Andrew Proctor's Story

Scott took a mouthful of coffee as he headed back into the base. Everything had just been so chaotic when he had woken up, and he had just had to get out of the base for a while. It was unusually calm when he returned with his coffee in hand, and he started to wonder if the whole thing had been a prank by the other heroes, just to wind them up.

He thought he'd seen her again when he'd got his coffee. Ever since he'd first seen her, he'd been going to the same place for his coffee in the hope that he would see her and talk to her. He'd met her a couple of times and they had talked enough to call each other friends. He'd fallen for her on first sight. He hadn't had a chance to talk to her today- which was probably a good thing. He had been so weirded out by the whole thing, he'd probably give away too much. He'd told her that he was a freelance journalist.

He passed by the conference room and stopped. It was chaos in there. It made sense. All of the trainees had gathered there. Looked like the other heroes hadn't just been playing a trick, then. He went in and sat at the back of the room, waiting for someone to try and regain order. He then realized that he was probably the only person who could.

Sighing to himself, he stood up and headed for the top of the room. Nobody noticed- they were too panicked. It was understandable. They'd all heard the message that had been received, all heard the rumour that the greatest villain was still to come. They were all terrified out of their wits. Even he was a little scared.

"Guys-" They didn't hear him. He tried raising his voice, but to no avail. He rolled his eyes, climbing to stand on the table. "GUYS!" He yelled. He picked up a glass from the table and hurled it at the ground. The crash was loud enough to force them to look at him, still standing on the table.

"I know we're all scared. I don't know what's happening, but we need to get out onto the streets, make sure everything's okay. We need to prioritize the civilians at the moment. If we're right, then there could be something huge happening very soon. Get prepared. Usual precautions- student ID's, cover stories, and so on.

Right now, guys, you are the heroes. So you need to be responsible. There's nobody who can patch up your mess if you screw up. So don't. Go get ready. You have five minutes. Meet me back here."

His own outfit of a white short-sleeved shirt and black jeans was enough to pass him off as a teacher. He swung by his room briefly to grab a pair of glasses. The lenses were just plain glass, but they made him look a little more like a teacher. He swore to himself as he realized the major flaw in his plan. Teachers would have to be able to read. He'd just have to hope that nobody asked him to read anything.

He headed back for the conference room, sinking back into the chair at the head of the table and swinging his feet onto the table. All he could do was wait for the chaos to start.



Cameron spun himself around in the swivel chair idly. Everyone had gone mad since most of the fully trained villains had disappeared. Someone had suggested going out into the streets, seeing what was happening there. With nothing better to do, they'd decided to go. It hadn't taken Cameron long to get dressed.

A small flame appeared in his hand, and he started playing with it, manipulating it into different shapes. He formed a ball and threw it into the air. He wasn't sure if it would hang there or if gravity would affect it. It seemed it was the latter, as he missed it and it fell to the carpet. He quickly extinguished the flames, but there was still a burn mark left. Oops.

He leaned back in the chair and started to spin himself around once again, waiting for someone else to come in. His beanie nearly flew off, and he grabbed it before it did. He felt unusually calm, considering their deaths could be waiting for them in the near future. He was even surprised at himself. It was probably due to the fact that he'd had a night of decent sleep for the first time in about two weeks, with no bad dreams about drowning.

He glared at the glass of water on the table and slid it towards him, dipping his finger into the glass and lighting a small flame. It was difficult to keep it going, considering the lack of fuel and temperature, but it focused his attention. He removed his finger, concentrating on the flame. It was a good idea all around- focusing his mind and satisfying his pyromania without any risk of burning the base down. He focused all of his attention on the glass, trying to encourage the flame to grow.

Andrew had left the conference room the moment Scott told them to get prepared. Whilst he stripped down out of his sweatpants and t-shirt, drawers opened up around him. Folded clothes levitated about the room until they reached the bed where they took their own initiative, resting themselves lightly on top of his mattress. He adorned his clothes, dressing the part of a regular high school graduate, shoving his fake Student ID in his pocket. There was not much he could do at this point to prepare because he didn't know what to prepare for. At first Andrew thought they were pulling a prank, maybe even an emergency drill to test their reactions upon discovering that they were gone. But when they saw the blood on the floor, that's when they knew it was real. Someone was killing heroes. If that was true then Andrew didn't see any logic behind going to the surface and splitting up, monitoring civilians. He didn't want to leave them alone or defenseless, but he didn't see how they were in danger. Regardless, he returned to the conference room, seeing Scott at the head of the table, sunken into the chair.

He looked stressed, more so than usual. Walking in on the chaos earlier must've taken a toll on him given the circumstances. In retrospect, it was curiosity spiked Andrew's interest more than concern. He wanted to know what was going on, every little detail. He didn't like being left out in the dark, not in a situation like this. Scott had been his mentor since he first arrived at the base. It wasn't like him to keep anything important like this a secret. Especially from his trainees. Scott had helped him a lot throughout the years, the trainer having brought his mental stamina and overall ability to a whole new strength. Andrew felt almost selfish for wanting more from him. But from what he could tell, this was life or death. People were going to die. And some of the most powerful heroes already have.

Andrew stayed at the back of the room, watching over his mentor as his fellow trainees began to file in. He knew it was only a matter of time before someone demanded to know the details of what was happening. Andrew himself just wasn't going to be the one to do it.

---

Should I tell them? Helena pondered as she sat in solemn contemplation, as she sat in her room at the compound. Even if I did, what would I say? Nothing like this has ever happened before.

The moans and creaks of the prison above reverberated around her, giving her a sense of unease. She never preferred it here over her apartment downtown. She kept only the necessities in this bedroom, during times of grave importance when she just had to be here. This room was just like any common guest room, no personalization or sign that anyone lived there. She hadn't been in this room for nearly a month. Now, all of a sudden, Matt had called her back saying that there was a problem. It was happening. The villains who had trained her, picked her up off of the streets, practically helped her discover her true potential aren't just missing. They're dead. Helena felt a gaping hole in her chest. It was like losing family all over again. She didn't know how to cope. She could only wait for Matt to show up and still her grieving heart.

Helena made her way to the conference room begrudgingly, unable to put on her casual demeanor. She sat at the head of the long, steel table for the trainees to come back in. They were planning on leaving. But Helena couldn't let them do that, couldn't let them walk out that door without some knowledge of what was actually going on. She glanced up as Cameron walked into the room, not noticing her as he played with his fire. She leaned back into the leather chair, burying her face in the palm of her hand. As soon as she felt the air in the room become more condensed she raised her gaze, realizing then that everyone had made it inside of the conference room.

