It was to be the night of the big takeover. The jolly gents of the Chloroform Kidz had accepted me as one of their own, even giving me a seat on their noxious council as they counted the money from their petty extortion rackets and planned bigger and bigger crimes. They were one night from taking control of the streets from the local hayseed authorities--one night from making the Tri-cities their own.

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS. EVERYBODY DOWN. HANDS IN THE AIR."

Chains and tire irons and handguns and automatic weapons clatter to the floor.

The local authorities may have been backwater, but the Chloroform Kidz--their minds addled from inhaling the cocktail of psycho-toxic chemicals they collected from the watershed surrounding the school--failed to see just how big the picture was.

"FIRST GROUP. MOVE TOWARDS THE VANS."

Zip ties zipped around wrists. Punks strong-armed into the Black Marias.

They won't be having their day in court at the city or the county. Their clairvoyant profiles shifted outside the spectrum of the local justice system, and this was clearly our jurisdiction.

"WATCH THE MANDALA. DO NOT CLOSE YOUR EYES"

Bodies become still. And obedient.

They hadn't considered that they'd caught the attention of the Psy Corps. They hadn't considered that one of their own might be an undercover Psy Cop. They hadn't considered that they might be way out of their league.

"Aw, Jimmy Twomugs! You two-timing snitch! You're gonna--"

A tiny twitch in my right hand as I initiate a vasovagal attack with my mind.The leader of the Chloraform Kidz hits the pavement.

"Officer Tina, remove this thug to the van, please."

"Yes sir, Agent Twomugs."

I had a great time meeting up with the Chloroform Kidz. The president of the club, Herschel, held court in the back room at the arcade in the strip mall. He and the vice president and his cabinet all wore black cloaks and face masks attached to an air pump. It gave off a strong smell of chlorine.

"BROTHERS AND SISTERS, A PARTICLE WISHES TO BOND WITH US," they say together in their plastic masks.

"Solvent, Reagent, Anesthetic" says everybody else in the room.

"BRING THE PARTICLE FORWARD."

A couple of club members walk me to the president. I notice he has one of those masks in his hands. He puts it on my face.

I woke up next to the dumpster in back of the arcade. The Chloroform Kidz were revving their muscle cars and "pumping the bass."

"Hey c'mon Particle. Let's go commit crimes."

Yes, I just transferred from Out of Town, and at my old school I was one tough hombre let me tell you. Where can I make the acquaintance of these “Chloroform Kidz” @Twister Givens? They seem like my kind of gents.