Martin Wheeler "What did you do?" Dirk withdrew his hand from his jacket, pointing a gun in Marty's face, "I will blow your head off your fucking shoulders. " Marty sat on the ground, starring, not at Dirk, but though him. He barely registered the gun pointed at his face. At least if he was dead, then this crazy day would be over at last. "You're the only one to ever escape the suits, you must have a damn good ability." "What?" Marty blinked. He was paying full attention now. How could anyone possibly have known about his escape? "Countless have died, because we couldn't find them," Dirk continued on, his face an angry purple color, "but you know where they are; and you want to run?! Countless more could be saved, and you still want to run?" Something about the passion in Dirk's voice struck Marty. It reminded him of someone: someone young, and bold and a little reckless. Marty felt his cheeks grow hot. His chest felt heavy and his eyes refused to meet Dirk's accusing gaze. What was this feeling? He had known the name for it once, he was sure. Whatever it was, he didn't like it. It was like someone had dropped a weight on his shoulders, one that he couldn't shrug off. "No choice..." He muttered, but the words sounded hollow. "What did you do just now, what did you do?! Tell me!" Marty struggled to his feet, holding his hands up in surrender. He still couldn't bring himself to look Dirk in the eye. He felt terrible and, worse, he had no idea why. He didn't know what Dirk expected him to say, talking wasn't his strong suit. Besides he wasn't exactly sure what had happened himself. He had never seen those kinds of images before. Fortunately he was spared the awkward conversation by a horrendous screaming noise. He looked up and noticed Cheyenne for the first time. The noise was coming from a phone in her pocket. Dirk answered it and soon a familiar voice was blaring out of it. "Cheyenne? It’s Ivanna, the crazy Russian. Is Dirk there? Tell him I’ve got a captured suit and some new friends. Where does he want to meet?” Ivanna? So, Tattoo was a woman, after all. "Who would have thought?" Marty mused out loud. "Meet us at Queen's and North by the old art studio." Dirk answered back. He seemed to have calmed down some. It sounded like the circus was going to be back in town soon. Marty thought about trying to run again, but decided against it and not just because of the gun. "Fortune favors the bold," he sighed. It was something he hadn't told himself in a long time and it didn't make him feel much better. "Checkmate," he said, talking directly to Dirk this time, "I won't try to run again, but I don't know as much as you think and telling you would be pointless anyway." He lowered his hands slowly and walked over to stand beside Cheyenne. He gave her a weak smile and said, "Looks like you're not rid of me just yet."
Avery Funkhouser As the crazy Russian pulled away from the drive, Avery knew this was totally against everything she’d done in her life. She had always been classified as the shy nerd, only talking when someone talked to her. Not having any real friends because she had to hide away the one thing that made her different. Not anymore. Now that she was in the midst of others just like her, there was no reason to not be her true self. Avery wondered if she could get used to this. She peered over at the woman who had called herself Ivanna, driving at top speed. She definitely wasn’t afraid to be herself, or afraid of anything for that matter. Underneath all that disgusting make-up was really a strong, bold woman, being the way she wanted. Admiring a weirdo was completely against her views too. Avery sighed; maybe she was the one going crazy. Avery gripped the back of her seat, and turned around to see Rebecca squished between Adelaide and the boy murderer. She was staring at her backpack, looking extremely uncomfortable, and...had a cat on her lap? How did it get there? Avery watched the cat curiously; it sure didn’t look like any cat she’d seen before. The boy distracted her from the cat, causing her to study his expressionless look once again. Looks really can be deceiving. If she would have seen him on the street, she could’ve never guessed he was a killer. We’re probably being a huge help to him… Avery clenched her teeth, with a new thought. Since that boy was a real killer, maybe she could kill him…with a little kindness. “So, that was close right? Good going with what you did and stuff. So, what’s your name? Mine’s Avery.” Avery flashed him a big smile, imagining it digging into his heart.
Ivanna Testarossa To her surprise, it was Dirk who answered, not Cheyenne. "Meet us at Queen's and North by the old art studio," he said. “And where the hell is-” He hung up on her before Ivan could finish. She briefly glared at the phone in her hand, muttering curses at it as if he could still hear her. Finally, she stuffed it into her jacket pocket and hung a hard left. She didn’t know this part of town as well as she’d like to, but she had a good idea how to get there… and almost a full tank of gas, in case her female intuition proved insufficient. Ivan took her time, staying just below the posted limit. Speed tickets and stolen cars didn’t mix. Hate to have to kill a cop today, she thought as she stopped at another red light. It was one of the few things she hadn’t done before. She had fist fought a cop before, but never stiffed one. First time for everything, right? As the light turned green, she noticed the girl in the passenger seat watching her. Ivan cast a hawkish glare in her direction, an unspoken message: What? You gotta problem? Don’t make me pull this car over… But the girl soon turned around and shifted her attention to the occupants of the backseat. “So, that was close right?” she said. “Good going with what you did and stuff. So, what’s your name? Mine’s Avery.” “Not you too…” Ivan muttered. “Sit down and shut up,” she said and yanked the girl around so she was sitting forwards again. “What the hell is with teenage girls these days. Just giving it away…” They couldn’t go five minutes without trying to hook up with a boy. First Kami and now this one? Geez… “Keep your panties on, Firecrotch. We’re almost there.”
