October 1st

2232 EST

"Channel your fire, Liv," Avi urged. She had her hands in front of her, concentrating on stabilizing a forcefield against Olive's attacks.

The two heroes stationed themselves in a hidden room of headquarters, away from the knowledge of their teammates. Avi's imitation barrier wavered as Liv threw another volley of fireballs toward the obstacle.

Flames flickered around the edge of Avi's emerald forcefield, the target of the pair's objective. They had been meeting secretly for weeks, urgently training Olive to overpower a barrier similar to that of Rune's black magic.

Fighting fire with fire, that was their goal. So far, they had been unsuccessful, but each day they were getting closer.

The day after their battle with Rune, Liv approached Avi and begged her to help coach her. "You can't tell anyone. Not Priscilla, not Bristol, and definitely not Tristan," she had pleaded.

After they knew everyone else was asleep, the two girls snuck into the control room only accessible to Priscilla. With Olive keeping watch, Avi downloaded Rune's barrier simulation onto her system. From that night on, the two had been training at least three times a week to conquer it.

"Push yourself harder!" Avi yelled. Each day the weight of the impending battle with Rune weighed on Avi. If they couldn't get past his barrier, they couldn't win. And she didn't want to consider what would happen if they lost.

"I'm pushing!" Liv screamed, the frustration straining her voice. With each ball of fire she threw, the barricade only slightly wavered. "Avi, let up!"

Avi only held on stronger. "Do you believe Rune will 'let up?'" she yelled, her tone desperate.

Liv stopped her attacks and stood completely still, fists clenched tight at her side. Her chest rose slowly and heavily, her eyes fluttering with every breath she took.

All at once, Liv's eyes shot open and her palms began to glow a startling white. With one final defiant shriek, a surge of fire so hot that its core was a deep sapphire, erupted from her body, aimed directly at the target.

The moment her flames touched the barricade, the entire structure dissipated, sending blasts of power toward the girls.

Before Avi knew what was happening, she was thrown backward in a shower of green sparks. Her body hit the wall with a thud and she collapsed to the ground.

Avi opened her eyes and blinked hesitantly at Liv, who mirrored her position on the ground. Both girls were sprawled on either side of the room, with their limbs extended in all directions from their body. Their clandestine training room looked as if a twister had just swept through, disturbing everything in its wake.

Liv sat up, her eyes wide and her mouth shaped in a perfect o. "I-I did it," she stammered in disbelief.

Both girls gaped at each other in silence, pushing themselves off of the ground. Without exchanging words, Avi and Olive ran toward each other in perfect unison, colliding into an embrace. Avi threw her arms around Liv, who was shaking uncontrollably.

"I did it," she repeated, her voice muffled against Avi's shoulder. Avi felt rather than saw Liv smile slowly.

"You definitely did it," Avi stated firmly, pride overwhelming her words. Over the course of their training, their covert meetings and the heavy weight of their reality bonded them in a way they never would have imagined. "I knew you could. What changed this time?"

Olive pulled away from their hold and straightened her back. Her eyes fluttered to the ground like they did when she was nervous. She took a shaky breath and started, "I-I just," then stopped.

She shook her head determinedly. "No," she corrected, her voice like steel, "I'm not letting my fear control me anymore," she said, more to herself than Avi. "I thought of Aaron," she declared boldly.

Avi noticed Olive thrust her shoulders backward in a stance of strength and wondered if it was a façade of confidence or the real thing.

"I thought of what Rune must have done to him and I just felt so much anger," she growled. Ember flames burst out of her hands and raced up her arms. "Oops," she murmured shyly. Liv shook out her arms before continuing, "I never allowed myself to think of him before. It was too painful."

At the mention of pain, a lightbulb went off in Avi's mind. She tapped her hand to her head as if the thought was too obvious. "Maybe that is the key."

Confusion was written all over Liv's face. She cocked her eyebrow in response.

Avi's body began to buzz as she ran through theories in her brain. "Maybe harnessing the pain is how to defeat Rune. In every cliché, the heroes are caught up with fighting good against bad, correct?"

Olive nodded, still unsure of Avi's reasoning. "Well yeah. Heroes win with good, that's how it works."

"But what if it doesn't?" A twisted grin spread across Avi's face. "Rune is smart. He is aware that if we fight him with a good essence, we will not get past his first defense. We must harness our most painful, our most scarring thoughts and use them against him. All the fury, the agony, the vengeance. Perhaps the key isn't to be a hero. Perhaps we need to behave like villains."

A baleful smile crept across Olive's lips. "Villains, huh?" She bit her lip jauntily. "I think I can manage."

Avi strode to the center of their small room. "Do you want to try again? To prove it wasn't a fluke."

