Thriller The Reckoning

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TARC Headquarters, Fairfax, Virginia

"Sure." Farmer said and then he attacked, now at full speed passing through the desks his knife ready to cut the throat of this "little girl" he had desired so much to end from the first time he saw her.

His eyes burned with a feverish glow that revealed the joy he felt in anticipation of the kill. But he was too fast for any normal eye to see this.

It weren't normal eyes that looked at him though.


Laura arrived at the door to the OPS and heard Farmer say his last words before he claimed his next victim.

TAG: @SirakRomar ; @RachelTyrell ; @Mitth_Fisto @Iteration

 

Anna Talbott
TARC HQ, OPS

And there it was. It did not feel like a power, it felt like a natural extension of herself. As if it had always been there. An explosion of perception. A new view on reality that hit her so hard she could hardly endure it. She felt time. Like a machine, like a running horse or a speeding car ... like a clockwork.

Seconds. Nano seconds. Years. Months.

Farmer began to move, his knife ready to swing at her throat. He was now at full speed, running towards her and passing the desks and bodies with a face that was a grimace of murdering rage. It took him not a second, not a hundreds part of a second to bridge the gap between them. It turned into an eternity. Anna felt how she hit the breaks, slowed the clockwork ... slowed and slowed it down until he moved at normal speed and then even slower and slower ... his movements turned to slow motion and then they became so incredibly delayed they barely happened at all.

Anna watched the man crawl through space and time, robbed of his advantage. It was as easy as blinking her eyes.

Finally she understood why it had been her, why it had been always her ...

Considering what to do Anna decided against hitting the man. The slowness indicated an incredible speed she would have and the impact might hurt her as much as him. Instead she simply stepped aside and took five steps away from where she had stood.

Time resumed and the slash of Farmer went into the empty air.

"Too slow. Try again." She simply said and this time spread her arms to invite him to give it another try. Immediately time slowed down again and this time Anna took a bureau seat from one of the desks and pulled it between them. Then she sidestepped again the same five steps and waited for Farmer to collide with the chair he would never see appearing before hitting it.

Tag: @DarkLordoftheFins, @SirakRomar, @HanSolo29

ooc: Combined with Fin!

 

Laura Changte
TARC HQ

Laura pushed the door open, ready to shoot at Farmer should any chance present himself.

She saw him move for Anna, no she saw him vanish and appear where Anna should have been. But Anna wasn't there. The girl just appeared a few meters next to him, as of she had teleported herself there. It seemed to be no effort for Anna, who simply mocked Farmer for being to slow.

Laura fought for her jaw not to drop. The girls powers had manifested and from what Laura saw, they were quite a power the young woman wielded.

Farmer would go after her with his blinding speed and Laura did not waste her advantage, by trying to shoot him. She aimed at Anna and waited for Farmer to appear there and the second he would drop out of his speed she would shoot. No hesitation and no distraction. She would shoot this son of a bastard.

Tag: @HanSolo29, @RachelTyrell, @Mitth_Fisto, @Iteration, @DarkLordoftheFins

 

_____________________________

TARC Headquarters, Fairfax, Virginia

Farmer looked surprised as he missed her completely and hurled around with fury in his eyes and ... fear. He had probably never meet someone faster than him.

When she told him to try again he did immediately by leaping at her the knife first. He was fast, inhuman fast and this speed turned against him as he crushed into the chair. At his speed it was like a wall he hit and Anna heard his ribs crack as the impact crushed the chair into pieces. Farmer returned to normal speed and yelled out in pain. His heart was now pumping so hard you could see his carotid arteries at his neck work. Veins appeared in his face. He stumbled for a second and then turned to Anna. Now fear was his dominant emotion.

The shot by Laura hit his chest from behind and he was hurled around. Looking at the arrival he hissed and then decided at least this target he could kill. With all the strength he had left he went to speed again, the knife high above his head. He leaped over a desk to jump at Laura Changte and end her ... before Anna ended him.

