Jessie: "Should we tell them how much fun we had going--"
Penelope: "No."
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That night, Alice and Tori went into the forest. Tori's senses were on high alert as she scanned the darkness for any sign of the killer. Her eyes blazed with a fierce determination. She would not rest until justice was served.
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Meanwhile, Alice was mourning Tristan. She allowed herself to cry and be vulnerable for the time being while no one was around. Alice clutched the small stuffed animal in her hand. She trembled, falling to her knees, and tried to resist the urge to scream. Of all people that had to die...why Tristan?
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Suddenly, Alice heard the sound of running footsteps. Alice looked around, slightly blinded by her teary eyes. Alice rubbed her eyes. A person was running towards her with a dagger. Alice quickly got up, stumbling as she tried to escape.
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Out of nowhere, Tori lunged at the murderer. Alice watched as Tori attacked with swift and precise movement. She lifted the hood covering the person’s face. It was a human they had seen around town many times terrorizing the public and just being an overall menace. No one expected them to actually kill anyone.
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Once Tori had killed the murderer, she turned her attention to Alice. "Are you okay?" Tori asked. Alice nodded. Tori walked over to Alice and helped her to her feet. "Let's get you home," said Tori, "before you get in trouble." "Okay," Alice murmured.
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"I hope you girls are well rested. Because this time, your mission will be going outside the country," said the master. The girls looked at each other with excitement. A mission outside the country? Tsunami and Nova became restless. The master cleared his throat, getting the girls' attention.
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The girls stood straight, reverting their attention back to the master. "You will be traveling to Australia," said the master, "and it will take you two days two arrive there." Osore shifted nervously. Just the thought of the creatures that lived there sent shivers down her spine.
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"You scared?" Ivy muttered.
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"No," Osore muttered back. Osore paused for a moment, fidgeting with her hands. "Yes."
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Ivy chuckled softly.
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With the master's signal, Osore lead her team away, flying into the darkness of the night.
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Nova flew close to Frost. "Are you excited Frosty?" Frost looked at Nova and nodded. Her eyes were filled with excitement.
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"I just hope we don't run into any spiders," Osore said worriedly.
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"You'll be fine," Ivy reassured her with a dismissive wave of her talons, "If we ever come across one, you can just step on it."
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"Uh-uh! Them Australia spiders too big!" Tsunami hissed.
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"Define 'too big'," said Ivy.
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"There are spiders in Australia that are bigger than the side of Tori's house," Frost hissed, "so if you want to a squash a spider, by all means, be my guest."
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After two days of flying, the girls finally reached the shore as the sun began to rise over the horizon. Osore scanned the area, ensuring her entire team had arrived safely. "Where are Nova and Tsunami?" Osore asked. Ivy motioned towards the ocean where Tsunami and Nova were laughing and playfully splashing each other. "Nova! Tsunami what are y'all two doing?" Osore called.
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Nova and Tsunami paused and they looked at Osore. "We're playing in the water!" Nova purred. "It feels good in here you should join us!" Tsunami added. Osore gave an unamused glare. "Get out of the water."
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Tsunami grumbled, walking to shore. Nova flicked her tongue and sat stubbornly. "I'll get her," Ivy mumbled. Osore watched as Ivy waded into the water and effortlessly pulled Nova back to shore. "Now we can't do anything at the moment. Not while there's sunlight out here," said Osore.
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"We can always play in the ocean," Tsunami suggested. "No," said Osore, firmly. Tsunami and Nova lowered their head in disappointment.
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"We have to stay alert," said Osore. Osore walked over to Nova. "Okay?"
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Nova sighed. "Okay..."
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Osore smiled softly and gave a reassuring pat on Nova's shoulder. "Alright, let's go find some place to hide out for the time being," Osore instructed, gesturing for the team to follow her.
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The girls eventually find a place to hide rest. Frost settled down for some much-needed rest. Tsunami and Nova chased each other around playfully. Osore stood watch with Ivy at her side.
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"You should take a break," said Ivy.
"I would but you still don't know how to handle them," Osore said, motioning to Frost, Nova and Tsunami.
"Well it can't be that hard can it?" Ivy asked. "Listen to me, hun, these girls, they don't just listen. You have to earn their respect. Their trust," Osore explained.
"Are you sayin' they don' like me?" Ivy wondered.
"No," said Osore, "I'm simply saying that they need to know they can trust you."
"So, they still don' trust me?" Ivy questioned.
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"Tsunami doesn't. Frost doesn't. Nova is a little unsure," Osore explained, "but don't take it too personally. They were that way with me for the first few years. Especially Tsunami." Osore sighs as she remembered the days when she struggled to command her team. "I swear that girl always thought I was leading them into a trap."
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"But what about that master," Ivy questioned, "how could they respect and trust a man that hurts them?"
"Trust me, they don't," Osore answered, "The master uses fear. It's how he controls us. It's how he controls the whole neighborhood."
"How does fear control someone?" Ivy questioned.
"Well believe it or not, fear can be a powerful motivator," Osore explained, "It can make people do things they wouldn't normally do, usually to avoid punishment."
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Ivy looked at her arm, seeing a spider crawling on her and she flicked it off. "That coulda been a venomous spider...you do know that right?" said Osore, concerned. Ivy simply shrugged it off.
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Hours go by, eventually, Tsunami and Nova had settled down and layed down next to Frost. Osore looked back at them. Frost, Tsunami, and Nova were huddled up together. "Alright girls, time to wake up," said Osore.
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"Is it dark yet?" Nova asked tiredly. "Yup." Osore answered. Nova gently shook Frost and Tsunami awake. Frost, Tsunami and Nova took a moment to stretch before joining Osore at her side. "Now I know you girls like to speed ahead, but this is unfamiliar terrain, so we have to stay together." Osore announced.
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The girls nodded in understanding. With Osore leading the way, they moved stealthily through the night, their footsteps silent as they moved onward. As they ventured deeper into the darkness, Osore couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the air. She knew that danger lurked in every shadow, but she also knew that as long as they remained alert they would be okay.
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