Skye watched helplessly as henchmen packed up boats with files and weapons, driving them around the bottom of the Island, past Camp Cod, that Summer camp, then up to Catty Corner.

It was the inevitable, really. Ghost operations were moving to Catty Corner and the weather station up on the mountain. They had all been clearly instructed not to go near the giant Bunker just around the corner from Catty Corner.

Skye knew that she would be next to go to Catty Corner, with Ollie, TnTina, Brutus and Ocean. Skye had decided to drive, which they had all reluctantly agreed to. They knew that meant it wouldn't be a smooth ride.

"We'll see you there," Midas waved as they got going. He was going on a boat with Jules, Kit and Meowscles in a minute.

"Byeee!" Skye waved back, then stepped on the gas.

The boat sped along the outside of the swamp. Huge, dirt-caked trees grew out of the thick grass, illuminated by a luminous cyan from the Slurp water produced by Slurpy Swamp.

Opposite the swamp was Rickety Rig, or at least what was left of it.

"There's still some dynamite in there somewhere, but I can't be bothered to look," TnTina shrugged, gesturing to the almost inexistent rig.

Just beyond Rickety Rig was a small stretch of sand sitting next to the small mountain with Apres Ski on it; the one leading to Misty Meadows. There was something gold glittering on the sand, and it made Skye want to smile. It meant that Summer was at its best, making each grain of sand shimmer.

But, as they got closer, they all noticed that the gold was all concentrated in one spot. Skye squinted, but she couldn't quite make the shape out.

Then, she did. And she wished she didn't.

Oro, sat on the sand, turned his bony head over to Skye and her friends, then waved grandly at them as if he was their best friend that they hadn't seen in a while.

"WAIT!" Skye shouted, then turned the boat sharply around to the beach. Everyone almost fell out of the boat when they crashed to the shore.

"Skye...? Who is that?!" Ocean asked nervously.

"That's Oro, in the flesh. Except he has no flesh," Skye said.

"That's offensive," Oro replied as Skye got out of the boat.

"Good job I care. Why are you here?"

"I've been traveling a lot, so I decided to settle down. I want my house on a small island, between Rickety Rig and this beach. Right there."

Oro pointed to a patch of ocean, and they all looked.

"Me and my wife, Orelia, will live there in peace. Away from IO and Shadow all of their activities."

"Er, hang on! Orelia? Your wife?" TnTina asked him.

"Yes."

"Huh."

"Where is Orelia?" Ocean asked Oro.

"She's in The Grotto, waiting to be reawakened. But, as you know, The Grotto has been flooded. I'll die if I go in there. I need more power. I'd ask you, but I know you'd say no," Oro explained.

"Well, you're right. Goodbye. Good luck with your dream house or whatever," Skye sighed.

Skye turned around and headed back into the boat, getting into the driver's seat and turning on the ignition.

"Umm, Skye? Do you reckon we should actually help Oro?" Ollie whispered to her from her head.

"But I can't be bothered," Skye groaned.

"I'm sure he doesn't mean us harm."

"What if he does? What are the chances that this is a trick so he can drown us?"

"Perhaps you're right. But Oro's no joker. If it comes to his wife, he won't be messing around."

"If you say so. But if we all die, I'm blaming you!" Skye grumbled.

She got out of the boat again and walked over to Oro.

"OK, we'll do it. When?" Skye huffed.

"It's the 8th of August, so how about the 20th?" Oro suggested.

Skye nodded. She'd have to find out her calendars.

"Deal."

Oro held out his golden hand so Skye could shake it, and she did it to not be rude. She thought that it would be cold, but the bones were actually boiling hot, being made from metal in the equally hot Sun.

"Ow!" she muttered, and Oro did a ghoulish laugh.

"You crack me up. You best get going, Midas will be waiting," Oro laughed.

Skye and the others hopped back in the boat then took off, while Oro still chuckled on his spot on the beach. They cruised along until Ocean asked Skye a question.

"Uhh, Skye? How did Oro know about all that stuff?" she asked her.

"He's seen Ghost before. He's seen me before. More than once," Skye explained.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to accept his mission?" Brutus asked Skye, making her turn to him.

"I don't know. Things haven't been that interesting recently, do I figured that we need something to do," Skye shrugged.

"That's nice and all, but was that the best way to do that?" TnTina frowned.

"Not really."

"Exactly!"

"We have 12 days to think about it. If we don't want to do it, we won't turn up," Ollie suggested.

"Now that we've accepted, he won't let us off that easy," Skye shook her head.

"I think you're right," TnTina agreed.

Skye was fully aware that she had just roped her friends into something that they never wanted to be associated with, but what could she do now?

"Let's just keep going," Skye sighed, stumped for the time being.

Skye continued to drive the boat around Camp Cod and stopped the boat where the other boats had been stopped, at the bottom of the small plateau where Catty Corner resided. Henchmen were slowly carrying boxes of files and equipment up the steep path to Catty Corner, while Skye watched and felt sorry for them. It really was steep.

After a minute, Midas turned up with Jules, Meowscles and Kit.

"I assume it was a smooth ride. No problems?" Midas asked Skye. Trust Midas to know if something was wrong.

"Nope. All fine," Skye lied.

"Good. Let's go, then."

Meowscles scooped up Kit, then followed all of the others to Catty Corner up the hill.

By the time they were at the top, Skye collapsed on the grass, gasping for breath.

"That was a workout, wasn't it?" Jules sighed.

Skye rolled over on her back and sprawled her arms and legs out like a snow angel, except there was no snow.

"No kidding!" Skye gasped.

"Eww! Look at that!" Kit grimaced, pointing at the fences of his former play place.

The white wooden fences were covered in green vines all over. They were beginning to spread to the metal containers as well, slowly creeping up the sides.

"We can sort those out easy, son!" Meowscles mewed.

"Good," Kit smiled.

Out of the corner of her eye, Skye saw Jules pull Midas aside. Skye turned her head to them to eavesdrop.

"Do you think...?" Jules whispered.

"I think you're being paranoid, but I won't rule it out completely," Midas sighed.

"You think I'm lying."

"Your inference is good."

Midas then turned and headed into Catty Corner. Jules folded her arms and frowned frustratedly.

"What was that about?" Skye asked Jules.

"He thinks I'm lying," Jules huffed.

"About what?"

Jules looked at Skye embarrassedly, then ran off.

"Wait!" Skye cried, but Jules didn't return.

Whatever they were talking about, it was obviously significant. Were the vines a sign of something? Or perhaps someone?

"What was that about?" Skye asked Ollie.

No response.

"Ollie?!"

"What-?" Ollie yawned. He had slept through everything.

"Never mind," Skye shook her head.

Ollie didn't reply; he was likely asleep again. That meant Skye would have to somehow answer her own question.

Skye made to go into Catty Corner to find out more, but someone stopped her.

She vaguely recognised the woman who stood before her. She was almost identical to one of the people in her dream, except for the fact that her hair was white and gold, same as her outfit.

"Hush?" Skye gasped.

"Tell me where Chaos Agent is. Now."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Word Count: 1370 Words