TNO - Season 1: It's the Little Things That Get In the Way

Evan had told Nick something came up that required the teleporter's immediate attention. He pulled out a $20 and tossed it on the table before saying he would try to call Nick later. Evan left quickly and made his way to the side entrance at the rectory of the cathedral.

Evan turned the corner and saw the priest standing in the doorway. Evan nodded so that the priest would know it was him, and Father Charles stepped out and extended his hand.

"We'll have time for pleasantries later, I believe, but she's this way." He turned to lead Evan into the rectory, but paused and turned back. "She's a fragile girl, Flinger. I don't want anything happen to her."

Evan looked at the priest and nodded. He knew the priest was genuinely concerned for Ariel. It was strangely re-assuring. Father Charles then turned and led them both to his office. He opened the door and stepped in. Evan followed and shut the door quickly. He turned and looked at the oxblood colored leather sofa that was on the wall to his left. There, sitting regally, was a beautiful jaguar. It looked up at them both with bi-colored eyes.

After getting past the shock of what had just happened, Lanie found she was amazed and delighted at how different Father Charles' office was... no, the office was the same. Her human senses had simply lacked the capacity to perceive the room in this way and the differences were dizzying at first. The whole room smelled -- and tasted -- like him, the flavor of it rolling over the back of her tongue like honey. Her cat's eyes were much better adapted to the light, and she saw plainly every ripple in the drapes, every tiny stain on the carpet, every mote of dust in the air. The most confusing thing however had been hearing sounds that simply had not been perceptible before but now fought for space in her awareness. It was almost enough to drive her back into panic until she realized it was better when she stopped thinking about it.

She of course heard the approach of the two men long before they reached the door. She heard every mechanism of the door knob turning in its housing, the sweep of the old mahogany wood against the nap of the rug, the movement of the air pushed aside. Then Father Charles was entering with one of the cutest guys Lanie had ever seen -- and she found out she was still human enough to be quite flustered by that. The confusion was enough to keep her seated on the sofa, gazing at the two men, waiting for one or both of them to speak.

"Wow," Evan said. He met the eyes of the jaguar and though he knew that this creature had been a young woman only minutes earlier it was hard to believe. There was nothing the least bit human now about its appearance. Only the unnatural behavior it demonstrated suggested that it was more than an animal. He didn't imagine that a wild jaguar--or even a tame one--would be quite so calm when abruptly confronted by two humans.

Evan dragged his gaze away from the jaguar. "That's quite a trick," he said to Father Charles. "And one she apparently has little trouble effecting. Looks like learning not to change may be more difficult for her."

Lanie found that she kinda liked it, that Flinger was impressed by her as a jaguar. She inhaled deeply, really really liking how he smelled. Not that he'd look twice at me as a girl, though. Guys like that... just don't think about girls like me that way.

He looked at the jaguar again. "Do you understand me?" Evan asked. "And if you do, can you find your way back?"

The great cat gazed at him for a moment, obviously thinking. After a moment of making herself NOT think about it, she found she did know how to change back. It was almost instinctive for her, as long as she kept her head and emotions out of the way. As soon as she had the thought-impulse she felt the shift begin. Identities blurred and melded, fur disappearing, tail shrinking, head rounding... then a human girl sat upon the leather upholstery, a human girl in denim shorts and a blue tank top, with the same bi-colored eyes.

Who promptly blushed. "Um, hi," she said, her Cajun accent just as obvious now as it had been over the phone. "I'm Ariel... but I guess you already know that, huh..."

Evan stared at the girl for a moment, feeling his world twist out of true for a moment. People were doing all sorts of impossible things these days, including him. He could teleport anywhere on earth he knew. Solstice generated heat and flame from nowhere. Nick had his own talents. All of them were doing things that ought to be impossible by the rules Evan knew.

Evan had clung to the belief that there was some kind of scientific explanation for it all. Maybe he was drawing the energy needed to fling himself around from elsewhere. Maybe the same was true of Solstice. Even Ariel's ability to change into animals might be rationally explainable somehow...

But not the fact that her clothes simply vanished when she turned into an animal and reappeared when she changed back. That...smacked of magic. Evan didn't want to believe in magic. He had difficulty imagining any other explanation, though.

Evan realized he hadn't responded to Ariel's words. "Ah, yeah," he said. "Yes, I gathered as much. I'm 'Flinger' on the CAST website, but you might as well call me Evan."

Oh Mother Mary, even his name is cool! "My real name is Madeleine Villemont," she replied, chin coming up in defiance of her internal confusion. "But 'most everyone just calls me `Lanie'." After a moment's hesitation, she held out her right hand, striving hard not to give into an almost painful desire to break down into nervous giggles. "Nice to meet you."

Evan took her hand briefly. "It's nice to meet you too, Lanie. My name is Evan Baker." She had sounded quite young on the phone and now Evan saw that she was a child. Not more than fourteen, maybe fifteen. He didn't envy her her situation. Adolescence was tough enough without having the fear that you would turn into a dangerous animal.

He turned to include Father Charles in the conversation. "Evan Baker," he repeated, offering the priest his hand.

The priest took the hand that was offered him and gave a firm shake. "Father Charles Bartolomeo, Mr. Baker," the priest replied. "I can't thank you enough for coming by so quickly." He extended his arm to indicate one of the plush chairs in his office. The priest then sat down protectively next to Lanie. "I have to admit," he continued, "that I am at a bit of a loss here myself. My studies in theology and anthropology have not prepared me for this."

