Escape

[Max452]

OOC: Oh yeah, I saw the preview...not my favorite. but yes, he is nice to look at. He's also coming out in another movie. Its the sequel to Clash of the Titans. It looked...okay...lol.

Sam nodded and opened a folder. He motioned Etta to sit next to him, so that she could look at it also. He glanced briefly at the bed. "Sorry, they only had a room with one bed." He gave her a sheepish smile. "You can also sleep if you want. I know boring files can be...well...boring. And I know you've been exhausted since we started out." He gave her a half hearted smile. He thought about his mother briefly, but at the same time, he didn't know how to feel. How was he suppose to? The only things he remembered of where not good ones, but at the same time, she was his mother. He cleared his throat, trying not to focus on her death, but on the files.

He glanced at them. It seemed like they were files on some random people, but one of them...was his mother's. His eyes widened. She had powers! "My mother had powers!"

He thrusted the file open and began reading. Apparently she possessed the ability of premonitions. She could see the future! "Look at this!" Sam exclaimed to Etta as he moved some papers around to see drawings that his mother had done. Some were of random people...others, it seemed, of events that had already passed or were now, going to happen. He looked at the last sheet of paper. It showed new york city in a ball of fire and an image of a man in the shadows, seemingly laughing.
"What do you make of this?" He asked Etta, slightly afraid and uncertain.

[trinn]

OOC: Just watched the trailer. Yeah, it looks alright. I want to know what happened to Io! lol. Although going with classical Greek mythology, Perseus does end up with Andromeda.

Etta looked back at the bed, sorely tempted to crash there for now. Instead, she sat beside Sam and studied the papers he went through. None of it made much sense to her. She was knew to this whole agent and running for her life thing. She'd never even heard of Primatech before. The drawings, however, were of some interest. She thought she recognized her own face once. The last picture woke her up a bit more fully. "That... my God, Sam." she said, her eyes widening. "If your mother had premonitions, then this... this is what's going to happen New York City." She felt her stomach clench at the thought. "The question is whether or not all of her visions came true. Maybe we can stop this. We have to stop this!"

[Max452]

OOC: I know, and isn't Io suppose to be a cow or something? lol

These drawings were intense. Sam didn't know what to think. If this was true, if his mother had powers...then...why didn't she ever say anything. Then it occured to him. Was that why she drank all the time? He stared at the drawings, feeling sick to his stomach. Had he misjudged his mother? Was New York going to be destroyed? "I don't know..." He tried to think, but nothing was forthcoming. He tried to maintain a cool and collected expression. "But I know we have to stop this from happening." He pointed at the last drawing. His eyes turned to the tapes. "I don't know what to think." He referred to his mother. He stood up, feeling restless, anxious, confused, and a whole variety of other emotions. "I don't know what to do." He tried sitting on the bed to still himself, but that didn't work well. His hands rubbed themselves. He never felt like this before. Complete confusion.

[trinn]

OOC: I don't even know lol. Maybe I'll find out. I'm taking Greek mythology this semester! woot!

As Sam paced around to expel, Etta assumed, nervous energy, she remained at the table. She couldn't seem to look away from the drawing. She clenched her own hands together to keep them from shaking. "What about rebel?" she said, turning in her chair to look at Sam. "He should have some sort of answer, shouldn't he? Maybe he knows who this guy is." she said, picking up the drawing and pointing towards the shadowy figure. "And the tapes. Maybe those have clues." Etta felt dumb speaking about these things. She wasn't any sort of special agent or cop or detective. She ran a small flower shop in the lower east side. Well, she had run a small flower shop. Le Petite Boutique might be up in flames now. The thought pained her. All of the flowers...

[Max452]

Sam nodded at Etta. He glanced up at her, glad that she was thinking clearly, and that she was here with him. A grateful smile spread on his lips. "Yeah, Rebel could know or he could find out." His eyes darted to the tapes. "Those could be helpful." Another nervous knot formed in his stomach. He wondered what was on those tapes. "I have a tape recorder here." He rummaged through some stuff on the table and found a small recorder. He then rummaged through the tapes. They were all dated. It seemed his mom kept an audio diary. He grabbed one in the middle and played it.