"Sit tight everyone. There's something important you must know.." She inhaled deeply through her nose, reluctantly admitting her weakness, "Unfortunately it is something I cannot bring myself to tell you. We'll all just have to sit tight until Matt arrives.."

Alisia felt the fear strike through her, it woke her from sleeping. It was so intense, coming from all around her. It was deafening, it made it hard to think let alone get dressed. She decided to pull a black hoody on over her tank top and pajama pants and make her way to the conference room.

The closer she got to the conference room the more painful the fear became. She made herself take deep calming breaths as she forced her way in.

"I know we're all scared. I don't know what's happening, but we need to get out onto the streets, make sure everything's okay. We need to prioritize the civilians at the moment. If we're right, then there could be something huge happening very soon. Get prepared. Usual precautions- student ID's, cover stories, and so on.

Right now, guys, you are the heroes. So you need to be responsible. There's nobody who can patch up your mess if you screw up. So don't. Go get ready. You have five minutes. Meet me back here."

Before she could even make her way entirely into the room everyone was rushing back out. Already tired from the pain in her head she made her way back to her room. What in the world was going on? She did as she was told, quickly dressed. She brushed her hair, letting it hang long today, trying to take whatever pressure she could off of her head. She also quickly popped some Excedrin, and pulled her student ID lanyard around her neck. Slipping on her Airwalks, she made her way back to the conference room. She wanted to know what was going on, she searched the minds of those around her. She got pieces, blood stained floors, heroes gone, some woman? This only aroused more questions for her. She saw Andrew standing in the back of the room.

”Do you know what is going on?” she asked mentally. Her voice probably sounded tired and pained even in his head. She knew he would understand.

The conference room in the heroes base was loud, all the trainees gathered were trying to figure out what had happened. Each idea was being shouted louder over the top of the last. It was, Sky thought, a bit of a mess. She had voiced her own ideas obviously but hadn't spoken since then, preferring to turn around the others' ideas. She was still trying to figure out exactly what had happened. The whole situation was still a bit of a haze really. All she knew for certain was that suddenly all their heroes had gone.

Well, not all of them. Sky spotted Scott entering the room and trying to grab everyone's attention. It didn't appear to work until Scott picked up a glass and smashed it on the ground, the sound of it shattering caught everyone's attention. The room fell into a hush and they all turned towards Scott.

"I know we're all scared. I don't know what's happening, but we need to get out onto the streets, make sure everything's okay. We need to prioritize the civilians at the moment. If we're right, then there could be something huge happening very soon. Get prepared. Usual precautions- student ID's, cover stories, and so on... Right now, guys, you are the heroes. So you need to be responsible. There's nobody who can patch up your mess if you screw up. So don't. Go get ready. You have five minutes. Meet me back here." Scott's words sent everybody out of the room, their goal clear now.

Sky stood up and, in the blink of an eye, she disappeared with a barely discernible 'pop' sound as the air rushed to fill the space where she had been.

She reappeared in her room, standing in the middle of her room. Rather than take the few steps over to her wardrobe she teleported again, appearing close enough to slide open the door and stare at her clothes. She pulled out a simple outfit, changed and then teleported to the spot in front of her mirror. Casual, comfortable and definitely something a student would wear. She left her hair down, there wasn't much time to do anything with it now. She double checked to make sure she had her student I.D and then, satisfied with everything, she teleported back into the conference room.

Alicia, Andrew and Scott were the only ones in the room at the moment. Sky took a seat next to Scott.
"It's pretty bad, huh?" She remarked to Scott. Her question didn't really need an answer since anyone could see that the situation was indeed bad. Sky just wanted to fill the silence.

Matt arrived and Helena sighed in immense relief. Just the sight of his smile put her a little at ease. He was her rock, her support, and she could always count on him to be there for her when she was tearing apart at the seams. She took in his disheveled appearance in a calculating gaze, a small look of surprise gracing her features. She supposed she couldn't blame him, considering the circumstances. She probably looked a whole lot worse for wear. Subconsciously her head reached out towards him on the table, silently requesting his comfort. He smiled at her, though strained, breaking their gaze to address their trainees.

The next words out of his mouth were muffled in her ears, her heartbeat loud in her eardrums. She felt her blood pulsing through her veins, aggressive and hot. It was bad enough hearing it the first time, she could barely handle hearing it again. The people she used to hold so dear were gone. Sure, they were villains, but they were good to her. She couldn't ask for more caring mentors. And now Matt was the only remnant of her past. Except, of course, Andrew. Helena's eyes widened at the thought of her clever boy. Andrew was in more danger now than ever. Matt too, and all of her trainees. The oppressing need to protect them all was almost too much to bear. She knew she couldn't, not to a certain extent. She could only hope that her trainees had been taught well, that she trained them well enough to make it out there on their own. She prayed, something she rarely did, that they wouldn't do anything stupid. And then Dismay spoke up...

"Those pricks deserved it then" Helena's anger flared inside her in an uproar as the careless teen prattled on, "Always blathering about 'morals'. How ironic that they died. 'Ironic'...nah, it’s more like hilarious. So, how many of those bastards are left? Kinda unfortunate about our team mates though..Heh. Oh well. As long as you’re not weak, I think we’ll be fine.” The longer she spoke, the more fury began to dwell in the depths of her dark eyes. She glared at Dismay from the head of the table, enraged by the girl's heedless disregard. She didn't know the villains well enough to judge them that way. She didn't understand. And then she turned to speak again. This time however, her voice held a bitter hardness to it, her eyes taking on a murderous glint. "Hey, quick question...if we see any of those 'heroes' out on the streets, do we have permission to slaughter them?”

That had done it for Helena. Something snapped inside of her as Xeno laughed it off, and she could swear she felt Matt's eyes on her, waiting for her to get up and say something. He knew what she felt about careless ruthlessness. Helena hated it, despised misplaced wrath. Xeno—her baby—she could forgive because he didn't know better. She'd just have to try harder to elicit some morals into him, the morals her recently deceased mentors had taught her. But Dismay...

