Aberrant Pt. 01

Almost like a bunch of houses had gotten the same news at roughly the same time or something.

"That's some timing right there," Alexa muttered, answering the call. "Hey Dad."

Tired, drained, and a little embarrassed, Gillian only stared somewhat lifelessly ahead as she felt her handheld vibrate. She let out a frustrated sigh, patting around her jeans before fishing the old, beaten down Nokia out. She clicked the call button and brought it to her ear, "Ay, 'S Jay."

Vanessa pulled out her phone and looked at it, biting her lip and focusing slightly as she tried out something, grinning as a pair of pseudopods stretching out of her outfit so she could grab food while she texted.

Sean felt just a touch envious of Vanessa at the matter she got away with texts for this. He was currently placing bets as to if it was his mother or father that was being the hen right now. "Hello?" He asked after he answered his phone.

"Hey, Firehawk!" Alexa's dad said, sounding excited and eager. "I heard that you just erupted, like, real freaking superpowers! Pleeeeease tell me it's true!"

Honey, we just heard about the attack, is everything okay? Glowed across Vanessa's handheld - her parents had sent it from their joint account.

Meanwhile, Gillian was bombarded by the sounds of not just her mother, but also the sounds of three of her younger siblings: "Gillian, we got this call, is it true what we heard?" Mom asked, while a young, high pitched voice squeaked excitedly: "We heard you can fly now!"

Sean didn't hear his father or his mother. Instead, he heard the deeper tones of his brother, Brian,, who said: "Mom and DAd are driving down to SF right away - they told me to call you..." he paused. "Is it true you freaking erupted, dude?"

"You bet it is!" Alexa said. "Firehawk's not just my ring name any more, Dad!" She flexed, even though he couldn't see her. "P90X has got nothing on erupting!"

Vanessa typed back to her parents, Good news, I erupted. Bad news, still a mute. I have a way around it though, assuming that the doctors don't decide it's going to set fire to puppies or something.

Gillian took a second to lean against a wall to steal a moment alone, closed her eyes and let a breath out. "Yeah. Yeah mom. It's legit Tell the squad that the bad guy flew but he flew scared." She paused after a few moments, sighing. "Not a whole lot I can give right now, i'm still trying to get information. It's this whole...'Need to make sure you're safe' thing. Don't think i'll be home tonight."

"They're -DRIVING-" Sean responded and put his palm on his face. Like, it wasn't that far, not really, but the fuel costs, time wasted, work hour impact. Okay, maybe Sean's priorities were a little skewed when it came to his family but there were reasons for that. "And- yeah. I guess. Nothing too flashy." He said, sounding and feeling a touch shy. Something dawned on him at that instant, something that didn't bother him now about others knowing still bothered him about his family knowing.

As Alexa spoke and Vanessa tapped and Sean responded to his phone and Gillian spoke - well, muttered, kinda - they came to the cafeteria and found themselves facing something that was just as distracting as their powers: The smell of food. And not the somewhat cheap, almost cardboardish smells of the Fremont high school cafeteria.

Rather...the food here smelled fresh and bountiful. It was being served out on a curved counter-top by a hard working kitchen, men in white outfits bustling in and out of the back to set down new trays, which were taken up by Utopians who needed another fill.

Vanessa walked over, picking up food with her pseudopodia as she focused on her phone, ready for a response from her parents, a bit surprised her girlfriend hadn't texted yet. She grabbed up a burger and cup of soda, eating and drinking with no hesitation, either that secure in her body image or that distracted. Alexa tore into the food like a wolverine, alternating bites of food with further exuberant conversation with her dad, who was over the moon at her having erupted.

"Tell everyone I love them. You too mom. Be safe," Gillian continued before ending the call. She stared at her phone for a moment before calmly pulling out the battery and stuffing the whole thing in her pocket. "Need food before I feel like I fall through the floor," She mumbled, moving to join Alexa and grab herself food. Burgers and three milkshakes.

As they sat down and Alexa's dad finished off by saying: "Stay safe and kick so much butt, Fire!" the phone clicked off, leaving them with two ominous notes: Sean's parents were coming to the place, while Octavia still hadn't texted Vanessa, which was...alarming, to say the least. But the food was just...delicious. Gillian found herself eating through three burgers without even realizing that she had started!

