In the Loo (Cal and Teddy)
"What in the world?" Cal pointed to the device. Something about it nagged at the back of her mind yet, right now, all that mattered was that the phone talked. And it didn't sound like Siri! The other woman holding it up for her nodded encouragingly, waving it a little as though she might need help realizing it was there. She kept staring for a bit then realized she was being rude. Gesturing vaguely - with hands waving about - Callie fought to find the right words. "You, you like chocolate?"
Bingo! That worked well. she hoped. It sounded like an appropriate response to what had been said - typed? Probably typed. A hesitant smile was her answer, the younger woman seeming just as unsure but game as she was. She was more or less thankful they could interact. "Ah..." Cal snapped her fingers, as she had another stroke of inspiration. "Why don't we sweeten the deal - you like brownies? How about sharing my hot fudgey brownie with whipped cream and ice cream." She beamed and began bouncing on the spot. "It's sounds super good and probably tastes even better!"
She grabbed Teddy by the wrist, catching her by surprise when she'd been so avidly following her enthusiastic bouncing, and literally dragged the woman towards the door before Teddy could input a response to all that blabber earlier. Luckily, Teddy was amenable to giving her another chance and allowed the dragging with a bemused expression, as though to say, well, you try stopping her. "I bet Dan and Wilson won't mind and they..." The blonde stewardess nattered on at length only to remember she hadn't properly introduced herself yet. Oooops! Swiveling round with body tilting forward, Cal barely avoided forehead to forehead contact. She certainly succeeded in startling the other into a deer in headlights statue for a second or three, but stepped back abruptly while unconsciously reaching out to steady Teddy. After apologizing profusely (with even more excitable gesturing), she flashed Teddy her characteristic toothy smile. The pearly whites were even and well polished and won yet another uncertain smile back. Teddy was likely wondering, just about then, what, exactly, she'd gotten herself into.
"I'm Cal. Short for Callie. What about you?" She paused to take a half breath. Her first since forever. "Can't say I am good at names, but you feel like a brown Bunny ... Bear .... no Teddy! A Teddy bear!" She tapped her chin, then snapped her fingers. "Did you mention your name? Wait! I don't think you have." Cal stared at Teddy even more intensely than ever. "Soooo what's your name?"
It seemed her gambit was working, and that luck was on her side. Then again, there really wasn't much the older woman had to be bothered about. After all, she was the one who'd pointed at Teddy and then run off and then used her sweater for a towel without so much as a by your leave. But now, things were very much happening faster than she could process. She'd already had trouble lipreading on an ordinary day, but after her eyes started working, well, faster or whatever they'd done, it was an even greater chore. And all that hand waving was as distracting as food caught in someone's teeth.
She hadn't the faintest idea what she was talking about, beyond that the lady's opinion seemed favourable, and she kept smiling, so, she couldn't be annoyed, right?
But now she wanted an answer to something. And Teddy wasn't at all certain what it was. So, instead of trying to bluff her way through a situation where she really needed to not lose out on making a good impression or keeping her present company, the girl frowned and signed that she was deaf, before making it extra clear by tugging on her ear and shaking her head with a shrug. Then, she held up her phone again, wondering if that was what she wanted, and as luck would have it, the answer was still readily visible on the screen.
"Oh?" Cal simmered down long enough to notice the device in Teddy's hand. Cal's eyes blurred as they zipped from word to word. Left to right. All the way down and back to the start. The message was simple enough - a "Hi, I'm Teddy. Sorry I can't hear you as I am Deaf." Cal's mouth rounded a little, as things began falling into place, and she nodded. She gestured for the phone with a smile then typed. "Nice to meet you, Teddy! Call me, Cal." She flipped the screen over for her new friend to read before typing a new message. "Hope you like brownies. It'll be my treat >.^"
Table Talk (Wilson and Max)
Max let out an irritated "Kurva!", a swearword even a good number of Americans speaking no Russian would understand. He could not care less about this dude speaking his mother tongue, was in fact even happy about having the choice of switching whenever he could not or did not want to speak English. What pissed him off was that these bastards were now going to keep Viktor busy with some make-belief paperwork and that he had to sit here and listen to the bullshit their make-belief doctor was going to say. The worst part, maybe, was that he himself was not punching any of these people in the face, but instead sitting down like a well trained dog, and listening to their boloney.
