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The Miracles: Reborn



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Roxie1563

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~ Three Weeks Gone ~

It had been mere three weeks later since the city of Arcville, MO and the rest of the world experienced the aftereffect of the Particle Accelerator explosion in the hands of S.T.A.R. Labs and its director, Dr. Michael Wells. At first, the news media had thought of it as an act of terrorism and that the doctor wasn't what they thought, but as time progressed on, the government had already taken action by securing what was left of the Labs and its devices until the investigation is being said and done with.

In the meantime, the leading investigator of the case turned out to be General Ellis Wells and he wasn't exactly happy about the entire thing, but it was to be done promptly and fast, were he would be able to at least clear his brother's name and reputation as exoneration.

That Dr. Wells knew to an extent as he sat on his wheelchair, staring outside his window up on the fourth floor of the military hospital just outside of the city. What his eyes showed him filled him with mixed emotions as the city slowly recovered itself from the event that happened weeks earlier on, the tall crane on the horizon pulling rubble of what was left of the Labs as one-third of it fell down.

Rubbing his eyes from staring at the mess and glancing at the clock as it showed him only afternoon, which means it would be time for lunch with his brother and their 'conversation' of what really happened continues. Mike scoffed at the thoughts of it as he wasn't really the man everybody thought he was.

"Clearly, the fool doesn't have any idea what's going on..!" He mumbled to himself quietly, his plans already at work to gather up the people that would be needed to solve the mysteries of both events and stop the threat before it was too late.

The mysterious man known as only by initials of N.T. turned around and pushed his wheelchair forward toward the door then opened it and wasn't the least surprised of the doctor's brother already there at the ready. He watched the general walking in, his hand holding the bag of their favorite restaurant, Big Belly Burger and on the other, clearly his briefcase containing multiple reports that he amassed over the weeks.

Closing the door behind him, N.T. followed him in and settled himself as Ellis put his briefcase aside and pulled out their respective lunches out of the bag, giving one to N.T and brought one of the chairs closer to the table then sat down as NT unwrapped his burger out of the wrapper.

Within a few bites, they exchanged niceties but it was just barely above their usual chatting. Clearly this wasn't going to be one of those days, he supposed as NT asked if they got it back working now, knowing it would work as it was 'his' idea in the first place.

All Ellis did was just nod his head and took another bite out of his burger, not wanting to even think about it. Shaking his head as NT took another bite out, he was glad that while convincing his brother to at least keep the accelerator on until the particles itself cleared out throughout the power stations in the city.

How that happened went beyond their minds except let alone probably the real doctor, Crystal and Casper and then NT himself as he recalled the particular moment when he overheard one of the nurses mentioning that if they don't repair what's wrong with the electricity, it would be matters of days until the base would be closed. That's when NT prompted the phone call and explaining what he believes to be true and even the government's own scientists eventually backed his findings as well.

Now thanks to him, at least there was something good left for him to do as he waited for Ellis to start the questioning all over again.

That wouldn't be fun for both of them, but at least it would give NT ample time to plan ahead for the renovation of what's left of S.T.A.R Labs and ready for transportation of the future Miracles as it became clear that NT already knew what Ellis would say about the guests that had been brought to the same base as well.

Wrapping up his half-eaten burger for a later date as he didn't like the idea of hospital food in his stomach and set it aside, he lend back to the wall of his chair and waited for the trashing he'd get from the general.
 
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Story Keeper

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~- Questions -~

Three Weeks Later

The candles flickered against the dark walls, the scent of frosted cherries drifting into the air. The water in the tub was warm to the touch, but not to the point of being scalding hot. A wave of purple spread across the water's surface, and blue eyes stared up at the ceiling. The owner of the eyes had purposefully darkened the room so she could justify the candles. Even so, no matter how often she tried to think about to the night of three weeks ago she couldn't, her memory came up blank.

Hearing her phone ring from the window sill, Valerie glanced in the direction of it. The familiar tune drifting into the air, it had been a cover she'd done in the time of her sister's absence, the song making her feel closer to her sister than she cared to admit. Rising out of the water, she drained the tub even as she wrapped herself in a dark blue towel. A newly dried hand reached out and lifted the phone up, seeing the caller id flash across the screen. She hung up on it and waited for it to go to voice message.

Why is he calling me? I told him I'd call when I found her. She mused to herself, even then a hollow ache gripped her. She didn't know why, but she felt like those words were a lie. She was sure she'd made a promise to the caller, but she couldn't remember the details of said promise.

Once her phone lit up with a new voice mail, Valerie sighed and opened it to hear what would be said today. "Come on Val, don't be like that. I'm just worry about you and Tiny Dancer. Call me back when you get the chance, I'm getting worried given what was said about that town. Bye sister, and stay safe please."

The words were the same as they had been since a week after the explosion. Hang up, she went through the motion of getting dressed. Her mind whirling as she tried to figure out what she was doing today, she knew she couldn't go to her boss yet, he'd told her it was far from safe with where he was even if she didn't understand what that meant. Blowing out the candles even as her hand yanked the curtain back, spilling in the sunlight and brightening the room. Blinking a couple of time to help her eyes focused, Valerie headed for the bathroom door as her thoughts moved through her plans for the day. An idea coming to her mind, she pulled out her phone and decided to text someone that she'd met only a few weeks ago. Or at least someone she'd gotten the number to a few weeks ago.

Hey Jiang, can you let me know when I can meet you? I wanted to compare stories for the explosion so we can try to piece it together.

It only took a moment for an answering text to come to her screen, and a secretive smirk spread across her face at it.

Who are you? How'd you get this number? Jiang texted back.

Not important, just when do you want to meet?

It took a few moments before she got a answer, but then she did get one. She wasn't surprised by the hostility that laced the text, but she could also tell that this boy was intrigued by the prospect of someone knowing what his phone number was.

Well time to get ready for the meeting.
 

Cassette-Disk

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General Wells rubbed his forehead as he took a bite of his food. Everything had gone to shit, just like he was afraid it would. And of course, his dear brother was at the center of it all. If only Ellis had been able to get through to Michael and get him to sign the forums. The experiments thereafter would have been backed by the US military and, while it is true they would have used his ideas as a means to gain additional weapons through the labs' research, they would have also gained a safety net. Any negative consequences would have been labeled as the military's mistakes and Michael wouldn't have to take the fall. Not to mention the massive monetary backing,which would have meant every employee would have gotten in increase in their pay. General Wells briefly thought about Mike's two assistants and how they were surprisingly absent. Even in a situation like this they would usually somehow find a way to stand by their superior's side. They probably would have enjoyed a large income but were too loyal to the doctor, not to mention they share many of the same ideals, including keeping their data away from the military.

General Wells took another bite of his burger. The usually tasty junk food felt like ash in his mind. The bun's texture was rough and stale, the lettuce was rubber, and the meat tasted like burnt blood. He rubbed his forehead again. It was all in his mind, of course. His body just didn't want to process what had happened, even more than a fortnight later. General Wells didn't want to believe his brother could have made a mistake. And yet, there they were: with one of them in a diddlying wheelchair. The General always believed that if one of them were going to be permanently injured, it'd be him. Not once did the idea that his brother could ever be brought physical harm ever cross Ellis' mind. It was his job to protect, after all. And he had failed. The General pushed away the food wrappers and truly faced his brother while making eye contact for the first time. He had changed. The brilliant and curious eyes that once sparkled out were now dull and empty. General Wells had seen it before. How many soldiers lose their own light after firing their first shot? After seeing someone they know hurt? After knowing they took part in something they could never take back? They were trained to come to terms with the idea but some people would still crack. Now Mike was going through the same hell but he hadn't wanted any of this. He just wanted to help others. The General took a deep breath before speaking.
"Mike, I'd hate to keep having to do this--especially after all you've been through--but I still need to ask you these questions.

"Question one: What the hell happened, Mike? Your machine caused blackouts throughout the city, natural disasters, many people passed out--some of which are still in a comatose state, and a few people even died." Wells threw six photographs of the victims on the now empty table, each of which had their names on the back of the pictures. "What exactly caused this explosion to happen? Question two: Was there any way to prevent this from happening? Was there any negligence from anyone in your team who might have inadvertently played a part in this catastrophe? And finally question three: As far as you are aware, have you--Dr Michael Wells, or anyone on your team tamper with any equipment in a malicious attempt to cause the city of Arcville, Missouri harm?" General Wells knew the answers to all these questions, of course. His brother did not want any of this to happen and he screened his staff extensively. And yet he held his clipboard up, prepared to jot down any response his brother cared to say.
 

Roxie1563

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Picking up the photographs that Ellis had laid on the table of the six victims and scanning them by name to name and face to face as if to imprint into his mind, NT, masquerading as the good doctor of Michael Wells, answered the first question of Ellis once he had them all locked inside his memory bank for future usage. As he set them down back and crossing his arms around his chest, he knew what really happened but it won't do him any good if he did tell the truth and so made himself available to his answer to the general.

"I don't know what happened, but I do have a working theory: I believe that somehow the sphere must had overloaded to the point that it heated up and cause the metal that kept the particles itself contained to super-heat, thus causing it to explode and sending waves of antimatter, dark matter and extra-dimensional X that were mixed in the particles itself out to the rims around the building of S.T.A.R. Labs and expand into the city itself." NT explained in the most scientific sense enough to cause confusion upon his brother so he won't even question it, but just enough for him to ask his top guys in the department to check it out on their own anyway.

Then came the second question as to why it wasn't prevented in the first place. Smiling sadly, he explained to Ellis that he did develop a fail-safe: Cold guns mounted around inside the rims to cool the particles down to absolute cold in case it overheated itself.

"I developed it myself the moment I realized my findings of the particles and knew if something did happened, I'd need something to cool it down and so came the cold guns. I don't know why it didn't kick in, but my bet is it must had melted due to the boiling point the energies were going through." NT spoke to Ellis as he rubbed his eyes, knowing everything that Michael knew due to him watching his every action in college. "So, I'm not that surprised about it, but still!"

When the third question came across him, NT snapped his head in anger. "How dare you ask me of that and my family? And no, I wouldn't do that!" He knew it was the logical emotion to go, but he already had this question ready in advance and so came the 'real' answer that would at least please Ellis and the Army for the time being.

The doctor let out a moan then a quiet sigh before giving his answer to the general, again rubbing his eyes. "To be honest, there is one guy that I recently fired for trying to sabotage the rims not that ago: Harley Rathway." He glanced up at Ellis, eying him up. "He's brilliant for his age, which is 22 by the way, and the only reason I hired him on the spot was that he was like me in every way: Brilliant, happy and willing to help.. Until I caught him trying or at least attempting to jury-rigging the sphere to make it look like it was showing us false reading."

Sighing out-loud to himself mostly, he continued on. "After I kicked him out, I made sure that only of us who joined the project would work together. The last I know of him is that he moved back to California somewhere close to the L.A area." He mused to Ellis.

