Amanda J. Thornhill's Story

The intro of Fall Out Boy's cover of "Beat It" blasted from one room in the warehouse they called their base. Josh took a mouthful of coffee and strode to the center of the room, grinning at the onlookers. He wore one of his trademark outfits, today choosing his black and blue tie. Striing a pose, he broke into a dance that even the King of Pop himself would admit took skill. Things had been bad recently, so Alex had decided to try and cheer them all up. They thought that today would be the last day that they'd have here. The few belongings they had had been shoved into backpacks, the guns at their sides, the keys of their apartments returned to the landlords. They didn't know when they were coming back- or even if they were.

That was something Alex didn't want to think about. So instead he danced, serving the purpose of both distracting himself and everyone else. He finished with a flourish, grinning. "Are you jealous yet?" He asked, heading back over to his coffee and climbing onto one of the empty boxes that had always been there. They'd been there when they'd turned up, and so they were leaving them there. They were sturdy enough to support his weight. He swung his legs, grinning at the rest of his team as he took another mouthful of coffee. Everyone was there, except for Ollie. Ollie was doing his leader stuff, so Alex had volunteered to keep them entertained. "Whoops." He shut off the music that was still blasting from his phone. He played with his sleeves idly, unrolling them until they sat halfway down his forearm, before fixing them and rolling them back up to his elbow.



No traces. Ollie raised his hand and a small metal object flew into it. He was checking every inch of the warehouse, making sure nothing was left. Strictly speaking, they didn't exist. The warehouse was still abandoned. So they were making it look like that's all it had ever been. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at the small, metal object. It looked like a piercing of some sort. Probably Corr's, then. Possibly Hayley's. One more glance around, and he headed for the room where everyone else was.

The music cut off as he was a few feet away. Alex was finished then. He put his hand on the door, taking a deep breath. He still couldn't believe that this was happening. That they were possibly going on a suicide mission. Fear burned in the pit of his stomach, but he ignored it. They had to do it. Too many people had already died. And everyone knew what they were signing up for.

He opened the door and went in, looking around at his friends and teammates. From the dark haired, pierced Corr to blue haired Alex to dark haired, bright eyed Quinn. "Hey, boss man." Alex said, draining the last dregs of his coffee and crumpling the paper cup. "Hey, guys. Corr, is this yours?" He tossed the metal piercing in the air and propelled it towards him using his power.

"Right. This is it. If anyone wants to back out now, tough shit. I'll get Al here to block your vision so you can't see where you're going and we'll just drag you along with us." Alex grinned, and Ollie managed a nervous smile. "Let's go. Buddy up!" He called, sarcasm seeping into his tone. He was suddenly glad he'd worn something practical, just a white t-shirt and jeans.



Hayley cheered and applauded as Alex shut off the music, still grinning like a fool. She glanced over at Corr and grinned. She was trying to ignore the reality of what they were facing, and instead chose to focus on the people she was facing it with. Ellowyn, with her selfish attitude, but who Hayley found herself liking anyway. Amanda, who was... well, Amanda. Alex, with his awesome hair. Quinn, with his adorable cuteness. Ollie, the leader. And Corr... A shiver ran along her skin. She wasn't cold. To anyone else, it felt like she was burning up. But it was a healthy temperature for her.

Corr was cold, a total asshole at times, but Hayley had seen his softer side and had fallen head over heels for the boy underneath. Because that was who he was. She looked down, sweeping her hair to the side nervously. It was a softer pink now, and she liked it. Thinking about her hair was one way to distract her.

Another arrived in the form of a nervous Ollie. He greeted them, before throwing something towards Corr. Hayley used it as an excuse to glance at him again, before her eyes were forced to flick back to their tanned leader. "Right. This is it. If anyone wants to back out now, tough shit. I'll get Al here to block your vision so you can't see where you're going and we'll just drag you along with us." Hayley grinned. Alex was a nice guy, but his power frightened everyone, just a little. Everyone knew that it would never be intentional, but if he lost control, he could blind any of them, even just momentarily.

"Let's go. Buddy up!" She clambered to her feet, pulling her backpack onto her back and heading over to Corr. She'd chosen her outfit to be practical but yet make her look good. Her gun was just covered by her jacket, and she could feel it's comforting presence by her hip.

"So, whaddya say? Buddies?" She asked, allowing some of Ollie's sarcasm to seep into her voice.

Amanda rolled her eyes at Alex's dancing. "Really? A monkey could do better than you." She spouted out as she ran her fingers through her hair. Shrugging she crossed her arms as her pink lips shot out in a small pout. "Really... not gonna pair up with your bestie?" She directed the statement to Ellowyn before shrugging it off.

Amanda's blue eyes rested on Ollie before she bit her lip and twirled her hair. Go for Quinn... he does anything you want... She thought to herself as she ralized that Ollie wouldn't do anything for her should she need it done for her. Batting her eyes she made her way over to Quinn. "Oh Quinn... would you mind being my partner?" She asked in a sweet voice, while snaking an arm over Quinn's shoulder. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind being my partner...I so want to be yours." She purred in his ear, sounding as seductive as she could be.

Pulling herself away her blue eyes batting at Quinn, knowing she could make him melt in her hands. She stopped and looked back at everyone, seeing as Ollie would be alone should Quinn accept her offer she huffed. "Can always join our party." She said to Ollie giving him a flirty wink.

"Hey, Billy Elliot- be my buddy?" It was a question that wasn't really a question. Not that he cared. She slung an arm around his shoulders, and he felt a slight shock, a side effect of her power. He didn't care. He liked the physical contact. "But, of course." He leaned in. "Swinging with you is on my bucket list." He whispered, grinning at her. Despite the obvious fact that Ollie had been joking, a few pairs had formed. Hayley and Corr... what a pairing. It was obvious that she liked him- whether he liked her back had yet to be seen, however. The sight of Amanda approaching Quinn made one corner of his mouth twitch- and not exactly in pleasure. Alex didn't have anything against her, but she didn't think that she was pairing up with Quinn because she liked him.