He did not have to look back to know the devotion with which Viktor must have been filling out that joke of medical files, most probably at one point or another wondering if it was safe to share the information with strangers of the medical mafia. »Focus«, »serum«, »affected«, »changes in the DNA«, »controlling genetic mutations«... Max tried to keep up with the capital BS this guy was spouting out like he were here to sell the Russians the next iPhone model. There were two problems here: the first one was the fact that the days after the crash had made it pretty clear for the two friends that this Wilson was indeed their last resort, and the second problem was Viktor. Was Max to let his temper - as well as senses, since all the logic he could muster told him he had to get away from this people as fast as possible - get the better of him and blow this up, it would make Viktor go through hell just to find an alternative, while probably trying to hide from these maniacs. They had run away so far and for so long, that he could not easily ask Viktor to do it again, and this time with his crippled friend, and from something they did not know.
"Isn't the whole DNA-thing supposed to be considered physically possible?", he tried playing the smart-ass instead. Waiting for a reaction from Wilson Max tried to think about what he had heard, to see how it sounded in his head.
Seeing the agitation grow in the man across from him, Wilson paused to take a sip of his coffee as he formulated how to best respond to Max as well as allowed time for the man to calm down just enough so that he would take in and listen to what he had to say. "It is physically possible and I unfortunately have done so first hand which years later brought the two of-"
Having made up his mind not to lose the opportunity at hand, and to see how things would develop, Max cut the fake doctor off with a hand gesture. "If you're trying to get some funny reaction from me for some fucked-up hidden camera or prank bullshit I gotta tell you I have been through crazier shit than fancy-pants researchers having no regard for humans and being funded by governments", he said then. "But let me tell you Viktor and I have risked enough for each other, put our safety to test and lost it more than once. So I know what is specifically not safe for him: staying in the dark, cause he won't hesitate to commit the stupidest boloney to find out what's going on". In an attempt to stay composed Max then crossed his arms on his chest. "And we also haven't discussed how I would know you're not shitting with me." He had decided to mind his language at first, but either these people were pulling his leg, or Wilson had been truthful in his explanation which gave Max the right to be pissed off at people whom he had to thank for the whole ordeal.
Meet and Greet with the Gals (All minus Daniel and Viktor)
"How you would know that I'm not shitting with you?" The phrase sounded foreign and unfitting as the older man repeated what Max had said. He knew that there would be snags along the way during the retrieving process as well as having the Charlies come to terms with the changes and wasn't thrown off with Max's remark but he knew his friend would become a snag that would make things even more difficult.
But before Wilson could continue his conversation, he saw the ladies make their way towards the two of them. "So I see that you've made a new friend." Wilson said with a smile as Callie and the younger girl joined the two at the table. If Daniel was correct and this girl was a Super as well, it would make his job all the easier than having two separate conversations. "If Callie hasn't already spoken about me yet, my name is Wilson and this is Max." The older man said gesturing towards an open chair, offering the girl to sit down and join them.
"Max like Mad Max?" Cal teased, sliding into an empty chair beside Wilson's and waved for Teddy to join her. "I love the movie. All the guns and the tough people - actually I think my date liked it more." She added as she recalled being bored enough to open Instagram. "Oh, everyone meet Teddy!" Cal nodded in Teddy's direction. "She's Deaf, though, so errr .... " Cal wasn't entirely sure how to go about the introductions nor how to proceed beyond the 1 to 1 exchange earlier. She gestured vaguely to Ted's phone.
