Rebecca Woods Rebecca was just about to say, "Oh! you poor thing!" when she saw the white scar marks, but then the Avery smiled and said, "It will probably wear off soon, I hope. So, how did you find out your 'curse'?" She laughed as if relieved to finally have someone to talk too. Rebecca felt the same way. For years she had been hiding her ablities or "curse" as Avery called it, from her foster parents and siblings. Rebecca thought about her disability and was gratefull for her abilities, as they had probably saved her life on many an occasion. Rebecca smiled back and was about to reply to Avery's question when a young woman stepped up to the booth and asked, "Mind if I sit here?" . Avery nodded then scooted over so that the girl with the drink could sit. Suddenly the colors on her shawl began to fade into the rest of her outfit. At first Rebecca thought her eyes must be playing tricks on her but then she saw the look on Avery's face. "Excuse me, Miss." Rebecca patted the woman's hand and started smiling brightly as she relized that this woman was proably one of them. "I think you should try and get your clothes under control." This was the best day in Rebecca's entire life. Two people, like her, sitting in the same booth. How many others were out there who had abilities like her? It felt so good to talk with someone who new what it was like to be different. The only other person in her life who knew was her doctor, but he couldn't possibly understand what it meant to live like this daily. But these two knew. Rebecca had a feeling that she had finally made her first two best friends.
Cody Deluca [HR][/HR] "Just have to get to the house" Cody thought to himself. A shaggy looking man approached Cody, rolling a cart filled with an assortment of trinkets. He was hunched over and looked under-fed but still managed to smile through his unkempt beard. He held a snack cake out, offering it to Cody. "On the house," said the man smirking. "What? What is this? I-I don't have time for this!" "S-sorry! I've got to go!" stammered Cody, stepping around the perplexed man. As he stepped forward, he heard a ratting inside of the man's cart; cans and small metal objects were clinging to the side. They were being pulled towards Cody. "Shit!" said Cody, stepping back away from the cart. "This isn't good... I can't let myself touch anything... or anyone." "HEY!" shouted someone from down the street. Cody looked up, "That's the boy from earlier! Why is he following me? What happened to Kami? Did he do something?" The boy was running towards him with a blank expression on his face. Cody turned to run. His foot caught a break in the sidewalk and he fell to the ground. "Damn it!" He pulled himself up onto his knees and looked over his shoulder, the boy was now walking calmly towards him, his hands in his pockets. Cody rose to his feet and slowly turned to face him. "Looks like running isn't really an option anymore... he'll catch me sooner or later..." "What do you want?"
Alexander Butler "What do you want?" said the boy, brushing gravel off of his pants angrily. “Information,” replied Alexander. Then he noticed that he boy’s hands were shaking. He was scared… of something. “I mean you absolutely no harm, unless of course, you endanger me first. My actions were done out of self-defense, and if you remember, there was a murderer after us,” he added. “Your friend is safe; she went to get help.” The boy hesitated before starting to back away. “What kind of information?” “You should know quite well. You saw my attempts, and you spoke to the girl of your own ‘abilities’,” said Alexander. “What were you talking about, exactly? What were you looking at on that computer?” The boy seemed to glance back anxiously before replying. "I-I really don't know... someone sent me a message... IndieVidFX.com or something. There were videos... with people doing things that they shouldn't be able to do." “IndieVidFx? The ridiculous site regarding the so called ‘Exceptionals’? You can’t be serious,” said Alexander, frowning, “Those are just video manipulations. Fake.” The boy didn’t seem to be listening. “Look, I-I can't stay here, I have to go!" “Wait!” But the boy had already started to run off, tearing down the street. Alexander shook his head in annoyance. Only then did he notice that there was a man standing behind him. He looked like a homeless, and held a cart full of seemingly random objects in front of him. He was staring at Alexander with a strange expression. “Good day,” said Alexander, nodding. Then he turned and ran after the boy.
Avery Funkhouser Avery looked at the young woman in dreadlocks directly next to her, trying to hide her annoyance. Why couldn't she have sat by Rebecca instead? The lady was sitting a little too close for Avery's taste, and she felt crammed into the booth. Plus, the extra body heat wasn't helping. Avery was about to excuse herself and get out, but that's when she saw it. The dreadlock lady's clothing was...changing colors? She must not be getting better after all since she was now hallucinating! "Excuse me, Miss." Avery heard Rebecca speak politely to the woman, while shining her perfect smile, "I think you should try and get your clothes under control." Rebecca had seen it to? This was too much, too fast. She had thought Rebecca was all, there couldn't be even more like her, could there? To calm herself, Avery reached to take another sip of her orange juice; but suddenly she felt an odd sensation. For that brief moment, everything seemed to happen in slow motion, even Avery's small gasp of horror. Her whole cup of orange juice had splashed right into Rebecca's lap.
Kami DeSoras The man in the grey suit got closer with his now-lit cigarette. "So little missy, I would say you're in pretty hot water now." He still had the lighter lit, holding in his hand. "You wouldn't make a liar out of me, would you?" "Back off," Kami said, backing away from the brick wall some. The grey suit smiled a wicked smile. "But its fire," he said, waving the lighter in the air. "I'm certain you like fire. It's much more effective than brick." Kami sighed. He did know about her. "Now, if I were you, I would take the deal I'm about to make you. I won't torch your family's gorgeous home if you use your little power and make me look like a noble citizen." He held the lighter out to her. She glared back, but he nodded behind her. When Kami turned around, she saw two other grey suits at the sides of her house, with kerosene containers in the hands. "Come now miss DeSoras. You or the house." She looked at the house, and then back at the lighter. Fire was her favorite, despite how painful it was. It was, despite every other human's thoughts, easy to control, and it had a hunger that was satisfied at any moment, but still craved more. Fire was useful to her, and she had a relationship with it; it lasted longer with her, and stayed under control, and she gave it what it wanted. She fed the fire. It was almost always with her, but sometimes she had to refuel. She was a bit low at the moment, and seeing the lighter flicker in the gentle autumn breeze tempted her. "Come now Kami. Fire." Kami only needed to be near it, to take everything the fire had to offer. She could tell the lighter was full, and she would absorb the whole thing. She leaned against the brick wall again, and reached her hand out towards the tiny flame.
