January 29. 1: 15 pm.
Superhero Boys Put On Makeup for the First Time
"Is this...is this...what is this?" A tall boy with dreadlocks asked as he squinted at a sparkly pink tube of makeup.
Beside him, Dorian laughed and took the tube from him. He read it closely before turning to the other to the camera and triumphantly declaring, "Highlighter."
"Highlighter? Like highlighter?" the other boy asked suspiciously and started stroking his hand over the table as if highlighting a paper.
Dorian burst into laughter and the two smiled, "What is that? No, I think this is what goes on the cheeks?"
"Yo, I used the wrong thing then, man," the other boy laughed, earning another rise from Dorian. The two were mid-makeup, attempting to do their best for another of Dorian's videos. Both looked a mess as misused makeup clotted their faces.
"I give up, man. I can't do this. Women are amazing. I don't know how they do this," the other boy chuckled and threw his makeup on the desk before them to show he was finished.
"Don't give up, man," Dorian laughed as he started coating his lips with gloss. "You just need a little lipstick."
"Yeah?" the other asked, and sat up. He dug through the make-up on the table until he found a tube of red. He untwisted the bottle and tenderly dotted the liquid on his lips. He mashed his lips together, turning to Dorian and making a popping sound. The two burst into fits of laughter again at the absurdity of how they looked.
"You look hot, bro."
"I knew red was my color," the other joked as he posed dramatically for the camera. "Yo, I look like Kim K up in here. Just call me DeShauna."
Dorian snorted at that, "DeShauna? What's my name?"
"Dorienne...a."
The two's uproar was cut short as a knock came at the door. They both widened their eyes with horror as the door creaked open. They scrambled to stop the person from entering but Frankie was already in. She froze as she looked at them, a blush coming to her cheeks from her surprise.
Again, the two boys howled with laughter, falling back in their chairs at Frankie's expression. She grimaced embarrassedly as she excused herself, "It seems I've interrupted something."
"No, don't go!" Dorian pleaded, tears forming in his eyes as he tried to get a hold of himself. Both he and DeShaun recovered themselves with grins and reached out to her.
"What's up?"
"I was talking to Carlos and he suggested we all go out to the city," Frankie said, standing off to the side to avoid the camera.
"Really?" Dorian asked, a look of confusion coming over his face.
"Carlos did?" DeShaun added, mimicking his tone.
Frankie bit her lip, having been caught in her lie. She shuffled with her hands and leaned to the side as she looked to the door and away from them. "He didn't disagree when I suggested inviting the others."
The two boys turned to each other and shrugged their shoulders. "Good enough for me."
They stood up together and went to the bathroom, asking Frankie to wait while they washed their makeup off.
"What? You don't want to go like that?" She teased as she leaned back against Dorian's bed.
"I mean I look pretty good right now," DeShaun admitted, staring at himself in the mirror before scrubbing his face with a wet towel, successfully smearing his makeup across his face. "Aw, man."
"Frankie, help." Dorian begged as he squinted at her, his face dripping wet with freshly applied water.
"I'll meet you guys downstairs," Frankie rolled her eyes and hid her laugh as she excused herself from the room, ignoring their desperate pleas. She was on her way out to meet Carlos when she was joined by Melanie in the hall. Frankie stopped out of curiosity as the shorter girl began following her. "Yes?"
"What are you doing?" she asked, looking at Frankie with a calculative gaze. She held her hands behind her back and peered up at her with a taunting expression. Frankie stiffened, seeing she was being studied behind the girl's smile.
"We were going to go out," Frankie trailed, clearly uncomfortable with the interrogation.
Melanie smiled, and bounced with false pleasure as she replied, "I'll come too."
"Oh, okay," Frankie said lamely. Melanie had quickly got a reputation of being anti-social in the school. And considering all the kids who were anti-social, that was saying something. She hadn't been exactly friendly with anyone despite her engaging them. Frankie looked up to the ceiling as they walked together, too flustered to deny the girl's invitation.
Carlos raised a brow as she came with Melanie in tow from down the hall. He turned his gaze from them, avoiding offering any kind of greeting. Speaking of antisocial, Carlos was hardly the better.
"Melanie, DeShaun, and Dorian have agreed to join us," Frankie announced as the two came to a stop next to him. She was met with a brief nod as Carlos looked to the side. Frankie forced a weak smile on her face as she second-guessed their adventure. Five superpowered teens with individual quirks running around Jump City didn't sound like the best idea anymore.
"Worried, kitten?" Melanie asked, sensing her discomfort. She turned to her with an amused smile.
Frankie sighed as she had to deal with Melanie's taunting. "Yes."
"Don't worry," she said playfully, bouncing on her toes. "I can decrease our probability of causing a ruckus."
Frankie sighed again in relief, thankful that Melanie wasn't teasing her this time. "Thank you."
"Mmhmm," she nodded and pointed down the hall. "Here comes trouble."
Frankie turned, spying Dorian and DeShaun walking up to them, still rubbing the makeup off their faces with their hands. "Trouble indeed."
Frankie sighed and moved towards the door, "Everyone ready?"
"Wait, are we going in our uniforms?" Dorian asked, pinching his blazer for show. The others shrugged, not thinking it was that big of a deal.
DeShaun raised his hand in response, speaking up. "How are we getting there?"
The group responded by collectively turning to Dorian as he looked around. "Oh, right!"
He started ahead and took the lead of the group as they exited the building. "I can do this."
The group behind him shrugged, having no better option if they didn't want to get caught by the school for stealing a boat. They made it down to a secluded part of the beach and gathered in front of the waves.
"Okay," Dorian said, gazing at the water as if it would give him an answer of how to do this. "Let me try…"
He called on a stream of water and brought it over DeShaun before pausing. He had intended to wrap the boy in a ball of water before he rethought his idea. "Nevermind."
He dropped the water to the side and turned back to the waves, studying them closely as he tried to think of another idea. Frankie rolled her eyes and turned to the water, walking forward. She started into the water line, seemingly stepping on the sand, but as she went further, it became apparent she was standing on water. She turned back to them shakily, struggling to stay atop the roll of the waves. "Any time now, Summers."
"Oh, right!" Dorian started and extended his hand. He sectioned off the water she was standing on and brought it towards him. Frankie stumbled with the movement, her foot splashing within the section of water slightly before she regained her balance. Dorian added to the water, giving her more room to balance as he focused on stabilizing it.
"Uh," he said, and climbed on as an experiment. The water sunk like a cushion beneath him, but kept him afloat. "Okay, we're good."
