[center]-gifs coming- [h1][color=royalblue]Jaenelle Angelina Cox[/color], [color=saddlebrown]Dylan Cox[/color] and [color=HotPink]Aira Renee Rivera[/color][/h1] [h2]Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada ~ Just Outside Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City[/h2][/center] [hr][hr] The muffled rustling of hands against the walls was all that filled the room apart from the gentle stream of light in which shined down from the moon, and through the window- that was until the window shattered, allowing for the two other figures to make their way into the young girls bedroom; but it was as though the young child hadn’t even heard a thing. Focusing in on what it was that she was doing, Aira barely seemed to be in control of her body as her soft pink lips parted ever so slightly from one another, the young girl utterly and completely unaware that she even had company as the sound of heavy footfalls and metal clanging against the walls filled her bedroom, her normally dark chocolate brown eyes no longer, instead glazed over white as she stared at the blank spaces like a canvas, her paint covered fingers quickly working to fill the gaps How many nights had been spent standing in front of the wall; her fingers covered in paint, and ruining what was now the fourth layer of wallpaper that had been put up in her room. There were paintings and drawings littered all about the room... on the walls and on the floor; in everything from crayons to paint- and while it seemed as though it worried her parents, they were more than happy enough to just let her go on with what she wanted to do, and to test her abilities constant enough to help bring in some financial gain every now and then- what was the point with having a daughter that could paint an draw the future if you couldn’t use the information provided to get ahead in life every now and then..? Taking a couple of steps back from the wall, she turned herself around and knelt down upon the ground, her body hunching over itself as she placed her hands down in the paint that was smeared all over the floor, her hands taking pause for a moment as she glanced back up at the wall, watching on as the blank white spaces seemed to darken before bursting and swirling with color… lines forming to make the picture whole, calling for her to fill in the spaces that were blank. Once more standing up straight, Aira hurried back over to the wall, her hands once again coming into contact with it before finally, she froze in place, her head stooping for a moment before she turned attention from side to side; the whites of her eyes seeming to stare right through the woman before flicking across to settle upon the man. “..did you come to draw with me..?” With one glance Dylan got the chills and took a step back. It was like something straight out of a horror movie. Jaenelle froze in place when the girl had looked her way, it was so eerie. Both of them stood still for a moment before putting their superstitions behind them and realizing what was happening. "No sweetie, I'm here to protect you" Dylan said looking from Aira to his own sister, glaring her down. Jaenelle clenched her teeth and fists in frustration. "You need to back off Jaenelle. This is a child, how low will you stoop..." He said with clear disappointment in what his sister had become. He walked around the room and grabbed the knives out of the wall and placed them in his sister's hand then looked back to the child. "Are you okay, Aira?" He asked with concern. She wasn't much older than his sister when he moved away. It was sad reuniting under these circumstances. Staying silent as she kept her gaze lingering upon him for a moment longer, she once again tore her unseeing gaze away from his figure, her attention returning to the work of art that was plastered upon the wall in front of her- it wasn’t the first... and it was clear by the rest of the room that it wasn’t going to be the last one either. Pictures of gloom... of happiness; things that had happened, and things that were yet to come. Though just when it was that they were meant to pass was unclear; even to the girl who stood once more with her fingers gliding over the wall, leaving the image she saw in front of her behind so that all others who wanted to could see it as well. Finally coming to a stop once the last gap in the picture had been completed, she took a couple of steps backwards so that she could stare at it for a few moments, her body stood completely still for what felt like a lifetime until she blinked; her face scrunching up in slight pain as she slowly pulled out of the trance-like state that had woke her up at such an ungodly hour. “N-Nghnn...” Lifting her arm up from her side, Aira stooped her head down ever so slightly, the back of her forearm rubbing roughly against both her eyes and forehead as though she were trying her best to rub away the pain of the slight headache that had quickly came about, a small though soft yawn falling through her lips before she turned to look back up at the two others in the room with her; a frightened looks flickering over her features at the realization that she wasn’t alone in her room, “W-Who are you..?” Oh great, this was going to look real good. Two grown was adults breaking into an eight year old girls room. He had to think of something quick, something he wasn't good at. "Hey, no worries, we're not here to hurt you. In fact, we're here to do just the opposite. We're like your guardian angels." Jaenelle gave him a death glare, this was not going as planned. Dylan simply gave her a look that said we will talk about this later. "Someone bad was trying to get to you but we stopped them. You're safe now." Dylan said with a kind and caring smile. Jaenelle stood there with annoyance clear on her face. She was supposed to this girl and he was