Chapter 75: Undercover

--Dale Fillion--

Dammit, this is bad.

            I'm not sure what's going on outside but I know it's bad. I could faintly hear the sounds of skirmish and explosions coming from the front gate. It was infuriating how my mind felt vigilant and cautious but I couldn't control any of my movement, down from my toes to my eyelids, it felt none was within my reach. I had been standing straight for an hour or two and felt the numbness in his leg and the sweat but I was forced to endure it all. The only thing I could do to past the time was to observe my surroundings.

             Kids my age were lined up at every side, taller men dressed in black were standing quietly around them while their backs faced them. They had brought me and few of my classmates along with Class S members and other few groups they encountered along the way to the Gym. While they waited there for a while, the groups were separated into three, one stayed at the gym, still kept in line and two of the other groups were being lead outside but in different directions. I was part of the one being sent outside, it would have been reassuring if I had at least someone I know around me even if it's Foax but no matter how much I was trained to stay calm, I couldn't held back the fast pace of my beating heart nor the fact I was more vulnerable than ever.

              Damn it Dale stay calm, you know there is help outside, I could only rely on them for now. Your job is to keep an eye on everything that would help put these guys down so snap out of it! I was reproaching myself.  I had make sure to suck up  every piece of information I could see and hear to the last detail, there was nothing that was much of significance but the way they formed their groups was bothering me. I couldn't quite get what they were aiming for, the place has already been surrounded so why press on controlling all the children here? What will they do and how will they get out? If I could just find a clue on any of that then it might help get Agent Hawk some insight.

              There were more or less than twenty of us in my group. I noticed the difference in treatment after being controlled, they gave little instructions and orders to us. The rings they had showed us before dimly shone blue while other rings I noticed were light green. I could bet they had different uses. 

              Just as my mind mulled over the facts, I failed to realize we had arrived at the courtyard where a few white vans were parked. The worst scenario came over me, thinking we were separated for a reason, and possibility number 1 would be kidnapping.

            This can't be right, they couldn't have gone to this trouble just to kidnap a few kids.

             Unless....we were only commentary prize.

            A man popped out from the back of one of the van, he started to converse to one of the armed men, probably discussing their plan. Unfortunately I could not hear anything. Soon one of them stopped and pointed to the other side. Curiously I tried to look but was reminded again I can't move. One of the guards walked toward the direction of question and not long after someone was shoved inside the line just next to me. I forced my eyes to look at my side as hard as I could, trying to catch a glimpse who it was. When I only saw the striking familiar red hair and the silver earring one would miss hidden behind it. I felt the dread of who it might be.

             Shit, shit, shit, shit! This had gone from bad to worse, Rick absolutely cannot be captured! If any of those people knew what his capable of, his life is as good as gone. That guy must have tried doing something reckless when I told him he should run the moment something like this happens. Damn it Rick, I have one job and you have to ruin it to the end, you prick! 

             I see...then I guess you wouldn't need saving from this prick.

              Had I had been in control of my body, I would have been choking from my own word and stared at him in shocked. Rick....are you…?

              Pretending to get captured? As a matter of fact I am. My mind descended into silence, finally I was speechless and I could imagine myself gawking. Come now, do you really think we would leave you on your own, you're practically useless without me. 

               I certainly am not, wait....back up....didn't you just say...we?

              Yes, he certainly said we. 

              Another voice came interjecting us, the voice was high and unfamiliar but her tone was certainly familiar to me. Certainly we weren't together when we got captured but...is it possible....Claudia?

              Bingo, we have a winner! Her voice beamed with the usual cheery tone of hers. Before my eyes, there was an extra guard standing next to the two previous ones. He looked like the typical well-built soldier, with trimmed black hair, a moustache connected to his beard, brown lips, upturned nose, and almond shape eyes. The man then turned briefly behind and as creepy as this might sound, he looked straight at me, smiled and winked while clicking his tongue.

              I felt the most frustrated man at that moment when I couldn't point out on my face that the supposedly 9 year old girl had become a black male soldier. Rick....is that your doing?

              Nope, that's just one of her abilities. 

               Abilities you say...what do you mean? Is she like you?

                I could hear the slight snort in his mind and made me imagine the kind of smirk he had on his face, she's way far from something like us Dale. 

               Before he could say anything more, the man who seemed to be Claudia grabbed both of the heads of her “colleague” and the two fell down to the ground. It went by smoothly and stealthily that everyone else failed to notice her actions. "Hey, two people suddenly fell unconscious here!" she yelled with her husky male voice. Others came warily to her side, examining the sudden collapse of the guards. Once they were occupied by them, she took that chance to put her hand over the few unguarded backs and put them to sleep. She may have gone overboard with the numbers since with only two out of six guards that were still awake were now aiming their gun on her with suspicious look.

              Then another unthinkable thing happened, just as one of them were about to use their ring, a high pitch sound similar to a screech, just like when you scratch your nails on a chalkboard, made everyone cringe. Something similar to crackles of electricity surrounded the disguised Claudia and with wave of her hand, it struck the four guards. The frequency of the sound changed and later on, all the kids in the area were knocked out excluding me.  

