Reposting The Extraordinary since Dana's asked me to do so

Voice-over: Among our kindred there are those who have been given gifts to use for good or ill: the innocent, the guilty; the hunters, the quarry; the heroes and the villains. From these gifts will come many wonders; altering reality, changing lives and dreams, creating miracles but also danger. For the light is fading on our current existence, and the human race has but 2 options: adapt or die. I myself have seen this danger in a thousand visions but can do nothing. That task is given to others, who know nothing of their unfathomable destiny, and live for now in the shadows, awaiting their calling. It has come.

As each character speaks their thoughts, am image of their location appears, zooming inwards until it becomes an image of their face.

Ben: All my life I have searched for excitement, exhilaration, purpose. I thought I had found it, only to recently have it slip out of my fingers. My life is spiralling out of control, and I don’t understand what is happening to me. I just want to be a hero.

Lola: All my life I have wanted to affect people but I don’t know how. I want to help, to save someone, but I can barely save myself. How can I make it through?

Rhys: All my life I have been searching for my identity. I know I will not find it here. Who am I? What am I? I am a paradox that I do not understand: what I can do will determine myself but I’m afraid. Are there others out there? Or am I alone?

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In a badly lit London flat, very modern and minimal, a badly shaved man in ill-fitting clothes sat at a table and stared unfocused into a mirror. The place looked unlived in and there were no photographs or ornaments. As the intercom buzzed, he started, shook his head and walked towards the door.

“You’re a mess, Ben.”

“That’s nice,” he replied sarcastically. “No hello, how are you....”

“I already know the answer. Have you even started going to counselling yet?”

“What’s the point?”

“The point is...” the visitor sighed in exasperation. “Look, Ben, we all know how this job can get to a person, sometimes when we last expect it to. There’s nothing to be ashamed of in that.”

“It didn’t get to me!” shouted Ben. “You don’t understand! This is what I’m meant to be, it’s all I can do!”

“You were a good spy, Ben. Were.”

Ben did not reply. His colleague reached out to grasp his shoulder, then let his hand drop.

“You know you’ve been acting irrational. With counselling, you can stop that, come back eventually. Why won’t you give yourself a chance?”

“I wasn’t acting irrational! You don’t understand! I just....I can’t explain it....this just happened to me....I just knew they were lying!”

His colleague shook his head.

“Ben.”

“I knew it! It’s true!” shouted Ben, slamming his hand on the table.

“You can’t simply accuse sources of lying without any evidence. You know that.”

Ben suddenly raised his head and stared into his friend’s eyes.

“You think I’m crazy!”

“No, Ben, you just...”

“You do!”shouted Ben, jumping up from his seat. “Get out!”

“Ben.....”

He walked towards the door and left, turning as he did.

“Goodbye, Ben.”

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In a large country kitchen, a 17 year old boy is holding his hand over a tap and twisting it, as he does this, the water turns upwards and follows his fingers. He laughs softly, then shakes his head in disbelief. When he hears a key turn in the lock, he quickly drops his hand and the water stops.

"Rhys, are you there?" asks Mrs. Evans in Welsh. "Can you help me with this shopping?"

"Yes, Mam."

"I have to go work again soon. Can you get dinner ready for us? Angharad will be home from netball practice by 5."

"Ok."

"Good boy," she smiled fondly. "Did I ever tell you you're the best son ever?"

"How would you know? I'm your only son."

She rolled her eyes and left the room. Rhys walked over to the Agar oven and, turning his hand once more, ignited it.

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Sitting in the living room of her small flat, Lola closed her eyes and reflected on the day's events once more, or rather, the day's event. Try as she might, she could think of nothing else. Again and again, she relived the boy's fall, rushing out to help him up, grasping his hand and feeling a rush of energy. Then it was as if they had been connected, somehow, and for a moment she was aware of everything happening inside his body. When normality resumed, the bloody gash on his arm had disappeared without even a scar.

"Mommy, you aren't listening!" pouted her 4 year old daughter Chloe.

"Yes I was, sweetie."

Chloe paused for a second, then smiled toothily.

"Ok, Mommy," she replied, then returned to her toys.

"If only we all could be appeased so easily," Lola murmured. "Kids are easy, why do we have to become so complicated?"

She returned to her contemplation, then as her daughter sniffed once more, an idea struck her.

"Come here, Chloe."

She reached out and pulled her onto her lap, then touched her arm and focused. Once more she felt a rush of energy, and saw a flash of white light.

"I think your cold's gone now, Chloe."

Chloe nodded, but her mother did not notice, for she was staring at the apparition that had appeared in the corner of the room. She nodded, then seemed to snap out of the trance.

"Mommy, what happened?"

"I'm not sure," she answered shakily.

....................................................................................................................................................

Ben slowly walked back towards the table and sat down once more. He had been staring downwards moodily for 15 minutes when he heard a voice calling his name.

"Ben."

He looked up in shock, but there was no one there.

"Ben," repeated the anonymous disembodied voice.

"Yes?"

"The light is fading on our current existence, and the human race has but 2 options. You among others have been given the task of defending our only hope against the rising darkness."

A pale light appeared, and in the middle of it there were 2 images of faces. Ben somehow realised that these were the 2 others who would share this task. He also knew that this was truth, this was his task, and the fate of the world rested upon it. All he did not know was how he knew it.

"You must find these others and unite before the light is destroyed forever, before your final hope dies."

....................................................................................................................................................

All 3 listened in silence to this phenomenon.

"If you fail, then before the sun has risen and fallen 20 times, your final hope will die. You must stop this. You must stop this, or pay the price. "

The light began to fade away, and the voice quietened.

"Find each other, before it's too late."

Ben: Now I have found my purpose, but I cannot see how I will fulfil it. Among the 6 billion individuals in this world, how am I to find those who will aid me? What is our task? The fate of the world is in our hands, but I don't know how to save it. Am I lost?

Lola: Why have I been chosen? I, who can do nothing, who can barely affect the life of a small child? I have been given a gift, it seems that is true, but how am I to wield it? I cannot see my path. Am I lost?

Rhys: I do not understand what has happened to me. Even with this ability of mine, I am only a 17 year old boy; I do not know who I am yet. How can my actions have such consequences? How can I not know the answer, when I have known of my secret for 2 years now? Am I lost?

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Kay Westfield walked down yet another dark alley, her face turned downwards as always, her thoughts as dark as ever. She was returning from yet another failed job interview to yet another cold and sterile hostel room, yet another meaningless day in her meaningless life. Moodily she kicked out at the rubbish before her feet, and laughed sourly at the strangers who passed her. Not one looked at her; she was no one.
The noise of fists connecting drew her attention, and she turned to glance down a second alley, at a group of thugs beating a young man. Cynically she thought, this is what we are. Weak, selfish fools who fight reality in the darkness. Weak, selfish fools who deserved to be punished.

Walking past, her thoughts continued with the scene she had just witnessed, the meaningless brutality of the human race. Someone should punish them, she thought. I should punish them. Suddenly she turned and walked back towards the alley.

Upon reaching the thugs, she grasped the nearest by the back of the neck, and tried to throw him away. His companions immediately turned upon her.

"What the h**l d'you think you're doing, you b***h!"

Desperately she wished for something, anything she could do. If only she could be stronger. As one of the fists flew towards her face, she threw up an arm to block it, and stared in amazement as the man was thrown to the other side of the alley.

"What the f**k was that?" shouted another of the men.

"You don't want to know," she replied. She reached out and grabbed his arm, then pulled, and it was ripped out of the socket. As he stared in mute pain, she grabbed his head. The remaining gang members began to flee.

"You're not getting away that easily! You will be punished!"

She wished that the earth would crack beneath them, and a second after she had completed the thought, it did exactly that. One man was swallowed into the crater, and another was buried under the rubble, his spine broken.

Lightning, she thought, and bolts of lightning flew from her hands towards the remaining man. She walked slowly up to his blazing corpse, and laughed sourly. In the corner of her eye, she noticed a movement, and turned to see the young man they had been attacking rising from the ground, quaking in obvious fear.

"You're scared," she stated coldly.

"Yeah, um, thanks..." he stuttered, backing away from her.

"You're afraid." A sneer crept over her face. "You're just weak, and for that you must be punished."

Flames erupted from her hands and engulfed the man, incinerating him in an instant. Kay walked away from the scene emotionlessly, thinking that at last she had found her meaning in life. It would be her who would punish the human race for their weakness.

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Rhys paced up and down the cold, deserted station, wishing that for once the train would be on time. He did not know how to react to the events of yesterday, but he knew he needed answers, and there was only one place he could go to find these, one person he could turn to. Once more he glanced anxiously down the line, tapping his hands against his thigh.

He reflected again on his decision, he knew he had promised never to come to this man again, knew that it could be dangerous for both of them, but he had no option. No one else could help him. How could they? No one else knew anything of what they could do.

Almost unwillingly, he replayed in his mind the day he had found out about John Richards, the day he had found out there were others like him.

It had been 20 months ago, his ability had been new to him, and like now, he simply couldn't resist testing it continually. But that time he had made the mistake of testing it in public. All he had done was to use the wind to lift up a piece of paper, surreptitiously, he had thought. He never dreamed it could be dangerous.

"What are you doing, boy? Stop that at once! Do you want to be caught?"

He started at the sudden voice over his shoulder.

"Nothing, um...."

"Too late now. You're just lucky it was me who saw you."

Afterwards he had pondered for hours over why the old man had not been shocked at all by what he witnessed, and what threat he had been insinuating. He realised that he must also have an ability, but when he visited him to ask further, all he received were goodbyes, veiled advice, and a demand for a promise never to use his ability in public again. John Richards moved to Chester within a week, and Rhys had never seen him since.

"The train to Chester is now arriving at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyndrobwllllandysiliogogogoch."

The announcement on the tannoy broke into his musings. Rhys picked up his bag and stepped onto the train, leaving his home to begin a journey that would change his life.

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"Why me? Why me?" murmured Lola under her breath. Over the last day she had repeated the same question a thousand times, searching for any possible answers, but every time all she could find were reasons why this could not be happening. Of all the people in the world, she would be the last to do something important, something that would change the world. She was too weak for that. She could barely affect a small child.

She tried to continue as normal, live her life, go to work at the nursery, come home - pretend nothing had happened. But something had happened.

"This can't be happening!" she whispered. "If I pretend that everything's normal, maybe it will be...what else can I do?"

Late at night, with her daughter asleep in the bedroom, she stared into the mirror, looking into the eyes of her reflection for something that would indicate she was wrong, that she was strong enough to do what was needed. She found nothing.

"Why me?"

She shook her head, denying the evidence of her memories.

"Maybe there's a mistake. Yes, that's right, there must have been a mistake somewhere, someone....it must be someone else, not me.....What do I do, though?"

She walked towards the window and gazed out into the darkness, seeking there somehow her answer. Little did she know that it would be there.

Down in the alleyway below she could see dark figures and flashes of light, then she heard a cry of pain. She stiffened. She could see another person walking away, and a figure crouched on the ground. Perhaps she could help. Perhaps she could not save the world, but she would help this person.

....................................................................................................................................................

Ben knew immediately that it would be him who would track down the other two, his the task of bringing the 3 together in time to save their only hope. But how would he do this? Already his memory of their faces was fading, and he had no idea of their location, or any way to find them.

"Am I supposed to search for them? They could be anywhere! How can I find 2 people in over 6 billion?"

He searched his mind for an answer, a sudden thought that would come from nowhere, an inexplicable knowledge. That was what had happened before. It was how he knew when people where lying, how he had known the task was truth, but this time there was nothing. Complete silence. He had never thought he would miss it.

"What the h**l am I supposed to do!" Angrily he kicked out at a chair, then swore under his breath.

He stormed into his bedroom and began throwing clothes into a bag; knowing he had to go somewhere, do something, but not what. After he finished he paced frantically, then grabbed his keys and left, slamming the door behind him. He marched down to his car, opened the door and started the ignition, then stopped.

"Where do I go?" he asked.

Then suddenly he knew the answer.

"Glasgow."

Chapter 3 - Choices

Rhys: I have made my choice; however, I doubt its wisdom. I was warned not to do this, though I do not know why. What dangers line my path? Will the answers I seek be found at the end of it? Can anyone help me now?

Ben: I have made my choice; this will be my calling and my life. I thought I had found it before but I was wrong; I can see that now. Whatever problems lie ahead, whatever dangers face me, I must do this.

Lola: I have made my choice. I cannot be what they ask me to be, I cannot do what they ask. I will try to do what little good I can, and use my gift as I see, but that task is too large for me. But will I be given the opportunity to refuse this fate?

....................................................................................................................................................

Ben stepped out of his car, and locked the door, then glanced around the dismally lit car park. Overhead a collection of flats reared their ugly heads. He walked towards the entrance, scanning his mind for any new revelations. He knew now that this would be where he would find her.

"Hello!" he shouted. "I'm looking for...someone...."

There was no reply. The silence echoed eerily.

As he turned to scan the other direction, he heard footsteps and saw a fleeting movement in the corner of his eye.

"Hello!"

Still no reply.

"I know there's somebody there. Can you please help me?"

"No one can help you."

He spun around to face a slight, dark haired woman, her expression as cold as her voice. Her eyes appeared dead and her movements devoid of all hope.

"What do you mean?" he asked nervously.

"What do you want?" she replied tonelessly. She didn't raise her head to face him directly.

"I...I'm looking for...I need someone to...to help me...I'm not sure who...but...I'll know....later"

"Then you're weak," she said slowly."You're just weak, and for that you must be punished."

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Rhys walked out of the station, staring at the address on the piece of paper held tightly in his hands. It had taken a lot for him to get it: the one time he had used his ability in public since, the one time he had used it for more than just glorified games. It had been dangerous, but he did not regret it. He had been concerned that one day he would need to find John Richards, and he had been right.

Fumbling his way through the crowd, he reached the nearest exit, then turned down the street, walking on towards the road named on the slip of paper. Half an hour later he was facing the door, grasping for the courage to ring the doorbell.

He lifted up his hand, then dropped it as he heard a crashing sound from inside.

"Hello!" he shouted."Mr. Richards? Are you OK?"

There was no answer. Rhys heard another crashing noise, then silence. He decided he had to interfere. He reached into his pocket for a lighter, opened it, and strengthened the flame until it was fierce enough to burn through the lock. He entered quietly and tiptoed down the hall towards the opposite door.

"I've told you before; I'm not coming with you!"

The shout echoed in the still hall.

"I don't want anything to do with it! Or you! I know who you are, what you've done..."

"You have no choice," was the calm reply.

Rhys raised the flame that had been a lighter, and crept up to the door. He opened it partially. The old man was crouching by the table, his attention on the well-built man before him. That man was a stranger to Rhys, but his behaviour did not suggest sanity.

"I'm not helping you," repeated John Richards. His hands were shaking.

The stranger raised his hand and a metal bar appeared. He approached John.

"You know you can't beat me. I can create anything; I'll predict your every move. Why bother trying to fight?"

Rhys propelled the flame towards his head, but the man somehow sensed it and dodged. He spun around then smiled with evil delight.

"Who's this?"

As he spoke, he threw the bar towards Rhys, who dodged awkwardly and managed to avoid having his head crushed. He raised the lighter once more and threw another flame at the man, but he avoided it effortlessly. John tried to interfere but was thrown across the room. As Rhys produced a third flame, the stranger created a fire extinguisher and shot a stream across Rhys' hands. The lighter fell to the floor.

"Nice try, boy."

The man produced a second piece of metal and slowly approached Rhys, twirling it between his hands. As he passed the lighter he crushed it under his feet. Rhys tried to create a flame unaided, but in vain. He could never do that; he always needed an element to work with. And now he had nothing.

"Any last words, boy?"

Suddenly Rhys heard faintly the sound of running water. He turned slowly to see John standing beside the sink, the taps overflowing.

Rhys raised his hand and a flood gushed over the stranger's head. The man struggled, and Rhys raised a whirlwind around him. Suddenly the earth started shaking. Rhys started in shock, and the shaking and whirlwind stopped. The man stared at him, then left.

....................................................................................................................................................

The woman approached Ben, her eyes aglow with a dark fervour. Something told him he was in danger.

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly. "Look, I don't mean you any harm. I just need some help."

Suddenly his vision blurred, and he found himself on the floor with the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. He stood up, and as she came at him again, he grasped her wrist and twisted it away. She fell to the ground, but rose again.

"You think you can fight me?"

Ben braced himself for the next blow, but it never came. Instead, he was barraged by stream after stream of electricity, and flows of fire. He screamed in agony: none of his training could have prepared him for this; there was no way to fight it. As suddenly as it had come, it stopped.

He rose to his feet, only to be hit by a shard of metal from nowhere. He stared in shock; it was floating in mid-air. He barely managed to dodge as it was hurled towards him for a second time. A second streak of flames hurtled towards him, followed by bolts of lightning, and as he dodged these, the metal pierced his side. He grabbed the wound and tried in vain to close it. As he did this, rocks came crashing down on his head. He fell to the ground, struggling for consciousness.

"What do I do?" he asked himself, only to be met with silence. The reason hit him: there was nothing he could do. He gasped for breath, finding the air around him thinning, being drawn away. Again and again, he was hit by fire and electricity. His nerves were ablaze, but he hung onto consciousness like a raft. There came a second blow to his head, and darkness fell.

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"I knew you'd come, Rhys," murmured John softly, "but you shouldn't have. It's too dangerous-you should stay away from all of this."

"Who was that?" asked Rhys shakily.

"That?" he shook his head. "That's the reason you should stay away-or one of them. Byron Rolenstein. He's....evil is the only way to describe him."

John paused for a minute then continued.

"I met him 10 years ago in New York. He was younger then than you are now, but he was twisted, wrong. He tried to recruit me, but I knew what he was. My dreams showed me that. When I refused him I had to go into hiding; that's why I ran as soon as I found out about you. He planned to change the world, bring down Pinehearst, but he needed my help."

"Why? What...what is he?"

"He was taken by Pinehearst when he was 5 years old, they destroyed him. Now he wants revenge, by any methods. He's right, but....you can't possibly understand it. We're hunted. Some of us, like him, become monsters, and the rest are persecuted, chased down by the companies. The only escape is to stay away, lay low, keep running for your entire life..."

John stared morosely into the fire.

"Well, I can't do that. I've been given a task, and I need your help. Somehow I'm supposed to save the world, but I don't know...anything. You have to help me."

"Save the world!"chortled John."You? That's a good one!"

"I'm serious. I was told this in a vision, and what I can do....There's a reason, isn't there?"

John was silent for a while, then he rose.

"I'll help you if you help me. I can't protect myself, but you can. Come with me now and I'll tell you everything I know."

"I have to," replied Rhys. "But...what is it that I can do? Why are we hiding? Where will we go?"

"You....you have control of the elements-elementokinesis. Weak at first, but it'll strengthen. Me, I dream the future. Useless in a fight, but good guidance. We hide because we must. We're going to the others."

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Lola reached the alley, and glanced around to ensure it was safe. The attacker had left; all that was remaining was the prone figure on the floor, burned and bleeding. She walked up and knelt beside him. She could see that she did not have much time left to save him.

"Can you hear me? I'm going to help you. You'll be OK."

The man groaned in pain. She placed her hand on his head and concentrated. Once more came a sense of connection with his body. She influenced his wounds to heal, his blood cells to replicate. When she returned from her trance, he was staring at her.

"Are you OK now? I saw what happened, and....I did what I could."

"You healed me," he whispered hoarsely.

Suddenly she saw the danger in what she had done.

"No, I didn't. I didn't do anything....you just looked worse than you were...."

