1.23

Stick was still away on her secret mission and the heroes in training had taken advantage of their own time.

Jimena often wore earphones and read books. Hunter played videogames, Gauzelle trained against the wildlife the Primal Lands had to offer and Silas had grown extremely bored.

Initially, Silas used the down time to work on his own card game. The ideas had been spinning around his head for a while, but he quickly burned himself out. He knew he wanted the theme to be superheroes, but not where to go with that.

Silas’s communicator beeped on his wrist and he saw Michael’s face.

“Hey there Excelsior. What’s up?”

“Well hello there, Balloon Boy. There are reports of someone stealing rare trading cards and I need your help to stop them.” Silas clenched his fists. The thought of someone doing such a thing annoyed him. People put their heart and soul into collecting things, not to mention their money.

“The whole team?” Silas asked.

“I tried, but none of them are responding. You’re the only one.” Silas felt both excitement and slight trepidation. He’d never really done the hero thing by himself before.

“Okay. Send me the location where I’m needed, and I’ll be there.” Michael sent him the coordinates.

Silas got himself ready and he tried to get the attention of the others himself. Hunter only vaguely responded. Jimena didn’t answer her door. Gauzelle however said she’d like to join him. He accepted the offer and was glad of the help.

Silas bounced through the trees and Gauzelle swung along. Extending parts of her bandages and propelling herself forward. Unwrapping and grabbing ahead to keep momentum.

“So where are we going?” Gauzelle asked.

“To a comic shop. Its just been robbed. Maybe we can find clues there and solve this crime fast. Put an end to the reign of the thief.”

“I used to be a thief.” Gauzelle’s tone went flat.

“And we stopped your reign, didn’t we?” Silas blurted it out before giving it much thought.

“That’s how you see me?”

“No. But. Well, you were. But now you’re not, you’re part of the team.” Silas had been so distracted with trying to fix his response, he didn’t see the wall that marked the border of the Primal Lands. He bounced off and went sailing back toward the trees. He deflated and ran out.

“Silas. I’m pulling your leg. Its fine. Don’t stress bouncy boy.” Gauzelle doubled over in laughter.

“Its Balloon Boy, and it wasn’t that funny.” He came up to where Gauzelle was and they exited the park.

Gauzelle unravelled and used a streetlight to propel herself forward through the air. Silas reinflated himself and kicked off after her.

“This is so much faster without the other two,” said Gauzelle.

“I know. I almost feel sorry for them.” Without having Jimena and Hunter with them, the two teens made it to the comic shop in no time at all.

This comic shop differed to the one Hunter frequented. Instead of dim lights and disorganised shelves, everything was bright and clearly labelled. Glass cabinets full of collectibles lined the walls and the staff all wore smiles. They actively engaged in conversation with their customers and didn’t just try to prove them wrong.

The manager, a lightly balding man desperately clinging to his youth with multiple piercings approached Silas and Gauzelle. His right eyebrow was slightly swollen, making it obvious this was a recent addition to the metal on his face. He wore tight golfer pants and a Cardinal Knight t-shirt.

“Who are you two?” He asked. He sounded stressed.

“We are Balloon Boy and Gauzelle. Two members of Power Teens, an-”

“You can’t be Power Teens,” a nasally voice called from the corner of the shop. A pimple faced girl with shiny braces came over.

“Sorry?” Silas asked.

“You can’t be Power Teens. That’s a superhero group consisting of Freight Train, Smileys, Green Thumb and Silencer. And you two don’t look like any of them.”

“With names like that, I wouldn’t want to be a part of that team anyway,” remarked Gauzelle.

“Well you should be jealous. They’re well known, and I’ve never heard of you two.”

“I never asked your opinion.” Gauzelle’s tone grew heated. The girl took the cue and went back to her group of friends going over the latest issue of some comic book.

“Anyways. As I was saying, we’re here to help with your thief problem.” Silas puffed out his chest to look serious.

“I called the police. This seems too small an issue for heroes.” The store owner looked past the heroes’ shoulders, craning to see if any police officers were coming into his shop.

“No, I can assure you. This problem is worth our time to investigate. The thought of someone stealing rare trading cards, its. Well, it disgusts me.” Silas spoke with such conviction the whole shop looked at him.

“Very well then. I’m Quincy. We were robbed only a few hours ago, just before opening. I can show you the security camera footage if you want.” The man didn’t sound convinced of the two heroes wanting to help. But he had no other choice.

Silas and Gauzelle watched the cameras as they clearly saw a person in a well-dressed suit lower down from the roof using a grappling gun. The culprit briefly danced along the wall, peering into the glass cabinet, before rounding to the store’s counter in the middle of the room. They looked at the camera, showing a blank canvas with a yellow smiley face.

