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ABERRANT: WEIRDER STUFF SEASON TWO - EPISODE ONE - "WELCOME TO THE NEW AGE"


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AWS S02 E01

“WELCOME TO THE NEW AGE”

NEW YORK CITY, THE UNITED NATIONS

(the present)

Sean Cassidy, Savant, was waiting outside while the delegates and ambassadors from the relevant countries were on an extended lunch break. As the 'face' of the Irregulars Sean had been chosen to represent the group at the meetings. There were a great deal of misgivings about the possible militarization of Keys by governments which had been exacerbated by the recent actions in Ukraine by a new key who had used his rather destructive powers on a Croatian unit in the ongoing war in that region. To make matters worse several Russian advisers had been killed and other gravely wounded in the action. The Russian President had of course blustered and threatened to unleash nuclear weapons and his own Powered Persons of Mass Destruction and even included the United States and the Irregulars in his propaganda speech.

Sean was here to convince the UN that the Irregulars were not a part of the Government, were not under the control of the military and were in fact not even residing in the United States but had, in fact, taken up residence in a neutral territory. But so far she hadn't had a chance to speak as one thing after another that had no bearing on the questions at hand had been brought up by delegate after delegate. It was frustrating.

She perceived her sister approaching with the much desired Starbucks, the coffee here sucked, but before Laurie who was here unofficially just to support her sister, Sean perceived another person, one she had been trying to get in contact with for weeks.

Pandora.

Ever since Tease and Alchemy had come back from Tahiti and told of their training and that that is where Devin, now calling himself Ronin was also being trained, Sean and Abel had been trying, unsuccessfully to get in contact with Pandora. And now here she was.

Laurie passed Sean a steaming cup and noticed the tall elegant older woman who was approaching them. That was unusual as almost everyone here had been giving Sean a pretty wide berth while at the same time staring to get the best look possible. Laurie also noticed a shift in the way Sean was standing. “Is something wrong Sean?”

“No,” Sean replied as Pandora stopped a few feet away and smiled that disarming smile, “this is a friend.”

Pandora Gave Sean a nod as a greeting and then glanced at Laurie. “This must be your sister I've heard so much about you from Tease and Ronin. I feel I know you already.”

Laurie was not surprised that the woman spoke with a British accent it just seemed to fit the woman. She glanced at her sister.

“Yes she is, Laurie could you give us a few minutes?”

Laurie took both women in and nodded. “Sure I'll go see if they have updated the schedule.”

As the younger red head walked off the two Super Powered women faced off.

“You wanted to talk, dear?”

 

ABOARD THE WATCHTOWER

(12 hours earlier)

 

“NSA Alert just came over the wave. Better get the Watch Key.”

 

Charlie was finishing his unpacking. He was staring at his brand new fitted PAM Suit and Realized he was really here really doing this. He Charlie Cole, Alchemy, hmm don't know about that, A member of the Irregulars and not just a trainee, after all he had the watch duty.

He was startled when his intercom buzzed at exactly that moment.

It hat taken Charlie only a few minutes to make his way to the command deck. It was still a little strange to be among aliens but they were so unassuming that you kinda forgot that they weren't human after a time. “What do you got?” he asked as he strode onto the deck and took a seat in the command chair, just like Captain Picard.

B'Ln'aa spun her, his, it's, whatever, chair around to face the WatchKey. ”NSA intercepted a text message and forwarded it to us sir.”

B'Ln'aa pointed at the big screen where a map and a scroll bar were visible, the map was of Norfolk Virginia the text read

'Hey, guys. Heads up, Ran into one of those Keys in First State Landing Park. Street kid. 9-10 looking. He blew up a tree when I said hi and offered him some water. I'm fine. Just spread the word. Be careful.'

“Did you pick anything up on your sensors”

“Nothing tripped any alarms, but going back it is possible that there may have been a Q Spike. It is not clear though, the proximity to several nuclear powered vessels (several other T'Tauri present giggle in the background and go dead pan silent when Charlie glances their way) causes an increase in Q background. We have further information coming in from the NSA including the Verified Identity of the Texter.”

Charlie was out of his depth. “Call Sage to the CC.”

 

NORFOLK VIRGINIA

GRANBY HIGH SCHOOL

8:47 AM (The Present)

 

Jeane had almost skipped school today. She had wanted to get back tot he park and find the kid before something bad happened, but she had that big Chemistry test in third period and if she missed that boy would dad be a terror. So here she was in first period already itching to be done and out. She had told he friends a heavily edited version of what had happened and what she had seen enough to make her look extremely cool but not enough to reveal anything about her own powers. She was a little worried that some of the guys might want to come with her after school though which would not..

“Miss Hebert... Jeane!” The sharp voice of the teacher brought Jeane's head up from where she was doodling on her notebook. Mrs Fletcher was looking at her when she saw she had Jeane's attention she nodded toward the door where she saw Mike Benson, a fellow senior but not one of the runners so not really someone on her radar. He was holding a hall pass and gestured for her. He must be an office aide this period. Brown Noser.

She gathered up her books and joined him at the door, he handed her the note “Counseler's office.” was all he said as he turned away to go do whatever it was Office Aides did.

Jeane knocked on the door and a voice called out “Is that your Jeane?” that was odd the voice belong to Principle Gearing not Ms. Sims the Head Counselor. “Yes sir” she replied through the door. “Come in then.”

Jeane did as she was told and entered the office she didnt look around the room until she had closed the door and turned to face the desk where the priciple sat and Ms. Sims stood beside the desk. But it was the others in the room that had her full attention now as well as the full attention of the two normal people in the room. \

Sitting there in the office with them were three of the most beautiful, perfect people she had ever seen, all about her age, two boys and a girl. One of the boys she recognized from TV and online it was the Key called Sage, the other two she had never seen before.

