Repent

Participants:

adam_icon.gif kaylee_icon.gif thalia_icon.gif

Scene Title Repent
Synopsis A Humanis First bombing doesn't go as planned.
Date August 19, 2009

Central Park

Central Park has been, and remains, a key attraction in New York City, both for tourists and local residents. Though slightly smaller, approximately 100 acres at its southern end scarred by and still recovering from the explosion, the vast northern regions of the park remain intact.

An array of paths and tracks wind their way through stands of trees and swathes of grass, frequented by joggers, bikers, dog-walkers, and horsemen alike. Flowerbeds, tended gardens, and sheltered conservatories provide a wide array of colorful plants; the sheer size of the park, along with a designated wildlife sanctuary add a wide variety of fauna to the park's visitor list. Several ponds and lakes, as well as the massive Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, break up the expanses of green and growing things. There are roads, for those who prefer to drive through; numerous playgrounds for children dot the landscape.

Many are the people who come to the Park - painters, birdwatchers, musicians, and rock climbers. Others come for the shows; the New York Shakespeare Festival at the Delacorte Theater, the annual outdoor concert of the New York Philharmonic on the Great Lawn, the summer performances of the Metropolitan Opera, and many other smaller performing groups besides. They come to ice-skate on the rink, to ride on the Central Park Carousel, to view the many, many statues scattered about the park.

Some of the southern end of the park remains buried beneath rubble. Some of it still looks worn and torn, struggling to come back from the edge of destruction despite everything the crews of landscapers can do. The Wollman Rink has not been rebuilt; the Central Park Wildlife Center remains very much a work in progress, but is not wholly a loss. Someday, this portion of Central Park just might be restored fully to its prior state.


It's a cool evening tonight and the wind blows a gentle breeze in the park as people takes strolls and what not around the place before curfew sets in.

Among them, is Thalia. Who is shouldering past everyone, tears running down her face. But her gaze is narrow and her jaw set. She wears a pair of dark jean short shorts and a tank top, carrying her message bag along with her.

Adam is walking along the park with his hands in his pockets. He's whistling to himself some jaunty little tune he learned in the 1700s. Michael is nowhere to be seen for whatever reason. Adam appears to be in a good mood, so good that he stops by a hot dog cart and decides to eat one of these disgusting concoctions. It's during this pause that he notices, well, a rather beautiful looking creature who needs a friend.

She's already been here once today, but here Kaylee is again, but this time it's not cause she wants too. No… This is where Michael said Adam would be after she charmed it out of him. Eyes scan the park as she walks along the paths at a brisk pace, she has a purpose, not time to stop and smell the roses so to speak. She almost doesn't see him, but as she passes the hot dog cart, she catches a familiar face. "There you are." She exclaims with a grin, but as she aproaches him, she follows his gaze and her brows lift. Oops.. a distraction.

A few of the people in the park are not happy that they are being pushed our of the way. Thalia isn't stopping either, she's nearing Adam and Kaylee but she hasn't paid attention to really see them yet.

The wind blows a strand of hair out of her ponytail and into her face, her boots clicking on the pavement.

Adam continues to watch Thalia walk down the path. He seems as if he's about to approach her when Kaylee calls out to him. He turns and frowns. Kaylee or hot little item…Kaylee or hot little item. He sighs, Thalia's walking slowly enough, he can catch up, "Yes, Kaylee? Here I am. I wanted to talk to you about something." he pauses, "But….perhaps I can wait." he says pointedly.

"I was starting to think Michael lied about where you were." Kaylee says with amusement as she watch Thalia walk along. " And well… I wanted to talk to you about a couple of things too…" She leans close to Adam and whispers clearly teasing the man, "But seeing as your a bit distracted…. I guess it can wait in light of your pursuit for a little… ah.. the damsel in distress."

Thal is just about to pass by Kaylee and Adam, more so on Kaylee's side. The woman has her hands in her pockets, well sort of since her shorts are so short and ponytail bounces as she walks, a few guys turn around to whistle and she gives them the bird, not stopping. She can't believe it.. her only hope.. dead.

