Fragmentation 1.2

Some lines borrowed from Interlude 12.X (Bonus Interlude)

(Terry)

Terry figured that he wasn't loved by his mother. He didn't know when he first discovered this, but he knew it was true when he saw the way she looked at his sister. Whenever he made a mistake, his dear mother screamed and yelled at him, expecting him to wind back time to stop himself from keeping her from drugging up with whatever boyfriend she had found that day.

But whenever she has to go off for her 'job' in the middle of the night, thumping out of the apartment like an elephant jumping at a rave, his mom was all, "But she has a job Terry" this and "Not her fault Terry" that. He couldn't blame her though, he cared for her too.

Even when she got pissy at him for asking how she was doing at school.

He really did just was to protect her from the worst of his mother and her boyfriends, but he wasn't sure she needed it. Between all of the running she did after school and her 'job', his sister was buff enough to smack around any physical threats.

He was fairly certain his sister had joined a fight club.

It wasn't the physical threats he was scared about though. Many years ago, when his mom went through boyfriends like batteries instead of cigarettes, she had dated this craptastic asshole that he couldn't even remember the name of. Terry knew right away that this dude was bad news, from the smell of drugs to the laid back attitude he had around him and his sister.

Something had happened between his sister and that dude, that had caused him to leave, and his sister to turn…

Harsh.

He had suspicions about what the asshole had done, but he couldn't exactly ask his sister what happened. Not when she stopped hanging around at home.

But he made sure to screen his mom's boyfriends to the best of his abilities. Even the one that he suspected had given his mother another child had been screened by him, and he was one of the good ones. Sure leaving a single mother pregnant may have been bad, but when your contenders are drug dealers or missing teeth, it isn't hard to be considered a 'good' one.

Keeping his sister away from the boyfriends was actually easier than he thought, with her away from home all the time. But when she began to return with bruises, (He was sure that she was in a fight club, maybe in a gang? No, she isn't white or Asian… Merchants? Can't be, he's sure she bathes whenever she's home. Was the Empire beating her after school? Wait, she told him she went to Arcadia, there aren't any gangs there. Fight club, definitely fight club.) he realized he had to be able to protect her outside the house as well.

So he began to search.

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Topic: -deleted-

In: Boards► Parahumans ► Powers

TriedMyMeyeght (Original Poster) (Unverified Cape) (Temp-Banned)

Posted on January 20, 2011:

-deleted-

► ContinuityError

Replied on January 17, 2011: Did anyone catch what he said?

► GnuItWasReal (Temp-banned)

Replied on January 17, 2011:

-deleted-

► TinMother (Moderator)

Replied on January 17, 2011:

Both posters have brought up the auto-banned topic *Witch's Brew*. Please check the Bannable Offenses thread for descriptions.

► GiantCanadianMeese

Replied on January 17, 2011:

Is that the thing where your baned for saying claudron move the l?

► Bagrat (The Guy In The Know) (Veteran Member)

Replied on January 17, 2011:

Yes GiantCanadianMeese, that is the bannable offense. You are cutting it really close there, so don't do it again.

► TinMother (Moderator)

Replied on January 17, 2011:

Thank you Bagrat. I did not make that rule, and as this thread can't continue, I'm removing it.

End of Page. 1

Cauldron? What the hell is that?

Searching the internet for mentions of this 'cauldron' had cost him hours of what could have been a good night's sleep, but it was apparently worth it. The few mentions that weren't scoured from the internet spoke of a shadow organization that sold powers to those with enough money, but he hadn't found any way to contact them.

It was morning now, and he had still failed to find any sign of a way to buy powers. He needed this, desperately, to protect his sister from whatever was harming her outside of this house. He had found several sites that advertised tinker-tech weaponry and armor, but those weren't enough. Not for his sister.

An email. He had gotten a fucking email from someone claiming to be able to sell powers to him. It was the sketchiest email he'd ever seen, with clip art and typos, but he needed this. To help his sister not be hurt, to help her not be so angry all the time. So he left. For a fucking farm in the outskirts of Brockton Bay.