He rose and lifted a hand to silence her.

"I know what you did. Don't worry. I know what's happening to you, it's happening to me too. I'm Ben."

Chapter 4 - Others

Rhys: Now I have found others like me, but I still don't have my answers. There may be hundreds of us out there, but none of them whom I have found have been chosen as I have been chosen. They try to help me, but they don't have the guidance I seek.

Lola: I tried to run from this, but now it seems it has found me. He has found me. He knows what I can do, and there is no hiding any more. Can I do this?

Ben: I have found one of the others, now my task is to persuade her to join me. I know it will be difficult, but I cannot give up. The fate of the world rests on this.

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Rhys looked around the room. It was shabby and dimly lit, the last place he would look for special people in - and that was what they were, he had realised that as soon as he had seen what he could do. They were gifted. So what were they doing here?

"What is this place?" he asked.

John turned to look at him.

"This...this is a hiding place, a meeting place. Whenever we need each other, this is where we go. If we need to hide, here we'll be hidden. If we need help, the others will be here to try to provide it."

"So, it's like an organisation of gifted people?"

"No, nothing like that. We can't be organised. They'd find out, they'd get us. The only way to escape is to stay hidden, but together. For years, some of us found out the truth. We ran, we hid, and tried to help others like us if we could."

Rhys stared around once more. It seemed he was now a fugitive, with no idea who was persecuting him. He had tried to ask before, but had been met with a cold silence. By now he had given up asking.

"You said you'd help me, but you've taught me nothing," he began, but was interrupted.

"I can't teach you. They can."

....................................................................................................................................................

"Look, I don't know what you want, but I don't think I can help you...."

"You can," Ben interrupted Lola.

She shook her head silently.

"I know you can. You're one of the ones who were chosen as well. I saw. You had a vision too; it would have been 2 days ago..."

"What makes you think that? You don't even know me...."she answered.

"You've got a 4 year old daughter, her name's Chloe, her father left when she was 1. You work at a local nursery, because you don't think you can do anything harder. You don't think you're strong enough to do what you've been chosen to do....but you are."

She stared blankly at him.

"How...how could you know that?" she stuttered.

"I've got this...ability....I can sense truth. I can tell if someone's lying, and sometimes facts just appear in my head....and what you believe about yourself is a lie."

She shook her head numbly.

"It's true," Ben insisted. "And there's no time for you to doubt me. We've got a task and time is running out. We need to stop her."

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As Kay returned to her hostel room, she relived her latest triumph, remembering his screams of agony and anguished pleading, the rush that flooded her body, the knowledge that she was slowly fulfilling her purpose. She was so ensnared in her recollections she didn't register the fact that the door was open. She walked in, turned to close the door, and in the corner of her eye she saw a card, white with a blue symbol, fall to the floor.

"Kay Westfield, the boss wants to see you."

She span around and threw a handful of flames.

"Now, that's not nice," the woman replied sarcastically.

"Who are you?"spat Kay, already devising methods of punishing her.

"Pinehearst. We know all about you, how you've been insignificant all your life, meant nothing to no one, felt pointless and purposeless. We know how you recently found your purpose. We have the answers you seek. We can help you."

"You think you can help me?"she asked.

Kay threw the woman telekinetically across the room.

"I don't need any help."

She gave herself superstrength and began beating the supine form, but the room's walls started to close around her, the floor rising, the roof sinking down to crush her. Soon she was struggling to breathe.

"Stop it!"

"Come with me and I will," replied the collector, but unknown to her, Kay was already fighting her power. She created telepathy, and tried to force the woman to stop. As she struggled to regain control of her mind, Kay gave herself cryokinesis.

"You're weak."

She reached out and froze the collector, who fell to the ground in shards of jagged ice. Kay stepped over her remains disdainfully to pick up the card.

"Pinehearst..." she murmured, her lips curling in a smirk.

....................................................................................................................................................

Once more, Rhys barely dodged the flames.

"What are you doing? You can fight me, don't dodge! You'll never learn to control this if you don't even try!"

Another burst of fire grazed his head.

"I can't!" he gritted his teeth.

"And the world depends on you? I'd better start planning my funeral."

Sarah Finnegan sat down on the broken stairs and sighed. She had been training Rhys for 3 days now, or attempting to at least. He had no control at all.

"I told you before; your hold's too strong. I can only control it if it's a natural fire, not created. I can't create either, or use more than one element at once."

"You have before," she insisted.

"That was...different. I was scared. I don't know how I did it."

"Well ,try!"She got to her feet. "Break's over."

Another stream of flames shot from her hands. He desperately threw up his hands, trying to do something. Suddenly there was a second stream of flames.

"Did you see that?" he exclaimed in joy.

"It's a start," she replied tensely, and shot flames.

....................................................................................................................................................

Lola stared at the door through which Ben had just left. Try as she might, she could not believe what he had told her. Whatever he could find out about her, she knew herself better than him, and she knew she couldn't do this.

"Just try." His last words echoed in her head.

"I don't think I can," she whispered.

A scream tore through the air from the adjacent room.

"Chloe?" She ran into her daughter's bedroom. The room was drenched in blood. In the centre stood Kay, her hands dripping redly to the carpet.

"You were too weak."

"No!" gasped Lola. She searched desperately for a body to heal, but found nothing.

"What have you done?" she sobbed.

"Me? It was you..."

Lola grabbed Kay's arm and sent her mind inwards, desperate to do something. But what she found was not what she saw.

"What's happening?"

Her senses were filled with confusion, rapid heavy breathing, and the thud of a thundering heartbeat.

"Stop it!"

Nothing changed. She struggled to do something, help somehow, attempted to calm the stranger. She found herself steadying the heartbeat and breathing. Suddenly she was ripped out of her trance.

"What did you do?" asked the stranger, a young, frightened teenage girl.

Lola simply stared.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.... It just happens.....I'm Wendy Young, can you help me?"

"Help you? No, I can't...I can't do anything?"

"But you did..." replied Wendy.

Lola stared once more. Wendy was right. And if she could help once, surely she could do it again? Perhaps she wasn't too weak after all.

Chapter 5 - 3 Days To Save The World

2 weeks later

Rhys: By now I have learned how to use my power, but time is running out, and I'm no closer to my destiny. I was told to find the others, but how can I do that? Maybe I shouldn't be hiding....

Lola: Sometimes we cannot run. I learned that recently and now I'm faced by an impossible task. I have found my strength, I have accepted our task, and now I have to fulfil it. It terrifies me.

Ben: I thought I understood this. I found her, and she eventually came with me. I thought that next I would have to find him, but when I ask, the answer confuses me. The world depends on us but we don't know what we're doing.

....................................................................................................................................................

"But I thought we were meant to find the other one!" muttered Lola. "This doesn't make any sense.....what am I doing?"

Although she had whispered under her breath, Ben still heard her.

"That's what that voice said, but my ability is telling me we should be here....we need to stop her...."

"Try asking again," she suggested tersely.

He didn't reply. She already knew that he had been doing little else for the last fortnight. For some reason this was where they were meant to be.

"Stop her....who's her?" she asked.

"Kay Westfield."

She knew there was no point in asking who that was.

She paused. "We'll find her here?"

"Looks like it," he replied.

She did not mention that a backstreet cafe was an unlikely location for an event that could save or destroy the world.

As they sat silently, a dark haired, slight woman walked in and went up to a figure hidden in the corner of the room. As she turned, the light struck her face, and Ben gasped.

"That's her!"

"What, this Kay?" Lola asked.

"Yes, but....that's the woman who attacked me...."

Lola stared at him in shock. Now she remembered the woman from the nightmare Wendy had placed her in.

"We can't stop her! Last time she killed you..."

"I know," he paused, "but we have to."

Lola swallowed.

"How?"

"Just follow her. When she does something....we need to stop her."

"I'm glad you have it all worked out," she replied.

....................................................................................................................................................

"Maybe we shouldn't be hiding."

"You've said that before. We can't do anything."

Rhys sighed in exasperation. Since gaining some control of his ability, he had tried to persuade John of this, but the answer was always the same. They were too afraid to do anything. Too afraid to see that hiding could not be the answer.

"What do you know about this company then? Because.....I've been thinking....if it's so bad then maybe it has something to do with....you know...my task and all that..."

John was silent for a long time.

"Maybe...." he hesitated. Then he continued.

"I told you before that I met Byron 10 years ago in New York. What I didn't say was that both of us were working for this company, Pinehearst....they searched for people with abilities....said they were there to help them, protect them.....but they lied. Byron had been with them since he was 5, he knew the truth. He showed it to some of us. Manipulated us. Made us believe we could fight it by joining him. But he was as bad as they were."

"So you gave up fighting Pinehearst?" asked Rhys incredulously.

"I had to....I couldn't fight both...."

"That doesn't mean you should give up! If you can't fight Byron, maybe you can still do something to fight Pinehearst!" shouted Rhys. "Do you know what they'll do now?"

John hesitated.

"Yes."

....................................................................................................................................................

Kay contemplated over how easy it had been to fool the Pinehearst agent. Soon they would lead her to their centre, where she could punish them all. She smiled twistedly, and glanced down at the file she had been given. One mission to prove herself and she would be in. They hadn't even questioned the death of their first collector-maybe they didn't even know yet.

She opened the file, and read the details. As she did, she wondered how she would punish the agent once she had completed this task.

"Courtney Park," she muttered. "Time to go."

As she left, she did not notice the two figures trailing her, frightened yet determined to stop her at whatever cost. She doubted that anything could stop her.

....................................................................................................................................................

"My dreams showed me this."

John showed Rhys the file, tapping his finger on the picture of a young boy.

"This is who they'll go after next?" asked Rhys. John nodded.

"He's just a kid....."

"He's one of them..." smiled John."I never thought I'd see that again....they're something special I can tell you...."

"What will they do to him?"

John didn't answer.

"That bad? We need to save him!"

"Wait!"

Rhys had already left the room. John hesitated. Rhys was right. He headed out after him.

"Wait!"

Rhys paused and looked back.

"You're not stopping me...." he started.

"No, I'm helping you," replied John.

Rhys glanced at the file once more, then the two continued on their way to find Courtney Park.

Chapter 6 - Shadows Falling

Ben: I can tell that time is running out. Soon she will commit the deed that will destroy our final hope. And we need to stop her. I can't see how.

Lola: I've finally found a way I can affect people, and I can't let them down this time. This task is too important for me to fail. This is my chance.

Rhys: Now I'm going to stop hiding and start fighting. But can I do this? I can't forget that I am only a child. Am I out of my depth? I don't care. I have to do this.

....................................................................................................................................................

Rhys looked back and saw that John had paused.

"This is where he'll be?" he asked.

"Yes," John nodded. "This is where they'll come. It's the same place as in my dream."

"What can he do then?"

"It's hard to explain....just wait and see.....easier that way."

Rhys grimaced. He recognised the stubborn smile on John's face and knew he would get no other answer.

"So we just wait?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't exactly done this before. The company usually just bursts in, tasers them and takes them. Don't think that's your style though."

Rhys laughed.

"Maybe you should talk to him or something....." suggested John. "He'll probably take to you better than me."

"What are we going to do anyway?"

"We should get him to join us. He's not safe here."

"What about his family?" objected Rhys.

"You're apart from yours," pointed out John. "It's how we have to be. Not fair, but that's life."

He paused.

"He has a sister, older, in university. She hasn't manifested yet...but she might....maybe she should join us as well."

"What! Are we going to take EVERYONE into hiding?" shouted Rhys, but John hushed him. They both turned to watch the 12 year old boy walking through the door of the opposite house. Instead of pulling the door closed, he used telekinesis to shut it.

"He's just a kid...." muttered Rhys.

John nodded.

"Poor boy," he sighed.

They turned to watch him again. Suddenly Rhys noticed that the gale was not buffeting him, or the rain falling on him.

"How...?" he began.

"It's not happening to you either. You're stopping it."

"He has my ability! But....the way he closed the door...I thought a person could only have one ability....how...?"

"He didn't have it," replied John, "not until now. I wonder if he'll dream the future tonight?"

....................................................................................................................................................

As she walked along, Kay fantasised of her next victim. She plotted their death, heard their pleading, and envisioned the tears staining their faces, begging futilely for pointless lives. She had no knowledge of the manic smile tainting her mouth.

"Punish them....punish them....punish them...." she cackled insanely. Her eyes were lit with fanaticism, reflecting the lurid glare of the streetlamps.
Already she had decided how to punish the Pinehearst agent. In her mind her hands were already drenched with his blood.

"But the next one...." she whispered, "the next one...."

The fire of her obsession shielded her from the pouring rain and howling wind. She rounded another corner and opened the file she had been given. The light glimmered on a picture of a young boy, smiling in innocent ignorance.

"Daniel Greene." She read. "124 Courtney Park. 12 years old."

Unknown to her, the venomous smile spread.

....................................................................................................................................................

Lola watched as Kay waited outside the house door. She wondered what the woman was doing here, and how that was connected to the child she had seen leave. She noticed the irrationality of Kay's behaviour, and bit her lip in tension. Over the last day, as she and Ben and followed Kay, they had observed her become more and more manic.

Ben muttered something under his breath. Since yesterday he had become tense and gloomy. Lola could tell he sensed the importance of today. Once more she replayed what had happened with Wendy, how she had used her power to calm her. She was certain she could do the same to Kay if she could get close enough. She jumped as a dark figure approached.

"Are you ready?" the figure questioned Kay. "Clear of your instructions?"

Both Lola and Ben crept closer to listen. Kay's face was shadowed, her expression hidden.

"Yes," she smiled, fervour in her voice.

Suddenly the figure was thrown towards the railings.

Lola ran out to help the person, only to watch in shock as they raised, the gashes healing before her eyes. He raised his eyebrows and approached Kay. She smirked.

"So you're not that easy to kill. I thought you had no ability."

"I lied."

Kay raised her arms, and the man was thrown once more. Then a car rose into the air and crashed onto the struggling figure. Kay slowly walked up to him, as he frantically tried to speed up his regeneration. She raised her eyebrows.

"Nice try," she said, and pointed. His head shot off his body and landed three houses away.

"Can you come back from that one?"

Then she turned to face Ben and Lola.

....................................................................................................................................................

Rhys watched, hidden with John, as Kay killed the agent and turned on the two strangers, throwing debris at them that they were barely managing to avoid.

"Who is she?" he whispered uncertainly. "She's mad.....maybe we should do something..."

John grabbed his shoulder.

"No! Do you want to end up like him?"

He stopped, and watched as the man fell to the ground, watched the woman hesitate then bend down beside him, and entered some sort of trance. He watched as the man's injuries slowly faded away, and realised that she must be healing him. He watched as the attacker approached the pair, completely vulnerable and defenceless, and raise her hands covered in white flame. Then he could watch no more.

Rhys ran out from his hiding place, and shouted out at Kay. She turned slowly from her victims. Raising her fists, then threw two jets of fire towards him. He concentrated, and they turned in midair, flying back towards her. Instead of being afraid, she smiled, and the flames fell to the ground around an invisible barrier.

"A little kid...." she murmured, amused," and you think you can fight me? You're weak...."

....................................................................................................................................................

Ben struggled up from the ground, groaning in pain. He looked around, shocked to be alive.

"Are you OK?" whispered Lola.

He nodded.

"Why aren't I dead? Did you heal me?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Yes, but we'd both be dead if not for him."

He looked in the direction she was facing, and stared in shock at the boy fighting Kay. It was the boy from the vision, the third person given their task.

"We need to do something," he replied.

"What?" she answered.

"Distract her."

Lola swallowed, then rose from the floor. She picked up a broken railing and walked towards Kay. As she swung with all her strength, the woman sprang around. The barrier disappeared. Suddenly she grabbed the railing, and with astonishing strength, tore it from Lola's grasp.

....................................................................................................................................................

Kay laughed at the pathetic, weak woman in front of her, quivering now in fear. A manic smile twisted her face, but she was unaware of it. She lifted her hands and summoned the power of electrokinesis.

In the corner of her eyes she could see the horrified faces of the others, helpless to save the woman. She laughed at them. Then stared.
The boy had risen to his feet, an expression of determination on his face. Suddenly she was battered by the lashing rain, and a whirlwind of air was circling her. She realised it was his doing.

"You can't beat me!" she screeched. She matched her power to his, and fought for control of the weather. As he struggled, she called down forks of lightning, laughing madly as they narrowly missed. The other 2 had risen by now and stood beside him, but could do nothing. She relished the panic on their faces. They knew they were about to die.

Chapter 7 - Midnight

Rhys: How is she so strong? I'm fighting as well as I can, but I'm barely holding on. Maybe I'm out of my depth. I need help. But from where could it come?

Lola: How can we defeat her? She's too powerful for me, and Ben can't fight her with his ability. The only one here who can do anything is hardly more than a child. I have to do something. But what?

Ben: What can I do? All I know is that I cannot stand by and do nothing. But I'm powerless.

....................................................................................................................................................

Rhys struggled for control of the storm Kay had created, his body shaking uncontrollably under the strain. He had never seen anything so powerful. He was unsure whether it was possible to beat her.

He fell to the floor, gasping for breath. His hold slipped, and screamed mutely in pain as the full force of the storm pounded into him. Try as he might, he could not regain control.

"You are weak. You must be punished."

Through the sheets of blinding rain, all he could see was the madness in Kay's gaze. He knew that she would kill him. She would kill them all.

He struggled to his feet, determined to go down fighting. He wondered now whether John had dreamed this happening, whether that was why he had tried to persuade him to hide. He knew there was nothing John could do to save him.

"Go on then, punish me!" he gasped. He filled his hands with fire, knowing it was pointless, but certain that he would fight.

Kay smiled. She approached him slowly, toying with him.

....................................................................................................................................................

Ben watched helplessly, unable to do anything.

"What do I do?" he asked himself, but silence was the only answer. He knew by now that this meant there was nothing he could do.

He noticed movement in the corner of his eye, and turned to see a young boy, staring in amazement. He clearly did not understand what was happening.

"Is there anything that can be done?" he asked desperately. "There has to be some way of beating her..."

And then he had the answer. In order to defeat Kay, she must be distracted. He stood up, then realised he had no way of communicating this without warning her. Unable to do anything more, he simply ran up to her and punched her as hard as he could in the nape. As she span to face him, he noticed that the storm had dropped.

"Keep fighting her! Distract her!" he shouted. She laughed, then her smile dropped as she saw she could not raise the storm once more. But she quickly regained her confidence.

"It doesn't matter," she cackled. "There's plenty more!"

....................................................................................................................................................

The three kept distracting her as best as they could, and the return attacks became more and more erratic. Lola realised that they soon would become impossible to fight. She had to do something.

Remembering what she had done with Wendy, she reached out and grabbed Kay's arm, sending her mind inwards into her body, and attempting to calm her. But Kay resisted. Neither was aware of the chaos caused by Kay's powers as they fought, but the street had become madness. Lola struggled for control.

The next thing she knew, she had fallen to the floor in a circle of rubble and debris. She raised herself shakily, and saw that Kay was doing the same, an expression of utter confusion on her face. Lola knew then that she had been successful.

She turned to the other two, relieved to see they were unharmed. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Kay disappear, teleporting herself to a safer location. Then she turned to look the other way, and saw a young boy lying broken on the road. She ran to him.

Kneeling beside him, she sent her mind inwards but found nothing. She was too late to save him.

....................................................................................................................................................

Rhys stared in shock at the body of the 12 year old he had seen earlier. They had come to save him, but they had failed. And now he was dead.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to face Ben.

