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ABERRANT: WEIRDER STUFF - CHAPTER II "Sometimes Eating the Cake Just Isn't Enough"


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Abel, Sara, and Sean made their way back to the stadium after paying for and collecting their food from Dixie. They had agreed to keep things quiet about Sean's weird premonition. They arrived just as the Teams were entering the field and being introduced.

After passing a bag of fries and a burger to Kia they found seats away from Base personnel. Sara had remarked that it seemed weird it was for them to be at the game now to her even though they were Kia and Lilly's parents she just couldn't get it out of her head that they were there not for their kids or the game but to watch over them.

Both Sean and Abel silently agreed with Sara, Sean because she recognized at least six other military members who had been in direct contact with the Irregulars over the last week all of them security personnel, and Abel because he caught their thoughts, They were all here to keep an eye on them in a public place where they, the military, had little to no control.

On the field the game had started and both Lilly and Alec were keeping a close watch on Chet who so far was behaving even if he was playing better than they had ever seen him before.  The Rangers scored the first touchdown of the game and on the third play of the opposing teams offense Chet did something he had never done in all the years of his playing football from middle school to this very day. He sacked the quarterback.

The Shelly supporters cheered wildly of course, led by Kia and Courtney and the blasting of the Shelly High School band. The game continued and on the very next play Chet once again sacked the quarterback and this time there was a fumble and it was the Rangers who recovered the ball. As the Offense switched places with the defense  Chet gave Lilly a leer and a wink.

On the sidelines, Kia had noticed that Courtney had not been as excited by the second tackle made by her new ride buddy, the petite Asian girl notice a serious scowl marring the gorgeous blonds features a scowl that deepened when a wadded up paper cup hit Courtney from the stands. The blond cheerleader now angry spun back toward the stands and Kia noticed the head cheerleaders eyes go wide and her face went pale.

 

Spoiler

Kia you may make an awareness roll to determine what caused Courtney's abrupt change. let me know the result of your roll in a PM please And i will tell you what you determine.

 

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Despite refusing to engage with Courtney's negativity, Kia was aware the girl had issues. She wasn't blind to the idea that Courtney and Chet might be planning some stunt at the game. It was just...not knowing what they could do, she figured the best way to handle it was to pay attention and stay ready. They didn't seem to want to flaunt any powers openly, which was something at least.

So Kia did notice Courtney's odd reaction to Chet's newfound prowess. He was going off-book somehow. Or maybe Courtney was just mad that Chet was still obsessing over Lilly?

When the head cheerleader looked back at the stands and got that expression though, Kia couldn't help but feel a chill. She'd never seen Courtney react that way before. She quickly sat up straighter and looked around behind her as well, trying to see what the other girl had seen.

Awareness: Awareness: 4d10h7 3

(3 sux on 4 dice! Not bad!)

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Kia looks around and following the direction of Courtney's gaze see that she is looking at the television news crew from the local FOX affiliate in Hardin, no she isn't looking at them but rather someone standing right behind them, a young woman maybe a year or two older than Kia and Courtney.

She looks vaguely familiar, Kia thinks she might have seen her around town or maybe the base. Wait that's it, Kia has seen her on base in uniform, she remembers seeing her right after the aliens first came, she was in the infirmary one of the wounded troops who was caught in the base invasion.

The girl, or woman rather, in question is giving Courtney the hairy eyeball of death and with a quick tilt of her head to the right she gestures toward the Defense  coming off the field. The woman looking at Courtney looks very pissed off and Kia can see that she has one hand at her side clenched into a white fist.

 

Spoiler

This is the girl although she isn't smiling at all

GreenEllen_17.jpg

 

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Kia has no idea why she's seeing this...but she has a pretty good instinctive grasp of what she's seeing. This gal from the base, a servicewoman, was trying to get Courtney to do something. And given Courtney's reaction, there was maybe some kind of coercion involved? It didn't make sense, but that didn't stop Kia from warning the others.

<Hey guys?> she sent on the 'guild-chat,' <One of the soldiers who got hurt the first time the aliens showed up is over here in the stands, and she's glaring at Courtney and trying to get her to do something, and Courtney seems really worried about it. Not to mention, Courtney's been mad at Chet pretty much the whole game. I feel like...there's some kind of plan happening, and they're not doing it right? So this lady's here to crack the whip.>

<Anyway, she's kind of doing a head-nod thing at the players coming in right now, so...heads-up I guess? Maybe I should go talk to her.>

She brightened.

<I'm gonna go talk to her!>

With that, Kia got to her feet and started climbing up the stands towards the news crew, intent on going and saying hi to the soldier.

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Lilly's brow furrowed slightly as she thought about what Kia was sharing. Chest had been acting odd, and obviously using his enhancements to play, thereby giving him the best game of his life so far, but she had the feeling that something else might be afoot.