Feeling like needing an nap, NT rapped the table with his fingers and scoffed as he turned around and wheeled toward his bed. He grunted, jumping up on the bed and sighed then turned his back as he heard Ellis packing then stepping out, the door creaking shut.

~~~

Claire Johnson's eyes flew open, gasping and panting for air that made its way to her lungs as her hand landed on her chest to make sure she was alive and well. She had truly believed she had died in the arms of Jack and into the embrace of her parents once again.. That is, until she woke up.

The strong-willed young girl managed to calm her pulse down when she realized that something was wrong. Horribly so wrong for when she woke, she thought she would see something, anything like a clock or the TV screen or something like that. Except it wasn't.

Unable to hold herself in, Claire screamed in horror while clawing her face to be sure she wasn't blindfolded and to her small relief it was not, but it would meant she was really truly blind. That's when she felt the IV in her left hand and still full of horror coming on to crying uncontrollably, she yanked it out while getting up to the side of the bed, Claire assumed, panic already set in when she heard someone come in and grabbing her by the shoulder.

Not knowing who it was, she decked him or her in the face as hard as she could. While she couldn't see, the sound of the person's nose crack made her point that her wicked right hook had connected, but it hurt her as well for she cradled her hand now across her chest as they groan in union.

"Oh my- Casper!" Claire heard another voice coming down to the person who alleged to threaten her life. While she was sure the concern voice was female while the other must had been a guy, judging by her calling him Casper, Claire wasn't still sure she was in danger and so prepared to fight or at least punch again when another voice came out, but this time it was one she already recognized: Jackson Fair.

Sobbing now and uncaring who would listen, she allowed herself to fall into Jack's chest as Claire felt his arms wrapping around her, one of his hands gently rubbing her neck. For what felt like eternity to her, Claire felt herself calming down to the point she nodded her head to Jack, letting him know she had somewhat calmed down.

Claire knew she couldn't see him, yet she looked up at him, her eyes blank then wet her lips to say something, anything but all that came out of her was this sad whimper as her hand made its way up to his face, trying to trace him so she'd know it was him for real. Once done, she clearly could tell that by tracing his face, she knew he was like her: Scared, unable to cope with the new reality they've found themselves in and wondering what will happen next.

At this point, Claire allowed Jack and the female doctor whose name she picked up, Crystal, to help her settle back in her bed, only to winch when the IV was reinstalled in her to keep the drip going. Crossing her legs Indian style and one her hands in the other of Jack's, she mumbled her apologies to Casper for decking him.

"I thought you were someone who did this to me and felt like I had to defend myself.. Sorry again." She said to him, sadness creeping into her voice.

Unable to see where Crystal was but could tell she was in close proximity based on her bath soap, she asked her couple of questions. While Claire wasn't sure she'd get all the answers, she had the nagging feelings that Jack did know and felt sure they were trying to explain to her, so she asked them point-blank: "What the hell happened to me and how long have I been out and is everybody okay?"

Claire sat there waiting and trying to figure out how she'd cope with this new reality in where she was literally blind and would have to use a freaking cane and learn Braille just to adapt as she waited on either one to answer and plan for what's next.
 

Cassette-Disk

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Ellis only shook his head at his brother's outburst.
"You know I don't believe you, Micheal Wells, had anything to do with this. But my opinion doesn't matter--I have to get this in for the report." The General jotted down the information he had just received. Harley Rathway. From what little General Wells knew about him, he was a genius. That might have been the only information he had on him before today but it was enough. Only the greatest were known for their intellect alone: Stephen Hawking, for instance. If Rathway had something to do with this then he must be back in Archville. Unless he snuck in he would have left some kind of footprint behind. Credit card usage, housing, eye witnesses, hell maybe even some facial recognition if he could get his hands on that kind of tech. God knows the base could use the upgrades even with the underground facility. General Wells watched on as his brother set himself on the bed. "I still believe in you, Mike. I just wish you had believed in me too. I could have spared you from this headache if you had--" just signed the damn papers. That's what he wanted to say. But Ellis kept his mouth shut. Micheal already knew about how different things would have been if he had signed on, there was no need to rub salt in the wounds. "Nevermind. I'll keep in touch. And thanks for the tip on Rathway." General Wells nodded in goodbye and headed out the door with his information.

---

Casper leaned forward in his seat with his head in his hands. Through the gaps in his fingers he was able to keep
watch of the girl's vital signs. Claire. That's what the top of the page on the computer screen said. She had been out like a light since the night of the explosion. Despite their best efforts he had no idea when she'd wake up. Casper sighed. The weight that had fallen on all of their shoulders hadn't budged an inch and they were all feeling it. Most of STAR Labs' staff left and the few that remained were mostly those that stayed out of sight and kept their employment a secret from others. There wasn't much glamore in working here anymore for obvious reasons. An automatic glass door slid open into the medical bay. Casper turned to see his twin sister enter the room filled with various machines and apparatuses designed for healing and recovery.
"How are things?" She asked as she handed the other boy sitting in the room--Jackson--a mug of coffee.
Casper answered, keeping his eyes on the monitor, "Same as always. There's no telling when she'll wake up. It could be another few months, a few days, today...she could even wake up right now like that." Casper snapped his fingers at his last spoken word and at that moment, Claire began to scream.

Completely shocked, Casper through himself backwards but immediately lost his balance and fell onto his back, the chair falling with him.
"Hey!" He yelled as he rushed to Claire's side, "you're alright, you're alright!" He placed his arms on Claire's shoulders in an attempt to settle her down. "Do you remember who you are? What's the last thing you--?" Sudden pain flashed through Casper's system as her fist connected squarely with his nose, causing him to fall backwards once more. Crystal called out as he stood up, holding his nose in the air while pinching it to stop the bleeding. Casper walked away and patted Crystal once on the shoulder. "Crystal, take over," he wheezed. Thankfully Crystal didn't need to do anything as Claire fell into her friend's arms and slowly calmed herself down. All the while Casper tended to himself at another table. He brought his thumb to cover a nostril and blew hard, forcing the clotted blood to shoot out of his nose into a waiting spread of paper towels. Slowly, Crystal and Jack managed to lead Claire back to bed where she apologized for punching Casper.
"Don't worry about it, I deserve it. It's partially my fault you're here in the first place." He voice was slightly muffled as he continued to pinch his nose. The bleeding had mostly stopped by this point but he didn't want to risk it. Thankfully it didn't seem as though his nose was broken. He made his way towards the bed and shone a pencil light into Claire's eyes to see if they would respond. Of course, they didn't. "I'm gonna do a few more simple tests," he told her as he instructed her on how to cooperate. Meanwhile, Crystal explained as lightly as she could.
"The night the Particle Accelerator was supposed to turn on, something went wrong. We're still not entirely sure what happened, but...there was an explosion. From what we could tell, many people were knocked unconscious by it but most woke up shortly with no ill effects. You're one of the few who suffered any effects."
"Obviously you've noticed by now," Casper picked up, "Your eyesight has been...compromised. We're not sure if this is permanent or temporary but we're going to do everything we can to help, okay?"
 

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~- Side Effects -~

Jack leaned back in his chair, a guarded look on his face as he watched Casper. He only relaxed a fraction as his hand bumped into the handle of his firearm. When he'd woken up a couple of days ago, he'd been disoriented and he'd had a migraine. He'd also noticed a constant build of static on his skin, no matter how many times he discharged it. Otherwise he'd been fine, it hadn't taken him long to persuade Crystal to move him to Claire room. Agreeing to let them run any tests they wanted as long as he could see her.

Weird, but... She was basically his little sister.

He didn't want to fail her again. Not like he had before, it would honestly drive Jack insane if that happened. Glancing towards Claire, he read the screen once more, seeing that everything was normal he frowned. Why wasn't she waking up yet? Sure, the siblings had been clear that it could take awhile and when she did there could be complications. He didn't care, he just wanted his sister back.

Flipping through his phone, he saw the text from Hazel and gave a sad smile. Hazel had been sending him multiple texts to find out if him and Claire had been okay. She'd been unaffected by the explosion, somehow, so she could only focus on them. Par for the course with Hazel, she was such a mother.

He was forcefully brought back when a cup of coffee was placed in front of him. Mumbling a quick thanks, Jack reached out to take it. It tasted bitter, but not quite like it usually did. He could also tell that it wasn't straight up black, some kind of creamer had been applied to make it easier. Setting it down, Jack looked at the twins, trying to figure out something to say. His focus again was broken when Claire woke up and started screaming, zeroing in on her Jack was immediately on his feet and moving over. He was vaguely aware of Casper touching her, and the rational part of him thought that he he should warn Casper not to, but the rest of him overrode it.

Gently grabbing a hold of Claire, he leaned forward and whisper in her ear, "It's okay Sunshine, I'm here. I won't let them hurt you, I promise." He knew that vow was similar to the one he told her after her parents died, but he didn't care. He just wanted to help her feel better, he was also heard a loud pop in his right ear as the hearing aid broke before there was silence.

He hid the pain from her, despite it being unbearable. Sitting down on the bed with her, Jack squeezed her hand briefly as they reinstated her IV. He was again couldn't deny his pride in her, she was handling this surprisingly well, even with her new handicap. It's not fair though, she shouldn't have to deal with this. He thought, sadness coming to his eyes, even so a tear didn't fall.

Running his free hand along the bed sheet, he saw the tiniest of sparks jump off of it from the discharge that had occurred. Okay....is this a side effect? He mused to himself, staring at it as Crystal explained the situation to the two of them. He glared at Casper as he got to close, watching as he did his tests, Jack barely resisted the urge to rip Casper a new one. The only reason he didn't was because Claire didn't need it, and besides, Claire punching the poor guy in the nose.

Humming softly, he thought of the new song he wanted to cover. He was hoping Claire would like it, he had been trying to keep it hidden from her because he wanted it to be a surprise. Even so, he couldn't deny the fact that it was already working on calming him down. After a moment, though it seemed to sink in on something odd. His pulse jumping, he tried to calm himself down so he didn't worry Claire. She needed him to be strong, but he couldn't get past what he'd noticed. Glancing at the screen, he saw that it was going, and he was sure that he was supposed to hear the slight sounds it made; but he couldn't.

Everything was silent.

His chest felt tight, his airway was closing off as his skin had the sensation of a million little insects crawling across it. Black spots start to appear in his vision, he couldn't think, and no matter what he told himself the walls were closing in, trying to pin him in a box. The nausea start to roll in his stomach, making him want to puke but he couldn't get enough air down to gag. His lungs were burning, but he didn't have anything to force air into his lungs, and even then it was Tyler that had an issue with asthma, not him! His breathes came in short, struggling bursts, even then he could tell that it wasn't reaching his lungs. His head started to hurt, he could feel the stabbing pain behind his right eye even as his brain moved through a fog.

Everything was silent.

He couldn't hear anything.

Reaching up, he flicked both hearing aids off and back on.

Nothing.

Tears started welling up, burning his eyes as Jack struggled to keep things together. He knew he was failing, he didn't need someone to tell him that. Claire was hurt, Tyler was still in a coma, Snow seemed damaged somehow, he couldn't hear. More importantly though, he couldn't protect those closest to him. He'd failed them all. He just wanted to curl up in a ball and die, but he couldn't. He had to try to keep it together. Taking a couple of deep, shaky breaths, Jack looked at Crystal specifically and asked, "So, we know roughly what happened, what do you plan to do with us now?" He wasn't sure why he asked that, maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was boredom, but it didn't change his question. He had to know.

