>> “Um, Chase.”

Chase looked over to Alister first, rubbing the scar along his jaw self-consciously. He was going to say something but didn't know how. Please don't apologize.

>> “We're working on something that you might be able to help us with. We're trying to save the world. The girl you saw, she's going to help us too, and... and we could use all the help we can get.”

That was unexpected. Chase looked up, his eyes coloring with delight, then surprise, and then confusion. He liked to be helpful, but...

Chase looked to Alister, who had reclined against the couch, to Katrina, who was regarding him with a look that seemed sympathetic.

"S-save the world?" Chase echoed incredulously, "B-but I'm only eight years old. I don't know how I could help."

He wasn't turning them down, just thinking aloud. He didn't know how an eight-year-old could help save the world.

“I'm only twelve,” Alister pointed out, “and there are those even younger than me in our group that are doing everything they can to help.”

So much had happened that it was difficult to try and put the whole sequence of events into one cohesive story, but Katrina was going to try, “Maybe it will make more sense if we tell him you all the details.”

“A man named Sebastian is going to bring about the apocalypse. We don't know yet if it will be on purpose or on accident, and we are looking for a trigger so we can stop it. You might be able to help us find this trigger.”

“Your ability is also exceptionally useful,” Alister added, “If you train yourself up so that you have good control, you'd be able to blend in anywhere, no matter what your age. We do all do quite a bit of training together, you can feel free to join us. Eros is a great teacher.” The affection for the old man was clear in Alister's voice. Around the man that took them all in was pretty much the only time the seer showed he cared about anybody.

>> “I'm only twelve, and there are those even younger than me in our group that are doing everything they can to help.”

Chase nodded slightly. Twelve was still four years older than eight, and it was in the double-digits. That felt worlds older than a eight-year-old. But, Alister had a valid point-- twelve was still a kid, even if it was a big kid.

>> “Maybe it will make more sense if we tell him all the details? ... A man named Sebastian is going to bring about the apocalypse. We don't know yet if it will be on purpose or on accident, and we are looking for a trigger so we can stop it. You might be able to help us find this trigger.”

"The... apocalypse?" the word felt awkward on his tongue, but the gravity with which Katrina had said it, it sounded dangerous and bad. Chase blinked. Something as important as an "apocalypse", whatever that was, needed the help of an eight-year-old kid? Chase was obviously turning the dilemma through his head, biting his lip and dropping his gaze. He could be just like a spy, just like he'd always pretended to be, except in real life. That sounded really cool.

>> “Your ability is also exceptionally useful. If you train yourself up so that you have good control, you'd be able to blend in anywhere, no matter what your age. We do all do quite a bit of training together, you can feel free to join us. Eros is a great teacher.”

Chase nodded hesitantly. It was hard to commit right off of the bat, for stopping the apocalypse was no small thing, but Chase was a good kid. He wanted to help in whatever way that he could.

"I'll help however I can," Chase agreed, "I should probably let my mama know first, though."

Gemma would be so proud.

“No.”

“No!”

Alister and Katrina exchanged looks. The boy in sunglasses chuckled like he thought it was humorous that they would overlap each others words. The seventeen year old illusionist simply looked concerned.

“I mean,” Katrina started out, “parents can get rather protective, you know? They sometimes think that only grown ups are capable of doing anything, and they keep kids off on the sidelines.” Katrina spoke like someone who had lots of experience being left on the sidelines, mainly because it was true. It was easy for Alister and many of the other kids who worked at the oracle shop, because they didn't have any parents to worry about other than Eros who had kind of adopted them all. For Katrina, though, it was a constant game of balancing her responsibilities at home and school with her efforts to help save the world.

“I would suggest that you tell your mom you've made friends and you want to spend some time playing with them. That will give you a good excuse to be coming over all the time. If you need a chaperone or anything, you can tell her that I'll watch you. Does your mom work here at the mansion, or do you commute to school from somewhere else?”

Chase was taken aback by the chorus of "no's". It was an innocent and well-meaning notion. Any good child would've told their mother if they were going to save the world. At least, that's what Chase was led to believe. Back with the Townsends, he formerly had the freedom to do as he so chose, but now that he was with Gemma, things would probably be different now.

>> “I mean, parents can get rather protective, you know? They sometimes think that only grown ups are capable of doing anything, and they keep kids off on the sidelines.”

Chase nodded. Miss Gemma did get rather protective. And Katrina did have a point-- saving the world from an apocalypse sounded pretty serious, Miss Gemma would probably say "no" to such a thing.

"I guess so," Chase agreed, deflating slightly.

>> “I would suggest that you tell your mom you've made friends and you want to spend some time playing with them. That will give you a good excuse to be coming over all the time. If you need a chaperone or anything, you can tell her that I'll watch you. Does your mom work here at the mansion, or do you commute to school from somewhere else?”

Chase hesitated, and a mischevious flicker went through his eyes. That would be lying, but that's what spies did, right? They snuck around and did super-secret sorts of things like saying that they'd be one place, when they'd really be somewhere else. Even if Chase was somewhere where he wasn't supposed to be, so long as he had a chaperone, Miss Gemma would be fine with it, right?

In a louder tone, though still keeping his voice low as if confiding in Katrina and Alister, Chase replied, "Well, my new mama works here. She's the guidance counselor, Miss Gemma-" Chase was still certain that Miss Gemma would be delighted to hear that Chase was going to stop the apocalypse, but Chase let that matter rest, for now. Maybe he'd mention it when he came closer to saving the world, "Would Miss Gemma let you be me my chaperone?"

“Gemma Taylor? ...Coach Taylor?”

Katrina bit her lip and thought about it. While the season hadn't technically started yet, they had a few practices so far, and the coach seemed pretty cool.

“I'm old enough, she knows I get decent grades and I'm the frisbee team captain. I think she'd probably trust me to chaperone.” Though considering she was trying to convince her son to deceive her, maybe she shouldn't. The teen illusionist suddenly felt somewhat guilty.

“Don't worry,” Alister commented, poking Katrina in the side, “She'll trust you.”

Great. Just great.

>> “Gemma Taylor? ...Coach Taylor?”

Chase nodded his head. Yup, Gemma Taylor. That would be his mother.

>> “I'm old enough, she knows I get decent grades and I'm the frisbee team captain. I think she'd probably trust me to chaperone.”

>> “Don't worry. She'll trust you.”

Chase smiled shyly. Perfect. He saw nothing illicit or wrong with what he was doing-- he'd just be saving the world, which was something that superheros did. Something that good guys did. And, though Miss Gemma had expressed obvious distaste and apprehension in Chase going about the city alone, Chase thought he was being rather grown-up in his decision. He had a big kid to keep an eye on him, and he wouldn't be alone.

"Alright," he agreed.

“Great, glad to have you on board.” Alister stood up like a twelve year old CEO and patted Chase on the back. “I have to get back to the shop, but it was fun to meet you. Thanks for letting me play with your legos, Chase.”

And just like that, Alister was leaving them. Typical.

To Katrina, the seer added, “Make sure you bring him along the next time you come over. Don't forget.”

The illusionist nodded, of course she would.

Once Alister showed himself out the front door, they were left, just the two of them, Chase with his legos and Katrina with a stack of homework she probably should be working on.

“Let me go grab a notebook, quick. I've got a composition to write in Serbian.” It sounded harder than it was, but was still harder than she'd like. Everything she already knew ahead of time was what the teacher was calling “conversational” and not “academic”. Apparently she needed both.

“I'll be right back, then I'll keep you company.”