We Stand Together

6

Rosemary Dizznee

Present Day...From the perspective of Rosemary Dizznee

Rosemary was having a nice time. It was Saturday and the Dizznees plus Alexander were over at the Vacker house for dinner. Poppy was chasing after Jasper and Amy, Claire and Violetta were off chatting about something - probably boys - while Theo hung out with Isaac in his room. The adults were all sitting together at the dining room table, waiting for the food to be ready, but while the parents and adult children were divided in conversation. Rosemary didn't know what the parents were talking about, but she, Celeste, and Alexander were discussing the invitations the three of them received to speak at Foxfire about their careers sometime in the next few months.

"Why us though? There are plenty of other alumni," Celeste leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms, "why not people with more experience?"

"Well, we're are pretty newly graduated but well situated in our jobs, and we're all friends. It's probably to show how Foxfire can lead you to the right career, no matter what it is, and that the friendships you make there can last after school," offered Rosemary.

Alexander nodded, "Yeah, I mean, we kind of cover the three main options. Celeste, you use your special ability for your career; Rosemary, you don't; and I'm a CFRO. We're all successful, but we're all successful in different ways."

"It's kind of perfect," Rosemary agreed, "plus, we'd all get the memo and would remind one another of it."

"Yeah, but do we have to?" Celeste asked just as Alexander's imparter started to buzz frantically. He opened it with a frown and the face of a man Rosemary didn't recognize appeared on the screen. When she leaned over to get a better look, she saw that the man was drenched in sweat and that his eyes were wild with fear. Before the man could speak, there was a loud BOOM followed by screaming, and the adults stopped their conversation to listen in.

"MYSTERIUM IS BEING ATTACKED!" the man shouted, "WE NEED ALL CFRO AGENTS ON DECK. REPEAT, WE NEED ALL CFRO AGENTS ON DECK!" In the background, another explosion went off, and Rosemary watched in horror as a limp body was flung across the frame in a blur of pink. It only took a few seconds afterwards for Rosemary to realize that the person flung across the screen was a child. A shiver jolted through her nervous system in response. The Neverseen were hurting children. Innocent children.

Alexander didn't waste time in clicking off his imparter and running into the foyer for his jacket and weapons belt. Rosemary and Celeste ran after him as the parents began to debate how to handle the situation. Alexander, being a fully trained CFRO, ran much faster than the twins and was already buckling on his weapons belt by the time the twins met him in the foyer.

"I'm coming with you," Celeste decided, "you can use all the help you can get. I'll grab a blaster from the lab."

"Stay at a distance, go for long range, I don't want you getting hurt," ordered Alexander, and Celeste nodded.

"See you out there," said Celeste as she gave Alexander a quick peck on the cheek before rushing to the leapmaster and light leaping to the lab. It was a tradition that every time Alexander got called in for duty when in the company of the twins, the twins would each kiss his cheek before he left for good luck because "the best wishes from both girls doubled his luck" or so he claimed. Rosemary had a sneaking suspicion that the kisses were more of an "incase we never see each other again" sort of thing.

Alexander leaned down as he pulled on his jacket for Rosemary to kiss his cheek, but before she did, she said, "I want to go too."

He instantly shut her down, "No, no way. You don't have any fighting experience, it's dangerous out there, and someone needs to watch over the kids."