Hello, yes I know I haven't updated this in god knows how long, and I'm very sorry, but I got a request out of the blue that I get myself together and start writing again, so here we are. Yes, a brand spanking new chapter for you, hope you enjoy.

People talking without speaking,

People hearing without listening,

People writing songs that voices never shared,

And no one dared

Disturb the sound of silence.

Sound of Silence, Simon and Garfunkel

Emma's eyes shot open, and she took a few shuddering breaths before rolling over in the dark. She blinked a few times at the green light of her clock, waiting for her vision to sharpen. It was 2:46 in the morning. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, wiping away the tears as she attempted to get the nightmares out of her head. The young woman sat up, letting the duvet fall off her and expose her uncovered arms to the cool air of the room. She ran a hand through her hair and looked around, trying to discern the rest of the room around her. Emma threw off the duvet and climbed out of bed, extending her bare feet onto the thinly carpeted floor. She had no interest in going back to sleep right now, so stood up, slowly stretching out her back and shoulders. After rotating her neck for a moment, she padded softly into her bathroom, switching on the light in there. Harsh whiteness suddenly filled her vision and she cursed quietly, blinking a few times to try to filter some of it out. Once she had got herself accustomed to the light, Emma found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror. Dark circles hung under her eyes and her hair was sticking out at some odd angles. Dressed in only a thin tank top and some tracksuit bottoms, she could see the slowly fading burn on her shoulder. A dark handprint that she couldn't unsee, couldn't forget why it was there or how she had got it. I look a mess, she thought, restlessly tapping her fingers on the rim of the sink. Looking back at the burn again and caused images to flash through her mind's eye, and she grit her teeth, her knuckles almost the same colour as the porcelain she was gripping. Emma took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself down. She focused on herself in the mirror again for a second and then went over to the shower, turning it on. She stripped down quickly and got in, letting the scalding water wash over her. It burned, but she didn't care. The neurotransthete grabbed her flannel and some soap and began to scrub at her skin. Combined with the temperature of the water, it hurt, but she kept going, trying as she had done before to wash away every trace of Scipio from her body but he was still there. Still looming over her, still haunting her dreams and burning through her mind. Emma didn't notice the tears that were steadily streaming down her face and she scrubbed her arms raw, the skin going red and starting the bleed in places as she broke the scabs that were over the burns. A sob wound its way out of her mouth and she leaned into the side of the shower, slowly slipping down the tiled wall and curling onto the floor next to the plug. Her hair hung damp over her face as pink tinged water slipped past her and down the drain.

Emma had zoned out again. She hadn't even realised. Rosen was supposed to be briefing them on their newest mission, but she had just stopped focusing. She let out a little shriek of surprise when Hick's rubber band ball hit her in the centre of her forehead after bouncing off the wall and the corner of the table. He caught it deftly and raised an eyebrow at her. Everyone turned to look at her, and she flushed with embarrassment, her cheeks going red.

"Sorry. What were you saying?" She asked, trying to cover her discomfort under everybody's gaze.

"Just that, since Red Flag targeted that office building, they've gone quiet. So I think we should take a look around to see if the police missed anything." Emma noticed Gary in her peripheral, still watching her after everyone else had refocused on Dr Rosen. She clenched her hands together under the table and silently berated herself in her head.

"All of us?" Bill asked.

"Yes. Since everyone inside was killed in the attack, the building is deserted now. That makes our lives easier. But just in case they've left something behind, I want everyone to be careful. They may have attacked that building just to spark our interest."

"So it could just be a trap?" Nina piped up.

"Yes."

"Ah isn't life exciting?" Asked Hicks sarcastically. The dark haired woman next to him slapped his arm lightly. He gave her a rueful frown before flicking up the rubber band ball between his hands.

"Yes, thank you Cameron. I want everyone ready to go in fifteen minutes. Bring whatever you think is necessary, and I'll meet you by the cars." The group nodded at him and everyone stood up from their seats, filing out of the room and heading to their respective offices. Gary headed to his, twisting his fingers in front of his face and thinking hard while he wandered down the corridor. He entered his office and closed the door behind him, eyes scanning the desk as he tried to remember what he might need for their trip. Phone, keys, wallet, hoody. That's all isn't it? He thought to himself as he absent-mindedly stared at the bright blue line that was pulsing slightly around shoulder level. He tilted his head to the side as he watched it before blinking a few times. The young man picked up his phone from the desk, remembering that he had everything else he needed on his person and left his office, heading down the corridor. Emma was shoving her handgun into the holster around her waist when Gary knocked on her door frame, and she jumped slightly before turning around.

