It was day in the basement of the SONs house.

Everyone was training.

Mindy, Ivan and Andrew were teaching fighting. 

Christopher and Kyle were teaching the new ones how to use their powers.

Mindy tried to kick Brittany. Brittany rotated her shoulders back to make her miss, standing up straight, pushing Mindy back.

"Looks like you don't need help from any of us," Ivan told her, smirking.

"Can you make it any less obvious that you're hitting on her?" Charlie asked.

"I could," Ivan answered. "I just don't want to."

Ivan started to laugh his obnoxious, annoying but cute laugh.

"Why do you find even the smallest things so funny?" Charlie asked.

"Chill, blood, and go learn how to use your powers before you make one of us bleed out," Ivan told her, walking away, starting to sing 'Bleed It Out' by Linkin Park. "I bleed it out, digging deeper / Just to throw it away / I bleed it out, digging deeper / Just to throw it away / I bleed it out, digging deeper / Just to throw it away / Just to throw it away / Just to throw it away / I bleed it out."

Charlie glared at Ivan, walking away toward Kyle.

Kyle shook his head. "Ignore him, Charlie. He likes the sound of his own voice."

Charlie looked at Kyle, smiling a small smile. "Clearly."

Nicole looked toward Kyle and Charlie.

Kyle noticed that Charlie was trying to flirt with him, looking away awkwardly. "Right."

Christopher noticed the exchange and that pretty much everyone was distracted, clapping his hands together. "Come on, guys. If the N.O. somehow manages to surprise us again, I want us to be ready."

"You should listen to him," Ivan told them, jumping up to sit on the platform. "He is the one pulling the strings, the one who's always saving our asses."

Mindy sighed. "Guys, come on. Christopher's right. We're outnumbered, and they have their resources, their fighting, their everything. And they're tearing this world apart. If we don't and can't do anything about it, then who can?"

Everyone was affected by that statement, turning to go back to training, determined to be the ones that could do something about it and save the world. Charlie watched everyone, looking around.

  ✴  

Kyle was kneeling in front of Nicole with a knife, holding her wrist in his hand, sliding the knife across her palm, cutting her skin, causing her to gasp in pain as she started to bleed.

Nicole started to heal. The blood seeped into her hand. She healed completely, as if it had never happened. She laughed in shock, smiling. "That is..."

Nicole didn't finish, looking at Kyle, smiling.

Charlie was nearby, watching them, looking as if she was jealous.

Kyle handed the knife to Nicole. "Your turn."

Nicole took a deep breath, taking Kyle's hand, putting the knife to his palm, but she didn't make a cut. "I--I can't."

"If you can't make a cut on a hand that you can heal, how are you supposed to face the New Order?" Charlie asked.

Kyle and Nicole looked toward her with small glares.

Nicole was defiant against Charlie, grabbing Kyle's hand again, looking down, slicing the knife across his hand. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply, holding Kyle's hand in hers, concentrating on using her power to heal Kyle, able to do it with ease now. Kyle's blood seeped into his hand. The cut healed, as if nothing happened. Nicole opened her eyes, seeing that she had healed Kyle's hand, looking up at Kyle, smiling. 

Kyle smiled a small smile, looking at Nicole, nodding in approval.

Timmy was watching nearby, turning to watch Christopher and Alexa.

"So, you're all sure I'm spirit?" Alexa asked. "An element that controls air, earth, fire, water, sickness, health, metal, blood and electricity?"

"Mm-hmm," Christopher answered.

"So I can do..." Alexa trailed off.

"Everything we can," Christopher answered. "But that much power can be too much to handle."

Alexa shook her head sarcastically. "That's no pressure or anything."

"Hey, we'll help you," Christopher told her.

"Right," Alexa told him.

"Focus on the air around us," Christopher told her. "Like you're as light and as much apart of it as it is." Alexa closed her eyes. "Make it feel like it's apart of you. Like you can control it. Push it toward me."