Here, the thief jumped over the counter and looked around. Within moments, they found what they were looking for and opened vault in the floor. They brought out some glass cases and lined them on the counter. The thief did a quick once-over and grabbed the four cases, putting them into a bag. Using the grappling hook, they ascended back through the ceiling.

“I know who that is,” said Gauzelle.

“Really?” Silas and Quincy asked together.

“Yeah, that’s Whacko Jacko. We used to steal things together.”

“You stole things?” Quincy asked. Now he sounded mad.

“Yeah. Used to. I’m a superhero now.” Gauzelle’s tone sounded cheerful.

“Do they just let anyone in?” Quincy asked. He looked at the two teens with a face contorted with judgement.

“Well, probably. Why, do you want to try?”

“What, really?” All anger immediately drained from Quincy’s face.

“Do you have a power or skill of some sort?” Silas asked. He was happy Quincy was interested in joining the side of good. The more the merrier.

“I’m a white belt in judo and I’m good on my bike.” Quincy puffed his chest with pride, akin the how Silas had done earlier.

“Great.” Gauzelle sounded the word out slowly, showing little care at hiding her sarcasm.

“Yeah, that’s a great start. I think I can work with you on something. I’ll keep in touch. What can you tell me about Whacko Jacko?” Silas had been sincere when talking to Quincy about becoming a hero. Ideas were running through his head and he wanted to run them by Michael that night.

“Do you know where he’d be?” Silas asked.

“Yeah, I’ve got a good idea,” Gauzelle replied.

“You really think I could become a superhero?” Quincy asked excitedly.

“Yeah. I’ve got someone I can talk to once we’re done here. I’ll keep in touch.” Silas and Gauzelle left the comic shop and Gauzelle led the way.

Gauzelle brought them to a rundown t.v. studio. The stages were run down and one of the buildings was a pile of rubble.

An old tour cart was left upturned, chewed through with rust. Old food packets littered the grounds and Silas was sure he saw rodent droppings.

Gauzelle directed Silas to one of the buildings. They entered through a hole in the wall.

The room was dimly lit. A few halogens still worked, flickering and buzzing.

Broken cameras and monitors lined the floors and walls. There was a one strong light shining at the end of the building, a single spotlight coming down from the ceiling.

Within the light was a chair. Melted and burned multi-colored plastics were moulded into the shape of a highbacked throne. Sitting on the chair was Whacko Jacko. He held a sceptre; an angry red face was at the point.

“Hello…Gauzelle.” His voice dripped with a cynical laziness. The yellow smiley face he had worn at the shop was now a red angry face as well.

“You didn’t change your name when you joined us?” Silas asked. He tried to mask his fear.

“It’s the only name I have. Why would I change it?” Gauzelle asked.

“Those cards you stole, Whacko Jacko. We want them back.” Silas took a step forward but Gauzelle raised her arm and shook her head.

“He’s way too dangerous.”

“Indeed I am. So why did you come here with just the two of you?” The red angry face turned to a blue face, with its tongue poking out. Whacko Jacko leaned unnaturally forward from his throne. The angles made Silas squeamish.

“Because I’m trying to do what’s right.”

“And why’s that? The life of crime didn’t pay enough?” He laughed and his body twisted on itself. Wound up tight like a rubber band, let go and snapped back into place.

“You got paid to steal?” Silas asked.

“Do I come across as a lover of art?” Gauzelle snapped back.

“Not really no.” Silas’s voice went quiet.

“Give us those cards back,” Gauzelle demanded.

“Oh, I’m not so sure I should.” The face turned to one of green with a wriggly line for a mouth. His tone changed to amused boredom.

“Whacko, you owe me.” Gauzelle’s tone made Silas slightly uncomfortable.

“Ha! You’re absolutely right, I do. I shall repay that debt by giving you back three of the cards. You can always come back for the fourth, I’ll be waiting.” The yellow smiley face was back.

Whacko Jacko tapped the ground with the tip of his sceptre and three of the four cards floated up out of his coat and over to Silas and Gauzelle.

“Let’s go,” Gauzelle grabbed the three cases and pushed on Silas’s shoulder, urging him to leave.

They returned the cards to Quincy, apologising they couldn’t get the fourth. They explained they would try and track it down but made no promises. This time, Gauzelle did all the talking.

As they returned to the treehouse Gauzelle pulled Silas aside.

“Please don’t tell the others what you learned about me. Not yet.”

“I won’t.” They entered the treehouse and the other two were doing the same things as when they left.