☼ รץภςє๔ ☾

While Molly didn't give him a yes or no answer, what she did do was go behind the board and try to interact with the other little girl who had been there. Seeing this Ken decided to leave them alone and head back to his room, not before putting his hood back on over his head.

Leif didn't see much that interest him so he turned away from the board. Doing do he caught a glimpse of something on the board, but didn't investigate it. He did however make a metal note of it for later.

 

Alex looked at the windows and noticed it was dark out. The moonlight shone brightly among the grass outside. Now's not the time to start a mission. It would have to be tomorrow. He yawned and placed the envelope in his pocket.
"Well, I'm going to bed. Please try to be quiet with your thoughts," he told them rubbing his tired eyes. He walked back to his room, hands in his pockets, feeling bored. It will be good to go on a mission. He hasn't been on one for a long time. On his way back, he noticed his neighbor's door open. Ryan must still be out. The door was still plain, and had no decoration on it. He sighed. He has had it rough. At that point, he hoped he and Jex were able to sort out their differences. Interested, he walked in, and on his table side, there was something written on a piece of paper. Usually interested in other's emotions when they're not so loud, he took the paper quickly and began to read it. They looked like song lyrics, and as he read them, he smiled. It was for Jex, and it was about how he felt and how sorry he was for thinking that he would be embarrassed to be with him.
Wow, this kid is so lame
He read a few lines from the song again. "Those violet eyes, they make me smile. Wish I could see you in a while. You are the only one here for me. In my life, you are the key."
The song was cheesy, which is probably why he never sang this to him, but this seemed as though this could have worked as well, however embarrassing it would have been. Alex hoped Jex would find it so he can read Ryan's embarrassed thoughts. It would be hilarious. You know what? Chuckling to himself, Alex walked over to Jex's room. Sadly, the gothic door was locked, but he was able to slide the paper down through the door slip. Jex will be able to read it, and Ryan won't know what to do. He began to laugh loudly as he walked back to his own room. Maybe it was mean, but this could help Ryan. You never know. He opened the door of his room, which was plain blue. He couldn't think of anything to put on there. He walked over to his bed, took off his shoes, and laid back down in his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was much quieter as there were less people at the mansion.
Finally, I can sleep.
He tucked into the covers, not caring that he had his day clothes on, and laid his head on the soft pillow. He closed his eyes, and after a few minutes, he sank to sleep.

Ryan, however, couldn't sleep. As the night continued, the brown haired boy sat silently on a chair by the surgery room. He was protecting him alongside Danni. He spoke every so often with Kiki, and had to get something to eat and drink, but other than that, he just stared at the long empty hallways of the hospital, thinking about his old life, and how he had to leave it. If he didn't, the people at the mansion would be at risk, including himself. He also kept thinking about Jex's smile and his violet eyes. He really wanted to see him again, and have a relationship with him. They only just met, but there was a connection between them that he didn't want broken apart so early.

 

BREAK BEGINS NOW

Please refrain from posting until the 9th of May.

THANK YOU​

 

Break has been lifted.

Thank you for your cooperation!


​

The surgery was done. Jex was placed in the pediatric Intensive Care Unit in his own room eight hours later. The nurses told Danni and the rest of the group that were there that he was going to be okay for what he went through.

“He will probably experience some memory loss,” the nurse told the group. “He might act a little different too… Trauma to the brain can do many different things to someone. When he wakes up, prepare yourself. But everything should be alright. He seems really strong-minded. When he woke up to talk to you, he wasn’t supposed to after what injuries he sustained. He’ll be fine. He’ll just need to stay here a few days to make sure he’s okay.”

The nurses then allowed the group to see Jex.

The teenage boy had his head wrapped firmly in gauze and bandages, covering up the other bruises and cuts from being pulverized. Oxygen tubes were around his nose, an IV and a medicine bag was hooked up to him, and a heart monitor beeped in the background, showing it was slow and steady. His eyes were swollen shut, his body propped up just a bit.

Danni walked in the room first. She had heavy, dark bags under her eyes. Though Brendan gave them blankets to sleep in, she did not sleep easy. Seeing Jex like this brought back horrible memories into the ginger’s mind. She cringed and looked to the side, forcing herself to walk towards her cousin. Another friend was hurt. Another one with powers… Why? Why was this happening?

Danni took in a deep breath, forcing her tired eyes to look down at her cousin. “You look like shit,” she muttered with a half-smile. She pulled up a chair and sat her weary body down, putting a hand on Jex’s. Her uncle told her that people listened even though they were asleep, and that physical contact helped as well. She felt awkward doing something like this, but wanted to please her uncle. She needed to be a spokesperson for him after all. “Uncle Errol can’t be here… He’s very sorry. He’s worried about you. We’re all worried about you.” She looked behind her to the rest of the group and then back to Jex. “Errol’s got someone who kidnapped Carter. They’re gonna find him. They’re really close to finding him. Colton too. He told me you wouldn’t want him to be here if that was the case… Was that what you were trying to do? Get information from a psycho?”

She laughed tiredly, shaking her head. “Boy, you’re stupid… But you’re my stupid cousin. You went through worse before… Pull out of this one, too. Please. For us…” She trailed off, squeezing her cousin’s hand. “I’m worried about you… I can’t hear your thoughts. Errol can’t connect to you… I hope everything’s okay up in there.”