Helena spoke aloud, her voice raucous and stern as she fixed a harsh gaze on the girl waiting at the door. "You were given your orders, Nyx. You are to scout out for structures of tactical advantage and defense." Her British accent was laden in unbridled rage as she spoke past her clenched jaw. " If you so much as touch a Hero during your time spent undercover, I will personally reach into your chest and tear your heart out and then show it to you." Her gaze moved to the others, making sure they all caught on to the threat, "I will not tolerate killing for the sake of killing. Our quarrel is not with them. You will not use your powers against them unless they use violence against you, understand? The enemy of my enemy is my friend..." She quoted, "Keep that in mind while you're out there. We are not the only ones that have suffered at the hands of this murderer. I will not authorize innocent blood on any of your hands. The punishment for such offenses will be dire, and I will take care of you myself." She leered at Dismay before making her exit, heading to the garage that led to the exit outside.

Minutes later she was wondering the streets of San Fransisco, panting in anxiety and distress. She was trekking towards Golden Gate Park, anxious to approach her clever boy and keep him safe. The last one to have been killed was a Villain. Helena could only assume a Hero would be next. Suddenly, a hand clasped around hers. She turned, inhaling sharply at being startled. It was Lara, dressed her civilian attire with a look of concern on her face. "Are you alright?"

The more accurate response would've been no. She wasn't alright. She'd never been more afraid in her life, never felt the need to protect her loved ones more than at this moment. She was exhausted, mentally and emotionally. And it took all she had not to crumble under the endearment in those otherwise emotionless eyes.

"Yes," She answered plainly, "I'm fine."

---

Do you know what is going on?

Alisia's voice sounded exasperated as it reverberated in the depths of his thoughts. Andrew turned his attention on her, catching her gaze, before giving her a comforting smile.

I've no idea, Ali. But don't worry, Scott wouldn't lead us astray. I'll keep you safe.

Andrew kept her gaze steady with his own as he raised a pinky, glancing down to it to assure her. It was a promise. A pinky promise. Laugh all you want but to Andrew pinky promises were the equivalent of a blood oath. He took them seriously. Ali knew this, and it was the only way he knew how to soothe her anxiety. She was confused, and wary about what was going on around her. And Andrew could sympathize. He wasn't almost as confused as she was, though he didn't let it show. He couldn't wait to get above ground and try to get a bird's eyes view of what was going on. He just had to be careful so that no civilians would see.

I've no idea, Ali. But don't worry, Scott wouldn't lead us astray. I'll keep you safe. The words washed over her and gave her a sense of relief. She knew that she was more than likely able to keep herself safe, but the fact that Andrew would say that made her more happy than she cared to admit. She smiled as he raised his pinky, she followed suit.
'Thanks,' it was a soft spoken phrase, full of all her appreciation. I have your back too

Alisia tried her best to hide her surprise as the blonde girl popped into the conference room. It was Skyla. Ali tried her best to smile at the girl, but with the pain pulsing through her temples she imagined it looked less sweet and more grimacing.

“It is pretty bad huh?” she asked. Ali nodded.

'Seems that way,' she projected with her thoughts from the room to hear. She was both too shy and in to much pain to use her real voice.'Hopefully Scott will be back soon.'

Scott jumped a little as Skyla took a seat beside him. He'd been lost in his own thoughts, and mentally slapping himself in the hope that he'd wake up. "It's pretty bad, huh?" He nodded, sighing a little as he stretched. "Bad is an understatement." He remarked. He smiled a little at Alisia as she sat down, but she didn't seem to notice him.

He instinctively done a quick headcount, seeing who they were missing. Andrew was still waiting down the back of the room. Alisia and Skyla were at the desk. The only person missing was Athena. He wished there was some way he could leave a message for her, but his dyslexia made writing more trouble than it was worth. "Okay guys. Let's get going."

He led the way up to the street, glancing around. The city was chaotic, but no more so than it usually was. The words left his lips instinctively. "Stick together, guys. Let's have a quick scout around."

Everywhere was filled with words. Maybe it was because he wasn't in the best of moods, but it seemed even more frustrating. He could make out every third word or so, but not much more. His eyes dropped to his feet, trying to cloud his frustration and disappointment in himself. Even with all the coaching he'd received, he could hardly read or write his own name.

His eyes flicked up, and it took him a moment or two to register the sight he saw before him. But when he did, he swore to himself. It wasn't just them out in the city, then.



Cameron smirked as Helena tore into Dismay. He mightn't have liked the heroes, but Helena had a point. As soon as they were dismissed, he stood up, fixing his beanie and heading out to the streets.

Cameron spotted Xeno, Helena and Lara together, with Xeno grabbing them all in a bear hug. The sight made Cameron immensely glad that he wasn't with them. He wasn't particularly fond of human contact. He could barely tolerate Helena hugging him or whatever. Nobody else was allowed to get that close.

He watched the scene unfold. Lara came towards him as Helena wrapped Xeno in a hug. Cameron smiled at Lara, a spark flaring between his fingers.

"What do you think about all this? About losing all those people I mean." She asked. He raised an eyebrow, shrugging a little. "I don't know. I don't think it's really set in yet. It's just like we're on another trip and that they're going to show us how to rob a bank without anyone noticing or something."

Something caught Cameron's eye and he turned to face it fully. A group of teenagers, all about their own age, led by a guy that looked about Helena's age. They weren't exactly the most extraordinary sight in San Francisco- until he saw Skyla. The heroes were on the streets as well. Matt had appeared at some point, but Cameron was more worried about Dismay. He watched her, trying to gauge her reaction. The flame that was still flickering between his fingers swelled until it formed a ball of fire, ready to intervene if necessary.



Matt has been about to speak when Lena stepped in, dealing with Dismay. As the villains began to disperse, he himself headed to they room he usually occupied. He traded his black t-shirt for a clean white one, pausing briefly to fix his hair, before heading out to the streets. It took him a little while to find them, but when he did, he didn't like what he saw.

The heroes were on the streets as well. He hadn't seen them encountering each other. Something with as much possibiltiy for destruction as this wouldn't slip past his power, so it was entirely a coincidence. That didn't make it any less dangerous.

He glanced at Dismay, who hadn't seen them yet. "LENA! At your ten o'clock!" He yelled, striding forward. He went to stand a short distance from Dismay, enough so that he could prevent her from attacking if he needed to. He caught Lena's eye and shook his head.

No. Don't run. We can find out what the hell is happening and if it's happening to these guys.

