"What? You can't go back!" Unicorn scolded us. "You never should have interacted with anybody in the first place!"
Ryan ignored him, snuggling Tina closer to his chest.
"But Cookie's my best friend! I'm worried, and so are Lizzy and Angel."
"Fine, but you better act surprised when you see the wrecked Hangout."
~
Lizzy's POV
Tiger Girl and Tea Man had teleported us to the coordinates we had given them.
"This was your old Daycare?"
"Actually, the New Daycare." Angel interjected.
"It's..." I stared at the half-burned building. "Changed." We began to walk, and we immediately noticed the suspicious red stains on the floor.
"What happened here?" Ryan asked, playing dumb.
"Tina! Ryan!" Lizzy began to run throughout the building. She was told that UnicornMann was now part of a Justice League, as Goldy was dead. Tina and Ryan just couldn't be, right?
Little did she know that Ryan and Tina were right next to her, and Angel had attempted to warn her of it before.
"Tina!" Lizzy had run up to Tina's room, only to find it burnt and a mess. "No... nonono..." She ran to every room to meet the same results.
"Lizzy, wait!" Tina ran up to her. "Do you think there's any place they may be hiding?" Lizzy jumped, running to the backyard and straight to the SlingShot Squad base.
"What? Why is it open?" Lizzy climbed down the ladder, running around the base, desperately trying to find one of her friends.
"Lizzy--"
"No!" Lizzy began to cry. "I've never cared about anything besides school and them! They were everything, they stayed with me despite my craze about my education, and they were my friends!" Lizzy crumbled to her knees, punching the ground. "Why are we a target?!"
"..." Tina stepped forward to her, wrapping the crying girl in a hug. "Something tells me that they're still alive. When this is all over, I'll bring them back to you, I promise."
~
"Ryan." Ryan didn't answer, playing the part of Tea Man. "Ryan, I know it's you. I can tell by your stupid orange hair. Did you really bother to dye it again? That one time you got a Mohawk you specifically stated that brown wad your natural hair color." He did not answer, but furrowed his eyebrows.
"Ryan."
"WHAT?!" He gave up. She already realized it was him. "How did you know? We have a spell protecting our identities!"
"I'm too sarcastic I guess."
"That not how it works!" Angel shrugged, taking a few steps toward the building.
"I guess I miss everyone..."
"I do too..."
"If I can see through your spell, then I think I should know something."
"What?"
"You and Tin- Tiger Girl are a couple~" Ryan blushed, smiling.
"Yup."
"Finally."
~
Lizzy was still crying when they returned back to the dormitories.
"Lizzy, relax, they'll find everyone." Angel comforted her, straying away from her sarcastic nature, and showing her kind side. Lizzy hugged her tight, refusing to lose somebody else.
"We'll leave you two be." Ryan stated, as Tina was installing a camera in the corner of the room.
"We'll keep an eye on you two. If there's any news, we'll attempt to contact you."
"Thanks..." Ryan and Tina opened the window, flying away.
~
"Great. Angel knows." Unicorn was now messing with the files. "We might have to--"
"We can't eliminate her, Lizzy will panic, and change the atmosphere of her area."
"UGH!" Goldy threw her hands into the air, frustrated. "I thought I was in- incompetition-- no..."
"Incompetent. Goldy, you're 23, and you still--"
"Shhh."
"It's fine. She attempted to warn Lizzy--"
"WHAT"
"But Goldy's wish is too strong for Lizzy to see through it."
"How come Angel can see through it?"
"She's a special snowflake." Unicorn facepalmed.
"Could you get me a DNA sample? I'd like to test her out."
~
"Collins~"
"What." Cookie dropped the word harshly, more of a statement than a question.
"Where are the 'Main Four,' hm? I heard that my former love rival has made a Justice League, but where is Goldy?"
"I don't even know. I wish I knew."
"I never got to kIlL her..."
"I thought you lo--"
"No. I gave up on love. For this." He smiled sadistically, clenching a fist, taking Cookie's source of air away. She coughed, attempting to breathe once more. But things went black.
~
"Collins..."
"Cookie..."
"No...!"
Cookie woke up in the same room, still tied to a chair. Casper was watching some footage of activities the kids had done in the past.
"So... Cookie... is your nickname...?" Casper grinned, and Cookie struggled against the ties. "I'll need to remember that..." He raised his arms, as he morphed, taking shape in a long bright light.
His body shape curved more, and the clothing followed the color of Cookie's. His hair grew into a light brown. His face changed into a cute smile, and he closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were pink. The light soon faded out, and there were now two Cookie's in the room. One tied to a chair, and another, hands on hips, smirking.
"I think I've got the voice, too." Casper left the room, making sure to turn off the lights, leaving Cookie in the dark.
~
"UnicornMann."
"Yes, Goldy?"
"Do you still have tracking devices on everybody?"
"Wha- How'd you find out about that?!"
"Tina told me."
"Of course--"
"Couldn't you find Cookie like that?"
"Well, I suppo--"
UnicornMann picked up the phone.
"Hello, this is the Justice League, UnicornMann, how may I help you?"
"Hey, uhhm may I speak to Tiger Girl and Tea Man?"
"TIGER GIRL! TEA MAN!" In a rush, the two ran downstairs. Ryan in a towel and Tina's hair a mess.
"Seriously? I was kind of trying to take a shower."
"I just *yawn* woke up." Tina leaned on Ryan's shoulder, not realizing his clothing situation.
"Hey guys! This is Lizzy. Cook-- Collins returned home, turns out she just went out of town for a family emergency. She's back now."
"Oh, okay." Unicorn hung up.
"Unicorn, why would you--"
"Something doesn't line up here." He noted. "Tell her it was an error later. And take a look at this screen."
"What?"
"No way..."
"Then.. who's...?"
What was wrong? Cookie's tracking device was in the old, OLD Daycare.