Amelia Hartford's Story

The location that the children had been required to gather at was more impressive than their note would have led them to believe. A large mansion, built to look an awful lot like a castle, the grand front doors were open, though a large burly man stood at the door, ready to check anyone who entered. He would require first the person who wanted to enter to show that they had been invited in and then ask them to hand over their cellphones should they wish to continue, and then instruct them to head inside and take a seat. Whether or not they did wish to continue was apparently up to them, but there was the an equally large burly man now standing by the exit, letting all enter, though they might receive different treatment should they attempt to leave.

Inside of the house, they would first come upon the large grand entrance room. It had been done up nicely, and there were just enough chairs set out in the center of the room for the number of guests expected. Their host would be nowhere to be seen yet, though there were sounds that could be heard throughout the mansion, so it was clear they were not alone.

After perhaps one of the longest flights ever, and most anxious nights she'd ever spent at a hotel, then a day filled with last minute research on the various names she'd found in her file, Amelia finally arrived at the location indicated in the letter. She'd dropped her phone off without complaint, she hadn't figured they'd be allowed to keep it inside, then followed the by who'd asked about a party into the main room.

Brushing her hair back, she looked around uneasily. There were a few others. Most were prodigies, some were considered less so. The boy right there who'd introduced himself as Gregory, she knew for a fact was on the LAPD watch list, noted as a drug dealer. Others were noted in less illegal ways. But, she supposed this Gregory fellow was right about one thing. Based on the files' information, they were the closest thing each other had to a biological family. What worried her though, wasn't that they were test tube babies as some might say, but instead the abilities they had. She knew what she had, but she didn't know about anyone else, and was incredibly wary when it came to them. After all, this entire situation called for caution.

So she sat down, leaning back as she listened to them talk. She hadn't brought the files along with her, instead just carrying a small notebook she'd half filled with notes. The last two days she'd spent jotting down everything she could find on the theories and methods behind what the files claimed these scientists did, and she still felt like she was missing something big. Hopefully, the people in charge here would fill those gaps.

Before she could respond with anything, he heard a loud and cocky voice. "I heard there was a party!"

Turning around, he found the one called Leo jumping up and down with his file, a trait he never expected to see from a potential military operative. Or at least, that's what he dug up. He had many achievements to prove how battle ready he was, possibly the most buff out of the whole group. I swear to God, Rob thought, if he takes off his shirt...

As it turned out, Gregory appeared to show instant satisfaction to Leo's outburst, immediately introducing himself. So Gregory liked excitement, Rob thought. That can be useful to know later...

"Family reunion right?"

And then there's this asshole.

Rob was starting to become irritated by the behavior of everyone around him, specifically Leo and this newcomer, whom he couldn't get the name of right away. “At least I don’t have to pretend to know anyone here at this one. God, that party was a nightmare. Which, speaking of, I’m Alex, and I suggest we decide to not just wait here like sitting ducks for whoever organized this gathering.”

Rob immediately thought this guy talked too much. While he remembered Alex as the cripple, Alex still held a charisma around him that drew his fascination. He couldn't help it. This guy probably ran his mouth off so many times, he probably had spares somewhere. However, he still couldn't help but like him a little bit.

“Seeing as everyone here is present because we're a band of weirdos, I assume you all have some kind of trick up your sleeve?"

That confirmed it, Ron realized. They all had special abilities. He'd bet his Osage on it.

Rob panned the room, glancing at each individual currently present, trying to guess their abilities. Gregory had an aura that could be related to Crank, but his exterior demeanor was something else. Almost a thrill seeker. Ron decided that he was an extreme thrill seeker because it meant he could feel something. Ron pictured him a Wolverine-like person, who probably had incredible healing.

Scar was practically unreadable, hiding her actual personality beneath that tough as nails exterior. He had a theory that it was something lethal, considering what had happened to her boyfriend. But that was a touchy subject, one he would probably not bring up around her.

Leo was military ready. Ron guessed superhuman strength or endurance, maybe even a heightened level of testosterone. He chuckled in his mind at the thought of a super swol dude like Leo with a tiny hubby's chubby.

Moving on to Alex, it was clear he had the power of influence. His charm, his aura, his exterior, his smile revealed that in every way. Too much glam.

He finally rested eyes on the red-head in the chair, a girl who sneaked in under their noses. She appeared very intelligent, the only one carrying a notebook and not a file. Smart but wanted to stay out of the picture. That sounded like invisibility to him.

And, of course, Rob with his extreme accuracy and tracking skills. He felt outclassed. He liked that feeling of being the underdog. It gave him more satisfaction when he won.

"Brilliant idea, Alex," Rob leaned forward in his chair, resting his head between his hands that were resting on the vertically positioned bow staff. "You can go first, since you seem eager to grab all of our attention. Why don't you tell us your tricks and gimmicks? He was poking fun at the fact that he, possibly the rest of the group as well, knew his gimmicks already.

She didn't pale, but she paused, knowing that they all likely had some ability. It wasn't in the report they'd received, but it was easy enough to deduct given her own situation. No, the real issue was revealing those abilities. While they might or might not have ended up deciding to share it with each other, the fact was they were in a stranger's home- most likely one of the scientists. Now, she wasn't sure who'd want to share anything with them, though it was entirely likely that the scientists might have already known.

She didn't feel entirely comfortable about that Alex fellow- he made her feel more uneasy than anything else. His smile initially made her feel at ease, and she had a sense she wanted to like him more than anything, but the moment she'd looked away she felt more uneasy about him than ever, though the underlying desire to like him still remained. His entire aura seemed to have a certain amount of influence, and she was more wary than ever with him in the room.

