"You did what?!"

Concerned glances from passersby came my way when I visibly cringed, covering my ears as if it would mute the noise coming from my earpiece instead of making it louder. That was the second time today I heard those words, the first time coming from my sister accompanied by Echo's maniacal laughter. Something told me Ilene would be harder to brush aside than Pudding.

"You heard me," I replied confidently, quite proud of myself despite the circumstances. The whole fiasco with the little voice in my head had temporarily settled, and that gave me the idea I'd done something right, for once.

"Misha." Ilene's voice dragged on, and I heard the unmistakable squeak of her leaning back in my rolly chair.

Honestly, I felt better about her being upset about this than being upset about what happened earlier today. It gave me hope that we could just move on and that she could forget what a jerk I had been.

Too tired to sprint, I jogged down the trail towards my office, returning half waves to the various semi-humans and occasional semi-beasts that greeted me as I passed. The rain had cleared up earlier while Pudding, Echo, and I had been underground dealing with Hydel, and clear blue sky peeked from between receding grey clouds.

A damp chill hung in the evening air, threatening autumn's arrival. My birthday in a week, August 20th, marked the end of summer and arrival of fall for me. An unreasonable marker considering mother nature pulled summer all the way through September the year before. And how the year before that, fall came at the beginning of August. 

"Please tell me there's a good side to this," said Ilene, her voice muffled, most likely from her hands covering her face. I could tell she was just barely containing the urge to scream.

Still in human form, I walked around my office building, smiling to myself. Beyond the pleasure of getting on Ilene's bad side while temporarily being out of her range, walking around S.H.H.A. in human form without good reason brought back memories of when I was younger. Since then, the human door was always kept locked.

Although I knew that, habit had me reaching for the doorknob as I asked, "Can you get the–" The knob turned with no resistance, and the door swung open wide. Ilene always locked the door.

Light spread across the grey-blue marble, recently mopped floor. Last time I'd stepped foot in the meeting room, I nearly choked from all the dust that assaulted me, but the dust had mysteriously vanished and turned into fresh, lemon-scented air.

"Nevermind," I said quietly, but my earpiece still picked it up. I took a few steps in, my sneakers squeaking on the mopped floor, alerting anyone in the building, which should only have been Ilene, of my presence.

A door across the room opened, and out came my yellow-haired teenage best friend. She wore a silk, pearl-white shirt and a pair of skinny navy jeans. A light blue flower clip held her bangs out of her eyes.

Despite her lips drawn down and her hand propped on her hip, ready to scold, she couldn't help but start with, "Feeling human today?"

Laughing, I replied, "I could say the same to you. What happened to this place?"

Although the foldable table still lay against the wall, a few metal chairs had been unfolded and set to the side, allowing plenty of space to stand in the middle. Minus the liveliness and color, it looked just as it had when Boss had been around.

Ilene smirked, not passing the chance to remark, "What? Been a while since you've seen a clean room?"

"My room's clean!" I retorted, crossing my arms and tipping my chin up. "Like you can talk, Miss Take-Up-Half-The-Room-With-Your-Computer-Junk."

"Quarter of the room, and I take good care of my equipment," corrected Ilene, defensive of her living space. Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure where she slept at night, only that she spent every waking hour and then some in my rolly chair beside her desk.

After a second of silence, Ilene's frown came back. "So," she said and turned on her heels to return to the office. "You've got some explaining to do."

Without missing a beat, I followed my best friend, a weight growing in my chest.
I flopped down on the purple cushioned wooden chair and organized my thoughts to the best of my ability. Ever since pulling the information out of the unwilling alligator's lips, I had been contemplating it with mixed emotions. Worse yet, I had been contemplating how I would tell Ilene.

But I had to tell her, even if it meant giving in to the voice just once.

Ilene slid into her chair and awaited my explanation with a look that said her mother's usual quote, "tell me willingly, or I'll make you willing". Needless to say, I did not want to be "made willing".

I took a deep breath, realizing that this was my last chance to make something up. Something better. No, I thought, She'll find out eventually anyway. I have to do this.

"Well," I said with a nervous chuckle, "Hydel said some things."