"You were the third one," Ben whispered softly. "You have to come with us. It's to do with a vision we all had, weeks ago, we were told we needed to find each other....unite...."

Rhys nodded numbly. He could still remember the experience as if it had been yesterday. The message echoed in his head. And then he realised.

"It's been 20 days."

Chapter 8 - Ashes

Lola: Is it true? Is our only hope now lost? I tried to save him, but I was too late. I failed. Maybe it's impossible to fight this. But after what I've seen, I know I can't give up.

Rhys: I came here to save him. But he's dead. What do I do now? Where do I go? Is there anything that we can do?

Ben: Is this the end? Is there any hope left for us? I know there isn't.

....................................................................................................................................................

Kay span around, registering her new surroundings. She had only tried to escape, and had somehow moved herself from Courtney Park to this place. She knew it well. Her miserable memories echoed in her head. Living in a cold and desolate home, the only child of a broken relationship. The loner, with no friends, no hope, no potential. She had left as soon as she could, and had not contacted her family for years. She had never thought she would return. And now she was here.

Moodily, she walked down familiar paths to her childhood home, following her instinct. Although the house was dark, she knew they would be home. Bitterly she replayed her memories in her head before melting the lock.

As she walked down the hallway, she glanced at the pictures hanging on the wall. Her mother smiling on her wedding day. Her new family. Her stepsiblings laughing with their parents. None of her.

"Happy families?"

She filled her hands with fire, and entered the living room.

"Remember me?" she asked. She threw the flames across the room. The family screamed and ran. She dropped the flames and used telekinesis to lock all the doors and windows. Smiling manically, she approached them, then threw each against the walls, leaving only her mother unharmed.

"Kay?" she begged uncertainly. Seeing the madness in her daughter's eyes, she began to panic.

"Kay!" she sobbed.

Kay reached telekinetically into all the electrical equipment, causing them to short circuit. Next she started a blaze in the fireplace, encouraging it to rage out of control, and did the same with the oven in the nearby kitchen. She teleported out, and watched as the flames devoured the neighbouring houses. Then she left to find her father.

....................................................................................................................................................

After returning to his flat, Ben poured himself another drink and swallowed it in one go, trying to forget their failure. But he knew there was no hiding from it. Fate had relied on them and they had let it down.

"What's the point in even trying?" he asked bitterly. But the only response was silence.

"Maybe I've lost it," he muttered. "I didn't deserve it....."

Sourly he stared into the bottom of his empty glass, then raised himself to pour a third. He did not notice the figure shadowed in the corner, the light glimmering on a pair of horn-rimmed glasses.

Suddenly the room started spinning. He tried to grab onto the nearest unit, but his hand slipped off. He fell to the floor, then the room went dark.

....................................................................................................................................................

Lola stared around the room. This was where her people hid. After the battle with Kay, unable to yield after what she had witnessed, she had asked Rhys and John to take her to them. She knew she was going to do something. She just didn't know what.

"So you're helpless without him?" John asked her.

"Looks like it," she replied uncertainly. "That's what the vision suggested.....I don't even know if anything can be done anymore.... but......."

"That doesn't mean you should give up."

Lola nodded. It seemed the old man understood. How could anyone give up, and leave a monster like Kay free and unpunished? After what they had seen? But Ben did not agree. He had just left, saying there was no hope anymore. He didn't understand that it wasn't hope she was after.

Staring down into her lap, she started at a familiar voice. She looked up and saw Wendy Young conversing with Rhys. The girl seemed more confident now, in control.

"Wendy? You came to these people too?" she asked.

"They found me after you left. They taught me how to control my power. I can choose who I give nightmares to now."

There was a chilling edge to her voice.

"What are we doing now then?" asked Rhys, looking at both.

"What can we do? Ben's given up," Lola answered quietly. "I don't know what we can do."

"You need this Ben guy?"

They all turned to look at Wendy.

"Maybe I can get him for you," she murmured thoughtfully. "Wouldn't his worst nightmare persuade him? It did for you."

Lola felt new hope. But John was shaking his head.

"He has reality perception. He'll see right through it."

....................................................................................................................................................

Disappointed, Rhys sighed.

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Tricking him won't work," warned John. "But do you need him? Can't you do anything without him? He seemed the stubborn type to me."

They were interrupted by Sarah Finnegan. Usually certain and confident, she was shaking.

"John, its Byron....he's insisting you come speak to him...he's acting crazy...and he says he'll kill us all if you don't..."

John stood up.

"He'll do that anyway. We need to evacuate. Rhys, Lola, follow Sarah - she'll take care of you."

He started to walk towards the door. Rhys stared at him, then ran after him.

"What are you doing?! You can't possibly be thinking of going to him!" Rhys yelled.

John turned to face him, his expression closed.

"He'll kill you," Rhys warned. John said nothing.

"You're not planning to let him?" Rhys exclaimed.

"No, don't be fool, boy!"

But John would not meet his eyes.

"I'm coming with you...." Rhys began, but he was interrupted.

"No way!"

"Haven't you realised how stubborn I can be yet?"

....................................................................................................................................................

When Ben regained consciousness, he was sitting in a dark cell. Panicking, he jumped up and started shouting.

"That'll do no good."

Shocked he span around. Unnoticed in the corner stood a dark-haired, tall young man. He raised his hand to placate Ben.

"I don't mean to harm you. I need your help."

"Why would I help you? You abducted me, imprisoned me..." spat Ben.

"It's the only way you'll get out."

Ben was silent. Try as he might, he could not think of what to do. The voice in his head, so comforting and familiar by now, had gone.

"What do I do?" he asked finally.

"I'm Craig Campbell," said the stranger. "You need to work with them temporarily or you'll never get out of here."

He hesitated then continued.

"They found me when I was 10. I made a deal: work for them in exchange for my freedom - it's the same one they'll offer you. They'll set you a partner, one of them, unpowered. There to keep tabs on you."

"But who are they?"

"Primatech."

Chapter 9 - The Price Of Freedom

Ben: Do I take this deal? Do I have any choice? Is there any point in anything I do anymore? For a few weeks, I had purpose, I knew what I was doing and what I needed to do, but now that's been taken away. And I'm lost again.

Rhys: Why is John giving up now? It must be possible to fight Byron. How can he do this? I can't. I can't just stand by and watch as he's killed. I have to do something.

Lola: I'm on my own again now, running, hiding, fleeing from a danger I don't even know. What do I do? Is there anything I can do?

....................................................................................................................................................

"What do I do then?"

Craig glanced at Ben.

"I don't give you your assignment. But you'll be given details about an individual that you have to bag."

"Bag?" questioned Ben. "Is that what they call it? Taking people, like they did to me?"

Craig nodded.

"But that's not what I was asking. What do I do, to help you?" Ben lowered his voice. "You said you were only working with them temporarily, you must have some plan to get out then. I'd do it myself, but my ability seems to have gone missing."

"That's just something they injected into you," Craig answered. "It'll wear off."

Ben stared.

"They'll come later today, to offer you that deal. Make sure you accept it."

He nodded mutely, in shock from all that had happened to him. He could see no other way through this than to continue and do as Craig advised. And maybe there was no point in anything he did.

Craig rose and walked to the door.

"You're going?"

"I've got an assignment," he replied. "I have to go, after a group of escapees."

Ben smiled. By accident, Craig had given him the answer he needed. If others could escape then so could he.

....................................................................................................................................................

Lola and Wendy stopped in an empty doorway, glancing around. It appeared they had escaped. But they had also lost the others.

"Can't we go back?" asked Wendy. Her voice was frightened.

Lola shook her head. "John said it would be too dangerous. We have to go on."

"Where?"

The tremor in her voice had increased dramatically.

"Wendy?"

Lola turned to look at her. She was shaking, bent double, terrified of something Lola could not see.

"Wendy!"

Lola grabbed Wendy's arm and sent her mind inwards. This had become almost routine to her by now. She calmed her breathing and heartbeat, waiting until she was sure Wendy was once more in control, then returned.

"You OK?"

Wendy nodded mutely.

"You lost control again....what happened?"

Before Wendy could answer, they heard a mirthless chuckle behind them. Lola span around to see a well-built man with hands of liquid metal. She recognised madness in his gaze.

"Run," she whispered to Wendy. "I'll distract him."

The attacker approached her arrogantly.

"You both have delicious powers," he shouted, "but they're not in my league!"

He aimed at her face, and Lola threw up her arms to protect her from the lethal metal.

....................................................................................................................................................

Following John, Rhys saw that Byron was waiting by the entrance, tapping his feet against the doorframe. As they approached, he looked up towards him.

"Why did you bring the boy?"

His voice was merciless.

"He wouldn't leave. He's stubborn."

Byron laughed, but no joy reached his eyes, cold and dark.

"You know why I'm here," Byron stated. John simply nodded. He smiled insanely.

"So what do you choose?"

Rhys waited in silence, ready to defend his friend. The minutes dragged. Byron raised an eyebrow, waiting for his answer.

"I'm coming with you."

Byron started.

"You're not lying."

It wasn't a question. Rhys stared in disbelief. How could he? After all he had told him of Byron, after all they had seen.....

"What are you doing?" he shouted. Neither replied.

"You're going to him? You're betraying us all?"

....................................................................................................................................................

Ben followed the agent to a dark study.

"I'll take your deal," he said as the agent began to speak. "I'll work for you. Anything to get out of here."

The man laughed.

"Keen," he observed.

Ben smiled in agreement.

"When do I start then? What's my first assignment?"

The agent shook his head.

"Slow down. You need to prove yourself first. You'll be partnered with me. I'll need an ability like yours to take these next ones."

"Who are they?" Ben asked.

The agent frowned.

"Don't get to personally involved," he warned, then answered. "2 sisters. Both recently manifested, like you. One can be dangerous, and the other....well, we can't leave them outside the company."

"Who are they?" repeated Ben.

The agent raised his eyebrows.

"Just follow me," he ordered. He hesitated then answered, "Simone and Wendy Young."

....................................................................................................................................................

Kay walked out of her father's house, her hands stained with blood. She looked around then teleported away.

She found herself in a run-down part of a town, surrounded by abandoned, derelict buildings. The sound of raised voices drifted to her ears.

"You're betraying us all!"

For some reason she decided to follow the voices. Rounding a corner, she saw two men and a 17 year old boy standing in a doorway. The words she had heard echoed in her head....."betrayed"......something to punish..... a darkness enveloped her senses. She must punish them. Raising her hands, she created telekinesis and pointed to the ground, to the building's foundations. Its walls began to collapse. Then the earth started shaking. Kay dropped her arms in shock: this was not her doing. What was happening? As she watched, the boy was thrown out of the building by the tremors. They immediately subsided. Certain of the damage she had caused, she walked away without looking back.

Rhys stared in shock at the remnants of the hideout. Both Byron and John were buried in the rubble. Maybe it was for the best, he thought, still dazed by John's betrayal. He turned away and slowly left, with no idea where he would go. He did not look back. He did not see an arm moving in the ruins.

Chapter 10 - Stand Alone

Rhys: How could he do that? After all he said how could he give up and yield to Byron? I never believed he'd betray us all. I thought I could always trust him. Now I'm alone.

Lola: What is he? Why does he need our deaths so much? At least Wendy managed to escape......I can hold him off for her. I can do that, can't I?

Ben: What do I do now? Do I hunt my own kind? Do I have any choice? I will go to these people, and decide then.

....................................................................................................................................................

Ben stopped outside the terrace house. The agent beside him glanced at him once more, as if searching for any signs of weakness. Ben determined to show none. If he did he would fail to escape. He had no idea how he would do so, but he was certain that utmost secrecy would be needed. These people had to believe that he was one of them now.

"What do we do?" he asked.

"Just go in," replied the agent.

Ben barely prevented himself from exclaiming in shock. Weren't they more subtle than that? The agent seemed to read his doubts.

"It's only the two of them in there. Parents deceased."

Ben raised his fist and knocked on the door. It was answered by an anxious young woman. Holding the door between herself and them, she looked at them curiously.

"How can I help you?" she asked.

"We need to speak to both you and your sister, Ms. Young."

"She's not here," replied Simone. Ben sensed that this was what was worrying her.

"Can we come in?" he asked. She nodded and let them in.

"Wendy's missing, isn't she?" Ben asked. "What happened?"

Simone swallowed. Her hands were trembling.

"Yes. She ran away."

Ben sensed there was more to it than that. He gestured at the agent to leave.

"She had an ability, didn't she?" he whispered. "She could do something....something extraordinary....and so can you. Did that have something to do with why she left?"

"How did you know?" she exclaimed. "Are you...are you one of us too?"

She continued.

"Wendy was diagnosed with autism when she was 3, but she didn't have it. She was just trapped in nightmares. Last year, she worked out how to transfer them to others, escape them, but she couldn't control who she gave them to. She told me. She was scared she'd hurt someone. But I couldn't do anything to help her."

Ben hesitated. He was unsure of what to do.

"Simone.....the people I work for....they want me to bring you to them...."

"Will they help me find my sister?" she asked. He didn't answer. She smiled and shook her head.

"I need to find answers. And I think you do too."

Reaching out, she grasped his shoulder and teleported out.

....................................................................................................................................................

Kay stood in the rubble, surveying the results of what she had done. After her rage had passed, she had returned to the place, forcing herself to face it. She did not understand what she was becoming. Somehow she now longed to spill blood. Before she had only punished those who deserved their fate, but recently she seemed to be searching for reasons.

"Maybe I'm one of them," she muttered, shaking her head. "Maybe I'm the worst of all."

She started to laugh. Somehow that was amusing.

"Seems I should be punishing myself!" she shouted. It echoed in the silence. Hysterically she began to laugh again, and could not stop. Tears streamed down her face. She was shaking. She began pacing up and down among the ruins. Then suddenly she stopped.

"Maybe I should be punishing myself.....what's happened to me? What have I done to myself?"

"It wasn't you. It was them."

She span around at the voice. Turning, she saw a stranger had approached her. He had obviously been hurt badly, perhaps in the destruction of the hideout. She filled her hands with flames.

"You won't be needing that."

Shocked, she lowered her hands but did not extinguish them. He shook his head.

"You don't want to harm me - I'm the only one who can help you. I'm the only one who can get you the answers you need."

"What answers?" she spat.

"I know who did this to you."

....................................................................................................................................................

Alone, Rhys drifted around, wondering why he had survived, why his ability had even bothered to save him. Endlessly he replayed yesterday's events in his head: leaving the others, facing Byron, John's betrayal and their deaths. He did not know what had happened, and he did not care. Numbly he wandered around the city streets.

"Where do I go now?" he asked himself. "Is there anyone that I can trust?"

His thoughts returned to the start of all this, when he had left his home, when his life had changed forever. Now he had lost everything. It would never be safe to return, and he had lost the one friend he had. He remembered why he had left - the message, and the task he had been given.

"I've made a real mess of that, haven't I? Now there's nothing we can do, we've failed - and I've even succeeded in losing the others."

However he could not give up. He decided that he would try to find the other two once more. Perhaps, if they could persuade Ben to help, he could find something that they could do. Then he realised he had no way of finding them.

Lost in his despair, he did not notice the figure running towards him, terrified and frantic, until she had crashed into him. As he reached to help her up, he realised she was Wendy.

"Help, help!" she babbled, unaware of him.

"Calm down, Wendy, it's Rhys," he said. As she quietened, he felt his despair lighten. But she was still frightened.

"What's happened?" he asked.

"It's Lola....she needs help....she told me to run....I couldn't do anything....so I just ran.....but he'll kill her!" she sobbed. Eventually he learned from her that Lola was nearby, fighting off some maniac with hands of molten metal.

"Where is she?" he asked. As soon as she answered, he began dragging her in that direction.

....................................................................................................................................................

Desperately, Lola threw herself onto the floor and barely escaped his attack. He simply laughed. He was toying with her.

"What do you want?" she pleaded. "What have I ever done to you?"

But her begging only seemed to fuel him on. Once more he lunged at her. She dodged once more, and threw out her arm to block a third attack. Her arm grazed across his above the metal. Then she realised.

She threw out her arm again, and this time she held onto his arm. As fast as she could, she sent her mind into his body. She began the process of calming him, only to recoil as if burned. Opening her eyes, she saw that his entire body had become metallic. There was nothing she could do.

The next thing she knew, her entire body was in agony as liquid metal poured over her, burning its way into her body. She struggled to heal herself as it burned further, and the effects of its poison began to take effect. Her sight dimmed.

"Help..." she whispered, unable to say more.

She strained for air but was unable to breathe. She could not move. She could not do anything. She simply lay there until the world faded.

Chapter 11 - Answers

Ben: I know now that I can't do this. I can't work for them. But what do I do instead? Where do I find what I need? I need answers.

Rhys: I have to help her. But what can I do? Will I simply get myself and Wendy killed as well? Whatever happens, I have to try.

....................................................................................................................................................

Craig walked swiftly down the road to where he had been told he would find the escapees. But when he reached the spot, he could only stare in amazement. The entire building was gone, destroyed, leaving only vast piles of rubble. He shook his head. No one could survive under there. He pulled out his phone and dialled the number for Primatech.

"Hello? Yes, it's Campbell. Yes, I'm here, but it looks like someone else got here first. The entire building's rubble. There weren't any regenerators there, were they? Understood. I'll return as soon as I can."

He hung up, then turned to return the way he had came. As he did, the thought occurred to him that he should search the nearby streets for any survivors or witnesses. He turned down into the nearest side street.

After walking around for about half an hour, he noticed a figure lying prone on the ground at the end of the alley. He went up to it, to see whether there was anything he could do to help. Kneeling beside the body, he began checking for breathing and circulation. As he did so, a green orb encircled his hand and he began emitting a white light. He was drawn into a trance.

"How...?"

Shocked, he turned to stare at the woman, now completely healed, without any sign of the dire state she had been in. She was staring at him in amazement.

"What....what happened?" he asked. Then he realised what must have happened. "You can heal?"

She nodded, still dumbstruck.

"I'm Craig Campbell. I can absorb abilities for a short while. When I tried to help you, I must have absorbed yours, healed you."

"But....I was dead. I can't heal that-I've tried!"

He shook his head.

"Sometimes they're more powerful when I absorb them. I don't know how."

....................................................................................................................................................

Ben stared around the room he had found himself in. It appeared to be an office, dimly lit and furnished in an old-fashioned style.

"Where are we? Where did you bring us?" he asked Simone.

"You wanted answers," she replied. "I just brought us to where we'll find some. Look around."

Without saying more, she pulled down a pile of files and started searching through them. Shaken, he did the same. He glanced through files labelled Pinehearst, Byron Rollenstein, John Richards and Craig Campbell, before staring in shock at a familiar name. Kay Westfield.

"They know all about her!" he exclaimed.

"Is there anything about my sister?" asked Simone.

"No, someone else," he replied distractedly, thumbing through the folder. The last page mentioned computer document 455. Immediately he tried to open it, but failed.

"There's nothing here!" exclaimed Simone in disgust. "Just some rubbish about total strangers, and something called Primatech! Why would I come here?"

Ben returned to his pile. This time he recognised some of the names: Sarah Finnegan, Lola Sanchez. Then he saw his own.

"Operation initiated 30.03.06. Manifested 12.09.08," he read. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Then he understood. These were the people behind it all: the abilities, the companies....everything. They had manifested naturally, then given abilities to others to see how they would cope with them. To see what would happen if powerful abilities were given to unstable individuals.

....................................................................................................................................................

"Someone did this to me?" Kay spat. "Why should I believe you?"

The stranger smiled maliciously.

