There was murmuring in the room – a type of whisper that held a power The South African was all too familiar with.
It brought a resurgence of suppressed memories… Near-forgottenness had almost claimed the unfortunate situation of Nina and Zaire.
'An unstable shithole of a relationship…' was The Jumper's first thought as he stirred awake.
Admittedly, Zaire had been awake for a couple of minutes already… nearly ten minutes to be precise.
Alas, he was familiar enough with the tension of being restrained while unconscious that he knew – even more dangerous than sleeping was awakening without all his faculties at 100%.
There should always be a method to the madness.
The trick was always there for those prepared to gauge its patterns, and there was nothing Zaire was better at than surviving in every nook and cranny available.
The first trick was breathing… a steady breath could conquer immediate death.
As for the second trick…
When one awakened in a possibly disastrous situation, it was essential to wake up exactly three times – the first moment of consciousness, the second moment of clarity, and the third moment of absolute thought.
First consciousness referred to the first instant someone became aware of their thoughts – it was important to suppress all bodily instincts of movement.
A moment of clarity often follows – when the senses interpret the situation and a sense of danger starts to permeate both the conscious and subconscious.
Then, the final Absolute Thought…
It is when action is most effective – moving before the action can be considered most effective is a fallacy in an unknown situation.
This was something that required practice and Zaire could count the number of scars on his body that came from mastering this lesson in near-death encounters.
Now, The South African had completed all the steps.
Thus… the moment The Jumper's eyes snapped open, he had already memorized the spatial limits of the room…
However, the first thing that came into view startled him.
Not as much who it was – and of course, Zaire knew who it was – but more because the large, dark-skinned man had placed his massive hand on The Jumper's shoulder.
Zaire knew where those hands had been, what impossible missions they had completed and most of all, the raw strength hidden in their depths.
It was not an exaggeration to call the man a three-times-a-day Captain America.
'This just got more complicated…' The Jumper mused.
Just as the weight was about to be applied to Zaire's shoulder, he reacted instinctively but also precisely – The Jumper launched himself off the couch, flickering twice in place as if a glitch in reality.
The zips bounding his hands and legs were torn apart by the micro-jumps, and with a swift twisting spin that flowed through his entire body, Zaire had taken control of the enormous strength of Bill Harken.
Of course, The Jumper couldn't fight against the strength of Bill – a hyper-adrenal Alpha… but it was possible to use motion where it intended to go.
A shimmer in the air and…
WHOOOOOSH
Dr. Rosen, Nina, and Bill being the only people currently at the base, were surprised to see The Jumper in action, even though they had gathered preliminary information from Townes and Jenna.
It was an impossibly surprising sight – to know there were more than Alphas out there in the world.
Zaire and Bill were gone from the couch, instantaneously appearing in the gap just between the wall and the tightly secured whiteboard.
The Jumper's precise spatial awareness placed Bill in the smaller gap between the whiteboard and wall, locking him in place – of course, a casual struggle would render Bill free but it was enough.
For any Jumper, getting rid of contact was the same as being a thousand miles away.
Under the fascinated gaze of Nina and Dr. Rosen, Zaire casually freed himself from Bill's hand – everything was done to a split-second perfection.
"AMAzing!" Dr. Rosen muttered.
Zaire was about to perform another Jump when something entirely expected, yet nonetheless surprising took place.
Slowly, but with utmost confidence, a voice with strong magnetic attraction spread throughout the room. "Would you please stop for me?"
Zaire froze where he stood, unable to take another step – nay! Unable to even think about taking another step in any direction…
It was akin to being in a dream but being unable to walk.
Dreams didn't come with instructions after all.
Still, Zaire's mind rebelled...
One second… then two seconds.
Then… just as the second second was coming to a head, The Jumper broke through the dream clouding his mind, reconnecting his senses to the surrounding world.
The air shimmered twice, too quickly for anyone but Bill Harken to catch.
WHOOOOOOSH
This time, The South African appeared in the office chair opposite the man who had not made a single move since the commotion began.
