Unfortunately, the case started to go cold.

  For the next four hours, the group had scoured the nearby neighborhoods of Central Seraph, gaining clues that forced them in a tug of war for a deduction. Some say the thief would steal and then run away, while others had watched as he rode off on a motorcycle. Some even described a different type of motorcycle as well. Ashley wracked her head until she felt it would fall off, and found herself in a circle of contradicting accounts and groundless conclusions.

  They took a small break on the curb of a gas station. It seemed like Ashley was the only one exhausted by then. She hated asking the same questions. Usually, she would either be given an answer or figure it out herself. But how is she supposed to know where this guy would strike next? This is the worst.

  “It seems that you’re giving this as much thought as I hoped you would.”

  Roger sat down next to her.

  “I hope you’re happy, Roger.” Ashley replied sullenly. Don’t make a face, Ashley. The makeup will come off.

  “I am. Things are going better than expected.”

  “Even though we totally can’t figure out where he’ll go next?”

  “Mm-hm.”

  Ashley sighed.

  “Ashley, you say ‘we,’ but I haven’t seen you confer with Jeremiah and Isaac yet.”

  Can anything make this guy happy?

  “Like, why should I? I’m the only one who figured out the shrinking theory anyways.”

  Unable to contain a glare, she shot an accusatory look.

  “Isn’t that why you were staring at me? You were testing me, trying to see if I could figure this out.”

  “That wasn’t what I was testing you for.” Roger shot back in an empty tone. His face betrayed no emotion as well.

  Ashley tried to form a sentence but stopped, her mouth slightly open. Even if she could speak, Roger stood up and rejoined the group a few steps away. Ashley found herself staring at the ground. She never was much of a team player, was she? Especially in the thinking side of things. Ashley was always smarter than she looked, more eloquent than she spoke, and more dignified than she acted. It was a strategy that led her to being a solo thinker.

  Of course she failed Roger’s test.

  “No freaking way!” Ashley raged. She stomped at the ground a couple times and then pointed a long-nailed finger towards Jeremiah and Isaac.

  “You two! Over here! Team meeting!”

  The two looked at each other with faces resigned to their fate. They took too long, so Ashley dragged them aside herself. They huddled together, their heads pressed against each other as if to squeeze the answers out by force.

  “I’m kinda at a loss here, so any ideas would be totes helpful right now.” Ashley admitted. Somehow, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

  “Huh? Looks like the crazy-smart chick actually—”

  Before Isaac could dig his grave, Jeremiah cut in.

  “Well I’d love to help, but what exactly are you at a loss in?”

  Ashley bit her lip. A lot of things, Froggy.

  “Lemme guess, why Shrinkman uses a motorcycle in some crimes and in other crimes he doesn’t?” Isaac asked.

  “Yeah, actually. Wait. . .”

  Ashley and Jeremiah squinted at Isaac.

  “Shrinkman?” They asked in unison.

  “Shrinkmaaaan.” Isaac reassured. “Real catchy, right? Gets the point across.”

  Ashley shook her head. Jeremiah laughed just enough to politely get the conversation back on track.

  “Anyways, I can see the issue. Figuring out his motive is the key to figuring out where he’ll go next.” Jeremiah said.

  “When I chased him, we didn’t come back to where we started, but I did chase him back down the highway,” Isaac said. “Maybe he has a territory? He hasn’t committed any crimes outside of Central Seraph, right?”

  “But that doesn’t exactly narrow it down.” Jeremiah said. “Central Seraph is the largest part of Seraph City. The real question is: Why would he come back when he could have just driven far away from where he robbed the old lady?”

  “For some reason he feels that he needs to come back here.” Ashley pondered.

  “Sounds like he’s got some kind of hideout. Orrrr maybe he just lives here?” Isaac half-joked.

  “Ah, maybe he’s got some kind of vendetta!” Jeremiah exclaimed. “It explains why every victim says he steals small stuff like purses. He just wants to provoke the police!”

  “Like an attention grabber?” Ashley wondered. It explains the stereotypical purse robbing.

