Year-The Future (Then)

As Daire poured several cans of baked beans into a pot and placed it over the fire's heat, Ethan shifted closer to the fire's warmth.

"That's right, get as warm as you can, it's going to be cold up here tonight. How do you feel Ethan?" asked Daire as he set up a sleeping area for the two of them within the cave.

"I'm okay, thank you so much Daire, I don't know if I would've made it much longer without help."

"Ethan, is it too soon for me to ask what happened? I must know."

Ethan turned his gaze to Daire, his eyes pained and confused, he nodded though his body quaked.

"There was a knock as the door this morning at like five maybe six, which was so rare since it's Sunday, da went to answer it, there were four men in black suits. They are the ones that ruined the house, and us. They didn't say anything, they just started to attack us. Mom was the last to go, I - I stayed as still as I could praying that they wouldn't find me after the biggest one had tossed me. The men had strange voices, like they were reptiles or something, or like a scratchy throat. They had white eyes, like they had cataracts and... Where's Luan?" Ethan paused suddenly becoming even more aware of the situation.

"They took her Ethan, MSR caught us last night just as we were riding into town, I trailed them all the way to the state line..." Daire's body trembled with anger, his blood boiled with fear for his beloved, " they are taking the gifted people, like your sister to facilities, like concentration camps to run tests and do experimentation on them." his voice had gone dark, almost dangerous as he thought of his Luan being abused and hurt.

"What do we do Daire? We have to get her out, I won't let her be destroyed by those damn scientist. I've heard rumors and...." Ethan couldn't finish as he nearly choked on his own rage, "I never liked the idea of enslaving and tormenting another human, like Hitler did." he managed to say.

"Don't worry, let's get you better before we go anywhere, but while you are healing, you can watch camp and help me by coming up with a plan to bust her out, because by the time we get to her who knows what devilish things will have been committed on her." encouraged Daire he stood up to serve supper up for the boy, then some for himself.

"Good. Thank you Daire, I love my sister more then you know."

"I know Ethan, we must be so careful, do not trust anyone no matter how long you've known them, and don't give any information out, this is beyond us, it's beyond Mattison its only a matter of time before the entire world will be bare. Luan felt it, we, I have to save her, she is by far one of the stronger Empathians." spoke Daire.

"Are all the gifts empath?"

"No boy, there is an array of gifts, just like the X-Man films, or like the super heros in comic books, but I've noticed that the abilities stem from the mind, the psychology of the human being. That's what makes some more powerful then others, it has to do with the individual's mental strength, the strength of their spirit. It's why the gifts are only emotionally or physically based, like Luan, her superior senses is both emotional and a physical element, while others are either just physical or emotional. Does that make sense?" explained Daire.

"Yeah, like being super strong, or shape-shifting, that's a physical. While sensing other's emotions or being able to touch another person's thoughts is emotional." remarked Ethan as he finished eating his dinner.

"Yes, that's exactly it."

Daire took Ethan's bowl as the boy stood slowly, timidly to go to his sleeping bag, Daire quickly got up to assist him.

"I don't know if I can sleep Daire."

"You will, I'll watch out for you. I'll be here when you wake up in the morning alright, I promise you Ethan." Daire went to clean out the pot and dishes before returning to sit near the fire, every so often looking back to check on Ethan, who had dozed off into a fitful sleep. The boy whimpered and moaned all threw the night, wrestling with the nightmares of reality. While Daire wrestled with the visions of the restless, he drifted in and out of consciousness as he stared up into the starlit skies high above, trying desperately to find Luan in that emotional realm that she seemed to find peace in, when reality got to be too much on her system, people called this being in a trance. Deeper and deeper he went, trying to channel all of his emotions into his effort, when suddenly the young man was hit with bold whispered visions, visions that could barely be seen or heard.

Luan's screams struck the young man's very soul, she writhed and struggled against the restraints holding her to the table. The hot rod of a branding tool searing into the delicate flesh of her right thigh... her tormented whimpers and painful moans, the way her body heaved and thrashed in protest as she was raped and molested... the machines and emblems that were forced into her arms as she dangled from chains. The multiple genetic formulas that the scientists' were concocting from the many different blood types of the captives'... the way the captor's would place several of the more powerful women and girls into a cage filled with perverted monsters, that had been previous experimentations for them. Their screams and cries of total emptiness as their bodies were ravaged and battered... the male captives had it just as bad, being forced to mate with multiple women. The drugs and formulas that were pushed into every individuals' blood in hopes of creating a new genetic being, most failed resulting in countless deaths, but those who survived were either a monster or an entirely altered person with a stronger gift(s). Luan was alive! Her tormented eyes seemed dimmer then usual as she searched for her place of peace amongst the onslaught of pain, her gaze seemed to find his own...

Daire woke shuttering so violently, tears streaming down his cheeks, his hands clenched into tight fists just as the sun broke over the morning horizon. His breath came heavy as if he had been running at full speed, his heart beat so hard it was painful, his body slick with a cold sweat. Luan had survived the first night, as had he, she had seen him Daire just knew it.

"Daire, are you alright?" someone put a hand on his shoulder, it was Ethan. Daire gasped jumping slightly as he was startled from his visions, he turned his face slowly to glance up at Ethan nodding in reply to the boy's concern.

"I'm alright Ethan." he whispered.

"Did you see her? You are an empath too, if you can see the person that you are looking for it means that you have considerable power Daire, my mom told me so, only because she could never fully achieve the feat. You're a Searcher, like she was, da was always there for her no matter what to protect and support mom." spoke Ethan as he recognized Daire's potential.

