"Too bad he got away, huh?"

A tall brunette boy sighs, exposing dangerous looking fangs. But there's still a smile waiting to break through in his ink coloured soul. He watches through the screens of the hidden cameras carefully, noting each of the people passing by. Then he snorts, not too politely.

"Mutant freaks, all of them." He licks his fangs. "It should be a crime to let them wander around like that. Of course, I guess they were all prototypes. Not a work of art like me."

But suddenly, something on one of the screens catches his eye, he moves closer.

"Oh? What's this? Is little Joseph coming back to us? He's getting really close, maybe he'll crawl back into his cage, too."

"Keep your emotions in check, David." The scientist next to him says. "Honestly, I've never seen you this unruly. You know what She said, not one feather of yours should even touch Robin, unless Noel and Gail fail. Besides, weren't you more interested in the other subject? Or what about-"

"Both of those things can wait." David stood. "This is my own blood we're talking about. If I don't kill him, maybe I'll take him under my wing."

"Don't kill him and don't leave the labs. Understood?"

"..." He glanced to the scientist, then left the room. From the sound of it, the force of the slam broke the door completely off of its hinges.

...

I was staying close behind Violet, but staring directly ahead at Noel. He would turn to us every few minutes, but didn't say anything. The quiet was getting really dense, even though I think we were still really close to the city. I couldn't hear one car, or any conversations, and that was saying a lot, with the hearing I have. So I finally spoke up.

"Um...Just how far are we going to go?"

Noel looked back at me, then ahead. "We're almost there, don't worry."

"Okay..." I continued looking around, avoiding any funny looking plants, which oddly, there were a lot of. Actually, there were a whole lot of weird looking plants, like toxic waste was spilled all over this area. I didn't notice before.

When I looked over, Violet was staring at the ground warily, the same as me. In fact, when she ran into Noel's back, I ran into hers. Violet and I stepped back, but Noel simply looked around.

"This is the place. Hm, looks like the labs use this field as some kind of dumping area for waste. That's probably why the plants look so odd."

Violet nodded. Noel turned back to us, looking more scary-serious and solemn than he did a few minutes ago.

"This is where your friends could be. And if they are here, you should find them quick, before something happens."

"Um, don't you mean we? You're the one that wanted to go with us so badly."

"..."

I turned in the direction of the sound of rustling leaves, a second or so later, the other two did as well. A girl with white hair stepped out of some dense trees, followed by Jack, Neko, and Rihoko.

"Jack!" I ran over to them, making sure not to even brush past the weird-looking girl. She creeps me out. "How did you guys get here?"

He looked over to the girl. "She lead us here, says her name is Gail."

I gave her a slight glance, then turned my attention to Noel. He looked like he was trying to shrink or something.

"Noel, what's up?" For that, I was sent a glare.

"Noel?" Gail said. "You're that spy they had in the labs!" She pointed an accusing finger in his direction.

"That's a lie." Noel practically growled. But in the middle of all of this, I was smiling in triumph.

"Ha! You're a spy! I knew it!" Ha, I'm so smart. If it were possible for a glare to burn holes into someone, that's what Noel's would be doing.

Now everyone was giving him suspicious stares. Everyone but me, that is. It wasn't hard to believe that he was a spy, what with him suddenly appearing and trying to beat the tar out of us. It was just weird how Robin could trust him so easily.

With the eerie silence, it felt like there was going to be a huge showdown.

...

I sighed for what had to be the billionth time in the last hour. Being this close to the labs was unnerving, and I hadn't found one sign of Flicker or Pepper. Hopefully they hadn't already been caught, and were maybe hiding away somewhere safe. If not, I'd have to risk going back into the labs to free them. No, It'd be my duty as a leader to go and get them, and I wouldn't hesitate.

So long as I believe that, the nervous feeling might fade.

Deeming them not here, I ran to the cliff edge and flew back to the city. Maybe Violet or Riley had found them, or even Jack, Neko and Rihoko. But as I scanned the place, I didn't see one sign of them anywhere. They didn't just suddenly disappear, did they?

When I was heading back to the building, I heard a scream that immediately made me stop and head in the direction it came from. I came up on a field with grass that looked like glow sticks, even in broad daylight, and flowers with...mouths?

The scream had come from Rihoko. She was being held upside down by Noel, and continued to struggle.

"Let me go!" She yelled, then swiftly brought her foot towards Noel's face, hitting him dead-on. After she was dropped, Violet ran over and kicked him in the chest hard enough to knock him back a few steps.

The scene slowed my reaction time down near to stopping, and for a moment, I was just staring at everyone.

"Robin!" Riley's voice snapped me out of it. She ran in front of me and started bouncing around.

"He's a spy, Robin! I was right!"

"Who is?" I asked before thinking. But once I did think about it, I had to keep my mouth closed to make sure I didn't say 'I know' or something equally stupid in this kind of situation.

Everyone then looked over to me, and I looked around the little crowd before focusing on the chick with white hair. What? Another spy?

"Gail." She said. "I'm Gail, you can trust me." Then she gave Noel a look. "Unlike this spy."

Noel looked to me. "Your friends are here. I know they are."

"I bet that's because you put them here." Gail said. I wasn't sure what to believe, or what to do. Sure, Noel had told me he was sent to spy on us, but I didn't think it would get this far. Who would've guessed that being a leader was this hard?

"Alright!" I said finally. "Violet and Jack, I want you two to search the area. Riley, Neko and I will make sure these two don't go anywhere. If you don't find the others, come back immediately."

Gail was a little in disbelief. "These two? I already told you, I'm not a spy!"

"And I'm not taking any chances."

"Still, I should go with them. I saw where your friends went." She suddenly looked very serious. I nodded towards Violet and Jack, and they were off.

"You could be a spy, heck, you could be an assassin." Neko said, then shrugged. "I'm with Robin on this one. I don't really trust you."

I was about to thank Neko, something I'd never thought would be necessary, but then I heard running in the direction Violet and Jack had gone in.

"We found them!" Violet appeared first, helping Flicker to stand. Jack was close behind, helping Pepper. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Noel look away swiftly.

"Are you two ok?" I asked once they were closer. Flicker nodded weakly, then put a hand to her head.

"I can't remember anything, it feels like someone blindsided me with an iron bar." We'd certainly have to check that out.

"I'm okay." Pepper said, and then tried for a weak smile.

I looked over to Noel, and he was staring right back at me. Soon, all of us were looking his way. With a slight sigh, he pulled something from his pocket, a folded piece of paper, and threw it in my direction. I caught it, but by the time I looked back up, he was off of the ground, soaring away from us.

"Are we just going to let him go?" Violet asked me.

I shook my head. "I suppose...we'll get him if he tries to bother us again, okay? So long as I'm here, no one's going to split us apart, and no one's going to hurt any of you." I looked over to Gail. "No one."

She sent me a glare.

And once again, we were off, flying to who knows where.

Hm, something about this chapter...I don't like how it ends...