Almost

9th period . . .
Juinor Year . . .
Mr. Cho's Physics class . . .
Spring . . .
“I’m passing back all your tests and those of you who got below a 60 should seriously consider coming to physics tutoring. And don’t forget you’re corrections are due tomorrow.” Pyra rolls her eyes and shoves her 57 test in her bag bas the bell rings. She’s waiting for Nausi as she calmly places her books in hey bag.
“Geez, Py Py Noah will be there when we get out there, plus you still have to go to your locker.”
“Whatever dude,” Pyra says as the two girls walk out into the hall as they climb the four flights of stairs to their lockers. Once there Bakura and Mystic are pressed against the back door making out. Nausi knocks annoyed, and Bakura looks at them then goes back to what he was doing as Pyra goes in the front door. Nausi follows annoyed.
Pyra drops her bag on a chair and spins her combo to take out her spring jacket and throw in a few books and her gym clothes completely ignoring her friend and boyfriend.
“Hey what did you get?” Pyra asks.
“86,” Nausi says as Chester and Brad walk in also going to their locker. “You?”
“57.”
“Math?” Brad asks.
“The math disguised as a science, Physics.”
“Man, Pyra maybe you should listen to Mr. Cho if you don’t wanna fail,” Nausi says.
“What did he say?”
“People who got under a 60 should consider tutoring,” Pyra says.
“Pyra you know I can help you with that . . . I am taking AP Physics,” Chester says.
“Yeah you’re weird. Why are you even in media taking classes like that? Hey Keya, Karla.”
“Hey losers,” Keya says going to her and Karla’s locker when a sudden banging on the door surprises Bakura and Mystic. Mike was standing at the door annoyed refusing to walk around because Mystic and Bakura wanted to make out. Mystic opens the door for them and Mike walks over to Nausi for a hug and a kiss.
“You done?”Mike asks and Bakurashrugs as he picks up his stuff and takes Mystic’s hand and Nausi follows them out linking arms with Mike. They are followed by, Pyra, Keya, Karla, Brad, and Chester who all walk down the stairs and towards McDonalds along the less crowed route.
“Hey Pyra where’s Noah?”
“Voice lessons I believe that or acting can’t remember right now.”
“Uh huh sure,” Keya says.
“Oh hush up you.”
“Why aren’t you off to one of the billion classes you take? Dude when do you even do your homework?”
“Lunch and Spanish class duh. And I stopped taking the drum lessons and I don’t start the flute until next week.”
“Does your dad know?”
“Of course not. Then I’d be going home now.”
“Man, Pyra you really need to get your dad to let you breathe,” Keya says.
“Eh whatever.” Pyra says as they reach McDonalds and take over a table.
“So who’s getting stuff?”
“I’ll stay here,” Pyra volunteers.
“Yeah me too,” Chester says.
“Well I’m getting something.” Brad says. Karla also goes up to get a meal as Keya goes after some coffee leaving Pyra and Chester alone with the happy couple who for all the attention they were paying to people around meant that Pyra and Chester were alone.
“You know I meant what I said?”
“Huh?” Pyra says slightly distracted picking at her already chipping nail polish.
“The Physics thing.”
“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about it.”
“Let me see your test.”
“Oh fine,” Pyra says handing him the folded paper.
“You forgot gravity was -9.8 m/s²?”
“Actually I just forgot the negative symbol, real brilliant right?”
“And this question, you have to corrections right?”
“Yeah,” Pyra says as Chester pulls out a pencil and changes seats so he’s besides her instead of across.
“Okay look, I can write on this right?” Pyra shrugs and decides to pull out some paper from her binder just in case. “Okay see this is what you have to do . . . “
Everyone returns about the same time as Chester is trying to explain the third problem Pyra got wrong to her. And the two of them don’t notice for a few seconds that they are no longer alone as Chester is the first to get the feeling that he’s being watched followed by Pyra who looks up also.
“Aren’t they cute?” Brad says and gets Pyra’s tongue stuck out at him and Chester to shake his head.
“You two should eat something, you’re both mad skinny,” Karla says as Keya offers some of the fries she got to join her coffee at them. Pyra and Chester shake their heads which of course doesn’t deter Keya.
“Come on guys, I can’t eat all this by myself.”
”Not hungry,” Pyra says.
“Eat it!” Keya says shoving some fries at her, and she takes one and smiles crookedly at her friend as she does the same to Chester who is also forced to take a fry.
They have a usual afternoon at McDonald’s leaving , around five to take the train as the group splits up even more with Karla, Nausi, Mike, Keya and Chester cross the street to take the train at Nevins and Pyra and Brad walk around the block to DeKalb. They go downstairs and are standing.
“Why the flute?”
“I did everything fun, guitar, bass, drums, piano, violin, blah blah blah, so why not?”
“How can you even learn so many things . . .”
“You play the piano and the guitar and bass and learn math and physics, its not like I did it at the same time.”
“Yeah but you’re always quitting what’s the point?” Pyra remains silent for a moment knowing its not normal to be able to master an instrument in about 3 months. She just wish it extended to learning. . . more specifically math and all related subjects.
“I stuck with the bass for almost a year . . .” ‘So what if she had switched from the Bass to the Electric Bass.
“You still stopped.”
“But I play it well and you know it.”
“Whatever.”
“Train, woo express.”
“Its three stops.”
“Hush up.”
“So you hear the new Nirvana song?”
“Don’t think so, they got a video yet?”
“You need to turn off MTV every once in a while and listen to the radio,” Brad says pulling out his headphones, these huge clunky things that he had covered with stickers. “Here, listen.”
The next day at lunch Pyra wanted to start a bon fire with her Physics review book and test. The only corrections she had were to the questions Chester showed her. She was two inches from writing anything when Chester sat down across from her tray in hand.
“What no cookies?” Pyra doesn’t even hear him. “Hello? Pyra?”
“Huh?” Pyra says shoving everything into her bag muttering curses. “Hey, what did you say?”
“Why so pissed off?”
“Its nothing,” She says standing to go get her usual snack when her bag falls to the floor. “F-ing hell,” Pyra says storming off and almost taking the head off a freshman who got in her way. Chester decides to pick up the fallen bag and its contents noticing the test and about a dozen sheets of test corrections that all start in the same way the three questions he had helped her with then scribbles that started out on the right track and messing one thing or another up until it became a mess and she starts again on a fresh sheet of paper.
Pyra returns then with an ice cream cup. She knows she’s pissed when the ice cream melts on impact with her tongue. She hopes Chester doesn’t notice the hissing sound as she takes a deep breath to calm down.
”Pyra?” She looks over at Chester. “I can help you finish this . . .” He says holding up one of the corrections.
“Its okay, you don’t have to.”
“Hey its no big we’ll be done in a few minutes.”
“Oh alright,” Pyra says knowing she could use the help but not wanting to bother Chester. They are actually done in ten minutes and Pyra can enjoy the rest of her half melted ice cream without evaporating it. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
“Where is everybody?”
“Probably still on line I didn’t see them when I got my stuff.”
“Oh.” “So what are you going to do?”
“Do?” Pyra says as Karla and Keya arrive with trays.
“Hello,” Chester says pointing at the finished corrections, “You need help.” Pyra rolls her eyes.
“Whatever, dude even if . . . and I do mean if I don’t have any time.”
“You’re not taking anything now . . .”
”Key word now,” Pyra says.

