"Adam, you're sure this is it? It looks a bit run down, even for Eckhart."

"I'm positive. The last two places Jesse and Emma checked out were legit."

"We're in the middle of the jungle. I don't know about you, but Eckharts never been a fan of sweat, heat or grime."

"He's never been one to do his own dirty work either." Shalimar commented while pushing open the creaking metal door.

"Adam, we're going in."

"Keep in contact." Brennan lowered his hand while peeking over Shalimar's shoulder. She took a deep breath.

"I smell people. Twenty, maybe twenty-five. I can't be sure, not with everything else in here." She sneezed.

"Did you see any other doors?" She looked around.

"No, just this one. With the children, they probably didn't want them to have too many escape options. Eckhart can always replace the guards."

They walked slowly, staying close to the wall, the shadows providing excellent cover. Shalimar passed two rooms, one, as far as she could tell, was a security office and the other was a lab, one of many, they suspected.

Looking down the hall and determining it was clear, she nodded her head at Brennan. At her signal, he outstretched his hand, felt the familiar tingle manifest itself in his palm, travel up into his fingers, and become electric blue sparks. He moved to the other side of the door, making sure he had a good enough angle before thrusting his arm forward, sending a stream of electricity that disabled the two guards. He winked at Shalimar before easing himself into the room.

He checked the nine cameras, noting that there was just the one security office, four labs, one area for the soldiers and two sleeping quarters for the children.

Three boys and three girls.

A female and male psionic.

A female and male feral.

A female elemental and a male molecular.

Eckhart liked to think of it as his ark. The team liked to think of it as some sick man's plan for world domination. Tomatoe, tomato, right?

Brennan entered the corridor again, pointing in the direction of the soldiers' area. There was no way they'd get out of there unharmed unless they took out the guards.
~~~

They reached the quarters in time to see five of the men leaving. Shalimar motioned towards them and, with a smile, she was gone.

Sometimes Brennan couldn't help but love the feral side of her.

With a smile of his own, Brennan knocked on the soldiers' door and moved to the side. When a blond head poked out, Brennan punched him in the jaw, shocking him enough to deliver a second hit to his stomach. The man fell, prompting the loading of several guns. Collecting his power again, Brennan waited until he could literally taste the electricity before coming into full view, throwing all his energy into the room. The six men standing before him dropped their guns, cringing in pain before collapsing to the floor. When he was sure none of them would be in any position to fight, he gasped for breath, remembering again that even if his powers had grown, there was such a thing as over exerting himself. Checking the group once more out of habit, Brennan dragged the unconscious man into the room and pulled the door shut. Using one finger, he magnetized the door and lock so that it would take them at least a day to get out of the room. Especially taking into consideration the door was made of metal.
~~~

Shalimar followed them until the soldiers were standing outside one of the labs. She stayed in the corridor where she was positive they couldn't see her. She eyed the room across the hall, noting the three locks on the outside. With that much protection, it had to be one of the rooms they were keeping the children.

She pushed herself flush against the wall when she heard three separate pairs of footsteps.

Her eyes flashed yellow when she heard the whimpering of a little boy and the unmistakable laughter of two men.

"Makes no sense to resist ya know. Mr. Eckhart will break you. Just give in and it could be so much easier."

"Your boss teaching you guys child psychology now, huh?" Shalimar smirked at their surprised looks. "Needs a little work."

She ran, kicking off the wall, giving her enough leverage to kick both men across the face. They stumbled backwards, in the process letting go of the boy. He crawled across the hall, behind Shalimar, pushing himself against the cold, stone wall.

Both of the soldiers stood up, one cursing as he wiped blood from his nose.

They rushed towards her, hoping to throw her off. Instead, she jumped, leaving them to catch their balance, before she landed behind them. They turned swiftly and began circling her. She moved until her back was once again to the boy before she punched the tallest one. His partner moved forward, catching her before she had the time to recover. The punch stung and she knew there'd proof of it later. It only served to fuel her anger. She stepped back, and kicked up, knocking the one who hit her down the hall. He hit his head on the wall. His eyes rolled up in his head as his body went limp. She didn't hesitate as the other tried to surprise her from behind. Strong arms wrapped around her midsection, pinning her arms to her body.

She froze a moment when she heard a yelp and felt the man behind her loosen his grip.