Still, Amelia didn't move, watching silently as the conversation progressed, fiddling with her fingers as she did so. Normally, she'd have jumped right into the situation, being a cheerful social type of person, but her anxiety kept her quiet and reserved, with no desire to get up or do anything but listen right now, which it seemed no one was going to mind her doing. She jotted down notes about her observations on Alex on one of the pages, then shut her notebook again, watching them once more.

"Brilliant idea, Alex," The one called Rob said, leaning on his staff, in an almost accusatory manner, as if this, Alex fellow had some benefit to them all being here besides the obvious. Gregory liked the crippled boy so far, he had an energy and charisma about him that he found appealing, though Gregorys deep ingrained arrogance prevented him from viewing the boy with anything more than a equal standing with him. Leo had the clear confidence of a man who was capable and skilled, and knew he could get what he wanted by working for it, Gregory appreciated that, having dragged himself up through what he would describe as hard work to get where he was today.
"You can go first, since you seem eager to grab all of our attention. Why don't you tell us your tricks and gimmicks?" Rob said, clearly trying to regain control of a situation he realised Alex had easily wrestled from him.
"Hold it just a minute there Boy Wonder," Gregory said, holding up a hand before Alex had the chance to respond, "If I remember correctly, one of us here is potentially the one who killed our estranged brother. Now if you don't mind, since your oh so eager to know everyone else's skills, I think it is only polite you go first."
He resumed his seat at the end of the table, his eyes carefully watching Rob with a predators smile, "But then again, you probably already know everyone elses dont you? You've done your homework, and you know our histories, you have been the good little detective, havnt you Boy Wonder? So just so that we are all on the same page here with what you know, I think its only fair that you share the info in that little file you got their with the rest of the family."
Gregory smirked, he had wondered what meeting his 'family' would be like, and how it would affect him, it was pleasing to note that it did not seem to change much.
He was as much of an arrogant dick as usual.

The rest of the flight was rather uneventful, as soon as the plane was in the air, Shawn turned his phone back on and buried his head in music once again. It was a long flight but, he managed not to go insane. Jet lagged, and tired the flight landed in New York. The airport was crazy, and the cab driver he managed to get was just as nuts. Shawn had never seen his life flash before his eyes but with the maniac behind the wheel he felt like he might have seen his life and several other past lives go by. Needless to say, he was glad when the cab stopped and he was able to be back on solid ground and not flying through traffic. After paying the cabbie, more than what he deserved in Shawn's opinion. He took in the sight of the building where his letter had directed him. A drawn out whistle escaped his mouth.

"Maaaan someone has some cash I'd wager... would you look at this place. Posh..." he mumbled and continued looking the place over.

Till he noticed the guy out front, noting the man's size he looked surprised. Walking up to him the man just stared him down and held out his hand asking Shawn for his invitation. Now Shawn being like he was didn't think much.

"An invitation? Oh! You mean that letter, I've got it here somewhere just hold on."

He began to reach into all of his pockets, giving the guy a nervous smile. The large man looked like he was growing impatient when Shawn finally pulled out the paper. Handing the crumpled paper over, the man at the door looked over it.

"Keep the change mate." Shawn said as he playfully patted the guy on the shoulder.

The man gave an underwhelmed look, and then asked for Shawn's cellphone. Shawn blinked a couple of times.

"Are you sure? Uhhhh... I kind of need it." Shawn said nervously.

Not that he was worried about not having a phone, but more that the phone had all of his music on it. The man then gave him the ultimatum that he turn over the phone or turn around and leave. Not wanting to tempt fate and risk calling another cab, and the fact this place definitely had his curiosity peaked Shawn reluctantly handed over his phone. The man then opened the door, as he stepped through he was once again taken a back by the lavish mansion. The furnishings were old but well cared for, the lobby area was almost as magnificent as the outside. With suitcase in hand he began to glance around looking for a greeter, when he found none he went to turn around and speak to the man from before. However he was met only with a closed door, assuming he wasn't the only one considering he heard voices, Shawn just headed in the direction they were coming from.

It wasn't hard the room was just adjacent to the entrance, but for some reason Shawn felt very self conscious when he walked in. There were already several others, all he could manage was a goofy smirk. Before ultimately finding a seat and sitting down. While looking down at the floor he tried not to let his nervousness get the better of him. Last thing he needed was to have some sort of sensory overload in front of a bunch of strangers. His only question was why they were all here. Apparently they appeared to be all around the same age, what was all this about? He just hoped whomever had sent the letters showed up soon and explained everything.

S C A R

Scar sat there now silently and uncomfortably. She didn't like the idea of them just "playing" around with their abilities or whatever. It isn't safe. For all they know it could have been anyone of them who wants to kill the rest of us, maybe be the only special one? She didn't know, Scar was never good at trying to guess hidden motives or secrets or anything really. She just knew when something wasn't right, and this was definitely one of those moments.

When Rob spoke up she couldn't tell if it was in sarcasm or agreement but either way it definitely caught her by surprise. Then in the next moment Gregory piped up. If Scar didn't know any better, this just seemed like a "my horse is bigger than your horse argument", a battle of testosterone and having the upper hand in the room. If anything, they all probably just wanted to see who was stronger or more powerful than the other. All she knew is she didn't want to be part of this, not with strangers... especially not with strangers that are all here because there is someone out there wanting us all dead. Just seemed like a horrible idea in her opinion.

