Our Thousand Suns

Octavia couldn't believe the Leo boy in front of her. Why? What kind of question was that? She saved his life and he was telling her that she shouldn't have. One minute she felt bad for him and now she just wanted to slap him. She might have too if it wasn't for how frail she felt.

"Unbelievable," she muttered into the cold breeze around them, her eyes rolling before she pushed off of the tree she'd been using for support. She watched after him as he began heading deeper into the woods and she had half a mind to cuss him out for how he was acting towards her. "You're welcome," she glowered after him, ignoring his question on whether or not she could walk. She hit his arm with hers harshly as she got to his side and continued walking regardless of how shaky her legs felt.

The unlikely pair continued their trek through the woods in a harsh silence, neither one of them looking at each other. She could feel her body beginning to regenerate some of its strength, but it was a relatively slow process. Maybe that was why she felt some relief when they both stumbled across the Aries and Gemini that they had been chasing all along.

Although they weren't sure of where they all stood with one another, it felt better to be in larger numbers if they were willing to make it work. Especially with the destruction that was bound to rain on the world after the outbreak that had just occurred. It wouldn't take long for word to spread about the truth behind the schooling. Not only that, but they now needed to start thinking about what it all meant for them. They were using their abilities and they weren't only doing that, they were abusing their power, just like all the rampant students that scattered the area. No one was safe.

Octavia looked over the two new bodies in front of them. She had seen them before, but their names held no recognition in her mind. Aiden's voice freed her from her thoughts and she looked over the two in front of them, the girl shaking her head. They must have been in the same position judging by the encounter they were having. Confused and just trying to get out of the warzone around them.

"It looked like a lot of people headed for the cities borderline. Most of them wanted out of here and I know it's a risk, but we should head into the city to see what we can salvage. If we keep going on like this, we won't get very far." she gestured to the fact that Aiden barely had any clothing, and being in an exposing dress and heels wasn't her idea of a good time, to begin with, but when it came to stumbling through the woods it was damn near impossible.

"She's right," the Gemini boy chimed in. "We need shelter and a plan."

Octavia nodded, finding herself constantly eyeing the area around her for anyone coming. She was on edge, thirsty, and in desperate need of a shower.

* * *

The road to the city was littered with debris. She shouldn't have been surprised by the way that the city she once called home looked, but the feeling washed over her nonetheless. Businesses were destroyed, windows were broken, houses were on fire and some even collapsed in on themselves.

In the distance, she could hear sirens but she doubted that if the government had sent out anyone, they weren't going to make it long with the number of students that were now free.

Groaning, she stopped mid-walk and tugged her heels off her sore feet. Looking them over, they were destroyed. With a sigh, she chucked them to the side, abandoning them as they neared a large building that had been broken into, but not completely destroyed.

"Guys," Octavia pointed. "Clothes!" She was itching to get out of her dress and into something more compatible with her situation.

He had barely even registered Octavia beside him.

Volts of unyielding, agonizing pain shot through every damned muscle across his back with every ragged breath Aidan managed to take. His breathing was shallow and raspy through his clenched jaw, baring white teeth streaked with leftover blood -- the only blood on him that wasn’t his own at the moment. He felt the warm liquid pooling across his back and he certainly didn’t need to see the state of his body to know that he would die here. On the forest floor.

Like the fucking animal that he was.

He was on his stomach, the brisk night air stinging the open cuts that ravaged his body. Cuts from protecting her. Aiden had absolutely no sense of reason on why he had shielded the Scorpio girl from the blast, letting the carnage wreak its havoc along his own self instead of her lithe, thin form. Yet, the noble part of him that had taken over during those fateful seconds had returned, masking the agony that slithered throughout.

He would do it again, Aiden realized. If it came down to it, Aiden would protect her -- anyone -- again.

Octavia’s hands grasping onto his face pulled him out of the depths of his mind, breaking the surface and back into reality. He turned his head ever so slightly, his gaze shifting from her worried face to the flecks of burning ash that floated across the night sky like stars. The sight brought a small ounce of tranquility to Aiden for just a brief moment. His shoulders relaxed slightly and the pain gradually subsided as he stared at the burning sky and, inside it, the outline of a girl with eyes brighter than any of those floating embers.

Feeling the dirt being wiped away from his face sent Aiden out of his mind and back into Hell once more. He jerked his head away from her hands, pressing his forehead into the dirt as he bit back another scream of agony. He could vaguely hear Octavia’s words as she spoke softly to him, uttering promises that he damn well knew she couldn’t keep. “Just fucking go,” he snarled to her, his eyes squinted shut. He hated how she was talking to him as if he were some weak, scared boy.

But, even though Aiden would never admit it to her, to himself, he was terrified. Every part of him was.

The warmth of her hands against his hardened torso caused him to still. His eyes peeled open slowly as the steady press of her hands increased. His chest still heaved, but as swirling streams of crimson glided through the air and towards his body, Aiden swore that even his heart stopped beating for a moment. Octavia’s blood festered above him, snaking together like liquid vines and curving towards him -- to the injuries that sat upon his back and the pieces of debris that sat inside.

And then her blood connected with his wounds and Aiden held back a growl of pain once again. The pieces of metal slowly began to push out and away from his body, clinking to the hard dirt audibly as the flow of blood began to heal his lacerations. It burned like hell and the pain was just as equivalent to when the explosion had first hit him. But, as quickly as it had come, it began to fade. Warmth spread through his body, eliminating the aches that had spawned. Aiden’s body slackened and a sigh of relief escaped his lips, his eyes fluttering shut. He took in the feeling graciously, even with a few of the smaller cuts still bleeding. The large lacerations were finally closed. Healed.

All thanks to her.

Aiden took his time pushing himself off of the dirt, still panting even as Tav removed her arms from his body. He warily met her eyes and leaned against his secure, muscled arms, now free of tremors. Despite the alleviation that he felt, Aiden’s stare at Octavia was unwavering. Hostile, even.

“Why.” A statement, not a question, and his voice was hoarse and raspy from the rounds of pain he endured.

The quaking smile she sent him offered Aiden no aid. With him now rolled over on his back, he propped himself up on his elbows, glaring up at Octavia. Honey eyes now hardening into something more lethal. “You should not have done that,” he snarled. He had reflexively saved her own life, and in return, Tav had saved his. Aiden didn’t do well with outstanding debts, especially not with a Scorpio girl. A Scorpio girl that he had kissed only an hour prior.

Once again, Aiden attempted to shake off the feeling of her lips pressed against his.

Conjuring up enough strength to finally stand, he hoisted himself up off the dirt, now towering over her. His shorts were tattered and he wasn’t strong enough to shift back into his shirt, so there Aiden stood. Half-naked and utterly pissed off. Although, he did look a hell of a lot better than her right now, but Tav looked as if she were about to pass out any minute, considering her death grip on the poor tree that had fallen victim to her.

Glancing at the path where Octavia pointed, Aiden all but grunted in response and wasted no time in trudging down that path, not looking back to see if she was following. But, only after a few steps did he halt once again. His conscious crept in and he sighed in frustration, closing his eyes. Without turning, he asked her, “Can you walk?”

Taking her movement towards him as an answer, Aiden continued down the path, his pace slower than before. They traveled side by side in silence, the only noise coming from his winces of pain ever so often as well as Octavia’s breathing as she tried to regain some of her strength. She weakened herself to save him and unfortunately, Aiden could relate.

The pair didn’t walk for long until the muffled sound of voices could be heard through the throng of trees. As they strayed from the path, none other than Hanna Morgan and the Gemini boy came into view, looking just as ruffled and unkempt. He stepped towards them and stopped about ten feet away. Considering the chaos that ensued back at the school, there was no telling where their loyalties sat.

Aiden narrowed his eyes at them, his hands in fists at his sides. Night air nipped at his bare skin, but his stance held firm. Hanna looked as if she found two new playthings, which wasn’t a surprise, but the Gemini boy he couldn’t read.

After a few moments of intense and unnecessary starring, Aiden spoke first. “Are there any more with you?” The single shake of Hanna’s head was the only answer. Aiden knew her the best out of any of them, but he still remained completely alert, knowing very well that the Aries folk were masters at impulsivity and being the biggest hotheads. Quite literally.

The darkness that swallowed his vision was only momentary. Slowly, he blinked his eyes open, his blue gaze snapping open when he realized what had happened. A low groan escaped his lips and his brows furrowed in frustration at the fact that his head was throbbing. Reaching up, he touched the sore spot and noticed some blood, but nothing to worry about.

Shoving himself onto his elbows, he stared up at the Aries calling his name from above, her middle finger swinging down at him and he glowered, pushing himself up to his feet. Looking around, he realized how lucky he was to have fallen on the ledge and he turned to find her reaching out to try and help him back up. He stared at it before shaking his head.

"I've got this," he called back, he tried to use his abilities but it was no use. He couldn't. No smoke. Nothing.

Glaring slightly. He watched Hanna's mocking expression before he reached up and grabbed ahold of her hand, using some of the rocks to hoist himself up, and finally, he was back on solid ground beside her.

Fixing his shirt, he glanced into the woods then back to her. "The lion's gone," he shrugged, finding that to be enough for an achievement. Now all they needed to do was find Alastair. If he couldn't use his powers, he had a hard time believing that Alastair could either.

Cass glanced down at his hands, trying to get a spark of something from them, but it was no use. He then turned towards Hanna. "It doesn't look like we're doing so good on time," he muttered. Of all the things he could be killed by, it had to be him being apart from that insolent bastard? Go figure.

As if on cue, a figure emerged from the trees and Cassian had been just about to actually let his life depend on Hanna. Fortunately for the pair, the figure that had slipped through the brush belonged to his shadow self. Alastair.

"What the fuck took you so long?" he glared and Alastair glared right back, obviously not having the best day himself.

"Hurry up," he snapped and Cass offered Hanna a quick wink and a pat on the head before disappearing from her side. A cloud of smoke came whirling back towards Alastair and Cassian was no longer outside of his body. He hated the way it was inside Alas' head, but he finally felt like his body was being recharged.

When Cass returned to him, he could feel his body rapidly becoming less exhausted. His face was covered in ashes and blood and he stared across the trees towards Hanna before looking around.

"I didn't expect you two would be together," he breathed and reached up, raking a hand through his hair tiredly. The chaos that he had left behind was beyond outrageous. Having to fight a Taurus wasn't exactly his definition of a good time.

Up in the sky, all that could be seen out there was either darkness or falling embers, he could still smell the smoke that loomed into the trees from the building that was once their school. It had crashed to the ground when he escaped and there was nothing left of it. Everyone scattered and some went for the trees, some went for the road and others were lying dead somewhere.

"We should try to find some shelter, if we stay out in the open, we're going to run into more of them. When I left, I saw others heading for these trees, who knows what direction." he insisted, gesturing for Hanna to come with him as they re-entered the trees, steering clear of the cliff.

The smell of ash, while it was bothersome to many, once held a heavy sense of comfort for Hanna. The way the smoky fog clung to her clothes, her hair, her skin -- as if she were indeed born of the flames and rose from the ashes. A phoenix longing to take flight and holding the power to ignite the entire city within the palm of her hand, a flap of her wing.

Now the smell made her stomach sick.

Her ears rung and Hanna could have sworn they were bleeding. Her face was plastered into the ground and small rocks scraped against her cheeks. Groggily, she blinked once. Twice. The last thing she remembered seeing was smoke, no, Cassian. Where the boy once ran beside her soon then erupted into a swirling mass of darkness, encasing her body and releasing them from the university’s clutches as he burst through the gate.

And then the world exploded.

She was on her stomach and Hanna begrudgingly pushed herself off, only to roll onto her back as pain shot through her entire body. A strained gasped shortly followed. “Shit,” she muttered, barely able to open her eyes before she shut them once again, only getting the briefest glance of towering pine trees. Cassian was nowhere in sight.

“Cas,” Hanna managed to mumble, hissing at the pain in her chest as she spoke. A light scuffling sound came from her left and she craned her neck, trying to find the source of the noise. She heard her name sounding off through the trees and her lips parted, daring to speak again. “Cassian.”

Eventually, the dark-haired boy came into view and Hanna closed her eyes, a sigh of relief escaping her mouth. She winced as he shook her arm and Hanna resisted the urge to swat him away. His sturdy hands lifted her off her back and held her steady as she regained her sense of balance, or whatever was left of it. “Get off of me,” she grumbled to him, pushing away his hands before she slowly stood to her feet without any assistance.

Despite her now sour mood, Hanna didn’t object as Cassian continued to lead the way through the forest. His request for fire made her roll her eyes, but still, a small flame, the only amount she could muster, surrounded her hand and illuminated their path. “I really just am a walking lighter,” she murmured to herself, slightly annoyed at the Gemini pair.

As branches scraped at her already sore skin, Hanna tried to best to ignore the pain that flourished through her muscles as well as the newfound cuts across her arms and cheeks. The adrenaline from earlier had taken its toll on her body and she hadn’t even realized that Cassian had stopped until she had bumped right into his back. She didn’t have long to question him before the tall boy whipped around, snatched her arms and pulled her into his hard chest. “What the--” she started, until Cassian’s hand clamped over her mouth.

Oh no he did not.

She narrowed her eyes and struggled against his grip for a moment until her gaze connected with where he was staring.

Cat eyes.

Hanna immediately stilled, her breath catching in her throat. Unknowingly, she gripped Cassian’s arm a little tighter than before. She heard his warning to run and was only able to grant him a quick nod of understanding before they both burst into the trees, the massive lion heavy on their tail.

She pumped her arms and moved through the pain that nipped at her, her chest growing strained and feeling as if it were on fire itself -- and not one from her own doing. Hanna followed Cassian, nearly at his heels. “Cassian!” she hissed to him as she tried to keep up while sprinting through the uneven forest floor.

As soon as she said his name, he disappeared.

Hanna watched Cassian slide off of the cliff that had convincingly come out of nowhere. A scream erupted out of her throat as he fell into what looked like thin air. She heard another thud and ran to the edge of the cliff, gripping the sharp rock tightly while looking down at Cassian’s unconscious body that laid nearly ten feet down on a small ledge. A sense of relief washed over her at the sight of his chest moving. Alive, he was alive.

“Cassian!” Hanna screamed again, turning back once to make sure the lion hadn’t followed them. The wind whipped across her face, stinging her cheeks and she reached a hand down, the front half of her body hanging over the ledge. “God damnit you bastard, open your eyes!”

As if on cue, his eyes opened and Hanna gave him a welcoming middle finger. “Next time I’m leading the way you prick.” She extended her arm further down, itching to meet his own. "Can you reach?”

If this guy thought that she was just going to run for the hills, he was greatly mistaken. Octavia's honey-filled gaze shot towards Aiden in mild disbelief. "I'm not going anywhere." her voice was stern and she didn't get any answer out of him due to James's large feline figure lurching forward, his jaws clamping down on Aiden's scruff. Her eyes widened as she gasped and her hands quickly raised up in defense when another body clashed into them. A libra boy.

