AU: We Are All We Are

[Tanner Larson]

((Welcome to my new obsession. Here's a cast list, purely for organizational purposes:

Students: Tanner, Lucah, Lani, Hana, Lorelei, Harmony
Staff: Sean, Vincent
Joining later: To be revealed!

I figure the students should enter first, then the staff. Sounds good? Let's do this!))

The grounds of the Hammel Institute were fairly empty as Tanner walked across the courtyard towards the Academic Building. The school had been this way for several months: after a State of Emergency was declared following a series of attacks by meta humans on regular humans, nobody wanted to be associated with the institution. As it were, any meta found using his or her powers at night, or in large crowds, was briskly hauled off.

As it was, Tanner had graduated from Hammel the year before and was thus rarely on campus himself. Until recently, the blonde had still been living in Pilot Ridge as one of La Maison Magnifique’s star attractions. The entire city was starting to empty out, but there had still been a sizable enough population to keep the theatre full on most weekend nights. The House was gone now, though: just one week prior, the building had been raided, most of the girls had been captured or killed, and Madame Cynthia was now nowhere to be found. Tanner was out of a job, and without reason for lingering, but with nowhere else to go, he was staying for the foreseeable future.

A few days ago, the pyrokinetic had received an invitation of sorts in his apartment building's mailbox. It was a simple note, comprising only of a room number - "Academic 307" and a date and time, scrawled in black pen onto a crumbled piece of paper. At first, the young male had planned on ignoring it – how did he even know it was meant for him? – but when the time came, he couldn’t resist.

But while his curiosity had led him to the nearly deserted campus, it didn’t exactly fill him with confidence when he found the Academic Building to be largely devoid of life, as well. He pressed onward though, his own curiosity and nothing more driving him forward. Arriving on the third floor and at Room 307, he knocked softly before allowing the door to open. On the other side was an empty room, and so he walked slowly, almost reluctantly, in, the door shutting behind him. "Hello?" He called out meekly, taking a seat at the table in the center of the room.

[Hana Murray]

All is fair in war, they say. Casualties are necessities, cruelty is a mercy, and rest is a luxury. Though this applies to soldiers on the battlefield, it also applies to the civilians caught in the cross fire. Was it really such a danger to have been born with traits that were not strictly human? Was it so necessary to hunt them down like animals, luring them by placing the half-dead bodies of their comrades out for them to try and rescue? And was it fair to begin targeting their families, even if they may not be meta-humans? Some of the tougher, harder troopers of what was left of Hammel Institute may have been able to deal with such circumstances in a strategic, calm manner… But not Hana. She was just a little girl.

She had only moved to America a month before Kells and the Humanist Party began their takeover regime against the meta-humans, hoping to receive kinder treatment than she had gotten while in Japan. Her joys were short-lived, however, as raids became frequent, and battle was an everyday occurrence. Hana grew more and more anxious with every day that she was able to keep herself alive. She worried for her parents, especially for her father because he was always travelling. There was a rumour that they had her pregnant mother under house arrest, hoping that she would contact her family. The fifteen year old was both unable and unwilling to contact them, lest it lead to her capture or her parents' direct punishment. As long as they were unable to do anything to help the anti-meta regime, she was sure, there would be no reason for any action to be taken against them. They were only normal humans, after all.

Hana never slept in the same place two night in a row, and she lived off whatever she could find. Hiding from prying eyes was easy if you were tiny.

To her surprise one day, she found her old Japanese cellphone in the pocket of her uniform's skirt. She could have sworn that the device had been lost when she was first rushed to escape from her dorm. Even so, it would not be of use in the USA, she was sure it would have been out of service. However, there it was, tightly gripped in her right hand. The screen glowed a dim light as "Academic 307" flashed in the message body, with a date and time underneath in smaller font. She was not sure what it was, a trap, a rescuer, or even a band of other refugees. She was not one to worry about risk at this point. Will that that had happened to her, what was there left to lose but her life?

It was dark by the time Hana was stalking the shadows of Hammel Institute's Academic Building corridors. Her steps were silent and swift, and she always took the care to look around her. She saw a young man walking along the halls of the third floor. By chance, perhaps, he was called here just as she was. She could not see him very well because of the darkness, however, she could see where he was going.

Saying nothing, Hana skulked behind him, eyeing his movements in case he would turn and make a sudden attack. She watched as he entered room 307, the door shutting behind him. She would have to be careful if she was to follow him. Slithering to the door, she pressed her ear up in time to catch him squeal out a, "Hello?"

