The Price of Freedom

[Angelus]

As he sat down and looked at the door Colonel Jason Matthews knew that there was trouble. He was only called in when there had been major fuck ups and from what he had heard this one was truly one of the greatest. He had only learnt two days ago that there had been a facility somewhere on the outskirts of Century City where they had been experimenting on people to make the ultimate soldiers. He knew from the first page that it had been wrong to do so but some people never learnt and scientists always thought that they could do something better. He shook his head and wanted to laugh but knew how the person on the other side of the hall would take it.

He had been the head scientist of the facility and had told everyone that there were no problems. Even when several of them had escaped he had told everyone that there were no problems and that he could get them back in several days. That had been several weeks ago and still Dr. Robert Auge told everyone that he could get them back. Jason looked at him and knew what was going to happen but he didn't want to tip anyone's hand just yet and it was true that he did not know what was going to happen.

The door opened and Jason looked at it just to see a young woman walked out to look at the doctor. She had a large smile on her face as she stood there and looked at first Jason then back to the doctor.

"Doctor Auge. They are waiting for you inside. If you would please follow me."

The scientist got up off the chair and without a second glance walked through the open door which closed quickly behind him.

Jason picked up the file that he had with him once again and started to read it, stopping when he heard the slight hiss of air that he knew only too well. He looked towards the door, no reaction on his face as the door opened once more and the young woman looked at him.

"Colonel Matthews. Would you please follow me."

He got up off the chair, his file under his arm and walked into the room just to see the body being dragged away. He looked at the faces around the table, studying each one but stood at attention and looked at them all.

"Colonel Matthews; I see that you have the file that I sent you. Do you think that you can do what Dr. Auge failed to do and get these people back or do you want to become just like him?"

Jason stood there, looking at the man that had just spoken.

"Who are these people that I have to try and find sir and why do I have to find them?"

The man that had just spoken smiled, the only one at the table who did.

"Good. That is the answer that we want Colonel Matthews. We will give you the resources that you need to find these people. Do you promise me that you will bring them back unharmed or do you want me to let you out of here now. I warn you that if you choose to leave here that you will disappear and I promise you that we will leave no trace of you left in this world."

Jason was taken aback by this but he did not let it show on his face.

"I will do as I am ordered sir. If I have been ordered to bring back these people without hurting them then I will do so. There is no need to threaten me though. I will do my job to the best of my ability."

The man sat forward in his chair and looked straight at Jason who continued to stand straight, no emotions whatsoever on his face.

"We are not threatening you Colonel Matthews. Believe me. If we were threatening you then you would already be dead."

He placed a suitcase on the table and looked at Jason.

"That is for you. Take it, study the files and then start hunting for them. Believe us when we say that if anything happens to them, if they get hurt in any way then either you or one of your team will be hurt as well. Do we make ourselves clear."

"Crystal clear sir."

"Good. You can go now."

Jason moved forward and took the suitcase from the top of the table. He snapped a salute to the man at the head of the table before turning back towards the door. As soon as he was out into the hallway he let out a breath. He knew that this was going to be interesting but he was still intrigued. What would cause this much panic? All he knew was of the experiments but it was not worth all this secrecy.

 

[MilkManDan007]

Hayden's Introduction

Ever since the escape, Hayden Wiley had been jumpy. The only way he knew to calm himself was on a cliff face, where he knew no one could get to him.

And he was very relaxed. He locked the cam into a small crack in the rock face and tied himself off, allowing himself to relax his arms as he let the rope take his weight. He craned his neck back, stretching the muscles in his shoulders and upper back as he looked down the Black Canyon of the Gunnison outside of Montrose, Colorado. The 2,200-fot high rock face known as the Painted Wall allowed him the freedom to be alone, especially after hiking the north rim and rappelling down to the canyon floor, away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist traffic on the south rim.

He sat back, pressing his feet into the rock, and planned his ascent. For just a moment, he felt normal, as if he could fit in anywhere and not always have to be looking over his shoulder for the agents hunting him. He shook the thoughts from his head and began to climb again, wanting to finish the face before twilight.

The evening went off much like any other in the growing West Slope city. A quick bite and a drink at the Red Barn Steakhouse followed by a short run around the hogback mesa. Hayden tried to forget about the past, to just live as a normal person once again, but the soft weight of the 9mm pistol under his jacket kept reminding him that he was not alone, and his life would never be normal.

He ran into the darkening night before retiring to his small home west of town. He wondered how long he would have to wait before they discovered where he was came for him.

 

[hawkeye18]

Samuel sat at the back of the Chinese Buffet, on his third plate. They had hardly ever made chinese food in the mess hall, and he found that he LOVED it. He pushed his glasses up aganist his face, a habit he had formed since he was twelve. The Stephen King book he had sitting in front of him was the focus of his attention, even the plate of Chow Mein taking a back seat.

When the door opened and the chime sounded, Samuel looked up. He had been on the run for about two weeks or so, he couldn't remember. It had all been a big blur to him. He had no memory of his childhood outside of the facility, or if he even had one. Being around people that he didn't know made him have slight panic attacks, and he had been sleeping in the park for the past few days. He had gotten a job in a book store, helping an old man cataloge old first print editions and clean them up to sell, and he liked that. Mostly because the old man had not asked him about his background, and payed him in cash, under the table. He even let Samuel sleep in the small apartment above the store.

But two days ago two men in black suits, black trenchcoats, and black sunglasses had come into the store, and they seemed to be more intrested in Samuel than the rare books. They cornered him into the small bathroom at the back of the store, their guns drawn at the old man, beating on the door.

Luckily, Samuel had been able to slip out the back window, thanks to his special "gift," as the doctors and scientists had liked to call it. Samuel had control over it, mostly, and he found he had been using it more and more latley, so he had been hungry.

And Sam smiled to himself. I blend in like a fat guy at an all you can eat buffet. They'll never find me here.

 

[Brains123]

"AND STAY OUT!!!"

