The Test, For Power Or For Trust

Chapter 23

"So where is this crap kept?" Blade asked. "Theres a museum in the center of town. Theres a bunch of mutant history shit. We should be able to find some there" CJ said. "So we're gonna steal?" Ashley asked. "Yeah. But first, Crystal is there a picture of the mutanix?" CJ asked. "Yeah its a green vile" Crystal said. "Ok. I had to ask cause theres different types that make different animals. Like the dog one is red. I think the cat one is green? I dont know" CJ said. "So how are we getting it?" Blade asked. "Its closed today, so we should be able to break in pretty easy" CJ said. "Why are you so accustomed to this?" Ashley asked. CJ shrugged. "Its my way of life. Now, Im prime suspect number one. So Ill stand guard outside. You all need to find a way to get that vile" CJ said. "Can I stay with you? Im not exactly comfortable doing this" Crystal said. "Sure" CJ said. "So you expect us to break into a place we've never seen before, and somehow get that vile without being noticed?" Ashley asked. "Yes that is the plan" CJ said. Ashley stared at her confused. "Doesnt seem too hard" Nova said. They all looked at her. "What? I catch people like her for a living. You think I dont break a few laws?" Nova asked. "Great. Super senses here can lead you in" CJ said. "Super senses? That is not my power" Nova said. "Might as well be" CJ said. "Ok, lets just go" Nova said.

CJ on a horse was something they all never thought to see. Crystal and CJ took off into the town and the girls made their way to the museum. "How do we get in?" Ashley asked. Dakota squinted at the building. "Nova do you have super strength?" She asked. "A little. Why?" Nova asked. "Can you pull the vent off the side wall?" Dakota asked. "Yeah I should be able too" Nova said. "Ok, I can shift and fit in there. Then Ill open the back door from inside" Dakota said. Silver snapped her fingers and they were dressed in all black. They all looked at her confused. "Do you want to go unnoticed or not?" Silver asked. They shrugged it off and went to the back. Nova grabbed the vent and popped it off the wall. Dakota turned into a bat and flew into the vent. The others went to the door. Not long later, Dakota opened the door for them. "Split up. If anything goes wrong, regroup out back" Dakota said. She and Randy went one way. Blade, Leah, and Silver went another. Ashley went with Nova.

Dakota and Randy didnt find the right room. They walked around the exhibit they were in. "Why do werewolves hate dog mutants so much?" Dakota asked. "Some of its jealousy and some of it is just hating how much they have in common with us. We like our culture, and mutants dont follow the same culture even though they have most of the same features, and it makes us mad. Some people anyway" Randy said. "Are you jealous?" Dakota asked curiously. "Not really. The only thing Id be jealous of is that CJ can talk in her dog form" Randy said. Dakota chuckled. "Yeah Im jealous of that too" she said. Randy looked at her. "Hey, I wanted to say that Im sorry I freaked out so bad when you had the blood withdrawl. I didnt know what to do and I felt so awful I couldn't help you" Randy said. Dakota looked at her and stared for a moment. She waked to her and took her hands in hers. "Listen to me Randy. Dont ever apologize for something you didnt know. You couldn't have known that would happen, and I dont blame you for freaking out. Its ok" Dakota said. Randy smiled and kissed her. Dakota gladly kissed back. A bright red light following a loud siren went off. "Ah what the fuck!" Dakota said. "Those bone heads set off the alarm. Come on" Randy said dragging her out the back.

Meanwhile
"Why didnt you go with your girlfriend?" Nova asked. "I didnt want you to be alone. We dont have enough people for groups of two anymore" Ashley said. She slapped her hand over her mouth after she said that. Nova looked at her. "Its fine. Relax" she said. Ashley dropped her hands. "Im really sorry Nova. I shouldn't have gotten scared. She doesnt even have anything she can take from me" Ashley said. "You dont have to apologize Ash. I was scared too." Nova said. "Do you think she'll come back?" Ashley asked. Nova stopped. She cant tell her that Jax is still here. "Yes" she said simply. They kept walking and suddenly the alarm went off. "Twenty bucks it was Blade" Nova said. "Deal" Ashley said as they ran out.

Also meanwhile
"Whyd you come with us?" Leah asked Silver. "If I was gonna go with anyone but Ashley, itd be you two. And its also not fair to make Nova go by herself" Silver said. Blades hand brushed by Leahs fingers and Leah looked at her. Blade smiled softly and they slowly intertwined their hands. Leah wasnt afraid to date a demon anymore, at least not this demon. "Stop it with the googly eyes and pay attention" Silver snapped. Blade and Leah looked at her and then what she was looking at. There was a glass case on the wall. It covered the entire space and had thousands of viles on it. "Look for the green one" Silver said. "Which green one? Theres like forty!" Blade said. Silver rolled her eyes as they came up to the wall. Leah flew up and looked around. She found the label that said Cat, but the vile was gone. Leah flew back down. "Its not there." She said. "Looks like someone beat us too it" Blade said. They all heard a loud thud and then the alarm went off. They looked to see a figure in black running away. "They must have it" Blade said trying to run after them but Silver stopped her. "We have to get out of here before the cops arrive" she said. Blade groaned and they left.

They're all out back, and in their normal clothes again. "What did you do?" Nova asked. Blade looked at her confused. "What?" She asked. "Come on, what did you do that set off the alarm?" Ashley asked. Blade was shocked. "I didnt do anything." She said. Ashley looked at Silver for confirmation. "She didnt. Someone else stole the vile" Silver said. "What?! Thats way worse" Nova said. "What do we do now?" Randy asked. "We find CJ and make a new plan" Silver said. "Uh guys? That might be a little difficult!" Leah yelled from the sky. They looked up at her as she flew down. "CJs on the run. I guess when the cops came to check out the alarm, they found her" Leah said. "Shit. Now what?" Randy asked. Nova looked down in thought. "CJ has been doing this for years. If anyone can escape those cops, its her. We have to trust that she'll be ok. For now we have to go back to her place and wait" she said. "But what about Crystal?" Ashley asked. Nova sighed. "We're gonna have to hope CJ can protect her long enough to escape" she said.