Chapter 3: Washington D.C.

"Clint... Clint... Clint..."

The young blond groaned at the calls. He knew his name, no need to remind him.

"Clint, you need to get up." A hand grabbed his shoulder and shook him. He opened his eyes, blinded from the lights. The auditorium had been dark before. Only the lights on the stage had been on. Clint had been watching from his seat on the balcony. Now his security guard was shaking him awake.

"What's going on?" Clint asked.

The man sighed, and helped the young man to his feet. The auditorium was completely empty. His guard, Theodore Petermann, started looking him over without answering him.

"Theo?"

"I'm not sure. I passed out a little after you did," he answered, "though I doubt staying here is the best idea. It started when the project was activated."

"It could be a rebound."

"You would know more than I would, but our first priority should be to find safety."

"You're right."

They made their way through the halls out of the building. The auditorium had held the Starlight activation ceremony. The big sponsors were all addressed by the scientists leading the project, though most didn't understand the science. The Starlight Project was the biggest global project since the International Vaccine Institute. It would change the world.

It has changed the world.

Clint and Theo stepped out the front doors of Constitution Hall. There were people wandering through the streets. Stranger than that one man was on fire. Screaming, and running, causing more panic. Theo pushed Clint down behind one of the pillars.

"We need to reach the airport," Theo pulled his gun out, "get you to Vegas to fix this mess."

"This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Well, it has. Now you need to fix it. We should stop by your parents office. Find the research reports."

"No need."

"Right, you can't forget things. Then let's move," he pulled Clint with him. They moved around the building to the car they had arrived in. It took an hour to maneuver through the maze of empty cars to the airport. Clint had to sigh when they reached the hanger. Of all the people to be stuck with him, he was relieved it was Theo, Ex Air Force Captain and long time family friend. They arrived at the private jet prepared for after the ceremony. His parents would have flown to the main facility to keep up with the progress. There were always problems. Clint would know. This was the fourth project he had been a part of. Being a certified genius in three fields would make it hard not to be.

"Clint, we're leaving," Theo was waiting for Clint by the stairs.

Seeing the jet ready to take off made his stomach drop, "What if I can't fix this?"

"No way," Theo met his eyes, "you're the smartest person I have ever met. If anyone can fix this, you can. Right now though, we need to get there. Before it can get worse."

"Yeah," he climbed the stairs, "do you have pen and paper?"

"I'll get it."

The second the pen was in his hand he started writing. Every detail is perfect, replica drawings of the power systems, and induction systems scribbled down on an airline notepad. Theo set up the autopilot, and stood in the cockpit doorway watching the teen write. He had a better chance of ending world hunger than understanding those words. It also wasn't hard to see that Clint was a key part to fixing whatever had happened. Theo thought he had imagined it to begin with. The people around them had started to fade in and out of existence, but now most of everyone was gone.

"I need another pen."

Theo snapped to, "I'll find one." He went to the flight attendants cabinets. Finding one after a few minutes, he turned to Clint and saw his head bobbing. It wasn't shocking that he was tired. That couldn't matter at the moment though, "here," Theo set it down in front of Clint. The other nodded, picked it up and continued writing.

Clint could feel his hand starting to cramp, but he wouldn't stop. He had to get the plans on paper before he got distracted. It was impossible to tell how long it would take to be able to focus again. There were parts of the notes that were illegible even to him, but just the cliff notes would be enough.

One of the lights on the dashboard started flashing. Theo glanced, "we must be nearing the central states. Turbulence can get rough through here. I'll take over for now."

"Are we flying straight through?"

"No we need to stop in Texas, or the fuel will run out."

"Okay."

As Theo headed for the pilot's chair more alarms started going off. He took control, but nothing changed. The plane shook violently.

"What's going on?" Clint shouted.

"Stay in your seat." Theo watched the radar system. Something was heading directly for them.

Clint clutched the arms of his chair, and tried not to be sick. It felt like the plane was spinning. The alarms didn't stop then something pierced through the plane's right wing. Clint screamed. The next minute was a blur as the plane started its decline, and began ripping apart. The wind roared as it passed the holes, dragging more and more apart until the plane was in two. His seatbelt ripped from the seat, allowing Clint to freefall from the sky. He tumbled towards his death, squeezing his eyes shut. His chest tightened, and each one of his muscles screamed at the force of gravity against the air. He wanted to beg, but no one would hear.

Then it stopped. The entire world seemed to freeze, except someone clinging to him, the grip tightened and loosened until he was unceremoniously dropped on the ground. Clint couldn't move. Heaving air, and willing the tears to stop. He could still hear his heart beat pounding in his ears.

"Are you okay?"

No. Obviously not, was what he wanted to say but, he didn't have energy. Instead he just shook his head, grasping at the warm grass.

"I'm sorry. That was a stupid question," he scrambled for words, "I'm Dallas. What can I do?"

This time Clint opened his eyes. The voice came from someone he had never seen before. The man stood a few feet away, but he could see him well enough. Bigger than him, older than him, and not Theo. Clint struggled to stand, looking to the sky to find a smoke trail. If the front cabin was still intact, Theo could still be alive. He had to look, but it was impossible to see with all the trees in the way.

"Where are you going?" Dallas asked, "shouldn't you sit down? You just fell a few thousand feet."

"I have to find Theo."

"Theo?"

Clint panted, finding a tree to lean against, "which way did the plane fall?"

"South."

"Straight?"

"No, southwest, but you're not going to search for it, are you?"

"I have to try," Clint started walking South. He would look for smoke when he had a better view. The problem he had at hand though was walking on trembling legs. If he was honest with himself, he hurt all over. His mind clouded the harder he tried to think.

Clint stopped in his tracks when he ran into a solid mass. The man stood in front of with his arms out, not touching him.

"What are you doing?" Clint asked.

Dallas frowned tightly, "you don't want to go there."

"Yes I do."

"No... you're friend won't be there."

"And why wouldn't he be."

The taller looked away, "I saw someone grab him as well."

"Grab him?"

"Out of the sky."

Clint stared at him, before stepping back, "how did you save me?"

"I caught you."

"From where?" It dawned on Clint that he survived falling out of the sky. He fell from at least 10,000 feet. This man had caught him, without a scratch on either of them. It was impossible.

"What you need to focus on is that your friend is fine. There must have been a reason why you were on that plane. Wasn't there?"

Theo was fine. If he was saved then why wouldn't Theo have been. This man had no reason to lie to him. Besides the only way to really help anyone was for him to get to Las Vegas.

Clint turned to the West, "I need to get to Las Vegas."

"And you're going to what? Walk there?"

"If I have to." He started walking. Reasonably he knew it would be irrational to think he could walk all the way there but he had to start somewhere.

"I could get you there."

Clint stopped, "you could?"

"I have a truck. Much faster than walking I believe."

"Why?"

"I've got nothing better to do."