Adelaide Reynolds Adelaide started to become more comfortable as she sunk back in the seat of the car. The slight humming of the engine was almost peaceful, and left Adelaide in a calmed state. Of course, when she looked over at Rebecca, she seemed almost completely uncomfortable by the fact that the young boy with barely an expression was digging his elbow into her side. He played around with his gun for a bit before staring off into the distance once again, until Avery's voice seemed to peak his interest ; "So, what’s your name? Mine’s Avery.” she beamed at him. The woman in the drivers seat then clasped Avery's shoulder with one hand and tossed her back into the seat with barely any force “Keep your panties on, Firecrotch. We’re almost there.” the woman grumbled, tossing her head back to look out the window for any passing cars. Adelaide looked before she leaped, or more so, spoke before she heard more. "Excuse me, but I'm not liking your tone. She may be a teenager, but she's just curious about these other people, alright? You don't have to be so cruel about it." Adelaide then realized her mistake of talking back to the woman. Adelaide's mother poked her head out of the pocket just as the tattooed woman stopped the car dead in its tracks. Adelaide's mother in mouse form then swung forward with an almighty squeak and landed straight on top of Avery, who gave a loud shriek, who then passed it to the tattooed driver. Adelaide made a wild grab for Abigail, but the woman grasped it in her fingers. "Goddamn bloody mice and their.." She started to mutter in a foreign dialect, before tossing the mouse back towards Adelaide. "Think fast, Dreadlocks." Adelaide caught her mother, who hopped back down into the pocket. The driver looked.. well, pretty pissed.
Alexander Butler Alexander didn't hear the other side of the phone conversation, but it was obvious that the tattooed woman was planning on grouping up with another party. As far as Alexander was concerned, ‘Cheyenne’ and ‘Dirk’ were large unknowns. Were they more Exceptionals? Or were they members of some other organisation? He would find out soon enough. It was unlike him to head off with a group of strangers in a random direction, without any insight as to what he planned to do next. Usually, Alexander worked off of concise methods and logic. Nothing, however, had ever prepared him for a group of people with unexplainable abilities. “So, that was close right?” A voice from the front of the car cut through the silence, pulling Alexander out of his thoughts. “Good going with what you did and stuff. So, what’s your name? Mine’s Avery,” said the girl, with a wide – but obviously fake – smile. He recognised her as the one who had created and lobbed fire at the gray-suits. He briefly wondered how she managed the combustion without a source of energy. Before he could give any sort of reply however, the Russian woman pulled Avery back into her seat, snarling at her for speaking up. This appeared to have started a messy chain reaction when one of the girls in the back protested against it, causing the driver to halt the car. Alexander shook his head, as he watched the events unfold. These people were chaotic, even more so than the types of people he had dealt with before. If this continued, it could easily become a problem in the future. He waited patiently for everyone to quiet down before addressing Avery's question. “I am Alexander,” he replied. “You voiced your approval for my actions, yet your false expression suggested otherwise? If it’s of any consolation, the act was done out of self-defense.” Not entirely the truth. But he had to try and keep these people from viewing him as a criminal.
Kami DeSoras Kami turned the corner, silent as she walked aside Cody. They hadn't spoken a word for blocks, and she was beginning to feel as if she'd said something wrong. She looked ahead to her house, and went up to the large gate, unlocking it. "Sorry if you aren't used to this sort of thing. You know, big houses and stuff. My parents have money, but we don't act rich. I promise." All she could think about was that woman, always making fun of her and saying things about the ritzy people. Kami wasn't like that, at least, she didn't think she was. Granted, she probably didn't have experiences like the woman, but Kami had dealt with the gangs in the streets. That had to have given her some credit. After Cody walked in, Kami shut the gate and they headed up the walkway to the front door. Kami opened it, allowing Cody to go in first, and then shut it. "Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Rex and Rena, Kami's two German Shepherds, came running to the front door. They stopped in front of her, and put their front paws up, licking her face. "Hey kids. Cody, these are my dogs, Rex, the boy, and Rena, the girl. They're siblings." "Kami," a voice said, walking into the room. "Where were you?" Her father walked in, followed closely by her mother. "I stayed after school. And I met someone. This is Cody Deluca. He just moved here not too long ago." "Nice to meet you Cody," Kami's mother said. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" "Yes, you can join us for dinner." Kami's father walked up next to her, and whispered to her. "Did he ask you out?" Kami blushed. "No... dad...." She turned to Cody. "Come on Cody, we'll go up to my room for a bit. Hope you're making something good for dinner mom." "Of course dear," her mother said, sighing. "Just for you." "Keep the door open," her father added.
