The past few days have not been fun.

This stab wound has still been hurting away, and the skin around it is very sensitive. I don't know if it's healing or not...the bleeding hasn't completely stopped, and there's been more of a yellow-white fluid draining from it. I'm not too positive what that meant.

My heart rate has been fluctuating, and I've overall felt lightheaded. I found some old bottles of medicine in my parents' bathroom, and I've been using small amounts of them to help get rid of the symptoms. I've been trying my best to hide all of this, but with the little sleep I've been getting, along with how I probably have been acting weirder than normal to some people at school, I don't think I'm doing well enough.

Especially because, Dash has been observing me like a hawk. He has asked a few times if I was alright, and despite me saying yes, he gave me doubtful stares. I'm not sure how much longer it'll be, before he buckles down and pressures me to tell the truth. But at least Cam is easier to fool, after I told her I was ok once, she let it go.

Now, as I'm getting ready for school today, a sense of anxiety uncomfortably settled in my stomach. I wonder how much longer it'll be, before I start feeling better?

On top of my worries, Dad was supposed to be back tomorrow. Maybe he'll be so distracted with work, that he won't notice me like this...I can only hope.

...Speaking of Dad...that letter he got some days ago has been piquing my interest. Something was telling me to open it, but side of me that was afraid of what Dad would do screamed louder. I can try asking him about it, after he himself opens it.

~~~

"So...have you been sleeping well?"

I glanced from the notebook in my arms up to the blond teen walking next to me. He asked if he could walk me to my first class, and I had no reason to say no...but I'm thinking I should've.

"Not really..." I honestly answer. There was no point lying there, my baggy and bloodshot eyes revealed it. However, I could try to ease his concerns.

"But insomnia spells aren't uncommon for me. It's nothing."

I say, even though my vision wasn't in tip-top shape right now. It was constantly blurry, even if I wiped my eyes. I don't know if it's because of the insomnia, or this illness I'm probably developing.

"Have you asked your parents for help?" He asked, and I gave him a confused one, which he returned with one of his own. I then realized that I haven't told him about them.

"My parents are gone. And even if they were here, I doubt they'd care."

"They're...gone?"

"They're out of town. Have been for a while." I said, nonchalant.

"Ok..." He squinted. "...But, why do you think they wouldn't care?"

"They're just...like that." I shrugged. "It's hard to explain."

I saw that we reached my class, and broke away from him.

"See you later?" I rhetorically asked, before hobbling into the classroom. I saw Dash's pout for a split second, and I knew he had more to say, but it would unfortunately have to wait.

~~~

I walked, or tottered technically, into the cafeteria alone. Cam wasn't here today for whatever reason, so it was just me.

I made my way over to an empty table and planted myself on a chair. I didn't start eating though, something more pressing had my attention.

I looked down at my hands, seeing that they were shaking. They were also a little cool, but sweat still welled up on my skin like I was hot. I reached up to feel my forehead, feeling the higher-than-normal heat there.

This wasn't good, not at all. I hope this sickness was just a passing thing.

My awareness was taken from my questionable state of health, by the sensation of something tapping my shoulder.

"Cam not here?" Dash asked me, sitting down at the table with his tray. I gulped, facing away from him.

"No. Don't know why...she could be sick or something."

I left it at that, and Dash appeared ok with the answer. As he started eating, I looked at him.

"...Why're you sitting with me?"

"There's a few reasons. I don't want you to be alone, is the main one." He shot me a look, and more sweat welled up on my forehead.

"...Is it all...that obvious?"

"Yeah. At least to me, it is." He answered, his frown deepening, and butterflies started swarming in my stomach. Either Dash pays a lot of attention to me, or it's just his observant nature kicking in.

"You should go home, Y/N. Rest."

"Sounds tempting, but I don't have anyone to pick me up." I sighed, and rubbed my stiff neck.

"I can take you home."

"Huh?" I stared at him, one of my eyebrows raised. "But, it's the middle of the school day."

He chuckled. "That's never stopped me."

"...You've ditched school before? What a rebel." I snickered. I guess Dash wasn't the pure-hearted soul I've fantasized him as.

"A couple of times. Not just because I felt like it, but something came up that I needed to handle." Dash shrugged, speaking casually, but I could detect there was something more to that.

Dash was so...mysterious, sometimes. I wonder what actually went on in his life? What he sees, and deals with. On the surface he seems like your average senior highschooler, who partakes in sports and hangs out with his friends, but...my brain had an itch. There was more to him...I swear I was going to find out what, sooner or later.

"I appreciate the offer, but it's fine. I can last until the day's over. Not much longer now anyway." I poked at my lunch, once again not having an appetite.

"...If you're sure..." Dash remarked quietly, staring at me from the corner of his eye. I'm glad he wasn't going to push further, but there was only so much longer that this could last.

If he found out about my injury, he could blow it out of proportion. Or...he could find it something not worth worrying about, and leave me be. The latter seemed out of his character, too ignorant, and for the first time I silently wished Dash could be more ignorant like everyone else around us.

But it's fine. This'll work out in the end, either in a good or bad way, I knew that much.

~~~

~???'s POV~

How much longer was this going to take?

All of these tests, exercises, procedures...they were becoming quite irritating. There's only so many times they can run the same things and receive the same results every time, before it gets redundant.

I know he wants this project to be as perfect as it could be, but these simulations couldn't compare to the real world. The true experience lies on the field, and we should just throw it out there already.

...But, we do need it to learn how to follow directions. Maybe its stubbornness was appealing and cute back home, but here, it was nothing but incredibly tiring. Maybe injecting more brain & neural agents would make it more obedient...

The sound of the door behind me sliding open made me jump, and I spun around in my chair.

"...Oh. It's you."

I sneered at my smirking coworker, no doubt amused by how I reacted to her entrance, and faced my desk again. She came up to stand next to me, the sounds of her heels clicking against the floor drawing near.

"Here." She placed a folder filled with documents next to my computer monitor. "Review these."

"Yeah yeah, I know the process." I grimaced. More paperwork. Great.

"And...we've been told something." She kept speaking, and I reached to grab the folder.

"Do tell..." I droned, opening it.

"The boss has a newfound interest in a Super. A new one. Apparently, she's a teenager fresh on the superhero scene."

"...And?"

"And, her power's nothing to sneeze at." She hissed, annoyed by my indifference. Could she blame me? We've heard something like this before dozens of times.

"She can control water. I don't think I need to tell a scientist like you how useful that could be for us."

...I put down the document I was holding. She's right, she didn't need to tell me.

Being able to manipulate one of the strongest elements on Earth. That kind of power...

"Celent wants her, as soon as possible. The only bad thing is that she's mostly off the grid. She's not even registered in the NSA."

"So, finding her is going to be a challenge." I pinched my nose, and she nodded.

"We at least know she stays to a certain area of Metroville. She doesn't drive and does her hero work on her own, so she can't go that far from home."

"All we need to go is to get a tracker on her. Find out where she lives, and where she goes to school if she does." I shrugged. "Should be easy."

"Yeah, but how are we supposed to lure her out into the open?"

"I don't know, you're a pretty competent criminal. I'm sure you and your gang can come up with a plan." I glanced at her, meeting her green eyes. She moved strands of her black hair from her face.

"You know if I take this into my own hands, things will get chaotic. Maybe messy as well." She stated, smirking.

"As if that's ever stopped you before."

"...You're right."