Loonatics: United

Episode 17: Fear And Discovery

The whole team was sitting in a circle on the center of the cave place, sharing the food they had found a few hours earlier. "This is probably the best fruit I've ever tasted, Matt." Tech had one of the odd looking fruits that Matt had brought with him.

"You can thank the rest of my team for that." Matt took some berries from the pile of fruit in front of him. "I just took the risk."

Lexi chuckled. "Yeah, that didn't go well for my partner, isn't it, Ace?"

"It wasn't that bad, actually." Ace said. "You know I am a fan of exotic food."

Lexi glanced at him. "Are you kidding me? Because your face said quite the contrary, now I would call that exotic."

Rev laughed with less subtle than the rest of them with her comment. "So, are you cool again?" Duck asked.

"What, no, no it wasn't funny at all." Rev tried to decrease his laughter. "Hand me that, please." He pointed at the green fruit Tech, Slam and Duck had found.

Duck rolled his eyes and gave him what he asked for. "Come on man, why are you so angry? Enjoy this."

"I'm not angry! I just want to leave this horrible place." Rev exclaimed.

"I agree with you, buddy." Anne said.

"Finally, someone who understands!" Rev pointed at her as he looked at the rest of them.

"Sure, I mean, palm trees, the sea, tropical weather, good food, this place is hell." Anne added, making everyone to laugh again.

Rev snarled. "Fine, fine, make fun of me all you want, pretty."

"I'm kidding, Rev, to be honest I kind of miss home too." Anne replied.

Ace shook his head. "I feel bad by saying this, but, I haven't thought that much about Acmetropolis this last days.

"It's normal, boss." Tech pealed a violet fruit he had taken. "When we get accustomed to a situation that once seemed like unwanted or dangerous, we start to forget about our previous state."

"Yeah, maybe you are right." Ace said.

Hours later, everyone had finished eating, Adam was sitting over the edge of the cave place's cliff then Tech sat down next to him. "Hi." Tech said.

"Hi." Adam replied.

"How are your powers?" Tech asked.

Adam lifted his hand and made a black sphere to hover over it. "They're coming back."

Tech nodded. "So, you know how to control them."

"Just partially, I still can't access my ability to travel through planets or whatever it is." Adam answered.

Tech chuckled. "Maybe not yet."

"Maybe, but how long am I supposed to wait to discover it?" Adam inquired.

"You see, our story is not so different from yours. One day, our lives changed with no warning at all, we were scared, confused and unsettled, these new feelings of power and no control were so new and unknown for us, personally, I was very scared when I began to know my abilities." Tech said.

"Which are?" Adam asked.

"Basically, I can control metallic objects just with my will." Tech replied.

Adam nodded. "That doesn't sound as frightening as my case."

"New things tend to scare us, but I've learned that fear can be a very effective ally." Tech looked at him. "If you know how to approach it."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Fear is the key to survival, is the thing that tells us when to escape from dangerous situations and how to avoid catastrophes, but when you decide to own your fear, it can lead you to extraordinary things, things that you thought you would never be able to accomplish." Tech responded.

"How? How can I do that?" Adam asked.

"Visualize your fears, confront them and then you'll know how to use your powers." Tech answered.

Adam tried to follow Tech's instructions, after a moment, he sighed and shook his head with disappointment. "Nothing, I got nothing, no fear."

"Everyone has fears, insecurities, doubts." Tech said. "You just have to find them."

"Why are you so interested in my powers?" Adam asked before backing away a little bit by Tech's sudden response.

"Because I want to go home!" Tech exclaimed. "And you are our only chance to return."

"Do you think I am happy with this?! I didn't want to ruin everyone else's lives, if you ask me, it's just difficult to live knowing nothing about what's going to happen!" Adam replied, then a dim light appeared on his forehead.

"Adam." Tech pointed at his head.

"It's not fair! It is not fair to be like this, uncertain, vulnerable to the eventualities of time, I hate that!" The light in Adam's forehead got bright enough for him to notice it. "Now what?"

Tech smirked. "There it is."

Adam focused on the light he was looking at. "I, is it, your home?"

Tech's eyes widened as he stood up. "What do you see?"

Adam got into his feet as he moved his hands like if he was trying to feel something. "The buildings, it is like, if I were right there."

"Don't leave that feeling Adam." Tech said.

"I feel, strangely well." Adam replied.

Tech walked next to him. "Go back Adam, what are you afraid of?"

