Star Darlings; the Other 12

Colin's Past

Colin opened his eyes. It was 1:59 am when everyone should be asleep. He ran a self-awareness check (Something the elders taught him) and indeed, everyone is asleep. He slowly got up from his sleeping bag, where he fished a device out of his bag. He unzipped his tent entrance and stepped out.

He held the device as high as he could, seeing it point around in different directions. It beeped when he held it west, where 6 of the tents were. Slowly, he approached them, keeping the device pointed to the spot where it beeped. He neared the tents, pinpointing the sweet spot.

Seems like I'm getting closer. The Negative Detecter can't be used much longer; I'll have to mark down whose tent those are...

He surveyed the tents. Scarlet, Cyrus, Sage, Ganymede, Piper, and Peter... the top six suspects for now... gonna keep an eye on them...

He went back to his tent where he fished out another device, one that had a small insert hole. Gotta get a blood sample... slowly, he unzipped just a small corner of Scarlet's tent where he was about to shoot a tiny little needle to take blood without alerting her. Suddenly, a loud crack sound came from across the campsite.

Immediately, Colin teleported back to his tent where he stored the devices. Who is it?

"Goodnight Piper," Nicholas said.

"You too." Piper's voice said.

Colin heard Piper unzip her tent, while Nicholas likewise did the same.

So... Piper and Nicholas were out... Why? He pondered. Nicholas... he can't be the one; he's too powerful for that. Piper on the other hand...

Is it possible that Piper's the carrier? If so, why would she associate so closely with Nicholas?

Maybe Piper's doing it to get support from him so that he would trust her and vouch for her... seducing Nicholas into doing her bidding. Not that rare in terms of tricks Dark Starlings would use. Colin thought, using his experience from playing Among Us. And who knows? Maybe Nicholas is a second carrier. If so, this mission is gonna be tougher than I thought it would be... I'll have to keep a close eye... on both of them. I hope Nicholas is just being manipulated... If this continues on I may have to kill Piper.

He lied down on his sleeping bag, pondering his next step. If Nicholas doesn't step away when I start the assassination, I'd have to kill him too... and the others if they don't promise to keep their mouths shut and forget about this.

He rubbed his head. Shit...

he sat there for a bit, letting his mind wander.

Colin's mind drifted to the last time he saw his mother... The day when she left him. All he remembers is her mother, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, leaving 7-year-old Colin near the mountains up North. He remembered her last words; "I'm sorry, dear, but this is for the best." Before disappearing from Colin's life altogether.

He'd remembered himself wandering through the giant valleys, cold and nearly frozen to death, all the while calling for his mother. Finally, he'd collapsed from thirst and exhaustion near the coastline of the mountains, where he saw Polar Peak across a small channel. He felt himself give way, and his vision slowly faded. Then he heard it; the thud of wood hitting ice, and small crack noises and footsteps.

"Grandpa!" A voice, one of an 11-year-old, his voice chilly and cold. "Look! He needs help!"

"I know, Nicholas." An old man's voice said. "I was about to do something."

Colin opened his eyes, seeing at least a 70-year-old man holding hands with an 11-year-old boy. Colin wasn't sure if he was hallucinating, because the boy's skin looked as if it was ice. Behind them, a wooden boat was beached on the icy shore. He closed his eyes.

The next thing he knew, he was in some sort of cave on a soft and comfortable bed. The boy from earlier sat on a chair by the bed, reading a book.

And so began his life with the Brotherhood, where he'd slowly climbed up the rope to where he is now. One of the best assassins, and the apprentice of The Grandmaster and friends with Nicholas. He was the most hardcore member of the Brotherhood; following all the rules, sticking to orders. No one knows why he is like that. Except for Colin himself.

Then, a year ago, he'd found his birth mother on an assassination mission in a support of the Skylars. The one who'd personally left him to die. He'd found her in a rather luxurious mansion, living the high life. He'd demanded answers, why had she left him? What was so important that she'll forsake her child? AND HOW DARE SHE LIVE THIS KIND OF LIFE WITHOUT EVER THINKING OF WHAT'D HAPPENED TO HIM!?!?!?

She'd told him everything. His mother was a wish-granter. On her last mission, she'd hooked up with a Wishling and nine months later, Colin was born. He was half Wishling. After she told her parents how she got pregnant, her mother's parents disowned her and told everyone everything. Her mother was shamed, laughed at, and kicked from her home. Word got out of what'd happened, and no one would accept her anywhere. She had plenty of money, but no one would accept it, and nor can she start a new job. Finally, she found someone who can change her identity completely, so that she can start anew. However, Colin couldn't be changed. The person told her that everyone would recognize him, and thus her. The only way to start anew was... to abandon him. Desperate for a fresh start, she did what the person said, leaving him in the mountains up North. Then she started a new, better life with the money she had.

Colin lost his cool. He'd chewed her out for leaving her child for her gain, and how much he'd suffered. Then he fled, not even caring about the mission. It was the first time he'd done such a thing. He'd locked himself in his room and didn't come out for almost a month.

A tear fell down his face. No one was there for him. Not even Nicholas. He was at Starling Prep. He'd housed the pain for so long, and yet it never seems to go away.

Just leave me alone... He yelled into his subconscious. Why is this bothering me so much? I'm an assassin of the Brotherhood, not some softie hoping for someone to save me!

He laid down on his sleeping bag. Just forget it. You have a mission to do. Worry about it next time. Keep your head on the big game, Colin.

He closed his eyes. Focus. Starland's fate may very well be resting on your shoulders.