Sean slipped the earpiece in and connected it to his phone, switching the call over. He normally used it to listen to music while he drew but right now he wanted his hands for grabbing the food and knew he just had to let this convo with his brother run it's course. So like that he listened in while collecting a full tray of a little bit of everything they had to sample.

"Thank you for your pledge of support in what will be trying times." Sean replied rather dryly to his parents - sounding tired as he tried to disengage himself with the conversation. "So, I'll let you get back to your games knowing that I am going to be suffering in your stead. I'm hungry and need to eat." He said rather politely, giving his brother the chance to say goodbye and end the call.

Vanessa sighed, putting down her phone and cramming food into her mouth with more ambivalence than one might hope.

As Vanessa chowed down, the four of them found that there was more to look at in the caff than just food - once their eyes lifted from their plates and the fires of hunger in their bellies had faded. Looking around, they saw that the place had a lot of baselines. Most...no...all of them were Utopian workers. They were dressed in jumpsuits and chatted with one another about their duties and activities in the area. Project Utopia had done a lot to clean up the homelessness problem in San Francisco, and it seemed some big project was localized here that required a lot of seismic equipment, from the snatches of conversation they overheard. But they also saw something...rather...wow...

Sitting in the corner, carefully ignoring the baselines around him, was a nova. But...not like most novas. Most novas looked like humans. Fit, strong, athletic humans with amazing bodies and even more spectacular powers, yes, but humans none the less.

This guy looked like a...muscular humanoid dragon, with bright blue scales, huge wings that swept behind him and were clutched tight to his shoulders, and an elegant muzzle - which held a pair of glasses. He had his nose pressed to a book reader, and was flipping pages with his finger, clearly absorbed in his book.

But that didn't change the fact it seemed most people were giving him a one or two table berth, making a bubble of emptiness around him. Sean noticed this as well as his brother finished up the call with: "Mom is going to be freaking fawning over you for a month" in tones of ill disguised delight that his brother was going to have to deal with this nonsense, and not him.

Alexa lowered her voice conspiratorially. "I'm not the only one who sees the dragon in the corner, am I?" she muttered. "Those pills aren't making me see things, right?"

"No, that really is a dragon." Gillian answered, returning to the table with another collection of burgers. She polished off the last of her first shake and set about the task of devouring her new burgers with the last milkshake. "Ish."

Vanessa snorted, signing, "If so, they're some strong shit." She said, looking at the dragon, curious to see if he wanted to be left alone or not. After a few moments of examining the other dragon, Vanessa sighed and signed to her friends: "Well, good news is he's not aware everyone's avoiding him."

"Should we go say hello?" Gillian asked, slurping the mayo off her finger as she polished off her final burger.

Vanessa shrugged, signing, "Well, he is busy reading..."

"And why not? Not every day you get to see him in the flesh." Sean offered, before scarfing down a pair of onion rings.

Vanessa signed curiously, "You recognize him?"

Alexa decided to handle the situation with her usual amount of tact and sensitivity. She got up out of her seat and walked over to where the dragon was sitting. She pulled out the chair across from him and sat down in it, folding her arms and staring right at the dragon's big frame.

The dragon didn't look up, his finger skimming to the side as he continued to read, his tail twitching from side to side - almost slapping against Alexa's shin.

"Nope, but he is unique." Sean said with a shrug and stood up. "And you know me and unique when it comes to my art." He admitted before walking over to the same table. He stood there before politely asking "May we share this table with you or would you rather be left to your book?"

With Alexa and Sean both up Gillian shrugged. She moved to wipe her hands off with a napkin before standing and moving to trail after the other two, waving behind her to Vanessa to invite her to follow.

The dragon blinked, looking up as he saw Sean, then Alexa, then Gillian, blinking a few times - his eyes were lightning blue. "What?" he asked, sounding confused and surprised. "I, uh...sure?" he asked - his voice a deep, sensual rumble. Almost like the aural equivilent of dark chocolate.

Vanessa got up and followed the others, waving at the dragon as she came over.

"Sorry to bother," Gillian added for the sake of the group, moving to grab a chair after the dragon Okay'd Sean's comment. "We're new. Literally by hours at this point? Wanted to say hello."

The dragon blinked slightly. "Oh! You're new novas!" He grinned. "Here to see the consequences of overworking yourself?"

Alexa continued to stare at the dragon.

Vanessa signed, "Is that how you got all dragony?"

