A middle aged woman with dark greying hair stared out the windows of her glass office, watching the sun sink slowly beneath the western edge of New Gaia. As the sky burned and shadows lengthened, the many lights of the city lit up one by one, dotting the landscape like fireflies in a field. The building she stood in was built dead center of the city towering much higher than any other building, always a government owned facility but fairly new to its current roll. Each floor was teeming with regular office workers, military personnel, scientists and various others rushing to finish their work before heading home for dinner, but tonight the building would host a particularly special set of people. It was rare for the building to be completely empty but the couple of hours between day shift and night shift would allow for the woman and her guests some privacy for their first every collective meeting. Turning to glance over her shoulder, the woman pushed her red glasses up on her nose as she read the digital clock sitting on her desk. 5:30 pm... There was still a half hour until her meeting was scheduled to start but she expected more than a few people would be turning up early. Taking a deep breath the woman picked up a file and her tablet from its charging station before exiting her office. Taking an elevator to the ground floor, the woman approached the front desk with the file in hand. "My six o'clock meeting is not to be interrupted by anything less than an emergency. Please show my guests to their new home when they arrive." She said before pushing away from the desk. "Yes Director Nightshade." The man answered, watching as the woman disappeared around the corner where another elevator was waiting for her. Construction on the facility had begun just after the initial Guardian project had begun, designed to be a safe place for candidates to practice without outside influences. Due to some financial cuts and political intervention the construction had been put on halt, and thus it had never had the chance to be used... However, now that Guardians were going missing, Miss Nightshade was able to pull some strings and get the facility completed. Entirely underground "The Nest", as she called it, would provide a secure place for the Guardians to live until the disappearances were solved.

Director Nightshade's meeting was more or less a welcoming party for the remaining Guardians in New Gaia, each having already received their orders to comply for their safety. What they didn't know was that it was also a chance for them to meet the leaders of their new teams, two individuals apart of a project the Guardians had not been told about... Not yet anyway. Not even a step off the elevator, Miss Nightshade was met with the sight of a female scientist in a white lab coat and a tablet in her hand. "Welcome Director, everything seems to be in order for your other guests to arrive. Alpha Leader and Beta Leader are just finishing up some final tests before they can officially be cleared for active duty. They should be ready to go by the time your meeting starts Ma'am." Miss Nightshade nodded her acknowledgement as she marched her way down the right corridor, entering the facility's briefing room to await the arrival of the Guardians. "September 21st... This is a day that will go down in history, I just hope that it does in a good light." She sighed to herself, taking her position at the front of the room. As each of the members arrived she greeted them with a smile and a handshake, waiting until everyone had arrived before starting her "orientation".

"Welcome everyone to The Nest, your new home until this unfortunate situation can be brought to an end. I am Director Clarisse Nightshade. I'm the one in charge of this facility and now of your safety. As confusing as this all might be, please bear with me. I'll do my best to address all of your questions and concerns. By now you must have heard the rumors, Guardians are being abducted for an unknown reason. We don't know who's behind it, we suspect it's the same organization that conducted illegal experiments on humans that resulted in a city-wide and eventually a country-wide panic. Your mission to fight these dangerous criminals and track this organization down remains the same, however the way you'll be going about it might be a little different. Before you all worked on your own or with a police task force. Recent events have made it clear that our current way of doing things isn't working, so we've decided to bring you all in to one place. You'll be assigned to one of two teams, both lead by specialists devoted to keeping you all safe from this unknown threat until it can be neutralized. I know that this change might be a bit overwhelming, but I assure you that everything we're doing is necessary if we want to bring peace back to New Gaia. Until we can identify and neutralize this organization this place will serve as your base of operations and literal home. We aim to make you all as comfortable as possible so if there is anything you need just let us know. Now, before I let you go on a tour of your new home are there any questions?" Miss Nightshade asked, pushing her glasses up on her nose with a smile.

The sense of foreboding Rhiannon had felt ever since she received her most recent orders had merely grown until now, standing before the building she had been told to report to, she wondered how out of hand things were getting. She was new to the Guardian thing but she was certainly no amateur in military matters and the very specific orders to report to this location for her continued safety had sent chills up her spine. What hope was there if those who were charged with combating the criminal underbelly were forced to run and hide for their own safety?

