The Hidden Directive

Party Bash

Elijah, also known as the Director, called all his best men, from trackers to shields, who were an array of different ages, ethnicity, and size. He needed to develop a plan to kill Bethany and Wilson, who he'd disabled, and take Loucian, Mimori, Elaina, and Marcus.

He did not care who got into the crossfire. "So, we have everything in order?" Elijah asked, his voice booming from the front of the conference room.

"Yes, Sir!" all the members present said in unison.

"If you need to, kill anyone who gets in your way. Loucian is not to be harmed. But Mimori and her parents are optional. Also, do not attack during Loucian's ascension, but after. That power is too much for him to handle, but it will be easier to take him if he is unconscious. Tranquilize him if you need to, but I needed to test our new serum to ensure its effectiveness on the others if you manage to capture them. Now get the f**k out of my sight and do not come back empty-handed, or I will kill you myself," he said, dismissing them with a wave of his hand.

As the meeting came to an end and the members dispersed, Elijah sat back a little while longer, his hand rubbed his chin. "You'll be mine soon enough!" His eyes grew dark as he braced himself for the upcoming battle. He needed an army of supernaturals to take over the world, but those who could not handle their powers or were a threat to him were to be eliminated.

"Eli, I got a lead on their location; it looks like they are a nine-hour drive from the facility. If you leave now, you'll make it in time for the ascension." A petite, dark-haired woman with golden irises appeared in the doorway in a white gown. Her skin looked almost porcelain.

"Thank you, Naomi. You may go." Elijah dismissed his pet dark as fast as she came. He'd hidden Naomi from the world and had given her one job: track down Loucian. And she did that job, time and time again.

Naomi bowed her head, retreating to her room. 

--

As Marcus and Elaina started decorating, Wilson and Bethany prepared dinner.

"Oh, this is going to be fun tonight! I can't wait!" Mimori squealed as she bounced around the house.

"Baby girl, can you go outside and help Lou set up the table?" Marcus glanced over in Mimori's direction.

"Ok, I'm going to get changed first," she replied as she glanced out of the kitchen window. Lou had an assortment of decorations spread amongst the table. She turned, running upstairs and stopping in front of the wardrobe. Mimori pored over dresses and shoe combinations. "Oh, this is going to be harder than I thought." She pouted.

Lou's voice sounded behind her. "Well, if you look in the dress bag, there's something I picked out for you a while ago. I wasn't sure if you'd like it, but you could give it a try." Lou stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

Mimori raised her eyebrows at him. Digging through her clothes, she discovered a black bag hanging up towards the back. She stretched to reach for it, pulled it from the wardrobe, and laid it down on the bed. "You shouldn't have!"

Smiling, she carefully unzipped the bag, revealing a beautiful, open-back, black dress that cut off just below the knees. There were even short, sparkling black heels to match. "Oh my, this is… gorgeous!" Squealing, she jumped on Lou, hugging him tightly.

"It's not much, but I wanted to give you a gift. When I saw it, I could picture you wearing it." Smiling, he wrapped his arms around her, lightly squeezing. "Happy birthday, love," he whispered in her ear. "Go get changed, and I'll meet you, outback. Don't worry about the decorations and lights. You're too short of reaching them, anyways." He snickered as he turned to leave.

Lou headed down the stairs towards the yard to finish hanging the lights and decorations in the small garden.

"You're going to need to change soon, too, son," Wilson piped up from the kitchen.

"I know, but I want to get these done first before I change. It'll be quick," Lou hollered back.

As Lou stepped out into the garden, Mimori strode over to the window and watched as he grabbed the last string of lights. Walking along the tree line and up against the house, he carefully placed them in their desired locations. She took the opportunity to change.

Mimori caught the sound of Lou dusting his hands off and wanted to be the first person he saw as he strode back into the house and stopped at the base of the stairs.

Mimori glided out of the bedroom. Her head held high. "Ok, as much as I love you, you're staring again," she said with an annoyed tone as Lou's jaw dropped.