The voice of his mother sounded after a moment of clicking and static.
"I did it again...I couldn't help it, but the headaches are getting worse...and the drinking seems to be the only thing to dull it. My God, I had the same dream again...dust and smoke...fire...an ocean of fire. That's all I constantly see..." Her voice began to crack with emotion, "I wish I didn't have this gift." She scoffed at the word gift. "All it makes me do is see pain...more pain...and all...all I seem to do is inflict it..." She burst into sobs. "I hurt them again...I didn't mean it...my God, forgive me...my dear Sammy, forgive me..." She sobbed harder, "Mr. Bennett contacted me again..." She spoke again after her seemingly endless sobs. "He said that he could help me, but the last time I did that, my visions got worse, and now, I can only find comfort in that stupid bottle!" She sneered and screamed at the notion of drinking. She breathed in deeply, "I just hope I can figure out how to make them stop...I'm tired of these stupid visions...but....the fire...I can't ignore it. I need to figure out a way to stop it..." The tape went silent.

As the tape played, Sam sat there in silence, realizing that his mother really didn't want to drink...but that the only thing that could ease her pain was drinking. A small tear dripped down his face. For his whole life, he thought his mother was a monster. Guilt welled up, followed by sorrow. Another tear escaped him.

[trinn]

Etta remained in her seat. She didn't have the energy to get out of it at the moment, though her mind was whirling. She listened to the tape intently, and when it went silent she looked at Sam. To her surprise, there were tears on his cheeks. But why should it be a surprise? He may be tough, but he was still human, and he had just reunited with his mother only to watch her die. Ignoring her weak legs, Etta stood and moved over to him. She stood in front of him for a moment, trying to think of something to say. When that failed, she sat beside him on the bed. "I'm sorry, Sam." she began, looking at the floor. "Your mother was in such pain... But, she doesn't have to bear that pain anymore. In death, she is free." Etta stopped talking then, unsure if she was really saying the right things. She looked over at him, noticed the tears still on his cheek. Gently, she rested her hand on his arm. "It's ok to cry, Sam." she said, though she was still unsure if she was doing any good. But sometimes a good cry made a world of difference. At least for her. She stuck with this logic.

[Max452]

Some of what Etta was saying processed into Sam's brain. The guilt was hard to bear as he thought of all the things he had said about his Mom, all the horrible ideas and things he thought her as. The only thing that seemed to grant him comfort was the warmth of Etta's hand. His other hand crossed his chest as he placed it over her hand. He was silent for a moment when Etta suggested he cry. He wanted to. He wanted to just curl up in a ball and cry, but everything, all his training in the army and the SEALS told him otherwise. He finally turned to look at Etta and then made a forced smile. "I'm fine. Its just the dust in here..." He lied, as he removed his hand from hers and wiped the wetness from his face. "I'm fine. Its just...I really wished I knew sooner...I wouldn't have been so angry." He admitted. He groaned and then laid down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "My whole life I thought she was just a monstrous drunk." His voice threatened to crack. "I'm so stupid." He couldn't help it even if he wanted to. The tears came and Sam began to cry. Embarrassed, but unable to stop, Sam placed a hand over his eyes to cover his shame.

***
Julian stared at the folder he had been given by Shadow. This was stupid, he thought. Inside the folder was the picture of the woman he had to bring to Shadow. He didn't know why or any of the details. He was just suppose to bring her to the designated place and whoever would pick her up. Recruitment. Julian guessed that was his "new" job now. Well, it was worth it, as long as Shadow promised him the cure and he and Sahira could get on with their lives...together. The thought of Sahira encouraged him. "Well, let's see if I can get Alice Hollin to join the ranks..." He muttered and then looked at the other file, "and...Alicia Cortez...she'll be a bit harder to find..." He mumbled as he gazed at Alicia's file. "She's running all over the place...ermm, vampire-like eh?" He saved her for later...she would be a bit tougher. He shimmered over to Alice Hollin's last known location.