Melanie gave him a skeptical look as Carlos and DeShaun climbed on without another word. "Are you sure about this?"
"Should be fine," Doria guessed, extending his hand to help her up. Melanie frowned and got aboard against her better judgement.
"Everyone hang on," Dorian instructed as he moved them ahead into the water. It was a rocky start, but eventually he got a better hold of it. The trip was leisurely as Dorian took his time to get them across the water while everyone enjoyed the sea breeze offered to them.
"So how long has everyone been in this hero business?" Melanie asked as she sat over the edge of the water, miraculously dry despite being surrounded by water.
"I'm from Burlington, West Virginia. I saved a neighbor's dog from drowning and that's about it," DeShaun admitted, laughing at his own inexperience.
"Err, yeah, me too. I haven't done that much," Dorian confessed as he drove them further.
"I haven't done anything," Frankie announced sheepishly.
They turned to Carlos who grunted at them in response. "Ex-marine."
"Woah," Dorian exclaimed. "How old are you?"
"Nineteen," Carlos replied, frowning, but leaving the others stunned.
"I'm the same!" Melanie interrupted their awe as she answered her question herself. "No experience~."
"So we all have a lot to learn," Dorian guessed as they passed a boat with several stunned passengers.
Frankie ducked to avoid them and whispered to the others, "Should we be wearing disguises?"
"Nah, no one knows who we are," DeShaun answered calmly as he ignored their stares.
"Do you care who sees your identity?" Melanie asked with her signature lolling smile.
Carlos shook his head in reply as Frankie bit her lip, "Well, no, not exactly. I'm just not sure if now is the right time to be doing so...do you guys care who sees you?"
"No."
"No."
"No." The other three answered all simultaneously, sending Frankie into a fit of embarrassment. She resigned herself to be quiet before she said anything else of difference.
"We're almost there," Dorian announced, smiling. He was happy that everyone was getting along for the first time. He wanted this experience to be fun for all of them.
The group nodded and those who were seated stood up as the opposite beach started approaching them fast.
"Uh-oh," Dorian said as he began having trouble slowing down against the motion of the waves. The others scrambled to hold on to each other as they were nearly knocked from the makeshift boat. Dorian grimaced as he struggled to keep his water formation together as they got closer and closer to the sand. "Brace for impact!"
The five of them were thrown onto the sand in one final jolt as Dorian lost his grip on his powers and hoped for the best. They each braced for impact against the sand, prepared to get a mouthful of tiny rocks when they froze mid-air. DeShaun laughed as they all became encompassed in a soft, milky-white glow. "Got you."
They sighed with relief as DeShaun gently lowered everyone to the sandy floor and let them recover. Melanie glared at Dorian and punched him in the shoulder as soon as she was down. "We're taking a boat back!"
"Ouch, my bad," Dorian put up his hands and accepted the hit. Frankie coughed, taking their attention as she pointed around them. Quite a few people had been gathered at the beach and were staring at the young heroes in surprise.
Dorian laughed weakly at their stares and bowed. "Thank you."
Melanie and DeShaun waved at the people as they stared while Carlos went to Frankie's side. He stood in front of her, using his large body to block her from their stares. Frankie blushed and accepted his protection, hiding behind his back . "Thank you."
He nodded, showing no hint of emotion as he started forward. The others followed after, quickly leaving the scene as the people stayed behind, unsure of what to make of the situation.
"So what now?" Dorian asked, revitalized by being off the island. They hardly lived anywhere deserving of international fame, but Jump City was still a big city and it excited them all the more.
"Pizza."
１月３０日 ８：２２
"Landing in one," Miss Martian announced as she brought her ship to a stop over the deep green forest. She carefully maneuvered her ship as she brought it down on the rocks over an isolated riverbank. She steadied the ship, making sure it was stable before she powered it down and got out of her seat. The rest of the team followed suit as they unbuckled themselves and gathered around the center of the ship.
"Alright, everyone," Aqualad instructed, looking over each and every one of them.
Everyone was in their civilian wear for their disguise on this mission. "Remember this isn't a vacation. We're here to investigate the recent magical influxes in the vicinity and find it's source, and put a stop to it if we can."
The group nodded their understanding as Aqualad dished out orders. "Robin, you and Miss Martian take the west side of Tokyo and do your research there. Green Lantern and Kid Flash will take the east. Superboy and I will stay here and look for clues. Report back to everyone immediately should you find anything. Remember this is a covert mission. Don't blow your cover."
3:16 pm.
"I call the last slice," Melanie declared, slamming her hand down on the table as they all eyed the last piece of pie on the table. They had ordered one hell of a pizza. Cheese for Frankie, extra meat for DeShaun, supreme with extra chile peppers for Carlos, pepperoni for Dorian, and vegetarian for Melanie.
They each had their preferences, but neither minded the last piece of cheese pizza that Frankie couldn't finish.
"No way, girl. I had my eye on that piece since I realized Frankie couldn't finish her crusts ," DeShaun argued, putting his hand over hers.
"Guys, I got us here. The last piece is mine," Dorian pouted, stubbornly putting his hand over theirs.
"I claim the last piece," Carlos announced, slamming his fist on the table and creating a small tremor. The three sweat-dropped and quickly gave up, unanimously passing the piece to him. He smiled slightly at his triumph as he reached for the hot sauce and drenched the pizza in it.
"Anyone down to go to the park?" Dorian suggested as Carlos devoured the pizza in one bite.
"Down," DeShaun replied cooly.
"In," Melanie sing-songed as Frankie nodded in agreement. They turned to Carlos who gave a satisfactory burp before grunting his agreement.
The park held a familiar nostalgia in its fields. Not because they were reminded of their time as kids, but because it held a sense of unrestrained freedom- something the group had forgotten while boarded up in classrooms. The group walked leisurely along a stone path, admiring the scenery as they strolled.
"Feels good to be outside," DeShaun commented passingly as he took in the view. He turned back to the group and smiled as he spotted Melanie skipping a bit ahead of everyone.
"I wonder what the other students are doing right now? Like the real superhero ones?" Dorian wondered aloud. They were allowed to leave the Academy whenever they wanted, and had been given special waivers from most classes. The two groups hardly interacted with each other.
"Probably another secret mission," Melanie guessed bitterly as she skipped.
"What do you mean?" Dorian asked curiously.
"They came back last week with bruises and cuts. They tried to hide it, but you saw how easy they went during training. They were injured," Melanie explained, stopping her joyful strides now that the conversation had changed.
"They've been going on secret missions?" Dorian asked again, his voice loosing it's normal vibrant tone. His face fell with the realization. He was so stuck on being a dynamic hero and working along the best, he hadn't even realized how useless he was compared to the others.