And with that Scar uncrossed her legs, pushing her hands off her knees so that she could stand up with ease. "There is wayyyyy too much testosterone in here for me." She slipped between her chair, and the seat adjacent, leaving her jacket and helmet behind as she walked towards the entrance to the room. "I need some air," She said in a hushed tone, under her breath. She walked through the foyer, looking down at the ground as she slid her hands into the front pockets of her jeans. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear someone on the porch talking to the guard. So, of course, she reached the door in perfect timing with the man (Shawn) outside that was trying to make his way in. And in Scar's usual clumsy manner she slammed right into the young man, causing to send herself off balance, almost falling over.

Once she shook it off, her ice blue eyes widened while she brushed back her wild auburn curls. "I am so sorry... Oh my God. Are you ok?" She looked him over, making sure he was ok. "I'm such a klutz, I'm sorry."

Dialog Color: #0020C2

Leo's strategy of coming in and making a somewhat of a loud announcement had completely worked. In a tactical situation Leo had always chose the direct approach, overwhelm with superior firepower and crush the resistance. Although, there is a time and place to go into stealth mode, like he had done earlier but he wanted to see the reactions of those that came in before him. Leo wanted to know what he was potentially working with, sure, he had everyone's files but in the Army sometimes intel was not very accurate. Like the time that his ROTC was doing some MilSim training. Their team was told that the enemy flag was located inside a bunker, but all the bunker contained was an enemy ambush. A good 2/3s of the team was taken out. Turned out the flag was on top of a branch of a tree behind the bunker. Leo wanted to avoid getting taken out this early into this weird game.

The one known as Rob eyeballed Leo as he made his entrance, this guy definitely was trying to analyze Leo. Leo probably would seem very cocky and arrogant right now. But that was fine by him, its better to hide true intentions than to make it obvious. The great Sun Tzu made that a point in his book, The Art of War. The girl Scar gave Leo a uncomfortable look as he walked in, he was pretty sure she was in the same boat as Rob and his staff.

Then there was good ole Greg that surprised Leo the most. He actually greeted Leo with open arms as he introduced himself with a handshake. Another thing that Leo caught was that he introduced himself as Gregory. Most would think a man of his type would shorten his name but he didn't. These two things alone is the reason why Leo didn't trust any intel, no matter how much you study up on something you have to remember that you're reading another person's research. Its better to gain first hand experience and really know about the subject you're looking at.

"I'm Gregory, though judging by the impressive files the lot of you brought you already knew that," He extended a hand in greeting, accompanied by his wry smile, "Where's your sense of adventure?"

Leo chuckled as he accepted the handshake,"I love adventure! Just think of these files as a travel brochure or something! But anyways my name is Leo, nice to meet ya brother!" Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a quiet little redhead slip on by and sat back on her own with a notebook. Now she was studying the group as she made notes of people's actions. Which was cool by Leo, hopefully she wouldn't copy down anything embarrassing.

Leo moved to stand closer to the wall so that he can lean against it and watch the show. Another individual showed up, this one known as Alex. If people thought Leo was pretty loud and cocky then they obviously hadn't had met Alex yet. Leo smiled as the newcomer made his entrance, which automatically made Leo look at Rob to see his reaction. Long story short Rob did not look very pleased. Leo started to figure out that Rob liked to be the man in charge because of authority issues, which is fine by Leo. He wasn't here to lead anyone, sure he was here for his own agenda and if someone wanted him to lead then Leo would do it. But other than that he wasn't going to fight to be an Alpha, he was quite comfortable being the Lone Wolf.

Then the slight bickering had commenced between Rob, Alex and Greg. The whole Alpha thing going in motion. This was definitely a family reunion. There was always the family members that would butt heads with each other but yet they still loved each other. In this situation though, no one really knew one another. So that kind of made things awkward. Which made Leo chuckle.

Leo finally stood up from his leaning place on the wall and put up his hands with his palms facing out in a non-threatening gesture. He spoke,"Alright guys, let's be cool here," Leo chuckled and put his hands down,"I've got a feeling that we all are going to be working together here. So let's try to be friends! Here, I'll start off. My name is Leo Eternali, I like long walks on the beach. Not really, but I can think of one reason why Im here and its something that's made me different than most people." Leo pulled his Gerber assisted Tanto from his pocket and tossed it to Greg. Leo asked him,"Bro can you help me out? Show em what a knife does to me if I get stabbed? I know its weird but its an ice breaker right?" Leo smiled and opened up his arms.

"Hold it just a minute there Boy Wonder,"

Rob glanced towards Gregory, his words holding bravado. "If I remember correctly, one of us here is potentially the one who killed our estranged brother. Now if you don't mind, since your oh so eager to know everyone else's skills, I think it is only polite you go first."

What was this, an accusation? Rob scratched his chin, keeping an eye on Gregory as he sat down once more, a sneer forming on his face. "But then again, you probably already know everyone elses dont you? You've done your homework, and you know our histories, you have been the good little detective, havnt you Boy Wonder? So just so that we are all on the same page here with what you know, I think its only fair that you share the info in that little file you got their with the rest of the family."

"I could probably bet that everyone in this room has done some level of research," Rob responded coldly. "My research is merely basic. But what surprised me was I couldn't find anything about you anywhere, not even something as simple as a Facebook account or any immediate friends. I bet you like it that way. Off the grid...hard to find." He got up from his chair, giving Gregory a suspicious glower. "So what are you trying to hide from?"

"There is wayyyyy too much testosterone in here for me," he heard Scar utter from the side. "I need some air."

