Vivianna "Emerald" Giovanni's Story

The night was closing in on dawn when Vivianna woke up. She could tell because while the sun hadn't quite begun to light the sky the songs of the stars were growing fainter. Vivianna wasn't sure why but during the day light hours their songs were but a distant murmur. She often wondered if it was the same for other Aurora's but aside from Adalind she had never known any. She had a lot of questions but never asked Adalind too many at one time. Adalind was a quiet girl and Vivianna was always worried about overwhelming her with the multitude of questions she had. Aindreas was extremely protective of her which is why Vivianna sometimes treated her like porcelain, no need to anger her leader and all.

Sitting up she looked around to see that it wasn't only she who was awake at this hour. There were a few groups of two sitting together while the rest had made claim to separate spots across the camp. All around the escapee's stirred roused by nightmares if their brief look of fear indicated anything. Vivianna felt a pang in her chest at the thought of all the horrible things they must have endured, these thoughts reminded her of her sister and parents. After joining the revolution Vivianna made it a point to search the mutant records at every facility they would go to after liberating the captives. Eventually she found what she was looking for in a file named 'Project 01732', a picture was paper-clipped to the inside of her baby sister. She hadn't had time to read it so she took it with her.

Vivianna picked up her satchel and looked inside, her mothers jewelry sang songs of happiness and love and their songs seemed to get louder whenever she would look at them. Along side them were her fetish necklaces made of the bones of animals she would connect with so that she could see through their eyes. Then tucked away in a side pocket was the file. She hadn't read it, only opened it and looked at the picture of her baby sister and the big ugly red stamp that said 'Deceased'. There wasn't a reason under the stamp and Vivianna wasn't ready to read the file just yet.

She clutched the satchel to her chest briefly before looking around the camp once more. Noticing that the escapee she thought was also an Aurora was sitting by himself Vivianna wondered if she should go talk to him. Aindreas had said to be careful about them but she wasn't so sure that they were untrustworthy. They had been through so much she couldn't fathom the reason why they would turn on them, the people who have every mutants best interest at heart.

Having made her mind up Vivianna stood walking over to him and sitting down besides him. "So can you hear them during the day or are they completely quiet for you when the sun is up?"

---

Mackenzie had been in a deep sleep when the sobbing of the young mutant that had wondered into their camp woke her up. The poor pathetic thing never stood a chance outside the walls of the lab. Niveus laid next to her ever observant watching the whole event play out. When the interrogation was over and the girl was put down Mackenzie sat up and watched as Persephone went to dispose of the body and the now broken familiar. Stretching she shook her head, she could feel Damien's emotion and he had no remorse over killing the child. Her leader was a cold one indeed.

Looking out to the forest she could feel it calling her name, she wanted to run and to hunt. To be wild and free then return to her pack, a real pack where they would share their meals and warmth with one another, but this is what she had. It couldn't really be called a pack or a family yet it was all she had and as much as she wanted to give in to her wild nature Mackenzie was going to stay and do her part to be a valuable member of this team.

When Persephone got back Damien, who was upset about how the little mutant child didn't have any valuable information, was tormenting Shade, their unwilling tracker. She felt bad for the girl but there wasn't anything she could do about it, though she wasn't sure she would if she could. She just couldn't disappoint the scientist, even though she knew what terrible people they were. Most of the time she could shove the feelings away but right now all she felt was sick. Niveus nudged her gently then licked her cheek trying to comfort her. Smiling Mackenzie kissed her on her nose then walked out to Damien giving Shade a light pat on the head as she walked by her and a nod to Persephone. "I don't mean to question you or your choices but it was my understanding that we were supposed to recapture the escapee's not execute them." Mackenzie said softly not looking at Damien but staring off into the direction he was looking.

Alexander Lockwood

He felt quite peaceful, but he stayed alert due to the fact that the scientists might have sent hunters for the group. He knew that it was imperative that he spoke with someone from the Revolution, since it would be quite hard to be on a raid unless both groups had mutual trust. He had never had to worry about getting gems as a child, since he was surrounded by riches and he was expected to wear expensive jewelry considering he was from a prestigious family. The songs were becoming quieter by the second, but he did not know why the songs became quiet as the sun rose. He guessed that perhaps the sun had a song that he couldn't hear and that it drowned out all other songs, but he quickly got rid of this theory and decided to simply relax. He knew that he was not the only Aurora, but he felt no need to bother others with his petty questions. He was afraid of the Revolution's leader, since it would be tyrannical for the leader to expect Alex to simply agree with the leader's every thought. He knew what power could do to people, but he felt that the leaders of both groups would not succumb to the king madness that would take control of those who only craved power. He had felt a bit of fear earlier, but the fear quickly dissipated into nothing.

