July 17th

0907 EST

Pretty much the only thing Bristol enjoyed about holidays and birthdays at headquarters was the fact that she could sleep in. If it were any other day, she would have to be up and ready by nine o'clock sharp. However, today was different. Sort of.

Bristol didn't like the spotlight to be on her, especially on her birthday. To the rest of the Union, aside from Priscilla, today was the celebration of Bristol joining the team. It wasn't a lie, but not the whole truth either. It was also her 17th birthday, her golden birthday, and all the more reason to not have any attention on her.

She wasn't sure that celebrations were appropriate at desperate times like these. As she wiped the sleep out of her eyes and got out of bed, she let out a sigh. All Bristol wanted was to get this day over with.

She walked over to her mirror and examined herself. There was no sign of a birthday transformation. Her long dark hair cascaded over her shoulder as she pulled a brush through it, her chocolate eyes still were misty with the remnants of her slumber, and she just looked the same.

Bristol sighed. She got ready for the day, pulling on her normal day attire. As she was about to leave her room she heard the door knock.

Much to her surprise it was CJ, holding a bouquet of red roses. A smile laced her lips, but faded quickly when she made eye contact with CJ. His eyes seemed hollow. Almost as if they were filled with horror and sadness. A lot was different since CJ's outburst two weeks ago. Everyone has seemingly moved on besides the speedster himself. He seemed haunted, and it showed.

He gave her a smile, but she could tell it was forced.

"Happy 17th, Avatar," He said, his voice seemed broken. "You can finally see rated R movies legally."

Despite it all, Bristol laughed. "Thanks, Speedy," she said.

CJ smiled a little wider. He looked down at the roses in his hands and thrust them forward. "For you," he blushed a bit. "I couldn't find any blue flowers so I hope you like red ones."

Bristol took the bouquet gingerly, smiling at the speedster warmly. "I love them," she said. "Thanks CJ. Although, I do have one question."

CJ knit his eyebrows together and leant against the doorframe. "I probably have one answer," he smirked. "Fire away."

Bristol looked down at the flowers and back up at the hazel eyed boy. "How did you know that today was my birthday? No one but Priscilla knows."

For a moment, CJ didn't speak. However, a mischievous smile stretched across his lips. "I guess I'm just good at finding out your secrets," he said, a laugh laced in his words.

Bristol smiled, running a hand through her hair. "I guess so," she laughed.

CJ grinned. Suddenly, he perked up. "I forgot your other gift. Be back in a second!" And with that, he rushed away, leaving Bristol with a sudden gust of wind.

The speedster was back in exactly a second. This time, he held a small velvet jewelry box in his hands. He bit his lip, looking up at Bristol nervously.

Bristol blinked. "Please tell me there isn't a ring in there," she laughed sheepishly.

Thankfully, CJ laughed good-naturedly. "No, not at all. But you're close...sort of."

The speedster opened the box and nestled inside was a golden necklace with a small lightning bolt charm. The gold glittered in the morning sunlight filtering in through Bristol's window, and she couldn't fight the smile that grew on her face.

"Allow me," CJ said.

Bristol turned around, sweeping her hair over one shoulder. She felt the coldness of the necklace touch her neck, as well as CJ's fragile touch across her skin.

"There you go," he said as she turned around. "I hope you like it."

Bristol smiled. "I love it, don't worry. Thank you again, CJ."

"Anything for you, Bristol," he grinned.

Bristol set the roses down, fiddling with the golden charm at the nape of her neck. For a moment, neither she nor CJ spoke. They just smiled at one another knowingly, as if having a telepathic conversation.

However, the moment shattered instantly. CJ's face filled with dread, with complete and utter horror. His glimmering hazel eyes lost their shine, and became vacant and empty. He stumbled backwards, taking a ragged breath.

"CJ?" Bristol asked carefully, knitting her eyebrows together. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head rapidly, he bolted away and Bristol was once again alone in her room. She knew his sudden change in disposition must have had something to do with the events of a few weeks ago, and she was worried. She could only imagine how he was feeling, and the worst part was that anytime she got close enough to help, he turned into a deer in headlights and somehow escaped her compassionate grasp.

