ACE
*she just sat there... cool as a cucumber... sure... she wasn't
especially ready for action... but she was a warrior to the
core... despite her tender age... and had seen things that very
few on Earth had witnessed.. in this time period... she was
always ready for action to an extent... but it didn't show on her
face... she was cool... relaxed... her eyes giving little away*
SHADOW
Kelsin: *Chuckles softly at her discription of Ace.* Yes she is..
But if you knew the Doctor. I've heard rumors of some of the
messes he's gotten into. I think it best though that neither Ace
or Bree find out any more than they need to right now. I'll be
the contact between them and anyone else. I don't want to
compromise any of the safe houses. This place may be compromised
if they are G.U.A.R.D. No need to endanger anyone else until we
know for sure what their intentions are.
VEIL
Lyta ..*she nods and shrugs, still speaking softly* Can't say as
I blame them, but I have no way of knowing if they are Guards.
Seems a bit unfair. They can find out about me, but I'm left
guessing ...*she flashes a lopsided grin, realizing she was just
nervous and babbling* ...Sorry...I'm rambling ...I do that when I
get nervous.
PANACEA
Veil;*she smiles and nods* yes..i didnt trust them when i first
met them either...let alone believeing their story...*shrugs and
frowns, noticing that she still does not trust the other Runners
very much, except for Zora*
INDIGO
*Kelsin nods, watching the others assembled briefly… this
sort of thing, the concern, the carefulness, the subterfuge and
offering /just/ enough information, the wariness, the
caution… she understood all this very well. Like most, it
was now a part of her.. protect as many as possible, drag no one
into this who does not /need/ to be there… it was all
safeguard and the ones who didn’t practice it often ended up
killing innocents or themselves. She’s pleased Zora
understands the rules, as they were, practices the same safety
measures.. as all RUNners should, she believes, and most do* How
did Ace find you? *she says very quietly, and has never heard of
the Doctor, so this info she files away* And how much do you want
me to tell them? After I scan, of course…
VEIL
Lyta *she flashes a quick, shaky smile and nods* I still have a
lot to learn, but paranoid I'm already good at. *she shoves her
hands into her pockets and scuffs her toe absently across the
floor*
SHADOW
*Frowning she nods to Lyta.* Some how she place a tracking device
on Lyta. Since this house and my Art Gallery were places Lyta
went to frequently she came looking here. *How much to tell them?
That was the big question.* Just enough. I think Ace may better
understand the Bree. I think Bree is new to all of this. Ace..
*shrugs* From what I've noticed since she has been here is one
tough cookie. If she is on the level I feel she would be a big
help to us.
PANACEA
Veil; nods* .....we all do...*seeing Shadows and Kelsins wary
looks, she wonders if she should have brought you here, or to
ShadowSpire for that matter, wondering where else she could have
taken you*
VEIL
*She continues to watch the others in the room, feeling a tension
in the back of her neck. She tries to stand as still as possible,
but continues to fidget nervously, her eyes flickering around
contstantly*
INDIGO
*She sighs and frowns, not glancing over at Ace, but shaking her
head* Tracking device… dammit. I don’t know how
comfortable I am with that… but it doesn’t matter now.
Its been done, so we should deal with it. *then she blinks, a bit
mutely* Help us how? What exactly do you expect her to be able to
do? Wipe the GUARD off the face of the Earth? I would like to
know what you expect from this, I really would. More than likely,
she’ll just end up a casualty… hardened, paranoid, or
not. She’s not unnatural. I see she has some odd badges, a
spiffy gun… but… *she trails off and waves a hand*
'Just enough' is subjective. I’ll wing it, and they’re
getting antsy…
PANACEA
Veil; *she smiles at you* hey...relax...you make them nervous if
you show how nervous you are...take a deep breath *grins*
SHADOW
Ace may not be an unnatural, but she has knowledge of things you
wouldn't belive. Also, access to things. *Shrugs* Besides.. She
came to me. I didn't seek her out. But your right. Let's join the
others and go from there.