A booming voice rips through the chaotic noise of the VIP club as a man flys out the alley door. He hits the pavement with a dull smack head first and moans with instant pain. A few people near by hear a sick crack and look in his direction as his arm then comes into contact snapping in two. Rick plants his size 14 into the back of the door and it flys upon with insane speed wacking the exterior wall so hard it rips free of one of its hinges. Eyes bulging with rage and massive hammer sized fists balled he steps closer to the downed man.

"I TOLD YOU BEFORE PUNK STAY AWAY FROM HERE!!"

The others seeing the anger and rage building in the 6'5" man grab their few things and flee the alley. Rick grabbing the man off the ground holds him in the air as he flails his broken arm to ward off any blows. The man screams in pain as his arm flops from side to side his eyes welded shut in terror he pleads in a high pitched voice.

"No stop!!! Please I wont come back!! Please!!"

Rick looks at the man as he would a pile of shit and tosses him into the alley wall. Rage still building his hands start to emit a dull orange glow and his eyes turn a fiery red. He looks to his hands and notices the change and shakes his head.

"NO!!! NOT AGAIN!!"

As soon as he says the last word his entire body bursts into flames. A small shockwave ripples outward sending random papers and cardboard boxes skidding down the alley. He roars into the night throwing his arms downward as his clothes melt from his body and hidden chainmail underneath turns a dull red with the intense heat. His eyes locking with the now frozen man he grins under the flaming shell and walks forward. Leaving foot print shapped flamming pools of asphalt in his wake he stops just a few feet from the man.

"NOW YOU WILL DIE!!"

He raises one hand and roars again as a jet of liquid flame plows its way from his palm. The intense heat begins to char and melt the mans flesh even before it hits him. Once it does the flameing jet splashes outward covering the poor man in what equates to lava. Withen seconds the man is reduced to bones and his charred outline lays etched into the alley wall.

Stareing at the pool of melted and twisted bones his smile fades as does his anger. He looks down to his hands again and he roars with anger at the night sky. The flames around his body slowly begin to snuff out raiseing a cloud of steam around him. He drops to his knees and puts his face into his hands.

"What have I done!!"

At that moment the club owner steps through the alley door. Hearing the roars of anger he had come to see what was going on. Spotting Rick kneeling in only the still glowing chainmail he hurries over to him.

"Hey what happened?!?! Whats going on out here?!"

His eyes cacthing the charred bones he looks back to Rick and slowly backs his way to the door. Reaching it he runs inside and rushes to the phone dialing the police.

Outside Rick knows the police will be here soon...they always do come fast. He gathers himself and walks out the alley.

"Looks like I need another job..."

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Life on the streets...it had sounded sorta romantic and cool...on the old shows they were allowed to watch. Like modern Robin Hoods and rogue poets, Edward G. Robinson never really bled.

In reality it was dirty, and everyone had a hustle and a angle. And she didn't know enough then to watch out for it. She'd been robbed four times within a day of being in the city, almost raped, approached by pimps and bitch slapped by a hooker who thought she was after her spot.

She'd discovered runaway shelters and that to live you needed money and ID's. She had friends now, but they were shallow friends. Other kids like her, well, in a sort of way. They didn't know what she could do, or where she was from. But they were like her in that they had no where and no one.

She and Twitch and Shorty had broken into a condo to take showers and eat. Twitch was 17 and a greasy bag of bones, but Shorty loved him and even tho Amy thought Shorty could do better, stuck with him through all sorts of stupid shit.

On the TV as they raided the house Amy discovered Vegas. She watched as huge sums of money exchanged hands on the fall of dice and the roll of a wheel.

"If we can get there." She said. "I can make us rich." But Twitch and Shorty had no vision.

"You have to be 21 to gamble, and you have to have money to bet." Twitch said. "Don't be so stupid."

The next day she used her new skills and lifted a wallet out of purse and bought a ticket for Vegas. Alone.

 

[Angelus]

She did not know how long she had been sitting there staring at the screen but she knew that it had been far too long. She got up out of her seat, rubbed her eyes and walked away from the computer, determined that she would stay away for more than just five minutes this time. She knew what was needed of her, how she had to find these people; people that she had helped create and hide them from those who she knew were hunting them down but it was so damn hard. They had gone underground so well that she had even had trouble finding just one.

She walked over to the coffee pot and poured herself another cold cup, drinking it so quickly that she almost gagged on it. Placing the cup back down on the table she looked over at the desk with the computer sitting on it and told herself to stay away from it for at least a little while longer. She knew that she had to find at least one of them so they could all come together but she realized the mammoth task she had ahead of her.

With a loud sigh she walked back to the desk, put her glasses back on and started typing on the keyboard again, hoping that she wouldn't be detected. She hooked into one of the many satelites the military had just for spying on everyone and started her search. She brought up another window and started to track police records, searching for anything that they deemed strange. Stifling a loud yawn she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes again. She knew that she needed sleep, it had been far too long since she had had any but she did not care; to her this was far more important.

It was then that a message came over the speakers on her computer and she heard the frantic words of a police officer practically screaming into his microphone.

"Get the coroners down here now! It looks like whoever this person was got hit by the flames of a blast furnace. He is melted!"

She heard the amused reply from the other side and shook her head, knowing just how funny it would sound.

"This is not a joke you idiot! Get them over here as soon as you can and cordon this place off!"

She typed the commands into the satelite and watched as the view of the city came up, showing the alley where the police officer was and what remained of the person there. She knew that looking at that a normal person would instinctively throw up but she had seen and done far worse than that and to her it was somewhat normal. She looked at the cop who just stood there and could imagine the shock and horror that was on his face.

A rare smile came onto his face, now she had a place to look. She hoped that she would find this one before someone else did. She looked around the area, hoping to find something and smiled again when she saw the figure in what looked like chain mail.

She quickly brought up the files of the escapees and hunted quickly. When she found it she wanted to let out a shout.

"Hmm, Mr. Haggon. Thank god I found you first."