Wind started to come up from behind Alexa, pushing her hair toward Christopher.

Alexa smiled, opening her eyes.

Ivan and Brittany were sparring. Brittany punched him in the face. Ivan tried to punch her. Brittany ducked to the side to make him miss, spinning to try and kick him. Ivan ducked, grabbing her leg from the air above his head, pushing it up to flip Brittany to the soily floor. Brittany somersaulted over the soil, landing in a crouch with one knee on the floor, one foot on the floor, one hand on the floor, and one hand behind her. Ivan went to kick her. Brittany flipped over his leg, standing, spinning to try and kick him in the head. Ivan ducked, elbowing her in the shoulder. Brittany grabbed him by his shoulders, spinning around him to wrap her legs around his neck, flipping him to the floor, falling to the floor with him. They both stood. Ivan held his hands toward Brittany, shooting fire toward her. Brittany turned her left shoulder back to make the fire go past her instead of hitting her. Ivan shot another ball of fire toward her. Brittany turned her right shoulder back to make the fire go past her again.

The two balls of fire landed on the dirt floor, making the floor light on fire.

Ivan closed his fist, making the fire disappear entirely.

Brittany turned to Ivan, smiling in shock and awe. "That was awesome."

Ivan smiled. "You can say that again."

Charlie and Kyle were talking nearby.

"You can channel other's power through their blood, or by how close you are to them," Kyle told her. "Skin-to-skin contact."

Charlie pressed herself closer to Kyle, holding his arms around her. "Like this?"

Kyle was really awkward, but trying not to show it. "Yeah. Focus on the soil. Feel your body connecting to it, the way your feet are seeping into it. Make it move."

Charlie did what Kyle told her to do, slowly using her powers and the connection to Kyle to use his earth magic to raise the soil from the floor. She watched in amazement, laughing. "Oh, my God."

"You're a natural," Kyle told her.

Charlie let the soil fall to the floor.

Timmy and Andrew were nearby, sparring. Andrew grabbed Timmy, pushing him against the wall. Timmy punched him in the face, kneeing him in the stomach, turning around, throwing him into the wall, making him fall to the floor. Andrew stood, grabbing Timmy, turning to push him against a beam. Timmy pushed away from the beam, forming electricity balls in his hands, acting as if he was going to strike Andrew with the lightning. Andrew let his hands and eyes glow metallic silver. Timmy's eyes glowed metallic silver. Andrew's metal powers made Timmy's electricity powers fade into nothing. Timmy slid over the floor toward Andrew to kick his legs out from underneath him, making him fall, trying to punch him. Andrew rolled out of the way, making Timmy punch the soily floor, sitting up in a crouch, spinning around Timmy to crouch on the floor behind him. Timmy instantly turned to aim his hand at Andrew's throat, making electricity go from his hand to come within inches of Andrew's throat, as if killing him, but stopping just before. 

Andrew smirked. "Well done."

Timmy let the electricity fade, smiling.

Nicole was walking toward Alexa, standing next to her. "This might sound insane, but this place already feels like more of a home than my apartment ever did."

"I know exactly what you mean," Alexa told her.

Nicole and Alexa looked at each other, smiling.

  ✴  

Weeks seemed to go by. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Every day, training. Every day, sparring. Every day, getting better at using their powers, getting better at fighting.

Timmy and Mindy were sparring.

Charlie and Brittany were nearby, watching.

Charlie looked at Brittany. "So, we're the outcasts here, right? The ones that knew absolutely no one or knew nothing of any of this before coming in?"

"Well, I already knew everything about what I am, my powers, the consequences, how to fight," Brittany admitted. "I just didn't know anyone here, but they're surprisingly friendly, considering everything. The only person other than you who knew absolutely no one or nothing is Alexa. She was found before Nicole was."

"Mm," Charlie hummed. She looked at Brittany. "Well, no one seems to like me much."

"That's only natural," Brittany told her. "You're blood. That can mean good or bad. It just depends."