Olive's face contorted with mock anger. "Did  you just insult me, along with your own theory?" She smirked mischievously. "Whatever, just go."

A bright green orb expanded from Avi's hands, growing slowly with concentration. The emerald orb twisted in shape as it began to surround her. When she finished, she stopped to assess her work.

A glowing jade barrier encircled her. Just by its appearance Avi knew it was different from Rune's. Black lightning and flames made up his obstacle, while Avi's simply radiated power and energy.

Avi and Liv made eye contact, both girls wearing matching expressions of anticipation. "Remember, channel," Avi whispered.

Breathing slowly, Olive closed her eyes and held her hands out in front of her. Flames danced up and down her arms as she focused on the goal. She raised her hands above her head, a white hot ball of fire forming between them.

Olive's eyes flew open and she smiled crookedly. Her ordinarily caramel eyes were tinted blue like the flames she controlled.

With one forceful heave, fire rocketed toward Avi, dispelling the barrier completely. "Fluke?" Liv teased.

Avi ran toward her friend, throwing her arms around Liv's neck. "I knew you could do it!" She laughed giddily, sounding quite like a lunatic.

Olive pulled away and looked at Avi with a wounded expression, "You did not! You called me a fluke!" Her face remained stoic, but an accidental grin let Avi know she was kidding.

Their laughs were cut off by Avi's phone buzzing. She looked down at the fluorescent screen, and quickly read the words sent to her.

"It's your brother," Avi said, smiling slightly at her phone. "Should we go back together or split up again?"

Olive smiled from ear to ear and looked down at her feet. "Well I guess now we can spill the beans," she glanced up and smiled. "At least to Tristan."

The duo walked together toward the cortex and toward Tristan. A body sat across from him, but the hallway blocked Avi's line of vision. The first thing Avi noticed about Tristan was his annoyed expression, which meant the visitor was CJ, most likely.

As they turned the corner, Avi was only slightly surprised to see Calum sitting opposite Tristan. Both boys were deep in an argument, fighting often nowadays over irrelevant things.

Tristan's face lit up when he saw the girls turn around the corner. "Hello, Tristan," Avi said with a smile. "Why is Calum here?" she whispered, only loud enough for Tristan to hear.

"He was waiting for Olive," he grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"What were you boys fighting about?" Avi asked them both.

Calum stretched his arms, resting them behind his head. "Your homeboy and I were just talking."

"Homeboy? Really Cal?" Liv laughed and sat directly next to the pale haired boy.

Tristan ignored his sister and turned back to Avi. "Where were you guys?"

Liv's eyes gleamed as Avi prepared to boast of her accomplishment. "Well, your stellar sister might have a way to get past Rune's defense," she crowed.

From across the table, Avi noticed Calum lean in slightly. She couldn't help but be suspicious. "We were just training, it is not a big deal." Avi said, meeting Liv's eyes with her own. Olive looked confused, but she didn't say anything.

Tristan opened his mouth to commend her, but stopped immediately as a different couple sauntered into the room.

For the past month, CJ and Bristol had been loosely dating, and Avi knew it was affecting Tristan, as much as he tried not to show it.

His back straightened and his easy grin immediately turned into his signature scowl. "What do they want?" He mumbled under his breath as they approached.

"Hey guys," CJ grinned as he sat down, throwing his arm around Bristol. His hair flopped loosely over his eyes and he shoved it up quickly. "Why so serious?" He joked.

Bristol smiled awkwardly at Tristan and he returned it with an obviously forged one of his own. Tristan's jaw was clenched tighter than his supersuit and a vein throbbed in his temple; Avi wondered if anyone else noticed. "Nothing important," he said, trying to keep his voice unfazed.

Glancing at the rest of the group, Avi noted that the others hadn't noticed anything wrong with the chilled boy.

"We must have missed all the good convos," CJ grinned at Bristol, burrowing his face slightly into her neck.

At Avi's side, Tristan stood up swiftly. "I'm pretty tired actually," he mumbled, turning around to walk out.

"Oh Tristan!" Avi added, catching up with her friend. "I have something for you." She ignored the questioning looks from her other teammates and led Tristan out of the room. This was only their thing. "How bad was that?" She asked when they were out of earshot.

Tristan looked straight ahead, his jaw still visibly clenched. "What are you talking about?" He asked, ache laced through his voice.

"Come on Tristan, it is me you are talking to," she urged, exasperated. She reached out her hand to comfort him.

He let Avi take his hand, but didn't answer her question. Avi heard the strain in his breathing and let him remain taciturn. "Hey," she interjected, breaking the tension. "I have a surprise for you!"

