No calls.

Starlio looked at his watch.It was already the following morning and still no calls from Shannon,who had promised to contact him after reaching the motel they were staying at.I'm probably just overthinking...it's not like I'm anybody to do that.

Starlio sighs to himself,taking his homemade laptop,a device he found in the scrapyard and repaired himself as he inserted a thumb drive into it,checking Shannon's location.A construction site...?Maybe that's where they will be giving out food for the local construction workers,who were notoriously underpaid?

I'm overthinking it.Starlio convinced himself.

Another day passed before Starlio checked the laptop again.The tracker was still at the construction site.Starlio looked at his laptop screen,which was phasing out every few seconds as Starlio decided to make a phone call to Conner:"Hello?Conner?"

"Yea...yea?"A sleepy Conner answers him.

"Have you heard anything from the student council?"Starlio asks Conner,who was a council member."Urm...no?Why?"Starlio began running through multiple scenarios in his head,anything from him simply overthinking to the worst case scenario,a disaster that happens to the charity trip group.

No way....everything that Starlio put together.It isn't just him overthinking.

"Usually when it comes to school trips and shit you guys would be receiving news like almost daily to update the school websites and magazines right?"Starlio asks."Yea,yea what about it?"Conner answers as Starlio brought up:"So why haven't you received anything about the current charity trip to Aor Town in Plex City?"

"Oh....oh shit...you're right."Conner's sounded more awake."I'll check in with the rest of the members,see if they receive anything.I'll get back to you."

"Alright thanks."

I'm overthinking....I'm overthinking for sure.Maybe she just doesn't really like me?I might be taking her kindness to not reject me for something else....but no....no matter how Starlio looked at it,Shannon didn't to be the type of person to ghost or ignore others.

A couple of minutes later,Conner returned the call.

"Nope,the rest of the student council hasn't gotten any info back yet too.I'm going to school later on for council duties you wanna tag along?"Conner answers the prodigy who pursed his lips together,thinking about his own actions....still paranoid about being over reacting.

"Sure,I'll meet you outside the school."

"Why are you back here?You're suspended aren't you?"Mrs Wooly greeted Starlio,Conner right behind him.Starlio noticed the police car outside the school as he answers his teacher:"The semester ended,I'm no longer suspended."

"You don't have any lessons though."His teacher tells him.

"Just accompanying my friend."Starlio points to Conner who waved awkwardly.

Mrs Wooly rolled her eyes,allowing her two students to enter the school compound as Conner asks him:"So what are you gonna do now?I have to report for duty."

"Just go ahead,I'll do my own thing."

"Okie."

Starlio went ahead across the school corridor when he noticed two police officers,talking to Mr Jackson,the principal of their school.Starlio cautiously approached the conversation,wary to not to let them spot him.

"Any other information you can provide about the missing students?"One of the police officers asks Mr Jackson.Starlio's eyes widened,his suspicion was starting to become true."I've given every file about them and the trip already.Has the police made any progress in finding my students?"Mr Jackson answers him.

"Unfortunately....we found one of your students,Miles Vandel's body across the designated motel they were in."the other police officer informs the principal.

Starlio's heart sank.

"We have found traces of the other students' DNA across multiple drink cans and bottles they left behind,which has led us to believe that they snuck out of curfew from the motel and probably bumped into some of the local gangsters or worst,human traffickers.CCTV footage from the convenient store also confirmed this."

"Oh god...."Mr Jackson mutters.

The construction site....he can help.....he can help!Starlio took in a deep breath as he bravely approached the conversation,cutting between the three adults and turned to the policemen:"I believe I can help."

Mr Jackson looked extremely vexed as he signaled for Starlio to go away.The policemen ignored him as well and was about to continue their conversation with Starlio cut in again:"I have a tracker on Shannon's phone.I can show you her location,presumably the rest of the students as well,just let me bring my laptop and-"

"Starlio,this is serious.Don't interrupt us."Mr Jackson tells him.

"I'm serious Mr Jackson.Just let me help!"Starlio persists as one of the policemen grabbed him hand:"Alright that's enough young man."Starlio tried to pull himself out of the policeman's grip,only for the enforcement officer to tighten his grip and tossed Starlio across the corridor:"Stay down kid.This is serious."