Still, she had come. Of course she had. She had escaped too much, run too far just to be ruined by the organisation she had been empowered to fight. It did not sit well with her to hide but observance of the rules had been drilled into her, by experience and the military, and so she had packed up her few belongings and come. Most seemed to be getting ready to leave the building, the time of day a usual end of office hours. Few others seemed to be going in but she was early; she always tried to be early. It was better than being late, she always said.

Inside she was quickly directed to a hall where rows of empty seats were ready for whatever was going to happen here. She took one in the front row but at the end so that she did not feel closed in by others around her. It wasn't long before others arrived and the events began proper, the middle-aged woman who had greeted her earlier speaking at length about their situation.

And so now it becomes clear.

When the floor was opened to questions she stood up, indicating she wished to speak with a nod of her head.

"Ma'am, you said 'specialists' but as far as I was aware we were the most 'special' forces around. How are our team leaders different to ourselves?"

By 4:30 Tavi was nearly finished with his daily rituals. He stood in the bathroom of the shabby apartment with his phone in his hands, and a myriad of hair-care tools hovering around his head. He hardly needed to focus on such minute tasks anymore, he'd been doing them for years and by then it was all more or less second nature. He scrolled through a few social media sites, checked his mail, and then set the phone away to finish up the last little touches to his hair.

4:45, ugh, he abhorred waiting. It wasn't the boredom, he had plenty of books to keep him busy, and he rarely went anywhere without a bit of music to brighten the ride, but rather the idea of being held at arm's-length from...whatever it was. What was it, anyway? He hadn't been with the organization too terribly long, but to ship him out to this low-town hostel only to go to some vague meeting concerning his "safety"? It seemed a bit sudden, and the least they could have done was see that the living arrangements were decent. Oh well, at least the beds were soft and the shower had hot water. Everything done, he donned a pair of sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat, then made his way out into the streets. His luggage was set to arrive at the destination later on, but he'd made sure to dress well. With the vibrant complimentary colors and fashionable designs, Tavi looked as if he were heading to a runway, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Despite stopping for coffee along the way and walking at a slow pace, he still arrived about fifteen minutes early. Luckily enough the place was unlocked, and there was even a kindly old woman acting as greeter. He shook her hand and smiled back, then waited around as the rest of the ensemble shambled in and the group was briefed as a whole. Much to his surprise the old woman -a Ms. Nightshade as it turned out- was their Director. Interesting, polite as she seemed he couldn't help but wonder if she was really up to the task, managing a troop of power-users couldn't be easy. Nevertheless, when the speech was over he had no questions, but evidently others did. A brawny-looking redhead asked about their leaders, and Tavi rolled his eyes out of habit. Great, if everyone was this curious it would be hours before he got to set up shop in his room.

Thomas was worried. He was always worried. Even his own mind wouldn't let him deter from this fret. But he held fast as he arrived via foot at the office building. He saw a few others walking in. Straightening up his suit, Thomas checked the time. 5:24 pm. Good. He was early at being half an hour early to the meeting. Thomas liked being early. It let him have time to think in situations. But anxiety hit him. What if he was too early? What if the others that were walking in were just scientists going back for something? What if the others that were actually supposed to be here thought of him as weird for showing up early?

1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8... He calmed before even reaching 10. Good. Thomas slicked his hair back--only to have it curl back into it's natural shape again-- and walked to the building. Suddenly, he could feel it. Massive amounts of fear. Massive amounts of struggling. He could sense it all the way to the meeting room. The secretary at the front desk showed the most fear. She more than likely didn't have powers and was too afraid of what she did not understand completely. Thomas quickly pulled a lot of fear to himself and away from the woman, watching as a sudden smile adorned her face.

There. That should keep her calm

Thomas sat through the meeting, keeping careful attention to what he could keep up with, and for some reason, he felt an unnatural satisfaction. He felt like he knew everything he needed to know and suddenly, Thomas wasn't worried. He sat back as he required no questions and listened to those who gave forth theirs.

From her seat near the center of the group, Alex listened.

More accurately, Alex listened, fiddled with one of the leather cords on her bracelet, and thought, I am never going to hear the end of this. Between her mother, her brother, and her best friend, the guilt trips would be legion. Only her father would spare her.

Maybe I’ll die, she thought, and then no one will be able to yell at me about my life choices—and then felt immediately guilty, no filial help necessary. Death was not a joke, and neither was their situation. Things were about to get a lot more dangerous than the search-and-rescue, disaster-relief type jobs she’d been doing as she finished up her training. She skimmed her eyes over the other Guardians gathered here, but couldn’t tell at a glance if they were any more or less prepared than she was.