“These people would like to talk to you Jeane.”

Spoiler

Abel, Charlie, And tease are at the school with Jeane at this point no one knows Jeane is a key Just that she sent the Text.

 

VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

FIRST STATE LANDING PARK

8:47 AM (the present)

 

It was a big Park and they had little to go on but there could very well be a dangerous Key in the area and if there was it was up to Lilly and Kia to find him before someone got hurt. It was early and aside from park maintenance it seemed empty. The two girls were moving down one of the several running paths that criss crossed the park It was the one closest to where the Cell Tower triangulation showed that-the text had been sent from. They had little to go on, the brief information showed that the girl who was from a military family was an avid runner and from what they had seen of her sparse record kind of a loner. They walked a few minutes until they came to a little clearing may ten yards by about twenty at  one end was a large pine tree that was toppled and cut up. At least a bunch of branches looked as if they had been cut. Where the tree itself had snapped it looked as if an impact had exploded the tree toppling it.

Kia pulled a device from her purse. A small scanner which Abel had reassured them was capable of detecting Quantum Energy even if that ES was hours even days old. "Well let's see if it works."

Lights flashed on a small screen and a graph appeared with curvy lines and spikes moving. Kia slowly turned and held the device in front of her. She frowned. "I don't know if i'm reading this thing right. But i think it's showing more than one signature."

 

 

 

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INTERLUDE

THE WATCHTOWER

The Human in the Brown uniform with shorts stood on the platform a stunned look on his face. Five seconds ago he had been at the front of Bulwark AFB in Montana with a delivery for an Irregular. The next he was 126 miles above the surface of the earth. "Can I help you?" The T'tauri Transporter operator asked the wide eyed human.

"Ahh I have some packages for Alchemy?" The UPS delivery man questioned meekly.

"Proteus."

"Pardon?" the UPS guy said confused.

'It is Proteus now, Alchemy didn't like that name so he had us change it to Proteus this morning before beaming down with Sage and Tease."

A sense of vertigo made The UPS guys head spin "Ahh Okay," his gaze drifted over to the observation window showing the vastness of space the edge of the earths curve just visible. "Can...can you sign for it?"

"Sure." Sgt K'im came off his pedestal and went over and to sign the UPS guys Pad. "Hmph art school figures. You can leave them here and I'll beam you back down."

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NORFOLK VIRGINIA

GRANBY HIGH SCHOOL

 

Three thoughts immediately chased their way in circles through the blonde daredevil's brain. One. Dear god, they were hot. Two.  What would they want to do with her? She was completely careful, and there was no reason she would have come up on anyone's raider, not like she broke up a bank robbery or something, so... Three. Just breathe.

The last thought beat the other two into submission long enough for her to double check that, yes, Jeane was still damped down at the moment, and that she had been standing in the doorway with one hand on the door knob for at least forever too long, oh god... Just breathe.

"Yes, Sir," she managed to get out while closing the door again and popping to a crude approximation of parade rest, fighting down feelings of shame at her comparative absence of good looks and remounting panic as she remembered what might have brought down this kind of heat on her head. What? Seriously? Had they seriously tracked her down using that text?!

She valiantly mustered a shadow of her normal confidence, not quite making it as she sputtered out, "H- How can I help?"  

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Sage nodded once, happy to get to the point.  "We'd like to speak to you about the Key you reported seeing.   I was hoping that you could provide us with a description, and tell us where you saw them."   He looked to the Principal, and smiled.  "I realize this is somewhat unorthodox, and I thank you for allowing us to have our little talk.   

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NORFOLK VIRGINIA

GRANBY HIGH SCHOOL

Tease rolled her eyes.  She 'mumbled' as she was texting someone, which was always loud enough for everyone to hear.  "All those brains and you'd think he'd pick up a book on how not to be a social failure."  She looked to Jeane and smiled, finishing her text and placing her phone in her bag.  Uncrossing her legs she stood to meet Jeane with a smile.  Everything about the gorgeous Key screamed 'too expensive for you', from her knee-high brown leather heels, to her designer blouse that teasingly hung off one shoulder just enough.  Her plain gray leggings even seemed like they were gilded in gold simply because they were 'hers'.

"To my left, as you may already know, is Sage," she introduced the young man since he seemed incapable of understanding the nuances of an introduction despite being a mega-mind.  "To my right doesn't matter, he's a d-bag and I don't talk to him.  You probably shouldn't either, complete waste of time, trust me."

"I am called Tease, and we're here, like Sage said, to see if you might be able to help us out with what you saw," Tease seemed pleasant enough, her smile genuine and her introductions were even borderline funny and made for great icebreakers for loosening up the tension of the awkward situation.  Jeane extended her hand, after all, didn't you shake hands at introductions?  Tease recoiled like with an expression like Jeane had the plague or something.  "Oh, no, girl... yeah, no.  I'm not touching you."

"Tease," Sage said in a tone that defined the entire phrase 'that was rude'.

"What?"  Tease snarled at him with a locked jaw, again speaking softly but always loud enough for everyone to hear all to clearly.  "Oh, come on?!  Look at how she's dressed, she's obviously homeless."

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NORFOLK VIRGINIA

GRANBY HIGH SCHOOL

Proteus rolled his eyes and reached out to shake Jeane's hand firmly and warmly. "Since Tease" for a moment his tone carried the equation 'Tease = projecting ice-bitch' "hasn't introduced me, I'm Proteus. We need your help, Jeane. The more you can tell us about what happened, the sooner we can catch this kid before he moves from blowing up trees to something worse." Yes, unlike her, he could act kindly and professionally.