"You look absolutely stunning, my dear," Bethany said with a smile.

Lou was left standing there speechless as Mimori made her way down the stairs, her hand trailing down the rail, a blush sweeping her cheeks. Lou extended his hand as he guided her down the remaining steps, his eyes full of love and adoration for the woman standing before him.

"You… I don't know if there's a word to describe how you look tonight," he stammered.

"Well, you need to get changed, too. It's almost time!" She giggled and pulled him down to her level to give him a quick peck on the lips, slipping outback to join her parents.

--

As the moonlight approached, Lou finally managed to change into a pair of blue suit slacks with a black button-up shirt, with his sleeves rolled to his elbows and black dress shoes. He headed out to the back to join everyone as Bethany and Wilson brought dishes to the table set up in the garden. Mimori and Lou chatted as Marcus and Elaina carried out a massive birthday cake with candles lit.

Everyone sang "Happy birthday" to the two teens as Marcus recorded it onto his phone, sending the file to Mimori's phone. Bethany and Wilson clapped wildly as they waited for the two to blow out their candles.

The teens turned to face their parents, smiles painting their faces. Lou reached over, taking Mimori's hand in his. "Make a wish," he said, smiling down at her.

She returned a cheeky smile. "I wish that you would love me 'til the end of time."

"I wish we could stay like this forever," they both chanted in unison, then blew out their candles.

Bethany slid up behind Lou, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, you two love birds. It's time to eat; midnight will be here sooner than you know it." She spoke softly.

Lou gazed up to the sky, watching as the moon peeked out from behind the clouds moving in the wind. "I pray that this night goes smoothly," he whispered to himself as he looked over to his mother.

"I pray for a smooth ascension. I pray that your dark is unable to gain full control of you tonight, Lou," she whispered back.

As they separated, Lou walked over to the small pond. The others followed behind. He unbuttoned his shirt and slipped out of it, leaving it behind in the grass.

Mimori clutched her mother's arm, silently praying for Lou.

"If it gets too dangerous, leave," were his final words before he stepped forward, embracing the moonlight.

As the full moon peeked from behind the clouds, a dark aura overshadowed Lou, his eyes black as his skin and hair began to transform.

"I will not let you take control!" he yelled out, clutching his head in his hands, pacing in circles, groaning in pain as the creature within tried to rip free and escape.

After what seemed like hours later, Lou fell to his hands and knees. The pain was gone. The dark was present, and everyone there was in danger.

--

"I would run if I were you. But, in the end, it would be pointless!" a distorted demonic voice spoke from Lou's mouth as he turned around. The aura from his body gave form to a creature with elongated nails and canines. Its eyes were wine-colored, one not even Bethany had seen before.

"What is your name?" Bethany asked, stepping out in front of everyone.

" Veil," its voice remained distorted, the shell of Lou stepping towards Bethany. "You're Violet, aren't you?" Veil questioned, stopping just a few feet from her.

As Bethany stood her ground against Veil, the crunch of multiple vehicle tires on gravel approached the house. "I need you to bring Lou back now!" she yelled, panic rising within her.

Veil smirked. "You have a better chance at surviving if I'm still here. That is, if I don't kill you all first."

Bethany summoned Violet, her dark, as Veil rushed towards her. The clash of their auras sent waves of dark energy rippling across the pond and grass.

As their battle began, Mimori, Elaina, Marcus, and Wilson were left to deal with the intruders. They turned around to face the music as a taller man stepped to the front of the line of superhumans waiting for orders to attack. "This does not look good at all," Mimori whispered to her father.

"We don't stand a chance in hell if they have whatever it was they hit Wilson with."

A loud bang brought Wilson to his knees, then to the ground with a thud, blood pouring from his head. Violet and Veil both froze, their attention focused on Wilson's lifeless body.

Bethany pushed herself forward, letting out a painful, screeching cry, "NO!" Her voice distorted as Violet regained control. She stomped her foot to the ground with enough force to vigorously split the earth. Men lost their balance, falling over one another as a vehicle dropped through one of the cracks. Trees shook.