He looked away, glancing back at Ellowyn. "Shall we go?" He held out his arm for her to take it. Something about her just... He'd found himself falling for her. She was beautiful, that couldn't be denied. She had an interest in dancing as well. He'd taught himself to swing dance, just so he could dance with her. But beneath all that, it just felt like they had a certain chemistry.

He swept a few stray strands of blue hair to the side, following Ollie to the door of the warehouse. They'd barely made it a few steps into the open before a bang made him spin around, Ellowyn's arm slipping from his. They were there, A mix of both. His hand went to his gun, pulling it from his holster. He had no way of telling which was which, because there was such a mix. He started taking random shots at them, hoping some would land.



Everyone did seem to be pairing up, despite the fact that they knew he was joking. They all knew it- there was romance in the ranks, something that was evident in most of the pairings... except one. He raised an eyebrow at Amanda buddying up with Quinn. That was something he didn't particularly feel comfortable with. He worried that Amanda would take advantage of poor Q. He turned around, one eyebrow still raised as Amanda called out to him. "Can always join our party." Ah, no. He protected Quinn, most of the time, but the extent of his loyalty didn't stretch to that.

"Sorry, my imaginary friend has just suffered a traumatic break up and needs my support." He drawled sarcastically. He glanced at Quinn apologetically, but turned around and strode out by himself.

A decision he soon came to regret, as razor claws slashed at his side. They were out there. In a flash, he drew his gun and fired. Thankfully, the one he fired at was one of those susceptible to gunshot wounds. As soon as it hit the floor and he was sure it was dead, he clutched at his side, the blood already staining his shirt. One handed, he fired randomly. The sound of shots came from another direction, and he glanced over to see Alex firing into them as well. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, giving him a boost. He could only hope it would be enough.



"Something like Fuck Buddies?" He laughed, and that was enough to widen her smile. "Kidding, sure, I can be your Knight in Black Leather." His wink made something in her jump, like he might like her back. She took a deep breath, enough to steady her emotions. "Shining armour is overrated. I've always preferred black leather." Her eyes ran down his body, trying not to linger on his chest.

"Let's go, then." Ellowyn and Alex had followed Ollie out of the warehouse. Inside, she was trying to remain calm, not hoping that he liked her back. It was like something from a love story. Star-crossed lovers, both on a suicide mission to save the world. She found herself daydreaming- meaning she missed the telltale bang of gunshots. Ollie and Alex had drawn their guns and were firing at the crowd of creatures that surrounded them. As she pulled her own gun from beneath her jacket, she noticed red on Ollie's shirt, and found herself gritting her teeth.

She'd need her energy. She pulled her lighter from her pocket and manipulated the small flame until it grew into a phoenix. The flaming bird swooped across them. She felt it drain her as it affected the ones immune to their powers, but the shrieks of other flaming creatures made her smile. They weren't of her creation- the phoenix had done it's work. She spread her hands, and the phoenix exploded into a mass of fire, taking out a few more. She grinned.

They just kept coming. Alex was sure that he was almost out of bullets. He had more in his bag, but he would be exposed as he tried to get them out. His power wasn't of much use here- they were outnumbered by far too many for him to try and blind a few of them. One got too close and landed a hand on his shoulder. The drain was immediate and his arm felt like lead as he raised it to put a bullet through it's brain. He squeezed the trigger and hoped that he still had at least one more bullet. The barrel clicked. A shot didn't fire.

The thing kept draining him and he was forced to resort to desperate measures. He kicked it away from him and scouted around quickly. Ollie was fighting two battles- trying to keep firing and trying to minimize the physical exertion in hope of minimizing the blood he lost from a wound in his side. Hayley was targeting the few who were susceptible to their powers. "Ellowyn!" He yelled out, sending another kick into it's chest in the desperate hope of keeping it away. His hand reached back to his bag, reaching for another slide of bullets. It's hand landed on his chest yet again. "ELLOWYN!" He screamed, his hand reaching and missing the slide as it continued to drain him. Not only was he calling for help... If she couldn't help him, if nobody could, he wanted her name to be the last word that passed his lips. There was something romantic about that.


His hand pressed still to his side, he kept firing. More and more fell. A fiery bird of Hayley's creation destroyed a few, and a lightning blast destroyed a few more. But everything wasn't alright. Alex looked pale, probably knowing that he was low on ammunition. Corr had a cut on his arm. And things just kept getting worse.

He watched as some of his blood formed pellets and flew at a few of them, causing them to yell out. He glanced at Amanda, who was staring at him. "I'm okay, I swear!" He yelled. If she was fighting, she didn't need him draining her powers. Another voice drew him to look at Quinn. He had to look away quickly as another got too close and he had to deal with it. "O-Ollie! Are you alright?" Ollie gritted his teeth. "I'm fine! Just keep fighting! Play dirty if you have to!" He roared. One went to attack Ellowyn, and she dropped to the ground, dealing with it.

A cry from Alex drew Ollie's attention. His gun hadn't fired and one was much too close, close enough to land a hand on his shoulder. He kicked it away. Ollie went to shoot it himself, but one got too close to him and he had to try and deal with it. He looked around desperately. Alex called Ellowyn's name- the only one of them who could help him.