~- Behind the Walls You Made -~

Adam hadn't wanted to meet with anyone, he just wanted to hide. It had been a week since he'd woken up, and it was nearing the time Ellis was going to let him return to training again. The general had insisted that he rest for a couple of days, just given everything that had happened that night. He had told him about what had happened with Will, and Adam had felt much like a child during that conversation. Something about this all wasn't right. Ellis had recently taken to talking with his brother, so Adam had tried to be respectful and avoid them during those conversation. Not that he really felt up to talking anyway.

He was still recovering after all. His lungs burned from the exercise he'd been doing, he also knew he'd get reamed for putting his body under so much stress so soon. Putting his hands on his knees, he breathed in enough to calm his body down. Even so, it didn't escape him that while he personally felt fine, it seemed like his body and mind were still exhausted from that night. He sensed Will, the seething ball of hatred his friend had become lashed out, making Adam grimace in discomfort at the violate storm. He thought he sensed gentler emotions beneath, but when he tried to investigate the fury would grow hotter.

Adam was gripped fully by his disappointment and pain, he couldn't understand why Will was so mad at him. He'd tried to stay in contact, but he hadn't been allowed to. He knew he should walkaway, that it was clear Will wanted nothing to do with him. He couldn't though, he needed to understand what he'd done wrong. He needed to hear it from Will personally. He had to know....

Know what? He hates you?

Adam closed his eyes, trying to get himself back under control. Trying to call up his own anger at Will's betrayal. The closest person that knew Adam was Ellis, there was a couple of others that had tried to get close, but Adam hadn't allowed it. Even so, there were things that Ellis that didn't know, sure, Ellis had a strong suspicion on them, but Adam had never confirmed or deny those facts. The only person he'd confirmed it towards was Will, he'd allowed Will to see the most vulnerable parts of him. Will ran away from him, and Adam had returned to being cold. He wasn't though. If Adam allowed himself to think about it, he was just deeply hurt and confused.

He wanted his friend back.

"Jiang, I presume?"

The voice was soft, gentle like a breeze but cold at the same time. Whipping around, he saw a petite woman with purple hair and blue eyes. Looking at her for several moments, he noticed the eerie calm that the girl was using to guard herself. Even so he was able to read the flickers of emotions beneath the calm, it was a reassurance that he wasn't crazy. Wrapping himself up in her own eerie calm, he ignored the other emotions, if he absorbed those it'd be a weakness. He needed only strength from her.

"Stalker girl?" He sneered.

Annoyance flared up, even though her face remained a mask. He allowed her to get control again, even as he read more into her emotions. He figured out quite a bit about her in the time frame, she was terrified, bitter by the fact someone she knew had abandoned her, hopeful...

And that's enough! He screamed at himself, it was too close to home.

Looking at her, he wanted to ask her another question when he was cut off by, "Do you want to get some food? We can compare stories then, I just don't want to do it here. Too open."

Adam had to admit, she had an excellent point. He did know of a little cafe that was frequently empty, so it was there that he had suggested. It didn't take them too long to get there on foot, maybe about nineteen minutes since it was about mile from the base. They had some ideal chitchat along the way, but he didn't pursue it since it was clear neither one of them trusted each to expose their hearts that much. Stepping into the quiet place, he smiled at the clerk a little and walked up. Ordering his usual, he watched as Valerie (he learned it on the way over) ordered too. Paying the bill, they both waited for their drinks before they went to the back corner table.

It was time to talk.
 
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Roxie1563

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Claire made sure to follow instructions given by Casper so he'd know what to do with her regarding her newly found handicap while listening closely to Crystal as she explained the best she could with what happened with S.T.A.R. Labs, the people that got caught up in the following explosion, how people fell into a medical-like coma, and so on. Even Casper chimed in that while everybody ended up okay, there was people like Claire that woke up with some side effects but otherwise fine.

Frowning and wanting to put him in place, Claire decided it wasn't worth it and it helped that Jack hummed a new song specifically for her so she'd feel better for a bit. It did.

That's when Jack asked them as what to do next regarding them. Claire was curious as well, but in the end for all she knew right now, there was no way of regaining her sight anyway. One thing she did know for sure and that's not staying in a freaking hospital!

Annoyed, she felt her way around for the remote and found it then turned it on. While she couldn't see, she heard the humming sound as the TV tuned into the news. Apparently, she must have timed it just right for the afternoon news to chime in. Claire listened on and assuming that the others watched as well, the announcer droning on with the weather and came the update regarding the events three weeks ago.

"It has been three weeks since the tragedy at S.T.A.R. Labs and its founder, Dr. Michael Wells who has suddenly found himself on the other side of the spectrum from being the kindly boss of his own business to a pariah in a wheelchair, leaving him crippled while co-workers of his has left the premise with the exceptions of few loyal friend. While the military has taken over the case, it's apparent this event may or may not have been an act of terror; Of course the investigation is still ongoing, one thing we do know is that over 13 people has been killed not from the explosion, rather of car crashes on the freeway and one injured from the monorail train. Adding to that, several people has entered into a medical-like comas in ground zero." The female anchor spoke, her hands together on the desk and her tone, Claire detected, was mixture of composure and fear.

Claire shook her head in wonder how things has changed and were in the middle of turning it off when the woman brought up crime. Stopping herself, Claire listened on as the woman spoke.

"Crime has broken out in the city of Archville and the districts has been taken over by gangs, three of them leaders of their own gangs: The One Hundreds, Dust Men, and of course, the dreadful yet dangerous Reapers. As it is known, the leader of the Reapers has been suspected in the assault of the First National Bank the night the explosion came into our lives. The others is unknown at this time and police forces has been drastically thinned out due to the accident, the overwhelming breakout of high-risk crime, and also chances of corruption in the department as well." The woman droned on.

"Also before we move on to business, I'd like to note that one police officer of the name Jackson Fair has been given the rank of Commissioner, the youngest ever to attain that rank in record. I do hope Commissioner Fair can get this under control. May God bless us and May God bless the United States of America."

With that the news moved on and turning it off, Claire had dropped her jaw in surprise and patted Jack for reaching that goal so fast while recovering herself with a smile on her face.

"Congrats, Jack!" Claire said to him, unaware that Jack was exhibiting problems of his own. "So, I suppose you'll have a long road to cleaning this city up. I'll have to lean my hand in this with Anvil's Gym when I get back on my feet."

With that, Claire turned to the general area where she believed the siblings were and explained to them that she'd rather go home tonight instead of staying here. "Beside, there's not much you can do with me and I'd feel better in my own bed." Claire waited for them to say something, but there was nothing. Apparently, they must had slipped out during the news without her knowing.

Frustrated and turning to Jack, she pleaded her case to him and while it wasn't easy getting him to agree, both of them knew it would be better to heal faster and so later that evening both Claire and Jack were on their way home.

Only it wasn't Claire's apartment, rather at Hazel's Place since her place has all the rooms and items the girls needed while Jack had his own place anyway. The young eighteen year old blind woman were furious when they arrived, but resigned to the fact since it was Hazel that suggested it to Jack in the first place at some point prior to her awaking up.

Sitting across from Jack and Hazel, Claire sipped her tea that Hazel whipped up for her as usual while waiting to really hear their plans for her.
 

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~- Making Plans -~

Jack's cheeks started to burn from the praise he'd gotten from Claire and the news anchor. He read the lips of those around him, trying to figure out exactly what was going on but he had a pretty good feeling of what it was. He was relieved when they were allowed to leave, and he knew that Claire would want to go home but his paranoia was all "Nope. I'm taking you to Hazel!" Okay, it wasn't necessarily fair but he didn't care, his paranoia wasn't going to let him do anything else.

He caught a glimpse of Claire saying something, but it wasn't making much sense to him. Besides, Hazel was going all "Momma cat" mode in terms of Claire and he knew that his girlfriend wouldn't stand for Claire being by herself. When they pulled up in front of Hazel's apartment, he turned the car off and carefully guided Claire up to the front door. Before he had a chance to knock, Hazel opened the door and hugged him. "I'm so glad you two are doing alright! I've been worried for the last three weeks." Hazel chatted, even signing to make it easier on Jack.

Jack winced as Hazel's face changed upon seeing Claire. Storm clouds resided in her once clear eyes, before they cleared up again and Hazel was smiling. Jack watched as Hazel lead Claire inside, chatting to the other girl. He was sure that it was a case of Hazel bombarding the other girl was okay and everything. He followed behind them thinking about what he was going to do. He saw Hazel duck off to make tea, and he wandered over to check on her. "Would you be okay with Claire going home?" He asked softly.

Shaking her head, Hazel glanced at him and answered, "Not unless I'm with her, I'm worried about the side effect she's experiencing. What about you?"

He nodded slightly, he was worried about Claire as he cast his eyes to the floor. Inspecting his hands, he knew it wasn't intentional but it was stressful when she got like this. It was a moment before Hazel was in his line of sight, carefully raising his head up so he could see her face. A mothering look on her face as she tried to hide her sorrow, but he could see it since Jack knew her. She hated seeing her friends hurt, letting her brush a strand of hair out of his eyes before she tenderly gave him a kiss. Pulling away, Hazel mouthed, "Don't worry, we'll get through this."

Jack followed her into the room Claire was waiting in. Sitting down across from her, he watched as Hazel offered her tea before they settled into a comfortable silence. He could tell Claire wanted to know what they had planned, but he wasn't entirely sure what that plan was. Hazel on the other hand rose to her feet and closed the gap before kneeling down in front of Claire. He watched the tender display of Hazel grabbing the other girl's hand before Hazel moved her head slightly to call Jack over.

Once he was in a position to read Hazel's lips, he watched as she said, "Claire, I'd like you to stay here for a little bit. Just until we know for sure that everything's okay, or as okay as it can be. Please? I'm sure you'd like to go back to your own room, but for everyone's sake, can you please stay here? I think it'd help Jack out immensely if he knew you were safe. After all...."

Jack glared at Hazel, knowing where she was going next. Hazel stuck her tongue out at him in answer, before she focused back on Claire, "Besides, I could use the extra help around here. If you're okay with it, your grandparents are fine with it. They're leaving it up to you entirely. I know personally I'd prefer it, after all we have no idea of what's going on."

Yeah, it might have been a bit repetitive, but Jack knew that Hazel was just trying to show Claire how concerned she was. Rolling his eyes, Jack chimed in, "Besides, she's been Momma Catting for the last three weeks since she found out about the explosion. You know how she gets when she's like this, Claire. Remember that time in high school when she stopped that bully."

Hazel sent Jack a glare at the reminder, only for a smile to flit across her face. "He deserved worse than me judo flipping him over my shoulder for it. He's lucky I didn't break his collar bone." Hazel snarked, before they both focused on Claire to see how she'd answer.

~- An Omen -~

Tyler had just woken up a couple of hours ago. Looking out the window, he tried to figure out what he was going to do. It seemed as if the explosion had aggravated his condition, including causing a flare up of his childhood illness. Closing his eyes, he wondered how Snow and Jack were holding up. He had heard from his sister, Mia, that they were doing well but for some reason he had his doubts. He heard the door opening, and a glance in that direction showed him the nurse that had walked in.