Evan took the seat Father Charles offered. "I don't think anyone is really prepared for this," he said. "Every time I think I've got a handle on it, something new forces me to throw out all my theories. If you've got any ideas, I'd be glad to hear them."

Father Charles sat back for a moment as his mind began to whirl. Evan had just made a connection that he hadn't seen before.

"I might have spoken in haste," he began. "When I said I was not prepared, I may have been in error." The priest paused again as his thoughts came together.

"What you said about theories. There are many theories of evolution postulated by clergy and layman alike. Perhaps we are in the process of seeing the first glimpse of another phase in our species' evolution. Not all members of an evolving species makes the next step at the same time," he said directly to Lanie to help assure her some more.

"I don't know about that," Evan said. "I don't know a lot about the theory of evolution other than the basics. It's my impression that it moves a lot more slowly than this. I've heard of 'punctuated equilibrium' and the idea that it isn't always slow and steady. That sometimes evolution proceeds by fits and starts. But that's not what will keep me up nights.

"I can buy into men creating fire from nothing, or teleporting from one place to another. Those things seem to violate laws of physics--but that may only mean that there are exceptions we haven't discovered yet. They're puzzling, but I like to think they're ultimately explainable. What really bothers me are the small things."

Evan was still puzzling over Lanie's change. He gestured at her. "Lanie's clothes, for instance. They vanished when she became a jaguar--and reappeared when she became human again. I can't imagine how something like that could be anything but...magic. Or a miracle."

Lanie had curled up on the leather sofa to listen to the two older men talk. Science wasn't her best subject in school, and she hadn't exactly been at the front of her Sunday school class in catechism either. Still, she unconsciously touched the crucifix she wore when Evan mentioned miracles, hoping he was right.

"Not just clothes," she said, holding up the pendant. "This changed too." She thought about it for a moment. "Maybe it just has to be touching my skin somehow, to change with me."

"Maybe," Evan said slowly. "I'm not sure that's any better, really." He looked at Father Charles. "I can imagine some physical explanation for a young woman turning into an animal--outrageous, yes, but at least remotely plausible. No less implausible, at least, than what I can do, or the abilities Solstice demonstrated."

Evan addressed Lanie again. "But no merely physical transformation would explain how your clothing or the pendant you're wearing could change or vanish at the same time. Which brings me back to the unsettling notion that it's magic. Which means that what I think I know about the world isn't just incomplete--it's wrong."

The Cajun girl pulled her knees up, propping her chin on them to gaze at Evan like some fey creature, indeed. She thought about magic, and about what had happened after she'd attacked Mama Angeline and escaped. All she could remember were fragments. The old, old cypress trees, the little shack, and the witch-woman dressed in dark rags with bicolored eyes that burned like dark fire...

..."like always be come back to like," she'd laughed, circling Lanie's crumpled form with unwholesome delight. "I done tol' your papa dis, me, when he come to me sixteen, seventeen year ago now. Never thought you come back to your mama like dis though, chile....

Lanie shook herself slightly. Not even sure that was real. It was a fever dream, a hallucination, had to be... "Dere be magic in dis world, Evan. It jus' don'...." Her mouth twisted in disgust, then she tried again, this time without the Cajun overtones. "It just looks like science sometimes. Or miracles," she added, glancing at Father Charles with a tiny smile.

"I guess there is," Evan said. Lanie's changes and the accompanying vanishing and reappearance of her clothing made that hard to deny. "It takes some getting used to. Though I suppose that's hardly all that requires an open mind. Some of the other things that have happened lately are just as unlikely."

Father Charles thought through their musings on the source or the reason for their difference. It had often been hardest on the man being both a theologian and an anthropologist. He had never found anything that had turned him away from the spiritual path he walked. He did not believe, however, that the manifest powers in these two and any others was magic or a curse.

"Evan," the priest said. "Lanie said she learned about you at some website called CAST. Is that yours?"

"No," Evan said. "It's not mine. I stumbled across it while searching online for news about Solstice's appearance at the square, and any hints of similar events. I don't know who created it."

"Hmm," the priest replied as his mind worked. "I wonder, then, who did start that site. It seems to have been a good thing bringing you two together. Insofar that Lanie here does not feel completely isolated with these...powers. I wonder how many more there actually are of you. I also wonder if this person who put up the CAST site has any sort of hidden agenda. I am at a loss, really, as to what is next, so I must ask...what's next?"

"I don't know who started the website--it's a good question. I know of at least one other person with...abilities. I've met him personally. But that makes four I know of: myself, Lanie, this 'Solstice' character, and the other fellow I know.

"If there are four right here in New Orleans, the odds are good that there are others. Possibly many others. And the website may be a good place to look for them."

"Maybe that's what we should do, then," Lanie suggested tentatively. "I been the odd one out all my life. Might be kinda nice to have other folk who are like me around -- for safety as much as anything else." She hugged her knees tightly and gazed between the two, as if afraid she'd said too much.

"There's something to that," Evan agreed. "But at the same time I think we need to exercise a little caution. We aren't likely to be only ones trying to find others like us. There are a lot of people who would no doubt want to find people with special abilities and make use of them."

