Kids At War

Ben had stopped cold in his tracks when the thug had aimed for Scorpius; he hadn’t forgotten that Daze was on defense and he had no doubt in the tall alien’s abilities, but it was still a frightening, out of body experience. Suddenly the redhead remembered the night in the bank, the first crime the group had foiled together, when one of the robbers had taken aim at him. At the time, he’d been sure he’d be dead in seconds and Daze had saved him. But examining the look on Scorpius’ face from yards away, Ben still saw himself in the antisocial boy’s place. If Daze had not intervened, he’d be dead. Heck, he deserved to be dead; he’d slipped up in the bank. And it seemed that he’d slipped up here. He watched Daze save Scorpius, as predicted, through dull eyes. His heart began to beat normally again, but he knew the fight wasn’t over. The element manipulator caught his breath and was about to jump right back into battle alongside Evadne, but the thug retrieved a second gun. As it had in his teammates’ heads, it clicked in his mind instantly. Daze couldn’t save Scorpius and Evadne.

He stayed frozen in place, deadly afraid of instigating the thug. Clearly, the four of them could outsmart him, but he held the most cards in this deck. Ben was not prepared to make a move that would sacrifice one of his teammates. It sucked, but for this moment, he was at the thug’s mercy. He’d attack the second he found his opening. But then Evadne began talking to him. Panic surged through him. What was she doing? He sent a nervous glance towards Daze and Scorpius, and they seemed to understand. Then it clicked inside of his head. Evadne was distracting him, fooling him into lowering his guard. If she could continue the charade long enough, he and Scorpius could disarm him and Daze could get into any position she needed to be. God, it was perfect. Ben reminded himself to award Evadne credit later.

Scorpius was having some trouble regaining a regular heart and breathing rate. When the thug had shot, he’d seriously thought his life was over. He owed his life to Daze, a debt not easily repaid. Her demonstration of power had been amazing; clearly not best suited for offense, but she demonstrated much more experience and skill than he ever could. They were similar, in many ways and yet, the fallen star could do much more than he ever could. But he nodded his head in silent thanks to Daze; he’d thank her properly later. He made an effort to hide his concern and lack of confidence in his own abilities. He’d address the issue later. Quickly, he caught on to Evadne’s plan. It was a clever technique. And with the petite blonde’s charisma, he had no doubt that she could continue to fool the thug until it was too late. He would have no such luck; as a young man who barely spoke, Scorpius knew well that the thug wouldn’t hesitate to fire at him again, if he were to be in Evadne’s position.

His icy blue eyes narrowed when he noticed lose his aim on him and Daze. His attention was now clearly on Evadne. The antisocial adolescent’s eyes met Ben and it was silently agreed between them. They were going to disarm the thug together and give Evadne a clear shot. With his guard lowered and his weapons gone, he’d have no defense against one of the blonde’s electric attacks. “Indeed it is,” he whispered in reply to Daze. As the alien took flight, Scorpius silenced himself in order to focus his mind. He called his shadow back to attention and counted to five in his mind. Ben seemed to be almost duplicating his actions. When he reached five, Scorpius finally made his move. He sent his shadow back at the thug; this time, it was aimed for the gun he’d previously been aiming at him and Daze. Just like it had the bomb, the shadow caught a grip on the gun and because of the thug’s loose hold on the weapon, the gun sprung free. Scorpius yanked the shadow, bringing it back to him. One gun down.

“What the hell?” the thug screamed as the attack from the shadow manipulator caught him off guard. Scorpius attack gave Ben the cue he was waiting for. With the thug disoriented and confused, the team leader decided quickly this wasn’t a moment he could waste. When the villain put two and two together, he wouldn’t hesitate to shoot Evadne.

Getting down on one knee, the redhead rested his hand on the ground and focused. He tried to picture the scene in his head, exactly the way he wanted it to play out. He imagined a small, thin, but strong pillar of earth rising from the ground and knocking the gun right out of the thug’s hand. His palm on the ground gripped the earth with all the strength he had and it happened. Ben felt the ground shake lightly for a second and then, the pillar rose from the ground. It was small, thing, but very tall. Tall enough to reach the thug’s hand and pop the gun right out of it. Ben couldn’t help but grin. It was just the training he’d been doing all morning. Maybe it was actually starting to pay off. Not wasting another second, Ben got back on his feet and with his eyes fixated on the gun flying through the air, he raised his left arm and swung it behind him. The wind followed his command and began flowing in the direction of his arm. It forced the gun with it and the weapon landed right in front of the police blockade.

The police. Ben just remembered that they were present. Part of him felt bitter towards the law enforcement of Oceanship City. When they’d jumped in to the battle against the thug, that was the only diversion they needed to attack him. But instead, they’d remained frozen in fear. The element manipulator tried to dismiss the thought for now. Despite some scary moments, they had this situation under control. With no guns, the thug was, hopefully, at Evadne’s mercy now.

-- -- -- -- -- --

Many people had gathered on the streets, hoping to see past the police’s blockade to observe the fight. Among the crowd, there were rumors of the adolescents that had appeared to fight the terrorizing criminal. Some people mentioned the heroic league present in other large cities and how they were here to help them. Others shrugged the children off as freaks. But he knew that they were much more special than ordinary heroes or misfit mutants. No, they were far more valuable than people were willing to award them credit for. Where people saw heroes or freakish mutants, Dr. Oswald saw the key to power.

Very few shared in his vision and dreams of obtaining power that the world’s heroes and, in some cases, villains held. His own colleagues had nicknamed him a crackpot, but, the scientist just couldn’t help but disagree with them. Those in this world who were blessed with special abilities should be studied, tested and experimented on. They should share their abilities with the world, not just keep them to themselves to show off when the time was proper. Dr. Oswald despised their kind. And these kids, recklessly jumping into battle just to display their abilities, were no different than their predecessors. But their abilities were certainly unique and their potential, greater than they understood.

Dr. Oswald had been fortunate enough to locate an angle where he could clearly see every detail of the battle. The police’s blockade could not keep his prying eyes away. He kept still as stone and calm as the idiotic thug took aim at the team’s taller male. What did surprise him was the tall girl’s intervention. Her dome-like barrier was rather impressive. Her ability stuck out to him among the others. As she took flight, Dr. Oswald concluded that she was not of this earth. Even if her entire team displayed strange abilities, qualities of her proved that she wasn’t human. To harness power that did not even belong to the world’s strongest beings…the mere thought began rolling the gears in his head. Yes. Somehow, someway, he would have to encounter this team. He’d seen enough of how they fought; now he could easily foil their strategies. And he could quite easily make the extraterrestrial his first target. Her link was the weakest, any observer could draw that conclusion. Now all he had to do was formulate a plan.

He could sense that there people behind him, trying their best to observe the battle from his angle. He’d seen more than enough and, not wanting to be a rude pest, politely stepped aside so other civilians could take his place. Dr. Oswald knew it’d be simple to lure the team onto his track. It’d been weeks since he’d reported for work; his experiments and theories had begun absorbing all of his time. With any luck, his lab would enlist the help of this team. And then he’d have them trapped in his web. Yes. It was about time he disappeared for now. Dr. Oswald slipped into the nearest alley, to silently await the opportune moment to make his first move.

Evadne was ready to laugh hysterically once both guns were retrieved from the foolhardy thug’s hands. Scorpius and Ben understood her plan, thank God. They’d saved her life—when that thug turned directly at her, she’d realized that her smartass comment made him angry enough where he could’ve just shot her on the spot right then. The crazed look in his eyes was downright creepy. While she seemed completely calm and professional outwardly, she’d been freaking out on the inside. She could dodge bullets with no problem from a longer distance, like she had in the bank. But standing only a yard away from the thug was like taking a huge leap outside of her comfort zone. She chomped down on her tongue and didn’t waste any time in swiveling around on her heels, aiming a powerful kick at the back of the thug’s legs. The blow connected and sent him forward onto the ground. Without even a single moment of hesitation, she sent a zigzagging bolt at chest. It hit him directly, just as she’d intended it to. He jerked back and forth, mimicking the bolt a bit before falling limp on the ground. He was unconscious. The battle was over. The police would take care of things from there. The electric manipulator took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. From beneath her, Evadne could feel her legs tremble violently. She tried to steady herself the best she could, but failed to do so. She thought she was going to die in all honesty. It was terrifying. She wondered if Scorpius had felt the same way only a moment earlier.

Daze watched Evadne strike at their foe from a birds-eye point of view and gradually landed on ground behind her. She was very ready to assist, but the petite girl seemed to have the situation under control. Once the thug went limp, Daze felt as though she was ready to drop from exhaustion. Although her barriers were simple to conjure, they drained quite a lot of her energy. She supposed that an ability that could prevent potentially fatal wounds would have a cost of some sort. She didn’t mind it, though; as she felt her exhaustion was a small price to pay in order to save her friends’ lives. She felt bad that there wasn’t some way she could protect both Scorpius and Evadne at once. If that thug had been smarter, their plan probably wouldn’t have worked as well as it did. Daze’s thoughts drifted when she noticed Evadne’s trembling form.

“You…” The alien said this so softly that no one could hear her. She was unsure what exactly she could say right then. She closed her mouth and watched the blonde thoughtfully before registering the presence of the several civilians gathered around the scene. Daze was suddenly terrified. Having so many eyes on her… she could notice a few people pointing at her before whispering to their friends behind their hands. They must’ve known she wasn’t human—although she somewhat resembled a regular girl, it was painfully obvious that she wasn’t human. Her eyes were larger; they were yellow, for goodness sake. And she was abnormally tall. Standing next to Evadne, who was smaller than average made her look like a giraffe. She was an outsider. She didn’t belong there.

Evadne turned instantly when she felt Daze’s fingers tug at her peculiarly long sleeve. She lifted her chin to look up at her tall friend. Before she could ask what was up, the alien’s gaze went to the crowd of onlookers. Evadne narrowed her eyes in frustration. Their lives were in danger and all those people did was sit back and watch. Along with the police, who were still frozen in place even after she’d knocked the thug unconscious.

