Guardians

Chapter 2

A few of the members in the group gasped. Cat,standing in the front, stared at King Lucifer. All of us combined aren't enough to stop this? Impossible! "There's no way that can be true!" Frost argued. Flame, standing beside her, nodded his head in agreement. "Haruka and Glitch aren't the only two you should be worried about." King Lucifer said, his tone noble with a hint of amusement. Seeing these young heroes argue is quite the entertainment. "You're kidding, right? Please tell me he's joking.Cat?Endy?Anyone?" Michael questioned, his expression showing his confusion. King Lucifer shook his head. "I wouldn't lie if it doesn't benefit me in any way." He replied.

"Greetings friends." A younger man came walking out of the trees, his bright blue eyes visible in the night. His headphones glowed, his blue streak in his hair shining bright. Cat's eyes filled with horror the second she saw him. Glitch.

He approached them, a wide grin on his pale face. King Lucifer turned around to greet the young murderer. "Hello there. You must be Glitch." He said to him, watching him closely. "Indeed I am. It's nice to see you again. Cat. It's a shame someone had to die for us to meet each other once more." Glitch said, setting his gaze on her. A chill went up her spine. This was the person responsible for Marissa and Tyler's death. Cat bit her lip. Don't let him get to you, Cat...He's just trying to provoke you. "I'm assuming you all are wondering why I would kill these two. Well, I wasn't necessarily the one to kill them. Give the credit to Haruka. Although..." Glitch stopped for a moment to look around. "That doesn't mean I don't plan on killing a few people myself." Glitch chuckled with a crazed look in his eyes. Endy let out a low growling sound. "You're Haruka's lover, correct? Well,even if you aren't the one who killed my brother, you're still a bloody killer." He challenged him, his voice bubbling with anger. Glitch laughed. "Aw,is baby Endy sad that Big Brother isn't here to comfort you?" He said in a mocking tone. Endy had enough. Endy sprinted towards Glitch, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and slammed him against a nearby tree. He pulled out a bloody knife,which had previously been lodged into Tyler's throat. He pressed it against Glitch's neck. "Say another word and I will kill you." Endy threatened. Endy began to put pressure on the knife, cutting the skin, drawing some blood....

"Endy!Stop!" A blonde haired male came running over, and slammed into Endy at full force. Endy, caught off guard, dropped the knife and fell to the sandy ground. "Oliver?What are you doing here?"Endy asked, rubbing his forehead. Oliver adjusted his glasses and looked at Glitch. Oliver's face was a mix of happy, shocked, and disappointment. Glitch's eyes widened, and he took a few steps back. "Oscar?" Oliver asked, his voice faltering. "Hello, Oliver. So you still recognize me, after all these years." Glitch's voice was sad and distant now. "You two know each other?" King Lucifer questioned, his arms folded. He watched with curious eyes. Oliver nodded. But before he could say anything, Glitch was running off, back to the cover of the trees. Cat stared at the place Glitch had run into. What were Glitch's intentions? And how did Oliver know him?

The bright lights of the beach house surrounded them. Cat and the others had gone inside to discuss the incident with the rest of the group. King Lucifer stood on one of the tables, so his voice could be heard. "So,let me get this straight. Glitch and Haruka are planning something,right?On Earth?Why would we have to go to Hell,or...er...The other place you mentioned." Sasha, Flamer's friend's girlfriend, asked. "Hailfire. It's a world somewhere in a neighboring galaxy. This may sound familiar to two of you. Flame and Frost." King Lucifer referred to them. Flame nodded to him. "Hailfire is the world we originally came from. It's half fire, half ice." Flame explained to them. "But King Lucifer,sir,why do we have to go there as well?Last time I checked,Hailfire was just fine."Frost questioned. If Hailfire is in danger, does that mean mother and father are too? "A foe that you may recognize awaits you there. That leaves us three places to travel to.Now,I suggest the mass of you organize into three groups, judging by the current standards. Cat and Michael,  you lead a group to journey here on Earth, keeping a look out for Haruka and Glitch. Flame and Frost, you lead a group to Hailfire. I would advise taking family and close friends with you to Hailfire. Arsheena and Sebastian, you lead a group to Hell. Make sure to bring my sons with you. They'll be a great aid." King Lucifer explained to everyone. The room was almost silent, the whole group listening with open ears. "This should be fun. An excuse to go back home!" Flame exclaimed, looking at Frost. She had the same excited look. Arsheena had a worried expression on her face. What would happen to Cat while she was gone? She could possibly get hurt or killed, and I'd feel guilty about it. Arsheena shook the thought from her mind. Cat was powerful, and Arsheena knew that. Plus Michael was going with her, and though she hated to admit it, he was quite powerful too. Please...You two keep each other safe. I'd hate to see either of you dead. Flame and Frost discussed the situation with a few of their friends and family members, including Blaze, Phoenix, Chase, and Ashlynn. Sebastian was talking to Dakota, his girlfriend.

