Captured in suffocating darkness, Eary's eyes flickered open. A deep sense of dread washed over him. He realized he was tightly bound, his hands and feet rendered useless. The relentless growl of an engine reverberated through his body.

"Trapped in a trunk!" his mind screamed with the racing adrenaline of animal instinct. Desperation surged as he struggled against his restraints, but his efforts were futile. Like a lifeline in the abyss, a familiar voice pierced the blackness.

"Hey kid, you awake?" Mote's voice whispered through the darkness.

Eary's thoughts raced as he attempted to respond, 'Mote!'...but his mouth was sealed with a gag. The adrenaline compelled him to squirm and signal for help. Swiftly, Mote intervened, removing the gag so that Eary could speak.

"What's happening, Mote? What did they do to you back there? Where are we? How long have we been like this?" Eary's barrage of questions poured forth with panic.

"I'm not entirely sure," Mote began, his voice a reassuring presence.

"He hit me with somethin' that disrupted my physical form. I was there but powerless. After you went under, he scooped you up and his henchmen bound ya. They also put some strange bracelet on ya."

Mote's words echoed in the cramped trunk, a beacon of comfort.

"Then, in a swirling shroud of shadow, he left. I just managed to reappear a short bit ago."

Eary absorbed this information. His initial fear gradually transformed into resolve as he assessed the situation.

He asked, "How long have we been here?"

Mote responded." We've been here for hours, I think, and no doubt everyone back home knows you're missin'."

The thought of his family's anguish brought tears to Eary's eyes. "My parents...they'll be devastated! What was I thinking?" he sobbed.

"Now's not the time for self-blame," Mote advised, his voice steady.

"Can you use your powers?" He probed, searching for a way out of their imprisonment.

Eary strained against his bonds, attempting to summon his abilities. First, he tried to conjure a protective barrier, then to incinerate his restraints with light. But every attempt proved futile, leaving him feeling utterly powerless.

"No, I can't!" Eary admitted in a panic as hopelessness closed in on him.

Mote offered reassurance, "Okay, hold tight. I'll deal with them once they open the trunk. We'll make it through this, kid. I promise."

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the car stopped. Eary held his breath, his heart pounding with anticipation.

"They're coming back for me!" Eary exclaimed in terror to Mote, his voice trembling.

"We need to act fast!" Urgency crackled in Mote's voice as his tiny form buzzed with anxiety.

Eary, terrified, was less eager to discover what lay beyond their prison. "Mote, I'm scared," he confessed, tears streaming down his face.

"It's going to be okay. As soon as that creep opens the trunk, I'll charge 'em," Mote reassured, his determination shining through his diminutive voice. "Well, unless Captain Creepy is out there. In that case, just stay strong. I'll figure something out."

Much to their surprise, the car's engine roared to life again. Eary's fear deepened as he remained oblivious to their destination. Minutes stretched into an anxious eternity before the vehicle came to another stop. Eary braced himself for whatever awaited, but to his astonishment, they remained confined in the trunk. Straining to hear, he caught the sounds of mechanical tools and the distant hum of classic rock music filling their light-less prison with an eerie ambiance.

"Where do you think we are?" Mote's curiosity mingled with concern.

A chilling array of horrifying possibilities flooded Eary's mind."Is this a serial killer's hideout? Or some sinister laboratory?" he wondered aloud, his fear gripping him ever tighter.

"Hey, hey now. I know things don't look great right now. But your ol' pal Mote is..." Mote began, attempting to reassure Eary, but he was abruptly cut off.

"What the hell is in this trunk?" A voice rang out from outside.

Eary's heart raced as he realized someone was near. Moments later, the trunk was yanked open, revealing a sight that caught Eary entirely off guard.

Standing before him was not one of his assailants but a young man in his early twenties. He was fit and muscular, his arms adorned with intricate tattoos. A white tank top stained with oil clung to his torso, and a black beanie rested atop his head, revealing a hint of his blonde hair. Eary and Mote exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what to make of this unexpected turn.

"Holy shit!" exclaimed the young man in surprise as he peered into the trunk.

Gathering his wits, Eary bravely greeted the stranger, his voice laced with nervousness, "Hi, uh, I'm Eary. Say, um, could you help me out here?" He couldn't be sure if this newcomer was a friend or foe but he tried to appeal.