*2*

Pyra sat in the park laughing with the park people while she waited for Noah. Her mind was elsewhere as she had failed another Physics quiz. Man her life was on the sucky side. She didn’t even notice when Noah sat beside her until he kissed her cheek.
”Hey dude,” Pyra says as they kiss again on the lips.
“What’s going on today?”
“The peoples had to go to work, Keya has volunteering, and Karla had to go home.”
“So it's just us?” He says smiling as them walk to the trees a little bit farther away from the potheads as they all cracked jokes on the couple to the best of their wasted ability.
“Yeah I guess so,” Pyra says sitting in front of Noah and leaning back against him as he leaned against a tree and wrapped his arms around her.
“Good,” Noah says kissing her neck and for a while Physics is far from her mind.
The next morning is one of Pyra’s rare early days and she heads up to breakfast to find her “employed” friends in various states of exhaustion.
“Now I know I’m dreaming, look who got here before third period,” Nausi says sleepily.
“Man you people look tired what the hell did you do?”
“Nothing,” Mike mutters and its then Pyra notices Chester is actually asleep his glasses about to fall off his face.
“That’s some nothing that has poor Chester here whipped out.” Bakura pokes Chester who blinks looking around and calming when he sees he’s in the cafeteria. Then he proceeds to go back to sleep as Pyra shakes her head.
“Well not all of us were getting freaky with our boyfriends,” Mystic says.
“What are you babbling about?” Pyra asks.
“That freaking hicky,” Mystic says as Pyra nervously puts a hand to her neck then realizing she can’t make it vanish now that they had seen it. At least not until later.
“Yeah we’ll see how long that lasts,” Pyra says looking between Bakura and Mystic as she takes a seat.
“Why the fudge are you here so early?”
“Just happened. No special reason,” Pyra says.
“First period! Go to class!” A rather annoying guard starts screaming at the breakfast crew.
Everyone except the sleeping Chester gets up and starts to leave. Pyra looks at everyone and wonders why no one is waking Chester and realizes they are all a little out there.
”Chester, wake up.”
“What?” He says sitting up.
“Time to learn.”
“Yea,” Chester says as he stands and they both walk out.
“What do you guys do? Man this isn’t the first time you guys have shown up walking zombies office work doesn’t do that.”
“We were doing some inventory lifting and crap,” Chester mutters.
"Eww boxes," Pyra says as Mike and Nausi come back to collect Chester and seem surprised to see Pyra.
"Sorry Chaz, I think we're losing it and you know God forbid Mystic have to climb stairs."
"Its cool," he says walking with the two of them back down the stairs.
Lunch time...
"My you look peppy," Pyra says to Chester who's writing in a note book.
"Yeah one good nap in American History was all I needed," Chester replies smiling.
"Good for you."
"Hey losers." Keya says as her and Karla return with trays.
"Pyra you better eat something you're too skinny."
"Yes mother," Pyra says reaching for part of Chester's crumb cake and he licks it. "Eww! So mean." He slides her a mini cookie.
"Okay fine I'll go feed myself," Pyra mutters getting up and again knocking her bag over. "Chester..."
"Fine, but you gotta stop doing that," He says leaning under the table and picking up the papers and handing them to Pyra as she sticks them in her Garfield folder. He notices the new physics quiz and shakes his head.
"Thanks, I'll be back."
"Wait I'm coming too."
"More food?" Chester shrugs as they start walking.
"Uh, I saw your Physics quiz."
"Yeah that..." Pyra says as she looks at the snack choices and moves on to go to the other line.
"What are you going to do about it?"
"Fail physics? I don't know," Pyra says getting annoyed at the lack of snack foods as she starts walking through the center section.
"The offer still stands. Come on what do you want to do play the flute or get your Tech diploma."
"You know the answer."
"Well I'm a Physics text book on legs."
"So's Mr.Cho..."
"But I'm also Chazy Chaz."
"Okay but how are we going to do this?"
"I'll like help you with the homework and stuff."
"You like never do homework."
"That's my homework this is different."
"Okay, its not like I need to learn the flute."
"No you need to pass physics. When's your next test?"
"Two weeks I think."
"So you want me to go to your house or..."
"That'll be fine if you think you can handle my dad."
"Uh..."
"It''ll be good, you're not Noah."
"But he's a good clean boy I'm..."
"A little villagy? Hey maybe you can help me choose a hair color."
"Blue? Red? Purple?"
"See choices choices, I need to put something in this black!"
"Why not all?"
"Won't that be kinda clown like?"
"Not if you do it right. Well we may have to work with the red depending on the other shades."
"I see."
"But let's get through the physics first."
"Yeah," Pyra says as she pays for a donut.
"Mmmm do-nut."
"I'll lick it," Pyra says grabbing a milk.
"So."
"Damn males and their icky ways." Chester laughs.
This afternoon they are a large mob as everyone is free that afternoon, Mike, Nausi, Mystic, Bakura , Noah, Pyra, Keya, Karla, Chester, and Brad. They have to take over a set of two booths.
"Hey am I coming today?"
"Sure," Pyra says absently tangling her fingers in Noah's.
"Coming where?" Noah asks as everyone else is also interested.
"I'm going to..."
"Keep me from flunking out of Tech because of that fake science."
"What?" Noah asks confused.
"Physics."
"Oh, I don't have to take that," Noah says as Pyra glares at him.
"Who's getting stuff?" Mike asks running his hand through his bright red hair.
"I am," Karla says as Brad, Nausi and Bakura also stand.
"You want anything?" Noah asks Pyra.
"I'm good," she says moving so he can stand.
It leaves, Pyra, Mystic, Keya, and Chester sitting.
"Man Noah is such a gay ass." Mystic says.
"Leave Noah alone."
"Come on that dorky little tie and blazer."
"Dude its his uniform."
"Mmm hmm uniform sure."
"Oh stop it, don't you ever get tired of that?"
"Nope, cause its true!" Mystic says and Chester laughs.
"Keya?" She looks at her friend who has taken Karla's usual place on her cell phone. "Gasp, she's on the phone the horror."
"Shh."
“Dude since when is it Keya on the cell phone?”
“Changing times all part of the digital revolution.”
“Yeah Chester don’t talk like that.”
“Would you rather I talk like this?” Chester asks with a British accent.
“Heh heh Chester you’re such a dork but Yami has that covered,” Mystic says, as Pyra watches Nausi return with her tray.
“My God Pyra move!” Nausi says with Mike close behind.
“Dude! I’m not even in your way!”
“The bag num nut!” Pyra lift’s Nausi’s bag so she can set her tray down and Mike slides in beside her. Pyra looks up and sees Bakura walking saying something to Brad as they walk. Karla and Noah are still getting condiments as she finally stops trying to see what’s going on.
“Here I got you a McFlurry,” Bakura says as Mystic smiles.
“Thanks Yami.”
“No prob.”
"Don't I get a McFlurry Bakura ?" Chester asks pouting and Bakura throws a fry at him.
"Here," Mystic says holding out the spoon to Chester who takes a lick. Noah and Karla return with their trays.
"You sure you don't want anything?"
"Yes, my dad does not take no for an answer when it comes to dinner. He doesn't believe I eat."
"Wonder why."
"Hush up."
"Hey Brad how's the play?"
"Getting there, don't worry Big Bad Brad will be back to lunch soon. No English class can hold me for long." Brad says followed by a large bite into his burger.
"Had to ask," Pyra mutters.
"What's the play about?" Noah asks.
"Well I have this crazy teacher and she wants us to put on a play on the stuff we're reading which is ok since we're doing plays and crap but she wants us to modernize fences have you ever read fences?" Noah shakes his head. "Yeah don't!"
{Come on we've spent way too much time in McDonald's you people get the idea) “Well I have to get home. I don’t need to be late and bring guys home,” Pyra says sliding out of the seat to put her jacket on.
“Heh heh dork.”
”Loser Monkey,” Pyra replies.
“Yeah come on guys I have so much work to do,” Keya says.
“Should have been in Media,” Chester says looking at the AP book on the table.
“Sure, that’s gonna help me become a doctor.”
“It could…”
“Come on people’s chop chop,” Nausi says complete with chopping motions.
They all take their trays and dump them and head outside. Everyone except Chester, Pyra, Brad, and Noah head for Nevins.
“No, don’t leave me Baki,” Chester wails and Bakura just glares.
“Oooo Death ray eyes,” Pyra and Mike say together and Nausi looks at them.
”What do you think we do in Spanish class? Learn Spanish?”
”Nah Py Py I’ve seen your report card,” Nausi says and everyone starts laughing.
“You are evil! Its not like I’ll remember it anyway.”
”To remember it you would have to have learned it first.”
“There should be laws against being this mean to me,” Pyra mutters.
“Its cause your black,” Mystic says laughing.
”No its not cause she’s black,” Nausi starts, “Its cause I’m black,” Mike finishes with her.
“Come on Keya,” Karla says pulling her friend away.
”Hey wait for us,” Mystic exclaims taking Bakura ’s hand.
“Later,” Pyra calls.
”Toodles,” Nausi says also crossing the street.
“Bye guys,” Brad says as they all turn and head to the train.
“Where do you live again?” Chester asks.
”Newkirk ave. This nice little house all its missing is the freaking white picket fence."
“Then you go into her room and its like time for an exorcism,” Noah says.
”More like a broom,” Pyra replies, “besides ya’ll be staying in my living room I know my pa.”
“Ooo Big scary man.”
”Yeah he is,” Noah says and both Brad and Chester laugh.
“Hey Brad wanna come too?”
”Third degree form a dad of a girl I’m not dating sure sign me up.”
“Whatever.”
”When do you have to get home?”
”Dawn? As long as I show up they’re cool,” Chester replies.
“Alright then…oh!” Pyra pulls out her cell. “Hey yeah I’m bring some people over… No Noah and Chester…Yes I know he’s home. Yeah later Trish. All set.” Pyra says as they head down the stairs to the train.
They arrive at Newkirk in about 20 minutes leaving Brad to enjoy the rest of his ride alone with his headphones.
Both guys watched smirking as Pyra pulled out her crap covered key chain. She opened the door and the smell of chicken wafted towards them. Pyra tossed her bag on the floor and put her jacket on a hook outside the closet and tried to take the guys jackets but they both refused and hung them up.
”Howdy all,” Pyra says as Glenn closely followed by Trish come into the hall.
“So who’s your friend?”
”Okay Trish dad, this is Chester, Chester Trish and Dad.”
”Nice to meet you…”
”Hello,” Glenn says shaking Chester’s hand and looking like he could easily lift the skinny teen. ”Noah.” He says glaring at Pyra’s boyfriend of almost two years.
‘The more you don’t like them the more I do,” Pyra says smiling.
”Don’t you have homework?”
”Bye dad,” Pyra says as Trish pulls him into the kitchen.
”Glenn is that your chicken burning?” She asks smiling at Pyra who completely ignores her. “Nice to meet you Chester and its always nice to see you Noah.”
”You too Mrs. Jacobs.”
“Okay Pyra your dad is huge!” Chester exclaims.
”Yeah I guess,” Pyra says leading the guys to the living room and popping on the TV. She puts it on MTV as they leave a space for her on the center of the couch sitting on either side.
“So…” Chester starts.
”What?” Pyra asks.
”Physics books,” Chester says annoyed.
”Ugh, its like under my bed or something,” Pyra says standing. Chester follows interested in seeing her room. Pyra opens the door and flips on the light and Chester looks around at the posters. A black poster with Nirvana written in silver was on the wall over her bed. There were some more Nirvana and, Chester snickered at the New Kids on the Block poster, then turned to movie posters. Bill and Ted and Freddy on one wall, Carrie over her desk. There were smaller pin ups for Firestarter, Christine, and one Dracula.
“Cool posters.”
”Huh? Oh yeah,” Pyra says lifting one side of her sheet. She pulls out the book in victory. “Got it.”
”Do you have the review book?”
”Bottom shelf,” She says since he’s standing in front of her bookshelf. He bends down seeing all the review and Barrons books and scans the title until he gets to the physics one. He stands looking at the books she has as he does. Steven King and Anne Rice dominate the shelves followed by other random horror writers and regular books.
“Happy Books Pyra.”
“Bite me Chester.”
“Come on I don’t need your dad thinking I’m defiling his daughter.”
”Oh please you dork,” Pyra says walking out and back down to Noah.
”I think I’ll go home,” Noah says as they return and drop the books on the table.
”Well okay, see you tomorrow,” Pyra says walking with him to the door. A kiss and a few more later Pyra shuts the door and turns her attention back to Chester. Chester is doubled over and she rushes over to him.
”Are you okay?”
”I’m gonna barf,” Pyra smacks him.
“Bite me bubble head!”
“I don’t need to see that crap, at least he’s gone now.”
”He only lives two blocks away.”
“Nice,” Chester mutters. Pyra lifts her bag and takes out her binder, fat lil’ notebook, calculator, and a pen. Chester takes out a few scattered sheets of paper and after searching a while pulls out a beat up pen.
“Man darn you and your GPA,” Pyra mutters and Chester grins.
“Uh huh, I have my bad grades too.”
”Do homework…”
”Why?”
”Give your teachers a stroke, hey its not that bad.”
”Whatever what’s your homework for tonight?”
“Crap about Ohm’s law.”
”Oh electrical circuts and stuff not that bad,” Chester says pushing his chair closer to her. “Okay let’s start with the homework.”
An hour later Pyra and Chester are handing plates to Trish for her to take back to the kitchen. After his initial reaction Glenn seems to have taken a liking to Chester mostly because he sees there is something going on between his ears that he doubts is happening with Noah. He’s bringing them some cake when he hears something that makes him smile.
”You’ve got to be kidding me.”
”I’m very serious Pyra.”
“You’re giving me homework! You don’t do your own!”
“Not that again, look you’re having issues with Physics, this is what homework is for and since I don’t have trouble I don’t do it.”
”Just because that’s partially the truth…”
”I brought you guys some cake,” Glenn says interrupting them then.
”Thanks dad.”
“Yeah,” Chester says as he takes his slice. He waits until he’s gone. “Man aren’t you just a TGIF family.”
”Yeah sure sounds just like a sitcom, the black girl adopted by the white wrestler and fitness model, getting her best buddy to tutor her in physics.”
”Dude they’ve had weirder ideas.”
“Whatever. We done?”
”Once I Finish my cake sure I guess.”
“Okay, man its like eight look at that.”
Chester shrugs, “Well I’ll be going now, and I’m not kidding about the homework.”
”Ugh, come on I’ll walk you to the train.”
”You don’t have to.”
”I know,” Pyra says handing him his jacket, “just part of the weirdness that’s me.”
“Okay.”
”Dad I’m taking Chester to the train!” Pyra yells and hears a muffled grunt. “I think that was an okay whatever.”
They head out and start walking the blocks to the train station. The walk past a group of guys and they all nudge each other pointing at the two. Now if Pyra ever wore clothes that fit they could be pointing at her but unfortunately these were metas in a gang that had had a run in with SHOCM© and they felt they needed some retribution for their friends who hadn’t gotten off so light.
”Yo shorty!” One calls to Pyra in a way to goad Chester. Pyra doesn’t so much as blink in their direction. “Shorty, shorty, how you gon play my man like that?”
”By definition shorty would be below average height, being 5’ 10” means I’m tall so he couldn’t possibly be speaking to me.”
”OOOOoooo Honey got jokes!” Chester smiles and that’s all the one standing in front of Pyra and Chester need. He shoves Chester. “My man you think that’s funny?”
”No that would be your face,” Pyra says annoyed not caring that they are being surrounded. Chester on the other hand finally recognizes the guys.
”Shit,” he mutters under his breath. He glances at Pyra and doesn’t understand why she isn’t scared. Then again she didn’t know what these guys could really do. He knew the one who had been talking could launch wooden spikes from his body, another could absorb any physical blow. There were only four of them with his training he could easily take them but his training was a secret. Not to mention how he would explain if one of them used a meta power.
“You know you and me have some unfinished business.”
Chester is a little surprised when Pyra grabs his hand and shoves past Spike as he had tagged himself. But they don’t get very far when the circle closes in on them again. Its then Chester recognizes the other two. Boom who was as usual decked out in basketball gear (Bulls) could generate a basket ball sized sphere of energy.
”Mami,” the one hispanic guy starts moving closer to Pyra. It takes Chester a minute to place his power until he speaks more. He was an over grown snake he could produce scales to cover his body like armor and had a snakes forked tongue. “Thiss iss none of your businessss.”
”Like my man is saying you’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time shorty.”
”Taller than you,” Pyra says matter of factly.
“Yo! Let her go, she ain’t shit,” Boom says and Spike shakes his head.
“She might run to the police to save her little man over here,” Spike replies and Chester shakes his head wondering how he could get Pyra out of this. Pyra on the other hand was wondering how she could go about getting Chester out of this short of a fiery inferno. Usually she ignored the guys that hung out in the plaza or didn’t even hear them. She knew that karate wasn’t a strange ability but the speed at which she moved might raise an eyebrow.
What were they even talking about how could they even have unfinished business with Chester when they practically lived at the train station and the surrounding stores. He had never even been in this neighborhood before. She glanced at Chester again and saw the worried annoyed expression that mirrored hers.
“Snake hold her,” Spike says and Pyra turns to glare at the Mexican.
“Come on mami I don’t bite.”
”I do,” Pyra mutters to herself shifting to a basic fighter stance. Chester blinks looking at the stance. Did Pyra really think she could take this guy? Even with a bomb, Snakes armor may not be scratched. The only thing that hurt him was fire. Not to mention that she was what a little over a hundred pounds? And it wasn’t muscle or specially trained by Kaiba-Corp.
”Pyra just do it.”
”Yes just stand here and watch three retards beat you up.”
”Shorty I would listen to your boy.”
”For the last time,” Pyra says her eyes blazing fire, “not short.”
With her attention turned to Spike, Snake grabs her and she tries breaking the hold as he armors his body under his clothes surprised that he has to.
“Sssstrong but ssssnake isss sssssstronger.”
Chester watched as the look on Pyra’s face went from confusion, to anger. He didn’t like the look on her face and turned in time to see a fist connect with his face knocking his glasses off. He wiped his face as he recovered from the cheap shot from Boom. They started moving in circles and he took in their changing positions and Pyra’s stationary one and he wondered what she was thinking.
There were moments where he was blocked from her view he would use those to his advantage as he reached down to grab his glasses the new darts he had built into them would come in handy. He touched them and cursed again. The punch was causing a malfunction.
”The big bad robot man, not so big without your friends and your toys.”
Chester looks over at Pyra again knowing he had three seconds of blockage to pull off moves that could be believed as martial arts if not fully observed. Even a person who had only seen Bruce Lee movies would know something was off.
Chester stuck his hand into his pocket when he remembered. He had just created... would it even work he hadn't had a chance to test it. He just hopes and quickly types out a message onto the tiny keyboard and wonders why Boom hadn't attacked again. Or even Spike and the other guy who's name was still a mystery to them so they just called him no 17.
They were just circling when all of a sudden Snake screamed. Everyone was shocked none more so than Chester. Well apparently Snake hadn’t armored up. Pyra looked at her nails and shrugged, though Chester wondered how that much blood could get on them. Then again Pyra alternated from filing her nails into nice circles and points. Snake must have caught her on a points week.
Chester used the distraction to shock Boom who slumped to the floor out cold two down. Pyra looked at the blood on her nails and tried to figure out what she had just done she wasn’t exactly sure. She had tried to scratch the guy and had actually broken a nail that had ticked her off the rest she wasn’t so sure about.
That when she heard it sirens? Cops? Who had… whatever man…it was also then she noticed that one other goon was out cold on the floor. Chester was fighting one as the other was half-way down the street already some friend. The guy Pyra had abused started to stand swallowing his pain as he refused to admit he was bested by a girl.
Pyra does the one thing every girl knows to do and hits him with bone shattering force the only thing making it the equivalent to a normal knee to the groin his armor so he falls down yet again howling as a piece of wood goes flying past Pyra’s head.
“Freeze!” For a second Pyra doesn’t move then realizes duh they don’t mean her. She turns to see two cops. He had his hand held up towards the ring leader and another up at Boom who was starting to stir. Snake he ignored for obvious reasons. Pyra wondered why he didn’t draw his gun.
Spike was enraged even as the cop put his hands down he couldn’t release his spikes no matter how hard he tried. Boom woke trying to create a boom-ball as Spike was handcuffed. Snake was neutralized and also cuffed by the male officer. They stuffed the three guys into the back of the police cruiser as the cops finally paid attention to Chester and Pyra.
“New?” Chester shakes his head almost violently and the female cop changes her tone instantly though the damage had been done. “You kids alright?” Chester nods.
”Alive,” Pyra comments absently looking at her nails. What exactly had she done?
“Miss I would like to escort you home.”
”No that’s okay,” Pyra says worried.
“I think you should go with Officer Daniels she’ll get you home safe.”
”Yeah Pyra that other guy is still out there.”
Pyra looks at Chester as if pondering the request. Looking at expectant faces all around she nodded annoyed. “Fine.” She walked over to Chester and hugged him. “See you tomorrow.”
”Okay bye,” he says returning the hug as Pyra turns around not bothering to make sure the officer is following.
”Girlfriend?”
”No way, we’re just friends and she has a boyfriend. So I guess this mean this little baby works,” Chester says pulling out what at first glance looked like a calculator.
“You and your little devices, I thought you all didn’t go out before 10?”
”We don’t these guys surprised me. I guess they live around here,” Chester says looking at the car.
”Are you sure she’s not meta?”
”Well you can never be positive, but she hasn’t said word one to me about it and she didn’t even know what a meta was.”
”Few do they just know they are weird…”
Across the street Pyra was flanked by the cop. She turned to her. “Look that right there is my house. I do not need a police escort my dad’s protective enough!”
”You were just assaulted by gang members aren’t you worried."
“Do I look worried?”
”Just because you are foolish doesn’t mean I have to be.” Pyra rubs her temples in aggravation and takes off the light jacket she was wearing despite the cold weather. She was flaming hot right now. She just wanted to get home and take an ice cold shower.
”Look at me.” Pyra does not noticing when her blue eyes glow slightly brighter. She’s more than surprised when her psychic ability doesn’t touch Pyra. What’s even weirder is the fact that Pyra doesn’t even look aware she had tried something. So she was a Psychic meta and didn’t even know it?
“Gonna say something?”
”I have to go,” the cop says turning and running back to her partner but Chester’s already gone.
“Damn, I wanted to tell him I think she’s Psychic but she doesn’t know it yet.” That’s when the punks in the car decide to express their concern over their friend.
”Yo! Can you fucks move it Snakes bleeding like a mother here!”
The male officer opens the door still binding their powers and rolls up Snakes handcuffed sleeves. He looked at the arm with the limited movement allowed since he was hand cuffed behind him and shakes his head.
”Sliced clean through like somebody put knives through his arm.
"We'll take care of you," the cops say calmly as they climb in and drive off.
Over at Pyra's she walks in calmly at least in appearance knowing full well her father is waiting and she isn't disappointed.
"What took so long?"
"Sorry we were talking and then he missed his train so we talked some more and..." Pyra shrugs. “I know, Pyra you do know its winter right?”
”Yeah…”
”What do we wear in winter?” Glenn says looking at her jacket that she’s not even wearing.
”Well actually dad its fall.”
”Pyra!”
“Okay, I’ll wear a coat if it means that much to you.” Glenn just sighs as Pyra heads to the bathroom. She washes the blood off her hands glad that her dad didn’t notice. She goes into her room and turns on the TV and watches some Saved by The Bell while doing homework.