"Woah, hey," DeShaun stepped in upon seeing his friend's face. "That's fair. They're real heroes. No one expects them to just walk away from it. We'll get there too someday."
"How long until then?" Dorian moped, causing the group to circle around him. Both Carlos and Frankie held similar bitter expressions at the news. They hadn't expected on being left out of the hero community when they came here.
Melanie turned her gaze over the group carefully before finally smiling. "Well, hey, we're heroes too~. They don't deserve all the glory, right~? If we don't like it, let's go find out their secret base and force them to let us join."
"No, we can't do that," DeShaun spoke up, looking at each member quizzically. "Can we?"
No one else said anything else. They were clearly interested in the idea. Melanie smiled again at having their attention, "Then it's decided. When we go back, we have a mission of our own. We'll make our own team, but until then, we need to train. Get used to each other's powers. So let's play a game."
"What game?" Frankie asked. She, like the rest, were hanging off Melanie's every word as she spoke to their inner desires. They were all on board for her plan.
"Tag sounds easy enough," she suggested with a smirk. "Powers included of course~."
The group nodded and migrated to a grassy area of the park. They stood in the middle while Melanie continued giving orders. She placed her hand on Carlos' arm and smiled, "You take first tagger."
Carlos nodded and unfolded his arms, standing to his full height. The others backed up unconsciously, clearly intimidated by their bigger opponent. Melanie smiled in response. "Count to ten."
The group scattered, taking off in different directions as Carlos began counting down with his eyes closed.
Three. Two. One.
Melanie watched from her place in the shrubs as Carlos pinpointed Frankie and chased after her with thunderous speed. She remained hidden as Frankie ducked into the trees as Carlos began gaining on her. They ran out of sight and Melanie focused on the other person located not far from her.
"You're quite smart, aren't you?" She said aloud, though never turned her attention towards the tall boy.
"Your powers probability. It made sense you'd use it to avoid Carlos," DeShaun answered back sheepishly, coming out from his hiding spot a few feet away.
Melanie smiled. He was quick and had clearly taken the time at some point to diligently evaluate each of their powers. "You're right. I'm curious. How well did you analyze my power?"
"Basic probability," DeShaun answered carefully. "Your powers good for avoiding and enhancing. At the top of your game, you may even make the impossible happen."
"Do you think my ability makes for a good offensive power?"
"Umm," DeShaun stumbled. He didn't think it did.
"For example, a minute ago, I increased the probability Carlos would catch Frankie," Melanie informed calmly as she stood up from her place. "Now, I increased the probability that Frankie would come in this direction, and she'd go after you instead of me."
As soon as she was finished, Frankie jumped down front of him from the tree above and swiped at him. DeShaun gasped, letting out a weird gurgle as he stretched as far back as his lanky body allowed. "Woah!"
Frankie didn't hesitate to let him recover. She swiped at him again and he dodged. Frankie cursed as her hand connected with the tree beside him at a bad angle. She whipped her head around and located DeShaun. He had gained a few feet on her, but that wasn't a recovered and jumped to the side as Frankie went after him again. "Woah, chill! Chill!"
DeShaun ran for dear life as Frankie wasted no time pursuing him. He knew he couldn't outrun her. He didn't understand Frankie's powers, but he knew she was fast. He cleared his path of rocks and twigs as he ran, wrapping them in telekinetic power. With a long hurdle, he jumped and twisted in the air. He set the small obstacles behind him, directly in Frankie's path. It managed to slow her slightly, but he was still in danger.
He continued running, contemplating his next move when he felt something strike his back. He stopped and turned around, freaking out as he saw what it was. "Ooooh!"
Frankie's eyes had become rectangular with yellow pupils, while her tongue had reached new lengths and spanned out the distance between her and DeShaun. She croaked in response to his surprise and retracted her tongue.
"Does that count?!" DeShaun exclaimed as Frankie went back to normal.
She shrugged in a care less manner. "No tag backs."
"Fine, fine, whatever," DeShaun relented, walking off as he tried to shake the image of frog Frankie out of his mind. Now that he was tagger, he could go after Melanie. She, probably expecting so, would probably try to dissuade him with her powers, but he had a trump card to play.
He smiled to himself as he retreated to his sixth sense. His mind fanned out across the field as he tapped into his telepathic field. Four consciences signaled back at him. Dorian was laughing at him from afar, causing DeShaun to nearly abandon his plan for revenge. Carlos was thinking of coming out of hiding and having a one on one fight with the tagger. DeShaun shook his head in response. No way that was happening.
Frankie stood off to the side, not really caring since she couldn't be tagged, which left Melanie. As expected, her thoughts were filled with equations to get him to avoid her. He smirked and went after her. He could feel her surprise as he approached her. He was still mentally linked up with her, so he knew she hadn't yet seen him, but she was already fleeing. He off-handedly noted to investigate that as he started his counterattack.
He drew his powers around the area in front of her, causing several objects to float. Melanie started and ran the other way, straight into him. She gasped in horror and backed away.
"Not so fast, little lady," DeShaun said, grabbing her as she tried to run away. He picked her up and held her in the his arms teasingly as she tried to break free.
"Let go!"
"Oh no, you turned on me. That gets you a pinch on the cheeks," DeShaun protested, following through with his threat. Melanie whined as her cheeks were pulled on either side. The two continued their antics until a siren wailed over them. They stopped and turned their heads to the noise as DeShaun released Melanie.
A police car turned down the road and raced alongside the park, drawing everyone's attention. The two stared after it in stunned wonder as they didn't know what to do. They looked up as Carlos entered their peripherals. He had joined them as soon as he heard the siren, and was looking after the speeding car with a dark look. "You guys still wanna be heroes?"
Melanie wriggled out of DeShaun's grasp and ran the small distance between them. She stopped just in front of him and beamed up with a bright smile, "You betcha, soldier."
Carlos turned to her and nodded. He wrapped an arm around her and scooped her up into his arms. Melanie went with it and perched on his shoulder as he helped her. Carlos grabbed DeShaun next, curling an arm around the boy's body and holding him up.
"Hey!" he shouted as he tried kicking free, his dreads swaying about him. Dorian and Frankie returned to the field after the siren had left. They stopped their approach upon seeing Carlos with their teammates incarcerated.
"I don't think that's how you play tag," Dorian offered as Carlos walked over to the two. They had missed the previous conversation and were left in the dark, but Frankie had figured it out.