Not that Dr. Rosen would have been able to change the situation but Zaire was aware – smart people were often the most dangerous.
"As I suspected," Dr. Lee Rosen ran his fingers through his whitening hair. "—you would not be able to restrain him for long." He referred to Nina.
"That's right. He was always one of those," Nina responded dazedly, still examining Zaire from head to toe. "B… but h-how?"
"One of those?" Zaire avoided meeting Nina's eyes, quirking a brow at Dr. Rosen to pass over the topic immediately.
"Nina dislikes those with strong willpower the most," Dr. Rosen clarified, rubbing his chin as his gaze shifted from the stunned Nina to the evasive Zaire. "Though, I am not sure if that is because of your ability or due to exquisite mental conditioning."
Zaire relaxed in his seat, raising a brow when he noticed Jenna, Henry, and Townes sleeping on couches near the opposite wall.
Of course, he had checked to make sure they were fine but double and triple-checking was a habit.
"Are they—"
Understanding his implied questioning, Nina volunteered to explain, even as shaken and emotionally unstable as she was. "It was hard…" She mentioned. "Henry? That's her name, right? She has a very fragile mind but if I tried to completely suppress the memory, things started getting weird…"
Zaire groaned. "I can imagine…" He replied, meeting Nina's eyes for the first time and offering a smile of recognition as if asking 'How have you been?'
"So… what are you?" Dr. Rosen removed his glasses, casually tapping his fingers on the desk and bringing the conversation back on track. "You are no Alpha… and I dare not make any guesses as yet."
Zaire did not immediately reply, instead adjusting his seat until he could keep both the recovered Bill Harken and Dr. Rosen in his field of vision.
Nina was too shocked by his sudden appearance to make a calculated decision – still, she had always been the extremely decisive sort.
'She may be a bit more dangerous than the others…' Zaire mused. 'Especially given our history.'
"I recognize your face…" Bill announced, scouring the depths of his memories for someone resembling Zaire.
There was nothing… but instincts came hard and died even harder.
"If you can recognize me…" The Jumper eyed Bill from head to toe, specifically noting the thin darker coloring on his belt, where something was once attached. 'A badge, maybe?' "Then, you must be from one of the special activities divisions of The CIA, FBI, or NSA…"
'Homeland Security?' The Jumper secretly internally added. 'Have they updated their division since the last time I was cornered?'
Bill and Dr. Rosen's faces turned simultaneously solemn upon hearing world-class government agencies being mentioned so casually.
Suddenly, the name clicked in Bill's mind. "Isibani esimnyama."
Zaire shrugged. "That's the name in The FBI files so I guess I know which department you worked for now…" 'And we will find out how troublesome you can become.'
Thoughts and ideas flowed through The Jumper's mind, pondering exactly which identity would give him the best advantage of utilizing Bill Harken.
After all, FBI clearances could only be revoked, not deleted.
Anything not deleted could prove a breakthrough to any system.
"Dr. Rosen…" Bill growled, tensing as the sweat began to gather on his forehead. "We are now standing in front of – if not the most dangerous, then a close second – the most dangerous man in America."
Nina, broken from the complicated thoughts in her mind, was visibly shocked and also tensed – her voice just barely leaking from between her lips.
Still, she was reluctant.
This was no police officer stopping her on the roadside – it was someone whom she had once shared a life with, her ex-boyfriend.
"Easy, Big Guy," Zaire raised both hands placatingly.
Bill was getting tense by the second – Zaire knew that Bill held enough strength to push him through two concrete walls.
"Stand down, Bill," Dr. Rosen gestured to Nina. "I believe an explanation is owed?"
"Remember… it was gangsters that pulled him out of the car… you just ran away," She whispered, soothing Henry's returning tenseness.
Nina released Henry's head, gently placing the girl back on the couch.
Then, she took shaky steps toward Bill, Dr. Rosen, and Zaire – she stopped only a few feet from Zaire, completing a triangle formation with Bill and Dr. Rosen.
