NOA isn't big, but it's scary. The more stable psychics are helpful and friendly as they can be, but there's so few of them. And Wendy can't ask them to help her, not when she can feel everyone else's nightmares pressing down constantly.

Nightmares and hate, and it's the latter that makes her think Chris isn't here. Chris wouldn't be planning to take their lives back with power and blood. Wendy knows she wouldn't. Chris would help, of course she'd help, Chris would always help, but she'd be giving out food, blankets, a shoulder to cry on. NOA doesn't have enough of those. Thinking of Chris, Wendy tries. She still has some money from her savings and she's one of the only people that knows how to navigate a town without breaking down, so she flies out to Fairbanks and buys as much food and warm clothes as she can carry. It's not much, not without someone with gravity powers to help, but Brad can't be trusted in towns.

She's only got two jackets and a backpack full of canned food this time. Her converted cash is running low, and she's worried about trying to exchange more. She's starting to see more men in official black suits hanging around, and even if she's horribly unsure about NOA she doesn't want to be the one who let the government drag them all back to the labs.

The cans are dropped off at the kitchen, and hopefully one of the moderates who joined NOA from an ordinary life will do something with them, like Tommy or Sandra. Wendy could try herself, but she's not a cook...though all anyone cares about food here is that there's enough. There's never enough. There aren't enough decent clothes either, but Wendy drops the jackets off at the little room they're using for storage anyway. She's tired. Her shoulders ache, the wind's voice has dropped to a whisper, and there's a big meeting tonight. She doesn't want to go. If Keith says they're destined to inherit the world, that her parents and Maddie and Sam and Mr. Dockerson and the postman all have to die to see the light, she'll scream. And that's all she'll be able to do, because she can't go back there and she can't run away either. Not until she finds Chris and can stop worrying about how to survive because Chris has to know, Chris has to make everything better. She always could.

If Chris were here...if Chris were here, Wendy wouldn't feel so alone and-

If Chris were here.

Chris is here!

She's just at the end of the hall, turning away from Wendy as she points a new rescue to the cafeteria, but there's no mistaking that blue hair, that pose, that face even in profile. She's dressed weird, but it has to be Wendy's sister. It has to be! Wendy's sprinting down the hall, calling as much wind as she can just to get there faster, even if it's just a breeze because finally, finally everything's going to be all right. Even if they have to leave NOA, even if they can't go home to mom and dad, even if they have to hide, just being together would make it bearable.

Wendy crashes into Chris with an -oof- and an almost embarrassing squeak, wrapping her arms nearly completely around her sister. "Chris! Chris, I'm so glad, where have you been? You just disappeared and mom and dad were so worried was it because of your powers? I've got them too, it's okay! I came here looking for you and and" and the rush of words dries up, even if Wendy's been rehearsing this moment in her mind ever since she decided to run away from home. But there's really only one thing to say, and it comes out softly and surprisingly not choked against Chris' neck. "...and I missed you so much."

"I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong person. I'm Sonia, Keith's general. I don't know who this Chris is. "

Don't...know? Wendy looks up, and yes, there's only a gentle, puzzled expression on this woman's face. She does look like Chris, she really does, but she doesn't recognize Wendy at all and behind the soft look there's a kind of determination Wendy only feels from Keith. Chris had determination, yes, but it wasn't like that. Wendy pulls back a little, but her legs don't quite want to work so she's still half leaning on this woman, this stranger, just so she doesn't fall over.

"I'm very sorry." She's still talking. "This Chris, she was important to you? Have you asked Keith about her? If we can find her, if she's still alive and able to be saved, we'll do it. I promise."

Alive and able to be saved. No. Chris wouldn't be in the labs. She's too smart, too clever, too strong to be one of the lost souls who stare at the wall and wake up screaming every night. Wendy wants to tell this woman that. She wants to tell her about Chris, how that couldn't happen she wouldn't let it happen Wendy won't allow it to be true-

"I...I never... saved...has to be alive, free..."

"Hush. It will be all right. Just trust us. You don't have to be scared any more. You don't have to be scared ever again. If we can find this Chris, we will. And if we can't, if something happened to her, I promise you I will destroy every single cringing human that dared harm her."

No Chris wouldn't want that she'd never want that.

"Don't worry." She's pulled Wendy into an embrace, petting her hair like Chris used to do but Chris would never say that. Would never have that awful vicious look in her eyes and maybe it's good Wendy doesn't have to see that any more. "I won't let you be hurt, either. I'll fight to the last drop of my blood, the last spark of my power, to keep the humans away from here. Away from our dream."

They're sitting on the floor now. At some point Wendy's legs must've given out. It doesn't matter. Chris isn't at NOA after all. It's all right. She has to be out there, somewhere. More people are flowing in by the day, even people who haven't been touched by the labs, who just want a place to be themselves. Her thoughts weren't wrong, she just has to be a little more patient. Help out here a little more.

And if she doesn't show up, then...then Wendy's been on her own before. She can do it again. She doesn't have to stay cooped up in here with Keith's infectious madness. In here with this stranger with her sister's face. Not here.