She pulled out her cell phone and dialled the first number on it.

"Sorry to ask this of you Josh but I have a small favour to ask of you. I am going to send a file to you. He is in the city nearest you and I want you to find him and communicate with him. I will tell you now that he will be sceptical and try to run. Sorry to say this but he has the power of fire within him, especially when he is angry. Just talk to him and tell him that I want to see him."

She listened to the response from Josh.

"Of course. Your usual fee will be in the bank after you do this for me. And try not to get killed."

 

[AmenRa]

Michael

Michael sat beneath a large oak tree in a park. He held his guitar, the only thing he had taken with him when they fled the compound. It was a Gibson Les Paul, and he remembered someone had given it to him one birthday long ago. Or it had been the day they had called his birthday. It didn’t matter who had given him the guitar, only that he had gotten it, and that he had it now.

He needed an amp and a pedal, he thought as he fingered the frets, moving down the neck and playing the solo from Audioslave’s “Be Yourself”. It just didn’t sound right without an amplifier to distort the notes and drive the harmonics into that “wah” sound that he loved so much. Well, he’d just have to find an amp.

He noticed a rather nice looking girl, maybe in her early twenties, walking by. She stopped for a second and looked at him. She smiled, and it was clear she was listening to the bland notes he played on the un-amplified Les Paul. He realized she was checking him out. He wanted to talk to her, ask her name, ask if she liked Audioslave, or Zeppelin, or Rob Zombie. He wanted to know her, feel her, kiss her. But instead, he pretended he didn’t see her. To get close to someone, while he was running away was not a good idea. It never would be, he thought. To be close to someone.

A roller blader was careening down the concrete path. The kid didn’t see the girl standing in his way because he had his head down, obviously seeing how fast he could go. She was too enthralled with Michael's playing to notice she was about to be knocked flat on her face. Michael reached out with his mind and felt the walkway behind her. The concrete became soft to him and he gave it a nudge. The walkway rippled minutely, a small wave sending undulating kinetic energy that literally threw the skater from the path and onto the grass. The girl turned, shocked, as the skater yelled while tumbling to the ground.

She bent down and helped the skater to his feet. They exchanged ‘are you alrights” and “yeah I’m fines’. When she looked back to the large oak tree, Michael was gone.

Michael held his guitar, now in its case, over his shoulder as he walked into the waning afternoon.

 

[Brains123]

The wail of sirens filled the nights sky as Rick huddled in one of the many alleys of the sprawling city. He had already stopped at a local clothing store and 'borrowed' some clothes to cover his flashy chainmail. Several people had seen him and Rick knew it was time to leave. This time he had gone to far...way to far. Before it was only a flash of fire a lick of flame...never this. Never a full body burst in the middle of an alley with people wacthing, never towards someone who dident deserve it.

As the sirens passed by him he yet again snuck out of the alley and continued down the street. Hopeing to get to one of his planned hideouts now only just a block away. Tucked into the trenchcoat he had 'borrowed' he looked from face to face as he passed the innocent people. People who hadent killed anyone today....people who had normal lives in which they dident burst into flames. He noticed that few stared at him as though they saw him somewhere but couldent remember. Then he relized why as he passed a T.V. shop on the news as a rough sketch of him flashed onto the screen. The sound turned off he couldent make out what they knew, but he knew they were looking for him. Just up the street a pair of cops were handing out fliers....probably with his face on them.

Crossing to the other side he hurried his pace as one of the cops started talking to one of the men he had just passed. A brief second later a shout splits through the air after Rick sending a shiver up his spine. Breaking into a run he makes a dash for the hideout takeing alleyways and side streets in an attempt to loose the cop. Finally makeing it to the abanded warehouse he slips inside and hopes it all blows over. Tommrow he will move to a new city..tommrow a new life.

 

[MilkManDan007]

Hayden Goes on the Run

Things had been relatively quiet since Hayden had escaped from the facility. He remembered some of the others, the ones with truly destructive and flashy powers, and hoped that the agents would try to hunt them down first.

Hayden had hardly used his powers since the escape. He had used them while he was wandering across the country, making himself unseen to those who sat near him on the Amtrak trains and Greyhound busses. Wondering where he could be safe, where he could live without fear. It had taken some time, but he finally settled on Montrose, and tried to refrain from being noticed once he arrived. The mountain town was familiar to him, almost comforting. He had lived here once before college. He had rented a small duplex with a few other guys to use as a hangout when they weren’t in the hills climbing. It seemed the safest place to go once he left the facility, a place he had almost no connection to and a town where very little happened; or very little used to happen.

It seemed to Hayden that whenever something happened, a major car crash, a plane crash, any type of explosion, the agents came to investigate. They tried to blend in, but Hayden could see that they weren’t looking at wreckage or interviewing witnesses, they were always scanning the crowds, looking for other escapees. He had first seen them near Topeka, Kansas, when the train he was on had to stop due to a massive explosion at a grain processing facility. Hayden had left the train to try and find something to eat when he saw them patrolling the outskirts of the police line. One of them looked right at Hayden before he could process who they were. Hayden had been spotted. The agent turned to report the sighting to the driver and signal him to stop and by the time he raised his eyes again, Hayden had masked himself and was in a full sprint away from the fire and away from town. He had hidden under a freeway overpass for nearly three days before venturing back into the city and stepping onto a bus headed west.

Time had passed and life for Hayden was slowly returning to normal. For a short while, he had even stopped carrying his pistol. But that all changed two weeks ago when the new natural gas pipeline ruptured and the gas was ignited by the nearby construction equipment. Hayden was out climbing that day and hadn’t heard the news. The cleanup was in the final stages and the chaos had died down by the time Hayden returned to town. As he turned into the parking lot of the Red Barn for a quick evening bite, he nearly ran into a man walking towards the entrance.