"Don't you dare, Shrek," she warned, pausing between each word. She began backing up, but Carlos had already reached to seize them. He grabbed Dorian first and threw him over his other shoulder, laying him over similarly to his taller friend. He grabbed Frankie next and hugged her upright as he began to run after the echo of the siren. There was a reason Carlos had manhandled the group. He was fast, not enough to wear a red jumpsuit, but certainly quick enough to get them where they needed to be in a short amount of time.
The group groaned out loud as he released them in front of the scene of the crime. Only Melanie seemed to have any fun. She climbed off his shoulder and weaved her way into the crowd while the others recovered. She found a cop close by and approached him.
"What happened here?"
The cop looked down and raised an eyebrow at her. Given, she was older than she looked, Melanie still held the appearance of a pubescent twelve-year old. "Get lost kid."
Melanie frowned at his response and tried again with more force, "I'm a hero at the League Academy. Tell me what happened."
The cop paused and gave her another once-over before sighing in annoyance. He frowned and moved her off to the side as the others caught up. "Look, you're a bit late here. Person's already dead."
Everyone's eyes widened at the news. They were too late to save anyone.
The officer frowned upon seeing their expressions. "Sorry guys, some kind of freak accident."
He stopped, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "Hey, you don't happen to know a superhuman with weird powers, do you?"
"What do you mean?" Melanie asked, her voice becoming harsh as her eyes narrowed.
The cop shook his head and inched away, deciding not to tell them. "Nevermind. Go back home."
The group stared after him as he walked off, wondering what he had meant by that. It suddenly occurred to them, that maybe a superhuman had been involved. That idea weighed heavy in their minds, making them sick at the thought.
"I'm going to check it out," Frankie announced, determined to clear up the situation herself. She began peeling off her school blazer and thrust it into Dorian's arms.
"How are you going to do that?" DeShaun asked as Frankie continued undoing her uniform.
"Don't ask," she sighed as she unbuttoned her shirt. The two younger boys blushed at the motion, a bright pink highlighting their cheeks as they stared. Frankie glared at them as she pulled off her blouse to reveal the top of a light grey bodysuit. The boys flushed as they realized their mistake.
"It's a bodysuit Megan helped me design," Frankie upon seeing everyone's questioning stares. "It camouflages."
"Why don't I get one?!" Dorian immediately exclaimed, leaning forward to inspect the material. Frankie's expression soured as he invaded her personal space. She extended a hand and pushed his face back.
"Because you don't camouflage," she said matter-of-factly. "I mimic animals. No point in being a chameleon if your clothes give you away."
She began undoing the belt of her school uniform as she let her statement sink in. She pulled her belt free and laid it over her blouse. Carlos stepped in front of her again as next came her pants. She smiled appreciatively at him as she began undressing. She camouflaged herself as she did so, giving herself more privacy. Being out in the open, she looked more like a blended painting than anything else. Although to an unfocused eye, one could easily miss her.
She sighed as she pulled off her pants and folded them along with the rest of her clothes. She steadied herself against Carlos back as she pulled her shoes free, something she still needed to find a camouflagable replacement for.
She finished and gently pushed Carlos to the side to tell him she was done. The group gawked at her, or what they could make out. Frankie rolled her eyes, not that they could see and stepped closer to the crime scene of the hotel. "I'll be back soon!"
Despite her camouflage, Frankie was still careful when infiltrating inside. She certainly wasn't experienced with camouflage, as she looked more like a visible moving shadow than anything, but it was enough to make it through.
Finding the crime room wasn't hard. The hotel had been almost completely cleared out upon arrival of the police, and Frankie was able to follow the yellow tape with ease. The police had already investigated the scene so the room was left empty. Frankie hesitated at the corner of the hallway before the room. She was nervous, but clenched her fists and steeled herself.
She turned inside and looked around. For a murder scene, everything was quite neat. No tables had been turned over, nor was there any broken glass littering the floor. The room was so clean and pleasant, Frankie almost thought she had been mistaken. As she walked further, however, small drops of blood made a trail leading into the bedroom, reassuring her that she had picked the right room.
Frankie gulped and walked inside. The body had been placed on a gurney and a white sheet had been laid over it, much to Frankie's relief. She stepped closer, only to stop as she saw the shape of the body. She didn't notice before, but the sheet completely caved in where the person's stomach would be. At first he looked cut in half, but upon closer inspection, Frankie could see his skin and spine were still there beneath the sheet. There was simply nothing there.
Frankie turned away, throwing her hand to her mouth as she realized his internal organs were missing. She gagged and stood against the wall quietly, taking a moment to recover herself. She pressed her head against the wall, letting it rest there as she sighed sadly.
Pressing her hand against the wall and curling her fingers, she straightened herself and turned around again. She gasped aloud as now a short girl, around her age, with long, wavy hair and electric blue tips stood before the body. The other girl's head snapped up upon hearing Frankie, her icy blue eyes darting towards the direction of the sound.
She narrowed her eyes at her and Frankie realized her camo had dropped in her surprise. Cursing herself for being caught, Frankie made a bee-line for the door, but the other girl was faster. Within a moment, she had twisted in front of Frankie, cutting off her exit. The girl threw her hand out to the side and a vibrant, azure sword materialized in her hand. She played with it comfortably, twisting it around with expert precision before pointing it at Frankie's neck.
She glared at Frankie hard, looking over her with killer intentions. Her gaze stopped at the school insignia sewn into Frankie's costume. Still holding the blade to Frankie's neck, her lips twitched upwards in the slightest of smirks
"Hero."
１１：４８
Japan was a strange place. It was the only place she'd been where the world and all it's thoughts could go completely silent. The two girls were back at the old village located below the cursed mountain. What was once a small, but working village had been completely silenced by the aftermath of the earthquake. They hadn't known it then, but this village was placed at the epicenter of the quake. They had been hit the hardest and with little mercy.
"Do you think people are still buried under here?" Zuzu asked Petra as they wandered into the village ruins. Both girls had chosen black outfits for their adventure. The two looked more like shadows crossing a ghost town than anything else. Zuzu wore metallic jeggings and a loose, long sleeve top with cut outs to add appeal to her outfit. The collar was high, allowing her to wear a black mask up to the bridge of her nose to conceal her identity. Petra had insisted they return here to investigate in disguise, yet Zuzu and Haru had yet to understand why.
"You would know," Petra replied absent-mindedly as she scanned the horizon for any signs of life. She was dressed head-to-toe in a black costume to reduce her chances of being seen. She wore a cropped hoodie over a black athletic long sleeve. Her trainers were black as well, matching with her shoes. The only thing clearly visible was her face, peaking out behind her long black hair, which she had secured in a singular braid.