[trinn]

Men. Etta thought as Sam stubbornly refused to admit his sorrow. She had been hopeful, when he had grasped her hand, that he might release the pent up emotion. As he lay back on the bed, Etta stared at the floor. She truly felt sorry for him. To be taught never to show weakness, even for a moment, was agonizing. It wasn't healthy. No wonder he had stress lines. The bed shook oddly, and she glanced behind her to see Sam crying, though he was doing his best to hide it. Determined that he would shed his tears, Etta lay down next to him. Grabbing the arm that was holding the hand up to hide his tears, Etta pulled it around her waist and she wrapped her own arm around his. With her other hand she pulled his head to her shoulder, embracing him in a comforting, if perhaps a little awkward, hug. Instead of saying anything, she let Sam cry in silence. He wouldn't like to hear her telling him that it was ok to cry. He just needed her to accept it right now.
***

OOC: Yay! I've been wanting to use Alice!

The pizza shop was empty now. All the costumers had left and most of the other employees. Alice hated closing. She quickly ran the vacuum, not bothering to get into the corners. Her hair, pulled into a sloppy ponytail, fought to escape. Stupid normals. Always making such a mess! The vacuum hummed over her thoughts, drowning out sound as well.

[Max452]

OOC: Blah, I hate it when i spend a good amount of time to write a post, only to have it erased once I push the post reply button and the page doesn't load...*grumbles*

Sam felt the bed creak as a presence was now beside him. He felt humilated. He didn't want to cry. He especially didn't want to cry in front of Etta. He was taught to hold everything in, ever since he could remember. It was the only way for him to cope. He had learned to survive life because he buried everything. But now, he was tired of burying everything. He just wanted to feel, if for a moment. He then felt a gentle and warm hand take his. He tried to hide his crying face, but, for some reason, he didn't resist; he allowed Etta to guide his hand and arm around her waist. He felt her own sweep over him, in a protective and comforting gesture. Still crying, he felt, his head rest on Etta's shoulder. He cried harder now, the gesture invoking the emotions further. At this moment, he was truly grateful for Etta, and he felt like the walls around him were bringing brought down by her, and he didn't mind it. His hand gripped her back and waist tightly as he continued to cry. He cried for all the buried emotions that he hid for the majority of his life. He cried for his mother. He cried for his guilt. He just cried.

Moments passed, and Sam's shudders and tears stopped. For one thing, Sam was grateful that he wasn't wailing or screaming like a mad man through his tears. That would have been really embarrassing. He lingered in Etta's embrace, feeling an unusual comfort in her arms. He found it odd; wasn't the guy suppose to hold the crying girl? Well, suppose it was odd, but Sam's heart felt different now, like a connection had been made with Etta because of this vulnerable moment. He pulled his head away, so that he was facing her on the bed completely eye level. He took the hand that was around her waist and used the back of it to wipe his tears. No doubt he probably looked like a mess right now. He lingered in his position, his eyes gazing into hers, seeing a warmth within them, one he yearned for now. His hand rose up to brush her hair, her cheek. Sam tensed for a moment, realizing his action; his emotions were getting the best of his control. Besides, he had no idea if Etta felt the same as he. His hand retreated from Etta's cheek. Feeling embarrased for his action, Sam sat up. "Thanks." He whispered to her, unsure what else to say. He cleared his throat. "I need to clean up." He rushed over to the bathroom to wash his face, wanting to escape his embarrassment.

Once done, he dried himself and stared into the mirror, taking a deep breath. His emotions were definitely all over the place right now. Feeling more composed, Sam returned to the main room. "Uh, I think you're right. Rebel might understand more of this. We should probably get it to him." Sam said, trying to ignore everything that had just happened, but a nervous knot, one quite different than he ever felt, tightened in his stomach as he turned to face Henrietta.

