Aberrant: Infinite Earth - Cosmos Nova - The DSA Brat-Pack

[z-Sean McCline]

Sean tried to look casual on the park bench, but there were a few things working against him. First, Shae was ‘getting them money or clothing’, and Sean sure as shit hadn’t asked how or where she planned to get them. He also wasn’t going to ask her when she showed back up with stuff. Second, it was late, and he was chilling in a park with two young girls. They were both thirteen—he hoped—but he knew that as the oldest and as the guy, he was getting the blame. Third, the neighborhood wasn’t the best; they’d already had some rough-looking dark-skinned people looking at them funny. Sean was no racist, but he was aware that he was a white kid alone with two white girls, with a third white girl out in the night doing something that was probably illicit (not that he was going to ask).

An older black man had been watching them for some time. He was talking to a younger black man with him, but the guy kept looking over at them with a frown. Sean shifted and sat up straighter, only half-aware of Rebecca’s chatter as she gushed on about some computer game. She didn’t like any of the games he did; she liked thinking games. He’d asked her about it to distract her and then promptly tuned her words out.

The two men stopped talking and headed for the three of them. Sean leaned forward as they approached, then stood when they were within talking range. He pulled his shades down and their progress faltered at the sight of his glowing, inhuman eyes. The older man didn’t stop and asked in a deep voice, “Young man, are you and your friends all right?”

“What?” Sean asked, expecting another question entirely.

The man stared at him evenly. “If you and your friends need shelter, my church has ties with a youth shelter. You don’t need to be out here if you have nowhere else to go.”

“I, uh… no, we’re waiting on my friend.” Sean felt embarrassed by his assumption about the man’s intentions. “She should be back soon. Uh, but… thanks? For the offer. It’s nice of you.”

[Rebecca Baines]

Rebecca took the opportunity of the conversation to try to deflect some attention. These two gentlemen were getting nosy...

"Hey big brother!" Rebecca exclaimed. "Ready to go home?" She said with a happy tone, standing next to him where he could see her expression. She turned to him. "But we still have a few errands to run." She said, with a look of realization, her tone changed to be more serious. "And are these men harassing you? You did remember Mom's cell phone, right?"

She was dropping hints... hopefully Sean would catch on, and play along.

That is if he knows a few things about roleplaying. Also if any of these guys had some bad intentions... she did have a few tricks to evade their pursuers.

[z017]

She knew the right places to hit, though it was a little risky if someone had already spotted that they were missing from the party. Well, life is risk. First was the clothes. She was a good judge of size by now, so picking stuff out wasn't too hard. Then came the shell game of being the customer that put it on layaway, then the employee (actually on break) that moved it into the back (and out the back exit). Jewelry stores were much harder mostly because they kept the majority of stuff up front and had a smaller staff, so Shae went "shopping" near one of the clubs they weren't going to, the ritzy one. A pass down the street each way gave her more than enough cash for the night and three credit cards she knew would have the limit for the stuff she'd actually buy and those oh-so-useful little security pictures.

,,

She left the wallets on a cafe table as a little boy, then went and collected her purchases as half a dozen other people. Her final change was into a brunette with wedge-cut hair, unneeded but stylish glasses, an a-line black dress that ended enough inches above her knees to be clubby instead of business sharp, and black strappy heels six inches high. The cabby spent more time looking at her cleavage than the road, but Shae didn't mind. It's all he would remember of her and everyone should have a little thrill in their day.

,,

"You sure you want to be let off here, miss?" he asked, glancing around the not seedy but certainly not ritzy neighborhood.

,,

She handed him the fare and nice tip. "Thanks, I'll be fine. I've got....family, here. We'll be back in just a minute, you'll have another fare and another tip."

,,

She strutted over to where the other three were already getting into trouble. She pulled out the sexy-governess attitude and smiled dazzling at the men around her cohorts. "Well, Sean, Rebecca, Ana, are you three ready to go? I've got everything prepared for the night and the cab is waiting."

[Anastasia]

So we've escaped the clutches of our chaperons. This should be fun. Me. Bouncy girl. And the guy who is not Connor, but I don't mind. Connor is my love, but there's so many pretty people in the DSA. Why couldn't i be blessed with something like a foot of height and hypnoboobs... or something like that? Whatever, I can deal with this. Oh well, I just have to deal with people's heads. It's fun some times. It makes me feel happy when I get it right. Showed that blonde catgirl what for, but i don't think Miss Nicaragua has a brain to manipulate. Whatever. She won that round.

,,

Now were here. Where is here? Oh right, the hood. She remembered this place. It was where the bus drove through on the way to school. She didn't like the look of it, but they weren't staying here either. They were waiting on someone to get them things so they could sneak into a club? She was mostly quiet, sticking closely to pretty boy. Bouncy girl did most of the talking. You think I'd be more interested in video games, but no, it's just a big spread sheet with pretty colors now. Then again, I can't control or manipulate the polygons.

