For such a large room with so many seats there were very few occupants, less than a dozen sitting down far apart from one another, almost one to a row. Before them, in front of a huge electronic whiteboard, stood two people wearing full body bio-hazard suits. Over the last few hours the seated adolescents would have gotten used to the sight of everyone around them wearing such protection, having been told in no uncertain terms that they had to be taken to a secure facility for their safety and that of everyone around them. Their illness of mild nausea and dizziness was apparently far more than the symptoms of a mild flu and was highly infectious disease which had yet to be fully explained to them.

All heads turned as a doorway to the side of room swung open and an unsuited woman, wearing a lab coat, walked in. She looked utterly at ease and showed none of the apprehension her two colleagues oozed even through their protective suits. Her hair was auburn and long, tied back into a ponytail and had a clipboard tucked under one arm and was carrying a steaming mug in her hand, taking sips from it as she made her way to the front and turned to face the assembled young adults.

"Good morning all. I know that you're all feeling anxious, perhaps even scared, about the situation but there's little for you to worry about now that you're here. As you already know, we've brought you here under such conditions because of your illness but you don't yet understand why beyond that." She scooped up a remote that was on the lectern and clicked a button, the projector above their heads whirring into action and a series of images popping up on the screen representing strands of DNA as well as a several graphs.

"I'm a research physician studying a new phenomenon that has only just been recorded in the last year or so. A few adolescents, like yourselves, have exhibited symptoms of mild flu but the underlying cause of this ailment appears to be your body rejected a minor change in your DNA. I assume you have all seen, or are at least aware of, X-Men?" She didn't wait for any answers, assuming a positive response, and clicked the remote so that one of the images of the DNA enlarged to fill the screen, with two different strands next to one another.

"This isn't an accurate representation but hey-ho, it'll have to do for today. In crude terms, your body is developing powers that are beyond anything humans have ever possessed before, it's a singularity, a phenomenon that has never been recorded in history ever before. However, your body is rejecting the change and this is causing your illness. Whatever is causing this change is infectious and, during the later stages of illness, you may have caused those around you to suffer from the same effect."

A few more clicks and the images began to cycle through photos of a luxurious facility. A games room, a luxurious pool, sumptuous bedrooms, a well equipped gym and a large cafeteria all appeared on screen before the cycle began again, showing the richness of wherever the adolescents were.

"In this facility we've manufactured a series of drugs, methodologies and therapies which will allow you to harness your power, control it without it killing you, and survive the changes your body is undergoing. After this change has completed you will no longer be infectious to others and can go back out into the world."

Standing before them with a proud expression on her face, hands on her hips, she grinned at the stunned new residents of the facility. Tapping the side of her nose confidentially, she finished her small explanation.

"Well, it's a lot more complicated than I make it sound but essentially this place has been made for the sole purpose of treating people in your condition safely. I won't lie, it's got high-tech sensors coming out of every corner so we can research what's going on within you in a non-invasive manner but everything is anonymised and confidential. Once you leave here no one will know what's happened to you, other than that you had a health scare. You may ask why you should believe me and you may also be wondering why I'm not suited up like them". She was jerking a thumb over her shoulder to where the two suited observers waited with her other hand on her chest.

For a moment, there was silence, and then she began to wobble as if made from jelly. Her body shimmered until it was a blur and then two identical version of her stood before the group with wide grins spread across their bespectacled faces.

"I was one of the first cases and I made it through the initial response safely. Sadly, a lot of people didn't but we know a lot more now. Oh, and those who're infected or have been previously are immune to to receiving the infection again. Now, we'll answer questions another time. For now we need to take some blood samples from each of you and then you're heading to the cafeteria for a meal. There's a prescribed drink you'll be given which contains a few medicines which will slow the process and give us time for you to harness the power your illness is producing."

One of the copies shimmered again before fading away, the original of the woman turning on her heel and disappearing out of the door as nonchalantly as she had arrived. The two suited attendants moved forwards and gestured towards the door at the rear of the auditorium, one heading up and leading the assembled patients out with the other following behind.

---

Sometimes, Arthur let his imagination run away and he fantasised about being in some of his favourite periods of history. Other times he indulged in inserting himself into less academic scenarios, such as is favourite sci-fi or fantasy films and TV shows. Never had he become so absorbed in the escape that he had lost track of reality itself but now, dazed and following a man in a bio-hazard suit down a pristine and brightly lit corridor in an alien facility, he wasn't so sure that he hadn't completely lost track of reality.

They passed several doors with plaques on them denoting the purpose of the room. Games Room. Lounge. Gymnasium. Swimming Pool. As they rounded the corner at the end of the hallway he noticed a sign on the wall with arrows pointing in two directions. In the direction they were going it announced that they would find the Dormitories and the Cafeteria and in the other direction it listed all the rooms they had just passed. The last bit of corridor had multiple doors set on either side, far more regularly than before, suggesting that they led to smaller rooms. Each had a number on it with a plaque holder below it. Several were empty but half a dozen had a name inscribed on them and he saw his own name was on one leading to room number 15.

Following the man in front of him on, his fellow residents trailing behind, he emerged into a large cafeteria with more tables and chairs than was surely necessary for their small number. A kitchen area was set into the wall on one side but a shutter came down across the door. Instead the canteen was open with more suited attendants standing behind it, bizarrely wearing aprons over their suits, ready to serve food to the newcomers.

"Go and take a tray, then order your food. In future you'll be able to prepare your own but today we thought you might be too tired. You'll also be given a drink with medicines in it. Please make sure you drink it as it's vital for your health and combating the early stages of your current ailment." The man, Arthur could tell now that he had spoken, was gesturing to the nearest end of the canteen where several trays were stacked.

