Why is it so dark? Am I not in the van anymore? And where are those damned soldiers? Numerous questions hit me like a wave-making my head sway right and left from the huge amount of drugs they gave me. I tried to sense my superpowers to see whether these drugs did affect it and could barely sense it. I was too weak and my powers felt as if they were locked and chained in the back of my head. But that won't do, I have to do something right now. I have to get the hell out of here and figure out where are Ted and Nick… if-if they were alive.

NO, NO! No negative thoughts, of course, they are alive. They have to!

I willed myself to get up off the cold metallic floor, forcing my legs to take a grip and hold my weight. It was a struggle at first as with every movement I feel nauseous and my head spins. Is that what humans feel when they get drunk? We, the tatts never get drunk no matter what we do so I would never experience that feeling but I am pretty sure that feeling is similar to what I am going through right now.

Slowly, my hands roamed the walls of the dark closed place I was in until they stumbled upon what I assumed was a door that hopefully would be my way out of this dark hole. I searched for a handle and found a metallic one. Crossing my fingers that these soldiers are dumb enough that they left it unlocked, my fingers curled around it pulling at the handle and BINGO! They are that dumb.

My lips curled into a triumphant smile as I dragged the heavy door open a bit and my eyes scanned the area around me. I could hear voices but not near me. I seemed to be in the middle of the forest. Where the hell are they taking me? And why are they leaving me all alone here? Don't they know that rouges from the werewolves realm could be hiding among these trees as they allied with our eccentrics to take most of the realms down?

I sighed as I got off the deserted van, my heart seeming in an erratic state with my weak powers and my eyes roaming everywhere as my ears were on alert. You can do it, Ava! If you found a rouge or an eccentric, you definitely can take them down.

Liar!

I may be a badass sometimes but I am still a lone tatt that her powers got locked from and I am definitely not in the appropriate shape nor have the suitable body muscles to take them down. Rouges are soulless animals and they would cut my throat open with one snap, while the Eccentrics are a tatt the same as us who also belongs to the tatted realm -our realm- but the difference here that they were born with no superpowers, they only had the tattoos that help them find their other half -their mates- but other than that they can be considered humans from the human realm as they also get easily drunk and are weak the same as humans. They can't even read their other half's mind as once you find your mate you both can invade each other's thoughts all the time and no matter what barrier you put up to prevent them access to your thoughts it won't stop your mate from hearing your thoughts. It's sad it really is but some eccentrics make their peace and live peacefully among us while others go nuts and try to hurt all the tatts even the eccentric tatts that live with us.

Anyway, pulling my big girl panties up I start walking slowly towards the far voices that I hear. The forest looks really super scary at night especially when I am all alone and without my powers. I mean I can feel them start surfacing slowly but it would be really hard to use them and make some real damage if I really want to.

There! Finally, I found those dipshits who drugged me! The bunch of soldiers seemed to be having a break as they sat around lit wooden blocks and ate pizza which sure as heck was made by someone's superpowers. Whoever had the superpower of imagining stuff and turn them real, I really do envy him because how cool would that be to simply imagine different kind of chocolates -which I crave so damn much each time I have my period especially after midnight- then boom you find all these tasty chocolates in front of you. If I was that lucky!

Focus Ava! Chocolates aren't our main focus now. We need to take those assholes out and find our men.

True! And with this newfound determination, my eyes started scanning the happily chatting soldiers that were dumb enough and left me with no guarding, trying to come up with a plan of what the hell will I do to get rid of them. There wasn't really anything to do except one thing which is using my powers and fry their heads until I burn those useless brains of theirs. It would be tough considering their huge number and with my superpowers still not stable but I also have an advantage that they still think I am passed out on the van's dirty floor at least until I set my plan on the motion. So, let's give it a shot.

Taking deep breaths and adjusting my place behind the thick leaves I am hiding behind, I start gathering my powers and with all my might I willed my body and mind to focus on those damn soldiers and nothing else. I will fry them up, I will fucking do it!

And with that last thought, their pitiful screams started filling my ears and what a beautiful melody was it! Already, I was feeling my body weakening as the drugs they gave me were still in my system, not to mention that I was fucking hungry so basically I am using the bits of my energy on them. But it was all worth it as bodies started hitting the ground and who were still standing had their ears bleeding or noses and that was a sign that I was so close to ending them. Just a bit more, hang in there Av and soon they will all be dead. I started pep-talking myself as my knees hit the dirty ground. I was tired, so damn tired but I had to go on. For Ted and Nick. For our freedom.

"Ahh!" I yelled in pain as I felt something sting me in the neck. Not fucking again! I mentally screamed in my head as my body hit the ground and I feel my grip on my powers completely slip. Lifting my eyes to the culprit who stung me with these freaking drugs again, my eyes met Commander Stephy whose semi wrinkled face as he was in his middle fifties scowled down at me. "Can't live without me, can you?" For the past year he has been hunting me down, it was like he is obsessed with me.

"What should I do with you Ava?" He sighed from above me and I started feeling my eyelids getting heavy as they were so weak to stay open.

"L-let me g-go." Was that my voice? It was so low and scratchy! Man up Ava! Man up and wake the fuck up!

I saw him shake his head at me as I tried my best to fight the sleep but as usual, I lost to the darkness.

***

Someone was nudging me. Someone is so freaking annoying that they can't leave me the fuck alone in my awesome dream with that hot naked surfer that I was skinny dipping within the beach.

"Wake up!" Things were just getting steamy and whoever this is was so determined to wake me the fuck up.