Hayley grinned as a blast of lightning took out another bunch of them. Those who could were dealing those who were weak to their powers. The others were firing rapidly. It had taken it's toll. Corr got a scratch on his arm, and Ollie was dealing with a badly cut up side. She gritted her teeth and lifted her hands into the air, fire catching a few more of them. Her skin was heating up pretty rapidly, she could feel it herself. The adrenaline was carrying her through, as it was for all of them. It was probably the only reason most of them were on their feet. She lifted her gun carrying hand and shot one through the skull, one that was about to go for Corr. There was something she'd always wanted to say in these circumstances, and she decided to say it. After all, she mightn't have another chance to. "Stay away from my boyfriend."

She said it a little louder than she had intended to, and suddenly hoped that nobody heard. She covered her embarrassed expression as she swung her gun around, taking out another. She shoved a ball of fire into the face of another. And as she fought, she wondered how many more awaited them. If it had all been a trap, if this was where they died.

Corr retreated slightly as he felt his body temperature dropping. Gasping slightly, the darkness retreated only to be around him, since he had tried starting to absorb shadows. Sweat was pouring down his face, as blood dripped down his arm. Kneeling down slightly he pulled a dagger from his boot, he quickly threw it implanting it in one of the creatures. "Death is inevitable for you creatures." He hissed slightly, his beautiful blue eyes darkening with supressed rage.

He looked over at Hayley hearing her shout out something about staying away from her boyfriend. Who the hell is she talkin about?! He thought of before a creature came up upon him. Without thinking Corr reacted simply by punching it... repeatedly. It didn't seem to do anything but tick the thing off. One swing and Corr was down, a few inches away from where he previously was. Seemed Hayley missed one. His vision was foggy, but if they didn't do something soon...would there be any hope for them?

Blind the creatures with darkness... A small voice said, as he fought to keep consciousness. Holding out his hand, he whispered, "Hayley..." A creature was coming up on her right, without thinking, Corr urged the shadows to cover the creature blinding it. The creature however, seemed to be immune to his darkness, as it brushed it off, continuing to go after Hayley.

"Nooo... not... her." He barley got out before he passed out.

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Amanda sighed, as the boy seemed to be stubborn, she knew that injury would slow their leader down. She could sense the bloodflow. But she agreed none the less. As she looked at Quinn's side she saw a dagger, that would probably help her. She had no weapons of her own, save for her blood pellets. Quickly she assessed the situation at hand. Alex was out of bullets, Hayley was doing her fire thing, Ollie was fighting through everything though he was bleeding, Ell was on the ground, seemed a creature had gotten to her. Corr was unconcious after he had held out his hand to Hayley. Quinn was holding them back.

Without thinking, she grabbed the Dagger that was on Quinn's side cut her arm, letting blood pour out. She hadn't realized that Corr was bleeding, and she didn't think it wise to weakin Ollie. She kept using her blood forming pellets and shooting them at the targets she could. Some creatures hissed in furry as they were blinded, some ignored it. "Hayley! Look out!" Amanda called out, without even thinking, she started running to Hayley. "Oh the day I have to run in heels." She cursed under her breath before leaping on the back of the creature near the girl. She still had the dagger in her hand, She took a deep breath and plunged it in the creatures back.

Feeling slightly disgusted as blood poured out covering her baby blue top, and pink pants. "So.. Gross." She shuttered as the creature seemed to try to throw her off its back. "Nuh uh! I'm not goin anywhere buddy, I got strong legs..." She said slightly amuzed... which was true... with all the men she had screwed around with, she had what she called, Legs of Steel.

Ellowyn appeared from nowhere, taking the creature out with a shot. Before he could thank her, she shot another that had been approaching him from behind. "You okay, Little Boy Blue?" He barely had time to register her smile, before another appeared behind her. "Wat-" Too late. It raked it's claws along her side. If he'd had his gun, he would have shot it himself, and he very nearly jumped it thanks to the anger that flooded his veins. Instead, she shocked it and it hit the floor. She called out to Amanda, but all he could register was the blood coming from her side. She got hurt saving me... If I was quicker, she wouldn't be hurt...

She looked up at him, her spirit still sparkling in her eyes. "Come on- we have miles to go before we sleep." He vaguely recognised the quoted, but couldn't place it. She handed him her gun, telling him she didn't need it. He nodded, and in a brief moment where there wasn't one on top of him, he drew the slide from his gun and shoved it into his own gun. Holding a gun in each hand, he used both hands to fire.

As he looked around, Corr hit the ground. Quinn jumped in front of Ollie. Sheer fury flooded his veins, giving him the power to fire much more rapidly. He needed to. More than half of them were injured. They were lessening, admittedly. He glanced over at Hayley, who seemed even more angry than he was. She let out a roar that was almost inhuman and jerked her arms apart. Most of the remainder of them burst into flames, and the rest got the picture. They turned to flee. The heroes kept attacking, but soon they were out of reach.

His first priority was Ellowyn. His instinct was to deal with her, and so he did. "Sit down." He ordered. He found himself pawing through his bag and pulling out a spare t-shirt. "We need to try and stop the bleeding..." He said quietly, wrapping the t-shirt as tightly as he could around the wound. "I'm sorry if that's uncomfortable, but it needs to be tight." He told her, trying to keep his voice calm, despite the fact that he was freaking out inside. ohmygodohmygodohmygod it's all my fault...



Everything was starting to overwhelm Ollie. His mind was light and empty thanks to the inescapable blood loss. They just kept coming and coming and the bullets weren't even taking them all out any more. He just wanted to sink to the ground and curl up in a ball until it was over, but that wasn't happening. He had a duty to his friends.

He noticed a few things in slow motion. First, Amanda taking Quinn's dagger to cut herself and shed some blood to use as a weapon. Second, Amanda running to defend Hayley. Next, a creature right in front of him. Quinn, jumping in front of him and taking the blow.

