Thursday March, 2029

"Bishop?" Daniel's head shot up and revealed a red gash on his forehead. When he realized he was with Ella and Michael again he began to resist against the hold on him, wanting to reunite in order to be free.

"You know him?" A woman asked, her voice soft.

Michael turned to her while Ella took two steps closer in Daniel's direction, her face contorted; lips turned into a deep frown, her eyes wide, and brows knit together to form one line. Concern ebbed off every stiff movement.

"Yeah, he's our informant." Michael explained.

"I see."

Ella walked up to Daniel, who stood up straighter when she neared. She inspected his head wound by raising a gentle hand to his forehead, touching her fingertips around the offended area. "What happened?"

"Courtesy of the Welcoming Committee." he scoffed and glared at both guards individually while she dropped her hand away from him.

She brought her lips between her teeth and narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here, how did you find us?"

"I found another town that Ca-" his eyes darted past her anxious face to look at the blond woman in the room and the man beside her. When the man met his gaze, his eyes went wide. "Carver!" He lunged forward against the hands that restrained him.

Jack, Carver, stepped back while the woman stepped forward. "What the hell is going on here? Restrain him!"

One of the guards came around Daniel and landed a heavy blow to his stomach. Daniel doubled over, only managing to stay on his feet because of the men holding him up.

The room exploded with noise and movement. Another man, dressed in olive drab - who'd been standing off to the side casting intimidating glare Daniel's way - pulled out his weapon and aimed it at Ella when she moved to stop the guards. Michael pulled out his gun and aimed it at the man trained on Ella while yelling at Carver to stay put. The blond woman stood in the center of the room and demanded the weapons to be dropped under threat of treason.

"He's the man we're looking for, Roan!" Ella shouted back at the woman, pointing her gun at Carver, her back to the guards and Daniel.

"Put your weapon down, Ella!" Roan ordered, her voice tight and upper lip curling into a sneer.

Daniel could feel pain twinge through his chest, a reminder of the wound that Carver had inflicted- seemingly reacting to being near him again. "Ella, shoot him- now!" Daniel grunted, fighting against the hands restraining him.

Suddenly, his arm erupted with pain. His legs buckled but he was held up by the thugs restraining him. It wasn't until Ella reacted, turning to look at him – her eyes wide – that he realized he'd screamed in agony.

"Let him go, now!" She ordered, her voice cracking.

He didn't need to look to know why he was in so much pain. The guard was holding him at his fresh brand on his arm. He didn't need to look up to picture Ella's face either. Likely etched in empathetic pain, concern, and anger.

Feeling light headed, Daniel tried to breathe in deep as he brought his head up- looking for Carver. He was so close. He couldn't lose sight now. Even if his vision was double and blurry.

"I said, drop your weapon!" Roan barked, contempt evident in her voice.

"What is going on? Are you working with him?" Ella responded, her voice thick in her throat as she accused Roan.

Three more large men walked in, holding automatic weapons. "Last chance." Roan said.

Ella shared a look with Michael before they both lowered their pistols. Before anything more could be said, two of the three men restrained them while the third reported to Roan- a piece of folded paper in his hand.

"What is it with you and notes?" Michael asked, resisting against the guards momentarily.

"What's going on??" Ella asked but when she received no reply, she continued. "You're making a mistake, Rachel."

The blond looked up from her paper with an amused look before tossing it on top the pile of papers on her desk. Smile still firm on her thin lips, she placed her hands on her hips. Her smile did not reach her blue eyes, instead they looked dark and icy as they darted between the faces of the three of them.

"Take them to holding." she ordered offhandedly.

O.o.O.o

"This is your fault." Michael stated pointedly, his arms crossed and his head dipped low as he glared at the back of Daniel's head from under a heavy brow.

"My fault?" Daniel scoffed without looking back at Michael. His hands were wrapped around the iron bars that were installed in the doorway of a modified bedroom in the mansion. "How do you figure?"

Ella walked behind Michael to go to the window, which also had bars installed on the outside.

Michael muttered in Spanish before speaking up, "If you weren't here none of this would have happened!"

"If I wasn't here you wouldn't have realized you were standing right in front of Carver!" he responded and spun around to face Michael.

"Well now, thanks to you, Rachel thinks were in on some terrorist circle with you!" Michael uncrossed his arms to point at Daniel accusingly.

