Unknown Date
Inside TSP Holding Cell

She was just about to comment when Lee came in, drawing all of their attention as he stood with a confidence while still holding a calming aura about himself. He knew what was going on for sure and his mention of switching their 'quarters' made her realize that the man was playing a game with them. Ranae couldn't blame him, after all, he was dealing with things that came from comic books - super powers... that was, assuming Ranae was right. She might as well take a gamble on it, nothing else made sense anyways.

"I'd take it easy on them," she replied only moments after Lee's introduction, turning her body to face the man and giving a quick glance to the others. "I'm sure they're both scared and confused.. if I hadn't read comic books my entire life, I might be too." After only a quick pause, she could see the glint of realization in the man's eyes and expression along with a hint of surprise. "I just hope we're not here for you to use us like guinea pigs because of whatever gave this to us." Her eyes turned away for a fraction of a second, but met Lee's eyes with a strong-willed gaze. Even if that were the case, she would be determined to get out and take the rest of her peers with her - no one deserved that.

"I'd take it easy on them," Ranae had said. She went on about comic books, earning a moment of confusion from Sam's furrowed brow. Then she mentioned the two key words which always got her attention: Guinea Pigs.

It did not take long for her to put two and two together. In this instance, it added up to manipulation, extortion and possibly murder. Whomever they were, they intended to hold their captives until such time as they either proved useful or without value. Despite Sam's own subconscious screaming in her mind that she was without such value, she intended to give them no reason to suspect that. If they believed there was something to be gained by keeping her alive, she intended to play on that misconception for as long as possible.

But something else troubled her. Ranae had used very specific wording in her response to the man. She seemed to imply that they were somehow altered; that they were in some way different than when they had come to be captives in this hidden place. Sam did not know in what way, but the woman seemed adamant about it and she could find no reason for her to lie. So what had changed?

Sam thought back on the events of the last week. It had been out of the ordinary only because she had escaped captivity by the mental hospital, but was otherwise as she expected things to be. The only point she could lay odds in favor of being the common denominator was...

Of course!, her thoughts echoed within her mind. The crash. We were all present for the crash. But why is this important? What reason is there to keep us, if that's the only thing we have in common?

She dwelled on Ranae's mention of a change. She had said that the event 'gave' them something. What did she mean? Could it have been something to do with how sick she'd felt for the last week? Aside from a lungful of burning rubber and gasoline fumes, she could think of no reason why a simple crash could have affected her enough to be put into quarantine.

But then there were the drawings. They were simple at first, but gained in both complexity and frequency over the course of the last seven days. At times Sam was not even aware of when she'd drawn them, or even if she had. She would turn the page in her journal, fully intending to write another entry, only to find these meaningless scribbles splashed across her only outlet. Now that was different. Only a week ago, Sam had no ideas about art or self-expression. Now she was to believe she was a latent artist in full bloom?

Fat chance, she thought bitterly. Something stinks here, and it isn't the crash.

---

It looks like Pat's hot outburst wasn't enough to break this guys cool. Pat didn't know weather that spoke more or less for his sanity. He obviously had no fear of the police, though his reasoning was very different from what Pat was expecting. Having your captor be some kind of high ranking government official was a worrying thought. Pat was no stranger in dealing with the government and knew that if someone high up didn't want something known, it wouldn't be known. Still, this knowledge gave more questions than answers. Pat assumed before that they were kidnapped so they could be held for ransom (ironic considering Pat had no family or friends left that would pay it) but anyone with such a high "pay grade", as this man put it, would need to stoop so low for money. Things just weren't adding up. Add this to the man suddenly start talking about some other government organization made up of "people like me and you" (whatever that meant) as if they were their mutual enemy and you end up with a very confusing reply. Somehow, the more this kid talks, the less sense he makes.

A sudden turn caused Pat to momentarily lose his balance. When he looked back up, the man suddenly had arms that long enough to reach from one side of the van to the other. They then returned to normal before his very eyes as the man turned around to chastise the driver. Pat began to wonder if he could do that with the rest of his body before he mentaly caught himself. Pat knew he should be surprised by this development. He should be scared, confused, disgusted... but he wasn't. Life stopped making sense the moment I got kidnapped, I guess by now I've stopped expecting it to start. I guess this guy isn't the only one going crazy

"Well Stretch? No comment on your arms suddenly gaining a few feet in length? I feel like that may be a bigger issue than your friends driving."

In the cell, James was still lying dazed on the floor, his head ringing from the sedative which hadn't quite worn off and the effect of his own powers not being kind on his ears. He could make out the others talking but didn't feel strong enough, nor knowledgeable enough, to contribute to the conversation. The people around him were evidently also somewhat changed; it seemed too big of a coincidence that he gained sound powers and was kidnapped within such a short time.

As Lee entered, he pushed against the wall and stood up, looking straight at the man. He was happy that something was finally happening but cautious, given what was happening. What somebody else was saying further confirmed that everyone was figuring out what must have happened to them. Slowly, he muttered something, although it was larger enough for someone to hear if they were paying attention.

