Jessica

I had snuck around a different room and listened in through the wall while they talked, I didn't like where they were going. I might not want to kill Alex anymore but what he did was inexcusable. Unfortunately, my father needed him and I was no longer bound to make him fail because I had ruined his career, just not past the point of no return. What Alex wanted was bad, very bad. I had to find Ivar and explain to him what was going on.

(Just an explanation for the next post.)

Mike

"This kid better not be sending us on a wild goose chase. I have more important things I could be doing right now. I've got a life, you know?"

MB raised an eyebrow at me with some skepticism.

"Ok, I don't really have a life. But I had a virtual date on War Craft today. She told me if I stood her up again she'd shoot me."

"But it's just virtual."

"No, if she shoots me, I have to start all over. I really don't want to start the game over when I've almost beat it."

"Why would shooting you do that?"

"She's one of the creators of the game, she has the power to do that. Mainly, shooting is just a metaphor."

"Right. Well, now that we're here, what are we supposed to do? I really wish that kid wouldn't have taken my daughter with him."

"Hold on, I'm getting something on the communicator."

I turned up the volume so we could hear what was going on. "We need back up. Suspect is in hot pursuit. Looks like he's got a hostage, a girl. Caucasian, black hair, mid teens. He's weaving through traffic. . .Whoa! What the? His car just turned into a jet. Send back up now!"

MB's face when pale. Out of the corner of my eye I saw some kids approaching us fast. MB seemed to recognize them, "We've got trouble. Run!" Then thinking aloud, "why would they release me and then come after me?"

Before I knew what was happening, an African girl was standing in front of us. She was holding her hands out to us but had a very serious look in her eyes. A gust of wind came out of nowhere and swept MB and I off our feet.

We were flying in a hurricane miles above the ground in seconds. Naturally, I began to scream.

Jared

I snickered as she continued digging and realized I was enjoying myself with no over-arching goal in mind, something I hadn't done for days.

"Yes Rain I have a belly button, not as a machine but right now I do," I looked over at Mike and M.B. "Mike take M.B to this address." I handed him a paper, our hideout wasn't there nor anywhere near it but I had to give him something. "From there ditch your vehicle and start walking north. That is if either of you wish to come to our hideout."

"Why not just go from here?" Mike asked.

"Because they can track your car," I answered. "I need your car away from here and can't take it to my place. My car is untraceable."

They both nodded and left. Rain and M.B didn't appear to wish to leave but I gently grabbed her arm and turned her to face me.

"You want to know about me," I didn't ask it. "I'll tell you but you have to swear to keep it secret."

She didn't say anything until we got in the car so I started talking before she made a promise.

"I was created inside my mother's womb by magic from my mother and father and formed over four hundred years. They bestowed a great deal of knowledge and even tempered my powers to be what they are. I am the only one left who was born with magic and that makes me extremely valuable to our enemy."

I started the car and began driving randomly around town.

"Why?" She asked. "You aren't that much different than the rest of us, are you?"

I chuckled, "I am actually. My people came from the stars. They crashed here thousands of years ago. When they first arrived they were very different from humans and those differences gave them respect and reverence from the humans that dwelt here. Later one came who had the same power I do, he mastered it and reduced all of my people into barely looking different than the humans around them. The respect faded and was replaced with hatred and cruelty, forced to defend themselves a war started. Only the one who made them almost human made others to fight them and the war ravaged the land and all vestiges of advanced technology was obliterated." I turned a corner and got on the phone, "Yeah Ivar. You know M.B, I need you to go pick him and Mike up and bring them back to base. Take someone with you too. Thanks."

"Sorry I needed someone to pick them up," I grinned. "I wanted to check this baby out. I just finished the modifications yesterday."

I got back to the subject at hand, "Genetically speaking humans and my people were always quite similar but, they didn't look the same. Once they had established their second state power as I have they became what their power was. I was created to make sure that happens once more. I can change between my second state and normal as my power would always be, but it isn't perfect. I'm one or the other, not both and therefor less powerful and vulnerable."