She spun, expecting to find Brennan, instead seeing the man covering his crotch and the little boy standing behind him looking at her with the utmost fear. The man tried to rise. Shalimar pulled her arm back, balling it into a fist and bringing it down on the man's face before he could react. His body went slack as he fell backwards.
~~~

Brennan slowed his pace when he heard the distinct sound of footsteps.

They definitely weren't Shal's. If they were a child's, it was really big kid. Which means his original guess had to be correct. It was a guard.

Sighing Brennan turned the corner.

"Hey, I was just looking for the bathroom and I thought maybe you could help..."

The guard looked stunned and Brennan had to admit, it was the only reason he talked so much. If only to see the reactions.

He gave the guy credit. He quickly reached for his gun, which was kicked out of his hand before he even cocked it. He looked up, a slight air of anger radiating off of him. He swung at Brennan, missing narrowly. He spun, his elbow connecting with Brennan's side. Brennan stepped back, avoiding three more punches before he got his own in, hitting the man in his chest and knocking the breath out of him. With no time to recover, the guard's eyes widened at the sight of a fist coming towards him.

Brennan took a deep breath, thanking God that his ribs weren't broken again. He just healed those three months ago. Looking back one more time, he jogged to the direction of the girls' room.
~~~

"Are you okay?"

The boy backed up.

"Hey, it's ok. I'm one of the good guys. Is that where they're keeping the rest of you?" He nodded before taking a hesitant step towards her. "Is there anyone else in there? Men like this?" She pointed at the men on the floor. He shook his head. "Doctors?" He shook his head again. "Are there alarms? Security measures?"

"They didn't want alarms, just in case Jackie or Phil read their minds and got the codes. They didn't want anyone hearing them either. And with these..." He leaned his head forward, "They weren't too worried."

"We'll get those off as soon as my friend gets here. For now, let's get you and the other kids out of here."
~~~

Brennan did a quick sweep of the area before walking cautiously towards the door.

As far as he could tell, there were no alarms or triggers on the door. And since there was no keypad or card slot, there was no special code. Just two dead bolts and a chain. Pretty crappy security measures if you asked him.

One buy one, he undid the locks, bracing himself for some form of resistance once he entered the room.

Instead, he was met with the eerie glow of monitors reflecting off of dirty gray walls. He approached the first bed where a red headed girl lay.

"Please, just let us go." She whispered, her eyes squeezed shut. He crouched down beside her bed.

"That's what we're here to do." She cracked one eye open and then the other when she realized she didn't recognize him.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Brennan. Who are you?"

"I'm Anna. Are you going to get us out of here? Please? We've been here so long..." She tried sitting up but it was no use.

"Hey, hey, relax, it's ok. I'm gonna get you out of here. We're going to get all of you out of here." He pulled her cover back to reveal leather straps holding her arms, legs, and middle down. "What do you say we undo these and go help your friends? You've gotta be very quiet. I think I've had enough fighting for today." She nodded vigorously. Brennan smiled charmingly. Anna blushed.

He unbuckled the straps, wincing at the red marks on the young girls arms.

"Do you have clothes? Shoes?" She nodded and pointed to a small closet. "Good, great. I need you to help me. You go get clothes for your friends."

"Jackie, she's that one and Alex is over there." She motioned with her head.

"Okay, get clothes and shoes for you, Jackie and Alex, and anything you might need." She crept silently to the closet. She opened it and pulled out three sets of clothes.

Brennan moved silently to the next bed. A small blonde girl was having what seemed to be a nightmare.

"Hey, Jackie? Can you wake up for me?" Her eyes snapped open and if Brennan's hand hadn't been on her chest, she could have injured herself in her speed to sit up.

She was about to scream when she saw Anna standing behind Brennan.

"You're going to take us home?"

"Yes." He offered her a smile.

"Good. I hate it here. And I miss my mom and dad." She smiled back. Brennan started undoing the restraints.

"I can imagine. I didn't like this place myself either."

"You've been here?"

"A place like it." He unbuckled the one across her stomach.

"He's a horrible man." He undid her left ankle.

"I know." He undid the other one and helped her off the bed. "Go get dressed and be quiet." Anna motioned her over and began helping her dress.

He knelt beside the last bed. He assumed this was Alex. Her hair had a mixture of blond and brown and cascaded across her face in her sleep.

"Alex," He whispered. Her eyes opened slowly. "I'm here to help." After undoing her restraints he helped her to the other side of the room where Anna was zipping up Jackie's coat. He supported her as her head lolled every minute or so.

"They just brought her back an hour again. She's still a little drained."

"You two help her dress. Stay right here." They nodded as they helped their friend into her clothes.

Brennan walked to the door, poking his head out to make sure no one was coming. Less than five minutes later, they were ready to go, Jackie clutching a small, pink stuffed animal.

"One more thing. Lean forward." Anna eyed him suspiciously. "Or you could leave those things on." She moved her hair out of the way. "This might feel a little weird."

Brennan cracked his knuckles before gathering a small amount of energy in his finger and delivering a zap to the sub dermal governor. He did the same to Alex and Jackie.

Jackie's head snapped up.

"Tell her they're coming!"

"Who?"

"Your friend! Tell her there are two guards, in the corridor to her right!"
~~~

"Shal?"

"I'm here."

"The corridor to your right, two guards on their way. You've got less than two minutes."