A bored expression tugged at Dismay’s fine features as she strode over to their group, a feeling of absolute disgust at the sweet display flashed within her. God.. whatever happened to villains being cruel and ruthless? Its all because we have one soft member.. I know it! She’s causing everyone to turn bloody soft! ranted a nauseated voice within her being, the temper flaring even more at the mention of Helena. Instinctively, her posture became rigid and standoffish as resumed a place on the outer edges of the circle next to Cameron.

Feeling a soft warmth near her legs, Dismay raised an arched eyebrow at her team member, those black orbs holding a questioning gleam. Sliding her eyes downwards to land on his fingertips and seeing the small flame flicker between them, the villainess’s signature smirk returned to its former residence before speaking out, the tone more or less amused and slightly threatening. ”Watch it, flameboy. Don’t you dare set these tights on fire, they're my favorite.” Choosing to direct her attention away from Cameron, Dismay shot another venomous glare over at Helena, who had, currently, placed her hands lovingly on her friend’s face. Gritting her teeth in annoyance, the young woman crossed her arms to constrain that urge to rip off her trainer’s face. That bitch.. she’s lucky I have enough self-control! resonated the haughty thoughts as she continued to stare at Xeno and HER.

However, a movement on Cameron’s hands yanked her eyes to look down curiously. That harmless flame was now turned into a full-blown ball of fire. That arched eyebrow raised even further in an incredulous surprise, those black orbs narrowing ever-so-slightly. ”Cameron what the hel-”, Dismay’s hissing words were cut off by another movement in her peripheral vision as Matt, their leader, stepped up next to her. What the hell are they doing?! growled a furious voice within her mind at their sudden closing in on her. The villainess was about to open her mouth to display the hostility when Matt boomed, his voice causing her to wince. "LENA! At your ten o'clock!". Whipping around to stare at Helena, Dismay froze iin place at the sight of the approaching heroes.

Those black hued eyes narrowed into slits and seemed to grow even shadow-y, if that was even possible, as she took in the sight of the approaching group. Her fists clenched in an attempt to quell the rising anger, the voice inside her whispering frantically Don’t act out... Look at Cameron and Matt, they are ready to fight you.. You’ll have your chance.. soon.. Sliding her eyes over to look at her comrades, they, those blackened eyes, immediately filled with disgust seeing them ready to intervene. Giving a small tsk of agitation, Dismay relaxed her stance ever-so-slightly. Keyword; ever-so-slightly. Training her hostile glare on the approaching crowd, Dismay merely gave a slight flicking motion with her tapered fingers. To anyone watching, it would have been a bewildering sight; a tiny circular shadow from a nearby tree had disconnected itself from the bulk and was currently snaking it’s way through the grass and between peoples feet at an alarming speed Finally, it paused at it’s summoner’s feet before slowly rising out of it’s 2D form and into one of a black cat. However, unlike real animals, it’s fur was pulsing and wavering like a shadow did. Giving a slight meow, it spiraled around Dismay’s body until it landed on her shoulder, rubbing it’s head against the girl lovingly before turning it’s glowing red eyes onto the approaching group. A slight smile made a rare appearance on villainess’s petal pink hued lips as a finger reached up to lovingly scratch the shadow cat’s head before she muttered ”Hey Jinxx, long time no see.”

Alisia did as Scott said, staying as close to Andrew as they left the headquarters. She had always made an effort not to come into the city. It was full of thoughts and emotions and crowds of people to make her headaches even worse than normal. She knew she had to do this though. As a hero in training she had a duty to the city to make sure the citizens were okay.

She was distracted, trying to keep her concentration on Drew alone. It helped filter out the rest of the city, she almost didn't notice the group until they were right upon them. She wasn't sure what was going on, until she recognized Cameron. He didn't like her very much and she only knew him a little.

“Do we speak with them?” she heard Athena ask. She was sweet girl, another of the trained heroes.

'Stay close to me, I'll shield us if they fire so we can get away.' she thought it so the others could hear as well, but it was pointed mostly at her fellow mind link buddy. The privately to him

'This could be bad huh?'

She knew what his answer was going to be but it didn't help the unease in her stomach.

Sky loved the city. She lived for the vibrancy, the people and the many different cultures. When allowed to she would make trips into the city, dressed in civilian clothing, and spend as much time watching and talking people.
Now, though, Sky found the crowded streets almost overwhelming. The mood had shifted and the group of heroes walking down the street were all aware of the new danger that may have lurked around every corner.

Sky wasn't usually an impatient girl but today, as they had traveled into the city, she had just been itching to teleport into the city and begin to explore. She had held back though, wanting to stick with the group.

Sky followed behind Scott, her eyes scanning the crowds and buildings. She was hoping to find some clue, maybe even a marker from another hero. But there was nothing.
Then Sky heard Scott swearing, something that brought Sky's attention back to their immediate surroundings. She followed his line of sight and spotted the group opposite them.

Even if Sky hadn't recognised Xeno or some of the others she would have known them for villains. Cameron had a flame burning in his hand and the blue haired girl, Dismay, was starring daggers at the group while patting a shadow cat.

Sky glanced from the group of villains back to Scott and Athena. They were the two trained heroes, she would let them lead the group. Her curiousity peaked as she looked the group over. Apart from two of the members they were all trainees, did that mean that they had also been affected by the disappearance. Or perhaps they were the cause and had come to pick off any remaining heroes?

"'Stay close to me, I'll shield us if they fire so we can get away." Alisia's voice echoed through Sky's head and she nodded in reply, her mouth set in a determined line.

Helena smiled up at her boy as he gingerly wiped her tears away. He'd apologized, but he really didn't have to—in fact, he probably didn't know what he was apologizing for. But it didn't matter. The moment his forehead touched hers, her anxiety was cleared, replaced by exuberant happiness when he referred to her as his mom. It was moments like this that reassured her just how good of a person he was. Helena could care less about the stares that floated by, by the questioning glares or skepticism. She'd always be there for Xeno and it was comforting to know that he'd be there for her. He was family, just like Matt was.

You know that phrase, Speak of the Devil-...?

"Lena! At your ten o'clock!"

