January 3rd, 2011 Brockton Bay, New Hampshire, 6:00 AM EST -SP:200
I admit I had a bit of a spring in my step when I climbed out of bed and headed downstairs. "Hey ma." I said as I made my way into the kitchen. "Surprised you're still home. You're usually already gone when I wake up."
My mother snorted. "And miss my boy's last first day of school? Soon you'll be grown and out of the house, too old to come visit your doting old mom." She buttered a piece of toast on her plate of eggs, which she didn't make me any of, though she apparently HAD decided to make me some toast, which I could see in the toaster from where I stood.
"I WISH you were old." I told her with a grimace. "I've had to punch out at least three guys I might have become friends with for using the M word when they saw you. This is what happens when you have a kid in high school. You doom them to a lifetime of listening to hot mom comments."
She smirked at me, tossing her long dark hair over a shoulder. "Not to mention I'm a doctor. I AM quite a catch. Not just any man can handle Amy Collins. M.D." She whipped her head to the side, making a ridiculous posed face she'd been unable to stop making ever since I brought home an old aleph copy of Zoolander.
"Well if all else fails I can just show them that expression." I said deadpan. "They'll run for the hills. Although, speaking of doctors, your friend Ann, does she happen to have a daughter?"
Her face lit up. "Oh, you mean Kimmy? Such a sweet girl. She comes to visit her mother at the hospital all the time. She likes to volunteer with Panacea. You'd know her if YOU ever came to my work."
"I'm eighteen." I said flatly. "And I'm not a saint, so I have no interest in hospital volunteering." I paused. "Though…maybe I could make some time." Not for the girl, I didn't need to pander to get a date, but hospitals were dramatic places. Volunteering to heal sick people felt VERY storyish.
Her eyes went comically wide, and she placed a hand to my forehead. "Are you feeling alright honey? Do you smell toast?"
"Yes." I said flatly. "And it's burning. You should probably get it out of the toaster." She yelped and scrambled across the kitchen, popping the toaster to retrieve the blackened remains of the bread inside. I grabbed one of the buttered NON burned pieces on the table and dashed out of the house while she was distracted, calling back. "Thanks for breakfast love you bye!"
Shoving it in my mouth, I hopped into my car, yanking it out of park and peeling off toward Winslow as I munched on the buttered bread. Traffic was pretty much nonexistent this early, so I made good time, and I managed to slide into my seat in AP chemistry right before the bell rang, exhaling in relief that I made it as I did.
"Cutting it close." Drawled the mellow voice of the very same guy I'd bought weed from the night before. I turned to see Spud giving me a dopey grin. "Partaking a bit too deeply of my party favors, huh amigo?"
I laughed at the assumption, shaking my head. "Nah." I said with a shrug. "Just slept in. Did I miss anything?"
He put on a contemplative expression. "Well you missed the first rays of morning sun peeking of the horizon my dude. That's a most egregious tragedy." He chuckled. "I like to watch the sunrise high. A little wake and bake."
"I'm pretty sure you like to do everything high, Spud." I said with a smirk. "But I meant class related stuff. Sometimes Mr. Lassiter likes to give little preview assignments for tests before the bell. Because he's evil and likes to see us all suffer." Giving classwork outside classtime was fucking criminal, and no one could convince me otherwise.
Staring around the classroom, something else occurred to me though. This was a lab. A lab a lot like the one Dr. Henry Jekyll used to design the serum that turned him into Edward Hyde.
Part of me really wanted to see if I could find out anything about the Hyde Serum. I wasn't going to take it. Not unless I was up against a wall, but…how did it work? How did any of the shit I had work? Could I recreate it? Did I want to?
The serum unleashed your darkest self. Your id. The hungry horny violent part of you people locked away in polite society. Granted, Hyde wasn't REALLY evil. Not unless you were a repressed Victorian scientist. But still, he wasn't NICE either. I remembered the description. Removal of inhibitions and morality. That was…rough.
I spent the rest of that class staring at various beakers and test tubes. Eventually, I decided NOT to bring out the vial. It was too dangerous to have around here. Too tempting. I wanted powers, and the vial was a quick and easy way to get them.
Hyde was strong. No limiters a normal human had, just animal instinct, violence, and rage. I would have super strength, or something like it. And MY Hyde wouldn't be Jekyll's Hyde. He'd just be me. Me with no limits. With no remorse. He'd be a monster. I shouldn't have read out that vial. I didn't need it. No one needed that. It had been the cheapest bottled superpower I could find though. And it seemed like such a good idea at the time.
I forced my mind away from it as class ended and I slipped past Spud. Next up was History, which I mostly daydreamed through, trying desperately to think of some alternative to the serum I could afford. Then I was forced to toss it to the back of my mind, because it was lunch, and I had a girl to chat up.
Looking around the cafeteria, it took me a minute to find Stoppable, and I made my way over to slump down across from him, shooting the blonde a nod. "Hey Ron." I said as I sat. "Figured I'd see how you were doing after yesterday. Sophia bother you again today?"
Being the consummate ladies man I am, I did NOT glance up at Kim, who was sitting next to him, but when she heard what I said, her head snapped around to glare at her friend. "Yesterday?" She said sharply. "What happened yesterday? You said you were going to Wade's to play video games."
Her voice was almost accusatory, and Ron turned to glare at me in annoyance. "It was fine KP." He said with an easy smile. "I ran into Hess at the park. She was being a pain, but Simon helped me out. I'm all good."
Green eyes locked onto mine, her teeth worrying her lip for a second as she brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "Oh." She sighed heavily. "I'll talk to Emma. She said she asked Sophia to leave you alone, but she doesn't have that much influence over her." Her eyes flicked to the younger redhead, holding court at the popular table with Bonnie Rockwaller.
Ron sighed. "KP…Emma isn't the same person she used to be. She's been different for a while now. I know you care a lot about her but-."
