I walk down the stairs and I'm met with the smell of fresh coffee and toasted bread. It has only been a few days since the funeral and since Kevin and I have decided to work together, and I feel as if everything has been static. I have isolated myself, and I've avoided talking to anyone, Kevin included. The only person is my mom, who hasn't stopped constantly checking on me with worry.

I step into the kitchen to the sight of my mom washing the dishes while occasionally sipping her coffee.

"Hey mom, I was wondering if—"

"We haven't been able to reach them yet—we tried phone calls, Skype, everything, but they all go unanswered."

Right. She is talking about Ben, and my aunt and uncle. Just a few months ago they had to move out of the country for some "urgent business," and although I haven't directly communicated with them, I know my parents have. But for a while now, they haven't called. After the funeral, I directly asked my mom about them and Ben (since I know that we need him to defeat Amperon), and we tried calling. Continuously. But it's been crickets since then and it's starting to worry us all.

"What about Grandpa Max?"

My mom shakes her head. "Same thing. Would you mind checking on him? I know he's usually busy, so it could be that, but it would help ease our minds."

"I will," I say. "I'm going to the library too… It's for the project Denise and I were working on."

My mom dries her hands on a towel and turns to me. She wraps me in a warm embrace and I feel some relief. "Gwen…" she says.

"I'm okay, I promise. I'm just not yet ready to talk about it." I wrap my arms around her, trying to resist crying.

"I know, but when you are, you know I'm here, right?"

I nod, not saying anything else. We say our goodbyes to each other and I walk towards the door. The chilly wind hits me in the face and I find some relief. Being outside is what helps me deal with Denise's loss—it gives me some relief, some escapism. Studying has also proven a very good distraction, though my thoughts drift away constantly.

My phone rings and I reach into my pocket and pick up without checking who is calling.

"Yes?" I say.

After a moment of silence, I only hear faint breathing on the other line and the distinct noise of Kevin clearing his throat.

"Hey," he says.

"Hi," I reply back.

"I, um… how are you holding up?" he asks.

I smile and grip my phone tighter in appreciation. He isn't the first to ask me that, but for some reason, coming from someone like Kevin himself, it feels sincere. I believe he still feels guilty over what happened, but I haven't had to talk to him about that—or talk to him at all. All I know is that he is the only one who can truly understand what I'm going through right now.

"I'm better," I honestly say. "I can't say the same for Denise's family."

I hear Kevin inhale and after a moment, he sharply exhales. I'm awfully curious what's going on in his mind right now, but he definitely isn't the emotional type. He won't be honest even if I ask him. Or he'll simply evade the subject.

"I was about to call you. I need to go somewhere, can you come pick me up?"

"Pick you up?" he utters the words like they're foreign. "Alright. Where?"

"Bellwood Park. I'll be there in… five minutes? I'll wait for you there."

"Okay, meet you there."

Once we hang up, I place my phone in my pocket and pick up my pace, heading toward the park. It's only a three-minute walk from my house, but I need it; I need some fresh air to clear my thoughts. Everything is still a mess in my head, and as much as I have been trying to avoid thinking about Denise's death, it sometimes becomes impossible. It's simply too soon. I know it will get easier. That's what everyone says and that's what I believe. But for now, it's overwhelming. Shuttering. The one thing I know, however, is that I need to stop Amperon no matter what it takes.

I arrive at the park, surprised to see it so packed considering the weather is anything but nice; it's the usual cloudy and dark Bellwood weather. Still, I sit on a bench right outside the park entrance, staring around for a moment.

There are families, couples, and friends walking around. My eyes latch onto two girls running together and laughing at each other's jokes. It reminds me of Denise and me during the summer holidays—sometimes acting like immature children and racing each other, other times walking through the park and talking about everything, literally everything we could think of. There was no filter involved. If it was on our mind, we would utter it. I continue focusing on the memories and I'm reminded of how much I'm going to miss her. Tears fill my eyes, and I feel that uncomfortable, suffocating feeling again.

A loud, continuous honk catches my attention, and I turn around, seeing Kevin's car. He waves at me, parking right in front of the entrance. I wipe my growing tears and rush to the car.

"It took you long enough," I say sarcastically.

Kevin looks at his phone, shrugging. "Two minutes late, there's room for improvement, I guess."

Kevin unlocks the door and I enter inside. I'm oddly surprised by his teasing. I don't know what I am expecting from him and I don't know what our… partnership is exactly, but I don't want to question it further.

"Any luck reaching Tennyson?"

"Nothing. My parents are very worried, it's not like them to just… disappear."

"Don't you have anyone here who can check on them? They're probably fine, sometimes people move away and they go a bit crazy is all. I had a friend it happened to."

"Was that friend of questionable character?" I ask, slightly amused by his words despite the serious topic.

He stares to the side, as if in deep thought and then says, "Probably. But my point still stands."

"Maybe not the best comparison all things considered, but I'll take the suggestion."