Her attention immediately snapped towards the direction her brother's voice carried it to. The wind left her in a rush as she took in the sight before her. Matt captured her gaze first, gazing at her anxiously as he stuck close to Dismay. The rambunctious, dark teen had an ethereal feline on her shoulder, her cold eyes glaring into the oncoming group of young adults. Cameron was beside her, a ball of flames in his hands, his feral gaze pointed in the same direction. Helena's gaze followed, her eyes widening almost comically when she took in the sight before her. It was the Heroes. As if she didn't have enough on her plate. She mentally counted each one, taking in their faces and storing their appearance in the back of her mind. She saw her clever boy at the back of the group, hanging back with a platinum blonde haired girl. A spark of jealousy flared inside of her when she noticed how close they were to each other, how they sought each other out without realizing it. Her gaze flickered past them and fell on another familiar face, one that took her by surprise.

It was Scott, the boy from the coffee shop. She'd recognize his swagger anyway. He had a particular way of walking—even the way he stood was completely unique. Helena let out a disappointed sigh. Truly she was a bit saddened by this new realization. She had relished their conversations in the coffee shop whenever she'd see him there. It had just been small talk in the beginning, but then it became something more. He was a guilty pleasure of hers, Scottie was. He was her change of pace, an opportunity to experience a bit of normalcy. She shouldn't be all that surprised though. Helena didn't know how, but she'd always sensed there was something different and unique about Scott. Now she realized it was because he was a Hero. A trainer. Helena couldn't help but envy him a little. That is, until her baby boy's voice pulled her out of her reverie.

"Lena...what are we going to do?"

"We're going to talk to them, Xen." Helena replied without authorizing it. She glanced up at him with a comforting smile and took his hand from his lips, giving it a tight squeeze. "Don't worry, alright? No one's going to fight anyone. Do mommy a favor though and keep Dismay at bay while I speak to them." She waited for his affirmation before crossing over to the Heroes.

The look on Scott's face gave her a sickly, guilty feeling as she greeted him with indifference. "Hello Scottie. It's been a long time since I've seen you. What brings you here?"

---

This trip to the city was bittersweet, considering the circumstances. As introverted as he was, Andrew loved being on the outside instead of being cooped up underground. He couldn't exactly afford to move out so these little trips were something like a blessing to him. He saw the Villains and immediately put up his guard, readying his mind for the strenuous brain activity he'd probably soon have to relinquish. The girl with the cat but him a little on edge. Her unbridled rage made him a little bitter considering he'd done nothing to provoke such behavior. The boy with the fire set him on edge, considering he didn't know if he was ready to attack or preventing one. The trainer, a man with tousled hair, seemed to be standing in front of the girl in an attempt to keep her from doing anything. He heard Ali's voice in his head and responded to her, his voice sounded far away in the confines of his own mind as he agreed on how bad this could possibly get. It was almost overwhelming, everything that was happening.

And then she came into the picture.

Andrew didn't know how it was possible for him to recognize a woman he'd never seen before, but he did. There was something about her eyes. They were the deepest shade of brown he'd ever seen. Brown was such an underrated color in comparison to those eyes. Mocha almost, with ever prevent speckles of amber in their depths. Her hair was the color of chocolate, falling on her shoulder in bellowing tresses. Her skin was pristine, warm—reminding him greatly of the color of Black Tea with a lot of milk mixed in. And her lips. They were the deepest red, like two rose petals. She was petite but curvaceous, and very fit. He smirked as he used the term, his UK roots catching up to him.

"Hello Scottie. It's been a long time since I've seen you. What brings you here?"

Scottie?

Scott's nonchalance deterred Helena, though she knew she shouldn't have expected anything less. They were amongst their own kind, past relations were to be swept under the rug. She didn't like the way he approached her or her family, the way he sized them up as if they were animals. Anger flared through her as he took in their lack of numbers. A brief glance in his group's direction allowed her to respond in kind. She heard Dismay's threat and her jaw clenched. It wasn't sitting right with Helena that her rage nearly matched that of the maniacal teen. When Xeno stepped up to distract the shadow maker, it did nothing to soothe Helena's anxiety. This could go fifty different ways. If either team moved to attack first, someone was bound to get hurt. Helena had too much on the line to risk an attack. Too many people she cared about stood on the threshold of their rivalry, too many lives hanging in the balance. She froze, letting Scott scope her out—so to speak—all the while keeping her eyes trained hard on the young hero.

"We won't attack if you won't."

The moment those words left Scott's lips, Helena envied the heedlessness of a villain. Any normal villain would've jumped at that threat, taken out at least two of the opposing side. Her whole body tensed at the thought of her humanity being a weakness, an endangerment to her loved ones.

"It's up to you. Either way, I've got your back." The feeling of Matt's hand on her shoulder sent a wave of calm crashing against her. That is, until she glanced back into his eyes. For the first time in a long time, Matt was questioning her. Since they became partners, he'd always trusted her judgement. Now, just at the mention of this heroes name, a portion of that trust had been lost. Maybe not lost completely but it was definitely derailed. That look sent a surge of panic through her that she almost couldn't hide. She turned her gaze on the other trainer, a female who stood by Scott, and narrowed her eyes.

"Don't even try negotiating with me." The tone in her voice was almost frightening. She'd never heard herself speak like that before. "Here's the deal, Scott. We won't attack." Helena glanced back to see her clever boy smirk and her own lips rose in a cynical, crooked half-smile. "Don't flatter yourself, love." Her gaze scanned every face with heavy speculation, "You lot simply aren't worth our time. Now," Helena's eyes were trained on solely Scott now, encroaching on his space. Her voice was low, stern, harsh and her demeanor even more so. She sized herself up to intimidate, and by the look on their faces, it was working. "Let's save the turf war for later, shall we? You have a job to do, I imagine. Civilians to look after? It might be in your best interest if you worried more about them than us. Unfortunately for you, you caught me on a really bad day."

"Well in case you haven't noticed by our numbers, but we've had a pretty shite day as well." Helena nearly broke her cold facade as Andrew stepped forward, brushing past Scott and getting in her face. She could feel Matt and Cameron tense behind her as he stood barely an inch from her, glowering at her as he got right in her face. She called the off with a slight wave of her hand, looking up at her clever boy with an amused glint in her eyes that didn't match her aggravated expression. "So if you want to tell us what you're doing out here we'll consider letting you and your little cronies go free."

