Chapter 3: Alone

I decided to watch some television, too lonely and freaked out to sleep. I made some popcorn and plopped down in front of the TV. Turning it on, I flipped through the channels, groaning as I discovered there was nothing good on. I wished then that I had gone with them, if only for the company. There was only one way to get to New Olympia now: hitch hike, which I definitely didn't want to do. It was fair too dangerous. I decided that I was going to just try and cope by myself for awhile.

Atlanta and Archie Matthews, and their two children, Adam and Ally, were waiting for the bus at the terminal in Vancouver. Adam, who in a desperate attempt to be "cool" had dyed his hair the same violet purple his dad sported. Ally, whose natural raven black hair was in two long braids around her shoulders, tapped her foot impatiently.

"Mom, shouldn't the bus be here by now?" she asked.

Atlanta sighed. "It's only five minutes late, Ally. Be a bit more patient."

Archie reigned in a guffaw, knowing full well how impatient and temperamental his wife used to be. Their daughter had obviously inherited those traits. Besides that, she had her mother's lightning speed, while her brother had Archie's own skills in fighting. He smiled down proudly at his fifteen year old son, who was also getting impatient. Archie knew why, though. They hadn't seen their friends for three years. The last time the seven heroes had met with their children, the eight kids had become close, and Theresa, Odie, Herry, Jay, Neil, Atlanta, and Archie had had a difficult time separating them.

Ally smiled dreamily. She couldn't wait to see Tim again. She loved the way his chocolate eyes shone in the light, and his lustrous brown hair always got in his eyes. Her brother glanced at her sharply, and bit back a laugh. He knew that look: she was daydreaming about a certain someone. But then, it was no different than him: he had a minor crush on one of his friends, no matter how much he tried to deny it. He sighed. He wondered if she'd forgotten him.

Atlanta was startled by the sudden quiet. Usually her kids were taking shots at each other, teasing, mocking, or fighting. She sighed in contentment. The peace was relieving. Laying her head on Archie's shoulder, she closed her eyes. She had been very tired lately, and she wasn't quite sure why. Archie stroked his wife's hair gently, also puzzled by her behaviour. Her usually boisterous attitude was subdued and quiet, her tone more sombre and solemn. He was a bit worried, but when he'd asked Atlanta about it, she'd waved his worries off impatiently.

"You worry too much," she'd claimed.

Suddenly the bus showed up, and the family grabbed their suitcases and boarded the bus, all of them looking forward to the reunion ahead, but wishing it were for different reasons.

Odie kissed his wife, Lisa, goodbye as he boarded the train with his son, Owen, who was the spitting image of his father.

"Be careful, darling," said his sweet wife lovingly.

"I will, dear," he replied, giving her one last hug and kiss. Owen gave his mother a hug, then turned away quickly, not wanting her to see him cry. He was too big a boy to cry, especially in front of his mother.

"Bye Mom, see you soon," he called through an open window as the train pulled out of the station.

Herry scooped his wife Amy up into her arms and spun her around, laughing. "I'm off," he announced. He turned to his daughter. "Are you sure you're not coming?"

Amy Jr. bit her lip, looking between her mom and dad, trying to decide. Her mother smiled at her encouragingly. "Go on, dear, it'll be a way for you and your dad to bond," she said.

Amy made her decision. "Let's go, daddy," she said, smiling up at him. They trundled into the family car, waving to Amy as they pulled away towards Herry's usual fishing spot, no idea of what lay in store.

Neil and his son Dominic looked out together over the valleys as they passed over them in Neil's private plane. "Being a millionaire rocks," Neil announced to everyone who'd listen. Dominic rolled his eyes. "Where are we going anyways, Dad?" he asked.

"To New Olympia, of course. To save the world from a maniac god," Neil declared dramatically. Dominic sighed. There were some days when he thought his dad was immature and foolish, but today he just thought that his dad was crazy. And that, he thought, was an understatement.

A/n: Hope you like this chapter. Please review!