INDIGO
*a small glance over at the girl, BREE. Being a telepath almost
means, usually, some empathy.. feeling another’s emotions,
knowing them for what they are. And Kelsin was trained well. The
girl needs to switch to decaf, Blue thinks in good humor, tho
that kind of wariness was a good sign, really. Carefully, she
reaches out mentally, noting no shields, and tries to calm, its
absent… if she’d thought more about it, she
wouldn’t have done it. And its not so much a Sending, mind
speech, as it what telepathy -is-… the change of thoughts,
feeling, and emotions. This isn’t actually words as much it
is a slip of comfort into the head* *MS*~ ……… ~*
VEIL
Lyta ..*she grins sheepishly, drawing in a deep breath and
releasing it in a slow sigh* I know, I'm horrible with groups of
people. Especially strangers. *she shakes her head and wills her
muscles to relax, focusing on simply drawing air into her lungs
while she waits ..and watches*
INDIGO
*she sighs and nods, but mutters softly* That she sought YOU out
means little more than you were too obvious. *its not a scolding,
just… one of the sayings. Sloppiness. It happened, but
should be guarded against. Course, the reason could be vastly
different than what Blue assumes. Then she drops her arms and
turns, eyes on the others* okay, let’s get the show on the
road before they stress out and freak.
ACE
*despite the wait.... she was VERY calm... not just a seeming
outside feel of calm... even inside she was calm... she was
patient... the impatient... the ones who got stressed easily...
they didn't survive... she'd survived the war against the
Daleks... which was really very close to trench warfare of WWI...
she wasn't going to lose her cool over a bit of a wait... her
eyes are half-closed... but though she was relaxed... she wasn't
OVERLY relaxed... she wasn't so relaxed that she could be taken
by surprise... she is just as calm... and just as tense as
always... the perfect way to be for a warrior...*
SHADOW
*She knows that she has a lot to learn about keeping secrets from
G.U.A.R.D. Still they had never found her. It was only when she
decided to get involved with the R.UN.ners had anyone paid any
attention to her.* No.. She sought someone out.. I decided to
talk to her rather than have her looking bring the wrong
attention. *smiles softly* I know how to hide.
INDIGO
*she grins a moment, taking her eyes off Ace, where they had
wandered… she’d been noting Ace’s posture…
the girl was, indeed, a fighter. More than that, a warrior.
Kelsin knew the signs, most of her friends displayed them. Too
long battling and certain things stuck. Things that allowed for
survival. Kelsin at least respects that immediately. No little
girl, this one. Good. Or bad, depending on point of view…*
Seems I shouldn’t assume, eh? Just as bad as being obvious.
Duly noted. *A small nod of appreciation, and she jerks her chin
to the others* We should start. *and she begins to walk forward,
shields having never faltered*
SHADOW
*Nods* Yes.. *moves back over to the others* Sorry about that..
We just had to clear a few things up.
PANACEA
*she smiles and shrugs* thats ok...we dropped in on you kinda
unexpectedly anyways...*hopeing she didnt make a mistake by
bringing Bree here* is was ok...wasnt it?
INDIGO
Lyta:*She offers a curious frown.. why was she wary? What as she
fearing? At least Kelsin was familiar… but she shrugs it
off, it was good to be cautious, and she smiles as she reseats
herself*
SHADOW
*smiles at Lyta* Yes.. It was fine. Prefect timing in fact.
VEIL
~she smiles slightly at Zora and Kelsin as they approach,
glancing from Ace to Lyta. She didn't have a clue as to what was
going on~
PANACEA
Kelsin;*remebers your talent too late and shrugs, looking down in
embarrassment, the meeting simply reminding her of the last
time...the time she killed a man* Shadow; *she nods and smiles,
still standing, but thinking about it is not that comfortable
with it..what if she is Guard? what if her instincts are wrong
and she just gave away her friends house?*
ACE
*her eyes now flicker open at Shadow's words... and she
chuckles..* So you needed to talk to your friend privately...
most likely about the possible security risk we pose... the
unknowns... the ones you don't know well. *she smirks* I'd do the
same thing...
INDIGO
*She sighs and looks the gathered people over… where to
begin? Lyta is having some kind of difficulty… but Kelsin
doesn’t pry, she just senses and tries not to. A sweep of
attention over to Bree, eyes rest on her a moment, and she
smiles* You have no idea what’s going on do you? *a small
chuckle and she looks away, but murmurs* That innocence will fade
soon enough. *then, focus on ACE* Well, since this is for you,
what did you want to know?
