Jason walked down Queen Street to his house with Ashley and Bella. As he glanced at Bella, she still seemed rattled by what had happened earlier. The way that guy could place a knife on her throat without hesitation when she didn't even do anything wrong was insane.

There was also the way Greyson could just throw him in the air with his mind. How could he do such a thing? Plus, being a high rank, which is considered excellent. His power was strong, but he never had the opportunity to use it since he had no idea how it worked.

"Here's our house," Jason said, stopping in front of a house with white vertical siding. The front door was still closed, with the rusty mailbox shut.

Ashley rushed to the door and opened it. "Mom, Dad?" She cried, searching the small house.

When they first stepped inside, there was a laptop open and scattered cookbooks on the kitchen table. He assumed his mother was going to be making something on her lunch break since Uden was ten minutes out of town.

Jason went to the laptop and saw a document his mother was typing. It was only a few words long and had a confusing meaning as he read it.

I'm not sure if he knows, but I'm sure he'll find out

It seemed she vanished when she was in the middle of typing her sentence. But who was he? Was it John, her husband? Maybe it was his dad and something he knew, or maybe it was even him.

"What's that?" Bella asked as she hovered over him.

"Something that's going to be impossible to know. My mother doesn't get many days off since she's a mental health counsellor at Uden Academy. The wording just seems off. Maybe it could be about one of the students?" He inquired.

"I don't know, but it's best to leave it for now," she sighed.

Jason stood and glanced around the rest of the house. Every room was empty, just as it was before he left for school that morning. He saw Ashley just sitting on her bed with lowered eyes. He obviously knew this would upset her, even if she was getting older.

The bed sank when he sat on it. His reflection in the mirror was now marked by a scrape on his cheek when Greyson sent him flying. The bigger problem was Ashley, though. Her head was hanging without her even looking at him. Her body trembled while she remained silent.

"Ashley, it will be okay. I know it's a lot to take in," Jason said.

"I'm going to find Talia and Izzy. I want to make sure they're okay," she mumbled.

Ashley ran quickly, slamming the door behind her. Jason sighed, walking back into the living room. Bella was sitting on the couch, trying to decode the wording behind that document.

"You shouldn't look deeply into it," Jason said as he stood next to the coffee table. "We should probably see how the town is coming along."

He realized people who were fourteen and younger had barely a clue how to do anything. Everyone relied on their parents when it came to tasks like making food.

People were probably stealing and taking whatever they wanted from the grocery store or even empty houses. Plus, there are babies and toddlers who could still be in houses alone without adult supervision.

"Hey, there are dark clouds downtown!" Bella explained, pointing from the front window and dragging Jason out the door.

The two ran side by side, seeing the dark clouds of smoke in the main plaza. He looked around and saw some people looking at each other or panicking about what they could do.

"Where are we going to get a hose? Wait, there's a fire station!" Jason inputted.

"That takes too long; you have to go in. I think the fuel pipes are burning. Make sure to cover your mouth, or carbon monoxide poisoning will happen!" Bella yelled.

They reached the apartment complex with beige siding, where the fire was mainly on the left side of the building. It was located right beside the town's small pharmacy and laundromat. People were standing around watching the sight, with one girl running down the back staircase to the ground.

"Is anyone else inside?" Jason questioned the girl.

"I think there's a child on the third floor!" she explained, tears in her eyes, rushing off.

Jason climbed the back metal staircase, where the smoke got darker as he got higher. He glanced back and spotted Bella still looking around at the others who watched the sight, trying to figure out what to do.

"Bella, find Mark!" he screamed.

The fire was blazing as he reached the door up top. It was unlocked as he kicked the red door and found another door on the left that was still shut, followed by bloody screams.

Jason kicked the apartment room door open, covering his mouth with his long blue sleeve. The apartment glowed in flames as he searched it. There was nothing on in the kitchen or anything lit that could have caused it.

His vision was blurring as he staggered to the last bedroom in the two-bedroom apartment, where a toddler had a body entirely engulfed in flames inside a crib. The difference was that the fire wasn't exactly burning him at all.

Jason extended his hand, and something blue blasted out of his hands in an instant. It hit the yellow wall, causing a large hole. He grabbed the child from the crib and rushed out. He made his way slowly out of the apartment, the fire still raging and his lungs filling with smoke. He coughed, rushed out, and stumbled down the steps with the boy held against his side.

Jason could barely make out the faces, but blurs of people gathered around him. He felt something wet hit him as he collapsed down the last step and onto the parking lot.

