"If you want to be a bitch, that's your choice," Jason replied. "Go right ahead. Chances are, I'm used to it from my sister and cousins." His fingers went back to tapping, just to have something to do. "You can't possibly be worse than Andy when she was in one of her pregnant moods, so fire away." Yes, he was goading her a bit, but really, she was pretty when she was pissed at him, so it was worth it for now. He blinked when she said something about him being the fate of her country. "Wait, what?" THAT threw him off.

"You will be the leading reason why we triumph or fail. Or trust me, we would have never accepted another group of Americans! You all act without thinking." She said and stepped into the dining hall. "Hello boys. How's the food?" She sat down in her chair and her personal maid brought her her personal sea-food plate. She bit into a piece of shrimp and smiled at the others kindly. She wasn't going to fall into Jason's trap. She was a kind princess and her country meant more than some teenage boys attitude that needed adjusting.

"Wonderful, thank you," Robert replied to her. He sent a pointed look Jason's way when he sensed some distinct amusement from him. Jason shrugged innocently.

"You just don't learn," Alexander murmured to Jason when he sat down.

"I don't know what you mean," Jason replied. There was a spark of impishness in his eyes, however.

"You know what happens when you piss off women, man," Alexander replied. "Especially talented ones."

"I'll be fine," Jason said easily. "If pissing off Andy didn't kill me, then I think I'll be alright." It was true. He'd once pissed off his sister to the point where she'd almost pulled a Darth Vader on him. Instead, she'd tossed him out a window and into the pool.

"It's your ass on the line, then."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"I'm sorry, which one of you is the empath? Have you trained with a psychic to go beyond their blocking shields? If not I'll call one in for you, and I'm sorry, what's the others power? I can be forgetful." She said and slid a piece of crab between her lips and she frowned. The crab wasn't happy when it died, she could taste it. Some fish are old and just cant wait to finally escape life and you could taste it in the food. This crab was holding on to life bad. Disgusting taste. Should have let it live.

"I'm the empath," Robert replied. "That would be great, thank you." Robert had been raised to be respectful towards women, and it showed.

"I can mess with people's dreams," Alexander piped up. "I think my official designation is like a dream-walker or something like that. But I can pick through someone's mind for their worst fears and bring them to the surface, or I can find their greatest pleasure, but I only have free reign while the person is asleep."

"What he didn't mention is that it makes him something of an insomniac," Jason added. Alexander sent him a half-hearted glare. "What? It's kind of important."

"Shut up, Roadrunner."

"Meep meep."

"Asshole."

Tomi laughed at the boys antics and then slid a water chestnut past her lips, chewing while admiring her new crew of soldiers. "Roadrunner? Cute." She muttered. "So insomniac, I can set you up with a hypnotist and labs just to see if you can mix the two? Hypnotism and dreamwalking? That way not only are the people reliving it but they are feeling it. Every bit of it. And.." She took a drink of her water "I can see if the hypnotist can take you into a deeper sleep so you Get real sleep. REAL sleep." She said then heard the bell ring and smiled. "Back to practice boys, if I dont see you for the rest of night, be at the pool. 6am." She gave a bow and then headed off to practice with her own trainer. She was an insomniac herself. She trained until she passed out.

Jason picked at his food as the others talked. He was normally ravenous all the time, since his metabolism moved just as fast as the rest of him, but right now, he just wasn't. Maybe he'd want something later after training... He tuned the others out for a while until it was time for them to head into the gym. He just needed something to keep him busy enough that he didn't have time to think about Tomiko. Something about her intrigued him, and he couldn't help but pick at her in hopes of figuring out what it was.

"Tomiko. Rest." Ryoko said as the girl circled him and she shook her head. "No, I need this training."

"We've been out here for hours, you can barely see anything."

"Fine, if you're scared of the dark, go inside and sleep. I still have so much to do." Tomi said and then stood on one foot and leaned back into a backbend. Her trainer sighed. "Good night, Tomi. Should I send a soldier up to guard you?"