"I need some bloody ibuprofen."

The people were talking around her almost as if this were all normal. There was a guarded tension amongst them though. She felt her shirt getting soaked from her tears. She didn't know that she had started to cry that badly. She focused in on the warmth of her tears, they were not cold. All she wanted to do was wipe the tears off her face and the snot from her nose. She had to look like a mess now, more so then when she was first brought into this van.

She flinched nearly jumping out of her skin when the jacket the man threw towards her touched her. She had not been expecting it and even if she had she would have still flinched from it. She looked at the jacket from just over her arm. She pretended not to notice the man that spoke to her. Everything was happening so quickly and in the confusion she had completely forgotten about her shift tomorrow. There had to be some way that she could call her work and let them know she wouldn't be in.. That was stupid though, this was not the time to be thinking about her work. If these people had anything to do about it she would probably never work another shift at that place.

TSP

“And you’re sure of this?” Pearson asked as he walked down the hallway with Tia as the two headed towards the elevator. With the long day finally coming to an end, Pearson was wasn’t enthused when Tia came to his sleeping quarters with the news that a situation was taking place.

“Of course I am.” Tia said before pressing the button to call the elevator. “Cameron is up to something and the way things appear, we can’t wait. Carter is still downstairs with the Gen Charlie so I’ve sent the Ben and Aaron to gather the others and get things rolling.” Following Pearson into the elevator, she scanned her ID card which lit up most of the buttons that displayed the elevator floors. Pushing the button that led to the floor the Command Room was located, she turned her attention towards Pearson as the elevator hummed as it made its way downwards. “Listen, I know technically we cannot be involved until all the paperwork and technicalities are worked on tomorrow but you’ll need us. Cameron and the rest of them won’t be able to be taken out like the Gen Charlies. The reformers are not civilians as the Charlies are, they’re trained Supers chosen for this job. Send the guys with your men, you’ll need them not only to help you against Cameron but the Gen Charlies would be more willing to listen to Supers like them instead of a team with guns suddenly charging in.”

“You’re lucky that I’m saying yes to this. Don’t make me regret it.” Pearson said. As he entered the Command Room, he could see that is was busy with life again as people prepared for round two. “Sanders,” Pearson said as his gaze landed on the man across the room. “Are your men ready? Things are going to be trickier this time around, especially since there isn’t much time to prepare as well as having the Supers involved on both ends.”

“We were just leaving.” Sanders said with a nod. “We’re sending out air support this time around to keep an eye out on the situation. See if you can get the human computer to clear any traffic we might come across to aid the ground team while slowing down the van with as many red lights she can without gaining the Reformer’s suspicion. Our red and blue lights can only speed things up so far, with her help I hope we can catch them quickly.”

“I’ll have her on that.” Pearson said in agreement before turning his attention towards Tia who was busy briefing those in the room of the van she came across in a few traffic cameras. Although his own personnel were quite well at their jobs within the Command Room, none of them stood up to what the human computer could do. He only hoped that it would be enough of an advantage for them.

Reformers

“You’re sure they were taken to the cell?” Cameron said looking at Daniel. Stationed at the base throughout the whole ordeal, Cameron kept a careful eye out on the situation that took place that night. However he wasn’t expecting Daniel to return with the news that there were still more Charlies out there.

“Yes, I could sense a small group of Supers concentrated together and none of them were part of Bravo. Their power signature is very distinct and familiar to me for me to get them mixed up. As I was waiting for Josiah to get back, all of them suddenly disappeared. I couldn’t feel any of their powers and I am quite certain that Pearson wouldn’t order a mass execution to get rid of them all so the next logical assumption is that they’ve been placed in the cell since nobody’s powers can penetrate into or out of the cell, including mine.”

“Were you able to tell how many there were? Garret will need to know how many he’s transporting since he does have his limits, even with you enhancing his abilities and I doubt Carter will just sit around idly as we do so.”

“Yes, I rather avoid getting shot at. I had enough trouble with the Charlies trying to fight back.” Josiah relied with a slight scoff as he took as seat in a chair within the base’s briefing room.

“I’m afraid that I was too far away and they were bunch up too close for me to know but if I had to estimate I’d say that they around the same amount as we did.” Daniel said before directing the topic forwards. “So how exactly are we going to get them? Josiah can jump into the cell due to the anti-Super capabilities the cell has and I doubt they’ll let him waltz right in.”

“I’m guessing by now that the TSP figured that something is up so most of the security probably won’t be near the cell since they’ll be trying to find us and if not, they’ll think that they’ve completed their mission successfully and the activity will die down pretty quickly. I’m quite sure that if I play my cards right, I’ll be able to waltz right in.” Josiah said with a slight smirk.