"s**t, we gotta go!" Marcus yelled as he grabbed Mimori and Elaina. Using his inhuman speed, he took off running. Both girls used their transparency technique as one, shifting through the crowd of attackers, leaving Bethany and Lou behind.

Mimori glanced back at Lou. Tears welled up in her eyes as his figure faded into the distance.

--

Veil and Violet were going hand-to-hand, punches blocked by energy waves, neither figure giving way to impacted blows. Between their own battle, men began charging in their direction. They looked to one another, then back at the others. Ignoring one another, they began throwing fallen trees.

Violet grabbed the wrist of the man who foolishly charged her, knife in hand. She stared into his soul, a devilish smile crossing her lips as she snapped his wrist. The man screamed in pain, fueling her fire. She roundhouse kicked him, sending him into two men who charged Veil.

Violet paused to scan the area around her, salivating as her hunger for death grew. She released a gut-wrenching growl, catching Veil's attention. "What is it that you want with my son?" she roared.

"His power," Elijah calmly stated. "I want his power for my army. These measly humans do not deserve to live." He scoffed at Violet.

Violet growled, lunging toward him. One man stepped in front of her, using his shield to block the incoming attack, casting her back. "You really think your weak shield can stop me?" she smirked.

--

Veil stepped forward, the head of a man in his bloodied hand. "Violet, you need to leave," he said, striding towards the man standing in front of Elijah. He stopped, clenching his fist he punched through the shield. The sound of glass shattering echoed through the night as he grabbed the man's throat in one hand and his torso in the other. He ripped him in half, tossing his two halves away.

As Veil approached Elijah, his strides becoming mere steps, the cold ground crunched below his feet. The two men stared at each other.

"Veil, move!" Violet's distorted voice broke their focus on one another as Elijah attempted to reach behind him. 

They both jumped back, putting distance between them as Elijah gave the command to open fire. The troops fired their weapons. Violet caught the scent of some sort of chemical-laced on the ammunition as a few rounds buzzed past her, stealing her focus from Veil.

As their shots continued to approach Veil and Violet, they turned towards the group, their power radiating. Veil stretched one of his arms out and directed a surge of power towards the bullets, sending them back at the intruders.

A stray bullet struck Violet in her side. She fell to her knees. Bethany resurfaced as blood streamed down her side. "Lou," she whispered.

Elijah appeared, halting his men with a wave of his hand. He ran up behind Bethany, yanking her hair back and lifting her head to see her son. With his free hand, he unsheathed a serrated blade from behind his belt.

"Veil!" Bethany screamed.

--

Veil stopped in his place and turned to face her. He dropped his defense as Veil returned to the back of Lou's mind, leaving the boy short of breath.

"No!" Lou yelled, trying to reach for her.

Elijah slid the blade to her throat and sliced into her jugular. Bethany's blood sprayed across the grass. The life drained from her eyes; her body fell limp.

Elijah dropped her now-lifeless body. Her eyes remained open. He raised his hand and signaled one of his shooters to fire.

Lou froze in place, staring helplessly at his mother's lifeless body. A sharp pain stung the side of his neck. His knees wobbled. He crumpled to the ground. The last thing he saw was Elijah's dark shoes as he stepped over his mother's lifeless body before losing consciousness.

"Take him," Elijah said simply. "You were weak, Bethany. You always were." He stepped over her deceased body.

--

A purple orb manifested from Bethany's body and shot straight into the night sky before dissipating.

"What the hell was that?" Elijah turned his attention to the sky. He dismissed the orb and returned his focus to Lou.

Four soldiers grabbed Lou's arms and legs as they lifted him into one of the dark SUVs. They transported him back to the facility and threw his unconscious limp body into one of the rooms.

A man in a black suit walked in. Syringe in hand, he knelt over Lou's slack body, injecting him with a drug to affect his memory.

But will he actually forget?