As the director wrapped up her speech and opened the floor for questions, Alex reached into the backpack sitting at her feet and plucked out the cup that was poking from the top. She let the taste of chocolate and raspberry ground her for a moment, listening to the redheaded woman ask her question. It was a probably a fair one, if not something Alex herself would have dared to ask.

Everyone has a right to be afraid. She took another sip of her mocha, starting to wish she’d opted for the larger size—because the more people talked, the more this was starting to feel like a sixteen-ounce sort of problem—and listened to the silence as they all waited to be reassured.

The shaking alarm rose Jackson as he tried to press the sooze button. It didn't work, he awoke slowly, sitting up reaching for his wake up glass of water when he rememberd that he wasn't at his place, that's right he had went home with some girl from a local bar, he looked to hi right and saw her sleeping, he honestly didn't remember much from last night. He tried to rack his brain around the events. He shook it off as he knew he had something to do today. Suddenly it hit him clear in ther head, like a bullet hitting your skull. "I'm late!" he yelled getting out of bed quickly, grabbing the clothes he wore from last night, his usual white dress shirt with pink tie, black dress pants,blakc wingtip shoes and a black suit vest.

The girl woke up startled "what the hell is going on?!" she looked around frightend "sorry, I really gotta go, late for a business meeting. I'll call you later Carly" he said as we quickly walked out into the living room, hearing the words from the bedroom "my name is Holly!" as he quickly left the apartment and decended the stairs to the garage and got in his car, driving a little over the speed limit.

He arrived out of breath, standing between the rest of the guardians and the Director "hello everyone" he paused a moment to take a breath "I apologize for my tardiness" Jackson awkwardly went and sat down in the middle of everyone.

Kyle double checked that his bags were in his SUV before taking the stairs up to the meeting. He figured that they would be safe in the underground lot and that he could retrieve them later. It was a couple stories to the meeting room, but with all the people still in the building, it was faster than the elevators. That and it helped burn off some excess energy.

He'd timed it so that he arrived with a good 10 minutes to spare, but he wasn't the first one there. He idly listened to some orchestral on his smartphone until the Director was ready to make her speech. As he sat there, he looked at the others in the room and noted how young the group seemed to be. Granted he wasn't an old coot himself, but a good number of the recruits seemed to be college aged. He found it a little todd that there seemed to be no veteran Guardians so far. "Geez," he thought, "I hope that isn't a sign of how dire the situation is. I knew that the missing Guardian problem was getting out of hand when I was working with the MCU, but I'm getting intimidated at this rate."

After the speech a brown haired girl stood up. "Ma'am, you said 'specialists' but as far as I was aware we were the most 'special' forces around. How are our team leaders different to ourselves?"

Kyle smirked. "Of course, they would make the Old Guard squad leaders wouldn't they? Just waiting for a good time to have them walk in I guess." he thought. The doors to the room opened and Kyle turned to look at the new arrival. "Speak of the devil."

A red headed man about Kyle's age burst in panting. "Hello everyone" he paused a moment to take a breath "I apologize for my tardiness". The man quickly sat down.

Kyle silently hoped that this man wasn't a squad leader. He hadn't made the best of impressions.

As one of the Guardian's asked her question the Director scanned the faces in the room, making mental note of who'd arrived and who was still missing. There were three Guardians unaccounted for, a fact that made her a little nervous. If they didn't show up by the morning she would send a search party out for them with the worst case scenario in mind.

"Ma'am, you said 'specialists' but as far as I was aware we were the most 'special' forces around. How are our team leaders different to ourselves." The voice belonged to a young, athletic looking woman with red hair... Rhiannon Jones according to the files she had spent weeks, maybe even months pouring over and memorizing.