He had been poked with needles and had other less than pleasurable things done to his body, but he tried to stay strong and not project weakness to his enemies. He could hide from people whenever he wanted to, but he wasn't able to simply run away from the group due to him having too many friends to leave behind. Alex was not quiet, but he barely talked around those he didn't feel were his close friends. He could simply calm someone and make them forget all their problems, but that would halt a person's advancement as a person and he didn't feel the need to do that unless someone was seriously in pain. He felt no remorse for killing his parents, but he did feel remorse for being the reason that his sister was admitted into the scientists' grasp. He could have escaped the scientists a long time ago, but he would have only been able to escape on his own and he wasn't prepared to leave his sister or Vera in the institute to face all of it's twisted experiments. He had tried taking out his rage on the scientists, but it only made him feel as if he was as bad as they were and he regretted doing that. He was not going to become the same type of monsters scientists were, since diamonds were supposed to be pure when they were worth the most. He wondered what type of dreams the other mutants had, but he wasn't rude enough to ask them. He would only talk to someone about their dreams if they approached him about it, since he didn't like prying.

He had his necklace hidden under his shirt, since he could easily pass off as a human if he managed to be able to hide the fact that he was an Aurora. The stars sung beautiful songs, but they were also good listeners and he usually told the stars of his problems. It felt good to be able to tell something what you are thinking, but he wasn't able to talk to the stars when he was in the laboratory. He couldn't hear the stars when he was in the laboratory, but he knew about the stars due to him listening to the stars when he was a child. He was less down to earth as a child and he wondered how he could be so innocent as a child, but he decided not to pursue these types of thoughts.

He knew that some of the Revolution's members didn't trust the escapees, but he also knew that the escapees' lives were in the hands of the Revolution's members. He didn't feel angry towards the members of the Revolution, since he would probably be paranoid if he was in their place. He had no right to judge them, but he could try to answer any questions they would have about him or his friends. He thought it a bit ironic that people who wanted to stop imprisonment of mutants, didn't trust those who they were trying to save.

Someone walked towards him and sat beside him. He was quickly brought out of his thoughts. "So can you hear them during the day or are they quiet for you when the sun is up?" She was the one who brought him out of his thoughts. He guessed that she could hear the songs as well. "They seem to be quieter when the sun comes up, but I have no idea if it is me who doesn't hear them or if they simply stop singing. This whole mutant and humans thing isn't very surprising. This is simply another form of segregation and it will probably be forgotten over time by our descendants, but we can not blame people for not accepting mutants. It would be like telling someone the sun is blue, then letting them see the actual color of the sun. I'm sorry for babbling, but I am simply thinking." He decided to stop babbling and to introduce himself, since it would be hard for her to address him without knowing his name. " My name is Alexander, but you can simply call me Alex. I will not ask for your name, since I don't like prying. I'll answer any questions you have about me or the group I'm with. If you want to ask about my history or dreams, then I will answer those questions the best that I can." He was staring at the sky, but he would stop as soon as the sun came out. He didn't want to burn his eyes by staring at the sun, since he wasn't stupid enough to become blind. Being blind would make him a hindrance to his group and he wouldn't be able to protect his friends. He strangely felt calm, but this was only due to the soothing songs of the stars.

"They seem to be quieter when the sun comes up, but I have no idea if it is me who doesn't hear them or if they simply stop singing. This whole mutant and humans thing isn't very surprising. This is simply another form of segregation and it will probably be forgotten over time by our descendants, but we can not blame people for not accepting mutants. It would be like telling someone the sun is blue, then letting them see the actual color of the sun. I'm sorry for babbling, but I am simply thinking." Vivianna smiled as the boy began talking and he seemed to have quite a bit to say. " My name is Alexander, but you can simply call me Alex. I will not ask for your name, since I don't like prying. I'll answer any questions you have about me or the group I'm with. If you want to ask about my history or dreams, then I will answer those questions the best that I can." Chuckling she tucked a vibrant strand of hair behind her ear, the large emerald ring on her hand singing with joy. He was very open and that was refreshing though she wouldn't take advantage of that."Alex you can call me Emerald, and honestly other than Aurora things I have nothing else to ask you. Don't get me wrong I am a bit curious about the lot of you, though asking a strangers dreams seems rude and too personal if you ask me. Anyways the boss man will have the final say on what's to happen."