< Huh... You think she knows about us? You picking up anything from her, or Courtney for that matter, Abel? > Lilly asked over Guild Chat.

< And yeah, I got the feeling they are up to something too. Don't now what though. > she added.

She jogged onto the field, slipping on her helmet. Lilly intentionally made sure to pass close, though out of reach, of Chet so he could hear her.

"Dude! Good hustle Chet! It's like you are playing on a superhuman level! It's like, not even fair!" she said to him enthusiastically.

Once in the huddle Lilly looked around at her teammates with a smile, her arms resting on the shoulders of the teammates on either side of her.

"Okay guys, let's try Rip Jet Blue Joker Right. Break on three. One. Two. Three. Break!" she said, calling the next play and breaking the huddle to let everybody take their positions. 

Lilly looked at the Defense, noting where certain players were, how they lined up and on what side and made an adjustment.

"Bozo! Bozo!" she yelled to her left and then to her right through her mouth protector, giving the last minute change to the play to the rest of the team.

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Abel's eyes narrowed, and he reached out, using what Kia saw as a guide.   He quickly found the soldier in question, and surprisingly was able to see her memories quite clearly.  What he saw chilled him to the bone.  <Kia, Do NOT go to her.  Find some way to go to your parents thank them for coming express surprise at seeing them here, some sort of mundane conversation, but do not go to that woman.  Do not mention her at all and nobody react to what I'm about to tell you.>

He quickly replayed the memories he lifted from her mind, eschewing doing anything more, as for now her orders were observation.   Any fight here would put far too many people in danger.   <That woman is Allison Bigby, Deathotter.  She's here to observe us, and she's with Chet and Courtney, and the other enhanced.   They're working for Daisy, same as we are for Hooly.  There's more but unless they make a real move to actually do something, we should simply be on our guard.  There are too many people here who would get hurt if we force the issue.>  The fact this woman had already done the things she'd done, and that so far he didn't know all her capabilities, or those of her allies, was all that stopped him from trying something he knew he could do, but had yet to try.  Mentally he sent the image of this woman to each of them there at the game, so they'd know who it was he was talking about.   As an after thought, he sent along mental images of the other members of her group, Courtney, Chet, Dan Simonton, Gina Walker, and Leon Travis.  He'd investigate each of them in turn. 

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Kia paused at that, a little surprised by the fear in Abel's 'voice.' Allison wasn't a stranger, it turned out...she had been at the base! She probably hated the aliens too. And there were other enhanced, but two of them were Chet and Courtney, and just because they were kind of unpleasant didn't make them BAD. It didn't make them dangerous. These weren't the enemy. The enemy was out there, waiting behind weird portals of swirling light.

Dutifully, she turned and started slipping through the stands towards where her dad and mom were sitting though.

<I don't get it. You said she's under orders? Orders from who?>

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Sean had been trying to affect being a normal girl watching her school team playing a football game, sitting with her friends and girlfriend. And while she appeared to do so with effortless ease, it indeed took effort. She wasn't a normal girl. Her looks and presence made her stand out and she had to deflect more than one comment, cat-call, or proposition despite obviously attending the game with her girlfriend.

But it was the sheer acuity and expanse of her senses that was incredibly exhilarating, yet distracting. She was getting better at instinctively compartmentalizing her thoughts and senses, so as not to be overwhelmed and instead, being able to call up the information and stimuli she been actively and subconsciously accumulating.

And her senses weren't only directed outward. Her sense of self, her own spatial dimensions and the space she occupied were very obvious to her. She couldn't believe she had knocked things down or over with her boobs before - she wouldn't be doing that again without making a conscious effort to do so. And she was aware of even more, the way each sip of her drink went down her throat, into her stomach, then to her digestive track and what it had added to the chemical composition of her body. The physiological response of her skin to the wind blowing across it, even her responses to Sara at her side were clear to her in a way that was more than just feelings and sensation, but was decipherable in chemical and hormonal reactions, though she was still figuring out just what chemicals and hormones those were. She'd have to read up on biology and medical papers.

During the game, Sean had assigned a portion of her mind to cataloguing the physical actions of Chet and Courtney, collating and calculating their mass and velocity, the reactions of those they interacted with, trying to determine their exact physical capabilities. She didn't want any surprises if and when they conflicted again. There was still a part of her eager to give Chet back every punch and kick he had given her.

When Kia, Lilly, and Abel started talking about the surprise arrival of the day, Sean's outward demeanor didn't change in the slightest, but Sara could feel the analyzing professionalism radiating off her girlfriend through their mental link. She reviewed her own memories of her awareness of their surroundings. She hadn't seen the woman who was purportedly Allison 'DeathOtter' Bigby actually appear, but she knew when she had first become aware of her.

<As of one minute, thirteen point five-seven-six seconds ago, she wasn't there guys,> Sean added over the link.