TAG: @SirakRomar ; @RachelTyrell ; @Mitth_Fisto @Iteration

 

IC: Jane
Highway 375, Nevada

Jane sat back watching Ambrose just smile at her response. He might have known she was holding something back but, at least he didn't want to press. That was good, there were some questions she didn't want to deal with right now, not before a very important mission. They needed to be looking forward, not over their shoulders. One of the reasons she preferred working alone. She was quite capable of watching her own back.

"That must’ve been a high price, hmm?" Ambrose said with a shake of his head arm propped up on the window.

"King's ransom." she quips looking back through the file.

"What do you think of Sheriff Jackson there?" He continued gesturing toward the folder in her lap. "“Pretty damn stubborn for a small-time cop. I’m surprised he even had the resources to follow the trail all the way back to--well, damn."

She was curious as well, how had he heard of the little hiding place Ambrose and the others had set themselves up in. Surely some suspected a traitor, some source that was feeding information to anyone that would listen. Maybe this Sheriff was the only one that would, after seeing 'Mericle Men' terrorize his town. She was about to mention it when Amborse looked agape at something. She checked the rearview then to the side. A military convoy, nothing too out of the ordinary about that, though they seemed to be moving quickly.

"I wonder where they’re heading…" Her partner mused, watching the vehicles pass by. She thought about it for a moment then saw the flashing lights. At first she thought it was just an escort but, when it started following them as they were pulling over Jane knew something was up.

"Goddamn," Ambrose muttered.

Jane opened the glove box and stuffed the file in there before grabbing what might pass as registration so they didn't accidently flash the deputy the file they were carrying on their boss. That done she took off her hat and sunglass, ruffling her hair just a little to deal with the hat hair. She didn't have many feminine wiles and she wasn't going to even try to just bat her eyelashes at whoever came to the window but, any little thing could make this all go over a little smoother.

"Know a shooting range around these parts?" She looks to the M4 hanging by a strap across her chest. "If they ask about the guns, we're just going to there get some range time in." She looked down a little, "I knew I should have checked the turck before we left. I swear if this is blown because of a broken taillight…" She took a breath slipping the hood off her glock just in case things got violent. Looking back to the rearview she scanned to see if this LEO had a partner, silently hoping they were all alone and that there'd only be one body to deal with...and the dash cam. With another breath she began to look around quizzically like someone surprised to be pulled over by the cops. Hopefully it would be nothing and they could get on their way.

TAG: @HanSolo29

 

Anna Talbott
TARC HQ, OPS

Anna looked at Laura and realized immediately what this monster was about to do. But for her his attack was a painfully slow drift through the room. His incredible speed was no challenge for her. It was like denying him his power.

Laura.

He could not have her. Anna took the broken off metallic armchair from the ground and leaped around the desk the man had just passed over. Looking at him and his insane, fearful grimace she paused for a long moment. He was so driven by the lust for murder, it was impossible to feel remorse, regret or pain about stopping him. Actually it took a kinder soul than Anna's not to feel a certain satisfaction about how helpless he was.

Anna took a step back and then leaped forward, swinging the armchair right at his left leg with all the strength she got. If she understood her power right, the impact would be more than enough to stop anything.

Tag: @DarkLordoftheFins, @Mitth_Fisto, @Iteration, @SirakRomar, @HanSolo29

ooc: Combined with Fin!

 

TARC Headquarters, Fairfax, Virginia

The impact of the armchair at this speed crushed the leg. It did not break, the bone was shattered and Farmer was hurled into a nearby desk which broke apart from the impact. It wasn't the only thing breaking. So was Farmers back. The crack was loud and clearly heard.

His mouth opened in a silent scream that did not find it's way into the world. It turned into a gasp as he collapsed. He stared at Anna as he lay on the ground helpless. Breathing heavy, every breath pressed out of his broken body he was in agony. He was terrified. His face was now covered with thick veins and almost turning blue.

TAG: @SirakRomar ; @RachelTyrell ; @Mitth_Fisto @Iteration

 

Anna Talbott
TARC HQ, OPS

Anna dropped the armchair and looked down at the man and the terrible damage her action had caused. She had broken his body. His agony gave her no satisfaction. Anna was shocked. Never in her life had she been violent against anybody. But she felt no regret or remorse. Among the bodies of his victims she knew she had saved people.