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NORFOLK VIRGINIA

GRANBY HIGH SCHOOL

Jeane unconsciously jerked to further attention as Abel spoke, every smooth word sinking into her head with nary a ripple of dissonance. It took an effort for her not to nod and give him everything he wanted. To come to the realization that she had, by some ridiculous convoluted wtf, lied not just to her friends, but to the NSA, FBI, and whoever else had told the Irregulars about her so quickly.

She could be in real trouble here. Worse than caught by the cops because she busted her arm failing a roof jump trouble even. And Dad had grounded her for a month after getting her cast off for that. How stupid was she?

Tease's backhanded greeting/insult towards her and the much-more polite Proteus, for all the sheer charm rolling off every word, made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. If she wasn't in so much potential trouble already, the blonde daredevil would have tackled the girl already, whatever powers she may have had. She inhaled through her nose and out again, focusing her gaze on the male two-thirds of the quantum trio.

"Umm. Yeah. Of course. I wouldn't want to get anyone hurt by leaving out anything important. That's why I told people about him, after all,” Jeane started with a sickly grin and rubbing the back of her head nervously, offering the good before moving to the bad, “...But what if I left something kinda-sorta important out of the first message? That I wasn't sure about talking about last night, and I'm afraid of telling anyone right now? Would I be in trouble?”

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

FIRST STATE LANDING PARK

 

"Awesome." Lilly said somewhat sarcastically, though it was not directed at Kia. "There's more than one, and at least one of them can do that." she added, pointing to the exploded, toppled tree.

"Stay where you are. Maybe I can spot some tracks and pick up a trail." Lilly told Kia as she carefully moved into the clearing, examining the ground, brush, and trees, looking for tracks, hoping for a trail to follow. Lilly's father had taught her to track game when they would go bow hunting, something they had not had the time for lately. Compared to a deer, tracking a person, especially who was not trying to hide their trail, was pretty easy.
 

Spoiler

5 successes on an Intelligence+Survival roll to check for tracks and tails


"Okay..." Lilly said, surveying the area. "Two sets of tracks. One are small, probably the 'kid' mentioned in the text, looks like they took off running to the north." she said as she pointed out the trail, hoping to make it more visible for Kia. "The other tracks are a bit bigger, but not, like, 'adult' large. They come out from under the tree." she further clarified, pointing out the second set. "Looks like we are the only other ones to come across this too. So I guess that's good at least, I guess."

Lilly crouched down, one hand resting in her hoody while the other lightly touched the ground. "There are four small, shallow holes here in the dirt. Close together and smaller than my fist. I have no clue what they are." she said with a shrug.

Lilly rose up and walked over to the felled tree where she picked up a couple of severed branches, examining the cuts for a moment before tossing one to Kia, who caught it easily and looked at the cut, even if she did not have Lilly's trained eye. "These were cleanly cut too. The lack of sawdust means a blade, like a machete, and judging by the thickness of some of these branches, either really sharp or with a lot of force behind it. Maybe both."

A thought occurred to Lilly, so she pulled out her phone and opened the copy of the text to verify what she thought she had read.

'Hey, guys. Heads up. Ran into one of those Keys in First State Landing Park. Street kid. 9-10 looking. He blew up a tree when I said hi and offered him some water. I'm fine. Just spread the word. Be careful.' the text read.

"Well, that explains that." Lilly sighed.

"What?" Kia asked with concern.

"The texter said they found the kid, right? And the kid blew up a tree when they offered him water." Lilly reminded her friend.

Kia's eyes widened a bit. "That means the texter must have been here, the bigger set of tracks... who cut all of those branches." Kia thought aloud.

"And there is more that one signature. That means..." Lilly said, only to be joined by Lilly in finishing the thought aloud and together, "...the texter probably a KEY too."

< Hey Abel, we found the exploded tree and stuff mentioned in the text, from the looks of everything we are pretty sure the texter is a KEY too, and one who can cut things, or at least like blades. So heads up. Kia and I are on the trail of 'the kid'. Let us know if you need backup. > Lilly thought to Abel and Kia.

"The three of them should be fine. Let's follow the kid's trail." she asked Kia as she motioned to the track heading north. "Unless you have another idea?" 

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NEW YORK CITY, THE UNITED NATIONS

(the present)

The constant stream of interruptions at the UN were growing tedious and irritating - Sean understood Devin's frustrations in some respects, though she could not condone many of his actions. A thread of thought began analyzing the interruptions, seeking to determine if they were due to the natural chaos inherent to so many nations and other interests interacting - chaos she wanted to mold into a more harmonious order - or if they were being coordinated to prevent her speaking. A woman like her, she could change minds with a few words and time in her presence.

A clinical part of Savant could see a game set before her, one with countless spaces, multiple dimensions, and innumerable pieces, a game for the Earth's survival and what will come afterward. Sean hated that she had to play the game, had to play if she wanted a say in how it was won, if it could be won, and hated that at times, it thrilled her too. It was like the satisfaction of building something and having it work at envisioned, but on a different scale.

Most people were pawns. That wasn't a disparagement - in chess, they did most of the work and employing them effectively was a key to winning. She was trying to give them the opportunity to be most effective, to even move up to higher echelons. Triumphing over the looming threat wouldn't be one with Knights, Bishops, and Rooks alone, especially when all the Kings and Queens on the board were playing against each, or another game entirely.

