1.10 Dinner Part 3

“One of the kindest people I have ever met,” replies Abby reassuringly, “You’ll get on great with her.”

“So what kind of Abnormal is she?” inquires Leo.

“Humanoid plant person,” answers Abby, “Sort of like a dryad. Her main power is her siren voice while she has some pretty good regen and can shapeshift as long as she remains plant-like. Some enhanced speed, reflexes and senses on the side, nothing above D class mind you. I should also mention that she can emit spores to affect people and animals in various ways. So do you like the dress I choose for you Joan?”

“Oh yes,” replies Joan as she gives Abby a bright smile, “But I wasn’t aware I had anything like this.”

“You didn’t,” says Leo, “Abigail just morphed one of your old pieces of clothing into it.”

“I hope you don’t mind,” replies Abby with a shrug as they enter one of the living rooms where two people are snogging inside, “Hello Marcy, Diana. Joan and Leo are here.”

Joan notes that Marcy is in her default form rather than having shapeshifted into a more normal looking one.

I like this form better. She looks so awesome with long gold hair, shining silver skin and those freaking awesome angel wings. Besides, Marcy shouldn’t have to hide what she looks like.

The other woman is clearly Marcy’s girlfriend Diana. Joan would class her as an Aphrodite if it weren’t for her leafy hair with flowers in it, her pale green skin and deep green eyes. And to top it all off, Diana is wearing a pink flowery dress.

“Hello Marcy!” says Joan as she dashes over to her sister.

“Hi there Joan,” replies Marcy as she and Joan embrace each other in a hug, “Good to see you again. I hope you don’t mind this form.”

“Not at all,” replies Joan, “You look awesome like that. Your skin even feels like nice, smooth metal, but soft at the same time. Can I feel your wing?”

“Sure,” says Marcy as she lets go of Joan.

Joan reaches out and touches one of Marcy’s wings.

The feathers are so soft.

“You haven’t met Diana yet have you?” says Marcy as she hefts Joan with one arm, causing Joan to squeal slightly in surprise, “Diana, this is my sister Joan. The one I was telling you about.”

“Hello Joan,” says Diana awkwardly as Marcy puts Joan down in front of her, “How are you?”

“I’m great,” replies Joan, “So what is like be all planty or...or is that a sore subject for you?”

 “Not at all!” replies Diana instantly, “You really are as adorable as Marcy told me.”

“Thanks!” beams Joan.

“No problem,” says Diana, “Mind if I give you a hug? You’re just such a cute and adorable little squirt.”

“Nope,” replies Joan and the plant woman embraces Joan.

Joan hugs Diana back, noting how weird her skin feels.

Like a plant quite unsurprisingly.

“Here you go,” says Diana as she lets Joan go.

“What is it?” asks Joan, looking around.

“You got a white rose in your hair,” answers Leo as he walks up to her, “It looks very pretty.”

Joan blinks as an image of her flashes into her head, showing the rose into her hair.

I thought you might want to see what it like sis.

Thanks Abby.

“Thank you,” Joan tells Diana.

“No problem,” says Diana, “So this is your boyfriend?”

“Leonard Orrell Geary,” says Leo, holding his hand out, “Call me Leo.”

“Hello,” replies Diana shaking Leo’s hand, “So what are your powers?”

Joan freezes and begins to freak out internal.

Oh no. How did Diana figure out that Leo is a parahuman? He’s supposed to have a secret identity for crying out loud! I didn’t blow it did I?

“Oh, I don’t have any powers,” replies Leo with a slight shake of his head.

Wow, he lies so smoothly. If I didn’t know otherwise, I would totally believe him. Wait, is Leo being a good liar something I should be pleased about? He could totally lie to me and I wouldn’t know about it.

“Um,” says Diana flustered as she pulls her hand away, “I just sort of assumed from your looks and intelligence you’re a Bellator. Plus Marcy said you are immune to her Siren Voice.”

