#33: Danger.

Back in the Lightning realm, Striker assembles important members of the team who are still there to report on everything.

Inside of the assembley hall sit Striker, Aaron, Spark, Zayn, Eisenhower and Rayz.

Striker: "I'm glad you all could make it. We are not going to waste time with small talk as major events have taken place."

Aaron: "To the west, Winter was ambused by Preacher, alongside a death merchant. Jake and another kid were badly injured and are returning this very second."

Rayz and Spark both become tense.

Rayz: "Jake and Josh were hurt?! What happend?"

Aaron: "Josh isn't hurt. Jake was attacked by Preacher directly."

Rayz: "Preacher..."

Striker: "I take it you're filled in on who Preacher is, right Ray?"

Rayz: "Oh, im filled in alright."

Spark: "Uncle, you said Jake and another kid were hurt, who's the second one?"

Aaron: "It's a kid with wings. From what Winter understand he seems to be a hybrid like i am. He asked to brought back here."

Eisenhower: "And we are just gonna let him come here?"

Aaron: "He doesn't show any signs of being a death merchant, and from what we've been told, he's the reason Jake is alive."

Zayn: "What are their conditions?"

Striker: "They are both hurt, but they should be fine."

Rayz: "This is all horrible, why would Preacher go after them?"

Striker: "We dont know who he was after. There's always the chance that he thought one of the boys were you."

Rayz: "There's no way he could have mistaken me for them."

Zayn: "I agree with him. If he knew where they were, they must have also known who they were targetting."

Striker: "There's more to talk about that concerns me."

Aaron: "The youngest of the flameyard family was ambushed by another death merchant at the same time."

Spark: "Fuel was ambushed?! Is he okay!?"

Striker: "Suprisingly, Fuel took her out and lived with minimal injuries."

Spark: "Thank god he's okay..."

Zayn: "He took him out on his own?"

Striker: "She was only number 11, however, her abilities didn't seem to take effect on Fuel. So it was just a matter of wearing her energy down with his own."

Eisenhower: "What was he thinking? Performing a soul burst knowing you can't run from the blast is maniacal."

Striker: "Fuel is not the brightest, but he's got the fighting spirit he needs."

Spark: "If he keeps this up he's gonna end up dead..."

Rayz: "Wheres the problem here?"

The room goes silent.

Rayz: "He was ambushed right? He had to fight."

Zayn: "The problem isn't that he fought. He performed a soul burst knowing he couldn't run away."

Eisenhower: "He basically ignited a nuke in his bare hands."

Rayz: "But he still killed her, so why does it matter?"

Aaron: "The best course of action would have been to burn her body to ashes and then wait for someone who could actually run away after performing it."

Rayz: "But that can't be viable. You guys can't just expect him to run off, especially when he had the perfect oppurtunity to finish the job."

Zayn: "If there was another death merchant around after Fuel was hit by the soul burst, he would have been a goner."

Spark: "It's too risky to perform a soul burst... he could have been seriously hurt."

Striker: "Enough about this. What's done is done and we cant change anything now. Anyway, i think it's clear that we are slowly entering into another cold war. From now on, i want all of you to keep your guard up, anyone could be next."

Aaron: "Our schedules will be filled for the next couple of months. Especially you, Ray."

Striker: "While Flame stays here, he's going to train you to use your powers. He's the best there is for this kind of training. Afterwards, you'll be taking a visit to the Ice realm to learn to control your pure elementalist energy from the ice queen herself."

Rayz: "The ice realm, why?"

Striker: "Elementalist energy functions differently for the Atomsplit. But i expect that if anyone can help you with it, it will be her."

Rayz: "Alright. I plan on working hard to control my power. I've already sharpened my sword skills."

Zayn: "You're barely better than Spark and she doesn't use a sword."

Rayz: "She's had years on me!"

Spark pats his back. "It's okay, i'm sure you'll get there eventually."