Chapter 26

Thomas tinkering with the nanites teaching the teens how to use them, jumps up abruptly and everyone looks at him.

"There is a flaw with our wall." He says.

Toya raises his hand, "You're telling the wrong crowd. Hurry and tell my dad. I think they are about to travel to Camp Royal."

Thomas nods and stands in front of Jake.

Jake finds Colin first searching with his spatial awareness that just kicked in due to all the training with Thomas.

He opens a gate when he finds them in Thomas's garden.

Thomas startles them by pretending they were caught trespassing, "Just kiddin. I come bearing bad news."

Colin looks at Thomas and nods his head, "What is it?"

"Our nano wall. It is weak from the inside and if our enemies were at the door we would be in danger if an attack from the inside came. I would like to work with the children to work on a bigger and stronger shield."

Colin nods, "They already prefer training with you. Sharon is feeling better let him join your team. His old regression power is no longer working, help him figure out what his evolved power is."

Thomas nods and goes back to class happy to see Sharon already present.

Luna gives him a hug rubbing his back, "I hope you're feeling better."

"I am. I hope I haven't missed much."

"Not at all. I have the go ahead to experiment with my new nano machine. What it does is basically do what my Environmental adapting power does. Using Rex and Toya's DNA to copy people's powers, and Luna's power to replicate things she has seen and touched and the rest of the group's powers to affect time one way or another we can make a bigger and stronger shield. One that will transform the entire Stark city into what it was. Rewind a whole city without breaking a sweat."

"How does this affect the new shield?" Toya ask.