"Because they did something similar to me. Believe me; I know what it's like to be made into a monster. I know what it's like to crave revenge. And together we can get it."

Kay contemplated this. What harm could it do to use this man? She nodded.

"I'm in. What do we do?"

He thought for a moment.

"We need to find the reality sensor. He'll know where the answers are."

Seeing her confusion, he added:

"He's the man who tried to stop you in Courtney Park."

Kay smiled, remembering. He was the man she had attacked in Glasgow. And this time he would not survive.

"You'll need to use advanced telepathy to get it out of him," mentioned the man.

"Then let's go find him."

....................................................................................................................................................

Lola stared at her saviour, still in shock at what had happened. Whatever he might say, she knew her power could not normally revive the dead, and there must be a reason why it had in this instance. Perhaps it had something to do with the task she had been given.

Suddenly she heard a cracking noise behind her, and turned to see a young man who was standing there with frozen hands. He was looking at Craig with an expression of utmost hate.

"I'll kill you."

"Jordan," began Craig, "you know that won't work on me....."

He raised his hands and the green orbs reappeared. Steam was radiating from his arms. As he approached Jordan, the other darted forwards and touched one of the orbs. Craig fell to the floor, being drained of energy. Lola knew she had to do something.

She ran forward and grabbed Jordan, then sent her mind inwards. She tried to calm him, but he was somehow fighting her. She struggled for control of his body. She was drawn inwards until his heartbeat was all she could hear. Then suddenly that stopped. She was thrown out of his body. Opening her eyes, she saw him lying dead before her.

"I killed him......"

She was shaking.

"No, it was self-defence. He'd have killed both of us otherwise."

But she wouldn't listen to Craig.

"I killed him......what is this ability? Why would I be able to do that?"

"Listen, Lola, people like that deserve to die. It's the only way the rest of us can be safe."

Suddenly, she thought of an answer to her own question. Craig was right. She had been given this ability to complete her task. To stop her.

Chapter 12 - Combat

Lola: I think now that I know why I was chosen. I have to kill her. I just don't know whether I have the strength to do it. How can I do this? I'm not a killer. But I am.

Rhys: I couldn't find her. By now it's probably too late. What do I do now? Do I try to return to the others like Wendy wants to? Can I trust any of them? And what of my task? What do I do now?

Ben: What do I do with this knowledge? I only know that something must be done.

....................................................................................................................................................

Ben knew he had to do something with this information. He knew that the others deserved to know what was being done to them. And perhaps Simone would be safe with them as well.

"Simone, I need you to teleport us to a group of people hiding from the companies. Can you do that?"

She nodded, then grabbed his shoulder. The world turned black then reappeared as a dark alley, next to a shadowed doorway. He knocked, and the door was opened by Lola.

"Ben, I need your help," she began. "I need to find her - Kay Westfield."

"Why would you want to find her?" he exclaimed.

Lola swallowed.

"To kill her."

She explained what had happened with Jordan, and how that had led her to realise she might have this ability in order to remove Kay. He knew it had to be done.

"She'll be near the ruins of the old hide-out."

....................................................................................................................................................

Rhys wandered around aimlessly. Wendy had left to rejoin the others, but he had been unable to face them again. He felt adrift. Returning to the place where Wendy had said she'd left Lola, he sat down and contemplated his failure.

"You're one of them, aren't you?"

He span around at the voice. Before he could create any fire, the young man standing there put up his hands to placate him.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm one of the empowered ones too. My name's Craig, what's yours?"

"Rhys," he answered hesitantly.

"Are you looking for the healer woman? She survived."

Relief flooded through Rhys.

"She went after the power producer," added Craig. "The one who keeps attacking people."

Rhys nodded. He doubted he could do anything to help her.

"What do I do now?" he thought aloud.

"You take me to the rest," answered Craig. "I need to warn them."

Before he could say anything more, they were attacked from behind. Craig fell to the floor in agony, cradling the stump of his arm. Rhys stared in shock at the assailant: an adolescent roughly the same age as him. As he raised his fingers in order to attack again, Rhys threw a handful of fire at him which he barely avoided. He then created a flood of water which drenched the boy, and summoned a gale. Defeated, the assailant ran away.

"Are you OK?" asked Rhys. "We need to get you to a healer....."

"You won't beat me that easily."

They both threw themselves onto the floor as they were punched by hands of liquid metal.

....................................................................................................................................................

Lola shivered as she looked around at the ruins, but it was only in part at the sight of all the destruction. She could hardly believe what she was intending to attempt.

"She'll be here?" she asked again. It seemed a strange place for Kay to be.

Ben nodded.

"She'll be coming for us."

Lola swallowed.

"She's coming for us?" she began to ask, but was interrupted as she was thrown into the air by telekinesis.

Painfully, she lifted her head, knowing what she would see. Kay was standing there, immersed in some hidden battle. She was as defenceless as she would ever be. Lola forced herself to crawl up to Kay, and lifted her hand to touch her arm. She sent her mind inwards, determined to do what must be done.

....................................................................................................................................................

Craig immediately grabbed the newest attacker and mimicked his ability. But he seemed immune to his own ability. Rhys attacked him with fire, water and winds, but none could deter him. He was avid for their deaths. Desperately, Rhys tried to burn him once more, but the metal was protecting him. Mathias threw his hands into the orbs that had appeared on Craig, and as soon as he did that Craig collapsed, defenceless.

Rhys watched, horrified, as Mathias approached Craig, his metal hands inching closer to his face. He could not think of anything to do to help him. All his powers had proved ineffective. He simply threw himself onto Mathias, forcing him to turn around. Then the metal hands were approaching Rhys.
He saw that Craig was unconscious: there would be no help from him. Rhys thought that he was about to die. Automatically he threw his hands up to shield himself, and a flame appeared. The flame soared. Opening his eyes, Rhys saw that the attacker had vanished, the metal he consisted of entirely vapourised by the intense heat.

Shakily he got to his feet. Craig was regaining consciousness.

"So we're going back to the others?" Rhys asked.

....................................................................................................................................................

As Kay began to feel the effects of Lola's power, she knew she had to do something soon or she would die. She still had telepathy.

"Stop this!" she commanded. At her command, Lola's hold on her loosened.

Looking on, Ben could tell that Kay was controlling Lola.

"Fight her!" he encouraged Lola. But she did not have the strength to do so. Kay broke through her hold, and turned to Ben. As she faced him, the file he had seen flashed into his mind. Why would anyone make another so dangerous?

Seeing this, Kay hesitated. What Ben had seen could hold all the answers she was seeking. She searched his mind for its location, then created a power to destroy them both.

Desperately, Lola grabbed onto Kay, intending to finish it this time. She sent her mind inwards. Then stopped. She could not do this. However necessary it would be, she could not bring herself to kill her. Instead, she forced Kay to drop the power she had created.

Freed a second time from Lola's hold, Kay stared. She had spared her. Unsure of what to do, she simply teleported out to where she had left her accomplice. After all, she could always return to punish them later.

Chapter 13 - Strength, Weakness

Rhys: Why has Craig insisted we rejoin the others? What can we do? What can anyone do? I'm beginning to think that we're all too weak to do anything except simply survive. Is that the only thing we can do? Is there no other purpose to all this?

Lola: I couldn't do it. I was too weak. I had her at my mercy, but I couldn't bring myself to kill her. And now I'm afraid that we will all pay the price for my weakness.

Ben: I was too weak to stop her. I couldn't do anything. And I know how vital it was for her never to learn what she has, what she will soon learn. Now it's too late.

....................................................................................................................................................

Craig led Rhys to a dishevelled house in the back streets, the new hideout. Rhys did not know why he was bothering. Adrift and purposeless, he simply followed where Craig led him.

Inside, Lola healed their injuries, then admitted her failure to him. He could tell that her fragile confidence had been lost once more.

"I couldn't do it," she finished. "I had the ability, but I didn't have the nerve to use it."

She stared at her hands.

"Maybe I don't deserve this power."

Rhys didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. If that was true, then none of them deserved these abilities. They had all failed.

"We can't give up."

They both turned to look at Ben. Ever since his own personal failure, he seemed to have regained his sense of purpose while they had lost theirs.

"We can't give up," he repeated. "Even if we can't stop Kay, we have to do something. And about this super-company as well."

"What have you done?" asked Rhys. Lola remained silent.

"I've told the others. They're not sure what they'll do yet, but they're going to do something. We can't hide away forever - it's what they want. They can control us that way, play their little games with us like it makes no difference."

"What are you going to do?" asked Rhys, emphasizing the "you".

"Me.....I'm going to fight her....somehow....she's going to do something disastrous soon and it's my fault. So I have to stop her."

....................................................................................................................................................

Lola got to her feet, unable to listen anymore. Didn't any of them realise there was no point in fighting her? They were all too weak to succeed.

"I'm going outside," she muttered. They did not look at her.

Alone with her melancholy, Lola walked around burdened by her thoughts. They had lost and it was her fault. Was there any point in continuing now?
Her eyes downcast, she did not notice the stranger standing there until she had walked into her. As she did there was a white flash. Feeling strangely weak, Lola turned to face her. And froze. She had seen that face before.

Suddenly she flashed back to that day in Courtney Park. Again she saw the child fall. Again she tried in vain to save him. Again she swore to herself that Kay would pay for this.

Back in the present, Lola rose and returned to the house. She knew now that she could not give up.

....................................................................................................................................................

Kay teleported herself and her accomplice into the study she had seen in Ben's mind. Immediately she found her file and started reading it. Engrossed, she did not notice him pulling out a second file until she heard him gasp.

"What's wrong? I thought you already knew this stuff," she asked dismissively.

"It's .......it's nothing....." he murmured.

But she knew he was lying. She looked over his shoulder at the file, entitled Byron Rollenstein. Seeing the picture, she knew it was his.

"You said you already knew this," she repeated coldly.

He did not meet her eyes. Noticing this, she began to give herself reality perception, then remembered what Byron had said. She changed her mind. She would take his advice. She gave herself telepathy, and forced her way into his mind. He struggled but she still saw. He had lied to her, manipulated her to get his own revenge. And now he had learned more.

"You shouldn't have done that," she whispered. Telekinetically she threw him across the room. His limbs broken, he struggled to crawl away. She approached him slowly, toying with him, deciding which power to use to kill him. She gave herself superstrength and ripped off his limbs. Then she tore him apart.

Turning her back on his decimated body, she picked up her file once more.

"Let's see," she smiled.

....................................................................................................................................................

"How are you going to do that?" asked Rhys.

"Don't know," muttered Ben. He looked up at Rhys. "Does it matter? I still have to do something. You used to be the same. What changed?"

Rhys swallowed.

"It's something to do with John, isn't it?" continued Ben. "What happened there?"

"Why don't you just ask your power and find out?" shouted Rhys.

Ben said nothing. Rhys sighed.

"It's John," he confirmed. "He....he chose Byron. He was going to betray us all."

"That's not true."

Rhys shook his head.

"I was there."

"It's still a lie," insisted Ben. "I can tell."

Ben paused, then explained.

"He was lying to Byron. He did it to protect you. He knew Kay would attack, and he knew that otherwise you wouldn't have gotten yourself out. You'd have tried to save him too, and you'd have died."

Rhys stared. He knew Ben was telling the truth. He had never considered such a thing. He felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

"I'm coming with you then," he began but Ben interrupted.

"No, you can't...."

"Why not? And don't say I'm too young!" shouted Rhys. "You can't stop me."

"No, it's......" began Ben, then changed his mind. He doubted he could persuade Rhys, so perhaps it was better for him not to know.

....................................................................................................................................................

Lola walked in. She was weak, trembling, and had trouble walking. When Rhys saw her he jumped to his feet.

"What's wrong? Do you want me to get Craig to heal you?"

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. As he left, she lowered herself to the ground carefully.

"I'm going after Kay tomorrow. She'll do something and I have to stop it. Rhys thinks he's coming too - I don't know how to stop him."

"So am I," replied Lola.

Before Ben could point out that she was in no state to fight, Craig entered. He knelt beside Lola and reached out to absorb her ability, but no orbs of light appeared.

"What's wrong? What's happened?" she asked, frightened.

"I can't absorb it. I don't know why. There's just....nothing."

Worried, Lola tried to use her power on Craig. She struggled to send her mind into his body, but nothing happened. She sensed nothing. It was gone.

"I've lost it!" she cried.

None of the others said anything. It was obviously true.

"What can I do now?" she asked. They had no answer. She was now powerless, but she could not give up. She would fight Kay as she was.

....................................................................................................................................................

Numbly, Kay stared at her file. She could hardly believe the evidence her eyes were giving her. They had given her this ability? They had made her this way, knowing how she would react?

Reaching the last page, she noted the computer file - 455. She searched for it, but found the file was blocked. She smiled manically.

"Easy," she muttered, and gave herself technopathy. She forced the computer to show her the file, and began to read.

"No!" she exclaimed afterwards. "That's why....."

Then she started laughing uncontrollably, unaware of the tears streaming down her cheeks. A dangerous, mad light appeared in her eyes once more.

"They wanted a monster.....I'll give them that.....if they want it then they'll get it....I'll give them a monster..."

Chapter 14 - Finale - The Price

Ben: We have to fight her, but how can we, when the only one of us with any power of use is only 17 years old? Maybe we're meant to fail.....is there any point in trying? I will anyway. But this secret is destroying me. Should I tell them? Or are they better off not knowing?

Lola: What's happened to me? Why have I lost my power? And why now, when we need it the most? What can I do now? I need to fight her, but can I?

Rhys: How can we possibly defeat her? I'm not sure it's even possible. I don't know why we were chosen, but we were, so we have to do this.

....................................................................................................................................................

"Where are you going?" asked Craig.

"After Kay," answered Ben tensely.

"I'm going with you," he began, but Ben interrupted him.

"No, it's just us 3 that are supposed to go."

"You 3? I'm sorry, but, you can't fight her, Lola's powerless, Rhys is only 17.....you need help."

"Craig, we were chosen for this. Not you."

Craig began to argue, then stopped as Ben whispered something to him. His face fell. He shook his head, then his expression changed to one of acceptance. He nodded once and left.

"What did you tell him?" asked Rhys.

Ben hesitated.

"Nothing. Just something to make him realise that he wasn't meant to join us."

Rhys knew he was holding something back, but he also knew he couldn't make him tell them.

"Where do we find her?" asked Lola.

"We need to go back to where I found out about the super-company. She'll be there - that's where she went after she left us."

He paused.

"We'll need Simone to teleport us there," he added.

Lola nodded.

"Only if she gets out of there straight away afterwards."

....................................................................................................................................................

Teleporting into the building, Rhys immediately began to cough. Eyes streaming, he could see the figure of Kay outlined in flames and smoke. He knew he had to fight her or they would all die. He struggled for control of the fire.

"Get out of here Simone," coughed Lola. Kay began laughing, seemingly unaware of what she was doing.

"No one's getting out of here!"

Kay shot a stream of electricity directly at Simone. She fell immediately. Lola ran towards her then stopped as she remembered. She couldn't help her now.

Rhys noticed that Kay had lost control of the fire, and he guiltily felt a glimpse of hope. He grasped control and forced the fire to die down, then created winds to blow away the smoke.

"Is that the best you can do? There are loads more where that came from!" shouted Kay manically.

....................................................................................................................................................

Ben watched on hopelessly as Kay advanced on Rhys, a malicious smile on her lips and her eyes glowing, toying with him. He knew there was nothing he could do. He simply watched as Kay began punching Rhys. He was trying to fight back, but Kay had given herself superstrength.

"You don't have to do this!" shouted Lola desperately, but in vain. Kay was beyond any attempts at reasoning. She was laughing madly as Rhys' blood flowed down her hands.

"Yes, I do!" she replied. "They wanted me to be a killer - I'll be one! I'll be worse than their darkest nightmares!"

As Lola pleaded, Ben noticed that Rhys was regaining consciousness. He crept up to him.

"You have to do it," he whispered. "None of us can fight her. Don't just remove the fire this time - turn it on her."

Rhys swallowed, then nodded. He knew Ben was right. Rising, he filled his hands with fire, then hurled it at Kay. Distracted, she did not notice until it was too late. She fell to the floor, ablaze.

....................................................................................................................................................

"Is that it? Is she beaten?" asked Rhys shakily. He was obviously still in shock at what he had had to do.

Lola shook her head, numb. She could not believe it could be that easy.

"You had to do it," began Ben, but was hit from behind by a heavy file. He crumpled. The other two span around, to see the contents of the room spinning around in the air, being hurled at them by telekinesis.

Lola stared at where Kay had fallen, in disbelief. The woman was rising from the floor, her burns healing before their eyes. How could it be possible to defeat this?

Kay was laughing.

"You're weak. You're too weak to stop me. And for that the whole world will be punished."

Lola watched, terrified, as Kay's eyes filled with madness once more.

"No!" she gasped.

Kay nodded.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "That's why I have this power - to punish the whole world for its weaknesses. And they did this to me deliberately! Fools! I'll destroy them all!"

Helpless, Lola could do nothing more than grab a file and throw it at Kay's head. Kay dodged effortlessly, the file only scraping past her cheek. Lola stared as Kay's eyes began to blacken up.

....................................................................................................................................................

Regaining consciousness, Ben slowly rose to his feet. He watched as Kay's eyes filled with darkness, and he knew she was giving herself a power that could kill billions. He knew there was no defence against it. He knew they had to do something, but not what.

He crawled up to Rhys, and grabbed his shoulder to get his attention.

"Ben! Are you OK?!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, but you have to stop her now," he replied.

"How? I did that before, but she just regenerated. It's impossible to kill her."

Ben nodded, stuck. As he stared at Kay, he noticed the blood dripping from her cheek. Blood. She hadn't healed that cut. She couldn't. She'd lost regeneration, and couldn't recreate the power.

"You can!" he whispered urgently.

Hearing this, Kay span around to face them. As Rhys threw another handful of fire at her, she was forced to drop the poison emission in order to shield herself. But the fire had no effect on her.

....................................................................................................................................................

Undeterred, Rhys simply switched attack. He created a gale which he sent hurtling towards Kay, but her shield blocked it. He sent more fire, then a flood of water. None penetrated her barrier. He tried to draw out the air from within her shield, but she simply dropped it and air came flooding back to her. She was laughing, mocking him.

"Nothing you can do can touch me!" she jeered.

He knew this was untrue. There was one element he had not used - earth. But he knew his hold on that one was too loose. He would not be able to control it finely enough to protect himself and the others.

"Is that all you can do?" she laughed. She smiled mockingly and dropped her shield, then turned back to her destruction. Rhys could tell she was concentrating hard, but it was not having the desired effect. He realised she was unable to recreate the poison emission. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, Kay smiled widely. Frightened, Rhys watched, wondering what she would do, what new devastation had occurred to her. Her eyes were filled with glee. They began to blacken again. Shocked, Rhys realised that she must have given herself the power to repeat a power. And there was nothing he could do to stop her.

He backed into a corner, trying desperately to think of something, anything he could do. A previous idea re-entered his mind. He could use earth. But that would kill them all.

He glanced at Lola. She mouthed "do something" at him. He shook his head, trying to communicate to her that he could not do that. The price was too high. He turned to Ben, who was staring at him urgently.

"You have to! What she's doing will kill the entire world!" he shouted at Rhys.

Rhys hesitated. Ben was right. He had to.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to the two. He raised his hands and created an earthquake. Deliberate, this was much more powerful than the one that had saved him the day John died. The building collapsed within seconds. The 4 inside were buried in the rubble. None could survive it.

....................................................................................................................................................