“I’m just blessed with good genes,” replies Leo, “And I’m not immune to it. I can sense it in my head, I just sort of ignore it. I think it has something to do with the fact that I am asexual.”

“So you got a Siren Voice as well,” says Joan in an attempt to steer the conversation in a different direction.

“Yes, yes I do,” replies Diana as Joan snuggles up next to Leo, “But don’t worry, I won’t use it on you.”

“Oh, I don’t mind if you do,” Joan tells her, “As long as it is only minor stuff. I’m fine with family and friends using their powers to mess with me a little as long as it is fun and games. I only care if they do it for serious things or selfish reasons or when I really don’t want them to.”

“I get that,” says Diana, “Totally makes sense. But I still won’t my powers on you.”

“Okay, suit yourself,” replies Joan.

“Oh!” says Marcy suddenly, “I have a gift for you sis! I’ll go and get before I forget again.”

Joan blinks as one moment Marcy is there and the next she has vanished.

She must have teleported. I wonder what that is like, just being about to appear in a different place on a whim. I bet it’s really cool.

“So how is school going?” asks Diana.

“Rather well,” replies Joan, “I’m not the best, but I’m pretty smart so I do well when it comes to classwork and grades. When it comes to social stuff, I hang out with Leo, Allison or Charlie. Allison is a former friend of mine and one of Leo’s while Charlie is Leo’s best friend.”

Plus I can just ask Abby for help when I need to. Not that she always gives it to me.

“No trouble with anybody picking on you?” inquires Diana and Joan laughs.

“No one would dare mess with Leo,” laughs Joan, “He can take anybody there in a straight up fight and he is more than making them suffer indirectly.”

“No anti-super people giving you trouble?” asks Diana, “Because of your family?”

“Leo,” Joan states simply as Marcy teleports back.

“Here you go,” says Marcy as she holds a CD case out to Joan, “One of the copies of my newly released single.”

“Thank you,” says Joan as she accepts the gift.

1.7 Guardsmen Part 14

Hello Abigail. What do wish to talk about?

Well, I just wanted to say that I know about you being Gears.

I see.

How did you find that out?

I used my telepathy on Joan. I have placed barriers in her mind to stop anyone else finding out the same way. With her permission of course.

Of course.

You have two companions?

Four of us actually.

Do you have one?

That would be time for me to introduce myself. I am Divine Magicka.

Vigilant Lion.

Enduring Iron.

Burning Heart.

White Tea.

Pleasure to meet all of you.

Would you mind talking later?

Not at all. We should focus on the present conversation here and now anyway.

“So when did you get your powers?” inquire Leo.

“Five days ago on the twenty second,” answers Marcelle before blushing, “Just, ah, don’t ask me what caused it. It is a bit embarrassing.”

“Sure,” says Leo, “So what are your powers if you don’t mind me asking? Are they helpful to your singing career?”

“They are so very much helpful to my career,” replies Marcelle with a hint of pride in her voice, “I got my first single produced and it has gone on sell today.”

“That quickly Marcy?” asks Abigail.

“Since there aren’t that many parahuman pop artists about, they would to try and establish me as one of the greats if they can,” says Marcelle, “Profiting and exploiting something new before it becomes commonplace and dull to the public. As for my powers, I have quite a few. Ten as a matter of fact. First and foremost is my Siren voice. It is pretty useful for a singer if I do say so myself. Next is my ability to create illusions. They’re solid and can fool the senses in addition to lasting until I get rid of them or they are broken. Going to be excellent for live performances and music videos. Then you have my shapeshifting. I’m actually currently using it to hide the fact I’m an Abnormal.”

“You’re an Abnormal?” says Joan in surprise, but also sounding excited, “Can I see?”

“Sure,” replies Marcelle with a shrug and her body begins to change, “It isn’t like I can hide it forever.”

Her skin turns silver while her eyes and hair become pure gold. Her eyes grow long and pointy while a pair of large white feathery wings sprout from her upper back.

That explains why her dress as a low back to it.

And here I thought she just wanted to look appealing and attractive.