"The shield will have adaptability. If someone attacks with wind, instead of being broken down or weakened, instead it will draw power from our enemies power. It will take some time but I think we're up for it."

~~~

Mystic at the stove stirs the pot and turns to help chop the vegetables, "Ladies please make sure we have all the ingredients Thomas hates it when we interrupt his lessons for Luna to get us something."

"They should give me the key to hold." Susan says.

"No way. I would never trust you with food. You're cruel, and unfair."

Mystic snorts and continues with chopping the veges.

"Luna gave me this. She made passes so if we need anything security will let us in. I'll get extra meat. This fridge is all running out." Zero says.

Susan volunteers so she can see what the grocery store looks like.

Zero enters and picks a cart to get what they need.

Susan looks at the aisles surprised, "All this? We have all of this?" She looks around practically getting chills.

"With Chronos we will never run out of food." Zero says.

They walk up the fruits and vegetables aisle. Zero adding ingredients on Luna's list in the cart. The line at the back has soda's and juice.

"That's Soda, we had it like once yet they have so much of it." Susan says.

"Yes, too much of it is bad for you." Zero says.

They walk down the cereal and porridge aisle.

"This is ... So many brands of porridge, which one did we have?" Susan asks.

"Baby porridge. We tasted these and the children hate it too. They'll be giving it away to the Dempsey camp."

"You tasted it and decided?" Susan asks.

"Yes. It was alot of fun being blind folded and doing taste tests. The children adore the cereal they have different ones for breakfast, the meal spoils if you don't use it very quickly. We've been giving away alot of milk lately. You have 7 days and it's not everyday people want to have milk. It's lovely with coffee though. We've been learning to bake so the milk won't be wasted. We made the scones everyone was having yesterday." Zero says.

"Wow! They were delicious."

"Yeah, you never participate in group activities so you always miss out. Maybe from now on you will"

Susan sighs, "Maybe from now on I will."

"These are the ingredients we used. Recipes are in the back. We found recipe books in the book store too. They set up Saturday for us to try different recipes. All the women Will have different books so when one group cooks you know what it is, when another group cooks you know what they can cook. There's so much we don't know about food." Zero says giving Susan a tour around.

They enter the cleaning supplies aisle and look at the various poisons for rats and cockroaches. Toilet cleaners and air fresheners.

"Everything here is supposed to be left alone. When we move into our houses we will all get our own supplies."

"They are serious about that? What's the hold up?"

"Technology."

They walk into the body and oral care aisle.

"These are deodorants. We already have our own supplies with healing essence we give this away. I tried it and my body reacted badly to it. You cannot use Luna's products and this at the same time." Zero says.

She shows Susan the baked goods aisle and the cooked food waiting to be devoured, "Tonight we'll be serving this, so Anita's group doesn't cook."

"Smells amazing. Who cooked it?" Susan asks.

"Someone in the past. We will serve this every time after the store is rewound."

She shows her the plates and cutlery section. The pots section.

"This technology is not compatible with ours, but we give it away to camps that want it. Like Camp Black that can modify them. We use modified technology as well but since we already have we give it away.

"The plates are in bulk in the supply room at the back, everything you see here is still galore at the back, that's how they are able to feed camps. They give them the food and cook books.

"Camp Black has been giving away technology like modified stoves and stuff to help people. It's amazing. I asked to tag along on the next trip and there's a city with no infected it's safe so I'll be going."

"Ohh, you're so helpful."

"Practice for when I finally move into my new place. I hated it when the men got to help and us women just sat and did nothing. It's nice to be useful."

They go around the baby aisle and see alot of supplies for babies.

"Other shops have extra things. We should hurry. Last aisle is the toys aisle. Children absolutely adore these things. It keeps them busy."

They walk down the tools aisle. Home supplies aisle. Snack aisle. TV and sound system aisle.

"Look how beautiful the old phones were. With nanotechnology they will modify them. We can all get some. At the moment Camp Black gets everything here. Look those are swimming pools. Thomas teaches the young children swimming in them. Some of the houses have pools, so they don't want children to drown."

Susan nods, "Wow. I think this is a dream."

"Zero, you're taking too long. Gather the supplies. You can't spend too much time in there."

"Okay Craig. On the way out." Zero responds filling the cart and leaving.

"It's so beautiful. Who knew malls looked like this?" Susan says.

"Yeah. Come on." Zero hurries into the elevator and hurries to the kitchen, "We're back."

"Welcome back, did Craig take the pass?"

"Yup. Totally sucks."

"Watch the stove for me I have to use the bathroom."

The other women nod and continue cooking since today the kids are off duty.

When the women are done they ask the men to help ready the tables.

Susan smirks and hurries to the tree and finds the women talking about the houses.

"They say she actually predicted it."

"Wow, but I still hate that we are not in the hotel now."

"I'd rather live out here than miss out on a chance to live in a comfortable house with my son. I don't mind waiting a while longer."

"You're right rose, so why does Queen and her group hate that? I saw them storm towards the hotel. They want to demand they are moved inside."

"Colin will be pissed again. He warned them about acting so negatively."

Susan sneaks away towards the hotel to spy on the women.

"When he comes back we should demand he changes how he runs this place.

They all agree and wait for Colin.

~~~

Toya sighs seeing Luna asleep.

Aira holds up a black marble sized stone, "I've seen this. It was outside our house everywhere. The infected whatever this is, they hate it." He shows everyone.

"Than how did the infected get in?" Chronos asks passing the black marble to Thomas who asked they pass it on so he can study it.

Aira frowns, "There was a man who came knocking at our house asking for shelter. We let him in but after a week he killed my parents and forgot about me. The infected didn't kill my family. He was so cruel. He just killed them for the heck of it, didn't take any supplies or anything after that."

Toya frowns.

June gives him a hug, "Similar story for me, only the guy didn't forget about me. That's how I activated my power at just 3 years old, bet you it's the same guy. Word spread about him, he must be going after families that don't know about him."

"Sorry you guys have gone through so much." Toya says still feeling down.

Wolf howls and Luna wakes up with such a tired look it's like she never slept.

"Back to work children." Thomas says examining the marble.

