Adrian Santoro – Washington D.C., Virginia, America

Adrian laughed a deep laugh, "I guess I was just making it out to be more than it was," although he realised this, Adrian still saw it as a leap of faith, only time would tell if she had chosen the right choice for herself.

He himself had been in the same position several weeks before Erika. As was his ritual, he had been exercising at the gym, lifting weights, and working out, the general thing after having been sitting down all day at a desk job. He had just finished his routine work out when a female only a couple of years younger than himself approached him, seeming somewhat out of place with her figure amongst the body builders. At first, it had seemed like she was flirting with him, something Adrian was no stranger to, but then she started talking nonsense about Atlantis, people having special abilities and a mysterious organisation on the other half of the globe that was somehow mixed in with it all.

"You are an Atlantean, Adrian," she had whispered in his ear, "the people I work with, they are like you. Leave this mindless existence behind and become something more than all of this."

At first he dismissed her thoughts as if she was mad. Atlantis was nothing but a myth, an island that sank beneath the oceans long ago, there was no way he could be a part of it; he was Brazilian after all, quite a way away from where Atlantis supposedly existed. It wasn't until that night when inexplicable pain wracked his body, and by morning two tiny appendages had grown near the bottom on his ribs. On further inspection at the doctors, an X-Ray scan showed that the bone structure of his chest and abdomen had rearranged itself to accommodate the inclusion of two new appendages; bones, and muscles as well. Suffice to say, the doctor was surprised, and started spouting nonsense about the devil, prompting Adrian's departure.

Back at home, he marvelled in the mirror at the transformation that had taken place and then new appendages he had grown. He was surprised to find the girl waltz into the bathroom of his apartment as if she owned the place. She introduced herself as October Carter, and offered him a leap of faith further north. Within two weeks, his arms had grown to catch up with the point in time that Adrian was at; the pain being almost constant and unbearable.

Now he was doing the same thing October had done with him; recruiting.

Returning to Erika in the present he got to his feet, pulling two tickets from out of his pocket, "I have two tickets to England leaving in two hours, you won't need to bring anything since the Syndicate can cater to your needs. Shall we hit the road?"

October Carter – Syndicate HQ, Birmingham, England

October glanced across at Leon as a smirk crept across his face making her wonder what exactly was going on inside that head if his that was so funny. Maybe she should just give him another quick jolt to make sure he knew his place, but she was sure enough that the first one had done that. So instead she waited patiently for the elevator to arrive, making sure she entered in before him so that he knew for sure she was above him. Once in, she pushed the button that would take them to the level of their quarters; taking only a few minutes to get to the level. There was an awkward silence that followed, one which October was adamant to get rid of.

Leaning in close, she came up to his face, looking in his eyes, tracing his lips with her finger and running her hands through his hair, "You're quite cute up close, Leon," she smiled at him showing her perfectly white teeth.

Leon gave her a quizzical look back, one minute she was making his skull shake, the next she was flirting with him, was she mad? The simple answer: yes. "I know I am," he replied arrogantly to her; not the reply she wanted.

Offended, she took a step back, "want another?" she said raising her hand up and smiling as he flinched slightly at the gesture. October was all about control, from a young age she had been a control freak and would often get upset or take offense when things did not go the way she wanted. It didn't help that her parents would often fold in; giving her what she wanted when she wanted, dislike confrontation with her as to avoid her pathetic outbreaks of anger.

Leon took a step back, gulping before replying; "Once is quite enough. Maybe later though." But despite his reply, it didn't seem like he would want that to happen again. Period.

A single ding of a bell announced their arrival to the floor, and the doors to the elevator rolled open to reveal a fairly large room. To one side was a kitchen manned by a chef and a dining table long enough to seat at least six people on either side. On the other side of the room was a coffee table surrounded by two and three people couches. Straight ahead was a door open ajar, opening up into a hallway that ran horizontally along the back wall. Further inspection would show doors lining the opposite side, opening up to living quarters.

"Welcome to home," October stated, leaving the elevator and spreading her arms wide to convey the entire area. She was in the area for less than a minute when a 'pop' from behind caught her unaware. "Look what the cat dragged in," October said, turning around to face Jeremy, and the new comer. "Oh, and we have a new recruit. I'm October Carter, and you are?"

Jeremy Kyle – Syndicate HQ, Birmingham, England

Jeremy laughed at Archie's comment about mind control, not knowing whether to take it seriously or not. Raising his hand to scratch the back of his head, "We don't have a mind controller, but I suppose that would work." He replied.