*3*

Pyra walks out of her Physics class grinning ear to ear and Nausi walks over to her and puts a hand on her forehead as if she was ill.
”What are you doing?”
“Dude! Not only did you stay awake during class you answered a question! I think you scared Mr. Cho.”
”Whatever, man Pyra says smiling when the door to the elevator opens. They step in and ride up to the sixth floor. When they reach the locker room they are the last ones to arrive. Pyra walks over to Chester and gives him a hug. He blinks as everyone looks at her eyebrows raised.
”Hey Py I know he bleached his hair but that’s Chester,” Mystic says.
”Yeah, he’s mine,” Keya says.
“Anyways Chester, you like the best teacher I ever had, now come I see ice cream in your future.”
”Sorry I can’t, I have to go to work.” Four heads snap to Chester in confusion. Nobody had told them this.
“Aww.”
“Why didn’t we get this?” Nausi says suspicion in her voice.
”You didn’t?” Chester asks surprised and Mike, Mystic and Joe shake their heads as well.
”Why would Mr. Kaiba do that? Why wouldn’t he call us?”
”I don’t think he would,” Mike says.
“Yeah we’re gonna come with you,” Joe adds.
“Guys its not that big a deal,” Nausi says and Mystic is about to respond in high shrieky voice when she realizes, not only are Pyra, Keya, and Karla in the room they had just been joined by Brad who was looking at them in confusion.
”Yeah, I guess,” Mystic says pulling out her celly. “Ooo text message, oh I guess he did call me,” Mystic says.
Nausi nods not believing for a second her friend got a text message.
"Man the way you guys act you'd think you were doing something interesting instead of working at an office.”
"Working at an office isn't boring," Keya says.
"Sure sure that's why its everyone's dream to work a 9-5. Boring," Pyra says smiling.
Bakura was silent up until this point annoyed that yet again Mystic’s job was cutting into their time together. He turned to the other girls and Brad, “So ladies what are our plans now?”
"Well peeps we out," Nausi says as everyone else grabs their stuff and they walk out of the room Pyra the last one to go.
"Pyra!" Pyra turns her head to the voice. "Dude!" Pyra says ducking so she doesn't get hit with display board.
"Brandon(Boyd) what is that thing?"
"Just stuff about surfing," Pyra nods as she sees her friends leaving her.
"Okay, later," Pyra says as he continues down the hall. When she reaches her friends she says. "Who's gonna break it to him that cali is 3000 miles away?"
"He's okay," Chester says, "let's just keep him away from the pot heads."
"He need not add weed to that madness," Pyra says.
Over at Kaiba Corp CEO Seto Kiba was looking through the police report he had been sent for the third time. How on earth had Chester been taken by surprise and what about that girl, the medical reports on snake had said that whatever it was had actually cut through his bones. He wanted an explanation and he wanted it now. He looked at his clock 3:15 they would be leaving school now...
On the train to work...
"So what do you think it could be?" Joe asks as the five of them sit huddled together on the train. He felt even more out of the loop than ever as he had been out of school and ‘work’ the past few days with the “flu” at least that’s what his parents and school officials believed.
The SHOCM© gang arrives at Kaiba Corp wondering if they were even all really called in.
They walk into the office and Kaiba as his back to the guys.
”You wanted to-“
”Sit down Chester,” Chester sits looking at his friends nervously. It wasn’t everyday that Kaiba acted like he was the only one there. He spins and looks at the rest of the kids and looks greatly annoyed.
“Did any of you besides Chester receive a call to be here?”
“No sir,” they says in unison.
“So why are you here?” Everyone blinks surprised he never called only one of them in. What was going on here? Nausi decides she might as well answer his question.
”When Chester said that he got a message from you, we thought it was strange we didn’t get it either. We thought something might be wrong so-“
“And what could possibly be wrong here?” Kaiba asks and no one answers. “Leave now, hopefully in the future you will put your training to some good use and prove I have not wasted my time and money on you five.”
No one was really sure why Kaiba was having a bitch attack for them just coming into the office. If nothing else they could have put in some extra training.
“Hahn.” Joe froze not happy to be singled out by a angry Kaiba.
“Yes sir?”
”I take it since you showed up for this all is well?”
”Yes sir.”
”Well then I expect you back on duty tonight.”
“Yes sir,” Joe says as he visibly relaxed and went out to join the rest of his friends hoping Chester didn’t get it too bad.
”What flew up his ass?” Mike mutters as they walk the corridors of Kaiba Corp back to the outside world.
”I don’t know but I feel bad for Chester,” Mystic says.
“Chester,” Kaiba says leaning forward to get closer to the teenager. “What happened?” Chester stares waiting for some further questioning. “You were alone in known territory of a meta gang at night with a civilian?”
“I…”
”What would you have done if that device had failed? If they had exposed their powers to the civilian? What does secret mean to you? I thought you were smarter than this.”
“But I…”
“Acted as if you had never had a day of training in your life. What about the one that fled? Did you ever think he might go after the civilian?”
“I…”
”And about this civilian, what do you know about her?”
”Uh…we’ve been friends since freshman year.”
“Pyra Jacobs, adopted by a Glenn and Tori Jacobs. Now residing with Glenn Jacobs and Trish Strattus. Born on August 9, parents unknown. Scant medical records, besides glasses prescriptions and some dental at a young age.”
“She didn’t see anything so…”
“Believed to be a meta unknown to even herself.”
”What?!” Chester says surprised.
“If you had done your job the way you were supposed to, you would know the meta known as snake received injuries that could never have been caused by a human. Something akin to knives sliced through his armor, flesh and bones.”
”You think Pyra did that?”
”Unless you have an ability not on record yes it was this girl.” Chester thinks back to the night, and Pyra’s attitude of invincibility, but she was always like that she liked doing crazy things. Could she really be a meta? And what would that mean really? “I want you to watch her.”
”But…”
”Spend more time with her, you’re single now correct?” Chester glared at Kaiba. He couldn’t want him to- “No one to get jealous, her own boyfriend trusts you correct?” Chester nods. “And Chester?”
”Yes?”
”This is a mission for you alone.”
“Yes sir,” he says standing.
He walks out into the hall and stops for a minute. Kaiba wanted him to spy on Pyra. Pyra might be a meta, he couldn’t tell the rest of the guys…he was so not looking forward to this ‘case’. He steps outside and sees everyone waiting for him.
“What did he want?” Mike asks.
”Talk about a new invention I had, that specially links us to the meta force.”
“Oh, why did he have to be so rude about it?”
“I think he’s just in a bad mood,” Chester says looking back at the skyscraper.
Kaiba closes the file on Pyra more annoyed at himself than anyone else. He had specially selected these kids for their powers and ability and trained them, how could he have missed one? That was obviously powerful, a psychic and one that could form knives from her very nails? He hadn’t mentioned the shard of fingernail found in the bone. She would be quite an asset to Kaiba Corp and may even be incorporated into SHOCM©. He closed the file labeled potential as a underling entered his office.
”Mr. Kaiba, there is an emergency in sub level six that requires your attention. The doors aren’t responding to the code again and we need the voice recognition override.”
“Let’s go,” Kaiba says making a mental note to have Chester look it over it was the third time this week. He sticks a sticky note that says ‘Chester Sub six doors’ in his drawer and catches up with the underling in the hall. They travel in silence down to the underground portion of Kaiba Corp.
They reach the door and sure enough they are the same ones he had to open before. Inside was a small lab that worked on developing a way to identify all meta’s.
“Security Override number 556 Seto Kaiba.”
“Voice recognition process complete, welcome, Seto Kaiba,” the mechanical but clearly female voice says. The doors slide open and Kaiba turns to leave and is face to face with the barrel of a laser gun.
”What on earth are you doing?” Kaiba says easily disarming the man as four others appear.
“Drop it Kaiba!” A voice says and he measures his odds as even more men arrive. He drops the weapon and waits to see what will come next.
“Inside!” He goes into the door he just opened wondering how foolish these men were. Once inside he sees a bare room reminiscent of a college dorm with its own kitchen and bathroom. Its was much too small to be called a apartment by any standards. The doors slide shut and he waits until he hears silence.
“Computer security override number 557.”
“Invalid command.”
“Security override number 556.”
“Invalid command.”
“Invalid command?! I just used that stupid command to open the door!”
“Temper temper sir. Now just get nice and cozy, you will be there for a while.”
“Who are you?” Kaiba yells.
”Now my dear Kaiba have you never head of a hostile takeover? Though I have been told my methods are more hostile than not.”
Kaiba paces wondering what on earth this freak wanted, who ever they were they were they would pay. No one turned his own workers against him and locked him in his own building. He looked up remembering this was one of the many labs with an overhead observation deck. He looks up and can make out the shadow of a man with long hair or a very deprived woman. He watched as the person raises a gloved hand to Kaiba and its then he’s sure it’s a male. The fingers were slightly broader then they would be in a woman of the same build.
“I said who are you?”
“Now all in due time Seto, you’re not exactly in the position to ask questions,” the voice says again using a distorting device though he’s already deduced that they are foreign.”
He sighs as he’s left alone to figure this out. He turns on the lights and looks around his new home. For the time being they wanted him alive and he had a feeling why. SHOCM © among other things were only known by him and if this room was any indication they needed weeks to crack his elaborate codes. Well they would find out soon enough it wouldn’t be that easy to crack him.
The new “owner” of Kaiba-Corp enters Seto’s office quite pleased with himself. He would learn all of Kaiba’s secrets how he came by all his amazing patents. What was truly making him his billions well now it would be making the billions for him, Maximillan Pegasus. He opens the only unlocked desk in Kaiba’s desk because it had not fully closed when Kaiba and pulled out the file. He read the post-it note. ‘Sub Six doors Chester’ Who was Chester? The note was forgotten as he looked at the file.
Ah so Kaiba wanted to recruit Meta humans to his corporation. So his deduction was correct. The infamous SHOCM© was the brain child of Seto Kaiba and he was going to add this Pyra to the ranks? Not if he had anything to say about it. He also called in a meta under his command and had him work on another project. He’d show up Seto at his own game. if he had his way. He calls in one of the many traitors and they get to work hacking into Kaiba’s computer and another starts trying to break into the desk drawers. They had a lot of work to do and a little time to do it. Kaiba had a little under a weeks worth of food and water and that was only if he was a light eater. There was enough information on this Pyra to send out a spy. He would get everything he wanted soon enough.

