Alex then Cali

It had been a few days since I'd recruited my first new member.
(In other words it's at least a day after Sterling and Jared started to improve Sterling's powers.)

I looked over the group of soldiers working for me. I had gone into the field and found them myself and recruited them, for the most part.

Cali was the name of the girl that had saved my life. She would be useful for a great many things, having connections with Jared and Kindra and knowing where they based. Though even I knew better than to attack them there. I needed Allison; reports I recovered from their old base of operations held her power as being able to heal others and herself. I needed Mathis, his power was exceptional and his condition was deteriorating.

"Alright here's how this is going to go down," I explained. "You three." I pointed at three of the better ones. "You guard these norms, while I go with you four to a decoy area and draw them to me. They will assume I'm guarding her parents. The rest go with Mathis to his location."

One of them raised a hand, "And if she does heal him? What do we do with the norms?"

I blinked, "We let them go of course." They didn't like that and I added with a shrug, "But I never said how long."

Her parents were in the next room and would have been unable to hear us.

"How are we going to trick them into believing you are with her parents?" Cali piped up.

I held up three phones, "These phones. I'll talk with Allison on one of them and when she demands to talk with her parents you'll let them say one of two words and then pretend like you are me and take it back and walk back out of the room. Her parents don't know what Alex looks like so they won't know I'm not here."

No more questions, "Alright then. Cali you're on, you sure you can do this?"

"My daughter ditched me to join them. I'm more than ready. Though if I see Rachel I might not be able to keep myself from killing her." She growled.

"I'd rather they not know you have powers for now," I smirked. I handed her one of the phones and added, "But if you think you can kill any of them, except Allison, and get away, go for it."

She nodded and transformed as she ran towards their base. The Saber Tooth Tiger form she took was quite fearsome, but she couldn't talk that way. I didn't even know if she could take any other form, I'd never asked her.

* On the Streets *

The anger boiled as I got closer to the base, I could smell her. Inside the building, hiding like small rodents hoping the predator will ignore them. I changed back to human, I was glad that my clothes became part of my new form and came back when I shifted out.

I knocked on the door and waited.

Jessica answered the door, "Oh hi Cali. Are you here to see Kindra?"

I shook my head, "Allison actually. Could you ask her to come out here?"

"Sure," Jessica left the door open. "I'll go find her."

All of them were inside the building right now, the smell was a dead giveaway. Allison was two doors down on the right and Rachel was too far in to get an accurate scent. Smells almost became like a second sight for me, but it was strange because even when perfume was placed very close to me it didn't act like I'd have thought and blind it. It was as if my sense of smell was like my eyes and they increased or decreased sensitivity based on ambient light, or in this case smell.

Allison was there a moment later. She stepped out and smiled, "How have you been Cali? We've missed you."

"I've been good," I smiled back. I pulled a look of concern, "Oh just a sec I forgot I had an interview yesterday and need to call them and thank them."

A few moments later I heard Alex answer the phone, "Yeah she's right here."

I handed the phone to Allison, who looked thoroughly confused, "Hello?"

I could hear both sides of the conversation and though my hearing had improved it wasn't as extreme as my sense of smell.

"Hello Allison," I heard Alex say smoothly. "Do you know who this is?"

"Should I?"

"This is Alex and I need something from you," Allison was just staring at me and Alex continued, "I need you to heal Mathis for me. Oh don't worry I didn't expect it to be free, but I figured your parents' lives for Mathis' life is more than a fair bargain. Cali will show you the way and if you don't arrive here with her they are dead. Alright Cali, start making your way here."

I took the phone from the hands of the trembling Allison and said, "Understood."

I hung up and Allison hadn't moved, "Your choice. I'll give you five minutes to say goodbye."

"You aren't worried about them catching you?"

I laughed, "Don't you get it? I work for them now Allison, you are so naive I envy you somewhat." I held up my wrist and sighed, "Four minutes."

She rushed back inside and I grinned. I gave her the time hoping one of them would be stupid enough to rush out to fight me. None of them did, however, and she came out and we left. I knew they were going to plan something and Alex wanted them to. He planned to strike the main base after they had left.