Alternate Universe: The Runaways

[Ana-Leigh Moreau]

Effy: "Olivia?" She looked her up and down, then turned on her heel, deciding to say nothing to Miss Priss.

Giving her a 'what the fuck ever' look, Olivia rolled her eyes. What a judgmental ass. She was taking this superiority thing a little far, it was seriously getting on her nerves.

Effy: "Try to keep up, Dick. Of COURSE it was triggered remotely. And no, I don't have the microchip. It was in her head [she points to her own] - I'm good but I'm not a surgeon.

Softly scoffing, she really was a piece of work. For someone so rude and dismissive, she wondered how Delilah even TOLERATED her, let alone allowed her into the foundation. Olivia had problems, but this Effy chick was one Dr. Phil episode arc away from a Lifetime movie.

She began to explain how the chip was planted in the girls head, premeditated. Apparently someone wanted this girl dead, and they even took it as far as deleting all the information Delilah had on her in the Archangel Foundation database. It was strange, but again, Livvie wondered why Effy had called them. All she seemed to do was belittle and insult them since they first showed up.

Effy: "Kara came here tonight not just looking for help, but looking for Delilah specifically. Something was going on here. And I want to find out what it is."

"And you want our help? Is that it? Because i'm really kinda fuzzy on THAT part, considering you've been a complete BITCH to us since the second we arrived. You've got one thing right, i'll give you that. Yeah, I cared about Delilah. And I care about what happens to her foundation. But you're making it really hard for any of us to even want to be in the same room as you, let alone work with you."

Taking out her car keys, Olivia was prepared to leave.

"YOU called US here, remember?"

 

[Brenda Castle]

She heard the poet appraising her, imagining the passion with which she might attack a bag of cocaine. She smirked, but didn't bother telling him how wrong he was. She was used to people underestimating her, she was comfortable hiding behind the stereotype. The less people really knew about her, the better. If people expected her to be a blonde bimbo, they often let their guard down around her and went back to focusing on themselves, which always gave Brenda a clear look at their motives. Jackson's motives were, more or less, honorable.

Apparently Effy's mouth was as overachieving as her mind, or she was just a chatty stoner. She was also hilariously animated and alarmingly detached. Brenda smiled kindly. She knew a façade when she saw one, after all, she had one of her own. She didn't say anything about it. She was good at keeping secrets.

Jackson: Well, i'd like to say I know more about Delilah. But I mean, I really don't... I just know.. she was nice to me.. anybody know something I don't?

"Mmm… Delilah was worried about us. Worried if we were ready, or if we would be strong enough soon enough. For what, I don't know. She was always so guarded around me. [with a smile] I imagine she must have known a telepath or two. I only ever caught brief glimpses of her worry; fleeting thoughts that she shut down quickly when she remembered I would hear it."

Brenda knew she just outed herself as a telepath, but didn't care about this ragtag group knowing. They all had abilities. More importantly now, she was sensing a challenge. It would be nice to have a break from the monotony of everyday life.

Rich was taking a moment to check out both Brenda and Olivia, who had just walked in. Brenda tried HARD not to roll her eyes and succeed in just looking bored. Boys. Effy proved to be a good deal sharper than one might expect from a stoner. This probably had something to do with the way her brain multi-tasked. Olivia was getting increasingly offended by Effy's limited social skills, and Brenda figured there'd soon be a confrontation… but she'd deal with that when it happened.

Effy: Meet our fireball-wielding dead girl. Archangel keeps files like this on all of us. The odd thing here, is what's missing. There's no notes from Delilah on their sessions, no history. It's just the bare basics. Someone removed the details thinking no one would ever notice. Someone who was not Delilah.

"Might that be related to the hacker you chased off earlier? Perhaps they were coming for more files. Are there any OTHER incomplete or recently altered files? If Kara came here looking for Delilah, it might've been simply because she thought Delilah could help her. Whether or not it's related to Delilah's death…. Well, that's a connection that's tenuous at best. I wish I had been here…. Then we'd know more about who she was referring to when she said someone was killing her."

Effy: Something was going on here. And I want to find out what it is.

