My friend

Rushing out of the house, the three of us ran lockstep with each other back to where we had entered this dimension from. Considering all the shaking and the rocky terrain, I ended up losing my balance and began to fall, but since Jean-Marie and Emi were running right next to me, tey both scooped me up and dragged me back up to my feet before I fell flat. Guess that's why Jean-Marie was so insistent on us running together.

We eventually reached the portal point, and I got to work, extending my hand and activating the portal. Once it was open, we were in that thing without a second thought.

"Hmm, looks the same as when we left... Yep, we're back in our original world by the looks of it," Jean-Marie nodded.

"Sure hope it is. I don't want to deal with some "almost identical but different" world," I grumbled.

"What do you mean!? What do you mean!?" Emi giddily asked as she hopped up and down.

"All hypotheticals as the portals are all meant to have set paired gates with each other," Jean-Marie smirked.

Now was the time I expected Emi to start asking about everything, but she didn't. Instead, she stayed quiet, though smiled, which now looked creepy instead of cute now that she's bald. Ugh, I'm gonna have to see this face everyday now until graduation.

...

After an eerily quiet car ride back, Jean-Marie decided to start explaining some things to Emi as we reached the lab. "So first off, you got powers now. No clue how they work, but thanks to traveling to that dimension, you're like me n' Olo."

"Really!? Really!?" Emi gushed as she hopped up and down.

"Yes, you can see Olo's hair is olo, right?"

"What do you mean? Olo is Olo."

"No, the color olo. See, olo's actually a color you can only see if you laser your eye or awaken a power within the dimensions. Theory goes that maybe the atmosphere in those dimensions bares similar properties to the lasers, but I ain't gonna bore you with the details."

"I wanna hear! I wanna hear!"

"Too bad, cuz my throat doesn't feel like humoring you."

Emi began to tearfully pout as Jean-Marie returned to the main topic. "Since you have powers, rules say I get to recruit you for research, so hope you liked your experience, cuz it's your new line of work from now on."

Emi began to scowl. "And what exactly is it? I believe you only billed this as a "treasure hunt" when you approached me today."

Uh, why the tone change? I've never seen her get so serious-

"Oh? I thought you wanted to see your girlfriend in action? Well with this draft, you'll be spending LOTS more time with her."

The giddy grin was back in an instant. And no, she's not my girlfriend. I don't even have a thing for girls.

"Now, to clarify on the "treasure hunt"..."

We watched as Jean-Marie walked over to a display cube and inserted her capture device into one of the slots on it. A few seconds later, mini versions of Deep Diver and Big Red were roaming around in the little biome within.

"This is my collection. See these creatures can be found only in the pocket dimensions, which only Olo here can activate the portals to. And some of them, like Big Red, are masters of dimensions, or dimension masters as I call them. By capturing and containing them here, I get to learn more about the dimension anomaly sweeping the world, or should I say, the HIDDEN anomaly sweeping the world. Olo really is the only one who can activate the portals, and only if she's right next to them. Then once we enter a dimension, we can only reactivate the portal to leave if we don't get caught by the dimension master, appease them with a deal, or catch em. We got a taste of the hard route today, though sometimes, fighting's easier than negotiating. Big drawback though is that once you catch a dimension master, their dimension naturally begins to collapse, and can't be accessed ever again."

"Why did Olo get all glowy and go WHOOSH! WHOOSH!?" Emi asked.

"I don't know," I interjected.

No really, I don't know jack shit. Why I can suddenly go OP, why I can activate these damn portals, and Jean-Marie doesn't tell me jack, or maybe doesn't know. I just want to have a normal college life, doing normal things, not investigating dimensions, but sadly, that might be my destiny. Only now, I gotta put up with a hyperactive bald rapper.

"So like, is it just us, or can we invite-"

"No, we gotta keep things under control, so only I get to invite newbies to come along and join the crew. This is serious business, and I don't want the wrong folks getting sucked into it," Jean-Marie glared.

Emi's gaze narrowed, but she didn't say anything more on the matter. But those glares of hers both here and before put me real on edge. Her getting serious is not a sight I'm used to. I shouldn't have even thought of asking that as Emi seemed to read my mind and got up real close to my ear.

"We don't want to know about my nasty mode, so don't ask. Keep things happy," she whispered.

And of course, the line delivery was multiplied to the creep factor thanks to that fleshy bald head plus the browless and lashless face. Seriously, give her some fake eyelashes and maybe draw on some brows so I don't have nightmares. I gotta room with her, you know.

"Hmm? Olo, don't diss my cuteness now that I'm nice n' smooth, just for you," Emi giggled.

Oh no, can she actually read my thoughts?

Emi slowly began to widen her smile, seemingly confirming the fact, but also not. It is possible that prefect mind she used to be known for has been recommissioned for duty, and that's how she's determining what I'm thinking. I hope that's the case, as otherwise, I'll file to have a change in roommates if my thoughts are no longer private.

"Now Emi, based on what I observed, your power looks to be centered around hypnosis, which appears to be activated via singing," Jean-Marie nodded.

"'Hypnosis'?" I gasped.

"Yes, and it was effective at getting you in the groove too along with Big Red."

I was... wait, is that why she was able to capture that thing!?

"Ah! Maybe that's it! Olo, you vibed with me, right? RIGHT!?" Emi grinned.

"Uh, yeah?"

A confident smirk spread across Emi's face. "Then the reason I can think what you're thinking is cuz we so on the same wavelength."

"What?"

"No, that makes sense," Jean-Marie shrugged.

"Oi! Thought you were the self-proclaimed expert."

Bzz!

"Yeeep!"

"Understand? Just because I know everything, or nearly all of it, doesn't mean I need to tell it to you. Unless you want to go bald for the rest-"

"No."

"Then be a good girl and wait until I feel like telling you," Jean-Marie huffed as she pocketed her clippers back into her cleavage.

"I'm already bald though," Emi grinned.

"Oh, I have plenty of ways to make you fear me, so why not stay on my good side."

Emi shrugged and nodded.

"So glad you retained that logical thinking from your high school days."

Again, tempting me, but I'm not gonna ask Emi about it. I just want to relax, dammit. 

Thankfully, Jean-Marie's spiel didn't last much longer and Emi and I were freed.

"You know, like, I always wondered what you were running off to do, and like, now, I totes get it. Now I'll be chillin' with ya as we catch em like it's Sokemon," Emi grinned as she wrapped her arm around me.

"I just want to enjoy college," I groaned.

"We partying tonight!"

I let out a sigh, but quickly formed a smile shortly after. She may be hyperactive and have a one-sided love for me, but she is a good friend when the chips are down.

"Boba," I nodded.

"We bubblin' the whole boba joint!" Emi cheered as we headed off to the boba place."

"Yeah, to celebrate your recruitment into the world's worst professor's demented expedition."

[End]