Now Rob understood. This was turning into a power struggle. They all thought Rob was trying to be some kind of leader of the gang they were forming, a potential aggressor. All he was doing was trying to solve a mystery, just like everyone else. Obtaining answers was his priority and that included knowing everything he could about his "family".

"Alright guys, let's be cool here," Leo, who'd remained in the background of this argument, came forward. "I've got a feeling that we all are going to be working together here. So let's try to be friends! Here, I'll start off. My name is Leo Eternali, I like long walks on the beach. Not really, but I can think of one reason why Im here and its something that's made me different than most people." He pulled out a knife, tossing it to Gregory. "Bro can you help me out? Show em what a knife does to me if I get stabbed? I know its weird but its an ice breaker right?"

Rob took note of Leo, who seemed way too out of character for his background. He guessed it was a possibility Leo was actually this joking bumble of fun, but he didn't buy it. Somehow, he felt like Leo was putting on a façade, analyzing in secret the way Rob was doing in a confrontational manner.

And Gregory...Rob looked at the now openly armed man. Gregory liked to challenge confrontation. His arrogance proved so. So Rob wondered what Gregory would do here, whether he'd actually take a curious stab at Leo or continue to challenge him instead. Ron put on a smirk. "If Leo's willing to go first, I'm cool with that," Rob said. "If you want to take a stab at me, that's cool too. So go for it."

On the flight, Willa studied the files that were delivered with the letter once more. There were some peculiar names on the list; a few she had heard of, a few brought up information on a cursory Google search (thank you, in-flight WiFi). The file didn't contain any pictures, so the names that did bring up images, she noted. A few prodigies, though she was sure all were gifted. She tried not to pay too much attention to the fact that her birth name was listed, not her now-legal name. So either the information was older and only cursory research had been done on all of them, or her name had been left deliberately. Perhaps to make it easier to draw connections, perhaps for reasons that were going to get her into a fight. Either way, that was the least of her worries.

Finding a cab from the airport wasn't difficult, nor was finding the address. Willa was awestruck by the size of the building she was to report to. It looked almost medieval, like a castle; Kings and nobility were fit to reside there, not a rag-tag bunch of "gifted" children. Maybe that's how important they were. Regardless, their host must be impressive.

Willa climbed out of the cab and swung her backpack on, pulling the cabbie's fair out of her navy coat pocket. She thanked him kindly and tipped well. Let her be remembered as a nice young lady, if she went missing and the poor soul had to give her description.

That was almost all of her American cash, though she had her credit card deep in her jean pocket and a few pieces of jewelry in her bag to hock if worst came to worst, and the ability to make more. Creating metal and gems, that was easy enough, so she doubted she'd be left high and dry at any point. Credit cards weren't so easy, nor cash. She hadn't even packed clothes, preferring to just bring her laptop and money in her carry on, along with a few books. She couldn't just pull those out of thin air. Things with codes were hard; things that she could touch and feel, see how they fit together and looked at every angle, those she could handle.

So she was a little nervous about giving her phone to the guard at the door, and hesitated there for a moment. She was just behind a familiar looking boy with headphones hanging out of his pocket. Ah- he had been on her flight, hadn't he? Willa was about to call out to him when a girl with rather incredible auburn curls smacked straight into him, stumbling for a moment. The short brunette jumped slightly at the collision and handed her phone off to the guard with a sigh, jogging over to the pair.

"I'm such a klutz, I'm sorry." The tough-looking girl was saying, fidgeting nervously around the boy in her concern. Now that she was up close, Willa realized that she was really quite lovely, with icy eyes and some barely visible freckles on her tanned skin. In fact, from what she had seen, they were all good looking. Well, choosing pretty genes must have been easy at the Build-a-Baby they all came from.

"Any broken bones?" She piped, bouncing to a stop next to the pair.

"Somehow I doubt our 'generous host' would be happy if the investments tore each other up before they got to appraise us." She said loudly, using her stage voice so that those in the other room would hear, because she really hoped she had misheard that cocky voice asking to be stabbed.

What a first impression. She certainly was with like company, at least.

S C A R

Shortly after Scar had bumped into the next member of their motley crew, she heard Alex comment, "Somehow, I feel like we scared her off." She chuckled half heartedly while shaking her head. She could careless about the test of man-hood in the adjacent room or anything of that nature. She was mostly scared of being asked about what makes her different. Once someone finds out, they want to see it... and then, that's when all hell breaks lose. Plus, she didn't want people thinking she was the one that killed that other dude in college, she didn't even know who he was.

That is when Scar saw a young girl, obviously the same age as the rest of them bounce over towards her and the young man she just nearly knocked over. She was a cute woman, the pixie cut suited her face shape and also matched her sense in fashion quite well. Scar managed a slight smile as the girl spoke, "Any broken bones?"

Scar laughed softly, "Yeah, I think we're good. I was just in a rush to get a breather." She slipped her hands back into the pockets of her jeans while rocking on her heels slightly. "It's a lot to take in... and I don't even know what I'm 'taking in'. But I think if anything the news is going to get worse before it gets better." Something about this girl made Scar feel at ease, maybe she reminded Scar of an old friend... or maybe she seemed a little more sane than some of the yahoos in the other room. She could easily see herself becoming friends with this girl, but Scar knew better, no one ever sticks around her long enough for friendship, so she shrugged off the idea.