QUINN! Did he actually yell that or was that his imagination? He couldn't see where the blood was coming from, there was so much and his own was starting to mix and his vision was blurred. He raised his gun and kept trying to fire, but he didn't know if he was hitting anything any more. It hurt more and more and more.

And then, with a fiery blast, they all turned and ran. He sank to his knees beside Quinn. "Quinn- Quinn, where does it hurt? Where did you get hit?" His speech was starting to slur. Or it could have just been his mind running too slow to pick up his own words. But his fumbling hands produced something soft to try and stem the bleeding with. "Guys, we need to get to the hospital... As soon as possible." He yelled.



Amanda jumped the back of one that was about to attack her. "Thanks!" She called. But she spun around and one was on top of Corr. At the same time, two were on top of her. Her hands were quite literally on fire as she fired with one and plunged the flames into one's chest. It dropped to the ground and she whirled around, doing the same to the other as she simultaneously put a bullet through it's brain. In all the chaos, she thought she heard her name whispered. Whirling around, firing randomly, she stopped just in time to see Corr stretch out his hand to her as his eyes flickered shut.

Rage fueled her as she stormed the creature near him, clapping it's head with her burning hands. It fell to the ground and she kept fighting like a demon. The fire only added to the comparison. She saw Quinn take a blow for Ollie... Elloywn take a blow as she saved Alex... And Corr.... Corr...

A scream erupted from her lips involuntarily, and her hands ripped apart, a huge fireball erupting from nowhere and taking most of them out. The rest turned and ran, finally getting the message. Breathing hard, she dropped to her knees beside Corr. She shook him gently, but with no response. "Amanda!" Were they tears running down her own face?

She pulled one of Corr's arms around her shoulders and dragged him upright so she took most of his weight. She was suddenly glad that he wasn't particularly muscular, because she wasn't particularly big and could only just take his weight. "No, no, help Ollie with Quinn," She yelled at her friend. Alex was dealing with Ellowyn and he was the only uninjured one.

Amanda stood up grimacing. She herself was hurt for what she cut herself. Looking away just in time, she could feel the heat of Hayley's flames. Shivering she looked at the small girl hoisting up Corr's unconcious body. She started walking over, but was redirected to Quinn and Ollie. Glad the creatures retreated she gave her full attention to both guys. Her bleeding had clotted up already, she was a fast healer... if she didn't use her powers.

"Hey.." She whispered softly placing a hand on both Ollie and Quinn. Quinn, she could tell was fine compared to Ollie. She tensed her grip on both guys. "Quinn focus... stay sharp... focus on me." She said her voice stern. She looked him in the eyes, or at least tried to. Taking a deep breath she slowly whispered, "Vi andrà bene. Concentrarsi su di me. Sono qui per aiutarvi. Mantenere la calma. Respira. Io sono qui." (You will be fine. Focus on me. I'm here to help. Stay calm. Breathe. I'm here. ) Italian always helped her relax, so she made it a point to learn Italian to just relax herself when need be.

Amanda might've been just a mean girl, but she did care... somewhat. As her hand was on Ollie, she could tell his blood wasn't clotting like it should've been. Closing her eyes, she used her blood manipulation powers just to slow his blood flow from his wound to clot. If something wasn't done soon... he would pass out due to his blood loss.

Now focusing on Quinn she did the same to him. Though she knew holding two peoples blood back wouldn't last long, as her wound started to bleed itself, now that she had been using her powers they wern't focused on her they were focused on the two guys. "Someone... come help me bandage them up." She said looking around at the beat up group. Then it hit her, someone said hospital. "No... no hospitals... that could be dangerous for us, and the people who help us...those creatures... they're almost unstopable... did you not see us almost Die?!" She gripped Ollie's shoulder even harder. "I can do this." She said with pure determination in her eyes.

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Corr felt as if he were in darkness itself. Maybe he was. He felt almost normally at peace. No creatures harming him. No panic, no nothing. Just him and his power. As he held his hand out he could feel the darkness pulling into him. He took a deep breath, relieved and glad, he could control his powers. Though something didn't feel right. He felt incomplete. He felt...dead. Where he usually felt alive, he felt dead inside.
Am... I..Am I dead? He asked himself. He heard crying. Walking around in the darkness he tried to find it.

Curious as to where the noise was coming from, he saw Hayley's face. In his darkness he saw her beautiful soft face. "So.. innocent." He whispered to himself. That was where he got a streak of determination. No he was NOT dead. He was going to find Hayley, make sure she was ok. If he had to he would save her life. Seeing a small light, he went to go follow it, but a dark voice inside his head stopped him. Never follow the light... turning around he saw darkness and shadows. Turning his back from the light he followed the darkness.

The crying was getting louder, then suddenly, he could hear it much more clearly. He could smell and feel more clearly. His eyes however were still closed. Trying to open his eyes felt like prying open a sealed door. But with sheer will his eyes fluttered open. Looking over at Hayley, he forced himself to lift his wounded arm and wipe her cheek. A weak smile was worn upon his face.

"Hayley...I'm... fine." He forced his mouth to work as his brain started functioning properly. His eyes darted around as his hand dropped from her cheek. "Wha-" He started asking as he saw the creatures had retreated. Amanda was near Ollie and Quinn, Ellowyn was near Alex...A chuckle escaped his lips. Leaning forward he motioned with his other arm to Amanda, Ollie and Quinn. "Think they're havin a threesome?" He asked with another chuckle. Looking at his bleeding arm he grumbled, he was sore and he felt like crap, and he was still bleeding.

"What a lovely day eh?" he asked, sounding like the Corr everyone was used to.

