The smartly dressed woman cleared her throat and walked closer to the semi-circle of Nisha, Sam, Finley, Carolyne, and Alex.

“Hello everyone, my name is Kendra Brasier and I’m sure you all have some questions.”

Carolyne instantly shot her hand up and Kendra made an odd face but nodded.

“First that sounds like something a movie villain would say” Kendra looked unamused by that “second how do you get your hair to look so perfect?” Kendra smiled a bit at that one, much more impressed.

“That’s easy, coconut cream.” She responded promptly. “If that’s the main pressing questions, please allow me a chance to explain.”

She paused, keeping her hands behind her back and rocked on her feet for a moment. Glancing at everyone in the room with calculated, but not unkind eyes likely giving the group a chance to settle and think things over. The migraine was really starting to wear in Nisha now and she could feel her legs start to quiver, which probably wasn’t……...great. Finley was looking at her weird too, and Nisha inwardly cursed herself. No causing a scene.

Kendra seemed content with the time she alloted everyone and spoke up again.

“I’m with an organization called the SPDA, we heard reports of testing happening in this facility and came to investigate but strangely only found the signs of a few people inside. Quite curious.”

“I’ve been awake a few days, and the only living people I’ve come across is this group here” Alex said, waving his arm around the room. “We’ve passed by odd bodies and have heard……..some troubling noises.”

Kendra frowned, nervous by Alex’s words.

“Bodies you say? Were they human?”

Carolyne shook her head.

“I couldn’t figure out what they were. In one hallway we did find a human finger though.”

Nisha put her elbows on her legs, using them to hold the weight of her head as it rested in her palms. Her headache was getting worse, a human finger?

“What kind of noises?” She asked.

“Like s-skittering” Finley spoke up, for the first time in a long time. “When I awoke I was alone… I heard the skittering and saw s-shapes moving...silhouettes of some creature I didn’t recognize. I was so scared.”

Kendra looked back to her tall companion.

“They’ve gotten even more desperate than we thought” Nisha could hear her murmur. The tall woman nodded, grim understanding all over her face.

“Everyone, please listen” She said. “We are here to liberate you all and allow yourselves a chance at a normal life but you must trust us. You are no longer safe here and we need to leave soon!”

“Liberation?” Carolyne seemed unconvinced. “How do we know this isn’t some cult?”

“Think of it as a separatist organization” the tall woman said. “We work to creating a society superhumans can live in. Some we hire as protection, or to gather others before the government takes hold of them. Others just do what they can to help out: farms, stores, whatever.”

Carolyne considered that. “I’m assuming you want us to come work for you then, is that right?”

Kendra nodded. “If you posses high enough levels, we have a town that could use some resources and protection.”

“Sounds like you’re not giving us much of a choice.” Carolyne said as she flipped her braid over her shoulder and balled her fisted had on her hip in thought.

“Do we have any choice at all?” Nisha asked, glancing at Kendra and crew. “You leave us with little options: hide, work for the government, or work for you— a person we’ve only known twenty minutes.”

Her statement weighed heavily on everyone. Sam kept looking back and forth between people, likely trying to catch if he was missing any conversation. Finley chewed on her bottom lip, Alex stroked his goatee.