The boy's dark hair was a mess and his eyes were angry like the storm he was creating above head. His hand clenched into a fist at his side and a strike of lightning landed nearby. She stumbled backward into Aiden and their eyes met. Aiden's gaze held a mixture of emotions that jumbled together in a sea of gold. It wasn't long before he was shoving her forward with his large muzzle and she was forced to move. Catching her balance, she broke out into a sprint, a large crack of thunder erupted across the sky and she dared look back at the destruction that was left behind him. Cries and screams echoed, but were often drowned out by the chaos of powers and the sound of the building beginning to collapse in on itself.

Pumping her legs harder, she tried to hold her leather jacket over her nose and mouth to protect her from the smoke that they were engulfed in, her eyes burned and her throat tickled aggressively making her cough. She could barely see through the water forming in her eyes, but she knew that they were heading in the same direction of two other students who seemed to find their escape. Glancing towards Aiden, she could make out the blood that dripped from his neck and matted his tan fur. She could feel a sense of worry wash over her, but she pushed it back and kept running in suite of the other two they were following.

Once the pair made it past the now open gates, she felt a sense of relief, but it was a feeling that was quickly ripped away from Octavia when she felt the ground beneath her move and she tried to run faster but it was no use. The explosion that came from behind them was too strong and the ground flared up beneath them causing a crackling boom to fill the air and a rush of wind shot her forward with so much force, she brought her hands up to shield her face and neck and she hit the ground once more, tumbling across the dirt and into the trees while the wind was knocked out of her.

Her eyes shot open and she parted her lips in a gasp for air, her arms scraped up and her jacket shredded in some places. Coughing, she felt her skin form itself back together quickly, but she was weak. Blinking the dirt and dust from her eyes rapidly, she looked at what was towering over her and it was Aiden. She swallowed hard and her chest rose and fell quickly.

"Aiden," she breathed out. His eyes were closed and she could tell that his body was in bad shape. With wide eyes, Octavia shoved herself up slightly and wanted to reach out for him but he was already forcing himself to move forward. Watching after his much slower figure, she pursed her lips in frustration, but kept moving. If they didn't, she was sure that they would end up in a lot more pain than they already were if they were caught by the wrong crowd at the tree line.

Octavia kept her pace with Aiden, she knew that he was in pain, it was written all over his face and the sounds of his staggering breath were evident as he tried to keep running. Trying to keep the shape of the two they were racing after, she could barely see in the dark that the trees offered them and they weren't slowing down. She had just parted her lips to call out to them when she noticed that Aiden's figure was no longer beside her. She slid to a half and she twisted and turned trying to find him. "No. . ." she whispered and she retraced her steps, frantically looking around the ground, hoping he wasn't lying their dead in the dirt.

"Aiden!" she yelled and then her eyes landed on a some movement and then his cry for help. He had shifted into his human form and was lying on the ground, blood had covered him nearly head to toe and she tried to hide the panic that was swimming in her eyes.

Dropping down to her knees beside him and her hands trembled without permission as she hovered them over his torso. She could barely see all the cuts through the blood and darkness, wiping dirt from his face she inhaled shakily, looking around to make sure their wasn't anyone coming up on them.

"Okay," she murmured, her voice was weak and she knew she wasn't bringing him much comfort. "I can help you," she wasn't sure if that was a lie or not. She knew that Scorpio's could transfer blood, but she wasn't sure that she knew how to do that. She only had a year of training and it wasn't good training. Self taught mostly.

Laying her hands on his torso, she let her palms face up and she looked towards Aiden's face which was covered in pain.

"Try to relax, I know it's hard." she looked back at her hands one more time before closing her eyes and focusing, trying to collect herself as she silently called on her powers. It felt like nothing would occur when suddenly her palms felt wet. She tried to contain herself as blood pooled in her palms and she opened her eyes slowly to see that her blood had begun raising into a stream in the air, slowly making its way towards every cut and puncture on Aiden's body. Once the blood made its connection with multiple rivers of her blood, she could feel her veins tug beneath her skin like she had snakes beneath it.

It was working.

Slowly his wounds began shutting one by one and she could feel her head grow a bit fuzzy, but she kept going until his biggest wounds were closed up. Without much more strength left in her, she closed her palms into fists and the blood transfusion was cut off.

Sliding her hands off of him, she looked down at him to make sure he was okay, her arms heavy at her sides. "I wasn't so sure that was going to work if I'm being honest," she muttered with a weak smile that didn't last long. She used a tree to tug herself up to her feet and took a moment to regain her balance. "They went this way," Octavia pointed in the direction the Gemini and Aries ran off. "If we're lucky they didn't make it too far ahead of us."

Unsure of how long it would take for her blood to regenerate, she felt a bit uneasy about her ability to do much damage if they were to run into anyone on the way. Not only that, but she was using a tree for support, that wasn't exactly very comforting in terms of being fast on her feet at the moment.

The small sound of Octavia’s voice was the only thing keeping Aiden connected to his humanity. He was Aiden. Not a beast, not a killer. Just a student. Just a Leo.

If he hadn’t had that small sense of reality rushing back towards him almost as quickly as it left, he knew that James would have never left the fight alive.

He had killed someone. An innocent someone.

Gone were the borders of sign loyalty and companionship. Aiden could feel the bonds breaking, the chains snapping free. James was no brother of his, not if this is what being a Leo entailed. He wanted to be good, to be just and fair.

He wanted to be golden.

While he snarled deadly threats towards James, the other male facing him with nearly as much animosity and rage that danced inside Aiden’s own eyes, he could also sense Octavia stirring behind him. Her dark hair brushing against his fur as she turned away from him. Good. Run, he thought, his tail flicking anxiously as he took a step towards James, one last warning ringing out to the other lion.

But, Aiden then realized that Octavia wasn’t running at all. Stupid girl, another growl rippled through, however, this one wasn’t directed towards James. He roared and turned his head once, snapping his jaws in an order. Run, damnit.

The quick distraction granted James the perfect opportunity to pounce, his teeth sinking into Aiden’s exposed neck. He should have known better, this girl was making him sloppy — an amateur. Forgetting all of his training.

Aiden winced in pain and quickly maneuvered his body, his paws digging into the other lion and pushing him off of his neck. Blood trickled from the wound, but the pain was masked by Aiden’s fury and he did not waver as he attacked James again. And again. He bit into his fur, near his shoulder, the familiar taste of blood, James’s blood, filled his mouth and Aiden released him. He bared his red stained teeth. Next time it wouldn’t be his shoulder. Next time his attack wouldn’t be a mere warning.

Another scent, more blood, filled the air. He heard Octavia’s steady breathing, her hammering heartbeat. She was alive. Hell, she was more than alive — she was using her ability. About time. If he were in his human body, Aiden was sure he would have rolled his eyes and scoffed. Scorpio’s and their dramatics, always needing to put on a show.

His fur stood on end as lightning cracked across the sky. The air became thick and humid, dark clouds covered the once starry sky, filling with the storms a mass of Libra’s were stirring. Shit. Octavia’s voice broke through the chaos and Aiden looked at her through golden eyes. His large and towering form brushed by her, his mane entangling with her own brown hair. Light and dark.

With a growl, he gave James one last glare, one last bare of his blood on Aiden’s teeth, and turned towards Octavia. Aiden could hear the thick paws of the lion retreating behind him, sulking off in a fit of pain -- emotional and physical. He could feel the sorrow that sat inside the other Leo, almost as well as he could feel his blood on his teeth.

Aiden scanned the area, searching for any openings to escape from. He certainly didn’t feel like getting electrocuted tonight.

Just then, through the mass of swarming bodies, streaks of light -- fire -- appeared. Aiden glanced at an Aries, throwing fireballs left and right, as well as a Gemini, Cassian, escaping through the trees. An unlikely pair, Aiden only knew of Cassian for his tendencies to get rip roaring drunk. Considering that was about as good of a lead they were going to get, Aiden huffed once and begrudgingly nudged his large head against Octavia, pushing her towards the path.

Another blast of lightning in the sky caused Aiden to pounce and quickly start running towards the trees as well — his eyes narrowed and his mouth hanging open slightly, blood still dripping down into the dirt.

Smoke and dust filled the air and Aiden’s eyes grew watery as he bounded through the trees, trailing after Octavia. He didn’t dare shift back, not when attacks were coming from all angles, from all signs. Besides, he didn’t trust himself to shift right then and there. He was afraid of the injury James had caused and he would no doubt be a hell of a lot slower on human legs, even without the bite.

He ran alongside the Scorpio girl, keeping his eyes locked on the pair they were following, even as they rushed towards the locked wrought iron gate, leading them out of the university. His shoulder brushed Octavia’s once, directing her towards Cassian and the Aries girl, which he could now tell was Hanna Morgan.

They both followed them out of the gate, right as Aiden could feel the shift in the hair. His fur stood on end and he clamped his jaw shut, glancing back as he ran only to find the air exploding into flame and dust. The sensation pushed him forward as another explosion sounded off. He half pounced and half was thrown over Octavia, just barely catching himself on his large paws so he wouldn’t crush her. Most of the shrapnel from the explosion hit his back while he towered over the girl and a low, guttural growl sounded from his chest as he closed his eyes tightly in pain.

His limbs quivered and Aiden started to sink lower, closer to Octavia as he flitted in and out of consciousness. It hurt's, it hurt's so fucking bad.

Gaining the strength to peel his eyes open, Aiden looked up just in time to see Hanna and Cassian start to move once more -- their bodies quickly being engulfed by the dark shape of trees until even he couldn’t see them running.

Move, they needed to move. And quickly.

He couldn’t help the pitiful sound of pain that escaped him as he stepped over Octavia and picked up his pace once more, slower this time. Much slower.

The branches of the trees scraped against his back, creating excruciating shots of pain with every touch. However, Aiden’s steps didn’t waver and he and Octavia continued to race through the forest, following the pairs scent. While Aiden had only spoken to Hanna a handful of times, he knew that the girl was not a threat -- to him, at least. The Gemini, Aiden wasn’t so sure about.

They continued to dodge the trees until the pain flowing across his spine became too much and Aiden’s pace slowed, his breathing ragged and heavy. His eyes started to droop and he took shelter within a dark patch of trees, unknowing if Octavia had even seen him drift off, unknowing if he really cared if she did or not.

With legs shaking and jaw locked in pain, Aiden tried to catch his breath, tried to regain some sense of strength. He felt powerless and weak. He could feel the open cuts that riddled his back, along with the bite mark James had left him. For once, Aiden was terrified to shift back into his human form, afraid of the screams of pain that would escape his lips.

Gold eyes peered through the trees as he nearly collapsed on the ground.

His gaze landed on Cassian, who was also staring right back. Help, Aiden thought, wishing he wasn’t such a coward and would shift so he could utter the pathetic word.

He wasn’t surprised when Hanna and Cassian ran.

Without a second thought, Aiden shifted.

He was so unsteady that his shirt did not return -- it probably would have been shredded, anyways. Only the ragged pair of jeans remained. He hadn’t even been able to conjure up his sneakers.

The pain was nearly ten times worse in this body and the feeling of his own blood, coating his back, was enough to make him nearly pass out. Lying face down in the dirt, Aiden dug his hands into the ground dragging himself out of the trees while gritting his teeth. He grunted in pain and screamed through his clenched jaw, his forehead pressing against the hard ground while his hands balled into fists, slamming against the dirt. He was weak. He was fucking weak.

Sweat covered his body along with patches of dust and dirt from the explosion. Every move he made sent another wave of pain coursing through his body, causing another scream to become swallowed in his throat as well. “Help,” he groaned again, so softly Aiden wasn’t even sure if he said the word aloud.

Tears stained the girl's face as she stared up at him, but they didn't remain for very long as recognition poured into her now reserved set of brown eyes. She had thought he was Alastair. A common misconception.

Cassian's sea filled gaze draped over her as madness erupted all around them. It didn't matter where his eyes would look, there was pure havoc everywhere. The heat radiating from growing flames could be felt from all around him, his skin absorbing it and dark clouds of suet and smoke rolled in, making the sky fill with toxins. In the distance, the stage that once stood tall had collapsed in on itself and the yard began crawling with flames as well. Through the smoke, faint sightings of lions and lionesses could be witnessed darting towards running students, their jaws unhinged. A loud rumble suddenly vibrated his body as the earth beneath them shifted and Hanna was now looking at him. Her face matched his, it was full of ashes and dirt.

Another rumble ensued and Hanna began tugging Cassian behind her through the parade of panicking students. The clouds of smoke were growing, and many could be heard coughing and calling out to one another. It was hard to wrap around his mind how quickly things had escalated. The campus was catching fire and the wind was picking up drastically. It was beginning to make sense as to why their powers were being restrained. If this were just a bunch of students causing this destruction, he couldn't imagine having a true harness on one's abilities.

The two of them had headed towards the building, regardless of the fact that it was catching ablaze, it was the quickest route to the entrance gates. Left and right he could see the figure of students, but none of them were Alastair. Groaning lowly to himself, he kept looking. The longer they were apart, the worse control they had over their abilities, and the weaker they would grow. Now was not the time for weakness.

Luckily, Hanna seemed to know what she was doing, her flames like bullets as they shot from her palms, making it so that students wouldn't think twice. The best thing about the fire was that it could grow. The gift that kept on giving. More or less.

"If I could talk to him, I wouldn't have asked you where he was," Cassian remarked. Regardless of his harsher tone, it was a valid question. Cassian could only talk to him when he was merged with Alastair, otherwise, it was just tuning into his senses.

Making it towards the gates, he caught up to Hanna's side and glanced behind them to find a group of signs that must have caught onto their plan and decided to follow it. Then again, he was sure that some of them probably didn't want anyone escaping at all. Turning back towards the gate, he watched Hanna struggle to get the lock to break. They didn't have a lot of time.

"Keep them back," Cassian shouted as he picked up speed towards the gate, his boots kicking up dirt. One minute he was running and the next his eyes closed, and his body exploded into a mass of dark smoke. The cloud was thick and was constantly transforming as it darted towards the lock on the gate, slamming through it and the lock busted, flying off as the gates were flung open wide.

On the other side, Cassian's body slowly began reforming from the smoke until every atom was returned to its rightful place.

"Let's go!" he yelled out to her, waving his arm to her. Once she had run past him, he followed after her towards the road. Across the road was a thick mass of trees that could have gone out miles for all he knew, but it was cover, nonetheless.