"No!" Snapped the redhead, hands slamming down on the table. "There's nothing wrong with Emma. It's Sophia. That girl is bad news. She makes Emma do things she doesn't want to do. Like pick on poor Taylor, and Sophia even comes after you. I swear if she doesn't back off…"
"Let's…not say things we don't mean." I interjected, seeing that thought for the trainwreck that it was. Kim had a body like a champion gymnast, tight and toned and dear gods dat ass could crack concrete, but I didn't think she was a cape. "Sorry to step into something, I was just coming to check on Ron. You're Kim right? Ann's daughter? My mom is Amy Collins, from Brockton General, she mentioned you two had met before."
Giving her something to focus on seemed to work. "What?" She looked away from the table. "Sorry. Yeah." She seemed to take a moment to process. "Oh! You must be Simon. Your mom has mentioned you. Apparently you're the laziest human being on earth."
I burst out laughing at that. "You know? I was pretty sure I was in the running, but I couldn't be bothered to check. Nice to know I took home the gold."
She shot me a shy smile as she giggled at my comment. Ron just rolled his eyes as she leaned in a bit. "Thanks, by the way. For helping Ron." Her smile dimmed. "He…doesn't have the easiest time. Winslow isn't the nicest place. I try to keep him out of trouble, but he's an easy target." She glanced at him with a wince. "Not that I blame you, Ron. It's not your fault. I just worry."
He gave her a pained smile. "I know KP. Thanks for lookin' out." Poor guy. He was carrying a big flaming torch for the bendy redhead. I could see it plain as day. Sadly for him, I wasn't a saint, and I wanted her pretty bad myself. He'd find another girl, I was sure.
"So, Kim." I said with a chuckle. "I heard from my mom you volunteer at BG sometimes. I was thinking of signing up for a shift. Think you could show me around?"
Her face lit up. "Of course! That's so nice. We never have enough volunteers. Poor Amy is so overworked. Panacea I mean. I try to take some of the burden off her, even if I don't have powers. She's always so happy to have help. And so friendly too!"
That…didn't sound at ALL like the Panacea I'd heard about. Panacea was notoriously grumpy. Like, everyone in the city knew that. You had to go to her hat in hand for healing, because if you annoyed her she'd just leave you to bleed.
Still, one didn't argue with sexy redheads, so I just smiled and nodded. "Sounds fun. You can introduce me." I grimaced. "Or, not fun, because sick people but…you know what I mean."
She giggled, pushing her hair behind her ear. "So not the drama. I got you. When were you thinking of going? I actually have a shift after school if you want to come? We can take the bus together."
"Or I can drive." I said with a shrug. "My car is the Impala in the parking lot. The big black one made of like…wrought iron." I chuckled self deprecatingly despite fucking loving my car, just in case she was really into the environment.
Her cheeks flushed. "Oh, sure. I can ride with you. If you want." She glanced at Ron, who looked like he wanted to sink into his chair. "You good to bus home alone? Sophia won't bother you if you take the bus. Emma says she avoids going downtown."
The poor guy deflated, but offered up a wispy smile. "Yeah, KP. I can do that. No big." I winced internally. I made a mental note to help Ron get a girl. He seemed like an ok guy, and he was obviously gonna be wrecked by this whole thing. I wasn't passing up a shot at a girl like Kim, but I could help him score with someone, maybe that would cheer him up and helping a nerd get laid was sure to net me some points.
Sadly for him, that was a problem for future Simon. Current Simon had a redhead to flirt with. Lunch was over far too soon, and I was sad to see Kim leave, but I was THRILLED to watch her go, enjoying the flex of that sculpted cheerleader ass in those jeans. Before I went back to class, I did a quick check of the book, grinning as I spotted the two hundred new points. A hot date and progress with my power. This had been a good day.
January 3rd, 2011 Winslow High School, Brockton Bay, New Hampshire, 4:00 PM EST -SP:400
Kim met me outside after school got out. She'd changed into a set of scrubs I guess she had on hand. They looked fantastic on her, as did most things. I had to admit, the Barnes/Possible family had excellent genes. Emma was a cutie, even if she was a bit young for me, or she wouldn't be such a popular model.
While she wasn't quite as tall, Kim had a toned, flexible body honed by years of working out and practicing gymnastics and cheerleading, and I definitely didn't hate the way her outfit hung on her compact frame.
"You ready to go?" She chirped at me as she approached. I was leaning against my car, trying to look cool and disaffected because I thought it would help mask how nervous I was.
I was a good looking guy, but I was also incredibly introverted. I was thin and pale and kept to myself, which either made women think of me as a weird loner or a romantic sensitive type. My last girlfriend, Cassie, had moved out of town about a year and a half ago and I hadn't been on a date since. I didn't know if this counted, but it seemed like it might.
Oddly, my hand slipped into the pocket of my hoodie and ran over the cover of my book. Something about the leather made me feel calm and confident. I gave her a relaxed smile. "Sure thing. Hop in." I rapped on the hood, enjoying the metalling bang my knuckles made on the heavy metal of my car, then slipped in.
Kim got in the other side, and I briefly wished I'd gotten a convertible, but I banished the thought because my car was just so fucking cool. I hit the radio, and a CD kicked on, an old Quiet Riot song I'd picked up from a big bargain bin of aleph music.
We didn't talk much on the way to the hospital. Kim seemed pretty at home in the car, windows down, her long red hair whipping around her face as she sang along to 'Come on feel the Noise'. It was a nice moment, and it helped me calm down a bit and get out of my own head about this date.
When we got to the hospital, Kim passed the guard a lanyard with an ID on it. He swiped it, smiling down at her as he passed it back. "You and your friend have a great day Miss Possible." Saint the kind faced older man, his dark skinned face lined with plenty of wrinkles that showed his smile was a common sight on his face.
"Thanks Lazlo." Kim chirped. "You don't work too hard now. My mom told me how you're always doing extra sweeps when she works late to check up on her."
