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The keyblade was used as a mere cane at this point while talk was had among everyone. The old adolescent leaned against the weapon all nonchalantly, becoming a part of the background while observation was had. Apparently the Blot was ranting on about something to which D'daear didn't feel like listening. The Phantom Blot had been defeat, so why even bother with whatever the villain had to say. After some words, the mad man was gone; only leaving behind an echo of a villain's trademark laughter. D'daear rolled casual eyes, not giving a - Hoot. Then Hikaru spoke up, which suddenly brought interest back to the scene. He had completely forgotten about Mickey. The mouse went to work at an explanation once put in the spotlight. At first it was thought Mickey wanted Rain, but it was quickly revealed that Mickey was referring to the keyblade. D'daear's eyelids raised themselves even further, going from relaxed to genuinely curious.

The mouse led the group to a barnyard, pointing at it.

"So... who wants to open it?" Hikaru asked.

"I'll give it a shot, if it's alright with you guys. I actually never knew we could do this sort of thing..." D'daear spoke up, looking to Hikaru first before expanding his line of sight to the rest of the group. A firm grip was held on the keyblade, ready to unlock the door. The question was, how would he go about it exactly? Tap the barn with his key? Slice the barn's doors open? Was there there a mystical ritual to be had where he did a bit of a flashy movement, and then aimed the tip of the keyblade at the lock which would result in a automatic beam of light to emanate from the said keyblade to unlock the lock?

D'daear just didn't know.
@Krowley

There I was, laying front against the hospital bed inside a classified room with back exposed through an opening on my patients scrub. The doors to the room were closed shut, and inside close-by in a secluded room with one large window was a nurse and a doctor staring away at a screen. Above me was a strange machine which I assumed would be the thing giving me the treatment for the bone cancer I had developed a while back. A red light flickered just outside the room, letting it be known to all that this room was in use...Great. A small sigh escaped through face-planted cheeks in re-acceptance of the situation I found myself in. I was just another patient in this hospital, another statistic to those suffering from the same or if not similar non-infectious disease.

"Alright, we're about to begin the radiation therapy. Don't move ok??" the nurse spoke into a mic.

"Just start already..." I thought, resisting the urge to get bosom comfortable. My stomach was barely laying flat against the hospital bed thanks to these natural cushions. To top it off, the lead padding that was placed over my lower body didn't help either.

"Here we go. Breath normally. It'll be over in a few minutes."

A humming sound began to emanate from the machine above me. It stirred, waking from whatever stasis it had been in before now. I could only imagine the contraptions eyes beginning to glow like some kind of terminator as the humming intensified. With the time I had to kill during this treatment, my mind could not help the imagination that stirred from boredom. What if I ended up getting worse from this? That IS what caused people health problems in Chernobyl and in Hiroshima. That'd be kind of ironic, a thought that stirred my recent development as a semi-masochist. I didn't like pain, but laughing at my problems helped cope with the situation. Perhaps it was because deep down, I felt like maybe it was going to be okay. My parents were supportive, and were willing to help me pay the medical bills. On top of that, my mom offered her medical insurance since I was still of legal age.

"Almost done, Katherine. How are you feeling?" the nurse's voice resounded.

A faint smile escaped my heart, feeling safe in this sliver of hope that had managed to survive all of this.

"I'm feeling Okay." I replied with little emotion.

In the lower parts of the Academy, the usual was ongoing with Jean. Steel doors were sealed shut with the familiar bulb lit red. Although the doors were sealed shut, a lot of noise was emanating from within. Any passerby could hear the faint sound of something going on within; and mind you these doors are made of steel with titanium alloy wrapped around it with possibly high density polyurethane foam contained within alongside other materials necessary to make such a powerful door. Vibrations were circulating behind the doors as some force smacked into whatever was opposing it. Emotionally, one could merely walk by and feel an unsettling atmosphere. There was anger, hate, and confusion in the mixture of tension in the air.

Jean's teeth gritted as he stood there, hands on hips while head hung low in exhaustion. Something was weighing over him, literally. Once more the theoretical graviton strings that defined gravity were bent to better accommodate the scholar's new body; although this time it was the gravity over the man's body that was being manipulated and not the area itself. Through weeks of intense training, Jean had managed to surpass physical limitations that he had otherwise never imagined himself surpassing. The harsh gravitational acceleration that weighed forced his body to adapt. Myocytes (Muscle fiber), neuromuscular junctions, tendons, ligaments and trabeculae (calcium structures that make up bone) were stronger now or a better way to put it is they became far more dense than that of any human. Skeletal structure, and muscular system were now toned, and perfected for this new intense gravity he was experiencing. Some would think of this as impossible, and to be honest this man would have to agree with them. For a normal human being this IS impossible. However, people like Jean were not normal. To further explain this, it was actually Jean's telekinetic ability that allowed for such progress into uncharted scientific waters. However, sheer brute force wasn't enough. Like the old saying, "Knowledge is power", and for Jean it was quite literal. His love for science is what had carried him this far, with a plethora of conscious and subconscious information flowing through his mind like a library for science enthusiasts. Jean had remembered Wolf's Law three weeks ago. Through that, myogenesis and bone remodeling therapy became easier for Jean. Understanding that one could indeed temper and refine ones own physical limitations through harsh practice was key; well that and the fact Jean could literally control his body at a molecular level helped....A LOT.

The young scholar stood there, beads of perspiration rolling down his face, well defined torso, and arms crying from the frustration that overwhelmed. There were dents all over the rooms metallic structure. A strength training machine was stationed close by, near a three punching bags that lay torn apart with sand and leather scattered everywhere. It looked like someone had eviscerated the bags out of anger.

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No one had noticed the previous day that Molly had wandered off, and surely today was going to be no different. The Lab was still brimming with activity, although they had slowed down for a moment as their collective consciousness held a council that lasted for a few seconds. It was not work related, but it was still of great importance. After it was over, they all went back to work; all seven of them. There was a lot riding on this project of his, and they could not afford to stop. Everyday hour of the day was important, and every day of the week was a step closer to solving the puzzle that could save millions. A small plastic box made of carbon fiber was being watched by two of the people in the room. Both of them were controlling some strange mechanism that acted like micro tweezers while staring through a magnifying glass. Needles were covered with plastic caps for the moment, like they were getting ready for some kind of test.

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Jean felt an embrace wrap around his tense body. It was so sudden, and it truly caught him off guard that he had no clue how to react to it. It made him forget for a moment his grief, but it also caused him to become a bit uncomfortable. Head tilted to see slender arms wrapped around his waist. Obviously it was Nicole. Heart beat felt weird, as if it was unsure how to feel about this. Nicole was a friend with a common goal, and it was truly someone he could feel comfortable around like Danni. Yet, this hug was just too unexpected. It caused his mind to go blank, and it created this ambivalence that he did not know how to deal with. However, he let it be as he felt the woman shutter. One could only assume it was from a similar if not the same brand of emotions Jean had been experiencing recently.

A nod was all Jean gave to Errol as the head master spoke. "I can handle it... I want to be a part of this as much as anyone who wants to find Colton and Carter. I just need to clear my head before we make our move... for their sake..." he replied.

Cold Milk poured itself down Jean's throat, satiating his daily fondness for calcium. Taste buds showered themselves in the milk residue remaining in mouth, feeling the enzymes in saliva doing their work. The glass was chugged in a matter of two seconds before being placed on Errol's desk with a gentle tap, and big ol "Aaah!". Thanking Nicole, the scholar walked over to the head master's side as the computer wizard went about hacking through firewalls and tapping into restricted files. It was quite the task, one that Jean could only hope to learn to do one day; although he was fairly confident that day would come. Eyes trailed the list of "Subjects" Errol had unraveled, and scanned the information alongside him. Indeed, there were the names they were looking for.

"Colton... Carter... "the man muttered, voice falling faint. Left hand was away from sight, but it was constricting, shaking in a furry that was properly contained.

