Opposites Attract

Immense

Kasey looked up at the knock on her door. She set aside the book she'd been reading, standing to open it. A small girl with curly red hair stood on the other side, grinning evilly.

"What did you do, Mei?"

"Nothing, nothing. But I've got some news. That idiot David's armies are moving. The attack is starting."

Kasey couldn't help but laugh a bit, turning to grab her coat. 

"Well, let's go. I have someone to see. It's been too long since I last saw my big sister."

Mei's grin got bigger as she handed her friend a dagger from under her sweater, and the two walked down the hallway together.

---

"Evan, Leah, I need you to go with Jax. We have reports that Blake has been spotted in the Western district of the village. You'll have a few minutes to prepare."

David's time limit was useless, as the three involved were already prepared, but they all recognized it for what it was. Evan and Leah immediately moved off to the corner, trying their best to get some privacy. David, recognizing that Jax and Molly would want the same, directed a quick goodbye their way, then herded Kia away.

Molly watched them go for a moment, smiling bitterly, then turned back toward Jax.

"So, this is it, hm?"

He nodded, silently, and watched her reactions closely.

"You had better be okay after this."

"I could say the same to you."

She laughed, but there wasn't any mirth behind it.

"I need you to come back," she said, quieter now, "And I need you to come back in one piece."

David called softly, "Jax, Evan, Leah, ship out."

Molly dropped his hands (she didn't remember taking them in the first place) and gave him a light smile, only to have him kiss her, full on the lips.

She didn't know how to respond at first, but after a moment she melted into the kiss, closing her eyes and holding him tightly against her. He pulled back too soon, looking her right in the eyes. She was still in shock a bit, but she met his gaze with a new resolve.

"Listen. I don't know if I'm in love with you. I don't know if I can be in love with you. I wasn't sure I was capable of those feelings, after everything that's happened. But I know that I want to protect you. I'm going to win this fight for you, and you need to live, because if you don't, I don't know if I would survive it."

She felt her face flaming, and she started, "Jax, I-"

"Jax, you need to go," David said, and Jax pulled away reluctantly. Molly watched him go, before turning back to David.

"What now?"

"We wait. Our group is meant to be fighting Cain. Unless the other group needs us, we don't interfere with them. We each have our own enemy, and it's our job to deal with them accordingly."

She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. She suddenly felt very cold.

"David... What exactly does a Manipulator do?"

David sighed heavily, "A manipulator... it's close to what Leah does. They read and change emotions. He can turn us on each other, make us hallucinate, anything."

Molly felt a sudden shock go through her. She didn't remember much from her childhood, but every now and then a memory resurfaced. 

She knew, with sudden certainty, "My sister was a manipulator."

"Sister?"

"She died a while back."

"Sorry to hear it," David said distractedly, as if he was trying to remember something.

She didn't reply, her eyes on the trees, feeling a strange sense of foreboding.

"David, I think-"

She wasn't able to finish as Kia suddenly turned on them. Molly hadn't known until now what type of magic she used, and she felt a thrill of surprise go through her as she was thrown off her feet, the ground underneath her launching her into the air.

She used the momentum from a blast of fire to get herself back on her feet.

"Kia..." she muttered, not really knowing what else to do.

The ground dropped out from under her, and she dropped hard, before being launched into the air again. Not knowing what else to do, she fought back, lighting Kia for the briefest second. She screamed for a second, not hurt in the least but terrified, and crumpled in a heap. Molly looked up to find David, who seemed to have been thrown around just as much as she had.

"Molly! What the hell-"

"She's not hurt! Check her pulse, check her vitals, she's fine. It's a scare tactic I learned in training a few weeks ago. Burn close enough that they think they'll get hurt, and usually, they faint from fear, or from lack of oxygen, since the fire burns it all up."

He gave her a grudging smile, "Impressive. Now, where's Cain?"

"Right here."

They both whipped around to see a man standing behind them. He was short and slim, only a little taller than Molly, but Molly could sense immense magical power from him. It was easily 5 times what Jynx had. The air was practically saturated with it.

They both scrambled backward, feeling unnamable dread.

"Shit," David muttered.

---

Leah was getting on Jax's nerves. They were supposed to be sneaking around to the village's Western entrance, but she was making it difficult with her constant chatter.

"I knew it! I knew you liked her! I felt it from the moment I sensed you walking in the door!"

"Leah," Evan said quietly, "We're supposed to be sneaking."

"But didn't I say it? Didn't I? I told you, I said, 'They'll be making out before the battle starts,' and wasn't I right?!"

"Yes! Now shush!"

Jax froze as, suddenly, the space next to him ignited. He leaped out of the way, pulling some water from the ground and putting it out. Evan and Leah were also surrounded by flame, and he extinguished it in one quick movement.

That'd be Blake then.

"Evan! Evan!"

His head snapped up. Leah's sleeve was on fire. He put this out too, wincing as he saw that he hadn't quite been quick enough, and her arm was a little burned.

She looked down at it for a second, before her head snapped up.

"Jax, behind you!"

He launched himself forward, landing hard and feeling the heat wave from the flames behind him.

"Leah, can you...?"

"A bit. Magic is fueled by emotion after all."

"Can you tell where he is?" Evan asked, the three of them moving so they were back to back.

"Yeah. He's... There!"

She pointed to the toward the North, her arm right next to Jax's face, and lightning and ice shot towards the place at the same time.

"He moved! There!"

They continued this way until, finally, Blake appeared in front of them. Both parties stood still for a moment, and Blake laughed.

"No point in staying hidden if your friend knows where I am."

And, just like that, both parties were in motion again, flinging magic like it was limitless and just trying to survive.