Kids At War

[DracoMalfoy]

Kids At War
Arc One: "The Kids At War."

OCEANSHIP CITY
JUNE 17, 22:14 EST

It was well into the evening, but still, dozens of people walked the streets of Oceanship City. Most of them had somewhere they desperately needed to be or something they needed to get done. Ben was one of the few exceptions to this. For the past two days now, he’d passed the time by wandering up and down the streets aimlessly. He’d memorized all of the shops and street signs and had proven to be an obstacle for those walking alongside him that had destinations in mind. No one had paid him much mind though, which was just the way he liked it. Runaways didn’t want to call too much attention to themselves; half the part of actually running away wasn’t getting caught, after all. Ben had left home a few days ago, and despite how much he loathed sleeping in alleys and scrounging for food, he had absolutely no intention of returning home to his parents. Now, he didn’t have a long, sob story as to why he’d left home. The adolescent had just decided that it was the best thing to do.

His parents lived soft lives, without many trials or tribulations. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened to them, and both of them were just fine with that. Ben’s parents fit the bill of the “average Joe” perfectly. In fact, the plain normality that had surrounded their lives was comforting to them. They’d grown fearful of the unknown and the abnormal. And, they’d tried and raised Ben to be the same. They wanted a life without trouble for him, but of course, fate decided it was time to intervene. A couple months ago, Ben had been in an accident. Nothing too serious, but now, he found himself with an ability he couldn’t describe. He’d gone from a normal teenager to the star of his own Spiderman story. He’d taken it in stride and tried to live life normally, but it’d shattered the glass of his parents’ vision. It was no secret that they didn’t approve of what he’d become. So, Ben had decided it best to pack a bag and just leave.

No one had come after him, so he doubted his parents cared much. Without him, they could sink back into their flow of normality. The only issue now was: Ben’s life had been soft. Only after two days on the streets, he was going mad. He wasn’t sure how some people slept in boxes and ate from garbage cans without problem. It just wasn’t a lifestyle meant for him.

So now, here he was, wandering the streets lost in thought. He paid no mind to those walking around him. They were only faces he’d see once in his life after all. Why should they mean anything to him? The adolescent had to remember that some of his problems were a bit more important than whatever was going on in the life of a stranger. Worries about where he’d find his next meal and bed kept swirling through his head. They rotated in circles around his mind and the constant spinning of his thoughts made him dizzy. All Ben wanted to do was fall to the ground and just pass out. Of course he couldn’t, but this life he’d chosen for himself was the exact definition of the phrase “too hard.” He almost considered turning back and heading home. He had no control over his new abilities, but he could try and keep them contained…for his parents’ sake.

What was he saying? He couldn’t go back, not after leaving. Mentally, he called himself stupid as he sent a hand through his short brown hair. Ben was stubborn; he’d be the last person on earth to admit he was in the wrong. So, he wasn’t about to turn around and go apologize to his parents for having a power he hadn’t chosen. That just wasn’t fair in his mind. A life full of garbage, poor fortunes and hardships was a much better alternative than that for the young runaway. Stealing had crossed his mind once or twice since running away from home. The adolescent had more honor than that. He just guessed he’d get by every night in whatever way he could. Worrying about the future wouldn’t change it, right?

Suddenly, a boom crashed through Ben’s ears. It brought him out of his thoughts. Looking around frantically, he noticed a few of the people walking alongside him had frozen in fear. What had that sound been? Then, he heard it again. This time, he was able to identify it. It was a gunshot. Someone nearby had a gun! Fear and adrenaline began to pump through his blood as his emerald eyes scanned the crowd around him. They all seemed like him, so he deemed none of them guilty. The shot sounded like it had come from a distance anyways.

With curiosity ready to murder the cat, the runaway began to push through the crowd with newfound motivation. He wasn’t about to play hero, but he also hated being in the dark. He wanted to know what was going on and why. Turning a corner, he found himself facing the city’s bank. It was a large, elegant building that currently, people were running out of screaming frantically. Quickly, Ben was able to put two and two together. With a roll of his eyes, he sighed in annoyance. Why were criminals so predictable? Those who robbed banks were just asking to be arrested, if you asked him.

Another gunshot went off, and Ben grew a little concerned. There weren’t any police in sight. His concerns over dinner and a place to sleep tonight were replaced with questions concerning whether or not he should help. Could he even do anything? People with guns were…scary. He wasn’t about to go and get himself shot just so he could look a little noble. But then again, there could people still inside. Maybe he was going to end up playing hero.

Ben was beginning to grow annoyed with himself. He had more important things to look after, like, how he was going to survive another night on the streets. But perhaps he’d get a nice little reward for “saving the day.” He was having a confrontation in his own mind about this. He sent a hand through his dark hair once again and kept silently asking himself if he should or shouldn’t help. When one last shot of a gun went off, he made up his mind in the heat of the moment. Someone still had to be in there.

Taking off across the street, the genetically altered adolescent approached the steps of the bank. The main doors hadn’t been shut or locked, much to his fortune. Tip-toeing up the steps, he looked through the see through glass of the doors. There were nearly a dozen men inside, almost everyone of them armed with a gun. A few of them were behind the teller’s counter while the rest were surrounding a group of frightened people. Any doubt he had in his instantly faded away. Others’ lives were in jeopardy. Ben knew he couldn’t just walk away and forget that.

He inhaled as much oxygen as he could fit into his lunges before quietly opening the door and sneaking into the bank stealthy. The unintended hero walked as if he were on thin ice. He noticed that some of the hostages had seen him, but made a silent sigh with relief when they didn’t alert they robbers. Ben watched the criminals for a moment, waiting for a good time to strike. He was actually beginning to doubt there would be a good time to do so. Maybe this hadn’t been a smart idea after all.

Finally gathering up the courage he needed to face the robbers he stepped forward. “Isn’t robbing a bank a bit cliché?” he spoke up with a haughty tone, making his own attempt at witty banter. All of the robbers turned to face him and it seemed that they weren’t taking him seriously. A few of them chuckled, much to Ben’s annoyance. Raising his hands in defense, the gifted youth rolled his eyes. “When the police show up, you guys are kinda’ busted.” Still, they weren’t taking him seriously. One of the whispered to a few of the others before stepping forward to face the adolescent. Raising his gun, he fired a shot at Ben.

Panic shot through the boy as he feared he’d just sealed his own fate. His life flashed before his eyes and he held up his arms to cover his face. A few seconds passed and Ben winced, expecting to feel the bullet pierce his body. But after a few moments of silence, he felt nothing. Opening the emerald eyes he closed, he realized a block of the floor had risen up and protected him from the shot. Raising an eyebrow in utmost interest, he smirked. “So that’s how that works,” he muttered. Then, he pushed his arms forward and the block of the floor went flying towards the man who’d shot at him, knocking him to the ground. Maybe he could win this.

[AppleMistress]

The world is a dark place; a terrible place where terrible things happen. At least, that’s what the depressed ordinary teenager in her book had to say. Evadne scoffed, tossing it at the busy street from where she stood on the curb. That stupid teenager in her book had parents who cared for him. Just because some girl dumped him, he went on saying that the world was a place where bad things happened, blah blah blah. At least he had parents. A family. Evadne had one—two weeks ago, at least.

Her parents were hypocrites. They always told her that her ability would be put to good use one day. She trained ever so hard in order to give her life some worth—to keep herself from becoming a useless being. She wanted to do the world some good. She wanted someone to smile up at her in appreciation—look up to her. Be a role model. She always believed that her parents trained her to do good deeds with her powers. The energetic spitfire always gazed at the superheroes on her TV screen with glittering eyes of inspiration.

No. Her parents definitely weren’t the people she thought they were. They were liars—she doubted they even cared about her. She decided that she’d be different. She would run off, hide, and be a hero. She didn’t need training. She’d do this by herself. She was experienced enough with the training she’d gotten.
The blonde walked down the street casually, blending in decently with the other commoners that lived in Oceanship City. Sure, it was rough to live by herself… But she got by just fine.

When she heard three bangs, she perked her head up. Several people were crowding the bank. She blinked once, staring at the building with an unfazed expression. The short adolescent rested her hands on her waist, unimpressed. This town was normally a spot where a lot of crime took place—and the police had gotten a little lazy lately. A bank robbery wasn’t very hardcore, really. But still, the people that surrounded her seemed to be traumatized.

“Even my parents are worse than robbers.” She uttered, rolling her eyes. She stared at the building for a moment longer before realizing that police officers weren’t around to confront the situation yet. A smirk grew across her features. Perhaps she’d gain some kind of a heroine status if she took care of it first.
Being as short as she was, it was easy for her to wedge her way through the crowd forming at the entrance. She pushed through the doors to the entrance discreetly.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Did someone else have the same idea that she did? A dark haired boy was facing all of the robbers—there were twelve of them, to her surprise. He’d be outnumbered easily. Even if he was strong, she knew he couldn’t pull this off by himself. He’d probably need help, considering they were all armed. Suddenly confident, she pulled her goggles over her eyes before skidding towards one of the bulkier robbers that had stepped towards the boy.

The robber was fast to react to her approach, but she was quicker. She raised her palms towards him, skillfully casting a jolt of electricity at him. The robber fell backwards, cursing as he tumbled. Savoring her victory, she stuck her tongue out at him briefly before hopping back towards the dark haired adolescent—he appeared to be her age, give or take a year or two.

It felt so good. She’d never really used her power like this before—it felt as though she was claiming her freedom and individuality from her parents as she struck the robber. She was pumped up; ready for anything these robbers could throw at her.

“Ten more left. I call dibs on the tall guy with the mustache.” She told the other adolescent as she cracked her knuckles, smiling at him assertively. She assumed he wouldn’t mind teaming up with her.
Evadne looked towards the puzzled robbers. One of the robbers seemed to adjust to the situation a little quicker than the rest of the group, pointing his gun at her as he staggered away slowly. He pulled the trigger…

And she ducked. After training with her parents for so long, she knew well on how to defend herself against long-range attacks. She was a little weaker at diverting direct attacks, though; she knew well that she had to be careful. He shot again, and her heart raced. She continued to dodge his consistent shots, hoping that she’d be able to keep this up until she could attack. She laughed coyly as he continued to shoot.

“Your aim sucks. Just saying.”

He got angry, which threw him off balance. Taking his weakness to her advantage, she struck him with a bolt as soon as his gun ran out of ammo.

She let out another laugh, adjusting her goggles as she braced herself for what would come next. Of course, being shot at wasn't a game. Though, what did she have to lose? She was taking a risk, helping people. That's exactly what she was there to do, and it made her feel so very good.

[DracoMalfoy]

The truth was, Ben hadn’t considered the number of the robbers before rushing off into battle. Well, he’d counted them, but he’d never thought about being cornered by almost all of them. Being headstrong always seemed to have its disadvantages. Now, the adolescent wished he could go back and think this through more carefully. Unfortunately, it was a little late to second guess himself. He made a mental note to leave the crazy stunts to actual heroes in the future; that is, if he had one. Ben swallowed the lump in his throat as he examined the tall, frightening men. It’d taken all of his energy to use his power once; he was almost positive he wouldn’t be able to do it again.

He knew so little about his ability. One of the few things he did know was that it required a lot of focus. It was almost like some ancient art; he had to have a clear vision of what he wanted to do in his head. All that tranquility and peace of mind mumbo jumbo. But, being surrounded by eleven men with guns didn’t do much to sooth his mind. In fact, it caused his mind to race. Now knowing that his power was going to prove useless, Ben did the one thing he thought he could do. Taking a deep breath, the teenager held up his fists, hoping he’d be able to take at least a few of them down; though he doubted it.

Closing his emerald eyes in anxiety, he waited to be attacked. When nothing happened, he opened an eye open in curiosity. Then, it happened. Suddenly, there was someone else with him. It was a girl and by the looks of it, she seemed to be about his age. Then, she shot a bolt of electricity from her hands at the big man who had approached him. His eyes widened in shock. It was a relief to know there was someone else in this world that had abilities similar to his. But at the same time, Ben was a little…jealous. She seemed confident and by the looks of it, she had total control over her powers.

Her voice pulled him from his thoughts and he simply nodded in response. Even in this dire situation, she seemed to be almost enjoying herself. Ben had always envied people with that kind of personality. But, that was beside the point. The boy was more than willing to accept some help. This girl knew what she was doing and an experienced fighter on his team would definitely even the odds. Perhaps he had hope of surviving this mess, after all.

As she jumped into battle, he followed suit. There was a smaller man, one who seemed to be having trouble adjusting to his new opponents. Though Ben was never one to fight dirty, he decided this man would be best to start with. He didn’t look half as frightening as the others. The gifted adolescent took a running start at the foe and was lucky enough to have caught him off guard. The robber raised his gun to shoot, but Ben threw a punch and knocked the weapon out of his hand. With his other hand, the boy delivered another punch; this time, to the robber’s jaw. The man fell down, seemingly unconscious.

Ben was about to celebrate his victory, but before he could, a bulkier man approached. There would be no winning a fight with him, the brunet was sure of that. It all happened in seconds, but time seemed to slow for the two of them. The robber raised his gun and pulled the trigger. In fright, Ben shut his olive eyes and ducked, feeling the bullets whip past his head, barely missing him.

Imagining part of the ceiling falling on top of his foe, the adolescent moved his hands down to the ground, hoping he was focused enough. Hearing a grunt and a crash, he assumed he was successful. Losing his self control just for a moment, the boy jumped in the air, letting out cries of delight. Maybe he could master his power…with some practice of course. Nothing was impossible.

Unfortunately, his celebration was short lived. The rest of the robbers seemed to have registered that they were up against two super powered kids. And it also seemed that they weren’t afraid to fire their guns. A few of the robbers began advancing towards him, ever so slowly and Ben panicked. Raising his fists again, he took a step backwards every time his foes took one forward. After a few moments of this, he found himself only a few feet away from the girl. He know realized their was plan to box them in. Unable to focus now, he turned his emerald gaze over to his temporary partner in fear.

“So…” he started casually, as if they had all the time in the world. Ben tried to remain calm, even though his mind was telling him that they were trapped. “You wouldn’t happen to have a trick or two up your sleeve, huh?” This girl seemed smart; with her powers and confidence, she seemed like a classic superhero from his comic books. One thing he knew about superheroes was that they almost always had a plan, when in trouble. He just hoped this girl had one now.

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Scorpius kept close the wall of the alley, as if it were an extension of his body. He walked slowly, lightly cringing every time his foot landed in a puddle or some other sound was made in the background. He preferred the quiet very much; loud noises, regardless of their source, always gave him migraine. Oceanship City was a dump, in his mind. The antisocial teenager always questioned why his parents had picked it for their home. Despite his questions of their judgment, they had and there wasn’t a thing he could do to change that now. Perhaps he could…if they were still alive. But, the only reason Scorpius wished for his parents’ resurrection is so he could tell them how much he despised them.

What was done was done, the adolescent had no problem accepting that. Pulling the hood of his navy blue jacket over his head, he let out a sigh. With no clear destination in mind and no activity to entertain his bored mind, life right now, had no purpose. There wasn’t a soul in the world he could turn to; no one seemed to know that he existed. In fact, he thought it best to skip town and make a name for himself somewhere else. The memories this city held were best left forgotten, if one were to ask for his opinion.