SHADOW
*Chuckles* You know the routine Ace. But if I thought you were a
major risk you wouldn't be here.
PANACEA
*she smiles and nods at Aces statement*
VEIL
~She blinks at Kelsin, shaking her head slowly* No, I'm afraid
I'm quite clueless *she shrugs, no point in lying about it,
obviously this one would know whatever was going on in her mind*
PANACEA
*she just stands watching Kelsin and Bree uneasily*
ACE
*she shrugs* What do I want to know? *shrugs* What are you.. I'm
guessing that she.. *nods towards Shadow* And her friends... are
hunted for some reason. Considering Lyta is one of her friends...
most likely connected with the... *frowns* Freakish abilities..
*holding up a hand* And please... I know you could kill me
because I already know too much... but be warned... the Professor
knows just about as much as I do... possibly more because he has
access to information I don't... *but then... what could you
expect from a time-travelling alien..* *she shrugs* *a sharp look
at Shadow* You're right... if you believed I was a security risk
I'd be dead now... *she showed no remorse or anger at that fact*
INDIGO
*she grins softly, flicking her gaze back to BREE, and chuckles*
Yes, I know… its in the eyes. Don’t worry… for
once, I think, you’re in safe company. *back to ACE* I hope.
*she still needs to submit them BOTH to a psi-scan*
PANACEA
*she watches Ace, as she listens closely, then looks at Kelsin*
SHADOW
*Sits back to watch the others. There wasn't much she could do at
this point. It was mostly between Kelsin and Ace.*
VEIL
*she lets her gaze travel to Ace, wondering who was less trusted
here, herself or the other one. She sighs, giving up even tyring
to figure out what the conversation is about, standing quietly*
INDIGO
*she listens intently, gauges chemical responses, now open to
them, the way to detect lies or fibs.. not reading the thoughts
for thoughts so seldom contained truth. No, a good telepath, or
at least one trained well, knew far better ways to assess things.
Yes and yes.. all about the killing and such. Good, that was
acknowledged and understood, out of the way. They stood on the
same ground, so Kelsin says nothing more on the subject, neither
to agree or disagree or assuage fears, of which it seemed ACE had
none* I wouldn’t be surprised if someone in your
Doctor’s position had information. It does leak out, and if
… UNIT was it?… is so big, it could have learned. SOME.
I don’t expect he’s know even half the story. Before I
say anything, tho, Ace, I need to scan both you and BREE. I need
to check you out. I’m sure you understand.
PANACEA
Shadow; *feeling suddenly trapped, too hot and closed in, she
leans close to you, whispering* ....this does not concern me...i
think i will take a walk ...if thats alright with you? *she
glances at Bree* think she will be alright here?
SHADOW
Lyta: *nods* Go ahead. Bree will be fine. *smiles softly at Bree*
INDIGO
*Kelsin glances up at Lyta and smiles, understanding* See ya
round, Lyta...
ACE
*she shrugs* UNIT is important rather than big... and
top-secret... *she glances at Shadow* Very few have heard of
it... even fewer of those who have heard of it are not members...
*she shrugged* But of course... I have nothing to hide...*a
flicker of surprise... oh she'd heard of such things... just not
from a human... but then... considering the other things that she
knew... scarcely surprising*
SHADOW:
Bree: *Realizes she is still standing.* Please... Relax and have
a seat. *smiles encourgingly* Would you like a drink or anything?
VEIL
*Scan? She blinks, choking on a nervous giggle. It sounded like
from Babylon 5, a psi scan ...Clamping her teeth together to keep
the sound inside she glances at Lyta.* You're ..leaving? *she
wasn't sure about this at all, being brought here and then left
in the hands of strangers*
PANACEA
Shadow;...alright..im just going to be out front here for a bit
in case im needed...*something she highly doubts she will be, she
sighs and with an encouraging smile at Bree...encouragement she
did not feel at all, walks to the door*
VEIL
Zora *she lowers into a vacant chair with a shake of her head*
no, I'm fine thank you...*she smiles slightly, trying for a look
of calm*
PANACEA
Kelsin;*she nods* see you later....///Veil; *she smiles* im just
stepping outside the front door...its alright..*smiles again
encouragingly* you neednt worry unless you have something to hide
INDIGO
Veil: *she smiles at the expression and the thought that floats
out.. yes, all this could sound very fantastical. As she waits
for Ace's response, she asks gently* Would you allow me to? Scan,
I mean.