The young man's blue-green eyes stared in astonishment at Eary. His mouth still agape as he took it in, he eventually managed to stammer out a response: "Ah...hey?"

Eary smiled back awkwardly. "Hey, yeah, um...can you maybe get me outta these?" Eary insisted as he reached out his bound wrists, his eagerness to be freed of the cords digging into his flesh overcoming his unease of the situation.

"Yeah man, um....sure thing," replied the stranger, who had yet to introduce himself. He pulled a knife from his side and quickly cut through Eary's bonds.

"Where are we, and er, who are you?" Eary asked. His curiosity piqued as he reconsidered the identity of his would-be hero.

"Um, yeah. I'm Luke. This is the little shop I work in. I...re-purpose vehicles," stated Luke, still somewhat bewildered by the unexpected turn of events. A moment of awkward silence passed as Eary lay in the trunk squinting up at him vulnerably, his body wet from sweat and still lightly trembling from the adrenaline.

"Cool. Ok...are you hungry or somethin'?" Luke asked, unsure of how to respond to the person in the trunk.

"You know, uh, now that you mention it actually...do you have a bathroom?" Eary requested, becoming a little embarrassed of his probable appearance.

Luke looked him up and down in hesitance for a brief moment as he gauged his intentions, then pointed behind him. "Yeah man, around that corner..." he instructed with a slight shrug as he decided Eary was probably not a threat.

Eary crawled out from the trunk and stood sheepishly. He stood straight and tall as he raised his hands up high, clasping them together, bending backwards as he stretched out the cramped pains from his slender figure. The buzz of the shop energized him and gave him new focus as he adjusted his eyes to the light. Mote levitated nearby with his arms crossed as he stood invisible sentry, a stout look of caution and distrust still on his face.

Luke led him to a small room off the shop and offered him a box of doughnuts. They sat across from each other, the uncomfortable conversation of their meeting looming in the air. Luke observed the young man as he voraciously devoured the pastries. He watched Eary inhale chunks of doughnut for a minute as he thought about what to do. "So listen, please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think I need to know what happened honestly. The less I know the better right now. I should probably just bring you to the police station. I'm sure they can get you home. Is that cool?"

"Yeah! That would be totally cool! Thank you!" Eary replied enthusiastically, his mouth still somewhat garbled from his feast.

"Okay, but wait...we need to get our stories straight," Luke said as he leaned in closer, taking time to think of how to explain.

"Okay. Why's that?" Eary inquired, his attention momentarily shifting from his doughnuts.

"Well, Eary, I don't really like the attention of the police, if you catch my drift man," Luke explained, clasping his hands together with his arms resting on his knees. "So, I'm gonna need you to tell them you got out of that trunk on your own and don't remember this car shop or anything else after. The story is, you were walking down a dark road until I picked you up. You get it man?"

"Yeah okay, cool man," Eary replied nonchalantly, eager to cooperate.

"Great! Give me just a minute and we'll get going," Luke said in relief. Eary nodded in agreement, eager to return home before dawn.

Watching the entire exchange, Mote said, "I don't like goin' to the cops, kid, but seems like there ain't much choice. Hey! Maybe he can get that weird bracelet off your wrist. You should ask him before you go..."

"What?" asked Luke, clearly confused by Mote's sudden disembodied input.

Eary paused and turned his head to Luke. "I didn't say anything," he replied nervously.

"Yeah, you did; something about a bracelet," Luke confirmed, his eyes on the device fastened to Eary's wrist. "What is that?"

"I'm not sure exactly. The man chasing me put it on my wrist, and I can't get it off," Eary explained, attempting to pry at the white, complex gadget adorned with various lights.

"I can get that off. Come over here, bro," Luke gestured, inviting Eary to follow him as they headed back across the shop.

The young man walked over to a workbench adorned with a menagerie of tools hanging mostly neatly on the wall. Luke pulled the chain of the shop-light hanging from above and retrieved a rolled-up black cloth from a hidden cubby. He swiftly pulled out two stools and gestured for Eary to sit like a smooth dance move. They both sat while Luke examined the cloth, unfurling it and removing two long pieces of metal tucked inside a pocket. Luke turned toward Eary, a slight glean of sweat forming on his face. His arresting eyes gave him a short, wide stare that spoke to his skill and concentration. Eary couldn't help but to feel at ease.