"You know sometimes they want to change identities, start a new life and all that. I'd do that if I could," he says, placing both of his hands on the steering wheel but not driving just yet.

"Adopt a new identity?"

"Uh huh. Maybe one where no one will recognize me."

I'm about to ask more, but he starts the engine and turns his head to me. "So where are we going?"

"I haven't been able to reach Grandpa Max, and I know he can help. He must know something, or at least some way to locate Ben." I cross one leg over the other. "So, you're driving us there."

"Gas isn't cheap," he notes playfully. "But I'll do you the favor this once. Where do I go?"

I offer him directions towards Grandpa Max's RV. I know Grandpa likes to keep his RV at the same place (unless he decides to go on some unplanned trip), but he can be unpredictable at times. It should be there now, however, unless he suddenly decided to leave without notifying anyone at all, which I doubt he'd do like that. And even if he did, he wouldn't ignore everyone's calls. Kevin starts driving towards the direction of the road I described, which isn't that far; just a 15-minute drive from where we are.

"We should be able to see the Rust Bucket from afar, it's pretty big," I note.

"The Rust Bucket?"

"Grandpa's RV. I'm sure you have a nickname for your car too."

"I don't actually."

"Weird," I say sarcastically, but also because I assume he would do something like that.

"It really isn't."

Kevin parks on the side of the road, next to an open field that seems to stretch out for miles. I place a hand on my forehead, squinting my eyes and looking far into the distance, searching for any sign of the Rust Bucket. And I finally see it. We walk towards it and a smile grows on my face as memories flood me. I haven't spoken to Grandpa Max in a while. I've missed him.

As we reach in front of it, I walk up to the door and I gently knock, waiting for a response. We wait for a minute or so, but there's no response.

"Grandpa?" I call out. I knock again, but there's still nothing. No movement, no noise. Maybe he isn't here? But that doesn't make sense, he wouldn't simply leave his house here, in the middle of nowhere, while going about his business elsewhere. And if he is asleep, he would have definitely heard me. Grandpa Max has always been agile and in touch with his senses despite his older age.

I walk to the window and I press my hands and face against the glass, trying to see inside. Kevin moves to the other side, doing the exact same thing. It's obviously empty, that much is clear. But what shocks me is the mess present—items thrown to the floor, cupboards and drawers opened and emptied, items smashed. My eyes widen and I turn to look at Kevin, knowing he is seeing this as well.

Kevin absorbs part of the metal surface, and his hands slowly transform. They go from the tanned surface of his skin to pure metal. He walks to the door, holds the door handle, and then in one single movement,

Kevin absorbs part of the metal surface, and his hands slowly transform. They go from the tanned surface of his skin to pure metal. He walks to the door, holds the door handle, and then in one single movement, pulls it open. We enter inside and I gasp at how horrible it looks—the mess is so much worse up close.

"What happened here?" I ask, not expecting an actual answer. I cover my mouth with my hand in shock as I search through the rubble.

"Someone really wanted something. Must have been important enough to tear the whole place apart."

"Aliens?" I look at him.

"It could be thieves too, but I don't think they would do this," he says, pointing at a photograph frame that has been torn to tiny pieces, as if something could have been inside it. "So yeah, I think it's aliens."

I gulp. Does this mean Grandpa is also in trouble? Does this mean Amperon is after him or is it something else entirely? I pull out my phone and dial his phone number. Tapping my foot on the ground, I wait patiently for him to pick up, but to my dismay, it goes straight to voicemail. His phone is off, his place is trashed, and he is missing—if that isn't a big red flag, then I don't know what is.

"He isn't picking up, and I can't hear his phone around here."

I turn towards the rubble alongside Kevin, and I search for any possible clues that could explain what happened here. Dishware and junk are among the things on the ground, and I frown at the state of this place. It will take hours to clean it up again. I'm about to search elsewhere when I stumble across a picture of Grandpa and me. I was around 6, wearing my oversized backpack and hugging Grandpa in front of the school grounds.

"I remember this," I note. Kevin turns to me with curiosity. "It was my first day at school and I cried when I had to leave. Grandpa Max reminded me that I'd be back the next day, and that was enough to stop me apparently." I smile at the fond memories.

"So you are a nerd then?" There is a hint of playfulness in his voice. "I thought the project and test excuses were fake."

"What can I say? Studying is fun."

"Said no one ever," he says.

I'm about to respond with an equally teasing remark until I notice a round metal item on the ground. I push the towels to the side, and I grab it, surprised at the freezing feeling that instantly comes over. I hold it in my hands, rotating it. "What is that?"

"A Plumber's badge," Kevin explains.

"What does it do?"

I mess with it, pressing different buttons at once, until a holographic map shows up. I stare with astonishment at the realization that it's the layout of the city, with different red dots across the streets. It can't be more than five (and one of them is near Bellwood High), but it's still impressive. I look at Kevin, waiting for his explanation.