***
OOC: Yay for Alice! Let's burn something! mwuahaha! lol

Julian gazed around, taking in his surroundings. He spotted the pizza parlor that was mentioned in the file. He approached it, noticing that the place was closing up. He noticed that there was a worker cleaning up. His eyes narrowed. He recognized Alice. "That was easy." He smiled as he walked over. Testing the door, and to his pleasant surprise, found it opened. That's not safe.... He thought idly. The sound of the vacuum rang in his ears as he entered, the chiming of the bell drowned out by the loud sucking machine. "HEY! YO!" Julian yelled over the vacuum, trying to get the pyro to look at him.

[trinn]

OOC: yeah, that's happened to me plenty of times. It makes me rage

Etta was relieved when Sam finally allowed himself to show true emotion. She was happy that she was able to get him to do so. She liked to think of herself as a nurturer, but that had mostly applied to plants. Maybe she was pretty good with people too. Sam didn't cry for too long, but it was enough for him, she knew. He removed his hand to wipe away his tears, and she gave him a reassuring smile. Her smile faded a bit in surprise when he tenderly caressed her cheek. Suddenly her heart began to race, and Etta found herself hoping he would continue. When he withdrew, she blinked and sat up too. "No problem." she said, forcing herself to smile again. "My shoulder's here anytime for you." When he withdrew to the bathroom, Etta sighed and let her face fall into her hands. This night was not going to be restful. Getting up, she looked at herself in the mirror above the TV. Dark circles were beginning to form under her green eyes, and her hair was slightly frazzled still from the incident at the diner. Unbidden a chuckle escaped her. What a crazy turn of fortune for her.

Carefully she smoothed down her hair and rearranged the short dark waving locks into something more presentable. She smoothed out her clothes and wiped away smeared makeup. Finished with her preening, she went to sit at the table again. She looked up when Sam came back out. "Yes. The sooner we get to him the better, I think." she agreed, but looked away from him. Looking at him reminded her of their quick but intimate moment on the bed.
***

Alice looked up when she heard someone shouting at her. She spotted a figure near the door. Rolling her eyes, she clicked the vacuum up and leaned her elbow on the handle. "Yeah, we're closed, sorry. There's actually a sign on the door. It says closed." Giving him what she thought was an apologetic smile, she moved to turn the vacuum on again. However the man didn't make a move to leave. Narrowing her eyes, she gripped the vacuum handle tighter. This guy didn't want to mess with her. He had no idea what he'd be getting himself into.

[Max452]

OOC: I was tempted to break my computer...lol

Sam watched Etta carefully. She seemed to have cleaned herself up while he was in the bathroom. She was really beautiful, even while she looked completely exhausted. She turned away from him then, making him wonder if she was embarrassed by his actions, or uncomfortable with him now. He couldn't tell, which made him feel more nervous and awkward.

He knew they probably should have left the motel right then, if they wanted to inform Micah, but a new found gentleness seemed to have entered into Sam. "You should take a nap." He told her. "We got some time to kill before we need to travel, and I know you've hadn't had a decent nap; you must be tired. Sleep a bit, I'll wake you when we have to go." He knew she probably would protest, so he walked over to her and gently took her hand. "Come on." He gently tugged her toward the bed, feeling a bit awkward, but his protective instincts desired her to get some rest.

***
Finally! Julian thought as he got Alice's attention. "Yeah, I know you're closed." He began, "I'm actually here to talk to you." He told her, hoping he didn't look like a creep.

