Subsequent to the prick, Louise found herself in a laboratory. It looked unusually familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on precisely where. There were two people there - a young man whom was roughly thirty years of age with striking blue eyes. There was also a young woman who couldn't have been older than twenty-five, and she had hazel eyes that sort of resembled Louise's. Though how, she was not sure. However, one visual aspect they did have in common was that they both wore white lab coats that draped lazily to their knees - an unmistakable indication that they were both scientists.

"I'm sorry, Scott, but the process can go terribly wrong. We don't even know the sheer prospect of what could happen-"

"But you survived it, didn't you? Why would you think that the effect would be any different on me?" retorted Scott. The woman provided him with an exasperated sigh.

"It's not like that! I had to! Can you imagine the colossal devastation that would have happened if someone had released all that electromagnetic energy? And we all know that with all the publicity, someone would surely be wishing to poke their hands into our potentially apocalyptic experiment? Open your eyes, Scott! It's not only your existence on this world anymore. Don't you care about what I think or me?" Scott seemed to mentally weigh his options.

"Jane, you know I love you, but if I were to just intake a small amount of that energy, perhaps my ability may be able to save people-"

"You're lying!" Jane cried sharply.

"But I would save people-"

"But you don't love me anymore, do you? No, you're too wrapped up in this saving-the-world delusion. You're not God, you're not a superhero, so just leave the world be! And I understand that your brother died at the hands of a mugger, but sometimes things happen for a reason. Sometimes criminals are supposed to be caught by cops. And you know why? Because it's their job. We're scientists - we examine and develop new ideas and theories to benefit the good of mankind with knowledge. We don't play hero, and simply decide that we should switch out our lab coats for badges. And the abilities I have? I would give anything to be ridded of them. I feel that no longer may I live the life of Jane Marshall but the life of a guinea pig - constantly being observed upon," she said with one final huff. She shrugged off her lab coat. "I'm going home, Mr. Frenchmen. And I wish not to see you there for the night." Instead of scrambling up beside her, however, begging for her forgiveness, Scott Frenchmen merely stood there, devoid of any expression, staring after Jane as she marched out of the laboratory.

"But what if I had already started playing hero?" he whispered underneath his breath, his voice so sweet and compelling. Suddenly his lips quirked upwards in a malicious grin. "Stay, Louise. If you stay, you won't have to face the ludicrous nonsense when you wake up. Jane, your mother? No, you would much rather to stay in this blissful ignorance of a dimension...," he said, his words so crisp and perfect... How could Louise deny such an offer? He was right, she should stay and live in bliss-

"Louise! Wake up! I know you're going to get us out of here. You may think otherwise, but realise that your capabilities span wider than your knowledge. What you think is impossible coming from you is just doubt. What you believe is possible is faith. Embrace that faith, Louise!" Like arising out of water, Louise jolted awake, feeling her sense intensify, and her energy being mustered into an unstoppable force.

"I will, and I will start now." She urged a gust of wind to her side. "And Frenchmen will feel that faith - painfully." She maneuvered the wind to unlock the lock of her cell, and with a satisfying click, it busted open. Louise stood up, straightening her posture, and strode out of the cell. "FRENCHMEN! I DEMAND TO SEE YOU!" she screamed, directing her gaze at the ceiling. Initially nothing happened, then through a loudspeaker a slightly shaky French-accented voice said, "And see me you shall... along with Mr. Arthur Wentworth here who has been quite a nice loyal dog will very much like to see you." A nice loyal dog? What does he mean? Louise glanced at Joshua, arching an eyebrow in a questionable expression, but he looked as perplexed as she was. She wondered if she'd be able to strategize a surprise attack, though she had misinterpreted how quick Frenchmen was because he was waltzing into the dingy corridor in mere seconds with guards trailing behind him.

"Where's Arthur?" Louise inquired, mustering all the confidence that was available to her. Frenchmen smirked.

"George, bring out our little guinea pig, if you don't mind," he said, directing his words to a guard beside him. The guard nodded, walking toward the back of the guards, pulling a crumpled figure by the wrists. It took a minute before Louise realized that the crumpled figure was Arthur! His brown hair had been infested with dirt, which made his hair stand up at odd angles. His casual wear of clothes were wrinkles and ripped in various places, not remotely suitable for wearing. In short, he looked as if he had been tugged out of a cow's butt. Instinctively, Louise ran to his side only to be pulled back by one of the surrounding guards. Groggily, Arthur stood up, sort of swaying as he did so.