"Kyle says that I can channel other's powers through blood or through the closeness," Charlie told her. "He also says I can track people by their blood."

"Mm-hmm," Brittany agreed. "Takes practice, but..." She looked at Charlie. "I can help you."

"Really?" Charlie asked.

"Absolutely," Brittany answered. "Like you said, you're the main outcast here. You need any advantage you can get. I can help with your powers and I can teach you how to fight. The ways I was taught."

"That sounds good to me," Charlie agreed. They looked toward the others. "Five weeks of this training... I'd say we're pretty good."

Andrew was at the computers. "Storm's coming."

All of the training came to a stop.

"Where?" Christopher asked.

"Southern border," Andrew answered. "Wind storm. They're saying Category 7."

"That sounds... bad," Charlie told them.

"Well, it's not good," Andrew told her.

"I got it," Ivan told them. "Just send spirit down there. Red's a natural to wind storms."

Alexa tilted her head toward Ivan. "How does no one slap him on a daily basis?"

"After one punch from Mindy, he usual stops," Kyle answered.

Mindy smirked.

"So what do we do about the storm?" Nicole asked.

"Easy," Mindy told them. "We stop it."

"How?" Timmy asked.

"There can't be a wind storm if there's no wind, right?" Andrew asked. He looked to Alexa, Christopher and Charlie. "Spirit, air, blood, you're coming with me."

  ✴  

Andrew, Alexa, Charlie and Christopher looked toward the storm, the air tearing down trees and homes, crashing into innocent people, others being sucked into the wind, then falling to their deaths, everything falling apart.

"What do we do?" Charlie asked.

"Christopher, Alexa focus on taking the air away," Andrew told them. "Charlie, you're gonna help me focus on metal to take their powers away."

"Wait, wait, wait," Alexa told them. "I think I have a better idea."

"Really?" Charlie asked.

Alexa nodded. "I can focus on metal and the air. Charlie can use me as a way to focus on both. Andrew focuses on metal. Christopher focuses on air. That's three for each."

"Alexa, you're a genius," Christopher told her.

Charlie put her hand on Alexa's shoulder so both could focus on both metal and air.

Andrew focused on metal.

Christopher focused on air.

Alexa, Charlie and Christopher focused on taking the air away.

The wind slowly faltered, things being let flown to the ground.

People landed safely even while screaming.

Alexa, Charlie and Andrew focused on metal, each of their hands and eyes glowing metallic silver, making the N.O's responsible's eyes glow the same, the rest of the storm coming to a stop.

Charlie cheered, smiling. "Yes!"

Andrew, Alexa, Charlie and Christopher were able to get away before the New Order agents could follow.

  ✴  

Alexa, Christopher, Andrew and Charlie returned home to the basement where the others were waiting.

Mindy wrapped one arm around Christopher, and the other around Andrew.

Charlie gave Brittany a high-five.

Nicola and Alexa embraced.

Ivan and Andrew were laughing their annoying but perfect-for-the-moment laughter, doing their handshake.

Kyle smiled. "Looks like everyone made it home okay."

"That was almost too easy," Andrew told them.

Charlie and Alexa spoke together skeptically. "Easy?"

Everyone else laughed.

"You try balancing metal and air at the same time," Charlie told them. "Multitasking powers is probably the hardest thing I've ever done."

"No kidding," Alexa told them. "I'm exhausted. I just wanna sleep."

Timmy smiled. "Sounds good to me."

Nicole smiled a small smile, obviously still affected by the loss of her mother, upset but trying not to be depressed, although distancing herself from the others, withdrawn.

  ✴  

It was later that night, when everyone went to their rooms in the upper part of the SON's home.

Except for Andrew and Mindy, who were sitting outside the house on the front porch.

"Everyone is always in the basement every second of every day, I forget how beautiful this place is," Mindy told him. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I love it down there. It's so... so peaceful. I feel so safe."