Tears finally came to Danni’s eyes and she quickly wiped them away. She gave Jex’s limp hand another squeeze and then stood up, going over to the hospital window, keeping her back to the doorway. She had just exposed a vulnerable side to an audience, something she rarely showed. She felt uneasy, yet at the same time was proud for talking to her unconscious cousin and doing what her uncle wanted her to do. She looked outside, seeing the sun slowly peeking over the mountains in the east, turning the clouds pink and orange. Despite the ugliness of the morning, it was beautiful outside.

​

Kiki stood outside of Jex’s room, feeling like she was intruding if she went in to see someone she didn’t know very well. She gently blew on a white feather in between her fingers, leaning against the wall with one foot against it. She then sighed out, looking around. She had stayed the night to keep her new friend Ryan company, but now she felt like she was no longer needed. She smiled and looked to Ryan. “I think I’m going to go now,” she said with a grin, standing up from the wall. “It was nice to meet ya! I hope Jex will be alright, and that you will feel better soon.” She giggled and shrugged her shoulders while tilting her head slightly to the side. “Take care!” Kiki made the feather disappear and then picked up her skateboard from the floor along with her helmet, starting to walk away from the small group from the academy.

​

Mai gradually woke up from a deep sleep, greeted by the sounds of birds singing, a breeze rustling through the trees, and the sounds of gentle pipe music. Her eyes fluttered open as the oxygen mask blew gently on her face and saw the welcoming sight of the meadow with wild flowers of all kinds blowing in the wind as a striking sunrise was coming over the hills.

She breathed out and smiled softly, then suddenly winced in pain. Her stomach felt sore as if there were several knots in it while her whole body felt so weak and ached all over. In all her time she had been here, she never felt like this. She didn’t even have the strength to lift her head or move very much at all. Mai laid there, breathing in and out slowly, trying to fight down the feeling of dread. She needed to fight, she needed to feel better and soon. She knew that Lyle didn’t have patience for a weak subject.

Pushing those thoughts out of her head, the weak girl mustered enough strength to turn her head to Colton’s bed, wondering how he was holding up.

​

Yesterday...

If Jean had wanted to, he could have apprehended the woman here and now. However, he needed to make absolute sure that this was in fact the woman. Sure she dressed like the assassin in Molly's description, but until she was caught in the act, he was not going to do anything. Jean kept his distance from the two as Nicole was the first to walk through the stores exit. The lady matching the description in the photo came out second. He kept his cool, following suit after a minute before watching Nicole bump into a man. It startled Nicole, and it definitely startled Jean as mind raced with assumptions. However, it seemed Jean's nightmare was just a farce. A small sigh escaped the young scholar, walking to a kiosk nearby while maintaining visual on the woman and the kitty. For a moment he thought there were two assailants involved. The sound of a gun being cocked resonated through the oscillation of air molecules. Micro vibrations which alerted the well tuned Jean. Brown eyes widened as he witnessed the kitty pull the gun to Nicole's head. Without hesitation Jean went to action. The molecules that made up the man's body began to vibrate, causing his body to look like a blur, a smudge on a canvas that stood still in time. Everything around him slowed nearly to a halt, an effect of his mind processing all the visual information at an improbable rate. Heat coursed through the man's body, and it hurt, but it was also a sign that energy was being created, used in this moment.

Eyes focused themselves on the assailant. Taking into account a basic principle of physics, he made sure to control the strength he was exerting through body. Legs went to work, compelling Jean to rush forward to spirit away the Kitty with the gun. Arms curled under the gunman as he picked her up like a bride on her wedding day and whisked her away to where Errol was hiding. If cameras were watching, they'd first have seen the assailant with the gun getting ready to end Nicole, and then in a fraction of a second, she'd be gone. It would take investigators a keen eye to notice that small moment in time when a blur spirited through that scene. Even if they caught the moment, and paused it at the exact time, they wouldn't recognize the said blur. Not even facial recognition software could make heads or tail of the blur face. A blur is a blur, like a smudge that distorts a pictures true identity.

A huge gust of wind smacked into the area Errol was in as the kitty was left standing with her gun cocked, and aimed at....thin air? Jean was bent over in exhaustion near a dumpster, inhaling and exhaling in a wince with beads of sweat pouring out of his head next to Errol. "OH...MY....GOD!!!" he shouted in extreme exhaustion. Back straightened as right hand pulled the beanie off of his head, mouth gaped open as windpipe forced air into lungs. "I didn't realize...how rusty... I've become..." he muttered through gasps of breath, not realizing the bottom of his sneakers had started to catch fire.

The culprit didn't have time to fire her gun as things suddenly changed. She blinked, clearly caught off guard with what had just transpired and trying to get her bearings again, but she didn't have a chance.

Errol was too caught off guard, not expecting Jean to pull a stunt like that. As soon as he realized what was happening, he quickly used Bind, making the would be assassin drop her gun and forced her arms to be plastered to her sides and then down on her knees.
​

The culprit grunted, trying to fight against what was happening. "Well this is a first," she muttered, still trying to wiggle around or move but could not.

Errol kept his hold on the potential kidnapper and then looked to the young man. "Jean, your shoes are on fire," he said in a matter of fact tone.

Hands scurried as they went about tapping hysterically at the plasma of intense heat that was eating away at his shoes. "Crap!" he muttered in panic. Legs flung shoes off one by one, revealing charred socks. Wondering whether that was all that had been affected, Jean checked his entire outfit for any signs of fire or charring. Running at inhuman speeds was risky, and this was merely one of the MINOR side effects.

Errol ignored Jean’s frantic attempts to put out the fires that had occurred and focus on the woman.
“So, you captured me. Now what?” the woman said, keeping her cool as she knelt there, staring emotionless up at the scruffy man.