"Good afternoon, how are you doing?" The nurse asked cheerfully.

Shrugging in answer, Tyler glanced back out the window. He didn't mean to come off as dismissive, it's just he didn't feel like talking. He heard the nurse moving closer, and listened as she said, "All the tests we ran for the most part came back normal. It did show though that there was some damage to your lungs though. Um, excuse me, are you listening?"

"Yeah, it's nothing new. It was from before the explosion." Tyler answered, not taking his gaze off the window. He saw the bird perched on the sill, if he was correct it was a raven. He had to resist the urge to laugh, given the connection that ravens have in mythology and superstitions surrounding them. He didn't glance at the nurse as she drew blood from him, and he only vaguely heard her chatter.

He was still focused on the raven. Reaching out a hand, he traced the air like he was petting it. "You were such a loyal creature, just doing your job and Apollo burned you. You poor thing, seen the way you are." He whispered softly, speaking to the bird. He heard a startled noise from the nurse, but he didn't care about her surprise. He held the bird's gaze, until it flapped its wings and took to the air. Watching it, he thought, What are you trying to tell me? What do I seriously need to consider?

Looking at the nurse, he apologized, "I'm sorry for scaring you, I didn't mean for that to happen. Would it be okay if I was left alone for a while?" The nurse nodded and quickly hurried from the room, relieved to get away from the apparently crazy patient.

Settling into a somewhat comfortable position, Tyler looked out the window and tried to piece together what the raven was trying to say.

Some sort of massive change was coming.
 

Roxie1563

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Claire gave out a small smile on her lips to them both, the memory surfacing as she recalled the event to her mind. It had happened some weeks ago before graduation back in may and the girls just managed to complete their last minutes preparations for their families where to sit, how to get where they needed to go, etc. In fact, Claire and Hazel (before Jack and Hazel dated) finished up their stuff when the guy started hitting on Hazel and trying to get into her pants.

Had Hazel not taken the chance to judo-flip him, Claire would have done it to him anyway after all from just watching him walk through the hall like he owns everything. But Hazel did and the rest was history. That was the event that made Claire realize just how hard it is for women in the world when someone like that bully did to Hazel do to them and so the idea of Anvil's Gym came to fruition.

Shaking her head mentally, Claire patted Hazel's hand with the other one then gently lifted it away while staring into darkness where Hazel's face would have been and smiled.

"I remember, guys and don't forget, Hazel, that it was me that taught you that move in the first place when you came into my gym like a month before graduation! But that's not the point." Claire spoke to them as she set her cup aside on the table after feeling for it in the sheer darkness. She pointed to her now blind eyes so Jack and Hazel can pick up the hints Claire was about to give to them.

"Just because this happened to me doesn't mean I have to stop living my life. Like Jack knows and you know, I lost my parents and it took me some time to get myself back but at the same time I turned my weakness into strength by helping people and this is no different: I'll just use this new weakness into more strength somehow." With that, Claire brought up an mental map of Hazel's apartment from her mind and using it to her advantage similar to that as bats using echolocation to get around, so did Claire from remembering every details of the place.

Getting up from her chair while picking the plastic stick that Casper gave to her before they left for Hazel's, Claire walked straight 35 steps before turning left then straight ahead, listening to the clicking, clicking of the stick on the ground before it struck one of the corners and she stopped. Using her newly heightened senses, Claire were able to smell the scent of lavender coming from her left. Remembering the smell made her know it had to be the bathroom but not needing it right now, Claire pushed on.

Turning to her right right now and using the mental map, Claire knew she was in the other hall that led to her primarily objective: the guest room. Before continuing on, she called back to them. "Let me know when you guys are going to eat because I'm so hungry for anything." Claire snarked back to Hazel as she pushed on forward.

A few steps later and closing the door behind her, still unaware that both Jack and Hazel followed her to see where she was going, Claire sighed inwardly. It was one thing to show bravado for them while to herself, she still felt terrified from the fact alone that she will never see again and just to have to rely on a stick and mental maps of places she had been before proved it.

Sitting down on the nearby bed by the closed door, Claire set her stick aside and slipped off her shoes and socks before laying down, her head on the pillow. Scoffing to herself as she realized she was practically staring into eternal blackness up where the ceiling normally would have been, had she not lost her sight before closing her eyes.

Claire didn't know how long she had closed her eyes, but she knew it couldn't have been that long because as soon as the door opened, she smelled the soapy lotion of fruit bloom from Bath & Body Works of Hazel's. Smiling briefly and rising up, Claire turned left and backward then set herself Indian style to be more comfortable while feeling the creak of the bed from the other girl's weight following the touch of one hand of Hazel's on her knee.

She wondered what Hazel wanted now before remembering that she never answered her question if she wanted to stay or not. Claire nearly smacked herself in the head for not realizing that until now. She just wanted to be alone for a bit and in that moment, she had been rude and so gave her apologies to her host.

"Sorry about not giving an answer, Hazel. But I think my actions speak louder than words and well, I kinda feel bad.." Claire replied. "So, with that in mind, I'll stay with you for a few days.. But I have a favor to ask: I need you to take me to the gym tomorrow morning. The reason I ask that is because I meant what I said; I don't intend to stop living just because of this new weakness. I'm going to push harder than ever and I'm pretty sure I can handle the day-to-day stuff for a bit. Granted, you and probably Snow will have to handle the classes."

While it was a true favor from her, Claire had another reason for going there, but only known to herself and possibly Jack as seeing it was the only time she had confided to him the day Jack graduated from the police academy. While Jack had been furious at the suggestion, Claire took it as confirmation that it was true and so from there vowed to keep it to herself from now on.

Claire briefly considered talking about to Hazel, but how she had been in 'Momma Cat' mode for weeks now had her reconsidering it until a later date. For now, Claire mused, it was better this way for a bit anyway.

For now, Claire waited on how Hazel would respond before doing anything else and yet became aware that Jack joined in from the heavy footstep that followed in and must have sat in a chair from the scrapping she heard just now. Waving in the general direction of the scrapping sound to Jack, Claire gave him a brief smile before focusing on Hazel's words.
 

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~- Girl Time -~

Hazel wasn't surprised on Claire's reaction, she had expected it. She waited for a few minutes before she got up and followed Claire, she didn't have to look to know that Jack was following her. Hazel was surprised by the fact that Claire was able to find her way so effortlessly to the guest bedroom. Motioning for Jack to be quiet, Hazel commented gently, "Of course I'll let you know."

After the door was closed, she quickly walked away. Jack followed her back to the kitchen, hesitating for a moment in it. She closed her eyes as Jack gave her a hug, the embrace was a welcomed more than she could ever voice. Leaning into it she asked, "Do you think we're being too paranoid with her? I mean, Claire did a good job of faking bravery and moving around."

Jack was silent, contemplating his answer as he tried to figure out his answer. After coming to an answer, Jack placed his chin on Hazel's head. "Maybe, but at the same time, I'd rather be paranoid than run the risk of her getting hurt. Wouldn't you agree?" She heard a strangled note in his voice, making her open her eyes to stare at him. She was sure he wouldn't tell her, Jack kept his secrets close to his chest but she was sure she could figure things out. Reaching a hand out, she traced his face as she thought over her next words.

"I'm worried about her, I think she needs to be looked after for now." Hazel reprimanded gently.

Jack laughed, playing with her hair as he responded, "I know, but don't you think you're being a little paranoid?"

Hazel pulled back, staring at him for a moment with an expression that clearly read "really?". A sheepish grin spreading across his face, Jack decided to get to work on prepping dinner and Hazel was quick to join him. After a bit of time had past, Hazel decided to double back and check on Claire. Knocking softly, she entered the room and was about to say something when she looked up at Jack. Flicking her wrist in a dismissal fashion, she saw the way Jack frowned. Go, I want to talk to Claire privately. She mouthed, earning a knowing nod from Jack before he left the room.

Looking at Claire, she gripped her hand and smiled. "It's okay, you've had a rough couple of weeks, Claire. Of course we can go to the Anvil Gym, it'd be fun! Just let me know when you'd like to go tomorrow. I think Snow would be willing to help out too." Hazel chimed cheerfully, then looking at the floor she asked gently, "Is there something that you'd like to talk about? I promise I won't get mad Claire."

~- Downtime -~

Snow sat on the couch, trying to figure out what he should do. He heard that the others were doing okay, based on the texts he got from his friends. He scrolled through his phone, trying to figure out what he should do. He had gotten used to the news coverage that was going on, the news was basically covering that Particle Accelerator explosion. He had woken up a while ago, he'd actually been one of the first ones to wake up. So, what was Snow doing? Cruising random videos on youtube.

He backed out of the video and went to a number that he'd sworn to himself he'd never use, but...

He stared at it, trying to figure out if he should call or not. He didn't know if they had it available for text, but he wasn't sure. Sighing, he decided to try it by sending, Hey, it's me. I know it's been a while, but I was wondering if we could get together to talk about something. I'm worried....I'll tell you in person. Snow bit his lip, trying to figure out what to do.

Getting up from the couch, Snow slipped his phone in his pocket and headed for the door. Grabbing his car keys from the counter, Snow heard his phone buzz. Taking his phone out, he glanced at the text and saw the response. It was from Ty, not the person he was expecting it to be. Hey Snow, how have you been? Can you stop by? Tyler texted. He shot a quick reply back before putting his phone back in his pocket, then he proceeded with his task of leaving the house.
 
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Roxie1563

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Scooting close to Hazel and putting her head on the other girl's shoulder, Claire explained her concerns about Jack since leaving the medical facility of S.T.A.R. Labs and how everything had changed in a such short time. While Hazel have been together with Jack, Claire and Jack always has been friends since that night Claire lost her parents to murder and at one point lived with the Fair family for a year until her grandparents came down from the Pennsylvania area. So in that regard, she and Jack knew each other well enough to know of their personal secrets or two. But this was not one of those times, Claire mused to herself privately.

"I don't know if you know this or not and knowing Jack, he'll never bring it up until the right time," Claire said to Hazel as she set both of her feet down on the cool wooden floor. "But I feel like you should know that Jack got promoted to Commissioner for the force here in the city. That meant his job got more dangerous now than ever with the high-risk crime rate up to 30 percent than normal no thanks to the accident and it doesn't help that the force is thinned out while corruption has gone rogue in his office."

Getting up on her feet and stretching out her tired but hungry body, Claire turned around to where she thinks Hazel is and patted her head out of understanding Hazel's "Momma Cat" Mode. "So really, I don't need to be codded around while Jack needs you. In fact, I actually prefer you doing that than over me."

At this point, Claire had smelled the food that Jack and Hazel must had cooked to before the young woman came into the guest room. Sniffing and recognizing the smell of pepperoni, sausage and pasta, Claire smiled before groaning as her stomach growled out-loud to reaction of the smell of food. Patting her belly with her right hand and handing out the other to Hazel's, both of the girls left the room with Hazel guiding Claire back to the kitchen.