"He's help with me a lot." She says in a quieter tone as well. "He's asked me to use my talents once for him." Kitty says and looks at John before looking back to Niki. "Is he ok?" her voice is full of worry at the thought of Peter being hurt or something.

Thal is just about to pass by Kaylee and Adam, more so on Kaylee's side. The woman has her hands in her pockets, well sort of since her shorts are so short and ponytail bounces as she walks, a few guys turn around to whistle and she gives them the bird, not stopping. She can't believe it.. her only hope.. dead.

Adam hmms a moment and nods, "Soon enough." he says to Kaylee, but then steps along the path. He puts on his best concerned smile and offers it to Thalia, he says, "Miss…are you alright? Do you need some help?"

Kaylee doesn't follow after, just rolls her eyes at Adam's back and he goes off in pursuit of the female creature. "Seriously… men." she murmurs turning to the hot dog cart. She flashes the man a bright smile. "Hey there.. " She eyes the menu as she fishes out money. "Chicago Dog.. No mustard. Put mustard on it and I will have to hurt you." She says it so pleasantly too. "And no lip about how it's not a true Chicago dog with out it.. Cause I really don't care. Mustard is gross." As she waits, she turns to watch her employer with small amused smirk.

"What?" Thalia barely stops, now walking a little slower. "Who the fuck are who?" she raises an eyebrow. So not in the mood today. "Can you go back in time? I don't think so." She mutters and she begins to move on, wind blowing through her hair.

Adam considers the going back in time matter. Well, no. He knows someone who can, but they're not exactly on speaking terms. He pauses and continues to walk along with Thalia, "Well, no. I suppose I can't do that." he says in his soothing British accent, but perhaps there's something I can do to help with the future.." he smiles, "You don't exactly look like you have a whole lot of options at the moment."

"…repent!" It was barely audible a few moments ago, but by now the sound of a voice echoing through the park can more clearly be heard, along with the ringing of a bell. "Repent! The end is coming! Seek forgiveness in the Lord! Repent!" A warped copper bell chimes and dings out as a scruffy-looking old man in a sweat-stained brown t-shirt and tattered jeans comes trundling down one of the paths in the park, a wooden sandwich-board worn over him displaying only a series of numbers; 12.12.09, written in red over a large black circle. "Repent! Repent sinners, the purification is near!"

"Oh Christ," mutters a man with his children on the park bench, pushing his young son off of the seat gently as he rises up to his feet. "Come on, Stephen, let's get headed home. All the crazies come out after dark I guess…" Giving an askance look at the doomsayer ringing his bell, the middle-aged man ushers his son and daughter past where Adam and Kaylee stand in the park, brushing shoulders with another man headed up the concrete walkway; a younger, fitter, more toned man in an oddly heavy olive-drab jacket, especially given how humid it's been out today. Even with the sun setting, it's not quite jacket weather. But at the very least it matches the rest of his army-fatigue style.

"Oh really.." she says dryly. "I don't have many options you say?" Thalia's eyes flash and her head tilts at Adam, "You don't know the first thing about me, bud." She says through clenched teeth.

The raving fanatic is gazed upon and she shakes her head. "Fuckin crazy bastards." she mutters. Her look returns back towards Adam and she looks him up and down.

Adam considers Thalia quietly for a few moments, "Well, I don't know that I don't know the first thing about you. But you're right, I don't know what the story is." he glances towards the person telling everyone to repent. He shakes his head a moment and then looks back towards Thalia, "But, there's always the chance I could help, isn't there?"

Hot dog in hand, Kaylee turns and almost runs into the man and his kids. "Oops!" She holds her food to the side saving it from getting spilled. "Sorry! So sorry." She gives them a sheepish grin and sides steps them. She glances for Adam and once she sees the direction he's going, she lazily follows happy to stay way back and munch on her grub.

Catching sight of the bell ringer Kaylee arches a brow and she watches him amused. A glance to her employer, she angles towards the clearly insane man. "Hey! Crazy Doom Guy," She calls out trying to get his attention. "What's with the date? Locker combo? Pin number?" The last question is said around a bite of hot dog.