“Now you tell us everything you know about Carter Justice,” Errol said, holding up Carter’s filer from the Job Board. Before the woman spoke, Errol interjected. “We know it was you that kidnapped him. We have a witness to your crime. You threatened to kill the witness’s mother-“

“I do what I say I will do,” the woman said, her voice harsh and icy.

Errol kept a calm appearance, lowering Carter’s flier for just a moment. “So you’re not denying it was you.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” she smirked, laughing menacingly. “You’re just going to read my mind anyways, right?”

“Then tell us where Carter is.”

Tempest smirked, tilting her head. “I do what I say I will do. I was told to keep my mouth shut after the job was done and silence those who got in my way or threatened to reveal things they shouldn’t.”

NJean finished patting his shoulders frantically. Bangs parted as air escaped fluted lips in a show of realization of just how messy the scorches had made him. "Tempest, right?" he queried rhetorically, not really caring whether he had gotten her name right. He turned to face the restrained assailant. "Listen. I'm sure you have your...code of conduct and some crap ideology to uphold...but let's be realistic here. You're apprehended, and there sure as heck is no way you're escaping this situation unless you tell us what we need to know. Mind you, this is merely a courtesy. I'm sure you're aware of what a telepath can do, right? So let's not waste time, and answer the man. Tell us everything you know on Carter Justice. Then, when you're all finished, tell us where he's currently located." he explained, eye sight never wavering from the woman. His tone wasn't cold, but it was steady as a means to deliver the facts of the situation.

“I’m surprised you knew what poison I used, Jean. It would have been fun to see you scrambling to figure out how to save Molly’s sweet mother only to fail.” She smirked, her vivid eyes without light in them. “If I kept my eyes opened, you would have been the first to die. But if I would have killed Nicole in front of you… that would have been something else.”

“Enough,” Errol snapped, tightening the hold on Tempest to make her shut up. “I have tried to be nice, but now it’s time to get ugly… If you’re not going to tell us where Carter Justice is, I WILL pull that information out from you piece by piece… and you will be nothing but a blubbering idiot when I’m finished with you…” He had enough of these mind games from these unknown people. He needed to find his student, the one he secretly adopted as his own in his heart. Time was running out for everyone near and dear to them.

“Do your worst,” she said with a sickening grin.

The man kept a straight face, setting his jaw in place. “As you wish.” Without much warning, Errol had touched Tempest’s forehead and a small pulsating electric wave tingled in the air. Tempest’s eyes suddenly grew wide, staring off into nothing while Errol kept his close, keeping one hand on the woman’s forehead while the other was pressed to his temple of his head. Silence wrapped around the area behind the dumpster.

Jean, what’s happening? Nicole’s voice filtered through the mind but channeled just to Jean. She sounded nervous, unsure what was going on and if she was safe or not.

The Mind Walking session continued on. The air around Errol and Tempest was starting to feel heavy emotionally as if a dark, unseen pressure weighed down on someone’s chest while facing their greatest fear or facing the tragic news of a death of a loved one. Errol’s arm began to shake while Tempest began to gasp for air; both of them began to gleam with perspiration from the intensity of the situation. Finally, after what it seemed like several moments had gone back, Errol broke away and grunted, holding his head as Tempest collapsed on the ground in a limp heap. She was still alive, but rendered unconscious.

The man’s head throbbed as he took in deep, huge gulps of air, trying to grasp that he was back in reality. His eyes were wide as if he had seen a ghost or some ghoulish scenario, which was uncharacteristic for the man. He took in a shaky breath, pushing himself to calm down and refocus. “I know… Where Carter is.” Hands trembling, he massaged his forehead, wiping the sweat from his brow. “This is not good,” he muttered, looking up at his young friend. “He’s at a science lab of some sort… Ariel Research Institute.”

Next Day...

Nicole placed a mug of coffee in front of Errol while giving Jean a glass of milk.

Errol nodded to Nicole as he hacked into files, bringing up several different files and researching them all. “Thank you, Nicole…”

Nicole smiled a little and then moved away from the desk. She sat down heavy with her cup of herbal tea, stirring it around absently. The news of where her son was located was disturbing to her. A research facility? She wondered what they were doing to him, or if he was even alive. Her heart ached and she grasped her chest, feeling the emotional pain surface to physical pain.

“Ah, here we are,” Errol said as he brought up several things. “Ariel Research Institute, privately funded by government… Located near Area 51 but operates as a separate facility. What they research is highly classified, high security files I can’t hack into without being seen… Brendan might, but he’s not here at the moment. I’ll summon him shortly…”

Errol trailed off when he found a file that read “Subject List”. Though the actual experiments and things conducted were out of sight, he had a possible list of the names of those who were there. Feeling apprehension, Errol clicked on the file and watched as several names began to scroll on the screen. Next to the names were the ages, the gender, and the words alive/deceased. The number of deceased were increasingly large, which made Errol’s blood boil. He then recognized a name.

“Jean… Look.” He pointed to Colton’s name, listed towards the top. “He’s alive.” Errol felt a tremendous amount of relief come off his shoulder for a moment before he began to scan the list once more. “There’s Carter, he’s alive too.”

Nicole jumped up, nearly spilling her tea as she set it down on an end table, hurrying over to the computer screen to get a look. Errol clicked on a name and a picture popped up. Nicole gasped, putting both hands over her mouth to stifle a cry. There was Carter, staring at the camera. There was barely any light left in his tired eyes, and he looked extremely thin from the previous photos Nicole had shown before. His hair was thinning, and he looked almost hopeless… Like no one would find him or he would never go home.

