Through the Fountains

Chapter Seven: Unqualified Squad

As I should be upset, I was more angry; not with Mrs. Pierez, but with Marina. She knew things that could have changed my life... and now it is still changing, but not in the way I wanted it to. I loathed her. jealousy filled my veins, pumping around with my blood, and consuming it. Every breath I took was filled with anxiety and frustration, leaving no room for oxygen to enter. I was trapped again. Not like I was in the private facility. I was imprisoned in my own mind, with no one else to share the cell with, no one to understand my pain; nobody shared my emotions... except for teddy, who was shaking me back to reality. "Hey, it's not her fault, I made her swear she'd let me do it." As much as I wanted to, I didn't believe him, I was still furious on the inside, but I decided to let it go for now.
Lixie explained our part of the plan, in hopes that it didn't fail. I felt bad for him; he hadn't trained a group of protectors in years. He didn't know what he was doing, but he couldn't let anyone else know that. I admired him for that kind of bravery, for I'd experienced it often in my lifetime. Putting on a brave face so no one is worried... the reality is that if the leader is scared, you might as well be scared too, but a leader would never admit it.
I guess I should thank marinas family for dropping everything to wait for me to come to earth; for taking care of me while they had me. We act ungrateful for things we appreciate more than anything, so we don't seem weak. People are strange. But that was okay with me, I love people.
When dismissed to dinner, I walked alone, enjoying my silence, until it was broken by my best friend. "How y'doing?"
"Fine." I lied.
"Sure". She must have know.
"What?" I lied again.
"Enough with the small talk, Thea" Gwen demanded. "I didn't ask. I see that you're not okay, you know you can always talk to me." I nodded. I wrapped my arms around her neck, it was no use trying to be strong around her, she was too good at knowing me.
At the dinner table, I sat in silence, yet having a conversation with Teddy. He asked me if I was ready for tonight. No idea, you? I asked.
Well, considering I'm the one who has to be doing all the work, I think I have a right to be concerned too.
And what's that supposed to mean? I made a face at him from across the table.
You're just supposed to be putting some rocks into a bag, I have to teleport to you! I grinned, his logic was understandable. It takes a lot of effort to travel to him, it's like you're running that distance you're traveling, but if you pause for a break, you don't get there at all. Luckily, you only get worn out from the run after you get there, but there's still fear in starting the race. Don't get me wrong, this doesn't have anything to do with being athletic, it's more about practicing your magic, but it has he same effect. I hope we get to go through a fountain sometime soon. I don't think that's likely, but I still had to hope, right? Lix isn't just gonna let us wander unknown territory after one mission. Plus, what if we don't complete this one? I assured him we would, and told him focus on me if he gets nervous, it might make it worse, but he's supposed to be traveling to me anyway.
I had only just realized that my plate of pasta and peas was completely empty. Subconsciously, I wiped my hand over it, and it disappeared. Walking out the door, I told everyone I was going to my room. But as I stood in the door frame, I stopped dead in my tracks. My legs were frozen and I didn't process the idea that it wasn't my magic that was causing. Lixie paced toward me with his arms folded behind his back. "Sit down, young lady. We're leaving soon." Young lady? What He has gotten into the man? "We'll be going to get ready soon... as a unit." He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head. Now, I got the message that he was trying to send. The Just-Go-With-It plan that he'd assembled for the team to do. I don't believe it was going to work out the way he [hadn't] planned.
It was foolish and all based on hypotheses, but I held it together, because it was his first in a long time. I sat down in my seat and listened to Lixie give us our directions, Dexter ask a few dumb questions, and got out of my seat and ran down the hall, making 3 lefts and going straight. Lixie explained that it was a special code to run in those directions until you reach a metal door with a panel. Inside, a room with all of our emergency equipment for missions. It had rows of machinery that Lixie explained were for putting on your suits. The big metal claws would grab each of your limbs, measure them, and apply a dark purple-ish, black-ish, hexagon shaped, scaly, tight, full body suit with a panel on the non dominant wrist and a few buttons on the ankle of the black hiking boots. I don't know why, but there were seams running up the side of my legs, to my torso, and out to my arms. There were almost no other seams on there. The suit was made of a special material that Lixie had summoned. He said jokingly, from a snake. There were pieces of metal on the collar and buttons where the belt should be. Here were metal shoulder pads, elbow pads and a solid, scaly torso armor thing too. I took a look over at the boys', whose were identical, except in a blackish-blue, and was only solid on the chest, not the whole upper body. It was still easy to bend over and move, but even if the armor moves, it stays rock solid. I feel like a power ranger, or a super hero. Lixie was gallantly admiring his inventions' success, as were everyone else. Suddenly, he snapped out of his gaze. "Let's get going, the door is that way" he gestured to the garage door at the end of the room. Dexter put his hand on Carter's back and pushed him forward. Together, the two faced their palms up and raised the; with them, came the door. We ran out the open door on Lixie's signal and took of into the maze-like garden. The garden was filled with trees of every sort, ones I can't even name, some I can't even find on earth. Fountains of every design infinitely filled the brick court yard majestically. There were small patches of grass and flower beds every now and then, and many elegant garden arbors covered in various vines.