5…4…3…2…1.

Olivia: And you want our help? Is that it? Because i'm really kinda fuzzy on THAT part, considering you've been a complete BITCH to us since the second we arrived. You've got one thing right, i'll give you that. Yeah, I cared about Delilah. And I care about what happens to her foundation. But you're making it really hard for any of us to even want to be in the same room as you, let alone work with you.

"Alright, alright, take it easy. Look, I think she needs an attitude adjustment too, but whatever. If someone's murdering supers, Delilah would want us to put a stop to it now that she can't anymore. [mischievous smile and nod] Plus it sounds like we all might get to use our powers in a way that Delilah would never try to guilt trip us about."

 

[Elizabeth Stone]

"Might that be related to the hacker you chased off earlier? Perhaps they were coming for more files. Are there any OTHER incomplete or recently altered files?”

"Yes, it was our merry hacker. That’s how I know it wasn’t Delilah. I’ve completed a scan of the system and nothing else was altered. I’m still tracking the culprit but I’ll find them.”

She glanced up at the monitor, that had now changed to the route map tracing the hacker’s IP jumps.

"And you want our help? Is that it? Because i'm really kinda fuzzy on THAT part, considering you've been a complete BITCH to us since the second we arrived. You've got one thing right, I’ll give you that. Yeah, I cared about Delilah. And I care about what happens to her foundation. But you're making it really hard for any of us to even want to be in the same room as you, let alone work with you. YOU called US here, remember?"

Effy looked at Livvie blankly.

“We’re not here for a slumber party.”

Thing was, she wasn’t entirely sure WHY she had told these people what she had found. She guessed it was just the fact she didn’t know what to do with the information. Police? Yeah, right. They’d just call her parents and having to listen to them talk to her would be painful.

“I thought you’d want to know. I don’t care what you do now.”

"Plus it sounds like we all might get to use our powers in a way that Delilah would never try to guilt trip us about."

The corner of Effy's mouth curled up into a sly smile. Maybe this one wasn't as dull as the others.

 

[Brenthon]

Archangel Foundation

Jackson watched as everyone proceeded to give their two cents, or in Olivia's case.. a dollar and twenty five cents. He didn't understand her overt aggression towards a girl that one she barely knew and two was obviously smart enough to gather minds about the current situation. The whole scene was very "Breakfast Club", and he was ready for the music montage. He would let Olivia be, because frankly he didn't know her from Adam and she came off as the type of person he wouldn't want to work with anyway.

"Mmm… Delilah was worried about us. Worried if we were ready, or if we would be strong enough soon enough. For what, I don't know. She was always so guarded around me. [with a smile] I imagine she must have known a telepath or two. I only ever caught brief glimpses of her worry; fleeting thoughts that she shut down quickly when she remembered I would hear it."

So she was smarter than he originally gave her credit for. Good. And she could also read minds, which meant that she had just heard what was going through his head the moment he laid eyes on her. He would try to apologize later. But for now, he listened as Brenda mentioned a hacker and Effy confirmed, complete with visuals on the plasma screens. So far, he knew that Brenda could read minds, perhaps among other things, and that Effy was pretty much a living computer, or she could at least control technological devices, which was pretty cool in Jackson's book.

"Alright, alright, take it easy. Look, I think she needs an attitude adjustment too, but whatever. If someone's murdering supers, Delilah would want us to put a stop to it now that she can't anymore. [mischievous smile and nod] Plus it sounds like we all might get to use our powers in a way that Delilah would never try to guilt trip us about."

"Really? I kind of find her hilarious."

He looked up at the screens.

"Look, we're stupid if we think it's not connected. A girl that Delilah was probably intimately connected with an exploding micro chip in her exploding her brains all over the floor of the Archangel Foundation, while she was looking for Delilah, no less? Duh. Regardless of whether or not it's DIRECTLY connected to Dee's death is still a little up in the air. But this could have been the kind of thing Delilah was trying to stop. Someone wanted something from that girl. Delilah isn't here now.. but we are."

Laughing to himself.