The sound of three gunshots made their way to his pointed eyes. With a groan, he covered them and fell to his knees. He hated gunshots the most. Whenever he heard one, the memory of sound imprinted itself on his mind for eternity. Late at night, he’d hear the sound over again and again, like a broken record or a music player stuck on replay. Analyzing the situation quickly, Scorpius concluded that the sounds had come near the city’s bank. Great; someone was robbing the bank.

What a cliché turn of events. Not that he gave a damn whether or not some thugs stole money. It was just paper that didn’t have any real value. For mystics, his parents had been quite obsessed with currency. Perhaps that was why he loathed the very thought of money. The older boy decided simply to ignore it, knowing the police would handle things. The police force in Oceanship wasn’t perfect, but he assumed even they could handle something as ridiculous and predictable as a bank robbery.

Continuing his walk down the alley, Scorpius studied the floor carefully. Robbers foolish enough to rob a bank would be caught anyway, right? Wait…why did he doubt himself? Self doubt was rare for him. The gothic boy would be the first to admit that he was a tad selfish. He saw no profit in intervening in this affair. All he’d do is run the risk of being killed. And a short lived right didn’t fancy his tastes. So, there was absolutely no need to intervene.

But, what if someone innocent was hurt?

That question pinched a nerve. The innocent didn’t deserve to be hurt because of another’s greed. Before, he’d been innocent and what had become of him wasn’t necessarily fair. He wouldn’t wish his fate on another. Besides, “saving the day” would be a nice way to pass the time. He had nothing else to do, so why not. Scorpius closed his icy blue eyes and in a second, his form fell into the ground. Now, he was nothing more than a shadow on the floor. Turning to the direction from which he came, the shadow sped down the alley and into the open streets. The people seemed much too frightened by the bank robbery to notice a shadow without its owner.

Quickly moving down the street, the shadow twisted and turned around the feet of bystanders. Finally, he approached the bank, slithered up the steps and entered. There were two kids already here; great. Perhaps this situation didn’t need his attention. But then, his shadow form noticed that there were about nine robbers still standing, weapons in hand ready to fight. These kids were still outnumbered. Both of them seemed rather brave; they didn’t deserve to be hurt.

Reverting back to his normal form, Scorpius rose from the ground and approached the fray. He lifted his hand and one of the robber’s shadow was possessed. Under the Goth’s control, the shadow grabbed its own in a vice grip. The robber was caught off guard and he dropped his gun; he struggled to break free, but couldn’t. With a sarcastic smirk on his face, Scorpius approached the robber. “You’re not nice,” he said with a drawl of sarcasm before pushing his hand forward. The shadow obeyed his command and launched its owner towards the wall. The robber hit the brick wall and was knocked unconscious.

Turning towards the boy and the girl already present, he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “I thought you could use one more hand,” Scorpius said, his voice lacking emotion, like it normally did. Preparing to stand and fight with these two, something caught his attention.

One robber seemed to be fed up with their opposition. Raising his gun, he fired a bullet. The sound made the older adolescent cringe and this prevented him from stopping the attack. As if time had ceased, Scorpius watched the bullet speed past him and towards the boy with dark brown hair. His eyes widened in fright and he did the one thing that came to mind. “Look out!”

[AppleMistress]

Violence.

She’d heard of it before. Had she ever experienced it? No. Not until recently, at least. The people in this city shoved each other, cursed at each other—those were the potentially violent circumstances she’d witnessed since she’d crashed on this planet. And it terrified her more than anything else.

She shivered. This planet was cold at night, she realized. After years of looking down at Earth, she’d never pictured that she’d ever stand among the humans that lived there. It was different than she expected. She looked up at the starlit sky, sorrow tugging at her heartstrings. She wanted nothing more than to go home.

“Hey, you look like you’re in a daze.” A middle-aged man spoke to her—she comprehended this about a minute or two after he’d acknowledged her. Her heart skipped a beat as she opened and closed her mouth silently like a fish would. How was she supposed to respond? Daze… was that her Earth name? She wasn’t quite sure.

The tall adolescent smiled bleakly at him, rubbing the side of her stiff neck. She was speechless, unsure of what she should be saying.

Three gunshots echoed through the air, throwing her off guard. The whole city was engulfed with silence for a mere second before it bustled on with life once again. Daze, as she now referred to herself as, was shocked. The man standing next to her seemed like he’d grown bored of her, and began to walk away.
A thousand worried thoughts hit her at once. Was some blameless earthling being hurt? Was no one helping the victim in the situation? Could she prevent dreadful things from happening by looking for and eliminating the culprit? She had the ability to do so—but she was hesitant.

She looked in the direction that the sound had come from, licking her lower lip as she debated with herself in her head. She looked up at the sky for a moment. She’d go home as soon as she could—but first, she wanted to make sure to help the innocent earthlings that were in trouble.

Satisfied with her decision, she pushed off from the curb, and up into the air. Flying made her feel weightless, and the feeling of the cold air brushing against her skin was uplifting. Noticing that she’d earned a few stares from her action, she moved high enough so that the people on the busy street below wouldn’t be able to see her any longer.

She scanned the tiny city below, pinpointing the city bank as the place where the shots had come from. Several other shots began to flow through the evening air, leaving her vexed. She swooped down towards the backside of the building, as there weren’t any people standing from behind. She lowered herself to the ground, cringing as her sprained foot hit the cement. She took a nasty fall from the sky—she preferred to fly rather than to limp.

She peered in through a glass window, looking in at the seven armed men that surrounded three teens—they looked about her age, she noticed. What were adolescents doing in such a scary scenario? Daze hadn’t failed to notice that four of the villains were unconscious.
She sighed gently. She had the same idea of coming to the rescue, didn’t she? It wouldn’t be right to question their motives.

Daze perked up when she heard yet another shot—and a surprised look on one of the boy’s faces. The bullet moved towards the dark haired boy who stood behind his companion in the navy hood. He wouldn’t be able to move away from that quick enough. No mortal being could.

Forcing herself to move, she flew through the window she’d been looking through, avoiding the loud sound that the breaking glass had caused. She quickly tumbled over so that she was on her knees in front of the dark haired adolescent, holding out her palms as she conjured a large transparent, rounded shield to protect him from any harm. The bullet bounced off of it, spiraling backwards like a boomerang would. It plunged into the whitewashed wall— only an inch away from the robber who had pulled his trigger stood. The robber was obviously very shaken at the abrupt occurrence—he dropped his gun and it clanked against the marble floor.

The shield faded away, and she let out a breath of relief. The tall adolescent brought herself up to her feet slowly, closing her eyes. She opened them after a moment of thought, turning to the three other teens she’d happened to run in to.

“I… I apologize for breaking the window.” She looked sheepish and innocent as she rubbed the back of her head with a quivering pallid hand.

--------***---

Evadne looked at the newcomer with stunned eyes. It took her a moment to calm down—what exactly happened? Another boy had come in and knocked out yet another one of their predators—and not too soon after, some girl who could fly made a noisy entrance and saved her dark haired comrade from being shot.

“The window? You’re kidding, right?” the blonde adolescent looked at the taller girl with an amused and overwhelmed expression. “We could care less about the stupid window, that was so—“ she stopped herself as she noticed another one of the robbers was advancing on them.

She lifted a hand, striking the robber with a bolt of lightening before he could even raise his gun. She was surprised at how effortlessly she’d managed to do that. Robbers really weren’t that strong—the only potentially dangerous thing about them were their weapons.

The short blonde scanned the bank for a moment. It seemed like only seven of the robbers were still conscious, and some of them were shaken. If the four of them worked together as a team, she was sure they’d be able to handle the situation with strength and poise.

“Are you okay?” the girl who had just recently crashed in asked the dark haired boy this question suddenly, causing Evadne to look over at them.

“Let’s finish this,” Evadne suggested with a smirk, looking towards the robbers briefly before turning back to them, “Then we’ll talk.”

The energetic adolescent was sure that the other four would gain the same confidence soon enough. They were four teens with superpowers—they could take on seven normal humans easily if they tried hard enough.

[DracoMalfoy]

Everything that had happened... Ben wasn't even able to process the entirety of what did happen. In a mere matter of moments, he and his new teammate were suddenly in better company. A boy, probably a bit older than him, was here. What he'd seen of this newcomer's powers were amazing. He'd used a robber's own shadow against him. The adolescent had no clue as to how it was possible, but apparently, it was. And if this new guy was fighting on his side, then he had no complaints.

But, a gunshot then rang in his ears. Instantly, the brunet feared one of the criminals had fired towards one of his new companions. Suddenly, there was a tall girl behind him with a barrier of some sort. The shot had been directed at him! Turning around instantly, he let out a sigh of relief when he noticed they were all safe. Finally, everything registered in his mind. This girl had come at just the right time; if she hadn't, Ben assumed he'd be dead. The girl looked...different, somehow. If it was possible, she seemed as if she wasn't from Earth. Expelling the thought from his mind, Ben remembered they still had seven robbers to tackle. The four of them could do it with little problem, he was sure of that.

Offering the new girl a smile, he nodded his head. "Yep! All thanks to you!" When the blonde girl spoke up, he knew she was right. They could all talk after they put these losers in their place. The numbers still against them, but judging by what he'd seen these other three do, they had the upper hand. "Let's do this!" With this final exclamation of encouragement, he sprang into action.

Running towards one of the seven remaining robbers, Ben decided to experiment with his powers. He doubted his abilities to control earth now; he feared he'd used up most of his focus fighting earlier. But, he'd discovered that earth wasn't the only force he could control. If exposed to another element, he could wield it, like the earth. Shutting his emerald eyes tight, the teenager tried to calm his mind. Exhaling and fiercely blowing the air out of his lungs, he felt the wind increase in speed and power. Opening his eyes, Ben saw the wind push a robber into the wall and knock him unconscious.

Like earlier, he wanted to cheer, but, he remembered the consequences of losing focus. One wrong move, and a bullet could end his life. This had almost been the case just a few minutes ago. That girl arriving to save him was mere luck. The gifted adolescent wasn't about to test his fortune again. He kept his eyes narrowed as he scanned his surroundings.

The other boy in the navy hood was taking on two robbers at once. Both of them were bulky, and their weapons frightened Ben. The other boy seemed to be standing his ground well, but the brunet wondered if he could handle those two alone. This boy had come to his defense, just like the other two girls had and if he was hurt... Ben would blame himself for not choosing to help.

Deciding to intervene, the reluctant hero ran towards his ally and his two foes. As he approached, the boy sent out his fist towards one of the robbers and the wind was under his command again. The air acted like an extension of his hand and punched the robber forward. Ben stopped next to the boy and offered him a small smile as he turned to face the second robber.

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Scorpius had kept quiet through the brief conversation amongst the other three youths, only offering a small nod when absolutely necessary. There were three heroes here, they didn't need him. But, he examined their remaining foes with icy eyes and concluded that departing would only stack the odds against them. He surely had no will to stay and chat with the others after this fiasco. Instead, he'd be on his way, satisfied with his good deed.

When the rest of his "team" jumped back into the battle, the silent youth followed suit. He expelled the others from his mind and focused on his task at hand. Scorpius set his sights on two of the larger robbers and decided they would be his first targets.

The wielder of darkness hovered into the air and quickly made his way to the foes. They seemed ready to face him and he expected this. Their plans were being foiled by super powered kids; it was a lot to absorb, but, Scorpius doubted they'd surrender because of it. The robbers raised their weapons and they both fired a few shots. The adolescent quickly melted into the ground, becoming a shadow and dodging the attack.

He rose out of the ground and raised his hands, ready to knock them out with their own shadows, but, much to his annoyance, he was interrupted. Out of nowhere, that other boy came running forward and used his own ability to send one of the robbers to the wall.

This surprised Scorpius and he was taken aback when the brown haired boy smiled at him. The anti-social teenager remembered that he had intervened a few minutes earlier, but for some reason, he was irritated when the other boy came rushing to his defense. He was fully capable of taking care of himself.

The other robber was apparently shell shocked by the thought of being double teamed by both boys, but, Scorpius had no intention of teaming up with the other boy. He was in well control over his powers and could defend himself.

As if he was bored by this whole ordeal, the adolescent raised his arm and the robber's shadow came to life and wielded to his command. Grabbing it's owner, the shadow squeezed the energy out of the bulky man. A few seconds passed until the robber passed out and Scorpius had the shadow release him. "I can handle myself," he muttered quietly, hoping that the other hadn't heard him.

Both he and the younger boy turned to watch the girls, neither one of them really acknowledging the other. The silent boy counted four robbers remaining. The odds were now even and the remaining foes seemed...pathetic at best. They'd have this bank liberated and these robbers in jail in mere minutes. Then, he could be on his way.

[AppleMistress]

Daze couldn’t help but feel a little lost as the others engaged in battle with the robbers. She had abilities and she knew how to use them. But what was she supposed to do? Were these people really evil enough to be harmed? Perhaps they were… one of them did try to shoot at the dark haired boy she had saved only a few brief moments earlier.

The tall alien perked up when she heard a slew of gunshots. She turned instantly, fearing for the worst. The petite blonde hopped around, dodging the shots. Her movements weren’t graceful in the least, but she was quite good at protecting herself. That girl had the confidence that Daze needed.

Sucking in a large, confident breath, the alien turned to face one of the more shaken robbers. She felt a sting of pity when she sent a sphere of glowing, white power at his hand, which had ultimately disarmed him. She sent two or three more of these bolts in his direction in order to knock him out. She pressed her injured foot down hard against the floor, focusing more on her own pain rather than on the pain that she was inflicting on the shaken man in front of her.

Daze expressed a sigh of relief after she’d completed this task. From what she could see, there were three robbers left. Two were preoccupied with the blonde electric user while the third was sneaking up behind her. She pressed her lips together, calculating a strategy in her head before lifting her feet off the ground. She hovered above the blonde and the robbers before swooping down, kicking the robber who was sneaking up on the blonde in the back of the neck. With a cry, he doubled over.

The blonde was startled at first, turning for a brief second to see what had happened. As she turned, the robbers that she had been facing began to shoot at her wildly. Daze, alert, moved in front of the other girl as she conjured yet another shield in order to block the shots. The alien kept this up until both of the guns ran out of ammo.

When the shield faded, the robbers were backing away from the two girls. When their weapons were useless, there was nothing more they could do. They’d already lost the fight.

The blonde puffed. “You guys are annoying. Only idiots rob banks.” She sent a wave of electricity that was large enough to knock both of the men down at once. She smirked as she blew tiny sparks from her fingers.

“Is it over?” Daze questioned the blonde distantly, not wanting to let her guard down if there was something more they needed to do.

“The police should get here any second now.” The smaller girl wore a toothy grin as she adjusted the ridicules goggles she wore on her face, “They’ve gotten lazy these days. I’m planning on leaving before they charge us for damage.” She then gestured to the bank, which was practically destroyed due to their fight.

Daze nodded very slowly, trying her hardest to understand the blonde’s use of language. The smaller girl seemed a little amused at this direction before she turned towards the boys, who were standing about a yard away from them.

“Do you guys wanna go somewhere? I’ve got enough cash to treat four people to dinner.” The blonde blushed a little, holding a hand over her flat stomach. “Fighting like that sure works up an appetite.”

“I… I have to… find my way home.” Daze spoke up quietly, staring at the floor. “I don’t want to be any trouble.”

