FicWad

Chiron and Hera looked over Jay's scratch.

"Well Neil's luck must be rubbing off on you all," Hera said as everyone minus Atlanta and Neil sat around her table in her solarium. "Archie's whip can cut through anything," she looked at her young charge's face, stitches and a band-aid just covering the cut, "You are lucky it didn't go deeper."

Theresa had a small bruise forming on her cheek. It was small and Archie probably just caught her with the corner of his watch. It was pale and it couldn't be seen in certain amounts of light.

Odie shook his head, "this makes no sense. Why would he suddenly lash out at Theresa and Jay?"

Herry was sitting quietly while Jay and Theresa were staring at Odie and Hera trying to think of some explanation.

"How'd Atlanta get there?" Herry finally asked.

Jay shrugged, "Come on guys we need sleep. We will talk to Atlanta tomorrow."

Jay watched his team file out of the solarium. He turned back to Chiron and Hera, and nodded a goodbye and left. He noticed how both were confused. They didn't know what was going on.

The next morning the teens tiredly rolled out of bed. Atlanta looked worn; Neil was refreshed and ignored the glare his leader gave him when Atlanta came downstairs. Theresa was quiet picking at her cereal. Herry was eating with his usual vigor but his skin had a pale glow to it and he had bags under his eyes.

Odie played around with his PMR. He shook his head and muttered to himself.

Jay looked at the clock and looked down at his tired team.

"Come on guys, school starts lets go."

Everyone nodded and grabbed their backpacks and homework and walked out to Herry's truck.

The teens were quiet and Jay had no idea what to do. He could not admit what was staring him in the face....

They were falling apart.

Once they got to school Atlanta left them. Jay grabbed Neil and with the other guys and Theresa cornered him against Herry's truck.

"What's going on?" Neil said as his hand went for his mirror.

"Neil," Jay growled, "How did Atlanta come to follow us last night?"

Neil shrugged, "I went to sleep..."

Theresa grabbed Jay's hand and he looked at her.

"Jay lets go to class." She pulled him inside.

"Jay listen to me please," Theresa said as they paused at his locker. "You can't stop what is happening now. Archie will come back, Atlanta will stop being quiet and we will beat Cronos."

Jay sighed and looked over at Theresa. His lips formed a smile.

"You're right," He threw his arm around Theresa and gave her a slight hug. She smiled and led the way to their first period English class.

Atlanta wandered in to Chemistry. It was a lab day and so she put on her lab apron and goggles. She walked to her bench and listened to her teacher explain the lab. She turned to go get a couple of beakers.

When she returned her lab bench was occupied by another, with purple hair.

"Hi," she said quietly and placed the beakers down. Her notebook was open as she begun to draw a table.

"Hey," he replied watching her, "Look Atlanta..." his voice trailed off.

Her eyes met his.

"Please Atlanta forgive me, I...I am in over my head...I need everyone's help..." Archie told her his shoulders slumping as he put the dry ice they were using in to a beaker.

"Archie, what is going on? You hurt Jay and Theresa last night...." Atlanta said getting a distilled water bottle and adding a few drops. Her eyes met his again and he could see they were red.

"Can I explain later?" He asked, "I just need you to organize it."

Atlanta sighed and surveyed him from head to toe.

"Yea I will..." a loud noise similar to a gunshot echoed through the classroom.

Everyone jumped, "Archie! Atlanta pay more attention to your experiment!!!" he scolded, "You both have detention with me tomorrow!"

Archie and Atlanta looked at their bench. The beaker had shattered.

"Ill get them together tonight ok?" Atlanta said as she went to get the broken glass bin. As they talked Atlanta had unconsciously covered the beaker for longer than desired in their lab causing a small explosion to take place.

Archie swept the broken glass into the bin while Atlanta held it.

"At the Brownstone."

*

Atlanta assembled everyone in to the Brownstone living room. She was nervous. She wasn't sure why.

Jay and Theresa were sitting on the couch, the leader watching Atlanta. Neil was bored and fixing his appearance with the aid of his mirror. Odie and Herry were slumped in their seats; Herry was stuffing his face with popcorn.

"Atlanta? What's going on?" Jay asked getting up and placing his hand on her shoulder as she looked out the window.

"Jay just sit down," Atlanta said turning away from the window.

"You see in chemistry...my partner and I had a slight problem with dry ice. We were chatting and he asked me to bring you all here today."

Archie came in and stood beside her.

Jay stood up his xiphos out; Theresa's eyes glinted in anger stood behind Jay. Herry jumped up upending the bowl of popcorn.

"You show courage to come back here after what just happened," Jay's voice growled.

Atlanta leapt between them; the xiphos was millimeters from the bridge of her nose.

The group froze as Atlanta's eyes focused on her leader.

"Atlanta, step aside," Archie murmured to her, his whip in his hand as his eyes focused on Theresa as she pulled out her numb chucks.

"We can't solve problems by force, we can just talk," Seconds passed as the weapons dropped. Atlanta stepped back as everyone looked at Archie and Jay.
Archie and Jay were staring at each other...Jay was wondering why he had come back and why he still looked haunted...

"Guys...I need your help..." Archie said as he met each of his ex-teammates' eyes.

/ Sorry I took me so long to update/