She scoffed, nearly laughing, "Big talk for a Hero." Helena glanced down to his chest and flared her fingers apart, pushing her hand into his chest cavity. His team moved in to protect him as he gave a small, gurgled cry but her team's reaction ceased an immediate defense by the Heroes. "Stand down all of you!" She ordered, and both teams seemed to freeze as Andrew let out a startled cry of pain. Helena glanced up, smirking a bit as she plastered a sinister look of glee on her face. "You feel that? That's my hand grabbing hold of your heart. Now...you're going to take your friends and your little trainer cronies and you lot are going to get lost. Do you understand? So piss off." Helena aimed her last statement towards the two trainers, her eyes bearing a threat that needn't any words. Then she turned her attention on Andrew, savoring the look of confusion in his topaz eyes. She stood on her tip toes, her lips brushing up against his ear as she whispered, "Do you understand, Andrew? I'm telling you to run. Run, you clever boy...and remember me."

Helena pulled her hand out of his chest and sent one last tormenting stare towards their leader before turning on her heels, ushering her family to follow.

Athena watched the leader of the Villains, the female trainer, she studied her, she was the bitch from hell, so it seemed. Athena's eyes narrowed and she listened to her. Athena watched as she spoke, and the way she spoke was horrible. "Don't even try negotiating with me." "Wouldn't dream of negotiating with a Satan spawn." Athena said coldly. She was really getting pissed off and Athena was never one to back down, or stand there and say nothing, and she didn't care about holding back her thoughts. This girl just pissed her off.

Then came the moment, with Andrew, Andrew was being a hero that he was and he had gone up to talk to her, Athena didn't like the looks of it and she immediately came and put a shoulder on Andrew, Athena had always been trying to protect him, and he was someone she had been contacting with a lot.

Then that was when the trainer, Helena was getting very gutsy and told them to piss off, "Look, you guys approached us, and if you're going to harm us, then you can screw off, we already told you, we wont hurt any of you if you don't hurt anyone of us." She growled. Then she was trying to threaten Andrew, "Look, you don't need to be a pretentious bitch about." Athena, didn't control her mouth, she never did, and when you harmed her family she was going to say shit back.

Soon though Helena had turned on her heels and was ushering her villains to follow her. At that point, Athena led Andrew back to the group and she kept a hand on his shoulder. "You alright, Andrew?" She asked softly, hoping he was okay, she was still absolutely pissed but she was keeping a cool surface at this point like she needed to. Athena looked over at Scott, giving him a nod for them to head another way.

Alisia yelped as she felt the pain rip Andrew. Immediately she shoved her consciousness into his, trying to take some of the pain onto herself. Not a lot, she knew Andrew wasn't a baby, but she didn't want him to hurt if she could help him. She didn't like the way that girl was around Andrew, like she felt he belonged to her.

'Are you okay,' she asked him softly. She didn't want to pester him too much with her worry. She felt rage, and for a moment she worried it was her own. She wasn't sure, there was such a full rainbow of emotions right now. She quickly put a shield up around Helena's 'Clever Boy,' so she couldn't hurt him again.

She just wanted desperately for them to go away. They had lost enough today, they didn't need to spend their time fighting with the villain trainees.

'Do you know that girl Drew? There is so much rage boiling underneath her, I don't think I like her.”
She heard Lara ask about the note, with a deep breath she spoke aloud in her very soft, quiet voice.

"We did," it was short and sweet and to the point. She wasn't even sure if she should be telling anyone, but if there was a chance they could all just work together that would make things easier. Maybe.

It had all happened so fast. Scott had taken the initiative to set up some kind of negotiation, but the girl with the ruby lips had other plans. Andrew watched as she spoke, watched her demeanor and the way her lips moved. She seemed to be from his neck of the woods, judging by her accent. Correct him if he was being too finicky but there just wasn't something right about the way she spoke—as if it were forced. There're a lot of things you can do with a British accent, but putting up a good front wasn't one of them. The others, however, didn't seem to catch the drift. He could feel the hate radiating off of every one of his teammates. It was misguided, in his opinion, though he couldn't blame them. The way that woman looked at the man whom had his hand on her shoulder.... In that one millisecond, he saw right through her. She'd panicked. And when the word 'attack' finally sunk in, Andrew could see an overprotective shroud drown those pretty little eyes.

Andrew winced as Athena snapped back at the woman's resolve, analyzing her features as she paid no heed to her. He wouldn't readily admit it to his fellow supers but he was impressed. Not many women could just take insults hurled at them like that and not react in the slightest. It didn't throw her off her course at all. She went on, articulating with a voice laden in vicious promise that no harm would come to her team on her watch. Andrew could relate to such sentimental compassion, and he hated that his teammates were downright despising her. They would see all of the signs if they would just look at what was around them. The girl with the ethereal cat, the naive boy distracting her with tea bags—all of that was a ploy to keep the real threat at bay. He'd seen the way that blue-haired girl looked at them, and it was nothing compared to the look this ruby-lipped woman was giving them. The boy with the fireball, the tousled haired gentleman—both were there to prevent a fight from ensuing, keeping the shadow maker at bay. But it was the female trainer that spoke up, simply because she was asked. Andrew wasn't an idiot, nor was he deaf. The male trainer had called out "Lena" and there she came.

So this Lena girl stood in front of her villains, preventing any casualties, all of them surrounding the one villain that would actually cause harm without any prodding. If you asked him, Andrew would tell you that this 'tough villainess' act this Lena was pulling was only just. It was an act. He could tell by Scott's surprise that this woman wasn't one to act like this, and he could tell by her demeanor. Call it a perk from having a power dealing with the inner workings of the mind. Or call it the aftermath of watching too many crime show dramas on day time television. Either way, she was bluffing—lying through her teeth to protect her villains before that one flew off the handle. Because, honestly, who wouldn't take one look at her and tell beyond a fathom of a doubt that the girl despised Heroes? Nobody, that's who.

So Andrew got in Lena's face. It was his plan, albeit not a great one, but he had to figure this one out. "Well in case you haven't noticed by our numbers, we've had a pretty shite day as well. So if you want to tell us what you're doing out here we'll consider letting you and your little cronies go free." Andrew got a good look into her eyes before she shoved her hand inside of his chest, and it was an emotion he couldn't quite place.

Andrew was not cocky, by any means. He was about as threatening as a pink butterfly. He also didn't have a very high pain tolerance. So when Lena's hand slipped into his chest, yes, there was a first initial ripple of pain. Andrew felt Alisia's threshold on his mind oppressing his, trying to stifle some of it away. But, for some reason, he pushed her out. One look in Lena's eyes and he'd put up a wall between him and Ali. He'd never done that before, and honestly he doubted if Ali even caught on. Everyone tense around them, and Lena shouted for them to get back as Andrew made an embarrassing, gurgling sound.