Martin Wheeler "S-sorry! I've got to go!" The boy stammered, backing away like he was afraid he might catch something. So much for gratitude. Marty shrugged and lowered his arm, suddenly remembering why he had stopped trying to be social. He was about to away when another boy, possibly younger came running up to join the first. They spoke fast and frantically. Marty had a hard time keeping up, but the apparent urgency of their conversation was pretty engaging, albeit somewhat amusing. What did teenagers have to be so worked-up about? For him, life had been pretty simple at that age, once he adjusted to his... situation. Leaning absently against his cart, Marty unwrapped the snack cake and took a bite. It was delightfully sweet, if a bit stale. He wipe some cream filling from his beard as he watched the two lads, fascinated. That is until one of them said something that froze the blood in his veins. Two little innocent words, "abilities," and "exceptionals." The half-eating cake dropped from Marty's fingers. He was listening closely now. Could one of these youths have an ability like his own? Could they both? And if they did, what in the world were they doing talking about out in the open like irresponsible children. Marty took a step back. If they were 'exceptionals," they were the last people he wanted to be around. “Look, I-I can't stay here, I have to go!" One of the boys said as he started to run off. The other youth shook his head and then turned around, finally noticing Marty for the first time. “Good day,” He said before taking off himself. Marty stood there, dumbfounded. "Well it is a day," He muttered in belated reply, "don't know if good is the word I would use." When both boys were out of sight, Marty began pushing his cart down the street again. If those two did have powers, they were in more trouble than they could imagine. He should have tried to warn them, not that it would have done any good, but at least it would have been something. That gave him another chilling thought. If there were more exceptionals in Coventry, then there might also be grey coats. He thought back to the flash of grey he had seen earlier in the day. Maybe he hadn't been seeing things after all... "No," he said to himself as he plodded along, glancing quickly from side to side, "not a good day at all."
Rebecca Woods Rebecca had her first painful reminder of her disability, in 3 months. It happened when Avery, her new found friend, knocked over her large cup of orange juice. The cold juice spilled directly into her lap startling Rebecca so much that she jumped out her seat banging the part of her thigh right above her knee hard enough to give a normal person a bruise. She grimiced in pain then attempted a smile as Avery tried to stand and clean up the mess. "I'm ok...I'm just going to go the bathroom and wash off this juice." She eased out of the seat, wishing she still had her apron on. As she half limped to the bathroom people glanced at the spill stain all over her lap. They quickly looked away however, leaving Rebecca to blush in peace. She hurried over to where she had left her purse and grabbed it before locking herself in the employee bathroom. Sitting down in the corner of the bathroom, she quickly pulled up the hem of her skirt above her right knee, panic setting in. Where there would have been a quaterdollar sized bruise on a normal person, a fist sized purple and blue lump was begginning to swell on Rebecca. She waited a moment; checking for the familiar feeling that would tell her if she was bleeding internally. She sighed gratefully as she reached into her purse. It could have been much worse. At least she didn't need to go to the hospital. She withdrew a needle and a vial, filled the needle with the blood clotting agent in the vial, and experatly stuck the needle into a vein in her right arm. She sighed sadly as she waited for the clotting agent to take effect, and put away her needle and vial. Her memories began going back to when she had to first learned she had Hemophilia. It had been scary, learning that she had be more carefull then anyone else when getting a bruise or cut, having to worry about internal bleeding, having to live her life in fear of a simple fall. Dealing with people when she had a random nose bleed or fainted because of a severe headache. Dealing with daily aching joints and watching what type of medication she took. It was a hard but then, she discovered her ability. It had cut her fear down to a minimum, as she was now typically able to protect herself before she got injured. Rebecca looked down at her leg. The swelling had gone down, it would take a while before it healed but she would be able to return to work with only a slight limp. She stood, testing her weight on her leg and then went over to the sink, took off her gloves and began washing off her skirt. Thankfully it was black so it wouldn't stain and her apron would easily cover up anything left that was visible. Hemophilia now seemed like nothing in her life. She had found people who were like her. She looked at her glowing blue hands and veins. People who could understand what it was like to hide their abilites everyday. Like Avery, poor thing. Living in fear of bursting into flames if she didn't drink enough fluid and the other girl whose clothes seemed to randomly change color. Rebecca smiled to herself. She wasn't alone in the world anymore. There were others.
