Dominique Bisset and Delta Mayor-- Toulouse, France, AUP HQ

Yesterday didn't happen. It couldn't have happened. But, God. How could it have not?

Dominique read the newspaper article over and over. He wasn't sure what he was doing. He would deny yesterday, then read the article, accept it, and then deny it again. Over and over again. How could this happen? It couldn't be true.

But it was. D*mmit!

Dominique looked around the cafeteria, though his eyeing may not have been seen as pleasant by everyone. It looked more like glaring than anything else. He looked back down at the newspaper then back out. He hoped he looked mean, he didn't want to be there. It wasn't very pleasant to wake up somewhere completely different from where you supposedly fell asleep. He had already started to hate this place. There was too much optimism where there none of it was needed. Just walking through this cafeteria was like a game to see how far he could go before someone (somehow) recognized him and asked if he'd really been in Paris, as if he'd knocked himself out after sneaking in. And what was so great about being in Paris? He wished he hadn't been there. He wished no one had. If the city weren't so popular maybe they wouldn't have... His parents wouldn't have...

Dom forced himself to think about something else, like how much he hated the cereal he was eating. It was his own fault, he felt too angry and too unsocial to order a full breakfast from the cooks. That's why he chose to sit by himself this morning. Some did make attempts to sit next to him, all of which he scared off one way or another. There must have been something wrong with them for them not to see that he wasn't interested in making friends or telling his story or discussing how lucky he was. He wasn't d*mn lucky. The game had changed. Now he had to see how long it would take for the next person to try and sit next to him.

The day was still early and Delta was still hungry, although reading what she had read put her on edge. As well as how Imogen had approached her and how Atticus urgently advised against. She couldn't stop muttering the word, "Krystal" like it was poison while she walked down the hallway towards the elevator. Firmly Delta pressed the ground level button and ascended three floors before she stepped off the machine. Unfortunately there was a bit more chatter than there had been when she first arrived in the cafeteria. It didn't take long before Delta dismissed their presence without a second thought about interacting with any of them, as association with them would put her on their level, pathetic. Annoyed, and that was putting it mildly, was how she typically felt walking around the headquarters.

That was, of course, before she saw him, Tanner, well, that wasn't his real name but Delta would just stick with that for now. The watch was how Delta was sure other than that she noticed that he was wearing some tacky garments that the higher ups must have laid out from him. Swallowing hard she strolled over to his table and sat down without an invitation, forgetting to get a plate of food in her nervousness. She had consciously made the decision to bring him here and the least she could do was keep him company that he would remember.

"Pyromaniac," Delta announced, she kept her face neutral as she took the newspaper from the newcomer, read over it once more and did not meet his eyes the entire time. "Take pleasure in almost burning families alive?"

Dominique automatically looked down at his watch when yet another person decided to come near the table. Twelve minutes. Here we go. Whoever this was was a bit bolder than the others, or maybe just rude, since she said nothing to him as she took his newspaper and read it over silently. It took another interesting turn when she suddenly asked him if... There was no reason to repeat it, hearing it was already outrageous enough. He could feel the heat rise in his chest and he wondered if he'd shoot fire if he opened his mouth. It could be by "accident" though it wasn't as if he was making an effort to hide his emotions.

"Why tell when I can show?" Dom raised a brow. "Where's yours?"

Delta stared intensely at him like he was going to burst into flames, her neutrality gave way to a smirk, "You mean, if you could control your power, which you clearly don't know how to do."

"It doesn't take much effort to make things burn." Dominique shrugged. "It wasn't too hard the last time." He looked down at his warming cereal and pushed it away, deciding he didn't want to eat with such bad company. "So are you here to impress me or talk? If it's the second I'd love it if you left immediately."

"Burn out is what you meant, which is exactly like you did in that fight." Delta sneered, crossing her arms beneath her chest. His attitude was much more abrasive than any of the others she had encountered and weirdly enough Delta enjoyed it. "You're not going to get better company than me and that's a fact." She toyed with the lanyard around her neck that held two keys before she continued on, "And you want company, take mine as a gift."

Dominique frowned. In truth he didn't remember the fight all that well. He remembered the meteors, the fire, the electricity, a handsome face, and clothes he hoped he destroyed before blacking out. Still, what did she know about him burning out? Was she there? Dom stopped himself from asking.

"Oh, really?" He pointed to the chairs next to him with a thumb. "I thought these empty chairs were doing a pretty good job."

This was all going downhill. Delta wasn't sure the last time she had been pleased to socialized with someone and actually wanted to interact with them. She hadn't a clue if he had any knowledge that she was the one who brought him here, Delta hadn't revealed her name so why would he? Responsibility wasn't something she felt often but in this situation she did.

"Look, I don't know you, but you can talk either to me or the cheer squad." Delta turned her head slightly to carry her voice so if Agnes or Oakley were around they would easily hear themselves being referenced. "Or you could be alone in a big headquarters twiddling your thumbs mulling over some dumb vendetta or tragic backstory. A lone Atlantean who can barely control his power. An amateur. You." At the last word Delta pointed her index finger at him.

"One more thing," Delta pushed her chair back and leaned over the table. The angrier she got the more present her Polish accent was. "If you think for a moment I'm someone you can just walk all over I have zero problems doing more damage to you than that other Atlantean did. Except I won't stop."

To emphasize her point Delta's right arm and hand were crystallized, a triggered response to her heighten emotions, like her mind had communicated to her body what she was about to do. Due to her outfit only her fingertips were seen. Then Delta delivered a crushing blow to the table that not only dented it and upset anything on it, but also made its surface start to crack. She kept her green eyes solely on the male Atlantean that sat before her not once did they waver.

Dominique kept his frown and his eyes locked. His heart beat a little faster, but he wouldn't let that turn his eyes away. He would be lying if he said he wasn't phased by someone who could punch dents into tables and spill his cereal, crystals or not. Still, he wasn't the type to back down from threats. He didn't know who this woman was but she was the boldest person he'd come across today. She may have had a point about the "cheer squad". It wasn't that he didn't like optimism, but there was such thing as too much optimism, which, by the looks of the people he'd met so far, was a trend here at the headquarters. He could walk off now and meet them. He wasn't obligated to stick around, but if she was right and he couldn't take it, then what? He couldn't leave, he'd already tried and was already stopped. He would either end up doing exactly what she'd said or come back and admit his faults and that looked bad. Both of them did. Dom didn't like looking bad, it was another reason why he kept his eyes on her.

