Forest: I wrote this for english. She gave us a picture of a guy on a bridge screaming and told us to write something telling how he got there. I came up with this.

Itachi: Everyone else's were, like, one to two pages on noteboook paper. This is six in word.

Forest: SHUT UP.

Sometimes Leo would question his decision to move in with Alex, along with Sarah and Roy. They all knew why they did it, to spare their wallets from the huge phone bills they’d rack up if she continued to call them whenever she got a nightmare, but it was nice to be able to comfort her physically.

Like tonight, while Leo lay on his back, staring at his ceiling, contemplating their position, when the ear splitting screams that accompanied Alex’s nightmares pierced through the silent night. Moving swiftly, and almost automatically, Leo leapt out of bed, clad only in his boxers, and dash across the hall to Alex’s room. Bursting into the room, he saw Alex writhing and screaming as the nightmare wracked her brain. His long legs carried him across the room in three strides and he carefully scooped the girl into his arms and hugged her tightly to his chest. A quick glance towards the door told him that Roy and Sarah had joined him, though they stood silently in the doorway. Leo smoothed Alex’s dark blond hair and whispered words of comfort to ease her back from the prophetic nightmare that had its cruel grip on her subconscious. It might be harder this time; she hadn’t had a vision in a while.

The housing arrangement also proved to be very useful in another aspect. One month and three weeks earlier, another one of Alex’s nightmares had sent her crashing to the floor, and she’d cut her forehead on the edge of her desk. They were tending her in the kitchen, and Sarah had been cleaning the wound. Alex had winced in pain, and Sarah mentioned something about how she was sorry for causing her best friend pain, but there was no other way. The words had barely left her mouth when her hand began to glow purple and the gash on Alex’s forehead disappeared. There was much shouting and shrieking as they all tried to figure out what had happened, all the while Alex was screaming about how that had happened in her nightmare, and the kitchen was plunged into a bout of chaos. This was temporarily ceased when a short, round, slightly balding man appeared with a loud pop. The four teenagers stared at him for a second before the shrieking and shouting and screaming about the nightmare continued. He barked at them to shut up, and they did so, rather abruptly, and somewhat against their will. A short, rather one-sided conversation followed, which basically told them some very disturbing and life changing news.

They were Gifted with terribly strong magical powers.

Needless to say, this did not blow over very well.

But the short balding man, who’s name they learned was Myles Olua, managed to calm them down enough to explain that he would help train them in their powers and that it really wasn’t so bad, seeing as most of the demons they would be sent to kill didn’t really come out anymore. They sat quietly, absorbing the information, before smiling and welcoming him to the family.

One nightmare-less, but rather tiring month later, Myles gave them some more depressing news. The Vizcaya, an evil organization comprised of some very angry half-demons, had recently re-awakened after a 100 year slumber and had made it their new mission in life to kill the four teens by sucking out their souls and at the same time, taking their powers. They handled it a little better than they would have a month ago, but Myles’ ears were still ringing for about an hour afterwards.

Six days later, Alex had a nightmare about Myles dying.

24 hours later, Myles Olua was found on their doorstep, his jugular slashed and a message scrawled in his blood. It read; “You’re next.”

That had been a week ago.

Leo loosened his grip on Alex slightly as her screams stopped and her body stilled. She leaned her head against his chest, breathing heavily. It was then that Roy and Sarah joined them on Alex’s bed, Sarah petting her hair, and Roy clasping her hand. Leo stared down at her, watching as her breathing evened and her eyes fluttered open. “Leo?” She whispered.

“Hey,” he greeted softly. As she stared at him, her eyes filled with tears and she buried her head in his chest, her hand gripping his upper arm in a vice-like grip. “ Hey, there, ’Lex, what’s wrong?” He murmured. She didn’t usually cry after her visions.

“They’re coming,” She sobbed. Sarah gasped and Roy’s eyes became chips of ice. “They’re coming for us, we’re going to die.” Her tears came harder, running down his chest from where her face was pressed against it.

Leo’s arms tightened around her, and his eyes hardened. “We’re not going to die.” He growled. They all looked at him, vague surprise scrawled across their faces.

“But, Leo,” Sarah whispered, her voice shaking a little. “They’re too powerful. Myles never finished training us,” Her throat caught as she said his name. “We could never win against them.”

“Then we run,” Leo stated quietly.

“Run?!” Roy repeated hoarsely. “Leo, that’s idiotic.”

“Oh, and why is that?”

“It’d never work!” Roy cried. “Where are we going to run too?! Even if we could get out of the country, they’d find us. We can’t run forever.”

“So, what, we’re going to sit here and accept death?!” Leo snarled. “We’re not going to die without a fight. We’re not giving up.”

Sarah placed a hand on Roy’s shoulder, “Leo’s right. We can’t give up, we have to try.”

Roy smoldered for a minute, and then sighed. “You’re right, I suppose.” He looked at Leo. “So what’s the plan?”

Leo smiled grimly. “We have to get out of the country, obviously. Go somewhere not a lot of people know about. Once we’re safe, we can try to get in contact with the Society, tell them about Myles and request a new mentor. Then we can train as hard as we can until we can beat the Vizcaya.” He sighed. “For now, though, pack a small bag, bring as little as you can. Sarah?” the purple haired girl looked at him. “Pack food and supplies, please.” She nodded and left. “Roy, pack some things for yourself and Sarah. Remember, pack light.” The boy nodded and left as well. Leo sighed and looked down. Alex was staring up at him, he’d completely forgotten he was holding her. “OH! Alex, I’m sorry, I forgot I was…” He trailed off, face reddening slightly.

