"Mommy, the earth is sad."

I stood in the grass in my bathing suit, holding the glass of water in my hand as I watched Uncle Kendrick at the BBQ.

Mommy walked over, then kneeled to face me.

"Scarlet, why are you crying?"

I wiped the tears out of my eyes.

"Nature is sad, Mommy. Why is the world so cruel? The water is sad, the wind is unhappy, the ground is upset, and the fire is angry. Why isn't anyone listening?" I cried.

Uncle Kendrick stopped what he was doing to walk towards me. "Scarlet love. Don't cry. It’s going to be okay." He soothed, picking me up.

"Uncle Kendrick. But, they tell me it never changes. It's always the same. I want to help them. Can't I help them?" I begged, looking into his brown eyes.

"One day you can, baby. You can't help them now because it will only harm you and put your life in jeopardy. They don't want that from you. They will need you one day to be their voice. Can you be patient? Tell them you'll help them when you're big and strong."

I frowned, taking a moment to think about it. I looked up to the sky – words flowed into my mind as if the sky wanted to assist me in telling the world my wish.

"I, Scarlet Sinclair promise to help the sky above and the ground below. I will help the water that cries and the wind that frowns. I will comfort Mother Earth and heal the fire whose anger rages on. I will be your light in the darkness. I swear it. In stars we trust." The words flowed out of me, feeling confident.

I turned my attention back to Uncle Kendrick and my Mommy, both held shocked expressions on their faces.

"Baby, who told you those words?" Mommy asked.

"The words just came to me, and Moonlight says I should always end a prayer with ‘In stars we trust’ if I want it to come true." I defended, confused.

"Moonlight...honey? Moonlight’s a cat."

I giggled, wiggling out of Uncle Kendrick's hold, and he lowered me back down.

"Moonlight!" I called out. The cat’s head poked out of the bush nearby, and he ran towards me.

I turned to face my mom and Kendrick, a big smile across my lips. "Mommy and Uncle Kendrick are silly. Moonlight's a god in the sky. Moonlight, aren't they silly." I laughed.

"Meow."

"I know. Mommy, I'm going to the sandbox with Moonlight. I feel better. Mother Nature says thank you." I ran off; Moonlight trailed behind me, ignoring Mommy and Uncle Kendrick’s gawking expressions.

I'll be the voice for the world around me. I will be their light.

"Scarlet, sweetheart, wake up. We're here."

I opened my eyes, squinting at the light shining through the windshield. Did I fall asleep? And another dream...Was Kendrick that close to Mom? Where was Dad then?

I looked up to see Junho's turquoise eyes staring down at me. My head leaned against his shoulder, his arm relaxed behind me.

"Here?" I was still disoriented, trying to fight the urge to return to the realm of sleep

"Yes. We’re at the checkpoint. We need to get our rides and stay in place just in case this shit turns into a car chase." He reminded.

I sat back into the leather car seat, covering my mouth as I yawned, pulling my glasses off, and placing them into the cup holder.

"Sorry. Just give me a moment." I apologized, trying to recollect myself, changing my mindset.

Today was the scheduled bust – Lizard breath and a bunch of lackeys were coming together to do a large drug exchange. Jaxson, Christian, Michael, and Ethan were in position with five other PINC teams, ready to crash their party.

Another shifter with the ability of sight was able to pinpoint the routes they would use to escape – Ethan did his job and cleared all routes to make sure no civilians got hurt if a car chase went down.

The chances were slim, but anything could change in a split second, and we had to be prepared. Our route would lead us to a construction bridge above Malcolm Ocean, where the water ran deep enough even for whales to be seen during certain times of the year.

If there was any chance of anyone trying to escape and going our route, they would be swimming with the fishes.

Junho and I were assigned to get a vehicle fast enough to catch up – Junho being the car expert. We were now at one of the autoplex dealerships he owned.

His hand slid into my curls, turning my head to face him.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay? You kept having weird dreams last night." He disclosed.

Jaxson must have told them. I pressed my hand against his, enjoying his touch and in awe with his concern.