He just chuckled. "Well Dr. Possible isn't a hard woman to like. I feel better knowing that she's safe and sound, especially considering she's always in there saving folks. Make sure she eats somethin' will you?"
Kim chirped an agreement and the arm of the gate opened, letting us into the hospital parking lot. She steered me to a spot she said would be open, then we got out and she grabbed my hand, dragging me into the hospital entryway and up onto the elevator. "I can't wait to introduce you to Amy." She gushed. "She's always so happy to have helpers."
She smacked a few of the buttons, and I raised an eyebrow. "So…doesn't this freak you out a bit? You seem so calm and upbeat. It must be pretty crazy in her sometimes though."
Her smile wilted a bit. "Well…we mostly spend time in pediatrics. Mom is a neurosurgeon with a subspecialty in pediatrics. I know your mom is head of cardiac surgery, and she consults sometimes. I don't see a lot of the bloody stuff, I mostly just spend time with the kids.They need a lot of attention, because they're really scared."
"That's where you met Panacea?" I asked as the elevator stopped. "She does a lot of work in pediatrics?"
She smiled and nodded. "Amy helps everyone. She has a rotation for different hospitals, but she always tries to drop in on the pediatric ward. My mom's patients can't benefit so much, because Amy doesn't work on brains, but she helps all the kids she can. We're so lucky to have her."
I felt like…kind of an asshole honestly. I got powers and bought a plasma blaster and a magic suit of armor. Panacea helped heal sick kids all day. Was I a shallow asshole? Probably. I made a promise to myself to at least TRY to do some good when I could.
Kim led me out of the elevator and down the hall, past a large nurses desk and into a back office with a bunch of desks pushed against the walls in cubicles. In the back, I saw a dark haired familiar form sipping coffee in a pair of pink scrubs, and her face lit up when she saw me. "Simon!" Squealed my mom. "I can't believe you're here!" She turned a sly smirk to Kim. "Kimmy you're a miracle worker. How did you get him to come in?"
Chuckling, the redhead shook her head. "It was all him Dr. Collins. Is my mom around? I wanted to stop in before I take Simon up to meet Amy."
My mom's wince was quick enough to be overlooked if you didn't know her, but it convinced me that my experience with Panacea was unlikely to be as pleasant as Kim seemed to think it would be. She must like Kim more than most.
"Sorry sweetie." She said with a tired smile. "Anne had to step out to talk to a patient. I'll tell her you stopped in. Maybe we can meet up in the cafeteria for dinner in a bit. Assuming my son is sticking around."
"I'm here for the next few hours if you'll have me." I said with a shrug. "I don't know what people…do, when volunteering. But Kim agreed to show me the ropes."
I could literally SEE my mom bite back some sort of bondage related comment when I said that, apparently she didn't want to upset Kim. After we said our goodbyes I gave her a hug and we headed back out into the halls, Kim escorting me to the stairs and up a floor to the pediatric wing, where we found a tired looking red haired girl in a red trimmed white cloak eating lunch by a window.
"Amy!" Squealed Kim happily as we rounded the corner. "I'm so totally glad you're taking some time off. You work way too hard." The dour looking girl's face lit up as she raised her head, but her enthusiasm waned as she noticed me. Kim didn't seem to catch it. "This is Simon Collins. He's Doc Collins' son. He came to help us out!"
Amy did NOT seem excited to have help. Not from me. She seemed borderline hostile. Her body language was closed off and her eyes were hard as she looked at me, but she forced a smile. "Nice to meet you Simon. I'm Panacea."
I gave her a neutral nod. "I've heard of you. Thanks for all your hard work. Kim was telling me how much you do for the kids."
Her expression softened slightly as she looked at the perkier redhead. "Kim is the one who does a lot. I have powers and I just fix up bodies. Kim lifts their spirits." Her cheeks flushed a little as she stared into the cheerleader's admittedly absurdly green eyes. Ah, that would do it. The healer had a crush. I couldn't fault her taste.
"Hey why don't I go get changed into some scrubs." I said with a smile. "I assume that's standard uniform. Do they have any I can use?"
"Oh sure!" Said Kim happily. "There's a break room with some lockers down that hall. The blue one with the tape on it is the spare and it's never locked. Just snag a set that fits and change in the bathroom. We can wait here for you."
Amy seemed to like that idea, relaxing at the realization she didn't have to share her crush quite yet. I nodded and headed back in the direction Kim pointed. Rounding a corner, I stepped into the break room…and froze.
In front of me was a man. A relatively tall man with a bare chest and a tiger mask, trying to jimmy open a locked locker with a crowbar. A man I recognized from the news. I silently cursed my fucking Snowdrop for leading me to 'interesting events' as he heard the door open and turned to face me. I blinked in shock, frozen at the sight of the nazi cape inside the hospital, and his hand blurred up, lashing out at my chest with his claws.
The slashes of air hit me dead center…which is the only thing that saved me. My mithril shirt tanked almost all the damage, only knocking me back into a stumble. My hand went to my hoodie pocket, tapping the lock on my book. With the book open, I recited the passage about my gun from memory without taking it out, and to my delight, it appeared in my hand.
Stormtiger was lashing out again with a hand, but my gun came up faster. I blasted the hand with the air shell he'd been condensing, and the fucking thing exploded, showering the lockers with gore as he howled and clutched at it.
My second shot, fired only a second later, slammed into his masked head and shattered the mask, snapping his skull back and slamming it into the locker bay behind him. His free hand dropped the crowbar, and he slid down the locker slowly, eyes vacant in his bloody face where the mask had been shredded.
I cursed, pulling out my book and reading away my gun. I scrambled into the locker room, panicking as I looked around. I reached down to check his pulse, but I got nothing. He was fucking dead. I killed him. He was a nazi and he was robbing a fucking hospital, so I shouldn't be TOO upset about it, but I'd KILLED somebody.