She kept her eyes on him for a few long seconds and then turned to Laura. "He is all yours." She simply said and looked back at the broken body of the man ready to intervene should he do anything. He did not look as if he could though.

Her hands trembled. That wasn't exhaustion. Using her powers was almost surreal easy. It wasn't fear. Because suddenly she felt like she had nothing to fear. It was shock. The realization what she was capable of.

Also Laura would give him the mercy shot, she knew it was truly her who killed him. It had been her power that had stopped him, crushed him and left him in agony to receive the only mercy left in the world for a monster like him.

"End him." She said and it was the judgment of a victor over a defeated foe. Like a Roman Emperor in an arena she watched the man about to die. Power. She had never known power before.

Strangely enough, she did not like it. Not one bit.

Tag: @DarkLordoftheFins, @Mitth-Fisto, @Iteration, @SirakRomar, @HanSolo29

 

Laura Changte
TARC HQ

Laura had hit him, but not deadly. Before a second shot could be fired ... it happened incredibly fast. She saw neither Farmer nor Anna move until the man who had killed so many crushed into a desk with such an impact it shattered the desk and his body.

He collapsed, barely able to move and with the same terror in his eyes that his victims probably feared when confronted with his power.

Laura could not help, but stare at Anna as the girl dropped a deformed armchair. Yes, they had lost most of their Gifted. But maybe they had gained something much more valuable today. Anna was truly powerful. This had been only her first steps. What would become of her? She was truly ... Gifted! Not like the other Gifted. This could be their Sebastian. Something she and Paul had discussed many times. A Gifted so powerful he alone could alter any scenario and overcome any threat.

"End him. Anna said in cold blood. God knew what she had witnessed the man do in countless resets. Questioning a man like Farmer was too dangerous. He would die anyway. So without another word she raised her gun and eliminated the danger. Laura fired two bullets into the man's head and lowered her gun again.

"Impressive." She then said to Anna. "That was truly impressive, Anna. Thank you."

She knew the encounter would leave scars on the young girl's soul. Maybe it was for the better. It would not be the last victim of Anna's power. "You saved us all." Laura said, hoping to ease the initial pain.

Tag: @HanSolo29, @RachelTyrell, @Mitth_Fisto, @Iteration, @DarkLordoftheFins

 

Matt Andrews
The White House, Washington D.C.

Matt sighed. The break of secrecy back then was why he had some trust in Roberts. Director's of the CIA did a lot dirty work. They basically were there to do the dirty work. But Roberts had kept a sense of honor and an idea of what was wrong and right.

"We are under attack. The Berlin thing. It was a Gifted. An unknown Gifted. And there were attacks on TARC tonight. Lethal attacks from what I heard. There is a war coming, Roberts. If the war comes, I need soldiers." His mobile vibrated and he checked the message, inhaling sharply and then putting it aside. This one he would keep for himself. "I need the capacity to act. This is not about acting behind the President's back. The President offered me the position of a running mate today. I won't thank him by betraying his trust. But the Gifted are a delicate matter. What I need is the ability to react to the threat once it is identified and do so in a swift, discrete and deniable way. Put this team together and send me the means to contact them. They need a chopper and all the gear they need for a domestic operation. Then let us pray I won't need them."

He sighed. "I asked you and not NSA or FBI because we both know this game is not played by the rules always, but you know when I go to far. You will keep taps on the team, obviously. I expect you to stop me if you think I overreact ... like they did back then."

Tag: @HanSolo29

 

Laura Changte
TARC HQ

Laura had a hard time not staring at Anna. The woman had just stopped a man so powerful, all of TARC had failed to. Their own Sebastian.

The emergency teams arrived, as did security. Preston. Cale, of course. "You missed the tough part, Professor." Laura only greeted him when he arrived, but she kept overlooking the whole operation. They would take hours to count the dead.

"Anna, could you find Steven for me please? I also think Dr. Denning might wanna check on you. Maria inform White House and request additional security." She wondered where Paul was now. Professor Cale finally revealed what she had feared. Paul was dead. Which left her in command. She looked at him for a long moment as he declared her new status and then nodded. "Thank you." She just said. "Just for the record, I did not stop him. She did." Laura gave Anna a long and hard look.

