Disclaimer. I don't own.
:}
Cassie Harris sat in her car, watching the school, waiting for the boy she'd convinced to accept a ride from her to arrive. Moments later, Andre walked out, and after he got in she gave him a chaste side hug before they started driving. "Um, you old enough to be driving?" Dre asked.
"As long as I have a licensed driver with me." She replied, nodding towards the back, and his grandmother. "Gran still has her license, so she counts. Just, don't expect her to do much of anything if I mess up."
"So, why'd you insist on giving me a ride?" Dre wondered.
"I read the story." Cassie said. "The updated one, where we find out that The Black Dahlia is a black woman, and her distortion field makes her white. I read it, and thought, maybe, straighten the hair a bit, pale the skin, it was good work. Just, man, I hate to admit it, but the whole thing started to feel kinda desperate. How she was missing something in her life, and just glommed onto Blue Steel cause of how great he was."
"I thought…" Dre started.
"And you were right." The girl, all of fifteen, said. "I was so in love with the idea of him, I missed the fact that, to so many people, the age difference would be creepy. Not saying it wouldn't work, cause hello, not as damaged as that girl from the story was. Just, her attraction, that was from a need, daddy issues and the like, while Steel falling for her felt, at times, like he was a user, and not the dedicated family man I like to dream he is. See, I need that, the family, to make the whole drama work."
"Sorry, was just trying to get someone who could write to help make your fantasy more, I don't know, real?"
"And I appreciate it." Cassie insisted. "I really do. Just, the more I thought about the story, the more I saw how it was all romantic gibberish, and the more I realized, the very things I loved Blue Steel for where the very reasons he'd probably never be my lover. I love that he's this dedicated father figure, cause how the chiz else does he understand kids, their needs and motivations, so well." Her eyes glanced to her cousin. "Not that you asked, but any chance we can find out? The father part. No secrets, just, is he a father?"
"According to my source…" Dre started.
"Marty." Cassie interrupted.
"My source…" He tried again.
"You know, the Constable." The girl interrupted again. "Sorry, you were saying…."
"You do realize, interrupting me isn't gonna get you your answers." Andre warned.
"Andre, when did you shrink?' Charlotte asked. "And get all curvy? And, who's this boy sitting next to you?"
"I'm Andre." The boy told his grandmother. "This is Cassie." The he turned to whisper at his cousin. "And we shouldn't be sharing our wild theories with Gran."
"But I already knew Marty was constipated." The old woman said. "Did it for the police, to help be a symbol for those in need, or are feeling stressed, suffering. Just need to relive themselves."
"Gran already knows." Cassie added. "So, what did your source, who so isn't Marty, have to say?"
"That Blue Steel is Warpaths father."
"Fuuuuuck….." The girl moaned. "Warpath, as is…"
"Warpath." Dre finished for her. "Not much else, just, Warpath is Blue Steels daughter, and finding that out got me in trouble with the popo, cause they keep an eye on their people, and I had to endure an interrogation from one of the Police Metahuman Resources people. I didn't know anything they were worried about, swore me to secrecy about a few dozen other things, and I suspect they erased my memory about one or two things, but overall, it was a warning that I was looking into things they didn't want me to look into."
"So, you were on the right track, huh?" Charlotte asked.
"As I was saying, not quite over my feelings for Blue Steel, but I do get how inappropriate it looks, from the outside." The girl continued. "Dre, I hope I didn't get you into too much trouble…"
"No, had my own issues to deal with, and those drove me to find out what I did." He offered some small comfort to his cousin. "Just, we let the police have their secrets, the one's where they're not burying abuse and chiz, and we focus on doing what we can to have the best lives possible. Like, I was thinking, maybe next year, you audition for Hollywood Arts. May not look it, but they have really good security, and I'd be happier if you were away from those friends of yours…"
Once again, the teen cut him off. "Who've mostly tried to change their lives?" It was a challenge. "You weren't there. You have no idea how influential Blue Steel can be, when he treats you like an equal, and adult, and talks to you, listens, and offer hope that we can be more then criminals. I swear, the man, how is it Dahlia hasn't been crushing on him. But again, in my heart, I get it. If he were the type to have something with a teen, and not the dedicated father I like to dream he is, then he wouldn't be the man I fell in love with."
