Melissa dropped onto the toilet seat: "The field work is going well"

The cold voice of General Bosk continued: "Go on Doctor."

"You know you said you couldn‘t identify the mystery DNA" The red-haired Chambers snapped back.

"You've located the source?"

"Are you aware with TCW, General?"

"The pro wrestling organization? The one that's hired Mr. Smith"

"He's booked against Ms. Freya Green, her entourage seem to be an interesting bunch."

"One of them are the sources?"

"Not necessarily, but I believe they may provide the missing ink."

There was a slight pause, Chambers nervously stared at the door, what if Atomic Welfare burst through the door? Her undercover work would be foiled from the get go. And trapped in some crappy hotel room with potentially the most dangerous man I the world certainly didn't help.

"Ok, a group of men have been dispatched. Meet them tomorrow at the Grand Plaza at 2200 sharp. Keep subject Alpha occupied."

"Thank you, sir."

"If this hunch of yours does provide the breakthrough we need, I see a huge promotion for you in the future!"

"Thank you, General"

Melissa Chambers turned to the mirror and thought quietly about what she had done.

***

The trio of Cai, Peredur and Freya made their way through the streets. The two smiled as random strangers crossed to the opposite side out of fear. The trio entered their hotel and climbed into the elevator.

"That friend of yours..." began Cai

"Captain Transatlantic?"

"Yeh. There is something strange about him."

"He's a werewolf?" asked Freya "because he does bear some of the signs"

"No, there is something different with him. Maybe we should keep an eye on him..."

Freya struggled:

"I have a match with him anyway, can't hurt."

Melissa shut her phone and put it away in one of her pockets. She leant on the basin and looked at herself in the mirror. These new...specimens...would be invaluable for the research. She turned around and flushed the toilet to cover her subterfuge and then ran the taps.

"Are you okay?"

She jumped as she came out of the bathroom. Anthony was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room. "I'm fine," she said, trying to smile.

"Are you sure?" He got up and crossed the room. "You don't seem okay."

"I'm fine." She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm fine," she said for the third time.

Something irked Atomic Welfare. What Melissa was saying didn't seem to be ringing true. She wandered off, chatting about dinner, flights and other trivial things. Nothing fitted though; nothing she was saying matched how she looked, how she moved. She was hiding something. He frowned.

"Now it's my turn to ask if you're alright," Melissa asked, hands on hips.

"I am as long as you are."

There was a flicker on her face of something before she smiled. She took his hand, squeezed it, and led him into the bedroom.

**

"I'll drop you two off, get changed, and we'll sort out food then." Freya, Cai and Peredur walked along the hotel corridor that lead to the massive suite that accommodated The Children.

"You don't need to walk us to the door," Peredur grumbled, "you could have left us at the elevator."

"If I hadn't found you wandering around the arena, bothering other wrestlers then I might trust the pair of you to get back alone."

"You don't trust us, do you?" Cai said, stopping. "You think we're going to give you away."

"No, of course not." She turned to face the red-haired werewolf, "It's everyone else I don't trust. I don't need their awkward questions."

"What sort of ‘awkward questions'?" Peredur asked, crowding over Freya from the opposite side to Cai.

"Well it's not like you lot fit in, is it?" She moved from between them, pulled a keycard from her pocket and slotted it into the door beside them.

"We can't help not looking human," Peredur whispered, "since we're not. And neither are you, in case you forgot."

"What? You think I could forget?" Freya whispered back.

"No, but I think you're ashamed of what you are, and ashamed of us too."

"Well it wasn't my idea to bring you lot along." She turned the door handle and pushed it open.

Something was wrong. The room was dark and silent when it should have been full of light and noise. There were shadows. Before the trio could do anything there was a quiet whooshing noise. Something thudded into Freya's shoulder. She stared down at what looked like a long needle sticking out. Her shoulder started to feel numb and a hazy fuzz was spreading through her head all of a sudden. She tried to pull the dart out, but her fingers didn't want to work. She dropped to her knees.

The shadows were moving. She looked around and saw Cai and Peredur were down too, each with a dart sticking out of their person somewhere. Freya tried to find the scent of the figures that were looming over them, but her nose had become numb too. She fell forward, managing to get her hands in front of her to stop herself crashing face-first into the carpet. She attempted to get up again but the exertion seemed to make it worse. She was trying to fight it, to stay awake, but eventually her eyes closed and everything went even darker.

**

Bright lights. White walls. Pounding head. Gwen blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the light. She sniffed, using one sense while the other tried to sort itself out. There was nothing to give away where she was or how she got here. Disinfectant stung her nose. But there was something...

"You awake?"

Gwen's eyes snapped open. Her twin sat by a wall which she now realised was actually a window, looking out onto a corridor that was just as white as the walls, floor and ceiling in the room they were in. Trying to focus on it gave her a headache. Gwen pulled herself up and shuffled over to Gawain.

"What's going on?"

"I have no idea."

"Where are the others?"

"Galadd's over there," Gawain pointed, "but he's been handcuffed or something." He pointed to the cell next to that. "Eoin's there, Tilpin's with her, but I don't think she's woken up yet."

"And the rest?"

Gawain shrugged. "I assume the cells next to us, and they carry on on the other side, but they're all soundproofed."

Gwen looked out, but the corridor curved slightly, preventing her from seeing into any rooms besides the two opposite them. "Cells?" she asked, finally registering her brother's choice of terminology.

"I don't know any other word for what we're stuck in - you might, of course, but not me."

Gwen sat back on her haunches. "Do you have any of your..." she waved a hand, "...gadgets? Can we contact anyone?"

"Nope. They've taken everything."

"So what are we going to do?"

Gawain could smell his sister's panic. It was unusual, unsettling; he had been hoping she'd be the calm one, that she'd know what to do like always.

"I guess we sit and wait," he said.