For a brief moment she overheard a bit of the conversations being passed in the other room. Was Leo wanting Gregory to... stab him? She was having a hard time making everything out until she heard Gregory's cocky tone "No promises." Upon hearing that she pivoted on her heel quickly, stepping towards the room the others were in. Her hands rested on the frame of the door as she leaned her head into the room. Her curls fell like a veil over her face and she was able to quickly brush them back in time to see Gregory's fluid movements, plunging the knife at Leo's abdomen, a soft gasp escaping her lips. Her icy blue gaze met that of Gregory's for a brief moment. She'd be lying to herself if she said he wasn't attractive, but he was obviously the typical "bad boy"... everything about him said drugs, sex and rock-n-roll. And contrary to her own tough exterior, she steered clear of guys like him, they were bad news.

She hadn't realized how long she had been staring at Gregory, and upon knowing that she quickly turned back into the foyer towards the two others that were out there with her. "Sorry... Boys being boys." Scar chuckled softly before extending her right hand towards the girl, not worried about any side effects from her touch because she hasn't used in over 24 hours. "I'm Scar."

(Oh my God you guys i am so sorry, for some reason it didn't register on my notifications I am so sorry.)

Jeanne leaned her head against the rest. The file open in her lap. When she had received the invitation the week prior, she had definitely planned to throw it away but as she had sat at her desk at work, her curiosity got the better of her and she began to read through.

When she had got home that night after Aiden had went to be she asked her dad about why he had adopted her? He answered that his wife, Maria was unable to conceive so it was quickly decided that they would adopt. He had told how happy the orphanage had been that someone had taken her, after being brought in by the police.

Jeanne jolted out of her train of thought by the Captain saying the plane was now descending into New York. Putting the file back in her purse, she took a deep breath. She hated planes, something about them see to ill-conceivable. Something this big being this high in the air. She gripped her seat as the wheels bounced up and down hitting the ground and finally coming to a full stop.

It never took Jeanne long to get through baggage claim, she continued to read more in the file. Joan of Arc. Why would someone want to make a clone of her? Her eyes flashed a moment and she looked up to see her bag sliding out the shot. She quickly hailed a cab. She had about 4 hours before she need to be there, quickly signing into her hotel, she decided a shower sounded good. The warm water quickly rolling the stress of the flight. But no amount of hot water could rid her of the pit that slowly grew in her stomach.

Finally sitting on the bed, she couldn't help but look at some of the other names in the file. It was hard to completely register the idea that she was a test tube baby. She had always known she had been different from others her age she just didn't realize how different. She had laid her head on the pillow and before she knew it, sleep had overtaken her.

There blurs of images, the only one that stood out was Leo Vincent, the look of sheer terror, then blood lots of it, many people talking before finally the crack of a gun going off, pulled her from dreamland.

"Not again." She had numerous dream that made little sense to her. Quickly pulling out her phone. "Oh Shit!" Quickly switching into her clothes. Throwing all her things into her purse before bursting through the lobby. She had planned on leaving extra early, because she honestly couldn't predict traffic, now she was going to be late! Finally hailing a cab, she hopped in and gave the driver the directions.

"Something special, Miss?"

"Reunion with some old middle school friends." She blurted out. Why she had no clue just seem more sense to make up the friend lie then say, Yes I'm going to meet a bunch of other people who were born in a test tube, out of the dna of historical people. Oh not to mention, someone might be trying to kill all of us.

"We're here miss." She jumped at his voice before handing him the money and telling him to keep the change. Rushing to the door, she flashed her invitation and rushed in. She threw the doors open and felt her face flush red as everyone stared at her.

"Um mm, I apologize for my tardiness, I ahh fell asleep."

(Again I am so sorry)

Dialog Color: #0020C2

With such an out of the ordinary request one could really see the way that people would continue to act. Being stabbed isn't something a person should do lightly, you should probably get to know a person. There has got to be some trust there first, kind of like kissing a person. I mean sure you can go around kissing everything that moved but suddenly that wasn't so special anymore. Just like stabbing, right?

Okay, maybe stabbing is a bit different than kissing but we probably get the idea.

Leo's request did gain a unique reaction of most in the room. Then with the newcomers that had just rammed into each other this whole asking to be stabbed thing must have been a wonderful first impression. Leo imagined being in their shoe, showing up to a party or something and some guy says,"Hey bro, stab me bro." Not exactly an everyday occurrence but then again everyone in this room was not your everyday people. So, this should be a bond-building experience.

Alex and Rob made a few comments at Leo's request. Greg responded with a,"No promises." Then he charged forward with the knife aiming towards Leo's midsection. He was grateful for the placement because a head stab or a groin stab would have been weird to watch. The tanto blade made contact with Leo's abdomen, creating a force that made him reel back a little bit to absorb the shock. Leo grabbed at Greg's hands to also help with absorbing the shock but to also keep the blade from dropping onto the ground. The knife wasn't a very cheap knife and if he could salvage it then that would be just gravy. With most people the tanto would have completely pierced the skin and the 4 inch blade would be making friends with a person's vital organs. But all the tip did was draw a small bit of blood, like when a person accidentally scratches himself on a protruding nail. The knife may have bent a little, which is cool. Leo could always buy another tanto. He had his backup EDC knife in his back pocket anyways.