Voiceover: The light fades on the ruins of a crushed building, where 3 sacrificed themselves to save us all. Now is the time of change. They have saved the world for now, but new dangers will emerge, new villains, and new heroes to fight them. Many will have to pay the same price for failure. For if they had saved the empath, as I commanded, then they would have survived. But they did not. A new age is coming. The empowered ones, until now, have slept unknowing in the shadows, unaware of what was done to them. Unaware of their birthright and their destiny. But now they are awakening.

Chapter 1 - 5 Years Of Darkness

Voiceover: Five years have passed, five years of suffering, of fighting, of paying the price for our abilities. Five years of darkness with only the slightest glimmer of light. They did not know what they would be facing when they chose to take on the controllers. They did not know how small the possibility of victory was. But, had they known, would they have chosen differently? Should they fight? I cannot see what will happen, who will win. I only see the cost of this war.

Elan: I've been here for 5 years, and I'm no closer to my victory. A victory that would have no purpose. But I can't do nothing. I can't let go. Then they would get away with what they did to Daniel, and that cannot be.

Trey: What am I doing here? I know I should be hunting down Hiller, but I can't leave them to fight alone. I don't even know if he's still alive.....but I can't rest until I'm certain. I don't know what to do...

....................................................................................................................................................

"We can't trust him!" Elan shouted.

"Elan, Craig's been here from the start. He's always been one of us. What makes you think we can't trust him?" asked Sarah, shaking her head.

Elan had no answer. Sarah continued.

"We need to stop them from taking this girl-she's too powerful. Craig and I will distract them, while you get to her, Elan. Once you've done that Trey will teleport both of you back here. Does everyone understand?"

As they all indicated positively, Sarah and the others left, leaving Elan alone. At the door, Trey hesitated then looked back at her. He sighed and returned.

"If telepathy is telling you that Craig's changed sides, then tell them!" he encouraged her. They both knew it could happen. They had seen it too many times before.

"It's not that. I...I just...I can't explain it. One minute I was just listening to him say about this girl and how we had to stop them taking her, the next I knew it was a trap. Or I thought I knew....and then I was back to normal."

Trey sighed. He knew what must have happened, but he also knew that he could not ever explain it to her. They never spoke of her secret. He wasn't even sure whether she knew he was aware of it.

"Just tell me you'll keep an eye on him."

Trey looked directly at her.

"I will."

....................................................................................................................................................

Frightened, Amy tried once more to create a bubble, but it wasn't working. She was captured. And somehow her power was gone. She looked around her new prison. Yesterday they had taken her from the cell and placed her in this van, but she knew better than to hope they were planning to release her. She doubted she would ever be free.

Her life had changed so much since she had manifested. Before, her life had been hard, but now it was a nightmare. Bitterly she wished she could go back. But she couldn't. And now she was a prisoner and a killer.

She jumped as she heard the sound of explosions outside. She did not know what was happening, but she was too scared to look. She heard shouting, cries of pain and the sound of fighting, then an eerie silence. Cautiously, she rose and crept up to the door, only to stare when it opened. The 2 people standing there were not 2 of her captors.

"Who are you?" she asked shakily.

....................................................................................................................................................

Sarah glanced over at Craig, who nodded. She filled her hands with white flames, then signalled that they should attack.

Immediately their antagonists reacted. One threw electricity at them, while another produced a flood of water to counteract her fire. She glanced over at Craig, trying to communicate her need for aid. That was when she noticed that he had not attacked them at all.

"Craig, help me!" she shouted. He did nothing.

Looking at his face, she understood. He had changed sides. This had been a trap all along. Elan had been right.

Shaking her head, she simply filled her hands with fire once more, determined to fight. Immediately her body was battered with electricity. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to bear the pain, and hurled fire at her attackers. It was extinguished in mid-air. She was hit again, and blacked out.

Regaining consciousness, she found herself on the floor. She tried to rise but failed. She looked up, to face the agent that was approaching her. He knelt beside her. She grimaced, and tried to summon some fire, but she was too weak. He laughed.

"You'll die for trying to fight us, Sarah Finnegan."

Desperately she tried to think of anything she could do to save herself, but there was nothing. She would die. Vaguely, she wondered what had happened to Elan and Trey: had they succeeded? Had they evaded this trap?

He rose, and aimed a stream of electricity directly at her head. He waited until he was satisfied that she could not have survived, then he and his colleagues turned back to their van without glimpsing back at her once.

....................................................................................................................................................

Inside the van, Elan and Trey rushed towards Amy.

"We're here to free you," answered Trey. "We belong to an organisation fighting those people who abducted you."

"And we can help you too," added Elan. "We can hide you from them, protect you. Teach you to use your ability, or I can remove it if you ask."

Amy nodded, overwhelmed. Then she remembered.

"I...I don't have it anymore..." she confessed anxiously."Will you still help me?"

Elan began to answer, but was distracted as she was forced to dodge a bolt of electricity. She span around and threw another bolt at the door. Trey telekinetically threw one attacker backwards, then punched out another using enhanced strength. He started to punch the third, but stopped as his wrist was grabbed. He fell down, the attacker using human manipulation to sedate him.

Elan darted forward to heal him, then hesitated. She knew that his enhanced endurance would have protected him. She also knew that her mission was to save Amy. And if she stopped to help Trey then she could fail.

Determining, she grasped Amy's hand, and ran using superspeed to a safe location. She would return for Trey afterwards.

....................................................................................................................................................

Running back, Elan stopped, shocked, and noticed that the place was not as she had left it. They were no longer there. Desperately, she searched for Trey, knowing she would not find him.

She stopped. She knew he was not here. And she knew where they would have taken him, if he was still alive. She could only hope that he was too valuable a prisoner for them to kill.

Chapter 2 - Loyalties

Trey: Why haven't they killed me yet? What do they want of me? I can't expect any help - it's too dangerous. They've known where captives are taken for years, but the risk has always been judged too high to attempt a rescue mission.

Craig: They'll never forgive me. I don't know if I can ever forgive myself. Everytime I close my eyes I can see their bodies, hear them screaming. But I had to. There was no other way.

Amy: Where am I? Elan left as soon as she brought me to the others, and they won't speak to me. They ignored me when I asked them questions, teleported us here then left me alone in this room. It's frightening. I thought these people would help me.

Elan: I'm here now. But what do I do next? What I'm attempting has never been done before, not successfully anyway. But I can't leave him.

....................................................................................................................................................

As soon as she had made up her mind, Elan had run, without even thinking, all the way to the company prison in Manchester. She now stood before the dark, imposing building, intimidated by what she was about to attempt. She paced up and down, careful to remain hidden in the shadows while she tried to think of a plan.

"How can I free you, Trey?" she thought aloud. "If I'm not careful I'll just get the two of us caught."

She could think of nothing. But she knew she could not leave him. Not when it was her fault that he was here in the first place. Bitterly, she cursed herself for leaving him.

Again, she listed in her head the powers she had. She knew that once inside she would lose them-an inhibitory gas was released into the ventilation in all company buildings since the events of 5 years ago. She would be unable to run inside. She could fight her way, but would be powerless once through the doors.

Suddenly an idea hit her. It wasn't perfect - it would only work outside so she had to hope she was not questioned afterwards - but it was the best she had. Confidently she strode up to the nearest guard.

....................................................................................................................................................

Beth shivered as she looked onto the wreckage, her eyes lingering on the spot where she knew Sarah's body had been found. All this had happened because of her. She knew that. If only she had not been so careless. She had know the danger, known she should have hidden better, but had not really believed it. She had thought she could evade it all. Now she had learned differently.

"I don't blame you, Craig," she whispered. She wrapped her arms around herself, trembling at the thought of what he had done. What he had been forced to do. She knew it was her fault, and she had to make up for it because he was unable to redeem himself.

Caught in her thoughts, she startled as she noticed movement in the corner of her eye, then relaxed as she saw who it was. They had come at last.

"What can I do to fix this?" she asked immediately. "I'll join you, I'll fight, just give me a mission."

The man raised his hand, and gestured at his companion to leave. He did so, teleporting away, and the first stepped closer to her.

"How do I know you won't betray us like he did?"

"He didn't....." she began angrily, then stopped. She knew there would be no point in arguing that point.

"Craig told me about you, he said what you can do. If you need to you can use telepathy to check," she continued."I have to make up for all this somehow."

He nodded.

"It won't be easy," he warned her. "You'll be working alongside me - so I can keep an eye on you. Meet me again tomorrow, here, and I'll give you our first assignment."

He focused into the distance for a minute, then his companion reappeared. He nodded to her, then both left.

....................................................................................................................................................

For what felt like the thousandth time, Trey struggled to use any of his power. He knew it was in vain, but he was desperate to do something. He clung to the faint hope that the inhibition system would fail, at the same time as the inhibitor shot wore off, before they remembered to renew it. He felt so weak.

Numbly, he stared into the darkness, and wondered when they would return. If they would return, or if they were planning to leave him there to rot. He wondered which would be worst. He hoped he would be able to keep himself from turning, but he knew he had hardly been tested yet. Trying to distract himself, he clung to the hope that Amy and Elan had managed to escape.

"Trey!"

He span around at the urgent whisper. Elan stood there, staring at him appalled.

"What are you doing here? It's too dangerous."

"Breaking you out," she answered.

"No, get out, it's too dangerous!"

She stared at him, shaking her head.

"You'll be caught as well," he warned.

"It's my fault you're in here. I can't leave you."

"Think about it," he urged. "How are we going to escape? You can't run us out of here, the only way you'll get out is if you don't draw attention. And bringing out a prisoner will do that."

He paused and turned away.

"Leave me, Elan."

She did not answer, just stared at him. Then she turned and walked off. As she did that he caught the expression in her eyes.

"Elan!"

....................................................................................................................................................

Amy looked up as a woman walked into the room, looking carefully at her all the time. She sighed. The woman was probably searching for any sign that her bubble would become uncontrollable again. It had not happened here yet, but they knew what had happened before, in the prison. In the other prison. She was beginning to feel that this one was a prison as well.

"How are you, Amy?" she asked.

"Who are you?" Amy replied. "Where are the people who brought me here?"

The woman sighed.

"They're not here anymore. Trey was caught, and Elan.....she hasn't contacted us since she left you. We think she might have gone after him. But it's impossible."

Amy stared at the floor. It seemed that, as soon as she had found people who would help her, she had lost them. Suddenly she noticed that her bubble was starting to expand. She panicked, and it began to glow. Not again!

"Get out!" she mouthed, closing her eyes against what she would soon see, wishing she could also close her ears.

She waited. There were no screams, no sound of flesh being crushed and burned. Cautiously she opened her eyes. The woman was nowhere to be seen. She looked up, and jumped as a stream of smoke drifted down from the air vent and reformed into her.

"It's OK, Amy!" she reassured her. "We'll help you, we'll teach you to control it eventually. I couldn't control mine at first either."

"I'm Hetty," she added.

Amy looked up hopefully, and began to smile, then stopped at the sorrowful expression on Hetty's face.

"But we need you to help us first. To .......get rid of someone for us. His name's Craig Campbell."

....................................................................................................................................................

Audrey sighed as she glanced up at the clock, noting that she had only 20 minutes left until the end of her shift. She longed for it to be over. Today had been a long and difficult day, and tomorrow was unlikely to be an improvement.

"Why can't he just give in and tell us what we need, like the others?" she muttered sourly. He had been the reason for her melancholy. Questioning was always difficult work, especially when a prisoner gave no signs of weakening. Him and his ridiculous loyalty to the so-called "organisation". Didn't they know they had already lost?

She sighed again, then swore under her breath as alarms began ringing. She glanced over at the bank of CCTV screens, then swore more vehemently. There was now another in his cell.

"Are you coming?!" she shouted at her colleagues, then raced for the door without waiting for a reply.

5 minutes later, they were waiting near the only entrance to the prison level, waiting until they were sure the inhibition gas had been removed so that they'd be able to fight. Audrey leaned closer to the door to listen to what was happening inside.

"Are you coming now?!" The voice was female and unfamiliar.

"Why did you do that? Set the alarm off, you know they'll be coming!" That was him.

"I told you, I'm not leaving you." The woman paused. "They'll turn off the inhibitors so we can use our powers."

"No, the shot they gave me won't wear off for another hour-I'm powerless!"

"Then we run."

Chapter 3 - Tested

Amy: Get rid of someone? I know they mean kill. I can't do that! But I can, I've already done it. Maybe that's all I am, all I can be: a killer. And these people saved me - I owe them. I have to help them. I have to try.

Beth: If only I could stay out of all this. I'm frightened. I know I'm not a fighter, not like them or Craig. But there's no going back now. Maybe none of us can stay out. Maybe this is our fate.

Audrey: We caught them. Some rescue attempt that had been. Why they can't just admit defeat I just don't know.

....................................................................................................................................................

The next day, Beth was standing at the same spot, shivering as she waited for her partner to arrive. She wondered what her first assignment would be, and if she would be able to complete it. It was not her safety she was afraid for. Although he had never said it, she had learned from Craig that joining the Organisation forced their members into dark deeds. She did not know if she could cope with that.

"You ready?"

She turned around at the voice. He was standing there, looking grim. She nodded.

"What is it?" she asked. "Where are we going?"

He did not answer.

"Are you even going to speak to me?"

He was silent. She understood. She was not yet trusted.

"Let's go then," she sighed. He indicated that another would teleport them there, then leave.

They reappeared outside a grimy flat. Her partner nodded at the door, indicating that those they were after were inside.

"Will you at least tell me what they can do?"

"I'll tell you what you need to know," he answered curtly. "They're a gang, 5 at the moment; they turned violent after the revelations of 5 years ago. One of them has information."

She nodded. She knew she would have nothing else. She began creating heat blasts as he stepped forwards to break down the door.

...................................................................................................................................................

Alone in her cell, Amy stared down at her hands and tried to gather her courage. It was difficult. She knew they would be coming soon; to take her away, take her to where he would be. And then she would have to kill him.

At the sound of the door opening, she looked up. Hetty was standing there, an expression of concern on her face. Amy swallowed.

"You ready?" she asked softly. "I'm sorry to ask you to do this, but no one else can. These are times where we all have to do difficult things."

Amy nodded. She had already learned that these people, the ones with abilities, were at war. Her people. And it seemed she had chosen her side.

"I have to be," she answered. Hetty inclined her head.

"We're going now," she whispered. "I'll take you there, and help as much as I can. Someone else will teleport us to where he lives."

Five minutes later they were standing outside his apartment. Amy stared at the door, half unable to believe what she was about to do.

"He's in there," Hetty said. "He doesn't know we're here, so it'll be quick."

"How can you tell that?" asked Amy, confused. "Can you hear thoughts as well?"

Hetty nodded.

"That's the power I was born with, me and my brother both. But our dad worked for one of the older companies, and they were testing this formula, one that gave abilities. They wanted to see what would happen with a natural. It gave me transformation, and Kent telekinesis. Anyway, enough distraction. It'll be better to get it over with."

She nodded towards the door. Amy created a bubble and they broke through.

....................................................................................................................................................

Immediately, Beth threw a heat blast at the nearest gang member, pushing him off his feet. As she did this, another used telekinesis to send debris towards her. She dodged the first, but the next hit her on the head. She raised herself from the ground, wiping blood from her face, and threw another heat blast towards her assailant. He was knocked of his feet, but he had used telekinesis to shield himself from the impact, and was not knocked unconscious. As he rose, she threw another blast, but he dodged it and telekinetically threw her backwards. Just in time she managed to use her limbs to shield her head. She threw another blast, this time concentrating it so that it would be as hot as she could produce. It contacted. He fell to the floor.

Pausing for breath, she glanced over at her partner. He was currently fighting an opponent who appeared to have superstrength, and was losing. His face was black with bruising, and his shirt was soaked in blood. Clearly telepathy had failed to stop this assailant. Seeing that his opponent had not noticed she was no longer fighting, she took advantage of his distraction, hitting him with a heat blast. He fell away. Her partner seized the opportunity to telekinetically knock him unconscious. He looked over at her and nodded his gratitude, then they both turned towards the remaining members.

They were both standing in the corner. One, a pale, blonde woman in her mid-30s, was watching coolly, her hands already frozen since the defeat of the others. The other, a girl in her late teens, was staring into space, an expression of fear on her face. But she also seemed to be concentrating hard: she was using some mental power. As she did this, the room began to blur. A feeling of terror was already building up inside Beth.

"No, resist it! It's a hallucination!" His mental voice startled Beth out of her nightmare. "I think I can reason with her, but I need you to fight the other while I do that!"

Beth nodded and swallowed. She had learned that cryokinesis was her weakness. But she had to try to fight. For Craig.

She started creating a heat blast and stepped forwards. The woman raised her hands, chilling the air in front of her to shield herself. Beth threw one blast, and swiftly created another. She knew that brute force would be needed to batter her way though this defence.

As they fought, her partner was trying to reason with the girl.

"Wendy, you don't have to be like this. You were with us once. Why don't you return to us?"

She looked up. Her eyes were dark and haunted, filled with pain and nightmares.

"After what you lot did to my sister?" she asked.

"That wasn't us, Wendy, and you know that. I'm sorry, but we've all lost people. It isn't enough reason to be like this. What would Simone think of you now?"

"It's more than that!" shouted Wendy. "She was all I had - now I'm trapped with my nightmares. Why should no one else be?"

As she shouted, the room began to blur once more. Her heat slipped out of Beth's grasp, and she was immediately frozen. She could hear someone crying, shouting her name. Craig. She struggled to reply but was too weak. She could tell he was in pain, weak, perhaps dying. He needed her. But she could do nothing.

....................................................................................................................................................

Amy surrounded herself by a bubble and entered. The man inside turned and looked at her, then over her shoulder. He sighed.

"I thought you'd come, Hetty."

He stood up, his arms braced in front of him, ready to fight. Hetty stepped forwards.

"You betrayed us, Craig."

He nodded in acknowledgement.

"I had to," he replied. "Have you come to execute me now?"

Without answering, Hetty transformed into a knife and darted towards his chest. He managed to hit the flat of the blade with his elbow, deflecting it. She fell to the floor and reverted to human form. As she did this, he darted forward and touched her shoulder. Blue orbs surrounded his hands. Hetty gasped, shaking, then collapsed.

Craig straightened and looked at Amy, who was trembling inside her bubble.

"You're just a kid," he muttered.

She stared at him, wondering why he was not attacking her. She steeled herself to do what she had to do. She gathered her anger at him for betraying the only people who had ever helped her, and the bubble began to glow.

As soon as it contacted him, he began to cry out in anguish. His skin was burning, and the heat was unbearable. His pain was clear on his face. Amy started shaking. She could not do this. It was different this time, deliberate. As the doubts crept into her mind, the bubble cooled. He looked up and gasped in relief. Stumbling forwards, he threw up his hands. As they contacted the weakening bubble, red orbs appeared. Suddenly he could pass through. Unable to do anything, Amy watched as the orbs reached her. Then everything went black.

....................................................................................................................................................

Regaining consciousness, Elan found herself in a Company cell. She jumped to her feet and looked around for Trey. He was lying unconscious on the other side of the room. She knelt beside him and checked his pulse and breathing.

"He's alive."

She span around at the voice, immediately on guard. Unnoticed before, there sat one of the guards, a woman she remembered from the fight as having superstrength.

"What have you done to him?" she asked.

"Just a sedative," dismissed Audrey. "He'll be out for hours. And powerless of course. You too, so don't try to escape. There's nothing you can do."

She paused, and looked directly at Elan.

"Well, not nothing."

Elan glared at her. She knew they were helpless. The woman did not need to taunt her.