The electric manipulator frowned at this. “Are you lost? Trying to get home in the dark is dangerous, especially when you don’t know where you’re going.”

“I can see in the dark just fine and I know where I’m going.” Daze’s voice was soft and compassionate as she lifted her downcast gaze, “I just don’t know… uh… ‘how’ I’m going to get back.”

The blonde opened and closed her mouth silently before she smiled. “Well, I’ll help you, then. But for tonight, you can stay with me.”

Daze blinked once before realizing that this was a gesture of kindness. She beamed at the girl. “Daze.”

“What?”

“That’s my name.” she looked away, feeling an uncomfortable heat on her cheeks.

The blonde’s confused expression softened when she noticed the embarrassment traced all over the alien’s face. “Ah… That’s a pretty name.” the shorter girl seemed to think it was an unusual name too, but she said nothing, just because she didn’t want to humiliate Daze even further.

Daze let a half smile come across her features as she tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear.

The petite girl cleared her throat before grinning flightily. “How about we continue the introductions after we leave this place,” she suggested, jabbing her forefinger towards the back door. She gently grasped Daze’s wrist, leading her a few steps forward. She looked back at the boys. “You guys have to be hungry after that! I have enough cash to pay for the four of us... You should come along!”

Daze noticed the blonde’s icy blue eyes flash hopefully, and couldn’t help but melt in sympathy for her. Perhaps it was her height—it made the electric manipulator seem like a child. The smaller girl seemed so earnest and willing to gain the company of the two boys standing nearby.

[DracoMalfoy]

Ben was an overwhelming bundle of emotions as he watched the girls defeat the remaining robbers. It was reckless just jumping into a battle with armed criminals, and there were a few instances when the adolescent thought he'd end up dead. Seeing that everyone was alright and that they'd won the battle send relief flooding through his body. But, he was sad at the same time. When he'd been joined by the others, it was a thrill to kick those robbers' butts. The others seemed to possess a strong mastery over their abilities, which was far more than he could say for himself. Having to say goodbye to his temporary partners depressed him. But, Ben remembered that they'd done a good deed. This ordeal wasn't about him, but keeping people safe.

When the energetic blonde mentioned being charged for damanges, the adolescent's eyes scanned the bank and feared she may be right. He hadn't taken any notice to it while fighting, but their battle had certainly done a number on the bank. Ben didn't have the money to pay for this, and if the police did find him, he feared they'd take him back to his parents. Deciding that he didn't want to be found by the police, he nodded in agreement with the blonde's suggestion of leaving.

Ben's head popped up at the suggestion of food. As if possessed, his stomach growled in immediate response. A decent meal...he hadn't had one since he left home. After eating scraps and leftovers he came upon, even fast food sounded like a feast. But, he didn't want to spend the blonde's money. He didn't who she was or what situation she was in. If this was all the money she had, he didn't want to take it from her.

Judging by the look on his face, the taller boy in the navy hood felt the same. The brunet really didn't want to turn around and go back to being on his own. Even if he didn't know these three well, they all seemed friendly. And he couldn't help but feel sympathy for the tall girl who had saved him. She seemed lost and sad; unlike him, it sounded like she wanted to go home...she just didn't know how.

He offered Daze, as she introduced herself, a warm smile. She seemed shy, and unfortunately, he had to agree with the blonde. Oceanship City was dangerous, especially at night. If she had no idea where she was going, Ben feared Daze would get herself hurt. Feeling the need to make his point, he finally decided to invade the girls' conversation.

"She's right," he said with a small nod of his head. "This town's full of idiots...idiots with bigger guns than these guys." To illustrate his point, Ben sent his thumb over his shoulder to point at the unconscious robbers and their weapons. "Food sounds great right now, but I wouldn't want you to spend money on me."

Ben turned towards the taller boy, hoping to get some support for his answer. The boy in the hood didn't seem like the social type, and the brunet would feel better if someone else declined the offer for food. He didn't want to hurt the blonde's feelings, but he'd feel rude taking her money from her.

The adolescent let out a small sigh after a few moments of awkward silence. Did the taller boy talk at all? Probably not. Ben turned and was about to head out the door of the bank, when a voice stopped him.

"If it isn't a burden, food sounds nice. Call me Scorpius, if you'd like."

It was the other boy! Ben sighed again, feeling a bit trapped. He didn't want to head out on his own, but, it was improper to accept money from a girl. Not that he was sexist, but it still felt rude to him, Inhaling a large portion of oxygen, the gifted teenager turned around to face the other three adolescents, recondsidering his decision.

"That's a cool name," he said to Scorpius, who offered him a small smile in return. For a brief second, he eyed the blond with curious emerald orbs, wondering if she had an interesting name like Daze and Scorpius. If she did, he'd feel stupid. There wasn't anything special about his name. "But, like Scorpius said, if it isn't too much trouble, I could for some fries...or something."

Scorpius nodded in response to Ben's words. Crossing his arms over his chest, the hooded enigma returned to his silence state again. Like Ben, his stomach was growling and he had no where else to go. Why would he refuse the girl's offer?

Truthfully, the girl, Daze, peaked his interest. Her abilities, her appearance, it all seemed familar. His parents had mentioned believing mystics lived in space, far above the earth. They'd modeled his abilities after these mystics, in fact. He wanted to ask the girl where she came from, and if she was one of these creatures his parents had described. But, he remained quiet. Scorpius decided to ask her over dinner, if she agreed to accompany them.

[AppleMistress]

Evadne watched as her new comrades came to a decision. She rubbed the side of her head, wondering why they seemed so hesitant to accept what she had to offer. She did say she had enough cash to cover four small meals, why all the hesitation? She blinked noticing that they were probably only being polite with this gesture.

She rolled her shoulders to ease the stiffened tension that had fallen upon her as she stretched her arms out in front of her. The thrill of the battle she had just experienced really wore her out. A meal and a good nights’ sleep sounded ideal to her at that point in time.

“Sure, I’ve got enough cash to cover anything. I know a pretty good place where the food isn’t expensive.” Evadne flashed them a friendly grin. Honestly, she didn’t want to say goodbye to her new ‘team’ just yet. Ever since she ran away from home, she hadn’t spent time with any of her friends. Spending time by herself in the gigantic underground cellar of the bookstore was beginning to get boring. It was rather refreshing to talk to people who also knew what it was like to have freakish abilities.

The blonde turned towards the door for a brief moment before looking back at Scorpius, Daze, and the other boy. Noticing that she hadn’t even introduced herself yet, she decided it’d be best to get that out of the way.

“My name’s Evadne, by the way.”

Daze smiled at her for a brief moment. The small blonde seemed to notice that Daze was highly uncomfortable. The girl definitely wasn’t from around these parts—it almost seemed like she wasn’t even human, in a sense.

“Is this... place... very far away?” the shy girl spoke up suddenly.

“Not really. It’s just a little further down the street.” Evadne looked towards the entrance of the bank and then at the back door again, “We should probably get going before the cops show up.”

The blonde walked towards the back door with a bounce in her step and pushed it open. “Just follow me!”

Daze couldn’t help but smile again at the petite girl. For someone so small, she seemed to have so much energy. The alien looked at her feet uneasily before limping after the vivacious blonde. The dark haired girl knew well that everyone knew she was different—flying would only make her stand out more. Drawing attention was the last thing she needed. So, she decided she’d just withstand the pain until she found a place where she could sit down.

The alien found it hard to keep up, the blonde was walking so fast. Daze decided to walk a little slower, just so she'd be at the same pace as the two other boys when they caught up. These streets seemed so eerie at night-- there were so many sounds and lights and voices. It was hard for her to grow accustomed to it all.

[DracoMalfoy]

As Evadne introduced herself, Ben offered her a small smile. He felt embarrassed to give his name now. His temporary ‘teammates’ all had interesting names; their names did a pretty good job of describing them, he thought. It was wrong to think that; he knew so little about them, but he couldn’t help but take interest in their names. Expecting a normal son to live a normal life, his parents had named him Ben, after some distant old relatives. There wasn’t anything special about his name. The brunet mentally slapped himself. How stupid was it to complain over a name? It was something a little kid would do. He loved his new friends’ names, but his would probably be easiest to remember.

“I felt like I got the short end of the name stick,” he joked with an awkward laugh. “I’m Ben. It’s nice to meet you guys.” As he finished talking, his stomach growled which made him blush in embarrassment. Truthfully, he was thrilled that Evadne had offered to buy them a small dinner. The thought of halfway decent food almost made his mouth water. When Evadne and Daze walked out of the bank, he followed them with vigor.

The battle had done an excellent job of depleting his energy, so it was hard to keep up with the fueled blonde leading the way. So, he walked at a slower pace, right next to the other boy, Scorpius who had followed as well.

For a moment, the air between them was awkward. To Ben, Scorpius didn’t seem like the type supportive of constant conversation. Not that he harbored a dislike for the loner, but he wished he was up front with Evadne; she seemed much more friendly and talkative. Ben possessed a tendency of rambling when intrigued with a conversation, so he hoped his habit wouldn’t drive his new friends away. His emerald eyes then noticed Daze had slowed, probably to meet their pace.

She didn’t seem social either, but it was apparent to Ben that she was kind. She had saved him after all, and he believed he still owed her something. He’d have a bullet in his back if it wasn’t for her. And that seemed like a pretty big deal to him. When he and Scorpius approached her, the mutated adolescent offered her an inquisitive look. She had said she wanted to return home. Perhaps it was a sensitive topic for her, but Ben was curious. Oceanship City was a big place, but he’d never seen her before in his life. Maybe she was from out of town. What harm was there in asking?

“So…” Ben lifted the silence between the three awkwardly. He sent a hand to the back of his head and rubbed his neck hesitantly. “Daze, right?” He paused, hoping he had gotten her name right. “Where do you live? Out of town? There are some busses that travel over to the next city. You could probably catch one sometime tomorrow.” Feeling nervous about his words, Ben had begun to ramble. He hoped his words didn’t upset her, and if they did, he’d offer a quick and strong apology for his mistake. Something about her definitely seemed different. She was tall; standing above him and he almost wondered if Earth was actually her home.

The adolescent then rolled his emerald eyes at the assumption. A lot of things were possible. He’d been mutated and was like some sort of Spiderman, Evadne, Scorpius and Daze also had weird powers. That stuff existed, but still, Ben refused to believe aliens were actually real. Call him a skeptic, but the thought of extraterrestrial life frightened him. There was no way Daze was an alien! And it was rude of him to assume that she was. He wanted to apologize to her just for thinking that.

Ben’s eyebrows rose when he heard Scorpius make a small sound, like a scoff or a laugh. In the few short minutes he’d known the older boy, the brunet had learned Scorpius only made his opinion known when absolutely necessary. Did the loner know something he didn’t? As if reading Ben’s mind, Scorpius did speak up. “Forgive me, but, you don’t seem like you’re a native of Earth,” the hooded young man interjected softly, keeping his tone hushed almost.

The possibility shocked Ben, but he didn’t say anything to protest against what the dark wielder had said. His emerald eyes had widened in surprise, but that was his only reaction. His gaze went from Scorpius to Daze, hoping to gain an answer.

Scorpius’ icy eyes didn’t stay on his new comrades for long. After he voiced his opinion, he looked forward, watching Evadne’s walking figure. The restaurant she had in mind didn’t seem too far away as he noticed they were approaching a fast food establishment. Even with the streets dark and frightening, he could still see the bright sign belonging to the restaurant. Oceanship’s streets were full of crime in the evening, but still, the hooded boy couldn’t help but feel comfortable in the night while under the moon. With a small smile, he continued walking, never faltering as he casually pursued the petite blonde.

[AppleMistress]

Daze felt her cheeks burn. She knew this question would probably come at some point... Not all Earthlings were aware of the life outside of their own planet, after all. She hoped that Ben’s opinion of her wouldn’t change when she told him where her home really was.

When Scorpius intervened, she looked at him, a little surprised. It was a bold move, to suggest something like that. But the fact that he could guess where she came from so casually and accuately just caught her off guard for a moment. She then looked up at the sky, which was brightened by a few stars, and felt homesickness tug at her heartstrings. She smiled weakly before shyly glancing at Ben.

“I belong with the stars.” She said these words quietly, wrapping her arms around herself for comfort. “Earth is not my home planet.”

Daze wasn’t even quite sure what had caused her to fall out of the sky. Something knocked her out, or she was just too small. She didn’t even know for sure if she could go back. Of course, she didn’t want to think pessimistically about this, so she mentally discarded that thought. But her fall did hurt... Both physically and mentally. Earth was so different... so violent. But knowing that there were people like Ben, Evadne, and Scorpius was actually somewhat refreshing. She’d try to spend some time with them before departing for her home.

She looked at Scorpius again, who was watching the blonde ahead. She couldn’t help but wonder how he knew. She was sure she looked different, but the people of Earth seemed to have several different customs and appearances. Perhaps he knew of her people? That was likely. The thought that someone knew was somewhat intriguing. It was rare to find another who knew about the stars.
Evadne, realizing that she was walking a few paces ahead of the group, stopped as soon as she reached the restaurant’s entrance. She turned to her newly-found comrades as her set of blue eyes glimmered in curiosity.

“Here we are!” She announced cheerily as the other three came to a stop behind her. When she pushed the door open, the salty, greasy smell of the food wafted towards her. Of course, it wasn’t good to eat fast-food all the time, but Evadne had to admit that after several nights of Katie’s burnt cooking, this smelt like heaven. And the others seemed rather hungry themselves. This would probably do them some good—and maybe even give them some time to chat.

As it was particularly late, there weren’t any people in line. There was a couple and a small group of friends occupying a few of the booths, but otherwise, the place was pretty much empty.
Evadne couldn’t help but smile in slight amusement when she noticed Daze’s obvious curiosity in the place. The alien’s eyes were very wide as they carefully examined everything around her.

The blonde strode towards the front counter before glancing towards the others, gesturing for them to follow her with her hand. “What do you guys want? Fries and drinks?” That’s what they mentioned in the bank, after all. She was more than willing to buy whatever it was they wanted as long as it was in a reasonable price range.

Daze shifted uneasily on her feet, perplexed and overwhelmed. “I-I don’t mind.” The dark haired girl obviously didn’t know what the food on earth tasted like just yet, ordering something was beyond her.
Evadne smiled gently at her before turning to the boys, awaiting their responses.

[DracoMalfoy]

Ben was shocked at the revelation of Daze’s true home; inwardly, it was an odd feeling, knowing he was standing next to an alien, but on the outside, he simply shrugged. There was no room to judge Daze; she seemed very willing to return home and was far from hostile, like aliens in sci-fi movies are. Compared to those green humanoids with a dozen eyes, Daze looked charming and peaceful. And she had saved him. So in response to her confession, the brunet smiled and his eyes widened in fascination. “I think that’s cool,” he told her with a casual tone of voice. The adolescent was tempted to crack a “take me to your leader” joke, but restrained himself. Earth was foreign to Daze; he could sense that much by just looking at her. He didn’t want to run the risk of confusing or upsetting her.

As these thoughts and facts registered in his mind, the mutant couldn’t help but wonder how Scorpius had known, or at least assumed Daze didn’t come from Earth. Nothing about him seemed extraterrestrial. Maybe he was one of those kids who chased UFO’s? Ben felt a tad awkward, walking next to an alien and someone who knew they existed. He felt…plain. Sticking his hands into the pockets of his jeans, his green eyes watched the ground for a few moment as the group walked.