"The way you speak," Archie approached Jeremy, staring him in the eyes which only unnerved Jeremy, "it's like you've been at this longer than just a few days," Archie continued to look at Jeremy, this time watching his movements as if he was looking for some sort of sign from Jeremy, all the while getting further into Jeremy's personal space; not that he mattered much, but he was starting to feel a little intimidated by Archie.

"Just how long have you had your ability?" Archie asked, but it seemed almost rhetorical as he returned to his seat, offhandedly saying, "Yes, I accept your offer," to none other than Jeremy.

Immediately Jeremy's heart skipped a beat, finally he had someone on his side, or at least someone who had accepted his offer. "I've had my ability for little over a year, but I'm happy that you have accepted." He made no attempt to hide the joy in his voice.

He walked over to Archie sitting down, gripping the boys shoulder tightly, "sorry I have to do this again, but it's time we went 'home'," smiling wildly at Archie before teleporting them.

They soon reappeared in a massive room, Jeremy's grip on Archie helping him to his feet before he would crash to the floor; Jeremy preferred to teleport standing up so that he would arrive standing up. "This entire floor is ours, to our left is the living room, where we can relax and chat together, to our right is a kitchen which even has chefs to cater to our needs twenty-four seven. Ahead of us is our living quarters, if there is anything you need, there is a telephone to a reception downstairs who can go out of their way to get you almost anything." Up until now, Jeremy had found it lonely with only Adrian and October in the complex, both had a tendency to ignore him, but with Leon and now Archie, there were more people. He hoped silently to himself that Jericho would accept the offer to.

As soon as Jeremy finished talking, the elevators behind them dinged, Jeremy turning around to see who was arriving. "Look what the cat dragged in," October said, turning around to face Jeremy, and the new comer. "Oh, and we have a new recruit. I'm October Carter, and you are?" Jeremy immediately stiffened in the presence of October, he still hadn't gotten over the shocks she would give him whenever she felt bored; and they were often enough, perhaps too often.

"Hello…O-october," he muttered under his breath, bowing his head slightly in her direction, avoiding eye contact at all cost.

Adeline "Otto" Russo - Under the Vatican, Rome, Italy

Devon "Evo" Bernot - AUP Headquarters, France

Jericho Heiko: Without Jeremy in a Nondescript Building (Location Unknown)

That Stevens kid or whoever did this little display thing that Jeri didn't care to play back to the world. Basically it was a load of sh*t he could have told him as soon as he started talking to Jeremy. But whatever. Let people have their little moment on top. Jeri was unimpressed, but Stevens had said yes as the eventual result of some rational system that Jeri could quite place. Jeremy got up then and went to the Steven kid. He muttered a couple words and then boom! He was gone, just like that. Jeri rose from his seat immediately. "What!?" He exclaimed, clearly being left. Okay, f*ck you, Jeremy!

Out of all the places that *sshole could have left him, it had to be here!? With this douchebag? He was tired of this. All this... Poofing around. That sh*t had to stop. It was much too abrupt and was almost impossible to have tag-along. Soon he heard a door, back in the darkness behind the bald guy, open. He looked in that direction, wondering what clown they were going to send out now. Possibly a nicer advertiser. That's what his hopes were, though he'd rather have a taxi driver and cab. It could also be another guy here to lay on some more "incentive". Truth be told, it was another guy. He moved out of the shadows. He was fairly well suited and had that air of importance around him. Just a glance made it obvious that he was higher ranking than baldy. He also had a pair of sunglasses, giving him the look of cool and power. Jeri almost immediately decided that he'd rather talk to this guy who seemed like he knew what he was doing, rather than short and frustrated. Well... That was until... Until...