"I don't want to wax on, i'm sure you've heard enough of my poetry. But this girl needs justice, and so does Delilah, and I say we don't stop until we get that..."

He turned to Olivia.

"You don't want to help with that fine. But if you're the next girl with an exploding chip in her brain, don't say nobody warned you.

Cracking a smile to Olivia, he faced the group once more.

"So, what should we do until we get a read on this hacker? We could go searching for some kind of clues. Maybe go to her apartment complex? She might have something about all of this in her apartment?"

Jackson was enthralled with the entire situation. First of all, this had been the most exciting thing to happen to him in awhile, and secondly, they might actually get the chance to do what Delilah had told him about awhile back. Use their abilities to help others. Maybe her death WOULDN'T be in vane.

 

[Ana-Leigh Moreau]

So apparently everyone was on this chicks bandwagon like shit on flies. Whatever. The tall blonde next to her revealed she was a telepath and thought it'd be fun to explore their powers without limitations. THAT was an idea Livvie could get used to. Delilah was all about using them for 'the greater good'. Soon, the poet chimed in, giving his two cents, PLUS some.

Jackson: "You don't want to help with that fine. But if you're the next girl with an exploding chip in her brain, don't say nobody warned you."

"Whatever. I never said I didn't want to help."

So there they were. The new super mutant team....it was laughable, but still a bit exciting.

Jackson: "Maybe go to her apartment complex? She might have something about all of this in her apartment?"

Adding onto his statement.

"Maybe personal records she didn't put in the foundations computer just in case something like this would happened? Delilah was definitely not the type of person who didn't have a back up plan."

 

[Matrix]

Effy pushed back againt his suggestion, elicitinga sharp rebuke from Olicvia. Rich looked as th eladies seemed to work thing sout on their own for a minute. Then the dud spoke as he worked over in his mind the implications of having a pretty blond telepath around teenaged guys. Not fair really.

"You don't want to help with that fine. But if you're the next girl with an exploding chip in her brain, don't say nobody warned you."

Cracking a smile to Olivia, he faced the group once more.

"So, what should we do until we get a read on this hacker? We could go searching for some kind of clues. Maybe go to her apartment complex? She might have something about all of this in her apartment?"

Rich glanced at Olivia as the suggestion was made. she seemed definitely ready to walk off. But she didn't, thankfully.

"Whatever. I never said I didn't want to help."

Good, because we might want to stick together on this. In spite of what some may feel about some others here, if this...whatever it is could've taken out Delilah and HER crew, we better stay close.

"Maybe personal records she didn't put in the foundations computer just in case something like this would happened? Delilah was definitely not the type of person who didn't have a back up plan."

It seemed they would look into this together. Rich smiled just a bit at the opportunity.

Alrighty then, Melrose Place looks as good a place to start as any, if you guys are ready.

 

[Longshot]

Across Town...

Far across town in an undisclosed location, Agent Finn sat in his control room, waiting. He folded his hands and let out a heavy sigh. The Boss wouldn't be too happy about Kara escaping, but she wasn't the first and she wouldn't be the last, and he knew his track record was nothing but stellar. What he hadn't planned on was the girl. Just then a voice could be heard on the sound speakers around him. Kate.

Kate: I've got a read on them now, i'll start transmitting in a second...

Before long, on the blank wall next to him a holographic series of images began to play as Kate mentally projected what she was seeing in her mind to the Control Room. She was over 1,000 miles away. Now THAT was a telepath. Kate continued.

Kate: There are five of them now at the Archangel Foundation. Two boys and three girls, but only the one, Effy saw Kara detonate, but these kids are starting to put two and two together.

The images played like a television screen and acted as a running commentary of Kate's words as she spoke. Kate was an omega level telepath with a keen ability to pretty much locate anybody, anywhere. She was amazing to see in the field.

Kate: They think she's connected to Delilah, which means they are alot closer than we need to be. I notified the Discerners, they think these kids could be useful to us. Perfectly compatible with the program.

Finn furrowed his brow as he took a moment to eye the kids. They were so young, so full of life and emotion. Part of him felt bad for what he was about to put them through, but it was his job, another lifetime, he might try to save them, but this was his reality. This was the hand he was dealt. Taking a sip of the dry scotch on the table in front of him he nodded his head.

