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"Isn't it cold in there?"

Colin's voice takes her a bit by surprise from below.

Alicia risks a quick glance down to the floor, looking for the source of the voice, aware of her precarious position.

OOC: Where is Colin?

Colin is at the border of the field, with a camera. He's probably documenting the basketball practice for the school newspaper. He waited for the team to be far enough not to hear him. When she looks down, he winks at her.

Alicia shakes her head in alarm, putting a finger to her lips. Just loud enough for Colin to hear, she hisses, "What are you doing? If they catch me up here, it's another trip to Mr. Landis's office!"

"I wanted to talk to you. I'll distract them for a minute, to give you time to get down unnoticed."

He's whispering. He know she can hear him anyway.

"Let's meet in the hall afterward, ok?"

As the team turns round the corner, he asks the coach to stop for a moment so he can take a couple stills, and ask a few questions.

Alicia breathes a frustrated sigh. Packing his half-finished lunch back in his school bag, he crouches in readiness.

As soon as Colin gives her the distraction she needs, she moves quietly on the catwalk to the closest wall, slides down a supporting girder and somersaults to a reasonably quiet landing near the door. Two steps and she's out of sight.

Once outside, she briefly considers making a clean escape. She chides herself on it, though. Colin's not the enemy.

Colin finds her sitting against the wall, looking somewhat sullenly at the floor.

Colin waves at the basketball team and joins her against the wall with a smile.

"Hey." he says, getting his lunch out of the large backpack he seems to carry around everywhere. "How are you today?"

Alicia shrugs. "I haven't bitten anyone's head off yet today, so I guess so far, so good."

"Good. Heads taste awfully anyway."

His sandwich distinctly smells of tuna, instead.

"Would you like one?" he says, taking another one out of his brown bag.

Alicia's nose twitches questingly. She looks dubiously at Colin, expecting some trick, but an insistent gurgle from her stomach decides the issue.

She politely takes the offered sandwich. "Thanks," she says, as she takes what for her is a large bite and chews quietly. She seems to avoid looking at him.

"You're welcome."

He chews a bit on his sandwich too.

"I meant to pass by and tell you that I don't hate you. And neither do the others, really. You're not banned from the table or anything. Take your time. We'll be there when you'll feel like coming back. In the meanwhile, if you need anything, just give me a call and I'll be there."

He punches her playfully on her shoulder.

Alicia looks at him levelly.

"Colin, you were there. They may not hate me, but they certainly don't like me. You heard Donnie; they only reason they put up with me in the first place is because Sammy said to."

She shakes her head. "I could hear them today. Talking, laughing, having a good time. It's better if I'm not there."

She looks down. "I do need to ask you something."

Colin sighs.

"Who's judging now? You have to give us a chance as well. Nobody said we're the cool and smart ones."


He shakes his head as well. "Did you hear what I told them yesterday after you were gone?"


"Yes?"

Alicia opens her mouth to fire off a retort, then clamps it shut. "Whatever," she mutters stubbornly. "I'm not going to argue about it."


Alicia says tiredly, "No, Colin, I didn't. Did it really make a difference?"


She looks straight at him and speaks in a level measured tone. "You said there was something wrong in me, and that you could help me fix it, when I wanted to and felt ready.

"I'm ready. What do I need to do?"

"Would hearing Donnie admit he wasn't very smart and that he should have more patience make any difference?"


"I never said there was something wrong in you. I say that you were hurt. Badly. I'm a healer, and I can help you recover. I can restore your memory, and help you deal with what's in it. There are going to be rules, though."

Alicia shrugs, a shadow of her usual rebelliousness flitting across her face. "You know more than me, chulo, talking and doing are two totally different things. If Don learned something from yesterday, more power to him. It doesn't change the way things are right now."


Alicia licks her lips nervously. "I understand, but... Colin, you need to know."

She hesitates, obviously unsure how to proceed. "I've been getting these... feelings, like flashes, I guess. Whatever's trapped in that lost time, it really wasn't pretty. I think part of it what's been making me act so crazy."