  “Hey, not to get off track, but I was thinking about my cinematic chase scene and something kinda clicked.” Isaac said.

  Ashley and Jeremiah looked at Isaac with exhausted expressions.

  “How much you wanna bet this Shrinkman only uses a motorcycle when it isn't dark yet?”

  Now, their jaws were hanging open. Isaac couldn’t comprehend their shock, and assumed the worst.

  “What? I’m trying to contribute, man!”

  “No, it’s just. . .” Ashley faltered. Fine, Roger. I get it. Lesson learned.

  “Let’s try to confirm this somehow!” Jeremiah said, an excited glint in his eyes.

  “I know just where to go, my guys.” Isaac stood proudly, dramatically raised a hand, then pointed it directly at the sliding door of the store’s entrance a foot away from them.

  “It’s snack time!”

  They entered the convenience store. It was both a place of business and a home, the latter being built directly above the former. Happy Takakura was apparently a well-loved convenience store and candy shop that’s been around for decades. The sleek, almost soullessly clinical interior you would expect of a convenience store did not exist here.

  The trio found themselves in a collage of different shades of brown wooden shelving and racks that held a rainbow assortment of candies Ashley both recognized and never seen before. She couldn’t read or pronounce half of what was for sale. A sign by the entrance stated ‘A candy from every country!’

  Now that when she was inside, Ashley remembered seeing the place on social media. If she wasn’t so busy, she would have pulled out her phone and…

  A small idea formed in her head. Ashley scanned the store for a green phone case. Meanwhile, Jeremiah fought to stir himself from the overstimulation, while Isaac sauntered through the rows of candy, selecting his go-tos like a true regular. By the time Ashley found a green case (it was olive green, but she didn’t have time to be picky), she met the other two at the register.

  Isaac proudly struggled to hold his lot, while Jeremiah was empty-handed and uncomfortable. The register was seemingly unmanned. In fact, it was strangely empty for a place so supposedly popular. Where was everybody?

  “What, you two ain’t getting any? Anyways, this is the chick we’re here for.”

  “Um, who, exactly? I don’t see anyone at the. . .” Jeremiah faltered as he looked over the counter.

  It looked like a child was seated at a chair for a grown man’s stature. Without staring over the counter, all you could see is the height of her jet black topknot. The girl wore an unfriendly leather jacket and an even unfriendlier grimace.

  When she realized Jeremiah couldn’t see her due to her unfortunate shortness, she stomped onto the chair with brutal combat boots, now roughly passing their height from behind the counter. She loudly crunched a lollipop while popping her knuckles in sync.

  There was no doubt.

  This disgruntled girl was the reason for the low clientele.

  “This girl here is June Takakura, poster child of Lucky Takakura,” Isaac said, nodding his head in greeting to the little grump. “‘Sup, June. That one’s Ashley, and that one’s Jeremiah.”

  “Don’t act all friendly with me, Ballsaac. They’ll get the wrong idea.”

  She made this scathing remark, while sizing them up. Isaac didn’t react. A symptom of prolonged exposure, Ashley figured.

  “The fuck do you guys want?”

  Jeremiah winced at the profanity coming from such a small, innocent-looking girl. Ashley spent a moment trying to figure out where she recognized her from.

  “You’re, like, a Myriad High student, right?”

  June nodded. She began ringing up Isaac’s countless candies.

  “Yeah. Only made it to the Waiting List, though. Bullshit if you ask me.”

  “Check it, June. We’re tracking down a thief in the neighborhood with those two guys outside,” Isaac said. “You got some juicy info, man?”

  He was leaning forward with a hand blocking his mouth as if Ashley and Jeremiah weren’t allowed to hear. June’s face darkened. She shut her eyes, and Ashley could’ve sworn a crack appeared on the scanner June was using.

  “If it’s the piece of shit stealing random stuff and being a showoff, I don’t think I got anything special for you.”

  “Did he steal from you too, girl?” Ashley asked.

  “Yeah. From my pops. His own chocolate-infused sake recipe, bottled up and everything.”

  June scoffed.