"The child died in the fire." Jason mumbled.

Bella and Cindy Yung rushed toward him, both carrying something he couldn't exactly see. There was someone whose face he could barely make out, spraying the building with a fire hose.

He felt himself being dragged by Bella and Cindy onto the grass in the park. Someone placed a cold cloth on his forehead and sprayed something cold up his nose. It felt strange while Bella and Cindy placed him on the grass.

"Melany and Cindy are going to help with your burns and hydration. Everyone saw you use your power, even if it didn't control the flames," Bella rambled.

"Really?" he said, his voice raspy, feeling an oxygen mask over his mouth.

"A lot of people want to make you the leader of Simcoe. Zane Wilson and Mark handled putting out the rest of the fire," Bella said.

"Jason, you have a few minor burns," Cindy implied, dabbing the burns with cold water. It stung as he hissed in pain.

"How does your chest feel?" Melany Yung asked, taking the oxygen mask away.

"It feels clearer than before. We have to bury that boy who died..." Jason trailed, coughing.

"Xander and a few others are working on that. They were going to do it in the park and put up small white flags," Bella said.

Jason opened his eyes slowly, with the sun shining brightly, and shaded his hands. He gritted his teeth, feeling something cool on his leg. It was only the first day, and they had already lost someone.

Everything was still disorganized, but he had to step up and help somehow. He knew some would disagree; he had to sort out agreements. That would mean he'd have to set up agreements with the Uden Academy people.

He only knew of four people: Greyson, Scarlett, and Luke, who were all different in their own way. The other boy they had must have had something or was just along for the ride. Either way, dealing with them was going to be difficult.

"Bella, can you go meet up with Mark and Xander? I think I'll be a bit still," Jason asked, trying to sit up but yelping in pain.

Bella nodded, standing, as she dashed off to find Mark and Xander. He could only assume that none of this would be easy for anyone.

If someone had told Bella she would do something with people her own age, she'd have laughed. It was now time for her to face the reality of her situation. Her hometown is now in a state of chaos.

She was hoping to still be that golden girl she had always been by having good grades to get into a university for fashion. She still wanted to be the prettiest or go to all the parties with older students.

The dream seemed to be dying now. She was trying to find two guys she barely knew before this happened. Who would have thought she'd get involved with people other than those older than her?

The park was surrounded by kids. Xander was holding a shovel and leaning against an oak tree. She rushed toward him, breathless from all the running she had to do. Cross-country running was something she hated.

"Whoa, are you good there?" he asked.

"Jason wanted me to find you. I think he wants to talk to you and Mark," Bella breathed, placing her hands on her knees. She didn't realize how long it took her to get her breathing back to normal.

"Oh, sure," Mark said, placing a cross made of sticks as the gravestone.

"Nobody knows the toddler's name," Xander whispered, moving his mouth side to side in silence.

"Jason wants to see you two for some reason," Bella said.

"Oh, really now?" Scarlett inquired.

They jumped, turned, and Bella spotted the girl who ranked her wrist. She held a plastic water bottle with a smirk on her face, her dark hair done perfectly while still wearing the Uden Academy uniform.

"Ah, we meet again. What's your name?" Scarlett asked in a mocking tone.

"Bella," she snapped.

"And who might you be?" Scarlett asked, reaching out to grab Mark and Xander's wrists.

"I'm Xander Densmore, and this is Mark," he said with awe.

"Scarlett." Bella heard the sharp tone of Greyson, holding a small bottle of orange juice, unimpressed.

"I'm doing what you ever wish me to do," she laughed with a smirk.

Greyson walked toward them as they stood in a circle, while he wore a charming smile. Bella had to note that he was attractive, but he was the one who let Luke hold a knife up to her throat.

"And who are they?" Greyson asked.

"Xander and Mark," Scarlett introduced.

"And what are you guys doing? Digging holes out of here?" he questioned.

"We were burying a toddler that died in an apartment fire," Mark explained. "We're not sure of the overall cause yet, but we think the fuel pipes started to burn."

"Jason used his beam power!" Xander exclaimed. "You could see it from the one window where the spark of blue went out like a laser."

"I need to talk to Jason when he's... well. It's related to Simcoe and Uden, since we are facing the same situation." Greyson spoke with his hands in front of him.

"Actually, we were just going there; why not join us?" Mark suggested.

"Sounds perfect," Scarlett said.