Vivianna sat back for a moment just listening as the stars began to fade. Dawn was soon and the raid was close at hand. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the red haired escapee go to talk with Aindreas. Standing she turned to Alex and nodded in their direction. "If there was anything you wanted to say or know, now might be that best time. I'm heading over you should come too. Vivianna made her way over to them, the red head didn't want to take the little quiet one with them and to be honest she agreed with her. It's one thing that there were children in those labs and changes to begin with but forcing her to go back in seemed like it may cause some problems. That was something they couldn't afford.

Before joining in on the discussion she stopped by Adalind. She had been awake long before Vivianna and sometimes she worried about her."Hey Addy, didn't sleep well last night?" She asked rubbing a hand over her hair as she sat next to her. "You know sometimes when I can't sleep I put on one of my mother's pieces of jewelry, the songs they sing sometimes help me get to sleep. If you ever want to barrow one to see if it would help you sleep I'd be more than happy to lend it to you." Vivianna sat her bag in her lap giving Adalind a warm smile, she wasn't trying to baby her but it was hard to not want to take care of her.

As soon as Aindreas stopped talking Kefir strolled in from the forest and instead of laying beside Andy he laid beside Ada "I thinks he likes you more than me" he huffed and nodded to Kefir. He heard a chuckle come from his familiar and he just shook his head. When Ada started talking all his focus went to her.

"I think they're... Okay. I've never seen such a large group of runaways, sure, but their story seems legit. There's no way they're working with the hunters. No one can pretend fear and pain that well, trust me." He nodded his head at Ada's words, she was the only person he truly trusted, so her words did mean something to him. "However, you never know if they'll flake out. Some of them don't seem very strong or... Stable." He agreed with Ada there, he noticed a few of Vera's group were not exactly ones he would pick to take into a raid, especially the half blind girl. "And their leader doesn't seem to think she's cut out for the job... Plus, there's always the Institute's to worry about. Maybe this group does't know that they're bugged or something. Maybe the institute let them escape, knowing they'd find us. They're that low. They're that devious." Andy frowned at Ada's words, he didn't think Vera was cut out for the leader position either but he has yet to tell anyone his thoughts on that. "I don't think trusting them fully just yet, is a good idea, but don't be too harsh on them Aindreas. I know the place they're coming from, and trust me, it's not pretty." He heard the pleading in his sisters voice and sighed "I will take your words into consideration Ada" he said then noticed Ada was not done talking quite yet ans it auprised her because his sister was not much of a talker. "As for their usefulness in the raid... I think we'll have to see for ourselves on that one. If they escaped from that hell, they've got to be pretty damn tough, however, you never know. Once in those doors again...Once back there, they may crack. There are a hundred different reactions they could have, from anger, to fear, to madness."

Before he could say anything in response to Ada Vera popped in and Kefir growled at the intrusion. He eyed the red head as she crouched near him, making him sit up and stare into her eyes "What's the hold up? You said dawn. Decide to take a sick day?" He let his own growl and the girls words and before he could even respond he heard Vera's voice in his mind which pissed him off just a tad.So, are we going to go over a plan here, or just wing it? He had already enough of the red head and stood up.

"First of all I do not like you warping in here unannounced" he clenched his hands into fists "I was having a conversation with my sister and I don't take sick days" he growled deeply "and for your last question I sorta have a plan but I need to know what yours can do. I plan on setting up a ring of fire around the insititute except for one place where we will have one stand guard at. Half of us will go through the front entrance the other through the back. We see if there are any one to save, if not we get out of there and I set the place on fire".

Seeing Vera gesture to his sister he cocked his eyebrow "And... By the way...If you get to keep one of yours back, I'm keeping one of mine back. Boo stays here to watch the camp with your sister." He took a few minutes trying to remember which one was Boo, he then remembered the girl following Vera and the boy named Alex around and also remembered she was the half blind one. "Shes ths half blind girl right? Well I don't mind that, she would probably keep us back if she came but if she stays she listens to Adalind" he gazed to his sister then to Vera.

Kefir noticed the fox eyeing Adalind and the lion growled lightly at the fox before putting his head on Ada's lap. Aindreas noticed Emerald come over and nodded to her "Em can you make sure everyones up and ready to go in fifteen".