It seemed so casual, innocent. A hand on the shoulder, nothing big. But it was... Somehow it was. It was immediate almost, but not fast enough. There was this look that came across the bald guy's face. A look that seemed to come in slow motion, probably because it just wasn't... Right. An intense fear of... Of something Jeri couldn't see. The suited man wasn't looking at him anymore. He was looking at something else. Then it happened, he started screaming. Not a normal scream, one that... that... The suited man brought his hands to his eyes and started scratching at his face. Or that's what it looked like to Jeri before the blood from cuts and eventually tears started showing up. This wasn't a careless scratch, this was desperate clawing. Jeri's eyes were wide as he watched this man literally rip his own eyes out. Not a clean grab and a quick pull, no... He got it bit by bit, scraping it away from his face, out of their sockets. Jericho took a step back, horrified but unable to remove his eyes. He wanted to run, turn around and get out of this place, but his legs wouldn't move and mind was frozen. This scene was all that could process for him. The screams escalated, getting more horrible by the second. It was very well possible others could hear this too. It was terrifying to see, horrible to look at. Why was he looking? Jeri managed to turn his head away, shut his eyes tight. He still saw the image, though, just as clearly as he heard the screams. He could still see it going just as it would have if he'd continued to watch. Eventually, but too long, the screams stopped and the noises of that... that ripping was finished. Jeri opened his eyes; he told himself not to look. He didn't want to see the finished product. He could see the elbow of the man at the corner of his eyes. That odd curiosity when fear was present took over. He looked, despite himself.

What he saw... The man was dead, his fingers still clinging to his face which still looked horror stricken. It was almost as if his body was still going through the pain his soul wasn't. His eyes, they were there still, just not in the right place. The blood had poured down his cheeks, his neck, onto his clothes and the rest it... It was like he'd actually cried out his own eyes and felt the pain too. There was a silence, but it was broken by a voice. One so calm, so... At peace... So undisturbed by this sight that it could have been scarier than what has just transpired.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that, Jericho, much less put up with this rubbish," the voice echoed, and as it did, Jeri turned his head to its owner. It was that guy, the important looking guy that had come in. The one who'd... Who'd... Jeri had forgotten he was there, completely forgotten. Now that he knew, he wished he'd forget again. He had taken off his sunglasses and now looked Jericho in the eye. He didn't notice until now, but he was shaking. Bad. The man continued to speak, introducing himself as Daniel, or alternatively, the Directive. Jeri didn't quite have the mind to comment or ask about his ownership of a seemingly baseless nickname. He'd said he'd have a proposal, and with his words, the scene miraculously changed. The warehouse image began to shift and Jeri immediately thought he was going to show him whatever had made the man kill himself. Jeri closed his eyes, forcing himself not to look, hoping not to hear whatever he was about to be shown. Nothing happened, however. He opened one eye and then the other. Nothing was wrong. He was... Suddenly back home! He could see it, the base. Feel it just as he might have if he were there. Was he there? He couldn't tell. But he figured out soon when Daniel--the Directive?--started talking to him again. He frowned, sadness overcoming his previous fear which had been miraculously erased by this scene here. He regretted leaving now. His parents, his sister, his friends. He could have just gone to the paintball game... They must have been pissed. He wondered if they'd see them again. If he'd ever get to go back or if he'd be killed like... Like... He tossed the thought out of his head, focusing on just this scene. He liked this. A small smile came to him. He'd stopped paying attention to whatever the guy was saying. He wanted to stay in this. That, however, went away to something new. As it did, Jericho became aware of the man's words. Become much more, do much more.

The scene changed to just him, looking older. He didn't look that way from physical change, but from the look in his eye, like he'd been places, done things. Like he was experienced in something. Jeri could feel it too, but on himself somehow. He could feel it in his arms, like this tingle that didn't stop. This odd feeling of stored power... Power he knew how to control. In his mind he knew what he had done. The other him, the one he was seeing now. He had the memories of being places, accomplishing things he could only do with his power. A smile came to him and he looked down, down at his hands. He could feel it there too, like it was ready to come out, aching to, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do with it. He could let it out or keep it there to grow, to get... Stronger.

That image, too, began to fade away and with it the feelings, the memory, the power. It was gone away from him. He tried to remember it, imagine it with all the strength of his mind, but he could never grasp it. Just a familiar spark that quickly died and was obtained in a weaker amount. His smile faded and he stared at his now powerless hands. He was nothing. He was normal. Had the power even been there? Had it even existed? It did... He knew it did. He'd used it before. Jeri wanted to feel like that. Feel like he was really somebody again. Someone who could defend themself. A possible threat. It felt good, it felt great! Knowing he could do something, master something others couldn't even dream about. He wanted this, he wanted this now. His mind, his body, they were all screaming yes.

