Gaby sat and waited right outside of the main office. She got done with talking with the principal, who gave the usual speech and breakdown for transfer students. Honestly, she really didn't pay attention to much of it. All she remembered was that she was calling another student to the office to give her the tour of the building. As Gaby saw someone approach where she was sitting, she thought she saw this girl from somewhere.
"Hey, I'm Casey." Gaby stood up and threw her backpack over her shoulder.
"Gaby. I'm sorry, but you seem familiar. Have we met all ready and I just don't remember?"
"Uh, actually…I was in the news. I was one of the girls that was kidnapped at the zoo."
"Oh…I'm sorry." Gaby wasn't completely sure how to react to this.
"I don't want to talk about it. Not too be rude, I just…I'm in a decent place right now."
"I completely understand." The two of them started walking down the hallway. All of the usual stuff was shown to her, nothing really surprising.
"So, you thinking of joining any clubs? I'm not really a part of anything, but there's probably something here for you to join."
"Not exactly. Well, my mom always suggests that I should join Track. I used to do some running up until like 7th grade." Gabby thought back to that time and her dad's irrational reaction.
"Well, how about after school I can show you a little bit around town. I don't really do anything after school and my foster parents usually have their hands full with other kids."
"Uh, sure. Yea, I can do that." Gabby gave a very small smile as the two agreed to meet up near the school entrance after the final bell. Then the two started walking to their classes.
"I trust that the individual from Dallas has been properly treated Dr. Staple."
"Truth be told; I didn't need to do much of anything. The doctors there all ready found evidence that proved he had no real abilities."
"Well, that has happened quite a bit. A lot of people claiming they have powers are really only doing so to gain attention and maybe scam some people." He cracked his knuckles as he was deep in thought. "But that doesn't help the fact that there has nevertheless been an increase in appearances."
"Perhaps we should change tactics." The man sitting next to Dr. Staple leaned in a little bit. "I think the best course of action would be to seek out the individuals and…make sure they never have the chance to use their powers. We have the manpower and resources."
"Your talking about mass murder." Dr. Staple turned to the man next to her. "Our primary method may be slow, but it is more humane than just 'taking them out'. Plus, what happens when you kill someone who doesn't have powers by accident?"
"We can set up a method for properly identifying the correct people that can be just as quick. Things are getting out of control and if we don't act now-"
The man behind the desk put his hand up to signal him to be quiet. "I appreciate your thoughts Mr. Kemp, but I'm not convinced that we are at that point just yet. I do agree however that we should set up a way to identify the right people in a quicker fashion."
Mr. Kemp nodded and started to get up and leave. Dr. Staple stayed in her chair. As soon as he was gone, the man leaned forward, putting his elbows on the desk.
"Ellie, as you can probably tell, people are starting to get restless."
"I know. If only I was able to realize what Elijah's plan was, then-"
"Don't do that to yourself. As far as I can tell, no one blames you for what occurred. We all knew the potential dangers going in. That includes myself." He took a deep sigh before continuing. "That being said, I'm asking you to stay in Philadelphia."
"But we need everyone to go to every possible appearance. Where is the logic in keeping me here?"
"I may not be an expert in comics like Mr. Price, but my gut is telling me that it shouldn't be too long before someone else starts showing the same signs. This city created 3 individuals with special abilities, the most I have ever seen during my time. Plus, there is still a lot of public support for what David Dunn represented for them. It would be ideal for you to stay and try to counter this, seeing as how your name has become connected to theirs."
After a moment of thought, Dr. Staple reluctantly nodded. "I suppose your right. I'll go unpack and take a position at the mental institute."
The man nodded as she got up and left. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face. He has spent many nights trying to keep on top of things. While they do work as a collective, he found himself the sole leader of the organization, which has caused some stress. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind before resuming his regular job.
After meeting up, Casey and Gaby walked for a little bit before catching a city bus and going downtown. Once there, they got off on a street near a park. They decided to walk through it.
"So, where did you come from?" Casey asked.
"Pittsburgh. Not too different from Philly."
"Any big reason why you moved?"
"My mom got a decent job in the city and we decided to move." Gabby looked down at the ground as she spoke.
"I'm guessing that's not the whole story." Casey looked at her with a level of softness that she rarely used. "It's cool if you don't want to tell."
Gabby just nodded her head and they started talking about other things. Maybe Gabby will tell her the whole reason, but it's nice to just have a casual friend right now. They just walked around, grab some food and went back home until the next day.