Cheyenne Fear "Checkmate," Marty said, moving to Cheyenne and Dirk's position, "I won't try to run again, but I don't know as much as you think and telling you would be pointless anyway." He moved until he was standing beside her, and gave her a weak smile, "Looks like you're not rid of me just yet." Cheyenne smiled. Despite all that had happened, all that was still happening, she felt safe. Though Dirk was angry, and was now hugging his trench-coat tightly about himself with a sour expression, she felt that he did care about her welfare, and everyone else's, for that matter. They stood in awkward silence, Dirk not speaking, or looking at anybody. He seemed to be waiting for somethi- Blast! Cheyenne threw her hands up, as a purple hole ripped into the air. It moved around a bit, until it was positioned next to Dirk. Cheyenne could see a room through the hole, and... There was someone in the room with its arms outstretched. Once the hole had settled, the figure jogged forward, and jumped through the hole, catching his foot on the wall of it. He landed on the ground with an "Umph!", and the purple hole immediately vanished. Cheyenne stared at the tall bespectacled man, who Dirk was helping to his feet. Whoever he was, Dirk knew him. Cheyenne looked over at Marty, and tugged on his sleeve. She didn't know quite why, but she just wanted to make sure he'd seen everything she had. "Are you okay?" Dirk asked the man, brushing dust off his red wind-breaker. "Y-yeah, I'm fine." The man said, in a mellow baritone voice, "I haven't quite polished the landing yet. What was so urgent?" Dirk immediately scanned the area, his eyes so serious Cheyenne wondered if he could see through the buildings. When he'd made sure the coast was clear, his expression softened slightly, and he leaned in. "I'm taking a group of people to Eximius." The man's eyebrows shot up into his hairline, "Wow, really? How many are there." Dirk ran a hand through his hair, and hissed, "Shoot... Eight? Nine? Ten? Twelve?" He pointed to Cheyenne and Marty, "At the very least these two." "Hi!" The man said, stepping forward, "I'm Arnold, and you must be... Cheyenne Fear? Aaaand... Martin Wheeler!" He put out a hand, but pulled it back as Dirk gave a sharp "Don't." "So you guys are joining Eximius?" Arnold said with a smile. "I never said that," Dirk said, closing the gap between the group, "And I didn't call you here to chat. Something happened, I'm not able to fight. I need you to go to Terrance Circle, make sure no one got left behind. Also, make sure there's no evidence of any fighting. We left a body up the street. The grey suits probably already picked it up, but make sure." Arnold pursed his lips, "Right then, and you?" "I told you, I'm taking them to Eximius." "You're going to walk?" Arnold asked, pointing to himself, "I could, you know..." "No," Dirk said firmly, "We'll walk. There's a group meeting us part way. Can't leave them behind." "Just like you." Arnold said, giving Dirk a clap on the back, then ran up the alley, as Dirk made to hit him. "Right." Dirk said, straightening his coat, "Let's move." As they set off, Cheyenne wondered how everyone else was doing. Were they all safe? The tattooed lady, Ivanna, was still alive, but what about the others? And what was Eximius? *Eximiuuuuuussssssss...* Dirk shot around, and placed a finger on Cheyenne's lips. Cheyenne stared wide-eyed at him. She hadn't realized that that thought had been out loud. "Ssshhhh..." He hissed, pointing between Cheyenne and himself, "You can play with your power, as long as you don't say anything important. Or too loud."
Avery Funkhouser “What the hell is with teenage girls these days? Just giving it away. Keep your panties on, Firecrotch. We’re almost there.” Avery angrily rubbed her shoulder that the woman had yanked and thrown into the seat. Dirty mind. That wasn’t my intention… Avery took in a sharp breath, quickly turning away to look out the window. Forget about admiration. Kinetic energy tickled her fingertips, and it took all she had to force herself not to do something to Ivanna that she’d regret. 1…2…3…4…5…6… Avery focused on counting the cars as they passed by, barely hearing Adelaide’s remark. She didn't have time to brace herself for the car's sudden stop, which caused her other shoulder to bang hard against the car door. Great, now I’ll have two bruises tomorrow! But, bruises were nothing compared to the small furry creature that landed in her lap. Avery let out a surprised scream, and without thinking twice, tossed the mouse at the woman. She smirked while she watched Ivanna spew off insults at Adelaide. Ha! That’s what you get when you start calling people names… Though, the scene was short-lived, and they soon continued on at a slower pace. Avery turned around in her seat once more, planning to give Adelaide a grateful smile, when the murderer boy spoke up. “I am Alexander,” he replied. “You voiced your approval for my actions, yet your false expression suggested otherwise? If it’s of any consolation, the act was done out of self-defense.” Being nice wasn't worth anything to a killer; why did she even try? Avery gritted her teeth, her blood boiling. “Self-defense?” Avery mocked, “That’s gotta be the best excuse I’ve ever heard. You must forget that you had the upper hand, making the guy unarmed and pathetic. So, Alexander that means there had to be something else that prompted your kill. Anger? Pride? Arrogance? Bitterness? Fear? It’s your pick.” Out of the corner of her eye, Avery noticed her thumb flickering, and with one breath she blew out the flame in annoyance.
Alexander Butler “That’s gotta be the best excuse I’ve ever heard. You must forget that you had the upper hand, making the guy unarmed and pathetic,” spat the girl, her demeanour rapidly swapping out of her false friendliness she displayed earlier. Alexander had a feeling that they wouldn’t buy the self-defense story, and even if he did make a convincing argument, he doubted Avery would accept them anyways. Of course, it didn’t mean it was a good idea to stay silent. “So Alexander, that means there had to be something else that prompted your kill. Anger? Pride? Arrogance? Bitterness? Fear? It’s your pick,” she continued. “And you must forget that the man I killed was also firing a weapon at us earlier. Do you think he would have spared us if given the chance?” Alexander let his voice rise a bit, to mirror the girl’s aggression. He paused for a moment to let his words gain meaning. It was peculiar that the girl would accuse him of multiple fits of emotions, even though the opposite was true. “In addition to defense, I had killed him as an intimidation factor,” continued Alexander, deciding to weave a bit of truth into his context. “If I’m not mistaken, we are planning on extracting information from the other man. It will come much more easily if the man believes we are willing to kill him without hesitation.” Alexander glanced to the side, to notice for the first time that a large cat was sitting in one of the girl’s laps. What baffled him even more was the fact that it appeared to be the same cat that he had encountered back in Cody’s home. It didn’t seem to have any indication of ownership. How did it manage to get here? Did it follow him? He suddenly remembered the eagle that had attacked the gray-suits as they were firing on the Exceptionals. And then there was that mouse that was sent flying through the car only moments ago. The animals almost seemed to coincide with the displays of power... Alexander eyed the cat suspiciously, momentarily forgetting about his previous conversation. It couldn’t have been coincidence.
Rebecca Woods Rebecca watched the happenings in silence. Everyone was on edge and getting angrier by the minute. If things didn't cool off a variety of awful things could happen. The russian woman could crash the car, Avery might light everyone in the car on fire or this Alex could decide to use his knife again. None of those things could be allowed to happen. The cat in her lap was already beginning to did his claws into her jeans. If he got any more spooked she would have claws in her leg. Before Avery could respond to Alex's comment, Rebecca leaned forward placed a gloved hand on Avery's shoulder. "Avery, be calm. We are all on edge. Now is not the time to pick fights. When everyone is relaxed and calm then we can discuss what has happened." Rebecca then leaned back in her seat and sent a pleading look at Alex hoping that he would agree and remain calm. With no expression on his face however...it was hard to tell what he would do next.
