Chapter 3

Danielle received hugs and greetings from a dozen teenagers as she walked through the door of Sky Shelter. As Danielle neared her office at the back of the main hall, a cheery voice called out:
"Hey girl!"
"Hi Nina, how were the over-night kids?" asked Danielle as she went through the door to her small office.
Nina, a nineteen year old runaway herself, had been one of the first teenagers to take advantage of Danielle's first shelter for runaways and the homeless children and teens, three years ago. She had become a very close friend of Danielle's and eventually Danielle offered her a job at Sky Shelter. Another trusted runaway-turned-employee, Jackie, oversaw the other homeless shelter Danielle ran, called Earth Shelter.
"They took a while to settle but most were asleep by midnight, for a change!" laughed Nina as she followed Danielle, "Mark wasn't here last night, Danni."
Danielle looked up from the post in her hand, "Again? Any word on the street about him?"
"I asked some of the kids, most say they haven't seen him since he was last here. But Niko told me that he last saw Mark four days ago... going off with Jack Sanders."
"The druggie?" said Danielle sighing heavily, "I had hoped he would give up going to Jack. Mark was so close to turning his life around..."
"Danielle, you can't save them all -especially if they don't want the help," said Nina sadly, "On the plus side of things, Erin stayed last night."
"Erin's back? Is she okay?"
"She's fine, seems to be a bit quiet but she is still eating," said Nina, "Want to see her? She's upstairs in the girls' rec room."
Danielle nodded, "I'll go get her. Now, go and enjoy your morning off and I'll see you at about one-thirty."
"Don't you want me to wait until Fran or Ben get here?" asked Nina, referring to the other employees of Sky Shelter.
"No, don't worry, I can hold the fort," said Danielle as she and Nina left her office, locking the door behind them.

At Sanctuary:
"You haven't been here all night, have you Brennan?" asked Emma as she entered the medical room and saw Brennan sitting across from Shalimar.
Brennan glanced at her, "I couldn't sleep. I've been in here for the last four hours."
Emma knew why, she also hadn't got to sleep until the early hours of the morning, "Any change?"
Brennan shook his head, "Not really. She's been murmuring in her sleep a lot. I can't make out what she's saying but she seems to be in pain, Emma."
"Do you think I should...?"
Brennan nodded and watched as Emma used her telempathic powers to read Shalimar. Emma found that Shalimar was in distress because of the poison in her blood. Emma concentrated and projected an feeling of peace and tranquility, making Shal believe she wasn't suffering. Emma, content that Shalimar was no longer in agony, turned to Brennan.
"You were right, but she's okay now," said Emma studying Brennan closely, "Have you slept at all?"
"I've had an hour, maybe two. I dozed in here a couple of times."
"Good, you're going to need your energy if we come up against the GSA whilst looking for Danielle, today."
Brennan nodded as he continued to watch Shalimar.

Later, Adam repeated his strict instructions to Brennan, Emma and Jesse about going after Danielle. They set off in the Double Helix not long after and Brennan suggested that they drop him off near one of the shelters and Emma and Jesse go to the other shelter and Danielle's apartment.
"You aren't going by yourself," said Emma, "Jesse can go to Danielle's apartment and snoop around. I am going with you."
"But, if we split up we can cover all three places at the same time!" protested Brennan.
"You are in no mood to be polite or discreet with a new mutant right now, and I understand why but it means I'm going to have to come with you, okay?"
Brennan was angry but agreed nonetheless.

At Sky Shelter:
"Danni, there's some people here to see you," said Ben as he knocked on her open office door.
"Show them in, Ben, thanks," said Danielle not looking up until she heard the door close behind her visitors "Hel- What are you doing here?"
Emma and Brennan stood on the other side of her desk.
"Hello to you too," said Brennan under his breath.
Emma elbowed him lightly, "Hi Danielle, how are you?"
"I'm fine, but what do you want?"
"We're here about what happened last night. Those people who attacked you, they are working for the GSA. They're after you because you are a new mutant, Danielle, and so are we," said Emma smiling, "Brennan and I are part of a team who are trying to save mutants like you from the GSA."
Danielle sighed, "I know why they want me. Dana... she knew about my... 'gift', as she called it, and she told her boss about me."
"We want to take you somewhere safe where Dana and the GSA won't be able to get you," said Emma.
Danielle shook her head, "I can't just up and leave the shelters. The kids mean too much to me."
"More than your own life?!" exploded Brennan who had become impatient with Danielle and Emma.
"Brennan," said Emma, warning him.
"No! Don't you get it?! If they get you, they will stick you in one of their little pods and you'll spend the rest of your life having experiments made on you -or maybe, they'll just kill you!" said Brennan to Danielle.
"I am not going anywhere!" said Danielle sternly, "I don't care about me, as long as these kids who come here have a better chance in life."
Emma stopped Brennan from going further, "Go outside, Brennan, now!"
Brennan looked as if he was going to refuse but he turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him.
"I'm sorry, Danielle," said Emma, "One of our friends got hurt last night and Brennan's upset, that's all."
"I'm sorry to hear that, but you understand why I can't just up and leave here, don't you?" said Danielle, "It wouldn't be fair to all the kids and the people who work for me."
Emma nodded before Brennan's voice sounded over her comlink:
"Emma, we have company, it's Dana and her GSA buddies."
"Okay, Brennan," said Emma looking at Danielle, "I'm coming."
"Hurry."
Emma sighed, "We'll try to keep them away as best we can."
"I'll lock the Shelter if I have to," said Danielle following Emma out to the door of Sky Shelter, "I haven't thanked you, Emma, for helping me last night."
"Well, it'll all be for nothing if you get taken now," said Emma, "We will do everything to prevent it."

Brennan stood a distance between the Shelter and the advancing group of GSA agents. Dana was in front and stopped as she saw Brennan. Emma came out of the Shelter and walked up beside him.
"MutantX... but weren't there four of you the last time we met?" said Dana smiling, "How is your feral friend by the way?"
"She'll be better once I wipe the floor with your partner," said Brennan, "Where is he? Too scared to face a little electricity?"
Blue electricity crackled in Brennan's hand. Dana just raised her eyebrows and signalled to the other agents to attack. Brennan took most of them out before turning his electricity on Dana. She dodged his attack and used another agent to take Brennan's next attack. Emma was tackling a couple of agents when Dana used her powers to freeze Brennan. Emma saw her advancing on Brennan and turned her powers on Dana. Dana broke her concentration to attack Emma and Brennan fell to his knees. As Emma fought Dana, Brennan contacted Jesse via his comlink.
"Jesse, it's Brennan, bring the Double Helix over to Sky Shelter," said Brennan before gathering enough energy to throw at Dana.
"Trouble?" said Jesse, "I'm on my way."
Brennan threw the bolt from his hand which succeeded in hitting its target but only made Dana flee to her car and drive off.