"Got it."

Shalimar unlocked the door and shoved the child inside before closing it back as quietly and as quickly as she could. Looking up, she jumped, grabbing onto the plumbing pipes and swinging herself on top of them.

No less than thirty seconds later, two guards came around the corner. From her couched position on the pipes, she could see both of their weapons.

She wrapped her legs around the pipes and hung down just as they passed. Grabbing the sides of both of their heads, she slammed them together, hearing the resounding crack before slamming them both into opposing walls. When neither made an attempt to move, she jumped down. Surveying her work, she went to the door and pushed it open cautiously.

She followed the sound of carefully regulated breathing to the corner behind the door where the little boy was huddled.

"It's ok. They're gone now." She knelt down beside him. "What's your name?"

"Ryan." He whispered.

"Hi Ryan, I'm Shalimar and my friend and I have come to get you guys out of here and back to your families. Would you like that?" At his nod she offered him her hand, which he took hesitantly.

She glanced at the other two boys before looking back down at Ryan.

"Do you think you can help me?"

"Ok."

"Do you have something to wear?"

"In there." He pointed to the closet.

"Can you get clothes for you, and...what's your other friends' names?"

"Phil and Andrew."

"And Phil and Andrew. Can you do that for me?" He nodded before going over to the closet and pulling out everything they needed.

Shalimar walked to the first bed, pulling down the sheets to see the restraints. Her eyes flashed in fury. No one should be tied down except for that bastard Eckhart, and if she ever got her way, that would be the least of his worries.

"You're like me." The young blond boy said, his dark brown eyes open and staring at her.

"Am I?"

"You're a feral. I am too." He smiled brilliantly.

"That I am. Let's get you out of these and then we can talk about how cool we are." She smiled at him. When he was free, he hopped off the bed with something akin to catlike grace and padded silently to the closet to help Ryan and get dressed.

She went to the second bed and looked at the brunette lying there.

"Is he alright?"

"He'll be fine in thirty minutes or so. The drugs take a little while to wear off in him." Shalimar nodded while unbuckling his restraints. She began to lift him when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned to see the feral standing next to her.

"I'll take Phil. He's edgy about who touches him." He smiled sympathetically.

"Are you sure you can carry him?" To answer her question, he slid one arm under the boy's legs, and the other under his back and lifted him easily. He smiled once more before carrying him to the closet where he dressed him.

The sound of yet another set of footsteps caused her to react before she knew it. In seconds, she was standing just inside the door, poised to jump. Before she could, the footsteps stopped.

"Shal, it's us. No need to kill me." She could here the smirk in Brennan's voice. She should have known it was him. Hell, she knew the way he walked by heart.

She opened the door to reveal Brennan with one of the girls in his arms while the other two stood cautiously behind him. She moved out of the way to allow him entrance.

"Anna," He pointed to her, "Says there are only 11 guards, I got seven and I see you got four. So unless I'm a bit rusty, I think we're good to go."

"What about the ones in the security office?" Andrew asked while pulling on Phil's jacket.

"Got them too."

"Does this mean we can leave now?"

"Yes, Jackie, we can leave now. Are you going to be okay with him?"

"I'm fine, are you going to be okay with her?" Andrew motioned towards Alex.

"Peachy. By the way, Shal, this is Anna, Jackie and Alex. Girls, this is Shalimar."

"Hello."

"Hi." Jackie whispered politely, eyeing Phil.

"And Brennan, this is Andrew, Ryan and Phil. Guys, this is Brennan."

"Hello."

"Hey."

"Introductions made, lets get the heck out of here."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Shalimar raised her eyebrow, her hand gesturing towards her neck.

"Crap, sorry about that. Could you..." He handed Alex over to Shalimar.

"Getting heavy, Bren?"

"Ferals." He muttered.

"I heard that." Shalimar, Andrew and Anna said at the same time, equal smiles spreading across their faces.

Brennan rolled his eyes, before bending Andrew's neck and zapping the governor. He did the same to Ryan and then to Phil. He took Alex back from Shalimar and looked around one last time before the group headed to the exit.
~~~

With no incidents getting out, and a short stop to the infirmary for an advanced med kit and refills of their canteens, Brennan and Shalimar led the way. They were heading into the jungle to get as far away from the facility as possible and meet Emma and Jesse at the rendezvous point. The sun had already begun to set and within less than an hour, the majority of them would be walking blind. Shalimar activated her comm.

"Adam, we've got them. It's going to be dark soon, maybe an hour or so."

"Great. However, somethings come up and Jesse and Emma can't come get you at the moment. Do you think you'll be okay?"

"You're kidding. Adam. Tell me you're kidding."

"Sorry Brennan. Eckhart's been sending his goons out. Some things definitely up. I've been analyzing his patterns and so far, all the kids have been between six and thirteen. We think it has something with their developing powers. Maybe he thinks if he gets them early enough, he can control them. We've stopped three kidnappings in the last five hours."

"Adam, how many of these children are actually reported missing?"

"Not even half. They don't have the time."

"Or maybe they're not really being kidnapped."

"I see where you're going with this Brennan. We'll see what we can dig up. In the meanwhile, find a decent place to stay tonight and call me in the morning."

"Sure, why not, what's a night in the jungle, right?"

"Bye Adam."

"Bye Shalimar, Brennan."

Brennan grumbled.

"Oh, come on, it won't be that bad. I'll protect you from the big bad animals."

"Very funny. You're lucky there are children are here."

"Promises, promises." She walked faster, not giving him time to respond. Brennan shifted Alex in his arms and followed her.
~~~