She took a deep breath. Then she folded her hands behind her back. "Professor, please get in touch with the Vice and explain our situation. Tell him ... well, tell him I found what we have been looking for. Someone get me a report on Kawin. Also Chaz and Rupert. I want them here. Now! Wilson you get them."

Tag: @HanSolo29, @RachelTyrell, @Mitth_Fisto, @Iteration, @DarkLordoftheFins

ooc: I took the liberty to invent Rupert, the IT security specialist. Hope that is okay.

 

IC: Jane
Highway 375, Nevada

Jane noticed the tensing of Ambrose's hands, the dark cold look in his eyes. It was a look she'd seen before, in herself and other operators in the field. The icy gaze of a man ready and willing to kill another. She put on a tight smile patting his shoulder. With a slight shake she hoped he would restrain himself and not murder a deputy in cold blood for having the nerve to stop them.

The deputy for his part wasn't making it easy as he approached with that self assured gate of a the horse in a one horse town. She seen this all before, from the towns of Afghanistan to the dusty roads of Nevada, give a man just a little bit of power and he thinks he's all important. In the rearview she saw this Lawman was alone, only one body to clean up.

"License and registration, please," The man said a whisper of a sneer on his stubbled face. He seemed bored with his job and the responsibilities that came with it. Good, he wasn't some do gooder cop that takes his job seriously no matter what. There might be some latuide there. As she handed over the registration she noticed Ambrose flinch towards his gun. While she wasn't enjoying this interaction either she wasn't quite ready to end this man for just being a prick.

"I’m sorry, officer, I didn’t believe I was speeding, was I--"

Jane was about to speak to backup her partner's story but, the Deputy just held up his hand.

"Listen, friend, consider this your official warning." Jane's skin crawled a little hearing him call them friend. It squirmed a little more as she felt his gaze on her. "You’re running into a real cesspool up ahead. Get off the main roads and heed these instructions if you want to make it through this…" He tossed a USB drive towards Jane. With her reflexes she caught it, more on instinct than anything else. Jane quirked her brow again ready to ask just what in the sweet hell was going on. "Let’s just say you have friends in high places. Happy hunting." Was all the man said before making his way back to the patrol car.

Jane held the drive and the connector in her hands.

"That was strange, unless your bosses have made more inroads than I expected." She turned the electronic data storage device over in her hands. "Wonder what he meant by cesspool...think that's what the convoy was heading towards?" She looked to her partner, "Also, got something that can read this, didn't bring a computer...or a smartphone. Secretive people like you all don't like outside contractors keeping their communication devices." In the back of her mind Jane was considering taking a shot at the man that had just dropped this 'gift' in their laps. Something about this didn't feel right. This was turning into something she didn't sign up for. This was supposed to be a simple targeted killing, not some trek through enemy territory.

"I just I need to ask. This happen often, cause the shocked look on your face says it doesn't."

TAG: @HanSolo29

 

Matt Andrews
The White House, Washington D.C.

Matt looked at his COS and nodded. "Get it ready with a full security detail. I wanna get the full picture."

This made his decision to get a team ready even more urgent and it confirmed what he had feared ... an attack on TARC from within coordinated with assassination attempts on various targets ... they needed an inside source to coordinate something like this. He packed his suitcase and quickly made his way to the exit, avoiding anybody who could drag him into a conversation. He had to get out before word spread he was now a candidate, or people would swamp him with requests to "have a word".

Tag: @HanSolo29

 

Anna Talbott
TARC HQ, OPS

Anna looked at her hands and felt almost numb as Farmer died. Laura showed no remorse when taking his life. But the truth was she had killed him.

People arrived and commands were yelled. At some point Laura addressed her. Steven. Find Steven. "Sure, I can do that."

She did not even here the praise of Laura as she made her way out of the slaughter house where the bodies of those she had failed to protect were put into body bags.

