Terminal 2

|Chapter 5|

Kayen’s lungs felt like they were going to burst. She had so far out run the group of men that were following her. That was one thing that was different about her life than theirs, they lived in that cold metal lab in their blue suits, never having to do hard work.

Kayen on the other hand, living life on the run, was always on the move and fighting for food, and water. She was more in shape than them.

But no one can run for ever. Luckily they were all wearing out and over half of them had stopped and the few that were still chasing her were slowing down. She admired their determination but they weren’t going to catch her. She just had to go a little farther, and then she would change direction and head towards the bank, which actually wasn’t a bank but a house were some of Talon and Seth’s friends live, and Talon and Seth.

She hit the corner of the alley and turned on a dime. The last remaining man behind her tried to make the turn but slipped and fell unable to get back up. “Bet that hurt.” Kayen muttered as she ran half wondering why they didn’t send Ellie after her. Ellie would have been able to catch her easily with energy to spare. Either way she was in the clear now.

She ran a few more blocks and slowed to a walk as she reached the broken, run down house. She jogged over to a tree near the house and pulled herself up into the leaves. She climbed a little higher and found the broken-out window and pulled herself through careful not to touch the glass.

She got in and carefully stepped out of the room into the hall, watching her step on the rotting floor. As she started down the stairs one of the steps broke and her foot fell through the hole. Footsteps sounded throughout the house and a fourteen year-old boy appeared at the bottom of the steps with a gun.

He saw her face put the gun down and sighed. “Gosh, Kayen, you scared us.” He said and quickly ascended the steps to help her. He pulled her foot out of the hole and helped her down the rest of the stairs.

“Thanks,” She said then raised her voice so the rest of the people in the house could hear her. “But why did they send you, Jacob, the youngest and smallest to fend off an intruder? Isn’t this house full of ‘big, strong men?’?”

Hearty laughter sounded throughout the house and Jacob chuckled. “Cause they know I’m the strongest, toughest, and biggest in this house.” He said and Kayen ruffled her hand through his hair as more laughter rained over the house.

“That may be true.” Kayen said and followed Jake into the front room.





Seth’s arm was on fire, literally. Well it had been. Now it just hurt like hell as he cradled it to his body and pulled Alea along with the other hand. But they just had to get to the bank and it would be better because he knew someone that could heal it. They ran through abandoned back yards, jumping broken down fences, keeping away from the roads so that Seth wouldn’t have to keep them invisible.

“They took Talon.” He muttered angrily, hatred glowing in his eyes. “Damn it! Why did they take him? Why didn’t I try to save him? But no I just did what I do best and hid. I’m worthless; absolutely worthless I can’t even save my own brother. If positions had been switched, Talon would have blown those trucks over to save me but I didn’t even try I just hid.”

Alea just ran alongside him, keeping her mouth shut as he belittled himself. It was halfway her fault he had left his brother. If she hadn’t been there he would have fought and if she hadn’t hurt Talon in the first place they wouldn’t be in this situation.

They came up to an old house and Seth ran to a tree and managed to get up onto the first branch without using his arm. He turned back to Alea who had stopped at the edge of the yard. “Are you coming? I need you to go in first and get someone to come help me.” He motioned to his arm. “Unless you don’t trust me. In that case I will find another way and you can stay here until those white vans drive by and see you, cause where your standing isn’t hidden.”

Alea sighed and climbed up into the tree next to Seth. “Good choice.” He said then motioned above to a window. “That window is broken out. You can climb through it but don’t get cut on the glass it has a deadly poison on it.”

“What do I do when I am inside?” Alea asked quickly.

Seth smiled. “Just go down stairs. But be careful on the stairs they are dangerous. And hopefully Kayen is already here or you are going to get shot.” He grinned. “If she’s not just tell them where I am… They will tie you up and come find me… then unite you.”

Alea looked at him, “Who are they?”

“My friends. Now go.” He said and she started the climb. She pulled herself through the window with ease looked around, the room was empty except for a safe in the far corner.

