marble floor behind me. "Oh god no... am I?" Nat covers her mouth and sinks to the floor, sobbing. Maxine immediately drops onto her level and puts an arm around her. At first I only see the bloody bodies of L.O. Soldiers. Then I feel my heart sink to my stomach. "No..." I watch as Lane scoops up a limp body. My limp body.
"I think I'm gonna be sick." I mutter. I'm dead. I'm actually dead this time. I glance over at Lane, who's clutching my body. I quickly look away. I really fucked up this time. My eyes land on my old mentor. Elian is still staring at the pile, unmoving. Is he even breathing? I walk over to him. "I hope you're happy." I grumble. I know he can't hear me. But still, I need to get my point across. "I was trying to take out some of them." I hear him whisper, the venom in his voice making me feel like he wasn't talking about the other Star beings. My eyes widen. "What?" "I couldn't stop it in time kid. I'm so, so sorry." A tear rolls down his scarred face. "Good work soldier. You're finally proving to be useful." A L.O. Officer says, smiling at the huddled circle of Star Beings. Elian glares at his commanding officer. "I was aiming..." in the time it takes to blink an eye, Elian draws his sword and stabs his officer. "For your men." My jaw drops. Elian yanks his weapon out of his commanding officer's chest. The officer slumps over. "I'm tired of this "family" bullshit." I hear him mutter as he races off. "Holy hell..." I mutter. I look back over at the group. Fuck, they didn't see.
"I tried to warn you..." I hear the deity's voice echo. "Yeah, yeah. I got that. Let me enjoy the fact that Elian is back on our side." "YOU. ARE. DEAD. AND ALLEGIANCES ARE WHAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT?" They shout, appearing in front of me. Their long white hair floats, moving in sharp waves. Their purple eyes seem more... purple-y than usual. "Oi! I'm still kinda getting used to the whole being dead thing!" I yelp. Did I just... nevermind. "Come on. We need to go." I raise an eyebrow. "Huh?" "The underworld. You can't just hang around the living." I look back at my friends longingly. "Just... let me say goodbye." I ask. Imogen groans but they don't stop me. I stare at the circle of teenagers. Lane and Nat are both hunched over my body now. I look around. Elian did manage to take out quite a few of his own men. A dim purple light starts to come from Lane. She's glowing. "What the..." I hear the Deity mutter from behind me. The light grows bigger and brighter. Then it flashes. I clench my eyes shut and when I open them again... "Lane?"
Lane and Nat both look at me in absolute shock. "You're alive." Lane whispers. "Oh come on. You know it takes more than a couple of rocks to take me out." I croak with a weak laugh. "You really gotta stop doing that." Nat says with a watery laugh. "I would if I could." I chuckle. "I hope I'm not interrupting." I hear Anai say from behind us. Nat whirls around, quickly summoning her blades. "Bitch." I hear her growl. "Oh come on now... I didn't do it this time. If I did, you know I'd be flaunting it. Anyways, you-" Anai doesn't get to finish her sentence. A rock smacks her in the head. Every eye in the ballroom snaps onto Elian. "You swore none of them would get hurt." He growls. Anai raises an eyebrow, unsurprised and unimpressed. "I didn't do this. You were the one who weakened those columns." Anai says with a chuckle. Elian tightens his grip on his sword. "Yeah. But we both know I'm not strong enough to take them down on my own."
I grin wildly. "So maybe I helped a bit. Who cares? You still betrayed your family. Just like I told father you would." Elian glares at his niece. "We may be blood... but we aren't family.Though there is a lesson to be learned here..." Elian's cold eyes lock onto Anai. "Don't hurt my kids." He lunges, sword raised. "KILL HIM!!!" Anai shouts. I hear a gun fire off. "ELIAN, NO!" I reach out my hand, a failed attempt to do... well, anything. But something still happens. Time freezes. Again.
I get up, hand still outstretched. It's been a while since I've done this. Sweat pours down my brow and my limbs shake as I walk over to Elian and grab the bullet out of mid air. Such a small thing. Yet it can cause so much destruction. I toss it to the side. Then I summon my mallet, more sweat pouring down my brow. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and let time unfreeze.
The evil grin immediately fades from Anai's face. "You little shit." She mutters. Elian looks around, slightly confused. "How did you get there so quick?" Elian asks. "Long story. Now..." I raise my mallet. My legs immediately give out. "Kid?!" "Probably... shouldn't have... tried that." Elian hits Anai with another rock and then scoops me up. "Lane, take DJ somewhere safe. Preferably wherever Hera is. Oh shit Hera.... God she's probably pissed at me, isn't she?"
