I am so sorry for being so inconsistent. By the way, I am a Thunderbird and a Ravenclaw :)

Saana~

At first there was just numb shock. The bullet hits my side in a whirlwind of agony as I gasp, and fall to the ground. The world is a kaleidoscope of noise and colour. I can't quite focus on anything, yet at the same time I can sense every sound, every movement, sharper than I ever have before, almost as if my body is trying to make me feel more than I ever have if this truly is my final moment. Pain. Blood. The cool hard floor against my back. My friends kneeling beside me. Fear. Everybody is moving in slow motion. It would be so easy to just let go...

I am suddenly aware of Andy talking to me, recounting stories from when we were younger, from before any of this had ever happened.

"... And remember, when we climbed up onto the roof to escape Leslie, and he kept us there hiding all day because we took his new remote control car and crashed in the sewage! And then..."

I grinned weakly and added, "and when we tried to climb down the other side of the building without him noticing, Ms. Crawford came out and started yelling at us to get down there or she would call our parents, and so we went back up and waited there all day until we got so hungry, we jumped on Leslie and ran inside to get food."

It went on and on like this - Andy would tell all sorts of stories, and eventually I started adding on my own details. The time when I chased his cat up the tree and Leslie had to get it down - and how when Leslie finally grabbed the cat they both fell out of the tree, and the cat never let Leslie pet her again.

As the stories progress my mind becomes clearer, more present now that I have something to focus on I can think. Maybe, maybe, I will survive this.

A shape suddenly looms behind Andy. “Look out!” I gasp. Andy leaps aside just in time to avoid Shaia’s knife. As he whirls around to dodge her second attempt, I close my eyes and breathe deeply. I have to hold on. Have… to hold on…

My mind struggles to stay present as the final battle plays out in front of me.

My phone deleted my post. I'm here, but I'm really frustrated because I wrote a huge long post and now it's gone... I'll post in a few days, probably. 

YES! Thanks, Riddler! You rock! You all rock, guys! Thank you to everyone still here for sticking with Evernaught City through thick and thin. Love you all! 

Zandibar~

The bleeding starts to slow and I whisper some words of relief. They don't really make sense, but I know what I mean. Saana's eyes are brightening, her voice is getting stronger. She's starting to believe in her own survival, and she's going to need that determination. I know she has it in her. She's a tough one, and if anyone can survive, she can.

As I'm wrapping what's left of Dawnstreak's cape around Saana's middle she interupts Rex to gasp, "Look out!"

Just in time, he rolls out of the way of Shaia's knife, aimed at his head. He spins around, dodging another blow, and kicks at her ankles, then leaps to his feet. The kick connects and Shaia staggers, but keeps her footing. Rex lunges for the knife, grips Shaia's wrist, but she manages to elbow him in the face. He reflexively lets go of her wrist, stepping backwards. Shaia slashes with her knife, going for Saana in her vulnerable state. I block the strike with the knife I had been using to cut up bandages, but the impact jars me, making my shoulder throb with pain. I bite my lips together.

"On your guard, Skylock!" yells Dawnstreak, safety rolling out from under the table to intecept Skylar, who's coming in from the side.

The battle rages. It's three against two, but Rex, Dawnstreak, and I have all been badly wounded several times tonight. Plus, we have Saana to protect. We end up in a protective semi-circle around Saana's table, which fortunately is against a wall. We don't have to worry about attacks from behind.

As I parry blow after blow, punching, slicing, kicking along with my friends and my enemies, I see the other scientist woman, Gem's mom, at Leopold's computer. She has uncerimoniously kicked his lifeless body away and is about to start typing. Or, she would, except for Gem, clinging like a monkey to her arms and preventing her. I can hear Gem's frantic yells as she desperately holds her mother away from the computer. But her mom is bigger than she is, and will probably break free soon. And then who knows what will happen.

Sorry everybody! I've kind of lost interest in Cricket which is a really dumb reason for abandoning an amazing thread. So I'm promising myself that I'll stick to this. Thanks so much for posting!!!