"So, do you still wish to say no to our proposal?" Jericho looked up from his hands, ready to tell him the affirmative. It was the remembrance of the body that stopped him. It was still there and he looked at it now. Immediately he remembered what had happened and that fear rose up within him, mixing oddly with that greedy need he'd just been feeling before. The thought came to him, eerily calm in his head. How far would he let that power go? Would he do the same things to people that this man had just done? The biggest question... Would he do it voluntarily? Would he do it and not even notice, not even be phased by it? Do it and still be able to sit in a chair and talk to a stranger as if nothing had occurred? What will happen to me here? The thought lingered in his mind and his eyes went to the man who'd shown him both terror and promise.

Now his mind was silent. It gave no "Yes" or "No". His body was still in agreement, but less adamant. He had to make a decision now. He couldn't stay silent forever. He looked at the body once more and then back again. Jeri nodded his head slowly, as if he had just come out of something. A dream.

"Yes," he said in a low voice, and then more loudly he repeated it. "Yes." He'd come. He'd join them. Jeri dropped his hands, looked at the ground, the walls of the warehouse, and then back at... At... He wasn't quite sure what eh was supposed to call him. Jericho smiled meekly. "Do I call you Daniel or Directive?"

Archie Stevens – Location Unknown

"We don't have a mind controller, but I suppose that would work." Jeremy replied after briefly laughing at Archie's comment.

Archie's intimidation trick worked, Jeremy seemed disturbed by it. He noticed the guy's reaction of joy as he accepted the offer, apparently you don't have to be able to lie when you can just teleport anywhere you want.

"I've had my ability for little over a year, but I'm happy that you have accepted." Jeremy said approaching Archie and sat down next to him. He grabbed a hold of Archie's shoulder and a feeling of dread filled the pit of Archie's stomach. His face paled and the expectation of what was about to happen and one hand floundered about to grab hold of his guitar case before they disappeared into oblivion. "sorry I have to do this again, but it's time we went 'home',"

"Not again you BAS..." Archie didn't get to finish his shout as a now familiar wrenching sensation pulled him from reality. The journey this time was much less traumatic or at least it seemed way. At first he panicked like last time, but he quickly calmed himself and was almost enjoying the trip by the time it ended. Almost, because it is difficult to like something so unnatural happening to the body as being de-atomized, moved and then re-assembled at the other end or how ever it was that Jeremy's power worked. As he reappeared a shiver ran down Archie's spine, maybe he could get used to being in transit but the starting and stopping was something he would never get used to. He turned and was about to give Jeremy a punch in the arm for his surprise but seeing that the guy looked weak he decided against it. Presumably teleporting took energy from Jeremy's body, which wasn't surprising as if it wasn't the case you could build a perpetual motion device with it.

"Do you think I could have a little more warning next time." Going along the same lines of thought, Archie wondered which laws of physics held still, which could be bent and which could be broken. He was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he hadn't taken in his surroundings.

"This entire floor is ours, to our left is the living room, where we can relax and chat together, to our right is a kitchen which even has chefs to cater to our needs twenty-four seven. Ahead of us is our living quarters, if there is anything you need, there is a telephone to a reception downstairs who can go out of their way to get you almost anything." Archie looked around taking in the massive room, there was a dining table with twelve seats round it on one side and a team of chefs in the kitchen. A coffee table sat on the other side of the room surrounded by settees.

"Nice place you've got here, I assume it isn't just the two of use." Archie said gesturing to the table with twelve seats. "Because... That would be a little weird." He finished with a laugh.

A small chime sounded behind them and Archie turned to see the source of the noise. An elevator had just arrived.

"Look what the cat dragged in," A very attractive woman, a few years older than Archie, said as she entered the room. She was followed by a guy around Archie's age. "Oh, and we have a new recruit. I'm October Carter, and you are?" Jeremy seemed tense, one of the two was worrying him but which one. He would have to ask about the situation later when they weren't here.

"Hello…O-october," Jeremy muttered, under his breath and looking down to the floor. Presumably it was the woman, October but she didn't look dangerous. Not that it meant much nowadays anyway, the sweetest girl in the world could gave the power to transform into a fire-breathing killing machine and you wouldn't know a thing until you were a pile of burnt ashes on the floor.

"Hi, I'm Archie. Nice to meet you October." Archie said being as polite as he could be, which wasn't very polite. He decided that maybe getting out of the way would be the best option here. He could talk to Jeremy, learn what was what and who to avoid. And. Not end up a pile of cinders barely big enough to fit in a matchbox. "If you don't mind I'd like to go use the phone there's some stuff I need to take care of now I'm throwing away my chemistry degree." He smiled, no one stop me, just point me to the phone you mentioned and let me walk away, he though hoping that he could just escape this awkward situation.

