Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. Shot and sweet.
:}
Jade was still processing what she'd learned, that she could now spend time with her friends as long as they were at school, even as she managed to make it to her first class and started her day. she knew it was time to "Come Out" to her friends, and probably the whole school, about her being with Tori. But before she did that, she'd have to deal with at least two issues. She worked her way through her day, looking for a chance deal with both, all the while dreading the off chance she might not be accepted back with her friends, out in the sunlight. 'Metaphor much?' She'd thought, more then once.
"Jade, I called my contact, and he told me we'd be riding into training together." Rob said as he greeted her. The nerdy boy had been waiting for her, stalking the halls, and caught her during a passing period.
"Yea, just..." Blue eyes scanned the halls, and locked on a short, agreeable girl a short distance away. Meredith stepped back, something that, before that weekend, wouldn't have shocked Jade. But this time, the goth suspected there was more going on then she'd previously realized. "Just, don't go making a huge deal about this. We keep some things between us. And, and especially now, with all the new in my life, I kinda need some things secret. Now, I gotta go. I have someone to talk to about a veil." She didn't wait to see if he gave any indication he understood, abandoning him so she could start clearing her to do list.
Jade strode off towards the agreeable girl, closing distance with each stride. Meredith, for her part, simply retreated into an empty classroom, her eyes watching the far window as if something was happening outside. "So..." Jade started.
"I already knew." The agreeable girl said, not bothering to look at Jade. "I already knew what you were, but had no proof until I saw you, face to face, in costume." She turned to meet Jade's eyes. "My mom, she's a hero. Only, she did it cause she hated her powers, and was determined to be something more then just some freak. She married dad, and now, nearly twenty years later, she once again feels like a freak, cause of her unusual powers. However, because of her decision, her desire mixed with her unique situations, I'm here, and trying to adjust to being part of The Blue Generation Project. I.. My powers aren't suitable for active heroing."
"What can you do?" Jade wondered. "I mean, fairs fair…."
"I can read minds." Meredith admitted. "But it's not like in the movies, where I get a nice, clear set of thoughts. No, I see things, words and images, kinda-sorta floating about someone, and I piece things together. It's almost like I'm reading the thought energy that the person is projecting, like a book. And, and even as I figure chiz out, there are things I cannot do. I can't process fast enough to predict more then one persons action while fighting, so I'm pretty useless out there, cause so few one on one situations, and there are some people I can't read." She sighed. "I can't read you now, but given what I know about you, at least now it makes sense. You've been a closed book for a while now…."
"You're mom must have been wazzed." Jade guessed, focusing on the other girls powers.
"She wasn't too happy, but said it could be worse." The shorted girl said. "She told me, for most people with any kind of power, it has a sharp back edge, one you just don't see. Take mom, she heals about ten times faster then a normal person, and her scars are smaller. That developed in puberty, back when she was about fourteen, and she claims it's side effect ruined her life." Meredith locked eyes with Jade again. "She looks like she's maybe in her early thirties. But since she was fourteen, she's aged at about one fourth the normal rate, so mom's…."
"In her eighties?" Jade finished.
"She just turned ninety." Meredith confirmed. "Mom was born in the twenties, and I have a half brother, over twenty years older then me, and, and… and..."
Jade found herself holding the agreeable girl as Meredith cried out the pain of a life that was so different, and as a result, surprisingly painful. "You're mom is starting to look like your dad's mistress, isn't she?" Jade observed. "And Frank..."
"Dad's kinda old, had a kid late, cause mom, she wanted to try again after the disaster that my brother turned out to be. And dad, she'd known him a minute, so..." Meredith confessed. She shook her head, a tear sliding down her face. "So yea, you're secret's safe with me..."
"Wait, you said you already knew about Dahlia, but can't read my mind..." Jade fished.
"You're hardly the only person here who knows about your secret." The shorter girl said. "And I get it. You're kind of power, that is worrisome. Explained why, for a while, everyone who knew was so freaked out about you." She sniffed once more, pasted on her smile, and started to leave. "We need to get to class..."
Jade made the decision right then that she'd have Meredith as someone Project Redemption could call, if only occasionally. 'Betting her ability to kinda read minds would come in handy in helping kids work through some of the trauma's they've been through. Probably be a little rough on her, but...' It hit her, like a brick from the fifteenth story. "God, that has to hurt, knowing what people may be going through, and not being able to help…!"
