Aberrant: In the Beginning - Leon Simons

[lead]

6 am April 9, 1998 Brooklyn, NYC

Almost there, not quite... not quite, common man, hurry the fuck up!!! are all thoughts floating around in the back of Leon's skull, like the distant buzz of a mosquito. He was exhausted and it was way too late to be out on the street with a spray paint can in one hand and a ratty, many times folded pencil sketch, but there he was. The extra light in the tunnel made it easier for the artist to see but his time was ticking away faster and faster.

Most toys thought the best time to put in work was late night, but Leon knew that the streets were the emptiest early mornings, before the earliest bird left its nest. So he made his way out to throw up a new, vibrant mural in one of the dank, dark tunnels so common in NYC.

He switched his nozzle to a broad, solid line as he put the finishing touches on his newest commentary in paint. He went quickly, even wildly in his intensity, over the picture of a bleeding soldier, dying, with rifle still in hand, but slows down as he reaches the very last stretch. He slowly begans to, in deep red paint, outline the stylized words, "Hell is for Heros."

[Mr Fox]

Frank had been on shift for too long. Tonight made the fourth double he'd pulled this week. The Captain had looked at him funny when he'd showed up for work that afternoon, but hadn't said anything since they were so short handed. For Frank it was therapy. Ever since he'd had word that his son had died in a military training exercise last month, it was all he could do not to break down. Charlie had been all Frank had left, his wife having died of cancer three years ago. Charlie was most of his purpose in life. He'd been so proud of his son when he'd signed up for the Marines. He'd even made it into OCS, a feat that Frank had never dreamed of when he'd been a Marine in his own youth.

Purpose. Keeping NYC streets safe and locking away the scum was all he had left now, and it kept him from thinking, and feeling.

Frank was coming up on one of the many NYC tunnels when he noticed movement down inside in a patch of light. He killed the lights on the cruizer and glided forward. As he got closer he realized it was just another punk scumbag defacing the city streets. "Little bastard ought to be beaten, like that kid in Singapore they'd caned for spray painting cars." He thought this might just be his night to take out a little of his anger and frustration.

That's when he noticed the subject matter of the painting. It was a nice mural as far as those things went and he was pretty impressed, touched even when he saw the dying soldier. Tears welled up in his eyes for a second thinking of Charlie. Then he read the words, and the sorrow turned to blinding rage. He almost broke the gear shift lever right off putting the car into park and leaping out.

His gun was out and he was firing before the words were out of his mouth, "Charlie died to protect this country, not ungrateful traitorous bastards like you, you're under arrest!!!" The 'warning shot' had been aimed at Leon's head and only missed because of the down stroke of the paint can as he sent another bold line of red towards the ground. Splinters of tile cut across Leon's cheek just missing his eye. "Down on the ground you fucking bastard!" Another shot, this one aimed at his heart, missed because of Leon's startled reaction to the first shot; it hit him in the arm and felt like he'd been rabbit punched.

The next two shots missed entirely as Leon stumbled into a run towards an emergency exit to the tunnel that would lead to the surface and away from the insane cop. The fifth round grazed Leon's leg causing him to stagger and saved his life from the sixth and final round which whizzed just over his head. The cop continued a string of curses as he dumped the spent rounds out of his revolver and reached more. Looking back he could see the cop snapping the revolver shut just as he lurched into the exit and out of site, but the sound of shouts coming from the tunnel were getting closer.

[lead]

When the cruiser first drifted up, Leon's first instinct was to run. The thunderclap that blasted the spray paint out of his hand changed nothing besides intensifying it.

Time slowed to a crawl as a rare moment of startled surprise overcame Leon. The second gun crack was enough to shock Leon back into movement however, the wet warmth on his cheek remaining unnoticed.

As scarlet drops from the can misted the air, he tasted the toxic, artificial tang of paint on his tongue. The air around him was over saturated with it, it seemed to make the twisting away from the crazed cop an extended motion.

And then pain. Pain in his arm. So cold. he'd been shot, by an insane man. He was going to be another 40 bullet case. Damn.

He was moving without realization. Normally an instinctive person, this was a hyper extension of his normal mentality. The red lights of an exit beckon to him then swing out of his sight as his leg collapse underneith him. Fucking hell! he'd been shot again.

His leg wasn't working. He threw himself forward anyways.

He was moving through the door. He was into the hall,and then further down the hall. He didn't have much time, he couldn't run and couldn't fight, his arm was seizing and a hole of burning ice ate his arm and all he had was a knife, fuck he needed to hide. Fuck he needed to live. He couldn't die.