He slammed on his brakes and the tires chirped slightly as the jeep came to a halt. The man turned to look at the sound and they both froze. They had found one another by accident, and life was complicated again. Hayden jumped from the doorless jeep and ran, the agent in hot pursuit. Hayden looked back over his shoulder and concentrated on the agent. The agent’s eyes widened as he felt several of his ribs collapse in as he was thrown violently sideways as if a giant hammer had struck him in mid-step. He flew nearly forty feet before landing in the road. Dazed, he rose. He rose to one knee and felt the pain begin to radiate from his side, thinking to himself how he could manage to lose an escapee who was so close. The sound of screeching tires drew his attention back to reality as he saw the semi bearing down on him.

Hayden continued running, even after he heard the screeching tires and the sickening thump of the impact with the agent. They would know where he was when one of their own didn’t check in.

Life had become very complicated once again.

 

[Wolfsister]

Eve

Eve slipped along in the darkness. Her stolen black catsuit making it even easier for her trained body to slip from shadow to shadow. She looked up and watched the stars for a moment, shaking her head and wondering why they seemed brighter tonight.

She eyed the guard at the gates and smiled, it was late and he was not exactly alert. Carrying a cup of steaming liquid and yawning every thirty seconds wasn't exactly what she would have called first rate security. Doctor Stockman would have growled at such laxness.

She waited for the lone guard to turn and gripped the metal bars of the gate, sending a small electrical current through them. The gate's magnetic lock clicked and shut down, swinging open the wide metal barriers. The startled guard blinked and went into his booth to check his instrument panel and Eve slipped through.

She didn't allow herself time to celebrate though and was soon inside the dark building, using the natural light filtering through the large open windows to navigate. She had cased this place out for several days, hiding amongst the trees and breaking in repeatedly to locate the most valuable, and portable, denizens of the mansion.

Her soft leather shoes made no sound on the marble tiles as she crossed to the one door she had not explored. She had a good feeling about this room, it was the only one that was truly locked. Once again with the same magnetic technology. It was a simple matter of sending an eletrical signal through the wires and reversing the polarisation of the magnets holding the doors closed, making them repel, rather than attract each other.

She slipped through the door, touching the wall on the inside and feeling for any other electrical currents that would signal more security devices within the room. She found several and disabled them all. This was childsplay. She had been trained for military insertions into other military facilities, not robbing some rich man's home.

She reached the vault she had somehow known was behind a painting, Stockman had warned her that complacent people were often predictable and old fashioned, her mouth twisted into a smile as she realised that he had been quite right.

Releasing the lock mechanism on the tiny vault door, she swung it open and glanced inside. Several large rubies and other coloured gems peeked through what she really wanted. Large wads of cash were stashed in the vault and she thanked god that this particular rich man hadn't been all too trusting of bank accounts. It was probably a private fund, chump change to tell the truth and she was more than happy to take it.

She had to make a living somehow. Especially since she didn't exactly have the luxury of bed and board since she had escaped from the facility. She sometimes regretted that act, but never had she turned back.

Eve reached in and grabbed a fistful, then another. She slipped the small bag from her shoulders and stuffed as much of the cash as she could into it. She hesitated, she had to keep a low profile and the money would be spent on keeping her alive and setting up a place to live. She looked at the ruby and sighed, it was pretty, but a girl like her didn't have a use for it. She wouldn't be able to trade it, sell it, or eat it. It would have to stay.

She closed the vault door, swung the picture back in place and turned to leave. Her eyes fell onto a half eaten sandwhich on a large oak desk. She looked down at the bag in her hand and her stomach rumbled loudly. It had been days since she had eaten and she was about ready to collapse, especially after using so much of her 'gift' lately.

She reached out, hesitantly at first, then suddenly her hand snaked out and she grabbed the sandwich. Taking a large bite, she gagged slightly. Mayo... disgusting. Chewing slightly, savouring the first real food she had had in days, she didn't hear the sound of approaching foot steps.

The light flicked on and she whirled around, her bag coming unzipped and money flying everywhere.

"What the..." came a male voice and he reached out, grabbing one of the bag's straps. Eve blinked, mouth still full of food and pulled, trying to get the bag back. But he was clearly stronger than her and decided to wrestle her to the ground.

Eve panicked.

As soon as skin touched her skin, her body reacted on instinct and sent out all of the remaining stored eletrical energy through the contact. The man jerked for a few minutes, his eyes rolling up into his head, his fingers gripping the bagstrap tighter as he convulsed and died.

Eve ripped her hand away from his death grip and stared at the stranger. She had never actively killed a person before. It had always been simulations or theory, never this. She blinked, her face white, her eyes searching the surrounding mess, resting anywhere but at the dead man at her feel.

An alarmed feminine voice shook her out of her momentary shock and she looked around more focused this time. She saw that her bag lay on the floor, gripped by the dead man and she bent down to try and retrieve it. His knuckles were white around the strap and she realised that the electrical shock had given him an almost superhuman grip on the bag.

She heard hurried footsteps and she realised that she did not have time enough to pry open his fingers. She reached around and grabbed a handfull of notes and hesitated before also grabbing the fallen half a sandwich.

Then she vaulted over the ledge of the nearest open window, tumbling down a slight incline over well cropped grass. Shouts followed her down the hill and she cursed silently to herself, tucking into the roll. When she stopped, she uncurled and made a quick escape, barely slipping through the suddenly tightened and alert security.

Sprinting to her hideout, she picked up the dust covered black leather trenchcoat and wrapped herself up in it. Looking down at her pickings for the night, she shook her head and cursed again, this time out loud and far courser.

All she had to show for an entire week of hard work was a corpse, half a disgusting mayo sandwich and five one dollor bills.

She reached down and picked up the money, stuffing it into a pocket and took the sandwich, staring at it for a moment but deciding to stuff it, too, in a pocket.

She would have to make that last a lot longer if she intended on surviving.

 

[MilkManDan007]

Hayden Gets out of Dodge

As he ran towards his small rented home, he knew he would have to leave this place, this small slice of normalcy. The buildings of Main Street began to fade in Hayden’s mind, replaced by the thick woods he ran through escaping from the facility.

