[Deleted]

Lukas did have some kind of answer now after the meeting with Melvin, he was a META, that was clear to him now. What Lukas lacked was control still even though there was a name to it, Injury transfer. Even with that knowledge of what he was, he still wanted to know its limits and to control it.

He had been given a name to go see to see if they could help with the limits and control aspect of his power. A Dominic Weaver. Lukas sighed at having to go see yet another person over this 'power' of his. A power that was more of a thorn in his side.

Lukas went back to his hotel room, it was a simple room with a TV, microwave and small fridge, it had a clean bathroom and an air conditioner that was on when he got there, making the room a bit chilly for his taste. He went over and turned it off and then sat on the edge of the queen sized bed. He took the card out of his pocket and looked at it. He shook his head and then wondered what this person could do to help him or would they pass the buck on to someone else that did not know how to approach his ability?

He pick up his cell phone and made an appointment with the man. After hanging up the phone, he settled in for the night, ordering some pizza and soda, watching a movie on the TV and then falling into a deep sleep for the night.
______

The next day, he woke and took a refreshing shower, dressed and fished off the pizza from last night.
He summoned an UBER to go to his appointment with Mr. Weaver.
He would find himself in another waiting room, he looked around almost expecting the pesky kid Jack to pop up. Once he sat down he looked at his cell phone and past the time reading a book on Amazon called "Brain on Fire" about a journalist who suffered from some kind of brain disease that manifested in bizarre behavior and how a nurse and a doctor saved her life.

In a way Lukas was hoping for someone to save his because this 'power' of his was starting to wear on him.

Tag: @dominic

[Dominic Weaver]

Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + @lukaspope

Dominic was busy today, he was busy every day, but today was particularly busy. An attack by so-called human supremacists had injured six people, and a Hero had been called to the scene when one of them had produced an assault rifle. Fortunately, the Hero hadn't killed anyone, although judging by the reports Dominic wouldn't have blamed the man if he had. It still required an official statement from the Hero Program, and somehow these things still found their way back to him. The Program was Federal, it spanned all fifty states and two districts of the United States, and each office had someone responsible for PR, yet things like this kept getting directed to his office. It was as if they thought he didn't have a company of his own to run. Although to be fair the Program was now his biggest client, even discounting his official position within it. On top of that emergency situation, amongst others, he had a meeting booked with an individual that could be a possible recruit for the Program. He'd glanced over his file, and the man had seemed like a perfect candidate. A Police Officer, with an exemplary record. What could be better for what was essentially a glorified cop anyway? He rattled off a few necessary emails, made a phone call that couldn't wait, and then finally was informed by Gregory that a Mr Pope was here for an appointment. "Go ahead and show him in Gregory, I'm as ready as I'll be today." He walked around the desk in time to greet Lukas, extending a hand and a broad, genuine smile as he did so. "Mr Pope, a pleasure to meet you."

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[Deleted]

Luke put his phone down the book he was reading, the spot he was reading was depressing, he could not read it any more, at least right now he couldn't. He got lost within his own thoughts and how he came to the present day. The "Event" had changed many people, why did he have to be one of them? Why would he be given a power to heal but take on those injuries? It did not make any sense to Luke.

He would glance at his watch and for some reason he was slightly nervous over what this person would say about his **cough* power. That thorn in his side was more like it. He sighed as he stared at a reprint picture on the wall.

He then hear someone enter the area, he got up and went into the room and up to the man before him. A tall lean black guy with clean looks. He had his hand out and exclaimed 'Mr.Pope a pleasure to meet you.' Luke gave a smile and shook the mans hand firmly. "Thank you, nice to meet you too." He said to Mr.Weaver.

He would find a seat near him and asked him "So what can you do to help me with this . . . this ability of mine?" There was a noticable pause. "I do hope you can help, this thing is ruining my life." He said with an edge of worry in his voice.

Tag: Dominic Weaver

[Dominic Weaver]

Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + @lukaspope

Dominic took a moment to examine the man before him. He was tall, almost as tall as Dom himself, though the officer was more well-built. He could tell from his first glance that the man was worried, and logically it could only be his power that was worrying him. It was strange that he wanted to talk to Dominic about his ability, after all, he was a PR man, not a therapist. Still, somehow he had gotten through the bots and secretaries to him, so he could only imagine that there was something interesting about him. Presumably his power was an impressive one, but the file had been hazy on the details, and Dominic preferred to find out such things in person. Dominic gestured to a seat, then took his own a moment after Lukas had sat. "May I call you Lukas?" He moved his chair a little closer to the other man. "Look Lukas, I'm not sure why you called me personally. I can only imagine you're interested in the Hero Program, but if all you're after is help I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place. We fund various outreach programs and institutes that help people come to terms with their powers, but that isn't the ultimate role of this agency." He eyed the man for a moment, he wanted help, that was obvious, but perhaps it was for another reason. "If you just want help, then the MNRU is the best place for you. They specialise in helping people learn to live with their abilities. If you want a purpose, then maybe I can help you." Lukas clearly had issues coming to terms with his ability, more than many people Dominic had met, and Dominic wasn't really sure what he could do to help him. "Tell me Lukas, what exactly is your ability?"