Nodding his dazed assent, he picked one up and shuffled down the line, peering through the glass at the food on offer. There was an excessive variety for so few people and seemed overly wasteful; if he were in a stabler mental state he might have made a comment on it but instead he meekly chose a mild curry, rise and naan bread. Joyously, tea was on offer and brewed individually rather than from a machine, and he seized on the opportunity to have a mug of it alongside the plastic cup containing a weirdly blue liquid that was given to him with the implication that it was mandatory.

Unsure of what to do or say, he merely nodded his thanks and then took up a seat at the nearest table and stared at his food, too weirded out by the recent events to even decide whether he was actually hungry or not. He at least drank the medicinal liquid he had been given, grimacing at the bitter aftertaste, and then moved onto the tea. The familiar and comforting taste brought some clarity to his thoughts and he decided that he was, indeed, hungry, turning to his food and beginning to eat while trying to process everything that had happened since the men in protective suits had arrived that morning to bring him here. There had been no force used but they had given the implication that he had no say in the matter.

He wasn't entirely convinced by everything they had said but whoever ran the facility had gone to great effort to accommodate them luxuriously so he was less suspicious than he had been. Still, the idea of powers and mutating DNA all seemed a little far-fetched, even if it fit in with what the research physician had demonstrated earlier. He glanced back to where the other residents were getting their food and resolved to discuss with them their thoughts on the matter, not that they could do anything if they disagreed with being kept there.

Thinking back on her life, Rachel couldn't remember a time when she had felt this way. Her stomach turned in an uneasy nauseous wave as information was chucked her way with seemingly no real explanation. She understood the big points at least. She was escorted from her home by men wearing biohazard suits similar to those standing in the auditorium now. She was sick, and the sickness was unlike anything that she had ever experienced before, unlike anything most people had experienced before. She was here to be a lab rat, taking the experimental medications and maybe not even making it out of here alive. But if she did, she would have a power of some sort.

That was the part hardest to understand and digest. If Rachel hadn't seen that women multiply in front her her very eyes, there would have been no doubt in her mind that she was in the presence of someone who had gone off the rail. But after seeing that, Rachel couldn't help but wonder if maybe it was her who had lost it.

After the presentation Rachel was once again swarmed by the men in suits and marched around the facility following behind other people she didn't know. She couldn't help but wonder how they were taking this news. Were they as skeptical as she? Or maybe they were totally buying into everything this women had said. A new thought of kidnaping jumped into her mind and restarted the pounding of her heart. Had she been kidnaped? Would anyone even notice that she was gone? Would anyone even do anything about it if they did?

As they traveled down various hallways Rachel silently cursed herself for not paying attention. Signs by doors labeled different rooms, though in her daze Rachel had missed most all of them. As they walked the hall opened up into a large room. Smells of various kinds of food wafted out from the doors and Rachel's thoughts were confirmed as her eyes noticed the sign indicating that this was the cafeteria. The suited men besides her were giving some sort of instruction that Rachel paid no attention to. A cup filled with some abnormally blue liquid was placed in her hands with the explicit instructions to drink it. Though she felt a little nervous about it, Rachel figured she would have no choice on the matter. She nodded her agreement as her stomach grumbled, announcing its irritation and emptiness. Rachel then turned, mystery liquid in hand, walked away without a word.

Maybe I'm in shock. Rachel thought to herself. Or maybe they were too late, maybe I'm already dying from this 'power disease'. Her limbs felt weak and heavy as she meandered through the cafeteria. Somehow without much thinking Rachel ended up with a tray full of her favorite comfort foods; roasted chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes and gravy. She even had managed to find some chocolate milk. No matter the situation, Rachel always had the ability to eat. Scanning the mostly vacant tables she found one with a guy who seemed to be focusing pretty intently on his tea. Deciding that being forced to live with these people for the next unknown amount of time meant that getting to know them sooner rather than later might just be the best idea. Besides, she wanted to know what everyone else was feeling about this place. And she wouldn't find that out if she sat alone. Forcing her feet to move forward she made it to the table with the tea guy. Rachel quietly set her tray down on the opposite side of the table and a little ways down so she wasn't directly across from him. As she sat, she made sure to keep her eyes down. She made the effort to sit with someone else, but starting a conversation was a whole different story.

Without looking up, Rachel began examining the blue liquid seeming very unsure of it. Who was to say that this stuff wouldn't just kill them on the spot? Rachel glanced up to see if the other person had drank his medication/poison. Without really realizing it, she began examining him trying to decide what the link was between them. How was it that this was happening to both of them? And to everyone else here. As she thought about the situation and tried to connect all of the dots she didn't realize that she was still staring.

---

Marcus gulped down the blue liquid before he even sat down. For a moment he stood a few steps away from the cafeteria line with his tray in hand. As he scanned the faces of the other people in the Cafeteria, he reminded himself why he was here. Sure, all the information given in the auditorium was nice and all but, it was ultimately irrelevant. His plan was to do what he was told, recover, and get back to his family. All of this was wasting valuable time he could have spent helping his family earn money and tend to the fields. When those folks came for Marcus, he could only see it as a huge inconvenience. No, he wasn't afraid, worried, nothing like that-- he was simply irritated they had interrupted his life.

Eventually he looked away from the others then began walking toward a table far in the back of the room-- as far as possible from the group gathering together. They were probably going to start making nice, having conversation, things he would do under normal not-being-held-in-a-strange-facility circumstances. As much as he was interested in the others, where they were from and such, Marcus thought it better to keep his distance. No doubt there were going to be troublemakers-- folks that saw this facility as a prison of sorts-- and he didn't want to risk accidentally getting involved with them... or anyone. It was best not to get attached to the others.

