More Meteor Showers Bring Even Stranger Powers. (O/A)

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

"The only reason I have this boon is because Soul, and the people he became before me, never bestowed it upon anyone else. For that I am grateful. If I were not the last in the line of Soul's reincarnations, I would have not been able to have my youngest children."

Lokelonni reached her hands across the table toward Kerana. "Never feel that you are undeserving of what has been given to you. From what I have heard, you are a beacon of joy in a place where the sun does not shine for all. You may not realize it, but you have touched the life's of many without trying. That is especially true for Alec. I do not need eyes to see that he carries a heavy weight in his young heart. Yet when he speaks of you, there is a levity in his tone that is is nearly palpable."

"Kerana, though life may not be what is considered 'normal' from now on, you can still have everything you want and more. In Soul's memories, he and the others did not work all of the time. They dreamed, loved, and lost just like any one of us have. Even Crosis, who in his youth could actually be quite amusing, only attended to his duties as the Reaper for a few hours each day. The rest of his time was spent in the company of the one he loved. Does that not sound a bit familiar, hm?"  

[Nova Blancke]

"Yeah thought that might be the case." He responded and opened the door from where he was sitting. In his chair, fluffy slippers and reading a book. Meanwhile in the kitchen he was making something simple with his telekinesis.

As she stepped in he looked at her. Witty comment ready but stopped and slightly cocked his head. Something Legio tended to do as well.

"Huh....You're...normal now. Well..as normal as that can get."

It was odd hearing them talk about their past, which could still become his future. Horrible was the only word to describe it with. It was hard to even imagine everything despite being told.

"Yes..... There are Eight of us. Deora and Heather, Trinity and Liv, Kerana,and Alec, Theressa and me."

"Liv, Theressa and Alec have already...ascended as they called it. So they are in a sense,complete. Received both boons. The rest..if I had to guess are with the clones. So we can't even do what we are supposed to unless we take care of those."

"It's difficult to wrap my head around it but...essentially it's a big loop. All of this. Different actors each time but same situations. Hellstar appears, Eight survive the carnage and find new refuge. Which..repeats ad infinitum. I need to unpack it all. Sort it out in my head."

"So yeah...still got some stuff to do. For starters these two need to be able to fully use their abilities."

Crystalion was listening to Trinity as she did.

"Yeah...it's....a big package to unravel. They are attached to their parents, but here...we only have who their parents were before. I know what you mean."

"Oh? Did he now? Well that's something I'm going to tease him with. I think Leo might actually be a bit older then Theo here. We didn't keep that much track of years."

She nodded a bit at her explanation of 'Fenris'. It unsettled her greatly that something like that walked in this world as well.

"Trin wait...stay for a while. There's no need to on rushing ahead all the time. Do you....want to know about...him? Just to...keep current situations out of your head. Ya know?"  

[Nova Blancke]

Despite her superhuman strength she picked up the baby with such care. As if it was the most fragile thing in the world.

Softly she spoke to it.

"Hey.....I'm looking forward to meeting you again when you grow up." Kissing his forehead she just slowly sat down on the bed, cradling him.

"I was not planning on doing such a thing." he responded.

The numerous aroma's in the air was already known to him before but this time it was...different. Interesting.

"Princess...not a title I would associate with her."

"Now that I think about it...it was given. I suppose I would need to change that soon. I'll come up with something I am sure. So this Sigil would empower you as you stated. It'd amplify your attributes?" Legio asked as he grabbed a tray and stood in line. Grabbing bits of random things.

"Oh I am definitely down for that. Last month has been...exhausting." Liv said and sank into the fine leather seats. This really was high class.

"I suppose I could get used to this. I guess this dragon does have a treasure hoard after all. And I am after all...the crown jewel." Liv said doing a stereotype rich noble voice."  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

"Of course, dear. Honestly, I think it is awful how most of you have been granted your boons. No preparation, just granted power with no knowledge of what it is or how to use it properly."