getting in her way. Dropping her head and furrowing her brows for a moment as she took a moment to try and understand just what it was he was saying to her, Aira turned her attention over where he was standing, her dark brown eyes staring right past him and over at another one of the paintings that had been scribbled up onto the wall- the dark figure of a man flying above a large building that had been blown to bits below him catching the young girls eye. Hesitating a moment longer as her shoulders hunched wearily, she slowly lifted her hand up until she was pointing at the picture in question, the scared look never once leaving her face as she looked back up at the man who had said that they were there to look after her and make sure that she was okay. “..that bad man..?” Dylan and Jaenelle looked at the picture in question. That was the prison in California that was attacked. Jaenelle stepped in further to look at the picture on the wall. It was Quantum Industries California headquarters. "Yes that bad man." Jaenelle finally spoke up. Dylan glared at her for a moment. That wasn't the bad man who was trying to get her tonight, it was Jaenelle. Oh well, this man didn't look like good news either way so at least there's that. "Do you know anything about this man? I can find him and take care of him." she said looking at the image on the wall. "Jaenelle please. We don't need to probe her for information. We're here to protect her not exploit her gift" Dylan said sternly. Jaenelle just brushed it off and looked back to the little girl. "Listen if you find out anything about this guy you should let me know. The best way to protect you is to neutralize the threat" She said playing along with her brothers idiotic idea. She wrote her number down on a piece of paper and set it on her dresser. "Don't worry Aira" Dylan said as he knelt down to look at her eye to eye "As long as I'm watching over you, I won't let that man... Or anyone else... Harm you." he said hoping his sister got the underlying message he was trying to convey to her. Falling silent as she listened to the two grownups speaking to one another, she let her gaze meet with that of the man for a few moments before finally, she nodded her head lightly to show him that she understood what it was that he was saying to her; a worried look however seeming to cross over her features as she once more glanced back over at the woman, her hands balling into fists over the front of her nightdress as she took a couple of small steps closer towards the man, “..m-mama won’t let me use the phone... I got in trouble last time... now it's up high where I can’t reach...” Turning her attention back down to her hands, Aira shifted uncomfortably on the spot, softly biting down upon her lower lip as she did all that she could to avoid meeting the gaze of the woman who kept asking her for things that she didn’t know or understand; her head slowly and eventually lifting up so that she could once again look at the man, her feet moving her even more closer to him than before, “..that lady is scary...” Jaenelle snatched up her phone number and put it back in her pocket. It was only to be expected, she was only eight. "Haha, she scares me too sometimes. Don't worry, her bark is worse than her bite" he said putting a hand on Aira's shoulder. He heard his sister scoff in the background. Then she took out her phone and started taking pictures of the pictures on the wall. "Well well, it looks like he either had or is going to have a love interest." Jaenelle said softly to herself. Though these images were very vague due to some happening in the future, they were still a treasure trove of information. She opened her text messaging app and started writing a text to her brother. 'Listen you want to protect her and I want information. If it weren't for you she would be with Quantum being probed for information, this isn't a safe place for her. I can lie to Q.I. but they will continue to search for her. The little bat doesn't like me apparently so if I bring up the idea she might say no. That's why I texted you so she wouldn't overhear or assume I'm giving you the idea.' send. Moments later Dylan's phone buzzed, he took it out and looked at the text he received. He couldn't believe what he was reading, but at the same time she did have a point. He couldn't stay here to protect her all the time, and obviously they were after her. "Aira, how would you feel about coming with us. That way we could better protect you from the bad man. You would stay with me so you would see very little of scary ol' her" he said playfully at the end, motioning towards his sister. Parting her soft pink lips slightly at the offer that he was extending to her, Aira let her gaze flick back over to the woman before once more returning to the man knelt down in front of where she stood, her still paint-covered hand letting go of her nightdress before she brought it up, letting it rest lightly upon his cheek for a few moments before finally, she turned away from him altogether, her bare feet making soft thuds upon the floor as she ran back over to her bed; the young girl struggling ever so slightly as she pushed herself up onto the balls of her feet, her hand reaching out and slipping underneath her pillow for the one picture she kept close to her. “Athena needs to come too..!” Pulling the piece of paper out from where she kept it hidden, Aira once more turned and ran back to where he was kneeling on the ground; the young girl looking down at the drawing she had done in crayon for a second before finally, she held it over for him to see, a small smile playing over her lips as she waited for him to take it. Dylan looked down at the drawing, it was them. And there was a bunny who he assumed was named Athena. As he was looking down at the picture he noticed it was awfully