Hesitantly stepping through the door, the scent of grease and salt entered his nose and he unconsciously licked his lips. Fast food was similar to poison, if eaten often, but Ben couldn’t resist his growling stomach. On rare occasions at home did he eat fast food; his parents preferred to cook plain meals and force feed him vegetables. The thought of munching on some fries and getting to know his new friends sounded very inviting.

When Evadne asked them what they wanted, he raised his head to face her and offered her a curt nod. “ That’s perfect, thanks,” he said to her with a grateful smile. “I could drink a Coke…if it isn’t too much trouble.” Ben felt paranoid and feared he was being a nuisance to the petite blonde who was offering them food. The adolescent knew he should be grateful even if he received water. And he didn’t want to spend all her money; that’d just be rude of him.

Scorpius had kept silent for the rest of the gang’s trip to the restaurant. After he’d voiced his opinion regarding Daze, he feared he’d violated a boundary. It wasn’t his information to share. The hooded teenager debated offering up an apology, but felt awkward offering anymore words to the conversation. His icy eyes widened when Daze proved his assumption to be correct.

His parents had studied the stars for most of their lives. They’d told him countless times that they were people, but he’d taken all into stride. He’d believed some of it to be truth while the rest of it to be pure, ridiculous fiction. It was extremely difficult for him to walk beside a creature his parents had thoroughly researched and admit he was wrong in his beliefs. If his parents were present, Scorpius was positive they’d overwhelm Daze was trivial questions regarding her home. The mere thought made him shiver; that possibility would only make this evening even more awkward.

“Very interesting,” he mused in a monotone after Ben had finished speaking. His words were quiet, nothing more than a hushed whisper to himself. The loner doubted anyone else had heard his speech. They then entered the fast food establishment and he smiled very lightly.

Meals that tasted good were far and wide for him. Normally he’d refuse to let a girl pay for his food, but under these circumstances, Scorpius tossed honor and chivalry aside. Evadne seemed like a very kind girl, jumping into frays to save innocent lives and offering to buy new friends food. It was hard for the hooded outcast to fathom such kindness, but, he was glad it existed. The two groups of people who occupied the restaurant with them had paid them no mind, much to his relief. Right now, they weren’t freaks with powers, just kids.

“Fries will do, thanks.” His words were rushed, but he’d spoken louder this time so the energetic blonde could hear him. Scorpius nodded his head in a form of thanks for her as he patiently evaluated the establishment, waiting for his small meal to be ready.

[AppleMistress]

Daze found herself somewhat relieved at Ben’s reaction to what she had to say. She could tell he was a little surprised, but she’d expected just that much from anyone who hadn’t known of life beyond this planet.

She stood back while Evadne gave the lady behind the counter their order, taking in the smell, the colors, the tables, the tiled floor, and the small groups of other people sitting in their own booths. They didn’t seem to take notice to their arrival, which she greatly felt relief over. Sticking out like a sore thumb made her feel so very small and oblivious.

What was this place? She couldn’t help but wonder this to herself. The others seemed to act so naturally here, so she felt as though she’d be laughed at for asking a question that they’d deem obvious. But based on the looks on the other customers faces, she could tell this was a good place—no one seemed as though they were in pain or depressed. She let this fact lift her spirits a little.

Daze turned her attention back to the blonde, who’d just recently been handed a plastic tray. There was a large, cardboard box filled to the brim with ‘fries’, as she remembered the others calling them. There were also four cardboard cups with lids and straws standing around it. She perked her head to the side, wondering what they’d have to do from this point.

Evadne turned to Scorpius suddenly. “I know you didn’t ask for anything to drink, but I got you a water anyway. No one can withstand the salty-ness without something to wash it down.” She beamed in spite of herself before turning towards the rows of tables and booths sitting nearby.

The petite girl led the group to a booth in the back of the place. She slid the tray down on the table and plopped down onto one of the cushioned seats. Hesitantly, Daze slid in next to her.

The blonde smiled at her before plucking one of the ‘fries’ from the bunch. She moved it towards the alien, as though urging her to try it.

“This must seem a little different. But I’m sure you’ll like it!” Evadne bounced a little in her seat, watching Daze carefully. “Try one!”

Daze looked at both Scorpius and Ben, as though for their approval in trying this unfamiliar thing. It smelled nice, in a way. But she couldn’t help but wonder what it was.

“Look.” Evadne stuck the yellow food in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. She let out a satisfied sigh after, turning to the alien again. “See! It’s okay.”

Daze stared at the batch of ‘fries’ for a few moments before carefully selecting one. She stuck it in her mouth and slowly chewed. The salty taste was unfamiliar… She savored the flavor in her mouth before she swallowed, realizing that she actually enjoyed the taste of it.

The alien’s eyes gleamed brightly. “Thank you… for the food.” She said this quietly to Evadne, realizing she hadn’t thanked the girl for her kindness before.

The blonde giggled in response, waving her hand. “So I’m guessing you liked it.”

Daze nodded her head once in an almost childlike gesture.

“Well, take as many as you like, then.” The smaller girl then brought her drink into her hands and took a small sip. The fizzy liquid helped her to gain a little more of her energy. She felt a sudden thrill of excitement run up and down her spine. Although she’d just met Scorpius, Ben, and Daze, she would admit that spending time with them was very refreshing. Doing something sort of social like this just managed to lift her spirits.

[DracoMalfoy]

Scorpius smiled sideways as Evadne was handed a tray filled with fries. He took a brief moment to notice that Daze seemed confused by their surroundings, but he kept quiet still. He didn’t want to invade her business again; he’d spoken a bit out of term only minutes ago. It was fascinating how this was all new to her; the culture her home upheld was obviously different from the customs of those living on Earth. The quiet adolescent was far from ignorant, but it was a challenge to comprehend that his way of life wasn’t the sole way to live. He was used to one culture, one way of life and yet, these three he’d befriended came from completely different places.

When Evadne suddenly informed him that she’d gotten water for him, it was hard to fight back his smile. The dark avatar found it hard to understand why someone would be kind without purpose. Upon taking time to briefly speak with the small blonde after their fight in the bank, Scorpius had detected that she was kind and generous. That was far more than what could be said for himself. Ben, Daze, Evadne, they all seemed to possess this excessive capacity of kindness. It was far different than his demeanor.

Shrugging his mental conflict off, he examined the establishment for the second time. This was so casual, it was surreal. Walking the busy streets alone gained him looks of curiosity, concern and disappointment. It was easy to disregard them, but upon entering the restaurant, Scorpius felt instantly paranoid that the groups that occupied a few of the booths were judging them all, wondering why they were out without adults, all those sorts of things. But, it wasn’t the case. Besides, his new friends seemed comfortable, why shouldn’t he be?

The outcast took a seat at their booth right next to Ben, who seemed more than willing to divulge in their salty treat. He wanted to chuckle at Daze’s reluctance to eat, but quickly concurred that it was best not to.

“Yep! They’re a delicacy for us teenagers,” Ben spoke up after Evadne, helping to encourage the alien to try one. The brunet also took one of the fries from the tray and wasted no time in eating it. His green eyes widened as he swallowed the food, obviously feeling a bit relieved.

Instead of diving right into the food, Scorpius simply took a sip of his water. His stomach was growling roughly and threatening to eat itself, but he wanted to wait until his new “companions,” if one could call them that, had a few of their fair share of fries. He’d feel awfully guilty of taking advantage of Evadne’s kindness.

Both Ben and Scorpius smiled as Daze ate her first fry, and Ben quietly clapped his hands as if his child had taken their first step. Sending his icy eyes to the tray, Scorpius too felt happy as if this was a special occasion to share. And perhaps it was. It was hard for him to say that he actually had friends in the past. He wasn’t sure if going as far to call these three his friends was too bold, but it was a risk he felt was worth taking.

Ben took a sip of his fizzy soda and smiled, instantly feeling refreshed. In his spare hand, he had a few small fries that he politely ate after gulping his drink. The air was quiet for a brief moment after Evadne offered the tray of food to the group. The emerald eyed adolescent ate silently, wanting to savor the flavor of the fries. Scorpius had taken his first of the golden snack and was currently enjoying it, like his new friends were.

Being with Evadne, Daze and Scorpius was certainly nothing short of a miracle, for Ben. Being alone for as long as he had been had been terrifying for him. With no one to trust or speak to, the brunet feared he would’ve soon gone mad if the bank hadn’t been robbed. Suddenly, wanting to start a conversation with his new friends, the mutated adolescent swallowed his snack and smiled at them.

“So, what do you guys like to do for fun?” It was a simple question, he thought. Every teenager had some means of entertainment.

[AppleMistress]

Evadne couldn’t help but smile when Ben mentioned video games. It seemed like such a long time since she had played one. Katie had a TV in the cellar that she stayed in, but there was no game system to go along with it. And oddly, the fact that Scorpius liked to read was rather fitting—he seemed a little old fashioned to her, in a sense. The two boys were so different; it was a little amusing. In fact, they were all different in some way or another. If they hadn’t had the connection of their weird abilities, they wouldn’t have found each other in the first place.

When Scorpius egged on to the subject of being a runaway, Evadne was sure that she paled visibly. She wrapped her hands around her cold cup, as though for comfort as she tried to file through her brain for a true, but not so descriptive explanation of what she was doing out so late. She looked at Ben for a moment, inwardly wondering if he had run away from home as well. He honestly seemed so normal, she couldn’t even imagine someone like him running off on his family… but then again, no one could really judge a book by its’ cover. She turned back to Scorpius, deciding to take a chance with her words.

“I ran away from home.” Evadne was surprised on how smooth her words sounded. She narrowed her eyes blue eyes slightly as she adjusted her attention on the tip of one of her blonde waves, and began twisting it around her forefinger. “Two weeks ago, actually.”

Daze felt as though she had lost her friends in a deep fog as she tried to understand their conversation. Video games… trading cards… She had heard of books and reading before, thankfully. But a few of the other things mentioned in the conversation made her feel a little overwhelmed. And when Evadne mentioned leaving her home, alarm surged through her like a knife. Just hearing about home… thinking about home made her stomach hurt. Why would anyone want to run away from home? She didn’t understand it at all. Swallowing, she bit her tongue and looked down at the table.

Evadne pulled her fingers away from her hair, lifting her downcast gaze to look at the boys sitting across from her. She had noticed the way Daze froze up, and felt a little bad about it. “But I can get by just fine on my own. I’m not sleeping in a box on the side of the street or anything like that.”

[DracoMalfoy]

Ben felt his stomach plummet as he sat across from Evadne and listened to her tell her story. Was he sitting with three fellow runaways? Thinking back on the day he left, he was afraid he’d find himself all alone and starved within a few weeks. Reflecting on his decision, the brunet concluded that it hadn’t been the smartest decision. His parents had sheltered him and did whatever they could to encourage a belief of conformity inside of him. It was all he really knew; with these new abilities, the adolescent feared he wouldn’t have a friend in the world. But, this night was beginning to prove differently. Evadne and Scorpius – something was different about them. It seemed they’d be ostracized like he had. Maybe Daze was the same as well?

Raising his eyes to glance at the alien, Ben noticed she seemed a bit uncomfortable with their conversation. Had the mention of trading cards and video games confused her? Or was running away a touchy topic for her? Part of him wanted to speak up and inquire about her feelings, but another half of him forced him to keep silent. If this was making her uncomfortable, perhaps it’d be best not to mention it for now. He glanced at his pop, suddenly feeling thirsty. Evadne and Scorpius had this odd courage to come out and say their lives hadn’t been great. He envied it. It was hard for him to voice how things had fallen apart in his home. Ben felt he owed it to his new friends to be truthful; they’d already trusted him with so much. Resisting the urge to gulp down his coke, the mutant leaned against his seat and sighed. “If it makes you feel any better, I ran away too,” he said. The comment was out loud for them all, but he hoped it’d comfort Evadne. She seemed fine on her own, but Ben felt it necessary to at least try and voice some words of comfort. “Mom and Dad aren’t the ‘I love you no matter what you are’ types.”

Scorpius eyed Ben cautiously, somewhat caught off guard. He hadn’t thought Ben to be the type to leave home, but no one at this table was exactly what they seemed. He honestly never thought he’d be sitting across from a creature his parents had studied relentlessly during their lives. The antisocial adolescent had even doubted their existence. But now, he knew that Daze’s kind actually did exist and he also knew there were others that held special abilities like his own. The tips of his fingers danced gently across the tabletop as he was lost deep in thought. He sent a small nod towards Ben, hoping the other boy took it as a sign of understanding and sympathy. Scorpius was too frightened to speak his feelings on the matter; if he misused some words, he could lose a recent friend that had so quickly become close.

“I live on my own,” was all the dark haired youth said. No further evaluation. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them with his story, he just didn’t want to elaborate further. His friends’ history seemed to be tragic and he didn’t want to add to the negative air that seemed to be lingering about them. Scorpius then aimed his eyes at Daze, feeling bad that she seemed uncomfortable. Perhaps it was time for a change in the discussion’s topic. Ben seemed to be thinking similar because shortly after Scorpius spoke, he piped back up.

“Living alone means no curfew,” the brunet mused with a small smile. “So, I guess that means we all don’t have to part ways for a while.” Hesitantly, he took another small fry, hoping his somewhat optimistic thought would heal some of the tension.

[AppleMistress]

“Wait… You mean alone as in alone—as in not with parents, not with a friend?” Evadne couldn’t help but blurt these words out after hearing Scorpius and Ben—specifically, his words about curfew are what startled her. Living alone was possible, but it was dangerous. Even she could admit that.

She shook her head for a moment, trying to shake the surprise from her expression. She didn’t mean to ruin the chance at another lighthearted conversation, but the future safety of her new friends seemed to be at stake. Katie might not appreciate her bringing a few strays home, but they had enough room to house everyone. They trusted her enough to tell her about themselves, they nearly risked their own lives alongside her—they couldn’t be bad. Making up her mind, she nodded to herself.

Evadne leaned over the table slightly, eyeing the other tables. No one she would have known were sitting around. No one was looking at them. They were safe.
“I kind of… I have a place. I’m staying in the basement of a bookstore that my friend owns, to be exact.” She kept her voice low, looking from Scorpius, to Ben, to Daze, and back again. “And we have room. Lots of room. If you need a place to stay for a while, you can… um… stay with us.”

Daze blinked, recovering from her ‘dazed’ state. “You’re offering shelter? After you offered us food?” She was appalled at how nice a human could be. The people on the street pushed and cursed—but her new friends seemed better than the average citizens walking around on the streets. She was convinced that earth was a horrible place—until now. This was too much for her to comprehend.

Evadne, suddenly embarrassed, winded her forefingers together nervously. “I-I mean, if you want to. I’m not forcing it on you guys, but it’d probably be better than living by yourselves on the streets.” She looked to Daze, “But I suggest you come with me, I mean, if you want to. You still need to find out how to get home—and my friend may be able to help you out. We have a bunch of old, dusty research books.”

Daze considered this for a moment before nodding her head. “Thank you.” She smiled bashfully. “I’ll come with you. I have no place else to go…”

Evadne nodded her head, her heart pounding at the fact that the alien planned to join her. Hope gleaming in her icy blue orbs, she turned to the boys.