Just when he thought that they were free, a loud crack roared through the air and he could feel the ground rumble once again. Then an explosion. And another. The ground just behind them had erupted and sent their bodies flying forward due to the blunt force. The next thing he knew, he was sliding across the ground on the other side of the road and his head and arms were bleeding. A low noise came from his chest and he rolled himself onto his back, trying to catch his breath. Once he could breathe, he tilted his head and looked around, it was dark, he could barely see a thing. "Hanna," his voice was hoarse, and he could feel himself getting weaker by the minute.

Trying to push himself up into a sitting position, he could hear yelling in the distance. "Hanna, where the hell are you?" he squinted and finally got himself to his feet. Footfalls echoed all around them from running students, he could only assume that shortly they would be found, and he didn't want to know where he sat with his strength by trying to fight someone. Stumbling forward, he looked around until he noticed a glint caught by the moonlight on the ground.

He began heading in the direction of the shining object and the closer he drew to it the more he could see. Laying on a bed of pine-needles was Hanna who seemed to be bruised up as well. Kneeling down, he grabbed a hold of her arm and shook her. "You've got to get up." he ordered, wiping blood from his cheek as he propped her up. "We need to keep moving."

Once he had gotten her to her feet, he looked around, trying to use his night vision but it was no use, he was too weak. A perk for being a darkness manipulator in a Gemini was that the darkness was everything that made him. He could see through it; manipulate the shadows and he was basically a shadow himself. Similar to the light part of a Gemini, they could control the light and the power that buzzed through it, often driving off the energy of the moon and sun. Unfortunately for Cassian, that wasn't a choice right now. His tether to Alastair was growing frail and it was only going to get worse.

There was no point in worrying about that now. They needed to focus on staying alive and Alastair would find them. He hoped. As much as he hated him, they were a package deal, one couldn't survive without the other.

Looking around, Cassian decided that they needed to move deeper into the woods if they wanted the advantage of staying hidden. They still wouldn't be safe, he was sure others would lurk in the forest too, but maybe they'd get a head start.

Cass helped Hanna as they moved along through the brush, constantly being scraped, and burned by thorns and branches that grabbed their skin. "We need some light," Cassian looked at Hanna expectantly. She had fire; they might as well use it.

After a while of trekking through the trees and thick brush, a clutter of snapped twigs could be heard nearby. Cassian squeezed Hanna's arm and pulled her back against his chest as he laid back against a tree as an attempt of shelter. Holding a hand over her mouth, he subconsciously held his breath for a moment to listen.

Snap!

Cassian twisted around and in the distance two glowing eyes shined through the darkness. Cat eyes. Without another thought, he breathed into her hair. "Run," his only words before they broke into a sprint and the lion took off after them. They didn't make it very far before reaching a cliff, but it was too late, unable to skid to a stop, they slid off the end and plummeted. He was sure that they were goners when suddenly he hit a hard surface that stopped his falling, his head slamming back onto a rock and his vision going dark.

Hanna was only vaguely aware of Alastair’s hands trying to pull her away from the fight. She could tell that the boy was trying to center her -- to cease her shaking fists and put some common sense in her enraged mind so that she would do something rash and impulsive. Alastair obviously knew Aries pretty damn well, then. If his hands weren’t holding her back, Hanna would have jumped into the battle minutes ago. To give the poor Scorpio a fighting chance.

She could hear him saying her name, but Hanna remained transfixed on the bloodied mess before her. The fear that still sat in the boy’s eyes -- even in death. He died afraid and with a crowd.

Hanna’s stomach lurched.

And then the alarm sang.

She didn’t cover her hears, but her head whipped towards the sound, brows furrowed and her hands still balled into fists, ready to unleash her flame any second now. Oh, she was angry. Lord help the next idiot who dares to cross an Aries when they are furious.

As the white sheet unfurled across the stage and a video flickered on, Hanna watched intently. She still felt Alastair next to her, but her attention was transfixed on Headmistress Elise, and the fact that she was bleeding. And strapped to a chair. Hanna was barely able to register the words Elise was saying, for fear and outrage seemed to take over.

Headmistress Elise’s head getting swiped clean off of her body was the last thing Hanna saw before she shot flame towards the sheet, it quickly igniting and bursting with light. An act of impulse. Rage. Fury. Fear.

She stood there, feet planted in the ground while both palms were out and blasting fire onto the stage. The sheet fell, then igniting the rest of the stage until the whole ensemble was blazing. Around her, the chaos was even greater. She turned her head once, eyes locking with Alastair as he centered her back into reality once again. Her flames went out. Hanna dropped her hands to her sides with an exasperated sigh.

As the anarchy continued, Hanna was barely able to part her lips, wanting to call to Alastair, before they were ripped away from each other during the craze. She struggled against the pressing and pushing bodies. However, it was too late and Hanna was separated from him.

She gritted her teeth. Around her, the world was shifting as student after student started pointing fingers, spitting out accusations. She noticed a few of the large Leo lions parading around, their menacing eyes narrowed and ready to strike, just how James had done. Taurus’s were siding with Scorpio’s, Aries were siding with Leo’s as well as every other sign releasing their true colors and the contempt that came with it.

Hanna tried to follow the spurts of light that emitted from the bustling crowd. Balls of fire sprang through the battles and Hanna instinctively lurched towards her own sign -- it seemed to be the only stability she could find in a shattering world. With her hands ablaze at her sides, she continued to sprint through the masses, her eyes red-rimmed and tears of frustration and fury threatened to spill. She wouldn’t let them.

During her sprint, she collided with another body. The sheer muscle and height of the man nearly sent her on her ass and in the moment, Hanna shot her hand out, ready to unleash her flame on the sorry son of a bitch who got in her way.

Alastair.

Her eyes softened and she allowed a tear to spill, it leaving streaks down her dirt and ash covered cheeks. Her entire body was covered in it, actually. The horrors of the night showing across her skin. She let another tear fall.

Until he opened his mouth.

It was not Alastair. She closed her parted lips, a muscle quivering in her jaw and she quickly swiped away at the tears that fell, anger reigniting back inside those dark eyes. She gritted her teeth as she stared at him. “I don’t know,” she said, eyes leaving him to scour the battle until a rumble in the earth caused her to snap her gaze back to Cassian. “We need to get out of here.”

Without any hesitation, Hanna doused the fire on one of her hands and snatched Cassian’s, dragging him to her as she began to lead them through the throng of students. Smoke began to fill the air as more fire shot out. She didn’t cough, her abilities allowing her to breathe through the smoke, but Hanna did notice the other signs starting to fall prey to the black smoke.

“Can you, like, talk to him?” Hanna called back to Cassian and they continued to weave through the students. She had no knowledge of what Gemini's could actually do once they had been separated, however, she did know that the longer Cassian was away from Alastair, the weaker he would become. They needed to hurry.

She shot out small bursts of fire here and there, mostly at the feet of now-enemy signs. Nothing to severely harm them, but enough to warn them to not even try. They were finally out of the trees and Hanna released Cassian’s hand as she started to sprint through campus. Her heels clicked loudly against the pavement, but they did nothing to hinder her speed. “Come on!” She shouted back to Cassian, arms pumping wildly at her sides as they headed towards the large, wrought iron gate that sat at the entrance to the school.

Hanna’s hands once again lit up with flame and she shot a stream of fire towards the gate, trying to break the lock. She panted heavily as she ran, already hearing more footsteps echoing behind them. Pressing her power further and deeper into the lock, trying to melt it, shatter it, anything that she could muster, Hanna called to Cassian. “A little help maybe?!”

Octavia had to fight off a scoff. They weren't his boys? That was hard to believe considering Leo’s looked up to Aiden as though he was the man with the plan. The guy that had all the answers. He was truly the golden boy. Ironic really.

With Lucille dangling off of Octavia, she had to dig her boots into the soil beneath her in order to get a good stance and not topple over. Lucille wasn’t giving her any sort of effort and her legs seemed to be made up of Jell-O. Barely making it more than three steps, she could feel the weight of Lucille’s practically limp body being lifted as Aiden swooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing more than a feather.

Octavia watched him as he walked ahead of her and she could feel a twitch of a smile threaten her pink lips as she watched Lucille hang behind his back like a ragdoll and silently wondered if the lioness would throw up in the state she was in.

Following after Aiden towards the entrance of the building, Octavia rolled her eyes at the sound of Lucille's drunken groaning about her nails before breaking the otherwise tense silence between them.

"Octavia." she didn't look at Aiden. "I figured you might as well know my name at this rate." she also felt as though it was only right that he knew her name because she already knew his. In fact, nearly everyone at the university knew his name.

Rounding a corner, they had finally reached the Leo's hall of dormitories. It was being watched for by one of the university's trainers, Marcus, who was watching the three of them like they were up to no good. Which in fact was ironic considering this was the most selfless thing she had ever done for a Leo. The same signs that would glare daggers at her when she was in the halls and whispered about her loud enough for her to overhear.

Ignoring Marcus's gaze, Octavia helped Aiden open up the door by nudging it with the tip of her boot, shoving the door wide open and the three of them entered the room.

Watching near the door as Aiden set Lucille down gently in her bed, taking care of her as though she was a small child and placing a blanket over her, Octavia's eyes softened momentarily at the sight. When Aiden turned around to look at her, she wiped the expression off her face quickly and let him usher her out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Once they were back out into the hall, the two of them made their way back towards the celebration going on outside and the deafening silence that surrounded them was finally broken by Aiden's voice. He was thanking her, but it was his next words that made her turn to look at him. Her eyebrows knitted into an offended expression that she couldn't hide.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't want to hurt your precious ego," she spoke harshly. "Besides, no one would believe me anyway." she looked away from him. She wasn't sure if she was really offended or if it was the fact that he wanted to think that she would want to run and share about their joke of a kiss. The same stupid kiss that lingered on her lips. The same stupid kiss that was supposed to be special. The stupid kiss that she wanted more of. No. She was supposed to kiss someone she cared about. Someone that cared about her.

Ready to storm off, Octavia barely made it more than a step when a loud shrill entered her ears causing her hands to fly up and cover them. She glanced around and noticed Leo's crumpling to the ground due to their heightened sense. Many others were looking towards the stage where something seemed to be playing. Shaking her head once the sound stopped, she furrowed her brows.

"Somethings going on," she breathed and followed after him to get a closer look when she felt her breath hitch in her throat. Her hand now covered her mouth and her eyes were drowning in horror at the sight of their headmistress being beheaded live. She felt her stomach coil and her heart pounded. The silence that washed over the crowd of students was the loudest thing she had ever heard, but it didn't last long before a new loudness erupted into the air.

Screams.

So many screams.

There were screams of fear, words being flung around that were full of blame, different signs accusing each other of murder. Only it wasn't about the murder of Elise, it was the murder of a Scorpio. Spinning around, Octavia was faced by a body that laid limp on the ground. "Jeremy," she gasped his name and took a step forward.

The boy was a freshman who had come up to her just that morning asking her where his class was. His glasses that once framed his face were shattered on the ground beside his bloodied mess of a body and standing before him was a lion. An innocent boy. Dead.

Her eyes darted towards Aiden who was calling out to the lion. James. It was James. She knew that Leo's and Scorpio weren't acquainted but she never would have thought that they would kill one another because of it. She should have known.

With fists clenched at her side, she watched the two boys as they conversed with one another, James now in his human form once again. Jeremy's blood staining his body. Octavia kept her distance, but she couldn't stop looking from the boy's dead body to James. How could he? None of it made any sense to her until Jame's words filled the air.

Lucille was dead.

"Oh my God," Octavia breathed out in disbelief. They had just been with Lucille. She was alive. She had to be.

Jame's gaze landed on Octavia and she could feel the hatred beaming from his eyes. He couldn't have possibly blamed her could he? Taking a step back, Octavia shook her head in defense. Her eyes burned with doubt. He couldn't really think that she killed Lucille or any of the Scorpio's for that matter. They were a lot of things, but they weren't murderers.

"James," Octavia blurted out when she noticed that the tears that once streaked his cheeks had come to a halt and he was now staring at her with a look that could itself strike someone down. He wanted her dead.

It only took a second for James to return to his lion form and his gaze never left Octavia who was now walking backward, her hands up, pleading for him to listen to her. His roar felt like it ripped through her and she nearly lost her balance when he suddenly lurched forward at her with the speed of a bullet. She had no choice. She needed to fight back.

With shaking hands, she reached up into her hair and released a bobby pin from her mess of brunette waves. With the small piece of metal, she forced it as hard as she could through her skin. Normally a Scorpio would be able to form a cut without any trauma, but she wasn't that skilled yet. She could barely keep a dagger formed with all of her concentration and right now she was surrounded by students who were shaking the earth beneath her, fires were erupting left and right and her heart was pounding out of her chest. She couldn't keep her hands from shaking. She'd never fought anyone before.

Once the cut was made in her hand, she put her palms out towards James who was charging her. She tried to connect with her powers, but they were failing her miserably. She was going to die. Licking her lips, she stared deeply into the eyes of the lion before her and kept trying. If she was going to die tonight, she was going to die trying.

Her blood had barely managed to come out of her cut, only a couple drops floated into the air above her, trying to form some sort of weapon that could be wielded, but instead, the droplets of blood fell to her feet and the wound closed up without her permission. She felt her jaw clench in defeat. This was it. Her blood ran cold and she dropped her arms weakly at her sides, her eyes full of dread.

Just when she had closed her eyes - she didn't want to see it happen - she felt a gust of wind blow back her waves of hair. She felt the ground beneath her rumble out of sync with the power of the Taurus's and her eyes flung open to the sight of a beast standing before her in all his might. The lion had a size advantage over James and the thunderous roar that ripped from his chest vibrated through her body, sending chills up her spine.

"Aiden," her voice felt far away. She had not expected him to protect her. His tail swishing low to the ground and his hackles raised in defense. He was willing to turn against his own in order to keep her alive. Her brows furrowed at the golden mass of lion before her and she stood straighter, watching the two of them with jaws hanging open, ready to pounce at any waking minute.

Courage. Aiden gave her courage.

Turning so her back was to Aiden's. She lifted her palms once again and closed her eyes. As difficult as it was, she attempted to drown out the sound of screams and chaos that surrounded them and she took a deep breath. "Come on," she whispered to herself and it happened. Her palms opened up with thin slices and blood began slowly pooling out, for a moment she thought it would leak over the sides when suddenly the blood formed into chain-links that slowly grew longer. Once they hit the ground, she closed her hands around them and they coiled around her arms, ready to defend her and Aiden if needed.

Her eyes followed several sprinting students and she could tell that some of them were using this as an excuse to target other students and signs. A small group of Libra's whose hands were stirring up the air all around the campus, causing a storm to break out above their heads, and they were heading towards them with smirks on their faces.

"Aiden. . ." she swallowed and felt his fur brush her shoulder. "We've got company."

He wasn’t sure what he was feeling.

