I wrote this chapter awhile ago so you may see my 'style' change a lot. Hopefully I can get the next one up soon enough. I know I have inspiration again to write this.

Morgan Alexa Miller. That's what it said on the tag she had worn for the (almost) past four years. It would officially be four years as Gentek in a few weeks but…oddly enough? The twenty three year old held her job with pride. This was mainly because she was working with people, mainly, twice her age an older. Why? For most it took ten to twelve years for get a PhD. She had gotten hers in three. She blamed her smarts on her parents, both of whom where highly educated and intelligent. Her father, Phillip Clive Miller, had been a doctor while her mother, Alice Jane Miller, had been a college science professor.

How she had handled the advanced biology that led her to being a Medical Geneticist for GENTEK she still didn't know but somehow the college courses she had taken just….made SENSE to her!

While a lot of people didn't think it had been fair she had gotten so far in so little time, her family had always been proud. With the degree the rising company had snatched her up on a nice starting salary and comfy job. However the country would be hit with a devastating attack shortly after she had been first hired. Nuclear Bombs had exploded off shore from Manhattan that had, already, been suffering from the worst biological attack in history.

Unaware that GENTEK had been the REAL cause of it all, Morgan worked for some time on trying to find ways of 'curing' the infection she had heard about and was granted very little access to. However she was soon was locked out of that sector of the company and sent her back to work on cures for things like Cancer and Diabetes. Morgan didn't mind though she wanted to help people the people in Manhattan….with the plague that, for awhile, seemed like would take over the entire country.

However as time passed and more and more work went into containing the island….things improved. People were scanned, tested and those clean of the infection allowed to leave Manhattan. That being a very happy day for many people who had been fearing the death of loved ones. Still…many….thousands had died and there was still a great mourning in the country.

However that had been months ago and now….news came everyday of more progress, more hope….

Morgan was by no means a pessimist but in argument you couldn't call her an optimist either. She was the middle ground and that standing spread to a lot of other things too. But the constant news had worn on her and then entire situation was just….old.

The city would probably be truly be back when the radiation wore off. Everyone knew that it but the Politian's that used the disaster to make false promises to the voters continued to hope that those stands would help them get reelected.

So….in short? The most devastating thing in the history of the United States was becoming media food and leverage for power hungry politicians. All this had Morgan no longer watching TV or really caring about anything relating to it.

Her coworkers thought about the same as well, that the media had overdone it this time and the incident was no longer a private thing.

However the drama was low and work for Morgan was as nice as ever. While most of her fellow workers were in their forties to fifties a few of the interns where her age, that including Cadence Owen. An energetic, overly excitable women she was a dear friend to Morgan though, often gossiping with her about the pettiest of things but things that seemed soooo important at the time (at least to her).

It was a cold January morning, VERY cold since she was having to walk home from the pet store that day. Considering that it was also Maryland….it was damn cold in January. Morgan had been having an okay day before she realized she had run out of fish tank filters, having run down to a pet store and gotten some. Apart from narrowly missing a patch of ice, things were still well, the women only really worrying about the fact she could be getting frost bite on her noise.

Worrying about sick days she hurried home, only to find that her apartment door was already open…and not only open but gently pushed open. Hurrying in she didn't think much of it for a moment…rather sure she had locked the door but…maybe the wind had pushed it open? Looking around she put the bag down as she started to get off all the winter jackets and scarves, trying to see if anything was disturbed. Nothing was missing…that odd since she had a big tv in the living room…a nice stereo…her iTouch on the counter of the kitchen, her computer….

The monitor caught her eye, the women going over to look. She KNEW that had been off when she left, the screen flashing some now from too many attempted password tries. SOMEONE…..someone had been trying to access her files from work! Rushing to get her cell phone she had left charging she called 9-11, telling them someone had broken into her house and she needed assistance. After that she called Cadence…needing some comfort for the prickly feeling going up her spin…like she was being watched….

The police would arrive only after Cadence, that a little shocking though….considering Cadence? It wasn't. She was crying and worried and sure that Morgan was hurt or worse and even though she had TOLD her that she had come home to this….the ecstatic women wouldn't listen. The cops spent more time calming her down that Morgan who told them what had been where when she had come home. She informed them that nothing had been taken but she was worried since nothing had been forced open. They suggested they get her locks changed and maybe a security system if she was worried about her safety that much. After the paper work was filled out they left and Cadence offered to stay the night in with her friend.

"Cadence….you don't have to…I'm fine. Not….worried…" That was a small lie though, the women feeling at times that she was still being watched.

"Nope. You are not talking me out of this Morgan! I want to come and make sure you'll be safe."

"Ha….and you'll be able to stop them if they come back?" Morgan asked, laughing some at the blonde, 5'3, 120 lbs women. She feel over flat surfaces for goodness sakes.

"Yes….yes I will." Her enthusiasm and determination won Morgan over and she allowed her to stay the night. In the morning the dear friend also made sure that the lock smith and security guy who came out 'gave her the best deal'. It was amusing to see the blonde try and be mean, or even try and haggle seeing as she failed at anything that had to do with money.