“Don’t be so cocky, once they find you they’ll have people out trying to stop you. Sure, taking one or two people wouldn’t be that difficult but ferrying them all to the van will require multiple trips and that won’t be easy. You’d need Garret at the minimum and me as well so you can take more people at one time.” Daniel said before looking at Cameron. “It might be good to have you along as well in case reinforcements is needed.”

“That would be helpful but I think I should be taken to the van. I have a feeling that Tia is probably on to us and I rather not have Dr. Wilson on his own if something were to happen during this ordeal.” Cameron said before standing up. “Well, it looks like it’s time to get back to work.”

“As in making me do pretty much all the work.” Josiah sighed before grabbing ahold of Cameron and Daniel and jumping towards the van, making sure to appear in the now cramped midsection so that the trio wouldn’t cause a disturbance in the back of the van.

Within the Sandy Van

“Hmm Stretch, I like that name.” Garret said with a slight smirk. “I never understood why we never used codenames and such, I would think it would make everything much better, don’t you think?” Garret said pausing a few seconds, obviously thinking about the nickname. “Anyways, getting back on topic. I don’t see why my ability comes to you guys as a big surprise. Seriously, I think Aaron and his armadillo-like abilities would give more of a bang than my abilities. Hell, I bet serum gave you all more interesting powers than mine.” Pausing for a second as he looked at each of them, Garret shook his head slightly. “Well, I guess no one really told you guys about the serum since it’s a big government secret and all. I’m no scientist so I don’t know all the facts and details but the serum can pretty much be given as an injection, or in your case through the air since one of the vials broke during the bus crash. I’m guessing you all felt pretty crappy afterwards, almost as if you had the flu or something?” Garret said as he paused seeing if any of them recognized what he was talking about before continuing. “Anyways after that I’m guessing your lives started to get very interesting as your abilities were awakened. Am I right?”

However before anyone could respond, the door that connected the midsection and the back of the van opened up. Sticking his head in, Josiah looked towards Garret. “Come on, it’s time to get back to work.”

“What is it this time?” Garret asked, now talking in a serious tone as stood up.

“We’re taking a little field trip to TSP’s headquarters.”

“Oh god, what are you planning on doing?” Garret said with a slight shake of his head and made his way towards the door. “Sorry about this but it seems like we’ll have to continue our conversation later.”

Within the Cell of Solitude

A slight shiver crawled Jenna’s back as she listened to the woman in the cell. The idea of being guinea pigs didn’t sit well with her as her glance moved between the woman and the newcomer, glad that a strong-minded person was there with her who was able to take charge of the situation. She could see that the man was about to respond but before he did his attention was diverted as another man asked about having medication.

“Yes, I can get someone to send it down here.” Carter said as he made a slight motion towards the camera that was sitting in the corner of the cell. “They’ll have Annie send someone down with a bottle for you, an untampered still in the box if you’d like.” Carter said with a slight chuckle, knowing quite well that he would be far from trustworthy in their eyes.

“Anyways, that was one of the reasons I came down here.” Carter said turning his gaze towards the woman that spoke to him. “Ranae Viktor, I presume?” He asked out of being polite rather than genuinely wanting to know since he already knew who all of them were. “I came down here to try and clear any confusion you might have and to make sure that you know that you don’t have to fear us. We are not the enemy here, we only want to help you all. What happened at the bus crash wasn’t supposed to happen and it’s unfortunate that you all had to get involved due to chance and genetics but we cannot change the past and a very dangerous group is now after you because of what happened. In the simplest sense the Reformers, as they liked to be called, could be seen as a type of terrorist group made up of people like you all. They were once a part of my team of trained military men, scientists and other highly train personals who were given a serum that had the ability to alter a person’s genetic code which allows them to gain abilities deemed impossible, the same serum that was released during the crash. It’s been a week now since the crash, I don’t doubt that you’ve seen changes in your life since then? Am I wrong to assume this?”

As Jenna listened to the man, she wondered if he was joking with her. Getting wrapped up into something he described seemed nearly impossible to her. Although she wanted to deny what the man was saying, she knew there was at least a hint of truth as she thought about the incidences she had notice occur during the past week. However as she listened, she wondered what would happen now. If there really was a terrorist group after her, going home wouldn’t be wise and if Carter was lying to her about what was going on and they were really there to be used as guinea pigs as Ranae said, she wondered how she would ever escape. She only hoped that this was all a dream and she would wake up in the morning in her own bed.

Two knocks were heard at the door and Carter looked back a little surprised. “Wow, I’m quite surprised. I’ve never seen them work this quickly.”

He knew. Somehow this armored overseer knew about the crash, the sickness, all of it. Garrett's arm-extending was a neat trick, but Adam, after coping with his own newfound ability for some time now, wasn't all that impressed. Following that, he began to put two and two together. If he had powers, and this guy had powers, did everyone in this sand-strewn cell have powers? He began to regard the others with a new sense of suspicion, except for the girl of course—her profuse tears and flowing nose left her in a sorry state, fit for no more than pity.

