I stopped… everything. Stopped talking, stopped moving, stopped thinking, stopped breathing. I stopped all of it. My heart might've stopped at that moment if I'd had any actual control over that. Control was not something I had in spades right then anyway. For what seemed like an eternity or two, I froze and went utterly blank. There was nothing in my head, no anger or thoughts of how to deal with this, no analyzing the room I could see, or trying to decide if the woman on the screen was really who she appeared to be. There was nothing. I stood there in complete silence, feeling absolutely empty in a way I never really had before.

Actually, wait, I had felt like this before after all. It was back when I walked out into Anthony's backyard and saw what had happened to his family, and what happened to him right in that moment. That was what I felt now, as I stared at the screen and realized that Paige and Sierra were in the hands of someone so much worse and more dangerous than those guys had been.

The figure on the screen wore a tight black bodysuit that covered everything from the tip of her toes all the way up over her neck. The arms and legs of the suit had red-orange cloud patterns across them, and the front torso was decorated with a pair of slanted red diamond-eyes and a matching very creepy V-shaped grin to form a smiley face. She had a black helmet with a red visor, and there was also a grinning face across that, this one formed from black dots for eyes and a very wide smiling black mouth that looked like it was about to swallow you whole.

It was her. It was Casura. I didn't doubt that for even a second. Not when it came to this woman. No one was stupid enough to dress up like this and pretend to be her just for clout, not after what she had done to the last one who tried that. She truly did not like it when people tried to impersonate her. It drew her attention, and having Casura's attention was a very bad thing.

Everyone knew how terrifying that woman was, especially Casura herself. She gave me a few seconds to process who she was and what sort of situation I was in. Then she reached out and snapped her fingers right in front of the screen. The sound was unnaturally loud, sounding like it was actually coming from all around me right inside this same room. It was clearly the result of one of the many powers she had stolen over the years. That was what she did. She killed people and absorbed their blood to grant herself their skills and, if they were Touched, their powers as well. Now she was clearly using one of them to make that simple finger snap sound like it was coming from all around me in this very room instead of through the phone.

"Hey, don't completely zone out on me now," she urged with an audible chuckle as soon as that snap made me jump. "I really need your full and complete attention. Believe it or not, I don't have any interest in hurting you or your friends here, Paintball. In fact, I think you're pretty awesome. Assuming we get through this without me needing to do anything drastic, I'd love to get your autograph. That would just be so cool. So please, don't give me a reason to be upset."

My voice, when it came, sounded like it was coming from someone else. Even with the vocal changer I used, I could hear the hoarseness in it. "You want me to just let you do this."

"What? Oh no, no, no, not at all. I mean sure, if I complete this, that'd be great," the woman informed me with a casual shrug. "I've got this great joke planned and it'd be hilarious to see those muddy sticks realize what's happening. But if that doesn't work, it's not really the end of the world. No, see, this is about you. I wanna see what you're capable of, not what all the people you can scream the loudest to can do for you. Just you. I want you to try to stop me by yourself. If you can't, I get to do something fun. If you can, well, then it means my interest in you pays off."

She let that hang in the air before continuing. "Play nice, do your best in the games, and don't tell anyone what you know about those rings. I mean it, not one word to anyone. If I even get the slightest whiff that you told anyone, I'll pick one of these girls at random and kill them immediately. The other one I'll take my time with. You can decide which would be worse."

That empty feeling was still there. It had settled into me, a dark and heavy pit in my stomach. There was some very distant, quiet voice insisting that if I was really the special, cool hero I was supposed to be, then I would have something dramatic to say right then. I would have a good, dangerous retort. I would tell her that if she touched a single hair on their heads she would regret it. A real hero would keep calm and tell her that she had just made a big mistake.

