31

"What is going on?" a man shouted as he walked along with thousands of other civilians. Looking from one line to the next the desert sun beamed on him as he patiently waited for the line to move. Staring from one line to the next he noticed that all of them led to one building.

Observing the people going in he, realized that they weren't coming back out. "Hey, do you know why we are in line."

"No, I just assumed that we were waiting for rations."

Asking someone else the same question they didn't know either. Watching the line dwindle yet not a single person come out of the building he made his way to a guard. "Where are we going?" he asked. Ignoring the man question the guard told him to get back in line. Asking another guard, he shrugged off the question and changed the topic before also telling him to get back in line. Pretending to do what was told the man made a break for it towards the building. "Don't trust them. Don't trust them." He shouted. "People are going in but not coming out." Making it to the building door he opened it.

Fwoom! He felt a burning sensation in his leg before he dropped.

Headmaster Abbott's office

"There has been a report of strange earthquakes near the Mojave Desert." Headmaster Abbott spoke passing out backpacks to Michael, Ruby, John and Elizabeth. "Within this desert is a civilization of both Evols and humans that live in unity hidden from the world. Your mission is to go check on this hidden city and help all those that are in need. If you run across any difficulties let me know."

"No problem." Mike answered.

"One question Headmaster." Elizabeth said raising her hand. "If the city is hidden how will we find it."

"Good question. The city uses magic to hide itself in a form of a mirage. This mirage would look like a giant lake of water for someone lost and on the verge of death or for someone with righteous intents that is looking for the city. In general, this is how their population continues to grow. As for those who are purposely wandering the desert with no aim all they see is desert sand."

"Wow that's pretty smart." John remarked.

"Just another survival mechanism as I see it." Ruby commented.

"I agree," Headmaster Abbott said before walking through his fireplace. Following behind him they found themselves standing in the parking lot. "The city has been there for nearly a century and continues to flourish."

Drifting through a time stream

"Where to next Captain Savvy." A man asked as he navigated their spaceship through a time stream.

Looking on the map an orange dot appeared. "Look like another Evol have been activated. Pull it up on the screen." Staring at a secluded Jungle like terrain in Asia a grin spread across Captain Savvy face. "Look like we found our next destination."

"Captain Savvy."

"What do you want?" the captain barked at his crew member.

"It seems that your son has been activated."

"Who gave permission for him to be activated." Captain Savvy shouted. "Turn this ship around, we're going back to the base."

In the middle of the Mojave Desert

"What's that?" Ruby questioned pointing out, a building as they flew over the desert.

"Look like a military base." Elizabeth replied. "What's it doing out here."

"Shit ion know, it aint got none to do wit' me." Thinking for a second of what they might find inside the base, Mike said. "Know what. I say we go check it out."

"The base look abandoned to me." John remarked as they drew closer.

Landing on the inside of the bases wall it was about the size of a stadium. "Look like their doing renovations on it to me." Elizabeth commented staring at all the metal beams. Walking through the torn down building they found a room with the door ajar. This was the only room in the entire base that had a roof over it. Going inside the room it was empty except for a clothes rack in front of a giant vault.

Using his lightning to make the clothes on the rack spin around Mike stared at the vault "I wonder what's inside."

"Only one way to find out." Ruby said. Getting ready to blow the vault open.

Pushing Ruby's hand down Michael walked up to the vault. Placing his palm a few inches away from the vault door he released his aura while lightning surged around his hand. Hearing beeping and dials turning the vault unlocked.

"Where you learn to do that." Ruby asked.

"I didn't. My grandma locked her keys in the car one day. I was staring at the keys and wondering how I was going to unlock the car, when I heard a click. Tried it again on a couple other doors I noticed that I can, unlock anything with an electronic lock." Mike replied.