Where? WHERE?!?

[Mr Fox]

Leon stumbled out of the exit only to discover himself in a vacant lot near the street littered with trash. To either side were NY brownstone buildings five or six floors tall and no one in sight thanks to the time of morning. Panting and half walking and half pulling his wounded leg along he made his way to the closest building. It might have been the blood loss or just the near panic of running for you life from a crazed gunman wearing a badge, but there was a pressure building in Leon's head. The only possible escape lay in that building. If he could just get off the street the cop surely wouldn't shoot him with witnesses around.

The thought of the cop was like a spell summoning the devil himself. The lunatic burst from the stairway and looked about wildly trying to locate his prey. When he did and saw that there was no one else around he stopped running and began walking foward one heavy step at a time. An evil smile spread across his face, "No place left to run." Even at a steady walk he gained on Leon like out of some nightmare where you just can't get away.

Leon's struggles and the pounding in his head seemed to make each step harder than the last. It was as if a force were pressing down on him. As if the forces of nature were conspiring against his escape.

The insane cop began to sing in a croaking of key voice mocking Leon,

"There's no hiding place down here

There's no hiding place down here

Oh I ran to the rock to hide my face

The rock cried out, ""No hiding place""

No hiding place down here."

Leon stumbled and fell as his knee gave way again and the cop just marched forward like some unstoppable landslide come to bury it's victim.

"The rock cried out, ""I'm burning, too."

Oh the rock cried out, ""I'm burning, too

I want to go to Heaven the same as you.""

There's no hiding place down here.

Somehow Leon knew that when the song ended the cop would kill him. With dread the last verse began...

Sinner man he stumbled and he fell,

Oh, the sinner man stumbled and he fell,

Wanted to go to Heaven but he had to go to ... Well,

There's no hiding place down here.

"There's no hiding place here, no hiding place down here.

Leon lay on his back looking up at a madman with a gun staring down a very large barrel. It was odd but in this moment every thing seemed so clear. Despite the darkness he could easily see the bullet in the barrel, and hear every click as the hammer pulled back. Even here in the middle of the city birds were beginning to awake for the day and call out to each other in their hidden nests among the bricks of the buildings. A dog barked somewhere up the street.

And then the hammer fell and the bullet exploded from the barrel...

[lead]

He was going to die. He knew it. So as the last of the frightening, surreal song makes it's way into the light, Leon prepares to die.

Leon wanted to laugh as as the hammer was pulled back, wanted to tell the man who murdered him that he already was dead, that he could feel his life slipping away, leaving him so cold that the ground was warm beneath him.

The cold blackness threatened to overwhelm the broken man, but wass somehow unable to. The part of Leon that would wonder why is dead at this point, somewhere, already sacrificed to the cold specter of death but he resists anyways. Leon's head hurt way too much for any of that though. The burning pounding, pressure building in his skull was the one point of light in that cold darkness, and it would not let him give in.

The heat was somehow spreading to Leon's icy limbs. Thawing the heavy caliber bullets, and returning blood to flagging veins.

When the thunderclap of the last and most telling bullet came, it brought with it a surge of the pounding headache, focused not inside the skull, but out side is body. It hurt and it didn't make sense, wasn't possible, and why wasn't he dead?

Leon crawls and pushes himself towards the cops feet, dragging blood across the floor with him. He reaches a mangled arm dripping blood towards the officer.

[Mr Fox]

Officer Frank McLeary blinked. He had pulled the trigger and the bullet had seemed to hit a wall then fall to the ground in front of the punk. He stared in confusion at the gun as if it might somehow be defective. He'd seen weak loads just barely pop out of the barrel and fall to the ground before, but this was not right. It hadn't seemed like a weak load, but he must have been seeing things. And now the little creep was crawling toward him. He fired a second round and again the bullet failed to reach it's target.

Now the kid was close. Just a couple feet away and looking up with pain in his face. Hate surged inside him as he looked down, how could this scum live when his boy had died? He fired again, but like the rounds before the bullet didn't work. He stared down at the young mans pained face. His son must have felt pain like that as he was dying. And with that thought Frank McLeary came back to himself. "What have I done?!?" He holstered his gun and yanked off the radio from his belt, "Dispatch, I need an ambulance. I've got a civilian down, multiple gunshot wounds." He looked around for a street sign, "5300 block of Lucas street."

"An ambulance is on the way kid, just hang on for a few minutes." With that he turned and ran for the entrance of the emergency stairs and out of view.