*3*

It had been a few days since Kaiba’s order and Chester had been following it half heartedly. It wasn’t that he disliked spending time with Pyra she was his friend after all but to be ordered to spy on her. Right now they were sitting in the center section of the lunch room side by side. Apparently some other lunch period that used their table had committed some offense that had the table taken away.
Pyra was silent for whatever her usual reasons were and he didn’t know what to say. This was getting on his last nerves and Kaiba hadn’t bothered to really explain what the whole purpose of this was.
“What the hell is going on here? I leave lunch for a few weeks and our table is gone?!”
“Yep, thee whole world falls apart without you Brad,” Pyra says patting the floor beside her as he drops his book bag on the floor.
“Call it your welcome back,” Chester says grinning.
“Only in this retarded school,” Brad says plopping himself on the floor.
”Where else but the lovely hallowed halls of Tech,” Pyra says as she absently looks at her nails.
“So Karla and Keya getting food?” Brad asks and Pyra shrugs and Chester nods. “Cool cool.”
“How’d the presentation go?”
”Aced it we were like the best ones in the class I rule.”
“Cause your group had nothing to do with it?”
“Well I guess Dave, Jessica, and Stacy did their parts too.”
“Mmm hmm.”
”What happened?” Karla says tray in hand.
”Yeah, Pyra what did you do?” Keya adds.
”Ha ha, So funny Keya,” Pyra says standing. She looks back at Chester, “You coming?”
”Huh? Oh yeah,” Chester says standing and following Pyra to the snack lines.
”You okay?” Pyra asks as they stand on the end of a slightly long line.
”Fine why?”
”You seem a little off.”
“No I’m okay,” ‘my boss just wants me to spy on you is all.’ “Hey you still want to dye your hair?”
“Sure, why?”
”Wanna come over tonight? I have tons of dye, I was gonna add something to this blond but I couldn’t decide.”
”Leave it blond for a while you look cool,” Pyra says. “Maybe, so you wanted like red and blue and purple?”
”I don’t know I still think that would look weird.”
”We’ll do blue and purple that should work.
“Sounds like fun.”
“Alright wanna go right after school?”
“You mean after we eat and all?”
“No right after,” Chester says knowing he would need some major alone time with Pyra when Physics wasn’t the only thing on their mind.
“Why?”
”It’ll take hours with the bleaching and all.”
”Oh yeah okay,” Pyra says touching Chester’s spikes and having him move away from her.
“Not the hair.”
“Why not?” Chester puts up his fist.
“I have meaner,” Pyra says holding up her nails painted varying shades of blue. Chester fakes a punch and Pyra fakes a swipe with her nails when they are interrupted by a disgruntled lunch lady.
”There’s a line here! Buy something or leave!”
”Yeah yeah,” Pyra says. “I’ll take the cookies and regular milk.”
“$1.00,” Pyra spends a few seconds searching her pockets and the lunch lady gets exasperated all over again.
”There are other people waiting.” Pyra looks behind her at Chester and what can only be a freshman.
“Oh yeah your counting skills astound me,” Chester says.
”Order something before I call security.”
”Man I’m so glad I’ll have a better job then you when grow up,” Pyra just cracks up as Chester gets a donut the Lunch lady looks like she wants to throw at him.
“So Evil man,” Pyra says as they walk away.
”Well, its totally true I won’t be a lunch boy.”
“Ya I know.”
“Just don’t tell Nausi,” Chester says in a hushed tone.
”About you stealing her line sure. I wouldn’t want you to give me crazy hair or something.”
“I would never do that to you. You might beat me like you did that guy.”
”Huh? Oh yeah,” Pyra says. “Crap!”
“What?”
”I have to do my Spanish homework.” They walk back to their floor spot in the center section and Pyra pulls out her books. She’s done in about two minutes.
”Pyra what was that homework about?” Chester asks.
”I had to write a paragraph on…” Pyra looks down back at what she wrote, “summer vacation.”
“You didn’t remember? You just wrote it,” Keya says surprised.
“Dude its Spanish class, it matters not.” Pyra opens her cookies and reaches for her milk. When her hand touches air three times she looks and sees Chester drinking a familiar milk. “Dude! You stole my milk!”
“Did not, I stole my milk,” he says pulling out her carton.
”Psycho.”
”Guys come with me, I have to go get my paper,” Keya says.
“Ok I have to go to the bathroom anyway,” Karla says.
“Yeah me too,” Pyra says finishing her milk.
All three girls stand and walk off. “Why do they do that?” Brad says.
“I don’t know it makes me wonder what’s in the bathroom.”
“I’m starting to think they are incapable of doing it alone.”
“Brad do you still need mommy’s help going wee wee?” Chester asks snickering.
“Fuck you man.”
”No thanks I don’t swing your way Brad.”
“Funny man, but we know the truth they want to talk about us and how hot we are.”
“Sure, that’s it. Because Keya doesn’t own me and Karla and Pyra don’t have boyfriends.”
”Details, details.”
“Whatever,” Chester says fluffing up his book bag and laying down.
“Hey hey there! This isn’t your bed room,” Ferdinand says. Chester sits up and shrugs as he makes sure his listening device is still correctly positioned.
”…have an extra pad?” Chester groans but realizes its just another girl in the bathroom.
”You ok?”
“Yeah fine,” Chester replies.
“..tutor you?”
“Its cool, Chester almost makes Physics fun.”
”Are you sure you’re not studying Chemistry?”
“Dude you did not just say that.” Chester rips out the ear piece he didn’t want to hear this. It wasn’t his place.
“What’s that?”
”Just an earring its itching,” Chester says showing the barbell ‘earring’.
“Hey you’ve read The Great Gabsy right?”
”Yeah why?”
“Is it any good?”
”Its okay as assigned books go, don’t worry its better than Fences and if you don’t get it there’s always the movie.”
“You gotta love Hollywood.”
“Yeah,” Chester says as the girls return.
Pyra sits down and is startled when Chester puts a hand on her lower back. She doesn’t say a word and he removes the listening device that looks like a sticker. He shows it to her and she nods in understanding.
“Thanks.”
“No Problem.”
“Attention, sixth period students…” The rest of the announcement is drowned out by the collective groan of the group as they gather all their things and head off in various directions to their other classes.
Pyra gets off on the sixth floor and walks over to her Spanish class. She walks in and Mike is already seated, she waves and he nods idly drawing on his binder.
“You know there’s very little room left there.”
“Yeah, I need more interesting classes,” Mike says as Sra. Husband walks in and stands in the front of the room. Pyra walks to her seat a few more steps up. She sat in the second seat of the third row and Mike in the third seat of the third row.
”Buenos Tardes clase.”
“Buenos tardes Sra. Husband,” about three students reply.
”I said Buenos tardes clase.”
”Buenos tardes, Sra. Husband,” more of the class say and she seems satisfied as she walks to the board and writes ‘Para hacer ahora.’
“Sr. Dillan, cual es la fecha?” The sleeping boy looks stunned and someone half coughs half whispers the date and the boy nods.
“Ahora es…no I mean uh, hoy es…um…”
“Can anyone help Sr. Dillan? Si Sr. Shinoda.” Pyra barely hears Mike answer as she starts to zone out.
A few minutes into the class supposedly doing her do now, a folded sheet of paper lands on her desk. She opens it a quick sketch of Sra. Husband standing at the front of the room with a oversized head and lots of chest hair. Pyra puts a hand over her mouth to keep from bursting with laughter. She quickly scribbles a note on the back.
‘You crazy crazy boy’ She slides it back to him and he grins.
He sends her another note. ‘It’s a work in progress.’
‘Mmm Hmm.’
One gym and one Physics class later Pyra is pulling her jacket out of the locker. “Hey should I bring my gym shirt?”
“Nah I have stuff,” Chester says. Nausi raises an eyebrow in suspicion but says nothing waiting for her friends to explain. When none is forthcoming Mystic jumps in with,
“So…what you people doing tonight?”
“Going to Chester’s.”
“Since when does studying involve a change of clothes?” Brad asks.
”Who said anything about studying?” Pyra asks hiding her face in her locker so they don’t see her smile.
Chester sees no reason to enlighten his friends either not believing they would ever believe this.
“So what are you going to be doing then?”
“Nothing special.”
“Come on people I’m hungry,” Keya says.
“We’re not coming,” Chester says.
”Why not?” Mike asks.
“Cause this will take a while.”
”Alright, what the hell are you two going to be doing?”
”Fine if you must know-“
”Me and Pyra have become secret lovers and we can’t wait for a moment to express that love,” Chester says stone faced. Pyra just nodded not trusting her self to speak lest she burst out laughing. She nods slightly and Bakura is the first one to start laughing.
“No really what are you going to do?” He asks.
“Okay, we’re just gonna dye my hair.”
”Ooo! Can we come?”
“Yeah! It’ll be like a girls night,” Mystic says.
“We could help,” Nausi says.
”Yeah and Nausi dyes hair really well,” Mike says touching his own hair.
“Nah that’s alright, I can do it,” Chester says.
“Come on it’ll be fun,” Mystic says.
”How will five people dye one person’s hair,” Chester asks.
”We’ll each take a section.”
“Uh, do I look like rainbow head the clown?” Pyra says finally speaking up. She didn’t see why everyone couldn’t come but it wasn’t her house.
“Look its just I can’t fit all of you in my bathroom, so unless you want to sit around and be bored,” Chester starts. Mike jumps in realizing his friend does not want them to come but won’t tell them why.
”Well if you want to be alone with your secret lover who are we to stop you?”
“Yeah we have better things to do,” Bakura adds looking at Mystic.
”Like eat French fries,” Brad says.
”If you people are done can we go now?” Karla asks aggravated.
”Yeah, I have to go to LIU at four,” Keya adds.
“Well then let’s go,” Chester says glad to have a reason to leave.
“So fluffy, what color you gonna do?”
“Blue and purple, I think.”
Pyra and Chester depart as everyone else enters McDonald’s.
”So where’s Noah?”
”Doctor’s appointment.”
”Oh, got Physics homework?”
“You sure do know how to ruin a good mood.”
”So you do?”
“Yeah a couple of problems,” Pyra says as a four pulls into Nevins.
”I know what we’re doing on our way to Manhattan.”
”Grr, Pyra says as they sit down and she pulls out her work. At Brooklyn Bridge they run over to the waiting six like jugglers balancing books. They sit and do the last problem before the train pulls out of the station.
They get off the train on Spring street and walk to Chester’s parents brownstone in the heart of the village. Pyra looks around for his parents and Chester smiles.
”They won’t be here for hours, if then,” Chester says.
“Ah I see,” Pyra replies.
“Hey give me your stuff I’ll put it over here.”
”Thanks Chazzy.”
”Want something to drink? We got coke, sprite, beer, milk, etc, etc, etc.”
”I’ll take some sprite. Thanks dude.”
“No problem,” Chester says returning from the kitchen with two cans. “Well…” His phone rings then and he answers. “Hello?”
“Hey Chester, Mike here.
“Hi…”
“Look we’re still in McDonald’s everyone is getting their food. Are you going to tell me why you want to be alone with Pyra?”
“Look I can’t talk now-“
”Chester you’re acting strange, what aren’t you telling me.”
”I’ll talk to you later,” Chester says hanging up before Mike can protest. He knew this had been a little too easy. He sits down next to Pyra and is glad when she doesn’t ask who it was.

