NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: 1
Present Day. 2013, two years after the events of Dr. Genesis' attack
Paris, at a bank, pedestrians and guards are seen minding their own business. Behind the bank, a whoosing sound is heard behind the primary vault. The whoosing sound continues, before the security guard watching over the primary vault opens the vault to find the vault completely empty of its money. As the security guard opens the vault to investigate, Jessica Drakos, an Enhuman with the power of invisibility, appears with a bag of money, before turning to the shocked security guard.
Jessica: Oh, Bonjour.
Security Guard: (talking in radio and in French) Security breach in Vault 1!
Jessica knocks out the security guard with a blow by her invisible blast, before more security forces arrive and aim their weapons at Jessica, who turns her attention towards the security guards.
Security Guard # 2: Freeze! Put the bag down and put your hands on up!
Jessica seemingly complies, but then uses her invisibility powers to escape for a moment.
Security Guard # 1: (in French) What the hell?
Security Guard # 2: (In French) Where'd she go?
Behind the guards, Jessica turns visible and sits back against the desk eating an apple.
Jessica: (in French) You guys still lookin in the vault? Why don't you look behind you for a change?
The security guards turn and open fire as Jessica uses an invisible force field to block the fire. With combination of her physical fighting and invisibility powers, Jessica manages to overpower the security guards one by one.
Jessica: (in French) Man! You dudes' guarding a bank? You kind of suck at it! (whistles) Well, gentlemen, I'll help myself to whatever goods you got!
Jessica walks over to the vault and grabs more money, before a guard recovers and aims his revolver at Jessica, preparing to fire, before a Asian-American female Enhuman with the power of super speed knocks the security guard with a swipe from his speed stasis and a punch. Jessica turns to her partner.
Dasher: (sighs) you are the luckiest girl to have me for a partner.
Jessica: How so, American?
Dasher: Uh...Two reasons. Reason number one; you're too freakin busy bragging to notice that even if you're kicking ass to notice there's just one more guard that still has his strength to shoot your ass.
Jessica: Okay....what's two?
Dasher: Speed, sweetheart. Nothing, but speed!
Jessica: Okay, now I'm convinced.....(hands Dasher a bag of money) Here's your early cut. There's more in store for you.
Dasher: Jessica....you know I'm not doing this for the money, right?
Jessica: Yeah, I know....
Suddenly, the police sirens are heard.
Jessica: Crap.
Dasher: That would be the fat lady singing.
Jessica: Yeah, we gotta bail, before the police track us down....
Jessica and Dasher flee the scene. In New York, at New Design high school, Alex, a young African-American teen with heterochromatic eyes (one eye the color brown, the other blue), is reading a book with his friend, listening to music on his phone, walks through the halls. He then enters his locker and grabs his things, before a young Caucasian-American man walks up to Alex.
Patrick: What's up, Alex?
Alex: Hey, Patrick.
Patrick: You finish that science project for Mr. Santos class yet?
Alex: No, not yet. I'm kinda working on something at home.
Patrick sighs.
Patrick: Your little thermo project? Dude, Mr. Santos doesn't play on late assignments. You keep screwing around and you're gonna miss plenty of great opportunities.
Alex: This thermo temperature project is gonna get me noticed by a lot of colleges.
Patrick: Okay...suit yourself. Hey, you find yourself a date to the formal yet?
Alex looks over at the group of cheerleaders, a red-headed one in particular. Tyler follows Alex's gaze and then smiles back at Alex.
Tyler: Dude, careful, bro. Evil jock ice queens are not for the likes of us, my friend.
Suddenly, someone throws a paper ball at Alex. Alex turns to his left to see a young Caucasian-American teen boy laughing with his friends, a young African-American teen and another Caucasian-American blonde teen.
Brandon: Sorry.
Alex: It's cool, Brandon.
Brandon walks up next to Alex with Tyler and Chuck behind him and Patrick.
Tyler: Sup, geeks.
Brandon: So, Miller, I got a question. If your good eye sees regularly, your blue eye must see blue. I mean, it's gotta by a wonderful world is dedicated to you.
Tyler: (singing) I see skies are blue.
Chucky laughs.
Brandon: What'd you say that shit was called again?
Alex sighs.
Alex: Heterochromia.
Tyler: Hetrochromia? Sounds like an sexually transmitted disease?
Chucky: Maybe that's why you got these freaky eyes.
Brandon: Chucky. Tyler. It's not a STD. He probably got it, cause his mom probably slept with an Enhuman.
Tyler laughs as Chucky exclaims at the remark, before Alex stares at Brandon.
Brandon: What? Do I look blue? I mean, wonder if Amber would ever go out with weirdo like you. Saw you eyeballin her just now.
The warning bell rings as the bullies then walk off, laughing.
Brandon: See you around, rainbow eyes.
After the bullies leave, Alex looks down at the ground, shaking his head.
Patrick: Pay no attention to them, dude. One day; your rainbow eyes are gonna make a difference in the world.
Alex: Is that suppose to make me feel better? Cause it didn't.
