Power Up

Chapter 2 ~ Plans

"You said those goggles can detect if someone has a Flair, right?" Asher asked Jack.

"Yeah, though I've only tested it on you so far," he replied.

"Right, so we could probably use them to find another Flair user minding their own business and invite them to join our cause. Maybe they could help us advertise this more in the future instead of inviting one person at a time," Ash suggested.

"Yeah, I like where this is going. Get a couple of recruits, build a small team, get recognition, and advertise our goal to the masses. Heck, maybe some people without Flairs would join if they saw an ad for it." Jack was already ahead of Ash, and that's exactly why he proposed this to him in the first place. Ash could tell right from the beginning that he and Jack thought alike, at least for the most part.

Ash hesitated before saying, "Um, can I try those on for a sec? They probably cost a lot, but I just want to see what it's like."

Jack also hesitated before responding, "Fine, but only for a few seconds, then you give them back. They were expensive, but also they just make me look cool." Jack took the slick goggles off of his head and handed them to Ash, who promptly strapped them to his face. Ash looked around, then back to Jack.

"Does everyone appear purple in these?" Ash asked, noting Jack's fully dark purple silhouette.

"What? Give me those, did you mess with them? If you broke my goggles already, I'll kill you myself." Jack snatched the goggles out of Ash's hand, putting them over his eyes, and looking back at Ash. "Nevermind, you didn't break them. I don't know what you mean purple, you're entirely a crimson red to me."

"Maybe it depends on the person's Flair? Like each Flair has its own color, meaning mine is red."

"And mine's purple. I guess we'll just have to find another Flair user to prove it, so let's go already," Jack says while readjusting his goggles. He walks past Ash but stops to grab one of the bats dropped by the thugs from earlier, and he slings it over his shoulder, placing it on his back.

"Why'd you take that bat? Also, how is it staying on your back?"

Jack replies, "It seemed like my style. It's a pretty good weapon, no? Also, I'm just using my Flair to pull it to my back." Jack was already using his Flair in ways Ash never thought of. They left the alley and went toward a nearby plaza.

Jack scanned the surrounding area, looking at a bunch of shops and restaurants, until he barely saw a bright yellow color ducking through the crowd. Jack ran ahead, and Ash followed close behind.

"What is it? Did you find someone?"

"I think so, but he's slipping through the crowd, come on!" Jack speeds up a bit. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack spots that yellow figure heading into an alley, so he turns and chases.

Entering the alley, Jack sees the man, but the man stopped running. Ash joined the alley a second later, and the man turned toward them. Jack pushed his goggles up to see what the man looked like. He wore a brown trench coat and a black fedora.

"You know," the man speaks first, "you won't be able to beat me, if that is your goal." Jack and Ash look at each other confused. "Are you not here for my Flair?"

"Well, uh, sort of?" Ash spoke up. "We don't want to steal it, but..."

"We're looking for allies," Jack took over for Ash.

"Not interested."

"Just hear us out," Ash jumped back in.

"No, seriously, I'm fine on my own, and I'm not interested in heists or whatever you're planning." The man hadn't heard what they were planning yet, so he just assumed what they were going to say.