To Overthrow the Guardians

Chapter 34: Locked

The next day, Mallory saw Beth sit behind the same oak tree they had met in before, and he flew down to her and shifted back to his human form.

"Are your friends coming?" he asked.

"Yeah, as soon as they get dressed," Beth replied. "I'll keep an eye out for them." With that, she walked out from behind the tree and waited for May and Cynthia to arrive, which they did a bit later, Cynthia eating a waffle. Beth quickly explained to them the conversation between her and Mallory and how she had seen "Down with the Guardians!" written with red paint on the walls of the headquarters. "And, so, Mallory's here," she finished. "He's right behind that tree. Come on." May and Cynthia followed her to him, Cynthia just finishing up her breakfast.

"I assume you have more questions for me than Beth did?" he said, standing up. They had seemed to be quite curious when questioning the North Hall's E.A.D.

"Yes!" May replied with a big smile. "There were so many things that the E.A.D. wouldn't tell us! Like, what happened to the people in the square room that's in the middle of the whole place?" She had to be talking about the containment area. Mallory made his blue eyes glaze over, like he was remembering something horrid.

"Bad things. The woman in the center, Haven," Mallory saw no reason to use formal agent names when the people he was speaking to weren't agents, "got ahold of dark power to use against the Guardians, but she eventually got so out of control that they had to lock her up. And she accidentally contaminated some children before they were able to do so. She was one of the CEOs."

"One thing that I still don't understand is why the L.E.R. headquarters appeared here, in this time, when it doesn't exist yet," Cynthia said. "Is this affecting more than one time period?"

"It's likely," Mallory said, nodding. "I don't know why, though. Any more questions?" Nobody spoke. "I guess not, then. At least, not right now. Should we get to getting my stuff back and finding out what happened to the Guardians?"

"Actually, our parents won't let us go in the L.E.R. headquarters anymore," Cynthia said, "because somebody here told their parents that we were in an abandoned building when May broke her arm. She could've just not said anything to anyone, even if they asked!"

"My sister Courtney was the one who told on me!" Beth retorted. "And if I hadn't told her, she would've told on us sooner!"

"And somehow this is the same person who helps make the Guardians disappear in the future!" May added, narrowing her eyes.

"I don't want to!" Beth said. "Seriously, I don't! I'll do anything it takes to remember the L.E.R. and not join them!" Wow. Mallory's lie was affecting Beth way more than he had thought it would.

"But what if the future is already set- what if it can't change?" May said. "And what if you've already done something that'll lead you to do bad things? I mean, you've already betrayed us!"

"Ladies!" Mallory said, raising his arms. "Beth is not a bad person. She was probably trapped when she had to tell the truth, and she doesn't want to overthrow the Guardians in the future. She hasn't betrayed anyone." May and Cynthia still didn't look too happy, but they stopped talking. "Alright. Someone needs to go in the headquarters and get my Power-Inducers back."

"I can," Beth volunteered.

"I'll go, too," May said, casting a glare at Beth.

"But May, our parents told us not to!" Cynthia said.

"They don't know that we're helping the Guardians, though," May told her sister. Cynthia looked a little hesitant at first.

"I...guess," she then said. "Then I'm coming with you guys. And don't touch anything this time." She gave May a warning look.