Bron sat down on Kurt's couch in the small living room, bruised, bandaged and with the right side of his head shaved from a near death cut. The trailer living room had been cleaned up and better organized since the apprentices first saw it, just like Kurt. No beer cans littered the floor, though the old furniture still appeared faded. However, a brand new TV had been installed on the wall above the fake fireplace.

Gren, Delle, and Ellia stood around the couch with their mentors, while Komo stared out the window at the white yard. "I'm fine, bro. Really," said Bron hiding the pain, "Ellia's fairy dust stuff can heal me up in no time." The pixie smiled and replied, "Wouldn't be the first time I've had to patch you up, but this is worse than a few booboos. It might take weeks for you to be back in fighting shape." "Nah. Just give me a few days, and I'll be- Ah!" The injured man flinched and relaxed on the old couch. "Ok, maybe a week or two."

Evening had begun to set in, and Kurt adjusted his prosthetic leg. "Gren, Komo, obviously you can't stay at Bron's lake house alone, so I'm taking you to Dove. Delle, Ellia, take care of anything he needs while I'm gone." The girls nodded in agreement, and waved goodbye to their friends. As the car drove away and disappeared in the blizzard, Ellia watched from the window. Her mind then returned to Delle, who barely resembled the friend she knew before.

____________________________________________________________

Snow piled up against the abandoned garage. Inside Pamda and Dusty cuddled for warmth on the couch, while Vik shivered on the office floor. "We're in over our heads," he said to the criminal couple, "These lunatics are trying to take on the entire state!" Dusty gave his ex-leader a side eye and replied, "Well, at least Kronia has a plan." The shivering Pamda stuttered her words, "Y-yeah! I think we're b-better off with them...p-plus I like having more g-g-girls in the group!" Frustrated, Vik tightened his grip on his blanket and laid on his side against the cold floor.

In the garage area, however, Jang's Hand argued amongst themselves. "I can't believe it," said Doll Face, sitting in the corner with her arms around her knees, "It's actually Komo." "Jang Jr. in the flesh," Stag added. Without his helmet, the dark skinned man bearing a thick beard could be seen looking discouraged and confused. Tears began to soak the stitched mask of the crying dancer. "We were family, and now she's fighting us. It makes me so sad." Stag knelt down and rubbed her back. "It's ok, Dolly. We're still family. We just need to remind her of that." "She's not family," interrupted Kronia.

The statement sent Dolly into another crying fit, while Stag looked up from the floor saying, "You can't be serious." "She chose the state over us, Xavier," Kronia argued, "So we have to deal with her like the others." Silence followed, with only the winter storm to provide noise. "Well...what's next?" the disheartened Xavier asked. Kronia equipped her weapons from the shelves and answered, "Lure them out."

____________________________________________________________

Inside the dark, pink bedroom, the witch stood in front of her mirror, examining her sickly arms and wearing a pink t-shirt and pajamas. Without knocking, Ellia entered and turned on the light. "Delle, we need to talk." "I know. Did you see how useful I was!? Those criminals ran for their lives in fear!" The pixie shook her head and closed the door behind her. "It's not about that. I think you need to go back to the hospital." Her comment seemed to disappoint Delle, who replied, "But why? I'm helping people so much more now." "Delle, you're sick. Those veins are getting worse."

Unwilling to talk about it, the witch shrugged off Ellia's concern. "I'm fine." "Show me your veins." "No!" "Show me!" "I SAID NO!!" The witch shoved her friend hard onto the floor, causing her to bump her head on the wall. Ellia looked up, actually in fear, and Delle's face and voice softened. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..." Turning around in shame, Delle slowly lifted her shirt and revealed her back. Upon standing to her feet, Ellia froze in shock at what she saw.

Black veins traveled all the way down Delle's back, who spoke in a softer voice now. "I don't know what's happening to me, Ellia, but it's making me stronger..." The normally thin girl's body was now more muscular and toned. Almost everything about her was different, even her nose looked sharper. Ellia couldn't believe it, but her friend was actually starting to look like a witch. "...I'm so scared. Scared of dying, scared of being useless, scared of hurting you...but I don't know what to do."

