2.07

“You’re in a lot of pain, I can sense that. Maybe that’s why you do the things you do. But you can’t remember what happened.” Michael and Gauzelle were standing in the treehouse, Michael had instructed the others to leave.

“How do you know?” Gauzelle asked. The standoff with the three teens had thrown her off guard and now this old man wanted to talk to her.

“I have a knack for these things,” said the old man.

What he said was true. Gauzelle couldn’t remember anything beyond eight months prior. Every time she racked her brains, anxiety gripped her, and she would almost black out.

The earliest thing she could remember was being approached by Whacko Jacko to join him in stealing priceless items.

“What of it, old man?” Gauzelle’s anxiety started to claw at the back of her mind.

“I can help you.” The old man kept wearing the stupid ass grin across his face.

“And why would you do that?”

“I like to help people wherever I can. But there’s a catch.” His smile somehow widened.

“What makes you think I even want to know about my past. Maybe I like things the way they are now.” Gauzelle raised her voice. Her anxiety was now ripping her mind apart.

“Look at me. It’s okay. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Relax and count to ten.” The old man’s face was serious now. His voice had taken a soothing tone. Gauzelle did as she was told and the beast in her mind retreated back into its depths.

“What just happened?” Gauzelle was relaxed but confused. Her anxiety never disappeared that quickly.

“I have a knack for these things as well.” His face wore that stupid smile again.

“You mentioned a catch?”

“Yes, I want you to join those three that fought you tonight. Be a part of their team. If you agree to that, I’ll do what I can to help you figure out your past.”

“Gimme a minute.” Gauzelle waited for the anxiety to return. She gave it a full minute before giving her answer, it didn’t return. “Okay, I’ll join their team.”

“Good.”

The dream faded as Gauzelle woke up in front of the t.v. Since Jimena left the team, they hadn’t really done anything.

Gauzelle spent her days playing video games and watching movies and, in some ways, she found it more enjoyable than being out there and fighting whatever bad guy they were told to stop.

It had been close to non-stop since she joined the team and Gauzelle wondered if the fighting would ever stop. If they kept fighting, continued to stop the bad guys, would that mean the bad guys kept coming?

Gauzelle didn’t mind the fighting, it gave her something to do. But was there a point to it, if it was never going to end?

Gauzelle floated through the treehouse. Silas was away, living at home. Hunter and Stick were holed up in their rooms. It was so boring.

She grabbed her wrist communicator and dialled for Michael.

“Good evening Gauzelle, how can I help you?”

“Evening Old Man. I agreed to join this little team because you said you would help me figure out my past.”

“That I did.” Michael smiled his trademark grin.

“Well, I want to cash in on that promise.”

“But of course. I want you to meet me at that abandoned studio, where you went with Silas. I think that should be a good place to start.”

“I don’t think we should. Whacko Jacko could be there, and no offence Old Man, but you wouldn’t last ten seconds against him.” Gauzelle’s anxiety, something she hadn’t felt in a while, had started to make its presence known.

“We won’t have to worry about him. I can guarantee he won’t be there tonight.”

“How can you be so sure?” Gauzelle asked.

“Because right now, a few people I know, are tracking him down. He’s nowhere near the studio.”

“Can’t you just come here and teleport us both there?”

“Oh you’re right. I’m sorry, I forget I can do that sometimes.” In a bright flash, Michael teleported to the treehouse and then teleported them both to the studio.

“Tell me about this place,” said Michael.

“It was my home for a while. Whacko Jacko brought me in on the promise of riches. Said he could protect us all here.” Gauzelle scanned the place as she spoke. She knew the Old Man said Whacko wasn’t here, but she couldn’t be so sure.

“There were others?”

“There were seven of us, including Whacko. We stole for him, to make our money, but he kept most of it for himself. I don’t need to eat, but the others were all starving. Living husks.”

“What happened?” Michael asked. He could sense pain coming from Gauzelle.

“Because we didn’t like it, we tried to stand up to him, and…” Gauzelle’s voice faded.

“Its okay, you don’t have to say it.”

“Whacko is extremely powerful. Stronger than what any of us could imagine. He killed three of us. Three members of our family, like it was nothing. Like we were nothing.”

“Gauzelle, I’m so sorry. What happened to the other two?” Michael tried to sense the situation without having Gauzelle say any of it, but she was completely blocking him out.

“We all went our separate ways. But he said we were free to come back at any time to exact our revenge. He would leave us each alone, only ending our lives if we ever returned. Our returns could only mean ending life.”

“That’s…” Michael was at a loss for words, something that rarely happened to him.

“He let me leave when I came with Silas, only because I saved his life once. Something I wish I’d never done. I should’ve let him die.”

“No, you shouldn’t have. You did the right thing, you thought he was family.”

“And how many more people have suffered because of that?” Gauzelle snapped.

“You weren’t to know.” Michael’s voice was calming.

“Can we just leave? Have you figured out what you needed to know from here?”

“Yes, I believe I have. Yes, let’s go.”