Nicole felt tears coming on as she reached out, gently touching the photograph on the screen. “I’m so sorry,” the young mother whispered recently, sniffing to try to contain herself.

Errol let the young mother have a moment, grabbing a tissue box to hand to the young mother. “We will get him back,” Errol said softly, finding himself staring at the screen as well. What he saw through his Mind Walk he wished he never had seen. There was torture, pain, suffering, screaming, crying, death… He could only imagine what Carter had gone through for the last four months now.

 

Ryan's mind felt dragged down. His eyes were droopy, and bags appeared under them. He was thinking about his family, and how they'd be right now until the doctor came in. He was relieved when he heard Jex was safe, but his memory loss worried him. They only knew each other for so little, and they barely spoke over the last three weeks. A rush came over him that maybe he might have forgotten about him. As soon as he heard that he was able to see Jex, he jumped out of his seat, but as Kiki explained that she was leaving, Ryan shook his head.
"No, you should come with us! They can train you! Wait here!" he said, before entering Jex's room. He would talk to Kiki more, but he needed to know if Jex was truly okay, and whether or not he forgot about him or not. He, at first, gave Danni some space as Ryan sat beside him. Ryan looked at him, and immediately felt terrible. Bandages were all over his head with so many marks on him. A chill went through him as he saw the oxygen tubes entering his nose. This was partly his fault. He asked Jex to come to meet him, and he put him in peril.
"We’re all worried about you."
Ryan spoke softly, "Yes."
Jex did say that he wasn't to blame, but he wasn't sure. Was he just being nice? He held his other hand and caressed it the same way he's done in the past. As he did so, he listened to Danni speak so openly to him. Throughout the night, she kept very much to herself. She was strong...unlike himself.
"Hey, this is Ryan. I'm here for you. How are you feeling?" he asked, looking down at his hand.

 

It was truly amazing thinking about what exactly made the brain tick. The brain is truly a powerful thing however it was a thing that was limited, limited by its users of course. When some of those limits were shattered however it allowed one to perform miracles, acts that humans just could not understand. It was amazing to think of such things and Walter did just that as he leaned back on his chair, rocking it as he tapped the back of his pen on his lip lightly. People who were born with these limits shattered, it was merely something that was not meant for this world, but something that was merely a fluke. The sheer fact that they could combat against such things was proof enough that this was something natural.

Walter could only close his eyes and smirk. He had spent numerous times in this laboratory despite the numerous times he was ordered out to battle. Truly the Raven Suns were deprived of a grand killer, but if Walter as the killer they desired, they would deprive themselves of the creator of the weapons they needed to kill. Of course he could do both, but he disregarded such a thing. He had no desire to kill mindlessly, but found it more interesting to work on his inventions and weaponry.

The man could only rise to his feet and walk off from his laboratory. Though he enjoyed his work, he was not one to devote his entire life to it. He enjoyed doing other things and he definitely took time to get in physical shape. He walked off and smiled as he leaned against the doorway leading into Benjamin’s office. “My my my, have the woes of life gotten you down…or perhaps I am mistaken and the wonders of this oh so functional organization has brought forth a smile upon your face?” Walter spoke with a smirk, the sarcasm in the second part of his statement overflowing as he spoke to the old man in the office.

 

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.

 

Joshua was called in.

He didn't actually think of it as a bad thing, in fact, he was a little happy to get back into the office. It was his wife who wasn't fond of it. Joshua was packing up his work bag and he knew he was being followed everywhere he walked. Finally when he was about to leave he heard a soft, high pitched voice speak, "Josh..."

He let out a small sigh and adjusted his glasses, turning towards his wife. She was tiny, and she looked young too. But she was forty, and her blonde hair was cut in a way that made her look even younger. He smiled slightly and responded, "It's okay Nadia, you have a month."

Nadia placed her hand on her stomach, which held a very large baby bump. She looked away from him pained and spoke, "It's not that, I thought you were on vacation... you work too hard..."

Joshua leaned towards her and kissed her on the forehead and smiled, "I'm fine, I promise. I'll try and come home in time for dinner. Just make sure she doesn't stress you out too much." Joshua then opened the door and left, heading for the driveway. His smile quickly faded to a straight face as he entered his car and pulled out all the papers he had faxed over.

Again, the children were causing problems.

Really, there was nothing as beautiful as reading the full reports on how two blood-thirsty assassins were messing things up. Reports, paperwork, deaths, images to keep up. As far as his wife knew it was just the image to keep up. If the media ever once released information that could be directly linked to Raven Sun it sure as hell wasn't when he was in charge of this position.

He didn't want to hate kids, but if he had to see the name Cynthia Enger one more time on his paperwork he was going to go in and kill the girl himself. Except for the fact he couldn't actually kill her without Jason killing him. He didn't want to have problems with this girl, and he knew she sure as hell didn't have a singular opinion about him, but he wondered if maybe he told her about the hell it was to clean up her messes maybe she'd stop being so reckless.

He started laughing out loud as he drove the car at that thought. When could you ever get someone so blood-hungry to care about the paperwork guy. Either way, this needed to stop.

Cynthia Engel and Tobias Greipr were both on a mission together (how that was allowed he didn't know) to go after the "Silent Killer" (how THAT passed Benjamin okay he REALLY didn't know) and so far they were sloppy. Really sloppy. So sloppy in fact he was called off of his vacation to come in and deal with it.

Joshua, just face it. As much as you may not like it, if someone came after her you would be just as upset and pissed off. Let's just try and deal with this as elegantly as possible, and hope to god no knives are thrown at you again for daring to criticize her sloppiness when she "gets the job done"

When Joshua finally arrived, he immediately went straight for his room to fill out more papers.