"I'm Sean, she's Vanessa." Sean introduced with a nod over to her as he sat down. "Though if I had to hazard a guess, I'm going to be going by the name Diamond Dog before the end of the week once people dig up enough on me." He said a bit self defeated. "And no? I thought you looked neat and wanted to introduce myself." Sean said honestly.

The dragon blinked, then blushed. "I'm sorry, I don't speak American Sign Language..." He rubbed his chin, then smiled. "Do you want me to...try something?" he asked. Then, looking at Sean, he chuckled. "Diamond Dog?"

"She asked if that is how you become all dragony," Gillian supplied without pause for Vanessa's sake.

Vanessa blinked, then shrugged slightly at the dragon, holding up her hands like they were snake heads, one nodding and the other shaking side to side.

The dragon blinked at Vanessa, then chuckled. "W-Well, uh, actually, I was jesting...I didn't become this by over-straining my powers, though I believe others have. R-Rather, um...I erupted to become like this..." He grinned, shyly. "Since an eruption does reflect subconscious, uh...urges."

His nares - the lines of his muzzle - turned bright gold.

Alexa slowly raised an eyebrow. "You wanted to be a dragon." Not a question, but a statement.

Vanessa signed to the others, smirking, "So like.. sixteen inches? Eighteen? Think he went for a full two feet?"

Gillian coughed and flushed. She flicked the table with her finger and nodded before looking back to the dragon. "I...kinda get that. Some things are kinda unexpected. The color is nice though."

Alexa quickly signed back: "He fucking better have."

"Okay Van, you lost even me." Sean snickered, then went back to talking to the dragon. "And yeah, it's my online alias for my artwork. I took some care keeping them separate from my name, but I'm not delusional enough to think that such efforts alone will hold up once the world starts digging for more about me. And the artist is too scandalous to the point it will follow me no matter what. So might as well?" He said, rambling a bit.

Gillian choked at Vanessa's signed comment, pressing her brow down on the table for a moment. Unnoticed by the others, she peeked underneath at the dragon's lap.

Vanessa frowned at Sean, signing, "His cock."

The dragon looked between them, unaware of the signing, his brow furrowing slightly as he did so, then laughed softly. "W-Well, uh..." he said, shaking his head slowly. "I'm sure that your art will only get you more fans!" He said to Sean, nodding slightly, then looked at Gillian. "Thanks."

"Oh- right. Of course." Sean signed back. "Should I inform him of the silent conversation he is a part of?"He smiled, then switched to verbal language. "Yeah- likely will. But if I knew before hand I would have crafted the association a bit more carefully. This is going to make things a bit awkward with my parents."

Vanessa smirked, signing, "If you want to, go ahead."

"S-So, um...forgive me, I'm kind of...unsure, but...um..." the dragon said, looking at Vanessa. "But what did the two hand gestures you gave me meant? Do...you want me to try using my powers or...not?"

Vanessa shrugged, then gave him a thumb's up. Alexa nodded eagerly. "Yes, please. Show us what you can do." I either want to fight him or fuck him, and this'll determine which, she thought.

Sean just smiled back, was about to say something, then shut his mouth and nodded.

The dragon nodded, then reached out. "I have some healing powers - it's good to learn how to put someone back together, if you know..." He said, quietly, his palm glowing with a pale blue white light. He touched it to Vanessa's throat, his brow furrowing. Power seemed to tremble through his body...and then he drew his hand back, grinning - his teeth glinting as he did so. "Hows that?"

Vanessa opened her mouth, then paused, putting her hand to her chin and looking to the side for a moment, then snapping her fingers! "Octavia!" She said, grinning, "Boom! Now you can all tell Tavi my first words ever were her name! Hella romantic!" She said cheerfully, her voice cute, not childlike, but definitely youthful and fun. "Oh right, super thanks! What do I owe you? I have a girlfriend, so I need to ask her if you're requiring sex stuff."

The dragon beamed. "Awesome!" he said, laughing as he sagged - looking faintly tired out from his use of his power. Even his scales seemed to be slightly less lustrous. Hearing Vanessa's offer, he blinked slightly. "W-What? No!" He said, looking shocked. "No, I'd never take advantage of someone! I just...it was a gift!"

Gillian blinked and flushed a little, though it didn't stop her from nudging Alexa's arm lightly and nodding down towards the dragon's lap as he stood. She coughed a little and returned her attention to the healing, "Wooow. Uh, we...really owe you now."

Alexa smiled, though there was a glint of mad lust in her eye. "We certainly do."

