Leon looked around Ritzrub for anywhere that could hide a hidden treasure. Of the cities four main districts, it was the one he knew the least about by a pretty hefty landslide, mainly because it's main clientele seemed to be rich losers who come to gamble away their life savings instead of investing in the stock market or something. Nobody on the team seemed to want to talk to each other, either. Latrell was sat deep in thought as she looked at a map of the place on her phone, making sure to look away from Leon every time they glanced at each other. He remembered the stabbing at the warehouse, and even though Janet made sure he didn't have to pay any bills, it still left a pretty bad scar in his midsection. And while it wasn't her fault entirely, he still thought he had the right to be mad.
Valerie, on the other hand, kept looking like she wanted to say something to Leon, but backing out at the last second. And since it was announced Elijah's team had gotten their treasure, it amplified pretty noticeably. He wanted to ask her to just spit it out already, but that might make whatever excuse for a team dynamic the four of them had even worse.
"So, any idea what the treasure would look like?" Mateo asked Latrell.
"It has to be something obvious, right?" Latrell replied, still checking the map. "Seeing as the hosts didn't specify, it has to be obvious to us at a glance. But I'd guess it's hidden somewhere, so it won't be one valuable piece of jewellery in a jewellery store. So my guess is to check any alleyways for something valuable looking and see if the hosts say anything afterwards. Also, you tell the other two the plan and say it was you who came up with it."
Mateo did as he was instructed, telling Valerie and Leon the plan. Both of them agreed to it, and checked out any alleyways.
Valerie checked out an alleyway that was shockingly clean. She knew the main rule of Ritzrub, that being to never go somewhere dark. Seeing as lights were on basically everything, it was an easy rule to follow. But now she had to check something dark out, while wondering how to activate her invisibility in case things got dicey. But still, could be worse. Horror stories of drug deals and dead bodies seemed to be exaggerated, as the only problematic things were a puddle of puke and a broken beer bottle. So as she glanced around, she saw some kind of diamond bracelet hanging off the sign of a small bar. Was that the treasure? It had to be, right? Either the treasure or a gift for a girl left by a heartbroken man. So she clung onto the bottom of the sign, trying her best to grab it. And just when she felt something bracelet shaped in her hand, she felt another human hand slip hers off the sign.
She fell to the ground flat on her back, feeling the pain ripple through her body and her vision blur a little before she tried to shoot back up, clinging onto a nearby dumpster. She noticed an unwashed man in front of her inspecting the necklace, scrawny with an overly long beard, only wearing a white tank top with several stains on it alongside an equally well worn pair of blue shorts. Clearly homeless, and the way he kept glancing into the main street in a panicked manor implied he was probably on at least one illegal substance. He briefly locked eyes with Valerie before stuffing the bracelet in his pocket, and running away into the main street.
Valerie ran out as soon as she felt the sensation return to her legs, and the homeless guy was in the street, staring into one of the many lights. He briefly reached out, and one beam of light above a fancy restaurant was pulled towards him. He grabbed onto it, and the light was returned to where it was, taking him with it.
The other three gathered around Valerie, with Leon starting the conversation.
"What the hell was that?" He yelled out. A couple of onlookers were looking up at the homeless guy.
"I think he has the treasure." Valerie said. "It's a bracelet."
"Oh, they're giving powers to random homeless-" Leon muttered to himself, clearly frazzled at this change of plans by the hosts.
"Okay, he's probably looking for a pawn shop to sell the bracelet." Latrell said as she rapidly flicked through her phone's map app. "Says here there's five in the area, but the closest one is half a mile north-west of here."
"Got it." Leon nodded, holding Valerie by the shoulder. "You two follow him through the streets and try to corner him, Valerie and I will track him on the rooftops."
"And you are gonna try and catch him, right?" Latrell said through narrowed eyes.
"Trust me, I don't exactly want to fight anyone here to the death." Leon replied. "This will save us."