"What now?" Some kid asked, and blue eyes quickly shut him down. "Right, some play thingy, probably for Sikowitz, and I really need to be anywhere else right now." The boy ran, literally ran, and Jade remembered how good it felt to have that kind of power.
'Only I have that power, and more, but it's not nearly as fun as you think, once you have it.' Jade pondered, moving towards her class. She knew she was going to be late. 'Cause what good is this power, the fear of my classmates, when all it did was isolate me while they thought I was down and potentially not getting back up again. No, I couldn't use it to do anything about that situation, and Masters, he had power, and had absolutely no idea how to use it. Man almost turned me into a real threat, and god, I am. I get it, why Mister Vega, Blue Steel, though about having me put down. I.. I can do a chizload of harm, and not that many people can stop me. But I have power, the kinds of power Meredith never had, and I can use it to help too. I.. She helped, by being a victim at that simulation. Meredith, with a power better suited for industrial crime, or maybe the ultimate in insider trading, she wanted to help out. More then anything, she wanted to be what her mother was, a hero, and help the fuck out. Man, these thoughts are gonna bug me for a while now...'
"Nice of you to join us, Miss West." Her teacher called, drawing all eyes to her late entry.
"Sorry, my parole officer called, and I had to take it." Jade said, shrugging. "Just mark me as late, and lets get on with class."
"Oh….!" The woman looked conflicted, for just a second, before pointing Jade to her seat, and continuing with her lecture. She didn't bother to make her as anything but present.
Jade sat down and waited, doing what she could to pay attention, but she locked away some questions she'd have for later, when she got the chance to talk to someone about the nature of power.
Lunch time acme, and Trina was smiling at where her sister was sharing time with the other main people of Hollywood Arts. 'So, Jade's back in the fold, at least for now...' She observed, watching reactions as Tori introduced Jade as her girlfriend. Jade was early, ruining Tori's plot to prep the gang first. Still, Trina was enjoying her semi-isolated view of the others. 'Kevin is on me again, but jam it, I don't date musicians. Well, not the unattractive one's.' Her eyes appreciated Andre, not for the first time. Trina knew how solidly built Tori's best friend was. 'If only I wasn't likely to break him...' She sighed. 'Or he wasn't Marty's cousin. Man, I could rock his world. And Beck's. I mean, Lil' Kim is right, why limit myself to just one man...' Her smile was that dreamy smile of someone enjoying a fantasy that probably wasn't safe for school.
"Okay, didn't need the images that go with that smile." Meredith said as she sat down across from Trina.
"Merri, I wasn't aware we were friends." Trina greeted.
"Can it, I need to know, does Jade know about Warpath?" The agreeable girl demanded. "No, she doesn't. You've kept her in the dark about your abilities, and mine. Betting she'll have a field day when she learns that you're..."
Trina cut her off. "Jade's an omega class mystic. She knows about my dad, and can find out about my other self, if she choose to. Sikowitz, who was Abra in another life, is teaching her, and probably keeping her from delving too deep into things she doesn't need to know."
"I want in." Meredith insisted. "I've been reading Robbie all morning, and I know about the heroes Crown, or at least as much as he thinks he knows. If it can make him a hero, then there has to be something out there for me."
"Mom thinks you'd do better as a counselor, helping mold a new generation of hero's." Trina countered. "Look, I get it, having powers like yours, they're not the windfall you were hoping for. But you can be useful..."
"I hate your powers." The petite girl cut in. "I hate you have 'em, cause you were born to be a hero, and yet, you want to be an entertainer. Me, I'd love it if I had Warpath, cause the kind of damage I could do to the underworld..." She let the moment hang.
"Mister Abra, and Dante..." Trina started.
"Eww, Dante's a creeper." Meredith cut in, her face a picture of disgust. "I thought mystics were supposed to be all evolved and deep and chiz. What went wrong with that one?"
"He just doesn't see why there has to be an age restriction on dating." Trina said, hating defending the man. "If you're old enough to have babies, then to him, you can date. No one is forcing you to do more. Hell, I hate the way he stares at my chest, but I endure, cause he can help me. He's a decent police officer, and he can help me by helping Sikowitz figure out how to maybe use those scads and scads of energy Jade has to maybe enchant a few things, help turn semi-heroes into the real things. You wanna see if maybe we can get you you're own version of the crown?"
