The steady buzzing of the world's most annoying alarm clock cut through Lex Thorne's subconscious. Irritably she reached over to hit snooze. It was too early. At the touch of her hand the device burst into flame. A comfortable silence settled once again over her room, but it was too late. She was wide awake.

With a muttered curse, she shoved aside the ivory covers and sat up. Pushing the masses of long auburn curls back from her face she sighed. Why had she agreed to meet so early for breakfast? Shuffling toward her bathroom she slowly began the process of getting ready for her day.

Isaiah Witt didn't need his alarm or that damn clock in the bell tower of the town's one church to wake him this morning. Wake up Kiona, he nudged the dark haired woman at his side. You don't want to be late for work.

Kiona mumbled something incoherent.

Have it your way. I'm going to shower first then. Isaiah placed a soft kiss on her forehead then made his way to the bathroom. Once alone, he let the kind expression slip from his face. The mere thought of touching that woman made his skin crawl. He needed a shower just to wash off the memory of having slept with a mutant.

But he had a job to do. The fools in this tiny town could never know that he was a high ranking officer in the F.o.H. and that he had been sent to exterminate them all. So he kept up this fiction of being a mutant-loving human while his brother, useful for once in his miserable life, identified all the mistakes of nature in the town. Soon they'd be ready to wipe this place from the map.

The chiming of the church clock drifted in through an open window, rousing Thomas Bishop from the light sleep he was still enjoying. With an exaggerated groan he rolled over, not at all surprised to find his wife's side of the bed empty. She was a predictably early riser.

Get up lazybones. The love of his life peaked her head, hair bright blue this month--though that could change at any moment, around the corner of the doorframe. You've got to get to work.

Can't I call in sick? He gave her pleading look. We could spend the morning in bed.

June laughed, azure eyes sparkling with mirth. I don't think so, though the thought is tempting. She entered the room and threw his robe at him. But I have a breakfast meeting, so you have to watch the front desk today.

Sighing dramatically, Bishop began to rise. Fine, fine. You know, it's about time to hire more staff. That way the three of us wouldn't have to run that whole hotel by ourselves.

I'll bring that up when I talk to Lex this morning. Now come on. Your breakfast is getting cold. Giving him a light kiss on the cheek, June swept from the room. Bishop, grumbling all the way, followed behind.

On the far edge of town, past the small white chapel and well kept shops of Main Street, Gabriel Tanner was already hard at work. He was up to his neck in engine parts from Dr. Moy's Acura. What had the man done to this car? Used it for off-roading? With a muffled curse he wiped his hands on a rag and walked toward the front of his garage. This repair was going to cost more than he'd estimated.

His blue eyes stared out at the desert sunrise, it was staining the sky a brilliant shade of red. The mere sight of the color was enough to send his thoughts wandering. He'd ben so busy with work he hadn't been over to the hotel lately.

His thoughts--or were those fantasies?--were interrupted by a black car streaking towards him. In this tiny place Gabriel knew what everyone drove. Hell, he'd worked on just about every car in town. He watched as the car tore down Main Street, stopping in front of the hotel.

The smallest of smiles touched his tan face. Looks like he would be seeing her sooner than expected.