Latrell grabbed Mateo by the arm and both went into the street to follow him. Leon guided Valerie back into the alleyway, and once he made sure nobody was watching, he used the hook to grab her cardigan. After a brief second of concentration and a push of the hand forward, the energy covered her whole body. he looked away, and then flung her upwards onto the roof of the building across the bar.
"Okay, now pull me up." He said as he stood on top of the dumpster. Valerie obliged, and Leon immediately bounded across the rooftops trying to chase the guy. Luckily, Ritzrub's buildings were all right next to each other with little gaps between them, so running across rooftops was easy minus a couple leaps of faith, most of which he managed to land in the search of the homeless guy, who was shockingly hard to find for a flying homeless person. He rapidly looked in every direction for him, and found a figure latched to a light not even going in the direction Latrell said he would, instead going south for whatever reason. He cursed to himself for a brief second, but quickly spun around towards him, hooking Valerie and spinning her in the right direction before saying anything.
The guy moved erratically across the rooftops, stumbling before latching to whatever light could give him a boost across the buildings, but only sometimes, almost like he had to remind himself he had the power at all.
Back on the main streets, Latrell was running, trying to avoid hitting anyone, when she noticed everyone just going about their nights. Everyone noticing the homeless guy was in shock and awe of the spectacle, and she doubted that would have faded in the few minutes since. Unless he wasn't going in the way she expected…shit.
The streets weren't working, she needed a rooftop view. She quickly looked around the street she was on. Multiple restaurants, complete with signs at the top advertising their wares she could grab on with just a little something to give her elevation. And that elevation would come in the form of a taxi waiting for a customer. She ran out and jumped onto the top of the car, thankfully not tripping, before clinging herself to a sign and scrambling onto a rooftop. There were a few surprised yelps from below, but they didn't matter for now. She had the rough location of every pawn shop in her mind, and she just had to follow the most likely option. As she leapt through the rooftops, she found Leon and Valerie chasing the guy, who was once again clung to a solidified light. In her mind, she was quickly able to map out a way to him. She didn't seem to have to think about it, it all just warped into her mind and neatly slotted itself among her thoughts. So she quickly burst past her two allies, taking a left turn across the rooftop as she could sense the homeless guy wanted to grab the light of the building in front of her, and she could reach it beforehand.
The homeless guy took one terrified glance at her, grabbing the light like she expected, only to throw it straight into her eyes. Latrell was blinded, trying to stop herself but almost slipping at the edge of one rooftop, having to fall back on her ass to stop herself falling entirely, her legs dangling over the edge of a shop in front of a busty and car filled street. One more misstep, and she'd be a pile of gore in front of a shiny new car.
"I got it!" Leon yelled to Valerie, hooking her before she could say anything.
"Turn invisible when you're near the light!"
"I'm sorry, what?" Valerie asked before Leon flicked his arm and undid his powers, flinging her full force towards the light. Valerie panicked as she flew through the air and tried to remember how to actually turn invisible. She seemed to have done it as she crashlanded right next to a light, as she heard the noise of a screaming homeless guy. When she looked to her left, the light stopped a few meters away from her, so her powers blocked the light and caused the homeless guy to fall below. Before she could gather herself, Leon hooked her again and gently lowered her onto the street.
She quickly got the bracelet from the guy, and the announcement played in her head that her team won. But that didn't matter as the impact caused the guy's body to have some sort of attack. She didn't know if was a delayed overdose or what, but she didn't want to play an indirect role in some homeless guy dying. Mateo finally caught up with them, noticing the guy as well.
"Look, can we get this guy somewhere?" Valerie asked, clutching Mateo's shirt. "Like a hospital or something? Please?!"
Mateo knelt down and got the man on his back, making sure he was still breathing while Valerie called a taxi. Once one arrived, Mateo got the man in while Valerie threw whatever money was in her pockets at the man.
"Hospital, now!" She ordered. The taxi drove off, and she was checking whether the guy was dead yet or not.
Please don't die, please don't die, please don't die.