~>+<~ Saving Face ~>+<~

Damien ~ Rebel ~ June 13th 8:35 pm

Damien sat in complete and utter silence, aside from the melodic calls of the birds that were tucked beneath a canopy of green leaves. He had just begun sketching out a beautiful red-winged black bird when his phone wrang loudly. The bird's wings unfurled and it was up within the blink of an eye. Damien scowled, flicking his hat back from his face as he reached into his back pocket, fishing out his phone from the stiff fabric of the jeans.

"Hello?" Damien said, his voice its usual calm.

"Damien it's me Mari...Do you ever feel like something isn't quite right?" She said, almost slowly.

Damien stretched his cramped legs from squatting too long and picked his way from the brush back to his bike, which was tucked away beneath some vines just at the edge of the road. He scratched behind his head.

"Damien?" He heard Mari ask again. He'd never really been much of a talker, and since getting a cell phone, it'd been even worse when people called him. His constant delayed silences left some people wondering if they'd lost his connection. Not that anyone ever called him -- Mari was probably one of the first.

"Mm?" He replied simply, thinking over her question in his head. It wasn't that something didn't feel quite right. Sure it was weird not having a permanant home, or no one to talk to. He'd gotten quite used to having everyone near him before. But as a grown man he'd become a bit more mature than he was back then, and finally decided his answer.

"I'm guessing you feel that way?" He said, his voice level and calm, almost emotionless. He didn't usually open up so much with his answers to everyone, but Mari was different. He hadn't seen her in so long. He hoped she was well. "But then again, it used to be like that for the first few years. I missed you ..." He swallowed, "... guys and all. But I guess in a sense it still is a bit strange."

Damien squinted up at the sun. "Call me back later. I have to go." He shut his phone before Mari could reply and started his bike, zooming down the asphalt.
- - -

*I've meant to ask, texan when did I swear and get my mark?*

Jack Hayden

Tobias was jumpy to say the least. Coffee seamed to calm him down a bit though. He had a ginger coffee which honestly I didn't think had much of a taste difference. Tobias however liked the coffee and kept saying how different it tasted. I guess it was an avid coffee drinker thing. I didn't drink coffee that much it tasted bitter. Tobias obviously didn't sleep much, the way he was fiddling with his hands made that much clear. I didn't sleep that much either. The last time I had had a good nights sleep was two months ago. I had decided it was all down to my ability the cells that would normally slowly degrade over the course of the day and your body would need to rest to repair them didn't apply to me. My cells were constantly repairing them selves as the day went on. Making sleep more of a leisure than a necessity. I stopped day dreaming and pulled my self back into focus. They had told me people might come for Tobias so I had to be on alert. I hoped it might me a Loyalty agent, even thought me and Hafton had decided to stay out of each others ways I had grown in maturity fighting skill and tactics since are last meeting and now I was holding a position as a level four in my power vision. That's how I rated people.

Letters didn't actually come up beside the powered people I was looking at depending how powerful they were they just shone a little brighter. Their were five levels of brightness. 1 was normally reserved for powers like super strength and agility all those smell enhancing powers and stuff, even those powers if nurtured could grow. Most Supers were level twos. People who could fly and talk to animals stuff like that got level two but still it was easy to become a level three if only you looked after your powers. That's what I'd seen. Level threes well that's were the ability started to get a bit more special, most of the level threes being manipulators. When you got to level four you started to get the unique combinations that made level four so powerful. I'd only ever seen six level fours in my time, one of them was Joseph hafton his blend of powers was deadly and he was brimming becoming a level five. Another was the Rebel leader Rean. I say leader their was no definite leader but all the other rebel leader who controlled people respected him and took his orders. No one new what his powers were some said he was a mind reader a telepath or a empath. I thought different people new he could fly they'd seen him do it but that wasn't a level four power. No I thought he was a planner someone that could plan out a whole system from one point, it would explain why he always looked as if he was in deep thought. Rean was a young man as well 27. He had buzz cut brown and wore black trousers that were tucked into his black military boots and a white top that he wore under his black military jacket on top of that was his utilities jacket. Ammo bandages a flashlight cuffs even a gun he was well equipped. Then again he was a hardcore rebel one of the rebels who acted like an army. We weren't doing to bad more and more rebels were becoming hardcore, sick of taking all the heat and abuse from people and the government. The one problem was that the Drones were all well trained and had the government to back them up. The Loyalties were all level three manipulators.

