I Am Number Four

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Battle Begins

Six looked between the gathered Garde and hoped that they would be able to pull off some sort of miracle right now; she had a feeling that the Mogadorians had a plan up their sleeves that would change everything.

"Okay, here's what we are going to do, Avalon; you are our eyes and ears. Leila, it's up to you to protect her and the humans while the rest of us handle the Mogadorians," Six announced looking over the group and daring someone to disagree with her.

She was rather pleased when nothing was said against her plan even if Leila and Avalon didn't look to happy about being left behind; they didn't have defensive abilities that would truly help them now.

John looked relieved about the plan and he knew that it was a little selfish but he was thankful that Avalon wasn't going to be anywhere near the fighting.

The last thing that he wanted was to lose her again after everything that they had been through; he was still reeling from losing Henri and now had to deal with this.

Sarah looked between the group gathered wondering if this was all some sort of sick joke, she wanted nothing more than for someone to tell her that this was all in her head and she hadn't been pulled into an alien war.

This wasn't what she'd had planned when she had come to the school so that she could develop her pictures without being annoyed by her brother; she almost regretted getting the janitor to let her into the school now.

"Hopefully we'll last the night, I don't know how well the rest of you have been trained but I hope you all know a thing or two about fighting the Mogs," Six continued preparing her own weapons while she tried to think how they were going to handle this.

Mason and Camden shared a look, they could very well die tonight and neither of them where sure just how bad this situation was going to get; they were best friends and this could be the very last time they saw one another.

Stepping forward, Avalon kissed John and she prayed that he was going to be okay; she didn't know what she would do if he didn't last the night and make it out of here alive.

John wrapped his arms around Avalon and kissed her back, he closed her eyes trying to hold onto this moment; he wished that they didn't have to deal with this right now.

An explosion pulled the couple apart and they both stared down the corridor wondering just how close that had been; it was closer than any of the Garde would have liked it to be.

"Be careful, I need you to come back to me," Avalon whispered so only John could hear, she ignored the withering look that Sarah offered to her not caring what the blonde thought.

She brushed her fingers through John's hair before she stepped back, he had to go with the others and she had to do her thing and hope that it helped them in some way.

John nodded his head, he truly wished that they could flee from here and never return; an option that they didn't have with Mogadorians surrounding the school.

"I love you," John told her, a small smile creeping up to his face at those words and he didn't regret saying them now; he doubted that he would get a chance after this was done.

This was the first battle that they had been involved with and John had a feeling that it wasn't going to be the last; they needed to be on their guard right now.

Avalon mouthed the words back to him before she and Leila started to walk away to find a safer place; she hoped that this wasn't the last time that she would see any of them.

***

Sarah glared at Avalon who was talking quietly with Leila, who was watching the door intently every so often glanced at Sarah and Sam; she didn't know what had happened recently but she knew she didn't like it.