Hana waited a moment in case his call triggered any sudden action. However, it remind silent. She knew that it was now time for her to enter the room. Still staying low to the floor, the girl opened the door just wide enough for her tiny body to squeeze through before shutting it and scuttling into the shadows to hide. She wanted to make sure that everything was safe before making any further moves.

Breathing steady, body still, and heartbeat barely audible. Hana may not be a strong soldier, but she was an excellent coward, and a master at remaining unseen.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani had left Hammel like a bat out of hell. Metas were being scattered like leaves in the wind. The mandate had only made things worse. He felt like he had a target on his back and so he kept moving, here one day. Another place the next. He kept in touch with his parents and Caroline through burner phones, but he knew that someone knew about his past life as a thief and he was high up on the wanted list. Maybe not as much as the people who actually mattered but he was wanted in more than one state. Of course never for his own name. But life had become hard when people hunting meta humans were out in force and the night was more alive than the day. Lani wasn’t usually so awake in the daylight but he was certainly safer traveling by day than by night these days.

So needless to say when he caught a message from an unknown when he was staying at one of his many safe havens he was endlessly surprised and endlessly suspicious. It was a trap. Of that Lani had no doubt. But then again, there was important information to be gained and if someone had gone through the effort to track him to give him the message they at least wanted him alive for something. No one took all that time and effort to bring him somewhere to kill him. They would have just sent an assassin. Which meant they wanted him for something. If it was a job then he was their guy, if it was an ambush, well, everyone learned eventually not to mess iwht a desperate thief, much less one with telekinesis. He gripped the note as he mounted his bike to set out in the early morning for a day or so journey back east and back in time. He traveled lightly never carrying more than a few keepsakes with him. A few books, a couple pictures tucked safely in a case and a compass for finding his way home, wherever that may be.

Lani had only known one thing when he left. That it was better to be as far as possible from the source of meta troubles. And now he was headed right into the heart. It had been a hard year. And now he was traveling back into the fray. He had flown under the radar for so long he was wary of exposing himself so close to Hammel. But either way he wanted to know who it was that had the resources to find him, he wanted to know so he could know who he was dealing with. Academic Building, room 307. Hell, Lani hadn’t even been there when he was a student. He traveled through the night running on about as much sleep as he could to keep himself moving. He reflected as if he were going back in time as he rode miles toward his destination. It was a good thing the note had reached him with only just enough time for the telekinetic to decide he was coming and come. Not a chance to over think it.

He stopped a few miles out of Pilot Ridge his old instincts kicking in. Everyone in that town was a potential enemy. He still had a few contacts and he slid the motorcycle into the shed of an old man’s home and walked the rest of the way. The whole time staring at the note as if it held some other secrets. Well, he was prepared for a new enemy and he was armed. It only took once being caught without his power to teach him a lesson and on his person he had hidden a wide array of knives. He would never touch a gun, he could get by with a knife and his wits if his power failed him. But if this was a possible employer he had better have a lot of money on him if he wanted Lani’s employment. He paced like a ghost over the familiar campus sticking to the shadows and sending out his power to scope out anyone hiding. It wasn’t until he got to the door he felt someone. Two someones. At least he thought it was someone. It Felt like clothing and it Felt like it was moving, but he couldn’t be sure. Braced for attack Lani opened the door and paused in the doorway his eyes raking the room as his power took a second sweep. His eyes stopped at the man at the table then to the girl. He could have missed her if his power had not alerted him to her presence. But he figured the one out in the open was the leader and the one hiding was to be watched for an attack. He tossed the note at the man. “Who the hell are you and how did you find me?”

[Harmony Muller-Barton]

The first time Hammel was raided, Harmony's uncle showed up to sweep her away from danger. Even though she had been glad to see him at the time, one of the few times, she didn't let him know that she had been scared what would have happened if he hadn't been there to rescue her. Some of the other students, especially the younger girls like herself, hadn't been so lucky.

Still, Harmony had never found the "Damsel in Distress" role to fit very comfortably. Her uncle kept a close watch on her. But with her power (which she had practiced and improved daily), she was able to get out from under his watchful eye more often than not. She didn't want to be the one always being rescued anymore. Sure, she was still just a kid. But Harmony saw her age as just a number these days. If she had the power and the will to fight back, then why shouldn't she be able to?