The next few minutes seemed very long indeed to the bleeding youth. After what seemed like days the ambulance arrived and the paramedics staunched the bleeding and took him to the closest trauma unit. The drugs they gave didn't seem to do much for the pain or the headache.

[lead]

When Leon got to the hospital, everyone was confused. The hospital itself was packed, noisy, mob of scared and injured New Yorkers.

The crushing headache was debilitating, an ignoring the fact he'd been shot, Leon squirmed and ground his head into hands in a futile attempt to force the blinding, burning pain out.

He didn't remember drugs they gave him. They musta slipped the needle in when he wasn't looking. Damn. He remembered a fall into unconsciousness. He didn't have much time to think about it. His headed exploded once more into unrelenting pain.

He was sitting in a plain hospital bed. He vaguely noticed it was a double room, but his was the only bed in it. Leon smelled a faint whiff of some professional perfume. The intensity of his head ache effected even that seems. It gave the perfume the smell of ozone. He rolled over on his arm, propped himself up and got a look at his visitor.

[Mr Fox]

A sad looking old man sat in a chair looking at Leon. Next to the door a policeman stood looking bored. The old man attempted a smile at Leon, "I'm Saul Goldstein, unless you would like other council I would like to represent you. Officer Moyenahan over there has some questions for you about how you came to be in the hospital."

[lead]

"I fucking tripped and fell on some rocks dats what. I dont wana talk to no cops. They aint going to do shit anyways." snaps Leon sarcastically.

He was not up to this bullshit. His head was killing him, he'd been shot, and now he either was about to accuse a cop of shooting on a unarmed citizen. One with a record. Fuck. Forget it. He wasn't going tell him nothing at all.

That's when Leon realized he didn't feel any gunshot wounds. Nothing at all. He froze, keeping himself from examining himself.

[Mr Fox]

Saul nodded. "I understand your reluctance, but in cases of gunshot wounds the police always investigate. I'm afraid you don't have any choice but answer their questions. I'm here to make sure your rights aren't violated."

Officer Moyenahan stepped up to the other side of the bed. "Sir, if you would please give me an account for how you came to be shot."

Saul cleared his throat pointedly. The cop sighed and said, "Fine. Sir, please tell me who shot you."

[lead]

Leon thinks back, trying to recall anything distinguishing about the crazy cops, besides the fact he was completely psycho, hoping to remember something for later, when he looks into the matter for himself.

Thinking quickly and figuring he had nothing to lose, he sits up quickly ignoring his headache. He starts talking fast and light and low.

"See son, You got the wrong person. I aint been shot by nobody. Look here" holds up with arm, "See any holes? This just another case of mistaken identity. Thats all, so you two can go bother some other innocent black man."

He stares at the two, willing the past day to make some kinda sense.

[Mr Fox]

The policeman frowns and looks to the lawyer then examines the arm, then the other arm. "What about the leg?" Leon showed his legs as well, both completely uninjured. The cop swore, "Damnit. He grabs the chart and checks it out. Says here arm and leg. You are Leon Simons though correct?"

[lead]

"Yah thats me. Why? Is there a problem?" Leon didn't want to deal with the two men but he was too out of it to think of a way out of the situation.

[Jedi]

The officer grumbled and just walked out of the room dropping the clipboard on the foot of the bed. Saul looked confused. "Kid, I don't know how you did that, but that's one hell of a trick. I saw them checking your arm when I first arrived and there was definitely a wound although it wasn't much of one. You aren't one of those New People are you?"

[lead]

"A what?" Leon was enormously glad that the cop had left. He would worry about what happened later. When he got away from all this mess.

He stands up on swaying feet, and stumbles around the room looking for his clothing.

[Mr Fox]

The only clothing to be found was a bloody mess in a tied up bag. While Leon rummaged around the room Saul spoke again, "One of the New people, you know, Homo Sapiens Novus. Been practically the only thing on the news for the last two weeks since the Galatea explosion." Saul looks quizzically at the young man as he becomes a bit more steady on his feet. "Don't tell me you are so out of touch that you don't know people have been displaying supernatural abilities ever since the explosion rained radiation into the atmosphere from that damned space station."

[lead]

Leon looks at the tacky mess in disgust "What? Oh dat. Yah, Yah. I heard something bout it."

That might explain it. It made sense. And the Novas were all famous. And rich. Every last one.

"I don't know. Maybe." There was a sense of trepidation in his voice. He tells him his story, even the tagging. "What do you think?