Lanie nodded, again remembering the nightmarish encounter with the swamp witch and wondering if she was on the Internet... "Guess we just watch the CAST website for now, then. There was one other person, I think it was a guy, who only got his powers when he got angry, and he didn't sound very happy about it. Pere Charles," and again it sounded like "pair sharl" when she said it -- evidently her Cajun origins crept out when her mind raced ahead of her mouth. "Does your computer have the Internet? Maybe we could check the site now and see if anything else has been happening."

Father Charles nodded and then rose from the sofa where he had been sitting next to Lanie. He went over to the computer and typed a few keystrokes to unlock the computer. "Here," he said as he indicated they could now use the computer. "Feel free, both of you. Have you eaten dinner yet, Evan" he asked. "Lanie hasn't. I was going to the kitchen to get us a bite. Or can I bring you something to drink perhaps?"

"Yes, I've eaten, thank you," Evan said. "I had just finished having dinner with a friend when you called. A glass of iced tea or water would be nice, though. New Orleans is a bit hot and humid for my taste."

He walked over to the computer, then looked at Lanie. "Would you like to drive?"

Ohmahgawd does he know how cool he is? Lanie colored at the question and direct regard, really unaccustomed to being the center of positive attention by anyone, least of all a cute older guy like Evan. "Um, no, go ahead," she demurred, sidling over to the chair to stand behind him. "Is it okay if I stand here and read though?"

"Sure," Evan said. He sat down at the computer and opened the browser. "I don't know that we'll learn much. It hasn't been that long since I was last on the website." He typed in the URL and waited for the page to load. Evan logged into his account. An indicator popped up showing he had a personal message from someone calling themselves Empire.

Flinger you don't know me, but from what I can tell you are the real deal. There are a few others in the Crescent City that are real as well. Director should be trying to find you all too. It is imperative that you all find each other sooner, rather then later. There is a local reporter that is tracking the Solstice story as well as a tie-in story. She has been following a lead and might prove helpful in bringing some of you together. Her name is Abbigail Oliver. I will be in touch.

"Hmm," Evan said. Who was 'Empire' and what did he know? Or was he fishing? 'From what I could tell' might mean exactly nothing. And who was 'Director?'

Evan smiled to himself. Empire? Director? They sounded like they had control issues. Not exactly the sort of thing to make him eager to interact with them. On the other hand, the lead on a local reporter who was investigating the Solstice story might be useful. At the very least he'd know to avoid her if necessary.

Well, there was no need to act in haste. He'd wait to see if this 'Director' contacted him. If either he or Empire had any useful information, he'd be more amenable to meeting them. Evan signed off and looked at Lanie. "You want to sign on? Maybe you've gotten a message from this 'Empire' character too."

"From who?" Lanie had moved away when she saw Evan click on his private message -- she was powerfully curious but didn't want to seem rude. As he explained the message he'd gotten she began to frown.

"Um, that's kinda creepy," she said. "Stalker-level creepy. How does he know all that? How did he know about you?" Her mouth twisted a little and she uncrossed her arms to brush back a stray lock of hair. "All I did was sign up on his stupid website. Now I'm scared all over again."

"That's a good question about Director," Evan said. "He may not know as much as he'd like us to believe, so I wouldn't immediately assume he does--and I'd certainly be cautious about confirming anything. But if he does know about others like us, he could be a useful contact."

Like us. He said `others like us.' Lanie smiled a little at that, and nodded. Evan's extreme coolness aside, it was good not to feel isolated and alone, for once. "Okay. I'll take a look. Maybe he sent me one too, and we can compare." She sat in Evan's place, terribly conscious of his nearness, and typed in her screen name and password.

Hello ariel. You have 1 message waiting.

A little nervous still, she clicked on the link.

Ariel, it's Feedback. If you still need help with your power or just need to talk to someone who knows a little of what you're going through, give me a call. My number's 555-1234. We superhumans have got to stick together, y'know.

"Wow, it's from that guy named Feedback," she exclaimed, then felt stupid because obviously Evan could see that, so she clarified. "He was the one with the anger issues I was talking about. But look -- he thinks we're `superhumans'."

Lanie looked up at Evan, bi-colored eyes set in an endearingly pixie-ish face. "Like in the comic books? Really? What should I tell him? Should we call, do you think?"

"That would be one term for it, sure," Evan said. "Creating fire out of nowhere, teleporting, shapechanging--I'd call those superhuman abilities."

Evan glanced at Father Charles. "As for what to tell him, I think you'll probably want to discuss that with Father Charles. Get his advice. If you do decide to call, you might want to do it from a prepaid phone--something that can't be traced to you, just in case you decide making contact was a bad idea." He held up his own cell. "That's what I did."

As if on cue, the priest walked in holding a tray with some soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. "Simple fare," he said as he placed the tray down where Lanie could reach. "Have you found anything interesting, or useful", he asked the pair?

Lanie obediently brought the priest up to date. "So I have another phone number," she concluded, adding "And now that's like two more phone numbers from guys than I've had in my whole life. What do you think I should do? Should I write him back, or call? Should I wait?"

Father Charles smiled at Lanie's comments and then thought a moment. "At this point, I think it best you probably call. It seemed to work with Evan, and we can only hope it will be the same with this one."

Father Charles reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. "Use this one. I am not worried about it getting traced back here. Besides, who is going to say the priest of St Louis Cathedral is lying when he says there is no girl who called from this phone," he finished with a grin.