The two photo's resembled that of criminals, like they had been arrested and were being profiled for future records. The worst part, however, was that they both looked like they had been kept unhealthy. Their cheek bones were more prominent than what Jean had remembered, as if they had been malnourished. No, not as if...they probably were at this point. It was indecent, a situation that was unbecoming of them. Those two did not deserve this, and it just made Jean ever more vexed. Thinking back on what had happened so far, it was utter crap the way these people were acting. He remembered they day Colton was taken, and he remembered the way that woman with the cat hood was acting yesterday. Cold, and dismissive like murdering was just another day at the office. Had these people no morales? No sense of right and wrong? What gave them the false sense of authority to go about ruining a persons life? What's more, just what the hell were these people doing with Colton and Carter? Jean's eyes paused as Errol motioned the mouse over a section of the list, causing eyes to widen in sympathy for what was unveiled. Next to the name of each subject was a status: Alive or Deceased. Luckily, both Colton and Carter were still alive. That was a good thing, and Jean was surely celebrating with relief alongside Errol and Nicole. However, a part of him ached for those that had passed away.

Left hand found itself on Errol's desk as the shaggy haired man needed to find something to hang on to. It was heartbreaking to see the list of people that had died. At least seventy percent of them were dead, one of them dating as far back as -

"1995?!" Jean exclaimed in astonishment. Discomfort was written all over the man's face as eyes pulled him closer to the screen, somewhat in denial. That date was only three years after he had been born! To think that these people had been doing this for twenty years. The amount of lives they ruined for only god knew the reason. So much potential lost to selfishness, and greed. Something was beginning to stir in Jean's emotions.

"Eli Arriloa... Age 12..." Jean's voice waned to a whisper, eyes wincing. That was so far the youngest he had seen in the list, only bested by Carter. Eyes trailed alongside Errol's as they both skimmed the contents of this list.

"2014.... Titus Lver... " he said, trailing down the information of subjects. Words paused as this sympathy overwhelmed him, reaching the limit. Lower lip shuttered as mandible tensed. "Five....years...old..." the man read out loud slowly.

Left hand slid off the desk limp as Jean straightened himself up, feeling perspiration well up beneath eyelids. Lungs heaved Jean's emotional response slowly. Brown eyes looked away from the group, head shaking in disapproval at the concept that was this group of people. The emotion Jean was feeling intensified so much, to the point that his mind was merely a jumble of thoughts on the current situation.

"How could these people exist..? - Why are they doing this to people like us? - Are they human? Monsters? - Who's leading them to do this? - A FIVE YEAR OLD WAS KILLED BY THESE PEOPLE!!! They don't deserve to live - But life is precious - everyone deserves a chance to live - These guys don't - What if they're forced to do this? - Could be a possibility - No, stop looking for a means to justify their inhumane actions. They know damn well what they're doing - What do we do? - Barge in there, and instill the fear of God into them - No, that'll probably make things worse - Worse for them probably, not us - Why not just rid them of their existence - Life is precious, even to those that think little of it - GAAAH I''M SO MAD - TWENTY YEARS THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS!! YOU THINK THEY REALLY DESERVE TO LIVE!? - Life is precious - Hypocrisy is beneath us - Show compassion - Maybe we can find a way to stop this without a violent outcome - We can worry about that later, right now we have to rescue Colton and Carter - Psssh whatever... But I swear it if they come after us.... I'm not holding back - we have to hold back - No we don't - Yes we do, and you know why - I FEEL SO RESTRAINED!!! YOU HAVE TO LET ME BE ONCE IN A WHILE!! - Life is precious"

Jean shut his eyes briefly to allow himself to focus on calming down, but he was finding it to be a tedious task. It sucked to realize this, but people like him were being hunted, and killed in the name of some ideology that was a mystery to him. It hurt even more that these people would be willing to go as far as abduct a five year old for it. It showed that these people just didn't give a @#$%. It hurt Jean more than he realized as tears began to stroll down his cheeks. Those faces would forever be engraved into his memory.

"Life is Precious..." he whispered unintentionally.

I think you meant Telepathy as that is mind over mind whereas Telekinesis is Mind over Matter. Thumbs up!! =)

Allies were doing their part in taking down the thief of colors. The young boy named D'daear had found his chance to escape the phantom blot's clutches when Aden and Krowley intervened. Luna was looking pretty good herself at a glance. Everything they had worked so hard for was now riding on their victory here. While the Phantom was busy fending off one of the other party members, D'daear took this moment to take a breather and meditate, attempting to harness that power that had so been aiding him recently. Keeping right foot forward, legs shoulder width apart, he brought the keyblade in front of him, left hand gripping the bottom of the weapons handle tightly while right hand squeezed tight just underneath the guard of the mystical weapon. Eyelids slid over cartoony black speck for eyes as he fell into a state of completely focus. Blackness was all he saw. Ears perked slightly as senses became more aware, making up for the lack of sight. Noise waved over the area instantly, and constantly being emitted from the little to big things going on in the battle. Battle grunts, keyblade sound effects, magic, shouts, shoes scuffling against the floor, the wind that spirited through the area every now and then. Right foot slid a centimeter forward.

Collectively gathering his feelings, arms slowly guided the blade to the left, placing it to left hip while legs bend; forcing hips to unsquare themselves. Body became rigid, not too tensed, and not to soft. Breathing became calm, and steady as weapon lit up with a radiant aura that the Kingdom hearts universe closely related to the power of Light. Eyes opened up slowly when ready in order to lock on to the Phantom Blot. When all party members were of safe distance away from the villain, D'daear brought his right foot back, and swung the keyblade to the horizon. The blade carved a crescent wave of light that flew to the unoccupied enemy, and slammed into it which sent the now grunting Villain flying back a meter.

68/300 BP!

Jean was waiting outside the room the Hospital staff had designated for Jex. Back leaned against the wall adjacent to the room number while hands hid themselves in black Jean jacket pockets. Nothing special or new was worn for this occasion. Same shaggy brown hair, black jean jacket, beige denim, black shirt, and good ol sneakers. Earthy irises stared off into space before him, dilated while ears concentrated on the conversation happening in the room. Errol was surprisingly taking it a bit easy, all things considered. Christie was in there too, and apparently according to the conversation going on it was Ryan who was somewhat at fault. Jean did not know Ryan to well, although they had caught glimpses of one another there and then, but never had the chance to fully introduce themselves. Now would've been a decent opportunity were it not for the circumstances they had all found themselves in. They were all here in the hospital because Jex had gotten hurt badly, not life threatening, but bad enough that he required stitches and bandages all around his face. To be honest, Jean could only hear so much from outside with all things considered. Nurses were walking the hallways with their squeaky sneakers, patients were having their afternoon walk, and patients relatives were also roaming the area. It was a lively hospital this afternoon.

Eyelids shut themselves and reopened themselves quickly as Errol's plimsoll made it obvious that he was heading out. Pushing off of the wall with his back, Jean followed the two out of the hallway and into the outside world. Apparently it had recently rained.

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A green beanie had found its way onto Jean's shaggy hair. It was really Nicole and Errol's idea as they thought he looked rather plain, and obviously wearing the same outfit he had worn three weeks ago. Surely the person they were luring would identify him because people like them never forget. Jean shrugged as he stood in line in front of a Kiosk that was selling smoothies nearby Bath & Body works. It was a good vantage point as he could see into the store window while maintaining the illusion of being in line for a smoothie; well it wasn't really an illusion as he was going to get himself a drink. The order was taken, and he was asked to step aside while he waited. soon after the blender went to work. Peripherals kept locked on the store the whole time which was well played because not to long when Jean's smoothie was ready, he caught a glimpse of a woman dressed in a similar if not identical attire from the one in the photo.

"Twilight Sorrow..." he thought into the channel Errol had put up. "Guys, it's her. I saw her enter the store. Be on your guard Nicole, I'll be right there."

Lips wrapped around the straw as cheeks sucked diligently on the drink. Flavor entered his mouth, being swallowed by the esophagus as soon as it entered. Banana, strawberry, and watermelon. It tasted so good, a sensation Errol could probably feel while Jean made his way casually to the store Nicole was in. Eyes peered through the edge of the store entrance, earthy eyes looking to spot the woman in the cat hoody while also looking for Nicole. He probably looked a bit odd to anyone who was paying attention outside of the store, but then again most people would be minding their own business. Lips smacked as he finished the last of his smoothie.

"Man that was good." he thought before entering the store casually, dumping the empty cup into a trash bin.

Ink like shots were fired at he team. They missed thankfully, but the aftermath was really weird. Ink oozed on the monochrome ground, leaving behind some kind of hazardous terrain as the ink bubbled. D'daear was glad he avoided that bit, because he honestly did not want to find out what would happen had it touched him. Eyes locked onto the villain, and feet carried the boy to the enemy with keyblade ready again. Blade did the thing with the elements once more, and did the damage onto the Phantom Blob. One swing was fire, and the other three were of ice. Each hit evoked a sort of painful grunt from the enemy as it took steps backwards for each hit that was landed. The Phantom got mad, and swung its opened hands at D'daear, being intercepted by the keyblade that was at the ready. Cartoon arms bulged as D'daear did his darn-est to fight the villain, but man was this Phantom Blot really strong. The odd part was that it didn't even look the part!