Ivanna Testarossa Ivan listened silently, her anger slowly building as the boy tried to explain himself. Between the flying rodents and all the yelling, she was getting fed up with these people. If that mouse hadn’t been a person, she’d have tossed it out the window. She had seen it transform from a bird to a woman to a mouse shortly before they’d left the park and that was the only thing that kept her from getting rid of it. Meanwhile, the girl in the passenger seat looked like she was going to set the car on fire, and take out half a city block with it if someone didn't diffuse the situation soon. The quiet one in the back finally piped up. "Avery, be calm. We are all on edge,” she said gently. “Now is not the time to pick fights. When everyone is relaxed and calm then we can discuss what has happened." “Exactly,” Ivanna said. “And now isn’t the time to go slitting throats, or fussing, or tossing mice around. Everybody just shut up and enjoy the ride." She was silent for a moment. It almost seemed as if she was at peace. Of course she wasn't. She always had to find something else to be pissed off at. "You!” Ivan glared at Alexander in the rear view mirror, “just for the record, I was kidding when I asked you to kill that man. Next time you want to 'intimidate' someone, break his kneecaps or snap his fingers one by one. Don't kill him. We could’ve compared their stories, but now we’ve only got one man to interrogate. Thanks a lot, smartass.” She angrily drummed her fingers on the steering wheel while they waited at another red light. This intersection looked awfully familiar. “And, for Christ’s sake, could someone please tell me where Queen and North is! We’ve been circling the same fucking neighborhoods for five minutes!!”
Martin Wheeler Blast! Marty rolled his eyes as as a purple hole ripped into the air. By now he knew a hallucination when he saw one. His subconscious would have to do better than this if it wanted a reaction. He felt Cheyenne jump next to him. It seemed odd that she would react to his hallucination. She was probably trying to be nice by humoring the crazy homeless man. Marty patted her shoulder to show he appreciated the gesture, then squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them everything would be back to normal. Marty opened his eyes. Not only was the hole still around, but now there was an awkward looking man walking, no falling, out of it. This was one persistent hallucination. Then Dirk reached out and caught the man. Marty's eyes popped wide open. Not a hallucination then. "That's new," Marty said, peering at the man as he and Dirk exchanged greetings. This was clearly another exceptional, and with a down right handy ability it seemed. "I'm taking a group of people to Eximius," Dirk said. Eximius? Marty had never heard the name before. Whoever it was, it seemed he was going to find out. The man's eyebrows shot up into his hairline, "Wow, really? How many are there." Dirk ran a hand through his hair, and hissed, "Shoot... Eight? Nine? Ten? Twelve?" Marty blinked. Twelve? Twelve other people? Apparently life was about to get very crowded. Marty hated crowds. It might be easier to get shot by Dirk for trying to run. He was re-thinking his decision to stick around when the new-comer, who called himself Arnold, was suddenly approaching him. "Martin Wheeler!" There was that name again, did everyone know it? Marty shook his head. "That's not my name, he's gone. Just Marty now." Undaunted, Arnold extended his hand and Marty reached for it, until Dirk barked, "Don't!" "I don't bite," Marty said, irritated, but Dirk was talking again. "Something happened, I'm not able to fight." Marty looked at his hands. Not able to fight? Was it because of what happened between them? Marty shuddered as he recalled those awful images. He never wanted to go through that again. "Right." Dirk said, straightening his coat, "Let's move." And then they were moving, leaving Arnold to his own business. Marty had no problem keeping pace with Dirk, but he hung back with Cheyenne instead. He was startled when the word, "Eximiuuuuuussssssss...," suddenly broke the silence. He had forgotten about the girl's power. Dirk shot around, and placed a finger on Cheyenne's lips. Cheyenne stared wide-eyed at him. She hadn't realized that that thought had been out loud. "Ssshhhh..." He hissed, pointing between Cheyenne and himself, "You can play with your power, as long as you don't say anything important. Or too loud." Marty grinned down at Cheyenne, "Say, that's pretty good. Took me a lot longer to get the hang of my... er, powers." He was about to say something else when a question accrued to him, one that he hadn't had a chance to ask yet. He stepped up his pace, walking next to Dirk. "That name, Martin Wheeler, it's not mine you know, but how do you know it? No one's supposed to know that name, but you..." Marty froze. He hadn't noticed before, but as he walked, Dirk was scratching down notes in a small leather bound book: a book that looked just like... Marty looked up to Dirk's face, but it wasn't Dirk's. This face was younger, smoother, and full of malevolence. "Hello, Martin," The face said, "Are we ready to begin again?" "No!" Marty squeezed his eyes shut. He opened them only slowly this time. Dirk was Dirk again. The vision was gone. Marty could feel sweat beading on his forehead and his breath was ragged. "No, uh, never mind," he told Dirk and fell back into step with Cheyenne, his eyes on his feet.