So when the note had slipped under her uncle's door, (or at least the door of the latest place they'd found to call home) she knew she had to see what it was about. Her uncle wasn't a complete idiot, even though she still told him otherwise, so he knew she had been sneaking out. He made her promise to stay away from high-risk areas. Areas like the quickly deteriorating Hammel campus. But that made it all the more exciting. And someone who'd spent the past year or so hiding could really use some excitement in her life.

So Harmony found herself walking through the halls of her old school. It was hard to believe that once she had fought to hard against living here. Now she couldn't wait to see what was around the next bend. And although the wouldn't admit it, she was scared about what it might be. Still, she had to know.

As she reached door 307, she heard someone yelling. The sudden sound almost caused her to teleport back outside, but instead she crept up to the door and peaked in. Although everyone was older than her, she thought she recognized most of them as former Hammel students. Then again, she could be wrong. But they looked as confused and hesitant as she felt. So at least it wasn't a trap of some sort.

"I wouldn't mind, knowing the answer to that question either," she said, in a voice that sounded much more confident than she actually felt, as she walked in behind the boy.

[Tanner Larson]

((We have one more student on the way shortly, but I wanted to reply now so we could get some interaction going.))

'Hello?'

The room wasn't that large, but the sound of his voice still seemed to echo across the classroom, only serving to amplify the extent to which he was alone (or so he assumed himself to be). Shrugging his shoulders to himself, he took a few more steps into the room, and it was then that he heard - or thought he heard - the door open and close quite quickly. Following that, there was a soft pitter-patter on the floor which seemed to recede into the shadows on the other side of the room. It couldn't be a person, Tanner deduced, for the noise was just so soft; perhaps it was a mouse or some other small creature. He wouldn't be surprised to hear that Hammel, having been largely abandoned by humans, had been taken over by rodents.

Tanner was smart, academically speaking: but in terms of gut instincts, he was completely at a loss. He had learned some battle-readiness over the past few months, mostly out of necessity, but it was clear in times like these that the blonde was as naive as ever.

Shrugging off this little noise just as easily as he had the complete lack of response to his previous greeting, he found himself a seat at the table just as the door was opening once more. He stood quickly, wondering if perhaps the stranger now entering was the one who had invited him to the Academic Building that day. This man - also blonde, and seemingly of a similar age - didn't look particularly happy to be there, but Tanner had long since learned that he wasn't very good at reading people. He waited to be addressed, in the hopes that he might receive some good information, but that was not to be the case.

It was all the boy could do to raise his hands defensively into the air, like a convict surrendering to the authorities, as the other male accused him of having sent the invitation. "I don't know what you're talkin' about, man," he replied, mustering up as much confidence as he could in the face of the clearly angry newcomer. "You've got the wrong guy." He knelt down to the ground to pick up the crumpled up piece of paper that had been tossed at him just seconds before. Unfolding it briskly, he found that it contained the same words, and in the same lettering, as the note he had received. Fumbling in his pocket with his free hand, he pulled out his own invitation just as a girl walked in through the same doors to stand behind the other boy.

He looked up at her curiously; it was becoming quite clear to him that he wasn't the only one who had been invited. Exactly how big was this guest list? "I'm as clueless as you guys are," he admitted, taking a hesitant step towards the two of them. "Did... Did you receive a note like this, too?" He asked the girl, extending the hand which held Lani's invitation towards her. He remained completely oblivious as to the presence of a second girl hiding in the shadows.

[Lorelei Wuornos]

The days passed as slowly as years in this new wasteland that was once called Pilot Ridge. Lorelei had renamed it for entertainments sake - The Battleground. Because it was, after all, a battle ground. Everyone she knew was gone now. Emery had disappeared. Emery and Lorelei hadn't been the same since their original separation by their parents when they were young. But as soon as the Humanist Party started a war against the meta-humans both Lorelei and Emery knew one truth. One very sad, very real truth. Their parents, their own flesh and blood, would no doubt be part of the same group of people that wished to capture and kill people like them. Meta-humans. So Emery came to Lorelei. She insisted that they stick together, that they run away and find a safe place to hide far from Pilot Ridge. Emery wasn't scared because she knew that she could protect herself. Lorelei wasn't as lucky.

