Hidden Immortality

By Val Goorha

Buried in a place, uninhabited by the sun, rests a community built upon the false premise that the world above them is dangerous. Lies sown into the minds of this society by their governors, the Officials, are meant to confine its people between the dirt walls of the tunnel complex.

Emma Beckett is just one of the many people trapped underground, but unlike the rest, secrets surround her life and her mysterious past. When her best friend suggests that they join an adrenaline-seeking adolescent tournament, things begin to unravel. Emma finds herself falling for the charismatic boy on the opposing team. Soon she begins tumbling unwillingly into a life filled with shocking truths.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers USA
• Release date: Aug 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463979440

Val Goorha

Val Goorha lives in the suburbs of Boston with her parents and twin sister. She loves reading, writing and playing the saxophone. She was born in America but has spent most of her life living in Melbourne, Australia. While she has published short stories and poetry before. Hidden Immortality is her first novel.

Book preview

About the Author

Val Goorha lives in the suburbs of Boston with her parents and twin sister. She loves reading, writing and playing the saxophone. She was born in America but has spent most of her life living in Melbourne, Australia. While she has published short stories and poetry before. This is her first novel.

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Dedication

Dedicated to my sister, Anisha.

I told you I’d get published!

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Val Goorha

Hidden Immortality

Copyright © Val Goorha (2018)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales: special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

Publisher’s Cataloguing-in-Publication data

Goorha, Val

Hidden Immortality

ISBN 9781641820707 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781641820684 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781641820691 (E-Book)

The main category of the book— Children’s / Teenage fiction & true stories

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2018)

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC.

40 Wall Street, 28th Floor

New York, NY 10005

USA

[e-mail]

[phone]

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Acknowledgments

Thank you to my parents for supporting my writing endeavors and my sister for helping me create many of the plotlines in this book. I’d also like to thank the many great authors who have inspired me to become a better writer.

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Chapters

Chapter 1

Competition

Chapter 2

Teams

Chapter 3

Final 20

Chapter 4

Snowflakes

Chapter 5

Petulance

Chapter 6

Thievery

Chapter 7

Bleeding Roses

Chapter 8

Immortality

Chapter 9

Decisions

Chapter 10

Escapes and Farewells

Chapter 11

Emmalyn Hibou

Chapter 12

Swords and Sanctuaries

Chapter 13

Epilogue

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Chapter 1

Competition

Emma? I hear my name being called from a distance.

I slam my locker shut and turn towards the source of the voice. Lucy hurries over to me holding a black pamphlet. I resist a strong urge to roll my eyes when I realize what the pamphlet is. For the past three years, on this exact date, Lucy has been begging me to enter the Ten Dares Competition.

They pass out these notices at school in the hope of attracting new participants, but the Ten Dares Competition, or the TDC, is already so popular, it doesn’t really need the advertisement. I take the pamphlet from her. In big, bubbly letters, TDC is printed across the top of the paper, and the two judges of the competition, Carter and Alex, appear to be holding the letters up.

I’ve never participated in the TDC. I’ve always been a bit wary of joining; the word is, after all, that it can be life-threatening, so my indifference has a firm basis. I’m not even sure that the Officials know about it, and that just makes me feel even more unsure about the whole thing.

So, what do you think, Em? Lucy asks, nudging me gently in the ribs.

Lucy has always been one to go with the herd, and right now, in eleventh grade, the TDC is just the thing you do to get popular.

Do it without me, I say stoutly, handing her back the pamphlet.

She doesn’t take it.

Come on, we’ve never done it. Don’t you want to know what it’s really about?

No. Not really. Why don’t you just do it with someone else?

For all her eagerness, Lucy had never actually applied to participate.

It’s no fun without you. Please, Emma, Lucy begs, tugging on the hem of my book bag.

I close my eyes, knowing I’ll regret giving in to her pleas, but the desire to shut her up overwhelms me.

Fine, I’ll think about it.

Lucy squeals with pleasure. That’s great. The first TDC meeting is today at midnight, where we learn the rules. I’m so excited for us.

She squeals again, as if to ensure my commitment, and runs off down the hall.

I said I’d think about it! I yell after her.

She seems impervious to this qualification from me, and continues her joyful gallop.

