Catalina Portillo- New York City, USA

Catalina cracked one eye open, twinkling lights flashing before her eyes. she blinked, the lights slowly ebbing away, until only the light of the setting sun was still visible. It took her a moment to figure out what had just happened but once she did, she began to slowly pull herself up. Her head was throbbing and she felt extremely dizzy, and strangely enough, she felt slightly damp and smelled funny, a strong iron smell.

She brought her arm up, her white shirt now sprayed with blood. Her eyes widen and she slowly turned around, until she saw the walls, now glinting menacingly with the red liquid.

"No" she whispered.

She heard someone groan. Turning back, she saw a bloodied figure slumped against the wall, a rod pierced through his upper shoulder. Yuri.

"Yuri!" she yelled, dashing over to him.

"Catalina" he said in a strained voice "your okay".

She shushed him "don't speak, save your strength". She let out an anguished cry, bringing a trembling hand up to his chest.

"What happened?" she said "where's-?"

"Vince is dead" he replied "and they took Clark".

"They?" she asked.

"That man, Ben, and his girlfriend" he clenched his teeth and let out another groan "they took him somewhere. we have to stop them, before that psycho kills him".

"All right" she said, tears welling in her eyes "that's enough now. I'll get help okay? We'll get you better and then we'll go and rescue Clark, all right?".

"All right" he said, letting out a wheezy laugh "You better hurry, I'm not sure a person in this condition can hold on much longer". His laugh turned into another moan of pain and his body shuddered.

"All right, all right" she said, backing up "you just hang in there, I'll get help. Just hold on for a few more minutes Yuri, don't die on me!" she then began to run up the alley, tears now streaming down her face.

She turned down the corner and back into the main street, now almost deserted of people. She frantically looked around.

"Help!" she yelled, "someone please help! My friend is hurt! Please!" she gave a sob, looking around for any sign of people.

She spotted a truck coming from up the road and with it she gave another sob but this time for relief.

She began to run towards the truck, waving her arms above her head and yelling as loud as she could.

"STOP!" she yelled "PLEASE STOP!"


Dalton Abbot

As soon as they had entered the city, they found out about the events that took place at Kirby Plaza. It was all over the radio, the news reporting of the shooting and killing of Lancaster during his press conference at approximately 5: 21 PM.

"No way!" Tyler exclaimed.

"Quiet!" Asheera said.

"It would appear that no one was able to get a clear view of the shooter" the man continued "and no one else was harmed in the shooting. Police are still arriving on the scene as we speak and all roads leading to the plaza have since been closed off-"

At one point during the broadcast, Dalton diverted his eyes from the radio and back onto the main road, just in time to see a blood soaked woman waving her arms frantically and heading right for them.

"Watch out!" he yelled.

The driver quickly slammed on the brakes, the wheels squealing and the car swerving slightly before coming to a halt.

"What the fuck?" Tyler said, the sudden stop causing him to tumble out of his seat.

Just then, the woman began to bang on the window, yelling frantically, giving Asheera a good scare.

"Help!" she yelled, "someone is badly hurt! Please!"

"Whoa, what's with her?" Tyler asked.

"Hang on, I'll handle this," the driver said, getting out of the car. Walking over the frantic woman, he tried calming her down but to no avail, as she desperately grabbed onto his arm and began to drag him off.

"Hey! Wait!" Dalton yelled, getting out of the car.

"Dalton!" Asheera called for him.

"Please miss!" the driver exclaimed, "This is really not necessary!"

"We have to hurry!" she replied, "He's going to die!"

"Wait, wait!" Dalton said, running in front of her "just slow down! Now who's dying?"

"My friend!" she replied "and if we don't go now, he'll die! please!"

"All right, all right!" he said, "just show me where okay?"

This seemed to calm her down. She let go of the driver and began to motion for Dalton to follow her.

"Hey, wait!" the driver called "where do you think your going? We still have to find Leachman! Abbot! Abbot!"

He knew that the driver was right but Dalton just couldn't leave some guy to die, even if it was someone he had never met before. And by the looks of this woman, all covered in blood, something really bad must have happened. So he ignored his calls and began to follow her.

"Hey! What's your name?" he asked her.

"Catalina!" she replied.

"nice to meet you Catalina" he said.

They turned down one of the alleys, making a right at the junction point and then another turn until they appeared at the place.

"What the fuck?" Dalton said, seeing the blood splattered walls glinting in the setting sunlight.

He then spotted the man, his whole body covered in what looked like bullet holes and a large pipe sticking out of his right shoulder, pinning him to the wall like some modern crucifiction. At first, Dalton thought the guy was surely dead, until he got close enough to hear his ragged breath.