Later on, John Parker is at a press meeting with James and Eva present.
Press Member: Mr. Parker, it's been a year since the G.R.U.N.T.S military program and the Meteor Babylon Base incident. People of New York and the world are asking if your company is involved in any way seeing as how the G.R.U.N.T.S technology is similar to the technology your company is responsible for building.
John: I assure you; my technology is not involved in supplying either the Purifiers, G.R.U.N.T.S or even the Supers. My technology is meant to take us to the next stage of advancements in simple things like homing advancements, not warfare.
Press Member: But didn't the late General Tarmac come to you and requested that you supplied him with your technology in effort to terminate the Purifiers.
John: Yes, but I turned him down. See, Tarmac and I had different opinions. He simple saw the use my technology is his war against Enhumanity, which is something that I couldn't allow.
Press Member: What about when the G.R.U.N.T technology went rogue during the riots? There's assumptions that Enhumans may have been involved in that.
John: Assumptions, rumors. Tarmac perhaps forgot to pay his technicians to make sure that the wiring wasn't faulty.
In his pocket, John's cell phone rings, before he checks it. On the screen, a map shows an Enhuman signature has been detected in Paris. John then looks to James and Eva, then nods, before he addresses the press members.
John: Ladies and gentlemen, I'm afraid we have to cut this meeting short. Something important is coming up. Thank you for your time.
John nods respectfully to the press members as they continue to ask questions. In the elevator to the top floor, John, James and Eva stand.
James: Thank god. That press was starting to get on my nerves. Asking way too many questions.
Eva: Questions with meaning. I thought we had cleaned up and eliminated most of the evidence from the meteor of Babylon and the Enhuman technology, Dad.
John: Well, the government got their hands on most of the debris from the Meteor of Babylon. They've definitely studied it.
Eva: Remind me again; why do you deal with the press?
John: Because when I'm old and tired, you two will have to deal with this when I pass.
James: Uh-huh.
The elevator opens up as Josh and Trisha approach.
Josh: How'd it go?
John: The usual. Press ask questions; I basically lie to make sure they don't have any contact with being vigilantes.
Trisha: Still don't know how you do it. All that press and questions.
Eva: I thought you were a photographer, Trisha.
Trisha: An artist not a photographer. There's a difference.
The group arrive in the Grid with Charles looking over the map.
Charles: How'd it go?
James: Super....the press keep asking nosey ass questions and continue wondering where the meteor of Babylon parts came from. Long story short; they don't know a damn thing.
John nods to Charles.
John: V.O.X sent me the update. What's up?
Charles: Found two Enhuman signatures in Paris.
Charles presents the Grid map, showing the profiles of Jessica and Dasher.
V.O.X: Two Enhuman signatures detected. Jessica Drakos. Birthplace: Senilis, France. Enhuman Power: Invisibility. Dasher Ludwig. Birthplace: New Jersey. Enhuman Power: Super Sonic Speed.
Josh: Hmmm....not bad powers.
Trisha: Especially that invisibility one.
Eva: Both those powers could be useful.
John: Well, this would good opportunity to recruit them both, especially with Adrian and his team behind bars.
James: Most of his team. Mammoth and Snake Bite are behind bars, but Scarlett and Red Dragon are still out there.
John: They've been in hiding for a year. They won't come out.
Suddenly, the grid alarm blares.
Eva: Oh, great. Something else.
James: V.O.X?
V.O.X: Bank robbery in Philadelphia. One Enhuman signature detected.
Josh: You got a profile on her?
V.O.X presents the profile of the Enhuman crime boss; Arachnicia.
Josh: Ms. Spider-Queen herself.
Trisha: She's been on our radar for the past three months now.
Charles: Yeah, but it looks like she's finally slipped up. This could be the great opportunity to finally go grab her.
John rubs his chin.
John: Hmmm....Okay...
John turns to Josh, Trisha and Charles.
John: Josh, Trisha, Charles. Think you three can handle a simple bank robbery?
Josh: Ppsshh....please, it's us your talking to, Mr. P.
Charles: Guess I'll be supervising this trip.
John smirks, before turning to James and Eva.
John: Kids, we're going to Paris to talk these young Enhumans.
Eva: Ooh...lovely Paris.
James: Great....no need for a suit when I have my charms.
Eva: Yeah, to scare the ladies away.
Josh laughs, before the team disperses. John looks around, before calling to Charles.
John: Charles....where's Arianna?
At New Design High School, Alex is working on a thermal temperature science project. As he studies, Arianna is walking up to his classroom, watching him as he studies. Just as she prepares to enter classroom, her cell phone buzzes and Arianna pulls it out and answers it after seeing it is Charles calling her.
Arianna: Charlie, what's up?
Charles: We got a situation in Philadelphia. Arachnica's back on the grid and she's robbing a bank.
Arianna: Bloody hell.
Arianna looks back at Alex and gives a saddened.
Charles: Ari, you there? The kids and I could use the back up. What are you doing, anyway?
Arianna: Uh...just wrapping up family stuff. I'll be right there.
Arianna sighs, before walking off.