Vying for a lunatic's attention is like feeding a grizzly bear; they will never go away. When Kaylee calls out for the doomsayer, his pale blue eyes settle on her immediately, and he begins to shuffle in her direction, beat up old tennis shoes scuffing on the pavement as he makes his way over to her. "Miss," he starts, stroking his one free hand thorugh the tangle of gray that is his beard, "miss have you found the Lord yet? He offers salvation from the coming end times, offers a place at the good God's side when the Rapture is upon us and the dead rise again…" There's a severity and rather uncomfortable clarity that he delivers those practiced lines with, sidling up close to Kaylee as he walks. "A young… young girl like yourself— you shouldn't be without salvation. The Lord's the only one who can save your soul, save it from the end, you know."

Passing by Kalyee and the crazy preacher, the man in the army fatigues glances anxiously in Adam's direction, then over towards Thalis before moving to the bench where the father and his children just were. Setting himself down on the seat, he runs his hands over the top of his head, pressing fingers down against short cropped hair as he exhales a sharp breath out his nose. One foot keeps jittering up and down, and he casts another suspicious glance up to the preacher, then back down to his feet, noticing the unsteady bounce of one nervous knee that he consciously tries to stop.

"I highly doubt that you could do anything to help me." Thalia says and she begins to move away from the handsome, blonde man. "You are not super man." She says and shakes her head, her feet pounding on the ground. She notices the man in fatigues looking at her and her gaze becomes fixed on him. He's acting a little strange.

Thalia is actually moving in his direction, or pass by. But she's doing so slowly, noticing his somewhat weird behavior. "You better go help you friend over there, looks like she's gonna need it."

"Oh.. and your offering it?" Kaylee says with a grin. She Breaks her hot dog in half and offers the part she hasn't hand her mouth on you the grungy man. "Doesn't have mustard, but it's good." She takes another bite of her hot dog, and asks, "I haven't found him yet.. but then he hasn't exactly found me yet either. Or…. was I suppose to find him?" She gets a little confused look, then she grins again. "So.. tell me. What's suppose to happen that I need salvation from? I mean it couldn't have at least waited till after Christmas?" She glances at the date on the sign. "I mean.. Seems so cruel to have the world end twelve days before Christmas."

Adam shakes his head as Thalia storms off. He shrugs a moment and then glances towards Kaylee and the prophet. He makes his way over towards Kaylee and the dirty man. He lets out a sigh, "Friend, perhaps this sermon would be better served elsewhere."

About to answer Kaylee's question, Adam's interjection over the street preacher causes the old man to furrow his grayed brows and wag a finger in Adam's face. "Don't you go givin' lip to your elders, young man." Well if that isn't something of a side-splitter… "You and this little lady here need to find Jesus. You both have a look about you, and that look says to me you ain't believing. Well I'll tell you, I'm believing! The good Lord showed me himself the day of the end-times, and they're approaching! We've all got to turn to His word and seek guidance and shelter so that when the Rapture comes, we are prepared to face it!" The old man purses his lips, directing his words back and forth from Kaylee to Adam and back again.

"When I was your age," the old man begins ranting again, "I was a soldier, and I fought and bled for this country in Vi-et-nam," he enunciates the word in an inappropriately drawn out fashion, "all I ever knew was killin', and that place turned me into something I en't much proud of. But when I got back to the States, nobody saw me as a hero. Did you know that? I bet you're too young to remember, but we Nam' vets were pariahs of our age! We were called baby killers, n'murderers, and I'll tell you life wasn't easy on us!" As the conversation begins to see-saw away from what his original topic was, it's clear that he isn't going to stop any time soon.

As if Central Park isn't crowded enough in these evening hours, lights and noise coming from the west end of the park is hard to ignore. A crew of fifteen men dressed in windbreakers, some carrying lighting equipment and others carrying television cameras are moving from a large white van with a satellite dish on top parked on the walkway. A woman walking with them leafs through a pink-colored document, quietly conversing with members of her crew as they begin setting up lights and cameras on tripods. The cameras and their windbreakers all have the NBC, Channel 4 logo on them.