Adelaide Reynolds With the overwhelming amount of shouting and uncomfortable comments, Adelaide rubbed her temples in frustration. She had to detail these characters in the car, and the only one with a level-head at the time seems to be the tattooed woman and Rebecca. The boy in the coat seemed to be completely out of it, caressing the serrated edge of the knife with one finger. Avery finally quieted down but only slightly. “And, for Christ’s sake, could someone please tell me where Queen and North is! We’ve been circling the same fucking neighborhoods for five minutes!!” ; the tattooed woman's voice dotted with furious undertones. Might have just been the swearing but she had more anger in her voice than her actions. Thinking about it slowly, Adelaide realized the name of the place was Queen and North. It was obviously north if it didn't make Adelaide sound like an idiot. She slowly tucked a dreadlocks back underneath her shawl and spoke up ; "Judging by the name of the place, it could be.. maybe North from here. I'm too sure though. Didn't the guy on the phone say it was near an old art studio? I might have heard about it. I'm pretty big on fashion and designing. We're in Thompson Road, correct? Well, ugh.. go northwest around that corner and if there's a sign above a door that says Bink's..you owe me a handshake for good memorization." Adelaide beamed as she told the tattooed woman the directions. She waited for a reply with a slight smile. Sitting back into the chair, she turned towards Rebecca, the cat pawing at her legs. She petted the cats back for a while before looking back out of the window. A few droplets of rain had started to decorate the pane.
Ivanna Testarossa "Judging by the name of the place, it could be… maybe North from here,” a girl in the backseat said. Ivan glared at her in the rearview mirror. Is she calling me stupid? she thought. Of course ‘North’ is North. “I'm not too sure though,” the girl said. “Didn't the guy on the phone say it was near an old art studio? I might have heard about it. I'm pretty big on fashion and designing. We're in Thompson Road, correct?” Ivan took a deep breath and drove onward as the light turned green. “Yeah,” she muttered and snapped her fingers impatiently as she waited for the girl to continue. “Well, ugh… go northwest around that corner and if there's a sign above a door that says Bink's... you owe me a handshake for good memorization," the girl said with a big smile. “And if there isn’t, you’re getting punched in the face,” Ivan said. She sounded as if she meant it, but the slight grin on her face said otherwise. She reached the end of the street, took a left and… Nothing. Just more vacant buildings. “Well, looks like I owe you a punch in the face,” Ivan said with a slight chuckle. But as they rounded a slight bend in the road, the sign became clearly visible. Bink’s. It was a square two story building, with large windows, clouded with age. The ‘k’ was a weathered after-image where a letter used to be. Ivan pulled around back, into a lot behind the empty brick studio. Rain was falling at a steady drizzle. “Looks like we’re here,” she said as she shut off the car.
Avery Funkhouser Avery crossed her arms, sinking into her seat with a huff. Rebecca and Ivanna could postpone her dispute with Alexander, but it was so not over. He did make interesting points, though there were major flaws in his views. Killing was never okay in Avery's mind. Alexander was one sick guy if he didn't think murdering someone was wrong. Avery wished she could slap some sense into his stone-face, but like Rebecca said, this wasn't the time to do that. Avery kept quiet, listening to the others conversation on directions, while taking a few deep breaths to calm down her blood pressure. It finally occurred to her that she had no idea where they were being lead to, or who they were meeting. Was it the Cheyenne the woman talked to on the phone earlier? Were they now part of some sort of super ability club? Avery laughed to herself; maybe all of those sci-fi comic books she used to read weren't so dumb after all. “Looks like we’re here,” Ivanna said taking the key out of the ignition. They had found there way to a vacant parking lot of a weathered two-story brick building. It looked like it hadn't been used in ages. Being an art studio, it sure didn't look very inspiring either. Water droplets blurred her view, as she peered out the window. Avery gasped and then groaned loudly. Why does it have to rain right now? That's just my luck. She stared down at the small puddles in the cracks of the concrete, her blood pressure rising again. If she got drenched, it could take a while to dry off, making her powerless. She didn't mind the side effect at home when she took showers, but now was different. As if the rain was trying to taunt her, it began to pour harder, bouncing off the metal roof of the car. "Um, you guys don't have an umbrella by any chance, do you?" Avery asked with slight hesitance in her voice.
Cody Deluca [HR][/HR] "Sorry if you aren't used to this sort of thing. You know, big houses and stuff. My parents have money, but we don't act rich. I promise." "This isn't that different from my house. I guess she wouldn't really know that though, we haven't really talked about much..." Cody and Kami approached the gate to her property. Cody felt himself hesitant as he approached, clenching his fist. "Nothing should happen. Nothing should happen. Nothing should happen. I've already had a decent intake, I don't need to worry about this." Kami shut the gate behind them as they continued towards the door. Cody walked just in front of her, too nervous to say anything. They entered the house, and Kami immediately yelled out, taking Cody by surprise. "Mom! Dad! I'm home!" "Wasn't ready for that! Of course she'd tell her parents that she just got it. I wonder if they know about her powers?" Two German Shepherds came running to the front door. They stopped in front of Kami, and put their front paws up, licking her face. Cody stood there silently with a faint smile. "I always wanted a dog. Couldn't get one though, it would be way to dangerous..." "Kami," called a voice from the other room. "Where were you?" An older man walked into the room, followed by a woman. "So these are her parents. They seem friendly. And where were we... are we supposed to answer that? How do we respond? We were at the park? But they might take that the wrong way... I mean we were there during a shooting but still... I have no clue what I'm supposed to say here. Kami say something..." "I stayed after school. And I met someone. This is Cody Deluca. He just moved here not too long ago." "Hello." mumbled Cody, making sure to keep his hand out of sight, there was no way he could explain that. "Nice to meet you Cody," Kami's mother said. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" "I am pretty hungry. I wanted to get something to eat after school but this isn't what I expected. It would be rude to turn this down right? I'd make a terrible impression! I'm already making a terrible impression! I haven't said anything, what if they think I'm mentally disabled or something? People would naturally assume I'm shy right? Yeah, there's no way I come off slow or anything..." "Yes, you can join us for dinner." Kami's father walked up next to her, and whispered to her. Kami blushed, "No... dad...." "My god... he totally asked her if I was mentally handicapped... I need to talk more! I'm making a terrible impression! Wait, what's going on?! Everything is happening way too fast! Stuff like this only happens on T.V or in comics... I meet a bunch of people with superpowers and then in the same day someone tries to kill me, I'm at the school idol's house meeting her parents? Is this all some sort of cruel joke? All of this is way out of my comfort zone!" "Come on Cody, we'll go up to my room for a bit. Hope you're making something good for dinner mom." "R-room?" stuttered Cody, feeling his face getting red again. "Alright... this is a safe place. We're only here to be away from the people who are trying to kill us. I guess, naturally her room would be a safe place... I mean she probably knows it the best or something? Like she knows all the ways in and out and... I can't justify this at all." "Keep the door open," her father said as they went up they went up the stairs. "Why would the door be closed...?" thought Cody, but then his face got even redder. Cody could feel the man's eye piercing the back of his head, making him extremely uncomfortable.