"Is this all the people with Plumber's Badges?" I ask.

"Yes," Kevin says, pulling out his own. He opened the 3D map on his own. "See, this is us here. And all the other ones are other people; maybe one of them could be Amperon."

I continue staring until a beeping sound coming directly from the badge starts echoing in the RV. "Look, this one's moving," I note. "It's coming…here."

Without hesitation, Kevin runs to the window, his emotionless face being replaced by shock.

"Take cover!" Kevin yells out to me. I brace for an attack and use my hands to summon my mana until the sound of a laser crashes right outside the Rust Bucket, followed by an explosion.

"Who is that? Is it Amperon?" I yell out. Both our eyes are wide open and we are on the lookout, waiting for the next attack.

"No, it's something else."

Kevin absorbs the metal railing next to him, his whole body turning into metal this time. He doesn't utter a word; he simply rushes outside the RV with a grunt and I rush behind him, expecting either of us to be hit. Whoever is here is not friendly. I look up in the sky and gasp. It's a teenage boy. His face is youthful, free of any wrinkles and blemishes, and he doesn't look a day older than 13. What strikes me, however, is the horrified look on his face.

Kevin grabs a chair and throws it up in the sky, aiming directly for the boy. The boy lands on the ground, his eyes glowing a bright blue. Kevin growls and runs forward, and I quickly place a shield in front of him, stopping him from attacking.

"What are you doing?" Kevin looks at me with confusion and frustration at the same time.

"We're not here to fight you," I say to the boy. I bring down my shield and offer him a smile. "Do you also have a badge?"

The boy's wings disappear and his eyes stop glowing. He tilts his head to the side, looking in confusion and relief at both me and Kevin.

"Gwen, are you sure about this?" Kevin asks, obviously not convinced.

"Yes."

The boy pulls out his badge in front of him and takes a step closer. "You're Plumbers? Then do you know where Max is?"

"Actually, we're also looking for him. I'm Gwen, and this is Kevin. I'm Grandpa—I mean Max's granddaughter."

"Gwen as in Gwen Tennyson?" the boy asks, raising his eyebrows. "As in Ben's magic cousin?"

"Magic?" Kevin smirks in obvious amusement.

"Max talked about you," the boy continues, "so I feel like I know you. He is very nice."

I smile at him. "When was the last time you saw him? Or you heard from him?"

"A few days ago. He left this for me and told me to find someone if he doesn't show up—but I can't open it…"

Kevin walks closer to him and takes the item from him. I step closer as well to see. It's a metal box, with a heavy lock on it. Kevin absorbs some of its metal and pushes a finger inside the keyhole. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion but realize what he's doing the moment a 'pop' sound echoes from the box. It opens instantly and I place a hand on Kevin's shoulder so I can take a better look.

There is a metal disc inside of it, similar to the Plumber's Badge except smaller and with no design on it. I gently hold it in my hands and it instantly comes to life.

It's a holograph of Grandpa Max, in his usual Hawaiian shirt, and a highly concerned look on his face.

"If you're watching this, then it means I'm already in trouble." I stare with anticipation, waiting for his next words. He's in trouble? "It also means that Amperon is growing stronger and needs to be stopped. Ben and Gwen, you're the only ones who can help here. Get help, gather a team if needed, but know that he is a real threat. Don't try to find me, it's already too late."

The holograph disappears and I continue staring at it. My stomach drops at his last words. So Amperon has him?

"He doesn't know where Ben is," is the first thing I say as I turn to look at Kevin. He is looking at me with a sympathetic look on his face.

"He thinks he's still with you."

"Does that mean Max isn't coming back?" Jay asks, clenching his hands into fists. "Is he not going to help us with the monsters?"

"What monsters?" Kevin asks with suspicion in his voice.

Jay looks down to the ground and kicks a rock with his white sneakers. I can see him clearer now, as his dark brown hair glows slightly in the light. His shoulders droop lower and he looks awfully vulnerable.

"They have been harassing me and my family for weeks now," he continues. "They want money, I think, and they haven't stopped coming almost every day…My mom is very scared."

I slightly frown at this and I turn to look at Kevin, who still seems skeptical.

"Max was helping us and now he's gone."

"Do you remember what these monsters look like?" Kevin asks, though I can tell he's not exactly interested. But he is thinking the same thing I am—this could be Amperon and his minions.

He shakes his head. "They always cover their faces, so I can't see them. But they're pretty scary."

"We can help you," I practically blurt out.

"We can?" Kevin asks, turning to look at me, clearly unhappy.

I turn towards the boy. "If you show us where to find them, we can help you deal with whoever is harassing you and your family."

Jay's face lights up and he grins at me. "It isn't far from here; it's only a few minutes' walk." Jay shakes my hand in appreciation, pushes his wings out of his back, and then takes off into the sky.

"Come on, let's go," I say to Kevin. I push the holograph in my pocket, and then turn to follow Jay. Not only a few seconds into my walk, I notice Kevin is still standing there, with a conflicted look on his face.

