1.16

Hunter, Jimena, and Silas were brought into the art gallery and told to help the two security guards with keeping watch.

The gallery specialised in the postmodern artwork. Hunter never saw the point in the style of art, saying it was stupid. Jimena on the other hand was intrigued by every piece.

Hunter and Jimena hadn’t spoken since they left the Primal Lands and it upset Silas.

“Hunter, dude. I think you should go apologise to Jimena. You’ve been a real jerk to her.”

“I’m not sure if we can trust her so easily. She’s hiding something.” Hunter was short in his answer.

“And you’re not? You didn’t say anything about what truly happened to your father. Or the reason you wanted to become a hero. You can’t expect her to if you don’t.” Silas left Hunter to stew on what he had said. He decided to go on a walk by himself, he was bored.

Silas headed down a hallway that was lined with frightening images, each one more disturbing then the last. It left him feeling uneasy, he quickened his pace.

The hallway opened into a large room that was made to look like it was upside down. Many strange sculptures hung about the room. They didn’t appear natural and left Silas leaving a little queasy as he looked at them.

Silas stumbled around the room, doing everything he could to avoid looking at any of the strange artworks. He felt like he was trapped in a nightmare.

“How is any of this art?” Silas screamed as he sat on the floor, defeated.

Hunter slowly approached Jimena, swept over by a sense of awkwardness. He knew Silas was right and he felt stupid for the way he had behaved.

“I’m sorry for the way I’ve been. I’m just a really guarded person.” He stood next to her, looking up at the artwork she was intrigued by. He felt repulsed by it and couldn’t explain why.

“I get it. You and Silas seem to know each other really well. I stepped in to help you two in a fight, and now we’re thrust into being a team together. All you really know about me is I go to the same school as you.” Jimena and Hunter continued to stare ahead at the artwork. Either felt too awkward to look at the other.

“Yeah, Silas and I have known each other a long time.”

“Hunter, I’m on the same side. On the same team. I’ll explain things about me when I’m ready.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Look let me share something with you on why I became a hero. My father was Blockade.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” She spun to look at Hunter, not realising he had already left.

Hunter stood in the corner of another room, hiding himself in the shadow. The night felt like it had stretched on for eternity and he was beginning to grow bored.

“Hey, you guys, we’ve just had one of our artworks stolen. Please come into the Upside-Down Room.” Hunter’s walkie talkie hissed into life. The security guard was in an obvious panic.

“I’m already in that room,” Silas’s voice came through in a distressed warble. Hunter wasn’t sure who sounded more in a panic, Silas, or the security guard.

Hunter made it quickly to the room, using the countless maps strewn throughout the gallery as a guide.

The room threw him off-guard. The sculptures annoyed him and as he walked through the room, he came across Silas sitting in the corner of the room.

The two security guards entered the room from where Hunter entered. One was short, bald and fat. The other was the complete opposite. Too hairy and scrawny. Jimena joined the room shortly after.

“Which sculpture is missing?” Jimena asked.

“An obscure, imperfect sphere called The Eye of Truth. Its priceless.” The bald one informed them.

“What makes it priceless?” Hunter asked.

“The artist is world renown, she’s only ever made three sculptures in her thirty-year career, and this was her latest.” The bald one said.

“Are there any cameras in the room?” Jimena asked.

“Won’t need one,” said Silas.

“Why’s that?” Hunter asked.

“I saw the whole thing.” Silas pulled himself up off the floor.

“What happened?” the skinny guard asked.

“At first I thought it was a snake. It came in through that window there.” He pointed at a small window high up on the wall. Much too small for any person to fit through.

“Then what?” Hunter asked.

“It was incredibly long. Falling into a pile on the floor under the window. Then it slowly coiled and moved around itself, giving it the shape of a person. It was then I realised it was a bandage. One really long sentient bandage.”

“Seriously?” asked the bald security guard.

“All sorts of powers exist,” said Silas.

“Where did it go after it took the sculpture?” Hunter asked.

“Back out the same window.”

“What do we do now?” the skinny guard asked.

“I don’t know,” Hunter informed. He brought up his communicator and relayed the information to Michael.

“Stay there and stay out of sight. This art thief has always taken two or three pieces from each gallery. Hopefully, you can catch them when they return.”

Hunter instructed the two guards to watch the cameras that monitored the perimeter of the gallery, and the three teens stayed in the room. They each hid in the shadows and watched the window.

It didn’t take long before the art thief returned. Hunter watched as the bandage slowly stretched down to the floor, layering itself into a small pile. The end fell into place and he watched as it slowly rose from the floor like a snake.

The bandage came into a humanoid shape, looking like a person completely covered head to toe in bandages. But he didn’t see a body.

Hunter watched as the “person” tiptoed across the floor, inspecting the other sculptures. It seemed to find one it liked as it came to stop at a small sculpture, a shape that Hunter didn’t think existed.

The thief rubbed their hands together and grabbed the piece of art.

“Ha, got ya,” screamed Silas. The thief jumped, dropping the artwork. They ran back toward the wall where the window was and started to uncoil and stretch up toward the window.

“No you don’t” Jimena stepped out of the shadow and shot of balls of goo at the window, covering it completely.

The bandage reached the window and tried to squeeze into the small window, to no success. It reared back from the window and shot out as one long piece, cascading back down to the floor. It recoiled back into humanoid shape and made a run for a door.

“Jimena, hit it with everything you have.” Hunter shouted. Jimena flicked into rapid fire mode and walked toward the bandage.

After being hit a few times, the bandage caught on what was happening. Parts of the “body” would unwrap and extend, opening up to avoid the projectiles.

“Balloon Boy, now.” Silas blocked the doorway and inflated, sealing the way shut. The bandage stretched out and tried to squeeze past, but to no avail.

“Give up. We’ve got you cornered.” Hunter stepped toward the thief and wasn’t expecting it to wrap around him like a snake and start to constrict him.

The air slowly escaped from Hunter’s lungs. He tried to move but was unable to.

Both Silas and Jimena ran toward Hunter and tried to pry the bandage from their friend. The bandage tightened its grip around Hunter.

“Let go.” Jimena pulled a pocketknife from her suit pouch located on her shin. Hunter felt the bandage loosen its grip a little, but still held on. Jimena brought the blade in and scooped it under one of the layers.

“Don’t. I’ll stop.” The voice was sweet and a little nasally. The bandage unwrapped itself from Hunter and reformed itself into a humanoid form.

“My name’s Balloon Boy. What’s yours?” The bandages gave no answer.

“I’m Mite, this is Quagmire.” Hunter pointed to himself then to Jimena. Jimena awkwardly waved. Still no answer.

Suddenly, the bandage made a run for it. Jimena answered with a large slime ball, big enough to engulf the entire body of the bandage. It stayed stuck to the floor.

“The police are on their way.” The two guards had run into the room and both looked at the slime with deep curiosity. The teens’ communicators beeped.

“Well done young heroes. I’ve told the police not to come in, I’ve convinced them I’ll take care of the situation. I’m sending Stick to come get all four of you. I’m going to have a word with the culprit.”

Sure enough, within minutes, Stick arrived. Jimena kept her hand in contact with the slime ball, keeping its shape.

They returned to the treehouse at the Primal Lands and they were surprised to see Michael standing there, waiting for them.

“I ask for you all to leave the room. Please leave the captured thief with me.”

Michael called for them all to return.

“Hunter, Jimena, Silas. I want you to meet your new teammate. Gauzelle, meet your teammates.”

“Gauzelle, like gauze. Bandages?” Silas asked. Gauzelle nodded.

“I think she’ll be a great addition to the team,” Michael declared.