​

Abi had a tennis racket and a tennis ball in her hand, she was sitting outside of the house and hitting the tennis ball into a brick wall. Every time it hit it would make a pop noise and Buttercup would run to get it. Then it would bounce back, then the cycle would continue with Buttercup never getting the ball.

"Come on Abi, it isn't fair! I just wanna catch it."

"Bored." Abi hit the ball harder and laid down on the grass, managing to keep hitting the ball, "Bored."

"Abi! Please?!"

Abi hit it harder and it bounced off and flew higher than she intended and went further into the yard. Buttercup ran after it panting and caught the ball before it bounced.

"I got it! I got it! I got it!" the dog marched over in victory and dropped the ball on Abi's lap, "Again!"

"No."

Abi sat up and looked over at the fence and mumbled so only Buttercup could hear her, "I'm going out."

"Take me!"
"No."
"Take me take me take me take me take me."
"No."
"I will bark, mom will know, and then she'll tell dad. Then you can have fun with that."
"You wouldn't."

Buttercup let out a small bark and Abi hushed her, "Fine, fine! Gosh." she looked into the kitchen window and saw her mother watching t.v. and doing a crossword puzzle. She would be busy for a while.

Abi grabbed Buttercup and let out a grunt as she pulled up the heavy dog and placed it on her shoulders. She then climbed over the fence and laid down on the sidewalk letting out heavy breaths. Buttercup nudged her with her nose and Abi sat up quickly and ran over to a bush. She grabbed a hidden leash (which she learned to hide when she was caught by a policeman with an unleashed dog and was sent home to angry parents) and put it on Buttercup and whispered excitedly, "Okay let's go!" and she began running, with Buttercup running with her.​

 

​

Slender arms suddenly went around Jean’s waist from behind and a head nuzzled deep in his shoulder before resting in place. Nicole stood there, hugging the man that was a year or two younger than her to try to comfort him the best way she could. She had tears streaming down her own cheeks as well, overcome with a sense of helplessness and sadness for those that had passed in this tragic way. Worse than that, she felt betrayed. All men were supposed to be created equal here in America. That’s what she was told when she moved here a year ago to escape her former life in Canada. But her son, her daughter… They were seen as products, a nuisance to society that needed to be rid of in one form or another. Seeing all those names, ages, and faces in the list made that thought more real than Nicole wanted it to be. She hugged Jean tighter to her small frame, taking in shaky breaths to compose herself once more. She was trying to tell him in a wordless way she knew the pain he felt and why he was the way he was now. More than that though, she was trying to tell him that she didn’t think of him as a monster or some form of life to freely dispose. He had saved her and her little girl. Now he was doing everything possible to get her son back to her. Nicole had seen many horrors in her life, but she would never be used to the darkness this world had to offer.

Errol sat there in his chair, numb to the emotions he felt around the room as he stared at the names. He had seen a glimpse of what hell was like when he Mind Walked through Tempest’s head, but he had forgotten that only he had seen it. He was prepared for something like this to come up, but Jean was not. He wished he would have given him a warning of some kind before they began to research and find more answers to this puzzle. It was too late now to take that back though, the damage was done. Better now than later though, Errol thought in his mind as he laced his fingers together, resting his nose on his hands. Even if they were successful in retrieving Carter and Colton, there was a possibility they would see worse than what was glaring back at them on the computer screens. He wondered if Jean was really ready for this kind of thing, chewing the inside of his cheek in deep thought. “Jean…” Errol spoke softly, keeping his eyes on the computer. “Justice will be served to those who have been lost… I guarantee it. Their time is soon at hand… This nightmare will be put to rest and these monsters will not be seen or heard from again.” Errol felt something deep inside of him ignite as he stared at the logo of the science lab. A facility that researched people like them… And he thought he had seen it all when his entire family was almost completely wiped out by an unknown criminal ten years ago…

“I need you to be strong, Jean.” Errol was becoming serious, lowering his hands from his face as he began to browse the screens of the computer and the different files he could retrieve. “Carter and Colton are depending on us to save them. If you can’t handle it…” He trailed off, not knowing the nicest way to put it. He decided to let the young man cool down. This was all very sudden and new to the bright individual, so hopeful about the world and everything it had to offer. It would take some time to adjust to something like this.

Another list caught his attention and he clicked on it. It was donations of various types all from different people. Some companies and businesses were proud to display their names while there was one anonymous donor that caught Errol’s attention. $3million dollars every three months by Anonymous. He wondered if he should really be paying attention to this and clicked out, finding another file. This one had the various faces of scientists, almost like a profile laid out like detailed identification cards. Errol took in a sharp breath, staring at the demons that were responsible for this madness. He read through one name after another carefully, memorizing their faces and fields of study. He read through one named Isabella and froze in place, not believing what he was reading. One of the scientists was a telepathist… just like the children and teens trapped in that place. Errol clenched his jaw tightly in anger. This was getting worse and worse.

“We need to get them out as soon as possible,” Errol said as he took out a pen and a pad of paper, scribbling down some notes. “I will contact Brendan, see if can get us some floor plans, more details of this place, security, traps, so forth and so on. In the meantime, this is all we have to work with.” Errol closed his eyes, reaching out to the young teen. Brendan, I need you to do me a favor. This is very dangerous, so listen carefully… You know we found the location and name of the place where Colton was taken to and a little boy in a case we’ve opened up. Ariel Studies Institute.It's a research facility to study those with psychic abilities... I need you to try to get some floor plans, get an idea of their security system, anything that will help us prepare to get Colton and the boy safely out. Can you do this for me?