Fifteen minutes later, Alex was awake and vomiting. Violently.

"Whatever they give us, it's always affected her and Phil the worst." Anna supplied.

"What's her power?"

"They called her an elemental." Brennan looked to Shalimar. He turned back to Anna and Jackie, who were hovering near his shoulder.

"When they had me, they gave me a drug. It made me sick, more subdued. It affects elementals because when we use our powers, it speeds up our metabolism. Depending on when they inject it and when we stop using our powers, the effects vary. While it affects us quicker, it also leaves our system faster. When they stop us before our body has rid itself completely of it, its like a backlash, like twice the shock to our system. It went away in a few minutes, the nausea, but it left me weak." He noticed the worried looks on the children's faces. "See, she's already stopped." He looked over at Jackie who was clinging to Anna's jacket. Shalimar handed him a tissue and he wiped Alex's mouth. He picked her up, careful not to jar her too much.

"We'll just go a little farther, then we'll 'set up camp' for the night. You guys think you can make it?" In all honestly, they didn't really have a choice. Shalimar had been leading them as far away from the facility as she could and the larger the distance, the less chance that someone would find them.
~~~

Almost an hour later, Shalimar decided it was time to stop. The children were tired and the wind had been blowing enough to chill even her. They found a small clearing and set down there.

Phil was awake but groggy and clung to Andrew like he would a teddy bear. Anna glanced over towards Alex every minute or so, if only to make sure she was still alive. Jackie and Ryan sat near a rock, talking to Jackie's teddy bear, telling it stories of ice cream and playing in the park as soon as they got back.

Alex opened her eyes slowly, her head pounding like a marching band was having it's on private party inside her skull. She glanced around before settling on Brennan. She groaned.

"I didn't puke on you, did I?" Brennan chuckled.

"No you didn't."

"Good, 'cause that would have been embarrassing."

"I'd think so. But I'd get over it. I'm Brennan," he pointed to himself and then his team mate. "And that's Shalimar. And from what I'm told, you're Alex and we have something in common."

"We do?"

Brennan wiggled his fingers, winking at her before aiming at the pile of sticks Shalimar, Phil and Andrew gathered. The spark set the wood aflame and soon, a decent sized fire was glowing. Alex smiled.

"Very cool."

"Wanna give it a try?" When he saw her eyes widen in fear, he placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"I disabled it. Believe me, there's nothing wrong with being different. In fact, we use it to our advantage everyday."

"Some more than others." Shalimar called from her spot across the fire.

"You just couldn't let me have my moment, could you?" She shrugged before standing up.

"I'm hungry." Ryan said.

"Me too." Apparently, Jackie agreed.

"Unless we're eating gauze, I think we're going to have to go on a field trip." Brennan began to stand.

"I'll go. Being a feral has to be good for something." Her eyes flashed to yellow.

"You sure?"

"Don't worry, I'll be back. Where home is and all that." They smiled at each other.

Anna and Andrew looked at each other and promptly began making gagging noises.

Shalimar laughed.

"So, you two aren't hungry?" They looked around as if they didn't know who she was talking to. She gave them both a look.

"I'll be back."
~~~

Twenty minutes, Shalimar returned with what Brennan was pretty sure used to be very large iguanas, two large birds and some sort of rodent that he didn't even want to try to identify.

"So who wants to help me?" Alex looked ready to hurl again, and Jackie, Ryan, and Phil looked very much afraid of the dead animals. She looked over at Brennan.

"I'll help you pluck the birds but I am not touching the rodent."

"That's fine, this one is mine. I got a little..."

"Hungry?" He supplied, giving her a look that told her she didn't have to explain her need to hunt to him.

"Yeah, something like that." Brennan smiled before turning to the children.