Looking outright confused, Tristan cocked his head to the side. "Why?" A small grin formed on his face and Avi smiled. Few things excited the ice cold boy and Avi was glad she could be one of them.

"It's in my room," she said, leading him to it. Avi placed a hand on her doorknob. "Close your eyes," she commanded.

Tristan laughed, his chortles bouncing off the confined hallway walls. He shut his cobalt eyes and smiled playfully. "They're shut, Av."

Suddenly Avi's heart sped up in her chest. What if he didn't like it? It was a small gesture, but Avi worked hard to obtain it.

She opened her door and ushered him into her room. Her charging tubule glowed a dull green, the light blocked by a new twin size bed in the center of her room.

Avi was wide awake as she stood in her charging station, reliving the events of the day before in her mind. The fight with Bristol and the fight with Rune.

A knock at the door snapped her out of her morbid thoughts. She checked the time, 3:49am. Her heart dropped to her stomach. Only bad news was important enough to be told this early. Was it Bristol again? Controlled by Psyche?

She hesitantly opened her station and walked toward the door. Pulling the door open only wide enough to see out, Avi was relieved to perceive the figure in her doorway.

"Uh, hey Av," Tristan mumbled, holding a pillow and blanket under his left arm. His other hand rested on his head, ruffling his hair uneasily.

Avi knit her eyebrows together. "Tristan, what is wrong?" She asked anxiously.

Tristan pulled his hand from his hair and waved it, relieving Avi. "Nothing is wrong. I, um, can't sleep. Too many nightmares..," he trailed off. "This sounds lame, but can I spend the night in your room? I, uh, don't want to be alone."

"You are the most unlame person I have met, do not worry. Of course you can," she paused, surveying her room. "I do not have a bed. Would you rather I came to your room?"

Lightly pushing past Avi, Tristan walked through the doorway. "No, the floor is fine. You charging is more important to me than sleeping on the ground," he laughed.

He laid his pillow down next to her tubule and then followed shortly after, curling up like a little boy. Avi walked into her station and sat on the ground, eye level with Tristan. She left the door open and the pair chattered until Tristan eventually fell asleep.

This occasion continued until it became common occurrence. For the past few weeks, it was commonplace for the duo to simply remain that way.

"Avi!" Tristan's eyes widened at the gift. "How did you get this?" He exclaimed.

Blushing slightly, Avi retorted, "I told Priscilla that I would like to seem more humanely and needed a bed," she laughed.

Tristan wrapped his arms around Avi, resting his chin on the top of her head. "You are actually the best friend a guy could have."

He pulled out of the embrace and jumped onto his bed. "And it's comfortable, too!"

"Of course, Tristan, you are my homeboy," she laughed at the language she picked up from Calum.

In the gaps between his laughter, Tristan snickered, "Well, you're my homegirl, Av."

She placed her hand over her lips to keep from laughing too hard. When she regained her composure, she added quietly, "Did you know, I do not specifically have a gender?"

Tristan sat up in his bed to get a better look at her, "Wait, really?" He asked inquisitively, not hostilely.

"I am a robot," she laughed. Avi walked over to where Tristan laid on the bed and sat at the foot.

"Huh, I wouldn't have guessed," he smiled warmly. "That's really cool. Why did you choose to be a girl, though?" Tristan asked.

Avi pretended to look offended. "Are you implying that girls are inferior, that I should have chosen differently?" She giggled, breaking her pretense.

"Oh please," Tristan jokingly rebuffed. "The weakest girl in the world could still beat up CJ. Girls are superior, if anything."

Avi couldn't help but snort at the joke made at the expense of her teammate.

When they finished laughing, Tristan asked randomly, "What was Olive going to say earlier? You two were going to say something, right?"

"Yes! Calum was there so we could not, but your sister and I have been training to get past Rune's defensive barrier and we finally accomplished it tonight," Avi exclaimed excitedly.

A hurt expression took over Tristan's face. "You two were training and didn't tell me?" He frowned and sighed, but the excitement from Avi's words took over. "Olive did it? How?"

"We figured out the key," Avi whispered, just in case anyone was listening. "We have to utilize our darkest thoughts to harness our strongest power. Liv thought of Aaron."

Tristan rolled his eyes. "Of course she did," he sneered. "We both loved him, but I don't know if the feeling was mutual. There were times when he resented me," he sighed. "Everyone compared the two of us and that really got to him."

"For what did they compare you? He was powerless, correct?" Avi wondered aloud.

"Yeah, he hated that more than anything. We looked almost exactly alike too; I was basically a younger version of him. The only difference was his eyes. He had caramel eyes like Olive and my mom." He shut his eyes and dug his palms into them.