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[Deleted]

Lukas shook his hand and sat down across from him. He was hoping that he would have some answers to his questions but even before he could ask Mr.Weaver was telling him that this program was for the hero program and not a place for testing out ones limits. He adjusted his weight in the chair he was sitting in, clearly unsure what to do, a feeling he was not used to at all.

"I got a referral from someone at the MNRU after the appointment with Mr.Newton." Lukas would listen to Mr.Weaver more, he asked about his ability.
"I do not know really what to call it other then 'Injury transfer'?" He shrugged his board shoulders as he tried to maybe find another name for it?

"What does one have to do to be enrolled to the 'Hero program'? Do you think you could use someone like me here?" Lukas said to him.

[Dominic Weaver]

Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + @lukaspope

"Injury transfer? OK, that's a start, but what exactly do you do? It helps to know the details, after all, the Heroes in the Program fulfil a variety of different roles, they aren't all on the front lines." He held up a hand and allowed a blue spark to travel lazily from finger to finger. "I'm an electrokine, which means I can manipulate electricity, fire lightning bolts, super charge a punch and so on. Effectively I'm a human taser. I don't really use it, but it's what I can do." The next question was a little more difficult. "Well originally you had to be invited. Hero work is dangerous, and the only reason we haven't suffered mass casualties is the calibre of metahumans we recruit. They are well trained and usually very difficult to hurt. Recently though, we have begun extending an application process. Lots of people haven't revealed their abilities, which makes it hard for us to invite them. We don't want to deny those people, or people like yourself the chance to join." He leaned back thoughtfully, "It would require a full ability analysis though, the MNRU will have done a more basic one, but the Program's is rather more thorough. We have to know what we're getting after all. "As to someone like you. Well, if your power can really heal people, then we can certainly find a place for you. Good healers seem to be rare unfortunately."

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[Deleted]

What exactly do you do? was a question from Mr. Weaver. Good question. Lukas came across country to get answers but is coming up with more questions.
Lukas shrugged "Honestly, I do not know how it all works, its only happened a couple of times to me" He added "I'd be working to save a life and the next thing I know, I'm the one fighting for my life." then the thought of what happened to Jack came to mind "Once, recently I sent my injury to another person, However I don't know how it works or what makes it works." He would explain to Mr. Weaver.

Mr. Weaver had an ability himself as he explained what he could do he even showed Lukas abit of that power.

Quickly the conversation turned to the Hero program where Mr. Weaver was telling him hard hard it was to get in and the dangerous work that is done.

As a cop, he faced danger every night from armed robbers to gang fights and mentally ill persons who's actions no classroom or class can prepare one for.

Explaining some of the next steps for Lukas, he would sit back and relax just abit and when Mr. Weaver mentioned that healers were few and hard to find, Lukas thought maybe, just maybe he could use this thorn and use it for good. If that could be done, he wouldn't mind ending up injured if it could someone else and if they could figure out how he could 'give it away' without hurting another person, that would be golden and he wouldn't have to end up in a hospital bed each time he used this gift/ thorn.

"I'm here I might as well try, if there could be any good coming from this, then be it!" Lukas said in a rather good mood.

[Dominic Weaver]

Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + @lukaspope

Dom laughed at Lukas' response, "Honestly Lukas, I have no idea how my ability works. I leave that to the scientists. All I really know is what I can and can't do with it, and not all of that." He leaned forwards, his palms pressed flat together and fingers pointing towards the cop. "Now from what I can gather your ability is to transfer injuries from other onto yourself?" He mused idly to himself for a moment, the ability was impressive, but limited in it's scope. A Hero who would be out of action after saving one person would be next to useless in the field, but could potentially be more useful in the background, working for and with the Program, but without the required costume and mask aspects of the job. "And you can transfer it to others? That's interesting." Perhaps if there were no limits on what he could transfer then he could injure otherwise indestructible foes with but a touch. Although whether he could get close to them in an injured state was a better question. Perhaps he would become a Hero more in the vein of Ink, Claire, one of the women that Dominic had come through the Event with. She did not have a costume, and didn't go into the limelight like Paladin had, but she was no less a member of the Program. He kept those thoughts to himself for now, and instead sprang up, going around the side of his desk. He rummaged in a drawer behind his desk for a second, before returning with a small object. He dug a fingernail into the catch and flicked open a small blade, revealing the object to be a pen knife. "Show me what you can do." Without waiting for a response, he carefully drew the blade across the back of his forearm, deep enough to cause blood, but not so deep that it would cause lasting damage. With an encouraging smile he held the arm out towards Lukas.