"You don't believe me? You know what you can do. And it's not like you've never done it before."

"That was different!" she spat.

"Not every time."

Shocked, Elan stared. How did she know?

"You know how to do it. He's weak, easy, vulnerable. And it's the only way you can be free."

She shook her head. But she knew it was true. And she was tempted.

"All it takes is a touch. One to make him weaker, weak enough. And another to take his power."

Chapter 4 - Motives

Elan: How did she know about that? I thought no one did, they know too much about me. What are they doing to me? I couldn't do that again.

Craig: Why did they send a child? She can't be much older than 13! They couldn't think she'd kill me, did they? Sometimes I wonder who's worse: the Company or the Organisation.

....................................................................................................................................................

Raising her courage, Elan stared Audrey directly in the eyes.

"Drop dead," she replied. Audrey laughed.

"A pity your persuasion isn't working," she remarked.

"Do you really think I'd do anything to help your kind after what you did?"

Elan stood up, primed for a fight. As Audrey watched her quizzically, wondering what she was planning, she threw her fist into Audrey's face. Audrey blocked it easily and threw Elan down. She sighed.

"Do you give up now?"

Elan struggled to her feet and threw herself at Audrey once more. Again she was easily evaded, but this time as she fell she grasped Audrey's arm. Seizing her opportunity, she sent her mind inwards. Audrey collapsed.

Seeing that she was out cold, Elan turned to revive Trey. She saw that she was able to reverse the power inhibitor.

"What happened?" he asked groggily. She explained. He groaned.

"Please tell me you knew you'd be able to do that!"

"I knew," she lied. "Can you teleport us out of here now?"

....................................................................................................................................................

Beth strained to do something. It was not herself she was afraid for, but Craig. From her frozen core, she forced herself to produce heat, more than she had ever created before. She put all her strength into the blast. Suddenly her vision cleared.

"Craig?" she asked, frightened. The room was silent.

"Craig!"

She span at the sign of movement. Looking around, she saw 5 bodies lying unmoving. In the corner a figure was raising himself.

"Not Craig," he replied. "Your partner. We were on a mission, remember?"

She shook her head.

"What happened?"

"Wendy trapped you in a nightmare. I guess he was involved," he frowned. "But your defence was strong enough to knock both out."

She began to argue, but he interrupted.

"We need to return to base. Help me move these, will you? We're taking all 5 in."

As she bent down to help him lift the first, he added:

"Thanks for helping me back there."

She shook her head, indicating that none was needed.

"There's no need,....."

He smiled.

"Kent"

....................................................................................................................................................

Amy regained consciousness and found herself on the floor in Craig's apartment. Groggily she pieced together what had happened. Why had he not killed her?

"I took Hetty back to the base. They'll have found her by now," he told her. "But you're better off away from all that. You need to understand why I did it."

He shook his head.

"My girlfriend, Beth, didn't want anything to do with all this, so I tried to protect her from it. But I failed. Then I got captured on an assignment, and they told me they knew where she was. They'd take her if I didn't help them. I had to....."

He sighed.

"But of course the others will never understand. Once you turn that's it. No making up for it, however hard you try."

She stared. Surely if he explained all this they would understand?

"What are you going to do then?" she asked. He shook his head, he had no idea.

"Why did you keep me?"

He stood up.

"You're too young to get caught up in all this. Can't you see what it's like? What it does to you? It wasn't your idea to become an assassin."

She nodded. Then an idea struck her.

"Maybe if you do something to help them, you can prove that you haven't turned."

"What could I do?" he replied, distracted.

"I'll help you."

....................................................................................................................................................

Wendy paced up and down the room, trying to keep the nightmares at bay. It had been so long since she had been unable to extract them out on others. She had almost forgotten any other way of coping.

Alone and frightened, she whimpered as the room began to blur. Desperately she closed her eyes, praying for it to go away.

"Are you ready to help us yet, Wendy?"

The voice broke her out of her hallucination. She looked up with haunted eyes.

"Why should I help you? What have you ever done for me?"

"Wendy, we know you have information on the Company. We need it. You could help us defeat them. Don't you want to punish them for what they did to Simone?"

She stared coldly.

"You did that."

....................................................................................................................................................

Trey sat in the meeting room, waiting for his turn to be debriefed. He wondered how Elan was coping. They were bound to fault her for her decision to free him, her inability to explain why she knew it would be a trap.

He looked up as Kent entered the room.

"They still in there?" he asked. Trey nodded.

"They won't want to be disturbed," murmured Kent. "A report just came in. I better just give it to you."

He handed over the report and Trey began to read it. Immediately his expression changed to one of shock. Slowly he lowered the paper. His eyes were full of conflict.

"Trey?" asked Kent uncertainly. He did not seem to hear him, entrapped in his reaction. Kent sighed and left the room.

"I have to...." muttered Trey."If I wait for the others, he might get away again."

He teleported out.

Chapter 5 - Battles And Betrayal

Trey: I can't let him get away this time. I'll stop him, somehow. For all of his victims, for my family. For Frank.

Amy: What can we do to prove his loyalty? I can't think of anything. If only we knew what they were trying to do, then we could help. But we don't. If we try something, we could ruin it.

Kent: Where did he go to? Why did he leave like that? All the time I've known him, he's never acted like this. Never left us in the lurch, disappeared without any explanation. It seems that everyone's changing recently.

....................................................................................................................................................

As Elan re-entered the meeting room, she noticed that Trey was no longer there. She turned. Hetty and Kent were discussing urgently in lowered voices. She went up to them.

"Where's Trey gone?" she asked.

"Vanished into thin air," muttered Kent sourly. She frowned. There must have been a reason.

"What happened?"

"He freaked at a report," answered Kent. "He was acting really weird, then after I left he just....went. Teleported out. No explanation or anything."

"That's the report there," he added. "Anyway, we can't waste our time on him. Craig seems to have caught Amy, but we can get her back from him."

Turning away, Elan picked up the file. She did not believe that Trey had simply abandoned them. Starting to read it, she exclaimed as she noted the description of the assailant, a metallic-handed stranger. Now she understood.

"Don't you understand?" she asked, then paused. Something did not make sense. "How much do you know of Trey's past?"

"Not much," answered Hetty, shrugging. "He didn't say, and none of us asked. You know how it is these days - everyone has secrets."

Elan started. It seemed he had told no one else. But then why tell her?

"Are you coming then?"

She started and glanced up. Kent was looking at her in concern.

"What?" she asked. He sighed.

"After Craig and Amy!"

She shook her head.

"I can't leave Trey."

....................................................................................................................................................

Maria sat coolly in her cell, wandering what had happened to the others. Not that it mattered. They had been nothing more than a temporary tool, her ticket to this place. And now she was in.

"Maria?"

She focused on the telepathic communication. It was them.

"Hello?" she replied.

"Report."

"I'm in," she stated. "From what I've been able to overhear, most will be out on a mission later today. A few will be remaining on guard, of course. I can't do anything about that. Is the tracer working?"

"Affirmative."

She sighed. It had worked. They would be able to trace its signal to the Organisation's base.

"And my payment?"

"As we agreed."

She smiled. Soon they would be here.

....................................................................................................................................................

"First we have to get out of here," said Craig. "By now, Hetty'd have told them what happened. They'll be coming to try again."

As soon as he had said that, they heard noises outside.

"That could be them," he whispered. He gestured her into the corner. "Just get your bubble up and don't get involved. Stay out of it, ok?"

She nodded, frightened. She could hardly believe that this type of thing happened. That allies, friends, could find themselves fighting to the death. She was shaking. She glanced over at Craig, who was standing near the door, prepared to absorb the ability of whoever entered. He nodded reassuringly at her.

The door began shaking violently. She trembled. Craig appeared calm, on the outside at least. He glanced at her again. As the door was forced open, he darted forwards and grabbed the nearest: Kent. A green orb appeared on his hand. Kent fell, being drained of energy. Behind him, Hetty reached for the orb, intending to drain Craig. He saw what she was attempting and stepped back. He put out his hand placatingly.

"You don't understand," he began. "I didn't turn. I had to lead you to that trap - the Company'd found Beth. You know what they're like, what they'd do if I'd have refused. But I'm going to make up for it. Somehow. I promise."

Hetty glared at him. She could not attack without leaving her brother vulnerable.

"How do I know you're not lying?" she spat.

"You're still alive, both of you," he pointed out. "Would a Company agent have spared you?"

She hesitated. He was right. And she could not execute him while in doubt. She paused, then left.

....................................................................................................................................................

Waiting outside the house, Trey calmed himself. He knew he could not afford to let his emotions rule him now. Could not afford to make any mistakes, as he'd done in every previous encounter. He inhaled a deep breath, ignited his hands and entered.

Immediately, the man dodged the flames. He turned, raising metallic hands, and grinned manically as he recognised Trey. Slowly he approached.

"You," he muttered. "I wondered when we'd meet again. Did you think I was dead?"

"No, I knew no one but me would kill you."

Mathias laughed sourly.

"You?"

As he spoke, he effortlessly dodged the flames and electricity that Trey threw at him.

"You could never kill me. It'll be your death."

He paused, then ripped at Trey with his deadly hands.

"Just like I killed your entire family. It'll be fun to have gotten you all at last."

Trey mimicked Mathias, blocking him with metal of his own. He gasped.

"That's why I'll be the one who kills you!" he shouted. He telekinetically threw Mathias into the wall. Mathias rose easily.

"How are you going to do that then?" Mathias asked, attacking once more. Trey barely parried. He threw himself out of the way, then rose again.

Desperately he hurled all he could think of at Mathias, but nothing had any effect. If not for his enhanced endurance, he would have already been dead.

"Aren't you supposed to ask why I'm doing this?" taunted Mathias. He paused.

"No, I already know.....what you are," replied Trey, panting. His eyes were filled with hate.

"But do you know why?" asked Mathias, feinting towards Trey. As Trey threw up his hand to block him, he smiled menacingly. "You really don't know?"

He relished the expression of confusion on Trey's face.

"Did you really believe that your brother was the angel you apparently think he was?" He laughed. "Did you never wonder why he was so eager to stop me? It was guilt."

Mathias smiled at the horror and pain on Trey's face. He converted into full metal form and hurled himself at Trey, who could do nothing. In this form he had no immunity to it.

Chapter 6 - Flames

Elan: Should I go after him? He might need help, but this is none of my business. I'm not involved. Would I want him to interfere if I had the chance to go after the Company leaders? I don't know what to do. I don't think I would. Should I interfere?

Hetty: Why did he spare us? Is he telling the truth? I know, I should have used telepathy to see. But I didn't think of that. Maybe I'll go back after returning Kent to the base.

Mathias: I've got him now. Did he really never know? Did he never doubt his brother? It seems he didn't know Frank Bourne at all - what a shame. And I'll finally have my revenge on him.

....................................................................................................................................................

Elan paced up and down in the corridor outside the cells. After refusing to leave Trey, she had realised that perhaps he would not want her there. She was unable to decide what to do. She had admitted to herself that in his position she would not want anyone to interfere. It was too personal. And it was not like Trey could not protect himself. She shook herself. She was probably overreacting. He didn't need her help.

But, now she had decided she should not follow him, it was too late to join Hetty and Kent in confronting Craig. She sighed in exasperation. Why did she do this? Always making the wrong decision. What could she do now?
She stopped, noticing where her pacing had brought her. Wendy was in that cell. She wondered whether she would have any more success in talking to her. She sighed. It was worth a try. She opened the cell, and entered carefully.

The girl looked up at her with haunted eyes. Elan knew she had to be careful, or she would only find herself trapped in a nightmare. If the girl had not been so dispirited, it might have already happened.

"Why won't you help us, Wendy?" she asked softly. Wendy did not even look at her. She sighed. She could persuade her to tell them, but she always hated using that ability. It felt tainted.

"I know you blame us for Simone's death," she whispered, "but it was the Company that did that, not us. By keeping what you know a secret, you're helping them."

Wendy stared at her.

"It was you who took her there."

Elan sat down beside her.

"Look, I know what it's like to lose someone. Kay killed my brother as well. I blamed the Organisation for failing to save him at first, too. But then I realised that by fighting the Company I could avenge him."

"You know nothing of how I feel!" hissed Wendy, rising. The room began to blur.

"Wendy, stop that!"

Nothing changed. Then Elan heard the sounds of fighting.

"Wendy!" she shouted, forcing herself to use persuasion. "Stop what you're doing!"

Immediately the room righted itself. But the noises did not stop. Elan knew what that meant.

"Stay here!" she commanded. She filled her hands with electricity and ran out of the room.

....................................................................................................................................................

Trey tried desperately to do something. The only thing he knew was that he would not let himself die like this, beaten by his brother's killer, his family unavenged. The next thing he knew, Mathias was blocked by a shield of air. Trey sighed. Aerokinesis. That was how Frank had saved himself the first time he faced Mathias.

He rose, filling his hands with blue flames, even more determined to kill Mathias since he had taunted him about Frank.

"My brother had nothing to do with the things you've done!" he shouted. "He only wanted to stop you because you're a monster! You murdered innocent people, and he knew you had to be stopped! You'll die for that!"

Mathias simply laughed. Trey could sense that he was completely unafraid.

"You know I'm right," he replied chillingly. That was when Trey realised he could discover the truth. He read Mathias' mind, only to throw himself away, repulsed. It was true.

"No!" he gasped. His hands fell and the fire was extinguished. He was too horrified to do anything.

Mathias seized his opportunity, transforming into full metal form once more. He grinned maniacally as he bore down upon Trey. Then stared in confusion, at the solid wall that was now blocking him. He punched the wall in frustration, but it had no effect.

On the other side of the wall, Trey also stared in confusion. That wall had not been there a second ago. What was happening?

"Are you coming? Or will you just gawp until it wears off?"

He started at the voice, and turned to face the speaker. Then he understood. Reality distortion.

"Are you coming?" repeated the stranger. Dazed, Trey nodded. He was still in shock at the day's revelation. Seeing that the man did not know where to go, he added:

"I'll teleport us there."

....................................................................................................................................................

Upon seeing the first Company agent, Elan immediately threw a handful of electricity at him, then ducked to avoid the returning fire. As she created another bolt, she found herself flying into the wall. Telekinesis. In the last second she succeeded in slowing herself.

"Stop this!" she commanded. But it had no effect: one of the attackers was a telepath and was blocking her persuasion. She shrugged. It had been worth a try. She telekinetically threw back another attacker, and ran into a second using superspeed. As she did this, she dodged a fireball. The room was filling with smoke. She coughed, her eyes streaming and her breath catching in her throat. She stumbled forwards, crashing into an opponent. Immediately, she sent her mind inwards and knocked him unconscious. She noticed it was the pyrokinetic.

At the sound of crackling, she turned around, and dove out of the way as another tried to freeze her. She cursed. It was Maria, one of the prisoners. They must have reached the cells and freed them, let them loose to wreak as much havoc as possible. Blindly she fumbled until she found the pyrokinetic once more, and took his power. She had to. It was the only way she'd be able to fight cryokinesis.

She stumbled to her feet, filling her hands with fire, and ran towards Maria. When they crashed into each other, the resulting concussion threw the two backwards. Elan rose and attacked again. In the back of her mind, she knew she'd have to leave soon. But she would not run with Company agents left unfought. She threw all the fire she had towards Maria.
Suddenly, she fell forwards, her fire suddenly unopposed. She extinguished it before it could burn the woman, now trembling from an unseen fear. Elan understood what was happening: it was a nightmare. It had to be. But why?

She turned around to see Wendy there, as she knew she would. Looking at her, Elan could see that her hate towards them all was undiminished. Then why had she helped?

Focusing on her, Elan read her thoughts and understood. She simply wished to fight the Company, and Maria had turned to them. Her consciousness struggling, she managed to read Wendy's secret before passing out.

....................................................................................................................................................

As soon as Hetty arrived at their base, carrying her brother unconscious in her arms, she knew something was wrong. An eerie silence filled the air, and smoke was pouring out of the building. She hesitated, torn between the need to search the building for survivors and the need to stay with Kent. Seeing movement, she instinctively hid both of them in the shadows, and watched as a young girl ran out of the building. She watched as the flames began to tear it down.

Staring in sorrow, she jumped as two figures teleported near her, then relaxed as the recognised the nearest. Trey. Although the second was a stranger, she knew any ally of his was an ally of the Organisation.
He noticed them both and approached them.

"What happened to Kent?" he asked, concerned.

"Craig," she answered. "But he's OK, just knocked unconscious. He'll return in a while. Who's that?"

Trey indicated towards his companion.

"Him? Hex Rodriguez - he's a reality distorter. And he's one of us. He saved me."

She nodded, reassured. Then she remembered.

"Where's Elan?" she asked. "She went to find you."

"Elan?" he replied questioningly, clearly worried. "I haven't seen her since yesterday."

She frowned.

"That's what she said," Hetty muttered. "She said she'd be going after you, that she couldn't leave you...."

Suddenly an idea struck her.

"You don't think she could be in there?" she indicated.

He paled. Then he had vanished, teleporting into the fire.

Chapter 7 - Rising From The Ruins

Hetty: What do we do now? We've lost our HQ, all our information, all captives.....everything. Will we have to run again? How can we fight the Company without a base?

Craig: They left. I wasn't sure whether she'd believe me, and I didn't know how I'd get out of that. Not without fighting them for real. But I still don't know what I could do to prove myself, to earn redemption for turning.

....................................................................................................................................................

Immediately after teleporting into the fire, Trey searched around for Elan. Although he had pyrokinesis which would protect him at need from the heat and the flames, it did nothing against the thick smoke pouring in from the heart of the building, coiling in the air and smothering him. And he knew that Elan had no protection at all. He had little time.

"Elan?!" he called with difficulty. Silence was the only reply. Unable to see clearly, he was forced to stumble around blindly, searching. He noticed that in one part of the room the ceiling was collapsed, and he was struck by an idea. Elan would have run out of the building unless trapped. Perhaps she was under the rubble.

Using telekinesis, he pushed away the heavier pieces, then created fire to see clearly. There was a figure lying prone and unconscious in the corner, badly crushed but somehow unburned. He realised that she must have taken pyrokinesis from whichever Company agent started the blaze. But that had not protected her form smoke damage or the rubble. He knelt beside her and healed her.

She groaned and slowly regained her feet, smiling as she recognised him.

"Will you teleport us out?" she asked. He nodded. "I need to get to the others - I found out what Wendy knew. She helped me, in the end."

She smiled.

"Thanks for the rescue, by the way."

....................................................................................................................................................

Kent regained consciousness with a groan. He looked up, recognising the outline of his sister. Her back was turned to him, as she talked to another and watched the flames devouring a nearby building. From the tone of her voice, which was low and urgent, he could tell that she was troubled. He stared at the building, certain that he should recognise it. He was still having difficulty focusing. Then it clicked. It was their base!

"What happened?" he gasped. Immediately Hetty span around.

"You're awake, Kent!" she nodded towards the ruins. "The Company found us, somehow. Attacked while we were confronting Craig. We were just lucky there weren't more of us in there."

The name stuck in his head. He knew there was more to it.

"Craig!" he exclaimed. "He must have known this would happen. Keeping Amy was a distraction to draw us out so they could do this!"

She shook her head, clearly in doubt.

"You don't believe him?" he asked in disbelief. Suddenly he remembered the other.

"Who's that?" he asked jerkily, indicating with his thumb.

"Hex," she muttered, then added, "Trey vouched for him."

Kent snorted.

"Trey? You trust him? After he just buggered off on us?"

Hetty stared at her brother in disbelief. In all her life, she had never seen him so distrusting. Not after their father, not after all the allies who had turned, not after all the traps.......why this time?

