Chapter 6: A Warehouse Somewhere Pt.2
"According to the manifesto delivered by QUALIA a few minutes ago," the on-site reporter continues, "The owners of the companies that were the victims of this attack have been involved in a global human trafficking ring targeted toward young women. QUALIA has likely spent resources on tracking down the criminal actions of these CEOs, as their verdict was very confident. They reported the details to the FBI early this morning, and agents are raiding the buildings as we speak. QUALIA has also apparently frozen all assets owned by the company owners as a way to rid their abilities of, quote, 'paying the authorities off'."
"The human trafficking ring… is it the one Dirty Dan works in?" Chris asks.
Logan gives him a squinted glance. "What? Does it look like we are watching different news? How the fuck would I know?"
"Is there a reason why the FBI is acting so swiftly based on info given by an unprincipled organization like QUALIA?" The anchorwoman asks.
"Indeed," the reporter answers, "As unorthodox as QUALIA may be, they have proven their efficiency and accuracy over the last few years. The fact that not a single confirmed QUALIA member has been arrested or even profiled by authorities to this day stands as proof to that. Also, the FBI has been suspicious of a connection between a number of recently-busted human trafficking operations around the country. According to sources yet to be confirmed, QUALIA has provided the police with a very detailed report exposing a large web of interconnected trafficking groups, collectively under the billionaire's suspected ring. The degree of truth and accuracy has been allegedly proven by the FBI, and a global assault has been launched on every location on QUALIA's report."
"And what does this mean to the general public?" The anchorwoman asks.
"Not much, to be honest. We would likely see a slight drop in the companies' stocks as the executive boards shift and rearrange themselves with the highly possible incarceration of the current CEOs, and if you live in a rougher neighborhood, prepare for some ruckus. There might just be a siege near your home today. Back to you, Cecilia."
Unperceived by the guards, one of the girls locked in the cage with platinum blonde hair running down her shoulders discreetly peeks her head up and stares at the TV screen with her curious, deep-blue eyes, which, for a brief second, flashes a purple spark from within.
"I know this sounds like a strange question," Chris asks, "but do you think we are on that report?"
"Well, is the boss a rich CEO?" Logan asks rhetorically.
"No…?"
"Then there's your answer."
A series of heavy footsteps rapidly approaches the guards. When they turn from the TV to look, find see Carl running back with a pale face, his hand holding his cellphone shaking out of control.
"What is it, Carl? A ghost spooked ya?" Logan jokes.
"W-We need to get out of here," Carl says.
Seeing that Carl is as serious as he can get, Logan shoots up from his seat. "What, what's wrong?" He asks.
"Someone tipped off the cops. Detroit police are heading to the warehouse right now," Carl says and packs up the loose items on the table.
The guards look at each other, and then at the TV screen.
"Fuck…" Logan mutters as he realizes there were indeed on that report.
"Come on! Watcha sitting around for?!" Carl slams the table and gets all the other guards up and running.
As the guards scramble around, packing up cards and loose change, the sound of police sirens enters the streets outside, sending shivers down every one of their spines.
"Shit! They are already here!" Carl curses and begins running away with a bag that's not fully closed. "John, Robert, Ross, you come with me. We will get the vans going. Logan, Chris, you two get the girls out of the cage and come meet up outside in the back alley. Under no circumstances do you take off their handcuffs, got it?!"
The end of Carl's sentence is lost behind the frenzied shuffling of clothes and the ever-increasing volume of the sirens reverberating inside their skulls.
"What was that last part?!" Chris calls out, but Carl and the other guards are already out the back door.
"Who cares?! Let's get the fuck outta here!" Logan frantically searches his pocket for the keys to the cage.
"A-Alright!"
The girls have lifted their heads up to see what the commotion is about, and they find Logan slamming the key into the cage's lock and swinging the door open.
"Come on! Let's go!" Logan yells while clapping his hands together.
