Just like him

Rick sits with Scott for a little while, keeping an eye on him. But something wasn't right... where had Jason and Katie gone? It just didn't seem right...

Acting on instinct, he goes for the phone and dials Nate. "Hey Nate, it's Rick. Yeah, listen um... can you swing on down by TJY? Hopefully it's nothing, but... I gotta go check something out, and I want someone here to keep an eye on Scott."

Ending the call, Rick makes sure Scott is still asleep before slipping out the door. Spotting Hal with the trash, he waves to him. "Make sure nobody goes in here, will you? Except Nate... he should be coming soon."

Hal quirks an eyebrow in question, but nods. "Alright... sure. But..." Watching Rick leave, he just shrugs, leaving his questions hanging.

Rick walks quickly down the hall, looking around to see if he could find the other two.


Austin absorbs Katie's words, anger flashing in his eyes as she dishes out her own. "I did nothing but my job! And so help me, if you start a mutiny, the lot of you will be gone, and I will form a new team."

Watching Katie come closer, Austin finds himself backing up a step as a new wave of fear hits him. What had started out as slight nervousness from Jason's apparent outburst started to build into more... more that he didn't understand.

As Katie starts talking about being afraid, Austin's hands start to shake, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. "I crossed no line!" He raises his voice. "I am doing my job! I have been involved with this organization for years more than you and I know exactly what needs to be done and how to do it."

Jason can feel himself weaken slightly as Katie focuses her drawing power on Austin rather than him, but he remains steady, right beside her. "Was that your own idea, or someone else's, Austin? Hmm?"

"That is none of your business."

"You messed with the wrong people," Jason retorts. "You made it our business by hurting Scott."

"I didn't hurt him!" Austin backs up another step, going behind the desk chair.

"Not physically, did you." Jason cocks his head, remaining cool. "But you didn't care about his mind did you? You didn't care about his heart, did you? You didn't care that he just spent two months in pure torture that caused wounds so deep that he can barely function, did you?"

As Jason's voice raises, the fax machine starts to rattle.

Austin's fear increases, his face paling. "Come on... just... just stop it you two. That's... that's a direct order."

Jason spits a scoffing laugh. "Or what? You gonna drag us into the interrogation room too? You gonna ask us questions... make us talk? Maybe threaten us a little bit?"

"You... you are in so much trouble." Austin's voice wavers more. "You have no...idea... what you two... what you are doing."

The fax machine sparks, more smoke coming from the sides.

"Jason! Katie. Stand down." Rick shows up behind them in the doorway.

Jason doesn't move, knowing Katie won't either. "Come on, Rick," he responds evenly. "Austin was just about to tell us his master plan. Sit down. Wait a spell. Grab some popcorn."

"Jason stop it," Austin begs. "What... I don't understand... what..." By now his knees are growing weak, his fear becoming a mild form of terror.

"Tell us!" Jason shouts. "Or I will tear this office apart piece by piece and you'll be in so much fear that you'll drive yourself insane."

"Jason!" Rick barks. "No." He takes a step further into the office, lowering his voice. "You do this, you are no better than he is. Now stop before you do something you both regret."

Jason stares at Austin, a hate forming in his eyes. The battle inside of him intensifies to a degree that makes his emotions run rampant. He was so angry...so upset... he wanted to make Austin pay for what he'd done to Scott. But deep down... way deep down... he knew Rick was right.

Forcing his emotions down, he stops manipulating objects in the room, but knows his grandfather is still under Katie's influence.

Come on, Hero... Rick's right... We'll deal with this later.

Knowing Katie's anger and knowing how she felt because of what had been done to Scott, Jason knows it might take more than words to get her to stop. Slowly he tucks away more and more of his own emotions, knowing that the more he took away from her, the sooner she'd have to turn her energy back to him and away from Austin.

Austin's shaking hands grip the back of the desk chair, waiting, watching, not understanding.

Rick waits calmly behind them, knowing good and well what they were doing. He could feel his own fear forming because of Katie's presence, but fought it, trying to save his young friends from their own actions that could put them on the wrong side. He agreed with them, but knew that if fought in this way, the consequences could be greater than it was worth. There were other ways to make their point.