The man who started the meeting was a little... strange. His wording matched what Miika used to get them in though. It sounded like a movie or something.

“Today, we gather to Witness the Heir to our Lord's kingdom. Sister Penumbra brings us an update on the Interloper.”

Heir. Lord. Interloper. She glanced at the picture and froze. Cafas. They were still talking as the little blonde started thinking. These people had been at the Mansion. At least close enough to take pictures.

>>“I will search network now. Please protect.”

Abby nodded a little at Miika. She had wanted to make a comment about Cafas to the meeting. But that would bring attention to them. Which seemed like a bad idea when asked to protect Miika. She didn't know what “network” he was going to search, but it probably had something to do with his mutation. There were so many questions she wanted to ask. And she would. Later. It was already (kind of) decided to go get ice cream after the meeting.  She'd ask then.

”Brothers, Sisters,” the woman called over the slight increase in conversation, ”We know the Interloper is often seen in media. He is also among the... fraternity that lives within the same building as the Lord's family. Please, Brothers, Sisters, tell us what you have Witnessed of the Interloper's interactions with the Heir.”

Panu was not interested in the Interloper's actions, or where the sermon was going.

Panu was interested in the shabby old PC sitting on a desk upstairs. He could tell that someone was there because System.in was registering new keystrokes. He could tell that this person was probably stupid and old because their typing speed was so slow that glaciers would descend from north faster than they would finish a sentence. He ignored urge to set up auto-correct to complete their words for them and instead went into files.

This was mission.

Computer was old and slow, like octogenarian of computer world. It was not hooked up to internet, because they were paranoid of hackers and thought that hackers cared about random lone PCs in run down clinics. Just because they were right this one time did not mean they were not paranoid. In general it was stupid fear.

Less stupid fear if your followers have been gathering the home addresses of Adapted children.

This is how scheme worked: Witnesses had several followers who worked at clinics. One, especially, was at Church of Humanity clinic. This was 100% free place for scared parents to take their maybe-a-mutie children and have them tested for an x-gene without worrying that results would get back to their employer/church/happy suburban community. Many people from all over the state happily drove to New York City for free testing very very far from anyone they knew.

Some parents hated mutants so much, they brought their children in just to be safe. Most parents brought their children in for a reason. Strange things happened around them. Or, sometimes, did not happen.

Most of these children were exactly what their parents feared. They were dragged from clinic and put in back of cars and not talked to on the way home, probably soon to become next abuse cases and runaways and Mansion hobos and suicides. But some, who had gotten in way of mutant fire or mutant laser beam or mutat-whatever and had been just fine, some of these tested 100% x-gene free and their parents went home happy and relieved.

These were the children that Panu feared. Adapteds were subheadlines in news, exotic things talked about in scholarly articles that did not understand how they worked. USA had so many strange things in it, Adapteds were only one more, and most people on street seemed to think they were just another type of mutant.

100% x-gene free said otherwise. Someone in Sebastian's Witnesses agreed with him, at least enough to start keeping a list. What they would do with their list, he did not know. What he would do with list was obvious.

Adapteds were stupid and could all die in fires.

Ragnarok was good with kerosene.

List was found and copied and original file corrupted. They had their chance with the data; now it was his turn.

Next to Abigail, the blonde boy was growing a little pale and a lot cold. But his smile was very very warm.