Some fountains had smaller springs surrounding them. Lixie said not to mind them, they only showed up around fountains with multiple planets, some universes had many, some had none... it's not unusual. I was in such a daze that I had only just realized what was going to happen any minute. I wanted to grab Carter's hand, but he was already off to his station in a flower bed connecting the Hui fountain, the Heliomatrix fountain, and Myura fountain; he was able to turn invisible and blend in with his surroundings that is to the panel on his suit. Lixie had switched his and Teddy's positions so that teddy could focus on the secret plan Lix assigned us... even Lixie is skeptical that he can do it all at once! Teddy was giving me a nervous signal. I knew it was on purpose, so I sent him a warm and happy one back. The fact that Teddy didn't respond was evidence enough that he was okay. I ran down to my station: an underground chamber where Lixie kept a surveillance system like the one in the training facility. He told me as he did about the castle hallways, if you keep going, you'll always get there... but it's also a matter of whether it wants to be found. I guess it did, because within minutes, I tripped on a brick, which turned out to be a latch. I lifted it up, yet saw more cement brick, and no trap door. Instead, I saw a pitch black tunnel on the inside of the latch door. I crawled through the hole, shutting the door behind me; I heard the door bang against the courtyard's ground. As I crawled, I felt the cold tunnel scrape against my ponytail. Lixie said to stand up and summon a lightbulb when I stopped feeling it. Once I did, I came to see a standard room with 4 cement walls to match the floor and ceiling. Along one side of the wall was a series of TVs. (Pun intended). Each had a holographic screen that I could scroll with my fingers on. It suddenly hit me; now was the hardest part. I had to track the criminal. Lixie described Donald as a scum bag with yellow hair all over and orange skin. He said his mouth was so big, it took up his entire face. His fangs were so big, lips almost couldn't touch, so he was constantly making a duck-face to close them. He said his voice had an annoying growl to it that made everyone angry... he sounded like dictatorship was his destiny... he sounded like another wealthy political character from Earth that didn't belong as a leader. Not only did he sound like them, he acted like them too. When I caught a glimpse of him on my screen, I clicked a button on my wrist panel, and spoke into it. "He's approaching the Draximum fountain! Get into position." With that signal, I started to do my part... well, my first part. I waited for Gwen to summon the merchandise and give me her signal to put in the rocks; I only had 30 seconds until Ronald approached his trade partner.
I put out my hand and created about 6 pounds worth of rocks, then, let them drop into my hands. They were heavier than they seemed, but at least they weren't as big as firewood. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine the rocks in the potato sack that was on the screen. It wasn't working when I peeked. I closed my eyes again, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. I feared I was too late, Ronald was probably already headed back home.
"Come on, Thea, NOW!!!" I heard a scream through my earpiece.
"I'm trying! It won't work!" My heart was pumping; for a moment, I forgot how, only that it was ticking. I was being careless at this point, shaking my hands all around and screaming, on he verge of a mental breakdown.
"Dexter, you have to stall him! Forget the Huiman, go straight for Ronald!" With that, the boy actually walked right in front of the monster. I didn't know if I was relieved first or after he started talking, but whatever he said calmed my nerves; for now. "Excuse me sir, please help! It's an emergency!" Dexter was convincingly scared, but that still didn't stop the dictator... who would have known a notorious criminal wouldn't stop to help a child in need?
He scooped Dexter up effortlessly and chucked him into the fountain beside him. The one with green, dirty, smelly water with pieces of garbage floating around. It was made of sandstone, but if the fountain was ever beautiful, it couldn't be recovered. It was depressing to look at. I wanted to cry, just thinking about what was on the other side of it. I glanced back at Ronald; he was still marching angrily down the pavement. I had to take action, I closed my eyes again and tried to get the rocks in the bag... it was too much pressure. I had to come up with another plan. Gwen was yelling at me through my earpiece. I couldn't handle it. My heart was pounding, my stomach was clenched, I had failed the mission, I thought. Then, I opened my eyes to a voice in my brain... wait, no. Earpiece this time. "I'm going in for the kill. It doesn't matter anymore." Teddy was already pacing toward the beast with angry eyes, there was no stopping him, unless you were Ronald. For some reason my brother thinks he is completely unstoppable and fearless. He takes advantage of the fact that he's going to rule the kingdom someday, but it clearly doesn't occur to him that some people aren't from your kingdom.
There he was, standing feet away from a murderous thing, waiting for its approach. Ronald extracted his claws and started coming toward my brother. Teddy raised a salt syringe and pointed it toward Ronald. The beastly idiot didn't know that would stop him; he ran at Teddy with his mouth open, ready to eat him or something, roaring, drooling like an animal. I only stood there and watched the screen as a fanged monster sprinted toward my brother, about to kill him... No one said anything, my only sibling was facing his doom because he was too stupid to go with the task he was given; too power driven. Suddenly, his fate was of no occurrence to me. I felt another emotion coming from no where I could tell. But I knew it came from Teddy: hopelessness. He felt like he was already dead, he accepted it... but I wouldn't. That's IT! I screamed, not knowing weather it was out loud or in my head. I shut my eyes and thought of my twin. Wherever he was standing, I was there now, what had seemed like hours had been only seconds. I had a wanted criminal roaring in my eardrums, only feet away. It didn't matter, I hadn't taken in that I was about to be slaughtered for being as stupid as Teddy. I raised my left arm, pointing 2 fingers at Ronald's open mouth, and focused.