Leo took the knife from Greg's hands after the initial contact just so that Rob wouldn't get stabbed. Leo knew he had asked for it but he was pretty sure Rob didn't have abilities like Greg or Leo had. Leo raised the knife into the air with his right hand and patted his belly and siad,"And that my friends is the true power of what a diet of deep-fried Twinkies can do!" He smiled as he looked around the room. Leo just noticed another girl just burst into the room. She probably came in as she witnessed the stabbing. Now that was a lot more awkward than the other two who had just previously entered the room. Leo couldn't help but notice as well how pretty she was. The other two girls were very pretty as well but this one, Jeanne if Leo had remembered correctly, was definitely beautiful in his terms. Those eyes was definitely his weakness. Those baby blues... Leo may now have just regretted the whole stabbing thing because that must have been one heck of a first impression to walk into.

Leo responded to the newcomer after her comments about being late,"Oh hey! Nice of you to join us. I swear this isn't what it looks like!" Leo realized he was still holding up his knife and he quickly folded it back and placed it in his pocket and chuckled awkwardly.

Gregory took Leos abilities with mild surprise, not regeneration then, just durability. He was pleased, the skill was most definitely on par with his own superhuman power, but it pleased him that he remained unique.
Leo took the blade back of him and Gregory let him do it, he didnt need this boys knife to kill everyone in the room. He mulled over that thought, and added the exception that he was unsure how Leos body reacted to bullets. It was definitely something that warranted further investigation.
Gregory watched the three newcomers enter along with Scar, Leo, true to form, launched straight into festivities the moment they had finished talking themselves, "Oh hey! Nice of you to join us. I swear this isn't what it looks like!" He said, hurridly, knife still in hand and a small trickle of blood oozing from what should have been a fatal stab.
"It is I am afraid, exactly what it looks like," Gregory said with a smile, "I just tried to stab young Leo here, and it would appear it did next to nothing." He gave a ridiculous bow to the two new ladies and the boy, returning to standing hight with a flourish, "My name is Gregory, we are testing out one another's abilities, hence the stabbing, and since Boy Wonder over there is being a boring wuss, I suppose Ill go next."
He drew his gun from within his jacket registering the shock on everyone's faces with a burst of glee.
Oh how he did love the theatrics.
He put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger.
Although he knew he wouldnt be concious for it, headhshots always left him mildly incapacitated for a while, he expected that would be when the screaming started.
He blacked out with a smile on his face.

S C A R



Scar seemed unfazed by Gregory's over theatrics. She figured he'd be awake shortly even before the suited man said so. Who would just shoot themselves in front of a group of people for a statement. But when she saw the suited man enter the room her gaze instantly shot over towards him, he call himself Heralds. She made her way back over to her seat when Heralds paused to make sure everyone was listening. With a soft sigh she sat back down beside Rob. She leaned forward in her seat, intent on what the man was saying. Scar had a hard time hiding the fact that she was slightly upset that we weren't meeting our actual host. He was feeling "unwell", she didn't buy it but regardless she dealt with it.

Scar brought her right hand up to rub the back of her neck uncomfortably as Heralds so openly discussed how they all had abilities and what not. She had a hard time accepting how her life really started off, let alone how the side effects of everything they did to her effected her life dramatically. And now after everything they want to "protect" us. How did they plan to protect us? Unless they had abilities like her and her "siblings", Scar didn't see how they could be of any help other than telling them who they should steer clear of.

Scar had a hard time biting her tongue for too long. She ran her right hand through her messy curls before finally piping up, "Do we at least get to know who's trying to kill us? I mean maybe we've already encountered him for all we know. Could be important information." Honestly, Scar was hoping they'd give her a name and a picture so she could be on her way. She had a job... and a poor excuse for a life but going back to that seemed better than staying here. At least if she went back to her old way of life she could pretend that she was even slightly normal. She wishes she could be more laid back and ok with all that is happening like some of the others but she couldn't. The fact that if it weren't for what they did to her, her life would be probably 100x better... She would be ok with being in this weird mansion with all of her fellow freaks, but it wasn't that simple. And she was a time bomb that needed to be far away from anyone when she detonates.

Rob watched with interest as Gregory stabbed Leo in the abdomen...or at least tried to. The blade barely pierced his skin, leaving a tiny drop of blood on the blade. Talk about a tough skin...

He heard the door open to find that three others were waiting out there. He recognized the one called Willa, the master actor. He'd figure from her talents that she would be the master of influence, but since Alex carried that ability and as far as he knew, all abilities were unique, Willa was a wild card.

The red-faced Jeanne was also a mystery. There was enough information about her to figure out basic stuff and that her hobby was Dungeons and Dragons, but nothing stood out in terms of life-changing experiences. Nothing to separate her from the pack of mediocrity, she was the one Rob knew almost nothing about.

And finally, Shawn. Shawn was the musical protege, the master of any instrument he touched. He was destined to go far following his career path of music, but Rob knew exactly what his power was. It wasn't as simple as comprehending music. To fully develop the music, one must fully develop the ear. While the thought and progression of sounds could be taught, it took a good ear to comprehend and fully maximize the music experience the way Shawn had.

It was the same with archery...or any martial art. It wasn't just learning the moves and copying them, nor was it just aiming at a target. Rob knew his body and what it could do. He knew exactly what muscle to twitch when in order to adjust for varying factors when shooting. It was muscle memory...what felt good to him. Just like it was ear memory for Shawn...what sounded good to him. Because of this, Rob felt like he could relate more to Shawn than possibly any of the others.

Bang!

The loud noise caused Rob to jump from his thoughts and turn towards the sound. Lying there on the floor was Gregory, a twisted smile on his face, a bullet hole on his head. Rob then saw the gun, in which his initial shock turned to understanding. He was right about Gregory...the man was practically invincible. While he showed signs of death, he figured Greg would come to eventually.

