Allan fiddles with his earpiece as he scans the street in front of him. Seated on a bench outside a book shop he has a perfect view of his entrance to the alley that runs behind the pub.

Once they had established that their target uses the alley, further investigation revealed that it has two entrances, one to the left of the bar which runs along and behind the building before continuing for about one hundred metres and emerging opposite the book store where Allan is currently seated with Dave and Ashley.

It turns out staking out somewhere manually requires a large amount of skill. You have to be able to remain focused enough on the stream of people you are watching to avoid letting the target slip by, but not so focused that you tire yourself out and drop off later on. Fortunately, Allan has had the time to practise this important, yet mostly useless skill.

The trio have been watching the entrance for a day and a half now since Dave entered the pub, five days after they arrived in London. The way things are headed now, this is easily going to be one of the worst missions in the history of the Academy, with the average one lasting just one or two days. Not almost an entire week.

Looking to the side Allan sees that the number of watchers on this entrance has dropped from three to two as Ashley has dozed off, leaning against her brother. Dave meanwhile is staring at the passerbys with an almost scary intensity. Similar to the looks he gave people when Allan first met him.

Thinking back, Allan remembers the mission when they found Dave and Ashley. The team back then was roughly the same, the twins, Katie and himself, as well as some helping hands who volunteered. That was before they had formed the team fully as they were still in the recruitment phase. Needing just a few more members before they could register officially through the extraction committee.

They had been tasked with locating two Unlocked in Sydney. No information provided as to their powers or personalities. They didn't even know how old they were. Assuming the worst, the team remained tense and on edge the whole time. That particular mission lasted three days. Three days of combing the back alleys and run down suburbs under a blazing Australian sun. Of course, that wasn't the hardest part. Oh no. The hardest part only started once they actually found the pair of Unlocked. The two siblings, Dave in particular didn't care for what they had to say as he told them exactly where to shove their 'pretty little academy'.

The only reason that the situation didn’t deteriorate into conflict was Katie. To this day, Allan doesn’t know what she said to the two siblings, as the whole team had been curtly ordered to, “Take a walk. Let me handle it.” Those were the two most nerve wracking minutes of Allan’s life so far as he paced up and down the street, waiting for Katie to finish. You could say that she was the core of the team, the sun to their planets. He knows that if she were to leave, or die, the team would be no more, just a group of individuals bickering amongst themselves.

Glancing at his watch Allan sees that it is almost evening rush hour, the one time that the target may be able to slip through the net due to the vast number of people making their way home after work. Nudging Dave, he motions for him to wake up Ashley, “Eyes peeled now. It’s rush hour.”

Dave nods and gently wakes Ashley by shaking her shoulder. “Wakey, wakey. We need your help.” With a yawn and a stretch, Ashley sits up and rubs her eyes as she looks around blearily, “Have we seen him yet?”

“No, but we may do soon, so start watching.”

“Uuu… alright.” With a pout Ashley starts watching the crowd. It is tough on the kid, having so little to do while waiting. But then again, it would be worse to miss the target and have to wait for another week.

Allan glances at the exchange before turning back to the crowd. His relationship with the pair is complicated, especially Dave. It’s not that they dislike one another, but neither are they friends. They both understand what has to be done yet they disagree over how to go about it. They get along well, but think too differently to be able to be true friends.

With a sigh Allan watches as the hordes of office workers are disgorged from the buildings around them, rapidly willing the streets to bursting point as they hurried home. The huge crowds make it difficult to pick out one individual, though thankfully they only have to watch the alley entrance for anyone entering.

Allan jumps suddenly as Katie’s voice crackles through the earpiece, “You awake?”

Relaxing and waving off Dave’s amused glance Allan says, “Yeah, just watching the entrance. Nothing yet.”

“Alright. If we don’t find anything by nine, we’re going to call off the search and get reinforcements.”

Allan gulps, “R-roger.” He knows what Katie really means: find him before nine. Or else. Seeing Dave glancing at his pale face Allan forces a sickly smile, “We have a deadline. Nine o’clock.” Beads of sweat appear on Dave’s forehead as he slowly nods. No one on the team wants to face Katie when she’s angry.

Minutes go by, then an hour and still nothing, just the tired faces of the workers of London as they hurry past, slowly blurring into one large mass of exhausted relief at finishing for the day.

Painfully aware of the passing of time and the fear of not finding the target both Dave and Allan don’t notice the figure in a long grey coat approaching the alley until Ashley nudges Dave, “Hey. Isn’t he the guy?” as she nods her head in his direction.

Startled and embarrassed by their inattentiveness the two immediately act, though Dave doesn’t have to do much as he just focuses on the older teenager slowly trudging along the pavement. Allan meanwhile calls Katie, “We have him, he’s approaching the alley now.”

All business, her response is curt.

“We’re moving now.”

Focusing on the figure Allan tries to learn as much as he can from him before they make contact. He walks slowly along the pavement, hugging the wall to avoid the oncoming stream of people and hunched over, losing several inches of height. He seems almost tired, worn down as he lethargically places one booted foot in front of the other, his face pale and gaunt. Despite this however, his roving eye seems to take in everything and everyone. His piercing gaze sweeps across the trio and Allan feels a shiver run down his spine, like icy fingers.

He keeps walking. And walking. The distance to the alley seems infinite as Allan waits for him to walk into the trap. Finally, day after day of waiting have paid off. Anticipation fills him, but he forces himself to stay calm. Acting too soon would ruin everything. As the target reaches the entrance, Allan draws a breath to relay the information, but freezes halfway.

He’s stopped.