There were noises outside, someone had heard the explosion. They were coming. They were going to see the body. I was going to get taken away by the PRT or something. They were going to fucking Birdcage me!
Panicking, I picked up the crowbar and ran to the window, smashing out the glass of the partially open pane. That must be how he got in. Running back to the body I considered throwing it out, but it would be obvious and stupid and they would definitely notice. Thinking quick, I decided to try something crazy.
Pulling out my book, I glanced down at the bloody and partially burned body and the blood around it. Saying a silent prayer, I flipped through the book, finding the page I was on, and started reading the description of Stormtiger.
The book began to glow, as did the body, and with a shimmer, the corpse, blood, burnt bits and all, vanished. All that was left was a banged up locker bank with some dents and a few burns. I stared down at the book in shock. I hadn't known it could do that. Store things that weren't purchased with points. My shock compounded when I saw a red message roll across my vision.
D-class parahuman story element 'Stormtiger' incorporated. One hundred Silvertongue points gained.
I froze. Staring down at the new point value in the book as I watched the words scrawl themselves on the page. I'd…gotten points for that. I could read things INTO the book for points? That…that changed a lot of things. Of course, I didn't have time to think about that because the door burst open, security storming in. Right. I was at a murder scene. Time to do some storytelling.
January 3rd, 2011 Collins Home, Brockton Bay, New Hampshire, 6:30 PM EST -SP:700
The next two hours or so was kind of a blur. I was in shock, mostly from the murder I'd just committed. Luckily for me I wasn't enough of a dumbass to tell them what really happened, I made up some story about Stormtiger attacking me and then jumping through the window to escape.
As most cop shows tell you 'no body, no crime'. There wasn't even any blood, just a window broken outward and a distraught teen with slash marks across his chest. My silvery mesh vest was a bit eye catching, so I'd read it into the book before the door opened, but the gashes in my hoodie told a pretty compelling story.
My mother, bless her heart, was beside herself. She looked ready to tear the security guards apart, and poor Lazlo was only able to calm her down when he arrived after getting a bit of help from Kim and her mom (who was a certified grade A milf). Kim, specifically, was devastated I'd been attacked, and pulled me into a tight hug, promising to check on me tomorrow.
Amy, meanwhile, was forced to check on me immediately, though after a quick touch she was able to confirm I was fine, if slightly shaken up. Once that was done my mom insisted I go home, which was pretty convenient because I had a LOT of shit to figure out.
I got back to the house around six thirty and headed straight up to my room to check the book and figure out what was going on.
Slumping down, I went over what had happened. First up…I killed a guy. Maybe a nazi, maybe someone who deserved it. But I was a murderer. I braced myself. Waited for the horror, the shame, the guilt. And I got…nothing. I was fine.
Pulling out the book, I stared at it hard. I remembered being horrified. Remembered freaking out about Stormtiger's death. And then…I read him away. He was gone now, and I was fine.
Because he wasn't real. Not anymore. He was part of my story. Stories didn't horrify or upset you. They were just narratives people constructed to entertain. I didn't feel bad about Stormtiger like I should. I felt something, but it was muted, like an old memory I'd long since come to terms with.
I wasn't sure how I felt about that. About the idea that the book could just make me get over things. I stuffed that weirdness in a box for later though, and forced myself to focus. I had seven hundred points. An extra hundred. Stormtiger was worth a hundred points. He'd been D-class, so I'd have expected him to be a thousand, since people were a rank more expensive.
Maybe I only got the item amount for people I read in. Or maybe he counted as an item because he was dead. That was a grim thought.
Grabbing a book off a nearby end table, I flipped through the Silvertongue system book and read off the sentence mentioning it. Nothing. I grimaced and tried again. So I couldn't read it in. Maybe it didn't work on books? I grabbed a set of keys and tried again. Nothing.
Book and keys were both normal, so my only real assumption to make was that there was a rank limit. Apparently I couldn't read in F-class items. Which kind of sucked. I had thousands of them, and even if they were only worth a point it would add up. But no use crying over spilled milk I guessed.
I wanted to check if E-class stuff would work, but I didn't HAVE any. E-class was super high end normal shit. Swords forged by a master blacksmith, cutting edge non tinker tech.
As I tried to figure things out, I heard a sharp rap on my window, and I just about hurled myself over the bed in panicked shock as I spun to face the glass. I was on the second floor, and there was no convenient tree or trellis.
Of course, once I noticed who it was, I let out a long breath. Walking over to the window, I opened it to smile at the gorgeous blonde in the white skirt and top. Her beautiful face was almost hypnotic, but after a second, I felt a cold pulse from my Snowdrop and the effect melted away. Some kind of master effect?
I didn't let my surprise show on my face. "Wow. Glory Girl herself coming to visit little old me. I didn't know New Wave made house calls." I suspected they didn't and that my Snowdrop had influenced THIS little visit too. If I hadn't just seen it deflect a master power I'd be tempted to ditch the damned thing.
"Not usually." She said with a rueful smile. "But my sister called me about your little…dustup. I did a quick patrol to put the fear of me in Stormtiger so he didn't come back, but he's laying low." Yeah. Real low. Six feet under low. I didn't say that obviously, but my face must have shown something because she grimaced. "Sorry. I know that's not comforting, but I wanted to check in and let you know you might be in danger."
That was…actually really sweet. I'd probably have been mad about the master attempt, but she didn't seem to notice it had even happened. I thought it might be unconscious. Or else she just didn't have the input to feel when it worked.
"I appreciate it." I said with a reassuring smile. "I'll keep an eye out. I feel better knowing you're watching out for me." I winked at her. "I've always been kind of a fan."
She grinned. "Not the first time I've heard that, but it doesn't really get old. Glad I could help." She held out a hand. "I'm Vicky by the way. Benefits of being New Wave, I can give proper introductions."