With a dejected sigh, Bristol left her room. She shut the door behind her and made her way down to the cortex, gripping the lightning bolt charm around her neck as if it were some sort of comforting lifeline.

~~~

Calum was the first to approach her. The entrance of the white haired boy instantly set Bristol into a battle stance, her hands stretched before her. Along the distant wall, the water in the fountains obeyed her will.

"What're you doing out of your cage?" She asked quickly.

Calum arched an eyebrow. "You didn't hear? Your lovely caretaker decided to put me on parole." He smirked. "So you can drop the battle stance, sweetheart."

Bristol didn't listen. She waited for the mind invasion, but it never came. Hesitantly, she lowered her hands, still watching the telepath warily.

"Why aren't you reading my mind?" Bristol asked carefully.

Calum's dark eyes glinted evilly. "Priscilla's still got some pull on me," he waved around his left wrist, which had a golden ring of light circling it. "Can't use my powers even if I tried. Although I would love to see more of what's inside your head, it was very interesting to see what I did last time around."

Bristol narrowed her eyes. "Creep," she managed before shoving past him.

He let out one of his infamous cackles and walked off. The laughter reverberated off the metallic walls until its source had disappeared around a corner.

Bristol made her way to the center of the cortex where Tristan and Avi were talking. The sight of the duo laughing and chatting made something twist inside of her. Part of her wished that Tristan was that amiable towards her...but then again maybe he was hiding something from her.

Carefully, Bristol made her way to the jointed kitchen in the distance. She grabbed a water bottle and drank from it, watching Avi and Tristan all the while. From her distance, she could still see the sparkling glint in Tristan's sapphire eyes, and part of her deflated at the fact that Avi was causing that sparkle.

"You don't like Avi! You're in love with Bristol!"

The memory of Calum's words from weeks ago struck a chord with Bristol. She remembered hearing them and instantly being flooded with disbelief. This was Tristan, the irritable dark haired boy who was nothing but bitter to those he didn't deem worth his time. Each time he and Bristol collided, sparks flew and they weren't the cheesy romantic kind either. How could he be in love with her? It didn't make any sense.

Bristol huffed a sigh, emerging from the kitchen. She hoped that her taunting memories would remain behind her; she didn't need any other weights to carry around with her that day.

Her presence was finally acknowledged by Avi, who was facing her as she spoke with Tristan. "Happy Recruitment Day, Bristol!" She beamed.

Bristol feigned a smile. "Thanks, Avi," she said, coming to a stop in front of them on the training platform.

Tristan finally faced her and once their eyes met, Bristol felt a chill run down her spine. He was smiling softly, a warm look in his normally frosty eyes.

"Happy Recruitment Day," he said at last.

Bristol felt her heart skip a bit and she must've made some sort of face of confusion, because both Avi and Tristan knit their eyebrows at her. However, she shook it off, a playful smirk on her face.

"Thanks, Frozone, appreciate it." She said casually, running a hand through her hair.

Tristan sighed. "You've been hanging out with CJ for too long," he said, although the soft smile on his face made up for any exasperation.

Bristol leant against the control panel on the platform, "Maybe I have, what's it to you, Captain Cold?"

The dark haired boy opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of heels cut him off. Instantly, his face fell and Bristol straightened up. Priscilla.

Surely enough, the redhead came sauntering into the cortex, trailed by a surprising duo of Liv and Calum. Tristan's sister seemed as anxious as one could get to get away from the telepath, who had his eyes on her and only her.

"Bristol, Happy Recruitment Day!" Priscilla exclaimed. "I hope you'll have a great day, you all deserve a break from the training you've been going through lately. Relax, have fun, and I'll see you all later." She smiled and turned on her heel.

"Priscilla, being nice? This is new." Tristan folded his arms.

Priscilla sighed, stopping in her tracks. She looked over her shoulder. "Don't push it, Tristan." She said, before continuing on down the hallway and disappearing.