It was as if his entire body were pinged with electricity. His mind was racing, his heart nearly bursting at the seams. Aiden even felt his hands tremble slightly as he released the Scorpio girl, the taste of her still lingering on his lips. A reminder of what had just occurred between them. It surely must have looked believable and Aiden could think of a few reasons as to why. Him, cupping her face. Her, gripping his shirt and pulling him closer as if he were the air she needed to breathe.

As she backed away, Aiden stayed in place for a moment. Panting harshly and eyes lowered to the ground -- trying to make sense of what had just occurred, if that were even possible.

He heard her soft voice break through the night air. However, it didn’t hold that Scorpio fire he was expecting. He had been on the receiving end of that fire earlier. Even though Aries were the hotheads, Aiden knew better than to underestimate the sharp tongue of a Scorpio. They were indestructible in more ways than one.

But, not right now, it seemed.

“Yeah, looks like it did,” Aiden said from under the tree until he finally emerged out of the branches, quickening his pace to catch up with her. His eyes flicked to an unconscious Lucille as she continued to speak and he couldn’t help the groan that escaped his lips. Aiden knew that James was more or less a piece a shit, but the fact that he left his girlfriend, unconscious by a fountain and for Aiden to take care of, was disgraceful, even for him.

The snark started to creep back into the girl’s voice and Aiden couldn’t help but to sigh and look over at her, his lips pressing together. “They’re not 'my boys', ” he argued, although even he had a hard time believing his words. Leo’s had a big familial aspect about them -- they protected and cared for their own. But, that didn’t stop Aiden from being annoyed as shit by most of them. Especially James. He was thankful whenever the boy wanted to pick a fight with him, it gave Aiden the chance to release his pent up irritation with the kid.

Aiden was about ready to scoop up Lucille himself and carry her back into the dorm room, but as the Scorpio started to pull the drunken girl from the ground and drape a tanned arm over her shoulders, Aiden didn’t know whether to laugh or run the other direction. It was so out of the norm, for both of them. He cocked a brow and sauntered over to her, grabbing Lucille from her and throwing the girl over his shoulder in one quick movement, as if she weighed nothing. He held onto the back of Lucille’s legs and started his way towards the dormitories with an unconscious Lucille flung over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

“Luckily, I do,” he shot at her, not expecting the girl to follow. He had it covered. Aiden had put drunk, wayward Leo’s to bed before, this time wouldn’t be any different.

But, the Scorpio followed him and he was sure the world was ending.

They walked in silence for the most part, only Lucille’s sloppy groans coming from over his shoulder and her random mumbling about how she needed to get a fresh manicure in the morning. Same old, same old. What was a cat without her claws?

Aiden was also able to find out the girl’s name, finally. Octavia. It fit her so well that Aiden was surprised he didn’t guess it beforehand. A warriors name.

Heading into the dormitories and finally reaching Lucille’s room, Aiden passed a trainer that stood guarding the Leo hall a tight lipped smile as they tried to finagle Lucille’s door open. The trainer, a man named Marcus, narrowed his eyes once at the odd group, his hands held tightly behind his back and a thin layer of sweat shining across his bald head. Aiden never actually figured out what sign he belonged to, the man was entirely ominous and the toughest teacher at the university. He seemed to get off on kicking the shit out of the students and calling it training exercises. It was safe to say that Aiden wasn’t exactly a fan.

Once inside the room, Aiden placed Lucille gently onto her mattress, pulling off the girl’s heels and tossing them in a corner before shucking a thick blanket over her. Lucille mumbled a groggy, “Thank you, Aiden,” before rolling over and curling up into her bed.

Aiden ushered Octavia out of the room and back into the hall, taking one last glance at Marcus while an uneasy feeling sank into his stomach. Part of him felt as if he should just a while longer, until James returned and was able to stay with Lucille. However, remembering how plastered James was, Aiden knew that it would be hours until he rolled into the dorms.

So, he left.

Hands shoved in his pockets, Aiden walked next to Octavia back towards the roaring bonfire. The glow from the flames growing brighter and larger with each step they took in the cool, night air. He could feel the tension that sat between them -- the unspoken words of what had occurred between them and the debate on whether to ignore it completely or face it head on.

“Um, thank you,” he started, his jaw tense and his golden eyes locked onto the party as they crept closer. He wasn’t exactly sure how to go about this considering he hasn’t exactly had a civil conversation with a Scorpio in years. “It’s probably best if you don’t tell anyone what happened.” His eyes landed on hers for a moment, hoping that Octavia caught on to what he meant. Not the drunken Lucille or the fight that happened between the two girls, but what happened after. Their mouths crashing into each other, the heated breaths that they shared, the gnawing feeling that still would not leave his chest. Yes, it was best to ignore it -- to wipe it from existence.

They were almost back to the party when a shrieking alarm sounded. Aiden instinctively covered his ears and gritted his teeth, his enhanced hearing only making the sound all the more ear-splitting and he had to crouch into the dirt for a moment until the ringing ceased. Breathing heavily, his eyes lifted from the ground and his hands lowered back to his sides. “What the hell was that?” he asked Octavia.

From within the mass of the party, Aiden spotted a large screen unfurled across the stage. He quickly jogged towards the large group of students, catching the ending words of the film that was being played.

Except, it only took him a heartbeat to realize, it was no film.

He had just registered what Headmistress Elise had said as her head was sliced clean off of her head -- by some sort of weapon he was unable to see. Aiden’s tanned skin paled and his eyes grew wide as he stared at the bloodied mess of Elise.

The silence that followed would haunt him forever.

Chaos quickly took over and the wailing screams of students filled his ears. Aiden winced. From across the fire, he spotted a crumpled Scorpio boy’s body, James perched over him in his lion form, blood dripping down for his maw.

No. No, he couldn’t have.

Aiden took one last look back at Octavia, seeing the horrors on her face as she stared at the dead Scorpio, before rushing towards James.

“James!” Aiden called to him, his voice hoarse and tight. “What are you doing?! What happened?” The two signs were obvious enemies, but never -- never -- had murder been an option.

Within a flash, James was back into his human form, now shirtless and only in a pair of shorts. With training, Leo’s were able to master shifting back into their clothed human form -- but an exhausted Leo sometimes couldn’t even manage that. Shorts were simple and easy and what they usually kept to.

Blood stained his mouth and dripped down his chin and a thick stream of tears pooled from the boy’s dark eyes. “She’s dead,” James breathed, as if speaking the words allowed made them all the more real. “They killed her!” The boy was screaming now, his hands balled into fists and ripples of anger pooling off of him.

“Who, James? Who is dead?” Aiden now had his hands on James’s shoulders, his tight grip keeping him at bay while also steadying his tremors.

Until he stopped shaking. His eyes drifting from Aiden’s and landing on Octavia behind him.

“Lucille,” James growled, his stare still never wavering from the Scorpio girl.

Aiden felt the words in his chest and he stumbled back, shock written all over his face. He paused for a moment, glancing back and forth from James to Octavia while trying to process that a Leo, a friend, was dead. Someone that he had just seen less than a half-hour ago.

“No,” Aiden started, trying to conjure up the words. “No, James, I just saw her by the fountain. She was drunk, she wasn’t dead.”

“Katerina walked into her room to check on her. Her throat was slit.” James’s voice now sounded distant and Aiden could see the lion lurking beneath his eyes, waiting to pounce once more. No more tears fell onto his cheeks, only rage remained. “It’s their fault. I know it. They killed her,” he spat towards Octavia, baring his bloody teeth in a snarl.

“James, no. Listen to me --”

But, it was too late.

James had once again shifted, an unearthly roar radiating through the rest of the chaos as the large lion snapped his teeth -- his gaze transfixed on his prey. Octavia. The lion shot forward, nearly knocking Aiden over as he did so. James already had killed a boy, his blood not even dry as he lunged to kill yet another student.

Aiden had a decision to make.

“James!” He screamed, his last attempt at trying to reign in the lion. Of course, his words were lost in the carnage of the battle that had broken out all around them. Fire from the Aries students shot through the throng, the ground rumbled beneath his feet as Taurus’s broke the earth. Light and darkness from the Gemini’s encircled the group, lashing out their power left and right from multiple bodies.

James was charging towards Octavia, the girl’s stance was strong, unyielding as she braced herself and her power for the oncoming attack. She didn’t look too fearful of the beast growing closer and closer, but Aiden knew that Octavia was no idiot -- not with how she handled Lucille.

She was nowhere near as trained as James, her young powers would not shield herself for long. The recognition of that slowly appeared on her face and fear started to swim in her eyes. Her stance then wavered ever so slightly as James kept running towards her, mouth open and ready to tear into her. Aiden saw her try and get a grip on her power, the furrowed brows, and the panicking look that passed over her features.

She was scared.

Aiden was already shifting.

It was like a flash of light -- quick and sharp as a golden, grand lion stood where Aiden once was. The shift no longer hurt like it used to and Aiden could now manage to change within seconds, the lion did indeed jumping from his skin. He was larger than the others and his mane was lighter than James’s, as if it were forged from gold itself, matching his tawny colored eyes that narrowed as he ran towards Octavia. The thundering of his large paws dueting the rumbling of the dirt below, as if he too harnessed some of the Taurus’s power.

The Lion. The King.

He growled low in his chest, catching up to James within a matter of moments before he lurched off of the ground, leaping high above the other lion and landing in front of Octavia, facing James with his large teeth bared.

The roar that exploded from him matched the fury, the pain, and the turmoil that was buried beneath that Aiden swore it shook Earth itself. His stance was powerful, claws digging into the ground as he snarled into the crisp air, halting James in his tracks, the fellow lion growling along with him -- debating on whether to attack his own kind and why a Leo, of all people, was protecting a Scorpio.

Aiden wasn’t entirely sure why he was, either.

He sank back into his paws, ready to pounce and attack if James decided to battle him. By the questioning and enraged look in his eyes, Aiden was now prepared for anything.

Even saving a Scorpio girl’s life by putting down a member of his own sign.

Alastair wasn't sure if it was the amount of alcohol Cassian had put into his system or if Hanna was just that easy to talk to but this would be one of the first times he was actually able to hang out with someone without worrying about if Cass was going to chase them off. It did help that Cass was currently outside of him, but he couldn’t stay outside for too long. That was the problem. Eventually, Cass would have to be back inside his head and make being around people difficult again.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say Cass was a raging alcoholic in another life." Alas mused as the two of them stood on the fountain's side. The night made the constant stream of water look as though it was bursting with light.

When Hanna used her middle finger to light up the blunt that hung lazily in his lips, he offered her a grin while he inhaled the smoke deep into his lungs, letting the blunt leave his lips when she reached out and took it for a hit. "Ah, yes, I heard you were the best of the best in terms of babysitter's, the lighter part was just a convenient perk." Alastair teased while exhaling the skunky smoke into the sky. After Hanna took a hit of her own and asked her next question, Alastair's face fell into a more serious expression.

"I guess I've seen you around every so often and I grew intrigued. I wanted to get to know you better," he answered honestly while dropping down to sit on the fountain side as the effects of the weed began to mellow him out. When she came down to sit beside him, they continued on with some drunk bantering and teasing nature as they passed the blunt. His eyes felt heavier, but he also felt like he could sit there and talk to her all night long.

With a smile sprawled across his lips, he lightly splashed some water from the fountain towards Hanna when a scream erupted, causing all music to cease and the voices that once echoed off of each other had come to a halt. The blunt that was sitting between Alastair's fingers had slipped and dropped into the fountain by accident. Alas wasn't paying attention, his eyes were searching the crowd, praying that the scream didn't have anything to do with Cassian. When more screams ensued, Alastair got to his feet and took Hanna's hand, following her towards the commotion of gathered students.

When the two of them found a spot in the circle where they could see what was going on, it only revealed a couple of Leos and a Scorpio looking like they were about to fight. A low groan had slipped from Alastair's throat at the sight. "Do these guys do anything but start fights?" he murmured lowly to Hanna; his voice full of annoyance until he overheard the same whispers that she must have because both of their faces fell into a troubled expression. He suddenly felt a lot less intoxicated by the shock.

They were going to kill that Scorpio boy. There wasn't a single doubt in Alastair's mind about it.

Grabbing a hold of Hanna's arm, he could see how tense she had become. Her body shaking slightly like she was ready to step into the mess herself and he slowly pulled her back. There was no use, James's body had already begun rippling and anyone would be a fool to jump in front of a changing pride of Leo's.

Once the lion had emerged from James, he was like a blur of muscle, teeth, and dark mane. The Scorpio was dead in a matter of seconds, his hands barely able to come up to guard his face as though it would be any benefit to him. Blood pooled on the ground beneath James as his wide paws left prints in it. The crowd had all stepped back a few paces and Alastair shifted so he was standing in front of Hanna. He knew she could probably hold her own, but his instinct remained.

James had turned sharply towards the crowd and they all gasped collectively in response. His jaws remained hanging open and the Scorpio's blood dripped down the sides of his mouth. Anger flooded James's eyes, even as a lion it was evident that he was in pain over the death of his fellow Leo. Someone he cared for.

"Hanna-- " Alastair uttered. He had begun to pull her back behind him and away from James when a loud ringing sound erupted in his ears, causing both of his hands to fly up to his ears.

Several students mimicked his actions, covering their ears and turned towards the noise that was coming from the stage speakers. No one stood on the stage as far as Alastair could see, but the speakers continued to ring for a moment before being replaced by the sound of static. Alastair's confusion only grew when a voice erupted over the speakers and a white sheet dropped down, acting as a screen for a projector that was casting a video onto it.

The image that appeared on the screen was not something that brought the students any comfort. It was the Headmistress, Elise. chained to a chair, she had blood rushing down her face and she looked like she was staring at someone behind the camera. Sweat beaded down her forehead and she looked exhausted and angry.

"Tell them," an unrecognizable voice demanded.

Elise stared into the camera now.

"Students," she began. "There is something that C.O.E.A.U has been keeping from all of you." her voice was weak, but she seemed to have everyone's attention now. "Our program is not a school to help students harness their abilities, but instead a way of testing the strongest students and their limits to send them to fight for our military. We have kept this a secret, but it seems that the truth has finally reached the surface." she didn't sound apologetic about her words.

"We are but pawns in C.O.E.A.U's game," the voice returned. "I say we end this game."

It all happened so quickly. Blood splattered into the screen of the camera. They had chopped the head of Elise clean off and the video went black, the speakers shutting down. Alastair felt a shiver roll down his shoulders. Something bad was going to happen. Turning back towards Hanna, his eyes locked with hers for a moment before all Hell broke loose.

It was like it hit everyone at once and screams erupted into the air while everyone began running or fighting with one another. Pure chaos. Alastair went to reach for Hanna's hand when a couple grouped up signs pushed the two of them apart as they ran. Stumbling backward, Alastair bumped into a beefy looking Taurus. His dark skin was stained in blood. Taurus's had the ability of terrakinesis - the ability to control the earth, often by causing earthquakes or tremors, strong Taurus's have been known to be able to destroy large buildings.

