CHAPTER 2 – The Other Half's Problem

"My name is O," says the blurred-out-lady, in the video which Wrap plays on his phone.

Then the screen shows different clips of powered-individuals, using their powers, either to save someone, or sometimes with unclear, unspecified motives. Some very unique, some seem to have been repeated sightings of an individual, some individuals seemed to have the same powers.

The ones in the back had scooted together, and the two at the front were peeking from above Wrap, who was holding the phone and was at the centre of us

.

"Power…" a voice shrills out of the phone speaker, a psychotic tone for a psychotic one, indeed. "Given…" there was a clip of some massive castle which I didn't recognise, "taken…" a fast-forwarded clip of a person in a glittery-silver-mask, just crushing someone's head with their bare hand, shows up, and Psyand's mother covers Psyand's eyes.

"Can we NOT play that?" Psyand's mother asks. "Child!"

"No more such… things, sorry, don't worry," Wrap says.

"The dinosaurs were such strong beings, yet they died. Know why? They forgot survival, they just… went by, KNOWING they were the superiors in many ways. They survived amongst themselves, were DUMB to think they were the only things to be worried about."

"The meteor hit them, and who survived? Creatures fit to not just depend on the land it was on," and there came finally a pause of his psychotic babble.

The picture of the massive castle shows up, yet again. Now observing it, it was on an island, seemingly isolated.

"Dragons… can you believe it? They lived here. Among us, out of sight," the voice laughs and explains. "The evolution of humans they were. The Quetzalcoatl of the new age. But better, smarter, stronger. It is a pity, that I, or anyone I'm closely or any part of our organization, made that happen. Something... wonderful did, but that later."

"They alter forms, have massive strength and movie-like powers… beautiful-beautiful creatures. But must they be the only to survive? Must the Quetzalcoatl cease to exist again? And not the smart raptors? What a shame, I say, what a shame."

"Never again," a deeper, clearer, and serious tone voice says, and finally the still image switches to the speaker of the voice. It was a person with a clear-white-face-mask on them.

"We tested these… dragons. Indeed, mutual damage occurred. And like the dinosaur story, they just flew away from the meteors. Into the sky. But we, we progressed. And I think, for this time, the raptors could win."

"Question is though, that, if the other dinosaurs, snakes, INSECTS," he says the last word with disgust, but CLEARLY not towards actual insects. "And we are forced to test you again. I apologize," he bows. "Lab rats are just used, they ought to survive on their own."

"We need more than just… mere lab rats here. We need something which could match dragons. Something maybe bigger. These powered-individuals... what… are you? Can we make more?"

"Because... not one little amount of species is what must survive. So I... we, here, will… simply put you in danger. Find that TRIGGER," he laughs at that word. "And make a… powerful species. Something bigger than ever. Survive… so that EVERYONE does."

The video finally comes to an end and everyone just sits there.

"Interesting," Witch says.

"I-in-really?" Scelestha asks. "Are you with them on this, or something?"

"I just find it interesting."

"That means end of your species you know."

"Yes. And it is interesting."

Scelestha pauses for a moment. "Cool," she says and gives up.

"And you thought that we need to what, help in this experiment? Why are we together?" Rustizan asks coldly.

"All that back there? And you expect us to what, go about our daily lives?" Wrap asks.

"Huh, I'm sorry, is this some game? Some shitty recruit team? Some… some RPG?" Rustizen asks.

"Oh that would be easier for you, wouldn't it? Some sport star bully like character, everything a sport to you. Simple life."

"You wanna go bro?"

"Oh let's, and then everyone will witness some whining to some King Rustizen, little, little baby," Wrap mocks Rustizen, while seemingly imitating the whining he mentioned.

Rustizen stiffs his hand in the air, and a shield forms, but right as that happens, Scelestha holds Rustizen's hand and only a small-barely-visible shield forms.

"Hey-hey, NOT in the fucking van," Scelestha says and then realizing about the kid, glances at Psyand's mother and looks away, while letting go of Rustizen. "Sorry. Just, let's just… think… okay?"

"Yeah, we need a way to raid their base," Witch says.

"Okay… we are NOT doing that," Scelestha says.

"We got to stop them," Psyand joins in.

"I still did not agree to come with you," Rustizen points.

"Oh my, we are SO sad that we do not get your help, while WE save the world," Wrap says.

"I'm sorry, I do not remember agreeing on it again," Scelestha says.

"We'll need weapons," Witch says, determined.

"Lots of supplies, I know places to go to," Wrap says.

"So w-when are we leaving?" Psyand's mother asks.

"I have self defence training," Psyand says.