Rebecca Woods Rebecca had never been so happy for a car ride to end. It had gotten way too hot and crowded in there. With a cat on her lap, a murderer at her side, and russian with a temper driving in a town she obviously didn't know very well, had made what should have been an exciting ride, a ride of terror instead. But it just hadn't been the company. It was the amount of people in such a small space that was causing her too panic. By the end of the ride, Rebecca had been doing everything she could to keep calm. Breathing deeply, thinking about the ocean, closing her eyes; but it didn't help. As soon as the car stopped, Rebecca urged Adelaide to open the door and get out. It only took a few moments for Adelaide to do so but it felt like hours. Finally! Fresh air, space, and rain. Rebecca titled her head up and smiled as the rain hit her face. She loved rain. It was such a comforting sound and smell. From inside the car she heard Avery ask "Um, you guys don't have an umbrella by any chance, do you?" "I packed one before I left." Rebecca responded grabbing her backpack from inside the car. She rumaged through it and pulled out a dark green umbrella. She walked around the car and handed it to Avery through the window, who smiled with relief. Why she hated the rain, Rebecca couldn't understand. Maybe it just had something to do with her powers. Speaking of powers, Rebecca pulled off her gloves and looked at her hands. They were beginning to glow a light blue again. That was good. She was finally gaining her energy back. Using that much of her energy when keeping up the forcesheild earlier, had scared her more than she would ever admit. A nagging thought in the back of her mind told her that if Adelaide hadn't given her that boost, she could have ended up using too much and have lost the use of her abilties, or worse...have died. She would have to keep herself in check and not use more energy then she had. Rebecca put her green gloves back on and pushed her red hair out of her eyes as studied their surroundings. They were outside an old art studio, named Bink's. An odd name and the K was out making it look like Bin 's. She smiled to herself. It was an amusing sight despite the situation they had found theirselves in. What was going to happen to them next?
Alexander Butler Alexander continued to glare at the cat as the vehicle came to a halt. He couldn’t help but realise how much he didn’t know about any of the recent events. There were too many unknowns, more than he had ever faced before. If that cat truly was what he thought it was, the entire group could be in grave danger. Alexander wasn’t about to assume that every Exceptional was on the same side, and he wasn’t going to rule out the possibility that perhaps the Gray-suits had powers of their own. Too many unknowns. It was one of the motives that made him eager to interrogate the captive. But the main reason he suspected the cat over all else was the fact that it remained in cat form. It was hiding something. Otherwise, it would have revealed itself earlier at Cody’s house, or after the firefight with the Gray-suits. Why would it remain in cat form, unless it was some sort of spy? Or perhaps it was a personal choice: perhaps the Exceptional under the animal’s mask was simply an introverted individual. Or… maybe it was just a cat? Alexander shook his head as the woman beside him shuffled out of the side door, leaving the cat behind on the car seat. The cat got to its feet, stretched, and then jumped out through the door before Alexander could grab it. “Not so fast,” he muttered, sliding out of his own door. It had started raining heavily, and the water droplets immediately drenched his hair as soon as he stepped out. But rain was the least of his worries at the moment. He approached the woman who had been carrying the cat earlier, and waited as she handed Avery an umbrella before speaking up. “Excuse me,” he started. The woman turned around to face him. She seemed disgruntled at the fact that he was speaking to her. Alexander indicated the cat, which had stationed itself under the car. “Do you know anything about this cat? Is it yours?” She glanced at it momentarily before replying. “No, it’s not.” “No, I didn't think so,” said Alexander turning back to face the cat. “A stray, then?” he paused, staring at it intently. "Or perhaps, an uninvited guest."
Cheyenne Fear "Say, that's pretty good. Took me a lot longer to get the hang of my... er, powers." Marty said to Cheyenne with a grin. Cheyenne smiled back. She tried focusing on the words "Thank you", but nothing emerged. Why couldn't she control her power like everyone else? She looked up to find that Marty had moved past her to speak to Dirk. "That name, Martin Wheeler, it's not mine you know, but how do you know it? No one's supposed to know that name, but you..." Marty slowed to a halt as Dirk looked up from a small notebook. "Wha-?" Dirk asked distractedly, glancing from Marty back to his notes. Why didn't Marty use his normal name, Cheyenne wondered. What had happened to him? Marty stood silent in response, a look of shock on his face. Suddenly, he let out a loud "No!" and squeezed his eyes shut. Dirk's eyes flicked to Cheyenne, then to both ends of the alley they were in, then took a step closer to Marty, who had beads of sweat gathering on his forehead. "No, uh, never mind," He said, moving back to stand behind Cheyenne, staring at his feet all the while. "Keep your voice down." Dirk warned, pointing his pen at Marty, then began walking again, savagely scribbling in his notebook, "It's just past this street." He muttered back to them. Cheyenne patted Marty's arm lightly, and gave him an encouraging smile. She wished Dirk would be nicer to him... Plick plick plick Raindrops began to fall lightly, coating the bricks of the alley. Cheyenne shuffled a bit, to catch up with Dirk, but stumbled and fell. She clutched her knee. It had hurt a lot since she'd fallen out of the cart, and was beginning to seize. She glanced around worriedly, the voice in her head peeping out a small *Mr!* which to her surprise rang through the alley, causing Dirk to turn. "I knew you'd be a problem." He huffed, moving over to her while pulling off his trench-coat. He pulled Cheyenne to her feet, and dropped the coat on top of her head and shoulders, then scooped her up, and placed her on his back. Cheyenne peered out from her perch behind Dirk's shoulder as he began moving again. He'd carried her a different way last time, not that it really mattered. He seemed to be tiring more quickly than last time as well. Cheyenne tucked her face into her shoulder. She didn't like being such a burden. *I'm sorry...* Cheyenne's face reddened as the thought escaped her body. Dirk let out a sigh. "It's nothing I can't handle," He said, turning so both he and she could see Marty, "Hurry up, I don't want you falling behind!" As Dirk exited the alley, Cheyenne could see a decrepit looking store across the street, with a car parked behind it, with people getting out. The people from before! Cheyenne waved, as she saw the weird tattooed lady, Ivanna. Dirk moved quickly across the street, then suddenly plopped Cheyenne onto the ground, causing her to trip. "You got us a car?" He said with a smirk, though it vanished as he scanned the group, "Where's the other girl?"