Bristol took a sip from her water bottle, watching the two teenagers who had flanked their caretaker cautiously. Liv eagerly stretched away from Calum, as if she now had permission to leave his side. The pale-haired telepath, however, watched her go lazily before turning to face the others.

"Why, exactly, are you here, Calum?" Bristol asked. "Last time I checked, you weren't a part of the Union." A pang of horror rushed through her, and she hoped that Priscilla hadn't hastily added the telepath to their team.

Calum smirked crookedly. "I am not, my dear Elemental Empress. However, Priscilla thought it would be good for me to play with the other kids." He folded his arms.

"Well, I presume that it is beneficial to us, at least, that we are no longer children and therefore are not willing to do any playing of any sort." Avi pitched in, her tone somewhat hostile.

Calum arched his eyebrows. "Didn't your creator ever tell you to play nice, Avi?" He said condescendingly.

Tristan set his jaw. He lifted his hand, an orb of ice and snow formulating. "Watch it, buddy." He said in a deadly tone.

Calum smirked, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "I kid, I kid." He shrugged. "I'm willing to be civil on this most special of days."

His black eyes flitted to Bristol, and his smirk seemed to stretch. "Nice necklace, Bristol. Who gave it to you? Last time I checked, Tristan wasn't very outward with his feelings."

Instinctively, Bristol's hand flew to the golden lightning charm. The more she thought about it, it was ironic that her new piece of jewelry reflected what got her into this situation in the first place. However, it reminded her of CJ and that was all she cared about.

She looked over at Tristan, who had the slightest tints of pink in his pale cheeks. She fought away a smile, turning back to Calum. The telepath was smirking up a storm, as if he had discovered something about Bristol that was very intriguing.

"None of your business, Calum. Although, I do have some information that could be worth your time." Bristol said nonchalantly, her free hand slowly flexing at her side.

"Oh? And what would that be?" He said, leaning against a nearby pillar. The fountains were a few yards behind him. Perfect.

"Keep your nose out of other people's business," Bristol said in mock cheerfulness. "Also, find a dry shirt."

Calum knit his eyebrows together. "Find a dry shirt? What the-"

Bristol thrust her hand forward, and the water behind Calum erupted into a fluid stream. With one flick, the water rushed towards Calum and doused him from behind. His white t-shirt stuck to his body, revealing toned muscles underneath. However, no matter how seemingly attractive the guy was, Bristol knew his true danger was revealed through the death glare that he was shooting her. He was like a venomous flower, beautiful and attractive enough to lure you closer until it was too late.

Liv squeaked. "Oh," she managed, her caramel eyes widened.

Calum's glare melted away as he looked at Liv. "Like what you see?" He said teasingly.

From behind Bristol, Tristan groaned in agony. "Why, God, must I witness this?" He complained.

Bristol stifled a laugh. She turned back to the telepath and folded her arms across her chest. "You heard me, kid," she nodded towards the corridor. "Go."

Calum sent another venomous look Bristol's way, and suddenly a chill ran up her spine. He stalked off, his shoes squeaking as he went, but his exit didn't make her feel any better. He didn't have his powers anymore, right? They were disabled. She was fine.

Then why did she feel like she had just gotten herself a death wish via telepath?

A sudden rush of wind shook Bristol out of her thoughts. She glanced at the hallway from which Calum left and found CJ, looking around. His eyes seemed to have regained their normal mischievous shimmer, but Bristol couldn't help but stare at the speedster for too long, trying to figure out what had taken over him earlier.

CJ knit his eyebrows, looking from Bristol to Avi to Tristan to Liv and back. He took notice of the puddles on the ground and glanced back up, a visage of pure confusion on his face.

"What'd I miss?" He asked cautiously, as if he didn't want to know.

"Oh, nothing," Liv said casually. "Bristol just doused Calum with a miniature tidal wave. No biggie."

Instantly, a small smile spread on CJ's lips. His eyes were filled with adoration, and at the sight of Bristol yet again gripping the golden charm around her neck, his smile grew wider.

"That's my girl," CJ grinned.

Bristol didn't know what was more vivid in her feeling. The spread of warmth across her cheeks and the butterflies in her stomach, or the sudden chill that hung in the air like a blizzard about to strike.

