[color=gray][indent][indent]The sound of a distant explosion rocked the Southern Plateau as the techs left overseeing the trial continued to fight against the Harbinger’s hijack.

[color=#ffffff]“The corrupted code just went offline.”[/color] The tense silence of the Trial control room broke as the tech's excited exclamation echoed through the office. Over the last two hours, they had been working with no avail to push the corrupted code out of the system, having tried everything short of cutting the power out of fear of putting those inside into a catatonic state. 

[color=#ffffff]“Console is going green, we have control again.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“Power it down, medical is standing by,”[/color] A member of the faculty ordered. They had seen what Blackjack had been subjected to. Every scenario, situation and interaction had been displayed in the control room for the techs to witness. Each of them would be subject to a debriefing following today. The student body on the other hand had been ordered back to campus the minute the Trial had been hijacked. The school couldn’t risk anyone else becoming hurt or trapped, let alone traumatized by witnessing what Blackjack had gone through.

[color=#ffffff]“We won’t know what injuries were real and what was the work of the simulation until we get in there, bring full trauma kits and be prepared for emergency transportation.”[/color][/indent][/indent][CENTER][COLOR=dimgray]
[sup]________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/COLOR][img]https://i.imgur.com/m0wKyfZ.png[/img][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=silver][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]H.E.L.P.'s Black Site[/I] - [I]Zayas Island, Pacific Ocean[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=silver][b]Hope In Hell #2.051:[/b][/COLOR] [I]High Hopes[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][COLOR=dimgray][SUP][sub]____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/SUP][/COLOR][INDENT][sub][color=silver][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR] [I]None[/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=silver][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR] [I]Tick Tick Boom[/I][/right][/SUP]
[INDENT]A faint violet glow illuminated the area above Teresa Torres as she strained her mind and body using her abilities to push against the collapsing roof. Beside her, Jim was at his breaking point, using his abilities to shield not only their allies but the nearby Orcinus students who had surrendered. 

[color=#ffffff]“My phone,”[/color] Grunted Torres looking toward both Jess and Miranda, [color=#ffffff]“Press… the… button…”[/color] She motioned with her chin towards the dropped device as Miranda scooped it up. Outside the shield, flame and rubble consumed the Black Site, the prison had been wired to go with the Harbinger and Miranda was silently cursing herself for not catching it. She had been a hostage negotiator for H.E.L.P., she should have been able to profile Michael and realize he wasn’t walking out of this room alive.

Jessica on the other hand was nearly catatonic, her eyes unmoving from where Tad had tackled Michael. There was still hope that Tad could make it out alive, but it wasn’t something Miranda could allow herself to dwell on in the moment. Scooping the device up from the floor, Miranda pressed the button illuminated on the screen. 

[color=#ffffff]“Now what?”[/color] Miranda asked, looking from Torres to Jim.

[color=#ffffff]“We hope.”[/color] Came the strained reply.

[color=#ffffff]“Well, this sure is a pickle.”[/color] Interjected a foreign voice as Miranda turned to see a tanned olive-skinned man twitching his prominent handlebar moustache before chomping down on an unlit cigar.  He flicked out a lighter, pressing it to the end of the cigar before a much larger man plucked it out of his mouth and extinguished it on the back of his hand.

[color=#ffffff]“Alveraz,”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“Yeah, yeah, chief, don’t get your spandex in a knot,”[/color] Daytripper replied to Hyperman who immediately went to work placing his strength against the collapsing roof. Both Jim and Torres exhaled in relief as some of the strain was immediately taken off their shoulders.

[color=#ffffff]“Guess I’ll be ‘porting you lot out of here,”[/color] The teleporter winked, wrapping a hand around Miranda’s waist and the other arm around Jess’ shoulders. “It is a real pleasure to meet you.” He winked before the three disappeared and the Daytripper reappeared, grabbing two Orcinus students before vanishing again. In a matter of moments, the Foundation Force member had cleared everyone except for his colleague, Jim, and Torres. 

[color=#ffffff]“Alright you three, together,”[/color] Daytripper ordered only for Jim to shake his head. 

[color=#ffffff]“Take them, I need to find Thaddeus.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“I can’t let you do that, Sir,”[/color] Hyperman interjected before Torres held up a hand.

[color=#ffffff]“Hank, I’ve got this,”[/color] She interjected, [color=#ffffff]“Jim, you won’t be able to survive the weight,”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“I have to try.”[/color]

Torres grabbed Jim by the shoulder, before giving him a quick squeeze and releasing. 

[color=#ffffff]“Do what you have to do, but I’m enjoying our rivalry, so don’t die yet, cowboy.”[/color] She reached out her phone. [color=#ffffff]“When you find him, hit the button and Alveraz will get you out of here,”[/color] Torres added before turning back to the two Foundation Force members.

[color=#ffffff]“Get me out of here.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“Ma’am, yes, ma’am.”[/color] Daytripper saluted and disappeared with Hyperman and Torres. The weight of the rubble above immediately shifted as Jim tried to keep his shield around himself. He gritted his teeth and bared the weight, moving quickly to get out from under the bulk of the falling debris.

He only hoped Tad was alive under all this concrete and steel.[/indent][/indent][/color]