He looked pained. "What's wrong?" Avi asked.

Tristan took a deep breath. "He's in every one of my nightmares. We're back at the castle in Portland.  Our whole family is there and Rune is too. He just comes in and kills my entire family. Olive too," he whispered. "The castle is significant, I know that. I'm almost positive our family went up to Portland often when I was like two or three."

Something clicked in Avi's mind. "The castle..." she trailed off, formulating a plan in her mind.

"What did you think of? You know, your worst pain?" Tristan asked quietly, changing the subject away from him.

Avi looked to the ground. "Well, I thought of Eric. And then you. I think about all Rune has done to both of you and I become more angry than I have ever been."

"Rune's a jackass," Tristan laughed, breaking the tension. He paused, becoming serious again. "I think of Aaron and my parents yeah, but more importantly I think of what Rune could do, you know? Just thinking about him touching you or Olive makes me want to go kill him right now," he growled.

"Only Olive and I?" Avi pried innocently.

Tristan smiled sadly, "and Bristol, of course. But I'm sure Speedy has her covered," he added, his tone entirely bitter.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Avi asked, implying the Bristol and CJ situation.

"Not really," Tristan yawned and stretched out on the bed. He pulled his blanket up to his neck and shut his eyes. "But hopefully I will be soon," he mumbled.

Avi got off the bed and turned off the light. She quietly walked across the room and stepped into her charging station. "Goodnight Tristan."

"Night Av," he murmured.

---

Avi was pulled out of her sleeplike state by her internal alarm clock. At the time she set, she was immediately awake and energized; the perks of being robotic.

6:15 am. Avi glanced at Tristan who was still sound asleep. His chest lightly rose and fell along with his breathing.

She soundlessly pushed open the glass of her charging tube and tiptoed toward the door, careful not to wake her roommate. She hated keeping secrets from her best friend, but the place she was going would only bring forth his worst memories.

One step in front of the other. Not a sound, she told herself. Realizing she was still in her pajamas, she quickly stepped toward her dresser to throw on suitable clothes. 

Just as she pulled the first pant leg on, she landed on a creaky floorboard. The normally inaudible sound echoed around the room, louder than Avi thought possible.

Tossing in his bed, Tristan groaned. "Avi?" He mumbled, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"I'm just getting something to eat," she lied. "Go back to sleep Tristan."

"Okay," he murmured, half asleep. He shut his eyes and turned away from her, pulling his covers back up.

Avi breathed a sigh of relief. Tristan must have really been out of it if he didn't question the fact that Avi was getting food, considering she doesn't eat.

After quickly pulling a shirt over her head, Avi hurried out of the room.

She hurried down the hallway, tiptoeing past CJ and Bristol's rooms. This time, she was careful to remain silent.

She stopped in front of the door she was after. Priscilla's control room. She lightly scanned her surroundings. No sign of life.

After scanning once more, just to be safe, Avi hacked into her security system. A soft ding from the system let her know she was in.

Avi walked into the small room filled with electronics and buttons she was familiar with. She quickly pushed the buttons in a pattern she recollected. She placed her hand on the machine and the other out in front of her.

An emerald portal expanded in front of her, glowing heavily in the dim light. Taking a deep breath, Avi stepped through, the energy encompassing her.

The sight before Avi surprised her. Rune's castle. Much had changed in the months it had been abandoned.

The sun rose behind the fortress and it would have been pretty if Avi hadn't known what it had been used for.

She closed the portal and walked closer to the castle. In the past few months, Avi had been downloading more and more onto her drive, along with the tool of identification.

If she could figure out who Rune really was, they might be able to learn more about him as a person. Thus giving them insight into his sinister agenda.

Avi walked past the spot they fought Bristol, the memory crystal clear in her mind. She forced blissful thoughts into her head to distract her.

She thought of Tristan and the rest of her team as she made her way to the location of their battle with Rune.

It was on the opposite side of the castle from where she had entered. As she walked past the fortress, she didn't detect any dark power. It seemed like the second Rune left his hideout, the castle returned to its serene state.

Avi reached the spot quickly. A large ebony ring was singed into the grass, a memory of his black magic barrier. She reached down and dug up a sample of the scorched dirt, putting it away to scan later.

After mentally preparing herself, Avi planted her feet firmly, ready reveal Rune's identity. She extended her arms, the surface of the battle within her grasps. Her body began to buzz as she completed her DNA scan.

The outside of the ring displayed four names. Tristan Dahl. Bristol Vandeviere. Olive Dahl. CJ Stone.

The center of the circle showed only one name. Avi stepped back in shock, nearly losing her balance. When the rest of the Union found out, nothing would ever be the same.