Slowly, more of Gerard's magic began to return to him. Whatever had been used to hold him this time had been stronger than the suppression Frank had delivered him before. It kept its hold on Gerard's magic so tight that he wasn't even sure where it was being held within him.

The wait felt like a torture all its own. He wanted to move, especially considering where Frank had been last left, but his body and magic were still recovering from being still for so long. He had his head in his hands for much of the time, trying to focus on pulling his magic from where it had been hidden. He could hear Jamia pace the room with worry, despite feeling that small piece of Frank's Magic trying to calm her. Or was it trying to calm them both? Stretched too thin to really make a mark on either of them.

"We can't wait any longer." Gerard dropped his hands to his lap and lifted his head. "The longer we wait, the more he'll hurt Frank."

Jamia stopped her pacing, pivoting mid step to face Gerard. "Can you walk?"

Gerard took a deep breath. He moved slowly to rise to his feet, hoping his body wouldn't betray him the way it did before. He sent his magic down his legs for added support, feeling it work alongside his muscles to keep him steady. Once he had fully risen, he slowly exhaled as he took a small step forward. Then another. "Decent enough." He nodded, bringing his eyes up to Jamia. "Can you lead the way?"

She nodded, but hesitated to move from where she stood. "We should probably hide your hair."

"Last time I had a hat." Gerard grinned, though it quickly faltered when he thought back to the last time he was in a Force base. He had been by himself that time, only taking someone that presumably knew a way out with him. Now, he had to find that same someone, on top of his friends he had tried to keep from this place. Last time was so much more ideal than this...

Jamia moved across the room, opening a closet that was pushed into the wall and rummaging through it. She pulled out a hat similar to the one Gerard had found last time and brought it over to him. He thanked her quietly before adjusting it on his head and tucking his hair into it.

"Gerard..." She frowned as she watched him hide his hair away, "Can I ask something?"

He nodded, tugging the brim of the hat to make sure it was secure in place. He then turned his attention fully to her, catching an uncertainty in her expression.

"I just..." she pursed her lips, seemingly going over the question in her head. After a brief moment, she shrugged. "Why him? I can understand part of it but... at the same time, I don't."

Gerard tilted his head at her. "He was there." He cast his eyes down as he thought about it more. "He was my interrogator, but something about him made him slip up... So I hit him with with what he used on me when I had the opportunity... Which was kind of the launching point to realizing he had magic, I guess." He shook his head. "We didn't realize that until after I had him help me escape, though. I needed a navigator through this place and we had a brief history at that point."

"After, I mean." Jamia moved back over to the closet and slowly shut its door. "He stayed with you, didn't he? He still felt you here, even when he wasn't sure of what happened. You were like this missing piece for him." She looked back at him with furrowed brows. "I've never seen him so determined."

Gerard looked back at her quietly. He wasn't sure how Frank could have felt him when Gerard himself could barely feel what sliver of magic had stayed with him. His magic cried from within his chest as it took in her words. It's pain washed through him as a sad hum filled his head. It whispered words he couldn't fully understand, but brought tears to his eyes all the same. "Frank was missing a lot of pieces when we really started... talking outside of this place." He wiped the tear off his face as the cry of his magic grew softer. "The realization of that was my fault for stabbing him with the serum... then taking him from the base... So I took responsibility for him."

Jamia placed her hand against her chest. "This small piece that I have, that he shared with me, it feels like it wants to be close to you. I don't understand this feeling or what it's saying, but there's a pull. Is this what it felt like for him?.. Just stronger?"

"All magics are different." Gerard rubbed the back of his neck, "It's a living thing. It's passed down for some. It's born in others. It's unpredictable... Though I've felt a change in my magic's feelings for his as well." He dropped his arm, feeling a wave of sadness wash over him. His magic still hummed its mournful song within him. He had to take a moment to regain his composure before continuing, "I know what I feel, but I have no idea what he may be feeling."

Jamia nodded. She didn't ask any further questions as she walked towards the door. She just turned to Gerard once she had crossed the room.

Gerard released a breath before following to where she stood. "I can try to make us less noticeable." He told her as her hand hovered over the door handle. "I just need you to lead."

Jamia nodded again. "That's something I understand how to do." She extended her free hand to Gerard. "Keep pace."

Gerard took her hand. Immediately, he felt his magic shoot down his arm to meet with that piece of Frank's. He tried to ignore the feeling to focus on what he needed to do in order to get Frank himself back. He pulled a piece of his magic back, much to its protest, and focused on the air around himself and Jamia.

It was hard to tell, but there was a slight warp to the air around them now. If you weren't looking directly at them, your eye would pass over them completely. If someone did see them, there was still an obstruction to their form, making them harder to identify. It wasn't a complete camouflage, but it was enough to keep prying eyes and questions at bay as they moved through the relatively crowded halls of the Force base.

Gerard didn't take in any of the faces they passed as he held onto his obscuring focus. He could, however, tell that they had an uncertainty about them. Their blurred expressions held furrowed brows and questions that he didn't usually see on the regular Force soldier's face.