Damien stood and watched the sky. There was a rustling in the trees before him, but he paid it no attention. He knew who it was, and knelt as a large orange tiger came strolling out from the brush. His Familiar moved with a slow grace, head low, steps light, as if he was always in stalk mode. "Rajah." Damien said as the tiger came and sat before him. Finally, the thing that had been tugging at his mind and leaving him feeling slightly empty and vulnerable all morning disappeared with the arrival of his other half. "You were gone too long. And you went too far. I told you not to go that far." He reprimanded the creature before standing again.

As if to say sorry, Rajah came to sit beside his person and flicked his long stripped tail over his feet. I apologize for making you nervous Damien, I was nervous too. The apology surprised Damien slightly, seeing as Rajah never apologized for anything. But I discovered something useful. Damien turned towards the tiger slightly. Behind them, he could hear Seph speaking softly to the captive, and his shoulders stiffened. Women were not cut out for the job they'd assigned her. They had too many emotions getting in their way.

The prisoner girl was right. The camp is close. Rajah told him, and Damien focused his attention back on the tiger. But not as close as we thought. That's why I had to go so far. They were just outside the boundaries you gave me.

"So you found them? Did they see you?" Damien asked, watching as his Familiar licked his paw leisurely, as though they were discussing the weather. Of course no one saw me or I would not still be here. He said, and Damien's brows furrowed in confusion. The situation is worse than we thought Damien. Rajah said, answering the question in his mind. The escapee's have found the Revolution. They've teamed up. Damien nodded, taking this in for a moment. "So how is this a bad thing? They've just put all our eggs in one nest, so to speak."

It means we're vastly outnumbered, and it would be nearly impossible to destroy the Revolution, and take certain mutants alive. It would be a massacre, and you know we have orders to keep some of them alive. Damien considered this while Rajah continued. They're planning a raid this instant so you need to come up with something fast. Either we move out, destroy them, and fail to take our prisoners, but successfully stop their raid, or we wait, let them attack the institute, and come up with something else.

Damien ran his fingers through his hair, a soft hiss escaping his lips. Shit. He thought to himself, though not completely himself, as Rajah's chest rumbled in a soft, amused purr. "I'm glad you're finding this amusing Rajah." Damien spat, just as he sensed someone coming up from behind him, making him spin, he met Mackenzie's eyes before she'd even opened her mouth. His gaze burned holes in hers, daring her to bring him bad news. It was evident that he was worked up, as he was breathing shallowly, and his shoulders were stiff.

"I don't mean to question you or your choices but it was my understanding that we were supposed to recapture the escapee's not execute them." Mackenzie said in a respectful way, making Damien feel rather ridiculous for whirling on her like he had. He sighed and calmed down, his expression returning to passive, the tension in his body draining away as quickly as it had appeared.

He flicked her comment away with no more than a shrug. "Not that I should have to explain my decisions to you, but, the girl I killed was not on the list of mutants we're required to take alive. My orders are that I have to return only those that are on the list, and if I can recapture anyone else, but if not, then they can be killed if they have to be." He sighed. The day had hardly begun and already he was exhausted. Probably from lack of sleep. He never slept when he sent Rajah out. It just wasn't possible.

Damien glanced past Mackenzie, at the camp, then back to her. "Come on." He said, jerking his head towards the camp as an idea turned over in his mind, unfolding, forming a plan. "Time to announce the plan." He turned away and headed towards the camp, making his way into the center. By now, all his hunters were awake. They were trained that way. Every hunter woke before the sun was in the sky. "I have just been informed that the situation is worse than we thought." He announced loudly, so everyone could here. "The escapees, and the Revolution are working together, meaning that one quick attack would be messy. People might get away, and others that we were ordered to capture, might get killed. So I've come up with a new plan." Rajah sat beside him. Sure you don't want to think about this? The tiger asked with obvious concern, but Damien ignored him and went on. "We'll give them a reason to come to us." He said with a smile, liking the idea more and more as it unraveled in his mind, hoping that no one could tell he was totally winging it.

"We'll sneak into their camp while they're away on a raid and capture whoever they leave to watch, and take them back to an Institute. They'll try to make a rescue. But we'll be ready for them. We'll have someone on the inside, feeding us information about every move they make." He looked at Persephone, and grinned. "Seph, you've been trained for this type of thing. After they return, you'll stumble into their camp, injured, begging for help, ect. There's no way they'll refuse you. Once you're safely in, the rest of us," he gestured around him, at the camp, "split." Beside him, Rajah flicked his tail, and Damien could tell he approved.