“I want to get out of here…” Daze’s voice was so fragile that Evadne’s rage melted away almost instantly. She looked at her friend in pity for a moment. It was quite obvious that most of the eyes in the crowd were on the alien girl—it was hard not to look at someone who was physically different in some way or another. From what Evadne could tell, Daze disliked attention. That’d been the reason why she was frightened of Oceanship and wanted to return home—the crowds of people were relentless and sometimes rude.

Evadne glanced about, attempting to pinpoint an escape route. There were so many people around that she feared there’d be no way out. Then the police would question them and she’d be back in the clutches of the Organization. The very sentiment made her shudder with disgust. Then she found one. The alley in which they’d entered was narrow and discreet enough where they could quickly sneak away—and there were no viewing civilians around to block it. She glanced back at Daze. “No worries, we’re gonna get out of this hellhole.” She took the darker haired girl’s hand gently in her own and led her over to where Ben was standing.

Even though she was ticked at the civilians lingering about as well as the police, she couldn’t help but let a smile cross her features when her eyes landed on their leader. “You moved the earth! Just in time, too.” Evadne was proud of him for that—earth had been difficult for him to manipulate, but he’d been trying really hard with it all week. And his practice definitely paid off. It’d saved her life. “Thanks.”

Daze nodded in agreement. “It was amazing, Ben.” She offered a small grin, but it felt a bit forced when she noticed of all the gawking civilians watching their every move out of the corner of her eye.

Evadne noticed the alien stiffen and realized that they could have an enthusiastic discussion about the battle later—they needed to get out of there. “We’ve got an escape route open in the alley.” She nodded towards Scorpius before discreetly gesturing at the police standing behind them. “Should we go now? Avoid confrontation before it’s too late?” Ben made the decisions, after all. If he wanted to stay, he’d have a reasonable rationale to back it up with.

Ben finally released all the oxygen he’d been holding captive as he watched Evadne end the battle with a power strike of electricity. This thug had been much more than a mere criminal with a death wish; he’d been strong, resourceful and fearless. The redhead was glad he and his friends could add another victory to their list, but, as team leader, he did have to evaluate the critical points of their missions and battles. Evadne had nearly been killed and if he and Scorpius hadn’t accurately predicted the petite blonde’s thoughts…no, he wouldn’t even think of it. What was important was that they’d won and saved a ton of innocent people from danger; Ben could work on polishing his plans later. A smile was plastered on his face until he began to observe the crowd; he began to resent them immediately and labeled them as ungrateful as they gazed at and whispered about Daze. They had no way of concealing her identity as an alien; it was plain as day that she lacked some human qualities, but did they really have to stare and judge such a sweet girl who’d saved lives today? It wasn’t fair.

The element manipulator felt his hands ball into fists and he felt an overwhelming sense of sympathy for his tall friend. He remembered the looks on his parents’ faces as they learned just what he’d become. It was similar and it had easily pierced his heart. Ben had no intention of wishing Daze through the same thing. For a brief second, his eyes connected with Evadne’s own pupils and he knew they had to get escape the crowd somehow.

Out of the corner of his eye, Scorpius had detected the crowd of spectators watching him intently as he’d used his shadow to retrieve the bomb and disarm the thug. It was an unusual sight, he truly couldn’t blame them. His power was rare, only belonging to him, and these people were already so foreign to the idea of super abilities. And the antisocial adolescent noted that his dark appearance did little to gain sympathy or trust for himself. But, during the battle, he’d quietly recorded that when Daze sprang into action to protect them from the thug, all eyes went to her. Scorpius had been a bit relieved to have attention off of him, as horrible as it sounded. But, he felt bad for Daze, who really didn’t deserve people’s judgment. Her abilities were amazing, far beyond his and all she wanted was to help people. He treated slightly back into the alley from which he and the rest of team had come, predicting that they’d use it as their escape route from this crowd.

Ben offered Evadne and Daze a smile as they approached; he was happy that they’d won the battle and the girls’ kind words had distracted him from their current predicament. “Thanks, it really came through in a pinch,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. Earth had been far more stubborn than air; the redhead still had little control over the ground and the elements in his body. He needed much more practice with earth before he used it frequently in battle. “You two were great too; hell, we were all great. All our training is really paying-“ His emerald eyes caught how uncomfortable the girls seemed to be and he instantly pushed his thoughts on the battle away.

“I say we make a break for it,” Ben said with little hesitation. Many people of Oceanship City already knew who they were: kids with special powers who were fighting crime. That was all they needed to know. The last thing Ben wanted was to give his name away. His parents would be flooded with phone calls and the situation would just be unpleasant for everyone…not to mention the trouble Evadne and Scorpius could get in if their names and faces were spread. The police could easily book the unconscious thug, so they were no longer needed. Ben decided the best idea would be to retreat back to the bookstore to unwind, they definitely deserved that much. “Good idea, c’mon.” The element manipulator cocked his head in the direction of Scorpius and the alley and slipped back into the alley, not wanting to lose the girls behind him.

“Our efforts were excellent today and thank you Daze, you were fantastic at keeping us safe,” Scorpius commented under his breath as his three friends and teammates approached him. As usual, the quiet adolescent wanted to keep conversation short. Besides, escape was their primary objective, not discussing the battle. He turned, walking alongside Ben as quickly as he could. The police, though often ineffective, could indeed be persistent when they wished to be. Scorpius had no intention of getting caught up with them or other irritating citizens.

“You four! Please wait!” The tall, but silent adolescent’s initial reaction was to increase his walking speed. He sensed the presence of pursuers and he knew very well that both Evadne and Daze wanted to escape the public eye. Even if their pursuers meant no harm, Scorpius wasn’t about to force the two girls to continue to be the center of attention. It just wasn’t fair. Whatever the men following them wanted, they could get it somewhere else from someone else.

Ben, on the other hand, felt a bit differently than the taller boy. He glanced over his shoulder, surveying the two men that had somehow slipped into the alley behind them. They didn’t seem unkind and the redhead doubted they were practically chasing them to tell them how cool the battle had been. Maybe they were in need of actual help. The thought of relaxing for the rest of the day back in the bookshop’s basement sounded great, but if people needed their help, wasn’t it their duty to assist them? “Guys,” Ben whispered, just loud enough for Evadne, Daze and Scorpius to overhear. “Maybe we should stop; it sounds like they may need our help with something.” His eyes surveyed his three friends, wanting their opinions before making a decision. Ben himself wanted to stop, but he saw how uncomfortable Daze had looked back there, he didn’t want to continue to put her through that.

Daze felt a gentle sensation of relief wash over her when Ben agreed with Evadne’s request to leave the area as soon as possible. Feeling the pressure of the civilians’ gazes was just enough to send her into a state of uneasiness. She could tell what they were all thinking—do aliens exist? And if so, why’s she on our planet? Is she dangerous? Even though she’d just helped to save lives, they still seemed doubtful and uncomfortable at her presence. And although most of the gazes were locked on her, she could tell that Scorpius, Evadne, and Ben were receiving a few looks as well. They weren’t the same as everyone else. They were different.

Daze and Evadne followed Ben towards the alley with swift strides, neither wanting to waste another minute downtown for their own reasons respectively. Daze offered Scorpius an appreciative look when she heard his compliment. “You disarmed him, that’s what was important.” And it was, most likely, one of the most important things regarding the mission. That bomb had the potential to kill the whole team and also wipe out hundreds of civilians in the process. Although Daze herself wasn’t very fond of the civilians, she would never wish death upon anyone. Scorpius had managed to yank the bomb away in no time and really expressed courage in doing so, since that thug had attempted to shoot him once the job was done. He'd handled the situation really well.

“We’ll have time to chat later, we should get out of here before the cops attempt to track us down…” Evadne highly doubted that fact, considering the police officers of Oceanship were feckless, but it was still a prospect. She wasn’t willing to take her chances. She took Scorpius and Ben’s hasty walk as the signal to go, and followed them close behind. Daze didn’t need to be told to follow, as she was already at Ben and Scorpius’s heels. At that moment, their mission was clear. The sooner they got out of there, the better.

“You four, please wait!” The voice made Evadne turn her head to look over her shoulder. By the looks of them, they didn’t look enthusiastic to ask them a barrage of uselessly irritating questions. Maybe they did need help, like Ben was suggesting. Even so, the blonde wasn’t sure whether or not she wanted to take her chances. They could be crazy people, looking to ask them questions about their abilities… or worse, connections of the Organization that were hunting her down. The last thing the petite blonde wanted was for Ben, Scorpius, and Daze to get mixed up into her family drama. Looking at the two men, though, the chance of that seemed unlikely. They looked like they might’ve actually needed help.

“Well… they did say please.” Daze slowed her pace just a little, looking behind her shoulder thoughtfully. “At least they’re polite. What if they’re in danger?” Evadne almost wanted to laugh at the innocence of Daze’s first sentence, but the situation at hand kept her from doing so. The blonde clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, conflicted. Her patience was growing thin and it seemed like the two men that were following them were rather persistent, as they hadn’t given up on them quite yet. In fact, they seemed desperate.

Evadne stopped so suddenly that Daze almost tripped in trying to skid to an injudicious halt herself. From what the alien could tell, Evadne wasn’t the type to wait around for confrontation. She’d normally just get right to the point, she was a very bold girl for someone so small.

“What do you want? If you’re here to ask us idiotic questions, then get lost.” Evadne sent the men a pointed glare to tell them she wasn’t playing around. They both stopped, seemingly thankful to be able to get a moment to breath again. One of them flinched at Evadne’s glare and had leaned forward, hands on his knees as he panted.

“We just… we just need your help.” The man who was a little more composed spoke up, “We observed your battle and you kids seem to be the only ones with the...er... potential to aid us.”

