"Welcome to the Hive."
Rufus and Ethan stepped in front Lucy.
The man smiled approvingly at their effort to shield the girl. He dropped the smile. "My name is Christie. You may refer to me as Mr. Christie."
Four voices piped up at once.
"Where are we?"
"What do you want with us?"
Lucy pushed her way between the two boys to confront the man. "I want to go home."
"I can't sleep on the top bunk!"
"Shut up, Georgie!"
The man chose to answer the easiest question first. "No, the beds are assigned. You may not change."
"But Ethan has a room to himself." Georgie whined. "And so does she."
Rufus swatted away the hand Georgie pointed at Lucy.
"Those beds are already spoken for."
"I want to leave." Lucy's voice was determined.
Before anyone else could speak the door Mr. Christie had come through opened to admit two more people. They both were tall, in their twenties with long, ginger hair. Except that one was female and one male they looked identical. Obviously twins, they wore similar grey jumpsuits.
Ethan watched them flank Mr. Christie. Ethan looked at the twin nearest him. The male's eyes were a strange amber colour ringed by hazel green. The peculiar eye colour combined with his fluid movements and ginger hair made Ethan frown when idea sprang into his mind. He shook his head. Not possible.
The male twin looked at Ethan and winked.
Lucy would not be ignored. "I want to go home!"
Mr. Christie looked sad. His tone was gentle, like a parent explaining to a child. "I'm afraid that's not possible, my dear. You are all much too important to return to your mundane lives. You have a purpose in this world. A very special reason for existing. He gestured to the twins flanking him. We will work together to make certain you acheive that purpose. Rudy and Kate are here to help. They are not your enemies. Neither am I." He finished as an afterthought.
Rufus snorted. "Georgie's has a purpose? Maybe to be a pain in my..."
"Shut up, you Neanderthal. You're special talent is being an idiot." All that was missing was for Georgie to stick out his tongue.
"Enough!" Mr. Christie was angry. Gone was the fatherly image. "You will all remain in the Hive until your training is complete. No one is leaving!"
He stormed from the room. They heard the door lock.