,,

Alright, now we're getting somewhere. Another pretty girl. She's probably with handsome here. Me and bouncy girl were just along for the ride. Anastasia mentally poked the people that were bothering handsome to go away. They did as they were told. She was happy.

[z-Sean McCline]

Sean looked at Rebecca, wondering if she really thought they looked like siblings. “Right. Mom. Sure.” Then Shae saved them all by wondering up. “Oh, look. ‘Mom’. Hi, ‘Mom’. These nice guys thought we were homeless. They were going to give us a place to stay.” He turned to the men, all charming smile. “Thanks again…” His voice trailed off as the two men turned and walked away without another word. “Weird.”

The teen shrugged it off and turned to the others. “Let’s go.”

Shae led them back to the cab. Sean took the front seat and let the three girls have the back. Shae directed the driver to an address, letting them out a short distance from the club. “I guess we have to change into the clothing… somewhere?” He looked Shae closely, wondering if she’d planned this out, too.

[Rebecca Baines]

When Rebecca came into the taxi, she just smiled. Whispering to Sean when everyone was inside. "Sometimes a deception will throw off anyone you wish to shake until you are long gone. Look up "Fridge Logic" on TV Tropes sometime."

Rebecca kept her smile as she dug around the availiable clothes as they arrive.

"Umm, guys, what do you reccomend for me? I really don't care where we can switch up our clothes, but... I'm all thumbs here."

She blushed, looking cuter than she normally does. Being at their destination only made her feel that urgency was of the essence. "Is there a gas station nearby? We can buy a candybar and use the bathroom there as a changing room... if the worker there insists we buy something."

[z-Sean McCline]

“Actually, I have a hotel scouted out.” Shae smiled at them as she led them through the night. “We don’t have to buy anything and you guys won’t smell like cheap fast food or gas.” The hotel was a five star hotel, but the staff didn’t even notice them as the four walked through the lobby and headed for the bathroom. Sean went in the men’s side and choose a stall, quickly changing. Shae had picked out a nice jacket and pants with a white shirt. There was no tie, so he wore the shirt opened. An expensive watch sat in the bottom of the bag, and Sean put it on with a swallow of trepidation. Thank you for plausible deniability. He felt bad about that for a moment before deciding that if Shae didn’t want to get in trouble for stealing stuff, she shouldn’t steal stuff.

,,

If that was in fact what she’d done.

,,

Sean stepped out of the stall and checked himself in the mirror. A young man wearing a nice suit and classy shades was the image in the mirror and even Sean had to be impressed. “Damn, I clean up nice,” he muttered as she checked himself out again and adjusted his hair again.

,,

Aware that the girls would be waiting for him soon, Sean stopped his narcissistic gazing and headed outside. He felt more confident as he exited, his head high and shoulders back. He looked like a million bucks, he felt like a million bucks… he only hoped he wasn’t wearing a million bucks.

[Rebecca Baines]

Rebecca smoothed out the white blouse and smartly tailored jacket, her shoice of having a black vest under the red jacket was more a choice to have a few more pockets and to help be a bit warm. he short skirt made the young girl blush a little., it was slightly cold as well. The shoes thankfully weren't high heels, instead it was a pair of business-smart shoes that could work on a dance floor. It was the first time she wore hose, and she chose a dark brown color.

When she stepped out to meet Sean, she looked more as a buisiness girl, although she seemed at least to be near to Sean's choice of clothing.

"I think this works... I hope... I caught a look at the options availiable, so I took a observational guess."

She didn't look too bad in the red jacket. "Umm are ties manditory?" She showed a couple neck ties and bow ties. "I really couldn't choose a color.

[Telluris]

"This is a cool plan." Karrie 'Coyote' Dineh remarked as she perched on the wide, comfy arm of Rob's 'office chair', an overlarge command chair that, in fact, belonged in the throne room of the Death Star. She leaned over her laptop, higher math and quantum mechanics spilling out from her fingers to the screen to the accompaniment of her fingers tapping. "But don't I remember you saying that you didn't want the Q-Sat used for this?"

,,

"Well, I got to thinking 'what if I really need to find a bunch of quantum-powered delinquent teens before they either get into neck-deep trouble or burn down the nearest metropolitan area'." Rob said without batting an eyelid as he performed his own set of calculations on the four-screened workstation. "Then I figured: 'hey, it's not a bad thing if I'm the only person who knows it can pick out an individual quantum signature, and I'm the only person who knows how to make it happen."

,,

"Have I mentioned I lust after powerful men with flexible ethics and huge science-filled brains?" Coyote grinned at Rob, liking the way his ears reddened and he smiled back.

,,

"I figured as much from the picture of a naked Doctor Octopus on the inside of your locker."

,,

"You've been peeking!"

,,

"Yarp. Ahh, here we go..." The bottom left monitor of Rob's display showed a numerical readout overlayed on a map of the area, feed from the orbiting Quantum Detection Satellite, DSA's ace in the hole. "Got that crunching algorithm ready?"