Muffled conversations relayed that same confusion that could be read on their faces, though Gerard could only pick up brief sentence chunks and broken words.

"-Wrong-"

"Is he really-"

"I heard-"

"Lost it-"

Jamia pulled him in a new direction, where the number of soldiers and voices died down. Only their footsteps could be heard in the halls now. Gerard let the illusion around them drop as Jamia whispered that they were close.

"There is a guard, though." She turned back to look at him, "Not sure how he'll feel about seeing me yet again."

Gerard shook his head. "Don't worry about that." He pulled more of his magic back, preparing himself as they moved closer to their goal.

A soldier came into view down the hall, in front of a gate. Gerard held out his free hand towards the guard, letting pink seep into his vision. He could make this soldier help. He could use his magic force him to be on their side. Before his magic could leave his fingertips, however, something else came over his vision.

The image of Frank staring down at his hands after navigating lost memories. The way tears would fall down Frank's cheeks without him even being fully aware it was happening. The way he would jolt upright with panic despite being clearly exhausted.

All because someone forced themself inside his head. All because someone wanted a better soldier.

At the last moment, before the guard could fully turn to face them, Gerard hummed a melody and sent his magic out, urging a dreamless sleep to the owner of the ears that would take it in. The pink haze moved quickly, taking a lap around the soldier's head before vanishing into his ears. He leaned back against the wall, sliding down as his eyes dropped. By the time he hit the floor, his head was down and soft snores were escaping him.

Jamia turned to Gerard with wide eyes. "Did you do that?"

"Let's just keep moving." Gerard urged. He didn't want to think about what made him choose sleep over aid. He didn't want to picture Frank like that longer than he had to.

Jamia lead him past the now sleeping guard into the cell block. A shiver ran up his spine as he thought about his time here. His cell had been a dark room with no hope. He had contemplated how that could be the rest of his life. He had enjoyed making his torturer squirm with a lack of information, just to get more time with the artificial light that hummed in the hall. He had been happy that at least the others had escaped.

Jamia stopped abruptly as a crackling sound filled the air. Gerard looked up, taking note of dark circles embedded in the concrete above them.

A sound crackled through them. Maybe a message, or maybe just a noise. It was unintelligible, and lasted for perhaps a minute at most. Then there was a softer crackling. Then there was nothing.

"What was that?" Gerard asked as Jamia slowly began to move forward again.

"I'm not sure." Jamia shook her head, "Some kind of message over the comm system, but the speakers down here are shot. I couldn't make out any of it."

"Me either." Gerard brought his gaze back up to the ceiling. "I don't like that."

Jamia stopped their trek again at a hall with a flickering overhead light. She let go of Gerard's hand and moved down the hall. "Here. This is where we took Frank before."

Gerard hurried to follow Jamia. There was a small relief when he saw that there were view points into the rooms. It wasn't complete darkness for them here. The very first room he looked into made him lurch for the door.

"Mikey!" Gerard rushed into the room.

His brother turned from where he had been punching at the wall, bloody fist still raised for another strike at it. The air was squeezed out of him as Gerard ran into him to hold him in a tight hug.

"G-Gerard?" His arms were locked at an angle from Gerard's embrace that he couldn't move them in order to hug his brother back. "You're alive? I-I thought..."

Gerard released Mikey, stepping back and instead putting hands on his brother's shoulders. "I'm alive. You're alive." A laugh escaped him as he looked Mikey over. There were small cuts and bruises covering him, but nothing major. "The others are here too. We have to get them and then get Frank."

"Frank?" Mikey's brow furrowed. "That Force soldier?"

"He's more than that, brother, he's in trouble." Gerard tapped his shoulder, "We can't waste time." Gerard began to step away, pulling his hands from Mikey's shoulders, but Mikey's hand slapped against his wrist.

"We're in trouble, brother!" Mikey held his wrist tightly as he looked at him with disbelief. "How many others are here? How are we going to get out? You're still focusing on him like he isn't part of this."

"Brother, I've explained this." Gerard shook his head, "He's not part of this. Not in the way you think. He's been manipulated and tortured just as much as any of us."

"Is he being held here with us?" Mikey pulled his hand back, releasing Gerard's wrist. "Or is he with them?"

"We don't have time for this." As much as it pained him, Gerard turned away from his brother. He had to make sure the others were safe. He had to find Patrick so they could have a clue of what to do next. "Trust me or don't, the others still need us." He moved towards the door, though he didn't hear Mikey following.

He left the door open as he stepped back into the hall. Jamia had the next two doors already open. She was supporting Ryan, holding onto one of his arms that was draped over her shoulder. When she saw Gerard, she gestured with her head towards the third cell. "He's not responding."

"Gerard, you're okay?" Ryan looked at him with wide eyes, "Is everyone okay?"