"What the heck...are you!?" he exclaimed as beads of sweat poured down his pained face in the struggling of power. Left hand gripped the other end of the keyblade as he pushed forward like he was bench pressing against this entity. Hopefully someone on the team could help him out of this one.

165/300 BP!

When Nicole had started with "If", the scholar had wanted to immediately interject, but he was stopped by the woman's sheer authority resulting from her one finger. It had more to do out of respect for what she had to say. Mandible tensed as Nicole spoke, listening intently. After she was done and over, the clone took initiative to gather the empty plates in order to wash them. Nicole had already gone out of her way to make Jean breakfast, it was the least he could do; not to mention she was technically a guest in his dorm. It was horrible for the host to allow the guest to do work. Inhaling air, lungs exhaled in a sigh as Jean looked straight into Nicole ' s serene sea blue eyes.

"Nothing will go wrong, Nicole. You have my word. If we can work as a team, then this plan is as good as full proof. Errol will be there for support, to make sure we can communicate via telepathy, and to hide our presencr. " Jean explained, tone never wavering.

He was determined to keep Nicole safe, and Definitely determined to capture this crook. All he had to do was get Errol on board.

Fire engulfed the keyblade, being swung vertically down upon the Phantom Blot's head. It was a good smack on the villain's head, only being effect because of the element placed on the hit. D'daear jumped to the side, avoiding a swipe from the Phantom's hands while uttering a groan under breath as it was turning out to be yet another tedious fight. Physical attacks clearly did not work on this foe, and that was pretty much all he was good for at the moment; unless casting an element over your physical hits counted. It sucked really. Having gone off on a really well thought out speech from the heart, and here he was kind of being ineffective against the creep. Talk about a moment deserving a roll of the eyes in frustration. D'daear leaped into the air, and unleashed a cold wind over his weapon, it had been something he'd been wanting to try out for a while now. Keyblade was brought down on the slow foe three times, each hit releasing a sort of cold frost. After the attack was executed, he jumped back in line in order to avoid any incoming magic attacks from the others.

187/300 BP!

The clone walked into the kitchen, taking the yogurt mentioned by Nicole and brought it over to the scholar with a plastic spoon in hand. The spoon was dipped in and out of the yogurt as Jean was spoon fed it. He did not want to admit, but it felt weird being treated like this. Yet, it could not be helped. As long as his body was undergoing the small metamorphosis, he had to do as little tedious work as possible. It sucked really, feeling every nook in cranny of his own body as it underwent density change. The Skeletal and muscular system was literally undergoing the process of change to which Jean found it hard for him to move much. The muscle fibers were forming, neuromuscular junctions were adapting, calcium structures were becoming thicker, and protein complexes were being formed and used in the muscular system for reforming/recovery. To everyone, Jean might have seemed a bit over-excessive with whatever it was they thought he was doing. They might think he was just releasing pent up anger or stress via these rigorous exercises. To Jean, these were necessary steps into a future he was carving in the uncharted waters of Biological history. Only he could do this, literally. It was the first step into changing the course of history for the world. Regeneration, cellular manipulation, adaptive DNA, healing diseases, and so much more! The possibilities would be endless once Jean found a way to break it down to a vaccine or some other method, because at this point all this was possible because of his knowledge, and the power he was using as the impossible extension to achieve these things only thought up of in science fiction.

There were eggs (sunny side up), bacon, sausage, pancakes, French toasts, hash browns, bagels with cream cheese, and so much more. Jean's stomach growled, sounding the timbre that is for feasting time. The clone walked over to Jean, helping the young man sit upright, and soon handed him a plate of sunny side up eggs. Hands weighed heavily as it would still take Jean some time for his brain to adapt to his new body the rest of the day. Fork was placed in his right hand while plate held in the other, stabbing at the eggs in order to place in mouth. Taste buds cherished the flavor of eggs, making sense of beautiful protein hidden within the yolk, and the vague calcium stored in the whites. Jean let out a pleasurable moan as the food began to make it's way down esophagus. When he was done with one plate, he moved on to the other stuff, complimenting Nicole's cooking skills. It was when Nicole mentioned the bait that he slowed his munching, looking straight at Nicole's blue irises.

"Mmm... I was afraid you'd say that..." he uttered to himself, remembering that day in the car.

Getting back to eating, pupils dilated as he contemplated how they would go about this. This person whom they were after, they could very well lead them to Carter, which could potentially lead them to Colton. If using Nicole was in fact the only way, then he'd have to make sure he was ever so vigilant when the time came. The last thing he wanted was for this woman to be harmed. Mouth chomped on the last plate made for him, setting the empty ceramics onto the coffee table. Swallowing, "Are you up for it? Being used as bait, I mean."

"That's a shame... If we could have just gotten a bit more, we might have had a solid lead..." Jean replied, looking up to the ceiling. His body was still undergoing myogenesis and bone remodeling. Heck, he'd probably be laying on that couch for a while. Probably until the afternoon. The clone remained standing nearby, looking over to Nicole as she went about checking the fridge. Items were moved around as the woman went about getting breakfast ready. A smile fell on Jean's face when he began to think about breakfast. All those calories converted into energy and at the nutrients that will be absorbed from it.

The clone took ahold of the blacklist resting on the coffee table, immediately looking up the so clued Twilight Sorrow Nicole mentioned. There was a picture of the girl. Surely enough, it was exactly how the creepy woman looked like in Molly' s mindwalk. The information was being seen by Jean through the clones eyes. It was a cool connection he had with his other clones. Tempest, that was the woman's first name. Jean's eyes were still staring up at the ceiling while the visual information was being relayed.

"Sunny side up, if you will." He replied to the egg question.

The pan crackled loudly as food was cooked. The smell was reaching the scholar's nose. Stomach began to growl as he spoke, "Well...now that we have an identity... Maybe we should set a trap for her. Get her to talk, no?"

Jean basically just let Nicole talk while the elevator escorted the group to the third floor. Body was still recovering, and it required more sustenance if he wanted to get the results he wanted. Two things Nicole mentioned had caught Jean's attention while the clone remained silent the entire time. "Two private jets? Two flight routes happening around the same time." he reiterated. Ears perked at the sound of, "....A Blacklist." Extending a hand out, he took the list from Nicole's hands to have a better see. However he stopped as he had more questions about the flights. "Did you find out who the owner is of those privates Jets? And what of the second Jet? What business did that one have with Reno, Nevada?" he queried out of sheer curiosity. The Elevator stopped at the third floor, opening up for the three to walk through. The Clone helped Jean to his room, swiping the card on a small device planted on the side of the door in order for it to unlock the room. They didn't bother closing the door, letting Nicole handle that part. They entered a large room, the size of a three bed room apartment. One could immediately tell how tidy everything once just by making a quick look see of his room. The clone led Jean to a couch where he laid the man there, placing the Blacklist on the coffee table adjacent to it. A painful grunt emitted from him accidentally as he settled on the couch, closing his eyes in a wince. The clone quickly walked past Nicole, and took out a gallon of milk in order to pour it in a glass. The milk was handed to Jean where he quickly swallowed it in seconds, asking for more. It was quite the sight really, he way he lusted after the calcium. Naturally, he could have just bought one of those pill bottles with calcium tablets. However, Jean was one to enjoy pills. He preferred to savor the taste of sustenance.

After having his fill with the glasses of milk, he lay there breathing with his diaphragm. Pain filled him entirely as he focused on the bone remodeling process, but he would not let himself scream or release even the slightest moan since Nicole was here. The clone stood by and watched silently. With mandible tensed, Jean looked up to his clone and tried putting on a not so constipated face. "Mind making us some breakfast...? Heh..." he uttered, forcing a smile.