Zuzu sighed and opened her mind to infiltration as she searched the ruins. When she told people she loved Japan because it was quiet, they always assumed it was because of the mountains and rural areas. What she really meant, was that Japan was the only place she could truly let her mind free and hear only herself echoing in her mind.
Zuzu let out a breath as she came up with nothing. Everyone here was either dead or long gone. She shook her head, "If Haru was here, maybe he could find someone."
Haru had stayed behind to guard the book and investigate within Tokyo. Since he was the only one who could see beasts, they were hoping one could lead him to some answers. If not, he was just going to keep going around to every museum and sword shop and present the book before every blade, hoping for a reaction.
Petra ignored her as she stepped further into the village and started picking larger debris off the houses. Zuzu strode closer with a monotone look on her face. They had come here to search for clues, but she wasn't very impressed with the tactics being taken. "We'll be here all day if that's what you plan to do."
"Do you have a better plan?" Petra asked in an annoyed tone as she rifled through some pictures and notes within the broken house.
Zuzu frowned and quipped out a reply, "I assumed you-"
Her head whipped around back towards the mountain as two people's thoughts entered her mind. She narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. "There are two men on the mountain."
A dark look came over Petra as she stood up determinedly and started walking towards the mountain, "Let's go."
"Wait!" Zuzu shouted in alarm, and grabbed Petra by her wrist. "They're not normal. They're thought patterns are critical and analyzing. They're not here for tourism."
Petra scowled and pulled her arm free from Zuzu's grip. "Neither are we."
Zuzu drew her lips in an angry line as Petra continued on her way without Zuzu's consent. She huffed as she watched Petra's back and stomped over to her. "You're not listening. It's dangerous."
"You just said looking through debris will take all day. Now, we have two suspects and you want to ignore them?" Petra replied, looking straight ahead and ignoring Zuzu best she could as they crossed through the village.
"You're rushing into this blindly. A smart choice would be to make a plan," Zuzu scolded, walking briskly beside her.
"I was raised in a military home. I know more war strategies and tactics than you ever will. Whatever happens, I can handle it," Petra finally turned to her with an angry glare. Neither of them were in the best of moods today.
Zuzu only narrowed her eyes back at her. She stared at Petra long and hard as she analyzed her mental being, "You're young, and anger rules your mind. It always gets the better of you."
"What do you know?" Petra sneered, her nose scrunching up as her hands clenched in anger.
"I can know everything about you in a second if I wish it," Zuzu threatened, reminding the teen of her powers. She was treading surprisingly carelessly despite her clear disadvantage against the powerhouse if they got into a fight. Petra growled in response, just barely managing to hold back from punching the older girl in the face.
Zuzu stepped closer, meeting her glare head on. "We make a plan. There's no rushing into this."
Petra grit her teeth and clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white against her skin. She was giving it all she had not to pummel her right then and there. A few moments passed before she was finally able to spit out an answer. "Fine."
Zuzu backed off, satisfied, while Petra was ready to give a tantrum at being won. Zuzu turned back to the mountain, ignoring Petra's apparent fury as she figured out the best thing to do. "We can observe, but from afar. Very far."
"Whatever!" Petra shouted back, storming off. Zuzu sighed as she went on her own to blow off steam. It wasn't any use to butt heads with her again in the same hour. She glared at her back passingly before focusing her mind on the two in the mountain.
Careful to keep her spying a secret, she let their thoughts enter hers. They weren't guarding their thoughts like Haru had become accustomed to doing around her. Whoever they were, they probably weren't expecting a telepath to be around.
The two weren't far up the mountain. And they were definitely searching for something, judging by their quick analysis of the woods. She followed their thoughts for a moment longer, discovering they were indeed looking for a source of the earthquake. They were here for the same reason.
Zuzu took a deep breath and steeled herself to press further. It was more important than ever now, to determine whether the men were a threat to them or not. She focused on the one trailing behind the other and delved in. She grimaced, immediately overcome with a wave of dizziness. She recoiled, extracting herself from his head as she came back to her own body. She crouched down, holding her head as she bid the dizziness go away.
Whoever he was, he must have lost his memory. The moment she pried into his head, she was instantly lost within the gaps of his memory. It was like he had just been born. Unlike the usual structured labyrinth of thoughts that usually gave her a headache, his felt like she was lost in space.
Suddenly, a huge crash interrupted her thoughts. She sighed in exasperation, not even having to extend her powers to know that Petra had thrown a fit. She got up, prepared to reprimand the girl when she gasped aloud.
The two men had heard her and were running towards her. One in particular was shockingly fast as he bounded towards them in huge leaps. Zuzu shook herself free from their minds as she reached out to Petra to warn her of the danger.
'Petra, look out!'
Zuzu winced as she felt her surprise from far away. The two were engaged in battle several meters away. 'I'm coming!'
Zuzu rushed off to help her as Petra took on Superboy by herself. Zuzu's warning had come just in time for Petra to block a punch from Superboy as he jumped on top of her. Startled, Petra jumped back and readied herself for a fight. Her surprise was quickly recovered as she happily used his appearance as an excuse to vent her frustrations.
"You wanna fight? Let's go!" she hollered, egging her opponent on. Petra ran at him the same time he rushed her, each raising a fist as their weapon. Petra grunted as she was punched hard and thrown back. He had taken her by surprise with his strength. Usually she was the strongest in any room.
She groaned and picked herself up, flexing the bruised muscles in her body as she glared at Superboy. He similarly put a hand to his jaw and moved it left and right as he cracked it back into place.
Itching for a fight, Petra flew forward while he was preoccupied. She lifted the gravity around her, allowing her to move at double the speed. She managed to catch him by surprise as she flew around him. She displaced her own gravity and floated behind his back as she drew back her leg. She condensed the gravity around it and kicked at his shoulder blades. Superboy fell face first into the ground and tumbled a ways down from the force of her kick.
Petra smiled victoriously before several pillars of water shot around her and restrained her. She gasped as the water wrapped around her limbs and held her back. She struggled against it, succeeding very little as Aqualad stepped into view.
"It is not my wish to hurt you if you are not an enemy," he announced as he held Petra in place. She struggled uselessly in response just as Zuzu came sprinting into the scene. She was quickly apprehended by Superboy as he held her back from coming any closer.
Zuzu pushed against him and focused her mind on Aqualad. 'Let her go!'
Aqualad grunted, dropping his constructions as he braced against Zuzu shouting in his head. Petra immediately set herself free and flew a safe distance away. Zuzu could feel Superboy tense against her as he anticipated Petra's attack.