“Wait!” Seth called from outside. “Flicker the light, it will flicker the lights downstairs and see if they come up, if they don’t then go down stairs.”

Alea rolled her eyes. “These instructions are getting complicated.

“Oh and don’t touch anything but the light switch its all booby trapped somehow.” Seth added and Alea could hear the laughter in his voice.

She stepped forward and flickered the light, she waited for a little and when no one came she called back to Seth. “I am going downstairs.”

Seth groaned. “Carefully.” He said.

Alea turned and started out of the room, not as careful as Seth probably would have liked. She reached the stairs and saw a hole a few steps down, this house was falling apart.

At the bottom of the steps a young boy sat with a gun. He raised it and aimed at her. “State your name and why you are here.”

Alea looked at him like he was crazy. He looked to young to be handling a gun so she doubted it was loaded but she didn’t know for sure and if it was he sure as heck could kill her. “I am Alea Rose; Seth is outside in a tree. He is injured and couldn’t climb to the window so he requested assistance to help him out of the tree. He sent me to acquire this assistance.”

The kid eyed her suspiciously, but Kayen stepped around the wall, “He’s injured?”

Alea nodded and Kayen grabbed the younger boys arm. “C’mon Jake we gotta help him.” She hauled him up the stairs and passed Alea on their way to the window but she followed them not liking the idea of being alone in a house where she had no idea how many people would appear out of no where.

When they got there Seth looked up at them and smiled. “You didn’t shoot her did you?” then when Jake shook his head “Good she could come in handy. Now help me out of this tree.”

Jake laughed and reached down for Seth. “You’re going to have to give me more than that. I’m not stretchy.” He leaned a little farther out the window, careful not to touch the shattered glass. His hand caught Seth’s and he pulled the older boy up as if he were light as a feather. Alea gasped and Jake chuckled then set Seth on his feet. “I thought you said you were going to get so fat that I wouldn’t be able to lift you.”

Seth shrugged and Kayen stepped forward inspecting his arm which was now blistering. “What happened?” She glanced out the window. “Where is Talon?”

Seth’s smile faded and he didn’t answer so Kayen turned to Alea. “They took him.” She said. “We don’t know where they went but someone was throwing balls of fire at us so we couldn’t stick around. That’s what happened to his arm.”

Kayen’s eyes got wide then her expression fell. “I know where they took him.”

Seth turned to her. “Yes!” He said and kissed her cheek. Kayen felt herself blush and looked away. “It’s not a good thing.” She said and Jacob looked at her.

“How do you know?” he said slowly.

Kayen flinched and looked towards the door. “Lets get Megan to fix up Seth’s arm and I’ll tell you. Though I can’t promise you will like it.” Seth gave her a strange look as they walked down the stairs but Kayen refused the meet his gaze.

They walked into the living room. Alea gasped again. The room was full of people, they sat all over the couches, draped over them and many sat on the floor.

“Welcome to our army.” Seth muttered to Alea as everyone glanced up at them. “The monsters don’t know there are so many of us. They think it’s just me and Talon.” That was all he got to before a fierce looking girl inspected his arm and ushered him over to the couch. With a single glare she cleared them a spot and sat next to him, with her hands hovering over the main part of the wound. A pink glow tinted the room and Seth shifted a little, uncomfortable.

The light only lasted a little while and when it disappeared Seth seemed perfectly fine. One of the guys handed him a shirt and he shrugged it over his head then pulled the beaten blueprints out of his pants. “Now Kayen, where did they take Talon?” He flopped the blueprints on the coffee table, where they were immediately spread out and looked over by half the eyes in the room

Jake looked up. “And how do you know where they took him?” His eyes were bright and he shifted a little on the couch so he could see Kayen where she sat.

Kayen sighed and moved her gaze to the floor. She looked up at the sea of faces and started her story. “They took him to the lab….”







The silence was what got to Kayen the most.