"I'm serious too!"Starlio begged.

"Starlio!Enough!One more time you interrupt us I'll suspend you permanently."Mr Jackson warns.Starlio felt heat burning up his chest and towards his head as he tried to calm his nerves.These adults,always not listening to the younger generation even though they had no reason not to.Just because of their age they view themselves as superior.

"Experience doesn't always equal results dumbass."Starlio mutters to himself,giving up the idea of seeking help from the police or Mr Jackson.

What can I do now?

Starlio recalled reading multiple news reports about Aor Town.His school's group was far from the first batch of missing students and not only that,if he remembered correctly,he read an article that stated over few hundred kids and teenagers disappearing throughout the town,most of them never to be seen again.

Assuming that the kidnapped would be moved away from the town to avoid detection as quickly as possible....he roughly had just over a day to do anything about it.

The policemen,the principal,the teachers.Adults would never take anything he says seriously.But...what if there is a way to save Shannon and the rest without the help of the adults?

There is.

And it is crazy.

Somewhere.

Sunlight....?Shannon felt almost nothing with all five senses,everything around her was blurry,her head felt heavy and every inch of her body felt nothing but numbness.

Slowly,Shannon opened her eyes as her memories of the previous day slowly returned to her....sneaking out of the motel and to the convenient store.A gun.A gun pointed point blank range towards the back of her head and- the death of her classmate.Shannon shot open her eyes in fear as she began scanning her surroundings in a panic.

The first thing she noticed was her wrists,bind together by a rope and she herself,arms and legs tied to a chair.The room she was in was...dark,a moist eerie atmosphere with small trickles of sunlight,seeping through the dirty ceiling's cracks.Her mouth,sealed shut by a tape like material and around her,her fellow friends,Kate,Angie and Kane,all tied up in a similar position.

Shit...shit....where were they?

"You're awake first.Welcome to your new life."A tall African American man was at the end of the room,smoking a cigar,dressed in a grey tank top,construction pants and boots.Shannon screamed her heart out,trying to make as much noise as she could only for muffled cries to be barely made out.

The African American smirked,ignoring Shannon's efforts when another man entered the room.

"Vincent,the boss wants an update.Rough estimate of the hauls."The man tells the African American,Vincent whose expression melted into a frown.Vincent turned to the teenagers,Shannon observing his every move as Vincent answers the man.

"Assuming they are virgins,30K for each girl.10 for the boy."Vincent tells the man.

Shannon felt a lingering feeling up her spine as she replayed the conversation in her head....whatever they are doing,or whatever they are going to do....sounded awfully to human trafficking and wherever she ends up,will be a living hell.

Shannon screamed again,trying to free herself when Vincent marched towards her,slapping her across the face,silencing her."Shut up...either you do,or I'll make you."

"FNGUAHHDD!"Shannon blurted.

"Ugh."Vincent stripped the tape off Shannon's mouth,allowing the teen to gasp for air.Shannon glared up at the human trafficker,blowing a strand of her hair away from her face as she growled:"The police will find you and when they do,you'll all end up in prison.Let us go now and you may face a lighter sentence."

Vincent looked extremely unamused.

"Yea shut the hell up."Vincent was about to slap the tape back on Shannon when she clenched her teeth,narrowly missing Vincent's fingers as the trafficker jumped back."Whoa there,what the hell?"

"You will get your retribution."Shannon says again.

Vincent smiled,leaning uncomfortably close towards Shannon,making her shut her mouth and almost regretting whatever she had just said."Talk while you can miss,thousands before you did the same as well and look at where they ended up.Slaves?Soldiers?Dolls?There are many out there with untold disgusting fetishes,who knows what they will do to you.Well,that's your problem.Eventually you'll know what I mean."

"You're....."Shannon was at a loss for words.

"Keep still alright?It'll make all these a lot easier."

North Star Town.

"Hey hey!Starlio!Think this through!"Conner was trying to keep up with Starlio,who was walking out of the school,heading towards his bike.

