I was pretty sure I was going to get hypothermia if we didn't find them soon.

My costume wasn't designed with the cold in mind. Let alone the violent chill that comes with flying at nearly eighty miles per hour. The wind cut through my robe like a knife, and the fact that I was in nothing but my underwear underneath was not helping.

Teeth chattering, I forced my stiffening fingers to work with my phone. Stalker had given a few updates where she could, and we were getting closer and closer. Each time she sent a message, we'd reach the location they had been at a little faster. They weren't going straight, ducking inland for a bit before heading back towards the coast.

It made it impossible to try and get ahead of them, so we just played catch-up. They were getting close to the city limits, which meant they'd have to pick a road and stick to it. Then we'd have them.

Shadow_Cat: Today at 6:02 PM

Pilgrim's Bay Marina. I'm in the woods nearby.

"P-Pilgrim's B-Bay M-Marina!" I managed to get the words out past the chattering of my teeth.

"Got it!" Vicky shouted back over the sound of the wind. I would have given everything for her forcefield right now.

Focus Amy. The name of the place didn't ring a bell. It was obvious why they might take Wendy and Emma to a marina. It was as smart as it was bad for us. Taking a boat out of the city at night, police wouldn't have a van to track. It was about to get dark and we couldn't track them either.

All I could hope was that we'd get there before they could leave.

At least the marina was easy to spot at a distance. The white hulls and masts of yachts stood out against the ocean, even in the dim light. It was about as close to the city's edge as possible. Rich people probably liked the privacy.

"In th-the woods! Go low!" I called out to Vicky, and she didn't respond verbally. We sharply declined, just above the treetops of the sparser city limits.

I felt myself press into Vicky as she put the brakes on. We were aiming for down the road from the Marina, next to the woods. She shifted in mid-air for the landing, hitting the ground feet first. The impact reverberated through me, her arms digging into my back and legs from the force.

It was almost impossible to stand as she let me down. My legs felt like jello. A strong hand caught me before they gave out, and I smiled at her. A moment passed before I felt strong enough to stand on my own.

Carol really should have packed some clothes for under the costume as well.

We got over the ditch on the roadside and into the woods. Vicky led the way, while I focused on warming myself up. It was getting dark. It made picking through the underbrush a nightmare. My robe kept getting caught on branches, and my footsteps were way too loud in the snow.

"Stalker's supposed to be in here?" Vicky's face lit up as she pulled her phone out, shooting a quick text, probably telling Carol where we were.

"Y-Yes." My teeth hadn't stopped chattering.

"You two need to be quiet." Another voice hissed out from the darkness, and we whirled.

How were you supposed to see a shadow in a forest at night? You didn't, it was as simple as that. Stalker just appeared out of nothing, the only thing that stood out in the darkness were the whites of her eyes. It took a second to see what she was wearing; a bandana, a hoodie, and jeans.

Of course, she hadn't been in costume, just out as a civilian, and had to make do with what she had on hand.

"Gave me a heart attack…" Vicky muttered under her breath before whispering back. "Where's Wendy?"

"Her and Emma got unloaded, come on." She waved a hand for us to follow. I watched her turn and shift, almost impossible to see among the rest of the shadows.

"Emma Barnes got kidnapped as well?" Vicky leaned over to ask me as we followed after her. She was cheating by floating.

"Yes." I cut off her next question. At least my teeth stopped chattering. "I was panicking about Wendy. Forgot to mention it."

"It kind of complicates things a little." Vicky frowned at me as I rubbed my arms.

"This was already complicated." What about this was simple?

"I can't grab two people and fly out Amy." She rubbed her forehead.

"Well, we're just gonna have to think up a different plan."

"What plan?"

"Can you two shut up?" Stalker's voice cut our conversation short. She crouched by a tree, looking out at the marina. "Get over here and stay low. For once your stupid ass white outfits are gonna help you stay hidden."

I rolled my eyes, but we both followed her example. We were about a single tree from the edge of the woods, a little bit away from the marina, giving us a view of the docks. Figures patrolled back and forth, flashlights cutting through the darkness.

