Nearly Eighteen Years Ago:
A doctor is running from a stark-white building. The little pink bundle in his arms isn't moving, but he knows she was alive. He should have never agreed to work on the project, not if this little angel had to die. He could not watch another baby die.
---
Today:
Those of us who don't know, we act like we're normal. It is the only way to hide what we are. I used to think I was the only one. I was wrong. There are more of us then I could have ever imagined. My name is Ember Jameson and I am a Repellant. I should say that I'm the Repellant, a lab-created hybrid. The only reason Division didn't keep me was because I was supposed to die.
---
Three Weeks Ago:
"Be careful, Emmy," Ember's fake mother whispered as they packed up the girl's little car. "The world's a big dangerous place."
"I'm going to fine. Seventeen's as good as an age as any to get out into the world." Ember leaned heavily on her cane. "I would have gone last year. Where's Daddy? I thought he was going to see me off."
"You're on your way. That's all that matters," she hugged me. "One of your father's patients has broken out. The hospital's on lock down."
At the time, Ember thought her father worked at a hospital for the criminally insane, not Division. "Make him call me okay?" She kissed her mother's cheek and drove away.
The university had no idea what was about to hit them. Ember had been homeschooled, the only child of a wealthy doctor and his wife. She had money and brains. As she pulled into the parking spot in her paperwork, she saw the quartet.
One girl was sitting in a wheelchair, eyes-closed, drawing something. The two boys standing behind her reminded Ember of body guards. The second girl looked uninterested. "It's her," the wheelchair girl said cryptically."I can't see her."
One of the boys jumped forward and pulled open Ember's door. There was no white in his eyes when he said, "Relax."
"It won't work," the girl said, opening her eyes. "I've already told you that."
Ember's heart was racing. "What the hell do you want?"
"We know what you are," the girl said in that all-knowing tone, "even if you don't yet, September Fairbanks. I'm Barley; this is Drake, Sparrow, and Angel."
"Okay," she said slowly. "What am I exactly?"
Drake grabbed her arm. "Not here, dumbass, we'll go to the library."
The library was deserted simply because term hadn't started yet. Sparrow closed the door of a study room behind them and Ember would have sworn he didn't touch it. "What did you just do?" The door locked and panic rose in her throat. The cryptic quartet had trapped her in here.
Barley slid under the table, and turned another page in her sketch book. Within seconds, she had a perfect drawing of Ember's parents. "Division can see them now too. They'll be dead in less then a day."
There was no doubt in Ember's mind. These people were crazy. "What's going here? Why do you know what my parents look like?"
Sparrow looked the girl in the eyes. "Please let go of her arm, Drake and go unpack her car. I know you're the Pusher, but I can kick your ass with my eyes closed."
"I'll do it," the miserable looking Angel mumbled, leaving.
Drake pushed Ember into a chair. "You know how hard it is for a Watcher to find a blind spot, rich girl?"
"What to find a what?" Ember asked.
"Drake, go," Sparrow ordered. "We can't upset her right now. We need her."
"Yes, sir," the Pusher mumbled and sulked away.
"Sorry about my boyfriend," Barely said, not looking up from her drawings. "He's been trying to get off the sauce. He's going to fail a few times before he gets it right."
Sparrow took Ember's hand. "You and I are a lot like, September. We were saved by Division doctors."
She pulled away from the slightly romantic gesture. "My father's a physiatrist." This was all a bunch of nonsense to her. She'd never heard of Division, Watchers, Pushers, or ass-kicking with your eyes closed. "I can get you an appointment if you want one."
"We're not crazy, September," Barely said simply, looking at the obvious leader. "They'll be State side in three weeks. Can you train her to Move in three weeks?"
"Of course, but we still haven't figured out how to tell the rest of the team she's a hybrid. They think she's just a weird form of Shadow."
"Excuse me," Ember interrupted. "But what are you talking about?"
"You're half Shadow half Mover," Barely said. "That's why my visions about us are now gone."
Shadow? Mover? "What the hell are you talking about?"
"This is your file. We stole it a month ago." The young college student took the slim folder off the table. She recognized the government seal. Some stuff in her father's office had it on it. "You're Q."
Experiment Identifcation: 782016
Date of Births: September 22nd 1991
Doctor Present at Births: Jacob Seth Fairbanks
Power of Female Donor: Mover
Power of Male Donor: Shadow
Name of Predicted Resulting Power: Repellant
782016-A: Male
Known Manifestation of Powers in 782016-A: Strong Mover, Watchable
Result of the Injection in 782016-A: Respiratory failure
782016-B: Male
Known Manifestation of Powers in 782016-B: None seen
Result of the Injection in 782016-B: Cardiac Arrest
And so it went. A list of powers and causes of death. Then, Ember got to Q.
782016-Q: Female
Known Manifestation of Powers in 782016-Q: Unwatchable, Weak Mover
Result of the Injection in 782016-Q: Unknown
Current Location of 782016-Q: Unknown, Presumed Deceased
Q was the only female on the list and the only one without a cause of death. 25 dead baby boys all had September's birthday. Her father had been present at 26 births. That must mean he was not a physiatrist. Physiatrists usually weren't present at births. "Oh my god," she muttered. "You think I'm some sort of government experiment. You really are crazy."
"We know you're some sort of government experiment," Sparrow corrected. "We were hoping you'd help us. There are two others—"
"Cassie Holmes and Nick Gant, they're trying to stop Division. They'll need help from people who have broken in multiple times. We've already have a plan."
"What do you need me for?"
"Bait," they said in unison.