Cheyenne Fear The woman looked undecided, as she turned to Cheyenne. Eventually she knelt, putting herself at eye level with the girl. “Okay, look,” she said, placing one hand behind her back. “I really gotta go take care of this, for both of our sake. That man’s a ---,” she said something in Russian, and it didn’t sound like a compliment, “but he’s probably right. You’re safer with your parents. Her hand came from behind her back with a crystal rose. The amount of detail she had put into it was staggering. Every little petal and thorn was perfect, as if it had been sculpted by a master artisan. “I’ll be back to check on you, okay,” she said as she gently tucked the diamond flower into the pouch on the Cheyenne's blouse. “Stay strong! Don’t be anybody’s bitch, until I get back, okay.” Cheyenne's eyes widened in surprise at the words, as the woman turned and made her way up the alley, saying something Cheyenne didn't register as she did. Cheyenne pulled the crystal rose from her pouch, and stared wide eyed at it. It was such a pretty thing. Suddenly, the rose vanished. Cheyenne immediately looked down, thinking she'd dropped it. It was nowhere to be found. It had vanished into thin air. Shivering, Cheyenne turned to face the trailer. She took a deep breath, then stepped over to where it sat. The door was still open. Why hadn't anyone come after her? Cautiously, she poked her head into the trailer. There was someone in the trailer she didn't recognize. How had he gotten in there? She heard a hissing sound, followed quickly by a splattering thump. She jumped, as the trailer reverted back to the armored van more. The figure turned to face her. Cheyenne froze in fear. The person was holding a gun. She couldn't see its face past a white mask. It wore a grey suit. It drew closer to her, and she pulled away, until her back hit the wall. As the figure moved, she saw two bodies lying in blood on the floor. Cheyenne felt something within her snap. Those weren't her parents. They couldn't be. The figure reached out a hand, and grabbed her by the hair. She felt something writhing inside her. She heard the same high pitched scream buzzing in her ears. She closed her mouth tighter. Where was the sound coming from. She closed her eyes in pain, as the sound grew louder and louder. The figure holding her pushed it's gun into her face. She felt the wave leave her then. The shrieking wave shot from her body, sending the figure flying all the way to the back of the van, and slammed it into the wall, denting the metal. Cheyenne fell to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. She tried to move, but whatever that wave had been, it had taken all her energy. She struggled, until she'd risen to her knees, then tried to crawl to where her parents lay. She lost her balance, and fell out of the van door, and down the metal steps, landing with a small crunch. She lay unconscious, her tablet in pieces underneath her. ---- Dirk I Reynolds ---- Dirk ran through the neighborhood, keeping to the alleys whenever he could. So, there'd been a fire at the school. The bastards where being aggressive today. He checked a small notebook in his hands as he ran, scanning the address on it. Kami DeSoras. According to Arnold, there were at least three grey suits at her residence. Damn it all. What he would give to see the face behind all these murderers. He hurtled around a corner out of an alley and onto the street, peeling his eyes as he ran. There. The girl, with a grey suit with his back to him. He saw two others near the house as well, holding cans. That wasn't a good sign. Take the two. And you? I'll take the one in front of us. Dirk narrowed his eyes, and redoubled his speed, as the familiar presence was ripped from his body. The grey suited man was holding out a lighter to the girl, who was reaching slowly toward it. Not much time. He only had one shot. "Oi!" The man turned, and Dirk's open hand slammed into his throat. Dirk moved with the man as he fell, crushing him into the pavement, where he lay motionless. He stomped on the lighter, as it fell from the man's limp hand, spilling its oils into the asphalt. "Don't just stand there gawking," He said, glaring at the girl, "Help me move the body." He glanced at the side of the house. The cans were still there; the men were not.
Ivanna Testarossa It was a while before Ivanna caught up to the man in the trench coat. She traversed the various twists and turns of Coventry’s alleyways, following only her instincts. She had a sixth sense for gray suits. She usually found them before they found her. It’s almost as if they were destined to keep meeting like this. At one point, she paused to look at a thin stream of smoke rising in the distance. A fire? It was coming from the direction of the school. Is that where Dirk had gone? Had the gray suits done this? Ivanna dismissed the idea. The suits weren’t that sloppy. They were much too low-key for that sort of thing. Then again, they did get desperate sometimes. She had seen them do some very reckless things when cornered. They were still human, after all. Or they thought like humans, at least. Back them into a corner and they make the same mistakes anyone else would, Ivanna thought as she turned from the lingering smoke and continued on her way. Whatever had caused that fire had nothing to do with her. When she finally caught up with Dirk, (mostly through sheer luck,) he was on the ritzy side of town, standing outside a large mansion. Ivanna watched from a distance, scoping out the place. A teenage girl stood before him and a single gray-suited corpse lay at his feet. Only one? They often came in groups. There had to be more. As Ivanna came closer, she found two more bodies lying in the grass, under the shade of a wall of hedges. "Don't just stand there gawking. Help me move the body." Dirk said to the girl, with his same foul attitude. Was he a jerk all the time, or just when talking to young girls? Ivanna approached Dirk and the girl. “Not bad,” she said approving of the girl’s handiwork. “You took out all three by yourself, kid. I like your style.” Because it couldn’t possibly have been Dirk. He probably couldn’t punch his way out of a paper bag. She moved to one end of the body. “There's two more by the hedges over there. I say we dump them all in the bushes and split before anyone notices. I don’t wanna be here when the owners come home,” she said, nodding to the house. But the look on the girl’s face said it all. “Ohhhh, it’s your house?” Ivan added. “In that case, the basement or cellar would be better. We can hide them there until nightfall, then you take them out to a lake or something. Trust me, I know how this sort of thing works… don’t ask.”
Martin Wheeler "Not good at all," Marty muttered again and started walking faster. The events of the day had him spooked to say the least. Other exceptionals in his town, possibly grey suits. It was too much. This is what he was trying to avoid, the whole reason he was living like a rat on the streets. Now it seemed that the past had finally caught up to him. "Won't forget," He whispered. He could almost feel the eyes watching his every step. Soon he was almost running, his heart beating fast. He was so focused on his surroundings that the sudden noise made him nearly jump out of his skin. It was almost a scream, but not like any human could make, any normal human anyway. The sound echoed through the streets. It was close, maybe a block or two away. Marty crouched down behind his cart, his hands shaking. "Fight or flight, fight or flight," he muttered, trying to decide what to do. In the end curiosity got the better of him, like it always did. Besides, it was doubtful any grey suits could make a noise like that. Taking a deep breath Marty stood up and headed in the direction the sound had come from. He came around a corner and spotted some kind of armored van with the door open. He had definitely never seen that in this area before. He crept closer one cautious step at a time. There was something in front of the van. It was a short girl with brown hair, lying in a heap on the ground. She wasn't moving. Without thinking Marty left his cart and ran forward. He rolled the girl over onto her back. He tore off one glove and pressed two fingers to her neck, trying to ignore the scarred stump where his little finger had once been. He waited, holding his breath. There, a pulse. She was still alive. What the hell had happened? Standing up he moved to the door of the van and peered in. There were three bodies inside, a woman and two men. One of the men was wearing grey, a grey suit. Marty screamed and bolted from the van, dropping his loose glove as he did. He vaulted over the girl and was almost to his cart when he stopped, fidgeting incisively. "Fish or cut bait," he said, at last and ran back to the girl as steady as he could. He scooped her up and was relieved to find she wasn't that heavy. There was something underneath her, some sort of tablet, shattered into pieces. Hurriedly he carried the girl back to his cart and laid her on top of his treasures, with her feet dangling over the end. Not the most comfortable stretcher, perhaps, but it would serve. He looked down at her, lying there. She seemed vaguely familiar. Had he seen her somewhere before? A question for later. He pulled two blankets out from underneath her, placed one behind her head for a pillow and lay the other one over her. Then, with a quick glance over his shoulder, they were off. To where, he had no idea. All he knew is he wanted to be as from that grey suit as possible, dead or not. "Bad day," he muttered as he wheeled the unconscious girl away.