"We have to move out now if we want to get there before they get back, so if there are no questions, pack up. If someone has a problem, come and see me." With that he turned away, making his way towards his tent. He was the only member of the group to have a tent. Tents were a hassle to carry, but the scientists had assigned Damien a man whose only purpose was to carry his things. "Josh, Jake." He gestured to the two men standing guards. They were twins, and impossible to tell apart. They shared everything. Even a Familiar. Because he couldn't tell the difference between them, Damien made a point of giving them orders simultaneously, so he never had to make a decision on who was who. "Take down the tent." The two nodded, and Damien ducked inside to collect his things.

---

Vera watched the Revolution leader with vibrant blue eyes as he stood before her, clearly angry. She couldn't help it. The corner of her mouth twitched up in a slight smirk, and a single brown eyebrow raised itself in amusement. Was it really that easy to get him mad?

"First of all I do not like you warping in here unannounced." Her attentive eyes flicked to his hands, noticing how they clenched into fists. She looked back up at him, eyebrow raising higher, forcing herself to keep shock from her expression. "I was having a conversation with my sister and I don't take sick days." He growled "And for your last question I sorta have a plan but I need to know what yours can do. I plan on setting up a ring of fire around the institute except for one place where we will have one stand guard at. Half of us will go through the front entrance the other through the back. We see if there are any one to save, if not we get out of there and I set the place on fire." Vera then watched as he tried to remember who Boo was. "Shes the half blind girl right? Well I don't mind that, she would probably keep us back if she came but if she stays she listens to Adalind."

Sensing that he was done, she smiled falsely and leaned forward slightly, as though she was telling him an important secret. "Careful now." She hissed in a falsely pleasant tone, "You wouldn't want to be like the humans now would you?" She smirked, her words like daggers. "They seem to think they can tell people not to be themselves. Don't tell me not to Warp around. I'm a Sly. Unless you chain me to a tree, I'll Warp where I want." Satisfied, she leaned back again and considered the rest of his words.

However, before she could respond, she was interrupted by one of Aindreas's. A male Feline. Vera watched the boy as he reported to his leader, almost as if she wasn't there. Though she didn't blame him, and she wasn't offended. He wasn't loyal to her. There was no need for him to report to her. "Good morning. Aindreas, the Institution isn't active right now. I only saw one guard on patrol and he looked pretty tired. There are two doors, a main entrance and a back door that has some sort of fancy electronic lock on it. There's a large window on the ground floor, too. I'm guessing because of that they keep the captives in higher floors or underground," Vera watched the Feline, an idea hatching.

She then turned back to Aindreas, tucking a piece of fire-red hair behind her ear, revealing the piercing there that she'd done herself a long time ago. "I like your plan Aindreas. Not bad. However, a ring of fire? It would take too long for you to set up, and we need you to do other things." She looked back at the Feline, unable to remember his name for the life of her. "What if you have..." She hesitated on his name, "This Feline, make a force field around the place while we're in there and stand at one of the doors? That way, nothing can get in until we're done, and he can take it down for us to get out." She glanced at the Feline, looking him over briefly. She wasn't sure how Feline powers worked. Did it drain him at all to make a field and keep it up? Would he be able to make a field that big for that long?

She turned back to Aindreas. "And don't you worry your little head about my people. They'll follow me anywhere." She said, hoping it was true, and hoping that he couldn't see that she herself was unsure of it. "We should also all pair up, so that no one's alone." She said, glancing at the camp briefly, hoping they had even numbers. She'd like to take Alex as her partner, but she had a feeling she should probably take Aindreas, seeing as they were both the leaders.

You don't have to do this you know. Vera was startled by the voice in her head. Miatta. She'd sensed her nerves before even Vera herself had. We could just take Boo and Alex and get out of here. Or, better yet, just us. We could go in the middle of the night. No one would know.

Vera closed her eyes briefly, blocking the thoughts out. She knew Miatta meant no harm. She wasn't some sinister side of her, trying to convince her to bail on her friends, she was just presenting the opportunity they both knew was there. It was in their nature. As a sly, every single instinct she had screamed that large groups were bad. The animal in her wanted freedom. Wanted solitude. It wanted to be able to look out only for itself.

But she couldn't do that. The human in her would never forgive itself if she left. No Miatta. We can't do that. She said to her Familiar before opening her eyes again to look at Aindreas. No matter how much she denied it, she was terrified of going back into an Institute, if not for herself, than for the others, but she was also ready to actually do something instead of just sit by.