,,

"Of course. Got their signatures dialed in just like you said. Cross-decking it now." Karrie pressed a couple of buttons, and high above the Earth, the satellite received instructions to sharpen it's field of search, thus increasing the detection power of it's sensitive equipment. Designed in this very lab two years ago, the satellite would pick up the errant novas in a matter of minutes.

,,

At least, that was the plan.

,,

"Nice." Rob said, peering at the screens as the sensor net began sweeping slowly over the city. "Algorithm is perfect."

,,

"Of course it's perfect." Karrie said with a sniff. She set her laptop down, then gave Telluris a speculative look, taking in the way his shoulders filled out the supersuit. "Say, how long do you think it'd take?"

,,

"Not long. Maybe ten minutes, max." Rob replied, then smiled as she slid off the arm of his 'throne' and into his lap, arms going around his neck.

,,

"Good." Coyote breathed as she kissed him. Maybe not all the fun had to be put off till later.

[z-Sean McCline]

“Uh, nuh-uh.” Sean had only taken one look at Rebecca but he was already shaking his head. “We’re not clubbing at a high school dance, Bekks-doll. Or a realtor’s ball; you look like you’re trying to see me a house. You’re killing me here.” As the girl stared at him in the wake of his strange nickname, he winked at her to show she should play along. Realizing a second after that he couldn’t see his eyes behind the glasses, he muttered, “Play along.”

,,

Within seconds he’d resumed his role as a arrogant young exec, out for a night on the town “Here.” Sean took all the ties and stuffed them back into the bag. Then he dug in there and pulled out a thin cream scarf. “Lose the jacket and the vest—and those brown leggings, even I know that the ladies on the magazines don’t wear that stuff. You shaved those gams, right?”

,,

“My what?!” Rebecca hissed.

,,

“Your legs, girl, I know its winter, but you shaved right?” Sean wiggled his ass in the whitest white-man dance ever. “You got it, you should show it.”

,,

“Sean!” Rebecca’s face was red. “I’m thirteen!”

,,

“Shh!” He looked around to see if anyone was listening. “Not tonight you aren’t, right?”

[Rebecca Baines]

Rebecca blinked...

She was out of her element, but... Sean is telling her to play along. "I... I... yeah. That... That's odd thing for you to say..."

She nodded slowly accepting the scarf. "Alright... I guess I am over dressed." She said with a grin.

She quickly heads back to strip off the unnecessary garments, coming back sans stockings, jacket, and vest. Kept under her arm. "There... sometimes it is hard to leave the office behind."

She grinned, the way she stood, her hips did show she was apt on her feet. In fact, the cutest girl that Sean ever saw... well... she had back for days. Although her childish appearance worked against her. "I'm ready if you are."

[z017]

Shae strutted out, dressed to kill and knowing she could; Anastasia followed after, obviously dressed by the energetic young changeling. "Well," Shae linked arms with Sean, "let's be off."

,,

Reality 2.0 was four stories of polished steel and glass. The crowd outside was the usual clubbing mix of chic young hopefuls, the odd pickpocket or two that Shae caught on first glance, papparazzi hoping to fast-talk or bribe their way in for a glimpse of those that never had to wait in line for anything, and, of course, the bouncers. Shae flounced them directly up to the red velvet VIP entrance, running her fingers along the crimson cloth playfully. "Hello, there. Give a girl a hand?"

,,

The bouncer, a powerfully built man of tanned skin, dark tattoos, and a wide, jagged scar worming it's way out from under the sleeve of his standard issue black tee. He'd been tapping his pen in his notebook when he heard the group patter up; he sighed, reading for another round of bullshit before turning some starlet-wannabe (probably practicing as a call-girl) away - again. She was a movie star, she had to be. Or a some new supermodel. Or something. "Uh...n-name, please?"

,,

"You don't recognize me?" she pouted and he felt like utter heel.

,,

"Um, I'm sor- I mean, of course I do!" He fumbled for the catch on the rope and waved her through; the rope started to come down in front of Sean, but Shae reached back and pulled Sean past with a giggle. "Oh, they're with me! All of us!"

,,

Inside was a riot of sound and lights, like any club, and seemed a scene direct from the highest-budget sci-fi movie ever made. Holograms danced on the walls and ceiling, full screen walls played music videos, dancing lights, and movie clips. Booths were scattered around the main room with a large dance floor off to the right; in the center of the room a large circular bar, the counter lit from inside and slowly shifting through colors. Each booth had a small kiosk on the table with touchscreen tablets bolted to them; the staff whispered through the room in soft black uniforms, including black gloves and Matrix-style black wrap-around glasses.

,,

Shae surveyed the scene, affecting the same I'm-too-cool-to-be-impressed attitude as most of the patrons. It took less than thirty seconds to break; she hugged Sean's arm and squeeled in delight. "C'mon. Food, drinks, and then dancing!"