The sun was setting and Aio went out to start the fire for the evening out in front of the cabin, Jake follows. As Aio is setting up the kindling Jake starts to talk.
"Aio, I'm starting to worry about you. You are starting to change man."
"What do you mean?" Aio asks
"You are becoming more bitter and angry, and I think Jacen is becoming too much of an influence." Jake tells Aio.
"You're just jealous, don't worry you're still my best friend." Aio says trying to reassure Jake.
"It's not that, you are full of hate, and it's eating you up inside. You've been going down this path for awhile and it's taking a turn for the worst. You need to let go of the past, let go of revenge." Jake replies with sincere worry.
"What are you talking about? I'm this way because our family was murdered, Slaughtered. I'm trying to avenge them and keep their memory alive." Aio says, starting to get angry.
"No you want revenge, you feel guilty and just want to feel better about yourself. You are soiling our family's name, for your own gain. Ms. Lisa would be ashamed of you." Jake shouts back.
"I'm doing this for THEM! If you can't see that then you didn't love them, but I did and what I'm doing is for them. Jacen knows that and I'm ashamed of you for not knowing." Aio yells at Jake. Jake is stunned by what was said and just shakes his head and walks away with a tear leaving his eye. Jake briefly looks back.
"Would that bring them peace?"
Ros walks into Tainted Town, walking in the middle of the road two tainted block his path. "Get out of here boy, gifted don't belong here."
"Where is the drug that gives people powers?" Ros asks them.
"I said get out of here gifted, I won't ask again!" The tainted yell.
"Where is the drug?" Ros asks again. The two tainted ignore him and attack. One jumps up, and spikes come out of his skin covering him from head to toe, and runs at Ros. The other yells creating huge shock waves at Ros. Ros dodges both attacks and shoots a sound wave at the tainted who jump out of the way just in time, but the blast hits the building behind them and knocks down the exterior wall and makes the side of the building fall.
"Oops, I did not mean for that to happen." Ros says to himself, before getting punched in the face by the spiked tainted. Ros stumbles back, blood is dripping from his face from a gash in it. He looks up and smiles and releases another huge pulse of sound waves which knocks down the two tainted and another wall.
"STOP! If we tell you what you want to hear, will you leave and stop destroying our homes?" The spiked tainted asks.
"Yes." Ros answers.
"Do you think that's a good idea?" the other tainted asks the spiked one.
"Yes," He answers then turns to Ros. " The place you are looking for is on third street in the Warehouse district. The building number is 862." Ros then turns and leaves without another word. He starts to run not wanting to meet any heroes that were on their way to inspect the disturbance of the fight.
The two tainted just watch him as he runs off, the tainted with the sonic scream looks at his buddy and asks. "Do you think we did the right thing?"
"I don't know, but at least we saved the neighborhood." The spiked one answers.
"Did we though, What about Him?" The other asked.
"I guess we'll find out." The spiked one answered.
Lisa is walking around in her house on the phone desperately trying to get a hold of Aren. As she paces back and forth she mutters to herself, "Come on, pick up, pick up." She is getting more nervous by the second. Finally Aren picks up his phone.
"Hello." He says.
"FINALLY! This is the third time I've called you, why aren't you picking up your phone?" Lisa asks.
"Well, uh..." Aren doesn't get a chance to finish as Lisa interrupts him.
"Nevermind, it doesn't matter. There was a fight at Tainted Town and two tainted are missing." Lisa begins.
"Why do you need me for that? The other heroes can handle the situation." Aren replies.
"That's not the reason I called you. Several of the students are missing, and none of them are picking up when I call them. I'm worried, and you're the only one I know that I have full confidence to find them. Please come, I need you." Lisa answers.
"I'm on my way, I'll meet you in Tainted Town." Aren replies. After hanging up the phone he walks out to tell the boys that he is heading back to the city.
"Why are you headed back, we haven't finished our training yet?" Aio asks.
"You finished enough of it, and I have full confidence in you. You are now adept in what I taught you." Aren tells Aio as he is finishing up getting ready.
"But why are you heading to town, and how will we get back?" Jake asks
"There was a commotion in Tainted Town, and some students are missing, that's why I'm heading to town. And I'll send someone to pick up." Aren answers just before flying into the city.
"I'm not going to just sit this out. Jacen, do you know how to drive a car?" Aio asks, opening the door of the car they arrived in.
"I guess I'll find out today." Jacen answers as he jumps in the driver's seat and starting the car. There is still a tension in the air as Jake hops in that car, but there was no way that he would let Aio go alone with Jacen. The three buckle up, and blast some music as they speed down the mountain, heading towards Tainted Town. Aio and Jake begin to fear for their lives as Jacen, who is serious as ever, drives for the first time, taking every risk he can flying down the mountain. Jake screams like a little girl as his fear of grows exponentially. Aio is just frozen with a death grip on his seat, his face is just wide eyed with his mouth gaping open, Jacen just holds a serious face.
Lexi and Aimi walk in the shadows while keeping their heads down, as they make their way back to the other students. The students are hiding as heroes gather in Tainted Town to investigate the disappearance of the two tainted, and the fight that ensued shortly before that. Lexi and Aimi we're sent out to find where Ros went after the fight, and whatever other information they could get that was useful. As they subtly walk into an empty building, they reunite with the other students.
"What took you so long?" Clarissa asks whispering.
"Sorry, but there's a lot more heroes around than we anticipated." Lexi answers.