​

“Don’t try my patience,” Benjamin warned, squeezing a foam stress ball as tightly as he could over and over again. Benjamin had a horrible feeling inside his gut that things were going to start getting ugly, and he was the one to blame for it. He needed to handle this organization better, put a tighter leash on the mutts he allowed to roam free. Even though he handled the majority of the mess, he was grateful for Joshua taking over the rest and tying up the loose ends. He had had it with being enduring with these ungrateful, unruly kids and picked up the phone, dialing a number. He received voice mail and became even more irritated. “Tobias Greipr, report to Raven Sun’s headquarters, immediately.” He set down the receiver, dropping the call before he looked up at Walter. “What can I do to help you, Walter?” Benjamin said, doing his best to fall back into a professional role. His patience was wearing thin though right about now.

 

Lucas wandered over to Kye. He had discussed the possibility of there being another group with her the night before, and then gone to sleep in a bed in a vacant cell. It wasn't comforting, and it felt a little strange being behind bars instead of being the one to put people there. Getting up with a yawn, he stretched his arms and wandered towards the place Kye had decided to stay in. Wandering over, he found her still asleep. How such a hyperactive mind could stop working long enough to get a decent night's sleep was a mystery not even he could solve. He knocked on the door three times, just loudly enough to wake her up before stepping over to her. "Enough sleep, Kye. I have an idea, and it's one that is going to cause a lot of exciting things to happen. I bet you'll love that, won't you?" Lucas asked.


Shane hadn't slept well in the slightest. The bed was uncomfortable, but not quite as much as the situation he was in. He was doing what he could to look calm, but it didn't take a genius to see that he was anything but. Inside the cell he had examined the walls very closely, as though there might be something that could help him get out. There wasn't. With a defeated sigh, he slumped against the wall and slid with his back against it until he hit the ground with a light thud. Maybe he should talk to his roommate..he was certainly awake. The kid was still, had barely even moved, and he hadn't said a word, but Shane knew. Telepathy was a gift sometimes, and this was one of those times.

"Hey, no need to pretend you're not here. This place is real, and you're in it. It's not a particularly good environment, is it? How about rather than sitting here wishing you weren't here, you actually talk to me and see if together we can figure out a way to get you home, huh?" Shane asked, keeping his voice as caring as he could manage. If you're going to do these tests, do them now. Sooner we figure out a way to help me, the better. Besides, if we get started now you'll get to see how my brain functions when I'm half asleep, won't that be fun? he sent to Isabella via telepathy.


Tobias rolled over as his phone vibrated. Lazily opening an eye, he saw it was Benjamin. "Not right now Benjy, just five more minutes" he grumbled as he pushed the phone off the couch and onto the floor, before rolling over once more. He stayed like that for those five minutes, and then frowned as he got up and picked up the phone. He was exhausted. After all the sleuth work and fighting the urge for murder, he had then spent a good hour and a half in the night sneaking around in the flat. He'd found all kinds of things, one of which was particularly interesting to him, and he had placed it underneath the couch. He had had to be super careful though, if Cynthia found him slinking about she'd probably try to literally murder him. Having a thing for a psychotic bitch had its drawbacks. Grabbing the item he had shoved under the couch, he walked out to the stairs outside and posed for a picture. Once the picture had been taken, he uploaded it to Snapchat and strolled back inside, where he sat on the couch and listened to the voice mail.

"Damn Benjamin, pulling me out just as I was getting to the good stuff. Stupid old geezer, surprised he even remembered my name or the name of Raven Sun. Ah well, can't be helped I s'pose" he said quietly, thinking aloud. He was going to call out to Cynthia, but then he remembered how much of a morning person she was and decided against it. But what could he do? He wandered over to the notes they'd made earlier and picked up a pen. Scribbling a quick message on it, he then put down the pen and headed out the door, on his way back to the closest thing to home he had.

To the hottest murderer I know, aside from me,
I got a call from Benjamin, told me to report back immediately. Knowing your dad, I'd say he's been sucking Benjy's dick trying to get me away from you.
So, alas this is goodbye for now. You'll get stuck with someone else, probably. Sounds great to you, right? Probably does, but you can't deny I'm one of the most efficient members of Raven Sun, so expect things to go a little slower for you.
I left my cell phone number at the bottom here, use it for personal issues if you wish (I'm not as bad at listening as people think), but it's mainly there for business.
Until we meet again
~Tobias

P.S Nice underwear

Christie hadn't said a word since she had arrived. Of course she had hurried there to make sure Jex was alright, but there were people there he would want to see more than her. Christie didn't know Jex particularly well, but the others seemed to. There was a girl leaving, and she knew nothing about her other than the fact she had helped them, but she clearly wasn't an enemy, so that could wait. She walked over to Danni and tapped her on the shoulder. "Danni, I know this isn't a good time, but I have something I have to say. I want to take a test. I don't care what it is, I want to prove I'm strong enough to help out. I know there's an investigation into Colton's disappearance, Errol has made that much clear, but they don't tell me anything other than they're close. I want to show you that I'm strong enough to do something, that I should be kept in the loop, so please...let me take The Test" she begged, before taking a deep breath.