Petra dropped to the ground, creating a small tremor that set everyone off balance. She ran forward and faked a punch at Aqualad while he was covering. He blocked, but missed the kick that came at his stomach while he was focused on her punch. He doubled over in pain as the kick held more strength than he thought the girl capable of. Petra turned and ran at Zuzu and Superboy.
Zuzu yelped as she was tossed to the side so Superboy could deflect Petra's attack. She scurried back, out of the battle field and reached out to Petra as she and Superboy went at each other a second time. 'Petra, retreat!'
She stood up and cursed as Petra ignored her and threw her foot against Superboy's chest. She wasn't planning on retreating anytime soon. Superboy grabbed her foot as it landed, taking her with him as they flew back. He turned the tables mid-air as he grounded himself and used the force from Petra's kick to throw her into a pile of rubble.
Zuzu gritted her teeth, wondering how to get Petra under control when a stream of water snaked up her legs and wrapped around her arms. It weighed her down to the ground, restraining her arms behind her like chains as Aqualad recovered himself. She reached her mind out again, but was quickly rebuffed as Aqualad sent a wave of electricity running through her. She screamed and fell to the ground weakly.
Meanwhile, Superboy went to the pile of rubble he had thrown Petra in and picked her out. He held her tight, careful not to let her get any leverage as he brought her back to his aquatic teammate. She grunted and kicked against him, but to no avail as Aqualad pressed his hand against her and sent another shockwave through her.
She fell beside Zuzu, glaring at her two opponents as she mentally cursed them. The two hovered over them as they looked down at them with frowns on their face.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Aqualad asked, as Superboy crossed his arms beside him.
"死んじまえ！" Petra cursed out as they sat the girls up and restrained them. Aqualad frowned at her and turned to Zuzu, narrowing his eyes.
"I know you both speak English. I want answers."
The two girls glared back at him as he waited for an answer. Zuzu, determined to find out their intentions, pushed herself into Aqualad's mind once more. He was trying to keep a shield up, but it was weak. He didn't have much training in mental guards. Bypassing his defense with ease, Zuzu shifted through his memories and pieced together the information.
Her expression quickly changed as she realized their true nature. "You're heroes from America, Aqualad and Superboy. You came here on a covert mission with several others under the Justice League's orders. To find the cause of the earthquake and put a stop to it."
Aqualad scowled as he realized she had gotten past his guard. He crossed his arms and frowned at her with a cold expression.
"Telepath?" Superboy asked, secretly tightening a fist to keep his cool. If she so much as dared to enter his mind, he might break her.
"Telepath, empath, mind reading," Zuzu replied, her attitude changing drastically before she turned to her partner. "You can trust them. They're here to help."
With a bit of curiosity, the two heroes turned to Petra who was still fuming in her seat. She looked about ready to blow a fuse as she replied. "Nice to meet you."
'She's cranky,' Zuzu announced privately, before speaking up. "How can we help?"
"By staying out of our heads," Superboy barked out, unwinding his arms and clenched his fists.
"She's bad at that," Petra chimed in with an informative voice as she threw a glare at Zuzu for their argument earlier.
Zuzu sneered back at her. If she hadn't thrown a tantrum, neither of them would've been in this mess.
"What are you doing here?" Aqualad asked, interrupting their staring contest. He stepped forward, hoping to ease the tensions of the other three.
"We were trying to find a clue as to where and who the person who caused the earthquake is," Zuzu broke eye contact first as she remembered where she was.
Aqualad turned to Superboy and shared a look between them. They turned back to the two girls with serious expressions. "Talk."
5:03 pm.
"Who are you?" Frankie demanded, glaring as she held her hands up. The girl said nothing and bent her sword down to point at the school emblem. Frankie remembered wondering about it on her first day. She had since learned it was the symbol of an atom, meant to say that everyone and everything is connected.
The girl tilted her sword up again, using it to raise Frankie's chin. The two held eye contact as the girl smiled back at Frankie. "You're a student."
"Yes," Frankie growled out, nudging the sword out from under her chin and earning a nick in the process.
The girl raised an amused brow before stepping back. She made a motion of sheathing her sword and glared at Frankie. "Careful, wannabe. Play any more into the hero game and it'll get you killed."
Frankie snarled and moved to capture the other. The girl responded by taking out her sword again and pointing it at Frankie's chest before she could get any closer. "I mean it. I'm being merciful by letting you go."
Frankie simmered in response, contemplating over how to best her strange opponent. The girl narrowed her eyes, sensing Frankie wasn't giving up. Her gaze sharpened as she stared Frankie down. Frankie jumped back in surprise as a soft glow of blue energy drew a wall between them.
The girl scoffed at her reaction and sheathed her sword. She turned back to the body casually as Frankie tried to comprehend what happened. The girl had resurrected a barrier between them.
Frankie moved forward to break it with her fists, but stopped as the girl held up a finger. "Ah-ah, I'd be careful if I were you. Not if you want several bolts of electricity in you."
Frankie backed off and growled as she stayed in her place. She was never one to back down from a fight or accept defeat easily.
The girl smiled as she saw Frankie restrain herself. She reached for the back pocket of her leather pants and pulled out a flask.
"What are you doing?" Frankie demanded, watching her carefully. The girl chuckled to herself and took a deep swig. She let out a satisfied sigh as she finished. Her eyes rolled to meet Frankie's lazily as she extended her hand out and poured the drink over the body.
Frankie's countenance warped with anger as she stepped forward again, but stopped herself. She glared at the barrier blocking her and reached for a chair in the room.
The girl sighed as she took out a lighter next. She hit the flame as Frankie bashed the chair against the barrier in violent successions. She held the lighter just next to the body, not yet lighting it as she spoke, "You'll probably figure this out, but I lied. I don't have any ability over electricity."
Frankie roared back angrily, dropping her chair and slamming strength-enhanced fists against the barrier. It cracked instantly. She shouted again as she pulled back a fist and brought it through the center crack. The barrier shattered just as the body went up in flames.
"No!" she shouted as she ran in to stop her. She paused as the body was engulfed in flames. She whipped her head around, eyes wild with anger as she searched for the girl, but she was gone. Frankie ran to the window, nearly throwing herself out of it as she leaned out to look for her. She cursed as she was out of sight. She sprinted from the room at her fastest speed and ran down to the hotel lobby. She quickly located a side exit and ran out as cops came running back in at signs of the fire. She made it out unseen and raced back to her teammates.
"Frankie! Are you okay?" Dorian asked as she came back red in the face and heaving.