Leon Nef- Syndicate HQ, Birmingham, England

Leon backed away as October lifted her hand, prepared to unleash her ability on him once more. He had just gone through a rigorous day of training, dishing out everything he could, and he really didn't have the energy to mess with her, especially given her ability. "Want another?" she asked. Leon recalled the pain that traveled into his skull when she first touched him earlier. He was in no condition and no mood to feel another one. Besides, it wasn't like there was anywhere here he could escape to, in this small elevator. With a gulp he spoke, trying not to sound frightened, and keep his overconfident, calm demeanor. "Once is quite enough. Maybe later though." A hint of sarcasm escaped his voice as he said so, but he hoped it wouldn't be noticed. The ding of the elevator sounded, and Leon stepped out after October.

October extended her arms. "Welcome home." She said. Leon got a good look at the place. He nodded briefly to himself. If this was to be his living arrangements, they were met with approval from Leon, who hadn't spent a lot of his life in the most luxurious places since his departure from his parent's home so long ago. A loud but familiar pop resonated through the room as Jeremy entered, followed by another person. Leon gave Jeremy a dismissive stare, before turning his eyes to the newcomer. He heard October speak to him, and watched as he introduced himself back. Archie, he said. While they exchanged greetings, Leon silently studied the newcomer. He was pale, an very thin, very thin. He looked like he was starved. His hair was a medium-length black, swept over to his right side, partially covering his green eye. The hair itself has a streak of blue through it as well. Leon raised an eyebrow as he looked the man over. In Italy, one would make an opinion about you based on your appearance in the first ten seconds you meet. But Leon had doubts about appearances in the past upon meeting people. Usually, there was more under the hood, so to speak. Archie apparently wanted to make a phone call, to get out of way, probably feeling a bit uncomfortable around new faces, especially knowing they were probably Atlantean. Leon didn't quite want to let him go that easily, for two reasons reasons: One, he wanted to know more of what this person was like, and two, quite frankly, he liked messing with people.

"Well, hold on a minute." Leon said, stepping forward with a mischievous grin on his face. "I don't think we're quite done here. Since you're going to be here for the rest of your life, you may as well learn a few things. You may call me Leon, by the way. First of all, what is your power? What can you do?" Leon's grin dropped as he eyed Archie, examining his clothing and hair choice. "Also, what the hell is up with your hair? And why are you so damn skinny?" Leon gave a look to Jeremy. "Honestly, did you pluck him off the street or something? It looks like he hasn't eaten in days, and he's about ready to collapse any moment! I thought I joined your organization for your power, not your....this." He said, motioning to all of Archie with his hand.

Leon looked back at Archie, wondering what sort of reply he was going to get. Was he going to erupt in anger? Was he going to run away crying? Was going to blow him off as if nothing happened, or perhaps ignore him? There were so many things that could be done. Leon wondered who Archie really was.

Archie Stevens - Location Unknown

"Well, hold on a minute." The guy who's name Archie didn't know yet said. He stepped forwards with a mischievous grin that some how suited the messed up look of his short, untidy, black hair. "I don't think we're quite done here. Since you're going to be here for the rest of your life, you may as well learn a few things. You may call me Leon, by the way. First of all, what is your power? What can you do?" The guy stopped grinning. "Also, what the hell is up with your hair? And why are you so damn skinny?" Looking to Jeremy Leon said. "Honestly, did you pluck him off the street or something? It looks like he hasn't eaten in days, and he's about ready to collapse any moment! I thought I joined your organization for your power, not your....this."

This guys talks like he owns the place but Jeremy hadn't even greeted the guy, October was his main concern. Let's see just how much these guys know about me Archie decided. Did they know what his power was or how quickly he could use it?

"Hi, Leon." Archie said with a smile on his face, "Let me show you what I can do." He turned around and walked over to the kitchen, weaving his way around the chef. He knelt down next to one of the cupboards and opened it. Making sure that he had his back to the others he focused on a tin of baked beans and began to cut through the metal round the rim where it was exposed. Cutting most of the way round he left two sections opposite each other to keep the lid held on. It only too a couple of seconds, after which time he picked up the tin, pretending that he had only just managed to find it.