"Not my fault!"

"You resisted!"

"They punched me in the face!"

"You-"

"-and Carver was there. I had to get to him!"

"Oh well, ha!" He threw his hands up in the air, "That worked out well for you, didn't it!"

"You are a very angry person, you know that??" Daniel pointed at Michael's face, his fingers extended in a finger gun held sideways.

Michael stopped just before pacing and offered a force but wide smile. "Oh, well, maybe it has something to do with you! You're such a beacon of light and joy!"

Daniel chuckled breathily, rolling his eyes.

"Will you shut up? -Both of you!" Ella started to berate them then stopped when she saw movement by the door.

"Bishop!" A man called, his voice booming loudly in Daniel's ear, who reacted by ducking and dodging out of the way. "Director Roan wants to see you."

"I'm sure she does." Ella replied, narrowing her eyes and her hands on her hips.

The door swung open and she was escorted out.

"She never should have trusted you." Michael stated coldly when Ella was out of earshot.

Daniel doubled over in mock amusement, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Did I? Because it sounded to me like you just accused me of something."

Michael leaned against the wall, his head back and chest puffed out. "I'm beginning to think that you're an enemy of Syndicate and you manipulated her in order to escape."

"You-" Daniel guffawed, his laughter similar to that of a rapid helicopter rotor. "You think I manipulated her!?"

"Yeah, I do." He crinkled his face, his brows lower over his eyes.

"What purpose would that serve for me? Having a nosy, busybody and her goon following me around everywhere. I don't even want to be here!"

"The way I see it," Michael's tone of voice held nothing but contempt. "You've been trying to ditch us from the beginning but when we had information you needed to get what you want... you stuck around."

Daniel stood with his mouth slightly agape. "Uh, no." He crossed his arms, "You're wrong." he looked back to the door to the rest of the house. Shifting his weight from one leg to the other, he continued to stand anxiously in front of the door.

"Prove it."

"Prove the sky is blue."

"You're ridiculous."

"You're an animal."

Michael chuckled dryly. "You're using her. And you should have stayed away."

O.o.O.o

"Hey," Daniel called out the door, his hands wrapped around the bars. "Hello?"

Michael, sat on the floor with his back to the wall, groaned. "What are you doing?"

"It's been an hour." He stood with his hands on his hips, his shoulders hunched.

"You got a hot date?"

Daniel's stance widened as he turned slightly to look at Michael while still keeping the door where he could see it. "Ella hasn't- I mean, I don't want to lose Carver."

Michael rolled his head against the wall to look up at Daniel, "Oh my- wow."

"What?"

"You did 'come back'."

"'Come back'- what?"

"Ella. It wasn't chance that you're here. You followed her." Michael was smiling widely, his eyes squinting in his amusement.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Daniel's eyes shifted briefly to the door before looking back at Michael, who was sitting up straight and looking at Daniel haughtily. "Quit looking at me like that, you look like an idiot."

Michael dropped his expression into a smirk. "So, what was it?"

"What was what?" Daniel's lip curled slightly in his irritation at Michael's tactics.

"What made you want to come back to her... her ambition?"

Daniel straightened his shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "If by 'ambition' you mean her annoying ability to stick her nose where it doesn't belong."

"Maybe the air of mystery around her...?"

"Air of mystery?" Daniel scoffed. "Where are you getting this idea that I'm attached to her?"

"You're worried about her."

Daniel crossed his arms against his chest."No. No, I'm worried that she's not going to get me out of the room with your stupid ass and I'll never get Carver. Since, apparently he's on your payroll." He turned his back to the gated door and faced Michael fully, his chest puffed out as he looked down on the other man.

Michael stood and met Daniel's aggressive stance. He stood a few inches taller and turned the tables of who was looking down on who. "You must have been mistaken on who was doing the destruction. Doesn't it make more sense that it was the Huijari?"

"No, it doesn't. Considering the Huijari are just some bullshit propaganda made up by your fearless leader."

"Which fearless leader."

"All of them! Ari, Roan, Bishop! Take you're pick!"

Michael's smug expression dropped into one of surprise. "How do you know about Bishop?"

"Uh," Daniel diverted his gaze before indicating to the door, "Ella Bishop?"