"If you refrain from shouting please."

Rob turned towards the sound where a pristine man in black attire walked into the room. "I suppose you're all wondering why you're here? And don't worry about Mr.Gregory there. He'll be joining us shortly I presume. I'm sure by now you've all read the files and thus already have a basic knowledge of why you're here. If you didn't... Well too bad. You should have. My name is Evan Heralds, in the future, please call me Heralds. I am a representative of your Host, though he has been feeling unwell and retired to his rooms for now."

Hmph, Rob thought. Convenient.

Heralds continued, "It has come to my employer's attention that Leon Vincent, one of your siblings for lack of a better word, was recently murdered. And I'm afraid that it has more to do with you than you'd like. Especially as we've reason to believe you all are the next targets. And while you may not believe you can die, there are terrible ways the murderer had access to."

What terrible ways? Rob argued in his head. How did he get access to these ways? Why is he even after us in the first place?

"The murderer," Heralds went on, "we know his identity. I'm afraid that while we cloned you, we also cloned him. Another of your siblings to be clear. Though he was a terrible mistake in the making. He is gifted much like you are, but he's cold, cruel and disconnected. He hates you, and hates us, and will stop at nothing to exterminate everyone in this room,"

So from what Rob could guess, this killer was actually another family member with a gifted ability that Rob assumed was what he was going to use to kill them. But what was his motive? Could the killer hate something so much that he wanted to kill it with every fiber of his being? Or did he gain something from this?

"Thus you were summoned here. Because here is the one place we can guarantee your protection."

"Do we at least get to know who's trying to kill us?" He heard Scar utter. "I mean maybe we've already encountered him for all we know. Could be important information."

"I'm with Scar," Rob agreed. "Shouldn't we know who the enemy we're about to face is? Also, how do you guarantee our protection by herding us together? Doesn't it make it easier for this guy to swoop in for the kill? There were just too many questions he needed to find the answers to. He wasn't in the most comfortable of areas and because of that, he didn't trust this Heralds guy. Although merely serving as the butler, why did he have to come out and talk to us? He understood that the host was sick, but he felt like some important information needed to be said from the mouths of specific individuals, not their butlers.

The gunshot brought Willa bounding into the room just behind Scar. The tall, long haired boy known as Gregory was sprawled on the floor, grinning grotesquely and bleeding all over the nice expensive floor. The gun was in his limp hand, eyes glassy. Willa felt a little ill at the sight of him, but was at least relieved they weren't under attack; She supposed the boy had just been showing off.

And I'm supposed to be the theatrical one. No one else was making a move toward the prone boy, so Willa took matters into her own hands. She wasn't just going to let him bleed all over the carpet, and he'd probably heal better if he wasn't losing so much blood. Pulling her bag off of her back, the brunette knelt next to Gregory with a sigh, deciding to play Florence Nightingale for the moment. She reached into her bag as if there was more than just her electronics in it, and concentrated briefly on images of gauze, tape, and a towel. She didn't want to give away her abilities quite yet. It didn't take her very long to procure them. She had expected conflict, and had made a point to study such objects before she left. Even when she was little, she had always had the habit of picking things up and feeling them, looking at them from all directions, that way she could recreate them when needed. Thankfully she had a theatre buff's memory.

She pulled out the towel first, using it to sop up most of the blood and to wipe Gregory's temples. He seemed to be healing already, incredibly fast. So his skill was accelerated cellular regeneration, that was impressive, but what were the limits? No one was invincible, everyone had an Achilles heel. It wasn't important right now. Willa placed the towel to the side and unrolled the gauze as she studied the young man's face. Even in... what was this, death? Sleep maybe? Even unconscious, she decided, his face carried a subtle arrogance, which would be expected of someone who shot himself in the head just for giggles. Someone who was so blasé about weapons and their own mortality was dangerous; Willa would have to get on his good side if she wanted to stay safe. Still, he was interesting, and she had always been drawn towards the dramatic. She's be wary though.

"If you refrain from shouting please," A man in a well tailored suit walked into the room just as she finished wrapping Gregory's wounds. "I suppose you're all wondering why you're here? And don't worry about Mr.Gregory there. He'll be joining us shortly I presume." Willa gave an attractive snort, brushing Gregory's eyes closed and resting his head on her lap. Everyone was so detached here!

I'm sure by now you've all read the files and thus already have a basic knowledge of why you're here. If you didn't... Well too bad. You should have. My name is Evan Heralds, in the future, please call me Heralds. I am a representative of your Host, though he has been feeling unwell and retired to his rooms for now."
"

Sure he was.

"It has come to my employer's attention that Leon Vincent, one of your siblings for lack of a better word, was recently murdered. And I'm afraid that it has more to do with you than you'd like. Especially as we've reason to believe you all are the next targets. And while you may not believe you can die, there are terrible ways the murderer had access to."

"The murderer, we know his identity. I'm afraid that while we cloned you, we also cloned him. Another of your siblings to be clear. Though he was a terrible mistake in the making. He is gifted much like you are, but he's cold, cruel and disconnected. He hates you, and hates us, and will stop at nothing to exterminate everyone in this room." If they knew the killer's identity, then why was that information being withheld? An uneasy feeling was beginning to turn in the short girl's stomach. She didn't like all of this secrecy, not one bit.

"Thus you were summoned here. Because here is the one place we can guarantee your protection." With a glance down at the incapacitated boy on her lap, Willa decided she felt oh so safe indeed. And she wasn't alone. After listening to her siblings' protests, she at least felt assured that they were all competent enough to realize that this was not a safe situation at all.

