Before they set out there was one more thing Fang wanted to do. Ace carried Assassin's body as they backtracked through the lab, emerging in the courtyard where all the others lay. King couldn't look at Knight, but Fang didn't make him. Instead, she willed the Umbra into a spade, digging holes for each of them. It took an hour for her to dig enough, even one for Raven, carried back in Ace’s arms. Fang willed coffins together, and the boys helped her lower them down. They thought of who the others were as each one descended, but let the silence stay, knowing words would never be enough.

Hunter was...exactly what his name implied. He was always all over the Enclave, always in pursuit of someone else. He wasn’t just on the hunt for strength, but on a hunt for his place. It may have kept him strange and wild if he and Ace had never crossed paths. There was something about the boy that always brought Hunter back. Early on, it might have been competition, but Ace couldn't remember the last time they had a match.

Knight was a beacon. He was never the strongest, nor fastest and didn't have the highest technical score, but if you wanted to find him, you only needed to move your eyes. He always stood tall; always shined bright. He was smiles and charm and well-timed jokes. He was an easy best friend—an enemy to no one. King smiled because Knight was a romantic, more concerned with the perfect poetic proclamation than he could ever be with saving the world. Knight could make a room feel like home, and there were so many nights where home was all King needed.

Abigail was confidence and strength. She had so much it radiated off her, making anyone on her heels strong too. She was something that not even Assassin was, powerful for certain, but an easy celebrity too. It was never enough that the girl could fight, she had a presence, stealing hearts and minds. No one seemed more fit for Grade A than her, and the girl didn't need to hear it, she was the living proof. Abigail was not the name they expected, but even that seemed to reflect precisely who she was. Abigail could go out into the city and come back from it entirely done.

Raven may have been a different story. Her pages were certainly different from the very first word. Always enamored with some sort of magazine, the girl was not a fighter but an artist without a brush. She saw a world they had never seen. She saw New York without the Overcast; lively in day and night, welcoming to anyone who tried to set the stage. Raven was a stage setter. She had an eye for things that enhanced performers. And the performance was her reward. Nothing made her eyes shine more than a finished piece.

Assassin was himself till the end. When he reached the top at ten, he was himself throughout the Enclave. It didn't matter if you didn't know his face. It didn't matter if his Number changed. Assassin was always Assassin—always that boy doing impossible things. Do you remember that boy…? You always answered yes. That boy with a higher combat score than all of his seniors? That boy who joined the brawl and was still standing in the end? That boy who said the simulation wasn’t hard enough, forcing a new level to be developed? That boy without the Luminance, matching the pace of the best people with one? Assassin was not a celebrity; no one ever asked if celebrities were real. He was that boy who couldn’t possibly exist...and yet, he did, for himself and one other person. He was gone now, but still in an Assassin way. Do you remember that boy who fought a fragment of the God Eternal to a draw?

Judge fell last. It was hard not to see him as a traveler from another time. He was certainly their teacher, but also a man still a part of a different world. Judge never settled for what the other survivors chose to be. Many had grown accustomed to their new lives, but Judge was a fighter, striving for something better. He fought his best when they were kids, watching with vigilance. The memory of meeting this storied man was not a ghost in their mind, but a portrait of a moment. Judge was not the Enclave, he was only ever himself, and hearing him talk showed them they could be themselves too. Judge encouraged it because the world needed new eyes.

Silent eulogies made, they buried the coffins and set out for their next destination. Between Fang, empowered with the Umbra, and Ace’s Dark God state, they completed the trip in under an hour, even with King upon the other boy’s back. A curious sight awaited them on the other end. Where they thought they’d find some sort of base, they found a vehicle instead. It was almost as long as the bus but a slight margin thicker. Its boxy white frame sat in an empty parking lot, flagrant in its refusal to fit in. Even had its shining metal armor not made it stand out, the thrashing snarling form on the back would certainly draw the eyes. The thing was almost foaming at the mouth. A tall blue form hung with arms outstretched and legs close together, fastened to the vehicle with thick, long manacles. Its unmarred hide did not glow, but eyes did as it looked upon them, glaring as if they stole its freedom. A saliva-soaked maw hissed out from its stomach, making Ace summon his blades. Suddenly, there came a beep and the sound of metal pulling back. The manacles retracted and the blue creature dropped to the ground. As it stood, Ace felt a push against his Luminance. This was the thing he felt against it before, pushing it now to find a place to tear. Its Luminance wasn't as strong as his—didn't feel full in the slightest. There was a shape to it though, too mechanical for such a wild thing. Crystals grew fat around its hands, and it beat its chest before barreling in.