But I didn't. I couldn't. The only thing I could focus on right then was the overwhelming and utterly terrifying certainty that I was about to lose both Sierra and… and Paige. I had lost Anthony years ago in a tragedy, and then I lost my memories of Paige on top of that. Memories that I had only just gotten back. I had just remembered how important she was, how close she, Anthony, and I had been. I just got those memories back, and now she and Sierra were at the mercy of a woman who was very literally the most dangerous Fell-Touched in the whole world.

Yeah, it wasn't just Paige. Sierra was there too. She may have started out as essentially another copy or version of Paige, in a way. But she had become so much more. The girl was her own person and had made her own choices. She was my friend too, as well as Paige's sister. Hell, in a way, she was really almost like my sister as well, considering that Biolem body she was using.

All of which meant that, in that moment, I couldn't make any threats. I couldn't tell this woman that I would hunt her down if she did anything to them. I couldn't even make any of the jokes I would have in almost any other situation. When I finally found my voice again, after swallowing the hard lump in my throat, the only thing that actually came out was a quiet, "Don't hurt them."

The woman on the screen fully tilted her head, seeming to regard me carefully. I couldn't see any expression behind that visor. All I saw was the stylized smiley face that probably sent shudders through anyone who was unfortunate enough to encounter it. I had no idea what she was thinking right then, but the silence dragged on for another couple seconds before she replied, "Now, now, it's like I said, I don't want to hurt them or you. I know I have a bit of a rep. I work hard for it. But I'm not lying when I say I like you, kid. I wanna see what you can do, and I really don't need you to bring in a bunch of annoying holier-than-thou assholes to do everything for you. Just keep this between us and the girls here will be just fine. For what it's worth, you have my word. I promise, if you don't break my rules by tattling about this, I won't do a single bad thing to your friends. They'll be perfectly fine and I'll give them right back to you, safe and sound. Scout's honor. I'm pretty sure I've taken a few of those. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. I'm equal opportunity."

There was a part of me that wanted to scream at her, that wanted to call her a liar and a monster. Fortunately, the rest of me clubbed that other part into submission and put it in a chokehold so I didn't end up doing anything that stupid. Instead, I took a deep, shuddering breath and forced myself to speak as carefully and clearly as possible. I tried to keep the emotion out of my voice, but I knew I wasn't completely successful. "You're trying to do something that will hurt a lot of people, and you want me to just let it happen."

To my surprise, however, the woman on the screen gave an almost melodious giggle. It wasn't threatening or malicious. At least it didn't sound like that. There was even a strange sort of innocence to that laugh. She seemed genuinely amused in a way that was very different than I had expected. It wasn't like when Pencil, the closest comparison I could make, had laughed. She just giggled like that before shaking her head. "You gotta work on your hearing, kid. I didn't say you had to let it happen. Kinda the opposite. I want you to try to stop it. What I said was that you couldn't bring in other people. This is between you and me, just the two of us. Call it a test if you want. Call it whatever you like, but that's the rule. You try to get anyone else involved, anyone at all, and things will go very badly. I tend to get pretty annoyed when people don't do what I say."

Before I could even start to wonder how she would know if I broke her rule, the woman headed off that thought. "I have a nice little power here that warns me if certain things happen. And right now, I have it pointed straight at you. If it tells me that you're talking about this with anyone, I'll be very upset. You have to do this all by yourself, just you and me. Mano a mano. Try to find me. Try to find your friends. Try to find a way to stop this without alerting anyone, without getting any help from all those Stars out there. You've done some pretty impressive stuff for such a young kid. But that's not the most important part. Pffft, seriously, let's be honest, anyone can be capable, even other kids. This isn't about doing impressive things. It's about having a sense of humor. It's about not being a boring old muddy stick. You're fun. I want to see how fun you can be when you have to do this all by yourself. I want to see if you can find me, stop me, ruin my plan, give me a good fight. I want to see what you're really, truly capable of." She offered another small shrug. "Like I said, either you'll prove me right, or I'll use these cool rings to have a whole lot of fun with a bunch of boring fucks to make up for being wrong."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

My mouth opened to say something, but no sound came out. I had no idea how to respond to that. All I could do was look at the corner of the screen, behind the woman herself, where Paige and Sierra's almost motionless forms were still visible. I could barely make out the signs of breathing, and that was the only thing allowing me to keep myself as together as I was. They were still alive, for now. And they would stay that way as long as I didn't tell anyone about this.