"Sure." Meredith agreed. "I'd like that." She sighed. "Won't be for a few days, but maybe I need in on this new version of Project Redemption. Sounds like it may just give me something I've wanted for a long, long time."
A short time later, just as the regular school day was ending, the head of Project redemption sat in her office, going over her plans. Holly was anticipating her guests for the afternoon, going over the list of what to show the new recruit, as well as the things she didn't even want her current project to know existed. 'Her room, it's a fucking cell.' She sighed, again. 'You'd think they'd have had an honor room type thing, for the kids doing well in the program, but Masters, he just wanted tools, and didn't much care about building anyone up. Break 'em, and make em happy to have whatever you offer. Like you'd keep anyone creative, or with any real power, that way.' She looked, hard, at the full blueprints of the lower level. 'I hate it when Lane is right, but this program, the more I look at it, it was a super villain factory.'
Her phone ringing helped elevate her mood. "Trina, darling, you gonna be here today? Having Warpath present would make the whole bringing Robbie in moment that much better."
"Sorry, but I plan on doing anything else." The elder daughter said. "No, I called cause I was talking with Meredith, and..."
"God, you too?" The director moaned.
"Wait, who called about her?" Trina asked.
"Jade. And let me tell you, in the future, talk to me before you spill even a little of the family secrets. Had to protect Tori's budding relationship." She let her displeasure linger only a moment, before letting it go. "Still, Jade said Meredith's abilities could be useful in developing some new talent." A moment passed. "Like I have any villainous talent to reform right now. But yea, I get it, Meri has an unusual, and lets just say it, unique ability, and I agree, she could be useful. But without the promise of fulfilling her mothers crazy dreams, no hope she'd be interested."
"What if we get Mister Abra, with Jade's help and power, to enchant her something." Trina suggested. "We could get yet another potential hero, and we both know that Meri is way agreeable. Plus, if she doesn't lose that ability to literally read her opponent, she'd be so useful. Remember, one on one, she's a bear to stop, cause she knows what you're gonna do as soon as you do."
Holly chuckled. "May be possible. Let me talk to Abra, see what he thinks." She felt that maybe, if this worked, they could have a nice reserve of meta's for her to study.
"No, you get ready for Dahlia, and Robbie, and boy does that guy need a new code name? How about Project no longer a nerd?" Trina was smiling towards the end. "Or maybe kill Rex?"
"No, we're planning on another name for him." Holly said. "Pandion was a series of two Greek kings, as well as a hero believed to be one or both. It's theorized that the crown, it was what the two kings used to rule, as well as perform their feats. I'm just amazed they don't show up in myths more often, cause that crown, maybe it's human maximum, but that's still way more then most people would ever see. Tall, heroic, and so strong. Yea, to the primitive, that would feel superhuman."
"So, new name?" Trina pushed.
"We're waiting, oddly enough, on Mister Abra. He said Cadabra had something that would be useful for Robbie." The mother said. "Funny, we seem to be doing a LOT with Sikowitz these days. You'd think, as minor as Mister Cadabra was, we'd be relying on Dante a whole lot more."
"I'm beginning to think that, discounting his powers, Cadabra was a force in the mystic world." Trina noted. "I'll ask Sikowitz, when we talk, in about ten minutes." She felt determined, ready for this confrontation. "Yea, it's time we found out a bit more about the guy we're trusting with our most potent weapon."
"Just, make sure Tori doesn't mind hanging out, and don't do anything we'll have to work out." Holly suggested. "Maybe include Mister Alexander in this, so the project is covered?"
"Right, gotta go." Trina said. "Love you." She hung up before her mother could add anyone else to her little conversation. 'Meredith, I know Jade's not you're biggest fan, but we need this. Mom's growing the program, and the success rate from the Blue Generation Initiative, and Jade's a linchpin for that growth. Either way, I'm gonna help correct a mistake genetics made a long, long time ago, and give mom the willing hero she's wanted forever.'
Sikowitz was in his office, waiting for Trina, who took a moment to gather Tori, made Andre promise to give her a ride, and sent her on her way with Jade. Now prepared, she walked into the office, ready for who knows what kind of confrontation. As he expected this to be Project business, he wasn't alone.
