The Astral Traveler

Krilla walked across a steel beam. She saw Integer standing in the open. Talking to someone.

Krilla: You deserve this....

Krilla felt her eye and jumped down and went for a slash at Integer. She cut through all the string that was around her. She turned her sword transparent and it passed through Integer's shield. She chipped off part of Integer's welding mask.

Jilaya: You caught me by surprise.

Integer fired a laser blast from her welding mask's eyes. Krilla jumped off with a backflip. She clashed blades with Erica from her side. Erica fired some strings at Krilla. She cut up the strings until they wrapped around Krilla's sword. Krilla acted stuck. She kicked Erica in the face and let her sword out by changing it transparent. She slashed for Erica's neck. She pulled herself back with strings. Krilla ran up and locked swords with her. She kicked Erica in the stomach and knocked her sword out of her hands. Krilla was lifted into the air. She was helpless. Integer had lifted her into the air with telekinesis.

Krilla: You did this to me.

Jilaya: What? Did Beck do that? Awww I'm so sorry. I could get that turned into a nice red eye…

Krilla: What…?

Jilaya: *sigh* Let's go for a little ride. You are a pleasant surprise today.

Erica: What will you do to her?

Jilaya: Don't worry dear. She'll meet the man who doesn't exist.

Erica took a deep breath. She picked up her sword and walked off.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Amala: Sounds like Millie here might be the key to the Blue Coat's problems.

Millie: Couldn't this just be us putting pieces together that don't really fit together?

Terra: We won't know if they fit together or not until we talk to Donny and Amelia.

Terra, Amala, and Millie approached the door to the blue coat's hideout.

Millie: What is this? A crackhouse?

Oscar opened the door.

Oscar: Don. We have a crowd.

The house was filled with the blue coat members and their family members talking to each other

Donny: Terra! Come in. We have another guest?

Terra: This is Millie.

Millie: Also known as Repulse.

Donny: Wait what?! You're Repulse? Sis! Come here!

Amelia: Oh, Terra. Anything for us?

Donny: Yeah she did it again! She brought Repulse here!

Amelia: You've got to be kidding me. You are Repulse?

Amelia looked at Millie up and down.

Millie: Why is that such a surprise?

Amelia: You may be tall. But you aren't as menacing as I expected.

Terra: We think that Millie might be the key to our illusion problem.

Amelia: Let us go somewhere more quiet.

Amelia led all of them outside.

Millie: I've been having these illusions. About a man named Ivan Springer.

Amelia: Ivan Springer…

Donny: I've heard of him. Only rumors though.

Amelia: Seriously? Those rumors?

Donny: He is said to be connected to Integer and the Black coats.

Amelia: Alright, stop it with that black coat shit!

Donny: They all wear black coats! And we all wear blue coats! It's perfect!

Terra: Black coats doesn't sound half bad. Not any better than blue coats.

Donny: Exactly!

Amelia: Blue coats is a great name and you know it!

Donny: Either way, I don't know why this didn't click before! But he was known to haunt people's dreams and make them have horrible hallucinations and dreams!

Millie: Yeah! That's it! He's real! I've been having hallucinations of him. He would appear in front of me at random times. After he and Integer experimented on me!

Amelia: Yeah. I've had dreams of my sister. She appeared in front of me at random times. It's almost like I had some sort of uncontrollable panic attack. I also saw Donny get attacked during our fight with the chemist. But he was fine. That proved to us we had the wrong guy.

Amala: The power to haunt people's dreams...Sounds like astral projection

Donny: What nonsense are you talking about?

Amala: He can haunt people's dreams and make them experience hallucinations. He must be traveling on the Astral plane.

Amelia: Well what exactly is the astral plane?

Amala: A separate plane of existence that only the soul can enter. If he has enough knowledge of the astral projection he might be able to enter your mind or make you have horrible hallucinations.

Amelia: That would solve our mystery. But what can we do about it?

Amala: Three options. One, Find our culprit and kill him in real life.

Amala took out her soul blade.

Amala: Two, follow him into the astral plane. And three, do nothing.

Donny: Why would we do nothing?

Amala: From what I hear, he must be leading you around like dogs. We are dealing with someone smart here. He trailed you away from the other dude you thought was responsible, and he only attacks Blue coats or people who he has beef with.

Donny: That other girl didn't actually have anything to do with our problems then, did she?

Amala: Probably not.

Donny: Well we know that the black coats are going to come after us. We have to move before they do.

Terra: Instead of attacking them blindly, why don't we move the blue coats instead?

Amelia: What do you mean?

Terra: You could literally move the members and probably Krilla somewhere else. I'll even nominate my apartment!

Amelia: That's a lot better than just sitting here and doing nothing. But how do you expect us to all fit in one apartment?

Millie: I'm not afraid to have company if needed.

Leon walked out into the yard.

Leon: You guys are trying to move?

Donny: How did you hear us?

Leon: It's a simple spell. But I don't think we can take Krilla.

Terra: Why not?

Leon: She's...gone.

Amelia: What? What do you mean gone?

Leon: She left yesterday!

Amelia got up and in the blink of an eye slammed Leon against the wall of the house.

Amelia: Say it again.

Leon: She left yesterday! She got up and left the house yesterday!

Amelia: WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US?!

Leon: I-I-

Donny pulled Amelia off of Leon. Leon stood with his hand over his face.

Donny: Hey, Le0. Where do you think she went?

Leon: She...She had to have gone off to attack Integer…

Amelia: Integer?!

Amala: Well. We may as well count our losses.

Terra: What?! We can't do that!

Amala: Yes we can. She is DEAD. Integer is already more powerful than all of us combined. Especially with her soldiers.