"Whatever we do, we should get going now. Don't want our little friends coming back with the extended family, do we?" Alex found himself watching her worriedly as she stood up. He wanted to help her, but he wasn't sure if she'd appreciate that. Once she was upright, she looked over at Ollie and Quinn. "Come on, Alex- let's play doctor." He knew that she was only pretending to be okay, judging by the sheer amount of effort it had taken to stand up. And that skill rivaled his as an actor. But he kept it up too.

He'd heard something mentioned about the hospital, and as they approached, he heard Amanda tell Ollie, "No... no hospitals... that could be dangerous for us, and the people who help us...those creatures... they're almost unstoppable... did you not see us almost die?!" She sounded like she was on the verge of hysteria. Alex cleared his throat. "Amanda, maybe he's got a point. They're gone for now. Besides, the hospitals are more than sufficiently protected at the moment. And there's always the three of us to defend it..." He ignored the fact that all three of them were exhausted. He knew for a fact that the hospitals had employed people like them once the attacks had started, so that hospital staff members weren't lost trying to defend the hospital.

He squatted in front of his friends, putting a hand on Quinn's shoulder and looking around. "How far to the hospital?" Ollie mumbled, "'Bout ten minutes." Alex nodded, closing his eyes for a moment, putting his other hand on Ollie's shoulder. "Okay, guys, I'm going to try and numb the pain. This is going to feel weird, because I'm going to have to block your sense of touch all together. It's only for a short while, just enough to get us to the hospital." His power kicked in and he felt the coldness run down his hands.

He straightened up and went to Ellowyn. "Do you want me to do the same for you?" He asked. Corr was badly weakened, but didn't seem to be in too much pain. He'd struggle to make it to the hospital if he used his power on all four that were injured, so he figured he should only do it for those who were badly injured.


Ollie jumped a little as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Amanda. He felt a strange sensation in his side, not lessening the pain any, but having a certain effect nonetheless. He wasn't sure what she'd done, but he was grateful. "No... no hospitals... that could be dangerous for us, and the people who help us...those creatures... they're almost unstoppable... did you not see us almost Die?!" She insisted. He vaguely heard Alex's counter argument and shook his head a little in the hope of clearing it.

Quinn moved his hand from his shoulder and Ollie reached into his bag, almost over-balancing as he did so. He pulled something soft from his bag and wrapped it around the shoulder as much as he could, his hands shaking almost uncontrollably. "Ollie, you need to tend to your own injuries first." The weakness in Quinn's voice worried him, and Ollie shook his head. "No, no, I'll be fine for a little while." He grinned at the younger boy. "I'd be a lot worse if it wasn't for you. Don't do it again." His hearing was clouded, and he wondered if Alex had something to do with it. But then he saw Alex put his hand onto Ollie's shoulder and deemed that it was a side effect of his light-headedness. The pain in his side deadened as Alex took away the sensation of touch.

He got to his feet and immediately regretted it. His head felt so light that it was virtually non-existent. The adrenaline that had been keeping him running had run out. "No, we're going to the hospital, like it or not. It's too dangerous for us not to go." And almost to prove his point, his legs gave way from underneath him and he blacked out.


She hadn't realised how much she was actually crying until she felt a hand wipe her cheek. She nearly jumped a foot in the air, until she heard Corr say, "Hayley...I'm... fine." It then kicked in that she was taking less of his weight as he was able to support himself. "Think they're havin a threesome?" She burst out into a mix of laughter and tears and wiped her eyes. "What a lovely day eh?" He said. She laughed a little.

"Jesus, I don't know why I'm bawling like a baby. You'd swear I'd never done this before." She was almost laughing at herself now. "I can hear my mother saying to me now, 'Hayley Dawson, pull yourself together, girl.' I blame you and your inexcusable hotness." She just wanted to see him smile.

She looked over at the others. She wasn't sure if Corr needed her support any more, but he had his arm around her shoulders and she had her arm around his waist and she wasn't going to be the first to pull out of it. Something in her faltered a little when Ollie hit the ground. It showed in her voice when she spoke. "Look, even Ollie's falling at your feet," She tried to joke.

Corr laughed at Hayley's joke about Ollie falling down. He stood and fixed his leather jacket, and checked his warpaint. Looking at his arm he sighed, "Barley missed the tattoo." He commented grimacing a bit. After a moment later he lowered his arm and gave her a wild look. "What do you mean my inexcusable hotness? I know that I make girls fall at my feet, but bawl like a baby?" He snorted, "Maybe because you know you'll never look this good." He chuckled and pulled her in for a hug.

Pulling away from Hayley, he walked over to the group, his boot nudging Ollie's arm. "Ollie... hey man...it's time to get up... we gotta go man." He kept nudging the guy with his boot. As he thought about the whole hospital situation he shook his head. "Really, we can all defend the hospital eh? I doubt it... You got me, who can't seem to control the darkness well, a pyromaniac around flammable things.." He shook his head. "Let's not forget our little blood manipulator eh?" He scoffed and shook his head once more before looking back at Hayley. "Do you hear this Sweet Pea? He's saying that the exhausted little group of badasses we are can defend a whole hospital while we are all tired, injured.. all that stuff."

He snorted and looked back at Alex. "Go dance little monkey... I will not be going to a hospital. I'd rather have Amanda rob a blood bank, before I get near a hospital." With those words, he stormed off, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. "I hope one of em ain't broken." He grumbled before he realized he lost his lighter. "Damnit... Hayley! Er... can I borrow your lighter or... somethin sweet pea?" He called out, hoping she could hear him. He needed a smoke... he was a bit ticked that everyone insisted on going to the hospital.