I don't know which came first, the bang or the bullet... but it saved my life. Ronald fell to the floor, clutching his bleeding throat, choking. I stood over his body, finally noticing his vulnerability. He was just a dumb politician. He was rich and stupid and he didn't care for anything real. He didn't have love, he didn't have a family at home, he didn't have a place to call home. He was just like me. I watched the lights flicker in his yellow eyes, I watched how my life could have ended if I had forgotten to hold my head up, to be who I am now. My stomach became tight... I felt bad for him. Teddy ran over to his twitching, defenseless body and injected the salt. His eyes gleamed with power while mine with sorrow, as I watched the gleam in the beast's eyes become dim and dull forever. I stared at him, now on my knees, feeling more fury than sadness. I guess I wasn't really sorry for Ronald, I had put myself in his shoes and seen how my life would have been if I had followed on the same path as he had; I was sorry for myself. 
It was in that moment when I made a silent promise to myself. Don't ever let yourself turn out like him.
You would never, you have a good heart, Thea.
I flinched. I didn't realize I was talking to myself again... I have to stop that. I rolled my eyes to myself. The beautiful garden reflected dark blue in the night sky. I took in the imagery of the flower bed beside me, where Teddy had been hiding previously. I focused my eyes on the black metal arbor that stood in the distance with metal designs of vines along the sides. I took another deep breath as I stared at the red brick fountain to the left of the arbor. It was only when I realized the polluted water and garbage filled fountain stood next to an archway that was in fact not made of metal, but of tin foil. "Dexter..." I mumbled under my breath. I must have thought it in my head too because Teddy heard me and had already darted to the edge of the fountain. "NO! HELP! LIXIE, PLEASE!!!" He shrieked. I didn't see the big deal about the fountain, but by the feeling I was getting from Teddy, he thought it was massive. I waited for Lixie to come rushing  down the pathway placed on a nearby hill. He caught a glimpse of what was happening and sighed as well. "Oh my... we're going to have to call a rescue team. Don't worry, my boy. I'll have some friends from Hierogypt come and retrieve him." I asked Lixie what the people were going to do for him, he said that some other dimensions have people with different kinds of magic... one of the Heirogyptians' powers in their dimension was drawing actions that could happen... yes. Like hieroglyphics. Where else would they have gotten the name? Duh.
He spoke into his wrist panel, like the one I had, but just the bracelet, and called over a few spies who came walking in a line with outfits like ancient in Egypt. They are similar to what you could find on earth. They went there thousands of years ago to start a home. Then, they had non magical offsprings and drew their futures before leaving them to live as they do. Teddy's explanation made some sense.  Thy country had some unexplained crap that needed to be sorted out. Apparently, the hieroglyphics were drawn before the things happened, so the people could write the future for their kids. That mould be a cool power... if only it worked in reverse; it could bring my mom and dad back. The 6 men came around the fountain and one started to etch-in drawings with their fingers into the side of the fountain. Peeking over the side of his shoulder, I saw an image of Dexter. He had gone inside one of the creepiest caves I had ever seen, drawn a knife and slaughtered a clan of what looked like people living on the inside. My stomach tightened again. I was absolutely horror-struck. I felt a cold hand slip into mine as I watched the man draw a gruesome image of innocent little Dexter. I looked to my left to see Carter standing beside me, viewing the drawing with a blank face. It wasn't even realistic, it was just the idea that even under the control of those guys, Dexter could do that. The next comic appeared of Dexter standing beside a fountain identical to this one, he jumped in it.
Seconds later, the real Dexter had come swimming to the surface of the fountain before me, coughing and crying. Before pulling him to the ledge, Lixie ran to him, yelling. "NO! NO, NO. Don't let yourself drink that water, boy! It's polluted; that's like taking a bath in Flint, Michigan water... but it's legend to be induced with evil magic. Get out of there right NOW!" If I was not mistaken, it almost seemed like Lixie cared for Dexter. They had spent a lot of 1 on 1 training time lately, but still, it's Lixie. Anyway, whatever was in that water, it was pointless to try and get it out; Dexter had been choking and gagging on it for a few minutes now. When the 4 men had finally pulled him out of the water and laid him on the pavement, he was sobbing effortlessly. He was weak and covered in blood, which I didn't understand... but I knew he felt guilty. That drawing on the bricks was probably nothing in comparison to the real thing. It was past midnight now... the full moon was becoming smaller and smaller. We had to carry Dexter home on Carter's back, because he was too weak to walk. That awful water may not be evil, but it was definitely not an energy drink. I walked down the pathways in utter silence as did everyone else. Teddy was my only source of entertainment on the long walk home. I should explain, shouldn't I?
I felt his nerves in my brain.
Please do...