"I'm fine. I think I've managed more sleep this week than my entire school semester. Once the adrenaline kicks in I'll be doing cartwheels." I reassured him.

"Okay. But if you feel unwell, promise me you will let me know."

"I promise."

He nodded, turning the engine off before unbuckling his seatbelt. I followed suit, putting my gloves on as I prepared myself. As easy as this part of the mission seemed, my gut told me shit was going to go down, and I was ready for any surprises.

I fixed the earpiece in my ear, hiding it with my loose, orange curls.

Junho worked on his: the little communication device looking similar to a Bluetooth device.

"Agent Suk, testing com device. Can you hear me, Agent Roseblade?" Junho questioned.

"Yes. Eyes on you now. No movement back at crow's nest. Stay on plan. We have already inserted Sinclair's info in their database. Michael, get prepared to initiate plan A." Ethan replied.

"Thanks." A playful smirk formed on his lips as he slid his sunglasses on.

We walked towards the entrance of the transparent glass building, and I noted the cars of different brands and price tags parked neatly in the entrance and window displays.

"We have about two hours till shit goes down. I'll take a car for a test drive. You can choose whatever you want. I already gave your alias to them."

"Alias as in?" I questioned, confused.

He stopped before the glass doors. His arm slid around my waist as he pulled me into a steamy kiss. His tongue slipped into my mouth, and his hand roamed down to my ass.

He gripped it firmly. An involuntarily moan escaped me as I kissed back. My body roared with excitement as his groin pressed against me – hard with his apparent arousal.

My arms already found their place around his neck; my hands enjoyed the feel of his silky smooth, brown locks.

I heard Ethan groan through our earpiece.

"Alright, Mr. and Mrs. Suk. As much as you love to prove your point of being newlyweds back from your month vacation in Cancun, I'd love to get through this mission without an erected cock with no place to masturbate, so can you two break it up?" His low voice snapped me out of my lust-filled daze. My mind had completely forgotten we were at work.

Junho pulled away, giving me a smug look before opening the door and ushering me in. The secretary at the desk sat wide-eyed with her jaw dropped – she’d obviously witnessed the entire display.

"You’re my wife, baby." He whispered in my ear, slapping my ass as I walked in. Fuck...

"You’re such a tease." I whispered. The words flew out in Japanese.

One thing Kendrick taught me; if you couldn't wait to finish a conversation while undercover, complete it in another language – Japanese being one of the few I spoke fluently.

"It's called a free sample, sweetheart." Junho replied in English, taking his sunglasses off.

I stared at him in astonishment.

"How many languages do you know?" I whispered.

"More than enough. Today, I'll need Russian. Now, focus, my love." He winked, confidence plastered across his face as he turned to the stunned secretary.

"Morning. I spoke to Henry earlier."

The secretary scrambled to her feet; her face flushed as she nodded with wide eyes.

"Mr. Suk! It's an honour to meet the CEO of Freedom Dealerships. Yes, Henry has scheduled your test drive with the limited-edition Mustang fleet. A brand-new version has already been sent to your house.”

Junho slid his glasses off, smiling.

"Perfect. Now...Amy, is it? Please ensure my wife gets the best treatment. She can choose whichever vehicle she wants to test drive. If she wants, order a brand-new version. Make sure it's red. The color compliments her." He squeezed my hand, pulling me lightly for another kiss.

"Sweetheart, I'll be back in a bit okay? Have fun." He whispered against my lips.

"Okay, honey. Try not to go past two hundred miles an hour." I bit his lip, tugging lightly before releasing him; the action enough to make his eyes dilate, his desire apparent.

"Ah, Mr. Suk. It’s an honour, and this must be your wife."

We turned to our right to see a large plump man scrambling to greet us. He huffed and puffed as if he'd run three flights of stairs to see us.

"Henry. Please. Yes, this is my wife. I just informed Amy to let her choose whatever vehicle she's interested in. Please ensure the other representatives know. You can bill my black card. Now, shall we get on the way?" Junho urged, his hand slipped out of mine.

He gave me one last kiss before walking away with Henry.

Amy scrambled around the desk.

