"Well, this is the place..." I said to myself, pulling up into a parking space in the back of the lot in my car. It was Friday, after school. Monica was supposed to be here. "You guys see a yellow Mustang anywhere?"

"What the hell is a mustang?" Sparks said.

"Actually, never mind, don't try and look out the window...you think she's even here yet?"

As I asked that question, I heard, and slightly felt, the rumble of an engine in the space next to mine as a yellow Mustang GT with dark black tinted windows pulled up next to my car. "I think that answers my question." I said to myself.

Then I heard my cell phone buzz. I picked it up. "Hello?"

I heard Monica's voice on the other end. "Yes, it's us. Come on, get in here."

"Okay...wait, us?"

She sighed. "Aros is here, too. Just come on." she said and hung up.

Sparks chuckled. "She sounds impatient."

I shook my head. "Yeah. She's always been like that..." I took Sparks and Lawrence, hiding them under my jacket as I got out of the car, getting in the back seat. I noticed Aros in the driver's seat and Monica in the passenger seat. I let Sparks and Lawrence go on either side of me, the car soon starting to drive.

Monica looked back and shook her head. "You are such an idiot, you know that?"

"Um..." I barely got anything out. I knew Monica might get after me, but, right to start out with?

"Yes, you..."

"Nice to see you, too."

"What kind of idiot brings an animal around in public? Especially one that's not supposed to exist."

"Well, it was-"

"You knew what he was, too, there's no excuse for that!"

"It was his idea!" I finally was able to get out. I couldn't seem to get a word in edgewise here.

"What are you-"

"Lawrence wanted to-"

"No, no, how did he tell you that?"

Lawrence finally spoke up. "I just talked, that's all."

Monica gave us a strange look as I shook my head. "Lawrence, she can't-"

"Okay, then, you're both pretty thick." she cut in.

It was my turn to give Monica a strange look. "Wait, you understood that?"

"Yes. How you can speak and hear the language is beyond me, but reasons aren't important."

"So, did you want to tell me anything besides that I'm an idiot?" I asked sarcastically.

"Being sarcastic won't get you anywhere."

Sparks finally cut in, having been remarkably silent until then. "Hey, it's fun." he snickered a little.

Monica just rolled her eyes, muttering something about annoying, smartass people, turning to face the front. "Anyways, the reason I called you here is to tell you to stay out of this, if you still can. You have no idea what you're getting into. If anyone found out what you're keeping at your house, that makes you a target. If anyone finds out about your abilities..." she paused for a moment.

"What? Who's after us, anyways? Is that why people are after Aros, too?"

Aros chuckled. "Well, that is part of it. Though, I will admit, I believe I would be pursued even without my...differences."

Monica shook her head. "Because you drew attention to yourself..." she groaned, muttering something about being surrounded by fools.

"Who's going after us? I think I deserve a few answers." I said, getting more than a bit nervous at all of this. Monica didn't say anything. "Especially if they might be after me." I added.

Monica paused for a moment. "To tell you the truth, we're not entirely sure, ourselves. We're still figuring that one out. It's a research organization of some kind, but they like to keep secretive. Their buildings are unlabeled, assuming the lab is even a stand-alone building. What we do know is they have influence everywhere. Law enforcement, government, their own squads, not to mention large amounts of money. I've seen the inside of one of the research facilities. They've got some high-end equipment."

"What kind of research is this?"

"Research into creatures like...Lawrence and your pikachu friend there. Or anyone who seems to possess any unnatural abilities they believe might be linked. So, if it's still possible, lay low, and let us take care of your friends there. If these people find out what you can do, however little that might be, it won't be pleasant."

Lawrence shivered. "I told you. I told you not to joke about it before."

"If it's still possible?"

"Someone might already know. We'll keep an eye out. If the police are going to do anything, we'll be able to warn you. Assuming their people don't come after you themselves."

I looked up front curiously. "So, that setup up front is not your stereo system, then?"

Aros smirked a little. "This? A continuous coverage radio scanner. Took several of us to build these."

"These? As in, multiple?"

"Of course. We can not be the only ones monitoring things. Too much risk. We have a place to operate from, but if all else fails, this car can be a mobile communications station, and-" Aros was sounding a bit like he was bragging.

Monica nudged him. "Hey! Shut up! He's not even with us..." she said harshly, glaring at him.

Just then, the radio beeped, seeming to be auto-tuning. "White Three and Red One, repeat, White Three and Red One, Are you mobile? Over." a voice said over the radio.

Monica grabbed the mouthpiece. "Yes, what's going on? This better be important...over." she said angrily. She was probably angry about revealing too much to an outsider. That being me, and possibly Lawrence and Sparks, too.

"I wouldn't if it wasn't. Get on the scanner, we've got a situation. Red Five's got cops on him, wrong place at the wrong time-"

"Really? I've got a civvy here-"

"It's escalating quickly! Someone's got to get out there!"

Monica sighed. "I'm on it...over and out." she put down the mouthpiece, flipping on a switch on the dashboard. I heard a noise behind me, looking to see several more antennas extending out of the top of the trunk.

The radio soon crackled to life. "-Douglas and Meridian, repeat, we have a 10-39 at Douglas and Meridian, heading east, a Signal 1, in a...reptilian costume on the run, Signal 52A, with napalm. Our bullets aren't working, we need more force!" "10-4. 10-39 at Douglas and Meridian, Signal 1, Signal 52A towards officers with napalm, possibly wearing armor. SWAT units, 10-94. Officers on scene, keep your distance, don't lose him, keep the SWAT units updated."

