"After your previous accident, I figured we would need to be ready for such incidents, so I went ahead and converted one of the guest rooms into a ward, fully equipped with medical supplies... I just didn't expect we would use it so soon." Evan said as he closed the door behind him, hiding the familiar sight of the two bedridden patients. "Well, let's get you two settled down as well."

          Setting two cups of coffee beside a first aid box, Evan surveyed the bandages on Katie. The eyes of concern sharpened to a mode of investigation as he tried to decipher the background of the other lady on the couch. She was as young as the rest, a teenager with a messy bob cut and a hippy white band that stylishly went around the back of her head instead of over it. It was not hard to tell what her favourite colour was from her dark arm sleeves and tight black clothing that accentuated her athletic and well-developed body. Though it was not the overbearing ominous shade of colour that put Evan off, but the uncanny Deus Ex Machina she pulled off in their escape. He was thankful, but could never be too careful.

          "Are you feeling alright? Thank you so much for what you did for us, for Ned." Katie warmly reached out her bandaged hand to the girl's own hand.

          ...

          "Oh right I'm sorry, I'm Katie and this is Evan!" Katie quickly retracted her hand and gave a slightly embarrassed smile.

          ...

          "Hi, my name is Alessa... but you can call me Al. I'm fine. I hope your friends get well soon." She replied uneasily towards Katie, curling her hands, unsure of how she should have reciprocated Katie's warm gesture.

          "Hi Alessa. So, what were you doing there at the time of the scene?" Evan immediately realised how his tone might have been somewhat inappropriate, like an investigation. The last thing he wanted was for her to bring up her guard.

          "I'm from that area - The Grey Tile. I've been there long enough to know that those guys are up to no good. But who knows, maybe you guys were in cahoots so I just quietly observed from the outside.  Suddenly the walls busted open and went flying and you guys dashed out looking worse than the people on the streets. And I guess I just pieced together that you weren't on the same team. I had a hunch that you were the good guys that needed help and I knocked the guy out. I hope my intuition was right." Alessa stared right back at Evan, returning the same hostility he treated her with.

          "We're not the dangerous people. You can trust us. So what do you know about them?" Evan said.

          ...

          ...

          "Not much actually. It's just common knowledge to leave them alone," Alessa replied, looking down at the floor.

          "All that matters is that now we're safe here. By the way, thank you for the coffee Evan but I think we could all use something to eat, do you happen to have some food here? I'll try to prepare something!" 

          Evan wanted more answers but decided he would continue at a later time and relaxed his furrowed eyebrows, returning a gentle smile and nod as he left to the kitchen. "You girls just stay here, I'll handle it." 

          The three of them were heavily fatigued but hardly sustained any physical injuries except for Katie who got a few cuts from the scuffle with the cyborg. Katie scootched over closer to Alessa, having sent Evan off after sensing the tension rising between the two and asked hesitantly, "So... Do you have any... powers?"

          Alessa blinked her big round eyes several times at Katie, while Katie thought to herself, "Ahhh... What kind of question was that?!". She had been so absorbed into all the events happening around her recently that she had forgotten that the rest of the world was still 'normal'. 

          However, Alessa revealed a gentle smile and replied, "I've seen people do some weird stuff around the Grey Tile but unfortunately? No, I'm not one of them. I just know some martial arts which is pretty super." 

          Evan had his back turned against the two in the kitchen but his ears were wide open. He had never paid much attention to that area before, how come there was so much activity of powered individuals there?

          "We'll have so much to talk about once those two wake up." Katie's voice sunk as she glanced over to the room at the end of the corridor where her two friends lay unconscious. She was trying to stay positive and upbeat but this was a sight that she would never be able to get used to.

          "I'm sure they'll wake up in no time." Alessa said as she placed her hand over Katie's, replicating Katie's initial welcoming gesture.

          Katie tried to force a polite smile but a genuine burst of joy shone through as Charles emerged into her view. Katie ran over and wrapped him in her arms as she felt droplets of water land on her shoulder.

          "Is everyone alright?" Charles's voice cracked.

          "We'll all be in no time." Katie tried to assure him as well as herself, looking on into the room where Ned lay unmoving as tears started to form in her eyes as well.

          "I'm so sorr-" Charles tried to mouth.

          "JUST WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Metal clanged from the kitchen followed by Evan storming down the hallway. He stopped right in front of Charles's face and breathed down his throat.

          ...

          "I..." Charles turned his head to look at Katie before dropping his head down to the floor.

          "The Ewing. They contacted me after we left the hospital. I didn't know who they were at first, and they kept tempting me... They knew I wanted to get rid of my powers and said they were the only ones who could do it. And I foolishly believed them. I went to meet them and saw the hooded figures but they attacked me from behind and injected me with something that knocked me out cold. I couldn't move but somehow I knew everything that was going on around me. I was there, completely immobile but aware of what was happening to you guys. It was unbearable... I'm just, sorry." He surrendered, realising how the words he had been repeating had been nothing but apologies ever since the incident at the scrapyard.

          Evan took a step back and dug into his hair, "I just hope you know, how ridiculously stupid that was. After everything I told you about them, you delivered yourself right to their doorstep. We got lucky this time, those people we faced were probably amateurs, we got off easy. What was all that for? Was it worth it going through all that? Not for me." 

          Charles retreated back into the room without a word and shut the door. He stood beside Ned and tried to shift his eyes away from his battered state, a futile attempt at stopping the tears from overflowing. "You were right. I'm sorry I was the one running away from all this... I've never felt so powerless and worthless in my life, being strapped in that chair and watching you guys put down your lives for me. I'm sorry. I... I'm sorry I wasn't fighting by your side when the time came... I let all of you down. 

          But I'm done apologising, done running away. I should have used my powers to protect everyone, I just... should've been there fighting too. You will be able to count on my strength Ned, from now on I'll be there standing by you. So come on and stand back up... I know you always do. Wake up and show me what true strength is."