Flight 265 [IC] - Issue 1 - Awakenings

[drawingfreak]

Robert Harrison

"Uh...Ann? I think they need you in here."

He turns back to the doctors in the room. "Sorry for listening in and all, but helps on the way."

[ChronicLunacy]

Daniel Horton

Assuming Ann gets up as well, Daniel rose from his seat like a marionette on strings to follow. His subconscious use of his levitation made getting up from his seat look almost effortless, literally just floating up until he was standing. His curiosity peaked, he went in to have his own look at the situation. What was Jackson doing that was giving them so much trouble? "What's the matter?" he said, confused as to what could go wrong with such a simple examination.

[The_New_Guy]

Ann looks about hesitantly, and slowly stands and moves towards the door. At the same time a doctor, noticing Robert's unwanted attention, growls at the young man:

"Not a chance young man. Not until we understand what's going on. With her and with Jackson. It may hurt more than help. Now go sit down in the waiting room."

[[OOC: Sorry about the lack of posting over the holidays. The far north afford fewer chances than I expected to log on. I should be more or less back to normal now though]]

[ChronicLunacy]

Daniel Horton

Daniel pushed past those at the door for just a moment in order to get a look at the situation himself. Despite his words of caution, his curiousity eventually won over and he had to see what was going on. Depending on what he saw, he might just go sit back down.

OOC: Okay, people. Holiday's over, so let's get back to regular posting. This thing can't fizzle out before we've even met our first supervillain!! On a side note, I was wondering if any of you had City of Heroes?

[Kesnit]

Eric McMahon

Eric started to follow Daniel, but stopped. His powers would not be of use in whatever was going on in the next room. He sat down, but kept shooting looks at the door.

OOC: I have City of Heros and City of Villans, though I have let my account slide.

[The_New_Guy]

Pushing a non-committed Robert from the doorway was one thing. Keeping a determined Daniel out was another thing altogether. The doctor on the other side of the door resisted for only a second before he was finally moved by Daniel's great strength.

The door opened wide everyone in the waiting area had a clear view of - well, the wall. Seems the room was designed to prevent snooping - an "L" shape which did not allow one to look directly from the hallway into the testing area. However a second doctor - one from the testing area - suddenly came round the turn (probably looking for the doctor you lot have been tying up).

"Jo-..." he began, stopping short upon seeing Daniel standing in the doorway "...what the devil is he doing in here? Get him out of here. Call Andrews if you have to. When we find out what happened then we can get them involved."

[ChronicLunacy]

Daniel Horton

"No you don't." Daniel said calmly. "I want to know what's going on. If something's wrong with one of us maybe we can help. We're not about to be kept in the dark here."

Daniel crossed his arms over his chest, but didn't attempt to push past the second doctor into the rooms beyond. He was being difficult, but he wasn't about to go ahead and cause more trouble. Well...not yet. He'd give them a chance to explain first, but if he heard any sort of commotion then all bets were off.

[The_New_Guy]

"Look sir..." replied the doctor, not blinking in the face of Daniel's resolve "...who do you think is more likely to be able to help? Trained scientists and doctors who have been studying you for more than two years, or a group of people with little to no medical training who just happened to wake up from a coma one day to exhibit inhuman powers?"

"Listen..." said the other doctor, slightly more conciliatory "...we don't understand what is going on with you. You may help, but you also may harm. It makes sense when you think about it. New drugs, new products are rigorously tested for safety. Especially in the medical field. It would show poor judgment on our part if we were to let you get involved."

[Kesnit]

Eric McMahon

Eric walked over and put his head on Daniel's shoulder. The doctors are right, he said in a soothing voice. They know more about this than we do. Let them work. Come on, he said, then grinned. Do some push-ups to work off that stress.

[ChronicLunacy]

Spoiler

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Eric walked over and put his head on Daniel's shoulder.

OOC: LoL Typos

Daniel Horton

Daniel looked over at Eric's hand on his shoulder and nodded in agreement. "You're right. Sorry, doc. I just don't like being kept in the dark." He went back over to his seat and sat down heavily on it, slapping his hands against his knees. He still wondered what the hell was going on in there, but he reminded himself to calm down and just react like a normal person instead of a superhero. Sometimes you just had to sit back and let the professionals take charge.