"Simon Collins." I said as I shook her hand. "You can come in if you want. I don't know if floating out there is tiring or…"
She laughed. "I guess I can take a minute. I was on patrol, but being independent means I don't really have to stick to a schedule either. At least not unless I'm out with my mom or my aunt." She floated in through the window, touching down gently.
"So." I said as she looked around. "You're a senior too, right?" I knew that Panacea and Glory Girl were both eighteen like I was, thought they went to Arcadia, one of the nicer public schools in the city. "Any big plans for after graduation?" I was blanking on what to say because…why the fuck did I invite her in?
Ok, I knew why I invited her in. She was a walking wet dream with thighs that could crush a bowling ball. But now that I had, I realized I had no fucking clue what to say.
She seemed to pick up on that. "I'll probably go to BBU like my cousin Crystal. She really likes it there. How about you? Thinking about any specific major?" Her tone was gentle, like she was letting me off the hook for putting my foot in my mouth by playing along and she didn't want me to feel bad.
"Writing." I said easily. "I've been getting really into literature lately." I'd snapped my book closed at the knock and slipped it into my pocket, but the weight of the…what? Magic book? I didn't think it was tinkertech. It felt too…wild. But whatever it was, it weighed on me. Burning a hole in my hoodie.
Speaking of which, Vicky seemed to have noticed the damage. I hadn't had time to change. "Wow." She said with a wince. "You're lucky you didn't get gutted. Are you some kind of brute? Because I've seen Stormtiger carve through solid stone with those claws."
I shook my head. "Your sister would probably have noticed." I said with a laugh. "No, I just got stupid lucky. Threw myself out of the way and the claws only caught the hoodie. Sucks because this is my favorite one." I grimaced down at the shredded garment, sticking my fingers through the holes and wiggling them.
That got a giggle. "Better the sweater than your guts. But yeah, it's a shame to see a good hoodie ruined. I need to find a new one. I used to wear my boyfriend's, but we broke up again and I never feel right wearing his clothes when we aren't together." She shrugged. "I'll probably have to go buy something."
I considered offering her one of mine…but realized it would be weird and way too personal. I just shrugged. "Good luck. Maybe stonewash it or something so it gets that nice beat up feel."
She grinned. "That might work. Thanks for the suggestion." Looking around, she set down a book she'd picked up and headed back to the window. "Anyway sorry to drop in like this. I wanted you to know you're safe. I'm going to be patrolling the area for the next few days, just to be sure Stormtiger doesn't come after you. You have nothing to worry about." She grinned broadly, fists on her hips in a confident pose.
I couldn't help but smirk a bit. "You uh…stand like that often?" I said, gesturing to her heroic posing.
She deflated. "I'm trying it out. Our PR guy says I need a 'power pose' for branding purposes. But I can't nail anything down." She glanced at her hips. "Is this too hokey? It's the cape isn't it? Makes me look pretentious when I do the pose?"
I chuckled at her crestfallen expression. "It doesn't help. I honestly think hands on your hips is just a little…stiff. I'd keep looking."
Nodding, she floated up into the air. "Noted. I'll see you around Simon. It was nice talking to you. You're a tougher person than I expected. Most people would be freaking out after a cape attack, but you seem cool as a cucumber."
"I'm screaming incoherently on the inside." I assured her. "Stop by if you get hungry on patrol or anything. We have sandwiches."
She laughed and nodded, floating up out of the window, which I walked over and latched behind her. When she was gone, I headed back over to my bookshelf and rifled through my books. I needed something to enhance my physical abilities. It didn't have to be crazy like the Hyde serum, but I needed SOMETHING. The gun only mattered if I could survive to fire it.
I spent about an hour sifting through books. Flipping past different objects, people, and animals. There had to be something in there. I had an huge library, and I hadn't checked every book. I needed to find a solution.
Finally, I did. I found a book from an old YA series I'd enjoyed. A cape story about a girl who got tinker abilities and accidentally ended up becoming a criminal. 'Please don't tell my parents I'm a supervillain'. It was fun, if light, and I enjoyed the antics of the characters.
I flipped through the first book, looking for something the main character had made for her friends, and when I found it, I read aloud from the book, grinning at what I found. It was D-class. Barely, and only because it was kind of weak, but it was something. A good base to build off of.
Sufficient point total! D-class enhancement serum. Super Cheerleader Serum: a low level body enhancement formula that improves speed, coordination, and physical strength, commensurate to the amount ingested.
The book flashed with a bright light, and suddenly a huge punchbowl full of bubblegum pink liquid was lying on my bed. I lifted it up, bracing myself for the taste, and then tipped it back and started to swallow.
I ran out of room in my stomach after I drained the bowl halfway, and I stumbled over to open my book, reading the bowl inside before I collapsed on the bed, shaking. My muscles were prickling, like my whole body had fallen asleep at the same time. As I blacked out, I wondered exactly what kind of results I'd get. I couldn't wait to find out.
January 4th, 2011 Collins Home, Brockton Bay, New Hampshire, 5:30 AM EST -SP:800
I woke feeling…amazing. I'd slept in my clothes, if you count passing out as sleep, but I felt refreshed and energetic. I stretched widely as I stood, enjoying the feel of my muscles playing under my skin. My substantially more defined muscles. The serum had made me…bigger. Stronger yes, but also just more cut and a little bulkier. It looked good.
It wasn't just power either, the way my muscles moved was just smoother now. Like I'd been stretching to my limits every day for years. My range of motion was just out of this world. I leaned back where I stood, my spine bending easily and my body seeming to obey my orders with zero hesitation or delay.
Without any difficulty, I planted both palms flat on the ground, body bent double, then, using my arms and core only, lifted my feet clear up off the floor and slowly raised my body into a handstand. Down, then back up, then down again. A dozen or so handstand pushups all the way to my fingertips and then back up to standing, and I felt almost no strain.
Despite the new strength though, I didn't feel that different. I felt GOOD sure, but nothing I'd done just then had pushed my body enough to feel like strain. It was as normal as walking up the stairs.