Dom stood up slowly, his eyes not once leaving their mark. He wasn't sure if she liked this particular Atlantean, or hated her, but as much as he wanted the anger to come--especially after that first comment--he couldn't generate enough heat. At least, not enough to showcase how pissed off he wanted to be.

"If we're going to talk," he started, "then let's do it somewhere else." He looked away from her to survey the cafeteria. "I'm getting tired of this place."

"Lets," Delta nodded, the last thing she wanted was to stay here long enough for others to join them. "Third floor, common room is usually empty, if not they'll leave when I enter."

Things had taken a turn and were now looking up. Delta was unsure of how well they were going to get on and she was fine with that. Fine with having an acquaintance (or not), fine with keeping everyone at an arm's length away, and for once fine with being in the AUP HQ. However, it was still weird, and it still made her wary about this entire thing, whatever one would call it. If she avoided her name, could she avoid telling him that she brought him here? She wasn't going to leave him for the Royal Family scum they were outright vultures. Delta stayed silent as they walked to the elevator, which she justified by thinking that if they talked now what would they talk about once they got there? It was enough for her to remain silent, but for once she didn't look guarded nor did she scowl, no, she appeared almost content. The ride was quick and with Delta leading the way the walk to the common room was as well.

A fairly large room greeted them, it had several entertainment objects and sitting areas, as if they had that many people to occupy them. Some furniture matched a color scheme along with the painted walls. Other parts of the room looked like someone had thrown darts in a catalogue and picked the most horrendous patterns and clashing colors possible. Delta sat in one of the smaller areas that had a small table next to the couches and two plants by it also well. She did not take the large couch, she figured he needed more room than she did and sat in the smaller one.

"Where do they have you? In one of the rooms or the hospital?" Delta asked, the rooms were located on the third and fourth floors while the hospital was on the second. Of course Delta had already known where seeing as she had visited while he was passed out or at least she hoped he had been.

As Dom sat down he noted that the walk was more pleasant than this room's decorum. He wished they had kept walking rather than come in here. True, the journey had been quiet and his mind was more occupied with the spilled cereal that they left on the table--it bugged him that he didn't clean it up--but honestly. This place was atrocious. He imaged the same person who attempted to pick clothes out for him was the same person who decorated this rooom. He wondered why that person wasn't replaced.

"I have a room." Somewhere, he added in his mind. Honestly he couldn't remember where it was and he wasn't sure he cared. He woke up in the hospital more than a little shocked and after some reminders of the hell that came down on Paris and a failed attempt to leave he was escorted to his new room. It took one look out the window to figure out he was in Toulouse and his second attempt to leave was stopped on the explanation that "it might not be a good idea right now".

It was all very frustrating, just thinking about it made the heat come off of his body, but he did his best not to worry about it right now. As he took his mind off of the morning, he started to notice that he'd been talking to the same person and hadn't thought about who she might have been until now.

"Do you mind if I ask you your name?"

Delta shook her head, she didn't mind him asking but she didn't give him an answer, which is what he truly wanted. The whole name predicament was awfully confusing. It could not only opened up a can of worms about his placement here, but could deal damage in the future. If they were to treat this like they were superheroes giving a name away meant giving away something personal, an identity that connected to family. Something anyone smart wanted hidden. One day the friend that knows her name becomes her enemy, and enemies always targeted families. This might of worried Delta more if she had a family... she shifted uncomfortably in her seat while she dismissed those certain thoughts.

Clearly, the Unification Project had her name, they knew more about her life than she had let them know and it was unnerving. The Royal Family could find out probably just as easily... So, what did she have to lose here?

"Del..." She spoke up, looking off into the distance. This is where she wanted to return the question, but Delta felt that would show she cared and she didn't, couldn't.

"I have an extra bed," it had slipped out, which caused Delta frowned. At some point she developed a bad habit at saying what she thought out loud. It was true, the AUP had given her a two-bed room, though that was before she made it obvious she would gut the next person that stepped foot in her room. Delta recovered and immediately followed up with, "Do you have anyone... looking for you?" A topic she had been eager to speak about, the only one she felt guilty about and tried her best to not let it show that she was even remotely interested.

"Dominique," he looked away and then corrected, "Dom." He wondered if Del was a nickname or an actual name. It had to be a nickname, Del seemed... incomplete. He mentally went through a list of names that started with "Del" but couldn't think up anything that sounded like it fit her. Her accent... Polish, right? Was her name Polish? It took him about five seconds to realize he wouldn't be able to think up any Polish names and decided to drop the effort altogether.

Dom raised a brow when Del told him about her extra bed, wondering exactly why she had one. Before he had a good chance to think about it, though, she came up with a follow up question. He wanted to answer with yes, he knew that was the answer, but something in his gut held him up. His eyes went to the floor and his mind back to the flames and the screams of Paris. He wished he could deny what happened yesterday, but the weight of reality held him down. It was hard to deny the thousands of lives lost. Children and adults either dead or traumatized. He wondered if the dream he had last night was a memory or a side effect.

He nodded. "Yeah..." Dominique lifted his eyes. "One of them," he started on a more cheerful note, "is here." At least, he hoped so. "Not in the building, the city I mean." He looked out the nearby window and wondered if Lucien acted as calmly as Toulouse looked despite the recent chaos. "I would have gotten out of here, but..." Domonique shrugged, even through in truth he was not so passive.

He wasn't Italian, Delta had already figured that much out given the accent but the name further indicated he was indeed French or his parents really liked French names. Everything she had dreamed up was simply that, not that she expected any other outcome. Delta wasn't the best guesser. Dom, Dom was a nice name. Delta preferred nicknames, if someone didn't have one she would give them one but hers wouldn't be as pleasant. She watched him as he answered her question and noticed there was a look in his eyes before he positioned them elsewhere. A look of uncertainty that gave way to a thought Delta had that perhaps he wasn't as well informed as she thought he had been. The higher ups had been busy, or they said they were busy. Imogen apparently had enough time to bug her. Then something tugged at Delta, she had to do something for him. It wasn't right that he was stuck in here when someone was out there, out there possibly looking for him. She was sure the others had gotten to say words to their loved ones before being recruited. Misha never offered her the chance but it wasn't as if she would've taken it.

Quietly Delta suggested, "We could... leave." The thought of this whole area being under surveillance prompted Delta to lean in closer. In case they were being visually monitored Delta pretended to fiddle with her shoe straps, and brushed dirt off the heels. She then made her voice barely a whisper, which hopefully led to less chance of being picked up by any equipment. "Find her, find your friend. If you want to." Delta looked up for a second and wasn't quite sure if he'd go for it.