"Not the time, but yes. Might want to watch out for icicles next time you see her." I hear Lane say as she takes me from Elian's arms. "I can walk y'know." I grumble. Lane sets me down. I swing an arm around her shoulder, leaning on her as we run off. We stop at the now ruined stairwells. "Shit." Lane mutters under her breath. "How are we..." "use the floor underneath us." I say. "No that'll just throw us at the banister." She mutters. Damn. She's right. "Ice tower?" Lane pauses, considering my idea. "Ice tower." She agrees.
We blast up to the edge of the second story. Lane and I maneuver onto the banister and then we start running again. Well, more like limping. "HERA!!!" Lane yells. A door swings open. Our mentor peeks her head out. "What happened to her?" "Long story." "I may or may not have died. Also, Elian is downstairs." Hera's eyes flare with rage. Shit. Why did I have to mention that? "Is he now?" She says, her jaw clenched. "Don't kill him. He's on our side again." Lane sighs, helping me inside the room of party guests. "You act like that makes it any better." Hera grumbles, shutting and locking the door. Lane quickly finds a free sofa and finally lets me go. I sit down, leaning back and groaning. "God I hate dying." I mutter. "And that is a sentence I never thought I'd hear." Lane chuckles, sitting down next to me with some gauze. "I can heal my own injuries." I say with a small laugh. "DJ, you couldn't even summon your weapon without nearly fainting. No more magic for a while. It takes energy. And honestly, I'm drained too." Lane sighs. She finishes wrapping my cuts and then leans back. We just kinda... sit there for a while. "So what were you gonna tell earlier?" I ask, breaking the silence. Lane freezes. Her face turns redder than a tomato. "Uh...."
"How do I say this....?" She mumbles to herself. She buries her face in her hands. "Take your time." I say with a chuckle. We sit in silence again. "I like you." Lane blurts out. Every molecule in my body seems to hit the breaks. Did she really just say what I think she said? "Like... more than a friend." Y E P. SHE DID. Gimme a second I just need to...
HOLY FUCKING SHIT.
Alright, got that out of my system. "I like you too." I squeak. "Wait what?" I glance over at Lane, my face growing redder by the second. "Oh shit." Her eyes grow wide. Then, we both start laughing.
"Looking back now, it was so freaking obvious!" Lane laughs. "I know!" We keep laughing. And then it's back into that awkward silence. What am I supposed to do? I don't even know what to say right now. Do I ask her out? Do I wait for her to ask me out? "Girlfriends?" Lane asks. "Yeah... girlfriends."
Then... she kisses me. If my face wasn't red already, it definitely is now. She pulls away. "You're glowing." We say at the same time. We start laughing again. "Took you both long enough to say something." I hear someone say. "Natalie, Would it hurt you to not be sarcastic?" Lane asks with a smirk. "Yes it would. Also, Elian is hiding in the crowd. Hera is pissed." She winces. I hear a loud yelp come from the center of the crowd. "Oh god, she found him. I'll be right back." Nat disappears into the crowd. Lane grabs my gloved hand. I smile. I can get used to this.
"You!" I hear a voice shout from the crowd. My attention snaps in the direction it came from. Two women and a child push their way out of the crowd. My eyes widen. "Amelia?" The woman before me has long reddish hair and brown eyes. "Hello Delilah. You know who I am, then?" I nod slowly. "You're my birth-mother." Amelia nods, a smile creeping onto her face. Lane looks back and forth between Amelia and I, registering any sort of resemblance. The little girl looks up at me in wonder. "Hey. You must be Tunia then?" I ask, getting onto her level. She nods. "And you are...?" The other woman smiles at me and extends her hand. "I'm Sunni, Amelia's new wife." I shake her hand. "It's wonderful to meet all of you." I say with a smile. I hear someone call my name. "It's been nice talking to you, but if you'll excuse me for a sec..." I grab Lane's arm and practically drag her into the crowd.
"Why is she so formal???" I ask aloud. Lane snickers. I hear my name again. I think it's Elian that's calling me. I look around. Yep. He's walking straight for Lane and I now, a grin on his face. "Kids!" He shouts, grabbing both of us in an almost dad-like hug. "Nice to know you finally came to your senses, old man." Lane snickers. "I'm not old. Also, if you see Hera tell her I'm sorry." Elian says, shuddering. "Why don't you tell her yourself?" I ask. "I tried." Lane and I share a look of concern. "Yikes." I mutter. I hear a door slam open. Someone screams. "Shit, they found us." Lane grumbles, looking towards the doors. I sigh in annoyance. "I'll be right back." I summon my weapon, my mallet forming in my hand. "Don't get killed again!" Lane shouts after me. I laugh. "Even if I did, I'm starting to doubt it'll stick!"
Hera is near the front of the crowd. I find her almost instantly. "Take everyone and get the hell out of this building. I'll distract Anai." I whisper to her. "Are you crazy?" "Do you really want me to answer that? Go the moment I leave the room. I'll meet y'all outside." Hera sighs, knowing she can't stop me. "Also, Elian says he's sorry." Hera glares at me. Yeah, I figured that wouldn't work. I turn back to the problem at hand. "HEY ANAI!!!"