"Hey, I'm not trying to fight--" Alastair started, but the Taurus was already causing the ground beneath his feet to shake. Pieces of stone and dirt rose up into the air around him, forming sharp earth-made daggers. Alastair glared and released a sigh. "You asked for it." he murmured and his hands erupted with light.

* * *

"Keep looking at me like that," Cassian crushed a beer can in his hand, tossing it at the garbage can beside the school entrance. "See what happens." his voice was hungry as he sauntered towards a dark-haired girl who was far too intoxicated. She had been staring at him for God only knows how long.

Her smile was messy when he stopped in front of her, a sly smirk of his own on his lips. Just when his mouth opened to speak again, he was rudely interrupted by a loud noise coming from the stage. With a roll of his eyes, he turned to investigate what was going on but couldn't get a good look from where he was.

The girl no longer had his attention and he was walking towards the crowd of students, his dark figure moving as smoothly as smoke. When he finally reached the center of the yard, he noticed a familiar face on the stage. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but their Headmistress getting beheaded live wasn't it. Cass barely had any time to put things together when suddenly everyone went mad and began running and panicking. Several bodies had slammed into his shoulders as many eagerly sprinted into the school, probably to hide, and others took this disorder as an excuse to start fights with other students.

In the span of just a few minutes, students began pointing fingers at each other, blaming different signs, and ganging up. Lions now stalked the area while the stage caught fire. Cassian could feel the ground trembling beneath his feet and objects began flying around. He squinted when he saw something in the sky and suddenly the object was getting closer. Quickly, his body dissipated into a cloud of smoke and the object flew through him, slamming into the lawn. His body came back together and his artic blue eyes burned with annoyance.

"It's like a zoo of fucking idiots," he groaned. His eyes looked around for Alastair and he debated returning to his body when another surge occurred beneath his boots. Cursing under his breath, he watched as the earth began splitting slowly, causing parts of the once kept lawn to erode and split apart between his legs. He shifted his weight to one side of the crack as it began growing longer and didn't realize that he was backing into a figure.

Turning around, Cass addressed the person he had nearly knocked over and found that it was a familiar face.

"Hanna," he muttered. "Where's Alastair?" his eyes looked through the sea of bodies but it was no use, too much was going on and they needed to remove themselves from the center of it.

She ignored Cassian’s insults with a mere roll of her eyes and a shrug of her near-bare shoulders. While the night was slightly chilly and most of the party-goers were wearing jackets, Hanna felt perfectly fine in her thin-strapped top and striped skirt. Not even goosebumps prickled her skin as a cold breeze shot past, ruffling her hair slightly. “Oh, go put some ice on it!” She called over her shoulder to an estranged Cassian, who surprisingly took her advice and cracked open the can of beer instead.

Hanna chuckled at Alastair as he called after the drunken Cassian, who decided that his obnoxious presence was needed elsewhere -- the smartest thing he had done, so far. “If you do end up being hungover, I have an in with one of the cooks. Irene makes a mean omelet.”

As he leaned against her shoulder, Hanna had to press her lips tightly to hold back a grin. She steadied Alastair once before she realized that there was no way in hell this boy could walk without injuring himself or others around him. As much as she would like some free entertainment, Hanna decided that Alastair was too kind to gawk at -- at least just for tonight. Hearing him thank her caused her to scoff and wave a hand dismissively, “No need, it was embarrassing to watch him out drink me. I only did it to save my own ass.” Hanna glanced at him playfully while redirecting his swaying form towards the fountain.

Surprised that the boy could not only jump onto the edge of the fountain but also stay balanced and not fall face first into the water, she laughed lightly while taking his outstretched hand. “Well, after all, you are with me tonight. I’m pretty confident that we’ll enjoy it.” She stood across from him, the toes of her sneakers peaking over the edge of the fountain base. Hanna rocked her weight back and forth as Alastair snatched the blunt from his pocket, her eyes growing wide as he held it up like a prized trophy.

“Is this bribery?” she laughed, more so at Alastair’s slurring words and the fact that it sounded like the boy was speaking in cursive. Hanna had her hands ready at her sides, just in case he had the sudden urge to go swimming.

She liked this boy, Hanna decided. Despite his power and the darkness that radiated beneath and unfurled off of Cassian, this one seemed full of light.

Watching Alastair bring the blunt to his lips, Hanna rolled her eyes and held up a middle finger, a small, flickering flame dancing on top of her nail. “Is that why you invited me tonight? To be your babysitter and personal lighter?” Her words were daunting and she stared at Alastair as he lit the blunt and took a hit. After a heartbeat, Hanna took matters into her own hands and pulled the blunt right from his lips before taking a hit herself — her body instantly reacting and a soft wave of relaxation came over her. Thank God.

Hanna had never been afraid to express her feelings. She was confident, energetic, and maybe a little hard to handle at times. She spoke her mind and didn’t apologize for it, somewhat being known as a hot-head. Literally and figuratively.

“Really, Alastair. Why did you invite me here tonight?” She also enjoyed getting straight to the point.

From across the fountain, she noticed another couple hauling a very drunk blonde girl towards the dormitories. Hanna furrowed her brows at the sight, noticing Aiden immediately, but he was with another girl that she didn’t recognize. Granted, it wasn’t odd for Aiden to have a different prize draped over his arm every week — The Lion in all of his Leo glory. Most girls seemed to be captivated by the golden-haired boy, but this one with him now just seemed, well, pissed.

Hanna automatically decided that she liked her.

She and Alastair sat next to the fountain for a decent amount of time. They joked around, Hanna tried to keep the drunken kid from falling headfirst into the fountain more times than she liked to admit, and the weed began to work it’s magic, taking over any inhibition and letting the girl relax. Her feet were stretched out in front of her and Hanna placed her hands behind her while she gazed up at the stars that loomed overhead. It was easy, talking to Alastair. Even through his slurring words.

Hanna had opened her mouth for a usual, witty retort towards Alastair when a scream shot from the rest of the party over by the extravagant bonfire. Her head whipped towards the sound and Hanna immediately sprung to her feet. The area seemed to fall silent as more screams burst through the gathering. “Something is wrong,” she said, brows furrowed with worry. “Come on,” Hanna snatched his hand, pulling him to his feet as well before dragging Alastair towards the commotion in a light jog.

There was another large crowd circling two students that were fighting. She almost rolled her eyes at the fact a stupid brawl had her so worked up. However, upon listening to the whispers among the other students, Hanna realized that this was no ordinary fight.

A Leo girl had been murdered.

And all eyes were looking at the Scorpios.

A Leo boy, Hanna knew him by the name of James, was circling the young, Freshman Scorpio boy. He had large, tilted glasses, messy and curled hair, and he was begging for his life. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he flexed and unflexed his hands beside him.

“Please,” the boy pleaded, his voice hoarse. Already a gash on his head was bleeding profusely, hinting that this kid had no idea how to control his powers, on how to protect himself. “I didn’t do it, I don’t even know who she is!” He sobbed, his watery eyes following James as the Leo snarled to him, about to attack again at any moment.

She should do something. Hanna should do something.

It all then happened too fast.

James burst out of himself and into a large, ferocious lion -- his black mane a stark contrast to the bronzed fur. The roar the beast emitted was loud enough that Hanna had to shield her ears and grit her teeth. The Scorpio boy screamed as James leaped onto him, teeth digging into his neck as he thrashed him around as if he were a ragdoll. Choked cries were all that left the young boy’s lips, his face a mask of shock and pain.

The young kid didn’t even have time to defend himself -- to fight back. He was dead, a crumpled, bloodied mess in the dirt.

Octavia couldn't help but compare Leo's to pack animals and not just because they could shift into lions, but they always seemed to be together. Like right now. Octavia noticed the figure of a man coming into view and at first, she thought it was James coming to back up his poor excuse of a girlfriend, but to Tav's surprise, it was none other than the king himself. Aiden.

Shifting her gaze back to Lucille who was trying to squirm away from his grip, she looked one sip away from drowning in the fountain if it wasn't for Aiden coming to her rescue, Octavia sure as hell wasn't going to try and help her. It wasn't that Octavia was that cold-hearted, but she knew that it would be pointless to try and get a Leo to see a Scorpio as anything other than a nuisance.

As if on cue, Lucille had slurred out a line of words that Octavia had just barely formed into a sentence when she was lunging towards her, their alcohol flying everywhere. Tav felt Lucille's nails dig into her skin around her neck and her anger flared causing her to snap as well. With a few swift punches to her lip and one against her eye, she was able to get her grip to loosen from her neck for a moment, but it wasn't long before her snakey little hand formed a fist of its own and she ended up punching Octavia in the boob due to Aiden finally pulling her free and causing her to miss her target which was without a doubt her face.

"Bitch," Octavia hissed and furrowed her dark brows in discomfort whilst holding her breast defensively. Her caramel gaze watched Aiden as he held onto Lucille like the wriggling child she was and she couldn't help but scoff to herself at his words.

"Are you kidding me? She's the one that came hobbling up to me looking for a fight. James should get her a better leash." Octavia protested bitterly, her eyes set in a glare at Aiden until a voice that belonged to James himself interrupted their argument.

Perking up slightly, Octavia let go of her chest and could feel another burst of energy naturally forming within her now that she could see a bunch more Leo's were approaching the scene which was not a pretty one and of course, being a Scorpio, Octavia was going to be on the losing side of it this round. Shit indeed.

"What is with you Leo's and your need for groups?" Octavia whisper-yelled as she stood from her seat at the side of the fountain. As she spoke, she noticed that Aiden had been walking towards her, causing her own feet to back away with each step he neared her. Her eyes grew suspicious of his actions until she realized that he was bringing them out towards the tree line that bordered the school. There wasn't much for woods, but she had to give it to him for quick thinking.

The only problem with the plan was that the two of them were now stuck hiding in whatever trees were given and with the heightened sense of Leo's, she highly doubted that this idea was going to last very long for the two of them if anything it would make it more suspicious and she grew a bit worried at the thought. She backed up until her back scraped tree bark and she glanced over her shoulder to find a wide trunk with thick leaves and branches, it was dark and quiet.

Turning to face forward again, Octavia's breath hitched in her throat at the close proximity of their bodies. She felt like they were nose-to-nose and the silence wasn't helping to the tension that clung to the air. This was not how she planned her night going at all. Raising one brow, she awkwardly averted her gaze as he did the same and she could feel her chest pressing to his with every breath they inhaled and exhaled, and with his body so close to hers, she found herself taking in his aroma. It was uncomfortably alluring and she couldn't put a finger on what it reminded her of, but it was familiar.

Shifting slightly, Octavia's eyes traveled down enough to find that his leg was between her legs and she pursed her lips about to speak when Jame's voice echoed towards the two of them once again. With a soft groan, Octavia was sure that the two of them were screwed this time. She should have just darted while she could and hoped for the best.

When Aiden insisted that she would have to play along, she couldn't bring herself to understanding what he had meant. Play along? She shot a glance back towards the guys making their way towards them and she sighed, nodding her head.

"You better have a damn good plan," she whispered against him as they neared closer and closer every second.

It was when he closed the gap between them with his lips that Octavia was sure her heart stopped pounding and she lost all the air in her lungs. She felt her entire body stiffen and the temperature of her body seemed to increase at an alarming rate that left her cheeks throbbing beneath her skin. This was "play along". His lips had captured her and held them hostage and they were so soft like the first snowfall dancing against her own.

Then it was his hands. His wandering hands were the only thing she could feel anymore as they graced her skin with their touch. She hadn't even been conscious of her own hands which found his chest, balling into fists full of his shirt as she tugged him closer.

That was when the moonlight shined through her closed eyelids and she was listening to the commotion passed around by the Leo's who had "walked-in" on them and retreated with bellies full of laughter like a bunch of giggling school-girls and Aiden's lips had retreated just like that, leaving hers lonely once more.

She wasn't sure what she was feeling. It was so unfamiliar to her. After all, she had never felt lips against her own before.

Pressing her back to the tree still, she caught her breath finally and looked anywhere but Aiden before brushing her hair back out of her face and stepping out of the trees. She felt like she was suffocating. Her legs felt like jello and she just lost her first kiss to a Leo. This night had taken a lot of twists and turns and she wasn't ready to comprehend any of it.

"It worked. . ." Octavia's voice was quiet now and lacked its usual snarky flare. "And it looks like your boys were so distracted that they forgot about their princess sleeping not-so-beauty by the fountain." Ah, there was the sarcasm. With forced movements, Octavia headed towards Lucille who was passed out and drooling on the fountain side. With much reluctance, Tav slowly pulled Lucille up into a sitting position and grabbed one of her arms, wrapping it around her shoulders while shooting Aiden a glance to help her out.

"I don't know what dorm room she's in," she murmured and began walking the drunk mess towards the building.

No matter how hard Aiden tried to fight it, he smirked.

The venom in the Scorpio’s voice was as prominent as Lucille’s icy glare and about nearly as lethal. As he heard an all too familiar and animalistic growl rumble from behind him, Aiden turned over his shoulder to shoot Lucille an intimidating gaze of his own. No matter how much fun it was to taunt and drag fellow Leo’s, they weren’t the ones to start a fight outside of their own sign. But, if it dared to occur, they sure as hell finished them.

He turned back to the girl, the ghost of that smirk still lingering. “It should be,” he said finally, no mistaking the warning that laced through his words. As if on cue, his eyes flashed, the pupils slitting and shifting into a vertical line -- cat eyes. “Enjoy the rest of your night,” he said, his tone challenging. A predator playing with its prey. He faced forward as the girl left him, not giving her the satisfaction of watching her leave.

Although, some godforsaken part of him -- deep, deep down -- wanted to.

Getting a punch to the face was exactly how Aiden wanted to start his night off.

Granted, he sought out the brawl and faced his opponent with a devious grin on his face, revealing white teeth as if they were fangs. Excitement layered his gold eyes and there was no denying that the sparks that flew inside of his chest were a result of the adrenaline he faced when throwing punches and dodging attacks left and right.

Sober Aiden ran from the spotlight.

However, drunk Aiden was a whole different story.

If the ‘Golden Boy’ was what they wanted, well, ask and you shall receive.

Across from him stood James, that same eager smile plastered on his own face. “Come on, Parker. That the best you got?” He urged through a bleeding lip. James spat bloodied saliva into the dirt that surrounded the blazing bonfire. The boy’s cropped hair had streaks of dust through it, accompanying his stained clothes, as well.

This was the usual. A couple of Leo’s lovingly pick on each other, sending fists flying and rolling through the dirt until they attracted a crowd. The fighting wasn’t malicious, Aiden actually found it fun -- the only source of entertainment he was finding tonight, to be quite honest. While he was never one to turn down a party, the Welcome Back get together put on by the university wasn’t exactly his cup of tea. Too tame, too safe. So, he had to make his own fun. Starting with beating the shit out of James Lewis.

