Rueben's the first inside the hotel room. The sun is low in the sky and soft rays of light shine through the windows. Ryan was just dropped off at his home. Rueben wonders if his mom will be mad that he's late getting home.

He can hear his parents down the hall. Alec is complaining about all the stairs and the lack of elevators. Rueben sits on his bed and stares into space, his parents' voices filling his head.

His father is a kind man. He's always cracking jokes, but ready to talk if you need it. At first glance, you can't tell he's blind. You can suspect it as he feels his surroundings with his cane and hides his eyes behind those dark sunglasses, but he's physical appearance doesn't set anything off. There's nothing about his almost nonexistant black hair and matching stubble across his cheeks that gives any indication that he's disabled.

Alec isn't a man who deserves to be blind. No one deserves it, of course, but Alec especially. Rueben tightens the comforter in his fists. His father shouldn't be blind. Their family shouldn't be split up and missing a piece. That man shouldn't have ever messed with his family.

Destiny smiles at Rueben when they finally reach the room. There are scars scratched around her face; one across her eyebrow, one beneath her eye, and one along her jawline. She looks as though she lost a battle with a devilish kitten. There are more along her arms and down her legs. They stick out like a sore thumb, raw skin that rises above the unscathed and never fades, even fourteen years later. Rueben tried asking once where they came from. Destiny left the room without another word.

"What do we do now?" Rueben asks curiously. Alec finds his way to the other bed and collapses on it, sighing loudly. Destiny opens the mini fridge and grabs a bottle of water.

"What do you mean?" she asks, cracking open the drink.

"Well, we found Ryan. When are we going to bring him home?"

Destiny looks over at Alec. She knows he can't see her, can't speak to her through his eyes like he once could, but still she looks at him. She finds comfort in looking at him for answers, even if she knows she'll never receive them like that.

Alec still saves her, though, "We just met him, kiddo. Let's give him a few days to settle down."

Destiny twists her marriage ring around her finger. "Besides, bringing him home is easier said than done. I'll be willing to bet his mom isn't going to let him go so easily, especially since we didn't actually contact her before we took him today."

"What?" Rueben gasps. "But you said-"

"We didn't have time to go visit his mom first. This city is dangerous. We're here to save Ryan, yes, but we have to do it carefully. One wrong move and we could lose him forever," she sighs, looking at her son sadly.

Rueben looks between his parents. They're tired, he can tell. As his mom pulls her short black hair into a ponytail that only really holds a section of her hair, he can tell she's exhausted. He's seen first hand what being in hiding does to someone. He was never told why they were constantly looking over their shoulders, but he didn't need to be. His parents are scared even now, even fourteen years later. They're paranoid and cautious, and his life has never been normal because of it.

He walks to the window. Their hotel is on the outskirts of town, so their room shows only the lights of the city. It's gorgeous, he has to admit. Maybe in another world, he would've grown up in Bay City. Maybe in another world, his family wouldn't have to constantly live in fear.

Unfortunately, they live in this world. That's why he similarities between Rueben and his parents' intentions in Bay City end with finding Ryan. Rueben wanted to find his brother, yes, but he also wanted much more. Ryan says the bad guy is gone, but Rueben knows he's lying. On a website, Rueben found the name of the man he despises more than anything else in the entire world.

That's why Rueben is here for much more than Ryan. He's here for Leo Mendel.

•••••

It's four o'clock when I get home. We stopped at a pet store on the way back, then Rueben wanted ice cream. Time sort of got away from us and I ended up getting back just as the sun was setting. Mom's car is in the driveway, along with Mark's temporary pickup truck. Until he can buy a new car, he's stuck with a rusty green truck in desperate need of some TLC.

They're both in the kitchen and everything's silent. I approach the room slowly, wondering if I'm at the edge of a fight or some family drama with our second cousin or something. Mark is behind the counter, eating from a bag of chips. Mom is leaning against the couch, arms crossed over her chest. Both look distressed, but Mark is also tired while Mom is worried.

When they hear me, they stare. Mark sighs and rolls his eyes. Mom storms at me, eyes narrowed and accusing finger already in my face.

"Where on earth have you been?!" she demands, stopping a few feet away.

I frown. "What do you mean? You know where I was."

