Issue 1 Downtime

The flock had swept through the hallways of the mountain fortress, and where they passed some of the refugees broke apart to join it. Some, but not all.

The flock converged on what had been the High Evolutionary's hydroponic gardens for his experiments, but in the intervening years had been converted by someone the refugees thought to be Rebecca Valentine into a lovingly-tended rose garden.

The ravens circled around, and landed in a clump in the center.

Sergei had been with one of the refugees when they broke apart into ravens, and pursued the phenomenon. He cautiously entered the gardens.

The clump of birds was solidifying into one mass, but that mass was shifting rapidly between forms. It was Nailah. It was Becca. It was Mizuki. It was many others...

A green raven came in, chasing after Sam, next...waiting.

A good deal behind Will (and possibly shooting him a slightly annoyed glance) a shifted Sara stomps into the room, shifting back to normal once she comes to a stop.

Sergei motioned for them to keep back as John too caught up.

Onyx follows the ravens from her house, looking confused.

Alyson came along behind Onyx, looking equally nonplussed.

The shifting mass finally stabilized into a rather familiar figure, though she did not rise to her feet. Tears were streaming from her eyes.

"Why..."

"...why did you make me stop?"

"Samantha?" Onyx asks, looking shocked, "I thought..."

"Professor..." Will said, shifting back to normal...

"I'm sorry... We didn't know..."

"Are...are you alright, Professor?
There...they weren't really here..." Will said, approaching.

"They were you?"

"Ms. Valentine wasn't alive?" Onyx asks softly.

"They weren't me!" She shouted.

"I gave them all I knew about them! I put them back together!"

"Everybody dies except me... It isn't fair."

"Professor..." Will says, getting closer still, close enough to touch her. "It'll be OK, it'll all be OK, we're here...we're all here for you..." he said, carefully. "But you have to be YOU..."

Vivien, caught somewhere between being unamused and impressed, joined the group, studying Sam as she reformed.

"No... nothing's been okay for a long time..."

"I know...but it WILL be OK."

"...why did you come here?"

"We came to use the technology of this place to return to our own time, and stop this all from happening," John said as he came closer.

"There is technology left that's in a decent state, right?" Sara carefully asks, remembering the state the atomic steeds were in.

"Yes. That's how I hid the refugees from the Sentinels."

"And that was good! You've been doing some great work, Professor..." Will said, trying to be reassuring, placing one hand on Sam's shoulder.

"...but not for the right reasons."

"Right reason or not, we're alive because of you," Sergei reassured.

Stan entered, solomnly making his way up.

"Sam, I'm sorry.."