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  “Didn’t touch the register or nothing. Just the bottle. Shithead.”

  That checks out, Ashley thought. Jeremiah’s theory of the thief being an attention seeker is making more and more sense.

  Ashley listened as Jeremiah swallowed his fear in order to speak to the miniature delinquent.

  “W-well, when did this happen, if y-you don't mind asking?”

  June scowled hard enough to give Detective Clark a run for his money. Maybe that’s why Roger needed them to ask previous victims? If the Detective met June, it would be like an unstoppable force hitting an immovable object. Death of the universe. June’s response managed to remove Ashley from her amusing thoughts.

  “It was right before closing time. We close at 8.”

  Isaac swiped his card as he chimed in.

  “Wait, you were there, June? Why didn’t you just beat him up?”

  Ashley side-eyed Isaac. Beat him up? Her? She can’t ride a rollercoaster but you think she can beat up a grown man?

  “Because he disappeared, jackass!” June slammed the counter. Isaac raised his hands like an animal trainer attempting to calm a rabid beast. Surprisingly, June attempted to steady her breathing rather than be further enraged by Isaac. She shook her head as she scanned Ashley’s new phone case.

  “I’m not letting you piss me off more than you do by default, Ballsaac. I’m done letting you play detective in my store.”

  “Hey, sis! Just one more thing, alright~” Ashley hastily jumped in. “Isaac won’t say anything else. In fact!” Ashley nodded to Jeremiah, then the door. Thankfully, Jeremiah took the hint and ushered Isaac out of the store.

  “But what did I dooooo?” Isaac lamented as Jeremiah took him away.

  June regarded Ashley with a new look. Maybe something like respect? Or maybe June was more cooperative when Isaac wasn’t around? He totally has that effect on people.

  “What?”

  “How did he disappear, and where?”

  June pursed her lips, looking up at the ceiling.

  “I chased him out the convenience store. But he disappeared in the alleyway next to the store, in between the building on the right of this one. It’s a deadend too, so the fuckhead used a Blessing or something.”

  Suddenly, a breakthrough.

  “Ok, I know I said one more question, but for realsies this time!” Ashley was nearly boosting herself onto the counter with enthusiasm.

  “How many dead end alleyways exist in this neighborhood?”

  “How the hell am I supposed to—” June shook her head, too bothered to commit to the meanspiritedness. “Two maybe? The one next door and the one near the prissy neighborhood on Hunting Boulevard, I guess.”

  Hunting Boulevard? Ashley thought. Like Hunting Park? That has to be the one Isaac chased him into!

  Ashley paid for the green phone case and thanked the little grump.

  “I’ll see you when the school year starts?” Ashley asked.

  “If that weirdo Instructor means what he says? Maybe.” June said with a smirk.

  Ashley returned the smile, and left Lucky Takakura while switching out her overly bedazzled phone case with her recent purchase. She tried to ignore Roger’s knowing smile that greeted her outside, and failed miserably.

  “Is there a retake for this test, Roger?”

  “The test wasn’t over.”

  “Lame~”

  Roger chuckled while Detective Clark approached her as well. Before he could ask, Ashley answered his unspoken question.

  “If Shrinkman does his thing today, I know two spots where he might disappear.”

  The dour detective and the strange Instructor shared a brief look of amusement.

  “Shrinkman?”

  From afar, Isaac reassured the two.

  “Shrinkmaaaaan.”

  Standing on a rooftop overlooking the neighborhood, Ashley held a device no larger than a child’s fingernail in her palm. The gadget was a tracking device given to the trio before they split from the two adults.

  “Normally,” Roger had said, retrieving the devices from a duffel bag. “These are used for the sake of training during your second year, but our situation called for its use.” The trio watched as he pressed the nearly paper-thin tech to the collar of his button-up shirt. Then, Roger showed them another tool from Myriad High. It looked like a heavy metal compass, and shared the same size. Their Instructor pressed one of two buttons below the screen, and what looked like a digital map of Seraph City came into view. A single green dot appeared on the radar.