"I'm glad you asked, Ms. Jones. When we figured out what was going, the government gave us permission to start up a secondary project with your safety as our priority. Ladies and Gentlemen I'd like to introduce you to the only two successful subjects of the Guardian Angel Project." As the woman finished speaking the door slid open to reveal two young adults waiting to enter the room. Stepping forward as if the door were their cue, the male and female stood on either side of the director to look out at the present Guardians. The girl, who was only 19 years old, stood stiff like a soldier, arms folded comfortably behind her back. The man on the other hand had a much more relaxed feel about him, devious almost despite being 25 years old. "I'd like you to meet Silvia Blackthorne and Caden Blake, currently the only two existing Angels and your team leaders. They've gone through extensive combat training much more intense than anything we've put you through. Physically stronger than most of you they are designed with taking hits in mind, a very sturdy pair as we've tested in the labs. They're only job is to protect and assist you on all of your future missions." Silvia nodded her hello to the group as her name was mentioned where Caden gave a two-finger salute with his, showcasing the obvious personality differences between the two individuals. When Ms. Nightshade had finished speaking the pair stepped forward together, Caden with a grin and Silvia with her usual blank expression.

"I think the biggest difference Clarisse here forgot to mention is that you have cool super powers where as we don't. Instead we've got a chip implanted in our brains that allows us to connect with the city and various other things." Caden glanced over at his white haired counterpart, only to find she was glaring at him out of the corner of her eye. It was one of two expressions she was capable of, though he doubted she realized when she was making them.

"The chip allows us access to information and resources otherwise unavailable to you on your missions. Now, if that's all the questions you have for us or the Director we'll be giving you your team assignments and setting out on your tour of the facility."

Jack was startled by this new information and a little offended, he raised his hand, "Madame Director, don't you think that if you would have given this special training to us like you did these two here, many guardians would still be in this room? Or why not give us this special training right now? I mean you could have planted a chip in any one of us and would have made us two times better then we are now" he paused, taking into consideration the two Angels "no offence meant to you two, im sure you both could do our jobs better than we could." Jackson exhaled quietly, expecting a run around answer, something like we didn't think you could handle the pressure of this new training.

Jackson hoped that the others would rally behind him, he had lost a friend in these disseperances and he was not going to hear that the director and her lackys had an entire new training regiment and resources they were not giving their guardians.

He hadn't realised it until he had stopped talking but he had furrowed his brow at the director, he quickly changed his annoyed facial expression into his timeless smile.

Thomas had sat through a question and some skippy answer by the authority without making a sound. But when that authority was questioned, he could not just sit by.

"I am sure that there is some legitimate reason that they could neither do that nor are able to tell us why."

Sadly, due to him standing up, he started to worry and instinctively, he defended his mind by taking the fear from his own mind and pulsing it out, in an attempt to reduce his own worry. It worked, but he quickly caught his action and started working to draw it back, starting with the director and moving around the room.

As Thomas made it to the two Angels, however, he noticed a great lack of fear. Like they were machines. This stuck him as extremely odd, but he blew it off.

"I don't think it's a secret," Alex said quietly. She looked up, glad for the warmth of the cup between her hands as she continued in a level voice, "It sounds like this project was a risk, if our team leaders are the only 'successful' subjects. They probably didn't want to try it until it was necessary."

Maybe it was because her reasons for becoming a Guardian were more selfish than most, but Alex didn't particularly feel that the director owed them anything. They had all volunteered to be here--herself included--and they had all been given powers of some kind to do their jobs. It didn't seem like anyone's fault that someone more powerful had come along and made them a target. Frightening, absolutely, but that just made Alex more grateful that Ms. Nightshade and her associates were taking new measures to protect them.

She turned her attention to the man and woman the director had introduced and shrugged, the motion jostling the long, dark braid hanging over her shoulder. "Either way, you're putting yourselves in the line of fire to help us. So thanks."

Good job, Alex. Way to make friends and influence people. She was less than comfortable, having just contradicted a few of the people who might end up being her teammates, but she tried to stamp down the spike of anxiety she felt. If she was going to make a good impression on anyone, it might as well be the people trying to save her life.

For all the hype, Tavi was disappointed by the two stiffs that shuffled out into the room. Chips? Really? Well, he supposed the enhanced physical capabilities were nice, and if they could change a few lights on the road for them that would be convenient. Evidently though others were not as content, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. The robots would be the first ones to get hit if everything went according to plan, why would anyone complain about an extra shield?

A few others seemed to share Tavi's sentiment, or at least something like it, but despite the issue approaching settlement he felt their time bordered on being wasted.

"This is all well and good," he said, motioning to Silvia and Caden. "They're both very brave, we'll have plenty of time to see that first-hand later, I'm sure. For now though, I believe I heard something about team-assignments and a tour. If I'm not mistaken, time isn't exactly something we have stockpiled, so..."

