Adrien King's Story

Daniel

About halfway through explaining everything to Adrien, Danny realized he'd been out of time too long. It wasn't that he couldn't keep it up any longer, but it was getting harder, and if he overstayed it would take him a while before he was ready to do it again. Knowing how things were probably going to come to a head soon, he decided to hop back into normal time for the rest of the explanation. Of course shortly after that, and maybe five seconds after he finished talking, there was some kind of huge commotion down the hall. He and Adrien seemed to reach the same conclusion, and they both raced down the hall to find...

Well, actually, he had no idea what they'd found. Mikhail was crying, Zara was completely loopy and April was kissing Chandler. After a few moments of stunned silence to take this in the first thought in Danny's head was She was with James earlier. What a slut. And around then he came to his senses. This was probably- No, this was definitely more emotional manipulation, and he hadn't had time to warn Chandler. For a moment he seriously considered stopping time, grabbing one of the iron pokers by the nearby fireplace and just smashing the two spy girls on the head, but aside from being reckless and violent, that might also accidentally hurt Chandler. For now he waited tensely for someone to make the next move... and for April to quit eating Chandler's face already.

Zoe

Chandler...was kissing her...what was she feeling? Jealousy? This was all so sudden that it was hard to pinpoint. No, it was jealousy. He was kissing her...no, she was kissing him. But did he like it? No...no he obviously didn't. But why was April doing this? What was her problem? Zoe thought that she-her thoughts were interrupted when Chandler collided with her, both of them falling onto the hardwood floor. If she hadn't been stuck in her own thoughts she would have been able to use her powers to save him...but what if that actually killed him? She was worried...for someone else? Yes. She wanted to make sure he was okay...but how could she do anything to help him when if she used her powers she could kill him? She decided none of her thoughts mattered at the moment, she had to make sure that everything that mattered to her survived until everything calmed down.

"A-are you okay?" She whispered silently, not having the courage to even look at him. What if he wasn't? What if he was horrible but he said that he was okay, she'd be able to tell he was lying by looking at him, so she couldn't now.

Liesel

Fear. That's all she felt when the floor around her got destroyed, and the ceiling above her cracked. Death: Twenty percent chance. Fifty percent chance. Thirty percent chance. Eighty percent chance. The numbers changed quickly and sporadically, she was used to logic and an order of things. But this Mikhail guy...he was dangerous...maybe even crazy, and judging by how April was cracking recently, Liesel could see why she liked him. Luckily she was safe, April saved her, but whether or not that was based on friendship was truly in question. Slowly, the percentages calmed down when Mikhail and Hallie left, whatever April had done worked. She assumed that April used her poison lipstick or something to take care of Chandler, and then played some mind games with Mikhail. It was funny how integral he was to the whole group.

"He's going to hurt you,"

The percentages came back-meaning Mikhail and Hallie were as well. "You should listen to what he said," Liesel said, finally speaking out. "I haven't done anything to anyone here yet, but if I'm going to be a prisoner, it's best for your safety that he is as well," Liesel said, with sympathy in her voice. "I'm sorry but it's the truth, he's unstable, and there's an eighty percent chance that he's going to cause pain to someone or multiple people. I suggest you take him prisoner too, but if you don't want to then good luck," Liesel finished, standing back for the time being. She turned around slightly to stare at the rest of the group, Adrien seemed a bit surprised and scared by all this, Zoe was checking in on Chandler, and Arian was doing who knows what to Danny, perhaps dire situations turned her on? She turned back to the rest of them, waiting to hear their opinions. She was never good at manipulating, but this was the truth, and if they refused to see it, then so be it.

Daniel

Most of this was passing way over Danny's head. Mikhail was dangerous now? Well yeah, he could crush you into a singularity. He'd just demonstrated how dangerous he could be on Liesel. But everyone was taking it as if he was dangerous to anyone around him, even friends. Danny, personally, saw no evidence of that. Well, except the part where he broke down and cried in the middle of a tense situation, a part of him pointed out. Not the model of mental health, that. Danny ignored this.

What caught his attention was Liesel's two cents. It started with "I haven't done anything to anyone here yet," and right from there he knew it was bullshit.