But how could I not say anything? How could I just let Casura do whatever she wanted? She was going to kill people, obviously. That was what she did, what she always did. I had no idea what her actual plan here was, but there was no way it would be anything good. If she was able to control every Touched who won a ring here, it would… damn it, damn it, damn it! How could I even think about not warning people about what was going on, just to save Paige and Sierra?

And yet, the thought of losing them, of actually speaking up and taking the chance that Casura would follow through with her threat, made a hot coal form in my throat. I couldn't breathe, or even think. I tasted acid, bitter tears forming in my eyes. It wasn't a threat, it was a promise, and as she had said, Casura kept her promises. If I told people she was here, if I said anything about what she was planning, she would kill either Paige or Sierra immediately, and then torture the other one. There was no question about it. I would be condemning both of them if I crossed her.

I had no idea what to do, none. Not in the long run. But some part of me did realize that there was no point to refusing right now. Pissing the woman off in this moment wouldn't accomplish a damn thing, other than to condemn those two to being the targets of her anger. Whether I told anyone or not when it came down to it, I had to agree right now just to keep them alive and safe.

So, I did the only thing I could do right then, the only thing that wouldn't just immediately result in the deaths of two of the most important people in my world. I swallowed back all the doubt and fear, forcing it down before speaking as clearly as I could. Even then, my voice audibly cracked, and I knew she noticed. "Okay, I won't say anything. I won't-- I won't go to anyone. Just don't do anything to them. Don't hurt them, don't-- just don't do anything, please." God, I sounded weak. But I didn't care. I'd sound as weak as she wanted if it meant Paige and Sierra could survive.

I could feel the woman's gaze studying me intently through the phone as I held it up. Her eyes seemed to stare right through me, making a shiver run through my body before she finally gave an audible giggle. "Good boy! That's great to hear, I'm glad we understand each other. Now I want to be very clear here, you are free to try to stop me. You can try to stop it, no one else. Do not tell anyone what you're doing or why, do not tell them these two are in trouble, do not do or say anything that might make the people in charge realize that something is hinky about those rings. You can do other things, get other kinds of help if it doesn't risk exposing what's really going on. If you're gonna stop what's coming, it has to be all you. Tell me you understand the rules."

"I understand the rules," I parroted, before pointing out, "but if you want me to fight you to stop this, you might as well come over here and kill me now, because I'm pretty sure I have about as much chance of winning that as a butterfly does at winning a boxing match with Mike Tyson."

Casura giggled again, sounding positively delighted. "See, that's why you're so great, that sense of humor. I love it. But you're right." She sobered a bit, head tilting as she regarded me again. "I could kill you about a thousand times before you managed to get anywhere. So I'll tell you what, I'll play by rules too. This whole thing is about games anyway, so let's play the game. I'm not going to try to kill you. I may hurt you, but I'm not allowed to kill you. And if you can get one of each of your paint colors on me, hit me once with each paint color, I'll back off. I'll leave the rest of the matches alone, you can have the rings checked, and take your friends here back. You understand? I can hurt you but I won't kill you, and if you hit me once with each paint color, you win this little game. You'll get your friends, and you can do whatever you want with the rings."

Part of me wanted to ask how I could trust her to stick with that, but it wasn't like I had much of a choice in the matter. This was obviously the best deal I was going to get. "You won't hurt them in the meantime? I have until the presentation on Saturday? What about the--" I hesitated, briefly uncertain of whether I should get into the next part or not. There was the whole issue of Flea. "I'm not the only one who cares about those two, not the only one who might try to find them."