Lanie took the phone, but her demeanor had turned quite serious. "Now I know lyin' is a sin, Pere Charles," she said reproachfully as she dialed. "You done convinced me that I ain't cursed, me -- don't go endangering your immortal soul on my account, okay?" The phone on the other end started ringing, and she turned her attention to the sound, holding up one hand in a distracted plea for silence.

"Hello?" came the eventual reply.

"Uh, hi," she said, suddenly nervous. The male voice on the other end sounded rushed, flustered. It put Lanie off balance. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for someone... is this Feedback?" she finally concluded, looking at the two men in the room for support.

Paul didn't expect to hear a young girl's voice on the other end of the line. It certainly wasn't Alison, nor anyone else he recognised, although it did sound a little like that loud woman in accounts that he didn't like. So, for a moment, he was somewhat confused.

"Who...?" he replied, quietly, whilst processing what the girl had actually said. Feedback? He couldn't hear any feedback on the line. It sounded pretty clear to him.

Then the penny dropped. Ariel. He'd left her a PM. She'd called.

Paul glanced across at Abby and then quickly turned away.

"Er, yeah. Yes. I'm Feedback. Are you Ariel? From the CAST site?" he said, hoping that Abby didn't catch what he was saying.

"Yeah. That's me. I... wanted to thank you. The phone number. It was very nice of you," she said, stammering a little in nervousness. "I didn't mean to call at a bad time though."

"Bad time?" Paul asked, wondering to himself whether he sounded flustered or something. "No, hey it's fine. Any time. And no need to thank me, it's cool".

Paul winced at that. What was he goddamn thinking? Cool!? Hell, kids didn't say that sort of thing now.

The phone line seemed to crackle a little.

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok" he continued. "With your powers and everything. And if you ever needed to talk to someone about, y'know, your situation then I guess I'm here. Though this whole thing's new to me too".

My god, this is all so surreal, thought Paul. I'm talking to some girl I've never met about superpowers.

"So, is everything ok?"

Lanie looked up at Evan and Father Charles, smiling unselfconsciously as she answered the question. "It's better, yeah. I think it's gonna be okay. I'm staying at St. Louis Cathedral right now. If you wanted to come by, it's a safe and quiet place to talk."

"St. Louis'? Right next to Jackson Square?" Paul asked, a little surprised to hear that Ariel was so local. Still, it made sense. She had indicated that she had seen the whole Solstice incident. Paul wondered for a moment whether she was some sort of nun-in-training or something.

The idea of meeting up with Ariel was also something of a surprise. He had thought that talking to her over the phone was weird enough but meeting her...?

He glanced across towards Abby again before answering.

"As to meeting up, well, sure I guess. I mean, it's something of a surprise but I can be over there within an hour. If that's okay with you and, erm, any folk looking after you?".

She did sound young and Paul didn't want to get into any trouble. Meeting up with some teenage girl after contacting her on an Internet forum was the sort of thing society - and concerned parents - usually frowned upon.

"He was the one who suggested I call you," Lanie said truthfully, glancing back up at Father Charles again. "Father Charles is the parish priest here at St. Louis." And it sounded like "Sahn-LooEE" when she said it, her Cajun upbringing slipping out when she wasn't concentrating on keeping it under wraps. "So sure, come on over. There may be one other person here when you arrive, if he decides to stay. Maybe we can all help one another -- I know it's sure helping me, not to feel so alone about all this."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes I wonder if I'm goin' crazy" Paul replied. For a kid, this Ariel sounded like she was coping reasonably well with things.

"Well, okay then. I'll be over soon". That all seemed to be sorted. "Let that Father Charles know to expect me. Bye"

Paul paused for a moment, then put down the receiver.

Lanie clicked the phone closed. "I didn't want to speak for you on that, Evan, but I'd really like it if you'd consider stayin' too."

"I wouldn't miss it," Evan said.

* * * * *

Paul's wife could tell her husband was on edge. He seemed to have been on edge a lot lately. He was spending more and more time scanning various news channels and the internet. She wasn't sure what to make of it or him. She had to go out of town for a week, and she hoped he would have told her what was bothering him before he left, but he hadn't. Part of Paul was bothered that she would be gone. Part of him was relieved. He didn't need to hide his research for now.

He watched the news and finally caught the story about a botched robbery at the convenience store. Paul watched as the clerk recounted what had happened. The clerk told the story, but the news reporter did the wrap up in a way that put a spin on it that said the clerk was just all caught up in the Solstice craze. There was video, but it ended when Paul let loose. He felt relieved when he realized that his secret was safe and that people were going to think the clerk crazy. He heard the knock at his apartment door.

Miss Eloise must need help again, he thought as he crossed the floor and opened the door. He stopped as he looked at the reporter from the Picayune who was standing on the landing.

"Hello, again," she said. "Remember me? Could we talk some more?" she asked as she pulled a video cassette from her bag and let it swing in her fingers.

"Who...?" Paul exclaimed, looking at the woman in the doorway. She seemed familiar though, for a moment, Paul couldn't remember where he'd seen her before. His gaze moved from her face to the tape that dangled from her well-manicured hand and back to her pretty face with that cute little nose. Then he remembered.

"Oh".

Paul looked around anxiously and then took in the video tape in her hand.