"And when I pass...I'm going to get Colton back for us, even if I have to tear this city apart piece by piece" ​

 

​

Kye sat straight up, top hat planted firmly on her head still. “No sleep, not a wink.” She tilted her head at Lucas, peering up at him with her creepy yellow eyes. “Excitement? Do tell. Do I get to kill certain mice?” she asked with a small smile on her lips. She was very tired of this place, wishing they could do something else besides stay here all day and worry about being manipulated in the brain to do certain things she did NOT want to do. That’s why the top hat was there though. “How will excitement come about?”

​

“There is no way out of here,” Carter said flatly. He rolled over on his small bed, looking at Shane from where he was laying. There were dark circles under the boy’s eyes and he had no smile at all. He was finally roomed with someone else, but the little boy didn’t know what to make of him. “Pretending is for babies,” he muttered. Truth was, he knew where he was. There was no way to change it. As far as he was concerned, he was stuck there forever until something serious happened to him. He was never going to go home like the scientists kept promising him over and over again. “Why did you come here then in the first place then? No one gets out of here alive.” Carter stared at the older boy, waiting for his answer. Carter knew the guy walked in on his own, the other scientists said so. It made the little boy mad in a way. Carter had his freedom taken away from him while this guy chose to give it up voluntarily. Although Carter seemed too young to understand, he had feelings of thoughts that this older guy was here to manipulate him, just like the scientists. Everything was messing with his brain right now.

​

Danni turned when she was addressed by Christie, paying attention to what the girl was saying. Christie, telekinetic, one of her students, she was there the night when Colton was kidnapped. When Christie was finished, Danni gave the girl a small, rare smile. “If you want a test, a test is what you’re going to get. Errol wants us to stay here though, take shifts to watch over Jex… That’ll be apart of your test. When we can get back to the Academy, I will set up another exam to test your strength and see how far you’ve come. I don’t know how soon that will be though.” Danni looked over at Ryan standing by Jex, frowning slightly. She didn’t have anything against boys liking other boys, she just wasn’t used to it. She forced herself to look back at Christie, keeping a serious expression on her face. “They found the place where Colton was taken too… You were on the case for Carter Justice? They found him too. They’re at some kind of science lab, they’re alive though. Errol and Jean are putting together some kind of plan to bust them out. It’s not going to be a walk in the park…” Danni sighed out, looking back out the window. This was just all messed up…

​

Jex lay there, breathing in and out very slowly as the oxygen worked through his system. He was heavily medicated right now, everything was dark and sounded so far away. He didn't want to become fully awake though, not anytime soon. His body wouldn't allow that. His mind, however, had a mind of it's own. His heartbeat quickened slightly when Ryan began to caress his hand and his breathing stopped for a moment before resuming. Gradually, Jex's fingers in Ryan's hand twitched, putting some pressure on the other boy's hand. Jex could barely hear Ryan through the haze of the pain medications, but he heard him. He heard Danni as well at one point.

 

Alex had the best sleep in weeks. He felt refreshed, ready to go for the day. He thought that everyone must be out still. He didn't agree with the relationship between Ryan and Jex, but he was thankful for pushing him to go out so he would be quiet with his thoughts. It has been so nice. He usually was interested with what everyone were thinking due to his hyper-sensitive mind perception abilities, but with so many people thinking so loudly, it's difficult to quiet it down. The mansion, today, however, was almost silent. He walked down the hallway, sword on his back, and tended to making breakfast at the kitchen.

Ryan watched as Jex breathed slowly. He was so beaten up, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that it was his fault despite what Jex told him. He lead him there, he went out by himself. It was so foolish. He felt Jex's grip his hand a little and Ryan smiled. He does remember him. He continually listened to the heartbeat monitor. That high pitched squeak was a sign that everything will be okay. However, he hoped that he would never hear that sound after leaving the hospital. Ryan yawned as soon as he was reminded of being outside the hospital. He imagined the soft bed that his room had. After three weeks of being in it, he hated it, but now he wanted to sleep in it. He wasn't going to leave the hospital until he woke up though. He just wanted to make sure he had someone looking after him. Ryan caught a frown from Danni towards him, and looked back down again at Jex's hand. Why was she looking at him like that? Did she still blame him for everything that happened?

 

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.

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

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.

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

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.

 

Walter was met with a rather curt and displeased response from the leader of the very organization he worked in. The stress was clear as day upon Benjamin’s face and yet even so Walter merely closed his eyes and let out a small chuckle as he unfolded his arms and walked into the office “do be careful, that stress can be truly a killer, especially at your age” Walter said as he entered.

Upon entering he casually took a seat upon one of the chairs in the office and smirked as he leaned against it and rested his elbow upon the seat handle, his knuckle resting upon his cheek. “Come now, is this the response I am to get dear old friend? You wound me” Walther said closing his eyes with a smirk totally contradicting the words he spoke. For him the reaction of the man was quite reasonable, though he would have assumed the old man would have gotten used to his personality by now.

“There isn’t any help I desire from you, I rarely ever needed after all...more so I wished merely to see how my old friend was doing in these…trifling times. Perhaps some assistance is needed?” Walter said calmly, the smile still remaining upon his face. His voice was a nonchalant and casual one that held what seemed to be a void of care, but at the same time for those that knew him long enough it was not the case. He couldn’t help but say he genuinely meant what he said, after all Benjamin was a good buddy of his.

 

As Tobias reached Raven Sun, he headed inside to see a rather pissed off Jason. A nice guy would probably ask him what was wrong, or leave him be, but Tobias wasn't a nice guy. "Hey Jason, you look like you're kinda down. You know what can get your emotions going again? A picture. A picture says a thousand words or something like that, here's one I think you will love; I sure as hell did" he said with a wicked grin.