Her response was an airy chuckle. "Oh yes, the Merc and the Hero. Believe me, I know. I know more than you might think, my boy. They won't be a problem. Let's just add those two onto the list of people you can save by being as good as I think you can be. And they'll be safe. They'll all be safe, as long as you play by the rules and manage to win this little game. Find me, paint me like one of your French girls. Or like a house. Probably better if you paint me like a house, we don't want to lose our PG rating." I could have sworn she was waggling her eyebrows then.

"Just stop me. You have until the presentation on Saturday to hit me with each paint color. Doesn't even have to be all at the same time. One hit with each color by Saturday. Think you can actually pull it off? I sure hope so. I'd hate to have to be disappointed in you. Cuz then you just won't get them back."

The implication there, the silent promise, made me swallow hard. I knew what she was saying. If I didn't win this little challenge of hers, she would kill all of them. Paige, Sierra, Echo, and Irelyn. It made me wonder if she hadn't outright said she had the other two right off the bat in order to see if I asked about them, or to use as additional collateral later if I stepped out of line. She could have punished me by… by doing something to those two while retaining her original hostages. Maybe it was both. Either way, now I knew she had all four of them. No one would be looking for them either. They were supposed to be on vacation. I was the only one who knew they were here.

So, I wasn't going to be able to get any help. No one else was going to be looking for them, and we were the only ones who knew anything about what was going on. Which meant I was the only one who could even try to deal with this. I couldn't even get help from any other member of my team, let alone one of the actual adult Stars. Hell, I couldn't ask the Ministry to do something, not if she was telling the truth about having a power that would warn her if I did. And I couldn't just assume she was lying about that. It was too risky. There was no way in hell that I would play with their lives like that. Not when it came to this woman. I had to do this completely by myself.

As those thoughts ran through my mind, making my breath catch on that burning coal in my throat, I clenched my free hand tightly while holding the phone with the other. I heard the way my voice cracked as I replied, "I'll find you. I'll… I'll win your little game. One shot with each color, then you'll let all four of them go and walk away from this. You find another game to play somewhere else. And you never bother me or my friends again." Yeah, somehow I didn't think she was going to be all that impressed by my demand. But still, what else could I do but try?

At least Casura didn't seem offended or annoyed. She just gave a quiet chuckle, like she was privy to a joke that I didn't know. Then she gave an elaborate bow, stepping over so I could see her standing over Paige and Sierra. Even as I watched that, the view pulled back. Now I could see the other two, Flea and Echo, both in costume. They were unconscious too. At least, I hoped they were unconscious. They were all there, all in the hands of this fucking monster.

"Do whatever you can, as long as it's all by yourself. I can't wait to see what you're capable of," Casura urged, sounding eager and cheerful about this whole situation. And why wouldn't she be? This really was all fun and games for her. I was pretty sure she genuinely didn't care that much if I did stop this ring plot of hers. That was one of the main reasons I believed her when she said she would stop it if I hit her once with each paint color before Saturday. With most Fells, there was no way they would ever come up with an elaborate scheme like this and then call it off based on something like that. They'd never honor that agreement. But Casura? As terrifying as she was in so many ways, I could actually believe that she would keep to that deal. Everything she did, as far as I knew, was to have fun. Well, her idea of fun.

Without another word, leaving me with just that image of that terrifying woman standing over the four helpless figures who were depending on me to pull this off, the screen went black. She disconnected the call, and all I could do for a moment was stare at that phone.

I had no idea how much time passed then before a voice over the PA said my name. Or Paintball's name at least. I was being called back to the ready room to do the final round of this match. After all that, knowing what I did, knowing that Paige and the others were being held by someone that evil, I had to try to focus. I had to participate in this, or someone would figure out that something was wrong. Which might make Casura decide to kill her hostages. So, I had to play this match out. I had to do my best. And then?

Then I had to save Paige and the others from the most dangerous Fell in the world.

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