The other two level four I had seen were both people hostile to me. One was or had been a drone but he wasn't around anymore the other was a female rebel leader and complete b****. Caroline had a deadly combination off powers. She had super strength pyrokinesis and she had the power of seduction. We had gone out for a bit but knowing that she could make me do whatever she wanted. I steered clear of washington since then. I really should go back to washington though thats were I'd seen my first level five, my only level five, a small boy had bumped into me and just his touch had turned my sights on he burned to bright that after a few seconds I was on the floor in agony.

"Jack" Tobias said and I dragged myself out of my deep thought.

"sorry I was thinking" I said choosing my words carefully I looked a Tobias he was a level three but he could easily become a level four if he worked on his power.

"can we go home now" Tobias asked and I helped him up. He seamed very nervous in the outside world.

"fraid not we've got to get you some real clothes" I said and I heard him whinning a bit he was trying to stay back from to show his disgust at being outside but was to scared to hang back away from me too much.

"Tobias I'm a nice guy but your pushing it a bit" I said but he let out a kind of whine that you might here from a desperate dog and I couldn't help but think he had spent a little too long with that dog.

"fine come on were going to get a suit for you so you look precentable and then were going to get you a brand new coffee make" I said and Tobias started walking with me again I felt a little uncomfertable as hung close to my shoulder his arm pushing into mine.

"Tobias"

"sorry I don't get out much"

"its alright you'll get use to it"

"I'm glad I'm with you I've seen some of the other rebels not so nice"

"I never told I was a rebel"

"you underneathe the scarred parinoid outerlayer I am actually a genius" Tobias said and I laughed a little dry laugh just so he wasn't discouridged.

"and your lucky I'm a bit of a pushover" I said as we walked into a suit store.

*sorry about the super long post*

Daniel Ross

Dan stood, back tight, posture perfect. It was part of his image, the image he needed to keep as a soldier. He was standing in the middle of a busy street in full uniform, people passing, avoiding his concentrated glares. He was watching, like all soldiers, for anyone out of place. The crowded area was sure to have many, each with a power that they wanted to share with the world, and this seemed like a perfect place to do it.
That was when he saw it, a man, maybe in his late 20s hovering in mid air. The ran over, tranquilizer ready, the man would be knocked out and renamed before sunset. He fired, an uncompassionate shot, hitting the man square between the eyes, letting him drop to the ground like an animal, snorting and writhing on the pavement. Dan puled the rebel towards a dark, overcast alley.
"A male in his early twenties, thought to be able to fly, he is taken care of, unconscious, but I will need a team down here quickly and discretely to take him away."
He strolled back to his post, righting his posture; another long day at work.



I'm sorry I didn't begin sooner, tell me if this is OK I'm not quite into the rules yet. Sorry Tex, I was planning to begin, thanks for the reminder though.

Maribelle Leslie~Loyalty~June 13th 8:38pm

"Okay then." I had said, the line already dead. Someone from so many years ago had called and had given me an order, "Find out what's happened to the others." I shuffled in my bedroom pacing as the new tot stared. I had to come u with a name for him, he was so very odd.

I pulled out every one of my old papers, that i had kept in a box under my bed. Pushing a piece of my loose hair out of my face I began digging through it.

**sorry so short**

Evelynne Sky~Rebel~June 13th 9:34

I sat listening to music as i drew a picture of a cherry blossom tree scene.

This was gonna be a long plane ride.


**Writers block is getting to me!**

Stolen: Texan had Joe order Mari to find the others in her last post. Then I had David go to meet up with her.