It’s not real. Hayden thought to himself as he ran. It’s just a flashback. You’ve never used the gift that hard before and they’re always bad after you use it. He shook his head, still in a full sprint, trying to grasp reality and leave the flashback behind. The flashbacks were stronger and lasted longer when Hayden used his gifts heavily. Most times, if he was just masking himself, he would hardly notice. But this time was different. He had thrown a man the length of a bus. This one was not going to go away so quickly.

Arriving home, Hayden rushed inside and grabbed the pre-packed duffel bag off the floor and ran to the kitchen. Reaching under a pile of magazines on the counter, he pulled his 9mm and holster and quickly buckled it around him. It was time to run again.

Hayden left the small home. He had paid his rent in cash and had done so under a false name. They wouldn’t be able to track him from here. He slipped on his long coat and strolled into town. It would be easy to travel. He had done it many times before. He crawled into the back of the parked truck with out of state plates and simply waited. When the owner returned, Hayden masked himself and the owner was none the wiser. This particular truck had California plates. When it grumbled to life, Hayden knew he would miss the mountains, but at least in California he would be safe.

And the truck began to head north to Grand Junction, where it would turn west and begin the long trek across Utah and Nevada into California. Each time the truck stopped, Hayden crawled out, masking himself from the owner, and stole what he could from convenience stores to make the trip bearable. Two days of eating beef jerky and drinking Gatorade while baking in the afternoon heat in the bed of a speeding pickup truck would not be physically pleasant, but at least for a short while, Hayden would have the mental peace of knowing that he would be safe.

Nearly 1,200 miles later, Hayden bailed out of the back of the pickup while it was stopped at a light and dashed into Golden Gate Park. San Francisco. Not exactly the warm beaches of San Diego he had been thinking about for the past two days, but at least he was out of Colorado and away from the agents who were chasing him.

 

[AmenRa]

A Familiar Face

Michael was on his way out of the park. He decided he had stayed too long already. His incident with the pretty girl on the walkway had gotten him noticed. Fortunately, it was only as another guitar player in the park. But still, she saw him. She could have been one of them, even though he was quite sure he didn't know exactly who they were.

It took time to learn what had been done to him. But, eventually, they all did. And Michael, like the others, refused to live as a puppet. Or, more accurately, a weapon. He was his own weapon. Not a weapon for anyone else. And he had proven that very thing the night they chose to run.

At least he had remembered to bring his guitar. He had money he had made playing at a small bar a for a few nights. It wasn't much, but it would bring him food for another few days and let him sleep a few more nights in the run-down hotel room he had rented. And he now as hewalked down a walkway, he saw someone nearly run into the park from out of stopped traffic off Lincoln Blvd.

A flash of recognition shot through him.

He dared not call the name out loud. What if they were close? Limited telepathy was one by-product of what they had done to him. He focused.

"Hayden..." he called to the man in his mind.

 

[Angelus]

Josh tucked his hands into his pocket, feeling the weight of the pistol at his side. He hoped that he wouldn't need it but with the way that these people were, what they could do and the way they had been treated he never knew. He stood there and listened to the conversations around him, hearing what the police and the people around him had to say. He knew that it would be hard for him to find this man, especially with the cops looking for him but he hoped that it would not be too hard.

It was then that the scream ripped through the air and Josh swore under his breath. If anything was going to make his search hard it was this. He ran in the direction that the scream had come from just to see the woman pointing off down the street and talking hurriedly to the cops standing around her. He stood for a second before walking slowly in the direction that she was pointing, trying not to gain any attention to himself.

He looked in the direction of the cops and could tell by the way that they were talking to the woman that they were sceptical which he hoped would make his job easier. He saw the alley and as soon as he did began running into it, hoping to find this person before anyone else did. He stopped for a second, wondering where this man had gone, pulled out the small palm scanner and looked at the read-out on it. He smiled as soon as he read the high concentration in the air and ran towards it.

He came to the warehouse before he had a chance to figure out what he was going to do and stood there for a second, once again feeling the pistol in its holster. He walked slowly forward, all the time searching the warehouse to see if he was being watched and waited. He looked at the scanner again and saw that there were definitely high concentrations in the air around the place. He wanted nothing more than to rush in there but he saw that it would be the worst thing he could do, given the man's power.

He pulled out his pistol, chambered a round before putting it back into its holster and moving towards the side entrance. He stopped and listened for a second or two before pushing the door opened and looking around. As soon as he was sure that he was safe Josh moved into the warehouse, his thoughts on the man inside.

It was then that he saw him and moved forward just as the man got to his feet.

"It is alright Mr. Haggon. I am here to help you hide from those who hunt you."

 

[hawkeye18]

Samuel was just finished paying for his meal whent he TV hanging suspended over the register starting flashing a news warning. Sam strained his ears to listen, and his heart jumped in his throat when he heard first hand reports of a man"shooting flames". Just with those few words, Samuel's past came back and smacked him in the face. Training rooms, instructional classes, simulation exercises, and more. He could even remember the mans name: Rick.

"Thank you, come again anytime." came the reply of the young woman behind the counter, wanting the nerdy man to leave.

"Mmmm." was Sam's reply as he slowly walked out the door. Just as he took of his glasses, a police car screamed by, sierns wailing. Samuel swallowed hard. Something, he didn't know if it was his intuition or something they had bred into him, told him to follow the lights and noise.

He opened the fortune cookie and ate it, paper and all. He felt like he was going to need all the fuel he could get tonight.

 

[Brains123]

Rick still takeing time to calm himself from the incident takes a deep breath and releases it slowly. Raiseing to his feet he paces a few times gathering his thoughts. Dropping to the floor again sitting inidian style he slumps forward head in hands. Thinking back to what happened he shakes his head and stares off into space thinking of what to do next. Just a few minites into his deep thought he hears some rattleing then the door opens revealing Rick. In an instant hes standing up hands pointed towards the stranger. Listening to what he has to say he lowers his hands slighty.....

