The Unexplained

-Phe-

I purse my lips as I take Abby from Cas and she unlocks the door to the house, and we all walk in. I lock the door behind us, and I flick my wrist. A metal column rises up to block the door, just in case, but I still look a little cautious, and I don't relax.

Like you ever do anyways...

Oh, shut up...

I see Austin flinch slightly out of the corner of my eye, and I know I only caught him do that because I've watched plenty of people flinch. I'm used to it now. My jaw clenches at the thought and I lay Abby down on their couch as Cas turns to look at Austin.

"It's the chip, isn't it?...." I realize she also saw him flinch, and Austin stiffens, before giving a slight nod, as if the question surprised him.

I, however, look confused. "What chip?" I ask curiously, and Cas looks at me after she pulls a first aid kit out from under the couch Abby is on. They must get hurt a lot if they keep it under there.

"We're lucky enough they didn't give us one...but the chip is supposed to prevent you from leaving Facility 9, because if you get too far....you start to get electric shocks. Austin's however also allowed him to use his powers in places that had power dampers activated." She beckons Austin to sit in a chair and he hesitates, before crossing the room in a couple quick strides and he sits down. I nod slowly, processing this, and I watch Cas as she takes out a scalpel, some thread, and a needle.

"Don't move...." She says as she presses the knife to a spot on his neck and slowly inserts it. I see Austin suck in a breath, his hands clenching at his sides instead of flinching. She's soon cut out a small, flat chip and she crushes it in her fist before setting the fragments on the table to the side. Blood trickles down Austin's neck and he breathes steadily, but he looks a little panicked and I raise an eyebrow as Cas stitches him up, wipes away the blood, and then puts everything away back under the couch. Cas leaves the room, and I can hear water running. I assume she's washing Austin's blood off her fingers. Meanwhile, the guy himself leans back in his chair, clenching his jaw as he holds a rag that Cas gave him to the back of his neck, to help soak up some of the blood that escapes. He looks a little pale, as if the blood that did get away affected him.

Cas returns into the room just as the phone starts ringing. She groans and stomps over to the landline, answering it. "Hello?" A pause. "I know, I apologize for that. My guardian isn't available, but I can reassure you that Abby and I will be back to school on tomorrow." Another pause. "I can't help his work schedule, I'm sorry." A third pause, longer than the others. "Okay, thank you very much." She hangs up the phone and sets it aside.

"What was that about?" I ask.

Cas sighs and walks over, plopping down on a free spot next to Abby on the plush leather couch. "The school...they said they wanted to know where we were after being gone for a couple days. What a pain..." She rubs the bridge of her nose.

I sigh and I sit on the floor, looking at Cas. "I want answers," I say flatly, changing the conversation.

She purses her lips and hesitates before nodding slowly and sits next to the still unconscious Abby on the couch. "What would you like to know?..."

"Did he get those flames from you two?... The really bright purple ones?" I point to Austin, who once had eyes the same color as of how Abby's flashed once.

Cas's eyes widen like she wasn't expecting me to ask that question. "I-...um..."

"Yes, I did," Austin says, interrupting Cas. "More specifically, Abby..."

My eyes widen and I cower down slightly, glancing at Abby warily, then I look at Austin. "Why did you call Abby 'Clara'?..."

I see Austin's eyes flick to Cas, who look a little uneasy, and then back at me. "I also call Cas 'Clara'. If you want someone to explain, have Cas do it, or Abby when she wakes up. That is something for them to share."