In every closet lies skeletons caked in dust and cobwebs.

Jason Young believed this as he sat outside of his facility. The icy climate numbed Jason to the bone as though Death is whispering in his ear.

Heavy sheets of rain moistened his recently trimmed hair, sleek black rain jacket, and dark gray pants.

Puckered lips tightened around a cigarette stick. His wife told him to quit, but since they grew apart, Jason couldn't care less what she thought about his smoking.

Though Martin and Apollo vanished, everyone carried on their tasks as if nothing happened.

But every once in a while, Brooke could hear troubled words whispering about the strange occurrences surrounding Martin.

"Why on earth would that grotesque old man kidnap a monster like Apollo?" one asked.

The voices belong to two nurses who chatted while busy pushing separate medical carts for their employees.

"Do you think he sold Apollo in the black market?" the brunette nurse stroll down the white floor while holding a cigarette between her fingers.

"I heard he was a child molester." the second nurse mumbled. She was a few years younger than her girlfriend and has golden blonde curls.

"Martin may have been covetous of his son, spending time with Apollo." theorized the first nurse. "Maybe he murdered Harper so he can have Apollo all to himself."

The blond-haired nurse simply rolled her blue eyes. 

"Belle, sweetie," she says in a patronizing tone. "You read way too many crime novels."

"Hey, I am just stating my beliefs." the second nurse retorts, putting out her shrunken cigarette.

"And besides, even if Martin did have the balls to come back here, Jason will get rid of him. Just like the others."

As the nurses strolled into a room, Brooke asks Johnny if Martin is skilled in taking a person's life.

The teenage ronin shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't know," he says. "Martin doesn't strike me as the serial killer type."

Standing inside the building were Brooke and Johnny looked outside the glass, watching the sullen Jason getting drenched in rain. 

"How long has Jason been like this?" Brooke asks him.

Her loose ponytail flew past her sleek jawline.

Autumn orange cardigan warmed Brooke's upper torso while her baggy jeans cloaked her legs. Two black Converse sneakers comforted her baby toes.

"Three hours." sighed Johnny. "Jesus Christ, I haven't seen Jason this upset since Martin and Apollo had disappeared."

He says this as he straightens a blue flannel shirt, smoothes his stonewashed jeans, and laced his black high top sneakers.

"Yeah, I guess you are right." Brooke agreed.

"Where do you think they are?"

Johnny did a careless shrug.

"Who knows?" he snorts. "Maybe Martin had decided that he had enough of Jason's shit."

"Really?" Brooke lifts her right eyebrow at her ex-lover. "You honestly think Martin has a conscience?"

"Well, yeah," Johnny replied, shooting her a surprised smirk. "Do you think Martin is heartless?"

An exhausted Brooke sighed.

"Well," she begins to say. "He is a terrible role model, but Martin cares about that poor kid more than the other scientists."

"Yeah, Martin also saved us from the cops," he adds in an agreeing tone. "But I think the old man has ulterior motives."

Brooke leans against the misty windowpane.

Gliding her gentle hand inside her left pocket, Brooke takes out the silver heart-shaped necklace and opens it.

She peers at the ancient photograph, barely noticing the moisture soaking her left orange cardigan sleeve.

Curious, Johnny looks over her right shoulder.

"You have been staring at that photo all day," he observed. "Is there something wrong?"

Brooke's long sigh escaped from her lips.

"No," she admits sheepishly. "but I get this strange feeling that Harper is trying to tell us something."

"Like what?"

She was about to reply when the obsolete photograph had unexpectedly fallen out of Martin's necklace.

"Oh shit." Brooke cursed under her breath.

Hastily, Johnny picks up the small photo off of the floor.

"I got it." he beamed, wiping the photograph for dirt.

Brooke's face glowed. "Thanks, Johnny."

Taking the photo from Johnny's fingers, she was about to put it back in the locket until Brooke had discovered something unsettling.

"Whoa, what is that?" she peers into the center of the nickel-colored heart to find a small memory card.

Its metallic gray paint and mysterious allure coaxed Brooke that she swiftly snatch the drive and snaps the locket shut.

"Hey, Johnny," Brooke began. Her voice is full of concern. 

"Yeah?" he asks. His cold brown eyes are still concentrated on Jason.

"There's something you need to see." Brooke flings the card to Johnny, who immediately catches it without looking. 

Turning his head away from the glass, Johnny Phoenix looks at the small memory card caressing his fingertips.

"Where did you get this?" he inquired.

"Martin's locket."

"Whoa, are you serious?"