[Mr Fox]

Saul thought about it with his usual glum expression growing more concerned the more he heard. "My young friend. I think that you should give the World Health Orginization a call. They are transporting all of the Novas to England for testing and training. If what you said is true about that cop, you might want to take a long vacation. A guy like that is looking at some serious jail time if he gets caught and if he ran away he doesn't want to be caught. I hate to say it but your life might well be in danger."

[lead]

"I dont mane. Thats going to get my name put in somebodies black book and I'ma, wind up paying for it in da end. I'm no government man. And let the mothafucka find me. Let him try some shit. Just let him."

[Mr Fox]

Saul frowned at the response. "I don't think you understand. The police usually cover for their own. That cop is going to have friends and they are likely to make your life difficult even if they can't kill you directly. If you want my help I'll see what I can do to get you hooked up with the WHO and out of danger. If you want to stay and tangle with the local PD, I'm afraid I'll be taking my leave of you."

[lead]

"Yah, I see your point, I can't stay in da city no matter what, but whats W.H.O. really? I mean what are they doing with Novas. You sure I wanna get hooked up with them? I''ll look into it if yah really think its a good idea."Leon's headache hadn't exactly subsided but he was able to think through it, imprinting his intelligence on the storms of pain in his head.

[Mr Fox]

Saul shrugged noncommittally. "World Health Organization. All I know is what the media is reporting. They are testing the novas and assisting them in learning to control their abilities. They've been making a bit of a PR push as well and there are some big meetings scheduled with the UN this week. It's probably the biggest concentration of Novas around at the moment."

[lead]

"Lets go get me an MRI. See if I've gotta M-R node." the small amounts that Leon had heard started coming together and he was going to hit critical mass at an moment.

He gets up out of the bed, completely unhumbled by the hospital gown.

He makes towards the door as if he is going to lead the man to MRI machines.

He seems vibrant, and doubly so in contrast with the grey Saul.

[Mr Fox]

Saul looks on in amusement at the young man. "Leon? I don't mean to be mercenary here, but I am a lawyer and I'm not defending you against possible criminal charges anymore so I'm not getting paid by the state..." He gives a small shrug of apology, "What I'm trying to say is that I'm a good lawyer and I'll be happy to represent you in legal matters, but there is the matter of my retainer." He just sits there looking expectantly at Leon.

[lead]

"Ill pay you alot if I am a nova for setting this up mane, like an agent, or a vendor I can't walk in there an get work done, I aint got no insurance. If not, well you out a hundred dollas. If I am a nova, well mane you hit. So what do you say? Gamble this once."

[Mr Fox]

Saul truly smiled for the first time since Leon had awakened. "That sounds good. If you are a nova, no doubt you'll need a lawyer on retainer and that will pay well. I'll take that gamble."

Leading the way Saul walked up to the nearest nurses station and demanded an MRI immediately for his client under threat of a negligence suit if they didn't scramble their asses to get it done asap!

The bored looking nurses grimaced, but Saul chose his threats well and soon enough Leon was hustled into the machine and received his scan. From his position inside the magnetic resonance scanner Leon heard a Whooping from outside, then Saul called out. "You are the real deal kid! I think I just quit my job with the city!" The sounds of delighted laughter and dancing followed. After a few minutes Leon was pulled out and the nurses were looking at him appraisingly now instead of the normal disinterested way.

Saul looked at Leon and smiled again, "So do we call the WHO or what?

[lead]

The next day was a whirlwind of activity. Previously, Leon had been wrapped up too much in his life to give thought to the incredibly remote possibility of himself being a nova. The only thing her really knew was the little he heard about was about that Fireman.

At least thats what the old Leon knew. Leon was different now though, changing, hell he he could feel himself become smarter. Facts and information he hadn't realized he picked up, were coming to the fore of his mind. It made him curious. He wanted to know what happened when he was shot. When his node emerged.

But he couldn't. Well he could, but every time he sent his mind racing back to that confrontation, the pain in his head grew and grew until it reached unbearable heights when the phantom of his recollection pulls the trigger above his unprotected body.

Damn. He'd figure it out though. He had time. There was absolutely no chance of him dropping his introspections. But sometime else. Right now he was has too distracted. He was searching the web with a skewed, frantic intensity. For what he didn't know. The subjects are just subsumed into him. Mathematic symbols flutter as he is distracted again.

He starts drawing. Sketching really. Geometric figures, round and looping, optical illusions and stranger things.

