Noelle raises a hand.
"Let go," I say, my instincts screaming that something bad is about to happen. Why? Noelle is just a girl! Sure, she's a super, but she's still just a teenager--the hand lands on Jetta's shoulder and I stop thinking logically, giving into my instincts.
"DON'T TOUCH HER!" I bellow. The sky turns dark abruptly, cracks of lightning flashing even without rain. I don't know what just happened, but I'm jumping off of the sewer lid and crashing into the two girls. A lightning bolt hits Jack behind me, but I barely even notice as I jerk Noelle away from Jetta.
The grin on Noelle's face doesn't fit. It's too large, too creepy, and followed by a tiny hand that reaches for my face.
The world goes black as I get slammed into unconsciousness.
CHAPTER FOUR
The sharp, snapped out curse makes the entire group glance over as Nico races from the shadows and leaves them all behind. For a moment they stand there, looking at each other, then Max heads over to Morgan. "Take your group back to the dorm," he says.
"But Ace--" she starts out.
"Nico's on it," he says. "We need to get everyone somewhere safe. Like he said, Mimic is still out there." He must see her look of guilt because he drops a hand on her shoulder. "Now isn't the time to worry about it. Now is the time to focus on what you can do as a leader, right?"
"Do we even know what happened to send Nico running off like that?" Vinny asks. "I don't think he usually does that for anyone."
"It must have something to do with Noelle," Morgan says. "Maybe she got caught up in something she shouldn't have. I wouldn't put it past her."
***
It's too late, Nico realizes as the crowd parts in front of him, letting him through. Jack is somewhere hiding, he'd sent him off rather than let him stick around like he wanted to. The little blonde is crouched over Ace's body, looking panicked. She looks up at Nico, her mouth opening.
"Don't," he says, holding up a hand. He crouches down next to the boy and touches his throat, checking for a pulse. "Tell me exactly what happened," he orders after a second of counting. He's alive. He's just unconscious.
"Cold Steel had him hostage, but all of a sudden Ac--this guy started shouting and jumped on me and this other girl, one in a strange fluffy skirt. She had black curly hair," Jetta says. "I don't know what happened, I mean, the sky went dark and lightning hit Cold Steel, but--the girl, she touched his face and he went unconscious," she finishes.
"Where's the girl?" Nico asks.
Jetta jerks, looking around. "I--I don't know," she admits. "I was so shocked when he fell--"
"It's fine," he lies. It's not fine. Mimic had been right under his nose--hiding in his own school--and he hadn't even noticed! But... why had he waited to make a move until Ace came around?
An ambulance siren catches his attention and he looks up, seeing a norm's ambulance heading for them. Someone must have called them. He snorts and picks the boy up in a princess hold. "Get rid of them," he says to Jetta. "I'm taking him to our healer." He takes to the air before she can protest, racing through the air back to the canyon.
"Healer?" she repeats, blankly watching them go. "You've even got a healer?" The only reply she got was the rise in the siren's screams.
***
Mimic pulls to a stop miles away, standing in front of a grungy looking gas station. He looks at it, then looks around. There's only a few cars in front, the rest of the lot is empty. It'll do. He heads inside, glancing at the people behind the counter.
"I need the restroom," he says, testing out Ace's voice. It's not as deep as he remembered it being on television, then again he's a lot younger than he remembers.
"It's over there," he says, pointing to the restroom door. Mimic nods and heads to the bathroom, locking the door behind him.
Ace King, he thinks, staring in the mirror with
"Let go," I say, my instincts screaming that something bad is about to happen. Why? Noelle is just a girl! Sure, she's a super, but she's still just a teenager--the hand lands on Jetta's shoulder and I stop thinking logically, giving into my instincts.
"DON'T TOUCH HER!" I bellow. The sky turns dark abruptly, cracks of lightning flashing even without rain. I don't know what just happened, but I'm jumping off of the sewer lid and crashing into the two girls. A lightning bolt hits Jack behind me, but I barely even notice as I jerk Noelle away from Jetta.
The grin on Noelle's face doesn't fit. It's too large, too creepy, and followed by a tiny hand that reaches for my face.
The world goes black as I get slammed into unconsciousness.
CHAPTER FOUR
The sharp, snapped out curse makes the entire group glance over as Nico races from the shadows and leaves them all behind. For a moment they stand there, looking at each other, then Max heads over to Morgan. "Take your group back to the dorm," he says.
"But Ace--" she starts out.
"Nico's on it," he says. "We need to get everyone somewhere safe. Like he said, Mimic is still out there." He must see her look of guilt because he drops a hand on her shoulder. "Now isn't the time to worry about it. Now is the time to focus on what you can do as a leader, right?"
"Do we even know what happened to send Nico running off like that?" Vinny asks. "I don't think he usually does that for anyone."
"It must have something to do with Noelle," Morgan says. "Maybe she got caught up in something she shouldn't have. I wouldn't put it past her."
***
It's too late, Nico realizes as the crowd parts in front of him, letting him through. Jack is somewhere hiding, he'd sent him off rather than let him stick around like he wanted to. The little blonde is crouched over Ace's body, looking panicked. She looks up at Nico, her mouth opening.
"Don't," he says, holding up a hand. He crouches down next to the boy and touches his throat, checking for a pulse. "Tell me exactly what happened," he orders after a second of counting. He's alive. He's just unconscious.
"Cold Steel had him hostage, but all of a sudden Ac--this guy started shouting and jumped on me and this other girl, one in a strange fluffy skirt. She had black curly hair," Jetta says. "I don't know what happened, I mean, the sky went dark and lightning hit Cold Steel, but--the girl, she touched his face and he went unconscious," she finishes.
"Where's the girl?" Nico asks.
Jetta jerks, looking around. "I--I don't know," she admits. "I was so shocked when he fell--"
"It's fine," he lies. It's not fine. Mimic had been right under his nose--hiding in his own school--and he hadn't even noticed! But... why had he waited to make a move until Ace came around?
An ambulance siren catches his attention and he looks up, seeing a norm's ambulance heading for them. Someone must have called them. He snorts and picks the boy up in a princess hold. "Get rid of them," he says to Jetta. "I'm taking him to our healer." He takes to the air before she can protest, racing through the air back to the canyon.
"Healer?" she repeats, blankly watching them go. "You've even got a healer?" The only reply she got was the rise in the siren's screams.
***
Mimic pulls to a stop miles away, standing in front of a grungy looking gas station. He looks at it, then looks around. There's only a few cars in front, the rest of the lot is empty. It'll do. He heads inside, glancing at the people behind the counter.
"I need the restroom," he says, testing out Ace's voice. It's not as deep as he remembered it being on television, then again he's a lot younger than he remembers.
"It's over there," he says, pointing to the restroom door. Mimic nods and heads to the bathroom, locking the door behind him.
Ace King, he thinks, staring in the mirror with
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