A heavy-set man dressed entirely in black was walking into the limited light that was provided within the tunnel. He was also carrying something - no, someone. The person in his arms -like them- was also unconscious, but the person appeared seemingly clean of any dirt. Finally, the man made his way to their cell, laid down the person, and produced a familiar ring of keys from within his back pocket (it was a big pocket.). He jiggled in the first key on the ring, and turned open the lock, the cell door creaking as it swung open. Carelessly, he heaved the person into the cell, making its head come into contact with the cold, cement floor. Almost immediately, the person's eyes fluttered open, and as he did, the man left down the tunnel, leaving them once more.

"Oh, my gosh! It's Alex! I'm so sorry, I didn't even know you were real or anything-" The person sat up, waving away the apology.

"It okay, it okay," he said, smiling. Alexa returned the smile.

"Alex - I mean, Shijie, how did you even get caught?" Joshua asked incredulous. What was a figment of his imagination doing, sitting a foot away from him? Shijie automatically looked towards his knee, then glanced upwards to his fellow tenants of the cell.

"I hiding in closet. Louise downstairs. Then Coat Man shot thing here," he replied, pointing to a spot right above his knee where a red mark was clearly visible. "And I fall. Thump."

"Louise... Louise Melón, do you mean?" He nodded. Louise - another beautiful figment of his imagination was also real? Shijie sat up, seeming disoriented.

"Where my thinking power go?" he asked to no one in particular. Alexa and Josh glanced at each other. "Thinking power"? What?

"What do you mean?" Alexa asked, staring intently at Shijie, who was gazing at the interior of the cell.

"I able to hear thoughts," he replied, now facing Alexa and Josh, providing his full attention. Hear... thoughts? Did he hear that correctly? Then he recalled what Scott Frenchmen had said about them having some kind of abilities, but Josh didn't genuinely believe him - did he? This is was delusional thinking for crying out loud! Bloody mental! But then again, it would explain that hallucination that he had, and he was sure no one but himself and -he now assumed- Alexa as well. Though how would Alexa know about it, he didn't even speak a word of it to her. And Scott Frenchmen was also posing as his bus driver, though, what purpose would that serve save for hunting him down? And he was seemingly an ordinary person, so why would he wish to go after Josh and Alexa? Was he looking for world's most miserable teens perhaps? Well, for now, let's just believe it, and later I'll wake up, all right? he told himself.

"That's a whole lot more useful than telekinesis, that is," Alexa grumbled. "Wait. If we all have these abilities or whatever, are we like the Fantastic Four?"

"Sort of. The Fantastic Four has drastically different abilities. Hypothetically-speaking, I should be able to stretch at superhuman lengths. Instead, I can apparently shapeshift. But sure. The only thing is that without Louise, we're more like the Untriumphant Trio," he said.

"I'm not even sure 'untriumphant' is a word."

"Wait. You shapeshift?" Shijie asked in awe, his eyes wide.

"I suppose so. But what I really want to know is why Scott Frenchmen has captured all of us. I mean, I'm just your average high school sophomore, working my butt off to graduate. And why hasn't he captured Louise yet? Why is she suddenly a difficult target? I don't mean to offend anyone, but I would think that I would be able to run quicker than she could." Alexa looked as if she were about to retort a comment due to his offense of his thinking how girls are something lesser than boys, but she kept her mouth shut. Shijie, on the other hand, appeared thoughtful.

"Her power kind stronger than all - control weather," he suggested after a moment. Though it would perhaps make sense, it didn't seem like Louise would've been able to control her ability within only a day worth of time, so she wouldn't really be a threat to Scott Frenchmen, would she? It could've been something else, of course, but what, Josh did not know. It seemed that Louise was sort of a wild card in all of this. But why? Another "why" it seemed, and not even one "because." It was frustrating.

"Wonderful. And this gets me home, how?" Alexa inquired. Shijie provided her with a stern look, devoid of any other emotion, and in a way, it was a frightening sight.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I don't mean to be rude, I just kind of... am, I suppose." Delicately, Shijie took Alexa's hand into his.

"No one born rude. Everyone just don't understand," Shijie said. "And me name Shijie. But Alex okay too," he added quickly. Alexa smiled, gazing into his chocolate-colored eyes. If Josh didn't know any better, he would've said that they were friends for their entire lives. Then Alexa did something that Josh thought was impossible for someone of her kind to do. She leaned in, and embraced Shijie, tears beginning to form at the corners of her green eyes.

"Where were you my entire life, Shijie?" she said, her bottom lip quivering. Shijie seemed slightly uncomfortable, but he relented, and he embraced the hug.

"I in China," he replied. Alexa choked a laugh. And Josh couldn't help but smile as well. Who knew that three people would know more about each other in a cell, and the interior didn't look to appealing either. But Josh's smile would fade as soon as it had appeared. Suddenly Josh felt as if there were heavy weights attached to his feet, but when he glanced down, there was nothing than the ordinary. He felt as if that heavy-set man he had seen earlier was pushing all of his weight onto his back, and he was forced to fall onto his chest. His arms laid against the cement, motionless. His breathing began to slow - steady but slow. He felt sweat beginning to line his forehead, glistening in the limited light.

"Joshua, you okay?" he heard Shijie's voice through the delirium.

"I... am okay," Josh said, but even he was able to tell that it sounded drastically than from what he had meant to say through his limited consciousness. He vaguely felt a hand being pressed onto his forehead, but he couldn't tell whose.

"He's burning up," Alexa said, though, her voice seemed to be distorted. Black dots began to dot his vision like ants crawling over his eyes. He attempted to sit himself up, but immediately felt the weight weigh down on him and collapsed onto the floor once more.  

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM, FRENCHMEN?! YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTT HERE! HE'S LOSING CONSCIOUSNESS," Josh heard loud and clear emanate from Alexa's direction, and of course, only Alexa could say something as such. From nowhere and everywhere, a horribly familiar French-accented voice echoed in reply, "That is his powers beginning to diminish. Do not fear, my remaining guests. The draining of your powers will not be any worse of pain." Just as Joshua was about to lose consciousness completely, he faintly saw a feminine figure collapse to the ground and writhe spasmodically back and forth. Then for the second time that day, the darkness claimed him - the darkness like a mask of death dragging him downward while he wished forever more to leave its fatal grasp.