Gary-unsure-June 14th

Once I entered the building I was hit with the sweet smell of coffee. I scanned the place quickly; it was pretty full for the time of night. I walked of to the line at the counter and as I waited took in the sights. The lady said to go to starbucks, but with a chain like this who knew how many were a block away from here. My focus landed on one table, my view of one man was blocked by another drinker, who typed at his key board, but the other at the table seemed to be staring at me. I made sure to keep my gaze on him, but make it seem like I was staring away, Finally I made it to the counter,

"Give me a small decafe," I said and handed the worker a twenty and told him to keep the change, which he happily stuffed in his pocket. By this time I had looked at every table and person in the shop, but one. The one who was sitting with the staring man. I knew that had to be Tobias, if he was here.

With my target known, I made my way over to the table.

**Geez i am so sorry! I'm not focusing on the reading! I'll edit later...I've been so busy D:**
-using post later-

jok101:

I flew my hands up dam military

I don't think you meant the military that was meeting at the beaver dam on Maple and Elm. Maybe you did. Oh, and there was

Crap they were already here I thought and ran to his door.

That one, obvious. There are perfectly good words to use instead of cussing. There's dang (which is my personal preference, "darn" sounds so Andy Griffith) instead of d**n, and there's crud instead of c**p. I just don't like to read cuss words.


*****


Raven Thistle ~ Rebel ~ June 14th, 12:38PM

I silently followed the brunette reporter in front of me. She was such a show off, whipping her hair every time we passed a guy who looked half decent. Rolling my eys I adjusted the lens on my camera.

"You know only idiots flirt with construction workers, right?" I asked after she had glanced at a few well-built guys in blue jumpsuits and hardhats. "Oh, wait, my bad. Do... you... un... der... stand...?"

"Shut up, Raven," she said. "You could never handle what I go through to get information."

Oh, gimme a break, I thought to myself.

I slipped inside the cab she had hailed and rest my elbow on the door. My eyes drifted to the bullet-proof window. Everything had to be so safe now, it was crazy. Buildings and cabs passed us by, and then we stopped. And then we started again, and then we stopped. And then we started angain, and then we stopped and got out.

"I hate stop-lights," muttered the reporter I had been forced to follow. What I did for cash blew me away at times.

"Why am I not suprised?"

We walked up to it. The veterinary hospital. For some reason, the only things I could think to take pictures of were puppies missing eyes and legs, and that didn't sound to grand at the moment. I glanced at the sky for a moment and headed in.

The waiting room was pretty empty, except for one family with a little girl holding a cage. Inside was one very fat, very sleepy guinea pig.

"Is Harry gonna be okay, Mom?" she asked quietly.

"I've already answered you, Martia. He's going to be fine."

Pathetic.

We walked up to the counter and Lucy, the reporter, said the receptionist, "Hi, we're from the paper, and I want to write an article on your hospital. Can I ask some questions?"

"Of course," he said, and then looked at me. I lazily held up my camera in one hand and press pass the paper had given me in the other. He nodded and said,

"Follow me. I'm Issac, by the way."

And so we got a little tour of the animals staying, a peek at the operating room, all that sort of stuff. After probably thirty minutes and seventy five shots, something I might never know what exactly happened. My hands shook and beads of sweat fell down my face. My arm went numb, my camera gained a few hunderd pounds. I dropped it and looked down. On my navy glove was a huge, bright black spider. Or maybe it was red...

I fell, but didn't hit the ground. My vision went blurry, but I could make out Issac, his hands over my floating body.

Darkness.

Issac Redwind, June 14th, 12:39 PM

Issac's brain clicked into action. Forgetting that the reporter was there, he caught the girl with his mind powers saving her from cracking her skull against the shiny tiles of the hall. She slumped lifelessly against him as the spider scuttled off her sleeve and onto the floor. The reporter shrieked like an owl, raising a heeled foot to crush the spider.

"No! Don't kill it!" Issac yelled, still clutching the girl in his arms, avoiding eye contact with the reporter to avoid her seeing his misted eyes. "Quick, take her so I can catch it," he babbled, panicking slightly. He had seen spider bites many times before in dogs, and it wasn't pretty. Muscle tremors, convulsion, paralysis.