Like his friend, Johnny does not know who would go to the lengths of stashing it inside an old piece of jewelry.

But at least the memory card is not damaged.

Johnny hands the small device to Brooke, who insists on showing the memory card to the others.

"Okay," he agreed. "Do you know where they are?"

"Nessa and Caleb are destroying batches of sea dragon's blood," Brooke answers, tucking the memory card inside her left jeans pocket and straightening her messy ponytail.

"Do they have the security codes with them?"

"Yeah."

"Cool, but I have one question: how did you get the codes?"

Brooke smiles very sweetly. "Oh, a girl has her ways. Anyway, we should tell our parents about this."

Johnny nods once more, lifting his backpack from the floor. But since his katana wouldn't fit in his bag, the boy decides to carry it in his left hand.

"Alright, let's go," he says finally.

"Okay." Brooke lifts her brown bag over her shoulder and tails after Johnny. They shuffle past impassive security guards and soldiers.

The children kept their heads down. Hearts paced inside fragile ribcages.

As they stumble upon the break room door, Brooke found her and Johnny's parents happily chatting on the dining table.

They were busy cleaning the fragments of McDonald's breakfast the grownups and the children had eaten.

"Hello, kids." Adelaide grinned.

She dons a white cashmere sweater, thick jeans, and black winter boots. A creamy brown winter coat concealed her shoulders while a black knitted cap covered her head.

Her husband, on the other hand, sports a pitch-black bomber jacket, oversized jeans, and white NIKE sneakers.

Tossing the yellow wrappers in a trash can was Victor Phoenix. He did not have any fancy winter clothes like Brooke's father, but he sports a creamy brown sweater, black slacks, and dark gray men's shoes.

And lastly, his wife Esme sports a very chic look. She wore a black blazer, a snow-white turtleneck, high-waisted jeans, and a pair of brown ankle-length boots.

Sleek, brown ponytail swished vibrantly as Esme glance up from the soiled dining table.

"Hi, Brooke and Johnny!" she beamed. "We have a leftover egg sandwich, would any of you like one?"

"No," Johnny says politely. "Brooke and I had uncovered something you want to see."

Brooke nods in agreement. "Yeah, and we think it has something to do with Jason."

"What?" a dreadful voice boomed.

Marching out of the kitchen is a furious Triton.

Like Thomas, he wore a black bomber jacket, but its leather fabric is shredded like paper.

Meanwhile, an oversized white T-shirt clothed Triton's upper torso, but it was coated in tiny breadcrumbs and ketchup streaks.

His dark khaki pants are caked with the dirt; his leather black combat boots smelled like coffee beans.

"Why, Jason is a decent scientist! He may have different opinions, but he is a good man, nonetheless."

Thomas casts him a perplexed look.

"Now Triton," he began. "I understand that Jason is your friend, but I am starting to have some doubts."

Triton's eyes burned through Thomas'. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Ever since those two disappear, I have been hearing some.  .  . unsavory rumors about him."

Thomas turns to Victor, who nods in silence. His pale brown fingers outlined the yellow tissue paper.

"He has created illegal experiments, harmed innocent sea critters, and one time, I even heard that Jason is embezzled his old company."

Triton points his accusing finger at Brooke's father.

"Those. Are. Lies." he scowled. "Jason was probably framed for those crimes!"

Esme Phoenix shakes her head. "Triton, I don't think—"

She was coldly interrupted by the sound of Triton's disbelieving laugh.

"You guys are joking, right?" he exclaimed.

"No, we're not," answered Johnny. "I know how much you care about Jason, but he's not you think."

Offended, Triton turns his head to confront Johnny when Brooke stepped in.

"Guys, stop it." she insisted. "We're friends, not enemies."

"Whatever," said Triton, getting up from his seat. "I am leaving."

He was about to approach the door when Johnny blocked his exit.

His pale arms stretched across the door; cold brown eyes glare at the former gym teacher, threatening Triton to take a careful step back.

"Get out of my way, Johnny," he growled. "I do not want to listen to what you have to say about Jason."

"Come on!" Johnny barked. "We just don't want to see you get hurt!"

Triton gives the boy a revolted look. "Son, I have served many years in Vietnam. The last thing I want is a kid filling my head with lies."

"They are not lies," Johnny argues, tightening his grip on his katana. "What Brooke and I are telling you is the truth."

The former gym teacher mutters something under his breath. He tries to leave, but like a concrete wall, the teenage boy refused to move out of his way.

After a few tries, Triton decides to give up.

"Alright," he says finally. "If you think Jason is a bad guy, then I need to see some proof."