She managed to keep her tears back long enough for nobody to see them. Once she was around the corner she began to cry. She could not help it. It was just all a bit too much. Slowly she raised her hand and looked at it. Then she decided to speed it up, like Farmer had ... and her hand moved at incredible speed as her finger snapped into a fist. She exhaled and took a pen that was lying around. She let it fall and slowed time. Watching it fall in slow motion. She knelt down and decided to speed it up again. The pen slammed into the ground.

"Oh, wow." She smiled.

"You stopped him." The voice was Stevens. Anna nodded.

"I found my ... gift." She said and smiled, quickly wiping her tears away.

"I can see that." Steven smiled. "They develop over time. You will see, you get stronger." He said. Anna laughed.

"I think this pretty cool already." She said and stood up. "Laura asked for you." She said and Steven nodded.

"She is now in control, isn't she?"

Anna nodded. "Paul is dead. I am sorry."

"Don't be. There was never an outcome where I could have saved him." He passed her and made his way to the OPS.

Tag: @DarkLordoftheFins, @Mitth-Fisto, @Iteration, @SirakRomar, @HanSolo29

ooc: Combined with Fin and Iteration

 

Maria Liang
TARC

Lock Down? They had attacked TARC, whoever "they" were. Maria jumped out of the car the moment they arrived and was welcomed by security. "Bring me to Paul and Laura." She said and followed the two men, her laptop under her arm.

Once she arrived she understood the extent of the attack. Laura was standing amidst the dead and living and gave commands. Why wasn't Paul there? Maria could guess the answer.

"Laura. How bad is it?" She asked her friend as she stepped next to her.

Tag: @HanSolo29, @DarkLordoftheFins, @SirakRomar

 

IC: Jane
Highway 375, Nevada

"No, this doesn’t happen often," Ambrose said breaking the silence that settled in as they both watched the deputy get back into his car and leave. This whole production seemed to have an effect on Ambrose, a hissing breath between his clenched teeth a clear sign. "If they have connections like this, why send us out here at all…?"

"Well, like you said, this is a test of my abilities and my loyalty. Though I find it surprising that they wouldn't tell you about this Mr. I have a lot of pull here."

"Makes you wonder what they’re trying to pull...if we hook that thing up, will it detonate?" Jane took a moment to weigh it in her hand. It was light like a thumb drive should be. Didn't feel like there was a charge or anything inside it. "I’ve seen--we’ve both seen how they dispose of the dead weight around here."

"Doesn't feel like it is packed with explosives." She said trying to assuage his fears. She had dealt with their Dead Weight personally and on her first day. She'll need to renegotiate her bonus at this rate, putting her right to work before her first cup of coffee.

"But why get rid of you, of all people? Hell, you were good before, but now? You’re one of them...one of those ‘Gifted.’ You have potential – they can’t just throw that away."

"Woo," Jane replied fanning herself with her hand, "You really know what to say to a girl." her mocking tone didn't seem to match the deadly serious nature of the situation. But, this wasn't the first time she thought one of her clients was trying to kill her, it usually wasn't this fast. It was normally a day before they start coming after you.

"Damn it all to hell, I must be going crazy." Ambrose said after kicking the dash and opening the glove box. "There you go if you wanna take the chance; should be charged." He gestured to the phone resting on a bed of receipts and maps. "Maybe I’ve become jaded after all these years, but something tells me this ain’t a hoax. It’s almost…too easy."

"It's not like we can return to base and say, 'Sorry didn't go through with it got a bad vibe off guy that handed us a flash drive.'" She pulled out the phone and moved to plug in the drive. "I'm getting the feeling that we're about to hit some mission creep. Get sent to kill a sheriff then get told to deal with something else as well. Happens all the time." She moved the drive a little closer to the port. "Uh...get ready to run." she said only half joking as she held the device out at arms length. She plugged it in and in that moment time slowed around her a tumbleweed came to a crawl, a fly's wings beat slowly through the air and the phone now rested, not in her hands, on the dash. Her hand moved to the door handle opening it quickly watching for any signs of detonation from the drive.

Better safe than sorry.