Anai watches my every move as I step out of the crowd, mallet sling over my shoulder. "In the mood for a little game of chase?" "What?" I knock out every one of Anai's bodyguards in one swipe of my arm, the floor throwing them away like the garbage they are. Then, I race past her. "TRY AND CATCH ME BITCH!!!"
I run up flight after flight of stairs, Anai and her soldiers trailing close behind. I knock over anything I can to slow them down. "GET BACK HERE!!!" I hear her yell. "I'M GOOD, THANKS THOUGH!!!" I shout back. I swing open a door leading to the next floor. Except it's not another floor. It's the roof. "Shit." I mutter, sprinting to the edge. "There's nowhere to go, Delilah. Come quietly, and you'll get out of this alive." Anai growls. "Meh, I dunno. Going with you seems like a bit of a..." I climb up onto the very edge of the roof. "Downer."
I wave as I jump. "NO!" Anai yells. I feel my wings sprout out of my back. I slow myself to a stop and then rocket back up to the top of the building, flipping Anai and her troops off before heading back down to ground level. "Told ya I'd be fine." I smirk at Hera and Lane. Lane rolls her eyes and Hera just sighs. "DJ, you scared the shit out of all of us!" I hear Hade yell. "Sorry!" I yell back. I hear a window shatter. "We should probably get back to the hotel." Lane mutters. I nod. "Good idea."

"Hera, are you sure it's safe to stay here tonight?" Lane asks as we step into the hotel. Hera nods. "We have armed guards at every door. It should be fine." She says. "Now, all of you go up to your rooms and relax. It's been a rough night." "Where's Elian staying?" Hade asks. "What?" "We only have six rooms. Five for the ten of us and one for you." They say. "Are you going to ask for another room or...?" DOES THIS PERSON LIKE TO START CONFLICT?!?! They are playing with fire. Then again, they like doing that anyways. Hera glares at her ex. "Fine. He'll stay with me." She growls. Elian laughs nervously. Hera starts towards the elevator. "But you're sleeping on the couch."

I step out of the bathroom, finally out of that suit. I looked freaking great, but god that thing was uncomfortable. "Hey." Nat says from her bed, not looking up from her book. I plop down on the bed opposite to hers. "Are we gonna talk about what happened tonight or...?" Nat asks. "You're gonna need to be a lot more specific than that." I laugh. "You and Lane." Aaaaand I'm a tomato again. Nat bursts out laughing. "So... what happened?" She asks excitedly after she stops laughing. "She helped me up into where the others were hiding and bandaged me up. Then it was kinda awkward until I asked what she had been trying to tell me all night. And then she told me. I told her I liked her back and then we just kinda..." "Kissed?" "Yeah." I squeak. Nat grins at me. "Dork." "Unipaca." "TAKE IT BACK!!!" Nat yells, throwing a pillow at me. I grab a random pillow off my bed. "Oh it's on."

Why do I hear gunshots? I open an eye, looking around the room before sitting up. "Someone needs to turn down their damn TV." I grumble, shutting my eyes and trying to fall back to sleep. "Wait is that coming from downstairs?" I ask, scrambling out of bed. "Nat! We may have a problem!" I yell. "Huh?" Nat asks groggily. Then she hears them. "Oh crap." She whispers, getting up. We burst out of the hotel room. "OI!!! WE'VE GOT COMPANY!!!" I yell. A very annoyed Hade pokes their head out of their room. Then their eyes widen. "Oh shit."
We gather the rest of the Star Beings plus Elian and Hera. "So what do we do?" Lane asks. "We can't leave, they've probably got exits guarded. Not to mention there's innocent people in this hotel." Elian says. "We could pull the fire alarm. That could get everyone out and we could leave. I have a feeling the L.O. Only wants us." I suggest. "That might work." Damien snaps his fingers. "Or we could-" he's cut off by the elevator dinging. My heart stops for a second. The doors slowly open and Anai steps out. "Well... well.... well...."
Anaideia has five guards flanking her. And her eyes are doing that weird thing. "Screw fighting, if we stay we're dead meat." Hade says. "What? Are you scared?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. "KINDA!!! WE'RE IN A NARROW HALLWAY WHERE OUR OPPONENT IS BLOCKING THE ONLY GODDAMN EXIT!!!" They shout. "Oh shit that's a good point." I mutter to myself. "Ok... new plan. Get the hell out of here!"
Hade is gone in a zap of Orange lightning. Caleb and Damien are quick to follow. Then Gabriel. Then Karson and Mateo. I nod at Nat and Lane. "Go. I'll bring Hera and Elian." They nod and are gone in twin flashes of purple and blue. "Hey Anai! Fuck you." I grab onto Elian and Hera's wrists and then, just like the others, we're gone in a flash.

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