"Hey Gary." He stepped in as she picked up her sketchpad from the desk and closed it, putting it in her top drawer.

"Are you ok?" He asked. Emma leaned down to the computer and wiggled the mouse around so she could turn the thing off.

"Yeah I'm fine, why?"

"Well you aren't making eye contact with me, and that means you're lying." He tugged at the edge of his sleeve and frowned at her. She blinked a few times and looked up at him from the computer.

"I'm just tired."

"Haven't you been sleeping? I go to bed at 9:30 so I get exactly the amount I need." Emma stood up straight and pulled her jacket off the back of the chair.

"Sleep has just been hard to come by lately." She tugged the jacket around her shoulders and patted down the pockets, feeling for her badge and phone.

"Why?" The neurotransthete pulled out her keys and bent down slightly to lock the top drawer of her desk.

"I don't know." Gary didn't say anything to this, just scratched his neck as he watched the gentle blue waves melt off her. Emma picked up her mug from the desk, planning on washing it before they went out. It was a white mug with a TARDIS on it, the one she always drank tea out of. Approximately two seconds after she picked it up, the mug slipped out of her slightly shaking hand and hit the desk with a clunk. "Bollocks!" She muttered, picking up the mug again, thankful that it hadn't broken. Gary continued to frown at her. "Come on, let me clean this and then we can go downstairs." She said, pushing a smile onto her face.

"I don't want us to go in all guns blazing. Just be careful, ok? Split into pairs and spread out. Kat, you're with Bill. Cameron, pair up with Emma. Nina, I want you with Gary. Rachel, you're with me. Keep listening to your earpieces at all time. If anyone finds anything, let everyone know ASAP. Does everyone understand?" There were a range of nods and muttered affirmatives to Rosen and they all ducked under the 'Do Not Cross' tape and entered the building. Rosen headed left with Rachel, Bill, Kat, Gary and Nina started the climbing the stairs towards the first floor and Emma and Hicks went right. They reached a doorway and Cameron kicked it open, slipping in first. Emma ran her hand through her hair as her eyes scanned the mess that had once been some kind of office. Chairs and desks had been destroyed, with what looked like acid that had melted them.

"Don't touch anything." Emma said, stepping back for a second to look at the room as whole.

"Does this look like my first day?" Hicks asked sarcastically. Ignoring his comment she spoke again.

"Look at this – I reckon that's acid, and probably quite highly concentrated at that. But it hasn't been poured, the way the stuff in here hasn't melted that way." Cameron frowned in thought, closing his eyes for a second.

"That's been expelled from something."

"Or someone." He tilted his head at her. "Nice amount of well concentrated acid in your stomach right now. Imagine if you could let that out of you without injuring yourself."

"I think Bill told me about a guy like that – used to do those Alpha fights and would blind the other guy using the acid. Shit, he must be working for Red Flag now." Cameron started talking into his earpiece and Emma stepped back out of the room, heading down the corridor to the next office. The other Alpha followed her. The next few offices seemed to have fared a similar fate and they eventually started heading back, aiming to regroup with the others. As they headed up the stairs Hicks felt them start to vibrate slightly.

"Wha-!" His question was cut off by the stairs crumbling apart with a sudden shockwave. Emma screamed as she fell, pieces of concrete falling with her as she dropped several metres and onto the ground floor, bits of metal and Hicks following her. She landed painfully with a shout while debris showered onto her, and she managed to lift her arms over her face to protect her head.

"Hicks?!"

"What was that?" Nina's head snapped round when she heard the low crash from downstairs.

"Let's go check it out." She and Gary turned back on themselves, but before they could get very far, Gary became dimly aware of a new signal popping up next to him. Suddenly the ceiling started to tears itself apart and bits fall onto them.