"Wait, wait. You mean we're actually going to help him? He said it himself, he doesn't know what they look like and from what he described, they sound nothing like Amperon's minions. I think it's a waste of time."

"It could be," I counter. "He doesn't know. You heard him, Grandpa Max was helping them before he disappeared—couldn't that mean that those monsters are responsible?" I pause. "And besides, we can't just allow an innocent family to be attacked. That's low even for you."

Kevin sighs and runs his hand through his slightly tangled hair. "Okay, let's go. But you better be right."

I smile at him, and we decide to set off on foot. It's only a few minutes' walk as Jay said, so bringing the car is unnecessary. As we walk in silence, I reach into my pocket and pull out the holograph, replaying the message from Grandpa Max. I miss him. It has been a while since I last heard his voice, and I'm unsure how long it will take to hear it again…if I hear it at all. I really hope he is okay.

Kevin doesn't comment on what I'm doing, which I actually appreciate. I press the button one more time, and I take in Grandpa's appearance and make a mental note about the dark bags under his eyes.

I look forward and realize we have finally reached the house. It's a modest one-story building, surrounded by trees and bushes. It's isolated from other houses, but the place looks almost heavenly. There is a pond just 100 meters from here. The building itself seems a bit worn out, with broken wooden planks and scraped-off paint, but still cozy nonetheless.

Jay lands in front of us, filled with excitement. "My mom will be so happy you're here to help. Do you also want to see my collection? You said your name is Kevin, right?"

"Uh, yeah, that's me," Kevin says awkwardly.

"Do you like sumo slammers?"

"Not really."

I lightly hit Kevin with my elbow, not wanting him to kill a little boy's excitement like that. Something tells me he is lying to begin with.

"He means he doesn't know them."

"Oh, that's cool too! I can show you my card and toy collection," Jay turns to the door, and knocks on it, "You'll love it! My mom says it's a waste of time, but I know other guys can understand."

The door opens, and a woman in her late 30s stands there, her mouth pushed into a tight line. Her black hair is disheveled, and her skin is sickly pale with a glaring lack of color. She is wearing a brown dress and an apron on top. As her eyes flicker towards me and Kevin, her body shifts into a defensive stance. She rushes in front of Jay and stands there, squinting her eyes.

"Mom, this is Gwen and Kevin," Jay quickly says. "They aren't bad or anything; they're here to help us."

"Help us?" Jay's mom says. "With what?"

Jay is about to explain, but I take a step forward and smile at her. "Jay told us that someone has been bothering your family. I'm Gwen Tennyson," I turn and point to Kevin who is a few feet behind me, "And this is Kevin."

"You're Max Tennyson's relative?" the woman says. Her body visibly relaxes, and she takes a deep breath.

"I'm his granddaughter. I was wondering if you know where Grandpa Max might be?"

The woman shakes her head. "I have not. He suddenly stopped showing up, and my family has been struggling ever since. These creatures…they won't leave us alone."

"Would you mind telling us more about those creatures?"

The woman slowly blinks and wraps her hands around her frame in comfort. She looks so defeated; I can't help but frown.

"My husband borrowed some money from them a few months ago because we were struggling…financially. I don't know how it happened–you have to ask him for that. And ever since then, they haven't left us alone." She points at the house behind her, exaggerating its bad exterior condition. "We've already paid back. I had to take extra shifts at work, and so did my husband, but they insist there's 'interest' which apparently never stops."

"And we've tried everything to keep them out," Jay says. "My dad even tried shooting at them, but it didn't scare them."

"Well, we can scare them," says Kevin, clenching his fists.

"You really can help?" the woman asks, her voice filled with hope.

"We totally can," I say.

"I'm sorry for being so rash; you can never be too cautious these days." The woman opens the door wider and points inside. "Join us for dinner."

"We totally understand. And thank you."

"Yeah…thanks," Kevin says.

Both Jay and the woman turn around and walk inside, while Kevin and I follow behind them. As we enter, I take a moment to observe my surroundings, and Kevin has the same idea. The house is even smaller on the inside—the kitchen and the living room are connected, and I can see there are three rooms in the back which I assume to be the bedrooms and bathroom. The smell of food lingers in the house, and my stomach instantly starts growling. I can't remember the last time I ate anything.

"I'm Caoimhe," the woman says rather quickly. "You can call me Keeva if it's any easier. Irish parents, but I was born and raised here."

"Nice to meet you," I say.

She points at the set table in the kitchen. "Please make yourself comfortable; I just need to check on the food." She rushes to the stove to check on the stew, and both Kevin and I sit down at the dining table.

Before we even have the time to realize what's going on, the woman fills our glasses with water and returns to her cooking. I grab it and gulp down the whole glass, satisfying my horribly dry throat—I have barely drunk or eaten since Denise's funeral, so this feels refreshing.

Beside me, Kevin seems awfully cautious of his movements.

