The groups began to organize based on their objectives, and Melanie was soon introduced to the other stealth operatives...including her father. He seemed to be staying back and trying to avoid the main group, but students kept pursuing him to ask different questions. Melanie approached him when he finally had a reprieve from the others.

"So...you're here." She said.

Phillip nodded. "I didn't want to be...not at first. Richard talked me into it."

"Who else did they try to get?" Melanie asked.

"Carmen...er...Crimson's mother, that is." He said. "Her doctors said she wasn't fit to go back to work, but it was her choice...she said no."

"Oh...Crimson probably would have liked to see her." Melanie lamented.

Phillip scratched his head and sighed. "Listen...I'm here for you. I know I haven't been before, but-"

Melanie hugged him before he could get another word out. "I love you, dad."

"I love you too." He hugged back. "If you get in trouble, call for me. I'll be there."

She nodded. "We're going to get him, dad...we're going to make him pay."

Phillip smiled, then looked over Melanie's shoulder at something. His eyes widened, and he backed away.

"I, uh...I need to go..." He said. "Just...need to ask Richard something."

Melanie looked over at where her dad had been looking. She saw a few people talking, barely making out Reed and Nina hugging.

"Weird." She muttered. "I've never seen him...shocked...what did he see?"

Curious, Melanie looked over at Richard and her dad, reading their lips.

"The girl with your son...who is she?"
"Nina? She's his teammate."
"Where did she come from?"
"What do you mean?"
"You have to know something about her."
"She's an orphan...abducted by Carl when she was young, possibly even an infant. She escaped from him a few months before the school year."
"You haven't done any genetics testing? Tried to find a relative?"
"Phillip, what is this about?"
"Richard, people don't just appear out of nowhere."
"Is this about Sarah?"
"...look at her, Richard."
"Yes, they look similar, but that doesn't mean...you know something."
"I've been out of it for years, Richard, I don't know what I know."
"You've gotta stop holding back. I can't help you if you don't tell me anything."
"I told you, I don't know...run a test, you'll get your answers."
"When this is over, you need to come clean with me."

Before she could make out the rest, her view was blocked. Immediately, she tried to make her way back over. Her efforts were interrupted by Kane announcing that it was time to move. Frowning, she made her way over to the stealth team's airship. Her father hopped on as well, giving the signal to take off. She didn't say anything, but she knew he was still hiding something...something important. Mentally, she decided that whatever it was, she was going to find it...too many of her problems came from keeping secrets...if she had a chance to uncover something without hurting him, she had to take it.