There were plenty of ways to leave HQ if they couldn't use the front door such as a busted window on the ground floor. With their powers combined there wasn't anyone would could stop them, except possibly Misha and Emil, but the higher ups were all squared away. It was the beginning of a plan, it was reckless and completely Delta's style. Free days were snooze days and Delta had enough of a solo training session to leave her satisfied. As long as they didn't use their powers publicly it wasn't as if they were at risk of being detected by the French government.

Dom took a quick look around the room when Del's voice dropped to a whisper, and he leaned forward with her. He wondered what they were whispering for, but he did remember being stopped when he already tried to leave. Maybe she tried the same? Or no one was allowed to leave? He thought maybe he had to sneak out at some point and though it seemed like they would have to be stealthier than he originally had thought, the time seemed to be now.

"I do," he whispered with a grin. "So how do we do it?"

"The higher ups are busy, which means we walk out the front door. They'll have to assign us some dingbat mentor, we'll give them the slip." Delta had just thought of this on the spot, but it seemed reasonable. The Atlantean Unification Project couldn't keep them prisoners, especially if they wanted to keep them as members. They also wouldn't let them go unattended because of incidents in Paris. Delta had learned enough in training, like, how to throw someone off your trail, she disregarded the fact that they also would've received that training and at a higher level. Delta then smiled rather mischievously, "If that doesn't work, we bust out. Just... follow my lead, yeah?"

The journey taken to the front doors was just the same as the one from the cafeteria to the common room, quick and quiet. Delta didn't want anyone stopping them that "just wanted to chat" nor did she really want to run into Imogen, she still needed to decide what to do about that situation. She didn't risk saying anything in case anyone was listening, somehow the AUP had found out that Delta killed that drummer and she bet it had something to do with technology. All she gave was a quick nod to Dom when they reached the front door, there were junior AUP members located at the entrance.

Delta cleared her throat to get their attention, as if their attention wasn't already focused on her. "We're leaving, if you try to stop me I'll bash your skulls in, okay? Tell our babysitter that we'll be outside waiting." Intimidation was always best in situations like these and so that's what Delta delivered. It seemed to work as they were quickly let through the doors after some hesitation and chatter into a communication device.

"Your turn, Dom."

James Hazen- Atlantean Royal Family Mansion – Boston, Lincolnshire, England

James stayed attentive long enough to confirm that Nate too would be joining him in the Atlantean Royal Family. After that, it was as if a switch was turned off. All of his pain and exhaustion seemed to hit him all at once, and before he knew it, he was knocked out cold on the helicopter. After that, he wasn't sure exactly what happened, or where he went. Sleep took hold of him, and didn't let go until the following day. The next thing he knew, he awoke in a bed he didn't recognize in a room that wasn't familiar to him. The only thing he did know was that he had one of the most comfortable sleeps in his life. James peered around the room, which had the look of a dorm room in college, similar to the one he attended in Hawaii. There was another bed on the other side of the room, but the sheets were folded nicely and the area around the bed seemed to be clean enough for James to not be sure if this was a room he was sharing, or if someone else occupied it.

He observed the rest of the room, finding the usual items one would see in such a room. There was nothing remarkable about it, and nothing that particularly stood out. On 'his' side of the room, he found nothing that belonged to him, which didn't come as such a big surprise. As he sat up in the bed, he felt a small tweak on his bad, not so much pain anymore as soreness, probably a result of the battle he had with the intense fire Atlantean in Paris. He recalled the intensity that battle provided, which brought a smile to his lips. He remembered that the Atlantean never did die, as he hadn't gotten a chance to kill him, which meant if Delta, Oakley and the others did take him with them, he may still be alive. A chance to fight the man again was something he wouldn't be against. James turned around towards the window behind his bed, and observed the sky. If they were still around England (as he hoped, but had no way of knowing), then judging by the position of the sky in the air, he had likely slept a good portion of the morning away, which meant James had been out for well over twelve hours. As he looked across his body, he saw that many of his wounds he receive were either healed or healing, with bandages in places where the wounds still existed.

Eager to find out where exactly he was, James decided to rise himself and take a tour of his new home, for however long it would be. He stood up, and looked around in the closet closest to his bed, and to his surprise, found shirts that, if they weren't his, closely mirrored that which he would be accustomed to wearing. He quickly put on a sky-blue shirt and darker blue jeans, put on his shoes which were by the bed, and proceeded out the door. There were quite a bit of younger people around, which confirmed James' suspicions of this being something along the lines of a school. As he toured around, he understood the gist of where he stayed, from the dining hall and kitchen to the gymnasium and 'Relaxation' room. There was even a swimming pool, and an expansive backyard. In essence, it had everything. But to James, it had nothing. At least, that was how he felt the longer he roamed around. Sure, the degree of everything that this place offered was impressive, but it held no interest to him. This environment reminded him too much of home, of his own dorm back in university. Sure the rooms were bigger, the food was probably tastier, and the place was better furnished, but doubling nothing still made it just that: nothing.

What was worse was the one friend he thought he had around here seemed to be nowhere in sight, as he couldn't find Nate wherever he looked. Granted, he had given up looking for him quite early on after he had begun to be bored, but now he wondered if he was even around anymore. If it turned out that he no longer was, James might decide to leave the place which would offer him little else of what he truly wanted.

Which was...? he thought to himself. Perhaps he didn't even know. He did come with the promise from Oliver of being able to achieve more power, which was probably something James wanted. But he thought of it more as a means to an end. To what end? He wasn't sure. Not yet. But it was something he was beginning to think more about. This was but one of the thoughts that occupied his mind as he sat down in the backyard of the Atlantean Mansion, feeling the grass beneath his hands, staring up into the sky, completely bored out of his mind. It was perhaps the most prominent idea that he thought about now. What he said to Nate back in the bar when they had first met was the truth. He knew deep down that he was destined for big things, for great things. He knew he was meant for...more. Now, he just had to figure out exactly what that was.

Austin Tseng and Nathaniel Calaway - Atlantean Royal Mansion

Austin sat in his usual corner of the Rec Room, messing around on his iPad. He was looking up some of the news articles from yesterday, the Paris Incident. The New York Times article was naturally Austin's first source.