"So, who wants chicken, who wants...beef?"
~~~

After forcing down two painkillers and some 'chicken', Alex was ready to go back to sleep. For a very long time. But first, she had to pee, and judging by the way Ryan was fidgeting, he did too.

"I think it's time for a bathroom trip. My bladder might explode." Alex groaned. Jackie giggled.

"Anyone else have to go?" Shalimar asked.

Everyone raised their hands. She didn't have to wonder why none of them had the courage to ask.

"Alright, the guys with Brennan, girls with me. Andrew, keep your senses open, Brennan, call me if anything goes wrong."

"Got it." The two groups went in opposite directions, far enough that they couldn't see each other, but close enough that they could see the fire at camp.

Andrew leaned over toward Brennan when they stopped walking.

"Phil will need help with his belt, but he won't ask. I'm just going to go over there and take care of business."

"Thanks." Andrew nodded to Brennan and then walked behind a tree a few feet away. Ryan was standing in a near bush with his back turned, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching him.

Brennan approached Phil carefully.

"Phil...?" The little boy looked at him from underneath pale eyelashes.

"Do you need help?" He nodded a little, looking down at the floor.

"You wan't me to help you?"

"Please?"

"Ok buddy. It goes like this..." Brennan leaned down and showed him how to unbuckle his belt. Phil thanked him and then went about his business. When he was finished, Brennan helped him buckle it back. Once he did, Phil unbuckled it again and, after four unsuccessful tries, he buckled it by himself. He smiled gleefully, running over to Andrew to show him what he learned. Andrew smiled at him, a smile that reminded Brennan of Adam when Mutant X had solved another problem. He rubbed Phil's head before ushering him over to Brennan and Ryan.

"You think the girls are done?" Andrew turned his head to the side and strained his hearing to focus on the females of the group.

Thankful that he hadn't tuned into them relieving themselves, he answered, "All clear."

When they got back, the girls were already settling down for the night. Shalimar noticed with some dismay that without the cuffs restraining them, they couldn't find a familiar way to sleep. Shalimar shook her head trying to erase the thoughts from her mind.

She focused again on the sound of the rest of the group returning. Phil ran to the girls to show that he could now go to the bathroom by himself whenever he had to.

Brennan couldn't help but chuckle at the pure look of joy on his face. His green eyes lit up as he unbuckled and then re-buckled the thin belt. Jackie and Anna clapped for him while Alex told him 'congratulations'.

"Alright, bed time. Lots of walking to do tomorrow." They arranged themselves until they were somewhere near comfortable. Phil was curled up tightly next to Andrew who was lying down, twisted in a position only a feline feral could find comfortable. Jackie and Ryan curled up between Andrew and Anna, while Alex was lying on her back, long gone into a fitful sleep.

It was ten minutes before all the children were sleeping.

Shalimar took a seat next to Brennan across from them.

"You can see some of their feral tendencies already. The need to protect the pack, especially the younger ones. Their postures, the way they walk, the way they listen."

"Yeah, but do you think that's Eckhart's doing, or theirs?"

"I don't know. I can't help but hope it's the way nature planned it. Sometimes being forced to realize something about yourself only makes you hate it more. I don't want any of them growing up thinking that there's something wrong with them." Shalimar sighed, leaning her head back on the rock they were braced against.

Brennan paused before asking, "What's it like?"

"What?"

"Hunting." Shalimar closed her eyes.

"Bren, I don't..." Her breath caught when she felt his fingers run through her hair. They stopped to rest on her face. She opened her eyes to stare into his.

"It doesn't make me think of you any differently, you know that, right?" He whispered. She closed her eyes again, leaning into his touch. He moved his thumb to caress her cheek.

"It's like being free." She began, taking hold of his hand and resting it on her leg. "It's freedom from keeping myself in check all day." She began caressing his hand without even realizing it. She was staring out, past the fire and through the woods at some unknown point of focus. "It's being able to let myself breathe after holding my breath for 12 hours a day." She moved over, resting her head on his shoulder, her fingers now entwined with hers. "It's not being afraid every time I open my eyes and see in gold and black." She shivered and squeezed his hand tighter. "It's...it's not being afraid what you guys will think if you saw me like that. It's not being afraid of what you would think of me. It's not being afraid of what I am. It's letting my feral side take over and just be...free."

"Shal, look at me." She raised her head slightly to look into his dark brown eyes. "We're all mutants. And there is nothing wrong with that. No matter what kind you are. Each of us has something we have to learn to deal with. Maybe nothing like what you're going through, but something we think makes us that much different from the rest of the team. It doesn't mean you mean any less to any of us. You are what you are, and you, my dear, are a beautiful, intelligent, utterly sexy feral, who just happens to need a little time to herself. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Ok?" Shalimar smiled a little and looked down.

She was not blushing.

"Yeah."

"Good." He planted a soft kiss on her forehead. She rested her head back on his shoulder.

"Now, I've been meaning to ask you, what the hell was that rat thing?"
~~~

Shalimar, and, subsequently, Brennan, woke to the sound of rustling. They automatically looked towards the young ones.

