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"I'M NOT LYING!" RAY CRIED, EL PUTTING A HAND ON SEB'S SHOULDER AS SHE STARED AT THE MAN. "I swear... he trusts me." Ray whimpered, looking to El and Seb. "I'll take you to him." Ray declared, Kali not agreeing. "If he's alive, Jane will find him. Just as she found you." She spat, putting her hands on Seb's shoulders. "I believe you have been in this position before, Ray." She spoke, El looking to Seb as he kept his eyes on Ray. "No, please." The man begged, Seb letting a tear fall as he remembered Dr Brenner's cold hands on his shoulder and the scratching around his neck. The collar- "Do it, Jacob." Kali spoke from behind Seb, the boy remembering how the man hurt his Mother. "You didn't do it last time-" El jumped when twenty tendrils connected to Ray's neck, the man choking as he was lifted slightly. "Not too quick." Kali advised, El following Seb when Ray was dragged slowly across the floor.

"He wasn't so generous with your mother." Kali spoke, Seb's breathing quickening as he added a bit more pressure, Ray guttering before El tapped Seb's shoulder. The boy followed her train of sight to see a picture frame of Ray with two girls. His daughters. Kali was confused when some of the tendrils disappeared, the rest following after as Kali looked to Seb. "What's wrong, Jacob?" She asked, Axel coming through to the room. "We got a problem." He spoke, Dottie nodding. "Kids in the apartment." El and Seb looking to one another as Ray gasped for his breath back. "Please..." Ray begged, Kali making Seb face her. "Did he show your mother mercy? No. You had your chance long ago, Jacob. This is one to prove yourself." She spoke, El looking down at Ray as he cried. "No, please." The man begged further, Kali not standing down.

"He took her from you two. Without hesitation." She spoke, Seb realising she was trying to make them both angry to kill Ray. The man begged further, Axel stepping forward. "We've got to go, K. They called the cops." The man spoke, Kali turning to him. "We finish this first." She shot back, El putting a hand on Seb's shoulder in comfort. "Now!" Kali yelled to the twins. "Please..." Ray sobbed, Seb not being able to do it. Kali realised this, pulling out a gun and pointing it at Ray's face. El then flicked her head to the side, Kali's gun throwing itself out of the window. Kali only looked to the twins in disappointment, Seb glaring right back at her. Police sirens wailed, coming closer as Dottie and Axel moved past therm. "Kali, we've got to go!" Axel spoke, Seb dragging El along after him as Kali watched them leave.

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SEB AND EL SAT IN SILENCE IN THE ROOM KALI HAD GIVEN THEM, EL STARING AT THE GROUND AS SEB
RESTED HIS EYES. Kali then knocked on the door, the twins looking to her. "May I sit?" She asked softly, Seb moving more towards El and nodding, as did El. Kali nodded too, moving to sit in front if the two as Seb turned to be next to El. "I was just like you two, you know?" She asked, the two staying silent. "That's why I'm hard on you, because I see you both in my past mistakes. Seb only rearranged the dinosaur stuffed animal in his arms, keeping it. "They were kids." El spoke up, clutching her flannel as Kali sighed. "Does that excuse that man's sins? Were we not also children?" Kali spoke, Seb sighing and looking away as Kali looked to him. "I remember the day I came to the rainbow room and you were gone. Both of you." She spoke, Seb looking back to the girl. "So, when my gifts were strong enough, I used them to escape."

"And I ran. I ran away as far as I could. And it was there, far away, that I found a place to hide. A family. A home. Just like you two and your policeman. But they couldn't help me. So, eventually, I lost them, too. So, I decided to play the part. To stop hiding. To use my gifts against those who hurt us. You are both faced with the same fate." Kali informed, both twins looking to her as El had tears in her eyes, Seb holding her hand. "Go back into hiding and hope they don't find you. Fight, and face them again." Kali spoke, Seb sighing again. "Face who?" He asked, Kali looking at the boy. "The man who calls himself our father." She answered, El squeezing onto Seb's hand. "Papa is dead." El spat, Seb agreeing. "That man tonight disagreed." Seb's face dropped, the two turning to see none other than Dr Brenner stood in the doorway. "You're not real." El spoke shyly as she stood up, Seb standing too.

