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 Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 12:59 pm
Joy felt a bit of relief when the girl left...but the fact she was calling out for someone meant that there was another person..Oracle? That wasn't a human name. That was a evolved alterego name! They had to get out of there right quick!
"I don't know Neil. I swear I don't. I... I am utterly confused." Didn't exsist anymore....Wow...his words seemed to echo terribly of her conversation with Ace. Obviously they still did though. Obviously...
Her fumbling thoughts came to a halt as Neil would take her by the arm and begin to lead her to the door. Ever so meekly she followed, her free hand coming up to grip into his shoulder as he'd mention Ace's name with quite a lot of anger behind it. Ace? He wouldn't!
Or would he? Upon hearing her brothers voice Joy turned with neil. Of course she was still at his side...clinging to his shoulder...and looking at her brother terribly oddly. He had never had a scar before...the subtle differences seemed..well...not too subtle to her! Even as Neil was heatedly berating Ace, Joy was feeling unsettled. Okay..this was all too strange...
If this was a joke it was a horrible one. hadn't they tried terribly hard to make certain the normal folk in their lives wouldn't know they were evolved? How could he do this to her? How could he set her up on a date just to...to...embaress her like this? Or had he? that scar looked so real..but he just...
Joy tightened her grip on Neil and shifted herself back a step as Ace would speak. "Neil...thats not Ace..." She spoke in a small voice. That wasn't Ace. He looked wrong...his eyes... he didn't have the same look in them. Where was the merry prankster? Sure he had been serious last time she'd seen him, but she had never seen a look like -that- in his features.
"I don't know who you are but...your not my brother...your....your... wrong. Please...just.... let us leave. Neil...please let's just go... I've got my credit cards...we'll find a way back home...."
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:12 pm
"What?" Neil hissed back at Joy, too surprised to do anything more than to let her beg with Ace. But that was him, wasn't it? Just with make up and---Joy would know best, wouldn't she?
"I think you've had a run in with a telepath." Ace looked to Neil, eyes narrowing a moment, "But you're not even evolved. Who are you, and how did you end up with Joy?"
"Ace. You. Set. Us. Up." Neil hissed, now shaking his shoulder and taking a few threatening steps forward, "And it is not funny at all!! I knew you had your delirious moments, but this is too far. Leave us alone."
"Fine. You may leave."
"What? You can't just let them leave! Mimic! You---yes, yes, sir." The girl went meek, "I'm so sorry. Goodbye."
"Take a right from the house and just a block down there's a convenience store." The Ace called.
Neil took the permission to go, grabbed Joy's arm, and flung open the door to get them out of there. "Where are we?" He demanded of the neighborhood they ran out into. A complete residential area. He rounded over to look at the house number, "I don't recognize this street."
He pulled out his cellphone to call. It turned on, but flashed no service on it. "What the---geez!"
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:20 pm
Inside the house, Ace turned to the girl, "Where did you pick them up at? It's like Joy has had all memory wiped and she's back to being sixteen or something."
"You look so sad. I----I sought them out just like you told me to do, Oracle. I felt her, just like I had before, and went to get her. That is her. I swear it is, Ace. It--"
"I know, I know. But that other boy isn't even evolved. I really don't think he knows what's going on."
"He must! He said you put them on that date together. He obviously knows you."
"I can't place him. I can remember, but I can't place him. Look, we'll trail them, Rena. Don't worry about that. You watch them and trail them, and I'll try to see if I can find a telepath to help her. In the meanwhile, if he tries to hurt her, kill him."
"Oh, but---"
"You heard what I said. She is our best hero and hope. You will kill any threat that comes by her."
"Yes---yes sir." It was a meek reply, and the girl disappeared back into her portal, a world where she could watch the two lost souls.
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:25 pm
Joy's stomach was still doing flip flops, and she felt a tight knot within. How could Ace speak so casually about evolveds around Neil!? But..that wasn't Ace now was it? A telepath... For a moment Joy feared that maybe this other 'Ace' was the telepath...playing head games with them for...for...what reason? Joy had no idea!
Neil once more grabbed hold of her arm...honestly...in the past few minutes she felt like she had been dragged like some sort of pet...but she supposed she only had herself to blame. She couldhave pulled free and walked off on her own after all. But it was quite...comforting having Neil taking charge. She didn't have to...what was it Ace had said? Make important descions?