"I agree. But these kids were connected to the Six. We have to play our cards carefully. Are you sure they can't pick up on you even now?"

Kate laughed wryly.

Kate: There's one girl, she's quite strong for her age. But she can't detect me. None of them can. They're too self absorbed..ego centric. I've analyzed their powers, Finn. They have a wide array of abilities. This could be what we are looking for. Even if we end up having to kill them, bringing five viable mutants into the fold will get the Board off of our backs for awhile. What's the next move?

There we go. Strategy. That was what Finn lived for. There was nothing he couldn't think his way out of, and he prided himself on being one step ahead of his opponent. He began eyeing the kids via the holographic images in front of them as if they were chess pieces.

"We have to let them play their game. They want to be a team of superheroes, We let them for a moment, and then we slowly play our hand. It's going to be a combined effort. I need you to make sure everything is in order for our takeover of the foundation, since that was the objective to begin with. We'll send them a diversion to give them their first taste of blood. An expendable. We just need them to think they're on the right track. Can you handle that?"

Kate: Sure thing.

"Oh yeah, Kate?"

Kate: Yeah, Finn?

"Good Job.."

And just like that, the images faded and Finn's face was illuminated only by the light of the plasma screens in front of him. Tonight the Program was back in full effect with brand new prospects and when the children arrived at Melrose Place in search of information, they would experience only a TASTE of the path that lie ahead. Try as he may to sympathize with the teenagers, he was at the end of the day, a man with no scruples. A smile curled up in his lips and he laughed for a moment before dipping into his scotch once more.

"Sometimes, I love my job..."

 

[Watchtower]

The unlikely group of companions walked together down the street to Melrose Place, the late afternoon sun still warm but the air cooling off. The street traffic was already picking up, and the sidewalks too were becoming crowded with a mix of tourists and those starting their evening off early.

Luckily for them, the apartment complex was virtually empty, with the death of its former residents and there not being enough time to move new ones in. But the five of them would till have to get past the locked wrought iron gate and Delilah's apartment door itself. Apartment #1, chosen by Delilah for it's proximity to the pool, the door directly below the staircase that lead up to the upper apartments.

Once they managed to get inside, they still would have to deal with disturbing the possessions of their former mentor. Delilah's death had hit all of them hard - even if not all were able to admit it. How would they deal with now being amongst all her most private things?

Effy would tackle Delilah's computer, while the others would divide the kitchen, living room, bedroom and guest room among them. Was there anything here to find?

Let’s see, shall we?

 

[Brenthon]

To Melrose Place

Everyone was talking, yet they weren't getting anywhere. The one thing they had decided, was that it was time to visit Melrose Place. Search for something, anything. Effy could still search for the hacker without actually being there, so there they were, walking down Melrose as if they were friends, and what a motley crew they were. There was the meathead (Jack), the silent one (Rich), the prep (Brenda), the valley girl (Olivia) and the outcast (Effy), all so different, yet all connected to the same woman, and for the first time in their lives, the same purpose. Finding out who was behind the deaths of Delilah and Kara.

Melrose place was actually very close to the Archangel Foundation, and after a few blocks they arrived at the front gate. Melrose Place had a very unique vibe about it. The architecture was unlike most places in Los Angeles and you almost got the feeling as if you were walking into a French Villa. But they couldn't walk in just yet. A rather large lock was plastered over the gate. Jackson stepped forward in front of the group.

"I'll see what I can do..."

He stepped up to the gate, and grabbed the chains that surrounded the gate which were intertwined around bars and ultimately connected to the lock. As he pulled on the chains, they began to buckle before they snapped apart, falling to the ground, effectively dropping the lock to the ground. He unwraveled the chains and threw them to the side, opening the gate and turning back to the group.

"It may be a little messy, but it'll work..."

Soon, they were all in the main courtyard. It was strange. Everything remained. The pool, the lounge chairs, the foilage. It all stood strong even though the people who called this place home no longer lived here, were no longer alive. He was reminded of Emily Dickinson.

"Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality..."

Maybe this was part of it. The stuff was all still here. You can't take any material objects with you when you die, so they stay here. They remind the ones that still live of who you were, what you represented, your essential makeup. He should write that down.

"I believe she lived in that one..."

He pointed under the spiral staircase to a rounded top green door, which was next to the pool.

"Yeah, that's it. #1. I met her at the gate, but that is where she came out from, so i'm thinking it's a good guess. Though, i'm no mind reader."

Jackson was instantly taken back to that day so long ago from the smell of the flowers that wafted throughout the courtyard. He had remembered their scent that day, while waiting for Delilah to go to a poetry reading. He didn't think she liked poetry that much, but she was also the only person in the world that he could go with, everyone else would have just made fun.

"Shall we proceed?"

 

[Elizabeth Stone]

Effy walked a few feet ahead of the others, scowling at the idiot tourists clogging up the crosswalks. She didn't know what they hoped to find at Delilah’s apartment. Unlike the others, Effy didn’t believe Delilah was hiding anything there. The woman practically lived at the Foundation, and she took loads of precautions to protect all their privacy there. That was inherent in her set up, she wouldn’t have felt the need to hide info about them where she lived, which was way less protected than the Foundation was.

Superboy pulled the lock off the door. She should probably have said something to him about fingerprints, but sometimes guys needed a lesson in using brains before their brawn.

"I believe she lived in that one…Yeah, that's it. #1. I met her at the gate, but that is where she came out from, so I’m thinking it's a good guess. Though, I’m no mind reader."

Effy raised an eyebrow. Delilah and the knuckle dragger?

She didn’t look away as she pointed at the list next to the gate.

“Or we could just look at the door buzzers...”

She followed the others inside into the courtyard, stopping next to Jack.

“Sure you haven’t been to Delilah’s before? A little one on one counseling?”

She smirked and kept walking towards apartment #1. She examined the keyhole, then turned and leant against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Well, it’s not computerized so I can’t open it. Anyone know how to pick a lock? Breaking the door down might raise some suspicion.”

 

[Matrix]

They made their way to the gate at MP, where Jack decided to tear off the lock. Rick smiled a bit at the display, then leaned down, turning his hand into hydrochloric acid to eat away any fingerprints as the group walked in. He then caught up to the group as Ms. Badweed declared that she couldn't pick the lock and folded her arms, as if that were the end of it. Rich stepped forward, jabbing his finger to the lock...

...turning the fingertip into mercury as it flowed into the lock, then into steel, making a key that turned the lock easily. He turned back to Effy and the others and gestured.

After you...

 

[Brenda Castle]

Upon discovering Brenda was a telepath, Jackson immediately felt bad about what he'd thought earlier and resolved to apologize. Brenda smiled gently and shook her head.

"It's fine, Jack. Believe it or not, that's actually NOT the worst assumption anyone's ever made about me."

RicHARD, on the other hand, was lamenting the idea that he would no longer be able to think about her naked without her knowing about it. This time Brenda did roll her eyes.

Jack proposed they head over to Delilah's apartment to see if there was anything there that might provide a lead, and pretty much everyone else jumped on that bandwagon. Effy didn't seem so keen on the idea, but kept her opinion to herself. Brenda wasn't sure how going to Melrose would help either, but it WAS their only plan… and she still had a few hours before she was supposed to meet up with her parents for dinner. Maybe they would brainstorm stronger leads while they were at Melrose Place. Maybe being among Delilah's things, drudging up old memories would help them think of something.

Off to Melrose Place! It was only a few blocks down, so they decided to walk. It might have been pleasant, if the streets weren't so crowded, and they weren't actually headed to the home of their dead former mentor, to pilfer through her personal belongings like they were some sort of supernatural detectives. They approached the gates of Melrose. It, like the Foundation, seemed slightly foreboding. This was where Delilah, and her high-powered friends, lived.