"Gary!" The young woman jumped over to him, attempting to shield him with her body. Sheet metal crashed down around them and the glass from a nearby window blew out too. Gary let out a yelp as the pair of them collapsed under the weight.

Rachel's ears pricked up as soon as the sonic waves were emitted.

"Dr Rosen, we have to get out of here. Like right now." He didn't even need to respond, both of them just turned around and started running back the foyer, Rachel being slightly slowed by her high heels and the old doctor got past her. Her sensitive hearing picked up a much closer shock wave and she tried to speed up as she heard the inner parts of the floor start to twist and shake. "Dr Rosen!" He looked back at her and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward just as ground collapsed in behind them. They kept going, not daring to look back as they heard the crashing of sheet metal and concrete spilling down.

"Did you hear that?" Bill asked. The sounds of falling metal and concrete and reached him and Kat, and the pair sprinted back down the corridor as bits of it started to fall apart behind them. They found Gary trying to lift a piece of metal off Nina after he had crawled out from underneath her. Bits of glass had cut his face and through his hoody and there was some blood trickling down his neck.

"Gary, let me get her! Kat, go downstairs and find the others." The blonde woman nodded at him and Bill let adrenaline flood his system, giving him the strength to lift the large piece of metal high enough for Gary to drag out Nina from under it. Bill picked up the woman and slung her over his shoulder like rag doll.

"They must have set up sonic emitters around the building!"

"That doesn't matter right now, we have to get out of here. Come on!" Bill pushed Gary ahead of him, and they ran back down the hallway, back-peddling suddenly when they found themselves staring over the edge of what had once been the stairs to the ground floor. Bill swore as he caught his balance and grabbed the back of Gary's hoody to stop him from slipping over the precarious edge.

Emma breathed out slowly, trying to ignore the pain in her ribs and focus on reaching for her abilities. Hicks was lying unconscious next to her, all she could see was one of his arms. She didn't know where the others were so had to think of a plan fast to get the pair of them out there. The young woman closed her eyes, searching inside herself to find her Alpha ability and flip the switch. It suddenly spread through her limbs, and with a grunt she pushed some concrete off her, rolling up and taking in a few large lungfuls of air now that her chest was constricted by the object. She focused again, lifting some sheet metal off the man next to her and revealing his face. There was a cut on the side of this head, and more concrete needed to be removed before she could get him out. It took her a moment, and she noticed a metal rod stuck into his shoulder. Don't pull it out now, you'll just unplug the hole and he might bleed to death, she thought. Emma reached her arms around and slowly shifted her weight so that she could pull him up and around her shoulders. She looked up briefly to see Bill staring over the edge of the top of the stairs. Kat had done a run-up and somersaulted off the edge, landing on her feet and rolling over a few times. Now she was standing behind Emma, hoping that her friends would make it over the ledge alright.

"Emma! Get out of the way!" He shouted down to her. She did as she was told, focusing on keeping her ability going so that she could keep the other Alpha on her shoulder as she took a few steps back. Bill turned back to Gary. "I need you to trust me."

"I do trust you."

"Enough for you to jump down and let me catch you?" The transducer's eyes widened. That was a big jump.

"I don't know."

"We haven't got time for that. It's the fastest way down. I promise I'll catch you." Gary nodded at him. Bill readjusted his grip on Nina and looked back over the edge again. That looked about a ten foot jump. I can do that, he thought. He took a deep breath, feeling sweat collecting on his brow and the blood pumping in his ears. Well here goes nothing. He gave himself a two-step run up and jumped over the edge. Emma watched as the large man dropped like a stone, landing heavily onto the concrete pile and falling to the side as he lost balance. Nina fell off his shoulder and rolled for a second before hitting a piece of sheet metal. Rosen and Rachel swerved around the corner to see the carnage that was the lobby of this building. Emma turned around when she heard them.

"Can you get Nina?" Bill stood back up as Rosen climbed over the rubble to pick up Nina by the arms and start to drag her away, Kat joining him to help lift her.

"Are you ready Gary?" He called up.

"No!" He was tugging anxiously on the edges of his hoody in a desperate attempt to calm himself down as his arms shook slightly.