quiet. Where were her parents, he just broke through this girls window. "We'll get Athena before we go. But first, where are you parents? I broke through your window surely they should have heard that. How can you be safe from the bad man when they don't or can't hear the window shattering?" Dylan said as he stood up and poked his head out into the hallway. "While we're discussing your parents, where's Athena?" Turning her head over to look at the broken window as he mentioned it, Aira quickly turned and hurried to follow along at his heel as he moved out into the hallway, her paint-covered hands reaching out to take a tight hold over the bottom of his top as they went- her parents had long ago stopped checking in on her during the night... every time they had, they would walk in to find their daughter stuck in some sort of unwakable trance while standing at the wall, and slathering it in paint or textas... “Mama and papa don’t check on me anymore. They say they would rather sleep then see my pictures; it’s why they their room is all the way over there...” Lifting her gaze up so that she was able to look up at him, she let go of his top with only one of her hands, using it to point in the direction of her parents’ bedroom before she began to tug on his top to get his attention; the young girl doing what she could to lead him over to the stairs, “Athena is in the home grandpapa made her. We keep her in the backyard; she’s not allowed inside when mama and papa are here...” Dylan followed the little girl to the back yard where the kept the bunny. He had paint on his face and now his shirt, well at least they're both washable. He slowed down once they reached the little house for Athena. "Ok Aira, get Athena and then we'll leave" Dylan said as he got his phone out and started to text his sister. 'We need to talk. I'll send you my address that's where I'm taking the kid. Once she goes to sleep we'll talk' and send. "So Aira have you ever flown before?" Nodding her head with enthusiasm at the thought of being able to take Athena out of her hutch, Aira quickly pulled herself away from Dylan before running over to the main part of the hut, her small fingers happily working with the latch before finally, she lifted up the roof; her small frame leaning over, and almost falling into the animals cage as she reached in to take a hold of the bunny, her hands smearing paint all over the white fur as she hurried back over to where it was she had left him standing on his own. “No..! Are we going to fly..? Like the bad man..? Or... or like my mama and papa do when they go away..?” Shifting her arms over the rabbit she held, she kept it close against her chest as she looked up at the man who said he was going to keep her safe, an excited look playing over her features. "We're going to fly like the bad man. It will be fun, I'm sure you'll enjoy it" he said as he scooped her off her feet then start hovering in the air just above the ground. "We have to go up high where nobody can see us. If they catch me using my powers I'll be in big trouble.." He said looking down at the little girl he held in his arms and the bunny who now has a new coat of paint. "Nell, I have to make it seem as though I'm driving home so we should both arrive about the same time." He said looking down at his sister. She simply nodded and walked off. At that point Dylan raised himself to cloud level then flew off, being careful to keep himself at a reasonable speed. They would know something was up f they saw him moving at high speeds straight across the map. "So Aira, what do you think of this kind of flying?" Tensing her body as she watched her home get smaller and smaller underneath her, Aria quickly turned her body into his own, her arms tightening ever so slightly around Athena in an attempt to keep her close as she curled up within Dylan’s grasp- she’d seen the way people could fly; her mother had taken her to the airport once to see her father off on one of his trips, but until she had drawn the bad man flying high above the building in California, she had never seen anyone fly without a plane before. Pressing as close against him as she possibly could without hurting her pet rabbit, her head tilting slightly and with caution as she glanced over his shoulder, watching on with worried eyes as the only home she had ever known got further and further away from her; though she knew she had to go with him... the picture told her long ago that she had to go with him, “It’s like you’re a bird..! Without feathers and a funny walk...” "It would seem so" Dylan said after a light chuckle. This had to have been the craziest thing he had ever done. He couldn't help but think about it as they flew to his place. And how much trouble he would be in if he were caught, especially having used his powers. But deep down inside he knew he'd done the right thing. Luckily he had a nice two bedroom place in Tahoe City not too far from here. "Sorry if you get cold up here little one, we're almost at my place" he said as he neared the skies above his home. Once above his home he slowly descended. "This is your new home Aira." Dylan said as he set her on the porch of a one story wooden home not too far from the lake. Thankfully He had a guest bedroom where Aira could sleep. But now he would have to get things for her. He shook the thought out of his head, he was thinking too far ahead. For now he would just take it one step at a time. She couldn’t help the way that her body shivered as the breeze that flew by them grew colder... chillier... causing her to curl up tighter into his body, her head stooping down so that she could look at the small bunny that she held in her arms, making sure that it was okay before she once more let her attention lift to the man who had taken her away, and who was taking her to a place where he could look