Andrew and Anna sat up quickly, eyes flashing yellow, surveying the dark jungle surrounding them. When no immediate danger was present, the two young ferals looked down at the boy between them. Ryan was thrashing wildly, fighting off an invisible attacker in his sleep.

Brennan and Shalimar watched in amazement as the little boy shudder, then phased out, then back to corporeal form. He phased again, a little longer this time, his skin becoming transparent molecules. When he phased back, both ferals reached for him. Andrew placed his hand on the boy’s forehead, while Anna placed a calming hand on his chest. Andrew pushed his hair out of his eyes.

Jackie and Phil sat up straight, their eyes wide in terror. Simultaneously, they yelled, "Wake him up!"

Anna began shaking him gently while Andrew called his name silently. Alex was on her feet in less than a minute when she heard the commotion. She was kneeling in front of Ryan before Brennan or Shalimar reached them.

"Ryan, Ryan, wake up honey. It's ok, it's just a dream. Remember? We talked about this." Reaching between the two older children, Alex pulled Ryan onto her lap. His hazel eyes peered at her from underneath heavy eyelids. He threw his arms around her neck.

Shalimar knelt down next to the two. "Are you alright?" He nodded his head. "Are you sure? Do you want to come over there with us?"

"I'm ok now. I promise. Right Alex? I'm ok?" He looked at the girl whose arms were wrapped around him. She looked at Shalimar and Brennan, signaling that they'd be fine.

"Yeah, you're ok. You want to come over here with me? I'll even let you have the softer part." Ryan nodded vigorously and the two moved over to where Alex had been sleeping. She laid down, and he followed, curling up against her and using her arm as a pillow. She whispered to him causing him to giggle and then close his eyes. Soon his breath was evening out, indicating that he'd fallen asleep. Alex relaxed and closed her eyes, pulling Ryan a little closer. She soon drifted off.

Anna and Andrew readjusted Phil and Jackie, forming a human barrier around the children. They stared at each other for a minute. They waited until they were sure the two children were asleep before closing their eyes and going back to sleep.

Shalimar looked up, noting that the sky was pitch black.

"We should try and get some sleep. The sun won't be up for another five or six hours." Brennan nodded, still staring at the scene across from him.

"I..." He shook his head and walked back to their place against the rock.

"They'll be fine. I don't think they'd let anything happen."

"They're just kids." He stared at the teddy bear clutched in Jackie and Phil's hands. "He's kidnapping them for whatever sick agenda he's got planned this week." He picked up a leaf and toyed with it. "God only knows what he's done to them in the past seven months." He tore the leaf in half. "Seven months, Shal. We've rescued over thirty kids in the last two weeks. How many others are there?"

Shalimar could smell the energy building in his veins with each word. She looked up to see him staring at the fire, cords of energy flicker across his eyes.

"Bren, you have to calm down." He clenched his hand over the leaf and took a deep breath. He opened it and let the charred remains of the leaf fall. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"What do you think he's trying to do?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

"I don't know." She slid her hand across his shoulder, moving her fingers until they came into contact with the soft hair on the nape of his neck. "Let's hope Adam has things figured out by the morning or we might be spending a lot longer out here than we expected." Brennan groaned.

"I'd kill for a mattress right now. Doesn't even have to be a good one."

"What? And miss the chance to sleep with me?"

"Well when you put it like that..." He winked. Shalimar moved her hand back down, placing it on his chest, raking her eyes along his body.

"Too bad we're not alone." She whispered.

"I'll just hold you to it then." He breathed, watching in fascination as she licked her lips. A positively evil smile spread across her face.

"You do that."

The sound of coughing brought them back to the present. They looked over to see Jackie standing, doing the 'universal pee-pee dance'.

"I have to go the bathroom." She whispered urgently. Shalimar walked over to her and held out her hand.

"Come on, don't want to have an accident, do we?" The little girl shook her head 'no' but hesitated. She held up her other hand, which was clutching the stuffed animal.

"She gets scared." She whispered again, referring to the small toy.

"Why don't we leave her with Brennan until we come back? He'll take care of her." Jackie smiled as if that was the best idea she'd heard all day. She walked over to him carefully and presented him with the bear. She gave him a stern look before following Shalimar into a cluster of trees.

Brennan chuckled. He was pretty sure the look was meant to be threatening, but came out ridiculously cute on the small girl.

They came back a few minutes later, Jackie heading straight for Brennan. He dutifully handed the bear back to her. She leaned forward, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you."

"No problem." She scurried back to the others where she laid down and snuggled into the warmth of Anna's body.

"Aww." Shalimar said.

"Shut up." Brennan was hoping that glaring would help him out in this particular situation.

"Everywhere you go..." Apparently not.

"I'm warning you."

"They just…fall at your feet." Brennan noticed that Shalimar stood far enough away that he couldn't grab her.

Smart girl.