"I thought this through alright.I don't see another way."Starlio answers him when the two boys bumped into Joseline Fisher."Joseline?Why are you in school today?"Starlio asks his project group mate who answered him quickly:"I haven't heard from Shannon or Angie in quite sometime.We were supposed to have multiple online calls and I've heard rumors that something has happened.Here to confirm with the teachers."

"Forget it,they won't tell you a thing."Starlio tells her,subsequently informing her of everything he knew.Joseline took in everything surprisingly calm and before he knew it,she already seemed to have a good idea on what to do next.

"I'm not exactly surprised.I mean what did they expect bringing a bunch of 14 year olds to a crime infested town with no security whatsoever.Anyway,you said you had a tracker?"Joseline asks an embarrassed Starlio who quickly came up with a reply.

"It's exactly because I'm worried that's why I placed the tracker."Starlio hoped in his heart that he didn't appear as a creep.

"They won't listen?"Joseline asks again.

"Since when do they?"Conner agreed with the prodigy as Joseline bit her lip,scratching her head a little before turning to Starlio:"I overheard the two of you saying think this through....you have a plan?"

"I do...but...I need to do this alone."

"Care to explain?"

"No...it's too insane to convince you that it will work.Just let me do my thing,I'll bring them back."Starlio confidently tells Joseline as he gave the two students a reassuring nod,heading towards the exit of the school and cycling his way back home.

Upon reaching back home,an enraged Mason Stex,his Dad greeted him at the door with his arms folded.Starlio already anticipated that the school would call his parents over his interference of police matters just now as he heard his dad say:"Starlio Stex,what did you do this time?"

Mason didn't look as drunk as he usually did,he was probably off today,not wearing his usual military outfit but instead in a casual singlet and pants.

"Now's not the time Dad."Starlio says,brushing past his father and entering the house.

"Young man!What kind of attitude are you showing?!Get down here!"Mason roared as Starlio ignored his father's words,marching up the stairs towards his room.Mason burst up the stairs,grabbing Starlio by the hand and dragging him back:"You think you can afford to show me this stinky personality of yours?!"

"Let's go!This isn't about me!"Starlio tried only to be slapped across the cheek by Mason.

"YOU ARE GROUNDED!"Mason roared.

Mitchell and his mother looked in fear as Mason dragged Starlio by the ear,holding him back when his mom stepped between them:"Mason!You're being too rough on him!"

Mason growled:"No,I'm not rough enough that's why he is behaving like this!"

"You're sick!"Starlio had enough,kicking himself free from Mason's grip and making a beeline towards his room,shutting the door and locking it,quickly grabbing an empty bag and grabbing his own inventions from the box under his bed...

His taser glove.Little metal beads that had wires all over them,grappling hook,night vision goggles that he had re-engineered,a stone rifle that was made up of spare bicycle and motorcycle parts,capable of shooting out pebbles at blinding speeds,not able to fatally wound a person,but able to cause an extreme amount of pain and most importantly of all,Starlio fished out the jet pack exo suit from the back of his closet,laying it on the ground and suiting up.

Starlio could hear Mason banging violently against his door:"OI SON!OPEN UP!"

That door isn't going to hold.Starlio gave himself a timer in his heart as he grabbed his laptop that he was using to track Shannon's location into his bag,along with all the weapons that he had constructed over the past few years.Starlio tightened himself into the exo suit,strapping the bag-pack on his chest before walking over to his window.

BOOM.

Mason burst into the door,breaking down the door to see Starlio,completely suited up.Mitchell and his mom were right behind Mason.

"Starlio?What are you doing?"His mom gasped.

"I'm sorry."Starlio tells them before jumping right out of his second floor window and right towards the grass patch of the first floor,which fortunately wasn't a huge fall.Starlio quickly activated his jet packs' engine,which began producing heat in his back that fortunately was insulated by him quite well,giving him nothing more than a warm fuzzy feeling.

"Starlio!!!"Mason roared from the window.

Starlio ignored his father once more,grabbing Mason's motorcycle helmet from the garage before running to his backyard and activating his thrusters.