"Mrs. Suk, what would you like to look at? We have some basic cars like Toyota or Hyundai. Are you interested in more of an SUV? Or something a tad stylish like a Corvette  

"Did she just call a Chevrolet stylish?" Aurora huffed.

"I feel insulted. Does she think we like slow cars? None of those are even high class." Serenity mumbled.

I gave her a serene smile, ignoring her question as I began to walk through the dealership, already knowing what I wanted.

"Ah, Mrs. Suk. Hold on. Let me escort you." She rushed over to follow me; her heels loudly clicked against the tiled, white floor.

I didn't slow my stride, walking straight past the SUVs to the sports car section.

It didn't take long till my eyes landed on my prize – pure excitement pumped through me as I gazed at the Suzuki Hayabusa in a shiny red coat.

I let my fingers slide across the smooth exterior, taking a look at the specs.

"Oh, ma'am. Haha, there's no way you can ride that. It's for...you know, those pro MALE racers you see on television." Amy laughed nervously, making a mischievous smile form on my lips.

I turned to face her. "I'll be taking this one for a test drive. Feel free to put it on my husband's card, but if you have trouble let me know, I have my black card as well."

She gawked at me, the mention of the black card only millionaires and billionaires carried enough to make her stand there like a statue.

"Oh look. Now she understands we aren't a housewife abusing her husband’s money." Aurora grumbled.

"Right. We have our own." Serenity agreed.

I love how you two are so caught up in this. I shook my head, making my way back to the reception desk, Amy frantically catching up.

"I'll get a brand new one ready for you. You won't need one shipped, correct?"

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"I want one sent to our home. Timeframe doesn't matter, as long as it’s that edition. Make sure it's red." I ordered with a satisfied smile.

"Yes, ma'am."

I heard Ethan’s low chuckle in my ear, making me shiver.

"Scarlet, you're hot when in character." He whispered, making my cheeks flush at the compliment.

"Hey. Don't go flirting with my wife." Junho warned.

"Can you two be serious for once? You know Kendrick listens to these recordings in his spare time." Jaxson sighed.

"He does not. Fuck, does he?" Michael questioned.

"Can we please focus? Continue being a sexy newlywed Scarlet. By the way, nice ride." Christian praised. I turned away from Amy, pulling out my phone and pretending to slide it on.

“Hey, I’m kinda busy right now. No, that’s fine. Oh, you’re about to go for a test drive? Alright, try not to have too much fun. Yeah, I love you, too.” I encouraged, ending the fake phone call.

"So sexy." Ethan mumbled. The others groaned, and the conversation ended there.

It didn't take long till I had the keys; my black and red helmet secured on my head, borrowing a black leather jacket with red stripes.

I was glad I wore combat boots to match my black on black attire – black jeans, black V-neck T-shirt. I sat on my new toy; my grin so wide my teeth showed.

"Don't you need your glasses?" Serenity asked.

"You have your gun loaded?" Aurora questioned.

I turned my motorcycle on; the engine roared to life as I fixed my leather gloves, flipping the top half so my hands were not fully enclosed in the leather material.

Yes, Mothers. I have my gun loaded and I don't need my glasses. That power nap was good enough, and I'm pumped to test this bad boy out. When was the last time I got to ride a motorbike? I'm gonna do some hella speed.

I waited for them to respond when Ethan's voice came on the earpiece.

"CROW'S NEST MOVING OUT! INITIATE BACK-UP PLAN! Agent Ross, take the back route and get to Sinclair and Suk's route ASAP. Lizard breath is heading to that route now."

I frowned, sliding the tinted face cover down as I ramped up the engine; the sound was loud and energizing. I kicked off the break, gripping the handle as I increased the speed, signaling to enter the main road.

"Agent Sinclair here. En-route."

"Agent Suk, re-routing. I should meet Sinclair at the halfway point. Sinclair! Don't do anything you can't handle." Junho cautioned.

I smiled. They hadn't seen me in action. "Yup. I'll be good." I said confidently.

"Total bullshit." Michael answered as gunshots echoed in the background.

