The Betting Ring

[Gifted]

Olivia blundered around the caves for seven or eight minutes (which for her was like a fucking century) trying to find a way out. Then she turned a corner and was suddenly blinded by sudden sunlight.
"Ugh!" She raised an arm up in front of her painful eyes and took a step back, unable to see. She just had to wait for her eyes to adjust.

Joan knew she'd come to a gifted in time. She always did. Feeling seventeen again, she wandered the forest on high alert for the slightest noise that hinted she might make a capture - or in this case, a kill.
Then, she saw it. A girl huddled up by a tree root. She didn't think the girl had seen her yet. She could have her dead before the girl ever realized what had happened.
...She couldn't do it. At twelve she'd have done it in a heartbeat, but... She just wasn't that agents anymore. You have to be that agent now. She scolded herself. You have to be. But she couldn't. The girl didn't even look threatening. She sighed.
"That's not a bad hiding spot."

[Raven]

Ben almost shocked the woman to death before he recognized someone from his past. "Olivia," he greeted, standing up.

Katrina jumped and looked up at her, crawling out slightly in case she needed to try to escape. "Considering you saw me, I don't think it was the best..."

Francis wandered the tunnel for a long time before finally his fear overwhelmed his pride. "Help, please!" He could probably hold anyone who found him, make them take him back the way he wanted to go. Maybe they would even take a chance on him and lead him out anyway.

[Gifted]

Olivia saw the silhouette in the sunlight and stepped back, on the defensive. "Who's that?" She demanded, bringing her knife up in front of her. "How do you know my name?"

"I'm just observant." Joan said with a sigh. "I spent most of my childhood doing stuff like this... I'm used to looking for people who don't want to be found." She crouched down next to the hole the girl was in. "I won't hurt you. What's your name?"

Isobel heard the desperate calling and was over in an instant. Stop, you dummy, he probably wants to kill you! Isobel scolded herself. But it didn't matter. She couldn't not help someone in need. Especially not someone who sounded so scared... she ran to where she heard the voice coming from and found a small hole, small enough one would have to crawl to get inside. "Hello?" She called down it. "Hello, can you hear me?"

Stephanie decided to walk up the river to see what she could find. After several minutes she came to a waterfall and saw a woman standing nearby. A woman! Gosh dammit, she ought to change her makeup. Couldn't she have met a man? Well, she was by a water source. She headed quickly back down and washed her face of all makeup, tying her hair back into its two childish bunches, and putting on slightly concerned expression. Then she went back to meet the girl. "Hello...? Are you part of this too?" She asked quizzically. "You're... you're not going to kill me, are you?"

[Neon]

Eliza glared down at her, butterfly knife in hand. "Cut the cutesie scared act sweetpea. I might kill you, I might not. It depends on what you can do for me."

[Raven]

"It's Ben," he answered, staying well back, and still prepared to shock her if she didn't stop. "Benjamin Belacqua."

"That sounds like a pretty awful childhood," Katrina said, earnestly. "Katrina. What's yours?" This was off to a surprisingly good start.

Relief filled Francis' entire being and he picked up his pace. "Yeah. Yeah, I can," he said. "Are you outside?" He tried not to sound too hopeful.

[Gifted]

"I'm not trying to be cute, it's called nervousness!" She snapped, but bit her lip. "D-don't come any closer!"

"Joan." She smiled. "Joan Wenkeling."

"Yes, I am! The hole's pretty small, though, you'll have to crawl."

Olivia remembered that name from a lifetime ago. "Oh thank god. I thought you were gonna kill me. Stupid sun." She rubbed her eyes and was able to make out some of Bens features. "Sorry, I've been in the dark for the last eight minutes, I can't see a thing."

[Neon]

Elizavetta sighed, rolled her eyes, and began to walk away. "whatever kid. Nerves and approaching people with no weapons like that will get you killed."

[Raven]

"It's nice to meet you, Joan," Katrina said, smiling.

Francis wondered if this was some kind of trap, but decided that at least he probably wouldn't be underground when he died, and hurried forward, dropping to his hands and knees, and ultimately bursting into the sunlight. He took a deep breath of fresh air, and moved farther from the tunnels. "Thank you."

"It's fine," Ben said. "How have you been - well, before all this, I guess. It's been forever. Me and Xander thought you were dead." Well, not exactly, but they'd had no idea where she could have gone if she'd lived.

[Gifted]

Stephanie swept a fierce wind at Eliza, strong enough to tear of branches of trees and send them hurtling at her. After a moment or two, one branch did indeed get ripped off and was sent flying at her head. "Come again?"

"Nice to meet you too. And you're definitely right about my childhood. What's your power, Katrina?" Joan asked.

"It's no problem at all." Isobel replied to the grubby man who'd emerged. "My name is Isobel." She held out a hand to shake his.

"What? Why would he think I was dead? I did exactly what I told him I was gonna do! I've been in Mexico the last twenty years! How's he been? How's Canada?" Olivia asked, unaware of what Xander had done to himself over the last twenty years.

[Raven]

"Because of that battle. He's been tearing himself up over it," Ben said.

"I'm a healer," Katrina answered.

Francis shook her hand. "Francis. Nice to meet you." He sighed and laid back on the hill, needing a rest after such a scare.

[Neon]

Eliza glared, dodging. "I could have killed you before you even thought of making it a bit windy, kid. Just trying to give you a warning. So stop the fierce bullshit, because I will end you if you keep delaying me." She said, turning right back around.

[Gifted]

"We got out of there together. And I told him we were outmatched and the only way we were gonna make it out alive was to split up. I said I'd run off to Mexico and he should keep heading towards Canada and blend in with the people." Olivia replied. "He.. he did head to Canada, right?"

Joan's expression turned to one of pity. "Oh..." She definitely couldn't kill the poor girl now, even if it meant being one step closer to home.

"Nice to meet you as well. I suppose that means you're part of this as well..." She sighed, looking up at the sky. She definitely looked a little nervous despite saving him.

"I just want to talk. We're supposed to have allies, aren't we? Until we get some clue who our designated allies are." Okay, she hadn't watched the girl long enough. This was clearly a bad persona to use. Whatever. If eliza would give her a moment she'd alter it.

[Raven]

"I think he forgot that bit, and he didn't. The way I heard it, you disappeared, and he kept looking for Sharie," Ben said. "He's still been fighting."

"What's yours?" Katrina asked.

"Yeah, but don't worry, there's no point in killing someone who could be your ally," Francis said. "Besides, I owe you. You helped me out of there." If there was one thing that could be said about Francis, it was that he always repaid his debts.

"Hey," Mia greeted when she saw a man crouched at the river.

[Neon]

Nico saw a girl. This brightened his day considerably, and he grinned as he started working his magic on her.
"Hello there. I assume you're in this mess too?"

Elizavetta didn't bother responding, just kept walking. This girl wasn't worth her time, and she would not die trying to protect anyone. Except perhaps Francis, but he was a big boy and knew how to survive, so she doubted it would ever come to that.

[Gifted]

"He's what?" Olivia went pale. "Is he mad? Is he still alive? What happened to him?"

"I'm a telekinetic." Joan replied. "Not the most complicated power, but it's useful."

"Well, thank you." Isobel spoke honestly. "But I'm not sure I'm the sort of ally you want." She looked down self consciously.

Stephanie glared after the girl. She'd washed off all her makeup for that? She turned and left.