---

Ada stood back, listening to the leaders talk, watching their movements, but not engaging in the conversation. She had no place in it really, though she knew Aindreas would jump off a cliff if she told him to, she really wasn't qualified to be a leader, and so, she left the decision making to him and the fire-haired escapee.

Adalind watched her brother respond angrily to Vera, knowing he was giving her the exact reaction she wanted, but not feeling the need to step in. She sighed and sat again, tearing at little pieces of grass in boredom. Sometimes she wished she could go on the raids, just for the sake of having something to do, but Adalind understood why Aindreas made her stay back. Someone had to watch the camp, and she really didn't think she was ready to go back in there anyway. Plus, he didn't want her hurt, and Ada didn't want to get hurt either. Not so much for herself though, but for him. Sometimes feared what he would do should she ever be hurt, he was so protective of her. He would probably be so blinded by rage, he'd do something he'd only regret later.

"She's the half blind girl right? Well I don't mind that, she would probably keep us back if she came but if she stays she listens to Adalind." Addie heard her name, and looked up, meeting Aindreas's eyes with a smile. Someone was going to stay back with her? She couldn't help but feel happy. She'd never had company. Usually it was just her and the empty camp when the others went on raids.

She glanced around, wanting to find the girl she'd be on watch with, but was inturrupted when Kefir growled suddenly, making her jump. She turned to him, and rubbed his ears gently. "What's wrong Kefir?" She asked as he placed his head in her lap, and then noticed how the fox that had been watching her flicked her tail impatiently and stalked off to take her seat by Vera. Ada smiled softly and kissed Kefir on the head. "Thanks Kefir." She whispered softly.

"Hey Addy, didn't sleep well last night?" A kind voice, made Adalind turn her head to see Emerald sitting next to her. She smiled at the green-haired girl, and turned to face her. She liked Emerald. She was always so nice to her, and she didn't mind the way she babied her a little. It felt almost motherly, and Ada liked the feeling of having someone else care about her.

In response to her question, Addie just sighed deeply and shrugged, leaning back on her arms, pushing her long black hair behind her, letting the raising sun touch her icy pale skin. She didn't sleep well. Everyone in camp knew that. It was hard to keep your nightmares a secret when you woke up, screaming bloody murder where everyone could hear you. It had started to become a problem, so Ada had volunteered to take night watch, and promised Aindreas she'd sleep during the day, though she didn't always keep it, making her very tired. However, she was the kind of person who could ignore discomfort so it didn't really bother her too much.

"You know sometimes when I can't sleep I put on one of my mother's pieces of jewelry, the songs they sing sometimes help me get to sleep. If you ever want to barrow one to see if it would help you sleep I'd be more than happy to lend it to you." Adalind's hand moved up to the small diamond at her neck. Just barely enough to give her nourishment, but still her most prized possession. She turned her head towards Emerald, meeting her hazel eyes with her own pitch black ones, a grateful smile on her lips. "Maybe tonight I'll try that,thank you. It would be great to have a regular sleeping pattern again. Though I don't mind taking night watch really." She smiled softly. "Gives me a chance to listen to the stars." Ada looked up as her brother ordered Emerald to gather everyone up, then turned back to the girl. She wanted to place a hand on her arm and thank her, but she couldn't touch her. Touch was too revealing. Too invasive. She had to be satisfied with only words.

She looked up as Leif returned from his watch and smiled. "Leif!" She grinned, standing up next to her best friend, giving him a hug, being careful to only touch the fabric of his shirt, and not his skin. "Good luck in the raid today." She said, pulling back. That was another thing that sucked about being the only one left behind. She had to let her brother and her friends run straight into the face of danger while she stood by helplessly on the sidelines. What if something happened to them? How would she ever know? She'd rather be captured or killed with them, than be the only one left. Loneliness was not something she coped with well.