"What's tha...?" he asked, before his brain caught up with him. The police might not be on to him but it would appear that reporters were more tenacious. And goddamn bold to boot.

"Abby... Abbigail Oliver?" he stammered. "What are you doing here? What... Come in, come in" Better to have the conversation in private rather than on the doorstep.

Thank god Alison isn't in, thought Paul. How the hell would I explain some attractive woman coming to see me?

"So, erm, what do you want to talk about, Ms Oliver" he said, once the woman was inside.

"Abby is fine, please. My mother was Ms. Oliver." Abby nodded and walked in. She took the seat he offered her and proceeded to tell him how she had been following up on the story that started with Solstice. The incident at the convenience store had piqued her curiosity, so she had a friend at the NOPD make her a copy of the tape.

"What I found most interesting," she continued, "is how YOU were there. Again. And while many others might not see anything special, I don't know that I believe in consequences. I tend to espouse the theory that where there's smoke, there's fire. So you were at the convenience store and seemed to approach the robber just before something fried the circuits. Sure that building is old, but there were no surges from Entergy recorded, and the power simply came back later."

She paused a moment as she held the tape in her hands. "So, why don't you tell me about the fire I can't see from the smoke I can."

So, she doesn't really have anything, thought Paul. She's just put two and two together and got forty-four hundred. But what does she know...?

"Fire? What fire?" Paul shrugged. "Yeah, sure, I was at that store when the guy with the gun was there. He threatened me, pulled the trigger and the gun backfired or something. I call that karma. Why don't we chalk one up to the Big Guy, eh? But I don't know anything about the power in that building. And what the clerk was saying just sounds, well, crazy yeah?".

During most of this Paul's gaze swept around the room eventually coming to rest upon his clammy hands held tightly in front of him. He didn't look at Abby directly in the eye. He wasn't very good at lying, especially to people he didn't know, but he wasn't about to immediately spill his story to this reporter.

"Look, plenty of people were in the square when that Solstice attacked. And I wasn't the one that disappeared. Maybe... maybe you should be looking for him, Abby. Or maybe all that was just crazy too".

Abby regarded him cooly. She was used to this. She was an outstanding investigative reporter.

"Uh huh," she expressed. "There aren't coincidences like this. Now you can sit here and try to convince yourself, but it is only going to delay the inevitable. And that is that I WILL eventually find out how you are connected with this." She then sat back a little more which gave the distinct impression she was moving in.

Fuck, thought Paul, this isn't happening. Now I've got some goddamn reporter trying to out me.

He lifted his hands and wrapped them around his head, gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. It's not like having superpowers made him wrong, or bad, or anything like that. He'd done nothing wrong and had nothing to hide but this... this was big stuff. He had abilities that didn't make sense, he'd seen things that went against rational science. He really needed to confide in someone about it.

The problem was, he had no real friends. Sure, there were people at his workplace that he hung out with but they weren't really friends, just co-workers. And yes, there were some old buddies from highschool, but he only saw them about three or four times a year, just to catch up on things. His only real friend - hell, his best friend - was Alison.

He should have told her. He should have explained what was happening. Why the hell had he kept it to himself?

Paul shook his head and looked up at Abby. He needed answers. He needed release.

"Goddamn it. Okay, right", he stammered and then sighed. "But this is all off the record, okay? Investigate this shit as much as you want, find out what it's all about, but you don't mention me. Yeah?"

He hoped Abby was a decent person underneath and not just some mindless journalist greedy for the next story. He waited a moment for her acceptance before asking her a further question.

"You ever read comic books when you were younger, Abby?"

Abby nodded as he began. Paul could see there was genuine interest in her gaze.

"Yeah? Well I'm talking superhero comic books here - capes, flying, superstrength, that sort of thing. Actually I'm talking more about superhuman powers like the ones you see in those comic books".

"Well, you saw some of that the other day," he continued, "even if the usual news outlets are playin' it down. Solstice and his flame powers. That other guy and his teleportation".

Paul took a deep breath as if he was about to let out a deep dark secret and announced in a quiet, faltering voice, "A few days ago, I found out that... well, that I've also got superpowers".

Paul held up his right hand, his arm pointing vertically upwards, and curled the fingers into a loose fist. It looked a little like he was getting ready to arm-wrestle or about to shake his fist at some kids who were playing on the lawn.

"Somehow, god knows how because I certainly don't, I can shoot out blasts of energy from my hands. You're not going to believe me so..."

Paul squeezed his fingers together, tightening the fist that was held before him. As he did, crackles of electricity ran down the creases between his fingers and across his thumb, flashing in the light coming from the fixture above.

"I can shoot any type of energy, I think. Fire, electricity, light. The energy builds up inside me and I can release it. That's what I did to the guy in the store. He pulled a fucking gun on the poor guy behind the counter and was goddamn going to shoot either the clerk or me. So I zapped him".

Suddenly, a small spark of crackling white electricity arced from Paul's fist and struck the light in the ceiling above them. There was a crack and a pop and then the bulb blew, showering a few hot shards down onto the floor.

"Shit!", Paul cursed, getting up quickly and looking at the ruined light. "Goddamn... I... Sorry 'bout that. You okay?" he asked Abby.

He began to carefully pick up the bits of broken glass from the floor and collect them together on one of his wife's glossy magazines whilst he continued his one-sided conversation.