Then, of course, Garrett went and confirmed Adam's hypothesis. He prepared to respond, to ask what was to be done with them, when the connecting door cracked open and a voice called through it. Until now, Adam hadn't given any thought to the idea that there was more than one captor, but the notion seemed obvious now. A few moment later and Garrett was gone, bestowing upon the prisoners a final apology and farewell. Adam pondered this man. Of course he was afraid of anyone who took advantage of a moment of vulnerability on his part, but before now he has assumed that this guy was just some grunt following orders, uncaring about the result. Garrett's mannerisms, however, were awfully informal and sociable. Perhaps this wasn't some finger on the arm of a greater power, like the government; maybe this 'Stretch' was part of a small, close-knit group. But were they the heroes or the villains? There was no clue to be had.

If worse came to worse, Adam decided, he would try to fight. His ability was still largely uncontrolled and untested, but he'd lived long enough to know that a little sand in the eyes goes a long way. Even as Adam created this mental resolve, however, he knew that he wouldn't be able to back it up. These people had guns, possibly unknown superpowers, maybe twenty-five years, and probably professional training versus fifty-one year old, pacifist Adam. There really was nothing he could do but wait. “God help us,” he murmured, staring with droopy eyelids and a morose frown at the spot where Garrett had disappeared.

Sam cast her eyes to the side, unimpressed by Carter and his goons. If anything, this only confirmed her theory. However, she also knew that the real power behind any organization would never risk exposure, so as high up as the man might think he is, he was still a puppet. Strings in your hand do not preclude the possibility of strings on your back. She pondered how far this thing went; how many levels of government involvement there could be. She wondered if it went straight up to the president, but decided he couldn't be involved; decisions like these weren't made by a "face".

Ranae gave her exactly what she wanted as she engaged their captors in debate. So long as they were focused on somebody else, no one would come for her. That was her hope, anyway. With all this going on, all she wanted was to flee. Once again, her life was being decided by men in suits. Once again, she felt like cattle in the slaughterhouse.

She silently resolved to do as much damage to them as she could, given the opportunity. The men in suits, the cell, and even her fellow captives all faded into the background as she worked out in her mind whether it was worth it to wait until additional freedoms were earned, so that she could more effectively sabotage them, or whether they intended to do her in regardless of how she behaved.

Then he said something that snapped her back to reality. Genetic modification via airborne toxins? Was this really true, or was it another head game? This changed everything. If true, it could explain the odd events which had taken over her life within the last week. Perhaps it connected with the odd scribblings in her notebook. This deserved further inquiry.

---

Pat felt like throwing a party. Some answers! Finally some straight up answers from ol Stretch instead of the babble he spouted before. It seems like they were all kidnapped because they had some kind of superpower. Normally Pat such an explanation would invoke a gentle smile and a mental note to contact the authorities, but seeing a man suddenly add a few feet to his arm span crushes most of those kinds of doubts. Stretch had also successfully predicted that Pat was on the bus crash, which added to his credibility. Pat couldn't remember if he felt sick or not the night after the crash. He had a migraine at that point, and migraines themselves can cause flu like symptoms, so he had probably wrote it off as that at the time. And besides, he did have that period where he gave headaches to people nearby. Was that his power? If so, why had is suddenly stopped working, Stretch's power certainly hadn't worn off. Pat was about to ask when Stretch abruptly leaves the back of the van.

Pat fumes a bit. Of course he leaves just as he was becoming somewhat helpful. I'm sure it would kill him to stay for another two minutes to answer questions. Then again, if the past was any predictor of the future, it would just be him asking questions again. The other, older man that was in the van with him hadn't said a word yet. You'd think Stretch's display before would have provokes a question, or at least a few curses, but still nothing. Maybe he's mute? Or deaf? Heck, for all I know maybe his super power is lasers come out of his mouth when it opens Pat decided to chock it up to option number three before turning his attention to the young lady who was also in the van. The fact that she was still crying was, in Pat's opinion, a superpower in itself. Just my luck, we all have superpowers and I'm stuck with Silentman and Teargirl. No wonder they don't feel we need to be guarded.

Still, it was about time someone did something about the girl, she was going to flood the van at some point. Pat walked over to where she was a knelt down so he was about at eye level.

"Listen lady, but it's about time you snap out of it. If someone here was going to hurt you they would have done it by now. So stop cryin' ya hear?"

Vida listened to what Garrett said between her sobs. It was true that she had been in a wreck not to long ago, but were those people really on the bus with her? She couldn't remember anyone's face. Maybe if she had bothered to look around at the people that had been around her at that time she would have been able to recognize them. Garrett did hit everything on the head about her and that evening. Had those people followed her and kept track of her? Was that how they knew where she lived and were able to get in?