"Dad! I mean, Arthur! Are you okay?" she screamed out. His eyes fixated on her, but instead of answering, he merely stood beside Frenchmen as if he hadn't registered the question at all. "Arthur? What's going on?" she demanded.

"I'm sure it is to your knowledge that I had wished to acquire the abilities Jane had possessed, in which Jane was successful from keeping them from me - almost."

"What do you mean almost? You're trying to acquire the abilities of my friends right now, aren't you?" she asked skeptically. However, he did not answer the inquiry.

"I can control one's mind if I wish to do so-" Involuntarily, Louise tensed up. "But for reasons unknown, it doesn't work on you," he growled, frustration evident in his tone.

"What do you mean? You never tried to control my mind..."

"I tried to control your mind when you were sleeping just now. Though it is apparent that your mind isn't controlled," he replied between gritted teeth. Oh... so that's what it was... "However, Arthur here, has been most helpful. I had him pick you up from your house and provide bits and pieces of the truth, and your friends there have also obeyed my command - not moving from their cell." She stole a quick glimpse behind her, noticing the familiar faces in the cell, now more furious than ever. Livid, Louise narrowed her eyes at Frenchmen, envisioning her eyes appearing like clouds forming thick and nearly black, threatening to let loose the pulsating fury within upon the world below.

"So... all this, all of this was to lure me? Why me?" she asked.

"Because Jane gave you the most powerful ability out of everything she had - manipulation over weather. But of course her daughter would be reckless with such power - why not just willingly hand it over?"

"Like I said earlier, Frenchmen. Over. My. Dead. Body."

"Guards, capture the girl for me, will you?" Without any reluctance, the entire formation of guards -which couldn't have been less than twenty- launched themselves onto Louise, their combined weight crushing her. Her breathing came out in ragged wheezes as she struggled to crawl out of the heap of black-worn guards. She noticed an open spot on the floor and strained to crawl toward it, but one of the guards stomped his foot mercilessly onto her hand. She howled in pain, feeling an agonizing sensation shoot out from her hand. Almost instantly, frost began to line the guard's body whom had just stomped on her hand, his body turning rigid. His expression was left in a scowl, unmoving. However, this did not even faze the remainder of the guards, which were now taking its toll on Louise, black spots dancing excitedly around her vision. Out of desperation, she urged the familiar agonizing pain to return to her fingertips, though, the weight of the guards were almost impossible to go unnoticed. The black dots increased and were threatening to take over her consciousness. She glanced upwards, noticing Frenchmen seemingly nonchalant in all of this. He hypnotized Arthur. He wants to steal my powers. He killed my mom... No, he won't win, because my mom -Jane- could sacrifice her life for the world, I'm willing to sacrifice my most profound efforts for Jane. Finally, the pain returned to her fingertips in an instant, making Louise squeak, holding back the urge to scream. Immediately, she felt bodies begin to go rigid and frigidly cold, their weight being lifted. Beside her, she heard Frenchmen's grunt of disapproval. She crawled underneath the statues of the bodies, and disorientedly stood up, burning her gray eyes into his.

"You're alone, Frenchmen. I could shock you into a crisp faster than you can say 'goodbye'," Louise said. His eyes flashed with something she couldn't identify, but his firm expression did not waver.

"I might not be a worthy opponent, but how you feel of going against a few of your own?" he asked, a chilling essence creeping up her spine. A creak of a cell door made her whip her neck backward, noticing Shijie, Joshua, and Alexa, all in unison marching up toward her. Footsteps next to Frenchmen brought her attention back to him. Arthur was beginning to inch closer to her, his eyes glaring at her as if she was a fly he couldn't manage to swat. She was surrounded. The thought of using her abilities against them made her thoughts go whirling in her mind - different strategies, all of them harming them in some way.

"Why don't you fight me yourself? You coward! Jane never loved you! And do you know why? Because you'd never face your problems yourself! You'd put everyone in front of you to serve as a shield!" Her words seemed to sting, yet he did not command for them to stop.

