Part three

“What is our real mission?” Simeon asks. 

I turn to the director expectantly. 

“The organization from your training is real. They are called E. F. A and they are  trying to make it illegal to use powers for any reason unless you have a permit or a direct order from the province.” He says. 

“But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, even if we don’t agree with their opinion they’re still allowed to have it.” Says Violet. 

“You are right. But when their opinion turns criminal that’s when we have a problem.” He continues “We have a spy in their organization to keep on eye on things and he recently reported that they’re working on technology that will make any power useless. And they are going to sell it to the highest bidder. You need to find a way to stop them.”

“But why us?” Asks Leo “Why not an older hero?”

“Because they will be watching out for someone older and more experienced, not for kids. You don’t have to do this though, we can always ask someone else.” Says the director. 

Refusing would feel cowardly, but what if Leo gets hurt. Well he might go anyways, without me to protect him. Then again, he did pretty well in our training mission. 

“I’m going.” I say. 

Leo pumps his fist and says “Me too!” 

Everyone else agrees to go as well. 

“You will leave in two days,” the director continues “that should give you enough time to rest. I am also sending Ebony Drew with you.”

Ebony was one of the first students at this school. She’s been on a few missions already but her power is complicated so she’s had to spend more time in training. 

“Oh good, you’ll need her.” Says Quinn. 

“You’re coming too.” Noah says. 

“Yes, but I won’t be much help in a fight.” 

Simeon smirks and Quinn punches his shoulder. The meeting threatens to end in a friendly wrestling match but the director ends it first. 

My mom isn’t thrilled about Leo but she knows that stopping him will just make him upset. If my dad tells him to stay home he will, but it will take him awhile to get over it. She says he can go as long as he doesn’t involve himself in a fight. 

Our parents might sound a bit unrealistic to you, but having kids with powers is a very delicate situation. Sheltering and protecting us too much will only make us targets and they know that. 

Two days later we are sent to a secret bunker where we are outfitted with suits built specially for us. Any weapons or transportation we will need are also provided. Now all we have to do is find and stop the bad guys. Easier said than done. 

Quinn, Noah, and Alyssa have been working nonstop since we got here, trying to locate the headquarters of E.F.A. They don’t seem to have an actual location so it’s harder than we thought. 

I walk into the bunker living room and sit down on the couch. Leo is flipping through channels on the tv trying to find something interesting. Violet is reading a book and Simeon is doing chin-ups on a bar hanging from the ceiling. 

I hate feeling so useless, but I’m not techy so I won’t be much help. I make a small snowball and throw it up in the air, catching when it comes back down and repeating the action. 

“Hello! Welcome back to Oshawa News Network, here on site with the E.F.A’s president, Dr. James Bairn. Doctor, would you like to make an opening statement?” 

The tv says and I drop the snow ball. 

“Sure! Firstly, our acronym stands for Equality For All. We believe that every human deserves an equal starting point in life. There are some who, through genetic entanglement, have developed strange abilities. These-- oh, how shall we call them-- advanced humans-- are marvellous indeed, but they also have an unfair advantage against the average human. Our organization is here to prevent the elite from banding together. Why would we be against that? Because there is too much power, and where there is power, corruption always follows. They are too dangerous to be left alone. We are here to do something about it.”

Everyone in the room freezes. The “doctor” and the reporter keep talking but no one is paying attention. 

Ebony emerges from behind the couch, “Where is that?” She asks. 

“Oshawa.” Says Leo, glorying in his brilliance. 

“Not necessarily,” says Violet “that’s just where the news network is from.”

“I think it’s that new ballroom thing.” Says Simeon. 

I look at him quizzically. 

“I don’t know what it’s called.” He says “But my parents went to a fancy party there.”

Noah walks in “The E. F. A is hosting a big party to celebrate their new technology, they are inviting a few premieres and mayors to see it in action and we need to get someone in there.”

“My parents probably received an invitation,” says Simeon “I can ask them to let me go.” 

“Good, you’ll need to bring someone with you. Oh and start getting ready now because the party is this evening.” Says Noah. 

“Gwen, do you want to come with me?” Simeon asks. 

Well of course I want to go, but I didn’t bring a dress. This is a mission so I didn’t think I would need one. 

Quinn enters the room with Alyssa behind him “Ya she wants to go but she doesn’t have anything to wear.” He says reading my mind. 

I send a snowball to his face. 

“Don’t worry I can help.” Says Alyssa with a smile, “Come with me.”

I follow her to where the girls sleep and she tells me to put on my suit. Then she touches my shoulders and a white evening gown cascades around me to the floor. I look in the mirror, amazed by the fabric that looks like ice in the sun. 

“When did you learn to do that?” I ask. 

“A few weeks ago. It’s not real though, just an illusion, I’ll have to consciously keep it in you but it should do.” She says. 

Her eyes shine with pride as she smiles at the dress. She fixes my hair quickly and then rushes me out the door. Everyone is waiting in the living room except Simeon. 

“Nice dress.” Says Leo. 

I smile at him, then turn to Quinn as he starts explaining our goal for the evening. 

“You need to avoid James Bairn so he won’t recognize you, then the minute he leaves you need to follow him. Ebony is coming with too but not as a guest. We’ll be on call to help if you need it.” He says.

