[center][img]https://media.giphy.com/media/UqA47vPDf0fIqjVkSS/giphy.gif[/img][img]https://media.giphy.com/media/J66e0eVp8R67RhWh41/giphy.gif[/img][/center] [i]23/05/2047 Alberquerque, New Mexico[/i] When Alex and Shirley emerged from the ruins, it was to a shadow of their makeshift team's former image. Out of all the old capes and names that had shown up, only ET and Stardust were left standing after the missile hit. The duo were clearing rocks and slabs of concrete from what used to be the front door when the Tower's massive form burst through the rubble, one shoulder charge away from salvation. Behind him was his sister, illuminating their path up until they hit the surface. In Alex's arms was the corpse of agent Addison Reynolds. All attempts to resuscitate her had failed, while they'd been trapped in their underground prison. Alex strode forward and gently placed Addison's body on the ground, silent and solemn, arms at her sides as if she were asleep. But Alex knew; the burns that covered agent Reynolds' body were too extensive, internal and external. There was no healing from this. No surgery. No magic. Not even nanotech. They were out in the middle of a desert, following a dead man's trail of breadcrumbs, trying to make something out of nothing. And it had cost the lives of several supers and one unlucky agent who'd managed to get into the wrong mess at the wrong time. Alex knelt in front of Addison for a while, silent and sombre, before he spoke. [color=lightblue]"Nothing I could do. I tried my best."[/color] Shirley placed a hand on his shoulder as she stood next to him, squeezing him warmly. [color=lightgreen]"You did. You protected us both. But she's not augmented like we are."[/color] Alex sighed and shook his head, gesturing vaguely to the corpse ahead of him. [color=lightblue]"And this is what happened. What are we even doing out here? Most of our team is dead or buried, whatever, and who's left? Just the four- wait, five of us."[/color] He stood, dusting off what was left of his clothes as he surveyed the scene. The ruins of the bunker were still on fire in places, concrete, rebar and metal plating littering the area. Other than the flicker of the myriad number of fires in the area and the subtle shifting of rubble due to gravity or otherwise, it was quiet. Alex shrugged and looked to the rest of the team. [color=lightblue]"...what now?"[/color]