KOTLC Alternate Universe #1: Universal [DISCOTINUED sry]

Chapter IV- Showdown

Sophie POV

Sophie was definitely going to have a panic attack.

Should she let the Council know that Stina's been kidnapped? Won't they freak out and be like Oh no one of our Regents is missing Oh My god and probably the Neverseen might cancel and cancel their deal. But Sophie can't afford that. She wouldn't want to see Stina dead, even though they are basically lifelong rivals.

She paced around the room in a frantic manner until her bodyguards and her friends burst into her room.

"I suppose this will be a bit... crowded? Squishy." Sandor said in his squeaky voice as everyone began to settle onto the soft carpet in her room. Fitz gave her a smile as Keefe gave Tam an annoying glance, but did not call him 'Bangs Boy'. Biana was worried, so was Maruca. Surprisingly, Marella was too. 

"Uh..." Sophie began awkwardly, having a sudden loss for words.

"Go on, Foster. We're listening." Keefe smirked and Sophie was not really feeling any more comfortable than she was before so she kind of ignored him went on.

"As you all know, Stina has been kidnapped by the Neverseen and they have given me a paper with the leaping coordinates and crystal powder to create the temporary leaping crystal. Given the known circumstances and requirements from their paper, I'm supposed to go. Keefe is supposed to go because his mom wants to see him... and we get to choose 5 more people."

As usual, everyone raised their hands extremely willingly so Sophie had to go through the planning and choosing phase again. "So... I probably need Fitz there because if we need to check our surroundings when we get in, and so I need Dex as well because he can sense gadgets. Marella and Maruca best come with us because we need their abilities in case something goes wrong and we need to fight, which leaves the spot for one last person."

The options weren't much. There's Tam, who could break down forcefields, Linh, who's a Hydrokinetic, Biana, who's a Vanisher,  Wylie, a Flasher, and... that's basically it.

"So personally I believe that Tam should go since Ruy has healed, and he could make forcefields again so it would be most logical in order to bring someone who can wreck the enemy's defense. But Biana could sneak in and get Stina in case they didn't hold up their end." Sophie analyzed as she looked to Tam and Biana.

"I feel like Biana should go since Maruca can probably cancel out Ruy's forcefields since she is a Psionipath too. So we have our backup plan installed that way." Tam spoke suddenly, and as he finished,  everyone considered the decision.

After there were no objections, Grady had already finished constructing the temporary leaping crystal, he turned and gripped Sophie's shoulders. "You be safe out there, ok kiddo? Don't get yourself hurt or anything, same with all your friends and that Heks girl."

"Got it, Dad!" Sophie said as she locked the crystal into place on the Leapmaster, and the seven of them let the light glitter them away.

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They arrived in a dark room, illuminated by only an arrow of light pointing forward of them. "What is this?" Marella asked as the ominous environment seemed to sink the feeling into the young elves. 

"I think they made all of this with a Technopath," Dex said, touching the walls. "I can sense all kinds of machinery in this structure, and judging by the coldness, they also used the help of a Cryokinetic."

"Wait, so we're trapped in an ice castle that only has light arrows?" Fitz asked, fear crawling along with his voice. "This is the worst idea ever that the Neverseen has ever come up with, especially for us."

"I bet you Foster didn't even see this coming," Keefe said as he continued to venture forward out of their little room. "Come on, guys! We need to explore this cool Neverseen hideout!"

Though there were many groans and unsatisfied responses,  but in the end,  the team decided to go. They went through narrow passageways in the giant ice maze until they came into a bright room full of mirrors. Vespera's here. Sophie thought as she stepped into the light.

"At last, the Moonlark comes here!" Lady Gisela's voice rang out as she appeared on all the mirrors. "Welcome, Sophie, to our temporarily made base for your arrival! As you can see, your little friend is right here with us, and if you want her, you will answer three questions of mine!"

Sophie signaled to Maruca as she made a gigantic forcefield, shattering all the glass that touches it, and revealing Lady Gisela, Ruy, Gethen, and Vespera in their sights. The Neverseen leaped down and both Lady Gisela and Vespera removed their cloak hoods, but Gethen stayed hidden under his and Ruy encased them in a forcefield.

"I have to admit, your Psionipath is quite annoying." Vespera snarled at Maruca, then snapped her vision back to all the broken glass and mirror pieces.

"Just lowering the playing field to a more even one, since we are making a trade, after all," Maruca responded icily back to her, then turned to Marella and said something that Sophie didn't hear. 

"Now, first question, Sophie, do you have any of your notes on your abilities and how to use them? Answer truthfully and if there is, place them at the entrance to your Cliffside gate, and I will be collecting them."

"That wasn't part of the deal! You only said three questions, not some of my possessions!" Sophie shouted, but also wondered why they would want notes on her abilities, especially Inflicting, Teleporting, and Enhancing. No other elf has them, so why?

"Secondly, I would like to know what have you been hiding, especially the secret that involves my son." Lady Gisela looked at her intensely, while Keefe cringed and shuffled around. Fitz looked at her questioningly, utterly perplexed. Dex, however, was focused on something since he had his eyes closed and was shaking his head until his eyes suddenly lighted up.

"Sophie, there's a security camera hidden over there in the corner," Dex whispered to her. "I traced the source to around your two o'clock. The Neverseen might have another trick up their sleeves, so we best even our playing field even more. You and Fitz can go all-out Cognate and locate that mind and try to Inflict on it."

Sophie nodded as she silently transmitted to everyone about the plan while she told Lady Gisela to wait for a second while they discussed. She enhanced Fitz and together they located, then pinpointed a mind somewhere above them, and she unleashed her rage at it and felt the mind go silent. I think we successfully knocked the guy out. She transmitted to everyone when she suddenly realized something was wrong.

She sensed her inflicted rage pass right by her, headed straight for... Keefe. "Keefe, watch out!" She shouted but it was a bit too late. The rage hit Keefe just when he was about to smile. And if this wasn't such a serious situation, she would've laughed. She immediately inflicted calmness and he started to stir slowly. "Foster... what just happened to me?"

"I felt my inflicting rebound, but that's not possible unless..." She looked at Ruy, who sat there with a perplexed expression but faintly amused. So if it wasn't him, who was it?

She never finished that thought. The ice on the ceiling suddenly started to crack, and Maruca encased them in a forcefield. A figure in a Neverseen cloak fell down and landed on the floor with a thump. She didn't understand why, but Lady Gisela facepalmed herself and sighed, as Gethen and Ruy looked shocked but also... furious somehow.

As the icy mist parted, the cloak ripped of the figure from a block of falling ice and she couldn't believe her eyes when she looked the figure in the eyes.

The turquoise and orange specked left eye.

The neon purple right eye.

And the electric blue hair that looked like lighting.

The boy, who was younger than all of them, reminded her of a young Keefe but looking slightly older, with weird features such as her eyes stood before her. The boy looked at her, shocked as if he just revealed a Forgotten Secret. 

"You do exist!" Sophie shouted as her friends stared at the boy in pure shock, her face mirroring onto her friends' faces.

"Well... I suppose it's about time." Lady Gisela announced. "Meet Libdimlocus Peculiari, our Universal Initiative, and your destined archnemesis."