Speaking of Queens, here was one Sean had wanted to talk with, a Queen of unknown capabilities and goals, one who had played the game far longer than the Earth and all its pieces had even been placed on the board.

"I do," Sean admitted simply with a nod, melodious voice modulated not to carry. She had been granted a respectful distance from most, but she was keenly aware of every eye and ear turned her way. She had surreptitiously disabled a listening device that had been planted nearby. Her lips curved briefly with cool rue. "Seems like some of us have had a harder time getting your attention than others."

"Some of you need more attention than others, dear," Pandora replied with a matching smile. "Some of you want more attention that others."

"Fair enough," Sean conceded. She took a sip of her coffee - Starbucks was getting better, experimenting with a Cornucopia Processor she believed. "I would like a bit of your time now."

"'Tis why I'm here, Sean. I didn't believe you wanted to return to Tahiti for... training at my and Apollo's hands, as others have."

"No, not at this time." Sean's smile turned wry. "Perhaps at another, depending on how things play out."

Sean glided over to the railing overlooking the grand lobby of the United Nations building, her heels clacking softly, where the light from the front windows would strike her just so and where delegates returning from the front or several of the hallways on her level couldn't fail to see her. She was getting annoyed - she had another reason for being in New York besides the UN - and soon, she would start taking more direct measures to avoid wasting more of her time.

She had played with the character creator sliders in her node, making herself shorter, but her heels brought her up to her original height, slimming her bust somewhat, and made herself look a bit older, a woman in her twenties instead of being short of them. Her make-up was subtle and sublime such that only a sharp eye would even notice it and her nails were manicured and shaped, painted with a rose-gold gloss. Her only jewelry were a pair of studs in each ear and several rings of apparently braided silver on her left hand. Her fitted skirt-suit was a pale cream, the skirt slim and coming to her knees, her tailored blouse a green complementing her eyes and her sunset-coloured hair, which was pinned back and left to fall straight and smooth past her shoulders.

Sophisticated, a touch glamorous, professional. Sean still wanted to punch Courtney in the face.

Many nations and their delegates were a conservative lot. She didn't plan on them even subconsciously considering her youth as a factor in what she had to say, or that she had been born male.

"I wish to learn more of your... siblings, Pandora, them and your people before their... ascension. What were you like... before? What methods and tactics we can be expected to face when they get here. Simple annihilation or will they try to suborn us, dominate us? You said they can't translocate themselves through space." Sean eyed the elegant woman standing beside, a woman who was actually billions of years old, musing on her, her companion. Others. "Can they reach across the galactic distances to affect the Earth, individuals in other ways?"

Sean turned from Pandora, and placed her hands on the railing, looking down at the lobby three stories below, all the people going here and there, many looking up to glance or stare at her. She sighed, but empathy and determination tightened her sculpted jawline.

"Your people failed, Pandora. They conquer, rule, and destroy, but they failed. Mine are... Political and corporate greed and corruption are endemic, hate, prejudice, and nationalism have riven us apart. And yet, we have moments, many moments of greatness, caring, sympathy and hope. Courage, heroism, and sacrifice. Unity. I'm trying to curtail the former and nourish the later, Pandora. If fight we must, I want us fighting together instead of against each other, and to all have something worth fighting for. Some might want to burn it all down, but we may not have time to rebuilt. We may not like what rises from the ashes."

Her hand tightened on the railing, just short of distorting the metal as she turned to face Pandora again. "When we win, I don't want us to look in the mirror and find out we've become what we've just fought against. I don't want to win to find out we lost in the end. Help me. Help us. Or we'll see it just happen all over again."

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

FIRST STATE LANDING PARK

"Fingers," Kia said, nodding at the holes in the ground. Then at the branches. "Claws. Only, real claws don't really cut, they tear...so..."

She shook her head. "Anyway, yeah lets find this guy. We don't really know what happened here, but the text makes it sound like he's not in control of his powers."

"It might be a good idea to split up," Kia suggests. "I mean like...really split up. I can make a few little guys to help search from the air, and you can make your clones and we can cover the whole park pretty much."

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NEW YORK CITY, THE UNITED NATIONS

(the present)

 

Pandora continues to smile but there is a flicker of quantum which covers her eyes for a split second, Sean can see stars and galaxies in those eyes and she feels a surge of energy.

The world freezes.

All is silent, no one is talking, no one is moving. The fountain below is still flowing Sean can hear the water splashing, she can hear and feel the air moving being circulated by the buildings air conditioners.

Sean was about to speak when Pandora did “Darling we didn't fail, we never tried.”

“What are you doing to these people?”

“Nothing harmful they are just under a compulsion so we don't have to worry about watching what we say.” She crosses over to a bench and sits crossing her legs and patting the bench beside her. “Come sit.”

Sean glances around looking for Lauri but cant spot her, after a moment she joins Pandora.

“I was trying to just explain thing in terms you could understand before. We were never people like you we came into existence at the creation of the Universe. We were part of the chaos, the universe hadn't even settled on it's own rules much less on rules for some insignificant specks floating in the womb of creation.

No Sean, we were never like you.”

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NORFOLK VIRGINIA

GRANBY HIGH SCHOOL

Both the principle and the counselor were still showing signs of being flustered by the proximity of the three Keys. There heads ping ponging back an forth as the powered persons each spoke, then when Jeane spoke Principle Gearing finally seemed to catch a bit of his snap. “Uh a Key, you discovered a Key Here at school?

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

FIRST STATE LANDING PARK

 

"Do you think we need to? Seeing several of me and little flying creatures around might freak people out. I mean, we have a trail right here, maybe follow it until we lose it and then split up if we need?" Lilly suggested with a shrug and her hands in her hoodie pockets.

