Prescience: having instinctive foreknowledge of the future.

Josh hasn't checked his phone since he woke up on Tyler's couch, so he knows that it would be filled to the brim with messages. What he doesn't expect is just how much.

Most of them are from his family, as expected, with another large portion being from Hernando and Tiana's aunt. But then other family, like people from school, anyone who had any form of contacting him had absolutely blown up his phone.

"Woah," Josh says, scrolling through over a hundred texts wondering where he is. "Thank god I have unlimited texts."

"People care about you, man. Of course they're gonna be worried when the nerds disappear," Tyler replies from the couch.

"Fuck off."

It's been only a couple of days, and Josh tries not to think about how worried his and Tiana's families must be or how she still might be with Alley Cat. But now, when he's close to fully recovered, he can't ignore it anymore.

"Has Hayley called you back yet?" He asks, eyes trained on the latest text from his mother.

MOM
Please be safe, Joshua, wherever you are.
I trust you'll return when you can.
Please be okay.
I love you, baby.

"Yeah, she said Alley Cat's copped up in a new building, but his cats keep blocking her when she tries to go in," Tyler says. "She wants me to go over there tonight, make sure no stupid teens like you break in, especially since it's Halloween."

Josh's skin prickles. "Halloween?" His mind starts to connect dots.

What were their plans before the explosion? They'd wanted to do something...

"Yup, the spookiest day of the year." Tyler glances up at him, probably feeling the fluctuation of his mood. "You're not scared, are you?"

"Halloween is today?" Josh's head is spinning on its axis. He's so stupid, stupid, to think that Tiana wasn't as predictable as she is. She would've gotten Alley Cat to take her somewhere they knew, a place that they'd always wanted to go to. A place where their plans went to shit.

"Again, yup. Why?"

Josh stands up suddenly from the table, his vision swimming as he makes his way around the table and to the front door.

"Woah there, where the hell do you think you're going?" Tyler rushes after him, grabbing his arm to stop him.

"Don't bother with the building," Josh says. "I know where he is."

Tyler sends him a disbelieving look. "How? You've been cooped up in here for days. Hell, I haven't gone on any patrols just to take care of you. Not even I know where he is."

"You guys are tracking Alley Cat when you should be tracking Tiana. There was a place she wanted to go on Halloween, a place that we went to before. The place where it all began."

Realization crosses Tyler's face. "The VESSEL building."

"Tiana and I thought maybe he was one of the surviving scientists, one that worked on the philosopher's stone," Josh continues, pulling Tyler along with him to the door. "So there's got to be a reason why he wants both of us and not just one. If I can just-"

"You can't fight him, you know that," Tyler interrupts him.

"Yeah, I know. I'm weak and scared and that's not a good combo, you've told me that a million times. But I'm going to do it anyways because I'm stubborn too, so don't try and stop me."

"Do you really think you can stand a chance against Alley Cat, even after what he did to you in ten minutes?"

"I can't keep sitting here, pretending that nothing's happened." Josh's voice cracks and he flinches, looking away. "I can't- Tiana's like my sister. She's the only family her dad has left. I can't not take this risk for her."

Tyler's grip softens, but he doesn't let go. "She's kick you for using a double negative."

"She would."

"I need to get our shoes," he says. "And our suits."

Josh looks up, surprised. "You're coming with me?"

"Of course I am, dumbass. Hayley would kill me if she found out I let you leave by yourself."

"Aww, you're worried."

Tyler sends him a cheeky smile. "Yeah, because I got paired with the biggest dumbass in Georgia."

"Says the one who lit his bed on fire."

"That was once and completely an accident."

Josh rolls his eyes and waves at the line of shoes near the door. "Come on, asshole, we're losing daylight."

"You can't boss me around just because I'm being nice to you," Tyler growls, though the flush of red light on his cheeks gives himself away. "I'm still older than you."

"Yeah, by like five months," Josh responds playfully.

After a moment of glaring at each other, Tyler leans down and grabs a pair of sneakers. "Lead the way, kid."

Tyler insists on them taking a car since Josh can't use his powers without passing out. They end up taking Jason's truck downtown, with Tyler driving since Josh doesn't have his license yet.

The two are silent for the better half of the ride, with nothing but the quiet radio to fill the void. Josh struggles to get his goggles on without asking for help because his hands won't stop shaking and he keeps hitting himself in the face.

"You need help?" Tyler asks, not taking his eyes off the road.

"I'm fine," Josh replies, pulling the band over the back of his head. "Look, I got it- ow!" He accidentally lets go and the goggles snap against his face.

Tyler lets out a giggle and, without even looking, gets his goggles on perfectly.

"Thanks." Josh adjusts them slightly and looks away, feeling his face flush.

"Hey, no need to feel embarrassed," Tyler laughs. "You're new at this. Take your time."

Josh raises an eyebrow. "Who are you and what have you done to Tyler?"

"What, you're the one who wanted to be nicer."

"Yeah, but now it's just weird."

"Weird how? You don't like nice me?"

"No, I do, it's just-"

Maybe Josh likes this side of him too much. His stupid little crush for Chimera faded once he met Tyler, but now that he's seen a kindness he didn't think was there? The crush is coming with a vengeance. He hopes Tyler can't feel it.

Tyler side eyes him for a moment but doesn't say anything else in the matter.

"We're almost there," he says instead. "You ready to be a hero?"

Josh sighs and tightens the straps of his gloves and boots. "Will I ever?"