"So I've heard." Ilene did not look amused. "What things were said exactly?"

I felt the pressure come down over my shoulders, and Ilene must have sensed it as well because her frown went away, replaced by streaks of worry along her forehead. She looked like she wanted to say something more, but I cut her to it. "Cursed Gears is back."

She paused for a moment to think, but her face fell to a deadpan. "Cursed Gears?"

"The symbol," I explained, scared what would happen the moment my words clicked. "A broken heart in the center of a gear."

The moment I stopped, Ilene's eyes widened. Spending so many sleepless nights after the final assault that took Daisy's life searching for anything she could find on said symbol, it was no wonder she instantly recognized it.

"The shark the other day and the robot on the mountain wore the symbol," I said while she remained speechless. "Hydel's raccoons stole for him. And the birds that attacked Sliders' River Camp..."

"The robot too?" asked Ilene slowly as if unsure of her words. "But that means Marshmallow and Ninja are tied up in this. And the birds arrived right after them."

Then it's my fault, I thought. I sought them out and asked them to infiltrate our base. I handed all of S.H.H.A. to them on a silver platter, and why? Because I desperately wanted teammates, and I thought Maxima was giving me a break for once? Maxima could care less what I want. Only what's best for S.H.H.A.

"No." I jolted and snapped my head to the doorway where a girl with long, dull grey hair still damp from the earlier rain stood with her arms stretched stiff at her sides. Her face strangely emotionless save for the shimmer in her olive-green eyes, she looked between Ilene and me before stepping in.

"Marshmallow?" I asked, but it almost sounded like a surprised squeak. Closely accompanying her, a girl with short black hair swung around the corner, a permanent smirk plastered on her face. "Ninja?"

I straightened myself in my seat, suddenly aware of how slouched I had been. Why would they care? Why would I care what they care? I asked myself, receiving no reply.

"Gear sent the robots after us. He did not send the shark or birds," said Marshmallow, and since Ilene always seemed to have a radar for door opening and closing in the office, I wondered how long Marshmallow had listened in. Considering my best friend hadn't been startled by her arrival, maybe she'd known all along.

What's she talking about? I thought as I shook my head. "How would you know?" Unless you're working on the inside. "They all had the symbol–"

"A symbol," said Marshmallow as if it would clarify anything.

"I think it's more of a logo," added Ninja. Marshmallow glanced toward her, and it must have meant "anything else?" in their sister language because Ninja said after, "You can continue."

Marshmallow looked at me and said, "Do you remember which half of the heart was filled in with white? The right side, correct?"

Are you serious? I can't even remember what I ate for dinner yesterday, I thought but did not ask out loud considering the word "joke" did not come to mind when I thought "Marshmallow".

I tried to recall the bird's back, and memories flashed to my mind. The smell of chemicals and cold floor beneath my feet, looking up at the metal door. 

My heart rushing and black goop running down my paws to the burn mark in the bird's feathers. 

Echo's and Pudding's eyes on my shoulders as I stared at the logo painted on the metal crate, my head pounding.

"Right," I said, and I didn't notice Ilene had as well until a few seconds later. Her eyes were on the floor, but I knew her mind was elsewhere.

"Gear's logo is filled in with white on the left side," said Marshmallow. "As far as we know, Gear and Cursed Gears are two different matters."

"Probably connected," said Ninja, but Marshmallow did not acknowledge her. "That, or Gear's a big fan of them. That would explain his name."

"You can't just change your name like that," I said, aware that this was an unimportant side tangent, but I didn't care.

"Says who?" Ninja gave me an annoying smile that combined her goofy nature with Marshmallow's ominous wording.

Before I could form a response that would have been more grumble than real answer, a long sigh came from Ilene's corner, silencing me. She looked up, locking her yellow eyes on me. "Idiot," she said, "This is why you've been freaking out."

"What?" I asked, my mind spinning for a moment before landing on Yesterday's events. "I did not freak out. It was just... surprising."

"I talked to Athena and Kight," said Ilene in a flat tone. "You freaked out."

They ratted me out? Whatever. Like I need childhood friends. I've got Ninja and Marshmallow now, assuming they don't stab me in the back the moment they have possession or destruction of S.H.H.A.

