The pursuit brought the team to the outskirts, where the city gave way to open fields and silvery moonlight. Julian Alvarez's home sat isolated in a hollow of trees, a weathered two-story house that looked ordinary from a distance but carried an unsettling stillness as if harboring secrets.
Lisbon announced low, steady confidence. "I already have my people surrounding the area."
Aleksander lifted his gaze, then nodded toward the security camera perched in a tree. "He knows." He added softly, "There's an underground tunnel—ungrounded, connected to the old substructure."
Lisbon and Grace exchanged a grim, shared mutter. "Shit."They sprang into motion. Guns drawn, they closed in on the house while Aleksander kept an eye on the surroundings, whistling a calm note that contrasted with the rising urgency.
Stitch peeled away from Aleksander's back, buzzing with charged energy and anticipation. He shed his cloaking spell, eager to stir chaos where it mattered most.Mathew emerged from the shadows with practiced ease. "On it, boss."
Jane tilted his head, blinking at Stitch in sudden recognition. "What are those?"
Aleksander kept his tone cool. "New friends."
Wednesday's lips pressed into a thin line. "That blue one is annoying."
Julian Alvarez—handsome, 1.74 meters tall, brown eyes sharp and dark brown wavy hair framing his face with a trimmed beard—watched the security feed with cool arrogance. Then, spotting his chance, he darted to a hatch—the yawning mouth of an underground tunnel.He dove in, sprinting through the darkness, but suddenly the ground trembled beneath him.Aleksander's eyes glowed vibrant green as he placed a hand on the earth. With commanding Latin words, "Mater Terra, peccatorem ad me adduc," the ground obeyed.
The tunnel shook and burst open, throwing Julian suddenly into the open, utterly exposed.
Jane watched Aleksander's command over the earth with a calm, knowing gaze. He wasn't surprised—Aleksander's abilities had always carried a quiet intensity.
But Wednesday's eyes widened, her cool composure slipping for just a moment. "That… was unexpected," she murmured, voice low and edged with genuine surprise.
The raw power of the earth bending to Aleksander's will unsettled even her, a creature accustomed to the unusual.
While Julian blinked, disoriented—one moment underground, the next fully visible.
Mathew's who flying in sky spotted Julian and his voice chimed telepathically in Stitch's ear. "Blue Monkey, target right next to you."
Stitch's eyes lit up. Hissing excitedly, "Ooh! Play! Fight! Fight!" He bounded forward with wild energy, a blur of blue fur and sharp teeth.
Julian's eyes widened in alarm as a blue, monkey-like creature came barreling straight at him, wild and relentless.
Julian aimed a crackling bolt of electricity at Stitch. The blast hit, but Stitch barely flinched—his shockproof skin sparking but not stopping him.
"Ha! Electric! Don't stop me!" Stitch growled, cheeks puffing as he shook off the shock.With surprising speed and ferocity, Stitch lunged. Claws out, he grabbed Julian's leg, lifting and smashing him hard against the ground. BAM! BAM! BAM! Over and over, Stitch raged, gleefully chattering his fierce battle cries.Then, with a final grunt, Stitch flung Julian aside.
Julian lay stunned and battered, completely taken out.Stitch stood over him, panting a little, voice dripping with playful menace. "Bad! No! No more! You sleep now!"
With a swift, powerful punch, Stitch sent Julian crashing—right in the face—knocking him out cold.
Aleksander, Jane, and Wednesday arrived moments later, taking in the scene.Stitch puffed up his chest, a wide, mischievous grin spreading across his face. He was clearly craving some praise.
Aleksander caught the look and smiled warmly. "Okay, you were amazing."
Then, holding out his hand, he added with a teasing tone, "Now, I'm going to cloak you again."
Stitch's eyes sparkled with delight as he nodded enthusiastically. "Ooh! Cloak! Hide! Good!"
Soon, Lisbon and Grace arrived with a team of police officers. Lisbon's eyes quickly scanned the scene and softened when she saw Julian unconscious on the ground. A relieved smile flickered across her face. "Finally, we've got him."
But then her gaze sharpened as it settled on Jane. "You know, taking Aleksander and Wednesday into a situation like this—completely volatile—isn't exactly by the book."
Jane let out a small, charming smile, raising an eyebrow. "Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to catch the devil."Lisbon shook her head, a mix of exasperation and affection in her voice. "
Just try to remember next time to keep your devils a little less… close to the fire."Grace exchanged a knowing look with Aleksander and Wednesday but said nothing, quietly letting the officers move in and secure Julian.
Lisbon's eyes drifted toward the shattered earth where the tunnel had been forced open. Her brow furrowed, and in a quiet, confused mutter, she asked, "How did this happen?"
Jane glanced over casually, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips. "Maybe God decided it was time to take action."
Lisbon shot Jane a sideways look, half amused, half incredulous, but let it go for now and turned briskly to the officers. "Take him away—make sure he's sedated. He's an electrokinesis user. Don't take any chances."
The officers nodded, hauling away the unconscious Julian.As the situation settled, Lisbon pulled Jane aside, her tone all business. "Okay, tell me—what actually happened back there?"
Jane played up a look of mild confusion, but Lisbon cut him off, determined. "Don't start. I know your nephew had something to do with it."
Jane's smile faded, his demeanor turning serious. "Is this on record or off?"
Lisbon matched his seriousness. "Off the record."
Jane sighed, glancing back at the others. "Yes, it was Aleksander. His powers... they don't fit any neat categories. Unique. A little unnerving, even for me."
Lisbon's mind flashed to the earlier vision Aleksander had enabled. "Would you call him a magic user? Like a sorcerer?"
Jane shrugged, thoughtful. "Honestly? He's not like any I've seen before. I'd just keep it off the paperwork."
Lisbon grinned, her trust implicit. "As long as he stays on the right side of the law."
Jane allowed himself a sly smirk. "That's a promise."
Meanwhile, across the lot, Aleksander and Wednesday were making their way back when Grace approached, her usual composure laced with nerves. "Hey—can I ask you both a favor?"
Aleksander and Wednesday exchanged a quick look, curiosity piqued."My department has a Protégé program. I'm mentoring this teen, super sharp with tech. Inventor, hacker and tech expert. But because she's still underage, she can't get proper field experience. After watching you two in action, I was hoping... maybe you'd consider letting her tag along for some cases?"
Grace hurried to clarify. "She's really good. Might even surprise you with how useful she'd be."
Aleksander considered, looking to Wednesday. Wednesday's expression was unreadable, but she nodded. "We'll discuss it and let you know."
Aleksander added, "We're attending Nevermore next week anyway. Maybe there's a chance for her to join us there first."
Grace's face lit up, gratitude clear. "Perfect. Thank you—really."
The team's future, now with new possibilities, seemed more intriguing than ever.
Note:The new protégé is an OC named Maya Sharma (Charithra Chandran).