"Gary!" Emma shouted up. "Listen to me. Focus on my voice. It's all going to be ok!" He did as he was told, ignoring all the wavelengths for once and just listening to her.

"How can you know that? You can't predict the future!"

"I know! But Bill will catch you! You'll be fine!" Bits of dust and rubble were still falling through the air, and Emma was trying to calculate how long they had before more of the building collapsed and they didn't make it out of there alive. "Please Gary! You have to do this!"

"I don't want to!"

"You trust me don't you Gary?!"

"Yes!"

"Then jump!" Gary grit his teeth, closing his eyes for a second and then opening them, seeing the now dark green waves melting and curling around Emma. He give Bill and brief nod as he took a few steps back. The hyperadrenal steadied himself, planting his feet and holding out his arms as Gary moved forward, jumping off the edge of the destroyed stairs. All the air rushed out of him as time seemed to slow down, Emma's bright eyes not moving from him. The ground got closer and closer until he was suddenly in Bill's arms with a thump and a grunt. The pair barely managed to stay upright before Bill tipped him gently back onto the ground.

"Let's get out of here!" Shouted Rosen, still supporting Nina with Rachel's help. Emma was starting to sweat at the intensity of keeping her ability switched on this long and she shifted Hick's weight briefly as Bill jogged over and picked up Nina. The group ran quickly out of the building and to the cars, Emma trailing behind with Cameron's weight on her. Rosen and Rachel unlocked the vehicles and the unconscious pair were strapped in. As soon as Hicks was off her, Emma's knees buckled and she leant against the side of the car so that she didn't fall straight down.

"Emma?!"

"I'm….fine." She got out breathlessly, suddenly feeling the side effects of her Alpha ability.

"Get her into the car!" Rosen ordered, and the young woman felt herself being picked up and placed into the passenger seat. She was dimly aware of Gary touching her face briefly before there was another weight transfer into the car and they started to move.

Her hair does look soft. Am I allowed to touch it? Gary thought to himself as he looked over at Emma lying on an exam bed while Dr Rosen dabbed at some of the cuts on his face. It stung, and he winced occasionally. Nina and Hicks were also there, and the metal rod had been removed from the hyperkinetic. The wound on his head had also been sewn shut while he was still out cold. Nina had awoken an hour ago with only some minor bruising and concussion so was now resting again. Rosen's eyes flicked over when he heard a quiet groan from Emma. She cursed to herself and opened her eyes, immediately recognising where she was.

"Hey you're awake!" She turned her head to see Gary having his cuts tended to.

"Shit! Gary, are you ok?" The young woman asked, rolling upright despite the pain in her ribs.

"I'm fine. My face hurts and there is a rip in my hoody though." He said sadly. A small smile spread across her face.

"Nice to see you're ok Emma. I think you have some bruising on your ribs, so I've just strapped you up a bit round there." Emma's eyes widened and she looked down at herself, attempting to quickly cover the burns that marred her skin. Rosen had taken off her shirt so that he could get to her ribs, leaving her in just her vest, and now the dark reddened handprint on her shoulder was visible, along with the ones on her arms. Emma found the article of clothing at the end of the bed and pulled it on, grunting quietly as pain spread over her ribs. "There you go Gary, you'll be fine."

"Thanks Dr Rosen."

"I'm going to speak to Bill and Kat, I'll be back soon. If Nina or Cameron wake up, please come and tell me." Gary nodded at him before getting off the counter and walking over to Emma. She looked up at him and told her face to smile.

"You were very brave earlier." She said. "You jumped." Gary scratched his neck and hunched slightly.

"I know." Emma chuckled quietly.

"Do you think you can help me off here so I can get a cup of tea?" He tilted his head at her and held out his hand. She used this to bear some of her weight as she shifted herself around and used the other hand to push herself off the edge of the exam bed and stand on the floor. Her legs wobbled slightly, and Gary automatically put his hand on her other shoulder to steady her balance. Emma looked up at him and blinked in surprise, not used to having his face so close to hers. She could have counted all the tiny cuts in his skin from the glass if she had wanted to, but got too distracted by his grey/blue eyes. He stepped away from her, but still kept hold of her hand in case she fell.

"Can you get to the kitchen?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Let's go then."