"Surely the presence of animal features makes you no less so. Such is your ascension. You will simply be the apex of what humanity can become. You are as human as you consider yourself to be."

Lokelonni gasped softly when she remembered what else she wanted to accomplish while she had Kerana all to herself. "Ah! I just remembered, we can cut everyone's effort and time considerably shorter if we have the aid of someone who has not only lived for ages, but can speak of her experience with no restriction."

Lokelonni took her cane and talked as she searched for something at the opposite end of the room. "I sensed the young sapling when I arrived. I asked the people who moved me here if she could share my space. They were hesitant at first, but no one denies the request of royalty for long. Ah! Here she is."

She returned with a small, potted tree sapling tucked under one arm. She carefully placed it on the table before she returned to her seat. She took a deep breath and let it out slow, as even the little bit of activity she had engaged in just then left her slightly winded.

"I believe the people here refer to her as Matron, but Soul knew her as Ilex. Your first lesson, and task, will be to end her self imposed hibernation and wake her up."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fenris walked in and watched the display for a moment. "Huh. That's a neat trick."

She snapped out of it when he spoke. "Yeah. that's a long and really...stupid story. Look, I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate you not taking advantage of Rydia last night. From what she told me, she came at you pretty hard. Her father was the last of a race of tiger people called the Bast. The women of that race go into pretty intense periods of, let's say, over enthusiastic passion. She had a security detail, not to shield her, but to protect people from her during those times."

"That being said, you're damn lucky she was more sad and depressed than horny. I don't know if you're aware, but female tigers can get pretty ******** aggressive when they aren't getting what they want. Rydia is no different. She'll grow out of it as she ages, but she could've hurt you badly last night. I didn't realize she was in that phase until this morning. Since her parents are gone, it's on me to keep an eye on her now. So I also wanted to apologize for the potential danger you were in. Gomen-nasai."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she exhaled, her gazed snapped to one of dangerous caution. "However, you said some pretty ******** up s**t to her. Her parents, MY sister and brother-in-law, as well as almost all of her subjects, were massacred the other day. I'm not excusing her actions, but as sorry as I am, I'm just as pissed that you made her cry herself to sleep. Part of me wishes that she'd sicced her dog on you, and I swear if you say some s**t about that dog being me I'll slap your cocked-a** head so hard it'll swing back around to being straight again. Make her cry like that again, and I'll beat you until your floating kitchen utensils limp."

She took another deep breath and let it out. "So...thank you, sorry, and ******** you. We clear?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leo and Dawn blushed and looked sheepishly at each other before they put their eyes to their feet.

"Oh?" Leonard asked in an amused tone. "And what can they do? I assume what you can do plus whatever their mothers are capable of?"

Dawn fidgeted and muttered, "Ssssort of?"

Leo continued, "What she means to say is that our powers are...complicated. She had so many from birth that it took a drug that Gidget produced to keep them in check. A drug she hasn't had access to in a few days."

"And I can really mess up stuff with my air abilities, but my shadow powers are pretty much only good for two things, to be used as a last ditch death blossom and...I think it best I show you."

Leo looked over to his "aunt" and requested, "Theresa, could you shoot at me? Don't worry, it wont hurt me. "

There was a bang, but just as it rang out Leo's shadow slithered upward and intercepted Theresa's round. Once the round was absorbed into the shadow realm, the shadow returned to it's original shape.

"I don't even need to think about it. It just happens automatically. Mom says it's the love of my mother protecting me from the shadows."

A nurse ran into the room with a small security detail and yelled, "Is everything alright?! We just heard an explosion from this room!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"She prefers not to be addressed as such, but she is the daughter of a Queen, as well as the younger sister of..." Heron trailed off as he thought of Kae'lonni and his home being destroyed. He felt he'd shed all his tears already, but it seemed there was still pain for his loss. He steeled himself, as he did not want to look weak in front of the man that saved him.

He nodded and replied, "That's right. No new powers, but what I am capable of will scale based on how strong you are. So my speed, strength, agility, and the prowess of my eyes of truth."