Daze closed her eyes for a moment. This was honestly the luckiest thing she could encounter on such a planet. They were a pretty decent team. She opened her eyes and turned to her friends. “If we do stay together for a while… perhaps we could help more people.” She paused for a moment, hesitant. “We all managed to eliminate those uh… what you call ‘robbers’ very well…”

“Like actual superheroes.” Evadne felt the oddest thrill seep through her, recalling those days that she’d sit in her room and watch cartoons and wish with all her heart that she could help other people. She grinned at the memory before snapping herself out of her daydream, giving her head a swift shake.

“I’d like to help more people while I remain on earth. If we could do that together, I’d be honored.” Daze blushed, looking from Evadne, to Ben and Scorpius. She shrunk in her seat a little, wondering if she should be so open about this. She hadn’t considered how busy her companions might be, after all.

[DracoMalfoy]

Both Ben and Scorpius found themselves nodding in unison to Evadne’s question. Their situations were quite different, but currently, both of them were alone without guaranteed shelter or food. Ben was curious as to why Evadne had asked them this. For a brief moment, the brunet wondered if sharing so much with someone he hardly knew was a good idea. It wasn’t that he distrusted the petite blonde that had come to his rescue and then bought him food, but the city was a shady place; one could never be too careful. “I’ve been on my own for two weeks,” he clarified, though the fact saddened him. Ben missed his parents and wished he could be welcomed back home, but he knew the moment he left he couldn’t go back.

Scorpius, on the other hand, didn’t speak at all about the issue. He kept calmly still, expecting Evadne to say something more. His hunch was right when she spoke again, of a place she had in the basement of the bookstore. The solemn young man was certainly caught off guard at Evadne’s kind offer. In a rare moment of low defenses, his shock was clearly visible on his face. The shadow manipulator knew that people of such kindness existed, but such a kindness had never before been offered to him. Scorpius truly didn’t know what to say. God knew he wanted to accept the offer, but he felt weak and foolish for it. Evadne had treated him so kindly already; he couldn’t take more from her. Turning his eyes towards Ben, he saw that the other boy was quite eager.

“Really? Yes! Yes! Yes!” Ben exclaimed in a jumbled mesh of words. He was overjoyed to have a chance at living with his new friends. Part of him wondered if accepting the offer was too rude; he hadn’t done anything to return the petite blonde’s act of kindness. He shrugged the thought off; Evadne had offered them shelter and he would have lots of time to pay her back. The adolescent mutant couldn’t keep the smile off his face. His thoughts were now lost pondering what kind of fun they would all have together.

Ben’s excitement about Evadne’s offer caught Scorpius off guard. The brunet was muttering a bunch of “thanks so much!” and “this is going to be cool!” The antisocial boy had problems finding himself as eager as the teenager sitting next to him, though. Part of him felt foolish for not wanting to accept the offer, but his pride was interfering. Realistically, he had to consider the facts; shelter meant good sleep, a clean environment and probably more food. He wouldn’t get those luxuries living on the streets. Scorpius took a big gulp of air, trying to fight off his stupid pride.

“If it’s not too much trouble, I’d quite enjoy it,” he finally answered the electric blonde sitting across from him. Whether he chose to admit it, these three adolescents had quickly become his friends; they were the closest friends he had ever had. The shadow bender wasn’t willing to say goodbye to them just yet. Perhaps he could stay for a few weeks; it didn’t have to be permanent.

When Daze suggested they help others and continue to fight crime, Ben practically jumped out of his seat. Both of the girls seemed to be reading his mind. Fighting bad guys and using their awesome powers for good…it was a dream come true to him. Taking a quick sip of his Coke, he nodded his head eagerly; it seemed like it was about to come flying off.

“We could be like the Justice League or something!” he added, showing his obvious support for the idea. “Maybe we could be like those teenage teams or something that all the sidekicks make.”Of course, the four of them weren’t exactly sidekicks; in fact, they could barely be called heroes. But, Ben knew if they continued to help others and keep Oceanship safe, they could be.

“It seems like a profitable way to spend the summer,” Scorpius added. His parents had been quite selfish, so the quiet adolescent thought it right to make up for their mistakes. “I’d certainly like to help others.” This all felt so surreal to him. Just this morning he’d been homeless with no plans for the future; now, he had three good friends and they were dedicated to fighting crime.

[AppleMistress]

When both Scorpius and Ben agreed to come live with her, Evadne was beaming with ecstasy. She wouldn’t have to say goodbye to her newly found friends after all—they’d have plenty of time to spend together. Katie would probably be tired and a little irked at the brief notice of the whole ordeal, but the small blonde was sure that her friend would have enough heart to let Ben, Scorpius, and Daze live with her. The basement underneath the store was so abnormally huge that it was quite enough to house four teenagers. It was settled.

“Justice League?” Daze questioned herself under her breath and blinked stupidly. She decided to brush it off. There were too many confusing sayings and things that she hardly knew anything about. Perhaps she’d be safe, home in the sky before she’d have to worry about figuring everything out. Feeling another sharp sting of homesickness, she abruptly shook the thought away. She’d focus on her new friends and what enjoyable moments they’d share in the future. She propped her elbows up on the table and rested her pointed chin in her palms.

“All right! It’s settled!” Evadne clasped her hands together, as though to make things official. Ben’s excitement rubbed off on her like a caffeine patch of some sort—she almost felt as though she’d be bouncing in her seat at any given moment. Letting her bright icy gaze go downcast, she noticed that the bottom of the container the fries were in was visible—only three or four left. And although she was keyed up, she was still rather tired. Getting to the shop soon would probably be wise. The blonde hoped that Katie wasn’t worried. The petite blonde had this tendency of getting into trouble or being in the wrong places at the wrong times… Katie had every right to be worried.

“Helping others… But we must be careful.” Daze couldn’t help but recall what Ben and Evadne had told her about going home by herself—there were guys with bigger guns out there, or something along the lines of that. She wouldn’t want her friends to face any serious pain if they were up against something they couldn’t handle. “We need to make sure we know enough about our abilities.” The alien actually didn’t really know what she could do with her powers—she was different, somehow, though she didn’t know what it was that had changed.

Evadne nodded as though this were an obvious fact. “Well of course! Don’t you all train?” She looked at her three friends. Well, of course, her parents had trained her ever since she was a little girl; it seemed natural to her. Perhaps her friends didn’t attain their abilities through genetics… maybe they hadn’t had anyone to properly train them. The blonde blushed, feeling a little inconsiderate. “If you don’t that’s okay. I actually set up a sort of wimpy training room in the basement. An old treadmill and a punching bag…” She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

Deciding to clear the awkward air she’d just created, the blonde brought another topic to the table. “Well, if we’re gonna be a team, we should have a leader!” She exclaimed. She then realized that saying her made it look like she would have wanted that position, and immediately decided to add something else in, “I don’t think I’m leader material. At all. I’m better with equipment and electronics. I could make trackers, weapons, security devices.” She let out a breath, pulling her goggles up from her eyes so she could wear them like a headband.

Daze shifted in her seat. A leader? “I-I hardly know anything about this planet. I’m… I’m afraid I wouldn’t be suitable for such a task.” She shied away instantly, hoping inwardly that she wouldn’t be judged for her weak words. The alien couldn’t help but look towards Ben. He seemed friendly and open and courageous… Scorpius also seemed very composed and confident. Either one of the boys seemed as though they could do the job well enough.

Evadne turned to Ben. “Well, you took on the robbers first. By yourself. No one was there…” The blonde turned her head towards Scorpius and Daze before turning back to the more energetic of the two boys. “It takes a lot of guts to do something like that.” She grinned a sideways grin, trying to make her suggestion clear. Sure, Scorpius seemed composed and fitting for the job—but he wasn’t really the most talkative person. A leader had to know how to communicate with others. Evadne still felt that she could trust Scorpius, though, even when he was mysteriously quiet. He was very polite. To the petite blonde, it was honestly a rare sight to see a boy his age act so mature. And plus… she was sure Ben, Scorpius, and Daze had a few secrets themselves. She knew she did. Even though she felt as though she could trust these three to the point where she'd let them live with her, she didn't know what would happen if she told them about her parents. She assumed that they'd leave her or think of her as a lying, scheming villain. Deciding then to brush the mental conflict away, she focused on Ben.

[DracoMalfoy]

One could view this sudden decision to become a team as a bit rash, but Ben was too blinded by excitement to even consider the opposite end of the coin. As selfish as it may seem, he was just thrilled that he wouldn’t have to spend the night under a building’s roof. He didn’t want to go separate ways with Evadne, Daze and Scorpius either. In this short time frame, the four had grown rather close and there was an unmistakable bond already apparent between them. His eyes traveled to Daze briefly as she questioned what he’d meant by the term “Justice League.” Ben considered giving her the gist of what he meant; he could take a moment to explain who Batman and Superman were, but, he was afraid it wouldn’t enlighten his alien friend much and only confuse her more. Besides, if they were going to be living together, he had time to explain the concept to her. Evadne seemed as enthusiastic about the idea as he was and that relieved him. They wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her. Ben wasn’t entirely sure if Scorpius or Daze realized it, but they owed their newfound friendship to the petite blonde.

“Daze is right,” Scorpius interjected, nodding his head to show his physical approval. Judging from what he’d seen in their battle, Evadne was experienced with her ability. She seemed to have a strong sense of control on what her powers could really do. Scorpius himself was in a similar situation. His abilities had been given to him against his will, but he’d been taught how to use them. The silent adolescent wasn’t naïve enough to assume there weren’t plateaus he had yet to reach. Training, as Evadne had suggested, could do him some good. It could do all of them so good. If they could all fine tune their skills and master the full extent of their powers, then, they could make Oceanship a city free of crime. Scorpius turned his head to watch Ben sheepishly rub the back of his head, scratching some of his sandy red hair with his hand. How someone could be confident and hesitate at the same time truly did baffle him.

“My powers just came in the mail a few weeks ago,” he confessed to his friends, trying to sugarcoat the revelation with some humor. “And they didn’t come with an instruction manual or anything.” Truth was, Ben had no idea what his powers could do. With enough discipline and strength, he could use the natural elements to his advantage, but every time he’d done it, it’d been a fluke; a stroke of luck, even. He feared his abilities paled in comparison to that of his friends. But when Evadne mentioned having set up a training room, he perked up. Clearly she knew what she was doing. There wouldn’t be anything wrong with coming to her for a little advice, right? The gifted adolescent was a little thrown off when his electrical friend suggested they elect a team leader. It was probably for the best; a leader could keep them organized and with enough practice, their team could become a well oiled machine. Ben opened his mouth to suggest Evadne for the position, but she beat him to punch and removed herself from the running. Daze seemed mature enough to handle the role, but she did have a point. She still had a lot to learn about Earth.

Scorpius noticed Ben’s gaze move to him. He had no intention of leading his friends. Maybe he possessed a silent maturity that they didn’t have, but he wasn’t leader material. And pretending that he was would only cause their team to crumble. Shrugging his shoulders and nodding his head, the solemn young man turned his eyes towards Evadne, silently showing his agreement. “If you hadn’t arrived when you did, those people could’ve been hurt,” he pointed out, adding to the petite blonde’s statement. Perhaps Ben was inexperienced, but he was best suited for the role amongst the four of them.

Ben wasn’t sure how to react to all of this. He felt honored that his new friends considered him well suited to lead their team, but at the same time, the adolescent wasn’t sure if he could. His life had been cushioned and his parents had called the shots, without a doubt. He viewed himself a follower. But he didn’t want to let his friends down. The fear of doing so was a tad overwhelmingly and the way their gazes were fixated on him…it was as if that fear was manifesting itself in physical form. He nodded his head slowly, silently searching for the right words to use. “That’s really nice of you guys,” he started. “I can give it a shot, but we’re a team. So we should all get an equal say.” Ben wanted to be clear that he didn’t want to be their superior. He’d take the initiative, try and keep everyone organized and do his best to develop the best battle strategies, but he wouldn’t be bossing his friends around or giving them orders. Turning his gaze to stare out the window, Ben noticed that it’d gotten even darker; night had finally arrived. “Maybe we should start heading…home, I’m sure we’re all tired.” It was odd referring to this basement Evadne had offered as home, but it felt right. It was good kind of odd.

[AppleMistress]

Evadne bit on the tip of her forefinger in silent interest when Ben mentioned just recently attaining his abilities. Not everyone had the advantage of being born with odd powers, after all. “Well, no one’s abilities really have instructions, silly. Sometimes they’re inherited—but it’s still hard to really gain mastery over powers like this nonetheless. Plus, you seemed to be handling yourself well while we fought in the bank.” The energetic girl prodded her chest with her thumb, “I’m willing to help you out. Maybe you can experiment with your powers a little in the training room.”

“And… if it offers you any relief, I’m not quite sure of what I can do either.” Daze spoke up, surprising Evadne. “My concentration is what helped me form those shields and blasts of light earlier—but I’m still not quite sure how I accomplished those things.” She pressed her palms together calmly. “I’d like to figure out exactly how to control my capabilities.”

“We’ll start small, we don’t have to go after the big baddies right away. We’ll work our way up.” Evadne smiled brightly, “Every high-quality hero needs to train, after all.”

When Ben reacted to Evadne’s statement regarding his leadership, her smile widened a sliver. “That’s why you’d be a good leader.” The petite blonde crossed her arms confidently, “You’re fair, you won’t be pushy or anything. And we won’t let you do all the work, we’ll be there to back you up whenever.”

Daze nodded in agreement, feeling happy for Ben. Perhaps this leadership position as well as being given an opportunity to improve his skills would be a good thing. Her heart was fluttering with excitement. The very idea of spending time with her new friends made her feel a little less homesick.

Evadne nodded quickly at Ben’s words, noticing that the fries were practically gone and that the sky had turned completely dark. Katie was probably pacing the floors at this point. Evadne rubbed the back of her neck, silently wondering how her redheaded friend would react to her new friends.

“Yes sir!” Evadne said somewhat lightheartedly as she saluted in response to Ben’s suggestion of heading home. The blonde yawned soon after and laughed at her self softly in result—Ben was right, she certainly was exhausted. She picked up the tray of fries, which Daze took as a signal to scoot out of the booth. Evadne followed close behind before making her way over to the nearest trashcan. She dumped the trash inside and set the plastic tray on top of a stack where the dirty trays were supposed to go. She turned to face Scorpius, Daze, and Ben.
“You guys ready?”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------oOo---

Standing in front of the bookstore, Evadne sucked in as much air as she possibly could in order to surpass her nerves. Although she knew Katie would accept Daze, Scorpius, and Ben—the blonde was fretful that her friend would yell at her for getting back to the shop so late at night.

“Here we are! It looks kind of small on the outside—but the basement will seriously blow you guys away.” Evadne tried her hardest to sound lively despite the tiring force that threatened to push her eyelids down over her eyes. “It’s huge!”

“It’s lovely.” Daze offered a compliment, clasping her hands together for effect. It was definitely smaller than the sky she was so used to living in, but nonetheless, it was her temporary home. And she appreciated the petite blonde’s kindness.

Evadne stepped forward, reaching carefully for the knob… slowly turning it… pressing her hand against the door… pushing it open oh so quietly… only for the blasted bell set over the door to ding loudly, announcing her arrival.