TAG: @HanSolo29

 

Laura Changte
TARC HQ

Laura looked at Cale and smirked. "I will report to the Veep myself." She said directly. Paul had given Cale room, but she never liked the man. He had a bunch of wrong theories and basically made himself their scientific advisor by knowing Andrews. She did not appreciate such networks much. "After all I witnessed the events first hand. You should check the damage and give us some insight on Farmer. He was strange. There is something different about him. Find out what."

She turned to Chaz and gave him a smile. "We could have used you here. Secure all Gifted and prepare them for a briefing in thirty. They were after you guys." Nodding to Anna and Steven she stepped over to the girl and sighed. She softened visibly as she talked to her.

"What you did was nothing but amazing. But there is no telling what else you are able to do. Most Gifted don't awake with their full potential." She looked at Steven. "Please take her to the testing environment. I want her to explore her abilities."

Maria finally arrived. Laura smiled knowing she was alright. Her friend stepped over to her and asked how bad it was. "Very bad. All Gifted not here are dead. So is Paul. But we survived. Come with me. We need to talk." She turned to the others and nodded. "Tell me when Andrews arrives."

She walked over to the coffee kitchen. For some reason she felt the desperate need of a coffee. She was now in charge and she had no idea what to do about it. They had not only lost most of their Gifted. They had lost Paul. They were at war now.

Tag: @HanSolo29, @RachelTyrell, @Mitth_Fisto, @Iteration, @DarkLordoftheFins

ooc: I took the liberty to invent Rupert, the IT security specialist. Hope that is okay.

 

Maria Liang and Laura Changte
TARC coffee kitchen

They entered the kitchen and Maria closed the door right behind them. For a moment the two woman just looked at each other. "You are in charge now." Maria finally said.

"Yes, I am. My first real command is a national agency. Paul did not lie when he said this job would make my career." She smiled. Maria returned the smile and looked to the ground for a moment.

"I got hit in DC. Two guys, one Gifted." She simply stated the fact.

Laura nodded. "The guy who did this was Gifted, too. Farmer. Quite powerful. Very fast." She shrugged. "If had not our new recruit we would never have stopped him. Kawin tried and it put him into a coma."

Maria stepped next to her friend. "I had help, too. Sebastian Klein is back. And he seems to be on our side." Laura could not help but have her eyes snap at her friend.

"Are you serious?" She asked. Maria only nodded. "He did not reveal himself, but I know his power when I see it by now."

"Even on our side he would have scared me a day ago. But now ... I think we might have our own Sebastian now. If I can control her."

"The girl out there?" Maria asked. Laura nodded.

"Should have seen what she did to Farmer. He was unstoppable ... she ripped him apart before I could blink. She got no training though. No history in this business."

Maria listened and was not sure if this was good news. The less of the Level 5 Gifted around the better she felt.

"There is another thing. The Berlin attack ..."

"I heard of it." Laura nodded and now Maria had her full attention.

"Andrews will send me and Chaz to investigate. It was another Gifted. Which makes three of them now. I got a suspect. Military training." Maria folded her hands behind her back. "Like my assassin."

"Or Farmer. How big are the chances three military guys become Gifted? Maybe they had their Crossing on a mission together." Laura did not consider this a very likely scenario but had no better one right now.

"Berlin. That was not a campus or lab. It was Mansfield data storage. These guys are trying to hide something. There is a back up system. It is here in the US. L.A., actually. I would bet it is their next target." Maria shrugged. "Question is, can we stop them?"

Laura knew what she meant. An group with Gifted with various abilities. Who could stop them? They had not even got Farmer under control.

"Anna. She can probably stop then." Laura looked at Maria. "Who do you think is behind this? These terrorists are clearly American. They seem to be well organized. I think ... they even got someone inside TARC." She had just realized the most crucial fact to the last person she trusted. Maria replied with an unusual shy smile.

"Actually I could make a guess." She said and stepped closer. "Ever heard of Alpha?"

Laura knew the name. A priority target they had never located. "One of the ANTVILLE three." She said.

"The most powerful of the three. So dangerous they kept him in a coma. And now the interesting fact ... he was a former terrorist. Al Qaida. Early two thousands." She whispered now almost. "He used an army of Gifted of which the Three were the sole survivors."