The webs upon Ace's irises retracted to surround them—glowing brightly as his diamond did the same. The monster arrived with a swift left jab; Ace’s blade tore down its arm. That didn’t stop its right hand’s hook. A rippling Luminance did, however, bouncing the blue thing back. With a turn Ace tore open its chest, punching for the face with his other blade. It eagerly took the slash through its eye—right-hand hooking once again. And once again, a ripple bounced it back. Its guard hung open as Ace tore into it. Pumping power into his foot, he jumped back and kicked, burying the blue in a wall down the street. Its stomach cackled as its mangled body dragged free, protruding bones snapping back in place. Ace let it happen, looking at his hands.

"I think I'm getting a better idea of how to fight these things." He said to the others, extending his senses. “I could fight this guy for hours, but he’ll just keep coming back. He doesn’t care about his body. He doesn’t have a life.” The blue peeled itself from the ground. “It’s the soul and the Luminance doing the work. One heals it, the other makes it come after me again.”

Fang watched the sight. Its left arm stitched back together. The hole in its face looked like a tunnel of webs. "How do you finish it then?" She asked, wondering if they could have defeated the Blues from before.

"I have to strike deeper than the body." No, the body was just a pretense. "To win these battles, we have to remember. We are fighting matches of Light." Assassin pulled the light away. Fang could probably do that still, but Ace couldn't now. No other person could; King would need this victory as much as him.

The veins in his blades flared. The Blue came barreling back. As it opened with a jab again, Ace did the same. Its fist rolled off the back of his blade as he punched through and past it. Orange waves rippled up the Blue’s side. It tilted its head, turning around. Violent eruptions followed the wave—orange spikes lacerating the blue. It dropped like a sack, color fading away. As Ace turned to the still gray form, he smiled. The future had just opened up. King looked at the corpse, mind already on the move.

“You have to overwhelm their Light.” He spoke his theory with confidence.

Ace nodded. “I think a real fight will be different though.”

Fang summoned her sword, turning the body over. “It’s not a coincidence that it turned gray, is it?”

“No. I think it was always a Gray, and someone just gave it a Luminance.”

The red Shining Heart filled their minds. There was far more to it than cursed happenstance. They witnessed the proof of concept, and this felt like an attempt to reverse engineer. The Blues, somewhere out in New York, might almost be as bad as their crimson assailant. Maybe they were even worse. The rise of the red still seemed random, but the Blues were at their destination. King’s jaw tightened as he knelt to the body. He moved the halo from its head downward, stopping as it glowed dimly at the chest. Auxiliary Weapon put a stiletto in his hand. He plunged it in, digging until it scraped against something solid. Rummaging through the wound, he pulled a large blue marble free. The color was dull—the light mostly faded. As he moved it to the halo the ridges turned inward, pulling into a marble itself as it sucked the light away. Bringing it to his eye he saw no indication of what it used to be. He showed it to the others.

“Thoughts?” Fang asked.

“I think it has two states. The crown one is a released one, providing a connection to the source power. The marble is a cache, storing power for later."

“How similar is this thing to our bands?”

“I feel like it’s only in principle. New Dawn’s Research data is based on research of the Twilight Grove. All of it was about our own power, with the exception of the God Coffins and the Refracted Harbingers. I guess these things are mostly similar to the latter."

Fang turned to the vehicle. “That Blue was released, right?”

King followed her eyes. “Yeah…”

She turned to Ace. “Let’s check inside, it seems the two we encountered weren’t the only ones out here.”

Ace headed over, charging his arm as his blades retracted. As he threw a punch, the door slid open. Fang nodded for him to continue and he boldly stepped inside. Three shots rang out, catching on ripples. He looked at the shooter, more dumbstruck than alarmed. As his blade slid out, the woman put the gun down, leaning on a table in front of her. She sighed, and Ace glared.

"If one of you is going to kill me, could we make it the pretty girl over there. I'd rather the last thing I see be something I can appreciate." She pointed at a screen. Ace wondered where the camera was.

“Does this thing have a speaker?”

“Yeah. Are you granting my wish?”

“That’s up to Fang to decide.”

“Fang…? I like it.” The woman smirked. She pressed the button and Ace called the others over.

They joined him to fill an area, more lab than any kind of bus. The front of it was dedicated to the cabin, but the setup of the rest held dedication to purpose. The woman sat at a console of three screens and a panel of buttons. Behind her was a workstation, stocked with tools not even King could recognize. Further back sat some sort of chamber, its cylindrical glass held by pillars stretching to the ceiling. The woman watched them take it in, smiling at Fang all the while. They turned to her next, unable to ignore her calm. She was older, maybe in her late twenties. An undercut trimmed brown hair on her left side, while it fell curly on her right. Green eyes hid absolutely no interest, entirely impressed with what the younger woman had to offer. Fang’s eyes narrowed in response, and the woman sat back.

“Right, we’re enemies. No worries, I’m cool.”

The girl crossed her arms. “Who are you?”

“Assistant Researcher Micaela.” The woman gave a lazy salute. “I guess you could call me doctor, but it’s not like we’re handing out doctorates nowadays.”

“Where are you from, Micaela?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Don’t you already know?” She gestured at their armor. “You guys are Intruders, aren’t you? From the outskirts of town.”