The reporter gently set the girl down on the floor as Issac made a dive for the spider with an empty medicine bottle, scooping it up and closing the lid. This would make treatment faster if they could identify it.

He didn't take a good look at the culprit, but he couldn't recognise the scuttling beastie inside the bottle. This was bad; he had no idea how toxic it could be and if the poison was potent enough, it could kill her.

"Quick, call an ambulance!" he yelled at the reporter, who was hopelessly babbling suggestions like a washing machine, useless nonsense flooding from her mouth.

She grabbed a phone on the wall as Isaac shook the girl by the shoulders. She remained unresponsive, but he was relieved to see she was still breathing. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool. It was a heck of a lot more terrifying if the life at stake was human, never mind animal.

"Ambulance will be here in two minutes," the reporter announced, slamming the phone back on the wall and scrambling to where the girl lay on the floor. Isaac felt totally helpless as he watched the girl.

All he could do was wait for the ambulance to come.


*Sorry it's short. Just home from work and I'm shattered *

Mitchell Mawson

He collapsed into his chair once he finally made it back into his office. His day had been exhausting - he'd spent the entire day counselling trauma victims from the bomb blast the day before - and there'd been a lot of them. Then he'd had to perform surgery on two patients. All in all, it had been hell on him.

And then, echoing the cause of his troubles the day before, the phone rang on his desk. With a sigh, he wandered over to it. This is going to be more trouble than it's worth...I can feel it. "Mitchell Mawson speaking."

"The psychiatrist?"

"Yes." Mitchell sighed. More work then. Why couldn't one of these phone calls - just one - be about something other than work?

"Don't talk, don't hang up, just listen." Mitchell, of course, was tempted to hang up there and then. But the voice continued, and the next words determined things for him, "We know what you are, mister Mawson. And we'd like to ask for your help with something. There is a man friends of mine are currently taking care of in New Orleans. His name is Tobias, and I need you to help him with his...issues so that he can help me. If you comply, I won't reveal you to the Drones, and you'll also have my organisation to turn to when you find yourself pursued by them."

"Alright..." Mitchell said, a cautious edge to his voice. He really didn't like where this was going now, but what choice did he have. He had to find this 'Tobias' now, for his own safety.

"Go to the airport. Your ticket has already been paid for. Someone working for me will meet you at the other end."

With a sigh of resignation, Mitchell hung up, threw some spare clothes into a backpack, and drove to the airport. Within an hour, he was on a plane headed towards New Orleans, wondering what it held in store for him.

**Anyone can meet him there, or I could just assign him a random loyalty. Either way, I thought it was about time I got Mitchell properly into the story.**

Daniel Ross

He watched, day after day, as criminal after criminal was taken away. It was his work, and the rebels he worked with, they were criminals, they broke the law, a law he must as some point have broken. NO I CAN'T THINK ABOUT THAT. His brain had a protective system in place, every time he thought about his past, it was too much.
He left work, bag on shoulder, striding through the grey streets. His feet fell hard on the awkward cobbled stones, his hands clenched into rigid fists. Outside work he had no life, a single friend was his only connection to the world around. The fading, grey to black sky around him seemed enclosing, comforting. He would not meet anyone tonight, he would not go out for dinner, he would not meet a friend at a bar - he would drink, he would eat a ready meal, and he would drink a lot more.
His keys turned in the old rusted lock, he opened the door. That was when it happened, a sound he had never heard, a high pitched ring. It was his phone. Dan didn't get calls. He picked it up cautiously "Hello?"
"Jamie! It is you." Dan's forehead crinkled.
"I'm sorry?" Who was this person, and why did they call him Jamie?
"Thank goodness I found you, I finally found you. You change your name more often than you change your clothes you know."
"Who is this?"

................

Anyone want to take this? be the person on the other side of the phone?

Miriam, oh and sorry it's so short, my next will be longer.