"Is everything okay?" I ask him.

"I'm not sure if this is such a good idea," he says.

"Why, what's wrong?"

"It's awkward," he starts, and I playfully kick his leg at that. "And I have a bad feeling about this. Something feels off."

"You've just been bad for so long, you can't understand someone being nice."

He sighs. "I guess I can't argue with you on that one."

It's amusing to see Kevin trying to act polite in a situation like this. For some reason, this is exactly how I would envision him in this scenario—awkward, stiff, yet still surprisingly well-mannered. He takes a sip from his glass and places it back down, and I look at him for a while.

He really is handsome. Although I noticed before, it feels as if I'm staring at him through a new light. He feels like a different Kevin to me—not a psychopathic child, but a person who is actually trying to do good, even if they're failing.

"What?" he asks me once he realizes I'm looking at him.

I quickly look away, embarrassed to be caught in the act.

The front door unlocks, and the handle moves. A tall gentleman steps inside, looking like an exact replica of Jay. He smiles brightly upon seeing his son, but then his features contour into confusion at the sight of me and Kevin.

"Oh, I didn't know we had guests coming." He sets his briefcase and coat beside the couch in the living room, and he steps inside. He takes a seat at the table, rubbing his hands together.

"They're here to help us," Keeva says. She steps forward and fills our plates with vegetable stew, accompanied by bread. Despite its simplicity and lack of spices, it still smells fantastic to me.

"Nice to meet you," I say.

"Hello…uh, sir," Kevin says beside me.

Once Keeva serves the last plate, she sits down in the chair next to me. We get introduced to her husband, Harry, who apparently works as a receptionist at a local sales company, though he doesn't offer many details. I take a bite of my food, and Kevin does the same upon seeing me. I feel instant satisfaction as I continue to eat, but I try to take it slow.

"How long have they been harassing you?" Kevin says with a mouthful of food. He wipes his mouth with his sleeve, and I point to the napkin on the table for him, but he doesn't seem to take the hint.

Keeva looks at her husband, and then mouths something to him. The husband nods, looking visibly relaxed.

"Today marks…three weeks? And it has been almost daily. I tried calling the police, but well, they can't exactly help with monsters, can they?"

"Yeah, expected. They're pretty useless when it comes to alien stuff. They're not trained," Kevin says.

"When do the attacks happen?" I ask.

"Always during the night, and especially when we're asleep," the woman explains, setting her glass on the table. "It's usually knocking on doors until we open up, but lately it has become more aggressive. They broke our door, tore some wooden panels, and tried to enter inside. It has been out of control, and I'm worried for our family's safety."

"Maybe you should stay the night to see what we mean. We have a spare room you can take, and this way, you can catch these monsters right in the act and stop them, right mom? Dad?" Jay, who has been strangely quiet, looks between his parents with excitement.

"Uh…" Kevin looks between me and the family, and even I'm skeptical of this.

"That's a great idea!" the husband says. "Honey, why don't you prepare the room for them?"

Keave smiles, stands up, and rushes towards one of the rooms. I can hear her vacuuming and cleaning the room.

"I'm not sure this is such a good ide—"

"You're both sooo cool for doing this! I'll finally be able to get a good night's sleep," Jay says in celebration.

I try to speak up again. "We might need to head—"

"Yes, thank you, truly," says the husband. "It means a lot to us."

Kevin and I share a knowing look.

"We should leave," he whispers to me.

"I don't…" I pause for a moment. "Maybe we should stay? It's the only clue I have to finding Grandpa." I look at Jay and the husband and smile at them awkwardly, then turn to Kevin again. "You can leave if you want."

Kevin doesn't say anything at this, and I'm not sure if he will choose to leave. After a few minutes of eating in silence, Keave walks back into the room with a bright smile on her face. I quickly finish eating and set my plate in front of me.

"I cleaned the room since you'll be staying the night," Keave explains. "It's small, but I'm sure there's enough room for the both of you."

"We have to share rooms?" I quickly ask.

"Oh, is that an issue? I thought that since you two are a couple—"

"We're not a couple," I quickly explain, a blush creeping up on my face.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Keave looks between me, Kevin, and Jay. "Then maybe your bo—friend can share a room with Jay, instead?"

Before I can even contemplate a response, Kevin holds my wrist and drags me towards the freshly cleaned room.

"Sharing rooms isn't a bad idea, thank you," he says quickly, closing the door.

I stare at him with disbelief, my arms folded over my chest.

"What?" he asks innocently. "I'm not going to share a room with mister annoying over there."

I roll my eyes and stop myself from making a teasing comment about how he's acting. I take a look at the room we're in, surprised to see it so vastly different from the rest of the house. The walls are painted a dark blue color, and there is a black carpet on the ground. It looks more like a storage room than a bedroom, as there are three closets and two desks stacked against the wall.

"What do you think is the deal with them anyway?" Kevin asks.