Adelaide Reynolds Clambering out of the car to let Rebecca out, Adelaide decided to investigate the art studio. While everyone else was huddling together to shelter slightly from the raindrops, Adelaide sneaked past them quietly, and stared up at the building. It was highly dilapidated, with a large smashed window on the second floor. The sign left a translucent mark where the K would've been, and from what she could tell, she could only see the outline of an old chair standing in the middle of a dusty, almost warehouse-like area. There wasn't a light in sight but that's common for old, rundown buildings like this. When Adelaide turned around, she realized a man and a younger girl standing beside him. They had both been looking in the direction of the group and Adelaide could hear him say something in a crisp voice. "Where's the other girl?" he said, scanning the group; his expression seemed hollow, like he ran out of energy. Adelaide felt confident in her answer. "Other girl? She most likely went off with that grey-haired boy. Lovers intertwined it seems like." Adelaide replied, crossing her arms. She could hear the distinct voice of the tattooed woman mutter something, but she couldn't hear it. Adelaide stepped beside Avery and one of the other members of the group. She arched her head towards Avery's ear and whispered; "I can't really tell whats real life or fantasy anymore. This is extraordinary.. almost like I'm in a dream. Do you feel the same way, Avery?"
Ivanna Testarossa Ivanna climbed out of the car the same time the others did, but she remained close to the vehicle. If she moved out of range, their prisoner could get free. Keeping up the crystal shackles on the captured gray suit was beginning to get tiresome, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. Not for the first time, she began to consider just killing the man. Guarding prisoners wasn’t her style. She already had his gun. He was hardly a threat. Maybe I should just pop the trunk and give him two shots in the kneecaps, she thought. He won’t be going anywhere. The rain and these annoying people were beginning to wear on her nerves. The one thing she hated most about England was the rain. Dirk appeared across the street, with a strange bearded man following. The trench coat was familiar, but Dirk looked like a deformed hunchback. A half second later, Ivan realized that bulge in his spine was a person: Cheyenne. He was carrying Cheyenne? “Please, just kill me now,” Ivanna murmured in Russian. Why was everyone being so sweet lately? They were giving out free umbrellas, babysitting small animals, and now offering piggyback rides… The girl waved, but Ivanna didn’t wave back. She just stood there, with her arms crossed, pretending she didn’t give a damn. Not until Dirk dumped Cheyenne on the ground did Ivanna protest. “Hey!” she barked at the man. “Watch it, you ass.” She went to help Cheyenne up. "You got us a car?" Dirk said with a smirk. But his tone went cold when he realized someone was missing. "Where's the other girl?" "Other girl? She most likely went off with that grey-haired boy,” someone said. It was the dreadlocked girl who had given directions a few minutes ago. “Lovers intertwined it seems like." “I still owe you a punch in the face,” Ivanna muttered under her breath, but the girl didn’t seem to notice. She moved away to speak with Avery. As Ivanna helped Cheyenne up, she turned to Dirk. “Kami took off with her new boy toy. They’re headed to her house,” she said spitefully. “Stupid girl. Let’s just leave her. She’s probably dead already.”
Kami DeSoras Kami led Cody to her room, and she walked in and sat down on her big bed, the two dogs running in and jumping up to join her. "Come on in Cody, have a seat." He doesn't talk a lot... It's sort of mysterious. But it does make him attractive. Kami blushed, suddenly thinking that she didn't know what sort of abilities Cody had. What if he was a mind-reader!!!? "Don't worry about my dad by the way. He can just be like that. I haven't ever had a boyfriend, so he's.... well, I mean, not that you and I are dating." Kami stumbled again, she was probably embarrassing Cody like crazy. She couldn't help but wonder what he felt towards her. Obviously he didn't hate her, or he wouldn't have followed her all the way to her house, leaving the others behind. However, perhaps he had only hoped to get away from the other boy, the one who had slit that grey suit's throat. Kami had to admit, anywhere was better than being near that maniac. Really, who sets a school on fire? On the other hand, maybe he did like her, but he was too shy to say so. Or maybe he just didn't care either way. Kami was helpless in her thoughts, so she turned to a new topic. "So, Cody, uh, it's funny that there's so many people like us. I guess I never would have known if I hadn't moved to Coventry. I mean, crystal lady, Mr. Invisible, shield girl, fire-thrower, and the lady with the eagle. Then Dirk... and the guy with the cart I guess. And that little girl who doesn't talk. And what's with the grey suits? What could they possibly want from us?" "No!" Kami turned her head, and the two dogs let out a low growl. It was her dad. "No please don't. You can't take her. You said you just wanted to ask her something." Kami glanced at Cody. "No way..."