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[Deleted]

It was a relief to hear that Dominic did not know how his power work, Lukas felt that way to about his ability. Now knowing what was going on with this acquired power of him, a power that has proved more of a problem then helpful. Thorn. Everyone knows that roses have thorns, but this power of his had more thorn then rose.

"I don't know how it works, it just happens." Lukas explained to Dominic. As he watch Dominic turn to go thru a drawer taking what looked like a pen knife out and then dragging it across his arm saying that he wanted to see how his power worked.

"What the f*...!" Luke leaped from his seat going for some tissue that was on his desk, knocking the pen/pencil cup over spilling its contents. Lukas took the tissue and held it to Dominic's arm.
"I should have you committed!" Lukas told him with a concerned tone of voice.

Holding pressure on Dominic's wound, Luke looked at him "Why would you do that?" talking about Dominic cutting himself as he did. After making sure Dominic's wound had stopped bleeding and was not to deep to need stitches, he sat down. Nothing had happened between Dominic and Lukas. Lukas again told Dominic "I don't know how this works, I told you that." he said frustrated.

[Dominic Weaver]

Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + @lukaspope

Dominic raised an eyebrow at the policeman's over the top reaction. He shook him off, the wound on the back of his forearm was shallow, with only a little blood rising to the surface. He'd wounded himself more seriously by accident in the kitchen. "No Lukas, this has nothing to do with not knowing how it works." He stayed standing, his voice passionate. "Glacia doesn't understand how she can breathe cold enough to freeze someone solid, Nova doesn't understand how she can fly, and Paladin certainly doesn't understand how she can stop a runaway semi with one hand." He moved away from Lukas, looking out of the window of his office. "Metahumans have changed our understanding of the Universe. These people can do things that the laws of physics say they can't. The best scientists in the world don't fully understand how it works." He turned back to Lukas now, with a steely gaze. "But they try." This was the problem. Did these abilities frighten the people who had them? In many cases, yes. But they didn't allow that fear to control them. "You're too afraid to even try to understand it. You don't want to understand it, and in your fear, you are desperately looking for some way to go back to how things were. I'm sorry Mr Pope, but I can't do that for you. I can't teach you how to use your power." He placed emphasis on the next word. "You are the one who has to make that decision. I can't do it for you."

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[Deleted]

Lukas may have over reacted but he would rather over react then under act and miss some thing important. Dominic didn't seemed impressed either way as he told Lukas it had nothing to do with know how it worked.

Luke sat back in his chair and let a good sigh escape. Dominic would go on to name others and what they could do. Luke has no idea who those people were but he knew that Dominic was setting him an example. Luke would watch how Dominic would walk to the window, his back to him as Dominic explained something about metahumans and scientists not fully understanding how it works. Dominic had turned to face Lukas, Lukas still watching him carefully as Dominic had said with a steel gaze toward him as he said "But they try."

Dominic continued to talk to Lukas about his fear and how he didn't want to understand it and even wanting to live a normal life again, how he could not do it for him or teach him how to use his power. There was emphasis that he was the one to make a decision and Dominic couldn't do that for him.

Dominic was right, Lukas was fearful, that fear rooted in not being about to control what this power has given him. He was all about control, as a police officer they responded to all sorts of calls for service and they were looked to to control situations, bring law and order to disorder, help those in need weather it be a flat tire, a medical emergency or some sort of gang violence. This 'thing' as Lukas saw it, invaded his life while he was trying to save another and he ended up hospitalized for about a month. He could not be off every time that 'thing' popped up in his life. He came across country just to find out what this was and how he could control it. It felt like he was back on square one with more questions then answers.

It was Lukas this time to stand and go to the window to look out of it and turning to Dominic as he leaned on the window. Lukas asked Dominic "So what do I do now? I can't be a cop that when working on people with major injuries suddenly ends up the one injured, it takes a cop off the streets and not to mention another one to attend to me and then all the time off from work, I don't know how much more my job will take of me ending up in the ER if you know what I mean, it costs them money that our city doesn't have much." There was an awkward pause of silence before Lukas continued.
"Our jobs are super competitive, this thing that I can do now, while it saves lives it is also dangerous, what happens if this 'power' is used while a shooting is going on? That is going to be a bad thing." Lukas went and sat down in the chair "If I cant control this, then my life as a cop and all I know as one is over." He continued "I'll do anything to learn control, anything."