The boy looked at what Legio was selecting and chuckled, "Heh, you must be very hungry. Be careful you don't grab too much. I've been told the head cook becomes livid when the food he's prepared for us goes to waste."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heather giggled at her girlfriend's impersonation of the bourgeoisie. Liv's words brought what Charles Ray had said to Heather that day in the office. The irony of which she had shouted about the night before during their saké binge. Yet it was true. With the contents of a single envelope, she did indeed have access to a vast horde of wealth, resources, and a paramilitary division.

"You're not entirely wrong. The dragon in me sees you as a treasure that she refuses to part with or share. But to me, you're a dream come true. No joke, I would dream of you some nights. Sometimes you wouldn't even be doing anything. Just smile at me. Brighter than any gem"

Heather blushed and looked at their surroundings. She made a decision right then and there. "If...when we're done with the Hellstar, I'm going to really make this company mine. My father was a billionaire. I don't ever know what to do with that much money, and I don't think I could ever spend it all if I tried. I'll use that vast wealth to change things, for everyone."

She looked out the window over her shoulder as they entered downtown. "What's the point of a treasure horde if all it does is collect dust? It should shine for everyone, like you shine for me."  

[PixelMuse]

Nova Blancke

"Trin wait...stay for a while. There's no need to on rushing ahead all the time. Do you....want to know about...him? Just to...keep current situations out of your head. Ya know?"

Trinity dreaded what she had to a second longer about her current not-so-distant future then turned and listened to Crystalion’s offer. For now there wasn’t anything urgent to address and could hold off on training a little bit. “That… sounds good actually… though it depends on which ‘him’ you are referring to. If it’s about Theonis…” a sharp flashback to that moment when Dawn hugged him calling him father, her eyes narrowed “I’m not in a good frame of mind to hear about him, but if it’s hearing more about Leo then I wouldn’t mind. Perhaps a little more detail on how he currently uses his shadow manipulation.”  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

"You need not worry, dear. Due to what Freya did when she was under Daedalus' control, Ilex has physically regressed so that she may conserve and regain her strength. As she is, Ilex would not grow to her previous size for several centuries. It would be effortless for me to wake her, but I am not the student. She has slept long enough, ignoring what happens beyond the bounds of her roots. It is time for her to wake up."

Lokelonni spun the pot in place so that it's "front" faced Kerana. "Now, take your seat, and then take a deep breath. A calm mind is an effective mind. Ilex, like almost anyone else, has a soul that we can perceive. Though she lacks eyes for you to gaze into, with a little effort you can see her soul the way you did Alec's. Once you see her, simply place your hand on her trunk, visualize yourself reaching out to her, and then wake her as you would a child."  

[Nova Blancke]

"Don't forget about yourself. You also died." He responded before she was finished.

"Starting to think aggression really does run in the family here. Ya know she was acting all high and mighty about how it was a ******** honor to be with her, yada yada. That behavior just really rubs me the wrong way. So I said what I said. I'm glad you didn't demand an apology. You wouldn't get one. But yeah, we're clear. Why'd you throw in Gomen-Nasai in there? You Japanese under all of that?"

"Well it's not air." Theo mumbled to himself wondering why the hell his older version didn't train his son better. Was it really such a waste of energy and high risk to do?

He snapped back when Leo asked Theressa to shoot him. Knowing her she wouldn't hesitate.

"No wai-"He could only say before she already fired. Thought what happened looked really interesting and something that needs to be worked on...the security detail needed to be dealt with first.

"Yeah, that was Theressa. Sorry about that. She doesn't know yet that she shouldn't shoot someone even if they ask her to do so. Right?" Saying the last part as he sort of glared at her."Say you're sorry for scaring these nice people Theressa. They are here to keep the peace. And sudden gunshots distracts them from that."

"I suppose you should be plenty strong already. I do believe I am quite strong. Perhaps one of the strongest here. We'll see who's stronger later. The Princess or I."

"Oh, I am hungry but I do know how to pace myself. Small portions to taste all the various flavors.Well..here goes nothing I suppose the saying is."