Adelaide Reynolds Adelaide squeezed into the chair beside the young girl with the hoodie, carefully balancing the cup of orange juice as she got comfortable. Suddenly, the woman across the table took Adelaide by the hand. She was a little resistant but she couldn't just pull her hand away. "Excuse me, Miss." "I think you should try and get your clothes under control." the woman across the table gave a beaming smile at Adelaide. Adelaide looked down and suddenly felt a wave of shock come over her. Had it been changing colour the whole time? Had other people saw? She looked around the restaurant but it seemed no one had realised. Adelaide reached down and pulled the shawl off her shirt. The colour seemingly sucked back into the piece of fabric. "Um.. I should uh.." Adelaide felt a little embarrassed, but the girl across the table just smiled. She put the piece of fabric back into her purse and picked up her drink. But as she did, a sudden shot of orange juice from the other girl's cup splashed across the table and down the other girl's lap. She shot up with a gasp, and banged her thigh into the booth table. The girl in the hoodie jumped up a bit, and tried to reach over for a napkin. "I'm ok...I'm just going to go the bathroom and wash off this juice." the woman mumbled with a slight grimace on her face. The younger girl in the hoodie sat down and Adelaide just watched the smiling woman walk off with a slight limp towards the bathroom. "Will she be okay?" Adelaide asked the girl in the hoodie who just nodded in response. "My name's Adelaide. What's yours and what's the name of the other girl?" trying to start conversation, Adelaide asked the girl. The girl told her that her name was Avery and the woman with the orange juice spill was Rebecca. She worked there and they had found out they had these abilities. Adelaide looked with wide-eyed shock. Avery told her about the ability she had. Adelaide had no clue about these so-called abilities but finally came to a realization that these strange things happening with the fabric weren't just tricks of the mind. This was a power. "We need to get out of here, Avery. We can't be safe with randomly changing colours and combustible fire crackers." Adelaide chuckled, trying to bring some light-hearted fun to the moment. Avery scowled. She looked irritated and slightly angry with what just happened. Avery mumbled that they should check on Rebecca. Adelaide and Avery approached the bathroom door and knocked slightly. "Rebecca, you okay?" Adelaide asked. The door swung open and Rebecca came out with a gleaming smile. There seemed to be no problem. A glistening tear hung on Rebecca's cheek despite the grin but Adelaide dismissed it. Rebecca decided to come along with Avery and Adelaide. Adelaide ordered a few orange juices just in case of an accident. Finally, the three girls who seemed to get along just fine left the restaurant and carried on down the street. The girls talked for a while, about their interests and where they lived in Coventry. Adelaide for the first time today, believed in magic. She was shocked to say the least, but she wouldn't let it get to her. She was going to have some fun with these powers. Of course, not in the middle of the street. And then the opportunity appeared. Out of the corner of her eye, Adelaide saw something. It was approaching swiftly, fast and strangely in sync with the girl's movements as they walked down the side walk. "Girls.. the guy.. in the suit. He's following us again. Why is he doing that..?" Adelaide whispered to them. "DON'T look back. Whatever we do, we do it calmly. We show no emot-" Then it happened. The man started to run after the three girls darting dangerously fast. The girls broke off into a run too, almost stamping on a stray black cat on their way past. "Run, run, run!" the man behind them guffawed. He was teasing them in their moment of stress. But they didn't falter. The girls ran for what seemed like forever before making a swift slide into an alley-way, throwing back a garbage can as they did. The man let out a small grunt and he seemed to be stunned. But the alleyway was a dead end and there was no way they could've escaped. They wondered what they could do. And then Adelaide remembered the piece of fabric. Adelaide slowly pulled out the fabric from her purse and told the girls to hold onto it. Suddenly, rolling waves of colour danced about the part of fabric. It shook slightly and wiggled to the beat of the humming that Adelaide was doing. It escaped her lips almost effortlessly. Soon enough, a shroud of orange covered Adelaide's sight. It was translucent and she could see the man in the grey-suit through it. She turned to look at Avery and Rebecca underneath the shawl's shroud. They looked shocked. What Adelaide had done, she had no idea. She wanted them to disappear but the grey suit seemed to notice them. He approached and looked straight at the girls with a confused expression. "Excuse me, but have you seen three girls run past here?" Adelaide replied but what came out of her mouth wasn't her own voice. It was deep. It was a man's voice. "I ain't seen nuffin' bud and I ain't likin' yer tone eitha!" She had a thick farmland accent. She then realised what the shroud had done. They had disguised themselves as men.