"I…I think I've discovered it." Adam took a few steps back, then the light disappeared suddenly and he fell down like if he was hit by something. He looked around and saw Tech's hand in front of him.

"Don't worry, friend." Tech helped him to stand up. "We are close."

"For one second, I thought I had figured it out, but, I lost it all of a sudden." Adam said. "Sorry."

"You don't need to apologize for anything." Tech put a hand over his shoulder. "Practice, and remember what you are after."

"Fear?" Adam asked.

"Home, there we go." Tech responded and walked away from him.

Adam sighed and sat down again, with his gaze back at the sky, which was getting dark. "What's up, bud?" Matt said as he approached him.

"Hello." Adam said. "Where is Anne?"

"She is talking with Lexi." Matt sat down next to him. "I just wanted to thank you."

Adam looked at him, confused. "Thank me?"

"You let me spend time with Anne today, one doesn't know what happiness truly is until knowing her, not that it meant something remotely important for me, but, I had the need to thank you for that." Matt answered.

Adam chuckled. "You aren't any good at hiding your feelings, I can see what's going on between you two."

Matt blushed. "What? No, no it's not like that, she is my friend and she is very into you anyways."

"Into me? Come on, she has just been taking care of my wounds, that's all." Adam said.

Matt sighed. "Maybe it looks like something else, but I see her more as a friend."

Adam nodded and smirked. "So, you want to be her friend, forever?"

"I didn't say that, I mean, it might not be the right time to tell her anything that could change our friendship irreversibly." Matt responded.

"And when will it be the right moment?" Adam asked.

"Just…" Matt covered his face with both hands. "I don't know how she'll react."

"No one knows the future." Adam said. "So, what is the risk?"

Matt looked at the front and got his hands off his face, then he looked at Adam with a hopeful smile. "Do you think I should tell her?"

"I know you must do it." Adam replied.

Matt glanced at the cave place's inside, then he nodded with confidence. "Right." He glanced at Adam. "I'll do it!"

Adam nodded. "What are you waiting for?"

Matt smirked. "Thanks bud." He got into his feet and left.

Meanwhile, Lexi was sitting with her legs crossed over her bed, talking with Anne. "Now, tell me, is there a man in your life?"

Anne smirked nervously and looked away. "I don't know, to be honest."

"How can you not know?" Lexi asked.

"It is…" Anne looked at her. "Complicated."

"I´m glad complicated things are kind of my area." Lexi said. "Come on."

Anne sighed. "Matt."

"I knew it!" Lexi exclaimed.

"Really?" Anne asked. "Am I that obvious?"

Lexi chuckled. "I am kidding, in fact, I thought you kinda liked Adam, you know, the new one."

Anne's eyes widened. "Adam! No, he is not my type I mean..." She chuckled. "Maybe at first, I must admit it, but back at the pool, when we played and joked together, I felt something I wanted to confirm some time ago."

"What would that be?" Lexi asked.

"I think that I love him." Anne responded.

"Well, in that case, he must know!" Lexi said.

Anne raised an eyebrow. "Like, now? I mean, things could get weird and I prefer to…"

"Wait?" Lexi interrupted her. "One cannot wait, I know it for experience, I order you to go with him and tell him what you feel."

"Oh, you order me?" Anne crossed her arms.

"Is that an order you would want to follow?" Lexi mimicked her action.

Anne blushed and laughed a little bit. "Maybe."

"Then get going and go after him." Lexi commanded, then Anne nodded and stood up to head outside.

Matt was inhaling and exhaling repeatedly next to the pool. "Calm down, Matt." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You got this." He sighed and then gasped by Anne's sudden presence.

"You got what?" Anne asked.

"Oh." Matt blushed. "Nothing, I was just, uhm, breathing, to, focus."

"You are red and sweating." Anne said as she walked towards him. "Are you feeling well?"

"Well, is very hot in this place, you know, tropical climate, the sun." Matt replied nervously. "I…must tell you something."

"Great! Me too!" Anne exclaimed. "You first."

"No, ladies first." Matt argued.

Anne got closer to him. "I insist."

"I wouldn't feel right with that, come on, you first." Matt responded.

"I…" Anne sighed. "Okay, fine."

Matt waited for a response impatiently. "And?"

"Wait, just wait." Anne took a deep breath. "I…" All of a sudden, she leant forward and started to kiss him with an embrace; Matt closed his eyes and did the same, then they separated their lips. "That's what I wanted to tell you."

Matt smirked joyfully. "Now it's my turn." He hugged her as he started to kiss her again.