Spoiler

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If nothing's happening here, I'm ready to skip ahead to the good part. We need to get the energy level back up or we might lose someone.

[Kesnit]

Spoiler

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If nothing's happening here, I'm ready to skip ahead to the good part. We need to get the energy level back up or we might lose someone.

Spoiler

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Agreed.

Eric gave a small sigh of relief as Daniel sat down. This is driving me crazy, too, he admitted. I hate being stuck here, but if we just go with it, maybe the doctors will figure out what happened.

[The_New_Guy]

Spoiler

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Well frankly, I was hoping one of you would be brash enough to push your way into the room. I guess you're all just a bunch of easily cowed, namby-pamby types! (-;

Everyone goes back to their seats, and a few minutes pass. More than a few. Closer to ten or fifteen. Maybe even twenty. Then (finally) one of the doctors (those peeking through the door recognize him as the first, nicer doctor) emerges. His face is somber, somewhat morose. "I regret to inform you all..." he says, his voice cool and more than a little regretful "...that Mr. Ford has passed away. To answer the questions that are going to follow - no, we don't know why and yes, we do believe it has something to do with your powers. If only because what happened to Mr. Ford simply isn't possible according to conventional science. And your powers seem to enable the impossible."

He paused, and regarded them for a moment. "Understand, we are researchers, all of us. Our first inclination was to keep you all here for furhter observation. But our sponsors, the kind folks at the NSA and especially your handler Mr. Andrews disagree. So Agent Andrews will be arriving to pick you up shortly and return you to your residence...."

Sure enough, Arthur did show up after another short while, and after a slightly longer, mostly uneventful van ride back to the building you are currently living in, he returns you to your temporary home. "Now I hope you see why we've been trying to keep you together and our of the public eye. Why nothing is as simple as you'd like it to be. We didn't expect superpowers. We didn't expect Jackson to die." He paused, and considered for a second, before continuing. "I'd like to have a word with you in private at your suite. About yesterdays incident. I'd also like to have a word alone with you, Mr. Horton, before we go up."

[Kesnit]

Eric McMahon

Spoiler

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I'm assuming Andrews want to talk to all of us.

Eric nodded. Not a problem. I'm available whenever you want to have that "chat."

[Green Bean]

Nathan James

Nathan spent most of the ride home in silence. Jackson's death had hit a little close to home; they all seemed to be exhibiting new abilities, and who was to say one of theirs wasn't going to be as deadly to its owner? Nathan snapped out of his introspection as Agent Andrews spoke, and mentally shook himself. If these abilities are going to kill me, there's nothing I can do about it. I need to focus on what I can change.

"Very well."

((Unless something else comes up, Nathan goes up to the suite while Daniel and Agent Andrews have their talk.))

[ChronicLunacy]

Daniel Horton

Daniel had also remained quiet and introspective during the uncomfortable drive back to the suite. Jackson had died? True, he hadn't known the guy, but christ...he hadn't even considered that something like that was even possible! Could some of the survivors suddenly develop mutations and abilities as harmful as the ones that Daniel and the rest of Alpha Prime found so helpful and amazing? This was all looking less like an act of God and more like a kid messing with his new chemistry set.

When they got back, Daniel just nodded at Andrews' request to speak with him. He was wondering how the day could possibly get any worse when he followed the agent off to the side. He waved offhandedly to the others and gave them a smile he didn't feel just to reassure anyone that everything was okay. He leaned against the wall and waited for Andrews to hit him with whatever it was.

Please be good news...please be good news...

[drawingfreak]

Robert Harrison

Robert remained silent for the rest of the day. He had never given the thought that his powers would lead to his death.

[The_New_Guy]

As most of the crowd drifted upstairs, Daniel and Arthur spoke quietly by the van. Arthur's face was somber, and though his words were too quiet for any but he and Daniel to hear, his tone clearly announced to all - even at a distance - that he was not bearing good news.