Though... she moved her foot slightly hearing the sand move under her foot and feeling the gritty sensation. Someone had to get all this sand in here somehow. She curled her toes then uncurled them. The man talked a little more before she heard the door open again and close as he left. Since there was a door there had to be a way out.. or at least a phone call. She needed to call work to let them know that she was going to miss tomorrow or the next or ever. If she missed a shift without calling she knew that she would be fired from her job without any questions. If that happened she would not have a place to return to, she might as well be killed here.

She heard Pat closer to her now and from what she gathered addressing her since she was the only female in the van. She looked up at him from under her hair. Tears stained her face making her cheeks red and snot ran down her nose. She opened her mouth to say something but instead of speaking she turned her attention to wiping the snot from her face. She wiped it on her shirt then looked at him again. "I-I..." She started not really knowing what to say to him. "I'm going to be fired!" Tears started to go down her face again as her new fear of being fired from her job and becoming homeless set it. "And the cats.. I won't have a home." She started babbling again trying her best to stay on the same subject. "I want some pants!"

Unknown Date
Inside TSP Holding Cell

“Anyways, that was one of the reasons I came down here.” Carter said turning his gaze towards the woman that spoke to him. “Ranae Viktor, I presume?” Carter asked out of being polite rather than genuinely wanting to know since he already knew who all of them were. “I came down here to try and clear any confusion you might have and to make sure that you know that you don’t have to fear us. We are not the enemy here, we only want to help you all. What happened at the bus crash wasn’t supposed to happen and it’s unfortunate that you all had to get involved due to chance and genetics but we cannot change the past and a very dangerous group is now after you because of what happened. In the simplest sense the Reformers, as they liked to be called, could be seen as a type of terrorist group made up of people like you all. They were once a part of my team of trained military men, scientists and other highly train personals who were given a serum that had the ability to alter a person’s genetic code which allows them to gain abilities deemed impossible, the same serum that was released during the crash. It’s been a week now since the crash, I don’t doubt that you’ve seen changes in your life since then? Am I wrong to assume this?” Two knocks were heard at the door and Carter looked back a little surprised. “Wow, I’m quite surprised. I’ve never seen them work this quickly.”

”Quite the mouthful,” she murmured quietly as the man in front of her drew his attention elsewhere. ”So humans are already playing with genetics? I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised and in the end, I should be thanking you..” She wasn’t about to let them know why she was thanking them, though if they already knew this much, she wouldn’t be surprised if they eventually figured out what she was trying to do.

”But..” she interjected herself with a sharp tone, meant to grab Carter’s attention. ”These people are probably scared, confused, and lost.. They have no mind for the fantastical. Hell, they’re probably listening to you with doubts in their mind right now. Genetic tampering? Powers?” She paused, looking at the other three for a moment. ”They’ll have to face it eventually that it’s the truth. The point is,” she turned a hard gaze back on Carter, an expectant untrusting look on her face, ”I don’t care who you are ... or who these ‘Reformers’ are ... or what you want with us, but I will raise as much hell as I need to in order to protect them. If I have to die so that they can live whatever life they choose, then fine, but you better not screw them over, treat them with disrespect, or hurt them.”

There, she got her speech out. Crossing her arms under her chest, she just thought how much corruption was in this world and how much pain those closest to you could really give you and she was about done with taking all the shit. Accident or not, she had a responsibility and her stern expression showed her determination to not let that go to waste. ”I’m sure we’ll decide who’s more fair in the end, Mr. Carter. Do whatever you need to do.”

Really, Sam replied internally. She immediately distrusted this outburst; it seemed like the bravado of a plant. But, then, she had been in the company of liars for too long. She wanted to see Carter's reaction.

Threatening your captors was a bold move indeed. Sam didn't know if she believed all this talk of special abilities, but she knew this woman believed it. Unless she was an extremely talented actress, she would throw herself against any wall they erected to save the rest of the group.

How heroic, she mused. Even in her own mind, her tone was sardonic, pessimistic. In her mind there were only three possibilities: That this woman would be chosen as an example to the rest of the captors, that she was working for them and intended to crush their morale, or that she would make good on her promise and free them. After that, she wondered, what would her price be? Again, she decided it was better to wait. For now, others had the floor. If all eyes were on them, which eyes were left to see Sam?

---

Within the Cell of Solitude
“We’ve been dealing with genetics for quite a while now” Carter said with a small chuckle as he made his way towards the door. Although he was a little curious in the way Ranae said she should be thanking him, he decided to let it be for now for all he knew she could be talking about how her powers have been aiding her in her role as a vigilante but from past experience with Cameron, Carter knew that he shouldn’t fully mark her statement off as something trivial. That was a mistake he wouldn’t make again.

