Chapter 1: Kidnap Victim

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.

"Lauren?" Miss Grimwood asked, poking her head inside of Lauren's room.

"Yes, Miss Grimwood?" she asked, looking up from her book.

"Could you come downstairs with me for a moment?"

"Sure, Miss Grimwood," Lauren replied as she slipped a bookmark inside the book before setting it down. She hopped up and followed Miss Grimwood downstairs where she saw that the door was open.

Two people were framed by the doorway. One was a man with a well-kempt mop of brown hair and eyes of bright aqua. He was clearly over six feet tall and wearing black jeans and shoes, a white long sleeve shirt and a casual gray vest. His partner was female with long blonde hair and sparkling bluish-violet eyes. She was just shy of six feet and was wearing navy jeans, black riding boots, and a purple sweater.

"You must be Lauren." the female said as Lauren and Miss Grimwood approached.

"Yes. This is who I was telling you about." Miss Grimwood said.

"I'm agent Christie McMissile."

"And I'm agent Finn McMissile."

"I'm Lauren Black, but you seem to already know that," Lauren said, shaking their hands. "Now, what can I help you two with?"

"There was a break in nearby and our sources told us that you were the aptest to help us," Finn said.

Lauren quirked an eyebrow in confusion before asking, "Why do you need my help if it was just a little break in? Was anything of any value stolen?"

Finn and Christie exchanged a look before Christie explained, "Nothing materialistic was taken. But a boy was."

Lauren's face paled before asking, "A boy? What boy? What's his name? What happened to him?"

"His name was Tug Roper. He went to the school next door, at Colonel Calloway's Military School. Do you know him very well?" Christie asked.

"Yes. He's my boyfriend." Lauren said quietly, clutching her heart. "Who kidnapped him? How long ago did this happen? And do you know where he's at?"

"No, I'm afraid we don't know any of these things. We were investigating the crime scene for less than five minutes when the other boys that go to school there suggested we bring you over to help us. They were very adamant about your capabilities. Care to elucidate why they would think a sixteen-year-old girl capable of helping out with a major investigation?" Finn asked her.

Lauren exchanged a look with Miss Grimwood before waving the woman away. As she walked off, Lauren turned back to Christie and Finn and said, "I don't know what would lead them to say such a thing but I do know this. I'm not resting until my boyfriend is found. Now, agents, shall we begin investigating the crime scene?"

"Follow us," Christie said as they walked over to the cadet's school.

As they approached, the cadets ran up to them. "Lauren!" Baxter cried, hugging her around the waist.

"Hey, dude," Lauren said throatily, Tug's missing beginning to sink in.

Christie placed a hand on her shoulder before asking "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," Lauren said, straightening up. Christie and Finn pushed open the door to the cadet's bedroom and saw absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. There was no forced point of entries, no broken windows or holes in the walls. "How did the kidnapper get in?" Lauren asked.

"We're not sure. Our analysis shows no forced means of entry. And all of the doors were locked."

"How long ago did he go missing?"

"According to the cadets, a mere hour and a half ago they awoke to a bright, flashing, green light. Once the light faded to black, Tug was gone."

"A green light? That doesn't sound like an ordinary type of kidnapping to me." Lauren mused, rubbing her chin. "Are there any clues, any at all, that may tell us where he was taken?"

"We've found nothing," Christie responded sadly as the cadets shuffled back into their room.

Lauren frowned before asking them "When you guys saw the green light, did you hear anything or see anything other than the light?"

"There was something, actually," Roger said.

"What was it, Roger?" Lauren asked, practically teleporting to his side.

"It was a female's voice. I think she was talking to Tug and I only caught the end. But what I heard was 'Soon the entire world will fear the new wicked witch of the web!' Then they vanished in the green light."

"Wicked Witch of the web? Why does that sound familiar?" Lauren mused, rubbing her chin. "You don't think. .?" Lauren asked, turning to the cadets, her eyes wide.

"But you killed Revolta!" Jamal exclaimed.

"I don't think this is Revolta. She did say the 'new wicked witch of the web' after all." Lauren replied fearfully.

"Then who could it be?" Grunt asked.

"I don't know," Lauren said.

Finn suddenly interjected "What is going on? Do you know the person who took Tug?"

"No, but we think we know who it might be. But you wouldn't believe me."

"Try us," they replied in unison.

Lauren looked the pair over skeptically before asking "How much do the two of you know about this school?"

Finn and Christie looked at each other before Finn replied "Not much. It's just a desolate school in the middle of a bayou, right?"

Lauren smiled ruefully before saying "You're right, but I should have made my question plainer. What I meant to ask was what do you know about the students? Anything in particular?"

"There's six of you?" Christie responded, confused.

"What are you playing at?" Finn asked her all of a sudden.

"I'm getting to the point," Lauren replied. "And that's all you know about us?"

"Yes. Is there more?" Christie asked.

"You could say that." Lauren replied coyly before adding "We're not humans. We're monsters. And I think it was a monster that took Tug."

Finn and Christie exchanged a look before looking at Lauren again. "Are you serious?" Finn asked.

"Completely serious, but I can see you still don't believe me. So I suppose I'll have to show you what I'm talking about. But you have to promise not to tell anyone."

Finn and Christie simply nodded as Lauren turned to the cadets and asked "Please don't scream or faint. What you're about to see may shock you but the sooner you believe, the sooner Tug is back." Without further ado, Lauren formed her magical bow and quiver of arrows and loosely strung an arrow. Finn and Christie's eyes widened as Lauren extended the contraption to them. "Touch it if you don't believe it's real."

Hesitantly Christie poked it with her pinky. Upon seeing it was not a figment of his imagination but something actually tangible, Finn reached out and touched it as well. "How. . . how is this possible?" he asked.

Lauren shrugged her shoulders before replying "Magic is the best explanation. It really does exist, detectives, and surrounds us every day. It's a beautiful force and I intend to use it to get my boyfriend back. And now that you know I'm telling the truth, I believe its time you two left. The cadets, my fellow classmates, and I can relocate Tug and stop this new witch on our own."

"You've got to be joking. You're just children."

"True, we are kids, but that hasn't stopped up before."

"You mean you've battled monsters before?"

"Dozens of times in the past six months alone. And we've never lost. Besides, we can't drag you into this. If you asked for backup, your fellow agents would die of laughing at your reason."

Christie smirked before saying "I know at least two who won't. Finn, I'd say it's time we radioed in Holley and Siddeley."