But I'm not exactly paying attention to what he's saying. I pull out my phone and start texting my mom.

"Do you think it—"

"Shhhhh," I quickly say as I concentrate on the text I'm writing.

i'm staying over at Jennie's tonight, is that OK?

I wait a minute for a response, wincing at the thought of lying to my mom. I have to do it, but it doesn't mean I like it.

My phone dings with a notification.

Thumbs up should I pick you up in the morning?

No, it's okay, Jennie's mom will drive us to school

I put my phone in my pocket and I sigh in relief.

"Okay, what were you saying?" I ask Kevin.

"Do you really trust this family?" He is holding a notebook in his hands and skimming through it.

"I'm not sure," I continue. "I mean, they're strangers. I just think the right thing to do is to help them, and it might lead to finding Grandpa Max."

I yawn, stretching my hands above my head. Somehow time passed by rather fast—I check my phone, surprised to see that it's already 12 am and definitely past my bedtime. To be fair, I haven't been able to sleep before 12 am for a while now, no matter how much I've tried. I lie down, my head runs wild with different thoughts, scenarios, memories… Kevin looks at me.

"You can sleep, I'll keep watch in case anything weird happens."

"What about you?"

He shrugs. "I'm not tired."

"Thanks," I say with a genuine smile.

I head closer to the bed with the freshly cleaned sheets and I slowly lie down. My muscles are awfully sore, and I get a sense of relief just from touching the soft mattress. It feels like it has been months since I last lay down with the intention of sleeping instead of self-reflecting or wallowing—especially the last week has been complicated.

Kevin is still inspecting the room, walking around and messing with different old junk, books, and children's toys. An unfamiliar sense of comfort washes over me as my eyelids droop, and I finally close my eyes. It feels weird to be like… this around a stranger. But then again, Kevin is definitely not a stranger.

Flashes of light surround me and black shadows suffocate my whole body. I move to the side and I gasp for breath, yet I can't escape. My hands move in front of my face out of instinct, trying to protect myself from danger, but the void is replaced by the bloody field and the dark gray sky once again.

Bodies—corpses—are stacked on top of each other, the blood lingers in the air, and I cover my nose to avoid the copper scent that makes me nauseous. I take a step forward, and my muscles freeze in place.

"Help me," the melodic and familiar voice says.

I can't move. I can't even breathe.

Denise is on the ground among the bodies, reaching her hands towards me. Her eyes are begging me for help, and there is blood dripping from her head.

"Why did you lie to me?" she says.

I try to reach closer to her, but my steps are slow and hesitant. Guilt overwhelms me and I don't know what to say—I lied to her about my powers, and because of that, she's dead.

"Denise," I whisper.

Before I can say anything else, and before I can even reach her, a high-pitched scream escapes her mouth and fills the silence. I jump and gasp for breath, my eyes opening wide. I analyze my surroundings, and my muscles relax when I realize I'm okay. I'm still in the room with Kevin.

"…It was the visions again," I say with a low voice. "I think."

Kevin looks at me with concern in his eyes. Cold sweat is dripping down my forehead, and I look towards the window as the moon illuminates the room.

"I saw Denise," I say quietly.

Kevin reaches towards the bed and sits on the very edge of it. His eyes travel towards me, and then back to his lap as he contemplates his words.

"I don't think Amperon is responsible for that," he says. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I brush my hair to the side as some air blows at the back of my neck and brings me some relief. "I'm not sure what's there to talk about—I usually calculate everything, but this time I didn't. I kept a secret from her, and I can't help but think she died because of that…" I pause. "Maybe if I had told her everything, she would be more prepared. Maybe she would know to run, or know how to react. I—I don't know."

Kevin's jaw clenches and he turns to look at me. "So you're blaming yourself?"

"Not exactly. I mean, no. I just—" I pause and shake my head. "Partly, yes."

He is visibly angry. I can see his nostrils flare and his face turning a light shade of red while his eyebrows furrow. "You can't just blame yourself. You said it too, guys like him don't care about ethics, they just get what they want."

"I know, but—"

"No buts. He's a maniac, and you tried your best to save your friend. When we catch him, he'll pay for what he's done."

I offer him a low smile. A genuine one. I reach over and place my hand on top of his own, and he turns to me with a surprised look on his face. I expect him to pull his hand away, but he instead accepts my touch.

"I'm sorry if it seemed like I was blaming you for what happened to Denise," I continue. "I know you aren't at fault for her death, I was simply worried. Though I insist about the whole 'trading with criminals' thing."

Upon hearing me, he pulls his hand away and looks towards the ground. He seems conflicted, and almost unsure of what to respond to me. There is some vulnerability in his face and the way he simply sits there without uttering a word.

"You have nothing to apologize for." The way he utters these words is as if it's final. As if he wants to finish this conversation. I can hear the hesitation and guilt simply from the tone of his voice, and I wish I could read his thoughts right this moment, know what he's truly feeling about all this. And to know why he is still helping me.