 

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

FIRST STATE LANDING PARK

Kia glanced around and shrugged.

"All right, I guess. I think I can make my guys look normal enough, but if we can follow the trail... Yeah. Sorry, just nervous about him running around scared. Lets go."

She followed Lilly, keeping her eyes and ears open in the process. If this guy blew up again, they'd want to know about it immediately!

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NORFOLK VIRGINIA

GRANBY HIGH SCHOOL

Marissa read her phone ans looked to Jeane, smiling.  "Of course you're not, Jeane.  There's nothing wrong with reporting a key sighting, especially one where there's the possibility of someone getting hurt.  These abilities, as we know, are sometimes very scary when you first acquire them.  I was completely freaked out, but with the help of other who understood my fear and... my brother," Her tone trailed as she suddenly choked on how much she missed him.  She recovered quickly enough and her smiled returned like it had never left.  "I was able to get a grip on them and understand them better.  Sage, underneath all of his obvious social and fashion failures... is a really smart and great guy.  We're here to help so whomever this key is doesn't have to feel alone, afraid, or ostracized anymore.  Were here to help."

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

FIRST STATE LANDING PARK

Lilly and Kia made good time following the hours old trail. Even though the trail had been made in the early evening the night before it was still simple for the highly perceptive Keys to follow. What did surprise them however was how far the trail led and that supposedly they were following a 9 or 10 year old boy.

They had covered some 4,000 feet of trail which twisted through the heave woods and had not been staying on the numerous hiking and running trails, when the came to a road. GPS showed them that the road was Shore drive. The trail crossed and continued north. The woods thinned and ahead they could make out a fence topped with concertina wire and the fence was plainly marked with warning and restricted signage.

It was the fence bordering Fort Story and the trail led right up to it.

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

FIRST STATE LANDING PARK

"That actually makes sense," Kia said as the two paused at the fencing. "If I thought I might accidentally hurt someone, but needed a place to stay... Aw, poor guy!"

She took her phone out and texted Abel, <Lilly and me think the key went into Fort Story were going to keep following him>.

Then, with a quick look around to make sure the coast was clear, she easily jumped over the fencing to land on the far side. There she waited for Lilly to cover over as well, so they could resume the trail.

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

FIRST STATE LANDING PARK

 

Lilly's eyes went wide and she glances from side to side

"Dude. What the hell?!" Lilly 'whispered' through the fence to Kia as she pulled out her phone.

< No need to hop the fence. We can get on base with our IDs, through the front gate. Just send some sneaky thing to follow the trail, and/or I can go all chameleon and sneaky to follow the trail. Or at least one of me can to keep up updated following the trail while we walk in the front gate. > she thought to her friend as she went to Wikipedia and searched for the base.

< There are, like, historic monument and stuff on base we can see. So we can probably go just about anywhere we want, but getting caught out here, would be bad. > she mentally added. 

< So we walk in the front, or we each send something or someone to follow the trail... while we walk in the front. Sound good? >

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

FIRST STATE LANDING PARK

"Do we have time for that?" Kia asked, concerned. But even as she asked, she was creating a creature. The process was inarticulate...not a conscious design process so much as a desire. She wanted something that could track and find someone, that could stay quiet and hidden, and could signal them somehow when it found what it was looking for. There was a by-now familiar feeling inside her, a shifting. And then the skin of her left palm bulged, parted, and disgorged a small egg-like sac. She placed it gently on the ground, then leapt back over the fence to stand by Lilly.

"It'll call when it finds him," she explained, then added, "I mean...only we should be able to hear it." Kia tapped her ears. "Maybe dogs too."

Something in the grass rustled, and Lilly could see movement down there. The hint of something about the size of a small dog, still growing, skittered away as it changed coloration to match the soil and vegetation with eerie precision. It paused over the boy's tracks, then lit off at a quick pace, almost immediately lost in the background.

Kia followed Lilly as they headed around the base to get in the front entrance.

 

Quantum Construct (megas first): 17d10 103 28 successes, only need a fraction of that to make a creature that has high Dex, stealth, chameleon, mega-perception and bloodhound, etc, etc. Let me know if you need to actually stat it up.

:) It'll have enhanced hearing and a bodymod that lets it vocalize in the ultrasonic range so it can call inaudibly to most.

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Norfolk, VA 
Granby High school

 

In his head, he smiled.   Mari was very like Devin in some ways,  chief among them lacking a vocal filter,  but at the very least she'd seemed to realize he and Sean weren't doing what they did for the money or fame.   It was then that Lily informed him of her  theory regarding the sender of the text, and his eyes locked onto Jeane's, and he smiled.   <Thanks Lily, she's hiding it rather well if she is, much as you're capable of doing.   She obviously isn't ready to be outed yet, so we'll play things her way and by ear for now.>

He broke eye contact and felt the vibration of his own phone. quickly excusing himself for a moment from the conversation to answer.  <do what you need to do, just try to avoid breaking anything, including the law.>       Satisfied, he then turned to the Principal.  "Sorry about that, one of the issues with my position, I'm always on multiple clocks.   As to there being a Key here at the school beyond the three of us, I can say there are no other Key produced energy signatures. "

  

 

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Norfolk, VA 
Granby High school

Jeane couldn't help but snap her gaze back to Tease at that last, she was almost certain that it was an insult of some kind, much as she couldn't tell where the hook was in the honeyed words of explanation. Why were the hottest ones so nearly always the meanest ones? She'd have given a lot to get an answer to that distraction as she was mentally flailing to get her footing under her. The principal's words barely made an impact even as Abel spoke again. She blinked and blushed as warm feelings flowed through her as she grasped at a hope.