"How did you find me? How can I trust you? How do I know your not the one whos hunting me? Tell me why I shouldent kill you where you stand!!!"

Yelling out the words his eyes fill with rage and he raises his hands seemingly without even knowing. His power seems to take over him as his hands level off with the strange man his eyes now glowwing red.

"ANSWER ME!!!"

 

[MilkManDan007]

The Meeting in the Park

Hayden…

His name. He had heard it. At least he thought he heard it. A woman jogging nearby jumped, startled as the man had seen running into the park vanished before her eyes.

Hayden scanned the faces around him quickly, keeping himself masked and drawing his pistol. He had used his powers quite a bit over the past few days, hiding from the pickup owner and convenience store clerks to steal food, and now in the park. His vision blurred slightly. Another flashback. He wouldn’t be able to keep his composure, or his power, together much longer.

Everyone in the park seemed normal. There were no signs of agents, but who else would know him? Who else would know is name? The flashback was getting worse. He was having trouble focusing, keeping the people in the park who were real separated from the ghost images of the scientists and guards closing in on him separate. His finger tightened on the trigger.

Hayden was not used to killing. He had never killed anyone before. That was, until he killed an agent two days ago. His mind wandered as he swung the pistol across the crowd, trying to find the right target. He had been trained to kill, trained to infiltrate the governments of those who opposed the U.S. and take out their top personnel from within. His gifts had been specifically designed for that, but it had never sat well with Hayden. That is why he ran. That is why the agents were after him.

There are no agents. There are no scientists. You’re in a park. Pull it together, he thought to himself, slowly releasing the tension on the trigger and returning the pistol to its holster under his jacket. Who else knows?

The others. It had to be one of the other test subjects. Someone here had recognized him. After the escape, everyone scattered. He hadn’t seen anyone else from the program since that night. What were the odds someone else was here, close enough to recognize him?

His vision began to blacken from the edges. He needed to take some time off, to rest and give his mind a chance to recover. Hayden walked a few feet and leaned against a maple tree, rubbing his forehead. He let down his guard and unmasked himself. Passers-by in the park hardly gave him a second glance. Most wrote off the appearance as just a lapse in concentration, thinking he had been there all along and they simply hadn’t noticed.

Hayden stood against the tree, still scanning the faces. He had a slight headache, but nothing that a good meal and a good night sleep couldn’t fend off.

He stood there, exposed and alone in the park, waiting, hoping that it wasn’t an agent who had spotted him. Hayden didn’t know how far he could stretch his powers. He might have one good push left, maybe enough to fling the agent like he had done in Montrose, but he didn’t want to push it.

So he waited.

 

[AmenRa]

Michael

He saw Hayden standing there one minute, and the next second he was gone. There was no doubt now, this was definitely the Hayden he had known.

Still, Michael took a quick look around him. There were others walking nearby, but no one paid him attention.

Hayden was now leaning against a tree. Michael slowly walked towards him, obvious, open. He called out again to Hayden in his mind....

It's Michael....

There was a time when Michael had learned to 'talk' to the others this way...through walls, through ceilings. Sometimes they talked back to him, but often times he simply heard their screams in his mind as they were...tortured? Yes, it had been torture. Of a kind.

When he reached the tree, Michael brushed the hair out of his eyes and gave his lopsided grin.

 

[Angelus]

Jason moved through the semi circle of soldiers towards the single one stuck against the wall. As soon as he saw her Jason knew that she was very afraid of where she was which was understandable, considering the people who were standing around her. The assault rifles that were in their hands were pointed directly at her and he knew that if the woman decided to do anything or move anywhere they were shoot her without thinking otherwise. He moved forward, his hands in front of him and looked directly at her, hoping that he could calm her.

"There is no need to worry miss. You will not come to any harm."

The woman looked at him and he wondered if she could read his mind. He was relieved when he didn't feel the pressure that was in his head.

"You are from that place aren't you; you are here to take me back to that place. I won't go back there, I won't."

Jason felt the air start to shimmer around him and looked at the woman, hoping that he would be able to calm her down before she did something foolish. He moved slowly towards her then looked back at the men behind him.

"Please do not do anything that would cause us to hurt you miss. We do not want to do that to you."

The woman raised her hands slowly in front of her and it was then that shot rang through the air.

Jason stood there, his still smoking pistol in his hand. He looked at the woman who slid down the wall, the bullet hole still in her head.

"Damn," was all that he said.

He turned to one of the men.

"Sergeant, get this place cleaned up and get her out of here."

One of the men snapped a quick salute and moved quickly towards the woman as Jason turned and walked away.He pulled out his mobile as soon as he was far enough away and dialled the number.

"We lost another one. Yes sir, I had to kill her."

 

[Angelus]

His first reacton was to draw his pistol and point it at the man but he could feel the very air around him getting warmer and see the man's eyes glowing red.

"There is no need to hurt either of us Mr. Haggon. I am truly here to help you. If you would please calm down and listen to me then I can give you the name of a person who wants to help you hide. She can hide you better than anyone else and all that she wants is your trust."

He knew that it was a lot to ask of this man, given the fact that he had just hunted him down to corner him in the warehouse they were both in. He hoped that Mr. Haggon would wait long enough to hear him out before turning him into a fiery puddle. He slowly pulled out his pistol and showed into to the him before putting it onto the crate beside him.

"I will not hurt you, I am not here to do that. I do not ask that you trust me either, after what was done to you but I do know that you are still being hunted and all that you want is a normal life. If you just hear me out long enough to call this person then you will be given a small chance to do that."

 

[MilkManDan007]

Hayden meets Michael

It’s Michael…

That voice. Hayden remembered hearing that voice before in the facility. He had only seen Michael walking through the halls, but he had heard his voice in his head before. That must be one of his powers, the ability to speak into others minds.

The lopsided grin was somewhat comforting. At least now Hayden had someone else who knew what he was going through.

