“So where exactly are you taking me?” Jay asked as Maria dragged him down the Main Street of Dallas. “Oh… just to the park.” Maria answered way too casually. “The park? Why would you want to… Oh no.” Jay stopped short. “No way. I will not sit on my backside for hours while you draw my picture.” “Please? I need a picture for my art class. Pretty please?” Maria wheedled. “It depends on the type of picture.” Jay looked down at Maria through his sunglasses. “Well, I was thinking that--” Maria fell quiet. She stared at a store across the street. “What’s wrong?” Jay asked softly. “Armed robbery. I can’t make out what they’re saying.” She whispered. Jay turned to look. “Don’t look, you idiot! They might see you!” Maria hissed. “What the heck are you talking about, it’s not like they know who we are and that we can see them.” With that, Jay turned around. There were three men with ski masks inside the store. The biggest held a gun, .45 Magnum by the look of it, to the clerk’s head as the other two took her keys and opened the display cases. “Okay. I’ll circle round back and you flush them out. Wait for my signal.” Jay said. “Gotcha.” Maria nodded. Jay morphed into a small cat, the kind that everyone would expect to be skulking around in an alley behind a store, and loped across the street and behind the building. He paused at the corner to make certain that Maria was headed across the street to the front of the store. She was, looking just like one of the crowd. Jay smiled. Maria had a knack for blending in. Jay stopped. He was out of sight of all the windows. He changed back into his usual form and waited by the back door. Jay gathered a small puff of wind into his hand, making some small alterations, and sent it towards Maria. Maria stopped behind a tree on the sidewalk, just out of sight of the thieves. She was close enough to hear what they were saying. Just as she leaned in to listen closer, a small breeze whispered through the leaves of her tree. Go. She headed for the door. “Yes! This is the biggest score we ever made!” One of the men unlocking the cases pumped his fist in the air. “Quiet, Pate! Do you want someone to see what we’re doing?” The big guy, the one holding the gun, scowled at him. “Yeah, do you want the cops to be all over us?” The third thief chimed in. “Like anyone can actually see us through these tinted win-“ His words were choked off as the door splintered inward. All three men whirled around to look at the door, and the clerk ducked down behind the counter. A girl stepped through the hole where the door used to be. “Well boys, looks like you’ve made quite a haul. And a mistake.” She said, raising her eyebrows. “You’re the one who made the mistake, girly.” Gun Guy swung his weapon around towards her. “Girly? Oh, you’re in for it now.” She raised her hand and something grabbed his ankles and pulled him down. A vine started to wrap around his body. “What the!” He didn’t get anymore out before the vine gagged his mouth. The girl looked at the other two and smiled. “Who’s next?” Pate looked at his buddy and charged her, only to run straight through her. He turned around and looked at her. She was made of water! “What are you?” He squeaked, fear and shock stealing his voice. “Just your average girl with superpowers.” With that, another vine came and wrapped around Pate and pulled him down. “Forget this! I’m getting out of here!” The third man ran toward the back door… And nearly broke his nose on a wall. “Hey, Rosethorn! You missed one!” The wall said. It wasn’t a wall. It was another kid, with one big difference. He had wings. “Come on, Windspeed.” Rosethorn rolled her eyes. “I was merely saving him for you.” “In that case, I am much obliged.” Windspeed grinned at her and punched the man through the counter. “Now then, Rosie. Let’s vamoose before the cops show up.” “Gladly. But you still owe me that picture.” “Dang it.”