"Ava!" Another voice. A familiar one. I know that voice. Whose voice is th—Fucking Commander Stephy! I mentally groaned as memories of what happened started flashing my head then my eyes shot open and my body sat alarmed.

"Asshole!" I growled as my bottled anger was set free and I was so ready to kill all of those motherfuckers for what they did to us. "I was so generous with you for the past years because you had a special place in my heart but now…" I was ready to bounce on the old man who can't seem to let me go when everything started spinning and I lost my balance to find myself caught by two soldiers. I looked at commander Stephy with accusing eyes. "What did you do to me?"

His wrinkled annoying face held an amused look as his eyes watched me. Does he find my misery amusing? "I did nothing to you, Ava. It's just your body is so weak from the lack of food and water combined with all the drugs we put you on to keep you asleep till we arrive at our destination."

"What is our destination exactly?" I gritted out still not able to hold myself up.

"It's where I have been trying to take you and your friends since we got the order to catch some runaway teenagers." He said. "But because I know about…" he cleared his throat as there seemed to be a bit of hesitation and his eyes softened. Why the heck the sudden change? If only my superpowers were present! "About your situation and the reason you ran away, I decided with the force to bring you here where it will be safer and a better place for you."

I narrowed my eyes at him. trying to understand where he is coming from. I know what he meant about my situation. Pretty much half of the city where Nick and I first met and where I grew up knew about the situation and I hated it. I hated this. It angers the hell out of me because everybody wanted to be in my shoes when the situation just creeped me out. Only a few -including Nick- understood me and why I dreaded it.

"There will be no place safe for us except far away from you people!" I spat. Even if I saw the sincerity in his eyes, I hated that he pitied me. Not to mention that who went to the police so that they could catch me and Nick were the main reason why we ran away. No force would keep hunting down two teenagers including a commander in the process for three years and a half if it wasn't for some big influence who they didn't to disappoint and I know who exactly is that big influencer that can't seem to let me or Nick go. Especially me.

If commander Stephy was honest, then Nick and I will certainly be away from what we ran from or rather who. But I still can't seem to trust him that easily.

"Commander Stephan," A soldier called from behind him. "They are ready for her." Ready for me?

My mind was alarmed as my eyes met my captor. But unlike all these past years when I briefly stumbled into him, his eyes this time held a soft emotion that I couldn't pin out as his thin lips that were covered with bushy mustache resembled an also soft smile. "Trust me, Ava." Then I felt someone invade my mind and I had a pretty good idea who was that.

'This will be my last job in the force.' Commander Stephy's voice rang in my head as his eyes stayed connected with mine. 'I couldn't retire until I made sure you are safe. So, please don't cause trouble.' He knew me too well by now.

I let out a harsh breath as I replied weakly through our mind link, 'Fine.'

Then he ushered the soldiers holding me by the arms to follow him while they were basically dragging my body. I was really tired to walk on my own. Can't they hold me up? Maybe bridal style so that I would be more comfortable?

We started walking away from the van and black cars that we probably came in and as my eyes looked in front of me wherever the hell he took me started to appear in my sight of view.

Woah! That was some damn enormous building! it could pass as a castle, actually, it is a castle! Can't wait to see the landscape surrounding this damn castle.

We walked closer to that enormous castle and with every step, closer we took that castle seemed to get larger if that even possible until we finally stood in front of it also enormous iron gates which will be really hard for me to climb if I wanted to run away from here too once I found Nick and Ted. They should be here too right?

"Welcome," I didn't notice the woman with red hair that was styled into a pixie cut. She had fair skin with golden eyes and golden nails. Like real fucking gold! Which made me curious about her powers. She also wore a red formal suit that suited her perfectly. I was going to check out her legs to complete the look when her voice stopped me from going any farther. "You must be Ava."

I met her exotic golden eyes and lifted a brow at her. "What is it you?" I heard commander Stephy sigh beside me as the woman's eyes widened probably taken aback from that outcome but she refreshed pretty fast as if it was nothing when her cherry red lips curved into a smirk.

"I see." She said as her eyes watched me guardedly. "We can deal with that commander, you don't have to worry."

"He indeed doesn't have to worry." I scoffed. "You are the one who should be worried." I heard the soldier holding my right arm snore probably trying not to laugh.

"Interesting."The woman in red with golden eyes approached me slowly and I held my head up at her even though I feel like there were dozens of elephants having a marathon in my damn head. "I am Principle Regolda," Principle? "And I officially welcome you to our academy…" Academy! "Warriors Academy."

What the heck? Where the hell am I? my eyes searched for commander Stephy's as I was freaking out. My headache was long forgotten along with my wrecked muscles. "What Academy?" I shouted as I saw their smiling faces. "No! No! no academies! Is that's your idea of a safe place?" I started yelling all while freaking out. This can't be happening. It can't! It just can't! Just then my eyes fell on the iron gates that also held the name of the academy in big bold iron letters.

I looked at the building that they will probably lock and torture me in as my heart started racing.

I am at an academy. Warriors Academy. Warriors fucking Academy!

Being the melodramatic I am, I started shouting at the top of my lungs as the soldiers literally started dragging me into the gates.

"No!" I shouted, my lungs burning up. "Please! I can't! Commander Stephy, please!" they seemed to turn a deaf ear to me as both commander and the red woman were chatting up ahead of us. "Please don't do that!" I yelled, hearing the iron gates close shut behind us. They sounded too heavy, too large. "Please no!" I shouted one last time but it was already late.

I was trapped. Locked.