I walk down the hall and out of the school building. The lighting doesn’t really change. The tunnel complex is bathed in a consistent bright-orange luminescence. I haven’t really known anything other than this light, and these compacted dirt walls and the people around me.

The tunnel complex is located primarily underground, and the closest I’ve come to seeing the world above us is through the pictures in textbooks and whispered stories from people I know. I don’t really understand why we can’t live outside of the tunnel complex. No one has explained that to me quite to my satisfaction, but I assume the Officials have a good reason for sheltering that information from us.

The Officials are basically the ‘government’ of the tunnels. They control our curfew, the type of food we get to eat, and basically everything in between. They’re the only people allowed to go outside of the tunnels on a daily basis, with the primary objective of gathering resources. I’ve heard of a couple of people being allowed to exit the tunnels because it concerned their work, but I think it’s just rumors. Rumors thrive when there is an absence of information, and so they are always thick in the air of the tunnel complex.

Parts of the complex are often under construction. Teams of Miners, as they are called, are continually expanding the complex. New blocks immediately replace any space they create.

Blocks are our living quarters. Each block consists solely of a bedroom, a living room, a bathroom and a small nook for an office. If you’re part of a family, your block connects to those of the other members in your family; you usually get your own block at the age of ten, but this is not always possible if the blocks aren’t built in time.

It sounds as if it’s all very independent and spacious, but most blocks are so confined that they make you feel like lab rats. Though, I guess it depends acutely on which of the three zones you live in. There are three tiers of zones that most of us have labeled the ‘high-class’, ‘middle-class’, and ‘low-class’ zones.

The most palatial of the blocks are located in the high-class zone. They’re closest to the Outside World, and some even have natural light, though I have never seen any of those. The middle-class blocks, though less extravagant, are still somewhat commodious, and they’re conveniently located near the school. The block I live in is on the edge of the middle-class zone, just barely classified as a low-class block.

I live with my older brother, Forest, as he’s the only living relation I have. Our parents died, when I was 12, in a mining accident. It happened near their worksite and killed five of their colleagues. Their death caused me such severe psychological trauma, I lost almost all memory of my childhood before then. Forest was 14, so he took care of me until I was old enough not to need him anymore. I don’t see him often now; he stays in his block, and I stay in mine.

He goes to the only college in the complex, and I go to the only school. I know Forest used to participate in the TDC, though I’m not sure if he still does. It was evident what he had been up to when he used to come home. Sometimes his face flashed with joy, but on other days he’d be angry or annoyed. I grew up visualizing the TDC as some sort of illicit activity that took hold of your senses and changed you into a person who relied on it to define your emotions.

I skip the last three steps and rush down an empty tunnel. It had completely slipped my mind that I had a track meet after school, and only a group of running children had triggered my memory.

I turn into the tunnel where my block is located. We’re encouraged to keep a small garden in the front of our block, and if we grow any fruits or vegetables, we can even sell the excess to the Officials for some tokens to use around the complex. At barely twelve square meters, it’s a very modest garden, but the soil is fertile and even minimal effort yields some results.

Everyone in the tunnel complex eats at the same cafeteria. During meal times, it does get quite noisy, but the cafeteria is big enough to hold around 500 people, so the chattering usually just dissipates into a dull echo.

I find Mrs. Conner tending her garden.

Good afternoon, Emma! Mrs. Conner says in her saccharine voice.

I have always found her mannerisms to be overly ersatz. The only reason I bring myself to be civil to her is that she’s my neighbor, and she often helps me out with paying my bills. Muttering a response in her direction, I run into my block. I grab my running gear and stuff it into my book bag, not even bothering to empty it of all my school supplies.

A few minutes later, I am at the local club. I duck into a changing room and hurriedly change into my shorts and sneakers before I join the rest of my track team. I enrolled in the team when I was eight years old. My mother had suggested that I burn some of my energy at the club, away from home. I can never remember her saying this, but that’s what Forest told me happened; that she was intent on inflicting my rowdiness on someone else.

We start with a couple of warm-up laps comprising two light sprints up and down the bright blue track. The track we use is very old and worn; there are nicer ones in the higher-class zone.

