Sara had just finished making the last delivery, the kitchen really did go through a lot of towels, and for some reason, in the middle of the day, it seemed the work had slowed down.

She was almost to the barracks when she saw Neena enter a head of her. Sara would have just followed right in but she heard another girl as a question that made her stop and stand still around the corner of the door.

"Tricity why are they doing this to us, its not our fault some mutants are stupid enough to attack."

Sara was one of those to attack, but only when provoked. What was said next she still didn’t understand.

"It doesn't matter who attacks who, or why. The fault lies with the one who hits back. We just happen to be the ones caught in the crossfire. You just have to learn how to dodge until they'll run out of ammo."

Yeah that worked. The humans would probably never run out of ammo. Just look at the new goodies they’d thought up for the camps. Sara didn’t intend on having herself, and those she held dear, having to dodge their entire lives. In the words of Homer Simpson, ‘Sometimes, you can only get peace with a knife.’

Well standing still wasn’t good to do in a place like this. Realizing she’d stopped, Sara pushed the loose strands of hair out of her face, and made her way inside the barracks. Neena was already in her bunk, and Sara took the assigned bunk under hers. Flopping down on the bed. “Thanks for washing away the spicy powder stuff.”

Loud voices could easily be heard from outside the women's barracks. Then again having cat ears Nika could hear lots of things she probably shouldn't. This time however, she knew the voices. It was Emerald and Tricity. By the sounds of things Emerald was getting to a boiling point while Tricity was doing her best to keep things calm.

Nika entered the barracks and made her way to the others. She could just hear someone saying 'curiousity killed the cat' but she gladly would've responded with something like 'good thing I'm only part cat'. She could see the tension in the faces of Emerald and Tricity as well as the concerned looks from a few others.

"Hey, is everything ok? I heard you guys from outside. What's going on?"

“Thanks for washing away the spicy powder stuff.”

"My pleasure. And since I see you're still alive, I'll return it with, 'thanks for not dying while pretending to be a guinea pig'." Neena blinked at her. "I'll keep your enthusiasm in mind next time." She smiled, to show she wasn't mad. A bit irritated, but not mad, by a long shot. She grunted as she climbed into her bunk. "Well, I guess that makes two points for Doug so far...."

She settled in, laying on her side. "I wonder what's going on with the new one. Dragonman," she wondered aloud in a quiet voice. "Wonder why they have him as a guard?"

She turned her head as Nika entered, concerned about Tricity and Em. She made a mental note to pull the catgirl aside and see how she was holding up. And if there were any other names to add to her 'list'. Come to think of it, she wondered if she could get a list from Sheild. Surely the boys were in need of some subtle payback as well.

"My pleasure. And since I see you're still alive, I'll return it with, 'thanks for not dying while pretending to be a guinea pig'."

Sara shrugged. “I wasn’t alone, you were right there with me when I tested the food.” Sara said talking up at Neena from her lower bunk. “I couldn’t test any of the medical stuff though. That would have shocked me either way.” Information she’d neglected to tell Doug just in case.

"Well, I guess that makes two points for Doug so far...."

“Two points?” Sara raised an eye brow as her attention shifted to a few bunks over where Emerald, tricity, and Nika were.

"I wonder what's going on with the new one. Dragonman, Wonder why they have him as a guard?"

“He’s big, strong, and scary looking?” ok that was more of a mumble then Sara intended. “Who knows.” She’d be asking Ayesac about he got the guard gig latter. As of the moment, she didn’t know what he was planning. So she didn’t know if he wanted it going around that he actually had a soft spot.

“I wasn’t alone, you were right there with me when I tested the food. I couldn’t test any of the medical stuff though. That would have shocked me either way.”

"I shoulda known...." Neena couldn't help but smile. She wasn't surprised at all that Sara had done the testing; she'd practically announced that she would at the pool. Neena just hadn't expected her to be so quick about it. "Were you a pickpocket in another life?" she quipped.

“Two points?”

"Mm hmm. Had a little talk with him a few minutes ago. Seems like a nice enough guy, I guess. Gotta a mean hook though...." She yawned. "Said a mutant with glowing red eyes is making him try to help us, however needed." She thought back over the conversation. "We'll see if he's telling the truth. I hope he is. Otherwise....." She trailed off, knowing she didn't have to elaborate for Sara. Neena wasn't even sure if the feline-featured girl trusted her or not.