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Amanda gasped as Ollie had collapsed at her feet. Worry filled her heart as she placed a hand upon his chest. Her face going blank as she felt for a pulse. She felt his blood being pumped through his heart. It was weak, since he lost a bunch of blood. That was when Corr had came over and started kicking Ollie. "Don't do that, she swatted at him, before he went on his rant on the hospital. That's when his statement gave her an idea. As he stormed off she looked up at the group. "Let me rob the bank... We could use the blood... and I know how to do transfusions..." She bit her lip wondering if she could even do it, she couldn't regenerate blood. "I know how to do stitches... I just need the materials..." She gave a hesitant laugh, before standing up once more.

"My father... he is a doctor...he taught me how to do some things." She didn't mention she was studying to be a surgeon in the health field. "He's a Surgeon... so if we must...go to the hospital...we find him..." She was pacing back and forth as her mind raced. What could she do, she was exhausted, covered in blood, all she wanted was a comfortable bath, and some new clothes.

"So... what do we do, and we better decide fast, Ollie's lost blood, Quinn looks like he's gonna be sick, and Corr... he's being a little bitch."

Alex raised an eyebrow as Ellowyn lifted Ollie in a fireman's lift. "Not a chance in hell, darling." He took him from her gently, but enough to let her know that he wasn't joking. He held him so that Ollie's bleeding side was pressed against Alex's side, hoping the pressure would help slow the bleeding. He'd end up getting blood on his shirt, but he didn't really care. It was more or less agreed that they were going to the hospital. "Right, that's it. We're going to the hospital. Ollie obviously needs to be seen to. Quinn, no matter what you say, you're slightly green, and I don't need vomit as well as blood on this shirt. And even Superwoman over there needs help. We'll try and find your father, Amanda, but personally, I'm handing Ollie to the first doctor I see."

He shifted Ollie in his arms slightly. He still hadn't fully recovered from the beast drawing his energy, and he had the added drain of blocking Quinn's touch. "Come on then, my comrades, let us go onwards to seek the great adventure that is medical aid." He declared dramatically, before setting off towards the hospital. His declaration had been intended to lit their spirits, but within, he was scared as hell.

They were weakened, and that would make their task so much harder. Even as he led the way, he was scared of what lay ahead. He wanted to hand Ollie to Hayley and run and run until he couldn't run or until they killed him. But he couldn't. Not after all they'd done for him. That just seemed like the coward's way out. And for some reason, the scars along his torso and his arms reminded him of how much of a coward he had been before.

The walk to the hospital was short, and he found himself breaking into a run. By this point, the hospitals were used to attacks from the creatures. When they saw him, a number of nurses ran out with a trolley to meet him. "Attack?" One just asked. He nodded. "What's his name? And are you hurt?" One asked, putting his hand on Alex's arm. "No, I'm fine. And his name is Ollie. Oliver Maile." The questions were easy enough to answer, and Ollie had made sure that they all knew each other's details in case of a circumstance such as this. They took Ollie away and Alex was led into a cubicle, just so they could check him over. They took away his blood-stained shirt and Alex stood shirtless in the cubicle as he rooted through his bag for a clean shirt.



"Corr!" Hayley found herself scolding him as he nudged the unconscious Ollie with his boot. It was quickly decided that they were going to the hospital, despite Corr's objections. She turned to him and grinned. "Tough shit, man. At least you can get your arm stitched up. Have a scar to go with those tats." At his question about a lighter, she rooted in her pocket, tossing it to him. "They'll kill- Actually, me saying that after what just happened seems a bit weird, doesn't it? Never mind."

She lagged behind with Corr as the rest set off. She considered perhaps throwing her arm around him, but then remembered how hot her skin must be. Her jacket probably wouldn't conduct the heat, but she still wasn't risking it. "Just don't break that on me, or lose it. I need it waaay more than you need those." She said, gesturing to her lighter. "But in all honesty. If you don't want to go to the hospital, I hear heat's good at setting wounds." She was simultaneously joking and threatening him with what she would do if he didn't go. She wasn't leaving him by himself, and the two of them could never fight any large amount of them off. The light that accompanied her power weakened his, and only her firing a gun wouldn't be enough to hold them off.

Amanda glanced down at Ollie before nodding. "Fine.. we'll play it your way." She said reluctantly. Without a fight she followed, only concerned for Ollie. He was her main priority. After Ollie had been taken care of, Amanda paced back and forth in the hospital. Having several people ask if she's ok she finally stormed off. Her clothes were dirty, and torn. She needed new ones. As she passed by one of the bathrooms, she saw a box full of clothing. Next to the box it said, "Donations Welcome!" With a picture of her father. Amanda's eyes widened as she quickly rushed over to the box. It had some of her clothing in it along with other garments Amanda had never seen before.

Her eyes watering slightly she picked out a few clothes that she thought Her, Ellowyn and Hayley would like. Going into the bathroom, she quickly changed into her outift. She tossed her old clothes, and with smiles walked back up to the group. She held out Elloywn's clothes she though she would like, and then held outHayley's clothes.

"Figured you'd want to get washed up..." Amanda said curtly reminding herself not to be to nice to these people. Just to tease Hayley she smirked. "Heard your boyfriend liked batman...figured why not...maybe now he'll actually kiss you." There was the snarky Amanda people were used to. She laughed, and then stared in the window of the room that held Ollie. Her facial features softened with worry and concern for the boy.

If anyone were to pay any attention to her, they would see how much she truley cared for him.

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Corr chuckled as he light his cigarette. Sadly he followed Hayley and the rest of the group to the Hospital. "I promise Pinky, I ain't gonna break it... just like I need shadows... you need flames..." He would hand the lighter back to her, when she suggested burning the wound. Taking a long drag off his cigarette he shook his head. "I'd rather have stitches... hurts less..plus they give you drugs." He laughed, and finished the stale cancer stick. When they reached the hospital everyone seemed to be rushed around Ollie and Quinn. Which was a good thing. They needed to be taken care of first.