"You feel that? That's my hand grabbing hold of your heart."

Only he couldn't feel it. In fact, other than the first initial shock of pain, he hadn't felt anything at all. Andrew looked down at her arm, her hand buried wrist deep into his chest cavity, her words only muffles as he tried to rationalize it. Why couldn't he feel it? Lena had everyone else convinced he was in so much pain and yet there he stood trying to put the pieces together. It wasn't like she'd numbed the pain, he couldn't feel her hand at all. Like it wasn't even there. Their eyes met one last time before Lena closed the distance between them, her lips brushing up against his ear.

"Do you understand, Andrew? I'm telling you to run. Run, you clever boy...and remember me."

There was no emptiness as she pulled away, no pain, no hollow feeling. He felt just as he'd ever felt before only now he was awestruck. How had she known his name and what had she meant? Why couldn't he feel her hand when she had everyone else convinced that she was causing him harm? As he watched Lena walk away, his gaze steady followed. The barrier in his mind came crumbling down and Ali's redundant wall of protection went up. His mind was flooded with Ali's concern, asking if he was alright. But it was Athena that snapped him out of his reverie, with just a gentle touch on his shoulder.

"You alright, Andrew?"

At first, he didn't respond. He only watched as the girl dematerialized into the adjacent building, literally fazing through the brick like some ghost. Once she was out of sight, he saw the male trainer take charge of the villains before glancing down at the super in his charge. He exhaled confidently, reassuring her with a simple, "Yeah, I'm alright."

No doubt he'd be pestered more about what had happened later.

Lara looked to the girl who spoke and nodded once. She then looked to the rest of the villains who were already walking away.

Her brain was working constantly in that moment, never breaking its thought pattern. She walked back to the rest of the villains. Lara knew she needed to look at that letter again and even get her hands on the one that the heroes got so she could compare the wording in both letters as well as the handwriting. The more she thought about it the more she knew that it might also help to look at what kind of paper it was written on. She wouldn't get a lot of information from the latter, but it might help, just maybe she might be able to figure something out from it. If it was written on a newspaper that might mean that the killer would have circled an article or underlined a line in it giving them some clue, if it was written on printing paper that would mean that they got it at one of the computer stores in the city. Though she wasn't sure how she would be able to figure out which store they got the paper from and even from there so many people had a need for printing paper that it would nearly impossible to figure out who they were.

Lara let her brain take over as she kept walking, not realizing she was passing the rest of the villains to the front of the group. Then she heard a scream of pain, breaking her out of her thoughts. When she turned around she saw Helena with her hand in one of the heroes chest. Though it seemed like she was indeed grabbing his heart, for some reason Lara couldn't shake the feeling that something about this picture was off. Was Helena lying? Or was it just that Lara had never seen Helena act in such a violent way before? Either way the red head knew that Helena was making this situation worse. They had to work with the heroes not against them. She was about to go up to Helena to make her stop, but then she withdrew her hand and then began to walk past everyone. Lara was feeling that tensions were getting high and knew that something bad was going to happen if everyone didn't get a grip on their wildly running emotions.

Athena's angry and rage had calmed down, no one had been talking to her for her to have it fed and keep it going. She sighed with relief when she figured out Andrew was okay, and she couldn't help but feel all the attention was Helena. Helena this and Helena that, that's all most people seemed to care about by the looks of things. Athena was fairly good at reading people. Then she looked over at Scott.

He was concentrating on something and she knew at that moment he was using his illusions. He was letting his guard down by showing them his power. Athena sighed softly, it was alright she supposed. Athena watched as it continued and the villains some of them had stopped in their tracks others kept walking, Athena could think of possible scenarios that Scott was giving the illusion of, some might now care at all what he was doing.

Athena watched as soon he collapsed to the ground. He kept talking like he was trying to convince them. Athena knew it was no use, she would have tried herself, but she'd have to be constantly talking or slowly the effect would wear off and she knew that'd be a waste of energy that she had stored up. She went down to the ground and sat there and she let Scott rest parts of his shoulder and head in her lap, just so he wouldn't be laying there on the ground.

She also knew there was no use in trying to calm him at this point. Athena was waiting to see the next move of the villains and she was ready to protect who ever with her life if she had to. She wasn't even much of a close combat fighter but she would do it for her family. Especially Scott, he was the older brother she never had. She wasn't going to lose him like she lost her actual brother. Athena was still studying them not sure at this point.

She rested a hand on his forehead, and she turned to the other heroes ,"Get behind me please." She said softly. She may have been a pain in the ass or she may be very out spoken at a lot of times, but Athena was very gentle and caring, which was something people always seemed to be shocked at whenever she was. It was just something that she did. She was almost like a mothering figure to her family known as the heroes sometimes.

Images of a ruined city engulfed Dismay, the scent of singing bodies and rotting corpses attacking her senses. In a eye-wided stare, the young villainess took in the sight of crumbling buildings against an ashy red sky before those dark eyes landed on a new sight, a more gruesome one. In front of the teal-haired girl, a mere few feet away, were the soulless corpses of her fellow villains (as well as heroes), all strewn about and covered in crimson. Red.. its...blood! whispered the excited inner voice as the shadow manipulator gazed appreciatively at the chaotic hellish scene. A small fraction of her being knew it was wrong to become gleeful over the sight of destruction but those feelings of remorse were quickly overpowered by the emotion of lust for blood. A lust for revenge, a lust for death.

Within her black-hued orbs, Dismay knew excitement and sudden anticipation shone heavily yet clearly within them. And she didn’t bother to hide it. In fact, a look of disappointment flashed across her delicately carved features when Scott had fainted, taking away the beautiful scene with him. Biting her lower lip, eyes narrowing ever so slightly in annoyance due to the lack of time she was allotted for admiration, Dismay whispered softly to her teammates. Within the whisper, an pining want and a strange tone was present. ”Wouldn’t...that... be a shame.. if it came true..you know?”. It was an obvious lie, to Dismay it wouldn’t be a shame if the future turned out hellish; to her it would be fun.

It felt like he actually passed out for a second or two, before he felt Athena pulling him onto her lap. It was only when she put a hand on his forehead that he flinched. He realised what a stupid idea it had been. Both he and Athena were in a vulnerable position right now, and he didn't have the energy to defend either of them. He pulled away from her, unsteadily getting to his feet. His balance wasn't the best, but he wasn't going to let them abuse his weakness.