"...Light Lad," Oh hell no. Austin kept reading. These names were terrible! Metal Maiden, Magician Girl, Sir Shock?! That had to be Minerva, Kim, and the new guy. Austin remembered James from the helicopter, kept saying something about a Nate, who turned out to be the dude Austin saved from those women...

Austin read on, learning about the public responses to Paris. It seemed a lot of people were afraid of the Atlanteans even more now, and probably for a good reason. There's no telling how many whackjobs with crazy Magic powers there are out there. Austin just hoped that he wouldn't be automatically labeled as a terrorist beause of his blood. It wouldn't be the dumbest aspect Americans have identified terrorists with.

All of this talk about America and New York had Austin a little homesick. He missed his apartment, Dad's shop, his parents and friends. Hell, even his old school would be nice to see. It hadn't even been a month yet, and it felt like a year. He had grown a lot since he came to the Family. He was stronger than he had ever been taking karate lessons only after a week of training with Antonia, and he discovered his power could be used in more ways than just changing the brightness. Studying physics at the mansion had brought light (excuse the pun) to some of the more complicated aspects that Austin could perform with his ability. Bending, reflecting, amplifying, and starting to control the light spectrum...there was a whole world of possibilities he hadn't thought of. Photons, he discovered that it was photons that rooted his power. He had looked up some of the ways photons were manipulated without super powers. Shoot a beam at a 45 degree angle that was semi-reflective, which halves the photons. Then continue with smaller mirrors and different angles to isolate a single photon, which can then be accelerated into its own beam, only scaled down to the size of an electron...particle acceleration. Photon beams, like the ones Dad used to cut diamonds at the shop. It was exhilerating to think about, but seemingly impossible to accomplish. Austin didn't know how to make a semi-mirror, much less angle a handful of them perfectly to separate photons. And even if he got that far, how would he accelerate a photon that small whout losing his grip on it? And even THEN, it would just be a single photon, not a consistant beam to cut through anything. A single photon could just slip between particles. He would need to have a constant ray to do anything with it.

In theory, it was a really cool trick. In reality, he would probably need years and years of training. At least, for now, Austin decided to just stick to learning refraction. Now finished with his article, he closed his iPad case and slid it in his backpack.

"Hands off of me!" A voice called out from the entrance of the Rec Room.

"B-but your wounds haven't healed yet..."

"If I have to spend another minute in that white room, I will have a meltdown. I, ah!, will be fine..." It didn't take a genius to figure out it was Nathaniel, arguing with one of the nurses of the Atlantean Royal Family as he groaned, grasping his bandaged torso with his free arm as the other was held in place in a sling. Injured in his fights at Paris, Nathaniel had been diagnosed with several broken ribs, a slightly dislocated shoulder and a number of other nagging injuries. The worst damage was to his mind. He felt weak and helpless, once fashioning himself much stronger. But perhaps the worst part was the inner agony of some of the decisions he had made. Getting involved in the whole Atlantean conflict, a war even, and then having to make the decisions the soliders in all wars must make: to kill or be killed. Nathaniel has killed, twice as far he was concerned, and had yet to learn how to deal with the consequences of that. Sitting in that room with nothing but his thoughts would be the most vile form of torture he could come up with. He needed to leave that white room of madness. The Rec Room just happened to be the easiest place to go. As he entered the room, he collasped on a couch and sighed. "Leave me nurse. I'll come back...eventually," Nathaniel said, before his eyes caught Austin. "Hey, you are Austin right?" From Nathaniel remembered, a member of the Atlantean Royal Family named Austin picked up the wounded Nathaniel and brought him to safety. Nathaniel was slipping in and out of consciousness, but when he finally came to, he naturally asked how he got there. Supposedly James was here too. Nathaniel wondered how he was doing. Probably getting himself in trouble. He always was. "If you are, I want to thank you for helping me back there. In Paris."

Austin's train of thought was broken by Nate's entry, but he didn't mind. He was interested in meeting the person whose life he had saved not 24 hours ago.

"Yeah, I'm Austin, aka 'Light Lad'," Austin smirked at his superhero identity, "And no problem, I'd hate to see anybody get left behind in that firestorm." He stuck his hand towards Nate for a shake, "Welcome to the Family?"

With a wince, Nathaniel reached out for a handshake with his good hand and shook it gingerly. The whole gesture hurt, but he would never deny a handshake. "Thank you. Happy to be here." Nathaniel leaned back. "What do you know about the family? I don't know much myself to be honest." Nathaniel's mission for the Librarian was to get information, so he thought he would get straight to business, while maintaining some level of innocence.

Austin wasn't exactly sure how to respond to Nathaniel's question. What did he know about the Family? They were Atlantean nobility, and...they trained people? They seemed to like handling Atlantean business, like the Paris incident and contacting the UN.

"Well...they train young Atlanteans, like me, to become stronger with their powers. Also, this place serves as kind of a sanctuary, I'm sure I'd be a pariah back in New York City if anyone found out about me...but at the same time, they do a lot of political things involving humans. I guess you could say they're the voice of the Atlanteans in the world congress. The representitives. Anyway, I'm mainly here so I can lay low while this whole tension passes...and learning how to do cool stuff with my power is fun too. Other than that, not much I can tell ya. Some rumours say they've got a shady agenda, but I think it's just teenager bullsh*t."

A shady agenda. That piqued Nathaniel's interest more than anything. He expected the rest of Austin's story and for the most part that lined up with his expectations. As opposed to the AUP, which seemed to be an organization rather than a political body, the Royal Family had to have some organization and political sway. That much made Nathaniel more comfortable with them. The Librarian was difficult to trust. But he expected the Royal Family to be that much harder to trust. He would bring up his concerns to James later. "I see. Well, I hope I fit in then," Nathaniel forced a chuckle because laughing would hurt too much. "Light Lad is your codename. Can you control light then?"

"Codename? More like codelame," Austin joked, "And yeah, I make things dark or bright, mirrors, etcetera. It's pretty useless, but in-depth." He thought back to his earlier muse. "Well, maybe someday it'll turn out to be really kickass. They say you have ice powers. Pretty rad I bet?" Maybe Nate could turn out to be a really great friend, he seemed nice enough.

Nathaniel smiled and closed his good hand. He opened it up and in his palm revealed a small statue of a human. This moment reminded him of the time meeting Oakley in the center. "It has its moments. I wasn't particularly useful in Paris, but maybe the Royal Family can help me in that respect."