"You're having too much fun."

"Thanks Bren." She flipped her hair, imitating the senator's daughter.

"Are you still on that?"

"Come on, you've got to admit, you seem to have an affect on the ladies."

"Yeah? What about you? Am I 'affecting' you?"

"Ask me tomorrow. Right now, we need to get some sleep." Shalimar sat down, pulling her jacket closer. It was a good thing they wore them, no one mentioned the jungle wasn't exactly the warmest place to be at night. Even with her ability, to some degree, to regulate her body temperature, it was still a bit chilly. She moved closer to Brennan, internally sighing when he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.

Brennan looked around cautiously, trying to determine if it was safe to fall asleep in this wilderness. Shalimar sensed his apprehension and looked up, a small smiling tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Don't worry, Bren, us ferals will protect you from the big bad wolf."

"Ha, ha. Very funny. Now go to sleep." Shalimar pulled herself closer and closed her eyes, letting the soothing sounds of the jungle lull her to sleep.
~~~

"Brennan, Shalimar, are you guys okay?"

Brennan groaned. It wasn't so much that he needed more sleep, although now that he thought about it, he might, it was more to do with the fact that the god awful sun was shining down brightly and his body hurt. Not just his arm, or his neck, but everything.

Right now, all Brennan wanted was a bed. And definitely not Adam waking him up.

"Yeah, Adam we're fine. No major incidents to report. Have you found out anything new?" Shalimar shifted but refused to open her eyes. She could listen to the guys talk just as well without the morning sun blinding her. Brennan looked at the head resting on his chest and snorted. Of course Shal got to sleep. And on him at that. At least one of them was comfortable.

"There's a distinct pattern among the children Eckharts been kidnapping. While all their abilities vary to some degree, for the most part, they've been feline ferals, electrical elementals, telepaths and of course, moleculars. Particularly ones that can mass and phase."

"What, you think he's trying to create his own Mutant X?"

"Not immediately, no. But as a long-term goal to be executed within a couple of years, yes, I think that’s exactly what he's doing. Think about it. Train them to think in his way for a few years, when the parents have given up hope, and they'd be the perfect weapons. No identities, no emotional ties, and loyalty to only the GSA."

"It seems a little, well, stupid, don't you think? Why wait? By then this little war of his could be over."

"I'm thinking it has something to do with the fact that the older mutants he's tried to 'assimilate' generally didn't go well for him and resources are running low. The younger they are, the more impressionable they'll be. For all we know, he could be planning to implement this plan within the next six months."

"You mean send the kids to do his dirty work."

"No one would suspect them. They could infiltrate hundreds of places that the GSA could only dream of."

"The bastard needs to be put down."

"I agree, but for now, lay low. He's been too busy relocating the other children that he hasn't noticed the ones you have are gone. We'd like to keep it like that for a little while longer. Jesse and Emma are still out, we've got to try to get to these 'recruitment' houses before he moves them or we'll have to start from scratch."

"You want us to stay out here longer? Adam, come on."

"I'm sorry Brennan but we don't have the resources right now."

"This isn't exactly the Ritz Carlton, you know." Adam chuckled.

"I know Brennan but the best thing about being a mutant is being able to improvise. You've got three ferals so food, direction and shelter won't be a problem. And with your powers, you could light a fire in no time."

"Yeah yeah yeah. But I can't make a bed. Or a decent bathroom. Hell, Adam, I'd settle for just a pillow." Shalimar's arm, wrapped around his waist, squeezed him.

"Stop whining. We'll be fine Adam. Call us if anything changes."

"Will do."

Brennan sighed for what seemed like the fiftieth time in the last day. This was really not how he planned to spend the next few days. He also doubted this kind of 'rescue' was what the kids had in mind.
~~~

After a scarce breakfast, the group headed out again. From what Shalimar remembered, there was a small village north of the rendevous spot. Hopefully, they could find somewhere to sleep there until Jesse and Emma could come and get them. If they kept walking at this pace, they'd reach the village by tomorrow afternoon. They're biggest challenge would be finding lodging once night fell again.

They were currently hiking up a small hill, Shalimar taking point and Brennan bringing up the rear. The children stayed close together in between them. Phil clung tightly to Andrew's arm, while Jackie and Ryan cast looks at each other every few seconds. Brennan didn't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that they were using telepathy to communicate. He looked past them to the two older girls, Anna and Alex. They were talking quietly among themselves, both of them smiling mischievously. Only then did he realize it was the first time that he'd seen them really interact.

They giggled like only teenage age girls could mananged and glanced back at him. When they noticed him looking back at them, they quickly turned around, and giggled again. They continued talking, lower this time, just in case he got close enough to hear.

To see Anna, who'd been so serious the night before, giggling, was an odd thing to witness. Just this side of disconcerting. On the up side, it was good to see that Alex was definitely feeling much better. She was walking steadily on her own and she hadn't complained of dizziness or a headache since last night.