             "This ability.... is Stanley with you?" I noticed I could finally move my body voluntarily, I saw the exact smirk Rick wore as how I imagined it to be. 

               "It's great that you catch on fast, anyway...we have a lot of things to talk about but we should prioritize on---"

              "Duck!"

             "Exactly, wait....duck?" Rick didn't react fast enough so Dale had jump on him, pushing him down to the ground. He looked over with the world upside down to him three other men came over toward them. What baffled him though was that they attacked not with their guns, but with barrage of tree roots. The roots went past above them with speed comparable to a motorcycle. In other words, enough speed to throw you off a mile or so. Rick and I couldn't quite believe what they were seeing until Claudia was about to rush towards us when one of them tackled her with super speed, pushing her back with a groan. Claudia cursed for another speed freak coming after her and Rick couldn't help but cursed alongside with her, "Shit, I did not expect any of them to be espers!"

               "Unlucky for them, they're using it while I'm around." Another barrage of roots hurled towards them, Dale had only need to touch it and the root recoiled as it instantly wilted. The few men were surprised but they didn't let it held them back. Dale looked at his friend's face whose was only inches apart under him, "This is the part where you kick their ass."

              Rick snorted at his friend's demanding tone filled with sarcasm and rolled away from him. There was a shot of lightning from where the two had been, and they both looked up to see a brown haired man in his late 40s holding a visible white lightning on his hand and pose like how Zeus would with his lightning. His second attack didn't hit Rick, as he just swatted the lightning out of his way, shocking the assailant - in a different meaning. Rick smirked as his hand glowed with the same spark around it, "my turn" he whispered. He concentrated the sparks of electricity to his fingers and it went straight to his assailant like a white laser. He staggered from having the recoil of the shock. The assailant was holding back his screamed as he groaned loudly at his injure thigh that had blood oozing out. It felt like the pain of being shot, shock, and burned all at the same time.

               The other blond man was distracted from his injured comrade and failed to see the incoming third man that crashed toward him. When all three were on the ground, Rick used this chance to use the same trick they had on him and controlled all the weeds in the surrounding area, covering them up like a green mummy, he didn't forget to slit one of the weed to their rings and pulled it apart from them.

"You just love to show off you're better don't you?" 

              Rick shrugged, I knew he wasn't the type to feel superior toward others. However, when fight broke off, it's better to make sure the enemy knew where they stand against him. I felt a tug from my back and found Claudia- only taller and wearing an odd mask- smiling at the two of us. As much as I want to retort her current form, I could tell she was relieved to find us still safe and uninjured so I asked the main question that's been nagging on my head. "So, care to tell me what you've been up to this whole time?" 

#

--Claudia Robertson--

While Stanley and I were putting the unconscious group of people to their vans, they were tied up as well. I had Rick explain to Dale about what happened at the gate and about myself. I was reluctant to tell him but Rick assured me that he won't tell anyone and that we'll need him to know if we want him to lend his strength to the fullest. His argument was valid and I don't have anything to counter it. 

             Stanley made a satisfied smile looking at the clump of people tied inside the van and carefully closed it. I flinched when suddenly an outburst of laughter came from him, Rick must have told him the part where I'm playing the part of Wonder Owl. I was about to come up to them when my eyes wondered around the few children still unconscious on the ground, I started rubbing my forehead thinking the next best course of action. I could convince them to help me but it's best if I don't get too many kids involved since they are.....well, kids. 

              "Don't worry, I'll see to it that the authorities will keep them safe in their hands," before I knew it, Dale was already at my side. I raised an eyebrow at him, feeling suspicious of his words. Dale kept his business smile; he turned towards Stanley and asked in the most roundabout and effective way to walk away from us so we could talk. "I have a few connections outside the school, once we arrive at the rendezvous point, we could sneak out the kids to safety."

                "And how are we going to contact them when they are cut off from any signal in the school?"

                Dale pointed to his head, "My mind is connected with one of the FBI agents outside the school, I've been informing them my status but don't worry, I cut their connection temporarily so none of them should know about what Rick had told me....if it's true." Dale explained calmly but staggered at the last few words. He must have ignored my rounded gaze at him, my words got tuck and I was surely began to sweat nervously what his words were implying. 

               "Dale....who the heck are you?"

                Dale looked confused at my question but then made an 'oh' expression, "Rick hasn't told you?" Dale put his hand on his pocket and brought out a simple black wallet. I saw him opened it and the first thing that caught my eyes was his student card and a selfie photo of himself. Then he made a strange gesture, similar to when you're unlocking using a pattern lock on a smartphone and the photo began to disperse revealing a familiar symbol I would always see in crime shows and the student card became more of an identity card. "I should re-introduce myself now, I am Agent Dallen Garwick and I'm an undercover agent of this school." 

               This day just kept giving me surprises.