Suddenly, the man in the fatigues is more focused on the news crew, watching them setting up cameras pointed in the direction of the ruins of Midtown visible from this point in the park. He breathes in deeply, slowly, and wraps his arms around himself, eyes anxiously flitting away from the television crew down to his feet, knee jumping up and down again as his gaze goes somewhat distant just as Thalia starts to walk by him.

Alrighty then, Thalia notes the camera crew and news person. "This crowded park.. is getting just a little to crowded for me." She mutters to herself and the man is looked at again, his behavior is not getting any better. Against her better judgement, she isn't a totally cold bitch. Thalia comes to stand near the army fatigue man. "Hey.. do you need some help or something?" she asks, the hoodie she has wrapped around her waist, she slips it on. Putting her messenger bag on the outside.

Kaylee glances over at Adam's approach then back to her companion. "I dunno Adam.." She flashes Adam a big grin. "Have you found the Lord?" She nods her head towards the prophet, "I wanna hear what I need saving from. Especially, twelve days before Christmas. I mean.. Christmas is an awesome holiday. I could go for New Years though…" she turns thoughtful at that.

Her attention goes back to the old man and she nods at what he says. "See Adam.. He fought for our country, we should listen to him." She gives Adam an amused look and then realizes.. " Hey.. where was that piece of… er…. that damsel?" She suddenly gives Adam a sympathetic look. "Oh.. crash and burn huh?" She reaches out to gives his arm a sympathetic pat as she goes back to listening to the old man go on and on. "That's all fine and good Mr. Gloom and Doom.. But seriously, twelve days before Christmas?" This is a sticking point for her. She likes Christmas she already knew what she was gonna get Adam too.

Adam looks blandly at the, comparatively, young man go on about war. War? Adam has spent most of his life as a mercenary. You want disappointment, Adam's been on the losing side of most wars. He shakes his head and looks up as the news crew arrives. Frowning, he says, "Kaylee we should get out of the way."

"Twelve days before the Lord's birthday," the preacher enunciates clearly, jogged out of his trip down memory lane's dirty side-street as his focus turns back to Kaylee. "Twelve days before the Lord's birthday, the moon'll be swallowed up by eternal darkness, and then the end comes. The world'll be swallowed up in the time of Rapture, n'we'll all be needin' to know which side we're on." The preacher's brows furrow together, "I seen't it, missy, I seen't it with m'own two eyes." He reaches out, gripping at Adam's sleeve with one hand as Adam's focus turns away from him. "Sir, I implore you, seek forgiveness and repent for whatever sins your life has contained. You can only live a life fulfilled and happy if you shed your wrongdoings and repent… there's so little time left, don't you want it to be happy?"

Not far away, the man in the army jacket looks up abruptly to Thalia, eyes wide and sweat beading on his brow. "I— I'm fine, go— just— " reaching up with one hand, he waves the young woman away hastily, "Just fuck off and mind your own business!" But as his arm flings out to the side, Thalia's eyes gravitate to where his jacket opens, revealing wires, long and thin metallic cylinders, and color-coded plugs connecting them to small rectangular packages wrapped in green plastic strapped to his chest.

"We're going live in five…" A voice from where the cameras are set up, "four…" the man behind the camera counts down as the reporter takes one last pluck at her hair with one hand, standing with her back to the ruins of Midtown, "three…"

"Listen.. you don't want to do this." Thalia says softly and she weighs her options. She goes to a crouch, her hand going to the long knife sheathed in her boot. Her hair is now out of her ponytail and it frames her face as she looks up at the guy.

"How about we go for a walk? Clear our heads. God knows I need it." She says and tries to offer a smile to the guy. If being nice doesn't work..

"What?" Kaylee asks a bit distracted by the old man's blathering. Moon will be swallowed up. Interesting. She's tempted to poke around in his brain to see how crazy thinks and even starts to scan his thoughts… but Adam's mention of wanting to leave, makes her stop with a sigh.