"How do we communicate?" She asked as she typed the same question out for Teddy to read. "In a group setting, I mean." Feeling a bad for not being more helpful, Cal added. ":) Hope you can teach me. You are my first Deaf friend."
Suspicious as to whether or not the sudden appearance of a »stranger« was going to serve as Wilson's excuse to leave his questions unanswered, Max looked up ro recognize a somewhat vague shape of a woman, to whom he had been introduced. With nothing more than a nod of the head he then turned back to Wilson and looked at him expectantly, even though his shades did a poor job of conveying the piercing look in his eyes to the older man sitting across the table.
Still hesitant, but putting on her game face, Teddy smiled back at the man and gave him a hello salute, though she wasn't sure what he was saying. She did readily recognize the offer to sit, however, and took him up on it while glancing towards the fellow she was assuming was blind, pulling out a chair and answering Callie's question by taking her phone back and fiddling with it for a moment until she had the app she wanted up. It was rude, she knew, to be staring at a phone while people were talking to her, but, in this case, it was either that, or stare at them blankly. Lipreading worked best when she could guess what was being said. Right now, there was no experience that could have prepared her for this conversation. So, she was using a speech to text app. It wasn't perfect either, but better than nothing or making them write everything.
She set it on the table to let the mic pick up their voices more readily, and hoped it came across as less rude than having it covering her face. It had been a while since she'd used the trick with strangers, her hearing friends were used to it.
Cal had been peeking rather curiously as Teddy went about setting up the mic. "Technology is amazing! There are so many new apps in the market these days, don't you agree ...." She tried making eye contact with Max, but the dour face made her look back at Wilson instead. "... Wilson? Oh, do we speak into this?" She asked with eyes widening, as she pointed to her lips then the phone.
Grinning at Callie's expression, Teddy nodded at the apparent question, happy to have someone looking excited about an app she thought was pretty sweet, too.
"Like this?" She picked up the mic, held it to her lips and whispered. "Hello, Teddy! This app is amazing!"
Hands up and shaking her laughter as she wheezed a moment's amusement at Callie's expense, the girl shook her head, still grinning as she rescued the little mic from the enthusiastic woman and set it back on the table. Then, patting it emphatically, she brought her fingers to her lips and waved from her wrist to bring them away, before making the gesture a little bigger, trying to indicate that they should talk a bit louder so the microphone could pick them all up without having to pass it around. Of course, if they didn't want to talk louder, then picking it up and handing it back when they were done talking might be the better idea, it was just annoying to get the delayed words.
"Ah." Wilson said with a slight nod after putting the pieces together. This would make things more challenging between the two new Charlies and the barriers they presented as well as a Charlie who still didn't believe or understand exactly what was going on. Although he wasn't sure if Daniel knew sign language he presumed that with the knowledge of the different languages the man knew due to his career before the Sierra Project, it seemed to be one that should be on the list the man knew. However with him set out as the distraction, Wilson hoped that the device the girl brought out would work well enough.
"Thank you Callie for bringing her. If Daniel is correct, she would benefit from this as much as Max." Wilson said before diverting the conversation back to the two new Charlies. "Now that you have your mic set up and can read what we are saying, I think reintroductions are needed. My name is Wilson and this man here is Max." Wilson said along with the extra information about the girl for Max's sake.
Bringing her? But, brownie.... She'd come here for a brownie and, admittedly there'd been ulterior motives behind that request, but she hadn't expected that they'd be wanting her there, too. Eyebrows drawn down and very clearly not sure what to make of Wilson's ready acceptance of her, Teddy looked between her phone, Callie, and the two men for a moment. Then she tried signing hello to Max too, though for all she knew he couldn't see her. Hoping one of the others would pass the message along, and that Callie would or had given them her name, she promptly went back to staring at Wilson expectantly.