"Shut up. Villain, now! We have to go after her!" Frankie rallied as she pulled her slacks free from her pile of clothes and put them on quickly. She fiddled with her belt as she was bombarded with questions from her team.
She took a deep breath, tuning her teammates out as she sniffed the air. The girl was still close enough to smell. Frankie hardened her gaze as she focused on tracking the girl. "I'll explain on the way. Move left."
１３：０３
"Are you sure it's alright to talk here?" Aqualad asked as he looked around the tiny tea house of a nearby village. He received many stares back as their group invited quite a bit of attention. Rural areas like these never got foreign visitors, least of all four at a time.
"It's fine. No one speaks English and none of us look local," Zuzu assured, ignoring the stares along with Petra. Neither of them seemed fazed by the open gazing and clear whispering going on about them. Superboy hadn't been able to stomach it and left a few minutes ago to wait outside.
With an uncomfortable sigh, Aqualad relented. He folded his hands on the table and gave the two his full attention. "So, what's going on in Japan?"
"An ancient villain has resurfaced from the dead and is wreaking havoc on Tokyo," Petra replied in a monotone voice before Zuzu could.
"This villain, what can he do?" Aqualad inquired, not missing a beat.
"Brushogun. Legend says he was a painter who dabbled in dark magic and it overtook him. He became a monster capable of bringing his creations to life," Zuzu answered stoically.
"We always thought giant lizards would be the end of us, but turns out it's just a guy with a paintbrush. Go figure," Petra added, placing her cheek in her hand as she drummed her fingers on the table.
"You've fought him?" Aqualad asked.
"A blue ogre and a yellow tiger. Never the creator himself," Zuzu announced. "We believe they're after the creator's book. We retrieved it several days ago. Our partner is currently guarding it while looking for clues himself."
"I see, and you know no way to stop him?"
"We know a way. We just can't find it," Petra sighed, sitting up and digging in her book bag. She retrieved her research on Hattori's sword and passed it across the table. "Imbued with power from the Gods, this is the only sword capable of killing Brushogun."
Aqualad took the papers and looked at the research carefully just as Superboy entered back into the room. "Hey, I don't know Japanese, but I'm pretty sure two guys outside were talking about us. Not in the way everyone else is."
"Where?" Zuzu asked as she stood up. He gestured with his thumb towards the door, making no move to help her any further. Zuzu brushed past him and quickly moved outside. Indeed, two suspicious looking men were watching her as soon as she stepped out. They ducked their gaze and began retreating into an alley as Zuzu stayed where she was. Her eyes turned coal black as she accessed her powers and pinpointed their thoughts.
She found herself sucked into their memories. She was in a room with ancient markings carved into the wood floors. The night was dark, and the candles placed around the room gave off an eerie red glow. Her stomach swirled with unease as she became aware of the cult-like figures in the background.
A girl, emaciated with malnutrition was brought out and thrown in the center of the room. She wore a bag over her head and shook like a leaf as the group around her began chanting in old japanese rhymes. Zuzu grit her teeth uneasily as she watched the scene play out.
The floor creaked as black ink soaked the wood and puddled in specific lines and circles around the girl. The candles flickered and dim as the chants reached their second verse. When the ink reached the candles, they melted into the floor, shrouding the room in darkness.
After moments of silence, another chant was made. The girl groaned in an inhuman voice as the runes on the floor served to seal her new body within the circle. Zuzu watched in horror as she could see the dark shape of the girl thrashing against the floor as she fought against the seals. Occasionally, tentacles of ink would spill from her body and lash at one of her attackers, only to collide with an invisible force. Her refutes became more common as she continuously lashed out at her barrier. She screamed in agony as the ink coated around her and filled the barrier, blocking her from further sight.
"Zuzu, are you alright?"
Aqualad was by her side, holding her steady as she stared into the distance. The two men she was investigating had froze to the spot, their own eyes turned black as tiny cracks of the inky color spread out from their eyes.
"She's not going to kill them, is she?" Aqualad asked in a panic as he was joined by the other two.
"Who? Princess? Doubt it," Petra commented off-handedly, but studied the situation closely. She wasn't particularly familiar with any one of their powers, so now offered a good learning opportunity if anything else.
Aqualad frowned at her response and place a webbed hand at Zuzu's back, giving her a soft jolt. She gasped as she was brought out of her daze. She looked around frantically as she re-registered her surroundings. The men before also slumped with a wave of dizziness as they held their heads in wonder.
Zuzu's eyes met Petra's and she jumped towards her. She grabbed the girl's arms, if only to stabilize herself as she reported her findings. "I know where she is!"
１４：４０
It does not take a superhero or super ability to register a room damned. One can sense it as soon as they walk in. The room was exactly as she had last seen it. Empty and worn with time. Even the markings on the floor had smoothed over from their jagged edges. The four wandered around the room quietly, discomfort written all over their faces. "What happened here?"
"Something terrible," Zuzu answered, her gaze glued to the ring in the center of the room as echoes of it's history played in her mind. There was no sign of the girl now. She was long gone, and she hoped she escaped.
She bent down and pressed her hand against the ink stains timidly, "You were right, Petra. Brushogun died long ago, but his followers survived. They forced the ritual on a young girl, and she became the same monster."
"We need to find her before she attacks again," Aqualad announced upon hearing the news.
Zuzu stood up as she and Petra nodded their agreement. "We'll take care of that."
Aqualad nodded, "We don't have much time left to spare here. We'll leave it to you. While you hunt for the girl, we'll do our own research on the sword. We'll let you know if we find anything."
"Same here," Petra threw in, standing nonchalantly. She turned her gaze back to the ritualistic circle, her stomach swirling as she contemplated what had happened to the sacrificed girl.
5:32 pm.
Azure walked through the streets in her own world. She had a lot to do this week and her associate was no help. She had come to Jump City as backup if need be. Everything had been going smoothly. Their mission to infiltrate the League Academy was a success, and she was no longer needed. She had just been getting ready to move on to her next target when one of her associates called for help. He had left behind a mess, and didn't clean up.
She was furious, and had half a mind to march over to the school and blow his cover then and there, but she complied. The cops had arrived before her, so she was tasked with deleting the evidence. It was supposed to be a quick job, but that girl had showed up and slowed her down. She checked her phone for the time and cursed. She was running much later to her flight than she was comfortable with. With a frown, she picked up her speed. She still had her bags to pick up and a bus to catch before she could leave for the airport. She was dead set on her plan, however, out of the corner of her eye, she could see a small girl struggling against a large man in the alleyway. She slowed down, watching them closely. She was in trouble. Azure cursed and made a bee-line for the alley. She would make this quick.