Legio took the first bite. He didn't chew at first. The texture hit his tongue and the flavors emerged. Slowly he began to chew, really analyzing each specific aspect of the taste. Swallowing the piece of looked at his place. He didn't see food or nutrition. He saw so many flavors he would experience.

Looking around he saw people eating, chatting away and some on their phones while absent-minded eating.

"They all take it for granted. All of these flavors. It's normal for them. "

"That's surprisingly wholesome."Liv responded. She knew that Heather thought or dreamed about her before. She had told her so but all of this, this did make her blush a little.

"Where did you learn to be so smooth?"  

[BeaMichelle]

Theresa had been more than happy to comply with Leo's request. In her short time with the people of Valhalla, she had come to realize that fulfilling a request pleased them. So why not do what her "nephew" asked of her. She leveled her index finger and configured it into a small barrel which fired as a literal finger gun. She gasped at the display of shadow power. It reminded her of the way Trinity's shadows moved. Her awe was quickly replaced by shame as it was pointed out to her that she had, once again, misread a social cue.

She hunched her shoulders and tried to make herself as small as possible. Her eyes darted to each person in the room to gauge what their reactions and possible expectations were.

"R-right. I'm sorry. I didn't know. I wont do it again." she apologized meekly.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Freya would have given a quip and taken her leave. Fenris, however, felt compelled to continue the conversation. She did not quite understand why. Perhaps it was the Okami part of her that liked to make new friends. Either way, she proceeded to address his points.

"Believe me, I haven't. As for the aggression, it's really just me and Rydia. Part of being beast girls, I guess. At least the types we are."

She raised an unseen brow at his mention of her niece's behavior. She sighed and groaned, "She failed to mention that, but I don't doubt it. She has a lot to learn about life off the Island."

She pondered his last question. Was she? She technically could not be classified as human anymore. All that came with that was buried under fur. But Kotetsumaru was still technically her father.

"Yes, on my father's side. The woman I used to be would apologize in Japanese to make a sincere apology, and Elvish if it was an apology for a grievous action. I guess it's one of the habits that carried over from her. Just another reminder that I am not my own person, but the fusion of two."

She blinked a few times and continued, "I don't know why I just said that. The same things happens around...him. Do you psychics just have a way of making people spill their guts more than they'd like?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The security detail grumbled and bitched to themselves as they left the room to return to their post. Dawn nudged Leo with her elbow. Having understood her prompt, he blurted out, "Ah! I'm sorry, I wasn't even thinking. Without the bio beasts, I've started to get used to being able to make as much noise as I'd like."

Leonard just watched everything unfold in front of him. He could see so much of his son in the two young adults, and Theo's influence on Theresa. He felt a swell of pride that took him by surprise. Time for that later, when he had a moment alone with Theonis.

"So what comes now for you two?" inquired the doctor.

Dawn was the first to respond after a moment's hesitation. "Once all the children are healthy, we're going to spend as much time outdoors as we can. We will 'touch grass' with reckless abandon."

"Beyond that," Leo added. "We really haven't thought about it. Although if you were to ask Ravan, she'd say that we should go anywhere and everywhere."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heron studied Legio as his savior ate. He had not been sure at first, but the man's reaction and commentary confirmed it.

"I thought you were being hyperbolic or metaphorical, but you've truly never eaten before, have you?"

He looked out to the people in the cafeteria and mulled over Legio's words. After a moment he replied, "I've heard that the food here, while better than most cafeteria's, does not have quality as a priority. There is no cuisine, but rapid output of hot meals so that the population can eat. I hear whispers of countries I've only ever read about, and the local delicacies they claim as originating from them. Of gourmets who dedicate their lives to perfecting the craft of creating complex and innovative flavor profiles."

The boy went silent for a moment. Though he was well read, it surprised him to have spoken in such a manner. Perhaps he was already feeling the influence of Legio's bond.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heather blushed heavily and rubbed her warm cheeks at the question. "It's embarrassing, but I had a lot of free time while I was locked up. Sometimes I would act out interactions with you and try out things that popped into my head. Actually, I did it a lot of the time...and the dreams weren't always so wholesome."

