Daydream || Rick Tyler [DC's Stargirl]

• Chapter 46

It's official. Molly was at rock bottom.

This was the worst possible situation she ever could've imagined. Molly didn't hear from Rick all night. She called him and texted him countless times. He didn't answer any of them. She couldn't even imagine what was going through his mind right now. The look on his face when he saw the bruise on her ribs was something she would never forget. It hit him immediately what the unlimited power of the hourglass was doing to him. She didn't want him to go through this alone, but... he didn't want her anywhere near him. She knew it was his way of trying to protect her. But she didn't want that she wanted to be with him.

Because she loves him.

When Molly got the call from Courtney asking her to come with them down into the tunnels, her heart ached. She didn't want to leave her house in case Rick showed up out of nowhere. However, in the back of her mind, she knew he wasn't coming. So she had no choice, but to gather herself together and go to the tunnels.

Molly was the last to climb down the ladder into the tunnels after Courtney, Yolanda, Beth, and Artemis. The Crocks have been missing for over a day now, which is strange because they would never leave Artemis alone willingly. Beth picked up a signal of Sportsmaster's mask down in the tunnels so the five girls were going to investigate.

"Hold up, Artemis!" She heard Beth call as Molly scurried down the last few rungs.

Once all five girls were together, Yolanda looked at them and asked, "Where's Rick?"

Molly immediately just looked down at her feet, trying to hide the tears building up in her eyes. She could feel Beth looking at her sadly before she answered, "He hasn't returned my calls."

"Should we wait-"

"He's not coming, okay?" Molly cut Yolanda off, sounding harsher than she intended. When she saw Yolanda's shocked expression, she just sent her an apologetic glance before replying, "Let's just go."

On the other side of her, she saw Courtney nodding her head and replying, "She's right. We can't wait for him."

Since Beth was the one tracing the signal, the girls let her take the lead. Molly twirled her wrist and a flashlight formed in her hand. As they made their way down the tunnel, Yolanda asked them, "Do you think the Mahkents did something to the Crocks? Or maybe that animal... thing?"

"The Ultra-Humanite," Molly corrected from in front of her.

She heard Yolanda sigh in annoyance before Artemis spoke up, "If that white ape hurt my parents, I'm going to skin it alive."

"The signal is getting stronger. We're on the right path," Beth informed them. They turned the corner slowly. At the end of the tunnel, there was a closed doorway. That's when Beth spoke up, "It's in there. Behind that doorway."

Molly was starting to get a bad feeling about this. She looked at the other girls and suggested, "Maybe we should suit up?"

"Where's the staff?" Beth asked Courtney.

"Sylvester has it. He's trying to get on the Ultra-Humanite's trail," Courtney informed them.

Molly sighed lightly. Of course Sylvester had the staff when they need it the most. Before they could discuss it anymore, Artemis quickly whipped past them and stormed towards the doorway. Courtney, Yolanda, Beth, and Molly looked at each other in shock before Courtney shouted, "Artemis! Wait!"

The four girls chased after her, but before they could stop her, Artemis opened the door and ran inside. Everyone ran inside as Artemis began to call out, "Mom?! Dad?!"

Molly's jaw dropped when she saw the inside of the room. Hanging on the wall were a bunch of monitors, all of the screens going fuzzy. This is definitely where the murderer was watching everyone. However, the room was empty besides that. They must've abandoned this place.