(A/N) Hey, time for the latest update on the escapades of your favourite superheroes, X-Ray and Vav! And here, we see everything get a little more personal for our heroes, as they realise the true cost of their crusade against crime and evil in general. Written by StormBlue, here is another fantastic chapter for you all to sink your teeth into, and I just hope you'll all enjoy it as much as I did. And when you finish this, make sure to head on over to the Roosterteeth website and check out the latest RWBY episode!

Just reminding you once more, even though I said I wouldn't, so technically, I lied before, but meh, that we're still looking for writers for our Grifball fic, so if you're interested please head on over to our forum and fill in an application, or just PM me. Thanks!

Enjoy!

Chapter Eight – The Eye of Ender

Ray Narvaez Jr / X-Ray

Written by StormBlue

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." - Helen Keller

Gavin was pacing in front of Ray, who was sitting down on the couch, his dark eyes moving with his partner beneath their glasses. They had both heard the threat from the Corpirate. Everyone in the city had heard it. The threat had been against them, and yet all was quiet so far. Nothing had happened to draw them out into the open, no snipers had attempted to kill them where they stood. Nothing had happened yet...nothing that they knew of anyway.

"Think we should lay low?" Ray finally asked, beginning to grow tired of the pacing.

Gav paused to look down at Ray. "Normally I would say no, but Kerbal and Lamp are both dead now," he said grimly.

"But we saved the mayor," Ray added. Gavin continued to go back and forth, and Ray just wanted him to stop. "Why are you doing that?"

"Doing what?" Gavin's voice was slightly high-pitched like it got whenever he was excited or nervous, his British accent overlaying the words.

"Pacing! What are you so worried about?" He could understand being worried in a situation like this. Any normal person would be. But they were two of Achievement City's superheroes. They had faced some pretty tough crooks, been in grim situations, and had gotten plenty of death threats before. What was different about this one?

Gavin stopped and spread his hands. "Think about it," he said. "What did the Corpirate say? Did he say that he was trying to kill us? I didn't hear him say that. Which means..."

Ray frowned in thought before he got the gist of what his friend was saying. "He's not going after us. He's going after what we care about?" He looked up, confused. "How would he even know what that is?"

Gavin ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "I don't know. I don't know, but I'm calling Michael," he reached behind him and pulled his phone out of his pocket, flipping through the contacts list.

"Michael? Do you think he's in trouble?" Ray questioned.

Instead of replying, Gavin just put the phone up to his ear, and there was a moment of silence, unbroken except for the faint ringing. Ray waited expectantly, and Gavin's eyebrows came together in worry when there wasn't an answer. He tried again.

"He's not answering," Gav said, although it was rather obvious. He placed the phone back in his pocket and picked up a light jacket off the arm of the couch. "I'm going to his apartment, make sure he's okay."

Ray stood up and grabbed his own jacket, growing similarly worried. "You do that. I'm going to go to the retailer; Ryan should be there. Call me when you get there."

"Will do," Gavin replied, and they both hurriedly left, turning their separate ways when they got outside.

Ray started off walking down the sidewalk, not needing a vehicle as his destination wasn't far. Ryan Haywood worked at the retailer for video games, where Ray also had a job. Since neither of the superheroes had family in Achievement City-Ray's in New York and Gavin's all the way in England-he doubted they had to worry about them.

The time he had spent as X-Ray had kept him fit, so he was able to maintain a brisk pace as he made his way to the store, the path a familiar one to him. A few people about their own business gave him a glance or two as he passed, and he mentally smiled. One of the things he liked about being a superhero was having a secret identity. If anyone passing him on the street knew what he did in his spare time, they would flip! Even though it had it's drawbacks, having a secret like the one he had was exciting. No one knew that him and Gavin were two of the most famous people in the city.

Though, it would seem, this so-called Community was at least getting close. Ray wasn't sure what to think of the newly arisen Community yet. It didn't seem similar to any of the gangs X-Ray and Vav had disbanded yet, leading him to question where they had come from, what their motives were. How strong were they and what influence did they have over Achievement City?