Once situated and comfortable, the three of them ate their respective food in silence for a minute or so until their stomachs bulged from the pizza pasta and salad they had enjoyed, thanks to the duo's cooking. While Claire sat there in her chair as the two cleaned up their table, she could feel the tension between them and wondered if it was right to tell Hazel that and believed that Jack probably wouldn't had told Hazel that anyway as she listened intensely for signs of bickering only to find there was none.

Either that or they were saving it for later that night, Claire mused to herself as she formed a plan for tomorrow's trip to Anvil's Gym since the accident. After thanking them both for cooking and Hazel again bringing her back to the bedroom, Claire laid in bed sans clothing as her sleeping clothes was stuck back in her own apartment.

Nudging and pulling the covers closer to her chest, Claire soon fell asleep. At first, she thought she heard something from the main bedroom where Hazel and Jack slept but decided it was a dream until morning at 5, there was an knock at the door. Once again, the smell of what's left of the fruit bloom from Hazel roamed into the guest room then waffled and disappeared as the girl came in.

Claire groaned full well knowing Hazel's intentions and not much to do about it, threw off the cover off and got up before giving her hand to the other woman until she heard the audible gasp of a male. Claire paled then turned red as she realized it was Jack.

Grabbing the cover fast as she could and using the other hand, Claire threw the pillow at him hard where the gasp came from and hid herself with the cover. How could she not realize that it wasn't Hazel until it was too late and in that moment exposed her innermost body to a friend who should have announced himself first?!

Moaning in embarrassment in the early morning, Claire waited until there was a knock on the door. This time it was clearly Hazel and Claire had trouble trying to figure out the mood of Hazel's until they reached the open area of the bathroom.

While Claire waited on the warm water to come on, she wondered if Hazel got onto him or not. Apparently she'd have to wait and see as it seemed to her that Hazel hadn't spoken a single word.

Claire decided that wasn't good and thought it better to let Hazel vent it out first before herself as they both step inside the large shower room.
 

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Fire. As far as his mind's eye could see there was nothing but flames licking upwards at the crimson sky. A never ending inferno that surrounded Kyle. He breathed deeply and held his hand out to a flame but the inescapable heat burned him away. Kyle shook his hand in pain as visible smoke singed at the small hairs on his arms. He patted away the small outburst and took another deep breath. He was covered in sweat but that did little to keep him cool against the hellfire surrounding him. His shirt stuck to his back and though he pulled at it to allow a quick ventilation of air, the impossible flames only forced more heat upwards as red hot ash slipped upwards to his bare skin.
You're getting distracted. Focus, Kyle.
Kyle let out a frustrated grunt but nodded. Once more he chose a flame in front of him. One within range that wasn't lashing out too fiercely. Taking another lung full of air, Kyle forced himself to jab at it and grab the tip of the flame in one swift motion. His hand connected and gripped at the translucent red fire, its scorching spark penetrating the tips of his fingers and running through his arm and into his torso. The heat that flowed through his body was harsh and unwelcome as the searing pain erupted through him as if a line of oil led the fire directly to his lungs. He felt as if he was going to combust. But still he held on.

And then came the screams. A singular woman's scream at first, but just that single blood boiling scream was enough to weaken his resolve. She was somewhere behind him but another scream quickly filled the void and overpowered the roar of flames. Then came a third. Then a fourth. Ever so quickly the screams where the only thing he could hear. Terrible screams of people that were left for dead, forgotten in the ashes. His grip around the fire loosened as cold sweat dripped from his cheek. The sudden damp coldness in this hell was disturbing and the contrast only made things worse. He began to shake and just barely managed to keep himself on his feet. The screams stopped suddenly but were replaced by the sound of running feet. Disgusting sploshing footsteps from behind. Kyle turned to see a dismembered female figure rush towards him. Her pale skin was melting away and every step she took caused it to jiggle horrifically. Kyle let go of the flame and took a step away, but his feet refused to take him any further. The creature continued to scramble forwards and quickly closed the gap between the two, easily rushing through the fires that engulfed it and each step on caused more and more disfigurement and flames. It was less than five feet away as she lunged towards Kyle who could do nothing as her now skeletal hands clenched his arms. The intense heat was far worse than he could bear and the sound of his sizzling skin reached his ears. The creature's feminine face had half melted away, and though half of what Kyle could see was a skull, the other half was partially melted flesh, fibers, tissues, and an eyeball that pooled downwards off its cheek. The creature let out one last scream as it violently embraced him: its legs wrapped around his waist as its arms clutched his torso, binding him. Its disgusting face brought itself closer to his as the smell of cigarette smoke flooded his lungs.

Kyle's entire body jolted upwards. He was drenched in sweat and let out gasps of air as he shook. An empty brown paper bag was pushed on him which he took and breathed into as he tried not to hyperventilate. He sat in a black couch inside a very nice looking office. Across from him was a woman wearing a sports coat and pencil skirt. Her silky black hair was in a tail, and through her rimmed glasses, Kyle could see worried brown eyes looking back at him.
"It's--it's too much," he said as he breathed into the bag.
"We're making progress, Kyle. Slowly but surely." Dr Kate Jones had been helping Kyle for the past three weeks since the night of the explosion. Though he hadn't been anywhere near the incident, he had instead been taken hostage by Sally Anderson. The leader of a gang who wielded a flame thrower, baseball bat, and had been sexually interested in Kyle. He had somehow managed to rupture the gas tank of her weapon which caused it to backfire, giving him enough time to escape, but as a result caused her to be taken by the flames.
"Are we though?! Because itsh been weeks and I still wake up every night to her schreams."
"Kyle, you're slurring your words. Are...Have you been drinking?" He looked up at the clock. 11:47 AM.
"I mean...I'm not drunk."
"Kyle, this is serious. I won't stand idly by as you try and cope in such an unhealthy manner."
"I know. I know it's stupid. Look, I'll...I'll work on it, alright? I want to get over this."
"If you really mean that then you'll stop the drinking. You didn't drink before this, right?" He nodded. "Then cut this habit at the bud before it gets any worse." Kyle silently nodded again but felt the weight of his flask pressing against his chest in his sweater's inside pocket. "Good. That's all the time we have for today but like I said, we're making progress. Keep doing those mental exercises and lay off the booze. We'll get through this, alright?"
"Yes."
"Kyle? I want to hear you say it." He looked Kate in the eyes.
"We'll get through this."
---​
As soon as Kyle stepped outside his therapist's office building he took his flask out from his sweater and uncorked it. The strong smell of alcohol whisked into his nostrils. Letting out a frustrated growl he topped it back up and stuffed it back into his sweater. Breakfast. Breakfast would help. There was a small diner that he always passed by here he had never entered. He ducked into the homey restaurant and took a stool for himself up front. A rather pretty blonde waitress handed him a menu and gave him a wink as she walked away. He nearly gagged but managed to keep a straight face. The thought of any kind of intimate contact disgusted him after the night the Salamander tried to have her way with him but Dr Jones--that is, Kate--reassured him that he would get through it.
"I'll get through this," he whispered to himself as he scrolled through the menu. A minute later a male waiter came by and asked for his order before disappearing as well. Kyle tapped uncertainly at the tabletop, unable to keep still as nervous energy ran through him. Probably because of the scotch. He pulled his phone out and dialed a number, which went into voicemail. It was just as well, he didn't feel like holding an actual conversation anyway.
"Hey dad," he said quietly, suddenly aware of the silent environment of the diner, "hope you and mom are doing alright. I just got out from Dr Jones--uh, Kate's office. She says I'm slowly doing better but I dunno. I mean, I think I'm better than I was before but I'm just doubting myself I guess. Don't worry though, I'll--I'll get through this. Love you both. Bye." He hung up. It occurred to him that he should have planned out what he wanted to say but pushed it out of his mind. As long as they knew he was doing well, that was all that mattered.

The door to the diner opened as the small bells attached to it rang out. Kyle didn't bother to look at whoever it was and instead tried to focus in on some article on his phone. The same night of his own incident was when the particle accelerator at S.T.A.R. Labs exploded. Bad night for a lot of people. He felt the person who had entered the diner walk up to the cash register and rang the bell. The blonde waitress from before quickly appeared.
"Hello! How can I help ya?"
"I'm here for a pick up," the familiar male voice said. "It should be under the name 'Rick.'" Kyle looked towards the man. Sure enough it was it coworker from the Library. As the waitress left to fetch the order, Rick turned around and caught Kyle's eye.
"...Kyle? Is that you?"
"Morning, Rick." Was all he could say. They never were on good terms.
"Christ, you look like shit."
"diddly you."
"No I mean--Christ, how are you? We haven't seen you in weeks. People are worried."
"Yeah? Mrs Reed? Another one trying to get into my pants."
"...What?"
"Nothing. Long story, don't wanna talk about it." Kyle took a sip of water. Why did he have to run into Rick? Why did he have to run into anyone? He just wanted a quiet breakfast so he could go home.
"O...kay. Listen, I know some people at the library might not have liked you--myself included sorry--but do you want to come down and visit? You're still on leave but they really are worried, you know." Kyle considered it. Kate would probably say it was a good idea. Get himself back out into his normal world. A sense of routine agency. But he shook his head.
"I appreciate the thought. I really do, especially from an asshole like you, but I think I need more time."
"Okay, that's okay. Take your time."
"Thanks man." The waitress returned with five styrofoam boxes jammed into two plastic bags.
"For Rick?" She asked.
"Yes, perfect. They're for me and coworkers," he said. She nodded happily as he paid the bill.
"Hey Rick," Kyle called as the payment finished. "I really do appreciate the offer. I'll be back soon. I just...gotta get through this is all." Rick smiled back.
"Take your time, you piece of shit," Rick joked as he walked backwards out of the diner.
"Suck a cock," Kyle laughed. "Asshole."
 
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Eternal Dream

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~- Temple of the Moon -~

"Dad?"

Cy was dreaming; he had to be. It was the only way that his father could be there. Zane turned to look at him, a tired smile on his face. A full moon hung in the night sky behind him, stretching his shadow out in front of him towards Cyrus. "Cy, look at you. How've you grown."

"Dad!"

A small blur rushed past him, and Cy recognized his younger self as the boy threw himself into Zane's arms. That's when Cy realized that this dream was in fact a memory, a memory that had turned nights and the touch of moonlight a bittersweet experience for him. Even so, he watched as his younger self looked up at his father, blue eyes meeting blue as the boy said, "Dad, are you okay? You look sad."

Cy had been getting too big for it, but Zane still swung him up into his arms, and it was a simple matter for the boy to clamber onto his back, his arms going around Zane's neck as Zane's arms locked behind Cy's knees. The two of them watched the night sky for a while, and Cy remembered how he'd started to get so impatient with Dad because he hadn't answered his question right away. After a while, Cy had forgotten about it, content to just stare at the night sky with Zane as the two of them picked out the familiar constellations, the figures and stars that Zane had taught Cy since he'd been a small child; the ones Cy still looked to for guidance when the ache of missing his father suddenly flared high and bright again.

"I'm sorry."

It had been a while since either of them had spoken, and Cy's small body jolted in surprise when Zane spoke. Looking around his shoulder, Cy asked, "Why? What are you sorry for, Dad?"

He wouldn't meet Cy's gaze, even as indirect as it was; but Cy could still see that same, unknowable sadness in Zane's eyes as he said, "For not being strong enough for you. One day you'll understand, and I'm sorry that that day will have to come at all. I can't... I can't guide you the way that I want to, but I..."

Cy's arms tightened slightly around Zane's neck, cutting the man's words off as the boy hugged him. For a moment, the night was once again still, and then Cy said softly, "It's okay. Everything's okay. You're here; that's all that I want. You're here, and everything's going to be okay."