As he placed his tray upon the table, he sat down, his back to the wall and eyes upon the majority of the cafeteria, from where he'd sat. While it certainly wasn't his mother's cooking, Marcus had to admit that the food on his tray looked tasty. Baked chicken, spinach, some potatoes and gravy, slices of ham, and four bread rolls-- the staff had given him weird looks as he requested his tray be piled high. Marcus simply figured that anyone not taking advantage of a free meal in this manner well, they were foolish. He began digging into his meal rather barbarically, for table manners be damned, and kept scanning the faces of the others every now and then. The least he could do was become familiar with the faces, right? It would help later on when he had to figure out who to avoid, especially if some of them began developing weird... powers.

Part of him was still trying to wrap his head around that whole deal. So they were all freaks, then? Every single person not in a suit was some kind of X-Man? Including him? Idly Marcus began to wonder what weird powers he would develop-- hopefully something that didn't make him look horrifying-- and then wondered how he would walk back into society. What if he turned into a giant lizard or something? How would his parents even recognize him? All of this was so strange but, Marcus hoped he would look normal like that... uh. What was her name again? Lab-coat lady. Right. Whatever. As soon as she started going through slides, Marcus had tuned her out, so he was completely unsure of what was discussed in the auditorium. Oh well. The food was more important anyway-- same with the medication, of course. With a thoughtful look on his face, Marcus continued scanning the faces of the people and eating his food, content not to make conversation.

Location: Auditorium -> Cafeteria

Eliza first thought her nausea was due to prolonged jetlag from her flight to California. Then men in bio-hazard suits kidnapped her from her Santa Monica beach house, everything after that felt like spending a night with Paris Hilton - a.k.a a blur. Before Eliza knew it she was seated in a spacious auditorium with a few others. She hardly paid attention to the woman up front, but the explanation of the whole "x-men with a twist of Ebola" seemed fake to her. Eliza was so sure that her sister Elaina set this whole thing up as some ruse to remove her from the picture. It wasn't until the woman up front produced a clone of herself did Eliza requestion every thought and theory she had about the place. It sent her into a shock but before she could react the men in the bio-hazard suits ushered them out of the auditorium.

As they headed to the cafeteria Eliza caught a glimpse of a door with the number 8 and her name directly under it. She then wondered if any of her stuff brought in when they kidnapped her. Small chance, but she'd like to know if her treasured Gucci night slippers made it, otherwise nothing would keep her sane in this facility.

She wasn't in the mood to eat, the food especially didn't look up to par with her standards. There was also the mention that they would have to make their own food in the future, a thought which scared Eliza. World-renowned chefs ensured her every meal- she'd rather starve if it were any different. But nevertheless whoever made the food still worked for it, something Eliza had to respect as she reluctantly took a tray. There was a small group already gathering at a table, she decided it was best to attempt connections. She took a seat next to one of the people and set her tray down.
She didn't bother to touch the food but took sips of the blue liquid since everyone else seemed to trust it.
Then someone finally spoke up, a man with glasses who asked the group of their opinions concerning what just happened in the auditorium.
Eliza couldn't help but shake her head, "I thought it was nonsense, or some cruel prank my sister is playing on me but now I'm questioning everything I know." She replied, scanning the rest of the group to see who was stuck in here with her.

----
@HecateProxy@Aquanthe@AnnieTimeNow@Jinxer

Despite himself, Arthur found he had quite the appetite. He tucked into the curry before him, going over the day's events in his head and trying to rationalise them. There were no windows in the facility letting in natural light so it would be impossible to tell how much time had passed if he hadn't been wearing his watch. His phone had been confiscated, with a promise for it to be returned once its software had been modified for security purposes, but he had been allowed to keep his watch and, for whatever it was worth, his wallet. He glanced at the analogue clock face, feeling some comfort in being allowed to keep a personal possession, remembering when he had bought it with his first pay cheque almost a decade before.

He was distracted when a blonde woman sat at his table, a little further down from him, and after drinking her own cup of medicine stared at him. She wasn't focused on him but her gaze inevitably stayed on him, making him feel self-conscious as he ate until, finally, he put down his fork and returned her stare.

"You know, it's not easy to eat with you staring at me." He smiled to soften the implied criticism of his words. Before the blonde could reply one of the other two male residents joined them and introduced himself as Bailey. "Arthur, nice to meet you." He responded, holding out a hand to shake.

He couldn't help but smile at the man's facial expression and commentary, sensing something of a similar character to his own in Bailey. Again, before he had a chance to respond to the other's question, the last of the women to take a seat joined their table and sipped at her medicinal drink and she chose to respond to Bailey, glancing around at them. With a sigh, Arthur motioned to the other blonde woman who had seated herself down at a table adjacent to their own.

"You might as well join us, since you're so close by." He thought about inviting the other man but he had deliberately seated himself a distance away, indicating his preference to watch and listen, at least for a while, and so Arthur chose not to force him to join them. "Normally I'd be sceptical and I think I still am, at least a little. What she demonstrated though... as far as I remember holographic technology is actually impossible and I didn't see any mirrors or windows in that room." He lifted up his empty cup and pointed the knife at it as if he were going to pierce it.

"If I remember rightly, the closest thing to a hologram is created by shining lasers or light through a window at a specific angle, usually onto a curtain or some other surface. That room was completely unusable in that sense so whatever she displayed wasn't some kind of special effect, despite how unreal it sounds. Also, I don't think they have any particular reason to lie." Laying down the cup and knife he interlaced his fingers, resting his elbows on the table and his chin on the platform his hands now made.