Just as she was about to ask him what had changed him, she noticed movement. She turned around to see Trey and Elan teleporting. Distracted, she breathed a sigh of relief, and ran forward to see if there was anything she could do to help.

....................................................................................................................................................

Amy breathed a sigh of relief as she watched Kent and Hetty leave and dropped her bubble. She had been dreading a fight.

"Is that over with?" she asked shakily. Craig nodded.

"Yes, she won't be coming back. I think I almost managed to convince her. But I still don't know what I....what we will do next."

She nodded, relieved that he had accepted her decision.

"Is there any way for you to find out what they're planning to do next?" she asked. "We could help them then."

He started to shake his head, then remembered. There was one way. One person he could ask.

"There is something," he began. Seeing the hopeful expression on her face, he warned, "It'll be far from easy. He won't want to help me, but we have to make him."

....................................................................................................................................................

Angrily, Audrey paced up and down in her office, barely seeing it in her rage. She had been promoted after she had created the plot to get to their HQ. But now she had failed. Even though the building had burned to the ground, most had not been there and had therefore survived.

"Are you sure they weren't there?" she asked coldly. Unintimidated, Maria simply stared back at her.

"The empath - Bourne - and the Borks were out on missions. But there was one there. She fought me. Out cold when I left."

Audrey started. Had one of them been killed?

"Which one?" she demanded.

"The Greene girl, the power thief."

Audrey swore under her breath. It was too much to hope for that that one had been removed. She was a constant thorn in the Company's side, and, on a more personal level, Audrey's pride still smarted from when she had bested her. Beaten by a girl, almost powerless! And then to be spared, to be left with her power as if she wasn't enough of a threat to require elimination! She had been careless that time, but not again. And the Greene girl would pay.

"She's powerful," she muttered under her breath. "She might have survived."

"She would have," replied Maria. "Before I left she'd taken pyrokinesis. But the building collapsed......"

Audrey slammed her hands down on the table.

"Enough! Don't try to hide your failure with claims of success!"

"I didn't fail. My mission was to lead you to their base, not to make certain that all would be killed."

Audrey glared at her. How dare she think it was her who could negotiate the terms?

"You failed," she repeated. "If you want that money, you have to do more."

....................................................................................................................................................

Elan trembled as she watched the last of their base, her home for the last 4 years, fall into the flames. Her eyes followed the smoke as it coiled and curled upwards, and she remembered how close she had come to dying today. If not for Trey. She shivered and shook her head. There was no point in dwelling on that, or on how they had found them. All they could do was fight back.

"What do we do now?" asked Hetty. "We've lost everything: our base, our other members, all the information we had, the prisoners......we can't do anything now."

"Are you planning on giving up then?" asked Kent harshly. They all shook their heads. They knew there was no giving up, no going back after fighting for so long.

"So what are we going to do?" asked Hex. They were silent. None knew the answer. Then Elan remembered.

"I got the information from Wendy," she said. "She knew where one of their HQs is. We can attack, make them pay for this....."

Kent shook his head.

"No, she was part of the trap. You said Maria was an agent of theirs, so they knew we had Wendy. They'll know we're coming."

"We have to!" she insisted. "What, are you going to let them get away with this? What are you planning to do?"

Kent sighed.

"We'll go find somewhere else to set up a new base. I've got a few places in mind. Not as safe as this one was, but, well, good enough for now. We might be able to find some of the others too."

Trey could recognise the stubborn look on Elan's face.

"You're going anyway, aren't you?" he asked her quietly. "Need any help?"

She smiled.

....................................................................................................................................................

Craig glanced around the darkened room, which was exactly as he'd remembered. Exactly as it had been 3 years ago, the last time he'd been here. The last time he'd faced this man, something he'd hoped he'd never have to do again.

"I never thought you'd return."

The words, calmly and emotionlessly spoken, penetrated through the darkness and filled the room. Craig swallowed.

"I need your help," he began. "I need you to find out something for me."

"Help you?" questioned the other. Craig rose to his feet.

"It's not just me. This is about fighting the Company."

At those words the man jumped up, clearly angry. His eyes flashed. He walked around his desk towards Craig. Behind him, Amy shivered, but her bubble did not rise. She wondered why.

"We lost," he said bitterly, then turned around, indicating at them to leave. Craig stepped forward and grabbed his arm. The other simply stared at Craig's hand.

"That was only one fight!" shouted Craig. "The war's still going on! Why won't you fight any more?"

The man was silent for several minutes. Then he replied.

"You know why. I lost everything then," he whispered hoarsely.

"Would you have me lose everything as well?" asked Craig. But his words had no effect. At that moment, Amy stepped forward, seeing that he was not succeeding. The man noticed her for the first time. He swallowed audibly. He could not tear his eyes from her. He nodded abruptly.

"All right, you win! I'll help you, just the once! Only information, mind!"

Chapter 8 - Ambush

Amy: Who is he? How can he help us? And why won't Craig tell me anything? He used to talk, but not anymore. Have I done something wrong? What's happened to him? What happened to this man? It's obvious that something has! What have I gotten myself into?

Elan: Is Kent right? Will this be a trap? It doesn't matter - I can't just run like some frightened little child. If we run they'll find us, hunt us down, kill us while we're cowering. Like Daniel. But not me. I'm going to keep on fighting, even if there's no hope of victory. We just have to be more careful.

Beth: Where are they? They said they'd contact me with a new assignment, but they've been silent for days. Why am I certain that's a bad thing? I just know that something's gone wrong.

....................................................................................................................................................

Amy stared at the man. She knew that, for some reason, it had been the sight of her that had changed his mind. She did not understand why. And he, with his bitterness and tone of defeat, frightened her. She wondered what had happened, to make him this way. Was it something in particular, or just the effect of fighting for so many years? Would this happen to her? She shivered. She would not let it. Somehow.

"Who is he?" she muttered to Craig. "How can he help us?"

He sighed.

"His name's Stevens. He was in the Organisation - I worked with him for 2 years. His entire family was with us. But then....."

Suddenly, Craig remembered that he was there. He shook his head, and looked up at Stevens.

"Thank you," he said softly, then hesitated. "Katy'd be proud of you."

"Proud? It was her pride that got her killed, and our daughter too!"

Craig said nothing. He knew how meaningless an apology would sound. Stevens sighed.

"Let's just get this over with," he muttered. He concentrated, grimacing.

"What's the Company planning?" asked Craig.

"How could he know that?" whispered Amy.

"That's his power. Everything he says becomes truth," he answered.

Seeing the expression of awe on her face, he added, "It's not that powerful. He couldn't make us win by saying it, or anything. Just small things, like saying that an attack will be deflected, or saying that no one could use their power here. Or saying that he'd know what they're planning."

Stevens looked up. They both broke off their conversation, waiting for the answer.

"I know what they're planning," he began. He took a deep breath. "They have a trap. Information they recently leaked. They'll be waiting for you to attack."

Amy paled. After experiencing being the Company's prisoner, she would not wish that fate on any. Especially not those who had helped her.

"We have to warn them!" she exclaimed.

....................................................................................................................................................

Once she had entered, Hetty stared around the house. She had believed, hoped desperately, that she would never return here. When she and her brother had joined the Organisation, they had thought they were escaping their past. If that was at all possible.

"Sorry," muttered Kent, smiling apologetically. "It's all I could think of."

She nodded.

"I'd have had to face up to it sometime."

"What do we do now?" she sighed. "None of the others will know where to find us. Maybe we should have gone with Trey and Elan."

"Maybe that's for the best," he muttered. "Maybe we can't trust any of them anymore."

She stared at him. How could he possibly think that?

"What's happened to you, Kent?" she questioned, hesitating. "If you can't trust anyone anymore, how can you stay with the Organisation?"

He stared at her in return, horrified by what she had just revealed. But she was right. Trusting your comrades was an integral part of the battle. How could he fight anymore?

"Maybe you're right," he sighed. "Maybe I can't do this anymore....."

Downcast, he stared at the floor. Hetty tried to reassure him, but could not think of anything to say. He was right. He could not continue like this. But the Organisation was all he'd known since he'd killed their father. He walked to the door, hesitated and turned.

"You can still use this place as a temporary base," he said. He was silent for a few minutes. "Good luck, sister."

Then he left without looking back.

....................................................................................................................................................

Elan and Trey teleported outside the Company building: a dimly illuminated, dismal building half-hidden in its own shadows. She indicated that they should wait until the guard had passed on his patrol.

"After he's gone, we'll have to find a way in," she whispered. "They're bound to have anti-teleportation devices in there."

"I could use reality distortion," he replied. "Make a door in that wall."

She nodded. It was the best answer they had.

"Trey?" she hesitated. "Why did you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" he asked, distracted.

"About.....about Frank. None of the others know - I asked, and they knew nothing of your past. Why me?"

He was silent.

"Trey?"

"I knew about your brother. You should know," he said brusquely.

She hesitated. He was not himself.

"Did you kill him then? Hiller?"

"No," he answered shortly. "He got away."

She sighed. Was this what was wrong?

"You'll get him next time," she offered. He shrugged. Something was still on his mind.

"What's wrong, Trey?" she asked.

"It's....." he sighed. "I finally found out the truth. About Mathias. About Frank. It was his fault, he....caused him to be like he is.....Frank told me then that he'd investigated Hiller before, in a GBH case. He was found guilty, but got off on bail. I knew Frank thought that might have set him off but....."

Elan waited.

"He.....he fixed the evidence so that Hiller'd be convicted. Hiller lost everything that day. That was why he killed, something'd broken in him and he wanted to hurt....to pay the world back.....he didn't see any reason not to. That was why he went after our family. To get to Frank."

Elan stared.

"And you believed him?" she exclaimed.

"No!" shouted Trey. "Not at first. Then I read his mind. It's true."

She paused. There must be some way around that. Then she realised.

"Even if Hiller thought it was true, he could have been wrong," she suggested. Trey shrugged, unconsoled by this. "It could be! Trey, you knew your brother! Who would you trust, him or Hiller?"

"You can find out for yourself," she said suddenly. "After this you could go back, see for yourself! Give him a chance, Trey."

....................................................................................................................................................

"Where is this place?" asked Beth.

"It was our family home," answered Hetty. "Kent's left - he can't fight anymore. Hex's gone to try to contact more of us - he says he knows a few."

"What are we going to do then?"

Hetty sighed. Beth could tell she did not know the answer.

"Can't we do anything to help Trey and Elan?" asked Beth. Before Hetty could answer, they heard sounds at the door.

"You said no one knew we were here," whispered Beth. Hetty indicated for silence, and they both crept towards the entrance, each preparing in her own way for a fight. Beth created a heat blast, and Hetty readied herself to transform. The door creaked open.

Beth dropped her heat blast in shock. It was Craig.

"Hetty, you have to listen to me," he argued. "It doesn't matter whether you trust me, you're in danger. Whoever went to attack the Company - it's a trap!"

"How did you know about that?" gasped Hetty in shock.

"Stevens," he answered. "Amy managed to persuade him. Just to tell us, he won't be helping more. Who went then? We need to warn them, save them!"

"It was Trey and Elan," said Beth. "Will you be going?"

"No," answered Hetty. "We all will."

....................................................................................................................................................

Trey noticed that the guard had passed. He interrupted Elan to indicate that he now would distort the wall to create an entrance. As he pressed his hand against the wall to alter it, he nodded his acceptance of her advice. Then he grasped her shoulder, and they both entered invisibly.

"Where do we go now?" he whispered.

"According to Wendy, there's a lock-up on the fourth level, and their information's kept on the sixth. We should go to both. Split up?"

He nodded, though he could not shake the feeling that this was a bad idea. He told himself not to be so paranoid. Elan could look after herself.

Separating, he continued towards the lifts to reach the fourth level. Behind him, Elan crept carefully to the stairs. She had to be more careful: without him she was no longer invisible. She checked that the pathway was clear using telepathy then ran forwards and up. Stopping at the sixth, she paused again.

Slowly she crept up to the door. If the plans Wendy had discovered were correct, everything the Organisation needed was behind this door. She gently pushed it open.

Immediately, she was forced to dodge a bolt of fire. Seconds after that, she was hit by electricity. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she criticised herself for not being more careful. She had known it should be an ambush. She should have been prepared for a fight.

She threw her own lightning in response, determined to fight, then followed that with fire. Seeing an opportunity, she darted forwards to use human manipulation on the nearest agent. Coolly, she noted that Maria was among the others. It seemed she had turned wholly. She filled her hands with fire to fight this traitor. Completely focused on her opponent, she did not notice another coming behind her. She did not notice until she was hit using superstrength in the base of the neck. She crumbled.

Chapter 9 - Captive

Hetty: What can we do to help them? Elan told us the location, but that's all. None of the details, not their plans after entering. Maybe all we can do is to attack, distract the agents inside. If that's all we can do, then that's what we will do. It'll give them a better chance, anyway.

Trey: She's right. I can't believe that of Frank. After we've finished this mission, I'll go back, see for myself. But I have to get through this first.

Amy: Can I do this? This'll be my first battle. What if I mess up? What if I get caught again? What if someone else gets caught, or killed, and it's my fault?

Elan: You idiot!! How many times did I tell myself to be careful? And still I walk straight into the trap! I'm caught now. I can't possibly fight all these, not with me injured.

....................................................................................................................................................

Reaching the door to the lock-up, Trey paused and used telepathy to check whether there were any guards inside. All he could pick up were frightened, worried thoughts - all prisoners. Listening more closely, he learned that all the agents had been removed for a special mission. He wondered what that could be. But he couldn't afford the distraction: it was the here and now, his mission, that mattered. After all, they would probably learn what it was sooner rather than later. He telekinetically manipulated the lock and entered.

Darting inside quickly, he scanned the area then regained visibility. In the nearest cell, a young woman looked up, unsurprised: she'd known he was there. He wondered whether she was telepathic, or did she also have invisibility? As he approached the door to her cell she stood up.

"Who are you?" she asked. Despite the fear and nervousness he could sense in her thoughts, her voice and expression were perfectly calm.

"I'm from the Organisation," he replied. "We came to break you out."

From her face, he could tell that she was not a member, but knew of them, knew that they fought the Company and the manipulation of their kind. She was also confused: she did not understand how he could free them.

Despite himself, he smiled, and telekinetically broke the lock.

"How....how did you?" she exclaimed.

"I've got multiple abilities," he explained. "Empathic mimicry. Are you coming or not?"

Startled, she nodded and walked to the door. Turning to the next cell, he noted that the prisoner there was a young girl, barely in her teens. She was lying curled up in the corner. As he approached, he suddenly noticed two glowing blue figures above her head, one lighter than the other, and he could sense all of her emotions precisely. He also knew, somehow, that he could use this new power to manipulate her emotions. He shook his head and called out to her. Raising her head, she started and drew away from the door in fear. Resigned, he realised he had no other choice, and used her ability to overcome her fear so that she would escape.

"Sorry about that, but I had to," he explained. "I came here to free you all, we can help you. What's your name?"

"Danielle Grace," she whispered.

"I'm Trey," he replied.

He turned to the last cell, noting that its inhabitant was hidden in the shadows.

"Hello?" he called. At the sound of his voice, the man inside raised his head and looked directly at him. All Trey could do was stare in shock.

"I thought you were dead!" he finally managed to gasp. "I heard Becker killed you once you finally managed to find him......"

....................................................................................................................................................

Hex glanced around carefully before using his ability to unlock the front door. Inside, he called out to her.

"Rachel? Rachel, are you here?"

"Hex?"

He nodded.

"What are you doing here, Hex?" she asked. He knew it was not that he was unwelcome, they were old friends. But that was the reason they avoided each other. It was too risky. Neither wanted to bring the Company to the other, just in case they were being tracked.

"Sorry," he began, "but we really need your help. We need anyone who'll join us, help us. And I know you hate the Company as much as I do."

"You have no idea," she muttered, then stopped. "We?"

He said nothing. She sighed, shaking her head.

"You joined the Organisation."

It was not a question.

"It wasn't exactly deliberate," he admitted. "It just.....kind of happened. Well? Will you help us?"

She paused, then nodded.

"So fast? I thought I'd have more of a struggle than that!" he laughed.

Then he noticed the signs of sorrow in her expression.

"What's happened?" he asked softly.

"They've taken Sarah," she whispered. He sighed. No wonder her hatred had increased. Sarah was her sister, whom she had lost as a teenager: when Sarah manifested she'd had to go into hiding. They'd only found each other a few months ago. And now she'd lost her again.

He paused. He knew that she'd stop at nothing to save her sister. It would be the perfect recruitment. But could he use that against her?

....................................................................................................................................................

Elan groaned in pain, trying desperately to keep fighting, and holding on to her consciousness with a fragile grasp. In vain, she attempted to block the punches raining down on her from Audrey. She tried to create electricity, but it fell from her hands without causing any harm to her antagonists. She was in too much pain to concentrate enough to use telekinesis, and her hands were too slippery with her own blood to risk using human manipulation. She didn't know whether it could backfire on her, but she didn't want to risk it.

As another blow made contact, she blacked out for a few seconds. She knew she couldn't hold on much longer. And she knew that they would not spare her. They knew full well her hatred for the Company, her determination to bring it down - she was too dangerous to be kept a prisoner.

She struggled to her feet, gasping for air, to fall down into her own blood. The impact nearly made her scream aloud, but her determination to show no weakness won. That same determination forced her to stare directly at her attackers, filling her hands with electricity although she was past defending herself. That electricity flickered and died. Struggling, she finally managed to get pyrokinesis to stay.

"Go to h***" she spat at Audrey, who simply chuckled. She knew that there was nothing Elan could do. Looking into her eyes, she saw that Audrey would enjoy this. She saw the hate in them.

Elan raised her hands with considerable difficulty, and braced herself for the killer blow. She reflexively closed her eyes as Audrey's fist swung towards her head. Bitterly she thought that she'd never be able to avenge her brother's death.

Waiting for that blow, time seemed to drag impossibly slowly, almost to have stopped. Elan opened her eyes, to see an expression of utter shock on Audrey's face. One she knew must be mirrored on her own.

Audrey's fist was blocked by a barrier. Reaching out, Elan felt that it was made of air. And it was hers. But how? She had no aerokinesis. She knew that, she was certain of it. And nothing else could create this.

Slowly, she rose, the shield expanding as she did so. She reached out with her mind, sensing a connection with the air molecules. Her thoughts full of unanswerable questions; she willed this ability to defend her offensively. She watched mutely, still in disbelief, as her antagonists began to strain for breath, asphyxiated as the air drew away from them. As the last one fell, she relaxed, and the barrier dropped. The connection was now gone. Carefully, she lowered herself to the ground, trying to process what had happened.

....................................................................................................................................................

Amy shivered as she looked up at the nearby Company building, looming threateningly out of its own shadow. Although she knew nothing could penetrate her bubble, she was still afraid. Not for herself, for her companions. Not for her own safety anyway.

She could still hardly believe that she was here. One of the Organisation. About to fight the Company. About to deliberately use her ability to kill.
She glanced at the others for reassurance. Beth noticed her, and nodded then smiled apologetically. She smiled back. She knew Beth was as unused to this as she was. Craig looked over at the two, his eyes hard. She knew he had tried to protect her from this. But perhaps that was impossible. And a part of her wanted to fight. To confront those who had torn her from the safety of what remained of her familiar life, from her home and the people who cared for her after the fire that had killed her father. To fight for her people.

"You ready?" asked Hetty to the 3 of them. They all replied affirmatively, Amy nodding as she did not trust herself to have voice to speak. Then they attacked.

