- Chapter Fifteen -

Everyone decided to relax and longue around for the day since nothing major was really going on. The only one missing was Chase who decided to go to the library to nerd out.

You went a few days ago to check out new books so you didn't see a reason to go back since you weren't finished with your books yet.

Once finishing a book, you set it aside and grabbed another from the coffee table as Kaz's phone chimed.

"Um, Oliver," Kaz began, looking at his phone. "Why did you send me a text that says I make you feel all tingly inside?"

You look up from your book with a questioning gaze as Oliver spoke, "What? No, that wasn't meant for you. It was for Skylar." Oliver points to his thumbs. "It's my big thumbs. I'm cursed!"

"Since it's out in the open, I say we all discuss this tingly feeling." Kaz smiles in amusement.

"I say we don't." Skylar states as she walks over.

"Yeah, how about no," you agree with Skylar, closing your book and placing it on the coffee table before standing.

Bree then comes down the stairs. "Uh, guys, I think I just discovered another superpower I got from the Arcturian. Look," Bree holds out her palms, releasing a bright light out of her hands.

Kaz walks over to Bree in excitement. "Oh, cool! Flashlight hands."

Bree drops her hands, letting the light vanish. "Why would I need flashlights in my hands?"

"Because if they were in your feet, they wouldn't be as useful," Kaz smiles as Bree rolled her eyes.

"Actually, could you shine those bad boys over here?" Oliver asks Bree, pointing at the floor from his kneeling position beside the couch. "I think I lost a peanut."

"Superpowers are supposed to be cool." Bree states. "This is just lame."

"Bree, your new superpower may seem lame, and absolutely hysterical, but trust me, there must be a purpose." Skylar explains. "A big part of being a superhero is getting used to your powers and knowing when and how to use them. Don't worry," Skylar reassures her. "You'll figure it out."

"Yeah, everything happens for a reason," you agree with Skylar. "Plus, that can't be the only thing you can do with your flashlight hands," you smile as Douglas walks in, his facial features contrasting an expression of distress. Your smile drops instantly. "What's wrong, Douglas?"

"Something strange is going on outside," he begins. "The whole city feels eerie. There are a lot more police sirens than usual."

"What do you think it is?" Bree asks him.

"I don't know," Douglas admits. "But something's definitely not right."

The front door slides open, Chase walking in with a girl around his arm. Their fingers are laced together and Chase smiles in greeting, "Hi, guys. Meet my new friend, Reese."

"Hi," Reese greets you all with a smile.

"She's a girl!" Chase exclaims in excitement.

"And she's holding your hand," Bree points out. "I agree, Douglas. Something definitely isn't right."

By looking at Reese, you're hit with a dreadful vibe full force, and it's not good.

Something isn't right, and it was raising a lot of red flags in your mind. The feeling was too strong, and it wouldn't go away, and you knew right there and then that she shouldn't be trusted.

'She shouldn't be. Get rid of her!'

'She's not to be trusted. Be careful!'

"I'm gonna look outside, see what's going on." You state coolly, turning swiftly and striding out to the terrance.

As you step through the glass door and onto the terrance, you walk over to the ledge and take a deep breath, hearing two pairs of footsteps behind you.

"You okay, there?" Skylar asks.

"What?" You turn your head to look at her. You nod, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Doesn't seem like it." Skylar points out.

"Yeah, you kept glaring at Reese the moment she stepped through the door," Douglas adds on to Skylar's observation.

"I don't know, I just got an off vibe about her, and it wasn't a good one," you shrug, brushing them off.

"A good one?" Skylar quirks an eyebrow. "What are you saying? She's bad?" Skylar asks. "Like a villain?"

You nod as she begins to laugh as well as Douglas. "Stop laughing, it's not funny!"

"Yes it is! Reese looks innocent," Skylar snorts her amusement.

"Yeah, a little too innocent, don't you think?" You ask, looking at both Skylar and Douglas.

An amused smile curls on Douglas' lips. "Ah, I see what's going on. Are you jealous?"

"What? No! I happen to know a thing or two about villains and she is a villain!" You explain, pointing at Reese through the window.

"Yeah, okay," Douglas chuckles as he walks back inside.

"Just forget about it," you grumble, turning to look over the city as Skylar does the same.

Douglas was right about one thing, something definitely wasn't right. Usually the city was active, and it was, but not in the usual way. It was active to the point where there was more police and ambulances' sirens.

When heading back inside, Skylar adressed the team. "Douglas was right. Those sirens are really loud out there."

"Yeah, I'm a little more concern about what's going on here," Bree motions to Chase and Reese, who are both sitting on the couch. You feel your blood boil as Bree walks over to them. "So, how exactly did you two meet? Or are you here against your will?" Bree asks Reese. "Blink twice if you need me to step in."