Monica groaned. "What the hell did he get into?" Aros started speeding the car up, and I was getting nervous.

"What're you-"

"Quiet, anything you have to say can wait..." Monica said angrily, letting out what almost sounded like a growl. "The day we get into something like this, it had to be today..." Monica and Aros seemed stressed, nervous, yes, but not scared, even as we were going much faster than any other car on the road. But, then, the police wouldn't worry about speeders right now, judging by the radio we were still overhearing. The police would probably start worrying about us about the time we try to rescue the fire-spewing maniac roaming the streets.

"So, how do you plan on-"

"Let us worry about that, you stay back in your seat." Aros said. I haven't been finishing nearly as many of my sentences as of late. Then, as we turned the next corner, I knew we'd arrived. A cloaked figure was running from several police officers a good distance away, parts of the road on fire, a couple of police vehicles navigating around the fire more quickly.

"There he is. Hold on, this is going to be a rough ride." Aros suddenly cranked the steering wheel, sending the car drifting left, going sideways, and sending me into a fit of hyperventilation, the door on the right side opening on its own. It looked like Monica was operating it. She didn't look all that nervous, even as my heart was trying to leap out of my chest. I pressed myself against the back of the seat as this person tried to leap into the car, he tripping over the seat, obviously not very prepared for this, flying right in front of me in a front flip, the door slamming shut at about this time. He was barely able to say "Shit!" before he smashed his head against the back driver's side window, falling unconscious onto me, he having put sizable cracks in the window. Sparks and Lawrence seemed almost as scared as I was at all of this, though they were yelling, and I was completely speechless. Bullets were now bouncing off of the windows and body of the car, leaving cracks and dents, before it drove off, straight through the flames, quickly driving away. Bulletproof and fireproof, or resistant, at least, and motorized doors to add to the feature list. This was one impressively modified car.

I was now simply trying to regain the ability to breathe again, looking down at what we'd just...I'd say rescued, but that was questionable, since we'd appeared to knock him out. Not to mention he hit bulletproof glass with his head hard enough to noticeably crack it. Now I could see his face, though it wasn't any human face. It was a snout with crimson scales, and a protrusion out of the back of its head. "A...charmeleon...?" I said to myself. Would explain the 'napalm'. Or maybe it did work like napalm. Aros drove closer to the speed of the traffic now, pulling up into a car wash after a couple of minutes, he rolling down the window, pressing several buttons in combination on the control panel, rolling the window back up, metal shutters closing off the exits. As the car wash started up, I could see that the 'water' coming off the car was yellow, the same as the paint.

"Thank Arceus those were only 9 millimeter rounds..." Monica said to herself before she looked back at me and sighed. "This is the kind of thing we have to deal with. Leave your friends with us, and we'll drop you off. Hopefully we won't have to meet like this again."

I looked down. "Yeah, I...suppose so."

"I might not be at the school much longer, if this keeps up." Monica said as she shook her head.

Lawrence and Sparks looked at me. "You're leaving?" Lawrence asked.

"I'm afraid so. I don't know anything about keeping you safe, they do. As long as you're not in the car, I guess." I chuckled. The car was safe, what they were doing with it, not so much.

Then I heard a groan. The charmeleon was waking up. "Unngh...owww, my head."

Monica then directed her attention to him. "Vincent...why are you getting chased by police? Why in Arceus' name are you using fire against them?" she asked, sounding even more mad than before.

"I was...blocking them off. There was...burglary...thought I was a fucking suspect. Can't let them get their...hands on me...lose the product...get...taken in for...experiments." he groaned and lied back, closing his eyes.

"You sure you're okay?" I asked him, though he didn't answer.

"He's been through worse. Just let him sleep." Monica said, though she still sounded angry at him, letting out a rather irritated groan. Worse? Hard to think of a worse day than smashing your skull into a solid surface at at least 40 miles per hour. I was noticing a strange resistance to blunt head trauma with these creatures, or maybe they were just getting lucky. After a few minutes, the metal shutters lifted again, then the car wash opened, Aros driving back out, the car now a bright green. So, changing the color of the car, huh? Didn't know there was a place set up for such a thing. Though, the car still looked like it had seen some better times.

"So, they're not going to get your license plate or anything?"

Aros scoffed. "Please, like we would be so careless. It seamlessly retracts, leaving only a blank panel-"

Monica nudged him again. "Aros! Knock it off!"

"Sorry, sorry..." Aros pulled the car near the store.

Monica looked back at me. "All right, Dallin. Take care. Try not to get into trouble. But, if you do..." she sighed. "Well, call, I guess. Assuming we still have the same number."

I looked down at Lawrence and Sparks. "Well...goodbye, you guys. It's been fun. But, you'll be a lot safer with them, not with me." I hugged the both of them for a brief moment and sighed. "Hopefully I'll see you guys later."

Lawrence sighed sadly. "Goodbye..."

Sparks chuckled. "Hey, you'll have me." he smirked at Lawrence.

"Hmm, I wouldn't count too much on it, but maybe." Monica said in response to me. "Hopefully we don't meet again under the same circumstances."

"Yeah...see you later. Hopefully." I opened the door and got out, quickly closing it, to avoid having people see Lawrence and Sparks, and watched as the now green Mustang drove off. I sighed, walking back to my car. I wasn't going to forget this day, that was for sure. Hopefully it was going to be the most exciting day I had though, because I don't think I could handle another one like it. Maybe now life would be more normal again.

Though, I've been wrong before.