She shook her head and hid her face in her hands. "Oh my God, that sounds so crazy when I say it out loud. Like some kind of stalker."  

[Nova Blancke]

"Well...it's hard not to mention his...father. But I'll tr to omit what I can. Come, sit." Crystalion ushered. She herself got up to pour another cup of tea and got some cookies while she was at it.

"Okay, so....long story short. He doesn't use it. Only to vent, like screaming into a pillow. He thinks I don't know. He's too much like his father when it comes to that. Holding things in and letting it build up. You also got a bit of that."

She took a sip of her tea.

"He first used his power, like you. In his sleep. He was...roughly 2 years old. Give or take. But he didn't end up somewhere else. Poor Leo was still in there when we found out where he was. We still don't know how long. The look on both of their faces when he wasn't there. There were no words just...a look. They both understood instantly and she dove into the shadows instantly. Took her a few minutes to find him but she surfaced with a terrified Leo. Poor thing wasn't even crying. Too scared to do so."

"Shadows scared him from that moment on. He eventually got over that. It's hard to be afraid of something that actively protects you, ya know. Someone tried to shoot him once. Part of his shadow reacted to catch the bullet." Crys gave a soft smile at remembering it.
"We say it's her mother protecting her, even in death. Theo tried to get him to use and control it but never managed. Granted we never had the luxury of proper training. Spending energy on anything else but survival could mean death. Never know when you needed that extra bit to run. We learned that the hard way with one of the early survivors."

She sighed and took another sip.

"He keeps stubbornly telling me that it's not trauma that prevents him from using it. I swear he sometimes has the worst of their qualities. Both of them could be stubborn to the bone. Though I don't need to tell you that I suppose." She chuckled a bit.

"I am not sure who is better suited for helping him right now. You or this Freya, sorry Fenris. She told me about her. Maybe he needs spartan training to overcome it. He'd be too stubborn to give up. I certainly can't help him. The fraction of power I still have of her isn't nearly enough to train him."  

[Nova Blancke]

"Not telling you that."

"Yeah you might need therapy if you're spilling the beans to me. But I suppose you mean good ol' Legio. I mean I am half of him or third if you're into semantics." Cassandra, Shane and me."

"Guess you just feel comfortable around him huh." The psychic said.

"I'm sure there are some nice places she can take you to. Teleportation makes traveling easy." Theo commented. "As long as you've got a chaperone"

"Theressa, it's fine. You've apologized. No need to so down."

He stopped and sighed.

"Why am I acting like the dad while we have an actual dad and grandpa here?"

"I do not lie." He responded.

He listened to Heron. His new companion.

"Interesting. I would very much like to visit these places and learn how to recreate those profiles. A delicate balance of flavors in a single dish."

He took a bite of something new and his face twisted a bit in surprise. Analyzing it as he chewed.

"Sour, to the point of almost being unpleasant. A very curious choice." Legio would make further comments on the rest of what he ate.

"Yes, I will visit these places and study under these masters. Eventually I will be able to create such an intricate weave of flavors. Yes.. I have made up my mind."

Liv almost pressed her index finger and thumb together. "Only about this much. Not all stalkers end up with their target though."  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Fenris' fur stood on end as the words "comfortable around him" echoed in her head. "Etch hagoo ah ptssh what?!" she sputtered. "Comfortable?! How?! Why?! He?! He killed me! The ******** ate me with his Violator lookin' a** stomach! He's hurt me in ways only one other person has, and that wasn't even me! The sonovabitch made, me, cry! Freya and Okami never broke down into tears in the middle of a fight, but he managed to make me do it!"

"Ugh! Comfortable?! He's a never ending pain in my a**, and I've only known him for two and a half days! I've tolerated his presence because he's practically invincible! I can't scare him away the way Freya did with practically every other man she's ever met! He a stubborn sack of arrogant, smarmy, obtuYOU got me doing it again!!!"