Though she agreed with Abel that it was too dangerous, for others - possibly for themselves - to confront the other... cluster of QEHs in the stadium, Sean couldn't help but start determining the risk versus reward of engaging DeathOtter. She was horrified to realize she was calculating the feasibility of killing the woman, right there, in the open, in front of everyone. But from the little they new, Allison Bigby wasn't a stupid woman - Sean couldn't believe she would have put herself in a situation like this without a contingency or contingencies in place. Allison had seen the video and at the least, had an inkling of their capabilities, if not of all of them.

The Irregulars couldn't say the same of DeathOtter, or for that matter, the rest of those Abel had identified belonging to 'Daisy's' cluster of QEHs. Sean began reviewing everything she knew and remembered of Courtney, Chet, Dan Simonton, and Gina Walker under the microscope of her heightened perspicacity. She search online for Leon Travis in a moment, if for nothing else, to find a pic so they knew what he looked like, if Abel hadn't manage to swipe that from Allison's mind.

<Kia, presumably their version of Teddy Bear Hooli keeps a heavier hand on their actions than Hooli does on ours,> Sean amended. <Abel, I don't know the risks to you or to your being discovered, but can you dig around a bit more and maybe find out what back-up plans DeathOtter had made, or even just where she has stashed all her blackmail information and what will trigger its release?>

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Mrs. Dumont was quite stunned when one of her best cheerleaders, Kia Mizuki, left the squad line and jumped into the stands and started climbing to where an attractive Asian couple were sitting. She was about to call out to her when she noticed that her head cheerleader, Courtney had also left the line and was over by the benches talking rather animatedly with one of the players, she couldn't see who and was about to go dress Courtney down when a huge cheer went up. Shit, she thought to herself, we just scored and I missed it. She called to her remaining cheerleaders and gave them some direction.

Lilly threw a thirty yard pass right into Alec's waiting hands and with what appeared to be little effort on his part he scored.

The crowd cheered

In the stands both Abel and Sean were keeping their eyes and other senses on the person known as D3@th 0Tt3r , when suddenly she seemed to fade away from Sean's senses. Abel was still in her mind but what he was sensing lost all meaning, becoming nothing but mental white noise.

 

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Kia got to her parents, who were looking at her with very surprised expressions. She leaned down to give them hugs, and said quietly as she did, "Would you guys do me a favor and...leave the game?"

She glanced side to side and went on, "Something's up. I don't know if it's dangerous. I'd just feel a lot better if I knew you guys were safe. Anyway, I can't stay...Dumont's going to be super-mad but...I just wanted to ask. Okay. Thanks. I love you."

Then she hurried back down the bleachers and hopped back down into the line with an apologetic look at Mrs Dumont. There'd be hell to pay for it later, but not yet. Not during the game. That sort of thing in public didn't make people want to cheer after all.

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Having done her job for the moment, Lilly's mind switched from the game and back to the issues hand. She unstrapped her helmet, pulling it off as she jogged back to the sideline, considering who all was there at the moment to possibly assist in some way, should something bad actually happen, which essentially amounted to the Irregulars themselves, both of her parents and both of Kia's parents as well.

'Hm. I wonder if they sent anybody else to keep an eye on us.' she thought to herself, lifting her gaze to the bleachers.

She scanned them for any other faces from the base, most specifically their new SEAL instructor, McKellar. A small smile played across her lips as she spotted him way up in the bleachers, far from her parents. He was in civilian attire and doing a rather good job blending in with the crowd, but Lilly had seen most of the faces in the bleachers at almost every game, so to her, new faces tended to stand out.

She did not let her gaze linger on him or draw any attention to him, and instead just smiled and gave a wave to the assembled parents, friends and supporters of the team who had made the trek to be at the game. This game was a long drive from home, so for them to be here to support the team meant a long to Lilly, and she wanted to show some appreciation. 

< Hey guys. Don't look, but McKeller is here too. Probably just wanting to see us on our own so he can get a better feel for us. > she thought over Guild Chat, showing the others where she spotted him.

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Abel frowned.  <I lost her.   Or rather, I can feel her mental presence, but it's all white noise.  Efforts to cut through it have proven fruitless.   Obviously she's onto us, they all are.  We need to disengage and focus for now on the game.  There was no hostile intent this time.>  

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<I lost her too,> Sean admitted, after taking a moment to flick through several layers of enhanced senses. <If she's cloaked instead of having teleported away, it's very thorough. I can't detect any hint of her within range.>

At Lilly's comment, Sean added McKellar to her mental map of her surroundings. Then under the pretense of looking for something in her satchel and chatting with Sara, Sean confirmed McKellar's presence and location with a covert, casual glance. Considering McKellar and what they knew of D3@th 0Tt3r's capabilities, Sean began keeping a surreptitious eye out for any cameras or civilian drones that may be observing them remotely.

