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Chapter 4

oOoOo

We made it back to the hideout two days after we rescued Flare and X-Ray. We held Faint's funeral the day after. The day we did it it was gray. Fitting for a funeral. Echo, Flare and X-Ray cryed as we buried her. My eyes remained dry through the whole thing. It's not that I didn't want to cry but I couldn't. I just couldn't.

After the funeral I stayed behind. Flare and X-Ray's bruises and scars were treated when we got back. They looked pretty bad but no where near as bad as Faint had been. The spot we buried her at was a small hill. A tree grew from their and over looked it casting a shadow in the sun at noon.

Her grave marker was a cross with both mine and her heart pendents hanging around. Now they meant a lot more then just so the other would always be with the other. I walked to the tree that overlooked her grave and sat staring at her grave thinking of everything we could of had. Could of done. All the things that were gone now.

******

Hours turned into days. Days turned into weeks. Weeks blended into a month. During that month I stayed at the hill night and day never taking my eyes off her grave. I was shaken to the core by her death and the rest of the coven feared I would never recover.

I still ate but didn't talk much. I only answered to direct questions and even then it was only yes, no or a grunt. I was hollow like my soul had left me.

It scared everyone else. After a full month they came to see me. I had one leg straight out while the other was up against my chest. My eyes had a glassy look to them that made it look like lights were on but nobody was home.

"Phase" Echo whispered. I didn't respond. "Phase!" she repeated louder. I looked in her direction and she gasped at my icy gaze.

"Phase you need to snap out of it" Shade said.

"Yeah" X-Ray agreed nodding.

"We're all really worried about you" Flare said.

"It doesn't suit you to be mopping around like this" Rogue added.

"Please Phase" Echo pleaded. "Please wake up" Tears were already welling in her eyes.

I looked from each one of them my eyes resting on Echo at the end. Then I spoke. "Just as I guessed" My voice was dry and raspy since I hadn't talked in about a month. "You could never understand my pain. The pain of losing someone so close it feels like you lost apart of yourself! Don't try to talk to me like you understand me! You'll never know my pain!"

Everyone was stunned. Not just by what I said but what had happened next. Echo had stepped forward and slapped me across his face faster then I could blink. My eyes were stunned as I looked back at her a hand on my cheek.

"You heartless jerk!" she yelled her tears following now. "H-how can you even form your lips to say that!? We've all f-felt Faint's death hard. Maybe not as h-hard as you but we've each felt it. I know Faint meant a lot to you but that's no excuse! What do you think Faint would say if she saw you like this? Isolating y-yourself from your friends. Being a jerk to those who just want to help you! Making it feel like you died too" She fell to her knees her sobs racking her body. Rogue walked over to her whispering comforting words.

I placed a hand over my eye. "She'd say I've been a a*****e" I said laughing tears falling down my face. Echo looked up and smile broke out on her face. She leaped forward wrapping her arms around my neck. Soon everyone was joining in on the group hug/smile/cry.

******

We spent a good day and a half remembering Faint. It was kinda like a party but not as happy. We also spent that time figuring out who those guys were.

We didn't press Flare and X-Ray for too many details because it may have been a month but the memory was still fresh for them. Their wounds had just now began to heal. And not just the physical ones. They still had nightmares about it.

Flare and X-Ray were both asleep it being about 10:00 p.m. Me, Rogue, Shade, and Echo were in the kitchen. We were all drinking coffee in mugs we had left.

"Any leads yet" I asked tired. I hadn't gotten a good nights sleep in half a month. If you add the amount of caffeine I drank. Not good.

"Nope" Shade said yawning. About half a second later I yawned. What the crap?! Yawning isn't contagious!

"Not really" Echo said. "X-Ray said her remember seeing a symbol for Alabasta Science" Suddenly she stopped a far off look on her face. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Shade asked, me nodding the same thing. Then I heard it too. It was the soft *whup* *whup* of a helicopters blades. I stood up and walked to the window. I moved the curtain aside and was blinded by a giant beam of light. I rose my hand to ward it off.

"Phantom Theives! Come out with your hands up!!!" Came a voice over a megaphone yelled at us. My eyes widened to dinner plates as I heard this. "This will be your only warning" I looked to the others leader mode snapping in and mouthed 'wake Flare and Ray and go out the back door.' They nodded as I put my com in my ear.

I walked outside to confront them and was mildly surprised. There was a huge entourage out there. At lease five cars twenty guys and two copters lights trained on me. And I'm pretty sure I spotted at least three news crews.

"Your rein of theivery is over prince of theives" one cop said which I shall dub number one from now on.

"Sorry number one but you'll never be able to stop the Prince of Theives!" I yelled waving my arm. "Run!" I yelled into my com. I spun on my heal and ran through the house walls and all until I had found the others who were already runnning.

We cleared the forest outside our house following an ancient trail that we made that when we first started the coven.

"Where are we going?" Flare asked never breaking stride. X-Ray was right next to her matching her pace. My troopers.

"Dunno" I said truthfully. Being the leader I've learned that sometimes it's good to lie and say you had a plan. But I couldn't come up with a good one yet so we just ran. "I say toward the west!" I said turning and jumping off a hill. I turned as I jumped the hill grabbing my pendent from Faint's grave.

We're leaving for now Faint I though as I ran. But don't worry we'll be back

The others followed and in the back of my mind I knew the helicopter was coming.
Well we are offically on the run now. Not sure where we're going but hey if you knew what you were doing all the time life wouldn't be as fun.

oOoOo

and that's the end of part one. Part two will be coming soon.