​THREE|

"What did he say, Mel?" Morgan asked. He was her cousin, so she should know what Sam said.

"He's going to find a way to come here. He's sending a search party to the caves to find a portal. An extremely good thing."

"You're telling us?" Evan said. "He could help us through this, and tell us what to do."

"Uh, yeah," Jake said. "What he said."

Morgan rolled her eyes. "Jake," she said. "Do you have a mind of your own?"

"Yeah," he said. "Morgan, I'm hurt by that comment. I do have a mind."

"Shut up, you two. Jake, we know you have a mind, but you don't use it all that much."

"Anybodys! That's not very nice. I do have a mind, and I use it daily."

"Sure. When pigs fly you have a mind," Morgan scoffed. "Learn how to use your mind if you insist you have one."

"Guys, just if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it."

"Evan, you sound like an elementary teacher. We don't need that now," Melanie said, punching his arm. "We need someone with a brain, and leadership skills, both of which you have. I know you do."

Evan, by this time was turned around. He blushed when she said that, and didn't want anyone to see. He knew that Jake would read him the riot act later if he knew, which he probably did. "I guess I do, Mel. I'm not always sure."

"You do. Doesn't he, guys?"

"Uh, yeah," Morgan said. "You have a mind, Ev."

She elbowed Jake in the stomach, knowing even though the boys were friends; they liked to pick on each other more than anything. "Yeah, Ev. You really do have a mind. A good brain at that."

"Thanks, guys. But we should start getting ready for the onset of the FAYZ. What did Astrid tell you guys to do?"

"She told me to get a ration system for the town and to lock up the sweets and the junk food. We should do that so we don't run out. And if anyone knows how to drive, we'll have to ration the gasoline, won't we. We'll have to keep all the perishable foods in a refrigerator or freezer to keep them good for longer. Which means that we'll have to raid the fast food places and use the freezers and the refrigerators," Melanie said.

"Everything will need to be rationed. And we'll need a money system. And we have to keep the fields in order. And make sure that all of the clothes in the mall aren't stolen. We'll need to make sure that people who need clothes have them. And we have to keep all our old winter coats," Morgan finished the thoughts.

"So keep everything?" Jake said.

"Exactly. You do have a brain, Jake. That's a good boy," Morgan said, reaching up to pat his head like a dog's.

"Very funny, Morgan." Jake ducked away from her hand.

"I knew you'd get it."

"Guys, no fighting, remember?"

"Yeah, sure," they said simultaneously. "We remember."

Just then, Evan spotted a little girl crying in the courtyard of the elementary school, Genesee Elementary. "Guys, let's go make sure that little girl is okay. And the other elementary school kids."

"That's an idea. We need to make sure that everyone is okay."

The four of them made the short trek across the street. Evan was the first to talk. "Are you okay?"

"I want my mommy," she sobbed.

"I know. We all want our moms. Even us big kids. It'll be okay."

"I hope so..." Evan gave the little girl a hug. He would have wanted a hug if he were her age.

"We'll get everyone's mommy back. We promise." Evan said calmly to the little girl. "Do you want to come with us?"

"Come with us, honey. What's your name?" Melanie kicked in.

"Molly."

"Well, Molly, we'll take care of you."

"Promise?"

Melanie crossed her heart. "Promise."

Evan picked the little girl up and carried her back across the street with them. "It'll all be okay, Molly. Do you have any older brothers or sisters?"

"Yes, her name is Elizabeth and she goes here."

"What grade is she in?"

"Seventh."

"We'll find her. We'll find her Molly."

In a few minutes, they had found Molly's older sister. Molly's older sister was a person with powers. Nothing major, just a little extra strength. No wonder she was the best female shot putter on the Varsity team. The powers had been developing for years apparently. Evan knew about that, but didn't tell anyone. There had been an accident with someone, but he was not about to tell anyone about that. As far as the others knew, this was only the second person in Auburn with powers. There was bound to be others, maybe from East and the high school, along with all the rest of the elementary schools.

Melanie noticed how Evan seemed distant. "Evan," she said, "are you okay?"

Knocked from the distant world in which he was in, he replied in a startled tone, "Oh, yeah, Mel. I'm fine. A little tired, you know all about those late night Regents study sessions."

"Yeah. I'm a little tired, too."

Across the lawn, Morgan and Jake had their own problems to deal with. There were even more people with powers. One girl was a mind reader. A boy was a true psychic. Another was like the human torch, and yet another was like Mr. Fantastic. All they needed was a kid who could shoot webs out of his hands and one who has gills, and they would have a circus sideshow. They were beginning to regret leaving before Melanie and Evan. If they had stayed with them, they wouldn't have known or been entangled in the mess that they were in now.

"Shit...," they said.

"Okay, that's creeping me out," Morgan said. "Why do you keep saying the same thing as me at the same time, no less?"

"Uh, I don't know..."

Morgan smacked the back of his head Gibbs-style. "You have to use your head. God gave it to you for a reason, Jake."

"Yes sir, Gibbs, sir," Jake joked. He was an NCIS freak. And he wanted to bug Morgan.

"Jake, a, I'm not a boy, b, I'm not Gibbs, and c, I don't mainline caffeine!"

"But you do slap like Gibbs."

"Do you want to be called DiNozzo?"

"Nah, no thanks."

"Then don't call me Gibbs."

"You're more like Ziva anyways."

"Shut up, Jake! Let's just go and find Evan and Melanie. They need to know about this."

"And so does your cousin..."

"Sam will find out soon enough. We still have electricity, and I need to charge my phone. Did I mention we need to find the others?"

"Yes, you did."

"Then let's go, asshole." She punched his arm, hard.

"Ow... That hurt... Yeah, definitely Ziva..."

"Just go, DiNozzo."

"Okay, okay." The two headed off in Evan and Melanie's direction.

"Evan!" Jake yelled.

"Mel!" Morgan called.

"Evan!" A voice called him. Evan spun to the voice. It was Jake.

"Mel!" Morgan yelled. Evan saw this, but Melanie didn't so she reeled around.

"What?" Evan called back. He didn't want to know what they had to say. He feared it.

"We got more mutants!" Jake called back. Evan had his fears confirmed.

"Oh god," Evan groaned.

"You got that right, Ev. You got that right," Melanie said in a dry, emotionless voice.

The city of Auburn was definitely in another FAYZ.