"You're lying," he said, the first thing he'd said openly since all this started. "The first thing you did the moment we were alone was try to manipulate me. You tried to get me drunk, fed me a bullshit story and some fake tears- I don't even know what you wanted at the end of that, but I know when I'm being lied to."

He looked at the others - those of them not wrapped up in stuff he didn't understand, anyway. "She's doing the same thing now. Trying to mess with our heads, turn us against each other. First Mikhail, then who else? Who's going to be dangerous next? Me? Chandler? Hallie? Not to mention what they've already done to Zara." He glared at Liesel and April again. "I say we lock them both up and get out of here. Maybe their friends outside will come bust them out."

Daniel

For a moment, Danny felt strangely inclined to believe Liesel, in spite of his reservations and personal experience... then his all-but-anthropomorphized common sense kicked him in the head and he remembered she wasn't to be trusted. What was all this probabilities talk anyway? Related to her power? He'd figure it out later. For now, he was just pissed. "Right," he scoffed. "Because you didn't at all spend five minutes spinning some tall tale with more holes in it than a colander dipped in acid. It would take some kind of idiot to try and pull off a crap story like that anyway."

He didn't really care about the gun thing - come to think of it, they were supposed to be rescuing 'agents' so yeah, it made sense she could use a gun. But that had only made him paranoid at first, made him distrustful. Her transparent attempts at manipulation were the main issue now, plus someone had clearly drugged Zara and there were only two real suspects. "You lied to me already. Now you expect me to believe my friend is dangerous just because of you're throwing around the word 'probabilities'? I think you're lying again. What are the odds of that?"

Danny probably looked a lot less cool than he sounded right now. In addition to the fact that he was always kind of scrawny, he was currently talking over Arian's shoulder, with his arms wrapped protectively around her. Not the picture of badassery. But his voice was firm and his gaze was hard. That had to count for something.

It was around then that Mikhail proved that he actually had bought the dangerous bit. He seemed seriously tired - you could hear it in his voice. It grated on Danny's nerves that he was taking those two seriously and not just locking them up and throwing away the key, but he just didn't have it in him to argue with the guy. After gritting his teeth for a few moments he nodded reluctantly. "Fine," he said. "We'll see what happens tomorrow. But best take Zara too - let her work out the drugs somewhere safer."

James

Facing Danny, he nodded, thinking Zara would be safer elsewhere as well. "I'll grab her," he said, reluctantly facing Hallie. She was livid, but trying to hide it. Denying leaving was a good choice would be stupid. Mikhail even agreed with James. She had to listen. "I'll...let you guys...you know."

Crossing the hallway, he didn't eye anyone, his own head buzzing with questions and doubting his own ability. He couldn't see the future. It was crazy. (But everything since arriving at Psy Prep has been crazy...) Shaking out of his thoughts, he found Zara in a fit of scratching, red marks along her arms and legs.

"Shit," he breathed, rushing forward and pinning her arms to her sides. "Zara...we're leaving, I'm taking you back to Psy Prep. Maybe they can help you." Although he wasn't sure how long of a ride it would be. They took a helicopter to get here, no roads to follow, just a straight line. Sighing, he focused on the girl beneath him. "Can you walk?"


Chandler

He didn't like it. How could they trust James' ability, especially with April in the room? But Mikhail panicked after hearing Hallie might die. Well duh, they all might die. Despite the laid back day and a half they had here, minus their arrival, there were guns outside. Men with guns. Willing to shoot kids.

Facing Zoe, he gave a little smile and took her hand to help keep his balance. His headache took a strange turn, pulsing in a different spot every second. "I want to but...I don't think...anyone should leave...We have to figure this out without our emotions getting in the way." Hoping Mikhail heard him, he eyed the Russian boy. "We're all at risk of dying. Out there in only a car? Do you really think they have a chance of surviving any better than we do? If I could zap them back to the school, then that'd be fine but...I can't. I think we should all stay here."

Hallie nodded. "I agree." Her white-haired head turned quickly to Mikhail as she took his hand. "I'll help you control it."

Chandler didn't know if that was a good idea either, but liked it better than leaving. Then he faced April. "And..." he sighed. "I don't think we should take anyone hostage."

He didn't wait for any responses.

