Pretenders

With some effort, Tranquility managed to turn his head to the side, regarding the telepath, "He must be subdued - his presence invites discord. I do not wish to destroy you, only to resolve this conflict. Please, cease your attempts to escape."

One arm moved a little, as if moving through wet cement, as he tried to break free of the telepath's control.

**Amber could try pulling the drug out of his system or something**

Kida-

I stood warily next to the Djinni and the boy i had learned was named Trent. The battle between the Dragon and the Assail raged on, even after a few of the others joined.

Trent leaned over to the Djinni and i heard his softly spoken words.

"What if your master was killed, would that free you?" he asked quietly.

The Egyptian boy looked up at him with sad eyes. "It would, but she wasn't. If she were killed, i would disappear back to the Other Place unless one of you summoned me back. Then I'd be forced to work for you. It is the only way we can remain on Earth."

"You can't-" a roar from the dragon interrupted me. I glanced up quickly before finishing my sentence. "somehow escape her bonds?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

"Well, weren't you given orders to keep us under control?" I asked, only dimly remembering the scientists words.

He shook his head again, a small smile faintly touching his lips but never reaching his eyes. "No, i was only ordered to watch you and make sure you don't escape. My orders said nothing of keeping you under control, and so i don't really care what you do, other than escape."

"Well, shouldn't you stop them before they kill each other?"

He shrugged. "I could, but i don't choose to. If things get bad enough, I'll interject. Otherwise I'm only here to watch."

I nodded slowly before turning back to watch the fight unfold.

((I don't really know where I am....again....))

Bella~

I stood next to the Avian, Kida, watching the battle in silence and feeling very awkward. While I stood there, my glamour slid off, revealing the blue tint to my skin, as well as my blue hair, eyes and wings.

Kida turned to look me over.

*Billy - Okay =)*

Amber

I felt disorientated as I released my hold on the body. How strange. While in there I had almost felt compelled to... to stop Asher? Was Tranquility's mind really strong enough to override my own or was something else at work here?

"You can't hold me forever and if I must, I will subdue you too. Please cease. I don't wish to harm."

"She can hold you long enough," Asher said coldly as he advanced.

"Wait," I instructed thoughtfully, hovering closer again.

"You have a better idea?" Asher asked sceptically. I allowed my arm to pass through Tranquility's body and he began to struggle harder, trying to move his hand, to grasp what could not be touched. I reached deeper and then entered him again, briefly sensing the urge to stop myself before I located the foreign substance within the host. I wondered - is it possible to phase while within someone else now? And if so, could I be both solid and intangible at once?

I decided it was worth a try. Concentrating, I tried to phase through the substance inside Tranquility but that didn't work. Then I tried to phase Tranquility through the substance. One step and then another and I heard a soft splash.

(Hey, I was right! He WAS brainwashed! Hey, writer chick, if you're lost go check out the discussion thread, TNcowgirl made a list of all our characters and specified where they are right now.)

The Assail dropped to his knees once the liquid hit the ground and he vomited. His body had reacted to the sudden loss of whatever substance was inside his body.

Asher looked at the turquoise liquid on the ground. He had seen it once before, in one of the vials in the torture rooms where the scientists ran their little 'experiments.'

"Mind control serum," Asher announced.

Amber looked a question at him.

Asher answered the look. "That stuff is a newly developed serum the scientists made in an attempt to keep us under control. Once injected, the victim will do whatever the person who administered the shot tells them without question, even if the order is to kill." Asher motioned to the Assail. "He was probably the serum's first test subject."

Amber's face flared with anger. "Those bastards!"

Asher looked down at the Assail as he was wiping his face clean with his arm. "So, he was under the control of the serum from the start. He must not have wanted to fight at all..." He went to Tranquility's side and offered his hand.

[Storm]

During all the chaos, I had quietly melted into the shadows, watching. Sure, if someone challenged me I would love to go kick their butt... but until then, I preferred to watch and see what happened. So far it was pretty hectic, people torturing and lashing back at each other. I wondered how many would survive, maybe they would all kill each other off and I could slip out of here unnoticed.

I shook my head, I didn't know them at all but nobody deserved to die with the knowledge that they died in a lab for freaks. No. We would all escape. As soon as they finished fighting.

A small feeling inside of me itched to vent some anger on one of them, but I had learned to control such weak instincts long ago. It wouldn't help my situation at all to join in the fighting...

Maybe. Or maybe just a little bit of anger-venting wouldn't hurt.

I clamped my teeth down on my lip and pushed my back farther into a bush. Then, crouching slowly, I manipulated the clouds slightly to allow some rain to fall. I grinned and pressed for more. Soon, it was pouring down and the ground was covered in mud...

Stupid? Maybe. Fun? Heck yeah!

((Lana))

I let go of the Dragon boy and the Assail when the Assail vomited. Dragon boy seemed calm enough, but i decided to check on him.

"Are we going to stop fighting now, kittens?"

Dragon boy, the Assail, and Amber looked at me, they all nodded.

"We have to get out of here." I continued. "I've heard from some of the new experiments that theres a werewolf waiting near the sea cliffs. They say he knows the caves and is waiting to help us to our freedom. Now if we all play nice and help each other get out I can probably look for him. He might be waiting for a telepathic signal so I'll contact him that way. Are you with me?"

Amber's image started to grow stronger, "Formal introductions might be nice. I am Amber."

"Lana" I declared

"Asher." said Dragon boy.

"I am called Tranquility."

Asher started to get irritated, "Can we leave now?"

I grinned, "And what are you going to do, burst through the walls, guns a'blarin'?"

Amber examined her hand, "We don't have guns."

I rolled my eyes; Asher ignored her comment completely, "I could bust through the metal." His hands shifted to dragon claws. He strode towards the wall a few feet away. He pulled back his arm and let his claws shoot forward and penetrate the wall. He pulled his hand out and examined the holes he had made.