Laura nodded. "And now we got another army of Gifted, playing terrorists. You are right. It might be him." She smiled. At least they got a hint now. Also they had terribly failed to acquire him so far. "Yes. Might be him."

Looking at Maria she gave her a tired smile.

"So what now, director?" Maria replied.

Laura gave her a look. "Now I forge the girl into a weapon and then I go to war. I am gonna find every one of them and kill them all."

Maria laughed. "Sounds like TARC got the right director for the job at hand."

Tag: @HanSolo29, @DarkLordoftheFins, @SirakRomar

 

Matt Andrews
TARC Building.

Matt made his way past the press for now ignoring their questions. Once he was away he sighed and looked at his chief of security.

"We should have the press outside the perimeter for security reasons." He sighed. "Now get me to Paul."

Whatever had happened here was the beginning of something bigger. He needed to prepare them. This was more important than even the presidency. This could be a war about reality itself and what it meant to be a human being.

Tag: @HanSolo29

 

Anna Talbott and Steven Alden
TARC HQ, Test Area

Anna nodded at Laura's words and turned to Steven. They were just leaving when Maria Liang arrived.

"Okay, yeah, she is kinda hot." Anna smiled at Steven and he grinned back.

"You have powers." He comforted her jokingly.

A few minutes later they were in the training area of TARC, which was an empty room with metal balls and cylinders everywhere. The walls were patted with protective material. Anna looked around and she felt time flowing around her. Taking a ball she threw it up in the air and slowed time. Looking at Steven she saw him slowed down, too. She catched the ball and allowed time to speed up to normal speed.

"I don't understand why I am not immune to your power." Steven said raising his brow. "I feel rather vulnerable."

Anna looked at him and shrugged. "I think you guys ... I don't ..." She laughed. "It sounds crazy, but I think I control the flow of time itself. Not just ... me interacting with it. Like Kawin. You are all aware of him doing his thing, but you reset anyway."

Steven nodded. "I will leave that discussion to Professor Cale." He said and laughed. "So, let us see what you can do. Do you always have to slow down time itself? Try to slow down parts of it."

Anna had not considered this, but he had a point. She felt time. Time was something that was everywhere and in everything.

"Let's give it a try." She said and threw the ball back into the air. This time she tried to slow only the ball. She gasped out laughing as the ball began to move in slow motion.

"Okay, wow." Steven said. "What else?"

Anna looked at him, took the ball from the air and smiled. "What can slow can speed up." She said and remembered what Farmer did with his power. She threw the ball at the wall and speed it up. She tuned up time, making it grow faster.

The impact of the ball was so hard it ripped a hole into the armored wall.

"Sorry." She said grinning sheepishly. Steven had his jaw drop.

"You're kidding? Laura is gonna love this." He just said.

Anna laughed and took now a second ball. She threw it up. Then another and another and another. When she ran out of balls she threw the cylinders and grinned as she effortlessly juggled with twenty objects.

"What is the juggling world record again?" She smiled.

Steven laughed. Anna had not lost her humor. Also he remembered her crying. But that was a memory of the future ... he realized. Her, bleeding and crying. His smile froze.

"Anna Talbott, I think you will do great things." He said and smiled at her.

Anna thought that nobody ever said anything like this to her.

Tag: @DarkLordoftheFins, @Iteration, @HanSolo29

ooc: Combined with Fin and Iteration

 

Laura Changte
TARC HQ

Laura nodded as Preston informed her of the Vice Presidents arrival and Laura sighed and walked over to the meeting room.

"Vice-President Andrews, I am Laura Changte. Following the chain of command I will be acting director of TARC until you appoint a new director. Paul was among the casualties of the attack, I am afraid." She looked around and saw the Gifted gathering. "Sir, if I may ask ... I would prefer any non-Gifted except Maria Liang to be excluded from this meeting. Including your security. I guess nobody knows better than you, that they could hardly protect you better than we could here." She smiled and took out her phone. She messaged Chad to postpone their arrival for five minutes and waited for the Vice-President to decide on the attendants. What she had to say now was not for Anna's ears.

Tag: @HanSolo29, @RachelTyrell, @Iteration, @LordTroepfchen