Jackson broke the chains on the gate with sheer brawn. It was kind of hot, especially since she already knew he wasn't just another dickhead jock looking to show off. He was just trying to help, as he was when he relayed to them that Delilah probably lived in Apartment #1, because that's where she came from when he met her here once. Effy smirked a double entendre at him, but Brenda just smiled. Delilah wasn't that kind of mentor, and Jackson WAS a poet, after all. Effy deferred once she got to Delilah's door. Rich came to the rescue.

"Nice job, Inspector Gadget."

Brenda brushed past him, volunteering to be the first through the door. The apartment was unlit except for the sunlight filtered through the blinds, and Brenda opened them casually. The apartment looked as if one day Delilah had left and had not yet returned. It hit Brenda then that Delilah would never return. She paused with a heavy sigh, looking around the apartment slowly. This was harder than she'd thought. There was nothing left of Delilah here except the phantom of a former life. Yes, this was where she had lived, but not anymore. Those were her pictures on the mantle and her books on the shelves, but this place was so empty without her that the atmosphere seemed to ache with her disappearance. The only person in the world that Brenda had ever met who's only agenda was to simply HELP her, and she was gone. Brenda's life was a dark one without Delilah as the beacon of light.

 

[Matrix]

"Nice job, Inspector Gadget."

I do my best.

Rich followed the others inside and took a look around. Kind of like he'd imagine. As Brenda opened the blinds, he saw the look on her face and he felt for her, for all of them. Brenda was no longer the hot blonde who would prob'ly be pissed that he was mentally undressing her from time to time, and he vowed to try to stop doing it. She was a kid, just like him, who lost someone important. Dee was a special person, and she looked after all of them. He decided that now would be a time to try something and so he did. He sent a thought meant for Brenda to hear.

I know. I miss her too.

 

[Brenthon]

Delilah's Apartment - Melrose Place

“Sure you haven’t been to Delilah’s before? A little one on one counseling?”

Jackson's face widened with a big grin.

"You're a monster!" he said, nudging her with his arm.

"I could only be so lucky, eh?"

Effy inspected the door and discerned that she would not be able to open, which left in Jackson's mind only two other people who had to be capable of doing so. Effy and Brenda were out, they were both brains, and Jackson was pretty much all brawn. Hopefully either Olivia or Rich had some nifty way of getting through the door without looking like they were trying to get through the door. Rich stepped forward. He wasn't sure just what to make of this kid's ability, mostly because he didn't know what the hell it was. It did however, unlock the door and allow them access into Delilah's apartment. Jackson followed behind Brenda as the others arrived.

"This is weird..."

He could literally feel Delilah in every nook and cranny of the apartment and yet he knew she wasn't there. The colors in her house had been colors she loved to wear. There was a simple yet refined and classically stunning appeal to the place. It was strong, bright and beautiful, like she was. Did he mention he really did miss her? Before he let himself get caught up in a ball full of emotion he took a second to clear his head and he spoke to the others.

"Effy.. I'm sure you're already on it, but you got the computers and the tech stuff. Brenda and I can take the bedroom and the living room. Livvie and Rich can take the kitchen and whatever other room as at the end of that hall. Brenda, can you keep your mind open, let us know if anyone is coming our way? "

He stopped for a moment, and let out a sigh.

"And I mean.. I know she's dead, but can we try to leave the place how it was when we arrived. It already feels wrong to rifle through her belongings, let's not add being slobs to our list of crimes. Sound good?"

Jackson wasn't trying to control the situation but he felt that somebody had to just say what to do otherwise they would only argue about what was the best option and time was a luxury they didn't have. They didn't know what was responsible for Delilah's death or the death of Kara, and they didn't know if they themselves had decidedly learned too much about either of the murders. They had to be careful.

"Let's get started.."

He made his way over to the bookshelves in the living room, scanning the books for anything that might seem out of the ordinary or misplaced. In truth, Jackson didn't really know what he was searching for, he just knew he had to do... something

 

[Elizabeth Stone]

Rich used his ability to manipulate molecules to fashion his finger into a key. Effy shifted so she was leaning on her side so she could watch. That trick had possibilities. As the locked clicked, the edge of her mouth curved up.

“Cool.”