"This place clearly had a lot of resources put into it, considering how few of us are here. I wasn't kidnapped, per se, and they took the time and effort to persuade me it was best to come here. If this was some kind of sinister plot it would make more sense to just to drug us and throw us in a run down prison facility. I assume the same is true for all of you so, although I can't say I hold complete trust in these people, I don't see a reason for them to lie to us just yet, as unbelievable as tha sounds."

He turned to the woman who had first responded to Bailey, his brow furrowed as he recalled what she had said earlier. "Although I don't know your situation, I think it unlikely your sister would involve us if she were playing a prank on you. Plus this would be... extensive to say the least for a mere prank."

He shrugged, indicating that he himself wasn't too sure what to think and gestured to the area around them. "For now, I see no reason to resist what they tell us. They've prepared a luxurious facility for us and haven't been invasive in any way. If what they say is true then it's important that we follow their instructions and, if they're lying to us in anyway, we need to find out what they're being untruthful about and for what purpose. In any case, it's nice to meet you all and I look forward to our, hopefully, short time together. My name's Arthur, I'm a teacher and professor from Wales in the UK."

Rachel Jones

Swirling the cup full of blue liquid in her hand, Rachel continued trying to figure out what was actually going on here. If this is real, and I end up ever getting out of here, I wonder what kind of power I'll have. Her internal monologue spoke, trying to find some sort of positivity and optimism in the entire situation. Watch, I'll probably end up with some bogus power...why am I even thinking like this? This isn't' real. It can't really be real. Can it? Rachel's daze was broken in seconds as she realized she had been staring. And worse, the guy was now staring back and calling her out for her gaze. She felt her cheeks start to burn and she was positive that they displayed a creeping blush. I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare, this is just a lot to take in right now... Her already soft voice trailed off into nothing more than a whisper. She was embarrassed, but luckily the other boy didn't seem too upset about it. She let her gaze fall once again to the swirling blue liquid in the cup that she till had yet to either drink or discard. Rachel still hadn't exactly decided what she was going to do with it.

Before she could say anything else they were joined by multiple of the others that were also sentenced to live here. One of the guys, Bailey according to his introduction, sat beside her. He spoke about the medicine and Rachel felt a slight smile tugging at her mouth. He was definitely right. It did not look pleasing at all. She watched as he downed his own and she realized that she was the only one remaining at the table that hadn't drank it. Bailey then asked what we all thought of what was going on. One girl who looked slightly disgusted with the food explained her doubts and blaming her sister for pulling some prank. Rachel cocked her head to the side, she wondered what strange relationship the girl must have with her sister. Now wasn't the time to ask though.

Arthur spoke up again. Rachel bit her lip while listening to and thinking about what he was saying. He believed it, he honestly believed it. She, however, still didn't know what to think about all of this. There was only one thing she was 100% sure of. On cue, Rachel's stomach let out a grumble to remind her of the more important things going on. Scrunching up her face Rachel smelled the blue liquid again before taking shaking her head and gulping down all of the liquid. Coming up for air, Rachel couldn't help but choke on the after taste of the stuff. Oh no... Rachel scrunched up her face in disgust. That was not good. No, not good at all... She coughed again and somehow laughed quietly at herself. She then began shoveling the food that she had piled on her tray into her mouth to get rid of the acrid taste. Her body visibly relaxed once it got rid of the taste.

She decided to focus more on quenching her hunger than conbributing to the conversation. At the moment, she didn't even really know what to think of all this herself. She wanted to know what the others thought of everything going on and decided to add nothing unless she was addressed.

@Jinxer @KimmiNinja @HecateProxy

Sienna prodded at the food on her plate, taking small bites as she compared it to the food served on the airfield. The food was the same, yet it felt extraordinaire, as if the fish and chips was professionally cooked rather than facility processed. Regardless of the taste, Sienna believed that the flavors could hardly compare to MREs, despite enjoying portable meals being nothing to brag about. One would think a woman from San Francisco would be disgusted with the idea of eating what was essentially a TV dinner on the go, but serving the military had gave Sienna many surprises that she enjoyed. It was hard for Sienna to fathom why many would have thoughts against eating a MRE.

As Sienna continued to poke at her food, eating one of the french fries (or chips, as Sienna preferred to say), a blonde-haired man had called out to her, beckoning Sienna to join their table. Deciding to join the growing number, Sienna picked up her tray and approached the table, taking one of the free seats as her own. Before she had the chance to say anything, Arthur had begun a monologue, describing what he had thought to the rest of the patients in the facility. Sienna, of course, had listened to the entire speech, as Arthur appeared to be the one taking initiative and playing the leader role like her superiors back in Jordan.

Sienna had nodded attentively to everything Arthur had to say before he had decided to change the subject and introduce himself. In all, Arthur was rather similar to Sienna, as both of them had similar accents and preferred tea. Glancing back at Arthur as he waited for a response from the rest of those seated at the table, Sienna felt that she might as well make friends with those in the facility, or at least comrades to get herself through this mess. "First Lieutenant Sienna Morris, USAF." A second went by before Sienna had realized rigid and strict her words were. "Forgive me, it's a habit. You can call me Sienna if you desire." Sienna replied, quiet laughter escaping her mouth after she spoke.