[trinn]

"Sleep? What's that?" Etta said, attempting to make a joke. She would have resisted further, but in her current state Sam was even more stronger than she. Allowing herself to be pulled to her feet, she struggled to keep her thoughts steady and her expectations practical. They shuffled over to the bed, and she wordlessly sat down. "I'm not tired." She said, attempting to sound convincing. "I'm sure you need the sleep more. You've been saving my sorry hide this whole time, and I'm quite the handful." The words sounded strange once they were said. Embarrassed, she hid her mortification by laying down. "Well. Maybe just a little nap." Her eyes began to close against her will. "Hey Sam," she said before she drifted too far off, "you need to sleep too. At least an hour." Blinking her eyes open, she clumsily grabbed his hand. "Please. You've done so much for me. I don't want my savior running on fuels tomorrow. Mk?" Before he could answer, her eyes slid shut again, and her hand eventually slid out of his to dangle off the bed.
**

Alice's eyes narrowed even further. "Ok creepo, pretty sure I've never met you in my life. And if you want to talk to someone, you do it in the day when they're not closing up a pizza shop." She nonchalantly maneuvered the vacuum so that it was between them. "You'd better leave before I make you."

[Max452]

OOC: I looked it up on wiki! Io was turned into a cow! lol.

Sam remained quiet during Etta's protests; he knew she would do that. He just slowly led her to the bed. "Whatever, you're not that bad." His voice soft as she laid down. His trained eyes watched her for a moment before he motioned to go back to the table to read more files. Her hand reached out to him them, holding him in his place. He listened quietly as she asked him to sleep too. Saviour, eh? I don't know about that. He thought as he watched her doze off. Well, he was tired. He watched her for another moment before convincing himself to sleep too. 30 minutes, he told himself as he carefully and quietly tugged on the blanket on the opposite side of Etta, to cover her so she was in a sleeping bag-like atmosphere. He knelt down, brushing the bangs away from her face and carefully placing her dangling hand onto the bed. She was quite beautiful when she slept. He withdrew his hand, embarrassed again for his feelings.

Glancing around, he noticed that the bed would be the only comfortable place to sleep. He had no intention to sleep on the floor in case somehow, the agents barged into the door. Feeling a bit awkward, but really tired, Sam laid down on the bed next to Etta, keeping a safe and polite distance away. He closed his eyes to rest.

***
Julian couldn't help but smirk at Alice's threat. "Look, I'm not a creepo." He held up his gloved hands, trying to motion her to calm down. "And the things I need to talk about are best for a private conversation, so calm down will ya?" He lowered his hands and crossed his arms across his chest. "Look, okay, I'm just hear to give you a proposition, all right? I know you're special. I am too. My boss wants to offer you a chance to work for him; to be able to use your powers without fear. To recruit others like us." He explained to her.

[trinn]

OOC: Ahhhh that makes sense. Well, in the weird greek myth way. lol

The dream began with an aerial view of New York City. Their were background noises; car horns, the hum of voices, birds. A sudden heat could be felt, and the city was instantly ablaze. There was a cacophony of sound as buildings crumbled, people screamed, and they city died. Now smoke, a choking mass of smoke so thick she couldn't see her own hands. But it wasn't smoke, it was dust. In her dream Etta stumbled forward, her eyes stinging and throat burning. She walked for hours, it felt like, until the dust began to fade and clear away. She stood now in front of a tree. It was a fine specimen. Large and thick and blossoming. Other figures began to circle around the tree, but their faces were blurred. They were murmuring in serious tones, pointing at the base of the tree. She looked there, to find a woman lying unconscious. No, she wasn't unconscious. She was dead. The woman... it wasn't a stranger, it was... her.
~

Etta woke up with a start, her heart pounding. For a moment she didn't know where she was, until the events of the previous day caught up with her. Sighing she ran a hand over her face. She noticed Sam was beside her, sleeping. She also noticed that she must have rolled close to him during her dream, because they were only an inch apart. He looked peaceful in sleep, almost happy. A part of her was smug that he had listened to sense and gone to bed. And then there was that other part that wanted to curl up in his arms and... Well, that part she would have to ignore. Carefully, she got out of bed and went to the window. Opening the shade a bit, she looked out to find that the dawn was still an hour off, just about. Plants would be just beginning to stir. Closing the shade, she inched over to the table where the tapes and drawings still lay. The one of New York exploding caught her eye immediately. Her dream echoed in the back of her mind, leaving her feeling uneasy.
***

This guy might just be full of hot air, Alice thought. "Ok, sure. I'll believe you as soon as you tell me who your boss is and what exactly it is I'll be doing for him." She raised an eyebrow at him. "As for us going somewhere private? I don't think so guy. I'm not stupid."