~~~

The day went by smoothly, which was weird in Bristol's opinion. The past few weeks had been filled with training and intensity as Rune seemed to have been secretly gaining strength. So to Bristol and the rest of the Union, camaraderie and easygoingness was a bit of a slap in the face.

The group hit Brightbay City, and made sure to go to Bristol's favorite Chinese restaurant and the arcade. It was a nice feeling to relax and have a break, and Bristol found herself laughing and having fun as if a maniacal sorcerer wasn't on the loose.

Around nighttime, the Union retreated back to headquarters. CJ lugged a bag of leftovers from the restaurant while Tristan was pinned with the various prizes that the five of them had won at the arcade. Bristol sighed in content once they were back in the cortex; she had had a good secret birthday without any complications.

"That was actually really fun," Liv smiled. "We've all gotta hang out more often."

"You make it seem like we're regular teenagers in high school without a care in the world, sister of mine," Tristan laughed, rolling his eyes.

Liv folded her arms. "But we are. Maybe not normal, but then again, who is? Everyone's different, we've just got supernatural abilities as our differences." She shrugged. "Anyways, I'm off to bed. See you all in the morning!"

The platinum haired girl disappeared down the hallway, but her words seemed to remain.

It was a puzzling thought to accept. Bristol tried to imagine what life would be like if she hadn't been struck by the lightning, how different things would be. She would never have gotten powers, probably continued on to junior year in high school that fall. Her greatest worries would be balancing her honors classes and finding a dress to the prom instead of being strong enough to withstand an evil sorcerer's powers.

She would never have met CJ, Tristan, or Avi. Her closest friends could have very well been strangers but they weren't, all because of a lightning strike.

Bristol shook herself out of her reverie, and soon realized that she was alone in the cortex. The lights were still on, but Avi and CJ had retired to bed, it seemed. She stood up, about to follow their lead, when she noticed Tristan standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

Bristol pressed a hand to her heart. "Dear god, you need to stop doing that." She exhaled.

Tristan's lips quirked up into a small smile. "Sorry if I scared you," he said. "I just wanted to ask you something."

Bristol arched an eyebrow. "Go ahead," she said suspiciously, although her smile gave her away.

He pushed himself off the doorway and walked towards her, running a hand through his black hair. "Well, it isn't much of a gift, more of an opportunity, but I uh," he stuttered. "I wanted to help you train."

Bristol blinked. That was new. "Training?"

Tristan blushed. "Not just ordinary training! I wanted to help you master another element." His sapphire eyes looked so innocent, like a puppy's or a child's asking their mother for a toy at the toy store. "I understand if you think it's dumb, I just really wanted to-"

"Tristan," Bristol interjected. "That would be great. Thank you." She smiled.

The dark haired boy sighed in relief. "Thank god," he said before smiling at her and jogging onto the training platform.

Bristol followed him, tying her hair back into a loose ponytail. "Won't we get in trouble for using the platform?"

At the control panel, Tristan shook his head. "It isn't curfew yet, so we should be good." He pressed a button and the walls lowered around them.

Bristol cracked her knuckles. "Alright, teach, what's on the agenda? How am I gonna master the elements?"

Tristan knit his eyebrows together in thought. "Well, here's my idea. Your main element is water, and the element you struggle with most is fire. That's understandable, considering the fact that they're polar opposites. I would get Olive to help but," he laughed.

Bristol let out a laugh, stretching a bit. "So what's your point?" She asked, a friendly glint in her eyes.

Tristan sighed. "Water is calm, it's simple and essential to life. Happier, more serene thoughts are the fuel to control water. You have to be focused and have a clear head, yes?"

Bristol nodded. How did he know so much about the elements?

"Well, that explains why fire is the opposite of water. Your opposite. Fire is...destructive, but it's also light. It's a spark of existence that could turn into a blazing inferno with enough rage behind it. It takes control but it also takes fury."