The new girl made things complicated, since there was still no clear side to which Max could assign her. Did she know the fake assistant who had tricked Max and Viktor into coming here willingly? Or was the remark of »made a new friend« referring to a more recent event than Max assumed? According to Wilson she had set up a mic, and was reading what people said. Had the crash left her with certain disabilities like it had done to Max? Had she even been in the crash or were there other excuses these people had had to »affect« bystanders with their serum and go collect them later? Once again Max recognized shadowy arms moving about. He slightly rose his hand in a greeting gesture in case she was by any chance looking in his direction. "So let's go back to the benefits, as well as the risks", he said, not giving Wilson a chance to get away with answers.
"Wait! Bring her?" Callie stared at Wilson, secretly wondering if he was mad. "I brought her here because I promised her brownies and ice cream." She pouted. "She's just a friend. Not one of your .... a potential client." Their eyes locked for a moment and Cal tried to communicate telepathically to Wilson that she thought he was bonkers. She might have humored him when it came to Max but roping Teddy in was too much.
She looked away after that, sensing things were getting awkward. "Maybe some dessert and coffee - or tea if that is what you prefer," she turned to Max. "Food is great way to get to know each other after all." She grinned and stood up so she could slide the menu towards their foreign guest. "Don't worry, Wilson's paying for it." Under any other circumstance, saying such things would be presumptuous, but right now, it was the truth. She didn't have any money on her and the sign outside said the store was "Cash Only".
She pulled the second menu over and propped it up. "What do you," Cal pointed to Ted then the menu. "Want?" It was a tad rude but it was the least she could do to stall Wilson. Hopefully, the man wouldn't get the chance to talk about his elaborate hoax until Teddy was long gone.
Ha, she was as confused as her, that was good. At least she wasn't the only one. And now that a menu was in front of her, Teddy scanned it briefly before pointing with great gusto and exaggerated sternness, for the benefit of this exuberant lady whose excitable mannerisms may have been contagious, at the decadent brownie and ice cream. Because that's what she'd been promised, and that's what she wanted. She'd already had lunch. She wanted dessert.
"Are you ordering anything else, Wilson?" She asked after pretending to skim through the menu. Only because it made her feel a little less guilty for cutting in. "I remembered - hey!" She exclaimed. "Didn't we order earlier? What's taking them so long?"
"Yes, it has been quite awhile Callie." Wilson said with a friendly smile with hope that he could keep her on that idea for a tad bit longer. "Why don't you go order for the girl and see the progress on your food." It was a bit of a low blow but with the many distractions Callie was bringing, maybe a few minutes of uninterrupted conversation would help his cause. "While you are at it, why don't you see if Daniel and Max's friend would like something as well." If they were fortunate enough maybe she would get distracted with conversing with them and the few extra minutes might last quite a bit longer.
Takin' Care of Business
Waiting until Callie left the table, Wilson started from the top of his speech that he had loosely prepared for earlier that morning for the girl's sake "It is solely up to you to believe what I have to say is true or perhaps to come to the conclusion that I am filled with falsehoods or delusions. I am not here to force anything on you or the choice you will eventually have to make but here to give answers and present you a choice. The two of you are not people we chose at random but strictly out of genetics and where you were a little over a week ago. Due to the accident that occurred on the 3rd with a bus, a serum was released with the capabilities to alter your genetic code. What makes you, you. I assume since that time you have noticed unexplained changes such as the headaches Max has been getting up to unbelievable feats such as one woman we have already spoken to who has a body temperature unusually colder than what is the norm which has caused influences outside her own body."
"I've gone blind. That is not an »unbelievable feat«, there is nothing unbelievable about defect eyesight", Max interrupted, "The only thing unbelievable about it is that from time to time I get »breaks« of about an hour or less during which I can see normally again."