"Exactly. You know, I think rounding up a collection of powerful individuals and stationing them right in our Host's home base sounds more like the formation of an army than an attempt to keep us safe. How 'unwell' is he, exactly?" She quipped, eyeing the suited man suspiciously.

Jeanne definitely was not expecting what she saw when she entered. Leo, she remember his name from the file had just been stabbed. He seem to be staring deep into her eyes and she felt slightly awkward.

"This isn't what it looks like."

"It's exactly what it looks like." Gregory added. Before shooting himself in the head. She heard herself squel but didn't completely register it as her own until Alex, laughed at her and said how this must be everyday for her. Though she wasn't sure if he meant dealing with the shooting or strange things in general. She noticed Willa taking care of Gregory's wound though, she herself rationalized he must have one hell of an ability if he was willing to shoot himself in the head.

At that moment Heralds entered the room.

"If you refrain from shouting please," Her face flushed once more in embarrassment. "I suppose you're all wondering why you're here? And don't worry about Mr.Gregory there. He'll be joining us shortly I presume. She took a set beside Leo quickly, though it had been an awkward introduction, she felt comfortable around him. I'm sure by now you've all read the files and thus already have a basic knowledge of why you're here. If you didn't... Well too bad. You should have. My name is Evan Heralds, in the future, please call me Heralds. I am a representative of your Host, though he has been feeling unwell and retired to his rooms for now."

"It has come to my employer's attention that Leon Vincent, one of your siblings for lack of a better word, was recently murdered. And I'm afraid that it has more to do with you than you'd like. Especially as we've reason to believe you all are the next targets. And while you may not believe you can die, there are terrible ways the murderer had access to."

"The murderer, we know his identity. I'm afraid that while we cloned you, we also cloned him. Another of your siblings to be clear. Though he was a terrible mistake in the making. He is gifted much like you are, but he's cold, cruel and disconnected. He hates you, and hates us, and will stop at nothing to exterminate everyone in this room," He paused again, a bit awkwardly, "Thus you were summoned here. Because here is the one place we can guarantee your protection."

While others gave protest to know who this killer was only two things, she desperately wanted to know.
"I..I have two questions,
1. Who is this host of ours? Both now and in the past. And 2. What is the past identity of the Kiler? I don't know about you all but who invited us here is just as important as wo might be trying to kill us. I fo one do not want to put my family at risk but I refuse to stay in a place where we don't even know the host." She was sure some of the others simply didn't want to me there and while she could think of no where safer, unless she was told who her host was she would rather risk a hotel then stay with the unknown.

Suddenly, the entire room erupted in noise, each individual trying to figure out what was really going on. Rob shut his eyes, concentrating on keeping his sanity in check. This discussion was irritating him.

"I am going to say this once."

Rob looked back at Heralds, his interest carrying forth through his concentration. And he was concentrating very hard right now.

"My employer - the man who began the project and created your lives by extent - is dying. Poisoned by the man I mentioned earlier. He is dying, and while he is absolutely not well enough to come here and deal with your childish antics, he is hanging on long enough to talk to each of you privately. He is, you should all be aware, the closest thing to a biological father you'd have."

Well, while that rang true, Rob couldn't help but wonder how the killer managed to sneak in and poison him. Couldn't he just do the same for the rest of them? He was, however, looking forward to talking with the man who'd actually birthed him...well sorta...and figure out why he was created.

"We had, nor currently have, any desire to form an army, Miss Willa, but we do have a duty to protect the lives we created. And yes, staying with your family would most certainly endanger them. However, so would staying at a hotel or such. This is the only truly safe building you will find. You are free to leave, though I'll have to insist you sign the confidentiality agreement upon leaving."

So now they couldn't go home without putting their adoptive parents' lives at risk. Brilliant. The thought of staying here didn't really bring him much joy, especially since Johnathan was waiting outside and the extravagance of the house didn't really fancy him. He liked rugged.

"Now, I will not give you information on the killer for a few reasons. One, some of you might try to go looking for him. Two, a great many of you would succeed in finding him. Three, he could easily kill any of you," his gaze lingered on Greg for a moment, showing that he wasn't exactly immune in this either.

"I am not a butler nor a silly servant, on a slightly different note. I am someone who is, in more ways than one, at least your equal, if not more." The man paused, "You had best heed my warning, and not discount it for petty reasons. Had we wanted to kill you, you would all have been dead. You've seen firsthand how easily we can access you. Had we wanted an army, your attendance would have been mandatory. But we want to help you and much as I have tried to convince my employer you lot are entirely more trouble than you are worth, both in attitude and demeanor, he insists we offer you assistance. You chose whether to accept it now."

What did Heralds mean by that? Was he also a tubular spawn? Did he hold an ability he wasn't telling the rest of us? Rob's temper was flared just a bit at how insignificant Heralds seemed to consider the rest of the group. Did he not value human life...or whatever life virgin spawn would be called? A horrifying thought cut through him: What if he was the killer? He appeared to hold the right state of mind for it and have a clear shot at his employer whenever he wanted.

However, he dismissed that thought immediately. Heralds wouldn't be warning anyone about how no one should consider him weaker than the rest of them if he was the killer. In fact, he wanted them to think of him as stronger. Also, this was a person who worked from the shadows. Not a guy who was open to people. Heralds was too refined and proper to be shady.

Rob sighed, "Fine, I accept. It doesn't seem like the other options are going to help us anyway. He pondered over this, wondering if he was making the right decision or sealing his grave.