ACE
*she shrugs* UNIT is important rather than big... and
top-secret... *she glances at Shadow* Very few have heard of
it... even fewer of those who have heard of it are not members...
*she shrugged* But of course... I have nothing to hide...*a
flicker of surprise... oh she'd heard of such things... just not
from a human... but then... considering the other things that she
knew... scarcely surprising*
VEIL
Kelsin *she shrugs with a lopsided grin* Fire away, though you
might find it rather dull *she chuckles* All the techno-babble
I'm familiar with I gleaned from Sci-Fi movies.
SHADOW
*Chuckles softly* I wont go in to how I know about UNIT, but Ace
is right. They are a very elite group. It was her association
with them that got her foot in the door. Besides.. I checked her
out. She is known there.
ACE
*she grins slightly at ZORA and nods, head bobbing slightly,
brushing strands of dark brown hair from her face as she
recovers* Good. At least that’s confirmed…
////(ace's)*a brief nod... she actually couldn't care less what
Kelsin found out... whilst in some places she would as she'd be
called crazy... she highly doubted it was going to be the case in
this instance.. and as long as it wasn't spread haphazardly
around the knowledge of UNIT wouldn't be a problem either... her
suspicious mind for once giving the benefit of the doubt... and
her hand never strayed towards her gun... a concession for her...
from what she'd heard... it was nothing like the Masters
intrusions could be... she'd heard they were BRUTAL*
INDIGO
*Kelsin is not a brutal telepath, not unless in battle or she
needs to be. She was -not- her mentor, thank GOD, and would be
offended if anyone called her as such. With the scans done and
Ace clean, Kelsin glances at ZORA and murmurs* Could I have that
drink now? Water.. or anything cold and wet.. will do. Please.
*Then back to ACE, head tipped to the side* You wanted to know
what we were. Understand, I expect you to keep this information
strictly to yourself. I guess I can conceded to allowing you to
tell the Doctor, but this is /not/ for general UNIT information.
I have my reasons whether you agree or not. Is this understood,
or should I mindwipe you now?
ACE
*flatly* I don't intend to tell UNIT... or even the Professor...
*she was still gravely /hurt/ by the Doctors manipulative ways...
from now on she'd take care of herself... and tell no-one what
she found out...* *she shrugs* So yeah... it's understood...
SHADOW
*Her relief is clear as Ace passes the mind scan. She had been
sure she would, but you can never be too sure. Nods to Kelsin.*
Sure.. Glass of water coming up. *Moving over to the bar she gets
a glass of ice water. Handing it over to Kelsin as she sits back
down.*
INDIGO
*She smiles visibly, but mostly to herself.. and nods at Ace. She
caught part of that.. hurt…Doctor… alright then. She
leans back, inhaling through her nose and exhaling softly.
Finally, formalities aside and over with, she begins to answer*
We’re called unnaturals. Normal, powerless humans are called
naturals. We’re… created. Genetic manipulations, for a
reason. We’re made when a serum is injected into the embryo
at a certain stage.. the first trimester. gestation time is the
same, but the unborn child absorbs the serum, usually
administered through an amniocentesis, but not always, and
genetically alters. Normally, they don’t /appear/ mutated
and powers can take anywhere the age of 10 to 18 to surface, give
or take a few years.
SHADOW
*Simply leans back in her chair to watch Ace's reactions.*
INDIGO
*she grins as the glass is handed to her* Thanks, Zora… *and
she sips at it, the scan had taken something out of her…
Bree was being quiet, but that was to be expected with all the
information being tossed around*
SHADOW
*Returns Kelsin's smile* Your welcome..
ACE
*she sighs slightly... she hadn't thought they were aliens....
they acted way too human-like... and there is a touch of fear....
if the Master knew about this...* That's well... it's almost a
monstrous thing to do... condemning these children to a life of
solitude... the people who find out... will treat them as
freaks... *she shook her head*
SHADOW
/If/ people find out then yes.. We would be considered freaks.
*shrugs* I would love to know who did this to us and why myself.