"Unfortunately these changes are not always fully positive and can be quite unpredictable on what exactly happens due to the nature of the serum and the fact that it isn't fully understood yet. You are not the only person with negative consequences due to this change but I do not believe that blindness is the full extent of the changes. For many it takes months just to get a firm basic grasp of what exactly those changes are and this is with a team of people who were trained and prepared for these changes. Years are needed to not only learn what the changes are but to master them and even to this day those people continue to practice and grow on how to best use these changes, or as some people would call them, powers." The term 'powers' didn't sit well with Wilson even after all these years but it was a term that was most understood by people and if it meant better understanding, he would be willing to use it.
"The way your sight and lack of it shifts is quite interesting and might be key on understanding what exactly is going on. I think it would be a good starting point on figuring out what the changes did to you and with the equipment and the facility we have, it would be a good place to uncover it all as well as to keep both of you safe from a dangerous group of people who are after those who are like us. This organization goes by the name TSP and although in the beginning had rightful intentions, they have strayed away from their early concepts through that are also are willing to gather you all no matter who gets between you and them. Family and friends such as Viktor are included."
"Us?!" Max asked with a tinge of fear raising in his voice? "Have you got some »unbelievable feat« of your...", he was going to interrogate Wilson a bit instead of thinking about an organization behind all this which might be after Viktor right at this moment, but then he was interrupted by a clear vocal statement of the new girl. So he stopped mid-sentence and looked in her direction.
She'd been fidgeting since he started. First surprised by his forthright manner, and then by Max's interruption because learning that he was blind because of the serum seemed a strange coincidence and now she just wanted to ask every one of them all the questions possible. But it took so long to write it all out, and he was so formal about it all that she didn't want to interrupt or miss a word. Which was lucky, given as she might otherwise have blown her cover by knowing what they were here to talk about before they, well, talked about it. But the moment he mentioned family, very much reminiscent of what Tia had said, her eyes darted up from the phone to his face and her hands lifted, halfway through her protest that she didn't want anything happening to anyone before she realized she probably wasn't making any sense, to any of them. "Ah!" She grabbed her phone, flipping between apps with her thumb while holding up a finger on her other hand to hold whatever was left of his speech until she was finished typing.
Then, almost, she passed it over so he could read, but caught herself with a glance at Max... He'd said he was blind, so, reading was out. And sighed before copy pasting it to her text to voice app. Should have thought of that one sooner. "Uhn?" -Family? Why are we that important?- The tinny little voice could not encompass even a quarter of the worry showing through on her face. -Are they safe?-
"The only reason that you are important to them is because of the serum and the effects it had with you. Only a fourth of the people exposed to the serum are changed and those that are changed are of value. This serum was originally intended to enhance the performance of soldiers but the serum went in a different direction when we learned what exactly it could do. Not only is this information highly confidential, the feats people are able to accomplish is something they desire." Wilson said before giving a reassuring smile while he purposely ignored Max's question. "As for your family, they are currently safe and we do our best to keep it that way. However we cannot promise that if you are to stay with them it will stay that way. The abilities and man power the TSP have is dangerous and without the separation and covering our tracks, there would be no hesitation."
Max felt something crawling his throat in both ways at the same time. At the same time it stretched down into his stomach and wrenched it the way a screwdriver rotated a screw about, and crawled up over his tongue, made his throat dry and his mouth pulsate along with his augmented heartbeat. He used to know this thing pretty well, it was pure devastation. In one way or another, either this TSP or Wilson and his lackeys were after Max, the - apparently - deaf girl, and some other poor souls, and anticipated them to pop some power or at least test results any day now. The TSP might not have even existed for all Max and the girl knew, since something told him it was not an organization to be googled. One thing was to be taken for granted, though, and that if they - no matter who - had had funds for a research project to manipulate people's DNA with something as effortless as a serum, then they definitely had other means of subduing the exposed passengers of the bus or any other accident.