This whole date was very unsettling.
When they got outside joy picked up her steps to keep even with Neil. her eyes shifted about and a small frown pulled at her lips.
"The air feels different Neil, and...the scenery. I think we're a great way from home...I suppose we'll have to find a airport...there's that convience store He mentioned right? We can just..." She paused and looked at Neils cellphone. Automatically she reached into her purse to pull out her own. Flipping it open she stared at the No Service in the corner.
"Well... they ought to have a pay phone at the store, right? I'm so sorry about this Neil. I never thought...I mean... There is something very wrong about all of this. That certainly wasn't Ace in there..."
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:33 pm
"No, no, it's ok. This isn't your fault. It's not like you've been involved with evolveds before. I mean, Ace is the crazed one that probably caused this nonsense. I just---this is insane. I thought the authorities had gotten rid of all the evolveds."
He fell silent as he walked down to the convenience store. As soon as he was inside, he asked the store clerk where they were---ugh---what state was that in---TEXAS!?!? How'd they end up in TEXAS? And---what?
"No, NO, we had NOT been driving! We had been sitting at a date about ready to eat our supper and enjoy some dancing when this whacked evolved came and kidnapped us! That's right, crazy evolveds exist, and they kidnap people to go across country for no flippin' reason at all!"
If anyone in the store hadn't heard him yelling, he would have had to have been deaf. "Now, if you would please, let us use your cellp---HEY! Look, WE didn't do anything, we were kidnapped!"
Hey was yelled when a police officer had come around the corner, gun pointed at his head, "Yeah, right, kid. Those evolveds don't go after nobody for no reason. What black market you dealin' with? PUT YER HANDS UP!"
Neil shot his hands up, eyes huge. What was all this?
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:44 pm
It was high school all over again. That secret feeling of shame and guilt at holding back the truth from those around her. Where she should have proudly spoken up at least in the defense of the evolveds. Instead she bowed her head a little, allowing her hair to fall in a wave about her features. Of course...the comment about getting -rid- of evolveds did sting quite a bit...and it only convinced her all the more that she needed to be positive to hide who and what she really was.
This blind date had proven one thing to her though...This would be the last date she'd have with Neil. Even if she could not speak up, she could not abide dating someone who had a harse belief of evolveds. She felt like quite a hypocrit right now.
Neil's explosion she attributed to, simply, stress. As he roared and yelled about being kidnapped, she tried to hush him a bit.
"Neil! Neil please your...making a...a scene. We really ought to just---" The sight of the gun was...well...quite sobering. She only hoped Neil would calm down himself! He at least had stopped shouting! Joy's own eyes were a bit large as well as she looked from the officer to Neil.
Black market? "Officer please...it's all...a misunderstanding... My friend here, he's upset is all. he's had a...a...scare and we just...we just want to go home Sir."
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:57 pm
"What fool comes into a place and starts raving about---those creatures?" The officer demanded, "Don't you know to even mention them is treason? I hereby place you under arrest."
"What? Since when?"
"Since the 2013 declaration and destruction of evolveds, where have you been, son?"
"It's 2009." Neil answered, voice weak. He was now convinced this was another hoax, but was too frightened to bring down his hands. "What about all the superheroes?"
The police officer shot the gun.
And a portal appeared, engulfing first the bullet, and then Joy and Neil. And dropped them squarely onto the floor of the room they'd just left. Neil stood as he was where he was, just gaping at the wall in front of him.
"You can bring your hands down now."
"He looks like he's going to faint! What happened, Rena?"
"I'm afraid I've done something terribly wrong! They say they're from 2009!"
"Two thou---Ah, man. Man. Maybe I shouldn't have given you that power boost to find her. Man, you time traveled? But that's not one of your powers even. Did you just create them?"
"No, no I didn't! I searched her out, and I found her, like you said, and it's all wrong! It doesn't make sense! Why would I go so far back? What has happened?"
"Man. I am very, very sorry about this." Ace turned to Joy and Neil. "We'll try to get you back soon. Ah, man, but Rena's not even a time traveler. She's a teleporter and illusionist. That's all. Shoot."
And Neil was still frozen in his position.
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 2:11 pm
"Treason..." Joy very faintly echoed...then...with a much worse clentching in her stomach. "destruction."