But Lorelei knew something else. If someone high up wanted her dead, there would be no running. And what kind of life would she lead anyway? Running from state to state, living off the bear minumum of essentials. She couldn't stand the thought of it. Pilot Ridge had become her home and there was nowhere else for her. It was as simple as that. Emery had cursed her, then hugged her and wished her luck, before leaving. Where she had gone to Lorelei couldn't be sure but she hoped above all else that her sister would be okay. Others attempted as well. Her aunt Erin, Corbin, even Lucah. But she rejected them all with a smile and watched as they walked away from her. Maybe it was stupid, but she couldn't leave her home.

The big Willow tree just through a patch of woods behind the Hammel grounds had hidden her away from so many stressful situations and scary moments. Not many people were familiar with the small field and Willow just beyond the grounds, which is why Lorelei had always liked it. From her home in the tree Lorelei could see the mountains, the sky. She'd quickly gathered up the essentials needed to build a small tree house within the Willows limbs. There she had blankets and a few extra clothes, some food and matches and other essentials. That was her home now and the Willow's curtain protected her. The only people that had previously known of her location had left, but one day...when she found a note tucked in to a branch of the tree, she shivered.

What did she have to fear? If they wanted her dead they obviously knew where she was, they could have easily killed her before. So she ventured out of the Willow and through the woods, looking for signs from the wildlife that a predator may be near by. Safely through the woods, she clung to shadows along the grounds in order to reach the building. The grass and trees were all terribly lonely, seeing so little life that they seemed to reach out to her as soon as she grew close. She wanted to stop, to touch them, but she didn't have time.

Inside the building she stepped quietly with bare feet, her dirtied blue jeans rolled up at the bottom so they wouldn't make any noise against the floor. Her arms wrapped the thick green knit sweater as close to her body as possible, and she paused and twisted at the sound of something behind her. When she saw nothing, she continued but quickened her pace. A few moments later she arrived at the door and peaked inside. There were two boys standing near one another, and a little girl standing by them as well. In the corner she thought she saw something move but pegged it up to her own paranoia. What was going on inside? She held the paper tightly in her fist and looked at it - it was definitely the right room. She hadn't seen so many people together in a while and yearned to go inside and speak with them, hug them. That was, assuming they weren't there to kill her.

Finally gearing up her courage, she stepped inside and paused as the door closed behind her. The two boys and girl turned to her and stared and she saw the note in one of the boys hand, and held her own note up.

"I suppose," she started and paused, elated just to have a person to hear her speak. "I'm in the right place. You have one, too."

She said quietly, and approached them.

[Lucah Ivaskov]

The note had said 307 at Hammel Institute, with the date and time written just under it. How he'd been found, would remain unknown to him. After everything got so hectic with the State of Emergency alert, people began disappearing and metas became targeted. Andy bolted as soon as he realized Lucah was one of 'them,' and the university upped the security, making it much harder on the meta students. So Lucah left. He stayed further from Hammel than he had been before and he kept quiet, unable to tell his family where he was going.

The note was just another thing he didn't trust. The handwriting wasn't familiar and the few people he knew at Hammel wouldn't have left him a note since they all knew how to reach him by phone and were either captured, killed or in hiding. After what had happened just a few months ago, his trust had dropped quite a bit and the scrawl had just screamed sketchy. But there was a sort of magnetic pull that kept him going back to the note, reading over the time and date, his mind going through each day to see if it had passed yet.

The day that had been written finally arrived and Lucah found himself dressing in his typical black attire and drove his 'discreet' black Maserati through the nearly abandoned town of Pilot Ridge. Up the hill he went, the institute getting closer and closer. It looked like a ghost town and he had to admit, he was surprised he hadn't been caught by someone, but he still didn't trust it. Parking just outside of the institute, he slowly made his way towards the building and up to room 307, his eyes having to adjust to the darkness.

Upon coming closer to the room, he heard several voices already and froze outside of the room. A few of the voices sounded vaguely familiar. Two actually. One was a male's, one he'd worked with back when he actually had a job. As he spoke again, Lucah knew it was Tanner. And the girl's voice he'd pick up anywhere. Slowly making his own way into the room, he stood there quietly for a moment, his thoughts mirroring everyone else's, what were they all doing there? For a second it reminded him of a Holocaust set up, luring metas into one room to kill them all at once? But why, why them?

"Anyone here have a clue as to what the point of this might be? We've all been chosen for a reason, but what do we have in common?" He said finally, his voice still soft enough not to draw too much outside attention in case they weren't alone.