"Did you find out where Ros is headed?" Clarissa asks impatiently.
"Maybe, someone overheard something about warehouses, but he isn't sure. He was so nervous he may be lying or misremembering." Lexi says.
"He was telling the truth, trust me, I know." Aimi says.
"What exactly happened, how does he know where Ros is?" Clarissa asks.
"He was watching from his apartment window and saw everything. He saw where Ros and the tainted had a brief scuffle, and when the tainted asked him to stop, they offered to tell him where the drugs were coming from. They told him about some warehouse and he left shortly after. That's all he knows." Lexi answers
"Okay, if that's what we have, we need to head to the warehouse district to find Ros and stop him. We'll need to be quiet and subtle." Clarissa tells everyone as she steps out of the building. The other students follow her lead, eager to find Ros.
Flare is waiting impatiently for Aren to arrive, she can't hide her worry for the students as she continually snaps her fingers and creates a little flame, over and over again. Anima is standing next to her trying to comfort her.
"The kids will be alright, and when Neon gets here along with Eight, they'll find the students." Anima states
"I know," Flare sighs, "but I still can't help but worry." She looks down at the ground and stops snapping her fingers.
A giant boom shakes the ground, Flare jerks and whips her head up to see Neon kneeling on the ground from landing on the road. Flare runs and hugs a stunned Neon, he just slowly places his hands on her back. Flare backs away, and thanks Neon for coming as Eight comes running in and stops next to Anima. He places his hand on her shoulder and looks over at Neon frowning.
"What's the situation here." Eight asks.
"It appears that Ros got in a scuffle with a couple of tainted and wrecked a couple buildings, the tainted are now missing, along with several other students." Anima states.
"Did you look for any witnesses?" Neon asks.
"We are currently looking, and asking around." Flare answers.
"What can we do in the meantime?" Eight asks. As Flare was about to answer, a policeman calls them over to a dumpster a few alleys over. When the heroes make it over to the dumpster they find two bodies in it, one covered in spikes.
"Looks like we found the two tainted, now we just need to find Ros." Eight says, "Keep on the lookout for anything else."
After an hour of searching, Instinct radios for Anima, Neon and Eight, he found a clue, Flare tags along. Instinct was there because finding missing students was the top priority for everyone, they weren't looking into the Stained Investigation. When they arrive he informs them that he found someone that knew where the kids were. When they arrive they see an old man sitting in a chair with his wife on the couch.
"I was told you know something, why don't you tell me what it is." Eight demands.
"No, I don't know anything, I don't know why you think I know something." The man responds.
"He knows where the kinds are." Instinct says.
"My friend here thinks you do, and he's never wrong, please, those kids are in danger and you can save them." Neon tells the man.
"Even if I did know, I can't tell you. If I told you something, I know my family would pay the price." The man says.
"Then don't say anything," Anima tells the man while stepping forward. She reaches into the man's mind going through his memories trying to find the one that will give them what they need, she quickly finds it and pulls out of the man's brain.
"I found what we're looking for, the kids went to the warehouse district. We need to hurry, that was about Three hours ago." Anima says in a hurry.
Jake, Aio and Jacen we're hot on the trails of Aren, when Jake calls Clarissa.
"Hello." Clarissa answers.
"This is Jake, I'm with Aio and Jacen. We heard about Tainted Town and Ros. Neon and Flare are tracking you, they are hot on your trail. We want to help, tell us where you guys are headed?"
"We are in the warehouse district, Ros was trying to find out where a serum that gives people temporary tainted powers was made. Also, whose Jacen?" Clarissa asks.
"I'll explain later and WHAT there's a serum that gives people temporary powers what are you talking about?" Jake asks
"I'll explain later, just get here." Clarissa answers.
Clarissa, Aurora, Lexi, Merry, Aimi, Tak, Chase, Ronin and Kenneth run a roof across the street from a warehouse. this warehouse had part of a wall blown open with bullet holes and scorch marks from energy weapons scattered across the wall and ground. A patrol of armed men are walking around the outside of the warehouse.
"Looks like Ross beat us here, with the evidence around here, it looks like there was a fight, since there is a patrol around, he must've lost." Aimi explains
"Then we have to go down in there and rescue him." Clarissa says
"I agree, let's go." Chase says as he jumps down followed by Merry. Clarissa looks over in surprise, and tries to stop them, but they're already halfway across the street by the time she gets a sound out.
"I guess that means we're all going." Lexi says as she follows. The rest of the group soon jumps down after them. Clarissa tries to stop them but soon gives up and just follows.
Jake, Jacen and Aio stop about a mile and a half away from the warehouse, lost and trying to figure out where to go. Jacen jumps out of the car and into an alley to change into his new super suit that was just dropped off the day before.
"I just realized, they never really told us which warehouse they were at." Jake says. Aio just groans and rolls his eyes. "I'll have to call them again to get the exact address."
Jake dials up Clarissa, but gets no response. He tries again with the same result, and Aio just rolls his eyes again.
"If you have a problem with me just say it, don't continue to be a passive aggressive with me." Jake says to Aio. Aio is about to respond but is cut off when an explosion happens and they see smoke rising a little over a mile away.
"It looks like we don't have to wait for them to call us back, they started the party without us. Come on guys, we got to go help out." Jake tells Dark Void and Aio.
"So what are we waiting for?" Dark Void asks as he reappears in full suit.
Next Time, Chapter 21 Overdoses Lair