"Are you sure you want me to go along with Flame? I promise, I can help in some way." Dakota was making an attempt to stay with Sebastian. Sebastian already knew going back to his former home would be a dangerous task, and bringing Dakota would put her in harm's way. Sebastian looked deeply into her eyes. "I'm certain. Take your brother and a few of the girls along with you. I'm sure they'll give you company." Sebastian said to assure her. Dakota sighed, and hesitated for a moment. But she finally agreed. She kissed Sebastian goodbye and walked over to Flamer, Amber, and Ace. They were going along with Flame and Frost to Hailfire. Although Sebastian didn't really know what this Hailfire place was like, he knew it was probably the safest option.  Sebastian walked over to Arsheena to stand beside her. His dark brown hair was messy from all the commotion. "So, about going back home. Are you going to be okay?" Sebastian asked her. "I'll be fine, as long as I don't encounter of our enemies. " Arsheena responded. It was hard to think that the room had once been filled with such happiness and joy. Now it was just filled with sadness and tension...

As people excited the room, Cat walked upstairs to say her final goodbyes to what she called home. She glanced around, taking in the sights and the smells. Cat looked through the doorway of one of the rooms. Memories began to flood back into her mind...

Flashback: "Who wants to play spin-the-bottle?" Cassie asked, holding up an empty soda bottle. Endy sat beside her, chuckling away, as Michael stood there, puzzled. "S-Spin-the-bottle? What's that? Is that some sort of game?" He asked, awkwardly sitting next to the rest of them. Cat sat a few feet away from Michael. Her face turned pink at the sight of him. S-Stay calm, Cat! It's just Spin-The-Bottle! It's not like he actually likes you! Cat let out a sigh in an attempt to let out a bit of her tension. But that just made it worse when it drew the attention of Cassie and Endy. "Hey Cassie, I think Cat has a little crush!" Endy said, nudging Cassie with his arm. Cassie snickered. Cat hid her face in embarrassment. She knew her feelings for Michael were true now. But does he feel the same?

Cat shook her head. "Back to reality." She said to herself. She walked into the room and towards one of the dressers. She rummaged through the drawers in search of anything useful for the trip. Other than a few medical supplies, there wasn't much that she could use in the dresser. She took what she could and began to exit the room. Before she could leave, she was confronted by someone. Michael. "Cat...I have something to ask of you. "He said, looked a bit concerned. Cat's ears perked up. "Hmm?What is it?" She questioned curiously. "I-It's just...After seeing what Haruka and Glitch are capable of, I'm worried. I don't want to see any of your friends getting hurt. And especially not you." Michael accidentally blurted the last part out. Cat's face lit up as she blushed. "Michael,I-I'm sure I'll be fine.I'll protect my friends as best as I can." Cat said to comfort him. Michael seemed to have cheered up a little, but still looked tense. Michael hugged her tightly, without really realizing it. "Please, just promise me you won't die. Promise?" Michael whispered, his voice full of affection. Cat smiled happily. "Don't worry Michael. I promise." This moment felt so perfect. It felt as if everything would be fine. You better promise me the same thing. I love you too much to lose you.