After she had showed the twin scars on her hand, and finished her story with how she met Talon and Seth, nobody spoke. Heck, nobody even moved. They all sat there in complete silence until Seth spoke up. “Well either way we are going to get Talon back.” With that everyone had stood and left the room, Alea following Seth, leaving Kayen basically alone. Jacob still hadn’t left.

He crossed the room to her. “Don’t worry. Whether you were born with your powers or not, you are still part of this family. They are all just in shock. That was some heck of a story; honestly it just makes me want to kill them more so that they can’t do that to anymore kids.” He patted her back. “I actually admire you more now. I don’t think I could have done that.”

Kayen nodded and buried her face in her hands. “Thanks.” She said. Jake nodded. “Well I had better go, since I’m the youngest I gotta go make the spare beds.” Kayen gave a halfhearted laugh and Jake gave a grin that matched hers in energy and left.

Kayen felt utterly alone.

That night she slept on the couch. Jacob had given her some blankets and a pillow. He was the only one she had seen the whole night. “Goodnight Seth, Talon.” She whispered and buried her face in the pillow.



Seth felt horrible about not talking to Kayen. He knew why she had kept it hidden. With him and Talon always talking about destroying the ‘monsters’ and such, he would have kept quiet too.

He and Alea were staying in Jake’s room, with Alea on the window seat and Seth on the floor. He lay awake staring at the ceiling fitting all the pieces together in his head. This explained her attitude towards destroy the machine, though he was surprised she was helping them considering that she grew up with over half of the people they daily thought about killing.

He checked on Kayen twice, through out the night. Sitting at her side, he mentally beat himself up. He was the reason for her tears. He had brought this up. He hadn’t seen her cry since the day he met her and this was even worse than then.

He ran his hand along her cheek, even weak and vulnerable as she was now, she was still the most stubborn girl he had ever met, along with being the prettiest, with her white blonde hair and soft features that did not fit her personality.

He stood slowly and wandered to the kitchen and filled a cup with water. “Damn it.” He hissed remembering his promise to her. He emptied his cup and started walking back.

Kayen was in the doorway to the front room when he walked back by scaring him out of his skin. “I’m sorry.” She said when she saw his expression and a pained expression came over her face too.

“I…” Seth began but abandoned what ever he was going to say. “Did I wake you?” His voice was unnaturally tight.

Kayen flinched and shook her head. “No I wasn’t sleeping well anyway. I was hoping you were Jacob, well not hoping, thinking maybe; well I just wasn’t expecting you.”

Seth looked down on the top of her head. He grabbed one of her hands, holding it palm down and looked at her. “May I?” He said and when she nodded he turned it over. His jaw tightened as he saw the raised circle on her palm, knowing there was an identical one on her other palm.

“I…” He said and dropped her hand. “I… can’t…I made you cry.” He said slowly. “I said I wouldn’t do that.”

Kayen shook her head and didn’t meet his gaze. “I said I wouldn’t cry anymore, but here I am. Promises are made to be broken.”

Seth grimaced and hit the wall above Kayen's head. “Not mine.” He moved a little closer to her. “Not the ones I made to you.”

Kayen jumped and looked up at him her eyes large. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

“Seth?” Jacob’s voice sounded from the stairs making Seth jump and pull away. “What are you doing?”

Seth didn’t look at Kayen again as he pulled away. “Just going to bed.”

Jacob moved and let him pass going up the stairs, then hurried over to Kayen. “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you did he.”

Kayen shook her head coming out of her daze. “No… not at all.”

Jake cast a glance back at the stairs. “Just go to bed. Everything will be better in the morning.”



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



|Chapter 6|

Talon groaned and opened his eyes. Or at least he thought he did. He blinked a few times, until his eyes got adjusted to the darkness. He was in a blank silver room and he was lying on something hard and cold. He tried to wiggle a little and found that he was strapped down. “What is this?!” He called to the open space.