[Hana Murray]

The girl watched in still silence as others began to arrive soon after her. She did not recognise any of them; though, that hardly seemed surprising seeing as she had only been in Hammel for so long before all the ruckus began. They were probably students. How else were they able to find the campus and room with seeming ease? There was the boy that she had followed in, the blonde one. He had taken a seat in one of the desks. Perhaps that was supposed to be the case? However, no sooner did she make a move, than another blonde boy walked into the room. He was angry, or, at least, he seemed to be riled up for one reason or another. There was always a reason to be riled up with the events that had occurred, but he seemed especially uncomfortable. Then again, Hana was the one hiding in the shadows like a spy.

It was then that a little girl joined the group. She had an innocent face and twin tails, she also seemed a little younger than Hana. This made her slightly concern. She had almost forgotten that there were meta children younger than her. Hana made a strange face in the shadows, having to hold back a maternal squeak of unease. Another girl followed soon after. She was elegant, and a little more relaxed about their situation. It was then that Hana was filled with both surprise and relief. Surprise because she did not expect to see so many willing metas to gather in the school, and relief to know that people were similarly safe. Finally, there was another boy who walked into the room. He seemed to ask the only relevant question that had crossed her mind.

That much was an issue: What do they have in common? She assumed that it was because they were metas… perhaps it was a rhetorical question. There was the one point of most concern, however: why were they all begin recruited here? Nothing smelled like more of a trap to the girl, and she was not at all confident about their situation. She was concern, however. If this was a trap--and if the others had the same suspicions as her, then why was everyone so comfortably standing around the door area? Perhaps they were better informed about the situation than she was. Maybe there was a trap for them; nevertheless, Hana had the feeling that if they were faced with something that they may be able to fight back as a team. Well, with six meta-human teens, full of energy and the will to live, a trap may be easy to overcome.

… or maybe she was just thinking of a good reason for her to stop feeling odd about having hidden herself for so long while the others freely exposed themselves. In any case, Hana finally began to awkwardly step away from the shadows.
"It seems that no one knows why we've all been called here…" she finally spoke, stopping far enough from the group to remain partially in the gloaming seclusion. "I don't trust this, especially with so many of us here."
She turned to the last boy who walked in. "We are all of Hammel Institute, right? Meta-humans?"

It would be even more than highly suspicious if they all were; however, there was still a chance that maybe one to two of them were not. The plan of attack seemed too simple for Hana to believe, but sometimes it is the most simple of plans that go unsuspected. Get the students to the school, into one room… she thought it too easy for a mature manoeuvre… kill six birds with one stone.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani was still no better at keeping hold of his emotions as he was when he was at Hammel. A year or so on the run had killed any kind of openness and humor Lani had gained when he was happy at Hammel. At least before the raids started. Everyone had lost someone they loved. But life had to go on and it was all too easy for a thief to fall back on the ‘every one for themselves’ rule. The man at the table was quick to deny that he was the leader. Lani raised a brow and watched the expression and surprise that crossed his face as he read Lani’s note. They were all in the dark. Which means he wasn’t the only person summoned. He should have known better. A trap then, was what it had to be. Lani crossed is arms over his chest displeased with the lack of answers. He shifted as he heard the door open and moved so that his back was against the wall and no one could sneak up on him. His power habitually took a mental note of each person keeping them in his mind. It was very convenient to have mental hands and eyes everywhere.

He frowned as more and more people entered the room. A child, a woman maybe his and the other boy’s age, maybe a little younger. Lani nodded a little bit and looked around wondering if there was anyone else that this trap might be set for. The hair on the back of his neck rose with his nerves and his power braced itself for attack. They might have gotten him here but he was not going to go down without a fight, nor was he going to let any of these others fall either. But then yet another entered, another boy. So it was three and three. Was that significant in any way? He let his eyes rake the room. It was finally the newcomer that asked the question that they were all thinking. He knew that if he were to be lured somewhere it was because he had stolen from the wrong person or been tracked down by police. But he didn’t know about the others. “There’s one more,” Lani said and looked in the direction of the hiding girls, “Come on out.” He said as if he were weary of the games and wanted answers.