"If it's them getting harmed and not me, I will feel nothing," he said, though it seemed that he was talking more to himself than anyone else. "Have fun." With that, he escaped out of the corridor, slamming the door behind him. Arthur, Shijie, Alexa, and Joshua were now all glaring down at her only but a foot away from her. Arthur was the one to make the first move. He jabbed his fist into her armpit, her reflexively plastering her hand onto it. Though she was ready for the next punch. Alexa tried to uppercut her fist into her chin, but Louise easily dodged it and urged a gust of wind, sending Alexa flying backward a few feet. Well, at least they don't have their abilities, she thought. But any injuries Alexa sustained did not hold her back, and instead, fury replaced her mild anger. Alexa sprinted up to Louise jabbing a punch square in the chest, the wind escaping from her lungs. Taking a moment to regain her breath, she pleaded, "Alexa, please stop! This isn't you!" Unfortunately, the plea seemed to only fuel that anger.

"Then you don't know who I genuinely am, Louise Melon," Alexa replied, emphasizing the mispronunciation of her last name. "Or is it Marshall now?" Without warning, she sent an uppercut to Louise's chin. And this time, her reaction was too delayed to react. Pain arched up her chin, and she mustered all of her strength to not show the agonizing sensation she really felt. Alexa sneered. Shijie stepped forward, his now glassy brown eyes not leaving her face.

"Ni shi zui taoyan de nuhai wo cengjing youguo yici huiyi de bukuai, wo juede exin, dang wo kan dao ni zheyang de ren - ren shui gei bu kaolu renhe ren. You are most annoying girl I ever had displeasuremeeting, and feel nauseated when see people like you - people who give no regard to anyone." Louise was too stunned to say anything; he always seemed to be the calm guy who'd never say anything as such even in his most wildest dreams. Then, his face hardened, and his hand whipped out in a blur, slapping it across her face in a satisfying crack. Instinctively, Louise cradled her cheek, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Please, Shijie. I do-don't want to hurt you...," she cried out. But Shijie left her no choice because his hand came in for the second blow, shooting at her like a missile. In a split second decision, she summoned a small tornado, capable of demolishing a tent, and urged it toward Shijie. It engulfed him in its grasp and flew him into on the open cells, knocking him out cold. Louise grimaced. Joshua stepped forward, his eyes narrowing.

"You're just prancing around like a little bloody pony when the rest of us are suffering! How dare you insult me, you insufferable rubbish!" he shouted. His familiar, intense green eyes were now as familiar as a saber-toothed cat, which had gone extinct roughly eleven million years ago.

"I-I don't know what you mean - what are you-"

"Oh, yes, you do. At least Alexa has a valid reason!" he yelled, jabbing a punch to her shoulder. She winced. If there was anyone she really didn't want to inflict harm, it was Josh.

"Okay... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"I'm afraid sorry won't fix anything of the sort...," he said. At the corner of her eye, she noticed Arthur trying at a jab at her head, but she easily blocked it with her arm, and sent him flying into the same cell Shijie was, knocking him out cold as well. Joshua glared lividly at her, and thrusted an uppercut into the same spot Alexa had punched Louise. She gasped in shock. The pain was excruciating, and she fell to her knees, unsure if she could bare to stand another moment of this torment. Joshua kicked her ribs as she fell. She bit her lip in raw agony as each kick felt like a drill being driven into her heart. Out of all of the pain, she heard a faint chuckle emanate from Alexa.

"Josh, Alexa, stop! This-this - I don't want to hurt you!" she shrieked out of sheer desperation.

"You already hurt us, Louise! I HATE YOUR VERY EXISTENCE!" Alexa replied, sending an especially hard kick into her ribs. Louise howled in pain.

"Josh, what you said about faith-"

"You speak of faith? How come you haven't any?" he inquired with a snarl, but he fortunately did not kick her this time.

"I do! And I have faith you can penetrate Frenchmen's hypnosis!" Alexa, however, wasn't listening and instead, stomped her heel onto her stomach.

"Please... Embrace the hope... embrace the faith... because there is always-always something to live for...," she wheezed out, feeling her breaths begin to come out more ragged. Barely clinging onto her consciousness, she felt another kick in her arm. "And they will always... love you for that." Suddenly the kicking ceased, and she was left with intense throbbing all over her body, and her eyes beginning to close.