"Um.. you okay, dude?" Vanessa said with concern, "You're just drained, right? Like.. it'll be better later?"

The dragon smiled. "Yeah...you've never used your powers like that, huh? If you're a nova, you can sometimes push your powers harder and further than they normally go. It's nice, but...man, it's real tiring."

Sean just chuckled. "Don't mind them, I think I'm the least perverted, hormone driven 18 year old of this bunch." He teased.

"We've been novas for like four hours, dude. We haven't had time. But.. seriously, you're okay? No quantum backlash shit?" Vanessa said with concern.

"But I'm glad that you'll only need a bit of a rest." Sean added with a nod.

"You're the nice one offering to heal just like that. You've a good heart." Gillian nodded.

The dragon smiled. "Absolutely okay," he said, nodding. "See? Already perking up." He held up his arm - his scales starting to glint and shine slightly.

Vanessa smiled, "Good. So, work up a bill and we'll talk installments based off my future work." She pulled out her phone again, dialing Tavi's number excitedly.

Alexa looked the dragon up and down, not bothering to hide the thirst in her gaze. "Perking up indeed. Your scales are just dazzling."

Sean just chuckled and happily went back to eating his meal. Someone was going to have enough words to fill the air for a bit. The dragon chuckled as Vanessa's handheld rang...and rang...and then went to message, Octavia's posh, slightly British sounding voice saying, cheerily: "Please leave a message after the bleep!"

But as Vanessa listened to that, Alexa saw the dragon flushing quietly. He smiled at her. "W-Well, ah, thank you. My name, by the way, is David." He nodded to her - while the door opened and a Utopian in a silver and blue jumpsuit walked in, looking around. Seeing them, he hurried over - though looked a bit nervous at David.

"Vanessa?" he asked. "Vanessa Stacks, is there a Vanessa Stacks here?"

Vanessa sighed, hanging up, "Yeah." She said absentmindedly looking at the other woman, then frowned, "He's cool. He's a healer who made me unmute after being born defective, so don't give him any shit because he chose not to look boring." She said to the Utopian with a scowl.

The Utopian flushed, then stammered. "Y-You're right, sorry..." He said, then sighed. "But...you, uh, are Octavia Brunt's friend, right?" he asked.

Vanessa blinked, "Yes.." She said, sounding more than a little nervous and slightly hesitant, but despite that, enjoying the nuance speech gave her.

Sean stopped mid chew and looked over, worry on his features with an unspoken question.

The Utopian nodded. "Your friend has been taken into the local hospital, she fainted while at school - and another student was found passed out at his home, one ...Jared Vance?" He nodded. "Both have been examined at the hospital and it...seems they've erupted as well." He bit his lip slightly.

David blinked. "Wait, six eruptions? In the same school? On the same day?"

"Same time. Some jerkass that Tenor was fighting pretty much caused it." Gillian supplied.

"Yeah, some jerkass fought Tenor there. Is Octavia here?" Vanessa said, focusing on the woman, trying to restrain her intensity so it wasn't terrifying. Gillian held a hand up to Vanessa to highfive their shared insult. Vanessa slapped Gillian's hand barely looking at it.

The man nodded. "Octavia is being examined right now in the hospital room - but...do any of you have any connections? Like...were friends for a long time?" He asked. "See, I don't know if you quite understand, but there is roughly one nova in a million." He nodded. "In a...million. This is like six people from the same class winning the lotto at the same time with the same numbers in the same order."

"She's in another place David," Gillian mumbled, lowering her hands. She waited, seated, for things to develop.

"Cool. Take me to her. Now." Vanessa said, NOW the intensity was in her voice.

Sean finished his face full of food now that spike of tension was over. "Well, we are all friends, have been for a long time." Sean answer the question for the man. "And yes, I think it would be best to see her as soon as possible. Would be most prudent."

The man lifted his hands, flushing. "Of course, of course! Come on!" He said, turning and walking off. As he left, David coughed.

"Can I come with? Or...do you rather, uh, deal with this yourself?"

Vanessa strode after the man purposefully, "Whichever." She called behind her.

"I vote we let the dragon come," Alexa said, reaching over and taking David's hand, careful not to squeeze too hard.

Gillian let out a sigh, "You gave her the ability to speak to her girlfriend. Go with." She said in support, rubbing her brow. Vanessa paused at the door, then called back, "I mean yes, you are totally allowed to come, just let's go now." She said, then hurrying after the other man.