"Yuri!" she exclaimed "its all right now! I've brought help!"

"That's nice," he said in an exasperated voice.

"Dalton!" he turned to see Asheera, the driver and Tyler running towards him "what are you think-" she stopped when she noticed the blood on the walls and came to a complete halt right in front of the impaled man named Yuri.

"Shit" Tyler said.

"What on earth happened?" Asheera asked, taking a step towards the man.

"Got attacked" he said through gritted teeth "came out of nowhere. Killed a kid, took the other".

Catalina hushed him "be quite, you have to save your strength".

"You!" Dalton directed towards the driver "call an ambulance, or Nola, anyone that can get help here!"

"Help" the driver said "right" he then turned around and began to run.

"Listen" Yuri, continued, ignoring her request "Remember when I said we go get Clark? You think you can still keep that promise for me?"

"No, don't talk like that!" Catalina said, "You just got to hold on Yuri!"

"Wait, Clark?" Asheera asked "as in Clark Leachman?"

"You know him?" Catalina asked, turning to her.

"No, not really" she replied "but it's the reason we're here in the first place".

"Why?" she asked, taking a step back "are you all with Lancaster?"

"No, no!" she replied quickly "no, we're not with him! We're apart of some other group, one that doesn't fully believe in Lancaster's methods".

"Others?" Catalina asked, "There are others?"

As Asheera began to tell Catalina about the other group, Dalton couldn't help but look at the man slowly dying before them. He was almost unrecognizable with so much blood covering his face but as Dalton kept on looking at him, he began to see past all the red until he was able to get a pretty clear image in his mind. The mouth, nose, eyes, a face that only brought one word to mind.

Mumbai…

"I know you" Dalton said at last.

The two women stopped and looked at him "I'm sorry?" Catalina asked.

"Its him Asheera" he continued.

"Who?" Asheera asked.

"The guy I told you about, back in Mumbai" Dalton said "the one who tried to capture me in my apartment. He's working for Itex".

She turned to Catalina "is this true?"

"Yes, it is" she replied "but you have to understand, he isn't with them anymore! We came here to try to stop them! Like you!"

"How do we not know this is a trap?" Dalton asked.

"Are you serious?" she said "do you really think we go through all this just so we can catch a few random people from some other organization!"

"Dalton please" Asheera said "I think their telling the truth".

"How can we be so certain?" he asked.

"Look at him!" she exclaimed, "This is a dying man! And not only that, he was with Leachman! The very same person Lancaster was after!"

"Exactly!" Dalton replied "all very convenient, don't you think? And how do not know that this isn't the work of someone's ability? How do we not know he's simply playing mind tricks on us?"

"Please" Yuri croaked, "you have to believe me. I'm sorry for what I did. I want to make things right. You just have to trust me, otherwise Clark will most certinantly die". He coughed violently, more blood trickling running down from his mouth.

"No!" Catalina yelled, "No Yuri please! Just hold on a little longer!"

"We can discuss this another time" Asheera said "right now, we need to-"

"Wait" Dalton said.

"What?" she asked.

"Its Tyler, something's wrong with him". The two girls turned around.

Tyler was slumped over slightly, his body convulsing slightly while long hair began to sprout from his body. He was beginning to transform.


Rika Ichikawa

Why didn't you tell me? She asked her father.

It was for your own protection he replied believe me Rika, I never wanted to drag you into this world.

Then why did you? She responded why did you have to take a job for them? After all they've done? how could you take their side!

It was different back then he signed back then, I believe we were going to do something great. Change the world, for the better! But after awhile, it seemed we had done more bad then good.

Rika paused for a moment. Did mom know? She signed.

He nodded yes, she did. From the start. It was her who first got me into Itex.

What do you mean? She asked.

Your mother had powers as well Rika he signed.

This one made Rika go blank for a moment. What?

Its true. Surely you didn't think these powers came from nowhere?

They certainly appeared from nowhere. The two of them were silent for a moment, the car making a gentle thrum in Rika's ears. And for once, it was a pleasant sound.

Why did mom go to Itex? She finally asked.

She wanted answers he signed she first discovered her abilities when she was only five years old, by way of trying to catch a rubber ball. She just took off when she jumped for it, and when she landed, she fractured her spine and was paralyzed from the waist down for almost four years of her life. Your grandma was there when it happened.

But mom recovered, right?

She did he signed she just defied experts one day and took her first steps in almost four years, after many sessions of physical therapy. Back then, there was no one around who could help her with her condition, so she spent the rest of her life hiding it from the world. She never even told me till the day we went to Itex.

And what? They just offered you a job?

