xx49.07.29 | 18:19 | Still Tuesday

So Chass's car is pretty much the worst car I've ever seen in my life. I don't even know what to call it, maybe a sedan? What COLOUR is it, even? Brown? Garbage? Rust? Let's call it rust. And the noise it makes! I still have good memories of riding in C2's father's cute little noisy old car but this is ridiculous. You'd think an armour-wearing masked vigilante would have a better car than this. Maybe he spent all his money on the armour. I'm in the back of it now (the car, not the armour), he wouldn't let me ride up front. To be honest I'm really nervous and scared, Chass said that the Mercy Killers wouldn't hurt C2 because she's too valuable to them as a bargaining chip, The Force and Motoplasm both agreed, but ... they've still GOT her.

Okay, nice new fresh paragraph, don't think about C2, I'm doing everything I can to get to her, apparently Chass knows exactly where she is, we're driving through these weirdly deserted streets towards the gang's hideout or whatever, everything's ... everything's NOT fine but I'm doing the best I can. Every second that passes brings me closer to her. The best thing I can do is try to relax, try to breathe, try not to think about how scared I am that—

Another new paragraph. I'm not using LUS, right now I really need to be doing something, and writing a journal entry is better than nothing. Besides, I should get some of this down, it might be important later.

Chass is ... creepy. I don't like him. I don't trust him. Even if Motoplasm (he's fine, by the way, just a bit groggy) and The Force both say he's trustworthy ... I don't know, I don't know! For now I've got to work with him to get C2 back, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Maybe I should've let The Force come with us—but no, he had to stay with Motoplasm, what if more gangers attack their base? And this isn't their responsibility. It's mine. I let C2 get taken. It's up to me to get her back. If Chass can help me—actually, why IS he helping me? After he shut off my Opal (SO RUDE) he asked me a bunch of questions, most of them I didn't even understand. And when I asked him anything, he just grunted or did this INFURITATING cocky little laugh-through-his-nose thing that's got to be the most IRRITATING thing in the WORLD. He's built weird, too. I know that's not something to judge a person on, but he's really weird. His arms are too big. His legs too. And what's with the black armour? Seriously! If that's not totally Villain I don't know what is. I called up some of the files I have on him before writing this, there's some pretty ugly stuff in there. He does NOT like men who hit women. I mean okay, yes, fine, NOBODY likes men who hit women but there's such a thing as disproportionate retribution. Besides, most of the time there wasn't even clear evidence. He was just acting on, what do you call it, just doing whatever he wanted without even knowing what was going on. And he doesn't have a power. I bet he doesn't even have an aura. He's just got that stupid armour with its stupid 'inertial dampeners' that APPARENTLY mean Little Mercy's power doesn't work on him, not enough to knock him around anyway.

Wait, I got distracted, none of that helped me figure out why he's helping me.

"Why are you helping me? I don't see ANY reason for you to."

"You complaining?"

"Obviously I'm not, I just think it's weird."

"Those drugs you took—"

"I didn't take them, Motoplasm did."

"You have them now."

"That doesn't mean they're mine."

"True. But Leroy entrusted their possession to you. That says something."

"And now you want ME to entrust YOU with them."

"That would be wise."

"Oh REALLY. Because you're just the best person in the world to be in charge of them, is that it?"

"Yes."

"You're probably just going to use them."

"Correct."

"I mean ... take them, or whatever. 'Huff' them, that's what people say, isn't it?"

"Two years ago maybe."

Grrrrrrrr.

"I'm surprised you didn't just STEAL the drugs. You're clearly amoral enough."

"Amoral. Hm."

"You could just take them from me now—why don't you try it?"

...

"Or are you scared?"

"Yes. You're terrifying. Powers, we made a deal. I help you retrieve your friend. You give me the drugs. Seems simple to me."

GRRRRRRR.

"Why do you even want them? What's so special about them?"

"They have an aura."

"What? What? Seriously? Is that unusual?"

...

"Tell me! Is that unusual? Why is that ... do you know something about the supervillains?"

"'The supervillains'."

"The bad guys, the—Segregation, do you know about that, at least?"

"Heard of it."

"So the drugs DO have something to do with the supervillains?"

...

"Are you TRYING to annoy me?"

"No, that just seems to be happening naturally."

AHHHHHHHHHHHH

"By the way, Chass. You still haven't apologised."

...

"For almost getting my friend killed, for interfering—"

"You're welcome."

"I said APOLOGISE, I wasn't THANKING you."

"Any time."

I think I'm just going to stop talking to Mr Chass. If I had LUS on right now my Opal would probably explode from how annoyed I'm getting. I'm just going to sit here and glare at the back of his stupid helmet. I can't BELIEVE I thought it looked COOL. It DOESN'T look cool. Argh yes it does—fine, right, NO talking, NO writing, just sitting here in total non-journalling silence until we get to C2.

...

...

...

I think we're here. I think that's ... no, maybe not, Chass is driving...

...

"What are you—"

"Hush."

I can't believe he just 'hushed' me. I can't believe I'm actually hushing. But if C2's in that building—I'm sure she is, I'm sure that's the one, the way Chass looked up at it and slowed down ... but now we're just driving around the block.

...

...

Now we're back where we started, after like five minutes of totally wasted time—I don't have these powers forever, Chass! I've only got ... well okay FINE I've got plenty of time left on Motoplasm and The Force's powers but—

"Fourth floor. Room on the corner with the big broken window."

"How can you be sure?"

"Basic trigonometry."

NO idea what that means.

"Okay, fine then. I'll go up and explain about the drugs—are you laughing at me?"

"No. Go on."

"...I have more than enough money to pay for whatever they think they're—you ARE laughing at me, what's so funny?"

"That you think you know Mercy. That you think this is about money."

"Huh? What? What is it about, then? Drugs? But money can buy drugs—"

"It can't buy respect."

"You mean ... you mean ... huh?"

"You want your friend to get out of this alive."

"Of course I do!"

...

"What? What's your point? Do you even HAVE a point?"

Now Chass is ignoring me. He's just looking up at the building, at the window. There's light showing through it, and movement, there's definitely someone in that room, but there are lights in other windows too. We're quite far away. Is he waiting for .... he is. He's waiting for me to say it. Well ... well, rats.

"FINE, what do YOU think we should do?"

"Mercy is afraid of me, afraid of sending her soldiers against me. Knows she'll lose an unacceptable number. Afraid also of a direct personal confrontation. Knows her power is useless against me. I can use that fear."

"Um ... how?"

"I'll go in first. Wait for my signal, then enter through the window—"

"What? Just 'enter through the window', I can't FLY—"

"You have Malcolm's ability."

"So what, what does ... oh! If I make force fields under my hands and feet—"

"Once in position wait for my signal, then enter—"

"What 'signal'?"

"You'll know. Use Leroy's ability to impair any soldiers guarding your friend. Focus on the left ventricle of the heart, stopping bloodflow there will induce cardiogenic shock."

"I don't want to KILL them!"

"Unless you sustain the stoppage for more than twenty seconds there shouldn't be any permanent damage."

"Anyway, how on earth am I supposed to know where the left ventricle is?"

"...interesting. Use force fields and Mercy's ability, then. Get yourself and your friend to the bathroom and block the door with a field until I get to you."

"And then?"

...

Chass has a really creepy smile.