Gesturing his hand in Brooke's way, Johnny notifies Triton and the other adults about the memory card they had found in Martin's locket.

His astonished parents dropped their jaws.

"I am sorry," a speechless Mr. Phoenix says slowly. "But do I even want to know how did you two got Martin's locket?"

"And the memory card?" Adelaide adds, eyeing her daughter with suspicion.

An awkward Brooke King dips her head. Her cheeks simmered bright red.

"Well, let's just say it's a terribly long story."  she laughs nervously.

"Are you kids involved in something illegal?" demanded Thomas.

That is when Brooke's redden cheeks turn darker. "Technically, yes but—" 

Immediately, Esme and her husband both shot up from the chairs. Their expressions were furious.

Crisscrossing her arms, Esme approached her son. Brown eyes shone like wildfire. Her lips cracked into a villainous smile.

"Jonathan Manuel-Rivera Phoenix," began Esme. "Where on earth is your sister?"

Her son sighed; he scratched the back of his head in an unhurried manner, then told his mother that Nessa is in the laboratory with Caleb.

Esme lifts her left eyebrow. "Doing what?"

"Getting rid of Jason's medicine," confessed Brooke.

Amazed, the adults trained their eyes at the two kids. Some were surprised while others shook their heads.

"God, we should have been the ones to keep an eye on the kids." Mr. Phoenix groans. "But instead, we were wasting our time helping bloody monsters like Jason."

Johnny sucked his cheeks. He wanted to keep his anger in check, but the horrid sight of his parents' reprimanding faces drove him insane.

"Look, I am sorry we didn't tell you guys. But you two never take us seriously!"

"Excuse me?" Victor yelled. "What the hell does it have to do with you lying to us?"

"Oh, it has everything to do us!" Johnny argued.

"You and Mom have been gone for two years, and yet you two never spare a second to see how Nessa and I are doing!"

Triton hurls him angry looks. "Johnny, don't disrespect your parents like that!"

"Why not?" Johnny laughed coldly. "The only reason my parents traveled all this way to California to scold us for looting a vending machine!"

He glares at his parents who stiffened at their son's vicious words.

Triton looks at him and Brooke, but this time his gaze softened. "Why did you steal snacks from a vending machine?"

"Because we didn't have enough money for food," answered Johnny, crossing his arms.

"Why didn't you ask your parents for money?"

The kids were quiet for a moment until Brooke spoke up.

"They were never around in the first place,"  she answered. "And besides, even if we get jobs, none of the establishments would hire us because we're freaks."

Adelaide and Thomas both covered their mouths in shock.

How could they have been so blind? Adelaide and Thomas both have the ability to foresee events and yet they never ask their daughter about her troubling situation.

"Brooke, we are so sorry," Adelaide said, rushing up to her.

Her parents try to hug their daughter, but Brooke coldly pushes them away from her.

"Now isn't the time for that," she began. "We need to stay focused."

Adelaide and Thomas were both hurt by their daughter's apathetic shove; but regardless, the couple took the time to listen to her plans.

"We think that this—" Brooke hoists up the memory card proudly so that everyone can see—"is the key that will answer all of our problems. So, all we need is a computer."

The teenage ronin opens his bag and slips his katana inside.

"Brooke's right," he says finally. "Maybe we could—"

Interrupting Johnny was the sound of alarms going off. Fiery red filled white walls; guards and militants hustled forward and back to find the source of chaos.

Opening the door is a frightened Dr. Willow.

Her hair chaotic, her coat is smeared in large bloodstains, and much to Johnny's horror, Dr. Willow had recently lost her left arm.

"Holy FUCK!" he exclaimed.

Brooke winced. Her repulsed stare studied the blood puddles from underneath the doctor's bleeding stump.

"What the hell happened?" she asks.

Dr. Willow grits her teeth. "Martin and Apollo had released all of our test subjects!"

"What?" Triton asked. "How?"

"I don't know." Dr. Willow hissed. "But those rats are destroying every accomplishment we had built in this town!"

"Where do you hear that?" Brooke scoffs. "On some stupid conspiracy theory website?"

Glaring up at Brooke Dr. Willow coughs a spatter of blood.

"Those atrocities were dead the minute they attacked this town," she says in a spiteful tone. "You people wouldn't understand."

Enraged, Brooke begins to grab her gun from the back of her pants when Johnny stops her.

"Come on!" he growled. "Let's find Nessa and Caleb and get the fuck out of here!"

Brooke shoots menacing glares at a bleeding Dr. Willow. "What do we do about her?"

"Let's leave her to the grownups." rasped Johnny. "They deserve each other."