Rebecca Woods Rebecca had come out the bathroom fully expecting to return to work till 8 that night but then her boss had said that his wife's flight had been delayed by bad weather and that she should go home. Instead Rebecca had shouldered her purse and followed Avery and the girl named Adelaide outside where they talked about a variety of things. By some unspoken aggreement they didn't talk about their abilities knowing that it was probably best to wait until they were in private place. Then a tingle went up Rebecca's hand and she noticed the same gray suit that had been watching them in the resturant. This was no coincidence. "Girls.. the guy.. in the suit. He's following us again. Why is he doing that..?" Adelaide whispered to them. "DON'T look back. Whatever we do, we do it calmly. We show no emot-" Adelaide was interuppted when the man in the grey suit started sprinting after them. Rebecca, Adelaide, and Avery ran. They knew that if they were caught they something terrible would happen. They turned down a dead-end alley way and Rebecca turned fully prepared to use her ablities to protect the three of them. No matter what. But Adelaide was quicker, out of instinct she pulled out her shawl and had each of them grab a peice of it. An orange bubble formed around them just as the grey suit came around the corner stopping dead in his tracks when he saw them. His face bore a confused look and Rebecca wondered why until he spoke. "Excuse me, but have you seen three girls run past here?" "I ain't seen nuffin' bud and I ain't likin' yer tone eitha!" Adelaide responded. Rebecca looked at her in surprise and then gave a quick surprised laugh as she realized what had happened, however Adelaide's ability caused her laugh sounded like a drunken man's gawaff. Adelaide's power was disguising them. A very awesome none violent solution to the problem before them. The gray suit looked behind them noticing the dead end then glanced back at the "3 men." After a few seconds that seemed like minutes he left the alley looking right and left before deciding to go right. Adelaide lowered the sheild and they sighed in relief. But Rebecca's heart clenched. Of course they were going to have enemies. They were special. Nothing good could ever happen without something bad there to try and stop it. Something told Rebecca that the man who had chased them wasn't alone. There were others like him; just like there were others like her. Rebecca turned to face the young women in front of her. Her eyebrows furrowed and her face serious. "Ladies, we're in danger. I don't think that guy is alone. He was watching us for a long time before he made a move, which means he must have noticed one of us use our abilities somehow. We need to be more carefull about where we use our ablities as he obviously didn't have our best intentions in mind. We should also try to find other's like us. Warn them of the danger." Rebecca hoped she wasn't scaring the girls but something told her they probably already were freaked.
Cody Deluca [HR][/HR] "He's still following me! What was he talking about? 'Exceptionals?' Is that what people with abilities are called? So I guess there are more of us... but he did say those videos could be fake. What about Kami? I haven't seen what she can do yet... how dangerous is she? What's happening with my life?!" He sprinted down the street, the boy just behind him. The houses began to separate as they entered West Coventry, the homes becoming more and more extravagant. Cody skidded to a halt in front of a large grey manor. Grey stone walls encompassed the property with large green hedges behind them. "Gotta hurry! Come on..." Cody frantically input a code into a key pad, opening the iron gate protecting the concrete walkway. Cody stepped back nervously from the gates, they wavered before giving way to the path. The boy caught up, panting. Cody's eyes began to glow a bright green, and he fell onto a knee, clutching his face in agony. "Shit... I'm almost out of time!" mumbles Cody, staggering back to his feet. "Out of time for what? Is there something I should know?" asked the boy. The gates began shaking violently, bending slightly towards Cody. The boy raises an eyebrow, intrigued by this phenomenon "So close... Just gotta get inside!" thought Cody, shaking his head nervously. He jolted down the winding path, making his way to large oak doors. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a clear plastic key.
Kami DeSoras Kami didn't know how the other two guys had been taken out, but she was amazed that this new man had somehow done it all by himself, or had a partner come in, take care of them, and leave right away. Then some young woman had come along and bothered them. Kami didn't like the feel of her when she got there. "Not bad. You took out all three by yourself, kid. I like your style. The new woman suggested putting the bodies in the bushes, until she found out it was Kami's house. Then, she suggested the basement. Kami was getting annoyed that this woman had just gotten here, after the man had helped her, and acted like she was now helping. And then she "knew a thing or two" about dumping bodies, and she wanted Kami to just let her into the house. "Enough!" Kami yelled, glaring at the woman. "Who are you to think you can just come here and take over the situation. This man just got here and somehow took care of all three of these guys, and then you come in here thinking you can start throwing suggestions out and taking over like you've done everything. Well, why don't you back off miss expert and let me show you how we're really going to deal with this." With that, the new woman backed up with a face of shock on her face. "Well excuse me," she said, stepping away. Kami got near the bushes and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "This is going to take me a few minutes," she said to the man, ignoring the woman, who looked pretty angry at her. Kami knelt down on the ground, pressing her hands against a spot in the dirt. Slowly, the short blades of slightly browned grass began vanishing. Then, the dirt start slowly moving towards her hands. The dirt began moving faster and faster to her, and she could feel the slightly rough texture of the soil as it moved in through her fingertips and palms. After a few minutes, Kami had successfully pulled out a hole from the ground nearly twelve feet deep. When she was done, she opened her eyes and let out a "phew." Then she stood up, looking down the hole, where the harder soil had come from. That had been rougher, and she had gotten a little "clogged" when a rock decided to follow the soil. They were harder to absorb for her, but it could be done. It had just put her behind a little. "That," she said, looking at the woman. "Is how you get rid of a body. Now, why don't you throw them in, and I'll cover the hole back up so neatly, you'll never even know it was there."
Ivanna Testarossa "Enough!" the girl yelled. "Who are you to think you can just come here and take over the situation? This man just got here and somehow took care of all three of these guys, and then you come in here thinking you can start throwing suggestions out and taking over like you've done everything. Well, why don't you back off miss expert and let me show you how we're really going to deal with this." "Well excuse me," Ivanna said sassily. She had been asked to come. Dirk had specifically requested her expertise. He probably meant her special power, but her skill at killing and disposing of gray suits was just as valuable. But if Little Miss Perfect wanted to have a go at it, Ivan wasn’t going to stop her. I like watching amateurs fail, she thought. Look at her, with her fancy house and her nice clothes and her pretty face… I hope it all burns. "This is going to take me a few minutes," the girl said to Dirk before kneeling to press her hands against a spot in the grass. The lawn began to brown and wither and the earth began to shift toward her palms, as if her hands were swallowing it up. Ivan stood by, pretending to be uninterested. "We don’t have all day. Can’t you go any faster?” she teased with a slight smirk. After a few minutes, the girl finished, leaving a large hole, deep enough to easily bury the bodies. They could bury a dozen bodies in that pit and no one would ever know. That was a handy trick the girl had used… but Ivan would never admit it. "That is how you get rid of a body,” the girl said proudly. “Now, why don't you throw them in, and I'll cover the hole back up so neatly, you'll never even know it was there." “A shame you didn’t hit a sewage pipe,” Ivan grumbled. “Mommy and daddy might have to buy you a new dress.” With her foot, she nudged the body over the edge and it tumbled into the hole, hitting the bottom with a dull thump. “Have your maid handle the rest. That’s all you’ll get out of me,” she said before crossing her arms again. Dirk grumbled angrily. “Stop fooling around! We don’t have time for this,” he said. “Get the bodies before someone shows up.” Ivan trudged over to the other two gray suits, grabbed them by the collars, and hauled them to the pit, muttering expletives under her breath every step of the way. She shoved them in as well, then resumed standing around, with her arms folded, looking angry. “I’m not doing this for the hell of it, you know,” Ivanna said, glaring at Dirk. “I expect some answers from you when this is done. And I don’t like being jerked around.”