*4*

Pegasus was highly annoyed. Besides that one meta file in the last day they had been able to get nothing. It had been almost two days. Kaiba for someone who was being held hostage was highly calm. He always seemed to know when he was being watched and would smile and wave. It was infuriating.
”You there, what progress have we made?”
”We have started to reprogram that training room, though we still can’t find who or what it was used for. And more workers seem to disappear everyday.”
“Has there been any change in Kaiba?”
”He still eats barely anything and at the rate he is going his food can last a month. Its slightly amazing…”
“THERE IS NOTHING AMAZING ABOUT SETO KAIBA.” The underling nods quivering slightly and is highly relieved when Pegasus waves him away. Pegasus sits down in Kaiba’s chair and spins a little giggling. Kaiba had always thought he was better then him, he and his stupid friend Lucius. Well he would see now wouldn’t he when his stupid company fell right into his hands. He had already bought off the board, the transfer of power would go smoothly once they had all of Kaiba files and they found him. Then all the pieces would be in play, with him Kaiba would do anything they wanted.
Kaiba’s one and only weakness, his stupid little sister, or wasn’t brother he couldn’t tell the last time he had see the kid. But he was older now, maybe old enough to have a gender. Pegasus laughs if he has a sibling like that he’d never admit that they were related.
”Sir! Mr. Pegasus sir!”
“What is it?”
”Its Kaiba sir he’s laughing and he keeps talking about hats and a Hufflepuff?” He shirks back as Pegasus loses some of his usual cool composure as he storms off to his viewing area of Kaiba. The man was indeed laughing like quite the mad man. He places his voice distorter on then speaks.
”You’re a captive in your own office, I will buy your company and make it my own and you laugh? I see nothing funny about your condition.”
“But you never did have a sense of humor did you Maxie?”
”Don’t call me Maxie!” Pegasus exclaims then mentally kicks himself for so easily identifying himself.
”Never were that bright hmm? Should have known right away only one man in the world I always confuse for a girl, right Maxie?”
“Shut up! Why don’t you make this easier for yourself and just give us all your passwords.”
”That wouldn’t make anything easier for me, for you yes, me not really.”
”We’ll see if you are so cheeky after a few more weeks in here.”
”Pegasus you know you’re being very cruel already.”
”I knew it.”
“I don’t know how much longer I can survive without my latte. Please Maxie just one Starbucks run.” Pegasus growls, throws his voice distorter on the floor and stomps out of the office.
”I want double the men working to find him! Kaiba won’t have the upper hand for long.”
“Yes sir!”
“And start phase 1 as soon as possible.”
“Yes sir!”
Kaiba on the other hand sits down. That was one question answered, he had thought about it for a moment and there were very few people who hated him and had the money to get into his company. He’d take care of his ‘board of trustees’ once he was out of here. The only thing he was really worried about was SHOCM © sure they could take care of themselves but they had a training day coming up and they had no idea of the change going on in Kaiba corp. He wasn’t sure what Pegasus would try to do to them before they realized what was going on.
But they had been trained well he found it hard to believe that McMahon, Bennington and even Hahn would see something was up right away. Even Callaway and Shinoda weren’t twits. The more he thought about it the more he thought it was Pegasus who should be worried about when SHOCM© came home. Though he did want to speak to Chester, he had been so annoyed about the rest of the team showing up that he had forgotten to tell him why he was so interested in Pyra. He wondered if Chester was even following his orders. Spying on a friend wasn’t the easiest thing in the world.
Pyra sat on Chester’s couch foil in predetermined spots in her hair, they had to wait for her hair to bleach. Pyra was now looking at the choices of colors. But her eyes just kept going back to electric red. Who was she kidding blue and purple she owned like one purple shirt.
”Yeah I’m gonna do red.”
”Big shock there,” Chester says plopping down besides her and moving the kitchen timer in front of them as he turned on the TV. “So all red stripes right?”
”Yeah,” Pyra says. “So those your parents?” She asks noticing a picture on the wall of two adults and a little skinny boy who looked very familiar.
“Yeah, like I said they’re okay nothing like the TV family you live in.”
”Hey do you ever wonder what it be like to like grow up with other parents? Like the Bradys?” Chester says pointing to a commercial on the screen.
“Yeah but not the Bradys, hearing Marcia, Marcia, Marcia, a billion times a day is not my idea of fun.”
”Who then? Oh I know, the Beavers.”
”Yeah right after you move in with the Tanners.”
“Hey Uncle Jessie is cool man. But I think I’d take the Urkel’s I think me and Steve have a lot in common,” Chester says and Pyra stares.
”Like plaid?” Pyra says looking down at the button down plaid shirt she was wearing and the plaid shirt Chester was wearing over a black t-shirt.
“And polka!” Pyra starts laughing as the image of Chester playing the accordion in one of those little outfits comes to her. He waits until she calms down. “What about you?”
”I couldn’t deal with a TV family, to nice to each other.”
“And your family is so mean?”
“We play pretend when people are around. Ha my dad is a little hurt or miffed at me I’m not sure which.”
“Why?”
”Ever since my birthday this year I’ve been trying to find some stuff out about my parents.”
”You’re birth ones?”
”Yeah.”
”What have you found so far?”
“Nothing, I have nothing to work with my father refuses to tell me anything.” Chester looks at Pyra and realizes how little he knew about her. She had started out as the friend of his friends. Sometime in all that they actually became friends with the help of a few random classes and lunch. He had never thought she had cared about finding her real parents.
Even now she called him my father. Chester wonders if Kaiba had some information on Pyra’s parents. There conversations rarely went outside of school and music. Sure he knew that her parents were overprotective conservative freaks, which reminded him.
”Pyra, what’s your dad gonna say about your hair?”
”He’s at work now.”
”He will see it eventually.”
”Let me worry about that,” Pyra says not sounding the least bit worried.
“Whatever, its your funeral.” The timer goes off. “Pizza’s done!” Chester says going into his kitchen and returns with some supermarket brand pizza for the two of them. Pyra lifts hers in her hand and takes a bite. When Chester tries the same he burns his tongue.
”Its good,” Pyra says putting her piece down.
“Yeah,” Chester says glaring at the pizza though he does make a mental note of Pyra not being burned and tries to figure out what it could mean. It didn’t necessarily mean she was Meta. She could have just blown on the pizza before taking her bite. He’d need to see a little more before he could draw any conclusions.
“Hello in there.”
”Huh what?”
”I said who’s your favorite mutant?” Pyra had the TV on fox kids and they were showing an episode of the X-men cartoon.
”Forge, you?”
”Mystique,” Pyra replies. “Though she is a little jipped.”
”How so?”
”She can’t copy powers like Morph can.”
”Yeah but she’s crazy, mad old, and like a ninja.”
“True, true, why Forge? I do think he’s cool with the inventions and all but any reason.”
“Why Mystique?”
”Cause she’s a kick ass blue chick?”
”Yeah and I have a thing for cyborgs.”
”You know your cyborg has a thing for blue chicks?”
“Really?”
”Yeah, but he’s always implanting her with something, to control her, or make it so she can’t morph into the x-men and crap like that.”
”Well she is evil and all,” Chester says.
”Details, details.
“Superman or Batman?”
”Batman, no powers and he still kicks ass.”
”Heck yeah, anybody else you like?”
”Spiderman is cool people and the Fantastic Four.”
“Johnny Storm-“
“The human torch now that’s a fiery guy,” Pyra says grinning as she picks up her slice for another bite.
“Dork, so well do the red in another ten minutes.”
“Did you just call me a dork?”
”Yeah what you gonna do about it?”
”Start telling people your favorite hero is the boy wonder.”
”That gay ass? Holy flaming fruit cake Batman!”
”Somehow I doubt he ever had that line.”
A few more hours later Pyra left Chester’s house with streaked red and black hair. She hugs her friend loving the dye job as she hands him his shirt after changing back into her own. He walks her to the train station.
“Man you bring some swords or something?” Pyra asks.
“What?”
”Remember the last time we walked to the train?” Chester nods in understanding.
”Yeah that was crazy.”
“Did you know those guys?”
”How could I? I’ve never been in your neighborhood. It was just lucky that the cops showed up when they did.”
“Yeah but what happened to the guy you were fighting, one second he was there then poof he was out cold on the floor.”
“Just a lucky shot I guess.”
At the eight street trains station inside.
”So you guys what do you think is really gong on?”
”I don’t know,” Mike says, “but its strange.”
”You got that right,” Nausi says.
“So how we gonna play this?”
”Well Chester is hooked up,” Mystic says, “Woah, he’s right over us.”
“That’s crazy,” Nausi says well let’s go see him.
”Yeah, wait he’s moving, mighty fast,” Mystic says while upstairs Pyra and Chester are still talking about fighting.
“Can you fight?” Pyra asks hoping it doesn’t come out wrong. “I mean…”
”I’ve learned martial arts, is that what you mean?”
”Yeah, me too.”
”Hey come on,” Chester says pulling her away from the train station.
”Where are we going?”
”Washington Square Park.”
”But…”
”Just a few minutes, you know martial arts too right?”
”Yeah,” Pyra says slowly not sure where Chester is going.
”Well, you know I was trying to help.”
”I can take care of myself.”
”Prove it.”
”You want to spar? Chester are you nuts?” Pyra says shaking her head.
“Yes, unless you want to admit you could have never taken them alone.”
”And you could have? Chazzy I think the dye fumes are getting to you.”
“Well we’re here. What’s another 10 minutes?”
”I can’t believe I’m gonna do this.” Pyra says as they enter a grassy clearing in the park.
“Just until someone is down, its not like we’ll really hurt each other.”
”Uh huh, you’re demented you know this right?”
“Chester the freak boy that’s what they call me.”
”Special Chester is more like it,” Pyra says as they stand farther apart.
“Ready ok go.”
Chester is astounded by how well Pyra blocks each and every one of his attacks. She seems to take in what he’s doing and find the best possible offense and the results there after even faster than he can and his mind works like a computer. She had yet to try to drop him but he was ready for her, logically she would try a leg sweep as that would be the easiest move to perform, with the openings he was giving her.
Chester actually had to stop holding back as Pyra still had barely put up a defense but had allowed him no leverage. It was a strange assortment of circumstances. Though with every deflected blow Kaiba seemed more and more right. Had Pyra been a Meta all this time right under their noses? And what would Kaiba do with her then? Ask her to join SHOCM© train her like he did them? Chester never sees the move coming where Pyra out of nowhere grabs his arm and tosses him to the floor. One second she had blocked him with an arm and then with no warning whatsoever tossed him like a sack of potatoes.
”I have to go home now,” Pyra says extending an arm to Chester, which he takes, dusting his backside off as he stands.
”Geez how did you do that?”
”It’s just…” Pyra stops seeing familiar blurry forms approaching the. “Is that Mystic?” Chester turns to where she’s looking.
”Yeah and Nausi and Mike.”
”What the… why are they here?” Pyra says as they get closer. “Dorks.”
“Hello peoples,” Mystic says.
”Why are you here?” Chester asks glaring at Mike.
“No! Why are you here?” Mystic asks Chester.
“Cause I live here,” Chester says annoyed dusting himself off some more. “But I asked first.”
”Well we do live here as well,” Nausi says.
”Don’t you live in Queens Mystic?” Pyra asks.
“How dare you!” Mystic exclaims.
“Nice hair,” Mike says.
”I see no blue, nor do I see purple, false pretenses. I was brought here under false pretenses.”
“Seeing that you brought yourself here, those pretenses were yours and yours alone,” Pyra says grinning.
”How dare you, smack.”
“Gasp. Kick,” Pyra replies.
“So why you guys in the park?”
“Can’t two people just go to the park?”
”Two people yes, you Pyra who hates, the sun, and all living things no.”
“Whatever,” Pyra replies, “I have to go home later people. Thanks Chester.”
“No problem.”
Pyra walks away from the group to the train and Chester glares at Mike. He sort of growls at Mike who follows him off to the side away from the girls.
”What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
”How were we supposed to know you were in the park?”
“Don’t give me that shit! What do you want you came all the way out her so you must have some fucked up reason?”
“Chester calm down, you’re acting weird,” Mike says.
“Weird?! I’m being fucking followed by my so called friends and fucking partners and I’m weird? Fuck you!” Chester yells storming off.
“Woah,” Nausi says shaking her head as she slips her hand into Mike’s.
”Why’d he get so mad?” Mystic asks.
“I’m not sure but now I know there’s something weird going on with him and Pyra.”
”Like what?”
”If I knew that I wouldn’t be here,” Mike says.
“So what should we do now?” Nausi says.
”Uh, I’m gonna go see, Chester. Try and actually talk to him.”
“Want us to come?”
”I don’t think that would be such a great idea,” Mike replies.
”Okay so I’ll see you tomorrow,” Nausi says kissing Mike.
“Bye Mystic.”
“Mmm Hmm, I think I should come with you.”
”But…”
“If he won’t talk to you he’ll talk to me, he will at least have to let you in if I’m there,” Mystic says and Mike nods as the two of them head off to Chester. It was true even if he wouldn’t talk to him he would talk to Mystic. They knock on the door and Chester opens it looks between Mike and Mystic, waves Mystic inside and slams the door on Mike.
“Chester!”
“Fine,” he mutter opening the door and letting Mike in as he notices a package at his door.
He takes it and notices it is from Kaiba Corp. He opens it and sees it is an extended file on Pyra that referred to his and Kaiba’s discussion. It had been sent out about 20 minutes before he had even arrived. Man he was good. Chester sat down ignoring both his friends as he read the exact information Pyra wanted. Did she even know they were dead? Or British? Of course not, she had said herself she knew nothing.
”Uh Chazzy?” Mystic starts.
”Wait,” he says continuing the file that had myths and legends he didn’t understand and the fact that Pyra had cash up the ying yang with a mansion to boot. How had Kaiba gotten all this information and more importantly what was he going to do with it. After what Pyra had just told him should he just give her the file? But then how would he explain how he got it, and what if she figured out that was why he had been spending extra time with her.
“Look I’m sorry I freaked, I just like hanging out with Pyra, she’s cool and I didn’t want you all to come cause I wasn’t in the mood for fifty different instructions. I know how you are,” Chester says before Mike or Mystic can protest.
“I have some stuff to do, dye to clean up before my parents get back so…”
“Get out,” Mike mutters.
”Something like that,” Chester says quietly sorry he had blown up at Mike. Right now thought he needed to think and he did that best alone. “I’ll see you guys tonight.”
“Alright,” Mike says knowing they won’t get any answers out of Chester just yet. He looks towards Mystic who had sat down but she shakes her head. Mike not wanting to be in another blow up with Chester leaves.
”Chester what the F is going on man? And don’t give me that Pyra is cool crap. Yeah that’s why you guys became friends at all but come on.”
”Mystic please. I need to think can I just talk to you later.”
”You better,” She says standing and leaving, catching up with Mike down the block.
“Anything?”
”Not really, he said he needed to think.”
“Did you see what he was holding?”
“Yeah a FYEO (for your eyes only), but why would Kaiba send one out that we all couldn’t see.”
”You think it has something to do with Pyra?”
”Yeah,” Mystic says.
”But what could Kaiba want with Pyra?” Mystic remains silent at that, when Kaiba had recruited them both her and Nausi had been surprised he had over looked Pyra but hadn’t thought much of it at the time. They figured she just wasn’t the right type for the job. Why would he change his mind now? “I mean she’s normal and all.”
“Normal eh?” Mystic says.
”Okay maybe a little crazy,” Mike says.
Chester sighs as he flops down on his bed, he hadn’t lied he had cleaned up all the dying supplies, though Pyra had helped him with most of it. Now he had to figure out what to do with all this information. He drifted into an uneasy sleep and woke with a start at 10 pm. He blinked then realized that he had to go out. He pulled out the hollo-box and ‘sleeping Chester’ appeared in his bed. It had taken him a while to develop a solid hologram but it had been great for him and Joe . Mike just has to draw himself sleeping and he was done. But he was always worried about something crazy happening like a fire so the hologram was designed after Nausi’s mirror card.
Kaiba was also lying in his makeshift prison bed. Maxie really didn’t know how to treat prisoners. This bed was softer than the one he had at home. He was far from sleep though as he remembered his time at Chestnut.
Kaiba and Lucius were walking the grounds waiting for their family to show up, they walked past Severus who was okay, and gave them a good reason to kick Porter’s ass whenever he picked on Severus.
”Severus, family coming?” Lucius asks.
”Don’t know, maybe, you guys?”
”Yeah well my little brother and his guardians,” Kaiba says.
”My mother I believe, father is away on business.”
”Snappy, oh snappy,” A jolly voice sounded.
”Max,” Lucius says annoyed as they were joined by a blond. “Save it for the stupid Porter kid.”
“Jack Porter, I wouldn’t waste my breath on him.”
“Maxie, inter-house problems are not my style.”
”Don’t let being Prefect get to your head Seto.”
“And don’t let being a pretty boy get to yours,” he replies as a group of Slytherin first years go giggling past them.
”I think that may have been for all of us,” Lucius says grinning. Severus shakes his head as he walks away.
“Bye,” Lucius says.
”Goodbye.”
”Why do you even talk to such a dork?” Max asks.
“I know how to make friends that are useful,” Lucius says.
”Yeah, he’s the only one who can stay awake in boring potions, plus when you get to know him he’s okay,” Seto adds.
”Whatever I still think he’s a loser.”
“Maxie, Maxie, Maxie, losers are in Gryffindor,” Seto says.
Kaiba continues to think on the last civil day he had spent as friends with Pegasus his mind jumping to when everything went down hill. When they were all standing together watching family’s enter trying to guess who they were related to.
”Right there,” Lucius says.
”Too easy, look at the hair, its your friend Arthur Weasly’s parents I’m sure,” Kaiba says.
”Ha! Nope,” Max says as they hug a red headed girl.
”Well that’s his girl friend isn’t it? They’ll be his parents soon enough,” Seto says.
“Oh my! Get a load of that little thing,” Max says pointing to a child with a man in a dark suit and glasses who looked like a body guard.
”Uh, Max,” Lucius says.
”Must be related to Porter, that’s the ugliest girl I’ve ever seen,” Max continues.
“Max,” Lucius warns as Seto’s hand form fists.
”Check this out,” Max says drawing his wand. “Cruc-!” Seto growls tackling Max and punching him in the face.
“What are you doing?!” Max exclaims.
”Crucio! CRUCIO! I’ll show you you bloody bastard.”
Lucius tries to pull Seto of Max, realizing quite a few things. The professors were coming, Max could no more Crucio someone then realize he was insulting Seto’s little brother. “Seto stop, he couldn’t have done that curse!”
Max was covering his face from Seto’s blows, having absolutely no fighting skill as a young Professor Mogongall uses her want to separate the two. “To the Head Master NOW!”
Seto and Max are lead by two different teachers to the Head Master’s office and have their wands confiscated as they are watched. Max is holding the side of his face and Seto was seething, he wanted to finish what it was he started.
They didn’t have to wait long when they were joined in the classroom by the headmaster. He looks between the two of them and shakes his head sadly.
”Will one of you explain what happened in there, Seto?”
“He wanted…he was going to…” Seto seethes as Max has the good sense to move away. “Crucio Mokuba!”
“Who the hell is Mo…ku…a?”
”Mokuba you freak! My little brother.”
“That was a boy?!” Seto jumps out of his chair and is stopped by Prof. Filtwick and a simple freezing charm.
”Max, did you really attempt an unforgivable curse? Did you really try to curse a young child?”
”No, of course not Headmaster,” Max says in his best attempt to feign innocence.
“Are you sure?”
”I would never do such a thing, Seto attacked me out of nowhere.”
”You know I have the skill of knowing when a person is lying to me. Do you know you can be sent to Azkaband for the use of an unforgivable curse?” Max blanched.
“But calling in the Ministry of Magic seems a little severe.”
“Ah, Prof. Deville, as Seto and Maximillion are in your house I would defer punishment to you. Professor Flitwick?” Flitwick takes the charm off Seto who sits down, having been able to see and hear the entire time.
“What exactly happened?” She asks.
”Mr. Pegasus here tried to put an unforgivable curse on Mr. Kaiba’s younger brother and Mr. Kaiba found the best course of action to be his fist.”
”I see, you’re suspended.
”What?!” Seto exclaims.
”Not you him,” Deville says pointing at Max who pales further.
”You can’t do this! How was I supposed to know that girl was his sister?”
”I can’t? Make it expelled,” She says grabbing his wand and snapping it in two.
“But…bu…but I,” Max stammered a few moments away from crying like a baby.
“Out of my sight before I call Az to make a cell warm for you.” Max ran out of the room and Seto just stared at the head of his house. “What? Go back to your little brother.”
Seto shuffled out of the room quietly and the headmaster just shook his head at Prof. Deville. Max was in the hall when he entered it.
”You’ll pay!” He roared before running off. Seto rolled his eyes about as afraid of Max, as a cat was afraid of a mouse.
The adult Seto turned over and sighed. He didn’t have his wand and his meta abilities were absolutely pointless in this situation. Where the hell was SHOCM©, he was getting bored.

Chester sighed as he and Mystic split off from the rest of the group for their patrols. Usually Mystic would entertain with these crazy ass what if questions and he would bring out his alter ego ‘the Chemist’, but now he knew exactly what she wanted to know.
”What was in that file? What’s going on with you and Pyra? Does it have something to do with that meeting…”
”Mystic stop. I can’t tell you.”
“You know you want to tell me.”
“But I…”
“You know what you’re doing is horrible, Pyra thinks you’re her friend.”
”I am her friend! God Mystic! Don’t you think I feel bad enough?”
”So it is the reason you’re spending all this time with her.”
Chester groaned and sat down on a discarded crate. “Yes he wants me to watch her, he thinks she’s meta and I guess he may want her to join us or something.”
”I figured it was something like that, so what was all that in the file?”
“Now that’s where it gets freaky, Pyra’s apparently British.”
”Really now.”
“And totally loaded. She’s fucking rich man.”
”What about her you know…”
”Her dad vanished and is like presumed dead, her mom had like complications and died a little while after having her. Plus she was in a plane crash. I never asked to know this shit, now I have no idea what to do.”
“Why? Pyra doesn’t want to know about her parents.”
“Yes she does, she told me,” Chester says sighing again.
“Oh, oh man.”
“Yeah, he mutters.” Mystic puts an arm around Chester wondering what she should tell him. Pyra’s dad had her so locked up about her powers she would really freak if Chester was just like ‘hi, so you have powers eh?’ “You and Pyra have known each other for years…”
“You guys call this patrolling? You call this being alert?” Nausi asks having been standing behind them for almost a minute with no reaction.
“We knew you were there.” Chester says with about as much life as a soggy sponge.
“Oh yeah” Nausi says as Mike and Joe approach from opposite ends of the alley.
”All clear, what are you guys doing?”
”Chester’s moping,” Nausi says and Chester stands.
”I’m fine.”
“Sure you are.”
Chester ignores the comment and turns to walk away from the group and decides to grab Mike and patrol with him for the simple fact that he won’t ask questions. He realizes he should have done this in the first place and shoves his hands into his pocket as they walk.