Startled, the girls try to stand up, but not having their hands free to move around, they are having a little difficulty getting onto their feet.
"Quick!" Chris shouts from behind Logan.
"Oh, Christ." Logan steps into the cage and grabs the girls by their hands. "Don't try anything funny, alright? We aren't supposed to hurt you," he says while trying to unlock their handcuffs.
"Wait, didn't the boss say something about the cuffs?" Chris asks.
"Who gives a shit?! What are they gonna do? Claw at us?" Logan says.
"Well, whatever. Just hurry up."
"What do you think I'm doing?!"
CHING. The zinc cuffs unlatch themselves from the platinum-haired girl. Calm and unfazed, she twists her wrist around and pushes herself up from the ground. The white dress she is in is rather clean despite the foul environment around her. The edge of her mouth lifts up slightly as Logan unlocks the cuffs on the other girl, whose big hazel eyes look to be on the edge of tears.
CHING. The second pair of cuffs comes off.
"Alright, now let's get the fuck out!" Logan yells.
The two girls stay motionless.
"The fuck you waiting for?!"
"Logan! Come on!"
"They won-"
BZZ!
The platinum-haired girl holds her hand up in the shape of a gun, and a bright electric spark jumps out of the end of her finger into Logan's leg, lighting up the dark warehouse.
"AH!" Logan screams in pain and collapses onto the ground.
"What the…" Chris seems to have frozen at the strange sight.
BZZ!
Another zap, and Chris too, falls with an agonized scream.
The two guards release a smell of burnt flesh, but they are still alive, writhing around in pain.
"Come on, Luna, let's get out of here," the platinum-haired girl offers her hand after taking down two grown men in less than two seconds.
The girl named Luna wipes her tears away and takes the hand. "O-Okay, Maeve," she says and pulls herself onto her feet.
BOOM! BOOM! "DPD! Open up!" The police are about to breach in.
"Alright, Luna, do your thing," Maeve says and clasps onto Luna's hand.
Luna nods slowly and turns to the back door from where Carl and the others ran out from.
The door has been left open, letting in the bright sun from outside. Luna squints her eyes to look past it into the alleyway, and she raises her hand up toward it.
Luna's eyes sparkle for an instant, and before Maeve knew it, they are no longer in the cage, but now standing in the alleyway outside of the warehouse. The two of them take a second to adjust to the brightness.
They can hear engines roaring around the corner. Maeve recognizes it. It's Carl and the lot's vans.
"Quick, Luna, do it again," Maeve says.
"W-Where?" Luna asks quietly.
"Um…" Maeve takes a look around. There aren't many places that look safe in this narrow, brick-covered alleyway between two abandoned warehouses.
"What about there? Can you make it?" Maeve asks and points at a skyscraper in the distance poking over the warehouse's room and into the autumn clouds. It's the GM Renaissance Center.
"Yes… but… it's kind of high up…"
"It doesn't matter. Let's just get up so you have a better vantage point."
"Alright." Luna points her open palm at the tip of the RenCen skyscraper. The surroundings immediately change around the two, and wind that wasn't there before starts sending their long, straight hair and dresses into a flutter.
The girls are now standing on the edge of the gigantic glass pillar, overlooking the city. The warehouse whence they came from is now no bigger than a pebble. Maeve can see shiny police cars have surrounded the building, blocking off all exits. Carl and the others have been caught, and Logan and Chris are being escorted out of the building in a limp into police vans.
Enough about the crooks. Maeve can see the entire city under their feet, and not just the city. Past the expansive Detroit river in the distance is the country of maple leaves.
"Where do we go now, Maeve? We aren't going back to the clinic, right?" Luna asks while brushing her hair out of her face.
"No, of course not," Maeve says.
"Then where? We don't have anywhere else to go," Luna says.
"I have an idea." Maeve points beyond the river.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
A9C
A9C Alright alright I’m sorry. I won’t bother you again. Enjoy the book and GIVE ME POWERSTONES.
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