Chapter 1: Lighting Up the Darkness - Ghost

[Shurijo]

Shepard responds, "The enemy of your enemy can be an ally. He has something we need and the Agency has something they needs. It is a friendship based on need."

Looking down at the hand, Shepard smiles, "It's been a while since someone's offered a hand."

Accepting the gesture and shaking, he provides a few words of advice, "You should be careful shaking hands. Some have abilities to drain your health or read your thoughts by a mere touch. Let's just call you Ghost. We like to keep our names private so we can protect our family members. We don't use real names within the Sanctuary. Come we have much to talk about."

The group proceeds away from the barn leaving a physically beaten Karma in Lieutenant Carly Banks' body. They walk just over a kilometer when they find a young man sitting under a tree at the edge of a forest.

"That took forever." The young man says as he stands from his resting position.

"Just do your job and get us back," quips Cipher.

"Easy, Cipher. Blink let's go." Shepard responds.

In the blink of an eye, Ghost, Shepard, Cipher, Blitz, and Banks disappear from the forest edge and appear in an underground cavern of sorts. At least to Ghost's sights, it appears that it's a cavern or cave. Out before them sit, hundreds of people with makeshift campfires. Some people are using their fire powers to lite fires and roast food. Other play, talk, and fly through the air.

"Welcome to the Sanctuary, Ghost." Shepard says as he moves his hand out showing the various people.

Cipher and Blitz carry Banks (in Karma's body) off to the side into a large tent as the others stand and gaze out into the camp site called Sanctuary for a moment.

The young man called Blink looks over to Shepard and he nods, then *Blink* he's gone.

[TetNak]

"Holy ..." Ghost says, even now amazed by some mutant powers. "And no one knows exactly how to get here?" He says, smiling as he turns and looks at Shepard. "Smart."

"Does the Agency know what Karma can do? I never got a good look at their files. They don't trust us." He looks around, "With good reason, I guess."

[Shurijo]

Shepard nods, "You can thank Cipher's team for that. Over the last few months, we've been rounding up as many mutants as possible. Few of them have any real fighting experience. Most are just out of high school. There's not many older mutants outside of the detainment centers."

The man points over to secluded area away from the other mutants. As he ushers Ghost over, he states, "Let's talk for a moment. Before you get comfortable. We've got an important mission coming up and I'd like you to be in the strike team. The others, well they will fight, but with their lack of combat experience, they might end up being cannon fodder unless this strike team and take out the primary objective. We have a small team in mind that will strike at the heart of the organization. If we can take that offline, then the Agency will not have their technological advantage. Without that advantage, then we can take our fight to the people using the media and politicians."

He glances around and finds Cipher coming back out of the tent, "Cipher, Iron Scorpion, and myself will be in the strike team. I know the layout, Cipher knows the technology, and Scorpion can provide both a distraction and overwhelming force when needed. With your invisibility powers, you'd make a perfect addition to the team."

[TetNak]

Ghost nods, "What can you do?" he asks, "Don't you find it rude, you know everyone else's powers, and no one knows yours?" Ghost can't help but laugh, his quirky sense of humor trying to make people uncomfortable. "Either way, sure, I can sneak around, do those sort of things. I have a blast attack," he adds, "Can disorient and such."

"Is Iron Scorpion one of yours, or one of his?" he asks, indicating Ciper.

[Shurijo]

Shepard laughs with Ghost, "What can I do? I can do this." He says stretching his arms out wide indicating the gathering of mutants.

"My past doesn't allow me to speak openly about what I did, but I also worked for the Agency in the research and development laboratories. As someone who understands the Agency, I think you can appreciate keeping this between us. Many of their brothers and sisters were taken or killed by the Agency and they harbor no good feelings towards agents. How I ended up here, well that's a rather long story."

When Iron Scorpion is brought up, Shepard responds, "He's not one of us nor is he one of Cipher's. He's been fighting the Asia Regional Agency for years. That's how I found him. He's very stealthy compared to most. However, your powers might lend themselves to be even stealthier."

"His brother possesses an ancient artifact that escaped the Agency's search called the Scorpion Claw that can only be wielded by their bloodline. We need to help him take the artifact from his brother, which he won't give up easily, then our team will be ready. He'll work with us, but he needs our help to get the Scorpion Claw from his brother who's using it to run a gang rather than help others."

[TetNak]

"Sounds might noble," Ghost quips, yawning. "Well, the Agency taught me how to fight, at least a little. It has been hell waiting, Shepard. I was going to run, figured they would have a hard time catching me, but, this ..." He mimicks Shepard's arm stretching action. "This. Well, I guess you can't beat it. Unless you are a giant asshole and tricking everyone for your own purposes." Ghost frowns, "Either way, what can we do? Not much of a choice."

[Shurijo]

Shepard responds, "Don't believe anything anyone says, true intentions are revealed in actions. Take a few moments to relax. We'll leave for Japan in a few hours after Blink recovers."

[TetNak]

Ghost nods and finds a seat. He stays to himself for the most part, just wondering what is going to happen to not only him, but Claw and the others. Blitz appears to have joined up, but Claw was captured, and Banks as well, not that he really care to much in her case.

[Shurijo]

After a couple of hours, Ghost is greeted by several of the young mutants. Most are around his age and some even younger. To most, this feels like an extended camping trip not knowing or seeming to understand the dangers of what lurks outside the cavern.

One set of mutants finds Ghost and starts to cause a scene. The two greeted themselves as brother and sister. Wearing what looks like modern punk clothes, they call themselves Rant and Rave. Being almost the same age as Ghost, their clothing and attitudes somewhat resemble the type of goth outsiders that he remembers from high school. It appears to him that even when a secret international agency is hunting for all mutants, cliques continue to persist and everyone seeks to exert their own personal uniqueness.

As Rave begins to start on a rant about the inequalities of mutants, Shepard steps in and she quietens down. The two siblings turn and walk away when Shepard puts his hand on Ghost and says, "It's time to go."

Escorting Ghost back to the command tent area, he finds Cipher the not-so-friendly human/cyborg, Blink the mutant teleporter, and Blitz the former Agency squad member and all-around tough mutant standing waiting for him. "I couldn't talk Blitz out of going. He's seeking redemption for his actions and I couldn't tell him no." Shepard informs Ghost.

As they approach, Shepard asks, "Are you ready? We might land right in the middle of trouble."

[TetNak]

"I am ready," Ghost says. Just then, he disappears. And then, Blink feels Ghost's hands on his shoulder. "Sorry, I figured this would be easier than you reaching out and trying to touch me." He waits for the transport that Blink can offer.