No he replied it wasn't until much later till I was able to get a job at the corporation, which was about the same time Itex actually became a worldwide organization. Back then, it was just a small business working out of London. when they came to Japan, they offered me a position as one of the vice presidents. It was something I could not refuse.

He paused for a moment Rika he signed since we're being honest, I think its time now that I'd told you how mom died.

What do you mean? She asked she died of brain cancer.

No she didn't he signed I told you that so you wouldn't know the truth.

Rika mouth gaped slightly b-but then, how did she die?

She was murdered he signed.

Murdered? She signed weakly, just finding it so hard to believe by who?

By a man named Ben Tania he replied.

As soon as he finished, Rika's mind began to race. Tania? THE Ben Tania? The same guy who tried to kill her back in Tokyo? He killed her mom?

He was Lancaster's protégée he signed but Rika cut him off.

I already know about him she signed hastily what I do want to know is why? Why did he kill her?

Her father paused for a moment, his thoughts etched on his face. He was trying to think of the best way to say it Rika thought.

Tania he began was a lot like his master, both seeking to make the world a better place for these new super humans. However, Tania's perspective was a far more radical one then his master.

Which was? She asked.

He believed that this new generation of human kind was the superior species, an upgrade almost of an older model. And like all out of date products, they had to be cast aside.

Meaning what exactly? She asked.

That all those without abilities he signed had to be exterminated.

Killed? She signed.

Yes, killed he replied now naturally, Lancaster disagreed with this idea, as did everyone else. Even though there were now super powered people, it was still only a small fraction of the human population, there were still almost six billion other regular people in the world today. what he was proposing was worldwide genocide.

What does all this have to do with mom then?

Well, when it became obvious Lancaster was not going to follow his views he continued he decided that it was essentially up to him to do it himself. So he secretly began to conduct experiments on himself, to try and modify his DNA as to make his ability stronger. But along the way, he hit a snag in his plan. He needed more data to go on, other then his own.

He stopped and rubbed his forehead. He took a deep breath before continuing so one night, during one of the Itex's business parties, he decided to find his missing data. He and Lancaster were in Tokyo to oversea some of the new deals…


"And I take it you have already set the plans out?" Koji Ichikawa asked Lancaster, Ben standing right next to him.

"Of course" he replied in perfect Japanese, "Nakamura and I go back a long time, so it was quite easy to persuade him to join".

"Sorry Arthur" said Ben "but I feel I must excuse myself for a moment, do you mind?"

"Not at all Ben" he said "by all means". He nodded and headed off. Good riddance Mr. Ichikawa thought. There was something very shifty about that man. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but he knew something was off about him.

"Hello dear" said Chiharu Ichikawa, appearing at his side and giving him a small peck on the cheek.

"Hey" he replied.

"I swear," she said "Kira must have had five drinks already cause she is making a complete ass of herself over there".

"Yep, definitely sounds like a business party" Lancaster said.

"Chiharu" he said, "this is Mr. Lancaster".

"Pleasure to meet you" she said, shaking his hand.

"Pleasure is all mine" he replied, kissing her hand "Koji, you are quite the lucky man to nab a beauty like this".

She laughed "oh stop" she said.

"You better" Koji replied, "Cause once she hears a complement, there's no stopping her".

"Hey!" she said, "I do no such thing. And like your any better".

"Funny and beautiful" Lancaster said.

"Well thank you Mr. Lancaster," she said "that's very kind".

"Ah, there you are Lancaster," said Hiroshi Suzuki, current president of Itex's Japan headquarters "we are ready to discuss the Nakamura deal".

"Very good" Lancaster said, "Koji, are you coming?"

"Yes sir" he said, "you mind dear?"

"No" she said, "I was going to the bathroom anyway".

"All right" he said, "when I'm done dealing with this, we'll head back home". She nodded, gave him on last kiss, and walked away.

The three men, along with the five other vice-presidents, discussed not only the Nakamura deal but also about progress in research, pharmacy expansions, politics, and just about everything that dealt with the growing super human population.

Sensing how long this may take, he figured it was best he tell Chiharu. But she seemed to have been gone a long time. He had not seen her at all since she left and if memory served him, she had not yet returned.

That's when the scream happened. Almost immediately, silence entered the room and tension began to rise.

One of the doors suddenly flung open, a hysteric woman yelling "QUICK! QUICK! SOMEONE'S BEEN KILLED!!!"


Dead silence had now entered the car. Rika's father now had his head hung and from the corner of his eye, she could spot a tear forming.

They found your mother he finally signed lying in the hallway, pronounced dead on the spot. It seemed as though her whole top of her head had been sewn off. And what was even more disturbing...her brain was missing.

