Jim knocked on Sy's door again. The dull thud of unresponsive metal was not encouraging. He knew Sy liked to sleep in, but he'd never seen the young man miss this many wake up attempts. Something wasn't right.

Jim 07:26

I'm not getting a response. Is Sy there yet?

Matt 07:26

No, not yet. What's going on?

Jim 07:26

I don't know, but I don't like this.

628 07:26

Sy okie tay?

Braxton 07:27

dunno little buddy. he was w/ zephyr last night & now thyr mia. think something happened?

Jim 07:27

We have to find them!

Braxton 07:27

calm down prince charming, we don't no something happened

Matt 07:27

Lets all meet at Braxton's room to tak

Hogarth 07:27

I'll check in with his other friends, see if they know anything. Meet you there.

Jim put his tablet away and immediately started through the halls. They had barely more than a half hour to find their missing companions. Where was Sy? This wasn't like him. He never just disappeared.

He would have run through the halls, but he didn't want to spill the food he had taken from the canteen. It was just as well. Forcing himself to walk was probably a good thing. He didn't need to run. Didn't need to feed into his panic.

Sy was fine.

Sy had to be fine.

Sy wasn't fine.

Jim had himself worked up to a proper panic by the time he reached Braxton's door. The cyborg had left his bedroom door open, so Jim let himself in. Matt, Hogarth, Varian, 628, and Aladdin were all seated in various places about Braxton's room. Braxton himself was standing near his desk, a deep frown on his face.

"Anything?"

Braxton shook his head. "Nothing. No word from Zephyr at all. This isn't looking good. None of us have heard from either of them since they left my room last night."

Matt glanced around the room, gaging the expressions the others were wearing.

Jim frowned harder. "What is it?"

"We…do have a theory," Varian offered hesitantly. "But I don't think you'll like it."

Jim felt his heart drop.

The young men shot quick, fleeting glances at each other, arguing with their eyes and expressions about whom it was that had to break the news to him. Finally Hogarth, as if by silent appointment, stood up. "Jim," he drew in a deep breath, "we think that whomever was targeting Zephyr might have made a move. It's possible Sy was a casualty of whatever the plan was."

Jim's heart stopped.

"We need to move quickly if we want to find them," Aladdin spoke up next. "I've dealt with a few kidnappings and hostage situations before, they're not easy to navigate. But the sooner you start handling the situation the better things go. We can't rush in, but we need to start figuring out exactly where they are so we can stage a rescue."

"I'm working on a device that will locate anyone I ask it to," Varian stated from his spot on the floor. "But it will be a while before I have a functioning product."

"I could track them with my magic," Matt spoke up softly, "But I require something that belongs to them in order to do so, and we don't have access to their rooms. Without access, we have nothing that belongs to either of them."

Jim started to breathe again. "I do."