We finish our warm-up, and our coach, Owen, chucks us each a bottle of water rather magnanimously. There aren’t that many of us in this track club. It’s just Jaxson, Aiden, Lily, Scarlett, and me, and because it’s just the five of us, we’re often allowed to compete against the other clubs in the tunnel complex.

Hey, Emma! someone yells from behind me. I whip around, beads of sweat flying wildly off my forehead.

Oh, hey, Aiden, what’s up?

In addition to Lucy, Aiden is one of my closest friends. He’s the same age as me, with dirty blond hair, shockingly green eyes, and a tall, gangly stature. Ever since the death of my parents, it was Aiden’s friendship that had been the one solid constant in my life. In a way, I spend more time with Aiden than I do with Lucy, since she lives in the high-class zone, and I don’t often visit her there. I just feel uncomfortable in those surroundings.

I heard you and Lucy are doing the TDC this year.

Maybe. How do you know? I ask, taking a sip of water.

Lucy told me that you’ve finally given in. I’ve got to admit I didn’t quite believe her. So, I’ll see you at the meeting tonight, right?

Something clicks in my brain. Oh, that’s right, I forgot you’ve been doing the TDC for the past four years.

Aiden is addicted to taking risks, and although I don’t watch, or remotely know what the rules of the TDC are, I know that Aiden has gotten quite far in the competition. I think I might be the only seventeen-year-old that doesn’t either watch or play the TDC.

Hey, how come the meeting is at midnight? I mean, why so late? I ask Aiden.

Oh, well, it’s just a bit of cat-and-mouse, you know. The Officials haven’t officially permitted the TDC, so we have to maintain some secrecy. You aren’t having second thoughts about doing it, right?

No, I hurriedly reassure him, I’m not one to back out of something.

Coach Owen gives us three sets of 100-meter sprints, and I try to focus on my running, rather than what trouble the TDC will get me into. Practice ends a brief hour later. I’m walking back to my block when Scarlett catches up with me.

Hey, Emma, you left your bag. She hands me my book bag, stuffed with sweaty clothes.

Thanks, Scar. I’ll see you around. I take the bag from her and continue walking down the deserted tunnel. Scarlett follows me.

Aiden told me you’re doing the TDC this year. Any idea what team you’re going to try out for?

I stop in my stride. Team?

She looks at me questioningly.

Yeah, don’t tell me you don’t know what the teams are?

Scarlett looks so serious, I almost feel ashamed for not knowing what she was alluding to.

I don’t know any of the rules, I say, displaying my ignorance openly, and hoping that this would convert her questions to me into statements instead.

Right. I forgot that you are a complete rookie, she says, nodding her head sardonically. Well, the Scourgers are always looking for someone good, and, seeing as you’re such a fast runner, I just thought you might consider trying out.

Right, I say, still not understanding what on earth she was talking about, let alone who or what the ‘Scourgers’ were.

As I walked, I was overcome with a realization that I had been surrounded by people who lived their life steeped in the TDC. Everything about it was new to me. My own brother, my closest friends, had all been obsessed with the competition. Not for mere months, but for years. Yet, I had consciously tried to block it out of my existence. I could not understand why my defenses had finally withered. I could not understand why I had agreed to become part of something I had so sedulously resisted for so long.

See you at midnight, Emma, Scarlett says, turning on her heel and rushing down the tunnel. I give her a single wave and continue walking. When I get to my block, I chuck my dirty clothes into the bathtub and turn on the hot water. I let them soak there while I start on my homework.

I’m a good student, and I don’t like turning in haphazard work. I have always felt that I really need to get into the college; that getting into the college would somehow mark me out as someone worthy of note.

Many people don’t get in simply because the college can only accommodate a small fraction of the students that apply. Those that do not attend college eventually find jobs in mining or cooking. These are grueling jobs, and I’d rather not be stuck in a position, regretting my choices in education.

Part of me really wants to pursue the sports scholarship offered by my school, but they only offer it to three people, and it’s really competitive. The scholarship often enables you to get hired by one of the two big sports industries in the tunnel complex.

I drain the tub of all the water and hang up my soaking wet clothes. I glance down at my watch and realize it’s already 7:45, fifteen minutes until dinner’s served.

