Matthew Kelley tried to keep himself occupied with watching over Brandon, who'd become increasingly unresponsive. The younger man sounded rational enough when he had first come around, but Kelley couldn't say the same for every conversation they'd had since. When he'd tried to probe deeper into the truth behind Brandon's "friends", his responses had become almost nonsensical.

Kelley checked Brandon's head injury carefully, and found the makeshift bandage damp, but not completely soaked through. He rested his head tiredly against the concrete barrier.

This feels too terrible to be real. Why didn't I go home to Ellen when I had the chance? How long will she have to wait and worry before someone manages to recover Brandon and me? With the passing minutes, he'd all but lost hope of being rescued in time. The building is too big, and we're stuck in the dead center...Rescuers would have to work their way in, and I'm sure they're finding plenty of victims to occupy them. I hope they can get most of those people out before this building finishes collapsing.

Kelley's head popped up at the sound of small debris trickling down from the ceiling. The rocks sounded inconsequential, but he'd been paying attention to every trace of rubble coming down, lest it was preceding something larger. He closed his eyes to block out the chasm, dreadfully tired of being so on edge.

What good is it going to do to watch the ceiling come down on us? Maybe its better that Brandon isn't awake, so he won't have to see what's going to seal our fates. I wish I didn't have to see it coming either, or feel so guilty for staying here, when I should have gone home today.

A flash of a thin beam of light against his eyelids startled him into opening them, and made him wonder if he'd imagined it. Kelley cocked his head as the beam lingered on the floor under the open chasm, and caught his breath when he heard a voice.

"Watch the lines, don't cross with me, Raph! They could get tangled."

Excitement surged through his veins like an electric shock. Kelley had no idea how it was possible for someone to have already gotten this close to him, but he wasn't about to suggest that their rescuers come back later.

Matthew made sure that Brandon was secure in the position in which he was propped, and got to his feet slowly. His side protested, but he ignored the pain as he ventured toward the entrance to the chasm. Kelley was further encouraged when he looked up, and saw three beams steadily descending from above. In the dim glow of the emergency lights he could barely make out the shadowed figures, but he was simply grateful they were there.

"Hello? We're down here! Do you hear me?" Matthew shouted. "Please hurry!"

"Brandon?" One of the shadows called in return.

Kelley couldn't believe his ears. Brandon was right. He said someone he knew was coming. Who are these people, and how can I get them on my payroll? He cleared his dry throat to yell back.

"Brandon's here, and he's hurt! We need help!"

"We're coming," another assured smoothly, possessing a voice nothing like the first.

The strong sense of confidence portrayed in those two words was so tangible that Matthew exhaled as if they were already safe. His relief instantly disappeared when he heard the distinct sound of metal and concrete giving way from above the strangers. Kelley leaped to the side, hitting the ground as pain burned through his muscles.

Matthew looked back up in horror to see one of the rescuers falling. He wanted to look away, but stared transfixed as the stranger's descent changed. He watched open-mouthed as the figure bounced off one side of the chasm to the other. The shadow continued the pattern for several feet, using strong legs to spring back and forth as if he was doing no more than taking a walk through the park. With one final push off the left side, the stranger dropped into a tucked position and flipped to the ground, landing silently a couple of feet from where Kelley had fallen.

Matthew stared aghast at the newcomer, who was now standing calmly like nothing unusual had happened. Definitely need them on my team. Why on earth didn't Heffernan or Brandon ever mention they cavorted with gymnasts?

"Leo! Are you okay?"

A shout from above broke Kelley from his stare, and he looked up to see the other two still traveling toward them.

"I'm fine!" the figure returned. "Hurry and get down here! We're running out of time!"

Matthew pushed up on his side, grimacing as he got to his feet.

"Are you all right?" The stranger addressed him directly, though Kelley noticed he didn't come any closer. He'd also turned off his light, which seemed like a strange move to the man.

"Yes," Kelley replied. "That was amazing! How did you...what do you do for a living?"

"That would take time to explain. You must be Director Kelley, Brandon's boss?"

Matthew nodded, looking past the speaker as the other two landed behind him, gripping some type of a line in both hands. "You're his friends? Brandon told me someone was coming. It seems obvious, I mean, I don't know how else you could have found us, or how you would have known me. I don't know on earth you got through to him on the phone, but I'm sure glad you did. I was starting to wonder if we'd be rescued in time…" He winced as he trailed off. Talking too much, Kelley. Why do you always say too much?

"Did he explain anything to you about us?" the same speaker asked.

Matthew was mystified by the question. "No, not really. He said you were 'different,' whatever that means. Listen, Brandon appears to be getting worse; he needs help. Can you just get us out of here? I'm dying to talk to you, but maybe we could do it somewhere safer."

"I'm going to give you fair warning before you see me, because I don't want to startle you," the figure returned. "I need you to understand that we're friends with Brandon, and we don't mean you any harm."

