VASTLY
CHAPTER FIVE
After a long drive Dick pulled up to a motel, the minivans breaks squeaking. "I still can't believe you traded in the Porsche for a minivan." Garfield sighed, still in the middle throughout the ride, he was the pillow for both girls when they fell asleep and when he became tired he chose to lean against Maeve's head that was on his shoulder. "This we can all fit in." Dick replied. "I like the minivan." Kory added.
"Where not actually staying here, are we?" Rachel asked. Maeve leaned over to look out her window. "I've seen worse." She grumbled. "You know there's probably a nicer place down the road." Kory suggested. "Where being hunted by sociopaths, nicer places draw attention." Dick argued, his voice moto-tone. "Yeah, well nicer makes it easier to sleep." She replied. "One road in, same road out. Only one access point we have to watch and also,... it's quiet, if trouble comes our way we should hear it first, and who said anything about sleeping?" Maeve perked up at this, frowning her eyebrows.
"Um... If I don't at least sleep for at least 6 hours, I can't control my powers and I get really moody, and no one likes a moody Maeve." Garfield pointed to her. "She's right. You remember that giant earthquake that happened in Ohio a few years ago." Dick looked over his shoulder to the blonde-haired girl. "That's her running on 2 hours of sleep." He added. "Fine. Maeve you can sleep for 6 hours, then we wake you." She smiled, nodding her head.
They all began to leave the minivan, leaning against the van, waiting for Dick to come back with the room keys. He returned soon after leaving. "They only had 4 room that were next to each other." Maeve shrugged. "I'll share with Garfield." She said plainly, Garfield's eyes widened as he looks to Dick, whose eyes flicker between the two each facial expression different: Garfield's showed that he was nervous or scared maybe both, where Maeve's was emotionless. Garfield was nervous because she always made him feel awkward – she was a person who cuddled a lot in her sleep and she always had to be the big spoon and her sleep grip was stronger then any superhuman, he always had to wait for her to move so he could escape. "Yeah, okay." Dick grumbled, placing the key in Maeve's outstretched hand.
⛧彡
Everyone stood in Dick's room; Rachel was sitting cross legged on the bed facing Dick, Maeve sitting with her legs pulled up on a chair that was at the table, Garfield eating the pizza Dick bought back not long-ago and Kory leaning against the wall next to the standing Dick Grayson. "Alright guys listen up. We're all in one piece, more or less. We need to figure out where we stand and determine what's mission critical." He stated. "Mission critical?" Rachel asked with a mouth filled with pizza. Garfield moved the box towards Maeve, who grabbed a piece of the pizza.
"Is that a cop thing? because it sounds it is." Maeve asked, resting her elbows on her knees that were pulled to her chest. "I had some combat training when I was younger," "and he's a cop." Rachel added looking over her shoulder to Garfield and Maeve. "I'm sorry, you were referring to we?" Kory questioned. "We, as of right now, are a group of people who share a common enemy." He replied. "Which makes us what?" Kory asked, fiddling with her ring. "Let's call it an alliance, one born of mutual need." He stated looking to the three children, "and what is that?" Kory asked yet again. "To stay alive.... We have no idea how long we have until they find us." He replied, looking to the woman with magenta hair.
"You just said they, who are they?" Garfield asked walking forward. "What do they want?" He mumbled, leaning down to Rachel for a short second. "I'm assuming to kill someone." Maeve stated from her spot in the room causing Dick to glare her way. "We don't know who they are, but we know they want me." Rachel replied. "So... I was right." This received her two more glares, another from Dick and one from Kory. "It's because of her abilities." Dick said, averting his glare to a calm look. "They make violence look like an art form." Maeve was about to open her mouth to comment, but Dick looked her way with a warning look, so she kept her mouth shut, dropping her feet off the chair and onto the floor.
"The people that fought us, fought in unison. They were perfectly coordinated, were not." Dick stated. "We can't fight like that unless we know each other's moves."
"Inspiring" Maeve smiled. "I know. I got chills." Maeve said a chuckle laced in her voice. Dick looked to her with another glare. "I'm sorry! I resort to humour when I'm nervous." The blonde said, sinking into the chair a little. "And how do you suggest we do that?" Kory finished. "We stick together, and we train." Maeve groans loudly. "Does this involve doing exercise, because you can be skinny and not fit... and that is what I am." She stated from her chair. This earned her a glare from Dick once again. "You have given me that glare so many times it no longer scares me." She smiled cheekily causing him to roll his eyes in return.