“Evadne!” The blonde couldn’t help but flinch when she heard Katie’s commanding voice. “You know I gave you a curfew, I was so worried that your par—“

Evadne’s eyes widened in terror and Katie cut herself off instantly when she appeared by the doorframe of her office towards the back of the store, noticing a few unfamiliar faces. She was at loss for words at the sight of three strangers standing by the petite blonde she had taken under her wing. She stepped towards Evadne before teasingly rubbing her fist against her head.

“You worry me, kid! You always dig yourself into trouble and I’m left sitting here wondering if something’s happened!” She shook Evadne’s shoulder with one hand. Evadne huffed; a bit embarrassed that this was all happening in front of her new friends. She was glad Katie had stopped herself before she’d said anything more. So much has happened in one night, she wasn’t sure how she’d be able to explain her family situation to her friends. It’d overwhelm them completely.

“I’m no kid!” Evadne retorted, crossing her arms. When Katie finished rubbing her knuckles against her head, Evadne attempted to fix the strands of her blonde hair that Katie had ruffled.

“Oh yeah? You’re as tall as a third grader!”

“My height doesn’t make me a kid!”

“You wear ridicules goggles!”

“What’s that have to do with anything?”

Daze was struck silent when the two argued. She was surprised at how they acted towards one another—but she could somehow tell it was all in good nature. Although their expressions looked a bit angry, their smiling eyes did all the talking for them. Letting them argue, she let her bright yellow eyes fixate on the store. Rows and aisles of books—she couldn’t help but wonder if one book among the several she saw before her would assist her in getting home.

Once the arguing duo settled down, Katie glanced at Ben, Scorpius, and Daze before looking back to Evadne.

“Friends of yours?” Katie inquired, tipping her head to the side. She suddenly felt a little self-conscious—by arguing with a teenager she probably just gave them all a bad first impression of her.

“They’re like me, Kat.” Evadne stated in all seriousness. “And… And they need a place to stay. We have more than enough room for them in the basement…”

Katie thought it over for only a moment, glancing at Ben, Scorpius, and Daze. How could she say no to kids who didn’t have a place to sleep at night? That wouldn’t be right. And honestly, the basement had more than enough room to house three teenagers.

Daze could feel body go stiff in anticipation as Katie considered everything. If she couldn't stay here, there was no place else she could go. There was very little she could do for herself on this foreign planet-- there would be no hope for her to find her way home either. This moment would most likely affect her whole future. She wrapped her arms around herself for comfort.

“All right, say no more. They can stay.” Katie grinned tiredly, “It’s nice to meet you three. I’m Katie.”

[DracoMalfoy]

Ben’s heart started to pound faster than normal as he stood outside of the bookshop with his friends. He had to continually remind himself that Evadne had been the one to offer them a place to stay. The genetically altered adolescent couldn’t help but feel paranoid that he had invited himself along. The idea of them being a team was still new to him and it definitely took some adjusting. Not to mention the thought that he’d been elected team leader just a little while ago at the restaurant. Feeling the need to look calm and collected, Ben straightened his posture and looked on at the bookstore with wide emerald eyes. “It really does look great,” he added on to Daze’s comment with a nod. Ben wasn’t often one to lurk in bookstores but he was excited to see this basement his electrifying friend was giving so much hype. Both Ben and Scorpius tip-toed behind Evadne as she led the way into the bookstore. They tried their best to be as silent as possible as neither of them wanted their new electric friend in trouble.

They stuck behind cautiously as Evadne opened the door. Ben winced and practically jumped out of himself when he heard the bell on the shop's door ring. Scorpius, having predicted an "alarm" of sorts stayed still as a statue and offered Ben a skeptical look with a raised eyebrow. The team's new leader sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and was about to mutter an apology, but he silenced himself as he heard a new voice. Looking up, he noted that Evadne was speaking to a woman, probably the lady that was looking after her. Ben immediately straightened himself up, not wanting to make a bad first impression with...Katie.

Scorpius was listening intently, his eyes darting back and forth between Evadne and her alleged guardian. For a moment, he couldn't tell if their bickering was in good fun or if there was a serious sense of dislike among them. He studied their mannerisms for a few moments and determined that they were only fooling around with one another.

“Must be sisters, huh?” Ben joked quietly to Scorpius, lightly elbowing the taller teen in the arm. Scorpius gave Ben a look as if to say he didn’t understand the joke. Picking up the hint, the redhead brought his head down to face the floor, feeling a bit awkward with himself.

Not thinking twice, Scorpius nodded when Katie asked if he, Ben and Daze were friends of Evadne. He didn't want to look too hasty, but they were friends, right? He'd never had any before, so he feared his judgment on the term was askew. "I hope it's fine that Evadne offered your basement for shelter," he said to Katie. He was nervous, slightly afraid she wouldn't be so accepting of their presence. Evadne had been out late and they were to blame. And for whatever reason, Katie didn't seem too enthusiastic about the petite blonde's late arrival. He shrugged the thought off; their business wasn't his.

Ben twiddled his thumbs together, but attempted to hide the action in the pocket of his old, worn hoodie. He was just as nervous as his friends were, they just seemed better at hiding it. Letting them stay would be a very generous gesture. But, he knew that if Katie wasn’t thrilled with Evadne’s idea, which was understandable, he, Daze and Scorpius would be out on the streets. Sure, maybe they’d stick together, but it would still be rough. Besides, Ben himself didn’t plan on staying forever. Sure, they did have their team now, but summer wouldn’t last forever. He couldn’t just quit school.

All his concerns melted away when Katie grinned and let them know they were welcome. He smiled like an idiot…a child on Christmas was actually a better suiting description. “Thanks so much, you rock!” he exclaimed, a little loudly, not necessarily considering how tired everyone seemed to be. He was just overwhelmed with joy. Lately, things hadn’t been going right for him. Between losing any standing he had with his family, trying to master his powers on his own and living on the streets, Ben was just relieved to know he could be with his friends for a little while longer. As Evadne had said, they were all alike. They could help each other through some of the hurdles they had to face as super powered teenagers. “I’m Ben by the way; it’s nice to meet you!” Katie seemed cool; she was almost like the big sister he never had. He hoped he could get to know her.

Scorpius was experiencing a similar feeling. He was nervous that Katie would cast them out, afraid of who they were or what kind of trouble they could have possibly gotten Evadne in. All three of his new friends seemed to be much kinder than the rest of the world, but for someone to open up their store for them…that was just amazing to him. His parents had never been kind people, not even to their own son, so this was new to him. The antisocial adolescent bowed his head in appreciation to Katie; they already owed her so much for her kindness. “Thank you,” he managed to smile. “This means so much to all of us.”

Ben didn’t bother to hide his obnoxious yawn. He stretched out his arms as if to add some sort of effect. “Well team, I think we had a great first day,” he said, poking some fun at his leadership role. “And I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m pretty darn tired.” Ben was somewhat aware of how rude he could be coming off to Katie and his friends, but he already felt comfortable here. It already felt like home.

[AppleMistress]

Daze nodded, just as appreciative of the kind gesture as Scorpius and Ben were. Her eyes lightened humbly and she beamed. She had judged this planet wrongly—indeed, there were people who weren’t very pleasant… But it was well balanced, as there were people out there who could be just as kind and generous as her new friends. And now knowing the fact that she’d get to spend her time in this store with her friends before finding her way home was a treasured memory she’d never forget. “Thank you very much for allowing me remain here.” She spoke up, but blushed a bit as she did so. “My name is Daze.”

“It’s no troub—“ Katie began; only to be cut off as Evadne crushed her in a spontaneous bear hug.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best Katie!” Evadne squealed over and over again, a little more comfortable with acting so openly energetic in front of her new friends now that they’d be living with her.

“Let go kiddo.” Katie breathed. The word ‘kiddo’ was the key—Evadne let go and glared at her red haired guardian playfully. Katie just poked the bridge of the younger girls’ nose in reply, wearing a confident smirk. Tearing her gaze away from Evadne, Katie turned to Scorpius, Ben, and Daze. “But really, it’s no problem. I’m not a nanny or anything, you may have to do some cleaning and you might have to take care of yourselves sometimes. But I’ll be around to help every once and a while and I can let you stay here so long as you don’t go around telling more people about me keeping you here. That’s really important.”

Daze nodded, understanding. She supposed that Katie didn’t want every runaway in Oceanship City to come and catch a free stay under her roof. The alien realized how lucky she was and she wasn’t going to take it for granted. She’d live by Katie’s rules without a doubt.

Evadne cracked a grin when Ben mentioned that they should be getting to bed. Although she was excited that her new friends would be living with her, she was exhausted. “I second that notion.” She yawned, stretching both her arms up in the air as she arched her back a bit. “I’ll give you guys the tour.”

“Evadne knows the ropes, so I think I’ll head home.” Katie reached into her jacket pocket, fingering her keys. “I’m locking up. I’ll be back in the morning. Stay put until I get back, Evadne. I like knowing where you are.” She sent the blonde a curt glare that clearly said ‘you’d better listen to me… or else’. The electric manipulator bobbed her head tiredly in reply.

“Roger.” Evadne said jokingly as she saluted.

Katie rolled her eyes before turning to look at Scorpius, Ben, and Daze. “Night. It was nice meeting you three.” She walked towards the front door of the store before turning around for only a moment. She pointed her index finger at Evadne as she fingered the doorknob. “Keep an eye on that one.” She concluded mockingly. And with that, the bell over the door clanged, the door shut, and Katie was gone.

Evadne rolled her eyes at the door before whirling around to face her new friends. “Katie lives in the apartment building down the street. She owns this store, so she’ll open up shop around eight o’clock tomorrow morning. She pops in from time to time—she’ll spend the entire day here on weekends. There’re about three employees that come in, they don’t go in the basement and they don’t know we’re living here, so we don’t really have to talk to them or anything.” She took a deep breath before finishing off her mini speech, “So. Would you guys like a tour of the place?”

Daze nodded her head eagerly, not quite as tired as the other three teen heroes were. “Yes, thank you.”

Evadne turned on her heels, and made her way towards the back of the shop, gesturing Ben, Scorpius, and Daze to follow her with the wave of her hand. She eventually came to a stop in front of a door behind checkout desk that was labeled with a tag that read ‘Manager’s Quarters: Keep Out’ on it. She opened the door, revealing a rather long staircase. The blonde flicked a light switch, prompting the light bulb on the ceiling to glow with a bright florescent light.

“It’s not very fancy, but it’s large enough for all of us.” Evadne started as she began to trudge down the stairs. She didn’t move fast until she could hear the sounds of her friends’ footsteps behind hers’. “There’re around ten vacant rooms, excluding mine and the training room, a little kitchen area, a living room area, and three bathrooms. Katie and I don’t really know why its’ so big—but it really is convenient.”

Daze clung to the railing as she made her way downstairs. Her ankle was still giving her pain and she needed to be careful. Trying to distract herself, she tried to take in the area around her as she and her friends neared the bottom of the stairs.

Evadne reached the ‘main area’, as she liked to call it, which included their tiny excuse for a kitchen and the living room area. The living room area had an old TV, a broken coffee table, and an overstuffed sofa. “Home sweet home.” She placed her hands on her hips, “It needs a little work—Katie promised that we’d go shopping for some new furniture this weekend.”

Daze couldn’t help but smile. She really did appreciate Evadne’s genuine kindness—she didn’t mind that the furniture wasn’t top-notch. It was her new home and she’d accept it in any shape or form. “It’s wonderful.” She praised the living space.

Evadne rubbed the back of her head and smiled sheepishly. “Since you’re all tired, I think you should decide on where you want to sleep tonight. We have so many empty rooms that we can all have our own rooms. Mine is right over there.” The petite blonde pointed towards the door at the other end of the room on the left. “I guess Daze can take the room next to mine and you guys can take the other side of the hall? Every two rooms have a connected bathroom, and I think it’d be more… comfortable for all of us if we did it that way… What do you guys think?” She couldn’t help but blush—the subject was a tad awkward.

[DracoMalfoy]

Ben kept still, watching Evadne attach onto Katie as if she were a life force. He couldn’t help but laugh at the gesture; this place was a bookstore, but it already felt like home. It was the atmosphere of the people he was with. Evadne, Daze and Scorpius were already siblings, they understood what it was like to face the hardships he’d faced and they were here to help him through like he was for them. It was more than just pledging to fight crime, like they had at the bank; he already considered them family and he felt safe with them. In time, the redhead was sure he’d come to feel similarly for Katie. She seemed ready to give them some independence, but they owed her so much for her hospitality. She seemed like the big sister he never had, or at least the fun aunt his parents forbid him from seeing much of. “I doubt we expect you to be,” he said with a shrug. They were all big kids, they could take care of themselves. “We’re just so grateful you’re letting us stay here. And we’ll keep this place secret.”

Scorpius nodded in agreement, unsure if any more needed to be added. Never before had any been as kind to him as Katie had been; she barely knew them and yet, she was willing to let them seek shelter in her shop. It was a gesture he doubted his own parents would practice. Silently he thanked her. Oceanship City was full of people with nowhere to go; it was unfortunate, but he took comfort in the fact that he and his friends were fortune enough to have found a place off the streets. Ben and Evadne’s yawns were contagious and he too found himself yawning. It had been a long day. He nodded to Katie as if her instructions towards Evadne applied to them all. “Thank you Katie, goodnight.”

Both Ben and Scorpius turned their attention to Evadne after Katie took her leave. They were both tired and it was obvious by the look in their eyes, but they also both wanted a tour. It’d be nice to get a glimpse at where they would be living, after all. “A tour sounds great!” Ben piped up with an enthusiastic nod. Both boys followed the petite blonde and the tall alien to the door. Ben’s mouth gaped at the long staircase behind the manager’s door and he descended down it slowly, trying his best not to fall onto Daze and create some sort of domino effect. Both adolescents were impressed by the main area; maybe it would appear like little to some, but it truly was home sweet home. Compared to the streets, it was like luxuries.

“This is nice,” Scorpius stated simply. He tapped his chin with his index finger as he observed the surroundings. This was enough room for all four of them to live comfortably. And it was so secret he doubted evil doers hell bent on revenge would be able to find them. It’d be nice to just relax here when their help outside wasn’t required. And the thought of sneaking upstairs to borrow a book made him smile, as long as Katie didn’t mind of course.

“Yeah, I like it,” the redheaded adolescent nodded in agreement to Scorpius. He was most excited about the training room his petite friend had mentioned. He did need to get some practice with his power; Evadne, Daze and Scorpius all seemed to know what they were doing while he just got lucky back at the bank. He nodded in agreement to Evadne suddenly feeling his tiredness begin to overcome him again. It’d been so long since he’d had a warm bed, he just couldn’t wait to fall asleep. His green eyes turned to the hallway that Evadne pointed out and he mentally agreed. It would be best if they split up the hall, boys on one side, girls on the other. It was a bit awkward to discuss and he found himself a tad flushed as well. “Yeah, Scorp and I can take that side, no problem,” he said with a nod.

Scorpius felt the need to nod his head, but he didn’t speak. He was socially awkward in general so discussing such an awkward topic made him feel off guard. He scratched the top of his head, merely observing the hallway. He watched Ben run forward and open the first door on their side. The antisocial adolescent couldn’t help but snicker when he heard the other youth gasp.