Sage was giving her an out. She could run away. They weren't going to push her off the ledge. Not now anyway.

But Jeane Hebert wasn't going to run away. Not when she could be... sneaky with her gratitude. The adults in the room would never know she did anything at all.

"Where would you like me to start? Um, I have a creepy doll's head he was doing something to before he got my attention. It's in my bag. I haven't touched it," she offered distractedly, the other half of her mind on amping up her powers and feeling instantly better even with the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Last chance. No choice. This was as safe as it was ever going to be.

She pulsed her node once.

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NEW YORK CITY, THE UNITED NATIONS

(the present)

"So, your kind were never human - sorry, never... mortal, I suppose I should say," Sean murmured with a frown. "It's not gods we're facing, but Titans afraid of usurpation by Gods." She snorted in wry amusement. "And Goddesses. Bummer."

She had been hoping for some common ground to work from, but it seemed that wasn't the case. In Greek and Roman myth, the Gods and Goddesses were just humans writ large, their qualities and foibles amplified. That described human Keys accurately enough, herself included. They could bend and break the fundamental forces of the universe. In some ways, from what Pandora described, her kind practically were fundamental forces of the universe.

They were also stagnant, with the possible exception of Pandora and Apollo. They had come into creation as they were, with no further need to evolve and grow. Anything with the potential to equal or surpass them must fill them with existential dread. They couldn't have peers, only minions.

Sitting on the bench next to Pandora, Sean recrossed her legs and sipped at her coffee, studying the people. They still breathed, she could hear their hearts beating - in growing synchronicity - but they were eerily still. She might be able to accomplish such a feat with a carefully modulated command, for a single person and just for an instant. Sage or Tease had the potential, with extreme effort, and Sean wasn't sure they could do it on such a scale.

Gravity. Electromagnetism. Time and Consciousness. Unbounded by rules, how would she prevent Pandora's kind from unmaking the Earth and those who resided on it? She believed she could see a way to prevent the remote unraveling of molecules and atoms, but to expand it enough to cover the entire Earth or even further? And that was just one means of destruction. She eyed the frozen onlookers once more, thinking of Keys and Keyholes, Locks and Deadbolts. Children of chaos itself, if there was a way to enforce the rules on them so they couldn't just flip the game table...

"Thank you, Pandora, that gives me something to go on, at least. When they finally arrive, what do you believe they will do?" Sean asked, nodding at the people. "You've seen it before. Try to crush our minds and will? Or simply destroy the Earth? Destroy the Sun and wipe us out in full?  I take it this isn't going to be a knockdown, dragged out brawl between us."

She didn't need a Death Star to destroy a planet and a Starkiller base wasn't necessary to kill the sun. Progress was being made to get people off planet, but even so, without the Earth, what colonies they could produce would be easy prey.

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Norfolk, VA

Granby High School

Abel's eyes narrowed, feeling the familiar sonar-like ping of an active node, coming from Jeane.  He nodded, and pinged her back as an acknowledgement, though he held back some of his power, suppressing his own signature to match that of his compatriots.   Inwardly, he was thankful she didn't change physically, as some did.   That would have made him look fairly foolish after assuring the principal that there wasn't another Key there.

"I see.  Do you think you could hand it over to me, and tell us where you were when you encountered the Key you reported seeing."  

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Tease was not privy on all the fancy tricks of the quantum world yet.  When her node picked up on the ping, her senses didn't grasp it right away and she looked around, back and forth, as if looking for whomever was trying to get her attention.  When Abel pinged back, it made sense that the mongoloids were doing their whale speech.  To her it was a nerd thing that nerds did when the nerds were being nerds.

Still though, she knew enough of what it was to understand that Jeane was trying to keep a low profile.  Marissa and Devin had a code when it came to putting one over on authority figures.  Sneaking out, slipping in past curfew, doing something you know you shouldn't be, even experimenting with... substances, they swore they'd always get each others back.  There was a cardinal rule when it came to teens and authority: no snitching.  No matter how you felt about them, allies or enemies or strangers: no snitching.

She narrowed her eyes at Jeane and right then and there she knew that Tease knew what she already knew.  She took in a breath and recomposed that winning smile.  "Um, Sage, perhaps, with the good city of Norfolk's permission, Jeane might show us exactly where she saw the key.  With her insight as a witness to the events she may be able to assist you in recreating key elements of the encounter that we may miss should we go without."  She turned to Principal Gearing, "Sir, with yours, and her parents permission, of course, would it possible to excuse Jeane from classes for the day?"

She was like a velociraptor mated with a super model.  Easy, breezy, beautiful, clever girl.  Tease didn't mess around apparently.  She new just right words to say, and the way to say them that would make anyone eating from her hand while she was preparing to club them over the head with her free one.  Everyone knew she didn't care one iota for Jeane or Jeane's problems... she just wanted her out of school, away from authority figures so they could speak for... openly.  She wouldn't rat her out, not yet, anyway.

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Norfolk, VA

Granby High School

Tuning out Tease's insidiously-charming tones with some difficulty, Jeane shifted her backpack off one shoulder and around so that she could rummage through it for her prize, focusing on the tsk at hand and resisting the impulse to damp her powers down again. Holy crap. Getting out of here early, and helping someone like the Irregulars in the same day? How lucky. The butterflies tumbled through her stomach at the thought of being viewed in remotely the same weight class as them, a foreign concept. "Of course. Just give me... One second..," she muttered, sifting through items in the main pouch for her prize.