Some one please post

Please oh please oh please post! The whole one post a day thing isn't going to cut it. This is the point where storybooks die: the very beginning, before things get fun. I don't want to lose this, it has so much potential.

Don't ya'll make me whip out the Private Messager! I ain't afraid to use it!




Raven / Rebel / June 14th, 11:54PM

My eyes slowly opened to the tiniest slit, quickly shutting tight again. My entire body ached, especially my head. You couldn't have paid me to move. My mind was numb; I couldn't form any thoughts. All I did was give a tiny groan.

"Raven?" The voice was soft but worried. Only one person on the entire planet would sound like that then.

"Hey, Dylan," I said, slipping into a weak grin.

"How're you feelin'?"

"Like a million bucks," I said sarcastically. "How do you think I'm feeling?" Each word sapped me of any energy I had.

"Don't talk if you're too tired, dope," he bent down and pecked my cheek. I ignored his scratchy stubble. "You were bitten by a Northern Shock Spider, so let's just be thankful you're still alive."

I forced my eyes open enough to see… nothing. “Is there any particular reason I can’t see?”

“It should only last a few days, Rae. Get some sleep.”

I grabbed his hand in mine. Dylan kept me sane in this insane world. If it weren’t for him, I’d probably be dead from grief, loneliness, madness, or all three. “Don’t leave me,” I said quietly. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”


June 15th, 5:34PM

I leaned against the window of Dylan’s pickup, staring blindly out the window. All I could think about was that one blurry memory, the veterinary guy making me float. He helped me, so he either

A: Didn’t know what side I was one,
B: Didn’t know what side he was on,
Or C: Didn’t know I had powers in the first place.

The last was no doubt the case, but it still worried me. Did I see a stranger, a friend, or an unknown enemy help me?

My fingers traced the scar on my waist habitually, up and down in a steady rhythm. What was that guy’s name…

“You okay, Rae?” Dylan asked.

“Well, I was bitten by one of America’s most venomous spiders yesterday, and today I’m out of the hospital. Do you really think I’m okay?” I said dryly. “Despite the fact that I “don’t need medical assistance any longer,” I feel like crud, so shut it.”

He didn’t reply. Dang, why did the one guy I like know how to pile on guilt in a matter of seconds? Why? Because that’s what I felt after only a few minutes.

“Sorry,” I said quietly. “I’m just thinking about the guy from the vet.”

“The one that did the first aid? Why’re you worried ‘bout him?”

“Because he’s… special.” He knew what I was talking about. This sort of thing was a common topic between us, no matter how dangerous. “I don’t know what he is.”

“You want me to find him?” he asked with an even voice.

“So I can kill him if he’s an enemy, yeah, that’d be helpful.”

Dylan chuckled and muttered, “How I put up with a woman like you, the world may never know.”



June 15th, 9:03PM

Driving… again. There we were in a shocking blue pickup truck, totally obvious to anyone and everyone. Maybe that was the point of blue in a field of yellow and normal colors, stand out so much no one would ever guess you were an outlaw. Maybe it wasn’t, and we were stupid to go around in the color of punk hair. I didn’t honestly care right then.

I gently beat my head against the window. What? I had nothing better to do. Metallica from the music player flew through my ears, the words silenced by my boredom, the beat flowing through my blood. My disgusting, vile, evil blood… my curse… I shot back to reality. No need to think about something like that. Not when I had a job to do.

Thirty minutes passed or so, and we were there at the base of the huge apartment building not unlike our own. I sighed. A switchblade in pocket, I opened the door and jumped out.

“Oh my gosh,” I said in a gasp, bending over. They had warned me of the symptoms I’d have for another week. I didn’t think they meant THIS when they said, “moderate abdominal pain”. I cursed and carefully stood back up. This was going to be a long week.

Dylan took my hand and we went inside. I could feel the little spark of energy in his touch as he tracked Isaac, leading us down halls and up stairs. We all had something happen when we used our powers, or we had something we had to do to use them. I had to twitch my hands. Dylan’s temperature went up very slightly. We all had something.

