"What about Josh?"

"What about him?"

"He's not exactly green defender material!"

Josh's eyes snapped open. He was currently sitting on a hospital chair waiting for Amy to be discharged. Within the last 5 minutes or so, the hospital had become overcrowded. From only gossip he could hear, the reason was that a small earthquake had escalated through Pearl Canyon and the neighbouring towns. 5.6 on the Richter scale apparently. Josh took a sip of his lukewarm hot chocolate and watched doctors run by, parents shouting for their children and asking for directions.

"What about him?"

The question made Josh look up and stare at the doctor who was pointing at him rather accusingly. The person who was standing by shook their head and continued down the corridor. People were everywhere and the noise was just about unbearable. Josh stood up from the cold metal chair and was about to walk away when a quiet sobbing rippled through his ears.

A young girl, no older than eight was sitting on the floor. Tears were pouring down her red face and she clutched a small soft toy against her chest. She was alone but the frightening thing was the blood oozing down the side of her face. Caused by robosaurs or not, he needed to help her.

"Hey." Josh greeted and he crouched down to the girl's level, "I'm Josh. What's your name?"

The girl looked up; as she did the toy was snuggled deeper into her chest, her eyes were bright with fear, "I'm Maria."

"You okay Maria?"

Obviously not! Josh winced as the question left his mouth, who asks that after they've been in an earthquake. What reply was he looking for- 'yeah I'm fine, just got blood dripping down my face but nothing my toy can't handle.'

"My head hurts." She replied reaching up and touching it, when she took her hands off, her fingertips were smeared with blood. Maria gasped and new tears ran down her face, "Am I going to die?"

"Not if I can help it." Josh replied trying to sooth her.

"Promise?" She asked.

Josh gulped at her question, which was a pretty big promise. Anything could happen and she could-… no it won't happen, "Can I see your head?"

Maria tilted her head forwards. Josh moved her golden blonde hairs away to get clearer view. Without a doubt, it was a pretty big cut and probably was very deep. It most definitely needed stitches. In whatever world, those stitches weren't going to happen anytime soon. For some reason, Josh's mind wondered back to the castle. Of course! They had medical kits there and James looked like he knew how to stitch.

"Maria, do you know where your parents are?" He asked to which she shook her head.

"Right, we're going to look for them then I'm going to sort out that cut." Josh informed her while giving her a tissue to wipe her face with.

Maria stood up and grabbed Josh's hand squeezing it tight so they wouldn't get separated in this crazy hospital. Josh led the way and brushed past people, he looked back to make sure Maria was still conscious. Going towards the wards would be too scary-for anyone, who knows what shape people could be in so Josh decided that reception would be the best option.

"See, he's definitely a defender."

Josh paused and looked around for whoever said that. A defender was here! It couldn't be the others; they were all here when the earthquake happened, so that only left… no, it wasn't possible, they were gone…

"Josh, my head really hurts." Maria whispered breaking the trend of thought.

"Right, we need to get a move on." Josh replied picking up the pace and slightly pulling Maria through the crowds of people.

The reception wasn't any better. In fact it was worse; there were now swarms of people yelling, screaming, arguing and queuing to get to reception. Maria held Josh's hand even tighter as Josh scanned the crowds. For once in his life, he was lucky. Kyle was in the corner, talking on the phone. Josh pulled Maria through the crowds to him.

"Kyle!" Josh shouted in vain as it was clear Kyle couldn't hear him amongst the noise, "Kyle! I need help!"

That part caught Kyle's attention, Josh wandered up to him and was about to explain when automatically Kyle knelt down and started analysing Maria's head while talking, "Yeah, mum seriously, I'm fine. Not even a scratch. Listen I have to go, my friend needs my help… Yes, I'll be careful…Love you to. Bye. She's definitely going to need stitches and possibly a MRI. I guess grabbing a doctor's attention is out of the question?"

Josh looked at Kyle speechless, since when was this kid a doctor, "Zsa-Zsa was basically the doctor/ paramedic of the castle. I picked up a few things."

"How are we going to get a doctor's attention?" Josh asked as he noticed that Maria was slowly losing consciousness.

"I know a way." Kyle said then knelt back down to Maria, "Stay here and do not move, Josh and I will get help within seconds."

Maria nodded at her new friends as Kyle pulled Josh outside the hotel, "I hate the fact that I'm about to do this but it's the only way. It's Dino time!"

"Raptorex!"

"Triceratops!"

The now fully suited defenders ran back inside towards Maria. If two defenders didn't catch anyone's attention then nothing would. Josh grabbed Maria's hand. Luckily she held back, obviously aware of whom she was with and that they could be trusted.

Everyone's attention suddenly diverted to the two defenders running through the castle with a little girl in tow. Josh only made it to the corridor when a doctor ran up to them and snatched Maria away with a quick nod.