Walking up to the door John opened it up and walked in. Following behind John, Elizabeth went inside. Hearing someone talking outside of the room Mike and ruby crept to the door and peered out. Seeing no one they slid their way out and hid behind a crate where they could see into the next room. "Construction workers or scientists?" Ruby said rhetorically looking at the people walking around in lab coats and regular clothing with hard hats on. They pointed towards the beams and opened one crate after the other glancing inside before closing them. "Lizzy!" Ruby called her sister through telepathy, but she didn't get a response. Trying again still nothing. "I can't get in touch with Lizzy" she whispered to Michael.

"Let me try John" Michael said trying to reach John through telepathy, but he didn't have any luck either.

Twisting her head and looking up at Mike, Ruby said, "You know how to use telepathy to?"

Placing his finger over his lip and pointing to the people walking into the room they were in Michael told her of course through telepathy.

"No wonder I like you" Ruby thought forgetting to close her mind.

Staring down at Ruby, Michael said. "Oh really."

Rubbing her temple, Ruby let out a deep breath "I didn't mean to think that out loud."

"It's all good" Michael said still grinning. "Let me give you another reason." Fleeting throughout the base he stuck the dragon claw on his index finger into everybody neck paralyzing and putting them to sleep. Walking back towards the room the alarm went off.

The Collectors Base

Walking into the lab Captain Savvy walked up to the first Technician he saw. "Where is my son?" he barked.

Taking a glance at his clipboard then looking at Captain Savvy the man said. "We just placed him in a Pod a few minutes ago. According to the paperwork we will be placing him in slot H4 in a bit."

"Good I want you to make sure that he doesn't get out." Watching the workers move about on forklifts, cranes, etc. Captain Savvy said, "Better yet I want to see him being placed in his slot."

"Yes Sir." Pressing a couple buttons on the two-way mirror in front of them a metal door on the other side of it opened where you could see hundreds of pods being shifted as new ones travelled along cable wires into their slots.

Smiling Captain Savvy said, "We outdone ourselves this week."

"Yes, sir who would of, thought that we would have found so many Evols in the desert. And thanks to our machines we were able to not only block the use of their powers but also subdue the people. Then your idea to cause an earthquake Mr. Savvy was absolute genius."

Grinning from the flattery Captain Savvy said, "Well I have been doing this for years what better way to extract the people then by pretending to aid them." Taking a glance at the pods Captain Savvy turned back towards the lab technician. "What did ya'll do about the Evol that was causing the commotion."

"We decided to lock him up in the vault in our new base. Until we feel that he has learned his lesson." Lab technician said.

Staring out of his pod Ben could hear his dad talking to the lab tech. Using x-ray vision, he was able to see that neither one of them were looking his way. Turning into a small black bear like creature he duplicated himself and slid through the cracks of the pod right before it was sealed shut. Sticking to the glass as his dad and the technician looked his way, he didn't make a move.

"Is that my son?" Captain Savvy asked starring at his pod.

"Yes, sir turns out that he is able to turn into that small bear like creature before you."

Slamming his fist against the glass Captain Savvy turned around. "Good job" he told the lab technician then walked off.

"It must be hard to see his child placed into a tiny pod like that." The technician mumbled as he shut the doors blocking the view to the pods.

Waiting for the lab tech to move away from the window, Ben leaped down off his pod. Walking up to the ventilation system he made his escape.

Back at the base in the Mojave Desert

"Let's check on our prisoner. See if he bled out yet." One of Captain Savvy's Enforcers said as they passed by the room with the vault in it.

"You know that we don't suppose to go near the vault without permission."

"Who's going to tell it's just me and you in here right now. Don't tell me you're going to rat me out if I take a quick peek. I mean what's the point of having the code if we can't look."

"You do what you want. I'm going to stay out here and keep watch."

"More fun for me." The enforcer said walking into the room.

"Air Palm" John hit the enforcer as soon as he opened the vault knocking him across the room into the wall.

Fleeting out of the room Lizzie knocked out the enforcer standing guard at the room door. Carrying Zeph the prisoner that was locked inside the vault John looked up into the dark starry night. "It's dark already."

"Ruby can you hear me" Lizzie called her sister through telepathy.

"Yes, I been trying to get in contact with you all day."