Hetty immediately transformed into a gun, firing at the nearest guards, then a knife to ensure they were all killed. Craig ran forward to drain their energies, while behind him Beth fired heat blasts, throwing agents backwards. Amy swallowed, then started to approach, her bubble glowing orange. She closed her eyes, wishing she could close her ears as the first screams started.

A siren began screeching. Amy, remembering the brief Hetty'd given them, knew that this meant more agents were being summoned. At least their plan was working. She forced herself to remember that this was for Elan and Trey; that this might save the 2 people who had saved her. She continued on, safe inside her bubble, but always conscious of her victims, always more conscious of her unprotected allies.

....................................................................................................................................................

After teleporting out those he'd freed to a safe location, Trey returned to fetch Elan. He paused outside the door. Using telepathy, he could sense that she was alone and safe. But he could also sense that something was wrong. He knew by now that it'd been a trap, but that shouldn't be enough to disturb her like this. Something more must have happened.

Entering, he took in the dead agents, her injuries, and the fact that there was no information here so they'd been misinformed. But she'd killed before, and been injured worse. They all had been deceived before.

"What happened, Elan?" he asked softly.

She rose and shrugged, numb.

"I'm not sure," she replied slowly. "Did you have more success than me?"

He nodded.

"I teleported them out."

"Well, at least we managed something. It wasn't a completely wasted mission."

He paused. How could he make her tell him what had happened?
Suddenly she looked up at him. Her eyes were troubled and conflicted.

"Elan?" he questioned.

"I....I don't know how.....but....I used aerokinesis. To shield myself, and then to kill them," she admitted. "I've never taken it!"

He sighed. He understood now - what had happened, and why it had disturbed her so. She was not consciously aware of what she'd done, because the truth would be too painful. And he would not be the one to make her realise it.

"Are you coming back now?" he asked. She smiled.

"Remember, you need to go back to find out the truth about Frank now."

He nodded. She paused. Should she go with him? Although she doubted it, what he'd learned from Hiller could still be true. And if that turned out to be the case, he might need a friend there to support him.

"Do you....would you want some company?" she offered. "Just in case...."

They teleported out, back to 6 years ago.

....................................................................................................................................................

Craig fought on, using whatever power he could get his hands on - currently he was borrowing photokinesis from an agent he had most recently incapacitated. Fully engaged in the battle, he was unable to notice anything that was happening to the others. Amy was also fully distracted, concentrating only on holding her bubble and ignoring all signs of the pain she was causing her opponents. Hetty was not even in human form. Beth, having just dispatched one opponent, stepped forward to take on another. She paused. She would have to be careful - he was showing no signs of what his ability was. She raised her hands, and hurled a heat blast. Only to scream in agony as it was repelled back at her.

"Stop!" he commanded. "Make one more move and she dies!"

Horrified, Amy lost control of her bubble, and it dropped. Before she could recreate it, another agent made a gesture, and she found her ability deleted. She could do nothing but watch. Slowly she raised her hands in surrender.

Craig had also stopped immediately at the yell. He could sense that Beth's captor had reflection, and could therefore reflect her own attack against her. He was currently holding the attack on the surface of her skin. It was a fatal blast. And he knew that her power did not confer immunity against itself.

Hetty, formed as a dagger again, fell to the floor in shock, sounding a metallic clang. She paused. She knew that the others were incapacitated, unable to do anything - it was up to her. Slowly she crept forwards, until she had reached the reflector. If she killed him, she would free Beth. She would free all of them. She pushed herself forward. Or rather, attempted to. Her metallic body was no longer in her control. She was forced to revert back to human form, praying that the reflector did not have the nerve to carry out his threat.

Beth trembled as her blast quivered closer to her skin. Then stopped. Her captor chuckled.

"Better keep them as prisoners," he muttered to his colleagues.

Helpless, they were forced to allow themselves to be herded into the building. Their only hope, faint and pointless as it was, was that they had succeeded in distracting attention from Trey and Elan. That it was not in vain. But they were captive.

Chapter 10 - Beginnings

Elan: Although it was me who told Trey he should do this, I'm not sure any more. Is this the right thing to do? What if the truth is not what I believe it is? Should he know how it began? Going back like this changes things. I of all people should know that.

Trey: I have to know the truth. I don't believe this of Frank, I can't! But I can't keep up like this, not knowing what happened. How it all began. We've all paid the price, now I'm about to learn why.

....................................................................................................................................................

6 years ago, the Bourne family's hometown

Upon arrival, Trey and Elan became invisible and started searching for Frank. It did not take long. They found him outside the local boxing club, the scene of Hiller's first murders. Unlike his colleagues, he was not inside investigating, but outside, visibly deep in thought.

"You'll have to use telepathy to find out the truth," whispered Elan uncertainly. Trey nodded. He did not want to do this, but he needed to know. To finally understand the truth.

"Please say it's not true, Frank," he murmured. "Please let there be....something..."

Almost unwillingly, he focused onto his brother's thoughts.

"It was Hiller. Had to be - there were no other survivors! But how? That....that wasn't natural there. What's happening? Why? Does it matter?"

Trey sighed, relieved. Surely if Frank had any connection with this, it would have been foremost in his mind. Surely this meant it wasn't true.

"It's all my fault."

Horrified, Trey stopped.

"Why did I do it? I mean, I was sure it was him, but the evidence was all so circumstantial. I just thought....I don't know what I thought. But I never thought....something like this would happen! I have to do something. If I don't he'll kill again, he'll never stop. But where do I find him?"

Suddenly Frank rose, distracted, and started walking away. Elan restrained Trey from following him.

"It was true," he whispered.

"Still, he made up for it!" she insisted. "He died making up for it! It wasn't your brother who killed all those people, Trey, that was Hiller's fault alone! He screwed up, that's all! Are you going to hate him for that?"

He was silent. But she already knew the answer.

"Let's just go back, Ok?"

....................................................................................................................................................

5 years ago, Courtney Park

Once more, Elan Greene had left her home, unable to bear the sight of her clearly grieving parents or the meaningless condolences. Unable to bear the inevitable reminders. Unable to bear the sense of his presence, of his loss.

She frowned, wishing pointlessly that her migraine would leave, and wincing whenever she passed another. It was not only the condolences of her neighbours she was dreading. In her wandering, she had noticed she had begun hearing voices when she neared a person.

"That's not in the 7 stages of mourning," she muttered sourly. "Great! So I'm going mad!"

Suddenly she noticed that a woman across the street was staring at her intently.

"Another one!" she murmured bitterly. Already she was sick of it, so she kept her face downwards and avoided any eye contact. But the voices began again.

"Elan? Elan? Elan, I know you can hear me!"

Startled, she was unable to stop herself from glancing up. That woman was still staring, watching her. She shook herself and continued on, hoping that she would take the hint.

"Elan, this is real!"

Again, she could not stop herself from looking over. At this, the woman walked towards her.

"You're not going mad, Elan," she thought. "You have an ability, and it's enabled you to gain telepathy. You're hearing my thoughts right now. You've probably noticed it before."

She glanced around her surreptitiously, and continued.

"Look, I have one too."

Opening her hand, she filled it with flames. Elan could only stare. Such things did not happen!

"There's no time for you to doubt this," she continued. "You're in danger: the Company know about you now - that's how we found you - and, believe me, you don't want to be caught by them! You need to follow me, I'll lead you to people who can hide you, help you."

"Why should I trust you?" asked Elan, numb.

"You can hear my thoughts, can't you?" she pointed out. "C'mon, there's no more time for questions. Just follow me."

....................................................................................................................................................

4 years ago, south London

Hetty glanced around nervously as she waited for her brother, whom she had not seen for 5 years: not since the day their father died. Was killed, rather, by Kent. Hetty was one of two people who knew the truth of this, knew who had done it and why. Knew that it had been necessary, that Dave would have killed both of them otherwise. It seemed she had many secrets these days. The rumours she had heard stated clearly how important it would be to keep one in particular.

"Hetty?"

She span around at the whisper. Unable to stop it, a wide grin spread across her face. He chuckled softly.

"It's great to see you too," he replied, "but there's a reason I asked you to meet me today, a reason I broke years of secrecy."

She nodded. She had known all along that this would be no simple reunion. Undisturbed, she simply waited for him to continue.

"Have you been hearing any of the latest news? You know....concerning what we can do?"

"Yes," she whispered. "What of it? Is it true? What will we do?"

He nodded. She stared at him, shocked. She had not believed it.

"There really is a super-company. They're coming after people like us."

"Don't worry, Hetty," he reassured her. "They won't find us. I've already sorted it out."

"How?" she stuttered. He laughed.

"Didn't you ever wonder where I'd been, who I went to?" He laughed again at her expression. "When I left, I knew I might have to hide from Pinehearst. I wasn't sure whether they'd take action after...Dave's death. I went to the Organisation."

She stared at him, horrified. Was this his plan? To effectively hide on the front line?

"It's more than that, Hetty. If all this is true, if we've really been manipulated all this time - and it is, we've experienced that first hand! - then, don't you think we should fight back?"

....................................................................................................................................................

4 years ago, the Organisation's base

"I warned you, Trey," sighed Craig. "They won't let you go that easily. You know too much about us. And you're too powerful - the Company's bound to come after you soon. Why won't you join us? Don't you believe in what we do?"

Trey did not look up from his hands. The answer to that question was not as easy to speak as Craig believed it should be. Why had he come here? Craig was right, he had been warned. But how could he let go his own personal battle in order to fight alongside the Organisation?

"Why did you save me, Trey?" he asked.

Trey stared at him. What a question!

"What was I supposed to do? Leave you to them?"

Craig looked directly at him.

"They were Company agents, Trey. If there were more there, if they saw you, they'll be coming after you - not to take a captive, to punish you. You're not safe."

Trey sighed. He could tell that Craig truly believed this. And it made sense, from what he had seen of this newly exposed Company. But he couldn't have done otherwise. What should he do now? What would be the best thing to do? He wasn't sure whether it was possible to continue directly with his crusade anymore.

"Trey?" asked Craig hesitantly. He was obviously deep in thought. He started.

Also, the more he heard of what the Organisation did, the more he wished he could contribute, fight alongside these. But how could he do that when he was already irrevocably committed to another cause? He was torn. Was there no way to combine the two?

....................................................................................................................................................

1 year ago, Quillsdale village

It was the tenth day since the fire, but Amy was still too afraid to leave the house. Who knew if the strange bubble that protected her would work outside? She preferred to hide among the ashes of her ruined home, living on tins of spaghetti hoops, than risk it. The day of the fire. That was how she forced herself to think of it, refusing to acknowledge what else had happened. That she had lost her only family. She shook her head, forcing her thoughts into another direction. Like this strange bubble. She had been frightened, true, but she had been frightened before, when her father had often beat her in a drunken rage, but that had never happened before. What was happening to her?

Whatever it was, it was a good thing. She was sure of that. She would have died if not for the bubble. She shivered at the thought. To distract herself, she crept up to the window frame, careful not to put too much pressure on the weakened boards, and peered out over her village. She swallowed as she remembered wandering those streets on her paper round, delaying the time she would have to return home. She almost felt guilty for that now.

Caught in her contemplation, she did not notice the stranger approaching the house. She did not notice the creak as the door was forced open, or the sound of footsteps on the stairs. She only turned when the stranger entered her room.

Immediately their eyes met, and she knew that he had come for her. She swallowed. She could only hope that her bubble would save her once more. She closed her eyes, praying for anything that would help her. Then the screams started. The sounds of flesh cracking, burning. And finally silence.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, averting them from the sight she knew would await her. But she could not stop her imagination from replaying it, adding details at each replay.

The days dragged on, and everyday she waited for another to come. Another to die because she could not control this. Finally one did. She resigned herself for what would happen - she could not stop herself from creating the bubble. She counted the footsteps until she knew that he was outside the door. She watched helplessly as the door inched open, and another stranger entered. She watched, anticipating the screams with every second, as he stepped ever closer. That was when she noticed. There was no bubble. And she knew that she needed it. She was caught.

To The Death, Part 1

The Present (as in 5 years in the future)

Hetty: What do we do now? Is there any possibility of escape? And do I tell the others what I've learned from the guards' thoughts? Are they better off in ignorance?

Amy: I'm scared. I'm so scared. I know I shouldn't be, none of the others are - this is what it is to be one of the Organisation. But I can't help it. What will happen to us now?

Craig: I wonder if we were successful. Did Elan and Trey manage to escape? I have to believe that's true. Have to believe there's a reason for this.

....................................................................................................................................................

Hetty stared morosely out of her cell without seeing a thing. Endlessly she replayed what she had heard, what only she knew. She tried to concentrate on the other aspects of it, not dwell on their fate. Something had happened in the ambush. The Company had failed. But that something was something impossible.

"Hetty!"

She turned at the urgent whisper.

"Hetty! We have to do something!"

"What, Craig?" she whispered defeatedly. She sighed. It wasn't as if she had never considered it might lead to this. It wasn't as if none of them had signed up for this risk. It was a part of what they did.

"I don't know - you're the telepath! Have you read any weaknesses in their thoughts?"

She shook her head mutely. In truth, she had only glanced at their thoughts for a few moments. What that had revealed had frightened her so badly she did not dare try again.

"At least we all still have our abilities," whispered Beth. "There must be something we can do! Come on, there's no one here to fight us."

Amy raised her head at this. Her eyes were dark, as devoid of hope as Hetty's. Had she somehow learned what would happen to them?

"What's wrong, Amy?" whispered Beth. "We'll get out of this.....somehow."

Amy glanced at her with worried eyes. Slowly she rose up from her cot and approached the entrance.

"You still have your abilities?" She looked downcast. "Mine's gone."

....................................................................................................................................................

As Martin returned to the guardroom, his colleague Dylan glanced over at him once then looked down again.

"How was the lockup?" he muttered.

"Complete disaster," Martin replied. "We lost them all. If you hadn't taken those there'd be no point in even having it."

Dylan sighed vehemently. This trap had turned out to be a farce. All prisoners lost, and several of their best agents. Whose idea had this idiocy been?

"Speaking of that, why did you?"

Dylan started.

"Why did I what?"

"Take them?" explained Martin. "I thought you were going to kill her. You going soft or what?"

"No!" he laughed. "Just thought they could be useful. They might have information, be used in another trap....."

Martin nodded.

"Not that it matters," Dylan added. "There's been new orders from above. No risks anymore - they're to be taken care of tomorrow. Too dangerous to leave these....things.....now."

Hidden in the shadows beside the door, a dark figure hissed, unheard, at this revelation.

....................................................................................................................................................

Amy sighed. The others were now busy considering various plans of escape, but she did not believe it could be possible. And even if they succeeded, what was she to do after? She was useless now. Helpless. She had not realised how much she had come to rely on her bubble - so reliable and dependable, ever present - until now. What had happened to her?

"Actually, why do we have our powers?" asked Beth. "You told me they had some sort of inhibitor. Do you think....it could be deliberate? Some sort of ambush? Maybe we shouldn't..."

Hetty shook her head desperately.

"No!" she insisted, then repeated herself more softly. "No, we have to do something. We have to get out. I haven't heard anything about a trap, but that could just be because the guards nearby don't know. It doesn't matter."

She turned to Beth.

"We need a heat blast to disable the lock. Then I can transform to pick the mechanical part." Seeing her hesitate still, she added," please. Waiting here isn't an option. Just trust me."

Unsure, Beth glanced over at Craig. He nodded once. She sighed, swallowed, and raised her hands ready to fire.

....................................................................................................................................................

Upon hearing the alarm, the shadowy figure smiled crookedly. It seemed that the strategy was working. Then he remembered that this was not enough. Swiftly he ran around the corner towards the lock-up.

As he arrived, he was forced to dodge backwards into hiding as the first agents approached. He hesitated. How involved should he become? Should he fight these? He glanced over, and seeing no one there, crept closer. He would at least watch to see if he was needed. And if that situation arose...he would decide which path to take then. Which path he could take.

....................................................................................................................................................

The sirens were deafening, only drowned by the thundering of Beth's heart as the group raced through the corridors. Her breath gasped out and her heat blasts were slipping out of her grasp continually. Behind her she could hear Amy stumbling, aided by Hetty, both frightened, confused. Before her was Craig, his face set in determination. They all knew it was but a matter of time before they reached defences. It had been utter luck that had protected them so far.

"No, left turning. Guards," whispered Hetty tersely. Craig glanced backwards, nodded and took her advice. They did not dare speak any more than was necessary.

"Guard on the next level," warned Hetty. "No way around."

Craig crept forwards and out of sight. Beth waited tersely, the seconds dripping by, until they heard the soft thud of a body dropped. Craig gestured them around.

"Three. It'll be a fight."

Amy gasped, her eyes wide. Beth smiled apologetically at her, and indicated that she would shield her. At the forefront, Craig braced himself to absorb the nearest ability and turn it against its owner. Beside him, Hetty prepared to telepathically distract the other attackers.

....................................................................................................................................................

He bit his lip as he watched the group approach the guards. He did not know how long he could wait before interfering. He had barely prevented himself from stepping in previously when Craig had taken down another. Not that he had needed any help. But just in case.....

He swore under his breath. Why was he doing this? Hadn't he learned his lessons years before? Learned to stay out of this, that it was the only way? That all the Organisation led to was pain? So why was he here, risking everything once more, for them?

He already knew the answers of course. Or the answers a true Organisation member would give. A fanatic. He had known enough of them in the past. He knew the mantras by heart. We protect our own people. We fight for our rights against manipulation and oppression. Defend the innocent. Fight because we must. Fight because no one else will, and if none did then nothing would be achieved.

But what were they achieving? Were they doing any good? Was there any point in all of this? Could they ever win? With the cost mountaining each day, he suspected the answer was no. He hesitated. Then what was he doing here?

....................................................................................................................................................

Craig dove around the corner and fastened his grip on the nearest hand, barely even aware of anything other than his target. Immediately he began draining energy until the figure collapsed. Releasing, he turned to unleash his newly acquired ability on the remaining two guards. Who both threw themselves to the ground to avoid the resulting blast of water. He focused, increasing the force and temperature until the air filled with steam. They were thrown backwards by the concussion.

The nearest strained to raise a hand. With difficulty he managed to reach the level of Hetty's head. Craig threw himself at her to push her away. Shaking, she glanced at the wall behind her, now scarred deeply by a severing blast. They both glanced up, to see that guard retreating, injured by a heat blast. But they knew he would raise an alarm. Alert others. Soon they would be outnumbered.

"Can we make it?" asked Beth. "Is there time to defeat this one and run before more come?"

The dark looks she received in reply were answers enough. She sighed. This was what their lives were about, after all. She shook her head and readied herself to fight once more.

Immediately she was thrown backwards. She lifted her head painfully, her entire body aching and her mouth full of the coppery tang of blood. She raised a hand to wipe her eyes clear, and glanced around frantically. Her eyes could not focus around the rubble, the debris littering the corridor. Everything was drenched in red. She rose to her feet and gasped in pain. Her eyes slid slowly around the scene, refusing to take in the damage. Hetty lying broken and askew. Amy twitching feebly. No sign of Craig. She started shaking, her breath grating out. She was unaware of the tears streaming from her eyes and staining her crimson face. Trembling uncontrollably, she folded to the ground and started rocking herself backwards and forwards. She did not look up at the sound of approaching footsteps, the harsh orders shouted. She did not notice as the enemy surrounded her, rounding off the area. She barely noticed the cold touch of metal on her forehead, until her face was brutally forced upwards. Then she stared in pure terror into the emotionless eyes of the agent who would kill her.