"Just find another with those qualities." Charlotte said. "Maybe it won't be easy, like, they might not be blue, but you can maybe find a man who'll treat you right, like how my Ron treated me…"
"Going nostalgic." The girl warned.
"But this time, I'm thinking we pay attention to her." Dre said. "We look, and try and find you someone who can be that kind of man for you. Maybe at Hollywood Arts…"
"Dre, you don't get it, I can't entertain like you do." She told him. "I can dance, maybe do okay, but that school, it's full of kids who've been dancing since they were in diapers. They sing, and dance, and act, and what else you do, and you're just a musician…" her eyes held the boy.
"I'm also a damn fine actor, and I write music." Andre agreed. However, he seemed to get her point. "Okay, you don't have to transfer, but that doesn't mean you can't date from Hollywood Arts…"
Cassie smiled at her cousin, ignoring his implication. "Yea, you do so much…"
Dre looked inwards. 'Maybe that's what I need to focus on, how I do so much. I'm used to being a talented guy, hanging with talented people. Only, no one was as good as I was at music, and I was better then most at acting, and dancing, and man, now I'm the odd man out cause I don't have powers. Only, I have something better, cause I can be there for them after, when the world is saved, and cover for them, keep their normal as normal as possible, Plus, what Dahlia did…' His eyes looked to his cousin. "Did you see what Dahlia did? The real one?"
"God yea." The girl nodded. "Kinda wish I had that kind of power. I mean, how many individuals ever beat Magmasar? How many? I'll tell you, one, now, after. Before, he kept whole teams on their toes. But he faced off against The Black Dahlia, and lost, which is why I wonder, would I have been able to do whatever she did to get that increase in power, cause when she helped recruit Bastion, she wasn't nearly that strong."
"Bastion beat Grendal, which means…" Andre speculated.
"Nothing." Cassie cut him off. "Except that I'm also a touch thankful I'm not a meta, cause they risk life and limb every time they head out, even at charities, or did you read the latest on what happened to Marty?"
"Constable." Charlotte corrected.
"Right." Dre nodded, only to freeze. "Gran…"
"You think, for one moment, I don't know my grandson is enhanced?" The old woman asked. "Plus, the color of his slippers, they're alligators. No, he's powered, and has a pet of some sort, just nothing we can see, cause he doesn't like to share."
"Okaaaay….." The boy relaxed, mostly because even if his grandmother spilled the tea, no one would really believe her. "So, what now?"
"You're stop." Cassie said. "Or rather, it should be, except, can't drop you off, cause I need gran, so…" She looked conflicted.
"Why don't you take Gram with, and have someone with a license drop her off." The boy recommended. "I mean, how'd you pick her up, if you didn't have someone with a license."
"Lets just agree it's something Blue Steel never need to hear about, kay?" The girl said, then dropped the two off and drove the short distance to her own home, and the chance to be legal again.
Andre took the time to finish his homework, before calling a number and finding out if he was needed for anything. "Andre, yes, I did have something." V told him. "Bastion recommended Puckett maybe date someone, and I wanted to know, the blond from iCarly, ever have any thoughts about her?"
"I don't date girls who might give me nightmares." He replied.
"So thinking of playing for the other team are we?" The director joked. "Look, I get it, she's complicated. Just, I don't like trying to set her and Beckett up, not with Steel Copper being one of my faster assets. No, I'm gonna…" She hesitated.
"On paper, that's the best setup." Andre speculated. "Only, how're you gonna get them to date, cause neither is gonna like being told what to do. Maybe I can speak with Beck, get him on board, but I make no promises."