It turned out to be real. Some freaking scientist that called herself 'Doctor' had struck a deal with him because he wasn't swimming in cash. He'd do some favors for this Cauldron, give them the $2,486.23 he had in his bank account, and promise not to reveal them to anyone in return for a power theme called "Shield". He'd heard the warnings of becoming an ugly cape (Case-52?), and the threats of death if he spoke of them, but he didn't care so long as it worked. The charts and graphs they showed him went far over his head, so he just said to the lady, "Give me a power that can protect my sister from an early grave, and I'll do as many favors as you need." She'd said if he didn't mind doing favors when they asked he could max out the power and intensity of the mixture. He made them promise not to stop him from helping his sister in any way and they had a deal.

They shook, and had a deal.

Favors for superpowers? He'd have rather sold his mother, but, you know, you can't have everything.

He remembered why he hated visits to the doctor. The needles, that nasty 'hospital smell', and the doctors who seemed to enjoy groping. Doctor's hands are cold!

But after five visits, they apparently were ready to give him his powers.

"You're ready?" the creepy Doctor Lady asked him.

Terry smirked at her and nodded.

"You need to change into this bodysuit. We'll return your clothes to you when you return."

"Can I keep this?" Terry asked "It's better quality than most of the shit I own."

"No."

"How about…"

"No."

"But…"

"If the name you told us to call you wasn't so childish you might have been able to, but 'Protectbrotron' is not a valid name to put on your suit, so you don't get to keep it."

He didn't know what was wrong with his PHO handle, but as long as she didn't call it stupid he didn't mind.

"Sit here"

Terry sat in the chair that reminded him of the dentist's office, tilted back to make room for tools, but there was a difference. This chair had clamps on the arm and leg rests.

"If you react violently to the procedure, those clamps are there to protect yourself."

"Yeesh, do all your patients need them?"

"We had an… unfortunate accident which lost us a valuable power. We would rather not have that happen again." The Doctor answered with a severe look on her face.

He had to admit, even if this group scared him, they knew how to make some comfy chairs.

"Sample T-one-one-zero-two, with the additional Sample T-zero-zero-sixty-nine,"

He really tried not to giggle.

Really.

Ok not really, but he made an attempt.

"And Sample C-one-four-twenty-six. This is correct?"

"Yeah Doc, that's right"

"You must sign in every blank space in this packet" she handed him a small booklet and a pen, and he began to flip through.

"There should be signature spaces on pages two, twenty-six, and twenty-nine."

Terry didn't need to read the book, he knew what they'd agreed upon and was far too lazy to check if they agreed upon his terms.

"I haven't eaten like you said Doc"

"Good, any colds, aches, or pains?"

"I have a sore tooth, but this appointment was more important to me than any dentist." He replied honestly.

She glanced at him, "Well that's something new at least. Maybe your teeth will be straightened."

"Powers can do that?"

"If you had been sick, there was the chance of you never getting sick again."

"Damn, should have stayed out in the rain last night."

She took out a vial that was in a case to her right. It glowed purple, with flakes of, something, floating within.

"The quicker you drink this, the quicker and cleaner the transition is."

"And you said I'm going to see some crazy shit while I'm under?"

"Some do, some don't, but the calmer you are, the calmer the transition"

"So as long I as I don't start flipping out I'll still be normal."

"There is a better chance of that happening, yes."

"Alright," he yelled out, startling the Doctor "Let's do this shit."

She shook her head as she handed him the vial "Whenever you're ready."

"Bottoms up, I guess."

It burned in his throat, and then came darkness.

He was sitting at a campfire. Across the flames was a green figure playing an acoustic guitar, and in the distance approached another. But his attention wasn't on the others, it was on the fire. Warm, inviting, caring, and bright, the fire flickered as if speaking to him. Then he watched as some sparks flew upwards, and saw the stars beginning to dance in the sky. He began to glow, and then darkness returned.

"The campfire."

"What?"

"What does the campfire mean?" the crystalline boy asked her.

Of all the things she expected him to say, this was not it. She had heard it all, cracking earths, dancing stars, space whales and giant worms, but a campfire? This was the first it'd ever been mentioned, and she didn't know what it meant.

She didn't enjoy the feeling.