Lots of clinking noises came from over on one side of the wall and light flooded into the room. Talon shut his eyes tightly and turned away. A small boy’s crossed over to where he lay. He undid one of the straps around his ankle and rolled up the bottom of his pants. A tingling filled his body radiating from his leg where he had placed her hands on him.

Talon jerked his leg away automatically and the boy jumped back and gasped as he met his eyes. “Umm.” He said started backwards towards the door.

“Can I get some water?” Talon asked and stopped suddenly by how raspy his voice was. “And possibly an explanation of where I am?”

The boy’s eyes softened and eyes softened and he nodded. “Some water maybe, and explanation possibly not.” His voice was quiet and worn out but held a large amount of rebellion in it. “I’ll be back.” He paused and glanced out into the hall. “Maybe.” He started to close the door.

Something clicked in Talon’s brain and he called out just before the door shut. “Hey kid, do they test on you here?”

The kid poked his head back inside his eyes wide with alarm before falling into a defiant look. “My names not kid. It’s Brady, no matter what they tell you.” And Talon was left in darkness again.

A few minutes later the door opened again and Brady came in and stood on the wall near the door, followed by two older men dressed in green came in. They wore gas masks as they approached him. One poked his side and Talon couldn’t help but laugh. Against the wall he could hear Brady trying to hide a laugh of his own.

“What is this?” Talon asked trying to become serious though for him that was impossible. “Where am I?” A bright light came on overhead and two more men came in shutting the door behind them.

“Clear?” One of the new men asked his voice sounding utterly feminine. One of the first two with the bulky gas masks nodded and all four took off their masks, but none of them looked familiar to Talon.

A light brown haired guy turned to Brady. “23. Report.”

Brady never took his eyes from the ground. “He was healing unusually fast, I came in here to help the progress along but he was awake and his leg is fully healed.”

“Is that it?” The girly voice said and Talon looked up at the girl who was glaring down at him with hate filled eyes as if she could read his mind. “Number 23.” Brady nodded and she waved her hand. “Then you are dismissed.” Brady hurried to the door but Talon caught the look of curiosity that he cast Talon as he left.

The brown-haired boy who seemed to be the leader turned back to Talon and locked his gaze with Talons. “What is he thinking Jess?

The girl that Talon had mistaken for a boy rolled her eyes but still responded. “He thought I was a boy, he’s mad at us for not using 23’s real name, and he is confused about where he is and what he is doing here, and he’s also colorblind. He thinks this suit is green when it is clearly sea foam.”

The other two in the room burst out laughing but the leader looked annoyed so they turned away and tried to stifle their laughter. “Anything else? Important stuff maybe?” The leader said and folded his arms.

The girl opened her mouth to say something but Talon cut her off. “Wait, everything but that last thing she said, because that suit is green, was true. How…” He cut himself off and the girl’s expression clouded over and she pulled away from him with a pained expression.

“He knows where he is but not why he’s here and then he went into defensive mode. I didn’t think anyone but Ellie, you, and,” She sighed realizing how he had learned it. “Kayen.”

Talon glanced around the small group confused. “How do you know Kayen? And seriously can I get some water?” His mouth suddenly felt extremely dry.

“23 will get it for you when we are done.” The leader said. “You are here to bring Kayen back to us. You do not need to know how we know her. But in the mean time, you will be a one of our test subjects. You will be number 42. Do not try to escape because we will shoot you and keep you wounded but in tremendous pain… We can do that.”

Talon glared up at him. “Am I going to be stuck to this board the whole time?”

“If you’re good maybe we will free you. But first we need to know how you control your powers, and what exactly they are. If you do not give us this information yes, you will be stuck there.”

Talon raised an eye brow and smirked. “I have X-ray vision, I control it with my mind and man, do I like the view from down here.” The girl instinctively covered herself and slapped Talon.

Talons face burned but his smirk just got bigger, and here he thought this girl could read minds. The side of his face stung but he couldn’t resist laughing. He looked up at her. “Though I gotta give you credit, I don’t know how many girls have the will to slap me.” So gullible he thought purposely letting the girl hear his thoughts.

