"What does that mean?" Breanna asked, looking at a paling Tania,

"They are going to trap us in the tunnels and capture everyone," Tania said, "I ... Bre..."

"Do you know how to stop it?" Breanna asked, grasping Tania's shoulders.

"We do," Tania nodded, "but it requires me to join my old unit to do it."

"They have joined us," Breanna said, "we'll chat later about everything I don't know about you ... go."

Tania swallowed hard, nodded and pushed through the crowd calling for everyone to make a hole.

Breanna frowned, "I should have seen it sooner."

"Should have seen what sooner?" Jesse asked.

"Tania and her strange mix of military languages," Breanna said, turning and grinning at the sight of Valencia and Birgit, "good job, guys."

"Thanks, but we're not out of the woods yet," Valencia said, stilling and blinking quickly.

"What is it?" Breanna asked, frowning.

"Madden," Birgit murmured, "he has ... oh no ..."

"What?" Jesse asked, exasperation riding the single word.

"The man is pure evil," Birgit whispered, "Valencia is combing his mind, memories, plans ... past, present and future."

"She can do that?" Breanna asked, surprised.

"Yes, but she has a dark side I don't want her to use," Birgit said, "if she is forced to use it ... it triggers my protectiveness of her and ..."

"The use of your dark side," Breanna finished, "one trigger we didn't see coming."

"Jesse," Birgit murmured, "get everyone out, do not come back for us, promise me that," Birgit looked him in the eyes, "please promise me that."

Jesse opened his mouth to speak, took a breath, and closed his mouth and eyes tightly. The struggle to give that promise showed the wince and grimace rippling over his features.

"Jesse, please," Birgit begged, "if I know everyone is out or being protected on the way out, Val and I can ... finish what Darcia started."

"What did she start?" Breanna's head snapped around.

"She knew about all of this," Birgit said, "knew what Madden was doing but, like everyone else, was powerless to stop it."

"That I'm not sure about," said Breanna, "but we'll get everyone out ... you have my word."

"Thank you," Birgit said, gripping Jesse's hand, "go and don't come back for us. If you die, Valencia will never forgive me."

Breanna gripped Jesse's protective vest pulling him away and into the tunnels. Birgit watched until he disappeared around the first bend.

"He's gone," Birgit whispered.

"Let's get to work," Valencia replied.

"You sure about doing this?" Birgit asked.

"No, but I don't see another way to destroy him," Valencia said, "warn Cara to stay out of my mind."

"On it," Birgit said, "may I use a corner of your ability to do so."

"Yep," Valencia said, turning toward the observation window on the other side of the crater, "make it quick. I don't want her to see what is coming."

"Can I warn her about what is coming?" Birgit said, "at least give her a heads up?"

"If you have to," Valencia sighed.

"Thank you," Birgit said, "relinquish please ... right ... on it."

Tania moved with Cara and Oran, glancing back periodically to see the captive's progress. It was hard moving the group with frightened children, injuries sustained before and during the fighting, never mind being tortured in the extraction unit.

"Birgit is making contact," Cara frowned, taking her brother's hand while continuing to move forward. "Oh ... wow ... Valencia has definitely moved forward in her abilities ... Birgit is warning of ..."

Tania stopped, staring hard at Cara, who gasped, blinked and looked around before looking up, "What is it?"

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"Valencia has seen everything in his mind," Cara shook her head, "she is stronger than me. Birgit warned of fanatics with the ability to hang from the ceiling. She is also going to perform ... a ... land mine sweep?"

Tania froze, her head suddenly snapping up, "Contact above."

The Enhanced Protection Agency front runners swung their weapons up, aiming and firing without hesitation.

"Headshots," Cara called, "they don't die ... ever."

"Damn, that procedure no one asked for," Tania muttered. Lifting her weapon and fired one shot per body, not waiting for them to fall before moving on to the next one.

Oran grabbed his sister pulling her to the side of the tunnel while watching Tania work, "Damn, she has laser aim."

"It's not all she has," Cara said, "behind you."

Tania swung, not missing a beat and fired into the oncoming hoard of black-clad abominations that crawled like crabs over the walls.

"She needs help," Oran muttered, pushing a clean gun and mag into his sister's hands, "back to back."

"I'll take the walls," Cara whispered, pushing the magazine home, "you take the ceiling."

"Let's go," Oran said, turning to meet his sister's back.

Together the twins moved in perfect unison, as though joined at an invisible seam, each firing with deadly accuracy.

"Scott, cover Tania," Breanna called, pushing to the front of the frightened people, "Jesse, stand with me and cover this line."

"What about the back of the group?" Jesse called, firing at the slowly diminishing hoard.