"Yeah, they're good for training. I've even been picking up some martial arts while I'm here. Antonia knows a lot of fighting styles, you should talk to her to learn some hand to hand maybe? It can help a lot if your power doesn't seem useful, like mine often does. I've been trying to learn some kung fu from her, but I just don't have the discipline needed to be as good as she is. But it's good to at least know the basics, most don't. Other than that, I'm sure they have trainers here for other field skills, probably a shooting class you could take. Defensive stuff, as well as offense. Some guys here are like agents I hear, training to do some sort of secret assassin stuff." Austin laughed, "Yeah right, more like secret asinine stuff."

Nathaniel's interest was once again piqued. The possiblity of learning martial arts was pretty enticing. Nathaniel's "fighting style" was based purely on wrestling and street fighting. He lacked any form of style. Discipline, he liked to think he had that, but only a training session would help figure that. Maybe he would look up this Antonia. She was probably butch if she did martial arts. "I doubt I would fit their secret assassin stuff model," Nathaniel joked. "I hardly seem the sneaky type. You, on the other hand, have potential for that."

"Yeah, I don't see you hiding in a cardboard box anytime soon," Austin laughed, "But it seems like you'd make one hell of a brawler. I don't know about me, I'm about the right size and I've been learning some optical illusion stuff with my powers...But sneaky around and slitting people's throats? I don't know if I could bring myself to do that in cold blood. It just doesn't seem right, killing them without a fight."

"Killing isn't right."

"Yes, you're right...but sometimes it is necessary. Greater good and all that yadda yadda."

Nathaniel bit his tongue and clenched his good hand. He wanted to do nothing more than chatise Austin for his statements. To tell him that killing was never an answer. That there was a better way and that killing someone could never lead to a "greater good". Austin was unaware of the hard truth about killing. He didn't know what it meant to end someone's life. The pain, the suffering, the hate that it brings out. He didn't know the burden that weighed down on Nathaniel's heart. The sinking feeling in his chest from the guilt constantly eating away at Nathaniel was difficult to bear. He knew nothing. Perhaps what it made worse was that Nathaniel knew he had to deal with this hard truth himself. Any resolve Nathaniel was to make following the wake of this ardous few weeks would be his alone. Nathaniel sighed without realizing it before rising from his comfortable seat. "I'm going for a walk," he said.

Austin was put off by Nate's tension at the lad's comment. Sometimes sacrifices had to be made for a cause, right? It was true Austin hadn't ever thought of those sacrifices much, and after all, it was not like he had ever had to do anything as drastic. But the man in Paris...Austin hadn't even given a second thought about ending his life. True, he didn't in the end, but it wasn't a major concern of his to let him live. Then again, he hadn't been necessarily trying to kill him either. Austin just nodded when Nate got up to go for a walk. He let the hulk of a man pass. But Austin was suddenly curious as the where Nate was going. He watched the new comer leave out the door, and started to follow him, keeping his distance of course.

Assassin... he kept thinking in his head. He couldn't quite decide whether it had a negative or positive connotation to it...

Nathaniel paid no real attention if Austin followed him or not, still consumed by his own thoughts. Voices popped in his head and memories swarmed him. He found himself questioning what he did, was doing and will do. The vile actions he committed ate away at him, despite easy justifications for them. The motives behind each of these "factions" were at odds and any degree of trust Nathaniel vested in them could easily break with a simple question. It made making his next choice so difficult. Will he continue to trust the Librarian, a gentleman who seemed geninue enough? Will he take a leap of faith on the Altantean Royal Family, a group who seems to have good intentions despite Austin's warnings? What of the Atlantean Unification Project who may have their hearts in the right place? No matter what Nathaniel found a hard time believing any of them. Making the big decisions were never easy and Nathaniel knew he was making it hard for himself, but he knew whatever choice he was going to make would change everything.

The absent minded wandering somehow put Nathaniel outside, where he could see a crowd gathering. Curiousity got the better of him, and Nathaniel took this distraction as a blessing in disguise. Really, he needed anything to get his mind off of everything.

Caw Caw M*ther F*cker!" Hearing that just made everything more interesting. Nathaniel quickened his pace by half a step and loomed closer, using his large frame to plow through the audience. He arrived in time to see a familiar face be rammed by someone.

Austin suddenly quickened his pace as he heard the sounds of a fight ahead. It didn't sound like anyone's voice he really knew that was yelling. Glancing out a window, he saw sparks flying. James... Was he attacking the family?

Once outside, he saw a group of onlookers (of which Nate had joined) watching James fight...Oliver? Austin had definitely heard of him, but never had never spoken to him in person...what is going on?

"James...?" He got himself in another fight. Hopefully, Nathaniel wouldn't need to bail him out.

Dominique Bisset and Delta Mayor--- Toulouse, France

"Your turn, Dom."

Dominique read the signs and eyed the street corners, trying to pinpoint exactly where they were. He had to be honest, looking back at it, he'd never seen this building before. Maybe that was its charm, being hidden in plain sight. That would explain why there weren't protesters and police officers storming the building. He'd say there was a glamor over the building, but there wasn't enough litter.

"I think I know this place..." He muttered to himself, scanning over the buildings that had that annoying sort of familiarity. Yeah... He knew this place. He never shopped here, but he'd driven passed a few times here and there. Amazing how he could drive passed a building over and over and not once look at it. He wondered if he would have noticed something was odd about this place, so odd in fact that he would step out of his car and walk inside at the same time a kid with fire powers and a girl with crystal arms decided to leave. He looked up and down the sidewalk and out at the street. No one coming their way, no one stepping out of their car doors. No one saw this place, no one would ever see it, not unless something terrible happened at least. Astounding how ignorant people suddenly were when you knew a secret. Astounding how he only needed to scream out their whereabouts and suddenly everyone would know. He had the power to do so, had the urge to, and yet--

"Hello there." Dominique frowned. "My name is Julian Morales. Is there anything I can help you two with?" Right when he was getting to the good part someone--apparently Julian--interrupted him mid-thought. That must have been that babysitter Del mentioned earlier.

"No, not at all. Just looking for the shopping center," he answered without looking back. He pointed down the street to their left. "We go this way."

A grin planted itself on Delta's face, the AUP worked quickly. A babysitter was better than busting a window, but not by much. She gave Julian Morales a look over before she turned to face the outside world. It wasn't as if she was going to recognize anything, hell, Delta doubted she would've knew what city they where in if it hadn't been told to her. This was her first time in France, she'd hardly left Poland except for a couple vacations and personal field trips. Delta too had noticed the lack of public presence. There wasn't people demanding their deaths or wanting justice to be done, no, it was quiet. An eerie quiet that brought on those moments where one is left alone to think, replay memories, and dwell on the past. If Delta had to guess she would say that not even the Royal Family knew where they were, maybe.