The girl looked pissed that she had been deceived and stormed out of the room. Talon laughed and even the leader chuckled a little. “That was good.” He admitted and patted Talon’s head as if he was a little kid. “I’ll get 23 to bring you some water. And since you didn’t answer our questions he will only be able to let you up to drink the water.”

Talon blinked at the leader. “Instead of 42 can you call me one-million, four-hundred fifty-two-thousand, and six-hundred forty-nine?”

The leader gave him a cold stare, “I would make 23 give you the water with a straw but that would be hard on him so you got lucky.” He motioned to the other two who were observing and they left.

A few minutes Brady came back in holding a plastic cup, he was grinning. “That was funny.”

Talon brought his eye brows together in confusion as Brady set the cup on the floor and undid the leather straps around Talons, chest, waist and wrists. “How did you know about it?”

Brady froze wondering whether he should tell Talon. He decided to and started. “I can put my thoughts and basically my conscience into other peoples heads. I can hear everything they are saying and see through their eyes, but I can’t hear their thoughts, I can feel their emotions though, and if I want to I can make them do stuff. They know I’m there sometimes. Jessica has never really noticed when I do it to her though. The only problem though is that to make them do stuff I have to completely desert my body which leaves me vulnerable.” He finished with the straps and gave Talon the cup of water as he sat up. “But I don’t think X-ray vision is really your power, from what Jessica was thinking so what is it?”

Talon shrugged. “Which one is Jessica?” He asked completely avoiding the boys question and took a drink of water, which was warm tasted like minerals.

“Jessica was the one that can read minds.” Brady said. “Some of us learned how to hide things from her. Just like you which by the way, she was really disappointed that you could do that. She wanted to know about you.”

“We?” Talon asked wondering exactly how many more test subjects there were.

Brady became silent. “You never answered my question. What is it you can do?”

Talon shrugged and finished the cup of water. “I’m sorry but I can’t tell you because I don’t know if I can trust you. It’s better for my friends if they don’t know exactly what I can do then I have the element of surprise. Maybe I’ll show you one of these times. I’m really sorry though.”

Brady’s mouth tightened, but he nodded. “I understand.”

Talon nodded to and reached up to pat the kids head. “Are you one of those that know how to block that Jessica?”

Brady nodded again and didn’t meet Talons gaze. “Yeah I figured it out. All you gotta do is when she is in the same room, because she can’t do it if there are walls between you, then you think about random, non important things, and she can’t get past those since she can only hear what you are thinking at the moment you think it.”

Talon laughed, “I was told that exact same thing from one of my friends. But she said to think about daggers and it will hurt the person that is reading your mind, she also taught us that you can feel them in your head. She said that they leave a cold presence, so you will feel cold when they are reading your thoughts.”

Brady looked up. “That’s true; who ever your friend is she must be smart.” Talon nodded and closed his eyes, a gust of wind blew up around the room and Brady’s eyes got big. “Yeah, she is.” He opened his eyes and the gust got stronger. A little bit of water fell from a dark cloud near the ceiling and then they got cold and turned to snow before the cloud dispersed and the soft breeze stopped. “If there was more moisture in this room I would make it a full out storm. He leaned as far forward as he could with his legs still strapped to the metal bed. “And we’ll just say I spilled the water. Don’t think about this, ever.”

Brady’s eyes were lit up and he nodded excitedly, “Were you tested on too?”

Talon laughed. “No I was born with them.”

“That is so awesome.” He said then looked around. “Well I had better go so I need to strap you back down.” Talon nodded and lay down.

“Are you going to be the one that ‘takes care’ of me?” He asked.

Brady nodded then paused as he strapped the leather wristbands down to the table. “If Jace lets me.”

“Jace, is he like the boss?”

“Sort of. He is the leader of this division, because I heard he escaped and then chose to come back.” Brady finished with the wristbands and started towards the door.