"We have a mission. Get them out of here. We're not supposed to think of them as the enemy. I don't know what their game is, but we have an objective. We shouldn't stray from it just because some girl wants to be difficult. Most girls are."

His eyes switched to Zoe and he smiled a bit. "Most girls."

Zara

She struggled weakly against James's grip, a humongous headache taking hold. "Of course I can walk," she mumbled surly, "But not if you're holding my arms like this."

They were leaving? Was the mission done? But...but what about...Zara didn't want more of the drug, but she had just come down from her high, and if it got worse, she wouldn't be able to handle it. She moaned as her skin crawled, fingers writhing. Did they have what she needed at the school? She couldn't remember what they said she was on....her mind was foggy and she hardly remembered what had happened in the past hour. Except, of course, for James's sexist comments. That would stay burned in her head for a long, long time.

"What am I on?" she asked, refusing to look at James, "What's the drug? And was it April who did it?"

Mikhail

So...they weren't leaving? What?

Mikhail felt wobbly, even with the help of his power, and he hurried to one of the couches before he collapsed, dragging Hallie as long as well. Sitting felt like heaven, and he remembered he had hardly slept the night before. Sleep could wait for now, though.

"April is beyond difficult," Mikhail retorted.

"That was almost a compliment," April snorted. He thought he heard her smiling, but wasn't sure. His head was too busy pounding relentlessly. What time was it anyways?

Chandler was right, though. A car was hardly enough protection. Mikhail was under the assumption that they were in a ceasefire of some sort, especially considering nobody shot at him and Hallie when they were in the woods, but maybe they were all on break? Or on specific orders not to shoot yet? What if moments before, Mikhail had been about to send Hallie to her death by letting her leave?

Thinking was difficult. Danny and James wanted to leave, but Chandler and Hallie didn't. Mikhail had wanted to leave since day one. Clearly April and Liesel didn't want them to leave. Would Zara want to stay?

And now Chandler didn't want any hostages.

"Whatever," Mikhail finally said, head in hands and eyes closed, "You guys decide what we're doing, and let me know before I pass out."

April

She was surprised to hear Chandler say no hostages. That was a plus, especially considering what she had done to him. And what she had done to Zara. Maybe he wasn't so bad. But those glasses...and that dressing style...Ech. Definitely not her type.

"So we're all staying?" she repeated cautiously, not wanting to sound too eager or disappointed.

Zoe

The warmth of Chandler's hands seeped into Zoe's cold ones as he held her hands for balance. He was shaky, whatever April did wasn't good, that was for sure. She slightly smiled back at him, hoping he'd be okay. Zoe was surprised though when he suggested they didn't take hostages. But after thinking about, she thought maybe it was for the best, if April and Liesel felt as though everyone was against them, they would retaliate and cause everyone to panic like they just did now. Not only that but Chandler's reasoning was viable as well and she guessed he was right anyways. She tensed a bit at his final words, she wasn't used to compliments really. She smiled a bit, accepting the compliment. "Do you want to go anywhere?" She asked, "Maybe if we get further away from April you'll feel better," she whispered, making sure April didn't hear...

Liesel

No hostages? That was good. Liesel collected her breath when everything calmed down and took a seat on the couch. Suddenly, she was beginning to feel an odd sensation, like she wanted...had to tell the truth...she bit her lip, wondering what was going on with her. But tell the truth to who? Why was she even questioning this sensation? She didn't want to act on it, what if she revealed too much? She wasn't even sure where this random spontaneous mental urging was coming from. Was it guilt? No, that couldn't be right...She wasn't sure how much longer she could ignore the mental urge to listen to what everyone said and speak only the truth. It was an odd mental command...to listen to them...suddenly, her eyes darted towards Arian, the percentage was pretty high that she was a mind reader, perhaps she could control them as well, there was a fifty seven percent chance she could...Liesel tried even harder to stop the urges, but Arian was good...she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold on to her own mind...

Daniel

Danny shook his head in disbelief. "No hostages? You're aware what's been happening basically this entire day, right? James just confirmed it: She-" He pointed at April. "-drugged Zara. They've both been trying to pull our strings, and if you don't think that's bad enough just think what they would have done if it worked. If we don't lock them up while we're sleeping, I don't know that any of us will wake up. Tomorrow we can decide if we throw away the key, but today they're prisoners. I'd rather have live cobras running loose in the house."