Alexander Butler The boy pulled out a plastic card-like object, most likely a key to his house door. He fumbled around for a bit before managing to get the card into the slot. Alexander watched as the fencing and the gate behind him continued to rattle and bend towards them, concluding that it must have been caused by something the boy was doing. Was this why he was in such a rush? Was the disturbance caused by the boy’s abilities? That meant that people might not possess the same powers Alexander did. It could mean the powers varied from person to person. It was an interesting thought. The boy managed to open the door, and bolted inside without bothering the close it. Alexander caught the door with his foot, and followed him in. Sure, he wasn’t invited, but he hadn’t been told he couldn't come in either. The boy turned a corner and started running up a set of stairs. As he did, Alexander couldn’t help but notice that a full array of objects fell off counters and walls. Pictures, utensils, and tools all dropped to the floor and started skidding towards the boy’s general direction. All the objects being affected were made of metal. Was the boy magnetic? Did his powers have something to do with magnetism? It must have. There was nothing else that could logically explain this. Of course, there was nothing that could logically explain any of what was happening. Alexander followed the boy up the stairs, making sure not to step on any stray objects which now littered the ground.
Cheyenne Fear Cheyenne's head swam, as she began to come to. What a horrible dream. She must be in bed. She was rocking from side to side. Was the trailer moving? She opened her eyes, and was confronted by a crazy faced bearded man. She sat bolt upright, nearly falling over. She looked around to find that she had been lying on a pile of trash, with a grubby blanket draped over her. Pat, pat, pat. She searched her pouch. Where was her tablet? The man was still moving pushing the cart through an alleyway. Cheyenne leaned back again, remembering what had happened. *Mum... Dad... Mum...* She could hear the familiar monotone voice of her tablet ringing in her ears. She wished she had it, how was she going to communicate? What was going to happen now? She stared at the shaggy man pushing the cart. She'd never seen him before. Why had he taken her? *Who are you?* She heard, no, felt the words buzzing around her, in the same monotone voice. They repeated over and over, fluctuating in pitch and timbre. She looked around, trying to find the source of the noise. Why did she feel something? Her whole body felt like it was being tickled by flowing air. She looked at her hand and arms, and to her surprise saw a thin layer of air appear above her skin as the words were "spoken". The air looked touchable, almost like a clear gel, but as she moved to touch it her hand passed through. As the layer was disturbed, the sound of the words changed. She put her hands up to her ears, and the words became louder. As she pushed them away, it became softer. The air was projecting the sound. Or was it her? No, that was ridiculous. Still the words repeated, *Who are you?* over and over. ---- Dirk I Reynolds ---- Dirk glared at Ivanna, as she moved about cursing, throwing the bodies into the newly dug pit. Dirk sighed with relief, as her felt a familiar presence snake up his leg, and enter into his chest. He glared from girl to woman, glad that neither had seen. Suddenly Ivanna turned to face him. “I’m not doing this for the hell of it, you know,” She said, glaring back at him with equal dislike, “I expect some answers from you when this is done. And I don’t like being jerked around.” "You'll get your answers." Dirk muttered, waving a hand blandly, "But first we'll need a more secure place to talk." He hissed, as his phone began to ring. What now! He pulled out the phone and savagely flipped it open. "What?" He barked. He hated these interruptions when he was busy. He could only do so much at a time. "Gary's dead." "What?!" Dirk turned away from the women, and took several steps to distance himself from them. "We sent Trace to check on them, it was a mess Dirk. He found Gary and his wife in the trailer, shot point blank. There was a large dent in the wall of the van, and everything was blown out of place. What could've happened? You were only just there?" "They must have sent some higher levels," He said, feeling eyes on the back of his head. He whipped around to glare at the women, then stepped even further away from them, hoping they hadn't been listening in. "This is getting out of hand," He muttered, his eyes suddenly widening, "Where was the girl?" "The what?" "Did Trace see the girl?" He repeated irritably. "The Cheyenne girl? No, Trace didn't see her there. Maybe they took her? He said he found some shards of an electric device, and some closely spaced wheel prints in the dirt." Wheel prints... Wheel prints... What kind? "Did Trace know what kind?" Dirk asked. "He said there weren't any treads, they were thin though." Thin wheels... Any wobbly? Brilliant! "Were any wobbly?" He asked. "I dunno, he didn't say. He's on his way back no-" "Okay." Dirk hung up the phone, and turned to face the women. "You." He pointed to the girl named Kami, "Fill up that hole then come with me. We're going ghost hunting."
Avery Funkhouser Deep, slow breaths. Her heart pounded in her ears, and she closed her eyes, focusing on breathing in the chilled air of the alley. Avery had been more than relieved when Adelaide finally removed the suffocating orange shawl. Her severe claustrophobia had kicked in due to the oxygen level; and it hadn't helped that she had already been out of breath from running. Avery knew she had no right to complain about the situation, though. If it hadn't been for Adelaide and their manly transformation, she'd be in even worse shape. The gray suited man. He hadn't been just some sick, perverted guy. No, any normal person would have given up that chase within 5 blocks. He had to be an enemy, but why? What did he want with her, with all of them? Avery sighed as her steady breathing returned, and she opened her eyes to ask this. But, she stopped short when she saw Rebecca's face suddenly very serious. Adelaide’s the same. "Ladies, we're in danger. I don't think that guy is alone. He was watching us for a long time before he made a move, which means he must have noticed one of us use our abilities somehow," Rebecca said in a grave voice, "We need to be more careful about where we use our abilities as he obviously didn't have our best intentions in mind. We should also try to find others like us. Warn them of the danger." Avery gulped, her heart rate picking up it’s previous speed. If that guy, and others, wanted her for her powers, she was in deep trouble. It was hard enough to monitor herself on certain days. At least she wasn't a lone in this. They would all need to be careful with controlling their abilities; maybe they could help each other in someway. Avery took a quick glance around, and listened hard for the rhythm of heavy footsteps. The man was still out there somewhere, what if he came back? "I agree with you Rebecca, but aren't we in even more danger in this alley? I'm sure we can find a better hide out than this. Where in Coventry are we, anyway?" Avery asked, trying to keep her voice calm. No matter what, she wouldn’t show the fear bubbling up inside her, she couldn’t.