They walked as a group as Bella kept quiet beside Xander, who seemed to be checking out Scarlett. It wasn't a surprise since the girl was beautiful. The only ugly part about her was her personality.

"I'm Greyson; I forgot to introduce myself. This is Scarlett, who you first encountered," he presented.

Scarlett smirked at the two, then glanced at Greyson. They seemed to know much more than they were exposing.

"Do you have any powers?" Xander asked, looking directly at Greyson and Scarlett.

"Scarlett is a ranker; she can read your level of power. Oftentimes, she can read what the power is. I can throw anything with my mind. I'm a high rank, like Jason." Greyson's voice grew cold.

Bella looked over and saw that Jason was sitting up once again. Cindy was still sitting with him, holding out a bottle of water with a first aid kit beside her.

"Dude!" Mark called as he glanced up from talking to Cindy.

"Hello, Jason," Greyson started. "We need to make a layout plan for Uden and Simcoe. This being Uden Academy are allowed to be in Simcoe if they wish."

"We'd have to sort this all out as a group. Can we do it tomorrow?" Jason moaned in pain.

Scarlett bent down to Jason, placing a hand on his cheek and whispering something in his ear. Bella watched as his face grew red, which wasn't from his burns. She must have said something that pushed him.

"In an hour sounds fine," he trailed off.

Bella could definitely tell those two weren't giving information. It wasn't just them, but Luke. That guy was going to stab her in the throat without hesitation. It was no wonder people like them were at Uden Academy.

"Sounds pleasant. We'll meet up in the mayor's office to sort out our details," Greyson assured. "Let's go, Scarlett."

Greyson whispered something to her, which made her snicker. The two walked back to the convertible while the others still stood. Bella watched Jason flop his head back on the bench railing he sat against. It wasn't a surprise that he seemed overwhelmed by such a matter, considering what he had agreed to.

"Greyson seems chill," Mark said.

"Scarlett is hot," Xander awed. It wasn't surprising given that he was in the sixth grade. Any guy would want to get involved with a ravishing girl like her.

"Okay," Jason started, standing with Cindy holding his arm. "I should find Zane, since he helped with the fire. Was he the one running the fire station?"

"Yeah, he was running the station on his own. We had some kids help carry the hose in a golf cart. I think he went back to the station with a few that helped," Mark said.

"Let's grab one of those golf carts and get moving," Jason implied.

They found the white golf cart used for the hose near the brick church. They all hopped in, except for Cindy, who stayed back with her sister to treat anyone who was injured. Jason recommended that they start setting up in the church basement. He assumed there would be medical equipment at the nurses' office at the school.

Mark drove the golf cart while Bella rode in the back. Jason should be playing beach volleyball with Mark or being a lifeguard on the beach, not trying to figure out how to lead a town.

The freedom that he never thought he'd lose until they were in college. They all had to grow up and act like adults.

On the outskirts of the east end of town were the hospital and the fire station. The beach outlined the east end, where Paradise Resort sat. People with high-class money would stay and rent rooms out. Now, they were free to do whatever they pleased.

"Did Scarlett rank you?" Jason asked, looking over at Mark.

"Dude, what do you mean by ranking?" Mark asked.

"Did she grab your wrist?"

"Yuh, but that was it."

Mark whipped into the fire station, where he splashed in a puddle of water. He stopped it in front of the open garage door, where a fire truck was parked. They climbed out and walked inside, spotting Zane right away. He was putting the long hose they used back into a rack.

"Zane!" Jason called as their shoes clicked on the cement flooring.

"Good, you're recovered. What do you need?" Zane asked, looking over with a nod.

"We need you to come to a meeting with Uden Academy," Jason explained. "We are having a meeting about what is going on between us. Now that we actually have to interact."

He feared that Zane would chicken out of going to this meeting since he'd never met Greyson or Scarlett. He didn't know the guy at all, other than that he put out the fire.

"Okay, I'll come. We have to stop by the daycare since Ilya said she wanted to be part of the plan," Zane explained.

Zane walked toward the stairs and called out to someone who was in the fire station with him. Talia stepped out, wearing a firefighter hat that was too big for her head.

This made Jason automatically think of Ashley. If Talia was here, did that mean Ashley was out alone? Maybe she found a group and was sticking with them, but she did say she was looking for Izzy too.

All of them made their way back to the golf cart as Mark drove on the empty highway into town. There were a few cars on the grass or stopped in the middle of the highway without passengers. The view was of the many pine trees, and the sound was of nothing but the wheels of the golf cart.