"See, little things like that still keep happening to me", he said apologetically. "But I'm no Solstice. I'm not going to go out and start torching trees or terrorizing the neighbours. If anything, I want to help them out and stop thugs like that guy in the store".

With most of the shards collected, Paul carried the magazine over to the trash and disposed of the broken bulb. He turned with the magazine in hand and looked across the room at Abby.

"Anyway, that's why I was in the square whilst Solstice was around. I wanted to see if that guy was for real. If he really was shooting fire and flying then maybe I wasn't going mad. I wouldn't be alone. And now we know there are others out there, yeah?"

He tossed the magazine onto a nearby table and sank back down into his seat, wondering how Abby was going to react, hoping she wasn't going to think he was a freak or just another story to break.

Abby sat there through it all, reserved but not stoic. While she wasn't sure what she would find when she came here, this probably was not it. She did not, however, react alarmed or disgusted by what she saw.

She was not at all prepared for what she was about to do next, but her plans had been tossed out with each moment that Paul revealed the true nature of what might be happening. She tossed the tape to Paul to show good faith. She slowly reached in and pulled out a small recorder from her inside pocket. She hit a switch, opened the holder, and tossed Paul the tape as well.

"Not that this isn't one helluva story, but something tells me there is more to gain, long-term, than to publish anything now. Now I've got 0 proof," she continued. "So what are you going to do? I mean are you going to find some fire-proof spandex and run around the city fighting the good fight? What about others like you? Are you trying to find them?"

Paul took the video and cassette tapes and stared at them for a moment. He muttered something about never trusting a journalist before putting the tapes down.

"Spandex?" he sniffed and almost raised a smile. "Hell no. You're joking, right? It might be fine for comic books but for a skinny guy like me... uh uh". He shook his head.

"As to looking for others, it's kinda difficult. I can't just put an ad in the paper". Paul thought for a moment, scratching the five o'clock stubble on his chin. "Actually, I hadn't thought of that before. No, it probably wouldn't work".

"But I did find something", he continued. "A website started just after the Solstice incident. It's called CAST. Don't know who wrote it but there's a forum with a few people sayin' they've got powers like me. I was thinking of trying to contact one of them. She says she's having trouble like me. At least I think she's a she. You can't really tell".

"I might do some snooping around on that site. See what I can come up with."

He shrugged, glancing at the tapes again for a moment.

"Look, Abby. It's only been a few days since I found out. For all I know, by the end of the week these powers might've gone away and I'll be back to normal. Until yesterday, I didn't even think of looking for anyone else. Hell, I haven't even told my wife yet and I'm not sure what I should do. Someone on the CAST site suggested using my powers to help out others and fight crime. Look how that turned out..."

Paul's voice trailed off.

"Looks like it turned out fine for the clerk who's life you might have saved, right? Paul," she continued as she leaned a little forward. She reached out and touched his arm briefly in a show of compassion. "What you did was good and right. I am sure of it." She leaned back again. "It's probably not my place to say, but if there are more like you, then you need to find them. Who else can possibly understand? At some point these stories are going to come out and come together. I promise you that I will do what I can to help you with this and through this. All I ask is you don't shut me out. Here's a card. It's got my emergency contact number on it. Use it day or night, weekday or weekend. I have been assigned to the Solstice lead. I will have to put some stories out there, but yours will be safe. Understand?"

Paul smiled for the first time since Abby arrived. It was a hesistant smile, reluctant to show itself to this woman he hardly knew. From the way his cheeks creased it was obvious that Paul didn't smile often.

"Yeah, I understand", he said, looking at the card that Abby gave him. "Thanks"

He placed the card in his pocket and looked back at Abby. "I guess I did save the guy's life, right? That's something".

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"Hey, if you find out anything about Solstice, give me a call. That goddamn idiot needs to be taught a lesson about property damage".

"Anyway, yeah, I'll try and find others like me. I'll probably start with Ariel and go from there. Maybe we'll start up a team? Call ourselves The Super Society". Again with the smile.

"Actually..." he began and got up out of his seat. He made his way over to the corner of the room and to a PC on a desk stationed there. The base tower was already on and Paul just switched on the monitor before connecting to the 'net.

"May as well send her a message right now", Paul explained as he navigated to the CAST website. Once there, he clicked on Ariel's avatar and selected to send a private message to her:

Ariel, it's Feedback. If you still need help with your power or just need to talk to someone who knows a little of what you're going through, give me a call. My number's 555-1234. We superhumans have got to stick together, y'know.

Then he wrote something on the main forum letting Ariel know to check her PMs.

Turning back to Abby, Paul shrugged.

"Well, there we go. Don't know whether she'll contact me, but it's a start".

He looked at Abby, a little unsure what to say next. He wasn't one for small talk, not usually.

"Hmmm, you want a drink or anything?" he asked and quickly added, "Sorry, should've asked sooner, I guess".

Abby shook her head no. "I best be going. I have to come up with something to cover this angle. I'll call you if I can find anything about this Solstice character and you do the same." She paused for a moment. "You DO realize that more and more of this story is going to come out, right? You best figure out how you want to handle it when it does. Whether you are going to be part of it or hide from it. Having a friend inside the press might not be too bad of thing, huh," she ended and gave him a wink. "You know, I could go for a bite to eat. Have you had dinner yet?"