Damien's agitation left as quickly as it came, the flash of emotion that rolled off of him left a bitter taste in her mouth. "Not that I should have to explain my decisions to you, but, the girl I killed was not on the list of mutants we're required to take alive. My orders are that I have to return only those that are on the list, and if I can recapture anyone else, but if not, then they can be killed if they have to be." The urge to argue with him was strong but Mackenzie suppressed it. That pathetic feline did not 'have to be' killed as Damien made it seem. Though truthfully she couldn't see that the feline would have been any use if she had been allowed to live, that didn't mean she deserved to die. In the end it wasn't her place to make those choices. Instead of saying how she felt, Mackenzie simply nodded and followed him to the rest of the camp. She took a seat on a fallen tree that was now mostly hollowed out and, if her nose was right, was recently home to some raccoons. Niveus sat beside her gently nudging her knee gently "You shouldn't have to hide you're feelings or you're true nature" the white wolfs voice whispered across her mind, there was no judgement but Mackenzie could tell she disapproved "And what would become of me if I was me, not their little solider?" Niveus huffed at her but didn't say anymore about it. "You should pay attention to the over sized cat while he's telling his grand plan." Mackenzie bit her lip to hide her smirk, her wolf was never fond of fallowing the orders of a cat, not even a big cat.

After Damien laid out the next course of action he dismissed them to go and break down camp, not that there was much for her to break down, Mackenzie didn't bring much with her on hunts only necessities. Once she was done she went and sat on the same tree she had before, her back to the rest of the group. Staring out into the trees she could almost hear the wilds call out to her, like her name was being carried along and whispered by the wind. "We could always go, just run. Run until we couldn't hold ourselves up any more. Until we are about to pass out from exhaustion." Mackenzie smiled at the thought as she reached down and scratched between Niveus' ear. "As nice as that sounds we would still never be free." She said looking over her shoulder. "Not so long as they still have her." That flock was as pathetic as the feline but she was useful and that's why she was still around. Mackenzie felt sorry for her but she couldn't be in contact with her too much, the emotions that girl felt, the anger, pain, the loss of hope, it was all too much sometimes.

---

"Em can you make sure everyone's up and ready to go in fifteen." Vivianna looked up at her leader and she nodded then looked back at Adalind as she got up "When we get back we'll look at them and see if one connects with you ok?" giving her a warm smile Vivianna left to gather up the rest of the group. Alex and another escapee were sitting and talking when she approached and cleared her throat."Sorry to interrupt but we're gathering everyone for the raid, just head on over to Aindreas and he'll go over the plan when everyone is present." Smiling and giving a plite nod she wondered off to the next escapee, a pride, who was making her way towards the rest of the group. "Hey everyone's gathering for the pre-raid meeting, go ahead and join up with everyone." On her way to the last escapee She passed by the little stripe girl and gave her a small wave, she was a cute kid. The last escapee was a flock, and by the looks of it he was anxious. "Hey there, I'm Emerald. The others are gathering now to talk about the raid, you should join us." She smiled and waved for him to follow her and she walked back to the group.

Pausing a moment she looked at all the others, she was worried. Would all of them be able to handle going back into another institute? Could they handle that? What if they were like those people she read about once who had been in wars and had flashbacks when something or someone would trigger a memory of the times they were in active duty. She wasn't just worried about her team and the possibility that one of the escapees would cost them their lives but also for the escapee's themselves. After all they had been through could they really keep it together or would this just damage them more? Taking a deep breath Vivianna decided to voice her concerns when everyone was gathered around. It was defiantly something to be discussed and thought upon.

"How about you go find um the girl Boo and get aquainted with her? Also, make sure to keep your eyes peeled and use your abilities if you have to Adalind." Aindreas said to her and she nodded and bit her lip. She hated using her abilities, but she would if she had to, that was for sure. For one of them, she didn't even have the option. It was controlled soley on her emotions and fear level.

"Thanks, Soñadora," Leif said to her, and Adalind smiled as she always did when he used the nickname. At her leg, Lief's Familiar Shawn purred and rubbed against her, so she gently bent to touch his soft fur before raising again. "We'll be fine. Watch camp well, ok? It's just as important of a job."

Adalind smiled again, liking the way he referred to her job as important. She couldn't say that sometimes she felt a bit left out when they left her behind, and sometimes she doubted if she was even doing anything important, so hearing that she was needed was nice. "I will." She assured him before waving and turning back to Emerald, who was speaking again.

"When we get back we'll look at them and see if one connects with you ok?" It took Ada a minute to remember that she was talking about the gems, and she nodded, agreeing. "Sounds like a good idea." She said, tucking a piece of long black hair behind her ear as the girl sauntered off to call everyone together for the plan.

Now alone, with nothing and no one to talk to, Addie decided to take Aindreas's advice, and go find the girl he was talking about. Boo. With deep black eyes, she glanced around the camp until her eyes landed on the small girl and her tiger near the edge of the camp, and she made her way over.

"Hi." She said softly, standing before the girl, shifting her feet a little awkwardly. "I'm Adalind. We'll be staying back to watch camp together."