Sirens sounded behind him, and he turned to see a bright red fire truck racing racing forward, rounding a corner in front of Ray. Turning the same corner, he saw there was a commotion up ahead. Cars weren't being allowed in and people were rushing away. Without hesitation, Ray continued forward, his walk turning into a run. He saw smoke rising into the air, and surrounding one of the buildings were more large trucks from the fire department.

He continued closer, unnoticed by any of the firemen that were trying desperately to put the fire out, and he finally realized that the store on fire was the same one he had been headed toward in the first place. The retailer was on fire. Worry gnawed at his mind as he thought of Ryan. Had he managed to get out?

Curiously, it appeared that the attempts from the fire brigade didn't have any success on the fire. The flames themselves were an odd hue of purple, making Ray wonder what could have caused them. He walked closer, but then was halted by one of the firemen.

"Sorry sir, but this building is unsafe to approach. I advise you to keep your distance," the man said, and Ray raised his eyebrows.

"Unsafe? No way, really? What'd they name you, Sherlock of the year?" Ray retorted without thinking.

A stern look crossed the man's face and he folded his arms.. "I'm just doing my job, sir. You wanna burn to a crisp going in there, be my guest."

Ray suddenly regretted the words. "Listen, sorry. I just-I just work there. Do you know if there was anyone inside?" he asked, his voice showing the worry that he felt for his co-worker.

The man's face softened a little. "Until the flames die down, no one's going to be able to go in there. We're doing everything we can to stop the fire, but for some reason, nothing appears to be working on it. It's all we can do just to keep it from spreading."

Ray nodded, respecting this man and his dangerous job. "Ok. Thanks," he said.

"No problem," the fireman replied. "Just don't get close and stay out of the way, alright?"

Ray agreed and backed away a little, stepping to the side. However, he saw something that caught his attention. The door of the retailer was still intact, and there was something on it that hadn't been there before. He squinted and leaned forward slightly to get a better look at what appeared to be a round symbol of sorts. It looked familiar to him.

His pocket suddenly buzzed, and with one last look at the sign, he walked away a little bit and pulled his cellphone out, looking at the caller. It was Gavin. He opened it up.

"Gav, are you-"

"Ray, Michael isn't here," came Gavin's voice. "He's not at his apartment."

Ray blinked. In finding the retailer on fire and worrying about Ryan, he had momentarily forgotten about Michael. "Could he just be somewhere else?" he asked Gavin.

Gavin sighed. "No. He's not here, but someone else has been. Some of his stuff has been knocked over, and there's this symbol-"

"Wait, hold up-you mean someone took him?" Ray swore, then realized what his partner had just said. "A symbol? Like what kind?"

There was a few seconds of silence as Gavin probably examined it. "It's a circle with a line in the middle, like...like a snake eye or something? It looks familiar but I can't place it..."

Ray glanced back at the symbol on the door that was identical to what Gavin had described, and his mind started going into overdrive, trying to put the pieces together. Something Gav had said stuck out to him. "Eye..." he muttered to himself.

"What?" Gavin asked, confused.

"Gav, someone set the retailer on fire. The firemen can't seem to put it out, and there's that same symbol on the door," he explained into the mouthpiece.

Gavin swore as well. "And Ryan?"

Ray ran a hand through his dark hair. "I don't know," he replied. "But the symbol, don't you get it? It's an eye. The Eye of Ender."

Gavin processed that, understanding what it meant. "The Endermen? But we took care of them! I thought they formed an anti-gang charity, called-"

"-the Friendermen, I know," Ray finished for him. "It doesn't make sense, but it's the same sign."

Ray heard Gav take a deep breath over the phone. "So their sign is at two different crime scenes? What does that mean?"

Ray heaved a sigh, at a loss. "I don't know. I guess we get to find out, though," he whispered as he looked back at the burning store.