Paul's eyes met Abby's above that cute nose and he lost himself for far too long a time than was comfortable. It felt like a significant moment, even though he was just standing there in his own home, as if the quantum cloud of the universe was ready to collapse into a particular singular state based on that very decision. But Paul already knew the answer he'd give.

"Actually, I had something earlier", he said, which was strictly true but not really the truth. "But thanks for the offer" he added.

Paul walked over to her, near the door.

"And yeah, having a friend...", his eyebrows raised at this, not quite believing that she was a true friend, "...inside the press would be good. Especially, as you say, when this comes out. Perhaps that'll help limit the damage to my family".

"Oh, and thanks for the tapes. If I find out what the hell this is all about, what's happening to me or, y'know, anything else that might make this whole bizarre mess make some kind of stupid sense then I'll contact you".

Again, he smiled and again it looked like it was a strain to do so.

She stood in the doorway for a moment. "Your family will be safe, at least from me," she said. You sure about grabbing a bite" she asked again. "I prefer not to eat alone and, well, I usually end up doing it. I would like to ask you some more questions if you have time and don't mind." She stood there waiting for his response.

Paul considered the invitation for a moment. Sure, it was just an honest request but what the hell would his wife think? And what would he tell her? Well, honey, I just met this woman the other day in the street. Then she came to our apartment and asked me out to dinner. It means nothing - she's just a reporter! That would lead to all sorts of questions. Then again, he really should tell Alison what was going on. Explain everything about his abilities, about Solstice and about the attack at the store.

Of course, right then - as if on cue - his stomach let out a loud rumble.

Sheepishly, Paul looked down at his traitorous stomach and frowned. There was no use pretending he'd already eaten now.

He opened his mouth to say something when, again as if on cue, his phone began to ring.

'Oh shit. That'll probably be Alison now, ringing to see how he was or check up on something' he thought as he glared at the phone. Realising that Abby was still standing there waiting for an answer, he looked up at her and said,

"Wait there okay? I'll, er, just get that".

He quickly picked up the phone and answered it with a quavering voice.

"Hello?"

There was a moment's hesitation and when the voice began, it was a very young woman, likely a teenager, with a distinctive southern accent.

After speaking Ariel, Paul put down the receiver. For a second, he stood there looking at the phone, lost in his thoughts before taking a breath and raising his head. He'd forgotten that there was someone else in his home. Abby stood there in the doorway, her cute little nose seemingly twitching with curiosity.

"Er, something's come up so I'm gonna have to take a raincheck on dinner". He shrugged and picked up his keys to the apartment, preparing to head out.

Abby nodded in understanding. She made sure that Paul had her contact information so he could get in touch with her if need be. She told him that she would let him know if she found out anything useful. She re-assured him, again, that his secret was safe with her, and she took her leave.

* * * * *

Terry had returned from the bank where the account had been established. Empire had been right. There was a decent balance in there. The website had been a flurry of activity, but a lot of it toned down as time went along. His Aunt finally came home, and Terry could tell she had a rough day even without using any of his powers.

She placed her bags down and looked at him. "I would like to soak for a bit, kiddo. What would you like for dinner tonight?" she asked as she moved about the very very nice home in the Garden District.

"The city is awash in what happened the other day, Terry. Can you believe the Mayor's office has asked me to research precedence on this? Precedence? On a flying flame-thrower?"

"What do you make of all of this?"

Terry looked incredulously at his Aunt, "You mean that whole ILM showcase was for real? I thought it was some kind of movie promotion or a big practical joke." After a moment he looked thoughtfully at her and said, "Well I make it that you are going to be establishing legal precedence with whatever you come up with. i mean the closet thing I could imagine in the real world would be like a trained combat soldier or martial arts expert." He paused, "Oh and I'd like Sushi for dinner. Western Sushi is forgivable since we are living on a budget.", Terry grinned at his Aunt while walking off towards the bathroom to start her bath water.

Lynn called the restaurant to make their reservations. It was was a nice little place on Magazine St that she and Terry would frequent, and it was walking distance from their house. She then went to the bathroom and slipped into the tub, reveling in it's feel even on a hot New Orleans evening.

"So, kid," she began. "What do you make of all these events? Your the one who attends all these conventions and such. You've been, well more quiet about this than I would have thought." She sipped at the glass of wine Terry had put on the side of the tub as she waited for him.

Terry looked at his Aunt Lynn, his eyes directly on her face. He had learned a while ago that looking anywhere else on his Ome-san created an unwelcome reaction in his pants. Of course a few of his friends constantly felt the need for him how hot his Aunt Lynn was, and those same friends occasionally slipped him downloaded suggestive incest hentai. This did nothing to make that situation less uncomfortable for poor Terry. He often was caught between his basic desire for a beautiful woman and his feeling of guilt for lusting after someone who could have been his mother.

Terry probed a little at his Aunt, and one thing was on top of her thoughts. It was a name. Tyler Banks. There were many thoughts around that name and Terry couldn't quite lock onto any one in particular.

While considering his answer, Terry focused on reading her thoughts. He had been avoiding reading her thoughts because he wasn't sure he always wanted to know what was on her mind. But this time he was more than simply curious. "First of all, we agreed that I'm not quite a kid anymore, remember?" he said somewhat defensively.