"There are things, about Puckett, and her family, you may need to be brought in on, in time, if she winds up a closer member of this group." V informed him. "Until then, thanks. You're literally the only asset I have who is in their world, and cans see things from my perspective. Or rather, a fully human perspective. Hard to do so when one has the kind of power even the weakest of my assets have. I need your view on so many things. Still, for now, thanks."
Andre knew his next job, and dialed another number. Moments passed, and Beck soon answered. "Dre, whats up?"
"Just checking in." The boy said. "My cousin, she's realized how unrealistic her crush on Steel is. Still majorly smitten, but told me the things she loves about him, they make him a solid no. So, she's gonna try to put her feelings aside and find someone in the real world."
"And you're thinking I could use a girlfriend?" Beck asked, already on defensive.
"I'm thinking I wanted to share this new with a good friend." Dre said. "Now, V wants you to maybe date that Puckett girl, help her be on the right side of the law. Not sure, but it feels like she's become someone of interest to the projects. What do you think?"
"I'm thinking you're right, and she is more my type." He chuckled at that. "Loud, opinionated, with a big mouth and a tendency towards acting on her impulses. Yea, I can see how you'd think we'd make a great couple. Only, she's a lot more street smart then I am, and…"
"And what?" The musician challenged. "You're learning yourself a lot of street stuff, how to find chiz out, and do detective type stuff. So yea, you're moving into her world, why not have a girl who understands that chiz, can maybe help you learn?"
"And what does she want?" Beck asked back.
"You know how these programs work, they don't much care about what the individuals want." Dre said, fairly sure he was right. "They just want the romance, cause it'll help contain one of the potential wild cards, and hope it doesn't wind up corrupting one of the good ones. It's one of the reasons even the most bigoted government person embraced Wildcard and Dahlia. Love will help contain her, and we never know when we're gonna need that."
"Dre, Jade's always been a good person." Beck sighed. "You of all people need to remember. The bad things she often did, that was her reacting to a world that was, to her, taking her life away. Tori threatened her place at Hollywood Arts. And every other prank was either in revenge, which I'm thankful has stopped, or because she was protecting someone."
"Including herself." Dre agreed. "But she wasn't the one I was referring too, or did you think, for one moment, Wildcard didn't need some restrain too?"
"Not the combatant Dahlia is, but given the nature of her powers, yea, I could see what a threat she could be." Beck agreed. "Guessing they were lucky to find one another."
"Yea, luck." Andre agreed. "Look, contact Cat, just set up a meeting with Puckett… Samantha. Lets see where it goes, okay?"
After school, the gang scattered, only to meet up again in the Project Redemption training facilities, the best place available to train and be monitored. Beck wasn't there, out training with the various support officers in how to do street work, undercover and the like. His absence was notable, but not unexpected. "So, how'd it go?" Holly asked Dre.
"Sorry, what?" He asked back. "Sorry, this whole place, somehow it's hella more then I expected. Did Constable have this kind of place for his training?"
"The Constable Project candidates all train at the Police Academy, and we monitor then from there." V explained. "Any luck with our other problem?"
"I spoke with Beck, about maybe dating Sam, and he's, well, not so much on board as willing to look into things. Just, give him time, cause this IS new to him, even if the whole hero thing is working out." The boy said.
"Steel Copper is more valuable then expected, cause he's adapting to the police lifestyle far faster then we'd anticipated." Holly sighed. "I'm gonna talk to the people at his project, see what kind of budget we can get to hire him on full time, cause that boy, he's… I don't know how else to say it, he feels made for this lifestyle. Gonna talk to Blue Steel about maybe working with him, cause we need someone to go out among the people too, and I suspect Beck has the kind of charm and charisma to win over hearts. Not a lot of people have that."
"Yea, I have a cousin…" Dre started.