Hayden’s mind raced as he looked into that innocent face. He had never met Michael in person before, and had no idea of what he was capable of. In the purest sense, he at least had someone to watch his back. And if worse came to worse, if the two of them were discovered, Hayden could always use Michael as a diversion, as bait… He shuddered slightly and hoped things never came to that.

Hey Michael, Hayden said, reaching an unsteady hand out for a shake. Never thought I’d see anyone from the facility unless we got caught. They exchanged pleasantries before Hayden got to the meat of why he was here, why he had run into the park.

I need some help. They found me. It was a couple days ago, by accident. I was coming back from climbing and he was just there, in the parking lot. He looked as surprised as I did, but he still tried to chase me, and I did what I had to. I…I… Hayden stuttered, trying to wrap his mind around what he had dome. I killed him. I didn’t mean to, but, he’s dead. They’ll go to find out why he didn’t check in and track me down.

It had sunk in.

They’ll come here. They’ll find me, and you now, and they’ll… He trailed off, not wanting to know what they would do. Would they kill him? Would they try to take him back, reprogram him back to what they wanted?

He stopped, remembering the training. He hated to do it, but some of it had helped to keep him sane during these trying times. His training included relaxation and mental calming exercises so he could focus before an assignment. He cleared his head quickly and regained his composure. He took stock of himself as part of the exercise.

Knee-length canvas coat. Jeans. White T-shirt. Boots. Shoulder holster. 9mm pistol. 2 clips. Wallet. $88. Two small packages of jerky.

You got a place around here? I’ve been living off beef jerky for two days and I’m famished.

 

[Brains123]

Rick seeing the pistal his rage instantly increases and his hands burst into flames. The flames calmly lick up his hands stopping at his wrist. The ends of his sleeves blacken and begin to curl up with the intense heat as Rick stares at the gun in the mans hands.

"There is no need to hurt either of us Mr. Haggon. I am truly here to help you. If you would please calm down and listen to me then I can give you the name of a person who wants to help you hide. She can hide you better than anyone else and all that she wants is your trust."

Dropping his gun into a crate besides him he continues to try to calm Rick now.

"I will not hurt you, I am not here to do that. I do not ask that you trust me either, after what was done to you but I do know that you are still being hunted and all that you want is a normal life. If you just hear me out long enough to call this person then you will be given a small chance to do that."

Rick listening to the man seems to believe him, even more so when he tosses the gun. His hands drop slowly to his sides still on fire. The flames now flicking farther up his arms as he sleeves catch. The flames slowly die down though as does the flame red of his eyes. Still aflame rick stares at them seeming to come in controll as he holds them out again.

"You must understand that this ability takes controll. It is rare when I can contain the flame to just my hands. I have been getting better lately...alot better."

He closes his eyes for a brief second and takes a deep breath. The fiery red still showing through his closed eyelids, but they quickly dull and return to normal. The flames on his hands do the same as they slowly flicker out around his wrist and fingers leaving only his palm on fire.

"You see I have controll now...to a point. It wouldent do you any good to make me angry so I suggest you dont."

He slowly opens his eyes and steps toward the man.

"Now who is this person who can help?"

 

[AmenRa]

Michael nodded his head.

"Dude," he said, "I've kinda got a place. I've been renting a motel room not too awfully far from here. There's an all night diner next to it." He looked around. "This is a walk in the park for me," he smiled. "Made about as much sense to get out for a while here, I thought, because there were enough people around to kinda blend in."

Michael leaned in close, and his tone turned from laid-back rock wannabe rock star to coldly serious. "They won't find us, Hayden. And if they do, they will wish they hadn't. You did what you had to do in that parking lot. No one owns us!"

Michael looked around again. He was tired of running. Part of him wanted to face off with them and show them just how powerful he had grown. But, another part wanted to hide somewhere...just him and his guitar...and maybe a chick.

"Let's get the hell outta here, man," Michael said.

 

[blaster8]

John "Draco" Hera

Thirty-five years ago, a team of scientists working for the government took a small baby boy, less than a year old, and replaced part of his DNA. They had intended to create the ultimate soldier, but instead came up with a beast that could not be controlled, only set loose. By the time the beast was ten, the scientists had finally accepted that it could not be controlled, so they placed a GPS transmitter with stun capability in the creature’s back, so that if ever was set loose, they could track and recover it. Well, now the creature, 25 years later, is loose; but it wasn’t set loose. It escaped.

The truth was that he, John “Draco” Hera, was too intelligent to control, where as the scientists believed that he was too animalistic. He now wanders the forested mountains of western Colorado, far from any town or city. He had been hiding in those mountains for nearly a month now, keeping under the trees and living in caves in an attempt to prevent the GPS in his back from getting a clear signal. John figured that the odds were in his favor that those idiots who called themselves scientists had completely forgotten about the GPS they had put in his back 25 years ago, but he played it safe.

He seemed to have made his home somewhere on someone’s cattle ranch, because there were herds of cattle wandering about. He was currently perfectly camouflaged in the undergrowth, watching a lone cow wander ever closer to him. He had incredible patience when it came to ambush hunting, especially seeing as how he sat silent for 12 days while those dumb scientists showed Barney non-stop. Of course, at the end of the twelfth day, John ripped the TV apart. When he loses his patience, he loses it phenomenally. Anyways, cattle, it seemed, were the only creatures in these woods that were stupid enough to get within five hundred feet of him, so he predominantly hunted them. He’d have about one or two cows a week, and just two days ago, John saw either the rancher or a ranch hand examining one of his kills. The man didn’t look all that concerned, as if he was used to some predator taking his cattle. Then the man came across a rib on the skeleton that John had cleanly cut, leaving no marks on it what so ever from his claws. That seemed to have caught the man’s attention. You would suppose that it was unusual to find a kill in the forest that had a bone in that looked like it had been cut in a butcher’s shop.

The cow was in range now, completely oblivious to John’s presence no more then 10 feet away. John leapt, slamming the cow to the ground, breaking several bones in the animal’s body. With a quick swipe of his clawed feet, he ripped the jugular out of the animal, ending its pitiful life. John would spend the next three days feasting on this kill.