<What Abel said, but still keep a bit of an eye on Courtney and Chet, Kia and Lilly, just in case.>

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With heightened awareness of the potential for some sort of shenanigans being perpetrated by Courtney and her gang of enhanced, the Irregulars went back to the game but kept their eyes and other senses open.

Nothing happened.

After Courtney had her little huddle with Chet, he calmed down on the filed and while he still played better than he ever had before he was no longer sticking out like a sore thumb.

D3@th 0Tt3r did not return and with in a few minutes of her sudden disappearance Abel lost contact with her mind (at least he thought it was her mind) as well.

The rest of the game proceeded under more normal circumstances, and while the Red Devils played hard the outcome was never seriously in doubt. The rangers won 40 to 21 and the Rangers push to the state championship was underway finally.

Over the next few weeks life for the Irregulars became busy and complicated. Football and Training occupied a good deal of their time with gaming and dating taking up a significant portion of the remainder of their time.

Early in November a new President was elected and while this had no immediate impact on the gang it would have greater repercussions in the months to come.

The Deviants also surprisingly kept a very low profile. Courtney and Chet seemed by the end of football to be dating as was Dan and Gina, although Abel knew from their thoughts that they were all four faking their relationships to mask their spending so much time together.

The playoffs proceeded with the Rangers winning at every turn. And finally they did what no other Shelly team had ever accomplished they became the state champions in their division.

November turned to December and winter was in full swing as the Christmas vacation fast approached.

The Irregulars had been trained and their powers were growing and so far they hadn't been called upon to do anything with them.

But as the saying goes, it was just the lull before the storm.

Spoiler

This ends the current chapter. XP will be awarded in the XP Thread and in the individual bonus pms. I will also be posting some things for y'all to add to your sheets in a separate post.

 

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INTERLUDES

 

THE FOLLOWING TAKE PLACE DURING THE MONTHS OF NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

UNLESS A DATE IS IMPORTANT

THE EXACTE DATE WILL REMAIN UNSPCIFIED

 

 

It Can Be Anything”

“Ms. Cassidy, do you have a minute?”

Richard Shelton was one of the original engineers who had been enhanced during the early days of the project back when it was still based in Chicago. He had received a healthy boost to his intelligence and a hearty regeneration and immune system. At 62 years old he now looked just as he had when he had been 25, albeit much more fit.

Sean looked up and smiled her dazzling and alluring smile as she shifted her body slightly to a more enticing stance, all performed subconsciously as the male approached.

“What do you need Dr Shelton?” She asked with an almost purr.

Abel and Alec working nearby noticed the subtle change in Sean's manner. Abel gave Alec a knowing look as he sent a private thought to him about how their friend had no idea she was even doing it.

Dr. Shelton stopped a few yards away and just stared at the smartest most beautiful woman in the world. Though enhanced Shelton was in no way immune to Sean's otherworldly beauty.

“um...”, He stammered before collecting himself and holding out a flashdrive. “we've been working on samples of the alien armor and playing around with how to reproduce it. Well my team came up with something and we want you to look at it and make sure we have the math right.”

Sean smiles and takes the drive, allowing her fingers to brush the flustered mans hand, “Sure thing Dr Shelton we'll go over it and let you know, that is if you don't mind me showing it to Alec and Abel as well.”

“No of course not by all means go right ahead.” He said dazzled by the sensual creature in front of him.

 

Later after going over the data and verifying and refining it they returned it to Shelton. The first major invention by an Enhanced team had been made.

Taking what was learned by studying the crystal armor techniques of the Aliens and applying it to Carbon Nano Synthesis and then Combining it with the newly forming Science of Quantum Fundamentals, Shelton and his team with the aid of The Irregulars have created the Polymeric Adaptable Molecule.

 

Spoiler

The Polymeric Adaptable Molecule, created by Dr. Richard Shelton and The Irregulars is a synthetic nano sphere which can be altered easily and adapt to a certain environment, allowing them to be incredibly resilient to drastic changes in heat, cold, pressure, density, dirt, etc.

Polymeric Adaptable Molecules are a configuration of known atomic nuclei and electrons, which is responsive to certain Quantum energized matter around it. Used in the making of clothing for the Irregulars , Polymeric Adaptable Molecular cloth mimics its wearer's physical properties.

PAM Suit replaces Eufiber in this world, though the change is mostly just in the name and nature of the suit.

Weave works with this suit as does the eufiber attuned merit which is now called PAM Attuned

Your characters receive 1 free dot in the PAM Suit Background and they receive their suits at Christmas time. So they do not have them for project#5

 

 

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BUILDING A BETTER BOW

The snap reverberated across the empty hanger punctuated by another series of curses. Lilly tossed the broken bow onto the growing pile and rubbed her cheek where the end of the bow cable had struck. She was tough enough that no damage had been cause but it still stung like hell.

McKeller walked over and eyeballed the destroyed weapons littering the floor.

“That was the last one, Lilly. Your just too strong for a bow, we are going to have to start looking at guns if you want to have any range.”