Evadne bit down hard on her lower lip; unsure of how exactly she should respond to that. Ben was the one who called the shots and she couldn’t help but feel a little skeptical at their request. “Were you robbed? Is a criminal of some kind of the loose?” She crossed her arms. “We can’t help you unless you give us the specifics here.”

Scorpius’s feelings on this sudden development mirrored that of Evadne’s. He was not a selfish or conceited individual; he enjoyed the work they did to help and protect others, but, these men pursuing them…who was to say their intention was good? Perhaps they were interesting in learning about their abilities for their own selfish reasons, or maybe they had a far more sinister intent. Regardless, the silent adolescent was not interested in stopping. But, the looks on his friends’ faces seemed to foreshadow that, in a vote, he would be overruled. Scorpius let out a sigh and brought his dash down the alley to an abrupt halt shortly after the girls stopped themselves.

He admired Evadne’s boldness on the matter; at least she seemed to agree with him. The shadow manipulator stared the men who had followed them up and down judgingly, trying to detect any danger about them. They didn’t seem to be villains themselves and he could not detect any ill will in their mannerism. Perhaps Ben was right; maybe these men just needed their help. Scorpius folded his arms over his chest and continued to observe silently, trying his best to learn from the little these men were giving away.

Ben had stopped too, more willingly than Scorpius or Evadne, but he had his eyebrow raised in suspicion. What could these men want from them that they couldn’t request to the police? The police of Oceanship were far less than ineffective, but, troubles with criminals were traditionally brought to law enforcement, not super powered teenagers. He and the team only intervened if it was quite obvious that the police were in over their head. So the redhead was genuinely curious regarding what these men wanted. It had to be important to them if they were willing to bypass the police and chase them down the alleyway. Ben’s emerald eyes glanced over at Evadne; she was right, they needed more specifics, but he hoped her curtness with the men wouldn’t scare them away. “My friend is right,” he said finally. He was the “leader” of the team, so if anyone had to be firm with these men, it was him. “Tell us what’s up and we’ll see if we can help you.” It wasn’t a guarantee; if this issue was dire, Ben would offer their help, but, they wouldn’t be doing cat in tree missions.

The men seemed rather nervous with how quickly the adolescents were all getting down to business. They seemed to detect that the four didn’t want their time wasted. The man who had been drained of his breath in the brief chase finally collected himself and it was who spoke shortly after clearing his throat. “Thank you. My associate and I have been working tirelessly for months regarding genetics at the lab just around the block,” he began. His words seemed to peak Ben’s interest, but the redhead said nothing in response. “Our experiments are confidential and our data is rather crucial. But another doctor working closely with us has disappeared. No appearances, no word, nothing. We’re worried his share in our data has fallen into...criminal hands.”

Ben finally understood now why these men had so desperately chased them down. They wanted to protect their research and with the police being as unreliable as they are, he could understand their hesitance to approach them. But, this mission involved a missing person. Never before had they done something this crucial; the element manipulator was a bit nervous as the prospect, but, excited also. They were almost like real superheroes now. He sent a quick side glance towards Evadne and Daze, wondering how they were taking all this information. He imagined Scorpius understood and had predicted their predicament before the man had even finished speaking. Ben knew the three of them would eventually look to him to make a final decision on the issue, but honestly, he wasn’t sure how to respond. This man was missing, his life could be in danger, but he didn’t want to risk the lives of his friends to that extreme.

“So basically you’d like us to help find your missing associate,” Scorpius spoke up. The two men nodded their heads quickly in response. He then nodded slowly, wondering exactly what this mission would entail. How could they begin to even track this man down? Who was to say he was still here in Oceanship City; he could be anywhere, on any corner of the earth by now. The tall adolescent had no interest in leaving the city to help find one man; a hundred could need their help why they were gone. He needed more information before he agreed to help.

The two scientists seemed to sense Scorpius’s feeling on the matter. The other man who had spoke up first relieved his comrade from explaining further. “We believe he is still here in Oceanship City,” he said with a meager shrug. “Those most interested in the information are also stationed here. He’s a middle aged man, my height, answers to Dr. Oswald.” It seemed that was all the information they had to offer the four adolescents. Ben was still silently taking it in. What experiments on genetics were they conducting? Maybe it would be best to help find this missing man, to prevent information from falling into the wrong hands. And maybe he could learn something himself from this doctor.

The redheaded leader turned to look at his three friends. “This seems pretty intense, we’ve never dealt with missing people before,” he told them. He himself wasn’t sure how they’d begin to search. “But, I think we should help. But it’s up to you guys, what do you think?” Evadne was very distrusting, he’d learned that quickly, she had every right to say no to these men and continue walking. Ben was almost positive Daze would want to help; she was too kind to ignore someone in need. The element manipulator looked over at Scorpius, unsure of his answer on the matter, but he was somewhat relieved when the intimidating older boy nodded his head. So, that was two yes’s. Ben just hoped the girls would want to help as well; he didn’t want to do anything against their wills.

When Scorpius agreed to Ben’s suggestion regarding their part in aiding the two men, Evadne knew that there was no point in arguing. Scorpius was probably the only other person on this team that would agree to disagree on this matter. And well, since he’d agreed, there was no point in her stirring trouble by disagreeing. She didn’t want to considering the fact that she was still a bit shaken by having a gun pointed at her head only a few minutes ago and that something seemed a bit sketchy about the request the men had given them. Finding a missing person… The idea seemed rather intriguing, but could they really pull this off? And would it be dangerous? If these men thought they were professionals and were getting them into something a little more serious than they were ready for… The blonde shook the thought off with a sigh, chewing at her lip as she waited for Daze to agree. She knew Daze would agree—it wasn’t even a question. Daze would help everyone and anyone if they needed it, bless her heart. Evadne was both touched and concerned by the alien’s selfless traits.

“Of course, we should definitely contribute to locating this missing man.” Daze sent a thoughtful gaze to the two men before turning to face Ben. “He might be lost… or in danger. These men seem as though they don’t mean any harm.” So what if she was a little tired? There were more important things she could attend to—she’d have the time to get a little rest later. Right now, their help was required and she wasn’t going to fall behind. She knotted her fingers together, sending the two men a somewhat sympathetic glance before turning to face Evadne, who still hadn’t said anything regarding the matter.

“I’m getting a weird vibe from these goons… I feel like we’re not getting enough information on what this little mission going to require.” Evadne huffed, blowing the fringe of her bangs out of her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, conflicted. She decided she might as well let everyone know her feelings on the matter. The petite blonde closed her eyes and nodded. “Fine, though. If you’re all game, I’m game too. Let’s find this guy.”

Daze raised an eyebrow at Evadne’s words, unable to emphasize with her. It seemed as though Evadne trusted no one while she could easily trust anyone. There was no in between and the alien couldn’t help but wonder what sort of circumstance led Evadne to feel uneasy around every adult (aside from Katie) that she came into contact with. Daze turned to the two men, deciding she could contemplate the matter further later. Right now, there was a missing person they needed to find.

“You say you think he’s still in Oceanship City, yes?” Daze asked in order to confirm the few facts they had regarding their newfound mission. A rather average looking middle-aged man who went by the name of Dr. Oswald was someplace in Oceanship City. He was a scientist. It was also rather likely that he wore the same sort of clothing that the two men were wearing, considering they were all coworkers.

“Yes. It’s difficult enough for just the two of us to search every inch of the city for him, so we need help from someone who can cover a little more ground than we can.” The man who’d been panting a while before nodded his head and sunk his hands in his pockets. He leaned forward just a little, anxious. “Are you four going to help us? We’d appreciate it.”

Evadne sent Ben a somewhat weary, but agreeable gaze. “I guess.” She turned on the men, holding her ground. “So how exactly are we supposed to let you guys know when we find this Oswald guy? You got an address or number or something?”

The other man reached into his pocket, retrieving a card. He handed it over to Ben, as by observation he’d managed to gather that he was the leader of the team. “That’s our number. Give us a call if you make any progress regarding his location. If you even just overhear something about him on the streets, that’ll be better than nothing. We’re really counting on you here.”

“No pressure or anything…” One of the men noticed Evadne shoot him a suspicious glare and laughed anxiously. “Just let us know if you find anything out.” He rubbed the back of his neck fretfully.

“Thanks.” Upon noticing his comrade’s sudden tenseness, the more composed of the men offered the team a nod of recognition. “We’ll be going now. We still have a lot of work to do.”

And with that, the two men stalked off in the direction they came before. Evadne and Daze watched them walk away and then both unanimously turned to face Scorpius and Ben.

“What say you, leader? Where should we start here?” Evadne inquired as she tipped her head slightly to the side.

When it came to the girls, Ben was pretty sure what to expect for their responses. A week wasn’t a terribly long period of time, but it had been enough for the team’s elected leader to get to know his three new friends rather well. Daze would say yes without hesitation; he’d already come to admire that about her. She knew next to nothing about the people here on Earth and they’d done nothing for her, and yet, all she wanted to do was protect and help them. But Evande on the other hand, Ben wasn’t entirely sure how she’d take the idea. She always seemed defensive, when grownups were involved. Katie seemed to be the only exception. The element manipulator wasn’t entirely sure why this was, but he assumed the petite blonde was just weary of others and protective of the team. Which he also admired. “Agreed,” he finally said in response to Daze. Ben made an effort to send a glance towards Evadne, apologizing for obviously overruling her. He hated this part of the job; it seemed he couldn’t always please anyone, but he wished he could. He took a deep breath and then nodded. Evadne was right about one thing: they needed a bit more information.

Scorpius’s feelings regarding the matter mirrored Evadne’s. Like Daze, the antisocial teenager knew it would be best to offer their help. This man could have family or friends concerned and when they’d formed their team, this was the category of missions they’d signed up for. But, he wasn’t positive how trustworthy these men were. Oceanship City was covered in scum and villainy, all determined to achieve their own ends. What if this Dr. Oswald was running from them? The possibilities of questionable intent surrounding these men were endless, but Scorpius attempted to silence his mind was Daze questioned the men. Scorpius himself was sure he was in Oceanship. If he had precious knowledge, he probably wouldn’t leave his comfort zone unless forced to.