She chuckled and laid her head against his shoulder. “So are you going to let me go?”

He stared at the top of her head. “Do you want me to?”

She snuggled closer to his body, which made it hard for him to think clearly, and when she spoke, her voice was muted by the need for sleep. “Not particularly.” Leo attempted to stammer a response, but she was already asleep. He sighed and laid her down on the bed, No sense in waking her.

THREE DAYS LATER.

Sarah sobbed, glowing hands pressed against the hole in Roy’s chest, desperately trying to heal the wound made by the Vizcaya’s lightening bolt. The fabled half demons were even more fearsome than Myles had said. Staggeringly tall and dressed in long black cloaks, their faces were hidden by high collars. Myles had told them that if the only time the Vizcaya showed their face was to suck out the soul of the victim.

The one that had attacked them had shot lightning out of blue, clawed hands, one of the blots striking Roy squarely in the chest. Sarah had screamed and dived for her fallen love and began to try to heal him, which was hopeless. His life was already gone. Sarah collapsed on him, sobbing openly.

Alex screamed over her shoulder, “SARAH! It’s too late for Roy, we need your help!” she thrust her palm out towards the Vizcaya, sending a jet of pure energy at it, sending it flying backwards a few feet.

Sarah stood slowly, anger radiating off her, tears still streaming from her eyes. Her clenched fists were surrounding by crackling white-hot energy. Walking at a slow, determined pace, she made her way past Leo and Alex, and growled at the Vizcaya.

“Sarah?!” Alex shouted. “What are you doing?! SARAH!”

The Vizcaya chuckled in a grating, icy voice, “Do you intend to avenge your lover? Stupid girl.”

“You will pay!” Sarah snarled, leaping at the Vizcaya, thrusting one white-hot fist out, and punching a hole through its shoulder. It howled and Alex screamed as it shoved one clawed hand up and through Sarah’s stomach, skewering her. She coughed up blood, eyes wide and shocked.

Alex clung to Leo to avoid falling as the Vizcaya gripped Sarah’s chin with its free hand. Anticipating what was coming next, Leo grabbed Alex, and hugged her tightly, blocking her view of the Vizcaya as the collar parted and it sucked out Sarah’s soul. “Alex, we have to get out of here.” She was shaking, crying and muttering under her breath, clearly not the least bit coherent. Leo growled slightly and scooped the blond girl up in his arms and ran as far and fast as he could.

He only stopped when he physically could not run any more. He’d come to a series of caves at the base of a mountain. Selecting one, he carried Alex inside it and set her down gently. She stared past him, unseeing, muttering unintelligible things, tears coursing down her face. “Alex,” He said sadly, placing a hand on her cheek. She turned her head a bit, staring in his eyes, hers wide, scared and wet with tears. He leaned his forehead against hers, whispering, “Please come back, don’t leave me alone. Please, please. I need you, ‘Lex.”

The mutterings slowed, and then, “Leo?”

Her gripped her face in both hands, “Yes, Alex it’s me!”

“Oh, Leo,” She whispered. “they’re gone.”

He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb. “Yeah, yeah they are.” He pressed his forehead to hers again, “But we’re still alive. We can go on, survive, and avenge them.” He pulled her into his lap, cradling her, as they cried themselves to sleep.

TWO DAYS LATER

He didn’t know why he was still running. What did it matter? He had nothing left. Alex, Sarah, and Roy were all dead, slaughtered by the Vizcaya. They were coming for him next, more powerful than before, though only two of the four were left. Leo had managed to kill the ones that had killed his companions, but now his strength had run out. It was all hopeless, really. He couldn’t outrun them and he couldn’t survive in a fight against them. His body was exhausted, battered and broken, yet it carried him foreword, against all logic.

He found himself on a low bridge across a swiftly flowing river. He collapsed against the railings, covered in blood, left arm limp by his side. He felt the Vizcaya approaching, but he couldn’t bring himself to run. Some part of him knew he was going to die there, trapped in the nightmare his life had turned into. He was utterly terrified, and yet he couldn’t do anything.

The Vizcaya were upon him, leering down at him through parted collars. “He’s near death, this shouldn’t be hard,” One murmured coolly. Leo growled, but couldn’t move. The Vizcaya chuckled. “Still feisty. You really should give up, youngling. You’re going to die.”

“I know that,” Leo panted. “And I don’t care. I’ve got nothing left, you’ve taken everything. Just go ahead and do it.” A tremor of fear wracked his body as The Vizcaya lowered themselves towards him. A scream of pain escaped his mouth as the sucked his soul and his powers out. A flooding sense of relief swamped him as he felt his life slip away and the darkness close in.

When the Society of Magic finally learned of all the things that had happened, the dispatched their best officers to capture and destroy the last of the Vizcaya, which they managed to do eventually.

Leo Thompson, Alex Wyatt, Roy Jackson and Sarah Davis were buried together on December 31st. Their families never learned the truth behind their deaths, all they knew was that they died heroes.