"I agree with you Rebecca, but aren't we in even more danger in this alley? I'm sure we can find a better hide out than this. Where in Coventry are we, anyway?" Avery asked. Even though she sounded calm Rebecca could hear the desperation in her words. "We are on Terrence street. I saw a sign as we ran by. Lets go to my place. I have a small apartment on Hillside street. It is only a block away from Mac's. We can talk there in private." The girls nodded in agreement and they walked in silence to where she lived. Who was that grey suit? Why did he chase them? Rebecca thought about this and more. She wondered how many more were out there and if this was a one time occurence or if it was going to happen all the time. Should she move? Get a new job? Rebecca shook her head trying to clear out all her thoughts. Such thinking wasn't going to help anything. Only cause her to panic. And right now these two girls needed her to be strong. They were just as scared as she was...if not more. Rebecca walked up the small flight of stairs to her apartment and unlocked the door, the girls following her inside. She was so happy she had just cleaned the place yesterday. There were a few dishes in the sink and and cat hair on the furniture but other than that it was clean. It even smelled a little like cookies because of the air scenter she had plugged into the wall. Rebecca's cat, Smudge, came prowling up and leaped on the counter smelling his empty food dish. Rebecca refilled it then beckoned for the girls to take a seat on either the couch or rocking chair that sat in her living room. "Would either of you like something to eat or drink?" Rebecca looked at Avery as she said drink knowing it had been a while since she had finished those orange juices. She wondered what side-effect Adeliade's powers had on her, if any.
Martin Wheeler Frantic footsteps echoed through the alley. It was just his own, wasn't it? Marty shot another hasty glance behind him. The alley was as empty as it had been the last time he looked and the time before that. His heartbeat pounded in his ears and his breathing was growing ragged. He had been running with cart and girl together for several blocks now. He would have to rest soon. *Mum... Dad... Mum...* Marty blinked. Had he really just heard that? He looked down at the girl in time to see her eyes flutter open. Good, she was alright. It must have been her that spoke. She had called for her parents. Marty felt a chill run down his spine as he remembered the bodies in the armored van where he had found her. Things were going to be hard for her from now on. Maybe harder than they had been for him. He pulled the cart to a stop and tried to give her a reassuring smile, though coming from his ragged face it might just have the opposite effect. *Who are you?* He heard the words clearly this time. They were coming from the girl, but her lips hadn't moved, not even a little. That didn't make sense at all and somehow it was comforting. Marty was used to life not making sense. As he watched her a thin layer of viscous air formed over the girl's body. It seemed to be the source of the sound. So, she was special too. Now things were starting to add up. The scream he heard before he found her, the presence of the grey suit and the way he had been flung into a wall. Had she done that? It wasn't so hard to believe, considering. *Who are you? Who are you? Who are you?* The monotone voice repeated over and over. Marty tilted his head. Who was he? He would have liked to know that as well. Somehow he didn't think that answer would satisfy so instead he replied awkwardly, "A stranger... and a friend... Marty." It wasn't the best introduction ever, but what did formalities matter to him? Besides, she only had to trust him a little while, just long enough to get her out of harms way. Then she'd be on her own. "It's not safe," he said, gesturing to the layer of thick air. "Keep it secret." He looked around quickly, this wasn't the place to be making small talk. They had to get somewhere more secure. Where there was one grey suit, there was always more. "Time to go," he said as gently as possible. With that he started off again, though at a more moderate pace. He headed for the area of town he knew best, the area could they could most easily disappear. He headed for the speedy trip. "Live to hide another day."
Kami DeSoras "You. Fill up that hole then come with me. We're going ghost hunting." Kami was a bit confused, but she did as she was told. She took less time filling the hole back up, because the dirt easily flowed from her hands. She made sure to keep the grass until the hole was filled up, then she pressed her hands flat against the ground, and allowed the grass to grow back into the soil. After she was done, she smiled at herself. It didn't look like the yard had even been touched. The spot where the bodies were hidden looked just as natural as the rest of the yard. In a few days, it might look a little greener, but Kami doubted anyone would be the wiser. Wiping her dirty hands on her skirt just to spite the other woman, Kami gathered herself together, grabbed her backpack, and followed the man out of her yard. "So, what's your name," Kami asked the man. "You seem to know a lot about me. More than a lot of people do. And who were those guys that we buried? Friends of your's?" Kami wanted answers, and she felt she deserved them. She wondered if she would find out something she didn't want to know though. She hoped the guy wasn't luring her into a trap. Maybe she had gotten rid of the wrong people. Thinking of that, Kami touched a few random things along the way to wherever they were headed: some stones, dirt on the road, and she found a nice sturdy stick that she picked up and held on to. Kami looked ahead at the man as a cool autumn breeze swept past them. "So, your name?"