*5*

Chester walked into the lunch room to a missing table yet again and shook his head. What were the freaks in the lunch period before doing that kept getting their table taken away? He walked into the center section of the cafeteria and saw Pyra sitting resting her head against the wall her arms wrapped around her knees.
"Pyra?" She looked up startled and smiled slightly.
"Hey," she whispered turning to look at him.
"You okay? Want to go to the..."
"I'm fine."
"Uh huh is this the same fine you have in Physics?"
Pyra sighed annoyed then turned to Chester, "dude I have cramps. Go away."
"Oh...oh uh..."
"Look I took something already just leave me here to wallow in my pain for a bit."
Chester nodded and sat quietly and glanced occasionally at Pyra. He finally put a hand on her head and realized something. "What did your dad say?"
"Eh, he freaked for a while talking about people not taking me seriously and I was like why do I need people to take me seriously." Chester laughed. "Dude its true. I'm a high school junior no one takes us seriously."
"You have a point there."
"See, so afterwards all he could say was don't come crying to me when all your hair falls out."
"Ah so he wasn't mad?"
"Well I just won't bring you home for a little while. He'll just take it out on Noah."
"Okay...."
"So, you wanna get me some cookies?"
"Sure, milk too?"
"Yeah thanks," Pyra says handing Chester a dollar which he drops on her lap.
"I'll be back."
"Hey loser." Keya says approaching with Karla and their lunches.
"Hey dudes, so what do you think they do with are table?"
"Each other?" Brad says popping up as well.
"Oh yeah that's it, lunch room orgy," Pyra replies.
"Pyra! I'm trying to eat here," Karla exclaims.
"Sorry, hey wouldn't be worse if you were sitting at a table where people were doing each other?" Brad asks and Karla glares at him. Un-phased he continues, "and you know you put your hand in something..."
"Brad!" Keya exclaims.
“What its true,” he replied as Chester returned.
“Here you go,” he says handing Pyra her cookies and milk.
“Thanks Chester,” Pyra says smiling.
“Hey Pyra what’s going on here?”
“Yeah I think Noah would like to know about this cookie buying.”
“Oh shut up Brad.”
“Ooo and she gets defensive, is this an illicit affair I see brewing?”
“Oh yeah, Chester is my secret lover,” Pyra mutters and is taken by surprise when Chester pulls her into his arms. “What are you…”
”Well as your secret lover I believe I have certain rights and privileges. If you know what I mean,” he says winking and Pyra rolls her eyes.
“If you mean buying me cookies and dyeing my hair sure.”
“Ooo watch out Chazy she’s a gold digger,” Pyra throws a chocolate chip at him for that remark and Brad feigns being stunned.
“By the way nice hair,” Brad says as if noticing It for the first time.
“Yeah thanks I have a great stylist.”
“Its cool looking and definitely your colors.”
“Yeah well, what can I say I like black and red.”
“Pyra you don’t like black and red you are like obsessed with them,” Keya corrects.
”Just cause I like those colors.”
“Oh please what are you wearing now.”
“I had to match my hair…”
“What were you wearing yesterday?”
“So not the point.”
“Whatever Pyra.”
"Its true."
"Sure it is."
Pyra sighed and leaned into Chester who still had his arms wrapped around her. He smells nice. Pyra thought as she just watched her friends talk and slowly eating her cookies. The next thing she knew Chester was shaking her lightly.
"Come on Pyra wake up."
"Huh?" Pyra says awake but completely groggy and disoriented. Chester pulls out his cell and sends Mike a text message. 'Where is ur span clas' A few moments later he hears a beep. '6W12 Y'
Chester leads a yawning Pyra to her class where Mike is waiting outside.
"She okay?"
"Yeah she fell asleep she's a little wonky now."
"Bite me," Pyra says finally lucid. "When we get here?" She asks looking around.
"See ya later," Chester says grinning.
"Bye you're a good pillow."
"You fell asleep on Chester?"
"Apparently," Pyra says rubbing the last remnants of sleep from her eyes.
"Mmm Hmm."
"You're spending too much time with Nausi dude. You’re like channeling her."
"Come on the bells about to ring."
"Yeah yeah." Pyra says walking in. She takes off her bag and shakes her head because she didn't do the homework yet. She writes it out quickly pretending to do the do now when another of Mike's master pieces lands on her desk.
She opens it up and it was a continuation of the same picture from before. He had started to fill in the class. She was asleep on her desk and had a dream bubble.
It was her making googly eyes at... Chester? she turned it over and wrote again. 'Bite me.' Then sent it back.
A small sketch of teeth biting an arm is sent back. 'You are such a butt.'
'Ask and ye shall receive.'
Pyra holds in her laughter as she spends the rest the rest of the period drifting in and out of sleep.
After a demanding yoga class with Ms. Russel, Pyra headed down to Physics awake and it lasted all of twenty minutes, before she was drifting in and out of sleep. Nausi poked her a few times and she made it through the class without passing out.
When they reached the locker room everyone looked ready to run. Bakura looked vaguely annoyed.
"Geez where are you off to in such a rush?"
“We have to go.” Brad says.
“Why?”
"Him,” Bakura says pointing at the teacher who had had things going missing from this part of the school for quite a few days now, even some students’ lockers broken into. He wanted to make sure his room wasn’t next and he also wanted to watch this large group of students.
”Oh, I see,” Pyra says noticing the teacher in the room for the first time as she starts spinning her combo, she doesn’t move any faster then usual as she throws a few books in her locker and takes her jacket. Once done she slams her locker shut with a clang and the teacher looks at her annoyed.
She yawns in his direction and walks out with everyone. “I wonder what his deal was.”
“Didn’t you hear?” Nausi asks.
“Hear what?”
”Man Py you need to hang out with people beside Noah and pot heads.”
“So you guys are pot heads?”
“Dude you don’t hang out with us, you just follow us around,” Mystic says grinning.
“Whatever so what happened?”
”Someone broke into Mr. Greenstien’s room yesterday. Took some stuff.”
”Dude he never lets anyone into his room, either, whoever pulled that off is mighty smart,” Pyra says and Bakura hides a little smile.
“You wouldn’t be saying that if it was you being robbed.”
”What are they gonna take? My smelly gym clothes? My math text book? Some old tests? Oh yeah they’ll get some big bucks for that crap.”
”What about your CD player?”
“Dude that like almost never in my locker plus who’s gonna break into my locker in the middle of the day? Besides I’d hunt down that ass and eviscerate them.”
“Nice, Pyra,” Nausi says making a face.
Pyra jumps slightly as her cell phone rings. “Hello?....Oh okay, yeah the corner….we’re coming out now.”
Noah joins the group as they wait for the light. He slips his arm around Pyra's waist.
"McDonald's?"
"Can we go to Burger King?" Mystic asks not McDonald's biggest fan.
"Yeah," Bakura says instantly seconding the motion.
"Well I guess we can go," Chester adds.
"Sure something different for a change," Joe says.
"Whatever," Mike says and Brad shrugs as Nausi nods. Pyra remains silent figuring she's outnumbered.
The group walks to Burger King where they get a seat in the back few benches to fit them all as the usual who's getting what starts happening.
"What do you want Pyra?"
"Nothing, thanks anyway Noah."
"Are you sure, fries, a burger?"
"Don't like the fries or the burgers here."
"I'll find you something," Noah says sliding out of the booth.
"Persistant isn't he?" Chester asks.
"He has his moments. Why do we always seem to be the only ones here?"
"Eh hem, you just gonna ignore the asian guy?" Joe says bringing a chair over to their booth.
"What asian guy?" Chester asks. "Aren't you black? My entire life has been a lie," he wails.
Pyra rolls her eyes at the duo, it was almost as bad as the way Chester was around Bakura or the way Mike and Brad were. Guys were just weird she decided as Mariposa and Keya returned with their food.
"Good some sane people."
"Pyra what the hell is wrong with Noah? He's holding up one of the lines with his order," Mariposa says shaking his head.
"He got dropped on his head a few times as a baby," Joe replies.
"Geez can't you pick on someone else for a change?" Pyra says annoyed.
"Why? Noah is easy pickings," Mystic says as her and Bakura return with their food.
"Evil people. Evil."
"Dude don't have such a dumb ass for a boyfriend," Mystic says laughing along with Bakura.
"Whatever," Pyra says as Noah finally returns.
"Hey I got you something," Noah says setting his tray down and slipping into the booth besides Pyra.
"But I..."
"Its some new thing they have, just taste it. If you don't like it I'll take it."
"Um ok," Pyra says taking the triangular box and reading it. She opens the slice of pie expecting to hate it and takes a small spoonfull. "Hey this is great." Pyra says taking another larger spoon.
"Really?" Noah asks as Pyra holds up a spoonfull for him, which Chester who was sitting across from the pair snatches.
"Hey that is good. I think I'll get one," Chester says as Pyra just shakes her head and fills another spoon for Noah.
"You are one crazy boy," Pyra says as Chester walks away.
"It is good," Noah says before taking a bite out of his whopper as Mike, Nausi, and Brad are the last to return.
"Dude what happened to you guys?" Pyra asks.
"Noah," Nausi says highly irritated. "You better like that fudging pie Pyra."
"Cause that boyfriend of yours had us waiting long enough."
"Yeah it is really good, Chester even went to get one," Pyra says.
"And how did Chester know it was good?" Brad asks, "Is this like the infamous cookie incident?"
"Cookie?" Mike asks.
"What about this alleged cookie," Nausi asks Brad in a false hush.
"Well Marposia and Keya know what I'm talking about."
"We do?" Keya asks confused.
"Yes the incident."
"Oooh oooh, that," Keya says as Pyra looks completly confused.
"Don't play innocent, we have the Famos Amos bag with yours and Chester's prints all over it."
"What about my prints?" Chester asks returning with a small paper bag that held his pie.
"The cookie incident."
"Oh yeah," Chester says laughing.
"So you don't even deny it," Brad asks feigning shock.
"What are you guys talking about?" Noah finally asks, as Mystic, Bakura, and Joe also give Brad their full attention.
"Well," Brad looked right and left before continuing, "Seems Chester is Pyra's personal cookie buyer."
"Okay," Noah says completly not getting the joke as Nausi and Mystic gasp. They both turn to Pyra.
"You slut!" Mystic exclaims.
"I can't believe you let Chester buy you cookies."
"And your okay with this Noah?"
"I mean really now Py Py what's next? Is he gonna buy you milk too." Nausi asks in a tone that cleary says "buying milk" is an improper act.
"He got her milk too," Brad adds shaking his head.
"Of all the..." Nausi just shakes her head and Mike and Joe can't take it any longer as they burst out laughing. Chester and Pyra are just shaking their heads.
"Whatever," Noah replies and even Pyra rolls her eyes at his reluntance to play along. She sighs and sticks her fork in her pie and realizes she finished it. She looks at Chester and notices he has about half a pie left and tries to take a spoon.
"You dare true to steal the sacred pie? On guard," he says holding his fork up like a sword. Pyra tries to sneak in a fork full then but is knocked away.
"Come on Py, you took fencing," Keya says grinning, "parry four repose."
"Dude what the hell does that mean?" Brad asks.
"Its a fencing move," Keya explains. "Its like one of the basics Yaged taught us."
Pyra uses the move Keya said but Chester grabs her hand and eats the pie off her fork and she sighs defeat. "Please?" Chester holds up a forkfull then.
"See how easy that was?"
"Mmm Hmm. Thanks Chester."
"Right in front of her boyfriend I can't believe you two," Brad says and Pyra throws a fry at him.
"Bite me."
"Come closer."
"Eww you weirdo."
"You said it," Brad says calmly before returning to his food.
"You know damn well what I meant and it wasn't for you to make a meal of me."
"Meal? Maybe a snack Pyra, you're a little on the light side."
"Hardy har har," Pyra says and sticks her tongue out at Brad.
"Dude its true, your mad skinny," Mystic says.
"And your not eating," Keya points out.
"Dude I just had pie."
"Oh please Py Py, real food," Nausi says.
"Dude's how many times do I have to explain this? I have to eat dinner, my dad is crazy."
"Well if you gained some weight..."
"Whatever man."
“All we’re saying is eat.”
”Don’t you dare start Chester, you like the same size I am,” Pyra says standing.
“Where are you going?” Noah asks surprised when Pyra grabs her bag, thinking his girlfriend is actually upset.”
”Just the bathroom, I’ll be back.”
Pyra entered the ladies room and was rummaging through her bag in the stall when a large manila envelope slipped under the stall door.
”What the…” Pyra said kicking the envelope back out of the stall.
”Your friends are not what they seem,” a distorted voice said and shoved the envelope back under the door.
Pyra wasn’t sure why but she decided to leave the envelope where it was as she finished up in the stall. Using a wad of tissue paper she picked up the envelope and walked over to the sink. She poured out the contents and saw it was a bunch of file folders. Pyra was about to toss the entire thing into the trash feeling stupid for bothering when one of the names catches her eye.
‘McMahon, Mystic.’
“What the hell?” Pyra opens the file and the first thing she notices are a mug shot followed by several more in different angles. She shoves the files into her bag and after checking the envelope and finding a slip of paper she also slid the dirty envelope into the trash. She’d have to look at these later. She had to get back to the table before they sent out a search party.
“Did you fall in?”
“Huh?” Pyra exclaims spinning suddenly. “Oh hey Keya.” “Who else would it be monkey butt?”
“I don’t know, aww so you were worried?”
”Nah, your lover Noah was all like you were taking too long. And then Chester was like how you weren’t feeling good at lunch and you did fall asleep on him so I came to check. You okay? Maybe you should go home.”
“You know what, I think I will,” Pyra says and walks out of the bathroom with Keya.
“Uh guys I’m gonna go home.”
”But its mad early,” Mystic says.
“Still don’t feel well?” Chester asks.
”Yeah a little,” Pyra says grabbing her jacket.
“Wait,” Noah says wiping his mouth. “I’ll come with you.”
“Thanks,” Pyra says calmly.
“Okay, well bye guys.”
”Later peoples.”
”Feel better.”
”Thanks Naus,” Pyra says as she waves to everyone.
She and Noah walked in silence to the train station his arm slipped around her waist. They were waiting for the Q train before Noah finally spoke up.
“Are you okay?”
“Just some cramps,” Pyra says as the train pulls into the station.
Noah leads them to free seats. Leaving the aisle seat for Pyra who rests her head on his shoulder. Her mind wandering to the envelope as she wrapped her hand in Noah’s.

*6*

“So it’s done?”
“The files has been sent sir.”
“And our guest?”
”Guest?”
“Kaiba you idiot.”
“Oh, no change. Unless you count the fact that he’s been looking at his watch and smiling every few moments.
”Have you been able to find any footage of who used that training room?”
”Nothing, no tapes no pictures, no footage of any sort. Its quite strange. Its almost as if he knew this would happen.”
”If he knew he could have stopped me. Either way we’ve made the requisite changes. Its only a matter of time before, Kaiba’s saviors are nothing but dust in the wind.”