She entered the apartment. It was very comfortable, chic but not flashy, with white slip covered furniture and dark woods. Delilah’s laptop was still on her coffee table from the last time she had used it. As she passed the tv her fingers grazed Delilah’s DVR.

Thank god. Gossip Girl was not on it.

She saw on a table by the window an array of liquor bottles – a makeshift bar – and poured herself a glass of vodka. She went over and sat on Delilah’s couch, pulling the computer into her lap. She took a drink and set the glass down on the coffee table, and got to work.

She put both hands on the cover of the laptop. Effy’s eyes bled white as her brain tapped into the hard drive, scanning it at super speed for any clues. Delilah seemed to be pretty good about keeping personal info off her computer, good for her. Effy hoped the others were having more luck than she was. She checked on the scans running back at the Foundation as well, while she was at it.

 

[Ana-Leigh Moreau]

So they all finally came to an agreement. Melrose Place it was. Walking down the streets, it must have been a very interesting sight seeing 5 completely different people all paired together in a group. Hopefully their differences would work as an advantage and not slow them down. As she walked, Livvie sighed...she really WAS trying, and she really DID want to help in this 'case'. It didn't really hit her until now that Delilah's funeral effected her more than she realized. She normally wasn't so brash and defensive, but grief can do crazy things to people.

As they finally reached the gates of Melrose Place, Jackson ripped the chians off like pulling apart putty. It was pretty cool actually. Walking through the gates, Olivia shut them behind everyone so nothing looked suspicious from the outside. Walking through the courtyard toward Delilah's apartment, Livvie took the time to look around. It looked so normal...like everyone was just off at work rather than dead. It was really eerie actually...

Finally reaching Delilah's door, Richard did a funky little move with his finger, turning it into a key. Again, pretty cool. Walking into Delilah's apartment, Livvie felt a huge weight on her chest. She was really gone...she would never be in this apartment again. Where would all of her stuff go? Would it be thrown away? Auctioned? Giving to Goodwill? She wondered silently as she scanned the apartment, taking it in.

Jackson: Livvie and Rich can take the kitchen and whatever other room as at the end of that hall.

Nodding, Livvie headed over to the enterance of the kitchen. Stopping, she turned to Jackson as he explained that even though she was dead, to still be respectful of her belongings. Not bothering to respond, Livvie simply turned and headed into the kitchen. Of course she would be respectful of Delilah's things....she was DELILAH.

"I don't really know what we'd find in a kitchen...."

She spoke more to herself than to Richard. Livvie then started to open different drawers, shuffling through the ones that had more knick knacks and 'junk' in them than the ones that actual held kitchen utensils. Nothing.

[to Rich] "I'm going to go check down the hall real quick."

Exiting the kitchen, she started down the hall to the the guest room. Opening the door, it was pretty ordinary. A bed, night stand, and dresser with a nice flat screen TV on the wall. Starting with the bed first, Livvie lifted the mattress as best she could and ran her hand between it and the boxspring. Nothing under there. She then dropped to her knees to look under the bed. It seemed pretty normal there as well. After a few minutes she began to shuffle through the drawers in the night stand and dressers...again nothing. Exiting the guest bedroom, she headed back into the kitchen.

"The guest room was clear. Did you find anything in here?"

 

[Brenda Castle]

Jackson: This is weird….

"Yeah."

Brenda croaked in agreement. Rich, showing that he was more than a horny teenage boy, mentally admitted to missing her too. Brenda took a deep breath and pulled herself together, blinking back tears and running her hands through her long blonde locks. She glanced at Rich, nodding gratefully, as Jack launched into direction. Brenda could see that Jack was motivated by the need to be useful, and not because he wanted to be bossy. It was good that SOMEBODY could formulate a coherent plan through the haze of grief.

Jack delegated rooms, giving him and Brenda the living room and master bedroom, and she nodded. He acknowledged that this would be uncomfortable, but suggested that they leave things as they found them, and not be slobs about the search. It was kind of 'duh', but apparently it NEEDED to be said, because as SOON as he had finished saying it, Effy was casually pouring herself some of Delilah's liquor, practically plopping down on Delilah's sofa, cozying up with Delilah's computer and just generally making herself RIGHT at home. Brenda just stood there for a second, staring at Effy with a slightly disturbed look on her face.