“Not necessarily Captain, Lilly.” Abel said as he walked up to them from across the hanger where he had entered at the personnel door. He nudged the pile of broken bows with his toe. “I just came back from the engineering lab, their Polymeric Adaptable Molecule is coming along nicly they are already working on a suit for us. But really the Pam can be used for virtually anything I could probably make you a bow out of it and with the adaptable nature of the Quantum, and our own ability to attune objects to our fields, we should should be able to make a bow that is good for whatever strength meter you possess at any given time.”

Lilly grinned at Abel, “Well what are you waiting for?”

 

 

The third arrow slammed into and through the target dummy at 100 yards.

They had dropped the compound mechanics that they had used with the failed bows and opted instead for a classic recurve style. It was made of a composite Graphene material which itself was made from Polymeric Adaptable Molecules, its color was a black grey sheen but with a thought, when attuned , Lilly could change its color to look how ever she wanted it to look.

 

“Shit, a rifle doesn't have anything on that, you happy with it?” Asked McKeller.

“Oh yes I am.” Grinned Lilly as she nocked another arrow and took aim

Spoiler

PAM ENHANCED RECURVE BOW

Acc +1 Damage Str +0L (variable)*! Min and Max STR (Variable)**

Effective Range 100m +100m per M-STR Energized ROF 1 Weight 2 kg

 

*Different Arrow heads may add or limit Damage

** The Minimum and Maximum Str of the Bow is equal to the M-Str the bow is energized to. Not meeting the energized rating will render the Bow unusable while exceeding this maximum will destroy the bow after one use.

! The Standard Arrows designed to be fired fired from an energized bow are made of a graphite shaft with a tooled Depleted Uranium Arrow Head and are considered to have the Armor Peiricing Extra, arrows fired from an energized bow are one use only. If spent arrows are collected then can be retooled for later use.

 

The Bow must be Attuned by the QEH who intends to use it furthermore the weapon must be energized with Quantum energy to withstand the ferocious forces used by the QEH. For each dot of Mega-Strength a QEH wishes to employ with the bow, one point of Quantum must be expended charging the Bow for the scene. Only a QEH attuned to the Bow may Charge the bow. However once the bow is charged any QEH with at least the Minimum Mega-Strength can use the bow.

The Bow must be Energized to be Strung and can only be strung by a QEH with Mega-Strength equal to the amount of Mega-Strength the bow is energized to.

Note that the bow can be energized at a higher Mega-Strength rating than the QEH charging the bow has.

An uncharged/energized bow can be used as a quarter staff with a maximum Str of M-Str 1

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The snow was coming down like a blizzard outside but it was warm and cozy inside the empty restaurant. Bunee was somewhere in the back and Maggie, the 42 year old, not half bad looking waitress who had flashed Devin, more than once since he started working here was late.

He wiped the counter down again and wondered if Bunee would shut down early, wondered if he could catch a ride cause walking home in the snow really sucked.

Ring a Ling

The annoying door bell snapped Devin out of his reverie and focused his attention on the door. Expecting to see Maggie he was surprised to see two of his fellow students. He gulped a bit when he saw who they were.

Sara and Sean came in and went straight to the booth both of them usually sat at when by themselves without the rest of the gang. Sara helped Sean out of her winter coat and glanced over at Devin Jauntsen  who was leering at Sean's out thrust chest. Sara gave him a look of disgust as she slid in beside Sean.

Great, he thought, no Maggie so I'm gonna have to wait on them.

Right, sure... because you two have nothing better to do than get burgers in the middle of a blizzard.  Ugh... these people...

With a roll of his eyes, that he didn't even bother to hide, he scooped up his ordering pad and walked over to their table.  He approached, and with a smirk his eyes locked on Sean's chest.  "Evening ladies."  He was obviously speaking to her breasts, not her.  "What can I get ya?"

Nether girl had menus and Devin could see how close together they were, Hutchins' holding Sean's hand in a very possessive manner.

Sean, it was so hard to believe that she was that little twirp's cousin, smirked at him actually arched her back slightly making her breasts jut even more.

Suddenly he felt a piercing pain behind his eyes, sudden headaches were unusualle for him

The blonde scowled, "Two double cheese burgers with double bacon, large basket of cheese fries and a large order of onion rings," she glanced over at Sean," and two chocolate shakes also large with double ice cream. And Devin, if you want to look at my girlfriends tits, be more subtle or I will kick your ass from here to next Wednesday."

Ring a Ling

Everyone looked back at the door and saw that another kid from school had come in.

Abel had told Kia that he would pick them up some food before training so he pulled up at Bunnee's and could feel Sara and Sean inside. Sara as usual was pissed. When he came in he saw the reason why. but he also saw something else as his mind scanned the other minds in the place he found a center of energy the same energy that fueled their powers this center was in Devin Jauntse's brain and it was pulsing. Opening his senses he could see the ambient quantum shed by Sean and Sara was being absorbed by Devin.