“Ok, sounds good.” I say. 

A few minutes later Simeon flies into the room wearing a suit but with wind blown hair. It suits him, it looks better like this then when it’s styled. 

Across the room I see Quinn smirk, he’s reading my mind again. He doesn’t do it often and I don’t think about serious things but it’s still annoying. 

I take Simeon’s arm as we leave the room and freeze Quinn’s feet to the floor before we get out the door. He has shoes on so it shouldn’t hurt him too bad. 

Ebony follows us and we get into a small helicopter. The ball party thing isn’t very far away but this is the easiest way of getting there on time. 

When we get there Simeon shows the man by the door his parents invitation and we are let in. Ebony is probably in the building already but I don’t know where. The ball room is spacious with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and all the big windows you could want. It seems a little like a movie and for a minute I don’t feel like I belong here. 

It’s not hard to find Dr. Bairn and we are able to keep an eye on him without much trouble. Around nine o’clock he leaves with a few other men and doesn’t come back. Now our mission has really begun. 

We walk out of a side door but see no one.    Simeon checks the back of the building and I check the front. I see his car driving away and send a burst of snow into the air as a signal to Simeon. Hopefully he understands. Then I start running. 

I may have powers but I’m not gifted with super speed and the car is soon out of sight. Simeon catches up to me and flies us after the car. I’ve never flown like this before. It’s kind of nice. 

The car stops after fifteen minutes and pulls into a driveway. The house looks simple, definitely not like a villain’s lair. A garage door opens and the car is swallowed inside before it closes again. 

Simeon lands a few houses away and puts me down. Ebony appears from behind a tree startling us both. 

“How did you get here?” I ask. 

“His car was unlocked for a few seconds before he got in.” She says. “It wasn’t very hard, I could have gotten into the house too but I wanted to make sure I had back up.”

“Did you learn anything?” Simeon asks. 

“Yes, this is their headquarters and they’re planning on making their first sale tomorrow.” Says Ebony. 

That doesn’t give us much time. “Should we call the others?” I ask. 

“Yeah, I’ll do it.” Says Simeon. 

We make our way to a parking lot where the others can land a helicopter without being noticed. Hopefully. When they arrive we fill them in on all we’ve learned, which isn’t much. 

“We should sneak in there and steal the technology.” Says Noah. 

“Or we could blow it up.” Says Simeon 

“Neither of those options will work,” says Quinn “We need to make sure they can’t just build it again.”

“We don’t have time for that, maybe later, for a now we just need to make sure that shipment won’t get through tomorrow.” Says Alyssa. 

“Or we could sabotage it, make their customers lose trust in their product, then we’d only have to deal with the E. F. A.” Says Ebony quietly. 

“That makes way more sense.” Says Quinn. “Let’s do it.” 

Alyssa and Ebony are chosen to go in. Ebony can turn into shadows, or at least I think that’s what she does, and Alyssa can turn invisible so they stand the best chance of getting in. Now we just need to cause a distraction, I’ll be good at that job. 

Noah starts a storm and I freeze it making it snow in August. Noah adds lightning and the Dr. Bairn himself comes out of his house. His face is shocked and almost scared but also mad. 

Leo lessens the gravity around him, making him float. Alyssa and Ebony should be in by now. The door closes, Leo drops him, and Noah and I stop the weather distraction. 

Now all we have to do is wait. 

Except that Dr. Bairn isn’t alone anymore. Three people are standing with him and one of them is staring at me. I recognize her. She had powers and she used to go to our school. 

She left a year ago and no one knew why, some people said she was kicked out but I doubt it. She wasn’t a very good student, didn’t like listening and caused trouble for inexperienced students. And now she’s here and she knows who we are. 

Dr Bairn is yelling, the girl is walking towards me, and I think we may be surrounded. One of the other people bursts into flame and charges Noah, the other one is going for Violet. But now I need to pay attention to the girl. 

“Hi Gwen, haven’t seen you in awhile. Still making snowmen?” She asks. 

I don’t bother responding, instead sending a blast of ice at her. She vanishes in a cloud of smoke appearing in front of me a second later. I coat my body in a shield of ice blocking the hit she aims at my gut. I try freezing her again. It works this time but she walks right through it. 

This isn’t working. I need something else. She runs at me again but her steps are slow and laboured. She looks frustrated and I realize that Leo is increasing the gravity around her. 

I take a quick look around, Simeon is helping Noah and Violet is holding her opponent off for a now. The door to the doctors house opens and a shadow leaves it before the door again. 

“We did it!” Alyssa’s voice says in my ear “Now we’ve got to get out of here.” 

I agree but don’t know how. 

Through all the confusion, water, ice, and fire a helicopter lands on the road somehow unscathed. I run for it hoping Leo is doing the same. 

Alyssa and Ebony are already there and Violet isn’t far behind. The guy that’s on fire blocks her path momentarily but Noah takes care of him and she gets through. Soon everyone is on board except Simeon and I. 

I yell in my brain for Quinn to leave hoping for once that he is reading my mind. The helicopter takes off into the air again with us still on the ground.

Three very angry people are in front of us, thankfully none of them can fly. But now we need to find a way to leave. 

“Are you ready?” Simeon asks. 

“Always.” I answer, trying to stop the fear from entering my voice.