"Don't get so uptight, Hideaki," she replied softly and sweetly as she sat in the tub. "You know I don't mean anything by it. I'll always think of you as kid," she continued with a splash of bubbles at him.

Crossing his arms, he explained, "Second, just because I attend Anime conventions doesn't make me an expert on flying flame throwers. Those experts go to Comic Book conventions and discuss and debate things like that. I mean I do want to go back to San Diego Comic Con, but thats a general media convention."

He paused and then continued, "But since you asked. I think that we normal people are in trouble. If this was an Manga or Anime story, these powers would probably have a central source with those who have it being part of a great scheme to change Mankind/Earth/the Universe. I’m thinking Mai the Psychic Girl, Akira, or Harmageddon. We were lucky that Solstice came out into the open and announced himself. We were also lucky that some people with similar powers decided to try to stop him. For the legal system the greatest problem in dealing with people like him is that most are going to do their best to stay undercover and the criminal minded ones are going to be nearly undetectable."

"Uh huh," she responded as she sunk a little lower into the warm, bubbly water. "I don't know what people are going to think. Different is different in many people's minds. Not always accurate, mind you, but people have always feared different."

"Well of course, its instinctive. Its how our ancestors quickly learned how to avoid being eaten by strange creatures when they first encountered them. And given the number of humans who think with their fears and their hate even the most minute differences, can instantly instill those emotions. But its not like I shouldn't have any idea about that. Is it?"

"I didn't and don't mean it as an insult, Terry. It's just that you are much more well versed in less mainstream things than I am. I dunno. I am just trying to piece all of this out so I will know where to begin. Your perspective is different than mine. And right now that's something I think I need. A different perspective. This city is so not like San Francisco in the way it's people approach things. Laissez faire is very apropos for a description of locals.

"And I'm not insulted but as you just reminded me, I'm just different from most American boys.", he said with a slight bittersweet tone in his voice. "I can give you a different perspective from the people who generally live here, but its generally influenced by a West Coast kind of perspective. But can you be more specific about what you're looking for?" he asked.

"If I knew what I was looking for I wouldn't be tossing darts, now would I? And one day you are going to realize, Hideaki, that different isn't a four letter word when it comes to being like most American boys. Nevermind," she said as she settled into the water. "You best get cleaned up yourself so we can get ready and go to the restaurant."

Despite his best intentions, Terry briefly watched his Aunt Lynn's body as she settled deeper into the water, quickly bringing his thoughts back to her face and her mind. He focused his concentration on finding out a bit more about Tyler Banks when he remembered an old trick to get her thoughts more on the subject of his curiosity. He said, "Aunt Lynn I don't think that being different is a four letter word. I think its being s-u-p-e-r-i-o-r, which is an eight letter word. But I'm here in the American South an area not known for its tolerance of people who are different. I'm alright with the way I am, I'm just concerned about those laissez faire people around me." He paused and then joked "So are you going to let me get in there with you like I used to do with you and Mom when I was cuter?" After a thoughtful pause he added, "Who is Tyler?"

Even without his abilities Terry could sense the discomfort she felt at the first question.

Terry gathered his will to the task at hand and was able to latch on to the image of a man in a dark shirt and white tie. The image shifted from from standing in a doorway to him seated across a lunch table. The images continued to shift with the man in different locales as Terry's first question as to who Tyler was caused Lynn to think about him. The images abruptly ended, however.

"He's a local attorney. Why do you ask? I never mentioned him before."

Terry grinned teasingly "Now you are avoiding my first question. But I will be the better person and answer your question before you answer either of mine. I heard you mention the name while you were talking over the phone."

Terry was able to pierce the veil of his Aunt's mind. This was the first time he had ever forced his way into someone else's thoughts, and the power he sensed he had was heady. Terry realized that his aunt was very attracted to Tyler. She was drawn to his great looks, his power, and apparently Tyler Banks had money of his own.

Terry sought and sifted through the thoughts and images that danced before him, but he found nothing within his Aunt's thoughts that would show a possible connection between Solstice and Tyler Banks.

"So he's just someone in your profession? Not someone whose trying to get you away from your office and alone with a nice dinner and a good Merlot?",Terry grinned. "Well thats good. You don't need some hot-shot to come along and sweep you off your feet. My Aunt Lynn is going to have a great career where she is going to make a difference in the world."

Lynn sunk a little bit lower into the tub. I don't know if it would be so bad to get swept off my feet once in awhile, she had thought. She then flicked suds at Terry.

"You know I prefer a nice pinot grigio over a merlot," she quickly followed up. "Now get out of here and get ready. I have to do the same and you are too old to be hanging out with your aunt in the bathroom."

At the door, Terry paused and then grinned back at his Anut Lynn, "You know maybe someone should take you out to dinner. Then maybe I won't have to be concerned about any friends I make spending more time looking at you than hanging out with me. Yes, I know you can't help it if you are almost a model, good looks run in our family. I just wish sometimes I had my father's looks instead of yours and Mom's. Okay, I'm leaving now. Your blind net date should be ready to meet us at the restaurant. Bye!" With that he stepped quickly out of the door laughing.

Lynn waited for Terry to leave. She then closed the door and finished getting ready to take him out to dinner.

GM OOC: OK I am going to close this and open a new move this weekend. It should bring most, if not all, of you together. Some of you have been SOOOO patient through this. Please let me know you are still around. I will get the new move written this weekend...I hope.