**********

“Well bye, feel better.”
”Thanks Noah,” Pyra says with a short peck on the lips.
“See you tomorrow.”
“Sure, morning?”
”If you’re on time.”
“I see how it is.”
”Its true Py, and its even worse when your late in a Catholic school. If I have to write one more essay on the Crusades…”
”Okay okay, if I’m not early you can go before you are even late.”
“Alright I will.”
”Alrighty,” Pyra says about to go in when Noah steps forward with deeper kiss. Pyra strolls inside with a silly smile on her face and nearly plows into Trish.
“Pyra? You’re early.”
”Yeah,” Pyra says heading up to her room and shutting the door. She pops on her tv and then realizes she really is home early as the weekday cartoons are still on. She flips over to fox and catches the end of a new show called ‘Power Rangers’ which seems pretty interesting. She opened her bag and took out all the files.
She looked and saw there were five and also saw the stamp on each one. KaibaCorp© authorized personal only. She shifts through the files and starts looking at the name and picks up Bennington, Chester.
She opens the file and sees another mug shot and notices the date. There was something about that date but she was drawing a blank. She looked through the papers and then saw the photos also dated from the arrest date.
Chester looked like someone out of a James Bond movie. And the things they were doing he looked like he was practicing to be batman or something. Pyra decided to look at the pictures in all the files then but when she got to Mystic’s the last sheet of paper before her pictures distracted her. It was a hospital record, talking about stitches she received from a stabbing.
Pyra remembered that, and the fact that the accident had been work related. This was quite the interesting work indeed. What the hell was going on with her friends? But was this even real? Pyra picked up Mystic’s file again and in it were X-Rays and a police report.
The pictures she saw finally convinced her. It was clear that Mystic was using her powers along with playing spy. What the hell were they doing? It was clear that they didn’t just work in a office that had a penchant for moving boxes.
Pyra was about to start reading the files in depth when her phone rang. She pulled out her cell phone and saw that the number was unavailable, but being the person she was she answered it anyway.
“I assume you have had sufficient time to view the files.”
”What?”
”Would you like to learn more about the double lives your so called friends are leading?”
“But…”
”What is it that you do not trust? Haven’t you ever found it odd the strange exhaustion your friends suffer from an after school job? The strange injuries?”
”What’s your point?” Pyra asks annoyed.
”Well I would like to set up a meeting, with you.”
”Oh yeah that’s gonna happen,” Pyra says about to hang up.
”It would be at Kaiba Corp. Your friends would be working just down the hall. Tomorrow afternoon.”
”Why should I?”
”What do you have to lose?”
“Mmm Hmm.”
”Ask for Mr. Pegasus. I will see you there.”
”I didn’t even…” Pyra says to the dial tone.
Pyra stares at her cell phone a moment longer and sighs locking the keys and placing it back into her pocket. She looks at the files again not sure what to believe. But who would want to make this up? What would be their point unless they knew. But that would be impossible.
“Ugh,” Pyra says and pulls out her cell hitting 2. She gets her voicemail and shakes here head. She calls again so Nausi has a missed call then pulls out her homework since she had no interest in early evening television to watch it.
Pyra is on her bed using her Garfield as a pillow reading Hit Parader as he waits for 8pm to hit. She jumps as her cell phone rings.
“Hello?”
”Pyra where are you?! Its almost eight o’clock.”
”You’re kidding right? Where are you?”
”I’m in the kitchen, that’s not the point.”
”Where’s Trish?”
“She went to the market.”
“Dad turn around.”
“What the? When did you…” Glenn asks looking at his pajama clad daughter.
”Before five, man talk to your wife,” Pyra says as the phone rings. She grabs it. “Hello? Hey dude,” Pyra says heading up the stairs with the cordless phone.
”You rang?”
“Yeah, I didn’t notice it was so early I got thrown all out of wack.”
“Are you feeling better?”
”Yeah I guess so. I’ll be back tomorrow, then we can hang.”
“Oh, no gotta work.”
”Man, what do you guys do?”
“Inventory, box moving, categorizing shipping, you know stuff.”
“But I thought you guys worked at like an office.”
“Well you know the mail room.”
“Mmm hmm smuggling drugs. You guys probably have mug shots floating all over the place.”
“Oh yeah that’s it,” Nausi says laughing, “you know how we do.”
“Why do you guys all do it if its so boring?”
”Its not that bad and you know whole paycheck makes it worth it.”
”How much do you get paid?”
”You know normal, why we talking bout me work?”
“I don’t know we never do, just curious I guess.”
“Yeah well anyways. What’s up?”
”Nothing much just bored, I actually did my homework so I can’t even pretend to do that. Oh I saw this new show today, Power Rangers its seemed quite interesting…”
Their conversation continued for quite a while even adding Mystic to the mix at one point but Pyra’s mind was not fully in it and she always noticed how when she would bring up their job the answers would be vague and they would try to change the subject. Pyra didn’t know when but her mind was made up by morning. She was so wired about doing it she woke up twenty minutes before he alarm clock thinking it had rung and didn’t realize the truth until she returned from her shower and it went off.
She pulled open her closet trying to choose what to wear and settled for some black bondage jeans with thin black straps. She grabbed a red long sleeved shirt with a Garfield embroidered on a fake left breast pocket and opted for her black hoodie instead of taking a jacket out. She pulled on her sneakers then went to put on her jewelry.
She went down to the kitchen and poured herself a bowl of Lucky Charms, before going back up to her room still just in her socks.
Once done she pulls on her red and black sneakers and makes her way to her parents bedroom door. She pushes it open slightly.
“Going to school. Bye people.”
“Have a nice day.”
“Thanks dad,” Pyra says as she runs back to her room for her keys before making her way out. All the while wondering if she would be able to catch up with Noah. She pulled on her headphones and didn’t hear the voice calling her. She nearly attacked Noah when he tapped her on the shoulder and she sheepishly removed the headphones.
”Sorry.”
”Its ok I should be used to it by now right?” He asked slipping an arm around her waist. “So you’re early.”
“I told you I would be.”
”Yeah but you always say that, and I always wait one more train then I should.”
”Well we’ll both be on time today.”
“Uh Py, we’re gonna be early.”
”Very early?”
”About half an hour.”
”Look at that, that’s the kind of thing that gives the people’s a stroke.”
“Yeah well I guess the nuns will get a surprise as well.”
“Nuns eww.”
“Your junior high had nuns.”
“Exactly why I’m ewing.”
“Uh huh, wanna get some breakfast?”
”Sure I’ll get something, it’ll be my lunch though,” Pyra says as the train pulls into the Decalb train station.
They start walking and head into the corner store where Pyra buys her self an untoasted bagel with butter and some orange juice for later. Noah also got a bagel but had his toasted giving Pyra a strange look for not doing the same.
”You know how crappy it would taste 4 hours from now toasted?”
“I guess,” he says as he pays for both their stuff throwing in a pack of gum for her as well.”
”Is that some kind of hint?” Pyra asked.
“Huh? Don’t you like doublemint?”
”Never mind, thanks Noah,” Pyra says grabbing her bag as he takes her own.
They step out of the store and nearly run into a familiar group. Mystic gasps and starts smacking Bakura’s arm and pointing frantically at Pyra.
“Yes it’s me, stop abusing your poor boyfriend,” Pyra says as Bakura rubs his sore arm with a slight frown.
“Did someone mess with your alarm clock?” Mike asks grinning.
“Yes,” Pyra says rolling her eyes.
Nausi brought her hands together and clapped. “Congratulations Py Py.”
“Dude, that’s not Pyra. It’s a pod person, its like the fist sign.”
”Bite me Chazzy.”
“Arr,” Chester replies snapping his jaw.
“You frighten me,” Pyra replied.
”Hey Pyra, I’m gonna go. I wanna stay early,” Noah said with a smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yeah I had to move my voice class this week so I have it today.”
”Aww okay,” Pyra says giving her boyfriend a hug as he waved bye to everyone then made his way towards his own high school.
“Oh well,” Pyra said as she walked into the building with her friends with a quick flash of her metrocard before they climbed the six flights of stairs to their locker room.
”Tell me again why the locker is way up here?” Joe pants as they wait for Mystic and Bakura to arrive from the medical elevator.
“Man Joe, you sure you’re better?” Mike asked knowing his friends training would make 6 flights of stairs nothing.
“Yeah, I just get tired more, the flu sucks ass man.”
“You sure you wanna go to work today?” Chester asked.
”Yeah I’ll be fine. Trust me.”
”Sure but its training.”
“Great I’ll just pass out from boredom,” Joe turns to Pyra, “never learn how to ‘properly do inventory’ its worse than…something really boring…”
“I see,” Pyra said opening her locker. She tossed in the book she was reading and her CD player.
”Hey what you reading?” Chester asked.
“Servant of the Bones, a non-vamp Anne Rice book.”
“Any good?”
“It doesn’t suck, or bite for that matter,” Pyra said with a grin. “Mighty creepy magic stuff, who would have thought you can make a genie so icky.”
“Genie?”
”Basically that’s what the servant of the bones is, at least that’s what it seems like so far.”
“It’s a curse isn’t it?”
”Aren’t you smart,” Pyra says.
”Its always a curse.”
”Heh, yeah.”
Pyra spent the entire day observing her friends with different eyes. But she couldn’t see anything different. They were the same people they always were. And she started to feel bad for suspecting them of something. But it wasn’t enough to deter her. She told her friends she would ride with them. A normal thing when Noah wasn’t around and she didn’t want to go home.
Once there she walked with them under the pretense of getting some food and heading home.
“See you tomorrow guys,” Pyra says with a slight wave. She waited ten minutes then walked to the security desk. “I’m here to see Mr. Pegasus?”
“One moment,” the security says guard said picking up a phone. Pyra starts thinking about it and thinks she had heard the guys boss’ name before but couldn’t recall it now. But Pegasus just didn’t ring any bells.
While Pyra was wondering if she wasn’t being an idiot SHOCM© was having its own problems with Kaiba’s secretary.
“Look, I don’t know why he didn’t tell you children he was leaving but he will return in the morning. I heard his tone the last time you five were here but if you want to incur his wrath further be my guest. It is not as if I will force you to go train,” he said then resumed typing.
“I don’t know about this,” Mystic says, “He never goes anywhere without telling us.”
“Same way he never calls just one of into the office?” Mike mutters.
“Guys come on; he’s probably just testing us. Besides I want to see if I’m really back to 100 percent before we actually go back out.”
“I guess,” Mystic says.
”Yeah and its just a simulation, I’d be more worried if it was a mission and he was gone like this,” Mike says.
“I guess,” Mystic says again following the guys as they make their way to the training room. Chester presses a button and smiles.
”Its just The Louvre,” he tells them knowing they could be simulating a battle, infiltrating the CIA offices or any foreign government. In which complications were more because Kaiba felt they need a real challenge in training to be prepared for anything in the field.
Chester pushed open the doors and led the way into the room
“Here goes…”
”Hello Pyra,” a man in a red suit says with white hair walking over to her says. It’s the same voice from the phone and she can’t help but notice how femine looking he was. She shrugs it off. “Follow me.”
Pyra followed the man into the elevator and started swinging the pendant on her necklace back and forth as she was lead into a regular looking office. He pointed to a chair and Pyra sat down putting her messenger bag down at the side of the chair. She looked up at the man and waited.
”You are probably wondering why I brought you here.”
”Yeah,” Pyra says still taking the guy’s appearance in. He pushed his hair aside and Pyra stared at the gold eye. It started to glow but the magic did nothing to her, much to Pegasus’ chagrin.
“What are you?”
“What?” Pyra said confused.
”Just out of curiosity, your decent.”
”Oh I have no idea, obviously mixed I can only tell you one half of the pot. Guess which?”
Pegasus smiled, he somewhat liked this girl. “Well let’s get down to the facts why don’t we.”
“Um sure.”
”You’re friends are well spies. And I contacted you to see if you would like to join us.”
”You want me to be a spy?” Pyra said as if Pegasus had asked her to take a swan dive off the Brooklyn Bridge.”
“Yes, I will be terminating your friends stay with us.”
“What do you mean terminating?”
“Well I took over this company from an old friend and there will be some changes in the ranks.”
Pyra’s powers were becoming unhinged as she sensed something strange in the way Pegasus’ was talking. She tried to look into his mind and saw a stream of strange images starting with him being dragged down a hall in some strange robes to being enraged at someone who was trapped in a room.
”You weren’t supposed to see that,” Pegasus growled pressing a button as shackles surrounded her limbs. “Don’t bother,” he said to her struggles. “Its made of a special metal by the name of Mithril. A dragon couldn’t break through it.”
”Where are my friends?” Pyra growled.
”Not that it matters, but they are being introduced to some new improvements in their training room. They’ll be taken care of soon enough.”
Mike, Joe and Nausi were in the lead as this was one of the scenarios with night guards. Chester and Mystic were disabling the security when Chester noticed something.
“That’s not right,” he muttered to himself his typing speed nearly quadrupling as Mystic watched.
“What is it?” Mystic asked as the sounds of some hand to hand combat.
Chester’s eyes widened in horror and he started screaming. “GET OUT OF THERE NOW.”
“Yes,” Nausi responded as Chester continued his frantic typing.
“Myst get that door open,” he says still continuing to type frantically.
”Uh, it ain’t opening,” Mystic says slightly frantic.
“Why do you want to see them so badly they’ve been lying to you for years now?”
Pyra didn’t bother to argue still struggling with the chair. She was getting extremely hot, the strange manacles were glowing but no where near melting.
Mike watched as Nausi and Joe fled back to the door Chester’s order still ringing in his ears. But he was having problems. The ‘guard’ had just grabbed him in an bear hug and was holding him in the air. To top it off some one had given the robot a power boost and the kick he tried to deliver nearly broke his leg.
”Mike? Where are you?” Nausi asked turning back.
“I…” Mike’s words froze in his throat as he saw a painting pulled back and what could only be a blow torch come out of the wall. The expletives that come out of Mike’s mouth shock the group as the boy struggles in earnest as the tiny sparks start.
“WHERE ARE THEY?” Pyra yelled.
”Now now, is that any way to speak to your new boss?”
”I WANT THEM NOW.”
Pyra suddenly felt a strange warming sensation, like she had just drank some hot chocolate then all of a sudden she was standing. She looked at Mike’s face as he was being held by a guard and felt a warm but strong breeze on her back. He twisted violently and the robot that was holding him screeched as the parts built into it turned the wrong way. It was a move that would have broken a human's arms but was as sucessful with a robot with a little bruising.
”Mike?” He opens his eyes stunned.
”Pyra?”
At the other end of the training room four stunned voices repeat the word. “Pyra?”
“You…your back…its on fire…” Pyra looked over her shoulder and back at Mike.
”So it is,” with a flick of her arm the torch exploded along with part of the wall. “Oops.”
“How did you even…”
”Robot right?” Mike nods then rolled away fearing another wall incident. “Its okay I controlled it better,” Pyra says as the now headless android sinks to the floor.
A series of alarms go off and Pyra covers her ears. Mike motions for her to follow and they both run. They stop cold at the doors where everyone is gathered using various methods to try and open them. Nausikaa unleashes her silence card the only problem they couldn’t talk either. Pyra looked at the door and back at the strange room gone haywire. Suddenly everyone stood back and Mike waved to Pyra who took a minute to understand the implications. She turned to the door and realized whatever destructive power she had before. It didn’t so much as dent the door.
Pyra let loose even more power releasing the mental chains she had put on it. She felt slightly off center now but still the door looked fine. She growled in irritation and nearly eradicated the person who tapped her on the shoulder but Mystic had shielded herself.
Since the silence card was still in effect she pointed. Though the door was still intact the wall surrounding it wasn’t so lucky. They all exited the room through a crack in the wall and Nausikaa recalled her card.
“What the hell is going on here? How aren’t you a pile of cinders?” Mike asks.
”What are you doing here?” Nausikaa asks at the same time.
Pyra ignores her friends for the moment trying to restrain her powers. Her only real method of control, but currently they were on rampage. Nothing short of a trip to the North Pole would calm her down. And for the second time in her life she felt that strange undertow, as if there was something else there with the magic. Something that was released as she called on more power. What she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. The last time it happened she had a large gap in her memory and had been in Canada.
“I…” But before she could respond Pegasus’ goons came charging from both directions. She noticed that despite her attack on the walls she was flanked by Mike and Joe. So she wouldn’t be reached until the two guys were taken down. Pyra not one to be touched by such a gesture pushed her way back to the front.
”You can’t just blow them up. And they have weapons.”
“So do I,” Pyra said holding up two fire balls.
“No offense but I have seen your aim,” Joe says.
“Drop to you’re knees hands on your head. NOW!”
“Drop the weapons!” Another shouted and Pyra shrugged dropping the flames. But instead of going out they fell to the floor and rolled towards the weapon holding goons. For whatever those weapons were they were not guns.
They jumped aside but the balls were not following any law of gravity and jumped with them lighting the two surprised goons on fire and they showed their IQ’s by not stopping, nor dropping or rolling but instead running about and flailing their arms and actually lighting some of their counterparts aflame. Some of them had sense enough to stop drop and roll but did it so close to the other goons they fell upon themselves.
On Mystic, Chester and Nausikaa’s side they had also made short work of the inept goons and now they all have the same idea.
“We have to find Kaiba,” Mystic said voicing everyone’s except Pyra’s thoughts.
“What the hell is going on here? Kaiba’s gone, KaibaCorp is over run, and your throwing fire balls.”
“Not now Mike, so who’s this Chiba person?”
”Kaiba not Chiba,” Mystic corrected, “and he’s our boss.”
”Boss of what exactly?” Pyra questioned. “This is quite the interesting office work.”
”Not now, unless you want to have to put down these goons again,” Chester said as some started to stir. He lead them down a few corridors and were soon in a hall with only one way out the way they had just came. Until he punched a code into what appeared to be a tiled wall.
They entered a room with various electronic odds and ends. It was small and clearly not made for any purpose besides the obvious.
“We need to regroup,” Chester said shutting the wall. “There are very few people in the world who could do this.”
“What do you mean gone?!” Pegasus roared. “They were on the 36th floor they did not just vanish…”
“But sir…”
“Now,” Pegasus said choosing to ignore the fact that they could have in fact vanished. First that girl vanished from the very chair that could hold any enemy. Now the six of them had fallen off building in an inner corridor with no windows and no escape path.
“I have no more time for games,” Pegasus said slipping his hand into the inner folds of his vest and pulling out what looked like a battered and broken twig bonded together with green bits of cloth and tape. He made his way to where Kaiba was held. Savoring what he knew was to come to his long time and now completely vulnerable enemy.
“Are you sure you can do it?” Chester asks watching Pyra.
”I found you guys didn’t I?”
“Isn’t there some way to test it? You don’t even know what you did,” Mike says.
Pyra closed her eyes and a small fire swirled at her feet her messenger bag appearing. “Same idea right?”
“You sure you won’t burn him,” Mystic asks skeptically.
“Only if I want to,” Pyra says calmly. Nausikaa rolled her eyes and had her water card ready to put out their boss. Pyra turned to peer at her friend’s card and rolled her eyes.
“Come on,” Mystic says reluctantly taking Pyra’s hand. Her own orbing power needing a target to function properly. And Kaiba for some strange reason wasn’t on her radar. Not even knowing if Kaiba was still in the country it would be pointless for her to attempt what Pyra’s apparently lawless powers had accomplished when she found Mike.
“I thought you couldn’t teleport,” Mystic yells telepathically.
“Not until today,” Pyra replies. "And don't yell in my head you psycho."
Mystic then focuses her thoughts on Kaiba in the many aspects they had seen him including the last time. Her worry and memories serving as a strange beacon. Suddenly Pyra feels the same tell tell warmth and her eyes widen in surprise, she had wanted to bring their boss here not go to him. She tries to bring Mystic along for the ride but her friend pulls away at the sudden heat though it did not burn her and stares at the empty space.
“Fuck,” Chester mutters.
“Now what?” Joe says trying to get over the fact that Pyra seemed to be just as different as them. He also noticed that he and Mike seemed to be the only ones truly stunned at the revelation. Realistically he knew that he shouldn’t be surprised that the girls knew but Chester? When did Chester find all this out?
Pyra blinked looking about the strange room. There was a bed a corridor that most likely lead to a bathroom. A sudden stream of water confirmed her suspicions as a tall brown haired man entered the room. He looked at Pyra and raised his brow slightly before frowning.
“Where are the others?”
“Um…” Pyra starts.
“Don’t tell me they were foolish enough to just send you.”
“Bite me,” Pyra snaps.
“Where the hell are we? Your apartment or something?” Pyra asks.
“What? You don’t know where you are? How could you have possibly gotten here then?”
“I…” Pyra starts but is interrupted when the door was opened and in stepped Pegasus. “Stupid hermaphrodite,” Pyra mutters and Kaiba lets out a small smile.
“Maxie even this one here sees you are not all man, you can tell your dear old friend…” Kaiba fell silent as Pegasus pulled out his wand. He was damn near helpless. ‘Where’s a wand when you need one?’ He thought bitterly.
Pyra opened her hand and a gold rod with a small sphere adorned with an eye on the top appeared with wing like extentions. “Here.”
”What the hell is that thing?” Kaiba hissed.
”Your wand,” Pyra said simply holding it out to the man.
“My wand is thirteen inches with unicorn hair. That is a gold rod.” Pyra thrust the wand into Kaiba’s hands.
“Look I asked for your wand and got this, so wiggle your eyebrows or whatever the hell you do so we can go.”
Kaiba rolled his eyes but held up the wand as Pegasus let off a jelly leg curse. He was surprised as the strange staff deflected it. Though it didn’t send it back to the other ‘wizard’. Kaiba held up the staff in a defensive position and wondered what the hell to do with it now.
“Call on the shadow realm to aid you Seth.”
Kaiba turned to Pyra who’s eyes were glowing and seemed on a completely different level. The teenage girl was shimmering and seemed to not care about what was going on around her.
“Shadow Realm? What are you babbling about?”
“You who house blue eyes white dragons do not know of the shadow realm?” Pyra asked.
Before Kaiba could answer he had to deflect a crucio. Without thought he pointed the rod at Pegasus and a strange swatch of darkness and the man was knocked unconscious or so he seemed.
"For one who does not know you use it well Seth."
"Seto, my name is Seto and I would prefer if you called me Mr. Kaiba."
"Seth, is your true name and you do not know to whom you speak."
"Look Ms. Jacobs, I don't have time for all this otherworldly mumbo jumbo, I have a company to reclaim."
"Open that door and all you will reclaim is death."
"Is that a threat?"
"It is a warning, there are five men with no qualms about detroying you standing beyond that door."
"So what do you want me to do?" Pyra held out her hand and they were flamed back to SHOCM.
"Well its nice to know you aren't completly inept."
"Sure insult the girl who can engulf you in a firey inferno."
"Pyra!" Mystic exclaimed and Kaiba noticed the glow in her eyes was gone and her voice had a completly different timber now."
"What he's a rude ass and has called me stupid like five times. You guys work for him cause?"
"What happened?" Chester asked.
"Well I went to him, obviously then that she male Pegasus came in and then we were back here, no wait I gave him his wand then we were back here."
Kaiba studied Pyra again, this girl was just plain abnormal. A split personality? Well now wasn't exactly the time to figure it out.
"Does anyone have a status report on the extent of corruption?"
"Uh..."
"I'll take the blank stares as a no, Pegasus is no longer with us. I am hoping that he hired people more inept then himself so sweeping out the building should be no problem. My loyal workers would have already escaped to more secure locations. Chester."
"I'm on it," Chester says pulling out a communicator. He preses a few buttons then hands it to Kaiba.
"Return to Oz," Kaiba said and Pyra sniggered. Her friends looked aghast at her flippant attitude but she wasn't caring right about now. Why should she be nice the the wicked boss of the west?
"I want you three," he says pointing towards, Joe, Mike, and Naus; "to head to sub level six. There are five armed guards and Pegasus is contained inside. They should not have realized it yet. Take them out and contain Pegasus, be warned he has a wand though damaged and seems to have all unforgivable curses locked, despite the fact that he spent less then a year at Cheshunt."
The three head out leaving Kaiba, Mystic, Chester, and Pyra in the tiny closet.