~Tariana

There's a sharp bang and Skylock falls to the ground. I dive after her but am too slow to stop her from hitting the concrete floor. Ouch.  

"Hey," I say, I think too loudly. Everything's still strangely muffled, except for my heartbeat. Strange how its pounding, drowning out everything else. Skylock's eyes flutter open for a moment, but they're glassy and unseeing.

"Hey! What're you doing?"

Nothing.

"Skylock! Sky- Zandibar! ZANDIBAR!" I'm yelling at her now, completely refusing to let her dissapear, just like my parents, just like my friends. 

"Zandibar! You are NOT gonna give up or else-" I glare at her, at loss for a suitable threat. She blinks once, then slowly, her eyes start to close. I slap her in the face. Not even a twitch. I slap her again, harder.  This time, she blinks sleepily and mutters something that sounds like Wtdarylemmesleegway. 

"Nope. You're staying her Zandibar." I tell her sternly, grabbing a bucket of water that's handily nearby and dumping it on her. She instantly hits me on the head, healf-heartedly, but it's definitely progress. 

"Hey..." She grumbles. "What was that for?"

"Shhh. " I tell her, trying to smile. "I'm going to pull you somewhere safer. Don't freak out, I don't think I'll kill you." I grab her limp arms and start dragging her away from the fighting. Instantly a wave of neausea hits me and I stumble, landing on my knees.  

"Woah, got a bit dizzy there, I guess being tranquilized lasts a little bit, huh?" I gasp, trying to sound cheerful. The dizziness has retreated by now, and I take the chance to check her arm.

"Yikes," I mutter, "Look, I won't pretend to know much about this, but I think you might have been poisoned."

"Poisoned?" she frowns "Well I guess that makes sense, since Darkness Princess, I mean Shaia,  shot me. She puts poison on everything. But a poisoned bullet? You already shot me, now you have to poison me too? That's just not fair!" She's rambling, hanging desperately onto one thought. After a second she announces "Fairness never had anything to do with anything." I take a moment from bandaging her arm. 

"Fairness rarely does. A friend told me that the world's not fair, that it's more like a circus."

"That's true..." She whispers, losing herself in thought/

I look at the bullet wound again. Poison, there's always a cure for poison. 

"Skylock, do you have an antidote?" I ask her quickly. 

"No..." She muses, "Will has it. You see, we took turns carrying it so-"

"Where can I get more?" I cut her off, "Zandibar, please answer me!"  

She blinks a couple times, trying to stay conscious.

"Um... our base. The vigilante base." Not good.

"Is there anything closer?"

She considers. "Well Shaia would probably keep some for emergencies..."

"Thank you," I breathe, "but still not very helpful."

But suddenly, Rex is right next to me, looking worried.

"Is there anything I can do? More bandages maybe?" He asks. I'm about to hug him.

"Well we really need antidote..."

He smiles at the person behind him, Saana.

"No problem!" She laughs "It's in Shaia's left jacket sleeve pocket." In a moment, they dissapear and are back again even faster with small bottle. I grab it, too frantic to thank them. In a minute, Skylock's sitting up, still dizzy, but much better. I'm about ready to leave when I hear a yell and see Rex running towards a limp body collapsed on the floor. One of the unconsious people, now definietely concious, has a gun pointed towards them

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry, I have to cut it off short, I'll finish the rest of the sumup and then add to it tomorrow.

Thanks again!!! 

Here's a side note, as a comment on how my brain works: Rex's brother Leslie was named after Leslie Odom Jr., for reasons I can't explain. 

Rex (Andy)

~

"Go!" I yell at Skylock and Dawnstreak. "Stop her! I'll handle this."

They barely hesitate, dodging Shaia and running to assist Gem. I guess they trust me now.

Shaia smirks. "One on one, then, traitor?"

