Luministi

[The moment the countdown ceases, many things happen at once: the second computer terminal goes black while the first one returns to the main desktop, with several various icons on the side and across the screen in random places; Ferran spins away from everyone, completely ignoring everyone, and what they're currently doing, his movement frought with panic as he frantically shoves aside John and tries to restart the transfer process and mutters under his breath while he does so; and door appears--or rather, reappears in the place it used to be--on the wall, opens, and in steps Nathan.]

I think you'll find that this is all over, Ferran. We already have your anchor in our custody, and officers have already been dispatched to the site of your next experiment. And I've locked you out of the system. Everyone, please don't attack him. You're all safe now.

[Ferran doesn't turn around, but his voice is low and shaking with anger when he finally speaks.] ...How did you find it?

[Nathan starts motioning for Sophie, Kon, and the others to step away from Ferran and the boxes of equipment while he continues walking towards Ferran.] You need to be more careful of how you treat your associates. Don't make promises you don't intend on keeping, and definitely don't kill their fathers. You'd think you'd know better, since this all started here because your anchor wanted to bring his own father back to life.

Ahhh, so you figured it out at last? Good on you, Marshal Thanial, very good. Shame you did not put two and two together earlier. Imagine all the overtime you would have missed out on. [Ferran continues to try to access the terminal, but only gets denied access.] Damn it all...

[Nathan removes his CAT device from his pocket, pressing a button on-screen every time Ferran tries to enter a password.] I wouldn't bother with that either. Already locked you out of the system permanently. None of your old tricks will kick us back out this time, no matter how hard you try.

[For a moment, all Ferran does is hang his head, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles have turned white, but soon, he adjusts his hat over his scratched, injured face, and turns to face Nathan and the otherworlders.] You have no idea how close I have come to completing my work, nor how important it truly is. Their suffering is never permanent! None have died for good--

Except for Mr. Proctor and Ernesto Resarci, you mean.

They were of no further use to me. [He shrugs.] I could not merely send them home in the same manner as the rest. The process does not work the same if it is used in the same universe!

Save it, Ferran. You're only earning yourself a longer jail sentence. [Nathan types something into his CAT, the device soon changing shape into something akin to a pair of bulky handcuffs.] Hands.

[Reluctantly, Ferran holds his hands out.] There will be others. I am not the only one who wishes to continue this kind of research.

...What? [Nathan stares at him, a chill running up his spine at those words.]

[A chuckle escapes his lips, the hint of a victorious grin lingering in his expression.] Oh yes, my dear Marshal. You did not think I was the sole perpetrator of such curiosities? I know not who or what the others are, nor their reasons and means for the theft of the various otherworlders--but I am, indeed, not alone. You only found me because of the technology, and even then, I had been at this for well over twenty years just for my work to culminate in these past three years. Had I not become...overly ambitious, you may have never discovered the location of my experiments. That said...I have known of these others for a while now. Some of my test subjects were even taken from me before I could retrieve them for study. [He lets out a sigh.]

You're lying. There can't be others doing this!

Oh, certainly not others doing it in the exact manner as I have done, but the multiverse is a far more vast and plentiful place than our people have ever realized. If I were you, I would suggest drumming up a whole hell of a lot of recruits. I suspect you will be busy for centuries to come.

[Several different emotions flicker across Nathan's face but soon settle on something neutral. He isn't going to be baited now. He'll have to investigate these claims later.] I'll make a note of that in your arrest report. [He finally secures Ferran's hands in the handcuffs. The moment he does, Ferran freezes in place, a slight smirk still on his face.] Enough of that bullshit for now. [Something in his tone says that he's still bothered by the other man's words.] Don't worry, he's not going anywhere. Statis cuffs. Keeps suspects from spontaneously traveling to other dimensions and locations in the same universe, and makes it rather quiet since they can't move a damned inch either.

Now...there is something you all have to see. Two somethings, in fact. I know a few of you already saw this, but the rest of you need to see. Knowing the face of your captor will break that wall around a small, but crucial part of your memory. [Nathan gently removes Ferran's hat and sets it aside. For those who hadn't seen his face yet, they'll remember a small moment in time just before they were taken when Ferran, in his dark suit, hat, and camera, stood in front of them with a smile on his face and took their picture. This is true for those who later died.] That was just one thing.

The second is that even if, on the slim chance he manages to break loose and gets away? He can't use you ever again. With you all knowing his face, that bond between you and him is broken, and therefore, he can't sense your emotions in the same way any longer. [Nathan puts the hat back on Ferran.] That's one part of the research that he never talked about, but surely, he must've feared it happening. He'd have to start from scratch.

[A second later, he sighs and pushes Ferran back down into the computer chair, spins it around, and pushes him over to the wall before he faces everyone again.]

So! After I get this all taken into evidence, let's see about getting you all home! And this time, for real. I've got everything I need. The photos, the negatives, even the terminals and programs he used to manipulate your photographic images and subject you to so many things. If you can, give me an hour to do everything I need to, and then I'll get you on your way. [Nathan smiles, a relaxed and relieved look washing over him for the first time in a long while.] See you soon. [He puts a hand on Ferran's handcuffs, and in a blink of an eye, both men disappear.]

( OOC: Plot Details - The End )

[A soft rhythmical chiming can be heard from Filippo's pocket. All conversations halt as he holds up a hand to pull out his CAT device, switching an alarm off.]

Ahh, time's up. [He turns to everyone, clapping his hands once in front of him.] Well. This has been lovely, and I believe everyone who is willing to let bygones be bygones is ready. [All of like...one person] You know...I'm glad we had this chat. We should have had it sooner.

Oh well. Can't live in the past.