The wall stayed that way for a moment and started to shimmer. Microscopic nanos repaired the wall. Asher frantically scrapped the newly forming metal away but it didn't yield to his commands. He roared and bashed at the wall over and over. The wall made holes but quickly patched them up. He snorted and kicked the wall. Turning around he came back.

"Maybe I can't break through it." Stupid technology... he mumbled to himself.

I sighed, "We're going to need to see what we're in for before we just waltz out there."

Tranquility answered the nonexistent question, "Armed guards and tracking bots."

"Any ideas?" I inquired.

Tranquility spat on the ground again, trying to get the taste of the vomit out. He looked up at them.

"Is there not a way out in this very area? When everyone disappeared I believed it to be another escape attempt."

Tylana spoke from her tree.

"It's in the middle, under where the roof opens. Some of us might not be able to fit out, though, it's a tight squeeze."

"We can't just leave the Djinni." Trent said walking up to the group the others that had been with him had followed. "We dont' want to leave anyone behind. It wouldnt' be fair."

The shapeshifter walked over and cocked her head to the side a little.

"What if Amber took over one of the scientist and killed his master. We could make it to where no one would know." She said almost to quiet to hear.

"That is a good idea." Trent put in, "Would you do it. I'll stay behind and help you, I can shift down small enough to keep from being detected."

"Me too." Tylana said. She seemed to not be much of a talker. "We can't abandon anyone to the hell these people make."

[Storm]

The fighting had stopped now, so I stopped the rain and walked over to the group. It sounded like they were discussing escape plans now...

I walked over to stand next to the shapeshifting girl, Tylana. I heard her say, "We can't abandon anyone to the hell these people make," and immediately felt relieved. We were all going to make it out of here.

"And what can the rest of us do?" I asked quietly, surprising myself. I usually didn't talk much, but having missed out on most of the action already I wasn't keen on sitting around waiting for something bad to happen.

Tranquility frowned, thinking for a moment.

"I would also like to remain here. My presence could be justified to the scientists if Amber was to control one of them, and if worse came to worst, I believe I could create a big enough distraction to allow the rest of you to escape."

Katrina-

The ground was muddy, I thought I had heard something. Fighting. But as I continued to listen I didn't hear anything. I walked into some trees and tried to pick up any noise. I walked for a while then I heard a voice

"I could creat a big enough distraction to allow the rest of you to escape." I followed the voice, and soon enough I was standing in a shadow between two trees, watching a large groupe of people.

"Have you found them yet?" I heard a voice in my ear say.

"Yes." I mumbled before I walked out into the open.

"...kzzt... found... zzzcht... yet..."

Asher's ears were picking up the sound of radio transmissions nearby. Because dragons have a much better sense of hearing than humans, similar to dogs, his ears were able to pick up certain frequencies. This one was hurting his ears.

Amber saw him rubbing his ears and asked, "What is it?"

"Someone's using some sort of transmission device nearby and it's hurting my ears," he told her.

Katrina panicked, they couldn't find out that she was working for the other side. She quickly spoke through the radio transmitter. "Don't contact me for a while, the dragon's ears can pick up this radio's frequency."

"We'll contact you again later, don't try anything funny."

"It's coming from over there," Asher said, pointing at the tree Katrina was using to hide.

(Before you think this is god-modding, just imagine what's going to happen the moment Asher steps into a real city. It'll be a wonder if his eardrums don't burst from all the radio frequencies.)

((Lana))

I stopped talking. I thought that I would be able to lead the rest who wanted to come outta here.

"I would gladly take the people who want to get out, out. I can speak with whoever is going for assassination..." I stopped and glanced behind me. Someone came out of the bushes and into the open. She seemed to have been kept in the Center her whole life, she was pale and her red hair was long. I saw her playing with her ear. That must be the frequency Asher heard.

I extended my hand out towards the girl and closed it. The girl tried to squirm but it didn't go over well. "Who the hell are you?" I inquired. I toned my anger down a bit, and remembered that if I were too angry that I would crush her roughly into the size of a soda bottle. I flicked my thumb out and disconnected the earbud from her ear. It floated to the side and I let it drop. I pulled the girl closer to me.

"Please don't hurt me! They made me!"

I glared at her, "You lie."

"No! Please! I didn't do it on purpose! They threatened to kill me! They said they'd let me go if I help."

I considered her plea. All of the others surrounded me, Tylana was especially tense, ready to transform if needed. I glanced at the Assail, he seemed content with her claims. I looked back at her, "Your name?"

"Katrina." she blurted out, "Now let me go and undo the radio! They'll shock me if you don't." her voice turned fierce. She was trying to intimidate me.

I turned her around and found the radio on her belt. I saw that it had wires attached to suctions stuck on her back. "That's gotta be bad for your skin." I commented as I pulled them off. I unlatched the radio and had it float toward me. I released Katrina and set her down. She seemed to wait for the invisible shock, it never came.

The radio floated to my hand, "Asher, I need to get rid of this, right?"

He scowled, "Do you want my ears to explode?" he was flinching to the unheard frequency. I crushed the radio and spread the parts around. Asher untensed.

"So what now?" I asked, "Am I leading a party outta here or are we all going to help Djinniy boy here?"

Rek-

"What if the 'Djinni boy' has something to say?" i asked, walking forward and changing into a black leopard. "You can't just go killing my master, unless one of you happens..."

I stopped and frowned. That wasn't right...

"Nevermind, go ahead!" i said, shrugging as best i could in this guise.

"But didn't you say that if your master was killed, you would disappear?"

I bit my lip. "Did i say that? Hmm... you must be mistaken..."

I examined a claw idly.