There were strange politics that came along with this 'new' world full of Atlanteans and Delta didn't like it one bit. Everyone was playing a different angle and there was another layer of truth or deception behind the words they had carefully chosen. Sometimes it was both. It was a chess game and Delta had yet to see the whole board. Instead the focus she had was centered on the smaller details, as she was constantly forgetting to take that crucial step back. She was putting one foot in front of the other to follow Dom's lead.

"Did you grow up here?" Delta called out, as she observed the scenery. At any moment now she expected the Royal Family to fall from the sky.

Dom shook his head. "Paris. I just go to school here." Toulouse was a great city, but it was nothing like its neighbor Paris. Even a short memory of his childhood brought pain to his heart. He wondered if he could still find his old favorite places in the rubble. Probably not.

Honestly he didn't really want to talk about Paris or his suddenly tragic history. Not right now anyways, and not with her. Dom glanced over his shoulder, seeing Julian for the first time. He followed behind them just as told, Dom was sure. He maybe... Possibly... Probably wasn't as bad some of the members and Del had him believe was the entirety of the AUP, but...

"We're not going to keep Spectacles around, are we?" He asked in a lowered voice.

"It's best not," replied Delta in the same lowered tone.

Paris... That meant... him... his family... Delta couldn't hide the shock registered on her face fast enough for it to go unnoticed. The last thing he wanted was pity, so Delta politely looked away. She knew what it was like, but she couldn't express the emotions she wanted to because Delta didn't know how to. For now it was a topic she wouldn't dare to breach unless she felt it was necessary. Or, his family had moved from Paris and nothing happened to them. Something told her that wasn't true, Delta bit her lip as she wondered how they would lose their sitter.

There was something off about how he moved, like, he wasn't relying on purely on sight. An idea pieced itself together, "He seems like he's legally blind or something. A few twist and turns ought to lose him. If we do it quietly."

Quietly, huh? Dom had seen the look on Del's face, but pretended he hadn't by planning an escape route. He just had to find those twists and turns. "Let me think..." He wished he had shopped here, then he would have had a much better map of the area. Giving someone the slip wasn't easy when you had to remember where all of the streets went. Luckily the Lord was on their side.

On another block a crowd of people were gathered. It wasn't an exceptionally large group, he would estimate around fifty people. None of them had signs or anything that looked particularly special. The biggest thing they had in common was that they all looked to one man standing on a wooden box. Judging by his fervent gesticulations he was talking about something important. The man had a megaphone, but from where they walked it sounded like blaring in the distance.

Dom gestured to the crowd. "How's something like that?"

A crowd was a great plan, the possibility of Julian being able to keep track of them in it was slim. Even slimmer if they were stealthy about it. What the crowd had gathered for Delta couldn't tell from here. Not that she'd be able to understand them as they'd most likely be speaking and chanting in French. Why the Unification Project felt that they needed a babysitter was beyond her. Okay, she killed someone, but she wasn't going to kill innocent people and give away the top-secret headquarters. Julian wasn't someone she knew or really ever heard about, which was unfortunate for him. Maybe he wouldn't get in too much trouble for losing them, not that Delta cared either way.

"It's perfect," Delta responded with a grin that hinted at mischief.

Not long after the three of them had made it across both streets and were approaching the crowd. Since they started it had gotten a tad bigger, a few interested people latching on like the outside rim was made of velcro. By now they could hear the speakers words loud and clear. The man was speaking out against Atlanteans.

"We must drive this deadly force out of France!" The man spoke powerfully in French to the crowd. They responded with shouts of agreement, clapping, or just nods of the head. On the outside of the crowd a woman, probably a friend of the man, handed them both t-shirts with a short line about ending the Atlantean assault before going on to the next passerby. He may have read it then, but they still had a goal in mind. As politely as possible, Dominique pushed through the crowd of protesters, making sure they didn't go only straight to make it harder for Julian to follow. "The children of Paris won't ever see this tyranny end, but yours can!" Being so close to Paris, he wondered how many of these they would run into.

Breaking out of the crowd, a quick look back gave no sign of Julian. "Alright, let's go."

Unable to read a vast majority of the shirt except a word she assumed translated to Atlantean Delta tossed it on the ground once she entered the crowd. As Delta further immersed herself in the crowd, she strayed from Dom for a moment to make it that much harder for Julian by giving him two separate targets. There were women, men, and children all soaking up what the man had to say like little sponges. To ignore what the man was saying was easy given he was saying it in a language Delta hadn't any knowledge in. A shoulder slammed into hers, Delta glared at the man who turned and gave a wink. A knee to the groin changed the man's facial expression into something Delta felt was more suitable. Afraid of losing Dom and worried about blowing their cover Delta trudged on, but not before yelling a few more explicit words.

After ducking, dodging, and weaving Delta appeared on the outside of the crowd once more. Dom was right in front of her, thank the lucky stars. Twisting her head backwards confirmed Julian wasn't in sight, though to underestimate someone who had been at this longer wasn't necessary the smartest idea.

"What was that all about?" Delta resisted the urge to look back.

"Paris. They hate us," Dom answered maybe a little too casually. He wasn't sure how much he agreed with those protesters. It was true, so much had happened with the Atlanteans and thinking about it made him feel angry, if not hateful, as well. He hadn't decided whether he was mad at the Atlanteans as a whole, the Atlanteans that killed, or the Royal Family. He couldn't decide completely yet, but he knew the Royal Family was not on his list of favorites. Still, whatever he thought, he didn't think he would ever fully agree with the protesters, or at least the man speaking. As they weaved through the crowd and walked away now, he had heard more than one call for violence, military action, death penalties for Atlanteans labeled as "too strong", too much. It made him wonder what that meant for him. He had been in Paris, but he hadn't done anything wrong, had he?

Dom opened up the t-shirt he still kept in his hands and read the large, red text out loud. "Cure the Atlantean disease!" He turned to its back. "Want to know how? Visit Atlantidote.com!" Dom grinned with amusement. "I think I'll keep it. What do you say?"