"Have you ever felt that way before? Blamed yourself like that?" I ask.

"It's complicated."

"I can handle complicated," I encourage.

"Okay, well–" He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "A friend of mine almost died because of me once. I arranged a trade-off with some sketchy guys—nothing serious or out of the ordinary. Ya know, a normal trading job." I nod at his words, waiting for him to continue. "But my friend wanted to tag along. He said he had a bad feeling or something like that and I said sure, why not… So, when one of the guys thought that pulling a gun on me was a good idea, I decided that cussing him out was better. And when they almost shot me without warning, my friend jumped in front to take the blow."

I hold a hand over my mouth. "Kevin, that's horrible. Did your friend survive?"

"He did, but we stopped talking. Not because he blamed me or anything like that, I just didn't feel okay with being around him anymore. He almost lost an arm because of me, so yeah."

"I'm sorry," I honestly say. I place a hand on his shoulder for comfort.

"No need," he says.

We remain in silence for a few minutes. It's peaceful, serene, and I feel somewhat at ease yet tense all at once. I appreciate it, being around someone like this especially with all the…noise that has been surrounding me lately.

It allows me to focus on the now for once. It feels like I'm always chasing my future, always contemplating what will happen next, and I don't stop to realize what's happening around me. I turn to Kevin, finding myself conflicted once again. I don't know if it's soon to tell or not, I don't know if it's idiotic, but I'm deeply convinced that he is a changed person.

Whenever I look at him, I see something more than just a plain criminal—there is guilt, there is sympathy…things I'd never thought I'd see. But he's here in front of me. He isn't attacking me, he isn't scheming, he is simply opening up to me and me to him. I softly smile at the situation.

"Aren't you scared?" Kevin asks, breaking the silence. His voice betrays his apparent confidence.

"Scared of what?"

"Of me," he says. He points at me and then himself. "Of this. How do you know I won't turn against you, betray you or something like that?"

I shake my head. This is further proof to me. If this is truly a ploy of his, then he is doing an awfully good job faking his vulnerability right now. "I think that you've changed. You have been helping me when you have no reason to, you have helped me with things that technically don't concern you—I don't see why else you would do that."

Although Kevin doesn't face me, he raises his head a bit higher and his shoulders move up and down as he takes a deep breath. This conversation feels like sensitive territory, and it's obvious enough that he isn't used to it.

"I guess," he simply says. After a moment of silence, he continues. "But I guess it's time for the big question—how do I know you won't turn on me?" There is a smirk on his face as he says that.

I playfully swat him on the shoulder. I take it as a hint to change the subject.

"Wait until Ben finds out about you and this situation. He's going to lose it, but I know he'll get used to it fast. He's fun like that." I frown at my own words. Ben and Grandpa Max are both missing, and there have been no news on either of them. What if Ben is injured? Kidnapped?

"He'll be fine, ya know. He has the Omnitrix with him, right?" I nod at his question. "So what's the worst that could happen?"

"I don't know. He hasn't worn the Omnitrix in years," I say. "And it's not just that—He's just hot-headed. I mean you are too, but even you calculate before acting…for the most part?" I doubt my words the moment I utter them. That's not entirely true and the fight with Amperon proved it. "Ben thinks that because he has the Omnitrix, he can just attack anything and not face any consequences."

"I can kinda relate, but it's not as bad as it sounds. Especially for someone like him," Kevin continues. "Trust me, he's fine. He's probably busy doing something stupid."

"I hope you're right." I yawn and keep my eyes closed for a moment, feeling the lack of sleep kick in. I slept maybe for an hour max, definitely not enough to keep me running.

"You should try sleeping again."

I wrap my hands around my frame, in an almost protective stance and shake my head. "I don't think I can sleep if I have to see that vision again. What do you think it could be? It started even before I encountered Amperon."

"Either he's messing with your head, or it's probably some weird dream that's stuck with you. I have it happen sometimes. Well, minus the headaches and all."

"I don't think it's that. I feel like…It feels like I'm seeing the visions for a reason." I stand up and search around the room for a paper. I find an old spiral notebook with doodles inside, and I tear out a page, and then I reach into my pocket and pull out a pen.

I sit back down on the bed and I place the paper on my lap, concentrating on the scenery I have been seeing for the past weeks. I make careful, slow strokes, trying to keep it as accurate as possible. Once I'm done and satisfied, I hold the page forward and towards Kevin's face.

"This is what I see," I explain. "This is the bloody field, the holes in the sky, the stack of corpses…It feels like the end of the world."

Kevin gently takes the page from my hands and holds it in his own, studying the sketch carefully. He clenches and unclenches his fist, tilts his head to the side, and then turns towards me. "You don't even know if this place is real, or if it's even Earth to begin with. If it's Amperon doing this, then he's probably messing with your head."

I clench the sleeve of my shirt, feeling slightly defeated. "I hope so, because it just feels so…real."