Before the director could speak to address Jackson's concerns, she noticed a shift in Silvia's stance. Crossing her arms and putting most of her weight on her right leg, she stared down the Guardian blankly. Activating her eyes, Silvia could read the files on each of the Guardians as she passed over their faces. "Jackson Arrowsmith. Male, 24. Ability: Mind Manipulation, classification: level 3 ability. Initial compatibility: 80%; Current Compatibility: 97%." Caden's sigh was mixed with a chuckle as Silvia began her twisted explanation, already seeing where she was going with her rant.

"Touchy subject man, should of just held off with that one." He mumbled to himself, earning a disapproving look from the director standing beside him. Clearing his throat he approached Silvia and placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from going any further. "What my friend here is trying to say, quite inelegantly I might add, is that your success as a Guardian will make you a failure as an Angel. From what we've found the more your brain takes to your ability the less the chip works. Even with a level one classification the compatibility with the chip drops drastically, we're living examples of that difference. Silvia expressed no ability but her initial compatibility with the chip was 90%, where as I expressed a partial ability and an initial chip compatibility of only 70%."

"We haven't found an answer yet as to what causes this incompatibility but until we do there is no way to modify the chip to work for you. For now you'll just have to settle for working with them, and hopefully sort this mess out long before we unlock the chips' mysteries." Director Nightshade's smile was kind but there was a fire behind her eyes that hinted to a much more serious woman, a look that never failed to creep Caden out. Looking down at her tablet the director tapped a few buttons, causing two holographic displays to appear on either side of her. Each display listed six names, belonging to the Guardians and Angels alike. "These are your teams, Guardians. From now on until this horror show is brought to an end, you will be training and working with these people. Good luck and enjoy your stay." She nodded her goodbye before turning and walking out the door, the holographic displays remaining in the air.

"Alrighty guys, why don't we get this tour started. Jackson, Kyle and Rhiannon are with me. Thomas, Alexandria and Tavi are with Chuckles over there. Hopefully those not here right now will catch up soon." Caden glanced back at the names on the display with slight concern, an expression he quickly pushed aside. "Ready? Great, let's go." He said as he headed towards the door before Silvia, getting a shiver down his spine as he felt her eyes boring holes into the back of his head. "I'm going to start my guys off with the training rooms, so you start with living quarters." He called over his shoulder as he exited the room and into the hallway. Silvia turned her gaze to the holographic displays as they powered off at her command.

"Ready to see where you'll be living for a while?" Unlike before her voice seemed to have shaken off a little of its frost, but was still lacking the usual emotion found in a normal conversation.

Rhiannon nodded, satisfied with the Director's, and the Angels', answers. She had suspected that there would be a logical reason but she disliked being kept in the dark, especially when it came to information that their lives could be dependent upon. She sat down and let the rest of the presentation go ahead, her only query now answered. There was some disagreement amongst her fellow Guardians but that was hardly unexpected what with so many of them going missing recently. She hadn't lost any friends she knew that well but she could sympathise; the same thing had happened back home, where she had escaped from.

It was hard to get a measure on the two Angels, that much was certain. She knew from experience that it would be wrong to assess them as an emotionless robot and then a 'normal' guy; considering they had been chosen as Angels Rhiannon was sure that they were considerably more complex than first met the eye. She had rarely come across a 'normal' person who had succeeded in the Guardian programme and she figured that anyone from this new, more challenging one would have to be quite exceptional. Thus, and without complaint, she went after their new leader and fell into step beside him. She wasn't particularly eager; she just wanted to get acquainted with the new space and Caden as quickly as possible. There'd be less time for it down the road, after all and it never bode well when one did not know or trust their leader and protector much.

"Are you two the only Angels then? I mean... were there others who didn't make it?" Realising this wasn't the best opening gambit, she quickly switched tact. "Oh, and as you know I'm Rhiannon. I look forward to working with you, Caden."

Thomas cringed when the names first started being placed, but then gave a sigh of relief when he was placed on Silvia's team. Thomas felt like he belonged on a team that wouldn't necessarily have a 'joker' as its leader. He quickly shook his head.

Nothing against Caden, Thomas snapped to his inner narrative-- using his inner narrative (wierd, I know)-- But he does seem like the kind of guy who would crack a joke and THEN crack some necks, rather than the other way around. I'm glad I was put where I am.