He sighed. "Look, I want to think everyone here is on the same side, as much as anyone does. But what we want and what actually happens doesn't always fit together. They've hurt us. They've tried to use us. They've made themselves the enemy. We can accept that, or we can risk the same thing that's happened to Zara, or even worse. It's that simple." Danny met Chandler's eyes with his own firm, determined gaze. Inwardly he was wondering if Arian was having any success - she was still holding him, so presumably she hadn't been kicked out or anything. What was she doing in there?

Chandler

"Sounds great," he said softly back to Zoe. His head swayed this way and that, though his body remained upright. He couldn't be sure what was truly happening though. Consciousness slowly began to slip away.

Danny's tirade woke him enough though. But before he could retaliate, something he didn't want to do anyway, Liesel began acting strange. Now, he didn't know the girl very well, perhaps this was normal, but the noises she made told him different.

Slowly hobbling over, so that he wouldn't fall, he brought Zoe closer to the group, watching in horror as Liesel struggled with some sort of mental attack it seemed. What spewed from her mouth made little sense to him. "What's going on?" he questioned, looking to April for answers. She was supposed to be with this girl after all. Did this happen often?

But soon they found out the truth. It was Arian.

Chandler eyed her, still clinging to Danny. "And you're telling me they're the ones planning skewy stuff?" He held his head, woozy for a moment. "Can we just...cut the "at each other's throat" act and move on? We don't have to like each other. But we can survive together, yes?"

Kneeling down, he turned to Zoe saying, "Can you find a wash cloth or a tissue for Liesel?" He struggled to help the girl sit up, watching her eyes roll around in her head from the trauma. Chandler was angry, something that was unusual and he didn't like. Where was Hallie when you needed her? "This wasn't necessary," he said lowly, to no one in particular.

Zoe

Zoe smiled at Chandler. It seemed like he was...doing a bit better she guessed, he needed to sleep or something, that was for sure, she wanted to get away from all this drama as well...

Then everything started going to chaos again. Liesel began having a seizure of some sort on the floor. Zoe was admittedly scared, she wasn't even sure if this was a trick or not. Amid her seemingly random nonsense she said Arian was getting into her head. Zoe's eyes darted towards the girl, she had never really liked her, but that was mostly because of the fact that Arian didn't seem to understand that people didn't like their minds being played with like silly putty. Zoe then turned her attention back to Chandler and Liesel, him asking her to get a wash towel or tissue. "Sure," Zoe said quickly, giving her usual one word responses as she got up to leave, but she stopped abruptly, turning back to Chandler, "Don't push yourself to hard, you don't want to end up unconscious," she stated before leaving the area.

She looked around the house, starting in the kitchen, eventually, she reached a box of tissues. She grabbed it and took a small hand towel she noticed along with her, eventually making it back to the living room. "Here," she stated, taking some tissues out and handing them to Chandler, she stayed close to him, trying to ignore the wayward eyes of the others, she wasn't used to being around everyone, they barely saw each other since the camping mission really, she only saw them in class and crossed them in the halls, not really speaking to them. But this wasn't a time to think about herself.

Liesel

Liesel's mind was a mess. Her head was jumbled, thoughts and memories she once held dear faded away. She wasn't sure what was going on, but there was one thing that she could understand during the flashes of memories...probabilities. They were still plaguing her mind, running rampant throughout her brain. She was unconscious, that was for sure, yet she was conscious in her own parallel world of sorts, like a dream. Or more accurately, a nightmare. Every once in a while she would cough out for breath, or moan from the mental stress, but that was basically the only thing the others could see and hear her doing. She hoped she got out of this soon, she had to get back, she had to complete her mission...

Adrien

Adrien was so confused at what was going on. Liesel was having a panic attack or something. But he was shocked when he heard who caused it. Arian...did she mean to do this? Did she want to see Liesel suffer? Was she really this dangerous? Adrien was unsure and slightly scared. Everything was too crazy, too chaotic. He wanted to return to Psy Prep, to finally find a calm from this storm of insanity. Silently, Adrien left the living room, wanting to get away from the havoc, and returned to his room. He relaxed on the comfy bed, thoughts of home coming to his mind. So Psy Prep was his home huh? ...He was okay with that...