Again, it took Zane a moment to respond; then, his arms tightened around Cy's legs in a hug of his own as he said softly, "Bare your sins to the moonlight."

"What?"

Zane shook his head, slowly easing Cy off his back. Reaching down, he caught the boy's hand in his own, gently leading his son home as he said, "I don't understand it, but it's a riddle for you. Bare your sins to the moonlight, Cy, and it will all make sense."

Something was bothering the little boy, something he couldn't put into words. Instead, he squeezed Zane's hand as hard as he could, a quiet plea for his father to never let go, as he said softly, "I love you, Dad."

Zane squeezed his hand back, the feeling of goodbye in the gesture, as he said, "I love you too, Cy."

When Cy woke the next morning, the night was gone, and Zane with it.


"Dad!"

Cyrus jolted up in the bed, the covers nearly flying onto the ground. For a moment, he couldn't think, his mind frantic as his gaze roamed wildly around the room. As he got his bearings, he realized that he was in a hospital room, allowing him some ability to calm himself. Slowly, he forced his breathing to calm down, using tricks that Juliet had taught him to calm himself, his breathing, and his heart rate all at once.

"You're awake?"

Cy, much calmer now, turned his attention to the door of the hospital room, where a nurse was walking in. He nodded his head, at a loss for words now as she started talking gently, asking him questions about how he was doing and telling him a little bit about why he was in the hospital. For the moment, his answers were on rote, and he was only half interested in hearing about the explosion at S.T.A.R labs. His mind was caught up in his dreams, the memory of the final night of stargazing with his father.

Bare your sins to the moonlight

He'd forgotten the details of that night, and that it was Zane that had told him that. Was that why it had bothered Cy when he'd written it in class? Was it because it had been one of the last things his father had said to him? But the thing Cyrus didn't understand, that he'd never been able to puzzle out, even as the phrase had faded into half-forgotten memory, and even now that it was the foremost thing in his mind...

Bare your sins to the moonlight

What did it mean?
 

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~- Exchange -~

Valerie looked at the man across from her, he was guarded and clearly didn't trust her. She sipped her tea, her notebook on the table in front of her even as a black ink pen rested on it. She needed to figure out how to word things correctly, or else risk this blowing up in her face. It was going to be tight rope, the man before her was a hothead and loose cannon, that much was obvious.

"What do you want Stalker Girl?"

She closed her eyes at the icy question, calming her nerves before she chose to speak. Opening her eyes, Valerie smiled and said sweetly, "You may call me Vincent, sir. As for what I want? I just want to see if we can piece together what happened that night, that's all." She expected him to bristle with hostility, so it wasn't a surprise when he did. She could see he was weighing his options, his desire for secrets warring against his curiosity. Leaning forward a fraction, Valerie lowered her lashes and said, "Come on Jiang, you can trust me. What proof do you have otherwise?"

"How about the fact I don't know you?" Jiang shot back.

A giggle escaping her, Valerie leaned back and spoke, "You're right, but at the same time it's not reason to distrust me either."

It seemed like that made sense, despite the solider's wish that it didn't. Shrugging his shoulders, the dark haired boy answered, "I don't know what happened that night, that's the problem."

Valerie shot him a look, she didn't believe him for a moment. Even so, she could tell that he wouldn't be willing to cooperate with her. Or at least he wasn't willing to yet, sighing in defeat, Valerie rose to her feet and headed for the door. Reaching it, she glanced over her shoulder and said, "Send me a message when you're willing to talk Jiang, until then later." Without waiting for an answer, Valerie walked out the door.

~- Shower Confessions and Tears -~

Hazel went through the motions for the night, even though her mind was elsewhere so she wasn't paying attention to Jack, leading to the wrong impression of there being tension between the two. Collapsing into bed, she woke up the next morning to Jack saying sorry and Claire screaming. Looking around her alarmed, Hazel started to get out of bed when Jack suddenly appeared next to her, his cheeks flaming red. Raising an eyebrow, she motioned to her own cheeks with a questioning expression.

Jack looked away, the color getting stronger as he shook his head. Rolling her eyes in answer, Hazel got up and made her way to help Claire get ready for the day. It was only once they were in the shower together that Hazel decided to say something, having a vague idea of what had happened. "I'm sorry for that mix up, we both know Jack isn't like that at all. He's a gentleman." She said softly, almost inaudible due to the water. Her eyes softened a little bit as she used some shampoo on Claire's hair, it was a type that she knew the other girl loved.

Thinking about some of her doubts, she frowned and admitted, "I'm worried about him, the news says that things seem to be changing since the explosion three weeks ago. What if he gets hurt? I know he's barely been able to piece himself together again after Becca, and he's still broken. I-I don't want to lose him or anyone else, but I'm worried that I'm going to." She hadn't told anyone that Tyler had broken his oath to Jack by telling Hazel the truth, this was the closest she'd come to such a confession.

She let the warm water run over her skin, closing her eyes for a moment she easily put the right amount of conditioner into Claire's hair. "It's not just Jack I'm worried about, I'm also worried for you. I know nothing's changed with me, but you two were at ground zero. When I heard about it, I flew into such a panic that I didn't think I'd ever come down. Ha, maybe I'm just being silly, but..." Hazel trailed off, tears falling from her eyes as she gave Claire a hug, her cream colored nightgown pressed to Hazel's skin. "I don't want to lose anyone, please." She whispered, she really didn't know how to best describe it beyond the soft plea.

~- Um, uh, Kitty? -~

James sat on his bed, his feet dangling over the side as he stared down at the pages of the book Cyrus had bought him a few weeks ago. He glanced around his room, wondering if Cy was okay and how Juliet was alright. He'd been released into the care of his parents after things had been cleared, but Cyrus had been kept for additional testing. A soft purr drew his attention as their orange tabby hopped up on the bed. Reaching out a hand, he let the feline sniff his hand as he said, "Gracie, I'm worried about Cy. He hasn't been released yet."

The cat look at him and mewed, before it curled up in his lap for a nap. Staring down at the creature, James couldn't help but smile at Grace. He was happy that they'd gotten her, and he had to admit he actual enjoyed it when she plopped right in the middle of a book for affection. Looking out the window, James wondered when Juliet would be home so they could visit Cyrus.
 

Roxie1563

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Claire let out a sigh of content as Hazel massaged her hair with her favorite brand of shampoo, the soapy bubbles running down her back. It felt good to have a shower as she had brief bathes by Crystal while she was asleep, that she learned from the girl herself. By then Claire heard Hazel's apology for Jack's action and that wasn't like of Jack to do that.

Waving her hand away dismissively, the young woman rubbed her arm with the other subconsciously before giving one of her apologies. "Nah, it's my fault. I should have told you two that I tend to sleep in the nude during the summer.." Claire mumbled absently-minded as she stared blankly, her blind eyes blinking from the water at a time.

That's when Claire sensed the doubt of Hazel's falling through the cracks as the girl spilled her feelings on Jack, the explosion, and Claire herself. Listening and realizing that the past few weeks for Hazel must've been hell while she had been merrily sleeping like a log, Claire hugged back in return.

Knowing what Hazel really need to get some relief and since Claire's plan was to return to work either way, the blind girl decided that all Hazel needed to do was to beat it out at Anvil's Gym. That made sense to her as it provided a way for releasing such worries away and feeling better afterward like Claire did when she lost her parents to murder while giving herself another chance at life.

After soaping herself and washing the rest off with the help of Hazel, Claire managed to turn off the water after two attempts to find the faucet while feeling frustrated that she couldn't even do a normal thing! Puffing off a strand of hair she could feel from the breeze away from her face, the blind girl merely let Hazel dry her off from all kind of sides before wrapping herself in a huge towel and tucking one of the corner piece in place.

Once the coast were clear, both ladies quickly made their way back to the guest room. After Hazel made sure that the door was safe, Claire tore her towel off and followed through a bit of her normal route before having to ask Hazel to pick some decent clothes that would be suitable for the long day ahead of themselves.

Dressing in jeans and wearing one of Mom's favorite character from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Toph Beifong as Claire remembered her saying that despite of her blindness, Toph found a way to push forward and in the end achieved so much more after the end of the series in the form of comics and the next series which was The Legend of Korra. Smiling at the memory and realizing the irony of the situation that both girls found themselves blinded yet turned it into something powerful for them.

Also slipping into sandals, Claire heard the door open as Hazel left to get herself ready as well. Using the stick once again and making her way to the main room, the blind woman sat on the couch as she could hear water running in two different room, realizing both Jack and Hazel must've jumped in at the same time. Giggling at the thought of Jack getting cold water as justice for staring at her before taking a deep breath to calm her nerves down, Claire debated on calling Snow to let him know that the two of them are on the way but something told her to hold it off for a bit.

Switching gears, Claire decided to punch in her number to see if there was any messages only to find out her line had been disconnected. Puzzled at this, Claire called the company to see what the problem was but received no answer. Groaning even more frustrating at the situation, her hand turned into a ball of fist and slammed the nearby pillow which squeaked in response from the blow.

"I guess I'll have just to ask Hazel what happened to the lines when she's done.." Claire mumbled to herself as one of the showers came to a stop, presumably that to be Hazel's. Pulling herself upright and waiting on Hazel, Claire debated if she should eat her or not. Eventually, she decided it would be best to have something from the diner not too far from the gym not more than ten minutes away.

'That is if Hazel's alright with it,' Claire wondered to herself as she turned to the sound of footstep and waved at the general direction of it.
 

Story Keeper

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~- Whispers -~

Jack didn't really participate much in the conversation, he wanted to give the girls a chance to talk. So yeah, he was a little surprised to find Claire naked the next morning. He went flaming red, apologizing for being rude he fled the room, ignoring Hazel when she asked him what was wrong. When it was safe for him to take a shower, Jack took out his hearing aids and climbed in, letting the freezing water run over his skin as he leaned against the wall, his eyes focused on the ceiling. There was too much to process, and to top things off he had to get his hearing equipment looked at since it'd been on the fritz since waking up.

Sighing, he closed his eyes and tried to figure out how he was going to apologize for being so stupid. Nothing he came up with was justifiable for his stupidity. His thoughts went to Hazel, remembering the verbal lashing she'd given him after finding out about it, even if she kept it down so Claire didn't hear it. Tears sprang to life behind his eyelids, and raising his hand to his face, he rubbed the tears away. He couldn't cry in front of the girls, he knew it'd only make them feel guilty that they'd unintentionally triggered him.

Sinking to the shower floor, he took a few moments to get himself under control. After he was satisfied on it, he quickly washed up and got out of the shower. Drying off and getting back into his clothes, he put the auditory instruments back in his ears before he headed out of the room, towel drying his hair along the way as he made his way to Claire. Seeing her wave at him, the towel fell to the floor with an audible plop. Looking away, he stammered, "I-I'm sorry for earlier, it wasn't my intention." Looking back in her direction, he quietly crossed the empty space between them and sat on the floor next to her. Putting his head on the arm rest, he looked at her with sad eyes as his heart squeezed for a moment.

Reaching out a hand, he placed it on Claire's as he whispered, "I'm so glad you're safe, Claire." He didn't care how things turned out from here on out, he'd stick by her side much like how she'd done for him. Rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb, Jack said softly, "I'm not abandoning you, I'll be by your side." Sure, it could be taken the wrong way but anyone that knew Jack would know that he meant it in a familial fashion.