Talon’s eyes got bigger “There’s more than one of this place?”

Brady nodded as he closed the door, leaving Talon in pitch black. He looked at the ceiling, if he had the chance to destroy the ‘monster maker’ while he was here, he wasn’t sure he would do it, not after meeting Brady, and if there were more like him out side of those metal walls, then he really wouldn’t want to kill them. Brady had said that the first group had escaped and Jace had chose to come back, maybe some didn’t and were still in the world, they had no say in whether they died or not, maybe it really depended on the person, not on whether they were given their powers or if they were born with them.

And maybe to those that were tested on the powers weren’t a gift but a curse, it wouldn’t be fair to kill those that had no say in whether they were tested on and given this curse or gift.

Talon closed his eyes and eventually fell into a fitful sleep.



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~***~*~*~**~*~



|Chapter 7|

Seth was panicking. He didn’t regret what he’d said to Kayen last night and he didn’t take it back either, he just regretted his timing. With Talon being missing and her just revealing something that shook their whole army to the core, his timing was very off.

Last night after he had come back up the room he had lay awake and when Jacob had come back to bed a few minutes later he could feel the fourteen-year-olds eyes boring into his back the whole night since Jacob rarely slept.

He went down the stairs in the morning, to find Alea cooking a breakfast that no one ate because they didn’t know whether to trust Alea. That was the thing with the whole group, they all had trust issues except Seth, Kayen and Talon. They were how everyone in the group had found each other.

Kayen had eaten a few bites but Seth had refused feeling sick to his stomach. Kayen didn’t even look at him differently after last night. It was still the same. He was relieved yet angry that she was acting like nothing had happened between them. He didn’t get a chance to talk to her before the rescue group was leaving.

They would take an abandoned car or possibly the hippie van from the neighbors that did drugs they wouldn’t even notice but their van at least always had gas in it. None of the abandoned cars they found worked so they went with the van.

Only five people went out of the whole army.. And even then they were just back up, the main attack group as made up of Kayen, Seth and Alea, so that the enemy wouldn’t know about how many they were up against in the long run. This number was kept very secret. Even Alea wasn’t sure. In the short time she’d been at the house, every time she would turn around she would see someone new, along with all the other people.

Now sitting in the van she turned to Seth. “How many are there in the army?” She asked.

Seth looked at her a small grin on his face. “Even I don’t know. It grows and dies everyday.” Alea could feel that he wasn’t sharing everything that he knew but that he wanted to drop the subject so she did.

Kayen was in the front seat instructing William, the driver, where to turn. It was a 2 day trip to where Kayen had instructed and that was only if they didn’t stop but one or two hours.

The van smelled of smoke and Alea felt sleepy as they drove through a very red looking desert. She closed her eyes slowly and Seth leaned over so his mouth was right against her ear. “One-hundred twenty-one In all parts of the world, Well that is twenty-two if you join us. ” Alea nodded and she was out of it.

William turned and glared back at Seth having heard what they were saying with his acute senses. “She didn’t need to know.” He muttered turning back to the road as Kayen instructed him to take a left turn. Then she turned and met his eyes, though she immediately dropped her gaze to his shoes. “I guess you trust her.”

Seth nodded and looked out the window. “If it wasn’t for her, the Monsters would have gotten both of us.”

Kayen looked up at him from under her brow. “But if she hadn’t of shot hit with her lightning then we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Seth met her eyes with such an intense gaze that she couldn’t look away. “She thought we were Monsters coming to ambush her. Personally if rolls were reverse I would have done the exact same thing and I think you would have to. Or I hope you would’ve.”

Kayen narrowed her eyes. “Why are you defending her?”

Before Seth had a chance to respond William said. “Sorry to interrupt this lovers quarrel, but on the radar I attached to the mirror it says we are approaching a large metal building that is surrounded by large craters. Is that what we are looking for Kayen?”