Devin squinted, like someone was shoving a needle into the back of his eye.  The pain was momentary, but the throb remained.  He regained his composure and tried not to look like the ladies were getting to him.  "I believe I was staring, not 'looking'.  There's a difference.  Besides you should be thrilled, you got a hot girlfriend, people are gonna stare."  He scoffed.  "You guys wanna Diet Coke to wash all this down?"

When the door jangled again he rolled his eyes once more and slapped his pad against his leg.  "Seriously?"  He shook his head at Abel.  "Christ, you guys have nothing better to do but get fat in a blizzard?"  He shrugged, annoyed.  "And you want?"

He was delivering the worst customer service ever...

Abel couldn't answer he was seeing things with his mind but it was as if it was with his eyes. He could see the energy the Quantum force drawn into the boys node, the organ Dr. Reshoud had discovered. He could see the energy form both Sraa and Sean and now from him all flowing towad Devin.

"ahhh I need to pick up some burgers to go for me and Kia, Cheese burgers all the way and two orders of fries."

<guys do you see this?> he thought over guild chat

<see what> Sean and Sara's thoughts came as one.

"Devin, do you feel ok?" Abel asked

"Peachy."  Devin retorted.  He didn't really know any of these guys, he knew of them, in passing, but in his three years of living in Shelly he'd gone out of his way not to get to know any of the people in this crap-hole town.  "Dude, play with your friends, and I'll go give this to Bunnee."  He waved their order about sarcastically.  "Deuces."

He walked through the kitchen doors and leaned against the wall, squinting in pain.  His temples throbbed and he leaned downward, flexing his neck trying to apply as much pressure as he could in hopes that it might deaden some of the pain.  He wasn't about to show it front of them, but it felt like a train was rolling around inside his head.

"Y'okay, Devin?"  Bunnee asked, seeing the boy in pain.

"Fine," he lied, as all boys his age did.  He smacked their order onto the counter top and stumbled past, and out towards the bathrooms.  He felt like he was going to vomit.  "Need a Tylenol and I'll be good..."

<What is it abel what did you see> Sean thought at abel

<Devin, I think he is manifesting. I could see our energy flowing into him and he's having the headaches like we did> Abel slid into the booth on the opposite the girls. <Kia, you better tell your dad we may be witnessing a manifestation  this could be invaluable to figuring out what has happened to all of us to understanding all of this. I have to observe this closely see how it works>

<is that safe?> asks Sara

<It will be fine>

By the time Devin had taken some tylonol and the headache had become a dull throb the food was ready. Abel had slipped into the other boys mind and was fascinated by the play of energy the way it flowed and ebbed. it entered the MR node and then shunted out and away throughout  the brain like tiny probes seeking ...something.

 Devin came out with the food four big plates and two fountain glasses full of shake and a large paper bag for the Cross kid. as he set the food in front of the girls Abel spoke

"You really hate being here don't you."

It was a statement not a question and Devin herd it not only with his ears but with his mind.

He looked over at Abel and suddenly their eyes seemed to connect. It was surreal the room seemed to elongate into a tunnel only Abel and he could be seen everything else was a blur and Abel was all stretched out like looking at him through a fish eye lens.

You really hate being here don't you

being here

                  really hate

youdont

hate you

being

Abel was in his head and neither of them were in Montana anymore...

The next spike of pain was promoted to 'needle behind the eye' to 'drill bit in his brain'.  His eyes were locked to Abel's and then his whole mind was on fire.  It was like three years of bad experiences and holding a grudge and bad experiences all poured to the surface.  He made an audible groan doubled over and then... Devin and Abel were gone.

Sara and Sean looked about like they had sudden;y been thrust into some practical joke.  "Abel?"  Sara asked quietly, not wanting to alert Bunnee in the back that something odd might be happening out front.

"Abel?"  Sean whispered, looking around.  "Abel?"  She pivoted around and for some reason looked in the booth behind them.  She wasn't sure why, and in retrospect she mentally chastised herself.

Sara sighed in disgust and finally caved, "Devin?"  She whispered.  She didn't really care, and was more concerned for Abel, but if he knew where Abel gone, well, she'd tolerate him.

 

Abel heard the waves.  He was disoriented and a bit confused, but only for a moment.  He fought to hold his balance and then he realized he was really overdressed.  His feet had a hard time settling in the sand of the beach but from what he saw it was easy to understand why they were here.  He didn't pull himself into Devin's mind, Devin's mind pulled him along for the ride.  By his reckoning they were somewhere on the west coast, California, judging by the heat and the sign that said ''Welcome to Ventura Beach'.  He looked at his watch and it had been only seconds since they'd left.  "Incredible."  Was about all he could manage to utter.