"… I guess we could use another director on faculty." Sikoiwtz was saying to Lane. "I just don't like Mister Reese."
"Um, Sikowitz, got a moment?' Trina asked.
"Sure." The mystic said. "Lane, would you?"
The counselor stood up, walked to where Trina was, ushering her in before closing the door, still in the room with them.
"Mom called, didn't she?" Trina asked.
"Yep." Lane said.
"Plus, I need you to do me a service." Sikowitz added. "I have Cadabra's amulet, and I wanted you to deliver it to the project."
"Wait, what?" Lane asked. "I didn't know you had it already."
"I had access to a thief." The drama teacher explained. "Gonna cost me for a while, cause she wants to learn stage magic, like that was ever my thing. I can do it, Cadabra taught all his students, but I'm far less comfortable with that then our regular instructor."
"So, whats it do?" Trina asked.
"It's a mystic amulet that Cadabra said let him have limited access to the elemental forces. Not that much, not normally, but then again, the man never told us the full truth about anything, really." Abra shrugged. "He believed that every mystic needs to develop his or her own sense of mystery, and part of that is the desire to learn." His eyes held the other two for a moment. "Anyways, I now think this is an amulet that belonged to Achilles, cause in some legends, he wasn't so much dipped in the river Styx as given a magic amulet that made his skin as tough as stone. If this is that amulet, then we give it to Robbie, with a couple of minor spells on it to prevent it's misuse, and he can be the new Achilles. Our invulnerable hero."
"Not that invulnerable, but bullet resistant, as well as able to use some other nifty abilities." Mister Alexander noted. "You gonna teach him all the in's and outs of that amulet?"
"No, Jade will." Sikowitz said. "Once she learns them herself, she'll teach him, and he'll be able to do a few neat things with it."
"You don't know exactly what it does, do you?" Trina asked.
"Not a clue." Sikowitz agreed. "Now, as for your suggestion about Miss Meredith, anyone know her last name? No? Okay, her abilities may be enhanceable, but it won't be easy. I suggest we give Jade some time to recover, and then, let her do a ritual involving Meredith, and some other components I'll gather, and we see if we cannot clone her mothers abilities in her genetics, while keeping her current abilities. With luck, she'll be stronger then her mom, and we'll have us another street hero."
"Mom called you about her too, didn't she?" Trina asked. "No mater, we're gonna do right by her, maybe. It's up to Jade now..."
"And not for a while, cause that kind of change, it may just burn..." Lane, of all people, warned.
Sikowitz smiled. "For Jade, wouldn't be the first time." He sighed. "But you're right. We'll make plans, see what we can make happen, and I'll wait at least a week for Jade's reserves to rebuild. Even still, it may cost us time, cause we're changing the fundamental nature of a person, and even with the pathways already potentially being there, it'll be hard on Dahlia under the best of circumstances. Jade, she has power, but lacks the subtitles and nuance that go with learning that kind of magic. Part of the curse of the Codex."
"So, we're agreed?" Trina asked. "I'll let Meredith know to be patient, and we can push forward with this project. Just, who else can we help make into a hero, cause the more we get, the better."
"No, the more we have in one group, the more likely that people will realize somethings going on." Sikowitz countered. "Besides, enchanting items is not an easy task, even modifying the Heroes Crown wasn't easy, and that thing has had the potential to grow for centuries. No, maybe some day, Jade'll branch off into enchantment, but not for a long, long time. In the meantime, lets just focus on what we're doing now. Meredith, hard as her situation is, will be way easier then almost any other form of enchantment." He dismissed both his guests with that word, hurrying off to direct his underclassmen in some play of his own creation. Trina, meanwhile, felt that she'd made some progress.
'Only a mater of time before we find us another potential, and I want Jade ready to be an example.' She thought, mirroring one of her mothers current plans. She also pocketed the amulet, for easy delivery. "Looks like mom gets her visit.'
:}
Okay, lets go over this by the numbers. Yes, Meredith has some fun powers, and was probably Lanes informant. No, Jade doesn't know about Warpath, and yes, it's kinda funny she admires Warpath and dislikes Trina. Also, which name was better, "No longer a nerd" or "Kill Rex?"
Thoughts?
Children of the BGI, as in Blue Generation initiative. Just an FYI.