Phil and Jackie mad gagging noises. They looked at each other and then started to sing.

"They've got a crush! They've got a crush!" The two girls blushed furiously and sped up.

"Hey, hey. It's not nice to read your friends without their permission."

"Mr. Eckhart said..."

"Mr. Eckhart has never had anything good to say. I'm not sure what he's told you, but I do know that friends don't appreciate it when you use powers against them. You only use them against the bad guys, ok?" Brennan looked down at the two children walking on either side of him.

"How do we know who the bad guys are?"

"Sometimes, it's hard to tell. We're not always sure when we go into a situation. But we stay alert. From what I understand, telepaths can sense feelings without reading someone's mind, like telempaths, right?" They nodded. "So if you feel something that makes you think you're in danger, then it's a safe bet that you keep your distance. Never go any where with anyone unless you know them. The GSA does it all the time. Sends an agent out and they'll tell you things, like they know your parents, or they're from your school, but don't listen to them. You make sure there are a lot of people and if they try anything, you scream and do anything you can to get other people's attention. Got it?" They nodded again. "But you don't feel anything like that from Anna or Alex, do you?"

"No." They answered together.

"Then there's no need to be in their heads, right?" They nodded guiltily.

"Good, as long as you understand the difference, no harm done. Now go catch up." He gave them both a gentle nudge forward. Once again he was in the back by himself. He didn't know how he ended bring up the rear and carrying the first aid kid, but he was starting to regret it. In his opinion, it was too hot to be carrying anything, no matter how heavy; his leather jacket was feeling like a ton of bricks wrapped around his waist. It was also too hot to be walking, especially behind a group, who he personally thought was walking ten times too slow. He shook his head, feeling the heat getting to him already. It was going to be a long day.
~~~

They'd been walking for about five and a half hours before they took a real break. There was nothing for lunch at the moment, and they decided that they should wait until dinner for any real meals. They shared a canteen of water and a green pack of starburst that Brennan had been hording away.

Brennan was sitting on a fallen log when he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. He looked up and shook his head, silently asking himself 'why?'.

Shalimar noticed his expression. "Something wrong, Bren?"

"Storms coming. Big storm. Massive friggin' storm." Brennan sighed. That would definitely explain his mood throughout the day.

Shalimar cocked her head and inhale deeply. She tried again.

"Brennan, are you sure? I don't smell anything."

"I'm positive. I can feel it. It's a little while off, but we'd better start looking for shelter or I might have a problem." As an afterthought he looked to Alex.

"Alex, what kind of elemental are you?"

"I think they called it an electrical. Is that right? I can do this..." He held her hands together and slowly separated them, a web of energy between them.

"Correction. We need to look for shelter or we might have a problem." He never really discussed it with anyone; Adam already knew and no one else asked, but water was more than just a risk for electrocution. It did something to his body, his immune system. He was prone to sickness when he was wet. It was why he avoided swimming, thunderstorms, hell, fire hydrants. The shower was the closet he could get without getting sick. He was pretty sure it had something to do with the temperature and the amount of time he stayed in there, but even then, he didn't quite feel like himself when he got out.

"Alright, everyone, come on. Gotta find some place to sleep." Shalimar said, tightening her jacket around her waist. Leather really wasn't the best thing to wear in the jungle. Great for night. Not so great for the humidity of the day.

She wasn't quite sure what Brennan meant by 'a little while off' but to be on the safe side, she picked up the pace. He was quiet now, no grumblings about the hiking or the heat. On the occasions she glanced back he seemed to be lagging, his limbs not as confident as they usually were. They'd never been outside when a storm was approaching and it was odd to watch Brennan as if the clouds were actually settling on his shoulder. She chanced a glance at Alex, noting the slight slump in her shoulders as well, how she wasn't talking as much, almost stumbling every once and a while.
~~~

After an hour and thirty minutes of almost silence, Shalimar glanced back, seeing Alex walking next to Brennan. He had his arm wrapped around her shoulder, and she leaned lightly against him.

"You guys alright?" Brennan nodded.

"I'm feeling a bit tired." Alex added. Shalimar turned back and inhaled. She could smell the hint of electricity now. The faint smell of rain. Brennan seemed to sense it and straighten up as if being pulled by strings.

"I feel weird." Alex shivered.

"It's the storm. Electricals have a natural aversion to water, like ferals and fire. The bigger the storm, the more edgy we get. You can feel it, can't you? The electricity in the air. We feel it more than most people. It's like someone breathing down your neck."

"I feel it. Like I'm a mini-conducter."

"Exactly." Brennan smiled. He was trying his best to get her mind off of the feeling. Like you were being drained and charged all at the same moment. The feeling like the storm itself was resting on your shoulders.

On to Part II

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