In my attempt to make up for the long period without any updates, here is another chapter. Please read and review! Thanks!

Danny

As the first signs of light broke into his room, Danny was able to see the beautiful landscape of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, spread in what seemed to be an infinite mass of trees and rock. He hated it.

They should have been done over a week ago. Too much time here was not a good idea. Eventually they would be found out. This was supposed to be a quick in and out job, and it was turning into a ridiculous mess. Charlie would not be happy and that was never good.

He sighed and got up. They needed to finish soon, or else. He headed for small shower and stood under the hot water, sighing. The water felt good and he almost forgot about everything standing in the falling spray. Nothing seemed to be louder than the pelting water or to break through the glass separating him from the outside world; nothing except the high jingle of a ringing cell phone. He grunted and turned off the water. He stepped out and wrapped a towel around his lower half and stood on the cold floor. He wiped the mirror of its steamy filter and grabbed his phone to see the missed call from Alicia. He stared at her name in the small device and then closed it to look at himself.

He was 17 now and in the last few years he had grown much taller. His blonde hair was cut short. His upper body was well defined and gleamed in the afterglow of his shower. He stared intently into his own eyes and as he did his body began to tingle. Small sparks began to appear all around his body and he watched as he was covered in small sparks bouncing from drop to drop over his body. He was hypnotized by the dancing flashes of blue on pearly white skin. It was beautiful, much more than the scenery around him. Finally it stopped. He looked back down to the phone and picked it up, walking out of the bathroom and called Alicia back.

"Hey," he said, "I'll be over in a few minutes. Start the others." He quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt and headed outside, breathing in the cool air of the mountain side. As he headed for the site where the others would be waiting his thoughts went back to New York.

He had thought it strange when Charlie had called for him. They talked on occasion of course, there were only so many Shop victims and they were all spread over the globe. In twos and threes. New York was an exception. Charlie was using it as a base for the whole organization. She had a few people here with powers. Even so, they only talked when discussing plans, and in the last few months these planning sessions had become irrelevant. There was no planning necessary now that they had become so powerful. And they had become very powerful.

Charlie had been sure it would be easy to takeover. It had been her plan all along, and she was sure it would happen. Even she couldn't have predicted this though. Not only did their power over the state, country, and world grow, but so did the control over their powers. It seemed like they were still growing. The power they each possessed was becoming more and more powerful.

As he walked on he saw the silhouette of Alicia standing in the middle of growing mist. As he got closer the mist went away, but he knew that anyone outside of it would be fooled by her illusions. He saw her turn to him and smile, her blue eyes sparkling and electric and it was all fine. He stepped into a patch of sunshine and smiled back.

"Hey."

Ricky

Ricky had observed the meeting with great interest, all from a different perspective. He had seen it almost as if from above, as he saw his old group interact in much more polite and controlled ways. They had changed, maybe they didn't all see it perfectly, but they had and he saw it very well. They had changed as people and as a team. Kyle and Katie had been working together the longest, almost never apart. The way they seemed to ask questions building on each other showed this clearly. Valentine had always been the leader, able to make decisions that mattered, now though it had changed him to someone who was too off base with anything besides this war. This war. It was a war now, or at least it would become one. This new plan would definitely provoke Charlie if she wasn't already planning anything.

Jennifer had changed too, although more subtly. She seemed the same, but he knew the pain she was going through about seeing Alicia on the other side. This was shy she wouldn't be going to the mountains with Kyle and Katie. Even Ricky himself had changed. He was so far apart from everyone. He had made it his job to watch everything. To take note of it all, but he was someone else now, someone who watched and advised but never acted. They were so different. Not just in their powers. They were all still kids when this started and were now young adults and their worries were centered on the fate of the world.

This was their war, though. As much as they hated it they still had to fight. It wasn't right what Charlie was doing, and they were the only ones who could do anything. This small California paradise was proof of it. They alone had liberated it and it was theirs to protect. The people here lived free, not ruled over by gods born from ego or vengeance induced takeovers.

Valentine took his seat as the others left and they stared at each other for a long while thinking about whether or not Katie and Kyle were leaving for the last time. A common fear. Jennifer finally spoke up, "So what now?"

Valentine rubbed at his temples and waited before answering. "Katie and Kyle won't be leaving for a few days, so we need to get things ready. Ricky and I will remain to oversee preparations. Jennifer, as we discussed Ali is still in Seattle. She took a team up there a week ago and has not returned. If this goes down the way we want it too, we want everyone here. No one gets left behind."

Jennifer nodded. "Alright. I'll go see Liz and get a small team ready."

"Good." Answered Valentine. "Ali has 2 others with her, and we haven't heard from any of them, so be careful. We don't want this plan to end without you guys here. Kyle and Katie wouldn't go through with this if they knew you'd be out there, so be sure to return in time."

"I will." Jennifer said standing. "I'll see you two when I get back then."

Ricky stood walking Jennifer to the door. Stone faces were set on each face. A stone face was the only thing to mask a broken one for them. As Ricky headed back to the chair in front of Valentine he heard him sigh.

"Is it just me or is this all insane?" Valentine asked.

"It's insane. That or we all are."