Bubble Boy

The warm glow of neon lights bathed the inside of Grillmaster, a classic 80s-style diner with checkered floors and the rich aroma of sizzling burgers in the air. The booth in the far corner was occupied by four familiar figures, Jackson, Carter, Emily, and Annie, each with a burger in hand and a milkshake nearby.

Jackson leaned back against the cushioned seat, chewing thoughtfully before speaking. "So, the Bubble Crew is still running missions even while Troy's off training with Shadow." His eyes flicked between Carter and Emily. "That's risky."

Carter wiped his mouth with a napkin and shrugged. "We've handled worse." His usual smirk faded slightly. "Still, we need a fourth. Running with just three of us? If something goes south, there's no backup."

Annie stayed quiet, absently stirring her vanilla milkshake. She was only half-listening, still haunted by memories of the last time she went into the field, the pain, the fire, the smell of her own burning flesh.

Emily set down her drink, leaning forward. "Why not Annie?"

Annie's head snapped up, eyes wide behind her sleek glasses. "What?"

"You were Garden Girl once." Emily tilted her head. "You know how this works. You're experienced. Why not fill in for Troy while he's gone?"

Annie's stomach twisted. She clenched her hands together, staring at the table. "No. I can't. I..." She exhaled sharply. "You guys don't get it. Last time I did this, Elemental nearly killed me."

Jackson and Carter exchanged glances.

Carter sighed. "Yeah, but Elemental is dead."

"Doesn't mean there aren't others just as bad." Annie's voice was barely above a whisper. "I got lucky last time. Next time, I might not."

Jackson leaned forward, his tone softer than usual. "That's the thing, though. You won't be alone this time." His intense blue eyes locked onto hers. "When you were Garden Girl, you worked alone. That's what got you hurt. But with us, it's different."

Carter nodded. "Bubble Crew watches each other's backs. It's safer working with a team than going solo."

Annie's hands tightened into fists. The idea terrified her, going back out there, putting herself in danger again. But at the same time… she hated sitting on the sidelines. Hated feeling useless while everyone else kept pushing forward.

She let out a slow breath. "You guys promise to watch my back?"

Jackson grinned. "Like our lives depend on it."

Emily smirked. "Because they will."

Carter raised his milkshake in a toast. "Welcome back, Garden Girl."

Annie hesitated, then finally picked up her own shake and clinked it against his. Maybe this time, things would be different.

A cool breeze swept across the rooftops of downtown, rustling Garden Girl's oversized green hoodie as she stood alongside the Bubble Crew. The moon cast a pale glow over the city, but the neon lights below gave the night a lively pulse. Inferno, Psion, and Umbra stood confidently beside her, their usual blue, red, and black outfits making her green getup stand out even more.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Annie muttered, adjusting her hood. The spray-painted GG across her chest felt like a spotlight.

Umbra chuckled. "Damn, Bubble Boy really did just copy-paste his style onto you."

Inferno smirked. "Yeah, but green? Really? You look like his eco-friendly variant."

Psion grinned. "Bubble Boy, but biodegradable."

Annie groaned. "Can we get to the actual mission instead of roasting my outfit?"

Inferno raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. But hey, at least it feels like he's still here."

That made the teasing die down. Despite the banter, there was an unspoken truth hanging between them. Bubble Boy's absence left a gap, and even though Annie wasn't trying to replace him, her presence felt like a piece of him was still there.

Umbra pulled out his phone, tilting it toward the group. "You guys ready?"

Annie swallowed hard. This was it. Their nightly routine, recording their vigilante work, posting it online, and letting the world see that heroes didn't have to be killers.

Inferno cracked his knuckles. "Let's get to work."

The camera clicked on.

Their first target was a convenience store robbery in progress. Inferno dropped in first, his flames flaring up as he landed between the masked criminals and the terrified cashier.

"Guess what?" he announced, his grin widening. "You just won a one-way ticket to Knockout City." He slammed his fist into the ground, sending a shockwave of fire toward them.

Psion followed, effortlessly lifting one of the robbers with her telekinesis. "Seriously, robbing a convenience store? Dream bigger." She tossed him against a shelf, knocking him out instantly.

Umbra emerged from the shadows behind the last robber, his voice a menacing whisper. "Boo." The guy yelped before a shadow tendril slammed him into a freezer door.

Garden Girl, meanwhile, stood frozen at the entrance, her heart pounding. The adrenaline, the chaos, it all rushed back to her.

Psion turned to her. "Uh, you gonna join in, or are you just our emotional support plant?"

Annie gritted her teeth. No. She wasn't going to be dead weight. She wasn't going to be afraid. She raised her hand, vines shooting out from her sleeve and wrapping around the last guy's ankles, yanking him off his feet. He hit the ground with a thud.

Inferno whistled. "There she is."

The night continued like that, stopping muggings, scaring off gangsters, taking down criminals. Each fight, Annie grew bolder. She started calling her shots like the others.

When she used her vines to slam a car door shut, trapping a thief inside, she grinned. "Nature's Wrath!"

Psion snickered. "Okay, okay, she's getting into it."

Later, she swung down on a vine, kicking a thug square in the chest. "Garden Girl, baby!"

Inferno laughed. "Now she's talking smack? I love it."

By the time they were done, Annie was breathless but exhilarated. The fear had melted away. This was fun. She wasn't just filling in, she belonged here.

The crew sat on the rooftop, sweaty and exhausted but grinning as Umbra uploaded the footage.

"Inferno's comment section is gonna be all 'fire emoji, fire emoji, fire emoji,' as usual," Psion said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, shut up," Inferno shot back, smirking.

Annie leaned over, watching the comments flood in.

"Is that a new member?"

"Bubble Boy's gone, but the Bubble Crew lives on."

"Garden Girl is kinda badass."

She smiled. Maybe this time, things really would be different.