Wielders

chapter 1

Two figures are shown trekking through a vast desert. "Anything other than sand in this place?" The first figure is a tall, light skinned boy, wearing a long black coat, pants and shoes; alongside a sky blue shirt and belt. His hair,jet black with sky blue specks of color all over his hair and his irises a mix of sky blue and purple. "There are a few sharp rocks over that dune." A pale figure with dark blue veins with the exact same outfit walks beside him. "But you're looking for something else aren't you josue."Josue turns back to face the pale man. "An answer perhaps, but to what question?" Josue looks on, trying to see the rocks behind the dune. "I don't know, maybe a question you can actually answer". The pale figure looks toward the rocks. "Well then," the sand around them begins to shift into an arena, "let's get this started." Josue gets ready to fight, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "who knew corruption could be such a pain." They charge each other and a giant explosion occurs when they clash.

Josue wakes up sweating and panting heavily. He yanks his right hand from under the futon covers. Josue's right hand had the ring of corruption on his ring finger, turning the skin pale with dark blue veins mimicking the exact appearance of the pale man. Every night they talked, then every night they battled. Josue had been doing this routine for a year the longest anyone has ever lived after putting on the ring. Nearly everyone in a 24 hour cycle died once the ring was on them. Josue got up from his futon, looking around at his small room. His team's apartment was good, but on the small side. He went to the bathroom in his room and while brushing his teeth gazes at his reflection in a two panel mirror. One half of his reflection was normal, but the other half of himself was dark, with a huge grin and square pupils, and kept staring at him during this activity. Josue walked to his closet and grabs the same clothes he had in his dream. "Everyday he gets a little stronger and everyday I get a little closer to death." Josue puts on his coat. "Time to put on my i'm not dieing face." Down the hall the rest of his team begins to wake up. In another small room, a thin light skinned girl is sleeping on a recliner chair in her red underwear. Her blood red hair shining in the morning light. Claire wakes up with a headache. "Those midnight screams were amazing, but this always happens afterwords." Claire tries to shrug off the headache but can't. She turns to her blood stained white collar shirt lying on the floor. "Josue is going to be pissed at me." she sighs remembering the people that now stained the shirt. "He'll have to understand this one right, after all a girl needs her release." she walks out into the hallway and into her shared restroom to brush her teeth and shower. As she enters her room she puts on a new set of clothes and sets her long hair in a ponytail. A simple plain white long sleeved button shirt,white pants and a blood red tie and shoes. she summons a flare gun and throws the stained shirt out her window. She shoots the shirt leaving nothing but ash. "or maybe he won't know at all."Claire smiles and heads into the kitchen. "I wonder if Jill's awake yet."

In another small room another blood red haired girl is sleeping on a red couch in pink pajamas with books as the designs. Jill yawns as she leans up from her couch in a very bright room due to the walls facing the sun being made of glass. "huh, oh we're back home that's great." Jill jumps off the couch with a smile on her face. "Is it," Jill looks at her calender which has a puppy on the picture, "yes it's Monday!" Jill moves to grab and organize a bunch of papers littered all over the floor. "I can't wait to go to school." she leans her head to the wall and tries to hear if claire is in their restroom. "I wonder if Claire finished her report?" Jill heads into the restroom to go shower and brush her teeth. After putting on her school uniform. A simple plain blue skirt, white button up shirt, any color tie and a brown blazer. she looks at her short hair and sighs. "Why can't my hair be long like claire?" The last member of the team is still sleeping in a normal grey bed. His light grey hair sagging on his forehead. Malcolm's room is all dark with the windows boarded up to keep the light out. He stirs in his sleep before waking up due to jill's mental activity. His emerald iris eyes force themselves open. "No it can't be Monday." Malcolm roles over to face the

ceiling. ( this symbol ' means the characters are thinking). 'Well after last night's patrol with Claire my ears still hurt'. Malcolm creates a mental image of himself, noting his pale skin before remembering the images purpose. "you go to school for me" The Mental image nods then starts heading towards the kitchen. "10 more hours." The sizzling heard from the kitchen catches claire's attention and she rushes towards the sound. "What are you doing here?!" Claire stares at josue cooking food on the stainless steel stove. "Making breakfast, why?" josue stares back confused as jill runs in. "Claire don't cook! ..."Jill looks a josue's outfit and raises her eyebrows. "Josue what are you doing here and what's with that outfit!?"Josue looks down at his outfit still not grasping the issue. "what's wrong with my outfit?"Jill and claire point towards a calendar on the kitchen wall with a picture of a black rose garden. "Josue it's Monday!" Josue shrugs off their words. "No it's not, I haven't been called yet." Claire speaks up while avoiding his gaze. "Josue we used your phone last night to watch videos while out on patrol and it died." Josue eyes widen and he teleports into his room then teleports back into the kitchen. "Jill continue cooking I got to go." Josue teleports out of the apartment with some food as malcolm's mental image enters. "So Malcolm is still asleep right"? Jill and Claire stare at mental image than claire turns around to check the time on a simple clock hanging on the wall. "Seems so... lets get going class starts soon." A few hours later, the school bell rings and the kids start leaving the classroom. Josue, claire and jill are shown packing up to head home. "how bad was it?"Josue shrugs as claire and jill finish packing. "She went to some breakfast buffet with team 2 earlier so everythings fine." Josue checks his notebook before putting it into his backpack. "but that's not important right now, do any of you have fridays notes?" Claire grabs her notes and checks them as jill smiles nervously. "Jill was too busy daydreaming but I got your back."Claire hands her notes to josue who teleports them away and turning towards malcolm. "thanks by the way Malcolm look into..." Josue, Claire and Jill stare at malcolm's empty desk. Jill shakes her head at the sight. "he needs to go here himself." Josue looks concerned as claire just rolls her eyes ready to leave. "something's wrong he never loses focus." claire begins walking towards the door before turning around. "He's cleaning today remember." Josue looks away slowly from malcolm seat with an uneasy look as he sighs. "well then let's get some food on the way home." As they start walking through hall jill nudges at claire and claire nods. As they reach the outside courtyard claire speaks up. "Josue we got a job interview today you'll have to go get food on your own." Josue nods at them and before they take off he tosses them some money. "alright see you guys at home." The sunset glares off the top of the dome that covers the entire city, giving an orange hue to everything inside the dome. Josue and Claire are playing video games in their living room connected to the kitchen, Malcolm is texting on a couch and Jill is reading manga leaning her back on the couch next to him.Jill looks up to malcolm after finishing her manga. "Malcolm what's our bank account savings at?" Malcolm pauses then checks on his phone. "Good to go." Malcolm looks up from checking the account to see an extremely excited jill. "I'll start looking tonight." Claire has joined jill on the floor and both of them look at malcolm with stars in their eyes. "Remember it has to have lots of space." Josue jumps in on the conversation not looking away from his video game. "and don't forget a great view." Malcolm looks at josue and josue pauses his game to glance over his shoulder back at malcolm. "alright me, Claire, and Jill will go house hunting tomorrow sound good?" josue nods turns off the game and walks to his room. "You kids have fun now." Josue shuts the door and walks to window in his bedroom. "goodnight grand city." A pair of ominous white gloved hands are shown making a slow arc somewhere very far away.