Raising his hand to return a knock, Carter stopped midway as Ranae spoke again. Turning around, the man gave a nod towards Ranae. Carter admired her strong personality which would be useful for the Gen Charlies if they ever got into a tight squeeze. Even though they barely knew each other, seeing the group start to form a team-like relationship with each other so early on was something he knew would be beneficial. “Well let’s hope a situation doesn’t get too far causing your death because that would be unfortunate. Going along with whatever path a person choses isn’t always the wisest thing, remember that Ranae because I rather not see you on the other side of justice and what is right.” Carter said before turning his attention towards the others. “Remember this, just because you all have been given powers beyond what is humanly possible you are not exempt to the rules. Don’t let your powers consume and corrupt you because I have seen it happen and I rather not see someone in the third generation of Supers follow the same path as the prior two.”

Turning back towards the door, Carter returned three knocks. Although there was a camera that showed the inside the cell for the security outside the cell, the knocking was an added layer of precaution when the door was open to make sure things were under control before opening the cell door. Shortly after his knocks, he could hear clicking as the internal locks in the door opened and the door slowly opened.

“Did Annie send you down before I called becau—” Carter started to say before he recognized the man that entered the door and quickly tensed up.

“Speechless? Hey man, I didn’t know you’d missed us this much.” The man said walking up to Carter. “Hey Josiah, Mr. C missed us.”

“Shut up Garret.” Josiah said following Garret into the cell. “Can’t you act serious for once?” He said as he looked at the four in the cell. It would take two trips to bring all four with Daniel’s help, a third trip to bring Garret as well. As long as the cell door was open he would be able to jump in and out of the cell with ease, which was if Garret could keep Carter and any security personnel that came to the cell busy.

“You guys don’t want to do this, trust me. Do you really want to start up another incident?” Carter said keeping himself between them and the Gen Charlies. Without Team Bravo with him and guessing that the security stationed outside the cell was taken care of, he knew he was outmatched.

“No can do Mr. C, you wouldn’t belie—“

“Seriously, shut up Garret.” Daniel said as he entered the cell. “

Placing his hands in his pockets, Carter glanced behind him at the four within the cell. “Ranae I hope your promise is true because you all will need to stick together through what is going to happen.”

“Siding with Pearson again? When are you going to learn Carter—” Josiah said before suddenly disappearing with Daniel. “You are on the wrong side.” Josiah said reappearing behind Carter and close the closest two Charlies before disappearing again, this time along with the two.

At Josiah’s sudden appearance, Carter quickly tried to make his way towards the man as he pulled out his gun but before he could get far, an arm suddenly stretched out and wrapped around the front of his body while another hand reached for the gun as Carter was pulled back.“Sorry Mr. C. I can’t let you get in the way.” Garret said with arms extended across the cell towards the man before retracting his arms slightly to bring Carter besides him.

“Hey, let him go.” A new voice said behind Garret. Turning around, Garret saw a young man in his mid-twenties with a gun pointing at him. Behind him, he could hear the sound of footsteps quickly making their way towards them.

“Oh god, you called backup didn’t you?” Garret said directing his question at Carter.

“Of course” Carter said motioning towards the pocket his hand was in earlier. As he did so, Josiah and Daniel appeared again, taking only about ten seconds since their disappearance before returning to the cell. Jumping towards the final two, Josiah quickly grabbed each in each of his hand while Daniel was holding him on his shoulder. From the yelling, Josiah knew he didn’t have much time before things started to heat up and quickly jumped back to the van.

“Your new assistant is quite a gutsy fellow, especially for someone that hasn’t been around Supers for very long Mr. C? “ Garret said as he pulled Carter in front of him to use as a shield. He hoped that Josiah would hurry up because although he was able to stretch, he was far from being bulletproof. “Hey kid, why don’t you back off,” Garret said loud enough so that Richard could hear. “I have a gun and Mr. C here. You know, doing something crazy here wouldn’t be wise.”

“Do you even know how to shoot a gun?” Josiah said as he appeared to hear Garret’s comment.

“Of course I do.” Garret said as he released Carter grabbed onto Josiah.

“Then you knew that the safety was on?” Josiah said before the two disappeared.

Regaining his balance after Garret released him, Carter looked around empty cell. “You have to be kidding me.” The man said shaking his head.

“Don’t worry boss, Pearson is tracking them down right now. You missed it while you were down here but Tia found a van with other Gen Charlies. We’ve talked him into letting Aaron and Ben go with them and by now they should be there in about five minutes.” Richard said as he returned his gun to its holster.

Within the Sandy Van

Jenna was still a bit perplexed about the situation the second time the man named Josiah came. Sure, moving metal was strange but people suddenly disappearing seemed even more bizarre to her. As the man tried to grab her, Jenna tried to get away but he was too quick and within a span of a blink she found herself not in the cell but something moving. As the man released her and disappeared again, Jenna fell back, unaccustomed to the moving vehicle after being in the cell for who knows how long. “Sand?” Jenna mumbled picking up a handful of sand from the floor of the van before she turned her gaze around her. Startled at the sudden realization of random people around her, she wondered if they were teamed up with Josiah and the rest of his team. However, none of them were trying to grab her and tie her up or something similar to that so she wondered if they were people like her and the rest of the people within the cell. “Who are you guys?” Jenna asked as she tried to stand up but finding herself quickly losing balance, opted to sit down at the closest seat as she tried to find a familiar face from the cell within the group.