"If I had to hazard a guess." Stalker's voice was quiet, almost impossible to hear. "They're keeping them both in that boat there."

She jabbed a finger at a boat that stood out from the rest. I thought it might have been a fishing boat. It looked older, and more beaten up, but it had a cabin, and at least one figure standing watch on it.

"Six assholes grabbed Wendy and Emma. I can't be sure how many more were waiting here for them. Four, maybe? Five?" Trying to make out details with the distance and the darkness was impossible.

"Getting them out is going to be a pain," Vicky muttered as she stared at the figures. "No way I'd be able to carry the boat out, no way to balance it. If there are any guards next to them they'll be at risk…"

"We can't let them get hurt." I couldn't let them get hurt. "We'll just have to be smart about this. Stalker, think you could get to the boat without being spotted and sneak in?"

"Who put you in charge?" She glared at me and I glared right back.

"No one, just answer the question."

"Definitely." She scoffed. "The only reason I didn't was the fact I wasn't sure I could keep them safe after getting in there."

"I'll make you some gear." I ignored the surprised look Vicky gave me. "No way you can't take out whatever guard they've got. Vicky, you can take out the guard on the boat itself. They'll probably catch on quickly, but that should give us time to start picking off the rest of them."

"We?" There was confusion and surprise in Vicky's voice. "You were planning on fighting? Amy, these guys probably have guns."

"Wait." Stalker stared at me for a moment, before her eyes widened. "She doesn't know?"

"How the hell do you know?" I quietly snapped back at Stalker, pushing back the inevitable.

"You gave Wendy an exact copy of the knife you gave me." Her hand came out of her hoody pocket, showing the knife. There were bloodstains on it. Wendy hadn't gone quietly.

"You gave Wendy a knife?" Vicky looked between us, eyes narrowing "You gave Stalker a knife? Amy, what the hell is going on?"

"As much as I'd normally find this hilarious." Stalker gestured with the knife to the boat. "We don't have time for it."

"Fuck." I hadn't wanted to do this, especially like this. She was right though. We didn't have time. "Vicky."

"Amy?" For the first time tonight, Vicky looked nervous.

"I'm Sequoia." I watched her nervousness turn to confusion, then realization. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I can explain everything later after Wendy and Emma are safe. Then you can yell or disown me or whatever you want."

Her expression shifted through several emotions in rapid succession. Confusion again, sadness, anger, hurt, before her lips thinned out. She nodded.

"Fine." I flinched slightly at the stare she leveled at me. For a second it wasn't Vicky staring at me, it was Carol. "We'll talk about this later."

"Finally." Stalker stood up and stepped over to a nearby tree, gesturing at it. "Need a weapon and a mask. You know my preference."

I ignored her as I stepped over. Vicky floating next to me, watching me intently. My hand touched the tree and my awareness of it bloomed. Poplar.

Cells moved with a mental nudge, flowing like water into my hands before spreading out. Vicky softly gasped as she watched. It was the fastest I'd ever done this before. Urgency lent extra speed to the muscle memory I'd developed. In seconds, I had a full bow and a quiver of arrows.

"I don't know how to make a crossbow." I passed the weapons to Stalker. She just grunted and took them from me. Slinging the quiver over her back by the vine strap, she tested the draw on the bow, pulling it back until the string touched her face.

"It'll work."

The only thing left was the mask. Scooping a chunk of wood from the tree, my thumbs ran across its surface. In their wake, its structure shifted.

It wasn't my usual Sequoia mask, but it wasn't blank either. It was a woman, scowling in silent fury, her origin unknown to me. She took it from me and pulled her bandana off.

"Sophia Hess?" Vicky hissed, looking at me. "You've been hanging out with Sophia Hess?"

"Neither of us knew who the other was until today." She rolled her eyes at Vicky as she pulled her hoodie down. The mask went over her face, an elastic vine in the back holding it in place. "You better not say shit about who I am."

"Trust me," I grumbled as I turned to the tree. "I hate her regardless. And we're not going to share your identity."