“Well, you look pretty,” says Joan, a bit stunned by her sister’s new appearance.

“I’m glad you like it,” replies Marcelle as she flashes a smile at Joan, who blushes, “As for rest of my powers, I have nigh invulnerability and regeneration at higher levels. Beyond that, I have a few powers at lower, but still high levels.”

Is she using her Siren voice on Joan?

Should we act?

Not unless Joan requires it. Neither we nor Abigail are affected by it.

Not true, we are slightly affected, but we seem to disperse between the five of us so we are effectively immune.

“Those powers are flight, super speed and super agility,” continues Marcelle, “I can also teleport myself and anything I am touching to a place I have been to before. And I have energy projection.”

Marcelle holds a hand out and silver-gold energy appears, swirling in a sphere in her palm.

“Marcy,” says Abigail gently as Joan giggles, “Might I suggest you stop using your Siren voice on our sister?”

“I’m-I mean,” replies Marcelle in a flustered manner, “Sorry Joan. I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay,” replies Joan, looking a little embarrassed herself, “I’m just glad to have my sisters back.”

Both Abigail and Marcelle have the decency to look ashamed when Joan references the fact they abandoned her over the course of the last year.

“That won’t be happening again,” says Abigail firmly, “I suppose I should tell you guys about my powers. I don’t know all of them yet as I only had them for less than a couple of hours, but I have quite a few as well. A lot actually. I honestly think I got most of them figured out through trial and error and there can’t be that many that I don’t know about. So I’m going to list them. Nigh invulnerability, flight, teleportation, shapeshifting, telepathy, telekinesis, super strength, super speed, illusion, invisibility, phasing and forcefields. That is most of them I believe and I’m certain that is a still a couple more, there isn’t more than three that I don’t know about. Oh and I have another power.”

Suddenly a second Abigail pops into existence besides her.

“I can make copies of myself,” says both Abigails, “I control these copies as some sort of hive mind and they all have my powers, but weaker. Pretty cool huh?”

“It’s a bit weird,” admits Marcelle, “But given how I look...”

And I don’t exactly have the right to complain about things being weird either.

“And there doesn’t seem to be a limit on how many I can create,” says the second Abigail, “I also believe that my copies don’t need to eat, sleep, drink or any of the basic human needs. And Joan, as a gift to make up for completely abandoning you over the past year, I’ll assign this one to look at you.”

“As some sort of maid?” inquires Joan excitedly.

“And also as a friend and sister as they contain my mind directly as some sort of hive mind,” answers 

the original Abigail with a look at her sister, “You’re my sister after all and you’re the one that needs to be looked after the most out of all of us.”

“And my apology gift to you will be free copies of my music,” says Marcelle as she shifts back into more normal if Aphrodite form, “I will even pay for them out of my own money if I have to. And as I can teleport here at any time, I’ll be certain to visit you often.”

Joan squeals and clasps her hands together.

Joan seems happy to have her sisters back.

Why wouldn’t she be glad to have family again?

True and I am also glad.

Now Gears has a reason to help Joan, we ought to get started on that.

Well, more than we already are.

Right.

What do you think?

First is an advanced wheelchair so she may leave this room and the second is some nanobots.

Nanobots? Those will take a long time to invent. How would we even control them anyway?

With our daughter of course.

1.7 Guardsmen Part 13

Leo rolls his shoulders as he walks down the hospital corridor to Joan’s room. He initially had some trouble with the authorities letting him in, but some of the staff, Doctor Henderson in particular, insisted that his presence would be good and reassuring for Joan.

The deal he made with Darkness was a good one. No murdering parahumans when they are off-duty. No going after family or friends. No torture. No maiming or crippling after surrendering. No killing or maiming civilians. No intentionally hurting civilians. No revealing secret identities if the parahuman wishes to keep it unless they have been arrested.

And that is not even going into the other unsavoury actions they agreed to not condone.

And now Darkness has agreed to inform the DSA and the Heroes Union about the new Cape and Cowl Code of Conduct.