They had attracted a decent-sized crowd, although another event of some crazed Gemini chugging liquor had taken a portion of their audience members, as if watching some drunk get shit-faced off of cheap tequila was more interesting. Aiden had to resist the urge to scoff at the thought.

Even though his clothes were slightly rumpled and his sandy hair was in a disarray, he had never felt better. A bruise was beginning to form on his right cheek where James had landed a blow earlier, but it was nothing compared to what the poor bastard across from him looked like. There was a reason Aiden enjoyed fighting -- he never lost.

Ducking from another punch, Aiden then nailed his fist right into James’s side, the boy letting out a large gust of air as he did so. James managed to land some blows against his own side and back, but Aiden already had the fellow Leo off his feet and back pressed into the dirt, sending up a cloud of dust as he landed. With his arm pressed against James’s neck and a shit-eating grin on his face, Aiden chuckled as the bystanders cheered for the victor. “You drunk ass,” he said to the boy, peeling off him and then snatching his hand, pulling him up as well. “Maybe next time.”

“One of these days, Parker, one of these days…” James warned through his valiant grin. He retreated into the crowd, no doubt looking for Lucille like a beaten, lost puppy.

Adjusting his jacket, Aiden decided he would check in the opposite direction. While he soaked in the praise and congratulations the small crowd gave him, his attention was focused elsewhere at the moment. At a drunk Lucille, in fact, stumbling her way through the grounds of campus and heading right towards the large fountain. He could hear her nasally and demeaning voice a mile away, part of him wondered how much of that was related to his enhanced hearing and how much of that was her just being… Well, Lucille. Cursing under his breath at having to play babysitter, Aiden jogged towards the blonde and only reached her small form after she had confronted another girl at the fountain. “Lucille,” he called to her, finally catching up and grabbing her forearm.

And then his gaze landed on the girl’s target and Aiden swore if he rolled his eyes any harder they would surely end up stuck in his head.

“Just leave it alone, Lucille. She’s not worth it.” His eyes flashed from her to the Scorpio girl from earlier and his gaze froze for a second, taking in the enticing dress before attempting to pull Lucille away from her once more. God, she smelled like booze. Unfortunately, the Scorpio was only digging herself into a deeper hole and as soon as that sarcastic remark left her lips, Aiden knew it was over.

“Let’s just see about that,” Lucille snarled as she launched herself at the girl, her fist flying as her cup then splattered into the gravel. Aiden dodged the spraying liquor and lept towards the two girls. Even with his strength, it took him a good amount of time to pry Lucille off of the other girl, who definitely seemed to be holding her own against the blonde. He was slightly annoyed that he was impressed.

“Goddammit, Lucille!” Aiden hissed through clenched teeth as he was finally able to wrap his arms around her body and lift her enough to separate them. He not so gently sat her on the edge of the fountain, bracing his hands on her shoulders so that she would not only leap at the girl again, but also not fall into the water, either. With her intoxicated state, there was no telling what could happen.

Panting heavily and shaking his head, Aiden made sure Lucille -- who already seemed to be close to passing out -- was not going to attack again before whipping his head to the Scorpio. He glanced her up and down to assess for any injuries, then felt utterly stupid as he did so. She was obviously unscathed, she even looked proud of herself. “Was that necessary?” He gritted through his teeth, glancing back at Lucille before stepping closer to the Scorpio girl. He raked a hand through his hair as he groaned tiredly. “James is going to be so pissed,” Aiden muttered to himself.

As if on cue, James’s voice calling out for Lucille started to grow closer to the fountain along with a few other familiar Leo’s. “Shit.” Aiden frantically scanned the scene. Lucille sat against the fountain, already asleep, but also with a nasty black eye and a swollen lip and in the presence of a Scorpio, who was unharmed. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together. And, to be honest, Aiden didn’t want to have to break up another fight tonight, especially one with James. He was shorter than Aiden, but the kid was stocky and loaded with hard muscle. Aiden had fought him far too many times to be dumb enough to underestimate him. While a Scorpio’s skin acted as a shield, they weren’t indestructible.

He wouldn’t put it past a drunken group of Leo’s to take on someone who harmed their own, especially a well-known person such as Lucille. They were loyal to a fault.

But, was he?

Pressing his lips together and looking at the girl intently, Aiden took long strides towards her, ushering her back into the small line of trees that sat near the fountain. “Stay here and be quiet,” he growled, his hands around her arms as he pressed her against a thick trunk of a tree. The large branches of leaves covered them slightly, wrapping them in a sea of dark green, nearly blocking out any streaks of moonlight.

They were close. Way too fucking close.

His chest pressed against hers, one of his legs wedged in between her own. The smell of alcohol sat in the air, mixed in with a sweet scent that came from her glossed lips. Aiden’s jaw locked and his head reeled back slightly as he gazed up into the branches, trying to look anywhere but her eyes. Hell, he didn’t even know this girl’s name.

From behind him, Aiden could hear James finally reach an intoxicated Lucille. The boy snarled curses and accusations and Aiden dared a glance back to peer at James and the group through the leaves. Aiden’s eyes then suddenly locked with his and his body seized up. James was already making his way towards him, his slurred words calling out to Aiden. He had to think fast. He needed a damn good excuse to be hiding in a tree with a snarky Scorpio of all people while an intoxicated Lucille sat alone.

With amber eyes meeting hers through the darkness, an idea popped into his head and Aiden nearly kicked himself for even thinking of it.

“You’re going to have to play along,” he hissed, lips close to her chin, as James drew closer and closer. “Unless you want to deal with them.” Aiden jerked his chin back towards the oncoming pride of Leo’s. He noticed her confused expression, but he was relieved when she eventually nodded.

“Aiden, what the hell are you doing in a tree?” James drawled from only a few feet away.

Aiden didn’t want to do this, he really didn’t want to fucking do this.

“Fuck it,” he snarled once before crashing his mouth onto hers.

The kiss was as erratic and as rigid as he felt. His lips seemed to swallow the gasp that emanated from her lips and his brows furrowed deeply. They were tense, both of them were so tense and their ragged breathing was the only sound heard through the branches from the trees. With his heart pounding against his chest and his mind darting in a thousand different directions, Aiden was not fully aware of exactly what his body was doing -- as if some animalistic part of him had taken control and he was completely defenseless. His hands snaked up to her face and cupped underneath her jaw, pulling her closer to him.

Just a distraction, he told himself. Just an act. No matter how believable it seemed, or felt, for that matter. He was simply a boy, kissing a girl, not knowing anything about a drunken Lucille sitting against a fountain.

From behind him, Aiden could hear James utter a chuckle and an, “Oh shit!” The sound of his retreating footsteps and the jokes he passed along to the others was all the clarification he needed and Aiden eventually pulled away. His eyes were bright as if they were made out of gold itself, his brows still furrowed, and his mind racing.

"Cass," Alastair's voice felt a million miles away as he reached out and grabbed Cassian's shoulder while he drank. "That's enough." Alas tried again when his alter-ego refused to listen to reason.

Cassian didn't seem to even notice Alastair's attempts as he continued slurping the clear liquid like it was the last bit of water in a desert. The chanting of students continued on as though Alastair wasn't there and he was suddenly beginning to feel the effects of Cassian's actions. It started as a warm rush of tingles showering over his body down to his feet and then his eyes felt heavier. He was about to get angry when his fuzzy vision was greeted by the sight of Hanna.

Standing there in all her glory, he felt like he was laying eyes on an angel and the playful look that covered her face was enough to tell him that she was coming to his rescue. He never really saw himself as a damsel in distress, but in this case, he wasn't the most mobilized citizen in the crowd, and to top it off, it was completely against his will and with his least favorite drink. If he didn't know any better, he'd said Cassian choose that bottle on purpose. Bastard.

Cassian was really pushing it when he decided it would be a good idea to brush off Hanna like she was a persistent fly because her next move visibly shocked him and his expression fell into a grimace.

"Fuck!" Cassian practically hissed and spun around on Hanna as the shards of glass slid off his hand and he dropped the only piece of glass that was remaining at his feet, shaking off his nearly burnt hand. "You don't have to be such a drag, sweetheart, if anything I'm doing you a favor," he called after her as he cracked open the beer she handed him with a grumble, and the circle that once surrounded him had quickly dispersed after the burst of fire.

Alastair could physically feel relief rolling off his shoulders when the handle exploded into tiny shards of glass at Cassian's feet. "If I end up with a hangover tomorrow, I swear to God I will have you removed like the invasive growth you are," Alastair called after Cass bitterly who simply responded with his middle finger as he disappeared into the crowd.

This feeling was both nostalgic and uninviting. His head felt cloudy and his confidence felt like it had grown three sizes like he could do anything. Leaning slightly into Hanna as her arm came to help him stand steadily, he didn't realize that he was beginning to sway slightly. This wasn't exactly how he wanted to meet up with Hanna tonight, but he supposed there was still time for it to get much worse.

Walking beside her - well, half-walk half-stumbling - Alastair sighed and rubbed his forehead defeatedly. "Thanks for doing that back there, Cassian can be. . . a lot sometimes." he wasn't sure how to explain Cassian to other people because, well, he was Cassian and Cassian was him. He felt like he was constantly at war with himself and he couldn't truly blame Cassian for the things he did because he was only doing what Alastair probably would have done anyway with the right persuasion.

Once the fountain had come into view, Alastair stepped up onto the edge of the fountain clumsily before turning towards Hanna with a drunken smirk, reaching his hand out towards her. "If I'm going to be ss-shit-faced drunk, I might as well try to enjoy it right?" he spoke matter-of-factly and with his free hand reached into his pocket for that blunt that Rowan had offered him earlier and slowly waved it in the air in front of Hanna hauntingly.

"Aaaand looky-heeere," Alastair's words had become noticeably more slurred as the tequila settled in but the more he slurred the less he cared. He would definitely regret this all tomorrow. Bringing the blunt up to his lips, he gave her a distraught look. "Ah, but you see, I forgot a lighter," he pretended as though he lost all hope for the blunt and then shined her a grin. "would you do the honors?"

outfit

Hanna knew that Gemini’s were some of the most misunderstood signs that were enrolled at the university. Their somewhat dark but nonetheless alluring manner often sent some running in the opposite direction. Their power seemed to be far more complex than any of the other signs and still, even after a year, Hanna had no idea how it worked. It wasn't shapeshifting or cloning, but more entirely two souls inhabiting one body, although she has seen Cassian a few times running amuck across campus with Alastair chasing after him. Cat and mouse, dark and light, yin and yang -- she’s heard it all.

Hearing Alas confirm her suspicion, Hanna merely gave the boy a slow spreading grin before she focused on Elise and the poor man who she was unleashing her abhorrent rage onto. Once they realized they had attracted the attention of some of the students, Elise and the man hurriedly shuffled out of the cafeteria, disappearing down a hallway and into the shadows. For once, Hanna had wished she was a Leo so she could continue to eavesdrop on the pair, even through the distance Elisa had put between the students.

Her grin stayed, it even grew as Alastair smiled back to her with enchanting, enticing eyes that had their own fire, in a way. Something lurked beneath them and Hanna swore that they darkened into a deeper green the more she stared. “At least someone agrees with me,” she said, lowly.

She must have said something wrong because Alastair's smirk quickly twisted into a face of shock. Hanna furrowed her brows once, lips parted and about ready to question him, when realization set in. Gemini’s were also often seen muttering to themselves or making faces at no one or nothing -- living inside their own head, at times, and conversing with whoever inhabited it. “Whatever he’s saying, tell him to fuck off,” Hanna said with an arch of her brow while crossing her arms.

As he nodded towards the party flyer, Hanna had to resist the urge to scoff in his face and roll her eyes. “Have you ever seen an Aries miss a party?” Even through Alastair’s bumbling words and his slightly offput demeanor, there was something startingly eye-catching about him. The bright green eyes that seemed to make her stance waver, the curve of his lips as he smirked, the way her name sounded as it rolled off his tongue. He was captivating -- maybe even enchanting.

Hanna couldn’t help but to laugh as he mentioned weed. She was definitely a partier and liked to dally in anything that would heighten the fun. As the alarm sounded off, a warning to start heading to their next training, Hanna tossed Alastair a flirtatious glance as she started heading towards the hall. “And I happen to know a girl who might be interested.” Glancing over her shoulder, giving him one last look as he settled on a meeting place, she tossed back a wink herself. “Tell Cassian he’s not invited.”

“Do you get sunburnt?”

Hanna blinked at the younger boy in front of her, the lights strung over them twinkling sporadically above the large mess of his red hair. She didn’t know this boy, obviously a freshman and obviously a Cancer. Almost immediately as he strode up to her she could feel herself growing more frantic, more energized as the eager boy poured his power unwillingly over her. She felt as anxious as he did. Damn Cancers.

“What?” She asked, taking a large swallow of her drink and averting her gaze from the boy, trying to find anywhere else besides being next to a large group of the most annoying, in her opinion, signs. With Cancer's being able to project any emotion onto someone, they were hard to make friends with. She never knew what was reality and what was their own preconceived version of it when dealing with them. Thankfully, she never stuck around long enough to find out.

He sighed and gestured an arm out to her form. “Do you get sunburnt? The whole fire manipulation thing, the adaptation stuff. Does it protect you from the sun?” He then flicked his eyes to his pale and freckled arms, lips pressing together.

“No,” Hanna started. “I don’t get sunburnt. Just tan, and maybe a little cranky sometimes.” She passed him a smile before downing more of her drink.

“I always get so sunburnt, I hate it. I wish I was like you, an Aries, instead.” He clutched the plastic cup in his hand once before backing into the smaller group of Cancer’s, his eyes bright and warm as they bore into her own. His eyes were nice, she decided. Inviting, and beckoning her with the swirls of blue laced through. His whole face was nice, in fact. The curve of his mouth, the slope of his nose, the way the light shone through the auburn in his hair. Hanna’s face softened into a relaxed state, a soft smile forming. She took a step towards him, then another.

Until reality set in.

The mischievous grin across the boy’s face was all the confirmation she needed.

Hanna chucked the rest of her drink at him -- the red liquid spilling all across his striped shirt, knocking that cocky expression right off of his freckled face. How dare he try and trick her with his damned power. “You ever try that again, Freshman, the next time red stains your shirt it won’t be from my fucking drink.”

With a turn of her heel and a sparking middle finger, Hanna left the tiny gathering of Cancer’s and headed closer to the bonfire, the flames drawing her into its arms, cradling her like a long lost friend. The fire danced across her face, casting shadows left and right. For a moment, she just stared into the depth of the bonfire, feeling instantly at home in a place full of strangers. Even through the loud and thumping music that raged behind her and the mess of sweaty and alcohol filled bodies pressing up against each other, Hanna felt at peace.

She savored the moment until a loud echo of “Chugs!” disrupted her euphoria.