Thomas laughed to himself and let a small smile show without realizing it. It was a strange feeling to have again-- happiness, that is. Laughter was something Thomas was having to get used to again, as with the last few months being absolute torture. The entire training, Thomas had spent trying to learn to control his power over nightmares and phobias. It never helped when he could hear the screams of the people passing by his room. Going into defensive mode during that time, his mind would constantly shoot out waves of immense fear, weaving their way into anyone's mind who drew too close. Now, Thomas was glad to say that he could manage the thoughts in his head and would be able to keep from letting his power roam free.

Now I control my power. And never again will I let it control me.

Alex pushed herself to her feet, nodding at Sylvia. "Yes," she said, "thank you." It couldn't hurt to be polite, even if a part of her wished she'd been placed with Sylvia's friendlier companion. She would just have to work that much harder to develop a rapport with the team leader she did have, and be grateful that the reserved young woman at least seemed to take their safety very seriously.

Scooping up her backpack and tossing the now-empty coffee cup, Alex went to stand next to the nervous-looking man—she wondered which one he was, Tavi or Thomas—who had also moved in Sylvia's direction. She held a hand out to him, deciding it also couldn't hurt to start getting a feel for her teammates. It might give her a hint as to who was open to making friends, and people always felt more real to her after a handshake.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Alex."

She realized too late that, instead of finding the handshake reassuring, as she did, this man might be uncomfortable. She cursed inwardly, but it was too late to withdraw her hand. All she could do was shift her backpack on her shoulder and hope he would trust her small, friendly smile.

Thomas looked over as a young woman approached him and held out her hand.

"Hi," she said, "I'm Alex."

Being the extremely courteous man Thomas prided himself in being, he immediately took her hand in both of his and gave a firm, but reassuring shake, immediately shifting to holding just the girl's fingertips. He brought her hand up to his lips and gave a small, gentle peck.

"Thomas," he said, smiling as he lifted his head and slowly released her hand, "A pleasure."

He could sense a small amount of nervousness and tried using the eye contact he made to pull it away from Alex to leave her with a calming sensation if possible.

"Looks like we shall be together on a team." Thomas gave a heartwarming smile.

Thank god, they actually seemed to be moving on. Tavi read the names over and decided almost instantly that he didn't care about any of those letters aside from the team leader or his own. He didn't know these people yet, until they all stepped in line they were just names, and so he let his focus turn to miss Silvia. To tell the truth he was happy to be siding with the one who showed at least some level of seriousness, though the woman was still an absolute stiff.

A couple others moved to stand beside her, and Tavi's attention snapped to them. Thomas and Alex, they looked normal enough, the guy even had a little flair to his introduction, something Tavi could respect. However, he wasn't interested in making a big show right now, not in this little room anyway, and not before he saw their living arrangements.

He strode up beside Silvia and the others, straightening the vibrant scarf 'round his neck and giving his hair a fluff. A quick glance was cast to Thomas and Alex, and he gave a slight bow of the head. "Tavi Jackspar, one and only."

Kyle quickly caught up with Caden and Rhiannon. "My name is Kyle Yu, I used to be a detective with the NGPD's Major Crimes Unit. I actually helped look into a few of the missing Guardian cases before I came here. What about you two?" Kyle quickly remembered that he had left the last member of the group, the one that had been tardy, in the room behind them and mentally kicked himself for not waiting for him. It seemed rude to start introductions without Jackson, or at least he assumed the missing person was Jackson as 'Rhiannon' didn't strike him as particularly masculine, being there. Kyle could easily guess the names of the man and woman, but it still seemed rude to not let themselves introduce themselves.

Alex's small smile became a small grin--a little nervous, at first, but quickly becoming natural as she realized that, while possibly a bit eccentric, Thomas didn't set off any of her inner alarm bells. He reminded her of a favorite uncle, one who was himself charmingly old-fashioned, and that helped.

Tavi's introduction may not have been quite as elaborate, but his clothes more than made up for that. Alex gave him an amused nod in return, eyebrows raised. "I like your hair." She was a sucker for bright colors.

It's like we're split right down the middle, she thought, considering the serious man and woman that were following after Caden, as opposed to the free spirits currently gathered around Sylvia. The only one who broke the pattern in Caden's group was the redheaded young man who'd shown up late. I hope our last three teammates round us out a little. I don't know what's going to happen if it turns out I'm the practical one.