Leon did this mindlessly. He was really thinking about what was to happen next. He did this like he had drawn, and how he had learned. With out words, with out shape. It's closer to the unguided interactions happening all around us, at all times then conscious thought.

Saul was making arrangements, making the necessary calls. The little man was surprisingly well connected or at least seemed it.

Leon looked up to see him there, with a smile on his face that was so out of sorts with the rest him.

[Mr Fox]

Saul hung up the phone and looked over at Leon. "Hey kid. Looks like it's all arranged. They've got a spot on a flight this evening for us both from La Guardia to London. Seems they were pretty eager to get you over there and start testing. Now down to the brass tacks. I did a little digging and it looks like all the initial test subje... er, Novus that went through their tests, were given 250 big ones just for cooperating. I arranged for the same for you, plus free travel first class there and back, and a per diem of 100 pounds sterling. That's about $150 bucks a day, plenty to eat out at nice restaurants every day if you want."

Saul looked thoughtful, "You need anything before we go? Need to stop anywhere? Cause if you don't mind I'd like to head by my place to pick up some clothes and travel items. I'd be careful about going by your place though, by now that cop and his buddies might know where you live if you know what I mean."

[lead]

Only the widening of his eyes, showed that Leon was desperately thirsty for the money offered. The rest seemed detached. Except for his eyes, Leon had the wild, exotic, and sublimely engaged air of an inspired artist.

"I wonder if they'll allow me to have the data their scientists glean from me. Go ahead and get ready. I'll deal with my end. Call me when your ready." he rattled off the number.

Leon had to stop by his place before he left. He wanted to pick up his phone and some clothes, but if that had been the entirety of his reasons, he'd not return. But he needed his sketchbook and notepads. There were his ideas, unduplicatable, and precious to him. Plus he wanted to make sure he got his stash. He wasn't sure he'd be able to get any more 'good' in London and Leon wasn't going to deal with all this with out something to help him relax.

That’s what he told him self as he prepared to return. Part of him knew that he halfway hoped that the deranged cop would return.

"Saul, watch your back too. Heads drop people all the time, and usually for less then a cop would offer one. Just stay safe dirty.

[Mr Fox]

Saul nodded. He looked like he was on the verge of saying something but then just let it go. "Yeah, be careful. The cops don't have to kill you to discredit your story you know. Plant a little 'evidence' is all it would take and your life will suddenly become very complicated." For just a minute there Saul had considered accompanying Leon to his house in case the police tried anything, but then decided that discretion might just be the better part of valor and let it drop. Saul was not going to be a hero on behalf of some street punk, even if the kid was pretty likable. Not even for the kind of money that kid was likely to make? He hesitated again for a moment then just shrugged, can't spend it if you are dead and he didn't instantly from bullet wounds the way the young Novus did. On the way out the door he just added, "Meet me at gate 14 in three hours. Don't be late for the flight kid, I'd hate to miss out on 1st class."

****

Leon had a hell of a time getting home. The cabbie took a look at the way he was dressed and almost told him to get out. After flashing the guy some money that Saul lent him he was able to make it home without further incident. Before the cab even reached his block he knew something was wrong. There were was an unmarked crown vic parked at the corner with a pair of men sitting inside looking bored. This wasn't the sort of neighborhood you'd see a car like that parked at night. Getting closer to his building Leon saw another crown vic parked just up the street, this one empty of occupants.

[lead]

"Saul man, before you go let me give you a lead to follow for the road. I'd like you to find out a way that I can become an international citizen outside of U.S. jurisdiction." he glances towards the older man and laughs. " Fuck it why not go for da broke? How could I gain some sort of diplomatic immunity? I'll see you there Saul. See you there."

Leon had never done anything 'first class' in his life. He very much wanted to change that.

At the expected sight of the cops, Leon takes careful note of the jakes' locations and what means of entry they had covered. He kept the cab moving as he scoped the place out from his place low in the backseat. He doubted he would be able to sneak in, the most likely had the fire escape and all entrances covered, and it wasn't like he could fly.

Wait, could he fly?

He also looked to see who else was out. No doubt most had gone to ground with the arrival of the pigs. He might be able to use a them as a deterrent.

It was all dependent on what he could glean from the watchers.

<ooc> An awareness role/ streetwise role>

[Mr Fox]

Several things were obvious. The streets were clear for several blocks in both directions, like the animals going quiet in the forest when a predator was close by. The cops were going out of their way to do something here. They normally didn't bother with a neighborhood like this and if they did it was two or three squads of regular beat cops, not these unmarked crown vics and steak outs. They were serious about something and that something was Leon.