"Well, I was at the library looking for a bit of light reading on quantum physics," Chase starts as Kaz groans.

"Oh, my head hurts just hearing those words in a sentence." Kaz says in a look of pain.

Chase looks at Reese and continues, "When I noticed that Reese here was writing a term paper on the poly-exclusion principle."

"Stop! You're burning my brain!" Kaz shouts, but everyone ignores him.

"I thought he was cute, so I said hi," Reese smiles as you roll your eyes.

"And three hours later, we're dating!" Chase finishes with a smile.

"Three hours?" You ask, bitterness seeping in your tone.

"You just met," Bree points out.

"We're dating!" Chase shouts in a defensive tone.

"Dude, bring it down a notch." Oliver tells Chase. "You gotta play it smooth and slow with the ladies."

He puts his arm around Skylar, who saids "too much", making Oliver retreat his arm back.

Chase looked at Reese. "Reese, why don't you get to know everybody while I go make us a snack."

As Chase stands and heads over to the kitchenette, Reese smiles. "Isn't he cute?"

Your blood boils once more as Kaz looks at her in confusion. "Who?"

"Chase," Reese answers, her tone resembling the duh tone.

Bree sits down next to Reese. "I'm worried about you."

"I just can't stand being so far away from him," Reese sighs.

"He's right--"

Resse cuts Skylar off. "I know where he is. I just miss him."

Chase comes running back, holding a plate to Reese as he sits down.

"Thank you, Pookie Bear." Reese coos at Chase.

"Oh, you're welcome Pookie Bear," Chase smiles in a love-struck way.

"Who's a good little Pookie Bear?" Reese asks, cooing at Chase.

"I'm a good little Pookie Bear!" Chase replies, cooing back at Reese.

"Okay, enough!" You bark in an irritated tone at the two.

"Yeah, okay," Kaz stands up. "I can't watch this anymore." Kaz turns to Bree. "Bree, can you burn my retinas with your flashlight hands?"

Bree gives him an annoyed look as Douglas comes down the stairs. "Can I talk to you guys?" Chase and Reese look up at Douglas. "In private."

"Absolutely!" Kaz agrees, looking for an escape from the love birds as you and the team walk over toward Douglas.

"I told you something weird was going on," Douglas begins. "I was just watching the Channel five news with Chip and Dixie, and they said strange things have been happening all over the city."

"What kind of strange things, aside from the cutesie twins over here, and people calling themselves Chip and Dixie?" Skylar asks, her face scrunched in confusion.

"Fires, ruptured gas lines, all sorts of random destruction, and get this; eyewitnesses are saying it all started with a mysterious black swarm." Douglas explaines.

"Hey, we know a mysterious black swarm," Kaz chuckles as you shoot him a look. "Oh."

"Roman and Riker," Chase growls.

"Hold on, lets not jump to conclusions." Olivet states. "It's tornado season. You're not the only one who watches Chip and Dixie."

"Roman and Riker must be changing up their strategy." Chase informs in an assumption. "Instead of attacking us, they're attacking the people of Centium City."

"Why?" Oliver asks.

"Because they couldn't get our list of the superheroes' locations," Skylar replies.

"Instead of fighting the superheroes themselves, I bet they're trying to lure them out by using innocent civilians as bait." Kaz theorizes.

"I better go down and use the encrypted network to warn the superheroes," Skylar informs walking away, just as the lights go out completely.

"What was that?" Bree asks in the darkness.

"The whole city just went dark." You state, gazing around.

Kaz turns to Bree. "Don't just stand there, use your flashlight hands."

Bree looks on the verge of strangling Kaz as Douglas speaks, "This isn't good. You guys need to suit up and get moving."