"Oh." Michael turned away, walking towards the window- bright noon sun shone through the streaked glass.

Daniel took a moment and considered what he'd just learned. "So she was married?"

"What? I don't know what you're talking about."

"She wears her ring around her neck. She was married... or engaged to be, right?"

Michael turned slightly, his eyes downcast. "Not my story to tell."

"Hey, you started it. Finish it. What happened?"

"He died."

"Is that why 'you had to save her from herself'?" Daniel inferred.

He looked up sharply, his green eyes flashing in unspoken emotion that Daniel couldn't place. "What do you mean?"

"Back at the train station. You said, Syndicate started off the wrong way and you were the ultimate savior because you talked her down from doing worse than intended..."

"Fine. Yes. His death spurred on the Ella we have today."

"What about her is different? The 'air of mystery'? Her lack of sense of humor. The inability to smile?"

"Callete! You don't know the first thing-"

"That's why I'm asking, Asshole."

"If you want to know, ask her."

"Just tell me how he died."

"No."

The iron bar door opened behind them and they both pivoted to face the door where Ella stood. Her lips formed a deep frown and her eyes were tight at the corners.

"Hey, where's Carver?" Daniel stepped forward, his hands balled into fists in his jacket pockets.

The door slammed behind her and she jumped slightly. On edge. Something was wrong. Daniel swallowed the words he wanted to follow up with in asking if she was okay and settled for a disapproving glare at the guard who had already walked away.

"What happened?" Michael sidestepped Daniel to stand directly in front of her.

She blinked a single time and sighed, "We're being escorted back to Maryland."

"What!?" Daniel stepped closer, unable to hide his anger. "No, I'm not going anywhere! Give me Carver!"

Ella took a deep breath and held up a hand, "He's being transferred there. As a prisoner."

"What?" Both Daniel and Michael asked in unison.

"He's to be tried. Since we have no witnesses-"

"Uh-uh. Nope. I see where this is going. And no!" Daniel refused to accept what she was saying, waving his arms back and forth to halt any further discussion on the matter.

"If he's going to be 'tried' he's going to the Northern Plains to be tried for what he did there!"

She swallowed thickly and diverted her gaze, fluttering her lashes.

"Oh, what? More bad news?" Daniel huffed and crossed his arms.

"You're also being brought in to Maryland to be investigated."

Michael chuckled harshly, muttering in Spanish before speaking up. "Obviously! He's an escaped prisoner."

"Oh shut the hell up! You should be tried for aiding and abetting, dumbass." Daniel retorted, his voice tighter than intended. "Bishop, you've gotta be kidding me with this. You don't really expect me to go back there!"

Ella took a another deep breath and released it heavily with her next words, "We are."

"You're what, exactly?" Daniel put his hands on his hips and glared down at her but she refused to make eye contact.

"We're all going to Maryland. Because we're all being tried." she elaborated. Every word she spoke was strained and tight, her brown eyes staring at the ground.

Daniel thought briefly that there could be more than what she was telling but he couldn't be sure. He couldn't even be sure he cared or not. However, she had changed in the last hour. Gone was her confidence and 'air of mystery'.

Both men looked at her with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

"I- Ari condoned this?" Michael stuttered in his shock.

"Apparently he sent a pigeon as soon as we left Sanctuary." Ella ran her fingers through her short hair then down the side of her face. Her eyes were shuttered as she pushed her way between them to sit on the floor under the window.

"So..." Daniel urged for more information, turning to follow her across the room. Michael by his side.

"So, they're preparing the wagons to take us down to Maryland." Ella finished, pulling her legs up to her chest.

Daniel was in shock. Who was this woman on the floor? What happened to the confident, angry woman who'd left an hour ago to negotiate with Roan? She was literally curled into a ball and refusing to interact with the world.

"I'm sorry, Daniel." she muttered. Ella was looking between the bodies of the two men, blindly, to the door – her eyes glazed.

He blinked once and then looked to Michael who looked forlorn. This was it. The end.

"So, I'm sorry, am I to understand... you're just going to let these people transfer us to Maryland like a couple of prisoners and be tried to what exactly?" Daniel asked Ella but when he got no response he looked back at Michael. "huh?" he pressed the man beside him.

Michael knelt down in front of her, "Ella, it's going to work out."

