Lightning and Starlight

Discovered

The White Water stared at Neera, that smirk that was still on her face morphing into a small smile, slowly growing. The smile was eventually a full-blown grin. It was creepy. Really creepy. 

Neera cocked her head. "Are you okay?" 

The woman stayed how she was. Her bright, grey eyes, coiled blonde hair, and high cheek bones made the woman seem hauntingly beautiful, making Neera feel even more on edge. She felt a chill run down her spine. Neera hesitantly took a step back, trying to pull her energy to her hands. It was more of a task than it had been before she got hurt, but Neera didn't expect any different. Nevertheless, her energy settled into her hands, a layer of it still protecting Neera's body, like usual. Neera didn't have a weapon, like a dagger or sword, but as long as the woman didn't posses purifying water powers, she should be fine. 

The woman took a step forward, following Neera and breaking the chillingly still silence in her small footsteps that creaked the old floorboards of the cabin. It was quiet after that besides the slight sound of energy crackling in Neera's hands. Neera felt her hands shake slightly, anticipating the fight and itching to let the energy loose. Then Neera heard a clatter on the roof. Her heart beat quickly, and she glanced around her, ears and eyes alert. It could have been a bird. A large bird. Or a branch falling. Then she heard footsteps crunching the leaves in the woods.

Not a bird or a branch. Definitely not. 

Six or seven White Waters sauntered in through the cabin's door, stopping behind the White Water woman, who Neera guessed was the leader of the band. The White Waters behind the leader glanced at her and then shifted their gazes to Neera. One of them stepped forward to the leader. He carefully leaned down toward the woman's ear, intending to speak quietly.

"Now, Sir?"

The woman's crazy grin vanished, her eyes drooping and unfocused. "Yes."

A loud bang sounded on the roof, and it caved in, four White Waters falling down. They landed in crouched battle positions. Neera yelled and jumped back, turning in slight circles to see all sides at once. The other White Waters surged forward. Neera pulled an energy shield around her quickly, enabling a second layer of protection, and then formed a sword from her powers. It glowed bright purple, sparking with unused energy waiting to be released into whatever victim it slashed through. One of the White Waters collapsed into her shield, falling down. The White Water gritted his teeth and pulled himself up to sit and rest. Neera hit another with her sword, cutting her arm off. Energy flooded the White Water's body, and the woman's shrill scream cut through the grunts of other White Waters as they tried to fight Neera.

A lone, strong vine curled around Neera's ankles. She stumbled, the vine pulling right around her legs. Neera let herself use a large amount of energy she had stored, ripping through the vine and shocking a White Water trying to hit her with icicles. Neera lashed out at the man wielding the vine, ripping his body with her lightning, briefly forgetting her sword. His dull, charred body fell and stayed still. Neera felt the tip of a sword hit her on her back. She turned and ripped the sword from a fire-wielding White Water woman's hands, driving it into her stomach. The woman collapsed backward. Neera ripped the sword out, briefly considering that they had been slightly prepared, but not enough. The woman knew enough not to use her fire because it would only strengthen Neera, but not enough to know that, unless there were pure water involved, a sword wouldn't be able to get past her body's built-in protective energy shield, let alone the classic, medieval-style shield of energy Neera was wielding. 

Neera sensed movement behind her and immediately turned, slashing at a villain behind her with her energy sword. The woman dropped low with incredible speed, lashing out at Neera's legs. The villains may not have been prepared enough for fighting her, but they still fought well and they knew enough to target Neera's legs. Neera's frustration and shield held tight, the shield stopping the villain's low strike. Neera pulled her energy together and pulled it around the speedster, snapping it together. The woman cried out, using her speed to zip around the energy bubble. A jab of a dagger hit Neera in the back. She turned around and snapped the villain's neck with her hands, giving him no time to react. Neera turned back to the speedster and pulled her fists closed, closing the energy bubble and bursting the villain's body into a nothingness—pure energy. Neera felt as though it was recycling, giving energy back to the earth from all she had taken in her life. She pushed the thoughts from her mind, not allowing herself to fall back into her mindset before she met Sydney and Hayes. Before she had begun her merciless journey to destroy every perfect life she could. The world wasn't fair. But she wasn't justice.

Her mind switched gears again. 

Five dead, six left.

Neera's eyes widened as she looked to the front of the cabin where the leader had been standing and saw the leader draw her hands up, water swirling around them. The water shot towards Neera. She screamed, and it hit her. The water flew through her like a mist. Neera opened her eyes. The icy ghost of the water hovered behind her. Neera saw three villains close to her standing and shaking, filled with energy. They dropped, dead. Neera blinked. 

Whoops. Well, it worked.

Three were left standing. The last three looked nervous, but they steeled themselves and lashed out at Neera, continuing the fight. One had water swirling around her. Neera was wary of her more than the others. She let her guard slip, focusing too much on the one with water abilities, and her legs were knocked out from under her with a sword.

Neera cried out, hitting her knees and chin hard on the ground. Water poured down on her, the cold piercing through her exposed skin. She winced, feeling her energy dissipate, fleeing the pure water. 

Pure water. The water villain had purified water at her disposal. A small recess of Neera's mind was shocked that Koen would let her live. 

Her protective abilities now gone, Neera cried out as a dagger pierced through the back of her right thigh. She shot forward, barely avoiding a hit from an ice dagger. 

A sharp pain burst through her back. She cried out and twisted, wrenching the ice out of her shoulder blade. Her legs were swept out from under her, the icicle falling from her grip. She focused, trying to pull energy into her body to escape, but not even the faintest spark appeared. One of the White Waters hit her head, and her vision grew blurry. 

Neera was pulled off the ground and to her feet by strong arms. She swayed, trying to gain footing in her dizziness. Two people held her up, one hoisting each arm up. The third survivor sauntered over to the leader, standing smug beside her. 

The leader's eyes drooped again, growing spookily unfocused. "Well, Neera. You put up quite a fight. Ah, what a great group to have scope for me. Well done, everyone. Perfect job. You all will be rewarded well. You too, Mishnah. You've done well with your projecting. Your twin here with me has done a good job, too. He will be rewarded as well.

"Neera, my love. Oh, you have made this so difficult. I came all the way to your state at the bottom of this country and to your base, and you left. I'm hurt, honestly."

The leader continued talking, pacing the area in front of Neera. She stopped and looked deeply into Neera's eyes. "But you're here. You're here now. I found you. You may not have left the heroes, no, but it doesn't matter because you are here. I have you." 

The leader's eyes grew glossy. "I have you. Oh, Neera. You will be so happy at my base. You'll be back with me, finally. Now, it won't be like the old times because you left me then, so it'll have to be a little bit worse, but it's okay! You'll be with me. You'll fight beside me, killing those heroes. You'll use your power and strength against them. You're the missing piece. You're the missing piece to our dream, our vision, our idea. You will shift the balance. Ah, Neera. I am so glad. You'll learn to love it there. You just have to submit to me, you understand. You can eat with me when we have meals. I sit at the head of the main table, so you'll have to sit on my lap seeing as there isn't a seat beside mine. Oh, you'll love it. Even if you don't, I will, and that's all that matters."

The leader smiled slightly, then she turned. "Okay. Let's go. Oh, one more thing."

The leader nodded to the White Water beside her. The White Water walked to Neera, then kicked her in the stomach. Neera let out a quick breath, then groaned. The White Water pulled out a dagger and swung the grip part of it at Neera's head. Neera braced for the blow. When it came, she welcomed the blackness, knowing it might be the last time she had any sense of peace and a lack of intense pain.

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Much love and prayers!