She seemed to be already in the process of emerging but kept herself hidden. But he could see she was young as well. Why the hell would they call a bunch of kids together? Lani might be an adult in age but he had been an adult since he started stealing, but he didn’t know the exact ages of those around him, but they couldn’t be any older than him and some were much younger. Lani huffed a little and gave a little smile. Whoever it was was rather idiotic for getting six meta humans together before he killed them. Lani didn’t know about the others but he knew his telekinesis would be more than capable of knocking out a baseline human. Unless they had someone to suppress powers but the way things were going he doubted that any meta would want to work with a normal human. “I’m with her,” Lani agreed gesturing with his chin at the half hidden girl. He checked his watch. There was still a minute or so before the time was set.

All this meant for Lani was that whoever had found him was not here. He wanted answers. Who had had the resources to find him in one of his hiding places was a force to be reckoned with. However, as much as Lani wanted and needed to know who it was he was much more concerned with getting out with his own skin intact. “I am,” Lani supplied clearly not afraid to identify himself as a meta human, well if someone had tracked him down chances were they knew he was a meta human. Finally when silence stretched another minute and the time of the meeting officially came Lani’s nerves finally got to him. Thieves were by nature paranoid and afraid, it was what kept them alive. Lani was terribly curious though. A dangerous mix. “Well, this has been fun. I don’t know about you, but I’m outta here,” Lani said sidling ever so slightly back toward the door going slowly, his curiosity making him stall a bit.

[Tanner Larson]

It was starting to look like a full house in Academic 307 as a couple more students filed in. Based on the fact that they were all arriving alone, and at separate times, it seemed pretty obvious to Tanner that they were all strangers who had been summoned there by some sort of mutual acquaintance. Or perhaps this familiarity was only one-way. It didn't add up in the blonde's mind, though: Tanner hadn't done anything to stand out, so why would he be specifically targeted for any reason? He was just a normal kid...

He noticed a familiar face coming into the room. Lucah. He couldn't remember the boy's last name, but they had performed together once or twice back at La Maison Magnifique. Seeing this boy from his past reminded him of how much he last lost. The House had been one of the most prominent establishments in Pilot Ridge's thriving nightlife, and had even sustained this reputation through the city's degradation following the Executive Order. But just a week or so ago, the House had been subjected to one of Kells' infamous raids. There were no survivors, at least none that Tanner was aware of. It had briefly occurred to him that perhaps he had also meant to get killed in that attack, but he hadn't heard from anyone since so he had figured he was in the clear.

He genuinely believed that so long as he followed the rules, he was safe.

At the other blonde's words, Tanner turned sharply to see another girl crawling out of the shadows. "Gcck!" He cried out in shock, wondering where on earth she had come from. Was that the 'rodent' that had followed him in? The blonde was amazed at either the girl's stealth, or his own lack of observational skills.

As she asked who was meta and who wasn't, only then did it occur to Tanner that perhaps discretion was wise. But if the other boy felt comfortable saying he was, then he figured he should take his cues from someone who had already demonstrated he was far more confident than the pyrokinetic. "I am too," he said meekly. "But I've done nothing wrong," he added quickly, more forcefully. "I follow the rules, I don't even use my powers anymore." Whether these words were directed towards the group of assembled students or someone watching them from afar remained a mystery.

He frowned as the other young man said he was leaving, deciding that perhaps it was best for him to go, as well: if this other boy was starting to get nervous, then that was cause enough for alarm on Tanner's part. He looked back towards his chair, though, noticing then that there were six seats, just as there were now six students in the room. "Wait, guys..." he said quickly, quickly counting the bodies one more time. He shook his head: there was no way that was any more than a coincidence. "Something isn't right here," he thought aloud. "Maybe... we're supposed to sit down." He looked at some of the other students, as though searching for validation.

[Lorelei Wuornos]

Lorelei couldn't believe her eyes when Lucah walked in. Suddenly everything seemed okay. Her anxiousness and worry seemed to disappear. She hadn't seen Lucah but once since the whole "war on metas" started. He'd come to her to offer his aid, but she didn't want to burden him with the weight of taking care of her. Since then Lorelei had learned to fend for herself. Even though it was restricted she'd used her powers - only for the sake of exercising them, or using them to snag food. With her powers she'd learned to hunt and survive off of the land and even though the government seemed to deem that wrong, she didn't see anything wrong with it at all. She wasn't hurting anyone or anything, and the animals she'd hunted and killed were used to their fullest potential. Lorelei had become something she'd never expected. She'd become entirely independent and strong.