"No, no... Ari already thinks I've lost it. Running four states up chasing someone we didn't have proof of is pretty damn crazy." she shook her head. "It's over."

"Uh, excuse me. He exists! He's in the other room!" Daniel pointed widely across the room and out the door.

The guard came up just as Daniel dropped his arm, "Let's go." he ordered monotonously.

O.o.O.o

The cart lurched as the wheels bumped over a pothole and Ella bumped awkwardly into Daniel before hastily correcting her seated position.

As the carriage continued down the street she looked behind them to see their horses being towed behind them. Ahead of their open cart was an identical one with Carver as the only passenger to two drivers.

The wheels of the cart grinded against the crumbling asphalt and jumped with each large divot in the blacktop. The bare trees and brown grass sped by as the horses picked up speed, their hooves clapping loudly down the on ramp of the highway.

"This is bullshit." Daniel muttered.

Michael chucked dryly, "Oh yeah? How do you think we feel?"

"You had a chance to back out!" Daniel reminded, pointing at him angrily with his unrestrained hand.

All three had their right wrists shackled to a metal bar bolted on the edges of the cart. Their arms hanging awkwardly midair on the inside of the cart. The chain wasn't long enough to rest their arm on the bench they sat on and too short to be able to drape their arms along the side.

"Did I?! I didn't like you then and I don't like you now!" Michael argued, his lip curled and nostrils flaring. "I'd hate to see where Ella would be if I wasn't here!"

Daniel leaned back further, his head tossed to the side. "Uh, she's a grown ass woman! She can take care of herself!"

Ella turned to listen when she heard her name and did a double take when she heard Daniel's retort. The comment was not lost on Michael either.

"I didn't mean she couldn't but-" Michael tried to retract, he shifted to lean forward-  his metal shackle sliding noisily against the rail.

She nodded and shrugged nonchalantly at the stammering man to offer him peace before looking away again. Ignoring their incessant bickering. Her attention was elsewhere. Ahead of them, she was watching Carver carefully. He was shifting and fidgeting often. She leaned back in order to get a look at the drivers of their transport cart and found they seemed unbothered or oblivious- either way.

"-- Ella?"

"Huh?" She turned her head back in Michael's direction, who was sitting across from her, but her eyes remained forward- watching Carver.

"What do you think?" he recanted what she assumed was his unheard question.

Still distracted with trying to see what Carver was doing - moving his arm back and forth rapidly – she replied awkwardly, "Think about what?"

"Roan. How she was acting strange?"

Her head and eyes snapped so quickly to look at him that she thought she gave herself whiplash. "Why?"

"Well, what did you two talk about?" Daniel participated in the discussion.

She looked up at him and into his eyes. He seemed to be genuininely interested, his anger subsided. Ella couldn't help the feeling of guilt in her stomach as she looked between the two of them. She'd been so pre-occupied with tracking down Carver that she'd dragged in two men into her crazy delusion.

"Their concern for my health. Why she was sending us back. Carver." she finally replied.

The snow started to fall and all three looked up to watch the white fall from the gray clouds, the sun hiding away. Almost in time with the snow, the wooden carts started to groan in the cold. The horses snorting and blowing out steam from their nostrils.

"What is all this about your mental health?" Daniel inquired. He looked to Michael when Ella turned her head away. "What the hell did that woman say to you to have you acting like this?" he continued to address her.

Michael took a deep breath and sighed.

"What?" Daniel pressed.

"I've been investigating further into Huijari movements..." Ella began.

He laughed breathily, incredulous. "Okay, isn't that your job?"

"It's what I've been looking for that has Ari and Olivia- well, now, Roan- concerned." She took a deep breath, still avoiding their gazes by watching Carver up ahead. "I've been seeing-" Ella cut herself off and tried to stand suddenly.

Carver freed himself and, before she could warn anyone, grabbed the side arm from one of the drivers and shot them both in the back of the head.

Black spurted out of the entry wounds and the drivers toppled off the sides of the carriage. The horses continued onward as though nothing had happened.

Ella yelped in surprise. Michael and Daniel both tried to stand to see what had happened. Their drivers didn't so much as jump. Instead, they turned with their weapons drawn and aimed them at Ella and Michael.

"Whoa!" Daniel grabbed Ella's arm as he shouted, tugging her away from the barrel of the gun.