"Everyone does," Andrew told her. 

"We gotta get out of here more often," Mindy told him. "We never get to see the city. Or anywhere. I know it's for our own protection, but we can fight back now. We can go places. See things. And if the New Order has the nerve to come after us, looking for a fight..."

"They're gonna get one," Andrew finished, looking at Mindy, smiling a small smile.

Mindy noticed. "What?"

"This is what I love about you," Andrew told her.

Mindy smiled a small smile, looking at him expectantly. "And what's that?"

"You may play big sister to the rest of them in there, but you're just like us," Andrew told her. "You just gotta live. And I'm gonna help you do that."

"And how are you gonna do that?" Mindy asked.

Andrew smiled, shaking his head, chuckling. "I'm not sure yet." Mindy chuckled. "But I'm damn sure gonna find a way, because this is not the life story that I want to be telling to everyone we know. Friends."

"What friends?" Mindy asked.

Andrew smiled. "Okay. Then children. And grandchildren." Mindy smiled. "What? What's that smile for?"

"Out of all the times that we've talked about wanting more, you know, engagement, marriage, neither one of us have talked about children," Mindy answered. "And I never thought it would be you to bring it up."

"Yeah, well, you're the one that has brought up the engagement and marriage," Andrew replied.

"Well, I only brought those up because I never thought that that's something that we could have," Mindy told him. "You know, we're always out here, in the middle of nowhere, so that if the N.O. do come for us, they will only hit us, and no one else. We can't ever be out there in the open. We can't get jobs. We can barely get food and drink, which we can only get by stealing the things that we need. We don't get the normal life. We don't get anything."

"You're wrong," Andrew told her. "And I'm gonna prove it to you."

Mindy looked at him curiously in confusion.

Andrew smiled a small smile, leaning closer to kiss Mindy sweetly and slowly. Mindy deepened the kiss passionately. They continued to kiss on the porch of the house in the middle of the night.

✴

Ivan and Brittany were together in Ivan's bedroom, sitting up, making out. Brittany lifted Ivan's shirt over his head, placing it aside, pulling him closer to kiss him more deeply.

Ivan pulled away to kiss along Brittany's neck.

Brittany had her eyes closed in pleasure. "How many?"

Ivan trailed two kisses along her neck. "Girls or... this?"

"Both," Brittany answered.

Ivan looked up at her. "Like you've said before. I was a heartbreaker."

"Was?" Brittany asked.

"Was," Ivan answered. "You don't have to worry about a thing. Because no one's ever made me feel the way I feel when I'm with you."

"That's a total, cliche, Iv," Brittany told him teasingly, tracing her hands along his bare chest.

Ivan looked at her seriously, but being sweet but not corny all the same. "It's the truth."

Brittany looked at him, smiling. "That, I'm happy to hear." She slid closer, meeting his gaze. "Because even while I know I've only been here for a short five weeks... It feels like I've always been here. Like I was always meant to be here... with you. Ivan, I love you."

"I love you, too, Brittany," Ivan told her quietly, just as sincerely as she had.

Ivan and Brittany looked at each other for a moment, smiling, kissing slowly and sweetly, building up passionately. Brittany wrapped her arms around his neck, continuing to kiss him. They pulled away, looking at each other for a moment, smiling. They kissed for another long moment. It became more passionate, more heated. Ivan slowly lifted her shirt over her head, letting it fall to the floor. Brittany laid back onto the bed. Ivan crawled closer, tracing every inch over her as they continued to kiss. She held a hand to his cheek and to his back to pull him closer. For a moment, they just looked at each other, both of them smiling slightly, breathing just a little heavily. She rolled him over onto the bed, kissing him, straddling him, looking down at him. She ran a hand through her hair to pull it back, leaning closer to kiss him again.

  ✴  

Nicole was in the kitchen, getting something to drink. She was trying to be very quiet so that she didn't wake anyone who was sleeping. She looked exhausted, pulling a cup out of the cupboard, losing grip on it, dropping it, groaning internally.