"This isn't Call of Duty, boys. Focus before you actually get shot." I ordered.

I ignored the fear that gripped me at the thought of one of them getting hurt.

"Yes, Scar." They replied.

I increased my speed, turning onto the street designated for our car chase – CAUTION tape and ROAD CLOSED signs blocking off the major intersections.

I came to a stop; my eyes scanned the area.

If they're going to come from the warehouse, they should appear approximately one block ahead...right about–

*CRASH*

My head whipped at the sound of screeching tires – two black SUVs and one black Mercedes turned and headed straight down the road – towards our set trap.

"Crows sighted! One Mercedes, two SUV, in pursuit." I gripped the handles, lifting my leg off as I began to move, reaching a hundred miles an hour in less than six seconds.

"Shit Scarlet! One of them can use magic! Be careful."

I didn't reply; my mind already focused. I increased my speed, catching up to the three vehicles.

"Scarlet. Will you give me control for a moment?" Aurora requested.

"How do I let you take control?" I voiced out loud; the whipping wind and adrenaline coursed through me making it hard for me to continue inner monologue.

"Allow your mind to drift as if you are falling asleep. You won't actually fall asleep but switch places." She explained.

"But we're riding a bike! Aren't we gonna fall off?"

"It's less than a second Scarlet. I'm not fully taking control. You will see and still feel everything. I'm just taking lead. You can switch back anytime."

"Seems simple enough. Alright. I'm ready to try it." I braced myself, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, allowing my mind to drift.

Within a second I felt the shift – as if my very essence had to move to the back seat and the image before me was now like a movie screen. I was surrounded by darkness, but I could see everything going on.

"HOLY SHIT! This is both scary and cool." I answered, still feeling my hands gripping the handles but not being able to move them.

"Hehehe, you feel as light as a feather in here." Serenity voiced out – a bright glow formed next to me.

"Are you like a glowing flame? Where's your actual form?"

"You haven't really made one for us, silly." Serenity replied.

I flinched at the sound of gunshots; our attention returned to the car chase unfolding before us.

Aurora dodged the incoming bullets, pulling out our handgun before aiming.

My outstretched hand began to glow, the same markings appearing but in low glowing black – the gun glowing a dark purple.

I watched as we pulled the trigger, the bullet firing straight at the car on the right – exploding on impact in dark purple fire.

Mother of fucking pearl. That’s not normal fire. What kind of fire is that?

"SCARLET! What the fuck did you just do?" Ethan snapped on the intercom.

"Scarlet is currently unavailable. Please leave a message and I'll make sure she returns your call." Aurora announced as she aimed, moving to the left, dodging the car fragments as the flaming wreck skid past us.

"Aurora, don't go scaring him like that. He'll think you’re evil." Serenity scowled. I pictured her rolling her eyes.

"Maybe we should focus back on the car chase and wouldn’t a three-day course of SPIRIT 101- Starlight Gods for Dummies come in handy!" I retorted.

"SCARLET!" Ethan yelled through the phone.

"She's FUCKING BUSY! LEAVE A FUCKING MESSAGE!"

I sighed. "Why do I get the feeling those two aren't gonna get along?" I mumbled.

"It's okay. It's normal for Aura."

"Don't call me Aura!" She yelled, aiming the gun at the second car and firing. The car attempted to dodge the bullet but it hit the side mirror.

It blew up; the impact enough to send the car off the road and onto the hillside gravel, rolling down till it exploded.

"See."

"Ya. I get it." I nodded.

"Ugh, I'm tired. Come take over Scarlet. Your Lizard breath is the only one in the car. You just need to stop him before he's an idiot and goes straight into your trap."

My mind drifted immediately, gasping at the strange sensation as I blinked rapidly, realizing I was back in full control of my body. I ignored the spinning sensation, while I tried to concentrate on the final car a few feet ahead.

He pressed on the gas; the car jerked forward as he sped faster down the abandoned street, the sign - FREEDOM BRIDGE plastered on the white sign on the side of the road in red writing. Fuck!

"SCAR?" Ethan called again

"Yes, I'm back."

"Who the fuck was that?"