"There we are." Archie said producing the tin with the lid still barely attached to the tin, in such a way that it looked like he had done nothing at all. He grabbed a bowl and held the tin over it, then he turned the tin upside down and with one slight use of his power cut through one of the sections and the lid fell off. The weight of the beans pulled the lid off the can giving the illusion that he had cut it much faster than he was actually able to. Really it was a mute point but it made his power seem more impressive. "I can cut objects just by looking at them." He left out the bit that he could only effect metal, Leo didn't need to know that, besides it would be funny to make him think otherwise. As Archie said this he stared Leon in the eyes. Then he turned away and put the beans in the microwave. Grabbing a spoon, he continued. "As for my hair and clothes, I don't think it is any of your business. I've only just got here and haven't had chance to change yet. In fact, half an hour ago I was in Sheffield. That was until Jeremy abducted me." He turned to Jeremy, "Leon raises a good point, why did you recruit me?" Just then the microwave pinged, Archie took the bowl of beans out and began eating. After his second heaped spoonful he stopped eating. "Anyone want some?" He asked honestly.

Jericho Heiko: Syndicate HQ?

So... It was Directive. Jeri honestly liked Daniel better, but if he wanted to be called that then... Eh, he'd just have to try and remember. He'd probably keep it in his skull until he left for a while... Maybe. Jericho had the feeling he wouldn't forget this man, though. The Directive nodded to him and then they were on their way, going to the back of the warehouse (Jeri hesitated before he passed the dead man's body) and to an elevator where he could only assume was where the Directive had originated. As they waited, the Directive was kind enough to ask him what he liked to be called, which struck Jeri as odd. He didn't look like the type of person who'd actually care. It was nice someone had asked though. Since Jeremy everyone he'd seen had been calling him Jericho. Yes, that was his name, but he didn't particularly like his name. Jeri was fine. He would have slapped Jeremy silly for doing it, but that wasn't really the focus of the current conversation.

As he boarded the elevator, Jericho pondered over where Jeremy had actually gone. He supposed it was somewhere more homely than... Where he just was. The way he left... It's like he knew whatever was going to happen in that room was going to happen. Jeri shuddered, thinking about it again. Suddenly the elevator seemed smaller. He felt like he was standing closer to the Directive than he actually needed to. He thought about taking a step over, but how would that look? He really didn't want to be on this guy's bad side or anything.

The elevator ride came to a stop soon and when they stepped out, Jeri was given a gesture-based tour of the place. He looked in the directions the Directive pointed. Bedrooms, lounge, kitchen... Yeah, this was like your everyday summer camp hut. Only a lot nicer. By the seemings, this place was probably the "headquarters". Jericho would probably never call it that, though. The place didn't seem like it had much going on so far, but it did look nice. Well, if you had nothing, you might as well beef up everything you did have! Right? Still, bedrooms and a play area was kind of lame. For an organization of superpowered kids, their funding seemed to be a little short of the X-Men... Or the Teen Titans for that matter. Thinking of them, he was glad that joining these guys didn't mean he'd have to knit his own outfit. He didn't feel like wearing colorful getup, and some people... Some people just shouldn't be wearing that. He didn't think he'd want to see any of the Syndicate members wearing their own creative take on spandex.

Well, maybe her...

There was a group ahead of them consisting of... Well, who cared? They weren't the first ones he noticed. It was the woman that caught his eye. A lady with a perfect face, slim cut black jeans, and high cut boots, she looked dazzling. Jericho smiled. Things around here might not be so bad if this was what he got to hang around with. He noticed the rest after her. It was some kid, the Stevens kid, and Jeremy. Hm. So this is where he went. Jeri glance behind him and then he frowned. Really? The distance from the warehouse to here wasn't even five minutes. It was hardly even a single minute! It couldn't have been that necessary to teleport. Then again, if you could teleport, why take the time? It seemed like a waste of energy, though. Like driving to the house across the street.

