Purpose

A second, even larger explosion wracked the earth, but Violet ran forward ignoring it. There was a reason they had all came out of the vehicle mostly unscathed, Kieren had absorbed the blast, thus protecting them. He was standing twenty feet ahead a tower of flames surrounding him as two pursuers attacked recklessly. A third attacker lay dead on the ground.

Violet clenched her teeth once more, Kieren was the only one not injured. He stood tall, a cunning smirk on his face. To her left she could see Alex on the ground, blood pooling from her left forearm, a chuck of it threatening to fall off. No way in hell two accomplices of a mere sociopath could injure Alex so heavily with Kieren protecting, or cause such an effective explosion with such little warning. The entire scenario screamed professional team.

The twins emerged on either side of her and she watched relieved as they moved the earth below Kieren's feet pulling him to them.

The attackers, laughing in an eerie manner vanished into the trees, "stop coming to me!" Kieren's twin daggers appeared as he issued commands, "everybody move to Violet, Ted, Tom, shield us for a moment."

The twins moved together hands reaching for the sky concluding in a cupping motion, as Alex and Zen ran into the circle dragging a bloodied Dimotrox with her. In a mere instant the twins had created a rock dome all around them, the moment it encased them Violet let her light out healing every single injury in her group.

Kieren's eyes landed on Violet, there was no need for words, she understood. They would have a talk about how she recognized the markers and furthermore, knew what they were, now was simply not the time. He looked to the rest, "Our objective remains unchanged, wether these attackers are Dimitrox's followers or not does not matter, we will get to Solis Lake."

Alex looked to her leader, "The Jeep, it's wrecked! What do we-?"

"There was another vehicle, we could use it if it's in better condition," Ted supplied shaking blood from a no longer existing injury.

"I don't think we should use a vehicle."

They all looked to Violet, she elaborated, "we are sitting ducks in a car, not to mention we have no idea how many of them there are. We all move faster and more efficiently than most normal humans ever could, so even though we are about a forty-five minute run from H.Q. I think it best we run."

Kieren looked to his team, "I also personally believe we should not use the vehicle, but if any of you have a better idea I'm willing to listen."

Tom grimaced from the ground, "I agree that we would be in more danger in a car, but what are we do to do with Dimitrox? Are we still thinking these are his people? They seem... efficient? I didn't sense the attack until it was upon us..." he looked at Kieren confused, "I don't know what's going on Kill."

Kieren furrowed his brows, "If these are not his people, well that makes Violet's assertion even more valid. We move in teams of two, keep within each other sights and call out any attackers you see. Violet and Alex, you two run behind, that gives you a vantage point to heal as we go."

Zen stretched, "we should at least identify the bodies in the standing vehicle, then we will have a better idea of what we are up against. What's more bothersome, in my eyes, is that when the Ruenen sends trainees out on missions they have teams on standby, for rare unforeseen occasions such as this. Why haven't they come?"

"Well it's obvious isn't it?"

They all looked to Violet, she seemed exasperated, "the barrier, they won't know that we are missing because they can't see us. Not to mention, since we aren't retreating we've no choice but to go forward past the next set of marking trees and out into where they can spot us. We should move, by what they've shown us, a dome like this should be easy to destroy."

Zen looked to Violet uncomfortably, Violet, who did not yield glared back at him, Kieren touched Violet's shoulder gently a knowing look in his eyes. "Ted, you will be in charge of Dimitrox, put him on a rock and float him beside you. Zen will shadow you and intercept all attacks. Tom, you and I lead the front, I want your all today. Worst case scenario, if they are gaining territory, I'll call for you all to split from me and I'll take them."

Violet raised her eyebrows, "you'll take them? Is there something I'm not aware of here?"

The cocky grin returned, Violet wanted to smack him, despite the situation Kieren had continued to walk with the swagger that so selfishly yelled his name. "Do you remember the incident with the armored bear Violet?" Alex chuckled, "well when he really fights the aftershocks are much worse, we can't stand too close, so he calls for us to back off if he ever intends to get serious."

Kieren touched Violet's chin tenderly a clear contrast with the lustful play in his eyes, "you're in great hands Violet, I'm very capable."

He shot the twins a stern glance and the dome disappeared back into the earth. They ran to the attackers vehicle, there was nothing wrong with it. It had stopped dead in the road simply because all the member's throat's had been slit.