She puts a hand on her arm. "What I'm trying to say is, I don't know what will happen, what I may do if... when that stuff comes out. It may not be safe for you. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"If talking and doing are two different things, then please think of what we do, and not of what we say. We've all been trying to help, even if sometimes in the wrong way.


"That's the least of my worries. If that's what you're afraid of, we can do that in a safe place. A soul place. Let's get to the news room. We need a quiet place in this world."

He thinks of something, then, reluctantly turns back to her.

"If you want, we could get Sarah too. I'm gonna heal your mind. You'll remember everything. If it turns out to be too much, though, she can make you forget again. But better. With no flashbacks. She has helped many people this way."

Alicia hangs her head for a moment. "Yeah, I know. What happened yesterday was my fault. It's why I can't go back there just yet. I can't promise it won't happen again. Not until I've fixed what's wrong with me."


Alicia blanches for a second, then shakes her head firmly. "No. Whatever it is I've done, I need to face up to it. Forgetting it is a cop-out. I'm not going there."

She realizes what Colin is saying, "Wait, you mean, now? Just like that?"

"Yes. I don't need to take you to my sinister castle, where my hunchback assistant is keeping my amazing machine well oiled while lightnings fall on the towers. I just need a quiet place. Well, you need a quiet place. I'm connected to the world. Everywhere is fine."

He smiles at her. And his smile is nothing but friendly.

"Or by ready you meant you might need some more time?"

Alicia gives a small nervous laugh. "Naw, actually I was thinking more of some mud shack where we'd sit in our undies, sweating and smoking some green. Y'know, like they show in those Indian movies."


Her face firms up. "No, I'm up for it. Let's do this."

She flows to her feet, looking like she's ready to walk into a boxing ring.

"I've tried smoking, but it really doesn't work for me. It's hard to concentrate when you're too busy coughing. It's mostly to get people in the right mood, and to open the doors of perception. Mine are well used to be open, by now. Would some candle help you?"


Colin picks up a rolled mat from the gym's stockroom, and leads her upstairs to the news room.

He turns off the light and closes the curtains, letting only a blade of light into the room. He makes some room and lays down the mat on the floor. He sits on the floor, so the light hits him, but the mat is in the dark.

"You should take off your shoes and lay down her, with your head this way." he says, indicating the side closer to himself.

Alicia tries to come up with some smart-ass remark to cover her nervousness, but realizes it would just come off as stupid. Silently, she complies.

Colin begins humming. It's weird, it's like there are several voices beside his own humming with him. soon, it seems to come from everywhere at once. Alicia feels her eyelids getting heavy, and she relaxes. When she closes her eyes, Colin gently wraps his hands around her head, and places his thumbs on her brow.

It's like a mist rises, and when it dissipates, she's in another place. It's like she's in a forest out of a fairy tale. She hears birds chirping all around, but she can't see them in the heavy foliage, which still allows enough light for the scene to be bright, and for wild strawberries to grow. Looking around, she sees Colin perched on a large branch of a nearby tree.

Welcome. I hope you like the place. I find it much easier to design natural places, there's a better flow of energies. This is a meeting place. A way for me to reach you. And a place of peace, of sort. It drains out aggression. That's what the strawberries are for. If you get angry, there will be more of them, but you'll remain cool. Take your time before we go on. Relax. Time is different here.

Alicia looks around curiously.

"So, like, is this place in your head?"

She studies the strawberries. "Is that how they grow for real? What happens if I eat one?"

Uhm. Not really. It's somewhat in my head, somewhat in yours, and mostly in... another place. It's a soul place. I've learned not to ask too many questions. it saves headaches.


Have you ever seen real woodland strawberries? They're much like that. It's a very old plant, and it has a strong spirit. If you eat one here? I guess you'd feel a strong emotion. Really strong.

Alicia looks at the strawberries again more critically. "Only strawberries I see come in a package." She shakes her head and adds fastidiously. "No, thanks. Emotions I already deal with. Besides, they haven't even been washed."

Glancing over at Colin, she runs up the trunk of the tree, leaps back to catch a convenient branch, and spins on it to a sitting position facing him, her legs swinging idly.

"So, what exactly are we doing here?"