Jeri's frown deepened when he looked at Stevens. He instantly remembered his first introduction of him not too long ago. He didn't like that kid... he just didn't. To keep himself happy, Jeri put his attention on the other members present. Jeremy, again, was there as well, which was a good sight as any. He liked having at least one person with a power he knew here. The mystery of it... It was a little scary. Knowing that any one of these people could kill you with just a hand on your shoulder. It wasn't a settling thought. Jeremy was the guy that he knew for sure couldn't just... Do away with him like that. And even if he could, he didn't seem like the type of person who would do that. It was comforting, and had enough encouragement to want him to hang around him more often. The last member of this little group was as big of a stranger as the woman, but not as easily acceptable. He was a darker skinned kid with short, black hair that stood at a spike. He also had a little uhm... Uh... Stuff on his face. Right over his left eye, or surrounding it, the kid had what Jeri assumed to be his tattoo. He was reminded of his own and that familiar itch started up again. Jeri was glad he was lucky enough to not have a tattoo in such a disadvantaging spot. Something about this kid, however, gave Jeri the feeling he wouldn't like him. The Directive introduced each person one by one. It turned out that the Stevens kid was actually named Archie (he would probably still call him "the Stevens kid") and the two other people were Leon and October.

Jericho simply raised a hand in greeting and nodded his head whilst evaluating everyone's names. October... You know, he really hated that. When people named their children after months in the year or seasons. Not saying October was a bad name, but yeesh! What's wrong with a normal name? He didn't run into an October every day, and it was certainly better than Autumn, but the thought was still the same. These people could have been at least courteous to the other months by including them. There was a May, June, July, August, September, October, and possibly a December. Then there was Summer, Winter, Autumn. What's wrong with January, February, and November? Are they not favorable months? Okay, maybe there were kids out there with freak names like January, February, and November, but no kid he'd ever heard of. And why not name your kid Spring? Was there a fear of their friends passing by and shouting, "Hey, Springy!" Maybe. What kind of person would want to be called Springy? But this was really just an overvaluation of names. He could go on about Leon (God that name) and Archie, but he wouldn't.

In truth, Jericho was thinking these things to somewhat distract himself from the half-boring set these people seemed to be in currently. They were just kind of sitting around and not doing anything in particular. Maybe they just got there, but whatever it was, Jeri had a feeling that he'd hate being apart of it. Besides that, he didn't actually feel like talking to anybody right now. Well, he wouldn't mind talking to Ms. October, but talking to her would also obligate him to talk to everyone else. He also wouldn't mind talking to Jeremy since he'd so far been the most pleasant person to talk to. Talking to Stevens was just completely out of the question and the thought of hearing Leon's voice made him cringe. Yeah, he was probably being prejudice in his assumption that Leon would be an unfavorable character to hang around with, but... Come on. Someone, somewhere was nodding their head and silently agreeing that this kid could be one annoying f*ck. By his own choice or not.

The first thing he heard walking in was that Stevens kid asking Jeremy why he recruited him. It was an odd question. From what it seemed like, Jeremy was just the guy that was supposed to bring them there, not actually recruit them. Though it was a good question. Why were they handpicked? Jeri's biggest question was how long it took to evaluate them. He only knew he was an Atlanta-whatever for about a week now...

The Directive answered the question. It was because of their potential. Hm. He scanned the small crowd once more. Well, he'd like to see their potential. He tried to predict the powers of each of the people there. He drew a blank from the tall kid and another one from the woman (whatever it would have been, it must have been spectacular). The Stevens kid... He noted his bean eating. His power was probably something stupid. Like the ability to change light bulbs without physical contact. It seemed possible. He already imagined the kid's introductory spiel. "How many Atlanteans does it take to screw in a light bulb? Just one!"

Heh...

Christian Calaway-Atlantean Mansion, Boston, England

The sun was going down, but Christian had still felt that the sun was beating down on him with its merciless rays. Out of breath, covered in minor wounds from his long hours of intense training, Christian was for the first time in some time truly exhausted. In fact, he couldn't recall being out of breath since that one intense game of basketball against his co workers several months ago. His team of course won, if only because he had dominated everyone with his ball handling and shooting. Gasping for air, Christian stood up as tall as he could to produce the illusion of him being full of energy. "That was good training Christian, it's time we went inside for some food, you must be quite hungry after that intense training." Thalia smiled up at him from behind her glasses, rubbing her stomach as if motioning her own personal hunger. Christian was not particularly hungry, having eaten far too much earlier in the day.

"I could go for some food, I suppose," Christian replied, not wanting to bother with his wish for more training. Christian had felt he could do more. He always did. Guilty of always pushing himself, Christian never accepted anything less than perfection. Anything else could lead to failure. That…that is his greatest fear. Failure.