But seeing Lucah made her long for the days when she did have someone to look out for her. She'd followed the glance of the blonde boy and noted herself that now that six students had arrived, there were just enough chairs to match. He pointed it out but he looked hesitant, as if he wanted to trust the other five and give this whole mystery a chance but wasn't sure that it was the best option for his own safety. Another boy definitely agreed, already prepared to ditch the group and head back out. Before he was able to reach the door Lorelei walked over to the table and stood behind one of the chairs. She saw Lucah reach out for her just as she'd moved, as if worried that she might be taking an unnecessary risk, but she'd given him a soft smile and kept going. Lucah had been like her big brother for years. It was only natural for him to look out for her, but even after all this time she wasn't going to allow him to carry that burden.

"I'm a meta as well. And there are still more out there, in Pilot Ridge. I've seen a few come and go. If this was a plan to destroy us as a group, more notes would have been passed out and we'd be waiting for more. " She paused and looked around, trying to give the two smaller girls a reassuring smile. Lorelei was the oldest girl in the group, which generally meant that she would have to set the model for the younger ones. But the two girls had most likely been taking care of themselves already - they didn't need anyone to set a good example for them, she was sure, but it was the proper thing for her to do anyway.

"But we're not. We were obviously chosen for a reason, each one of us specifically. Can you really walk away not knowing? Someone has brought us here for a reason and gone through a lot of trouble to reach us. I think we should give whoever it is a chance." And with that Lorelei pulled the seat out and sat down, passing a smile to the blonde boy who had pointed it all out in the first place. She hoped that with a little push he would feel confident enough to sit down, and the others would fall in place. If it truly was a trap she would no doubt blame herself for whatever disaster might occur, but if it wasn't she would feel guilty every day for not taking the chance to help someone in need.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Although it was a relatively new thought, and one which under circumstances he would never have, Sean found himself grateful that Robert Hopkins had died long ago. The thought of his beloved mentor living long enough to see the nation descend into such outright persecution of meta-humans brought pain to the telepath. Additionally, Robert would be so frail, unable to care for himself, and despite Sean’s idolizing of his mentor, he knew that the trainer would have been in no position to undo the horror that was the present reality.

No, it was better that the older psychic was safely in the grave, and that he had died with hope in his heart, surrounded by love.

This was a matter that had to be handled by the younger generations.

Sean had watched with horror as the sleepy town of Pilot Ridge had become a battleground. Hammel raided again and again, shut down and the children left to fend for themselves. Meta-humans had scattered to the four corners of the nation, some trying to leave the country because they saw the handwriting on the wall.

Yet Sean had remained behind, albeit underground. Primarily because there was nowhere to go; he had a history with Nicholas Kells. He couldn’t turn his back on a bad situation and flee, even though he had the means to do so, not when there were other meta-humans suffering, not when children needed Hammel but the school was no longer open. His sense of responsibility was too great.

The telepath was capable of caring for himself and for Josh. For all of his partner’s idealism, he was capable of laying low, and he was baseline, after all. He didn’t have to worry about his powers going awry. Sean had impeccable control over his own abilities and could use them without detection. That was what kept him safe in the short-term.

However, it was long-term survival, for himself and others, which had his primary attention.

That was what put him in contact with what other adults had remained nearby. That had led to planning, which had, in turn, led to recruitment. He had cleared the space, he had sought out the people he thought could be of assistance, and he had gone to Hammel to wait for group to arrive.

When he sensed that all of them had reached the destination, he entered the room. Clad in a suit, one might think that nothing had changed from his professional life, although everything had changed. Hands behind his back in a parade rest stance, he approached the center of the room. “You’re quite right, Lorelei. You have been chosen for a particular reason.”

Then, turning his attention to the group as a whole, he added, “Nobody is in danger here, not from me. But, yes, sitting down would be for the best; I certainly intend to do so.”

[Harmony Muller-Barton]

A part of Harmony couldn’t help but get nervous as the two blonde boys started yelling at each other. There had been a time when the idea of a fight would have been exciting to watch, perhaps even to join. But time had changed that. Gone were the days of kids simply picking on each other in the halls, perhaps throwing a few soft blows before an adult came to break things up. Now a fight was a matter of life and death. Although she hated to admit it, these days Harmony was quick to back down. Sometimes even using her power to get back to safety if she thought she could manage it without being seen by too many. The cowardice ate away at her. Even know she hated how her body, almost on its own, took a few steps away from the boys.