Ben nodded his head and took the card one of the men offered him. He examined it, trying his best to memorize the phone number and address written on it. Both could come in handy. The redhead’s eyes fought the urge to narrow at the man who added a “no pressure,” before departing. Of course there was pressure. They’d been chased down and begged to find a missing person. This wasn’t some everyday robbery easily foiled because the thugs were careless. No. This could be rather serious. Ben himself was already nervous, though fighting to hide it so he did. “We’ll try and do what we can,” he said simply. That was all that really needed to be said; Ben wasn’t going to promise anything. And with that, the men were gone and once again, the team of four was left to themselves.

As Evadne looked to him for a plan, Ben noticed that Scorpius’s attention was also on him. To be honest, he wasn’t sure to go about doing this. This man was missing, possibly in danger, they couldn’t afford to waste any time or go through with a bad plan. His plan against the thug had been flawed, quite obviously; this time, he needed to try a little harder this time. “Well, we don’t know how much time we have on our hands,” he started. That much was obvious. None of them really wanted to admit out loud that this man could be in terrible danger, but they all knew it. “Oceanship is big and we have a lot of ground to cover. So my suggestion is that we split up, we’ll cove more ground that way. And we meet up back at Katie’s shop by five o’clock.” That was a little over four hours of time to search. With all four of them searching the city, they’d have to find something by then. The redhead recognized that there was the flaw of one of them discovering a more drastic development and having no way to contact the others. But, the element manipulator decided they’d have to deal with that for now.

Scorpius nodded his head in agreement, only finding the same error Ben discovered in the plan. He concluded to keep his mouth shut though, sure that their leader had considered this also. The shadow controller wasn’t sure what exactly he was searching for. Suspicious activity, Dr. Oswald himself…this was a very confusing predicament. Part of him felt somewhat honored that the scientists had considered them before the police, but, this was still risky. Scorpius was confident any of them could hold their own for a few hours in Oceanship, especially after the training they’d had. “If we don’t discover any leads today, I believe it best to let those men know it’s out of our hands and suggest they seek the police’s assistance,” he said. Ben sent him a glance, but Scorpius tried to ignore it. They were only adolescents; this issue may be better in the hands of official officers. He was sure Evadne would agree.

The redhead sent his emerald gaze over towards the girls, wondering how they felt about his plan. Sure, he was team leader, but he wanted to know they agreed. Ben was sure Evadne wasn’t as on board with all of this as she seemed to be. Though he wasn’t sure how he felt about Scorpius’s suggestion, he was hoping that would ease her over as she’d seemed so hesitant to assist the men. “Scorpius may have a point there,” he finally said. “But until then, I think we should split up a-s-a-p. Sound good?”

---

Shortly after splitting up, Scorpius and Ben had found themselves heading in the same direction. It’d been an hour of searching and the antisocial teenager knew eventually, they’d have to separate. They wouldn’t be covering as much ground as they girls were and that wouldn’t be fair to the team or to the scientists who had requested this of them. Besides, Scorpius was the observant member of the team; he could catch a multitude of things that the other three couldn’t. But with Ben beside him to consider, his eyes felt dull in comparison to how they usually felt. Yet, Scorpius wasn’t much of a speaker and, as such, wasn’t entirely sure how to tell Ben to shoo without sounding rude.

“Why do you think Evadne was so hesitant to help those guys?” Ben asked, breaking the taller boy’s concentration. The redhead wasn’t even sure why he’d asked such a question; he knew firsthand how hurtful it could be to hear that others had been discussing you behind your back. Part of the team’s leader wanted to retract the question as soon as it left his mouth. But now, that was obviously out of the question. All he could now was hope Scorpius would simply ignore the question or he’d answer it and then drop the topic. They crossed the street before the antisocial adolescent bothered to answer.

“Like us all, Evadne has her own tribulations,” Scorpius answered at last. He noticed Ben’s eyes on him, listening intently to his words. “And I believe we all made a silent agreement to not speak of what brought us together.” Scorpius could relate well to Evadne. He certainly had things he’d rather not share with the team and if something had happened in her life that led her to distrust and dislike adults, then that was her business, not theirs. “Evadne’s business is her own unless she decides, on her own accord, to share with us.”

Ben nodded, knowing Scorpius was right. He trusted the petite blonde and her reasons were her reasons. At least she trusted Katie and they had a lot to thank her for because of that. It was silent between the two adolescents for some time as they searched. Together they covered a few allies and even asked a few people who seemed nice enough if they knew anything regarding the missing Dr. Oswald. Unfortunately, that had provided very little results and it finally occurred to Ben that they would have to split up themselves. “We should go our separate ways; see what we can find on our own,” the redhead said, breaking a silence that fell upon them.

Scorpius didn’t need to be told twice. He just nodded in acknowledgement to Ben and focused his mind and becoming a shadow. His form then melted into the ground, now only a shadow of his figure that no longer existed. The shadow that was now Scorpius began slithering quickly along the ground and Ben almost immediately lost sight of it in the sea of people on the street and sidewalk. “Pfft, showoff,” Ben muttered jokingly as he turned and decided to head down a new alleyway.

When given orders to split up, Evadne had decided to go back to where they had their fight with the thug earlier on. A few of the spectators were bound to be around that area and the fact that they were spectators made it obvious to her that they’d be fans of gossip and other such things. A missing person was definitely interesting enough to capture some sort of a rouse. With her charisma, she felt that talking to people about this Oswald guy and putting the pieces together would at least give her some information. Most people liked to know things that others don’t when it comes to chaotic circumstances—and when they can share they’re knowledge, then they’re just showing off. Evadne was hopeful that she’d be able to use this to her advantage.

Evadne threaded her way through the crowd downtown and tried her hardest to listen in on the conversations going on around her. She listened for key words. ‘Oswald’, ‘scientist’, ‘missing’, et cetera. This task became tedious rather quickly. How the hell were they going to find one guy in such a huge city? Especially when they only had a few minor details regarding what this was all about. After what she suspected was an hour or so, her legs were beginning to feel a bit sore.

Hours were passing much too slowly as she’d question the occasional person in the street. She’d walked quite a few blocks already and covered a lot of ground on her own. But she wasn’t sure if Ben or Scorpius might’ve already covered this area or not. There was no way that she could contact the others—there were four of them… One of them had to have come up with something by now, right? Making a mental note, Evadne told herself to try and construct some kind of communication devise in her spare time later. It’d be convenient and probably necessary if they were ever to try and take on another mission of this nature.

‘Scientist’. That word stuck out to her, waking her from her thoughts. She turned on her heels and approached two girls who were talking on the curb by the general store. There was nothing to loose, and this was probably the only connection she’d overheard regarding Oswald so far.

“I’m looking for someone… He goes by ‘Oswald’?” Evadne noticed their looks of confusion and corrected herself, “Dr. Oswald? He’s a scientist and he’s missing. I just heard you talking about scientists and wanted to ask if you’ve heard about him or saw him anywhere.”

“I’m writing a short story about scientists and we were discussing it.” One of the girls gave the petite blonde a sheepish and somewhat embarrassed grin. She gave the girl she’d been talking with a glance. “Have you heard anything, Nina?”

The other girl, Nina, shook her head ‘no’ apologetically. “Sorry. Maybe you should go to the police?” She shifted on her feet uncomfortably and sent her friend a look before turning back to Evadne. “I hope you find your friend, though.”

Evadne resisted the urge to bash the police and to declare that this Oswald guy wasn’t her friend, but fabricated a smile instead. “Thanks. Sorry for interrupting your conversation.” She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to contain her frustration on the matter before turning on her heels and walking off in the other direction. This was beginning to feel pointless to her. Maybe one of the others had figured something out. The sun was beginning to shine a bright orange, gradually sinking behind the cityscape. It was five now.

With a somewhat defeated sigh, Evadne turned and made her way back to the bookshop. Tired and wanting nothing more than to discuss this ordeal with her friends, she let herself sink onto the porch steps. She was the first one there. Nothing more for her to do than to wait for Ben, Scorpius, and Daze and hope that they had more luck than she had. And even though her searching was over and she could finally rest, she couldn’t help but feel a little worried. Was it really right to have taken on this missing person request? And what if Ben or Scorpius or Daze ran into some kind of trouble without anyone knowing? Unsettled, the blonde gnawed anxiously at her lower lip and hunched her shoulders.

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Daze wandered aimlessly in the city, frequently flying up above the rooftops in attempt to cover more ground. This task was, unfortunately, beginning to even look hopeless to her. It was extremely difficult for her to approach people on the streets, as every time she tried they’d give her weird looks or bombard her with questions about why she looks the way she does. It was disheartening. Someone was missing… Even so, such a tragic ordeal didn’t seem to faze those who she did speak with. It was just like the bustle of the city, even after the gunshot from the bank was heard. These people were disinterested and didn’t even seem to care at all for this Dr. Oswald’s safety.

The sun was beginning to set; it had to be time to meet with the team. But when Daze glanced around her surroundings, none of the buildings seemed to be very familiar. Worry surged through her almost instantly and her hands became clammy. She’d never been down this street before—perhaps when she’d flown to cover more ground she ended up far away from the bookshop and carelessly went someplace she’d never been before. She was disoriented, not quite sure whether she should go left or right… There were less people on the streets in the area here as well.

Oceanship was a big city… but she couldn’t have wandered much too far from the bookshop, right? She’d find her way back somehow. She’d be a little late—but she was sure that Ben, Evadne, and Scorpius would understand when she explained her situation to them. Even so, the young alien felt bad that she might be hindering her teammates and their plans to meet at such a specific time.

Daze walked and walked, deciding against flying and bringing herself further away from her destination. She was growing increasingly tired and walking was almost dizzying after a little while. And in some circumstances, when she’d look up at some of the illuminated store signs, she’d see double. The sun had almost set and it was going to get dark… and more dangerous, probably. According to the others, criminals liked to roam the city at night.