"Aurora now fucking focus! Lizard breath is approaching the bridge! He doesn't plan on stopping."

"What?!" Multiple voices answered.

"Fuck, I won't catch up. I can't go faster than two hundred in this thing." Junho cursed.

I turned my head, noticing the yellow mustang speeding a few feet behind, attempting to catch up to me.

"I can. I can stop him." I reassured them, gripping the gas as I began to accelerate.

"Scarlet, don't you dare. You won't be able to fucking stop!” Christian’s voice boomed through the earpiece. Of course, he'd be the one to warn me of my consequences.

"Relax! I'll brake right when I hit his car. It will give me more than enough time to brake before I reach the edge.

I ignored the multiple voices trying to talk me out of it. I wasn't backing out. We needed someone who knew exactly what Xerxes was looking for and his following plans. At least if we had Lizard breath’s confession on tape, it would be enough to finally have a face to the multiple crimes collecting in the back-file cabinet for the unsolved.

I gained speed, Lizard breath’s Mercedes struggled to keep at two hundred miles, sliding left and right.

I noticed the warning sign – BRIDGE CLOSURE – DO NOT ENTER- whip past us as we sped by. I need to stop him now. But how, without him blowing up?

"Let the bullet cause the car to short circuit. The element of electricity should do it." Serenity suggested.

"Uh. Help please?"

I felt her essence – the mixture of calmness and peace pressed against the edge of my mind; words flowed from my mouth.

I pulled the trigger – aiming directly at the trunk. The car skidded; the tires screeched against the pavement, creating a trail of smoke. The passenger door opened, and Lizard breath ran towards the edge of the bridge as I passed by.

SHIT!

I looked over my shoulder, aiming the gun directly at his leg – firing without a second thought.

He cried out, falling to the ground; Junho's Mustang screeched to a stop as he lunged out, sprinting and tackling Lizard breath who clung to the bridge wall.

"YES!" I called out. I turned back when my eyes locked onto a pair of red ones. Time slowed; my mouth slowly opened as my eyes widened.

A tall, bulky man with red eyes stood on the side of the bridge, a device in his hand as he smiled wickedly at me.

"SCARLET! STOP!"

I whipped my head around, realizing I was seconds away from riding off the bridge. Fuck’s sake!

I lifted myself up; my feet landed on the seat as I gripped the handles. I have to flip. At this speed, I could potentially make it.

I gripped the handles; the motorcycle vibrated as it reached two hundred and thirty miles.

"SCARLET!"

I launched into the air; everything slowed as I began my flip, hoping to gain enough altitude to reach the other side. I looked down to the glistening water of the ocean, looking back at where I'd come from – Xerxes stood there with something in his hand – the device with a button on it.

It only took me a second to realize what it was as I completed my flip – making enough altitude to land me on the other side. But those plans changed. I let go of the handlebars, pushing myself off the bike as I flipped, going into diving position as I soared downward.

I didn't hit the water fast enough when a large explosion roared through the air. I braced myself, feeling a wave of power course through me seconds before I crashed into the water.

I didn't delay, already swimming lower and lower, attempting to avoid the pile of rubble that would come crashing down. I heard the impact of the large rocks as they submerged into the ocean above. I continued to fight the fear that clung to me as I tried to swim farther out. I finally reached the bottom surface of this part of the deep ocean, peering upward to find a route to take without Xerxes seeing me. The rocks crashed a few feet ahead; my eyes wide as I realized I could have been a part of the rubble.

Minutes passed as I stayed below the waters, waiting for some type of sign that it would be safe to rise back up. I wouldn't last much longer; my body felt the effects of the chase and magic usage. Five-Ten-Fifteen-Twenty. The minutes continued to tick.

I don't think I can swim back up all the way.

I began to panic, not knowing what to do. I wouldn't last longer another two minutes and to swim back up with my aching joints would be a suicide mission. Not like sitting at the bottom of the ocean wasn't suicide either.

"Please water...help me."

I didn't know what else to do but call to the element’s aid. I think for anyone else it was the stupidest thing to do but if I was gonna die I might as well use up all my ideas in one final go.