I noticed a lot of vehicles following us, "Looks like they're on to us."

"It's a heavily used highway why would you think that?" She argued.

I pointed at the speedometer which was over one hundred. She gulped and double checked her seat belt. I laughed.

"This is going to get fun. I just hope the inertial dampener works properly." I glanced at Rain. I pushed in the clutch and shifted into the sixth gear. She looked quite concerned. "Relax Rain, I haven't forgotten my promise to you."

I saw it register in her mind what I was talking about but she didn't relax, "Push the little blue button on the stick would ya?"

She complied and the vehicle began to change shape and form. The sleek design narrow as Rain's seat was moved to behind me and wings emerged from the sides, they locked into place and the exhaust moved and changed into those a jet with twin engines would have.

"Rain," I said into the com system. "Put on the mask, you might need it. I don't know if this will remain pressurized, I didn't get a chance to test it."

She quickly put the mask on. I glanced next to us and waved at the little kid who was staring at us as we passed. I quickly got off the ground and turned back to the city. A few minutes later some fighter jets were hailing me.

"Unidentified aircraft please divert your course," They called.

"Oh come on," I said back to him. "You know you want to see if your earth planes can keep up with a UFO. I'm pretty sure you can't."

I accelerated and got a missile lock-on warning.

"What's that beeping?" Rain called out.

"Oh it's nothing," I really didn't want to hurt anyone but... "Rain I'm going to send the car back to base. I'll be back soon." I deployed countermeasures and evaded the missile before setting the autopilot and ejecting.

I heard the leader yell, "I don't see a chute. Where is he?"

I landed on the top of one of the jets and activated to magnetic boots before he tried to lose me. I switched to his channel and stared at him through the cockpit, "I don't want any trouble. No need to fire on my ship."

Unfortunately for him he started to spin, the boot held their grip, but his craft didn't hold together. Part of it broke off as he spun, the part with me on it. He ejected and I began off into the distance, when something unexpected happened. My machine hailed me, the one that does the analysis on DNA.

I read the details as they popped up in the corner of my eyes.

"This is not good," I started back to base as quickly as I could when I got hit by an aircraft's machine guns. It slightly damaged my armor and hurt, a lot. I looked ahead and saw Rain landing on the ground and heading off to the base. I'd have to land and get there on foot. I let myself drop until I was close to the ground. I landed and kept running, letting the armor fade. I felt slightly damp where the bullet had hit me but it wasn't serious. I reached the base without them being able to follow me and snuck inside breathing heavily.

Rachel tried to stop me but I pushed her back, "Where's Kimberly?"

They pointed to the one place I was afraid she was. I ran into my lab and grabbed a few things before sprinting as fast as I could to the workout room. She was in the middle of a run when I injected her with the sedative. She looked at me curiously as she fell to the ground, unconscious.

Ivar was also in the room, "What the hell was that?"

I could barely breath and slumped to the ground. He walked over and repeated, "Why did you do that?"

"She'd be dead right now if I hadn't," I explained. "I had to lower her heart rate and kill the adrenaline running through her system to save her life. The thing I injected her with did both."

"Which was?"

"Something I made myself," I said. "It's main design is to temporarily disable someone's powers by disabling the source. Well I thought the source was adrenaline at the time but it's actually just from the blood. However, in her case the adrenaline is what allows her to keep up with you, but it's too powerful for her body to handle and slowly the body dies, quickly if she's doing things like this."

He didn't say anything, he did pick her up and carry her with me to the lab. I sat back and relaxed against the wall when Rain came in, either concerned for my safety or something else, I wasn't sure, maybe wanting help finding her mom.

Rain

"Ugh, you really stink." I pushed away from my dad. "Mind if I. . ."