"Where are you?" Lizzie asked.

"Me and Mike took out the soldiers at the base then went to complete our mission. We thought that you would've made it to us by now." Ruby replied.

"When the alarms went off the vault door shut us in."

"Seriously we're on the way right now." Ruby yelled tapping Michael on the shoulder letting him know they had to leave.

"It's okay one of the soldiers just freed us I guess he didn't know we were in there. Oh, and by the way there is no one in the city."

"Is that Lizzie?" Mike asked.

Nodding her head Ruby put her hand in the air telling him to wait. "Yea we know we searched the whole city the only things we found were scavengers feasting on the remains of those who didn't survive the earthquake."

"Yea I know we found a prisoner from the city and he told us everything. Including about a boy around about eleven who was locked in the vault, but they took him."

"Little boy?" Walking outside the city walls Ben stood in front of them. "Does this little boy have brown hair and freckles."

"I don't know let me ask?" Asking Zeph to give her a description of the little boy she replied to Ruby. "Yes, how you know."

"Because he is standing, right in front of us."

"What go dine." Mike said chunking up the deuces to Ben, "Are you from this city."

"No, actually I'm lost. My dad just tried to lock me up, so I ran." Ben said trying to hold back tears.

"It's all good lil man. Come wit' us we'll take you to a new home." Michael said walking up to Ben. Gazing down at him Mike could sense that he was an EVOL.

"Where?" Ben sniffled.

"To Provenience it's a school for people like us."

"You're an Evol to"

Making ball of flame levitate in his palm Mike said, "Yep."

Headmasters Abbott office

Giving Ben a cup of juice and something to eat, Sarai went and sat on the edge of Headmasters Abbot desk. "So, Ben where did you come from." She asked.

"I don't know. Me and my dad moved around a lot because of his job. We hardly ever stayed in one spot. The only place I ever visited was the lab and some of his bases and he would lock me up in a vault sometimes. He always said it was for my safety."

"Have you ever been in school?" Headmaster Abbott asked.

"No, I was home schooled by the scientists that work for my dad."

Leaning over in his chair and putting his chin onto his hands Headmaster Abbot looked at Ben. "Do you know what your dad did in his business."

"Yes, he collects Evols from around the world and lock them in pods inside his lab. He would torture and study them over and over. My dad really isn't a big fan of Evols he told me that they killed my mom and his comrades."

"Comrades was your dad part of some kind of organization?" Sarai asked.

"Yes, he used to tell me stories about them all the time. He said they use to call themselves Code Activate and their missions were to capture monsters when they were kids. He told me that when he was younger both him and three of his closest friends got trapped inside a secret vault hidden in the house that his mom bought. On that day they almost were killed by some slime monster, but someone came and rescued them. From that day on they began to work in some secret organization and would go on all kinds of missions, outer space to different worlds and all sorts of stuff."

Taking in the information he was receiving Headmaster Abbot asked. "Did he ever tell you how they died."

"No, only that they were killed by Evols and ever since that day he hated Evols and begun a new organization in which he calls The Collectors."

"I have one more question. Do you know if your mother was an Evol?"

"No but my father is even though he hides it, I could always tell. According to the stories I think he got his powers when he was locked inside that vault when he was a kid."

Nodding his head Headmaster Abbott said, "That would explain how you ended up becoming an Evol." Turning around in his chair Headmaster Abbott got up and patted Ben on the back. "That's all the questions I have if you like. These four can show you around the school while I talk to Mr. Zeph here."

"Wait Hol' on you just can't dismiss us like that." Mike said placing his hand in the air as if he were stopping traffic. "I want to hear what Zeph has to say to."

"Sorry Mike but this conversation is strictly for the adults." Headmaster Abbott said walking back to his chair.

"You can at least send us on a mission to find that bastard." Mike said leaning on Headmaster Abbotts desk. "No disrespect lil man."

"Sorry Mike but this task should be left to the professionals."