Pat was glad that the girl was at least talking now, although he still considered her mentally unstable considering the first three things on her mind were her job, cats, and pants. What do you need a job for anyways? I've been unemployed for forty years. Pat was about to reply with something along the lines of "You've got some messed up priorities lady" before the sound of people falling on sand directly behind him cut the conversation short.

Pat managed to turn around just in time to see four new faces in the back of the van, two of which immediately blinked out of existence. Pat was given just enough time to become confused when the teleporting duo brought another pair of people into the van, before one of them once again blinked away. Pat was given enough time to realize the blinking one and the one he was with were probably his captors before Blink managed to reappear once again, this time with Stretch in tow.

Pat's four new companions seemed almost as confused at their arrival as Pat was when he first got here. Pat was willing to bet quite a bit of money that they were also kidnapped by Stretch and co. and likely had powers as well. Still, there was major difference in their capture as opposed to how the rest of them got there.

"Hey Stretch, isn't it standard procedure to drug the people before you kidnap and lock them in a van? Shoddy work guys, shoddy work," Pat says, works drenched and dripping in sarcasm. In all honesty though, Pat trusted Stretch more than anyone else in the van at the moment. At least he could be sure Stretch wasn't likely to kill him in the foreseeable future.

Pat quickly glanced over the new arrivals with a bit of contempt in his eyes. The van was already more crowded than he liked before they came along, and now they suddenly had double the number. Pat had a feeling their increased number wasn't going to be much help in escaping either. Still it was probably best if he address them since he doubted any of the other van veterans were going to do the job.

"Make yourselves comfortable, your probably going to be stuck here for a while. Oh, and if any of you feel the urge to begin sobbing uncontrollably you can join the lovely young lady in the corner."

"Make yourselves comfortable," Pat had said. "You're probably going to be stuck here for a while. Oh, and if any of you feel the urge to begin sobbing uncontrollably you can join the lovely young lady in the corner."

Sam shook her head casually. "First-timer. I can tell. She'll adjust." She looked about, trying to gather her bearings as best she could, though nothing more could be gained than the make and model of the vehicle, the faces of the occupants, and the strange inclusion of a large quantity of sand on the floor. She did note that there was a door separating them from the head compartment, which most probably meant they were locked inside.

"I take it these are the terrorists I've heard so much about?"

---

Unknown Date
Inside TSP Holding Cell

Ranae felt an alarm go off in her head as the man entered the cell and shifted her weight, but watching the man blink into the cell lowered her confidence in being able to react to him before he was able to grab a hold of her. Instead of fighting then, she decided to relax and bit and let the man touch her. 'These must be the-'

Unknown Date
Unknown Van (filled with sand)

'-Reformers he was mentioning,' she thought to herself as she found herself inside a moving vehicle. It was a bit darker than she expected it to be and the bottom of the floor was filled with sand. Was that another power or some strange precaution against their powers? Her eyes were meat with four new faces, of which a girl that was crying (a more normal reaction, she noted) and a man giving them a slight scoff as he spoke. 'Oh, this'll be interesting.' They didn't miss a beat either as the sarcastic individual mocked their captures, causing Ranae to smirk slightly.

"I take it these are the terrorists I've heard so much about?" Her eyes catching the quiet girl with the notepad, she gave her a curious expression, a bit surprised she was so willing to talk now and not before. Maybe the presence of a government-like man made her nervous or she was just not mentally grasping the situation.

She gave a small turn towards the door - the only exit and shifted her feet to balance herself as the van hit a bump in the road. "Heh, more than likely ... and for one reason or another, they want us alive and on their side." She just stated facts for now, but inside her mind she was quieting wondering - what was the goal to this game?

“Hey, things worked out so I’m not complaining.” Garret said with a slight shrug towards the man. With just enough to drug the original group of people, knocking the others unconscious wasn’t something plausible and even if it was, it would have been a time adding feat that could have turned the situation sour very quickly if a wrong move was made. “However focusing on the here and now, isn’t it also standard procedure for the kidnappees not to stir things up with their captors? It looks like I’m not the only one breaking protocol.” The younger man of the trio said with a challenging smirk. He wasn’t upset with what the man said but rather the opposite. He was enjoyed his talk with the man earlier and the current banter with the man was adding to his enjoyment.

“Oh god, please don’t join the crying spree. That’s annoying and downright pathetic.” Josiah said shaking his head disapprovingly as he moved towards the door and leaning his back against it. As he listened to the young girl in the van, he looked at Sam with curiosity. What exactly did she mean by being a first-timer? Was she talking about being kidnapped because being caught in the middle of a situation that they were in for the second time seemed very implausible. Who exactly was the kid? However that wasn’t the only thing that he was questioning. From the minimal reading he did from the files found, he knew the names and a general idea of what type of powers each person within the original group had, but until more research was done, the information of the other group was near minimal.