 

[Optimas]

Talon

The guards face disappeared into a burst of crimson as Talon swung a punch - he made himself light as air to make the punch swift as the wind - but as it connected it weighed the same as a juggernaut. He then ran at a side wall in the medical facilty and smashed through to the blazing sun - he then ran as far ans as fast as he could.

Self Density control was Talons gift (if you could call it that), he could change his bodies mass at will, one moment light as a feather, the next as heavy as a truck. His body had been melded with a strange metal, and now he was a slave to eating, it was the energy that his new changed body needed. If he did not eat his body would slow down and turn metallic - Talon thought he would just turn into metal and die, but he was not sure.

Talon could not remember anything from before the experiments, his mind was blank. He did remember one thing during the experiments however and that was the pain - It felt like his blood boiled.

Then training as to how to use his powers? They were dark times, Talon finally made a break for freedom when he thought they were going to kill him - by then he had mastered his powers.

Talon sat on the park bench, he was lost in thought, it had been a long time since he had escaped, he looked out to the park and the normal people and wished he was like them. He began to feel hungry so he walked over to a burger van and bought 3 1/4 pounders and sat back on his bench. . . deeply lost in thought.

 

[MilkManDan007]

The First Night

Something to eat sounded good, even if it was from one of those greasy-spoon diners that you can order semi-scrambled eggs at any time of the day. Hayden chuckled to himself softly, thinking how easy it would be to go into a restaurant, order whatever he wanted, and then just mask himself and walk out the door. The waiters, hostess, even the other patrons could be fooled. It would almost be too easy. The jovial thoughts were cut short when Michael leaned in and his voice turned cold.

They won't find us, Hayden. And if they do, they will wish they hadn't. You did what you had to do in that parking lot. No one owns us!

The harness to Michael’s voice sent a chill up Hayden’s spine. He remembered some of the other subjects in the program and what they were capable of. He wondered which ones had escaped and which had been killed. Hayden was glad that a few of them were killed in the escape. Their powers, if left unchecked, could have been deadly. Hicks Wilson, the smallish man who had lived in the room next to Hayden, had been shot in the back during the escape. While they had become friends by proximity during the experiments, Hayden had always feared Hicks. He could dismantle molecular bonds in anything, and the scientists had him working on breaking down steel when the accident happened. I think after the incident, Hicks understood how powerful he was and what he could do if he reached his full potential. While he was concentrating, a scientist from another division accidentally walked into the test chamber. Hicks’ concentration shifted from the steel vault door to the man walking into the door. He looked up just in time to see Hicks focus his gaze on him and by then it was too late to run. Hayden happened to be watching that day, observing others powers and how they controlled them so he could learn how to better control his own. The scientist’s eyes widened as he was torn apart, bond by bond, at a molecular level. His scream was cut off quickly as he was broken down to the most basic elements, reduced to a small pile of minerals and a puff of gas. I think Hicks knew then that he could leave whenever he wanted and no one could stop him. The only way they got to him was as he ran. He had his back turned and a guard on the roof put a .223 caliber bullet through the back of his skull. If Hicks had seen the man, or the gun, he would have lived and been unleashed.

Hayden didn’t know if he wanted to be around more of the people from the facility. It would be easier to track groups as their powers would be more noticeable if they were concentrated in one area. Also, Hayden didn’t know if he could trust these people. Were some of the subjects convinced to work with the facility to bring the others back? Were some of them brainwashed enough to be used as assassins, killing the rogue subjects one by one as they tracked them down? What if those who escaped went crazy as they were deprived of the mental conditioning? What if they lost control of their powers? These were things Hayden didn’t know if he could live with. He already lived in fear of those who were obviously sent by the facility to track them down, and he didn’t want to be looking over his shoulder at those who would help him, wondering if they would betray him and take him back, or kill him outright if they felt he was no longer useful to them.

Let’s get the hell outta here, man, said Michael, turning to leave.

Hayden felt uneasy following him, but began to go with him towards the greasy diner. They exchanged small talk along the way, reliving the days between the escape and now as they walked. Hayden got the room number and hotel where Michael was staying while at the diner, mentally filing it away if he needed it later. The meat loaf sandwich and home cut fries were about as tasty as you can get from a place named Deb’s Dining.

Hey Michael, I think I’m just going to go stay at a hotel tonight. Hopefully I can find someplace nice, Hayden said, dropping six bucks at the table for the food. Maybe I’ll catch up with you tomorrow or something.

Hayden excused himself from the table and walked out the front door. He wandered the streets for about an hour before settling on the Ocean View Motel at the far west end of Golden Gate Park. It wasn’t much to look at, but it had a decent view of the bay. Hayden masked himself from the clerk working the front desk and walked in. Sliding behind the counter, he spied the rack with keys just behind the clerk. Slowly, he reached up and plucked one off the wall while the clerk obliviously read the San Francisco Chronicle. Room 227. Hayden made his way to the door of a stairwell beyond the clerk’s vision before unmasking. He made his way to the room, hung the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the doorknob, locked the door from the inside, and fell fast asleep on the queen bed.

The morning sun roused him from the peaceful night’s slumber. Hayden left the room and made his way out of the motel with no one the wiser. He thought of Michael’s advice, blending in at a public place and figured he would once again try to blend in and disappear in the crowds. With his ability, he figured that he could always earn some extra money pick pocketing or stealing petty cash from retailers as their registers were open. Either way, he figured he would try to spend one day as a normal man before worrying about being on the run again.

The park seemed to call to him. There was a slight chill to the morning air as Hayden left the hotel. He buttoned his coat and began a leisurely stroll down Martin Luther King Jr. Drive into the park.

He tried to put off that tickle on the back of his neck, the thought that someone was watching him. He had been careful to only mask and unmask out of sight of people, and figured that no one had seen him.

It didn’t put his mind at ease.