She sighed, and yawned again. "Ah, well. Life's full of risks. Can't live if you're scared of your blood."

“He’s big, strong, and scary looking?”

She rolled over and dropped her head over the side of the bunk, curious.

"I suppose." She wouldn't know about the 'scary-looking' part. "But somehow, it seems to me that would be a reason not to have him as a guard. If he can't use his mutation, like the rest of us, then what good is he as a guard? Not to mention the humans seem not to like the ones with more obvious mutations."

"I shoulda known.... Were you a pickpocket in another life?"

“Still am.” Sara wasn’t proud of it, but one had to eat. It wasn’t like she could live forever on pride. As Rupert had put it.

"Mm hmm. Had a little talk with him a few minutes ago. Seems like a nice enough guy, I guess. Gotta a mean hook though.... Said a mutant with glowing red eyes is making him try to help us, however needed. We'll see if he's telling the truth. I hope he is. Otherwise Ah, well. Life's full of risks. Can't live if you're scared of your blood."

“He met with me as well. He didn’t say anything about who was sending him, but he did tell me the same thing about being here to help.” So that meant Doug was either telling them both the same truth or the same lie… Sara hadn’t decided yet.

Then the conversation had gone to Ayesac.

“There’s always the possibility of wanting more PR.” Even that seemed far fetched to Sara but one couldn’t know for sure. Just look at what they were doing with the community service.

“Still am.” Neena wasn't sure, but Sara didn't sound happy to admit that. She shrugged.

"Meh. Old habits die hard, as the saying goes. Seems it's always hard to get sticky fingers clean." She held up one hand, inspecting it curiously.

“He met with me as well. He didn’t say anything about who was sending him, but he did tell me the same thing about being here to help.”

"Well, at least he's consistent." She scratched at her cuticles idly. Her nails had grown brittle from work. Maybe a trip to the spa after this would be a good idea. Or maybe she could bug Doug for a manicure bath. Did that qualify as a necessity?

“There’s always the possibility of wanting more PR.”

Neena huffed. "PR. Right. Fancy speak for Double-talk and hogwash."

She'd snuck a swallow of painkillers in with her shower, but it would be an hour before it began to chip away at the headache taking over her skull. She leaned back on the pillow and sighed.

"Another long night, and short sleep. Lovely.... Just lovely.... I think I may arrange another vacation here, in a day or so." Neena wondered if anyone was ever going to figure out about her 'planned' trips to Isolation.

"PR. Right. Fancy speak for Double-talk and hogwash."

Sara shrugged with a smirk. Yeah. She kind of agreed with that. However PR was something that made the difference in elections. Public doesn’t care if they who they have leading them. Their ideas are based on he says she says and a series of first impressions introduced by TV, or the internet.

"Another long night, and short sleep. Lovely.... Just lovely.... I think I may arrange another vacation here, in a day or so.

“I don’t know how you can stand Isolation.” Sara grumbled. Sara hated it inside that little room. Was worst then getting shocked. It always felt like she came out feeling more exhausted then she was when she was thrown in. “Speaking of long vacations,” Sara’s voice had suddenly changed tone. “There’s talk rumors of a resistance.” She’d heard a few other mutant speaking about how there still had to be mutants out there and how there would have to be something. Doug had used the word resistance. Sara stood so that she could look Neena in the eye and then who ever else was in the room. However she kept her voice low. “If the time comes is there a plan?”

For the most part, Isabel had faded into the background, practicing on how to make herself invisible and unnoticed. It's not so surprising that it became much easier without the large green bow that normally sat on her head, though considering who this girl was, trying to become invisible was surprising in itself. The young mutant who was notorious for toying with New York's Finest and almost always ending up in trouble wherever she went was trying not to draw attention to herself. Odd, no? Some might think at first glance that she was breaking down, submitting to the way things ran in the camps and being a good little girl, but appearances are so often deceiving. Isabel was just biding her time, or at least thats how she viewed it. At first she'd been her usual troublesome self, causing a scene here and there just for the hell of it. But, even a girl like her can learn, albeit a bit slowly. A few beatings and innumerable shocks can do that to someone. Rarely, if ever did she let anyone touch her, which hadn't changed since she'd been caught, but now she wasn't going out of her way to look for trouble. It was easier to avoid the temptation of starting a fight when she didn't have her mutation at her disposal, but it also made it harder for her to withstand the harsh handling that the guards used every day. She couldn't remember a time when she'd had so many bumps, bruises and cuts. She hadn't fully realized how much she'd taken advantage of the bone armor she always used. But, in her own twisted little way she tried to reconcile the situation by telling herself that she would have had to toughen up eventually anyways. It was good practice to learn to be less dependent on her mutation.