after and protect her like he said that he was going to do- she knew she could trust him... she had seen it before; it was in the picture that she had shown him before he had acted like the guardian angel that he was, flying her away from her parents and any chance that the bad man would ever be able to find her again. Hesitating for a moment once she was back on her feet, she shifted her arms around her bunny before looking up at the large door of what he had called her new home, her soft pink lips parting ever so slightly as she took a couple of steps closer towards it, pausing for a minute to look back at him before turning back to look at the door. “..my new home..?” "Yes, come in, I'll show you where you'll stay. It's just a guest bedroom but we can decorate it later. Of course I'm sure it won't take you too long to recolor the walls. Which reminds me I'll have to get you some new art supplies." Dylan said as he opened the door for her. "My name is Dylan, by the way. And just so you know, Athena can stay in the house" he said with a smile, patting her twice on the head. "Follow me, your room is just down that hallway and to the left" he said, extending his hand for her. Blinking a couple of times as she followed the direction of his hand so that she was able to see where it was he was pointing her to, she continued to take pause on the threshold, taking a few more moments to herself before slowly she stepped inside and into the warmth, waiting until he had begun to lead the way before she quickly followed at his heel, her long wavy dark brown locks bouncing lightly upon her back as she did her best to keep up. “Athena will like that. It’s really cold here...” Smiling brightly up at Dylan, Aira stumbled over her feet slightly before once more regaining her balance, the young girl holding up the paint covered rabbit for him to look at as she made her way into the room behind him, her attention quickly being torn away from him as she looked around what was now her new bedroom, “This is my room..? Really..?” "Yup, this is all yours. And Athena's of course. Well it's late and we've got to do some shopping for you tomorrow, I don't have any little girl clothes here, heh. You should go wash up before bed, then I'll tuck you in. The bathroom is at the end of the hallway. Then tomorrow we'll wash the paint off of Athena after shopping for clothes" Dylan said with a smile. There's a long road ahead of them full of adventures. Dylan was eager to see where his new life would lead him. Nodding her head once again in understanding, Aira moved forward and over to the bed; the young girl reaching out to put the bunny down on the sheets before she silently turned and headed down the hall, making her way into the bathroom so that she could wash herself up before going to bed- she was tired... she always was after seeing something like that- after plastering it up onto the wall... Quickly making her way over to the sink once she was in the room, she lifted herself up and onto the balls of her feet, her childish features scrunched up in concentration as she reached forward to turn the tap on, the water soon running rainbow with all the paint she did her best to scrub from away from her hands; a soft but gentle yawn falling from her lips as her lids soon started to become heavy with sleep. Once again turning the tap though failing to shut it off completely, she let her dark eyes flick around the bathroom before finally, they landed on the towel that was hung up; her bare feet carrying her over to it before she reached out to take a hold of it, whipping her hands dry of any remaining paint and water, her long dark brown locks once again bouncing lightly over her back as she made her way back to the room he had given her to use, her hands coming up to rub sleepily at her eyes. "..m'done..." He watched from her doorway as she stood on the balls of her feet to wash her hands. He let out a soft chuckle, she was adorable. Then he watched as she dried her hands off, and got the rest of the paint off by wiping it all over his towels. Luckily they were black so it's not like they would stain. "Good girl." He leaned out of the room for a second and looked down the hall towards the bathroom, he could hear the sink still running slightly. Oh well, he would turn it off later. He pulled back the blanket on the bed for her and sat on the end. "Alright, hop into bed, and tomorrow after breakfast we'll go shopping for you" Dylan said as he patted the matching red bed sheets where she would sleep. Lifting back up onto the balls of her feet as she came to the side of the bed, she reached over as far as she possibly could, using the strength in her arms to pull herself up before she made herself comfortable, her face scrunching up slightly as she looked about where she was sitting, her chest almost laying flat against her legs as she reached over and grabbed hold of the small and very colorful bunny that was sitting happily neat the end of the bed; drawing it into her arms before finally she laid down, her head resting on the pillows and her dark gaze never once leaving his. “Uhm... can Athena come shopping with us too..? She promises to be good...” She was so tiny and innocent. Dylan couldn't stand the thought of Quantum getting a hold of her, and abusing her power much worse than her parents ever did. He pulled the blanket over her tucking her and Athena in. "Of course, as long as she behaves. Now it's time to go to sleep, I can tell you're very tired. Get some rest and I'll come wake you up for breakfast in the morning." he said as he stood from what was now her very own queen sized bed, and made his way to the door. "Goodnight Aira, Athena, sleep well. I'm right across the hall of you need anything." with that he closed the door and went to the living room to wait for his sister to arrive.