From the vantage point at the train station, Tommy looked out over the city.

The lights barely sparkled in the smoggy air, but the hum of activity

was pretty audible. A mixture of cars, and people and machinery. Most

of the noise consolidated into a slightly irritating humming noise.
"It's different than I imagined it," Tommy said finally.
Kyle frowned.
"Sorry, bro! I guess my communication skills are not as awesome as

princess."
It's ok, there's only so much recap you can give me for 21 years I never got."

"As long as we remember the important bits! Ok, let's recall those!"

Christina said, looking at Tommy, who had now fallen silent.

"It's ok! Don't get confused... concentrate," Kyle admonished.

Tommy looked at him with frightened eyes. "I'm so glad people talked

to me! That they read to me. They left me with magazines once. I looked

at them, and then ate them... I'm so glad cos I think I still got enough...

understanding!"
"Tommy!" Christina poked him gently.

"Thomas Cheviot. I'm Kyle's cousin who attended a private boarding in

Switzerland. I'm 23 years, like football and classical music... " he pulled

out the paperwork Christina had made for him. "This is so illegal!" he

intoned.
Christina shrugged.
Tommy nodded in understanding. "I don't care... much... that guy...

Peller... he sounds like an awful person."
"Monsters come in many forms," Christina stated. "Ok, enough! Let's get

going! That metro-cop is looking at me weird!"
Kyle slung an arm around her soldier. "We're on the way!"

It was in the heart of downtown, and about 15 blocks to Network 23,

when Tommy stopped. He sat down on the curb.
"I'm not ready. I'm not ready to see dad, yet!"
"I never am," Kyle admitted, sitting down beside his brother.

Christina moved in between the two.
"You wont's see him now. It's 3am. We're going to see Bryce."
"Mr. Fun guy!" Kyle laughed.
"You'll like him. He's just like us," Christina smiled at him.
"Dad is ashamed of me," Tommy lamented.
"He loves you... he kept you safe," Kyle resigned.
"But he sent me to Norway! And he didn't even send me a card... or was

that the one I ate? Still... wasn't right!"

Christina stood up suddenly. "You hear that?!"
Kyle stood up. "Ah... sounds like metal across pavement... like

footsteps."
The threesome turned ad began walking fast in the opposite direction.
"Whatever happens... don't look back... so I'm told," Christina ordered.
"It's human... happy, excited... nervous."
"Eh?" Christina asked, a little confused.
The stomping got louder and the IT came out of the shadows.
"AAAAG!" Tommy screamed.
"It's a... robot?!" Christina shouted.
Indeed it was; a humanoid in shape, and covered in army-camoflage

paint. It had a oblong-shaped head with three vision sensors that

served as eyes, and a speaker where the mouth would be.
"FREEZE, MUTANTS! YOU ARE UNDER EXTREME ARREST!"
"Run!" Kyle ordered his brother.
"Jesus!" Christina said, as two small rocket launchers locked into

position.

- - -
Whether it was fate, or whether it was amazing ability to comprehend

written and verbal instructions, Tommy was able to make it to Network

23 where he hid in the parking garage and remained undetected until

he finally got up the nerve to enter the building.
He pulled out Kyles notes and looked at them for 10 seconds, then

stuffed them back into his coat pocket.
"Oh man! Oh God... oh shit on a pogo stick! I hope my dad is not

around!"
He pulled out Kyle's papers from his coat and read them carefully. He

put them back carefully, and quietly into the building. Making his way

through all the security checkpoints with the codes Kyle gave him(the

same codes Ben Cheviot still had not changed yet), he found the office

he was looking for.
"Reeeeesearch and Deeeevelopment. Good gosh, this is it!" he gasped

in joy.

"Freeze! Hands up! Move and die!"
Tommy looked around frantically. Then he noticed the intercom. He

went up to it, touched it, then stroked his hands across the speaker.
"What do you want?!" the voice demanded.
"Ah... yes. I'm looking for Bryce Lynch.. please let me in! I don't feel safe

out here!"
"Tell me who you are! A spy for Simon Peller? Hey I been cleared!

Network 23's "property", and in no wise am I to leave or otherwise be

removed, against my will, from the building. In accordance with city

ordinance 55-667 and associated with my contract, especially in

reference to Section 45, Paragraph K which states, and I quote, leave me

alone!"
"Kyle and Christina sent me!" Tommy shouted into the speaker. He

collapsed against the wall, slapped a hand to his head, and moaned.

The door swung open and Tommy fell forward, into Bryce's arms.
"Get in here! Hurry. It's past curfew and you don't have a contract! Ok,

wait here!"

Bryce left Tommy off the floor, and ran out of the lab.
"Too much noise!" Tommy sighed.
At first he was fascinated by all the sights and sounds. They left the

hospital 3 months ago, and traveled through four countries on their

way back to the city. He didn't even mind the delays when Kyle and

Christina had to hide from suspicious authorities. One time they hid in a

forest and Tommy saw a bear! He so wanted to hug it, but Christina and

Kyle wouldn't let him.
Now it was 3 months in his new life, and he was starting to tire of all the

noise.
Now Kyle and Christina had been taken by a monster, and he was afraid.
"I didn't find them, spy!" Bryce stomped back in. Tommy emptied out

his pockets. "This is all I got. I'm being honest. See the codes? Kyle gave

them to me. My... ah, my uncle never changed the door codes."
"Your uncle?"
"I'm Kyles cousin, Thomas. I was in a boarding school in Switzerland,

and they stayed with me... and I like football."
"In Switzerland... " he repeated with skepticism.
"I like classical music too."
"Where are my friends!?" Bryce demanded.
"I... there was this monster, and it grabbed them. It was like shiny... it

was metal and it had these tubes on its back that shot out bombs and it

also had stingers in its... uh, claws."

Bryce felt sick. He had learned of some new alter-hunting machines that

were immune to most known super-powers. Secret information

told Bryce that they were a gift from Zik Zak, for Simon Peller. They

were supposed to be used against alters.
Apparently the rumors were true!
"Sit down... in that chair. You want me to call Mr. Cheviot?"
"No! Ah... no I'd rather you didn't."
Bryce glowered at him. "I'm sorry but you can't stay. There's no room. I

got a roommate."
His only roommate was Max, actually, but Thomas didn't need to know

that. And besides, Murray's daughter was coming to the city to register

as an alter. He had already promised the extra cot to her.
"Well... let's try to find my friends first. I heard there's a secret prison on

the outside of the city. It's possible they were taken there."
"Oh, no!" Tommy moaned.
"Relax. They're just detainment centers. They keep alters away from

'normal' people... whatever that means... "
Oh," Tommy said "we can wait right? I mean... well I'd rather Kyle and

Christina be with me when I see... uncle Ben... It's been a long time... "
"Ok," Bryce agreed. "I won't say anything."