He had fled over continents with Viktor to keep his best friend safe from harm, safe from blockheads at home with little respect for people and their life choices. They had lost everything, both of them had given up on their families, friends, home, and all they had had, all they had known. Now the pure coincidence of him having been in this country and on that particular bus was putting Viktor in danger. Max tried hard to see the irony in their story, but his wits failed him, all he perceived was still pure devastation. His sharp tongue and his foul mood had not survived the crawling monster, either. Even the urge to punch Wilson in the face was losing to the growing devastation taking over his guts. While covering his eyes with his fingers Max rubbed his temple with the thumb. "And if not?" asked his barely audible voice, sounding rusty, "What happens if we do not stay with them? Can you guarantee his... their safety?"
"We can guarantee it to the best of our ability and resources. We've already made new identities and erased all traces of the existence of those persons who have joined us so far to sever the ties between them and you all, Charlies is what your generation of Supers, or changed people, are called. Along with that other means have been established as well which is kept confidential in case one of you decide not to join or a dangerous person the TSP has that might have the ability to listen in to our conversations." Wilson said with a brief pause. "Speaking of, I will need your phones if you come with us before we leave the coffee shop. We set up some safety measures to protect us from this person but this woman would have no issues accessing technology such as this which also means contacting your family and friends will need to be done with care since every camera, phone or computer could be her eyes and ears."
His reassurances, while not altogether certain, did help calm her anxiety, and Teddy was halfway through a bite of brownie before she realized where the conversation had gone. Even if she'd known it was coming, she couldn't help her initial reaction (which was probably for the better). Her spine stiffened and she gave a slight whining huff through her full mouth without realizing. She couldn't quite imagine her family being in horrible danger. Relocation, maybe some small threats or isolation, but nothing permanently damaging to them. She didn't like the thought, but they faced down discrimination every day, a little extra was more a burden she didn't want to put on them than a danger. Cops and racists were dangerous. Organizations she'd never heard of until yesterday seemed rather less so.
Taking her phone, however... It was not quite the most expensive thing she owned, but it was definitely the most used. She'd gone through it the night before to get all the pictures and notes to herself off of it and to wipe browser history and anything else either too important to lose or that might tell them too much about her before she wanted to share. She probably hadn't been quite as thorough as she thought, and that sudden doubt was what straightened her back and had her free hand reaching out possessively as though she expected the man to just grab it off the table and run out the door.
Wilson and gang or the TSP, in the end it made little difference, Max had grown up enough to know this much. So the sooner it was taken care of, whatever «it» was, the easier it would be to keep Viktor out of all this, since there was apparently no hope for himself to stay out of their business and live his life. "I can't leave Viktor completely in the dark." he finally said, his voice still shaking. "Your guy over there can listen to make sure I won't reveal anything too important, but if I disappear on Viktor without telling him anything he'll do something dangerous." With every word he spoke, Max sounded more certain and his expression grew firmer, without the marks of devastation leaving his face. "I have to do it. He won't trust shit you'll tell him." With this he stood up, looking around to make out the direction to the table at which his friend and the other guy sat.