"Let me see that thing," He said as he examined the device on Eary's wrist.

Eary extended his left arm, showcasing the mysterious gadget. Luke peered at the device, eagle-eyed, and spotted a keyhole. He stood and calmly led Eary's arm over to a vice on the edge of the workbench. They positioned his wrist with the bracelet into the jaws of the vice and Luke slowly turned the handle to apply slight pressure. He wiped his brow, brushing aside his sweat. He squinted down and carefully inserted both pieces of metal into the lock with experienced finesse.

"Wow!" Eary exclaimed in amazement as he watched Luke pick the lock. "I never knew people could actually do stuff like this."

Luke chuckled at his admiration, "It's an acquired skill," he assured. The bracelet popped off Eary's wrist with ease and landed in Luke's hand.

Eary observed the young man as he set down the device. He stated, "You know, you remind me of my older brother. Where are you from?" Eary asked, hoping for a connection.

"Here, I guess," Luke casually responded as he examined the high-tech device. "Detroit," he added, though without much enthusiasm. "What is this?" he inquired, showing Eary the bracelet.

"That bracelet there, Eary, I think it was stoppin' ya from using your powers," Mote said, hidden upon Eary's right shoulder.

"Okay, who said that? Now I know I heard something this time!" Luke accused, bewildered by the mysterious voice. Eary was speechless; no one had ever understood Mote before. But Luke seemed to have heard him.

"What did you hear?" Eary replied innocently, eager to see where this would lead.

"Something about this not letting you use your powers," Luke answered, his face a mix of confusion and concern.

"I've never met anyone else who can hear him before," Eary said with wide-eyed wonder.

Luke's look of confusion quickly turned into concern. "Him?" he asked, a tinge of fear and reproach rang from his voice.

Just then, Mote flew off Eary's shoulder, materializing in a shimmer of blue light.

"What the fuck is that," Luke yelled in shock as he jumped from his seat.

Eary quickly reassured him, "It's okay, it's okay. That's who you've been hearing."

"That's some sort of demon," ranted Luke in hysterics.

"I ain't no demon!" exclaimed Mote, flying up to Luke's face. "Hi there, name's Mote. I don't know what I am, so we call me a Moteling. Say, how is it that you can hear me?" Mote interrogated.

"Okay, okay, okay. I smoked too much weed earlier. Must've been laced or something," Luke consoled himself, still shaken.

"I ain't no trip, pal!" replied Mote before returning to Eary's shoulder. "See here, Eary's special! He can make all kinds of shit happen. That's why he got snatched. That's why he can hear me. So my question to you is, why can you?"

Luke paused momentarily and then returned to his stool, cautiously eyeing the pair. "What kinds of things can you do?" he asked hesitantly.

Eary looked back in surprise; it was the first time he had discussed his abilities with another person.

"I... I can do things with light." He raised his right hand, letting it erupt in a cerulean fountain of shimmering magic.

Eary retracted his hand after a second, his heart pounding with anticipation. Silence lingered before Luke broke it, revealing his unique power.

"I... also can do something with light," he stepped back and braced himself.

He dashed across the garage with a burst of neon orange and then returned to Eary's side.

"Moving fast is all I can do, but it's useful in my line of work," Luke said as he stood awkwardly, waiting for a response.

Eary's eyes couldn't believe what he was witnessing. They both had powers. They both had control over light. They both understood Mote. This had to be fate—it just had to be! He just looked older. Could this be his brother?

"So what about your family? Is anyone like you in yours?" Eary probed, his nerves tingling with anticipation.

Luke returned to his stool, their conversation piquing his interest. "Yeah, well, I don't really know," he replied casually. "Been on the streets since I was 13. I don't really remember much from before I was 10."

Luke's words hung heavy in the air as Eary's heart raced. Could this really be him? Their Luke, his Luke?

Eary couldn't resist any longer; he needed to know the truth. "I had a brother go missing when he was 10. His name was Luke, too. He looked a lot like you." He stammered and looked away, unable to witness Luke's reaction.

Tension thickened the air as seconds stretched like hours. Eary finally glanced at Luke, finding him also staring off into the distance. Eary giggled at the notion of the similarity.