Snapping her head towards the noise, she began to follow the slowly gathering crowd until she came face to face with someone that she certainly was not expecting to see chugging a way too large bottle of clear liquor. By the smell that radiated off of Alastair, Hanna suspected it was tequila and she held back a gag. However, upon further inspection, she then realized that it wasn’t Alastair at all. No, this man’s skin was paler, his hair darker, his aura more… lethal.

“Cassian,” she called, soft amusement on her face. From behind the drinking imbecile, she spotted Alastair and she gave the shocked man a playful twidle of her fingers and a wink.

Seeing that Cassian was not stopping anytime soon, and the fact that Alastair’s face looked as if he were about to be sick, Hanna took matters into her own hands and her hand instantly shot up in flames. “Cassian,” she warned again, giving the idiot one last chance to stop.

Either he was deaf or simply ignoring her, Hanna decided that it was probably the latter, she raised her fire-engulfed hand and aimed it towards the handle of liquor. With an expressionless face, she shot a stream of whirling fire towards the handle. It burst, shattering into tiny pieces in the air while also spilling the tequila down Cassian’s front.

Hanna flicked her hair once, then crinkled her nose.

“If you’re going to get rip-roaring drunk, at least choose a decent poison.” Glancing down at a case of beer next to her feet, she grabbed a can and tossed it to the intoxicated boy before stepping around him as if he were merely a piece of furniture. “If I see you near tequila again, my aim might miss and shoot a little lower, between the legs, perhaps?”

Approaching Alastair, who looked like he was about to topple over any minute, Hanna grabbed his arm quickly, leading him away from the large mess. “How about that fountain, hm?” She said, giving him a devious grin.

Octavia had been hiding her gaze beneath her dark set of lashes at the tone of his voice and reached out to scoop up her already tattered book as he slid it to her nonchalantly. Licking her lips, she released a gust of breath when she felt his hand wrap around her arm, tugging her up off of the floor to her surprise. The last thing she expected of him was his help.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the two Leo's from before still looking at her like she was a piece of raw meat and they hadn't eaten in ages. She had to fight the anger that surged within her. Finding her feet, Octavia brushed her hair back and fixed her shirt. "Thanks," she uttered quietly.

"No offense, but a cat scratch is the least of my worries." Tav's voice was full of venom as she looked Lucille dead in the eye, almost hoping that she would test her. It looked like Lucille was thinking the same thing because her words seemed to trigger a low growl to rumble from the other girls chest and her boyfriend grabbed her arm tightly, reeling her back in.

"She's not worth the effort." he spat and they continued walking. Octavia's eyes drilled after them before she turned back to Aiden with a look of exasperation. Pursing her lips tightly, she brushed past him softly as she continued on her way towards her dorm room without another word.

* * *

"That is not what you're wearing tonight is it?" A blonde Virgo named Chloe asked as she stood in front of a body length mirror, looking herself over.

Octavia looked down at her jeans and hoodie with furrowed brows and a slight frown on her lips. "What's wrong with this?"

"There's going to be sexy upper-classmen by the dozen, you're not wearing that." Chloe insisted, turning away from the mirror with an arched eyebrow.

"Well then what do you recommend, oh wise one?" Octavia shot back, dropping her arms to her sides in exasperation. Chloe smiled devilishly before heading over towards her closet, sifting through the large abundance of clothes she owned.

"Ooh, this is definitely your color." she announced happily as she pulled free a crimson dress and a waist-cut leather jacket. Octavia's gaze lingered on the attire before she reluctantly headed for the bathroom to change. When she re-emerged, Chloe's lips tugged into a wide bright-tooth smile.

"Hot!" she gleamed.

"Dresses really aren't my thing. . ." Octavia insisted as she stared herself down in the mirror.

"They are now." said Chloe firmly as she applied gloss to her pouty pink lips. Smacking them together, Chloe tossed the gloss to Octavia and grabbed her phone from the bed, heading for the door. "Let's go, we want to be fashionably late, not loser-late."

Octavia sighed defeatedly, applying a small amount of gloss to her own lips before handing it back to Chloe as they walked out the door for the party. Once in the halls, the sound of giggling girls and laughing men echoed around them as they all headed for the same destination. After a couple twists and turns, they were greeted by a burst of fresh air coming from the propped open mahogany doors of the grand foyer.

Outside the sky was darkening quickly into a deep blue and the stars were becoming more pronounced against the darkness. The crackling of a bonfire and the smell of freshly burning pine and smoke rose into the air. The welcome back party was always extravagant at COEAU. Twinkling lights were strung up in the trees and bushes, drinks and snacks laid scattered on decorated tables and a large stage had been installed for the night where karaoke and music would be played loudly enough to vibrate the ground beneath everyone's feet.

"Let's find something real to drink," Chloe grabbed Octavia's wrist and pulled her deeper into the crowd of bodies. The sight of glow-sticks and bracelets blurred past the two of them as they made it towards the fountain area where most of the delinquents liked to post up out of sight of any faculty members. The smell of pot and booze was clear in the air and Chloe didn't hesitate to find them both a solo cup full of mix-drinks.

"What if Elise catches us?" Tav questioned as Chloe downed half of her drink in a few gulps.

"You think they don't know we are drinking?" she laughed softly and shrugged off her question, headed to talk to a Sagittarius smoking a joint with a couple others, leaving Tav alone with her drink in hand.

"Right. Good talk," Octavia muttered as she slowly brought the drink to her lips, taking a sip. Her nose crinkled at how strong the vodka tasted. She wasn't much of a drinker, but this was a party and she knew the only way she'd loosen up was if she had at least a drink in her.

Suddenly, she felt a tingle crawl up her spine and she was turning around to find Lucille with a drink in her hand walking up towards her. Great. Octavia watched the Leo stumble slightly as she stopped in front of her.

"I'm guessing that's not your first drink." Octavia looked her up and down and Lucille glared daggers at her.

"Keep it up, Scorpio scum, you think you're so tough don't you?" she tilted her head in an animalistic way.

"I mean, my skin is bulletproof, so, yeah, sorta," Octavia's sarcasm was on a roll tonight and Lucille wasn't seeming to have it as her skin began to ripple and her eyes glowed a bright gold.

Alastair could feel Cassian's presence much more now that he was speaking to Hanna. It was becoming rather evident to Alas through the years that Cass had a rather difficult time when it came to being ignored. If he didn't know any better, he would believe that Cassian was his completely own person, simply using Alastair's body as a host.

"Correct, Alastair," he paused. "For now," he added lowly and followed her gaze towards Elise who was now waving her hands around furiously as she spoke to another member of the staff who looked like he wasn't having the best day himself. The two of them must have noticed the eyes that they were attracting and Elise had frozen before shoving the man forward and the two of them exited the cafeteria hastily to continue their conversation he was sure.

Returning his attention to Hanna, Alastair's eyebrows remained furrowed in suspicion at her next set of words regarding someone lighting a guard on fire, again. Alastair didn't know Hanna personally, but he had seen her around enough times to know that she was the one behind the traces of burnt rubber left on the concrete. With a slight tug to the corn of his lips, Alastair offered her a smirk.

"A pity indeed." his jade gaze locked onto her mischievous caramel ones when his attention was suddenly ripped away by none other than Cassian's voice in his head.

"Ooof--She's got a niiiiiice rack," his darker-self erupted and Alastair's features went from calm and collected to pure shock. Not because of what Cassian had said, he was used to his inappropriate comments, but he would never truly get used to the fact that he could just say things like that without anyone else hearing him. He still had to work on his faces reactions to him, that was for sure. "Bad timing?" he could practically see Cass's smug grin.

Clearing his throat. Alastair tried to save his own ass by nodding towards a bright neon green piece of poster-paper hanging up on a wall with details regarding the annual 'Welcoming' party that the university hosted at the beginning of every year. It was a bit of a shock that the program would allow such a thing considering this was a place full of sex-crazed, powerful teenagers who are just learning how to use their abilities. No doubt alcohol and drugs would be snuck in like always, but it kept the people happy and that was just another thing that made Alastair suspicious of the University and its intentions. One minute they were your mentors and the next they were locking students up, some never seen again.

"Are you going?" Alastair asked, he normally wasn't so. . . what was the word? Awkward? He was never awkward. Well, maybe sometimes, but that was mostly Cassian's fault. He used to be collected and smooth, but now that he had two voices going on in his head he was surprised he could stand up straight. "I happen to know a guy who sells the best weed in the district." he bounced his eyebrows at her playfully when a chime entered his ears, alerting them that they had ten minutes to report to their next program.

With a sigh, Alastair looked her over. He had to admit that even though Cassian was annoying as all get out, Hanna was undoubtedly a sight for sore eyes. Her features were soft, but there was no doubting the strength that shined behind her eyes. Taking a couple of steps backward towards his next class, Alastair offered her a smile. "If you do show up, you can find me by the fountain." he insisted with a quick wink before spinning on his heel to disappear down the hall.

* * *

Inside his dorm room, Alastair had just got done with his shower and got changed for the night when his roommate Rowan entered.

"Alas, Cass, how are you two this fine evening?" Rowan spoke while fanning out a pile of dollar bills on his bed.

Raking his fingers through his damp strands of hair, Alastair rose his eyebrows. "Lots of sales today?"

Rowan chuckled and nodded his head happily as he counted through the valuable paper. "These freshmen eat this shit up around here." once he had it all sorted, he reached into one of the drawers at his computer desk and pulled out the false-bottom he created to expose a concealed case that was full of marijuana. "You going to the party tonight? Here's a pre-rolled blunt regardless. I know it helps with the man upstairs." Rowan smirked and tapped at his head before tossing the blunt to Alastair who caught it.

"Thanks man," he smirked and shook his head and slipped it into his jacket pocket. Rowan was right though, it did quiet down Cassian when he smoked, not for long, but long enough.

"I hate that shit," Cass interrupted his thoughts once more. "Can't we just drink instead?"

"No."

"I'm coming out."

"NO!"

Before Rowan could question what was going on or Alastair could take control, his body rippled and a dark aura began engulfing his body like thick smoke. Alas could feel Cass tearing his way out of him and before he knew it, he was dropping to his knees and a dark figure with his face was standing before him with a devilish smile.

"I'll see you ladies at the party," he muttered darkly before walking out the room. Alastair glared after him before looking towards Rowan who was wide-eyed.

"What are you looking at me for?! Go get you!" Rowan gestured out the door and Alastair groaned before racing out the door after the dark figure that had disappeared through the walls of the school. He tuned into Cassian's feelings and movements and suddenly a cool breeze rushed over his skin which told Alas that he was outside.

Picking up the pace, Alastair found his way outside and began looking around for his look-alike through the sea of bodies that were moving to the music that played loudly. Unable to find him, Alastair inhaled sharply and closed his eyes before tuning in once more to Cassian when he felt a coldness run down his throat. Opening his eyes, he could hear a group of people yelling "Chug!".

"Fuck." Alastair breathed out and pushed past people until he could see who was in the middle of the circle with a handle of liquor already half-empty against his mouth.

Golden.

Aiden Parker had heard that word far too many times in his three years at COEAU. Even the taste of it on his tongue or the sound of it echoing in his ears sent a wave of frustration running through him, nearly triggering the animal that lurked beneath. At first, he loved the attention the students -- and frankly, the staff -- gave him. The wide grins, the prolonged stares, the whispers they shared when they thought he was out of earshot. Unfortunately, his hearing was impeccable, far better than the average human -- he was able to thank his ability for that. So, Aiden heard everything.

And it grew god damn annoying.

For a zodiac sign that craved attention and validation, he seemed to be running from the spotlight constantly. However, no matter where he went, it always found him one way or another. The Lion, The King, The Sun -- he didn’t care what names the other Leo’s called him, nothing would satisfy him more than just being Aiden. That was all he wanted. No title, no reputation.

Aiden learned early on that he was far more reserved than the other Leo’s inside the university. There was Katerina, whose curly black hair and her feline-like grin found its way into everyone’s business -- even his at times. Then there was the jokester, Felix, who made sure his laugh was heard even outside in the courtyard. Lucille, whose pale blonde hair flowed like silk down her back and even though her boyfriend, James, was always dangling across her arm like an ornament, it didn’t stop her stare from always finding Aiden. She gazed at him like a predator, a look he was all too familiar with on his own.

Fucking Leo’s.

But, despite his stoic and almost impassive demeanor, his name still made its rounds and he had been deemed the ‘Golden Boy’ only a mere few weeks after first stepping through those large, extravagant doors. His power made him succeed easily in his training courses, even giving some of the trainers themselves a run for their money. Aiden was well liked, sought after, and powerful. Very powerful.

So why was he so unhappy?

Well, for starters, he was running late. He had a training session in three minutes and after his intense, sweat-filled session he already took part in this morning, it was safe to say that Aiden was exhausted. His earlier session was focused on shifting and how fast he was able to turn into the large and grand lion form he was granted years ago. It wasn’t that it hurt, really, or that he was embarrassed, quite the opposite, actually. His lion form was so large, so compelling, that even when he replaced skin with fur, the attention that was given to him never seemed to falter.

Aiden didn’t ask for this. For any of it.

His head barely hit his pillow before his eyes closed and he drifted off into a deep and much needed sleep. If he hadn’t heard Felix cracking a piss poor joke right outside his door, he probably would have slept until dinner.

Aiden’s blond locks were a tousled mess and his eyes darted frantically around the bustling hallway, meeting the stares of a few acquaintances here and there and giving them an obligatory nod. He passed by Cancer’s, Gemini’s, Virgo’s -- none of which he really had a problem with. But, as Aiden brushed past a small group of Scorpio’s, a muscle ticked in his jaw followed by deadly glares they shot his way. Part of him understood the rivalry and yet, another part of him didn’t. Most of the people in his sign loved the competition and tried their best to make the Scorpio’s life hell, and vice versa. Maybe they were the reason he grew queasy around the sight of blood, in more ways than one.

A familiar head of ice blonde hair caught his attention and Aiden glanced at Lucille, who seemed to be preoccupied with giving one of her infamous death stares to a poor opponent. James seemed to only be encouraging the girl as he hissed something about a “piss poor excuse for a fighter” inside Lucille’s ear. Before he was able to see who was on the receiving end of the couple’s taunts, a body crashed into his chest.

Aiden knew he was a mountain of a man, but the way the tiny thing flew into the air, he would have expected the poor girl was part bird.

Cocking a brow at the disgruntled girl on the floor, her books tossed towards James and Lucille, the former kicking them back aggressively, Aiden merely examined her. Scorpio, he knew that for certain, but other than her sign and the fact that she was clumsy as all get out, he knew nothing about her.

“No, you definitely weren’t,” he responded, a little more venom in his voice than he had anticipated. Looking down as her textbook slid towards him, thanks to James, he then nudged it back to her with the tip of his boot. He could feel the eyes on them both, anticipating his reaction towards the collision. Well, unfortunately for them, Aiden wasn’t exactly in the mood of giving them a show.