Her mind seemed to follow, more or less, the same path as Neils. 2013? How coulr that possibly be? It was only just 2009. That... the date he mentioned would be 5 years in her future..and...he said 'Since' meaning past. So...how...this was no joke. This was---
A gun shot. Joy's whole body went cold at the sound of the shot. She expected with abject terror, to see Neil's body hit the floor. Instead though one of those strange ovals appeared.
Instead...they returned to the room from before. Neil frozen and joy just as much. Though her face was completely contorted with revulsion and fear. Hearing Ace and the girl speaking again made Joy's mind move sluggishly. She turned to look at neil. A deep part of her stomach grateful he still had a face to look at.
"Neil..." Her hand lifted then paused as Ace would begin to speak to her. Get them back? Her green eyes turned to Ace, and she felt...a tightness in her throat as she asked in a strangely strained manner.
"2013...please tell me...tell me Daddy didn't....he wasn't.... He couldn't have...."
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 2:29 pm
"Daddy?" Ace repeated with some surprise, "Dad didn't what?" He sighed, "Look, Joy, anything that was a mystery about Dad in 2009 is still a mystery now. We still don't know who destroyed the NASA. I still don't think it was an inside job. If there's any advice I can give you from here to now, it's please don't spend so much time worrying over his death."
"Mr. Edwards dies in 2009? I think that's more than we needed to know!"
Ace gave Neil a face, "He died before that. Who are you anyway?"
"He did not! You prank called him right in front of me yesterday---or---whenever anyway. Look, what do you want from us? Please don't hurt us."
"I'm not going to hurt you." Ace looked even more confused than before, "Ok. Ok, look, you two apparently need some place safe to be. Until we figure how to get you back to---uhm--where you came from---you just stay in the house, this room and those rooms." He pointed to the other side, "But not upstairs or downstairs. And--ah, we'll get you back safely. And tell you how not to kill yourself in the meantime. Like, we don't mention evolveds. Ever. That gets us killed. Even if you're not an evolved. And Joy? You need some protection. Wait here a moment. Wait. Ok? Just a moment?" He gave a sincere, almost pained look.
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 2:57 pm
For a moment Joy felt like the rug had been ripped out from under her. Neil's near death aside, hearing her father was going to die...would die...be killed...murdered. That was a terrible blow to poor Joy. Her Daddy! The NASA was destroied but? wait..no..it wasn't it was just... Her sick expression shifted subtlly.
"Destoyed?" She echoed Neil. Even as he made his protest, Joy backed him up a bit. "Ace...The NASA is...it was...fine. They just dissolved the organazation Daddy is...is working on a different project now. Don't you remember? It was only yesterday to me but...I mean...you found me right after I graduated college. I told you I gave daddy my Resume so I could start working with him...Tamika almost maced you...Remember? And...and I picked out a cute busniess dress that matched daddies suit... I...I mean I just talked to him yesterday..." She reached into her purse again and pulled her cell phone out.
Flipping it open, she ignored the 'No Service' in the corner and brought up the History section that recorded her calls, turning it about she showed Ace the entry that read "Daddy <3" with a talk time of 15 minutes.
She turned to look at Neil, and inwardly she had to admitt she was grateful she wasn't alone right now but...but...Neil shouldn't have even been brought along. They had only been trying to take her...if he hadn't come he'd be sitting at the bar, phoneing Ace...her Ace...about the freak that kidnapped his sister...
"What? Protection? From what? So long as we don't say anything about evolveds we're fine right?" Joy blinked as she refocused her thoughts. Why would she need protection and Neil wouldn't? And just... She didn't understand!
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 3:09 pm
"No, look, I'll explain---later--about things. If you're still here. But for now, please wait a moment." He held his hands up, then disappeared.
Ace disappeared for maybe fifteen seconds before coming back out, "On second thought, come with me, Joy."
Neil took a look at Joy, then put his arm through hers again.
Ace narrowed his eyes, "You never said who you were."
"Neil Weaver." Neil's voice was clipped.
For a moment, Ace glared, but then the narrowed eyes disappeared, the sad look again on his face. "Right. Come on."
Ace took them to another entirely bare room, and then down to the basement--which proved to be like another floor to the house. The second door on the left was opened and---Oh, that was very clearly a Joy-room. Clean, orderly. Pictures of Jim, Ace, and other friends plastered one wall. Ace opened her closet. One wall was filled with filing cabinets, and he started to read down the lines to himself.