Michael extended a halting gesture, his palm raised and exposed to the weapon. "Wait!"

"No!" Ella cried and strained against the shackle.

The Syndicate escorts stared at them blankly as they pulled back the hammers of their revolvers simultaneously.

"No! Wait!" they all cried in unison.

There were two gunshots and they all jumped- Daniel embracing Ella from behind, trying to shield her.

When they opened their eyes and looked back to the front of the still moving cart, they found the seats empty. They all scrambled to look over the sides and watched as the guards' bodies were trampled under the hooves of their horses. Black trails of blood showed evidence of where they had rolled.

The three of them quickly stood upright to look at Carver who had brought his carriage to a stop at the edge of the road and dropped down. He stood in front of their carriage and halted the horses from continuing forward. His filched weapon still held tightly in his hand, swaying at his side.

Ella stared him down as he came around the side.

"What the hell!" Daniel shouted, his voice tight in his throat.

"You're welcome." Carver replied dryly. He held up a ring of keys and jingled them in front of Ella and Daniel- Michael peered around their shoulders to get a look at the metal chimes.

"You just killed four-" Daniel paused and then looked to Ella who appeared lost.

"I have the keys that will set you free." Jack began, dropping his arm to his side. A gun in one hand and keys in the other, he continued, "but you have to hear me out first."

"Like hell!" Daniel scoffed and lunged forward to grab at Jack's jacket collar but missed. He nearly fell over the side in his loss of balance.

The horses snorted and fidgeted, their hooves clapping on the cement.

"Or you can freeze to death, shackled like animals to a cart." Carver offered the alternative.

"You listen to me you son of a bitch-" Daniel began.

"Shut the hell up!" Michael barked, "If you want to die out here be my guest but don't condemn us with you."

Daniel turned to face Michael, his jaw set. "No one was talking to you, idiot."

Ella rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue between her cheek and teeth. "Just say what you have to say." she demanded of Carver.

"I wasn't anywhere near Maryland when you say I was. I had nothing to do with your waystation or the town you found... I didn't kill those people."

"Oh really, what about Metro- what about Sioux City, huh? What about them?" Daniel reminded bitterly, "You going to deny your involvement there too?"

Ella looked over at Daniel in shock. Metro? She opened her mouth, wanting to interject to find out what he was talking about but quickly reclosed it. Another time.

At the mention of the cities, Jack's breath hitched slightly, his nostrils flaring. "There are things you don't understand, Danny."

"Like when you ran your sword through me? Burned the city down? Killed the rest of my men?" Daniel's voice was low and hoarse as he spoke. It didn't sound like him.

Ella looked over to look at his face and was taken aback by the pure hatred in his features. His lips were curled, his eyes wide and dilated. She never wanted to see that look directed at her. Ever. If looks could kill...

She was slightly unnerved to hear the list of what Carver had done to Daniel and was surprised at herself for having not asked earlier. She'd been so determined to bring justice to the waystation, she hadn't cared to ask why Daniel was so determined in the first place. It was assumed that he had been seeking justice like she had been. Instead, it was personal.

"You never should have chased after me. I told you to stay away." Carver barely managed to maintain eye contact with Daniel.

Daniel opened his mouth to retort but Jack continued.

"They have Rebecca. They needed someone to start recruiting for a war. A war to take over Ataxia. They started with me. They wanted you but... you didn't have any attachments except us, the squad. So-" his voice cracked, "they went after Rebecca. I told you, it's too late. They're here."

Ella tried to hold up her right hand but it yanked back down with the chain. She recovered and continued her interruption, "'They', who's 'they'?"

"Ousia Elites. They sent down more Ousia. They still want Earth, they're not ready to give up."

Michael huffed, "Wait, they're coming back?"

"They already are. The Ousia have re-entered. The Huijari are only the beginning." Jack stated ominously.

"Cut the theatrics, Carver. None of this changes what you've done!" Daniel snapped, her eye twitching in his lack of emotional control.

"I'm not saying it does, D."

"Stop it! I'm not your friend!"

"Daniel, please." Ella begged.

"What? You gotta opinion again? You think I'm out of line!?" He turned on her, his fury redirected at her. "He's a murderer!"

She wanted divert the anger away from herself. Seeing the look in his eyes, staring directly into her soul. It scared her. But she couldn't back down- not now.