[All of a sudden, there is a flash of light and those who weren't by Lab #4 or had left will suddenly find themselves with the others--but no one is by Lab #4 anymore. Filippo stares for a moment before stamping his foot and shouting] No! No, this isn't how it was supposed to go! Ferran? Ferran! [He glowers, but his expression quickly turns to fear again as he hastily pulls out the yellow device to teleport away--but it falls from his hand, clattering to the ground. Before him stands Nathan, who has simply reappeared again--and he looks pissed.] Look...it's nothing personal, okay? [He starts to back away, stumbling into the lab.] I had to knock you out somehow and he's never told me if tranquilizers work on your kind! I would have used those inste--

Where are they, Resarci? I'm not in the mood for any of your doubletalk or lies. I've had to listen to enough of your shit and his for far too long!

[Color flares in Filippo's cheeks] I don't know either! If I did, I wouldn't have been yelling at him.

[Nathan lunges forward, grabbing Filippo's suit lapels.] What were you planning to do before, then? Don't think for a second that they believed you were going to send them home.

[Filippo tries to pry his suit away, but the grip on it is too tight] If they did, then I have some tubs of elbowgrease I can sell them too.

Where were they going?! [Nathan's hold shifts closer to Filippo's neck, cutting his air supply.]

[Filippo's face slowly starts to change colors, his voice hoarse as he tries to speak] F-Ferran's been preparing to move everyone to a different universe to continue his playtime with them. All I had to do was lure them to this lab and open the way to Lab #5.

[Nathan relaxes his grip a little.] We were trying to find that lab anyway! All you had to do was just wait for us to get there on our own. Why interfere?

Because he needed to discredit you even more. Why should they trust you implicitly when you still haven't told them everything? When you've failed to save them so many times? When--

Enough! I'm taking you into custody and you're coming with me right now. We need to find them.

And you think I'm going to just help you?

Yes. [He removes a pair of special handcuffs from his pocket, cuffing one over Filippo's wrist--and then his own.] Yes, I do.

[As for what happened to the otherworlders...]

( OOC: Plot Details )

[After getting dug out, Nathan makes his way over to the general store, limping as he walks. He looks quite the sight with cuts, scrapes, and gashes all over his body (the worst of it is on his legs), and his suit is scorched, tattered, and just plain non-existent around his calves. He's even missing a shoe and looks a bit thinner than he was the last time he was there. But for a man who was crushed under so much debris, he doesn't seem in pain or anything; just inconvenienced.

Once he's inside the general store, he walks over to the vid screen, activating it so he can contact everyone's CAT devices and all of the other vidscreens around town. When he speaks, he doesn't sound strained, not like he has in any of his other appearances in the town and spacestation.]

I hope everyone can hear me and none of you were caught in that blast. I'm sorry it even happened, but--[He falls silent, his eyebrows knitting in concern.] There is much I need to tell you now that I'm here.

Please, meet me in the White Rabbit pub in half an hour. All of you. It's time you had some answers.

[The video transmission ends.]

( OOC: Plot Details )

[While people are battling with their new powers and those townspeople who've decided to go on crime sprees, there are two people watching everything play out from a safe place. One...has no choice. The other?

The other relishes and delights in what he sees.

A pleased smile naturally graces the other's features.] You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment. Finally, finally after observing them for so long and poking them in the right directions, they are perfect. There have been some who just couldn't quite make it, ones I had hopes for but ultimately have given up upon. I will not be recalling them ever again.

And I have you to thank for that, my dear Marshal. If it were not for your continual interference these past years, they all might have still been stuck in that fool's experiment to bring his loved ones back to life. The otherworlders learning of that experiment's truth only fueled the flames of my own. The young businessman's ideas of entertainment were far more useful than the drivel the scientist ever gave me.

Speaking of him, you were never able to locate him, were you? Your teams of otherworlders failed in their tasks and returned empty-handed. They were meant to, you know, and yet you were so certain you could use their skills and fame to help them in their hunt for him while you searched for me.

[Slowly] ...What did you do to Filippo Resarci?

He was hiding away but now...he is right where I need him to be. [The other's smile widens after a moment.] Ahhh, I see. You think he's my anchor here.

It's a possibility.

You think...if you got to my anchor, then you could have reeled me in? Shame the fish reeled in the fisherman and now, you have left your worms completely unattended. I do wonder who yours is.

[Lets out a dismissive noise.] Like I'm going to tell you.

It does not matter. They will blame you in the end. Once they have figured it all out, they will hold you accountable. Might take them a while to piece everything together, though. I even tried to share with them the truth, warn them of what was to come--and yet they thought I was merely taunting them. They did not understand--

--Weren't you?

[The other shrugs nonchalantly.] Eh, yes, but one can mock with the truth. It is one hell of a weapon, as you have seen.

[Somewhat victoriously] Yes, it is...isn't it? [There's a soft click from somewhere nearby.]

[The other's expression rapidly changes from smugness to suspicion because of that tone.] What have you done?

You'll see soon enough.

[And then the one seemingly without a choice uses his one trump card to escape--but the other doesn't yell or pitch a fit at this disappearing act. No, the other merely pulls out something, enters a sentence followed by a few keystrokes, then slips it back into his pocket.]

Two can play at this game.

[Seconds before the other's keystrokes were entered, Nathan suddenly appears somewhere in the vicinity of the town hall, but before he can even take a step forward or pull out his own CAT to call people to him, the town hall explodes, showering him and most of the town square in huge chunks and layers of debris. Rubble and shrapnel fly into air, crashing through store fronts, trees, the library, and crushing nearby townspeople. Not even the fountain is spared and the Sheriff's office has taken severe damage.

But what caused the explosion to begin with? Whatever it is, it's gone now, most likely lost in the blast.]

( OOC: Plot Supplement Details - **Quick-time Event** )