Frozen in place, Allan watches with an inexplicable sense of rising dread as the youth standing in the mouth of the alley slowly turns, meeting Allan’s gaze from across the road.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Cold. It is the only word Allan can use to describe the eye of the teenager. Empty of emotion and empathy, it reaches across the gap between them as it sizes him up. Cutting into him. Exposing everything he is. Allan unconsciously stiffens in his seat and his heart rate skyrockets. His whole body screams at him that the youth looking at him is wrong.

Time seems to slow, as the few seconds of eye contact stretch into infinity. Unable to turn away Allan watches as he slowly turns away from the alley and walks back the way he came. A flash of irritation skitters across the target’s face before he breaks eye contact.

As though a spell is broken, Allan regains control of his breathing and his heart calms in his chest. Looking to Dave, Allan sees that he is effected as well as the colour gradually returns to his face. What was that, his power? Or a side effect? If it is the latter, the team may be too far out of their depth. That fear… it wasn’t mere anxiety or nerves. It was primal terror. A terror of something worse than death…

Gathering his wits Allan decides the best thing to do is follow procedure.

“Ash…”

--MC POV—

Who are those bastards?

I scowl fiercely as I back up the way I came. Seeing my expression, several people back off, fear visible on their faces. I suppose it’s sensible, staying away from an angry homeless guy. But seriously, who are they? They don’t look like they are from around here. The way they carry themselves is too stiff and uncomfortable to be from London.

I suppose them being from out of town rules out revenge. None of the people I’ve roughed up have the connections to call in help from abroad. They could have tracked me because of that video.

Ugh... Now that I think about it that's probably what happened. But if it was the video's fault then this is bad. Really fucking bad. If they're from abroad and have been sent to track me down, it means they belong to a company with enough power to cause issues down the line.

I thought I was done with this bullshit. Like seriously, so many people want a piece of me. Have wanted a piece of me. Have got a piece of me. Many now dead, not that many still alive...

How rude of them. Like seriously now, first they stop me from getting my drink, now they're fucking following me. It's not like I'm doing anything to them.

I turn and look back the way a I came but I don't see anything, just the few stragglers let out late from work hurrying home, the streets gradually clearing of people. Huh, I'm fairly sure someone is following me. Now, in this situation, most people would look, and upon seeing nothing out of place, assume nothing is wrong. Thing is, I've seen enough Unlocked to know they have so many ways of hiding that you'd need half the Amazon rainforest to make enough paper to write a list of them. So yeah, pretty screwed right?

Not for me.

Closing my eye, I focus on feeling the living thugs around me, the people, the weeds in the pavement, the birds in the eaves. I reach out and sense them. Their heartbeat, no I go deeper. I see the flashes of electricity along their nerves yet I go deeper. Down and down into the living beings around me until I see a void. A void so dark and thick, yet so comforting for me. Ah yes, here it is. The spark.

It's a funny little thing, this spark. Scientists around the world struggle to find the answer to the most basic question: what is life? What takes a collection of atoms and gives it consciousness? Well it's this little thing, so small against this vast blackness. It seems almost as though it's about to be swallowed whole, not surprising really considering how weak it looks compared to this abyss. So easily extinguished.

Widening my perception, I cover the whole street with this sense. Bend light all you want; you can't hide the fact that you are alive. Once the spark goes out in you, it never comes back, so unless you're dead, you can never truly hide from me.

Sweeping my sense over the road and buildings next to me, I search for the bastard following me. Hm... no that's some grass... moss... Oh what about- never mind, just a bird. That's one problem with this little trick; I can't differentiate between different living things at a glance.

Continuing my search, I finally find the pursuer. Crafty bugger I'll give them that; they seem to be able to change their body composition into smoke. Seems kind of dull to me, but it does allow you to fit inside some small spaces. Such as a drainpipe.

I walk over to the drain in question and squat down next to the opening. I'm getting real tired of this shit. Maybe I should make a statement so people just leave me the fuck alone? Hmm... Possibly, it could work. I'll see what this one has to say first.

--Ash POV—

How does he know I'm here? I did everything like bro told me to; I kept my distance and avoided contact. He shouldn't even know I'm following him.

I'm so scared right now. This isn't right. The moment he stopped and turned I flowed into this pipe to hide, but he's found me! How!?

I'm panicking... I can't... stop my... breathing... Is this fear? This isn't like the time bro threatened to take my phone off me. This is worse, it's like I know I'm going to die.

Suddenly I quite voice worms its way into the drain, drilling into me, "I know you're there. Get the fuck out now." Oh god, that voice. My panic spikes and I start to lose reason.

In a desperate bid to escape I flow out of the pipe and mould back into my body. I can't think, I can't control my breathing. My heart is out of control. I'm aware that I've curled up on the floor shaking, but my vision is darkening, my blood pounding through my ears. I just hear his voice over and over in my head. So cold, digging into my very soul.

I summon the strength to turn my head as I see him. He's squatting down next to me, staring at me with those empty eyes.

Oh god. My heart... it’s going to burst. I can feel it faltering... Becoming erratic. I see him stand a walk over to me. Please no. Don't come closer. Please...

I see him raise his arm, his bandaged hand forming a fist before he whips it forward into my head. I feel the impact, how my body rocks with the force of the blow. I feel the pain spreading from spot he hit me as my vision blurs and fades and then...

Darkness.

---------------------

Sry about the wait, I've been revising for my exams starting next week, so I haven't had much of a chance to work on this.

Also sorry if there is a drop in quality because I am currently in bed doing this on my phone, so no proofread as of yet, though it will be done tomorrow.