A hand caught the cup before it fell to the floor, saving it from being broken or waking anyone up in the house. 

Nicole was surprised, looking at the person who had caught it.

Kyle was the one standing there, holding the cup toward Nicole. "You seem to be having a bad day."

Nicole took the cup. "Try bad last couple of weeks."

"You don't like it here?" Kyle asked.

"No, I do like it here," Nicole answered. "It feels more like home than my apartment ever did. It's just... since my mom..." She trailed off, sighing brokenly. "After all the people I've lost, you'd think that it would get easier to lose someone you love."

"It doesn't," Kyle told her. "Ever. Especially not when it's your mom." Nicole took out an alcohol bottle from the refrigerator, closing it, pouring the alcohol into her cup. Kyle watched her in confusion. "Did you ever drink before all of this happened?"

"No," Nicole answered, putting the bottle down, picking up her cup. "But after all the things that have happened to me, to everyone... I could go for a change. Maybe it'll help me get some sleep tonight."

"And how long has this been happening?" Kyle asked. "How long have you been going without sleep?"

"Who says I can't sleep?" Nicole asked.

"You're exhausted, Nicole," Kyle told her. "Seriously. What's going on with you?"

Nicole sighed, taking a drink. "I can't sleep. Because the nightmares won't let me." She took another drink. "I was hoping that this can put me to sleep." She took yet another drink, looking at Kyle pointedly. "This is my third glass."

Nicole finished her glass, reaching for the bottle to pour herself some more.

Kyle took the bottle from her. "I think you've had enough."

Nicole tried to take the bottle back. "Kyle--"

Kyle gave her a gentle look. "Nicole."

Nicole stopped trying to get the bottle, sighing, putting her empty cup on the counter, turning away, running a hand through her hair.

Kyle put the bottle on the counter, stepping closer.

Nicole turned to face him, overwhelmed with emotions and slightly drunk. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing," Kyle answered. "You've just gone through hell."

Nicole scoffed softly. "That's an understatement."

"I used to go to my high school guidance counselor," Kyle told her. "It was court-issued because I had anger and depression issues after everyone I had lost. And she told me something that is still helping me today."

Nicole looked down, taking a deep breath. "And what's that?"

"'If you're going through hell, keep going'," Kyle answered. "And that's what I've been doing ever since. And it's made me stronger every time. So you just got to keep going."

Nicole looked at Kyle, stepping closer. "I never knew you were such a sentimentalist, Kyle. Maybe you can show me some of that sentimentality."

Nicole leaned closer to kiss Kyle.

Kyle placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "When you're not drunk, and when you're thinking straight." Nicole smiled a small smile. "What?"

"I was hoping a guy like you would say something like that," Nicole answered. "I like you, Kyle."

Kyle smiled a small smile. "I like you, too. But I'm not going to take advantage of you. Let's get you to bed. Okay?"

Nicole nodded, whispering. "Okay."

Nicole turned around, walking out of the kitchen toward her room, leaving.

Kyle watched her go thoughtfully, sympathetically, and a little worried about her.

  ✴  

Alexa was in her room, late at night, trapped in a nightmare.

  ✴ 

In the nightmare,  Alexa was inside a house.

A little girl was outside, soaked from a storm.

It had been flooding, raining uncontrollably outside.

Alexa was trying to open the glass door. 

The metallic lock was rusted shut.

The little girl hit against the door, but the glass wouldn't break, sobbing, crying in fear. "Lexa!"

Alexa kicked against the glass, but it wouldn't break.

The water started to carry the little girl away, making her cry harder.

Alexa hit against the door desperately in denial, horrified. "Kate!"

Kate was trying to fight against the current that was trying to take her. "Alexa!"

Kate started to scream.

Alexa started to scream. "Help!"

  ✴  

In reality, Alexa woke up screaming. 