I think about knocking on the door that connects Forest’s block to mine. He doesn’t like it when I bother him, because he usually has a girl over or is throwing some sort of party. I decide against it, and instead, I hurriedly pack up my math textbook, grab my jacket, and head out to dinner.

I try to leave my block at least 20 minutes before dinner, as the dining hall is three floors above my block, and I hate being rushed.

I spot Lucy in the midst of the crowd, and practically run over to her; I don’t like being stranded in the dining hall by myself or talking to strangers.

Oh, hey, Emma, Lucy says, as I tap her on her shoulder. Lucy has always been popular at school and pretty much everywhere else. I guess it’s because she’s so confident and attractive, with stunning blue eyes and long, wavy, strawberry-blond hair.

Frankly, I don’t know why we are such good friends; I guess it has kind of been like that since we first met. A group of kids from school that I’ve seen, but never spoken to, surround Lucy. Their formation suggests that they all would very much like to talk to Lucy. She throws them quick smiles and waves, but maintains her attention on me.

What’s up? she asks, smiling.

Nothing

Well, I have news, she says with a significant look in her eyes. I’ve booked us an audition with the Scourgers. I just spoke to the leader of the group, Jaxson. Lucy says all this with an excited squirm and a winning flick of the hair. I cannot recall when I have seen her this exuberant before.

Okay, Lucy, I begin, trying my best to douse my exasperation. You know I know absolutely nothing about the TDC. I have no idea who the Scourgers are. And isn’t Jaxson that guy who likes you? From biology?

Lucy rolls her eyes.

Right, I keep forgetting that you’re a socially unaware type, and that you know nothing of the biggest event in the tunnels. After a brief pause she continues. And yes, Jaxson is that guy from biology. He’s also in your track club.

Alright, I admit it. As far as the TDC is concerned, my social awareness is exactly zero, I concede. After a few steps I turn to face her again. Wait, what do you mean he’s in my track club?

We join a line of people queuing for food.

Don’t you observe anything? You’ve been running with him for the past nine years!

Whatever, I mumble, suddenly realizing who Lucy was talking about and feeling acutely aware of my ignorance.

Look, Emma, don’t you worry about not knowing the rules. You’ll know everything you need to know by the end of the night, Lucy says, sensing doubt growing in my unsettled look.

You do realize we’ll have to break curfew to go to this meeting, right? I ask chewing on my bottom lip, as the girl in front of me moves up the line.

So? she asks. What’s the big deal? Everyone does it.

Well, I never have, I say somewhat pointedly. Just promise me you’ll pick me up outside of my block.

Yeah, okay.

I turn away from her and face the front of the queue, desperately trying to hide the nervous agitation that I am sure my face is plainly conveying. We sit down at our usual table; most of our classmates sit at this table, but I usually convince Lucy to sit at the other end of it, away from the more dramatic ones. The dinners served at the cafeteria rotate from some sort of meat and potatoes to some other sort of meat and potatoes. Culinary surprises are rare.

It’s a Friday today, which means that it’s mashed potatoes and chicken. I’m generally pretty famished after track meets, but the prospect of breaking curfew dangles dangerously in my mind.

Aiden and Noah sit opposite us.

Hello, ladies, Noah says, flashing us a toothy grin. Noah is Lucy’s older brother. He usually hangs out with us, whenever his gang of similarly rambunctious friends aren’t around.

Everything about his demeanor is suggestive of his obstreperous nature. His grimy brown hair always wildly pushed back, his shirts constantly marked by some smudge of dirt, and even his freckles seem to dance off his skin in a sort of unkempt manner.

My sense is that Noah’s latest pastime has been to irritate Lucy by consistently flirting with me. He started doing it two months ago when Lucy told their mother that he had been kicked out of college.

This, of course, was not Lucy’s fault – as she has explained to me a couple of hundred times. Their mother was going to receive a letter from the college explaining Noah’s expulsion in any case. She had just found out a little sooner.

And now, because of their family feud, I’ve had to put up with Noah’s incessant ‘flirting’.

Hi, Noah, I say drearily.

He grins. I’ve heard you are finally going to do the TDC. I’m looking forward to having you on our team.

I have no idea what these teams are, I say.

Noah’s grin doesn’t waver. No problem, I’m sure you’ll join one of the best teams. I mean you are pretty athletic.

