~•~•~•~•~baaaaaack to Lincoln•~•~•~

I join up with them just outside the café thing me and Vi passed earlier.

Alexis smiles and wraps around my neck as soon as she sees me.

"Welcome back!" Steven and Violet seem different though.

They look more thoughtful.

Violet is sitting in her chair, spine straight and hands folded in her lap. Her family's background is showing. The British one.

Steven, however, makes me almost pause. He is watching me with trained skill, a hand supporting his head as his relaxed demeanor shifts slightly. Just enough for me to see the pain echo in his eyes.

Medical attention?

"Hey, thanks for getting us out of there!" Violet is more bouncy. I pet Alexis as I reply,

"It was only what a friend would do, no need for thanks." Steven is looking at me with a mild sign of curiosity,

"How are you still standing?" I make sure to seem as innocent as I can, hoping he'll ask me about it later,

"What do you mean? You can't support a invisibility spell? Or are you referring to me coming without a pack of Alienists behind me?" His thoughtful expression fades into a small smirk,

"The second one, of course." I grin and put a finger to my lips,

"My secret." Violet pouts,

"That's no fair! Come on, Kyle!!" Saving me from having to make something up, Steven enters the conversation,

"Wait, I still don't know your name." Violet looks to Steven in a look of absolute horror,

"Oh my god I'm a horrible human being. My name is Violet, it's a pleasure to meet you..."

"Alexander." Steven smiles. I smirk and comment,

"Well, I suppose you both know my name." They laugh as I sit and we all begin to talk. Talk about things we would normally talk about on the chat. Talk about things we've never told anyone. Talk about things that randomly pop into our heads.

Until Violet shouts very loudly,

"Nicknames!!" Me and Steven both jump. She continues, "I'm giving us all nicknames."

Me and Steve exchange looks. I speak first,

"Why would we need nick-"

"Do not question my gut!" She declares in a very Shakespeare tone, "My gut says we need nicknames, so nicknames we shall get!" I chuckle lightly,

"Alright, Juliet. What are our names?" She faintly blushes and mumbles under her breath. Steven must've heard it because he clears his throat,

"I not only didn't need to hear that, I don't believe he meant it in that particular way." Violet goes an even brighter shade of red and covers her face.

I blink at the two,

"What?" Steven shakes his head,

"Nothing." In even more confusion, I look over to Violet. She has calmed down enough to only have a faint blush now,

"Anyways, back to nicknames. I think you-" she points to Steven, "-will be Raphael. You-" the feared pointer finger falls on me this time, "- will be Donatello. And I-" she throws her hands up dramatically, "- shall be known as Michael Angelo." I instantly recognize these names and smile,

"That makes perfect sense." But Steven looks just as confused as I was earlier,

"Where the heck did those come from?" In unison, we turn to him and shout,

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!" Then proceed to fall into a fit of giggles. He face palms,

"I haven't seen that in... in years. It's one of the few classics they let us keep, isn't it?" I nod,

"Yeah, and it's a surprise that they let us keep it out of all the others." Violet snaps,

"Speaking of surprises, I'm so glad you had the idea of turning invisible before reaching the meeting point! If we hadn't, who knows what would've happened." The way Steven looks at me tells me he knows that wasn't an accident. I smile and rub my neck,

"Yeah, I suppose so." Violet ponders as she leans on the palm of her hand,

"Mhmm... A real mystery we have here." I mimic her position,

"Indeed. Just like how you new me before we met. Back whenever we were first walking to meet up." She blinks at me,

"I- uh... well, you see I-"

"Sir, your father will be home soon." Alexis rings in my ear and the alarm that must've crossed over my face brings my friends' gazes over. I stand quickly enough to knock my chair over,

"I- I have to get home. Now." They nod and Steven even makes a shooing motion with his hands.

I'm down the street as it comes into my attention how late it is. The setting sun is casting brilliant reds and oranges across the once vast blue area.

I may not make it in time.

My aura has become a panicked haste as I move past the few people left walking the sidewalks.

"Sir, this is the road your father's car will drive down in thirty seconds." I scan around and duck into an alley. My eyes close.

Teleport Magic.

Nothing happens.

Come on, don't fail me now.

A few sparkles of a lime green light spark out from my feet.

Teleportation Magic.

The sparkles grow in number, but I can feel that the Magic isn't working. I grit my teeth as a car passes by.

A very familiar car.

My fists clench.

"Sir, be careful." There is a cold touch of metal against my neck.

Teleportation Magic.

Swirls build up as well, gaining speed and number as they spiral up my legs.

Teleportation Magic.

Instantly I'm developed in a haze of lime. I picture my bedroom, particularly my bed and covers.

That very place materializes around me within a few seconds. I hear the door open and shut downstairs with a loud bang.

I'm still in outside clothes.

Shiiiiiiiiiit.

I'm like a miniature storm as electronics pack up and store themselves away, pj's fly out of the closet so I can change, and Alexis is calmly floating in the corner.

Footsteps thud loudly up the stairs.

I've changed and the clothes are stored away. Alexis beeps and morphs into a cat, laying in my lap as fur covers her once metallic surface.

My door is thrown open,

"You left." The words send chills down my spine,

"W- What?" His eyes hold a glint in them that I've seen a few times before,

"Did you think I was stupid?! Is that it?!" He's storming towards me. I scramble backwards and shoo Alexis away. No need for her to be caught in this,

"No! Of cour-!!" Technology expands down his arm as he raises it.

I see it shooting towards me in a deadly arc. I cover my head and my long sleeves fall down to reveal the layer upon layers of scars.

Scars from this very same machine.

My eyes close.

Then pain explodes from my arm, I feel the warm splatter of liquid on my face and down my arm.

Here we go again.