Looking to her side, Sienna noticed that a young woman next to her was having trouble ingesting the bluish liquid that they were told was medicine for their illness. The woman was choking on the liquid as she proceeded to have a coughing fit, trying her hardest to fully swallow the liquid. "Dip your head back and swallow it one gulp next time. It won't be as bad and you'll have it gone in a second." Sienna explained, feeling pity for the woman. Truth be told, Sienna couldn't help but to feel pity for everyone here, including herself. The scientist from before had demonstrated her supposed power, but everything was still difficult to understand and taken with a grain of salt. In the end, everything might turn to be false, and each one of them were singled out to be lab rats for some crazy and insane project of theirs.

---

Caebyn -Bynie- Danvers

---

Bynie didn't realize she was lagging behind until one of the men escorting her cleared their throat impatiently. She blinked, coming back to herself. She had been taking small shuffling steps, eyes trained on the little cartoon characters printed on her stockings. She had been too stunned to grab her shoes when she got picked up this morning, at least she had gotten dressed for the day. Not that her ruffled dress did her any good in this place, but some how it made her feel a little better. Picking up her pace to something that was a bit more normal she felt her brain fog over once again. At first she had though her step mom had paid someone to screw with her but looking around at the place she could tell that that wasn't the case, they didn't have THAT much money. And then there was that woman, even as Bynie had watched her make a clone of herself her brain had simply gone ' of she has a twin, that's nice ' while every mental red flag and siren went off letting her known that something was fucking wierd! She was surprised that she hadn't had smoke coming out of her ears.

She stepped into the cafeteria, coming back into focus, oh thank god, food. She took in the men in the hazmat suits with aprons tied around their waist. A high pitched whine of a giggle escaped her throat, she was fucking losing iiiiiittt. "Do you have coffee, please?" One of the employees nodded, handing her a cup of blue liquid and then grabbing the pitcher of coffee and going to pour her a cup. She held up a open palm to stop him. She threw back the medicine like she was at a frat party, and set down the cup to free her hands. Smiling politely she took entire the pot of coffee from the man and made her way to the soft serve ice cream machine. Dumping in as much chocolate ice cream that could fit she then snatched a whole chocolate cake off the buffet styled tables and turned around to find a seat. There was a large group, and then a single man sitting by himself. She was tempted to sit next to him, knowing it was no fun to eat alone, but she was in a strange place and there was safety in numbers.

She set down her treats and pulled up a chair next to one of her fellow X-Men. At the natural lag in conversation at her intrusion she announced, "Dont mind me, I'm just going to be eating my feelings." She stuck a straw in her coffee, picked up a fork and dug in.

Bailey shook his head in disbelief as he stuffed a vinaigrette coated leaf into his mouth, chewing carefully as he listened to the rest of them introduce themselves. "Yeah, this is beyond a simple prank." he commented before taking another swig of his water. He leaned back in his chair before turning to look at Arthur, "A professor?" Bailey eyed the Brit with renewed interest. "I was just starting my student teacher trials, on my way to being a high school teacher. What studies do you teach?" There was a shade of visible excitement in his tone. As if his brain had decided to shut out all the weirdness going on and focus on the one note of normal. That and Arthur didn't look to be much older than he and yet- he had already achieved his greatest desire so along with excitement there was undertones of jealousy that colored his voice.

Bailey didn't have time to ponder much longer as another form appeared in his peripheral vision. He turned his head in time to watch another girl plop down beside the group and begin to shovel the sweet, sticky mass on her plate into her mouth. With a slight grin and raised brows Bailey spoke up, "Coffee and sweets?" He wouldn't lie; it looked good,at least in comparison to his salad but Bailey was a bit of a health nut these days and to see another person scarf down the forbidden just struck him a tad funny. He took in her rather unsual appearance before looking away. "I guess it takes all sorts." he mumbled to himself before looking back at the rest of them. Was there a connection between them all? He couldn't help but wonder if it was at random or had they been exposed to something but none of them looked familiar. Arthur wasn't even from the same country and Sienna was in the military. The rest didn't seem plausible either though he wasn't quite sure if he'd have even noticed them out in the real world.

'All sorts.' his subconscious mused as he went back to eating wondering how much he had missed in his day to day. The self absorption that surrounded his life but that aside, Arthur was right. At least for the moment. They, whoever they were, had put a lot of time and money into this facility. They also didn't have a malicious feel to them, though the biohazard suits didn't exactly scream welcome. Maybe this wouldn't be too bad. His hand slipped up to readjust his glasses, feeling his mind relax at the normality that came with the habitual movement.

Bailey cleared his throat before looking up to the ceiling, he was trying to find the words to keep himself and the mood lighthearted, "So what do you think your super powers are?" Baily asked. The idea of developing super powers seemed less terrifying when he thought about all the interesting things he might be able to do. Would be be able to split like the woman? Or maybe even fly? It was a small comfort,
like a child day dreaming about impossible things.

Location: Cafeteria

Eliza shrugged and continued to listen in on what the others had to say. She didn't want to go into detail on why she would think this was some elaborate prank, she knew what people in the...working class think of the 1%. She was more than a stereotypical rich brat... she was a rich brat with feelings. But she wasn't here to make enemies, not yet anyway. It would prove much more beneficial to be civil to one another than to come at everyone's neck. Like father said to her once, you don't have to be friends...just be adults.

Everyone started to give their introductions and a small piece of their lives. Eliza can admire the noble professions of being a teacher or serving in the AirForce. She wanted to introduce herself as well, but didn't want to run the risk of seeing her in a different light. On top of that, she didn't have a job, the company paid for everything. Eliza pondered for a second then decided it was best to twist the truth.
"I'm Eliza, I moved to California not too long ago to hopefully...start a business... guess that won't happen now. But I hope we can all get along while we're here." She tried not to look directly in anyone's eyes and instead focused on finishing the rest of her blue drink.
It wasn't long before someone brought up the topic of powers. Eliza couldn't help but inhale sharply. Whatever abilities they would develop, Eliza couldn't help but think that it could turn for the worse. What if she started to develop a mutation? She gripped her empty cup waiting on what the others have to say.