~- Tensions -~

Adam sat at the table, his thoughts chasing themselves as he tried to figure out what the point was for him showing up. Leaning backwards, he looked up at the ceiling for a few moments, analyzing the emotions of those around him. A snarl of frustration sliding free, Adam jumped to his feet and left a little extra money on the table as a tip before he left the cafe. Making his way back to the base, Adam put his earbuds in and started jogging, knowing where he could duck into the base without meeting any guards.

Finding the hole in the fence, he slipped in underneath and jogged through the trees, getting lost in his thoughts as he ran. He just had to get back before anyone realized he was gone, before General Wells realized he was gone.

Sensing the firestorm of rage approaching, Adam slowed to a leisurely walk and pulled out his earbuds, his guard instantly flying up into place. It didn't take him long to find Will, or for him to see the panda colored dog that was by Will's side. His stomach twisted into an unruly knot of electrical wires, making him feel nauseous from the close contact with the hostility that Will was emitting. Closing his eyes, he replayed General Wells's words from back at Outback, before the explosion.

Don't let it get to you, he's understand....

What the hell am I saying!? Adam screamed mentally, Will was understandably upset? Ha. Yeah right, the traitor didn't even bother to tell him personally that he didn't want Adam to try and contact him again. Instead no, Will had childishly ignored him. Taking in a shaky breath, Adam opened his eyes again and willed his emotions into a neutral expression before he commented coolly, "Sir, what are you doing out this way?"

He couldn't bring himself to refer to Will as Paragon, he wasn't that childish...unlike a certain someone. He barely kept himself from petting the dog at Will's side, her eyes watching him with curiosity. It wasn't saying that he didn't want to go to the dog, he adored her kind but he was sure that would get him clobbered, and that was honestly something he didn't want. Instead he watched Will, waiting to see what the older and higher ranking soldier would do next.

~- I Won't Let Go -~

Snow pulled up in front of the hospital, his brain turning over the possibilities of what to say to Tyler. Parking the car, he leaned against the driver's seat and closed his eyes, counting backwards from ten. After his nerves were settled, he got out of the car and headed inside, easily finding his way to the other boy's room. He met Tyler's eyes, who had clearly been sleeping before he'd entered.

Crossing the room, he sat down in the chair next to his friend's bed, appreciating the easy silence between them. Looking out the window, he saw a raven land on the sill, it started preening its feathers as it watched the two boys in the room. After a moment, Tyler spoke softly, "This is the second time I've seen one, I think it's time to leave."

Without taking his eyes off of the bird, he asked, "Are the doctors okay with it?"

"Technically no, but it's not like they can keep me here." Tyler retorted, a slight wishful note in his voice, earning a worried look from Snow.

He could see the fog clear in the younger man's eyes, and Snow balled his hands since it was clear it wasn't just from sleep. Tyler was hurting, but he was trying not to say anything about it. Leaning backwards into the chair back, Snow pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself from the revelation that Tyler properly called him because he was scared.

Snow didn't know why it didn't dawn on him before.

Then a thought crossed his mind, was it because he was used to Ty needing treatments? So because of that he thought he'd grown used to it, only for recent events to prove him wrong? That's all he could think. It had to be that he'd gotten used to Tyler being constantly sick since they were children. Opening his eyes, he looked at Tyler....truly looked at him. He saw the way that Tyler's shirt hung on him. Almost like the boy had lost more weight than what Snow had remembered, the other boy was also pale and it seemed like there was a few streaks of white weaving into the boy's dark hair.

"How'd the recent batch go?" Snow asked softly, his voice barely audible due to fear.

A weak smile spreading across his face, Tyler answered, "It went alright, about the same as previous ones."

Nodding Snow stood up and moved to the edge of the bed, carefully sitting on it, he reached out and touched Tyler's hand. Meeting Ty's gaze, he prompted, "How about we get you home, maybe swing by your favorite resturant on the way?"

"Seriously, are you asking me on a date?" Tyler laughed, a spark of light returning to his eyes.

Playfully sticking his tongue out, Snow teased back, "Maybe." He just wanted to pretend things were normal, just for a little bit. He'd acknowledge the truth of things once he saw Jack again, but until then, could he just pretend for a bit.

Please?
 

Roxie1563

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Taken back by Jack's actions in those few seconds, Claire smiled sweetly at him while wondering what to say. What would she say to him beside the occasional 'I love you too'? While she understood where Jack was coming from and glad that he wouldn't leave her side in any case, Claire's mind turned to Hazel as she recalled their own conversation earlier on. Could it be that Jack needed the same treatment that Hazel might need: the total beat-downs of boxing bags..?

Ignoring the possibly of it and following her heart, Claire patted Jack's head in return while teasing him. "What on earth did that come from, Jackson Fair? Don't tell me that explosion took couple of your brain cells!" She smiled before sticking her tongue out, letting him know it was all child play to her.

"I know that this hasn't been easy for any of us, but I have this odd feeling that everything will be okay and- Ow!!" Claire had started to add more to her heartfelt comment when she got shocked. In the midst of it, she didn't realize that as Jack continued rubbing her back of her hand that in the process it somehow build up static before it discharged on her.

Pulling away from him as her eyes closed from the pain, Claire got up fast from her seat. Rubbing with the other hand, something clicked in her brain and as she opened her eyes, expecting to see the darkness once again, she was surprised to see everything in color once again!

"Jack, I can see again!"

Gasping and looking at Jack, tears streamed down in surprise as she made her way into Jack's chest. After a second went by, she pulled back and stared at him again. While she could tell that Jack had took a shower as his hair had started to dry, thanks to the towel by the floor, she studied Jack's face more. Claire knew Jack was a looker but this was different as she practically can see all the details of him from the bright color of his eyes down to the feet which Claire thought to herself feeling like he should at least get a manicure fast.

Before they had a chance to jump in joy, pain once again stabbed throughout her body. Groaning from the sudden influx of pain coursing through her and unintentionally pushed Jack out of the way, Claire accidentally discharged an wave of energy from her hands that exploded between them. The blast was strong enough that it pushed Claire back and through the wall leading herself to land in the kitchen and hitting something in the head as she landed on the stainless floor.

A few seconds later, Claire woke up on her back, groaning from whatever hit her in the head. Slowly, she got up and looked around her surroundings only to find that she didn't know where she was or who she was; All she knew was a name: Claire.

Confused of everything, it wasn't until she heard something through the broken wall that she realized that someone else must be hurt. Making her way through the debris and listening to the sound, Claire found herself looking down at a woman's body which was being pinned down on a large piece of wood. She looked at the woman's face and to her, it felt oddly familiar; like she knew her from somewhere else. But that didn't matter right now for the time being.

Claire tried to call out to the downed woman, but there was no response. Unable to get anything out of her, she decided the best course of action was to get this wood off the injured before focusing on anything else. Getting into a better position, Claire tried to lift it.

Grunting in strain and trying to lift the dead wood off, the young girl found out it was impossible without help. While regaining some air into her lungs and deciding what to do beside calling for help, Claire tried despairingly to remember the events that lead to this but found herself unable to. Frustrated and unable to help, she started to wonder what the plan was when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Confused and scared, she turned around quickly, ready to knock anyone out only to find a young man. Wary of him, she started to ask who he was, but he quickly slip passed her and straight to the injured woman. Claire wondered who the man was, but it was clear that he and her was worried about the mysterious girl.

"Who are you and what the hell happened to us?" Claire questioned him, but instead of an answer, the man waved her on to try again. Feeling like the only way to know what happened was to help out, so she got back into the same position but with the man here, she felt this was the best chance going forward.

With both pushing and lifting, they managed to get the piece of lumber off her. Panting, Claire managed to get the dude's name and like it was with the name, 'Claire', the name Jack felt so familiar as well the woman's name, Hazel. She watched him try to lift her out, but failed due to being exhausted. Strangely enough, the memory-less woman wasn't out of breath like him. With that, she made her way to Hazel.

While Claire lifted and walked the body of Hazel's, she asked Jack to grab a blanket as she laid the injured girl on a couch in the living room as sirens blared, indicting help is on the way. Moving back and unable to understand anything right now, Claire spun around, grabbing the knob of the door and opened it to freedom.

From there, she ran and ran on, ignoring anything that came across her in hopes of escaping this reality of a nightmare, tears streaming down and away her eyes as she rushes into the treeline outside the apartment and into the direction of a diner far down the road.

As she ran to it, she couldn't have known it was something or someone else that needed help and could understand her better in this strange situation.
 
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Story Keeper

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~- More Than Meets The Eye -~

Jack gave a sad smile as Claire patted him on the head. He was certain that part of it was false bravado, concern flickered through blue eyes at the soft cry of pain from Claire. Feeling an electric shock run through his body, Jack winced inwardly at the sensation. He'd noticed the discharge of static that had somehow slipped beneath Claire's radar, not that he could blame her right now. A strangled noise slipped free as he scrambled away from Claire, and the second he saw the tears falling made his heart break a little more on the inside.

"Jack, I can see again!"

His brain finally registered those words, causing a delayed reaction of disbelief then joy to dance across his face. A laugh sliding free, he chatted cheerfully, "That's great!"

He almost took a step forward when Claire gave another cry again, but instead of happiness it was pain. Jack froze, horror at the rapid change of Claire's emotional state showing on his face. Before Jack had a chance to process things fully, Claire had....he didn't know. Everything happened fast enough that he wasn't sure what had happened, all he knew was that Claire was different and Hazel was unconscious. He felt helpless because he couldn't protect them. He let the paramedics in and they were checking on Hazel, asking him for details. Jack couldn't think of them, he was only slightly calmer knowing Hazel would be fine. Now, was Claire safe from herself?

Checking on Hazel one more time to make sure she was okay, Jack left once he was satisfied with his girlfriend's state. He also asked them to contact him if they needed help, and he even left Hazel's adopted father, Andrew's number. Afterwards, he booked it out of the apartment, hesitating only for a moment to determine which way Claire was likely to have gone. After running for a while (the idea of taking his car never crossed his mind), he was forced to stop and take a quick breather as his lungs screamed at him in protest.

Where is she? he thought to himself, chewing on his bottom lip slightly.

After he forced enough air back into his lungs, Jack got running again, his eyes scanning his surroundings for her. "Claire! Come out, we can take care of this! Let's go back to Hazel's apartment to sort this out!" He called, eyes scanning his surroundings as he moved closer and closer to Neighbor Diner and the freaked out woman, even if he couldn't see the latter yet.

~- Always Closer -~

Valerie had made quick time to the local music store, her feet instinctively taking her to the violin section. She looked over the instruments, her fingers lightly gliding over the different woods. Hesitating when she got to one in particular, Valerie's heart tightened and tears sprang to her eyes. Her breath hitched in chest as she stared at the instrument, it was the same as Lindsey's. Doubling over, she gave herself a hug as she sobbed, "You bitch!"

She wanted to scream, to cry. She wanted to purchase the instrument and break it, or to play it until her fingers bled. Falling to her knees, Valerie stared at the cursed object, her hand reaching out for it until her fingers hung just above the wood. She saw it but she didn't see it, her eyes growing unfocused as she saw a moment in time from years past. She sat there for several moments, frozen in that position, only finally freed from the violin's spell when a young woman placed their hand on her shoulder.

