The Watchers
"๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ฏ, ๐๐๐ง๐๐! ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ข๐ง ๐ฆ๐! ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฌ! ๐๐ง ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ! ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ, ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐, ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐๐!"
"๏ผฏ๏ฝ ๏ฝ๏ฝ, ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ'๏ฝ!"
Craggy charged for Amark, leaping over the table, but suddenly came to a halt. "๐๐จ๐จ๐, ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐! ๐๐จ๐ฐ..."
Amark muttered something else, and Craggy turned towards us. "Uh, run," Scriff said, putting herself in front of the rest of us.
"Why?" Emmi asked.
Craggy barreled towards us with more fury than she attacked Amark, and Flux quickly lunged for her in an attempt to subdue her. "Craggy, no! It's me! It's your friend, Scriff! Flux! Craggy, please!"
We ducked back outside the door frame, wincing at a brutal crunch not a second later. I was afraid to look. I looked anyways. Craggy had Scriff pinned to the ground and was making horrible, angry noises, and Flux was doing what she could to take every last ounce of her energy. Amark continued to watch, enraptured at the performance.
"Craggy, stop!" Scriff sobbed, trying to get from underneath the other Lizi's grasp.
"แผOแชแช Oแ!" Flux cried, and all at once the room flashed blue.
Scriff cried out sharply as Craggy collapsed onto her. Flux quickly got up and turned her attention towards Amark. "๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก! ๐๐--"
He was quickly stopped by Flux attempting to attack him, and he tried once more to perform his mind-bending abilities, though to no avail as she's mostly just liquid. "๐๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ, ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ!"
"แฏแผแฉT แชIแช YOแ แชO TO แฐY แดแIEแแชแ?!" she screamed in an anger I haven't heard in so long, maybe ever.
"๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ?" he said as he began to reach for Flux's heart, only stopping after getting a quick zap.
"๐๐จ๐ฎ'๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ง. ๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐จ. ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ. ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ... ๐ ๐๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง. ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ง."
Suddenly Memmi stood up, her eyes a solid, inky black. An eerie ambience filled the room, and she began to rise into the air. A cacอoฬจphoฬงnyอ อof whisอpฬขeฬงrอs fiฬกlledฬถ the อroอomฬต, ฬจaอnอd ฬจIฬธ อfอeอกlอขt lฬทikฬขe ฬขIฬท waฬจs abouฬจtฬธ อtoอก bาlaอ cฬkอ ฬจoอกuฬt.า ฬง
แแแแฉ แแแแ แแฌแแแแด แทแ แแถแแฅแแแ แทแฉแแแแฆ
แ แแงแงแ แงแฆ แแแแฆ-แดแแแแแฌแแแฅแงแ
แแแแแ แฅแ แแง แแแแฅแแถ แฉแงแฌ แแแฉแทแงแแ
แฅ แแแ แงแแแฉ แแงแฎแ แฉแงแฌ แฆแงแแถแฅแแ แทแ
แแแแแแ แแงแดแ แฆแแแแแฅแงแ
57 68 61 74 20 68 61 64 20 68 61 70 70 65 6e 65 64 3f
57 61 73 20 49 20 61 6c 72 69 67 68 74 3f
57 68 79 20 77 65 72 65 20 6d 79 20 74 68 6f 75 67 68 74 73 20 68 65 78 61 64 65 63 69 6d 61 6c 73 3f
57 65 72 65 20 74 68 65 79 2e 2e 2e 20 61 6c 77 61 79 73 20 6d 79 20 74 68 6f 75 67 68 74 73 3f
That's better. The words are still centered. Where was I? Was I dead? Had it happened?
๐๐ค๐ช ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ง๐. ๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ง๐๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐, ๐๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ.
Who are you? What are you doing here?
๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐จ๐ค๐ค๐ฃ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐จ. ๐ผ ๐จ๐๐๐ข๐, ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฎ.
No, you have it all wrong. I'm not a Watcher.
๐๐๐๐ฉ'๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช'๐ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐, ๐๐จ๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ. ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ, ๐๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ, ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐. ๐๐๐๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐จ๐ค๐ก๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ช๐๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐ฅ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐จ. ๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ. ๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ช๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐ค๐ก. ๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช.
No. No, I won't let this happen.
๐๐๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค๐ฃ'๐ฉ. ๐๐ค๐ช'๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ๐จ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ก๐๐๐ฉ. ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ... ๐ฌ๐'๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฉ '๐๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐'.
What did you do to them?
๐๐๐๐ฎ'๐ก๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐, ๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช. ๐๐๐๐ฎ'๐ก๐ก ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ. ๐๐๐๐ฎ'๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ, ๐๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ. ๐๐ค๐ช ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง๐จ. ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง๐๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ง ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐จ๐๐๐. ๐ผ๐ก๐ก ๐ค๐ ๐ช๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช. ๐๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ง. ๐๐ฉ'๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐ช๐ฃ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ก๐. ๐๐ค๐ช ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐๐๐ฉ ๐ง๐ช๐๐ฃ๐จ ๐ช๐ฃ๐ก๐๐จ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ก๐๐ฉ ๐ช๐จ ๐๐ฃ.
๐ธ๐'๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐!
๐๐'๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐จ, ๐๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ. ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ, ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐. ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ ๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ก๐ค๐๐ช๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐ค๐ก๐ค๐๐ช๐. ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐.
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ฉ'๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฌ๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐ช๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ , ๐๐จ๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ, ๐๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ? ๐ฟ๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ ๐ก๐๐๐จ? ๐ฟ๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ช๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ง๐ฃ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐? ๐๐ฉ'๐จ... ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐, ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎ. ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฅ, ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ง. ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช, ๐๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ.