INDIGO
…..Yes….. *she nods shortly, eyes fixed on Ace, even as
she lowers her half-drank glass of water. It makes a small sound
as it connects with the chair arm* Forgive me. I’m
sensitive, comes from my training. You… fear? *and small
image of the Master had flickered… Kelsin frowns. But Ace
hadn’t asked the more important questions, or maybe she
could conjecture the answers…either way, Kelsin won’t
offer more, though she might answer more…* We live among
them and they don’t know it. We try to keep it that way.
Naturals hide us, they give us a base to blend with, they would
fear us and hate us, be jealous, scared…. Yet, they’re
our parents and loved ones. We protect them by not letting them
know we’re there. At least, its one of the motives we have
for keeping hidden. Or trying to.
INDIGO
*she blinks over at Zora* You don't know? *she had assumed...god,
she had to stop assuming*
SHADOW
*Shakes her head* No.. I'm still fairly new in this myself. I
know about G.U.A.R.D. but not the why or who behind it all.
ACE
*she sighed* Of course... *her eyes glance up for a moment...
almost glowing green for a second... almost catlike?...* And the
reason that you fight each other... taking out large portions of
forest... an airport in Paris... and a club in the middle of
nowhere... *ignoring the fact that in the latter two cases it was
her own self that did a lot of the damage... in the case of the
club by getting into a tussle with Blackdagger... and in the
airport having some highly volatile nitro-9 there...*
INDIGO
*a slow nod, she sips more water and sighs* I’ll tell you
later then…if you never learned why GUARD even exists or
about GEMlabs.
SHADOW
*Nods* Thanks.. With all that has happened I'm not surprised I
didn't get informed.
ACE
GEMlabs? *her eyes definitely went cat-like... and she hissed...
a cat-like hiss* So she lied to me... the little tramp lied to
me.... employers hunting down 'traitors' to another company...
INDIGO
*she grins, flashes her white teeth, looks down into her water*
You see Ace, I never did those things. Not all RUNners, which is
the GUARD code for a rogue unnatural, meaning one they don’t
have, do those things. Its regrettable, yes, but sometimes
unavoidable.. I suppose if we didn’t want our freedom, if we
herded ourselves into GUARD Headquarters like so much sheep, it
would be a moot point. As it is, we tend to /like/ being our own,
you know? The GUARD isn’t always so subtle, but then, they
don’t have to be. That’s where psionics come into play,
why we’re so valuable. Natural minds are usually unshielded.
You have no idea the ease with which a telepath can slip into one
and remake it, rewrite it. Easy trap to fall into. Hard to keep
oneself from doing it. I should know.
SHADOW
*Glances back at Ace* Who lied to you? *Her eyes narrow at this
information. She had put a lot on the line for Ace. Had she been
wrong?*
INDIGO
*a surprised blink.. at the eyes, like Contact’s…at the
hiss. At the /words/…* …Pardon? You know GEMlabs?
ACE
*wryly* Oh I know all about psionicists... I've met a few...
*sigh* To tell you the truth I'm a bit wary of them.. *she
shrugged... it was hard to fight with combat skills someone who
invaded your mind...* And I also know about unavoidable.. I've
been in the same situation myself once or twice... kill or be
killed... or in some cases... kill or be caught... and that's
often worse than being killed... *she shrugged*
INDIGO
*wide blue eyes glance at her in question… but Zora
doesn’t seem to know either, both shocked. A slow blink, and
she looks back at Ace**a lazy nod, eyes still slightly wide,
focused solely on Ace* Yes, I saw that.. and yes, I know many are
wary of us. I can’t blame them. In fact, I encourage it.
Some of us are not be trusted. Others /do/ have morals, however.
And you know… *she sighs and finishes off her water, setting
the glass down by her foot* Yes, kill or be caught… much
worse than being killed.
ACE
*she shook her head* Someone mentioned it in passing... some
woman... *frowns* I forget her name now... *she shook her head*
Claimed that the ones she were hunting were traitors... and that
they had to be caught.. *frowns* Rika... that might have been her
name... *frowns* *her eyes clearing... she shook her head
violently... she'd FELT that...* *she shrugs* Someone who can
invade your mind... rewrite your mind... make you believe your
their best friend when in reality you hate them... *she sighs*
SHADOW
*Frowns the name Rika didn't mean anything to her, but as she
said she was still new. She looks over at Kelsin to see if the
name meant anything to her.* That happened to a friend of mine.