Suddenly, it clicked in Bristol's mind. She folded her arms, looking at him expectantly. "So you want me to turn into a hothead?"

Tristan blushed. "Not necessarily, but you need to be angry in order to channel the right fury to manipulate fire."

Bristol considered this. It was a theory, but it wasn't like she had anything else going for her in this category at the moment. Besides, maybe it would work. She needed to have more control over the elements in order to challenge Rune. A memory surfaced of her fight with Aetna, and how she had stopped the eruption by controlling fire and earth without a struggle.

"Alright," Bristol nodded, standing up straighter. "Let's do it."

Tristan smiled and pushed himself off the control panel. "Alright, so firstly, channel your anger. Think of things that have made you infuriatingly mad over the past year, and focus on them."

Bristol closed her eyes, and instantly images came to mind. She thought about the anger that she had felt towards her parents that day that had driven her to the beach, the anger that surfaced when she realized that she would never have a normal life again. Already she was beginning to feel irritated.

Fast forward to arriving at headquarters, and constantly clashing with Tristan. He always infuriated her with his snarky comments and ineptitude, welcoming everyone except for her. She didn't ask to be treated like an outcast, and yet for some reason he always gave her the cold shoulder.

"Have some ideas? Bristol, we kind of need to hurry." Tristan said condescendingly.

Bristol's eyes flew open. "Oh, yeah, I have some." She said, a glare in her eyes.

The faintest ghost of a smile flickered over Tristan's lips but he forced it away. He folded his arms, staring at her intently. "Now channel the anger."

Bristol inhaled sharply and threw her hand forward. Slowly, she flexed her palm and imagined the memories milling about her head turning into a fluid fury, trailing through her veins until it channeled out of her hand.

"Channeling?" Tristan snapped.

"Yes! God, Tristan, relax," Bristol grumbled.

Tristan groaned. "If I knew it would take this long, I would have cleared my schedule for another week."

Bristol huffed, trying to ignore the cold boy. "Like you have any plans," she said under her breath.

She shut her eyes, focusing on the fire within her. Finally, with a sudden burst, a small explosion of flame emerged from her hands. She recoiled her hand, staring at the dissipating flame in amazement.

"I...I did it." She said softly, her brown eyes wide in amazement.

"It could be better," Tristan retorted almost instantly.

Quickly, Bristol whipped around and faced him. "What the hell is your problem? I thought you wanted to help me."

Tristan's disposition didn't change. "Just keep doing it," he said forcefully. "You'll see."

Bristol narrowed her eyes. "See what?"

"Do it!"

Bristol exhaled sharply. She clenched her hands into fists and felt them warm up immensely. "No!"

"Do you want to be weak forever?" Tristan scorned.

That did it. Bristol's eyes widened and she felt like Liv, as if her irises were changing as she used her powers. She grit her teeth and threw both her hands forward.

"Don't-call-me-weak!" She growled, and intense bursts of fire rushed out of her palms. Her heart was pounding in her chest, she could control this, she knew she could.

Instantly, Tristan leapt out of the way, shooting a beam of ice at her. Bristol intercepted it with a ball of fire, steam filling the air. The two attacked one another, leaping around the training platform and Bristol didn't feel one flare of pain at all. She would have been too stunned by that fact, but she was determined to at least make Tristan see the error of his ways.

Eventually, Bristol felt him grab onto her wrists and suddenly Tristan was standing right in front of her, inches away. She looked up at him, a scowl embedded on her face.

"Let go unless you want your hands to melt off," She said in a low voice.

Tristan's lips curled into a smile, dumbfounding Bristol. "I knew you could do it," he said with a grin.

Bristol knit her eyebrows together. She looked at him in confusion until two and two were put together. "Oh."

The key, Tristan had told her, to channeling fire was to feel fury. By making Bristol mad, she was able to generate flame with concentration in the right factors, therefore reducing the pain she would normally feel tenfold.