Kaylee looks past Adam to the news crew. Her brows lift a bit and she gives a mischievous smirk, she leans closer to the old guy, ignoring the smell. Keeping her voice at a whisper like she's giving some sort of conspiracy theory. "Hey.. Look.. News people. They always need saving. Not to mention better way to get the message out. I am telling you, sir." She glances at the old guy out of the corner of her eye. "Especially that lady.. The one with the pink papers. I bet she needs the most saving." she reaches out and gives the old guy a pat, before moving away. "I'll go see if I can find the Lord." She gives a little wiggle of her fingers in farewell to her new friend. Then she give Adam a slightly annoyed look. "Alright, let's go… I got a thing late tonight anyhow."

Just as his fingers had wound into Adam's sleeve, they jump to Kaylee's and grip her arm tightly — too tightly — "The moon will darken," he murmurs, fingers pressing down hard against her skin, "I've seen the fires of Judgement Day." The old man's jaw sets, teeth gnashing together as he leans in towards Kaylee, the stink of alcohol strong on his breath, "we all burn. We all burn in the dark." is hand jerks away, fingers twitching and hand trembling as he takes a few skittering steps backwards, bell ringing up and down. "Repent!"

For the barest of moments, the man in the army jacket looks stunned, staring up at Thalia with wide eyes. His lips part, a breath sucked in sharply as he boltsto his feet, one hand moving out to shove her a few steps away, the other held out with a dead-man's switch gripped tightly in his hands, fingers wound around the motorcycle handbrake used to create the triggering device. "Back off!" he shouts towards Thalia, stumbling away from her to bump into the bench. By now his jacket has slung open, dozens of wires connected to pipes and plastic wrapped parcels affixed to a vest worn beneath the coat exactly what one might expect a suicide vest to look like.

The cameraman in plain sight of this just stops counting all together, and turns the camera on immediately. "Jesus Christ Jeane, look!" He motions towards the young man with the bomb strapped to his chest and the detonator. "Jesus Christ!"

Hearing the shout, the old doomsayer turns to look over his shoulder, mouth opening wide as he looks to the young man holding the detonator to reveal that he's missing two or three of his yellowed teeth. "Sweet Christ he's got a bomb!" That proclimation sends screams through people on blankets and walking their dogs, attention all moving to the man in the army jacket as he pivots and turns, motioning threateningly with the dead-man's switch towards thoe gawking.

"We are your children!" He begins to recite, "We are your police officers! We are your firemen!" Beneath the oveertures of the manefesto, horrified murmurings come from the crowd around him, people beginning to flee in any direction that is away from the man with the bomb. "We are your teachers, your lawyers, we are humans!"

Oh God.

The mechanic looks at the man with wide eyes and then she shakes her head, "Nope, this is not happening this way." Before the cameras can record her face, Thalia pulls her hood over her head and only her hair can be seen, covering her face.

"Listen, dick." Thalia starts and she moves forward, the wind has picked up and the leaves around the park have begun to roll across the floor. "Don't even think about that, I've had a pretty fucked day and you blowing all these innocent people away will not make my day better." Her knife is now up her sleeve but she can easily access it now.

There's a hand on her hip as she stands across from the man, it's just the two of them. Everyone else has given them space. She taps her foot.

Jerked to a stop by the old man she can only look into his eyes and her head tilts a bit. Kaylee starts to reach into to his mind again, but then the shouting catches her attention. She turns as the old man does. "Oh shit," she murmurs as the old guy screams. Grabbing the bell ringer and tuning him, she pushes him away. "Go on.. Get out of here. " Then she turns back to bomber, of course, she also realizes who's with him. Glancing around for Adam, he's no where to be seen. "Oh great." she murmurs rolling her eyes skyward and then at the camera crew. It would be easy if it wasn't for that. She gives a soft curse and moves back further out of the cameras view and lets the flee crowd carry her to where she can lean on a tree not all that far from the camera crew.