Obviously, Nina had chosen where her loyalties lay, not that it was ever truly in question.
Zaire's reappearance had caused a stir in her heart, nothing more.
"Is Michael your real name?" Nina questioned as soon as she had settled.
The Jumper blushed – that was all the response Nina required.
She immediately switched to work mode, hiding the disappointment of years accumulated. "I need details or the suppression will not last for long."
"You should be careful," Dr. Rosen advised. "We will need the trauma to resurface later…" He turned to Zaire. "You are not hoping for a complete suppression of the memory, are you?"
Zaire: "Depends…"
"Then, you need to make a decision fast," Nina twirled her fingers as if showing off the many rings. "Ironically, when minds are too fragile, the memories tend to be too fluid to grab hold of the details."
"You're saying she is good for now?" The Jumper clarified. "Good enough to move around once she wakes up?"
Nina's emotions could no longer be contained and with a burst, she said exactly what was on her mind. "Is my dead ex-boyfriend worrying about his current girlfriend after appearing mysteriously for the first time in two years?"
"You needed help and I happened to acquire some files about an expert doctor in the field," Zaire gestured to Dr. Rosen. "An argument later and you told me to walk off a building…"
The Jumper chuckled. "I guess you didn't know that I wouldn't die from such a thing."
"I BLAMED MYSELF FOR YEARS!" Nina exploded, slamming the table.
Everyone winced at the authority carried in her voice.
"This is not a question you should be asking me, but him…" The Jumper tilted his head in Dr. Rosen's direction. "He didn't know me before today but he did know that the person who referred you to him is the same person sponsoring your current operation… thus, he should have known I was your boyfriend."
Nina turned to Dr. Rosen with clear anger on her face.
"There is a time and place for everything, Nina. I have had my suspicions…" He voiced. "I am not a man to speak without certainties."
Nina was disgruntled and nursing a pulsing headache but she restrained herself as best as she could.
Zaire: "And what certainties do you need to keep what happened here a secret from your government buddies?" 'Assuming you still work with the government despite all the funding I bring to you.'
"Nothing…"
"Dr. Rosen," Bill protested, clearly hoping the doctor would decide to report Zaire to The FBI.
"You have allowed me to help my team, and if I am right – we are a small part of a larger whole," Dr. Rosen waited for confirmation.
Zaire slowly and deliberately nodded.
"Then, I believe we have important work yet to accomplish," Dr. Rosen stared at Bill when he made the decision. "—and until a time I am provided evidence of his harm to our organization or the common populace, I will be happy to maintain our working relationship."
"That and—" The Jumper turned to Bill, stifling a laugh. "Half of what the government blames me for, they do themselves. And the other half, are done by others of my kind."
"You're saying you are completely innocent of all sins?" Bill clenched his fist in anger. "What about the combat unit sent to capture you in Peru? Fifteen died!!!"
"I am not saying I am innocent," The Jumper smirked. "You just have never discovered them – and you never will… there isn't much difference between being innocent and being undiscovered."
"You always used to say that…" Nina murmured under her breath, then rose from her seat. "There is not much difference between being innocent and being undiscovered. At that time, I thought you were referring to two young adults falling in love but now I know – you were talking about all the things you did that I had no idea about…"
Zaire frowned – he did not like where the conversation was going.
"Thinking about it now," Nina's eyes narrowed. "There were many things that you did—"
Before Nina could finish the statement, a hundred thoughts of leaks ran through The Jumper's mind, highlighting the minuscule details that could be expanded to track his plans.
"We need to speak…" Zaire's eyes turned cold.
Nina extended a hand.
A shimmer in the air…
WHOOOOOOSH
Zaire appeared in front of Nina, grabbed her hand and the air shimmered once more…
WHOOOOOOSH
They were gone, leaving a confused Bill and Dr. Rosen in the room.
Henry, Jemma, and Townes were still unconscious amidst all the chaos.