Avery Funkhouser Avery flinched as the raindrops made contact with the umbrella, sliding off and dripping onto the pavement. The damp air made her shiver, and she gripped the umbrella handle tightly, knuckles white. Stupid rain. Stupid water. Avery closed her eyes, trying to wish herself away from her dire situation. Only Rebecca's umbrella distanced her from her enemy, and it wasn't wearing a grey suit. She was thankful that she had a safety net, but it still didn't keep her from feeling vulnerable. “Hey! Watch it, you ass.” Avery opened her eyes, hearing that familiar voice. What was Ivanna yelling about now? She turned to see her bent over a young girl, who was laying in a muddy puddle. Avery realized that there was now two other new faces, of men. One looked tired with a hollow expression, and the other...well, it was obvious he hadn't gotten a good shower in a while. He probably appreciates the rain. Avery rolled her eyes as some of the others talked, acting like it was a sunny day on the prairie. Am I the only one suffering here?! Suddenly, a faint whisper brushed against her ear, making her jump and almost drop her umbrella. "I can't really tell whats real life or fantasy anymore. This is extraordinary...almost like I'm in a dream. Do you feel the same way, Avery?" It was only Adelaide. Avery backed away slightly with a nervous laugh. "You've got that right," she answered, "But, to me it's more like a nightmare." With that said, Avery gestured towards the others. "Are you guys going to talk all day? If so, I'm getting back in the car. I can't stand this rain."
Martin Wheeler "Keep your voice down." Dirk warned, pointing his pen at Marty. Marty flinched back as if the pen were a loaded gun. "Coincidence," he muttered, but he couldn't shake the image of the Grey-Suit's mocking smile superimposed over Dirk's face. Then there was the journal, the same kind the Grey-Suit had used, identical even. Marty shook his head. On the other hand, if Dirk had meant to harm he could have shot him earlier. Unless he was trying to gather a large group of exceptionals together and turn them all in at once. And what if was? Marty's choices were limited. It seemed to be either try to run and risk getting shot, or walk blindly into a potential trap. He found himself thinking. Suddenly there was a hand patting his arm and he looked down to see Cheyenne smiling up at him. It made him feel better for some inexplicable reason and he found himself smiling back, though with less conviction. Every instinct told him to run, run and hide. That was his job. That was what he had promised to do. That promise... he found himself thinking about Martin for the first time in years. What would he do in this mess? He had always been good at thinking on his feet. He was a lot bolder than Marty too. He probably would have looked Dirk in the eye and dared him to shoot. But Martin wasn't here now, might not be coming back at all. He had said he would, but... "Such a long time," Marty sighed. "Hurry up, I don't want you falling behind!" Dirk's voice called out. "What?" Marty looked up to find that he already was falling behind. Dirk was carrying Cheyenne in his arms covered in his coat and it was raining. When had that happened? Marty didn't mind the rain, living on the streets had taught him to ignore it and then to appreciate it. The wet drops soaked through his matted hair and beard, cooling his skin. It felt good. Ahead of him the alley was ending and Dirk and Cheyenne were already crossing the street. If they got too far away... Marty broke into a run to catch up, stretching his long legs and that felt good too. He got to the street and groaned. There was a crowd of people waiting on the other side. One of them was Ivanna, the tattooed woman Marty had first mistaken for a young man. That wasn't a reunion he was looking forward to, although it would be an introduction from her perspective. Maybe he could just hang back and no one would pay attention to him. “Hey! Watch it, you ass.” Ivanna barked at Dirk as he dumped Cheyenne unceremoniously on the ground. Marty grinned beneath his beard. Maybe there was a heart under all that ink and anger, somewhere. Marty crossed the street and joined the group, although hesitantly. With a start he realized that three of the others were people he had met earlier that same day. The two young men whom he had offered food to and the generous young woman carrying the fabric. He closed and opened his eyes, just in case, but the scene was the same. Were they all exceptionals? "More coincidence," he said bitterly. He was really beginning to hate coincidence. He edged closer to Cheyenne, keeping her between himself and Ivanna, just in case and angled so he could keep an eye on Dirk, also just in case. "You okay?" Marty asked and knelt down and reached out to help Cheyenne up, but Ivanna beat him to it and he stepped back with a jerk. His heart was racing again and he felt the urge to run once more. There was just too many people here. "Martin, where are you?" Marty thought, but no one answered. He was as alone as he'd ever been.
Rebecca Woods There were eight of them total now. Three other people had joined their small group. Ivanna and one of the men who had just arrived seemed to talking as if they knew eachother. Maybe he was the one whom they were meeting with. Another man and a girl had arrived with him as well. The other man had a beard and a hunched back as if he was ashamed or maybe scared of the world around him. He looked like a homless person and Rebecca felt sorry for him. It had to be difficult living in the streets and eating food from wherever one could get it. She also wondered why he was here. Was he like them...different? If so what abilities did he have? The homless man knelt down by a girl, whose upper body was covered in a trench coat, but jumped back up when Ivanna stepped in front of him. Why was Ivanna being so protective? Maybe they were sisters. Though...it seemed unlikely. Then Rebecca noticed that the girl's knee was sticking out in the weather and she could see that blood had spread in a large circle around it. Poor thing. She shifted her backpack to one shoulder and kneeled in front of the girl. She didn't bother making eye contact with Ivanna who was probably ready to punch her the face. She spoke quickly so that the russian and this girl would know she meant no harm. "Hey there. My name is Rebecca. I've got some bandages here in my backpack. Is it ok if I wrap your knee?"