Thalia's brief retort does little to dissuade the suicide bomber who takes a few staggering steps back, both hands tightly clutching his dead-man's switch. "We will not stand for the proliferation of degenerate genetic aberrations within our country or our world! We are humans!" His hands tremble, and as bystanders in the park begin to duck for cover behind trees, run screaming in the opposite direction, the Channel 4 news crew continues filming the incident.

Standing beside Kaylee, the street preacher takes several stumbling steps away from the scene, lifting his sandwich board sign up over his head as his heels dig into the concrete of the walkway and he bumps into one of the innocent bystanders. "Repent!" he loudly shouts on his escape, "Repent!"

"Human is First!" The young man shouts, throwing his head back as his fingers unwind from the detonator, the pressure-sensative tong flipping out and the green light on the side immediately turning red as it begins to fall from his open fingers, arms beginning to spread out to his side as a red light click on at the detonators strapped to his chest.

"No!" Thalia yells and her eyes grow wide. Her hand is extended as she throws the knife at the man, but she is too late.. much to late for that. As the knife is thrown, the wind picks up in the area.

It swirls around the park, knocking over people and throwing objects around in it's wake. The mechanic's eyes are wide and have changed color to a vibrant silver color. Her hood is ruffled slightly by the wind but it's not even touching her.

With a surge of energy, Thalia feels the air around her as it is directed towards the suicide bomber with a strength that blows a nearby man onto his back and few feet away from everything.

While this is happening, the young woman rises into the air a few feet, shakily but she still rises, floating as the wind throws people and things all around. Most of the air is directed towards the man with the bomb though.

"Oh shit.." Kaylee murmurs as she watches the man start to let go of the detonator. She starts to put the tree between her and the man, but the wind picks up about tossing her off her feet. Stumbling a bit Kaylee is suddenly thankful that she was leaning on a tree, because she moves so that she's braced against the tree. Then all she can do it watch, head ducked against the blast of air, as the object of Adam's temporary lust starts to float in the air.

The surge of hurricane-force winds sends the Humanis First bomber tumbling back, bouncing head over heels before the sudden eruption of light, heat and shrapnel that comes from the detonation of the bomb strapped to his body. There is a deafening and earth-shaking explosion as the C4 detonates, immediately knocking Thalia out of the air and down to the ground, even Kaylee and the reporters are blown off of their feet by the force of the explosion.

Dust and dirt debris in the air blins vision, ears ring and make any and all sounds impossible to hear. The deafening impact of the blast comes with a new sensation for Thalia as she tries to move, feeling a sudden surge of unrelenting pain in her side and abdomen, where blood flows freely from shredded clothing. Glittering shards of glass are embedded in her skin, having punched into her abdumen and shoulder, causing severe bleeding. Some of the pieces of glass litter the ground, others had even more severe effects on those not protected by a curtain of gale-force winds.

Trees have had their bark blown off, bystanders lay bleeding and motionless in a scattering across the park. One of the cameramen lays on his back on the ground, screaming in pain. The reporter, who had been flung aside by the strong winds, scrambles to get up to her feet with the other cameraman watching the scene as the dust begins to clear from the explosion.

The moment of ecstasy is quickly cut off by the pain of the explosion. The woman grunts as she hits the ground and rolls. The pain in her body excruciating. "Fuck." she says loudly, not that many people can hear her. The ringing in her ears makes it hard to hear alright.

All Thalia knows is that she needs to get out of there fast. She starts to crawl over the debris, making very slow progress. Her hood is now off but her hair is sprawled all over her face.

As the woman makes it slowly towards the trees, her hand almost touches.. is that the bomber's hand? Ewww gross. Thalia closes her eyes, already dizzy and slowly losing the battle with being knocked out. "Damnit." She says softly, way to get yourself into this mess Thalia, she thinks. The blood trailing behind her.

Thrown backwards, Kaylee can only lay there dazed for a few moments as she wills her ears to stop ringing. Finally thought, she heaves herself to a sitting position, not far from her is Thalia crawling. She crawls across the short distance to the woman, giving her a look over and then past her to the camera man. Pulling her coat off, she throws it across the woman to cover up shredded clothes.