"If you deem it necessary." She whispered and then followed the backbend into a full flip, perfectly balanced. He bowed and went inside, going to seek out one of the Americans to guard her on the roof as she practiced her flexibility.

Tomiko continued but once her trainer was gone she felt slightly insecure and she pulled water around her, blocking her from sight. Although people would know where she was, random water floating in mid air wasn't normal, but it was dark as it was. Well past midnight.

Jason made his way up to the roof for the 'guard detail' he'd been assigned to. It was the middle of the night, practically, and he was starting to wonder what he'd have to do to get a decent cup of coffee in this place. Not that he was adverse to tea, but he wanted something a bit stronger. He went at a comfortable pace, still walking twice as fast as a normal person, though nowhere near as fast as he could go if he was trying.

The night air was cool, and the sky was clear enough that he could see the moon and stars. The only thing out of place was the seemingly random floating water, and he wasn't stupid enough to think that it was natural. Well, if Tomiko didn't want to be seen, then he'd let her be.

The water shifted slightly telling her she was not alone and it made her cautious who had been sent up to watch over her. She snapped and the water jumped back into it's basin. She came out of a strange one handed back bend and glanced at Jason. "So you're my guard?? Well I suppose you'd be the guy I'd yell for if I was in danger and no one else was around. It was a twisted demeaning complement. She was full of them.

"Help me? My shoulder seems a little out of place." She said quietly and turned her back to him,water raising out of the basin to splash him in case her tried something. She let it hover, trying her best to trust her soldier, it was hard though. He disliked one of the greatest men she'd ever known, he was edgy and didn't have a toned down manner, and he had an inflated sense of how great he was. But through the spoiled outside, she wondered if Nathaniel was right and there was something inside him worth fighting for.

Jason nodded and went over to her, ignoring the barb about him being her guard. Her shoulder looked like it was simply dislocated, so it would be easy enough to pop back into place.

"This is going to hurt," he warned her. He'd dislocated his own shoulder a few times, so he knew it hurt. Quickly, he popped it back into place for her, trying to minimize the pain. "There." He eyed the water warily, wondering a bit if it was going to attack him now that he'd finished his 'task'.

She cringed as it popped back into place but otherwise didn't make a sound. When he didn't step away she brought the water in front of her. "I like it, it hides what I'm doing. And it's similar to a mirror, look." She said quietly and slowed the waters motion, pressing into the water with her palm and stilling it. The reflection was a little distorted and she turned to glance at him. "But it shows us how we really are, water doesn't lie." She smiled and snapped, the water flinging back into the basin.

Tomiko then shifted. "Hands out." She said and going into basic fighting stance. For 1 or 2 in the morning she was always ready to train. "Come on, no being slow!"

Jason raised an eyebrow when he noticed how passionate she was about her element, but didn't say anything. That's how he felt about running, most of the time.

"Running is like that," he finally said. "Most people think it's easy, and they don't realize that you have to condition yourself for it. It ends up showing people how tough they really are." He slid into a stance that would let him easily move from side to side, around her attempts to hit him. It wasn't perfect, but he was still working on it.

Tomi smiled at the boy and continued swinging, catching him a few times, but leaving water out of the fight. She flung her leg around and hit him, but just barely. He was getting better. She smiled at the boy and shook her head, her aim a little off, and her body finally worn to the point she would fall over if she overexerted herself anymore. "Sit." She whispered and pulled him down to the ledge of the roof.

"My villages are up there." She pointed and then sighed. The last skyline was glowing amber and orange. "Fires..." She whispered and pulled her knees up. "I would flood the area if I tried to stop it... I'm letting them die, the people... the trees. The fire isn't too the villages yet, but give it a month. They only have fires at night because I can see it..." She bit her lip and sighed, glancing at the male. "Can I ask you a question? Why don't you want to be here?"

Jason thought about it for a moment.

"I guess if I was here on my own terms, it wouldn't be so bad," he finally said. "I didn't have a choice, though. I didn't submit my own name for consideration." He didn't like feeling like he wasn't in control of his own life, and at the moment, he wasn't.