Jean looked up at the figure that turned the corner. It was Nicole with a glass of milk and a bagel. That was very thoughtful of her. The clone let go of Jean in order to retrieve the glass of milk while Nicole spoke about having more information about Colton. When the clone passed it to Jean, hands without thought placed i on lips and throat went to work at chugging the entire glass. The glass was already empty within 2 seconds as the echoing sound of Jean's lips sucked on the glass. When he was done, he let out a nice, "AAAH!!!" as to say he was satisfies. A hand motioned for the clone to pass over the bagel in which it did. Chompers smacked against each, chewing the bagel as if he had not eaten food in days. Upon swallowing the remaining pieces of bagel, he gave his stomach a nice pat. Eyes flared to life, now feeling a lot better. As if on cue, Jean's lower torso became very blurry as the molecules that made up the area began to vibrate astonishingly fast. Digestive track took care of the precious cargo within seconds, and the body itself went to work at making calories for the sake of energy which the body desired. The source was metabolized in seconds.

"Oh man... Now that was needed. Thanks Nicole. You're a god send." he thanked, giving her one of his precious smiles. "So you were saying?" he queried again, allowing his clone to help carry him. The two began to move towards the elevator nearby, Nicole following close by. "How did you manage to find the information? Do you know who took him? Where they're located?"

The clone reached for the button that had the symbol for up, activating the elevator that would pick them up.

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June 05th, 2015

Lightning clapped violently over the city as the skies were black with negative and positively charged cumulonimbus. Rain poured all around like no tomorrow. It was like it was the end of the world was upon them, setting a dark ambient mood. Perhaps it was for some. Las Vegas, a city with the phrase, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." A city rotting in its own filth. The cops could only do so much to help protect this city, and even then some were dirty. So when you think about it, the city really is rotting in its own filth. Rape, murder, theft, assault, corrupt law enforcement. It was a city that had some dark corners where evil lurked, waiting to prey on those that dropped its guard. She could testify to that. It's all she's been seeing ever since that one day a long time ago.

There I was, sitting on a hospital bed in a small room wearing these patient scrubs. My clothes were neatly folded on the side of my bed, unattended. There was a window outside where one could easily see the rain smacking against the window side. usually thunderstorms made me nervous, but today was different. Sitting on the bedside, my arms were erect as they held on to the side while my legs dangled lifeless. My head was down, my eyes widened with mind lost in deep contemplation. I had just been diagnosed with stage 1B Bone cancer.

"I'm sorry... Katherine..." spoke the nurse holding Katherine's health record. "We're looking into this right now. The doctor is on his way to give you a talk through of how this is going to be handled... Do you want me to bring you water or something while you wait?" the nurse asked, doing her best to be comforting. The truth was, she sucked. I could hear her sincerity, but I just couldn't find it possible for anything to comfort me at this moment. So I couldn't level with her. My mouth remained shut, and I just lost myself in thought. The nurse eventually left when she realized I was ignoring her, but then again I was kind of in shock. You see, I was diagnosed with 1A bone cancer a long time ago, but the doctors told me it was most likely nothing. A quick x-ray told them that it was so the case. I was scared out of my mined despite them telling me not to worry about. I mean, how could I not? My spine had something growing on it! They assured me it would be ok, that all I needed was a small surgery that would remove the growth. This had all take place before the Martial Arts tournament held in Reno, Nevada. I remember it well because the school had chosen me to represent them in the Semi-Finals. I won of course. It was all a matter of just being very aggressive, keeping the opponent on the defensive. If you hit hard enough, and their morale was weak, you could instill the fear of not wanting to get hit in them.

It was after we had lost the finals that I readied myself for the surgery. Mom was there for me, reassuring me that everything was going to be ok. My dad was also there, but he just didn't say anything. All he could do was be teary eyed to which didn't help me at all when I was laying on the hospital bed, awaiting the nurses to escort my bed into the surgery room. For a tall big guy, my dad was pretty much a softy with one heck of a temper. That's probably where I got that from.

I sat there, in my thoughts undisturbed when I heard the door open up to see the same doctor who had diagnosed me with 1A Bone cancer a long time ago. A quick look in his eyes and I could tell how ashamed he was. It was not shame for what happened to me, but for his incompetence. HAH! He was feeling bad for himself!? That just took me over the edge.

"Katherine... I'm so sorry, I-"

"Sorry? You're the one that told me I was going to be ok! You're the one who told me that the cancer you took out of me was it, and that any possible remains would go into remission!! For god-sake!!! We PAYED for that lousy operation!! And now that it's back, let me guess... I Have to pay for this one to, right?!" I screamed at him, venting out my frustration on him.

The nurse was looking at me with disgust, like I was the bad guy or something. That's when I snapped at her next. "What are you looking at? How would YOU feel if this was happening to YOU? Huh? You pay for a surgery that you can't afford, and then for this bullshit to happen to YOU? How would you feel knowing that you're still paying the medical bills for the previous surgery, and then finding out that it was all for nothing? This is my life we're talking about!!" I screamed, most likely being heard from the other side of the door. My eyes were wet, and I could feel myself gasping for breath uncontrollably as I started to bawl in despair.

I was a straight A student, as of this final semester, putting me in the top 15% of my class thanks to the curriculum's I've been taking. I promised my family that I would do great in school so that I could go to college with scholarship, that way my parents wouldn't have to worry about the expenses. Aspirations of getting a professional career where I could move my family out of this hell hole of a city, and somewhere safe were all that I had.

Now those dreams were forming cracks that I had no idea how to fix. What if it progressed? There's no coming back from that. I could fight it, but at what cost?

My hands went about to hiding my face from the two as I continued to cry. I started feeling remorse for the harsh things I said, which was something I hated. If I was going to mean something, then I should stick to it. Not start feeling guilty about it. Besides, they deserved it. Yet, for some reason I felt bad.

"I'm sorry... it's just this is... so much... My whole life is ahead of me, and... my family is dealing with money problems... I wanted to go to college, and-"

"You still can! Don't give up just yet!" the nurse spoke up, feeling sympathetic. The woman cam e up to me, and gently led me to an embrace. I buried my face in her chest, letting it all out. The doctor was watching me, pensive on what he could do.

For now, I just cried, only paying attention to the rain that smacked the window. Somehow, the sound of rain was my comfort that day. The thunder and its power that let itself be known whenever lightning flashed became my comfort. I forgot the fear of thunderstorms, because... that was the day I started fearing for my life.

DO NOT ADD TO THE MAIN CHARACTER ROSTER YET!!! WILL BE UPDATED WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT!!

Code Name: hexin

Full Name: Katherine Annunziato

Age: 18

Gender: Female

Height: 5'11

Location: Las Vegas

Student I.D.: This in 9th grade / Posing for friends Camera Sophomore year / Posing for friends Camera Senior year.

Date of Birth: 01/10/1997

Telepathist/Telekinetic?: None

Personality:

04/20/2015

"So what do you make of, Katherine Annunziato?" a reporter from school asked someone. Behind the two was a large building that looked like a hotel. It was hosting an event inside, and many people came, specifically the Martial art's club members from their school in Las Vegas. The school's martial arts club had finished in 1st at the regional tournament, and were now capable of entering the nationals hosted in Reno, Nevada. Martial arts clubs from all across the nation that qualified in the regional championships flocked to Reno, Nevada. Among the Las Vegas members happened to be Katherine Annunziato; of the clubs top fighters. They had just made it to the semi-finals, and Katherine had been chosen to represent in that fight.

"Ask any of her friends, and they'll say the same thing. She's a great person, fun to get along with, and can easily draw people into her circle of friends. Why? It's because she cares. Katherine will go to lengths within her limitations to help someone. One time, one of her friends caught her donating food she bought for herself to a homeless person. That's right! She can be a real selfless individual. Another cool factor about her is she's pretty mellow. Not hyperactive like SOME people, or too dark and moody like OTHERS. Although, part of the reason for that I think has to do with her martial arts. Oh right! She does martial arts! Oh but wait...you probably already know that...heh.. Anyway from what I've heard, she's been a bit distant lately. It's like she's got her head in the clouds or something. A-At least that's what I've been noticing lately. If you want you can ask some of her close friends. It's not really my place to talk about that stuff, so just take it with a grain of salt."

"Do you think it could be final exams or perhaps she's still contemplating a college? She's at the top 15% of her class, right?" the reporter asked, hearing the crowd go wild as the upcoming fight was almost done getting prepped.