With a sigh and roll of his eyes, he reached down and grabbed her thin arm, hoisting the girl off the tiled floor with ease. Giving her a quick once over, making sure she wasn’t severely hurt, Aiden shoved his hands in his pockets, his expression aloof. Of course, she wouldn’t be hurt, she was a Scorpio -- practically indestructible, unfortunately. “You better get a move on, I’m already late.” From behind, he could hear Lucille snicker and his chest tightened at the sound. “I wouldn’t recommend sticking around here too much longer.” For her’s and his sake, Lucille and James looked about ready to pounce after stalking their prey and he wasn’t exactly in the mood to break up a catfight.

The school felt so expansive from where Octavia stood in the courtyard, it caved around her small stature, and even with the lack of a ceiling over her head she couldn't help but feel a bit suffocated as she sat on the small patch of grass where a single tree was planted next to a couple of picnic tables and some small shrubs that lined the perimeter. In her hand was a large book that smelled heavily of dust. The scripture within it was the only thing of worth left in the literature, the binding of it had begun collapsing over the persistent use of it through the years.

Taking in a gust of fresh air, Octavia flipped the page and took a quick glance around the area before she reached into the grass beside the tree she was leaning back on where she felt a familiar coldness against her fingertips. Picking up the rock with a sharp end to it, she laid her book down in front of her and placed her hand facing up in front of her before slowly cutting a slice down the center of her palm causing a deep crimson to sprout from the newly made wound.

With a bit of concentration, the blood that pooled in the palm of her hand slowly rose into the air, beading up into the sky with ease and more blood slowly oozed from the cut, using her veins as fuel for her abilities. The blood began collecting in front of her, morphing itself together into the shape of a dagger with the finest point. Octavia's brown stare widened in shock. She finally mastered a true weapon with her powers. She had only been learning about how to get her blood to do small things such as simply moving about the room in front of her, but this was true power.

Her excitement must have gotten the best of her though because her dagger quickly lost its figure and shot back into her cut with the rest of the blood, sealing the wound shut just as though it had never occurred.

"Dammit!" she cursed softly and dropped her hands in defeat at her sides. Looking around, she found a clock hanging on one of the walls notifying her that it was lunch break. She packed up her belongings and brushed her waves of red-brown hair out of her face as her ankle-high black boots hit the tiles inside of the university.

She brushed past people as she made her way towards the dorms that they were staying in. Men were on the left and women on the right, but at the end of the day, the halls connected to each other in a large horseshoe. Many of the other students shot her warning glares - females and Leo's mostly. It was all a silly high school-like demeanor that some of the students and staff had against each other. The typical rivalries that truly didn't make much sense to her were strong in this school, yet it was what most students thrived on, some for the fun of it, and others truly believed that two signs couldn't co-exist because of past rituals and compatibility. Whatever compatibility was.

Making her way to the joining halls that led to either side of the school, Octavia had her eyes locked with a girl who was shooting her daggers, hugging up on what must have been her boyfriend who was whispering and smirking into her ear while looking at Octavia. She felt her blood boil under her skin and had half a mind to use her newly learned skill when she suddenly found herself heading face-first into a solid chest. The collision caused the brunette to furrow her brows and her brain felt rattled against her skull as she was flung backward and flat on her ass in front of everyone. Her book flung across the hall and she felt the wind get knocked out of her for moment before she felt the real pain that was her butt-bone on the tile. Grimacing at the shock, she felt her cheeks redden at the stares she was getting and she looked up reluctantly to see what kind of mountain of a person she had run into.

There in all his Leo glory stood Aiden Parker. Of course! Of-fucking-course. His bronze strands of tousled hair reminded her of a lions mane as she squinted past the bright chandeliers above them to see his features clearer. She had only heard of Aiden through the whispers of females and because when she first arrived he was one of the guys that a lot of her class talked about because well - look at him for God's sake. Rubbing her back in pain, she slowly tried to gather herself.

"I wasn't looking where I was going at all, wow, I am so sorry." she couldn't quite collect her mind with all the stares and the fact that he was a LEO. He was going to chew her ass, she could feel it. Why wouldn't he? For all she knew, he was the equivalent of a jock and that didn't mix with all that she was.

It was a funny thing, fire.

To some, it was rebirth, light, warmth. Hope, even. To others, one might think of the flames as Death himself, wreaking havoc and destroying anything that dares to step in its path. One road leading to God, another right to hell.

Hanna hadn’t yet decided which path she favored.

To be honest, she didn’t think she ever would. It had already been a year at the university and she had not yet found her true colors. Use the power for good, save lives, trust yourself, they would say to her the first few weeks as if Hanna indeed had no idea who she was. A simple nineteen year old girl from the wrong side of the tracks who had a knack for arson and had been arrested one, too many times.

She remembered very clearly the night when her powers first appeared. She had gotten so mad, so furious at a man -- an ex-boyfriend at the time -- that her entire fists had been engulfed in flickering fire. Never scorching her skin, never eating away at her flesh, just thriving on Hanna and Hanna alone. Feeding off of her, like a damned parasite.

Her ex had left the scene with a nasty burn mark on the side of his cheek, twisting his mouth into a permanent frown. The only regret Hanna had was that she wasn’t able to nab the other side of his face. He decided to put his hands on her, well, she would do it right back.

With style.

The ass got what was coming for him. She didn’t feel bad about it.

But, that was the incident that captured the attention of the District overseers and right on the morning of her nineteenth birthday, Hanna was tossed from one jail cell into a new one, one hidden under the false pretenses of a ‘School’ where she would ‘learn’ and ‘train’. So far, in her twelve months of being held hostage and gawked at like a circus animal in the large building of the COEAU, Hanna had only learned two things.

One: don’t eat the fucking food.

Two: a watched pot never boils.

It was a rare occasion when she would willingly participate in the training’s the university offered her. Sure, to avoid getting any severe punishment, Hanna would summon a flicker of flames on her fingertips here and there. She would start a campfire for the other students, light cigarettes, heat up cold bowls of soup -- tasks safe enough to prove her abilities, but never to show off just indeed how powerful she was or could eventually be.

Today would be like any other day for her. It certainly had started out like one. Plastering on a blank, dissatisfied face that surely made the guards and trainers place a hand on their weapons, Hanna made her way through the concrete hallways of the University, her steady gaze never wavering from the cafeteria that slowly came into view. From behind, she could hear heavy, booted footsteps that belonged to a guard trailing her. Without hesitation, she snaked a hand behind her back, palm open, and shot a small ray of flame at the large feet behind her. Instantly, a slew of curses from a gruff sounding voice, that could only belong to a guard called Mac, filled the air -- along with a light layer of smoke and the smell of burning rubber.

“Oops,” Hanna whispered to herself, quickening her pace so that Mac and his melting shoes couldn’t catch up to her. A hint of a smirk appeared across her lips but it immediately vanished as she stepped into the bustling room.

Hanna crinkled her nose once. Ugh, she knew that smell, and not the one coming from the burning boots behind her, either. It seemed to be that lunch today was the signature ‘Mystery Meat Stew’ as she had self-titled it. The same array of carrots, peppers, potatoes, and some sort of brown meat that one would need a chainsaw to tear through.

“Disgusting,” Hanna murmured to herself, not bothering to head towards the line. As she stood, examining the crowd and the fresh-faced newcomers, it took everything in her power to not roll her eyes at the hushed giggles and the wide-eyed stares the Freshmen used to explore the room. Hanna never imagined she would find so many individuals excited to hand their life over to a bunch of power-hungry douchebags with a superiority complex.

Guess she's seen it all, then.

A form protruding from the crowd caught Hanna’s attention and her chocolate eyes flicked to the young man approaching her. As he used her name, she merely arched a brow and passed Alastair a sharp, feline grin. “Right,” she confirmed. “And who am I speaking to? Alastair, I hope.”

Yes, she knew of this boy and his ability. Not much frightened Hanna, but the monster lurking underneath the sun-kissed skin and the light green eyes of Alastair was an exception. Even as he stood before her, the fire inside of her seemed to cringe at the darkness that lay beneath. However, of course, she would never let her intimidation show. She was an Aries, after all.

As he questioned her about Headmistress Elise, Hanna’s gaze traveled to the gaunt and boney-looking woman. While she often reminded Hanna of a crow and her black, depthless eyes were ones that could even hinder her light, the woman was never tense. Strict and maybe cruel at times, but never tense. “I have no idea,” she finally answered after a few heartbeats of staring at the older woman.

With her attention back on Alastair, Hanna eyed him once, that shadow of a smirk still toying across her lips. “Maybe someone lit a guard on fire again.” Flames danced behind her eyes, almost as prominent as the deviance that also appeared. “Pity.”

District 7 along with three other districts belonged to one of the smaller towns based in a state that was long ago known as Virginia. Alastair couldn't remember the last time that he had heard someone call his home just simply "Virginia". Its name didn't fit well in his mouth, it felt like it was made up by imaginative children at best. District 7 was home to a whopping population of about 3,430. As stated before, it was a relatively small town and after people began developing strange and questionable abilities, the population was closely watched and that was where the districts came in. Lack of trust and fear.

People were forced into closely monitored districts where they could be handled if needed be. Alastair had seen many guards take down people with top of the line technology like cattle with prods. He could easily sense the lack of dignity that was forming within the districts. The news was full of lies and at the age of nineteen, young adults across the world were forced to enroll in a program known as COEAU. Children of Extraordinary Abilities Univerisity. It was a joke really. Alastair couldn't get himself to take any of it seriously and it wasn't just because of the cafeteria food sucked, even the voice in the back of his mind was angry.

"You are not eating that garbage. When's the last time you lifted a fucking weight anyway? It feels cramped in here." the familiar voice complained and echoed within Alastair who emitted an annoyed grunt as he poked his 'food' with his fork and gazed across the room towards the headmistress, Elise Dorian. She had a crow's face and her permanent frown cast down on all the people in the room like she was a disappointed hawk. "What's up granny's skirt this morning?" the voice spoke up once more.

"Shut up," Alastair muttered, his voice was far away. He was deep in his own thoughts, but unfortunately for him, his thoughts weren't truly his own. He had to share them with his alter-ego, Cassian. Since Alastair was young, he shared his body with another. It was ironic really, being he was a Gemini, but the thing that confused most was that Cassian was not his own person, he wasn't really a prisoner because he was Alastair. He was the darkest parts of Alastair that were so abstract that they became a new persona which he could control at times, but unfortunately for Alas, he wasn't able to control how much he talked. Anytime he felt the slightest bit of anger, Cassian was there to comment, it was like it fueled him.

It was the first day of Alastair's third year at University and he was watching the new crew of freshmen enter the cafeteria after being chipped. That was another thing. There was no privacy. Once you entered the school grounds it was like they had you on a leash. It was basically jail for the gifted, but for obvious reasons, they couldn't name it properly.

Reaching down, Alastair itched his wrist where the chip was embedded. Part of him felt bad for the newbies, but it was hard when they all had such happy smiles on their faces like they were on their way to Hogwarts or something. Little did they know.

"Mmm, I'd like a bite of that. . ." Cassian interrupted his reverie with the loud comment and Alastair darted his gaze into the direction of the girl that Cassian had noticed before he did. A brunette with a face that held little emotion. She looked tired and unamused but in a pretty way. She wasn't a newbie. He recognized her. Her name was Hanna. A glare crossed Alastair's expression at Cassian's hunger for lust.

"I fucking despise you," Alas whispered before standing up and shoving the contents of his tray into the garbage, shoving the plastic on top of it as he headed towards Hanna.

"Hey, Hanna right?" he wanted to make sure, the last thing he needed was to come off confident and be completely wrong. "You don't happen to know what Elise is up to do you?" he glanced towards the headmistress who was whispering to another faculty member. He had been watching her all morning and he hadn't seen her this tense in a long time. He wondered if there was something that he had missed due to Cassian's constant bickering in his ear.

ᴏᴄᴛᴀᴠɪᴀ ʙʏᴇʀѕ

֍ Twenty | Scorpio ֍

Appearance

HAIR - Auburn Brunette

EYE COLOR - Honey Amber Brown

SKIN TONE - Porcelaine, Lightly tanned

BODY MODIFICATION(S) - None

HEIGHT - 5'4"

BODY TYPE - Flexible, nimble/limber, fit

Abilities

ARMORED SKIN - The users have or can generate an innate armor as a part of their body, which is resistant to attacks, harm or pain, and temperature extremes.

BLOOD MANIPULATION - The power to manipulate blood, whether it's from oneself, others, or free-flowing. User can create, shape, and manipulate the blood of oneself, others, or from their surroundings

Personality

Ribs - Lorde // Break My Baby - KALEO // like u - Rosenfeld // Bad Habit - The Kooks

ᴀւᴀᵴᴛᴀɪʀ ւᴏᴠɪᵴ

֍ Twenty-One | Gemini ֍

Appearance

HAIR - Cocoa/Ebony

EYE COLOR - Sea Green/Jade

SKIN TONE - Sun-kissed/Olive undertone

BODY MODIFICATION(S) - None

HEIGHT - 6'1"

BODY TYPE - Lean/Agile, Muscular/Sharp

Abilities

SPLIT PERSONA - the ability to channel the darkest parts of his personality into a being of its own which can harness super strength, shadowing, and temporary possession.

Personality

Achilles, Come Down - Gang of Youth // Used to the Darkness - Des Rocs // Sing To Me - MISSIO

☠ 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧 | 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 | 𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 ☠

appearance

hair color: nearly black

eye color: dark brown

skin tone: golden caramel

tattoos: none

height: 5'4''

body type: athletic, lean, lithe

abilities

pyrokinesis: can produce and manipulate fire and her body can withstand flames severe heat

adaptation: her body temperature adapts to its environment. can withstand severe heat and cold and can also summon fire in all climates

personality

traits: passionate, determined, stubborn, impulsive, confident, active, impatient, independent, vengeful, fearless, adventurous, flirtatious

theme songs: 99 Problems - JAY-Z, Should I Stay Or Should I Go - The Clash, Nonstop - Drake, Raise Hell - Dorothy

♛ 𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫 | 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 | 𝐥𝐞𝐨 ♛

appearance

hair color: dirty blond

eye color: golden

skin tone: sun-kissed, warm undertones

tattoos: one, two

height: 6'2''

body type: stocky, muscled, athletic, chiseled

abilities

shapeshifting: can shift into a large lion within a matter of seconds

sensory: has enhanced senses and reflexes as well as strength

personality

traits: courageous, dominant, loyal, natural born leader, aggressive, generous, protective, ambitious, cunning, honest

theme songs: Power - Kanye West, Centuries - Fall Out Boy, Castle - Halsey, When I R.I.P. - Labrinth