A group of boys motion Noah over.

See you around, Lucy, Aiden, Emma, he says cheerfully, nodding at each of us in turn, and, as a second thought, he blows a kiss in my direction and runs off.

Lucy glares menacingly at his disappearing back, before turning to me, and saying, You know he only does that because I told mom…

Yes, I know, I say cutting her off with a grin.

I’ll see you guys later, Aiden says hurriedly and scurries off to empty his plate.

What’s his problem? Lucy asks, shoveling a spoonful of potatoes into her mouth.

I shrug. Don’t know.

It is 11:00 pm when I finally decide to head back to my block. Curfew is in half an hour, so I’ve left myself just enough time to be at my block when the Officials make their rounds. The thought of heading back out at midnight still haunts my mind. Every step I take towards my block is a step closer to this inevitable meeting.

Em, Forest jogs over to me, as I exit the dining hall.

Hey, I say almost inaudibly.

His forehead scrunches up. What’s wrong?

I shake my head, and then realize the darkness of the tunnel had muted my response. Nothing, I lie.

Aiden told me you’re going to do the TDC.

Yeah, so?

Emma, I told you never to do it. It’s too dangerous. I know Lucy thinks it’s all fun and games, and I know she’s got you thinking that too, but it’s not. There have been deaths. People have died playing.

I look up at him. His serrated haircut and his rough, unshaven chin, seem to bring me back to the reality that my brother knew what the TDC was capable of doing to a person. In some ways, that scared me, but I was not going to give him the pleasure of knowing that.

I give him a harsh look. Look, Forest, I know you still think I’m a kid, but you can’t treat me like I’m not capable of taking care of myself. I am, and if you don’t think I can handle the TDC, then too bad for you. Lucy and I are doing it. Besides, I’ve heard that those deaths are just some silly rumor.

I turn away from him and continue walking down the tunnel. He grabs my wrist and stops me.

Emma, you have no idea what these kids will do to win. I know you think of some of them as classmates or friends, but the glory of victory drives them to do crazy things. I know I can’t stop you from playing, but just promise me that you’ll drop out if it gets too much.

I look at his pleading face and say, I stay in until Lucy does. I’m not listening to a brother who barely talks to me.

I walk away, leaving him, alone, in the dark tunnel, a part of me slowly, but surely, committing to the idea of participating in the TDC.

I hear a soft knock on the door. I quietly walk over, backpack in hand, and open the door.

Let me in, quick.

I step aside, so Lucy can enter. What’s the matter? I ask her, as she clutches her knees, breathing rapidly,

Official. Almost. Saw. Me, she says through gasping breaths.

Are they gone now? I ask, peering through the crack in my curtains.

Yeah, Lucy pushes back her long locks of hair. We’re going to have to make a run for the meeting though. There were more Officials than I expected.

We’re doing this then? I ask cautiously.

Of course, Lucy breathes, grabbing my hand. Just follow my lead.

She pushes open my door, and we’re immediately engulfed by darkness. There are only a few electric lights in the tunnel complex, and they are all switched off after curfew. The only source of light then are a few kerosene lamps; the closest one to us now is a few blocks away, but I can hear the hum from its flame. The only other sound is that of a small water sprinkler that is whirring away in Mrs. Conner’s garden.

We’re stopped right outside my door, scanning the neighboring blocks for Officials. They’re pretty noticeable, with their clanking red uniforms and bright-orange beams of light cast by the flashlights they carry .

Lucy, Emma, is that you? A voice asks from beside us. I turn and realize it’s Forest. He’s perched, as we are, at the foot of his door.

Yeah, Lucy whispers, then asks, TDC meeting?

Uh-huh.

I think we should go now. No sign of an Official, Lucy says.

Okay.

We all move simultaneously down the short path in front of our block, protected on both sides by the safety of the gardens. I swing open the white, picket fence in front of my block. It squeaks softly, sending an echo into the tunnel night.

We run, Lucy in the lead, staying close to the tunnel walls, almost hugging them. The slow journey feels like it is taking an eternity to me. When we finally stop in front of a large barn door, my muscles are quaking in a nervous jitter, and although it isn’t remotely cold, my teeth chatter uncontrollably.