History:

My life hasn't exactly been the best that it could have been, but it could have been a lot worse. For that I'm grateful. I've done the best I could with what I was given, and even took initiative to achieve more. I was born on January tenth, nineteen ninety seven in Las Vegas Summerlin Hospital. My family weren't exactly rich, but we weren't poor. We were of lower middle class, and that gave us a bit of an edge in surviving this city; well at least compared to the lower class. In this city, it's nearly survival of the fittest everyday. There's a brutal murder for every one hundred thousand civilian living here. Some people may not think that's much, but it is to me. Especially when those statistics don't take into account the amount of tourists we get. Out of a hundred percent, 12% come to the casinos mainly gamble, and that's excluding the people that go to casinos to NOT gamble. There's been accounts of rape, sexual harassment, Assault, robbery, theft, and the list can go on and on. It was rated second in the nations most violent city. When I as thirteen, my parents put me to martial arts classes because they said a girl couldn't walk alone in these streets without some @$$hole willing to take advantage of you. And thankfully, I was prepared for it when I experienced my first assault. In my public middle school, I had missed my bus because a student in our class got in trouble. Our teacher that day wasn't exactly in the best of moods, and so he decided to make everyone stay in class five minutes after the bell had rung as punishment. The poor kid got beat up after class. I didn't like it when I heard it, but a part of me thought he might have deserved it for making us all fall down with him. At any-rate, my bus had left without me so I was on my own.

I was forced to walk several blocks around the city to reach my apartment complex. However, little did I know I was being followed by high-school students who had nothing better to do with their miserable lives. My earphones were on at the time, so I never really had a chance at noticing them. I ended up getting bum rushed by one of them and got tackled into an alley way. It all had happened so fast that the wind was knocked out of me, and I was already laying with my back against the floor, my shirt pulled hallway revealing my bra, and the dirt bag that had tackled me had positioned himself in between my legs. His other friend had taken me by the wrist, across from the guy who was messing with my school pants zippers. I tried my hardest to get my wrist free, but the jerk had me pinned down good. My heart was violently pounding against my chest because I knew where all this was leading up to. I could hear there voices laughing as they spewed out these vulgar words as if they were in some kind of cheap porno. I was so scared, and I wanted to cry. My mind was trapped in this sense of helplessness as the guy managed pull my pants far enough that my undergarment was now exposed. I was always taught that I should save myself for the right guy. It was an ideology that rarely exists in this world thanks to the way things are in the media. I can remember how NOT aroused I was, and yet they kept taunting me that I was. They kept calling me vulgar words as they harassed my pubescent body. My skin felt dirty from the way they started touching me. My ideology of being abstinent until marriage was something precious to me. It was because I wanted my first time to be with someone I trusted, and cared about. Someone I could love mutually. Yet here I was with these dirt-bags. The worst part about it was that they started telling me how they were going to get away with it because they knew people in the police force. I'd come to later realize what they meant by that.

Anyway, in order for this not to get any obscene than what it already is I'll just say this... It felt so good when the tides had turned on them. Remember when I said my parents had signed me up for martial arts class? Yeeeeaaahhh....

I saw my opportunity when the guy in between me was busy getting his junk out of his pants. Biding my time, I waited until his genital was out and took my opportunity. Being a martial artist taught me to be very flexible, and that was something they did not see coming. I tucked my right leg towards my face, and tensing my quads, slammed my heel into his poor excuse for an erection. The guy fell back, writhing in pain; I could have sworn I heard a pop emanating from his lower extremity, but whatever. Not my problem. The other guys grip loosened on my wrists. I hastily looked up to see the shock in the guys face as he watched his friend crying in pain. Without any hesitation, I twirled my legs in the air like a propeller, giving the guy kneeling behind me a nice kick to his cheek while at the same time re-positioning myself in a one knee down stance. My eyes were teary because I knew just how close these scumbags came to...

The guy I had kicked in the cheek was getting back up, cursing me under his breath. He thought he was pissed, but he didn't know the half of what I was feeling right now. I channeled my anger into this next hit, and it felt so good when I connected. I darted towards him while he was still placing a hand on one of his knees, and put both my hands onto the back of his head before I rammed my right knee into the under part of his nose where it connected to the philtrum of his face. By pushing his head forward and shooting my knee outward, I managed a nice hit that ended up breaking his nose. There was blood on my pants, but I didn't care. The guy fell backwards, stunned by the new nose I had given him. However, I wasn't done yet. No, he was going to pay. Seeing his privates exposed, I swung my foot like a soccer player and gave the guys nards a nice new sensation. A part of me wanted to continue beating down on him, but I didn't want to press my luck. After putting myself together and gathering my things, I ran out of the alley and never looked back.

It was from that day forward I made sure to always walk with someone if I ever had to walk the streets of Sin City; and to steer clear of alleys. My martial arts training continued after I told my parents the incident. Sadly, we never caught those high school boys nor were they ever brought to justice. However, I didn't mind it too much because at least I knew MY justice was served that day.

From there on, I was transferred to a private school and life went back to normal. Although, every now and then I'll always look behind my back just in case.

Abilities: 0

Strengths: +6 years of Martial Arts, athletic, an Academic, photogenic

Weaknesses: Suffers from stage 2A Bone cancer on the spine; specifically the lumbar vertebrae. Potential to spread to organs close to it like Kidney, adrenal gland, cerebellum, etc if it reaches stage 2B.

Role in the Academy: Not a Student

Hobbies: Martial arts, Exercising for health, music, studying, reading novels.

Other Things Not Covered: Has little patience for stupidity, and injustice.

Side: Good

The red light was lit where the students had taken their exams 3 weeks ago. The big metal doors were locked shut, allowing no one to enter the room. This was good because if anyone were to ever walk in when the red light was on at this time, they would be crushed, severely injuring themselves. The person behind the said door wouldn't be the one doing the crushing, though. It would the act of a natural force that quantum physicists have yet to understand properly. Gravitons. Yes, it would be the doing of these elementary particles; although they were more like strings, unseen by any and all forms of eyes including microscopes. To see these, you'd have to have the eyes of the cosmos. In other words, no one could see gravity for it is a natural force that to this day still leaves questions. Behind the thick metal doors, the training room was undergoing extreme changes in gravity. Despite Quantum Physicists still bewildered by the mystery of such a force, one man could see it for what it truly was. By bending the force of these strings, this man is able to change the entire state of gravity within the area.

Two days after Colton's Kidnapping had the training rooms red light started turning on every morning. The person inside would go about the routine: Jogging around the large rooms perimeter; only sprinting when he needed heart rate to accelerate a bit, stretches, yoga for overall muscular activity, lower body, and upper body routine.

A groan was uttered from a brown shaggy haired man as he forced pectorals to lift his new body weight up, the abnormal gravity being utilizing for more than obvious push up routine. Beads of sweat were clear as day, surrounding themselves all over Jean's face, and naked torso. For a man like him, he was in really good shape. Well defined muscles glistened with sweat in the lit room. Moisture slid down the man's obliques, finding themselves in in the grooves between lower abdomen and obliques. Muscle and bone burned as he bent his elbows once more to stretch pectorals, slowly pushing up to contract said muscle. Toughened under the effects of this heavier gravity, they were becoming denser than normal; muscle and bones. Muscle fiber and the bones trabecula were thickening, surpassing human limitations. A normal person would have been in serious pain from the broken bones caused by the intense change in muscle. Bones would have shattered from the intense gravity. However, Jean had stopped being normal five years ago. The mind you see, was a powerful tool that could be used to unlock the body's true potential. With mind over body, he had been telekinetically enhancing his body in order to better sustain himself under this new gravity. It was like a bicycle with training wheels. During the three weeks, the gravity would always change each day, becoming heavier. Each time he would apply enough enhancement in his body to aid him in the harsh training. However, like each bicyclist there would come a time when those training wheels would come off, and he could ride on his own.

That and because after each workout Jean would take a moment to focus on the protein molecules in his muscles to help recovery as well increase muscle tissue density. Muscle fibers or myocytes would develop in a process called Myogensis. This process would accelerate incredibly fast thanks to his ability to manipulate his own molecules. With the protein complexes being guided, his muscles were recovering faster, and allowing them to become thicker, denser than that normally found in humans. Calcium structures would break, and reform themselves thanks to a process known as Bone remodeling. These interconnected pillars of calcium would strengthen by adding more calcium, thickening these microscopic pillars, which would overall increase density. That process would be happening to every bone in his body. The cool part about it was that he could feel it every time he stepped out of the room. Feeling a little lighter each day.

Earthy Eyes stared ahead, at the wall. Brows furrowed, and a fire blazed within him. It was three weeks since he last saw Colton. Three weeks since he found out how Errol failed to save the boy, how JEAN failed to help.