Vicky said something else to Stalker but I wasn't paying attention. My hands grabbed the tree, its biology at my fingertips, and I pulled. It was like a balloon popped, rather than the wood flowing along my arms, it exploded to cover me all at once.

For a single instance, I couldn't see, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move. It was like I was in a cocoon of wood. Its structure changed with a flex of my power, and I could see. It flowed down the neck of my robe and up my sleeves, and I could breathe. Excess material pooled in strategic spots across my arms and back, and I could move.

The Sequoia mask formed in my hands, her expression grim determination. The other two were staring at me, Stalker with eyes narrowed, Vicky with wide eyes.

"Since when could you do that?" Stalker hissed the question out, and I shrugged.

"Since now." It was always something I could theoretically do, just difficult and uncomfortable.

"Amy, you did that in five seconds max." Vicky gave me an impressed stare, and I blinked. That quick?

"I've practiced a lot." That was the only answer I could give.

I brought the Sequoia mask up, and material flowed out from it and the bodysuit to merge. The hood of my robes fell as leafy vines burst out from the back and top of the newly formed helmet. That was just habit.

"I can see why no one could figure out you were Sequoia." Vicky watched as I took the Panacea robe off, hanging it from a branch. At some point, the scarf wound up wrapped around my neck. I couldn't be bothered to remove it.

"So we have a plan." A bow formed in my hand, the cells falling in line as if it were the shape they were always supposed to have. "Stalker, get to the boat and keep them safe. Vicky and I will start picking off guards."

"Hope you're a better shot, Woody." Stalker snarked before shifting. A shadow took off at a sprint towards the shoreline. She leaped, gliding over the water before silently landing on a dock. I lost sight of her among the shadows of the boats.

"Woody, huh?" I rolled my eyes as Vicky floated next to me.

"She doesn't take me seriously. I call her Kitty as revenge." Vicky just gave me a confused look before shaking her head.

"Whatever, listen." Her hand squeezed my shoulder, something I felt even through the padding. "I don't know if your armor is bullet-proof. Be safe, okay?"

"I could say the same, Vicky." A memory of blood pooling beneath my fingers came back, and I shuddered.

"A handful of thugs aren't gonna be a problem for me." She gave me an uneasy grin. "Even if I got hurt, you could heal me. No one can heal you though."

"I know Vicky." I reached up to take her hand off my shoulder, squeezing her fingers. "But I have to do this."

"Do you?" She gave me a look from head to toe. "Between Stalker and I, we should be able to handle the thugs."

"I need to do this Vicky." Wendy had been relying on me to keep her safe. I failed at that, but I sure as hell wasn't going to sit back when she was kidnapped.

"Okay." I blinked, expecting more of a fight. She just floated up and away from me. "No stupid risks."

"You too."

Then she was gone, vanishing through the canopy into the darkness. The only sound was the waves on the shore and the rustling of the trees with a light wind. My grip tightened on my bow, and I started moving. Stalker and Vicky had their jobs, I had mine.

The sound of the waves helped cover up the snow crunching under my feet as I hurried towards the marina entrance. Unlike those two, I had to get in there the old-fashioned way. Sticking to the cover of the tree line only got to me the parking lot.

One of the guards was leaning against a post for the pier, and I ducked down as his flashlight raked across the tree line. Just barely visible in his off-hand was a pistol. That was just confirmation of what we suspected.

He couldn't get the chance to call for help. This had to be quiet. Wood flowed between my fingers as I shaped an arrow for the situation. Even if he had a potentially lethal dose in the long term, I could cure him in the short term. This shot needed to hit.

Counting the seconds between his sweeps of the flashlight, I popped back up. Knocking the arrow and drawing it back, I aimed. A thought clicked in my head, and I focused on the arrow biology alongside my eyesight. My power let me know what angle the arrow was at by the alignment of the cells. It would have gone wide to the left. I adjusted my grip.

Just as the guard started to swing the flashlight back towards me, I let go. The arrow flew exactly as I wanted, catching him in the shoulder. He let out a choked gasp and dropped his flashlight, one hand coming up to the shaft sticking out of his shoulder.

He passed out before he could grab it.