"Wouldn't that be something if you were him?" he said, hoping to lead the conversation.

A sense of calm washed over him as Luke put his arm around Eary, his hand resting on Eary's shoulder. Eary looked back at Luke's face, which still had tears glistening in his eyes. Their moment of connection was interrupted by a pounding on the door. Luke perked up, and Eary's anxiety surged.

"Luke, is everything okay?" Eary whispered.

"Yeah, it's fine. A buddy of mine was coming over today. It's just him," Luke reassured Eary, heading toward the door. "Hey, man!" Luke greeted his friend as he opened the large metal door.

"Hey," came a response from a deeper voice.

"Who's that?" Eary heard the newcomer ask as he cast a glance at Eary.

He was a stocky black man in his early twenties. His shaved head gleamed under the light. He was dressed in a plain black shirt and jeans, exuding a calm and friendly demeanor as he entered the shop.

"That would be the situation," Luke replied with a smile.

The man's gaze returned to Eary, who was feeling increasingly uneasy.

"Can you come to the office with me, please?" Luke asked his friend.

"Yeah," the stocky mad replied, nodding in agreement.

"Okay, Eary! We're gonna head into my office for a bit. You just sit tight, okay, bud?" Luke instructed.

"Of course," Eary replied hesitantly, his mind racing with questions and uncertainties.

After several minutes, Luke and his friend returned.

"Hey, little man!" the stocky-bald man announced loudly as he clasped his hands. Luke stood in the doorway, watching their interaction. "Hey there, I'm Sakile," he introduced himself kindly.

A bit less unsure, Eary timidly replied, "Hi, I'm Eary."

Sakile continued the conversation, attempting to keep Eary at ease. "Yeah, yeah, for sure! Luke was telling me. He said you might even be brothers. That's exciting!" Sakile said, his energy comforting Eary's unease.

"So listen, because of that, I'm gonna be the one to bring you to the cop shop," Sakile explained as Eary's eyes welled up with tears.

"Why won't Luke be coming?" he asked, glancing in concern towards Luke.

"Well, Luke doesn't do well with the cops around here. So I'm gonna bring you there so you can go back home. Then Luke is gonna find you on social media later. Sound good?" Sakile reassured him.

"He doesn't even know my last name!" Eary stated in annoyance, aware of his possible brother's evasiveness.

Just then, more loud pounding came from the door. 'Bang! Bang! Bang!' The two older boys froze and exchanged cautious glances. 'Bang! Bang! Bang!'

"More friends of yours to get rid of me?!" Eary complained, displaying an unwarranted familiarity with the situation. Luke extended his hand back toward Eary, signaling silence, as he walked cautiously toward the door.

"Shh, stay there!" he ordered Eary, picking up an old baseball bat, ready for whatever awaited on the other side.

Sakile joined him, positioning himself on the opposite side of the door. They shared tense eye contact before throwing open the door with a resounding 'Crank.' A familiar voice emerged just out of sight.

"Stop!"

Eary's eyes focused in suspense as he heard the slick, greasy voice command. Going numb at the sight of Luke and Sakile ready to protect him but now frozen in place, Eary quickly realized he was alone. A tall, greasy, and slender man walked from the other side of the door. Eary's eyes widened in fear as the man approached him.

"Ah, young Earhart," the man taunted as he drew near. "You've given me a lot of trouble today!"

Eary's stomach sank, and his voice trembled with fear. "W-w-who are you?" he stammered.

The man turned, his unsettling grin growing wider. "Me?" he purred. "My name is Johnathan Tiddle." He put his hands behind his back and approached Luke, shifting Eary's focus from fear to anger. "I am a collector of sorts, you could say."

Eary watched in dread as Johnathan's hand extended, and a mist of faint orange light began to drain from Luke into Johnathan.

"How fortunate! Another volunteer has presented itself. It seems maybe even two!" Johnathan's smile never wavered as he approached Sakile. A faint blue light radiated from the frozen still ebony skinned man.

Eary, unable to bear any more, rushed toward Johnathan with white flames erupting from his hands. A stray ember grazed the greasy creep's cheek.

"Ugh!" he groaned in pain as he recoiled. "Enough of this! Sleep!" Johnathan commanded; a jet of white light left Eary's hand as his vision faded into darkness again.