The young alien was beginning to fear that she was only walking further and further away from her friends. Maybe she shouldn’t have turned left before… maybe turning right would’ve led her to her friends much quicker and she was only loosing herself even more. Daze swallowed, knotting her hands together as she slowed her steps and took a seat on the curb. She felt too drowsy to even move. Now that she was seated, it seemed like nothing would will her to bring herself back up on her feet.

“I’ll rest here for a little while…” She mused softly, wrapping her arms around herself. Daze snapped her eyes open and inhaled a deep breath when she realized she was just about to nod off. “And then I’ll ask for directions…”

The alleyways didn’t prove to be much help in Ben’s search. Whenever he happened upon someone in the city corridors, he felt out of place and lost his will to ask them if they knew anything. Some considered the redhead to be an outgoing adolescent, but sometimes, especially with intimidating strangers, that wasn’t the case. Besides, what were kids smoking cigarette after cigarette going to know about a missing scientist? Ben was sure he’d learn next to nothing from them. Eventually, he poked his head out of the alleyways and took to the main street. That was a maze in itself. The element manipulator was sure he’d seen Scorpius slither off down the streets, so he wasn’t sure if the street he was currently on had been covered by his male companion. If so, then he was just wasting time. Ben stopped wandering the streets for a moment to slap his face with his hand. This really hadn’t been his best idea.

They needed some way to communicate; what if Daze, Scorpius or Evadne happened upon something that could be useful? They had no way of contacting him or each other. All they could all do was wait to meet up and share what they learned. And how much time would that waste? The team’s leader made a mental note to ask Evadne if she could conjure up some sort of communicators for them in the near future. Some missions would require they split up and they would need some way of keeping in contact. Ben sighed and tried to dismiss the thought; there was nothing they could do now. He decided to go back to searching the streets and keeping his ears open for anything useful.

“Running off, how stupider could you get?” a bitter mumble caught Ben’s attention. A boy who seemed his age was walking up in front of him was mumbling to himself, and he sounded very angry. But what he was saying was what captured the redhead’s attention. Could he be talking about Dr. Oswald? It was a long shot, but it was the first lead he’d gotten all day. He decided to follow the boy, but keep his distance; he needed to see if he could learn anymore. “A big city like this, you’re gonna get yourself killed,” the boy continued to drawl on. Listening to the boy was absolutely irritating; he sounded like the most ungrateful, displeasure kid in Oceanship, but his information could be valuable.

Unfortunately, Ben had been too preoccupied with trying to hear what he was saying that he didn’t notice the boy stop at a crosswalk and Ben ended up slamming right into his back. The super powered adolescent faltered a bit, but was quick to regain his balance; the other boy had stood as tall as a rock and turned to give Ben a very angry glare. “There’s a bubble called personal space that you just violated,” he snapped. “And you’ve been following me for two blocks; can I help you?”

“Y-yeah, sorry, but I was just interested in what you were saying,” Ben replied honestly, those he words gained a raised eyebrow from the boy. “I’m looking for someone who’s gone missing and I was wondering if we were talking about the same person.”

The boy rolled his eyes. “Doubtful; I’ve lost my aunt and can’t find her anywhere,” he replied and Ben’s hopes fell. “So unless you’re looking for her, get lost, freak.” The redhead let the boy go after that. Defeated and without any leads, he decided to return to the bookstore. It was evening by now and he was sure his teammates would be back by the time he found his way. It didn’t take long, but Ben’s feet were exhausted. He smiled slightly when he noticed the front padio of the bookstore he’d come to call home. Even with this man still missing, Ben couldn’t resist the idea of resting, just for a bit. The leader’s green eyes widened in relief when he noticed that Evadne had beat him here.

“Did you find anything?” he asked her as he approached. It didn’t seem like she had, but it didn’t hurt to at least ask. Before he could say anymore, a shadow slithered up to them like a snake and Scorpius’s form rose from it. Right on time, Ben thought.

“My search was less than fruitful,” the shadow manipulator reported. Ben’s shoulders hunched down. “I think it best that we contact our requestors and suggest they seek the help of the police. This task seems a bit beyond our novice level.” The redhead knew Scorpius was right and he slowly nodded his head. He just felt bad for having taken this request. He wished there was something more he could do to help Dr. Oswald and these men looking for him. But he seemed useless. “Has Daze not yet returned?”

That pulled the element manipulator from his thoughts. “I don’t think so; I thought she would’ve met up with one of you on the way back.” Ben turned to Evadne, wondering if she knew where their alien friend was. Had she gone inside already to rest? It didn’t seem so. Ben was nervous now and he felt even more foolish than ever; Oceanship was still new to Daze, he hadn’t considered the possibility of her getting lost or running into trouble. She could be lonely and scared and it was all his fault. God, he was so stupid. He hoped Daze was alright, wherever she was.

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He was overjoyed when he watched them split into groups. And they were searching for him. Little did they know, but his associates had reduced this super powered team to putty in his hands. If any one of them stumbled upon him, it would be great for his research. Dr. Oswald quickly noted that the petite blonde would present some difficulty, but the redhead and the alien seemed like perfect places to start. Keeping tabs on all of them, the renegade scientist was able to monitor their fruitless search efforts for him. He quickly decided against pursuing the redheaded boy, he seemed to know Oceanship a bit too well. But the alien had taken to the skies and it seemed as if she’d quickly gotten herself lost. That was perfect; all he needed now was to make his move.

The man followed her from some distance away after she landed. She seemed to be going farther away from the range of her teammates. It seemed fate was smiling down on his research today and he would be given the perfect specimen to test his theories and his newest invention on. Oswald had some difficulty controlling his glee, but soon he knew he’d have all the data he’d need. He’d be rich, powerful and a hero. And it would all be thanks to these super powered adolescents. Who would’ve thought that kids would actually prove to be of some relevance in the scientific world?

She seemed to be taking a rest and Dr. Oswald concluded that this was the opportune moment to make his move on the alien girl. He wouldn’t get an opportunity like this ever again; besides, he’d waited long enough and even if he had overestimated her naivety, it would take much time for her friends to catch wind of what was really transpiring. Slowly he approached her, but he made an effort to drain any intimidation from his footsteps. He was now a friendly, disoriented scientist, not one masking his true intent. At least that was what he had to lead her to believe.

He cleared his throat, hoping to gain her attention. “Excuse me for intruding, but I don’t believe I have seen you on this end of the city before, are you lost, my dear?” He sounded kind and friendly and he hoped he didn’t seem too sugarcoated and fictional to her. A man in a gray hooded sweatshirt could only look so innocent, after all. “If I may be so bold, I’m doing some work at the warehouse right at the end of the street and I have a phone you could use to contact some friends? Forgive me but you appear a bit too outlandish to have any family here in Oceanship.”

He outstretched his hand to her, offering her some help up from the ground. He chuckled a bit and let out a deep breath. “Oh, where are my manners? I’m always forgetting those. I am Doctor Gene Oswald. And who might you be, my dear?”

Evadne lifted her downcast gaze when Ben’s footsteps and eventually his voice reached her ears. She couldn’t help feeling somewhat bad that she hadn’t managed to retrieve any useful information—it’d almost be embarrassing if she were the only one who came out with nothing. She opened her mouth to reply, but Scorpius’s arrival made her close it again. She listened to him provide the details of his search before nodding her head, expressing an exasperated sigh.

“Mine was a bust. The closest thing I found was some girl talking about a story about scientists she was writing… It seems impossible to find a specific guy on these streets.” Evadne explained her progress… or more like her lack of progress regarding the mission. Based on the way Ben was reacting to her and Scorpius’s comments, she could tell that their leader hadn’t had any luck himself. When Scorpius brought up the question of where Daze was, something clicked in the back of Evadne’s mind.

Evadne felt a certain amount of worry wash over her as Ben glanced over at her for assurance. “We walked together a certain distance… But when I turned once, she was gone. I think she might’ve flew up high to get a better view of the city as a whole…” The electric manipulator suddenly felt angry with herself for not even considering the fact that Daze didn’t know how to find her way back to the store. She bawled both of her hands into fists and picked herself up from her sitting position. “Dammit! It’s way too easy to get lost in this city.” It must’ve been tiredness and frustration getting to her, but she was beginning to lose her cool.

The petite blonde drew in a deep breath in attempt to calm down. “W-well, she could just be a few minutes late. We don’t have to assume that she’s hopelessly lost.” Even though Evadne was trying to put things in a good light, she didn’t feel as though she sounded very convincing. She unclenched one of her fists and began tapping her fingernails on the railing thoughtfully. “Okay. How about one of us circles the block, one of us waits on the porch, and one waits by the phone? It’s possible that she’ll find a way to contact us.”

Daze didn’t know enough about earth—but perhaps she’d find a way to somehow come in contact with them. In her short time there, they’d given her the information she really needed to know. However, it was still too early to let the alien wander on her own. This wasn’t entirely Ben’s fault, Evadne knew. They’d all taken the order and Daze hadn’t protested. It never even crossed their minds that she could get lost until that very moment.

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Daze turned when she was approached, looking up at the man who appeared to be talking to her. It was rather odd, there weren’t very many people on the streets who would attempt a conversation with her because of her appearance. Most people seemed to be scared of things that were different altogether. Or at least that’s what she’d gathered from observation so far. She refused to count everyone in the city when it came to this, though. Her friends had displayed kindness when they hadn’t even known her for too long--even though she didn't really belong there. Perhaps this man was just another kind soul.

A few weeks ago, Daze would have asked what a phone was. Luckily, her friends had explained that for her. And she knew the number for the shop as well. She’d be able to go home if she accepted his offer. The alien nodded her head at his first question. Yes, yes she was lost. She felt somewhat uncomfortable when he called her ‘outlandish’—even when she knew that it was an obvious fact. She decided it’d be unfair of her to blame him for something like that. He was only stating the truth. Finding words was becoming a challenge for her.