----
@HecateProxy@CyanideSweetie@Aquanthe@AnnieTimeNow@Jinxer

^{Location: Cafeteria | Interacting With: his own paranoia...}

---

It wasn't long before Marcus finished off his food. All the while, he watched the conversation the others were having, then figured that he should have sat a bit closer. From where he was, it was a little hard to hear every word but, he picked up the general gist. The main conclusion he started to draw was that most of them were probably older than him-- if there weren't lying, that is.

Most people could probably chalk their mistrust of others up to being raised a certain way, but Marcus wasn't going to slander his mother's name like that-- his mistrust was good ol' paranoia. As far as he was concerned, the less people did honest work-- carpentry, hunting, butchering, farm work-- the more they couldn't be trusted. There were a lot of snakes in the grass and people from big cities were the fattest ones. Why would any of them walk into such an extraordinary circumstance and be fully honest and truthful? He had known people to lie when the sky was sunny and the plants were blooming-- so this strange place was probably pushing people into desperation.

No one could back up their truths with evidence here and lies couldn't be figured out so easily. Here, this was probably something of a clean slate for others to work on. Taking a tense breath, Marcus pushed his tray away from himself, then set his gaze on the door leading out of the cafeteria. What was next? He'd seen a placard with his name on it down the hall-- were those assigned rooms? Admittedly, he was curious at how fancy the rooms would be, especially since the rest of this place seemed expensive and high-budget. Yawning, he also admitted to himself he was tired-- this facility was well out of his timezone... maybe.

Where exactly were they?

Marcus squinted at the thought. How come he didn't remember? Oh, that's right, he had slept the whole way here. Were he not familiar with the mysterious lull to rest that traveling had on his senses, he would have accused the people that brought him here of drugging him. He rubbed his face with his palm and cursed himself. There were probably details about getting here that he should have paid attention to... not that he expected he would need them. Part of Marcus simply wanted the details to have them. What if everything here went awry? What was his contingency plan? More importantly, what was their contingency plan? Marcus shifted his gaze to the people in bio-hazard suits that were standing behind the serving line. There must have been a plan in place for... well, what if one of them developed some kind of wold ending hell-power? What if said hell-powered person had a mind for violence? He didn't exactly remember there being a psychological screening process maybe-- he wasn't completely sure-- but the main point was, any one of these freaks, including him, could be here with ill intentions, right?

Hell. Magneto was an X-Man too.

At this stage the other residents were introducing themselves. No one had disputed Arthur's read on the situation but he knew they all had their own thoughts and they were keeping them private for now. He could hardly blame them, they knew nothing about one another and it would be naive to have no fears of suspicions about their current situation. Despite his words, he himself was cautious about trusting these people but there was nothing they could do right then. On the off chance that everything was true then staying here was the best options, if it was false then they would find out later and could make an escape plan when necessary.

He looked up as Bailey asked him a question, swallowing a mouthful of the curry and washing it down with a sip of tea before responding.

"History, mostly. That's what I lecture and research in but I teach kids at a primary school as well. Again, that's mostly history but... well, they're kids so it can vary a little from the lesson plan." He smiled, a soft smile that was practically his trademark and made him a popular teacher. "I got fast tracked for it, although if my parents' hadn't had the money to get me onto the right courses in the first place I'd probably still be studying my undergrad." He spooned another mouthful of curry, continuing to enjoy the pleasant surprise of quality food.

The newest addition to their small crew was tucking in an interest choice of meal which made him wince a little, knowing his stomach would be unable to take such an intake of sugar. Each to their own, I guess. Glancing over his shoulder he saw that the other man in the room was listening in to their conversation but showed no signs of joining them. Arthur could understand his reluctance to approach them, it would be unsurprising to develop a sense of anxiety in their current situation. He himself felt only a short distance away from losing his calm and thus control of his emotions.

Then Bailey broke the silence and brought up the idea of powers for the first time. Until now they had been talking about the possibility of them even existing, now they were discussing them as if their existence was certain. After the researcher's display that wasn't surprising, though.

Taking a thoughtful sip from his mug, Arthur grinned sheepishly.

"Well, I've always had a certain fondness for Wolverine although I'm not sure I'd actually want his power. Telekinesis is quite cool, don't you think? It could have some useful real world applications too, like moving heavy objects about. I could use it when researching, it's impossible to find a book stand that holds things at the right height so it would help there." He shrugged, indicating he wasn't really sure and hadn't given it much thought, before finishing off his food.

Just as he did so an intercom system crackled into life. There was silence for a moment before the voice of the researcher they had met before sounded over the system.
"I hope you've all enjoyed your meal, I'm told the staff were quite proud of what they were able to throw together for you on your first night here. For your information its getting on for about 23:00 here so it might be time you head to your dorms. Your names are on the door plaques so you know which room is yours. In the morning you'll have a chance to call your family or a friend before we begin the first round of activities." There was a pause before the muffled sound of paper rustling could be heard. "The first thing will just be a few scans followed by some basic exercises to get a baseline for your current body's performance levels. Goodnight all, your alarm clocks will be waking you up at 08:00 sharp!"