[Dominic Weaver]

Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + @lukaspope

The PR man watched as the cop clearly went through his own thought process. It was important to allow him to make his own decision, Dominic knew that no matter what decision he made, he would have to make it on his own. There would be no way any other decision would stick. Ultimately, it always had to be their decision, Dominic could only suggest what might be the right course of action. Eventually it was clear that Lukas had made his decision. "You're right, you can't work like that, you can't live like that. More than most, your ability has made your life harder. That doesn't mean you have to allow it to." He listened as Lukas went on. Clearly the man struggled to see the brighter side of things. Everything about this was about how bad things were going to be, and not the good things he could do. Perhaps that was the problem. "Look, Lukas, if you can absorb people's injuries without necessarily taking on the fatal side effects, then you could do more than just absorb the lives of people in fire fights. You could save the lives of people that would otherwise die. You could get people back into action that might otherwise be laid up or out of action for weeks or even months." He shook his head. "I'm sorry to say it Lukas, but your life as you knew it is already over. Times have changed for all of us now. That's what happened after the Event. Life as a metahuman is very different to life as a normal human." He lifted his arm, the one marked with a thin red line, once more. "You'll do anything? Then let's try this first…"

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[Deleted]

Lukas sat there quiet, listening to what Dominic had to say. It wasn't easy to hear and deep down he knew Dominic was right. His life has changed and no amount of wishing it were like before won't change what is now his life, his life as a meta. It was time to make something good out of this thorn in his life and start looking at the rose part, no matter how many times those thorns prick him.

Lukas had to start somewhere and he rather start with someone who knew what was going on then try himself and end up back in the hospital or worse hurting someone. The thought of Jack and what happened to him would haunt him, he did not mean to give him his broken arm. However what was done is done and he had to move forward with this new life of his.

Lukas watched as Dominic held out his wrist, the one he cut himself with the pen knife. Dominic had said to him "You'll do anything? Then lets start with this first."

Lukas moved closer to Dominic and took his wrist in his hand, he looked up at Dominic "Now what?" as he never had done this before with out being in the throws of doing his job. He tried just thinking about the injury, but nothing happened. He looked at Dominic for advise.

[Dominic Weaver]

Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + @lukaspope

Dominic almost rolled his eyes, he wasn't surprised that the MNRU had tried to palm Lukas off onto the Program, it was clear that it was going to be a long road to get him to the point where his ability might be any use. Fortunately, Dom was far too professional to ever let on this opinion. Instead he just shifted his weight, shaking his arm a little in Lukas' grip. "Lukas, this is your ability. Metahuman powers aren't like guns, they aren't rolled off a production line somewhere, they are all unique. I've met four different metahumans with the equivalent of super strength, and each of them operates differently." The most famous brick in America wasn't even technically super strong, a very carefully constructed fighting style and good PR made sure that people still thought Paladin was a traditional brick-type metahuman, when the reality was very different. "Think back to how you felt when you first absorbed someone's injury. Were you concerned? Trying to help them? Did you feel responsible for the injury?" Maybe he could help to trigger something. Clearly it was more complex than just 'trying' to absorb the injury. There was always something more than that. "I don't throw lightning, I visualise a connection between whatever the object is and myself, then the electricity bridges that gap. We just need to work out what it is that you need to do, your trigger."

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[Deleted]

Lukas was frustrated that he could not heal Dominic. However Dominic would not let Lukas give up.
Dominic would have him think how he thought when he had absorbed an injury. "Absorbed?" Lukas said as a chill went down his spine. Was he a human sponge for injuries now? The thought made him sick.

"I don't know, I wanted to save the girl, she coded and all I could think about was saving her life."

Lukas remembered the call in great detail to him. "We got the call of a domestic and when we got there, we heard shots. A father tried to take his daughters life and the coward took his own life. One less POS in this world. The girl was shot in the chest and then she coded, I worked her as the other officers were clearing the house. Then I woke up in the hospital with my other officer coworkers wondering how I was the one shot? That girl still had a bullet in her chest that required intensive surgery and I had no bullet but had to have major surgery also. It laid me up for over a month and there was a whole investigation and everything. What a mess." He said.

Lukas looked at Dominic's wrist, "So you want me to think of the girl dying in my hands?" Lukas was worried about what would happen remembering such an emotional, stressful call.