A bunch of vile creatures wanted to revolt against them, as if they were a virus that could be cured. Another stage of this would be countries trying to force Atlantean to be used as wartime weapons, beings that they can control to do their bidding for them. Paris wasn't their fault as a whole, their kind was separated all across the globe without a proper home to return to and a lack of guidance. Chaos, it was, a foolish plan by the Atlantean Royal Family had caused it. Hadn't they thought of the endless consequences before they just abruptly decided to reveal Atlanteans to the world? There was bound to be rogue Atlanteans who thought that they could do what they pleased whenever they wanted with god knows what powers. It was true, Paris, Berlin, and whatever happened in Egypt were the only representation the public had of them. Delta figured that Atlanteans needed to present a unified front to prove they weren't a threat.

Delta couldn't hide the disgust on her face, now that she knew what the shirt had said. "I think they wasted good money on such tacky shirts." She relaxed her posture. "...If there was a cure, would you take it?"

Dominique shook his head. "Nah, I've got stuff to do with it first." Personal stuff. "But afterwards?" Dom shrugged. "Yeah, I'd take it. It's more trouble than it's worth." A lot more trouble. Honestly, what genuine good had come out of the Atlanteans since the Royal Family's big reveal? Not any he knew about. He wished instead of terrorist attacks and calls for the end of Atlanteans he could open up a newspaper and see something about a miracle healer or a man who could bring good fortune. The way things are going, it seemed more likely that those people were using their powers to hurt or steal than anything good. He wanted to say it would, but he didn't think the next big disaster to come would shock him. It seemed inevitable no matter how much he wished it wasn't. Looking at the shirt again, he no longer got amusement from it. It was like holding an omen in his hands.

Dom tossed the shirt into the first trashcan they passed. "So, what about you? You don't seem like you mind it all too much."

She nodded in agreement as they kept walking. "No, I don't think I would ever willing give them up." Then sighed. "I would take a cure for... others things."

Being an Atlantean had to be one of the best developments in her life thus far. Her life before this seemed unreal and pathetic, almost if it had happened years ago or to someone else entirely. It was as if Delta had fully awakened from a deep slumber when her long since forgotten heritage was unveiled. A brand new life was gifted to her and had brought her joy and excitement, emotions that she hadn't felt in a long time. To go back to standard living was impossible and irresponsible, there were certain things could, no, should accomplish now. Power was a great motivator, the harder she pushed the more adept she got in her abilities. All of this had changed her Delta had taken a life. Crushed a man, another Atlantean no less, into pieces with a simple kick leaving nothing but his head behind. The regret and guiltiness of it was all vastly receding, there was nothing she could do to change that fact. Nothing could change the fact that she wanted to do it again, again, and again. Like constant hunger it gnawed at her, always on the edges of her thoughts asking, pleading, begging to be acted on. There was only so much strength that could go towards actively fight against it.

Not to mention the sudden tirade of other more personal feelings. Another identity to figure out, another irremovable label to slap on. It hurt. It all hurt. She wanted it gone, she hadn't asked for it, she hadn't wanted it, and it wasn't fair that she had gotten it. All these feelings made her question who she was as a person, who was Delta at the core? Numb. She. Was. Numb. And for now that was enough.

"Hey, hey you." The rugged voice brought Delta back from her trance and stopped her in her tracks.

A scraggly man, about Dom's height and Delta's weight, who clearly hadn't shaven in a good month or bathed for that matter, eagerly approached the duo. He wore a smug grin and a terrible choice in clothing (he must have had the same stylist the AUP had gotten for their interior.) His French was fast, but his eyes were even faster as they shifted from Delta to Dom, back to Delta and then to Dom before he settled firmly on Delta. His grimy fingers fingered the inside of his buttoned coat, as if he was anxious about opening it in front of them.

Oh God. Dom cringed before he could stop himself. He wasn't sure who or what was standing before him, but he was sure he wanted it gone completely. If the good Lord didn't bless him with blindness he was sure the clothing would do the job or maybe the smell would burn away his corneas after it finished with his nose. The way he looked at them both was equally unsettling and he wished they could walk by, but unfortunately his reaction confirmed that the man had been noticed.

"Excuse me, we're trying to get somewhere."

The man instinctively stuck his hand out in front of him and made the gesture that signaled for them to 'wait a minute' to make sure that they didn't go anywhere. He rummaged through his large coat with his other hand, why he didn't just open it all the way up was a mystery. When his hand returned it had secured three watches that were held tightly between his fingers. They looked nice and clean, a complete contrast to the hand that held them. Two of which were gold and the last silver, each of them were clunker than the next.

"Now, what I have here are special watches. One of a kind. Atlantean watches." Switching his primary gaze to Dom. "Get one for your girlfriend. A gift. She'll love you for it and even repay you in... other ways." He winked for emphasis.

Delta began to pick up the context clues to follow the conversation, seeing watches and the state of this man it was clear was trying to sell them. His gaze unnerved her there was just something creepy about it. At least they weren't being robbed.

Dominique raised his brow. "Really now?" He preferred to ignore the girlfriend comment and did so without a second thought towards it. "He wants to sell us watches," he told Delta in English. "Atlantean watches." He hadn't hear anything about watches being born with the Atlantean gene, so whatever this was must have been a scam, but then again the man's hook was too ridiculous to believe anyways.

Dom put on a smile, as if he were really interested in the product. "So what kind of Atlantean watches? They've got powers or somethin'?"

"Yeah, yeah. Powers. Cool powers. Y'know?" He fiddled with one of the watches before he gave another quick smile. "You won't know which until you put it on."

Delta let out a light chuckle. She had only ran into a street scammer once and that had ended terribly for him. He got too handsy, Delta did the same except for with her fists. For someone to capitalize on the Atlantean revelation wasn't surprising. Why watches? It was an unusual choice. Watching how fidgety the man, who occasionally threw a look over both shoulders, was made Delta think of how they were trying to avoid dealing with their official babysitter.

"Spectacles might catch up..." Delta warned, leaning in closer.

Oh yeah. The near mob mentality of the protesters and this more recent conman took Dom's mind away from their initial goal. "Uh, yeah," Dom said as he began to walk passed the stranger, "I just remembered we were doing something important. I'll find you later, okay?"

"Wait!" The man gripped Dom's left wrist tightly. "If... the Atlantean watches are gone. It's not my fault." Nodding to Dom and Delta the man walked off fast making a sharp turn down the nearest alley.