“This is so cool!” Ben exclaimed. It was the size of his old room and even though the bed wasn’t upper class material, it certainly passed in his book. He observed the door that led to the bathroom he and Scorpius would be sharing and smirked. He always got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom; hopefully Scorpius wouldn’t mind. He turned his head to face his three friends and smiled. “I’m so stoked Evadne, this’ll be great!” Despite his excitement, he was still exhausted and he yawned for the second time in the past few minutes.

“I believe we are all tired,” Scorpius noted the obvious in a monotone voice. He turned towards the girls. “I am sure we’ll have an early morning tomorrow, it may be best to get a jump start on training.” The tall teenager slowly made his way to the door next to Ben’s. “Today was fun…thank you. I hope all three of you have pleasant dreams.” He smiled awkwardly and then retired to his own room.

“See you girls in the A.M!” Ben laughed and offered them a wave. He shut his door as well, but he was sure both Evadne and Daze could still hear him exclaim his excitement for the second time in a row.

[AppleMistress]

Daze had to giggle at Ben’s excitement over their temporary home. Even Scorpius seemed to show a little enthusiasm—though he was also very good at concealing it. Even so, it made her happy to know that she was under the same roof as these kind earthlings for the night. What luck she’s had so far! She almost gave up hope as she wandered the violent streets of Oceanship City. Perhaps the robbery that night was a blessing in disguise.

Daze nodded her head in acknowledgement as Scorpius disappeared behind his door, and warily began to watch as Ben also departed behind his own door.

“Night!” Evadne merrily cheered, very pleased by the idea of a good nights’ sleep. After the night's exhilaration, she was very much ready to cuddle under her thick duvet and close her eyes. “See you guys tomorrow!” She waved her hand once at Ben before he too closed his door.

Daze suddenly felt that she’d gained a lot of energy through her friends’ enthusiasm—almost like she’d just consumed a large mug of sugared coffee… And their departures for sleep made her antsy and wary. She wouldn’t be able to sleep… it was still dark out. It was ridicules to sleep at this time for her, at least. Thoughtfully, she tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, exhaling and inhaling slowly.

Evadne turned to Daze before letting out another mighty yawn. She rubbed the side of her head and grinned tiredly, icy eyes glistening with exhausted moisture. “Good night, Daze.” She pointed over to the door on the left of their side of the hall. “That’s my room. If you need anything, anything at all, just knock. The room on the right is yours. Go on in and get some sleep—I’m sure you’re tired too.”

And with that, Evadne nodded once before vanishing into her room as well.

Daze watched her curiously before feeling a pang of loneliness. The alien wasn't tired at all, to be perfectly honest. She didn't belong on earth in the first place, after all. She glanced left and right before heading towards the sofa. She sat on the carpet in front of the old piece of furniture before leaning forward. Supposing she'd investigate a little, she approached the old television in front of her carefully, almost afraid of the unfamiliar black box. She could see her reflection in the black screen, and was somewhat startled. She couldn’t really explain what she was experiencing really—but something seemed different. Almost as though she’d undergone a transformation of some sort.

Daze shook the frightening thought off before reaching over for the large button on the side of the device. She punched the button and a colorful illuminated image appeared, replacing her reflection—it was just a little fuzzy. The volume was already turned down low, so she didn’t have to worry about disturbing her friends from their sleep. It was a cooking show of some sort—a lady was dumping three cups of sugar into a mixing bowl. Tilting her head in interest, Daze leaned back against the front of the sofa from her place on the floor and brought her legs to her chest.

Not tired at all, Daze spent her night watching various different cooking shows, intrigued with the process of how baked goods and breakfast foods were made.

[DracoMalfoy]

OCEANSHIP CITY - KATIE'S BOOKSHOP
JUNE 24, 16:06 EST

The dummy was dangerous, the dummy had a gun, the dummy wanted to hurt his friends. Of course, none of that was true but Ben repeated these false facts in his head over and over again to try and build enough anger to activate his abilities. After nearly a week of pretty intense training, the redhead had learned that his powers were very responsive to emotion; it was probably better to gain control through focus, but battles against evil doers could easily get intense; he wanted to be ready for the worst, even if the worst had yet to come. With these thoughts drilled in his head, the genetically altered adolescent shot his arm forward, his fist pointing right at the dummy resting innocently on the other side of the room. The ground rumbled lightly and a small pillar of the floor below just forward and collided with the dummy’s head, full force. It fell to the ground defeated and Ben smiled, proud of himself.

The air was easier to control than the earth, but he thought it better to be well rounded. Controlling the air felt like swinging a blanket back and forth or flying, but trying to bend the earth was like lifting a ton heavy weight. But a week’s worth of hard work had shown much improvement. He was nowhere close to the level of mastery Evadne seemed to possess, but someday, the team’s leader knew he would get there. Before, he’d never been a fan of exercise, but spending this past summer week just hanging in the basement of Katie’s shop, training and getting to know his new friends better was amazing. He felt happy for the first in…a while and the best part about it was that they were helping people. Oceanship City was crawling with stupid criminals much like the bank robbers they’d all faced a week ago. Stopping car thieves, alley thugs and cat burglars was almost fun and it was great training. Ben felt they were all starting t become a well oiled team and he was almost wishing for some comic book super villain to show up and challenge them. He thought it’d be fun to change things up.

Scorpius, not one who loved action and being active, actually agreed. Feeling accepted was nice of course and his friends weren’t suspicious of his origins. They were kind, trustworthy and reliable. He’d come to like this team they’d formed and correcting some of the injustice that existed in Oceanship felt like a duty to him. The antisocial adolescent didn’t care much for training; he’d been aware of his abilities since an early age and his parents taught him most of what he needed to know. But a few quick practice sessions wouldn’t hurt; they’d keep him in shape and prevent his skills from rusting. The bank robbery had been the first time he’d used his powers in a while. The way his friends seemed to be training intensely inspired him to do the same. He had to contribute to the team in some way and working by day left him useless sometimes.

A dummy of his own stood still waiting for his attack. Scorpius gazed at the wall watching his shadow closely. It didn’t take much focus or effort to bend shadows to his will anymore; it came so naturally that he treated them like extensions of his own limbs. He rested his fist on the wall and pulled his shadow out of the wall. It extended to the ground as if it were a whip. Gracefully, the tall, silent teenager rushed forward with his arm extended back. He launched his arm forward and then horizontally and the shadow made a clean cut through the dummy; its top half fell to the ground with a small thump sound. Scorpius opened his fist and the shadow was set free. On its own, the shadow traveled back to the wall and changed shape to reflect his posture.

Looking over at Ben, the antisocial adolescent noticed the younger boy was staring at the small television screen that hung over the wall in the back corner of the room. Its reception was far from amazing, but Scorpius admitted, the light static sound that buzzed through the room whenever the television was on calmed him. He couldn’t say the same for his comrades, but he himself had no complaints. He tried to focus his hearing in on the television, ignoring the light static to listen to what the news reporter had to say. Scorpius couldn’t make out the finer details of the report, but it seemed like the general idea was that there was trouble in Oceanship’s downtown district.

“Some thug wants to blow up all those buildings downtown,” Ben announced to the room, just giving the gist of the story. It was only one thug, but if he did have weapons, the police wouldn’t dare make a move, it was too risky. But the redheaded adolescent was confident the four of them could swoop in and have the guy on the ground in seconds. It’d be good exercise too. And not that he was selfish or anything, but Ben didn’t mind the pats on the back the police gave them for jobs well done. He looked over at his friends and shrugged his shoulders. “Think they could use our help?” Maybe he was leader, but they all still made these calls together. Evadne, Daze and Scorpius were his friends after all. What they thought was important to him.

Scorpius returned the smaller boy's shrug and nodded his head slowly. "I believe it would be ensure civilians safety if we intervened," he answered truthfully. The police were only human. Their first victory at the bank assured the boy of shadows that common criminals were just like practice rounds or even training. Daze would protect civilians from being harmed by weapons and Evadne and Ben's offense could have him in handcuffs in minutes. Why not help if it was needed. "I'm willing to fight." He turned to the girls, curious of their thoughts. "Daze? Evadne? What do you think?"

[AppleMistress]

‘Lightening bolts are dangerous, unruly, and you can’t ever really predict what’s going to happen once you’ve unleashed them.’ Evadne kept her eyes closed, focusing on making the ball of sparks that was beginning to form in her hands a little smaller. She couldn’t give her all in training with the dummy, as she knew very well that her ability could possibly bring the whole building down to the ground if it went out of control. Even so, she did train hard. She practiced self-defense; she would run on the treadmill and lift weights. She was keeping herself active and getting a little bit stronger every single day. That’s what everyone was doing—and she could tell they were making progress. Every time they faced a new typical street thug or thief, the team would defeat them faster and faster to the point where it was beginning to feel very simple. She was pretty sure everyone on the team viewed robbers as daily training exercises at that point. They weren’t that much of a challenge.

Evadne snapped her eyes open, her thoughts vanishing as she sent the sparks she’d conjured flying at an alarming rate towards the dummy. The golden little flickers of light managed to tear into the dummy just a little bit. If she had used the typical bolts she usually used when fighting, Evadne knew that the dummy would have been reduced to pieces. Smiling in spite of herself, the electric manipulator stretched her arms back and interweaved her fingers as she turned to view the TV just as soon as she noticed Ben and Scorpius had directed their attention over to it.

Daze was currently running on the treadmill on the other side of the room—it, along with the rack of weights were set a certain distance away from the dummies so that they wouldn’t be damaged during training. She clasped tightly to the bars on the side of the treadmill as she ran at a rather fast pace, keeping her eyes closed and her head tilted downwards. At that point, she’d realized that she was capable of lasting a full week without any sleep—it must have been a certain quality of hers’ that most human beings did not possess. She didn’t tell her teammates; she wasn’t quite sure of how they would react to this abnormal quality she’d discovered. They would yawn after training and battles and sleep for around six to nine hours every night. Despite the fact that she could remain awake, she was beginning to grow tired. Whenever the sun was shining, she was sleepy. But she didn’t want to sleep while her friends were all wide awake, so she forced herself to stay up. She did a lot of running in order to keep herself awake during the day.

When she heard Ben’s voice, she became suddenly aware of her surroundings and opened her eyes, loosening her grip on the side bar of the treadmill as she punched the button that would slow the pace gradually until it would stop completely. As the treadmill slowed and she brought herself into a steady walk, breathing hard, the thumping sound of her feet began to fade. When it halted, she hopped off and glanced over at the TV, then over at their friends as they discussed the possibility of heading off to aid the civilians downtown. Although it troubled Daze that so much crime occurred in this city, it also excited her that she’d have the opportunity to help more people.

“Well, duh. We need to brief that moron.” Evadne nodded her head vigorously at Scorpius’s question in fortitude. “They could definitely use our help, considering the fact that this guy has pretty dangerous weapons. Makes me wonder if the police could really handle this on their own if they had to…” She shook her head before heading for her goggles, which were hanging up on a tack in the wall. She held them by the straps before turning over to look at Daze. Honestly, Evadne felt that the police in Oceanship were a little lazy. But even so, they didn’t have the powers that she and her friends had. They couldn’t stop a guy like this one with ease. Blowing up a few buildings was a pretty serious crime in comparison to regular old bank robbers, after all.

Daze waited a moment to catch her breath, taking a swig of her water while Evadne spoke her opinion on the matter. When her friends looked over at her for her opinion, she also nodded her head. “Of course. If civilians are in harms way, we must assist.” She pulled her hair out of its’ sloppy ponytail before re-doing it in a way where it was a little more neat and could be kept out of her eyes. Out of sheer curiosity, Daze glanced over at Evadne, who was adjusting her goggles over her eyes.

Evadne stretched a little, preparing herself for this task physically and mentally before looking over to Ben for instructions. She really did respect him as a leader already—he listened to everything everyone had to say and was fair with his amount of power. And so far, in Evadne’s opinion, he was pretty good at planning and making fast decisions when he needed to.

“You call the shots, leader. What should we do?” Evadne nodded once at him in acknowledgment.

[DracoMalfoy]

Ben’s face brightened at Evadne and Daze’s agreement. Someone did need to show this thug who was boss and that was exactly what they were here for. The adolescent wasn’t sure if admitting that he was excited was wrong; it felt wrong, people’s lives were hanging in the balance. But, he got such a thrill from using his new powers correctly and from helping keep people safe. Besides, an actual criminal was more effective training than any dummy could hope to be. He was extremely grateful for this little room Evadne had prepared for them, but, there was no experience quite like actually foiling evil doers. The accidental mutant still hadn’t gotten used to acknowledging himself as the team leader; it had only been a week, but Ben thought at least by now he’d be more accustomed to the title. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. He offered the petite blonde and the caring an alien a smirk that implied that he was ready for absolutely anything.

Scorpius had to admit, Ben’s excitement was contagious. It wasn’t very comforting knowing that others were in danger and it was up to them to intervene and keep them all out of harm’s meddling way, but, helping people had quickly become a passion for the boy of shadows. He kept in the background, watching Ben and the girls exchange their opinions on the matter; all three of them seemed ready and willing to fight, and he shared in their enthusiasm, just not as boldly. The antisocial adolescent had never thought he could get so much pleasure from helping people. But, the way he viewed the circumstances was, all four of them had no opportunity at living a normal life anymore, the idea of keeping others from a similar fate fascinated him. Subtly, he pulled his hood over his head, anticipating that Ben would agree to lead them into the fight against this thug who was selfish enough to endanger others. Scorpius almost always wore his hood in battle; as eccentric as it sounded, it made him feel more in touch with shadows. He wasn’t manipulating them, but becoming one of them. Their training had served them well, he was ready for battle.

A quick scan of the room told Ben that all of his teammates were in agreement; this thug had to be stopped. He snapped his fingers that were still clad in his leather gloves together. “I say we get out there and teach this guy what happens when you mess with Oceanship!” He’d never been skilled at giving pep talks, or being a leader for that matter, but he was sure Evadne, Daze and Scorpius didn’t need one. All four of them were passionate when it came to this crime fighting business. He and Evadne had such a strong sense of justice, they could barely contain it; Scorpius and Daze seemed willing to help other people and they were both mature enough to know wrong couldn’t be accepted as right. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Ben quickly made his way out the door and to the foot of the stores, barely mustering enough patience to allow his team to follow. They had a city a save.

---

Scorpius had to award the almost always incompetent Oceanship police; they’d done a good job of blocking off the area to keep civilians away from the action. They were actually impressive, but their little block hadn’t kept the team out. Police cars were all up and down the street with armed officers hiding behind their car, waiting for the opportune moment to strike the madman standing outside an office building. They all knew better and were positive that at this rate, that moment would never come. Ben had suggested they sneak through the alleys in order to end up on the side of the building without being seen. The boy of shadows concluded that their team’s leader was smarter than he gave himself credit for; he seemed to know the alleys just as well as Scorpius himself did. But now, they were sitting still near the opening of the alley, peering their heads out to get a good look of the thug they had to take down. The thug hadn’t noticed them yet thank God, he was too intently focused on the police roadblock in front of him.

“Okay, so this guy’s definitely got something,” Ben whispered to Scorpius and the two girls as he drew his head away from the opening. The man did seem armed; he had a gun and a small ball that the element bender assumed was a bomb. “And I bet if he sees anyone getting close, he’ll go set it off.” All they needed was a plan; it wasn’t like they couldn’t handle this, just coming up with the best way how was going to be a tad complicated. Ben didn’t want to risk any of the lives of the police officers out front and certainly not the safety of Evadne, Scorpius or Daze. The key was the weapons; the redhead knew if they could get those out of the thug’s hands, he would be all theirs. “We need to get that bomb off him first; the gun I think we can handle. Scorp, anything you think you can do?”