"Ok, Joy, what abilities can you mimic safely right now? I have all sorts of genetic fibers for you to work with, so you can protect yourself." He looked straight at her, "Just so long as you can control it, I'm happy. What do you know?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 3:22 pm
Despite the obvious Twilight Zone nature of their situation...Joy was adjusting fairly quickly. She could handle this...she could manage this. She nodded her head in compliance at first, then tilted it a little when Ace would seemingly change his mind. "Ah...okay." She started.
Then she paused as neil would hook his arm into her's. She turned to look at him thoughtfully. Was he actually being protective? Or was he clinging to her because she perhaps the only person here that he could identify with at the moment?
Honestly...she couldn't understand how Ace could not remember neil. How many times had his name been mentioned?
Then again...
Too many things did not add up. Ace seemed much different. That she could attribute to the passing of time. Such were her thoughts as she followed Ace. her arm tightly locked in Neil's.
But what about his comments of the NASA? It hadn't been destroied. A outside attack? And her father was still alive. He claimed he was dead by now but...no..that was a impossible mistake to make. maybe a few months difference but he said it was before...
And why did Ace keep getting that sad look? It just wasn't like him!
The room he led her into though..well yes..she could definatly see how it could have been her's. Though it seemed to lack the splash of decadance her fathers money would have provided her. Joy was busy looking at the pictures on the wall when Ace brought up powers. Involentarily she stiffened, her face going a shade white as she glanced at her brother.
"Ace...I don't...know what your talking about." Oh please please! She didn't want to freak Neil out anymore! He was going to run off and get killed if he had one more shock to deal with! Then again...after being kidnapped by an evolved and nearly shot because of it maybe Neil was too far in shock to properly process another twist in their date?
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 3:48 pm
"What?" Ace looked surprised, "You don't even know you have mimicking abilities? What? This doesn't make any sense. Look, Joy, you have mimicking abilities. You---you said you worked with Dad. But you never trained? That's ridiculous. You never got near an evolved and touched them to trigger your abilities?"
"She's never been near an evolved in her life, unless you're one!"
Ace sighed, putting a hand to his temple, "I bet she could make a telepor---Hey. We could have her teleport both of you back home. That'd be easy. All I have to do is get Rena in here, give you a power boost, and send you on your way. I mean, you can do it, Joy. You don't really believe you don't have powers, do you? You're the best superhero there is, Joy!"
"What ever happened to you becoming best superhero in the world." Neil rolled his eyes.
Ace glared back, "Look, Neil, I have power enhancement abilities. I couldn't wish better abilities on myself. If I could take Joy's place so she didn't have to be the one out there, I would. Now, if you would shut-up and let me help my sister take care of herself. . .Look, Joy, what powers do you want?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 3:57 pm
"I." They were talking rather quickly. Joy's head flicked back and forth between Neil and Ace as both young men spoke. Her brows knit together as she listened and...Well... She needed time to think!
Joy placed a hand over her eyes, blacking out her sight, and she inhaled deeply. It was rather weird that now of all times she'd be putting her meditation practice to use.
For the first part she utterly blocked out the sounds of the others voices. She would deal with that for a moment. Her brain was nagging at her something sever. Something was completely off and she wouldn't be able to deal with any of this if she didn't figure out what it was.
It was...the conversations. Mostly the part about her father. Ace seemed to have dismissed her attempt to prove their father was alive, which he was.
How could it be possible that he could make such a mistake? Everything came back to that over and over. Things were wrong. Things were...
Joy lowered her hand from her eyes and looked at Neil, then she looked over at Ace.
"Ace. Who was my best friend in Highschool? Who was my first crush? Who was there when..." She shouldn't..but..well.. Neil would have to just..accept the fact she was...
"Who was the one that first triggered my power?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 4:11 pm
Ace shot Joy an annoyed look this time, "Carla was your high school friend. Your first REAL crush didn't happen until recently, I don't think that counts. Your powers? Flashcharge did, at the company funeral, so that obviously doesn't count either. What's happening in your world? Different friends? Dad's still alive? Evolveds can be yelled about in stores, so they're widely accepted as normal humans, I guess." He glared at Neil at that last one. He took a deep breath, "Joy, what powers can you mimic safely? This is important. I don't know how safe we are here.""
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