He points behind her, and she turns to see a door of obsidian, that wasn't there before. At least she didn't notice. It stays there upright, and the wood continues undisturbed behind it. It gives a distinct impression of cold.

We open that door, and see what's been locked in there. You'll need a key, though.

He reaches to touch her brow, and his hand becomes bright, until she can't look at it anymore. It feels warm to the touch, and for a moment she has the impression he's reaching inside her head.

When he withdraws his hand, the light seems to condensate on his palm, and to take the shape of a silver key.

Take it. I think you should open it yourself.

Alicia tries not to jump when Colin touches her head.


She looks at the offered key and licks her lips nervously. "This is it, huh?"

Her expression becomes firm and she takes the key.

Leaping effortlessly from her perch, she lands in front of the door. She risks one look back towards Colin, then with a show of confidence blanketing a bundle of trepidation, she inserts the key and turns it.

The door opens to a dimly lit warehouse.  Among the crates and boxes is the sound of fists hitting flesh, and a girl crying.  The scene shifts though the narrow passageways of the warehouse, to where three people stand.  A man stands by, watching, as Alicia delivers a brutal beating to another young woman.  Blood pours from her lips and bruises form on her.  Alicia hammers her fists into the girl, and kicks her with a vicious gleam in her eyes.  This continues, but the girl never passes out.  Her eyes remain fixed and stare through the whole ordeal as Alicia delivers blow after blow.

"Enough."  The man says, walking forward he takes Alicia into his arms, kissing her deeply.  "You did a good job, now to make the picture complete."  he says, kneeling down he grabs the beaten girl by the sides of her face, forcing her to look into his eyes.  "Our image of our self is shaped by our memories.  We can't have you getting an attack of conscience and going to the cops now precious."  He grabs her temples with one hand, and the girl begins to convulse, "And the best way to do that is to make you remember things the way I want." 

The girl screams, and then the world shimmers, things change colors, and the space fills with the scent of sweat and blood.  The taste of iron and salt.  The pounding of hearts, and the soft whimpers of a beaten girl, a girls who's world is being torn asunder and rewritten.  The scene pulls back, and it's no longer Alicia standing there next to the man.  The girl there is a blond, with pale eyes and skin.  As the man rises and steps back you can see the girl on the ground is Alicia, bruised, bloodied, and barely.  "untie her, and dump her on the roof."  The man says with a smile, "She'll be so fucked up we're never going to have to worry about her again."  the blond nods, bending down she takes a knife and cuts the ropes holding Alicia's wrists and ankles, then tosses her over her shoulder.

"You should have just let me kick her ass."  The blond says.

The man smiles, "Angel, she'd have cleaned your clock.  Just be glad she's not going to remember you beating her."

The blond sneers and carries the limp Alicia away.

The last sounds, faint even to Alicia's hearing are the man's voice.  "Your little kitty gets to live, as per out arrangement.  We'll call if we need her again."

"No. No! NOOO!!!!"

Alicia screams, her hands to her head. An explosion of red spreads through the glade.

She falls to her hands and knees, fingers digging deep into the forest floor. Her stomach convulses, emptying its contents on the grass. She gasps and sobs, her eyes are clamped shut, squeezing tears out to fall and water the abused turf.

Colin closes the door. The light returns to the glade, as if nothing ever happened, except for the strawberries. Colin walks carefully around them and kneels at Alicia's side.

He's carrying a clay jug full of water. He dips a piece of cloth in it, and, cupping gently her chin in his hand, he cleans her face and her mouth.

It wasn't you. They made you think you did it, but it wasn't you. You were the victim. It surely changes things, doesn't it?

Alicia's voice is hoarse. "Yes, it does."

She reaches up to grasp Colin's hand. Her fierce gaze spears him, an energy boiling behind her eyes born not of rage or fear but of hardened determination.

"I need to find out more. Show me."

Colin helps her on her feet, and they face the door again.

What we've seen is what was bubbling up. It came out all at once, like pus out of an infected wound. For it to heal, now we'll have to clean it for good. I'm afraid it's going to hurt. Badly. But I'm here with you. I won't leave you alone. Whatever happens, we'll face it together.

