Jared

It was just after dinner, which was delicious, that I decided I needed to head out again, my enemy wasn't getting one victory and calling it a day. It's a good thing I placed several fake shields as well all over the north eastern states, they'll never find this place that easily. I had to get out there and protect more.

I found them talking in what had been adapted to be the living room, they were talking about how life would never be the same now that they couldn't even go home. They were taking it marvelously well considering but I guess something about these powers manifesting did that.

"Hey guys," I said casually. "I'm going out now if you want to and have any skill you can try and repair the mainframe I found, I didn't steal that unless the junkyard is going to miss it. Anyways it's broken and I'm not sure exactly what is needed to fix it."

Ray smirked, "I'll take a look at it. Uh, where is it?"

I pointed down the main hall, "I put up signs a few minutes ago so you know where everything is. Oh the training area is down that way too, if you go look at it and give me suggestions I could find ways to improve it. Right now it's probably only useful for me and for physical training."

They both nodded and kept talking, so I walked out and got in my car. I drove around for a while and found some beeping, three of them in one building? Two of them were weaker but the other was distinctive. I got out of my car across the street from them and started to walk up to the door when another car pulled up.

A familiar face stepped out. I smirked, "Hello Brian or should I say Ivar. Who are you right now?"

He made a face, "I'm still not sure why they gave me a code name, everyone found out in less than a week, I'm probably the worst spy ever."

"Probably," I didn't argue. "You don't act the spy very well."

"How would you know?" He got defensive. "You are a kid from a backwater city that barely has a mall."

I joked, "Hey, we got that finished a couple weeks ago don't go mocking it."

"That's my point," He sat down on the curb.

I nodded and sat down next to him, "So who lives here?"

"A friend of mine," He looked confused. "Wait, why are you here?"

"My radar detected three people inside with powers," I explained. "Your friend and his parents?"

"Her parents actually."

"Girlfriend?" He had been opening up before I said that, now he was like a wall. "Not a girlfriend but you did something and your girlfriend doesn't want anything to do with you now?"

"What?" He did not like the subject.

"I've seen it before," I explained. "Look you got to find her and apologize, make a total fool out of yourself and hope she can forgive you for whatever you did or sometimes even what you didn't do. I mean I don't know that you actuall-"

He cut me off, "I kissed another girl."

"And you two were on non other girl or guy terms?" I guessed.

He only nodded, "Look, my boss lives in there so you probably don't want to come in."

"Wow really," I grinned. "I wanna meet the president."

"Not that high up," He sighed. "My girlfriend's dad is the president, this a just a friend. If you can call her that. I just need to warn her."

"About the enemy agent trying to steal our powers and neutralize us as threats?" I asked.

"How did you know about that?" He wondered.

I laughed, "Because I very nearly killed the main guy doing it today for trying to capture and neutralize two I found today. His partner shot one of them and I flew off the handle a bit, literally."

Ivar nodded, "I would have killed him."

"And that, Ivar, is why I'm not you nor will I ever be you. Now then, let's go see who's side your female friend will join. Yours or mine."

"We are on the same side," Ivar said. "Aren't we?"

"Not exactly," I sighed. "You are, because of government intervention, forcing people to join you or be imprisoned."

"For their own protect-" He stopped mid sentence. "I see what you mean. You are only planning to go after the criminals."

I nodded, "If someone wants to remain neutral that's fine by me."

"Do you have any more rooms?" He asked, his eyes looked at the ground.

"Don't you have a contract?" I raised an eyebrow.

He smirked, "Yes, but I made a stipulation that I can leave at any time for any reason without violating the terms of the agreement."

I chuckled, "Smart, where's your partner anyways?"

He made a face, "Not doing so good."

"Maybe I could come take a look?"

"Why are you a doctor?" He laughed.

"I was considering it," I answered. "Just because my schooling had normal grades doesn't mean I didn't have other interests. Genetic science has always fascinated me."

Ivar slapped his knee and stood up, "Let's see if we can't recruit Rain, before we stop by Kimberly's place."

I smiled. Perhaps fate had led me out that door to find this one, troubled and without a cause, wanting to do good but not seeing the path. Was I truly one of them, or something else, like a beacon that none could steer away from. We walked up to the door and knocked.

(I guess this would be after the visit from Victor by an hour or so?)