Mandible tensed and teeth bared themselves at this imaginary evil that plagued his people. Muscles began to stretch and contract a little faster as Jean started to push faster. It was the last ten reps before he was at his limit. In other words, at least five more after limit had been reached. The tension in muscles was becoming prominent as each push brought lactic acid to the surface of muscle fibers.

"1...." he whispered in strain. Muscle response was slowing down from exhaustion as he started to pass his limit. "Ttt...t-wo..."

A bead of sweat trailed down Jean's nose, collecting itself with the myriad of other moisture that was trailing down his lower face, dripping off of his chin and onto the floor. "Ttthhr-eeeee...."

A grunt emitted off of Jean's clenched teeth, a sure sign he was feeling that horrid lactic acid. Tendons, and ligaments on neck exposed themselves under the intense stress as the face became red. Muscles stretched and contracted once more. The mind was willing through a natural reaction. He could tell he was about to give in as now shoulders were burning, a sure sign he was losing form. Back began to bend, abs started to loosen up, and gluts were losing the tightness needed to maintain a straight back in the push up exercise. Muscles were burning so much now. He began to let loose short layered breaths at the final stretch. "Come-.nnnGGHHH... ON!!!" he shouted during the contraction phase.

Elbows were almost erect as arms began to shake. With a final heave of breath, arms erected themselves to complete the extra five. Arms gave in as body just fell to the floor with a very loud thud. He laid there, feeling the exhaustion that circulated throughout his entire being while sweat just lingered all over him. Hair felt harder than usual thanks to the collective sweat all over his scalp. A huge sigh was let out from Jean, feeling lungs lust for the air that was filtered through the air vents.

"24.79 m/s^2..." he barely uttered in a wheeze. The gravity was still intense while he was going off about the current gravitational acceleration in the room. Eyes nearly rolled behind eye-sockets as he almost lost consciousness; again. Reaching out to natural force, he felt the graviton string particles, and changed it back to the way it was supposed to be. The room itself nearly lost a huge load, and Jean could feel everything return to normal; well what used to be normal to him. His body could once more feel it. The lightness of earth's normal gravity. Lungs were breathing a lot easier now, and he could feel his organs relaxed for sure. Another sigh escaped the man, this time it being of relief as eyelids fluttered in order for eyes to adjust themselves. Hands found themselves skidding against the metallic floor until they reached his sides. With a simple push, his body found itself flying four feet into the air with feet flailing in a missed attempt at finding its footing. "WHOA!" Jean shouted in astonishment. Body quickly readjusted itself in mid air within seconds unfathomable to the human reflexes as brain released electrical impulses throughout neural fibers within his entire body. Feet slammed the metal floor with a heavy thud, denting the small area beneath his feet while a quick vibration circulated Jean's entire body; and it hurt.

Jean winced from pain. His body still needed to heal because he had yet to self activate the bone remodeling and myogenesis process. "I keep forgetting about that..." he mumbled. Slowly, he moved himself towards the doors with small nasal grunts. Hands stretched out to the doors, and found pressing a big red button next to them. Outside, the red light bulb would turn green, and the mechanisms within he metal doors would shift as it unlocked. With a simple push of hands, the thick door swung itself open. Jean took his first step outside the chambers, hurting all over.

"nnnghh.. Shoot..." he uttered as he gave a painful expression. Eyes shut themselves as he gritted teeth. A hand placed itself on face as he wiped sweat off his lower face, peering down to see blood mixed with sweat. No surprise there. It was one of the side effects Jean had to endure off extreme inhuman training. He trailed the blood back to his nose where he found himself letting out a huge annoyed sigh. Hea dturned to look inside the room. Surely enough, the spot where he was doing push ups had a small stain of blood where his head had been.

"I need help. One of you can come." he called out to the hive; clones.

---------------------------------------------------

All of the clones turned towards the door to see the Head Master. "Errol!" they all said in unison, showing glee in their tone. When they looked to the package in hand, their eyes merely widened. It was a fairly sized package, about 2.5 feet in length, and a foot in width. One of the Jeans walked up to Errol and retrieved the package from him, thanking him before placing it on the desk. "This is going to be so exciting!" one of them said, getting back to his work.

Another Jean looked over to Molly snickering at Errol's mention of the comic. " Hey, that's when their brain is most easily accepting of information." he jested with fact. While this was going on, another Jean dropped what he was doing and started to walk really fast towards the doors behind Errol. "I'll beeee right back! Need to run a quick errand." he said as hand reached onto the handle and turned it. Door swung wide open and the clone ran off. It may or may not look suspicious.

The clone ran down several hall and towards the stairs. It took at most ten minutes for the clones to reach Jean outside the training room.

"I'm here." the clones voice echoed through the hallway that lead to the chambers. The exhausted Jean looked up.

"Good, grab my shirt inside and help me to my dorm." he spoke weakly. "Let's be quick about this, I don't want anyone finding out. Last thing I need is a worry wort. "

The Jean in the lab coat nodded and went to work. Making haste, he took Jeans arm and put it around his shoulder, suddenly feeling it to be a bit heavy than what it was the other day. "You started the mygenesis and bone restructuring process, didn't you?"

The tired Jean only looked forward, feeling as if eyes were sinking into eyes sockets. "I like having a good start..."

"You should have waited until after breakfast. You need to stock up more than the usual amount your body provides for this kind of thing. You know what can happen if yo-"

"Dude...seriously. What did I JUST say?" he asked rhetorically. It was lunacy for him to be talking to one of his clones. It was literally just Jean talking to himself.

The clone kept quiet for the remainder of the walk towards the dormitory, stopping only to a near by restroom for him to wipe his face clean before proceeding.

Like a runny nose, nostrils inhaled aggressively. Struggling to lift his left hand, he slowly wiped the blood off his lower face using the jacket's sleeve. His body wasn't physically exhausted, but his mind was just momentarily fried, pleading for rest. Nicole thanked him which made Jean feel really proud of himself. Through determination he managed to save Molly's mother. What's more, it was his way of flipping the bird to the monsters that dared to take away Molly's mother. Inhaling with a bit of a struggling, esophagus accepted pent up saliva. Head was resting against the seats head rest while body merely remained in lack of motion. Eyelids struggled to maintain themselves up as exhaustion embraced Jean's mind. The desire to rest grew stronger by the second, and a part of him was willing to take up the offer.

Cars drove by on both sides of the avenue, and footsteps skidded on the sidewalk. It was already the late afternoon, nearly time for the sun to say goodbye to this side of the world.

Jean, a voice said in warning to the man's mind. I see someone on the roof...

A grunt escaped Jean as he forced energy-less body to rise off the seat. Eyelids were forced to retract in order for eyes to remain awake. Breath was heavy, mind was drowsy. On top of that, he realized that he would have to either step out of the car to take a look or scooch over Nicole to look through Molly's side of the window. In his current condition, it just was not going to happen. Alarmed by the threat however, the scholar remained awake, forcing eyes not to roll back. He was a bit worried, but it was easily being outweighed by the mind's desire to find sleep.

She's going away.

"Oh thank god..." Jean uttered before collapsing back onto the chair. Eyelids slowly lost the fight against the sleep that was conquering him. Everything became blurry, fading away into a pile of smudged colors until blackness.

"Mo...lly... Le's-take a nap.." he blurted out before falling into unconsciousness.

-----------------------------

"Jean?" a muffled voice spoke out. Ears were ringing as head throbbed relentlessly. The sound of crickets was echoing fiercely. Was it night time? Eye's began to open up to blurry vision. The colors were all smudged, out of whack. Yellow loomed over him with a speck of serene blue. He could feel something on his face. Warm and tender with this gentleness about it. The softness was tapping against his face, sending vibrations all around him. Eyes slowly struggled to roll out of the back.

"Jean wake up... We're here." spoke the voice clearly.

"Nicole...?" Jean queried as vision adjusted. The woman loomed over him, her entire lower half outside of the passenger's side. Eyelids fluttered as senses were awakening, but not in full. The tapping soon stopped as Nicole removed her hand away from his face, and retracted her torso out of the car. Blue irises watched Jean get up off the seat. Gentle hands took a hold of the scholar's wrist, aiding the man like some drunkard who couldn't step out of a car. Sneakers stumbled on the sidewalk, unable to maintain proper footing for legs to remain in balance. By placing a hand on top of the car door, Jean helped Nicole help him by lifting himself away from the car. His arm was placed around Nicole's shoulders, while some of his body weight leaned on her. By placing a hand on his hip, she managed to help Jean walk towards the gates that separated the outside world with the academy. Key's jingled on her other hand.