Kayen whipped around and examined the black and green lines. “The craters weren’t there when I was last her but yes. That is the building. You had better park her. I’ll use the dog whistle if I cant get in and out with out back up.” She opened the door as the van slowed to a stop.

Seth grabbed her shoulder with one hand and shook Alea with the other hand. “You’re not going in alone. We’re coming.”

Kayen pulled away and turned to him. “William will send you in if he hears the whistle. You need to stay here in case they send Talon out, you need to go get him with out being seen.”

“Why would they send just Talon out?” Alea asked though she already knew the answer.

Kayen’s eyes never left Seth’s face as if he was the one who had asked the question. “Cause I am the reason why they took him so they will take me in exchange for him and I will meet up with you later.”

“I won’t let you go in alone.” Seth said and opened the vans back doors.

“Then Alea can come with me but we need you to stay out here.” Kayen placed her hand over his and motioned Alea out of the van.

Alea crawled past Seth who stiffened as if he was going to stop her then flopped back in the seat, folded his arms, and glared at the seat in front of him. "Fine." He muttered.

Kayen cast him a smile, in hopes he would lighten up but he didnt so she shut the door and pulled Alea around the back. They had to head west for a few miles and by the time they got to the outer fence it was day break. Kayen dissolved through the fence a hole just big enough for both girls to squeeze through and then leaned over near Aleas ear. "Watch for trip wires and avoid all lights." She whispered barely heard and started forward.





Seth watched the direction Kayen and Alea dissapeared. William leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. "Watch the radar, will ya?" Seth waited till his breathing even out before he pulled the door open and hoped out. He went invisible and ran around the truck.

Kayen and Alea had left small footprints barely noticable in the red sand so he ran along beside those till he came to a fence. He had made good time, he looked around thinking about scaling the fence before he spotted the hole Kayen had made. He crawled through it smiling to himself.

A light shined overhead, from a tower about 4 miles away followed by a red light that made everything look so much erier. He glanced around as the light swung back, to his direction. Two smaller forms crept through the open space and Seth smiled to himself again. This was too easy he thought and started after the forms. "Kayen." he called knowing she would hear, she was good at that kind of thing.

Kayen froze. She had heard her name, and it had sounded like Seth. Alea froze too, having heard something just not sure what it was. Footsteps crunched on the dry ground to her left and she spun as Seth flickered in to existance for a brief second a huge smile plastered on his face.

She glared at him and turned back to look at all the trip wires she and Alea had had to avoid wondering if he had even noticed them or if he had just gotten lucky. She opened her mouth to chew him out.

"You are the biggest idiot I have ever met." Alea said beating Kayen to it. "Do you not know the meaning of 'stay'?"

Seth just chuckled and said "You know you love me."





Jace was extremely happy. He was sitting in the control room, where they controled the flow of electricity into the test subjects, and also where they held their monitors to the night cameras that they had outside.

Kayen was doing just as he had expected, coming to save her friend. But he had not expected her to bring the other lightning girl with her. But so far they had not messed with any wires so for now they were safe.

Number 23 stood against the wall behind him watching the monitors silently other than a shuffle of his feet or sigh.

Jace caught on to the boy's restlessness and stood to his feet, he motioned the normal gaurd to resume his post and watch the monitors, then motioned to 23. "We're going outside. We're gonna meet her at the door." He smirked knowing his plan was going to work.



Kayen and Alea worked their way carefully through the trip wires while Seth wasnt nearly as careful, proving to Kayen that he hadn't even noticed them and was just happening to get lucky with every step he took. Alea looked pissed which made Kayen think that she had noticed it too.

Well if he could just keep this luck up, they were almost to the main entrance where they could enter through one of the vents that was close to the ground. That was the thing about having a metal building and electricity you needed alot of circulation.

Seth was bouncing along behind the girls glad that Kayen had let him stay and not commanded him to go back, when he felt his foot catch something. He stumbled and lost his invisibility trick for a second.

