"Where is Cuddles now?"
"Ike left him at home. We couldn't have an arm walking around with so many cameras," Zac chuckled. "Actually, it's a good thing we were out at sea. Cuddles has this tendency to go looking for Ike. Usually to pick his nose."
"That is so gross."
"Yeah. And you haven't even seen it happen yet.
"What does the end look like?" Hunter asked.
"What do you mean?"
"The part of Cuddles that was severed... what does that look like?"
"Oh! Oh, that's just umm... there's a layer of skin there now."
Hunter nodded.
"Well, I'd love to continue this conversation, but we must be off," Hunter stood up. "Come, I will accompany you to Midpoint Island."
"Okay," Zac said, standing up.
He and Mary Anne followed Hunter down to where they kept their row boats and began the trip to Midpoint island. It was quite exhausting pulling the oars and eventually Zac stuck his hand in the water and arranged a current to help them.
"Very creative," Hunter had remarked.
Zac smiled.
"I try."
A couple of hours later they pulled up on the beach, and stepped out of the boat after pulling it up the shore. Hunter lead them towards the trees and at last into a clearing. The same clearing that made up the town of Midpoint Island. There were some stares.
"Zac!" shouted a familiar voice.
"Ike!" Zac returned.
Zac and Mary Anne ran over to Isaac, Carla, Rachel, Jo and Gordon/Taylor.
"Oh man... I was so worried," Isaac said, hugging his brother. "Are you okay? Where have you been?"
"I've been worried too," Zac replied. "Oh man, you will never... okay maybe you will believe me."
He shook his head incredulously.
"So much has happened, but the short of it is that when I found Mary Anne, we ended up in an underwater city called Oceana. But there were all these human haters who tried to kill her, so we had to escape and we ended up on Hunter's island. He's part of the Order of the Stone - it's for people with level two powers."
"Really?" Jo said, looking at Hunter curiously.
By now a bit of a crowd had gathered. Hunter was looking a little nervous. And in case you're wondering why no one had greeted Hunter, Zac and Mary Anne, as Isaac, Jo, Carla, Rachel and Gordon/Taylor had been greeted, it was because Hunter's garb marked him as a member of this order. The members of the Order of the Stone were rarely seen, but generally recognised.
"Yes..." Hunter replied.
"Cool. I have a couple of those."
"Then... you're Jo?"
"Yes indeedy. Has Zac been telling tales on me?"
"You could put it like that."
Rachel, now, had stepped over to Mary Anne.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Just a little overwhelmed."
Rachel gave her a hug.
"What happened to you guys?" Zac asked after a glance at Mary Anne.
"We ended up on an island called Dryad Island. After being accused of being rapists," Isaac attempted to hide his smile, "we were directed here. Dryad Island is for plant powered mutants only."
"Oh!"