He paused again. It wasn't until two years later we finally found out what Ben was up to. It seemed that he had been kidnapping others from all around the London area, taking them to his lab and stealing their brains.

But then, that day at the hospital she began, referring to the day after the events her father had just described.

We had the doctor make up the whole thing he signed a brain tumor that had simply gone unnoticed until finally it just became so bad she just dropped dead. That's what we told everyone outside the business party and made everyone else inside the party promise they wouldn't breath a word of this to no one.

Why? she asked.

Lancaster figured it was best to keep this as quite as possible he continued we did not want people to start panicking thinking that a killer was amongst them.

And you guys never suspected Tania until just recently? She asked.

No one thought that Tania was responsible he signed it was only by shear luck we even found out it was him.

How?

When he tried to make a grab for another he signed we began to suspect for a while he may be behind it. But Lancaster would only take physical proof. So we had people tail him for a few weeks. One day, he managed to figure out what was going on and he somehow slipped from their sights.

And?

They found him in the middle of one of his attacks he signed when he was still using the saw to cut of the victoms head.

So what happened then? She asked.

He was brought forth to Lancaster he signed where he was striped of all his position and was ordered to be locked up in one of the holding cells beneath the building, for the rest of his living life.

You guys have cells? Like jail cells?

Sort of he said its wear we housed some of the most dangerous people we have ever acquired, people who did not want to change and wanted to bring harm to others. But when we were transferring him below, he somehow managed to escape. When he learned about the murders, we knew it was him. And it confirmed our worst fears. He had somehow managed to modify his power.

And yet with all these powered humans on your side, you still couldn't catch him? Rika asked.

Somehow, he managed to figure out a way to avoid any of our traces he signed by the time we found out about any murders that took place he was already gone. It was almost like catching a ghost. Not only that but we had no idea just how many abilities he managed to steal. For all consideration, he may very well be one of the most powerful humans in the entire world.

One more question she signed did you ever suspect I had this ability?

There was a possibility he signed most of the time, the genetic code is passed on from parent to child but other times, it sort of skips over. I figured maybe one day you would find out. Just, I didn't expect that day to come so soon.

She nodded. Thank you she signed.

Wait, Rika, what are you doing?

There's still something I have to do.

No Rika, this is not your fight.

Sorry dad she signed but this is something I have to do.

No! Rika!

Bye.

And before he could do anything, she phased out of the woman's body.


"Wait! Rika!" Ichikawa yelled as he saw his assistant's body slump over slightly. He lunged forward and grabbed her by the arms.

"Rika! Rika wait!"

her glazed over eyes suddenly came back into focus and she gave him a look of pure terror "sir! Sir! What are you doing!"

he was to late.

He quickly dove for the front of the van "stop the car! Stop the car right now!"

"but sir, we have to-"

"stop the damn car!"

"I can't do that sir, we have to keep going…sir! What are you doing".

Mr. Ichikawa threw open the side door and without a second thought, jumped from the speeding car. He hit the pavement hard, his suit ripping and the stinging pain of flesh against asphalt. He shook his head and pushed the pain out of his mind. He got to his feet and began to run as fast as his injured leg could carry him.

I'll find you Rika he thought, I won't lose you as well.


Rika found herself back inside her body, just in time to feel the rumble of the car as it began to start up.

She quickly grabbed her discarded translator and wrote down hastily where are we going?

Words began to appear in response. Change of events. Something has happened in the city and we have to get out.

But the others! We can't just leave them! She wrote in response but the man simply shoved the thing out of the way, not bothering to look at it.

She made frantic waving motions and distressed sounds, trying anything to get these guys to turn around. It soon became obvious they were not going to listen to her and she was gonna have to do things herself.

She quickly flew out of her body and made a dive for the guy in the passenger seat. Not letting the sudden wave of sound stop her, she grabbed the door handle and flung it open.

"h-hey!" the driver yelled "what are you doing!" and she dove out of the car, quickly pulling out before she hit the pavement. She then turned around and flew at the driver.

She thrust her foot on the breaks, the car coming to a jarring halt. She opened the door and jumped out of the car, once again pulling out of her body and flying back into her own. She got off the truck floor and hurried into the drivers seat, closing the door behind her.

The man suddenly appeared, pounding on the door and yelling something at her. She locked the doors before he could open them and slamming on the breaks, the car took off down the road. Looking in the rearview mirror, the driver was still making a run for it but he just could not keep up with the car and as she made a turn, he vanished.

She took a deep breath. All right she thought, that's over with, now I just have to drive this thing to the city, now all I have to do is find out how to get to the city.

Yep, this shouldn't be too hard.