"Somehow, I don't think we need to worry about it," Breanna glanced at the ceiling about the group, "we have aerial back up."

Jesse noticed the smallest of Titan's group hanging from the ceiling, firing into the hoard coming from the back. He glanced toward Tania shouting one word before disappearing into the hole in the ceiling.

"Sonicblast."

Breanna gasped, swinging to look at Tania, who dropped her weapon to hang at her side and spread her arms to the side, "Everyone down. Cover your ears."

Cara swung around to face her brother, holstering her weapon as he did the same. Locking their legs together, they fell into a crouch covering each other's ears, maintained eye contact and waited.

Tania inhaled before she let out a high-pitched warble. She watched it form, allowing it to sound around her before increasing the volume and pushing it out to every tunnel. She felt it run along the walls and the ceiling, finding its way to disable the enemy. The enhanced killing abilities forced upon her broke free and joined the blast, mingling, unwrapping and finally revelling in the darkest part Tania had carefully kept under wraps. Sinking into a deep stance, her hands ready in front, she waited. Moving in a slow fighting style, grabbing, ripping, pummelling at the enemy. Unseen to those around her but very real to Tania. They were in front and around her, and she destroyed them without remorse.

Breanna watched every move with fascination. Dread slowly settled deep within her gut. The look in Tania's eyes, how she moved, how she breathed, everything Breanna saw ... gasping as realisation slammed into her mind. Tania was made to do something else other than her current role with the Agency. Breanna saw a lot of herself in Tania and her manifesting abilities.

"Jesse, cover everyone and get them out," Breanna exhaled, "Tania is going to need back up soon."

"What are you going to do?" Jesse asked.

"Give her that back up," Breanna said, carefully taking her hands from her ears, "that blast is going to run out soon. Tania will need someone to cover her while you and the twins move everyone out."

Jesse nodded, "Extraction is the priority."

"Get them on the boats and far away from this place," Breanna stood bracing against the waves of the sonic blast, "go. Now."

Tucking her elbows into her waist, she lifted her arms to the side, forming a sonic bubble over the frightened group of people. Keeping her back to the group and turning as Jesse motioned for them to move. Cara and Oran rose from the ground as the blast left their area, moving the group forward. Oran moved with them, covering the front, while Cara covered the group's side and Jesse covered the back. Finally, everyone was through, and Breanna moved to cover Tania as the blast eventually disappeared into nothing.

Breanna looked at her hands; as she exhaled, they fizzed and crackled, "Titan, cover ..."

Titan dropped next to her, looking around, "Cover what?"

"I've got Tania," she said, her voice warbling as energy began to ooze from her, and she rose a foot off the ground, "cover them."

"Oh my ..." Titan took a step back, "what did Darcia do to you?"

"No idea," Breanna said, "but Tania will need me to lose my temper."

Titan's eyes widened, "I've seen that happen and never want to be around to see it again. Team move. Move now. Cover the extraction."

Turning, ran toward the evacuating group as Tania finished her final movement and crouched on the ground, panting.

Looking up and around, her shoulders sagged, "Alone. Very fitting."

"You're not alone," Breanna said, taking in the area around them, "there are more that need your skills."

Tania gasped, looking up and staring at Breanna, "You can levitate without losing your temper. Does that mean you're going to lose your temper?"

"Tania, can you fight?" Breanna asked.

"I ... don't have the energy," Tania smiled wanly, "you need to leave me."

"That is not how family works," Breanna said, floating over Tania protectively, "rest a while. I have this. Cara, are you out of my blast radius? If not quicken the extraction ... the energy waves may add to the trauma."

"What about Val and Birgit?" Tania grunted, trying to stand.

"They are attending to their own business," Breanna smiled. "What I may need to do will hopefully cover their retreat or perhaps help them find another way out."

The ground shuddered as another explosion was heard.

"That was close," Tania staggered to her feet, "Bre ... what do you plan on doing?"

"I never plan on doing anything," Breanna smiled, "I only plan to defend," she sighed, "you and I are a lot alike, Tania. Much of what I have seen today, I understand."

"How? You don't know half of what I'm capable of doing?" Tania shook her head, brushing her hair from her face.

"We have a similar problem," Breanna said, glancing toward one of the tunnels and inhaling, "you don't know half of what I'm capable of doing. Stay under me, do not try to assist in any way, and if I move, you move. We are forging a stronger relationship here ... one built on trust."

"Trust," Tania smiled, "I like that. Your instructions are understood," Tania nodded, turning to see a large group of fanatics coming toward them from two of the three tunnels, "that is a lot of opposition."

"Cara, it is about to start ..." Breanna whispered, "see you all on the other side."