Runaway Garde
Part one
Nine stretched out on the couch. They had just finished another meeting and he was waiting for round two. Lexa came back in first.
"Now that they're gone I have some reports to show you that will certainly interest you."
"Oh?" Nine inquired, looking up at her.
Lexa sat down next to him and opened her laptop.
"Yeah, maybe it'll remind of the old days minus the Mogs." She smiled typing away.
"Mogs?" Malcolm asked, walking in.
"There's this girl who has no name running all over the United States giving Earth Garde a run for their money. They've nicknamed her Athena. For this girl is incredibly smart." Lexa explained.
"Well to evade Earth Garde you don't need that much intelligence." Nine commented. Lexa shook her head and chuckled.
"So what's the story with this girl then?" Malcolm asked sitting down in a chair.
"She was discovered a little over a year ago in rural northeastern Pennsylvania. Grew up on a farm with a mother, stepfather, and grandparents. She just turned 15 last week. Her birth name is Charlotte Robert Warner. She's five foot six inches, 124 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes. It was revealed that she has telekinesis." Lexa looked up for a response before continuing.
"She was sent to a processing center in Scranton. There her parents signed the paperwork but during the physical, the girl broke free. She demonstrated super strength, super speed, and then invisibility. She's been on the run ever since with multiple identities and appearances. Evading capture each time with all sorts of tricks. Reports say she's showed everything from stone vision to flying to controlling lights." Lexa explained.
"You don't think," Nine started.
"Impossible. It's the rarest of all." Malcolm argued.
"Care to share gentlemen?" Lexa inquired.
"How much of these reports are truthful?" Malcolm questioned. Lexa chuckled.
"I can't say."
"So she could have it?" Nine asked.
"Ximic the rarest legacy out there. Only Four has it." Malcolm answered.
"Wonderful. I love a challenge. Pittacus Lore 2.0 bring it on." Nine cracked his knuckles. Malcolm chuckled.
"But maybe she's got something else," Lexa suggested.
"The description fits Ximic. So should we fight fire with fire?" Malcolm offered.
"Send Johnny after her?" Nine smiled, his eyes lit up with mischief.
"She's evaded all of Earth Garde for a year now. Sending Four after her I don't think will help." Lexa replied.
"Not alone obviously." Nine scoffed.
"Send the Garde at her. You're all used to flying under the radar and escaping government agents." Malcolm answered.
"Four, Six, Seven, and Ten?" Lexa questioned.
"John, Six, Marina, and Ella." Nine nodded.
"We can handle getting three of them but Malcolm you'll have to call your son. Six hasn't been responding to me." Lexa added.
"Earth Garde know we know this?" Nine questioned. Lexa shrugged.
"Awesome I love doing things under people's noses. Let's get the gang together." Nine clapped his hands together enthusiastically.
She probably should've been offended that they interrupted her breakfast. She barely had enough time to grab her backpack before dodging them. They shot her glass of orange juice before she sent every knife in the kitchen at them all at once. That had them distracted so she got out the back door.
Curses they surrounded her again.
"Love to stay and chat but I have better things to do." She taunted.
In a flash, she was gone. At least that's what they would think. Where would she pop up next was a better question? Nothing like evading a team of agents to wake you up in the morning. But they were both safe. No one would catch her and she would protect her family. Not those people who just willingly signed her away without a second thought.
It took a week to get them all to the Academy. They were meeting up in Nine's office with Malcolm and Lexa.
"So you think there's another one with Ximic out there?" John started.
"It fits all the reports we've been getting about her." Malcolm nodded.
"But she would need to have experienced others legacies to mimic them." John pointed out.
"I doubt there's many Garde she's come into contact without in the middle of nowhere." Six scoffed.
"Maybe it's something similar to Ximic? Could she be tricking the officials?" Marina suggested.
"That'd be a new one," Malcolm commented.
"But how do you think she's evading capture so easily? She must not be using regular forms of travel." Six inquired.
Malcolm gave Nine a knowing look.
Ella gave them a look.
"Get out of my brain Ella." Nine sighed.
"Tell them then." She smiled.
Four raised an eyebrow. "What's ya got professor?"
"There was an incident a few months ago where some students escaped and went on an adventure of their own. They discovered this girl who can create Loralite. She works for other people but that's how she and her partner bounced across the globe." Nine explained.
"Could she be flying?" Six suggested ignoring Nine.
"Or teleporting?" Marina added.
"Didn't Eight need Loralite to teleport?" Ella questioned.
"No. He was just more accurate when he used it for long-distance." Marina answered.