This was a brute power. Not a really STRONG brute power, I wasn't superhuman as much as peak human. I was confident the Hyde serum would have given me much more in the way of raw physical ability, even if at a cost. But still, my reflexes were massively enhanced, and it would make drawing and using my plasma pistol much easier and more effective.
Putting on another hoodie like yesterday, I slipped it over my mithril shirt, making sure it was thick enough to hide any major differences in my physique, though they were thankfully minimal on terms of actual size.
My mom was sitting in the kitchen, looking tired as she waited in front of a full plate of pancakes and bacon, with another one across from her. "Simon!" she said with a nervous smile as I came down. "How are you feeling? Are you ok? Do you want to stay home today? No one would blame you after what you went through."
I smiled, hugging her lightly and kissing her on the top of the head. "I'm fine ma. Don't worry about it. I know it was scary, but there's no reason for me to skip school. You heard Panacea, I wasn't hurt at all."
My reassurance fell on deaf ears sadly, and she spent the rest of the meal fussing over me. I didn't mind. I was fine, but if it made her feel better a little attention wouldn't hurt me. I made sure to try to make it clear I wasn't upset or hurt, and just let her baby me a little so she would feel better.
Once the meal was over I made my excuses and headed for school, admittedly glad to get back to somewhere I wasn't the center of attention.
Sadly, THAT particular plan didn't work out, because I found my arms full of toned cheerleader as soon as I got out of my car. "Simon!" Called Kim as she sprinted over and tackled me. "Oh my god, I'm so glad you came today. I am SO sorry about last night. It was all my fault, I shouldn't have left you alone like that."
I didn't complain about Kim's light body pressed up against me, letting my arms fall around her as I enjoyed the sensation, but all good things must end. As she pulled back, I smiled down at her. "Hey, I told you yesterday that wasn't your fault. You're not the security guard for the hospital. I wasn't hurt anyway, I'm fine."
"Yeah, that happens when you run away and hide, isn't it Collins." Taunted a gleeful and familiar voice. I turned to see Sophia standing with Bonnie, Emma, and Madison. Bonnie's best friend Tara was there too, but she didn't participate in their bullshit, mostly just hanging back and looking unhappy.
I glanced at her flatly. "Hide? I didn't hide from anything. Also, how exactly do you know anything about what happened?" I made a fake gasping sound. "Wait…Sophia, could it be that you have some sort of cape connection you used to find out about my little incident? Or are you just running your mouth about something you have no clue about like a fucking idiot?"
She froze. My run in with Stormtiger wasn't public knowledge. I imagined the local authorities knew about it, but Sophia was ostensibly a normal person. I knew she was a cape, and she knew I knew that, but she still had to ACT like she wasn't. The unwritten rules only protected people as long as they adhered to them, even civilians knew that. If she started blurring the lines I had a feeling lots of people would want to take a shot at her.
Emma stepped in. "You can't talk to her like that, Collins. What are you doing with a loser like him anyway Kim? He's just some loner book nerd who never talks to anybody."
"Jealousy is an ugly thing Emma." I said reflexively. "I'm sure someday you'll learn how to read. After all, your good looks can't last forever." All eyes snapped to me and I winced internally. I hadn't meant to say that. It was just right there and I couldn't resist. Shit.
Bonnie's eyes narrowed. Emma was her little protege, and she rarely felt the need to get involved with her battles, but apparently me being a senior made me her problem. "You growing a spine now Collins? It's interesting to see you with your head held high for once. I would almost respect you if I didn't know what a little pussy you were most of the time."
"Avoiding your bullshit isn't being a pussy Rockwaller, and hearing you talk about holding your head up is kind of ironic, considering the amount of time I hear you spend on your knees. I'm surprised you don't have a permanent hunch at this point."
That one I wasn't as unhappy about. Bonnie was a grade A bitch, and NOT related to the girl I was trying to fuck. Admittedly, she was a bitch with a round soft ass and a nice pair of perky C cups I would sell my left nut to spend an evening with, but that was neither here nor there. Bonnie had been a bitch to me for most of my life, even when I was minding my own business.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Snapped an angry voice from behind me. I turned to see Brick Flagg stalking towards me. Apparently the big football player had heard my comment and taken umbrage.
I glanced at Kim, who was shifting in front of me protectively, and smiled, shaking my head. "I got this." I said with a nod, pushing her aside. Turning back to Brick, I gave him a cheerful smile. "I didn't say much, Brick. I IMPLIED that your girlfriend is a whore who has sucked off half the football team. But I didn't SAY it. Because that would be gauche, and I'm a classy guy."
This serum…might have done more than just make me stronger and faster. I wasn't aggressive, not specifically. I was CONFIDENT. But even being sure I could take Brick if push came to shove, I didn't really WANT to take him. I couldn't stop running my mouth though. He was such a non threat. They all were. Why not speak my mind?
With a roar, Brick rushed me, fist cocked back as he ran like some kind of bad movie villain. I didn't even need to hit him. I just stepped neatly sideways and stuck out a foot, and he tripped and went smashing into the hood of a nearby parked car. Thankfully not mine.
"No wonder you blow so many football players." I said to Bonnie sympathetically. "Your boyfriend clearly can't get the job done. Does he always finish that quick?"
She glared at me hatefully, running over to help him up. He looked dazed,and she slipped an arm over her shoulders as she helped him away. Sophia had come over, slipping under the other one, and she was giving me a suspicious look. Madison was hauling Emma away, the younger redhead looking apoplectic with rage, but still smart enough not to start shit.
And I…was kind of fucked. Not really because I hadn't done anything obviously capish, but the sudden change in my demeanor and ability was going to be noticed. People couldn't PROVE I was a cape, but I was as suspicious as Sophia now. Fuck. The serum had been a bad idea. I should have taken less of it. Or maybe taken it in doses.