Anna relished in the moment his lips were on his, and though it only lasted seconds it felt like an eternity. Her apprehension to around him slipped away as she curled up with him. A warm fire rolled wild in the hearth, combating the chill from the snow falling past the windows. Based on the weather, she knew going back outside wouldn't be an option, and she worried about the others out at the mansion.
" I hope the others are alright, they have been gone for so long..."
Eager to catch up on the lessons she missed, she hoped they would soon return. Especially Adrien, it had been so long since she experienced his goofy personality, and seen his smile.
"I miss my room mate, he can be silly at times but I think you will like him. I am not close to anyone else though...just you two.."
Hopefully with Axel around she would feel a little more confident around the others, thought it would take some time. However, Axel had successfully pulled her out of her shell. She wanted to know more about him, him but she was afraid to ask him... and his dreams were cryptic and bizarre. Unsure of what to do next, she looked up at him and asked, "So what would you like to do me? "

James

"Just uh...yeah, lay down." He was scratching at his neck, trying to figure out why he had said that. Perhaps he was just trying to make her feel better? Maybe...but then why was he so red?

Tugging a chair over, he lounged in it, trying to return to his usual casual self. It wasn't happening very easily, but he pressed on.

"I don't know, about April, for sure," he admitted, the red fading away. "I mean...yeah, she's...well..." Awkwardly he met Zara's eye. "You know what, let's not talk about her. How are you doing?"


Chandler

Surprised by Zoe's willingness to help him, Chandler relaxed a little and watched her guide/drag Liesel into the bedroom until she disappeared around the hallway wall. Arian had left by then, leaving Danny silent. Chandler didn't want to speak to him at the moment, or anyone really. Eye lids drooping, he fought to stay awake. Distantly he remembered a scream, but didn't know for sure who it had been. Everyone had just filed out and he was nearly unconscious on the carpet. How'd he get on the floor?

It was rather soft and he grinned just a little as his eyes closed briefly. When they opened, he saw Zoe returning. Gently, because he really couldn't be bothered with moving to much, he half-waved her over. "Thanks," he whispered, finally falling asleep.


Hallie

She moved from countless memories, but felt completely new. Sitting up, she quickly pulled her shirt off entirely, the cold of the room striking her like an icy blanket, allowing Mikhail's warm fingers to trail shivers up and down her sides. The swirl of lust engulfed them both, the confusion of emotion sharing not helping them direct their actions from thought. It was all instinct and want.

Fingers curling into his hair, she pulled him down on top of her again, lips locked. It was too fast, no, it wasn't fast enough. Indecision flitted across her sight, back and forth, a pounding in her head erupting like a geyser. Anticipation? Fear? Hallie tore Mikhail's shirt away, fingers fumbling with his pants zipper, all effort put into that kiss.

The next instant vanished from her memory, all that mattered was that clothes no longer separated them. Gasping for air, she fell back on the pillows, hands around her neck. Their eyes locked, the sun setting in the window, orange rays bathing the room in fiery shadows.

Only a flicker spit into her mind, a doubt as tiny as a mosquito.

James said he would hurt me...

Then it was gone. And she smiled.

Chandler

"Chandler!"

"Chandler! Wake up! It's urgent!"

His glasses fell off the side of the bed he lounged across. "...mom?"

It took two groggy seconds to realize that it wasn't mom. Another two to rub at his eyes. Another one to spring out of bed. Through the open door, he saw only bad things.

Following Zoe, as quickly as he could being have asleep and drained from April, he found a scene that had his gut dropping through the floor. Hallie wrapped in a sheet, blood on her arm. Zara keeping James alive it seemed with her hands on a wound. Mikhail was nearly pulling his hair out.

"Where's Danny? And Adrien?" Chandler spun about, colliding with a wall as he lost his footing. "What the hell is going on?!"

Arian gave her two cents and Chandler sighed, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. "I think she has a point." His eyes found Zoe's and he swallowed hard. "Time to go."