“I have a friend I could contact…” Daze mentioned quietly, looking up at the man in silent wonder before accepting his help up from the curb. She took his hand and let go once she was on her feet. Coming into contact with strangers seemed so… odd to her. His introduction—and specifically his name made her blink a few times in realization. What a surprise! It was somewhat ironic that the man she’d been looking for was helping her out of a sticky situation. Maybe her getting lost like this was a blessing in disguise. The missing man had been found! She felt a little more energized when this became clear to her. Her heart thundered in her chest as she contemplated what she should say to him in regards to the matter.

“Daze…” The tall adolescent mentioned her name airily first to be polite before shifting on her feet in anticipation. “Dr. Oswald, you say? My friends and I were sent on a mission to find you. Or at least someone who shares your name.” She became embarrassed. It was possible that two humans could have the same name and if she ran into the wrong person, she could get into a certain amount of trouble. Or at least he would deem her irresponsible or odder than before. She shifted on her feet again, watching him carefully for a response. She could call the bookshop… She could tell Ben, Evadne, and Scorpius where she was and that she managed to find who they were searching for. She just hoped that they wouldn’t be upset with her for being so late… the sky was beginning to darken significantly now that the sun had set.

Ben felt stupid for initially overlooking the flaw in his plan. If they couldn’t keep in touch, it was easy for one of them to get lost, that much should be obvious to anyone. And then he’d completely forgotten that Daze was still new to not only Oceanship, but to Earth as well. If she wasn’t just a few minutes behind them, she could be lost, scared or tired, or, god forbid, worse. Frustrated with himself, the element manipulator sent his hands through his red hair and let out all the air he’d taken captive in his lungs. His eyes constantly scanned up and down the street, hoping that their alien comrade would just come walking up and dismiss his fears. “God, I can’t believe I let this one slip,” he said muttered. His glance turned to Scorpius, who seemed closest to Daze out of all of them, and even he looked a little nervous. He’d never seen the older boy distressed before and that was enough to send Ben into his panic mode. Who knew what kind of lowlifes could be causing trouble for Daze? Or what abandoned lonely street she’d found herself on?

“We need to remain calm; Daze is smart enough to avoid trouble,” Scorpius spoke up, hoping to calm the fears of his new friend. The antisocial adolescent turned to Evadne and nodded his head at her suggestion. They’d each memorized the phone number of the bookshop so if Daze was lost and somehow gained access to a telephone, she could call and inform them of her situation. Sitting around waiting didn’t please him or Ben, Scorpius knew that, but it was the most they could do as of right now. “Evadne’s plan is the best we can do for now. I can circle the block.”

The team’s leader felt discouraged, but he nodded his head anyways; the petite blonde’s plan was a good one and hopefully Daze would be able to contact them as soon as possible. His eyes moved between Scorpius and Evadne, glad that they had decided on a plausible plan together. “I can wait out here in case she shows up; I’m sure Evadne can give Daze the best directions out of all of us.” Evadne seemed to know Oceanship the best out of them all; Ben had grown up in the suburbs and the city seemed a bit foreign to Scorpius. It was the best they could do for now; they would have to work with it. With nothing else to do, the element manipulator plopped himself down on the porch of the bookshop and let out another sigh.

He watched Scorpius sink back into the ground and become a shadow and slither off just as how he’d arrived minutes earlier. Ben was somewhat thankful that Evadne and Scorpius seemed to be handling this better than him, but it also just led him to feel even more insecure. So far, his plans today had nearly gotten his teammates killed and now one of them was possibly lost. The redhead thought it was kind of his friends to have faith in him, but he really didn’t think he was turning out to be such a great team leader. With any luck, Daze would be okay; Ben wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something happened to her. “Let’s hope Scorp finds something or Daze is able to call,” he said absentmindedly towards Evadne. He couldn’t lie; his ear was already listening to see if the phone in the bookshop began to ring.

Although he knew there were much more pressing matters at hand, Ben couldn’t help but worry about what Scorpius and Evadne were thinking of him right now. This had been his plan so if anything happened to Daze, it was his responsibility. The redhead was sure his teammates now thought of him as an ineffective leader and it was right for them to do so. He couldn’t blame them. Most of all, he felt guilty for Daze. She was too sweet to really openly cast blame on him, but if he were her, he’d be pretty mad at himself. With another sigh, the element manipulator rested his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He just hoped Daze was alright or that Scorpius was able to find something.

Scorpius’s search was fruitless. The block was a very short distance to cover and he circled it in just under five minutes. There was nothing to see amongst the crowds of evening party goers and couples on dates. No conversations he eavesdropped into seemed to have a tall, foreign girl as a topic; it seemed Daze was really lost and nowhere near their newfound home. After circling the block around the bookshop for the second time in his shadow form, the antisocial adolescent directed his route for his home. He approached the shop and rose from the ground, returning to his human form. Ben, who was still seated on the porch of the shop perked up, obviously hoping that Scorpius had found some evidence as to where Daze was. “There was no sign of her around,” the shadow manipulator reported somberly.

Ben, feeling more defeated than he had just a few minutes ago, lowered his head back down into his lap, unsure of what to do now. Scorpius was actually feeling his discouragement. It was uncharacteristic of the silent teenager, but he joined Ben on the porch and lowered his head into his hands All they could do now was hope that Daze made contact or somehow found her way home on her own.

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Dr. Oswald assumed that this girl wanted to contact her super powered comrades. Which was absolutely perfect; everything was falling into place. The pieces of his grand puzzle were actually beginning to come together. He’d noted that these four could pose as powerful threats if he didn’t treat the situation with care, but they were also perfect test subjects. They were far less of a gamble than the league of adult heroes. Besides, all four of them had demonstrated fascinating abilities. “Oh you do? Great! You can give them a call and you’ll be home in no time then!” Oceanship obviously wasn’t home for this girl; whatever planet she was from was probably far from Earth. The doctor was fascinated, but he knew how potentially dangerous the topic could be. He didn’t want to drive this girl away.

He tapped the tips of his index fingers a few times as she spoke again. Daze was quite a peculiar name, most likely one she’d picked upon arriving on Earth. And he fought back a smile when she revealed that she had been looking for him. He knew this; he’d followed her here. But with that information, he wondered how far off her friends really were. If she needed to contact them, then they had to be some distance off. He offered the girl, who actually stood a little more than a head taller than him, a slight smile. Dr. Oswald was curious as to what his former colleagues had told her and her super powered allies. They wanted him back in their grasps so they could monitor his projects and progress; there was little concern for his well being. Part of the doctor resented him; they probably fed these children lies about how concerned they were for his safety. No, they were only worried that their precious research would fall into the wrong hands of those who could sabotage their industry. Science was a very precious artifact that needed to be handled with care and developed to the best of its ability. It wasn’t some mere tool for making money and profiting the selfish and plain individuals in this world. No, those like him and this girl in front of him deserved to be bask in the profits of science. Someday, the world would understand who was superior and who was inferior.

“Oh, I’m sure I’m the one you’re all searching for,” he said sweetly, as if the mission of retrieving a missing person was something of ease. “I stopped showing up for work late last week and my associates began to worry my portion of our findings fell into the wrong hands. They’re a bunch of businessmen disguised as scientists, if you know what I mean.” Dr. Oswald winked at Daze after his words to imply that they held some sort of secret meaning, but seeing as she appeared to be generally new to Earth’s customs, he was sure the gesture fell on deaf ears.

The man turned his head to face the direction they would be heading in. The rundown warehouse where he’d set up shop was just at the end of the street. He began to make hasty steps down the sidewalk in its direction. After a few steps, he stopped to turn towards Daze and offered her another friendly smile. “Let’s hurry up now; this side of Oceanship can be displeasure during night hours.” At least that wasn’t a lie; Dr. Oswald didn’t want to get stuck in any mess with muggers. Daze could obviously protect them both, but that would delay his current plans.

Without another word, the genetics scientist began the short walk down the street and within minutes, he’d led the alien girl to his warehouse. He fumbled with the keys he retrieved from his pocket and then opened the door and stepped inside. The warehouse looked just like a laboratory; tables were everywhere with countless gadgets and chemicals and equipment spread across them. Dr. Oswald also had six assistants working tirelessly at the tables on whatever it was their supervisor had assigned them to.

“I’ve set up shop here as you can see; this way I won’t have to deal with my meddlesome associates,” he told Daze casually with a smile. He then turned his head to the back wall where an old cord phone rested that she could use to contact her super powered friends; he pointed towards it for her just so she knew where it was located. “The phone is just over there, my dear. You’re welcome to use it to contact your friends.”

Evadne watched as Scorpius disappeared into the ground in search for Daze before slightly turning her head to acknowledge Ben when he spoke. He said it somewhat distractedly, thus making her wonder if he was addressing her or if he was merely speaking to himself. “Even if she’s lost, Daze is the most capable of defending herself against thugs. We’re gonna find her—we’ll search all night if we need to.” She kept her voice confident and determined for Ben’s sake. Sure, she was cautious and didn’t trust a lot of people. But she was optimistic and felt that Ben needed a little assurance. She glanced out at the cityscape, which was now only brightened by the lights pouring out of the windows in buildings and the neon shop signs. It being nighttime only made this mission more dangerous. She waited for a moment before turning on her heels and opening the door with a ‘cling’. “I’ll wait by the phone.”

Katie was flipping through a magazine at the counter and looked up at the ting of the bell over the door. “Evadne?” She stood from her chair and tilted her head to peer around the blonde through the shop window at Ben. “Where are Scorpius and Daze? And why’s Ben sitting out there?”

“It’s kind of a long story.” Evadne walked up to the counter and pressed her palms on it before hoisting herself up to sit on it next to the phone. She kicked her legs back and forth and looked down at the carpeted floor, tangling her fingers together in her lap. She stayed silent, hoping that Katie wouldn’t question her about it.

…But Katie being Katie, Evadne knew this wouldn’t slide past her.