Finding himself outside of Headmaster Abbotts office before he could object Michael threw punches at the air. "Mayne that's fucked up." He shouted.

"You'll get over it, Mike." Ruby said grabbing hold to Ben you ready to go on tour.

"Ey say don't be using my stuff on me." Mike replied glaring at Ruby.

Military Base

"What do you mean he escaped." Captain Savvy shouted. Squeezing the vial in his hands it shattered.

"Are you okay sir."

"Am I okay…Am I okay." Reaching out to strike his enforcer Captain Savvy Lieutenant walked in.

"Excuse me sir" said Lt. Kayone. "But you have a call."

Accepting the phone with his bloody hand Captain Savvy answered it. "Hello who is this."

"Sorry for the inconvenience sir but this is Professor Lambridge."

"This isn't a good time Lambridge what do you want."

"Well you see sir, something dreadful happened."

"Spit it out professor." Captain Savvy shouted.

"See Your son…your son escaped sir."

"He what! How did he…I'm on my way." Tossing the phone across the room Captain Savvy punched one of the enforcers. "Destroy this base and as for Officer Bruce. Bring him to the lab I will deal with him accordingly. Lt. Kayone lets go."

The Collectors Base

Starring at his son empty pod Captain Savvy threw a tantrum. Punching Professor Lambridge he followed suit with a second one knocking the scientist onto the floor. Continuing to assault his lab technician tears rolled down Captain Savvy face. "Why did you let him escape. Where is he…Where is he?" Captain Savvy yelled.

Tapping Captain Savvy on the shoulder, Lt. Kanyone said. "I believe that is enough sir."

"Don't stop him now it was just becoming entertaining."

Turning around everybody stared at Ms. Sarai. "Who are you? Who let you in?"

"Who I am doesn't matter and who let me in. Well you did honestly."

"I did…but how?" Captain Savvy questioned.

"Through your blood of course you should be more careful where you leave it. That military base of yours was riddled with it."

Clenching his teeth Captain Savvy backed off Professor Lambridge. "Lt. Kanyone kill her!" He ordered.

"With pleasure sir." Reaching to his side and pulling out a knife Lt. Kanyone pushed a button on the side of it. "Actualization Process Commenced."

"Quite remarkable." Professor Sarai commented starring at the ones and zeroes that surrounded the Lieutenant. "You have found a way to manipulate the ether using the matrix. How interesting." Sizing up Lt. Kanyone and his new form she finished. "And it seems that it brings out one's inner power. I just might have some use for you."

Shooting at Professor Sarai Lt. Kanyone bolted towards her throwing multiple attacks but Sarai dodged and pushed aside each strike as if it was nothing. Growling in frustration the lieutenant released an energy blast. Slapping the burst into the wall Sarai grabbed the lieutenant by the neck. Placing her right palm on his chest she released a dark fiery sphere of energy.

"You're an EVOL! And what do you mean have a use for me." Captain Savvy snapped. "You shouldn't even be able to use your power right now."

Tilting her head to the side Ms. Sarai said. "Oh, really and why is that."

"That's none of your business."

"None of my business huh." Using her demon eye, she noticed all the waves bouncing around the room. "Oh, now I see you use waves of energy to subdue the EVOLs in this room. Let me take a guess these waves enter the mind of EVOLs shutting down the part of their mind that releases their abilities. Well that won't work on someone of my caliber."

"How does she know all of this…" Captain Savvy thought as he shook with rage. Gazing over at Lt. Kanyone he had reverted to his human state and was slumped over on the floor passed out. "What do you want?"

"Well, I'm still not quite sure but I wanted to see who this great EVOL Collector was before my colleagues found you. And truthfully you have caught my attention. So, I will allow you to live for now. If you pass my test you will be seeing me again but if not, well that will be the end of you." Releasing bursts of energy throughout the room destroying every computer Ms. Sarai opened a portal as the alarm went off. Walking toward the portal as the pods that kept the EVOLs contained begun to open she turned around and gazed at Captain Savvy one last time. "Good luck!"

Chapter 39