Along with trying not to get into a fist fight with every guard -or X-man for that matter- that passed her, Isabel has also grown much more withdrawn in the past months. It was almost as if she'd retreated into herself. She rarely spoke to others, only exercising her vocal cords when someone else initiated a conversation or she got into a screaming match with whoever irritated her enough. She spent most of her free time sitting off to the side somewhere, staring off into space and simply thinking. She even appeared to be a bit sluggish in her return to reality, seeming to be a bit disoriented every time something brought her out of her silent meditations. Very little could get a quick response out of her now, especially if it didn't directly involve her. She wouldn't pass up the opportunity to rough up a guard or two if they came sniffing about in the barracks, but outside of that she saw it as none of her concern. These ladies were all mutants. Most of them could still handle themselves fairly well. For the time being she preferred to keep to herself and let them handle their own problems. Another exception was the Stalkers. Isabel still housed an immeasurable hatred for those robotic serpents. It would please her to no end if she was able to rip one apart. But for now all she could really do was express her hatred through positively venomous glares whenever one fell in her line of sight.

Currently she was sitting on her bunk, legs crossed indian style, gaze cast toward the floor, simply thinking. Her fingers were idly tracing th edges of her bracelet and the skin that rested beneath it which had turned an angry shade of red after a few particularly nasty shocks she's gotten in the past few hours. She'd spent hours trying to get that stupid bracelet off, and all that had come of it was nothing but minor electrocutions. She was aware of the various conversations going on around her, but she wasn't really putting any effort into deciphering what the words meant, most of them all blurring together and completely escaping her grasp of comprehension. Bits and pieces still stuck in her mind, certain words or syllables that invaded upon her mental retreat. Those fragments would most likely bounce around in her head for the next few hours, as they normally did, giving her something to distract herself with when she didn't want to pay attention to whatever she was doing. There wasn't a whole lot to catch her attention at the moment as most of the women tended to keep their voices low if they were talking about anything important, trying to avoid anyone over hearing them. And so Isabel simply drifted, playing her part as a piece of living decorum in the room.

((OOC: My apologies for my absence. I shall do my best to be around more regularly now.))

“I don’t know how you can stand Isolation.”

Neena closed her eyes and chuckled a bit. "What can I say? I'd prefer a dark, damp cellar full of rats than being stuck outside in a stockade at noonday Guess I'm a bit of a night owl." She sighed. "Plus its refreshingly guard- and Stalker-free."

“Speaking of long vacations, there’s talk rumors of a resistance.” Yes, Doug had mentioned that. Neena felt the bunk shift as Sara stood. “If the time comes is there a plan?”

Neena opened her unswollen eye to look at Sara.

"Not that I know of specifically. I think everyone's been finding surviving enough of a problem. To be honest, I think the majority have lost hope. Still...."Her voice lowered, more from thought than trying to be stealthy. ".... maybe a plan would help them find it again...."

She chewed on her lip thoughtfully. The camp inmates would be next to useless in a break. For the most part they were weak, battered and tired. They had no mutations at their disposal, and were collared like animals. Even if the human guards could be overwhelmed and the shock collars, the Stalkers were still a threat.

If only they could find a way to disable the collars.....

Neena rubbed her good eye. She was exhausted, and was finding it hard to think clearly. She knew something was wrong with her, something more than lack of food and rest, and being overworked. They were doing something else to them, to all of the mutants.

"Um, a plan would be a good idea." She sighed, trying to focus. "Maybe we need to find out who still has hope of getting out, to start with. They'll be able to help with a plan best, for the moment. I'll see if I can get Shield to find out anyone on his side. You want to take the girls?"