Amelia: We atleast have to get her out of there. When did she leave?

Leon: Early.

Amelia clenched her fist.

Amelia: You'd better pray to god she's still alive.

Leon: …

Amala: If we're gonna have any chance then we'd better go.

Amelia: Fuck it. Everyone get ready. And try to keep your lunch down. Leon. Locate her for us.

Leon cast out a spell. Which made a map of hell's kitchen. She was close to the river.

Donny: Terra. She could be at that place we went to.

Amelia: Okay. The rest of our men will stay here.

Donny: Isn't there strength in numbers?

Amelia: They-

Donny: Have they even ever been on any recent missions?

Amelia: This is a big deal! This is Integer! And possibly her right hand man! They aren't experienced!

Donny: This'll bite you in the ass. I promise.

Amelia: Shut your ass. I'm protecting them.

Donny: Yeah we-

Amala: Doesn't sound like we're saving time.

Amelia: Right.

Amelia grabbed Amala and ran off for 5 seconds and came back. She continued this until the yard was empty.

Leon, then Terra both threw up over the side of the road and into the hudson river.

Terra: Ugh, I did all this just to throw up.

Donny: I should've teleported you!

Terra: Yeah, let's do that next time.

Amelia: Focus! We need to find Krilla.

Millie: So...Integer is in there, right? And maybe even Ivan?

Leon: That's what we all think.

Millie: Maybe I could uh, stay outside?

Terra: We can't turn back now, can we? I won't let you get taken again Millie.

Millie: ...I-Okay. I'm ready. Let's go.

Amala: Are you seriously going to walk straight in? We have to be strategic about this.

Amelia: I like your game plan Amala.

Donny: We have to go around? That's so boring! Let's go Terra.

Amelia: Stop hitting on the bitch!

Donny: What was tha-

Amelia: Shut up! We are going around! Lets go.

Donny whispered to Terra.

Donny: She must be all antsy because of Krilla.

Terra: Just try not to rile her up.

???: That's rude, calling someone you haven't even met a bitch!

Everyone looked ahead. Millie felt her head and fell to one knee. Ivan stood before her. But it wasn't an illusion. Krilla was held above him. The same strings from before being wrapped around her.

Ivan: The two leaders of the blue coats I presume.

Amelia's expression turned from irritated to pissed in seconds. She charged straight at Ivan and threw the hardest punch she could. Ivan waited and slapped his hand out to the side. Throwing Amelia into the wall of the warehouse.

Ivan: it was nice of you to help me find you. I hope you've been enjoying the show.

Ivan walked over to Krilla. She kicked at Ivan.

Ivan: Feisty.

Krilla: Please. Please! That is my son right there!

Ivan: Those who beg for mercy, are too weak to deserve it.

Krilla: Leon, I love-

Ivan stabbed Krilla from behind through the heart.

Ivan: Hmm. Less exciting than I thought.

Leon looked straight at Ivan. His eyes teared up. A mark appeared on his face. He jumped forward at Ivan and grabbed him by the neck. He slammed him against the floor.

Leon: YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!

Leon punched Ivan in the face over and over again. Ivan locked eyes with him. Leon was sent into a trance. The environment changed. He was smaller and he was holding Krilla's hand.

Krilla: See? Look! It's not so bad!

Leon was in the deep end of a pool. He let go of her hand and jumped from the diving board into the deep end. He was brought back to reality. Was falling into the Hudson river. Donny teleported down, grabbed him and teleported back to the surface. Where Ivan was walking away. Terra just looked at Krilla. She could barely muster words.

Terra: There's something we can do isn't there?! Does someone have healing! Come on, Krilla…! Come on…

Terra cried into her hands.

Amala jumped in front of Ivan and slashed at him. He took out his sword and clashed with her.

Ivan: You must have something that haunts you. Oh and it must be great!

Ivan sent Amala into a trance. She was able to break out of it quickly. But by the time she did. Ivan had already disappeared.

Amelia: We...We have to go back.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Everyone was sitting at the table outside. Leon was gone. Donny was trying to comfort Terra. Everyone was lost in their thoughts. All quiet.

Amala: Are you serious? We need to do something! Are we going to sit around and be quiet now?!

Amelia: It was my fault...I got his attention. Leon had to see his mother die because of me…

Amelia held herself back from shedding a single tear. Terra was slouched over on her seat. Donny had his hand on her back, he moved it up to around her shoulder.

Donny: It wasn't all you sis, it was me too. I kept the arguments going.

Amelia: If I didn't start them in the first place. Then we wouldn't be here.

Leon walked out.

Leon: No, it was my fault for being too much of a coward to tell anyone. Until it was too late.

Leon walked over weakly. Amelia got up and was face to face with Leon.

Amelia: I'm so sorry.

Amelia embraced Leon.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Donny was walking Terra home that night. It was very quiet.

Donny: Hey. Uh, you cold? You can have my sweatshirt if you want.

Terra: I don't need a sweatshirt! I'm fine.

Donny: Okay.

Terra: I'm sorry, that was rude. It's just, wasn't this preventable?

Donny: You shouldn't think like that.

Terra: Why not? If we found her early or kept a better eye on Krilla then we would have saved her life!

Donny: ...Well, we didn't. That's the shitty truth. I'm sorry that had to happen to you.

Terra: I've gone through death before.

Donny: Well it clearly still affects you. You could've seen millions die and each time it's still gonna suck.

Terra: It sucks. Trust me. I just need some time...

There was some awkward silence until Terra and Donny got to her apartment.

Donny: Hey, please try and sleep tonight.

Terra: I-I'll try.

Terra went inside and laid down. She had never experienced a death like this. She really felt the risk of her life. The lives around her.