“You got yourself into trouble, didn’t you?” Katie didn’t sound at all surprised, just suspicious. Evadne had a knack for getting herself into sticky situations. Being sometimes overly confident, the petite blonde would usually insist that she didn’t need help. And sink into even more trouble in the process. “Is this something you can take care of on your own?” She was supposed to be responsible for these kids—she knew she wasn’t capable of the same things that they were, but she was at least supposed to make sure that they were all safe at the shop within reasonable hours. If something was going on, she didn’t want to be left in the dark.

“Relax, Katie. I—I think…” Evadne looked up at her friend before diverting her gaze. “I know that we can handle this. Isn’t it about time to close shop anyways? Just hand me the keys and I’ll take care of everything. Don’t worry. We’ll call if we need you.”

Katie sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. She was tired. And although she didn’t feel that great about leaving Evadne, Scorpius and the others like this, she felt that they were responsible enough to clean up their own messes. “Fine. Scorpius and Ben are smart guys and I’m sure they can keep you out of too much trouble. Just try and stay together if you end up going out—it’s dark.” Scorpius had apparently returned now—he was sitting next to Ben. She noted Daze’s absence and decided not to question it. In this matter, she felt she could be more of a burden than an aid.

“Yes sir.” Evadne nodded her head once, trying to calm herself with a small smile. Once Katie stepped out, she sighed and glared at the phone.

...

Katie walked down the steps before leaning over and handing the keys of the shop to Ben, whom she understood was their team’s leader at this point. “I’m giving these to you—Evadne would probably lose them. Lock up when you get the chance.” She made a move to walk away before looking back. “I know that you’re in some kind of dilemma. Evadne doesn’t like to ask for help—but if you need anything at all, you know my number. I trust you guys.” She shifted her eyes over from Ben to Scorpius before nodding at them and walking off in the direction of her apartment.


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Daze listened carefully to Dr. Oswald as he spoke; trying to soak in the new information he’d given her. The two stories didn’t match up—those men she’d encountered earlier seemed to express some worry over Dr. Oswald’s safety while Dr. Oswald himself saw them as pests. Having no experience yet with lies and deception, she felt that she couldn’t process any words for a few moments. Should she have been more cautious? This entire scenario was beginning to give her a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach—but she wasn’t quite sure of how to act on it. The sooner she could contact Ben, Scorpius, and Evadne, the better.

It was dark now. So if she had to go back to the shop on her own, there was a chance she could run into danger. Or if Ben, Scorpius, or Evadne came looking for her… would they run into trouble? Because of her foolish mistake? She chewed at her lower lip and looked away, fearing that Dr. Oswald would see the confusion written all over her face.

Daze took in the new atmosphere of this warehouse—filled with so many peculiar things that she’d never seen before. It was both somewhat frightening and interesting at the same time. The alien girl resisted the urge to ask him what sorts of experiments he’d been working on. His comrades had said they were worried that his portion of their information could fall into the wrong hands—it must’ve been important somehow. Fascinated by this odd sight, Daze almost didn’t hear Dr. Oswald as he gestured towards the phone.

“O-oh, yes. Thank you very much.” She spoke gently, but genuinely. Daze offered him something that came close to a small smile before approaching the phone. She lifted it and began punching in the eight-digit code that she’d come to memorize over the past few weeks. When she held the receiver to her ear, she heard the familiar buzzing sound that told her it was ringing.

It didn’t take very long for a recognizable voice to thunder in her ears.

“Daze?” Evadne’s voice sounded strained and hopeful. “It’s you, right? ‘Cause if it’s not you, I’m gonna sound like an idiot and—“

“It’s me. I’m sorry I couldn’t find the shop in time… I think I wandered off a little too far.” Daze cut Evadne off before she could go on rambling and rambling like she normally did. She wanted to go home as soon as she possibly could. She looked down at the ground near her feet, feeling guilty that she made her friends worry for her like this. “Evadne, listen—“

It was Evadne’s turn to cut her off. “God, don’t apologize. I’m just glad you’re okay.” There was a pause. “You are okay, right? Where are you calling from?”

Daze resisted the urge to look over her shoulder. She wondered if it was odd for her to talk about Dr. Oswald to her friend on the phone when he was standing only a few feet away from her. But this was information that she needed to share. “Actually… Dr. Oswald, the man we were looking for, he found me. He took me to a warehouse on the street I was wandering on.” She kept her voice low on purpose, “And he’s actually trying to stay away from those men we spoke to earlier.”

Evadne went abnormally quiet for a moment, most likely trying to process the information she’d been given. “We’re gonna come and pick you up—it’s better to travel in numbers when it’s dark out.” She paused for a moment. “I think I might know where you are too. You’re in a pretty abandoned area, right? Not a lot of people around?

“That’s right.” Daze nodded her head, even though she knew Evadne couldn’t see her through the phone.

“Keep an eye out for us and we’ll do the same for you. And stay where you are so you don’t get lost again.” Evadne sounded calm and collected, which settled some of the young alien’s anxieties. “We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

“Thanks.” Daze smiled, feeling a little relief wash over her when she was assured that her friends would be there for her soon.

“Don’t mention it.” The second part of Evadne’s sentence sounded hesitant. “And look out for yourself.”

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“Oh shit.” Evadne set the phone down. “Shit.” This was way too suspicious—Dr. Oswald didn’t want to be found? They were lied to in some way or another and she didn’t like it. The fact that Dr. Oswald found Daze was way too uncanny to be a simple coincidence too. It all seemed so fishy. Finding Daze soon would be ideal. The tiny girl leapt off the counter and made a dash for the door.

Ben and Scorpius both looked defeated—but Evadne was filled with adrenaline with this turn of events. With urgency in her tone, she felt the need to bring them up on their feet.“I know where Daze is! She’s in a warehouse at the abandoned part of town—it’s not too far away, but we need to hurry!” Evadne started down the steps and waited for the boys on the curb. “Dr. Oswald found her and for some reason I can’t accept that it was just a coincidence.”

Ben felt a little rude for not saying much in response to Evadne’s reassurance. He owed a lot to her for keeping optimistic in this situation. He and the petite blonde had grown close over these past few weeks together, so much in fact, that if he had to pick a second in command, it’d be her. But, all of the comfort in the world couldn’t erase the fact that this plan, the one that had sent Daze off who knows where, had been his idea. For probably the millionth time today, the redhead made a mental note to invest in some sort of communication device for the four of them in the future. Evadne was a tech genius; they could probably put their heads together and develop something later on this week. If they found Daze before then. No; the element manipulator shook his head violently in order to expel that thought. He noticed Scorpius send a hesitant glance towards him, but he seemed to understand what Ben was doing and went back to his own thoughts. Ben felt like such an idiot for letting this happen. Their only hope now was to just pray that Daze could get to a phone and contact them before it got too late.

The super powered adolescent was pulled from his thoughts when he noticed Katie handing the keys to the shop over to him. He zoned back into reality and took them from her, somewhat surprised that she was trusting him with these. She’d been so kind to take them in, feed them and cover for them when they were out, Ben had never expected to be trusted with the keys to the shop. Katie obviously knew Evadne well; if anyone, he assumed it would be the electric blonde holding the keys. It was such a trivial action, but it gave Ben a little hope; even after his failure today, someone, and an adult for that matter, was trusting him. He gave Katie a half smile and nodded his head slowly. “Thanks; I’ll be sure to lock up,” he said to her. She was right about one thing: they were in a dilemma. It wasn’t one Ben thought they had to involve Katie in; she was already in pretty deep with their crime fighting escapades and he didn’t want to drag her in any deeper than she needed to be. But she was their lifeline; his parents weren’t going to answer the phone if he called and it was kind of Katie to offer. “We’ll call if we need anything, don’t worry!” he said, downplaying their dilemma to some extent. “Oh and Katie, thanks.” It was a simple statement, but it meant a lot to him; he hoped she knew that.

“We do all trust you as leader, you know,” Scorpius said suddenly. Ben turned away from Katie’s retreating form to look over at his usually silent and solemn friend. Scorpius’ words tended to lack the sentiment that Daze and Evadne’s usually held, but he hoped that the younger adolescent was still able to pick up the meaning to them. Ben made a much better leader than any of them would. Daze was kind, but her interpretation of earth customs was raw and skewed, Evadne knew what she was doing, but her impulses would land them into trouble more often than not and he lacked a strong sense of communication with the rest of them, which made him unfit to lead. Ben was the best choice and one mistake wasn’t going to change that anytime soon. Scorpius believed in second chances and they’d only been a team for a few weeks after all.

“But I-” Ben began to protest.

“Humans are prone to error every now and then,” Scorpius cut the redhead off, intent of raising his confidence. “We understand that; you only had good intentions and this was all to help find a missing man. No one is perfect and one mistake will not change the fact that you are the best suited to lead among the four of the us.” Scorpius felt uncomfortable saying so much in a short amount of time, but he felt that the element manipulator needed a strong pick me up from a friend. Perhaps he wasn’t the best suited to offer such encouragement, but he was the only one present at the time so he would have to do. Besides, the fact that Scorpius rarely spoke, but was offering his words to Ben would probably comfort the redhead, right?

Ben couldn’t help but smile; Scorpius was right. Even if it didn’t erase his guilt and worry completely, it gave him the confidence to dust his knees off and try again. Their team did need a leader and even if it wasn’t the most experienced with his abilities, someone needed to take a stab at directing them. And if Scorp still had faith in him, then the element manipulator decided he could give it another try. This was their first major mission after all. He would improve with practice, hopefully. He nodded his head at his antisocial friend in thanks. “Thanks Scorp, that really means a lot.” he said. Scorpius nodded, obviously done with speaking and the two went back to their silence, hoping that Daze would soon try and make contact with them.