⛧彡
Four people stood in a line in a barn that was on someone's land. Dick stood in front of everyone, ready to tell them what they need to do. Maeve now wore a flannel over her black winnie the pooh crop top that she really needed to change. "Okay, in order to work together, fight and defend yourselves like a coordinated team, we gotta see what each other can do. Any volunteers?" He asked, looking to everyone, but no one stepped forward. "Kory?"
"Rachel said you can create light; heat is that right?" He questioned. "Honestly, I'm still trying to figure it out." She replied. "Alright, let's figure it out together. How exactly does it work?" He asked. "I think it comes from the sun. I can absorb its power and direct it. I'm weaker at night though, um sometimes empty." She said, "and it takes me a while to recharge." She finished. "How long?" Dick asked from his spot in front of them. "Few hours, a day... I don't know?"
"Can you control it?" He asked. "Of course." She stated. "Okay." He mumbled.
"Could you hit that tractor?" He moved pointing to the tractor behind him. "Watch." She replied, walking forward. Garfield smiles in excitement.
She stops a few meters away, it was silent for a bit before an orange glow begins to show in her hair and hands, since her back was to them. Drawing her hand back, she throws them forward, generating a beam of fire, completely missing the metal machine used for farming, soon the beam of fire dies down as well as her glow before she turns around facing the group of people. "I guess I could use some practice." She stated; Maeve leaned forward looking toward everyone. Garfield had lost his smile. Dick had stepped back, and Rachel had her eyes widened, their faces caused Maeve to chuckle.
Kory begins walking back inline. "Ah, sick!" Garfield yelled, lifting his hand for a high-five which he received, but he much regretted it when her hand was hot, burning his own.
"Your turn." Dick stated looking to Garfield. "Okay. Um, give me a second." He walked forward. Tilting his head a few times. "Anytime today would be good." Dick said. "It's a little weird with you guys watching and all." He stated, turning back to the group. "The first time I transformed I tore through my clothes and I don't..."
"That's his favourite jacket." Maeve added, finishing his sentence. "Hold on. You have to be naked to be?....." Dick questioned. "Yeah, but it will be worth it. I promise." He said holding his hands out.
"Heard that before." This cause Maeve to snort out a laugh. "Just, uh,... turn around." He twisted his fingers in a circle gesturing for them to all turn around, which everyone did, even Maeve. "I don't see why I have to. I've seen you naked before." This earned her a raised eyebrow from Kory. "Yeah, seeing him naked doesn't even phase me anymore." She mumbled. Hearing his shoes smacking against the ground. "If this wasn't a drill, we would all be dead by now." Kory stated.
Garfield roared causing everyone to turn around, Dick jumped back. "Oh shit." He mumbled while Kory chucked. "Kitty." Maeve said with a smile, causing the green tiger to bare its teeth at her. "Oh, what are you going to do?" She questioned, challenging the tiger, who ran up the hay mountain, sitting down. "Well, what do you know. It was worth it." Kory said, a smile on her face. "That's him?" Dick asked as Maeve walked forward towards the tiger, who jumped down to meet her halfway. "I know, right." Rachel said. "How?" Dick asked. "He got sick or something." She replied as they watched the tiger shove Maeve's leg trying to push her over which he did, before putting his weight on her causing her to groan. "It's still weird Garfield!" She yelled as she clapped her hands on his back the was draped over her stomach.
"Okay. You can turn back now.... into Gar." Dick said. "Not on me this time, last time you did that was weird." She pushed the tiger off her. It stood up, Maeve remained on the floor waiting for him to turn back which he did, in his full glory. "Ta-da." He said with a smile. "Gar!" Rachel said, looking away causing Mae to chuckle. He looked down. "Ah yeah." Kory began to chuckle. "I forget." He ran off behind the mountain of hay to retrieve his clothes.
He comes back a few moments later dressed. "So, have you eaten anyone before?" Dick asked as Garfield pulled Maeve up by her hand until they both stood in front of Dick. "Eaten, no. Dude, I've never even bitten anyone." He replied, walking back to the group. Mae stood in her place. "Eaten anyone." He mocked.
"It would be a lot scarier if he wasn't green or vegan." Maeve chuckled. "Dude can barely be a vegetarian." She replied causing Garfield to give her a playful glare. "Okay, so we have sun woman and tiger boy. There's defiantly potential here."