Scorpius nodded intently, deciding to cancel out the ridiculous nickname for now. He could easily use a shadow to grab the bomb right from the thug’s hand. That would alert him to their presence, but it was most important to secure the weapon. If it was just him, the team could easily subdue him. “I suppose so,” he said finally in a hushed tone similar to Ben’s. “He will know we’re back here then and I assume he’ll take to the offensive.” The antisocial adolescent wasn’t far too concerned with that matter; Ben had already proven himself smart, he’d find a way to solve that problem.

Nodding intently, Ben began to consider their options for step two. “If he decides to use that gun, Daze could go on defense?” the redhead suggested, sending a glance to the tall alien. He hadn’t forgotten how she’d saved him that night back at the bank. And Daze didn’t seem to be the violent type; she was mature, reliable and caring. The spirited adolescent would trust her. “She could cover us while Evadne and I go on the offensive and then Scorpius could secure the bomb.” It sounded like a plan to him, but Ben’s green eyes scanned over his three teammates, waiting for feedback. He was still new to this planning thing and he didn’t want to make a horrible decision that doomed them all. And he couldn’t stress enough how equal they all were. He wasn’t about to make any decisions without considering them. “I mean, only if you guys are up for it. I bet we can come up with another plan.”

Scorpius found himself nodding in agreement. Their leader’s plan seemed rather fool proof and he trusted his teammates to come through, get the job done and defeat the thug. Despite what the redhead said, they didn’t have enough time to invent another plan. “I think the plan will work just fine,” he said at last, still quiet and reserved. The shadow manipulator turned his head to face Evadne and Daze, who had kept somewhat quiet during Ben’s briefing. Evadne was strong and impulsive, he was sure she would be okay with charging into battle. And Daze’s barriers could defend them from anything. Yes, this plan could work. Scorpius kept his gaze on the two girls, wondering what they thought.

[AppleMistress]

“Mm, definitely. I’ll set up a barrier whenever it may be necessary.” Daze clasped her hands together. She could almost feel the warmth of her light-based abilities powering up in her fingertips as she mentally prepared her self for battle. She supposed some people would be upset about being set on defense, but honestly, defense was where Daze was happiest. She didn’t like to physically harm others; it was as simple as that. The young alien girl even had trouble facing the dummies in the training room at times. However, if she could still assist her team while also protecting them from receiving potentially fatal wounds, she didn’t mind engaging in battle quite as much. “I feel this plan will lead us to success.”

Evadne was busy scrutinizing their opponent with an impartial glare. She could tell that this guy had some sort of a death wish—most of the guys who blew up buildings committed suicide soon after. Same could be said for kids involved with school shootings. A lifetime in jail was probably a lot worse than a quick and easy death, sadly enough. And this guy obviously wouldn’t get away alive without being cuffed. He would give it his all in this fight. Oddly enough, Evadne did a lot of research when it came to these sorts of things. To fulfill her dream of being a heroine, she would devotedly watch documentaries about crime and go leafing through the local newspapers for articles about recent felonies.

“Evadne, are you all right?” Daze inquired upon noticing that the electric manipulator hadn’t seemed to be paying attention. As though to confirm that something was unusual, the alien glanced over in the direction Evadne had been looking. As soon as her eyes met the back of the large thug, she almost instantly winced. For some reason, he appeared to be a lot tougher then the average robber they’d faced in the past.

Although it seemed like she hadn’t been listening, Evadne merely nodded her head as Daze looked back over at Scorpius and Ben. “I’ve got it. Ben and I are on offense.” She studied the thug a little closer and could notice him shift on his feet a little. When he turned his head slightly to the side, she narrowed her eyes. She appeared extremely nonchalant despite the situation they were in. “I doubt we’ll have time to change the plan now anyways. He’s spotted us.”

Daze’s heart began to pound faster and harder than it ever had before. She feared that Scorpius, Ben, and Evadne would be able to hear it. But there was no time to worry about that now; she had to be at the top of her game. If she wasn’t… someone could get hurt. Luckily enough adrenaline was pumped into her system at this point to keep her from falling asleep during the battle. She bawled both of her hands into fists, very ready to set up a force field as soon as she noticed even the tiniest threatening gesture from the thug.

“What’re kids like you doin’ here?” He appeared completely calm and collected as he registered the presence of the four teenagers.

‘Probably relieved we weren’t cops…’ Evadne observed, pressing her lips together.

“What else would we be doing here?” Daze piped up first, surprising Evadne. “We’re here to put a stop to your foul minded scheme.”

The thug studied Daze for a moment. And then he shook his head in disbelief while laughing. “If the cops can’t catch me, you don’t have a chance.” He laughed some more, “Just a bunch of kids tryin’ to play hero. Ridicules.”

“Sheesh. Way to underestimate your opponent, dude.” Evadne rolled her icy blue eyes, deciding to take the thug’s seemingly uncontrollable laughter as her opportunity to strike at him. She ran at him with a start, releasing the energy she’d been charging up in her fingertips. The sparks she’d created wildly sped towards him. She was sure if she and Ben could attack him on the offense and manage to distract him in the process, Scorpius could sneak up from behind and snatch that pesky bomb from his hands. And Daze could take care of them if he were to decide to use his gun.

With wide eyes, the thug moved out of the way just in time. The sparks tore the right sleeve of his jacket, but it didn’t seem like he’d been wounded by the attack. He turned on Evadne. “You’re a bunch of those freaks…”

“We warned you. We’re not playing.” Evadne smirked, readying herself to attack again if he were to strike. For a brief moment, she looked over at Ben and nodded in recognition. If they could just keep the guy’s attention away from his bomb, Scorpius would be able to disarm him quickly. At least, she hoped that’d be the case. Ben’s plan seemed like it would work smoothly if they were fortunate enough.

[DracoMalfoy]

Ben silently noted that Evadne seemed distracted by their new enemy, but he wasn’t worried. In their previous battles, the element manipulator had come to trust the petite blonde, as a friend and as a partner. Both Scorpius and Daze were reliable of course, but he’d quickly learned that he and Evadne had the ability to communicate silently. They were able to predict each other’s moves and send silent messages. The redhead wasn’t so sure why this was so; both of them were headstrong and courageous. Perhaps two similar people could predict each other’s actions. “Good, glad we all seem agreed,” he finally said with a small smile. His heart was starting to pound and Ben was somewhat afraid it was going to burst from his chest. It’s not like they were fighting some top notch super villain, but this guy had a bomb, they couldn’t forget that. The team’s leader shot a glance to Scorpius as this thought; hopefully, he’d get the bomb out of the thug’s hands so he and Evadne could get him on the ground. It was sad seeing someone so willing to throw his life away, but, he was a clear and present danger to the people of Oceanship City, which meant he had to be stopped.

Scorpius’ senses were on red alert as Evadne pointed out that the thug had noticed them all. It was his job to remove the bomb from their enemy’s possession, so he mentally told himself that this was the time to be attentive and alert, not lost in thought and logic. There was much strategy involved in battle, but during battle was not the time to hatch such a plan. Their leader had given them their plan and the battle was about to begin. He could no longer dwell on thoughts. “I guess now is the time to begin,” He noted, fixing his posture. It was now or never and four of them seemed to be prepared for what they were about to face. The antisocial adolescent met eyes with Ben and nodded. It was time. He watched Ben spring into action alongside Evadne. Their team leader was never one for banter. Scorpius himself felt a tad powerless, staying behind, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. But he trusted Ben and Evadne to offer the proper opening for his attack.

Somehow, Ben was able to tune out the light discussion the girls exchanged with the thug. All that mattered to him now was winning this battle and getting the bomb out of that guy’s hands. He wasn’t surprised when Evadne launched her offense first; she always was one to jump right in. What did surprise the adolescent was when the thug was able to avoid her attack. That meant it was time for him to jump in and assist her in any way that he could. Shutting his emerald eyes, Ben began to picture the air and the wind in his mind. He reminded himself constantly that he was its master and that any move he made, the wind would have to follow. With his mind clear and focused, he opened his eyes and charges. His hands were bawled into fists and he approached the thug at full speed. He threw a punch at the thug, with his hand backed by the wind’s momentum and he was pleased when the surprise attack collided with the thug’s face.

The attack had obviously done some damage, but the thug only staggered backwards a few feet. He winced, but then regained his composure. This also surprised Ben. This guy was tougher than they thought; either he had some tough skin of that attack hadn’t been as strong as the team leader had originally thought it to be.

“I’m not some little wimp, kiddies,” the thug snapped harshly. Ben only had a moment to lock eyes with Evadne and return her gaze, before the thug was throwing a swing of his own. Recklessly, he swung his arm horizontally in an effort to throw both Ben and Evadne to the ground.

Luckily, Ben had enough time to duck under the attack and with the thug slightly vulnerable, he took advantage of the opportunity. He swiped his leg forward, which caught his enemy off guard. The thug slipped and landed on the ground with a thud. Ben brought himself to his feet and quickly glanced over by the alley were Scorpius was hiding. If he was going to snatch the bomb, now had to be the time.

Scorpius saw Ben’s silent signal and immediately interpreted it. From his observations, the shadow manipulator concluded that this thug would be much harder to best than the meager robbers they’d been fighting this past week. Every second was precious and he couldn’t afford to waste anymore time. He rested his hand on the cold brick wall of the building and saw his arm’s shadow. Where his hand and shadow met, he gripped his hand and pulled the shadow from the wall, bringing it to life. It was in the fashion of a whip and, if he could move quickly, Scorpius could use it to grab the bomb right from the thug’s hand. It seemed too easy, but he wasn’t about to question his team’s luck.

Unfortunately, he would have to make himself seen to extract the bomb. Slowly, he left the protection the alley offered and found himself standing out in the open. He took aim for the small bomb that the thug was gripping tightly and threw his shadow as if it were a lasso. His aim was perfect and the shadow found and wrapped itself around the bomb. Now all he had to do was pull it back over to himself. But, the thug had caught on to the plan. Though still on the ground, the thug raised his other arm, the one holding his gun and took aim at Scorpius. Normally confident in his skills, Scorpius was never one to feel vulnerable or weak. But, with the thug’s gun aimed right at him, all he felt was frozen.

He made a move to try and sidestep back towards the alley, out of the thug’s range and back to safety, but it seemed to be too late. All Scorpius could do was yank his shadow with all his might, freeing the bomb from the thug’s grip; but as he did this, he heard the gun fire and the bullet escape from the gun’s mouth at an impossible speed.

[AppleMistress]

Watching Evadne and Ben engage in battle with the thug gave Daze an opportunity to study his movements. He was tough enough to withstand elemental blows—a rather large man with a strapping physical build. He was powerful, but he wasn’t very quick and he definitely lacked a good strategy. His decision to fire his gun was downright reckless—and since she’d been so observant, Daze knew ahead of time when she could bring herself in between Scorpius and the whizzing bullet that was headed directly for him. She glided directly in front of him and pushed both of her palms out in front of her and closed her eyes. Her hands were already warm with charging power when she created a large barrier that stretched around her and Scorpius like a dome. The bullet bounced off of the surface as though it were a measly fly repelling off of a bug zapper. Relief pulsed through her when she’d completed her task successfully. Scorpius had the bomb and he was safe. Every time a gun was pointed at one of her friends made her head swim with worry. It was her job to protect them—it’d be her fault if any harm came to them. The battle wasn’t over quite yet. She opened her eyes and her shield dissolved as she lowered her arms.

“Are you okay?” She asked him, just a little breathlessly. Being shot at was a scary thing if you couldn’t create a shield within seconds to protect yourself—she felt it was necessary for her to inquire about his safety. Daze glanced down at the bomb in his hand and smiled. “You did a fine job, retrieving that bomb.”

Evadne had opened her mouth to yell Scorpius’s name in worry when she had noticed the gun, but instantly let it close when she noticed Daze’s grace as she deflected the bullet without a problem. The thug didn’t have a bomb anymore, thank goodness. But he still had a gun and Daze couldn’t be in three different places at once. The thug seemed pretty pissed off when he turned to face her, as she was the farthest away from Scorpius and Daze. She tensed, realizing his strategy right off the bat. Daze couldn’t get to her in time if he fired. Having a gun pointed at her made her heart pound a little faster, but she didn’t let her fear show on her face. She was good at staying relatively calm, even under the direst circumstances.

Daze made a move to aid Evadne, but was stopped when the thug brought himself up on his knees and took another gun from his coat pocket and aimed it at her and Scorpius in his free hand. The alien gritted her teeth, knowing that even the subtlest movement from her could set him off. She sent a questioning glance in Ben’s direction for a moment before glancing cautiously over at Evadne.

“You’ve got a lot of weapons. How many can you hide in that coat of yours?” Evadne spoke up—her voice lacked the confidence it usually had, but she still managed to sound calm enough. She stared at the thug carefully, trying to predict his course of action.

“Lots.” He smirked and brought himself up on his feet. He definitely seemed to think he was at the advantage here, even without his bomb. Although he still had a gun pointed at Daze and Scorpius, his attention was no longer on them. Evadne stared at the thug straight in the eye, trying to keep his attention on her. She tipped her head, feigning a look of innocence.

“Where’d you get it? It must’ve cost a bunch of money. It seems pretty darn nifty.” Evadne crossed her arms tightly over her chest, trying to settle the anxiety that was rattling around in her head. “Sorry I ripped the sleeve.”

“You won’t need a coat like this when I’m through with you, pipsqueak.” The thug was unknowingly letting his guard down even further as he engaged in the conversation with the pint-sized blonde. He was all brawn and it seemed that he was completely oblivious to the fact that she was improvising a desperate distraction.

“Pipsqueak? Come on, I’m not that short.” Evadne’s eyebrows drew together, but she kept up her ‘confused and innocent’ sort of act. She needed to keep his eyes on her if she wanted this to work.“I mean compared to a raging monster like you I might seem sort of tiny… But this is all coming from your perspective. It’s a one-sided statement.” She felt that she was rambling now, as having that gun aimed in her direction for so long made her jittery. She suppressed a sigh of relief when she noticed his guard go down significantly. She hoped that Ben, Scorpius, and Daze would manage to strike at him as she created her distraction. Even so, she kept her gaze locked on the thug instead of giving her teammates a gesture, as she was sure he’d figure out her plan in an instant and shoot if she were to do so.

Without thinking, the thug seemed to lower the gun that was aimed at Daze and Scorpus as he turned to face Evadne directly. “Raging monster? You’d better watch your mouth, kid.”

Daze nudged Scorpius gently on the arm and motioned towards the thug’s lowered gun. “This is our chance.” She murmured before sending a glance over in Ben’s direction. She was sure that this was the one chance they’d have to do this correctly. She discreetly glided above, making sure that the thug wouldn’t see her. She was high over Evadne’s head by now—the thug hadn’t seemed to notice, though, as his gaze was locked with the petite blonde's. If he were to shoot, Daze would let herself drop and create a shield while Ben and Scorpius would hopefully attack him from behind when he wasn’t expecting it. They'd have to be careful, this guy was still pretty dangerous with two guns at his disposal as well as his immense strength. It take more than a few punches to knock him out.

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