Word Count: 951 (Takes place just after the missing civilians are announced)

The night air was cool on Jarosite’s skin, turning the sweat that dripped down from his temples into an instant bit of relief. It was his fourth day out on the town and after realizing that he really had no idea how to be quick with moving around the buildings, he decided to take it upon himself (with very little time to actually do it mind you) to spend two hours every night to practice. He ran across rooftops and taught himself the best ways to land, which was rolling forward in a tumble. He scrambled up fire escapes as fast and as quiet as possible. He even practice just running through the back alleys. The one thing Jarosite couldn’t get well was jumping alleyways and landing on the other roof. He usually missed just a little bit.

He ‘d only fallen once off a five story building, into a thankfully placed fire escape, but it was enough to keep him on the lower buildings for that. For now.

Right now, though, he was sitting on the roof of a small TV shop, just inside the shadows. He was resting and watching for someone to make the mistake of going into the alleyway next to him. Once that happened, Jarosite would drop down, cover their mouth and drain their energy, and then climb back up to the roof and wait for a moment before heading home. The Lt. fingered the headphones around his neck, simply listening to the sounds of the night and the late night TV.

“This just in, the police and fire departments have been getting reports of people suddenly disappearing from bathrooms, dorm rooms, kitchens, their own back yard. Fifty cases have been recorded so far, and they say more calls are coming in. Police report ages of abductees range anywhere from thirteen years of age to thirty, but they caution residents to be wary. It is currently unknown how or why these people have disappeared. It’s almost as though they just… vanished….” The sound was faint from inside the window, but Jarosite heard it all the same.

Immediately his mind went to Odette, and he prayed she was okay. It then flickered instantly to his sister. His little, pain in the butt sister Jen. Silver eyes widened, and with the flick of a coat flap, Jarosite was running. It suddenly didn’t matter he had energy collecting to do, nor that he was going to have to jump a rather wide alleyway.

Boots slammed against roofs and metal grates, and Jarosite almost flew across the roofs, headphones rhythmically hammering his collarbone.

He was going to hurt someone, be it senshi or Negaverse, if Jen was taken. Jen was eight, his little sister, his munchkin. Jen was everything that Jarosite wasn’t: Spontaneous, emotional, bratty, and demanding of attention. She was the baby of the house, and babied so often, that she’d become spoiled and screamed when she didn’t get her way. Even out of all that, he loved her dearly, and nothing would ever happen to her.

And he’d lock her away if she ever became one of the senshi or heaven forbid a Negaverse Agent. Not his sister. Never his sister.

Navy blue coat cracked in the wind as he ran, flapping hard around his hips. Belts clanked together, but not once did he stop. He had to make sure, had to make sure that Jen was alright.

He skidded to a stop in front of his bedroom window and popped the screen. He glanced around before climbing inside and replacing the screen. He wrenched his door open and almost sprinted down the hall to the living room. He stopped just shy of it, and looked around the corner.

Jen sat on the floor, playing with some of her numerous amount of toys, her homework obviously forgotten on the coffee table behind her. She hadn’t heard him, or if she had she hadn’t made a fuss about it.

His eyes widened and then soften at watching her, and he stepped into the living room, shedding the glamour around his form. He crushed her to his chest in a rush, burying his face in her neck and holding her tight. The girl squeaked and fidgeted in his arm.

“Jen, stop.” There was a desperation in his voice that he wasn’t expecting, and neither was Jen. She froze in his arms and looked at him best she could.

“Mer? What’s wrong?” she asked softly. He simply shook his head and held her. Minutes passed before he let her go, and kissed her temple affectionately.

“I was just happy to see you here… don’t forget to do your homework, alright? You need to be in bed in half an hour,” he said standing up. It was more than that, but she wouldn’t understand. He ruffled her hair when she complained and made a fuss, but she didn’t through a temper tantrum. Just grumble something akin to “stupid brother… fine…” and went to her homework. Merric watched her for a few minutes.

He walked back to his room and closed the door. He slipped his phone from his pocket and slid it open. He scrolled down and clicked a few buttons before beginning to type. “Odey, making sure ur alive. Have u heard about the missing people? Hoping ur there. Come to band practice 2morrow, 5pm. I’ll pick u up,” he told her, sending the text off with a push of a button.

He let out a sigh and clenched the phone. One of his girls was safe. Now for the other, more important one.

And if this was a product of the Negaverse… bitches were going to be slapped with picks.