"Heard about the fan fiction." V cut him off. "Didn't know Cat had that kind of writing bug in her, but I very much approve. The less realistic the better, even if that kind of romance can be kinda gross. Steels not that kind of guy, just very good at representing the colors when needed. Said he's found a new push to do so since his last attempt to help someone, get directly involved, netted us Dahlia. However, I totally get that we need that junk out there, cause people are thinking it. Better to flood the websites with a little creative disinformation, in the guise of fan fiction, to help protect everyone involved. Gonna give Bastion my list of requests." She smiled, and Dre was reminded just how calculating the woman really was.
"Yea, so, why exactly am I here, since I really don't belong…" Andre tried to understand this shift.
"Cause I want to support your friendship with my charges." The director smirked. "Plus, I may have other needs from you. See, I have a line on this kid, from Northridge, and while he's not necessarily a bad kid, he's been hanging out with gang affiliated types. When he started developing powers, he fell into my purview, and I realized, confronting him with just the Meta's, that might work with some kids, but if I find I need to control his life, like maybe move his school and such, then I might need someone to be on the outside, watching him." Her eyes locked on Andre. "Part of your job."
"So, not so secretly working for you, huh?"
"Meredith, you remember her, girls hard to lie to." Misses V tossed out. "Jade can be as hard, and Trina, my eldest, she has almost as bad a taste in boys as Tori. So, instead of lying, I figured, they get to know my spy, and I just have other, less obvious ways to watching them. Plus, this way, you're always available to cover for them, when they need to slip away and be their other, more famous halves. Get it?"
"Got it." Dre felt almost like part of some conspiracy.
"Good." V finished the odd little quote she sometimes used, mostly because so many of her charges were Hollywood Arts.
'Chang his education…? Man, they're gonna try to get this guy into Hollywood Arts. I'm really gonna be a spy. Not sure how I feel about that…' He looked to his superior. "Anything else I should know?"
"Pretty sure he has a hot sister, though not all Northridge girls are that hot. Just the one's on the promotional materials." She chuckled, and he realized she was joking with him.
"If she's Asian, I do kinda have a weakness for that." Dre said. "Asian, or blonds, or a really nice body…."
"So, you have this condition called boy." The director said. "Sorry, not trying to be…"
"Not offended." Andre laughed. "Yea, I like pretty girls. Any chance you might recruit yourself one of those?"
The older woman's eyes pierced him cold. "Wanna repeat that in front of the majority of my charges?" Her voice was frost and snow. "My kids, my trainees, or any member of the Blue Generation Initiative?"
"So this is what my foot tastes like." Andre back peddled. "Okay, I get it, you're kinda light on boys." he hesitated. "So, what can this boy do, anyways?"
"Reshape his body mass into different organic configurations." The woman relaxed, enjoying talking about her work. "Claws or wings or armor, all easy enough. But I wanna know what his limits are, and see what he can do with a little training. Like, can we get him to take on specific shapes, like people? Or can we get him to blend in, like a chameleon? The only real limit I've noted so far is his mass stays the same. However, he does change size, shrinking when he gets denser, and I'm fairly sure he'll make a great addition to my little project. I just, I felt we needed us someone to help him feel at home."
"No Tori?" He asked. Her side eyes sent a shiver down his spike. "Sorry, Wildcard."
"Better." She relaxed. "Not her strong suit. She'll want to help, but she has some major baggage, and the most intimidating part of it is wrapped up in enough magic power to impress Washington."
"Um, Misses V?" The Velvet Phantom tried to interrupt, sticking her head into the office.
"And some of my charges have this chip on their shoulders." She added. "Totally understandable, but still…"
"I just realized, one of the techs is selling information to outsiders." The friendly girl said.
"And now, we have us a problem." Misses V shifted to director mode. "Andre, go get me Dahlia, and alert Warpath I may need her help too. Also, if we do get this kid, as I said, I'll need someone who is outside the project to be his friend. Preferably someone who won't give him nightmares…"
:}
Got stuck on a thought, and everything stalled. Here's the next chapter. Not sure where this is going, but I suspect I have a little more to share.
Thoughts?