"Have any idea how this plan is going to work?" Zane asked.

"Well, obviously, about food and helping with the daycare. There's also Burger King, which I have no clue who is going to run..." Jason sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Nelson thought about running it. Plus, none of us have worked in fast food before either," Zane said.

When they reached the daycare, they opened the door to find a single room. The large room with peach walls and painted vines had many kids crying or whining. There were toys all over the place and small tables that had unfinished food, with one large rectangular window that showed the view of Coffee Culture.

Jason saw Ilya Bava, who almost fell over when she saw him. "Thank gosh!" she rushed to him, holding a toddler.

"We need you for the meeting with Uden. If you want to tell about helping the daycare, you need to come," Jason urged.

Ilya looked back at her sister, Layla, reading a story to a child. Two other girls came from the kitchen with formula in bottles.

"Do you need me now?" Ilya's voice seemed breathless.

"I'll ask around to see if anyone can help," Jason remarked.

"Fine," she agreed.

They all walked into the Burger King, which had the lights off. The door wasn't locked as they stepped inside without any sound of fryers or broilers running. Jason thought it was odd that Zane told him Nelson was going to run the place when nobody was here.

"Yo?" Mark called out.

Suddenly, they heard the beeping from the fryer. Nelson Hain walked out of the small office with his long brown hair tied back in a bob, wearing a Burger King hat and a button-up black uniform with a red tie. He walked to the fryer first and pulled up some fries in a basket. After that, he went straight to the cash register and looked at all the buttons on the screen.

"We aren't here to order." Jason said.

"Well, the cash register isn't exactly turning on anyway," Nelson said. "I think it's powered through an internet connection."

"Do you want to come to a meeting with us with people from Uden?" Zane asked.

"About what, though?" he asked, urging Jason to elaborate.

"Basically, we're settling the deal between everyone," Bella said.

"I'll come, but I get Burger King," Nelson remarked.

They followed Nelson toward the mayor's office. The building was white and medium-sized, with an upstairs. The inside was different from what Jason imagined. There was a polished desk out front with a couple of chairs across. One small table with a plate and a magazine sat near them. Paintings hung on the walls of backgrounds or men Jason didn't know. They all toured around where many small offices were.

"Found the meeting room!" Mark called from the end of the hall.

The room had a large table with red office chairs around it. There were documents about a plan to build an arena, but that wasn't possible anymore. It did sound like fun to go skating and racing down the ice during the winter. They placed the papers on the small table in the corner.

"Any idea how many are coming?" Ilya asked.

"I hope the deal doesn't become some kind of trick. I just get this odd feeling from them," Bella blurted out.

"Who knows? Honestly, we get what we need either way," Jason said, sitting down in one of the end chairs.

It did twist his stomach from what Bella said. Focusing on what they needed was important, not just whatever trick they'd pulled up their sleeves.

"I'll wait out front," Mark called, leaning against the wall.

"We probably should have a watch person. Ilya and Nelson, you have to get your points across even if you are scared of them; mark your stand," Jason explained.

Bella took a seat near Jason as she placed a hand on top of his. He smiled with a nod as she pulled it back. Mark went outside and stood in front of the door. It was nerve-wracking just waiting for them to show up. Hopefully Ashley was okay and was with some of her friends.

There was always the possibility that she slipped into the mindset of day drinking. He couldn't imagine her drinking since she was a strong Catholic.

Since John became his stepdad, they had to go to church on a regular basis. Most of the time, Jason would just zone out, confused by what Easter meant to Catholics. He shook his head, getting lost in thought. Thinking of his mom made a sting in his chest as he gripped a hand in a fist.

Jason then saw Mark walk back inside the meeting room. He moved to the side as Jason saw the four from this afternoon, along with another girl and guy.

The new girl was chewing her lip, looking up from under her bangs, and her gaze was on him. Something about her gave off a different vibe than Scarlett. She then eyed the blond boy with glasses, holding his laptop to his chest.

Greyson took a seat at the other end of him, with Scarlett and Luke at his right and left sides. Preston sat beside the new guy with the girl across. Greyson wore his smile, flashing his charm.

"Well, it seems this will be interesting," Greyson said first as he stood.

Jason could automatically tell this guy was a leader. Maybe it was because of how people watched him. The straight look of awe at how people felt that reassurance.

"Let's get this meeting started," Greyson said.

How do you think this meeting will go?
Don't forget to comment and vote!
-Lexi