That was when he noticed Amanda had come back in a change of clothes. Listening to her snarky remarks he bared his teeth. Especially when she made the comment about Hayley and him kissing. "Listen here you little bitch. I'll kiss the girl if I want to, when I want to, clothing won't help." He turned and looked at Hayley and smiled, "Though I think you would look adorable in batman clothing." Giving a flirty wink, he felt a woman's hand around his arm. Looking over he saw it was just the charge nurse checking out his gash. "Come on, time to get you stitched up too." She started dragging him down the hall. He smirked dangerously as he made the remark, "I promise you a kiss if I make it out alive Pinky."

That was when the charge nurse came up to him and drug him away to get stitches in his arm. He sat on the examining table, and looked at them preparing the stitches, and cleaning the wound. "Aren't you going to, drug me first?" He asked his blue eyes staring at the wound then out the door. The nurse laughed, "We're so low on morphine we can't give it to people for simple stitches." He grimaced as he felt them literally stitching his wound closed.

He heard someone enter the cubicle and didn't react. However, when he heard the voice, he froze, swearing to himself. "Alex, what's this about?" Ellowyn moved so she was standing in front of him and grabbed his wrist. "Or, let me rephrase that- what the fuck has been done to your chest and arms? Because those don't look like scars from claws." His scars.

They lined his ribs and the tops of his arms, where the sleeves of his t-shirts usually covered. Some were fresher than others from his relapses. Some deeper than others. Alex was usually a relatively open guy. Until it came to his scars. That was when he closed up. No matter who you were, he refused to talk about them.

"None of your fucking business." He snarled, shoving her hand from his wrist and rooting through his bag like it had personally offended him. He pulled out a white shirt and pulled it on, slinging his tie back around his neck. It looked good and meant he wouldn't lose it. He picked up his rucksack and met her eyes. He knew how dangerous his own could look at times. He'd looked in the mirror to be greeted with them after he'd cut, or as he was about to. "Oh, and if you dare say anything to any of the others, I'll personally make sure your vision fails at the worst possible moment. If I wanted to talk about them, if I wanted you to know, I would have told you." He hissed, before shoving the curtains aside and storming out of the cubicle.

He had an idea that she wouldn't give up that easily. He stormed outside, where the others wouldn't hear them talking- or arguing as the case may be. He sank onto a bench and waited for her, knowing she would come, and trying not to look like he was falling apart.



Hayley looked at the clothes. She liked what she was wearing, but she figured she probably reeked of smoke- and not from cigarettes. She took the clothes, admiring the waist coat and smirking a little at the t-shirt. "Heard your boyfriend liked batman...figured why not...maybe now he'll actually kiss you."

Hayley nearly launched herself at Amanda. She could feel her skin heating up- and not in the embarrassed way. In the "i'm about to spontaneously combust and you're my first target" way. How dare- How dare she insinuate that Corr wouldn't want to kiss her! She had a vicious growl on her tongue when Corr spoke up.

"Listen here you little bitch. I'll kiss the girl if I want to, when I want to, clothing won't help." Hayley's anger mellowed slightly, but there was still a significant risk of any nearby flammable objects bursting into flames, which was never a good thing in a hospital. His smile and his wink was enough to cool her down. "Though I think you would look adorable in batman clothing." She laughed a little, but her eyes were still staring daggers at Amanda.

"I promise you a kiss if I make it out alive Pinky." Is he joking? Do I want him to be joking? No! Yes! I don't know! Do I want him to kiss me? Of bloody course! She glared at Amanda, who was obviously worried. Hayley peered in the window. She didn't particularly want to be around when he woke up- something about getting metal piercings ripped out of her nose and multiple points in her ears didn't seem particularly appealing. "I'd keep your hands on any metal objects. Because he's going to freak when he wakes, and that could be dangerous. Watch yourself." There was a little venom in her voice, and she didn't particularly care.

She stormed away, heading for the nearest bathroom, where she pulled on the clothes. As much of a bitch as Amanda could be, she knew what clothes would fit Hayley perfectly. The jeans were intended for someone taller, that much was clear, but she rolled up the bottoms a few times. Her eyeliner had faded and run a little, so she wiped off her tear tracks and relined her eyes with black kohl. Corr's comment came back to her, and she rooted through her bag frantically. Of all the things she had put into it, mints weren't among them. A sprint to the shop secured her some, and she popped two in her mouth as she went to track him down.



The first thing he was aware of was the slightly numbed pain in his side. Alex's power had obviously worn off when he'd collapsed. Made sense. No point in blocking the senses of an unconscious person. He was slightly glad of that.

However, he quickly wished that Alex had blocked his sense of smell as the smell of disinfectant hit him. It was enough to cause his heart rate to rise and make it a little harder to breathe. He opened his eyes and took in a number of things at once. Lab coats. Needles. Medical devices. The whole thing was enough to force him into a panic. In one swipe, he disconnected everything that was hooked to his arm, setting off more than one alarm, and bolted out of bed, pulling off the mask that obscured his face. A doctor burst in, only worsening the panic. The hospital gown he wore only brought back bad memories. And suddenly metal objects were flying around the room.

People were shouting and the alarms were still going off and he was still panicking. The doctor even looked like one of them. Metal objects were flying towards him and away from him and he had no control over what he was doing. He was finding it difficult to breathe, but not due to his side, and somehow, in his frenzy, he had gathered that it was stitched up. He was panicking, and they were freaking out, and the two just kept worsening each other. Especially because they'd left scalpels in the room.