Kim was looking at me suspiciously, and within a minute, had grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the parking lot, past a building and into a small equipment shed on the grounds where no one could hear us.
"Simon, what the hell was that?" She asked sharply. I winced. Yeah, like I'd thought. Obvious. I scrambled for something to say. Anything. I needed an excuse, but there was only one that really worked.
So I used it. "I triggered yesterday." I blurted. Amy had checked me, had seen my lack of a corona. I couldn't be a parahuman. But…Kim wasn't a cape expert, she was a teenage girl. I could bullshit her, and I could get her help. I clearly needed some kind of support here. Someone who didn't know enough to realize I was bullshitting. Kim fit the bill.
Her expression changed from slightly angry to horrified in an instant. "You…" She flung herself forward. "Oh SIMON! I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. I had no idea it was that bad. I'm SO SO SO sorry."
I winced. Convincing the girl that I'd had trauma so bad I'd gotten powers from it was…unfortunate, but necessary. I'd make it up to her. I had a plan. Kim was going to be all mine. She was going to help me with my powers. I needed points, which meant I needed to beat and potentially kill powerful parahumans. Which meant I needed backup. Sexy redheaded backup with buns of steel.
"Yeah." I said sadly. "I'm a tinker. I made a serum in my garage last night that gave me low level brute powers."
Tinkering would excuse basically all my abilities, at least until I got enough to bring out a person from one of my books. At that point it hopefully wouldn't matter. Kim pulled me back into a hug. "I'm so sorry Simon. I should have been with you."
She was such a sweetie. It was almost painful lying to her like this, but the guilt would make her more likely to agree to my terms. "I don't blame you." I said stoically. "But I'm really scared someone might find me out, especially after that display. I don't want anyone to know, or I might get sucked into the cape scene."
Pulling back, she looked me dead in the eyes, jaw set in determination. "I'll help you. I promise. I can tell people I've been giving you martial arts lessons. Actually, I can GIVE you martial arts lessons. That'll make sure you can defend yourself if you get into another bad situation. Ok?" I smiled gratefully at her, pulling her back into a tight hug. Well, that was one problem solved.
Next on the agenda, I needed backup who could actually help me. Lucky for me, I had two resources that made a much more useful whole. A sexy limber redhead with martial arts training and another half a punch bowl of that serum. Now, how to go about convincing Kim to drink a mysterious tinker liquid?
January 4th, 2011 Collins Home, Brockton Bay, New Hampshire, 6:00 PM EST -SP:1000
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked Kim cautiously. "I'm just a tinker, but as you saw, the enhancement formula I used is decent stuff. You're not a cape are you? I get wanting to teach me martial arts, but are you sure it'll work out that way?"
She smiled patiently at me, her whole demeanor shifting. Kim when she had her game face on wasn't a sweet and caring high school girl, she was a warrior, and even my lame ass instincts told me so. "Trust me. I saw how you moved, it wasn't exactly super speed. You're spry, but you have no clue how to use it. I'll be fine."
"Spry?" I said with a smirk. "Are you a hundred years old? But fine, if you think you can take me give it a sh-" Her foot blurred out before I finished talking, and my enhanced reflexes let me easily dip under it…but they didn't save me from her heel changing directions and smashing into the back of my head.
I pitched forward, landing on my face as Kim stepped nimbly off my back to land gracefully on the grass behind me. My ears were ringing.
"Nice reflexes." She complimented. "TERRIBLE instincts. Coming toward me was an attempt to show off, put yourself in my space when you thought I couldn't do anything about it, and it cost you." She circled around, holding out her hand.
My head still vibrating like a gong, I took her hand and let her haul me up. "That could be a problem." I said, checking my skull for cracks. "I think people might figure out I'm a cape after the little dust up this afternoon. I have to be ready for that." I didn't mind sharing my worries with my new teacher, I figured she might have ideas.
"I doubt it." She responded with a shrug. "It wasn't that crazy, you just tripped him. You were quick, but he also wound up like an idiot, so it wasn't out of the realm of reason. The weird behavior…well, I guess that might make some people suspicious, but it won't be enough to get them actually looking. You might have eyes on you for a while when you're at school at most."
I reset my stance, trying not to leave any openings, and probably failing because I had no fucking idea what openings I was trying not to leave. "So…my instincts. Are they a big handicap?"
"Not as such." She said as she started to circle me again. "You have good reflexes, but reflex alone doesn't make you a decent fighter. Reflex fighters are usually at a disadvantage against trained martial artists, unless they have talent and instinct to go with the speed. Martial arts are designed specifically to overcome things like reflexes."
I nodded, still watching her. "So I need skill then, since I don't have instinct? Isn't that why you're training me?"
Kim blurred again, swinging into a spinning high kick at my face. I leaned away this time, having learned my lesson, but her foot retracted as she dropped into a crouch on her back leg, continuing the spin and going from a high to a low spin kick. My feet went out from under me and I landed on my back with a cough of expelled air.
"Pretty much." She agreed cheerfully. "But you have to actually learn for that. And experience is the best teacher."
"The gorgeous redhead with martial arts training is a sadist." I grumbled as I stood back up. "Why is all my luck the bad kind?" She blushed at that, but seemed to push it aside to focus on the training. Which was fine.
I watched her closely, staring at her eyes, waiting for any sign of movement. Rather than attack though, she stopped and withdrew. "You're watching my face. Don't. The face doesn't play a role in attacking. Watch my center of gravity. No one can move without shifting their center of balance first. If you watch the core, you'll see signs before anything happens."
Nodding, I lowered my gaze, but found my eyes glued to her tight white workout shirt. Her quarter sized nipples (ok areola, but that sounded stupid so I just thought of the whole thing as a nipple) stood out against the fabric.
She blushed and covered her chest. "Ah, that's not really where I meant. Sorry, I don't usually wear a bra. I only have B-cups, so it's not too much of a hassle to go without."