He gives her hand a squeeze, and follows her through the door. They plunge into the darkness.

Alicia nods without saying a word, panting faintly, her face pale.

The world spins around then, slowing from time to time to show still frames of Alicia and a different man.  This one is training her, honing her natural abilities.  Turning her into a weapon.  It's weeks of abuse, bruises, and intense training.  Then another man instructs her.  She's coached on the layout of a building.  The rotation of guards.  Security devices.  And then shown the thing she's supposed to get for them.  All the while Marco, the bright shining spot in her life is with her, comforting her after her training, seeing to her bruises and cuts.  He's there to take care of her, so they can run away together after she does this one thing for him.

It's a warm night, and she does exactly as she's been taught.  Guards are evaded.  Locks bypassed.  And she finally gets the thing they sent her for.  Data.  She follows the directions, downloads the files, and then sends the files to the IP address they gave her.  That's when the alarms go off.  Her heart races, and she tries to escape.  She was told she wouldn't have to hurt anyone.  If she did as she was told it would be easy.  She has to hurt people.  And they hurt her.  She manages to escape, and shake off pursuit.  She goes to Marco, her savior.  He will make her safe.  He's there, and so is a man she's never met, and a blond woman.  "Alley Kat."  Marco calls her that.  He tells her that there is just one more thing that needs to be done.  That's when the world gets blurry.  She felt the pin prick in her neck, he foggy memory sees the needle in Marco's hand, and she collapses to the floor.  She feels the woman tie her wrists and ankles.  "So, bust her up, and then erase her memory.  I get to keep her alive, and she's none the wiser."  Marco says as they load Alicia into a car.

"She's impressive.  We never thought she'd make it out of there."

"She's my Alley Kat.  That's why I arranged this in the event she did make it.  I know this thing you're doing with her head will mess her up, but I couldn't just let them kill her.  She's too valuable to me."

"Awww."  The blond says, "I thought it was true love for sure."  she coos.

"For her."  Marco says with a smile, "She's like a Swiss Army knife.  Lots of uses."

The three of them laugh and then the world drops completely into darkness as the drugs finally overwhelm her senses completely.

Alicia's hand in Colin's grip tightens painfully. Her breath comes in gasps, with an occasional whimper in between.

The young man's final words are the last straw. Marco. Friend. Guide. Lover. Betrayer.

Hoarsely, she sobs, "No más, no más."

Alicia's mind is numb with shock, just inches of sliding into catatonia. She'd woken up on that rooftop, hurting, bleeding and ashamed. Ashamed of what she'd done, ashamed of having failed her love. She'd run away, to the comforting arms of her mother, afraid of what she'd become. She'd gone to ground, hiding, feeling broken and unworthy.

To now find out that the horrors she had witnessed and gleefully participated in were merely imprinted ghosts of false memory, to realize that the one she'd fully given her first love to had simply seen her as a valuable tool and nothing more, it was too much.

For the first time in her life, Alicia is in the disconcerting grasp of vertigo. She feels herself falling, with no idea where she is, where safety lies, without balance or stability. She gasps and shudders, mentally reaching out for anything to break her fall, to stop this awful feeling.

And an image appears in her mind. Rhys, standing solid, with an insouciant grin and unassailable patience, open arms ready to hold her. She sobs as she clings to that image while the world whirls around her to rearrange itself into a new shape.

Her cracked lips form the name, "Ree-is."

Colin can hear the faint echo of Sylvia's voice calling out to him.  She's in Astral space, and she sounds worried.

The Black Bird lands on a nearby branch.  The Protean is on his way.  He will be here soon.

Rhys opens the door and sees Colin sitting on the floor.  Alicia is laying on an exercise mat, they both appear to be asleep.  The Black Bird is sitting on a desk nearby.

Rhys is confused. They said Colin might be in trouble, but he looks peaceful enough. What on earth the two of them are doing, he has no idea, but he figures Alicia could defend herself if need be.

Unless it's something mental.

But then what could he do? He doesn't have any mental powers.

Feeling foolish, he addresses the bird. "So what do I do?"