"What me? An empath, no I'm not, I've just spent so much time with your sister that's all."

Ethan merely shook his head, he knew better but thought best to let Daire believe what he may.

"So where do we start today?" the boy inquired as he took a seat closer to the fire.

"I'm going to Braneson to use the library. I need to research the MSR facilities and get blueprints, I need you to stay hidden, don't go anywhere for any reason, don't talk or look for anyone. That shock wave that you felt yesterday knocked the whole of Mattison off of the electrical grid so no in-going or out-going transmissions could be sent. I need you to stay armed and build a perimeter, and then begin drawing out an escape plot for Luan, got it?" answered Daire.

"Yeah, I'm good. Let's meet up here at noon, and then you can go back, but just so we check in with each other alright." Ethan took up a pen and paper as he spoke, then he glanced at Daire who was smiling gratefully.

"What?"

"I'm glad I don't have to do this alone. Ethan you're awesome. I'll be back at noon sharp." Daire said as he changed his clothes, slipping guns and knives in hidden unnoticeable places beneath his garments. He then trotted off into the forest headed for Braneson. At a jog the trip took him an hour, but once he got into town he crept in the shadows keeping hidden from anyone as the young man made his way to the library. Daire peeked around a brick building that was only twenty feet from the library entrance, two strange men stood guard at the double doors, Daire thought it odd until he watched several people from the town enter without any trouble from the two men. Hair on the back of his neck rose and his fingertips tingled vibrantly as he cautiously stepped from behind the protection of the brick corner. As he approached the door Daire kept his eyes alert and his head held high, his adrenaline zinging through his veins as he finally came to stop before the two guards. They glanced at each other only seconds before the young man felt them make their choice to attack. Both men came at him with head-on swinging blows, Daire avoided them by completing a backflip, instincts he never knew he had shot up from the very depths of his inner being as he armed himself with his dagger and hand gun. The enemies were circling close, Daire swung his blade at them forcing them back just enough... he threw his dagger hitting it's target in the arm pinning him to the building just as the second man rushed the boy. Daire smacked him in the face hard enabling him to complete low fast swivel on his left heel... Daire's nerves felt like fire, sparking with an uncommon strength and he watched as his body reacted while it seemed his mind couldn't comprehend what was happening.

On the rounding of the swivel, his arms shot out while his wrist and hand made a fluid flicking motion his finger pulled the trigger at the most powerful point of this entire reaction, the young man watched as if time had slowed for him, as the bullet curved in a tight circle striking the attacker in the temple killing him instantly and once threw the bullet's path was perfectly in line with the enemy that had been trapped by Daire's dagger.

Daire exhaled calmly as if he had simply been holding his breathe, in reality the whole event only took about two minutes, he didn't feel bad or even strange, the young man felt alive more alive then he had ever felt before in his life, like an entirely new person had been birthed in that mere two minutes, he didn't even look at his victory he simply walked over to retrieve his dagger and then entered the library casually. Daire didn't know how he had just did the things that he had done outside, all he knew was it came naturally, on second nature as if he had been doing it all his life, then again in some ways maybe he had... with Luan.

Daire spent three hours researching the MSR history as well as the new codes and regulations that were being enforced, he found sketches and basic layouts of the facilities that were being built in all states, thirty had already been enabled and supplied. MSR hunts were only allowed once a month, but there were men in powerful positions in the American government that were looking into gaining full access to hunting all year round. Daire also gathered as much information on Mutants as he could, making many duplicates from history books and magazines, text books and picture albums. He took as much as he could stuff into a duffel bag. He took information on plants and survival tips, he glanced at the clock just before ten a.m. and growled needing more time yet knowing Ethan would be waiting. The young man snuck out of the library and worked his way out of Braneson, then picking his was threw the forest was a breeze, ending back at camp at noon just as he promised.

"Ah there you are, did you find anything to work with?" Ethan was cooking lunch in one hand and jotting ideas down on his paper with the other hand.

"Yes I found more then enough, you won't believe what happened before I had a chance to get in though..." Daire then went on to tell Ethan how he had defeated the two men in black, then he showed the boy all that he had found, as Ethan in turn shared his ideas the two ate rather quickly eager to assemble a basic plan for a rescue attempt. Over the course of a month the two partners' refined their plans, Ethan healed while Daire continued to go to near-by towns and gather information and replenish supplies as needed, finding that a few individuals took too much interest in him at times, only to discover that they were Gifted and wanted to follow the cause that Daire very subtlety promoted in every town that he stopped in. He would visit rallies of mutants and use his ability to sense and convey emotions, by merely standing amongst the crowds that would always be present, he also picked up on what was being spoken about, which he then would take back with him to tell Ethan. It kept them up to date on the outside world and it's ever changing events. Those in the crowds that were strong enough to recognize Daire's ability and took sincere stock in his ideals and morals had the choice to join himself and Ethan.

By the end of November Daire and Ethan had a band of forty-five loyal followers and Ethan was strong and healthy again, all of the members weren't accepted willy-nilly no it came with a price, each individual was branded with a tattoo on the inside of their right and left wrists. It was a tribal celtic tattoo, a lock and key, half of the lock was on each wrist with vines entwining themselves around it. Ethan was the one who had suggested branding everyone as a marked sign to all else, he also was the one who designed and did all of the tattooing, earning the boy the nickname "Ethan Tattoo." The group deemed themselves, LOCK, Liberating Our Common Kin.