I'm, first of all, the Hierogyptians meant no harm, but those Kleptomatrixens deserve it... they're dangerous.

THOSE WHAT??

Kleptomatri-

I heard why it said! You mean the rebels who killed our parents?!
I didn't have to hear his response; I knew the answer.
Didn't you wonder where they got their name? They're from the fountain of Kleptomatrix. The Heiros are loyal to us; they helped us win the war, but there were more out in another dimension, becoming more and more evil with every sip. That's all they have.

I suddenly understood what Lixie meant about that water.. it changes you.
Is Dexter going to be okay?
No clue why that was my first thought, but it still was.
I hope so, Kleptomatrix is a wasteland and no one there cares about anything worth it. They kill each other for the fun of it, they're brutal and selfish and we never should have trusted them...
I knew he was right, but Dexter has a good soul, nothing would ever take that away from him.
We approached the castle courtyard, where there were 2 winding staircases and a set of glass doors on the ground floor between them. It looked like Cinderella's castle, or Belle's. I was ready to jump in my bed and pass out for the night. I felt much better now that I had concluded that Nextel would be okay; I could get a good night's sleep. The journey to the dorms was just as tranquil as the one to the castle. I kissed Carter goodnight and headed to my room. I clicked my wrist panel, and my outfit changed back to normal, then I got under my sheets, feeling as cozy as possible.
________________
I was kidding myself to think that was goodnight. My head started to buzz; my brother had something to say... Thea, if you're awake, I have to tell you something now.
I only half-cared. I shut my eyes and pretended to be sleeping. He didn't buy it; my head started to pound, I was so dizzy I shot up and clutched the sides of my head. Teddy was screaming 5 octaves high.
OKAY! Okay, jeez. I'm up.
I suddenly realized how awful of an idea it was to ignore him. This better be important! I sassed.
Oh. Um, it is... it's Dexter.

Yeah? What about him?

When we put him down on the couch, and he explained what happened,
He took a long pause like he wasn't going to keep talking.
Uh, he- his- eyes... they changed colors.

So? I can do that.
I felt his stomach drop. This wasn't something normal.
No, Thea. They flickered. Bright red. It happened when he talked about- you know. What he did in the cave.
I knew better than to think he was telling the truth. Dexter is way too innocent. I laid back down and got cozy again. I rolled my eyes for Teddy to feel it.
Shut up. I'm going to bed.
Sleeping was easy that night, knowing that my friend wasn't possessed or something, and that I had family with a sense of humor. I slept peacefully until morning, when I was shaken awake by my best friend.