The next morning, Scout rolled over in bed after the sunlight hit her eyes through the grating outside her window. Expecting to feel Garret beside her, she was brought with dismay to feel a cold pillow to her left.

Dragging herself from under the duvet, she went about the rest of her day in the oh so routine fashion she hated.

Throughout the session with her psychologist, Scout nonchalantly listened to the shrink, her monotonous voice sweeping through the room like a breeze the girl paid no mind to.

Her body on auto pilot, Scout began home the same way she had the day before. A melange of sounds met her ears as she neared the alleyway she took to go home. She slipped on her headphones in an attempt to escape the noise around her, but found that the music didn't quiet the confusion in her mind. Was it her fault Garret left? Why didn't he leave a note, or call?

Her troubled train of thought led her home before she knew it, and she unlocked her door before stepping inside, throwing her purse, keys, and jacket to the side. Running a hand over her tired face, the young woman walked into her apartment.

"Scout!" Is the first sound she is met with when she walks into the living room.

"Garret...? Where were you this morning?" She asked, arms crossed over her chest.

"That's what I have to tell you. Scout, there are men. These...men in black suits. I don't know who they are or who they work for, but I ran from the car they had me in and headed as quick as I could back here to tell--"

"Garret. Calm down, babe. Talk in a speed I can understand."

He took a deep breath, but continued at the pace he was speaking before. "I went out to get some fresh milk; I noticed you didn't have any. On my way back from the supermarket, those men came from out of no where and cornered me into an alley. No weapons or anything. Just...sunglasses. And earpieces."

Scout's mouth went dry. "They all look similar?"

"Yeah! It was so weird! They cornered me, and they took me into their car. I tried to fight 'em off, but damn, they're strong for not being very built. Anyway, after that--"

Scout heard him stop talking, after something in her peripheral vision pulled her gaze from Garret's face to the window. Once her eyes came back to him, the sight she saw caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end.

"Hello, Ms. McKennan."

"...You. You've been following me. You took him, didn't you? What did you do with Garret?!"

"He is...'in a better place'." The agent smiled out of the corner of his lips.

She didn't know how it was possible, but she felt as though his eyes were boring through her through his shades. Emotionless eyes, despite the fear his expression evoked in her.

From the moment she pivoted on her heel to run toward the door, everything seemed to go in slow motion. Each footfall, each laboured breath, each pulse of adrenaline through her veins and to her heart.

Hand caught around her middle; four hands. She wasn't sure how another agent had managed to get inside, but the next thing she knew, the air was being squeezed from her lung, and everything went black.

- - - - -

"Thank you for coming," said Councilor Hamann as he leaned against the long table where the rest of the councilors sat. Eyes scanning over the few crews that had come, he nodded to himself and sat. "You all know why you are here today. A new anomoly inside the Matrix--"

"A glitch, y'mean?" Ray piped up, hands on his knees as he sat, slightly hunched over. A few of the attended audience shifted slightly. Cy glanced up at her Operator and absently shook her head.

"A glitch, yes. We're not sure what, or if, something is effecting the machines, but we do know that it's affecting the clairvoyancy of those still plugged in. That is the second thing I called this meeting for. As I and the rest of the council know, there is a new entity coming through to Zion. We know most ships are not equiped with the adequate medical supplies to tend to an arriver, and most of your ships are staffed well already. We require a volunteer crew, to take this person under their care, until such time that they are able to come back to Zion."

Ray scratched at the grey-peppered beard on his chin, glancing at Cy before looking over to the more than hesitant Sparky. Jasper flicked her Captain's forearm. "C'mon. We have more than enough medical supplies to care for a person. And ever since we lost Zed and Sys..." She trailed off as Cy looked over at her. She sighed quietly. "I don't know how you talk me into these things," she said, before standing up. "The captain and crew of the Zenobius will answer the council's call."