[ChronicLunacy]

Daniel Horton

Daniel somberly opened the door of the van and got out of the vehicle, pausing for a moment to wipe at his face before letting the door slide back. It slid back on its track, but just bumped against the door frame as a hand print indented into the metal kept it from being able to close completely. Strangely, though, Daniel didn't seem to be showing his usual anger. He rubbed at his eyes for a moment and straightened his collar, never saying a word, before going inside. He went straight up to the Alpha Prime suite and came mutely into the living room where he assumed everyone would have gathered. His shoulders were a little slumped, his usual easy grin replaced with a look that could only be described as carefully neutral. Daniel was arguably the strongest man in the world, yet to the others he looked tragically weak all of a sudden.

He looked at the others with that hollow expression before going to his room. If anyone followed they would find him sitting on the edge of his bed, facing the window. In his hands, he held a photograph. The picture was of four people, Daniel, a woman, and two little girls...his family. His wife was a good deal shorter than he was, but she had fit herself snugly against him, holding the younger of the two girls in her arms while the other hugged daddy's leg. The girls all had their mother's raven-black hair, pale skin, and green eyes and they were all beautiful. Everyone was smiling, beaming, looking in that frozen moment like the happiest young family in the world. Daniel held the picture in both hands, just staring at it, while tears ran in rivulets down his cheeks.

[drawingfreak]

Robert Harrison

Robert knocked on the door frame lightly.

"Hey, man. You allright?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Daniel Horton

Daniel looked up for a moment to see who it was at the door, wiping his eyes and nose on his sleeve to attempt at clearing any evidence that he was upset. He noticeably forced a smile for Robert's benefit and handed him the photograph he'd been looking at. "That's my ex-wife, Jessica, and my two daughters, Mary and Jane. Mary's the oldest. She's ten now. Jane is six." he let out a short, sad laugh, actually covering up a sob. "That was our first trip to Disney World, you know where they ask if they can take your picture? Mary was hiding behind my leg because she was scared of the photographer." His eyes slid out of focus at the happy memory.

"Jessie's decided to carry on with her wedding even knowing I'm alive. She'll be bringing her new husband when she comes to see me." he got to the point, his voice taking on a hard edge. She's not even going to give me a chance to make up for not being there." he shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not even angry, I just feel like part of me's been ripped out. I still love her, you know. I never stopped, even when we separated. I thought that if I gave her enough time she'd come around and forgive me."

Daniel looked back at the window, hiding a fresh batch of tears that brimmed at his eyes. It was heartbreaking to see a guy that was normally such a man's man, always with a smile on his face, break down like that. Each time he spoke it looked like he was building himself back up, brick by brick, but it all came crashing down again when he thought about it. "I don't know what to do now, kid. I don't know who I am anymore or what I'm supposed to be doing here. I'm starting to think we shouldn't have come back at all. It might have been easier for them if they'd just been able to forget about me."

[Kesnit]

Eric McMahon

Eric heard the last part of Daniel's statement as he walked past the doorway. Don't you want to be a part of your daughters' lives?

[drawingfreak]

Robert Harrison

Robert stepped back to let Eric talk. Robert was never good at the whole talking about feelings thing, though willing to at least offer the needed ear to listen.

[ChronicLunacy]

Daniel Horton

Daniel looked up when Eric walked in as well, doing the manly thing and trying to clear any evidence that he might have been letting any sort of emotion out away. He thought about the question for a moment, his eyes going out of focus as he was assaulted with memories of his children. "More than anything...I just don't know if it would be best for them. They're probably just getting used to the idea of a new father figure and now the old one's back. What does that do to a child? Will they even want to have me around?" he asked, going quiet.

It was painful to watch. Daniel was raw with the need to be accepted again. He didn't feel like a human being anymore now that his ties to the world were being severed one by one. He couldn't justify it, but he felt betrayed, angry...it was like Jessica's new husband had stolen his life, his family from him and he didn't know how to resolve it. He had the power to rip the guy in half, but that would just make him a murderer and a nutcase. If he found the time to spend with Jessie and got her to love him again, she would already be married...could he put that stress on her? His kids...would they want him to be there instead of their new dad? ...Or would they reject him like their mother had done?