*Thinks about what they did to Sai.* Luckily we were able to get
him back.
INDIGO
*Kelsin scowls, actually snarling a bit, baring teeth* Rika…
Yes, Rika Storm, Filenamed Pirhana. A GUARDian. A Hunter. *she
sighs* There are of course, two sides to every story. Rika firmly
believes what she told you to be truth, I’m sure. To her, we
/are/ traitors. Many GUARD see it that way. And to them, its
correct. *She sinks in her seat and smiles weakly* Depends on how
you view things. I suppose we could be the bad guys. As it were.
Maybe there is no right or wrong here. I’ve been, by
necessity, in many heads. I’ve seen how they think. Change
it? No, I never did that. Not like SOME I know. And yes…*her
voice drops to a whisper* Yes, we can do that. Its something we
have to guard against. My own teacher… he didn’t care.
He did that whenever he wanted to. He was… brutal at times.
But I DID learn, and very well, too.
ACE
*she struggled for a moment... remembering her made it very hard
to control herself... eyes flickering between the normal.. human
green... and the glowing.. catlike green... finally settling into
normal* True... but considering what was done... *she shakes her
head* You seem hard-done by... you people are kind... *and
thinking of Lyta for a moment* And some of you aren't careful
enough... *she sighed and shook her head* Shouldda gone with my
instincts... my instincts were to kill her... *she knew why she
didn't... was it the cat... or the human which wanted to gut her*
SHADOW
*listens closely to what Kelsin says. Much of this new to her
too. Hearing the remarks on her teacher she frowns. Wondering who
this teacher was. She had met Aerik of course. Knew he was the
top telepath with the R.UN.ners, but did not make the connection
between him and Kelsin.* That is true. The distiction to me is
the fact that we, try to let everyone live their own life. While
GUARD wants to force us to do what they want. Personally I prefer
my freedom.
INDIGO
Yes, well… life is never fair. Nor easy. We know about that,
don’t we? *she smiles softly and brushes back strands of
dark brown from her face* Lyta has much to learn, I know. Some
never do. I’ve seen that often. They believe in the better
human nature, which is a farce, and when they do learn, its…
permanent. If you know what I mean. Or they just don’t
believe, don’t trust ANYone enough even to listen. *she
shrugs, frowning* Not much can be done then. Lyta isn’t a
fighter.. yet. Once she’s been around enough… God, what
a horrible thing to wish. *she laughs gently and shakes her head*
*another brief nod to ZORA, Kelsin agreeing* Yes, that’s the
biggest distinction. But if you think about I, you’d
understand why they want us back. We’re an embarrassment.
We’re hard to contain and control. Maybe its more benevolent
than we think… that they’re trying to keep too many
others from being hurt, that this is a way to protect… but I
think its more a salve to their wounded prides. And to keep
others from knowing about us, the naturals. We slipped through
the cracks, and they don’t like that
ACE
*softly* A soft life to take others freedom... *she then shrugs*
Yes.. I meant Rika... *softly* As for Lyta... she is paranoid...
but she's not wary.. paranoia makes as many mistakes as
bravado... if not coupled with care... *as long as there was not
Rika... as long as she was not talking about someone she really
HATED... she appeared perfectly human* ////
ACE
*she frowns* It's not so much that she believes in the better
human nature... it's that she doesn't sense what's around her...
THAT'S the only reason I tagged her... she didn't know I was
there.. *simply* If she'd seen me she would have bolted so fast
even I couldn't have marked her in time... *she looks sad* For
innocence lost.. *and for a moment... she returns to a time when
she was innocent... oh so long ago... it wasn't just meeting the
Doctor... even before then... maybe 12-13... maybe younger...
that was when she was innocent... a lone tear trickles down her
cheek*
INDIGO
*Kelsin blinks at the tear, Ace, this hardened warrior,
/weeping/. Just a single tear, and perhaps more poignant for it.
Kelsin looks down, allows Ace this moment privately, feels some
things leak over and is quiet a moment before she speaks again* I
should talk to her about that then… *she sighs* Innocence.
Yes.///