Books. Binders. Water bottle. Bandana. Hat. First aid kit... No no no... Ah. There it was.

"He interrupted me at the first big junction of a couple trails inside the park. Well, we call them trails anyway. I have the location marked on my phone," she responded with a hopeful grin, holding up a knit cap with the open end secured shut by several rubber bands. Inside was a misshapen dolls head, smudged with dried mud. It looked like a barbie doll, the hair except for a few strings was gone and the features seemed melted but not burned.

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Norfolk, VA
granby high school

Abel took it carefully,  and his eyes narrowed once again, and his lips curled downward in a frown, even as he relayed his own cursory findings to The Irregulars who were in pursuit of the Key   <Kia, Lily, be careful, the Key you're chasing is capable of  Quantum manipulation stressing things at the molecular level.  I've got a sample in hand that I want to get to the lab to test, but I wanted to give you a heads up in case you meet this Key.  It may not be safe to actually come into contact with him.>   He looked up from the Doll's head and nodded.  "There are definitely traces of quantum manipulation on the doll.  Do you mind if I keep it so we can analyze it fully back home?"
 

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

FIRST STATE LANDING PARK

 

< Like, you seriously think he could actually hurt me? Because I am even tougher than I was before Capetown, you know. > she thought, curiously, to Able and Kia as the pair walked to the guard shack at the front gate of the base.

< Because if this kid is capable of that kind of damage, then he truly is a concern. > she added.

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"Oooor, you can stare at the doll head and treat me like an invisible mute."  She said with a roll of the eyes.  "Kay, well, you seem to have this under control so you obviously don't need me any more.  Can't believe I pushed back my Spin class for this.  Hurry up and collect your toy so we can get out of this place, it has a very pungent scent... like society just gave up."

She tapped out a text on her phone to Kia and Lilly while ignoring most of what was going on now:

Spoiler

Abel is doing that brain thing that makes him glare at things like he might be constipated. I think were done here. Hey, do you guys get paid for this? Because I totally ditched a spin class for this and my bike reservation was like thirty four bucks.
Oh, this Jeane girl's node doesn't have a lot of kick behind it. Want me to just tell her never to use her powers again? Save us a whole lot of trouble.  And when do we do lunch?  I'm going on just a latte at the moment and not even a good one at that.

 

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<Abel, we don't know what that means,> Kia shot back via the link. <How dangerous is...quantum stressing molecules or whatever?>

She got the text and tapped a message back.

 

We should at least talk to her. Imagine if someone told you to just stop using your powers. Would you stop, or would it just make you more curious?

"So what do we do? Just...tell the guard who we are? Ask to go on a tour?"

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VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA

FIRST STATE LANDING PARK

 

"Dude. It's just a base. We walk up, show our military IDs and walk on in. Then we can go where we want, for the most part. If we have ID, then we can be on base. There is not signing in or whatever. Usually there is a PX and such to shop at." Lilly explained as then looked at the base on the map on her phone.

"Hmm. This place does not look big enough for an exchange or commissary though. It's tiny, really, but there are historic monuments to see. So it's no big. This is a Navy base, but an ID from any branch will get you on a base. So show your ID, the guard will look it, maybe swipe it in their little hand held scanner, and then wave us through. Trust me. I've lived on bases my entire life, in the states and in Germany. This is no big deal." Lilly said with a shrug.

Lilly quickly tapped back a reply to Mari and sent it. 

Spoiler

large.Lilly.PNG.dcd9a06303cb732039a78801 We used to get a stipend from the base, I think, but now we are making our own money. I am sure we can hook you up though, if you're not already. No worries. If you skipped breakfast then I am sure Abel wouldn't have a problem with you grabbing something to eat on the go for now. Otherwise we can probably eat after we are done here. If you are with that Key and we are hot on the trail of the other, it probably will not be too much longer. We can talk over lunch or something.


"It's just like getting on Bulwark, more or less. If they ask, we are checking out the monuments, but it is highly unlikely that they will." she said to her friend as they approached the gate.

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Norfolk, VA

Granny High School

 

Telepathic conversation flying completely over her head, Jeane frowned at Tease and started doubting that the other girl was actually part of the team as... Caustic as the other girl came across.

Still stupidly attractive though. If she tried to be even a little less unpleasant... The Principal's lack of reply was a bit rude in return.

Sage's request refocused the blonde daredevil's attention, prompting her to nod. He probably had better ideas what to do with it than as a bribe to get the street kid to settle down enough to talk.

"Soooo... Should I continue my story here, or do you want to do like Tease suggested?" offered Jeane, eyes shifting between her school leadership and the Keys.

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<Given that we've never actually tested your durability against such a thing, I don't know.  I'd wager if it did harm you it wouldn't be much, but all the same, It's more that those powers can affect everything else drastically, so I'd rather this Key not use them to make the situation worse.>

While that was being conveyed telepathically he spared a glance to the Principal, who seemed somewhat at a loss, unable to process what Sage had said.   Looking to Mari, he sighed.  "I don't imagine we'll be too much longer.  Let's hear her out, and we can make the best move from there.   

Sage looked to Jeane and nodded.  "Please, continue." 

 

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FORT STORY VIRGINIA

Lilly and Kia passed through se urity at the gate with llittle trouble though there was some questioning why they were walking. A quick story of hiking in the park eased all concerns tnd in short order the two were back on the trail.

The trail had grown more difficult to follow they were sure that only their enhanced abilities allowed then to find the path their quarry had taken. Still going north the trail led them past a single building double fenced in with a heavily guarded gate, the sign at the gate read Psyops. The trail led close past this fortified building and onto the rocky shore line. Where it seemed to vanish into the Atlantic.