He shook his head, "be my guest." I concentrated my powers into a little rainstorm over his head, just like an outside shower. "thanks." he said a little sarcastically when I was done. "Anyone got a towel?" he smirked.

"No, but I know someone who could blow dry you. . .that is, if Jared thinks it wise for you to meet her." I looked at Jared pleading. He motioned me to the side for a private talk. I knew I had to trust him, even though his father had been wrong about my mom being safe.

It was hard for me to believe this man was dead and was writing from the past. Then again, the whole thing seemed too unreal. Another part of the letter was bothering me, why would his parents be so drained from creating him? I knew how people were created, so it didn't seem right that they would die from this. Perhaps it was done another way.

"Do you have a belly button?" I was embarrassed and a little shocked when I realized I had said it out loud. The guys all gave me a weird look so I had to think of a way to explain myself out if it.

"I mean, uh, when you're a robot." it was a lousy save, but I guess it would do. "didn't you say something about if I perfected my power I would become the rain? I don't think I would have a belly button if I was water." I blushed, then turned around. I was digging myself a hole and he knew it.

MB

I woke up to Sun whispering in my ear. "Come on, our guards are asleep." She had untied herself and was untying me. But how? I brushed it off and followed her quietly out of the darkness. We were in a warehouse. The place seemed somewhat familiar, but I brushed off that feeling as well. As we headed for the door, I couldn't help but feeling we were being watched. I turned and saw no one, so we continued. The light outside was blinding, it had to be around noon.

I couldn't see anything for a minute, so Sun was guiding me, as if the light didn't bother her at all. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a boy run past. It looked a lot like that strange boy Johnson. "Let's follow him." I suggested.

"Good idea." Sun said with an unnatural smile.

"Everything alright? You seem different."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just glad to be free." she reassured me. Part of me didn't believe her.

Again, I brushed off the feeling and followed Johnson into a sewer. When he heard us he stopped and spun around and grabbed Sun by the neck. Out of nowhere, she did a martial arts move and had Johnson by the throat and was holding him against the wall.

"What do you think you're doing?" I shouted, "he's just a kid, he didn't know it was us. Let him down."

She reluctantly obliged, "alright, but don't try anything funny."

"Geez! I thought you were someone else! Why'd you freak out like that?!" Johnson blurted rubbing his throat.

"Never mind, have you seen Rain?"

"No, and I don't care. She's dead to me. You all are! I don't need anyone! Just leave me alone, ok?"

"What's gotten into you?" I put my hands on his shoulders.

"Nothing. I don't have to tell you anything. You're not my father. And if you were, I'd kill you for abandoning me and taking my. . ." he paused for a minute to think of another word to say than power.

"Power. I know." I finished calmly. "Johnson, I know you must be going through something terrible right now. That's why we want to help you."

"He said he didn't need our help." Sun rolled her eyes. That was so out of character for her.

I whipped around so fast, and grabbed her by the throat, "Who are you? And what have you done with my wife?"

The boy Edmund appeared in my grasp, "I'll never tell you! For all you know she is dead! But I wouldn't worry about her so much," he gasped and evil laugh, "you've been a very bad boy today MB. You went to talk to the president and gave Alex power over the whole country. For shame, how could you do such a rotten thing?" he said sarcastically.

"I'll kill you! You and your weasel friend have ruined my whole life! What have you done with my daughter? My wife? My colleagues?"

Before either of us could say anymore, he suddenly disappeared. "Where did he go, Johnson? Johnson? Great, now everyone is gone and I'm in the sewer without my wife, my daughter, my job!" I hit my fist on the side of the tunnel and some sludge fell on my head. "I've got to get out of here!" I said in disgust.

"MB? Is that you?" I heard a familiar voice as I entered the light.

"Mike?"

"Daddy? Daddy!!!"

"Rain?!" I ran over to her and hugged her, lifting her off the ground.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" we said in unison.