Vivianna frowned as she the Sly took lead during the meeting. She listened anyways looking around the group, taking in the escapees, they weren't in the best of shape having been locked up for so long. They were hapless not helpless though. Still Vivianna couldn't help but feel uneasy. Stepping forward she cleared her throat and addressed the sly. "I have something to say, or ask really. I agree with and understand the importance of pairing up with an escapee seeing as how they are inexperienced, but what's to guarantee that when we get in there and the fighting starts or just being back in a facility wont make you're people freeze up? No offence to any of you, I swear, but I'm not going in there and my partner has an incapacitating flashback. I've lived this long, so much longer than most, and I know that what I do is dangerous but I can count on myself to save my own skin, as I can the rest of my group. Are you sure your people are ready for the responsibility of another life?"

Vivianna watched the others as she spoke, looking to see how they reacted to what she had said. If anyone had any doubt about their abilities they should stay behind, but if they really would be an asset then she'd welcome them. Anything to bring down those labs and set free as many mutants as they could, she just wanted them to be sure of themselves.

"I could keep it up for about fifteen minutes, ten if you wanted me to cover the roof, too. Possibly a bit more, possibly a bit less. If I did this would you still want me to go in to the Institution?" Aindreas looked to Leif as he answered his question, he already had an answer but Vera decided to answer for him which annoyed him just a tad. Relax Andy, females just like to be in control Kefir spoke into his mind and he let out a sigh and nodded his head turning his attention to Vera who was speaking to Andy "I don't really think the roof is necessary, and I don't think you need to go into the institution Leif. That would cost us time with the shield up. So, pick yourself a partner, preferably one of my people, as I like Aindreas's suggestion to pair the two sides, and you guys will be on guard duty, okay?" What Vera said was sorta what he was going to tell Leif so he couldn't say anything against it. "Just kinda stay near the entrance Leif, and pair yourself with someone that has an offensive ability just in case someone attacks you."

Hope you're okay with all this. He heard Vera's voice in his mind and looked at her just giving the sly a silent nod jjst as Vera continued on. "Boo and Ada stay here, like we discussed." He nodded, he was actually glad Ada wouldn't be alone "And Leif and his partner watch the place while the rest of us head in, each with a partner. You said the prisoners will probably be on the lower levels? Okay, so Aindreas and I will partner up, and we'll take the lower levels. The rest of the groups will wok in partners to destroy the place, collect any files that are important, and keep our path back up from below open. Meanwhile, Lief here, keeps his field up, and when we're ready, we all head out a hole in the wall that he makes, and head for the cover of the trees." He actually liked Vera's plan, it was solid and they would be able to get done what they needed.

"Everyone find a partner. Revolution members, partner up with my people." He looked over to Vera before looking over the group, the last raid they went to they lost a few members, so he was trying to figure out numbers when Vera interrupted his thoughts. "If you have nothing to add, we should probably leave. If you do, say it now. Sooner is better than later." He gave her a look "one group may have to have a third person, we are low on numbers and I believe you group has more members" he said as he looked to Leif and Emerald.

Just then Emerald spoke up and what she said he already thought about "I have something to say, or ask really. I agree with and understand the importance of pairing up with an escapee seeing as how they are inexperienced, but what's to guarantee that when we get in there and the fighting starts or just being back in a facility wont make you're people freeze up? No offence to any of you, I swear, but I'm not going in there and my partner has an incapacitating flashback. I've lived this long, so much longer than most, and I know that what I do is dangerous but I can count on myself to save my own skin, as I can the rest of my group. Are you sure your people are ready for the responsibility of another life?" He went over to Emerald and stood in front of her putting his hand on her shoulder "Em I see your point I do, but if we just went there would only be three of us. I can't speak for them but I have a feeling they will be fine. If anything happens just call for me and ill send Kefir. You are my right hand girl, I won't let anything happen to you." He said the last part in a low whisper then stepped back and looked at everyone.

"Alright everyone pair up and lets go, we don't have a lot of time" he said in his booming voice before he looked over to Vera "I will be shifting, its easier then walking the whole way". He always shifted into Kefir when he traveled to the institutes. He then looked for Ada and noticed her going over to the small stripe girl. He walked past everyone and towards Ada "we will be leaving now Ada, you know the drill. Stay safe...maybe ill find Amelia on this raid" he said with a hopeful voice before going over to Kefir and shifting into his full white lion form. He shook his body and then walked over to the group and waited for them to be all ready to go.