As Delle began to cry, Ellia cautiously stepped closer and united her hand with her friend's. The warmth coming off of her body felt comforting in the cold night, and the two hugged each other for a moment. "No matter what happens to you, Delle, I'm always here. Power or not, you're not useless." After remaining in their embrace for a few more seconds, the blushing Delle stepped away and said, "Thank you. I...I'm feeling tired." "Then get some rest. I'll stay awake until Kurt comes back. We can go to the hospital tomorrow." Ellia turned off the light and closed the door quietly, leaving her friend standing in the darkness. Delle looked again at her reflection in the mirror, and the witch's purple eyes stared back.

____________________________________________________________

Cold, rushing wind blew into the capitol building's lobby as Kurt opened the doors. The normally spotless floor was slightly dirty at the entrance, due to people's boots dragging in snow. A small avalanche descended from Kurt's orange, spiky hair, joining the mess on the floor. The shivering man rubbed his arms and walked up to the front desk, where a lady sat behind a monitor. In his right hand, Kurt displayed his state license. "Is Governor Fryste in her office?"

The number above the elevator descended from 1 to -1. Doors slid open, and Kurt stepped inside the dark, wooden hall. Framed photos of previous governors hung on both sides, including the current ones, Fryste and Roderick. Granknight stood guard at the tall twin doors, wielding his mighty hammer and shield. "AHAHA!! Kurt, my friend, are you staying warm!?" "Barely. Can I speak to the governor?" The large man pressed the speaker button and said, "Ms. Governor, Kurt has arrived." "Send him in," her smoker's voice replied seconds later.

Kurt stepped inside the office. A large desk, table and shelves all shared the same red wood, and picture frames of Fryste's certificates, military photos, and portraits adorned the walls. Book shelves were lined with hundreds of books, covering a plethora of topics that only she could know. Reaching over the desk, Kurt shook his superior's hand. "Good evening." "Not very good," Fryste replied, "Power's out in several blocks from the storm. Meteorologists expect snow to stand fifteen inches off the ground by morning. And to top it all off, Jang's Hand has resurfaced."

The governor signaled Kurt to sit, and he did. "That's the reason I came here. I thought Jang's apprentices were killed ten years ago when he was arrested." "Evidently not," Fryste replied, "Did your apprentices defeat them?" "Technically yes, but Delle was the one who scared them off." Fryste seemed intrigued at the statement. "I thought you said she was falling behind." "She was, but now she has so much power...I can't describe it. Her hands are looking stranger too."

Upon hearing the odd description, the governor stood from her desk and stepped towards her bookshelves. "Take Delle into custody." "What!?" Kurt had stood from his chair at the outrageous order. "I'm not arresting a teenage girl. Especially not my own apprentice!" "Watch your tone, soldier. Sit down." Kurt refused to sit, causing Fryste to look deeply annoyed. "Percy may have had issues, but at least he kept them to himself, unlike you. It's truly a shame he's gone. I'd give anything just to no longer have to endure your outbursts." "Percy. Isn't. Gone!"

Governor and soldier stood at odds, but Fryste delivered a crushing theory. "He hasn't been seen in six months, and if he was planning to do so, don't you think he would've returned when Jang broke out of prison?" The statement hurt, because it made perfect sense. "What are you saying!?" Kurt angrily shouted. "What you already know is true. Percy is dead. Probably killed himself from the guilt he carried. You'll never see him again."

The anger boiling inside of Kurt was reaching its lid. Mocking his friend's mental state was one thing, but suggesting that he would commit suicide enraged him. Fryste, however, remained calm. The governor sat back down at her desk with an old book from the shelf and said, "Now be a good soldier, and follow my order. Capture Delle, before it's too late." Kurt was barely able to say through his teeth, "What's the rush?" Fryste flipped open the rugged book, scanning through the pages. "Normally I'd save this situation for Percy, but I'll have to settle for less. Listen carefully..."