"Hey," he says with a toothy grin. "We already defeated him once and we'll do it again, okay? And then, he'll stop messing with your head too."

I smile and move a tad closer to him. I'm about to say something when the sound of loud knocking echoes through the whole house. The walls and doors are so brittle that you can hear almost everything that is going on, even the steps someone is taking from one room to the next.

Both Kevin and I move closer to the door of the room, trying to listen carefully for anything suspicious. The footsteps are definitely coming from inside the house, yet the family has yet to come and ask for help. Kevin opens the door just a gap, enough for the both of us to see what's happening and yet not to be seen, and we are surprised to see Henry standing at the door with caution. Kevin puts a finger against his lips, gesturing for me to remain quiet, and we watch as Henry opens the front door. His back is directly on the doorframe, so we can't directly see who is there, but loud whispers can be heard.

"I told you, I don't know," Henry's voice says, a bit louder than before. "Is the agreement still in place?"

A few more moments pass by, but everything they're saying is inaudible. Kevin slowly closes the door. "I think they're making a deal of some kind," he says. "I really don't trust them one bit."

"I think we should go check what's going on," I say. "Maybe he is too afraid to come to us right away."

Kevin shakes his head. "No, we should wait. I want to know what they're planning first."

I choose to trust Kevin's instincts on this one. I also have a bad feeling about this. We wait by the bed. It feels like forever, and I know that we both need to be prepared in case something happens or goes wrong. Footsteps can be heard reaching closer to the room we're in, and I brace for a possible attack. My heart is beating fast and I feel adrenaline rushing through me. But instead, I hear a knock on the door, followed by Henry's voice.

"I'm sorry to wake you up," he says from behind the door. "But they're here."

"Come in," says Kevin.

Henry enters the room, standing in front of the door with his hands crossed behind his back. He is wearing a pair of blue polka dot pyjamas, and his hair is messy. But despite his unusual appearance, I don't miss the slight trembling of his limbs, though I'm not sure if it's due to fear or nervousness. Or both. I can't help but feel bad for him.

"They're outside, asking for more money. I told them I'll go get it, and I came here to you…Please, help."

"Okay, we'll help." Kevin gently grabs my wrist and drags me outside the room. Then he turns to me to whisper, "I think we should be careful. We don't know who is out there, or what they are planning."

He reaches to the wall and absorbs it as his slightly tan skin is replaced by oak. I summon my mana as well as we head closer to the door. My hand touches the doorknob and we both share a look before turning it and opening the door. We exit the house and I hold my breath as I expect to see something, someone, but instead we are met with silence and the sound of crickets. It's pitch black out here, and the moon along with my glowing hands are the only sources of light that allow us to at least make out some of the woods in the far back. We take a step forward, and then we hear it.

A cracking noise, like a twig snapping and leaves rustling not that far ahead of us. I lift my hands and strengthen my mana and prepare to summon a shield in case of an attack.

"Who is there?" I call out.

If it's enemies, then they know we are here, they know where we are and who we are. But we are left in the dark. Literally and figuratively. It's probably a matter of time before they attack us.

A loud 'bang' (almost like a gun) is heard and I instantly place an energy shield around us, though whatever it was, came nowhere near us. Is it a warning shot? Or an enemy with bad aim?

Kevin moves his head to the side, and his eyes widen with recognition, almost as if he saw something. Without warning, he runs and charges ahead after whatever it is, and when I squint my eyes, I see a brief shadow that quickly climbs up the trees.

"Not smart, Kevin! It could be a frightened animal or—"

My words are interrupted by a laser sound. I block it just in time, a centimetre off before it hits my face.

"Still think it's a frightened animal?" Kevin asks, climbing up the tree as fast as he can, chasing after whatever is shooting at us. The figure jumps down, landing right in front of me.

I shoot an energy beam at it, but it leaps high into the sky, dodging it effortlessly. I fire again, determined not to miss this time, but before I can react, something strong slams me to the ground. Pain explodes in my head, and I feel a wave of dizziness wash over me. My vision blurs, the world around me becoming a hazy, indistinct mess. I blink a few times, and then I see a circular object land in front of me and shoot out a mist which makes the dizziness so much worse.

"What did you do?" Kevin asks, jumping down from the tree and on top of the vague figure. He stands over it, punching it continuously. But every time Kevin's hands are about to come in contact with its face, the creature moves to the side and effortlessly dodges all of them.

I blink again, trying to remain conscious.

"Kevin," I warn, but my voice is too low to be heard.

His body is lifted up as a second figure grabs Kevin by the collar of his shirt, momentarily taking the breath from him. Whatever it was, continues to lift him higher into the air, and then it turns to the side. It slams Kevin directly onto the ground, until his head comes in contact with a rock, causing him to go unconscious. No. No, this is very bad.

"No." I stretch my hand forward as if trying to reach them. The creature pulls Kevin's shirt and starts dragging him away and deeper into the woods.

And then everything around me grows black.