"Yes sir."

~~~

Colin returns from the Sky camp and is informed the usual group of trouble makers is here.

Kevin sighs, "I'll handle this one. You men get some rest. Having to rescue and fight off infected out of the blue was just too much. Finding out that vaccine works like that was too much stress. Mystic would have killed us."

Troy chuckles looking at the bite mark, "I'll go see Bella for a report. Or should I see Thomas first?"

"Thomas first. If Bella is needed they'll call her, but Luna is with him already." Colin says and goes straight to his room to sleep.

Kevin starts by sitting down in front of the group of protesting women, "What are your complaints?"

"We demand a change in management!" A woman shouts so others can come and join them.

Kevin nods his head, "That means what exactly?"

"You guys must change how you run things, allow people to sleep in the hotel rooms. Allow us to cook, tell us where you get your supplies from."

"Yeah? And stop giving the children only an hour a day in the arcade. They should be free to play all day."

"And stop favouring people by the kind of powers they have!"

"We don't want to be bosses around by a bunch of kids. What kind of training exercise is this, where 13 year olds tell us what to do? We should get training too than, don't you think."

"Why do you work oiut husbands like slaves. They are nowhere to be found during the day and come back tired."

"Why waste supplies on other camps? That is such a waste. Maybe start giving us extra food than."

The women keep quiet.

"So we should change how we run things because you're not happy with sleeping outside. That will never happen. Why do we never allow you to cook, women are cooking right now and you didn't want to help, no one is forced to do anything. As far as I'm concerned Jacob was made fun of for having a useless power in your camp but it's useful to us, we only give volunteers work, if you don't want to help around the least you can do is sit down and shut your damn mouths and be grateful. Instead you use your free time to throw rocks at our kindness. You have an hour to make a decision, either you stay and follow the rules or get out."

~~~

Troy enters the room where the teens are studying.

Thomas looks at him with his hazel eyes, "Yes."

"I was bit by an infected. It died from the bite but I came to make sure the vaccine works."

Sharon looks at his dad wide eyed, "What? Dad! What happened?"

"The camp does not have a shield protector, we sort of got careless and forgot that not everyone has one. The shield breaker took it down and they were on top of us so quickly. It almost bit this young girl who was using illusions to buy us time. It surprised us from above."

Thomas sits him down and studies his wound, "It looks like the purple cells fought off the infection. Go see Bella for assurance."

Troy nods and kisses the top of his sons head to calm him down, "I'm still here kido."

Sharon hugs him, clinging for dear life, "I could have lost you."

Troy hugs him tighter, "But you didn't, and you won't, because we're here and in Murasaki we're safe and home. I will come see Thomas everyday to make sure I'm okay."

Sharon nods, "Okay." He wipes his tears away and stares at his dad as he walks away.

Mira's eyes glow, "He will live Sharon. He's not infected. The vaccine works. It really does."

Sharon nods calming down.

"I don't think I can study anymore. Can we take a day off Thomas. Too much is happening in one day here." Toya says.

Thomas shoo's them away.

The teens leave and find a commotion of people packed to leave at the mall.

Toya runs to his dad to find out what is happening.

"They are demanding to leave because they don't like how we run things." Colin says.

June sighs seeing the crowd.

Kevin looks at the bags with supplies, he portals the bags away, "You came with nothing you leave with nothing."

Some of the men are told about the commotion and run to convince their wives to snap out of it, but the women are convinced it is a bluff, they won't be kicking them out, the women stand their ground.

The first of the men takes his son, "Fine. Leave, but my child stays here with me. He turns to Kevin, please keep the children out of what's happening here."

One of the women in the crowd realising her child is the only one without a father and if she leaves she will be abandoning her child she picks him up and steps out of the group.

The other woman give her looks of disgust and choose to go.

"I will send them outside the barrier. I am not bluffing." Kevin says very convincingly.

The man carrying his son turns around and walks away.

Colin tries to convince them that Kevin is not bluffing.

They shake their heads mocking his words.

Kevin sends them out of the barrier and walks away pissed off.