As she sat quietly as the scene in front of her unfolded, Jenna looked towards the woman that the older man pointed out. The crying woman seemed like a familiar face to her but she couldn’t figure out where exactly she saw her. Maybe it was just a face she remembered seeing while during the bus ride and the memory of her just stuck out more than anyone else on the bus. However the more she thought of that, she had a feeling that she was wrong. Why was that woman so familiar to her?

Adverting her attention towards the girl and Ranae, Jenna listened as the two spoke about the trio being terrorists. If what the man that visited them within the cell was right, the three plus the driver were potentially dangerous people. However, she was surprised at the trio’s expression in calling them terrorists as she watched Garret bust out in laughter followed by Daniel speaking up, quieting the other man prior to speaking.

“Really, terrorists?” Daniel said as he took the seat closest to Josiah. “And to think, we were just inconvenient pests before.”

“So this is what happens when Pearson has a tantrum? We suddenly turn into terrorists.” Josiah said with a slight shake of his head. “At least it makes us sound stronger and fiercer.”

“That’s true.” Daniel said with a slight nod, agreeing with Josiah before turning his attention towards the rest of the van. “However, something along the lines of freedom fighters or something like that might be better at describing us. You don’t want to get us mixed up with something villainous. We’re not playing superheroes versus evil masterminds and villains here. We have no plot to rule the world. But you are right, we do want you safe and alive and in the best case scenario, with us instead of against.”

Sam shook her head, even before Daniel completed his protest of the label she'd insinuated. She gave a nod toward the exterior door. "Look at that. Touch it. Take in all the detail you can. Observe that it's metal. Convince yourself that it can't be anything else. Now think about the concept that you can't possibly know what it is...not really. One neuron in the wrong state and you could be touching a tree. By your own admission, and your rivals', we've had the kind of change that could affect our minds in just the right way to have that effect on us. Everything you see is suspect. Everything you know is subject to change."

She crossed her arms and stared into his eyes, no longer the frightened captive she had been only moments ago. Had it been an act, or had she simply been in shock? "You'll understand if I'm not quite ready to take you at your word."

---

It was a good thing that her throat was so dry from crying earlier or she would have screamed seeing the person pop into the van out of no where. Just when she had got to the point where she was actually speaking to at least one of the people on the van more showed up. She balled up tighter again wanting to disappear even more now. She put her hands back over her head not looking at any of them, instead she quietly started to mumble to herself.

She listened to the others that seemed to not really mind this strange turn of events in their life. A couple of people actually seemed to enjoy the fact that they were kidnapped. She ruffled her hair wondering how they could be so calm in a situation like this. What in the world was going through their minds? what in the world could be happening? "How did they pop up like popcorn? they are ghosts? But they are people. People aren't popcorn... are they?" She kept mumbling to herself making no sense to anyone, or even herself. "But.. what if...no, no.. but bugs do.. Ehh!" She rubbed her head hard ruffling her hair even more than it already was trying to put her thoughts together. "But bugs are bugs unless..." She remembered one of the men mentioned something about them having powers and from what she was able to put together the powers weren't the same which meant..! She sat up quickly wanting to see everyone to make sure what she was thinking wasn't true. Her head didn't stop though until it hit the side of the van with a thump. "Owie!!" She instantly put her hands on her head where she had hit it. "Ow ow ow.."

As was expected, Stretch took no offence at Pat's previous comment, though from what Pat could tell his companions were a little more high strung than he was. Still not enough to be offended by being called terrorists, guess that never made it into their list of hurtful insults. At least the new gang of prisoners seemed more functional than the one's he was with before. Or at least weren't babbling too much nonsense.

"...You don’t want to get us mixed up with something villainous. We’re not playing superheroes versus evil masterminds and villains here. We have no plot to rule the world. But you are right, we do want you safe and alive and in the best case scenario, with us instead of against.”

Was it normal for kidnappers to claim good intentions after admitting to drug and kidnap you? Pat guessed any thought of this being a normal kidnapping was dead and buried but these guys still liked putting a few more nails in the coffin just in case.

"Safe, alive and preferably drugged by the sound of things. You guys realize that kidnapping people generally doesn't create sympathy for your cause. Try a recruitment poster next time, or maybe a phone call."

Next up, one of the new captives launched into a lovely speech about why they needed more trees instead of doors, or something along those lines. Pat really didn't really understand what she was talking about aside from her last line. While he could understand being hesitant to trust these people, Pat knew in his gut they were telling the truth. Or at least, they believed they were telling the truth, no one ever admits to being the bad guy.

"That's all well and good but if you want any chance of making sense of this situation your going to have to believe somebody, and these guys have a better case than most. It always takes more effort to lie than to tell the truth, and these guys are nothing if not the laziest bunch of idiotic super kidnappers I've ever seen. Oops, sorry Stretch, broke protocol again."