The ride back to the GSO headquarters was awkward. Even though the government vans were quite spacious, putting three adults in the back seat would always make them feel crowded and uncomfortable. Diego sat in the middle, with his slightly trembling hands folded on his lap, while his dark eyes darted from side to side as he tried to discern where they were taking him.

"You don't have to worry. We're the good guys," Aleks said and resisted the urge to put a hand on his arm. He was far too nervous, and an unfamiliar touch would only make him more skittish.

"I know, but still. Dark, undercover vans driving away from the city... that's enough to make a guy a little stressed, no?" Diego fidgeted with his fingers.

Antoni, on the other side of him, scoffed. "Don't you think you'd be dead already if we wanted to hurt you?"

"Antoni!" Aleks scolded.

"It was a joke!"

"I told you to stop joking. You are terrible at it."

Contrary to what she feared, Diego seemed to relax at their bickering. "You are twins, I presume?"

"Duh! We look pretty much the same." Toni shrugged.

"No, we don't," Aleks protested.

"Well, it was the arguing that gave you away," Diego admitted with a small smile that lit his handsome face. Aleks had to blink and look away, not to stare.

She harrumphed. "We still have at least half an hour trip if the traffic stays like this. I bet you have plenty of questions. We might not be able to answer them all, but some, at least. Maybe it will make you feel better?"

Diego thought briefly, eyes scanning a beige van's ceiling as if the questions were written there. "You called us gifted," he asked reluctantly. "Is it an official term for what we are?"

"Sounds better than weirdoes, don't you think?" Toni grinned.

"I guess so."

"Yes, that's an official name." Aleks nodded. "However, anyone who abuses their powers is branded a deviant."

Diego sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair. "It's a relief. When this... thing happened to me for the first time, I thought I was going crazy."

"It is scary, yes," Aleks agreed. "That's why it's so important that we contact newly gifted as soon as possible because we can offer them help to deal with it."

"Is that what you do?" Diego removed his glasses and tried to clean them with the rim of his not-very-clean t-shirt. "Gathering all the gifted in one place and... do what exactly?"

Even though his tone was casual, Aleks could see that his aura was still bordering between yellow and orange. He was afraid of them, and, to be honest, she couldn't blame him. It was an unconventional situation, and anyone would be wary.

"The GSO headquarters is a place for the gifted to stay and learn. We have scientists researching what caused our genes to mutate in the first place and if any side effects could affect our everyday lives. Some people run practice classes where you can learn the extent of your powers and how to get full control over them to avoid... accidents."

Orange flared again. "Accidents? What sort of accidents?"

"Well, your gift is pretty docile compared to others," Aleks replied with a small smile. "You should see Toni when he discovered his gift. He almost burned down the whole school."

"I did not!" Toni protested, his head shooting up from scrolling on the phone.

"You totally did." Aleks laughed. "The thing is, some gifts are dangerous even for those who wield them. That's why ensuring people know what they are capable of is so important."

Diego considered her words for a moment, scratching his chin with the first barely visible hints of stubble. "So... you do all this in exchange for what? Working for the government?"

"Now he's asking the right questions," Toni mumbled, his eyes still glued to his phone's screen.

"It's not like you are obligated to do that," Aleks explained. "I'm not going to lie; it is always appreciated. There are not many gifted proficient with their powers yet, so every additional person is helping us reach out to others and assist them if needed."

"I'm not soldier material." Diego laughed nervously. "I'm an art student. And a coward. I could never do what you two did back there. I want to say it outright so you don't get your hopes up about recruiting me."

"Hey, don't worry. No one is going to pressure you to do anything you don't want to do. Besides, we are not only field agents, you know. There is plenty to do on-site, where you would never be in danger. If that's something you'd ever want to consider," she added quickly, not to sound too pushy. "We want you to learn all you can about what you are and how it will possibly affect your life, and that's it. Armed with that knowledge, you are free to do what you want."

"Thank you," Diego replied, his aura slowly blending back to pale yellow.

"But there is also a matter of deviants hunting down innocent gifted to run some crazy experiments on them," Toni added conversationally.

"Antoni!"

"What? It's a fact. Don't you think our new friend should know the risk that awaits him if he decides to walk away?"

"Is it true?" Orange burst once again.

Aleks sighed. "We are not sure. Something is going on, but we don't have clearance to know the details. But whatever it is, rest assured that our people work day and night to thwart whatever threat might be out there."

"The fact is, the safest place for the gifted, especially those who just found out about their powers, is in GSO," Toni said matter-of-factly. "We have means to protect you there, but for those who decide to leave, we can only do so much."

"That's... a lot to take in," Diego mumbled, staring at his laced fingers. He looked so lost and vulnerable that Aleks wanted to hug him.

"You don't have to make any decisions right away. Take your time."

"Thank you."

For a while, they all went silent. Diego considered everything he heard while Toni kept scrolling his phone, occasionally smiling at something funny he saw.

Aleks leaned her head back and looked through the window. They left the main road and cruised through a small road surrounded by high hedges from both sides, making it almost impossible to see what awaited behind each twist and turn. Their driver often braked abruptly and then slowly passed the cars coming from the opposite direction while the branches thumped at the car's sides. They were close to the headquarters now.

"How did you find me?"

The question surprised Aleks, and for a moment, she just looked at Diego without understanding.

"Aleks scouted you," Toni explained, putting down his phone and finally turning to Diego. "Her talent is seeing auras of people like us. Amongst other things."

"But... there are eight million people in London. Why me?"

Aleks cheeks burned as if Toni used his fire powers to warm the car. "I... well, you probably didn't recognise me, but we used to take the same tube for some time."

"Really?" Diego looked at her in surprise. He blinked a couple of times and narrowed his eyes as if trying hard to see something that was not there. When he failed, he rubbed his neck. "I'm sorry, I can't say I've seen you before."

"It's alright, don't worry about it." Aleks looked away and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It was nothing unusual, and she was used to people not seeing her. Then why did she feel as if her stomach was full of stone now? "I recognised you as gifted right away since people like us stood out from the crowd for me. But I decided to leave you in peace."

"What changed then?"

"Well, gifted started disappearing from the streets. I got worried and... I let GSO know that you are... a person of interest to us."

"So you are the reason why I'm going for this super secret facility now?" Diego asked calmly, but there was a new edge in his voice.

"No," Toni chipped in, glaring at Diego and crossing his arms. "Aleks is the reason why you're not dead in a gutter, mate. If we weren't there today, I don't think you would have lived for long."

"I'm sorry," Aleks said quietly.

"It's alright. Don't worry about it," Diego said dismissively. But Aleks knew it was a lie. Even though he seemed calm, his aura flared red with anger.

Because of her.