"So she's probably teleporting every time she's caught." Six finished.
"Well want your good news?" Lexa questioned.
"What?" Nine asked.
"The human Garde Athena just evaded capture in Belmont, Michigan. Used telekinesis and then went poof." Lexa read.
Malcolm got up and went to the map to mark the city.
"There seems to be no method to her relocating. She just pops up anywhere in the country. Never the same place twice." Malcolm explained.
"So we get to go find her before Earth Garde puts a bullet in her skull." Sam quipped. He had been quiet the whole time.
"She hasn't killed anyone. She's just the thorn in their side. The one they can't catch." Nine chuckled.
"Then why do we care?" Six questioned.
"Because I want her here before others can get their hands on her." He sighed.
"Like those religious nuts I met in South Dakota?" Four inquired.
"Worse." Nine replied.
"Religious nuts?" Six and Marina both questioned.
"I had to rescue a human Garde from people that were trying to kill her because she's the devil incarcerate." Four bluntly explained.
"Nice," Sam commented.
Six just rolled her eyes.
"So where are we starting?" Four asked.
"How about Belmont Michigan. That's the last spot she was. I'll get you the address." Lexa offered.
"Sounds like a plan." Marina shrugged.
McClain City, New York was where she landed. The bundle of material pressed hard to her chest and her backpack secured on her back. First thing first. Supplies then shelter. She felt movement in her wad of material and pulled away a section to reveal a small pale face. She was getting worse. If only she knew how to help the girl. Maybe she'd manage to get her to a hospital before long. She was still working on making new paperwork for her. She readjusted her grip on the girl and walked into a Walmart and headed into the pharmacy department. She only needed two items. Some hair dye and children's Tylenol. Then she'd find a house and work her magic. She managed to secure them a house under an assumed identity. Once she tucked the little girl into bed and gave her some Tylenol for the fever she set to work. Flipped the bathroom lights on and dumped her Walmart bag on the counter. She grabbed the box and ripped it open. This would be what? Fifth time? Sixth? They'd never managed to stay in the same place for more than six weeks. Like a second nature, she started mixing the chemicals together. Goodbye Avery Elizabeth. Hello, Sarah Stevens. She frowned at her reflection in the mirror and set to work. This was still a better life than beforehand. Once the deed was done she washed it out and grabbed the next package. With a sigh, she ripped it open. What should she do this time? Once she finished and cleaned everything off she started working on new papers. How long until they found her this time? Two? Three weeks? Maybe five? They were relentless.
"Well, this is pointless." Sam sighed.
"Haven't found anything?" John asked.
He peeked around the corner to where Sam was going through the tech set up in the basement.
"She must have some serious security measures. The whole system has been wiped or corrupted I still can't decide which."
"Why not talk tech to tech?" John suggested. He saw a look of irritation come across the boy's face. Before either could continue they heard Six.
"John! Can you come up here? She called from upstairs!"
"I'll give you and the hardware some alone time." John teased. Sam rolled his eyes. John laughed and went upstairs.
She wasn't on the main level but standing on the second level stairwell. She turned around and disappeared off to the left of the second landing. He followed her into a bathroom.
"What'd ya discover?" He questioned looking around.
Six picked up a small garbage can and placed it on the counter. "Look familiar?"
It was obviously weeks old but John knew what the only garbage in the can was. Hair dye and hair.
"Looks like the garbage of a fugitive." He teased.
"An art we are all very familiar with aren't we?" Six smirked.
"We don't live like that anymore Six." John reminded.
"Alright, you two stop reminiscing and come see this," Marina told them. She had an amused look on her face.
"Get out of here." Six laughed.
Four rolled his eyes at her. Six put the garbage can back and followed them out.
"I know there are three bedrooms here and one girl but the two upstairs both looked lived in," Marina explained gesturing to two doorways.
"Could we actually be looking for two?" Four suggested.
"That might make it more believable for the stunts she's pulled," Marina added.
"But all the reports including the original capture of her said she was it." Six argued.
"How do you think Ella is doing at the Academy with Nine?" Four asked with a sigh.
"Relax. She's fine." Six reassured.
"She's probably having loads of fun with Nine and the other children there." Marina chuckled.
"Where's Sam?" Six inquired.
"Having a heart to heart with the tech in the basement." Four answered.
"Yeah, we came to a great disagreement. Let's go back to the hotel and report to Nine." Sam spoke from the stairwell. He sounded annoyed.
"I never thought I'd hear those words in the same sentence. Report to and Nine." Six quipped. Four laughed.
"Neither did I."