Her cracked lips form the name, "Ree-is."

In the here-and-now, Rhys hears his name issue from Alicia's prone form.

Rhys hurries over, kneels at her side and picks up her hand in his.

"I'm here. What do you need?"

Rhys is yanked headlong down the dark tunnel of her subconscious, tumbling head over heels in a long and stomach wrenching fall, then finding himself upright, in surroundings totally unlike the news room.  Alicia is clinging to him, her emotions pouring out of her.

Next to her is Colin.  And next to Rhys is a tall thin being with pale white skin.  His face is featureless, save for his large black oval shaped eyes.  His head is slightly elongated, his arms and legs seem painfully thin.  He stands only a few inches from Rhys.  And his limbs mimic the actions of Rhys'

It takes Rhys only a moment to regain his bearings before he's holding tightly to Alicia in return. He lets her outpouring wash over him, and stands there as much like a stone in a storm as he can manage.

"It's okay, I'm here now. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you," he murmurs quietly to her.


Rhys does not at first notice this, as all of his attention is drawn to Alicia.

In the soul place, Colin had stumbled out of the darkness of the obsidian door, carrying Alicia in his arms. He seemed to have become taller and stronger to better help her. He also seemed to be in pain, though he tries his best to hide it. His clothes here are ruffled, as if he had been fighting.

The door dissolved into black smoke smoke behind them, quickly blown away by the wind.

Colin lays down Alicia on the grass, and then Rhys arrived.

She asked of you. he says, wiping her tears away. She'll get to her senses soon. We looked for what they made her forget, and it wasn't what she expected. Stay with her. Let her feel your love. She's going to find out who she is now that she knows the truth.

Colin turns to look at the creature beside him, and Rhys can see the mark on his neck. It's black, like the rest of Colin's tattoos, black like burnt embers. It seems to be burning even now. It's like claws of fire had burned a scratch mark on his skin. Rhys can only imagine how it might hurt.

I have to go tell Sylvia I'm all right, before she deafens the whole spirit world. I'll be right back. and with that, he disappears.

It takes a second for Alicia to realize that the person holding her is truly Rhys and not some ghostly form.

The torrent of emotion surrrounds her and threatens to once again overwhelm her. This time, though, she stands fast, struggling to control and divert the flow around her without being carried away by it. Rhys's presence helps ground her and soon the flood eases off, leaving her swathed in an unfamiliar calm. For some reason she can't quite fathom, the taste of strawberries lingers in her mouth.

Her eyes regain their focus and she finds herself on the ground, looking up at Rhys's concerned face. "You're here," she confirms with tired relief and she rises to clasp him in her arms. Rhys is by now familiar with Alicia's attack hugs, but this time there is no desperation or frantic need in her embrace, just the desire to give and receive comfort.

"Yes, I'm here." He hugs her back, holding onto her for as long as she needs it.

After an interminable few seconds, Alicia leans back to look at Rhys, a glad smile on her face.

Her brow wrinkles in curiosity, "But how did you...?"

She glances around to see themselves still in Colin's fairy-tale glade. Her scrutiny catches the third figure there and she freezes.

"Rhys?" she says, in a worried tone.

"What?" He turns his head in the direction she's looking, only to see the back of the creature's head...

He leans in close to her. "What is it?" he asks.

When Rhys spoke, the creatures mouth moved.  When he turned to look behind him, it did the smae.

Alicia catches the way it mimics Rhys's movements.

"I think it's... you."

"What do you mean it's me? I'm me. I'm right here."

It's eerie for Alicia to watch Rhys talk, and the being next to him move it's mouth at the same time.  It doesn't make any sounds, it's silence is only more eerie.

Alicia shakes her head absent-mindedly, her curiosity pushing any other concerns away.

She walks around to inspect the silent figure. "It smells like you. Part of you, at least."

She directs her gaze to Rhys. "You never told me how you got your powers."

"I'm not entirely sure myself. The short version is that I found this... thing, I don't know what it was or where it came from. It could change shape into whatever you wanted it to be. And then one day it was just gone and then I could change my shape. I don't know if it gave me its ability and then moved on or disappeared or what."