Alex sighed, she pulled her hair back into a knot as the rain continued its downpour, "Judging by the panicked look on Dimitrox's face these were his guys."

Kieren tapped his earpiece, "no matter, let's move."

It was a grisly war zone, blood splattered across the terrain, trees, and rocks. They charged forward constantly changing directions and calling out strikers as they approached.

Violet, whose keen eyes seemed to spot them from afar was quickly moved to run at center-point.

Violet glanced up ahead, in all of fifteen minutes she had used her abilities to heal the twins twice and Alex and Zen once each. Their team work was excellent, rocks coated in fire propelled by Alex rained down on assailants. She had spotted twelve different faces, four of which had already been eliminated, and established that they were using the rain, and a sort of guerrilla warfare tactic to keep them moving. It felt as though they were being herded. There had to be reason for this.

Violet let out a yelp, the ground directly in front of her opened up ready to swallow her. A shaft of wind picked her up and tossed her over, midair Violet turned her head and smiled at Alex who winked.

"On your left Alex, stop now!"

Alex managed to stop at just the right moment as an arrow scratched a mark across her nose. The attacker, a young male in a tree let out an ear splitting scream as the tree he was perched on engulfed in flames. A second intruder died as Alex's revolver appeared in his face.

Alex picked up the pace whispering a "thanks" to Kieren as she ran. Violet focused her gaze up ahead once more, as much as the attacks were cumbersome, they weren't accomplishing much. Violet was too powerful of a healer and Kieren, Kieren was in his own world. Violet was impressed, he moved with such dangerous ease, daggers coming and going mixing with lighting, turning into flames, vanishing into flesh and reappearing back in his arms. She watched him land a powerful kick, watched the flames emerge and his opponent disintegrate, he would be dangerous to face.

Realization crashed into her as a rumble sounded across the sky, the assailants would never accomplish anything unless they disabled Kieren. As they had run, an effective gap had been created between them and their leader, his ability called for that. The attackers knew that. Violet's eyes frantically scanned the landscape, her breath froze, up ahead, on that hill.

The older woman was perched on the hill watching as her target neared, Violet watched as her arms stretched out. Sigils created a bow and arrow, not physical, extremely powerful. Violet gasped, she felt her teammates eyes turn to her, she opened her mouth and whispered "Kieren, No."

Kieren's eyes turned to her from afar. The rain froze and Violet aware that they were calling to her ignored them. Feeling the burn in her lungs she bolted past the twins, past Zen, past and over an attacker snapping his neck. She watched the arrow fly, Kieren's confused face as she neared him. With a last push she flung into Kieren, her hands connected with his chest and with a soft smile she flung him up and as far as she could, "Tell them to pull back Kieren. Get them"

The light struck Violet full on, with a large thump she crashed rolling into the ground. Kieren stopped rage clouding his gaze, he whipped around and made eye contact with the woman. The attackers panicked and they yelled for retreat, it had failed.

Violet rose to her fest shaking, hearing a multitude of voices in her ear.

"Are you okay?!?"

Violet didn't get a chance to answer, the floor beneath her crumbled and she fell fifty feet down into a cavern. She heard the rage, his voice, "All of you, get back now!"

Up far above, lightening was running rampant destroying rocks, upturning trees, giving a voice to the wind, even below she could feel it's rage.

It was beautiful.

Violet rolled over on her side and bit back a yell, there was a branch in her calf, her right wrist was crushed and she could feel blood seeping from broken ribs. Using her left hand she pulled a sharp shard of rock from her clavicle. She took in a soft exhale and closed her eyes as she tried to lift the slab mulling her wrist.

In a matter of seconds all those who had not fled far enough lay dead, Kieren's team regrouped above the hole with Alex shouting, "what the hell was that light?"

"I don't know." Kieren looked to Violet expecting an answer.

Upon noticing that Violet had not emerged they all jumped down.

It was dimly lit and dusty, Ted called out, "hey Violet, when you get a chance my arm is broken."

They stopped in their tracks, a trail of blood led them to her. Violet had dragged herself from her initial landing spot and was leaning against a rock. She was heavily injured but met their gaze head on. Kieren, angry moved forward, "that's enough Violet heal yourself, we need to get going."

Violet smiled a genuine gently smile, full of affection, Kieren blanched a blush rising to his face, she pressed her mauled hand tighter into her ribs and in a soft voice answered, "I can't, the light..." another gentle breath, "I can't heal myself."