With that the intercom crackled and then fizzed out, a momentary silence settling across the cafeteria. After a brief pause, Arthur stood up, stretching. Until the woman had mentioned the time he hadn't noticed how exhausted he felt but now that he had calmed down a little and the adrenaline levels fell away he felt the full weight of an overly strenuous day pressing down on his mind. Of course, he had know idea which timezone they were in nor precisely he was first picked up so he had no idea how long had truly passed since the day took its distinctly strange turn.

"Seems like good advice to me. I'll head on first then, see you in the morning." He waved tiredly, picking up his plate and looking around for a place to return it to but one of the suited staff took it from him with a nod suggesting that they would take care of it. "Oh, that's very kind of you. Thank you." He nodded with his words and then headed back into the hallway to find his room. He remembered seeing it earlier and it didn't take long to relocate. Not sure what to expect he pushed the door open and stepped in, taking in the sumptuousness of the decorations and furniture.

"Oh, my. Someone splashed out."

Caebyn -Bynie- Danvers

---

Bynie shrugged at the boy who had pointed out her choice for dinner. He had brown hair, which was nice considering that almost half of the people here were blonde.  Noticing his sad salad she offered him a bite, "You only live once." she looked around somberly,  "And at this rate who knows for how much longer?" She leaned over and gulped down her ice cream coffee concoction,  humming happily.

The boy asked what they thought their powers could be and her eyes were drawn to a pretty Asian girl that had gasped.  She smiled at her, "I was in California when I got picked up, maybe its something in the water?" She joked.  Tilting her head back in concentration she decided, " I think it would be awesome to talk to animals! Oh! And how sweet would it be if I totally grew cat ears?" she laughed placing her first two fingers together and holding them at the top of head.

Bynie listened to the blonde boy talkabout his fast track of a career and shefelt envious, she worked in a library,which she loved, but it wasnt exactly something to brag about, her train of thought was interrupted by the intercom system. 

It was freaking 11pm? She looked down at the table in front of her morbidly.  At the mass amounts if caffeine and sugar she had just ingested. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep. 

As Sienna ate, she listened to Arthur wonder what supposed powers he might develop. His outspoken thoughts had made Sienna wonder what powers she would develop if everything was indeed true. The thrill of developing superpowers was wonderful to Sienna, but she sat mostly in silence, tapping her chin as she pondered what superpower would help fly an aircraft. "Deadpool is one of my favorite heroes, yet a part of me is against having the appearance of a burnt cheeseburger just to have a superpower. Truth be told, I don't believe having a superpower would be useful in the sky at all." Sienna replied, leaning back in her chair. The pilot was truly at a loss for ideas as she began to finish off the rest of her plate.

"I don't believe our placement in this facility was because of the water. If it was, surely it would have only affected Eliza and yourself. Perhaps me as well, being a native Californian and all, but I have resided in Jordan for some time now. Each of us have different backstories, and some were in entirely different parts of the world. It couldn't be just something in the water, could it?" Sienna explained, glancing over to Bailey and Arthur for their opinion. The Brit was a professor, and Bailey was studying to be a high school teacher. If anyone knew anything about their circumstances, or had any factual clues, it would be one of them.

Eventually, the intercom had rung with the same voice as the woman from the auditorium. She mentioned the time, although when compared to the others Sienna was hardly tired. Her body had grown used to rapidly switching time zones because of the career Sienna had chosen, it didn't take long for her to adjust to a change in time. "I suppose I should be off to bed. See you all in the morning." Sienna replied, standing up with her tray in hand. With her free hand, Sienna rested the hand on her forehead as she stood attention, and proceeded to show off a mock salute to her new friends.

After depositing her tray and dishes, Sienna walked back to where the bedrooms were located. The woman had given them a chance to call either their family or a friend, and inside Sienna was a war of different thoughts. Blood was family, but since the day Sienna had joined the Air Force, those who had served alongside her were considered family too. Entering the bedroom marked with her name, Sienna laid back on the comfortable bed and considered who she would call. Both would be expecting an answer from Sienna, yet they were allowed only one phone call to alert someone of their status.

A few minutes had ticked by, but Sienna had felt as if it had been an eternity before she came to a decision. Sienna knew that it would be easy for her to call either one of them, but her parents would have a harder time trying to contact Sienna's comrades in Jordan whereas it would be easier for her second-in-command to alert her parents. "I'll have Kirkland call my parents after I call him tomorrow. That way everyone knows that I'm fine and also alive." Sienna mumbled, her hands resting behind her head as she stared up at the bleak ceiling of the bedroom. Soon after her decision, Sienna had decided it was best to get some sleep. Reaching over the lamp near her bed, Sienna pulled on the cord as she rolled over in the bed to, hopefully, rest up for the planned trials tomorrow.

---

Location: Cafeteria -> Bedrooms

With all the talk about powers and the mention of heroes, Eliza couldn't help but think maliciously. Like Sienna said, everyone here had a different backstory that potentially led them here. But what if that backstory would lead them to become a "villain"? It wasn't out of the question, if she had the power of invincibility or to stop time, it would prove easy to rob banks or hurt people without them knowing. Eliza didn't share these thoughts with the others, especially with the men in biohazard suits around. But at the same time, no one can stay ignorant to that possibility.

For now. it would be best to observe how everyone else turns out throughout their stay here. Though Eliza doubts she would use her "power" for bad, the thought of being an "all mighty, all good" superhero didn't fit her image. But being a murderous depraved criminal definitely doesn't resonate with her either. The only question that remained for everyone else to answer was, what were they planning to do after leaving this place?

But before she could even speak, the woman from earlier spoke through the intercom informing them of tomorrow's plan. Eliza couldn't help but feel bitter at the mention of a call. She didn't really have anyone she would willingly call and inform them of her situation here. Except maybe Elaina, there was always the chance her sister could pull some strings and get her out of this coop. But at the same time, they didn't have the best relationship.