*7*

Nausi, Mike, and Joe caefully made their way down the corridor to assess their situation.
They reached the doors and saw the guards still standing at the door weapons poised if the wrong person emerged. They were so focused on their task they did not notice they were no longer alone. And that they were so vastly out numbered. Joe went around the other way as she and Mike approached them directly her shield card already in place. Two of the guards were dispatched by Joe before the other three even knew what happened.
Nausi and Mike finished off the trio and opened the door to find Pegasus sprawled out on the floor. Mike draws up some ropes and chains and they lock the six of them in the room knowing Kaiba will deal with it from there. Almost instantly they hear his voice over the buildings PA system.
“Your foolish leader has been defeated, get out of my building or you will be killed.”
“You know I can never tell when he means that,” Chester says nudging Pyra who had fallen silent.
“He means it,” Pyra says quietly, still working to force back the overflow of powers. She wasn’t even exactly sure what had caused it but now there was a strange buzzing in her head and she knew if she cleared her mind she would be able to read the minds of the people around her.
Nausi, Mike and Joe walked into the room and a glance out of the door showed the mass exodus from the building as people fled everyway possible.
“Fools,” Kaiba muttered as all the escape routes locked down and loyal KC officials came to round up the last of the traitors. “Now that the last of the nonsense is done. You preformed adequately today. Its nice to know your training wasn’t a waste.”
“Thank you sir.”
“Dismissed,” Kaiba said and after a nervous moment the group left followed by Pyra. “Wait miss Jacobs.”
“Yeah?” Pyra said turning as the doors swung shut.
”I would like to offer you a position at Kaiba corp.”
“No,” Pyra said and turned to walk out the door that was replaced by a steel one sliding into place.
“You don’t seem to understand, this is not an offer you simply refuse. The benefits for working at Kaiba corp outweigh the draw backs.”
“According to you.”
”Ask your friends, they enjoy the work they would not be here otherwise. And there are the monetary benefits.”
“Can’t you just take no for an answer?”
”You have not given the offer the proper consideration and I find that unacceptable.”
“Look, I have no want, need, or wish to be a hired gun for you.”
“Hired gun? Hardly…my team is trained…”
”Fine I have no desire to be a thief, a body guard, a glorified Q or anything else.”
“Glorified Q?”
”Watch a James Bond movie, geez.”
“Miss Jacobs you don’t seem to understand…besides I have some interesting security tapes I am sure your parents would like to see. All I ask…”
“How dare you,” Pyra glowered eyes aflame. “You will not bend a Phoenix to your will. You will learn to accept defeat Seth. Do not try my eternal patience or I will let the child consume you.”
”What are you?” Seto hissed. “Pissed off,” Pyra said marching over to the door and melting a hole with her bare hands. “Don’t even think of sending that tape to my parents.”
“I am Seto Kaiba do you think you can threaten me?”
“What part of that is supposed to scare the girl melting her way through your security system?” Pyra said as she stepped through the girl sized hole. Kaiba was surprised when he heard a gasp.
Turning to his monitior expecting to tell his guards to stand down for now he was surprised to see Pyra kneeling on the floor over a still form. Even at the angle he recognized his younger brother and rushed for the door the partially molten steel sliding out of his way.
“What are you doing to him?” Seto snarled shoving Pyra aside who fell flat onto her back. Looking at Mokuba he was surprised to see burns fading replaced by a yellowish glow and the same glow coming from Pyra’s hands. He realized what it meant just as Pyra stood.
“Miss Jacobs wait.”
“Go to hell,” Pyra snarled stomping down the emergency staircase.
”Seto?”
“Yes its fine I’m here, what are you doing out of the clinic?”
“You hadn’t come to see me in so long, you always come I got worried.”
“As you can see everything is fine.”
“Seto who was that girl?”
“No one,” Seto said not caring one damn that Pyra had saved his brother. She had caused his latest injury.

*******

Arriving downstairs Pyra leaned against the wall as she spotted her friends.
“So what did he want?” Mystic asked.
“To hire me.”
”So you’re gonna work with us now?”
“Hardly. I said no.”
“That’s all he said?” Chester asked.
“Basically,” Pyra said with a yawn. “I just wanna go to sleep I’ll give you guys a blow by blow tomorrow.”
Walking towards the train station Pyra barely heard her friends’ conversations around her as she started to shut down. She was just so tired. Getting on the train she almost immediately fell asleep on the nearest shoulder which happened to be Chester’s. Mystic and Joe were gone having to take the uptown trains into Queens and Nausi and were to the left of the seated pair.
”Do you think its good or bad that she said no?” Mike asked.
”I don’t know, I think Kaiba could have helped her with stuff but its her decision so whatever. It would have been interesting to see her in action. Those powers seem cool.”
“Yeah till she burns your hair off,” Nausi says rolling her eyes.
“Speaking from personal experience?” Chester asks.
“No, but its just a matter of time,” Nausi says looking at Pyra. “She’s really out there?” Chester poked her lightly and she mumbled nonsense then her head fell against his shoulder still asleep.
”Why is that? She seemed fine before.”
”One of the reasons I don’t think she’d be good at this. Too much magic knocks her out,” Nausi says.
“Will she get home ok?” Mike asks.
”I’ll take her,” Chester says his guilt still bothering him slightly.
“You sure Chazzie? I could do it,” Nausi says.
“No its fine,” Chester says.
“You can change here,” Mike says as they approach 57th street.
“Oh yeah, bye guys. Pyra wake up.”
”Huh?” Pyra mumbled drowsy and Chester simply pulled her to her feet and led her to the waiting train across the platform.
“Later,” Mike says as he takes the vacated seat and pats the one beside him for Nausi. Sitting he takes her hand is his.
“Do you think she’ll be pissed?”
“No if she was she would have flipped out on us right away,” Nausi says laying her head on Mike’s shoulder and his head on hers and that’s the last they discuss of Pyra for the rest of the trip home.
Pyra on the other hand was sound asleep on Chester’s shoulder. He took it all in stride as Pyra neither snored nor drooled. He finally woke her a stop before reaching her home and was surprised at how dazed she still was.
Holding her hand he wondered how he would get her past her parents when she reached for her keys.
“No one’s home today,” she said yawning.
Chester led her up to her room and watched as she dropped her bag and kicked off her sneakers and climbed into bed after emptying her pockets. Grabbing her phone he set it for seven the next morning seeing that that was what the bedside clock was set for but it wasn’t seven yet so it wouldn’t work and he feared leaving her to her own devices.
Making a decision he took out a scrap of paper and wrote two words on it and placed it on the beside table under the phone before making his way out of the house and using his lock picking skills to lock the door.

*******

Pyra woke to her phone ringing and wondered when she had gotten home. As she thought back she had blurry memories of Chester and figured he had taken her home. Turning off the phone she felt slightly better then she had felt the day before and was simply tired. A feeling she usually felt when getting up for school anyway.
Sitting up se noticed a piece of paper on the table and reads it. Lope England are the only words scralled on it. Curious she picks up her atlas but after some searching finds no Lope, England or any Lope, in the New England states. Not even remembering when or why she wrote it she tossed the meaningless paper aside and went to get ready for another day at school.


The End