[h2][center][color=9e0b0f]Cassie Anderson[/color] and [color=92278f]Sophie Castellia[/color]

Boston, MA[/center][/h2]

The flight into Logan Airport had been uneventful, and Cass had gotten a rather nice hotel room not too far from the airport. She pulled out her mission file and looked it over. There was a young psychic who had gone into recluse mode, and luckily, they had managed to pinpoint her. Seems she ordered a lot of take out and did a lot of online shopping. 

After a quick shower and a change of wardrobe, Cass tucked her handy Smith and Wesson into it’s holder. She knew she wouldn’t really need it, but having her gun made her feel safer. She wasn’t quite sure how to explain it. 

Outside of the hotel she hailed a cab and gave him the address of the apartment complex that the young woman was living in. She walked in and looked for the address of the young lady. She soon found the apartment and walked up to the door and knocked, waiting for a reply. 

The door opened only marginally, a gap just large enough for the left half of a teenage girl’s face to show through it. There was a chain lock, Cass noted, draping across the gap toward its top side. [color=92278f]“Who are you,”[/color] she said rather abrasively, [color=92278f]“And what do you want?”[/color]

[color=9e0b0f]“Hello Miss Castellia. My name is Cassie Anderson and I’m here to offer you a job, possibly, but for now, some help.”[/color] Cassie looked at the teenager and blinked. She looked a bit younger than Cass had expected, but they did recruit all sorts. [color=9e0b0f]”May I come in and talk to you?”[/color]

The one eye she could see locked with Cass’s, but the door didn’t budge an inch. In either direction. The response that came seemed to have been practiced quite often. [color=92278f]“And what makes you think you can do anything to help me?”[/color]

[color=9e0b0f]”Well because for one, you and I aren't that different. We both have talents. You’re probably a little terrified of them, I’m guessing? Otherwise you wouldn’t keep to yourself in your apartment all day. Now, I really don’t think this is a conversation to have through doors. May I please come in?”[/color] Cass kept her eyes locked with the teen, and paused. She wanted to skim the surface of the teen’s mind, but that was just rude. 

The door widened slightly, enough that Sophie’s second eye came into view before the chain became too taut. [color=92278f]“Terrified? Terrified doesn’t even begin to cover it. I don’t know who sent you, but if you really are another psychic, you’ll stay away from me if you know what’s good for you.”[/color] And with that, she started to close the door.

Cass stuck her foot in the door and winced a bit as it was slammed on. [color=9e0b0f]”We can help if you feel your powers are out of your control. We have some technology that will help until you get a grasp on how your power works and, ow what do they make these doors out of?”[/color] Sure, it wasn’t the worst pain Cass had ever felt, but she was trying to get Sophie to open the door to her. [color=9e0b0f]”Sophie, please, let me in so we can talk.”[/color]

The teenager looked at Cass’s foot, then her face, and then closed her eyes for a moment while she seemed to mull something over. [color=92278f]“Fine. You want to talk that badly, I’ll bite. Let me close the door so I can unhook the chain.”[/color] Cass took her foot away, and a short series of clicks later the door opened wide, revealing the rest of Sophie’s person. She was roughly half a head shorter than Cass herself, and was quite pale judging by what little skin went uncovered by her jeans and long-sleeve shirt. She swept a lock of her shoulder length black hair away from her face, then beckoned inward toward the dingy secondhand couch by the wall. 

[color=92278f]“Come in then,”[/color] she said, [color=92278f]“Want anything to drink? Coffee, tea? Most of what I’ve got is crap, but work lets me bring it home for free so I don’t complain.”[/color]

[color=9e0b0f]”Water works for me, thank you for offering.”[/color] Cass looked around the apartment and winced a bit. Everything was secondhand, and in rather sad shape. As she sat down on the couch, she heard a creak and nearly sunk into the unsupported couch. [color=9e0b0f]”On second thought, I’ll stand, if you don’t mind.”[/color] She stood up and dusted herself off and looked at Sophie. 