I began to swim upward; my plea unanswered as my lungs began to burn for oxygen. I began to slow; my legs cramped up as my eyes stung.

I reached out, the surface looking so close, yet so far away. After my years training in the water with swimming lessons and using it as an exercise regime, I never thought that I'd die by drowning, especially with how long I worked to increase my lung capacity.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the last remnant of oxygen to leave me while my body leaned back, making a slow descent backward when something hard crashed into my back – pushing me upward at a quick pace.

I opened my eyes, watching the light get brighter and brighter until I burst through the surface. I gasped, coughing as I took deep breaths; water poured off of me.

I trembled in place; my head whipped back and forth before looking down on what just saved my life.

A stream of water shot up into the sky, followed by a loud cry, the surface beneath me moving as the gigantic creature stilled.

"A WHALE. You saved me?" I cried; tears blurred my eyes as I rubbed the surface gently. The whale made a humming noise as if responding to my words.

"The water listened..." Serenity whispered.

"I guess so. Or we'd be ascending to Starlight already." Aurora replied, quietly.

I fell back against the whale’s surface; tears rolled down my cheeks as I giggled. The soft giggle turned into a wave of laughter as I lifted my arm to cover my eyes; tears fell down my cheeks.

"Fuck. Scarlet!"

I could hear Junho nearby but I didn't care. I'd almost been blown into bits before being crushed by rocks and almost drowned. What the fuck was I thinking entering this career path?

I felt something grasp my wrist pulling gently. I opened my eyes to see Junho's eyes which were no longer turquoise but a dark sapphire. I snickered before laughing again. Un-fucking-believable.

"Michael. Scar's having a mother fucking breakdown on a whale!" He called out; the words made me laugh even harder.

A breakdown on a whale. I'm a fucking investigator who sees fucking visions and is getting chased by some red-eyed freak who wants some stupid stone that’s gonna eventually kill me, and I'm riding a fucking whale.

"She's talking to herself out loud, too." Junho knelt, helping me sit up as I continued to stare forward. I felt like was in a daze, and to be honest, I didn’t want out.  

"Scarlet. It's okay, you're just going into shock."

"Shock? Out of all my days, who would have thought, I'd be sitting on a fucking whale in the ocean with a hot sexy guy whose eyes are now sapphire and can walk on fucking water. Oh heavens, can you fly? Please tell me you can fly." I questioned, my deadpan tone completely new to me. Actually, everything was fucking new. I blinked; more tears rolled down my cheeks as I tried to not focus on the black spots that were forming in my line of vision.

“She sounds like she smoked a joint and is getting hit by the effect. She’s literally acting high. Her voice is sluggish and she’s sputtering gibberish.”  Junho commented. I felt something rub my back, turning my head to see Michael's concerned expression as his eyes glowed gold. I gave him a blank stare, waving my hand ever so slowly in front of his face…

"Hello, angel boy. Look at you and your shiny golden orbs of light. Better than those hideous brown contacts. They seriously make you look so unattractive…are you here to whisk me away to heaven? Well, guess what? You can’t see me." I continued to wave my hand back and forth, the action reminded me of John Cena. I loved watching the classic wrestling re-runs.

"Fuck. She's having a mental breakdown. Scarlet baby, I'm sorry I have to do this, but I need to knock you out."

"Knock me out? Then you'll whisk me away to heaven? Can I bring Moonlight with me? Can cats go to heaven? I'll be lonely if he doesn't come along. But he's a god, he can come whenever the fuck he wants. Oh shit, I can't fucking swear if I go to heaven. Fuck, fuckery, fuck shit, fucking. That was a nursery rhyme. Can the whale come too? He saved me. He came out of the water and saved me. See, I’m on a whale.” I emphasized, raising my hands to demonstrate the size of the whale.

"Michael." Junho's voice was low.

"Sorry Scarlet." Michael whispered. His hands pressed my temples. I stared into his eyes – a throbbing pain formed in my head; my laughter dimmed as the world began to spin, black circles appeared in my line of vision.

Everything went black.