Heat surged through his lower feet as he began levitating off the ground,blowing away the stray leaves and grass around him.Starlio quickly placed on his helmet as he looked around him,identifying the direction towards Aor Town."Big bro...?"Starlio heard Mitchell's voice as he looked behind him,his brother and parents,staring at him speechless.

I hope it's worth it.

Starlio flipped a switch on his exo suit's wrist,powering up his rockets as the prodigy shot up into the sky,the thrill and adrenaline rush across his body was making any doubts or fears about taking flight slowly fade away as the prodigy looked up into the clouds...the freedom,the wind blowing across his body and the coolness of the air...

Starlio smiled to himself...he did it.He can fly.

Starlio spread his arms,taking a deep breath of the air he never thought he would ever breathe in.So this is what it's like to be on an airplane...?Starlio thought to himself before the thought of Shannon returned to him....he had a mission to accomplish.

If he was right,this would work.

Starlio slowly leaned himself forward,firing up his rockets as he began to shoot through the air of North Star Town,houses and streets beneath him passing right by in a blur.The feeling was phenomenal,for the first time Starlio didn't feel trapped within North Star Town,he didn't have to be poor...he can carve his own future.

Aor Town....it was at the other end of Plex City,which roughly estimated to be about 10 miles away from North Star.At the speed he was going,300km/hr,it won't take too long for him to reach the location of Shannon.

What happens then?Even if you save her?

Starlio looked straight into the clouds,a voice in his head beginning to question his actions.What happens is that I will save my class mates.I would have prevented them from losing their lives forever and I will prove to everyone that adults are not always right?

What about you?

Nothing.I don't need to be rewarded,I will be happy knowing that I did the right thing.

The sun began to set.

Starlio knew his jet pack couldn't run forever.He had calculated about only 2-3 hours of flight time at the maximum and not only that,he had to think about a way home as well.But that wasn't the priority now as Starlio entered the perimeters of Aor Town, a town that wasn't too different from North Star street layout wise,but the houses....

The houses of Aor Town were significantly less furnished,as if every single house in the town was just like Starlio's,broken down and dirty.The streets were filled with dirt and filth,the lights along the roads that were supposed to be lit at this timing were all dim.

So there are people out there who needed help....more than he ever did.

Starlio landed on the top of a burger joint,hoping that he wouldn't get the attention of the nearby residents whom all seemed to per-occupied or depressed with their day to day lives to even look up into the sky.

"Phew..."Starlio removed his helmet,his hair was now in a fuzzy mess and he himself,out of breath from holding his posture for as long as he did.

Starlio set himself down,allowing his suit to cool down while placing his bag on the floor,opening his laptop to confirm his location.To his relief,Shannon's tracker had not moved at all,but he couldn't count on that,he had to move as quickly as possible.The construction site was not too far away either,just half a mile away as Starlio packed his laptop,placing the motorcycle helmet back on and taking off towards another vantage point,nearer to the construction site.

Starlio found himself overlooking most of the construction site,which looked perfectly normal from where he was,construction vehicles,workers and giant metal pipes that is the foundation of whatever building they were trying to build.

Starlio checked his laptop once again.

This is it.This is the right place....but was it a mistake?

Starlio grabbed his night vision googles and began looking at the now darkening construction site,the evening slowly becoming night.His heart was beating more rapidly than ever as Starlio closed his eyes,honing every instinct in his body to concentrate.

Save them.

I hope I am right.Starlio says as he took out the three metal beads from his bag....he designed each of them to release an overwhelming surge of electrical charge around them,frying out anything that was electric based.An EMP.

Starlio looked back down to scout the area when he noticed a boy,someone about his age,his head wrapped up in a bag and his hands,tied,forced to walk by two of the construction workers into a make shift building and in total,there were multiple of said make shift buildings...were they all held in the same place?

This confirms it.This is the place.

"Alright,no time to waste."Starlio says to himself,grabbing his homemade stone launching rifle out,along with his taser glove that he attached to his right arm and a grappling hook that he attached to his left.

Starlio tossed the EMP beads into the construction site as the three beads exploded,blasts of electricity knocking out almost all the power in the construction site.