It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Emerald listened to what everyone had to say but stood by what she said. It wasn't the x mens fault for this, they weren't the ones causing havok all the time, they were trying to fix it. However, that was neither here nor there at this point. Right now all she wanted to do was to protect those she cared about and also those weaker than she was.

She shrugged at Tricity and slid off the bunk, landing on the floor with a slight thud. She winced at her wounds but attempted to not show the pain she was going through wiht a grim smile. Em had noticed Isabel sitting up onto of her bunk all by her lonesome and despite the fact that the other girl almost killed her she had to admit, the girl fought well. It was something that she hoped they could both agree on.

The Lupine female crawled up to Isabel's bunk with a slight wolfish grin on her face. It would be her attempt to make a brief alliance with the other girl, just in case if things started to get worst . Emerald realized she would need someone who was as stubborn as she was to talk to and she couldn't think of anyone better than her good sparring partner bone girl.

She glanced at Isabel with that wolfish grin still on her face.

"Heya Bone Girl, Injure any guards yet? I almost mutilated one guy but I got shocked by this stupid collar before I could." She told her, tail slightly wagging.

Seeing Sara stand up Nika took a short leap and landed on Neena's bunk. Yeah, it might've looked childish to some but it got the cat girl next to Neena and Sara quickly. With the silence that had fallen between Emerald and Tricity it was easy for Nika to pick up the conversation the school teacher and the other cat girl were having. SHe didn't know too much about Sara but if she was talking with Neena she must be ok.

"I don't have hope. I know I'm gonna get out of here especially if we get some help from our friends. I've escaped from being trapped before and I'll do it again."

Nika spoke softly but there was still great enthusiasm in her voice. The look in her eyes showed determination as well.

"You can definitely count me in."

She looked at Sara and offered her a hand.

"I know we haven't really met but I'm Nika. Neena is my teacher. Where are you from?"

As Nika bounded onto her bunk, Neena grabbed the side to keep from falling off.

"I don't have hope. I know I'm gonna get out of here especially if we get some help from our friends. I've escaped from being trapped before and I'll do it again. You can definitely count me in."

Neena chuckled a bit at her enthusiasm. It was refreshing.

"Good to hear, m'friend. I was wondering if you'd decided to fade away as well. Hopefully some of that spirit will infect the others," she murmured and looked around, taking a mental head count of those she thought might also want to be in on the fun.

"Which section are you working in now?" she asked Nika idly. You could almost see the gears in her head turning, planning mischief and its consequences.

Sara was silent for a moment. She glanced around not sure if she really could get any of the other girls to open up to her and trust her in the plan. Movement caught her eye and she smirked when Nika had lept to Neena’s bunk.

“Guess your bed’s the party place tonight.” She joked at Neena,

"I don't have hope. I know I'm gonna get out of here especially if we get some help from our friends. I've escaped from being trapped before and I'll do it again."

The smirk spread to a small smile on Sara’s face. Now there was enthusiasm Sara hadn’t heard in a long time. “That makes two of us at least.”

"I know we haven't really met but I'm Nika. Neena is my teacher. Where are you from?"

Sara accepted the offered hand. Giving the other cat girl a nod. “My name’s Sara.” She said letting her eyes flick in Neena’s direction. “Neena being a teacher kind of explains a few things. I’m from Michigan. You?” At least Sara believed she’d been born in Michigan. There was no way for her to know for sure.

A smile spread over Nika's face as it seemed her presence and her statement cheered up both Neena and the newly introduced Sara.

"No I haven't faded away. I don't think I could ever do that."

The truth of the matter was that Nika had become an expert at suppressing any bad emotions. Instead she burried them deep down and covered them with her almost always present cheerfulness.

"I'll try to do what I can to make sure others hopes are up. I haven't really been working in any one specific location. Ever since they released me from the infirmary I've been doing alot of light work. Most of that consisting of doing jobs in the guards barracks."

Nika purposefully left out what several of those jobs entailed. Again keeping down the bad feelings. Sara's joke about Neena's bed and a party reminded Nika.

"Yeah, speaking of parties I still want a slumber party."

The girl playfully made a pouty face but then stopped and giggled before addressing Sara again.

"Nice to meet you Sara. I'm not positive but I was told I was born in Boston. The reason I'm not sure is because my parents gave me up at birth. So I only know what my adopted father told me."