"All this time? And neither of you have looked for me?" The man asked, Seb gulping as they walked closer to him. "Why?" Dr Brenner continued, Kali standing behind the twins. "Because you thought I was dead? Or because you were afraid of what you might find?" He asked, Seb standing in front of El. "Go away." The boy spoke, Dr Brenner smiling down at him. "Ah, Subject Seven. Always so protective." Dr Brenner spoke as he walked forward slightly, El pulling Seb back a bit. "You both have to confront your pain." Dr Brenner spoke, tears gathering in Seb's eyes when Dr Brenner brought the collar out. "You both have terrible wounds. And it's festering. Do you remember what that means? Festering?" Dr Brenner backed the twins back into the room as they sat on the edge of the bed. "It means a rot." Dr Brenner continued, crouching before them both as Kali stood behind him.

"And it will grow. Spread." Dr Brenner's voice echoed as he spun the collar around near Seb's face. "Get out of our head." El whispered weakly, Dr Brenner still there. "And eventually, it will kill you." Kali flinched slightly when Seb jumped up, feeling the collar around his neck again. The lights flickered as Dr Brenner disappeared, Kali moving around to face them as El cried, Seb doing the same. "This isn't a prison. You're always free to return to your policeman." Kali spoke, El watching as Seb stormed out, Kali watching him too. "You can both stay and avenge your Mother. Me, you and Jacob will heal our wounds together." Kali spoke before walking away, El watching her leave before crying more. Seb decided to get some fresh air, causing him to sit outside and watch as the tall buildings shone, holding his neck. He smiled lightly when cars drove by, the sound calming. The boy started to get suspicious when multiple cars sounded, along with red and blue lights.

The lights caused Seb's eyes to widen, the boy scrambling up and running around the fence. "Stop right there!" A man yelled, Seb panicking when two men pointed guns at him. The group inside the building fell quiet when a red shine lit up the windows, a crash and a yell heard. "Seb." El spoke, letting go of her flannel and rushing downstairs as Seb sprinted into the building. "What the hell?!" Mick exclaimed, Seb breathless as he rushed up to El's room. The two met on the stairs, everyone looking to them. "Bad people. Here. A lot of them." He spoke, Kali rushing and grabbing the twin's hands as policemen chased after her. "Don't move!" A man yelled, the three sprinting away as the group ran away too. Kali met up with the group, stopping them. "Shh!" She spoke, El hugging Seb as they all stayed silent, watching the officers search the room as if they weren't there.

Once they had gone, Kali led the group back down to the van, the police seeing them. "Jane, Jacob!" Kali yelled, the twins rushing to them as did the policemen outside. "Hey!" They yelled, Axel shooting back at them. "Hurry!" Kali urged, the group sitting behind the van as El leant her head on Seb's chest, the boy breathing fast. Axel turned back, shooting randomly as the officers crouched down. "Do something, Kal. Do something!" Axel spoke, the gunshots falling silent as El lifted her head. The officers only made sounds of confusion as the group got into the van. Seb was about to go in when El held him back, the boy confused. "They're in trouble. Mike's in trouble." She spoke, Seb looking to her confused. "What-" "Jacob, Jane! Come on!" Kali yelled, the two looking back to her. Seb only looked back to El, the girl nodding to him. "Give me my mask." Seb spoke, Dottie wasting no time in chucking the mask to him, thinking he was going to do something cool to the officers.

"We have to go back. I'm sorry." El informed, Kali shocked as Seb made no objection. "Our friends are in danger." El continued, Seb nodding. "This is no time for a talk. We have to go right now!" Axel leaned out of the van, El and Seb walking backwards as Kali looked at them with hurt. "Your Mother sent you two here for a reason, remember? We all belong together." Kali spoke, El shaking her head. "There's nothing for either of you back there. They cannot save you." She spoke, El sighing. "No. But we can save them." She spoke, Seb nodding as he put his sunglasses on, genuinely liking them. "Jacob... Jane!" Kali yelled as Seb pulled El to walk away. "Back to the bus?" He asked, El nodding as they looked back at Kali before running away. The gunshots increased as El and Seb ran, the latter clicking as the gates they ran out of slammed shut.

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SEB LOOKED AT THE CEILING OF THE BUS AS EL SAT NEXT TO HIM, STARING OUT OF THE WINDOW. "You two okay?" Both twins turned to see a woman in the seat next to Seb. You two were looking a little forlorn there. Mind if I join you?" She asked, Seb nodding as she was practically already sat there. "You two are both awfully young to be travelling alone, aren't you?" She asked, El looking away as Seb looked to her. "You two are quite the chatterboxes." The woman joked, Seb looking back to her. "Where are you two sweeties headed?" She asked, El looking too Seb. "We're going to our friends." El answered, Seb holding her hand and nodding.

"We're going home."

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[1776 words!]

Hope you enjoyed!!

Byeeee!