Kayen heard the ground shift and reached back, pulling Alea forward just as one bomb went off. Two more, one to the left and one to the right followed and she knew the ones to the front and back would follow any second. She stopped squatted down and thrust her palm into the ground dissolving a hole big enough to fit three people. "Curl up in a ball down there." She instructed Alea, glad when Alea listened and didnt resist or argue.

She whirled around the looked for Seth. another explosion went off one in front of her and one behind and Seth started to scream.

Kayen pulled Alea out of the hole. "Change of plans. We need to find Seth and get out of here." She ripped three pieces off her coat and handed one to Alea. "Breathe through this and don't let the flames touch you."

Seth's scream ripped through the crackle of the flames and explosions again as Alea said "Well no duh." And covered her mouth with the cloth taking a deep breath of freasher air. Then she followed Kayen through the flames.

They found Seth quickly using their adrenaline rushes to their advantage. Though possibly not quick enough. He was beating at his back to the best of his ability where fire was leaping up and scorching the ends of his hair and rebuning his previously burned arm. The stench was so horrible that it was penatrating the little protection that the peice of cloth provided.

Kayen tore off her jacket and started beating at Seth till most of the flames were gone. He crumpled to the ground and she scooped him up placing a peice of cloth over his mouth and motioned to Alea, her eyes were wide with fear, and energy as they got to the fence and she pushed the unconcious Seth through the hole.

Kayen scooped him back up in her arms and Alea pulled her along a worried look in her face, though sparks were flying off her skin.





Jace grabbed 23's arm and threw him through the door. "Go hook number 42 up to the machine. Kayen is retreating and he will receive the punishment." 23 shuddered but turned and ran to Kayen's friends room. Jace said something into a walkie talkie and workers spilled out of the factory spraying water over the flames. He whirled around and went into the control room.

Brady opened the door to Talons room, breathing hard. He walked over to Talon and undid the wrist straps. "If you are ever going to expose your powers. Now would be the time."

Talon gave him a strange look and sat up rubbing his wrists. "Why?"

"They're going to start testing you n-"

Jace stormed in and Brady stopped short hiseyes wide. He grabbed the back of Brady's neck. "Show him." He demanded. "Show him what you just saw. Grusome details and all." Brady flinched and entered Talons mind replaying what he had just saw.

Talons face distorted with pain as Brady replayed the part of the boy getting burned. "No!" He yelled and forced Brady out. Brady stumbled backwards in shock and Jace wrapped rope around Talons wrist and led him into a room where there was a single metal chair standing in the middle. He sat Talon down and straped his wrists and feet down before removing the rope and glaring at Talon. "This is what all of us had to go through." He spat hatred sounding strong on his voice.

He stuck suction cups to Talon's palms and pulled away into the control room where he cranked the lever all the way up.

Brady stood in the control room with Jace disgust at himself writen across his face. He shuddered as Talon began to scream. Wind lashed around the small room picking up the wires and boxes and throwing them around the room and into walls. Talons brown hair was being whipped around as the wind avoided him.

"You know his power now." Brady began. "Aren't you going to turn it off now?"

Jace just glared into the window barely seeing Kayen's friend through the wind. "No." He turned to his left and hit the grey button which released another lever. He pulled it towards him and Talon's screams became more desperate.The lights flickered over head and the window next to Brady's head shattered, imploding into the room, give Brady a cut on his face.

It was barely becoming dawn outside and then it was dark again as if someone had just thrown a blanket over the sun.



The sun was just appearing over the horizon when Seth came to. "I hate fire." he muttered and rolled his head back.

Kayen sighed. "Of course you do." She said just as the sun disappeared again forcing them into complete darkness.

Alea looked back at Kayen and pointed towards the horizon. "Did you see that?" She said aghast. Kayen nodded and looked down at Seth eyes wide. She could barelys see his outline in her arms, though the whites of his eyes stood out really well. They were just as big as her's.

"Talon." He said. "Thats the peak of his power. He can control how light it is. But he hasn't had control of that since we were like five."