๐๐๐... ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ช๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ, ๐๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ.
gัt ฯut. gัt ฯut nฯw.
๐๐ค, ๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎ, ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช'๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐
gัt ฯut!
thรญs รญsn't fฯr ัฯu!
thรญs รญs mั mรญnd,
thรญs รญs mั dัstรญnั!
แแฌแชแแฌ แชแ แพแแแฌ แชแแ แ แพ แแพแ แแฌแuแแ
...I awoke on the ground, Flux covering me. "Flux? Th...thank you for saving me... I... Flux?"
She was unresponsive.
I shot a glance over at Craggy and Scriff. They, too, were out cold. I looked up. Memmi had collapsed on the table sitting in some grayish-pink fluid, and Richard, Simon, James, and Amark were nowhere to be seen. I got up, cleaned myself off, and hurried over to Memmi. "Memmi! Are you... Are you okay? Memmi!"
Memmi's head slowly rose off of the desk, and she feebily pushed herself up. I helped her off of the table, noticing how gray her skin had gotten. "I... I'แด แด ๊ฑแดสแด ษชแด แดแด ," she said.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"Nแด, I... แดกสแดสแด สแดแด แด แดสแด แดแดสแดส๊ฑ ษขแดษดแด? Aสแด แดสแดส แดสสษชษขสแด?"
"Memmi, I... I dunno, you said some horrible thing and made the room spin and then they tried to break my mind and then I think I started picking up your powers or something and then when I woke up they were all knocked out."
"I... แดสแดแด๊ฑแด าแดสษขษชแด แด แดแด าแดส แดกสแดแด I แดแด แดสแดแดแด แดแด แด แด, Eแดแดแดส๊ฑแดษด."
"Wait, Memmi, what does tha--"
แทแแฉ แทแฉ แแฎแฅแแฅแ แแแแฅแถแแ แแแแแ แทแงแแ
แแ แฅ แฎแแแ แงแ แทแแฉ แทแฉ แแงแฌแ แถแฌแฅแดแ แแแแแ แแแฅแแดแแแ แฐแแแฆ แแง แแแแแแ
แแแด แแแแ แฅแ แแงแฎแ แฆแงแ แ แฐแแแแแ แฆแฌแแฌแแ แแฅแแแงแฌแ แทแ
"Memmi, noออ,ฬจฬถา pอฬตอlฬกอeaอse,อข ฬงwฬจฬขhอaอออกtอา ฬถออฬดอ aฬถอฬงฬจฬจrฬธอกอกฬขeอ ออฬงฬง อฬตyอฬดอoอ ฬอ uฬา ฬอกอฬจอdฬงฬoอฬดiออ ฬถอ อnอขฬฬขฬจgออกฬงฬข,ฬกอ ออ ฬถอ ฬขอ sอฬตtฬฬธoฬงอ ออpออออ,ฬตฬด ฬฬอาwฬทอฬงeอฬท ออขอขอ nอฬออกeอฬจอขอ eอฬธฬถฬนอฬบฬฬฬฅฬฏฬฉฬชฬผdฬขฬฬอฬตอฬฬคฬผฬฬฃอฬณอ ฬธฬขฬนฬฬชฬฅฬฎฬฑฬฬฅฬฅฬฬชฬณฬชอฬนอฬณฬฅyฬตออฬผฬฅฬคฬอฬออฬ oออฬทฬนฬฬอฬฬฃฬฎฬนฬบฬชฬซฬบฬฏอฬฆฬฬซuออฬตอกฬธอฬณฬฑอฬฅฬฃฬฑอฬนฬฏฬฎออฬบอฬฬผฬฌrอฬขอ ฬดฬดฬนฬอฬอฬฬญฬ อฬดฬอฬฬฎฬฬญฬฃฬฏฬฏฬปฬณฬhฬฬฏฬฬผอฬฅออฬฌฬฏฬฅฬอฬอฬ eฬจอฬตฬฬฬฒออ ฬ ฬฏlอฬกฬตฬฬฬฅฬออ pอกอฬงอฬฒอฬนฬฅฬณฬนฬฒอฬอออ,ฬธอกฬอฬฬ ฬอฬฆอฬอฬฬณฬ อ อฬฎฬผฬฅฬฬฬฅฬญฬฑpออฬฎฬฌฬฃฬฬชฬชอฬนอฬฎฬญlฬตอฬถอฬจฬ ฬฃฬฎอฬฐฬชeอ อฬธฬฬฅฬฅฬฎฬฆอฬฒอออฬฉฬฎฬปฬฬชaาอฬตฬญอฬฃฬฆอฬ ออฬsฬจอกอออออฬออฬบฬฃฬฬฬฒeอ ฬชฬฬฎฬอออฬฃฬ
49 27 6d 20 67 6f 69 6e 67 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 74 68 69 73 20 61 6c 6c 20 61 6c 6f 6e 65 2e 20
54 68 65 20 70 65 6f 70 6c 65 20 77 68 6f 20 68 65 6c 70 65 64 20 6d 65 20 61 72 65 20 6e 6f 20 6d 6f 72 65 2e 20
49 20 61 6d 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 73 74 20 70 69 65 63 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 57 61 74 63 68 65 72 73 20 70 75 7a 7a 6c 65 20 6c 65 66 74 2e 20
41 6e 64 20 49 20 61 6d 20 67 6f 69 6e 67 20 61 67 61 69 6e 73 74 20 74 68 65 6d 20 61 6c 6c 2e 20
...My vision faded back in to the sight of Craggy consoling a frightened Scriff, with Flux helping the two relax. I was on the brink of tears. "Oh, there you are!" Scriff said, "We were so worried! Would you know what happened to the three guys, your little doppelganger, and what about Memmi?"
I couldn't stop crying at that.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