Grinning, I averted my gaze. "Yeah, sorry if I was staring. Didn't mean to perv."
"It's fine." She said briskly. "Being aware of someone's body in training isn't a huge deal. Just don't do it when we're at school or anything. When we're practicing I…don't mind."
My grin got even wider, but I didn't draw attention to it. Though that brought up another question I had. "So, why are you so well trained anyway? What got you interested in martial arts in the first place?"
"I've always been athletic." She shrugged. "About two years ago though, something bad happened to my cousin. Emma…changed." Her face fell. "I know she's different. She tries to hide it from me but I'm not stupid. I see how people act around her. But I just…I miss her. The person she used to be. That bright happy kid."
Ron had mentioned she was different, and thinking back, Emma hadn't been a notable asshole (read, hadn't been on my radar) until the last year or two. "Well, what happened?"
"I don't know." Said Kim glumly. "I just know it happened over the summer about two years ago. She won't talk to me about it at all. Won't talk to anyone. My aunt and uncle didn't even notice. That's when she started hanging out with Sophia. She let something slip about danger though, I think she got attacked. I promised myself that wouldn't happen to anyone I cared about again, so I started taking classes at the local dojo. You know that guy Jake, the one in our year? His grandpa runs a place."
I blinked at that. "Wait…the one who's related to Lung? Is that safe?" If her dojo was an ABB font…
She waved me off. "That's a rumor. Kind of. Jake's aunt Cathy is married to Lung. They aren't related, though everyone kind of treats him like it. Lao Shi's place is off limits to ABB though. It's totally safe, and the old guy is a great teacher. He's crazy strong and fast for his size. Jake spends a lot of time there, doing odd jobs and stuff. Usually with that Spud guy and their friend Trixie."
"I know Spud." I said with a laugh. "He's a good guy. Smarter than he lets on." Looking up at the darkening sky, I grimaced. "Hey, you want to come in and have something to eat? I think it's starting to get dark, we can pick up the training another time if you want. It's already been an hour or two and all I have to show for it is bruises."
She smiled kindly at me. "Don't be silly. I didn't hit you in any places where it'll show."
I burst out laughing as I led her into the house, flipping on the lights in the kitchen as I started to root around in the fridge. "So…I wanted to talk to you about something." Especially after the martial arts lessons. The chances of me reaching a reasonable level of skill in combat anytime soon without blowing points on it were slim. "Have you ever wanted powers?"
Rather than the kneejerk 'oh fuck yes' that I would have responded with, Kim paused, thinking things over before finally saying. "Yes. I think I would. I'd like to be able to help people. The PRT are so overwhelmed here, Brockton is just so crazy all the time, and the gangs do so much damage. If I could help with that, I would."
"Wow…do cartoon birds dress you in the morning?" I asked bluntly.
She rolled her eyes. "It's not THAT weird to want to help people." Her face fell. "Or it shouldn't be. I guess maybe it is here. Sometimes I hate this town."
"Well why don't you do it then?" I asked with a shrug. "I do have some of that serum left. The more you drink the stronger you get. I'm probably about peak athlete level honestly, but you're already almost at that point as you are. You'd probably how low level brute powers if you drank this stuff."
Her green eyes locked on mine, wide with shock. "Are you…offering to make me a cape? You barely know me."
I shrugged. "Barely a cape. And you're already teaching me to fight. Having you stronger just means I don't have to hold back once I start to get good enough to kick your ass." I winked at her flirtatiously.
She snickered, cheeks going red, but still in that confident warrior mode. "I've seen the way you look at my ass. I don't think kicking was the activity you've been envisioning."
"Was that a dirty joke from Saint Kim?" I gasped dramatically. "You should be careful, they might revoke your unicorn. Then what would you ride on your daily outings in the candy forest while you pick tree biscuits for illiterate puppies."
She dissolved into giggles. "I'm not a cartoon princess! Also all puppies are illiterate!"
"You can't prove that." I said stubbornly. "But enough about your day job." The laughter faded from my voice. "What do you think of my offer? Honestly this whole cape thing is nuts, and I could use someone combat capable to watch my back."
That was unfair and I knew it. She felt guilty for my 'trigger' and framing it as a danger to myself was manipulative but…I needed muscle. I didn't trust any of the low level stuff I could get right now, much less any PEOPLE. Kim was basically a disney princess, and the chances of her turning on me were slim to none. Plus she was a badass with a solid steel booty and I liked having her around.
"I'll do it." She said after taking a minute to think. "If you need my help I want to be there for you. This all happened because I left you alone. And I think I can really help people. What's your tinker specialty by the way?"
"Literature." I half-lied. "It's hard to explain. Let me go get the serum. Can you throw this stuff together?" I gestured at the sandwich stuff.
She smirked. "My first day over and I'm already being told to get in the kitchen and make you a sammich. This doesn't bode well for our relationship going forward. I'm not a 'welcome home honey I made dinner' kind of girl."
"Already imagining playing house with me? Isn't that like, the disney version of third base?" I quipped as I headed upstairs, enjoying the embarrassed squeak from the toned redhead.
Of course I had the book on me, so I was able to read out the bowl as soon as I got into my room (just in case the lights gave me away). Then I brought it back downstairs. Setting it on the table, I gestured to it grandly.
"It's…pink." She said with a grimace. "Like luridly pink. Why is it so brightly colored? What does it taste like?"
I mirrored her grimace. "Spicy bubblegum." I admitted. "Not like big red either. I mean like regular bubblegum that's somehow spicy. Trust me, it's way worse than it sounds. I'd shotgun the rest of the bowl, because if you stop you won't start again."
With a nod, she picked it up, putting her lips to the rim, and tipped it back, guzzling the whole thing down. She slammed the bowl on the table, looked me in the eye, then her body locked up and she fell. I was already moving to catch her. I'd forgotten this part. Oh well, I'd leave her on the couch. I just hope she was up by the time my mom got home. This would be tough to explain.