We stopped, and a knock echoed throughout the hall. “Just a minute,” came a muffled voice. I let go of his hand a moment before a door opened.

“Isaac the Vet?” I asked sweetly.



**Dang that was long, sorry! And no, there is absolutely no such thing as a Northern Shock Spider. I stupidly didn't do my research on spider bite symptoms before my last post, so I did this.**

Rebecca/Loyalty/June 14th

It had been an awkward plane ride, and Rebecca was glad it was almost over. Though few people were on it in the first place, even the dozing business men were scattered around only the front. Five utterly deserted seats separated them from the rest of the plane. Had Hafton bought those, too?, she wondered.

Rebecca had spent most of the plane ride trying to decide if she should ask them the question. It was nothing big, but for some reason it seemed like life or death. Slowly she leaned forward to get a good view of everyone.

"Umm... I was wondering, did anyone of you ever meet a Richard Clark?"

All eyes turned towards her; everyone, even the small blond boy, seemed to be searching her face with almost rude curiosity.

You're just imagining things, Becca.

"No."

"Nope."

"I don't think so."

Each time one of them answered negatively, Rebecca felt her stomach unclench. Feeling oddly liberated, she was about to ask another question when Larara piped up.

"Who is he?"

"He was my husband."

"Was?"

"Yes. So, does anyone know what we're going to do when we land?"

"Yeah, I was wondering that myself." said David.

Maribelle, the mother of the boy, reached for her purse. "Well, we're supposed to be tracking down a few people from the past. I've got a list of some of them here..." she said.

"Please fasten your seatbelts. We are starting our descent."

As the plane started downward, Rebecca wasn't listening to Maribelle talk, even though she had been extremely curious a second ago. She was thinking about something. "Tracking down", Maribelle had said. But what would happen then?. she wondered, digging her fingers into her palms. Death, or destruction, or-

"Ow!" Rebecca suddenly exclaimed. She looked down at her palms. Four small crescent marks lined her palm, red and shiny. Definitely burns.

You've got to control yourself!

"What's wrong?" asked Maribelle, concerned.

"Nothing. What were you saying?"
----------------------------------------------------------------
*Sorry nothing really happened, I don't know exactly what we're going to do when we get off. By the way, I made Aiden come along, but if he's not, or any other kids are, I can change it. And I think we're a little behind on the times. *

Woo!! Thank you Coffee! We still don't know where we're going, do we? I'll just assume we don't; correct me if I'm wrong

Larara~Loyalty~June 14th

Suddenly, the plane went through a little turbulence. We were jostled about the slightest bit. As a result, Maribelle lost grip of the paper she was holding. It sailed into my lap. I held onto it until the turbulence ended. I lifted the page to my face and read it.

"The first one is a man named Tobias. He's in New Orleans. That must be where we're at," I guessed.

Everyone nodded. When the plane landed, and we all got off, we found a man that was holding a sign that read 'Hafton'. He told us that there was a black car waiting for us. He gave us instructions to Tobais' apartment and gave us the keys. David took them and we went outside the building. Sure enough, sitting right there, was a black car, waiting for us. We all piled in; David and Rebecca up front and Maribelle and her son in the back with me. We sped off towards Tobias' apartment building.

When we pulled up out front, I got out and stared at the building suspiciously. I cleared my throat and strode inside. The woman looked up at me, rather annoyed.

"Hi," I said. "I'm looking for a Mr--"

"Tobias, I presume?" She asked.

I stared at her, a bit shocked, then replied, "Um, yes. Do you know where I might find him?"

The woman sighed loudly, irritation and annoyance clearly audible in it. I raised an eyebrow at her. She pointed lazily outside. "He's at the Starbucks down the road with two other men."

I put on a cheery smile. "Thank you," I told her, and flipped around.

We all walked out of the building and in the direction the woman had pointed.

---

I'll let someone else have the meeting If it goes too long without posts, I'll just do it

~Rayne

i'm baaack!
+ i pmed you my app.