GRANBY HIGH SCHOOL

Gearing and Sims found it overwhelming but Geari g finLly caught his snap."Oh no we couldn,t let her go anywhere not without her parents permission. Really we shouldnt have even let you talk to herr without them. But well your who you are and we ztill havnt been able to get in contact with Jeane's parents"

Jeane gives a pleading look when Abel asks her to continue with her story.

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Granby High School


Sensing that this was going to get them nowhere, and since time was crucial, Abel sighed, and looked up directly at the Principal and the counselor and reached into their minds.     They were completely unable to withstand his psychic might, and within a moment, he overwrote their memories, That they had indeed received permission for Jeane to accompany them.  For the Counselor, she'd been present when Principal Gearing received explicit permission from Jeane's Mother.  "You can go with them, though you will be held accountable for her safety."

Abel nodded once "Of Course, We will keep her safe, and ensure she's returned here, or home, depending on how long this takes."

He looked to Charlie and Tease, hoping they'd not question this openly.   He really didn't want to go back into the adult's memories again.

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Norfolk, VA

Granny High School

Wait, what? Jeane's thoughts had snapped from frustrated disappointment and the aborning suspicion that Sage was playing her *somehow* to shock at the Principal's reversal. She and her friends had never gotten so much of a concession out of the man, and if they *had* reached out to her parents, the earful she would have gotten...

Something weird had happened. Jeane just didn't know what.

She wasn't going to question a miracle twice though. Especially when it got her out of having to tell the half-truth again when the full truth needed to be known. "Thank you, Sir," she answered back with a smile, "I'll be sure to listen if they tell me anything's too dangerous, Sir."

The backpack was zipped shut and shouldered over her back again. The door was latched open. And the blonde daredevil was out into the hallway, dancing from foot to foot in happy anticipation of what was coming next.    

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FORT STORY VIRGINIA

 

Lilly looked at the water and then up and down the shore. "Hmmm. Maybe we can check along the beach both ways for similar tracks while we try to follow into the water." she said as she held up her hand and spread her fingers, revealing a webbing between them.

"And under water we can be a little less concerned with drawing attention. Maybe you can send out a school of searcher fish, or eels, or ell-fish or whatever. What do you think?"

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Norfolk, VA

Granny High School

Tease sighed as she watched the Principal and the other one just one eighty on their opinions.  "Wow," she curled her lip. "I was just about to do that... way to make this all about you, Sage."

"Well, I'm hungry," she said with a snobby sigh, making it all about her.  "Can we ditchthis place?  I never I'd be in a school that smelled worse than Shelly.  Is it like a California thing?  Are we th only ones that use soap and clean things?"  She pondered, then finalized it with a 'huh', and walked out of the office.

"You guys have been great, thanks." She said with a pleasant smile.

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NORFOLK VA

GRANBY HIGH SCHOOL

The three Irregulars and the girl, Jeane, made it out to their rental suv. With Proteus driving the heaed to a place to pick up food for Tease while Sage sat in the back with Jeane.

"It' just us now Jeane why don't you tell us you're story now."

FORT STORY , VA

Kia and Lilly moved closer to the edge of the shore and peered into the surf. Here it was rocky and unsafe not like the pleasent beaches a few miles down the coast. While they contemplated the waters Lilly noticed what appeared to be a large drainage pipe nestled in the rocks.

 

UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK CITY

Pandora sighed and shook her head "We are individually powerful yes but not as much as that. Alone our power is not enough to destroy a world at least not in some grand single action. For example Apollo could easily best any of you in single combat. But together you would be able to defeat him.

No your greatest fear should be thier fleets. They have the technology of every race they have conquared at their finger tips. You have robbed them of their slaves in this galaxy, likely they will send spies from somewhere else to gain intelligence."

She looks at Sean with concern "But i fear your own world carries more danger for you than my brothers at least in the near future."

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Fingers drumming on her knees as they made their way to 'shred some nachos' in Tease's own words, Jeane looked back at Sage at his prompt. "Okay," she exhaled, having lost herself in her thoughts trying to put her words together in a way that made her seem 1) extremely cool and 2) potentially helpful.

"I was practicing with my powers. I normally leave them damped down to keep things fair for the crew when we run, so I only ever have them amped up when I'm out by myself somewhere like First Landing. Pretty late that night, about out of time before the last bus before curfew rolled through. He, well, I didn't know it was him at the time, but it was... Started messing with my weapon, made it turn on and flicker forms like crazy. Gave me an itch up..."

She started reaching for her forehead and stopped with a frown, "...I'm messing this up. Damn it. Anyway."

"Up in my head anyway. So I pushed back with my quantum and the itching stopped. Circled around for a few minutes till I found him crouching in the dirt. Looked like every street kid ever in the dark there. You know, dirty, skinny, probably need help," she continued, blue eyes looking down and away from Sage's face as she got to  the hard part, "I try to see if they'll take help when I find them on a run, so that's what I did. Circled around in front of him. Broke a twig to get his attention. Offered him some water... Asked his name... Then he looked up and threw me into the tree. Not so much a case of exploding a tree as blowing up a tree using me as a grenade."

Her knuckles whitened, "Had to chop myself out of the pile, and he was long gone in the dark. Left the creepy doll head behind though. Three other holes, too. Sent the text to give me time to run him down after school today, and give it another go. Joke's on me that all that Snowden stuff is real though, huh?"

She gave a bitter little laugh, still looking down at her running shoes. 

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