Amanda smirked slightly at the comment Hayley made. Though the little girl walked off with the clothing in hand. Which Amanda didn't particularly care about, though her eyes glittered when she had heard Corr's comment. Though she looked back through the window only to see that Ollie had woken up.

Things were flying around the room and Amanda knew, she had to get in there. No matter what she had to. Doctors were rushing in there... those doctors wern't really bright. At least in Amanda's opinion, the metal scalpels flying around the room.. ha.. they were lucky if they didn't get cut. Amanda rushed in the room, her eyes wide. "Ollie!" She cried out dodging random metal objects.

A scalpel had ran whizzing past her hair, and she rushed near him, gently placing her hand on his arm. " If you don't calm down, you could hurt yourself!" Her green eyes tried finding his. She was concerned about him. Should he move too much he could rip the stitches. For once in her life, she wished she could control emotions. "Please Ollie... you're ok... you're in a hospital!" She ducked more flying objects.

This was a side of Amanda only Ollie would be able to see. The kind, worried, caring side. She stood back up, frowning a little.

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Corr had finished up his stitches when he heard an Alarm going off. He was ready to jump off the table when he noticed Hayley coming his way. The nurse looked up at him and motioned for him to sit. Grumbling he listened knowing somehow they would make him sit. He motioned Hayley in his room, and smiled. She looked so adorable in the batman shirt, and in the rolled up faded jeans. She looked like someone Corr could see himself with.

That was when he noticed, she had redone her make-up. He chuckled. How adorable she was trying to look adorable. A smile came upon his face when he felt a slight tug on his nose ring and lip ring. "Well... seems our own magnet is awake." He murmured to himself a chuckle escaping his lips.

"You look adorable Pinky." He said with humor in his voice.

(A warning- I don't know about anyone, and I won't pry, but this may trigger. Skip to Ollie's post if you're sensitive.)

She appeared in front of him, her eyes as angry as he felt. "Bastard. Threatening to blind me? I'll short circuit your brain. And if you don't cut it out, I'll just do it right now," He got to his feet, standing to his full height. A hurricane of emotions churned inside him. Fear, anger, misery... He hadn't felt like this for a while. Ironically, it was the last time he had committed what he was about to face. "So why not tell me while I'm still being nice." Her tone softened marginally, but not by much. He knew it was a demand. And so, instead, he turned over his arm, showing her his bare, untouched wrist. "If the scars were here, what would you think?" He asked, his voice full of an emotion even he couldn't identify. Fear was definitely a major component in it- that much he knew. The anger was gone, the fear instead mixed with something that could almost be described as a quiet danger.

"My family barely tolerated me. I had nightmares every single night from the age of about four until I was about sixteen. I was tall and skinny, and all the other kids made fun of me. Then they started to beat me up. Throw in the fact that everyone thought I was a freak for my power. I was never accepted, Ellowyn. And I blamed myself. And so I punished myself."

"I started cutting to punish myself. Then I discovered that it was the perfect release. When it all got too much, I cut to let it out."

He took a step closer to her, unsure if he liked letting it out or not. His voice still held a certain danger, and he wasn't sure how he felt.

"I never told anyone. Because they'd make fun of me."

He stepped away from her, into the open. "Alex, the emo freak who would be better off dead!" He yelled, anger flooding him, along with all the memories. He suddenly felt that this had been a bad idea- he could feel himself slipping back into that place, the one he'd visited for all of his relapses.

"I had to pull myself of that hole. But you know what?" He laughed, almost manically, throwing his arms up. "This is the real me. The broken guy who's covered in scars and who shouldn't be left alone with sharp objects! Not the bubbly guy who dances and who's addicted to caffeine." He lowered his arms slowly. At that point, something inside him broke. He didn't know if he wanted to cry or scream and shout. He knew what he wanted to do- something that was neither of the above.

"I'm a walking disaster." His voice held both emotions- anger and misery.



Ollie was almost hyperventilating when he heard a familiar voice. Amanda appeared in the room. "Ollie!" If he could have, he would have stopped his power. But it was beyond his control, forced into overdrive by his panic. She managed to get near him and placed a hand on his arm. The physical contact calmed him a little. Nobody had dared come that close to him in that place. "If you don't calm down, you could hurt yourself!" But hadn't they already hurt him? "Please Ollie... you're ok... you're in a hospital!"

It was hearing his name that sparked something in his brain. He put his head on his knees and screwed his eyes shut tight as he took a few deep breaths, trying to lower his heart rate. He was fine. He was safe. Amanda was here. She wouldn't let them touch him. Slowly, but surely, he heard the clatter of metal objects hitting the ground and he became aware of his power. The doctors seemed to realise that he had calmed down and approached him, using the same tone one would expect to hear from a person dealing with a frightened animal. They put their hands around his arm to help him stand as he opened his eyes. But he found his hand reaching for Amanda's... He needed something, or someone familiar.

Still speaking words of comfort, the doctors helped him into bed and returned the various needles to his arm. "I'm sorry." He muttered.



As she found Corr, an alarm started blaring somewhere. She smirked a little as the nurse ordered him to sit back down. He chuckled a little as she felt a slight tug on her piercings. "Well... seems our own magnet is awake." He muttered. She grinned at him as he said, "You look adorable Pinky."

"What are you going to do if I die my hair again? You seem rather attached to that nickname." She remarked, leaning against the wall. "Nurse, is he still alive?" She asked, her face dead straight and her voice the same. The nurse looked at her, trying to read her. "Considering he's still talking, I think so." Hayley laughed. "I like this one!"

Her smile changed slightly, becoming flirty. Butterflies flickered in her stomach as she allowed her eyes to dip. "In that case... I do believe you owe me a kiss, Mr Blackheart."