Zach didn't even have time to chant in his mind, 'sunny D, sunny D, sunny D, Minute Maid!' before Terra's carrot colored stare was the widest, most confused look he had ever seen.
"What…how?" she was at a loss for words; his words had struck her mind numb. She couldn't think of anything besides of the fact that Zach had met her father, the same man who had been absent almost all of her entire life. She couldn't understand how Zach knew so much by asking her father. How did Zach even know who her father was when she hadn't the faintest idea? Her stomach did a flip-flop at the sudden unexpectedness of it all and she felt herself collapse lightly onto the ground. Zach knelt with her, holding her arm to balance her. To make sure was okay.
"Who is he?" was the first thing that blurted out when she shuffled her thoughts together in a somewhat organized fashion.
"His name is Felix Cordis," Zach answered not knowing what else to tell her. She seemed emotional, and any more emotion meant she could break out and cause an earthquake. Like he had learned from Cordis, they didn't have to be extremely upset to cause damage…destruction could be an act of passion. He was suddenly worried about the next time (if there ever would be one) making out with her.
"Zach, com'on the bus is gonna leave!" they saw Ethan rush up to them and wave his arm to motion them forward. Zach helped Terra up and they got on board.
"It's about time you kids showed up," Don Wilson, bus driver chided and closed the doors behind them. Zach sat next to Terra instead of Ethan. Magenta looked at them suspicious but decided she didn't care. Terra held the seat with her hands and stared forward with questions, so many questions that Zach couldn't possibly answer. She would have to find her father and ask him herself for her questions to be answered.
"Terra," Zach put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump.
"What did you do to her?" Gail asked from behind. It startled him, and that time he was the one who jumped. Heck, there was no way not to be jumpy looking at Gail. Lovely, freaky Gail Matters would never have a guy close to her unless he liked 'abnormal'.
"I didn't do anything," Zach lied, not knowing he really was the one who caused Terra to be so out of it all of a sudden.
"Where is he?" Terra whirled around and grabbed Zack's sleeve.
"Who?" Gail asked, even though she wasn't invited into the conversation.
More kids turned to look after Terra barked out her question.
"Uhhh, Felix?"
"Who's Felix? Is he foxy?" Gail wiggle her eyebrows with her famous Cheshire cat smile. Rayne and Byrn were at the back of the bus but were listening carefully, sending subtle threatening glances at Zach.
"Where is my father?" Terra asked again, clearly.
Gail wore a blank expression, and then spat "Ew, that's not foxy!"
Rayne shot up and swiftly walked down the aisle. Before Don Wilson, bus driver could even yell at her to sit down. She yanked Zach up by his collar and glared at him.
"What did you do?" she hissed. He felt a sprinkle of rain on his nose, knowing it wasn't natural. He almost peed his pants- he was so scared. If he didn't want to be elementally pulverized he'd best answer the shady lady.
"Let him go!" Will jumped up and demanded. Rayne flicked her eyes towards Will, but he wasn't a threat. Zach Begged Will to just sit down before the bus exploded in precipitation. Will could see it, nodded, and returned to sitting, upright position.
"He's in prison," Zach answered Terra's earlier question and then dared look at Rayne in the face. "I figured out who your father is," he explained, her grip tightened on his collar. He was surprised such a pale, delicate wrist had so much strength. Rayne was a little shorter than him, but he was almost lifted off.
"Sit down, young lady!" Don Wilson, bus driver tried to take command.
She ignored him, "And why do you think we want to know who our father is?"
"I never said you did. I wanted to know…" Zach said, looking away because Rayne was scaring the crap out of him.
"WHY?"
"To figure out where you stand on the super level," Terra wondered herself, Zach said that they never could be superheroes, and they weren't super villains. Was it possible to just be a tragic tangle of uncontrollable powers?
"Let him go Rayne," Terra demanded forcibly. Rayne stared at Terra in angry bewilderment, since when did the youngest bark out orders?
"Let. Him. Go." She said again, clenching her fists. Rayne's eye twitched, knowing Terra's powers far exceeded in the damage department than her own. She loosened her fingers and Zach fell onto the seat.
"We're going to see dad," Terra told her sisters, even though everyone on the bus had been watching since Rayne grabbed Zach. "We're going to ask him why he left us."
No one agreed. No one disagreed either.