Thalia led the way back into the main building, brushing across a few students and figures that she seemed to recognize. Christian, of course, did not recognize a soul and simply followed her, holding his jacket for a some time before he felt a slight chill, putting his jacket on covering most of his wounds except the few cuts on his face. He had considered asking Thalia a few questions, about her past and such, but Christian got a bit nervous failing to comprehend an intelligent way of communicating such a thought. Thalia and Christian had almost entered the inner rooms when Christian was mugged by a familiar face with a sudden hug.

"Hey Christian, how was your training?" It was Antonia, with her hair slightly messy and her face filled with energy. "I learned so much in mine. These abilities we have are incredible!" Antonia grabbed Christian's hand gently, guiding him inside. Christian blushed, his face becoming noticeably flustered. He was speechless, unable to muster any words to notify Antonia of her sudden display of affection. Did she like him? If so, why? What did she see in him?

"I shall leave you two to it then," Thalia grinned with seemingly devious intent.

"Huh, what?" Christian said with a stutter.

Antonia released Christian's hand (much to his disappointment as he rather liked the sensation) and led him to a fair sized table that could seat six people if one tried hard enough. She waved at Christian, making sure he would follow. Christian did follow her without much hesitation. After all she was the only person who bothered to speak with him. The others from the center appeared to hate him. Especially that Michael guy who whined at him about the attack on his sister. In hindsight, trying to knock her unconscious with a uncontrollable smoke blast was a bad idea. He did not regret his intention, but the execution was certainly uncalled for. Would the girl accept an apology? What was her name again? How would he word it? What about-

"So, tell me more about yourself, Christian."

"Oh. Well…there's isn't much to tell really. What do you want to know?"

"Anything!"

"That isn't very helpful," Christian smiled weakly.

"Come on. You can tell me anything."

Christian took a bite to eat, trying to think of something to tell her that was interesting. He wasn't that interesting, at least in his opinion. His most interesting quality was either his superpowers or the fact he was obsessed with motorcycles. "I am not sure what to tell you. I grew in New York City. I was home schooled by my mother, until my father allowed me to attend public school. I didn't have a lot of friends at first. I suppose you could say I was bullied. Then I met my best friend Nicolas. He helped me out a lot. Only friend I had for a while. Got me a job. Actually, he is the one who got me into motorcycles. I am not sure if you like them, but I could show you mine later. I customized it a lot at the shop that I worked at."

"That sounds cool!" She said. "You should take me for a ride one day," she said with a wink. Christian was taken aback by that, probably because he read way too much into it.

"Oh…well…um..uh"

Two people came and interrupted Christian's blabbering speech. Christian recognized the one guy from earlier, but his name escaped his mind at the time. The other…was quite familiar. It was the girl from earlier! The name….It was Oakley. Yeah, Oakley. Christian was a bit ashamed that he had forgotten, but at least he remembered in the end. The boy asked: "Hello guys, how did training go?"

Christian was quick to answer: "It went well. I learned a lot. I feel better about this whole ability concept. Thank you for asking." He had no idea what else to add and Antonia just nodded in agreement, seeing how her mouth was full of food. Christian smiled to Antonia, finding the display cute in its own way.

"Oakley, right?" Christian said, trying to make eye contact. "I wanted to apologize for what happened earlier. At the center. I was…out of control. I hope to make it up to you. Somehow."

Brian kept his eyes on Cobalt as he started to answer his question... At least, he was before a small silver car pulled up. The driver asked the Japanese man something, Cobalt answering with a simple shake of the head and a "thank you." After that, it didn't take long before the two Atlanteans were in the car and on their way to their destination.

Almost right after they left, Cobalt started to talk once again. His emotions giving off confusion as well as his words that followed. He started with quoting one of good ol' Shakespeare's quote about men being merely parts in the scheme of things. The quote made Brian think for awhile. He always thought that fate didn't control him but with hearing what Mr. Chimura had to say next, he knew he must rethink it.

The man's next few sentences hit him dead on with even more thoughts. Apparently, he was from a list of people who could change the world and he may be the one who would do it.

As if, he thought, even if I can change the world, it wouldn't necessarily be just me. Even if I did, who said it would be for good or worse. Either I've been prophesied or something to change it. Maybe there may be something like fate.

Within seconds, the man put him in a situation and Brian suddenly felt like Neo from the Matrix. He could either stay home or go to England and help change the world.

Brian thought it over for more than a short while, his mind racing and a headache forming. He knew his answer and he probably would have done it without thinking anyway. "Mr. Chimura," he started. "I would like to go with you..."