I took off in a sprint, sliding to a stop next to the man. A quick tap to the forehead told me he would die without some quick healing. The tranquilizer I had developed in that instant would have killed any man in ten minutes. It broke apart under my attention, leaving enough that he shouldn't wake up soon.

In the distance, a flashlight went flying, illuminating Vicky carrying off the boat guard before it fell into the water. Someone shouted a warning and I could hear the sound of footsteps pounding on the wooden boards of the pier.

A capsaicin arrow formed in my hand. I snapped my aim to the first flashlight I saw enter my sight and loosed. The guard yelped as it caught him in the chest. He turned into a coughing mess but got a single shot off. The bullet whizzed past me before he stumbled off the pier and into the water below.

More yelling filled the air as beams of light swept towards me. I took off at a run towards one of the nearby boats, more shots whizzing past me as a flashlight illuminated my position. My foot met the edge and I leaped into the boat. Tripping over my feet and collapsing into a heap, a bullet sent sparks flying as it hit the hull where I had been.

A white blur shot past in the sky above, one of the guards screaming before a loud splash. Some of the flashlights that had been focused on my boat shifted away. Not all of them though. I needed a distraction.

A ball formed in my hand, and I hurled it up and out of cover. The flashlights snapped to it, even as I shoved myself up, another arrow already in my hand. Two guards swung their lights back toward me. The arrow was faster than their aim.

It hit one and exploded, the capsaicin cloud obscuring his face and sending him coughing.

The other fired.

The bullet slammed into my breastplate, sending woodchips flying. It lodged itself in the plate, pushing wood out of the way as the force was distributed across the padding. My armor did its job, but it still felt like a punch to the chest, making me stumble back.

Yet it let me see where the armor was failing. I saw how the force rippled out, how the bullet deformed the wood, and how the padding absorbed the excess force. It was almost instinct, reworking the padding to be more efficient, making the wood harder, not denser.

The second bullet slammed left of the first, and it hurt less and didn't get as far. The third bullet hit further down and barely hurt at all. By the fourth, they felt like a shove. Forcing me back but not doing any real damage. The guard's gun clicked, and he stared at me in horror.

I nocked another tranq arrow as he tried to reload his gun and brought him down.

There was a scream of pain from one of the guards elsewhere. I vaulted out of the boat and jogged to the two I had taken out. Stamping on the wrist of the pepper-sprayed guard as he tried to bring his gun around, he passed out with a twist of my power. A tap made sure the other one wouldn't die from an overdose.

Things got quiet fast. Blinking a little, I squinted through the darkness. Knowing what to look for me let me see Vicky slowly approaching the boat. A dark figure stood on its deck, waving her down. I ran to join them.

I could see the ones that Stalker had dealt with, groaning on the ground with arrows in their legs and arms. A quick touch knocked them out and ensured they weren't lethally injured.

"What do you mean they aren't here?" Vicky's shout carried to me, and I hurried even faster.

"I mean, they aren't in the cabin!" Stalker yelled back, jabbing a finger at it. "There was a guy in there, some of the sedatives they used, but they weren't in there!"

"That makes no sense!" Vicky whirled, inspecting the marina again, frowning. "Why would they protect an empty fishing boat?"

"They've got to be here somewhere." I climbed aboard, panting slightly as I looked at the boat. "If not on this boat, then somewhere in the marina. You didn't see them take a boat out, right Stalker?"

"Didn't hear shit, didn't see shit." She growled and turned her eyes back to the surroundings. "Maybe they're on a different boat?"

"Must be. The real question is, why didn't they just set sail right away?" Vicky stared at one of the unconscious guards.

"Does it fucking matter?" Stalker started to move off the boat, and I grabbed her arm.

"Yes, it fucking does." She glared at me and I glared back. "If they had the means to leave, why not just leave? They were guarding this place for some reason. Why not just keep running?"

"They were waiting for pick-up." Vicky's eyes turned to the water, and we joined her in staring.

Quickly cutting across the waves towards the marina, was a boat. Even as I watched, a figure at the front ignited into flame.

"Shit."