He shrugs. "I know, it's kinda lame..."

Alicia shakes her head again as she continues her inspection.

"No, it didn't go away. It went inside you. That's why I could smell it."

She gestures at the forest around them. "This is one of those 'mind places' that Colin uses. He brought me here to help me, I dunno, see into my head.

"I'm guessing it's doing something weird to you and letting us see that part of you that's the... thing."

She turns to look at Rhys. Her gaze is just as penetrating as it was while examining the double. "Try to change shape here."

Rhys nervously looks over his shoulder again, disconcerted at only being able to see the back of the thing's head.

"Okay..." He sounds dubious.

He tries to change to his angel-form.

As Rhys begins to change forms the being is drawn into him, like water flowing through a crack in the universe.  When he changes back the entity is pushed back into existence nearby.

Alicia can't help herself. She claps her hands in delight.

"See? It's what gives you your powers."

She frowns. "I wonder if it's intelligent?"

She steps closer to the alien form to look into its eyes. "Hello?"

For the first time it takes an action that is not a duplication of Rhys' motions.  It embraces her gently.

Alicia starts, but tries to remain calm.

She awkwardly returns the slight embrace.

"Um, pleased to meet you?"

She looks at Rhys over its (his?) shoulder with bemusement.

He doesn't hold her too long, leaning back after releasing her.  It looks towards Rhys, then back to Alicia.

Rhys looks between them.

"Um... yeah... um..."

He fidgets.

"I... uh... I don't really know what to make of this..."

He addresses the thin figure.

"So, you... uh... um... yeah... Look, I don't... uh..."

The being reaches out and embraces Rhys, melding into him and vanishing.

Alicia grins at Rhys, her eyes bright.

"I like him. I think he's cute."

Rhys stands there blinking for a moment more.

"So... I'm the only one weirded out by this? What does this mean? I've got some sort of... symbiote that gives me my powers?"

He shakes his head to clear it.

"And what is this place? Whay are you here? Why am I here?"

Alicia shrugs matter-of-factly. "Or something. I mean, once you get past the fact that you can actually change your body into anything you can think of, is that really so weird?"


Alicia looks around at the forest glade. "Colin calls it a soul place. It's like another dimension or something, real Twilight-Zone, y'know? Just don't eat the strawberries."

She continues without pause. "You're here because I guess I needed you and Colin brought you. 'Cause..."

As she speaks, the cheerfulness drains from her face like water from a broken jug, leaving melancholic contemplation.

Having nowhere to sit, Alicia simply folds down to the grass, knees up so she can rest her chin on them, her arms wrapped loosely around her legs.

"Colin helped me break through and find my lost memories."

She seems hesitant to expand on that.

Rhys comes over, sits down next to her and puts his arm around her.

"It wasn't what you expected, was it? Blew your worldview right out of the water, huh?"

Alicia glances over at Rhys, her expression clear, Ya think?

She takes a deep breath. "I spent all this time kicking myself, thinking I had done these terrible things but couldn't remember what they were, only to find that they were just BS jammed into my head to keep me from remembering what I actually did."

She gives Rhys a pained look. "I'm not going to lie to you, mi amor. I stole something for them, and ended up hurting some people in the process. That's still true."

She waves her hand in emphasis as she tries to explain. "A lot of it is jumbled around. It's like... there's a jigsaw puzzle in my head, and I finally got all the pieces together, but they're still out of order. Y'know?"

"I'm sorry. Sorry that people did all these horrible things to you. And that I can't really help. I wish there was something I could do."

Alicia smiles and raises her hand to touch Rhys's cheek.

"But you have, querido. You believed in me and gave me the strength to face my past. When my whole world turned upside down, you were what kept me from falling down."

She sighs, frowning. "It's not over. I still have to work out all the details of what happened, find some way to make it right."

As the image of a pale blonde girl leering down at her flashes through her mind, her eyes turn dead. "I have unfinished business to take care of."

The moment past, she focuses back on Rhys. "I'm not sure I can do it alone, walk the path without losing myself again."