James

Chandler hobbled forward to help Mikhail, not looking the greatest, but James couldn't say he felt any better. Zara's hand was in his as he stood up, the memory of how it got there within the last few seconds blacking out. That didn't matter though. Arian and Zoe were there to help them down the hall, James a bit more wobbly than he would have liked.

His eyes went to the door where Danny and April were. "Shouldn't...someone help?" he said softly, throat a bit hoarse for some reason. His blue green eyes found Arian's and he knew she must be worried about him. "I think we got it if...if you want to..." he added to her, feeling awkward for suggesting it. It wasn't that they had a little history together, it was that he hoped she could handle it if Danny got hurt. Everyone else was weakening, their best bets Arian, Zoe and Adrien at the moment. They needed to be in the game and in it fast.

James' hand tightened around Zara's as they slowly made their way to the garage. Cars. Yes. Cars. "Should we try to fit into one?" he suggested to Mikhail as he and Chandler carefully came through with Hallie. His fingers kept fidgeting. He didn't like this. He needed his strength back. But as soon as he thought it, a wave of nausea swept over. Gagging a little, he leaned against the closest vehicle and closed his eyes to try and find balance.

Liesel

"Verdammt Schicksal!" Liesel yelled as she pushed Danny out of the way, shooting April, she didn't even know what part of April's body she was attempting to hit, she just wanted to hit her. Liesel felt as though she was betraying April...no, she was buying them more time, and not only that but April wasn't supposed to go around maiming everyone, it wasn't part of the plan! Liesel was coming under some stress too, it was a last ditch effort, but she hoped this would gain the groups trust. She had an important mission to complete and she was going to complete it. As the shot hit April Liesel felt more guilty at the girls yelling, but she dismissed it, she was doing what was for the best.

Adrien

Adrien walked down the hall wondering what was going on. He heard loud thuds and noises coming from outside but dismissed them, actually wanting some time to be alone. Getting bored of the whole alone thing he left the room and began walking down the hall, sliding his hands on the old walls. Suddenly, he heard a loud bang...like a gun shot. He ran towards the source of the noise, bursting through the door to see blood, April on the floor, Danny with some kind of weapon, and Liesel with a gun in her hand. He didn't have any time to process it and freaked out a bit. "What the heck happened?" He asked, shocked at the whole situation. "April went rogue, started attacking everyone, I shot her before she could do anything to Danny, we have to get out of here before she gets back up, go!" Liesel said, summing up the situation, when she told him to go Adrien started leaving, waiting by the door for them, Liesel assumed he wasn't still completely trustworthy.

Zoe

Zoe had no clue how to drive a car. She would just be an idiot to try to. But everyone else seemed in pretty bad shape as well, she wasn't sure how they would do either. There was always Adrien, but Zoe doubted there was any chance in the world he would know how to drive one. Zoe rubbed her temples, not having any clue what to do, everything was hectic and she wasn't sure how much longer everyone could take it.

Liesel

Liesel had to have some way to communicate with April...what language did both of them speak? Liesel knew a bit of French, she was pretty sure April knew it as well. "Désolé, mais je ne savais pas quoi faire. Vous avez rejeté le plan à cause de vos problèmes avec la Russie, mais j'ai mes propres objectifs et je ne peux pas laisser la jeune fille va," Liesel said, to April, letting her know her motives. She grabbed Danny's arm and brought him to the end of the room, "Do you need help walking or are you okay?" She asked, feeling a tinge of guilt for April. Before she walked out the door with Danny and Adrien she turned to April one last time. "Je vous enverrai l'emplacement de l'école une fois que je y arriver afin que vous puissiez obtenir votre vengeance sur le garçon, mais j'ai besoin de leur confiance." With that, she left the room. Liesel waited for Danny's response on how well he could walk, but he had to answer fast, they had to get out of there.

Daniel

The yell of 'Liesel' was kind of a tip-off. The creaky door opening didn't help much, either. Danny stopped time and glanced down to find Liesel herself pointing a gun at his leg. He winced. Good thing these two couldn't keep a secret or he wouldn't have known to step aside. When time resumed he was standing about a foot to the right of where he had been, well out of the bullet's probable trajectory and still wearing a mild, cocky grin.

