The Prophecy Part 2

Pierce and Cam stood in front of each other. Their eyes looking into the others.

"What do you mean by "I knew that you?" Pierce growled.

"I knew that out of our friend group that you were going to be the one to think all I'm telling is a joke! A hoax! A conspiracy this world's government made up to trick its citizens!" Cameron said, his hands making gestures to go along with his words.

Pierce laughed. "Yeah! Because it's true!" He laughed at Cam.

"No, it isn't! And you know why?" Cameron questioned Pierce, "because this 'One is supposed to possess abilities. Like freezing a boulder in mid-air and bringing the tide up fifty feet to put out a flaming rock!"

Pierce's eyes widened. His lips formed into a crooked grin. A laugh left his mouth. "You think..." he laughed, "you think you are this, 'One'?" he says sarcastically, laughing his mouth.

Cameron moved to Pierce. His arms lifted and he roughly shoved Pierce back, staggering the boy back to fall on his ass. "Yes! Yes, I do, Pierce! Because how else did I survive that boulder and Data survive from almost being killed too?! It's too big a coincidence!" Cam shouts.

"You? Do you seriously think that you caused that? What are you like in the X-Men? Or a wizard-like Gandalf? Hah!" Pierce said, standing from the stone floor. He returned Cameron's rough shove, then pointed at the boy's face. "You did shit! Like always, you did shit you little pussy!" Pierce growled.

Faster than a thunder strike, Cam's hand turned into a fist and hit Pierce's cheek, knocking the boy down to the floor.

"I have never been a pussy! I take my brother and my father's beatings with a brave face. You?" Cam laughed, shaking his head, "You let your mother-baby you! Your sister pushes you around! And you follow Sophie like a lost fucking puppy dog!"

Pierce let out a scream as he stood from the ground and tackled Cam to the ground.

The two boys rolled around, fists flying at the other. Then just as Cam and Pierce were going to pull back their elbows, fists forming, they were pulled apart. A wild-looking Sophie stood between them. "Enough!" She screamed. Her scream caused the walls and ceiling to shake and dirt to fall into their heads. "That is enough!" She says sternly.

The two boys watched with wide eyes as she looked at both of them, disappointment in her eyes.

"We are supposed to be a team. Friends. What happened to the three musketeers that I met when I moved to River Springs?" She questioned, as tears formed in her eyes.

Then she slowly walked out of the chamber, leaving the two guilty-looking boys alone.

Can and Pierce glanced at one another.

The two boys' expressions mirrored the other. A look of shock, embarrassment and shame on their face.

"What the hell were we even fighting about?" Cam whispered, glancing up at Pierce.

Pierce returned his glance, "I'm not sure," he whispered.

Both were silent. Even when Cam stood and helped Pierce stand up. Even when they walked together out of the tunnels and to their private bedrooms they remained silent.

Apart, they got ready for bed.

Meanwhile, Data returned from his work at the testing grounds.

His clothes were covered in grease, sweat and the smell of fish from the saltwater drenching his clothes, body and specifically his shoes.

His shoes squeaked as he took each step down the hallway, getting closer and closer to his beloved bed chambers.

Data reached up and opened the door, stepping inside the furnished bedroom where a manservant awaited him.

"Hello, Master Kevin. I was instructed to help you clean up after the incident at the testing grounds," the servant says, his head bowed down.

Data eyed the servant. Data had always been uncomfortable talking to strangers, it was why Sophie usually would talk for him. But to give this man instructions or even reply to his words was becoming difficult.

Data opened his mouth but nothing would come out. He continued to open his mouth like a fish, the servant looking at him confused.

"Are you alright, Master Kevin? Are you thirsty?" He asked, his voice becoming panicked, "are you choking?!" He exclaimed in worry.

Data tried to speak, tried to reassure the man but he couldn't.

Just as the servant was about to run to him and try to save him, a female voice spoke, "he is fine."

Both Data and the servant turned to face the door to see Sophie standing at the threshold. "He would love you to run him a bath, sir. As you said he had quite a harrowing day," Sophie says, a sweet smile on her lips.

The servant glanced between Data and Sophie before he hurried into the bathroom to fill the tub up for Data.

Sophie closed the bedroom door and walked further in to give Data the hug she wanted to give since she saw that flaming rock heading right for him.

"I'm so happy you're okay," she whispered into his ear, tightening her grip on his upper back.

"I am too. Wilson has worked me to the bone since then," he whispered, a groan leaving his lips as she hugged him too hard on one of his more sore spots.

Sophie quickly moved back, giving him an apologetic smile.

"It's okay, Sophie," he assured her.

Sophie helped Data remove the jacket he wore over top of his clothes, a sigh leaving his lips once it was off as a cool breeze blew into the room and cooled his sweating body. "This world must have killer summers. Because it is hot out there in that valley even for spring," Data groaned out, stretching his limbs.

"At least you missed Pierce and Cam's latest fight. This I think was the worst since we tried to come up with a handshake for getting into the clubhouse," Sophie says. She took a seat at the desk in Data's room, focusing her attention on the desk's contents.

"Really?!" Data said, shock clear in his tone.

"Really. They punched each other! Yelled all sorts of profanity. Finally, I had to put all my strength in to split them apart," Sophie says.

Data lowered his eyes.

Data knew that to Sophie the fighting of two of her best friends was difficult to hear or to see after everything she had experienced in those last months with her mother.

Data walked to Sophie, knelt and hugged her tight. "I'll talk to them both tomorrow. If they fight like that again, you won't see it. I promise," he promised her.

Sophie smiled lightly into Data's chest, her hands rested on the armrest and the desk. "Thank you Data," she says. But she knew that no one could keep those kinds of promises. It was virtually impossible. Pierce and Cam always butted heads. They were just too different people. And both were stubborn and headstrong. It was impossible for them no to have disagreements and being the teenage boys that they were, they would fight. It was inevitable.

But Data's innocent promise had made her feel better.

The servant came out of the bathroom, cleared his throat and spoke in a quiet, shy voice, "Master Kevin. Your bath is ready."

Sophie laughed, pulling back from Data's hug. "Go clean up. Get a good night's sleep Data. We're in for an interesting day tomorrow," she says, knowing what he would be told by Cam tomorrow.

Sophie left Data's room, leaving him alone with the servant. Data entered the bathroom, just as Sophie had stepped back inside her bed chambers.