I wipe the trickles of blood out of my eyes and grin at her. "Fair and square, Shaia." I spit out her name like an insult as I slice forward with my knife, trying to back her up.

We are very evenly matched. She's nimble and practiced, but I have a certain natural grace, somehow. I manage to force the fight out onto the open floor, driving her away from Saana.

Usually when I fight, it's easier to forget the world; to live only in the fight, and think about nothing else. But this fight is everything. It is my life, my vengeance, my last hope. I'm fighting for everything and everyone that matters. I count the names in my head. This is for Zandibar, Tariana, Gem, Will. And for Saana. And Leslie... and for my parents...

Shaia seems to be completely unscathed, always on top, while I'm sustaining injuries. I don't feel them; adrenaline is rushing through my veins, defying physical boundaries. But I count. Without my jacket, my arm is wounded, and there must be a gash on my head because my face seems constantly bloody.

Who cares? Does anything matter beyond this fight? This fight is my redemption. Either way, the outcome places me on the pedestal of a hero. To kill Shaia, or even to die a martyr.

It occurs to me the only reason I'm driven to live is to make sure Saana is okay. Because she has to be okay. Because I have to protect her; she always has my back, I always have to have hers. I don't know if this is from our own unique situation, or if it's just how being best friends works, but it is something special.

Shaia lunges, and in that instant, I spot a weakness. Lightning fast, I slash, aiming for her unguarded left side.

A dusty ray of sun illuminates our blades, turning them silver and oddly beautiful in the light. And Shaia falls.

Stunned, I sheath my knife and walk unsteadily across the room. The adrenaline is disappearing in bursts, leaving me shaky. I can't quite see what the vigilantes have done, but I assume, since we're still alive, they're succeeding in their battle with Gem's mother.

Saana is conscious. I register that with a surge of happiness. She beams at me, but her eyes are pained. I kneel and take her hand.

Blood is in my eyes again. There seems to be blood everywhere. I don't know if it's mine or Saana's, or maybe the blood of the lamb. Maybe Leslie's...

Emotions are flooding through me. Everything is heightened, everything is blurry and then sharpened... Is this love or agony? The world goes black. 

@UNSUSPCTNGSTRYTLR, are you still here? If so, tell me if what I wrote is ok. I don't want to control Gem too much or make her do things she wouldn't actually do. Thanks! And everyone, I think we can actually finish this RP!

Zandibar~

"Go! Stop her! I'll handle this!" Rex shouts at Dawnstreak and me. I take one look at his face, see the determination and desperation there, and know it will be of no use to argue. Besides, he's a great fighter. He'll be ok. I nod and dash away towards the computer, Dawnstreak beside me. 

Gem and her mother are still battling. Gem's digging her feet into the cement floor as best she can, trying with all her strength to yank her mother backwards. But her mother has managed to grap onto the computer table, which unfortunately is bolted to the wall. She's pulling herself and Gem nearer the computer. 

"Do not defy me, Gem! I'm... your mother! I gave you life, I gave you... your powers! Ungrateful child! Do not... go against... me!" she gasps, panting from the exertion of trying to speak while Gem constricts her.

"You never gave me anything! No love- just fear. I  don't owe you anything!" Gem yells. Her mother opens her mouth to protest, but I interupt with a side tackle that knocks them both to the ground. Gem leaps quickly to her feet. I manage to grab her mother's arms and force them to the ground, but she's struggling hard and I'm having trouble.

"Gem, help me!" I shout, trying to force the scientist's arms to her sides, "Dawnstreak, see if you can shut down the computer!" 

"I'm on it-AAH!" Dawnstreak screams, breaking off her words. I twist around, loosening my hold on Gem's mother. 

"Skylar!" I gasp. She has a knife pressed to Dawnstreak's throat, the other hand tightly gripping Dawnstreak's hair. She must have followed us, I realize, and left Shaia to fight Rex on her own. Behind her... is Gem. Silently creeping closer and closer Skylar... waiting for the perfect moment to strike.