“What do you know about the Enclave?”

“Apparently nothing.” Micaela chuckled. “This is kinda interesting now. I figured you’d ask questions then kill me. Now I have a few of my own.”

Ace glared. “Answer ours first.”

Micaela frowned. “I told you I’m cool. You don’t have to worry about me jumping the line. To answer your question, Fang, I’m from Castle Cerulean." If the girl could somehow cross her arms tighter, she definitely would have. Micaela went on, "The way they tell us the story, Castle Cerulean was a haven born when the city got buried. The King Priest's family has been loyal to a relic since their ancestors' days in old Germany. They even have this religious text about making sure only those who could perceive its blue light enter the family. Suddenly, shit got bad and the only safe place for miles was Cerulean. The king has the power to reshape buildings and used it to gather a bunch nearby. The castle in the name isn't arrogance either. It looks like someone tried to build one in the style of New York."

"Were those two monsters we encountered from Castle Cerulean too?"

“You must mean Grant and Wesley. Grant’s the idiot with the muscles. Wesley’s the guy who looks like he has a garage band.” She cocked an eyebrow as they traded looks. “Guessing you guys don’t know what a garage band is. Wow.” She twirled a bit of hair. “Actually, if you’re here, those two must be dead.”

“Are there anymore of you?”

“Just the three.”

“What were you doing out here?”

“Well, I got kidnapped. I was setting this lab up for…” She glanced at a clock. “A job that’s about forty-five hours away. Those idiots ambushed me, forcing me to come with them on their weird mission. I think they were trying to find something, but believe it or not, I’m in the dark. They just wanted someone around who wouldn’t be missed but could figure out stuff they’re too dumb for.”

King put the marbles on the table. “What are these?”

“Sealed Halos.” She looked him up and down. “And you can just touch them no problem…What are you?”

“That’s not information we’ll divulge.”

Micaela shrugged. “No problem, but word of advice. That guy has glowing arms and a gem in his forehead, and you can touch a halo without any adverse effects. If you’re pretending to be human, you’re doing a poor job.”

“Why are you so sure something should have happened?”

“Frankly, the halos are still unstable. Dumbasses like Grant and Wesley can’t unlock them without killing themselves. You need to be conditioned just to have one, and even Blue bloods can’t touch them without training.”

“What are Blue Bloods?” Fang asked.

It was Micaela's turn to cross her arms. "Are you guys really from the Enclave?" They nodded. She stroked her chin. "Can I join up with you? I'm talking full betrayal of Castle Cerulean. I'll tell you anything you want to hear."

“Why do you want to suddenly betray them?”

Micaela grinned, "I'm talking to people from the Enclave that know nothing about me or a lot of the stuff that's common knowledge. It sounds like you guys didn't even know we existed. I can believe that, since the city always moves around, but that doesn't match up with the rest of the stuff I was taught."

“Such as?”

“One day, the Intruders from the outskirts will invade New York. Their plan is to take the city for themselves, and they're the reason everything has fallen into darkness. It is our duty at Castle Cerulean to prepare the castle and everyone in it for the battle. If we aren't quick enough, anyone surviving in the city will fall to the intruders too."

“That’s oddly specific, was this in your religious text?”

“Nope, that was one of the first visions of the Queen Priestess. It's how they justify running the castle like they do."

Fang looked into Micaela's eyes. She searched hard, but couldn't find a reason for deception. The woman spoke an easy truth with a firm cadence; lying not even in the corner of her mind. If the story was real too, Castle Cerulean was as old as the Overcast. How did all this time pass without the Enclave knowing about it? There were procedures for survivors, but none for an entire enemy base? Again Fang wondered how old the Enclave was. She pulled back from the woman's eyes, looking at her again.

“How long have you been with Castle Cerulean?"

“Since I was six years old.”

“And you have no problem betraying them?”

Micaela shrugged. “I mean, I have a few exes there and some acquaintances, but otherwise not really. The way I’m looking at it now, they betrayed me. I tried to shoot your friend when he walked in here just because he had on Enclave gear. That’s not a good enough reason for me to kill somebody. Also, if you are the enemy I’m sure you’d want to go to the castle anyway. At least this way, I don’t have to worry about dying in the end.”

King picked up one of the marbles. “Will I be able to learn more about these things there?”

Micaela nodded. “100%. They keep research data on hand for training new assistants. Although, the lab sits in Sector Two.”

“And I’m guessing you have easy access to Sector two.” Fang asked. Micaela grinned.

“Can we look at it as a trial period. If I betray you, you can kill me.”

“And you really want to join us just because they lied?”

“I want to join you because I don't know why they lied. I know the Queen Priestess has visions, I just don't know why this one is so old but so easy to prove false."

Fang traded looks with the boys. They nodded, and she nodded to Micaela. "Drive us there then. We can talk about Castle Cerulean along the way."

…