"Where's mom? and why do you smell like a bathroom?"

Jared

"No," I blurted out. "It's not the wood. This place was accessed because of the wooden doorway yes, but I think I can recreate the doorway." I put my hand to a wall and felt the energy flowing through it.

"His base power was wood," I reasoned. "But I think he, like I, could manipulate force fields as well." My line of thinking was hopeful more than concrete. "There is something familiar about this place. I don't understand."

I followed the feeling the others hurrying behind. I knew the path and walked taking turn after turn, hall after hall. Finally I came to a door, it was bound shut and locked with a very complicated looking machine.

"Oh we've never been able to get in there," Mike assured me. "No point trying."

I grinned, "It's just a big machine. I like machines." At first I tried to just force the gate out of the way but it would not budge. Then I opened my magic and began to unlock it, it was complicated and took longer than I'd hoped, or probably even realized, but finally it opened. The large doors slowly clanged opened and several other doors opened as well.

Once all the doors had gone only a small room remained. There was a single chest with a note on the top.

"What's it say?" Rain asked as I stepped into the room.

I glanced over it's pristine condition and marveled at the name on the front, "It's addressed to me. Jared Defallen."

I opened it and read aloud,

Dear son,

By now you know of our deaths and the demise of our once great city-state that existed here. I'm sorry the news comes this way, I would have preferred to deliver it in person but I can see that in created you I will perish and your mother will be greatly drained.

You are the only of the birthright to remain on the planet but have hope, for in you is the key to unlocking that same birthright in all magic users. You will be able to give magic to the magicless instantly, with no ill effects. Beware this power my son, many will covet it, but I can see you have already surrounded yourself with friends. Just beware of some of them, they may not have your best interests at heart.

Mike is a good man, Rain a good friend, Ivar is true unto the end and the others all whom you now call friend stick with you. I cannot see all things, my son, but know that some others you may meet in the future will cause you great harm, but this is not reason to cut off all friends for some will do great good.

"That's it," I looked up at Rain.

"What about my parents?" Rain just remembered. "We have to go find my parents now."

"Let's get this box," I held the letter in one hand and happened to glance at it as i hefted the box in the air. I nearly dropped the box in surprise.

"This letter continues!?" I nearly screamed. I continued to read aloud.

I see your current struggle, you seek your friend Rain's parents, the ones my dear wife deemed worry of our powers. You need look no further. They are in this place, just not this dimension. There are others with them, guarding them. Be careful, they have magic as well.

Oh and the chest has gifts for each of you.

I handed it to Rain so she could read it, and I think it may have had something else appear for her because a tear formed in her eye and she looked relieved, but insistent.

"Let's go," She urged and I headed back the way we came.

"We get your parents and go back to the hideout," I agreed.

Alex

"What do you want with me?" Things had gone exactly as I planned up to this point, but things had begun to change. The president had dismissed MB and released his daughter, who predictably started telling her father what happened to her.

He was glaring at me, until I smirked and the bonds fell to the ground, "Let's get this facade over with. I didn't touch your daughter, at least not her body, all those things she remembers are only in her mind. I can't even tell you the specifics, I just plant ideas and let the mind cover the rest. I can remove it if you wish Jessica, you will remember that I did it but the event itself will disappear from your mind."

She nodded and a few minutes later she was free. I continued to smirk, "I bet you're wondering why I did it? Free her I mean, well me too."

The president looked carefully at me, "Perhaps you're not as bad a person as we all thought."

I made my face go into one of confusion, "Well, maybe I was just a kid without a cause..." I was leading him and he didn't even know it.

"I am in a pickle right now," The president told me. "Congress is threatening to impeach me and the public views are down."

I grinned, "I think I can help, but..."

"What do you want?" The president asked. "Your power could be what I need to turn this around."

"Let's just the two of us talk about it," I pointed at Jessica. "Without her here."

She walked out and the two of us sat down at the desk to talk things over.