"My turn." Maeve squealed pushing Dick back into line. "Remember to focus." Garfield said to her. She scoffed mimicking him. "Yeah, yeah." She mumbled. "Oh, I can try something." She smiled. Rubbing her hands together before rolling up her sleeves. She took a deep breath, stretching her hands out to her side, she kept her eyes closed as a line of a yellow glow was seen. A yellow glow began to grown down her arm, much like Kory's glow, but yellow. Once the glow reached her fingertips her hair began to levitate off her shoulders. She hear a few voice of the team as they spoke. She began to slip away, causing her to shake her head, trying to concentrate. Rocks began to move out of the ground coming towards her. "Woah!" She heard someone shriek as a giant rock nearly hit them. "Maeve control." A voice said, but it was muffled.
She snapped her eyes open. "Maeve!" Someone yelled, knocking her out of her trance. The yellow glow began to fade as the rocks began to slowly fall to the ground around her. Once her eyes are blue once more, she looks around before looking at her hand turning it palm up making sure the yellow glow was gone, placing her arm at her side. She looked to the team seeing them watch with concern. "Maeve you were slipping." Garfield said softly. She looked around the barn seeing a giant crack in the earth. "I'll meet you in the van." She mumbled. Walking past them tearing her arm from Garfield attempt to stop her before she was out of everyone's sights.
⛧彡
Garfield and Maeve were seated on a picnic bench. Garfield on the table and Maeve on the bench next to him. The two were just sitting in comfortable silence. "You okay?" Maeve asked Rachel who was walking towards them. "Garfield told me what happened." She added, while Rachel walked towards the bench, sitting next to Maeve who was now in the middle. "It was kind of scary back there." Garfield added. "I'm fine." She smiled looking to both older teens. "You?" She asked looking to Maeve, "you nearly lost control." She added causing Maeve to nod her head, bitting her lip. "Yeah, I'm fine." And it was the truth.
"Does it hurt?" Rachel asked looking to Garfield causing Maeve to do the same. "When you transform." She added. He smiled sliding down from the table onto the bench. "Okay. Close your eyes." This received him a questionable look from both girls. "I'm not going to do anything weird." Maeve smiled. "Your whole persona is weird." She muttered receiving a playful nudge in the arm from her green haired friend who chucked. "It's not that weird." He mumbled.
"Just close your eyes and take a deep breath." He said, and the girls followed. "Now imagine electricity running though your whole body, it doesn't hurt, it just feels like you've just been plugged into something. Then you start to feel strong, like really strong and when your breath – it's like your breathing in the whole world... Feel it?" He asks looking at the two girls, whose eyes were closed. His smile widened when Maeve nodded her head, a small smile danced across her lips caused his gaze to linger on her.
"You feel totally free, all that strength, you wanna run, you wanna jump,... you wanna break shit." You could hear the excitement in his voice as he spoke. "You feel like you can do anything and you wanna roar, but because your angry, but because you just wanna let it all out... so roar." This caused Rachel to imitate a roar causing the three teens to chuckle. The girls open their eyes. Looking to Maeve who hasn't roared. "Roar." Garfield whispered, leaning closer to her. She smiled closing her eyes before roaring. It was louder than Rachels and more powerful, so powerful the ground shook a little causing Rachel and Garfield to smile as she opened her eyes smiling with them.
"That's what it's like." Garfield stated taking a drink of his coffee. Maeve's eyes drift to the soda machine. "Oh!.. Garfield, do you have any money?" She asked, turning to Garfield, who rolled his eyes, a smile on his face as he reached into his pocket pulling out a $5 note. She smiled removing herself from the bench to get a can of sprite.
Garfield and Rachel watched as she walked off to the machine. "You like her, don't you?" Rachel asked looking to Garfield whose eyes widened. "What!... pff, no." He said his voice higher than normal. "Lie." Rachel stated when she felt his lie. "I d-don't like..." He glanced to Maeve who kicked the machine for eating her money.
"It's complicated." He mumbled. Rachel nodded her head understanding. When they heard a scream, they look seeing Maeve kicking the soda machine violently. "Maeve! Stop abusing the machine." Garfield sighed, standing up to get his friend. "But it ate my money." She said, stomping her foot like a child and next thing that happened was a giant bolder came hurtling towards them. Maeve saw this, pulling Garfield down until they both laid on the ground causing a big crash to happen.
"That was not me." Maeve said. Soon Kory, Dick and Rachel were at the scene seeing the two on the floor and the soda machine totalled with a bolder in its centre. "That was not me and you can't prove it." Maeve stated looking at the adults who no longer scared her. "Just get up." Dick sighed walking away with his arms crossed. Kory looked to the machine and smirked. "Nice." She said following Dick. The two-teen stood up, standing with Rachel, looking at the scene before they began to laugh.