She drew out her sword and sneaked behind the giant. With the agility of a panther pouncing on it's prey, she wrapped herself over the large man and held her sword across his neck. "Let the girl go and I won't kill you."
The man paused and let up from his attack. He backed off with his arms in the air as the girl ran free and ducked next to her savior. "Come on, let's get out of here!"
Azure bit her lip in contemplation as the girl tugged at her shirt. Normally, she would kill a man like this, but she had places to be. She backed off and turned around to follow the girl only to see two other figures blocking the alley way. She brought her sword in front of her, the sword buzzing with the soft hum of electricity.
"Stop," a voice behind her said calmly. Azure whipped around, seeing Frankie glaring at her with two of her teammates on either side of her. "Come with us quietly and we won't hurt you."
Azure chuckled darkly as she realized she'd been tricked. She turned to face Frankie fully as she slashed her sword down by her side. "Played to my lighter side, huh? Smart head on your shoulders. I'd love to see it roll."
"That won't happen," Frankie assured as both girls settled into a fighting stance. Azure gave one last glare at Frankie before spinning around to slice the whip of water that Dorian sent her way. DeShaun came next, wrapping his telekinesis around a dumpster and throwing it her way. She dodged nimbly, using the motion to turn her around and face her other enemies. She gasped as Carlos caught the dumpster midair and redirected it at her. Azure flinched and covered her head as she sent her own telekinetic blast to counteract his attack.
Carlos grunted as he was thrown back with the dumpster by a sudden pulse of blue energy. Frankie jumped high and leap frogged over his falling body as she pulled back a fist. Azure recovered and glared at her. She stepped back to dodge as Frankie punched at her previous location. She stuck with the motion and turned as Dorian and DeShaun attempted to overtake her while she was distracted. She spun and blocked DeShaun with her sword as he tried bringing a pipe over back. She held him off and used her free hand to send another devastating pulse at Dorian, throwing him back before he could even attack her. She pushed DeShaun off and arched her back, bringing her sword out around her in an arc as Frankie came close for another attack.
Frankie jumped back, forced to dodge or else be decapitated. Azure recovered herself and turned around, letting go of her sword in the process. It floated and shot at DeShaun as Azure took care of Frankie.
"Woah, what the heck?" DeShaun exclaimed, fending off the lone sword as it attacked him by itself. He began to panic as he could barely parry the blows. He wrapped his own energy around the pipe and ducked back as he had a telekinetic battle with the sword.
Meanwhile, Azure was going toe to toe with Frankie. She had the advantage of being an experienced fighter, but Frankie had strength. Azure jumped and double kicked at Frankie, forcing her to block. She landed and kicked under her guard. Frankie gasped as her chest heaved with the hit and fell back on her butt. She rolled over and caught her breath as she cursed herself. She couldn't take on her abilities fast enough to gain a footing against the other.
"Melanie!" she called, standing up shakily and looking for their smallest companion. "I need you to increase my probability of beating her!"
"I'm kind of already doing that right now," Melanie shouted back, currently concentrated on increasing Carlos' odds as he punched at their opponent. Azure flipped back. She breathed heavy as Carlos caught up with her and punched again. He was both quick and strong, a tough combo for her to keep up with.
She grunted and threw her hand back, calling for her sword. It slashed DeShaun's weapon in two before running back to it's owner. Azure swiped at him, gaining a satisfactory streak of red blood as Carlos blocked with his arm. She gasped as he ignored the cut and continued after her. She coughed as she was punched in the gut and thrown against the alley wall.
She gripped her stomach painfully, struggling to catch her breath as the team surrounded her. She sneered at them and sent another blue pulse radiating off her, wrapping all five within the blast. She huffed as they all fell back on the ground. Ignoring the pain, she stood up tall and glared at them hard. "You heroes, you all should just die."
The buildings on either side of them began to shudder as blue energy flowed out of their cracked edges. The buildings shook and whined as they began to break under the pressure. The team of five grew silent as they watched the buildings start to crumble. They turned back to Azure who was now surrounded in a blue aura. She took deep breaths as she looked at her hands, trying to calm herself down.
The five heroes could only watch as she tried to regain control. She closed her eyes, tightening her hands into fists as she breathed. "Maggie…"
She opened her eyes and screamed as all the energy she had gathered pulsated around her. The team shouted and ducked for cover as the blast came much stronger than before. "Stay away from me!"
Azure glared at them and ran to the back of the alley. Using the junk that had piled up there, she jumped over the tall railing separating two alleyways and ran down the other way. Frankie was first to get up and start after her. "Don't let her go!"
"Wait!" Melanie shouted after her, throwing herself at the taller to stop her in time. DeShaun did the same as Carlos moved to run after her. He clinged to the giant's back, using all his limbs to support him as he shouted against him.
"Dude, bad idea! If we go after her, she could lose control again!"
"Melanie can lower the probability," Frankie argued angrily, inching forward and dragging said girl along.
Melanie responded by slapping her arm roughly, and glaring at her. "I had a hard enough time keeping you guys alive! Do you know how many probabilities I had to change?! Carlos is bleeding for goodness sake!"
"I feel nothing," Carlos replied, still staring into the other alleyway.
"Frankie, we just had our asses beat. Let's go home," Dorian butt in as he came forward. The blond was sporting a nasty bruise on his head and an equally painful scrape along his arm from when he fell before. He frowned dejectedly and took Carlos' arm, wrapping it in water and cleaning the wound.
Frankie growled and agreed despite herself. She wouldn't get away next time.
DeShaun slid down from Carlos back as the group situated themselves and started out of the alleyway. "Man, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I can't wait to be back home on the island."
"Seriously," Dorian agreed as he began treating his own cuts.
"I noticed something," Carlos began, changing the subject and catching them by surprise by his chattiness. "Someone removed organs from a body, but it was still intact. The girl didn't have powers that could do that."
"What are you saying?" Dorian asked, not following.
"He's saying," DeShaun began, a sick look coming over him as he finished, "That some other superhuman killed the person, and we go to a school full of superhumans."
A/N: Hey, guys! First let me apologize for the month long hiatus. I did not expect to take that long but my finals and presentations spanned out multiple times across the month, and though I did try in what little free time I had, it was impossible. So I'm really sorry about the wait! I really love this story and have no intentions to stop, so I hope you stick with me!
This is definitely one of my better writings and it's over 30 pages on my document so I'd really appreciate a review! Thank you so much for reading my stupid story, guys. I really appreciate it!