July 8th, 2023

"Goooood morningggg!" Jay's voice chirped over the earpiece and I groaned, turning over in my pillow. "Testing, testing, one-two-three. Can you hear me, Liv?" I put my pillow over my head and Jay's voice chirped again, "Hello hello! Wake uppp!!"

"Ugh, shut up, Jay." I grumbled, "Your voice is not the first thing I wanna hear in the morning, man." I pushed the pillow off my face and then got up, brushing a tangled strand of dark hair away from my face. 

"Ouchhhh." I heard Lloyd hiss on his side of the earpiece, "C'mon, Liv. Today is an important day. The basketball game is on and we have to watch it!" 

"What the heck is so important about a ball game?" I muttered and grabbed a brush, yanking it through my hair. Once I finished with that, I splashed water onto my face and then started to brush my teeth. Once I finished doing everything, I changed into a black, oversized t-shirt and some jean shorts before walking out to the living room, where the Ninja, P.I.X.A.L, and Master Wu were sitting. The TV was turned on and Jay handed me a bag of popcorn.

"Here!" He smiled.

"Popcorn for breakfast? Tsk, tsk. What would my mother say?" I grabbed a handful and popped it into my mouth, "Thanks, by the way." I added in once I finished chewing.

"Yeah, no prob." Jay said, taking a bottle of coke and taking a generous swig.

"Here they come!" Nya pointed at the screen, where our basketball team was running onto the court with their leader, Don Finigan, in the lead. Then, Nya wrinkled her nose, ceasing the Ninja's cheering and whooping, "Hold up, hold up. Is that Darreth?" 

The Ninja stopped clapping and squinted at the TV. After a long period of silence, P.I.X.A.L piped up, "I believe that is Darreth, yes."

"Who's Darreth?" I asked, chewing on a piece of popcorn.

-:-:-:-:-

"Why are you riding so fasttttt!!" I shrieked over the whir of the engine. Cole pressed hard on the pedal and I skidded to the side, hitting my elbow onto the metal door. "OW! Cole, slow down! Is this Darreth really so important?" 

"No. I just love driving fast." Cole made a sharp turn and Zane grabbed onto the back of Cole's seat, pulling his face towards Cole's ear so that his voice could be heard over the engine.

"Please, Cole! Pedestrians can be in danger because of this! Slow down!!" Zane begged and P.I.X.A.L leaned against the back seat, her metallic hair thunking against the leather seat belt strap.

"Oh, chill, all of you. The highway is free. See?" Cole let go of the wheel to gesture at the empty road, "I won't run into anyone-"

"CAR!!" Jay shrieked, "CAR, CAR, CAR!!!" The car honked its horn and Cole swerved onto the other side of the road, barely making it. The person stuck their head out and let out a stream of curses. Cole's face reddened and we all sat in silence until Jay spoke up again, "Well. That was close."

"We're all alive." Uncle Wu said, his bamboo hat pressed in front of his eyes, "That's all that matters. Now, if you'll excuse me, Cole, do you mind pulling over?" 

"Um," Cole pulled over onto the side of the highway, "sure, Master Wu. What-"

Master Wu promptly bent over and then threw up. 

"Whoa!" I leapt out of the car and then stroked Master Wu's back, pushing his beard away from his mouth, "Uncle Wu! Are you okay?" 

"Remind me," Uncle Wu panted, "never let Cole drive on an empty highway. Or never let me ride in his car, at least."

"I'm really sorry, Master Wu!" Cole called from the car.

"It's gonna be okay, Uncle Wu." I said, "Do you think that you'll make it to Darreth's office without throwing up again? Cole will drive," I glanced meaningly at Cole, "slowly."

"Mhm, slowly." Lloyd looked out the window, "Let me outta here. I need a breather."

"Ugh, seriously." Cole grumbled, "My driving isn't even that bad…"

Suddenly, a piercing pain hit my head. I groaned when the pain increased tenfold and I screamed. What is happening to me? I thought faintly, Am I dying? What's happening? A sharp, distorted, jagged pain slammed into the base of my skull and I clutched at my neck with a scream. I heard Lloyd screaming at me and I saw him leap at me out of the corner of my eye. I turned around and before I knew it, I had punched my brother in the chest so that he laid on the ground. My fist was surrounded by purplish black light, and all I could feel was anger and violent power. Power. 

"Liv!" Suddenly, Uncle Wu had gripped my arm. "Liv, stop it!' 

"Let me go, old man!!" I shrieked and suddenly, Uncle Wu was on the ground, too. I know that I look crazed. I know that I looked like a monster. 

And that's who you are. That's who you're gonna be. A voice hissed in my head. 

No!!! Please, no! I screamed and then all I knew was darkness.