New Beginnings || Chase Davenport

22

With the countdown coming close, Harley decided to get some fresh air. She went to the park and watched as mothers played with their children. She smiled as she couldn't wait to experience that with her baby. 

"Hi, is this seat taken?" 

Harley looks up to see a girl around her age, with short auburn hair. Harley shakes her head and allows the girl to sit next to her.

"Are any of these children yours?" Harley asks.

The girl shakes her head. "No, but I am a caretaker. I try to come to parks and offer my help in any way that I can." She held out her hand. "I'm Reese."

Harley smiles and shakes the girl's hand. "I'm Harley."

*

A few days later, Harley and Reese had gotten closer. They would meet up at the park and talk about Harley's pregnancy. Harley enjoyed the girl's company. She even offered Reese a position to help her during her final hours of pregnancy.  

Currently, Harley sat with the team in the living room when Douglas walked in. He had a look of worry on his face that Harley noticed.

"Hey, Dad, what's wrong?" Harley questions. 

"Something strange is going on outside. The whole city feels eerie. There are a lot more police sirens than usual." 

"What do you think it is?" Bree asks.

Douglas shakes his head. "I don't know. But something is definitely not right."

Skylar walked out on the balcony to check out what was going on. When she came back in, she explained how Douglas was right and that things were looking sketchy out there.

"I told you something weird was going on," Douglas says. "I was watching the Channel 5 news with Chip and Dixie, and they said strange things have been happening all over the city."

"What kind of strange things?" Skylar asks. 

"Fires, ruptured gas lines, all sorts of random destruction. Eyewitnesses are saying it all started with a mysterious black swarm." 

"Hey, we know a mysterious black swarm." Kaz points out. "Oh."

"Roman and Riker," Chase says. "They must be changing up their strategy. Instead of attacking us, they're attacking the people of Centium City."

"Why?" 

"Because they couldn't get our list of the superheroes' locations." Skylar answers. 

"Instead of fighting the superheroes themselves, I bet they're trying to lure them out by using innocent civilians as bait," Kaz explains.

"I better go down and use the encrypted network to warn the superheroes," Skylar says, but as she makes her way toward the hyperlift, the power shuts off. 

"The whole city just went dark," Harley says.

"This isn't good. You guys need to suit up and get moving." Douglas tells the team, then looks at Chase. "I will stay here with Harley."

*

As Douglas and Harley lit up the room with candles or flashlights, the door opens to reveal two people walking in.

"Perry? Reese? What are you two doing here?" Harley questions.

"I came here to check on you. As your caretaker, I have to make sure you and the baby are alright." Reese smiles. "I don't know who this weird lady is though." 

Douglas rolls his eyes before walking over to Perry. The woman says to him, "I saw the news. The city is being overrun by a giant swarm. I'm scared, Dougie." She traps him in a hug.