The array of tables and chairs was more practical than he had thought. A couple of "Sorry!"s later Max was standing at the table where Viktor was trying to figure out fake medical records. {Vishka!} he called, leaning on the chair. {I got this, no worries.} his friend replied, not forgetting a gentle smile in his direction, even though it was more of a hunch leading Max to believe he was making out the outlines of Viktor's lips stretching. Before saying anything further Max looked in the direction of Wilson's guy, the fake assistant's fake husband, hoping to let him in on what he was about to say. {You can stop, Vishka. No one really cares about that shit.} And before the other Russian had got the time to protest about his attitude, Max kneeled in front of Viktor's chair and grabbed his writing hand, to prevent him from filling out any more of the fake forms. {It's something else. It's not headaches.}
{Well we already knew that much.} Viktor protested and was once again silenced by his friend. {I have to go...} Max' voice dropped suddenly and the strength he had mustered up so far crumbled. {I'll have to go... with them, and we'll have to separate, for...}
{What is this shit you're blabbering about?} cried Viktor's voice, loud enough to attract a little attention to what most probably looked like a lovers' quarrel. {You just go and spout such a load of...}
{You shouldn't look for me, it'll take time until I can see again... if I...}
Almost simultaneously tears started dropping from two pairs of eyes, and it would not be long before one of them needed a tissue to blow his nose. Viktor's free hand grabbed Max' face, but the whole thing was too unexpected for him to be able to verbally react to Max' suggestion about them separating. Next, a mixture of hiccups and repressed sobs supported the juicy swearwords Viktor said while pressing Max' face onto his stomach, not giving him a chance to take a normal breath. Less than 30 seconds later, though, he let go to look at the phone Max had left in his other hand. {Don't delete Mona's pictures, I know you don't like her.} It took Viktor a while before he could figure out what he meant, and Max used his friend's speechlessness {Tell Mitchell I won't make it to his exhibition... or don't, depending on how soon he calls you. Don't...} Viktor covered Max' mouth and Max looked rather relieved by the fact that he did not have to speak anymore. Then Viktor took off the shades to see Max' face whole again
{You look so fucking unreal.} said Max in awe of what - or rather how - he was seeing. {There are so many colours running down your face. I don't even know their names!}
{I don't have any make-up on, you ass.}
More confused by what was going on than she felt comfortable with, even having come prepared, with a plan, knowing she'd wind up talking with these people about powers, Teddy had to fight with herself both to leave her phone on the table, and not feel guilty about letting Max make his way to the other table on his own. He was probably perfectly capable, but he'd just looked so... uncertain. She couldn't see his eyes, but the rest of his expression took away all the flavour of the brownie she'd just taken another bite of. And tore the last vestige of her faint belief that this was all just a game.
Her parents were going to be so scared, and probably angry, if they found out she wasn't at Dana's like she'd told them. And this was sort of turning into less of a sleep over and more of a running away deal. At least, if she'd understood Wilson properly. Shit. She knew Tia had probably told her that already, but she hadn't wanted it to register. And now it was too late. Watching Max and Viktor saying what looked very much like a tearful goodbye, she dearly wanted to think they were sort of blowing everything out of proportion, but maybe Wilson had told Max something no one had told her yet. Or maybe she just hadn't been paying attention to the right things.
Finally turning away when it felt too much like she was intruding on a private moment, Teddy glanced at Wilson and over to Callie to see what they thought of this moment, and then picked up her phone to scroll back through the conversation. There had to be something that was good news about this whole, strange happening, right?
"You are quite young." Wilson said, giving the girl enough of a chance to prepare her phone before continuing further. "Are there parents or other family members that would be worried about your disappearance? It won't be safe for you to see them but we can make sure to keep an eye out for them and provide updates if you are wanting to do so."
Teddy only realized Wilson was talking because the app showed a little working sign at the top, indicating that it was picking up a voice close enough to register. So, she glanced up, saw he was looking at her expectantly, and quickly scrolled back down to the end. That first statement earned him 'duh' glance, along with some confusion, before he elaborated, and then she couldn't help getting teary-eyed herself, though she tried to blink them away. Nodding quickly, because anything they might do to keep her parents from worrying and to let her know they were still okay was better than nothing.
"Wilson, we might have an issue." Daniel said, heading towards the table the older man was sitting and took a seat with his phone out. "I just got a text from Garret. It sounds like Cameron is up to something."
Before she could type out any of the answer though, before she could stop herself from signing part of it because she kept forgetting people wouldn't understand, the other man came over. Daniel? And he brought up other names Tia had mentioned. Teddy fell still, not sure if he was interrupting or bringing up a point somehow more important. Apparently, it was more important. Well, fine then, everything was suddenly moving so fast anyway, but she wasn't going to forget Wilson's offer. Not on her life.
"I see." Wilson said as he kept his voice leveled and without a sign of worry. He wasn't keep on worrying the newcomers just after he convinced them of joining. "We best be off then."