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If his assumptions proved correct, and they almost always did, Daze would be contacting her friends, who would find his actions and whereabouts to be much more than a tad suspicious. Dr. Oswald had thought this all through when tracking the alien girl. It wouldn’t take long for them to arrive and most certainly, any way the situation transpired, his operations here would be compromised. It would be time to move to another location, dive deeper into hiding. If his associates caught wind of his research, they’d turn it over to the authorities which would land him in much more trouble than he already was. No, he needed solitude to conduct his research and his groundbreaking discoveries could not be compromised. As Daze spoke on the telephone with her friends, the middle aged scientist went over to a lab table were his followers were working diligently on a new chemical solution. Gently, he tapped the desk with his fingers and gained their immediate attention. “The scenery from this laboratory is a bit grim, don’t you think? I believe it is time we sought out a location with a much better view.” His coded sentence immediately made sense to his underlings who nodded their heads furiously. They began cleaning up their messes and packaging all their supplies in crates. They had a few trucks parked just out back, ready to make a quick escape if needed.

Dr. Oswald looked over towards Daze, who still seemed preoccupied with her phone call. Good. Having viewed the team’s battle with that deranged thug downtown, the scientist had a clear view of what he assumed Daze’s abilities were. She didn’t have the potential to attack him like her allies did. This could be his only chance to harvest some useful data. Her friends wouldn’t be too pleased when they arrived and Dr. Oswald doubted they would allow him to make such a shady escape without reporting him to the police.

He noticed his newest, and most grand device, resting on the table by his hands. This would be the perfect time to test his DNA harvester. He wouldn’t get much opportunity when the other brats arrived. He took the small, peculiar looking gun in his hands and he began to slowly approach Daze. He would wait until she was done with the phone, not wanting to alert her friends of anything more suspicious transpiring. His fictional smile was back on his face, hoping that would somewhat reassure the girl. When she hung up the phone, he approached more quickly, though trying his best to seem casual. “Your friends will be coming yes?” he asked pleasantly as he approached her. He wanted to know how much time he had. His base of operations did lie on the shady outskirts of Oceanship City so he was sure he had around enough time to do what he needed done.

“I’m positive that I know your current mindset, Miss Daze,” he talked on. “I assume you believe that my activities here are suspicious, what with my hiding from my associates and all, but I can confidently assure you that my research is nothing short of heroic! You see, you and your friends have fantastic abilities; abilities that everyday individuals such as myself could never even dream of possessing. My research in gene manipulation was shunned by my associates, which is why I decided to break away. My goal is to find a way to manipulate every person’s DNA, who has the means to pay for such a mutation, to give them abilities that people like you and your friends possess. Then there will be no need for heroes such as yourself and we will all have the capabilities to defend ourselves from the scum this earth houses.”

It was brilliance to Dr. Oswald. Groundbreaking research that would change the world. He saw himself a brilliant, enlightened thinker and he didn’t understand how deranged his plan sounded. Though to be fair, neither did his underlings. Dr. Oswald saw himself soon having all the abilities the heroes of the world possessed; he would be unstoppable, all powerful and extraordinary. And he would test his research on Daze right now; he couldn’t wait any longer to put his plans into action. “Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how this can be accomplished. How can I, someone burn dull and ordinary, come to possess the abilities someone like yourself was born with. Allow me to demonstrate.” Dr. Oswald revealed his weapon to her, but without wasting any time, he took aim at her arm and fired. The gun released a needle, much like one of a shot, but thicker and stronger attached to a thick cord. The needle hit its target and immediately began extracting some of Daze’s blood. “I can use your blood to study your DNA and see what exactly inside of it gives you your abilities. And then I can mix it with my own, giving me the same powers.”

The insane scientist pulled the trigger again, which called the needle retrieved the needle from Daze’s skin and pulled it and the cord back into the weapon. Yes, now Daze’s DNA was safely in his possession; and soon, he would be able to generate her barriers and take flight, just as she could. Dr. Oswald was sure he was on his way to becoming all powerful. “And now that you have called your super powered friends to me, I will be able to extract their DNA as well and I will soon have all of their abilities as well.” Dr. Oswald couldn’t help but let a laugh escape from his throat.

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Both Ben and Scorpius looked up at Evadne as she came rushing out of the bookshop. Both of them looked anxious to hear her news, but as she explained Daze’s situation to them, their expressions grimed. None of this seemed right to Scorpius and, just as it seemed so to Evadne, he didn’t believe any of this was just some accident or some lucky coincidence. “I agree,” he said to the two of them. “None of this seems to add up the way it should; Daze might be in some grave danger.” He hadn’t trusted any of this to begin with and it seemed his suspicions had proved true. Whatever this was, the shadow manipulator didn’t enjoy not knowing the finer details of it; he wanted to get to the bottom of this and as soon as possible.


Ben’s head sunk low again for a moment. Scorpius and Evadne were right; something was shady here and if Daze got hurt or, God forbid, worse, it was all his fault. He couldn’t just sit here idly and do nothing. No, it was time to spring into action again. Hopefully, whatever was waiting for them, they could handle. Without saying anything to his two teammates, the redhead turned and used Katie’s keys to lock the front door of the bookshop, making sure he didn’t forget her sole request to him. Who knew how long they would be gone? And he wasn’t going to allow something else to go down on his watch. He stuffed the keys into his pocket and then turned his gaze to his two friends. “Alright, both of you be ready to fight if we need to; you never know.” And then the element manipulator looked to Evadne. “Lead the way.”

“Got ya.” Evadne nodded as she registered Ben’s words. She had to hand it to him; he still managed to keep his head even after everything that happened. The way he seemed locked inside himself and guilty made her fear for a second that he was going to step down from his position as team leader—but he managed to get right back up and try again. She admired him for it. The petite blonde turned on her heels and began to walk left. “It’ll take us a little less than five minutes to get there. If there is any trouble, I’m sure that Daze can hold out on her own for at least that long. She sounded fine on the phone, so nothing’s happened yet.”

The petite blonde quickened her pace when Scorpius and Ben began to follow her. She knew Ben was probably feeling the worst about this—but she couldn’t help but feel somewhat responsible herself. She could’ve offered to stay with Daze. Or she could have kept a closer eye on her. That didn’t matter now, though. It was one mistake and Evadne was confident that they’d fix things. And she was sure after the worry she, Ben, and Scorpius experienced—they would never overlook something like that again. “I think I’ll suggest a new team rule… It might be kind of obvious now, though.” Evadne said this loud enough that Ben and Scorpius could hear from behind her. “We work in pairs if we split up. Unless we have a certain form of communication.”

And speaking of which, she was sure she could make something that would suit their needs. Something that wasn’t quite a cell phone, something that would only benefit their team specifically. She shook her head, reminding herself that she couldn’t distract herself like this when she should be aiding in rescuing their teammate. Just remembering this made her quicken her pace even more. Daze was okay. She had to be okay. If not, Evadne was terrified to think of what would happen.

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The jab of the needle was enough to hurt a little and Daze immediately clutched the place where she’d been hit once the needle was extracted from her skin. Her thoughts were going wild at this sudden turn of events. Was Oswald a bad guy? He seemed crazy… What was he going to do with these powers? Was he going to help people? Or were they for selfish reasons? And if everyone had superpowers, Daze knew everything would be in a state of chaos. When Oswald ended his brief explanation with a threat to her friends, her eyes widened and then narrowed. She was still confused, but she could see his ill intentions to attack her friends almost instantly. That was enough to tell her that he was like those thugs she and her friends were fighting on the streets. He wasn’t a kind man with good intentions, he was crazy. He was going to do things that would only benefit himself.

“You have no right to duplicate someone’s abilities! And taking too much power for yourself is surely unhealthy!” Although she seemed mousy before, her temper had been tweaked and she couldn’t help but yell. She was exhausted, lost, and now she had to deal with this deranged man who didn’t seem to know that he was completely insane. And now he’d threatened her friends and their abilities. And that wasn’t something she was willing to let go. Ben, Evadne, and Scorpius had all shown her kindness that she’d never expected from the people who inhabited earth. The alien was sure that there were possibly others who possessed the same kindness and tolerance they did—but now she could confidently proclaim that Oswald did not. If he had, he would have at least asked permission before launching such a bold attack.

She wasn’t quite sure what this man was capable of. Even so, she sent a blast of light over in his direction before setting up a shield in front of herself immediately afterwards. She edged towards the door. She needed to tell her friends to leave as soon as they got there, or they’d be in danger too. If something happened to any one of them, it would be all her fault. And Daze wasn’t ready to let that happen. Daze was always on defense; it was her job to protect her friends. And that’s exactly what she was intending to do.

Daze was almost glad that it’d been her that Oswald targeted. Her abilities were extraordinary, or so she’d been told. But they could do more good than they could harm. Oswald wouldn’t be much too powerful if he actually did manage to duplicate her barriers and flight ability. Ben, Evadne, and Scorpius were always on offense and could deal serious damage to their foes. If Oswald was capable of doing what they could do, she feared what sorts of insane things he would do. Never before had Daze and the team encountered a thug who possessed the same sorts of powers that they had. They were already dangerous enough with their weapons.

“I will not allow you to harm any of my friends!” She finally exclaimed when she’d edged close enough to the door where she could yell to them if she saw them approach. She kept her barrier intact, determined to keep this crazy man from using his device on Ben, Evadne, and Scorpius. She’d caused enough trouble for them already and she wasn’t going to let things get any worse.

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Evadne had led the team to the deserted part of town. She didn’t even have to think twice about where the abandoned warehouse was, considering she could already hear the sounds of a fight going on. It was deserted, generally quieter than the rest of Oceanship, so the voices were nearly recognizable even though the warehouse was all the way down the street. A male voice—she assumed it was Oswald. And then a very frustrated sounding Daze.

The electric manipulator paled. “I can hear her! This way!” She gestured for Ben and Scorpius to follow her and began to run towards the source of the sound. Daze was still alive, that was good enough for her. But she could be severely hurt and Evadne couldn’t help but worry. Evadne braced herself for a fight as she, Ben, and Scorpius neared the warehouse.