Avery Funkhouser When Avery followed Rebecca into her apartment, she loved it instantly. The dim lighting of a few lamps, the living room with well-loved furniture, and her sweet kitty begging for food; it was perfect. As Rebecca fed her cat, she invited Avery and Adelaide to take a seat. Avery plopped down on the couch with a sigh, resting her head in the soft cushions. The apartment felt so nice and homey, sadly quite the opposite of her own. Her large home was barely lived in, with her mum and dad only being there a few hours at a time. Just casual workaholics on the outside, but Avery knew they were extreme addicts. In her mind, money was the worst drug made to man. It never satisfied, only made its victims crave for more. Always more. Avery frowned thinking about it. Earlier in her life, she had truly cared about her parents. All she had wanted was their attention and approval. They lovingly gave her plenty of things, but something they could never buy was their precious time. When she was in primary school, they didn’t come to her Science Fairs, or were there to see her excitement in accepting awards. They were much too busy. Her deep hatred of her parent's ignorance had kept her hard at work in her younger years to open their blinded eyes. It had been convenient that Avery discovered her power when she had finally given up. After accidentally igniting her first flicker of a flame, destroying several of her things in the process, she actually felt a wonderful sense of freedom. Free from the 'things' that money bought, separating her from her parents. She had wanted so much to show her parents that things truly don’t last forever. Now, it would take only one tiny flame, just one, and they could have a real life together. Avery shuddered as she was reminded yet again, of those horrible first years of being a teen. Years of battling temptation, and forcing herself to not do what her heart desired most, to destroy. “Would either of you like something to eat or drink?” Rebecca asked, breaking Avery out her daze. Avery looked down at her wristwatch, touching its blackened screen quickly to revive it. “Uh, sure,” Avery said with a smile. Poor Rebecca. She had just gotten off work, and was still serving customers. “If you don't mind, a drink would be nice. If you have anything high in acid that would be even better.” Avery looked from Rebecca, to Adelaide still standing in the room. She couldn't help wondering what their stories were, what they had been through. Were they all similar in more ways than one?
Cody Deluca [HR][/HR] Pictures and utensils skidded across the wooden floor towards Cody, his magnetic field growing stronger by the second. He was breathing heavy and started up the stairs. His foot caught a ledge and he tripped, falling onto his knees. He was covered in sweat, his eyes glowing bright green. "Come on! My room is just up ahead... I'm so close!" He climbed up the stairs on all fours, pushing himself upright as he reached the top and broke out into a sprint. The door at the end of the hall was open, as was his bedroom door, but he didn't have time to worry about that. The other boy was quietly observing, and continued following Cody. Cody turned into his room. His eyes grew wide as he saw a large metal block on his bed. "Who put that out... That's not supposed to be there..." The block began to slide across his bed, it fell onto the floor and began picking up speed, rising from the ground. Cody ran to his drawers, opening them violently and grabbing a bottle of supplements. He tried to open the bottle, his hands shaking. As he struggled to get it open, it slipped from his hands; moving just out of the reach of his fingertips. "No!" He reached for another bottle, the metal block rocketing towards his gut. "I'm out of time..." Cody closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he quickly turned around, his right hand outstretched. The metal collided with his hand, almost melding with his arm. A ripple resounded through the block, as if it were liquid. His glowing green eyes turned even brighter, emitting a blinding light and completely illuminated the room. A swirling green aura enveloped him. Cody screamed in pain as the veins in his hand became visible, slowly turning silver. The silver veins spread up his arm and through the rest of his body. "Come on! S-stay awake! No passing out!" he roared in agony as intense pain overtook his body and mind. He fell onto his knees, vomiting blood. The swirling aura was picking up speed, completely trashing the room. Cody grabbed onto his outstretched arm tightly, trying to lower it. The fingertips of his right slowly became encased in metal. He began to lose feeling in his hand. The light of his eyes swelled up even brighter and then began to darken. The aura slowly dissipated, revealing the destroyed room. Cody hunched over onto all fours, blood pouring from his mouth. His body was shaking, covered in a cold sweat. The metal block was gone, and the magnetic field was neutralized. He pushed himself back against the wall, looking from his left hand to his right. His right hand was completely encased in metal. "At... at least no one else was hurt this time..." he mumbled aloud. Cody moved his metal fingertips, clenching his fist. The silver veins began to fade. "Is this really the price I have to pay...?" He slowly looked up to the doorway, wiping blood from his mouth with his sleeve. The boy stood there, staring.
Joe Williams Joe froze as he heard a racket downstairs. He was about to ignore it when he heard noises coming from the stairs. Quick as a flash he was back as a strange purple cat. At least this way they'll think I'm just a stray that got in. He poked his head round the doorway to see a boy crawling up the stairs. He was sweating heavily and seemed to be out of breath but it was the eyes that caught Joe's interest. They were glowing bright green. The boy reached the top of the stairs and broke into a sprint for what Joe assumed must be his room. Joe started to move towards the stairs but halted as noticed another person following the boy. As the boy slipped into his room the observer followed. From inside the room Joe could hear a flurry of noises then a scream. The screaming continued, getting louder. It sounded like the boy was in agony. Joe's curiosity overtook him. He darted into the corridor and stuck his head through the gap in the observers legs. The boy was slumped against the wall his hand covered in what looked like metal. This should be interesting.
Alexander Butler Alexander looked down at the boy with renewed interest. If he had any doubts about the boy’s power before, they were gone now. He watched as the boy examined his own hand, which was now encased in a dark grey layer of metal. It seemed to be malleable enough for the boy to flex his hand in. “Brilliant,” Alexander remarked, “I hope these events don’t endanger your life, as I have many questions to ask you.” He placed his hands behind his back and started to pace back and forth by the doorway. “The powers have an obvious connection to metals. But does it only affect ferromagnetic metals or all metals in general? Why did it stop when you touched that metal?” Alexander was mostly talking to himself, trying to sort the questions in his head. “The magnetism must be a side effect to the initial cause,” continued Alexander, indicating the boy’s hand, “Perhaps it’s caused by a biological deficiency of metals, or some sort of electron displacement. But why would it provoke such a powerful reaction?” Alexander slowed his pace, and took a deep breath. He was getting too excited, and his brain was trying to process more things than was safe. He had reacted the same way when he found out about his own powers, and now he was about to do it again. But he knew that the abilities weren’t anything he could logically place. He had spent days trying to explain his abilities away, and there was only ever one conclusion. “Unexplainable,” stated Alexander, stopping in front of the boy. The boy’s abilities were completely different from his own, but he knew that the outcome would be the same. Nothing would add up, and everything would go out the window. “And that’s why I need your help,” said Alexander. He reached down, and offered his hand. “I don’t believe we’re fully acquainted yet. I am called Alexander.”