Some proceeded to get up and head to the bedrooms, which was an indication for Eliza to push away this problem for tomorrow's worries. After saying goodbye to those remaining she heads down to her bedroom and opens the door. The bedroom to her looked like a 4 star hotel - at most. Which was a major downgrade to what she was used to, but she would have to make ends with what was provided.

In the end, exhaustion had already hit, she was far too tired to deal with a downgrade and the fact that there would be no one to even care if she was stuck here. With mother out of the picture for years now and father gone, there was really no one she could trust. And being in a facility surrounded by nothing but strangers with the potential of powers? It was a far worse nightmare than when she lost her dream to Elaina. Laying in bed, the thoughts in her head began to blur as she fell fast asleep.

^{Location: Cafeteria // Personal Room}

---

As soon as the voice over the intercom suggested heading to bed, Marcus was on his feet. He freely admitted he was a bit tired so there wasn't much inward debate against what he should do. Standing up from his tray, he made eye contact with someone in a bio-hazard suit and they nodded at him-- an unspoken conversation-- so he left his tray on the table. As he began walking from the cafeteria, Marcus eyed the others briefly with a look over his shoulder. Ah-- he was the first one out, it seemed-- and looking down the hall ahead of him confirmed this. It made him briefly wonder if he would be the first to move when told to do so all the time. With a light shrug, Marcus walked down the hallway, back to where he remembered his name was on the wall.

When he entered the room, he let out a deep sigh, then locked as many locks on the door as he could. Thing was, Marcus never felt safe while alone unless he had a rifle or a baseball bat within reach. With this on his mind, he could already foresee the difficulty sleeping to come. The lady on the intercom had already laid out a wake up schedule so, he figured the rest of the time they would probably be on a schedule, which was reasonable enough for him-- this meant he could figure out how to tire himself properly before bedtime. Right now? He hadn't plowed enough, pitched enough hay, chased enough goats, or rode the tractor nearly enough to be properly tired. Then there was the fact that the room was so... processed. Pressed and scented, straightened out and brand new, all words to describe the general feel of the room and, the more Marcus looked around at the "warm welcome", the more he felt uncomfortable.

Houses and rooms didn't look or smell like this, hotels did, and in hotels you planned on leaving too soon to break everything in. Maybe that was the point of all this fanciness? It wasn't meant to welcome and keep you but, it was simply meant to welcome you to stay for a while. Shaking his head, Marcus took his shoes off at the door, then walked further into the room feeling somewhat anxious. Everything was so clean and neat that Marcus knew he'd never be able to relax in here, not truly. Even when he sat on the bed he didn't feel as if he could get comfortable. Yep. That was it. Marcus knew very well in this moment-- as if he didn't already know-- that he didn't belong here. Rubbing his face with his calloused hands, Marcus found himself wishing very hard he were simply back home. Mentally, he began making vows and promises to himself-- he was going to do anything it took to get out of this place as soon as possible.

This was not his home, they were not his friends, and he did not belong here.

Over and over the phrase repeated in his mind as he tossed and turned on the bed. Hours passed because he felt them pass. Eventually, Marcus found himself out of bed, walking around the room anxiously, trying his hardest to silence the worries writhing about in his mind-- the theories and foolishness-- but nothing seemed to help. All night he paced about, sat down, tried to sleep, rolled around, got back up-- a cycle of sleepless anxiety that didn't give hint it was going to release him. Well. At least he would have a phone call home in the morning.

The morning.
That was going to be here in less than five hours, he figured.

Rachel's fork rattled on the plate signaling the completion of the meal. Suddenly, a voice projected through an intercom speaker breaking up the talk of superpowers and suspicions. She felt her already huge eyes widen as the voice went on, it really was 11 o'clock? It couldn't be. But as if on cue, Rachel felt her muscles begin to ache and her eyes begin to droop. Before the voice had finished talking, she found herself attempting to stifle a yawn. Slowly people began filing out of the cafeteria, though Rachel took her time. Though her body ached for rest, her mind wasn't quite onboard. She began looking around at all of the suited men. Suspicion and worry began clouding her thoughts and tugging her stomach into knots. Rachel quickly pushed herself up from the table suddenly feeling very alone and uneasy. Not meeting the eyes of any of the people in suits Rachel made her way out and to the hallway.

Scanning shiny plaques, Rachel's stomach fluttered with nerves and fear. The reality that she had no idea what would happen to her here was setting in and making her panic. Finally her eyes fell on her name above the number 20. Rachel's hand paused at the doorknob. What if this was a trap? What would she be walking into behind this door? Rachel looked around her at the seemingly empty hallway. The other's had room down here too right? She hadn't heard any screams or cries for help from any of them, so maybe it was safe for now. She twisted open the heavy metal knob.

Behind the door, Rachel was greeted by what looked to be a normal hotel room. It was definitely nicer than her current home, though that wasn't too hard to beat. Cautiously she wandered around the room, trying to find any hint of danger with the realization that she was most likely being watched at this very moment. Deciding that it was safe enough Rachel laid on the fluffy and was immediately met with utter comfort. Her entire body seemed to exhale in relief. I'm being so ridiculous... Rachel spoke to herself to break the silence. This can't be real, this can't be happening...This isn't real.

Tomorrow, they were going to be allowed to call family members to tell them about what was going on. Or so the voice had said. But, who would Rachel call? She had no one. Feeling her eyes become heavier with each blink up at the white ceiling, Rachel slowly and methodically ducked under the covers to rendezvous with her dreams.