  “These radars are specifically linked to the trackers here. It tracks at an approximate 25 mile radius. If you see the crook, tail him but do not engage. Contact us as you follow him, understood?”

  The trio nodded, Isaac more so than others. Ashley saw a fiery look in his eyes, but had nothing to say.

  What could she even say?

  Now, he was peering down the building, a foot resting on the edge.

  “Nothing more iconic than a superhero looking down from the rooftops, man!” Isaac said.

  “You’re, like, gonna give us away if you keep shouting.” Ashley muttered.

  “And you’ll fall if you aren’t careful!” Jeremiah pleaded.

  Isaac snickered as he retreated safely, saying, “Alright, alright.”

  “Anyways,” Jeremiah said. “What Isaac said earlier today has a lot more credence with this.” He held up the tracker.

  “Maybe we really are future Myriad students in everything but name? He just handed us some expensive-looking high-tech gadgets like it was normal.”

  Ashley and Isaac shook their heads.

  “The thing about Roger is. . .” Ashley started.

  “He’s weird.” Isaac finished.

  “Yeah, he’s weird. From what I hear, he’s totally a freewheeling kind of teacher.” Ashley said. “Even this ‘Waiting List’ program is a random Roger thing.”

  Jeremiah seemed to mull over their words as Isaac brought up a good question.

  “Myriad’s supposed to be the best Principality in the country, right? How’d a guy like Roger get a job there?”

  A moment of silence arrived and quickly left, as strong wind blew past them on the rooftop. Though she was curious about a possible answer to Isaac’s question, Ashley continued to stare down at the streets below. The sun was setting and the streets were far from busy.

  If Shrinkman is coming, it’s now or never.

  “The main instructors are all retired Agents, famous ones too.” Jeremiah said. “But I don’t recognize Roger from anywhere. Did he ever talk about his career before Myriad?”

  “Nah.” Isaac said.

  “What about where he’s from?”

  “Not really.”

  “Friends and family?”

  “Nope.”

  Jeremiah huffed. “Then what—”

  “Boys,” Ashley interrupted. “He’s here.”

  Isaac and Jeremiah instantly ended their talk and sidled up to Ashley, peering over the railing together. It was the same burly looking person. All black clothing with no skin in sight, completed with that jet black motorcycle helmet from before. The helmeted man walked down the street as if he owned it. There were only a few people on the street, one of them being some sort of businesswoman rushing down the sidewalk.

  Slowly, Ashley stuck the adhesive tracker to the back of her phone.

  Like watching a trainwreck in slow motion, the trio witnessed Shrinkman close in on the lady.

  “Let’s hope this works.” Ashley said as she raised her phone up. Ashley’s telekinetic hands lifted the phone up gracefully. If Today’s Color is green, then as long as what she manipulates is attached to something, it’ll be moved as well.

  “You two, boost me up!” Ashley whispered. “And don’t let go!”

  Jeremiah and Isaac hurried to hoist her over the railing. Ashley watched as Shrinkman began to loudly accost the woman, grabbing her purse with one hand and shoving her with the other. There was no way Ashley was going to tail a crook like him on foot. Instead, she’ll plant the bugged phone in the woman’s purse. Currently, her phone lowered from the roof as softly as a feather. Ashley’s invisible hands slipped the phone into the loose compartment of the purse just as Shrinkman turned to escape, leaving the woman screaming at him on the ground.

  “Yes!” Ashley shouted, then clamped her hands over her mouth. Jeremiah and Isaac lowered her down. She pointed at Isaac, who held the radar gadget.

  “Turn that on.”

  They watched as the rader flipped on, and in the middle of the top-down map, the dot steadily moved west, the very same direction their criminal had gone.

  “Ash. . .” Isaac said. “You did it. . .”

  A small celebration happened on that rooftop. They whooped and hollered, jumping up and down and sharing high fives, before remembering that a crime had been committed just below them. After clearing their throats and cooling their heads, the three began descending the side-alley staircase.

  “Isaac, give Roger a call and tell him we got Shrinkman bugged.”

  “Gotcha!”