Starting, she glanced at the woman and whispered, "Lizzy?"

A knowing look coming to the employee's eyes, Valerie was carefully pulled to her feet and escorted to the front of the store. It was with this movement that Valerie truly regained her focused, the woman only vaguely looked like her older sister now that Val could focus. The female employee reached out a hand, carefully brushing away the tears as she said gently, "My name's Lia, not Lizzy. I wish you luck finding her, and I'll keep an eye out for her. Go home and get some rest, you look exhausted hon."

Tears fell to the ground as Valerie nodded slowly, longing for the desire to fling herself at the woman and truly cry. Brushing away the rest of the tears, she smiled a little and answered with fake optimism, "Okay, I will. Have good day Lia."

Lia smiled sadly at her, and before Valerie could leave a piece of paper was slid into her hand. "It's my number, in case you need to talk." Lia explained, and then with a wave, she went back into the music store to return to work. Valerie opened her hand and looked at the number, a slight smile coming to her face at the gesture before she closed her hand again and headed back home. Her mind already working on planning the next move, even as exhaustion tugged at her.

~- So Much More -~

Tyler honestly had no idea how he got medical clearance. He did enjoy being out of the hospital though, and he was curious to know if Snow was treating this as a date or not. Tyler sneaked a glance in his friend's direction, the sun caught in his hair turning it a lighter shade of brown and it seemed to highlight the tat on Snow's face. Flushing, he looked out the passenger side window. A sigh escaping him, he leaned his head against the window as he listened to the music coming through the stereo.

It was quieter than Snow's usual collection, it was also rather contemplative too. Normally Tyler wouldn't think much of it, but based on Snow's attitude in the hospital, he had a suspicion that something was eating away at the country boy. He didn't take his gaze from the window as he asked, "What's wrong?"

"What are you talkin' about? Nothin' wrong." Snow clipped, his tone guarded and a clear warning to drop the subject.

Tyler wasn't about to push the issue, but he was worried for his friend. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and let the music wrap him up in its sad yet hopeful melody, his brain instantly started to translate it into Cherokee, and so he hummed along to it. A few moments passed, silence hanging in the air before them before Snow amended, "Sorry, I'm just worried. Don't worry though, I'll get it sorted out."

Those words told Tyler so much, and yet even then they were still just vague enough to leave him questioning on things. He didn't have to say it, the unspoken offer of help hung in the air between the two of them, and so did Snow's answer of "Thanks, I'll take you up on it in a bit. I just want to try to sort it out by myself first." It wasn't the first time they'd had a similar discussion, and Tyler knew for a fact it wouldn't be the last time either. Apparently though, he looked a little more worn out than either of them had thought, because instead of going to Ty's favorite sit down, they went to a fast food joint.

Again, still kind of Ty's favorite. The only one that got some food was Snow, they both got drinks though and Tyler sipped on his as they headed for his house. He knew it wouldn't take too long for them to get there, and yet he didn't feel like talking, the silence was a comfortable one between the two of them. So when they pulled up into his house a little while later, Tyler remained in the passenger seat, his eyes focused on his hands. Snow had turned the car off, and he just sat there, not wanting to shoo Tyler out of the car either. Neither of them wanted to move, Tyler was sure he wasn't the only one that sensed the change barreling towards them.

Being honest, Tyler was far from ready for it.

Shooting Snow a look, Tyler offered, "How about you come in for a bit? It's been a while after all."

A wishful look flashed in Snow's eyes, and it almost seemed like the other boy was about to refuse. Reaching out a hand, Tyler grabbed the other boy's wrist and pleaded, "Please? I'm scared and I don't want to be alone right now, I also don't want them seeing me this way."

Snow sighed, a nod coming in answer as he unbuckled his seat. The slightest of smiles drifted across Ty's face as he climbed out of the car and followed Snow inside. He wasn't lying, he honestly was scared but he couldn't quite pin down why he was afraid, he just was.
 
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Roxie1563

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After running away from Jack and disappearing into the forest outside of the apartment, Claire eventually stopped beside a gentle stream of water thirty minutes away from the diner. Bending down and cupping her hands, the anmesic woman gulped down some water for a bit, hoping to get her thoughts in order.

Staring at her reflection in the water, Claire truly got the chance to actually look at herself. At first, she wondered who the woman was in the reflection, but after a moment or two and judging from Jack's reaction to her, she must be Claire herself. That, at least to herself, was progress.

Once again she tried hard to remember anything that was important, but nothing came to mind. Feeling so helpless at everything, Claire slapped the water away and watching as the river realigned itself back into normalcy. At this point in time, Claire wondered if it was foolish to leave when she shouldn't be alone herself and proceeded to decide if she should stay and try to remember more or go back and see if those two could help her with this problem or whatever it was that did this to her.

Before Claire could decide on that, a sound of the leaves cracked out behind her. Unsure of what is to come before herself, Claire ran up a tree nearby and jumped up on a branch sturdy enough to hold her weight, falling into a crouch, ready for whoever was coming through.

As the sounds got near and near, Claire got a view of someone coming through, though she couldn't tell if it was someone she did recognize or not, but she couldn't take the risk if it was someone dangerous or not. Waiting until she saw the whites of their eyes and as soon she saw them, she leaped out, ready for action.

Pouncing as fast as she could, Claire tackled into the being as fast yet quiet enough not to make it any sound, they rolled into a circle before ending up with the suspect on bottom, Claire on top. With her fist up and on the ready to cause fear and with one hand on the chest, the other ready to strike in case they pulled out a freaking gun, Claire looked into the eyes and slowly realizing it was Jack.

"Jack..?" Claire questioned as she got off him, sitting on the ground. At first, she didn't do anything for a few seconds, watching him until..

SLAP!!!

The sounds of hand meeting the face of an idiot rang throughout the forest and extended into the streets of Archville as Claire watched the face of Jack's redden. Claire literally didn't know the guy and the first thing she did was to slap him. Not that he did deserved it for nearly getting killed over something so trivial.

"That was for nearly getting killed by me!" Claire raged at him. "I mean, what were you thinking coming after me? I told you to stay with her. I didn't need you coming after me. I mean, hello?! Have you not heard the saying, 'don't put an animal in the corner until you're asking to be killed'?"

Claire ranted on for a minute until she had it all out, making sure Jack knows that she knows. A few minutes had passed by and by then, the duo found themselves sitting beside each other; Jack rubbing his face, Claire staring into the water again, her finger stirring it until she got tired of it.

Without looking at him, she asked him one thing: "What now, Jack?"
 
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Story Keeper

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~- What Now? -~

Jack was running one moment and on the ground the next. Looking up at Claire, he read her lips as she scolded him for his stupidity. Waiting until she was done, Jack countered softly, "You're like a sister to me, I couldn't leave you alone. I definitely couldn't do it right now Claire." His eyes were sad, showing just how worried he was about her.

His cheek stung from where he'd been slapped, it was still his fault though. He'd let her chew him out, his eyes lowering to the ground as he followed her. They were sitting down by the water, his back to the tree as she stared into the stream. After a moment Claire asked what was next, and he wasn't sure. Reaching out, he carefully wrapped her in a one warm hug, contemplating his next words carefully. "I do not know, but we will figure it out. Maybe try to figure out why we have powers? See if anyone else does?" He suggested, his scalp tingling with electricity.

Looking at the sky, he added, "There's a storm coming, it should hit about two." The sky though was free of clouds, so Jack's statement would seem strange but he could feel it. Taking his coat off, Jack draped it around Claire and smiled a little. He didn't want her getting cold, so his coat should help....right? Leaning against the tree, he stared up at the sky. "Do you have any idea of what we should do?" Jack asked softly, his uncertainty just starting to show in his voice.

He didn't know why he thought of it, but Jack whispered softly, "My name's Jack, Hazel's back at the apartment getting medical attention." He stared up at the leaves above him, seemingly transfixed by it and trying not to let on how much it hurt that Claire had yelled at him twice within a month, when maybe it was once every few months if at all. It was something she knew involving Becca, that Jack couldn't stand women yelling at him. It'd taken months to figure out how to voice her disapproval over things, but she'd figured out a calmer way to voice her disapproval. Jack remembered her training on it, and that she'd taught Hazel how to do it without triggering him.

So yeah, it stung having her yell at him.

~- So Afraid -~

Adam held his breath, not daring to move as Will watched him. He caught the hesitation he other boy felt, yet Will guarded the reason closely, much like when they were kids and facing the Furher. It broke him a little, Adam even started to apologize only to hesitate and draw on the ice surrounding Will to stop himself. The dog moved closer, curiosity shining in her eyes. Shaking his head, Adam scolded gently, "No, he won't like that very much." She cocked her head to the side in answer.

"Don't act like you know me, Private."

The order was clipped, brittle like ice. Adam looked at Will, revealing nothing of his emotions, Adam mocked, "Sorry, colonel." Adam wasn't fooled by the unfazed mask, Will's anger struck him like snake was just one reason he didn't believe the other boy's face. He still internally winced though, he turned away and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"What's a freak like you doing here? Why don't you go back to where you belong?"

Demon. Monster. Freak. Heyoka. Trash. Nothing.

A lump formed in his throat at the slurs. His hand started to shake, Adam took a couple of deep breaths to calm his nerves and he started to walk away. He needed to leave or else he'd get in a shit ton of trouble. Again. Carefully he tugged on the back of his labret, his mind scrambling for the right words to say. Adam halted for a moment when Will called out to him. Glancing over his shoulder, he spoke curtly, "I need to report to General Wells sir. Excuse me."

Adam didn't wait for an answer, he quickly walked away, fighting to keep his temper in check. He had maybe gone twenty-five feet from Will when he bumped (almost literally) into another soldier. "General Paragon is looking for you, and I think General Wells is too. They wouldn't tell me why, they just wanted me to let you know."

The relief of Wells was overrun by the idea of meeting the Furher. Nodding his head, Adam reached out with his senses to find the viper that was Bradley. He couldn't pinpoint why, but there'd always been something about Bradley that was off-putting for him. Heading in that direction, Adam went through recent events in his mind, trying to figure out what he did to warrant an audience with both generals. He knew Wells would periodically ask how he was doing after the night of the explosion, and as far as Adam could tell he was fine.

Before Adam knew it he'd made it to Bradley's quarters, and he stood outside the door frozen. His stomach knotted itself into a ball, and he felt his throat tighten with fear. Raising his hand, Adam couldn't bring himself to knock. He knew it'd be rude to enter freely, or at least to not announce himself, and Bradley was one person he tried to keep his rudeness in check around because of his terror of the older soldier.

"Private Jiang? Come in."

The voice from the other side of the door was compelling, drawing Adam forward and after swallowing his fear, he complied. Opening the door, Adam slipped inside and shut it behind him, seeing the general on the side of the desk, Adam's pulse quickened. It didn't matter that there was a friendly smile on the man's face, his skin was crawling. "Please have a seat, Jiang."

"With all due----."

"I insist, have a seat."

Adam could tell there was no getting out of it, and despite his better judgement Adam sat down. Meeting Bradley's gaze for the briefest of moments, Adam quickly dropped his to his lap, waiting to see what Bradley had to say to him this time.
 
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