"Just hold tight, Ryan." Gerard assured as he moved past the two, "We're trying to figure it out." When Gerard got to the third cell, he saw that it was, in fact, Patrick laying on the floor with eyes that seemed to be hundreds of miles away. There wasn't a drop of yellow left in his gaze. "Get the other doors open!" Gerard instructed before moving into the room where Patrick was. He knelt beside the Seer, looking him over.

"Can you hear me?" Gerard asked, putting his hand on Patrick's. He could barely feel any tingle of Patrick's magic against his own. "They've really done a number on you, buddy." He frowned as he looked over Patrick's blood soaked coverings and injures. "Just hold on."

Footsteps pounded outside of the room before the sound of someone falling to the floor at the room's entrance. Gerard turned around, seeing Pete scrambling to crawl over towards Patrick. He was injured himself, covered in bandaging and fresh scars, but he only had eyes for the boy on the ground in front of him.

"Is he okay?" Pete crawled around to Patrick's head. He sat and pulled Patrick up to his lap, flinching as he did so. "I can't feel my magic, but if you can just take it..." He pressed one shaking hand against Patrick's cheek while the other stroked his hair. "Take it all. Take everything if it means you'll come back to me..."

"Pete, what did they do to you?" Gerard asked. He reached out with his free hand, placing it on Pete's arm. He couldn't feel Pete's magic right away. He brought pink over his vision as he sent his magic to flow through Pete and try to find where his magic was being hidden.

Pete pushed his thumb back and forth over Patrick's cheek. "They've been fucking with us for our magic." He refused to move his eyes away from Patrick as he spoke. "Poking and prodding and locking it away so I can't feel him. He must be so lost..."

Gerard felt his magic continue to flow through Pete. Break it free he urged as it searched, Get it back. He could feel something cold within Pete that his magic locked onto. It gathered there, squeezing and twisting to the point that Pete cried out, but never removed his hands from Patrick.

Gerard pulled his hand back with a yelp as something slammed into it. There was a small wound on Pete's skin where Gerard's hand had been and, now in his hand, sat a small white sphere. He quickly slammed it into the ground, sending it shattering into smaller pieces. When he turned back to Pete, his eyes were consumed by a grey light.

"It's back..." His breathing was heavy, "Come back. Take it and come back..."

Where Pete's skin made contact with Patrick's, his magic rose like smoke. It was all grey at first, but soon spots of yellow began to combine with the grey. Patrick's eyes began to glow with its unnatural light.

Gerard pushed himself to his feet as Pete continued to whisper to Patrick and share his magic. He turned back towards the doorway. Tyler stood there, also covered in bandages and bruising. He stumbled into the room, catching himself on the wall. "What happened?" He asked, "We we're moving and there was this bright light."

"The Force caught up to us." Gerard explained as Brendon and Ryan also made their way into the room. Jamia stood just outside, looking uncertain where to go. "They hit me with something, but they somehow got all of us here. Including Frank."

"Then where is he?" Ryan asked, "He was hurt. Is he okay?"

"I..." Gerard swallowed back the shakiness in his voice, "I don't know. I haven't found him."

"If we're in the Force base, how do we get out?" Tyler held his side as he asked his question. Adjusting his position against the wall with a wince.

"We'll figure it out." Gerard stepped over to Tyler. He placed his hand on Tyler's shoulder and willed his magic to do the same thing it had done for Pete. "I just needed to find you all first. I never meant for you to end up here."

"There's no time for that now." Mikey stepped into the room, crossing his arms over his chest. "We should take count of who's the most injured and what resources we have available to us. You've already found yourself another Force soldier in the hall."

"She helped him and he trusted her." Gerard said plainly, trying to focus on helping Tyler rather than adding fuel to a fight with his brother. He grunted as another device found its way into his hand. He slammed it against the floor, once again sending it scattering into pieces. "I trust him. So I trust her." He turned back around to look at Pete and Patrick.

Patrick still didn't seem fully aware of his surroundings, but there was more yellow to his eyes now. His fingers were flexing, but nothing else seemed to change. Pete's eyes had dimmed in color, but he was still pushing all he had towards Patrick.

"Tyler, you and I need to help bring Patrick to the present." Gerard instructed, "Mikey, you need to speak with our ally and be civil. We have to work together to get out of here."

"What about Rose Pest and I?" Brendon asked. He had one of Ryan's arms draped over his shoulder while pulling him close with a hand around his waist.

"Stick with Mikey and Jamia." Gerard decided, "Keep the peace, don't stray far. Give us time in here."

Brendon nodded, slowly helping maneuver Ryan towards the door. Mikey hadn't moved from where he had positioned himself in the doorway. He glared at Gerard, but eventually turned when Ryan and Brendon were nearly upon him.

Gerard moved back over to where the group of magic holders were set. He crouched down and took Patrick's hand in his own. "We need your guidance, Seer." He whispered as he felt the spark of Patrick's magic against his. He shut his eyes as he let his magic feed into Patrick. He needed to know what to do next. He needed to know how to keep everyone safe. He needed to know how to save Frank. He really just needed his friend by his side.