  As Isaac began relaying the message to Roger over the phone, they made it back to ground level. Ashley ached to get her phone back, but it was worth it as long as she got into Myriad. Four years of military academy for an easy transition to a career with money, travel, and easy retirement? Ashley thought. No day jobs for me~

  Ashley’s thoughts of a comfy future came to a halt as Jeremiah spoke up. He had a wavering voice when he tried to raise it, but even now, the nervousness was more apparent than ever.

  “Uh, guys?” Jeremiah asked. “He’s not supposed to be going here, right?”

  He showed the radar off once again, and what Ashley saw was far from planned.

  “Wait, that ain’t an alley, Ash!” Isaac exclaimed.

  “I can see that!” Ashley barked, feeling a headache coming on. “It’s, like, one of those buildings that didn’t finish construction or something.”

  The dot from Ashley’s phone no longer moved. It was still in the center of what looked like an abandoned building with equally abandoned construction equipment surrounding it. It was barely two blocks away.

  “Could it be Shrinkman’s base of operations?” Jeremiah asked.

  “What if. . .” Ashley wondered. “He knows we bugged him, and left the phone there?” The thought terrified her the moment it escaped her lips. When I’m this close? No freaking way! Roger told them to trail Shrinkman, but Ashley thought planting a bug was a better idea. But now, the plan is blowing up in her face. She couldn’t slip up in front of Roger twice today.

  She yanked Isaac’s phone from his hands. With recent thoughts of ambition flooding through her mind, she made her decision.

  “Roger, we think he’s onto us, so we’re gonna go back to the original plan to tail him ourselves.”

  “Ashley,” Roger replied, with the sternness of an elementary teacher no one respected. “I understand you are invested in this, but if he truly knows—”

  “You said we’ll catch him tonight, didn’t you?” Ashley’s voice cracked. “I’m not gonna be the reason this doesn’t work!”

  She hung up before Roger could reply, and pushed the phone to Isaac’s chest.

  “Let’s go.”

  Ashley could tell Isaac was scared, as well as Jeremiah.

  She was scared too.

  At the front of the construction site, they inspected the outside area, hoping to catch a glimpse of their suspect leaving the scene. Of course, they saw nobody. Jeremiah kept his eyes on the radar, noticeably trying to keep a steady hand and failing.

  “It hasn’t moved since. The tracker is still in the middle of the building.”

  Isaac, with grit teeth and clenched fists, approached an unfinished window and peeked through.

  “Looks like there’s nobody there, but it’s pretty dark so. . .”

  Isaac turned on the flashlight on his phone, and held it through the window. He rapidly swiveled it around, back and forth, expecting someone to appear out of nowhere.

  Once again, nobody. Ashley felt a small bit of tension subside. But her pride had taken a beating. Her gambit failed. They watched a crime occur and had nothing to show for it. Some heroine-in-training I am, Ashley thought. She began stomping up the stairs, beckoning for the other two to follow.

  “Keep the flashlight on, Isaac. We totally need to at least find the tracker. It's probably super expensive.”

  In the barely-illuminated building, Ashley found her phone instantly, the green case serving as a rough contrast to the dusty concrete foundation. She picked it up, grimaced at the new crack on the screen, and sighed.

  “Let’s just wait outside for Roger.” Ashley muttered.

  As they turned to leave, Isaac turned the flash towards the entrance they came from. And springing from the darkness as the flash illuminated him, appeared the suspect.

  Shrinkman was right in front of them.

  The trio stopped in their tracks, facing the man who blocked their escape. The one they called Shrinkman stood motionlessly, arms to his side. Ashley suddenly felt her heartbeat ringing through her ears and her blood running to ice. She kept her eyes on the crook, but she could almost tell that Jeremiah and Isaac went through the same feelings.

  Shrinkman cracked his neck and rounded his shoulders, whatever expression he had obscured by that motorcycle helmet. In a raspy, bored voice, he spoke.

  “That tracker’s real high-tech.” He said. “I’m starting to think you really are from T.H.R.O.N.E.”

  And with a click and a glint in the darkness, out came the switchblade.