"Oh my gosh, Louise! Louise, are you okay? I didn't mean to do that! Please forgive me! Please, Louise!" yelled Alexa, scrambling to her aid. Vision blurred from tears, Louise glanced up at Josh, whose back was facing her.

"I... forgive you...both," she breathed out. Josh turned, his face solemn.

"I don't deserve your forgiveness. I deserve your hatred." Louise face softened.

"No, you deserve my kindness," she said. Josh, gazed down at her, his green eyes vacant.

"I suppose I cannot change your thinking."

"Not in the slightest." His lips quirked up an inch. Alexa placed her hand on Louise's shoulder as she stood up, pain spiking up her torso.

"Can you walk?" Alexa inquired. Louise tested her strength, urging her feet to move a step, and she did so with profound effort.

"I think so."

"Great, because I think we have to go pay our little friend, Frenchmen a nice little visit," she said grinning. Louise mustered a gulp of air and hobbled over with her companions who scurried ahead of her out of the corridor. Though the pain she was experiencing was horrid, she knew that Frenchmen should not escape as an innocent man, for he was anything but innocent. Josh grabbed a torch as he jogged out of the corridor, Alexa following at his heels with Louise limping after them almost out of breath. With only a torch to illuminate their path, they noticed another corridor leading out to an unknown destination. Wordlessly, they agreed, and dashed down that corridor. Adrenaline seemed to fill every vein and muscle within Louise. They were going to face off the man that had sent her world plundering down in a mess of lies and secrets. And though she was not in any shape to take on a man with the abilities to sort of hypnotize people, her heart felt that there was no better time than now. She forced her legs to run quicker with the new-found adrenaline. Sure, everything limb and bone bursted with a sense of agony every time she stepped, but the agony of seeing her fellow companions act like wild dogs against their own will was like comparing how much an anvil would hurt to a rock. Their pounding footsteps echoed, sending reverberations throughout the corridor. As they neared toward a source of light, a gust of wind diminished the smoke. Warily, the group peered inside, noticing no one inside, and though their mission lied elsewhere, they concurred to look around. First, Alexa trudged in, followed by Joshua, and lastly by Louise. Silver lined the walls, and array of unknown bottled chemicals were scattered throughout the room. A large, white desk sat in the center with two counters beside it. This is his personal laboratory Arthur was talking about, Louise realized.

"I don't feel we are missing anything here, so I think we should-"

"Go?" inquired an amused, French-accented voice. Everyone's spines went rigid, as they perked up their ears closer to the source of the sound. "Well, of course you may go... as long as I get to keep the gray-eyed one." Joshua and Alexa both stole a quick glimpse at Louise. She gulped. Frenchmen revealed himself, strutting in, carrying a slumped unconscious body in the nook of his left arm.

"Shijie!" Alexa exclaimed rushing toward him only to be held back by Joshua, who held a firm grip on her arm. "Smart boy. Now, I'm willing to make a trade. This little one for Louise. If you accept my deal, you all -except for Louise- go home safe and sound, as if none of this ever existed. If you do not accept my deal, well..." He produced a pistol from a hidden pocket within his trench coat, hovering it over Shijie's right temple. "I will have to take severe measures." Alexa squeaked, her free hand muffling her scream. Frenchmen's horrid blue eyes darted from Alexa to Shijie, and an amused grin began to form.

"Ah, yes, young love. What could be more beautiful? But it could also be torn with a single...," he let his words trail for effect. "word." Alexa's eyes began to well up with tears. Louise glanced at Alexa's sorrowful expression to Shijie's lifeless one. It had to be done.

"I'll go, and I promise I won't escape," she said, her tone flat. Frenchmen's grin widened.

"What? No, Louise! It's a trap! He'll still hold us prisoner!"

"You've been reading too many fictional books, boy. I stay true to my word." Grudgingly, Louise stepped forward beside Frenchmen.

"You can let Shijie go now. I won't try anything funny," she said, avoiding his gaze.

"But I won't let him go just yet... Stay calm while I insert this needle. If you do, your friends will go home and they will be out of harm's way," he replied, his voice compelling, though Louise knew that it wasn't his ability that was creating that sensation.

"Alright, I'll let you do it. What have I got to lose anyway?" she asked, trying at a smile. But no one returned it.

"Please, Louise! Don't do this... You've got everything to lose...," Joshua whispered under his breath. Louise closed her eyes and waited for the needle to come.