He looked out towards the orange glow. "What if you did flood the area, though?" he suggested after a moment. "Evacuate the people during the day, so nobody was hurt... Would it really be so hard to rebuild?" It made sense to him, but he also wasn't sure if there was something he was missing.

"You know... he wasn't here on his own terms either. He fought tooth and nail to go home. There was a guard with them to make sure he didn't run away in search of an airport." She smiled and bit her lip. She shook her head, then glanced once more over at the boy. "I can't, I can't expose myself. And neither can you, if they know I'm building a superhuman army... Anyways, they have everyone captive, the other warriors have spies and live in the villages. That's why I need a runner, because everyone is too scared to come and tell me or they can't get away at all."

"I'm sorry your name was picked to help..." She said then stood, holding out her hand to help him up. "But I can't say I'm saddened you're here. We need you, and... no matter how much of a pain in the ass you are, I am glad you came. You're spoiled, and well, the stereotypical American teen who is too lazy to want to help... But I'm glad you came."

"All I know is that he got my sister pregnant and then left," Jason grumbled, mostly to himself. "I still don't know why she took him back..." He let Tomiko help him up. He sighed a little. "Riley is cute, though... I had to watch him once or twice. I'm not always an asshole," he added. "Just most of the time. It keeps people on their toes, makes them underestimate me." He was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up the asshole facade in front of her. Something about her made him want to be himself.

"You aren't an ass." She said and looked up at him, straight into his eyes. "You aren't, and I know it." She then grinned. "You like Riley? Like, you enjoy spending time with Nathaniel and... uhmmm... Andy's child?" She asked, forgetting the womans name for a moment. "So Nathaniel did some bad things in your eyes, and I'm not going to say he didn't. "I don't know anything about you or your family or how your customs are set. I know I've met Nathaniel and he is a good guy in my opinion, I don't know what happened over there, but if it was just him leaving then... He had the same choice as you did. Someone put his name in... Whoever that may be. I'm not going to defend him, but, I know in the 8 hours I've known you... You are not what you appear to be road runner."

She laughed and then nudged him quietly. "You know I have to be a bitch to you again tomorrow morning? Otherwise the other guys... well... boys will be boys."

"Riley's kind of growing on me," Jason shrugged. "Like I said, I had to babysit once or twice... Of course, Andy threatened to toss me into the pool if I didn't, the first time, but still." Of course, that was back during September when she had to start school again, and he probably would have agreed to watch Riley regardless. He rolled his eyes at the nickname. "I'm still not sure why that nickname stuck... Nobody ever called me that back home. Then again, most of my cousins just figure it's normal by now, since all of us are talented somehow."

"I personally don't like road runner and I think you should just be called Gonzalez." She said and then bit her lip hoping he got the Speedy Gonzalez reference. "Alright, we should go to bed." She said and yawned, checking her watch. 2:21 in the morning. She'd been out there for awhile. They also had practice the next day at 6 in the morning. "Sorry for having kept you up." She whispered as they entered her temple of a home. She arrived at her door first and turned to the male. She bowed, and then lowered the water that stood as her doorway.

"Good night." She said and touched his hand. She let water flow out of basins and surround them. It wasn't on purpose, but to control emotions was a harder feat than to just switch them off and let the water fall to the floor. "Water, go back!" She said as she blushed and then slowly let go of his hand and the water fell. She quickly snapped before it could get her bare feet wet.

She flushed, bowed once more and turned. "Goodnight Jason-Alexander, which by the way is a great name." She said and bit her lip, flushed and her stomach fluttering. She was trying to get enough sense to raise her water door back up.

Jason snorted at the joke.

"That was terrible," he said. "That's such an old cartoon." He didn't argue the nickname, though. He walked with her to her room, and was surprised when she lost control of the water. He didn't know what had caused her to lose control of it, but at least he didn't get wet.

"Good night," he said. He waited until she was in her room before trying to find his way back to where his teammates were. He couldn't help but think that Tomiko had been flirting with him.