And he will apologise for going after the Fowler family.

Indeed.

I wonder why he did agree to that. I certainly wasn’t expecting him to, especially not so quickly and easily.

Perhaps he didn’t want to get on our bad side.

Or perhaps he wanted to get on our good side.

And that wasn’t the only odd thing about Darkness. Remember what it felt like when he attacked us telepathically?

Aye, there was another presence in addition to his.

And it felt similar to one of us. At least it did to me.

Do you think that Darkness has his own, what was the word that Guardian calls hers?

Companion?

Yes, do you think that Darkness has one?

It would explain why he is such a powerful and dangerous telepath. Two on one are poor odds.

Unfortunately for him, the odds were two on five when he took us on.

Leo stops as he hears people talking inside Joan’s room. He recognises the voice of his girlfriend, but doesn’t know the other three.

One of them is Alexis.

So who are the other two?

They might be other members of Joan’s family.

Leo steps over the broken down door and looks at the occupants of the room. He recognises Alexis in her Iris costume, but the other two people are young Aphrodite women that are unknown to him.

One has lush, flowing brown hair that goes down around her shoulders and gorgeous green eyes in addition to a curvy and beautiful body. Her outfit, a white one strap dress that is loose at the bottom and tight at the waist and upwards, serves only enhances her beauty.

The other is just as beautiful with the same eyes and hair with a trio of minor differences. The first is that the hair of the second woman is over a metre long, going down past her bottom, while the second is that, while much higher than average with a height of about six feet, the first woman is slightly over two metres tall. In addition to that, this woman has blue eyes to the former’s green. She is wearing a tight crimson mini dress that clearly shows off her figure.

Both are taller than me. That said, I’m am five feet ten and so growing as I’m only fifteen.

I wonder height we’ll be once we finish growing.

That will be interesting to find out since we are a Bellator

All four females turn to look at him as he enters the room.

“Leo!” exclaims Joan and she beams at him, “I’m so clear you’re here!”

I know that Jaylyn told me that Joan was unharmed, but it is so good to be able to check in person.

So very true.

Darkness would have paid if she wasn’t.

He has already paid Heart.

Humph.

“I’m glad to be here as well,” replies Leo as he walks towards Joan, “May I ask who your guests are? I know about Alexis, but...”

“You haven’t seen us since we manifested,” says the taller woman with the shorter hair, “Well, Leo, I’m Abigail. I’m sure you remember me?”

“I sure do,” answers Leo, vaguely recalling meeting the women a few times in the past, “I assume you manifested?”

“Yeah,” replies Abigail, “I got attacked by one of the Darkness’ followers. Most of our family did. I think only Breanne was the only of us not to be.”

“I’m going assume that you’re okay from what I can see right now,” says Leo was he reaches Joan, sitting down in the chair next to her bed, “Do you mind if I ask you what your powers are?”

Abigail is strange.

Really?

Aye, just being around her makes me feel boosted, stronger, better.

“I’m still getting the hang of them, but I’ll tell you what I figured out so far,” replies Abigail, “May I introduce you to Marcelle first?”

“Sure,” says Leo as he turns his head to look at the last of the girls in the room, “You got your powers before tonight didn’t you?”

“That’s right-” Marcelle begins to say, but stops as Alexis suddenly gets up.

“Sorry, but I got to go,” she says apologetically as she heads for the door, “Heroes Union business. Now that all the attacks have stopped for a while now, I can’t justify being here instead of doing my job by saying that I want to protect Joan. Especially with you two here Marcy and Abby.”

“I understand,” says Joan as her sister leaves the room, “I’m sure I’ll be safe.”

More than she knows.

Darkness and his forces won’t dare hurt her now.

Leo blinks as he feels a strange force enters his mind.

What or who is that?

Either Marcelle or Abigail must have telepathic powers.

What do think they want?

I don’t know. Do you guys think we should drive her out?

I would rather that you didn’t. I simply wish to talk about some private matters.