She would leave the following day with Morgan to go to work, not returning with her though since her locks had been changed and a security system had been installed. The technology and changes made Morgan feel much better, she able to be relax and sleep peacefully.

Two days would pass and nothing more happened, Morgan coming home to a secure house and a sure feeling she was safe. However….on Friday…it would be another story.

Morgan was let out early, a rare thing for anyone in the company really. It was mainly because her research field was in the middle of changing over to something new, her work slowing as she handed it over to someone else and she was given things to work on at home. She was already headed to do just that, listening to some music as she looked over a few forms. It was a little warmer today, there at least not a breeze like there had been some days that had made it even more cold. Going to the door she found it locked, not thinking anything was wrong at first. However as she would go in….she would see there had defiantly been someone there. Papers were ALL over the floors, a picture frame knocked over and shattered…

Tensing up Morgan looked around, cautious as she looked around. There was a chance this time that the intruder could still be there…a very good chance.

She would put her papers down on a single clean table, continuing to look around as she regretted not buying new pepper spray that Cadence had suggested. She didn't know anyway of defending herself…apart from the always 'if it's a guy nail them in the groin' technique. She did recall stashing some very old pepper spray somewhere but….she couldn't remember where… She continued to look around, again shocked that her TV and computer were still there.

The computer was still off as was the TV but…still….why would someone break in…make a mess….and not take anything? Not any sort of thief…or at least normal ones. She continued to look around, expecting the papers everywhere to be bank papers but they weren't, again they were all things from work.

"What the hell…?" She muttered, sounding rather pissed now. Had someone been coming in and making a big mess just to piss her off? She started to pick up some of the papers, seeing that they were things about her employment…projects and things that she had been working on. These were private, confidential and she could get in REAL major trouble if someone had been snooping…

"Shit…" She hissed, knowing she should have been locking the file cabinets. She hurried, starting to collect things and put them away. She knew she would have to get the police here again, though she was worried they would want to look at the things misplaced. She was a loyal employee to say the least, but she would never do anything for the company that she didn't think would, in turn, help out humanity. As she worked she started to get that unsettling feeling again, feeling more and more like….she wasn't alone in the house. A cold chunk of ice seemed to settle in her gut, heart accelerating. She was feeling sick, body starting to shake as she moved to check on one last thing…the fish in the other room. They were her favorite pets after all and they were Veiltail goldfish. They were rather elegant for goldfish, having long tails and flowing fins…. She rushed to check on them, freezing when she saw that….there was someone leaning over them.

The jacket was leather with a red design over the shoulders, a hoodie under that pulled up so the persons head was shrouded. They wore jeans that seemed a bit tattered and dirtied and their shoes were about the same. Morgan tensed, watching as they held their hand over the top of the tank and the fish swam up. They thought they were going to get food, that was why they came up….and he was teasing them.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" She hissed, feeling brave before…the man turned and she lost all feeling in her body. His eyes didn't seem human, cold and….haunted. He didn't reply to her question, just turning towards her more as Morgan shrank back. Her mind whizzed, trying to remember where that can of pepper spray was she had hidden away. As she thought she didn't notice the man was continuing towards her that making her back into a desk that was against the wall. She jumped, looking back at it them him….

"Soo….you're Morgan…" His voice was just at bitter as his eyes. The panic in her heart only picked up more, her eyes unable to look away from his…no matter how alien they were.

"How did you get in here? Wh-what do you want!?" She demanded, furious at herself now for letting her voice shake like it was. There so no hiding how scared she was now, her entire body was shaking. The man wasn't just scary looking but he was tall, very built and could probably have snapped her neck in half a second.

"That's not really important right now…" He muttered, unaware that her hand was digging around in one of the desk drawers, searching for something…anything for her to use in defense in case this guy came after her. "What is important though….is that you listen and you listen well…because you're only going to get one chance to answer this…"

It was like listening to a demented game show host, the man speaking as though she would get one finally question and win some prize…she just hoped that prize would be keeping her life.

Morgan didn't like to label or profile people, it was so ignorant and harsh but…this man….he was terrifying. There was no way of getting around that and she was honestly convinced she was about to die.

"Wh-what do you want…?" She asked again, feeling a spark of hope as she felt her fingers brush something shaped like an inhaler….it was the old pepper spray! Before the man could reply she attacked, ripping her hand out of the drawer with the spray as she showered his face in the material. He bellowed in pain, stumbling back some as Morgan took off towards the living room.

She figured she had one shot to get her phone and make it out the door before she was dead. Maybe she could scream for help and get some more eyes on this guy… However she was shocked when she found herself running in place. It was like she had fallen into a cartoon, the women horrified as to why she wasn't moving. Then she felt it….saw…a writhing mass of…of something was wrapped around her, holding her from moving ahead. She clawed at it only to trace it back to the man….it was his ARM! His arm had actually elongated into some…something and it was holding her back. She screamed. It was the only thing she could think of to do. She was terrified, not sure who…what this thing was!

It didn't last long though, he pulled her back and like one of the bungee rides at a carnival she flew back. Only she didn't smash into some inflatable, bounce house she hit the wall and her world when black.

Cookies to whomever knows what attack/power Alex used on Morgan! : D