"You didn't really think you could take me-" He began, but at that point a shot rang out. For a moment, out of sheer, terrified shock, he imagined he could feel pain in his leg... then he realized there was none. April, on the other hand, was sporting a fresh, bleeding wound on hers, and Liesel was firing several more shots. "...by surprise," he muttered dimly. He grimaced, absently rubbing his ear. Gunshots were loud. Just as he was about to ask what happened, Adrien came bursting into the room, and after a brief exchange it seemed they had all reached the same conclusion: April is batshit insane, make fast happen now.

At this point Danny was starting to feel guilty. Not just a tiny bit, but really, actually bad. He really didn't have any proof Liesel had been messing with him before. It could be her life was legitimately that improbable - hell, he could stop time and had been sent on a mission after all of two weeks' worth of training. And now she had shot at April, risked herself against that psychopath to save his skinny behind- Wait, why was she yelling in French at April? Suddenly the doubts came rushing back, along with a voice he had learned to distinguish from his own thoughts telling him It's another trick. For all we know, this whole thing was a setup. Just stop time, grab Adrien and leave her here.

That voice, combined with Liesel asking about his health, factored heavily into his next decision. Once they were all out, he looked at her, his expression concerned and confused, but not really mistrustful. "She couldn't touch me," he said hurriedly as they began the run down the stairs. "What was that you were saying? Was that French?" He'd had a French class in school. He barely paid attention and just stole the answers, but he knew how to recognize the language. He wasn't going to just do what the voices in his head told him - that was textbook crazy - but he was more suspicious than his own face and voice let on. Why did she save him? Why was she talking to April? Whose side was she really on?

April

God-damnit. The bleeding didn't look like it wanted to stop anytime soon. She heard Liesel's "apology/explanation" in French, but it hardly stymied her anger. "YOU BITCH!" she screamed again, even though they had left, "SI JAMAIS JE TE REVERRAI, JE VAIS TE TUER, PUTAIN PUTE!!!"

Her voice grew hoarse near the end, and she began coughing. Blood spurted out onto the wood flooring and her hands, mixing in with the blood from her leg wound. Amidst the coughing, she ripped off the bottom hem of her shirt and tied it as tight as she could around her leg. That stupid bugger. Did she really have to shoot her in the bloody leg? And now everyone was leaving. Well, like hell if she'd let them leave without a fight!

Scrabbling to her feet, she dashed down the hall and towards the garage, adrenaline and anger fueling her, leaving behind a trail of one-sided bloody footsteps.

Mikhail

The Russian was about to fall over when he heard footsteps. Looking up, he was relieved to see Danny and Adrien, but not so much to see Liesel.

"Two questions," he said, using the hood of the car as support. He pointed at Danny: "Can you drive? And..." he pointed at Liesel, "What the hell is she doing here?"

Liesel

"Alright good," Liesel said, so April couldn't lay a hand on him huh? He was going to be a tough person to beat. They paced down the stairs, "Yeah, it was French, sorry about that," Liesel said staring at him, guessing he was probably still suspicious...hopefully not. "I basically told her she was endangering everyone, and that she wouldn't be able to get revenge on Mikhail, I then told her she'd never be able to find us at the school, and that I was gonna tell the school that she went rogue," Liesel replied. Eventually they reached the garage with everyone else. Liesel staggered, still dizzy from everything.

She turned to Mikhail, he seemed to be the leader of the group, if she could convince him of her innocence she could probably convince the others...but when April left she would definitely be the target of mind readers and the like, she shivered at the thought. "I'm coming with you guys, I'll get picked up at Psy Prep because it's too dangerous here with April, I kind of shot her to save Danny, she went rogue, it wasn't part of our mission to start killing everyone. If you don't trust me, here's a gun," she said, placing the gun in Mikhail's hands. She took out the one in her other back pocket, "I'll be keeping this one for protection, April probably isn't happy with the fact I shot her," Liesel said, letting him know pretty much what happened. Soon she heard more footsteps, "We gotta go fast, you guys can put me on trial or whatever the hell you wanna do when we get back, but now we gotta go before she kills all of us!" Liesel exclaimed. She staggered a bit more, "I can drive but I'm not in that great of a condition, so if we have to I will," she stated.