Putting away his phone, he then gave Jason a friendly pat on the back. "If your ex-wife is half as good in the sack as she was, then I'm surprised you didn't have at least sixteen more kids. Hang in there buddy, positive thoughts" he said before walking away from the man. He took a quick glance as he walked away at Jason's back, and in particular the small piece of paper stuck to his back that said "Avoid. Pissed off. Also gay for Benjamin", before turning his attention back to where he was heading and walked straight into Benjamin's office.

The first thing he noticed was that there was both Walter and Benjamin sitting inside the office. Apparently Raven Sun was now a retirement village, what with all the older people walking around. "Hey Benjy, you wanted to see me? If you're after some extra cocaine, I gotta remind you man I ran dry last week, you'll just have to go cold turkey this time. So, what else did you want me for?" Tobias said. After having to at least pretend to be serious, it felt good to be his regular idiotic self.


Christie nodded as Danni explained things. They were to watch over Jex, and then she would get her test. That was good, at least the first part was easy. "Okay Brendan, we'll make sure everything's alright here" she said. "If it were easy, we would've had him back by now. Don't worry, Danni, we'll get him back, and Carter, and all the others" Christie reassured. She didn't completely believe her words, there was always a part of her mind that doubted her, and when it came to helping people it only got worse.


Lucas wasn't sure what to make of Kyetheria's response; he rarely ever was. "You might get to kill some people, but I'm not entirely sure. I'm going to go to Reno again and find this group of people. I don't care if I have to knock on every damn door in Nevada, I will find them. And when I do, I'm going to tell them exactly who I am and that I'm the one who brought in Colton. If things go as I intend, I should be able to find them, expose them, and then escape if I do it carefully. And with them exposed, the rest of the government can help bring them in. If not, then I expose them and get captured, then the government swoops in and I should be okay. Either way, it should finish them. What do you think?" he asked, genuinely curious as to how she would take it.


Shane stared at the boy as he asked why he had come. Looking away from the kid, he looked at the cell and in particular the bars. "Because I did something terrible. A cage is the perfect place for a monster like me. If I escape, I'm only putting people in danger, and until I'm sure that I can control it..this is where I belong. If I try to escape and get killed, it's a good thing. The world would be better off for it" he said quietly. "Even if I have to remain here for the rest of my life though, I'll get you home. No child deserves to be a prisoner" he added, before receiving Isabella's response. Yeah yeah, whatever you say, was all he sent back.

He got up and followed Isabella out of the cell and away from it. As she mentioned the not trying anything funny, he rolled his eyes. If he'd wanted to escape, wouldn't he have tried by now? Although her hobby about the explosives and grenades was interesting. "Huh. And to think my hobby is archery. Yours is much more exciting, wouldn't mind learning about it sometime" the boy responded.

Shane didn't say much as they headed towards Lyle. The way Isabella spoke to him was intriguing, but it was the mention of coffee that got Shane really happy. He loved coffee, there were very few days he didn't start with it. Snatching the cup, he began drinking it quickly, causing the delicious liquid to vanish almost immediately as it went down his throat. Satisfied, he gave the cup back to Isabella and then shrugged his shoulders. "Thanks, I needed that. Can't function so well without the stuff" he admitted sheepishly.​

 

Abi's running eventually tired out once she reached a couple blocks over. She wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do today. Buttercup would be happy with whatever, she just liked getting out of the yard. As Abi walked past a building, she heard a can get kicked and she turned her head out of curiosity. At a corner was a man wearing a cap and a hood, and he turned his head the second they made eye contact. Abi smiled and waved at the figure saying, "Hello!"

Although she wasn't a human person, these people were around every day and she always said hello to them, and they always nodded back. That was probably the only interaction she had. Though sometimes she noticed they would be at some of the same places she went. She just thought it was a cool coincidence.

Abi decided at that moment she wanted to go to Mandalay Bay... obviously not for the casino portion. She wanted to see the sea creatures, which she had idle conversations with. Usually it was only one at a time though. She'd also have to leave Buttercup outside, who wouldn't be too fond of that.

After a long walk, perhaps a half hour or so, she finally made it to the casino. She tied Buttercup outside, who fortunately had no complaints. Then she went inside and made her way to the aquarium.

It was beautiful every time she went there. The aquarium was pretty much a glass tunnel through the water, with the sea life swimming around from all directions. Abi was blissfully unaware of the crowd as she heard the gibbering between the manta rays and some of the sharks.

The first animal she encountered was a great white shark, which looked right at her and she smiled at it as she sent a message to it telepathically, "Hello!"
"Oh hey, it's the head talking girl again. Hey there." the shark swam a little closer to the tank glass and responded back, "Needed something interesting to happen today... it's just the same picture taking, people gawking, me scaring a couple of the little children... it's nice for you to show up and change the formula."

One of the other sharks swam over and the two sharks began talking, "Who're you talking to?"
"It's the human that talks without moving her mouth."
"Eyyyy."

Abi kept talking to the sharks with her telepathy and they followed her as she walked. She kept going with a conversation and more voices began to join in. She began to see more flashing but she didn't pay much attention. She spoke for a good half hour and realized her conversation wasn't with two sharks anymore.

Then the flashes started to make sense.

There were maybe 10 sharks staring at her in the same area.

Abi began to freak out, she had stopped paying attention to maintaining a low profile. She let out a small laugh and looked at one of the photographers, "Weird right? I just... I was so amazed I couldn't stop staring." The sharks waited a bit before they began to disband. Abi realized it was time for her to go.

She started to make her way out of the aquarium quickly to go and get Buttercup.
​

 

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.