It was like wearing a pair of uncomfortable shoes all day and then finally taking them off.  The pressure in his head reached a crescendo and then, nothing.  His ears popped and he went from the scents and sounds of Bunnee's Burgers to the Ventura Beach.  He didn't need to see where he was at to know it, he recognized the scent of home and the sounds of people beginning their night time partying as the sun went down.  This was his fondest memory, coming to the beach and walking the shore or swimming on the coast.  The sun was warm, the nights were beautiful and there always seemed like there an inexhaustible amount of things to do, not like Shelly.  When his brain finally kicked back in, he stumbled on the sand unable to get his footing as the sudden rush of fear and confusion stripped from him his motor skills.  Sitting in the and he looked up at Abel, his mind immediately relating their current situation as being somehow his fault.  "Dude..."  He squeaked.  "What.  The.  Hell...."

"You want the long or the short answer Deven?"   Abel had never been out of Montana, and the first time he was teleported, it was to an oceanside beach in California.   His own first pick would have been for Hawaii with Kia, but considering he had just got to watch and effectively experience another manifestation for someone else, it was a solid second choice.

As he gave Deven a moment to collect himself, he Reached out to Sean and Sara, the link still very much intact, despite the range.  <So, that happened.  We're in California.  I'm going to explain to Deven, then try to convince him to take us back home.  I'll write up the report, and allow you to see what I saw when I get back Sean.>

Back at the diner Sara shoved an onionring into her mouth and shook her head.

<great another dickhead for Courtney's misfits>

Alerted by Abel, Sean had called up layers of enhanced perceptions and witnessed the flows of energy going from them to Devin, if not with the detail Abel had experienced. She was more adept at detecting the energy within herself and seeing them when others actively used their powers.

She had gotten the most detail just before Devin and Abel had disappeared. A prismatic corona of quantum energy had sprung around Devin, engulfed Abel, and then collapsed into a singularity, taking the two boys with them.

The tall woman sat back down, picking up Abel's to-go bag and setting down on the booth beside her out of sight. Seems like it wasn't just a short hop, which was confirmed when Abel gave them an update through Guildchat. They could feel the distance between them through the mental contact.

<Thanks for the update, Abel, we'll wait here for a while,> Sean replied, taking another bite of her burger. <If you aren't back by the time we finish our food, we'll take yours to Kia. If Devin knows how to get back, try to get him to go some place unobtrusive.>

Sean took a long sip of her milkshake, arching a brow at Sara, her lips quirked. Yeah, Devin's staring had been rather blatant and obvious, but he hadn't done enough for her to get worked up about it. <Who says he has to be a dickhead for Courtney's misfits, babe? He could be a dickhead for us instead. Another teleporter might be handy to have. Don't see any evidence of Hooli or Daisy yet...> Sean refocused the mental contact. <Hooli? You around or have any hand in this?>

After a moment of no otherworldly response, Sean shrugged, which Devin would regret missing, and finished her shake. <It's looking to me that Devin manifesting is more our fault than anyone or anything else's, accidental though it is.>

On the Beach, Devin struggled to his feet.  He slipped a few times, finding his struggle to gather his bearings and his mind wrapping around how they got here to be something his brain was just not up to multitasking.

"At the moment," he stumbled to his feet, taking in the West Coast for the first time in three years.  "I'll settle for any answer.  How in the hell, dude?  Because... dude... I was like... dude... the burgers... then dude... you were like... dude..."

He looked at Abel, confusion thoroughly setting in.  "...right?"

"This is going to sound crazy, Deven, but you're what's being called a Quantum Enhanced Human.  You have abilities now you didn't have before.   First and foremost, you have the ability of Teleportation, that's how the two of us ended up on the beach in California.  This is not a dream, not a drug trip, not some fever induced hallucination.  There's alot more to tell you, but that's the bare minimum explanation."

He looked around noting thankfully there really weren't any people at least nowhere close to them, All the same he seemed to be on his guard, and removed his jacket to look somewhat less out of place.

"Teleportation!?!?"  Devin exclaimed.  "Dude, how?  I'm not even German!"

<So are we like going to have to avoid people now? That is so fucked up> sara hissed in guild chat.

<we really don't need this kind of shit. Abel, can dufuss get you back or do i need to come and get you two?>

Devin was trying to process and as he was doing so he realized that his own internal monologue was being joined by other voices.

< hey...Dufuss can take care of the travel himself thank you>

Devins mental voice in their guild chat startled everyone into silence

<Well... shit. Guessing we're kinda stuck being guildies now,> Sean commented with a mild frown, thinking of Felix before switching channels to her and Sara's private line.

<Conditions have to be just right for a QEH to manifest. We don't have to avoid people anymore than we have to avoid getting struck by lightning.> Sean shrugged and snatched the last Onion Ring. <We just have to be aware that is now a very remote chance of the unusual happening around us. Go figure.>

Sara frowned.