Earthy eyes managed to catch a glimpse of the moon that loomed over the earth.

"Come Molly. We'll be safe here." Nicole reassured her daughter. The little girl squeezed the teddy tight before following the two.

"You have the keys, right? Errol would kill me if I lost them..." words jested somewhat.

The gates opened before them, allowing Nicole to lead the group to the main entrance. The front area of the academy was a vast field of green grass with a road dividing the grass. A few trees with a monument resting close to the entrance impossible to miss. Reaching the glass doors, they didn't bother looking for the Head Master, Danni, or Jex. With guidance from Jean, Nicole was able to lead them up a flight of stairs and to the laboratory where the ring of keys was used to unlock the door. "The lights are right there." Jean mentioned, pointing with his chin. Key jingled as Nicole's hand fumbled for the light switch. After a third attempt, she managed to awaken the lights. "Settle me on my chair behind the desk with all those..." he paused, noticing the plethora of case files. He had forgotten about those. "...those folders..." he said.

Nicole led the man that had saved her to his comfy chair, watching drop onto it. A small groan escaped the shaggy haired Jean.

"You ok?" Nicole asked, hands reaching out to him out of instinct. Molly's doll like eyes stared at the man, teddy bear held close.

Jean's mandible tensed as he lifted a hand out to signal her to stop. "I'm fine. I'm just not in synch with my body at the moment... A good nights rest will do me good. For the time being, you guys can sleep on my couch over there. It's comfortable, and big enough for the two of you. We'll get your bags and find you a room first thing tomorrow. I promise... But in the mean time, please use the couch to rest. You can even take one of the jackets on my coat hanger as a bed sheet. " he explained, letting out a huge painful sigh. The chair leaned back as body weight shifted.

Nicole winced at Jean. Whatever pain he was going through must be pretty bad. Dropping her concerned hands, the woman reached out and placed a firm hand on his knee. "Thank you., Jean." was all she said before she took Molly by the hand and led her to the couch. Nicole went ahead and took Jean up on his offer by grabbing a lab coat that was hanging there. Giving it a good shake, she folded it on her forearm for the moment, walking towards the light switch. Finger was all ready to turn the lights off when Molly spoke up, "Mommy, can you leave the lights on?"

A sympathetic smile revealed itself on the mother. "Of course sweety." she replied.

The two cuddled together on the couch with the lab coat blanketing them. The two said goodnight to one another, and went to sleep. However before Molly shut her eyes, she looked up over to Jean who's eyes were shut. Averting eyes from the resting man, she looked at the floor for a moment.

"Good night, Jean." she reached out to him. However there was no immediate response, leaving the little girl hanging. Not taking it personally, she let eyelids shut while arms kept the teddy close the same way Nicole kept Molly close.

"Good night Molly."

Little eyes opened themselves and quickly turned to Jean's sleeping form. Dried up blood was all over Jean's lower part of the his face. He was only in such a mess because he had something to save her mom. It was thanks to this man that they were safe. A sense of security wrapped around Molly while eyes averted once more from Jean's form. Even though he was the way he was at the moment, he was still aware of what was going...like a sentry. THAT, made her feel very secure, and happy. Closing her eyes, Molly went to sleep.

My jaw dropped when I saw the trailer. Star Ocean Till the end of Time was my first major jrpg game I ever played. It was also my first game to have two discs. TWO discs!!! Man, good times. I might just hook up my ps2 just to replay the game.

And seeing from those two screenshots, I can only hope Star Ocean is returning to its roots. There is hope yet for this series. Although, I can't help but think of Kirito when I see that guy's outfit... Dang. Come on Star Ocean, you can do it! DX

The sound of a desperate child calling for help was enough to knock anyone out of their own thoughts. The car came to a disturbing halt, as wheels skidded the car towards the side of the avenue nearby two towering buildings on both sides. Surviving the inertia, Jean put the car on park and turned around to Molly's mother. At this point, Jean's mind just focused on Nicole, not really caring for the fact that Molly had just spoken to him via telepathy. "Nicole! What's wrong!?" he queried in grand concern. Irises looked towards the woman's chest as he took note of the way her hands were grasping at the sternum. Her skin was rather pale, as if she wasn't getting any air or something. Quickly unbuckling his seatbelt, he unlocked the driver's seat and ran to the back where Molly and Nicole were. Feet stepped onto the sidewalk, and upon opening the door to Nicole's side, he unbuckled the woman's seat belt and quickly checked for a pulse on her neck. However, upon checking doing so he came across a small area near the left carotid artery. "What the..." he muttered to himself, astonished by the mark. Something did not feel right at all to him. He quickly looked outside the car to see if anything was out of the ordinary. Nothing. Brown eyes caught sight of an old lady walking by. Heart was beginning to race as the thought of them being followed was a possibility. His breathing was heavy, anxious at the potential threat that could be following them. At the same time, this anger was welling up inside of him. A sense injustice if you will. He turned back to Nicole, but only to find that her arms had gone limp.

Jean's heart dropped instantly, and the horror was reflected in his earthy eyes. "NICOLE!" he shouted out of desperation, grabbing her by the shoulders. Heart rate was beginning to accelerate as he could feel the sense of failure crawling closer and closer to him like some predator stalking its prey. Was this woman that was under his protective care about to die? What about Molly? Her brother was still out there, and Nicole...to die without closure. Jean stared at Nicole, feeling helpless. Failure was sinking its dirty filthy jaws on him, and Nicole was about to suffer because of it. Emotional pain welled up in Jean, manifesting as small tears that were ready to burst in through Earthy eyes that reflected Nicole's helpless form. He turned to Molly, lost in what to do. Mandible tensed as Jean allowed that indignant side of him to awaken. Nicole was all Molly had left thanks to these unknown people. Who did they think they were anyway? Just taking as they pleased because **** it. They could do it, right? The world was theirs right? No. Brows furrowed as Jean turned to Nicole, realizing just how much of a scumbag this group of abductors were. Who or what gave them the right to take a life? Or to ruin a life? Everyone was born equally. Just because someone had the power to mess with another's life, didn't give them the right to DO so.

Tears subsided as Jean could feel himself comeback to his senses. Hands quickly pressed themselves on Nicole's clavicles, allowing the sense of touch to guide Jean throughout the woman's entire working of her own body within fractions of a second. It was like a biological systems check. The numbness this woman was feeling around the mark on her neck. Her mouth and lips were numb as well. Heart was still functioning, so that was good. Further investigation led Jean to realize that her nervous system was not responding. Further more, he could see how the woman's lungs were struggling to the point that they might as well not even be functioning. Just what caused this? Was she poisoned somehow? Where? When? What type of toxin was it? What degree of toxicity? Time was running out, and he could feel it. Teeth gritted as he raced against time. It took less than a second for Jean to reach Nicole's bloodstream.

"Ok the facts... The point of the toxins entry was on her neck. Carotid artery would imply that it's already reached her heart, and spread throughout the body. Taking her symptoms into account...it was probably sometime ago...maybe 20 minutes ago?" he queried out loud. IN order to by some time, he did something that was really loathing. He wanted to ask Nicole for permission, but it was futile as she was clearly paralyzed AND there was just no time to debate about this. Closing his eyes, he just did it. Thumb and index pressed against Nicole's nose while other hand expanded the woman's jaw in order to open mouth. "I'm sorry Nicole! But I need to buy you some time!" he shouted out loud. Eyes shut themselves as he focused on the air around them. Reaching out, he met the molecules that surrounded them. The air around them was a mixture of other elements, and he knew just how small of a percentage oxygen had in this mixture. There was Nitrogen, and lots of it, but he didn't need that. Oxygen and other elements like argon, carbon dioxide, and methane danced as one in this mixture of gases. Reaching out to the oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules, he began to separate it from the others. At the same time, he began to reach out to Nicole's lungs. The trachea, the bronchi which connected to many forms of bronchus and on both lungs as well as the tertiary Bronchi. The tiny cells and tissues that helped make this beautiful organ in the human body were tapped into, but most importantly the Diaphragm. Multi-tasking with all this, he got to work. He forced Nicole's diaphragm to contract, causing the lungs to inhale the incoming oxygen and carbon dioxide that Jean was manipulating into her system. It was a form of therapy that would help by them time; by them he meant Molly and himself.

"Molly, keep a close eye out for anything suspicious while I do this, ok? You're my eyes and ears now. I need you to stay focused, got it?" he queried while remaining focused on the task at hand.