Mom and Mark exchange looks. Mom continues, "Your brother tells me you weren't at school today at all."

"Spyder and Harris told me you left in first period," Mark adds.

"So where were you?" Mom finishes.

I look between the two once, then again to make sure I'm hearing this right. "You don't… I thought they called you. They said they called you."

"Who?"

"My parents!"

The kitchen is silent again. Mark freezes, a chip just inches from his open mouth. Mom stops, her face morphing from anger to confusion.

Slowly, a bit hesitantly, I continue, "My birth parents. I met them today, they pulled me out of school. We went to an outlet mall in the next town over, then to a pet shop, then we got ice cream. It was crazy."

"I agree. It is crazy that these two strangers think they can just walk into a school and take any kid they please! If that's not illegal, it should be. It's basically kidnapping!"

"No, Mom, it wasn't like that. They're kind people, all of them! I was skeptical too, but they showed me proof. They have pictures of me as a baby up until I was a year old. They have my birth certificate, too. They're my real parents."

Mom clicks her tongue. "I'm calling the police." She walks to her cell phone laying on the counter.

"No!" I start to follow her, but another idea comes to mind. I quickly kill the phone just as she turns it on. She mutters under her breath and starts for the house phone but I step in her way. "Mom, please. I'm fine, see? No breaks, no bruises, no nothing. I'm fine."

"I don't care how fine you are, Ryan, these people have committed a crime and I demand they pay for it. Anyone who thinks they can just take one of my kids without my permission needs to be taught a lesson."

Mark interjects, "Mom, why don't you put that off for today? He's been through a lot and the last thing he needs is to be questioned by the police."

Mom looks from me to him. She looks terribly annoyed. "Fine," she agrees after a minute of silent glaring. "I'll call them tomorrow." Mom turns to me, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. "In the future Ryan, get a hold of me before you go running off with people you don't know."

I nod. "Right, got it Mom." Mark and I watch her walk upstairs. When I hear her bedroom door shut, I turn to Mark. "Thanks."

"No problem, bro." He folds the chip bag closed and turns to put it away. I sit on a stool in front of him and grin.

"Dude, you have to hear about-"

"Uh, sorry," Mark cuts me off, frowning as he looks at his phone and turns back to me, "Dane just texted. I'm supposed to go cliff diving with him and other guys from the team."

"Mom's letting you go cliff diving?"

Mark scoffs. "No way. As far as she knows, I'm bowling. Don't tell her?"

I sigh. "Yeah, okay."

"Sweet. When I get back, you can tell me all about what happened today. Later!" He grabs a black duffel bag from beside the back door and disappears outside, leaving me alone in the kitchen.

I drum my fingers on the counter, hum a song in my head, mess around with the lights. Used to, we'd be at Mech-X4 trying out Mark's repairs and gearing up for another monster attack. I miss the attacks, as bad as that may seem. I would love to have them back, just without everything else involving my family and Seth Harper. Back when it was just the four of us saving the city and helping people, I felt like I had a purpose in life. Like I was actually here for something. Now? I feel like every other kid in the crowd.

And I hate it.

•••••

Ryan: I didn't die in case you guys were wondering

Spyder: whoo!

Harris: So what happened?

Ryan: Can't explain over text. Wanna meet up?

Spyder: Srry just had a hard practice my legs are burning. Tomaro?

Harris: I can't today or tomorrow. Veracity and I only have three days to finish our project. Sorry Ry.

Ryan: No big deal. Wasn't very important anyways. I'll see you guys in school.

I turn my phone on silent and lay it on my bedside table. It's late now, a little past nine o'clock. Mark's not back yet and probably won't be for a few hours. Mom hasn't made a sound in a while, except to grab some food about an hour ago. She hasn't asked me about my day yet. I guess meeting my birth parents isn't a big a deal as I thought.

Even though I'm not tired, I force myself to sleep. Tomorrow I'll go talk to Leo about my parents, at least he might listen. Tomorrow I'll see both of my brothers again and I'll demand to know why Destiny and Alec lied about talking to Mom. I want to say I'll tell Harris and Spyder everything that happened tomorrow as well, but I have a feeling that won't happen.

I have a feeling that, along with my best friends, a lot of things are going to be changing.