<babe I get hit by lightning almost every time I fly> she said in their private intimate channel

Sean turned to look at her girlfriend... and blinked. In retrospect, she should have considered that. <Right. Winning the Lottery then - even less likely to happen, regardless of where you are, and more likely to completely change your life.>

Abel looked at Deven and his eyes narrowed. A quick analysis of what happened revealed the truth of the matter, to his chagrin.  "Well it seems that's my fault.  You can close that door if you want, but it's not hard to open it, and it's nice to know there are others out there in a similar situation."

He sighed.  "Look, what's really important is that you have powers now, and there's so much more going on than what you actually know.  We can leave it at that for now, until we get back home.   Once there, We can go somewhere safe to talk about everything else that's going on."   

he looked around, and then smiled back to Deven.  "With your power, it's not like this place is more than a moment's thought away for you now."

Sara looked back at her girlfriend for a few seconds then stretched up and kissed her on the cheek, then turned her attention to her burger. they could deal with asshole Devin later.

"I have powers?"  He pointed to himself.  "I can go anywhere with just a thought?"

Abel nodded solemnly.  "Preferably home, if you don't mind."

"Just like that you want me to just 'bamf' us back to Montana?"  He looked at Abel, ho looked quite serious.  He hopped about trying loosen up.  He let his arms go limp and shook his hands about psyching himself up.  "Okay.  Okay.  You can do this Dev.  I got this.  You.  Got.  This."

Closing his eyes he, he focused and tried to imagine himself 'home'.  He took a few breaths, relaxed himself and tried to just gather a grip on his situation.  A moment later they both appeared with a sudden 'pop' in the air right beside the booth where Sara and Sean were enjoying their meal.  Once he was sure he'd hit the bull's eye Devin hunkered over and pumped his fist.  "Yessss!  Who's the man?  I'm the man!  Best.  Day.  Ever."  He looked at the ladies then back to Abel.  "This is so cool.  Y'all enjoy, I gotta pack, I'm skipping school tomorrow and heading to Maui, no, Tahiti... no, the Bahamas.  Don't sweat the tip, I'm out."  With a smile a mile wide he turned and started grabbing his coat and

“Wait,” said Abel, “all that sound nice and all, and you can do that anytime, but first I think you should come with us to the base.”

Something about that stopped Devin in his tracks.  "Wait... you guys have a base?  What are you, some kind of super friends?  So, like... all of you can teleport too?"  He looked over his shoulder, making sure Bunnee couldn't hear them.  He'd read enough comic books to know that he couldn't let everyone know.  In fact, he was already coming up with a catchy code name for himself.

"Please tell me it's in a volcano."  He whispered as he smiled wide.  "Or, like built into the side of a mountain."

<For one dumbass, when we are in public like this use Guild chat, since you somehow managed to get in even though you weren't invited.>

Sara's thoughts dripped with disdain.

<and two this isn't a comic book or a TV show, its real, the base, in case your blind as well as dumb, is the fucking big Airforce base six miles outside of town which has seen more action in the last three months than they have in Afghanistan. And fuckhead, people have died.>

She shoves her plate away, slides out of the booth and holds her hand out for Sean while handing the bag of food to Abel.

"We better go and you better bring him the General and Dr. Mizuki need to know about this. You ready babe?"

<She does have the right idea.  Though I need to ask you to keep guild chat a secret, it's not something we've advertised, at all.>  He took the bag of food, and smiled.  "You can ride with me if you want Deven, but we really should get going.  Besides, i don't really think Bunnee will say no to going home early."

"Air Force base?"  Devin asked.  He seemed to not really be on the 'Guildchat' train yet.  "So, this is like... a military thing, are they like nuking this little down?  Making mutants or something?  Oh, man I knew this had to be military."

"Well, I appreciate the invite, but that's a total deal breaker."  He glared at Sara, a shred of distain in his expression.  They never really got along before and it didn't seem like they were about to start tonight. "N.Y.P.A., Sara.  You wanna name call, Pixie Glitterbutt," He spun his finger around addressing the lot of them.  "Then you can take your piss ant freak show and go climb dick mountain mouth first."

Sean stepped between Devin and Sara, who was bristling, "Sara please hun." she switched focus to Devin

"It's not like that  Devin, well not exactly . You should come with us though The doctors should check you out make sure your going to be ok." She changed her voice pitch making it soothing and calming while heightening her desirability making The boy all the more susceptible to coercion.

"I promise you they won't do anything to hurt you , none of us will, "She glanced at Sara, "And they won't make you do anything you don't want to and you can leave if you want after."

Sara just crossed her arms and glared, something she was good at.

He wanted to say no, in fact, he just did... but something about Sean, the way she spoke, the way she moved... everything just spoke to his subconscious telling him: "...they won't do anything to hurt you, none of us will..." after all, she promised...

"Y-yeah... sure.  Alright."  Devin relaxed, his own hackles lowering with the introduction of Sean mediating.  "Fine, just for a little while."


 

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