A shudder shot up Dom's spine as soon as the man touched his wrist. The strange, dirty man's sudden invasion of his personal space and the fact that he was--without a doubt--completely disgusting almost left him paralyzed. Almost. Luckily for his life, Dom had just enough strength to snatch his hand back, but before the sound of revulsion could escape his lips the man had already disappeared down an alleyway. For the second time Dom cringed, feeling as if maggots were crawling up his arm at this very moment. He had the sudden urge to drop everything and find the nearest shower, as if not doing so within the next second would be enough time to leave this stain permanently stuck to his body. He wiped the remnants of the stranger's hand, solidifying his outfit's need to be burned at the first chance. However, it was that same motion that took his mind off of it completely.

Dom eyes widened and he pulled his wrist up quickly in front of him. Without a moment's hesitation a wave of heat burst from his body in all directions, powerful and intense like his anger.

"That f*cker!" Without a warning Dom burst out running, following the conman's path.

Delta flinched as she felt the sudden temperature increase. A confused look sat upon her face. "Dom...?"

Charlotte Hunter and Kieran Davis - Atlantean Royal Mansion, Boston, England

James Hazen - Atlantean Royal Mansion, Boston, England

The match had come to an abrupt halt after a girl with dark hair, full lips and dark eyes managed to stop Oliver in his tracks from delivering what would have likely been the finishing blow. Quickly, she began dispersing the crowd while another girl grabbed Oliver with her hair and tossed him into the nearby water, thus officially ending the fight, and once again ending James' excitement. Perhaps he didn't realize how close he might have come to death or serious injury, but the only concern James had lying on the floor was why the fight didn't last longer. He found himself becoming a bit frustrated now by the sudden unwanted intrusion by the other two Atlanteans. So naturally, when she came over to try to help him up, he wasn't eager in accepting her help.

Pridefully, James declined the hand, and tried to lift himself up from the ground, faltering and stumbling for a brief moment, and only barely catching himself with his hand, before he finally stood straight up. He stood right in front of the woman, gazing at her and examining her form. She was cute, he supposed, though not exactly his type, and he wasn't much interesting in chatting with her, especially after intruding in on his fun, even if he was getting his a$$ kicked. He kept a sour look the entire time on his face while he gazed at the Atlantean woman, but his countenance abruptly switched when he turned his attention to Nathaniel, who stood a few paces behind her. Completely ignoring her now, James brushed past Chrysta and walked over to Nate, sporting a near-childish grin on his face.

"Where have you been? I was looking for you all morning!" He said to his friend. "I was starting to think you weren't here anymore." He turned his gaze to the right at the sound of splashing water as Oliver began his climb out of the pool. His grin seemed to widen a bit as he saw the fate of his challenger. James was in a remarkably better mood than one would expect especially after losing a fight. Perhaps Nate's presence had something to do with it. Yet even then, the reasoning behind his positive disposition was that James didn't fight to win. He fought to fight.

Nathaniel Calaway and James Hazen - Atlantean Royal Mansion, Boston, England

"I've been in the infirmary, James. No thanks to Oakley," Nathaniel said, whispering the last part so no one except James could hear, moving his one arm as much as he could. Nathaniel would admit that despite his injuries, the pain was minimal and moving wasn't has hard as he expected. Perhaps being an Atlantean made healing a far less painful process. At this rate, he could probably train at 100% in a matter of days. That was being optimistic. "I see you have been making friends already." Nathaniel was teasing James, seeing that despite everything that happened that James kept his belligrent charm in tact. "Mind telling me why you were fighting?"

"Oakley did that to you?" James asked incredulously. He shouldn't have been surprised. He knew she was capable of doing it, he was just surprised that she had done it. James, after all, had been knocked out the moment since they got to the helicopter. "No kidding," He murmured, examining the injury. The sheepish grin returned to James' face when the topic switched back to him. "Why?" James questioned, almost as if asking himself. He gave his next response a bit of thought. "I'm not sure," He began. "I guess because he was bothering me too much. But then again, something tells me I would have ended up fighting someone even if he didn't."

Nathaniel could only nod and sigh at James. He nodded just to confirm that Oakley had in fact nearly shattered most of Nathaniel's body. He simply chose to ignore she did it in one shot. That much would almost be embarassing. Then again, Oakley was more powerful than James and Nathaniel would probably care to admit. He sighed at how James continued to act far more...aggressive than would be beneficial to their mission at hand. The Librarian wanted them to basically "spy" on the other factions. Not tear them apart from the inside. But then Nathaniel remembered the night at the bar and neither one of them neccessarily enjoyed the Librarian. Perhaps this was James metaphorically ingoring the wishes of the man who collected them. "Do try to remember why we are here, James," Nathaniel only said in response.

"Heh..." James chuckled. "Why are we here? I'm here to get a better handle on my ability. I was getting some practice in. It didn't seem like they were interested in teaching us anytime anyway." He looked around, examining the other 'students', most of which had dispersed and gone about their day, while some gave glances to James. He then turned back to Nate. "I mean, that's why I'm here. Aren't you? You're not seriously doing what he told you to, are you?" He questioned, not needing to have to mention his name without both of them knowing what he was talking about.

"For the time being, yes," Nathaniel said without much hesitation. He had a duty, no, an obligation to help the Librarian. At least for now. He trained them. Helped them. And he did so without any second guesses. James had a point though. Nathaniel would stay and recieve more training as he knew he was in this...whatever this was...for the long haul. "Can you really trust these people so easily?" Nathaniel said, once again lowering his voice. "What makes them any different from him? We shouldn't stay here longer than we need to."

James lowered in with Nate and responded back immediately. "No, I agree. We can't." He replied, looking directly into his eyes, his own flared with the seriousness of the situation. "I'm not trusting any of these Atlantean groups. You can never know what they're really about." He looked around again, observing the atmosphere they inhabited: the mansion, the students, the scenery. "And even if they're on the level, that just confirms that this place isn't for me. Not in the long run." He turned back to Nate. "As I said before about Henry, I'm getting what I can out of them, and then bailing. Not sure when. A week, a month, who knows? But I'm not getting comfortable."

On the level... If they really were legitimate, Nathaniel would love to stay here. In what Nathaniel understood, their hearts and ideals were in the right place. Nathaniel firmly believed that if whatever "shady agendas" they were up to was nothing more than smoke and mirrors and empty theories, that he would be inclined to stay. But were they a group that he could trust? Nathaniel had a hard enough time trusting a handful of Atlanteans. Could he trust an entire family? With tradition, legacy and a possibly a chip on its shoulder? "Agreed," Nathaniel said half heartedly.