[Max452]

OOC: lol, yeah...Zeus turned her into a cow to hide her from Hera...but Hera knew it wasnt a cow...so she cursed Io to roam around and be chased by an annoying fly. lol. She eventually turned back into a human and I think was somehow turned into the moon...that part is a bit uncertain...lol. But yeah, turned into a cow. lol.

Sam's sleep was dreamless as he rested up for the upcoming challenges and adventures they were to have. He was drifting into an awaken state when he felt the pressure of the bed ease a bit. After another minute, Sam sighed himself awake. His initial instinct was to see how Etta was. He glanced over, only to find her gone, but her warmth still coated the bed; his hand slid against the blanket, as if to embrace itself in the warmth. A surge of immediate panic eloped him. Where was Etta?

He shut up from his lying position, frantic. It was then he spotted her near the table. His heart calmed. He let out a grateful breath. Her back was turned toward him and she was gazing at the drawings. Getting up, Sam walked over and stopped behind her. "What's wrong?" He asked, half of his body leaning over to see the pictures, the other seemingly lingering behind her. "You okay?" He asked, sensing apprehension.

***
Julian mentally groaned. This chick was hard to convince. "Like I said, he wants to recruit you to help him. For what, I dunno completely. Probably to just find people like us and have you recruit them. I dunno. Take it up with him. And all I know is that he's name is Shadow; and he's really powerful. I was just sent to get you and take you to a place where you can learn more." He rolled his eyes. "Come on, I'm not going to hurt you okay? Besides, if I did, you'll be dead already." He held out his hand for her to take. "There's an amazing door thats been opened for you, all you have to do is take my hand." He grinned. "It beats making pizza for the rest of your life. Don't you want to know what your true potential is?"

OOC: I am very curious to see what you are planning. hehe

[trinn]

OOC: Poor Io! And I hardly know what I'm planning. I'm very good at making things up on the go lolll

Etta was staring so intently at the picture, she didn't even notice Sam get up and come over. His voice startled her from her reverie, and she hastily put the drawing down. "Good morning." she said, talking over her jumpiness. "I'm as good as I can be, considering." She gestured towards the drawings and tapes. "The sleep did help though. And I'm sure you're feeling better too because of it." Etta smiled, but it faded quickly. The dream wouldn't fade away. Precognition was not an ability of hers. The dream had no important meaning. It was just her the form of her fears in her subconscious. That was all. She hoped. Her anxiety faded a bit when she registered the closeness of Sam. He made her feel safe. Probably because he had saved her life more than a few times. But he also made her feel nervous, in an odd sort of bashful way. It had been a while since the last time she had had any sort of crush, and yet the feeling was still recognizable. Weren't crush's something girls outgrew? "So, we should probably get to Rebel?" she said, talking to ignore the thoughts.
***

Alice glanced around. The pizza shop had been practically her life, working hours on end just to make enough to pay off online classes and rent. Could she abandon it all just on the promise of a stranger? Yes. "You know what, I like taking risks." Pushing the vacuum out of her way, she walked over to the man. Why he wore gloves she didn't know, but it didn't make him any less creepy. "But I know what my true potential is." she said in a low voice, her eyes flashing. "But around so many normals, it's hard to flaunt." Reaching out, she took the man's hand. "I'm sick of this place. And I'm sick of normals. I'll go with you." Raising her other hand, she snapped her fingers and a ball of fire rose up. "But if you end up luring me some place for other devious ends, I will burn the skin off your bones."

[Max452]

OOC: haha

"Sorry." Sam mumbled, sensing Etta tense as he suprised her. He looked at the drawings that she was observing. "Yeah, I'm a bit better." His voice soft as he realized the proximity of their bodies. His eyes drifted to her smooth neck and it took all his will power not to lean down and...what? He wasn't quite sure.