Startle me? Why on earth would he...Kelley's thought cut off as the stranger turned his light on, and it revealed a face that was nothing like he'd expected. "What are you wearing?"

The creature held out both hands as he slowly approached him. "I'm not wearing anything strange, Director. This is just what I am. My brothers and I, we're mutants."

"Mutants?" Kelley had the feeling that he'd been transported into a parallel universe where dreams had become real, and the actual reality had ceased to exist. "I don't..." He instinctively backed away from the creature, even though he couldn't take his eyes off of him.

"I know this comes as a shock." The thing really sounded sympathetic. "But we've only come to help you. Please show us where Brandon is."

Kelley nodded his head in the direction of the archway, and he was surprised when the other two strangers promptly dashed around the first. The speaker didn't move from his position in front of Kelley.

"Wait, what are they going to do with him? Brandon needs medical attention, they shouldn't..." Matthew was finding it hard to breathe as panic seized his chest. This is crazy. I'm going crazy right now.

"They're not going to hurt him," the masked stranger explained. "We're his friends. We risked our lives to come here. We'll get you out too, Sir, but that means you're going to have to trust me long enough for us to help you escape. Are you able to do that?"

Kelley trembled unconsciously as the creature took another step closer. The figure folded his arms with a sigh, and fixed Matthew with a plaintive look that was so human, it was shocking.

"Mutants," Kelley said softly once more. "Is that what Brandon meant, when he said you were different? He said he couldn't explain, because I wouldn't believe him."

The stranger nodded gravely.

"So you know Brandon...as well as Greg and Katherine. He said you were a family." Kelley struggled to pronounce the last word with a steady voice.

The figure maintained his respectful distance. "Greg is here too - he's waiting for us at the top. We figured we didn't need to risk him coming down here. I'm sure he'll explain more of this to you, if you give him the opportunity."

"This is insane," Kelley mumbled. "Either I'm on the verge of a mental breakdown, or I hit my head a lot harder than I thought."

"If you'd like to believe that we're figments of your imagination, I'd be happy to let you."

"But you're not, are you?" Matthew swallowed as he tried to stop his hands from trembling. "You're real."

He didn't have a chance to respond before one of the others returned. "Fearless, Bran won't wake up. We've gotta speed this along."

Matthew turned to study the creature with the heavy accent, and caught a flash of crimson on the band across his face.

"Are you ready to move him, Donny?" the original speaker called to the one out of sight.

"I don't think his neck is broken, but I put a collar on to be safe! He's displaying symptoms of shock, Leo. We don't have any more time to waste."

"I'm going to need to use one of your grappling guns," the first mentioned. "I lost mine when the tile caved in."

"I've got the spare, Leo. You can use that one," the softer spoken one replied, and he began sifting through a bag to find whatever they'd been discussing.

Matthew watched in amazement as the red-masked one bore Brandon up in his arms, as if the man weighed nothing. The manner of the creatures was nonchalant, as if they did this kind of thing every day of the week.

"What do you say, Director? Are you coming with us, or not?"

Kelley jumped when the first one reappeared in from of him. "Do I have to get onboard your mother-ship?"

"That depends on whether or not you're gonna talk," the red-masked one replied in a low tone.

"Raph." The first threw his "brother" a stern glance, and he looked back at Kelley. "We're not going to make you do anything," he continued more softly. "Will you accept our help?"

"Wherever you take Brandon, I want to be there."

The one handling Brandon shook his head. "You don't have to protect him from us." His tone dripped with sarcasm.

"I understand you don't mean him any harm, but I feel responsible for him. I tried hard to keep Brandon awake, and I couldn't do it."

"So you're coming," the first creature stated rather than asked.

Kelley hesitated another instant, then nodded.

"Donny, will you help us with the harness?" the creature requested.

"Harness?"

"When this gun retracts, it travels pretty quickly. I don't want you to lose your grip on me - it's hard to hold on to my shell."

"Shell?"

The stranger shook his head. "You want out of here?"

"Please!"

"Then you're going in the harness. Donny, hook it up please."

The third turned up right beside Matthew. "Turn around and face my brother's back. I have to loop the harness over both of you."

Kelley forced himself to stand still, though he had a hard time not shivering when the creature's fingers brushed his arm. When the action was complete, Matthew shifted uncomfortably. "Now what?"

"You should still try to hold on to me. It's going to be another minute or so." The creature fired his device over their heads, and Kelley realized that the gun possessed a cable.

Oh, I see...so they can use it for both rapelling and climbing.

"There's a motor involved here, so when we start moving, it's going to be fast," the stranger warned him. "Brace yourself."

Kelley wound his arms around the shell as far as he could, driven more by fear of falling than his current fear of the unfamiliar creatures. His breathing quickened as his feet left the ground.

If this is a hallucination, it's very convincing.