"What should I do...? What can I do? I just feel...powerless."

[Kesnit]

Eric McMahon

Eric chuckled softly. Every day, single parents remarry, but their ex's stay in contact with the kids. Jessie divorced you; your daughters didn't. You are their father - that will never change. He grinned. Spoil the girls rotten when you have them, then send them back to Jessie and her new husband sugared-up and full of stories... Eric pitched his voice up so that it sounded like a little girl. "Daddy lets us stay up late and watch TV. Daddy never makes us wash behind our ears. Daddy lets us eat ice cream for dinner."

[The_New_Guy]

Agent Andrews waited for a moment or two before following Daniel up the stairs - the man was visibly upset, and he knew better than to try and put too much on anyone. As everyone gathered in Daniel's room, Andrews slipped into the main living area and sat down on a stool, waiting for the others to return.

When they finally did emerge, he began to speak - as promised - about yesterdays unfortunate incident. It was just a general update on matters - what had been done, the fact that two agents had been involved and had since... well, Andrews didn't elaborate on what had happened to them. Perhaps that was for the best.

He left after that, leaving the survivors to their own devices for most of the evening. However, as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon, the phone rang once more....

[[OOC]]
Sorry to take so long in getting this one out. I had trouble figuring out where exactly I wanted to move everyone, but we're soon going to meet one or two of the supervillans (finally!)

[Green Bean]

Nathan James

Nathan had stayed out of Daniel's way this afternoon. He wished he could've helped, but figured that it wouldn't be a good idea after what happened yesterday. He whiled away the hours by watching television, partially to see how much about the car accident yesterday was known to the public, and partially to fill himself in after his absence from government life.

By the fourth hour of CNN, Nathan was bored out of his mind. When the phone rang, he immediately picked up, hoping for something to relieve the tedium.

"Hello?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Daniel Horton

Eric McMahon

Eric chuckled softly. Every day, single parents remarry, but their ex's stay in contact with the kids. Jessie divorced you; your daughters didn't. You are their father - that will never change. He grinned. Spoil the girls rotten when you have them, then send them back to Jessie and her new husband sugared-up and full of stories... Eric pitched his voice up so that it sounded like a little girl. "Daddy lets us stay up late and watch TV. Daddy never makes us wash behind our ears. Daddy lets us eat ice cream for dinner."

"I know, I know...it's just...different when it's happening to you. I don't expect you to really understand, but thanks for trying to cheer me up." Daniel said, slapping a hand on Eric's shoulder as he got up. "I'll be fine. I just need a little time. She may have had time to forget about me and move on, but for me it's only been a day or two since we've spoken. I suppose you guys are some of the only people that could understand that aspect of this situation." he said with a sad grin. "Let's go see about some food, eh?" he said, ushering them all out and trying to change the subject.

Turns out he didn't have to. With the arrival of Agent Andrews they all settled into hearing about the accident. He tried to keep his mind on the mysteries rather than his own growing depression for the rest of the evening. He turned his frustration into activity, trying to keep busy reading or working out or practicing his hovering while watching the news...anything to keep his spirits high. He was just considering whipping up a huge dinner for everyone when the phone rang again. Nathan beat him to the phone but Daniel did stab the speaker button so that he could hear as well. It didn't cross his mind that it could be anyone but Agent Andrews.

[The_New_Guy]

The voice on the other end of the line was not, as it turned out Agent Andrews. It was a strange voice, one unfamiliar to you. Yet somehow it was familiar as well - as if you had heard it in a dream maybe. It betrayed the age of the individual on the other end of the line - he was male, and somewhere in his late fifties early sixties. His voice still held an edge - the kind a strict father might use towards their child, one that belonged better in an older age. It was powerful, a moving thing. One that could lead an army to victory, or sway the mind of a judge.

"I have reached Mr. Horton, James, McMahon, Ford, Harrison or Walsh I presume..."

[Kesnit]

Eric McMahon

Eric gave the phone a strange look, then looked around at his companions in confusion. Do we know you?

[The_New_Guy]

"No. But we share a common bond. I was on Flight 265."