You and the team follow Douglas' orders, heading upstairs to get ready and when you all are done, you head out into the city.

~~~~~

The city was a disaster.

There were cars flipped over, shop windows broken into, garbage littering the streets, fires. The city was in ruins.

"Roman and Riker trashed the entire city," Oliver observes, scanning the streets.

"Yeah, yeah, quit yapping and lets find them already so I can get back to Reese." Chase states as Kaz gives him a look.

"You barely even--"

Chase cuts Kaz off. "We are dating!"

"Yes, Chase, because getting you back to your crazy girlfriend should be everyone's top priority right now," Bree tells him in a sarcastic tone. "Actually, it probably should be. It might not ever happen again."

A group of people run by screaming as Kaz speaks, "Guys, I hear the swarm. Everyone get ready."

You hold up your fists defensively, listening to the swarm. As doing so, you notice that it was coming in different directions.

"It sounds like they're coming from every direction." Skykar informs you all.

"They are." You tell her.

A guy rounds the corner as a black swarm follows the man, carrying him up into the sky.

"Well, I think we found them," Kaz replies as he and Oliver run after the man and black swarm.

Taking the advantage of the situation, you grip Chase's arm and drag him aside. "Chase, I have to tell you something."

"What is it?" He asks.

"I know you won't believe me, but you have to. Reese--" you close your eyes, taking a breath. "Reese isn't good."

Chase rolls his eyes. "Oh, really? And how would you know that?"

"Because I get vibes off of people." You tell him, knowing full well it sounds insane.

"Vibes, huh? Are you sure? Or are you just jealous?" Chase asks, crossing his arms.

"What? No, I'm not jealous! I'm trying to--"

Chase cuts you off. "Trying to what, huh? You told me to get out and get a real girlfriend. Which I did and now you're telling me not to?"

"No! Pick any girl out there but not Reese!" You motion to the Davenport tower in the distance. You grip his biceps. "Dammit, Chase. I'm trying to protect you!"

"I can protect myself," he grits, shoving your hands off his arms before jogging towards a group of screaming people.

You bite your tongue as you run into shops, trying to get the people to safety.

When coming out, Oliver shouts a warning to Bree.

Bree steps in front of a girl, throwing her proton ring at the on coming black swarm and making it fly away.

"I don't get it," Chase shakes his head. "How can they be causing so much damage? There's only two of them."

A swarm shoots out of the sewer drain, causing people to scream and run away.

"I got this one!" Kaz shouts, shooting a blast of fire at the black swarm.

The swarm moves over to Skylar and she flips out of the way before striking lighting at it, causing it to fly away.

"I didn't know that Roman and Riker's swarm could split up and be in different places at the same time." Bree voices aloud, turning to you all.

"They can't." Kaz tells her.

"Guys, we're not just fighting Roman and Riker." Skylar informs you all.

"We're fighting multiple shifters," you muse, as you all are surrounded by four swarms.

One of the swarms swoops down, causing you all to stumble back.

"Okay, there are too many of them." Oliver says. "We need to call the other superheroes for back-up."

"No way," Skylar shakes her head. "That's exactly what Roman and Riker want us to do. I'm sure they're planning an even bigger attack when the superheroes show up."

Another swarm swoops down, causing you all to stumble back once more, which causes Chase to speak, "We need to concentrate on taking one swarm at a time."

"But how?" Oliver asks.

"Oh, maybe Bree can distract them with her flashlight--"

Bree snaps at Kaz in a hostile tone. "Enough with the flashlight hands!"

Another swarm swoops down again, making you all stumble back.

"I still say we call the other superheroes in." Oliver tells you all. "If these swarms takes us out, they're gonna have to come and save the city anyway."

"That's why it's up to us to save the superheroes and the city." Skylar speaks up.

A swarm shoots down causing Kaz to fly backwards.

"Kaz!" Bree shouts, running to Kaz aid as you all follow behind.

"Skylar, we're outnumbered." Oliver tells Skylar. "It's a suicide mission."

"It'll be tough, but we can do this." Skylar says in determination. "We are an elite force. Who's with me?"

Skylar holds out her hand as Chase speaks, "If I'm going down, I'm going down fighting."

Chase puts his hand down as Bree puts her hand on top of his, then Kaz. You pause for a momemt before putting your hand in. You all look at Oliver as he places his hand in as well.

"Wow, you do have big thumbs." Skylar observes in fascination. "Look at that sucker."

You all turn and break apart to instantly see four swarms combinding into one large swarm.

"What are they doing?" Skylar asks.

"They're bonding together!" Oliver answers her.

"Brace yourselves!" Chase shouts in warming.

You all link arms just as Chase creates a force field around you all, but the swarm comes and knocks you all backwards.

This time you didn't hit your head as hard as you did when arriving to Centium City for the first time. This time you were able to brace yourself for the impact, even though it left you a bit dizzy.

When looking up, you saw a man dressed in black which made you quickly stand up on your feet.

"Who are you?" Chase questions the man.

"I recognize him from Mighty Med." Skylar observes the man.

"It's Roman and Riker's father, Rodissius." Kaz informs. "They had to take away his powers to save his life."

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you," Oliver walks up to Rodissious. "Isn't a pain writing your name out all the time? Wouldn't it just be easier to go by Rod?"

"No." Rodissious answers.

"Rodissious it is," Oliver nods in confirmation as he takes a step back.

"I see that your little Elite Force has finally realized you're no match for my family of shape-shifters." Rodissious explains, while looking up at the dark sky.

"Family? How many kids do you have?" Bree asks him.

"Thirteen." Rodissious answers. "Believe me; Roman and Riker are the nice ones."

"What does that say about you as a father?" Bree asks him.

"You can attack this city all you want," Kaz begins. "But no amount of destruction will ever bring your powers back. And to be honest, you don't deserve them."

"I may not have my powers, but my children do." Rodissious tells Kaz as he scans the sky once more. "And as you can see, they're getting plenty of revenge for me."

"They're attacking innocent people," Skylar says, causing Rodissious to turn his attention to her.

He smiles, "I know, isn't it great?"

"Look, Rod. See?" Oliver smiles faintly. "Nice ring to it. We're on your plan. You're attacking these people go lure the superheroes out."

Rodissious smiles as Chase speaks up, "Yeah, but it's not gonna work, because we're gonna take you down on our own."

Rodissious laughs, clapping his hands together and you know that he planned much more than what the team is assuming. Rodissious is wickedly smart and dangerous, and being a villain in the past, you knew how well dangerous people worked.

The smile never leaves Rodissious' face. "You think we're trying to lure the superheroes out." He shakes his head. "No. Our plan is a little more complex than that."

"How so?" Chase asks, and you know by his tone and the shift in his stance, that part of him doesn't want to know.

"We don't have to bring the superheroes here." Rodissious' lips quirk slightly. "We just had to get you away from your cyber desk."

Kaz is quick to put the pieces together as he looks at Chase. "Someone is in the house."

"Reese." You say, eyes glued to Rodissious. Rodissious' eyes glint in satisfaction.

"No. No way." Chase shakes his head in denial. "She wouldn't betray me."

"I think she would," Rodissious nods. "After all, she is my daughter."

"What?" Chase breathes, tone quiet.

"I thought I would have to work a little harder to trick the smartest man in the world." Rodissious stares Chase down.

You clench your jaw tightly, your arms tingling with an electric sensation as Kaz turns to Chase. "Come on. We have to get back before she gets that Superhero list."

As Skylar, Oliver, and Kaz run back in the direction of the tower, Rodissious begins to laugh as he observes Chase's heartbreaking expression.

Chase ends up following the others, head down as if he had a tail tucked between his legs.

That wasn't Chase at all. And hearing Rodissious laugh pissed you off even more.

Your blood was pumping erratically by this point. You welcomed the sweet familiar electrifying surges that coursed through your veins which travelled through your arms to create the static between your fingers.

Bree stands beside you as Rodissious narrows his eyes at the both of you, "Well, what do you two want?"

Bree tilts her chin high. "Nobody, messes with my brother."

Bree holds her palms outward, the light pouring out of her palms before turning her hands together to create a static ball.

You try to reign in your emotions and get your abilites under wraps so that you don't attack Rodissious yourself. You knew full well that Bree wanted to hurt Rodissious just as much as you. After all, Bree was protective over her family.

But with one look, you knew she granted you the permission to hurt him as well. So without any hesitation, you both shot at him, sending him to fly high and serveal feet backwards.

Bree laughed suddenly, "Yeah! How do you like 'em flashlights, huh?"

"Bree?"

You and Bree turn around to see Skylar. "How did you--"

"I'm not gonna lie. That was a total accident." Bree tells her.

"That was probably the best accident you ever made." You tell Bree, before you three end up running back to the tower.