"I'll get you help… You have to get medical attention, stay there." Still kneeling next to the bleeding woman, ignoring the sounds of moaning and the faint sound of sirens, Kaylee's ability reaches out to the film crew, her hand lifting a bit. She can feel her mind slipping into the camera man's, that small smile touches her lips. She loves that feeling. Thalia would hear it. A soft whisper of words, to her they are only words, to the camera man…. they are everything. "«Turn off the camera.»" Once the man clicks it off, she adds, "«Erase the video.»" With a shaking hand the camera man clicks the button and starts blanking out the tape.

Kaylee takes a deep breath and hand jerks a bit as her ability shifts gear and does a little manipulation of his memory. "«The bomber called the wind.»" She's grinning nows. "«Humanis First used an Evolved.»" And then she adds… "«The woman tried to stop him.»"

Her mind slips away from his mind leaving her with the sensation of pressure on her mind, but she ignores it as she moves to the reporter. She grabs onto the woman's mind and her ability sinks into her mind. Her fingers twitch slightly as the words pass her lips softly. Repeating what she told the camera man. "«It was the Bomber.. He's evolved.»"

With a reluctant sigh, Kaylee pulls back from them and sits back on her butt with an oof, a light throb behind her eyes. "Your good.. Your just another victim. I think. I don't always know if I did it right." Swallowing she moves to look over the woman's wound. "God, your a mess."

While Kaylee is tending to Thalia, trying to get the heavily bleeding young woman up to her feet, the cameraman begins the process of rewinding the digital tape and erasing its information, staring blankly at the controls on the large camera and its cracked lens. The reporter who was covering the scene staggers up to her feet, looking up at the sky, then down to the smoke blowing away from where the explosion happened, sirens drawing closer now.

Voices still scream out in fear from the bombing, pople scrambling both away and towards the chaos, those who survived the blast with injuries lay on the grass and on the paved sidewalk, blood mixed with stone dust is everywhere, and the ringing in Thalia's ears just won't stop, even as the dull ache from shock begins to fade to the sharp and intense pain of how serious her injuries really are.

"Yeah, thanks. You look great too." Thalia grunts out and she looks up at Kaylee. "Thanks.. that's what you do? Control people's minds?" she says softly, she's stop crawling now. Waiting on medical assistance. It's hard for her to hear what Kaylee is saying, but she can make it out. The ringing makes her head throb and she clutches her head.

The wind stirs slightly, responding to her pain. "This fucking blows." She mutters and grips the sides of her head.

"Something like that." Kaylee murmurs as glances around feeling the breeze. "I know it's hard, but you've got to try and keep calm. If you start blowing people around again, it might not stick." Seeing paramedics in the distance, working on other people Kaylee curses. "Come on.. We're taking you to them." She reaches down to grip the woman's arm to pull it over her shoulder, her other arm looping carefully around her waist."It'll take to long for them to get here. Your bleeding bad."

Kaylee will carry her weight if needed to get her the medical help. Fearing being over heard, she risks her throbbing head to tell Thailia mentally, If anyone asks, the man called up the wind. The bomber. Her mental void is like talking in a coffee can. A small smirk twitches her lip. Humanis First will pitch a fit. This thought makes her day, since the bomber ruined hers, she wanted to talk to the crazy man more, he was amusing.

As the smoke and debris cloud from the explosion rises up high into the hot summer air, the flashing lights of police cruisers approaching the scene glitter in the distance. Paramedics and ambulances will not be far behind, drawn by the sound of the explosion, the calls of panic and fear, and the brutality witnessed today.

But this bombing, like one small rock thrown in a large pond, will send ripples out across the already turbulent surface of New York City, the acts here carrying out far beyond the lives lost in the park and the revisionist history that will be fed to the national media.

Kaylee's choice to hide the truth of Thalia's manifestation will come at a price.

One that, for the time being, is as hazy and unclear as the hot summer air.


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