"Did not," I mumbled, my arms crossed again, and a light blush appeared on my cheeks. "And even if I did, it was for good reason. It's not exactly good news to see Cursed Gears back at their old games: power experimentation."

Ilene looked away for a second, and I immediately regretted haphazardly talking about it. "Sorry," I said, but she shook her head.

"It's nothing. Just thinking," she said. I didn't believe her.

Ninja opened her mouth to say something, glanced toward Ilene, then closed it. "That's bad," she eventually said, her smile disappearing for a second. Having just learned about the significance of powers, I doubted she understood the depths of how bad it truly was.

"No kidding," I said. "And Cursed Gears is notorious for hiding their trails perfectly until..." I watched Ilene carefully, "Until they want us to come."

"So are we just waiting around?" asked Ninja, her smile returning. Before I could answer, she continued, "Because if so, that's perfect. We've got a bit of a request to make."

"Continue," said Ilene.

"We were wondering if there's room for five more heroes around here. They can go through all the normal procedures and whatnots that Marshmallow and I passed on."

"Two," corrected Marshmallow, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Five," restated Ninja, her smirk no longer present. It was a little unsettling to see the ever-smug girl serious. "Cuddles, Belle, and Scone just left a life of constant battle to survive, and you think they're just going to lay around at home watching Squmpkin slowly deteriorate?"

Now it was my turn to be terribly lost. Marshmallow's eyes flashed with an unknown emotion and she faced away. Whatever was going on between the two, I decided I didn't want to be a part of, so I tried my best to sink into the uncomfortable wooden chair.

"Plus, they've got powers. Doesn't this place worship people with powers or something?" asked Ninja, turning her eyes towards me.

"We see them as signs from Maxima. Worship isn't the term I'd use," I started, but that was all Ninja needed to hear.

She spread her arms out with a smile, "So you worship the powers. Same thing."

"They're kids," said Marshmallow, her palms forming fists around the hem of her light grey jacket.

"So were we," replied Ninja, and she waved her hand towards me and Ilene. "This place is run by kids."

"Teens," I growled, but the retort didn't break through their heated conversation. She's only like five human years older than me. Four in semi-human. Not old enough to call me a kid.

Marshmallow seemed at a loss for words. Or maybe she was just silently venting. Who knew; deciphering her was just as painstaking and impossible as hunting for the philosopher's stone.

"Your siblings and cousins can become apprentice heroes," said Ilene who, based on the way she twirled her hair like normal, had pushed her recent problems to the back of her mind. "That way you can be their teachers and keep them safe."

Although still lost, I leaned out of the comfort of my safety chair to say, "That's what Ilene, Pudding, and I were when we first started. We were an apprentice team beneath Team Jade."

With her ever calculating stare, Marshmallow glanced towards me, causing me to subconsciously avoid eye contact. Everything about the two screamed "superior!" But, maybe that was just because I didn't know them well, and they were so mysterious.

And possible threats.

"Perhaps that would be okay," said Marshmallow quietly, the hesitance in her voice standing out clear as day. Something more seemed to sit on the tip of her lips, but she said no more.

Ninja, however, took a few long steps to reach her sister, grabbed her by the shoulder, and said triumphantly, "You see? The idea's not sounding so crazy anymore, is it?"

The grey-haired girl didn't respond. Maybe I imagined it, but for a split second, I thought I saw doubt cross her features.

Ninja spun around on the balls of her feet to face Ilene, who had at some point turned back towards her computers to trace her fingers over the keys, and me. With a crooked smile, she said, "Now that that's been settled, I've never had a tour of this building or camp. Actually, I'm not even sure how big this place is. Is there a basement?"

"A tour could be arranged," said Ilene who gave me a pointed look before spinning back to face her computer. A look that said "this will be talked about later" and "you're giving the tour".

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Hey, Readers! Sorry for the wait. I've been working on my artistic skill recently as well as writing Colors. I hope to get back to writing this more soon.

Until then, out of curiosity, do any of you practice art?

Thanks, Readers! Don't forget to vote, and stay safe out there.