In the front seat the cabby was growing nervous. "Look my man, I am not liking this neighborhood and now you are wanting me to be driving around here. I am thinking I will be letting you out now please." Two blocks from the building he pulls over to the curb and stops the cab. "Please to be paying me now." Two blocks up it will be dicey as to whether the cops will see you or not, either way you will have enough time to get your self lost in the alleys around here before they can get to you.

[lead]

He could survive a few gunshots, but what was the limit. How far could he push it? What could he do?

Couldn't sit here, needed to move.

He exited the car quickly but unhurried. He made him self calm. He moved into the nearest open apartment building. Hoping to make it unseen into the lobby.

And then from then? To study the fire escapes and the roof. Incite some unrest into his hood.

Who knew? Leon had half a dozen plans of approach, but only one would happen. The rest were his back up.

[Mr Fox]

It only took Leon a minute to make his way into an empty apartment and look out the window down onto the street. One of the two plain clothes cops was walking up the street toward the building he'd entered, but that was the only movement. There was a fire escape looking out over the back alley, and these buildings were close enough to jump across if you weren't afraid of heights. Of course there were two open streets between here and Leon's building.

[lead]

Looking outside at the street, and the approaching problem. The entrance was out of his reach now. His apartment was falling out of reach too. But if the fire escape wasn't out of reach, if he could make the jump, if he could make the next two as well he might make it.

Leon's skin felt overly tight, and his mouth was dry. He was afraid of heights.

So he started talking to himself, siking himself up. He fell back into the deep slang of his previous life.

"Nothing to worry bout mane. You's a nova, you can walk off bullets, and who knows what else. Novas can do anything, Ima nova and i dont know what I can do, so maybe I can fly. No thing to bust"

He stares at the ground, willing it stay away from him, to relinquish it s hard pull on Leon's soft body. He backs up for a little more head speed, then launches himself out into the empty air.

[Mr Fox]

The jump seemed strong, real real strong. Leon found himself soaring not only over the street below but nearly over the entire roof of the next building before gravity pulled him back down. It was like those chumps that walked on the moon. He seemed to be much lighter than he used to be and the landing was awkward due to the reduced weight. Leon stumbled forward a few steps only stopping when he came up against the raised brickwork at the edge of the roof.

[lead]

"Fuuuuuuuuuuck!"His scream rose and fell with the parabola of his jump.

He stumbled around trying to gain his balance, physically and mentally. Leon's mind started to use the information to radically re image his plans.

He trys to lighten gravity's hold even more, till he was floating in 'zero gravity'. Leon feels a great, great curiosity building.

[Mr Fox]

It takes an effort and some concentration but after a minute or two Leon was able to reduce gravity to ZeroG. From the roof of the building started out on one street over Leon hears a man, "This is 7 0 charlie, suspect has been spotted on rooftop of the first building in the 2300 block. I'll keep suspect in sight... Holy frak! The bastard's flyin!" There was a pause then the cop's voice rose as he said again, "I said the bastard if flyin! Like one of those guys on TV. You know, the whatis, Novids, yeah, those guys. You didn't tell me we was up against no Novid kid." There was another pause in the side of the conversation that Leon could hear.

[lead]

"Here piggy, piggy, come up hur and get me if your bacon ass wants to catch me for that extra cheese you earning dirty!" Leon bellows taunts at the man below. He pushes himself towards his build, angling off against the building so that he reaches the building, without pushing himself through the glass.

Struggling to adapt to a three dimensional playing field, Leon stops, and trys to increase gravities control on him, not downwards, but against the current, he wants to see if he can fall up, abait slowly, to get over the last building in his way.

He has already determined to himself that he will master every aspect of his new condition, hell if he could control fucking gravity, if he could alter an universal constant, he could do anything.

[Mr Fox]

At Leon's urging gravity does begin to become negative and his somewhat steady levitation turns into repulsion away from the normal pull. Leon begins rising into the air like a balloon drifting slightly away from his target thanks to a slight breeze. On the ground below the cop looks up in consternation at the rising form of the young novus. He says something into his radio but then gets back into his car and drives up the street to the door of the building Leon started on and waits a moment for the other cop to come out the door and get in. They pull off and drive away into the night. Meanwhile as Leon is coming to grips with the whole gravity thing, the other two exit his building and get into their own unmarked car and drive away leaving Leon rising slowly into the air drifting gently away from his home.