Forest opens the door and gestures us in. None of us talk; silence has grown around us for too long. Inside, the room is set out like our school auditorium.

As Forest shuts the heavy door behind us I realize why the meeting was being held at the barn. It is one of the few places in the tunnel complex that is entirely soundproof. The idea was to permit the school and college bands to practice in there whenever they wished to do so, without disturbing anyone, even though the nearest blocks were a fair distance away.

Rows and rows of seats are set facing the center stage where two boys stand. I realize they must be Alex and Carter, the boys on the black pamphlet.

I notice Lucy and Forest have taken a seat in the second row of the auditorium. Most of the seats are occupied, and though I hadn’t noticed it before, the incomprehensible sound of hushed voices reverberates throughout the large room. I take a seat next to Lucy and, a few moments later, Aiden sits down next to me.

Hey, Emma, he whispers. It tickles my ear. I smile.

Hi, Aiden. When’s the meeting going to start?

I think they’re still waiting for a few more people.

I look behind me, at the scattering of heads and say, I was expecting more people, with all the hype about this competition.

Aiden follows my gaze to the back of the room. He grins, Oh, you’ll see where the rest of the people are once the meeting begins.

I sigh, sick with anticipation and weary of all this secrecy.

Carter taps the microphone, and heads turn towards its loud screech.

Hello, future players of the TDC! Carter yells into the microphone.

There’s a loud cheer from the audience, and I suddenly fear being discovered by the Officials.

As if my thoughts are reflected on my face, Aiden leans over to me and says, Don’t worry, the barn’s soundproof, remember? And Officials usually don’t patrol this area anyway.

I nod. The crowd is silenced again as Carter hands Alex the microphone.

"Alright, I know most of you have played the TDC before, but we do have some newcomers, so allow me to just explain some rules of the game.

To start with, TDC, as you all probably are aware, stands for the Ten Dares Competition. So, there are probably 100 or so people here, am I right?" –

A cheer rings out.

To eliminate the majority of you, there’s an obstacle course that everyone must complete. The top 20 fastest times make it to the final 20. Relatively easy so far. Now here comes the trickier part. The final 20 will be put through each of the ten dares. Now let me tell you, these dares are not easy. They change every year, so past competitors don’t have an unfair advantage.

He winks in the direction of a group of boys, who break out in laughter. Excited chattering echoes all across the hall, and a few whistles and yells begin to ring out from various sections of the crowd. Alex raises his hand again to silence the audience, which instantly complies, before continuing with his remarks.

The final 20 must join a team at that stage, if they haven’t already been recruited. This team will help you through the Ten Dares Competition and will be a sort of collective mentor for you, giving advice on your next move. Each team has their own rules, and if you join, it would be in your best interest to follow them.

A murmur passes through the audience once Alex finishes explaining the rules. For the first time since Lucy suggested that we compete, I feel excited. This doesn’t sound dangerous. It sounds thrilling.

Now, before we continue further, I must remind you that the age range for players is from 13 to 21; no younger, no older. So, if there is anyone here outside that range, I suggest you leave now.

Alex looks around the room in silence. Nobody leaves.

Okay. Now, Carter and I are pleased to present to you the four major teams of the TDC!

I glance at Lucy, and she looks eagerly at the stage.

First, let me introduce the Vindicators!

There’s a deafening scream from the audience, and a group of boys and girls wearing black bandanas across their foreheads, run out onto the stage.

Now, allow me to hand it over to Xavier, the leader of the team! Alex yells over the screams and whistles issuing from the audience. He hands the microphone to a tall blond boy. I’ve never seen Xavier around school before, and wonder if he attends the college.

Hello, fellow competitors!

There’s a roar of applause. I tentatively join in.

This is our year! This is the year the Vindicators vanquish! We welcome anyone who gets into the final 20 to come try out for our team.

Evidently done with his prepared introduction for the team, Xavier hands the microphone back, and his bandana-sporting team exit the stage and take a seat in the audience.

Alex takes center stage, clapping in the direction of the Vindicators. Right, well, let’s give a warm welcome to the Scourgers!

I sit up in my seat when I hear this familiar name. The Scourgers join Alex and Carter on the stage. They’re wearing a multitude of colors, but