Christopher was sitting next to her on the bed, putting his hands on her shoulders to calm her, whispering. "Alexa. Shh. You're okay. It's all right." Alexa breathed heavily, no longer screaming. Christopher pulled her into his shoulder for her to calm herself. "You're not there anymore. You're okay."

Alexa had tears in her eyes, starting to cry, whispering. "No, I'm not."

Alexa sighed, pulling away.

Christopher exhaled. "You've been having these dreams for weeks."

"I've been having them since the day I lost my mom," Alexa told him quietly. "It just gets worse and worse every time..."

"Every time you lose someone," Christopher finished. Alexa looked down, nodding. "Who did you see this time?"

Alexa hesitated for a moment. "Kate. My foster sister. She was seven. Dragged away, drowned by a flood."

"You're not there anymore," Christopher told her.

"Yeah, but it feels like I'm still with each and every one," Alexa told him. She started to cry. "And it hurts. Ivan was right. Almost every element was used to kill someone I loved. The accident with my mom only happened because the metal in the brake screwed up. My dad died of sickness. Kate was killed by water because the metal lock wouldn't unlock, and the glass wouldn't break. Melanie was killed in her own bed by fire. Matthew died because of an asthma attack--lack of air. Nate was killed because we were almost buried alive--earth. Eva died by her blood boiling. And it was all my faul--"

Christopher gently kissed Alexa to silence her, surprising her as her eyes closed, feeling the despair and fear drain away. He pulled away after he was sure she wouldn't say anything more. "It was not your fault. You know who was responsible. They have killed almost everyone every one here has ever loved. And they're killing innocent people who have nothing to do with any of this. And the only way to stop them is to fight back."

There was a long moment of silence.

Alexa pulled herself together, no longer crying, but still whispering. "I'm scared."

"We all are," Christopher told her. "If we want them to pay, to stop killing, then we face the fears and take them out. One by one. Like they have done for each and everyone of us."

Christopher smiled a small smile, standing, turning around, starting to walk toward the door.

Alexa looked up, speaking softly. "Christopher." Christopher turned to face her. "Why... How do you do it?" Christopher took a few steps closer. Alexa shook her head in confusion. "You seem so sure, so strong about all... of this."

Christopher sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "To be honest... I'm not as sure as I come off. Mindy's and my parents knew what we were. They told us. They taught us everything we know until they hunted them down and killed them. Our aunts, our uncles, all of them. We were taught to be sure, to be strong. But even sometimes now... we're not as strong as they had been."

Alexa looked at him understandingly, sympathetically. "But I think they'd be proud of you both. If it hadn't been for you, we wouldn't have made it this far."

"Maybe," Christopher told her.

"Why don't you let anyone call you Chris?" Alexa asked.

"That's what my father's name was," Christopher answered. "That was the last thing I heard my mom say. It just... hurts." He took a deep breath. "The dreams stop when they stop trying to track you down by killing who you love. When you turn sixteen."

"My birthday's next week," Alexa told him.

Christopher smiled a small smile. "Get some sleep."

Christopher started to get up again. 

Alexa grabbed his hand slowly and gently, barely even touching, to stop him. 

Christopher looked at her.

Alexa looked up to him. "Please... stay."

Christopher slowly nodded, laying down next to her. Alexa laid down, facing away from him. Christopher had his arm around her waist.

Alexa looked as if she felt completely and utterly safe, something that she hadn't ever felt. 

  ✴ 

Mindy and Andrew loved each other.

Ivan and Brittany loved each other.

Nicole and Kyle liked each other.

Alexa and Christopher liked each other.

They all knew that.  

It was like this... unseen force that drew them together, like magnets. They couldn't fight it. With every day that came, every day they each got closer, every day they faced the danger of being hunted down and killed...

The Servants of Nature wanted to fight against the New Order, yes.

But they wanted something normal, too.

For Mindy and Andrew, and Ivan and Brittany, Nicole and Kyle, and Alexa and Christopher...

This was their normal.