The oddness in her voice seemed to strike him out of his thoughts and feelings. "What's wrong?" He asked again, picking up the drawing that she had placed faced down. He turned to look at it, but Etta's voice distracted him and he placed it back down, half curious. "Yeah. That sounds like a good idea." He smiled and reluctantly put space between them. He began gathering up the drawings, files, and tapes. "It'll be a drive to get back to New York, plus we need to be extra careful now; no doubt they're still looking for us." He told her as he finished packing up their things. "Do we need anything else?" He asked her, glancing around the place, wondering if they left anything.

***
Julian grinned. "That's good to hear." His hand clasped over hers gently. As the dancing flame twisted about, Julian couldn't help but raise an amused eyebrow. "Well, I believe you can try." He left that hanging in the air as he teleported them to the location Hazel wanted them to meet.

It was a cold night in New Jersey. The sound of the ocean echoed in Julian's ears as they now stood at an abandoned pier. Julian glanced over at Alice, to see how she felt about their quick departure. "Someone should be here to pick you up." Julian told her and as if on cue, he spotted a black sedan at the edge of the pier. Someone got out of the driver's seat.

***
Alex stifled a yawn as he got out of the driver's seat. He had been waiting here for a good hour, hoping that Riker would keep his end of the bargain. Dressed in an expensive suit and a long jacket, Alex mindlessly wondered why he had to be here. Well, perhaps it was this girl's file that caused Cain to have some concern. Alex walked over to the backseat and opened the door for Hazel to get out. He tried not to roll his eyes. Cain was very possessive of Hazel and didn't want to her to be harmed in anyway. But despite this, Alex didn't like being the chaffeur, especially when his passenger hated it when he tried to flirt with her. Whatever. He waited for Hazel to emerge, trying not to appear annoyed.

***
"Ah, looks like they're here." Julian commented, gesturing Alice to look.

[trinn]

Realizing all of her personal possessions were miles away, Etta decided to take a few things from the room. "Actually, yes." she said. Standing, she slid around Sam and went into the bathroom. Though she would have loved to take a shower, she didn't want to waste the time doing it. Instead, she grabbed the miniature containers of shampoo and conditioner. Wherever Rebel lived, he would have a bathroom, and she intended to use it. Pocketing miniatures, she returned to Sam and smirked. "Ok, good to go." They walked to the door, and as they stepped out into the breaking dawn Etta couldn't help but feel anxious. Returning to New York felt like returning to a death sentence.
***

Whatever Alice had been expecting, it was not the dizzying sense of losing grasp of time and space. In the blink of an eye it felt like her body didn't exist, and a moment later she was standing on a pier smelling fish guts. A cool wind brushed across her skin, making her shiver. This was not Arizona. Sucking in a deep breath, she fought back a wave of nausea. Her hands grasped her knees as she bent over to clear her mind. "What. The Hell. Was that!" she shouted, looking up at the teleporter from the corner of her eye. "And where the hell am I!"
***

Peering out the tinted windows eagerly, Hazel watched as the pier came into view, and then Julian and the girl. "Excellent" she muttered to herself excitedly. Cain would be so pleased! She reached for her phone to text him, but before she could, Alex opened the door. Scowling, she shoved the phone back into her bag. "Good boy." She said to Alex as she stepped out, giving him a sweet smile. "Just don't open your mouth. I would hate to have to muzzle you." Noticing his annoyance, her grin widened. "I thought you'd be in a better mood," she said, glancing towards Julian and the girl. "Not only did you get to drive me around, but there's a new girl you can drool over now. Such a relief." Shaking back her hair, Hazel smoothed out her skirt and jacket, making sure she looked in order for this meeting. She smoothed her face into a professional smile, then turned to welcome the new girl.
***

Alice was still fighting back nausea when creepo said something else. "You didn't answer my questions," she muttered, but looked to where he was gesturing. A sharp looking car had pulled up, and out of it emerged first the driver, and than a woman in a business suit. Despite her upset stomach, Alice stood to face the women who was now coming towards her. "Whatever, I'll just get her to answer my questions." she retorted, crossing her arms and turning her back on Julian.