"The world will fall. We're the only things standing between it and destruction right now."

A shadow flickered in his vision. Well, not exactly a shadow, but something black and darting. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up straight. As he was about to say something, the male villain yelled out for them all to hit the ground. Moments later, gunfire filled the air, followed by an explosion of the building next to them. The gunfire didn't falter.

Adrenaline replaced the exhaustion, and Scott ran for his heroes. "GET DOWN!" He yelled. As he reached them, he grabbed their hands and crouched down, pulling them down with him.

"The moment the gunfire stops, scatter and regroup back at base. It's too dangerous for us to be out in the open right now." He hissed at them. "Act like frightened civilians wanting to get away from the explosion. Talk to as few people as possible."

As soon as the bullets relented, Scott was on his feet and moving, heading for the base. He didn't feel right, like something was about to go wrong. Or possibly that it already had. More than just the explosion and attack.



The illusion paralyzed Cameron, and he turned to face the male hero as soon as it was over. The effort of the illusion was evident, and Cameron turned away once again, allowing the words to swim over his head. It wasn't his choice whether they cooperated or not. Either way, he'd work with it.

Matt yelled out, and Cameron felt gunfire pierce the air. He swore to himself and ducked, making himself as small as he could and lighting a small fireball. A second or two after, an explosion shattered the air, the shockwave sending Cameron flying. Uninjured, he scrambled to his feet. As he did so, an arm wrapped itself around his chest, covering his mouth with a rag to stop him from screaming and the other injecting a needle into his arm. He instantly went limp and watched as the fireball in his hand extinguished itself, moments before he blacked out.

The whole thing happened in the space of thirty seconds after the explosion. He didn't think anyone had seen him or his attacker.



A vision, from his own power, not the male hero's, swallowed Matt. Gun fire shattered the air around both the heroes and the villains, before an explosion detonated. With that, the vision ended.

"GET DOWN! NOW, RIGHT NOW!" He yelled. To their credit, most of the villains hit the ground. They'd seen how accurate his warnings were, a point which was emphasized by the gunfire that pierced the air. He was a little slow to hit the ground himself, and a bullet skimmed past his shoulder, grazing it. He grimaced as he flattened himself against the ground. He saw Cameron light up and counted the seconds. One. Two. Thr-

With a whoosh that almost sucked the air from his lungs, the building near all of them went up. The heroes were scattering. Matt's head shot up. Helena. Where was she, and was she in danger?

"Get back to the base. Split if you have to, but stay safe. Don't try any stupid crap. We're in enough danger as it is." He ordered, getting to his feet. He pulled out his fake police ID and used it to cut his way through the crowd.

As soon as he was clear, he broke into a sprint. He found her and grabbed her shoulders. "Helena. There was an incident. Gunfire and an explosion. We need to move." He took her hand with his uninjured arm.

Helena felt the familiar rush of molecules weaving their way around her own. Once she was inside the abandoned storage room, she sank to the ground, tucking her knees up under her chin. Scott's illusion still thrummed in the back of her mind as hot, pregnant tears streamed down her face. She saw the flames devouring everything, the blood, and the corpses of her loved ones. Her nostrils were tainted with the scent of copper and sulfur, as if she'd been through Hell and back. What had she done? If there was any chance for the Heroes and the Villains to team up, it was lost now. Though, she knew it had to be done. Dismay wouldn't have just sat around while they negotiated. Sure there was probably a smarter way to go about it but she was on the spot. She acted the villain, spurned by her own panic to intimidate. She didn't care about what the others thought of her, but she was reassured by the look in Andrew's eyes. He wasn't upset with her. And that was all she could ask for.

She heard the distant sound of Matt's strangled cry before a slew of gunshots brought her to her feet. People were panicking outside, running for safety. Helena felt her heart race as a subtle beeping sound caught her attention. She turned, a small blinking red light making her curse. The bomb exploded and she quickly activated her ability before the shrapnel could tear her apart. It blew out the bottom floor of the building. she had a millisecond to manipulate her molecules, vibrating them into a new quantum frequency so she could transport herself a few feet away. She did it, and when she reassembled herself, a sweat broke out across her brow. Almost immediately someone grabbed her shoulders. She jumped, turning to meet an injured Matt face to face. She glanced down at his wound, swallowing the huge lump in her throat as he told her they needed to move.

"Where are the others?" She demanded, yelling over the crowd. But it fell on deaf ears. She trusted her companion though, as well as her trainees. No doubt he told them where they would all reconvene. They were strong, her villains. They could take care of themselves. She could only hope that they'd all meet up and be alright.

---

As the bullets tore through the sky between the enemies, and Andrew immediately hit the ground, drawing Alisia up under him to shield her with himself. He got up when the gun fire ceased, only to duck right back down as the building adjacent to them exploded. He whipped his head around to see it go up in flames. The ruby-lipped girl had gone in there. His first inclination was to worry about whether or not he made it out, but he couldn't afford that luxury. He had to get Alisia to Golden Gate Bridge Park quickly before it was too late. Andrew grasped her hand in his and tugged her up, dragging her up onto her feet. His eyes scanned the streets to try and map out the best route to take to get there without getting trampled by the panicked crowds. With his keen sense of direction he was able to do so in a short span of time. They'd be able to do it. They could be safe. He looked at her, holding Alisia's gaze with an intense seriousness.

"Listen, I'm going to get you out of here, Ali. Just stick close to me and I promise you'll be safe."

It was the first words he ever spoke to her. Andrew took off into a run, dragging her behind him. He lead her through the crowds growling in frustration as their pace began to slow, so he cut through the alley. They ran, as fast as his legs could carry him. His palms were sweaty, so her hands were slipping but his grip was like a vice. Suddenly, he was knocked back up against the brick wall by a cloaked figure. Andrew quickly retaliated, using his telekinesis to throw a trash bin at the man as he encroached Alisia. The figure fell to the ground and Andrew stood in front of Ali, guarding her from the attacker.

"Ali! Run!" Andrew yelled, wiping his head around to see her panicked stare. He felt himself being lifted up, and he hollered, "RUN!" before he was punched in the face. He used what was left of his mental capacity to toss her out of the alley. His last glance forced the route into her mind, telling to her what path to take to get to safety. His eyes begged her to go. As a needle jabbed its way into his side, he slipped into unconsciousness.