~~~~~

When you and the team end up in Mission Command, you all see Douglas lying on the floor and Perry kneeled beside him.

"What happened?" Skykar asked, as you ran forward and kneeled beside Douglas.

"I don't know," Perry shakes her head. "I was chasing him all over, and when I found him down here, he was gasping for air."

"Why were you chasing him?" Bree asks Perry.

"It was pretty obvious he wasn't gonna come willingly." Perry says, and by seeing her face covered in make-up, you could see why.

"Go get help." Chase tells Perry as she runs off.

"Where's Reese?" You and Oliver ask at the same time.

"She took off...right after she blasted me." Douglas answers breathlessly.

"You're gonna be okay." You rub his right arm in a soothing mannor.

"Douglas, I'm so sorry." Chase apologizes to him as he checks his pulse. "She got him good. His pulse is really weak."

"That's not the only thing she got." Kaz says, turning away from the cyber desk to face you all. "She downloaded the superhero list."

Chase punches the wall beside him in anger and frustration. "This is all my fault!"

"Chase," Bree grips his shoulder to ground him. "It's okay. You got carried away by a crush; it happens."

"Now they know where the superheroes are." Oliver begins. "We have to get on the encrypted network and warn them."

Kaz turns to the cyber desk to get on the network but several seconds later he shakes his head in defeat. "She blocked our access. We can't even get on."

"I'll stay here with Douglas." Chase informs as he stands. "You guys head back out and try to find Reese. If it's a war they want...then we'll give 'em one."