Absorption Distortion

Chapter 7

Nick woke up as the light of the small ensuite was switched on and flooded the room. He looked over to see Kate making her way inside with Jason kneeling beside the bed looking in his backpack. Nick put his head back on his pillow and looked upwards at the ceiling, curious as to what today could bring and at the thought of Luna, he sits up in bed, "Oh sorry mate, we didn't wake you did we?" Jason worried, Nick shook his head and smiled, "Naah man, I had to get up early anyways, who knows what today will bring," He threw the blanket that he had on top of him to the side and swung his legs off the bed. He was still in the clothes from yesterday and didn't even notice. He put his shoes back on and stood up just as Kate walked out, "Morning," she said upbeat, turning the bedroom light on now knowing everyone was awake. Nick squinted at the bright light and walked towards the door. Kate, who was walking passed him at the time, grabbed his arm and turned him around, "Why don't you get changed first? Jason has some spare clothes he brought in from the Ute Nick," Kate urged to which he reluctantly agreed, noticing he had a sweaty musk scent from not showering for a few days. Jason threw him a new pair of dark jeans, black hoodie and a white shirt. He walked into the small ensuite and closed the door behind him.

Nick had a brief shower and changed his clothes, dumping his worn clothes on his bed beside his backpack. When he returned to the main room, he was alone. Kate and Jason were no longer in the room and he noticed their belongings were no longer on the floor. Not really awake enough to make sense of the situation, Nick presumed they were just overprotective of their stuff and opened the bedroom door. He rushed out and followed the pathway leading to the main area where he and the group sat the night before. No one was there. He heard voices coming from the front of the entry and turned to see Mekhi entering the building with Jason. "Hey, good morning," he greeted with a friendly smile. They both stopped seeing him and Jason quickly informed Nick, "Luna's missing, so is Apollo," Mekhi walks over to his jacket slung across the couch and puts it on. "What do you mean? missing?" Nick probes, "I went to get them for breakfast this morning, Apollo usually helps me setup," Mekhi began, pausing to adjust his collar and zip up his jacket, Nick wipes his face in frustration for the old man, wanting to leave immediately to find Luna. He was kicking himself after realizing he's worries about Apollo are coming true. "One of the four wheeled drives were missing," he added. Kate walked into the room, "We're ready," she said to Jason who looked back at her, flashing her a quick smile. She looked at Nick and walked up to him, "Did you hear anything last night?" he shakes his head. Kate looks down feeling bummed out. "I told her I didn't trust that guy," Nick says under his breath, "Do you think she was his actual brother?" Kate asked Nick, Mekhi overhearing replied, "Yes, he is. When I was Professor Eville's right hand man, I heard about the birth of the twins," he sat down on the edge of couch and puts his hands on his knees, with his head to the air recalling, "Luna and Apollo are twins, I passed a witch doctor once in Africa who spoke of a tale of the Balance twins, like Yin and Yang, Black and White," They all quickly moved around to listen in, but only Kate and Jason sat on the edge of their seats in anticipation of leaving. Nick was unable to sit down, "He said the Balance twins are the two essential and interdependent energies of life. Though opposite in abilities, they are not as diametrically opposed, but rather as complementary and relative to one another," The three of them looked a little puzzled at Mekhi, he picked up on their confusion and decided to explain in an easier route, "Good and Evil," Jason sat back as Mekhi continued, "Dark and light. Day and Night. Luna takes life where Apollo gives life," Nick quickly quips, "Shouldn't that make Apollo the bad guy?" he says it with such a hiss tone of annoyance and loathing for Luna's brother. "As much as you would thinking taking life would be an evil trait, giving the life back to a man who died because he was evil is not a good trait either," Mekhi let out a sigh, "There is one thing about Luna's ability I wasn't able to tell her," Nick looked at him curious of what he will say, "When she absorbs abilities, she absorbs them at the level in which the ability with holder is at," Nick nods, as does Jason with Kate adding in a quiet, "Yeah?" "Well if she is able to control her abilities well enough, she would be able to enhance the abilities she's gained for herself," Nick scratched his head, trying to follow along, however Jason saved him the trouble and asked, "So what does that mean exactly?" Faith walked in the room and Mekhi slowly stood up, as did the others, "It means she can be quite a dangerous young lady," He moves with Faith and gesturing to the others to follow the couple out to the front of the yard. "Did you see where she went?" Nick asked as he stepped through the doors closely behind Mekhi, "No, must've been during our perimeter checks, although we didn't hear the car," he pondered, "You don't think she left on purpose do you?" Kate asks, walking beside her husband hand in hand, Mekhi shrugs, "Maybe she left to spend time with Apollo, she could come back ya know, we might be jumping to conclusions here," she added being hopeful, everyone turned to her and she shrugged, "Hopefully," Everyone headed towards the cars where a group of people geared up were already packed into a large Range Rover. Mekhi walked ahead and greeted them, they immediately pulled out of the car park and left following the trail out of the woods. Nick followed behind James and Kate, "What are we going to do?" he asks, she turns around and hands him a map, "We have the tracker, we know where she is," Nick opens the map to see Fernbrooke Facility circled. "Won't our powers be useless in the forrest?" he stops walking behind Kate and Jason who also slowed down upon his question just as Mekhi approaches the trio overhearing Nick's question, he replies, "We need to get inside to their generator room in the basement. If we can disable their electronic force field energy source generator, we can use our abilities to get Luna out of there," he pauses and adds, "And Apollo too," Nick steps back, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, he's the bad guy in this," Jason interjects, "Nick, we're not so sure," Nick looks at him with annoyance and pulls a face that he can't see 'the obvious' as it is in Nick's eyes, "Well we aren't that sure Nick," Kate adds. He looks at her with the same face, "Is this Eville guy behind this?" he scoffed, and Mekhi stepped up to him and his hand on his shoulder, "We're not sure, but I just sent in a team who are trained in their abilities. Lets get in the car and by the time we get there, I'm sure Luna will be there waiting for us to take her home," he said it with a smile, but Nick wasn't buying it.