"Right… Well, I'll be in the bedroom…"

She said, then shook her head and drifted off toward her designated search area. It was much the same in here. The bed was neatly made and things were mostly tidy. The drawers had predictable things in them, there were no bodies in the closet. This place was a dead end. The most they could have hoped for were signs of a struggle, but whatever had happened to Delilah, it hadn't happened here.

 

[Brenthon]

Melrose Place: Delilah's Apartment

Everyone went their ways as Jackson followed Brenda into Delilah's bedroom to investigate. Again, Jackson recognized once more how surreal it was to be in a dead woman's house, especially since all of her things still remained intact. There was a robe laying on the bed that would never be worn again, along with slippers. On the nightstand there were books whose pages would never flicker between her fingers. He rubbed his eyes and focused back on the task at hand, turning to Brenda.

"I wonder what they're gonna do with all of these things?"

He looked under the bed, at the top of the closet, the drawer on the nightstand where most people keep juicy things, Delilah had only small trinkets and clutter. She had absolutely nothing scandalous, which he had to admit, let him down a little bit. Where were the dirty movies, the hidden candy, hell the sex toys? Was Delilah really as saintly as he thought? Perhaps she was.

"There's nothing in here! Not even a diary that I can find. Delilah was good at cleaning up after herself."

Jackson was determined to find something, a clue, anything. He opened an adjoining door to the bathroom. Clean as a whistle. Closing the door, he began to feel like this was pointless, that they might never find what happened to her. He exhaled deeply, feeling a little deflated. He turned to Brenda.

"Well.. I'm feeling absolutely useless.. how about you?"

 

[Watchtower]

As the last rays of the afternoon sun flitted away and evening descended on Melrose Place, the young mutants continued their search for something, anything that would lead them closer to Kara and ultimately Delilah’s killer. They had found plenty of memories of Delilah, but not much else. Just as it was beginning to look hopeless…

Olivia had returned to the kitchen, having found nothing in the guest room to report to Rich, who was busy going through drawers and cabinets. He too, had found nothing, and he and a dejected Livvie returned to the apartment’s entrance. She lifted the lid to Delilah’s secretary desk and peeked inside, deciding to give it one last going over before declaring the apartment a bust. As she moved some papers around, something would catch Effy’s eye. She would get up from the couch and snatch the flash drive from the desk, plugging it into Delilah’s laptop.

Meanwhile, Brenda, who had returned to the living room as well after striking out with Jack in the bedroom (), ran her fingers over a shelf of cookbooks, Brenda would see that one was leather bound. It having caught her eye, she would take it down, discovering that it was in fact Delilah’s personal journal! Brenda would feel strange looking through Delilah’s private thoughts, but feeling drawn to the book, scanned the pages for anything useful.

Let's see, shall we?

 

[Elizabeth Stone]

Effy kept working as Olivia returned to the living room. She watched her, fiddling through Delilah’s desk, despite the fact it had already been searched once. Probably just bored and wants to look busy. Then she saw something the size of a lego, hiding between two stacks of papers.

“Hold on.”

Effy got up and moved to the desk, sticking her hand in between the papers and coming out with the flash drive. She was back at the computer plugging the drive in in one smooth movement. The others had by this time returned to the main room as well.

“These are Delilah’s case files from the past five years. Kara is not in them. One sec.”

She quickly accessed the system back at the Foundation.

“I don’t think this girl was one of Delilah’s. You know those stupid attendance sheets we all have to sign when we come to Archangel? Delilah has a record of them in the foundation’s computer. Kara Knight only came to the foundation once – to a group counseling session about a year ago. Then, nothing.”

Her eyes were back to their normal coloring, and she looked around at the others. Delilah was a meticulous record-keeper. There was no way that was an input error. How was this girl different than the rest of them? Effy was more sure than ever that something totally weird was going on here.

"Then why is Kara in the Foundation computer at all?"