Suddenly the swarms of people surrounded them with questions and demands, 'Can you find my son?', and 'Have you seen this person ', 'How bad is the damage?' They may be the defenders of Splatalot castle, whose aim was to protect it from defenders but today there role was to help the people of Pearl Canyon.

"Come on we need to help." Kyle said through the comm links built in through the helmets. Josh nodded wearily.

"You'll be fine!"

Josh nodded and the pair ran outside of the hospital into the most horrendous sight that neither boy had witness before. Despite being a small earthquake, it had managed to make buildings collapse, car windows were smashed and roads had cracks in them. People were everywhere. They were either caught up in the damage or pulling the injured to safety.

"I'll take the south, you go north." Kyle ordered before running off.

Josh sighed as he slowly walked deeper into the destruction. He shivered even with the warmth of his suit wrapped around him. Obviously the wind had picked up and the sun had been kidnapped by the dark, musky clouds. The trees seemed taller with the buildings to surround them; they knelt over the people like they were trying to protect them from the destruction. Josh walked forwards towards the noise and screams of the citizens. They may have been powerless against the earthquake; there morale was through the roof. Josh was surprised that everyone was helping and no one thought of themselves. From out of nowhere, a crowd of people trapped him like cattle and again started asking questions.

"-I think there some people trapped over there!"

"Are the other coming?"

"I can't reach someone-"

"Why are you alone?"

"Excuse me! Excuse me-"

"Are you alright?"

"Catch him!"

Josh rubbed his eyes, focusing on the trauma around him; he leapt up from the ground. Wait a minute? Why was he on the ground? Ignoring his confused mind, he walked forwards, with his eyes sight still out of focus into something very hard.

"Oh, sorry, I need to get to the people." Josh explained calmly to the person he'd just walked into only for the reply to be a laugh.

Josh blinked a few times trying to locate the noise, only to realise that he had, in fact, walked and apologised to a wall and that laugh belonged to his fellow friend. He spun around, only to find Amy still in the hospital bed smiling at him; she looked a lot bright and happier than she did earlier. But how long ago was earlier?

"That girl was fine by the way. Only needed stitches." Amy informed him.

"What girl?" Josh asked confused, "What happened?"

"You fainted; doctors put it down as lack of sleep. 5 hours isn't really enough for a two full work outs." Amy explained, "James was furious! One of his defenders fainting in full uniform, you would have thought that it was one of the seven sins."

The earthquake! Josh looked up at Amy worried. He was meant to help people but instead became one of the victims, "What happened after I-"

"Drake found you while Zoey helped the victims, Kyle became concerned when you wouldn't answer him through the comm. Don't worry, everyone was alright so to speak." Amy interrupted, "Luckily James somehow powered you down and brought you in here himself. He has good timing as my doctor was assessing me."

Josh nodded as Kyle entered the small room. He looked relieved that Josh was now standing and talking, he then made his way over to Amy to get an update. The green defender studied Kyle; there was something he was meant to be telling the yellow defender, something important, something that was whispered to him. He scanned his brain for the message but was unable to locate one. Kyle and Amy were in full conversation.

"Focus Josh." He muttered to himself, "Focus! What was the message?"

He slammed his eyes shut and shunned himself from the world for a second time today. Meditation always got him remembering. Breathe in… out… in… out… in… his mind flashed through everything, Amy being knocked out, waking up in the chair, the little girl, fainting then walking into the wall. No! He needed to focus harder, this message was important it must have been. But where was he given it? Josh scanned his memories again, this expanding it to speech but in every memory, no one gave him a message. No one he met that during the earthquake period anyway.

"Tell Kyle that…"

The hospital door slammed open and a petite brunette came storming through the door. Somehow she had not been involved in the earthquake as her business suit was spotless and not torn. He heels collided with the floor creating a hard, threatening sound. She made her way over to Josh.

"I have been worried sick!" She exclaimed breaking up the conversation between Amy and Kyle, "I had to leave my meeting! Do you know how important that meeting was? It was embarrassing! Having to tell my boss that my fourteen year old son had fainted! And not during the earthquake either! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Sorry." Josh whispered under his breath with the desire to find the message erased from his memory.

"You should be! After what I do for you!" She exclaimed again, "In fact, don't come home tonight, stay here in hospital as you like it so much."

With that she stormed out of the room and down the corridor. Kyle and Amy were shocked into silence whilst James appeared at the door.

"What a ghastly women!" James commented, "Please tell me she isn't your mother."

"My aunt." He replied, "I was ditched on her a few months ago. My parents wanted to travel the world. They thought she was the best person to look after me. Now, I'm homeless for the night. Ironic hey?"

"You're not homeless." Kyle replied, "Your stuffs still at mine, you can stay the night right James."

James nodded. Josh smiled back as a thank you. Kyle walked over to Josh and put his arm around him in a comforting way, "I know what it's like to feel abandoned. I won't see my parents for another year."

Josh smiled again while looking at the floor, the message long forgotten.