[Max452]

Sam waited patiently as Etta ran to grab some things. As she was pocketing the tolietries, he did a final sweep of the place, double checking nothing was left. Satisfied, he followed Etta out to the car. He gave her a smile as he stepped out with her and made his way to the car, dumping his things in the back. He made a mental note to switch cars soon; who knew if the car had been reported already.

Hours later, Sam and Etta were sporting a "new" car. The Honda civic blended right in with the other cars as they entered back into New York. While on their journey, they had received a text from Micah, telling them to meet him at Dundas and Richfort.

Parking the car, Sam glanced around the neighborhood. It was dark now, and it was even coming close to the wee hours of the morning. Sam let out a small yawn. "I hope he has a bed." Sam commented to Etta as he got out, trying to figure out where Micah was.

He spotted West in an alleyway, motioning them to follow him. Sam glanced at Etta, giving her a reassuring glance as he grabbed their things.
"Hey West." Sam greeted the fly boy.
"Yo." West smiled and took them to a manhole. Sam followed the teens gaze.
"You got to be joking." Sam gave West a cynical look.
"Nope. Rebel's planning something. Come on, its not too bad...you hardly smell the garbage after 10 minutes." He grinned and disappeared into the sewers.
Sam turned to Etta, wondering what she was thinking. "I understand if you don't want to go down there." He gave her an uncertain look. Despite his SEAL training, Sam still didn't want to voluntarliy go to a dump.

***
Julian ignored Alice as she muttered her questions. He just wanted to get this down with so he could go and find this Alicia girl. He spotted Hazel coming toward them, with a rather annoyed man following her. He narrowed his eye at the man. Was this Shadow.

***
Alex did his best not to growl out at Hazel. He wasn't her lap dog! His annoyance grew with each remark she made. "Careful, Hazel. You may be Cain's favorite, but that doesn't mean I won't smack you still." He threatened as he followed her to greet Alice. "But you are right," He eyed Alice, "any other woman would be a blessing compared to you." He retorted as they stopped in front of Alice.

[trinn]

OOC: yay West!

Etta couldn't help but grimace at the man hole. She had been surprised first to find a teenager leading the way to the base, but this surpassed surprise. She glanced at Sam, sorely tempted to say no to the sewers. New York was counting on them, though. "No, we have to go down there." she said, nodding. "Ten minutes isn't that long." She tried to smile at that, but it came out as another grimace. "Well, here goes." Sucking in one last breath of fresh air, Etta descended into the sewer.
***

Hazel glanced back at Alex and gave him one last smile. She didn't care for the wise guy, though he was handy with a sword. Putting on a nicer smile, she turned and closed the distance to Alice. "Hello, Alice. We've been expecting you." She extended a hand for Alice to shake, but the girl simply stared suspiciously at her. "Ah, you must still be a bit disoriented. And confused. My name is Hazel, and I work for Shadow. We sought you out because we know of your potential, and we know you deserve better than a moldy pizzeria."

"Hold on a sec," Alice interjected, holding up a hand. "How did you even know to find me there? Were you guys stalking me?"

"Stalking? Of course not. We have individuals working with us whose gift allows them to sense those like us." Hazel was referring to herself, of course, but she didn't want to be attacked by the girl, because Alice looked very upset at the moment. "This person saw your situation, and your gift. Alice, you've come this far. Will you come with me now to meet Shadow? I can answer any further questions you have on the ride." The girl looked at her, then glanced at Alex, then back at Julian.

"Fine." she said briskly. "Lead the way."

"Excellent. Alex, will you escort our friend to the car. I need a word with Julian." She eyed Alex, then turned to Julian when they were out of earshot. "Thank you for retrieving her. You've done well. The next girl. She will be more difficult to attain. But I trust you can do it. It is important you do not fail."