"Your control on fire is nowhere near as perfected as your control on water, but Rome wasn't built in a day." Tristan laughed softly.

Bristol rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Gee, thanks."

Tristan's boyish grin grew. Suddenly, Bristol realized just how close they were to one another. Her face was inches from his, and judging by the soft blush that arced his cheeks, he had noticed this as well.

Calum's words echoed in her ears and she could feel the question aching in her throat, just waiting to be translated into words. Bristol bit her lip, and she looked intently into Tristan's sapphire eyes.

"What Calum said...was it true?" She asked quietly, searching his eyes. His grip on her seemed warmer than usual, but maybe it was just the fact that her hands had just been on fire.

Tristan bit his lip, and suddenly the tension on the training platform seemed to disappear. The room was silent, the sound of their heartbeats syncing together and bouncing off the walls.

"Maybe a little," Tristan muttered at last. He looked carefully into Bristol's eyes, as if gauging her reaction.

Bristol didn't know what to feel. She felt as if her heart was torn in two, like one part of her was oddly ecstatic at that fact and the other was miserable. Was this good news or bad? The memory of her dream from weeks ago came to mind and Bristol forced it away. She couldn't choose.

However, despite her indecision, she found herself leaning up. Their lips were millimeters away until Tristan stepped back, running a hand through his hair quickly. He plastered a smile onto his face and took a ragged breath.

"Well, goodnight," Tristan laughed sheepishly, his pale face tinted with red. He stabbed at the control panel and dashed away, a sudden chill in the air.

Bristol watched him go, unsure of what to make of the situation. They almost kissed...she ran a hand over her lips as if to savor what almost had been and yet still felt confusion. Her own heart was playing games with her, and her head wasn't doing any better.

After a few minutes, Bristol sighed in exasperation and walked off the platform. She headed down the hallway towards her room when she heard voices coming from what she believed to be Liv's room. The door was cracked open a bit, which left Bristol standing at a precipice of opportunity.

Bristol could either mind her own business and continue on to her room or she could eavesdrop on the girl who seemed to be wrapped in mystery.

With a shrug, Bristol chose the latter. Liv would forever be a suspicious character to her, and this might just be the deciding point to their miniature lead on her.

Carefully, Bristol padded across the floor and leant against the outside of her door, peaking in. She could just make out the side of Liv, clad in an orange tank top and shorts, and waving her hands around as she spoke.

"I can't just leave!" Liv hissed to the person concealed by the door.

"Yes, you can Liv." Calum's voice sounded and Bristol nearly stumbled away in shock. "I can help you find Aaron. I could help you with your amnesia."

Liv's mouth gaped open like a fish's until she clamped her lips shut. "How do I know you won't manipulate me? Besides, Priscilla won't let go of your restraints. You're a villain."

"No, I'm not, Liv. You know that." Calum said softly. His voice had a silkier quality to it, almost like he was pleading with her.

Liv bit her lip. "I...I'll think about it." She said at last, exhaling. "I just want to have all of my memories back. I want to help everyone defeat Rune, maybe there's something hidden inside of that part of my mind that could help." Her voice cracked and Bristol felt a pang of guilt.

Calum sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know, Liv, and I'll help you." He said.

Bristol didn't know what to make of the situation, considering that the sound of footsteps now reverberated behind the door. Quickly, Bristol bolted away and hid behind the nearest corner as Liv's door opened.

Calum strode out, a soft smirk on his face. He stopped in his tracks and Bristol's heart stopped. The telepath looked directly at her, and his black eyes tinted a sickly shade of violet.

Bristol's face fell. She heard whispers all around her, until she realized they were coming from inside her head. Instantly, she gripped the wall for support as the invasion began, and her mind cleared with one intrusive thought.

Careful, Bristol, or I'll have my father make your decision for you.

Bristol's eyes widened as the grip he had on her went slack. Her eyes darted to the band of power Priscilla had placed around his wrist to restrain his powers and before Bristol could do anything about it, the telepath was gone, leaving her with a pounding heartbeat and a threat hanging over her head.