Using my telekinesis I poured Kayden another cup of coffee. She accepted with a silent nod, taking it in one hand as her other hand was holding Aster. Aisha had one foot on the edge of the table, pushing against it so she balanced her chair on the back two legs. I had managed to pull Cheshire away from the party and Thusly to bring her with us. It was better to have her here to help vet their story. I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, but when it came to Purity it was better to not take the chance.

"Why don't you start from the beginning," I said, taking a seat on the floor and looking. Kayden took a deep breath and a sip of her coffee. She set the cup back on the table and pulled Aster closer.

"It is pretty straightforward," Kayden began. "I had left the Empire a while back. I wanted a better life for Aster. And things were stable for a long time. I might not say great, but stable. But then Industry happened and started coming after me. At first, I was able to fight off the gang but they weren't holding back. They were fighting to kill me, and it was getting hard to fight them off because of it. When the gang was revealed to be part of The Sentient, they broke into my house and attack us there. I was able to make it out with Aster, but…"

"There was another one," Cheshire stated. "Your son? No, stepson."

"Theo," Kayden said bitterly. "They were trying to kill me, but they just took him. I have no idea what they've done with him."

"And then what happened?" I asked.

"I was on the streets," Kayden said with a shrug. "Every time I tried to contact anyone, anytime I tried to do anything, The Sentient found me and attack me again. I was stuck on the street, hiding from everyone on the chance that they were Sentient. And that's when I met Aisha."

We all looked at her. She nodded and said,

"Sounds about right."

"Aisha has been attacking The Sentient on her own," Kayden supplied. "She'll follow them to their bases, steal their supplies for the two of us. But her power will cut out when they said that passcode of theirs, which is where I come in."

"The phrase doesn't work on you?" Cheshire asked.

"Not in the same way it works on Aisha," Kayden corrected. "I get a headache, and it gets hard to focus on my light beams. But I can keep going, unlike Aisha. Together we've survived the last couple of days."

"Okay," I said with a nod. "What about you," I asked, pointing a hoof at Aisha. "Why have you been out on the street?"

"It was more of a choice thing," Aisha said dismissively. "My brother went and got himself caught by the fuzz, I decided I didn't want to stay home much after that. These Sentient were easy pickings for someone like me-"

"When you're avoiding their cameras," Cheshire muttered.

"-So I've been taking their stuff when I met Luftmother and Hitler's Youth," Aisha continued, shooting Cheshire a look as she did so. "And I, being the selfless black girl I am, decided to help her out. Its helps she can go all blitzkrieg on their asses." Out of questions, I looked at Cheshire to see if she had anything to ask. She considered them for a few moments, her eyes moving back and forth between them.

Finally, she sighed and said, "They're telling the truth, for better or worse." I raised an eyebrow at her.

"For better or worse?" I asked. Cheshire shrugged.

"I think they've captured Theo to indoctrinate him into their ranks," she said. "But if what Will said about their training process was true, he'll more than likely trigger in the process. After that, it is all up in the air."

"I thought they hated capes?" Kayden said stressfully, a worry line creasing on her forehead. "Why would they take my stepson?"

"It is part of their recruitment strategy," Cheshire explained. "They pine for anyone that might have a reason to hate capes. People who have lost their jobs or loved ones because of reckless cape fights. Will was a con man that got locked up because he unwitting tried to con a Thinker, they used that in their recruitment strategy with him, tried to make him hate capes with it." Cheshire paused and looked at Kayden. "Can you think of any reason Theo might dislike the way capes has influenced his life?"

Kayden hung her head, but Aisha leaned forward, dropping back onto all legs of her chair as she said,

"Are you serious? His parents are super-powered Neo-Nazis, how can he not be a little bitter?"

"Who is Will?" Kayden asked. "You said he knows about The Sentient, can he help us get Theo back?"

Cheshire and I shared a look for a moment. After a second, Cheshire apparently decided that it was okay to share it with them.

"Will Holden is the real name of Max Clay, the man that pretended to be in charge of The Sentient in their video message." She stated.

"What?" Kayden asked, her eyes widening a little. "You mean he isn't? And how do you know-"

"We have him locked in our basement," I interrupted. Both Aisha and Kayden looked at me with a little shock.

"But if you have him," Kayden began, struggling to decide what she wanted to ask, "Why haven't you turned him into the PRT? If he knows so much then-"

"The PRT is crawling with Sentient moles," Cheshire answered. "Even if they weren't hopelessly corrupt, the PRT wouldn't be able to hand this as well as we could."

"Ah," Aisha said, nodding sagely. "The government fucking sucks, I'm shocked. Truly, and utter shocked."

"Can we see this 'Will'?" Kayden asked. "Not to be unappreciative for what you've already done and what you might do to help us, but this is a little hard to believe."

"Of course," I said, rising off the floor and stretching my wings as I did so. "Follow me, he's in the basement."

They all rose out of their chairs and moved to follow me as I trotted in the correct direction. We passed my father's old armchair on the way where I noticed an empty beer bottle sitting by itself. That reminded me, where was my father? He had already left the party both I had and I hadn't seen him here at all.

The question was answered when I heard deep laughter coming from the basement.

The scene we encountered coming down to the basement was almost comical. There were two cases of beer sitting on the floor, the first one almost empty. My dad had put a folding lawn chair next to Will's cell and was sitting in it, beer in hand. Will, on the other hand, was standing. He was leaning his full weight against the bars of the cell because apparently, he was really really drunk.

"Dad?" I asked. "What's going on here?"

"Oh, Taylor," he said standing up. "I thought I would talk to Will, us being the only two normal people in this mess. But, um, he apparently can't hold his alcohol."

"Oh yes," Will said with a drunken slur. "I am a ridiculous lightweight when it comes to this stuff. I'm tipsy with just one beer, let alone more. And trust me, drunk Will is a complete moron. Wait, am I drunk Will?" He took a step away from his cell bars and nearly fell over. He took a moment to steady himself.

"Oh yeah," he said. "I'm definitely drunk Will."

"Um, Will?" I asked. "Can you-"

"Oh god!" He said, throwing himself against the bars and pointing at me. "You don't know how hard it is to pretend to be a supervillain unable to drink. It's is, like, a requirement to be sipping on scotch or eating something. It makes you look like an asshole, with is completely necessary for the look. I had to settle for suckers and lollipops. Bloody F-ing lollipops Nova. I tried to fake the alcohols once by putting apple juice in a scotch glass, but then the ice melts and it gets all gross and stuff. I mean, why do people keep scotch and whiskey in a room temperature bottle if they're just going to put ice in it? It doesn't make any sense. Super villainy doesn't make sense."

"Jesus Christ," Cheshire said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Should have just stayed at the party with Thusly."

"Thusly?" Drunk Will asked before anyone else could respond. "Is that a boy? Do you have a boyfriend smiling cat from that one kid's book? You know, you would look really adorable with a boyfriend."

"That's not what is happening here." Cheshire protested. "I don't even like people. He doesn't like people for that matter."

"Oh, asexual Thinkers, how droll." Will said with a slur, stumbling a little against the edges of his cell. "That isn't an excuse. If he's asexual, and you're asexual, why don't you come together and form a pair of bi-asexuals."

"What- How- That doesn't make any sense!"

"Oh please," Will said, waving his hand at her. "What fun is there in making sense?"

"I'm fucking done," Cheshire said, turning around and walking out.

"Will," I said, putting a hoof to my face. "Any chance you are sober enough to tell us how we would get back someone The Sentient have kidnapped."

"Oh, that's easy." Will said. "We make Danny do it."