[color=9e0b0f]”Mind if I ask you a question?”[/color] She didn’t bother waiting for a reply. [color=9e0b0f]”Is this really how you imagined where you’d end up living looked like? I know you wanted to do more in the world. I noticed you signed up for ROTC in high school, but that didn’t go anywhere, right?”[/color] Cass looked at the young girl, seeing a bit of herself in Sophie. 

[color=92278f]“Pretty much,”[/color] the younger girl shrugged as she brought back a glass of mercifully clean water, [color=92278f]“Didn’t pass the physical exam. Wasn’t frail or weak, but I wasn’t much built for push-ups or chin-ups. Didn’t much matter though. I still thought I could do something like charity or medicine, but well…”[/color] 

She cast a look around the place she called home, making no attempt to hide her discontent. [color=92278f]“Funny how life can just take a dump on you.”[/color] She turned her eyes back on Cass before she spoke again. [color=92278f]“You with the government or something?”[/color]

Cass let out a chuckle. [color=9e0b0f]”I was with the Government, at one point. Semper Fi. I’m ex-Marine. I understand wanting to serve your country. These days I represent someone else. We call ourselves Sector X. I know, lame name. Heard all the jokes. Unfortunately, the name stuck. We help psychics. And someone with your talents, we want to help.” [/color] Cass didn’t bring up the fact that someone of Sophie’s talents would eventually draw attention from other groups of people.

[color=9e0b0f]”You can still do some good in the world.”[/color]

That earned Cass nothing but a cold stare from Sophie. She didn’t say anything, nor did she move, or even twitch, but somehow Cassie knew she’d pressed a big, red button somewhere. [color=92278f]“Tell me, Cassie…”[/color] she spoke softly, never breaking eye contact, [color=92278f]“How much does your… Sector X know about me?”[/color]

[i][color=9e0b0f]”Oh boy… I’m not good with… this…”[/color][/i] Cassie looked at Sophie and sighed. [color=9e0b0f]”All we really know is that you have a talent, and that for some reason your talent is part of the reason you have cut yourself off to the outside world. Beyond that, we don’t know much. However, I can assure you, whatever has happened in your past, that won’t count against you when it comes down to joining us. We just want to help.”[/color] Cass was beginning to realize that Sophie had some deeper issues with her powers, and this was not her area of expertise. She did have permission to bring someone else in, if she deemed it necessary, which seemed could be the case. 

Sophie just nodded in understanding. [color=92278f]“So you have no idea, then.”[/color] She broke the stare at last as she turned and went into the small kitchen and started making a cup of tea, if it could be called that. [color=92278f]“Ever heard of the Lincoln Park Incident, by chance? About two years ago, in Chicago?”[/color]

[color=9e0b0f]”I’m actually pretty familiar with the incident. I was one of the people Sector X sent to investigate the scene. Also Chicago is my hometown, so I was a little personally in… Oh. I see.”[/color] Cassie bit her lip. [color=9e0b0f]”Okay, Sophie, I’m the first to admit when I’m in over my head, and well, I’m probably the wrong person for you to be talking to about this. I do have a contact that I would recommend you talk to, if you’d be open to it. She’s working on getting her PH.D. Would you talk to her if I got her to come here?”[/color] Cassie was already pulling out her phone and scrolling through her contacts. She knew Meghan would be able to wrangle some time away for an assignment like this. 

[color=92278f]“Go right ahead, not like it’ll change anything.”[/color] Sophie declared as she walked over to the couch and very gently sat down on the one spot that still had support. [color=92278f]“I’ll say this now though, if your goal is to help psychics, I am the absolute [i]last[/i] person you want to recruit.”[/color]

[color=9e0b0f]”Well then. She’ll be here in a day. She has to fly up from school. Can we make an appointment for tomorrow, same time?”[/color] Cassie worked on sending a text as she waited for a reply from Sophie. Either way, Meghan would be joining them.

[color=92278f]“Sure, why not.”[/color] Sophie replied apathetically as she turned on the tiny TV across the room from her and started flipping past the channels.

[color=9e0b0f]”Then I will see you tomorrow with my colleague. Till then Miss Castellia.”[/color] With that, Cass set down the glass of water she had been handed and headed out. Her phone buzzed with affirmation that Meghan would be flying up to Boston that night. It was going to be a long day tomorrow, for all three of them.