Tomiko fell onto her water-bed and she glared at her small pond her bed floated on. "Was that necessary?" She asked and turned to touch the water, letting it trail through her fingers like sand. "Can't you NOT embarrass me?!" She peered into the water and sighed. "I know, I know... Enter Miko." She dropped her water door and Miko rose an eyebrow at his siter. "It's late." She said as another way of 'what do you need?'

"You are falling in love with him. You lost control of the water." Tomiko sat up and gasped.

"You were spying on me?"

"I was guarding you. I can't trust these guys. Especially the fast one!" Tomi glared and then sighed. He was just being the big brother and it was sweet. But he was still spying.

"Miko... I like him, okay? I'm 17 and I've never even kissed a boy!"

Her brother frowned and stared at his little sister. "You were married at 17! You had a kid at 17!"

"I was responsible, Tomiko!" The girl stopped moving and pointed.

"Get out if I'm not 'responsible' enough for you. Get out, and go back to Europe where you've been hiding from this land and country! Go back to your wife and kids! I don't NEED you here! I'm good enough to train these men, go back. Maitlin needs you more than I do!"

"Tomiko, I didn't--"

"If you didn't mean it, stop spying on me and my men and get to bed because you're swimming with them at 6." Miko sighed and nodded, leaving the room. "Good night." She said then thrust up the water barrier and fell back on her bed, staring into her closet. What should she wear tomorrow... the one piece with triangle cut outs up the side? Or the black bikini with small silver chains wrapping around her stomach? No, she'd go simple, A two piece in a deep green, and it would be so simple, it would be simply sexy. He wouldn't be able to help himself.

"Fuck." She whispered. She was designing her wardrobe around what he'd think, she was in deep. She stretched a little and then laid back, wondering if she could even get an two hours of sleep that night. Something about her powers made her hours like 4 to most humans. She didn't need too much to go on like others.

"Jae, man, where have you been?" Alexander asked when Jason got back to the room.

"They gave me a guard detail," Jason replied, waving a hand. "No big deal."

"I smell bullshit," Robert commented. Jason jumped a bit and turned around.

"You're supposed to be asleep," he accused.

"So are you," Robert countered. "Now, care to explain exactly what you did to create such big ripples of giddiness around here?" Jason felt his face heat up, but didn't reply.

"Holy shit, he's blushing," Alexander said in wonder. "I didn't think it was possible!"

"I hate you both," Jason retorted. "I'm going to bed. Apparently we have more drowning practice at six."

At 6 am, Tomiko tapped her fingers as she thought about how to handle the practice today. How did she hold to her tough bitch role? She blushed just thinking about him, how was she supposed to get in the water and train him? Well she'd find out. "Good morning boys. I hope you enjoyed your sleep, I did." She then picked up water balls and then shook her head. "You've got approximately 3 minutes before you drown, how are you going to escape?" She rose the balls of water over their heads. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Game on." She dropped the balls over their heads and watched them before going closer. Only one had physical powers, but if they were smart, only one was needed. She concentrated on the balls of water and moved to listen to Roberts heartbeat. "Slow it down, think..." She said and beat on his chest to show him how fast his heart should go. She moved to Alexander and did the same thing while giving them a hint. "How is the water covering you? How is it being controlled?" She then moved to Jason and listened. Super-fast, keeping up with his normal speed. But she figured it was his normal. She pulled away and frowned. "So... 1 and a half minutes left boys. Save yourselves."

'Damn it, I was joking when I called it drowning practice!' Jason mentally howled. 'Joking!' He could feel his hands trembling a little, and it gave him an idea. Concentrating for a moment, he sped up the vibrations of his body until he'd literally shaken the ball of water to bits. The little drops still floated around his head, but he threw himself backwards and out of the cloud before Tomiko could form it around him again. He took a deep breath, choking a little on it before regulating himself again. His mind whirled faster than normal, trying to think of a way to get Robert and Alexander out of the water as well. Then he remembered what Tomiko was saying. Before he could second guess his admittedly stupid idea, he swept their legs out from under them, making them fall out of the water.

"Kill me later," he said to them.