She licks her lips nervously. "I... have no right to ask you, to expect you to stay. I'll understand if you don't want to."

She struggles to say the words, afraid of what they may bring. "Will you... help me?"

"Of course I will. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. I'll do whatever I can to help you get through this. You don't have to do it alone."

He pulls her in tighter and wraps his other arm around her, as well.

Alicia stops him with a finger to his lips.

She says firmly, "This is serious, Ree-is. Whatever else happens, I did commit a crime. Helping me means you could get in trouble because of it."

She looks intently into Rhys's eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Did they make you do it somehow? Coerce you or hypnotize you or something? I mean, you can't be held responsible if you didn't do it willingly.

"And regardless, of course I'm sure."

Alicia gives him a small sad smile. "It'd be nice to think so, wouldn't it?"


She places her forehead against his as the tension in her shoulders drops away and she whispers, "Thank you."

She stays that way for a few seconds, savoring the moment of relative peace and calm.

Grabbing his hand, she unfolds up to a standing position. "We need to get back."

She calls out inquiringly, "Colin?"

I'm here.

He reappears on his usual branch, and jumps down to meet them.

Are you feeling better now?

Alicia cocks her head at him with a lopsided smile on her face.

"That sort of depends on your point of view. But, yes, I'm better now than I was before. Thank you." Her gratitude is genuine.

She glances at Rhys and then back at Colin. "We're ready to go back now, I guess."

Colin smiles and open his arms. The unseen birds, millions of them, take flight at the same time. For a moment the flutter of wings and the feathers covers everything, then they find themselves in the relative calm of the news room.

"Rhys..." Colin says. "I have some friends... If you'd like to find out more about your... friend, I can ask some quiet questions... If you want, that is."

Alicia blinks her eyes open, takes a deep breath and lets it back out with a sigh, then sits up.

She sees John and Sylvia there and freezes. Her uncovered eyes narrow and flit over to Colin, the question in them plain to see. What are they doing here?

Colin shrugs. "When I summoned Rhys, they worried I could be in danger, and Sylvia went looking for me in the astral realm. Which leaves her unconscious, so then they worried something was happening to Sylvia. it's a bit complicated. The important thing is that everyone's all right, now."

Alicia gives a guarded nod.

She quickly gathers her stuff, puts her shades back on, squeezes Rhys's hand with a "We'll talk later," then eels around the group to the door and exits.

Rhys looks like he thinks about it for only a few seconds before replying. "Yeah, I think that might be a good idea."

"I'll let you know what I find out, then."

He winces in a sudden moment of more acute pain, then looks at his watch.

"We'd better go, now. Lunch time's almost over."

"You all right?" Rhys asks, the concern plain on his face.

Colin manages a smile. "Are your tattoos true?"

Rhys immediately understands what he means. "No. They're really just an affectation that I can do because of my ability. That's how I can change them around. But I know the real things do hurt. A lot."

"Mines get there on their own, and they're not really made of ink, I don't know how much the normal ones hurt. Mine do. For about a day. I'll be fine, don't worry."

"Did you get it as a result of helping Alicia?"

Rhys manages to look guilty - like he'd rather it was himself bearing any pain for Alicia.

Colin's eyes get foggy for a moment.

"It's not her fault. There are... things... that feed on pain and misery. Sometimes they get strong enough to cross a boundary. Part of my job is to send them back to the pit they crawled out of."

"And you get - for want of a better term - branded for it? That sucks."

Colin shrugs. "It would suck a lot more if I were defenseless. This way, it's a scar, a trophy, and a weapon. There are a lot of good things that come with this. I can help people, I can see things no one else can see. I can make a difference, and watch it come around to make the world a better place. I don't mind some pain for this privilege."

"Wow. Sounds like you really get to make a big difference."

Rhys' shoulders slump.

"And now I find out I'm nothing special - it's this... thing inside me that gives me any kind of power. I feel so out of my depth."

"It doesn't take powers to make a difference. Just think at what you did to Alicia."

"What did I do? You're the one that just helped her."

Colin is about to speak, but then he changes his mind and just smiles.

"One day she'll tell you." he says, walking away.