Chapter 3: Trouble

Lexi came out of her room, after having taken a shower and putting on her nightgown. She looked at the clock: 9:45 PM. Well, she had consumed more time cleaning up than she thought she had.

She walked to the lounge area, in the middle of HQ. There he was, as she knew he would be: Ace, dressed in his pajamas. He always stayed up to make sure everything was taken care of before the next day. He would also awake before everyone else to check that nothing had happened in the night.

She went over and plopped beside him on the couch, coaxing a smile from him, which she returned. He had his arm rested across the top of the couch, right behind where she was sitting. She leaned back, and imagined that he had put it there for her.

"Sorry if we made you uncomfortable today," he said quietly, and she blushed. She had all but forgotten that incident in the training room. "But you ARE really good, Lex. Why didn't you ever tell us?" he questioned, a slight grin on his face.

She looked down and away, trying to hide her face from him. "Well, it just never seemed that impressive."

"Impressive?" She looked up at the incredulous tone of his voice, and saw shock upon his handsome features. "That was beyond impressive! It was…it was…I can't even begin to describe it!" he exclaimed. "And the baton stuff, that was just…" he trailed off and shook his head in disbelief, his voice still low.

She blushed and turned away again, murmuring, "Thank you." They sat in silence for a few moments, before he started talking again.

"Where did you go off to?" he wondered aloud. She swung her gaze to his face, as she was unaware that he had known. "I went to the park, on the east side of town," she said, "to finish my jogging."

"You had me worried," he whispered, tucking a piece of her hair back in place. Her eyes widened, and she asked, "W-why?" He was interfering with her senses, making her forget many things, like how to talk.

"I didn't know where you were. I – " he looked down and studied his feet, "I kinda, um… freaked, I guess." Again, she had to ask, "Why?"

"Lex, I…" He sighed, and moved his eyes to her face. "I feel – " His sentence was cut off when a shrill sound started echoing throughout HQ. They jumped up, and Lexi couldn't help but feel disappointed that he hadn't finished. There were so many possibilities for what he could've said next.

Ace ran to the main room, and when she followed, she could see Zodavia. "Loonatics," she began, as the rest of the team piled in, "there has been a great disturbance within Acmetropolis, one far greater than any problem we have encountered before." She gestured to the screen, and a clip of a huge explosion was playing, with a dark figure hovering above it.

Suddenly, the stranger came in close to the camera. "Lexi, I miss you," Pierce smirked evilly, and the tape cut out.