Daniel

While Liesel was focused on Mikhail, Danny was focused on Liesel. Now he was really on his guard, he could watch for the signs. Oh, it wasn't some deep, complicated stuff like minor facial twitches or slight discolorations of the skin - he was good, but not that good - he was checking for simpler clues. Looking away at the wrong moments. Hesitating while the rest is made up. On the other hand, being too ready - a rehearsed lie that flows easier than explaining the truth. Trying too hard- No, of course she'd be trying hard even if it was true. She knew she wasn't exactly on the honor roll here.

Most of what he got was... surprising. Parts of it even rang true. He'd caught the word 'vengeance' which didn't exactly take a linguist to translate, and apparently April couldn't get back at Mikhail. And when she started telling Mikhail her end of the story, a lot of it actually had happened. As for the gun, it was a good gesture, but it didn't tell them much logically. She'd make the same gamble lying or not - as they didn't know the truth, the odds were basically the same. Very Schrödinger. He considered stopping time to give it some serious thought, but decided against it when he heard what could only be April scrambling messily along behind them - everyone else was in the garage. He wouldn't get anywhere. Time to make a decision.

"No time to debate it," he said aloud, turning to Liesel. "Give him the other gun and get in the car. No arguing," he told her, then to Mikhail "Keep that thing trained on her. I'll drive." Without waiting for the arguments he lunged in through the front door of the car and held out his hand for the keys. Now, granted, at age fifteen he'd never had a day of driver's ed in his life, but he'd taken joyrides before. He knew the basic principle of driving: One foot on the fast thingy, one foot on the brake, hands on the steering wheel and hope it's not a stick. With those four, simple guidelines he'd stolen five different cars and never had a problem. Sort of.

Mikhail

It hadn't been the first time he'd held a gun, and it wouldn't be the first time to shoot one if the time came to it. But it would be the first time he'd be shooting an actual person, versus a target. Had he stayed at the MID, he'd definitely get one issued to him as soon as he turned 18. It was a rite of passage. You aren't a child anymore. Now you really belong to us.

His hand shook from the weight of the gun, and he switched grips to his left hand. This was hardly better, but at least his hand didn't hurt. He put the safety on, just because he didn't want the stupid thing to go off on accident. If Liesel was telling the truth, or even a particle of it, then she wouldn't try anything stupid on them. Or so he hoped. He tightened his grip just in case.

So that made Danny and Arian as their drivers. Danny was already in the car, and Arian probably wasn't too far behind. He did a headcount: 10. Split between two cars, that'd be five each. He knew that he and Liesel would be riding with Danny, but he realized the dilemma quickly. Ideally, he'd have Zara and Hallie in the car with him. But seeing how Zara reacted earlier, she probably didn't want to sit away from James. Which meant it was either Zara or Hallie.

As much as he wanted to be with Hallie, he didn't want to leave Zara alone. Her words from earlier still stung. And if he hadn't been near Hallie in the first place, if he had just let her leave when James said they should, then they wouldn't be in this mess at all. So, reluctantly, he helped Zara and James into the car he would be in.

Ominous footsteps slammed closer and closer, like a rabid animal, as Mikhail stood over Hallie, trying to make his goodbye quick. He'd see her again. That was a guarantee. It had to. He wished she would open her eyes. He wished she was awake. So she could hear him. Say goodbye to him as well. Stop looking like she might be gone already. He had to look at her chest just to make sure she was breathing.

Before he knew quite what he was doing, he had unstrapped his glove and was pulling it off. Metal fingers shined underneath, unfeeling as he slipped his glove onto Hallie's hand. He tightened the strap so that it wouldn't fall off. "Make it through, okay?" he asked hoarsely, trying to smile, "The sweater you can keep, but I'll need that glove back." He gave the gloved hand a squeeze, and turned to Chandler as he headed back to the car. "I probably don't have to tell you, but take care of her, okay?" To everybody, he shouted: "Get in the car! Hurry!"

He shut the car door, riding (appropriately) shotgun. He turned around in his seat, facing the back. Zara was holding James and Liesel just sat there. He cocked the gun at her, doing his best to stay conscious and keep his aim steady.