"No. Everyone. Shut up. Okay?" Scelestha says. "The self defence part is cool though, we have a young Sync in making. How old are you?"

"I'm thirteen."

"Ah… missed by one year kiddo. It's fine, I sure still find you impressive, probably Sync will be too."

"Who is Sync?"

"You don't know Sync? Even before all of this, you must have heard news about a powerful girl with a silver mask and white eye mask… She's a famous superhero, I heard she had come here. Did she never name herself?"

"I do remember such a description. She had been on the news," Psyand's mother says.

"She started at the age of twelve. She would be proud of you, Psyand."

"She's still a kid," Rustizen scoffs.

"At least she's not the one whining," Wrap scoffs.

Rustizen goes ahead to punch to Wrap, who was sitting beside me. I stop the punch and look into Rustizen's eyes.

"Please. I think all he is trying to do is to motivate you to please help us," I say.

Rustizen slowly takes his hand away and then clicks his tongue. "Why are YOU still here? You don't even have powers you said."

"I think I owe the kid for saving my life," I throw a light smile at Psyand. "Look, I don't have powers… doesn't mean I'm on the Saturn Organisation's side."

I see Rustizen's jaw shuddering through his mask. He had a brown-mask-with-barely-identifiable-unless-up-close-black-lines on, on his creamy face. I did know that he wasn't native to India, but this had been his home for a long time, according to what he had said on an interview.

"I'm almost sure that so are the people out there. Probably many could just be neutral or confused or shaken or even angry at you-your… kind of people. Thinking that maybe YOU caused this. You don't have to want to deal with it, if you feel like it," I say and look at everyone's lowered heads.

Psyand's mother was still holding onto her daughter tightly, and trembling even now, but not because it was cold or something. Both her and her daughter were in raincoats, seemingly had expected rain today.

Scelestha who was in her armour even now, had lowered her head too. While I look at her, I wonder how she got such a… peculiar armour. Or how she was as strong as that, to be able to move sure enough in that. Maybe summoning the armour and the sword may have been her powers.

Witch, who had worn another mask now, was searching to look at a lesser awkward place. And so was Wrap.

"But it is our problem now. All of the people are in this. Together. Sadly."

Everyone stays silent until…

"Nice speech, anyone wanna like, decide where to go?" Witch asks.

"Cold. Too cold," Scelestha sighs.

"I think all of us could like, use some time to think," I say.

"'Us'…? You still want to come with us Lost-Bird? That's what you want to do?" Scelestha asks, as if talking to a baby.

"You could drop me off then. Plus not… nothing."

Scelestha turns to the wheel and starts the mini van once again. "Anyways, I think your authorities will anyway protect the most needed, like yourself. So you no-powered-individual will be fine I think."

"Were you blind when watching the video?" I ask.

"Excuse me?"

"Didn't you recognise who was killed?" I ask, and she stays silent. "ANY of you?"

"He did seem familiar. I wanted to face search him," Wrap says.

"I did not clearly see," Psyand's mother says.

I sigh at this bunch of powered-individuals who seem to be some aliens.

"It is that minister, isn't it?" Rustizen asks.

"Yes. And that's not some guy they can just reach easily."

"How special of a minister was he?" Scelestha asks.

"It was like THE President. They are like the main person in a country, who are given the first priority. So you do the math," Rustizen sighs.

"Li-like of your whole country?"

"Are you from another nation or something?" I ask to Scelestha, dumfounded completely.

"She… we better not try to make guesses or ask who either of us are. If we are doing whatever we are doing," Rustizen says. "Until we are doing it."

I glance at Witch, she was sticking her head out the window, a while ago, and now had her quarter body outside the window.

"Already?" Scelestha asks.

"All are around here. Really must not be here," Witch says.

"Who and what?" I ask.

Scelestha turns the minivan around and by the time the turn completes, Witch jumps out the window.

"What the skull is wrong with her?" Wrap asks, trying to look through the back glass, of where she was headed. "Didn't she say to run? Why is she running TOWARDS it?"

I also look through the glass and the blurry-unidentifiable-people seem to stare and get aware of Witch.

"I have learnt to keep her to it."

"But aren't you more of a… knight? I know what I said, but will she be alright, really?" Rustizen asks.

"As I said, leave her to it."

As the minivan speeds off, I realize something…

"My house was that way…" I say, pointing back to where we were going away from.

"Well, we needed to go that way too. But that place… I'd suggest not to go. So just go somewhere else for a while, have some food or something," Scelestha says.

"Um… then drop me off around here, I'll go on my own. Unless you want to protect me or something from all of the things happening out there."

And then, before I knew it, I get stranded in a lonely place, away from the two places I could have been at.