"Yes, yes he is!" Ella replied, her voice raised to meet his. "I know that! But there's obviously more going on than we thought! The Ousia are coming back and that could be the end of humanity as we know it! I think that's a little more pressing!"

Daniel was breathing heavily, his hot breath wafted over her face in the form of steam. She could feel it against her red cheeks and nose. His lower lip quivered and his eye twitched. "Bishop, I-" his voice was deep and dangerous, it gave her goosebumps. "I cannot stress enough... how little... I care right now."

His words hit her like bricks. "Daniel..." she warned, her voice soft but firm.

"I'll still go with you, to be tried for my crimes. I want to. But, I'm begging you... please, I want to find Rebecca." Carver started again. Daniel's head snapped back down to look at Carver, who looked like a berated child.

"All of this." Michael spoke up, still standing awkwardly in order to see the faces of all three in front of him. "All of this chasing and we were chasing a ghost."

"Hardly!" Daniel barked in a harsh laugh. "He's right here and I swear to god, Carver, when I get my hands on you- for the sake of my men..."

Michael chuckled, an amused smirk on his lips as he pointed at Carver with his free hand, "Look at him, I was expecting a cold blooded killer. Instead we have this nervous wreck!"

"He just killed four people." Daniel pointed out.

Michael shook his head, "No, he killed four Ousia."

"Well he didn't know that-" he tried to excuse then had a realization and turned on his head to look down at the man in question, "did you?"

Carver nodded then looked to Ella. "I'll face the noose if I have to. But you have to help me find Rebecca."

"Why should I?" She looked down at him, her free hand placed on her hip. Ella found it difficult to ignore Daniel's furious glare burrowing into her temple.

"They wouldn't let me see her. I just need to know she's safe. Please, she doesn't deserve to suffer for what I had to do."

Ella fidgeted. It became difficult to breathe as she thought about an innocent being held by monsters such as the Ousia. "Do you know where they had her?"

"No." he admitted.

"I'd say we should go back to Stockbridge and ask for help but..." Michael indicated to the bodies sprawled in the street, already coated in a thin layer of snow.

Ella took a deep breath, "Oh my god... they've been replaced. Rachel..." She closed her eyes and mourned the loss of her people.

"How far do you think it goes?" Michael asked.

She shook her head. "I don't know. But that would explain why everyone was acting so strangely."

Daniel began to laugh maniacally, "You have got to be kidding me! We cannot be seriously considering helping this man!"

"Daniel, you need to consider all the facts."

"Fact- facts?!" he guffawed. "The facts are that he killed his friends. He slaughtered hundreds of people in two cities- one that he helped to found- people who trusted him!"

Ella released a heavy breath. "There's more to-"

"No! No, there's not. Was there 'more to' the story of Ted Bundy?"

"We could be wiped from existence! The Ousia have returned, we're not just fighting Huijari anymore! It's not finishing what we started. They are getting reinforcements! We've been fighting a losing battle and we didn't even know it!"

"I think we're forgetting something here," Michael interrupted. "How far does this go?" he addressed Carver.

"I don't know."

"Then, I say we should go back to Stockbridge and see about getting some information."

"Oh, yeah." Daniel finally began to participate rather than argue, "We just walk back through the gates and say, 'Hey, it's us again, I know you just sent us away in handcuffs but we're back! I don't suppose you could tell us how many Syndicate branches have been compromised?' Great idea, genius."

Michael chuckled humorously, "We claim that Carver escaped and killed the guards and Danny."

"Daniel- and why am I dead?" Daniel corrected.

He continued despite the interruption. "Then, Ella and I will go back and ask for help. We covertly investigate how many people have been replaced and-"

"Okay, I'll stop you right there." Daniel disrupted, holding his hand in the air. "These assholes bleed black. So, unless you're color blind it's going to be hard for Roan to believe that you didn't find that suspicious."

Ella sighed, "He's right."

Michael huffed and sat down, slapping his knee with his free hand. "Fine, then I don't know!"

Carver cleared his throat and they all turned to look at him. When he had their attention, he tossed the keyring to Ella. She caught it in her left hand and immediately moved to unshackle herself.

"I have an idea." he stated, ominously.

Daniel shook his head. "Oh great. An idea."