Fenris spun on her pads and flounced to the door all the while grumbling, in three languages, about psychic d**k heads and how assholes must run in the family. She swung it open, stepped over the threshold, turned back to Alexavier and growled, "Llie n'vanima ar' lle atara lanneina!"

With that she, once more, slammed the door hard enough to make the adjoining walls tremble.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leonard grumbled and cleared his throat. "Theo-nis. Son. If there is someone these young ones should look up to as a father figure, it isn't me. Part of me knew you had survived that disaster at your school. Hell, a smaller part of me suspected you may have been the cause of it. But, I made almost no effort to find you. I was afraid. After what I did to Shane Morris, project Gemini, my employment at Daedalus, and what I'd seen them do to Theresa, I couldn't bear the thought of you being a metahuman. It wasn't until I saw you standing next to Agatha Morris that I felt he weight of all I'd done. I knew-"

"It was you?"

Leonard looked to where the question had come from. The young Leo, his "grandson," had his eyes on the floor and his hands balled into white knuckled fists.

Dawn looked over to her brother and gasped softly, "Leo." she reached out to place a hand on his shoulder.

Leo threw his arm up and smacked her hand away from him. "Don't touch me!". He glared glass eyed daggers at the doctor and angrily huffed, "No one would tell me what made it all happen. Oh yeah, we knew it started with Legion, and the three people that started it. But the adults would get really tight lipped when we asked about what happened before. Gidget I understood, but Dad would get especially quiet and angry when I asked. Now I get it. It's because it was you."

The shadows beneath Leo began to stir as his jaw tightened.

Dawn wanted to put out a power cancelation bubble, but in her condition she was afraid she may overcompensate and take his power instead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heron took small sampls much of what Legio did and offered his own comments on the flavors; especially in comparison to his people's cuisine. All the while he made sure that Legio did not forget to drink water. He'd surmised that if his savior had never had to eat in the conventional sense, then there was probably little reason for him to hydrate either.

"Do you mean now? Sir, it would take years, if not decades, to learn from every region in the world. Not to mention the evolutions of cooking that would occur in that time. It'd a nigh endless pursuit. With all that has happened, would it be wise to begin such a quest at this moment?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heather squeaked in embarrassment. "Oh stop. You're terrible."

She peeked her emerald eyes between her fingers at Liv and watched as the lights danced around her girlfriend. It wasn't as prevalent the night before, but after her awakening Liv's light spectrum seemed to ebb and flow. Heather thought it was like a mood glow. No one else displayed such an aura, but she'd not met another light meta before either.

She lowered her hands and swallowed as she took in the visage of opalescent beauty in front of her. She could feel that familiar heat rising in her again. She pushed up from the seat and-

"Miss Ray." the driver chimed through the intercom.

"What?! Er...yes."

"We'll arrive at the restaurant in less than a minute."

"Okay. Thank you. Also, please just call me Heather or Ma'am if you absolutely have to."

"Yes Ma'am."

Heather huffed and settled back into her seat. She smirked at Liv and said, "We're about to see how good those skewers of your actually are."

The driver pulled up to the entrance of "Little Saigon Gourmet." Heather stepped out first and offered her hand to Liv as the blonde followed. At first, no one seemed to notice the pair. Not until they walked up to the hostess station, that is.

A haughty, middle aged woman of Vietnamese decent, with a nametag that read "Diu," smiled at the pair until they were close enough for her to see Heather's eyes. The creases around her eyes softened, but the smiled itself remained.

Heather had barely opened her mouth to speak when Diu put a hand up and said, "I'm so sorry, but this establishment does not cater to your kind."

The cloud that Heather had been riding fell apart. She tilted her head and scoffed, "Excuse me?! Are you seriously turning us away because we're a couple?"

Diu waved her arms in front of her and shook her head in denial, "What?! No no no. You misunderstand. We're very LGBT friendly. We don't serve non-passing metahumans. Your eyes are a dead giveaway. It makes the clientele uncomfortable."