She nodded at the question about the note, reaching into her pocket to pull out the one she had found. But didn’t trust her voice enough at the moment to answer the question verbally. She took a seat on top of one of the desk as other arrived. Although the presence of more people did ease her fears a bit, she couldn’t help wondering if this was still some sort of trap. They were older than her, but still everyone was just as confused and wary as her. So at least she was on equal footing there.

Tanner’s yell scared her more so than the appearance of another girl who had been hiding in the shadow. She glared at the older boy, hoping that none of the others had seen her jump. “Me too,” she said, only after a few of the others had admitted to being metas, breaking another promise to her uncle as she did.

She almost stood up to follow one of the boys who was about to leave. Although she was still worried, she didn’t want to seem like a coward. Besides, if this was really a trap, something would have happened by now, right? It would have been easier for an enemy to pick them off one at a time as they entered the building.

“If this was a trap,” Harmony said, still perched on a desk. “Why wait till we’ve all gathered and had a chance to chat? They can’t be that stupid, even if Kells’s army is a bunch of morons.”

“Why chose a bunch of kids though?” Harmony asked, turning towards the older girl. “If there are so many others out there to choose from? Sounds pretty pathetic to me.” Of course she wasn’t about to point out that she was probably the youngest there, and therefore possibly the least useful. Then again, Harmony had never been one to consider her age to be a hindrance.

As if to answer the question, Sean Neville walked into the room. Harmony couldn’t help but roll her eyes of the idea of him being their leader. It’d be just like him to pick a bunch of children. Still, Harmony was hopeful about hearing what he had to say. Anything was better than hiding. Living like cowards. And so she kept her comments about the doctor to herself for the time being.

She could always call him an idiot later.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani wondered now what everyone’s power was. If it was really a meta group he was curious. Was he the only one that noticed the hidden person. Clearly the other blonde didn’t. Well there went any hope of keeping quiet and possible not being noticed. He didn’t know what he was here for. If they were a meta team they certainly didn’t need Lani. He was a professional coward and a professional fleer. Lani snorted a little for some reason he found the other blonde’s rule following doubtful. And he had to admit that he was judging the man harshly for letting them scare him out of using his power. “Just because you don’t use it doesn’t mean you can’t.” Lani pointed out. That was what mattered. Someone was afraid of what they could do. Not what they would do. The students at Hammel, most had never hurt anyone and those who had had not meant to. No humans were afraid of them and their potential. They’d all be dead if they used their power or not.

Curiosity was killer and as soon as the one said wait Lani stopped and looked at him with interest. He glanced at the younger girl, she looked a little wary but her curiosity was also keeping her around. Lani bit his tongue to keep from saying something bitingly sarcastic. Yes, let’s sit and make the trap all the easier. Lani glanced at the oldest girl. She did raise a good point though. If they wanted to kill everyone they would still be waiting for people and it seemed like the inflow had finally stalled at six. Six people six chairs. “Maybe they did get notes. Maybe they’re being sent to other room and when we’re all here in sets of six wondering whether or not we’re gonna die they’ll collapse the building on us.” Lani countered. He was the human worst case scenario generator. They had to be chosen for a reason. He gave the girl and narrow eyed stare and with a suppressed sigh stopped his advance toward the door. She hit him in the right spot without even realizing it. He was curious beyond reason.

“Oh well suit yourselves.” Lani said but before he reached the door it opened again and someone else walked in. Lani almost didn’t recognize him Lani’s eyes widened a little bit. He didn’t know why but he had half expected the doctor to be dead or captured. But now thinking about it. It shouldn’t surprise him so much that the clever telepath had gone underground. Lani raised his chin a little. As far as he had come to trust the telepath, which hadn’t been far, it had regressed since leaving. Lani nudged the back of his chair propelling it the rest of the way with his power toward the telepath. His message was clear. There were only six chairs and now seven people. The telepath could sit and Lani would stand. Standing made for an easier escape. He looked at the oldest girl, Lorelei, he filed the name away. “So you’re the one who sent the notes?” Lani demanded every muscle in his body tense with anger and fear. But the fact still remained that Lani was willing to hear the good doctor out at least.

He had been perfectly fine on the run. Perfectly fine stealing to live. It was all he had left after, well after he lost his best friend and love. He had started to heal and not he was just as he should be. A cynical hardened thief. Trust no one. And now this person had found him. How was what Lani wanted to know. Because if the doctor had found him who else could? Couldn’t the world just leave him be for once? Would that be too much to ask? Apparently.