Doing this, the air reached the alveoli where the air exchange began to occur. Lungs would thus begin to separate carbon dioxide and oxygen. Through the natural working of the body, lungs would begin to excrete the carbon dioxide through mouth as they exhaled the gas, soon to inhale once again. Jean did this for a while, guiding Nicole's respiratory system in it's natural function. The good news was, they avoided cardiac arrest. Bad news, they weren't out of the woods yet. All the while, the car was motionless, and quiet.

When he was confident enough in his level of focus, Jean would then begin to reach out to Nicole's body. He searched frantically for whatever it was that was causing Nicole these symptoms. He knew it was some kind of toxic agent, because pathogens took hours to incubate in a host before unleashing its chaos in the human body. That was just how pathogens worked, new or old. Mind swam in the woman's bloodstream, searching for the toxin. In a matter of a millisecond he was able to find the abnormality in her bloodstream. It only took him longer because of the amount of toxins in her. Tetrodotoxin, histamine, tryptamine, octopamine, taurine, acetylcholine, and dopamine; with Tetrodotoxin being the neurotoxin involved in Nicole's paralysis. It's what caused her motor paralysis as well as Respiratory arrest. Saliva slipped down Jeans throat in heaviness. There was just too many to focus on at once. There really was only one other way...

"Toxicology 101. Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and excretion..." he muttered under his breath, eyes still closed. They were in the Distribution phase of this dilemma. That was good because the next step was one that he was oh so very versed in. "Metabolism Phase 1... " Jean recited. The body normally takes 8 to 10 hours after affliction of the tetrodotoxins to wear off, and that's because of the human's natural rate of metabolizing the poison. However, what Jean was attempting was to speed up her Metabolism by manipulating the hepatic enzymes that would catalyze reactions such as Oxidation, reduction, and the hydrolysis mechanism in order to relocate the said poison.

At this point, Nicole would begin to feel strange. It would feel as if the tiniest part of her body was tingling, but it would be such a small feeling that all she would really feel is light headed which would lead her to falling asleep.

Sweat was pouring out of Jean as it was a strainous activity for him. One thing was to do it on himself; which was easy, but it was a completely different story when manipulating someone's microscopic being in such a way. Everyone was different, and their metabolisms varied vastly. Aside from the fact that he was forcing Nicole's body to metabolize the poisons rather fast, but he was also processing Nicole's respiratory system, AND commanding oxygen/carbon dioxide to enter her body while separating them from the mixture that was Earth's air.

"Phase 2..." he recited in order to keep focused. If anyone could see his mind right now, it would be the equivalent of a powerful computer multi-tasking, processing information at such an incredible rate.

Synthesis reactions began to occur in Nicole's body. This was all leading to the Excretion phase. Conjugation occurred and the toxin's were beginning to be processed around. Some would go to the kidneys where Toxicants are removed in the kidney by glomerular filtration, tubular excretion by passive diffusion, and active tubular secretion. Other's would move to the digestive tract where they would be moved to liver and back, and others...well...

Jean's breathing was becoming intense, as his mind was finding itself reaching a new limit it had never discovered before.

Nicole's body would soon find itself feeling hot: face cheeks, forehead, neck, pits, arms, torso, lower body as the tetrodotoxin would be excreted through her sweat glands. It would come out in a weird form of sweat. It was clear sweat, but milky in a sense like yellow armpit sweat.

Jean's mandible tensed as he could feel an intense pressure in his skull. It was over. He made a quick sweep of Nicole's inner body, making sure he got everything out of her. At this point, he felt like a man who was on the final count of a workout where muscles were just so tired but you just knew you had a few more to go. When everything checked out ok to him, he little by little let go of the controls. First the control of the oxygen and carbon dioxide he was guiding into her lungs, then the trachea and lungs before finally letting go of her diaphragm. Hand let go of Nicole's nostrils, and he opened his eyes.

He sat there next to Nicole, looking over her exhausted, and weak. Wanting to check her pulse, right hand struggled to reach over Nicole's neck to check her pulse. Slowly but surely, weighted hand made it to her neck to check for a pulse.

A small smile formed on Jean before tear ducts released moisture. Nicole was going to make it, but she just needed rest; which was suggested by her closed eyes. Thankfully, her chest was expanding the way it would when someone inhaled in order to exhale again. Slowly his head turned to the rear view mirror in front them. It was there he saw his face. Eyelids withdrew in astonishment. His eyes were bloody red, and his nose was dripping with a trail of blood. Jean closed his eyes, and remained seated next to Nicole in small contemplation. For you see, it had been a while since Jean came to a bodily reaction like the one he just witnessed. The blood dripping from his nose. This only ever happened when he pushed his mind beyond a limit and to a new territory.

"Manipulating a human body at such a level... I've found a new limit I must surpass." he thought, a small grin escaping him.

Hopefully Molly was not creeped out by Jean's bloody eyes and nose. They would remain in the car like this, just letting the cars drive by as the day slowly went away; trafficking becoming an inevitable thing to encounter once Jean was good and ready to drive. But boy oh boy, his entire body was tingling.

Before Errol left, he had tossed Jean the keys to the car they would be using to leave the residence. Left hand held the keys tight while the other gently patted Molly's small head, taking a lot to remain calm. "Everything's going to be ok. I won't let anything happen to you or your mother." Jean said softly, giving Molly a tender smile. Face meant what it was portraying, but the heart said a whole other story. It was thumping a bit fast, which was normal. It only meant he was feeling anxious at the moment. This was the first time in a while that any action stirred within the city, and it honestly concerned him. Even more so now that he had the responsibility bestowed upon him to keep them safe. Removing said hand off of Molly's head, he pocketed hands into Jacket and leaned head against the wall, exposing his small Adam's apple/trachea while allowing eyes to gaze at the ceiling. A small sigh escaped nostrils while he contemplated on the situation. It was Colton who was apparently in danger. Considering everything that had started to unfold, Jean could only assume it was the same group of people involved in Carter's missing persons case. Oh how he hated the amount drama. Unable to hold back, foot began to tap against the wooden floor as time went by; specifically ten minutes.

"Errol." Jean called out with his mind. He was no telepath, but if Errol was attentive, then surely he would hear him even if something came up at the park. "Errol... Is everything alright with Colton? What's going on?" thoughts queried while footsteps reverberated off the walls.

Jean looked away from the ceiling to momentarily lock eyes with the woman of the house. Nicole came walking towards them with bags ready, taking a moment to hand Molly a teddy bear. "We're ready," she said quietly. Giving her a nod, Jean took point and opened the front door, not really bothering with manners as he needed to make sure they were safe. Left hand was already out of pockets with thumb ready to press the unlock button while Nicole took the time to lock he house door. Making quick work with time, the scholar escorted the two to Errol's car. For the sake of safety, he had the two sit in the back. Injecting the key into the ignition slot, right hand turned the key until the engine came to life. Foot held the breaks for a moment as made a quick shift of the stick from park to drive. Upon hearing the click, he turned the wheel in order to drive out of the side of the street and into the weak traffic. Hands were on the wheel, and eyes were looking straight ahead onto the road. It only took a minute to reach the red light at the end. He sat there contemplating for a moment as the lights did their job to guide the streets traffic. Thumb tapped away on the leather wheel, pupils dilated a big decision weighed on him.

"I can make it to the park if I make a left on the stop sign a few blocks down after this avenue... Perhaps..." the thought lingered in his head. Lower lip was unintentionally being nibbled on. Another sigh escaped Jean, this time a heavy one. "God I hate drama...." he uttered to himself as the red light became green. The gas pedal was pressed as the car moved on to the next avenue across the street. Buildings were reflected off the windows of the car as they moved past several structures. Thumb continued to tap away at the wheel, the weight of responsibility becoming more and more harder to deal with. Colton was under HIS care, and now he had to take care of Nicole and Molly. If something happened to Colton... it would be his fault. If he went to park to assist on whatever the problem was, then he'd also be putting Nicole and Molly in danger.

The car stopped at a stop sign. He was now wishing he never brought Colton into the investigation. Jean quickly looked at the rear view mirror to get a quick glance at Molly. Her little arms were clinging to her teddy real tight. Brown eyes shifted to Nicole's reflection before averting themselves back to the street. He knew what he had to do...

His mask received a small hairline fracture. Letting go of the brakes, he led the car forward and on-wards to the Academy, trusting Errol to deal with what should be his own responsibility.